"The Good Lie" is a drama about three siblings who survive the Second Sudanese Civil War of 1983-2005 and win a lottery to emigrate to the United States. The story follows their assimilation into American life and provides some unexpected twists and turns in the plot that [..]
Black or White (2014)
"Black or White" is the story of a wealthy white attorney dealing with the custody of his bi-racial granddaughter after the death of his wife. They had custody of her, but the girl's African-American grandmother's lawsuit against him for custody is at the center of the plot. [..]
The Theory of Everything (2014)
Eddie Redmayne won the Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of famed physicist Dr. Stephen Hawking in "The Theory of Everything." Redmayne delivered a very inspiring performance as one of the world's most brilliant men, who was stricken with motor neuron disease (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's [..]
Birdman (2014)
The Best Picture of 2014 is....."Birdman." This off-beat black comedy-drama film from producer-director-screenwriter Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu tells the story of a theatrical production, as it follows Michael Keaton playing a faded star attempting to put together a Broadway play. The bottom line about "Birdman" is that [..]
American Sniper (2014)
Producer-director Clint Eastwood ("Play Misty For Me" 1971) has another motion picture gem on his hands with "American Sniper." It tells the true story of Chris Kyle, the most effective marksman in U. S. military history. Eastwood and screenwriter Jason Hall focused like a laser beam [..]
Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014)
Producer-director Ridley Scott ("Alien" 1979) takes some liberties with the Biblical text in his movie version of the life of Moses in "Exodus: Gods and Kings." In the process, much of the drama of Moses' confrontation with Pharaoh, the ensuing plagues, and the crossing of the Red [..]
Divergent (2014)
"Divergent" is predictable and mundane science fiction at its worst. The boring screenplay by Evan Daugherty and Vanessa Taylor, adapted from the 2011 book of the same name by Veronica Roth, seems to steal elements from "The Hunger Games," "Harry Potter," "Ender's Game," and "The Matrix" series. [..]
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014)
"Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb" is a fun fantasy comedy movie, a sequel to the 2006 and 2009 features. Great production values from producer-director Shawn Levy ("The Pink Panther" 2006) and screenwriters David Guion and Michael Handelman. Stars Ben Stiller, Robin [..]
Big Hero 6 (2014)
"Big Hero 6" is the story of 14-year-old Hiro Hamada and his robot Baymax who form a superhero team to fight a masked villain. This is the first animated Disney film to feature Marvel Comics characters, since the media conglomerate acquire Marvel Studios in 2009. Crisp [..]
Into the Woods (2014)
Walt Disney Pictures and producer-director Rob Marshall ("Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" 2011) did an outstanding job of adapting a Tony Award winning musical into motion picture form. "Into the Woods," written by Stephen Sondheim and James Lupine, is a unique combined retelling of four [..]