Movies I have watched over the last six months & have not reviewed

The Great Gatsby
I read the book recently and this one did follow the book closely. I enjoyed the special effects & cinematography. The director was trying to recapture a look from the 1920’s but mixed in elements of comedy & over the top pizazz which at times gave the movie a zany & gaudy feel. The cast were all start actors which did not give great performances, except for Leonardo Dicaprio who seemed to carry the movie at times. While it is not a must see I do recommend the movie if one enjoyed the book The Great Gatsby or if one wants to watch Leonardo Dicaprio give another amazing performance.

The Butler
All in all the basic premise of the Butler, an African American butler is hired at the White house during a period of racial conflict & lives to see a time of interracial acceptance, is not a long enough or captivating enough to be made into a movie. What stretched out the story is adding different eras of history, the various political characters, and drama with in the protagonists family which make this story into somewhat of an interesting tale. I am not sure how much of this movie is based on actual events and how much is made up. If any of it resembles historical events I would love to know more about the story.

The Counselor
This cautionary tale doesn’t cover new ground but the story is told in such a way that it is deeply personal. Many of the conversations are not dialogue or monologues but a series of personal secrets one would divulge to a counselor, priest, or confidante. While the acting is good & it is peppered with many great lines this movie seems to stray from cautioning about one bad decision & shows the results of making very bad decisions. I enjoyed the movie but cannot rave about it or recommend it to everyone due to the adult nature of the film.