Movie Reviews - Black and Blue

Movie Reviews this week looks at the beautiful drama Black and Blue.

It tells the story of Amber, a teen having troubles at home with her mother, a meth addict, and her mother's boyfriend a violent drunk. We meet Amber at a music class, where she seem oblivious to the class, amidst the troubles she is having at home.

Soon afterwards she finds her mother unconscious from taking meth, and while her mother is recuperating in hospital, she is sent to stay with one of her relatives, but not before her teacher says goodbye to her with the gift of a lovely 1930's classic guitar. It turns out the life her relative leads is no different from the life Amber was having with her mother, and in the middle of the night she takes her sole belonging, the 1930's guitar and runs away.

Living on the streets Amber faces some of the dangers prevalent for anyone just made homeless, from the homeless people adamant she doesn't take any of their sleeping spaces, to the dangers often faced by single teens on the streets, fortunately for her she is protected from a terrible attack from some homeless vagrants, by a couple of street musicians she saw early on in the day, one of them notices her guitar and asks her if she can play, she says she can't and walks away. As fate would have it she soon befriends the street singers that helped her and their lead singer, namely Ryan played by Dennis Denicola, Teresa the lead singer of the group, played by another beautiful singer Carolina Hoyos, and Marco, played by Daniel Galo, Teresa notices the guitar she is carrying and asks her to play, she mentions she doesn't really know how to play it, but Teresa insists that this is the condition if she wants to hang around with them; she must play, and as if on cue, she plays a beautiful melody and sings too, to the amazement of all, and no doubt the audience too. Amber is played by the gorgeous and very talented Christine Evans (she has one of those dreamy voices, that is reminiscent of Alanis Morisette).

Amber befriends a local blues singer Billy, played magnificently by Zach Harmon, who she first meets wanting to sell the 1930's classic guitar to him to raise some money, Billy asks why on earth anybody would want to sell such a beautiful instrument, he fixes the loose strings on the guitar and plays a lovely song, and soon afterwards Amber asks him to teach her, which he is only too happy to do, it turns out Amber is looking for that father figure she has missed all her life, and Billy sees her as someone who needs guidance, which he is very happy to give.

Black and Blue is a beautiful tale of hope when all seems lost, both for Amber and her newly found companions. The songs and guitar melodies in Black and Blue are what makes this movie enchanting, and Christine Evans is a very talented singer and guitarist.

Movie Reviews is constantly updated with good reviews of great movies that are a must see.

The street musicians, from left Teresa (Carolina Hoyos), Amber (Christine Evans), Ryan (Dennis Denicola) and Marco (Daniel Galo)

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Movie Reviews - War Eagle Arkansas

Movie reviews this week looks at the biographical drama War Eagle Arkansas.

This is a fairly recent biographical tale made for the big screen, that tells the story of two boys living in a rural community, War Eagle, Arkansas. The title might elude to it being a war story but it is far from it.

It is a story of a charming disabled boy known affectionately as "Wheels" played brilliantly by Dan McCabe (The Cake Eaters), and his best friend Enoch who has a speech impediment (played impressively well by Luke Grimes [Ryan in Brothers and Sisters]). Enoch lives with his grandfather better known as "Pop", played by the stalwart Brian Dennehy (Gladiator).

Pop is trying to get Enoch a baseball scholarship into one of the best sporting universities around their area, and it soon becomes obvious to the audience that Pop seems to have regretted giving up his dreams of being a major baseball star and staying in War Eagle, and he doesn't want that for Enoch, but you are not quite sure if Enoch dreams are to leave War Eagle.

The friendship of the two boys is so close, that at the first few scenes you automatically assume that they are siblings, spending as much time in each other's company as possible, and Enoch even gets to say the last word to Wheels, after his mother Jessie played by the ever brilliant Mary Kay Place (Adalene Grant in Big Love) gets him ready for bed.

Pop is in charge of the local baseball team, and in his attempt to get Enoch a baseball scholarship, pushes him as best as he can, as he sees it there is nothing in this town, to keep him there. Apart from baseball, there is an allusion to watching wrestling on TV, and one can't miss the obvious focus on Jerry "The King" Lawler, and can see the symbolism he represents as someone who made it out of war Eagle, Arkansas. There is the usual romantic interest as Enoch has the hots for a lovely girl, Abby played by the surprisingly young looking Misti Traya, and there are a few embarrassing moments for Enoch as he summons the courage to ask Abby out, but of course his speech impediment gets in the way, unless Wheels is by his side to speak for him, and in one painful scene, where Enoch tries to do it alone without Wheels, he leaves in a rush, as the words cannot come out and a few of Abby's friends can't help but giggle at his attempt. When he does eventually ask her out, the audience will feel the loneliness and pain Wheels feels, on a life he aspires for but is not realistic of seeing come true.

War Eagle Arkansas, is an endearing movie of two boys, and their friendship as they decide what path their lives are going to take, and they seek advice from the sole preacher at this close knit community, Jack played by James McDaniel (Lt. Arthur Fancy in NYPD Blue).

Movie Reviews is constantly updated with good reviews of great movies that are a must see.

Enoch (Luke Grimes), with his friend Wheels (Dan McCabe)

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Movie Reviews - The Slammin' Salmon

Movie Reviews this week looks at the comedy The Slammin' Salmon.
The Slammin' Salmon is one of the most craziest comedy movies you will see all year
, absolutely hilarious from beginning to end.

It stars Michael Duncan Clarke (The Big Mile) as Cleon "Slammin'" Salmon also known as "The Champ", a retired former heavy weight boxing champion, who has opened a restaurant The Slamming Salmond, where customers are waited on by a very competitive crew of waiters.

