Benedict Cumberbatch & The Imitation Game

Playing God as Turing

I will admit I am a Benedict Cumberbatch fan. I thoroughly enjoyed him as Sherlock and last weekend I saw 'Dr. Strange.' Today we watched The Imitation Game in which he played Turing. Yes, that Turing. As much as we will miss the great actors who have departed this world in the past year, there are new people ready to take up the mantle. I submit that Mr. Cumberbatch will be one of those greats in the future.

If you haven't seen The Imitation Game, I promise it is a WWII story that should not be missed. Discovering the power of life and death in order to protect the greater good could not have been an easy burden to bear. It is a wonderful drama and told in flashback by Turing.

Kiera Nightly plays Joan Clark and for the young women fascinated by technology and the science, this is someone you should learn about. Turing fought to have her work with him despite the problems of a single woman working among men at the time. She was the exception and it is made quite clear during the interview scene.

The intersection of brilliant minds, gender differences, and homosexuality during 1940's Britain makes for an eloquent discussion on how we lost one of the brilliant minds of the 20th century. Turing was a great gift and I hope when you watch this film you will think about all the people out there changing the world, even if you don't know their stories yet.

Must see: Race

Race: Jesse Owens in the 1936 Summer Olympics

Have you seen the film 'Race' yet? If not you absolutely should. The filmmakers did a fantastic job of not getting to caught up in the politics of the time so that Mr. Owens remained the focus of the story. Of course, the blatant racial discrimination of the day is part of the story and it was handled with care. I would have liked to see more of his struggle with the decision to attend the 1936 Summer Olympics.

As a filmmaker, I really honed in on Leni Reifenstahl's interactions with Dr. Goebbels. Whatever you think of her as a person, you have to respect that a woman who caught the eye of Hitler was in a terrible position. She used that power to ensure that Jesse Owens' achievements that day can be seen again and again by the runners following in his footsteps and the rest of us.

It is a powerful film, one that I hope you watch with your family. It opens many options for dialogue about our recent past and how it affects current events. Specifically, the ongoing conversation about race, discrimination, and hatred. You can also watch for the gender divide as well. I throughly enjoyed it and cheered Mr. Owens, despite already knowing the outcome and I think you will too.

Kubo and the Two Strings

Don't Miss This One!

If you haven't seen this film you absolutely must and please grab the family. It is beautifully written with a great sense of humor that must be seen. You will appreciate the clay and paper animation smoothed in a digital environment.

The story feels eastern but the ending has been softened for western audiences. Kubo's story will feel very familiar to you with great adventure following a child's mistake. Throughout Kubo's journey the filmmakers gently expose memory loss in our elders. They also show how memories shared are the stories that keep us alive.

This is a brilliant work of animation and storytelling that will stand next to Spirited Away and The Book of Kells. You don't want to miss it!

Earth to Echo

Keeping It Short

Had time on my hands so I finally watched Earth to Echo. Cute film, but if you aren't into handheld 90% of the time skip it. The story line felt like Goonies meets ET. I love that one of the kids is a filmmaker and he also narrates throughout. Almost every scene is intended to appear as if the characters recorded the events themselves.

The BFG

The BFG is Worth Every Penny.

The film is perfect for children of all ages! It is lovingly crafted and honors Dahl's text. The score is beautiful and feels like the dreams the BFG collects. Dreamworld is eye candy, sumptuous and delightful to behold. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience and I was a huge fan of Roald Dahl growing up. That means I read all of his children's books many times including reading them to siblings and my own children.

For those of you unfamiliar with the story you will enjoy this romp through Dahl's imagination. Be warned, towards the end it does tend more to the ridiculousness of dreams. The story itself is very much like a dream itself and the film follows the same trajectory. From start to finish the film is enchanting.

It is over 2hrs which may be too long for some young viewers. If possible, see this in 3D as the technique will pull you into the story like it did so successfully in Avatar. We watched it in an RPX (Regal Premium Experience) theater which is a huge screen, almost IMAX size. I definitely advise you find it on the largest screen in your area. Enjoy!

Star Trek Beyond

Live Long and Prosper

Tonight I saw Star Trek Beyond, the third movie in the rebooted series. It was wonderful and included a beautiful tribute to Leonard Nimoy, contained in the overall story arc. Some great one-liners and dialogue between Bones and Spock puts this among my favorites in the Star Trek world.

Plenty of excitement and explosions puts the film definitively in the action adventure space. We watched in on... IMAX in 3D and the depth of that viewing experience was breathtaking. I did catch some ghosting during the more intimate scenes however.

The editing was fantastic and really drags the viewer into the excitement. I particularly enjoyed the final space battle and I know you will too. There is a sequence that showcases the power of the cut and the soundtrack to hypnotize the audience - we cheered.

This is a must see for fans of the franchise, I promise you won't be disappointed, and viewers of all ages. This is classic Trek with great fight sequences, witty banter (that doesn't slip into NFK territory), and beautiful scenery. Live long and prosper my friends.

Why do women make better film editors?

Why do women make better film editors?

Read original Article Here by Thomas Hobbs
Little White Lies

I don't think the article answers the question at all. Women have been editors since the beginning of cutting film in the early 1900's. When sound came into play in the mid-20's women were pushed out of the cutting room too, because editing was becoming 'technical.' It was still easier in the cutting room for women to succeed than elsewhere under the studio system.

Then as now we hear that women have more attention to detail. It is believed that their craft (think knitting/sewing) skills encourage that particular trait. Male directors also say that women are softer and maternal in their guidance.

My question is why does a maternal nature matter? Is it that we don't challenge directors in the same way a man might? Does the perception of softness apply to feminine male editors? Are editors supposed to support the director or are we meant to challenge them so as to improve the film itself?

Women have been involved in the film industry since its inception. Learn more about those pioneers here: https://vimeo.com/187436869.