The Good Life

Cheating
Grass is not always green on the otherside. Love and appreciate what you have . You will always have a storm , it is how you handle the storm .

Not good...
Best thing about this movie was looking at Christian Keyes the 10mins he was in the movie. The pacing of the film was terrible, the scenes were long and drawn out. Too many scenes of Honey in the car calling Jacque on her bluetooth, ranting and raving. The acting was sub-par and there were no real consequences to their actions. If you are trying to make a statement in a movie there has to be consequences that are heart-wrenching and thought provoking so that the audience can get the message loud and clear. Statistics at the end and clever statements or quotes at the end are not sufficient enough to arouse emotion. You have to build character in the relationships, make people care about them, sympathize, and identify with them. When you are able to do that, then hit them with the realities of bad decisions and their inevitable consequences.

Great movie
This was a very good movie.. I enjoyed the fact that both couples were successful... Great lessons in this movie.., be careful what you go looking for...

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Bullfighter and the Lady

An Outstanding Film that needs to be rediscovered
Director Budd Boetticher's "The Bullfighter and Lady" gets a well deserved Blu-Ray release after a extensive restoration by UCLA in the 1980's. It's been restored to its original 124 minute running time after being cut down by John Ford to 87 minutes which he and John Wayne (the producer) felt was good enough for second feature on a double bill. If you are interested in Bull Fighting or honest human drama this is a wonderful film. I'm not going to comment on the Blu-Ray disc (which I don't have yet), but I will give the reader some background on the making of the film, some trivia, and the restoration it went through in 1980's.
The director Budd Boetticher, was a former Matador who served as technical advisor for the earlier bullfighting film "Blood and Sand." He was able to convince John Wayne to go ahead and do his own bullfighting film to be shot in Mexico. He got Robert Stack to play the Americano lead, Gilbert Roland as Mexico's most famed Matador, and Katy Jurado as his...

I've had the Laserdisc version of this film for years
Let me tell you a funny ANECDOTE about this film. I've been watching this film in its restored version for years on my Republic laserdisc, which came out in 1992. The disc is 127 minutes, which may include the original theatrical trailer running time. I have been a huge Budd Boetticher fan ever since I discovered his Ranown westerns with Randolph Scott. This film is based on Boetticher's experiences bullfighting in Mexico. So in this world of blu-rays and 3D etc, I have relied on my trusty laserdisc players (still running great) to bring me these types of lost gems for years. Of course, I made a DVD copy of the laserdisc for my own use with my DVD recorder also (no copy protection on laserdiscs!). So in essence, laserdisc is the ANTIDOTE for movies where there is no DVD version. Nice to see the modern world catching up, but given the quality of print of this film, I don't know how a hi def blu-ray version is going to vastly improve upon a 450 line laserdisc transfer to any signficant...

old movie
it was a old movie that played like you think it would on a old Vhs movie player did ok

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West Of Memphis

ALFORD PLEA IS NOT JUSTICE!!!
This movie shows a true mistake in the American justice system. If you know anything about the case of the west Memphis 3 than you know that Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley Jr were wrongfully convicted of the murder of 3 eight year old boys. West Of Memphis shows the damning amount of evidence against Terry Hobbs a victims step father. He is the only parent of the victims that still believe's the West Memphis three are the killers. What is truly sad is that because the state of Arkansas will not admit a mistake, Terry Hobbs has gotten away with murdering 3 eight year old boys. This movie shows when the West Memphis 3 walked free after accepting an Alford Plea. If you don't know what that is it means the West Memphis 3 can maintain their innocence but must plead guilty to the murders. That means that the case is closed and the real murder Terry Hobbs gets away with it. This shows that the state does not care about justice AT ALL they only care about being right.

Riveting and revolting documentary is a MUST SEE
"West of Memphis" (2012 release; 147 min.) brings the story of the West Memphis Three case, in which three teenagers in West Memphis, Arkansas are accused and convicted of the 1993 murder of three 8 year old boys in what appears to be a "satanic" killing after sexual abuse. But we know by now (and this is not ruining the 'plot') that the three teenagers would eventually be released. Several comments:

First, in the retelling of the events, the documentary reminds us that one of the three teenagers in fact confessed to being at and witnessing the murders, even though in fact he did not. This is reminiscent of that other documentary from last year ("Central Park Five"), in which a group of teeneagers confess to a crime they did not commit. Why do the innocent then confess? Just watch! Second, there are a lot of interesting tidbits in the movie that will make you revolt against the way the prosecution AND the jury AND the West Arkansas community at large essentially railroaded...

