Citizen Rules...Cinemaesque Chat-n-Review

Oh man, how did i miss Eddie the Eagle . Jeez, i wouldn't watch that film if you paid me. His story is well known here; it is pretty funny and he seems like a nice guy but nah. I imagine they were trying to make this a modern Cool Runnings or something.

Director: Bahram Beizai
Writer: Bahram Beizai
Cast: Susan Taslimi, Parviz Poorhosseini, Adnan Afravian
Genre: Drama
Country: Iran

About: Bashu, a young boy who's entire family is killed in the war with Iraq, ends up lost in a remote mountainous area of Iran, and is unable to speak the local dialect.The local villagers don't want him around, considering him a bad omen. But one woman decides to risk the wrath of her neighbors by caring for the orphan.

Review: I've never seen a film from Iran before...now I have. I thought it was really neat to see actual sites and people from Iran. I had no idea that they could get snow there? And I was surprised to see greenery and even ferns!

The opening title credits with the planes and the moaning sounds were odd....but after a few minutes I warmed up to the movie and especially the woman who took care of Bashu. I thought she was a darn good actresses. I believed I was watching the real thing as if it was a documentary.

The actor who played Bashu, deserves an Iranian equivalent of an Oscar. He was really, really good at doing the hard to do emotionally scenes. I enjoyed seeing the simple village life the people lead.

I thought the story was a good one and I have to say I didn't realize Iran was so modern in the way the woman Naii was portrayed. She was strong, she took charge, she spoke her mind. I liked that.

Director: Jeremy Brock
Writer: Jeremy Brock
Cast: Rupert Grint, Laura Linney, Julie Walters
Genre: Drama-Comedy

About: A shy teenager who's parents are religious. Dad is an open minded minister caring and supportive, but mom is controlling and off in her own world. The shy teen begins to learn that there's life outside of the church when he takes a job as an assistant to an eccentric retired actress, who drinks too much and lives life precariously. With the teen in tow the elderly actresses take him on an adventure he soon won't forget.


Review: A rather simple, but interesting British film. Done on a smaller budget, this indie film delves into subject matter like evangelical Christianity and the different ways people experience that. But this is not a pro-religion film, and it's focus is on the teenage boy who thanks to a road trip to Edinburgh Scotland, begins being his own person. During this time he stands up to his mom and camps out all night with the elderly lady (OK that's a little odd), he also has his first drink and his first encounter with a Scottish lass (yup, one of those kind of encounters)


The movie moves along at a good pace and at only 98 minutes it isn't a strain to watch. There's a few laughs here and there but mostly this is a drama and the comedy is from real life situations.

I liked it pretty much.

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You actually rated Bringing Up Baby a bit higher than i thought you would. Glad you got something out of it and that some others liked it in the hall of fame at least. I had to google that film Driving Lessons because i thought i might have seen it but it was another completely forgettable Rupert Grint film called Cherrybomb.

Actually you rated BUB higher than Bashu despite having it lower on your HOF list... hmmm

I did enjoy Bashu for it's uniqueness but it ain't something I want to see again.

For some movies my rating isn't just my enjoyment level it's also how important I think the movie is. I think Bringing Up Baby is a pretty important movie even thought I personally didn't love it. It's just Kate Hepburn I guess I never was a fan of hers, except in African Queen (which I know you don't like)

Never seen it.

I read a little about Eddie the Eagle because Hugh Jackman is in it, and it sounded like it might be my kind of movie. It's already on my watchlist, but it will probably be a while before I get a chance to see it. I'm way behind on current movies, and I'm still catching up on sci-fi movies.

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Whoops...maybe it was Raul who hated The African Queen? Somebody in an Hof or maybe it was the 50s countdown said that. I love that movie myself.

Let me know when you watch it. Like I said I rated kind of low because I wanted more about the real Eddie the Eagle, but it's still a good watch.

