The Sessions (2012)

The Sessions (2012)


User Reviews

It's a beautiful and inspiring story. John Hawkes is brilliant in his portrayal of polio-afflicted quadriplegic man, who's quite intellectual and charming. With just his facial expressions and dialogues, Hawkes charms you throughout the movie. Helen Hunt is flawless, as always, and pretty comfortably gets into the shoes of a sex surrogate. William H. Macy and Moon Bloodgood are amazing as the supporting characters; they have some of the best dialogues in the movie.
Mark O'Brien's story is intriguing, inspiring and quite moving. His intention to lose his virginity through a sex surrogate leads him to experience love, both physically and emotionally. Mark O'Brien's story proves that physicality doesn't play such a big role when it comes to affecting and attracting people, in the long run; intellect and charm are greater factors. He affects and attracts the lives of three beautiful women.
The nudity and sex in the movie is not vulgar or erotic; it's more on the emotional and intimate side.
Some of the memorable dialogues from the movie include: 1> "I understand that even among non-believers, the most common expression of sexual ecstasy is 'oh God'". 2> Vera: "Today, they're working on simultaneous orgasm." --- Clerk: "What's that?"
As Betsy Sharkey from Los Angeles Times aptly says, "In a country that embraces cinematic violence with such ease but blushingly prefers to keep sex in the shadows or under the sheets, the grown-up approach of 'The Sessions' is rare."

Storyline

At the age of 38, Mark O'Brien, a man who uses an iron lung, decides he no longer wishes to be a virgin. With the help of his therapist and his priest, he contacts Cheryl Cohen-Greene, a professional sex surrogate and a typical soccer mom with a house, a mortgage and a husband. Inspired by a true story, The Sessions, follows the fascinating relationship which evolves between Cheryl and Mark as she takes him on his journey to manhood.


Cast

John Hawkes, Helen Hunt, William H. Macy, Moon Bloodgood, Annika Marks, W. Earl Brown, Blake Lindsley, Adam Arkin.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)


User Reviews

Picking up almost immediately after the events of "Breaking Dawn Part 1," Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) must brave raising their newborn child Renesmee (Mackenzie Foy) in a world where vampire children are forbidden. When Irina (Maggie Grace) spies close friend and werewolf guardian Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) out for a snowy stroll with the rapidly growing Renesmee, she assumes the young girl was turned into a vampire as opposed to being born – which in vampire lore, represents an unignorable dilemma from permanent immaturity, potentially destructive tantrums, and general untrustworthiness. Betraying this inaccurate vision to the inflexible Volturi leader Aro (Michael Sheen), she incites a war between the Cullens and their sympathizers and Aro's army of skillful followers.
There's something exhilarating about the Twilight Saga finally coming to a close. The repetitious nature of witnessing Lautner dramatically remove his shirt, seeing scantily clad forest people metamorphosing into over-sized werewolves that appear entirely too cuddly despite gritted canines, and looking at Stewart's blank face trying desperately to emote, has equated to a tiresome journey. The numerous problems plaguing the series haven't been solved, once again demonstrating the excruciating preposterousness of vampire strength and speed (and now more conspicuously the feeding on wild game), unconvincing computer graphics (isn't this franchise much too lucrative to ignore possibilities outside of Rodeo FX and Hydraulx?), and an overabundance of comic relief.
The pervasive humor in "Breaking Dawn" is perhaps the greatest scourge of the production. The first half-hour is so blanketed by one-liner riffs that it's difficult to understand the intent. These constant little jokes don't progress the story and only serve to pollute the tone, which gravely requires seriousness to market sense for the wildly fanciful, fairy-tale-like characters. Imprinting, the love triangle, a very PG-13 sex scene, Bella arm-wrestling to prove her fortitude – all of these and more are purely comedic (while aspiring to be expectedly essential) and further detract from the severity of quenching bloodlust, rearing an enigmatic child, and engineering an army for an epic closing battle. The casting of Michael Sheen is easily the most garish selection, bestowing upon the goofy role expressions, dialogue, and cackles that garner awkward laughs. Later, the elaboration of special powers beyond merely being immortal bloodsuckers (the mastery of electricity, elemental distortion, mind control, etc.) is presented as pathetically derivative of X-Men mutants. The lengths the vampires will go to conceal their vampirism has apparently made it necessary to exploit flashier abilities, akin to superheroes. Jacob even comments of Bella's "Jedi training."
Admittedly, it's amusing to see the much-awaited culmination of the Volturi's mercilessness and the Cullen's protective righteousness. The highly anticipated, skull-ripping campaign isn't without unexpected and momentous casualties. An unfortunate twist surrounds this momentary enthusiasm and welcome realization of acerbity and violence, however, revealing a method of misdirection tantamount to storytelling treason – which will unavoidably displease the casual or uneducated viewer (namely those not familiar with the book, should they exist in crowds for this release). At least Bella's narration quickens the overly simplistic plot, resulting in a finale for the theatrical phenomenon thankfully clocking in at less than two hours.

