The Front Runner

First Hit: I liked the feel of the film in that it felt almost documentary like versus a deep dive into the character(s).

Like Gary Hart (Hugh Jackman) the candidate himself, the film didn’t go into his feelings or into the deeply personal aspects of the main character. Gary, as portrayed here, only wanted it to be about good ideas, a government that runs well, a government that focuses on people, and a strong ethical honest government.

The problem is that he didn’t think the public's opinion about his ethics towards his marriage and wife mattered. Gary comes across as if the big picture of what he represented for government was the only thing worth discussing and everything else he was above discussing. This was his downfall, because as we know, people must also relate to a Presidential candidate at a personal level as well and if they cannot, any flaws that are publicly played out will find a life of their own and possibly doom the candidacy.

His wife, Lee Hart (Vera Farmiga), liked her life living on a Colorado ranch and didn’t like engaging with and traveling with Gary as he campaigned for President. The scenes where Gary and Lee are together, were strong in how they related to each other at a level that worked for them and maybe it wasn’t typical.

In one scene, Lee states, “I only asked that you not embarrass me.” He did embarrass Lee and did so by attending a gathering of supporters on a boat called “Monkey Business” where he met a young woman named Donna Rice (Sara Paxton). The press then, and a little in the film, made fun of where he met Donna Rice, a young beautiful blonde and smart (graduated “summa cum laude”) woman. Hart’s disdain for the party and the people on the boat, except Donna, is aptly shown.

In press interviews, like on the boat, Gary only wanted to talk about the important stuff and this philosophy was echoed by his campaign manager Bill Dixon (J.K. Simmons). They didn’t want to appear on food shows or go to fairs in Iowa. He didn’t want to be asked about what he liked and, on the occasion, where he’d show up to a public event, like the lumberjack contest, he wanted to be seen as honest, strong, and the man with the answers who could also throw an axe.

The film floats, with distance from all the characters, from scene to scene. We pop into press briefings, strategy sessions, team meetings, telephone calls, press interviews. Everything is done with some distance except when Donna and Irene Kelly (Molly Ephraim) spend time together as Donna gets moved out of Washington DC, where she had a tryst with Gary, and back to Miami FL.

The scene when Donna goes down the escalator in Miami’s airport is heartbreaking because she’s alone and Irene can no longer help her. Irene sitting at the bar, is so telling.

With a slight distance, we watch newspaper editors discussing covering Hart and reporters doing their job of digging up stories that either support or do not support the candidate. The Washington Post reporter Roy Valentine (Nyasha Hatendi) interview with Gary and the press interview where Roy asks very poignant questions were very powerful scenes. The breakdown of Gary’s façade was perfect.

When his team learns, that Gary is leaving the presidential race, the team, who so believed in him, are disappointed, and it shows.

Jackman was excellent as the handsome, smart politician with great hair, Gary Hart. His ability to keep people at a distance, while drawing them in with his ideas was perfect. Farmiga was wonderful as Lee Hart. Her hurt was appropriately displayed while showing her strong independent nature as well. Hatendi was outstanding as the reporter learning the ropes of asking the hard questions. Loved the scene in the final press briefing Gary gave. Ephraim was sublime as the key woman on Gary’s campaign team, who also had a heart. When she asked Gary at dinner about how Donna was doing, his response showed so well on her face. Simmons was great as Gary’s campaign manager. His distaste for making it personal was perfectly aligned with Gary’s view of the world, until it didn’t. Paxton was wonderful as Donna. I loved her telling Irene about her previous boyfriends over drinks. Matt Bai, Jay Carson, Jason Reitman wrote a strong telling script that was well executed by director Reitman.

Overall: I liked how story played out on film.

The Commuter

First Hit:  There are excellent and overdone parts in this engaging film.

I will start with that this film was very creative in providing the audience with the setup about who Michael MacCauley (Liam Neeson) is. He’s married, he has a very predictable routine, and he works hard to help his son get a good education. All this is delivered before the opening credits are complete. In other words, if you don’t get to the film on time, don’t bother because then the point of the film is lost.

At work one day, after closing another client on buying an insurance policy, he gets called into his boss’s office and gets terminated. Because the audience was part of his selling the insurance policy just a few moments earlier, we know how this puts him in deep financial straits.

Heading home on the train to tell his wife and son, he’s approached by Joanna (Vera Farmiga) who gives him a proposition, find someone on the train, put a tracking device in their bag, and be paid $100K. Given the financial situation he’s in, being a former cop, and his inquisitive nature he tries to solve the riddle.

However, soon after he begins, everything falls apart and the story gets intense real quick.

This is also where the film begins to get unreal, overly complicated, and overdone. How does Joanna know exactly what is happening on the train, moment by moment, is difficult to buy. The number of fights, the length of the fights, and how undamaged Michael is after all the fights wasn't realistic. The train crash, although spectacular, was not realistic. The crash lasted too long and wouldn’t have happened in the way that it did. Additionally there are a number of other scenes that were not realistic. However, it’s engaging because Neeson is always fun to watch and he’s a great “every” man.

Neeson is excellent as Michael. He can make an unrealistic film good enough to watch and stay engaged with. Farmiga was very good as the elusive Joanna. Her calm demeanor and controlled engaging voice really worked. Patrick Wilson as Police Lt. Alex Murphy was very good and convincing as walking two different sides of the street. Jonathan Banks as another commuter named Walt was very good. His gruff, yet inviting self, worked perfectly. Byron Willinger, Philip de Blasi, and Ryan Engle wrote a convoluted script, which delivered action. Jaume Collet-Serra directed the film with the assurance of having Neeson as his protagonist.

Overall:  Despite its flaws, it is a fun film to watch and it’s the actors that make it work.

