The thirties: Who needs 'em?
Truth be told, this is the time in the countdown where I always get behind, so I go somewhat into panic mode and write some shorter reviews to make up ground.
Also, I'm going out of town this weekend.
#39 The Hundred Foot Journey
An Indian family moves to France to start a restaurant after theirs burns down during a revolution. The only vacancy in the town happens to be a building across from the Michelin-rated restaurant captained by the cutthroat Madam Mallory (Helen Mirren). The protagonist, the family's wunderkind son Hassan (Manish Dayal), is turning into a master chef in his own right, and Mallory, who has sparked somewhat of a war against the family, might make a play to steal him outright, thus taking a hundred-foot journey across the street. All in all, it was a fun story with a nice cast anchored by the Dame--the film equivalent of a fluffy pastry, maybe.
#38 Non-Stop
If the Super Bowl taught us anything, it's that Liam Neeson's badassery knows no bounds, taking home the best commercial award as only he knows how, using his "unique skill set" to intimidate a barista in a Clash of Clans ad. Forget Puxatawny Phil; these days it's Liam Neeson who tells us that Spring is around the corner as he has starred in yet another January action movie. And yes, the usual Liam Neeson rules apply. Broken man? Check. Haunted past? Oh, you bet. Here, he is a drunk US Air Marshal who starts receiving text messages that passengers are going to begin dying on the airplane he is riding on. When they actually do, he springs into action to find the perpetrator with the help of the passenger next to him (Julianne Moore) and the game stewardesses (Lupita N'yongo and Downton's Michelle Dockery). It's a fun one, as long as your not expecting Ayn Rand. Just enjoy the flight and you'll be fine.
#37 The Judge
Robert Downey Jr. is Hank Palmer, a shark-toothed attorney living in Chicago. All is copacetic (well, besides his impending divorce) until his brother Glen (Vincent D'Onfrio) calls to say their mother has died. Cue "thinking while looking out airplane window" sequence, and "I can't believe how small my Indiana hometown is, showcased by all the locals and main street aesthetic" montage. After the funeral, he ends up bumping into his ex Samantha (Vera Farmiga) and seeing the sparks start to sputter again. Later that night, his respected big-time judge father (Robert Duvall) is taken in for questioning on a hit and run. Because of their tattered past, the judge refuses to hire him on as his defense attorney, opting for the inexperienced Dax Shepherd (that would be a great band name, yeah?) who proceeds to get annihilated in the hearing by sly prosecutor Dwight Dickham (Billy Bob Thornton). Will the Judge forgive his son and accept him? Liked the performances a lot, but I don't have to explain to you how this one will play out.
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