Wednesday, 19 March 2014

Let My People Go! released on January 11, 2013

Let My People Go!



Let My People Go! is a 2011 film directed by Mikael Buch. It premiered at the 2011 Montreal World Film Festival and was released in December 2011 in France. Let My People Go! is a 2011 film directed by Mikael Buch. It premiered at the 2011 Montreal World Film Festival and was released in December 2011 in France. It was released in the United States in 2013 by Zeitgeist Films and grossed $18,529 domestically.







Initial release: December 28, 2011 (France)
Director: Mikael Buch
Running time: 100 minutes Cine21
Music composed by: Éric Neveux
Screenplay: Christophe Honoré, Mikael Buch





Directed by Mikael Buch
Produced by Philippe Martin [disambiguation needed]
Geraldine Michelot
Editing by Simon Jacquet
Studio Les Films Pelleas
Distributed by Les Films du Losange and Zeitgeist Films
Release dates
August 22, 2011 (Montreal World Film Festival)
December 28, 2011 (France)
Running time 86 minutes
Country France
Language French




At Passover, Reuben, a French-Jewish man living in Finland with his Nordic boyfriend, finds himself back in Paris with his zany family after a lovers' quarrel.uben (Nicolas Maury) is a French Jewish gay man (think Pee Wee Herman meets David Sedaris) living in a candy-colored world in Finland with his lover Teemu (Jarkko Niemi), where Ruben works as a postman. One fateful day three days before Passover, Ruben tries to deliver an envelope of euros to a widower, who refuses to accept it, and collapses on his lawn. Teemu and Ruben fight over what to do with the cash and Ruben heads to Paris to think, and to celebrate Passover with his mother (played by Carmen Maura). Back home, Teemu is trying to get to the bottom of things--or should we say the top?-- while Ruben discovers in Paris that a certain someone has missed Ruben more than he knew. Jean-Luc Bideau, Didier Flamand, and Jean-Christophe Bouvet appear; Bouvet as the Commissaire has to mediate a poignant love call from jail.








Let My People Go! is the most delightful movie I've seen in ages. Nicolas Maury is so utterly adorable, so sweetly, innocently, devastatingly sexy, so fascinating to watch every second he's on screen, that I wish he'd already starred in dozens of movies so I could watch them all. Since he hasn't, I'll have to sift through the few in which he has appeared in smaller roles.

His seemingly unselfconscious charm makes this whole movie a great joy to watch, and I can't imagine it without him at its heart - but everybody else in it and behind it is so good that I'd give it a try anyway.

Maury plays Reuben Steiner (spelled Ruben in the credits), a gay French Jew living in Finland with Teemu, his Finnish husband. His scheme to start a sauna business has failed and he's working as a mailman.

A man on his mail route gives him an envelope containing almost 200,000 euro and then appears to drop dead. Teemu gets angry at Ruben for taking the money and kicks him out, so he returns to spend Passover with his highly eccentric but very loving family in Paris.

It's a farce, much like a very modern version of a 30s screwball comedy, but all the main characters are so lovable and real that the totally unreal stuff that happens doesn't matter.

There are no bad performances (his mother is played by Almodóvar's longtime muse Carmen Maura), no villains in the story except a pig-headed in-law and a couple of snarky cops, but they're negligible. A scene near the end in which the rottweiler-like police chief reads Ruben's love letter (in English) to Teemu over the phone is priceless.

A brilliant screenplay (co-written with director Mikael Buch by the divine Christophe Honoré), mostly in French and Finnish with fairly good English subtitles; and an interesting score with songs by Devendra Banhart, Noah and the Whale and others.

I rented the movie, but I loved it so much that I've ordered a copy to watch many times over. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Gangster Squad released on January 11, 2013

Gangster Squad


Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and-if he has his way-every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons. Gangster Squad is a 2013 American action crime film directed by Ruben Fleischer, from a screenplay written by Will Beall. It starred Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Nick Nolte, Emma Stone, and Sean Penn. The film is loosely based on the story of Los Angeles Police Department officers and detectives forming a group called the "Gangster Squad unit" who attempt to keep the city safe from Mickey Cohen and his gang during the 1940s and '50s. It was originally set to be released September 7, 2012,but in the wake of the 2012 Aurora shooting, the release date was changed to January 11, 2013 by Warner Bros. Pictures.While the film, characters, and events are mostly fictionalized, the LAPD did have a unit called the "Gangster Squad" which was created when Clemence B. Horrall was the LAPD's Chief of Police. A similar theme is the basis of a 1996 film, Mulholland Falls, and a 2013 television miniseries, Mob City.







