I rate films with a 5-finger (“High Five”) rating system. A 5 is outstanding, a 4 well worth seeing, 3 is “just a movie,” with those earning a 2-rating not worth paying to see. Since decency prevents a one-finger opinion, a truly bad film is rated a zero — the Dreaded Fist of Badness.
April is a month of pick and choose. There are some good movies out there, scattered among a bit too many that aren’t so hot. Here are 11 you might want to consider…or not. Four of the 11 are well worth seeing: The Salt of the Earth, White God, Ex Machina, and Danny Collins.
Since one the great joys of film is the singular journey we each experience every time we disappear inside a darkened theater, I always enjoy hearing your opinions.
Woman in Gold – 3 fingers. This year’s “Jews were treated horribly in World War II” entry is a mediocre effort about stolen art during war years in Vienna and a woman’s fight to get her family’s returned.
Furious Seven – 3 fingers. Sometimes too much is too much and this car chase explosion fest proves it, despite waxing nostalgic for the franchise’s late star Paul Walker.
Danny Collins – 4 fingers. Al Pacino headlines a marvelous cast in this fun, entertaining and well-made movie about an old rocker whose long career has passed by pandering to the masses and now, late in life, tries to respond to an unearthed fan letter written four decades earlier by John Lennon by finding happiness in life and music.
White God – 4 fingers. This smartly made foreign film gains justice for Hungarian street dogs just as effectively as Planet of the Apes did for hominoids, and entertains us all the way.
The Reunion – 3 fingers. This award-winning Swedish film written, directed, and starring first-time filmmaker Anna Odell is a grim story about a girl who was bullied during her school years and returns to exact revenge at her 20th high school reunion, and will hit home to all of those who wish they could relive that impressionable stage of life.
Child 44 – 2 fingers. Stars Tom Hardy and Noomi Rapace are wasted—as is a potentially good story—in this shoddily made disappointment about post-World War II Russian military corruption and its “who cares” reaction to a string of 44 brutal child molestation murders.
While We’re Young – 3 fingers. Some like this instantly forgettable midlife angst film but I felt it lacked chemistry between its two name stars, with Naomi Watts shining brightest while Ben Stiller disappoints as a guy getting rubed by a scheming, ambitious Gen Xer.
The Salt of the Earth – 5 fingers. This remarkable documentary about the life and expansive work of Brazilian photographer Santiao Salgado will take your head and heart places it has never been—but is better off for going.
Monkey Kingdom – 3 fingers. Tina Fey respectfully narrates this quick, well-made nature documentary about a band of 50 monkeys dealing with life and death in and around a remote, uninhabited Sri Lankan outpost.
Ex Machina – 4 fingers. This high-concept drama, showcasing the prodigious talent of future “It” girl Alicia Vikander, deals with a scientist’s mastery of artificial intelligence and—although it starts slowly—gains momentum through plot twists and thought-provoking turns before climaxing in a superb ending.
The Water Diviner – 3 fingers. Russell Crowe’s grim directorial debut saga about the vicious 1915 battle between the Greeks and ANZAC allies against the Turks at Gallipoli centers around a devastated Australian father who travels half a world away to find the remains of his three battle-lost sons.
Until next month, pick your friends…and movies…for maximum enjoyment. See you at the movies!