Delighting on Bluray is WILD MOUNTAIN THYME

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming from director writer/director John Patrick Shanley and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment comes the story of life and land in WILD MOUNTAIN THYME.

Tony (Christopher Walken) has lived his life on a beautiful plot of land in Ireland with his son Anthony (Jamie Dornan). In the land next to them is Aoife (Dearbhla Molloy) and daughter Rosemary (Emily Blunt) who keeps her heart out for Anthony.

When Anthony learns that his father might be selling the land to him, he is devastated. He also learns that nephew Adam (Jon Hamm) from America is coming for Tony’s birthday and that is who is considered front runner for the land. There is also a piece of land between Tony and Aoife that belongs to Rosemary!

When tragedy hits Rosemary, Tony wonders if his idea of selling the farm is a very good one and Adam returns to New York. When Anthony’s life changes, he suggests to Rosemary that maybe she should go and see the world and leave the farm. She takes off for New York and meets up with Adam and finally sees a dream on stage.

Anthony lets Rosemary know that he believes Adam is looking for a wife. This is where things get pickled as Anthony cares for Rosemary, Rosemary cares for Anthony and Adam will either make or break them or maybe the secrets they have will explain it all!

Blunt as Rosemary is just so dang cute its ridiculous. Of course, everything Blunt has done is amazing to watch so I did not expect this to be any different. As Rosemary, she is a dreamer and the most patient woman I think I have ever heard of. What I love about this character is that she knows there is something keeping them apart and pulls and pulls again believing that even in her dreams there is something to hold on to.

Dornan as Anthony is a painfully shy man who just does not know his worth to himself and those around him. Dornan is so sweet in this role and even the awkwardness of Anthony only makes him more endearing. Practicing a way to reach the point where he can speak to Rosemary, he constantly is being pulled back by his own fears. Playing opposite Walken is the father-son realities that there is a history in every one’s life, even a father.

Hamm as Adam is not happy when Tony keeps him dangling on a string. Returning to New York, he is surprised to see Rosemary again and that is when he wonders if he has what it takes to be an Irish farmer. 

Walken as Anthony is crotchety, pushy and has a goal – to see his son alone no longer. Although his accent gets a little muddled at times, it changes nothing about his performance. There is a scene between father and son that is not only tissue worthy but thumps the heart because it was a moment of pure love between the two.

Other cast includes Jon Tenney as tommy, Danielle Ryan as Maeve, Lydia McGuinness as Eleanor, Abigail Coburn as young Rosemary and Darragh O’Kane as young Anthony.

Bleeker Street is a New York City film company that has brought outstanding films to the public. Their library includes TRUMBO, DENIAL, THE LOST CITY OF Z, BEIRUT, HOTEL MUMBAI, ORDINARY LOVE and THE ROADS NOT TAKEN. For more information on the titles from Bleeker Street please visit www.bleeckerstreetmedia.com.

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has just added an amazing film to their library and making it available for us to all experience and re-experience in our own home theaters. There are films of every genre available from scary to drama to family films. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.uphe.com.

MOVIES ANYWHERE gives viewers the ability to download the Movies Anywhere App. With that you can view films by downloading or streaming to your favorite device using a Digital Code. For more information on Movies Anywhere please visit www.MoviesAnywhere.com.

WILD MOUNTAIN THYME is the kind of film that I adore during a stressful time. It is set in the glorious green of Ireland with vast open land, animals and streams. There is something wonderful just seeing that scenery mixed with something we do not see a lot of in Southern California – rainstorms!

This is a story of generational families and stories that are not told until time has its way. Watching Walken play Dornan’s father is full of emotion, bold, brassy and loud emotion. In case anyone is wondering if Irish families are like that, well, my grandmother’s side certainly was and is. Outspoken, vocal, and no nonsense were the order of the day in her household. That in itself made me laugh at the film watching Blunt be everything I saw in my own grandmother.

It is also a story of love and longing by two people who have such different dreams yet have known each other since childhood. Even then, a fence did not stop them from consistently being pulled toward one another because everything they did not say are the things that could have brought them together sooner. Isn’t that how we all are?

Grab your own love, cuddle up with a huge comfy blanket on a fluffy sofa and be whisked away to Ireland and cheer on the couple who wants what you have – minus the fence.

In the end – there is nothing more dangerous than an Irish woman in love!

