Justin, Mike, & I saw Star Wars: The Force Awakens on December 20, 2015!! I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It's easily in my Top 5 movies of 2015 with Ex Machina, Inside Out, Mad Max, & Insurgent being the other four. Star Wars is my second favorite franchise after Harry Potter. Personally, I have enjoyed all six movies & I think this will be a great new trilogy for fans of all generations to enjoy. I had been eagerly anticipating this movie for a long time, and finally after seeing it, I'm very impressed with what I saw. It's in my Top 3 Star Wars movies with The Empire Strikes Back & Revenge of the Sith being the other two. I think J.J. Abrams did an excellent job with the franchise.
With a compelling new adventure, we follow new characters blended with familiar characters from the past to create an intriguing movie experience. I liked the idea of mixing the past with the future. The story for the new trilogy is really well done thus far. There were new plot points that built off of the past that will fuel the future for our newer characters. I like how sinister they made the First Order. You need to make a threat more menacing as a story progresses, and they really sold that well throughout the whole movie. The plot gave us some great twists which ultimately provides great background & depth for several main characters. Even some points that haven't necessarily been revealed yet make you predict the next step of the journey. I certainly can tell you where I think things are going, and if they are there is finally a Jedi character for me to fully support 100%, but I'm not going to reveal that. You have to see the movie to find out.
I would like to touch on two performances that I felt stole the show. I think Daisy Ridley's Rey & Adam Driver's Kylo Ren completely made this movie. While I loved so many things about this movie, these two characters are the heart and soul of the new trilogy. Ridley's Rey is easily in my Top 3 Star Wars characters of all time with Emperor Palpatine & Darth Vader being the other two. Her courage, her ability to solve problems on a whim, her fighting spirit, and her importance to the Star Wars universe as a whole, as well as her wit & cute look makes her a complete package. She ran the show. This is a breakthrough role that will solidify a career for this girl. Rey is so easy to like. Much like Alicia Vikander, you can just sense greatness in Daisy Ridley. She stole every scene she was a part of, and I think she will be the most important part of the trilogy going forward. Adam Driver just bled Sith here, and I absolutely loved it. This is the kind of Sith character I root for. He is cut very much from the cloth of Emperor Palpatine & Darth Vader, and he easily could have been part of their regime, which I fully supported 100%. Driver's ability to show a sadistic side whether it was calm or enraged showed me how much this trilogy means to him. Kylo Ren is going to end up being one of the better character studies in Star Wars based on how much dept this character has. Driver really knew how to deliver the dialogue, present an intimidating presence even when calm, and physically represent the cerebral nature of the new First Order. Thank you Daisy Ridley & Adam Driver for presenting two new characters that have me fully invested in this new trilogy adventure.
The effects, the battle sequences (particularly the light saber battles), the past meshing with the future, the compelling plot, the excellent twists, and a breakthrough performance by Daisy Ridley, as well as a brilliant look at the First Order & the Resistance make this an easy 5/5.
Sunday, December 20, 2015
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Suffragette Review
Justin, Dad, & I saw Suffragette on November 9, 2015!! This is easily one of the best movies of 2015!! It certainly deserves awards accolades for the Golden Globes and the Oscars. There is no question about it. This movie blended a tumultuous historic time period during the British suffragette movement blended with an original story centering on a sect of working class women in the UK.
The movie centers on three themes: the female vote, a mother's rights as it pertains to her children, & societal relationships of men and women. Centering on the character of Maud Watts, we follow her as she starts out as an obedient woman, listening to whatever men tell her to do and following the order of the day. As we watch the movie progess, actions and words ignite a spark that grows within her to join a powerful movement to create change for women in the United Kingdom. There were so many instances where V For Vendetta was on my mind, and that's great to see. The suffragettes have to resort to the same type of deeds (as Emeline Pankhurst instructs her followrs) that V does to create some change. Words weren't working. Sometimes, it takes extreme measures: sacrifice, blood, sweat, and tears to achieve a goal. The passion of these women to overcome struggle is amazing to watch. Physically and mentally, these brave foot soldiers started a true "diva's revolution" (wrestling term) that saw many casualties, but ultimately would be effective in creating change.
Since I saw her in An Education, Carey Mulligan instantly became one of my favorite actresses. I consider her to be one of the very best actresses today. I love watching Mulligan's Maud evolve over the course of the movie-her scenes in Parliament discussing wage raises & the women's vote, burning the chauvinist douche with the iron, and the interrogation scene with Brendan Gleeson where you finally see how much this vote and her rights as a mother would mean in the grand scope of things were incredible to watch. Carey Mulligan deserves a Best Actress nomination for this movie. I legitimately have liked her in everything she's done from Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps to Drive to Shame to An Education to The Great Gatsby to her smaller role in Inside Llewyn Davis-her commitment to her roles and her natural talent make her such a force in the movie industry. Her work as Maud is such a defining acting achievement. You laugh with her, cry with her, and get agitated with her as we follow her journey throughout the movie.
I think Helena Bonham Carter's Edith Ellyn was a great supporting character-she is really the one that served as the general on the frontlines for the sufragettes, while Meryl Streep's Emmeline Pankhurst acts as the queen of the movement. Streep had a cameo, but the speech was delivered well and you can tell Streep was into it. Pankhurst's speech, Ellyn's training, Maud's growing passion, & the drive & sacrifice of women like Emily Davison (the derby scene was excellent-the sudden silence on screen combined with the images & raw emotion was superb) shows that the men can oppress, the men can beat them, but they will not take their fight, because the women will fight back and the women will get the votes, the equality, and mother's rights. This movie gets a definite 5/5 for me, especially for a show stealing, career defining performance by Carey Mulligan as Maud & a tremendous movie exploring an intriguing time period in the women's movement, as well as combining it with an original story showing how far the struggle went.
The movie centers on three themes: the female vote, a mother's rights as it pertains to her children, & societal relationships of men and women. Centering on the character of Maud Watts, we follow her as she starts out as an obedient woman, listening to whatever men tell her to do and following the order of the day. As we watch the movie progess, actions and words ignite a spark that grows within her to join a powerful movement to create change for women in the United Kingdom. There were so many instances where V For Vendetta was on my mind, and that's great to see. The suffragettes have to resort to the same type of deeds (as Emeline Pankhurst instructs her followrs) that V does to create some change. Words weren't working. Sometimes, it takes extreme measures: sacrifice, blood, sweat, and tears to achieve a goal. The passion of these women to overcome struggle is amazing to watch. Physically and mentally, these brave foot soldiers started a true "diva's revolution" (wrestling term) that saw many casualties, but ultimately would be effective in creating change.
Since I saw her in An Education, Carey Mulligan instantly became one of my favorite actresses. I consider her to be one of the very best actresses today. I love watching Mulligan's Maud evolve over the course of the movie-her scenes in Parliament discussing wage raises & the women's vote, burning the chauvinist douche with the iron, and the interrogation scene with Brendan Gleeson where you finally see how much this vote and her rights as a mother would mean in the grand scope of things were incredible to watch. Carey Mulligan deserves a Best Actress nomination for this movie. I legitimately have liked her in everything she's done from Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps to Drive to Shame to An Education to The Great Gatsby to her smaller role in Inside Llewyn Davis-her commitment to her roles and her natural talent make her such a force in the movie industry. Her work as Maud is such a defining acting achievement. You laugh with her, cry with her, and get agitated with her as we follow her journey throughout the movie.
I think Helena Bonham Carter's Edith Ellyn was a great supporting character-she is really the one that served as the general on the frontlines for the sufragettes, while Meryl Streep's Emmeline Pankhurst acts as the queen of the movement. Streep had a cameo, but the speech was delivered well and you can tell Streep was into it. Pankhurst's speech, Ellyn's training, Maud's growing passion, & the drive & sacrifice of women like Emily Davison (the derby scene was excellent-the sudden silence on screen combined with the images & raw emotion was superb) shows that the men can oppress, the men can beat them, but they will not take their fight, because the women will fight back and the women will get the votes, the equality, and mother's rights. This movie gets a definite 5/5 for me, especially for a show stealing, career defining performance by Carey Mulligan as Maud & a tremendous movie exploring an intriguing time period in the women's movement, as well as combining it with an original story showing how far the struggle went.
Saturday, October 31, 2015
Jem & The Holograms Review
I saw Jem & The Holograms on October 31, 2015!! In my opinion, this could end up being the most underrated movie of the year. This is a live action adaptation of a cartoon from the 80s. The look of the characters mixed with a deeper underlying message and upbeat pop music created a fun movie that I recommend to everybody.
The movie has so much lying underneath the surface. While the story of the Internet sensation (Jem) is the big story in the backdrop, there are themes of the importance of family, protecting that family, discovering your inner talents, expressing yourself and being proud of it, and basically being who you are at all times. Jerrica is a shy, timid girl early on living with her sister Kimber, and foster sisters Aja & Shanna. The bond with these four shows how close they are. These four, led by Jerrica, go on a mission to piece together her father's creation Synergy. While they are physically searching for the parts to put it back together, they are also searching within themselves to find a creative output to express themselves. Their music, attitude, and look inspire the world, and it was great seeing this through multiple forms of social media. There's even a video by The Rock which was pretty cool.
I felt Aubrey Peebles did an incredible job as Jerrica/Jem. She brought the emotional aspect of the character out, as well as showing the importance of what she means to her family unit. She is taking the ultimate risks to save her Aunt Bailey's (Molly Ringwald's) house and keep the family together. Through obstacles like Erica Raymond (played perfectly by Juliette Lewis) she is able to create an even stronger bond with her four sisters. The Young Blood performance was so much fun, and I thought it was a perfect song to capture the tone of the movie. Following the physical journey to piece Synergy together as well as the musical performances was so much fun. I liked the emotional videos posted by Jerrica as well to show how important this cause is not only to her, but her family. It shows that one person can make a difference and inspire people. It doesn't have to be somebody famous. Anybody can do it. That's a big theme that was tackled here.
I believe this is a fantastic movie to show students in schools. It's an incredible message for students who are afraid to express themselves. Everybody deserves the chance to show who they are without being ridiculed for it. That is the core of Jem & The Holograms. Sit back and enjoy the story, music, and powerful message which gets a 4/5 from me. As I said, I think this is the most underrated movie of the year so far. Stay tuned for the credits scene. We have a war brewing between Jem & The Holograms & the Misfits-which is an element of the cartoon that would be fun to see in the sequel.
The movie has so much lying underneath the surface. While the story of the Internet sensation (Jem) is the big story in the backdrop, there are themes of the importance of family, protecting that family, discovering your inner talents, expressing yourself and being proud of it, and basically being who you are at all times. Jerrica is a shy, timid girl early on living with her sister Kimber, and foster sisters Aja & Shanna. The bond with these four shows how close they are. These four, led by Jerrica, go on a mission to piece together her father's creation Synergy. While they are physically searching for the parts to put it back together, they are also searching within themselves to find a creative output to express themselves. Their music, attitude, and look inspire the world, and it was great seeing this through multiple forms of social media. There's even a video by The Rock which was pretty cool.
