Tom Hanks Hustle: The Post

This is it folks! The newest film that Mr. Tom Hanks has stared in! One of the best casts in any movie ever that there has ever been and that will ever be again.

Ladies and Gentlemen I give you The Post. 

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When you watch the trailer for this movie you think it's just about the cover-up of what was really going on in the Vietnam War. It's so much more than that though. It's the story of how The Washington Post truly came to be. It was a local paper on the verge of going under when they decide to go public. However, this was also during the time when one of the constitutional rights was on the verge of being controlled totally by the government, The Freedom of Speech. When the top secret papers of the Vietnam War were leaked The New York Times got their hands on it first. When President Nixon found out that they were publishing the secrets that basically Vietnam was a lost cause of a war he got an injunction halting The Times from publishing anymore of the papers. Around the same time, a lead came in and The Post had most of the Pentagon Papers. Now, the trouble becomes if they publish the paper they could destroy the newspaper because they would be in contempt of court or publishing anything that shares a source with The Times, or they could start a small revolution to stand up against the corrupt government.

What is there left to say in the career or Tom Hanks? He has done everything under the son, and yet every role he plays seems to show another side that we have no yet seen. However, the fact that this man was NOT nominated to an Academy Award last year for this role is a crime! I mean not many men in Hollywood can keep up with THE Meryl Streep buy my God he can! The greatness that come the screen with both of them and them playing off each other is like watching swan dance in the moonlight. It's incredible how they work off each other, it's very rare to see two true masters of their craft on the screen doing their best work at the same time. 

What I love about both of their performances is that they are both genius at intense quietness. Through the whole movie the stakes are always high, there are 1000 decisions to make in a single second. There is always a underlying of intensity and in any other movie, the stars would have already yelled, screamed, and roared in order to get their point across or to calm down the situation. In this whole movie, neither Meryl Streep or Tom Hanks ever go above a stern voice. There is no yelling, there is no screeching, there is no boisterousness in either of them. They are commanding on the screen without demanding your attention. 

The Post has to be one of the most memorable roles in Tom Hanks career. This is one that years from now I will be thinking about the movie, thinking about the roles the both played, and about the subject of this movie. How angry it makes me and how relieved I will be that this cover-up was exposed. This is a topic, the Vietnam War, that I want to look into more for personal reasons and I think that this movie is going to help lead me to some great places to look into for more information. 

With that being said. I am cutting it pretty close on watching a blogging about all of these movies, I have 3 hours till it's the New Year,but yet again I am happy that I did the challenge and that I did my Year of Courage Challenge as well. I am very excited to New Year and all of the wonderful things that it has in store for me. However, right now I am going to go an open the bottle of win my mom got me and bring in the New Year! 

Happy New Year Everyone and Cheers to a wonderful 2019!!!

Tom Hanks Hustle: The Circle

Down to the final stretch! The Final two movies of my journey this year!

This movie was nothing like I think it was going to be. Really, I had no idea what it was going to be because this was one of those movies that the trailer told you nothing! I just knew that it had Tom Hanks, Emma Watson and John Boyega in it. However, this movie is very interesting. This is about a work community called The Circle. Innovators of the internet if you will. They want to give everyone one place where all their passwords are, to see every event that is going around them and give new ideas for new way of connecting with each other. However, when one of the new guppies almost dies kayaking she is "shown" how wonderful it is to be all sharing, and showing to the internet, and a company, all at one time. She becomes totally transparent and shares almost every second of her life with an ever watching pubic. At what cost with it take for her to never be alone.

Let me start off by saying that the cast was wonderful. Not only did you have the before mentioned actors but I was happily surprised when I found that Karen Gillan was in this movie...

Most of you know her as Nebula from the Marvel films but the truly educated know her first THE Amy Pond from Doctor Who!

Anyways, this film was really entertaining but also very nightmare-ish to say the least. The reason is because this something that we are totally heading to. Everyone everywhere is constantly online. We are on for work, for play, because we are bored, or to show off how happy are lives are, even when we are not. We have to stray relevant because we don't want to slip away into obscurity. For many obscurity is worse than being dead. We give ourselves crazy rules that we "have" to live by like changing our profile picture to match the season we are in, or waiting to post something until a certain time of day because it will get more likes. Then there is this whole culture of "getting over" someone, friend or romantic, and we make certain post public on the chance that the person you are "over" sees it and sees that you are doing fine without them. When in all reality if you were over them you would not have posted the damn thing in the first place cause it wouldn't have mattered that much.

