Monday, September 16, 2013

Fruitvale Station - movie review

Yesterday I went to see the movie Fruitvale Station, based on the last day of the life of Oscar Grant II, a 22 yr old Bay Area resident.  You follow the day of this young man as be interacts with his girlfriend, daughter, mother, other friends, enemies and finally his confrontation at Fruitvale Station.

Michael B. Jordan plays Oscar quite adequately, displaying him through his many emotions and Melonie Diaz as his girl friend and mother of his daughter, but it is Octavia Spencer as Wanda his mother who his great. 

This is a sad story based on a true story, as the information gathered about his last day is brought together. Slow paced, it takes you through Oscars day, and at the same time you come to understand his journey, his awarenessness which are happening as he works to change his life.  This movie was a Grand Jury Prize Winner in the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, and I can see why.

It is a movie which leaves you thinking of many different things. Would this have been a different ending if Oscar was not black. Would it have been different if one of the Bart coops was not a rookie. Would it have been different if he had not taken the train.  Food for thought, a good way to leave a movie.

If you have a chance to see this movie, then do so, just to see how you can do everything in your power to do it 'right' but still be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
4 out of 5.

Riddick - movie review

As my movie goer friend Trish and I were sitting in the movie to watch Riddick, I thought there would be more people to see it.  I had been looking forward to seeing Vin Diesel again, as I'm a fan from the Fast and Furious franchise.  I really did not know what to expect.  I had seen the Chronicles of Riddick a long time ago.  So as it began I was open to anything I was going to see.

First of all, Vin Diesel was great with his usual 'man' style especially with the 'glinty' Riddick eyes. The story line was not overly hard to get. Betrayed and stranded on a hostile planet, with alien predators he has to find a way to survive. Discovers an abandoned station and sends an emergency signal and is therefore joined by two brands of mercenaries one who want him dead for the bounty on his head, the other wants him alive for information.

The predictors, who he Riddick runs into quite early are scary (I often found myself with my eyes covered). I'm a real scaredy cat when it comes to unusual looking things. In fact, at one point, I made my self look, because I felt I was cowering way too much.  But, I got used to these things, and was amazed as to how Riddick made himself a 'friend' with the coyote like thing (they were all things). How the plot had him inoculate himself so he could survive their poison and eventually gets himself off the planet, moving on to the next Riddick story to come.

The supporting cast, besides the computer generated things, Karl Urban did his usual good solid acting role, and Katee Sackhoff, who I  had been watching in Longmire, was great as the gay woman of the bunch. Jordi Molla was the leader to the rag tag group, who slowly got themselves killed off.

If you want adventure, high tension (my adrenaline was pumping) then go see Riddick. 
3 out 5.