I felt Aubrey Peebles did an incredible job as Jerrica/Jem. She brought the emotional aspect of the character out, as well as showing the importance of what she means to her family unit. She is taking the ultimate risks to save her Aunt Bailey's (Molly Ringwald's) house and keep the family together. Through obstacles like Erica Raymond (played perfectly by Juliette Lewis) she is able to create an even stronger bond with her four sisters. The Young Blood performance was so much fun, and I thought it was a perfect song to capture the tone of the movie. Following the physical journey to piece Synergy together as well as the musical performances was so much fun. I liked the emotional videos posted by Jerrica as well to show how important this cause is not only to her, but her family. It shows that one person can make a difference and inspire people. It doesn't have to be somebody famous. Anybody can do it. That's a big theme that was tackled here.
I believe this is a fantastic movie to show students in schools. It's an incredible message for students who are afraid to express themselves. Everybody deserves the chance to show who they are without being ridiculed for it. That is the core of Jem & The Holograms. Sit back and enjoy the story, music, and powerful message which gets a 4/5 from me. As I said, I think this is the most underrated movie of the year so far. Stay tuned for the credits scene. We have a war brewing between Jem & The Holograms & the Misfits-which is an element of the cartoon that would be fun to see in the sequel.
Monday, October 19, 2015
Crimson Peak Review
I saw Crimson Peak on October 19, 2015!! Guillermo Del Toro created an incredible gothic romance. I think Del Toro is an underrated director: His creativity has always been on display in each project. It was no exception here. While the underlying theme of ghosts looms, the mystery, intrigue, and secrets buried deep within are the main focus. The use of color was brilliant-the dark tones, blended with the overlying theme of red created a menacing & soothing vibe in the same instance.
I thought the story was intriguing, and created a story you would find straight out of Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, and other gothic horror authors. The main character Edith Cushing actually being an aspiring author was genius, as it easily reflects the era of the movie. Her story & the theme of the movie reflects the popularity of the gothic horror genre of the era. The movie had a thrill that stayed with you through the end. The costumes, colors, and music were all elements of the movie that kept me invested in the story. The usage of CGI blended with the realistic sets, as well as the dark nature of Allerdale Hall really showed the creative genius of Del Toro's mind.
Mia Wasikowska & Tom Hiddleston displayed excellent chemistry. I thought Hiddleston did really well as a mysterious character, similar to how Count Dracula is when we are first introduced to him. It was great seeing him in a role that showed how good he is as an actor. He definitely worked well in the role of Thomas Sharpe. Wasikowska was perfect for this movie. I feel she immediately undestood what her role was as Edith & ran with it. I've been a fan of her work since Alice In Wonderland, and I think she is one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood. She was incredible throughout the movie-displaying the proper curiosity when it was necessary, while displaying moments of joy, sadness, and fear at every turn of this movie. I also liked the addition of Charlie Hunnam as Dr. Alan McMichael. To me, he was great as that Jonathan Harker type role that is in love with a woman getting involved with somebody she doesn't really know.
I think the show stealer of this movie was Jessica Chastain in the role of Lucille Sharpe. The moment the audience is introduced to her, we can sense there's something off about her. The cold, emotionless look in her eyes was just chilling. The menacing nature of her character reminds me of Jack Torrance in The Shining, Dracula when he reveals his vampiric nature, and simply a woman that is fueled with anger & envy. She was able to balance a gentle demeanor with a sadistic core that perfectly blended into the heart of the movie. Lucille & Thomas's story is dark, and this is reflected in Lucille's personality throughout the movie.
In a movie called Crimson Peak, blood flows deep from the walls, in the ground, and all around. The gothic romance & thrilling nature of the movie blended with natural chemistry between actors, as well as a grisly finale present one of my Top 10 movies of 2015. It definitely gets a 5/5 for me. Beware Crimson Peak!!
I thought the story was intriguing, and created a story you would find straight out of Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, and other gothic horror authors. The main character Edith Cushing actually being an aspiring author was genius, as it easily reflects the era of the movie. Her story & the theme of the movie reflects the popularity of the gothic horror genre of the era. The movie had a thrill that stayed with you through the end. The costumes, colors, and music were all elements of the movie that kept me invested in the story. The usage of CGI blended with the realistic sets, as well as the dark nature of Allerdale Hall really showed the creative genius of Del Toro's mind.
Mia Wasikowska & Tom Hiddleston displayed excellent chemistry. I thought Hiddleston did really well as a mysterious character, similar to how Count Dracula is when we are first introduced to him. It was great seeing him in a role that showed how good he is as an actor. He definitely worked well in the role of Thomas Sharpe. Wasikowska was perfect for this movie. I feel she immediately undestood what her role was as Edith & ran with it. I've been a fan of her work since Alice In Wonderland, and I think she is one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood. She was incredible throughout the movie-displaying the proper curiosity when it was necessary, while displaying moments of joy, sadness, and fear at every turn of this movie. I also liked the addition of Charlie Hunnam as Dr. Alan McMichael. To me, he was great as that Jonathan Harker type role that is in love with a woman getting involved with somebody she doesn't really know.
I think the show stealer of this movie was Jessica Chastain in the role of Lucille Sharpe. The moment the audience is introduced to her, we can sense there's something off about her. The cold, emotionless look in her eyes was just chilling. The menacing nature of her character reminds me of Jack Torrance in The Shining, Dracula when he reveals his vampiric nature, and simply a woman that is fueled with anger & envy. She was able to balance a gentle demeanor with a sadistic core that perfectly blended into the heart of the movie. Lucille & Thomas's story is dark, and this is reflected in Lucille's personality throughout the movie.
In a movie called Crimson Peak, blood flows deep from the walls, in the ground, and all around. The gothic romance & thrilling nature of the movie blended with natural chemistry between actors, as well as a grisly finale present one of my Top 10 movies of 2015. It definitely gets a 5/5 for me. Beware Crimson Peak!!
Monday, October 12, 2015
Pan Review
I saw Pan on October 12, 2015!! While the critics have been tearing this apart left and right, I found it to be one of the most exciting & intriguing movies of 2015!! It was somewhat of an origin story of Neverland. The visual effects blended with the story created a unique movie experience.
Pan was certainly a movie using magic & prophecies at its core. Each character was animated & in a movie such as this I believe it's necessary. Levi Miller has a bright future-he did very well in the role of Peter. I really enjoyed Garrett Hedlund as Hook. I'm a Captain Hook guy to begin with-Dustin Hoffman's Hook is one of my favorite male performances of all time. Hedlund brought light-heartedness to the role, while at the same time it shows that Hook is a good man. He basically is helping Peter to realize his destiny. He creates some great comedic lines. He has always been the most important character in Neverland to me, and I feel that you see glimpses of that through the course of this movie. I thoroughly enjoyed Rooney Mara as Tiger Lily. She played the warrior role well. We also find out how she became such a great warrior. Hugh Jackman created such a great over the top character which is apropos considering the legend of Blackbeard is over the top to begin with.
I liked the importance of fairy dust & the Fairy Kingdom in general as it relates to Neverland & the Pan Prophecy. If you're aware of Blackbeard's legend, then you know a big part of it was the search for the Fountain of Youth. This also ties into why mining is a major staple of Neverland. The battle sequences were shot in a way that created a real life dream come to life. The flying pirate ships, the brilliant use of color, and the choreographed fighting worked really well for the atmosphere of this movie. The fight between Tiger Lilly & Blackbeard was amazing to watch. The fast paced action & visual effects in the Fairy Kingdom were incredible.
I give this movie a 5/5 for an intriguing origin story, fun characters, brilliant use of colors, and an overall fun movie experience. Don't buy into the critic's bs!!
Pan was certainly a movie using magic & prophecies at its core. Each character was animated & in a movie such as this I believe it's necessary. Levi Miller has a bright future-he did very well in the role of Peter. I really enjoyed Garrett Hedlund as Hook. I'm a Captain Hook guy to begin with-Dustin Hoffman's Hook is one of my favorite male performances of all time. Hedlund brought light-heartedness to the role, while at the same time it shows that Hook is a good man. He basically is helping Peter to realize his destiny. He creates some great comedic lines. He has always been the most important character in Neverland to me, and I feel that you see glimpses of that through the course of this movie. I thoroughly enjoyed Rooney Mara as Tiger Lily. She played the warrior role well. We also find out how she became such a great warrior. Hugh Jackman created such a great over the top character which is apropos considering the legend of Blackbeard is over the top to begin with.
I liked the importance of fairy dust & the Fairy Kingdom in general as it relates to Neverland & the Pan Prophecy. If you're aware of Blackbeard's legend, then you know a big part of it was the search for the Fountain of Youth. This also ties into why mining is a major staple of Neverland. The battle sequences were shot in a way that created a real life dream come to life. The flying pirate ships, the brilliant use of color, and the choreographed fighting worked really well for the atmosphere of this movie. The fight between Tiger Lilly & Blackbeard was amazing to watch. The fast paced action & visual effects in the Fairy Kingdom were incredible.
I give this movie a 5/5 for an intriguing origin story, fun characters, brilliant use of colors, and an overall fun movie experience. Don't buy into the critic's bs!!
Monday, October 5, 2015
The Martian Review
I saw The Martian on October 5, 2015!! I guess it's time for me to review the fecal matter out of this thing (to paraphrase Mark Watney). I believe this is a surefire nomination for Best Picture at both the Golden Globes and the Oscars. It certainly should be considered for the list. Ridley Scott is one of the best directors ever in my opinion. He directed Gladiator & Alien. He directed my brother Justin's favorite movie-Legend. This movie follows one man's journey of survival against the most intense circumstances. Left for dead on Mars during a mission, Mark Watney has to figure out ways to produce food, water, air, etc in order to survive.
Matt Damon did an excellent job in the role playing the botanist devising ways to produce sustainable life on Mars. It was really interesting to watch him create an environment where a human being could inhabit Mars for a certain amount of time with the potato plants, as well as creating water. Even with so many obstacles against him, he finds a way to solve problems. Damon reminded me of his character in Interstellar blended with Will Hunting. It worked really well. With his knowledge of botany & his role as an astronaut, he is able to keep going. He gave a great performance that shows why Matt Damon is one of the best actors going.
While you had Damon's Watney devising ways to keep himself alive, we also get a look at NASA & the crew that believes he is dead. NASA officials devise different ways to rescue Watney, while also thinking of ways to protect NASA's image. The two different view points are interesting. I think watching Watney's crew putting aside certain death to rescue the man they left behind was inspirational. The moments with Watney & his crew created raw emotion. The level of intensity in the characters & the visual effects created hell in space. What was amazing to watch was the idea of team work with Watney & his crew, as well as the direction of NASA to ensure ultimate survival.
The ensemble cast is one of the best I've seen for a movie with Damon, Jessica Chastain, Michael Pena, Jeff Daniels, Sean Bean, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, Kristen Wiig, etc. creating one of the best movies of 2015. Damon was definitely the star of this movie, but each member of this cast brought something to it.
I give this movie a 5/5 for an intriguing plot, a phenomenal cast, and the intense emotion you feel as an audience member watching all of it unfold. I highly recommend seeing it. While I enjoyed Interstellar more, this definitely is must see & deserving of nominations for awards season.
