Tuesday, November 26, 2013

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

☆☆☆☆1/2
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Jennifer Lawrence returns as Katniss Everdeen the co-winner (along with Peeta Mellark played by Josh Hutcherson) of the 74th Annual Hunger Games. Her victory begins to create an anti-Capitol stir among the people in the districts.

Lawrence takes "...Catching Fire" from good to great with an outstanding performance. She plays Katniss with the perfect amount of power and emotion.

All star cast includes: Liam Hemsworth, Donald Sutherland, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Stanley Tucci, and Philip Seymour Hoffman
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Lawrence delivers lines that...if someone else had delivered them...could have been pretty cheesy.

Rated PG-13
2 hr. 26 min.

Visit the official website and watch the trailer.





Sunday, November 17, 2013

Dallas Buyers Club

☆☆☆☆1/2
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Look for Matthew McConaughey to be nominated for his performance as Ron Woodroof a Texas cowboy who became HIV positive in the years before approved treatments were available. He took matters into his own hands and illegally obtained unapproved medications and created a buyers' club to get the drugs to people with HIV and AIDS.

Look for a possible Supporting Actor nomination for Jared Leto as well.



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Hand-held camera and the adjustments to the true story may bother some viewers.

Rated R
1 hr. 57 min.

Visit the website and see the trailer.



Sunday, November 3, 2013

12 Years a Slave

☆☆☆☆1/2
+
Directed by Steve McQueen (“Shame”), “12 Years A Slave” is the incredible story (based on actual events) of Solomon Northup (fantastic performance by Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free New York citizen who was kidnapped and forced into slavery on a New Orleans plantation in the 1880s.

Look for Oscar nominations for this film!

All star cast includes: Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Benedict Cumberbatch, Sarah Paulson, Paul Giamatti, Paul Dano, Alfre Woodard, Lupita Nyong’o, and Adepero Oduye
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All the cameos are actually a little distracting.


Rated R
2 hr. 13 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer!