Mama Mia Here we go again

Kathy and I went to Mama Mia 2.0 before it left town.  Glad I saw it, feel good, well done, plenty of nods to the first one. Not sure I would pay Amazon $20 for it, but if I see it in the Walmart $5 bin will be sure to grab.

There is an uncanny valley. Cher and Meryl Streep don't have wrinkles. Really disconcerting.

I Can Only Imagine

Went to see this movie today, here are the IMDB stats. This was frankly, a difficult movie for me to watch. There is a theme of family abuse, primarily from the father figure, (Dennis Quaid). People in my circles, cybersecurity, tend to be guarded. We don't talk about ourselves much; but I have traveled a million miles with some of the old guard, done hundreds of events together, and bit by bit you learn about your colleagues; I know I am not the only one that grew up with some degree of abuse. I'm not going to say I had it worse, there is no yardstick. But I almost left during that part of the movie, (well over half); screwed with my psyche.

The movie did show some fair push back with the "repenting father", tain't like you take a happy pill and everything is magically OK. They also plot cheated on the mother, she abandons, leaves the boy with the violent, cruel, dad and in the credits it says boy and mom are pals. OK, but the movie doesn't show it.

One scene was very well done and good for me. The kid is showing some brilliance, making moves, and the pros are all saying "you don't have what it takes", and of course he is doing flashbacks to his father's words.  Call it the devil, call it the world, but if you try to climb out of the pit there are always, (sometimes well meaning), people trying to pull and push you back down. Bart, (J Michael Finely), finds his path through A) forgiveness, camaraderie, and remembrance of his father, B) allowing him to write "the" song, C) Amy Grant letting the kid take his shot.

I am glad I stayed. I like the idea of faith based movies, the lessons are important, I need to hear them and learn from them. The message: Christ has forgiven me, therefore I must forgive others is true. The problem, as most people that have tried will tell you, is to have them "stay forgiven", and there is more than one party at work there. It is bit like Atlanta Ga. They've cleaned up from the SamSam ransomware last March, but how whole are they really?

Pain & Gain - Dwayne Johnson, Mark Wahlberg

There are some funny moments. But this movie did not work for me. If you were a 16 yr old male jock maybe. Off the bookshelf, let's make room for something better.

Shirley Valentine

"I'm in love, I'm in love with living." This movie is not to be missed. A lady in London. a mom and a wife, gets sucked into her life and somehow forgets who she is . . . or was. Her friend wins a trip to Greece for two weeks and take Shirley with her.

Her husband is so trapped into his life that when she tries to tell him, he can't accept it. So she leaves without him and finds life.

The scripting, dialog, timing, color is spot on, the Grecian scenery is fantastic, Mykonos maybe? There will always be a place on my shelf for this one.

The Godfather - Marlon Brando

I'd seen it, read the book, so have you quite likely. I had forgotten so much, it all just kept pouring back and new revelation as well; I finally put 2 + 2 together for going to the mattresses.

I had totally forgotten the "thunderbolt" in Sicily. That is what happened to me, that was a very long time ago and I am still married.

Masterpiece of a movie, there is most certainly room on my movie shelf. I guess I will get around to watching II and III, they came as a set.

One Man's Hero - Tom Berenger

Kathy wasn't home so I was a bachelor and this looked like a guy movie. I liked the pen drawings and the plight of the Irish immigrant start. It is a Western and there are some great landscapes and period costumes. The whippings are odd, not sure how they get the cross hatch pattern, whips go across easily, up and down takes a bit more effort. I could not follow the plot, it almost seemed like it was "life sucks". This one is not going to stay on the bookshelf, got to make room for other movies.

New in Town - Rene Zellweger and Harry Connick Jr.

Really enjoyed the movie. The first time I saw it was on an airplane, that results in sampling it more than watching it. We watched it at home and it was really fun. There will be a place for this on our movie bookshelf for a long time.