Matt Damon did an excellent job in the role playing the botanist devising ways to produce sustainable life on Mars. It was really interesting to watch him create an environment where a human being could inhabit Mars for a certain amount of time with the potato plants, as well as creating water. Even with so many obstacles against him, he finds a way to solve problems. Damon reminded me of his character in Interstellar blended with Will Hunting. It worked really well. With his knowledge of botany & his role as an astronaut, he is able to keep going. He gave a great performance that shows why Matt Damon is one of the best actors going.
While you had Damon's Watney devising ways to keep himself alive, we also get a look at NASA & the crew that believes he is dead. NASA officials devise different ways to rescue Watney, while also thinking of ways to protect NASA's image. The two different view points are interesting. I think watching Watney's crew putting aside certain death to rescue the man they left behind was inspirational. The moments with Watney & his crew created raw emotion. The level of intensity in the characters & the visual effects created hell in space. What was amazing to watch was the idea of team work with Watney & his crew, as well as the direction of NASA to ensure ultimate survival.
The ensemble cast is one of the best I've seen for a movie with Damon, Jessica Chastain, Michael Pena, Jeff Daniels, Sean Bean, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, Kristen Wiig, etc. creating one of the best movies of 2015. Damon was definitely the star of this movie, but each member of this cast brought something to it.
I give this movie a 5/5 for an intriguing plot, a phenomenal cast, and the intense emotion you feel as an audience member watching all of it unfold. I highly recommend seeing it. While I enjoyed Interstellar more, this definitely is must see & deserving of nominations for awards season.
Saturday, September 19, 2015
Black Mass Review
I saw Black Mass on September 19, 2015!! This was a brilliant biopic on one of South Boston's most notorious criminals. It explored the deal between James "Whitey" Bulger and his childhood friend, who worked in Boston's FBI offices, John Connolly. Both realized they need the deal: Connolly wants it to take down the Italian Mafia, while at the same time Bulger wants to get rid of the Italian Mafia simply to further his own criminal agenda. While many Hollywood movies can over-dramatize events, I feel this took a great look at the events of the movie without overdoing everything. A major aspect of the movie was performances, and since acting is the basis of what movies should be, that's great to see.
I definitely believe that Johnny Depp should be on the list for the Golden Globe and the Oscars for Best Actor. He gave such a chilling performance. What I really enjoyed about it was how calm Bulger always seemed to be, while conveying his message. He had a cold stare in his eyes, and a menacing tone to his voice that keeps you drawn to Depp's performance. He made Bulger a cold, calculating mastermind. Depp is one of the very best actors in my opinion, and I think this showed that he still has it. It's probably one of his best performances, and he has so many great ones. His work as John Dillinger in Public Enemies was phenomenal as well. While many directors would resort to the gory aspects of Bulger's actions, Scott Cooper focused on the character/personality. One of the best scenes in the movie revolves around a dinner scene where he tests Connolly's partner John Morris about how he marinates his steaks. Morris gives up the "family secret" without much interrogation. Depp's work following this was calm, but intense. It was acting at it's finest. There was so much tension in the calm, but menacing tone. Cooper presented scenes where criminal activity was in effect, but the action still focused on the personality overall. Incredible work by Johnny Depp here!!
Many are discussing Joel Edgerton's work as John Connolly in this movie, and I think they should. He gave a tremendous supporting performance that showed loyalty to Bulger, but at the same time showed how conflicted he was with the violent acts getting out of hand. Bulger used Connolly to further his criminal empire. Connolly never sells out Bulger. While he protected a criminal, you have to still respect the fact that he never sold out his friend. Edgerton usually turns out pretty solid work, and it was no exception here. It was also great to see Jesse Plemons, who you may know from his work on Friday Night Lights or Breaking Bad. He did well as an informant as well as muscle for Bulger. Plemons looks hauntingly like Matt Damon in this, and in many ways, Plemons reminds me of Damon, so that worked really well. He's a really underrated actor who can pull off some incredible scenes-I've seen him do it so many times. It was great to see him involved with such a big project. Benedict Cumberbatch, Corey Stoll, and Peter Sarsgaard were also brilliant in their performances. These three added so much depth to the movie-Cumberbatch's family relationships, Stoll is the law trying to crack down on Bulger & Connolly's relationship, and Sarsgaard selling intimidation and sheer terror of Bulger was excellent. Every cast member was integral to creating the big picture of how infamous James "Whitey" Bulger is.
This movie gets a 5/5 from me for excellent performances, especially from Johnny Depp-one of his best performances, a great look at the clash between the criminal world and the world of law enforcement, and a realistic approach to a real life crime drama. It's a great mix of Donnie Brasco meets The Departed with a splash of Goodfellas. Depp, Edgerton, Cumberbatch, Stoll, and Sarsgaard are all reasons to see this. It's definitely an awards season worthy film!!
I definitely believe that Johnny Depp should be on the list for the Golden Globe and the Oscars for Best Actor. He gave such a chilling performance. What I really enjoyed about it was how calm Bulger always seemed to be, while conveying his message. He had a cold stare in his eyes, and a menacing tone to his voice that keeps you drawn to Depp's performance. He made Bulger a cold, calculating mastermind. Depp is one of the very best actors in my opinion, and I think this showed that he still has it. It's probably one of his best performances, and he has so many great ones. His work as John Dillinger in Public Enemies was phenomenal as well. While many directors would resort to the gory aspects of Bulger's actions, Scott Cooper focused on the character/personality. One of the best scenes in the movie revolves around a dinner scene where he tests Connolly's partner John Morris about how he marinates his steaks. Morris gives up the "family secret" without much interrogation. Depp's work following this was calm, but intense. It was acting at it's finest. There was so much tension in the calm, but menacing tone. Cooper presented scenes where criminal activity was in effect, but the action still focused on the personality overall. Incredible work by Johnny Depp here!!
Many are discussing Joel Edgerton's work as John Connolly in this movie, and I think they should. He gave a tremendous supporting performance that showed loyalty to Bulger, but at the same time showed how conflicted he was with the violent acts getting out of hand. Bulger used Connolly to further his criminal empire. Connolly never sells out Bulger. While he protected a criminal, you have to still respect the fact that he never sold out his friend. Edgerton usually turns out pretty solid work, and it was no exception here. It was also great to see Jesse Plemons, who you may know from his work on Friday Night Lights or Breaking Bad. He did well as an informant as well as muscle for Bulger. Plemons looks hauntingly like Matt Damon in this, and in many ways, Plemons reminds me of Damon, so that worked really well. He's a really underrated actor who can pull off some incredible scenes-I've seen him do it so many times. It was great to see him involved with such a big project. Benedict Cumberbatch, Corey Stoll, and Peter Sarsgaard were also brilliant in their performances. These three added so much depth to the movie-Cumberbatch's family relationships, Stoll is the law trying to crack down on Bulger & Connolly's relationship, and Sarsgaard selling intimidation and sheer terror of Bulger was excellent. Every cast member was integral to creating the big picture of how infamous James "Whitey" Bulger is.
This movie gets a 5/5 from me for excellent performances, especially from Johnny Depp-one of his best performances, a great look at the clash between the criminal world and the world of law enforcement, and a realistic approach to a real life crime drama. It's a great mix of Donnie Brasco meets The Departed with a splash of Goodfellas. Depp, Edgerton, Cumberbatch, Stoll, and Sarsgaard are all reasons to see this. It's definitely an awards season worthy film!!
Friday, August 21, 2015
American Ultra Review
I saw American Ultra on August 21, 2015!! All I have to say is I thought this movie was the personification of awesome!! This movie has something happening at every moment. It was exciting-a perfect mix of intense action, comedy, and drama. It delivered on all levels. I really loved how over the top it was, and I definitely think it's something that shows how entertaining movies can be.
If you put Adventureland, Pineapple Express, and the Weapon X program into a blender, you would get American Ultra. The plot revolves around government operations, relationships, and crazy antics from frame to frame. The chemistry between Kristen Stewart and Jesse Eisenberg is so natural to me. They worked so well together in Adventureland, and did an excellent job re-creating that here. Eisenberg's Mike Howell role was great for his real life personality. His switch from freaked out stoner to intense spy was amazing to watch. Stewart is one of my favorite actresses. She did well showing how emotionally attached Phoebe Larson is to Mike, while also displaying her own deep rooted intensity and secrets that keep the plot rolling. There's never a moment where the movie slows down. These two made each scene they were in believable even through the zaniness of the antics going on around them.
Two other elements that were well done here were Connie Britton's Victoria Lasseter and Topher Grace's Adrian Yates characters. Britton is also one of my favorite actresses for her incredible roles as Tami Taylor in Friday Night Lights and Rayna James in Nashville. She fit the role of the CIA operative leader well, and fit the mold of a tough as nails woman trying to get to the bottom of Yate's mission. Britton created two of the best female characters in television history, and she tapped into that mindset to shape this character. Even in a movie where comedic elements appear, she still represented a deep emotional aspect that was apropos for her. Topher was such a douche that you loved to hate him. I feel like he made the entitled bratty villain role natural and entertaining. His mission was similar to one that leads to Eisenberg becoming an agent, but a more twisted version. Walton Goggin's Laugher character represented part of Yate's vision and Goggins just hit the nail on the head as he is known for over the top characters-*Insert Sons of Anarchy reference here!! Britton represented the light, while Grace represented the dark of the CIA. As I mentioned, they both played their parts well and it helped to fuel Stewart and Eisenberg's roles even more.
The action sequences were excellent. The plot of this movie calls for over the top violence, and I think it was handled well. The gore didn't bother me as it made sense of Howell's character in those moments. The shootout at the sargeant's station, as well as the epic showdown at the convenient store are excellent. I think everything that happens in that convenient store showdown is one of the better movie scenes in a while. The different methods and innovation of each part of the fights was shot well and presented an incredible movie experience. Max Landis did well with this.
This ultraviolent, stoner love story is getting a 5/5 for me. I loved the cast, characters, a plot that just keeps building upon itself, action sequences that provide audiences with intense crimson laden action, and a natural relationship that viewers can actually buy. You'll have fun watching this. It's definitely one of my favorite movies this year. It's been a rough year finding movies I liked this year, but this one definitely was awesome.
If you put Adventureland, Pineapple Express, and the Weapon X program into a blender, you would get American Ultra. The plot revolves around government operations, relationships, and crazy antics from frame to frame. The chemistry between Kristen Stewart and Jesse Eisenberg is so natural to me. They worked so well together in Adventureland, and did an excellent job re-creating that here. Eisenberg's Mike Howell role was great for his real life personality. His switch from freaked out stoner to intense spy was amazing to watch. Stewart is one of my favorite actresses. She did well showing how emotionally attached Phoebe Larson is to Mike, while also displaying her own deep rooted intensity and secrets that keep the plot rolling. There's never a moment where the movie slows down. These two made each scene they were in believable even through the zaniness of the antics going on around them.
