There Be Dragons (2011)

Written and Directed by Roland Joffé
Starring Charlie Cox, Wes Bentley, Dougray Scott and Rodrigo Santoro

Arising out of the horror of the Spanish Civil War, a candidate for canonization is investigated by a journalist who discovers his own estranged father had a deep, dark and devastating connection to the saint's life.

A film about the Spanish Civil War that is not only in English, but plagued with terrible Spanish accents as well. A story that is so intriguing is filled with questionable choice that create an underwhelming film. It is obvious while viewing this, that it had the potential to be so much more than it turned out to be.

With a script fit for a Telemundo Soap Opera, forcing the performances of otherwise decent actors to become bland, it is seemingly impossible to connect or even care for most of the characters. It is undoubtedly epic in it's scale, but painfully melodramatic throughout most of the movie causing the intense and impressive scenes comedic to some degree.

There is so much wrong with this movie, yet despite that there is also a lot of substance and the foundation of a great movie, so it isn't all lost. I just feel that the director lost his bearing somewhere along the way. And it's such a shame, because the title is awesome. It deserves to be attached to a great movie.

My Rating: 5.5/10

Love is Strange (2014)

Directed by Ira Sachs
Written by Ira Sachs and Mauricio Zacharias
Starring John Lithgow, Alfred Molina, Marisa Tomei and Darren E. Burrows

Ben and George get married after years of being together without the law being on their side. After their honeymoon, George is fired from his teaching post, forcing them to stay with friends separately while they sell their place and look for cheaper housing-- a situation that weighs heavily on all involved.

An eloquent study of how love can conquer the most arduous situations, this film has the added element of a homosexual couple and their tribulations soon after the ban on same-sex marriage in New York was lifted. Not only is it a film about romantic love, but also familiar love.

John Lithgow and Alfred Molina are great as the couple who experiences all of these trials. Their chemistry together seems genuine as if they had been together for all of the decades their characters claim.

Set to the music of classical composers, this film seemed as if it were orchestrated specifically to Chopin and Beethoven in a sort of mash-up symphony. The music gave an added sense of peace and at times, sadness that classical composers have been known for. It is rare that the music influence stands out so much in a positive and non-distracting way. It truly added to the film New York setting.

I wouldn't call this movie amazing, but it was certainly touching and entertaining. Film's such as this aren't trying to change your life are change the way you see movies. They just try to tell a nice, clean story that you can enjoy. And this movie succeeded at that.

My Rating: 6.5/10