Dark Waters is a legal thriller directed by Todd Haynes and written by Mario Correa and Matthew Michael Carnahan. It is based on the 2016 article “The Lawyer Who Became DuPont’s Worst Nightmare” by Nathaniel Rich, published in The New York Times Magazine. Parts of the story were also reported by Mariah Blake, whose 2015 article, “Welcome to Beautiful Parkersburg, West Virginia” was a National Magazine Award finalist and Sharon Lerner, whose series “Bad Chemistry” ran in the Intercept. Robert Bilott, the principal character in the film, also wrote a memoir, Exposure, detailing his 20-year legal battle against DuPont. I waited patiently for this movie to be released. I anticipated it would be quite the thriller when it opened. I was right, this is a well put together film.
When a farmer, Wilbur Tennant (Bill Camp) shows up at attorney Robert Bilott’s (Mark Ruffalo) company asking for help because 190 of his prize cows have died due to something he’s sure DuPont has done, Robert’s life would never be the same. Robert starts to link a number of unexplained deaths to one of the world’s largest corporations, DuPont. In the process, he risks everything – his future, his wife Sarah Bilott (Anne Hathaway) his children and possibly, his own life to expose the truth about PFOAs, the “forever chemicals.” Robert’s law firm represented chemical companies until the DuPont case landed in their laps. Senior Partner Tom Terp (Tim Robbins) went to all lengths to provide whatever Robert needed to expose DuPont.
Dark Waters is a real eye-opener. If you didn’t know the corruption and lies huge corporations are capable of or how far they’ll go to “retain the money” watch Dark Waters. The discovery of one lawyer’s remarkedly sad find will blow you away. We are all victims of PFOA, a chemical used to make hundreds of products but at certain temperatures and under certain conditions, end up in our bodies. As much as 6 diseases have been linked to PFOAs. DuPont, a beloved and respected corporation and inventors of Tephlon and a hundred other products that use PFOA, has been accused of poisoning the town of Parkersburg in West Virginia as well as the remainder of the world with its PFOAs. I think Dark Waters is a must-see for everyone. I’m sure your dander will rise. The film received positive reviews from critics and has grossed $7 million. Please Check It Out!
When it’s your time, it’s your time. Matthew McConaughey is on a roll. His performance in Interstellar was fantastic. Matthew played Cooper, a retired NASA test pilot, turned farmer, who has a passion for space, flying and discovery. Anne Hathaway was equally magnificent in the role of biologist Amelia, the daughter of a renowned scientist named Brand, played by Michael Cain. The special effects and the great attention to detail is nothing short of phenomenal. Interstellar is a blockbuster of a movie that is well suited for those with a scientific mind and a real sense of adventure. I couldn’t begin to tell you of all the complicated jargon that went into Interstellar to complete this level of cosmic interest. Interstellar is about a team of space travelers who must travel through a wormhole in search of a habitable planet. It seems that Earth’s natural resources are at the brink of extinction, causing us to regress to an agrarian civilization, which is failing. According to Brand, there are 3 planets on the other side of the wormhole that qualify as worthy candidates. At this point, the story gets too complicated for this review but I will tell you that Interstellar has it all, from the “Endurance” that Cooper pilots, to the 2 robots (Case and Tars) that accompany the crew on their journey to the black hole called Gargantua. There is time travel and time lines that are truly fascinating. Cooper’s daughter Murphy, who is called Murph throughout the entire movie becomes a central character and is played by 3 different actresses. In the end, Cooper, who is raising his 2 children (Tom and Murph) must decide between seeing his children again and the future of the human race. Exciting, interesting, entertaining and thought provoking are some of the words that best describe this movie. Interstellar is 2 hours and 49 minutes well worth spending both your time and money to see but is not for everyone. Some folks may find it too scientific!
I saw Les Misèrables on Broadway and loved it. On the big screen, I think it losses some of its misery. Russell Crow was amazing, as was Hugh Jackman and Ann Hathaway. Don’t get me wrong, the story was still sad and unfortunate and I still fell in love with the actor’s singing and ability to tell such a sad story in song. I just didn’t fell the misery as I did on Broadway. This just could be inclusive of my feelings but that’s all I have to go on. I also felt Les Misèrables was done to death. Part of me was a little tired of the same old songs. Overall, Les Misèrables was a very good musical that deserved the Oscar nod because of the acting and talent it took to bring it to the big screen. Les Misèrables is up for Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Music (Original Song), Best Production Design and Best Sound Mixing.
CAROL's WORLDS 