Two other elements that were well done here were Connie Britton's Victoria Lasseter and Topher Grace's Adrian Yates characters. Britton is also one of my favorite actresses for her incredible roles as Tami Taylor in Friday Night Lights and Rayna James in Nashville. She fit the role of the CIA operative leader well, and fit the mold of a tough as nails woman trying to get to the bottom of Yate's mission. Britton created two of the best female characters in television history, and she tapped into that mindset to shape this character. Even in a movie where comedic elements appear, she still represented a deep emotional aspect that was apropos for her. Topher was such a douche that you loved to hate him. I feel like he made the entitled bratty villain role natural and entertaining. His mission was similar to one that leads to Eisenberg becoming an agent, but a more twisted version. Walton Goggin's Laugher character represented part of Yate's vision and Goggins just hit the nail on the head as he is known for over the top characters-*Insert Sons of Anarchy reference here!! Britton represented the light, while Grace represented the dark of the CIA. As I mentioned, they both played their parts well and it helped to fuel Stewart and Eisenberg's roles even more.
The action sequences were excellent. The plot of this movie calls for over the top violence, and I think it was handled well. The gore didn't bother me as it made sense of Howell's character in those moments. The shootout at the sargeant's station, as well as the epic showdown at the convenient store are excellent. I think everything that happens in that convenient store showdown is one of the better movie scenes in a while. The different methods and innovation of each part of the fights was shot well and presented an incredible movie experience. Max Landis did well with this.
This ultraviolent, stoner love story is getting a 5/5 for me. I loved the cast, characters, a plot that just keeps building upon itself, action sequences that provide audiences with intense crimson laden action, and a natural relationship that viewers can actually buy. You'll have fun watching this. It's definitely one of my favorite movies this year. It's been a rough year finding movies I liked this year, but this one definitely was awesome.
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Irrational Man Review
I saw Irrational Man on August 11, 2015!! Woody Allen has produced so many movies over the years, but in the last few years I've really enjoyed his work, particularly Blue Jasmine & Magic In The Moonlight. Irrational Man was one of my favorite movies of 2015 thus far. It was a movie filled with dark humor and great dialogue. It had incredible performances and an interesting plot. Complicated personalities, relationships, the difference between right and wrong, and irrational decisions/actions all converge into the central plot creating a unique movie that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Set amidst the backdrop of philosophical debtaes & revelations clashing with reality, Irrational Man looks at the depression of philosophy professor Abe who has encountered many negative situations in his life. He is a complicated man that people keep trying to figure out. The only way he is able to feel whole or happy is when he commits irrational acts as you see from a conversation he overhears in a diner. In some ways, you can see both sides of the issue that are discussed. Joaquin Phoenix was the perfect actor for Abe. Joaquin was able to portray the deeply depressed Abe, while also presenting a macabre side to his personality that Phoenix has done several times in the past. His facial expressions have always been such a strong suit for him as they just make his performances better. He's a great actor in general in my opinion.
The best part of this movie for me was Emma Stone's Jill. I firmly believe she is the best actress at the moment. She commands the screen dealing with her own issues of commitment with her boyfriend Roy, as well as being drawn to the alluring mystery of the complicated Abe. Her energy and delivery of dialogue is always on point. Her chemistry with Joaquin was really well done. One example was the dinner table scene discussing circumstances about what happened to a prominent member of the community. Their chemistry here felt natural and it showed how intellectual Jill was in her reasoning.The maturity of Emma's role shows how great of an actress she is. It takes a great actress to be able to shape Jill into a well rounded character and Stone does this in her dealings with Abe & Roy, as well as her approach to dealing with issues that rise from Abe's actions whether physically, verbally, or emotionally.
This is a very thought provoking movie with intelligent dialogue set with great acting from Emma Stone and Joaquin Phoenix that I'm giving a 5/5. The dark humor blended with the complicated issues of the characters created such an intriguing movie that brings substance to the screen that so many movies lack these days.
Set amidst the backdrop of philosophical debtaes & revelations clashing with reality, Irrational Man looks at the depression of philosophy professor Abe who has encountered many negative situations in his life. He is a complicated man that people keep trying to figure out. The only way he is able to feel whole or happy is when he commits irrational acts as you see from a conversation he overhears in a diner. In some ways, you can see both sides of the issue that are discussed. Joaquin Phoenix was the perfect actor for Abe. Joaquin was able to portray the deeply depressed Abe, while also presenting a macabre side to his personality that Phoenix has done several times in the past. His facial expressions have always been such a strong suit for him as they just make his performances better. He's a great actor in general in my opinion.
The best part of this movie for me was Emma Stone's Jill. I firmly believe she is the best actress at the moment. She commands the screen dealing with her own issues of commitment with her boyfriend Roy, as well as being drawn to the alluring mystery of the complicated Abe. Her energy and delivery of dialogue is always on point. Her chemistry with Joaquin was really well done. One example was the dinner table scene discussing circumstances about what happened to a prominent member of the community. Their chemistry here felt natural and it showed how intellectual Jill was in her reasoning.The maturity of Emma's role shows how great of an actress she is. It takes a great actress to be able to shape Jill into a well rounded character and Stone does this in her dealings with Abe & Roy, as well as her approach to dealing with issues that rise from Abe's actions whether physically, verbally, or emotionally.
This is a very thought provoking movie with intelligent dialogue set with great acting from Emma Stone and Joaquin Phoenix that I'm giving a 5/5. The dark humor blended with the complicated issues of the characters created such an intriguing movie that brings substance to the screen that so many movies lack these days.
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
3 Reasons You Should Watch Bloodline
REASON 1:
ELITE ENSEMBLE CAST
Bloodline's ensemble cast is one of the most talented group of actors and actresses you will find on a television show. The cast includes Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights), Ben Mendelsohm (The Dark Knight Rises), Linda Cardellini (Freaks and Geeks), Norbert Leo Butz (Dan In Real Life), Jacinda Barrett (Ladder 49), Sam Shepard (The Right Stuff), and Sissy Spacek (Coal Miner's Daughter). This is the principal Rayburn family. The acting is top notch and really helps to sell the story even better. When you have people that know what they're doing on screen, it makes for a better viewing experience, and the work of this cast just hit it out of the park. There's also great supporting roles from people like Chloe Sevigny (American Psycho) that add depth to characters. The chemistry this cast has is phenomenal. Their emotions, dialogue, and actions really sell the story. If you're looking for a show just based on solid acting alone, Bloodline succeeds in every way. You definitely want to make sure you watch this show for Ben Mendelsohm's Danny Rayburn. He's the star of the first season. His ability to shape Danny's persona to the character he is interacting with shows how talented he is. Danny is a dark character, but there are so many family secrets why he became the man he is. The interaction with him and Kyle Chandler's John Rayburn is excellent. Where Danny is more of a rebel, John is the golden boy, and the yin and yang of their characters creates many memorable moments, especially the biggest events surrounding the first season. Chandler is one of my favorite actors and it's amazing watching him change during the first season. Chandler is so good at making you understand deeper meanings to characters. Linda Cardellini is such a talented actress and never really gets enough credit. Her work here as Megan Rayburn shows her in situations that ultimately cause many of the events we see unfold. Norbert Leo Butz's Kevin Rayburn was so great as the guy that acts first and thinks later. Sissy Spacek is excellent as the matriarch and provided some of the most emotional moments next to the situations involving Mendelsohm & Chandler. The casting choices were brilliant and everybody worked together to create something special. Both Ben Mendelsohm and Kyle Chandler are nominated for Emmy awards. The beach scene in Episode 12 should secure a win for both men. I honestly don't think anybody else in their categories deserve it as much as them.
REASON 2:
COMPELLING STORYLINES
An element of television or movies that should always be there is the presence of great storylines, and Bloodline has them in spades. I won't spoil the storylines, but each one is important to the bigger picture. Each story will somehow connect to the major storyline of the season. Each arc revolves around Danny in some way. The pace of the show is brilliant as it starts at a slower speed and then picks up with each twist and turn of the character's decisions. The emotion of the decision and the actions involving the decision hook you right away. You know you watched something good when you rewind it to look at the scene again. I did that so many times during this 13 part season. Scenes are memorable. You question who you should support. I absolutely love that. It's a show that makes you think. It gives you both sides of the issue. The viewer takes it from there. Characters cross the line. Characters make you see their side of the story. Characters make you root for them even if you shouldn't. Characters make you guess where they're going next. The writing is brilliant as the dialogue serves the purpose of reflecting on the past, while fueling events of the present. The family secrets are dark. The dark secrets lead to even more intriguing situations. I think "The Water Lets You In" is an incredible theme for the show. It captures the dark history of the Rayburn family, the present situation of the black sheep against the entire family, and the actions & consequences you see unfold during the season.
REASON 3:
DAMAGES FORMAT
The show was created by Glenn Kessler, Todd Keslar, and Daniel Zelman. These three created one of my personal favorite shows: Damages. They created a format that shows you a big event and then go back and show you what led to that. They follow that format with Bloodline. I really like the format. The pilot immediately hooks you with a major event that will send ripples throughout the Rayburn family. After we see what happens, we go to the moment where everything starts when Danny Rayburn returns home. From there, we get a look at the family history, intense dialogue, amazing scenes, and different actions from all family members that lead to the major event. You think you know what happens from the narration, but much like Damages, Bloodline will take you down a different path. Twists will shock you. I think it is an intelligent way to approach this show.The Kesslers and Zelman are such great storytellers. They plan out their conclusion first and then work back. Every television show should do that. You have to know what your end game is before you start. When you know how you want an arc to end, you can take different twists and turns to get there. If you start off before you know where you want to go, that leads to show creators dropping storylines or taking the show to a conclusion that just doesn't make sense. The format of the show is excellent. It's always great to be reminded of Damages while watching it as well. I miss seeing Ellen Parsons and Patty Hewes battling it out with intellectual wit and definite times where their characters crossed the line.
CONCLUSION:
The combination of an elite cast with impeccable acting, brilliant storytelling, and an intelligent show format makes Bloodline the best original content on Netflix. I think it's one of the best first seasons of television I've seen. Ben Mendelsohm's performance as Danny Rayburn is one of the best acting performances you'll find on any current programming. Kyle Chandler is one of the most solid actors today, and his work as John Rayburn will show you why he's so good. I'm rooting for them to win their respective Emmys as much as I am rooting for Tatiana Maslany to win Best Lead Actress in a Drama at the Emmys. The family secrets, the interactions with the characters, and the twists and turns the story takes you keeps you on the edge of your seat. It's a show where protagonist and antagonist is not a black and white thing. There's more than 14 shades of gray with these characters and that's a good thing. You want to create characters with layers to keep the show moving, and Bloodline delivers. Bloodline is quality programming that will keep you invested.
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Inside Out Review
Justin and I saw Inside Out on June 25, 2015!! This was such an excellent animated movie. Inside Out looks at the emotions and memories inside of us. It was an interesting concept that worked really well. I consider this to be one of the best animated movies ever made. Each year I seem to find an animated movie that enters my all time favorites. This joins Wreck It Ralph and Big Hero 6 as one of my personal favorites.
The movie primarily focuses on the memories of a young girl named Riley. Like all of us she experiences emotions such as joy, sadness, anger, fear, and disgust. The voice actors of Amy Poehler (Joy), Phyllis Smith (Sadness), Lewis Black (Anger), Bill Hader (Fear), and Mindy Kaling (Disgust) all felt natural in their roles. The animation for each character makes the audience imagine what we think an emotion might physically look like if we could see it. I think the animation perfectly captured that. The looks of the characters mixed with the voice overs from the actors and actresses gave a great personality to the core of the movie.
