Men, Women & Children

First Hit:  Interesting film about how social media is navigated and used.

I’m not a big Social Media person. I have a Facebook account which I look at about once every six months and I’ve a twitter account that I used 5 times 2 years ago.

However my company uses these and other social media vehicles to help us be seen and to grow our presence. In this film we have a paranoid mother Patricia (Jennifer Garner) monitoring every interaction her daughter Brandy (Kaitlyn Dever) has in her social media accounts. All except a secret account where Brandy dresses up and posts pictures as someone else.

She begins to like and meet up with Tim (Ansel Elgort), a loner guy whose mom left him and his dad and he’s wondering if life is worthwhile. His mom posts her adventures in California with new boyfriend on Social Media - then blocks his access to her account. Then there is Hannah Clint (Olivia Crocicchia) whose mother Donna (Judy Greer) takes suggestive photos of her and posts them for payment and view by clients.

There is also Don and Patricia Truby (Adam Sandler and Rosemarie DeWitt respectively) who have lost sexual interest in each other and use websites to find sexual partners. There were a lot of stories in this film and above were only some of them.

The point, which it did well, was to highlight how over control, under awareness, and not knowing what is going on with your child or partner leads to interesting uses of social media. With social media we separate ourselves and don’t talk face to face.

Conversely, we also will use it to also connect with strangers, call them “friends” although we don’t know them, and create relationships. Scenes where people were walking in shopping malls and school halls with their phone’s text message bubbles over them while they walk, heads down, looking at their screens was very telling.

Sandler was good as the man and husband who has lost his way and finds that treading old water won’t be helpful. The last scene in the kitchen with this wife as very good. DeWitt was very strong as the wife who was looking for some excitement in her life. Garner was so over the top (in a good way) and great as the paranoid mother. Dever was wonderful as the young girl hamstringed by her mom (Garner) and finding strength to live her life. Crocicchia was perfect as the girl who would do anything to be on reality TV and who thinks that what she looks like is the most important thing. Greer is very good as the mom who wanted to be a Hollywood star, didn’t make it, so she pushed and sold her daughter’s beauty. Elgort was excellent as the boy, who lost his mom, and was trying to make sense of his life and what was important. Additionally Elania Kampouris was very effective as the girl who made a guy’s opinion of her more important than her own opinion of herself. Chad Kultgen and Jason Reitman wrote the interesting but a bit too scattered script and Reitman got good performances out of his actors and the script.

Overall:  I think the story tried to tell too many stories and therefore there wasn’t enough depth in any one of them.

Kill the Messenger

First Hit:  Although not a great film, it was an amazing story and in the end, I really felt for the messenger.

This is the story about how the Reagan led administration allowed the CIA to promote selling drugs in the US to create cash to buy arms for the Nicaraguan Contra rebels.

Congress wouldn’t support arming the Contras so the CIA decided to fund the war by getting Americans addicted to drugs. The irony of course is the Nancy Reagan “Say no to drugs” campaign. Even worse are the deaths of children and adults as a direct result of the CIA action.

Was Reagan in on this - my guess is probably and I "don't know". Jeremy Renner plays Gary Webb the San Jose Mercury News reporter that wrote and broke this story. It so inflamed the government, they called in all their chips with other news agencies and made Webb’s story seem false, unsubstantiated and inaccurate. How this affects his work life and home life are what this film is about.

Shamefully, as history tells us, the CIA’s confession years later didn’t land in the news like the stories made up and published against him. The story ends sadly and is a matter of public record. What it does point out is the criminal nature of our government in the name of stopping “the spread of communism” – yeah right.

Renner is strong as a reporter of integrity. I’m glad this story was told. Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Webb’s editor was interesting and failed to trust her reporter. Rosemarie DeWitt as Gary’s wife Sue was superb. I so enjoyed her presence in the film. Lucas Hedges as oldest son Ian was sublime. Small and pivotal roles by Oliver Platt, Andy Garcia and Ray Liotta were wonderful. Peter Landesman wrote this script from Gary Webb’s own book and Nick Schou's book of the films’ name. Michael Questa adequately directed this film.

Overall:  This was a great story and it saddens me that we cannot trust our government - still can't.

Promised Land

First Hit:  A film with a message about change in the United States.

How long will small towns survive in the United States, especially when work has gone wanting? How will they feed their families, send their children to college, and continue the life that was once mostly farming.

Steve Butler (played by Matt Damon) comes from one of those towns and he saw how his family lost their home and farm. He works for “Global” which leases farms where there are natural gas deposits, by giving the farmer a financial down payment and part of the profits from the gas they extract from the property.

The issue is that the system they use is called “fracking” which uses water and chemicals in their drilling to break up the shale and release the natural gas trapped in the shale. Problem is that it can contaminate the groundwater.

Steve is excellent at getting people to sign these leases because he’s honest and believes in giving people another option for their land. He's been through it and therefore believes in what his is doing. His co-worker, Sue Thompson (played by Frances McDormand), is his partner and is good at selling the leases. During the “selling” of the townsfolk in a community meeting at the gym, one of their townsfolk Frank Yates (played by Hal Holbrook) tells of the dangers of fracking. Steve indicates that there may be issues but Global takes the necessary precautions.

