The Imitation Game"The Imitation Game" stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley and Mathew Goode in this film that relates the efforts of British intelligence during World War II to break the German secret code. Co-written by Andrew Hodges (based on his book "Alan Turing: The Enigma") and Graham Moore, the film was ably directed by Morten Tyldum and tells of the extraordinary efforts of one man, Alan Turing, to create what was basically the first known computer. The information the film imparts and the tremendous undertaking of Turing and his aides to help shorten the war and save millions of lives will hold the interest of the audience to its exciting and unexpected climax. I give the film 3 and ½ stars and recommend it to history buffs and anyone else who is interested in seeing how far the human mind can go to conquer mathematical obstacles and achieve the seemingly impossible,

"The Imitation Game" stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley and Mathew Goode in this film that relates the efforts of British intelligence during World War II to break the German secret code. Co-written by Andrew Hodges (based on his book "Alan Turing: The Enigma") and Graham Moore, the film was ably directed by Morten Tyldum and tells of the extraordinary efforts of one man, Alan Turing, to create what was basically the first known computer. The information the film imparts and the tremendous undertaking of Turing and his aides  to help shorten the war and save millions of lives will hold the interest of the audience to its exciting and unexpected climax. I give the film 3 and ½ stars and recommend it to history buffs and anyone else who is interested in seeing how far the human mind can go to conquer mathematical obstacles and achieve the seemingly impossible,

Boyhood

"Boyhood" is a film I delayed in seeing because of its 242 minute length and revolutionary but, to me, at the time, unappetizing concept of watching a boy grow over a 12 year period. Nevertheless, on a rainy day in the desert with nothing much else to do, I went to see the film. To my pleasant surprise, my flexibility in viewing choices turned out to be one of the best movie decisions I ever made. The film, written and directed by Richard Linklater, is a unique exercise in film making where, for over a 12 year filming period, the same actors continue their roles as mother (Patricia Arquette), father (Ethan Hawke), son, Mason (Ellar Coltrane) and daughter, Samantha (Lorelei Linklater) and we literally watch them all grow and age on screen right before our eyes as if some magic time lapse mechanism was employed. True, the idea of watching family members grow over the years is not especially new except that other projects used different actors to play the same people in different stages of their respective lives. Here, we see the aging of the same actors, not only of the children, but of the parents and other adults as well, as they meet and deal with the various problems that befall them.
An unexpected result of having the same actors throughout is that it gives the film a legitimacy and authenticity even though it is a work of fiction.
One marvels at the logistical problems that could have occurred had one or more of the four principal cast members passed away or suffered significant life changes during this 12 year filming span (not to mention coordinating the professional availability of all or any of them throughout this over a decade shoot). I give the film 3 and ½ stars and thank the powers that be for making it rain the day I went to see it. Whether or not you enjoy the film as much as I did, it is worth seeing if, for no other reason, in order to experience the unique and innovative technique it employs.

Foxcatcher

"Foxcatcher" stars Steve Carell, Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo in this true story of the relationship between Olympic wrestling champions and brothers, Dave and Mark Schultz and a troubled and eccentric  member of the one of the wealthiest families in America, John DuPont. The film was written by E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman and was directed by Bennett Miller ("Moneyball") with Mr. Carell playing the part of John DuPont. Although Mr. DuPont’s picture is not familiar to most of us, he obviously had a prominent nose which accounts for the significant and almost cartoon-like makeup which Mr. Carell wears throughout the film. Unfortunately, in the producers attempt to achieve reality, they brought about the opposite result as far as this viewer is concerned. No matter how much you want to lose yourself into the film and the character Mr. Carell attempts to portray, you (or I at least) are constantly reminded that it is Mr. Carell wearing lots of makeup. That being said, the film offers a study into the degrees of control those having the power to exert it will go in order to attain their goals. The film, though slow moving at times (2 hours and 14 minutes) manages to hold the viewer’s interest as these two brothers cope with the idiosyncrasies and desires of their wealthy "mentor". I give the film 3 stars but can’t help wondering if a lesser known actor other than Mr. Carell could have been more convincing in the part he played.

