Movie Review: The Art of Racing in the Rain

THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN
Release: August 9, 2019
MPAA Rating: PG
Director: Simon Curtis
Screenplay by: Mark Bomback
Based on the novel by Garth Stein
Producers: Neal H. Moritz, Patrick Dempsey, Tania Landau
Cast: Milo Ventimiglia, Amanda Seyfried, Gary Cole, Kathy Baker, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Martin Donovan and the voice of Kevin Costner

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Based on the best-selling novel by Garth Stein, THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN is a heartfelt tale narrated by a witty and philosophical dog named Enzo (voiced by Kevin Costner). Through his bond with his owner, Denny Swift (Milo Ventimiglia), an aspiring Formula One race car driver, Enzo has gained tremendous insight into the human condition and understands that the techniques needed on the racetrack can also be used to successfully navigate the journey of life. The film follows Denny and the loves of his life - his wife, Eve (Amanda Seyfried), their young daughter Zoe (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), and ultimately, his true best friend, Enzo.

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The Art of Racing in the Rain is the latest dog movie to hit theaters.  It is unabashedly a pet lover’s film. Any pet will do; dog, cat, chinchilla.  Racing invites those audiences who read the best-selling book by the same title, as well as everyone who has ever seen any incarnation of a pet movie (Marely & Me, Hachi, etc.) and adds to that anyone who enjoys films about human compassion.  Racing is for everyone.   

You don’t have to have a personal investment in pet to appreciate the adorable Enzo’s (the dog) philosophies about personal interactions. Even as a puppy, Enzo (voiced by Kevin Costner) provides an insightful, almost sage, view of the world around him. Enzo’s perceptions of the world, brilliantly told in Costner’s voice, drives the movie like a one of Denny Swift’s (played by Milo Ventimiglia) cars.

The plot points weren’t groundbreaking.  There were complications and obstacles that have been done, especially in dog movies, but just when one started to piece together the predictable plot on one’s own, there was an extended close-up shot of Enzo’s furry face to make people stop caring that they knew how the rest of the story was going to go.  It went in cycles; complication, predictability, and cute dog close-up... awwwww.

Still, it is worth the price of admission. The cast sold the story. They appeared to actually enjoy their story and that made the audience want to like it, too. Every bit of Racing felt genuine and sincere.  It’s lighter fare, a PG movie in a rated R world. It was a pleasant escape. 

The Art of Racing in the Rain is playing everywhere now. Give it a look... and bring tissues. 

Movie Review: STX Entertainment's #MollysGame

Molly's Game

STARRING Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Jeremy Strong, Chris O'Dowd, Bill Camp
Based on the Book by Molly Bloom
SCREEPLAY BY Aaron Sorkin
DIRECTED BY Aaron Sorkin
RATED R

MOLLY’S GAME is based on the true story of Molly Bloom, an Olympic-class skier who ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game for a decade before being arrested in the middle of the night by 17 FBI agents wielding automatic weapons. Her players included Hollywood royalty, sports stars, business titans and finally, unbeknownst to her, the Russian mob. Her only ally was her criminal defense lawyer Charlie Jaffey, who learned that there was much more to Molly than the tabloids led us to believe.

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Aaron Sorkin's Molly's Game is an exercise in all things Aaron Sorkin, for better or worse. The writer of A Few Good Men, The Social Network, and t.v.'s The West Wing takes a stab at directing the powerhouse cast of Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba and Kevin Costner in a larger than life biopic about Molly Bloom's rise and fall in the world of high-stakes poker. Don't worry; Aaron Sorkin also wrote Molly's Game, so he hasn't given-up writing for directing.

It doesn't so much matter that Molly Bloom is a real person or that the movie is based on real events. In Sorkin's world,  the real people are all turned into fast-talking, wry and intelligent characters who can deliver monologues like no body's business. 

To deliver his tightly written monologues, Sorkin relied on excellent casting. Chastain (as Molly) has previously proven herself an expert at delivering powerful dialogue. Think Miss Sloane or Zero Dark Thirty. She carries the role of Molly perfectly. Chastain was very believable as both an Olympic quality skier and as a poker game host.  Costner (as Larry Bloom, Molly's dad) is equally strong and convincing in his father role. The give and take between Costner and Chastain were the best scenes in the film. 

By constant, the scenes between Elba (as Charlie Jaffey, Bloom's lawyer) and Chastain were not as interesting. Elba has a slow, rugged quality that slowed down the action. The pacing of the plot felt uneven. Elba delivered too many lines with dramatic pauses. The smoldering good looks aside, it got old. 

The poker got old, too. At first, the audience is drawn-in by the voyeuristic intrigue of peeking into a foreign, secret world. There's a poker game. There's a ton of money at stake. There's also a power struggle. That was interesting. Quickly, the action turned self-indulgent and self-destructive.  The plot became unrelatable, so far from reality that it became uninteresting.  And then, there was another poker game and another and another. Seems like there had to have been more issues in Bloom's life, but all the audience saw was poker. 

Still, from the prologue on to the court judgment, Sorkin's writing makes it entertaining to watch Bloom navigate the underbelly world of illegal gambling. The three stars of Molly's Game are always worth watching. And the story is a part of Americana. It might be a worthwhile time at a theater, for fans of Sorkin or fans of poker. Molly's Game is in limited release now. 

HIDDEN FIGURES | #HappyBirthdayKatherineJohnson - Watch the Video!!!

2000 steps. 120 miles. 5 honorary degrees. 4 great-grandchildren. These are some of the numbers that have defined Katherine Johnson's legacy. And today is her 98th birthday.

20th Century Fox and HIDDEN FIGURES are wishing the brilliant and trailblazing Katherine G. Johnson a Happy 98th Birthday! Katherine is the NASA mathematician who served as the brains behind one of the greatest space missions in US history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit. Join in on her birthday celebration by checking out the below video and learning more about her inspiring story.

To honor this remarkable woman on Women's Equality Day, Fox will be making a donation to STEM EDUCATION for every share of this video on August 26th, 2016 (TODAY)
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HIDDEN FIGURES hits theaters everywhere on January 13, 2017!

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HIDDEN FIGURES

Release: January 13, 2017

Director:  Theodore Melfi

Screenplay by:  Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi (writing credits not final), based on the book by Margot Lee Shetterly

Producers:  Donna Gigliotti, Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, Pharrell Williams, Theodore Melfi

Cast: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons, Mahershala Ali, Aldis Hodge, Glen Powell & Kimberly Quinn.

SYNOPSIS

HIDDEN FIGURES is the incredible untold story of Katherine G. Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe)-brilliant African-American women working at NASA, who served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, a stunning achievement that restored the nation's confidence, turned around the Space Race, and galvanized the world.  The visionary trio crossed all gender and race lines to inspire generations to dream big.

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