Wknd Box Office: Source Code, Win Win, Miral, Certified Copy

Here is an interesting article from http://www.debbieschlussel.com/  reviewing some of the movies that came out over the past weekend. This follows this post some of the movies from last week and  THIS POST about some movies that have been released over the past few years that you might have missed!  This all  follows this post about guidelines to chosing good movies to watch yourself!




Wknd Box Office: Source Code, Win Win, Miral, Certified Copy

By Debbie Schlussel



Most of this week’s new movies at the theater are okay, with the exception of the absolutely boring, messy Palestinian propaganda film. I did not see “Insidious” or “Hop.” It is interesting to note that two of this week’s new films (half) are PC to Muslims and deliberately skirt the truth about Islamic terrorism.


* “Source Code“: The worst thing about this movie is that it goes out of its way to show you that a disgruntled White guy anarchist, and not an Arab Muslim, is the real terrorist. Been there, seen that . . . except in real life, where the Muslim is usually the terrorist blowing up the train, and the White guy anarchist is usually at home reading the Turner Diaries. But, hey, it’s Hollywood, where politically correct fantasies rule, and the Muslim is always the victimized innocent nice guy who just wants to be left alone.





Jake Gyllenhaal plays a soldier who thinks he’s stuck somewhere in Afghanistan, where his copter went down, but is actually part of a government experiment putting him, via the magic of computers and source code, on a Chicago train that is bombed and blown up by a terrorist. His task is to repeatedly go back on the train in the exact same situation and try to figure out who blew up the train, so that the perpetrator can be caught and further attacks can be stopped. Think “Groundhog Day” mixed with terrorism. We see the same thing happen over and over again, as Gyllenhaal simultaneously has a conversation with a woman on the train who acts like she’s his girlfriend and he also tries to discover which of the passengers is the perpetrator. In the bathroom, he sees a reflection in the mirror that is someone else and discovers he’s essentially been transmitted inside the body of another passenger.



If there’s one part I truly liked, it’s the patriotism toward American soldiers and a touching conversation between Gyllenhaal and his very sad father. Yes, the movie was entertaining, while on the other hand making it look like the government engages in a horrible, unauthorized use of soldiers after lying to their families. Still, it was interesting and a use of technology that I believe we’ll ultimately develop and be able to use in real life. For now, though, it’s science fiction, and it’s not bad. It’s almost like a modern day episode of “The Twilight Zone,” though there were lots of holes and things that didn’t make sense.



And while we’ll likely be able to develop this technology in real life, will we ever be able to develop the ability to tell the truth about Islamic terrorists on screen in real life? Based on this movie, not likely. Entertaining experiment in science fiction, but weighed down by pan-Muslim political correctness.



ONE-AND-A-HALF REAGANS




* “Win Win“: If you like high school wrestling, you will probably like this, although it’s not about wrestling and is filled with a good deal of melodrama. It does, however, have its share of humor and good acting, while the ending is somewhat predictable.



Paul Giamatti plays a lawyer and high school wrestling coach, who is struggling to keep his family financially afloat. He develops a scheme to get his elderly neighbor committed to a senior living residence, and get himself–Giamatti–appointed the legal guardian of the displaced older neighbor. Soon, however, the older man’s grandson shows up, wanting to live with him, since his mother, a drug addict, is in rehab.



Giamatti takes the grandson, a high school student, to see his grandfather in the assisted living facility, and soon the grandson is living with Giamatti, attending his high school, and wrestling on his wrestling team, where he is a champion wrestler. All is well, until his drug addicted mother comes back into the picture with a lawyer.



There is nothing objectionable about this movie. I just found it a little boring and predictable. I laughed a lot, however, at the humor of Bobby Cannavale, who plays the divorcing best friend of Giamatti and his assistant wrestling coach.



It’s rated “R” because of the language, but other than that, I didn’t find it objectionable for teens to see. I just didn’t find it a worthy movie with any important point. It wasn’t bad. It just wasn’t great.



ONE REAGAN




* “Miral“: Read my complete review column on this failed, boring, waste-of-time Palestinian Muslim propaganda film. Yaaaaaawn.



FOUR MARXES PLUS AN OBAMA PLUS A BIN LADEN





* “Certified Copy“: At first, I didn’t like this movie and thought, oh, another boring, pretentious movie with subtitles. But as I watched it and figured out the enigmatic puzzle it presents, I grew to like it more. It’s definitely a chick flick and not for the average guy.



The question is: can a copy be an original? An English author and art expert (British opera singer, William Shimell, in his first film role) wrote a book about art and how some copies are originals to their viewers. A middle-aged woman French antiques dealer (Juliette Binoche) who attends his lecture in Tuscany, Italy (where she lives) slips the author her number and they meet to go out for coffee and chatting on the countryside.



They are strangers who share a love for art and disagree about originals versus copies. But at a coffee shop, the barista mistakes the woman for the author’s wife, and she soon assumes the role, very easily.



So, do they really know each other? Is this an original relationship or a certified copy? I have my theory about it, but you have to decide for yourself. It’s an interesting puzzle brought to us by Iranian expatriate director, Abbas Kiarostami. I love this kind of movie where they don’t really tell you what’s going on and you have to figure it out for yourself. Thinking always beats being spoon-fed. Great acting, too.



TWO-AND-A-HALF REAGANS