Storyline

The final Twilight Saga begins with Bella now a vampire learning to use her abilities. And happy to see her daughter, Renesmee is flourishing. But when someone sees Renesmee do something that makes them think that she was turned. This person goes to the Volturi, because it is a violation to turn a child. And the penalty is death for both who turned the child into a vampire and the child, cause they deem a turned child too dangerous. Alice gets a vision of the Volturi coming after them. So the Cullens try to convince them that Renesmee is not a threat. So they ask friends and family to come stand with them. But when someone who has it in for the Volturi shows up and tells them they should be ready for a fight. And they get ready.


Cast

Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Ashley Greene, Jackson Rathbone, Kellan Lutz, Nikki Reed, Billy Burke, Dakota Fanning.

Lincoln (2012)

Lincoln (2012)


User Review

Steven Spielberg visuals are excellent in movies and this one is no exception. He does a wonderful job recreating the time period that Lincoln was a part of. The difficulty I have is in believing some of the dialogue and the revisionist history that takes place in this movie. The opening scene is a bloody battle and it appears realistic. Unfortunately the following scene has two black soldiers chatting with Lincoln outside in a makeshift camp. He's sitting at a table while they discuss their observations with him. Listening to them you'd think they all grew up on the same block together. One soldier lectures Lincoln and interrupts him during their conversation, while the other is Lincolns best buddy. A soldier wouldn't ever talk to a president in 2012 in this manner. In 1865 if two black soldiers acted this way they would have been immediately been put in irons. Blacks had to be extremely deferential interacting with whites during that century because the law looked the other way when they were murdered by whites. The scene is ridiculous.

Throughout the movie Spielberg emphasizes slavery as Lincolns motivation for engaging with the South. Fact check: Lincoln goal was to preserve the union. He did not remotely believe in equality of the races. Like most whites at that time, he considered blacks inferior. He stated that he would free some of the slaves, or all of the slaves, or none of the slaves if it would preserve the union. The movie is sort of a Disney version of Lincoln and loose on the facts.

This movie is over rated (probably because Spielberg is so powerful in Hollywood) and if you know any civil war history you will be disappointed. Lincoln, like all presidents, was a mixed bag. He believed in that it was acceptable to pay $300 to buy your way out of the war (the Irish didn't like that idea). Lincoln seriously considered deporting blacks to central America or Africa after the war. There was a great deal of corruption during his administration. Like most elites he believed the war should be fought by others(he wouldn't allow his son to put on a uniform until the war was over). Spielberg paints Lincoln as a saint and it would have been better (and far more realistic) if he had been portrayed a man with faults. The movie is a disappointment, if you want real history, read a book. This movie is a fable for children.

Storyline

In 1865, as the American Civil War winds inexorably toward conclusion, U.S. president Abraham Lincoln endeavors to achieve passage of the landmark constitutional amendment which will forever ban slavery from the United States. However, his task is a race against time, for peace may come at any time, and if it comes before the amendment is passed, the returning southern states will stop it before it can become law. Lincoln must, by almost any means possible, obtain enough votes from a recalcitrant Congress before peace arrives and it is too late. Yet the president is torn, as an early peace would save thousands of lives. As the nation confronts its conscience over the freedom of its entire population, Lincoln faces his own crisis of conscience -- end slavery or end the war.


Cast

Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, James Spader, Hal Holbrook, Tommy Lee Jones, Lee Pace, Jackie Earle Haley, Jared Harris, Bruce McGill.