Arryo vs No Country, Movie Reviews

Over the past few days and weekend I seemed to have gathered up some spare time that I usually don’t have, so I have been taking in the movies.  So, there will be no earth shattering remarks made or great resolutions about life or life after death, etc.  But, there was a locally produced film in the Lubbock area, starring Lubbock folks that I thought needed viewing and reviewing.  The name of the movie is “The Arryo”, local actors and local scenery, even though some of it was filmed in Arizona disguised as the South Plains.  Here goes: 

“The Arryo”, **, This movie was written by a former South Plains resident from Slaton, Texas who migrated out to California.  Jeremy Boreing’s Arryo was filmed in small towns around Lubbock and showed a close resemblance to Academy award winner “No Country for Old Men”, starring Tommy Lee Jones and directed by the Coen Brothers in 2007.  The similarities almost make you wonder if the Coen Brothers were robbed just a little bit.  After all  “No Country” was in a West Texas setting, with local people along with hardened, experienced movie stars, involved illegal immigrants, drugs, murder, thievery, two main heroes(Josh Brolin, Tommy Lee Jones), vs. Arryo stars(Kenny Maines, Junior Vasquez) and then two hit men that had different ways of killing their prey, but in the end always left them dead.  Javier Bardem played the hitman in No Country and liked to philosophize with those he was paid to kill and then he killed them with some kind of electric gismo.  The Arryo hitman, David Armendariz, had a special ring that had a fine point on it that folded up when not in use and then when he was ready to put his victim to eternal sleep he just took the point to the jugular and the victim bleed to death.  He always kept it sharp as a tack and in one scene we got to see him sharpen it.  The hero of Arryo was Jim Weatherford, played by local actor, song writer and singer, Kenny Maines.  He was the big daddy who was tired of the illegal immigrants crossing his land at night and the drug dealers doing the same.  So, he took the law into his own hands and the shooting begins. Also, since I had never seen him act(I have heard him sing many times) I really did not know what to expect.  But, he was good for a local guy who was starring in his first movie.  It had an ending I did not expect so I will not reveal it.  While I am fairly certain this film will not make the big time I could be wrong, so look out for it.  Rated  R for strong violence, pervasive language, drug content.(While this movie had no rating I just added that so you would know what to expect.   One other note:  90% of the audience was in the senior + age group. 

“Jack Ryan”, ***, Jack Ryan(Chris Pine), as a young covert CIA analyst, uncovers a Russian plot to crash the U.S. economy with a terrorist attack.  Kevin Costner plays his mature, now greying, boss and mentor as they fight the bad Russians and save the day.  Lots of actions and really done well. He also has a young beautiful fiancee who wonders what he does while away on business trips, since she doesn’t know he works for the CIA. This puts some interesting dialogue into the mix.  Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and intense actions, and brief strong language.

“ August:  Osage County”, ****, For acting alone this movie would get another star; however, the depressing part of it kind of knocks it down a notch.  Even though I realize that the statement, “holidays are for times when people who don’t like each other can get together and fight” describes this movie.  While it is not a holiday that brings them together it is the funeral of the patriarch who has just committed suicide.  So now we have a look at the lives of this family and the real dirty linen that is tossed across the dinner table, especially by the surviving matriarch.  She spells dysfunctional very well and demonstrates it even better.  Along the two hour path of this cinema we have incest, adultery, mental illness, retardedness, excessive legal drug use, illegal drug use and the use of the f,,,bomb and m....f......more than I have heard in some time.  Meryle Streep played the woman who raised this group of weird people, and Julia Roberts was so good at throwing out these bombs I am sure she must practice a lot in real life.  Chris Cooper was excellent and gave a hair raising objection to all the bad karma that was going around.  In the end they all left after the funeral still hating each other and in no way was any one cured of these feelings that I could tell.  Sequel?? Hope not, depression after watching this movie will take days to expire.  The acting was so good you would think it was a real family and I am not to sure this wasn’t a true story!!  Rated R for language including sexual references, and for drug material.

EA, SH...........!!!

greerman