For extra credit, watch the special features. they filmed the movie in Winnipeg in the winter, so the cold scenes REALLY are cold. I used to be asked to speak at a security conference in Winnipeg in February by Dan Swanson, always managed to duck the opportunity, thank goodness. Hi Dan!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-swanson-155272/

Chocolat - Juliette Binoche

This is a magical movie; literally. They are subtle. Vianne, (Juliette), "blows in with the North wind" to a provincial French village that needs her gifts badly. She opens a chocolate shop. She has a gift to know what people need and give it to them.

There is pushback of course. Mostly led by the Mayor, Comte de Raynaud, (Alfred Molina). But person, by person, Vianne wins them over.

I really resonate with the movie. I love to cook and love to cook for others such as the sick at my church. I try to think what might help them, I pray for them. When they are mortally ill I try to craft food that will bring them a bit of happiness. But I am not magic, I don't even know if my prayers are answered. Watching the movie masterfully touch hearts made me smile.

I really loved the performance of Armande, (Judi Dench). She does a masterful job of playing the older woman, abandoned by her daughter, unable to see and spend time with her grandson.

The turning point, the drama, increases with the arrival of the "river rats", hobos on boats, including Roux, (Johnny Depp). They fit in even less than Vianne and the town is turned against them.

A low point in the movie is when the mayor convinces the pastor to preach against chocolates. Her daughter, Anouk, gets worked over by the other children concerning her mother, the "helper of Satan".

The party for Armande was touching and leads to a series of climaxes. I cannot divulge the endings, but there is a place for this movie on my bookshelf and I intend to watch it again

Bucket List - Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson

Kathy and I watched this movie last night. I turned to the Internet to try to find out what the relationship between Edward, (Jack Nicholson) and Thomas/Matthew, (Sean Hayes) was and learned for the first time, it was reviewed poorly.

Quick reminder, this is not a movie review blog, it is an impressions blog. I have no idea how to critically review a movie. My brother liked it, I liked it. The opening, in McCreath body shop and the close on the mountain, "Because it was against the law" are memorable and open and shut the movie nicely.

My favorite adventure was the car race. To intentionally ram a Shelby, that most be freeing.

I didn't like/get the Carter marriage stranger becomes a husband stuff. I suppose it was important, but I do not know why. I also could not follow the prostitute that Edward hired to seduce Carter conversation, the volume was too low compared to the rest of the movie and we have a decent home theater, but found I did not care enough to rewind and play again.

Overall, it is a good movie, it rates a place on my shelves. When we buy new movies, we chuck older non-performing ones and this one will probably be here for a long while.

The Intern

First class. This is on my must see again list especially since I saw it on an airplane. Robert De Niro really shines. And it is so real. I just read the Dan Lyons post on Linkedin and the Hubspot reply, this movie could have been about them, (except that Ben Whittaker - Robert De Niro's character has the grace and humility to just shine).

And if I can learn just one thing from the movie, it is to consistently carry a handkerchief. I own the bloody things, used to carry them, but when I got a puppy I started using that pocket for poop pick up bags.

If that is not a compelling enough reason to carry a handkerchief, there is an information warfare battle going on that could impact you, especially if you travel. It is either true or not true that both Dyson Air Blades and Paper Towels spread germs, a lot of germs. The good news is you are probably going to be exposed to germs regardless.

Intolerable Cruelty - George Clooney, Catherine Zeta-Jones

There is no way I would ever buy a video with that title, but Kathy had seen part of the movie on the airplane and we saw it in a Good Will thrift store for $2.99. And there are some great scenes. I loved the rottweilers hired by Catherine Zeta-Jones chasing the soon to be divorced husband were great, (and they show up again). I thought Edward Herrmann, the famous character actor, overplayed his role a bit, but only a bit, but it is a comedy. Clooney and Zeta-Jones do pretty well within the constraints of the screen play. Don't expect reality. Do expect gamesmanship.

Is it family friendly? Well gee, it is about infidelity and divorce lawyers. And there are morals to the story, money cannot buy happiness, we need something other than work, put your health before you plastic surgery.  And above all, don't sign the Massey Pre-nup and if you do, make sure you keep your copy.

Would I watch it again? Probably. Kathy likes it and I can check my email while it is running.