Following Riley's journey from Minnesota to San Francisco through the eyes of the emotions inside our heads was amazing to watch. The memory balls, personality islands, imagination land, abstract zone, etc all were entertaining pieces of the movie that kept the movie interesting and moving at a fast pace. While we see Riley and her parents experience emotions, we also witness how the emotions deal with them. Each of the emotions also embarks on their own journeys.
My favorite part of the movie was watching Joy and Sadness's story arc. We see how important each emotion is. It stresses the importance of family, friendship, and teamwork throughout the movie. I love the interaction between Poehler's Joy and Smith's Sadness. While Anger, Fear, and Disgust are part of the emotional spectrum, Joy and Sadness are core pieces of the puzzle. The realization of how important Sadness is through the eyes of Joy was a really emotional part. You can't experience one emotion all the time. It's not natural. That's one of the major things explored here. Everyone will experience a mix of emotions. We see this through physical manifestations of the emotion characters and the human characters.
The amazing use of color, the intriguing plot, the different parts of the world created inside Riley's head, the voice actors, allowing yourself to experience certain emotions, and core values of family, friendship, and teamwork make this one of the best animated movies I've ever seen as well as one of the very best movies of 2015. I encourage everybody to see this movie. Audiences both young and old will enjoy this. I feel it has more themes for adults to enjoy. Younger audiences will love the look of the characters and the awesome pieces of Riley's mind. Adults will enjoy the journey of the characters, the intriguing story, and the emotional elements of the movie. I am in the middle as I loved the journey & plot as well as the amazing personality islands and little twists and turns characters experience inside Riley's head. If you couldn't figure it out, this movie definitely gets a 5/5 Amazing work Pixar!! This definitely should win Best Animated Movie at the Golden Globes and the Oscars this year. It truly deserves it!!
The movie primarily focuses on the memories of a young girl named Riley. Like all of us she experiences emotions such as joy, sadness, anger, fear, and disgust. The voice actors of Amy Poehler (Joy), Phyllis Smith (Sadness), Lewis Black (Anger), Bill Hader (Fear), and Mindy Kaling (Disgust) all felt natural in their roles. The animation for each character makes the audience imagine what we think an emotion might physically look like if we could see it. I think the animation perfectly captured that. The looks of the characters mixed with the voice overs from the actors and actresses gave a great personality to the core of the movie.
Following Riley's journey from Minnesota to San Francisco through the eyes of the emotions inside our heads was amazing to watch. The memory balls, personality islands, imagination land, abstract zone, etc all were entertaining pieces of the movie that kept the movie interesting and moving at a fast pace. While we see Riley and her parents experience emotions, we also witness how the emotions deal with them. Each of the emotions also embarks on their own journeys.
My favorite part of the movie was watching Joy and Sadness's story arc. We see how important each emotion is. It stresses the importance of family, friendship, and teamwork throughout the movie. I love the interaction between Poehler's Joy and Smith's Sadness. While Anger, Fear, and Disgust are part of the emotional spectrum, Joy and Sadness are core pieces of the puzzle. The realization of how important Sadness is through the eyes of Joy was a really emotional part. You can't experience one emotion all the time. It's not natural. That's one of the major things explored here. Everyone will experience a mix of emotions. We see this through physical manifestations of the emotion characters and the human characters.
The amazing use of color, the intriguing plot, the different parts of the world created inside Riley's head, the voice actors, allowing yourself to experience certain emotions, and core values of family, friendship, and teamwork make this one of the best animated movies I've ever seen as well as one of the very best movies of 2015. I encourage everybody to see this movie. Audiences both young and old will enjoy this. I feel it has more themes for adults to enjoy. Younger audiences will love the look of the characters and the awesome pieces of Riley's mind. Adults will enjoy the journey of the characters, the intriguing story, and the emotional elements of the movie. I am in the middle as I loved the journey & plot as well as the amazing personality islands and little twists and turns characters experience inside Riley's head. If you couldn't figure it out, this movie definitely gets a 5/5 Amazing work Pixar!! This definitely should win Best Animated Movie at the Golden Globes and the Oscars this year. It truly deserves it!!
Sunday, June 7, 2015
Entourage Review
Justin and I saw Entourage on June 7, 2015!! Entourage follows "it" actor Vincent Chase, his half-brother Johnny "Drama" Chase, & his friends Eric "E" Murphy & Sal "Turtle" Assante and their life in Los Angeles. The show & movie give you a unique look into the world of Hollywood & how movies/television shows work through the actor's eyes and the eyes of agents like Ari Gold & studio heads like Dana Gordon. Entourage also focuses on the close knit friendship all four principal characters have going back to their roots in Queens, New York, as well as navigating the tumultuous road that relationships can take you on. The show is in my Top 3 shows of all time. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie as it was a huge homage to the show even with the opening credits. Much like the show, the movie showed incredible writing giving each character an intriguing story.
Kevin Connolly, Adrian Grenier, Kevin Dillon, & Jerry Ferrara were all excellent reprising their roles. Besides Christian Troy & Sean McNamara in Nip/Tuck (interestingly enough produced & created by a name that comes up in E's storyline), E, Vinny, Drama, & Turtle, along with Ari are five of my favorite male characters of all time. Eric Murphy is my favorite character in Entourage, but at the same time everybody is awesome & truthfully it's one of the only shows where you actually like all the main characters. They have so many dimensions to their characters. Also, I just have to point out that Jeremy Piven deserves his Emmy awards-what an incredible performance as always by him. Throughout the movie, we follow the characters through Vincent Chase's new movie Hyde (looked really interesting & something I'd see in real life), E's relationship with Sloan (always some of my favorite moments in the show), Drama's constant struggle with finding success in Hollywood over the years (his story is a rollercoaster of emotion that ends in true VICTORY for him-well deserved & something long time fans of the show will definitely shed a tear or two for), Turtle (dealing with his new money & trying to woo Ronda Rousey), & Ari (juggling his personal life with his wife & kids & his role as head of Time Warner).
Every obstacle, wrong turn, & crushing moment whether it's Texas co-financier's especially Haley Joel Osment's Travis McCredle's vendetta towards Vincent & dislike of Drama's performance or Ari's head-butting with the studio, everything ends up working out. I like seeing that. When it looks like the Four Horsemen of Hollywood are going to be taken down, they rise above & right the wrongs. Doug Ellin did an awesome job presenting a movie that stays true to one of the best television shows ever created. The cast was phenomenal reprising their iconic roles. The storylines were well written & created a unique blend of drama & comedy lacking in so many modern movies. I definitely give this movie a 5/5. It's easily one of the best movies of the year for me. If you haven't seen the show, I highly recommend it. The movie does stand on it's own, but if you've seen the show you'll appreciate the movie even more. Looking forward to more adventure from Vinny, E, Drama, Turtle, & Ari.
Kevin Connolly, Adrian Grenier, Kevin Dillon, & Jerry Ferrara were all excellent reprising their roles. Besides Christian Troy & Sean McNamara in Nip/Tuck (interestingly enough produced & created by a name that comes up in E's storyline), E, Vinny, Drama, & Turtle, along with Ari are five of my favorite male characters of all time. Eric Murphy is my favorite character in Entourage, but at the same time everybody is awesome & truthfully it's one of the only shows where you actually like all the main characters. They have so many dimensions to their characters. Also, I just have to point out that Jeremy Piven deserves his Emmy awards-what an incredible performance as always by him. Throughout the movie, we follow the characters through Vincent Chase's new movie Hyde (looked really interesting & something I'd see in real life), E's relationship with Sloan (always some of my favorite moments in the show), Drama's constant struggle with finding success in Hollywood over the years (his story is a rollercoaster of emotion that ends in true VICTORY for him-well deserved & something long time fans of the show will definitely shed a tear or two for), Turtle (dealing with his new money & trying to woo Ronda Rousey), & Ari (juggling his personal life with his wife & kids & his role as head of Time Warner).
Every obstacle, wrong turn, & crushing moment whether it's Texas co-financier's especially Haley Joel Osment's Travis McCredle's vendetta towards Vincent & dislike of Drama's performance or Ari's head-butting with the studio, everything ends up working out. I like seeing that. When it looks like the Four Horsemen of Hollywood are going to be taken down, they rise above & right the wrongs. Doug Ellin did an awesome job presenting a movie that stays true to one of the best television shows ever created. The cast was phenomenal reprising their iconic roles. The storylines were well written & created a unique blend of drama & comedy lacking in so many modern movies. I definitely give this movie a 5/5. It's easily one of the best movies of the year for me. If you haven't seen the show, I highly recommend it. The movie does stand on it's own, but if you've seen the show you'll appreciate the movie even more. Looking forward to more adventure from Vinny, E, Drama, Turtle, & Ari.
Friday, May 15, 2015
Operation Mongoose-Television Perfection
Once Upon A Time is in my Top 10 shows of all time. I've enjoyed watching Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz create a world centered around fairy tale characters and other stories that we grew up with. Personally, OUAT has one of the best ensemble casts you'll find in television. It originally started in 2011 with alot of buzz. I can remember being extremely excited from the previews before it aired. With great performances by Lana Parrilla, Jennifer Morrison, Robert Carlyle, Ginnifer Goodwin, etc. the show has created storylines with a twist that have been compelling. They lead viewers on a magical journey that leaves me excited for what's next.
OPERATION MONGOOSE
I have enjoyed several episodes of the show, but I honestly believe that the two part Season 4 finale: Operation Mongoose was the best episode of the show. It really was television perfection. I think the exploration of the light & dark in heroes and villains in Season 4 was such a strong story arc. Operation Mongoose looked at the Author's alternate reality where heroes became the villains and vice versa. What was great about this was it showed the ability of the cast to flip the coin and show how talented they are. Lana Parrilla's work as Regina Mills has always been by favorite part of the show. Whether she's ruling a kingdom, running a small town in Maine, or running through the woods as an outlaw, she is the heart of the show. Watching Ginnifer Goodwin in the role of Snow Dark so to speak was intriguing. She did well speaking softly which added an extra element of menace to the Evil Queen. I thought the red dress worked well against Regina's white ensemble. I thought it was great that Rumpelstiltskin still isn't able to shake his dark nature even while being a hero. Nobody wants their destiny or story changed. Regina is the one constantly searching for a happy ending. I thought her portrayal of an outlaw was entertaining. I always root for her whether she represents the light or the dark. She's been my favorite character since Day 1.
HEROES & VILLAINS
It was great to see how Isaac Heller initially gained the power of the pen. Personally, I thought that Patrick Fischler did so well with this role. Isaac was supposed to be unlikeable. His mannerisms & voice make Fischler a perfect antagonist to shape the chaotic environment. Jared S. Gilmore's Henry was at his best here trying to change Heroes & Villains & stop certain events from happening. It reminded me so much of Bastien in the Neverending Story. If you remember, in that particular story, Bastien shapes the world's characters & events. His interactions with Regina were fun, especially considering how we first saw them interact in Season 1. It shows how much the Regina character has changed. It shows how much Henry has accepted Regina as a maternal figure. His interactions with Colin O'Donoghue's Hook were excellent, particularly when Henry uses the ship steering lessons that Hook taught him in Storybrooke. Little things like that are always cool to see. O'Donoghue's take on Hook has always been great. The only thing I would change is give him Blackbeard's attire on this show, since that is the traditional Hook look. In OUAT, it's all about changing image and twisting things around, so I get it. I think with his accent & attitude, his look works for him. I always liked the bond between him and Emma as well. Their romance is done in a way that calls to their personalities.
