If this movie had not been based on a true story, I would have given it a meager score (less than 50%). Even though it was based on a true story, it felt very cheesy and overly sentimental, with way too much overacting. Its design evoked emotion and tugged at our heartstrings, making us believe that one person can make a difference simply by caring. If this story were fiction, it would be utterly unrealistic. And just because it is based on a true story doesn’t mean the real-life events played out exactly as shown in the movie. I’ve learned that “based on a true story” differs from “the following story is entirely true.” My most life-altering experience of this is Remember the Titans. When I discovered how many changes were made to make this story a more moving movie experience, I became very skeptical of Hollywood. Keep in mind that, even though Remember the Titans came out in 2000, I did not realize how glamorized Hollywood made it until a few years ago, when I was surfing the Internet and decided to look into the history of Virginia high school football. When I saw that the TC Williams Titans did not beat Andrew Lewis High School in the state championship game 10-7, but rather defeated them 27-0, I began to wonder what else Disney embellished in the telling of this story. It turned out that they embellished a ton.
Category Archives: Year of Release
Ex Machina (2015)
Sometimes, when you see a movie that you know nothing about, you are treated with an unknown little treat – a film that will stick with you forever. Ex Machina is the movie this year. My comparison here is to the Brad Pitt/Morgan Freeman gem Seven. It was a movie I knew nothing about. I had only heard that it was a movie I must see through word of mouth. Seven probably has a place in my all-time top 25 forever. That’s how good it was. But a lot of this initially high rating was because of how in awe I was when I saw it in such a small, rickety stage theater converted into a movie theater in Lexington, VA, in the fall of 1997. Now, Ex Machina is not in the class of Seven. But like Seven, it is a gripping, carefully scripted movie that will stay with you long after you watch it. Ex Machina will challenge for best movie of the first half of 2015.
Something’s Gotta Give (2003)
Romantic comedies are very rarely my thing. I often try to avoid them like the plague. There are, of course, some exceptions to the rule. If it’s a Rated-R raunchy romantic comedy like The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, There’s Something About Mary, etc. I’m in. But those movies have become their brand. Before 1997, you didn’t see movies like this made. I’m talking about the PG or PG-13 romantic comedies. I like Notting Hill, Garden State, and, of course, Groundhog Day. And movies like My Best Friend’s Wedding, Hitch, and High Fidelity are serviceable. With Something’s Gotta Give, the film sought me out rather than vice versa. Somehow, when I clicked the like button on Netflix, a list of other movies appeared, and I clicked the film’s image and added it to my list.
I don’t remember doing this. So when it arrived, and I ripped open the envelope with excitement, a “What the f*** is this?” and a look of befuddlement were an understatement. So there it sat next to my television for a couple of weeks. In the back of my mind, I knew I would give it a chance. It did earn high marks on Rotten Tomatoes, and it did have a star-studded cast. It would have a short rope, but it would get a chance. I’m glad I did. It was far from a great movie, but despite some severe flaws, it was entertaining enough to recommend. With that said, this movie is a one-and-done for me. I’ll never watch it again. One reason I do this blog is to remember the movies I watch. It is much easier to read a five-minute summary.
The Harvest (2015)
It’s never really a good thing when your movie is released on Video on Demand the same day it opens in the theater. This is slowly changing and becoming more widely accepted because it helps some independent movies earn more money. However, it still means that, regardless of how good a movie is (in any category), it is not eligible for an Academy Award nomination. So if it is a movie you think will be great, you wouldn’t make it available on OnDemand until after it leaves theaters. With that said, all those involved with this movie (regardless of whether you loved it or hated it) knew that it would never be in contention for an Oscar award. The Harvest is a movie I would not have seen in theaters, and had it not been on OnDemand at the same time as its theatrical release, I would have missed it altogether. Their release plan was good. The film, on the other hand, was meh.
Maria Full of Grace (2004)
Joshua Marston’s (The Forgiveness of Blood) Maria Full of Grace is one of the best foreign-language films I’ve ever seen. Unfortunately, I watched this movie on the heels of another foreign-language film (A Girl Walks Home At Night), which, despite its 95% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, I found incredibly dull and had no interest in reviewing. So I was unsure about watching another subtitled movie the next day, but I am glad I gave it a fair chance. It’s a great movie that tells a heart-wrenching and believable story.