Spotlight

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 25 November 2016
      Netflix 12 September 2016

Director: Tom McCarthy
Writer: Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy
Running Time: 128 Minutes

Staring:  Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, Stanley Tucci and John Slattery

Rating? R

SPOILERS? YES, but it's not really a deal breaker.

REVIEWS

IMDB: 8.1 of 10

MY RATING: 8

STORYLINE

When the Boston Globe's tenacious "Spotlight" team of reporters delves into allegations of abuse in the Catholic Church, their year-long investigation uncovers a decades-long cover-up at the highest levels of Boston's religious, legal, and government establishment, touching off a wave of revelations around the world.

MY REVIEW

Director Tom McCarthy you may know from appearances Pixels, 2012, The Lovely Bones, and The Little Fockers. His directorial history is much shorter. This is a grand slam for him in my eyes. He did an amazing job telling the story along with the co-writer John Singer. This was a daunting story to tell and needed to be told.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• This is a haunting movie. It stays with you for hours after the movie is over. There is no doubt in my mind why this movie won Best Picture. This unnerving and makes one question so many things about life in general.
• This is direction and writing done to the best of their abilities. This story is told in cinematic brilliance.  
• Whoever casted this ensemble did something that I never thought could be done. Batman, Leiv Schreiber, the girl from the Notebook and The grey haired guy from Mad Men.. I would have never thought that this group would be put into the same movie, much less create a cast that REALLY WORKED! They were amazing together. A true group of characters that were believable and true to form.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• Could have used a little more Boston accents! :)

On a more personal note..... I had SOO much fun today with some of the girls from my last job! Me, Taylor, Chris and Ami went to a place called Breakout. It's a situational game where they lock you in a room with clues and a ton of locked doors, cases, drawers, etc and you have to connect the clues and figure out how to ESCAPE! The thing is, you only have 60 minutes to get out. WE DID IT!! With 5 minutes to spare! Baby Dexter Morgan helped me with some drawings this afternoon. I finished one that I was working on with the Moai of Easter Island. It's one of the places that I would love to go to someday!!

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2

GENERAL INFORMATION
Release Info: 20 Nov 2015
Running Time: 2 Hours and 17 Minutes
Staring:  Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutchinson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore, Jena Malone, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci and Many Many More.
Rating? PG-13
SPOILERS? NO

REVIEWS
IMDB: 7 of 10
MY RATING: 9

STORYLINE
As the war of Panem escalates to the destruction of other districts, Katniss Everdeen, the reluctant leader of the rebellion, must bring together an army against President Snow, while all she holds dear hangs in the balance.

MY REVIEW:
This movie picks up just where the last installment left us with Katniss still coping with her role and dealing with Peetas continued destruction under President Snow.

It's dark, intense and scary. It's definitely a shocking jolt that shows the true consequences of war, yet still remains true to the 'Hunger Games' theme. This being that the Capitol ultimately becomes the arena. Mockingjay Part 2 is without a doubt the most emotional of the series as some of the most adored characters are killed off in very brutal ways. You also get to see Katniss struggling mentally and emotionally, yet being brave and courageous. This is why I believe she inspires so many people. Jennifer Lawrence is absolutely magnificent and really brings out Katniss' emotions. I strongly believe that she is the right person to play Katniss and I couldn't imagine anybody else playing her.

Overall, this film is an on edge; intense thrill ride filled with emotion, action and tells a story that should inspire a generation. This film ticks most of the boxes that anyone would want to see in a blockbuster to be entertained. The whole Hunger Games Franchise is without a doubt the best YA series, and Mockingjay Part 2 gives fans a satisfying and thrilling end to a journey, which should be remembered for decades.