WILD MOUNTAIN THYME

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming soon from director writer/director John Patrick Shanley and Bleeker Street comes the story of life and land in WILD MOUNTAIN THYME.

Tony (Christopher Walken) has lived his life on a beautiful plot of land in Ireland with his son Anthony (Jamie Dornan). In the land next to them is Aoife (Dearbhla Molloy) and daughter Rosemary (Emily Blunt) who keeps her heart out for Anthony.

When Anthony learns that his father might be selling the land to him, he is devastated. He also learns that nephew Adam (Jon Hamm) from America is coming for Tony’s birthday and that is who is considered front runner for the land. There is also a piece of land between Tony and Aoife that belongs to Rosemary!

Tragedy hits Rosemary, Tony wonders if his idea of selling the farm is a very good one and Adam returns to New York. When Anthony’s life changes, he suggests to Rosemary that maybe she should go and see the world and leave the farm. She takes off for New York and meets up with Adam and finally sees a dream on stage.

Anthony lets Rosemary know that he believes Adam is looking for a wife. This is where things get pickled as Anthony cares for Rosemary, Rosemary cares for Anthony and Adam will either make or break them or maybe the secrets they have will explain it all!

Blunt as Rosemary is just so dang cute its ridiculous. Of course, everything Blunt has done is amazing to watch so I did not expect this to be any different. As Rosemary, she is a dreamer and the most patient woman I think I have ever heard of. What I love about this character is that she knows there is something keeping them apart and pulls and pulls again believing that even in her dreams there is something to hold on to.

Dornan as Anthony is a painfully shy man who just does not know his worth to himself and those around him. Dornan is so sweet in this role and even the awkwardness of Anthony only makes him more endearing. Practicing a way to reach the point where he can speak to Rosemary, he constantly is being pulled back by his own fears. Playing opposite Walken is the father-son realities that there is a history in every one’s life, even a father.

Hamm as Adam is not happy when Tony keeps him dangling on a string. Returning to New York, he is surprised to see Rosemary again and that is when he wonders if he has what it takes to be an Irish farmer.  

Walken as Anthony is crotchety, pushy and has a goal – to see his son alone no longer. Although his accent gets a little muddled at times, it changes nothing about his performance. There is a scene between father and son that is not only tissue worthy but thumps the heart because it was a moment of pure love between the two.

Other cast includes Jon Tenney as tommy, Danielle Ryan as Maeve, Lydia McGuinness as Eleanor, Abigail Coburn as young Rosemary and Darragh O’Kane as young Anthony.

Bleeker Street is a New York City film company that has brought outstanding films to the public. Their library includes TRUMBO, DENIAL, THE LOST CITY OF Z, BEIRUT, HOTEL MUMBAI, ORDINARY LOVE and THE ROADS NOT TAKEN. For more information on the titles from Bleeker Street please visit www.bleeckerstreetmedia.com.

WILD MOUNTAIN THYME is the kind of film that I adore during a stressful time. It is set in the glorious green of Ireland with vast open land, animals and streams. There is something wonderful just seeing that scenery mixed with something we do not see a lot of in Southern California – rainstorms!

This is a story of generational families and stories that are not told until time has its way. Watching Walken play Dornan’s father is full of emotion, bold, brassy and loud emotion. In case anyone is wondering if Irish families are like that, well, my grandmother’s side certainly was and is. Outspoken, vocal, and no nonsense were the order of the day in her household. That in itself made me laugh at the film watching Blunt be everything I saw in my own grandmother.

It is also a story of love and longing by two people who have such different dreams yet have known each other since childhood. Even then, a fence did not stop them from consistently being pulled toward one another because everything they did not say are the things that could have brought them together sooner. Isn’t that how we all are?

Grab your own love, cuddle up with a huge comfy blanket on a fluffy sofa and be whisked away to Ireland and cheer on the couple who wants what you have – minus the fence.

In the end – there is nothing more dangerous than an Irish woman in love!

RICHARD JEWELL is a Lesson in Being a Hero

Jeri Jacquin

Coming soon to theatres from director Clint Eastwood and Warner Bros. is the story of a man who sees the world better than he is treated and his name is RICHARD JEWELL.

