Quick Movie Review: Crime Thriller ~ Georgetown (2019)

If you like crime thrillers, you'll like the movie called "Georgetown" (2019). The name caught my attention because there is Georgetown, Texas, a city near where I live, and then there is Georgetown near Washington, D.C. I used to work in D.C., and it's a lively place. This movie was set in the historic Georgetown neighborhood in the District of Columbia (D.C.). 

(SPOILER ALERT!)

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The reviewers at RogerEbert.com gave the film 2 stars, and Rotten Tomatoes gave it 3 stars.  IMDb rating is 6.2 out of 10 stars.  Not sure why the ratings were so low.  High-caliber actors were in this film: Vanessa Redgrave, Annette Bening, and Christoph Waltz. I would give 1 star for each actor (3 stars) and another star for the film.  That's 4 stars!  

I did not realize until The End that it was based on a true story. Yeah. That creep was an idiot, and he really did kill his wife.

The real guy's name is Albrecht Muth.
The character's name in the movie was Ulrich Mott (played by Christoph Waltz).

In April 2014, Albrecht Muth, 49 years old, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 50 years in prison for the first-degree murder of his wife.

Even though it would not make my top 10 list, it's a good movie for a Friday night if you're into true story/crime thrillers.

Interesting behind-the-scenes movie trivia:

• Christoph Waltz made his feature directorial debut with Georgetown, even though he had directed a TV movie decades earlier.

• Vanessa Redgrave and Annette Bening had already played mother and daughter once before, in Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool (2017).

• The cast includes two Oscar winners (Waltz, Redgrave) and one Oscar nominee (Bening) — a stacked ensemble for such an intimate crime drama.

• Although the story is set in Washington, D.C., the film was shot in Toronto, so none of the real Georgetown locations appear on screen.

• The real case that inspired the film involved an elaborate web of lies, including the husband posing as an Iraqi general with a store-bought certificate — a detail so bizarre it feels written for a movie.

Sources:

 “Georgetown (2019) – Cast, Crew, Trivia.” FamousFix

“Facts – Georgetown.” Kinorium

RELATED LINKS:

• The Best Crime Movies of 2021 ‹ CrimeReads
• 40 of the Best Crime Movies (That'll Bring Out Your Inner Detective ~ PureWow
• Best Crime Films of the 21st Century, From ‘Memento’ to ‘Zodiac’ | IndieWire

Georgetown (2019) ~ A smooth-talking social climber is under investigation after his wealthy older wife turns up dead. https://t.co/3imal3YOtA via @amazon @PrimeVideo #movies #entertainment #crime #TrueStory pic.twitter.com/mtNMjxjq36

— Joie de Vivre Magazine (aka My Fox Nooze) (@FoxMarks_ATX) July 19, 2022

Old But Gold Movies: Agora (2009) ~ Who Was Hypatia?

I recently read an article about female philosophers who were contemporaries with the male philosophers in the ancient world, like Aristotle, Epicurus, Socrates, etc. ("Wise Women: 6 Ancient Female Philosophers You Should Know About"). I did know one of the women philosophers named in the article: Hypatia. I knew of her because I saw a movie about her. Rachel Weisz played the part. 

 Agora (2009)

I love Rachel Weisz. She is a fantastic actress.  Of course, Ms. Weisz did a fantastic job of playing the role of Hypatia. But I did not like this movie. 

Why This Movie Was Hard for Me to Watch

Agora is a historical drama set in 4th-century Alexandria, following Hypatia’s life as a philosopher, astronomer, and teacher during a time of intense political and religious conflict. The movie depicts Hypatia’s death, and the Hollywood version is horrific.

But when I dug deeper into the real history?
The truth was far worse.

I won’t go into the details here—they’re too graphic—but learning what actually happened to the real Hypatia made the film even more heartbreaking. Hypatia was a scholar, a teacher, and by all accounts a peaceful person. She didn’t deserve the fate she met, either in the movie or in real life.

Despite my emotional reaction to the ending, I give Agora 4.5 out of 5 stars.  It’s beautifully acted, visually striking, and thought-provoking—just be prepared for a difficult final act.

Hypatia of Alexandria Biography for Kids: STEM History Adventure with Activities, Ages 8-12 (Women In STEM)

The Falcon and the Snowman (1985) ~ A True Story

Ever see the movie "The Falcon and the Snowman" (1985)? 

I once worked for the federal government. I understand how a young man like Christopher Boyce who came from a typical middle class white American Catholic family ... could become disillusioned he when comes to the knowledge that his beloved country, the United States of America, is not ... "perfect".  After all, that's not what he was taught or raised to believe.  

Even though I'm African-American and grew up in segregated neighborhood, I can empathize with how he felt. I was taught the same thing.  America is the land of the free, the home of the brave,  We're righteous and the other countries should follow our example.  Even though I understand Mr. Boyce, I refuse to justify what he did. Ideals or not, HE WAS WRONG!  

So America is not "without sin". But can any other country say that they are sinless?  You don't like what's happening in America?  Stay here and change it!!  At least you care.  The other country you're selling out to, could care less.

This is a very good movie.  I rate it 5 out of 5 stars.  The soundtrack gets 10 stars!  David Bowie is English but he sang the song "This is Not America", like he was an American

*(View the official movie trailer.)

"The Falcon and the Snowman" starred Timothy Hutton and Sean Penn. I think the movie should be incorporated into an orientation training class for all civil servants who work in the law enforcement agencies “ CIA, NSA, ICE, FBI, etc. The movie was intense. Riveting! A favorite word used by official movie critics. The best part of the movie for me is David Bowie and Pat Metheny on the soundtrack. But I digress. The movie is about a young guy (Christopher Boyce, played by Timothy Hutton) who works for the government and learns that "things" are not what they appear to be and feels betrayed by his country. He gets angry about it “ as any red-blooded patriot would - and decides to sells secrets to "The Enemy". He recruits his childhood friend (Daulton Lee, played by Sean Penn) who is a dope head! Long story short. In the end, they both go to prison.  There is also a book written about this story as well.

The Falcon and the Snowman: A True Story of Friendship and Espionage by Robert Lindsey (2002-06-02)

In between, Mr. Lee gets caught and accused of murder. Of course, he didn't commit the murder but that didn't stop the law enforcement authorities who captured him from grilling him, thoroughly interrogating him, and torturing him to get the truth out of him. After all is said and done “ they say "He did!," - he say "He didn't! He's just a tourist, a businessman." - there's a scene where he's about to be released and a man walks in and says something to the effect: "We're going to give you 2 choices." Before the man could tell what the choices were, Mr. Lee (Sean Penn) looks up at the guy, weary, scared, demoralized and says in questioning tone of voice: "Costa Rica?" I CRACKED UP LAUGHING!! I thought to myself: 'Now ain't that sumthin! They done beat the crap about this boy and he is totally weakened and confused, but he still had the clarity of mind to try to negotiate to get sent to Costa Rica!!' :)