Adnerb the Movie Nerd

Movie reviews from a middle school teacher's perspective

Inferno

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The DaVinci code was a smart, riveting book that was made into an exceptional movie.  The rest of his books/movies may not  be quite as good, but they are still entertaining.    There are a lot of plot holes in this one, and if you haven’t read the book I think you will be confused by the story a bit. But that shouldn’t get in the way of having an enjoyable movie experience.  Tom Hanks plays Robert Langdon, the Harvard symbologist whose expertise is needed to help the CDC stop a world-wide pandemic from happening.  As always, Langdon uses his brains, rather than his brawn, to solve the mystery.   I enjoyed Irrfan Khan’s ( you have seen him in Life of Pi and Jurassic World) performance as Harry Sims, even though I am not sure exactly what his character was all about.  Also, Felicity Jones gives a decent performance as a doctor who joins forces with Langdon after he is grazed by a bullet and sent to the emergency room. I do relish the way these movies feature art and literature and take us to famous landmarks and museums.  This one takes you to Venice, Florence and Istanbul among others.  The Da Vinci Code inspired my husband and I to make a trip to Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland.  Perhaps when we visit Italy, we may have to visit the Palazzo Vecchio to check out Dante’s death mask!

The Accountant

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I love this movie!!  It is one of the quirkiest action movies I have seen in a long time.  There are plot twists, flashbacks, and an autistic “hero.”   The screenplay by Bill Dubuque is sophisticated and smart.  The story centers on Christian Wolff, an autistic accountant who may have underworld connections.  J.K Simmons is the Treasury agent who wants to find him.  There are good supporting performances from Jon Bernthal and Anna Kendrick, as well as Jeffery Tambor and John Lithgow.  This is Ben Affleck’s movie all the way though.  I have taught many students who had Asperger’s or high functioning autism and I can tell you that Ben nails his portrayal of these often misunderstood individuals.  Be prepared though, there is a lot of violence in this movie, more than you might expect if you have seen the movie trailer.  In a way that is too bad, because I think older kids could learn a lot from this.

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back

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I love the first Jack Reacher movie starring Tom Cruise.  In fact, that movie inspired me to start reading the Lee Child books.  So I must say I was a little disappointed in this movie.  It isn’t bad, but it is not quite as good as the first one, which had the added benefit of the great Robert Duvall.  In Never Go Back, Colbie Smulders plays Major Susan Turner who is arrested on a trumped up espionage charge.  Reacher, who has only spoken to the major over the phone, decides to look into the case.  Of course, there is corruption everywhere, and Reacher is tasked to sort it all out.  Tom Cruise may not look like the Jack Reacher of the books ( he is supposed to weigh a muscular 300 pounds) but he definitely has the attitude.  He also has a daughter he didn’t know about, or does he?  There is lots of action and chases and, of course, Reacher straightens it all out.  I like how this movie was faithful to the book.  Even though I felt this one wasn’t as good as the first one, I am still looking forward to the next Jack Reacher movie.

Young Frankenstein

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What a night!   In honor of the late, beloved actor, Gene Wilder, Fathom Events held a screening of Young Frankenstein for one night throughout the United States.  The cool thing about this screening was the LIVE introduction by Mel Brooks, the film’s writer and director.   The 90 year old Brooks is still as sharp and funny as ever.  Once his introduction was over and the movie began, there were very few times that I wasn’t laughing or smiling at his great comedy.  Wilder is  perfect as Victor Frankenstein (who has trouble with the pronunciation of his name) a grandson of the infamous mad doctor.  Teri Garr has impeccable comic timing as his assistant.  The movie is stolen by the great Marty Feldman as Igor the hunchback assistant with the migrating hump.  One of my favorite scenes involves a hermit played by Gene Hackman who is visited by Peter Boyle as the monster who was given “Abby’s” brain by mistake, absolute comic genius.  The cast is full of great performances.  How can we forget Cloris Leachman playing cigar smoking Frau Blucher, or Kenneth Mars as one armed Inspector Kemp?   Madeline Kahn is superlative  as a sort of Frankenstein’s bride who sings “Oh Sweet Mystery of Life At last I’ve found You” when she and the well-endowed monster finally consummate their love.  If you have never seen this movie, please do yourself a favor.  Watch the whole movie, not just a snippet here or there.  There is a reason it makes everyone’s list as one of the greatest comedies of all time.  It is that good!

The Girl on the Train

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I enjoyed Emily Blunt a lot in this movie.  She plays the alcoholic Rachel, who takes a train every day into NY city; and happens to pass  the very house she chose with her ex husband, that he, his new wife and baby  live in. They have a nanny, who turns out to be the wife of a neighbor.  While watching from the train, she observes some shenanigans. When the nanny disappears, the mystery  begins.  Emily Blunt’s Rachel was drunk that night and had got off the train to confront the nanny.  She wakes up at home, covered with blood and bruises.  She has no memory of what happened.  A detective, played by the always intriguing Allison Janney, investigates.  Then the nanny is found dead! Rachel has been violent before, could she be a murderer?  Things are not what they seem though, as all the main characters appear to be hiding something.  Even though there are some plot holes, and everything doesn’t exactly add up, it doesn’t harm the flow of the story, and Emily Blunt’s performance ties the whole movie together.  I read the book when it first came out and thought at the time it would make an interesting movie;I was not disappointed.