Richard (Paul Walter Hauser) is a very polite southerner who meets lawyer Watson Bryant (Sam Rockwell) working for a firm delivering mail. Preparing to move on to a security job, Richard makes sure to say goodbye to Watson. As a university security, it doesn't go well and once again he has to move on to another job. The one person standing by him is mom Bobi (Kathy Bates) knowing her son believes in law enforcement.

The opportunity comes for Richard to work security at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia's Centennial Park. Taking his job serious, he is polite to everyone and even makes himself indispensable to on-sight law enforcement. His job also has its perks taking Mom to a concert in the park. Someone who isn't happy about the Olympics assignment is FBI Agent Tom Shaw (Jon Hamm) and partner Dan Bennet (Ian Gomez).

Each day Richard is ready and stays alert to everything around him. One evening he has to stop a group of young kids from throwing bottles against a media tower and notices a backpack. Alerting authorities they at first don't seem worried, but after closer inspection everyone leaps into action to get people away - including Richard.

When the bomb explodes, the contents flies into the crowd and people fall everywhere. A stunned Richard tries to do what he can to help those who are hurt. The mayhem is emotional for everyone and when Richard returns home to a grateful Mom, he can't believe what has happened. Quickly the media hails him a hero and the attention makes Richard a tad uncomfortable but still very polite.

The FBI immediately jump on the case and start investigating everyone who was at Centennial Park and one name that pops up is Richard Jewell. Trying to get a scoop on the story if Kathy Scruggs (Olivia Wilde), a reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution who turns to Shaw for information and runs with it. Immediately Richard goes from being hailed as a hero to a villain.

Richard calls Watson Bryant at first to look over a contract but quickly needs much more help. Watson's secretary Nadya (Nina Arianda) informs him that Richard is being looked at as a suspect in the bombing. Both Richard and mom Bobi are being emotionally torn apart with the things being said, the constant attack by the media and the life altering harassing by the FBI.

Yet Richard remains respectful until Watson reminds him that standing up for himself is just as respectful.

Hauser as Jewell is just that - a jewel! His portrayal of Richard is a combination of so many things from a very caring person who notices people to being a little over zealous wanting to be part of the law enforcement community to a son who will not tolerate anyone making his mother cry. From the moment of the bombing all he wants to do is help find the person responsible and in that lies Hauser's stunning performance. Raised to be respectful, he knows that he is not everyone's cup of tea but it doesn't change how he treats them and Hauser portrayal gives Richard a depth that just tore at my heart.

Rockwell as Bryant is the loud to Richard's soft feelings about what is happening around them. Not understanding how Richard can continue to be loyal to law enforcement that are trying to sacrifice him is stunning to Rockwell's character. Keeping his client under control proves to be a challenge as well but one that has moments of smiles and even, dare I say, giggles. Knowing Richard to be an acquired taste, Rockwell's Bryant can't help but see what we as the audience sees. I am confessing here and now that I adore Rockwell and even more so in this film.

Bates as Mom Bobi is a simple woman who keeps her life tidy and believes one hundred percent in her son. So proud of him for saving lives after the bombing, she doesn't understand how and why the vilification of her son can possibly be happening. What I love about Bates in this role is that at no time does her portrayal of Bobi fail to believe in her son and she is everything believable.

Wilde as Scruggs is just a reporter who from the moment she steps on screen is someone I wanted to just shake because of the tactics used to get her story. She is a very outward character in her mannerisms and behavior to the point that the audience in the theatre had, and I quote from the woman next to me, "just about enough of that woman!". I can't remember the last time I heard that from someone in the audience. Hamm as Shaw has issues of his own and the grumblings of being at the Olympics turns bad quickly. Seeing the result of the bombing puts him on an all-out idea that he will capture the bomber. The problem is his tactics along with those he works with at the FBI letting everything get out of hand. Hamm makes an awesome good guy and an equally awesome not so good guy.

Gomez as Bennet is just as guilty for the tactics against Richard as Shaw and what was so irritating is that neither of these men seen to have any guilt for it all. You know you've done a good job in your role when everyone wants to scream at you so well done. Arianda as Nadya is such a good person seeing exactly what Bobi, Bryant and the audience sees about Richard Jewell and she is a no nonsense character as well.

RICHARD JEWELL is absolutely one hundred percent a Clint Eastwood film. This actor/director takes stories of everyday people and put them on screen in such a way that we become a cheering squad by the end of the story. There is certainly nothing wrong with that to my way of thinking. What I truly enjoyed about this film is that Hauser's portrayal of Jewell is so uncanny and so endearing. It would be easy to just play up the stereotypical southern boy instead of a man who was raised to believe in the good of people and the respect of those who know might know more, including law enforcement.

