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84TH ACADEMY AWARDS: NO WINNERS IN THE PENEFLIX CONTEST BUT………

Two were very close: “Laura” and “Gerry”. Viola Davis was most of our Achilles heel; she was a major force in an iconic film. Meryl Streep was the only force in a mediocre movie; how tragic that she neglected to mention Margaret Thatcher in her acceptance speech (also when she won the Golden Globe). Streep is a genius but I …

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RAMPART

Satisfaction. Defined by the Oxford Dictionary as “ the feeling of pleasure that arises when you have the things you need or want or when the things you want to happen have happened”. The feeling of harmony or contentment you experience after the  perfect meal or the result of a flawless film where all the elements are in pristine alignment …

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HOME FOR THE ACADEMY AWARDS: IT IS NOT TOO LATE TO ENTER THE PENEFLIX AWARD CONTEST. DEADLINE MIDNIGHT FEBRUARY 24TH.

For those Subscribers who mourned my absence I am back, salivating for delectable film fare; also broke my rule of never watching movies on an airline, now realize it is a viable commandment, that in the future I will religiously adhere to. “IN TIME”. A ridiculous film starring Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried where “time” is money, literally; predictably the …

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PENEFLIX OSCAR CONTEST

It is easy to compete. Just submit your answers on this site. The prize will be movie passes at the theatre of your choice. In choosing, go with your instincts; you ALWAYS fare better than I.  All entries must be submitted by midnight February 24th. AGAIN, ON THIS SITE. You must correctly choose the Best Movie, Best Director, Best Female …

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JUST FOR THE FLICK OF IT!

Sometimes a movie is just a movie: mindless escapism,  a joyous romp through reality and or fantasy, a “gloom” chaser and mood- mender, mind- bender; the medicine that eliminates angst, removes ‘”ego” from the pedestal; a window into the inexperienced, unknown circumstances, an awakening that leaves a residue, an unveiling of life and lives of those whose paths, destined never …

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ALBERT NOBBS

Glenn Close and Janet McTeer give vastly credible performances as women disguised as men. The novel “The Singular Life of Albert Nobbs” by George Moore has been a project of Ms. Close since she played the lost but dignified “Mr. Nobbs” off Broadway almost thirty years ago; she should be applauded for her tenacity and the actualization of her mission. …

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WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN

Every year at the end of August, the Tomatina Festival is celebrated in Bunol, Valencia (Spain); approximately 15 tons of tomatoes are hurled, squashed, plummeted on thousands of willing participants, joyously sacrificing their inhibitions on the altar of gooey, glorious fun. This vibrantly red scene in “We need to Talk About Kevin” serves as the metaphor for the gruesome, horrific, …

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A SEPARATION

Winner of the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Film and my guess the “Oscar” in the same category. This disturbing and thought-provoking movie from Iran gifts the viewer a realistic and insightful look into ordinary life of a culture anathema to those who live in the West; it it difficult to rise above your own freedoms and prejudices to …

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EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE

The 2005 novel by Jonathan Safran Foer was a compelling and excellent read. The movie version is immaculately filmed, directed and graced with fine, sensitive performances. Thomas Horn is a genius in depicting “Oscar Schell”, an 11- year -old gifted loner, trying to cope with the loss of his father (Tom Hanks). Then why was I bored, uninterested and capable …

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SUBSCRIBER ALERT

  Many of you have expressed concern over my new FACEBOOK page. There is no need; you will still receive the reviews and be able to comment, as before (“Pina”). I am still wandering, blindly in the labyrinth of the Facebook maze, but through trial and error and the guidance of my muse “Vishal” and son “Robert” the path will …

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