Theory of Everything

"Theory of Everything" is, as most people know, the story of Stephen Hawking and his adult life-long battle with a motor deficiency disease (ALS). It is also the story of self-sacrifice and dedication as told through the eyes of his wife of 25 years, Jane, who, together with Anthony McClaren, co authored the screenplay based on her book "My Life With Stephen". The film was directed by James Marsh and stars Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones. One must approach this film as both a factual summary of the trials and efforts of a genius confined to the prison of his voiceless and motionless body and, also, as an entertainment vehicle. For the former the film serves its purpose well and is made even more believable by Mr. Redmayne’s remarkable likeness to Mr. Hawkng  and the performances given by both he and Ms. Jones.  As to the latter, the film is certainly not "entertaining" in the true sense of the word but represents one of those "should see" see films because of its biographical data and the efforts of its two stars. This is indeed a difficult film to rate for much depends on the needs and desires of the viewer and whether he or she considers watching Mr. Redmayne’s character struggle with a catastrophic disabiliity for over 2 hours worth the effort. My experience of the film may well have been affected by the fact that I saw a PBS documentary with the real life Hawkings a few days earlier. That being said, I give the film 2 and ½ stars because it basically is locked to the actual story of the subjects with little or no poetic license or interest creating insertions.. Remember, though, as with  "My Left Foot", also a fairly difficult film to watch, it did earn Danel Day Lewis an Oscar and I wouldn’t be surprised if the same fate awaited Mr. Redmayne.

Nightcrawler

"Nightcrawler" stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo and Bill Paxton in a film written and directed by Dan Gilroy. Although opening on or about Halloween eve, and with a suggestive title lending itself to that ritual, the film is actually the story of those vulture-like papparazzi who, instead of following celebs in innocent daily real life situations, seek to capture the tragedies and "breaking news" stories that besiege our evening news each night. In the mid 20th Century, these photo journalists would freelance and sell their wares to the highest newspaper bidder. Now, in the era of television and video and digital photography, the suppliers become video camera operators and the bidders are the news directors of local tv stations.
As so ably portrayed by Mr. Gyllenhaal, the film tells the story of one such video cameraman and the lengths and extremes he will go to "get the shot" or "capture the video". It also depicts his enablers in the newsrooms of Los Angeles who empower and enable these "nightcrawlers" to reap the economic benefits of their endeavors. The film is well paced and will hold your interest and involvement and makes its point in an artistic although not too subtle a manner. I give the film 3 stars, primarily because of Mr. Gyllenhaal’s fine work but, also, because of the ability of Mr. Gilroy to both write and direct without sacrificing one role for the other..

St. Vincent

"St. Vincent" stars Bill Murray, Jaeden Lieberher, Melissa McCarthy and Naomi Watts in this beautiful film written and directed by Theodore Melfi. Mr. Murray outperforms his previous best works and displays his skill as an actor that few will be able to surpass. The film also represents the cinematic debut of a young actor named Jaeden Lieberher who will capture the hearts and minds of the audience as he displays his remarkable talent. He’s just really good and a pleasure to watch and experience. Set in a middle class Brooklyn neighborhood, Mr. Melfi brings to the screen a "feel good" film that will surprise many who may have never quite connected with the in your face style of Ms. McCarthy. She needs to play more serious roles for she is really good when she does them and she is outstanding in this one in particular. I give this film 3 stars and recommend it to viewers of all ages for joyous and heart warming stories know no labels or boundaries.

Gone Title

"Gone Girl" stars Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Tyler Perry and Neal Patrick Harris. The film was directed by David Fincher and is based on the book by Gillian Flynn who also wrote the screenplay adaptation of her novel.  Despite its extraordinary length, i.e. almost 2 and ¾ hours, the film manages to hold the audience’s intetest. Unfortnately, and notwithstanding good acting by Mr. Affleck and Ms. Pike, there are glaring flaws in the scrip that are never explained or accounted for and, in most instances, simply don’t make sense. To elaborate further would give away the plot and that is someithing I prefer not to do. Suffice it to say that the film, after it ends, leaves open many unanswered questions and fails to resolve blatant inconsistencies. I give the movie 2 and ½ stars noting tha the film could have been more enjoyable to watch if there had been less things so difficult to reconcile and understand.