I think you liked Bringing Up Baby a little more than I did. I think the problem with the movie is that it's so focused on the crazy characters that there's no normal character to play off of. It's like having an odd couple where both characters are the same type. They need a normal, (or opposite), to balance the craziness,

It will be a while, but I'll let you know.

However I watched a different movie that both you and Cricket recommended to me for the sci-fi list. I watched The Abyss, and you were both right. I loved it. It might even break into my top 25.

I've kind of avoided that movie because I thought it was basically going to be like Cameron's The Thing, but under water, but it wasn't. It was more of a sci-fi / romance than sci-fi / horror.

Like I was telling Camo, my review and rating also focuses on the quality of film making and it's originality. From a personal level, Kate in Bringing Up Baby gave me a headache! I wasn't into the film.... But I'm no pleb, and I know it's a well regarded movie so it deserves it's good points pointed out.

Wonderful! I knew you would love it. I would have mentioned it back when we first talked about sci fi movies for the countdown, but I was sure you had seen it.

Now Leviathan (1989), is another underwater sci fi, but it's like alien only underwater.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097737/

No it doesn't. Maybe you need that but the film is well loved and acclaimed partially because of its relentless craziness. It would've been ruined if either of them were toned down.

I took a quick look at the synopsis for Leviathan, and it sounds more like sci-fi / horror, so I'm not sure that it's my kind of movie, but I'll see it I can find it.

Another movie that I watched for the sci-fi countdown that I loved is In Your Eyes (2014). It's another sci-fi / romance, but it has less of a sci-fi feel and more of a romance feel. I highly recommend it.

Enjoyed this review and will be adding it to my watchlist...I've come to discover that Laura Linney is always worth watching.

Will try to watch this one if for no other reason than I LOVE Peter Sarsgaard.

Sometimes when I watch a movie I think of MoFos who might like it, and I had you in mind when I was watching this. Agreed of Laura Linney, she had a plum role too.

Not so sure what your reaction to this will be. But bear in mind this experiments actually took place, so that to me added something to the movie, which itself is put together unconventionally.

Director: Brett Ratner
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Téa Leoni, Don Cheadle
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Romantic Comedy

A powerfully rich Wall Street executive, Jack Campbell (Nicholas Cage), who's on the verge of a multi-billion dollar merger orders a board meeting on the eve of Christmas...much to the chagrin of his employees who want to be with their families. But Jack has no family, having turned his back on his college girlfriend 13 years earlier, leaving her standing in tears at the airport as he flew off to start a high power career...without her.


On the way home in a corner deli Jack intervenes when a gunman (Don Chadley) threatens the life of the store clerk. The gunman in return gives Jack a 'glimpse' of what his life would have been like if he had staid and married his college girlfriend. Jack then wakes up in bed with his wife, surrounded by the kids and family dog.

Who hasn't wondered what their life would be like if they had taken a different turn at the proverbial fork in the road. The Family Man seeks to answer that age old question. Or at least it gives a glimpse of what might have been for Jack, a man who claimed to have everything he ever wanted. But apparently there's more to life than a fast Ferrari, money, power and penthouses. Or so this film says.


Nicholas Cage takes lots of criticism for taking on so many lame movies, but he's a darn good actor, he's easy to understand and connect to. We like him so we care what happens to him. That's important in this movie.

The other part of this alternative reality equation is his girlfriend/wife Kate played by Téa Leoni. She's perfect as the girl next door, the girl who a young up and coming executive would toss aside like an old shoe. But sometimes old shoes are the best fit...As his wife, she's not always a dreamboat and either is his 'new' life as a tire salesman. And life seldom is perfect. So the shoes do indeed fit.


The Family Man made me think about it for days after...and that's high praise because so many movies are forgettable.

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Oh yeah! I remember seeing this years ago. I quite liked it. Kind of an alternate take on It's a Wonderful Life.
Plus, Tea Leoni is pretty easy on the eyes.