Yeah, I know ranting again... but it's the truth. We would rather live through our fake personas online than actually live your live in real time. Take for instance a selfie, or any picture really, it take about 3 seconds to pull out your phone, find the app and take the picture. Now, my question is how long does it to post it? For me 1 minute, as long as I have good service. It takes me no more than 1 minute to pull our my phone take a picture and post on facebook. However, most people are not like me. They want to add filters, captions, stickers, then they think about it for 10 minutes cause they want the picture IN THEIR HEAD to look like the one they just took. How much time and how many more pictures could you have taken and been living in the moment if you hadn't edited your face so much that you no longer recognize it and then don't post the picture because "it wasn't good enough".

There are those who are trying to do what Emma Watson in The Circle does and show every minute of their life online for everyone to see. What we learn though is that there is no privacy in that. When you have no privacy you think it won't effect others but it will. If you can never have a private moment then no one will have a private moment with you. Your late night talks with Best Friends or Spouses will stop, your moments when you want to randomly cry. Moments when you find that loves ones have passed, or when you just want to sit in silence and do nothing without being judged will not longer be there.

Yet, this movie does something when you first watch it. It's a brilliant move really. They show you the great side to being like that. They show you the beauty or being totally transparent. The man in charge is played by Tom Hanks. He tells Watson that his son, in the movie, has Cerebral Palsy and can no do thinks like go kayaking, or climbing Mount Everest. Yet, he can feel like he is there when one of the Circlers  does those things and film it. Look how much beauty and wonder can you bring to those who can't do the same things for whatever reason. Why would you want to deny someone the same beauty that you see just because your alone.

Lord let me tell you it almost had me saying that this was a good idea.

Tom Hanks. The man who has very rarely played the bad guy in his career is playing one now. However, it's brilliantly done because you don't know if he really is a bad guy or what plans he has for The Circle, you just know there is something about him that you don't fully trust. It drives me nuts that his plans were never fully uncovered in the movie. The fact that Mr. Hanks can make you want to trust him so much yet want to run at the same time is one of the rare things you have seen in Actors at any point in time during history. Most of the time you hate the bad guy so much that you love to watch him. You don't want to trust them or do anything with them but you love hating them. Mr. Hanks you don't love to hate. You just wish he wasn't evil. This is one of those movie again where Hanks is not in every single scene but he is part of the driving force behind the scene. You constantly wonder if he is watching or what he is doing when he is not there. It's really eerie but its true.

To be honest, because we don't see that much of him in his career I would love to see more movies where is the bad guy. I really don't want to see him being a mass murderer but I would like to see him in more roles like this just because he is so good playing an opposite of himself.

Tom Hank Hustle: Inferno

The movie that I dread....

This is the 3rd movie of the Da Vinci Code. 

Look, I did not like the first two movies in this series. I did not want to watch this last one. This just like that everything changes. Out of these three movies this had to be the best one! The plot was interesting from begging to end. The character were easy to follow, and so was the dang puzzle. That was one of the big problems in the first two films. You could get so easily lost in the puzzle and all of the side stories that you forgot what was going on. However, this one was very interesting. The only problem that I had with it was the love story with Hanks. It felt a little forced and out of place. Like it was thrown in to give the plot more depth but I felt that it didn't really add anything to the story. You could have taken it out and the movie would have ended just the same. 

I would not mind watching this one again. It won't be first on my list but I would watch it again.

Tom Hanks Hustle: Sully

Ah, Sully. This is one movie I was really ready to revisit. I remember that I enjoyed the film in 2016. Since it had been a while so I was excited about it again.

Famed for saving 155 souls on the fateful airplane. Sully goes through the trial of that 208 seconds that he was in the air.

You know there are some movies that you enjoy or love when you first watch them. Then after some time apart you watch it again and you realize just how awful the movie really is. This is not that movie. I really enjoyed the first viewing of the movie but the second time around I found that I love it even more. The performance of Mr. Hanks in this film has to be one of his best. I would love to know what he does to really get to understand the people he is playing and the issues that they go through. I love the story or this film. Now just about the forced water landing, but the story that happens after. Most stories really focus on the actual event and then touch on the aftermath. This film does it differently. They focus on the trail that followed and, to give reference, they went back and showed the accident. They all know why they are there but it's important to note that they all went through one of the scariest things in their lives and now defend every action that they took. They have to prove that what they did was right. Yes, they saved everyone on board but could they have saved the plane? 

This is a movie that I think will be an understated classic one day. It's gonna be one of those movies that someone is going to come across when they come across Mr. Hanks' career. They will watch it and know a wonderful story and the man who brought it to life. 

