Never Let Me Go...Yep this movie wont let you go

Tag Line: N/A

Cast: Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield, Keira Knightly

Plot: 3 Friends have to deal with their predetermined fates while discovering who they are and what they want.

My Take: Following the story of 3 kids lives from child hood into adult is often hard to do…because the movie tends to rush it….loosing storytelling and VERY important character development in order to put the whole thing into a two hour slide show. And sadly this movie has done the same thing. Not saying its bad and it stills conveys the same emotion and touch it was suppose to…I just wish they didn’t rush it.

              *SPOILERS ALOT OF THEM*The movie starts off in a seemingly nice boarding school where we meet the main characters Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth. Here is where we establish who loves who and starts the bases of the love story. They also learn about what they are meant to do. They receive tokens, which just like chucky cheese, can be cashed in for a seemingly useless and broken things. They have their classes and everything is normal. We fast forward 5 years They leave the school and move to a tiny little village…where they continue to live their short lives. We see them trying to deal with what the fact that yes….you will die in a 15 years. We fast forward 5 years. We learn that Kathy has become a caregiver, someone that cares for those giving their organs, Ruth has started donations and gives Tommy back to Kathy. We fast forward 5 years Kathy and Tommy have tried to get an extension because they love each other and find the dean of their old school to find it how to get one…where they learn a rather sad truth. Fast forward 5 years…the end.

Now I just summed up the movie I did disclosed some plot points but not in great detail. And the reason I said all that is to really establish the pacing of the movie. And this is really how it goes. It seems rather rushed doesn’t it. If they took an extra half hour to really establish each character well and tell a deeper story than the tragic end would linger more. And I don’t mean to deter people from seeing it…I believe any movie is worth seeing.

I do however believe they did a good job establishing the bond they have for one another and the love that bond created. And that through the heart felt dialogue that is delivered from to time. When one of these lines are delivered (just check out the quotes seen below) it tugs at the heart strings.

Memorable Quotes: Miss Lucy : None of you will go to America. None of you will work in supermarkets. None of you will do anything, except live the life that has already been set out for you. You will become adults, but only briefly. Before you are old, before you are even middle aged, you will start to donate your vital organs. And sometime around your third or fourth donation, your short life will be completed. You have to know who you are, and what you are. It's the only way to lead decent lives.

                                 Kathy: It had never occurred to me that our lives, so closely interwoven, could unravel with such speed. If I'd known, maybe I'd have kept tighter hold of them.

Unanswered Question: WTF were they…were they clones, test tube babies, or unwanted children?

Final Thought: Despite the rushed story. It was touching, moving, and slightly thought provoking. Dialogue delivered was moving and touching when needed.  I would grab a couple tissues, some wine, and cheese...and watch the journey of three friends as discover the value of their very short lives.

              I give it 3.5 out of 5 Cherry Cheese Danishes

The Rite...This isnt your mothers Exorcism...get over it

Tagline: You can only defeat it when you believe

Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Colin O’Donoghue, Alice Braga, Ciaran Hinda

Plot:  Michael Kovak travels to Italy to study exorcism all the while battling with his own beliefs and inner demons

My Take: Giving the amount of exorcism movies out there it’s not hard to compare one to another. This movie suffers the same scrutiny…and it shouldn’t. This movie takes a semi believable look at exorcisms. Now im not saying this movie has any credibility when it comes to topic because after all…it is Hollywood. But I don’t think its fare to compare this to the Exorcism and then bash it  like some people have…because if you want that movie…then watch it THAT movie.

                        But enough of those shenanigans…lets get to the movie. Its not as gritty a look at exorcisms as I had hoped for but it does a really good job of maintaining the creepiness that the topic brings...we can thank the actors for that. Each actor plays their part to the letter making every line believable. Sir Anthony Hopkins once again proves to us why he is a legendary actor playing the seen it all Father Lucas Trevant who has a strong faith and knows that the devil is real. Colin O’Donogue portrays the skeptic priest that no longer believes in God after the passing of his mother. However there were a couple scenes where you could have entered a priest and a child joke. The pacing of the movie was right on time…I didn’t find myself bored at all during the film. The mix of dialogue and action was very well proportioned.

 The conflict of faith; believing to non believing. If there is devil then there has to be a god is really well done between the arguments upheld by Kovak and Father Lucas. The freight is upheld by the occasional jump at you scares. By the real creepiness stems from the victims of possession and of course the final battle between good vs evil. I enjoyed not seeing silly contorted bodies you see in other “Hollywood possessions” and a lack of CGI. The make up effects of the possessed is really good. With the darkness around the eyes…I honestly felt like that is way it should look. Not the decaying skin and lacerations. However I did find it odd listening to devil speak gibberish instead of the generic curse words and swears. But then again I often felt the devil would be a slick man and not need to swear so much. And the final conflict lead up to my expectations…actually it went beyond what I was expecting I felt myself wishing I could fight the devil hand to hand.

Oddest things over

heard leaving the theater: “This movie has officially made me believe in god again”

                                           

                                           “I really need to start going back to church”

Random moment

that made me chuckle:  When Hopkins finally gets possessed and Smacks a little girl...really unexpected…and slightly comical

Final Thought: Giving the fact that it was a rated PG-13 like a lot of horror movies are (obviously because they can draw a larger crowd and make more money) it still maintained a really good story some creepy moments. The devil speaking in what seemed like nursery rhymes still seemed slightly odd BUT it is Anthony Hopkins speaking them which makes it creepy on its own…So by all means grab your holy water and crouton ‘o’ christs and see it theaters, on demand, or red box it when it comes either way this is one I wouldn’t recommend missing.  

                        I give it 4 out 5 cherry cheese Danishes