Jodie Foster and Tahar Rahim have both been nominated for Golden Globe Awards for their incredible work in #TheMauritanian, in theaters now! Do you want a chance to see a virtual screening of the film on Wednesday, February 24 at 7PM? Just click the link to enter to win! http://stxtickets.com/WORLDVIRALTV-2 Experience a life-changing story of trust and hope. On demand everywhere March 2.
THE MAURITANIAN (STXfilms)
Genre: Drama
Cast: Jodie Foster, Tahar Rahim, Zachary Levi, Saamer Usmaniwith Shailene Woodley and Benedict Cumberbatch
Based Upon the Book: “Guantanamo Diary” by Mohamedou Ould Slahi
In Theaters: February 12, 2021
Directed by Kevin Macdonald and based on the NY Times best-selling memoir “Guantánamo Diary” by Mohamedou Ould Slahi, this is the inspiring true story of Slahi’s fight for freedom after being detained and imprisoned without charge by the U.S. Government for years.
Alone and afraid, Slahi (Tahar Rahim) finds allies in defense attorney Nancy Hollander (Jodie Foster) and her associate Teri Duncan (Shailene Woodley) who battle the U.S. Government in a fight for justice that tests their commitment to the law and their client at every turn. Their controversial advocacy, along with evidence uncovered by a formidable military prosecutor, Lt.Colonel Stuart Couch(Benedict Cumberbatch), uncovers shocking truths and ultimately proves that the human spirit cannot be locked up.
How to redeem:
Winner will go to www.STXTickets.com, click on the “Redeem” tab and enter the code. (They will just have to create a profile if they aren’t already signed up for the site, which takes 5 minutes).
· Once you RSVP for the screening, you will receive an email from STX Screenings <no-reply@stxtickets.com> to confirm you are signed up (also check your junk folder). If you do not receive an email immediately after you sign up, click here to submit an inquiry: https://stxtickets.com/main/contact
· A hour before the screening starts, you will receive a unique, encrypted link via your email to access the “online screening room.”
· Once the countdown ends, you can start the movie!
· Please note, you must start the screening at 7:00PM. There may be a 10-15 minute grace period, however if you start the screening late, you will not be able to access the screening. Also, you aren’t able to pause the screening for more than 15 minutes. If you pause the screening for too long, you may get kicked out and will not be able to access the screening after that.
· The Ticktbox platform recommends watching from one of the main browsers - Chrome, Firefox, or Safari. Unfortunately, Smart TV and game console browsers are not supported.
· Screenings can be watched on a TV if it is playing on a computer or device running one of the above browsers and then connect via HDMI or a screen mirroring to devices Airplay or Chromecast.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I lose connection with my computer?
If you lose connection or need to pause the video, you may be allotted a brief amount of time to rejoin the screening. This allotment is typically 15-30 minutes, but depending on the security features for certain movies, this is not guaranteed. If you pause for longer than this period, the movie will automatically resume and pausing will no longer be available. If you are disconnected for an extended period, you will not be able to rejoin.
What devices can I use to watch the screening?
Our online screenings are compatible with most computers, laptops, and mobile devices. We recommend Chrome or Firefox (Safari and Edge are also supported). For the best experience, we recommend watching on a large screen versus a mobile device.
How can I watch it on my TV?
If you connect a computer or laptop to your TV via HDMI, you would be able to view there. Due to security and anti-piracy measures, certain cast options such as Airplay or Fire TV Stick are restricted.
Can I pause the screening?
Typically yes, you may be allotted a brief amount of time should you need to pause. This allotment is roughly 15-30 minutes - should you exceed this time, the movie will automatically resume and pausing will no longer be available. Depending on the security features for certain movies, this is not guaranteed.
Can I watch on multiple devices?
No, unfortunately you are only able to watch from a single device. Once you start viewing the screening, you must continue with that device for the rest of the film.
Page says: Screening already started.
Screenings begin promptly at their start time. Unfortunately, once that time passes we cannot admit anyone else to start viewing.
I am seeing buffering with the video.
Please ensure your device does not have any ongoing downloads or streams in the background. In the video player, you can click the settings option to change quality (or set to auto) to reduce buffering.
The video isn’t playing.
Check your Internet connection to ensure you have a good network signal. After that, if you are still having an issue, ensure you have the most updated version of your browser. You can also try restarting your browser or computer/device. We recommend Chrome or Firefox (Safari and Edge are also supported).
One of my favorite moments in journalism happened back in 2009 when Jon Stewart took CNBC to task over their irresponsible financial reporting. In short, Stewart accused them of being nothing more than PR lapdogs for big corporations, charged with convincing people to invest their money in those same corporations regardless as to if it was a good investment. The focus became centered on CNBC’s Jim Cramer, host of a stock-tip show called Mad Money (a show which you would be forgiven for thinking was a reality show featuring a cocaine-fueled lunatic rambling about return on investment behind the stage of a travelling carnival). Near the end of the week-plus of Stewart grilling CNBC, Cramer went on The Daily Show and Stewart destroyed him in arguably the best interview in the history of television. If you have not seen it, just Google “Jon Stewart CNBC Jim Cramer” and watch the three or four Daily Show segments comprising the saga. And, you should watch them for two reasons: 1) to remind yourself never to bet your money based on the rantings of some idiot with a buzzer hosting a show owned by a major multinational corporation and (2) the entertainment value is arguably higher than what you will get from watching Money Monster.
