WATER FOR ELEPHANTS — SOURCE CODE – THE CONSPIRATOR
If you can hold your eyes open tonight (I know you’re tired from getting up before daybreak to catch the royal wedding) you should take yourself out to the movies. Depending on your mood, all three of these films are good for a Friday night when you may be a little tired from a hard week of work…or a busy week of royal watching.
Water for Elephants is a love story. A man and a woman fall in love over a horse and continue their courtship over an elephant. There is a bad guy, a good guy, a pretty woman, a train, and a circus in this movie; the depression era setting gives urgency like only desperation can, causing characters to love more, lose tempers faster, and drink to forget. Although I am often disappointed by the movie version of a good book, this movie’s director, Francis Lawrence, gave my imagination a run for its money: Water for Elephants was well cast, and the sets and costumes were Oscar nomination worthy. Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson have nice chemistry, bad guy Christoph Waltz is despicable, and the cast of circus characters is charming. The “biggest star” in the movie, Rosy the elephant, is beautiful, soulful, and smart — you will fall in love with her instantly. I LOVE this movie’s tag line: “Life is the most spectacular show on earth.”
Interesting story; great setting and characters photographed beautifully = QQQq
The Conspirator is Robert Redford’s historical drama that is relevant today. Robin Wright plays Mary Surratt, a woman who is rushed to justice with a military trail instead of a jury of her peers. Tossing the Constitution aside, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton (Kevin Kline) is eager to settle the case of President Lincoln’s assassination and start healing a war-ravaged country. (The argument over whether to try Guantanamo Bay detainee Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in a military court or civilian court is an interesting parallel, but ultimately not one that I’m buying–Mary Surratt was a citizen and KSM is not.) Mary Surratt’s son is accused of helping John Wilkes Booth plot against Mr. Lincoln. The son goes missing and Mary is charged as a co-conspirator. Ms. Wright’s Mary is understated; she is a woman resigned to her fate and resolute in her protection of her son. If you are a history buff this is the movie for you.
Smart film with interesting historical costumes and sets, but a little slow = QQQ
Source Code is a fun movie! It’s science fiction, action and adventure, and love story all rolled into one movie. Jake Gyllenhaal is great as Captain Colter Stevens, a man who finds himself on a train talking to a woman that clearly knows him, but he has no recognition of. He rushes to the bathroom, looks in the mirror, and doesn’t recognize himself. He soon finds out that he is on a mission to find the bomber of the train he’s on. This movie is unique and begs the question: Is there a parallel universe? Source Code is well worth your ten bucks — it’s fun and it gives you something to think about.
Groundhog Day meets The Matrix = QQQQ
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