Movie Review: Maurice Richard (The Rocket)

Maurice Richard a.k.a. The Rocket 

Roy Dupuis, Julie Le Breton, Michel Barrette, Mike Ricci, Patrice Robitaille, Vincent Lecavalier, Ian Laperriere, Randy Thomas, Philip Craig, Sean Avery, Tony Calabretta, Tedd Dillon, Pascal Dupuis, Stephane Quintal, Jim Henry, Philippe Sauve 

Director: Charles Binamé 

Cinémaginaire Inc., Alliance Atlantis Vivafilm, Desjardins, Téléfilm Canada, Quebec Film and Television Tax Credit, SODEC, Super Écran, Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit, Radio Canada Télévision, Canada, 2005.

In 1955 Montreal hockey fans are rioting because Maurice Richard was suspended for the remainder of the 1954–55 season for punching a linesman. The movie then cuts to 1937. Young Maurice (François Langlois-Vallières) is working in metal works facility. He is silent and hard-working boy. In his free time he plays ice hockey in a minor league. Being picked on by both the worker union activists and employers, his only way out of poverty is to rise to upper leagues. His team is losing the final match, but Maurice makes the winning goals. He also meets his future wife Lucille Norchet (Amélie Richer). 

Young Maurice Richards

Young Lucille Norchet

Early ice hockey games

In 1942 during the World War II years adult Maurice (Roy Dupuis) proposes Lucille (Julie Le Breton). Maurice has been invited to Habs (The Montreal Canadiens) training camp, although he has had many sports injuries. Despite her father's (Michel Barrette) opposition Lucille marries Maurice. Tough but skilled coach Dick Irvin (Stephen McHattie) is trying to find good but inexpensive new players. Ice hockey is an unpopular game and NHL is nearly finished. Maurice, nicknamed The Comet gets a place in the team. After promising starts Maurice is injured again and his career is thought be finished. 

Adult Maurice

Maurice's wife Lucille

Coach Dick Irvin

Manager Tommy Gorman (Philip Craig) wants to trade him. Irvin declines and Maurice begins to earn his legend. He gets a new nickname The Rocket. He also becomes popular icon for repressed French-speaking population. In a game against New York Rangers Bob Dill (Sean Avery) is sent to beat up Maurice, but Maurice fights back showing he will not be pushed around. He begins to protest the injustices against Francophones in the league opening also a way for political change in Canada.

NHL matches

Injuries are common

Sean Avery as Bob Dill

The movie covers most of Maurice Richards record-breaking career and also some history of NHL. This is a truthful biographical film and good rags to riches story. The games in 1940s and 1950s were quite different from modern games, without helmets the injuries were bloody and possibly life threatening. Also fist fights were common part of the game. Ice hockey fans can spot many famous NHL-players in the movie such as Vincent Lecavalier, Sean Avery, Pascal Dupuis, Stéphane Quintal and Philippe Sauvé. The movie is beautifully shot with black and white transitions creating historical atmosphere. The drama makes it interesting also for nonfans of ice hockey. 

Hockey players must have boxing skills

Rating: Very good

Movie Review: Forever Young

Forever Young
Starring: Mel Gibson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Elijah Wood, Isabel Glasser, George Wendt, Joe Morton, Nicolas Surovy, David Marshall Grant, Robert Hy Gorman, Millie Slavin, Michael A. Goorjian, Veronica Lauren, Art LaFleur, Eric Pierpoint, Walton Goggins, Amanda Foreman, Karla Tamburrelli, Robert Munns, JD Cullum, Ava Lazar 

Director: Steve Miner 

Warner Bros., Icon Entertainment International, USA, 1992.

In 1939 Captain Daniel McCormick (Mel Gibson) is a test pilot flying B-25 airplanes. Daniel's friend is scientist Harry Finley (George Wendt) who has invented cryogenic chamber for suspended animation. Daniel is planning to propose his girlfriend Helen (Isabel Glasser) but he always chickens out.

