Doubt: A Film Review by Marlena

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

A compassionate priest. An alienated young boy. A secret meeting in the church rectory, wine, a mysterious boy’s undershirt… scandal? In a Catholic Church in Bronx, New York in 1964, a seemingly pleasant and untroubled church is riddled by secret transgressions, accusations, and most of all, doubt when priest Father Flynn is suspected of molestation by uptight and stern Sister Aloysius, headmaster of the church’s school.

Under Miramax Films with the direction of John Patrick Shanley, Doubt (rated PG-13) is orchestrated by a stellar cast: Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, and Viola Davis. This film adaptation of the original Tony award winning play by Shanley examines the difference between fiction and reality, fact and imagination that leaves many characters questioning the motives behind their actions, putting them in a state of doubt that ultimately tugs at their conscience throughout the film.

Doubt commences with Father Flynn (Hoffman) giving a sermon about the nature of doubt and it’s affects on people, videlicet the way it can become a unifying force amongst people – emphasizing the film’s main theme. This sermon raises Sister Aloysius’ (Streep) pre-existing suspicions of the Father’s possible misconduct and she requests that her fellow sisters be alert for this behavior from Father Flynn, specifically manipulating the innocent and meek Sister James (Adams), a teacher at the church, into sharing her qualms about Father Flynn. With heightened alert, Sister James witnesses subtle instances, which seem both legitimate and unreasonable, and could very well verify Sister Aloysius’ suspicions of Father Flynn, sending them into conflict riddled with doubt.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: A Film Review by Marlena

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: A Movie Review by Marlena

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Many of us dread getting older – more wrinkles, stiff joints, fleeting memory. But for Benjamin Button, the aging process that we experience is reversed. Born as a baby with unusually geriatric qualities, Benjamin’s body grows younger as he ages. This extraordinary characteristic alters Benjamin’s life forever, taking him on a journey that offers many valuable life-lessons and synonymously many sorrows.

With direction from David Fincher (Fight Club, Panic Room) and distributed by Paramount Pictures, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button tells the intricate and mesmerizing story of Benjamin’s life with the talents of Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett.

Set over the course of the early 20^th and 21^st centuries, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button begins in a present-day hospital in New Orleans, upon the arrival of Hurricane Katrina. An elderly woman, Daisy (Blanchett), is seen on her deathbed with her daughter by her side. The old woman, requests that her daughter read an old diary to her. As Daisy’s daughter reads, her voice begins to meld with that of a man, whom we soon find to be Benjamin Button (Pitt), and thus, his epic life-story begins. Upon the end of World War I in New Orleans, Benjamin Button is born wrinkled, arthritic, and practically on the verge of death without a mother, and unfortunately is abandoned on the front doorstep of a nursing home. A benevolent black woman, stumbles upon Benjamin and takes him in and raises him as one of her own. Expected to die any day, Benjamin exceeds his life expectancy, growing younger each day. As his life progresses, Benjamin encounters many people and situations that impact him and teach him a vital lesson – compassion, tenacity, loss, love – showing audiences the beauty and value of life and importance of the people in it.

The nature of Benjamin Button’s odd physical condition poses some complications for this film’s makeup team, complications that they soar over with mastery. The makeup work for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was unbelievably convincing – reverting forty-year-old actors to a spritely twenty years of age, making the stunning Cate Blanchett a withered and ancient old woman on the verge of death. The makeup and age effects for this movie are incredible and play a major role in the success and effectiveness of the film.

Overall, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is well-made and captivates audiences in all its 166-minute glory. Of the things this film executed well, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button demonstrates the better side of humanity through its myriad of enjoyable characters, who all seem to add to the story in an effective way regardless of how major or minute they are in the plot. Some characters add drama and emotion to the plotline, while some add simple yet overall meaningful comedy. Along with interesting characters, this film had some simple, yet beautiful scenes in terms of cinematography and thoughtful dialogue. With this said, while The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was a considerably high-quality movie, it was just pleasant, nothing more; it seemed to lack the élan to leave audiences dumb in their seats as the movie credits role. This film has a heart-warming storyline that reminds us of important life lessons that are unfortunately very cliché. Luckily, the movie’s unique theme makes this flaw excusable and still a film that is worth watching.