DARK SAVIOR
I liked how Snow Dark (Emma Swan's mother) locked her in chains in a high tower, very similar to Azkaban prison. Emma still being able to recognize the real world from the story was a great idea. Emma wouldn't have been in the story, because of Isaac's anti-savior credo. However, in some ways OUAT brilliantly incorporated that Regina knew about the savior, much like the pilot episode that introduced us to Storybrooke. I think for fans like me that have seen every episode it's great to see when episodes connect to events from the beginning in some way. The whole idea of Emma is what changed the course of the story since Day 1. It was the same type of situation here...however, what I loved the person who turns out to be the true savior is what fans wanted to see.
BLOOD SACRIFICE/REDEMPTION
Regina's interactions with Robin Hood were presented in a way that further proves they should be together in any universe. I thought it was great how they incorporated Zelena into the pages. They twisted Regina & Zelena's stories, which works really well. Parrilla really did well creating this heroic side to her character. I thought the scenes with Robin Hood & Zelena continued the arc from the past few episodes that could have destroyed Regina. I like that it actually made Regina stronger for Robin, Henry, and her search for the happy ending. Regina is the most important part of the finale. I mentioned that Rumpelstiltskin still wasn't able to change his ways completely. I feel the reason for this was because Isaac worked his poisonous words in more ways than one into his ears encouraging him to shed the light and embrace the dark in order to preserve the light. While Emma stressed that love is a big part of happiness, ultimately Regina feels it isn't everything. The church scene was brilliant as we saw a loving gaze between Regina & Robin with Zelena looking on (almost green) with envy. However, Regina choosing to sacrifice herself to save Henry from Rumpelstiltskin's sword was the ultimate heroic act. Regina would do anything to protect Henry in Storybrooke, so it was apropos that she did that here even if her prior existence had been changed. While Emma is perceived as the one to stop the chaos that is Heroes & Villains, it's the blood of a light savior (perfectly counter-balancing Emma's dark savior here) that is able to destroy the alternate universe creating a huge happy ending for Regina. She saves Henry and is able to destory a true force of dark magic. Henry taking possession of the pen was similar to Harry Potter and the Elder Wand. It was a very cool moment that many people might not have noticed.
THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE
The last parts of the episode showed the power of the old sorcerer sucking the darkness out of Rumpelstiltskin's heart, which definitely is a happy ending for him. The darkness has consumed him for so long. It's what hinders his relationship with Belle & makes his heart ache with pain. Watching his heart drain of darkness was great to see. The ending scene had me tearing up. As the darknes escapes from the sorcerer's hat, we see it surround Regina trying to suck her white light out of her. Regina tries to halt Emma from coming towards her telling Emma let it take her. Emma will not let her because Regina has come to far for her to descend into darkness. Emma lets the darkness take her as an ultimate sacrifice turning into the Dark One/the Black Swan. While she ultimately will become consumed by the darkness, it was done for a good reason. That scene was beautiful in many ways as well, because you see how close Regina & Emma have become over the course of the show. Regina is able to remain in the light & be with Robin. Emma gave into the dark to preserve her happy ending. I've always been a big fan of the Emma Swan character, but that moment cemented her as a savior in my eyes. She became a savior, but in an interesting scenario she became the Dark Savior from Heroes and Villains, which I thought was extremely interesting. Even in a bizarre way, Rumpelstiltskin ultimately wanted to see Emma become dark, so this adds to his happy ending as well. It was just a brilliant ending all around. It had to be done. It was the right way to go. I would have written it the same way.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Looking through this recap/review, I think it's fair to say Operation Mongoose is my favorite epsiode of Once Upon A Time. It focused on the meaning of love, sacrifice, light, dark, evolution of characters, and created a new scenario that opens up new, intriguing doors. I think the idea of giving into the dark in order to preserve the light was such a huge motif for this Season 4 finale. Throughout the episode, it successfully wrapped up the second half of the season and ultimately had us smiling for characters like Regina & Rumpelstiltskin, while also worrying for characters like Emma. I can't be overly upset with Emma going to the dark. She totally redeemed herself for bringing Marian back with her in the Season 3 finale. The first half of Season 5 will focus on Regina, Henry, Snow White, & Charming trying to find Merlin and figuring out a way to get Emma back from the darkness. Regina is going to be conflicted as well, because she knows Emma turned dark only to help her. She'll grapple with guilt, however, in the end she'll find a way to balance it out. I am looking forward to Seaosn 5 to see how this story turns up. I honestly feel if you haven't seen Once Upon A Time, you're missing out on one of the greatest television shows. It's truly amazing from the awesome cast to the intriguing storylines to the constant evolution of the characters. LONG LIVE REGINA!! THANK YOU EMMA SWAN!! WATCH ONCE UPON A TIME!!
OPERATION MONGOOSE
I have enjoyed several episodes of the show, but I honestly believe that the two part Season 4 finale: Operation Mongoose was the best episode of the show. It really was television perfection. I think the exploration of the light & dark in heroes and villains in Season 4 was such a strong story arc. Operation Mongoose looked at the Author's alternate reality where heroes became the villains and vice versa. What was great about this was it showed the ability of the cast to flip the coin and show how talented they are. Lana Parrilla's work as Regina Mills has always been by favorite part of the show. Whether she's ruling a kingdom, running a small town in Maine, or running through the woods as an outlaw, she is the heart of the show. Watching Ginnifer Goodwin in the role of Snow Dark so to speak was intriguing. She did well speaking softly which added an extra element of menace to the Evil Queen. I thought the red dress worked well against Regina's white ensemble. I thought it was great that Rumpelstiltskin still isn't able to shake his dark nature even while being a hero. Nobody wants their destiny or story changed. Regina is the one constantly searching for a happy ending. I thought her portrayal of an outlaw was entertaining. I always root for her whether she represents the light or the dark. She's been my favorite character since Day 1.
HEROES & VILLAINS
It was great to see how Isaac Heller initially gained the power of the pen. Personally, I thought that Patrick Fischler did so well with this role. Isaac was supposed to be unlikeable. His mannerisms & voice make Fischler a perfect antagonist to shape the chaotic environment. Jared S. Gilmore's Henry was at his best here trying to change Heroes & Villains & stop certain events from happening. It reminded me so much of Bastien in the Neverending Story. If you remember, in that particular story, Bastien shapes the world's characters & events. His interactions with Regina were fun, especially considering how we first saw them interact in Season 1. It shows how much the Regina character has changed. It shows how much Henry has accepted Regina as a maternal figure. His interactions with Colin O'Donoghue's Hook were excellent, particularly when Henry uses the ship steering lessons that Hook taught him in Storybrooke. Little things like that are always cool to see. O'Donoghue's take on Hook has always been great. The only thing I would change is give him Blackbeard's attire on this show, since that is the traditional Hook look. In OUAT, it's all about changing image and twisting things around, so I get it. I think with his accent & attitude, his look works for him. I always liked the bond between him and Emma as well. Their romance is done in a way that calls to their personalities.
DARK SAVIOR
I liked how Snow Dark (Emma Swan's mother) locked her in chains in a high tower, very similar to Azkaban prison. Emma still being able to recognize the real world from the story was a great idea. Emma wouldn't have been in the story, because of Isaac's anti-savior credo. However, in some ways OUAT brilliantly incorporated that Regina knew about the savior, much like the pilot episode that introduced us to Storybrooke. I think for fans like me that have seen every episode it's great to see when episodes connect to events from the beginning in some way. The whole idea of Emma is what changed the course of the story since Day 1. It was the same type of situation here...however, what I loved the person who turns out to be the true savior is what fans wanted to see.
BLOOD SACRIFICE/REDEMPTION
Regina's interactions with Robin Hood were presented in a way that further proves they should be together in any universe. I thought it was great how they incorporated Zelena into the pages. They twisted Regina & Zelena's stories, which works really well. Parrilla really did well creating this heroic side to her character. I thought the scenes with Robin Hood & Zelena continued the arc from the past few episodes that could have destroyed Regina. I like that it actually made Regina stronger for Robin, Henry, and her search for the happy ending. Regina is the most important part of the finale. I mentioned that Rumpelstiltskin still wasn't able to change his ways completely. I feel the reason for this was because Isaac worked his poisonous words in more ways than one into his ears encouraging him to shed the light and embrace the dark in order to preserve the light. While Emma stressed that love is a big part of happiness, ultimately Regina feels it isn't everything. The church scene was brilliant as we saw a loving gaze between Regina & Robin with Zelena looking on (almost green) with envy. However, Regina choosing to sacrifice herself to save Henry from Rumpelstiltskin's sword was the ultimate heroic act. Regina would do anything to protect Henry in Storybrooke, so it was apropos that she did that here even if her prior existence had been changed. While Emma is perceived as the one to stop the chaos that is Heroes & Villains, it's the blood of a light savior (perfectly counter-balancing Emma's dark savior here) that is able to destroy the alternate universe creating a huge happy ending for Regina. She saves Henry and is able to destory a true force of dark magic. Henry taking possession of the pen was similar to Harry Potter and the Elder Wand. It was a very cool moment that many people might not have noticed.
THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE
The last parts of the episode showed the power of the old sorcerer sucking the darkness out of Rumpelstiltskin's heart, which definitely is a happy ending for him. The darkness has consumed him for so long. It's what hinders his relationship with Belle & makes his heart ache with pain. Watching his heart drain of darkness was great to see. The ending scene had me tearing up. As the darknes escapes from the sorcerer's hat, we see it surround Regina trying to suck her white light out of her. Regina tries to halt Emma from coming towards her telling Emma let it take her. Emma will not let her because Regina has come to far for her to descend into darkness. Emma lets the darkness take her as an ultimate sacrifice turning into the Dark One/the Black Swan. While she ultimately will become consumed by the darkness, it was done for a good reason. That scene was beautiful in many ways as well, because you see how close Regina & Emma have become over the course of the show. Regina is able to remain in the light & be with Robin. Emma gave into the dark to preserve her happy ending. I've always been a big fan of the Emma Swan character, but that moment cemented her as a savior in my eyes. She became a savior, but in an interesting scenario she became the Dark Savior from Heroes and Villains, which I thought was extremely interesting. Even in a bizarre way, Rumpelstiltskin ultimately wanted to see Emma become dark, so this adds to his happy ending as well. It was just a brilliant ending all around. It had to be done. It was the right way to go. I would have written it the same way.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Looking through this recap/review, I think it's fair to say Operation Mongoose is my favorite epsiode of Once Upon A Time. It focused on the meaning of love, sacrifice, light, dark, evolution of characters, and created a new scenario that opens up new, intriguing doors. I think the idea of giving into the dark in order to preserve the light was such a huge motif for this Season 4 finale. Throughout the episode, it successfully wrapped up the second half of the season and ultimately had us smiling for characters like Regina & Rumpelstiltskin, while also worrying for characters like Emma. I can't be overly upset with Emma going to the dark. She totally redeemed herself for bringing Marian back with her in the Season 3 finale. The first half of Season 5 will focus on Regina, Henry, Snow White, & Charming trying to find Merlin and figuring out a way to get Emma back from the darkness. Regina is going to be conflicted as well, because she knows Emma turned dark only to help her. She'll grapple with guilt, however, in the end she'll find a way to balance it out. I am looking forward to Seaosn 5 to see how this story turns up. I honestly feel if you haven't seen Once Upon A Time, you're missing out on one of the greatest television shows. It's truly amazing from the awesome cast to the intriguing storylines to the constant evolution of the characters. LONG LIVE REGINA!! THANK YOU EMMA SWAN!! WATCH ONCE UPON A TIME!!