The Agony and the Ecstasy
I have to give this documentary 5 stars because it was even more riveting, thought-provoking and devastating than the original Paradise Lost film which I saw on HBO when it first came out in 1996. Though a bit long and drawn out in parts (should have been edited down to make it a neat 2 hours) I simply could not stop watching. I have never been convinced one way or the other about this case. On the one hand, I thought the evidence against the WM3 as presented in Paradise Lost and several of the books written about the case was minimal, I don't think I ever lost sight of the fact that 3 beautiful little children were viciously ripped from the world by someone and, putting the evidence together as it was presented by the prosecution, I could understand why the 3 were found guilty. This film doesn't gloss over that evidence or pretend it didn't exist but carefully and precisely dissects that original evidence presented in the prosecution's case to illustrate how it was misinterpreted,...

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Welcome to the Punch

Pretty fun, I liked the super good bad guy.
This movie to me was enjoyable. The evil plot that is slowly revealed throughout the movie is not exactly new and you will see it coming and you wont really care.

I think if you like this movie (like I did), you will like the idea of a bad guy turning good, well at least sort of good. Think 4-10 to Yuma, where the main bad guy decides to help the protagonist turn him into the law at the train station. So there is an element of a bad guy doing some good, but won't tell you which bad guy and there are many. So it made for a rich(er) character. I also liked how he was ultra awesome and unstoppable, something fun about those characters.

The few twists in this movie you will see coming and the secondary bad guys and the plot are not that interesting. However the bad guy and his relationship that develops with the "good" guy is fun to watch.

Plus Bald People are AWESOME!

The Enemy Of My Enemy: Stylized Violence And A Killer Cast Highlight This British Crime Saga
Despite a somewhat tepid critical reaction, I was still looking forward to the British crime drama "Welcome to the Punch." The movie is loaded with a tremendous cast that includes James McAvoy, Mark Strong, David Morrissey, Peter Mullan, and Andrea Riseborough. This, along with stylish action and beautiful cinematography, made the film a lot more involving than I had anticipated. Trust me, nighttime in downtown London has never looked so glorious! At the heart of "Welcome to the Punch" is a weathered cop (McAvoy) and the seasoned criminal (Strong) that haunts him. We've seen this obsessed cat-and-mouse dynamic played out in countless other films, but the evolution of their relationship still seemed quite fresh. As they both get involved in a dense plot of corruption and murder, they may have surprising common interests. And as the film progresses, I was more and more caught up in this developing bond. In the capable hands of McAvoy and Strong, this tenuous alliance has more impact and...

CALAMITY JANE
Max (James McAvoy) got shot in the knee by a major league criminal Jacob Sternwood (Mark Strong). Three years later Max's knee still bother's him as does the fact he let one get away. Max teams up with Sarah (Andrea Riseborough) as it appears they may have a second chance at him. In this partnership Max has the brains and Sarah has the kahunas.

The film is a bit twisty and it is easy to get lost if you don't pay attention. This is a crime action adventure which has its fair share of drama, enough to slow it up for a breather. The action scenes are spread out to a finale at the OK Corral. It is worth a rental if you are a fan of British crime movies, but not the one you would want to wean yourself on.

Parental Guide: F-bomb. No sex or nudity.

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The Place Beyond the Pines [HD]

A rare occasion where EVERYONE should listen to the VERY positive reviews
Stunning. Amazing. Beautiful. Powerful. Genuinely Effective. That my friends is what can be said about The Place Beyond the Pines. I had been hearing very good things about this movie for a long time and today I finally got to watch it. My oh my what a movie. I have yet to see Man of Steel, American Hustle, or any other movie besides 42 that has really impressed me. But this is already one of the best films of 2013. Ryan Gosling took a big leap from his lackluster performance in Gangster Squad and gave a strong standout performance as Luke Glanton. Supporting cast includes Eva Mendes as Romina, Bradley Cooper(he is getting better with each role as an actor) as Avery Cross, Ray Liotta as Delucca who also did a great job (there has to be a guy everyone loves to hate) and Dane Dehaan (who is also a great actor for his age) as Jason Glanton. The whole cast did a beyond superb job. The Place Beyond the Pines makes you forget that the people in it are just characters; you generally come to...

The first exceptional film of 2013
Luke Glanton (Ryan Gosling) has a good thing going with a traveling carnival. He's got a pocketful of fame thanks to his motorcycle stuntman status and makes just enough money to get by. He meets up with Romina (Eva Mendes), an old fling, in Schenectady, New York and finds out that their one night together resulted in a little one year old boy named Jason. Luke quits the carnival and intends to provide for his son, but Romina has moved on and is currently in a relationship with Kofi (Mahershala Ali). Luke crosses paths with a mechanic named Robin (Ben Mendelsohn) who talks Luke into robbing a few banks to get some quick cash to support his newfound fatherhood. But Luke gets addicted to the thrill of the hunt and the money and gets overzealous, which attracts the New York police department and rookie cop Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper) in particular.

Director Derek Cianfrance last worked with Ryan Gosling in "Blue Valentine" from 2010, which got a noticeable amount of attention...