Struck by Lightning: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

A Film Review of by Kathleen Estrella

With wrinkles adorning his small face, eyes nearly blind from cataracts, bones as weak as an eighty year old man with arthritis, and at only a few hours old, Benjamin Button is seemingly on the way to his deathbed. As any fool could see, Benjamin Button is a man who was born under unusual circumstances. However, it is not how he came to this earth that made Benjamin so unique, but the life he led. A life, more like a picaresque tale than anything else, told through the pages of a diary and in stylistic yet whimsical imagery. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button chronicles this wistful story of love, life and death through the binds of time.

The unusual, intriguing, and yet tender story of Benjamin Button begins at the end. A woman in her death bed tells the old story of a master clock maker, who when he lost his son in World War I, created a grand clock that told time backwards. Through this clock and everything that it resembled, a baby is born…under the most peculiar conditions. At the sight of this a baby, a father abandons him on the front steps of an old folk’s home, where he is taken under the care of Queenie (Taraji Henson). In this house Benjamin is at home, feeling as though he himself was an elderly man, even though he was still a child. As his tale continues Benjamin is thrust into a true life where he is met by a series of people who’ve both made an impact on him as well as change the course of his life. From minor characters that include a spirited and tattooed tugboat captain (Jared Harris) and a man struck by lightning seven times (Ted Manson), to those who’ve played a more major role in Benjamin’s life, every single one of these people provide their own pieces to learning life’s most important lessons.

Although the film idea of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button began in 1994, the story’s roots begin short story as far back to 1921, when F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote a short story about a man who aged backwards. The film adaptation, directed by David Fincher (Fight Club, Se7en, Zodiac) and starring some of the world’s biggest and brightest celebrities, reaches far beyond the original Fitzgerald short story. Undoubtedly Paramount Picture’s biggest release of the year, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’s is filled with exquisite yet haunting story telling accompanied by the heartwarming performance of Brad Pitt as the title character. The film’s makeup, which can turn Brad Pitt to appear 87 years old in one scene then 16 in the next, is awe-inspiring to say the least and brings new heights to the film industry.

Unlike many films in today’s spoiled generation, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button accomplishes to provide its audiences with a meaningful and wistful perspective on life and our time here on earth. As the film’s tagline suggests, “Life isn’t measured in minutes, but in moments,” words that truly capture the very essence and existence of the film. It is through the elegant yet simple moments of the movie, from the amazingly beautiful Daisy (Cate Blanchett) dancing in the moonlight to Benjamin overlooking the hills of India, which truly captivate and tug at the hearts of audiences. One of the most intriguing sections of the movie include the quirky yet fascinating scenes of a man being struck by lightning, reminding us all of the gift of being alive.

Well-crafted and beautifully executed, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is one of the best films of the year. However, the film itself didn’t keep me enthralled in my seat. The film’s constant haunting and almost depressing tone seemed a bit overbearing at times. In addition, the present day scenes in a New Orleans hospital don’t add enough to the film to be worth the extra 30 or so minutes that it is in the movie and feel a bit too cliché. However, these elements do not outweigh the beautiful cinematography and heart wrenching story of Benjamin nor do they take away from the effective story telling. The tale of Benjamin Button is one that breaks free from the binds of time and is worthy of the 166 minutes that it fills in our lives.

Words of Wisdom from Mr. Benjamin Button:

“For what it's worth, it's never too late, or in my case too early, to be whoever you want to be. There's no time limit... start whenever you want... you can change or stay the same. There are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. I hope you see things that stop you. I hope you feel things that you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life that you're proud of and if you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.”

