Leave Her to Heaven
A gorgeous socialite reveals a violent jealousy soon after marrying a successful novelist.
What’s coming in the winter film season…. (Part I)
In the remaining days of 2011 there are a large number of films coming to theaters. Some of these films seem destined for greatness while the rest seem destined for a quick weekend at the box office before they find their way to the store shelves. In between there are a lot of films that I expect will do well and leave people happy that they spent their time and money to watch them. Here are some of those films yet to be released in 2011.
Ken Burns: The War
When Ken Burns puts his name on something it means that tireless research was involved. This effort was put into The War in a way never before seen in documentary film-making. It’s an unimaginable task to summarize the events of World War II but Burns took up the task and produced the definitive series on the effects of the war on the people of the United States.
The Switch
From Arrested Development to The Kingdom Jason Bateman has proven to be pretty versatile. Now comes The Switch starring Bateman opposite Jennifer Aniston in this comedy with a hint of romance. The movie was released in the summer of 2010 to mixed reviews and only recently did I get around to watching it. In the end I was pleasantly surprised.
Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence
This is a film that caught me by surprise. The nature of human beings and the long-term results of actions taken are both investigated throughout the movie. Bowie does a wonderful job playing a man ruined but looking for salvation. Tom Conti is amazing as Mr. Lawrence. His emotional portrayal of a man who is isolated from everyone around him is perfect.
Danny Greene: The Rise and Fall of the Irishman
In 2009 director Tommy Reid produced this short but interesting piece on Irish mobster Danny Greene. The story catalogs the life of a man who seemed to be indestructible after many attempts on his life. Ultimately the Italian mob caught up with him, but not before he made his mark on the city of Cleveland.
Blue Bloods
With Law and Order gone (I mean the original, not one of the endless new versions) I was looking for a new crime drama to take its place. Last year CBS gave me hope when they introduced Blue Bloods. Now in the second season I’m hooked on this amazing show.
Deadwood: The really wild west.
This series is a dark and gritty one. There is sex and violence just under the surface at all times. From the exploitation of the brothels to the violence in the streets the series doesn’t pull punches and no one is immune from the consequences.
The Pillars of the Earth
When I read The Pillars of the Earth about 15 years ago I was hooked. I thought that it would be so great if someone could make a film from this amazing story by Ken Follett. The book had actually been published in 1989 and it was 21 years before anyone gave it a try. In 2010 the Starz Network released this mini-series starring big names like Ian McSchane, Donald Sutherland, and Rufus Sewell.
Did You See That One? 