Thursday, May 14, 2015
The Clouds of Sils Maria Review
I saw the Clouds of Sils Maria on May 14, 2015!! This was a really interesting movie focusing on theater reflecting real life. The performances were strong. I liked watching how real life mirrored the characters and events of the play. The themes of age, maturity, celebrity, and combating obsolescence were evident throughout the movie.
In some ways, this could be considered a female version of Birdman. However, Clouds of Sils Maria stands on its own and presents a great movie laden with strong dialogue & impressive female performances. While in Birdman, you saw Michael Keaton's character trying to distance himself from the character that made him famous, you see Juliette Binoche's character, Maria Enders, returning to the play that made her famous. The only difference is she will now be playing the older character, as opposed to the younger character that launched her to fame 20 years ago.
This movie looks at the older actress: Maria Enders, her assistant, Valentine, and the young, rising actress with the paparazzi constantly looming around her: Joann Ellis. Binoche did a wonderful job showing her frustrations with playing Helena, the older character, which is really her frustrations as getting older. She shared many scenes with Kristen Stewart. I've always been a big fan of Stewart, and in my opinion, this could be her best performance. She deserves praise for the work she did here. She's received the Cesar Award (France's version of the Oscars) for her work in this movie. I've enjoyed her work over the years, but the last two years have resulted in some of her best performances. Stewart had remarkable chemistry with Binoche. She displayed a great deal of maturity in the Valentine role. I thought it was interesting seeing how Binoche's Maria Enders character actually was more immature than the younger Valentine. I also thought her praise of Joann Ellis mirrored Stewart's early career work with the Twilight series. She discussed how there's more to Ellis than you think, much like we're seeing with Stewart. As great as Binoche is in this, Stewart is right there with her performing at a high level. Great work from these two who created the life and vitality of the movie. The movie showed a deep friendship/relationship that easily mirrored the characters in Majora Snake between Maria & Valentine. I thought it was really well done.
Chloe Grace Moretz's performance as the young rising actress was excellent. In this role, she showed how some of the younger Hollywood starlets can be rebellious & make tabloids for the wrong reason. I also thought at the same time it was taking a shot at the paparazzi who pine for the moment when the young "it" performer falls. Moretz's montage of negative headlines was intriguing. I also enjoyed her Forbidden Planet movie scenes that Maria & Valentine bickered over in detail. Moretz did a wonderful job playing that young actress that is eager to work with the veteran actress to present a special play. At the same time, you get the entitled attitude, and fake personality that some of the younger actors/actresses have. Moretz did well shaping Joann Ellis. She hit all the caricatures of a young Hollywood actress so well. The triple threat of Binoche, Stewart, and Moretz was truly special. The scene at the round table in Sils Maria was one of my personal favorites. You get interaction with all three as well as a great look into each of their personalities.
I give this a movie a 4/5 for excellent performances by Juliette Binoche, Kristen Stewart, and Chloe Grace Moretz, a great story of life imitating art, and excellent dialogue.
In some ways, this could be considered a female version of Birdman. However, Clouds of Sils Maria stands on its own and presents a great movie laden with strong dialogue & impressive female performances. While in Birdman, you saw Michael Keaton's character trying to distance himself from the character that made him famous, you see Juliette Binoche's character, Maria Enders, returning to the play that made her famous. The only difference is she will now be playing the older character, as opposed to the younger character that launched her to fame 20 years ago.
This movie looks at the older actress: Maria Enders, her assistant, Valentine, and the young, rising actress with the paparazzi constantly looming around her: Joann Ellis. Binoche did a wonderful job showing her frustrations with playing Helena, the older character, which is really her frustrations as getting older. She shared many scenes with Kristen Stewart. I've always been a big fan of Stewart, and in my opinion, this could be her best performance. She deserves praise for the work she did here. She's received the Cesar Award (France's version of the Oscars) for her work in this movie. I've enjoyed her work over the years, but the last two years have resulted in some of her best performances. Stewart had remarkable chemistry with Binoche. She displayed a great deal of maturity in the Valentine role. I thought it was interesting seeing how Binoche's Maria Enders character actually was more immature than the younger Valentine. I also thought her praise of Joann Ellis mirrored Stewart's early career work with the Twilight series. She discussed how there's more to Ellis than you think, much like we're seeing with Stewart. As great as Binoche is in this, Stewart is right there with her performing at a high level. Great work from these two who created the life and vitality of the movie. The movie showed a deep friendship/relationship that easily mirrored the characters in Majora Snake between Maria & Valentine. I thought it was really well done.
Chloe Grace Moretz's performance as the young rising actress was excellent. In this role, she showed how some of the younger Hollywood starlets can be rebellious & make tabloids for the wrong reason. I also thought at the same time it was taking a shot at the paparazzi who pine for the moment when the young "it" performer falls. Moretz's montage of negative headlines was intriguing. I also enjoyed her Forbidden Planet movie scenes that Maria & Valentine bickered over in detail. Moretz did a wonderful job playing that young actress that is eager to work with the veteran actress to present a special play. At the same time, you get the entitled attitude, and fake personality that some of the younger actors/actresses have. Moretz did well shaping Joann Ellis. She hit all the caricatures of a young Hollywood actress so well. The triple threat of Binoche, Stewart, and Moretz was truly special. The scene at the round table in Sils Maria was one of my personal favorites. You get interaction with all three as well as a great look into each of their personalities.
I give this a movie a 4/5 for excellent performances by Juliette Binoche, Kristen Stewart, and Chloe Grace Moretz, a great story of life imitating art, and excellent dialogue.
Ex Machine Review
Justin, Dad, & I saw Ex Machina on May 6, 2015!! This was a brilliant look at artificial intelligence blended with the ego of humanity. This year hasn't been a particularly great one for good movies thus far, but this was a pleasant surprise. This shows us how great independent movies can be. Blockbusters, in my opinion, are usually the worst movies of each calendar year. Movies like this place an emphasis on story/substance & acting performances over special effects and empty plots.
In this movie, we follow Caleb, played by Domhnall Gleason, a computer programmer that works at a large Internet corporation. He is selected to a competition to spend a week long retreat with Nathan (who is the CEO living in recluse), played very well by Oscar Isaac. Oscar Isaac is one of the best actors on the scene. I've enjoyed all of his work. He always plays a great dark character. His reclusive nature & eccentric personality made Nathan such an awesome character to watch. Isaac's chemistry with Gleason felt natural. The dialogue was strong throughout between these two. Nathan has put all of his scientific knowledge into creating a state of the art robotic female named Ava, played by Alicia Vikander. Vikander stole the show. She's a beautiful girl that has a tremendous future in the industry. Her ability to differentiate between being a robot and a human female was amazing to watch. Her chemistry with Gleason was great. I like movies like this. Much like Hard Candy, it's a focus on very few characters that allows the performances to sell the story. That's exactly what happened here. You have three characters: Nathan, Ava, & Caleb.
This is one of the most intriguing movies of 2015-I'd rank this as one of my favorite movies in a while. I enjoyed every second of this movie. The acting was excellent. The twists were presented in an intelligent manner. Caleb uncovers so many secrets in Nathan's house. Ava ultimately ends up being the definition of artificial intelligence. I really liked the Ava character. Where Isaac's Nathan created the universe, it's Vikander's Ava that gives the movie it's voice. Gleason's Caleb provides the bridge between two characters, while also adding his own substance bringing out the voice of Ava and exposing the eccentricity of Nathan. I give this movie a 5/5 for an excellent plot and incredible performances that place an emphasis on acting. I highly recommend this movie. It might be too early, but considering the Oscars should be celebrating the entire year of movies, then Oscar Isaac, Alicia Vikander, & Domhnall Gleason all deserve nominations for their work on this film. I can see Vikander possibly getting a nomination, though, which would be awesome if it happens. Ex Machina is one of the best movies you'll see in 2015. As far as I'm concerned, it was my favorite movie this year so far.
In this movie, we follow Caleb, played by Domhnall Gleason, a computer programmer that works at a large Internet corporation. He is selected to a competition to spend a week long retreat with Nathan (who is the CEO living in recluse), played very well by Oscar Isaac. Oscar Isaac is one of the best actors on the scene. I've enjoyed all of his work. He always plays a great dark character. His reclusive nature & eccentric personality made Nathan such an awesome character to watch. Isaac's chemistry with Gleason felt natural. The dialogue was strong throughout between these two. Nathan has put all of his scientific knowledge into creating a state of the art robotic female named Ava, played by Alicia Vikander. Vikander stole the show. She's a beautiful girl that has a tremendous future in the industry. Her ability to differentiate between being a robot and a human female was amazing to watch. Her chemistry with Gleason was great. I like movies like this. Much like Hard Candy, it's a focus on very few characters that allows the performances to sell the story. That's exactly what happened here. You have three characters: Nathan, Ava, & Caleb.
This is one of the most intriguing movies of 2015-I'd rank this as one of my favorite movies in a while. I enjoyed every second of this movie. The acting was excellent. The twists were presented in an intelligent manner. Caleb uncovers so many secrets in Nathan's house. Ava ultimately ends up being the definition of artificial intelligence. I really liked the Ava character. Where Isaac's Nathan created the universe, it's Vikander's Ava that gives the movie it's voice. Gleason's Caleb provides the bridge between two characters, while also adding his own substance bringing out the voice of Ava and exposing the eccentricity of Nathan. I give this movie a 5/5 for an excellent plot and incredible performances that place an emphasis on acting. I highly recommend this movie. It might be too early, but considering the Oscars should be celebrating the entire year of movies, then Oscar Isaac, Alicia Vikander, & Domhnall Gleason all deserve nominations for their work on this film. I can see Vikander possibly getting a nomination, though, which would be awesome if it happens. Ex Machina is one of the best movies you'll see in 2015. As far as I'm concerned, it was my favorite movie this year so far.
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Insurgent Review
Justin and I saw Insurgent on March 22, 2014!! I absolutely loved this movie!! I really enjoyed the first movie of the series, and this one was simply excellent in my opinion. After Harry Potter, I consider Divergent to be my favorite series. I think the overall plot of the faction system, as well as the diverse nature of the characters creates a truly incredible series.
