NOAH (2014) – My rating: 8.5/10

I had heard Noah wasn’t biblical and some other criticisms that I wouldn’t be able to elaborate on until I actually saw the movie.  So now I can tell you that Noah is as biblical as scripture allows.  What I mean by this is the Bible does not go into detail about Noah’s plight.  All that is undefined in the Bible, is filled in by Hollywood.  Whose to say it wasn’t the way this movie depicts the story.  So at best, it’s 75/25 in favor of the Bible.  Russell Crowe really played the heck out of Noah.   Jennifer Connelly as Noah’s wife, Naameh was brilliant.  Noah was tasked, by God, to fulfill this monumental assignment of building an arc to house his family and 2 of all the existing creatures in the world during the annihilation of all sinners by flooding water.  I don’t think the movie mentioned that the rains lasted 40 days and 40 nights.  This information is according to scripture.  Noah was well acted and pretty exciting.  I particularly liked the Watchers.  The special effects were fantastic.  From the arc to the seething waters, it looked real.  As usual,  Anthony Hopkins was outstanding as “grandfather”.   Because I don’t want to add spoilers, I really can’t talk about all of Noah’s  content but I can say Noah is a very good film.  I think it’s worth seeing on the big screen and it’s worth your buck!

TAKE SHELTER (2011) – My rating: 6/10

Looking for an ending!
Why do critics and potential critics get so damn philosophical when critiquing a movie?  What ever happened to being entertained or even conveying a simple message?

I will be the first to admit, Take Shelter is a confusing movie!  The wife, given the circumstances of her husband’s background, justifiably did not believe in him. Somewhere in this story, she decides to stick by him. In the end, she and their daughter sees what he sees. The audience deserves to know why their daughter was deaf, whether or not the weather was what it seemed to him and some rhyme or reason as to what happened in the end.

WE WERE LEFT HANGING AND THAT’S NOT GOOD OR ENJOYABLE. THERE’S NO CLOSURE WHICH MAKES THIS A WASTE OF TIME. WHERE IS THE MESSAGE IN THIS? Also, this movie was too slow, I had to fight to stay awake. The end make me wish I lost the fight — scenes were soooo…long, too many breaks of pure silence and finally, an ending that came without explanation.

If you have to make up the ending according to your take on this movie, you will also have to make up the answers to why his partner ratted him out, or if the rain had color to it, or if they actually were at Myrtle Beach. I didn’t want to have to rewrite the story.

I can only give this movie a 6 out of 10 — I don’t like to be left hanging!

RIDING IN CARS WITH BOYS (2001) – My rating: 10/10

This Movie is Way Better than it’s Title!
This is not just another cute movie. Drew Barrymore has done the acting job of a lifetime in this not-so-funny story. It starts out like any other teenage flick but turns serious when life becomes more serious. Drew is faced with being a teenage mother with a dream.

Since she has no clue about how to raise a child, she is left to do the best she can. I particularly like the way the movie takes you to the end result of all of her efforts, a place many of us should explore long before we get there. Actor James Woods was excellent as the father who tries to keep it all together but is part of the problem. Despite what critics say, this movie is worth seeing — there is a lesson to be learned and it’s conveyed very well. 3 cheers for Drew Barrymore as Beverly and Penny Marshall who directed this “based on a true story.”

SECRET WINDOW (2004) – My rating: 9/10

Been There, Done That, NOT!!
At last, an unpredictable movie. Every week I go to the movies and every week I guess the ending 20 minutes into the movie. Johnny Depp, as usual, was awesome. His unique movements are prevalent in this movie as was in “The Pirates of the Caribbean”. In no time, I got past who was acting and became lost in the mystery and intensiveness of the story. I admit I am a hopeless Johnny Depp fan and while I’m not a fan of Stephen King, good is good and Johnny is good. He gave his character all the depth, wit and charisma it deserved. Turturro was also excellent as the cheated author of a book he claimed Johnny took credit for.

Like it or not, Johnny Depp is a major actor with a unique style and is showing us how he portrays characters from all walks of life. I haven’t yet figured out why this movie is called “Secret Window” as I would have called it “Shooter”.

I enjoyed the movie, the acting and the plot — I highly recommend it as a nice change from the same old story lines we’ve become so comfortable with.