Tag: Lakeshore Cinemas

Napoleon – the Movie

On By Author Edmond GagnonIn EntertainmentLeave a comment

Ridley Scott knows how to make an epic movie for the big screen. Beautiful cinematography, explosive sound from cannon fire, and the horrific cacophony of battle cries and screams. Mix in an evolving love story and you have a detailed accounting of the rise in power of Napoleon Bonaparte.

It’s one of those movies that should be seen on the big screen, and perhaps from the comfort of a Lazy Boy recliner because if its two hour and forty minute length. I thought some of the intimate scenes between Napoleon and Josephine could have been trimmed a bit but they give viewers an in-depth look at the military commander’s personal life.

No doubt Joaquin Phoenix will get an Oscar nomination for his role in portraying the little French General with the big ego. I found some of his character traits were similar to those he portrayed as Commodus in Gladiator. Unknown to me, actress Vanessa Kirby did a nice job of portraying Josephine, Napoleon’s lifetime love.

Scott did an amazing job of combining real action in battle scenes with CGI special effects to the point where it is difficult to separate the two. I can’t imagine the skill and co-ordination it takes to pull off such huge undertakings.

For a war movie, Cathryn said it wasn’t too gory and she managed to keep her eyes open through the whole film. I thought the action was great but found the show a bit slow between battle scenes. She gave the flick a 9 and I and 8 out of 10.

Indiana Jones – Dial of Destiny

On By Author Edmond GagnonIn EntertainmentLeave a comment

Cathryn and I always enjoy getting out to see a good movie on the big screen, even though there’s been barely anything to go see. If you’re a superhero fan then there’s been plenty of flicks to entertain you. But with the lack of attendance at local theatres and so many movies going directly to venues like Netflix and Prime, seeing a movie out is becoming a rare occurrence.

You would think that a blockbuster series like Indiana Jones, strategically released during Canadian and American holidays, would rake in the dough. But the Dial of Destiny grossed only tens of millions instead of the usual figures around ten times that amount.

Having seen all the previous Indy movies, we came away from this one a bit disappointed. Perhaps it was the same old Nazi villains, or Indy’s old friends, or the old Harrison Ford himself. There’s lots of computer magic in this film, even parts where they’ve dubbed in a younger face on the old one-time action movie star. It wasn’t hard to imagine the actors in front of the green screen through the sequence of chase scenes – so much looked way too fake.

But who could expect so much action from an old fart. After seeing Ford in the Yellowstone prequill, 1923, I wondered how and why he would take on another Indiana Jones roll. I guess the repetitious plot has finally worn itself out, much like Ford himself.

Having said all that, the movie is still somewhat fun and entertaining, and worth the trip out to eat dry and overpriced popcorn. Thankfully, I now qualify for seniors discount on movie tickets.

RESPECT – The Aretha Franklin Story

On By Author Edmond GagnonIn EntertainmentLeave a comment

Find out what RESPECT really means to the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. The movie tells her life story from the time she was a little girl singing in her father’s church, until she becomes an international star. If you’re a music lover or a fan of Aretha you won’t want to miss this movie. My first surprise in the flick was learning the extent of talent in her family, from her mother to her sisters.

Her over-bearing father, a Baptist Minister, plays a huge role in Aretha’s life, and is socially connected to important people like Doctor Martin Luther King. Franklin comes of age in an era when blacks have taken to the streets in a quest for equality. Many of Aretha’s singing engagements were in church or to raise money for the movement.

As with many other celebrities, Miss Franklin is haunted by demons from her childhood and continual conflict with her father. Her choice in men only exacerbates her problems, to the point where it all becomes too much and she breaks down. The church and gospel music re-inspire her and she becomes the music icon we all know.

Jennifer Hudson plays Aretha in the movie and delivers one of the best performances of her career. Respect is not a movie you really need to see on the big screen, but the soundtrack is awesome and will surely have you tapping your foot. Cathryn even got up and danced in the isle to one song. We were the only ones in the theater.

We both enjoyed the movie. I gave it a 9 and she a 10 out of 10.

Stillwater

On By Author Edmond GagnonIn EntertainmentLeave a comment

Wow, two trips to the movie theater in less than a week – I almost feel normal again. My wakeup to the new normal was at the candy counter where I paid $9 for a small bag of popcorn. It seems recovering from the pandemic means adding dollars to the cost of everything except the movie.

Stillwater is the name of an American town where an out of work Roughneck turned construction worker (Matt Damon) lives. It’s also the pendant on a necklace that he gives his daughter before she goes off to university in Marseilles, France, where she is convicted of murder and sent to prison for the death of her girlfriend.

The story drags like a tractor pull, led by a baseball-capped redneck version of Jason Bourne in slow motion. Damon visits his daughter in prison but their communication skills are about as far apart as France and the U.S. on a world map. Cultural differences are brought to light in this flick, pointing out the bullying image of Americans and how France has nearly lost their identity to the mass influx of immigrants.

With the exception of a few scenery shots along the rocky shore of the Mediterranean Sea, this is not a movie you need to rush out and see on the big screen. If fact, it’s our opinion you don’t need to rush out and see this flick for any reason. Cathryn and I both give it a 6 out of 10.

Honest Thief

On By Author Edmond GagnonIn EntertainmentLeave a comment

Do you remember the days, long ago, when you could go to a special place to see movies on a big screen? I’m not talking about your living room to watch Netflix on your sixty inch TV. I mean a real movie theatre with a screen as wide as your house, sound that vibrates your love handles, and freshly buttered popcorn that costs as much as your monthly cable bill.

Well, guess what? If you look up your local theatre you might just find they’ve dusted off their projectors and are actually playing some newly released films. Cathryn and I went to Lakeshore Cinemas last night to see Honest Thief, with Liam Neeson.

The movie is about what the title suggests…a bank robber who’s never hurt anyone, and decides to go straight when he meets a woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with. It’s an action movie but not like many of Neeson’s other flicks where the body count is higher than Covid.

Turning himself into the FBI doesn’t go exactly as planned and the retired bank robber has to fall back on his military skills to keep a couple of bad agents from cashing in on his windfall. It’s a thriller kind of love story that both Cathryn and I enjoyed. We both rate it 10 out of 10.

Our only complaint was with Lakeshore Cinemas who obviously didn’t clean or sanitize our seats before the show, popcorn and refuse left behind were big clues. Cathryn also complained the back of her recliner smelled of dirty hair. She complained to one of only two staff working, who did nothing. We will say more later in a written complaint to the company.