Captain Phillips

I LOVE THIS MOVIE. Like legit- LOVE. Nothing makes me happier than an amazing performance by my guy, Tom Hanks. He was completely robbed of an Oscar nomination, and all other awards. (Matthew Mcconaughey did kill it in Dallas Buyers Club though). Anyways, back to Tom. This was honestly such a great performance, script, and the other actors in this movie were spot on. I am also obsessed with the main Somali pirate, Barkhad Abdi. Obviously he is skinny and Somalian, but he completely got into his role of the pirate who somehow had the slightest tinge of morals. My favorite line is obviously when Barkhad says, "Look at me. I am the Captain now." It's iconic. And the fact that they kept Captain Phillips alive, and kept telling him that everything will be okay, you somewhat feel for this guy. Overall, A+ movie.

Argo

Even though this is the second time I've seen this movie, I still love love love it. Ben Affleck is amazing. I love all of the actors and actresses, especially the six Americans stuck in Iran. Most of the cast who played CIA members were very known, but it didn't take away from the movie. Honestly, the look of the movie and the costumes, accents, sounds, and feel of the movie added to the amazing script and great production. I think Alan Arkin has this dry wit about him that always makes me laugh, even when discussing a hostage situation. I have been so obsessed with this movie and am so glad we watched it!

I think that Ben Affleck made a movie for Hollywood. He wasn't making a documentary or like an exact retelling of a historical event. So while he did take many liberities with the film, I have no problem with it. While usually that type of thing bothers me, I still think he told the story to a generation that doesn't know that much about this time period. And by saying that it is "based of a real story" isn't a lie because it is a real story. Six Americans really did hide the Canadian Ambassadors home. Yes, he left a good chunk out, but it still made for a great movie. 

I do believe the filmmaker has some responsibility. But we also have to remember that it is the entertainment industry. It is meant to make one thing :money. So while yes, the topic and relationship with Iran is still sensitive, and while he took a lot of time and work to make a though out film, in the end, it's just a movie. It's a very sad world if a relationship with a country is strained because of something on the screen.

Apollo 13

Overall, I didn't really like this movie. I thought it moved very slow, and had too much going on and I had a hard time paying attention. I love love love Tom Hanks and think he is one of the best actors, but in general I was just bored by this movie. I thought Kevin Bacon was very underused, and that there was too many scenes that weren't needed. I do like when movies give some background to the characters but this was to the next level. The only scenes I really enjoyed were at the end when they were trying to get back to Earth, and they almost burned. When they landed and then seeing their families reactions did bring tears to my eyes, but the overall movie was somewhat slow and boring.

That is a ridiculous, stupid amount of money to be spent on space exploration. I think that is so ridiculous to be spent on exploring a place that provides nothing to the people of the United States. Sure it is cool to have gone to the moon, but I think that the money could've been spent on much more crucial and important things such as education, universal health care, fixing roads and highways, and more importantly, lowering the national debt. We are in this huge debt and people blame one or two people like the President, but then we look at our government as a whole who spend huge amounts of money on dumb things like space, and wonder why we don't have money!! NASA should not be funded by the government in the way it is, whatsoever. It should either be privately funded like a normal company, or decrease government support by a large sum.

I really could not care less about the United States not going to space. It does not matter that we may behind other countries in this area. I would much rather be spending our time, energy, and financial needs on other programs. It would look 100% better to be ahead in the education aspect instead of space. Space benefits next to nobody. The United States is so misguided in what is important. I'm glad they retired the space program.

Parkland

In general, I thought the movie was okay. Not the best, but it had the potential to be much worst. I thought the cast did the best with what they were given. Because to me, it seemed like the movie was about twenty-five minutes long. And while obviously it was great to see Zac Efron in a movie, I honestly think he was distracting. He added nothing to the role and isn't a good actor. Also, I just think there was so much other talent in this movie. Paul Giamatti is one of the most underrated actors out there. He has been in literally every movie ever. And he is so good at his job! But for some reason he is always cast as something minor. I was happy to see him in this movie showing emotion and dealing with tough decisions. But honestly, with a cast that includes Paul, Jacki Weaver, Tom Welling, Billy Bob Thorton, and Colin Hanks, this movie could have been better.

(will email you the interview as soon as I can get in contact with a grandparent!!)

The Pianist

Overall, I was shocked by how much I really liked this film. For once, I thought the film was just very real. Adrien Brody truly did an incredible job making us believe that he was sick, starving, and at some points, hopeful. I found it hard to watch in some points, because of the violence and actions, but obviously these need to be shown to understand the horror of the Holocaust. I cannot get over how real this movie seemed to me. I loved the accents, the use of speaking in other languages, the costumes; just everything! Other Holocaust movies show very attractive actors with an American accent, or a slightly mixed Russian sounding accent, with bodies that appear to be healthy and in shape. The director of this movie knew what he was doing when he cast Adrien Brody. This movie honestly seems like a documentary, because it seems so real.

