Before Midnight
It’s almost impossible to talk about this film w/o giving things away, but I highly recommend it (as w/ the previous 2 films)! Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) are now a middle-aged (WOW!) couple raising 2 adorable young daughters (twins) in Paris. This film takes place in Greece, where they’ve been vacationing. Jesse is feeling bad after his son from his marriage, Hank, leaves to go back to Chicago.
There are other actors (playing their friends/acquaintances) here, too, who are pitch perfect in their roles. “They got serious!” The young lady sitting beside my friend commented. This is a film about grown-up life and real situations, and it’s refreshing to see (for a change).
Man of Steel
First of all, this film is much better than Superman Returns (a debacle of a film I saw while visiting some cousins). I don’t remember much that happened. Secondly, that’s not high praise. This film is about 75% action/special effects and 25% acting/dialogue. Russell Crowe (an actor I usually love watching) does as well as he can w/ what he’s given.
I also felt bad for Kevin Costner and Diane Lane, who’ve been out of the spotlight for several years now. They barely have anything to do in this film- what a waste of talent. Hey, Hollywood, if you want viewers to care about characters (esp. iconic ones), you need to put in more development. We’re not all 12 y.o. old boys!
Star Trek: Into Darkness
There’s something about Zachary Quinto (and it’s not just his large, expressive eyes)! I noticed him first in Margin Call (a movie about Wall St. that I didn’t fully understand) a few months back. He created a very well-rounded character- a young analyst (w/ a science background) who was bright, ambitious, yet honest. I haven’t seen the first ST reboot film, but hope to in the near future.
I was VERY excited to see Benedict Cumberbatch (one of my fave Brit actors) on the big screen again. (He was in Atonement, playing another sort of villain, but that wasn’t a meaty role.) This film was pretty good (exceeded my expectations). Cumberbatch has some great dialogue, and just makes you feel for him/his people. (Our “enemies” are NOT one-dimensional, after all.) As for the action stuff, I esp. liked the scene where they navigate the asteroid field. Check this film out.
A critical piece on the casting of Cumberbatch
Knightleyemma 
I recently saw that ep of “ST: TOS” w/ Khan (“Space Seed”); the role was played by Ricardo Montalban (the son of Spanish immigrants to Mexico, then US). Now, he was a VERY handsome man (check out the cheekbones), and also a fine actor. BUT wow, the makeup was QUITE darker than his real skin! Same thing happened to Rita Moreno and the few other Puerto Ricans cast in “West Side Story” (the film version).
Aside from his name (duh), the female historian (in “Space Seed”) said Khan was “probably a Sikh from Northern India- they were great warriors.” So, in “ST: Into Darkness,” Cumberbatch’s role could’ve been played by a desi/South Asian actor. Awww, that’s a missed opportunity (for actor & worldwide audiences)!
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