The Good Lie: Movie Review

The Good Lie is a good movie.  There are no two ways about it.  I know it didn't get a lot of attention and kind of came and went from movie theatres quickly.  Even the commercials and previews for it made it seem kind of like an afterthought, so I didn't expect much when I finally got around to seeing it.  What I found was another case of mis-marketing and trouble finding an audience, not any problem with the movie itself.  It's so frustrating as a film lover to see good movies go unseen for reasons other than it just being a bad movie. 

The Good Lie is about the 80s civil war in The Sudan and the years of relocation and displacement afterwards of children who survived.  In particular, the story centers on one group and how Reese Witherspoon's character attempts to help them adjust to their move to the United States.  It's a complete and at times gut-wrenching drama.  It is NOT another Million Dollar Arm or other recent popular cultural crossover aimed at quick resolutions and heartwarming fun.  This movie is inches from Oscar caliber - even Reese herself, who in recent years has relegated herself to some pretty poor choices in movie roles ("How Do You Know", anyone, Bueller? I didn't think so).

I guess the problem is that this movie makes you feel, and not always good.  Until Oscar season, movie-goers don't often like to be challenged like this.  The movie made me think of what I was worrying about while all of this was happening.  It made me wonder why I didn't do anything about it.  It made me want to pay attention and do something the next time (right now?).  It's beautifully shot and half of it is even set in Kansas City.

The main characters are portrayed by actual Sudanese refugees and former child soldiers.  They. Are. Amazing.  They are called upon to do much more than just play a version of themselves.  There is an underlying literary theme behind The Good Lie that comes to fruition in an unexpected and further emotionally stretching fashion and its all lead by these actors, not Reese.  In fact, Reese's role, while well-done, is small in the movie as a whole.

Even the music was interesting and eclectic, continuing with the unexpectedness of the entire movie-going experience.  As the credits rolled, then, seeing Howard-Grazer cross the screen should not have been a surprise...

4 out of 5 stars

Penguins (of Madagascar) Movie Review

 

In case you're looking for something to take the kids to see this weekend, I thought I'd go ahead and post my review of the latest animated fall film, Penguins of Madagascar.  Notice I didn't say, "In case you're looking for something to see yourself."  This one is definitely for the youngest audiences unfortunately. 

Penguins of Madagascar takes our stars on a somewhat nostalgic journey into how their bond was originally created (the most successful part of film), and then on to a mixture of James Bond type bad guy intrigue and encounters with Guardians of the Galaxy style good guys.  That all sounds pretty good, right?  I mean, a bit far fetched and overreaching, but good?  Uh, no.

We all love the Penguins and that's what made me thing it might be a film I'd actually like, but I was severely disappointed all around.  Even the Penguins were sub par most of the time.  Perhaps they simply can't sustain their sarcastic cuteness for an entire film.  Although there were individual moments of definitive laughter and their typical tongue in cheek maneuvers (mostly in flashbacks, if you can believe an animated movie has flashbacks), but the action and the plot were contrived to the extreme.  It was a thin line that threaded each scene together and at one point, I had to throw that out and take each scene as unrelated, though still lackluster.  Yes, there were a few cute moments and some clever comebacks, but this is definitely one that can be missed.

"The Movie Event That Will Blow Their Cover"? How about "The Movie Event That Will Just Blow"?

2.25 out of 5 stars