Showing posts with label Sport. Show all posts

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Cars

Cars (2006)

G - 117 min - Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Sport - 9 June 2006
Big Blue Sky Rating : 7.2/10

Director : John Lasseter, Joe Ranft
Writers : John Lasseter, Joe Ranft
Stars : Owen Wilson, Bonnie Hunt, Paul Newman, Larry the Cable Guy

While traveling to California for the dispute of the final race of the Piston Cup against The King and Chick Hicks, the famous Lightning McQueen accidentally damages the road of the small town Radiator Springs and is sentenced to repair it. Lightning McQueen has to work hard and finds friendship and love in the simple locals, changing its values during his stay in the small town and becoming a true winner.

Charming story, vivid animation, wonderful characters

I went to the premier of "Cars" last night at the Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concorde and was delighted to find that the hours of traffic were worth it.

The story has a clear point and the message of friendship is easily understood by kids and adults alike. The variety of humor suits all generations, too, making this the first "summer must see" for the family.

Being an artist I was struck by the vibrancy of the animation. The colors were rich and beautiful, and there was such diverse vocal talent that the entire experience made it a treat for the crowd's eyes and ears. I've never been to a movie with more than a few hundred people in the theater, but let me assure you that all 30,000+ attendees at the Speedway last night applauded during the credits and for some very, very good reasons.

Watch Cars Trailer :

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The Fighter

The Fighter (2010)

R - 116 min - Biography, Drama, Sport - 17 December 2010
Big Blue Sky Rating : 7.9/10

Director : David O. Russell
Writers : Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy
Stars : Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo. A look at the early years of boxer "Irish" Micky Ward and his brother who helped train him before going pro in the mid 1980s." />

The Fighter is a drama about boxer "Irish" Micky Ward's unlikely road to the world light welterweight title. His Rocky-like rise was shepherded by half-brother Dicky, a boxer-turned-trainer on the verge of being KO'd by drugs and crime.

Fighting in and out of the ring

Wow, what a movie. It's an inspirational true story of a boxer finally getting his break. It's also a story of addiction, and how it can affect loved ones. And above all, it's about family. There are some great boxing scenes in THE FIGHTER, they feel authentic and brutal, but the true fight is really outside the ring. Which is not to say this is an overbearing melodrama, no, far from it. It handles the subject matter gracefully. It has a lot of heart and can be quite funny, and there are some humorously absurd moments, something director David O. Russell has proved to be very good at providing.

Mark Wahlberg gives a great performance playing the lead character, Micky. This is Wahlberg's most reserved and complex role to date. Micky has an unbreakable devotion to his family, which both strengthens and cripples him. He never really speaks for himself, and would rather suffer than upset those around him. Through the course of the movie the character really grows, thanks to the help of a good woman by his side. Mark Wahlberg shows a side of himself we've never seen before, this isn't the over-the-top badass THE DEPARTED Wahlberg, which don't get me wrong, is awesome too, but he finds a different range here. Truly the guy has come a long way from The Funky Bunch.

Christian Bale is absolutely phenomenal in his scene-stealing role as Micky's drug-addicted brother. This is such a great character that Bale really brings a lot of depth to. Dicky's easily angered, often detached and oblivious to how his affliction is affecting his life. He's also ashamed and vulnerable. He's not the most reliable guy in the world and he's in need of a serious wake-up call. But the thing is...you can completely understand why Micky would stand by him for so long. Underneath it all, he really is a great guy, full of energy and affection- somebody you'd really want in your corner. This is sure to go down as one of Bale's most remembered roles, and hopefully his enormous talent will finally be recognized by winning an Academy Award for it.

Behind every great man is a great woman, and Amy Adams also delivers a fantastic performance as Micky's girlfriend, who really helps him develop some backbone and at the same time is able to find some clarity in her misguided life. She's great in her role, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't thoroughly enjoy the eye-candy she brings to the movie. She has her fair share of revealing outfits and in one scene is shown wearing a see-through bra. Now THAT'S great filmmaking!

Also notable, just because it stood out to me, is that Conan O'Brien's sister, Kate, has a role in the movie, playing one of Micky's sisters. I sort of wish I wasn't privy to this information before seeing it because her resemblance to the goofy talk show host is uncanny...and a little disturbing.