The film also forces us all to realize that, as Rockwell's character says, we are confronted by the two most powerful forces in the world - the U.S. government and the media. That was said in 1996 without even realizing that statement would predict the future in many ways. Ruining a life in 1996 with print is one thing, if the same thing happened to Jewell today it would have been incredible worse and more dangerous than even I want to think about.

The last half hour of the film is one for a box of Kleenex as the story finally confronts all of what happened that evening in 1996 and how two men became even closer friends and a mom never stopped believing in her son.

In the end - the world will know his name and the truth!

It's a Crash Landing for LUCY IN THE SKY

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres this Friday from director Noah Hawley and Fox Searchlight Pictures is the story of space and life when your feet are back on the ground for LUCY IN THE SKY.

Lucy (Natalie Portman) has just returned from an incredible experience in space. Getting back to life at home with husband Drew (Dan Stevens) and niece Blue (Pearl Dickson), Lucy also focuses on when she will have the opportunity to go up again. Working hard and training every chance she gets, Lucy realizes that just because she has been in space once doesn't mean there aren't others waiting in line.

She meets Mark Goodwin (Jon Hamm) who is also training to go into space. Mark tries to get Lucy to lighten up a little and join in the fun with other astronauts. Being very focused on the next mission, Lucy lets herself go for a moment and Drew is supportive.

Lucy finds herself in an awkward place when feelings rise up for Mark and a relationship begins. She also discovers who she is up against for the next seat into space, a very young Erin Eccles (Zazie Beetz). Encouraging her to remember what she wants is Nana Holbrook (Ellen Burstyn) who is the touchstone that Lucy keeps close.

As things become more serious, Lucy finds herself in a place she has never been before and her ability to handle it becomes jaded. What she wants and what she needs becomes blurred and Lucy becomes unable to express her anxiety. She pulls on the life thread and when things unravel, a side of her is set lose and there is no turning back.

Portman as Lucy is, unfortunately, flat and not fun to watch. There is this weird accent she is trying (I'm assuming she's trying) and it just doesn't work. What it does manage to do is annoy the living daylights out of me and bring me back to 2010 and another unhinged character in BLACK SWAN. There isn't anything in this character that I mentally want to hold on to but in fact would have no problem cutting the cord to send it into another universe. Obviously I'm not thrilled to have spent two hours sitting in a theatre watching a hot mess when I could have been home watching Below Deck on Bravo.

Hamm as Mark is just a skuzzy user of women and there is nothing redeeming about him either. It doesn't do anything for NASA's image to have him re-play Garrett Breedlove from the 1983 film TERMS OF ENDEARMENT as another astronaut womanizer. The only difference between Lucy and Aurora Greenway I could watch on screen forever.

Beetz as Erin is side candy which is unfortunate. Playing the 'women have to stick together' card it actually turned into 'women have to stick each other' and it gets all messy and boring. Stevens as Drew gets the shaft in this story and I actually felt bad for the actor AND the character. Dickson as Blue just wants something more in her life instead of a crappy dad, an opinionated grandmother and an Aunt who can't keep it together.

Burstyn as Nana Holbrook was under used in this film. Why do they continue to put these amazing actresses in roles that have bite and then take their teeth? Burstyn is an actress in every sense of the word and here she is stuck in a bed once again reliving her 2014 deathbed scene as the older Murph in INTERSTELLAR.

Other cast include Colman Domingo as Frank Paxton, Jeremiah Birkett as Hank Lumch, Jeffrey Donovan as Jim Hunt, Tig Notaro as Kate Mounier, Stella Edwards as Chelsea, Arlo Mertz as Emily, Tobias Schonleitner as Miles Henckle, and Diana DeLaCruz as Dr. Addison.

Okay, so a few weeks ago I sat through AD ASTRA and I wasn't thrilled much by that film either. It had its moments and the cinematography was pretty cool. LUCY IN THE SKY just put AD ASTRA higher up on the scale of films I might sit through again. What is it with these space films that there has to be this epiphany about life. Oh how small we are compared to the universe. I mean did you have to really go to space to find that out? I'm on the ground and I know that…saved a ton on rocket fuel and space junk floating out into space.