Movie Stills:

"Doubt: A Film Doubtfully Left to Interpretation"

A Film Review by Kathleen Estrella

In the midst of a stuffy Catholic Church in 1964 Bronx, New York, Father Flynn’s words resound within the church walls. The subject of his sermon: doubt. He proclaims that doubt is a strong force, a feeling which despite its unpredictable nature it can bring people together. The ears of everyone in the church open up, while one set of ears in particular listens in to more than the sermon; Sister Aloysius is watching…As events unfold, and the force that is Sister Aloysius envelops the church and its school, a whirl wind storm brings everyone into an unspeakable scandal.

Under Miramax Films, John Patrick Shanley’s Tony award winning play is brought to the big screen with the powerfully haunting performances of Philip Seymour Hoffman, the incomparable Meryl Streep and supporting roles of Amy Adams and Viola Davis. True to its title, Doubt is a film that exposes the hierarchy of the Catholic Church and the epitome of religious attitude during the 1960s. The film’s premise involves molestation accusations against a priest, an insistent nun who is certain of a priest’s wrong doing and the shroud of doubt that surrounds everyone involved.

The film opens with the discussion of doubt by Father Flynn (Hoffman) setting the tone and capturing the essence of the entire film from the beginning. Throughout the sermon, Sister Aloysius (Streep), the headmistress of the church’s school, starts to build her suspicions of the priest, not yet knowing what she is suspicious of. Later, she asks a fellow nun, young and naïve Sister James (Adams) to keep her eyes and ears open for any odd happenings that may be deemed doubtful. Soon, a series of clues: a male student asked to a room by Father Flynn, wine in the boy’s breath, and an undershirt in the boy’s locker, along with the intuition of an experienced nun bring Sister Aloysius to conclude, without a doubt in her mind, that Father Flynn is guilty of molesting the young black boy. Perhaps driving her judgment, is Sister Aloysius’ contempt and disdain for Father Flynn and his goal to ‘progress’ the church and his condemnation of the sister’s ‘prehistoric’ ways. What proceeds are manipulative acts and pleads of innocence, with the film reaching its height in a powerful struggle of words between the two heads. In the end, the audience leaves with a little piece of the movie itself; doubt.

There is no doubt in my mind that beyond the strong performances of the main actors, the film or rather the play contains symbols and metaphors that embellish the plot and the meaning of the movie. Little details such as the Father Flynn’s unusually long yet ‘clean’ nails as well as the small flowers he keeps in his bible lead audiences to delve deeper into the film and the character. The director’s usage of foreshadowing and metaphors through the numerous fallen leaves that surround Sister Aloysius to the powerful storm that happens overnight sets the tone for the following scenes. Another intriguing aspect of the film is how it captures the stark contrast between the women and men of religion at the time. There is one scene that portrays the two parties at dinner time: the men sit around laughing, drinking, smoking and eating meat with juice spewing from its insides, while the women sit in silence enjoying their humbly prepared meals with a glass of milk.

From the beginning Doubt kept me intrigued and at the edge of my seat until the very closing scene. The last scene is memorable and intense to say the least, as Sister Aloysius proclaims, “I have doubts. I have such doubts”, what she is doubtful of can doubtfully be left up to interpretation. Overall, Doubt seems to have been better left as a play rather than a movie due to its slow tempo and progression. However its film adaption does not disappoint and should be left untouched and unchanged. Due to its suggestive subject matter, all should be mentally cautioned and is not for those who are weak minded. Undoubtedly thought provoking and passionate, Doubt is a film that leaves with you even after you have left the theatre.

Valkyrie: A Review by Marlena

Valkyrie: A Review
By Marlena Fine

Rating: 6 out of 10

World War II: an environment of hate, destruction, and massacre – an environment established by notorious dictator Adolf Hitler. After bearing witness to the atrocities of Hitler’s rule, a small group of Nazi officers unite to defy Hitler’s regime with a lengthily planned operation: Valkyrie. Director Bryan Singer (X-Men, Superman Returns) brings this true story to life with Tom Cruise, Bill Nighy, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Wilkinson, among others.

