Brian's Thoughts on Movies

 In 2017 within six months two films were released that told different viewpoints of the same larger story.  In the late spring of 1940 several months into World War II, Europe was reacting slowly and ineffectively to Germany's unexpected blitzkrieg tactics.  The German forces had taken over most of France and driven the French troops, along with about 400,000 British troops, who were trying to help defend France, onto the beaches of Dunkirk in Northeastern France, which is 38 nautical miles across the English channel.  The British felt an urgent need to rescue their forces both for their safety and because these troops might be the only hope of keeping Germany from invading Great Britain.   Two top English directors made films exploring this crisis during the same period.  Christopher Nolan made Dunkirk, which told the story from the perspective of the soldiers, sailors, and pilots.  Joe Wright made Darkest Hour in which newly instated Prime Mini...

  In 1998 a film was released starring Mark Wahlberg and Lou Diamond Phillips called The Big Hit.  The Big Hit is an action comedy about a group of hitmen who kidnap a young woman and hide her in a house in the suburbs. It's the kind of film best watched with a group if you are in the mood for something offbeat.  Diamond Phillips has a ball playing a manipulative sleeze and Wahlberg plays the straight man who is a terrific killer but whose personal life is a mess (due in large part to having two girlfriends).  The stunts are so outrageous at one pointed I commented that they were breaking so many laws of physics they should be cited.  It is pretty violent and vulgar but I had a good time with it. My reason for bringing up The Big Hit is Bullet Train reminded me of it, with a touch of Guy Ritchie's British action comedies like Snatch and The Man From Uncle thrown in .  In the summer of 2022 I took my kids to see several movies including Doctor Strange and th...