Danny Collins Movie Review & Film Summary (2. Its excitement comes from watching its leathery, raspy- voiced star play the title character, a Neil Diamond- ish soft rock icon reconnecting with the family he's neglected for decades while wooing a Hilton manager named Mary Sinclair (Annette Bening) and trying to write something new and good. Advertisement. If this sounds like a tidy arc, well, it is—but only for Danny, and only at first. Written and directed by first- time feature filmmaker Dan Fogelman (. From the second we meet Danny, we think of him as a charismatic buffoon, a guy who'd probably be insufferable if he weren't aware of how little new material he's written during the last three decades of his career, how few relationships he's forged of any depth, and how much money he's blown through (a lot of it went straight up his nose). When Danny's manager and best friend Frank (the great Christopher Plummer) gives Danny a birthday gift—a 1.

John Lennon inviting him to come to New York and look him and Yoko up—we expect the shakeup to put him on a straight line towards sainthood. After a few sleepless nights, Danny cancels his big- money tour, breaks off his engagement to a younger woman who's been cheating on him, checks into a suburban New Jersey Hilton, and sets about wooing Mary, working on a vaguely Leonard Cohen- esque confessional song, and reconnecting with his long- estranged son, Tom Donnelly (Bobby Cannavale), a real working- class hero (as per Lennon's hit) who lives in the suburbs with his pregnant wife Samantha (Jennifer Garner) and their special- needs daughter, Hope (Giselle Eisenberg). The dialogue and story details are often a bit much (did Danny's granddaughter have to be named Hope, and did the film have to use Lennon's music as emotional boldface?) and after a while, the film's meandering rhythm can seem too pleased with itself. But this is still a hugely effective film, mainly because the path between Danny and redemption proves steeper than he dreamed, and it's filled with obstructions, some placed by acts of God, others by Danny's personality and world view (and addictions—not just to drugs and alcohol but to luxury). And this is what sets . Although we have no cause to doubt the legitimacy of Danny's existential crisis, Pacino and his director never indulge in special pleading on his behalf; in fact they go the other way, driving home how Danny's self- improvement regimen is mostly smoke and mirrors.

There's a touch of Royal Tenenbaum to the way he waltzes back into his son's life and affects a man- of- the- people vibe. It's possible for an arrogant S. O. B. Advertisement. The entire film could be a feature- length elaboration of the classic confession booth scene in . Danny's resolutions to quit snorting coke, cut back on his drinking, win the love of his son and his family, write great new material, and live a less ostentatiously empty life all seem absurd when you realize how big the challenges are, and how much effort he actually invests in achieving his goals. Pacino's vanity- free performance centers the film in reality even when it's flirting with .

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When Danny invites Mary, a witty and enticing but skeptical career woman, to spend the night in his suite, he reassures her that he's so old there isn't even a possibility of sex, and when Frank notes that Danny's new flame is . Better yet, not only are most of Danny's victories small, he seems aware of how small they are, yet grateful to have each one. The character lived much of his adult life at a level where no one could tell him anything (except Frank, and only sometimes). Now, suddenly, has he has to really listen to people and give a damn about their feelings. This proves critically important in his relationship with Tom, a strong and kind but understandably bitter adult son who refuses to give an inch, with good reason. The film is less about the likelihood of people changing their essence than the necessity of accepting people's flaws along with their virtues, and making space in your life for anyone who has a good heart and is worth the trouble.

For a film called “90 Minutes in Heaven,” this adaptation of Don Piper’s 2004 bestselling memoir spends an inordinate amount of time on earthly ground. Carrie Pilby (2017) Online.

Minutes in Heaven Movie Review (2. For a film called “9. Minutes in Heaven,” this adaptation of Don Piper’s 2.

Only about three minutes of the film are devoted to portraying the divine afterlife, and when they finally arrive, they aren’t worth the wait. A better title would’ve likely been “1. Minutes in Purgatory,” since that’s essentially where audiences will find themselves residing during the entirety of this dreary slog down a familiar road paved with painfully good intentions. Advertisement. What’s especially dispiriting is the botched potential of the film’s premise.

Here’s a story about a Baptist minister who dies in a horrific car accident, has a transformative trip to the Pearly Gates and suddenly finds himself brought back to life, reciting the lyrics of a hymn sung by a minister to his bloodied corpse. So taken was Piper with his vision of Heaven that he began to lack the motivation necessary to continue on his path toward recovery. He grew distant from his family and friends, repelling the very acts of kindness that he used to administer on a daily basis to those in need. The role of Piper requires an actor that can involve the audience in his emotional struggle, all the while being confined to a hospital bed. Casting Hayden Christensen is the film’s first fatal misstep. Once again mistaking pouting expressions and mumbled line delivery for a vivid characterization, as he did so notoriously as Anakin Skywalker, Christensen is an infuriating presence from frame one. There’s a reason why the actor’s best film remains “Shattered Glass,” Billy’s Ray’s excellent 2.

It’s much harder for him to make sincerity credible, which is a major problem in this case, since his character is the one tasked with repeatedly declaring, “Heaven is real!”If that line sounds familiar, it may be because it bears a suspicious resemblance to the title of last year’s highest- grossing evangelical release, “Heaven Is For Real,” a film that is superior on every conceivable level. That picture also recounted the fact- based tale of a near- death experience, yet it actually dealt with the spiritual crises and doubts that arose in its aftermath. Aside from widening the aspect ratio, all writer/director Michael Polish—a filmmaker once lauded for audacious fables like “Northfork”—can muster is sun- dappled green screen shots of cheery caucasians dressed in their Sunday best. Watch The Vault (2017) Free. There are also two black women and an Asian man among the smiling faces, but they’re merely glorified extras on hand for the celestial photo op. Another problem is the dialogue. Piper’s narration has a tendency to introduce every character upon their arrival with expository details of their godly virtues (such as military service), even if they have no bearing on the plot. He also brings unwelcome attention to the film’s obvious metaphors by literally spelling them out via voice- over.

After a brief spat with his wife, Eva (Kate Bosworth), she gazes forlornly at fireworks exploding out his hospital window. Bosworth fares well in scenes where Eva is simply reacting to the sort of stresses any full- time caregiver will find relatable. There’s a terrific moment where she finds herself, yet again, in a Mc. Donald’s drive- thru and can’t bring herself to order another meal. She rolls up her window and screams in frustration, yet Polish undercuts the tension with a cheap laugh, having the drive- thru clerk quip, “Sorry, that’s not on the menu.”Advertisement. One of the primary challenges facing a faith- based film like “9.

Minutes in Heaven” is its reliance on the power of prayer as a deus ex machina. What may seem miraculous in real life can often come across as lazy screenwriting on film. There’s one key instance in this picture where prayer leads to a red herring rather than salvation. After praying for a sign that will aid her husband, Eva spots a billboard advertising a personal injury attorney, played by Dwight Yoakam in a thoroughly obnoxious cameo. He meets with her at the hospital cafeteria, where they sit in front of an enormous mural displaying mountains and grassy meadows.

With his ten- gallon hat, Yoakam looks like a Hollywood cowboy in front of a matte painting in these scenes, which carry traces of the visual flair that once distinguished Polish’s work. Needless to say, the attorney’s promises prove to be as bogus as the artificial backdrop, and Eva’s hopes are dashed. The film frankly could’ve benefited from a few more complications like this. Faith can’t be strengthened if it’s never tested.