After previously unsuccessful attempts to kill Hitler, Major General Tresckow (Branagh) enlists a war-damaged Colonel Stauffenberg (Cruise) to join the covert alliance against Hitler. Stauffenberg devises and lead a group of Nazi army officials (Nighy, Wilkinson, Izzard, etc.) in what seems a promising plan to assassinate Hitler via bomb and use Operation Valkyrie, Germany’s reserve army, to seize control of German government and to implement a new government upon Hitler’s death.

The original story behind Valkyrie is quite intriguing – it’s a story that many do not hear of: intimidating and seemingly collectively evil Nazis resisting Hitler’s ideals and diplomacies. The original Operation Valkyrie shows an interesting perspective of the Germans and sheds new light on WWII, showing that although shrouded in hate and violence, there was still a shred of humanity amongst the Nazi rule. Valkyrie gives filmmakers and artists alike many opportunities to show the motives and sentiments of those behind the operation and provides a lot of interesting material to work with and even create a masterpiece with.

Unfortunately, in this case, Valkyrie failed to take this promising idea and make a film that fulfilled its fullest potential. Although overall enjoyable, Valkyrie missed the mark on key elements of the film. Valkyrie was informative and showed the execution of the operation well, but it failed to touch on the main characters’ motives for assassinating Hitler. Even though it is quite obvious as to why one would want to eliminate Hitler, better character development and insight to the character’s sentiments would make for a more profound film. Because of this, Valkyrie is on the verge of becoming yet another standard WWII movie, save for its unique subject matter. On a more positive note, Valkyrie seems to lack the “stuffiness” sometimes found in historical films in the sense that it’s fast-paced, not too heavy and features a star-studded cast. While this makes it a film that could better appeal to the masses, this ultimately works against the film, leaving much to be desired in regards to the emotional and mental aspects of the film.

"Valkyrie: Behind Every Man is his Country" A Film Review by Kathleen Estrella

As nuclear bombs obliterate the pacific and air raids destroy the cities of Britain, a group of Nazi officers conspire to assassinate one of the most ruthless and powerful leaders of all time: the Fuhrer of Germany, Adolf Hilter. Set against the backdrop of a World War II Germany, the much anticipated film Valkyrie begins with a young man writing in his journal. A soft yet decisive tone of German is heard through the loud speakers and German lettering slides through the pages of the journal in pen. Slowly, the German language transforms into English translating the words on the pages. The young man writes, “I am a soldier, but in serving my country, I have betrayed my conscience.”

Assisted by the direction of Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects, Superman Returns), Valkyrie provides its audience with an all-star cast and a skillful depiction of the attempt on Hitler’s life and Germany’s salvation. Tom Cruise and his portrayal as Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg heads the cast as one of the key players in the plot against Hitler, along with powerful supporting performances by Bill Nighy (General Olbricht), Tom Wilkinson (General Fromm) and David Bamber as the Fuhrer himself. Released under MGM studios with a production cost of over $14 million, Valkyrie is not your run of the mill World War II thriller. Its exciting moments don’t lie behind loud explosions or extravagant battle scenes, but rather through the film’s constant suspense and dialogue. Through this, the story of Valkyrie: The Plot to Kill Hitler comes to life.

The opening sequence of the film focuses on Colonel Stauffenberg stationed in North Africa and his contempt against Hitler and how his regime has a left a stain on Germany. Soon, an injured Stauffenberg returns to Germany and is recruited into the high ranks of a conspiracy along with General Olbricht, Luwid Beck, and numerous Nazi officials who do not believe in a Hitler’s Germany. What ensues next is a series of efforts to recruit other conspiracy members and ‘inside men’ for the job. Through these sequences, the hidden agenda of the men unfolds and the audience learns of the intricately weaved plan to utilize Operation Valkyrie to put Germany into the hands of the Nazi officials. However, as history tells us, the July 20, 1944 attempt was not successful. Eventually, 700 were arrested and nearly 100 were executed.

