Maudie

Maudie (2017)

Maudie is a quiet but riveting movie about Maude Lewis, the Canadian equivalent to America's Grandma Moses. The movie is set in Digby, Nova Scotia but was actually filmed in Newfoundland.

Sally Hawkins is the main character and should be nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress.

Ethan  Hawke portrays her husband, a recluse fish peddler. The almost two hour movie tells about their live together. They lived in a shack with none of the amenities common to the 1950s. Maude struggles with her debilitating arthritis and some congenital physical deformities. Her husband, Everitt, grew up in an orphanage is not an easy man to live with. As the years move along, Maude becomes a more and more popular as an artist which causes friction in the marriage/

It is possible that Ethan Hawke may be nominated for Best Actor and Maudie may be nominated for Best Picture. The cinematography of rural "Nova Scotia" by the seaside deserves recognition.

Highly recommended.

Joy

It is hard to believe that a movie about a mop would be so enjoyable. I knew nothing about the true story of the inventor of the Miracle Mop and the beginnings of home shopping. The cast (Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper and Robert DeNiro) reunite to tell the story of the ups and downs, twists and turns of a young entrepreneur, Joy Mangano, who eventually built a dynasty of products used at home. The best part of the movie was the strong encouragement Joy received from her grandmother who recognized Joy's creative ability early on.

Bottom line:  See it!

Now You See Me (1:57) 2013

Now You See Me is an excellent movie about the ultimate con. Four illusionists team up to rob banks in this Robin Hood theme movie as they battle to stay one step ahead of the FBI. The cast of young actors are all excellent - Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson as two of the illusionists and Mark Ruffalo as the befuddled FBI agent. There are many twists and turns in this fact paced action packed movie. My friend and I saw the Now You See Me at the beginning of the summer and it was the perfect way to start the summer movie going season.  I don't want to reveal too much of the movie because it is like being on a thrilling roller coaster ride. Take time to see this highly recommended film for the ride of your life!

The Lone Ranger (2:29) 2013

The Lone Ranger is getting terrible reviews, and while I  agree with some of the criticisms, it really is an entertaining movie. Johnny Depp as Tonto and Armie Hammer as The Lone Ranger are good as the crime fighting duo. Johnny Depp is an excellent Tonto as the story unfolds through his eyes. The main drawback was the gory violence that Cavendish commits. The movie is long - two and a half hours - but covers a lot of ground including how John Reid became the Lone Ranger and Tonto's previous unknown boyhood story. I wasn't crazy with the opening scene which takes place in 1936. I was absolutely thrilled with the ending when William Tell's Overture was played - it took me back to my childhood watching Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels on the 1950s weekly television show. Hi Ho Silver, and Away.

The Great Gatsby (2:23) 2013

I was anxious to see  Luhrmann's  version of a Fitzgerald's book which I had read in college many years ago. I had seen the Robert Redford - Mia Farrow version in the 1970s and just loved it - especially Redford in the famous pink suit. My friend and I went to the movies knowing that  Luhrmann's version had mixed reviews. Ten minutes into the film I understood the mixed reviews but the end of the movie, I really enjoyed

the movie going experience. The costumes, the set, and the party scenes were just excellent, The music was performed by modern day and popular performers Jay-Z and Kanye West.  The music was good but took a little bit to get use to. Carey Mulligan was excellent as Daisy and so was DeCaprio. My preference was Redford as a better fit as Jay Gatsby. As much as Joel Edgerton is one of my favorite actors, I wasn't thrilled with his performance as Tom Buchanan but did like Tobey McGuire as the writer Nick Carraway. The film seemed to follow the book closely, as least as I can remember and for that reason, I recommend the movie. It is fun taking a long look at the Roaring 20s. Although the movie is long, two and a half hours, the time does go back very quickly.

The Heat (1:57) 2013

The Heat is a very crude and vulgar movie loaded with f bombs but the jammed packed audience laughed continuously throughout the movie. Sandra Bullock is a straight laced FBI detective assigned to Boston and Melissa McCarthy is a gutter mouthed local detective with the same assignement - apprehend a drug czar. Different as night and day, they do have one thing in common, neither are liked by their colleagues. The detectives start investigating. and after spending a night drinking in a bar, start warming up to each other and begin working  as a team.. I am usually put off by movies containing unnecessary vulgarity but my friends and I were so busy laughing, really laughing that we walked out after the movie having enjoyed the film. The critics really panned The Heat but it is easy to see this is going to be the hit of the summer, all through word of mouth. It is fun!