UNDEFEATED  3.2***

       The 2012 Oscar-award winning documentary "Undefeated" is a great example of  being at the right place at the right time. The movies focuses  on a failing high-school football team, the Manassas Tigers in located in Memphis, Tennessee., This football team  has never won a play-off game in the 110 years of its existence.  Manassas high-school is located in an all-black neighborhood suffering from extreme unemployment. Most of the black teens lack parental guidance, being raised by grandmothers or single parents  Almost everyone on the team has friends or close relatives convicted of various  of crimes.  Into this backdrop of  hopelessness comes Bill Courtney, a white successful businessman, whose true calling and passion is coaching football teams. Having already coached the Tigers for six years, the year of the documentary is supposed to be his best team ever. His key player is  O.C. Brown,  a 6’4” and 315 lbs powerful lineman who is as fast as a running back and plays both offense and defense.. Will the school be able to break the 110 year play-off jinx? To do so they must win their region to have a playoff chance.

Molded into the all too familiar underdog sports story of a team of misfits conquering the odds, it is easy to understand how it won the Oscar for Best Documentary The film spends a significant amount of time  showing the challenges and ordeals of Bill Courtney and his challenged young team, capturing a spectacular moment in time when the team turns from being the perennial loser into a dominant regional team.

The thing that makes all of this truly special, is that these are REAL PEOPLE. This is not some scripted Hollywood sports movie with the latest pop-culture stars. 'Undefeated' cuts deep into real emotions and isn't afraid to show the reality of life whether good or bad .. And as it moves along, you never truly know what will happen, giving it a unique, engaging quality, that is often missing in fictional movies... Full of heart, passion and a hopeful outlook, it is one of the better documentaries out there and one of the BEST football sports stories you’ll ever see.

It’s currently streaming on Netflix and could be found elsewhere. It’s worth finding and watching.

Clark

BRIDGE OF SPIES  3.2****

      Directed by the great Steven Spielberg, BRIDGE OF SPIES tells the story of the Cold War prisoner exchange in 1950's that was brokered by the character portrayed by Tom Hanks . Taking his time telling this story in a script that was punched up the Coen brothers, Spielberg  creates a gray, grainy and, yes, cold world that accurately depicts the feelings of the time.

Not only is Spielberg at the top of his game but so too is Tom  Hanks in the lead role. He imbues lawyer James Donovan with strength, courage and decency ( and a disarming sense of humor) while also showing the fear of the unknown that permeates the movie and the Cold War times of the  '50's. It is Hanks best performance in a while and further highlights him as one of the best actors of our generation.

Spielberg, Hanks, and the Coens are all "veteran" movie names that show, yet again, that they know what they are doing and create a film/world that is interesting to look at and satisfying to experience. An added plus is film newcomer Mark Rylance, as Russian spy Rudolf Abel who almost steals the show. This veteran theater actor has a remarkably expressive face that shows more emotion in a raised eyebrow than most actors show in an entire performances.

 If you are looking for an "action" spy movie – go the James Bond film that is now out. If you are looking for a smart, atmospheric, well-acted movie that accurately depicts the mood, feeling and atmosphere of the Cold War, go to BRIDGE OF SPIES.

  Clark

CRIMSON PEAK  2.9***

   First, 'Crimson Peak' is not a horror film; it is a 'gothic romance' with some mild horror thrown in.  The genre hasn't been visited upon for decades, yet Director Del Toro does a fine job of offering his own take on it.  Despite some narrative problems, 'Crimson Peak' is a grand visual experience that needs to be seen on the big screen if at all. Del Toro's immense talent for creating wondrous images for the screen has not faltered one bit, and he truly has come up with an original concept that we haven't seen in a  long time. And although I didn't completely fall in love with this film, I will say I enjoyed it for those unique visuals which are so glorious, they are almost overwhelming. The sets are spectacular visions of beauty and decadence; the costumes are intricately detailed and gorgeous; and the lighting and  saturated color bring depth and meaning;  

The tale takes place first in America in the late 19th century. A family tragedy occurs near the beginning of the film starting the horror for Edith (Mia Wasikowska) while also driving her into the comforting arms of Sir Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston), who she falls in love with and marries. . Edith travels to rural England with Sir Thomas and his sister, Lady Lucille Sharpe (Jessica Chastain), to live in his  giant creepy  mansion which is in great disrepair, even with a huge  hole in the massive roof …but still it would have suited Vincent Price and Edgar Allan Poe quite well. After her arrival, things take a turn for the worse. Edith begins hearing and seeing strange noises and frightening apparitions that seem to be after her, or at least trying to tell her something.  

As for the horror side, I felt the ghosts/apparitions weren't striking or distinctive enough to achieve the haunting effect they deserve. Director Del Toro went to incredible lengths  to craft the house and other visuals,  yet he did not fully utilize his fantastical  design talents on these tormented creatures. I also felt the pacing dragged along in certain sequences and some scenes did appear repetitive at times.

The trio of leading stars are fine.. Wasikowska delivers a familiar turn as the frail victim and Hiddleston's charm is on show in droves but it is Chastain whose dark cynicism casts a shadow over any sign of happiness in this tale. There's something unnerving every time she appears on screen that only adds to the drama unfolding between the web of on screen relationships.

Rated R for bloody violence, some sexual content and brief strong language 

Clark