When a longtime CIA asset is killed Arthur (Peter Gallagher) suspects a former CIA analyst (Bruce Davison) convicted of treason, and currently held in solitary confinement in a maximum security prison, may be behind it. The CIA decides to look into both of the man’s daughters to see if they are involved.
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Covert Affairs – Horse to Water Read More »
It’s time to play the music. It’s time to light the lights. It’s been a long time since the The Muppets took Manhattan, had a great caper, or set their sites on an original movie. Sure there was that attempt to give Gonzo his own film, and the series of movies adapted from literature to star The Muppets over the years, but for the first time in a long time, with no small part to Jason Segel, The Muppets are back.
The story begins with brothers Walter (Peter Linz) and Gary (Segel) traveling to Los Angeles with Gary’s longtime girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams). Although the trip was initially set as an anniversary getaway for the lovers, Gary brings Walter along to let him realize one of his dreams by visiting Muppet Studios.
Walter is crushed to find the studio in disrepair and horrified to learn that an oil tycoon (Chris Cooper) is set to take ownership of the property and destroy it. The Muppets have only one chance, the contract leaves a clause that they can buy back the studio before the deadline if they can raise $10,000,000.
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For the first half-hour or so of Hugo you’re wondering to yourself why is Martin Scorcese directing a children’s story about an orphan who lives in a train station with a broken robot?
Don’t get me wrong, the characters are engaging and the look of the film (especially in 3D where the effects bring to mind a child’s pop-up book) are terrific, but the question still remains. And then this film about an orphan and his automaton becomes a story about a famous filmmaker and the celebration and preservation of old films, and you know exactly what struck the director’s fancy.
When we first meet Hugo Cabaret (Asa Butterfield) he’s living in the walls of the Paris train station. The son of clockmaker (Jude Law), Hugo was orphaned when his father died in a museum fire. Now all Hugo has to remember him is a notebook and a broken automaton his father was attempting to fix before his death.
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When a sniper starts killing random New Yorkers the NYPD is on the case, but the type of killings push Beckett (Stana Katic) over the edge, making her remember her own shooting. As her friends try to cover for her, the post-traumatic stress proves too much to handle.
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Castle – Kill Shot Read More »
The Tree of Life is one of those rare films that you can use as a barometer to judge other’s tastes in films. If they dismiss it completely for its odd editing, non-linear structure, and perplexing nature that will tell you one thing. If they simply praise the look of the film and its challenging storytelling without noting its obvious flaws that will tell you something else.
The Tree of Life is a very good, but sometimes maddeningly frustrating, film. The director gives us the story of a family in Waco, Texas, in the 1950’s. We also get a much shorter look at one of the children (Sean Penn) years later. Interspersed with these tales is the origin of the universe and creation of life on Earth.
Those who don’t wish to be challenged by a film should give The Tree of Life a wide berth. You’ll need patience and a willingness to accept the kind of journey on which it wants to take you.
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