FilmFlashes.com Blog

A well crafted dramatization of the origins of Facebook that may not flatter the developers (Jesse Eisenberg playing Mark Zuckerberg and Armie Hammer playing the Winklevoss twins), but provides chow for chatter about the state of social networking.

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Michael Sheen (The Queen, The Last King of Scotland, Frost/Nixon) shines in Peter Morgan’s adaptation of David Peace’s best selling novel about  legendary English football coach Brian Clough and his bitter rival, Don Revie (Colm Meaney).  You don’t have to be a sports fan to appreciate the tension and triumph brought to life by the [...]

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Nora Ephron flashes back and forth between Julia Childs’ (Meryl Streep) early entrée into the male dominated world of French cuisine and Julie Powell’s (Amy Adams) modern day blog that chronicles her attempt to find focus in her life by cooking up every recipe in Julia Childs’ French cookbook.  The highlight of this film is [...]

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Real life Los Angeles Times journalist, Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.) befriends a homeless man/schizophrenic/musical prodigy (Jamie Foxx) and gains a new perspective on the plight of the homeless as he writes a series of articles and eventually a book. While the relationship and personalities are inspiring, the time spent is tedious as [...]

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Swedish filmmaker, Jan Troell delivers an emotional portrait (based upon Troell’s wife’s relative) of a 1900’s Swedish, working class woman (Maria Heiskanen).  With the mentoring of a local photographer (Jesper Christensen) she discovers her gift for capturing beauty and calm amidst the social unrest, abusive behavior by her husband (Mikael Persbrandt), poverty, and child-rearing that engulf her.

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Israeli writer/director, Ari Folman explores the psychological impact of Israeli participation in the first Lebanese war through original, repetitive animated drawings.

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If your feet boggie to the beat of the blues, you’ll thrill to the tempo of Muddy Waters (Jeffrey Wright), Little Walter (Columbus Short), Chuck Berry (Mos Def) Willie Dixon (Cedric the Entertainer), Howlin’ Wolf (Eamonn Walker), and Etta James (Beyonce Knowles) showcased in the order they were discovered by record promoter/producer Leonard Chess (Adrien Brody).  [...]

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LAPD corruption and incompetence in the early 1930’s is splayed out in this fact-based crime case, marvelously directed by Clint Eastwood. Christine Collins’s (Angelina Jolie) efforts to find her missing son (Gattlin Griffith) with the assistance of a local outspoken clergyman (John Malkovich) lead to dramatic confrontations and conclusions, sure to keep audiences [...]

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While the poetic style of Khaled Hosseini’s novel doesn’t translate to the screenplay, we are truly touched by the two young Afghan boys (Zekeria Ebrahimi and Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada) whose relationship is the basis of this bio/drama.
Please share your opinion regarding Film Flashes movie review of The Kite Runner .

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There’s no debate about the inspirational benefit related to this story of professor Melvin B. Tolson (Denzel Washington) and the students he motivated in the mid 1930’s at Wiley College in Texas to form the school’s first debate team.
Please share your opinion regarding Film Flashes movie review of The Great Debaters . [...]

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Denzel Washington presents his character, Frank Lucas with style in the ficitonalized account of the Vietnam war era, Manhattan heroin dealer. Russell Crowe is the controlled detective/law student who methodically follows the money and Ruby Dee packs a punch as Lucas’ mama. The glitter and gutter sequences keep [...]

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