A group of young men–Sam Adams, John Adams, Paul Revere, John Hancock and Dr. Joseph Warren–secretly join together to oppose British domination, and end up sparking the American Revolution. [ Sons of Liberty credits: Dir: Kari Skogland/ Ben Barnes, Marton Csokas, Ryan Eggold/ 87 min/ Drama, History/ American Revolution, Resistance to Tyranny] “Sons of Liberty transforms … [Read more...]
Leviathan (2014)
ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEE: BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM When the mayor of a Russian coastal town uses eminent domain to seize a home, the owner fights back--but he can't win against the corrupt and all-powerful Leviathan state. [ Leviathan credits: Dir: Andrey Zvyagintsev/ Aleksey Serebryakov, Elena Lyadova, Roman Madyanov/ 140 min/ Drama/ Eminent Domain, Corrupt … [Read more...]
Court (2014)
When an Indian folk singer is accused of singing lyrics that encouraged a young man to commit suicide, he is held for trial indefinitely in India's meandering court system. [ Court credits: Dir: Chaitanya Tamhane/ Usha Bane, Vivek Gomber, Pradeep Joshi/ 116 min/ Drama/ Law & Liberty, Incompetent Government] External Reviews "There are courtroom dramas, and then … [Read more...]
The Imitation Game (2014)
ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEE: BEST PICTURE British mathematician Alan Turing breaks the Nazi Enigma code and saves his country, only to be driven to suicide following a criminal conviction for homosexuality. Based on a true story. [ The Imitation Game credits: Dir: Morton Tyldum/ Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode/ 114 min/ Drama, Biography/ Creator-as-hero, Sexual … [Read more...]
Atlas Shrugged Movie Trilogy (2011, 2012, 2014)
Atlas Shrugged Part 1 (2011) Creative and hard-working entrepreneurs fight government red tape and interference to build a railroad that will save the country…but are harried by a secret enemy who is somehow convincing the most talented workers to quit. [ Atlas Shrugged credits: Dir: Paul Johansson/ Taylor Schilling, Grant Bowler, Matthew Marsden/ 97 min/ Drama/ Ayn Rand, … [Read more...]
The Giver (2014)
When a 16-year-old boy discovers that the "perfect" managed society in which he lives is simply a drugged potemkin village, he must decide whether its superficially happy character is worth the price in terms of foregone human experience and lost liberty. [ The Giver credits: Dir: Phillip Noyce/ 94 min/ SciFi-Drama/ Individualism, Government enforced morality, Equality & … [Read more...]
Footloose (1984 & 2011) | Movie Review
The hit 1984 film Footloose was remade in 2011, not to quite the same acclaim but it has much the same spirit and both films are excellent allegories in government enforced morality. Review of Footloose (2011) The new kid in a small town leads a high-school rebellion against the town’s antidancing law. [Dir: Craig Brewer/ Kenny Wormald, Julianne Hough, Dennis Quaid/ 113 … [Read more...]
2081 (2009)
In a future America, all exceptional human intelligence and achievement is stamped out in order to eliminate the destructive consequences of envy. Based on the Kurt Vonnegut story, Harrison Bergeron. [ 2081 credits: Dir: Chandler Tuttle/ James Cosmo, Julie Hagerty, Armie Hammer /25 min/ Short Film, Drama, SciFi/ Equality & Envy, Individualism] Note: the full film can … [Read more...]
Going by the Book (2007)
A strictly honest by-the-book cop is told to act the role of bank robber in a public drill intended to enhance the prestige of a new police chief, but the publicity stunt backfires when the cop commits his "crime" with more effectiveness than anyone expected. [ Going by the Book credits: Dir: Hee-chan Ra/ Su-Jeong Eom, Jae-yeong Jeong, Jin-Mo Joo/ 102 min/ Comedy/ Corrupt … [Read more...]
The Lives of Others (2006)
An East German Stasi agent becomes obsessed with the lives of a young couple he has been assigned to surveil. [ The Lives of Others credits: Dir: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck/ 137 min/ Drama, Thriller, Foreign/ Anti-socialism, Search & Seizure/ German] External Reviews "The Lives of Others is that rare thing: a best foreign language Oscar-winner that fully … [Read more...]