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Reviews
De rouille et d'os (2012)
Rust and Bone: A Disturbing, Emotional Roller Coaster Ride
Rust and Bone follows the story of Ali (Matthias Schoenaerts), a single parent struggling to provide for his young son, Sam, who develops a relationship with Stephanie (Marion Cotillard), a killer whale trainer, which grows stronger after she suffers a horrible accident.
Rust and Bone is a film that opened in limited release this past weekend and recently received a nomination for the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film. It is carried mainly by the performances of its two stars, Marion Cotillard and Matthias Schoenaerts, both deliver excellent performances filled with emotion and heart break as their relationship goes through its ups and downs throughout the film. The story is very unpredictable and does a great job of getting the audience to invest in these characters and getting the audience to sympathize for them as the film progresses.
However, be warned, Rust and Bone is hardly a film for the faint of heart. Our heroine endures a devastating injury that is depicted and shown afterwords several times throughout the film. On top of that, the film contains several rather bloody kick boxing sequences that may intrigue some of the male audience into possibly going to check this film out. Also, the actors speak French as English subtitles are displayed on the bottom of the screen.
All this being said, Rust and Bone is a truly excellent picture that features great performances and an unpredictable story. If you're looking for something a little more than just your average romantic date night movie, I would definitely recommend checking this one out.
Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
Zero Dark Thirty: Starting Off the New Year With a Bang!
Zero Dark Thirty follows a C.I.A. operative's ten year man hunt of Osama bin Laden, former leader of the terrorist organization al-Qaeda, and how his death at the hands of Navy S.E.A.L. team six came into fruition.
The film is told in chapters in which there is a heavy amount of dialogue that is all building up to the eventual assembly of one of the biggest moments in American Military history. For the first hour and forty five minutes of the film, the pace is very well maintained, incorporating a lot of dialogue with several small action scenes mixed in to keep the audience on the edge of your seat. However, the story really begins to slow down as the film reaches its climax and this may be the films biggest downfall. Similar to Django Unchained and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the film could probably be cut down by at least ten to fifteen minutes.
Zero Dark Thirty also features a terrific cast, highlighted by Jessica Chastain's performance as Maya, for which she won a Golden Globe award this past Sunday. The film also includes performances by Jason Clarke, Mark Strong, Joel Edgerton, Chris Pratt, James Gandolfini, and Kyle Chandler. All the film's performances are outstanding and people should go and check out the film just for the acting alone.
With a good story and excellent performances, Zero Dark Thirty is another great film being released just in time for the Academy Awards season. I would highly recommend going to the theatre and checking this one out.
Flight (2012)
Washington and Zemeckis Soar in Flight
Flight stars Denzel Washington as Whip Whitaker, a pilot who is forced to crash land a plane carrying 102 souls into the middle of an open field when his plane experiences technological problems and begins to fall apart in mid-air. Upon waking up, Whitaker discovers only six people died in the crash and that he is now being hailed as a national hero. However, Whitaker's blood work taken upon his arrival in the hospital reveals that he was drunk and also high on cocaine. Now Whitaker is facing a trial that could put him in prison for the remainder of his life and destroy what little remains of his tarnished legacy.
Flight is truly one roller coaster of a film that gives audiences an insight on the demons of a man who is completely controlled by his severe addiction to alcohol and drugs. The performance of Denzel Washington is the vessel through which we are given said insight. Washington's performance is nothing short of spectacular and should land him several nominations come movie awards season. The thing which makes his performance so great, in my opinion, is that this role differs completely from any of the other characters that Washington has portrayed over the last twenty years. The way he portrays his characters emotions and struggles to overcome his addiction captivated me in such a way that it was difficult to take my eyes off the screen. Also, the film did a masterful job depicting the encounters that Whitaker has with people like his family, lawyer and another addict that he befriends while in the hospital as well as the denial or taking for granted of the help that they offer him was really interesting to watch unfold on screen. Washington's performance is one of the best of the year and is definitely one that cannot be missed this holiday season.
As if you need another reason to go, Flight is also brilliantly directed by Robert Zemeckis, director of Forrest Gump. Flight marks the end of a Zemeckis' ten year absence from directing live action films. Known for his breath taking special effects, Zemeckis has created what may perhaps be the most intense opening to any film this year. The film opens with a breathtaking crash sequence, including a portion where the plane is actually being flown upside down as well as the nerve-racking crashing of the plane in an abandoned field. The crash grabbed my attention immediately and kept me glued to the screen for the entirety of the film.
Flight presents audiences with a disturbing, intense look into what it is like to battle an alcohol addiction. It contains scenes that made me laugh, while at the same time it had several scenes that made me cry. With a great script, brilliant acting, and great usage of breath-taking special effects, Flight is a film that shouldn't be missed this film season!