Anthropoid

First Hit:  This was a strong, well-presented, and interesting film about the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich the architect of the holocaust.

The story follows a small group of men who parachute into Czechoslovakia with the goal of assassinating Reinhard Heydrich who had been sent to Czechoslovakia to ensure that the country supplies Germany with the war materials they expect.

There is a resistance movement in Prague which has been decimated by German soldiers publicly killing people who do not fall in line with German leader wishes. Heydrich had come up with the plan and process for killing all European Jews and was Hitler’s number 3 guy so he was Hitler's guy to get Czechoslovakia in line.

The film mainly follows two of the men, Jan Kubis and Josef Gabcik (Jamie Dornan and Cillian Murphy respectively) who parachuted into the republic, and find themselves in Prague being helped by the resistance led by Uncle Hajsky (Toby Jones). Both Jan and Josef are coupled with two women Marie Kovarnikova and Lenka Fafkova (Charlotte Le Bon and Anna Geislerova respectively) as a way to help them blend into Prague city life while they plan the assassination.

The film is graphic about the struggle and occasionally uses actual footage. The scene of the actual assassination was well staged in that it felt risky and real. The suspense was palpable.

The end scene with the battle in the church was very well done and very heroic in nature. Watching this film was like watching an important piece of history, which means the filmmakers did an excellent job of bringing this story to life.

Dornan was wonderful as the guy who struggled to pull the trigger but when the chips were down he was a reliable member of the team. His romance and connection with Marie was palpable. Murphy was fantastic and the driver of the mission. His ability to be strong, yet apologize for his focus, was truly heartfelt. Jones was really good as the main contact and leader of the underground. Le Bon was really good in the way she was supportive of the mission and her love for Kubis. Geislerova was truly amazing. Her strength of character shone through in this role. Sean Ellis and Anthony Frewin wrote a very strong script and Ellis’ direction was spot on.

Overall:  This was a truly interesting and well-acted film about a historical event.

The Walk

First Hit:  This film kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time.

Yes there are parts of the film I wanted a fast forward button so that I could see Philippe Petit (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) walk the wire between the twin towers, however all the parts are necessary and they provide a great lead up to "The Walk".

In fact, I almost felt as though there wasn’t enough information in the film to make me feel sure that he’d practiced walking the wire enough to meet the challenge and goal he wanted to complete:  To string a high wire between the World Trade Center (WTC) towers and walk between them.

There’s enough biographical information to set the stage that Philippe marches to his own drum – regardless of the circumstance. He meets Annie (Charlotte Le Bon) whom he connects with, romances, and she becomes his muse. There are wonderful scenes with her and Philippe, but my favorite is when they come out of the subway and she sees the twin towers for the first time and says:  “woha" - it was perfect.

The team Petit put together to assist him were perfect, and each had their beliefs, strengths, and foibles. As they prepare for “The Walk”, it is easy to get engaged with the challenge. To provide expertise, Philippe seeks out wizened senior wire-walker Papa Rudy (Ben Kingsley) who teaches him the most important aspects of rigging and safety. Their interaction and mutual respect is obvious.

The use of 3-D is absolutely perfect. This film must be seen in 3-D. The magnificence of the feat, the view of NYC, and the view down from the wire is almost too hard to watch. This film is about courage, single mindedness, and commitment. This film is so filled with tension that there were times I had to close my eyes.

Gordon-Levitt, despite the slightly odd French accent was fantastic. He held single mindedness and the air of invincibility, perfectly. Le Bon was sublime. She was perfect as a muse, friend, lover and believer, all wrapped into one person. Kingsley was very good as the mentor and guide. Everyone in the support team was fantastic. The NYC policemen were amazing as were the WTC construction workers. I also loved that the writer and director included the mysterious visitor that came to the top of the tower viewed what Petit was doing and left. The use of voice over was also very effective. Robert Zemeckis and Christopher Browne wrote a wonderful screenplay and Zemeckis’ direction was perfect.

Overall:  This was a jaw dropping, interesting, and powerful film.

The Hundred-Foot Journey

First Hit:  A wonderful film although I thought the middle was long and a little slow.

The premise was great: A family coming from India to France via England to create a livelihood for themselves. Would they find a way to make it?

They were restaurateurs in India and this was what they knew. Papa (Om Puri) was in control of his family and after he lost his wife, he did his best to guide his family in a single direction, together. His younger son Hassan (Manish Dayal) had the gift of being able to cook. His mother had taught him about spices and how to use them in food.

The family settles into a large building across the street from a restaurant run by Madame Mallory (Helen Mirren) who has a single Michelin Star. She is obsessive about the star, her restaurant and is a difficult taskmaster about how the restaurant works, presents itself and the food they serve. She is not happy about the Indian music and curry smells coming from her new neighbor.

One of her sous-chefs Marguerite (Charlotte Le Bon) takes a liking to Hassan and their relationship both professionally and personally grows. The scenes where each kitchen is chopping food in a war-like competition were fun. The beauty of the food on the plates - wonderful. The growing relationship between the two families was fun to watch.

Where the film got lost for me was shortly after Hassan moves to Mallory’s kitchen and through the part when he was in Paris learning how to cook through science and chemistry. Where was the real angst of this soulless work? Where was the real longing to get back to cooking real natural food.

I don’t know if the film would have been interesting with another middle, but the end was obvious from the beginning and I think there was another way to get there.

Puri was sublime. His portrayal of being and Indian entrepreneur protecting and doing what was best for his family was simply great. Dayal was really good as the son who had the cooking talents. Mirren was her usual fantastic self. She made me fully believe she was a Michelin Star restaurateur. Le Bon was a ray of light in this film and her smile made each of her scenes, alone, worth watching. Stephen Knight wrote an interesting screenplay although at times it seemed too involved. The story could have been simpler. Lasse Hallstrom directed this film with a great eye for color, scene staging, and sense of feeling. Again, not to belabor, somewhere in the middle I became a bit disinterested, only to find it the story to pick up again in the end.

Overall:  I enjoyed this film and thought that each scene was wonderfully executed.