In America

 

In America 2002

• Director: Jim Sheridan
• Seen by this director: The Boxer, In the Name of the Father, My Left Foot
• Based on Book: no
• Cast: Samantha Morton, Paddy Considine, Djimon Hounsou, Sarah & Emma Bolger (sisters IRL)
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor/actress in:
• Samantha Morton – Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Elizabeth the Golden Age, The Libertine, Morvern Callar
• Paddy Considine – Journeyman, The Girl with All the Gifts, Macbeth, Pride, The World’s End, Red Riding, Hot Fuzz, My Summer of Love, 24 Hour Party People, Born Romantic
• Djimon Hounsou – The Tempest, Blood Diamond, Gladiator, Amistad
• Why? I liked it the first time.
• Seen: Once before. Now 14 October 2024 

Johnny (Considine) and Sarah (Morton) drive into New York City as illegal immigrants with their small daughters (Bolger&Bolger). They move into a slum flat with druggie and/or crazy neighbours. Johnny auditions for acting roles then drives a night cab. Sarah works in a café across the street.

Money problems, extreme heat, missing Ireland, trying hard with laughter and love but

grieving for the loss of little Frankie.

                      The little girls make friends with their neighbor, a reclusive, troubled Nigerian artist Mateo (Hounsou) and family feelings become turbulent.

                      It’s a sad and lovely film, a little gem.

4* of 5

 

 

 

 

The Woodsman

 

The Woodsman 2004

• Director: Nicole Kassell
• Seen by this director: Leftovers
• Based on Book: no
• Cast: Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Yasliin Bey (Mos Def), Michael Shannon
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor/actress in:
• Kevin Bacon – Tremors, Crazy Stupid Love, X-Men First Class, Frost/Nixon, Mystic River, JFK, Footloose
• Kyra Sedgwick – The Edge of Seventeen, Born on the Fourth of July
• Yasliin Bey – Cadillac Records, Be Kind Rewind, 16 Blocks, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Monster’s Ball
• Michael Shannon  – Amsterdam, Knives Out, The Shape of Water, Man of Steel, The Ice Man, Take Shelter, The Runaways
• Why? Might be good
• Seen: 13 October 2024 

Walter (Bacon) is paroled after twelve years in prison for molesting little girls. He gets work in a lumber yard, talks to his shrink, is befriended by damaged but feisty Vickie (Sedgwick), fights against watching and following little girls. Will he be able to resist doing what he knows is sick and wrong?

It’s a serious and thoughtful film about a complex and difficult subject. Would I want to work with a convicted paedophile? Would I believe he could be cured?

Kevin Bacon gives a powerful performance in this most unpleasant but well done film.

 

3* of 5

 

 

 

 

Adam's Apples

 

Adam’s Apples 2005

• Director: Anders Thomas Jensen
• Based on Book: no
• Cast: Ulrich Thomsen, Mats Mikkelsen, Nicolas Bro, Paprika Steen, Ali Kazim, Ole Thestrup
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor/actress in:
• Ulrich Thomsen – Mortdecai, Fringe, Kingdom of Heaven, The World Is Not Enough
• Mads Mikkelsen – many
• Why? Mads Mikkelsen
• Seen: 12 October 2024 

Adam (Thomsen) is a neo-Nazi just out of prison assigned to community service under the supervision of Danish priest Ivan (Mikkelsen), a relentless believer in the best in people, his own personal battle with Satan, and his fantasies that he wasn’t abused as a child, that his wife didn’t commit suicide, that his son isn’t severely handicapped, that he isn’t dying of a brain tumor.

Adam is violently contemptuous of Ivan’s madness and the others under his supervision.

Good vs evil. God vs Satan. Reality vs illusion. It’s almost like a Stephen King film. Kind of funny. Kind of sad. Quirky with quirky characters and quirky Danishness.

 

4* of 5

 

 

 

Deadpool 2

 

Deadpool 2 (2018)

• Director: David Leitch
• Films seen by this director: Atomic Blonde
• Based on Book: no
• Cast: See Deadpool
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor/actress in:
• See Deadpool
• Why: Included in box
• Seen: 11 October 2024 

Is there an actual point to this sequel? Boring! But not 0* because it does get better towards the end, so

               

2* of 5

 

 

 

Deadpool

 

Deadpool 2016

• Director: Tim Miller
• Films seen directed by Scott: Terminator Dark Fate
• Based on Book: no
• Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Morina Baccarin, TJ Miller, Ed Skrein, Karan Soni
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor/actress in:
• Ryan Reynolds – Life, Woman in Gold, Wolverine, Life During Wartime
• Morina Baccarin – V, Serenity, Firefly
• TJ Miller – Ready Player One, Cloverfield
• Ed Skrien – Alita Battle Angel, Game of Thrones
• Why: Wolverine connection and one of my many geek friends told me it’s good.
• Seen: 10 October 2024 

There’s a story here but never mind. Deadpool (Reynolds) is a newly created invincible superhero who refers often to the X-men, who have been trying to recruit him.

                Constant wise-arse asides, extreme violence and profanity, tongue-in-cheek clichés and likeable geeky characters make this a very entertaining film.

 

4* of 5

 

 

The Big Short

 

The Big Short 2015

• Director: Adam McKay
• Based on the strue story: yes
• Cast: Christian Bale, Steve Carrell, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt, Marisa Tomei, Melissa Leo, Margot Robbie
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor/actress in:
• All of them – many times
• Why – the cast
• Seen: 9 October 2024

          Finance bores me to tears and I actively hate capitalism but these actors are promising.

                Housing, mortgage bonds, funds – all that stuff, even the film itself admits that it’s all incomprehensible, even with cameo appearances by the likes of Margot Robbie giving explanations that don’t help a bit.

Michael (Bale) is an eccentric genius who predicts the crash of 2008 but nobody believes him. Mark (Carrell) is a broker (or something) who loves his job and hates everything else except his wife Cynthia (Tomei). Jared (Rosling) is out to make money, big money. Brad Pitt, retired banker, comes out of retirement to get in on the money-making.

                It plays like a spoof of the very true story of the American housing crash, a seriously not funny tragedy for millions who lost their houses, their jobs, their pensions, and some their lives, while individuals within the financial system made millions, even billions.

                Believe it or not, it’s very funny. And horrible. This hateful system is still going strong.

                Revolution. Now. Please.

 

4* of 5

 

 

A Hidden Life

 

A Hidden Life 2019

• Director: Terence Malick
• Based on a true story: yes
• Cast: August Diehl, Valerie Packner
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor/actress in:
• August Diehl – Inglourious Basterds
• Why? Possibly interesting
• Seen: 7-8 October 2024 

Franz (Diehl) and his wife Fani (Packner) live a peaceful and idyllic life with their children on their farm in the Alps. When the war breaks out Franz becomes a conscientious objector in Nazi Austria. True story.

A film on this subject could have been excellent and many viewers find it so. Sadly, it gives into self-indulgent post card beauty, preachiness and endless short incoherent scenes. Much more stringent editing, cutting at least an hour would have made it so much stronger. 

2½* of 5