Firewall - Harrison Ford

OK, if you know me at all, I am a forgone conclusion. From Hackers, to Sneakers, I may not love the movie, but I am going to own it and watch it. This is a genuine movie though with plot and characters and drama, lots of drama.

Harrison Ford has devoted his life to bank computer security and it is thought he might be able to aid in the technical aspects of a large heist. They use a number of methods to get to him primarily his family.

What I like about the movie is that it does not hinge on technology. No need to break a 256 bit cipher in your head in 30 seconds or less. This works on the human side of things and the attackers do a very good job of it. No matter how much they change technology, this will always remain work.

Is it family friendly? Well, I guess you could say the family that is kidnapped together stays together. Seriously, there is no nudity. But these are seriously mature themes. Some movies have what I call , "Disney violence", (think about the old Batman TV show with POW, and SPLAT). Sophisticated kids seem to know that it is not real.  This is not Disney violence. I mean there is the classic Harrison Ford win the day by leading with your chin that no one will take seriously, but to make the plot come to life they mess with the viewers mind a bit, it is close to a psychological thriller.

Will I watch it again? Of course. There is a lot that I can learn for my craft from the movie. Plus, it is a pretty plot with good acting.

The Pacifier - Kid Movie - Vin Diesel

This is a kids movie. We host guests at the lake house every couple of weeks and sometimes they bring kids. I keep a collection of movies that appeal to younger viewers. Basically this is a knock-off of Kindergarten Cop with Arnold. KC is much better, but this is not bad.

Family friendly? Check; genuine Disney. It will not be Christian values per se, but it will be universally appealing.

Will I watch it again? Sure, with the right younger viewer I would be happy to. I will even bring the popcorn.

Closer, Julia Roberts, Jude Law, Natalie Portman, Clive Owen

Roberts and Law are two of my favorite performers, but this fell flat. I don't really have a favorite line or scene. Not family friendly, not planning on seeing it again. This goes in the trade in pile.

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps - Michael Douglas

The cameo appearance by Cramer says it all. And in addition Susan Sarandon as Jake's mother, Warren Buffet, Jake Chanos and Graydon Carter as themselves and Eli Wallach, (from the Holidays). What a cast and I just touched the surface.

Do I enjoy the movie? Not really, too close to home. There are some terribly bright spots. "What is your number, I find everyone has a number, what it will take to walk away, what is yours?" "More." Later in the movie, Charlie Sheen has an uncredited walk on part and he did make his number and did walk away. He was not so greedy he had to have more. And the speech by Michael Douglas, where he makes the famous acronym NINA famous, but as NINJA, No Income, No Job, no Assets, was fantastic.

If you are here by way of LinkedIn, NINJA is why I put the post up. I am forced to attend meetings where I hear that we are short of tens of thousands of cybersecurity jobs. I am told that we need people that have skills, hard, technical, hands-on skills. Yet recently, I posted some of those jobs. they got hits, but they got far less hits than my Ashley Madison post. Is a cybersecurity bubble even possible? PANW is at $162 a share and they aren't even earnings positive, FEYE with a market cap of 6B, same story. Worth watching!

Try to make it to chapter 17, (I think I have that right). The "Too big to fail" section. Yes, this is fiction, but it is not so far from the truth. My son, yes that transitioned Marine son, bought me the book. He knew that since it was a gift I would have to read it. Made me want to invest in Green Stamps, (the original bitcoin and just as good for the long term).

Do I recommend the movie? Yes, I do. Each of us has a responsibility to leave a legacy and part of that is financial. The movie is helpful in many ways, one of which is the reminder of bubbles, again and again and I am not stuck on tulips. I am not and will never be a financial wiz, but I have seen the damage bubbles cause. Kathy and I have been largely blessed to avoid destruction, but it was dumb luck, not brilliance. Great lead in to my classic family friendly question; is it? I did not see any evidence of nudity and sex, didn't see any violence where arms get taken off and blood goes spurting. But there is a certain type of Wall Street violence going down in spades. I do think this is an opportunity for prepared parents to speak with their older children, especially about greed.