Initial release: January 11, 2013 (USA)
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Running time: 113 minutes
Adapted from: Gangster Squad
Cinematography: Dion Beebe


Directed by Ruben Fleischer
Produced by Bruce Berman
Ruben Fleischer
Dan Lin
Kevin McCormick
Jon Silk
Michael Tadross
Screenplay by Will Beall
Based on Tales from the Gangster Squad 
by Paul Lieberman
Starring Josh Brolin
Ryan Gosling
Sean Penn
Nick Nolte
Emma Stone
Anthony Mackie
Giovanni Ribisi
Michael Peña
Robert Patrick
Music by Steve Jablonsky
Cinematography Dion Beebe
Editing by Alan Baumgarten
James Herbert
Studio Village Roadshow Pictures
Lin Pictures
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release dates
January 11, 2013
Running time 113 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $60 million 

Box office $105,200,903


Los Angeles, 1949: A secret crew of police officers led by two determined sergeants work together in an effort to take down the ruthless mob king Mickey Cohen who runs the city.It's 1949 Los Angeles, and gangster Mickey Cohen has moved in, with the intention of controlling all criminal activity in the city. He has bought local judges and police, and no one is willing to cross him or testify against him. Everyone except Seargant John O'Mara, a former World War II soldier, whose goal is to settle with his family in a peaceful Los Angeles. Police Chief William Parker decides to form a special unit whose mission is to take down Cohen, and chooses O'Mara to lead the unit. O'Mara chooses 4 cops and asks another cop and vet, Jerry Wooters to join him but Wooters is not interested. But when he witnesses the murder of a young boy by Cohen's people, he joins them, and they decide to take apart Cohen's organization. Cohen wonders if a rival is going after him, but eventually he realizes it's the cops



Glossy, slick, bloody, violent, dumb, crowd-pleasing, and undeniably entertaining. Filled with every gangster genre cliché rolled into one, GANGSTER SQUAD ain't high art, nor is it aiming to be. It seemed as if director Fleischer was trying to tell this story in the most fun possible way, and he succeeds with flying colors. The film is at its best when its loud and dumb but falters when it tries to be anything more than that.

The cast seems like they're having fun, especially Sean Penn who has a field day with his role as the villain Mickey Cohen. The lines he's given are pure gold. Josh Brolin does a great job as the lead and Ryan Gosling is charming and charismatic as usual. However, Emma Stone is underused with a thankless role, but it's nice that she's in the film anyway. Overall, GANGSTER SQUAD is fun entertainment. No judgments, little pretense.

Struck by Lightning Released on January 11, 2013

Struck by Lightning


Struck by Lightning is a 2012 coming-of-age comedy-drama film written by and starring Chris Colfer, also based on his novel, and directed by Brian Dannelly. Struck by Lightning is a 2012 coming-of-age comedy-drama film written by and starring Chris Colfer, also based on his novel, and directed by Brian Dannelly. After high school senior Carson Phillips is struck by lightning and killed in his high-school parking lot, he recounts the way he blackmailed his classmates into contributing to his literary magazine.




Initial release: January 11, 2013 (USA)
Director: Brian Dannelly
Running time: 90 minutes
Screenplay: Chris Colfer
Initial DVD release: May 21, 2013 (USA)

Directed by Brian Dannelly
Produced by David Permut
Mia Chang
Rob Aguire
Chris Colfer
Written by Chris Colfer
Starring Chris Colfer
Allison Janney
Christina Hendricks
Sarah Hyland
Carter Jenkins
Brad William Henke
Rebel Wilson
Angela Kinsey
Polly Bergen
Dermot Mulroney
Music by Jake Monaco
Cinematography Bobby Bukowski
Editing by Tia Nolan
Studio Permut Presentations
Distributed by Tribeca Film
Release dates
April 2012 (Tribeca)
December 19, 2012 (VOD)
January 11, 2013
Running time 84 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Box office $28,378

A young man recounts the way he blackmailed his fellow classmates into contributing to his literary magazine. A high school boy desperate to escape the idiocy of the people in his hometown trys to create a way in which he can move to New York, attend the college of his dreams and do something other than live in the foot steps of his drunken, divorced mother. Along the way he blackmails his fellow students into contributing to his literary magazine and discovers what its like to feel accomplished. Does he get accepted into the college of his dreams? Is he going to make a difference and follow his life goal? Written by Jo J.


This coming of age film was well written and showed one of the other sides of Actor/Writer/Producer Chris Colfer. He originally wrote it when he was about 18 and dipped into some very complicated matters such as divorce. I would recommend this to anyone of any age. Some matters, although they seem very childlike (like blackmailing others to get what you want), touch on some serious aspects such as how schools are run. Although it is unlikely for someone to get struck by lightning and die spontaneously, it does bring awareness to many problems. Rebel Wilson is incredible in this. Even in the end when half the theater was balling their eyes out and i had the equivalent of a glass full of water on my sweater from crying, she made everyone laugh literally out loud. Her one liners were all her; she was doing improv for pretty much the whole move. Recap: EVERYONE NEEDS TO WATCH THIS. its not sappy but its sad, its hilarious, and it touches one important subjects.


