THE CIRCLE (Theatrical Release USA 2017)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.9|5.0 Starsìììì

The Circle examines reasons behind citizens’ choice to allow 100 percent audio/video surveillance in their lives. Emma Watson does a terrific job in her role of a young woman who recommends ‘going completely transparent’ in this sci fi drama about personal monitoring. Her supporting cast—Tom Hanks, Patton Oswald, and Bill Paxton—help to establish how decisions, with far reaching impact, happen in small baby steps that move entire worlds toward inevitable outcomes. Great work for Director James Ponsoldt who gives a solid look into a future that is already here. One sex scene and language move this movie into the late teen/adult category.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Young Mae Holland (Emma Watson) helps a real-time audio/video company establish dominance nationally and internationally as good choice for humanity’s safety, health, and crime reduction.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director James Ponsoldt for directing effort. Thank you to Executive Producers Stefanie Azpiazu, Peter Cron, Evan Hayes, Russell Levine, Federica Sainte-Rose, Ron Schmidt, Steve Shareshian, Marc Shmuger, and Sally Willcox for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Mae (Emma Watson), Mercer (Ellar Coltrane), Bonnie (Glenne Headly), Vinnie (Bill Paxton), Annie (Karen Gillan), Bailey (Tom Hanks), Beck (Beck), Dan (Nate Corddry), and Jared (Mamoudou Athie).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. The film serves as a reminder of how a single, likable spokesperson can move an entire world through decision-making processes.

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Ben Meyers

EVAN ALMIGHTY (Theatrical Release USA 2007)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.9|5.0 Starsììì

Evan Almighty—spinoff from Jim Carrey’s Bruce Almighty—continues to use Morgan Freeman as God while examining how diametrically opposed family prayers can work when otherworldly forces are at work. The story concept is good, the comedy is there, and Director Tom Shadyac shows great promise for comedy movies. It’s a good family share film.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Newly elected Congressman Evan Baxter (Steve Carell) has an appointment with God Almighty.

Additional Thanks

Thank You to Director Tom Shadyak for directing effort. Thank you to Executive Producers Gary Goetzman, Tom Hanks, Ilona Herzberg, Matt Luber, and Dave Phillips for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: God (Morgan Freeman), Joan Baxter (Lauren Graham), Dylan Baxter (Johnny Simmons), Jordan Baxter (Graham Phillips), Ryan Baxter (Jimmy Bennett), Congressman Long (John Goodman), Rita (Wanda Sykes), and Marty (John Michael Higgins).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Maybe. There’s enough comedy to make it a watch for the whole family.

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Ben Meyers

ITHACA (Middleburg Film Festival Middleburg Virginia USA 2015)

Ben Meyers’ rating—4.4|5.0 Starsìììì

Ithaca explores the occupation of telegram delivery through periods of war. While it seems to contain bits and pieces and whole yards of storyline from films like the 2002 We Were Soldiers, the 1943 The Human Comedy, and the 2011 Telegram Man, it is well enough written to deserve its own special watch. Sam Shepard’s acting is superbly natural and completely complimented by the acting skills of Hamish Linklater and Alex Neustaedter. Meg Ryan performs at her usual professional pace and it is a treat to see her son, Jack Quaid, playing in the movie with her. It seems that movies have a deeper emotional feel when family members team to depict story lines. An example is the 2010 The Way that teamed Emilio Estevez with his father, Martin Sheen.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Homer Macauley (Alex Neusteadter) gets a position at the telegraph office and finds the position requires delivery of telegrams informing Mothers and family members that their sons have died in World War 2.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director Meg Ryan for her directing efforts. Thank you to Executive Producers Jason Cloth, Aaron L. Gilbert, Gary Goetzman, Tom Hanks, Robert Immerman, Steven R. Palmisano, Scott Setrakian, Alan Simpson, and Allan J. Stitt for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Willie Grogan (Sam Shepard), Mr. Macauley (Tom Hanks), Mrs. Macauley (Meg Ryan), Marcus Macauley (Jack Quaid), Mary Arena (Molly Gordon), Tom Spangler (Hamish Linklater), Tobey George (Gabriel Basso), Home Macauley (Alex Neustaedter), and Corbett (Scott Shepherd).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. It is worth watching. Although there is not a large storyline here, the acting is very good and the story is well portrayed.

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Ben Meyers

MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 3 (Released to Theaters USA 2023)

Ben Meyers’ Rating: 3.8|5.0 Starsììì My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3—not the best of the three films—gets boring and uninteresting toward the middle and end. When it ends, the audience may feel, "That's finally over." This film is what it is. Film Poster Courtesy of IMDb Storyline After her fathers dies, Toula wants to contact her father's friends in Greece to give them her father's journal of his American experiences.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director Nia Vardalos for directing effort. Thank you to Producers Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman, and Rita Wilson for making the film possible. Cast includes Joey Fatone, Gia Carides, Lainie Kazan, Elena Kampouris, Andrea Martin, John Corbett, and Louis Mandylor. 

Should You Buy This ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

 Maybe. It is what it is. It tells an okay to suitable story. The movie catches interest in its early stages but fails to keep that in the latter scenes. If a fourth film is planned, it will need to improve significantly over this one to earn its time and money expenditure from an audience. 