I think in this instance, the Nazi saw a human being, with a soul and a talent, and somehow pushed aside the fact that he was Jewish. It was like he couldn't believe a Jew could be a human being. I think he saw the fear and doom in his eyes, but when he came to life playing piano, I think he realized this was a human being who could be spared. While the logic is somewhat twisted, this is what I imagine. I think that Szpilman trusted Hosenfeld with his life, because also at this moment, he was not a terrible murderer Nazi, but a human being who had treated him individually with kindness and mercy. And truly in this life or death situation, he had no other choice. Sometimes even the worst people have glimmers of good in them.

Defiance

Going into this movie, I was a little skeptical at first, only because I had never heard of this story, and little things like their accent and muscular bodies threw me off, since they were supposed to be starving. As the movie went on though, I did enjoy it and thought it was such an interesting story. It makes me feel proud to be Jewish when I see people like the Bielski brothers taking care of so many people and opening their arms and creating a community. The sense of community is one of my favorite parts of being Jewish. With that being said, I wish that the producers and casting directors for the movie chose men who remotely looked Jewish, to complete the rest of the cast who made sense. I think Daniel Craig is really attractive, and a perfect James Bond, but to me does not look like the part he was trying to portray. I do think Daniel Craig and Liev Schrieber did a good job though, I just wish their accents were better and more believable. I liked learning a new story, and then when I shared it with my mom, she had a tiny connection to the descendents of the Bielski family. 

The saying "revenge for revenge", makes me shake my head and get upset. I did not like, and do not believe in the killing that the Bielski brothers did. I don't believe in the idea of blood for blood. In a sense I understand where they are coming from, and in some cases of self defense it's a different story, just sometimes I feel that it is so hypocritical to kill someone who kills. I just don't think it teaches any lessons, and we will never get anywhere in life if we live this way. 

The Godfather

Overall, I really like this film. I knew it was a classic and was hoping it would live up to the reputation and legend behind the film. I thought it was very good, and that Marlon Brando and Al Pacino really stole the show with their excellent performances. I thought the plot and storyline were great, but I wish it hadn't been 3 hours. There was just some scenes that I didn't find so crucial to the plot. I also wish we hadn't watched with subtitles because sometimes I felt like I was reading those and not paying attention to the film. But it is such a good movie and truly lives up to the hype.

I think Vito Corleone plays the moral of the story because I don't really see him as a cold-blooded killer. I don't agree with violence in any situation, but I think that Vito does what he needs in order to maintain an ironic sense of justice. I think that he had a distorted sense of right and wrong, but at the same time never hurts an innocent person. I think when he died, all hell broke loose and too much violence broke out. At this point I think that Michael started to kill too many people and became too strict and violent in his actions.

What I learned is that in the sense of Vito, they only hurt and killed in revenge and to get back at someone who wronged someone else. Also I didn't really know that it was possible for the heads of the families to all get together and violence not to erupt. I also thought it was interesting how the police and government were involved and also like turn their heads to the corruption.

I think what makes the film a classic is purely the acting and storyline. The mob and crime families are usually not the norm for most people, so to get an inside look is interesting. But matched with Pacino and Brando in roles that seem born for them, it naturally is a classic film.

Miracle

Sadly, I only got to see the ending of this film, so I didn't really know the back story or the characters. But overall I thought it was pretty good. I got to see the hockey game and watch them beat the USSR. I really loved the scene where the coach told them in the arena to take it in, when everyone was shouting for USA. The ending gave me chills, and it's just so awesome to know that this event happened.

From what I know, in this time in the Cold War and the Iranian hostages (shoutout to Argo), the US was going through some really tough times. The Olympics were a relief and a break from the series of bad going in our society. This game, against the Soviets was such a big deal because (making an assumption..missed the movie) I believe that one of the best American players were injured, and then went on to play in the Olympic game. Then I would explain how American won and it was such an exciting win because the guys on the team weren't payed NHL players like they are today, but just guys who were really good at hockey.

An event for me in which I truly felt that America just put aside differences and came together was when the terrible shooting at Sandy Hook took place. It was not a cheerful or happy event, but the spirit of the American people, who all took a step back and looked at our country and our gun laws and began to demand regulation. In this moment, the strength and survival instinct of the American people made me so proud to be American, even in the face of such a disgusting, vile, act of hatred. This time was hard, but the reaction of the American people truly warmed my heart.