Seriously, doesn't NASA do some kind of testing on these people to see how they will handle space before and after because these movies don't seem to show that. Instead its always something going wrong (GRAVITY for example) and THEN they get the meaning of life? Hey NASA, don't use this as a recruitment film. This movie doesn't even have cool space scenes!

Instead, the film decides to make a woman look crazy because she saw the earth from space. I truly wasn't invested in the storyline and didn't care whether she went back to space and the rest was just surface noise, 124 minutes of surface noise. The cheery noise on the cake was the sappy version of the most cool of Beatles songs - way to make sure the knife goes all the way in eh? To just put it all out there, I feel like I've been space punk'd once again! Give me Tom Hanks in APOLLO 13 any day and you can keep the rest.

In the end - in space no one can hear me scream!

TAG Reminds Us You’re Never Too Old to Play

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres this week from director Jeff Tomsic and New Line Cinema is a game that takes childhood into adulthood just by a simple TAG.

Hoagie (Ed Helms), Chili (Jake Johnson), Callahan (Jon Hamm), Sable (Hannibal Buress) and Jerry (Jeremy Renner) have been friends since childhood. Following them into adulthood is a game they look forward to for a whole month – tag!

Well, May has rolled around and it’s on beginning with Hoagie recruiting the guys with a new plan aimed at the one man who hasn’t been tagged in thirty years. Jerry is a pro at the game and plays with precision and, well, ingenuity really. This time Hoagie convinces the guys that the best place to finally make it happen is at Jerry’s wedding.

Following the group is Rebecca (Annabelle Wallis), a reporter who started one story but found this to be much more interesting. Also, Hoagie’s wife Anna (Isla Fisher), a very intense and hands on supporter of her husband’s dream of getting Jerry.

Heading home for the wedding, the boys meet Jerry’s bride Susan (Leslie Bibb) who knows about the game and begs them all too please hold off and let her have her dream day. Signing a pact to be off limits to certain events, it doesn’t stop them from trying.

Jerry brings in the big guns when Cheryl (Rashida Jones) manages to keep Chili and Callahan emotionally busy, Sable just goes with the flow and Hoagie continues to plot. Mayhem and friendship go hand in hand with these boys in the longest running game of tag ever.

Helms as Hoagie is dedicated to one goal – getting Jerry. Putting himself in crazy situations to make that happen is something Helms is used to doing because he does it so damn well. Johnson as Chili may have started out with a few goals but finds himself pretty much back to life’s square one. As much as he fights getting into the game, it doesn’t take much to become all in.

Hamm as Callahan wants to go for the gold where Jerry is concerned and looks good in a suit while doing it. Buress as Sable is easy going and the quiet under-comic relief. His sassy comes in smaller waves but it hilarious just the same.

Renner as Jerry is the obvious ninja in the group having perfects his moves and ability to remain untouched after 30 years. Looking sharp and having all the right connections, Renner’s character is sharp and prepared for anything.

Fisher as Anna can be hostile, explosive and charming all in 2.5 seconds and I loved it. Supporting her man she wants in the game so badly but a rule created in the initial tag agreement doesn’t include girls. That’s not going to stop her from trying! Bibb as Susan smiles her way into the group wanting a beautiful wedding without boyish tricks. Jones as Cheryl is a diversion sent in by Jerry with a history that plays to his advantage.

Other cast include Brian Dennehy as Chili’s father, Nora Dunn as Linda, Sebastian Maniscalco as Pastor, and Steve Berg as Lou.

TAG is based on an article written in The Wall Street Journal about a group of men from Spokane, Washington who played the game of tag one month a year for 23 years.

TAG is just that, a romp of a film that proves boys can still be boys in the most epic way possible. Personally I think it’s fantastic that this band of mischief (great name guys if you want to start a rock group!) continue to find the most creative ways of keeping the game alive. The film is also about a rock solid friendship that has just found a way to stay connected.

Isn’t that what we are all trying to do in this world of disillusion and disconnect? These men who really continue to do this are defying the odds in that childhood friendships are just memories for most of us. The game of tag for these tag-artists is based around the one thing we seem to forget as we get older – mashing memories, fun and a genuine effort to stay connected through a simple game.