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Ben Meyers

MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 2 (Released to Theaters USA 2016)

Ben Meyers’ Rating: 4.1|5.0 Starsìììì  My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2—while not as much of a splash as the first film, it is a good watch for fans of this movie series—sends a good recommendation for the 2023 release of the third movie in the series. There are a few suggestive dialogue scenes in the movie, but presented in a realistic 'female talk' before the wedding. This film is, overall, a great watch, creative and fun. Good work for all involved in production.  Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images Storyline Kostas "Gus" Portokalos finds that his marriage certificate is not valid. When he tells his wife and shows the certificate, she laughs and then the fun begins as she requires a 'real' marriage the second time around.  Additional Thanks Thank you to Director Kirk Jones for directing effort. Thank you to Producers Gary Goetzman,  Tom Hanks,  and Rita Wilson for making the film possible. Cast includes Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, Lainie Kazan, Gia Carides, Joey Fatone, Louis Mandylor, Andrea Martin, and Michael Constantine. Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?  Yes. Fans of the first film will like this movie just as well. It's fresh, creative, and fun to watch. Video Critique Available Here: Ben Meyers

ELVIS (Theatrical Release USA 2022)

 Ben Meyers’ Rating: 4.5|5.0 Starsìììì

Elvis—solid, Grade-A, WOW! movie—accesses the skills of Austin Butler as Elvis and Tom Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker. The movie uses a terrific and unexpected technique of telling the story through the eyes of Colonel Parker rather than through Elvis or his family’s eyes. The scenes have perfect placement and timing. The dialogue remains true to life and new details of the Presley story are brought to the forefront in the storyline. Great work for all involved. This movie ranks as some of the best movies Director Baz Luhrmann has directed. The movie easily earns its watch. 

Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images 

Storyline 

This musical bio-pic is about the life of Elvis Presley as told through the eyes of his manager, Colonel Tom Parker. 

Additional Thanks 

Thank you to Director Baz Luhrmann for directing effort. Thank you to Producers Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Gail Berman, Patrick McCormick, and Schuyler Weiss for making the film possible. Cast includes: Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Olivia DeJonge, Helen Thomson, Richard Roxburgh, Kelvin Harrison Jr., David Wenham, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Luke Bracey. 

Buy a Ticket? Yes? No? Maybe? 

Yes. The movie completely engages its audience and becomes a great piece of entertainment whether one is or is not a fan of Elvis Presley. 

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

INFERNO (Theatrical Release USA 2016)

 Ben Meyers’ Rating: 4.2|5.0 Starsìììì 

Inferno—complicated, but not unintelligible—is the third and final film of the Dan Brown book series. Director Ron Howard shows his mettle as a director who plumbs the depths of the story to accent its highlights as well as demanding the most from his casted actors. The movie relies on a series of flashbacks, always a difficult presentation to work with because it requires extreme dedication to continuity and deep audience engagement to follow the story. Director Howard pulls both story requirements off well. It’s a good movie to watch when an audience desires that deeper level of engagement and easily earns its right to sit in the home video library along with the previous Dan Brown movies. 

Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images 

Storyline 

An amnesiac has difficulty putting together scattered memories. 

Additional Thanks 

Thank you to Director Ron Howard for directing effort. Thank you to Producers Brian Grazer and Ron Howard for making the film possible. Cast includes: Tom Hanks, Felicity Jones, Irrfan Khan, Omar Sy, Ben Foster, and Sidse Babett Knudsen. 

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe? 

Yes. This movie works at the complicated level and earns its watch.

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Ben Meyers

EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE (Theatrical Release USA 2011)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.6|5.0 Starsìììì

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close is intellectually perfect. Thomas Horn gives the audience perhaps one of the best child performances ever recorded on film. He plays Oskar Schell, a young boy with Asperger Syndrome symptoms, with a portrayal and interpretation of character that is flawless. Thomas Horn’s performance is supported by Tom Hanks, Max Van Sydow (Emigrants (1971)), Sandra Bullock, and Zoe Caldwell. Director Stephen Daldry outdid himself, showing remarkable understanding of how this story should proceed. He takes the audience to an uncompromising place that refuses to soften reality with fictional overtones.  

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Nine-year-old Oskar Schell (Thomas Horn), a boy with symptoms of Asperger’s Syndrome, endeavors to make sense of his father’s September 11 death through a detailed search for the owner of a key he has found in his father’s closet.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director Stephen Daldry for directing effort. Thank you to Executive Producers Celia D. Costas, Mark Roybal, and Nora Skinner for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Thomas Schell (Tom Hanks), Linda Schell (Sandra Bullock), Oskar’s Grandmother (Zoe Caldwell), Minister (Dennis Hearn), Homeless Man (Paul Klementowicz), Deli Waiter (Julian Tepper), Schoolboy (Caleb Reynolds), Stan the Doorman (John Goodman), The Renter (Max von Sydow), Walt the Locksmith (Stephen Henderson), Locksmith Customer (Lorna Pruce), and Abby Black (Viola Davis).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. It is a must see, extremely well done, mind expanding film.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

THE MONEY PIT (Theatrical Release USA 1986)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.8|5.0 Stars ììì

The Money Pit—comedy—stars Tom Hanks and Shelley Long. It’s a light comedy and has ‘B’ grade entertainment appeal. Particularly enjoyable scenes involve construction workers and their interaction with the owners of the home. There are some sexual references.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Walter Fielding (Tom Hanks) and Anna Crowley (Shelley Long) buy a lovely mansion at an exceptionally good price and quickly find that their darling purchase is falling apart. As their relationship with each other becomes increasingly strained, contractors come in to renovate and update the whole building.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director Richard Benjamin for his directing efforts. Thank you to Executive Producers David Giler and Steven Spielberg for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Max Beissart (Alexander Godunov), Estelle (Maureen Stapleton), Art Shirk (Joe Mantegna), Curly (Philip Bosco), Jack Schnittman (Josh Mostel), Shatov (Yakov Smirnoff), Brad Shirk (Carmine Caridi), Ethan (Brian Backer), Benny (Billy Lombardo), Marika (Mia Dillon), and Carlos (John Van Dreelen)

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Maybe. It’s funny and, if you’re a Tom Hanks fan, it will suit nicely.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers