Movie Review: **** In Time (2011)

 Will Salas (Justin Timberlake) is on a mission to undo a lopsided society.  In this society everyone is given 25 years, after which you no longer age.  However then you have to get your own time, and if your time gets to zero, you die.  In this way those with time can keep the world from becoming overpopulated.  When Salas' mother (Olivia Wilde) dies because Salas culd not get her more time before she died, he sets out on this vendetta.  Someone who wants to die gives him 100 years, and this gets him into a richer high society neighborhood.  There he meets Sylvia Weiss (Amanda Seyfried) whose father (Vincent Kartheiser) has benefitted by the system--living at age 25, forever.  His wife, mother and child all appear the same and are all 25 in terms of aging.  He first Salas kidnaps her, sort of but she wants to go with him, and they begin to change the system, by stealing years from banks.  The Timekeeper (Cillian Murphy) tells Sylvia's father she doesn't appear to want to be rescued.  Salas and Sylvia make a pretty good team.  There is always a bigger bank.

This universe has some very intriguing points and nuances which makes a good movie.

Movie Review: ***^Gone (2012)

 Jill (Amanda Seyfried) was kidnapped a year ago, but when the police could not find anything after a week they concluded she was crazy and having a paranoid reaction to her parents having passed away.   She was court ordered into psychiatric hospital.

Now her sister, Molly (Emily Wickersham) has come up missing, and Jill concludes that the kidnapper/murderer is back.  But still no one believes her.  She is sure she will be murdered if she does not find him quickly.  She decides to find her herself.  However in questioning people she flashes a gun around, and the police are now after her for having an illegal gun.  Her investigtion leads to the killer's phone number so she calls, and makes arrangements to meet him, in Forest Park, where she was thrown in a hole when she was kidnapped.  She was able to use a bone from a murdered girl as a shiv and stab the killer, Jim or Digger (Socrotis Otto).  In the forest she finds definite proof Jim is the murderer.  In his tent are pictures of the women he has killed.  She struggles with him in the hole.  He has the same bone she used to stab him.  The struggle and she is able to shot him.  

She gets back to her home, and her sister is there after being tied up and drugged, when she wakes up she finds herself under the house.

This movie has received very poor reviews and did not make lots of money at the box office.  However I liked it.

Movie Review: ****^ Les Miserables (2012)

I have seen a few opinions about Les Miserables from--the best movie ever to too dark.  And after visiting the theater yesterday, I can understand both remarks.  Les Miserables is a dark story to begin with.  However with all the expectations, many were predisposed that it was going to be the best ever even before seeing it.  I wave watched the ten year, and 25 year anniversary concerts over and over.  And granted those were concerts not theatrical productions but they music from those far surpasses that in the movie.  The movie was going for character and story, and took the risk of casting theatrical actors in musical parts.  Sometimes it worked, and others it didn't.  So the pluses and minuses.
Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean worked.  His singing does not compare to Colm Wilkinson, but he carried the roll.  "Hear my Prayer" is the highlight of the show, and although I would have liked to hear Colm Wilkinson, Jackman delivered the emotion of the song such as to be effective.  It is just so beautiful the way Wilkinson holds that last note.
Russell Crowe as Javert did not work.  The song "I Swear by the Stars" sounded more like some one singing in the shower than a prayer to the stars.  Crowe did  make the suicide scene more believable than I had seen it.
The added song of Valjean singing his love to Cosette added depth to the character.  You also can love instantly.  Being a foster/adoptive parent I know this is true.
The three young people, Cosette (Amanda Seyfried) Eponine (Samantha Barks) and Marius (Eddie Redmayne) were the highlight of the show.  They carried their trio and other performing parts with energy and gusto.  I left the theater humming "heart full of love."  "On My Own" was also well done.  However keeping with the dark theme of the director, was done in the rain. Marius sang "Empty Chairs," with such beauty and emotion, I think everyone who has seen this has cried with him.
Fantine (Anne Hathaway) was somewhat of a controversy.  Lea Salonga sings which much greater skill, energy and professionalism.  However, in the mood of the film, Hathaway did an incredible job.  The song "I Dreamed a Dream" was presented later in the movie, after arriving at the bottom, rather than just starting the slide, so there was a different tone (darkness) to the song.  I especially like her in the death scene at the end. 
The innkeepers are a welcome comic relief.  The must have worked so hard at coordinating everything.  I especially like their entrance through the carriage to the wedding. 
So there are more things to like and love about this version of Les Miserables than there are to dislike.  The music is worth going to see, the action is well done, the characterization is good, and the sets are effective (except for the sewer which is over the top) and the theme that when we show love to each other, we show love to God is timeless.  Oh Colm Wilkinson does have a cameo as the priest.  His baritone voice resonates, and somehow he is in the final scene at the pearly gates.  A nice touch.  I recommend this movie, but don't go so far as to say it is the best ever.
I would not recommend this movie for children.

Movie Review: ****Red Riding Hood

 **** "Red Riding Hood is a movie of scenes, with the forest, and the red cape against the white snow.  It is beautiful.  The artistic work with the red against the snow is also very eerie. I enjoyed this ride.  Amanda Seyfried play Red Riding Hood.  The leading characters, and their relationships is very nice.  The intrigue of figuring out who is the werewolf is very well done.   I recommend this movie, and it is one with the scenery that would be better seen in the movie theater.  Also the wolf hunters play a very important part.  However, it is not them who find the were

wolf in the end