Contrary to history’s representation of Hitler, David Bamber provides a memorable and intriguing performance as the Nazi leader. Bamber gives a more human touch to one of the most evil men to exist. On the screen he is not the usual screaming mad man spraying spit all over his officer’s faces, but is introverted and the strong yet silent type. In almost every scene that graces Bamber’s presence you expect to suddenly see an extravagant spectacle of yelling, but it is instead replaced by the sly and sheik exterior of a man in control. This brings new light into the personality and behavior of the man whom the world has come to despise.

Although the film is overall well crafted, it fails to supplement a back story and cause for the characters. It is obvious as to why anyone would want to assassinate Hitler, however this is not portrayed in the film itself. There is no real drive for any of the characters, nor does the film provide the important perspective of the German people. The film is purposely focused on the assassination plot, yet if there was a deeper viewpoint on German life and the atrocities of the era, the movie would have left a more powerful impact on its audience. At the end of the film, many see the movie’s shortcomings as a glass half empty rather than half full. However, despite its imperfections, Valkyrie is still worth a watch due to its compelling story which is rarely heard in history class these days, but has left a mark on history none the less.

Looking Back: Oscar History

Throughout the years, the Oscars has been one of the most prestigious awards shows to ever exist. So, how about we put on our time warp feathered hats and take a look back on Oscar history.

Who came up with the Oscars anyway you ask?
Well, Douglass Fairbanks was the Academy's first president, however the Academys itself was conceived by a few guys in suits who talked it over dinner in LA in 1927. One of the main reasons these men wanted to create the Academy Awards was not only to honor the achievements of those in the film business, but also to encourage those in show business to step it up. The very first Academy Awards ceremony was on May 16, 1929, in which the film "All Quiet on the Western Front" received the biggest award of the night as Best Production.

The Oscars have been around for over 80 years, and throughout those eight decades many films were nominated in which many came out winners, while the majority unfortunately became losers. Below is a decade by decade description of Oscar nominees and winners of Best Picture.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Award_for_Best_Picture#Winners_and_losers

The Film with the most Oscars is actually a three way tie between Ben Hurr (1959), Titanic (1997) and Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), all of which garnered a whopping 11 Oscars.

Even though there are numerous categories in the Oscars, there are about several major categories that the people really care about. They are:

• Best Director
• Best Actor (in a leading role)
• Best Actress (in a leading role)
• Best Supporting Actor
• Best Supporting Actress
• Best Picture
  

The two films with the most nominations, but sadly no wins include The Turning Point (1977) and The Color Purple (1985) who each received 11 nominations.

The Actor and Actress who overall have the nominations are Jack Nicolson (13 noms) and Meryl Streep (14 noms). The actress and actor with the most wins (in a leading role) are Katherine Hepburn (4 wins) and Walter Brenan/Jack Nicolson (3 wins).

More Information can be found in the following links:
Best Picture
Best Actress
Best Actor
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress

Screen writing is a very essential part of the movies, and those behind the camera with a type writer in their hands can make or break a movie. The Screen writer with the overall most nominations and awards is Billy Wilder, with 12 nominations and 3 wins.

The person behind the camera is just as important, or even more so than the people in front of it. That's why we have directors! The director with the most wins is John Ford with 4 Oscars because of notables such as Grapes of Wrath and All About Eve.

Interesting Trivia/Facts:

• Tatum O'Neil is the youngest to ever win an Oscar winning it at the tender age of 10 for her supporting role in Paper Moon.
• The term 'Oscar' for the actual award was conjured up when a librarian said the award reminded her of her Uncle Oscar. Ever since, the name stuck.
• Most nominations to a single individual go to: Walt Disney, for an astounding 59! nominations. (wow)
• There have only been two different ties, and one of them was between Katherine Hepburn and Barbara Streisand in 1968.
• During WWII the Oscar was made out of plaster in an effort to save money!