THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG (2014)

On 17 December 2013 I reviewed The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey on this blog. Then I compared it with The Lord Of The Rings - trilogy and was of the opinion that it was not as good. But I also admitted at the time that my judgement might be premature because that was also only the first part of a trilogy. And, boy, was I wrong. After watching this second part, I completely changed my mind: It is every bit as good! After all, it is the work of the same master director, Peter Jackson, who was also responsible for The Lord Of The Rings.

In this delivery, Bilbo Baggins and his motley crew of dwarfs endeavor to take back the dwarf mountain kingdom of Erebor that was once taken from them by a fire breathing dragon called Smaug.

Again the acting is first rate, the special effects spectacular, the story riveting and if you think the first one was too talkative, in this one there is plenty of action. I can hardly wait for the final chapter to come out. And yes, I didn't rate the first one just as I am not going to rate this one as I think it only fair to rate the series/trilogy as a whole. 

Trailer link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnaojlfdUbs

Some of the characters

BOYHOOD (2014)

Nominated for six Academy Awards and winner of one (Patricia Arquette for best performance by an actress in a supporting role) this is truly a wonderful movie. On imdb it is rated 8.1/10 which is high. Leonard Maltin describes it as a "uniquely rewarding experience". As a matter of fact, most film critics agree that this is a groundbreaking achievement in the history of film making by renowned director, Richard Linklater.

The story is basically about the life and times of young Mason, his mom, dad and sister, Samantha. But what makes this movie so unique is that it was shot over a period of twelve years with essentially the same cast. So you see especially the two children literally grow up in front of your eyes within a time-span of ninety minutes. And although it is not the first time we see children growing up on screen (think of Harry Potter and not even to mention the numerous TV family sitcoms over the years) this is the first time we see it start to end in the same movie!

The entire cast (Ellar Coltrane as Mason, Lorelei Linklater as Samantha, Patricia Arquette as Mom and Ethan Hawke as Dad) is excellent and deliver such a powerful and fluent performance throughout that it is hard to believe it is a production that took twelve years to complete. This DVD is a definite must for any coming-of-age collection. I awarded it a solid 4 out of 5 stars.

Trailer link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0oX0xiwOv8

Ellar Coltrane at different ages...

HULK (2003)

I'm sure most of us grew up with the incredible huge green monster and must (at least secretly) have wished to become him at some point or another, especially when we suffered at the hands of an older sibling or the school bully!

The story is quite a familiar one for this genre. Scientist Bruce Banner (Eric Bana) is zapped by some mysterious force when an experiment at work goes wrong. Soon he finds out that anger is the trigger for the monster in him to turn him into the Hulk. Off course when some government bureaucrat (played by Sam Elliot) hears about this he simply has to have him in order to create a whole army of super strong indestructible soldiers.

Based on the popular Marvel comics of the 70's and 80's this movie is yet another film version of a super hero created by that medium. Therefor, whether or not you will like it will entirely depend on your affinity for that medium. So, if it is bad, stay away. But if it is good then I can recommend it as it has a good plot, plenty of action and spectacular special effects. The acting is not bad either. I rated it 3 out of 5 stars.

Trailer link: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ErnLuJKQA4

 

Eric Bana as Hulk  

LOCAL COLOR (2008)

A theme often explored by authors and film makers alike is that of the teacher-pupil relationship and how they influence each others outlook on life. Now it can take on a variety of forms. Just think of divergent films like Dead Poet's Society and the Karate Kid series to name but a few. This film is such a study.

Eighteen year old art student, John (very ably portrayed by Trevor Morgan) seeks advice from elderly Russian master Nicolai (Armin Meuller-Stahl in a valiant performance) but who has pretty much given up on life as a whole. However, they soon discover that each of them has their own demons to deal with before their relationship built upon their mutual love for the art of painting has any hope of succeeding.

Unfortunately, despite excellent performances by the entire cast, I struggled to make a connection to any of them. I also found the pace too slow, even for a movie of this nature. In the end I could not give it more than 2 out of 5 stars. Maybe you have a different opinion. I would like to hear it...

Trailer link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT-nkE3FK18

Armin Meuller-Stahl and Trevor Morgan 

AMERICAN HEART (1992)

Along similar lines is the next movie under review. Only this time it is the father-son relationship.

Jack (brilliantly played by Jeff Bridges as usual) has just been released from a five year stint in prison and aims to head for Alaska as soon as he can scrape the funds together. However, his fourteen year old son, Nick (Edward Furlong in an equally strong performance) pitches up unexpectedly and plans to stick to his dad no matter what. Initially their relationship is seriously strained but gradually improves to the point where they discover love for each other despite their own shortcomings.

Unlike the movie reviewed above, this one tugs at the heartstrings throughout and one cannot but help to feel sympathy for both father and son. I have seen this movie once or twice before and, although it is by times hard to watch, each time it managed to somehow move me. It is good enough to earn 3 out of 5 stars from me.

Trailer link: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fk8C9n6-k8

A collage of scenes from the movie