The fun begins when Cleon tells the restaurant's manager Rich Ferrente played by Kevin Heffernan (Beerfest), that he owes 20,000 dollars to a Yakuza friend, and Rich must make 20,000 dollars tonight from the restaurant's takings or he will be in for a rollicking.

Rich in his panic conveys to the staff that there will be a prize for the waiter that generates the most cash that night, and competition begins amongst the waiters, Nuts played by the hilarious Jay Chandrasekhar (Beerfest, The Dukes of Hazzard), who normally takes his medication or else he turns into his alter-ego Zongo (and you just know somehow he is going to forget to take his medication), there is an absolute classic scene, where Nuts/Zongo is trying to serve a salmon to one of the customers, but in his mind all the customers at that particular table are cats, he thinks he is lovingly holding the salmon while the cats all feed on it, while he asks "what does it taste like"? But in reality he is forcefully shoving the salmond down the throat of an unfortunate customer.

One of the waiters Connor played by Steve Lemme (Beerfest), used to be the main lead on a TV show CFI Hot Lanta (an obvious parody of CSI: Las Vegas and its spin offs), but he lost his job, and embarrassingly has to go back to waiting tables at The Slamming Salmond, but ofcourse his colleagues especially Guy played by Erik Stolhanske (Beerfest), can't wait for tidbits on others stars in the show, such as Morgan Fairchild who makes a guest appearance as herself.

Mia played by the gorgeous April Bowlby (Two and a half men), is in ballerina school, and aims to win the prize as the waiter able to bring in the most cash, but she is about to get involved in an accident that might ruin her chances entirely. The chef Dave played by Paul Soter (Beerfest), has got his socially awkward twin brother Donnie (also played by Paul Soter) a job as a waiter, and he is also thrust into the competition, but is soon corrupted by Connor, who equally has eyes on the prize, as well as Tara, played by the gorgeous Cobie Smulders (The L Word), a medical student, who along with trying to fight for the prize, has to prevent Nuts from turning into Zongo, by making sure he takes his medication.

The Slammin' Salmond has superb acting, with all the cast in the movie having excellent comedy timing especially Michael Duncan Clarke as the ominous boss, and the movie has great cameos, notably from Sendhil Ramamurty (Dr. Suresh in Heroes) as Marlon Spencer who has brought his girlfriend Samara Dubois played by the gorgeous Oliva Munn; to propose to her, but is about to get into a spot of bother with the engagement ring.

The hlarious cast of Slammin' Salmon from left: Nuts (Jay Chandrasekhar), Guy (Erik Stolhanske), Mia (April Bowlby), Donnie also as Dave (Paul Soter), Tara (Cobie Smulders),Connor (Steve Lemme), Cleon (Michael Duncan Clarke), and Rich Ferrente (Kevin Heffernam)

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Movie Reviews - Uncertainty

Movie reviews this week looks at the thriller Uncertainty.

It stars the gorgeous Lynn Collins (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) as Kate and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (3rd Rock from the Sun) as Bobby, two young couple, going about their normal day who decide on the toss of a coin whether to spend 4th of July at the home of one of their parents or together, the movie follows them as they spend it together, when they happen to find a mobile phone at the back of a taxi, against suggestions from Kate to hand the phone over to the driver of the taxi, Bobby refuses, and tries to be the good Samaritan, by calling random numbers on the phone, telling them he happens to have found the phone at the back of a taxi giving his name and personal mobile number, as well as his address, to contact him so he can return the phone.

Soon afterwards someone calls saying they will arrange to pick up the phone from Bobby's location, and that they will be identified in a red shirt, while Bobby says they can identify him as he is wearing a yellow shirt.

It turns out that some shady characters are dead set on getting the phone, and much to Kate, and Bobby's horror, the fellow who came in the red shirt is shot in broad day light, while someone else phones Bobby on the same phone telling them his name is Dmitri claiming that the phone is his and he wants it back.

The young couple flee for their lives, as the assassin scans around looking for who the man in the red shirt came to meet. The first instinct of the couple is to rush over to the nearest police station and report what has happened, and to mention that it has something to do with the phone they found at the back of a taxi. Whilst at the police station they begin searching on the Internet with the names the know in connection with the phone so far, and happen to come upon some information that the phone might contain some financial figures to do with the lottery, and it could be worth several millions in the right hands.

The couple begin to wonder what on earth is so vitally important on the phone that someone is prepared to kill for it, and they decide to send a text message to Dmitri (switching on the phone for a short time as they are worried they may be some kind of trace on it) with an anonymous email account to email them on (so they can check it publicly), where they ask for $500,000 to give back the phone.

At first the man calling himself Dmitri, refuses stating this is his phone, and threatening them, Bobby calmly tells Kate he will pay, while Kate says it doesn't look as if he is prepared to pay, however the last email sent from Dmitri says he will pay, and the young couple set about trying to find a safe location for them to meet.

What sets this movie apart is that it follows two different alternate scenarios, which the viewer sees simultaneously, instead of Kate and Bobby happening to find the phone at the back of a taxi, they alternate scenario is that they visit Kate's parents home to celebrate the 4th of July, where Kate's mother Sylvia played by Assumpta Serna (Henry the VIII) is trying to talk some sense into Kate's sister Sophie played by the gorgeous Olivia Thirlby (Juno), and Bobby tries to impress Kate's mother, father and very close knit family, amidst some interesting news the couple haven't yet found the strength to let Kate's parents know about.

Uncertainty is a very interesting movie of cat and mouse, with superb and energetic performances from the brilliant cast.
Movie Reviews is constantly updated with great reviews of good movies that are a must see.

Lynn Collins (Kate) and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Bobby) about to toss a coin

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