I don't know why a lot of the most involving sports movies happen to be about boxing, I guess there's just something so primal and against all logic about people that get the crap beaten out of them for a living. It's worth knowing what makes these people tick. Yes, this is based on a true story, but I'm sure it's been tailored to fit Hollywood needs. Events have likely been rearranged and certain moments probably fabricated or altered, but THE FIGHTER doesn't attempt to portray the family shown here in a completely positive light. Nobody is a saint here, and everyone has their faults. When it finally arrives at its conclusion it is relieving, satisfying, and yes, inspiring. This is ultimately a happy story well deserving to be told on film but the sad reality is that there are no doubt hundreds and hundreds of similar stories that didn't end up quite as well. I can't tell you what exactly makes the family depicted in this movie so special. Maybe they're stronger, and more willing to compromise, and just maybe a little lucky, too. But I was left recalling a scene from the movie THE STRAIGHT STORY, where Richard Farnsworth lays down some wisdom upon a teenage runaway: he told her how he would give each of his kids a stick and ask them to snap them, which was easy. Then he'd give them a whole bundle, which couldn't be broken. "That's family."

Watch The Fighter Trailer :

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Saturday, October 12, 2013

The Blind Side

The Blind Side (2009)

PG-13 - 129 min - Biography, Drama, Sport - 20 November 2009
Big Blue Sky Rating : 7.6/10

Director : John Lee Hancock
Writers : John Lee Hancock, Michael Lewis
Stars : Quinton Aaron, Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Jae Head

Based on the true story of Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy who take in a homeless teenage African-American, Michael "Big Mike" Oher. Michael has no idea who his father is and his mother is a drug addict. Michael has had little formal education and few skills to help him learn. Leigh Anne soon takes charge however, as is her nature, ensuring that the young man has every opportunity to succeed. When he expresses an interest in football, she goes all out to help him, including giving the coach a few ideas on how best to use Michael's skills. They not only provide him with a loving home, but hire a tutor to help him improve his grades to the point where he would qualify for an NCAA Division I athletic scholarship. Michael Oher was the first-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in the 2009 NFL draft.

Another inspirational sport film

I saw this last night at a screening and found it to be a very inspiring movie. I love sports movies as well as movies based on true stories, so this film hit multiple buttons for me personally, but reactions of others leaving the theater seemed equally positive.

As with any sports movie, you must have an underdog to cheer for, and Michael Oher is that underdog. Having been removed by CPS from his crack-addicted mother's home as a child and bounced from foster home to foster home, Oher has been staying on a friend's couch. He is reluctantly accepted to a private school when the football coach sees potential in him and pressures the school's admissions board to give him a chance.

Unfortunately, being an undereducated black youth in a predominantly white private school doesn't magically turn his life around, and in addition to struggling to understand his classes, he finds himself sleeping in an all night laundromat after the stay at the friend's house ends. While walking on a cold, rainy night , Oher is offered a ride and then a place to sleep for the night by the Leigh Anne Tuohy, whose children attend the same school Michael does. It's this single act of kindness that begins a chain of events that will change this underdog's life, eventually resulting in his being a top 2009 NFL draft pick and signing with the Baltimore Ravens.

The actors brought plenty of life to the characters they were playing. It was a pleasure to watch Tim McGraw as Sean Tuohy, making a somewhat minor character in the film memorable. Sandra Bullock's portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy was fascinating--I'd really love to meet Mrs. Tuohy in person. Jae Head as SJ became my favorite character in the movie, practically stealing the show as it were. Quinton Aaron's portrayal of Oher leans heavily to the strong, silent type, but there is a quiet grace and gentleness that comes through.

Obviously, nothing is quite as slick and clean as Hollywood plays it in movies like this, and there were issues and controversies surrounding the Tuohy family and the assistance they offered Michael Oher. Some of it is depicted in the movie, though not all, and there are many who will decry this film for that. It's a given that there is more to a story than what you see on the screen...condensing years into a two hour presentation requires some compromise...and it is meant to be entertainment after all.

I only had a couple criticisms. One, at 126 minutes, the movie was a little too long. I think 8-10 minutes of editing would have really tightened it up and eliminated a couple slower moments. Second, Sandra Bullock's accent seemed a little too forced at times. And finally, what happened to Steve Hamilton, the boy whose family Michael was staying with when he started attending Briarwood? Once introduced as his father pressures the coach for scholarships for Steve and Michael, he disappears from the movie. Minor issues that didn't keep this from being an extremely enjoyable movie, but did help keep it from being a perfect 10.

