The Impossible Movie Review – Just Seen It
December 12th, 2012 by David Freedman
Sean, Liz and Salim try to wrap their brains around this unsettling and thrilling drama, based on a true story. Starring Sean Wright, Liz Manashil and Salim Lemelle. Directed by Matt Brealt.
Based on true story, Maria, Henry and their three sons take a much needed Holiday in Thailand. But on the day after Christmas, a devastating Tsunami strikes. Facing devastating challenges, the family must struggle to survive.
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So here is a movie about wiseguys dealing with a mob heist, presidential politics, and the American financial crisis. I have a feeling that some people are going to be upset with this film for not being what they expected. Regardless, Killing Them Softly is a sly, dark comedy-drama, with Brad Pitt in a wonderfully effective role as a professional enforcer. The film is well-acted, very stylish, often heavy-handed with how it presents politics, but at the same time very involving. I think it’s the dialogue and the unassuming, straight-forward flow of the film. Killing Them Softly does not feel like the traditional, hip, modern mob movie. It felt like something different, but something I was very happy to watch. 
Among the people that I would offhand list as my favorite directors, Alfred Hitchcock would be one of them. The movie I regard as my favorite horror movie (let alone a favorite movie of mine in general) is Psycho. The idea of a movie revolving around the making of Psycho is certainly an intriguing one, made better by the fantastic cast that is involved, with a wonderful looking Anthony Hopkins in the guise of the Master of Suspense. That is not exactly what I got, but what I liked about this movie, is how it chose to be a fun, romanticized story about a man continuing to challenge himself, as well as a relationship drama involving his wife. It could have been a stodgy drama that follows recorded details to the letter, but the film is much more energized than that, which is impressive, given the corpulence of Alfred Hitchcock. 
Well I certainly liked the idea of remaking the film Red Dawn (which is not all that good), more than actually watching the remake. This film is pretty terrible. From the drab energy and look of the film, to the horrid acting and casting of many involved, to the basic logic and storytelling that this film puts forward, Red Dawn is a travesty. I went in expecting to have a dopey, but somewhat fun time, but instead I sat through a painfully dull film that has almost nothing to offer as a redeeming value. The only thing that makes this worse is the fact that a film about teenagers causing all sorts of carnage has been made bloodless and rated PG-13 so general audiences can presumably spend the holiday season watch a terribly stupid film in all its jingoistic glory. 
This would seem like the perfect time for a movie like Rise of the Guardians to come out. It arrives in theaters in the same year that audiences around the globe have already witnessed the ultimate superhero mash-up film, The Avengers, watched the end of Batman’s journey in The Dark Knight Rises, and are preparing to take a step back into Middle Earth with The Hobbit. An animated hero’s journey film that combines Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman, and Jack Frost in an adventure together feels pretty appropriate. However, while imaginative in its visuals, the film feels like it is riding on assumed knowledge regarding these characters in a very familiar story. I will be curious to see if family audiences embrace this as new holiday favorite, but for the time being, Rise of the Guardians provides some fun. 
Upon hearing that this year would see the release of Life of Pi, a 3D film adaptation of the bestselling, but supposedly unfilmable book by Yann Martel, I was immediately feeling the same vibe that I had from Hugo in 2011. This feeling was amplified further upon learning that it was going to be directed by Ang Lee, a versatile director, who has yet to be grounded in one particular genre. Both films are fantastical adventures to an extent, which utilize a theme of storytelling at their core. They are also both visual delights, with the use of 3D actually amplifying the experience as opposed to taking away from it. Life of Pi works on many levels and is certainly suited to a release at this time of year, as it is an incredibly earnest, yet exciting film and a visual treat for families to see, but one that has a lot more on its mind as well.
Every year since 2008 fans have been treated to a movie from the Twilight series of books written by Stephenie Meyers. As I have watched these movies throughout the years I have discovered that this series isn’t just for teenage girls. I have seen Grandmothers, Grandfathers, Fathers, Mothers, and yes young girls fall in love with the story of Bella and Edward. Now that the final movie of the Twilight Saga is out, where do we go from here? I know I am going to miss Edward and Bella and the rest of the Cullen family… 
Silver Linings Playbook is a film by writer/director David O. Russell (Three Kings, The Fighter), which is much better than one would believe it to be. From the outside, it looks like a story of good-looking people with problems, who may inevitably end up together. In lesser hands, this material could seem trite, but the script for the film is incredibly sharp, getting around its formulaic aspects to prove itself as a frequently funny, well-acted, and emotional film about two people rebuilding their lives. It works as a modern-day screwball comedy that has a sense of reality, as its characters deal with the issues that make them different, making it a film that I will not be surprised to see embraced by audiences all over. 
Walt Disney Animation Studios and Emmy-winning director Rich Moore (TV’s “The Simpsons,” “Futurama”) take moviegoers on a hilarious, arcade-game-hopping journey in “Wreck-It Ralph.” Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly, “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby,” “Step Brothers”) is tired of being overshadowed by Fix-It Felix (voice of Jack McBrayer, “30 Rock”), the “good guy” star of their game who always gets to save the day. But after decades doing the same thing and seeing all the glory go to Felix, Ralph decides he’s tired of playing the role of a bad guy. He takes matters into his own massive hands and sets off on a game-hopping journey across the arcade through every generation of video games to prove he’s got what it takes to be a hero. On his quest, he meets the tough-as-nails Sergeant Calhoun (voice of Jane Lynch, TV’s “Glee”) from the first-person action game Hero’s Duty. But it’s the feisty misfit Vanellope von Schweetz (voice of Sarah Silverman, “The Sarah Silverman Program”) from the candy-coated cart racing game, Sugar Rush, whose world is threatened when Ralph accidentally unleashes a deadly enemy that threatens the entire arcade. Will Ralph realize his dream and save the day before it’s too late? “Wreck-It Ralph” crashes onto the big screen on November 2, 2012, in Disney Digital 3D in select theaters.
Lincoln is a film that has been a long time coming. I remember hearing about early stories of director Steven Spielberg working on getting a movie made about Abraham Lincoln, with Tom Hanks being rumored for the role. Then things became more official, as Liam Neeson was said to be attached. The time passed, Neeson bowed out, only to have Daniel Day-Lewis jump in, bringing his intense, method actor ways to Spielberg’s period drama. This worked out for the better, I suppose, as Day-Lewis appears to be embodying the Great Emancipator, but in less an overpowering way, as past portrayals have implied, but in an authoritative, yet kind manner. Similarly, Lincoln, as a whole, is not an overpowering biopic, but a drama focused on a very specific period in the 16th President’s life. The results are quite good, as everyone involved has worked to achieve an incredibly cinematic, well-acted, drama that respects the material, if just a bit too much. 
