cumberbatchv Reviews

4 Minute Mile (2014)

Unexpected

[7/10 · 8 August 2014]

I anticipated this being a typical, high school sports movie and was geared up for that sort of simple entertainment. Some aspects remained typical: conflict in the protagonists' life stemmed from family, some sort of important death would occur that would make him want to win more, and that the protagonist had a bit of a temper. HOWEVER, the two major unexpected aspects of this film is what pushed me to give it a 7 and not a 5, which I rate as a film that's just average in all ways.

The way in which Coleman died was thoroughly unexpected for me and I was shocked! Which I appreciated because I had no real emotional ties to the film until that point. Secondly, the fact that Drew never even made that last state championship meet was a perfect choice for the script and again, I was pleasantly surprised. I figured he would somehow make the meet by the skin of his teeth, and because it's a movie, he would not only be warmed up to race but also win for Coleman!

The subtle creation of a relationship with Lisa was a nice touch. Their low key love never distracted from the point of the film, but I do think it added to the tone of learning patience and understanding that it's all a process.

In another random side note, as a former 4X4 sprinter that was just as averse to moving up to the mile as Drew, I truly believed in the dedication and passion that was perceived as being a high school athlete. When you're banking on yourself to get an athletic scholarship, and it's just you and the clock, not you and a team backing your skills, you HAVE to be all the things that Coleman tried to teach Drew. I respect the ending of the film, where it's up to the viewer to decide the outcome of the D1 championship because you want to believe that Drew has taken those lessons in and is not only a great runner, but a quality man. At the end of the day, this film is more about learning to navigate life as opposed to just high school athleticism.

In Your Eyes (2014)

Outrageous

[7/10 · 7 August 2014]

The storyline is both outrageous, yet also made me ponder if this could be something that could occur. If so, too bad for those people because no one would believe them!

Aside from Nikki Reed and the guy from Shameless, I wasn't too familiar with the cast. That proved to be not a problem because the acting on behalf of the two protagonists was pretty phenomenal considering they probably spent really only one day together to shoot one scene. It takes serious acting skill to be able to emote so well without having the fortune of bouncing off someone else's emotions. That was impressive. I also liked how the most well known name in the cast, Nikki Reed, had such a negligible role. I just can respect an actor for taking a role that they find enjoyable or challenging, regardless of its placement on the credits.

The mysteriously fascinating, yet pretty erotic "sex" scene was better than anticipated. I thought it was going to be a lot of heavy breathing and over the top groping of oneself, but again I was impressed with how it was shot. The music was excellent and it was done tastefully, I found it believable under the circumstances.

I gave it a 7 because it wasn't a breakthrough in cinema or a total masterpiece, but it was definitely entertaining and well done. If the budget was low, I didn't even take too much notice.

The Book Thief (2013)

A film with no age

[7/10 · 5 August 2014]

After reading The Book Thief, I found this telling of the story to be quite accurate and seamless. Although it's categorized as "young adult," the story transcends the ages and is made for all viewers. I found the cast to be perfect; young Liesel and Rudy were wonderful to watch together on screen as their friendship only became closer with every scene, but not in a way that would make moms-of-daughters cringe. The German accents in an English language movie were very realistic to the point I had to look and see if the actress playing Liesel was German!

Clearly, a film about Hitler's Germany, it is sad and dark. This isn't a deep thinking, philosophical, difficult-to-perceive film. It is an accurate telling of several years in the life of young Liesel, her foster family, and her Molching community during the rise of Hitler (food rations, air raid shelters, fear, starvation, Jewish parades, book burning, etc). It's an excellent film for both educational and leisure purposes, but I find it quite appropriate for the young viewer. To understand history through a different, more relatable perspective.

Hellion (2014)

Slow Motion Explosion

[8/10 · 4 August 2014]

I had no expectations going into this film; I hadn't even read the plot summary.

This was a film that had you shout predictability until what I thought would be the climax, came entirely too early and I realized...I had no real idea what was ahead. I found myself having little tolerance or care for Jacob throughout most of the movie, whereas I was overcome with emotions when it came to little Wes. Jacob ended up stealing my heart however and I was surprised at the director's ability to do this.

I noted this as an "explosion" because the build up was serious! It's a common story in much of America, but truly shot in a way that the viewer finds riveting, emotional, and genuine. The acting, from the CPS counselor to Wes, was truthful and accurate. Facial expressions and moments of silence between characters can usually spill the guts on who's new to the game, and I just didn't find that here. A low budget film that will probably not get much viewership, but those that take the time out will not be disappointed.