Year of Courage: Surrender

Yes, Surrender. Sounds a little off right? Well, let me tell you it's the truth. I surrendered. Not to an enemy, or to a person, or for a cause. I surrendered and did nothing...

Looks folks, it's the end of the year. It's the most wonderful, crazy, stressful, fun, sad, emotional, terrible, insane and glorious time of the year. I chose to surrender to all of it and not really do a challenge. In turn I realized that was doing one. Before I get into the why let me tell you the movie that I watched. I chose It's a Wonderful Life. 

Look I am not going to go on a whole spiel about this movie. When it comes down to it George, Jimmy Stewart, has a choice to surrender to if overwhelming feelings or to the people that he loves. Surrender to what could have been and be miserable or to surrender what is and make it better. 

So, what did I surrender to? Not doing a challenge. I spent weeks last year coming up with a list for this year all for it just to be changed. When it came down to it. I was out of challenges, that were going to be challenging, so instead I chose to do something crazy and do nothing. Doing nothing doesn't seem crazy, or out there or scary but it is. Doing nothing seems to me like I failed. That I didn't do one thing every month, that I didn't complete the challenge before me. Let me tell you. I am glad I did. So far this whole month of December I didn't have to worry about a challenge. I didn't have to worry about doing something else onto the whole list of crazy I had to the month. 

So, here is what I have done instead of doing a challenge. 

1. Went to Mighty Musical Monday Christmas at the Tennessee Theatre.

2. Went to a Jewelry Party

3. Saw the new Robin Hood movie.

4. Celebrated my birthday with my small group! 

5. Had on of my besties, Beth, come into town wither her husband and little girl and we went out for my birthday with Alaina, Luke, and Clark. 

6. When to the Knoxville Christmas Parade.

7. Went to the Ladies Christmas Breakfast at church.

8. Saw the King and I with my mom at the Tennessee Theatre.

9. Wrapped Presents

10. Had our small group board game party

There is a whole slue of other things and it's not even Christmas yet! 

So, do I regret "not doing a challenge" no. Cause I felt guilty for a while about it cause I would have "failed". However, taking time to enjoy life as it come and do things like hanging with friends, and making cookies, and just living in moment is something that a lot of us forget to do. Especially, during this time of year. 

So, take this challenge with me... 

Surrendered what you can't change, surrender to this time in your life, surrender to the fact that life is crazy but it can also be fun, and surrender to this moment.. whenever that moment may be.

Have a Merry Christmas!

Alaina's Trial by Movies: Mildred Peirce

Joan Crawford is one of those actresses that has a great body of work. However, there are some key movies that she does that really stands out. Mildred Peirce is one of them.

This is a great Noir Film that allows Ms. Crawford to have the intensity that she is remembered for having but without her being the crazy bad guy. As great as this movie is I was a little nervous of showing it to Alaina. Alaina has never really seen a noir film before and lets face it this is not that happy of a story.

1. What were your thoughts going into this movie? I was interested because this a genre that I haven't seen before.

2. What was your favorite part of the movie? The twist at the end when we find that she really didn't murder anyone. That she would do anything for Veta.

3. Who was your favorite character? Anyone but Veta. Really I think I liked Wally the best.

4. Why? He watched out for Veta whenever he could and he wasn't a terrible person.

5. What did you not like about the film? VETA! Just her... she's a jerk.

6. What did you think about Joan Crawford? I liked her. She did an excellent job of having her expressions reaching her eyes.

7. What do you think of the move now that we have watched it? I really enjoyed it. I liked the murder mystery feel and the character development was easy to follow.

8. Would you watch it again? Yeah.

9. Would you recommend? To someone who liked murder mysteries.

10. What relevance does it have to today? Stop killing people.. Also raise your kids right, and you can't make someone love you.

Year of Courage: Write 3 Honest Letters

The month on November has ben totally crazy...

It has felt like a very short month and a very long month at the exact same time.

However, life keeps going so it took me very down to the wire to get this challenge done but I did. The challenge this month was to write 3 totally honest letters to people that I love and send them out to them. I think that this was the most emotional challenge yet.

The movie I chose to go with this challenge was Letters to Juliet. 

Honestly, I never saw the movie before this. I really did just pick the film because it dealt with letters and I was at a loss for what movie to pick. It actually ended up being perfect because the whole basis of the movie was a woman who wrote a letter to Juliet, as in Romeo and Juliet, and left it on the wall of her "home" in Verona. She wrote about how she had fallen in love with a local man but was engaged to a man that she was not nearly as madly in love with as the other man. However, was not found by the volunteer until 50 years later. However, they still wrote back even though it had been so long. 