TAG is fun, funny, charming and doesn’t ask a lot of its audience. It’s more of a ‘sit back – we got this’ kind of movie and I’m more than okay with that. The laughs are there and a bucket of popcorn is icing on the cake. The ending is a tad hokey but then again who said it stops there?

In the end – based on a true story and we’re not kidding!

BEIRUT Tells a Deeper Story

Jeri Jacquin

In theatres from director Brad Anderson and Bleeker Street Media is a story with twists that lead to truth while in BEIRUT.

Mason Skiles (Jon Hamm) is a diplomat in Beirut keeping his finger on the pulse of what is happening around him, or so he thought. During a party, Cal Riley (Mark Pellegrino) comes to warn him that the young boy Karim, who the family has practically adopted, is going to be taken in for questioning. His older brother Abu Rajal (Hicham Ouraqa) is a Palestinian terrorist involved in the massacre at the Munich Olympics

Before that can happen, the party is terrorized as bullets fly and Karim is grabbed. In the midst of the firefight, Skiles wife Nadia (Leila Bekhti) is killed. Fast forward a few years and Skiles has reached rock bottom as a labor negotiator job he barely cares about and swimming in alcohol.

Sitting at a bar with his favorite drink, Skiles is approached to take money and a plane ticket back to Beirut to lecture at the university. Never wanting to return to Beirut again, something tells him to get aboard the plane. Once there he is met by Sandy Crowder (Rosamund Pike), Donald Gaines (Dean Norris), and Gary Ruzak (Shea Whigham) who finally tell him why he’s really there – Cal Riley has been taken and the kidnappers only want to negotiate with Skiles.

Discovering it is a grown Karim (Idir Chender) who is calling the shots and only trusts Skiles to make the exchange happen. An exchange is demanded, Riley for Karim’s brother who seems to have disappeared. Believing that it is the Israeli’s who have him, Skiles investigates and also discovers the PLO minister is keeping secrets as well.

In the middle of this is a war in a war torn country that is getting more and more out of hand by the minute. No one can be trusted and deception seems to be the order of the minute.

Crowder is trying to keep up with Skiles as he slips through the city discovering that there is more at play here than just Riley’s kidnapping. There are others in the governments involved and their seedy agenda becomes clear.

Both Skiles and Crowder are going to make the exchange happen but on their terms.

Hamm as Skiles begins as a man who seems to have the charming ability to move in a crowd and do what needs doing. Once the world he thought he knew was shattered, there didn’t seem to be any purpose to anything Skiles does. That is until Riley is taken does he slowly come out of the daze and snaps back into discovering he is the absolute right person to get the job done. Hamm’s performance is intense yet his character takes a moment to remember in the middle of rubble how all of the events came to be.

Pike as Crowder wants to believe that Skiles is right for the job and that’s the dilemma. Knowing someone is right for a job and seeing the state they are currently in means never being quite sure if they can be trusted. Pike shines as a woman who not only takes her job seriously but knows that playing the international game of cat and mouse puts her right in the middle of danger.

Chender as Karim is caught up in the what is happening in Beirut. Finding a life with Skiles as a young boy he enjoyed being with them. The moment he is taken it is clear that studying and being part of the family will quickly become a distant memory. When the time comes to trust someone, that may be the one thing Karim knows to be true about Skiles. Chender gives his character such complexity in a situation none of us could possibly understand. This is the life mixed with what was and what became of a young life.

Other cast include Dean Norris as Donald Gaines, Shea Whigham as Gary Ruzak, Douglas Hodge as Sully, Jonny Coyne as Bernard Teppler, Leila Bekhti as Nadia, Kate Fleetwood as Alice, Alon Aboutboul as Roni Niv, Sonia Okacha as Sondrine and Mohamed Zouaoui as Fahmi.

BEIRUT is a film that is a reminder of the fragile peace and intense wars in the Middle East that are waged with others calling the shots. Their agendas may seem up front but for everyone to get what they want, deals are made and deals are brokered in 1982.

The cast are quick with a storyline that is constantly in flux and never once give away which way the chase will go or how it will end. The cinematography is flawless and adds another depth to the very intense story being told.

In the end – Beirut of 1982 and the Paris of the Middle East is burning!

NOSTALGIA is the Thin Thread Between Our Mementos and Memories

Jeri Jacquin

In theatres this Friday from writer/director Mark Pellington and Bleeker Street is the story of lives, love and loss all wrapped around NOSTALGIA.

