The Attack

The Attack is a film that takes place in Israel, where nearly every movie being made today deals with the Palestinian-Israeli disconnect.  This film is no exception.

The couple above seem happy enough.  They should.  Having grown up in Nablus, a town taken by Israel in the 1967 War, the two Arabs emerged from poor surroundings and became beautiful people:  he's a prominent surgeon practicing in Tel Aviv, living in a fantastic home, and receiving awards for his work;  and she's, well, just beautiful.

Then the unthinkable happens.  There's an explosion.  A terrorist suicide bomber attacks a restaurant.  There are 17 dead.  Many are maimed.  The surgeon tries to save as many as he can.  After all, that's his profession.

Someone special dies.

No spoiler, of course.  But as the film unfolds, we learn about how hopeless peace still seems amid those who hate and kill.   We get glimpses of life in Israel and the Arab cities.  We get to know players in a very sordid war.

Here's a plus:  The film does not take sides.  Both Arab and Jew appear bigoted and flawed.  No one comes out looking like a winner.

Is the film good?  Sort of.  Well, maybe not.

Parts of it grab the viewer.  Other parts put the viewer to sleep.  The flick is more educational than entertaining.  We never really get to know the characters, because there is no true character development.  We never get too deeply emerged in the plot, because it's superficial.  We never feel tense, because there is no tension.

Yet, the film cloys.  It hangs onto you.  The images stay in your mind.  You end up thinking about the movie long after you've seen it.

Grade of B.  Unless you are intrigued by the Arab-Israel conflict, you may not find this film so interesting.

On the other hand....

OK, give it a go.  You might like it.

American Hustle

Remember The Sting?  Remember Ocean's 11?  Or how about TVs Mission Impossible?  All those shows portray teams of scammers who pull off a heist under the very noses of less-than-savory dudes.

American Hustle is a fine example of the genre.  Never the spoiler, I can't say much, but I will give you the general gist, lest you turn your back on an excellent film.

Back in the 80's, there was a true story of a bunch of politicos, senators and others, who accepted bribes tied to the visit of an Arab sheik to the U.S.  The whole event is known as ABSCAM.

Interested?  No?  Me neither!  Booooring!  But then this film comes along and all of a sudden jsut another little political brouhaha involving corrupt politicians becomes fun!

See, the hustlers hustle the hustlers, and soon we are in the middle of a very intriguing story!

So why the picture of Jennifer Lawrence being slinky and sexy?  Easy.  She steals the show.  You might remember when she wowed audiences in Winter's Bone.  In that dark backwoods flick, she deftly played a hillbilly in search of a louse of a father.  Then came her brilliant performance in Silver Lining, for which she earned a well-deserved Oscar as Best Actress.  Of course she's fantastic as Katniss the Survivor in The Hunger Games.

But if that's not enough, this starlet extraordinaire acts up a storm in American Hustle.  She plays the ditsy blonde with so much pizazz it'll knock your socks off!  She's more than a moll:  She's the epitome of the charming idiot with the perfect looks!

A shoo-in for Best Supporting Actress?  Absolutely.

Other stars:  Christian Bale.  He was soooo scary as the Yuppie businessman monster in American Psycho.  Now he plays a Jewish scammer to perfection.  Amy Adams.  Did she impress you in Doubt?  She's always great, in my book.

Caution:  The first half of the film confuses, drags, and nearly drives the audience to head for the Exit signs.  The second half is the redeemer.  Because of this inconsistency, the film is not worthy, in my mind, of Best Film.

But if you want superb entertainment, this one is a winner.

Elysium

The year is 2154, and that's Matt Damon fighting for truth, justice, and the American Way!

Here on earth in the future, life is bleak.  There is terrible pollution, disease, and well, Earth just ain't what it used to be!

But up there in the sky lies utopia:  The rich have created a satellite called Elysium, where folks live on tree-lined streets and have machines that can cure any illness.  There is peace and harmony.  Everything is pristine.

Hey....let's go!  Oh wait, the folks up there don't want us!

Matt Damon's character represents us common people.  He will somehow get up to the sky and see that the spoils are shared.

That's enough info!  No spoiler from this reviewer, but I need to say that this crazy flick is fun!  Sure, it requires just a little suspension of disbelief (haha), but once Matt dons his power suit and fights the baddies, all hell breaks loose!

Jodi Foster is delightful as the evil bitch.  She has a harsh, quiet sternness about her that is downright spooky.

Will you find any redeeming value in this mindless flick?  I doubt it.  But count on two hours of solid, gripping entertainment.

And, by the way, if you find a way to get up to utopia, let me know....I'll join you!

Dallas Buyers Club

Sometimes it just takes one role of a lifetime to kick an actor out of his complacency in settling for unchallenging, static roles.

In other words:  I take back everything I ever thought about Matthew McConaughey.  The dude can ACT!  Who knew?

Dallas Buyers Club is a film not to miss.

DBC chronicles the true story of Ron Woodruff, a promiscuous, bull-riding, Texas good-ol-boy who contracts AIDS back when we all feared a true plague in America, almost as much as most people feared homosexuals.

Fighting to prolong his life and others', he begins the ultimate start-up company out of the trunk of his car, distributing as yet FDA-unapproved drugs.

Equally compelling and riveting in his performance is Jared Leto, who, playing a transsexual, actually steals scenes from the captivating Woodruff character.

McConaughey (as well as Leto)  dramatically altered his appearance by dropping a tremendous amount of weight for this role.  It is mesmerizing.  I truly forgot who it was.

This was a tough film for me to watch for personal reasons.  David knows.  But I didn't even cry; it's not sappy at all.

Hope I've gotten your attention.  This is a truly powerful film that will stay in your consciousness for days to come.  Go see a quality film!