42

Overall, this film was a home run! I thought every aspect of this movie was well done; the script, the cast, the props. Honestly it was great. I've never seen the actor who played Jackie before, but I thought he did such a good job channeling Jackie's emotions and portraying that to the viewers. It just felt so real to me, how he felt. I also thought that the actors in the movie, some who I've seen in shows like Grey's Anatomy and Suburgatory give great performances in a very heavy film. I think the film had the potential to be to heavy, but they covered all their bases perfectly, and made an excellent movie.

Jackie Robinson lead the way in sports history, as well as general American history. At the time, people were shocked and were going to/did treat him so badly. It was a shock to the American people that someone who isn't white could play professional baseball. But guess what? It's 2014 and Jason Collins just signed with the Brooklyn Nets as the first out, gay NBA player. Michael Sam just came out as a gay football player. These guys are doing what Jackie did, just in different situations. They are breaking down barriers, and in 10 or 20 years, we are going to laugh about the time when sports wasn't filled with gay men. It is the issue of the times, and I think that Jackie truly helped lead the way to break down the barriers. We learn from Jackie tolerance, acceptance, and individual strength that we need to live our life regardless of the people who insist on shutting us down.

I think I would use all of his values in my day to day life as a person. I believe in who he his and his beliefs. Am I the same person and will I have the same barriers to overcome? Absolutely not. I knowingly live a very privileged life where I am so fortunate to not be treated badly because of my religion or skin color or gender. I know that if I drove 20 minutes away, I could be the only Jew. But in life I will have to deal with smaller barriers that with my values I know I can overcome.

I think Jackie is saying that a meaningful, well-lived life is one that made a difference for someone else, and who paved the way. I think what he is saying has some truth, but we also have to remember that the difference we make in someones life can be a small one. Even if for one day you made a difference, it counts. Will I ever break racial barriers in sports? Probably 100% not. But that, to me doesn't mean my life is a waste. If from my opinions and my need to speak out and demand change makes someone, somewhere feel something, or help someone, then I think my life counts. I think we all contribute in our own way, sometimes good and bad. But we all contribute to society in ways that we may not be able to appreciate right now, but in the future we will.

Cinderella Man

I think that we refer to events as a Cinderella story, because partly the rags to riches, but also because the event was so unlikely, and featured such an underdog, and people are so shocked when it happens. I think the movie was aptly named Cinderella man because he went from dirt poor, to wealthy with his boxing earnings, as well as the fact that he won and he really shouldn't have. Overall, I liked the story, because obviously I want someone to do well, but I really don't like Russell Crowe, so I wasn't always rooting for him. I have a hard time deciding if I like the James Braddock shown in the movie because for me it was just Russell Crowe in great shape, not a new person that I got to learn about. Anyways, I think many people deal with issues of poverty and hunger and I think that they get themselves into sticky situations to try and fix their life. I think they are different today because more people are willing to accept government help, but honestly in some areas jobs are still hard to find and kids are still hungry. I think our children will face the basic poverty and job issues, but I really feel that the government will have gained too much control and invasion of our privacy, so they will be dealing with that.

 I would 100% steal if it depended on the health and wellness of my family. If I was hungry, or my siblings were hungry, and what I was stealing wouldn't physically harm someone else then yes of course I would take something. I think in these situations, morals are complicated because in normal situations I think you should not take something that isn't yours, but in life or death situations I wouldn't even bat an eye.

I understand that his family is upset but honestly it is a Hollywood movie, and the audience needs a villain and a reason to have hope. If they displayed him as a very nice guy, and that the death of the other boxer was an accident, it would take away all the drama and give no real purpose to the fight. The movie needs the villain, and I think it takes away from the story to not have Max portrayed badly, simply because then you have no good reason to cheer for James over Max, if both are nice guys just trying to fight.


I think that it is admirable and pathetic. Admirable in the sense of putting his ego aside and doing what he needs to do to help his family, but also pathetic but he has no pride. It is really a lose-lose situation in my opinion, but he needed the money and needed to support himself and his family. I think that it shows how he is willing to forgive, and sometimes too much, but knows how to act in situations that require him to do something to help someone else.

Tombstone

At first, I really did not like Tombstone due to the fact that I don't care about Old West and cowboys. I also hate guns, so the excessive gun violence made me angry. But as the movie progressed I actually grew to like it. I think Kurt Russell did a really good job, but there was times in the movie that were kind of confusing and I had no idea what was going on. I also thought that there were too many side stories going on that made me confused. I think the general plot was interesting and a good movie, but there was too many gun fights and different characters that made me lose interest or just get confused. Another petty thing that bothered me was the terrible special effects. I understand this movie isn't super new, but the effects and props were so bad and that made me distracted. Overall, the cast was pretty good and it was fun finding actors that I recognize, specifically John Corbett aka Aidan Shaw. I'm not sure if I would refer this movie just because it isn't a genre that personally interests me, but I did like it and think Kurt Russell did a very good job. 