Ronnie Ashemore (Bruce Dern) is an elderly man who is surrounded by his life of the written word and when visited by insurance agent Daniel Kalman (John Ortiz). Having a look around at the behest of Ronnie's granddaughter, the elderly gentleman makes it clear that there is no reason for him to leave his home. Daniel listens as Ronnie makes it clear that although he is surrounded by the life he shared with family, others might see it all as trash.

Daniel next meets Helen Greer (Ellen Burstyn), a widower who he finds sitting in the midst of ashes where her house once stood. Recalling the events of the fire, Helen explains the irony of the things she chose to save before the firemen came in to save her. One such item is a baseball that belonged to her late husband and she can't explain why she saved it.

Staying with her son Henry (Nick Offerman), Helen feels the pressure he is placing on her to consider assisted living. Helen feels the need to break away and packs the saved belongings and heads for Las Vegas to meet Will Beam (Jon Hamm) to talk to him about the ball. Their conversation turns nostalgic on the power that personal possessions have over each of them.

Will is off for the weekend to help his sister Donna (Catherine Keener) clear out their family home since their parents have moved to Florida. Making trip after trip to a dumpster outside the house, each decides they will take a few things but get rid of everything else. Donna wants daughter Tallie (Annalise Basso) to go through the attic but the young girl makes it clear that this is Donna and Will's history - not hers. Instead, Tallie wants to be with her friends and live in the now.

All of that comes to a screeching halt as Donna, husband Patrick (James LeGros) and Will come to terms with the memories of childhood, places we live, objects held dear and the technology that has changed the feeling of nostalgia.

Burstyn as Helen is an absolute treasure and every time she is on screen I stop in my tracks. In this role she is a widower who has been living on her own but all of that changes in a split second. Watching Burstyn take this character so deep kept me absolutely invested and put my heart through the ringer. Everything she said and every emotion poured out is believable because it is life and even the character Helen knows we don't get out alive. The scene between Helen and the insurance appraiser in the soot is just a true and brain-twisting as her realizations with Will and a baseball. Thank you Ellen for an endearing realistic perspective like no other.

Hamm as Will is a man who hides loss behind his collectables yet how could he know that the moments with Helen would prepare him for what is to come. Going through his parent’s home, this character takes the attitude that he's there to clean out, reminisce a little with sister Donna and move on. Hamm gives such a strong performance and makes it look amazingly easy but let me say when Hamm gets teary eyed - it hurts. Keener as Donna is a woman who is watching her teen daughter grow up so very quickly, has been taking care of her parents and now seeing her childhood close down for the last time. If that isn't enough, life has thrown her the cruelest hit of all. Keener doesn't hold back and she certainly gave me reason to think on her role for several days - she is that powerful.

LeGros as Patrick is a husband who has to be the shoulder his wife needs but also deals with the reality that there was once a time when photographs were everything. Now with cell phones, if that is destroyed then so are the pictures people would normally have as photographs on paper. Dern as Ronnie has a smaller role but it isn't any less impactful. He also understands the life he has lead and those he spent his life loving making no apologies for either.

Other cast includes Bella Pellington, Tamar Pelzig, Romy Rosemont, Amber Tamblyn, Ashlyn Williams, Jennifer Mudge, Chris Marquette, Mark Marcarian, Anna O'Bryan, Joanna Going, Lindsey Kraft, Beth Grant, Patton Oswalt and Hugo Armstrong.

NOSTALGIA is a film that is going to challenge everyone's perception of life. It is true that people of my age hold things dear because that is how we were raised. I was shown how to preserve photographs, baby books, family bibles, baptism gowns and family heirloom jewelry because they are a piece of history that I wanted to pass on to my children. Fortunately, my children are the same and often one will ask if I have something specific from their childhood and are thrilled when I do.

The pull between the objects and our emotions creates a bond that can be a blessing and a curse at the same time. The blessing is for family members who are thrilled to get beloved items and the curse are the family members that don't share the feelings and waste no time in turning everything over for donation fodder.

The film brings out the issue of how easy it is to lose mementos because we have become a world of snapping pictures with our phones or shooting video thinking we will download them later - but rarely do. In an instant the memories we took the time to 'preserve' are lost with a phone dropped in water or just a lost phone period.