Watch The Blind Side Trailer :

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Friday, October 11, 2013

Grudge Match

Grudge Match (2013)

PG-13 - Comedy, Sport - 25 December 2013

Director : Peter Segal
Writers : Tim Kelleher, Rodney Rothman
Stars : Robert De Niro, Sylvester Stallone, Kim Basinger, Alan Arkin

A pair of aging boxing rivals are coaxed out of retirement to fight one final bout -- 30 years after their last match.

Watch Grudge Match Trailer :

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Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Rush

Rush (2013)

R - 123 min - Action, Biography, Drama, Sport - 27 September 2013
Big Blue Sky Rating : 8.3/10

Director : Ron Howard
Writers : Peter Morgan
Stars : Daniel Brühl, Chris Hemsworth, Olivia Wilde, Alexandra Maria Lara

Set against the sexy, glamorous golden age of Formula 1 racing in the 1970s, the film is based on the true story of a great sporting rivalry between handsome English playboy James Hunt (Hemsworth), and his methodical, brilliant opponent, Austrian driver Niki Lauda (Bruhl). The story follows their distinctly different personal styles on and off the track, their loves and the astonishing 1976 season in which both drivers were willing to risk everything to become world champion in a sport with no margin for error: if you make a mistake, you die.

F1 finally has an amazing film

This is an amazing film. I can't recommend it highly enough for F1 fans like me, sports fans, or anyone interested in a story of rivalry i.e. something different to the unoriginal junk movies which get churned out each year.

All the crew involved should pat themselves on the back. They've done a fabulous job making this film critique, explore and honour two memorable F1 drivers.

James Hunt's fun, party lifestyle along with his brash and raw driving talent. This is contrasted against Niki Lauda's methodical thinking, technical brilliance and professional lifestyle. These two characters are total opposites but as their lives are explored it also acknowledges the value of an enemy, i.e. something to beat. I believe this is a commentary on human nature in that the best of us shines when we have something to beat or overcome.

Do yourself a favour and see it now.

Watch Rush Trailer :

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Monday, October 7, 2013

Surf's Up

Surf's Up (2007)

PG - 85 min - Animation, Comedy, Family, Sport - 8 June 2007
Big Blue Sky Rating : 6.8/10

Director : Ash Brannon, Chris Buck
Writers : Don Rhymer, Ash Brannon
Stars : Shia LaBeouf, Zooey Deschanel, Jon Heder, Jeff Bridges

This story follows a teenage rock hopper penguin named Cody Maverick from his hometown of Shiverpool, Antarctica, where all of the other penguins think he's nothing but a surfing fool, to the "Big Z Memorial Surf Off" on Pen Gu Island. Young Cody is determined to win the most important competition in the world of penguin surfing in honor of "Big Z," a deceased surfing legend whom he has idolized since childhood. But the waves in Pen Gu are different than in Shiverpool, and the competition is steep. The current champ, egotistical Tank Evans, isn't just about to let this little penguin knock him from first place without a fight. When Cody wipes out and encounters Geek, a recluse aging former surfer, living in the jungle, he learns some important lessons about life and surfing, and even teaches Geek a thing or two.

I will not comment on Happy Feet in this review

They both have penguins. Big Deal. Whoops...does that count as a comment? Anyway, "Surfs Up" is not a terribly original but fresh and new hilarious comedy just in time to kick off summer. Shot in a unique mocumentary style (that may possibly fly over the heads of youngsters), the visuals are flashy and the look of the film digests well. Water animation seems to be rapidly progressing. The sand forms foot prints. The palm fronds sway in the wind. The film looks great. The story is a cliché, and we know what will happen in the end. The point of the film isn't however to construct philosophical debate, have an amazing story or even create memorable characters. It's a fun comedy, and it's humor is more sophisticated then other past animated comedies such are "Shrek 3". It has a more subtle reflexive quality. We know the story, the characters, and we know the familiar plot (quite like last year's "Cars"), but it isn't the fact that they're penguins that makes the film funny. We only get a few moments were the penguins act "penguiny". They are what they are for pure aesthetic value. A bipedal animal (perfect for surfing) that usually dwells among ice makes for a more pleasing artistic scope. And we're bored with humans. The film succeeds with it's sense of wit. A character like tank, another reflexive villainous character like Peter La Fleur from "Dodgeball", is a hoot to watch. The same for main protagonist Cody Maverick, a familiar trophy craving teen who is easily out of place amongst the elders. The film will win no Oscars, but animated films need not be restricted to epic stories and exercises in perfection. However, it is rather uncomfortable that the genre in America is restricting itself to this type of humor. Or really, does all animation have to be humorous even? But, at least this film takes the convention one step further. The documentary style doesn't wear out its welcome or include any truly objectable material for a PG film, and with a sparing running time of 85 minutes, it's fun to see something different.

