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- Hidden Figures

PG (2:07)

Wide release 1/6/17

Viewed Sunday, 1/15/17 at Carlisle 8 with Ella
IMBd:  

RT Critic: 93   Audience:  94
Critic's Consensus:  In heartwarming, crowd-pleasing fashion, Hidden Figures celebrates overlooked -- and crucial -- contributions from a pivotal moment in American history.

Cag:  6/Awesome  

Directed by Ted Melfi

20th Century Fox

Based on a real story

Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Kevin Costner, Jim Parsons, Kirsten Dunst

My comments: I love these "based on a true story" movies, but this one was particularly poignant, well told, and well acted.  Powerful story!  It's also good to be reminded that as recently as the 1960's, people with a skin color other than white couldn't use the same bathrooms, drink from the same fountains or percolators, find any sort of comparable job, and were treated with such incredible disrespect. Brilliant women who, if this story is truthful, truly helped make the space program of the 1960s literally get off the ground.  A fantastic movie.

RT/ IMDb Summary:  The incredible untold story of Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson - brilliant African-American women working at NASA, who served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, a stunning achievement that restored the nation's confidence, turned around the Space Race, and galvanized the world. The visionary trio crossed all gender and race lines to inspire generations to dream big.

MOVIE - Criminal

R (1:53)

Wide Release 4/15/16

Viewed 5/13/16  - first day at cheapie Theater

RT Critic:  31  Audience:  58
Critic's Consensus:  Despite the valiant efforts of a game and talented cast, Criminal has little to offer beyond the bare minimum expected by the most undemanding of genre enthusiasts.

Cag:  4/ Liked it a lot

Directed by Ariel Vromen

Summit Entertainment

Kevin Costner, Ryan Reynolds, Tommy Lee Jones

My comments:  My last decadent Friday-after-school-movie.....ever! ? Only one week at THA left!  And this movie was a really good choice.  Ryan Reynolds and Kevin Costner?  Does it really matter what the movie's about?  It was a thriller, edge-of-your-seat-interesting with a (spoiler!) typical really good ending.  A little bloody/gory for me....torture and brain surgery-wise, but I really liked it a lot.  Probably because of the actors - including Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Oldman as well as the afore-mentioned hotties!

INDb Summary:  In a last-ditch effort to stop a diabolical plot, a dead CIA operative's memories, secrets, and skills are implanted into a death-row inmate in hopes that he will complete the operative's mission.

MOVIE - McFarland USA

PG (2:09)

Wide Release 2/20/15

Roadhouse Cinema 3/9/15

RT Critic: 79    Audience: 92

Cag: 5/Loved it

Directed by Niki Caro

Disney Studio

Based on a true story

Kevin Costner, Maria Bello

My comments:  What's not to love about a Kevin Costner movie?  The story, following a group of young men who discover that having a goal and being part of a team is incredibly meaningful, is moving, as is the insight we see into the coach's family and situation he's created - unwittingly - for himself.  And, since it's based on a true story, the way that the director added the "epilogue" - showing AND telling what happened to the seven young men, as they run beside the actors, was totally, wonderfully awesome!  What a great way to end a great movie.

Disney Summary:  Inspired by the 1987 true story, “McFarland, USA” follows novice runners from McFarland, an economically challenged town in California’s farm-rich Central Valley, as they give their all to build a cross-country team under the direction of Coach Jim White (Kevin Costner), a newcomer to their predominantly Latino high school. Coach White and the McFarland students have a lot to learn about each other but when White starts to realize the boys’ exceptional running ability, things begin to change. Soon something beyond their physical gifts becomes apparent—the power of family relationships, their unwavering commitment to one another and their incredible work ethic. With grit and determination, the unlikely band of runners eventually overcomes the odds to forge not only a championship cross-country team but an enduring legacy as well. Along the way, Coach White realizes that his family finally found a place to call home and both he and his team achieve their own kind of American dream.