The Judge

First Hit:  A very good film and it could have been better.

Having Robert Downey Jr. (as Hank Palmer) and Robert Duvall (as his father Joseph) in the same film can only spell amazing possibilities.

Estranged son Hank is a defense attorney who seems to always get his man freed. He knows the law, how to pick a jury and how to exploit them both to keep his high-end, high ticket clients out of jail. Joseph is a 42 year sitting on the bench judge in the same small town where Hank was raised.

Hank was a difficult child and Joseph felt it important to be a tough, no-nonsense, father. What brings them together in this story is the death of Hank’s mom, Joseph’s wife. The difficulty between the two men is quickly set forth when he sees his father for the first time and Dad simply greets him with a handshake.

On the night after the funeral, Joseph is accused of killing a former criminal by hitting him with his car and leaving the scene of the accident. Of course Hank tries to be his dad’s defense lawyer and there is where the story of reconciliation takes place. Both of these actors have a depth that wasn’t fully mined in the script.

The stubbornness and rigidness that Duvall can bring and the quick witted intelligent banter that Downey is known for was only partially displayed. One the other side of the story the scene of father and son in the bathroom while Hank’s daughter Lauren (Emma Tremblay) knocked on the door to be let in was beautifully executed.

Downey was the perfect person for the part and with a stronger script, more could have been made of his history. Duvall was the perfect person for the part of father and judge. Tremblay was great as Downey’s daughter. Vera Farmiga was divine as Hanks old high school girlfriend Samantha. Billy Bob Thornton as the prosecuting attorney was wonderful. Nick Schenk and Bill Dubuque wrote this engaging but not deep enough script. David Dobkin directed this film and made good use of Duvall and Downey but there was more available to make this film great.

Overall:  I laughed, was touched, and found the story intriguing but it was not quite all it could be.

At Middleton

First Hit:  This was very enjoyable to watch the dance of this relationship develop.

The essence of this story is about two adults George Hartman (Andy Garcia) and Edith Martin (Vera Farmiga) bringing their two respective kids to a college in Middleton for a campus tour but find something greater.

Edith’s daughter Audrey (Taissa Farmiga) wants to come to Middleton because she wants to work with Professor Dr. Roland Emerson (Tom Skerritt) while George’s son Conrad (Spencer Lofranco) thinks this middle American country college is totally lame.

The film gives a view of their respective parental relationships by going from car to car as they drive to the college. The personality of each of the parents becomes solidified the moment these two cars park in the parking lot and there is a disagreement. There is a spark between these parents and it is visible.

As the film unfolds the kids have their experience of the college, each other and wondering about their parents, while the film focuses on the budding relationship of the parents. The sequence when they get roped into demonstrating a married couple in front of the drama class was very powerful. The twist about what their children choose is like icing on the cake.

Garcia was very good as the uptight cardio surgeon wanting his son to experience, possibly what he hasn’t. Vera Farmiga is strong as the sarcastic, vulnerable, and engaging woman who wants to have more in life. Her younger sister (by 21 years) Taissa was very engaging and screen stealing when she was on camera. Lofranco was OK as Garcia’s son, and his performance grew as the film moved along. Skerritt was really good in his short role as the admired professor. Glenn German and Adam Rodgers wrote a snappy (parking lot exchange) and heart-warming script. Rodgers directed the film with a caring touch by setting up some wonderful scenes, including the bike theft.

Overall:  This was a pleasure to watch – heartwarming.

Safe House

First Hit:  A lot of shooting, confusing story, and Denzel has some nice lines to say.

The story is somewhat confusing because we never deeply understand why Tobin Frost (played by Denzel Washington) decides to become a rogue agent.

Once a premier CIA agent, he splits from the agency and starts trading in top secrets and information to other people and agencies throughout the world. There is a moment where he tries to share his angst for killing innocent people but it falls flat.

The film starts with Frost picking up and getting ready to sell some files about MI6 and CIA agents. A group tries to kill him after he picks up the electronic files encased in a small capsule so, for safety, he runs to the U.S. embassy and turns himself in.

He’s taken to a “Safe House” run by Matt Weston (played by Ryan Reynolds). Weston is bored with his job because no one stays at his house. He lies to his live-in girlfriend Ana (played by Nora Arnezeder) that he does different work. He makes up excuses to not be available to her when Frost is taken his “Safe House” for interrogation.

However, Matt does love Ana which is one part of the story that works. While being interrogated, the “Safe House” is raided by the same guys who were trying to kill Frost earlier, so Weston grabs Frost and escapes through a secret hall out of the house.

Stealing a car he calls the CIA and gets instructions about what to do next. Frost, who likes to get into people's heads, asks Matt how the assassins knew he was in the “Safe House”? It took Weston most of the film to figure it out, while most of the film audience knew who sold him out much earlier.

There are lots of chases, some good like the initial car chase and some not so good, like one of the rooftop chases (too long). The CIA heads who are assisting Weston were his boss David Barlow (played by Brendan Gleeson), Catherine Linklater (played by Vera Farmiga), and their boss Harlan Whitford (played by Sam Shepard).

Washington is OK in this role but hampered by the script and direction. The story didn’t let him expand and create a deeper more interesting character. Reynolds was better as the restless “Safe House” keeper. His character was expanded by his love for Ana and some real questions about his job choice. Arnezeder was OK in this limited role. Gleeson was too transparent and his real role slipped out too early. Farmiga was out of her element and didn’t come off as a real, let alone strong CIA team leader. Shepard was strong in his role. David Guggenheim wrote a poorly constructed script with little depth. It stayed on the surface and there was little character development. Daniel Espinosa directed this with little regard for depth but very long on shooting and killing action.

Overall:  This film had a lot of violence which took away from what could have been something thrilling.