Monday At the Movies

Monday's Movie hosted by Sher at A Novel Menagerie

I have not been able to get to the movies recently, but I did watch a few on DVD in recent weeks. I thought I would offer you a few mini reviews today.

Movie: The Counterfeiters
Genre: ‎Foreign, Drama, War
MPAA Rating: R
Directed By: Stefan Ruzowitzky
Writers: Adolf Burger (book) & Stefan Ruzowitzky (screenplay)

I had first heard about The Counterfeiters about a year ago when it won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. It is an Austrian film based on a true story about a man, Salomon (Sali), who was arrested in the late 1930's for forgery. He was in the process of preparing a fake passport for a Jewish woman seeking to escape Nazi Germany.

Sali ends up being sent to a concentration camp where he is housed alongside fellow criminals, Jewish people, and other victims of the Nazi regime. He puts his talents and wits to use in order to survive while those around him are not always so lucky. Sali is eventually moved to yet another concentration camp where his skills as a counterfeiter are in much demand. He is assigned to "Project Bernhard," which is designed to destabilize the economies of the United States and Great Britain by printing counterfeit money. The prisoners assigned to the project face a moral dilemma: do they go along with the plan for survival's sake or do they fight back through refusal or sabotage? It is not an easy choice and as events play out, it is clear that the decisions they make weigh heavy on their shoulders.

Karl Markovics plays the part of Sali, and he does a magnificent job in the role. He is tough and hardened, seemingly out to save only himself, and yet his actions toward others he meets along the way make him a natural leader, someone they trust and respect. The arresting officer who later reappears as the Nazi officer leading the project, Sturmbannfuhrer Friedrich Herzog, is played by Devid Striesow. Striesow takes a despicable man and adds a bit of vulnerability to the character making him almost, just almost, sympathetic during parts of the movie.

The Counterfeiters proved to be an interesting and thought provoking film. Sali may not be the most likable of protagonists, but his story is worth telling. I would recommend this film to those with an interest in World War II and Holocaust stories.


Movie: Eagle Eye
Genre: ‎Action, Mystery, Thriller
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Directed By: D.J. Caruso
Writers: John Glenn, Travis Wright, Hillary Seitz, & Dan McDermott

Eagle Eye is a fast paced action movie that proved perfect for an afternoon when I couldn't concentrate on much and lying on the couch was about all I felt up to doing. It is one of those movies that makes for fun brain candy. Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan play the leads; they are two strangers who are forced together by a voice on their cell phones who orders them to follow the instructions given to them or dire consequences will follow. Michelle's character, Rachel, fears for the safety of her young son, while Jerry, Shia's character, fears for his own life. The two have no idea who is giving them the orders nor do they know the plan in which they play a part. They know they are being asked to do something terrible, however.

I enjoyed this film more than I thought I would. It was fun and entertaining. However, I do have two minor complaints. I was disappointed in discovering who was pulling all the strings, a strictly personal bias of mine in regards to any film of this sort, and I think the movie could have ended sooner than it did. Explaining either of these in more detail would only serve to spoil the movie, I'm afraid. Still, I enjoyed the film. It served its purpose in the moment, and I am glad I took the time to watch it.


Movie: Tropic Thunder
Genre: ‎Action Comedy
MPAA Rating: R
Directed By: Ben Stiller
Writers: Ben Stiller, Justin Theroux & Etan Cohen

My husband and I sat down to watch Tropic Thunder one evening: he was excited to finally see it, me reluctant. Comedy films and I do not often get along, particularly these types of films. I was curious though. Robert Downing Jr. had gotten so much praise playing an Australian actor playing a black man and Tom Cruise was getting accolades for his performance as the overweight movie producer. I figured I should at least see what all the fuss was about.

For those who do not know, Tropic Thunder is about a film crew filming a Vietnam War movie. Everything that could go wrong with the film does. As a last resort, the actors are purposefully (unbeknowdst to them, however) stranded in the middle of the jungle in an effort to get some decent footage for the film, only to find themselves tangling with local drug dealers. The movie stars Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr, Nick Nolte, and Matthew McConaughey, among others. Tropic Thunder is a Hollywood parody and pokes fun at just about everyone and then some.

My husband enjoyed it quite a bit. I found it funny at times and did enjoy Robert Downey Jr.'s performance; however, I was underwhelmed when the final credits began to roll.

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Sandy tuned me into The Bumbles Blog and their Movies Monday Meme. I thought I would try my hand at playing along.

This week's movie topic is all about Documentaries . . .

There is an awful lot of Reality T.V. out there these days. But we all know that the "Real World" is far from reality. That is what Documentaries are for and we are big fans. They can make you laugh or cry, angry or sympathetic - but they all serve to educate. Here are some that we encourage you to check out. Educate us about some of your favorites!

I am ashamed to say that my memory is quite poor in this area. My experience with documentaries is limited, and it has been awhile since I last sat down and watched one. Two documentaries that made an impression on me that immediately come to mind are Bowling for Columbine, which takes on the issue of gun violence in the United States, and the other is Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport, the story of the 10,000 children who were transported to Great Britain from Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia during the late 1930's, where the children were fostered and cared for during the Second World War. Both documentaries were eye openers, touching my heart, making me angry, and offering me insight into topics I did not know much about before.

Another one that comes to mind is March of the Penguins which I found fascinating. The documentary is about the migration of the Emperor penguins from the ocean to their mating and breeding place in Antarctica. The penguins survive through unbelievably harsh conditions. Their story is an amazing one. If you haven't seen this one, I highly recommend it.

What about you? Do you have a favorite documentary?