Another great film portraying the weight and cruciality of fatherhood
This movie had me from beginning to end. I loved the depth of all the underlying themes that intersected throughout the movie. The significance of a man's role in the family and in a marriage is heavily explored from start to finish. All the main characters appeared very raw and believable. The casting was expert and the complexities of each character were portrayed very subtly without the need for much dialogue, which is always the genius of a well-written movie. The sins of our fathers was a reoccuring theme throughout, and you can feel the inadequacies, hopes, and fears of each character as time unfolds. What gets me the most is witnessing the sweetness and kindness behind each character despite their depravity or past mistakes. This is a very moving story of humanity. You can't help but empathize with each character.

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Filly Brown (English Version)

Enjoyable Latino hip-hop family drama
Imagine my surprise when out of nowhere and without any pre-release fanfare this movie showed up this past weekend at my local art-house theatre here in Cincinnati. I figure that this would not be playing long, so I decided to see it (as it turns out, on the very last day of its screening here, as it is already gone after one week).

As "Filly Brown" (2013 release; 101 min.) opens, we see Majo (played by Gina Rodriguez) performing at an in-studio radio session as Filly Brown, a hip-hop singer who is trying to find success. In the very next scene we see Majo visiting someone in jail, and we learn very quickly that it is her mom Maria (played by Jenni Rivera), who is serving time on a drug charge. Maria is quite the manipulative person, and she is trying to get Majo to somehow get several thousand dollars so that Maria might perhaps get a retrial. We get to know the lawyer who will head up the effort to get a retrial, Leandro (played by Edward James Olmos, who looks to be...

Successful Film on Many Levels
As a movie fan in general, I enjoyed Filly Brown. But as a longtime urban music journalist, I also appreciated just how true to life this movie was. What makes Filly Brown stand out from movies like Hustle and Flow or 8 Mile is both how it deals with women in urban music, and having a female lead that offers a powerful performance.

Filly Brown tells the story of Majo Tonorio, a Latina rapper who dreams of performing for huge audiences. The Los Angeles MC builds her buzz rapping on the radio as Filly Brown, but her desire to get signed gets put into full gear because of her family. Filly's mother (played by Jenni Rivera) is serving a ten year prison sentence, her only hope for early release depends on whether Filly can come up with fast cash. What follows is a story of desire, manipulation, and redemption.

Despite having a low budget, Filly Brown was shot well. But what really stands out about the movie is the cast, a mix of film veterans and new faces. Gina...

Grade A Performances!
What a great film! The acting was superb from start to finish. Much like 8 mile this movie has a very real element to it, I would highly recommend it!

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The Sapphires

Bold Acting, Sensibly Handled Senstive Issues
This "gem" of a film is a treasure that's been buried under shallow box-office movies.

"The Sapphires" is not a glitzy Hollywood romp romanticizing the late 1960s. Neither is it a raw shock-value film of the Vietnam crisis. What it is is a gritty story about the conflicts of race issues, betrayal, family conflict, and the loss of innocence. And while the film doesn't shy away from the themes of exploitation, sexuality and confusion, it also doesn't saturate the screen with images to meant to overwhelm the viewer.

The based-on-life story of four sister/cousins (Deborah Mailman, Jessica Mauboy, Shari Sebbens, Miranda Tapsell) who boldly belly-up to the auditions for entertainers for the Vietnam Troops is inspiring. The fights between the girls are fast, furious and leave you breathless. The manager (Chris O'Dawd) pushes back with worthwhile pressure. The family dynamics are complicated and real.

The story stays focussed on the issue of the girls...

FAIR GO! Great movie, WRONG US dvd cover!
Not much more I can contribute to the very shabby treatment the great girls who are the Sapphires receive when it comes to the U.S. dvd cover that previous reviewers haven't already touched on.
I really like Chris Dowd but he is NOT 'the movie' as the dvd cover would strongly infer. I think the cover dismisses the girls as mere 'bit players' or 'backing singers' which is not the case at all. BUY the movie and see why the cover is an injustice to who the girls are, what they achieved and why it's so disrespectful! In Australia we always think that everyone is entitled to a 'fair go' so how about changing that cover eh?

"Dream Girls" Australian-style!!!
I refuse to spoil this movie for you, because you should experience it yourself at every level -- and there are many. What I will say is that, if you love American soul music and you hate racism of any kind, you'll like this film. Inspired by a true story, three aboriginal sisters and a cousin set out on the journey of their lives accompanied by the aspiring group's white "Soul Brother" manager. Their "dream" is to sing for the U.S. troops in Vietnam during the war.

This movie is both heart-warming and heart-wrenching! Sometimes, you'll laugh and, sometimes, you'll want to cry -- in between which you'll probably sing and dance. The power of music and the power of love mix here for a very "soulful" experience.

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