Director Mark Landsman’s Thunder Soul (2010) is the kind of movie that sinks under your skin. You’ve seen the story before: a determined teacher looking to make the most out of his pupils, and a group of students who would have been lost without his guidance. I had this in mind, and walked in thinking that I knew what I was getting myself into. And then, something interesting happened. The film revealed itself to be much more absorbing, richer, and more fulfilling than other musical documentaries of its kind. It presented a colorful group of people, all of whom became the best at what they do: playing music. And even more incredible was that they were at the top of their field while still in high school. It’s a celebration of one man’s efforts to bring his students together through music, and present that celebration to a new generation.
Film Review – Horrible Bosses
There is a universal relatability at the core of Horrible Bosses. No matter what kind of person you are or how well you’ve been brought up, there is a sentence that has crossed all of our minds at one point or another: “I’d like to kill that guy.” Now, it was probably thought in the heat of the moment after some asshole cut you off on the freeway. But the idea was there, if only for a split second. However, there are very few of us who would actually go through with such an idea. This fact is what makes Horrible Bosses a film that many people will be able to relate to, but one that doesn’t totally sell its convictions. The filmmakers are hoping that audiences will think “I hate my boss. Life would be so much easier if he was dead,” and that will be enough for them. Unfortunately they were so sure of their premise that they forgot to actually make it a convincing plot development that three ordinary guys would turn into murderers after little more than one drunken conversation.
