Review-The Sessions

The Session is a movie based on the writing and real life experiences of Mark O'Brien. Mark(played by John Hawkes) had polio as a kid,which caused him to live life in an iron lung. He is a writer who has never know the touch of a woman. After confessing to Father Brendan(William H. Macy), he decides to hire a sex surrogate to lose his virginity to. The movie is very good, with a good balance of funny and heartwarming. All the performances are great in the movie. There are two in particular that stole the show. John Hawkes' performance was amazing , giving us the right emotional balance to show us his heart and spirit.  Helen Hunt's performance as Cheryl, Mark's sex surrogate, gives enough compassion and understanding to her character as well as to the film. I thought the movie was over ten minutes too soon. Considering the tone on the movie, I could understand why that was. Warning to the audience: there is a lot of nudity in the film but it is respectful.

Rating: 8.8 out of ten

Review-Parental Guidance

Parental Guidance is a new family comedy staring Billy Crystal, Bette Midler and Marisa Tomei. Artie and  Diane Decker(Crystal and Midler) is a loving couple who have not seen their grandchildren in awhile. Their daughter Alice(Tomei) lives in a different state and doesn't come out to visit them that offer. When Alice's husband Phil(Tom Everett Scott) has a business trip that he wants her to accompany him on, they have to call on Artie and Diane to watch the kids while they are gone. That is when the craziness ensues. I absolutely love this movie. The movie examines the way the two generations are being raised and how the world has changed in between. The chemistry between Crystal and Midler is superb and is the glue that holds the movie together. The movie flows so effortlessly that there is really no slow moments. It is a 80's type of comedy living in the current world and it is done so well. This is a movie that the whole family can enjoy,no matter what age they are.

Rating: 9.5 of ten

Review-The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the prequel to the Lord of The Rings trilogy. It focuses on a young Bilbo Baggins(played by Martin Freeman) and the adventures that he encountered before we see him in Lord of the Rings. He is volunteered by Gandalf(Ian McKellen) to help a band of dwarfs to reclaim their home. The leader of the dwarfs in Thornin(played by Richard Artimage), who dreams of avenging the death of his father and the wrongs inflicted on his people. The movie works on many levels, including how the journey that a person takes can define your life. The cast is wonderful and the action/comedy mix works well throughout the film. I would definitely recommend seeing it, especially at the movie theater.

Rating: 8.8 out of ten.

Review-Playing For Keeps

Playing For Keeps is a new romantic comedy starring Gerald Butler and Jessica Biel. George(Butler) was an all star soccer player that had a touch of bad luck after he left the game. He still want to be a good father to his son Lewis(Noah Lomax) . To help do this, he promises her ex-wife Stacie(Biel) he would help coach his son's soccer team. In doing this, he opens himself up to the parents of the soccer players. These parents (Catherine Zeta-Jones, Dennis Quaid, Uma Thurman, Judy Greer) have things they want from George,which ranges from sex to guarantee of their kids' playing time. Can George focus of the right things? We shall see. The movie is good but has a bunch of issues to it.  The script doesn't blend the stories of George and the parents as well as it should. The main thing that makes it work is the story between George, Lewis and Stacie. The director of the film, Gabriele Muccino, is used to directing dramas (The Pursuit of Happyness, Seven Pounds). While he does a good job of filming the interactions of each of the characters, he doesn't do a good job of framing action/sports scenes. Overall, it is a decent movie that should be given a chance despite its flaws.

Rating: 7.3 out of ten

Review-Flight

Flight is a drama that deals with the consequences of one's action. It stars Denzel Washington as Whip Whitaker, a man who goes through his life numbing his pain with alcohol and drugs. His job, as an airline pilot, is one where you have to keep alert and thinking straight. When there is a plane crash, Whip saves a lot of lives that day by his actions. His actions during this flight was under the influence. There lies the conflict of his life: should he continue to live life like a hero or tell the truth and face jail time. The movie is a good movie, especially to study a person going through life like an AA meeting. It delivers amazing performances from Denzel as well as from Don Cheadle and John Goodman. The trouble with the film is that it drags in certain spots. There's a storyline between Whitaker and Nicole (Mary Reilly) that stretches out way too long. It also repeats different parts of the film when it's not really necessary. The movie, directed by Robert Zemeckis, was beautifully shot and has nice bit of heart and some humor splice into the drama. Overall, I recommend the film,especially if you like Denzel Washington.

Rating: 8.0 out of ten  

Review- Here Comes the Boom

Here Comes the Boom is the newest comedy from comedian Kevin James. Scott Voss(James) is a biology teacher that puts out the bare minimum in his job, preferring to live on his past accolades. When the school decides that they must eliminate certain programs to make budget, Voss feels compelled to help. His idea to help the school's money woes is to fight in the mixed marital art circuit.With the help of former fighter Niko(Bas Rutten) and the school's nurse Bella Flores(Salma Hayek), he works on helping his school and his view of his life. I was surprised how much I liked this film. It has a Rocky meets School of Rock feel to it(but not as good as those films).Until the premise of the movie kicks in(about 15-20 minutes in), the comedy is hit or miss. After that, the laughs flow consistently and the movie gets your emotions invested in it. If you love movies about  the underdog, you should check this out. It also stars Henry Winkler and Joe Rogan.

Rating: 7.6 out of 10

Review- End of Watch

End of Watch is the latest entry into the cop film genre. This is one brought to you by writer/director David Ayer, who is no stranger to cop dramas. He was the writer of Training Day as well as the director of Street Kings. This one focuses on officers Brian Taylor and Mike Zavala(Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena) on their patrol. Brian insist on filming their watch with hand held and mini cameras(for a student film). Their path crosses everything from burning buildings to a local gang trying to run the neighborhood the way they want. As they get more recognition for their work, they also become targets of some that want them out of the way. End of Watch is a good film to see what regular cops go through on a day to day basis. It is like you are watching full length feature film of Cops. Gyllenhaal and Pena have great chemistry together, which is the glue that keep this movie going.While I do love the film, there are things I have issues with. It seems like everyone is recording someone in this film and not in a good structure type of way. The story doesn't hold up quite as well structure wise(like the main bad guys aren't the main bad guys). I found myself asking "Where does he go to school at and when is his project due"? Regardless, you should go and watch it for the great performances. Warning: it will have shaky cam here and there throughout the film.


Rating: 8.0 out of 10