Will I watch it again? This was the second time and it is not feeling jaded at all. So yes, this movie stays on the shelf. And I will not kid myself, it is a good reminder to invest with your mind, (and statistics), not your heart. I keep my trading journal online. My journal helps keep me straight, but it is also for my son and brother in law. It is not exciting. It is far more current that the dates on the files indicate. Maybe it will help someone else and I am very open to ideas and suggestions. None of us really know how the market works, not even those guys who play themselves in the movie.

Abducted

Rich teenager, Taylor Lautner, a "father" that spars full contact with him, anger issues and disturbing dreams.. Sigourney Weaver is his shrink, (nice that they let her play her age).

Aside from Weaver, I did not recognize anyone else in the cast with the exception of Maria Bello. My favorite role for her was Lil i Coyote Ugly. But despite a fairly green cast they do a fairly good job with the basic teenage angst, party, drive fast and all that is before the twist.

As part of a school assignment he finds his baby picture on a missing persons web site. The evidence keeps falling into place. So who are his parents?  The questions come faster than the answers and the screenplay is downright explosive right about then.

Is it family friendly? Hehe, well I wouldn't show it to a 4 year old. It isn't big on sex so you do not need to worry about that. There is some violence, but it is fake violence, most kids will not internalize it; it seems like a Nickelodeon film.

Would I watch it again? Not sure, but I am keeping it on the shelf. We have a kids section since we have guests so often. Maybe, a young teens section makes sense too.

Elysium - Matt Damon - Jodie Foster

Sci-Fi. Haves and have nots. A somewhat dystopian society. Lots of weapons, special effects, what is not to like?

They keep Matt tamed down a bit. Otherwise the plot and cast would allow him to destroy everything two minutes after he got the exo-skeleton. There are some nods to other movies, especially Johnny Mnemonic. I don't think Jodie Foster got to shine in her role. I did like Emma Tremblay as the kid, I thought the story went well and Alice Braga did well as her mother.

Family friendly? I did not see any evidence of sex or nudity, but this goes into the category of shoot em up. I will put one in from time to time when Kathy is out, it passes the time.

Captain Phillips - Tom Hanks

Kathy ordered this from Amazon and it was really well done. It is historically accurate, (at least from the United States point of view). I think you know the story of the Somalia pirates and the Alabama, so I will skip the  plot setup.

Suffice to say, that while Tom Hanks is good from the get go, he really shines in the second half of the movie.

Is it family friendly? Well there is no sex if that is your hot button. There is a lot of threatening, followed by more threatening and some bloodshed. They do give some opportunities to have some important cultural discussions with older children such as the impact of overfishing the Somali seas that led seaman to become pirates.

Will I watch it again? Yes, this is one of the movies where I can appreciate Tom Hanks acting, I do not always like him, sometimes he overdoes it, but this was well done.

Laws of Attraction - Pierce Brosnan, Julianne Moore

Somehow we missed this one. Found it in the $3.99 bin at WinCo. It was surprisingly good. A young Pierce Brosnan, but a great screenplay and excellent play between the stars.

Is it family friendly? Depends, they do imply sex before marriage, but then we see how important marriage is first to Pierce and then to Moore.

The deleted and extra scenes were a lot of fun.

If you are looking for a fun, non-violent film, this might be the one you want to stream. We are going to keep this one on the shelf.

Transcendence - Johnny Depp

Fantastic movie! My first 500 level computer science course was artificial intelligence.  That was a million years ago and Prolog was fun, but you couldn't really do anything with it. Fast forward to 2015. Artificial Intelligence has come into its own. So that makes the movie all the more believable, all the more achievable.

Johnny Depp and Rebecca Hall put in an incredible performance and in four different stages of relationship. That had to be a stretch. Morgan Freeman was, well, Morgan Freeman.

Yes, I can recommend watching it. It is family friendly enough, no sex, the violence is tastefully done enough. Even when people get all busted up, they tend to get repaired.

I will certainly watch it again, especially because the plot requires more than one party to make the hard choice