Reviews

Damien Chazele's follow up to his big film La La Land is a biography on one of the bona fide heroes of American culture-scape Neil Armstrong. Collaborating once again with Chazele is Ryan Gosling who plays the main lead. The film is good although expecting a straight forward larger than life biopic the kind Hollywood is known for is not what this film is. This is a personal take on the nature and character of a public figure who hated the attention and adulation. The scenes with Armstrong's family gives us an inside look at the legendary man's state of mind both before and after launching. Of course, the actual mission is given weight and some scenes are bound to bring goosebumps to space aficionados. I was impressed with this film even though there aren't many uplifting, resounding scenes and the pacing is more of a gentle flow than a typical three act script structure.

View from the top is Gwyneth Paltrow's movie and although the thespian is a talented actress the material here lets her down. Paltrow plays Donna, a young woman stuck in a no-name town (actually, Silver Springs, Nevada) who dreams of one day finding her way in the world. Her opportunity comes when she joins Fresno-based Sierra Airlines as a flight attendant. After a while, Donna decides to try her luck at a larger airline, and sets her sights on Royal, the cream of the crop. After being accepted to their training course and enduring several weeks under the tutelage of instructor John Whitney (Mike Myers), she is given the commuter route based out of Cleveland. This is an alright film, women will probably veer more towards it. At its best, View from the Top is a mediocre diversion - a movie better watched at home where the remote control can be used (if necessary) to fast forward to the film's best part.

I really like this Clint Eastwood film. Besides directing, producing, and performing in "Million Dollar Baby," Eastwood also did the music which was simply well-integrated and perfectly composed to match and quietly enhance the plot progression, the mood, and the reaction of the characters. This is a gutsy film, gritty in emotions. It can be a tear-jerker yet not at all sentimental. It tells it like it is - the down to earth hard living of boxing (the theme being a 'crutch'), while the crux of the story concentrates on three main characters (each with haunting past): Eastwood as Frank the weathered boxing trainer, Hilary Swank as Maggie the enthusiastic spark in this whirl of boxing energy, and Morgan Freeman as "Scrap" - besides being the voice-over narrator, provided the bridging catalyst as the cool and caring mainstay to both Frank and Maggie. There are sprinkles of wit and humor here and there - that's how life is: making up of laughter and smiles occasionally in the midst of challenges and struggles, joys and disappointments, hesitation and reinforcement of faith, plucking up courage to take that risk, and mishaps nevertheless happen. There is "whose life is it anyway" dilemma - the confrontation of death, to be or not to be.

If the premise excites you- and why shouldn't it, two valley girls are left on earth after a comet hits the planet, oh, and the only surviving creatures are cannibal zombies, then watching this film will be even better. Its well- acted and beautifully photographed (the earlier empty streets with that orange tinge reminiscence of a nuclear winter are amazing) and moves at a brisk pace. Give Night of the Comet a shot to remind yourself why the 80s were such an awesome time for B movie lovers.

In the limey Terence Hill goes to Los Angeles to avenge his daughter's death- fair and simple. Except the way by which Soderberg shows us the entire ordeal- which includes flashback of a young Stamp taken from actual outtakes of his older films- is what is amazing and makes this film rise above any other revenge action film. Terence Stamp is excellent and a case of choosing an artist rather than a movie star to play a character.

Tina Fey's rise through SNL was already well underway when 30 Rock debuted and the so it was no surprise that it would be just so good. Incredibly witty with some of the funniest characters ever assembled this show is about a fictional live comedy show headquartered in 30 Rockefeller. Tina Fey- the writer and main star has based the show on her experiences in Saturday Night Live and many of the crew have been assembled from the famed sketch show. Alec Baldwin is the scene stealer as the new network executive and even the normally unwatchable Tracy Morgan somehow finds his slot here. This is a must watch satire from the incredibly talented Tina Fey.

The Bounty by Roger Donaldson is a rousing sea adventure with some fascinating character study and great acting. Anthony Hopkins portrays William Bligh who in real life was a subordinate of James Cook and later the master of the Bounty upon which the famous mutiny occurred. The cinematography is lush and the pacing efficient to say the least. The actors here are, apart from the aforementioned Hopkins- Mel Gibson, Liam Neeson, Daniel Day Lewis and in a cameo of sorts Laurence Olivier, so you can imagine the star wattage on display. All in all this is a great film for sea enthusiasts, history buffs or fans of the actors.

Night at the Museum is a decent family comedy film starring Ben Stiller. As could be inferred from the title Night at the Museum is about a man who works night shift at the American Museum of Natural History and realizes that the Museum comes to life at night from being influenced by an ancient Egyptian artifact. There are a host of cameos and the special effects are not bad. This is a harmless excursion for the family though and little kids would be most satisfied. If you fall under that demography this movie could be the right excursion for you.

Eight Legged freaks is a good film because it knows what it is and does not take itself or the subject way too seriously. Giant spiders invade, humans evade- this is the premise and the execution is deft, if not engaging. This is a classic example of a good B movie, made on a decent B movie budget where the monsters are perfect and the acting not too much further from self deprecation. David Arquette is perfect as the lead and the film also features a young scarlet johannsen. All in all this is a fantastic B movie.