The Wolf of Wall Street

The Wolf of Wall Street, based on a true story, is about Jordan Belfort, and how he made astronomical amounts of money through the stock market using illegal and corruptive practices.  Starring Leonardo Dicaprio, Jonah Hill, and Matthew McConaughey (don't get excited, he has 2 whole scenes; seriously), and directed by Martin Scorcese, the movie is 3 hours of nonstop movement (yeah, that's the word I think fits best).

So, what did I think?  Well, let's start w/ a rating.  I rate it:  4/5 stars.  The movie is rated "R," however, some of the scenes were close to a rating of "NC-17."  Seriously.  There is a LOT of nudity.  A LOT.  And a LOT of excessive drug use.  I guess the creators, wanted to show a close depiction of how this guy really lived.  Wow.  I knew that with this being a Scorcese film, that nothing is as it seems.  The previews show a lot of fun scenes, tons of money being thrown around, etc., and I knew there was another side...HOWEVER.  Seriously though, I did enjoy it, Leonardo did a really good job playing the part of Jordan, it was just a lot to take in all at once. 

I also never heard of Jordan Belfort.  As I did some reading about him on the 'net, I read that the movie Boiler Room was loosely based on him.  So, I would say that this movie was a great mix of Boiler Room and the movie Wall Street.  And I really liked those movies.

Saving Mr. Banks

Saving Mr. Banks is a true story about the work that went into the movie adaptation of the novel, "Mary Poppins."  Walt Disney and his team had the insurmountable task of working with the difficult (in every possible way) author, P. L. Travers, in trying to convince her to go with their ideas to make her work a masterpiece on screen.

Rating:  4/5 stars

I gotta admit, I'm slightly biased, as I am a fan of "Mary Poppins," the infamous Mouse (shame on you if you don't know who I'm referring to), and Disney in general, HOWEVER, despite all of this, the movie  was really good.  Tom Hanks was funny, Emma Thompson did a PHENOMENAL job portraying Travers.  She was especially persnickety and funny.  I was surprised to see Colin Farrell, who did a great job as well.  I learned a lot of stuff I didn't know, I got to sing some of my favorite tunes from the "Mary Poppins" movie, I have the burning desire to go find the book and read it now, and it was just good, clean, fun.  Younger kids (I wouldn't take anyone younger than 7) would have a hard time sitting still, and a lot would be over their heads, but, a good family film.  If I had to sum it up in one word, I would simply say it was "magical." :-)

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Walter Mitty is a lonely daydreamer who lives a life with no excitement.  None.  That all changes when Walter is faced with an ultimate challenge.

Rating:  4/5 stars

When I watched some of the previews, I had a general idea of what the movie was about, but, there was still a lot of uncertainty.  It looked interesting enough, however, I still wasn't quite sure what to expect.  I was pleasantly surprised.  I loved this movie!  I laughed, and jumped, and enjoyed every single moment.  The scenery was phenomenal, there was just enough action to keep you engaged, and I was secretly adding items and locations to my bucket list throughout the movie.  If I told you what my true take away from the movie was, it would ruin it for you.  So, I will say instead that "you never know what life has to offer if you don't take a look around."  Kristen Wiig and Shirley MacLaine also star.  Check this one out, you won't be disappointed!!

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

 

The travelling Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, is back to continue his quest with the dwarves and Gandalf the Grey which bagan in the 1st installment of this trilogy, The Hobbit:  An Unexpected Journey.  It is difficult to go into a lot of detail regarding this movie because it is just that, a LOT of detail.  The combination of special effects, music, and the details that are depicted through landscapes and conversations (there were times where I felt like I was reading the story vs watching it) truly brought this tale to life (which means the director did a phenomenal job). 

BTW - the quest (for those of you that don't know or didn't see the 1st movie) is to reclaim the dwarves homeland Erebor, from Smaug, a dragon.

Rating:  4/5 stars - I enjoyed this movie as much as the 1st, maybe even more so because my absolute FAVORITE character of ALL time (in this series anyway and Lord of the Rings), Legolas (played by Orlando Bloom) is back!  I also liked this one because they gave a little bit more history and background of the characters.  I will warn you though, the parts that I didn't like are that it was 2 hours and 40 minutes long.  While I'm used to these movies being long (and I know they have to be in order to give the history and details, etc), HOWEVER, it seemed exceptionally long AND to STILL have a cliffhanger was just TORTURE.  Yes, I know it is a trilogy and I expected a cliffhanger, but, that's besides the point. :-)  So anyway, if you like any part of The Lord of the Rings movies and/or you saw The Hobbit:  An Unexpected Journey, you will enjoy it!

P.S. - I forgot to add that this one was pretty decent in 3-D!!

All Is Lost

 

 

 

All is Lost stars Robert Redford as a sailor in the middle of a large body of water (presumably an ocean).  The character faces several challenges throughout his voyage including leaks, storms, and almost anything you can possibly imagine happening while at sea.

Rating:  4/5 stars

Let me just say that this movie was quite something!  I never thought I would enjoy a movie like this as much as I did, as there were less than 45 words spoken throughout the ENTIRE movie, Robert Redford was the only person in the movie, and there were several times that I had no clue what was going on (in regards to the circumstances).  But let me just say, don't let those reasons stop you from seeing it!  Redford did a phenomenal job at mastering the solo scenes and pulling the viewer into his world.  It was awesome watching him deal with each issue that came his way.  To tell you more would ruin it, but, it is indeed a must see!!