MOVIE - Molly's Game

R (2:10)

Wide release 1/5/18

Viewed Saturday, January 6, 2018 at AMC Camp Hill
IMBd: 

RT Critic: 82   Audience:  88
Critic's Consensus:  Powered by an intriguing story and a pair of outstanding performances from Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba, Molly's Game marks a solid debut for writer-director Aaron Sorkin.

Cag: 5/Loved it

Directed by Aaron Sorkin

STXfilms

Based on the book by Molly Bloom

Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner

My comments:  So many reasons why I loved this movie.  It was SMART.  Smart people, smart dialogue.  It was looooooong, but moved quickly.  Jessica Chastain was superb. It's a true story, based on Molly Bloom's book.  It flashes back and forth effortlessly, without getting confusing at all.  Fantastic storytelling.  Just fantastic.  We need more like this!

RT/ IMDb Summary:  MOLLY'S GAME is based on the true story of Molly Bloom, an Olympic-class skier who ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game for a decade before being arrested in the middle of the night by 17 FBI agents wielding automatic weapons. Her players included Hollywood royalty, sports stars, business titans and finally, unbeknownst to her, the Russian mob. Her only ally was her criminal defense lawyer Charlie Jaffey, who learned that there was much more to Molly than the tabloids led us to believe.

MOVIE - The Martian

PG-13 (2:14)

Wide release 10/2/15

ElCon

RT Critic:  93    Audience:   93

Cag:  4.5 liked it a whole lot

Directed by Ridley Scott

20th Century Fox

Based on the book by Andy Weir

A Critic review:   Damon has never seemed more at home than he does here, millions of miles adrift. Would any other actor have shouldered the weight of the role with such diligent grace?

Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Kristen Wiig

My comments:  Fun, though nail-biting experience, Matt Damon's quick wit and quirky grin added to my enjoyment of the film.  Although scifi, it was really quite believable....

RT Summary:  During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive. Millions of miles away, NASA and a team of international scientists work tirelessly to bring "the Martian" home, while his crewmates concurrently plot a daring, if not impossible rescue mission. As these stories of incredible bravery unfold, the world comes together to root for Watney's safe return. Based on a best-selling novel, and helmed by master director Ridley Scott, THE MARTIAN features a star studded cast that includes Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Kate Mara, Michael Peña, Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Donald Glover.

MOVIE - Interstellar

PG-13 (2:49)

Wide release 11/7/2014

Reel Pizza 12/31/2014 with Fran and Christine

RT Critic:  73  Audience:   87

Cag:  4.5/Liked it a lot (despite its too-long length)

Directed by Christopher Nolan

Paramount Pictures

Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Casey Affleck, Michael Caine, Topher Grace, Matt Damon,

My comments:This one one loooooong movie!  Too long, some parts went on forever.  But what a mind it took to create this!  Space is one thing, time and space is another.  The time part - that's what this whole movie is about.  Really something.....

RT Summary:  With our time on Earth coming to an end, a team of explorers undertakes the most important mission in human history; traveling beyond this galaxy to discover whether mankind has a future among the stars.

MOVIE - Zero Dark Thirty

R (2:37)

Wide Release 1-11-13

at El Con Monday, Jan. 28, 2103 (alone)

RT Critic:  93 Audience:  85

Cag: 4.5/Liked it a whole lot

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow

Columbia Pictures

Jessica Chastain plays the lead, is up for an academy award for her performance......

From Fandango:  Following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Osama bin Laden becomes one of the most-wanted men on the planet. The worldwide manhunt for the terrorist leader occupies the resources and attention of two U.S. presidential administrations. Ultimately, it is the work of a dedicated female operative (Jessica Chastain) that proves instrumental in finally locating bin Laden. In May 2011, elite Navy SEALs launch a nighttime strike against bin Laden's compound in Pakistan, killing him.