If I keep going I will spoil the movie and I don't want to do that. However, it ended up being perfect for this challenge because she put her heart out there and was honest about her feelings with both people, even if it was just in paper alone. 

Like I said this had to be the most emotional challenge of the year. Like telling what I think of them in any way, shape, form, or fashion. I do it in my car or my apartment all the time. I yell at people, call them names, tell them that their life choices are stupid but I don't do it to their face! 

So, I am not going to say who I wrote to because that would defeat the purpose of writing an honest letting of saying who it was and why I did it. However, I did say I cut it to the wire and I did. I wrote and sent the last letter on the 30th of November. So, the other two I got feedback and but I am still waiting for the last one. Which makes it worse cause that was the HARDEST letter that I had to write and I almost talked myself out of doing it. Not because I was going to say mean things it was just opening up like that is weird for me. 

Anyways, I will say that the feedback that I have gotten from the other two letters was amazing. I felt good to tell people what I thought about them and how great they are and that they loved me just as much to. I like doing it because honestly sometimes we need that reminder that we love someone that much and that we are loved that much. 

I know that this wasn't anything crazy like skydiving but it still meant something to me and it was totally scary to do it. 

I'm still glad I did it though.

Tom Hanks Hustle: A Hologram for the King

This is the movie that I really wanted to watch again but also really didn't want to. When I first saw this movie is was in 2016 during my crazy movie year. The day I saw it I had just found out my cousin, Dean, had died in a car accident. I didn't know how to process my emotions so I went to movies.

This movie is about a man who is at his whit's end. He is recently divorced, trying to put his daughter though school, hating his job, and just feel lost overall. He thinks that if he can get his company this deal for a working hologram meeting technology for the King of Saudi Arabia that it might turn his life around.

The reason that I say that this movie helped be to process my emotion was because my cousin died very unexpectant and very young. I had just love my grandma a few weeks before and was trying to understand that when this happened. To this day I can not speak about that tragedy for very long because I breakdown at the unfairness of it all.

Anyways, Feeling that much anger, hurt, confusion, pain, sorrow, worry and all the emotion that come with death I didn't know how to deal with it. I could not keep my mind on one thing about it enough to process anything really. I wanted to scream, cry, hit something or someone, be angry but I could not stick with one emotion long enough to really deal with any of them. My grandma's death wasn't this bad because I thought it might be coming soon because she wasn't in the best health in her final years, and because of her age, and just because sometimes you know it's going to come sooner rather than later. With a death like Dean's it was so out of the blue and such a different type of sorrow. With my grandma I could be at peace that she was not longer suffering or in any sort of pain. I was sad but I could accept her death as her time to go. Dean's was not. His was unnecessary, cruel, unthinkable, and most of all preventable. Totally unfair in every single way.

I had already planned to see this movie before I found what happened. I went to church and I came home and mom told me. I knew that he died in a car crash and I didn't want to know anymore. My parents didn't know I didn't want to know the details. They found out over the phone with my uncle and my dad said it out loud. I ran downstairs and sobbed. I didn't want that imagine in my head but I had it now and it just made me so much more angry.

After I got my self under enough control to be able to do more than just cried I told mom I was going to the movie. I needed to not be around anyone, I needed to not have to think about it if I didn't want to. I didn't want to have to walk away from my parents every time my uncle called. I just didn't want it. I wanted time to breathe. So, I carried on and went to the movie. I didn't kow that it was going to help me in such a huge way. The fact that the character the Mr. Hanks plays in the film is going through very real and painful changes in his life and is feeling a lot of the emotions I was and trying to hide it made for a good film, and healing process for me.

When you are making a film you can have real human emotions but you can't have them all at once or you can't understand the movie. How you layer the film to build off of the current emotion you are showing and the previous emotions shown in the film can really make or break the soul of a movie. This film did it beautifully. We were able to feel the stresses that Mr. Hanks was going though and remember them and kept building a beautiful picture of how he was sorting it all out. In the movie theater that day I was able to forget what happened but was allowed to feel the what the film wanted me to feel in the moment. Because I was giving time to feel and process the emotion watching the movie I felt so much more in control, and at peace with what was going on, than I did when I walked in.

Because I was at a crazy emotional mess when I saw this film I wanted to watch it again to see what I missed, and I didn't because I didn't want to have the same level of emotions that I did that day. However, I am glad I watched it. It really was as good as I remember from the first time and I was able to enjoy it more not being as emotional. It's not the craziest role he has ever done but I think it is one of his more meaningful roles.