Life at the Movies

The value of team work in Star Wars. The fifth Star Wars episode, The Empire Strikes Back, and the sixth, Return of the Jedi, resonate on the value of team work. In The Empire Strikes Back, this team work happens in a dangerous milieu; dangerous times call for extra vigilance. In a dangerous world, there…

What are the movies that I have already covered on Life at the Movies, coming to DVD this September in the USA/Canada? Already here is Italy’s Tale of Tales (2015) which I covered on Life at the Movies earlier this year. This is an interesting tale, but it may be off-putting. It’s got nudity and…

In The Sea of Trees (2016, USA), Arthur Brennan (Matthew McConaughey) goes to a Japanese forest to think about the unthinkable—death and dying, at his own hand. Before he does, he meets a Japanese man who is wandering in the forest aimlessly. Arthur tries to save the man. Both form a connection despite their lost…

We’re used to angst inducing last minutes in movies that are about saving the day in the nick of time. Angsty last minutes are crucial in many generic films–will he or she, or won’t he or she, save the day. The question is brought down to the last minute. In most westerns, action, sports, horrors,…

But this movie’s not. The Sea Of Trees (2016, USA) has adults lost in Japan’s Aokigahara forest, but the film is far from being lost. Beautiful cinematography, a non-linear plot, and good production values. But most of all a worthwhile story that keeps you wondering and expecting. Though what turns out is a tad familiar, it’s well-worth…

A mid-August lunch sounds appetizing. To whet your appetite, a movie with the title Mid-August Lunch sounds salubrious. Must see it. Having seen Italy’s Mid-August Lunch (2008), it is about celebrating food and life. What would you expect from Italiano? Mid-August Lunch is the first of three Italian comedies headlined by Gianni Di Gregorio. The 60-plus-something writer…

The process of hilarious comedy should go like this: a witty line, followed by another witty line, then another, and then another where you are cracking up with laughter at its peak. Then, there must be a come down or we would burst and a short momentary break in the comedy, when the film straightens…

For quite a bit of Where to Invade Next (2016, USA), documentarian Michael Moore gives a compelling case for change. There were moments when I cringed, when Moore goes too far, but on issues such as education, workers, prisoners, and taxation, his case is convincing. Moore puts up a case for change in America with…

Documentary, Where to Invade Next, does sound like a critique on American military invasion. With Michael Moore as director, it’s no wonder if it is. Michael Moore isn’t new to the military subject. He has made documentaries before, as you most likely know, that analyze and deconstruct U.S. military invasion into foreign countries, such as…

Eddie the Eagle is a feel good movie. Olympic skiing is this comedy drama’s bread and butter, but competition isn’t its reason for being. The true story of Michael “Eddie” Edwards and his journey to the 1988 winter Olympics has all the hallmarks of underdog determination. Though winning at the game is highly unlikely, but…

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