(I’ll try to keep the SPOILERS to a minimum, but don’t bet on it.)
Money Monster is essentially the worst case scenario of the Jon Stewart-CNBC-Jim Cramer saga, but if Stewart had strapped a bomb to Cramer’s chest and demanded Cramer explain how AIG could need more than $100 billion dollars of tax payer money to stay afloat. The film literally satirizes Mad Money, replacing Cramer with Lee Gates (George Clooney) and changing the name of the show to Money Monster. Gates doles out barely researched stock tips in between really awkward dancing to kick off the show and speaking with his production director, Patty (Julia Roberts), while taking a crap. No, that’s not a euphemism. …But then maybe it is.
One day, Gates is getting ready to interview the CEO, Walt Camby (Dominic West), of an investment company that managed to lose $800 million due to a supposed computer glitch when his show is interrupted by Kyle (Jack O’Connell), a blue-collar New Yorker who saw his $60 thousand life savings investment reduced to a fraction of that as part of the bigger loss. You see, Kyle forgot rule number one (above) and decided that the best course of action was to take hostage a financial shows’ stage and crew, strap a bomb to Gates’ chest, and shoot at monitors. But, Kyle’s not there to get his money back (which Gates offers out of his own pocket); he’s there to hold Gates and Camby accountable and to explain how they managed to lose the money. If you’re thinking you’ve seen this movie before it’s because you are thinking of The Negotiator, which has the same premise – hostage taker conducts investigation to uncover the truth relating to embezzlement/fraud, hoping to solve the mystery before a police sniper or S.W.A.T. team takes him out. Samuel L. Jackson just made a better hostage taker than O’Connell.
Right away, we know something is amiss because, even before the hostage situation, Gates is informed that nobody knows where Camby is and that his Chief Communications Officer, Diane (Caitriona Balfe), will be filling in for the interview. Once Kyle starts demanding answers, it doesn’t take long for Patty to morph into Woodward and Bernstein and start demanding answers as if she was the Secretary of Defense and not the director of some bullshit faux-financial show on cable TV. While Patty is playing investigative journalist, Kyle is screaming about how the system is rigged, that it’s all one big lie and the audience is left wondering why the movie can’t quite decide what the plot is supposed to be. But, Hollywood isn’t interested in the audience thinking the entire system is rigged (that would include Hollywood) so the movie switches to exposing a shady CEO and assuring the audience that their money really is safe. 2008 is ancient history, we promise.
Aside from a plot that shifts gears in the middle of the movie, it’s actually a pretty entertaining film. There are a couple of fun twists on the standard hostage-crisis resolution scenes (cops wanting to breach, bringing in the hostage taker’s significant other), as well as some hilarity with Gates’ first attempt to resolve the crisis. They even manage to sneak in some dick jokes involving erectile disfunction cream that don’t come off as juvenile (unfortunately, the film forgets about it after the second punchline, missing out on some potential fun in the latter half of the film). I enjoyed the actors as well, though Clooney wasn’t able to quite sell me on his character being as big a douchebag as Jim Cramer. Or even half as big, for that matter. In limited time, Balfe was solid, though her accent couldn’t decide if it was English, Scottish, or Irish throughout the film. Of course, I’ll blame Jodie Foster (director) for this because we know from watching Elysium that Foster doesn’t know the difference between a German and a French accent, let alone those of Britain and Ireland. Also, poor Giancarlo Esposito was given next to nothing to do as the police chief, relegated to occasionally barking commands and yelling at people. I actually think he would have made a better Walt Camby considering his turn as Gus Fring, but I don’t think Foster watched Breaking Bad.
I was able to take along two guests to the screening (rather than the usual one) and one of them did not like the movie. He said it was because he couldn’t accept the idea that they would keep filming live the whole time (Kyle actually demands it) because they could just as easily have faked it (Kyle says he’d know if they faked it because he has a phone, but he never looks at the phone after making the statement). My other guest and I disagreed – we both think they would because we’re cynical and jaded, we remember the O.J. Simpson coverage, and $1 billion in free media coverage just went to the flaming car wreck whose name rhymes with Bonald Frump solely because he was good for ratings. If I was picking one thing that was tough to buy, it was the nonsensical explanation of financial software algorithms (stupidly referred to as “algos” throughout the movie, whose developers were equally-as-stupidly referred to as “quants” – quantitative analysts). Of course, I’m a dork who likes math and I know that roughly 1% of the rest of the audience will catch it as well, so I was fine letting it go – the movie explanation works well enough.
A lot of critics are going to compare this movie with The Big Short, but I don’t think that’s a good comparison. While I haven’t seen The Big Short, I know that it wasn’t designed as a thriller featuring bombs and bullets and bad accents (British and New Yawk). What I do know is that I came away mostly satisfied considering the movie wants us to feel good for a hostage taker and sleazy financial show host.
What I’m really trying to say is that I miss Jon Stewart.
Rating: Ask for a couple of dollars back. You can trust me – I don’t have a buzzer.