Watch Surf's Up Trailer :

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Senna

Senna (2010)

PG-13 - 106 min - Documentary, Biography, Sport - 25 May 2011
Big Blue Sky Rating : 8.5/10

Director : Asif Kapadia
Writers : Manish Pandey
Stars : Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Frank Williams, Ron Dennis

The story of the monumental life and tragic death of legendary Brazilian motor-racing Champion, Ayrton Senna. Spanning the decade from his arrival in Formula One in the mid 80's, the film follows Senna's struggles both on track against his nemesis, French World Champion Alain Prost, and off it, against the politics which infest the sport. Sublime, spiritual yet, on occasion, ruthless - Senna conquers and transcends Formula One to become a global superstar. Privately, he is humble, almost shy, and fiercely patriotic, donating millions to his native Brasil and contemplating a life beyond motor-racing. Yet he is struck down in his prime on the blackest weekend in the history of the sport, watched live on television by 300 million people. Years on he is revered in Formula One as the greatest motor racing driver of all time - and in Brasil as a Saint.

Truly Remarkable

I had been a Fan of Ayrton when I was a child. I distinctly remember watching the F1 highlights with my dad. My dad was a seasonal fanatic of sports and kept updating me with the news from the papers/sports magazines and the television.

To relive the moments of Ayrton (the idol) in this emotionally gripping documentary was unbelievably comforting. The script and flow of the events were so flawlessly presented taking one's memory into the Time travel of decade gone by. It was nothing short of Excellence in execution.

The documentary dissects Ayton's persona in a subtle way, making it the most compelling Biography of all times. The back-ground score by Antonio Pinto was Enthralling and Sensual delight.

This is not to be missed, sad that I had been to the cinema only on the final day when it was shown-much regret the delay. Nevertheless, Its a true Masterpiece which portrays the subtle sadness of a legend's demise in a sweet throat stifling moments.

Watch Senna Trailer :

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Rush

Rush (2013)

R - 123 min - Action, Biography, Drama, Sport - 27 September 2013
Big Blue Sky Rating : 8.3/10

Director : Ron Howard
Writers : Peter Morgan
Stars : Daniel Brühl, Chris Hemsworth, Olivia Wilde, Alexandra Maria Lara

Watch Rush Trailer :

OR

Sunday, October 6, 2013

The Other Dream Team

The Other Dream Team (2012)

NOT RATED - 89 min - Documentary, Sport - 28 September 2012
Big Blue Sky Rating : 7.7/10

Director : Marius A. Markevicius
Writers : Marius A. Markevicius, Jon Weinbach
Stars : Sarunas Marciulionis, Arvydas Sabonis, Rimas Kurtinaitis, Jonas Valanciunas

The incredible story of the 1992 Lithuanian basketball team, whose athletes struggled under Soviet rule, became symbols of Lithuania's independence movement, and - with help from the Grateful Dead - triumphed at the Barcelona Olympics.

This game is not about money - it's about freedom.

Everyone who likes basketball knows Lithuania and its fans. This small (Lithuania has population as little as 3 mln.) yet basketball mad country since Barcelona won 3 Olympic medals in a row which is really incredible.

This movie is not about basketball it's about FREEDOM, about fight with repressors in one of strangest of ways - basketball game.

, The Other Dream Team' movie shows everything: passion, devotion, freedom from repression and power of will. It's about ordinary Lithuanian people who were extraordinary in basketball court and near it. Each victory of Lithuanian basketball was victory of whole nation in pacific yet most effective war against Russia (SSRS).

This game is not about money - it's about freedom.

Watch The Other Dream Team Trailer :

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Saturday, October 5, 2013

Senna

Senna (2010)

PG-13 - 106 min - Documentary, Biography, Sport - 25 May 2011
Big Blue Sky Rating : 8.5/10

Director : Asif Kapadia
Writers : Manish Pandey
Stars : Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Frank Williams, Ron Dennis