NOSTALGIA also brings us into the lives of these characters that are so relatable because everything they are experiencing, we have all experienced with no exception. The loss of parents or loved ones, getting older and looking back means holding the items that represent milestones in our lives and the lives of those we love, and deciding when it is time to let the weight of those things go to find a freedom we didn't know possible.

In truth we are such emotional packrats, some of us just let what's inside leak out into our closets, storage rooms and lives.

I love this film, absolutely love it and am unapologetic for it. The cast is completely fascinating and sheer perfection bringing it all together beautifully, sadly and stunningly. The story is real, authentic and so damn emotional that for a moment I wasn't thrilled to feel so much so fast. That's life right?

In the end - it is the memories of the lives lived.

BABY DRIVER Rides in on Rails!

Jeri Jacquin

Racing into theatres this Friday from writer/director Edgar Wright and Tri-Star Pictures is the song mix of the summer with BABY DRIVER.

Baby (Ansel Elgort) is a quiet young man who has the uncanny knack for calm driving in intense situations. That is exactly what boss man Doc (Kevin Spacey) consistently counts on. Using Baby’s wheel talent for heists, it quickly becomes clear that Doc is using him.

Taking car of a worried Joseph (CJ Jones), Baby lets him know that one more job will get him free of Doc. Using music to keep his focus, it takes lovely waitress Deborah (Lily James) to pull out the ear buds.

Finishing his last job with Doc, Baby wants to be part of life without fear. Taking a job in pizza retail, even Joseph is happier. Taking Deborah out for a grand dinner to celebrate, Baby freaks when he sees Doc who sways him in for one more go by threatening through charm.

Putting a plan into action, Doc recruits Buddy (Jon Hamm), his gal Darling (Eliza Gonzalez) and Batts (Jamie Foxx) for the most intense and brazen score. Keeping focused, Baby is about to turn left while everyone else goes right and all to the beat of his own iPod.

Never mistake being quiet for being a pushover!

Elgort as Baby is brilliant! Everything about this character, Elgort makes look so seamless and easy. From his smooth walking, music choices and quirkiness, Baby is somebody you watch intently and cheer on with an evil grin. Also, Elgort is as cool as an outsider can possibly be and I loved every minute of his performance. Can someone explain to me why isn’t he Han Solo?

Spacey as Doc is just impeccable because, as everyone should know by now, you don’t mess with the Spacey! This actor has brought roles of badness to a level no one can touch. As Doc he once again plays outside the good guy lines with a gleam in his eye all the way.

Jones as Joseph cares so much about Baby and it is in their relationship that a deeper understanding of his story comes to light. James as Deborah is charming, sweet and knows Baby isn’t all he seems yet she doesn’t hesitate to be all in.

Foxx as Batts is intense and out to get all he can. Having a problem with Baby from the moment they meet, Foxx has no problem showing his edgy side. Gonzalez as Darling is into her man and the money they get together. At the same time she certainly isn’t shy about cutting someone down who gets in her way.

Hamm as Buddy just rocks the screen. This is such a dark character and Hamm certainly embraces every scene and aspect of his character. There is one particular moment where his character just goes deep dark and the change happens right before our eyes. Absolutely fantastic!

Other cast includes Sky Ferreira as Baby’s Mother, Lane Palmer as Baby’s father, Flea as Eddie, Lanny Joon as JD and Jon Bernthal as Griff.

TUBS OF POPCORN: I give BABY DRIVER four and a half tubs of popcorn out of five. Giving Edgar Wright the props he totally deserves, this film has saved my film sanity. Depressed at the ridiculous franchise films, superheroes being jammed down my throat and lack of imagination elsewhere in tinsel town, BABY DRIVER gave me story, action, cinematography and music for months to come.

The audience was yelling, cheering and laughing from start to finish. There is something to be said for sitting in a theatre and to be taken on a ride in so many storyline directions. Does it hurt to have a cool ass cast and awesome soundtrack? In this case, not one dayyuum bit!

In the first five minutes of the film I was happily hooked and like a kid, I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat wanting more. Translated…I was having fun. Using music across so many eras allowed something for everyone to lip-synch too.

Car chases, underlying stories, sweet romance, good guys, bad guys and the lines between them blurred, BABY DRIVER is a mash-up of what summer fun at the movies is all about. Grab a group of cool, a large bucket of popcorn, sit middle seat dead center and mentally buckle up for 113 minutes of awesome.

In the end – all you need is one killer track!