Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Woodlawn (2015) Film Review

(Photo courtesy of www.wikipedia.org)

My Rating: 
When you combine American Football, a true story and religion, you seem to always get a spectacular film. The film revolves around the story of Tony Nathan, a magnificent high school American Football Player who, along with other African-American students who are attending Woodlawn High School in Birmingham, Alabama as part of a desegregation during 1973 where racism was still very rampant. Given that this film involves a lot of sports scenes, I expected a lot of fast paced action sequences and these scenes were captured perfectly in my opinion, along with the other scenes that make up the entire film, including the blending of what looked to be actual footage from the real story. It was able to convey the drama, inspiration and emotion that the story holds and it reached me. Some scenes even left me teary eyed. The film stars a few familiar faces such as Sean Astin (Samwise Gamgee from The Lord Of The Rings.), Jon Voight (Anaconda, National Treasure, Mission Impossible to name a few, he's also Angelina Jolie's dad.) and Sherri Shepherd (Think Like A Man).

I personally enjoy sports related dramas, things along the lines of Coach Carter, Remember The Titans and Invictus to name a few. I'd say that Woodlawn is one of those movies that will leave you with a good feeling after you've watched it, especially since it's a true story. I'd even consider it a spiritual kind of film, even if you're not the most religious of people. It's a story about persevering against all odds and using the talents you've been given to the best of your ability, using them to make a difference and a positive impact not just on yourself but on everyone you come into contact with. It shows what we as people can achieve if we really choose to work together regardless of differences. It reminds us of the value of teamwork and standing up for what you believe in no matter what. It helped remind me of what can be accomplished if we push forward in spite of obstacles and temporary setbacks.

Whether you're into sports or not, religious or not, athlete or not, I'd really recommend that you watch this film. It's definitely worth your time. :)


Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Ingenious (2009) Film Review



(Photo courtesy of www.imdb.com)




My Rating: 

I was stuck in traffic the other day and decided to put on this film to help pass the time (don't worry, both hands were on the steering wheel and it was only generally stopped traffic.), this film caught my eye was because of the tagline "All it takes is one big idea." which is something that struck because of its relation to the recent book I've read entitled "Think And Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill. The poster also had a fairly young (or young looking) Jeremy Renner as an added pull for me to watch the film. Jeremy Renner stars along Dallas Roberts (Milton Mamet [He's a scientist] from The Walking Dead.) and Ayelet Zurer (Lara Lor-Van from the 2013 Man Of Steel film.). The film is based on the true story of Mike Cram, an inventor (played by Dallas Roberts) and his friend who's a salesman (Jeremy Renner) who have tried to execute a bunch of ideas until they come to a point where they're really down on their luck, still in search of that one big idea that will turn everything around. The on screen chemistry between the 2 lead actors was very natural, they fit their roles of best buddies quite well which helped make the film very easy to watch. The film had a warm tone to it, perhaps because the film was shot in a desert town/city, Arizona if I'm not mistaken. The film was put together very well, no wild camera angles or sequences, just simple and straightforward storytelling.

This film is one of those inspirational films, after watching, it leaves you with the feeling like you need to go and create something, make something that's yours. With that feeling like you gotta rack your brain for that one idea that could change everything. I know how that feels, because that's something I've been doing for years now. Trying things, taking small steps in executing my own ideas or innovating on current ideas. It's frustrating at times but this film helped serve as a reminder to keep pressing on. To keep on trying, because amidst all the difficulties and the challenges you'll face, the next great idea is just beyond the horizon. Your big break is right there if you can just have the strength and the courage to push forward. This film takes you on a roller coaster ride into the life of an inventor, basically into the life of anyone who has ever had an idea and pursued it and did whatever it took, until the very end, no matter if that end was success or a learning experience. This film is an expanded portrayal of the saying "necessity is the mother of invention.", you'll see what I mean once you get a chance to watch it.

I highly recommend this film, I have a strong feeling that it will be something you'll enjoy. Who knows, this might give you that extra inspirational push you've been looking for to pursue that idea you've had in your head for the longest time or even spark the creation of a new one. :)

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Small Time (2014) Film Review

Let me start off by clearing the air, I'm no expert film critic, just a man who enjoys watching films and writing. :)


(Photo courtesy of www.aceshowbiz.com)
My Rating: 
I just finished watching this film and to be honest, the poster and the title wasn't really too catchy for me, but I gave it a chance because Dean Norris (Better known as DEA Agent Hank Schrader for you Breaking Bad fans out there.) was cast as one of the lead actors in the film, alongside Christopher Meloni (Det. Elliot Stabler from the TV Series, Law and Order) and Devon Bostick (Rodrick Heffley from Diary Of A Wimpy Kid). Special mention to Amaury Nolasco (Orange Julius from 2 Fast 2 Furious), Xander Berkley (Henry Hurt from Apollo 13) and Bridget Moynahan (Helen from John Wick). The story basically revolves around a divorced co-owner of a used car lot whose son decides to skip College to come work for him on the car lot as a salesman despite the adamant resistance of his mother. The film is set in a time when smartphones didn't exist and having a cordless phone with the pull out antenna was considered a luxury, when . As expected, Dean Norris played his role quite exceptionally alongside his other co-stars, there was good chemistry between the the two lead salesmen especially in the scenes where they work in tandem to close a sale, I would have probably bought a used car from them. Personally, the camera angles employed were fairly simple but were maximized to good effect and weren't overly done. The film had a very natural feel to it in terms of lighting and warmth. Overall, I think it was very well made. The film is about 1 hour and 30 minutes long which is perfect for me given the flow of the story, it wasn't too short so it didn't feel rushed and it wasn't too long for the depth of story where it just becomes dragging.

I could personally relate to this film being in the field of sales as well (I'm a Financial Adviser for a Life Insurance company, part of our role is to sell our products.) so I was able to put myself in their shoes somehow, especially during the scenes that wherein the actors were making sales or attempting to make sales. Of course, the style of sales employed in the film is different from the life insurance industry (tangible product vs intangible product), it's still something that is relatable, specifically the scenes wherein the salesmen were rejected and the elated feeling they had when they made a sale. I especially like this scene wherein Freddy (Devon Bostick) and his father Al (Christopher Meloni) were at home and Freddy was telling his dad how amazed he was by how well they (Al and Ash [Dean Norris]) spoke and made sales, he referred to them as "geniuses" and Al simply told him "Trust me, we're not. We're hungry. We close deals or we don't eat." which is similar to something a good friend of mine told me when he was starting out in the Life Insurance industry and he's now gone on to be one of the very best Financial Advisers in the field today. Another part of the film that I liked was again, another conversation between father and son, they were talking about life and how it can be complicated, it's something that made me smile and feel understood, hearing the lines "Sometimes it's really shitty. Sometimes it's miraculous". This movie is by no means a father and son tearjerker film but it is a feel good movie that's rolled into a partially serious and partially witty and humorous package that will leave you with some lessons about life and a few quotable quotes.

Whether you're a salesman or just a man (or woman) looking for an enjoyable film, I'd recommend the film, Small Time.

Thanks for reading!