Then there is Dustin (played by John Krasinski) who rides into town in a light green truck representing Athena Environmental Group. He pushes for the townsfolk to vote against Global. It becomes a battle of wills, the truth and what is right between Dustin and Steve.

The battle is about the use of fracking and Alice (played by Rosemarie DeWitt) a local, pretty and eligible school teacher.

Damon, as usual, is outstanding. He plays the earnest thoughtful man who is willing to learn more about himself, and does this better than any actor I’ve seen. McDormand is wonderful as the sidekick who also frets about how much time she is spending away from her son. Holbrook’s resurgence as an actor in film has been wonderful and this performance continues to show his fine abilities. DeWitt is good as the attractive kind woman that captures the heart of the lead. Titus Welliver (as a store owner) is fantastic as the amused and interesting store owner. John Krasinski and Matt Damon wrote a wonderful and thoughtful script. Gus Van Sant’s direction was very good and some of the shots are absolutely brilliant.

Overall:  This was a thoughtful film and continues to have me asking questions about what small towns will do as farming is being taken over by conglomerates and manufacturing is being moved offshore.

Your Sister's Sister

First Hit:  Not a great film and some situations were well acted and thoughtful.

The film begins with some speeches at a party in a living room about someone who’s been deceased for a year. The persons brother Jack (played by Mark Duplass), still hurting from the loss of his brother, gives a talk about some of the earlier and darker sides of his deceased brother.

The gathered group doesn’t want to hear it, including Iris (played by Emily Blunt) who was the girlfriend of the dead brother. She pulls Jack aside and suggests he get himself together by staying at her family’s cabin on an island in the Puget Sound. He gets on his bike and rides to a ferry, takes the ferry to an island and finds the remote island cabin. Arriving he runs into Iris’s gay sister Hannah (played by Rosemarie DeWitt).

Hannah is at the cabin because she just ended a 7-year relationship and is trying to find herself. They sit down, have a bunch of drinks and end up having sex. Iris arrives the next day to visit Jack unexpectedly and finds her sister there as well.

The untold stories begin to evolve here and the audience is along for the ride. What I liked was the process of how the sisters resolve their issue - it wasn't with a simple “I’m sorry”. There are long walks, moments of ignoring the other person in the room, and alone time. Jack has his own searching to do but his search comes to fruition when he trashes his bike.

It is within these sections of the film where I thought and felt the congruency of the remote scenery and emotional processing each person goes through to resolve what life brings.

Overall, Duplass is good but not great. There are interesting moments when we get a glimpse of an interesting character. Blunt is very good in her role and I enjoy when she is on the screen. She has an ability to hide and expose who she and her character are simultaneously. DeWitt is charming and her interaction with Blunt in the bed scenes are revealing, sweet and joyous to watch. Lynn Shelton wrote and directed this film which is very much a woman’s film with a woman’s point of view.

Overall: I fully enjoyed how the threesome under the direction of Shelton took their time to resolve the issue at hand.

The Company Men

First Hit: I’ve lived through the drama of losing a job through cutbacks and this film captures an effective slice of life.

Anyone who has lost a job by way of cutbacks in this economy will know how easy it is to become disenchanted and feel helpless about the future.

Although Bobby Walker (played by Ben Affleck) is only 37, even at his young age, he’s worried because “new college MBAs will work 90 hours a week for nothing”. Even though this film focuses on Bobby, but it also highlights the other tragedies of a company doing mass layoffs.

Phil Woodward (played by Chris Cooper) who started with the company as a welder on the floor and grew with the company to become a highly paid executive is now on the open job market, old, with no real education, and his severance won’t cover his expenses for very long. His story is a tragic one of living slightly beyond his means and not always being aware that a company doesn’t owe you a thing except the paycheck you take from it.

Then there is Gene McClary (played by Tommy Lee Jones) who is the best friend of the CEO, James Salinger (played by Craig T. Nelson), is President of the division who is hardest hit. Although he is financially alright, he is painfully affected because the initial layoffs are done behind his back and he thinks that “ethically”, the corporation is not doing what is right.

Bobby tries to keep up the image that he, and his family is fine, by getting the Porsche detailed and by playing golf at the country club. His wife Maggie (played by Rosemarie DeWitt) is supportive and practical and does her best to guide Bobby into making some rational decisions.

Maggie’s brother Jack Dolan (played by Kevin Costner) offers Bobby construction work and although he rudely declines at first, he takes Jack up on the offer and begins an understanding of their two different lives. One thing not directly discussed in this film was how people live too close to the edge of paycheck to paycheck.

All the stuff they collect along the way can lose its meaning quickly when the money stops rolling in.

Affleck is strong and believable in his anger and frustration at losing his high level job at GTX. DeWitt is fabulous and I really enjoyed her practical, centered and loving support of her husband and the situation. Cooper is, as always, intense and very believable as the guy who came up from the shop floor to be a formable executive. Jones is great as the conscious of the company and how he finds his way back into the game. Nelson is perfect as the arrogant CEO who forgot about how to look at the impact of his decisions to gain the most for himself and shareholders of which he is a very large shareholder. Costner is wonderful as the construction oriented brother in-law. John Wells both wrote and directed this film effectively and with care.

Overall: This film is reflective of how losing a job in a large company in rough economic times can be very difficult. Many people are simply one job away from living on the streets.