Two Jews On Oblivion

After not seeing a movie for almost three weeks, the Two Jews On Film are back and once again, we are disagreeing.

Our first film, since leaving the beach for the moutains, is ‘Oblivion’ directed by Joseph Kosinski based on his unpublished graphic novel.

This sci fi, visually spectacular, action movie stars Tom Cruise as Jack Harper, super pilot, super lover and all round ‘super guy’. The year is 2077 and life on Earth is non-existent. Sixty years ago, some really nasty aliens known as the Scavengers destroyed our moon and you know what that means…No moon…no water…No water…no food. Not a good thing at all.

We retaliated by nuking them which of course made Earth uninhabitable. Not a smart move.

Anyway, the remaining humans were taken to Titan, one of Saturn’s moons where they now live supposedly happily ever after.

When we meet Harper and his partner/lover, Vika (Andrea Riseborough) they are two weeks away from completing a five year assignment on Earth. They reside in a very chic tower thousands of feet above the ravished planet.

When they are not making hot, steamy love, Harper flies around the scorced earth in a hi tech helicopter, hunting down any remaining Scavengers, while Vika directs him from home, with the help of a Titan Commander, Sally (Melissa Leo) who’s southern drawl makes taking order a pleasure. Viki and Jack are a very ‘effective team’

However, Vika can’t wait for their assignment to be over. Jack not so much.

Despite having his memory wiped, he’s having flashbacks and dreams of a previous life, circa the early 21st century…He keeps seeing himself, with a dark haired beauty, on top of the Empire State Building and the two of them are obviously…not in a platonic relationship.

Now, Jack isn’t just a hunky killing machine. He has a thing for nostalgia…Wears a Yankees cap, likes to read poetry and listen to old phonograph records…’He also has a crash pad nestled in the woods surrounded by trees and lakes… Seems Earth still has some life in her.

If I say anymore about ‘Oblivion’ I’ll be headed into Spoiler turf. But I will let you know that Morgan Freeman and the beautiful Olga Kurylenko are a very important part of the surprises that await Harper.

I found ‘Oblivion’ written by Kosinski with help from William Monahan, Michael Arndt and Karl Gajdusek to be an exciting, thoughtful and engrossing sci fi thriller. For that reason I gave it 4 out of 5 bagels.

‘Oblivion’ which opens in theatres, Friday April 19, 2013, could have used some editing, but still if you’re a sci fi buff, I think you will really enjoy it.

Check out our video for more of our thoughts and for John’s bagel rating.

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Joan and John Schwartz

Joan and John Schwartz are ex New Yorkers, living in Los Angeles. They are married and see a lot of films. They usually disagree but always tell it like it is. John is most famous for creating the cult classic films Faces of Death. He has also written for various prime time series and has written movies for both Showtime and HBO. In the world of reality television John has produced, written and directed over 450 segments for various magazine shows He has also written and Executive Produced several Prime-Time Specials. Joan has appeared on the New York Stage on and off Broadway…and has been in several Los Angeles theater productions as well.. Joan has been in several low budget films and at present she is busy writing screenplays with her husband, John.

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