B-25

Harry and Danny

Helen

Helen gets hit by a truck and falls into coma. Devastated, Daniel allows himself to be frozen for a year in Harry's machine. However the test goes on a lot longer. 53 years later later two boys Nat Cooper (Elijah Wood) and Felix (Robert Hy Gorman) play in the air force warehouse. They open Danny's cryo chamber and he begins to awake. The kids get scared and run away. 

Nat and Felix find a frozen man

Claire

Danny has quite a culture shock and the army thinks that he is a nutcase. Danny goes to find the boys, who take him to the library to catch up on what has happened during the past decades. Danny gets a night shelter in Nat's tree house. Danny's mother Claire (Jamie Lee Curtis) has a budding relationship with doctor boyfriend John (Nicolas Surovy). She also has a drunk ex-boyfriend Fred (Eric Pierpoint) who comes to beat her up. Danny intervenes and saves her. Claire and Danny become friends.

Culture shock

Catching up on history

Danny stays at their house and helps them fix the roof. Danny teaches Nat flying and also helps Nat tell about his feelings to Alice (Veronica Lauren). Claire begins to have feelings for Danny, but Danny still misses Helen. Also the aging was only postponed so Danny is starting to show his age. The FBI and scientist Cameron (Joe Morton)  finally get interested about the scientific results and chase Danny.

Cameron and Lt. Col. Wilcox

Claire at air show

Forever Young is  sweet and melancholic romantic movie, with themes of aging and mortality. There is also a light touch of scifi and kid's adventure. As such the movie is combination of genres that mix quite nicely. Mel is great as an old-fashioned gentleman.  Elijah Wood does one of his early movie roles. Also Jamie Lee Curtis does a nice role as single mother Claire who is unlucky with men. Script was written by Lost-creator by J.J. Abrams and sentimental score by Jerry Goldsmith.

Rating: Very good

Movie Review: Killer Joe

Killer Joe
Starring: Matthew McConaughey. Emile Hirsch, Juno Temple, Thomas Haden Church, Gina Gershon, Marc Macaulay, Gralen Bryant Banks, Carol Sutton, Danny Epper, Jeff Galpin, Scott A. Martin, Gregory C. Bachaud, Charley Vance 

Director: William Friedkin
Voltage Pictures, Picture Perfect, Worldview Entertainment, ANA Media, USA, 2011.

Chris Smith is a drug dealer in Texas who is in trouble because his mother Adele (Julia Adams) stole his drugs. He owes money to gangster Digger Soames (Marc Macaulay). Chris conspires together with his incredibly stupid father Ansel (Thomas Haden Church) who is Adele's ex-husband. Chris' stepmother Sharla (Gina Gershon) is cheating Ansel but Ansel does not know anything about it. 

Chris and his father Ansel

Stepmother Sharla

Trailer park

A local cop Joe Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) does side business as a paid killer. Chris, Ansel and Sharla hire Joe to kill Adele and plans to get her life insurance money. However the sole beneficiary of the insurance is Chris' teenage little sister Dottie (Juno Temple). Joe wants payment beforehand. Chris does not have money so Joe accepts Dottie as retainer. Dottie has to start a strange relationship with seemingly mild mannered Killer Joe, who turns out to be a psychopathic manipulator. To complicate things Chris is very possessive of Dottie. Joe moves into their apartment. Chris begins to hesitate about killing Adele but it is becoming obvious that Chris has done a deal with the Devil. And then Chris' plan starts to go wrong.

Killer Joe Cooper

Dottie

Chris takes too big a bite

The movie is based on the play by Tracy Letts. William Friedkin's movie is a powerful white trailer trash crime story with black humour. The movies characters are all more or less moralless scum, so Joe acts as the final nail in the coffin of the dysfunctional family. Dottie is the only character who is somewhat innocent (but still being like a ticking time bomb). The movie itself is well acted Southern style neo-noir. The theme of botched crime and its consequences is a bit reminiscent of what "Fargo" would look if it was directed by Rob Zombie. The movie manages to paint a picture of deeply unpleasant human beings. Due the controversial themes and unpleasantly brutal scenes "Killer Joe" can not be recommended for sensitive viewers or those who are easily offended.

Rating: Good