A HAUNTED HOUSE Released on January 11, 2013

A HAUNTED HOUSE



A Haunted House is a 2013 American spoof comedy film directed by Michael Tiddes and starring Marlon Wayans. It was released on January 11, 2013.
Initial release: January 11, 2013. A Haunted House is a 2013 American spoof comedy film directed by Michael Tiddes and starring Marlon Wayans.It was released on January 11, 2013. The film is a parody of the "found footage" genre, such as the Paranormal Activity franchise and The Devil Inside. During interviews to promote the film, Wayans explained "it's not exactly a parody" but rather a movie with funny characters doing the opposite of what typical white people do in similar horror films.A sequel titled A Haunted House 2 is expected to be released on March 28, 2014.   





Director: Michael Tiddes
Initial DVD release: April 23, 2013 (USA)
Sequel: A Haunted House 2
Production company: IM Global


Directed by Michael Tiddes
Produced by Marlon Wayans
Michael Tiddes
Rick Alvarez
Written by Marlon Wayans
Rick Alvarez
Starring Marlon Wayans
Essence Atkins
Cedric the Entertainer
Nick Swardson
David Koechner
Dave Sheridan
Cinematography Steve Gainer
Editing by Suzanne Hines
Studio IM Global Octane
Wayans Bros. Entertainment
Baby Way Productions
Distributed by Open Road Films
Vertigo Films (UK only)
Release dates
January 11, 2013
Running time 86 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $2.5 million[2]

Box office $59,896,033 (worldwide)

Malcolm and Kisha move into their dream home, but soon learn a demon also resides there. When Kisha becomes possessed, Malcolm - determined to keep his sex life on track - turns to a priest, a psychic, and a team of ghost-busters for help. Malcolm and Kisha move into their dream home, but soon learn a demon also resides there. When Kisha becomes possessed, Malcolm - determined to keep his sex life on track - turns to a priest, a psychic, and a team of ghost-busters for help.


Whether or not this movie was stereotypical should be set aside for reviews. Focus on the main parts of this movie which were to utterly make fun of paranormal activity and the devil inside. I felt like this movie is under-rated. I thought they got straight into funny and absolutely making fun of paranormal activity 1 very quickly. The first scene was based on making fun of the camera work of paranormal activity in the bed room. Although these sorts of comedies are always a stupid sort of funny, I laughed throughout this movie, especially at the character of Chip the psychic; whose main goal is to bring out the gay demons in Malcolm the main character. I had a good laugh and if you can score some tickets for cheap its not a bad, make you laugh at stupid comedy, type of movie.





DARK TRUTH Released on January 4, 2013

DARK TRUTH


A Dark Truth is a 2012 action thriller film directed and written by Damian Lee, and produced by Gary Howsam and Bill Marks. The film stars Andy García, Kim Coates, Deborah Kara Unger, Eva Longoria and Forest Whitaker. A Dark Truth (also known as The Truth) is a 2012 action thriller film directed and written by Damian Lee, and produced by Gary Howsam and Bill Marks. The film stars Andy García, Kim Coates, Deborah Kara Unger, Eva Longoria and Forest Whitaker. It premiered at the 2012 Boston Film Festival and was released theatrically in the United States on January 4, 2013.



Initial release: September 19, 2012
Director: Damian Lee
Running time: 106 minutes
Initial DVD release: March 5, 2013 (Italy)
Screenplay: Damian Lee


Directed by Damian Lee
Produced by Gary Howsam
Bill Marks
Written by Damian Lee
Starring Andy García
Kim Coates
Deborah Kara Unger
Eva Longoria
Forest Whitaker
Music by Jonathan Goldsmith
Cinematography Bobby Shore
Editing by William Steinkamp
Studio Vortex Words Pictures
Distributed by Magnolia Pictures
(USA theatrical)
Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions
(USA all media)
Release dates
September 19, 2012 (Boston Film Festival)
January 4, 2013 (United States)
Running time 106 minutes
Country Canada
United States
Language English
Box office $5,750


A former CIA operative turned political talk show host is hired by a corporate whistle blower to expose her company's cover-up of a massacre in a South American village. 
A former CIA operative turned political talk show host is hired by a corporate whistle blower to expose her company's cover-up of a massacre in a South American village.



This is the first I've seen of movies on the particular subject of what major international corporations such as Bectel are doing to underdeveloped countries as regards their water. Well done treatment, great cast, excellent acting. No hamming or sensationalism, no gratuitous violence (not that there isn't enough to tell the story). Perhaps other reviewers don't consider water as exciting as blood diamonds or oil or uranium. Perhaps it's not. But it's certainly more important. This fictional presentation of the issue is a good start toward expanding popular awareness of one of the biggest problems facing us in this new century.

Not water shortages, critical though they are. Rather, soulless, nationless corporate greed. Seven out of ten.