I think the phrase legendary is so stupid. People overuse it and refer to something that was great and amazing as legendary. I don't know how I would define legendary but I don't think most things that are said to be legendary really are. An event that is legendary is something so special and unique that it only happens once, ever, and the only time it could have ever happened was in that one instance. Nothing in the film was legendary. Wyatt Earp was cool and confident and had some good moves, but he isn't a legend. And the crazy amount of killing he did, in my books that is not legendary that is disgusting. I understand that the cowboys were equally brutal, but I just don't think killing a killer makes any sense. It is just hypocritical. Honestly, there is no part of the Wild West that appeals to me. I think the behavior is awful and the greed for wealth is gross. I'm not interested in that whatsoever. 

Glory

As a movie and famous people lover, I was so excited to start watching 'Glory', as I think Morgan Freeman is magnificent, and I really like Denzel Washington. I also like movies that tell a story. I thought that overall, it was a good movie. It wasn't great, but it wasn't awful. I thought Matthew Broderick was such a bad choice for a man who is supposed to be tough as nails at points, and then has a change of heart. The entire movie I never was confident that I knew where he stood, because his acting wasn't clear. I also thought that the movie, although interesting, was a lot of nothing. I'm not sure how I would describe the plot. They were training, and then they were ripping their checks, and then some battles. I think the big moment was obviously the last battle, but then the movie just ended. I would have liked more background on the troops and the men. It is hard to care about characters when you don't really know anything about them. One scene that really left an impression on me was when they were singing around the camp fire. It seemed so real and natural, and I momentarily forgot they were actors. Overall, it was a nice movie that I enjoyed watching, but would have no desire to see again.


I think that people will die for their country have much more love, pride, bravery, and respect for their country than I do for mine. They see the good in the country, and the positive that can hopefully come out of them fighting. Of course I have so much respect for veterans, and people who fight, but personally I just don't think fighting will ever get anyone anywhere in the long run. But nonetheless, in some ways I think the 54th are heroes for risking their lives to fight for freedom, but on the other hand, they completely abandoned their families who were in slavery. I do understand that they were fighting to demolish slavery, but that is just something that I think about, that sense of leaving. So yes I think the men of the 54th are heroes, for fighting and knowing the consequences, but I do not think Shaw is a hero. He was so high and mighty for so long, and treated them with such disrespect, that even when his actions changed and he became more accepting, I just didn't like him the entire time.

I believe the significance of this story is to show the initial change in behavior towards African-American men, and their dedication to freedom and equal treatment, as well as obviously ending slavery in the South. The story progresses over time and highlights several men as key leaders, who courageously stand in the front line during the battle at Fort Wagner, knowingly risking their lives and their rights as free men. But in this instance they show the Confederates that they will literally fight to the death in order to restore freedom and equality across the Nation, regardless of the pigment of your skin. Their actions and bravery, coupled with the leadership of the men highlight the most important and thought provoking scene in the entire movie, in my opinion.

My Introduction

Hello. My name is Nicole K. I believe a word that describes me would be humorous, as I enjoy making people laugh and pointing out the funny things in life. I am really interested in reality tv, politics, current events, reading, movies, award season, and working with kids. My realistic goals are to have a career that doesn't bore me, and that is fun and makes a difference in someones life. My unrealistic goals is to be the next Giuliana Rancic and interview people on the red carpet, and I would love to be a writer for Saturday Night Live. Some things I like about school are my friends, the teachers I like, the lack of work I have to do, and late arrival. I dislike taking notes, studying, having to wake up early, and that I have to go every day. Some qualities of a favorite teacher include a sense of humor, kindness, fairness, understanding, compassion, and flexibility. I am really interested in history, but not like reading a textbook to learn. I love watching movies or reading good books that have to deal with history.


Overall, I am actually proud of humanity, and the way we act when someone is in need. Yes, my gut instinct is to look negatively at the lack of acceptance we have world wide, towards one another. Whether someone be black, white, female, gay, Jewish, Muslim; we are all judged and treated differently. In this sense I am so disappointed that we have not come to a place in history where prejudice is eliminated. We still treat a fellow human with disgust and hate, which is abominable. But then I think of those select people and stories that warm my heart and remind me of the rare goodness in people. The outpour of support for victims of natural disasters, shootings, bombings, and murder shows a different story. I believe that humans are internally good, and that events shape us into acting badly, but those who can survive throughout life with a pure heart makes me proud of humanity, regardless of the excessive bad that humanity can do.