This movie basically picked up right where Divergent left off. It was great getting a deeper look into Amity & Candor, as well as an intricate view of Erudite. The general themes of each faction were well represented in the clothing they wore, as well as their personalities. We also saw more about the Factionless, which is basically the ultimate rebels of society as they don't fit into any faction. Divergent fit into too many factions. It's a really interesting dynamic. However, both the Divergent & the Factionless see eye to eye because of the bigger threat posed by Jeanine Matthews looking to preserve the faction system. There are many memorable action sequences, as well as scenes that incorporate a deeper look into a character's mind. This is seen through simulation tests as well as what characters may be dealing with in the real world. We also get a look at what the faction system is truly about as a big piece of the movie revolves around a message from the Founders.
This is one of the better ensemble casts for a series in a while. Shailene Woodley continues to be one of my favorite rising actresses. She did an amazing job in this movie showing how conflicted a hero can be. Tris Prior is one of my favorite characters. She's struggling with guilt from events of the past. At the same time, she needs to use this guilt to forgive herself and protect those being wronged by the faction system. Watching Tris battle her way to ultimate glory in both a physical & mental manner was really well done. Kate Winslet was perfectly cast as Jeanine Matthews. Her ability to speak in an intellectual manner decked in her royal blue attire personifies Erudite. She always remains calm & collected, even if things aren't going her way. The scenes with Woodley & Winslet are great. Naomi Watts would be the other part of this movie that I thought was well done. She did really well portraying Evelyn, the leader of the Factionless. She had the makings of a leader, while at the same time displayed trauma from past events in her life...similar to Tris in some ways ways.
The main message of this movie is that being different is actually a strength, and not a weakness. Your individuality makes you who you are. Embrace your divergent nature!! Through the action sequences, simulations, dialogue, romance, & plot twists, Insurgent delivers on all levels. It's truly my favorite movie of the year thus far earning a definite 5/5 from me. I am looking forward to Allegiant a great deal!!
This movie basically picked up right where Divergent left off. It was great getting a deeper look into Amity & Candor, as well as an intricate view of Erudite. The general themes of each faction were well represented in the clothing they wore, as well as their personalities. We also saw more about the Factionless, which is basically the ultimate rebels of society as they don't fit into any faction. Divergent fit into too many factions. It's a really interesting dynamic. However, both the Divergent & the Factionless see eye to eye because of the bigger threat posed by Jeanine Matthews looking to preserve the faction system. There are many memorable action sequences, as well as scenes that incorporate a deeper look into a character's mind. This is seen through simulation tests as well as what characters may be dealing with in the real world. We also get a look at what the faction system is truly about as a big piece of the movie revolves around a message from the Founders.
This is one of the better ensemble casts for a series in a while. Shailene Woodley continues to be one of my favorite rising actresses. She did an amazing job in this movie showing how conflicted a hero can be. Tris Prior is one of my favorite characters. She's struggling with guilt from events of the past. At the same time, she needs to use this guilt to forgive herself and protect those being wronged by the faction system. Watching Tris battle her way to ultimate glory in both a physical & mental manner was really well done. Kate Winslet was perfectly cast as Jeanine Matthews. Her ability to speak in an intellectual manner decked in her royal blue attire personifies Erudite. She always remains calm & collected, even if things aren't going her way. The scenes with Woodley & Winslet are great. Naomi Watts would be the other part of this movie that I thought was well done. She did really well portraying Evelyn, the leader of the Factionless. She had the makings of a leader, while at the same time displayed trauma from past events in her life...similar to Tris in some ways ways.
The main message of this movie is that being different is actually a strength, and not a weakness. Your individuality makes you who you are. Embrace your divergent nature!! Through the action sequences, simulations, dialogue, romance, & plot twists, Insurgent delivers on all levels. It's truly my favorite movie of the year thus far earning a definite 5/5 from me. I am looking forward to Allegiant a great deal!!
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
The DUFF Review
I saw The DUFF on February 24, 2015!! I really enjoyed this movie. It brought back great memories of movies like She's The Man, as well as incorporating elements from Mean Girls, while standing on its own with some good characters & performances. I think this movie also is a great breakout movie for several of the stars. There's an incredible positive message in this movie that I feel should resonate with young generations. I agree with the message & I think this movie positively helped show how individualism defines you, and not necessarily what you look like. Popularity can fade, but personality is forever.
I think as great as she has been in the past, The DUFF is Mae Whitman's breakthrough role. Where roles like Mary Elizabeth in Perks of Being A Wallflower, Roxie in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, and her excellent role as Amber Holt in Parenthood, this movie definitely legitimizes her as a true star on the rise. Her role as Bianca Piper felt natural for her & it truly cements her as one of my favorite actresses. Through her comedic charm, natural beauty (always thought so), and the ability to have innate chemistry with each actor in the movie shows that she is an acting juggernaut ready to rise to the next level. She has so much natural acting ability. She had many memorable moments throughout the movie, and I automatically was a fan of the Bianca character from the outset with her love of classic horror & her fun personality.
Her interactions with Robbie Amell, who played the lead male character Wes resulted in some great moments. Bianca feels worthless at one point thanks to what Wes tells her that she is the DUFF in her group of friends. It initially tears her down, but she is able to stand on her feet to realize that she has lots to offer. Her friends Casey & Jess were great as well. Both Bianca Santos & Skyler Samuels really stressed the importance of their talents rather than catering to the external beauty, which I liked. There was never a point where they were unlikeable. They both were able to utilize their individual talents & ability at one point, which was great to see. It showed they had more to offer than their looks. As I said, it's the main message of the movie, and the best part was they showed how important Bianca was to them. They don't treat her like a third wheel. She is their friend. They are her friends.
I really liked watching Bianca & Wes's friendship grow throughout the movie. I love how they keep teasing each other. Initially, their friendship grows in order for Bianca to shed her DUFF status & talk to her crush Toby. I think it was important to have that foil in order to build up the main romantic angle with Bianca & Wes. You can tell how genuine they are with one another. It definitely looks like they both can open up to each other which is important in furthering the story. You may be able to tell where the story is going, but you want to see Bianca have a happy ending & you definitely find Wes to be likeable.
One part of the movie I'd also like to talk about was the chief antagonist Madison, played by the awesome Bella Thorne. I was impressed with Bella's ability to really create an unlikeable role. She's not used to being the bad girl/queen bee in her previous work, but I think she really ran with it. She represented the idea of popularity never waning & that high school is forever. She did so well with it. I really found her to be believable as the villain. That shows how talented she is. Where I found this to be Mae Whitman's breakthrough role, I also think this was Bella Thorne's breakthrough role. She has talent & I hope to see her in more roles. The interaction with her and Mae was very good. You get the two diverging viewpoints of popularity vs. personality & it just worked so well.
This movie demonstrated how important social media is in this age. It has such an impact on all of us, especially younger generations. It is important to understand that it can be used for positive & negative reasons. We need to find ways to wean out the negativity, as well as infuse more positive ways to use social media. The movie does a great job looking at both sides of the spectrum.
As I mentioned, I enjoyed many scenes throughout this movie. I thought the homecoming scene was especially excellent. I loved Bianca's dress-it really fit her individuality, and at the same time demonstrated her friend Jess's talents, which was important as well. Bianca's monologue about individualism & what being a DUFF is was excellent. It was one of the most inspirational monologues for all generations. It should resonate with everybody. The homecoming scene really brought everything together in a harmonious manner for Bianca, Casey, Jess, the relationship story with Wes, and the feud with Madison. I thought there were several great moments, but this was my favorite scene. I highly recommend seeing this movie for great characters, a phenomenal cast, and an amazing, powerful message that stresses how we our individualism makes us who we are. Accept it. Like who you are. Don't worry about what other people think. It may be difficult sometimes, but what matters is how you think about yourself. You are special in your own way. I give the movie a 4/5. It was definitely one of the most enjoyable movies I've seen in a while and certainly one of the only movies I liked in 2015 thus far.
I think as great as she has been in the past, The DUFF is Mae Whitman's breakthrough role. Where roles like Mary Elizabeth in Perks of Being A Wallflower, Roxie in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, and her excellent role as Amber Holt in Parenthood, this movie definitely legitimizes her as a true star on the rise. Her role as Bianca Piper felt natural for her & it truly cements her as one of my favorite actresses. Through her comedic charm, natural beauty (always thought so), and the ability to have innate chemistry with each actor in the movie shows that she is an acting juggernaut ready to rise to the next level. She has so much natural acting ability. She had many memorable moments throughout the movie, and I automatically was a fan of the Bianca character from the outset with her love of classic horror & her fun personality.
Her interactions with Robbie Amell, who played the lead male character Wes resulted in some great moments. Bianca feels worthless at one point thanks to what Wes tells her that she is the DUFF in her group of friends. It initially tears her down, but she is able to stand on her feet to realize that she has lots to offer. Her friends Casey & Jess were great as well. Both Bianca Santos & Skyler Samuels really stressed the importance of their talents rather than catering to the external beauty, which I liked. There was never a point where they were unlikeable. They both were able to utilize their individual talents & ability at one point, which was great to see. It showed they had more to offer than their looks. As I said, it's the main message of the movie, and the best part was they showed how important Bianca was to them. They don't treat her like a third wheel. She is their friend. They are her friends.
I really liked watching Bianca & Wes's friendship grow throughout the movie. I love how they keep teasing each other. Initially, their friendship grows in order for Bianca to shed her DUFF status & talk to her crush Toby. I think it was important to have that foil in order to build up the main romantic angle with Bianca & Wes. You can tell how genuine they are with one another. It definitely looks like they both can open up to each other which is important in furthering the story. You may be able to tell where the story is going, but you want to see Bianca have a happy ending & you definitely find Wes to be likeable.
One part of the movie I'd also like to talk about was the chief antagonist Madison, played by the awesome Bella Thorne. I was impressed with Bella's ability to really create an unlikeable role. She's not used to being the bad girl/queen bee in her previous work, but I think she really ran with it. She represented the idea of popularity never waning & that high school is forever. She did so well with it. I really found her to be believable as the villain. That shows how talented she is. Where I found this to be Mae Whitman's breakthrough role, I also think this was Bella Thorne's breakthrough role. She has talent & I hope to see her in more roles. The interaction with her and Mae was very good. You get the two diverging viewpoints of popularity vs. personality & it just worked so well.
This movie demonstrated how important social media is in this age. It has such an impact on all of us, especially younger generations. It is important to understand that it can be used for positive & negative reasons. We need to find ways to wean out the negativity, as well as infuse more positive ways to use social media. The movie does a great job looking at both sides of the spectrum.
As I mentioned, I enjoyed many scenes throughout this movie. I thought the homecoming scene was especially excellent. I loved Bianca's dress-it really fit her individuality, and at the same time demonstrated her friend Jess's talents, which was important as well. Bianca's monologue about individualism & what being a DUFF is was excellent. It was one of the most inspirational monologues for all generations. It should resonate with everybody. The homecoming scene really brought everything together in a harmonious manner for Bianca, Casey, Jess, the relationship story with Wes, and the feud with Madison. I thought there were several great moments, but this was my favorite scene. I highly recommend seeing this movie for great characters, a phenomenal cast, and an amazing, powerful message that stresses how we our individualism makes us who we are. Accept it. Like who you are. Don't worry about what other people think. It may be difficult sometimes, but what matters is how you think about yourself. You are special in your own way. I give the movie a 4/5. It was definitely one of the most enjoyable movies I've seen in a while and certainly one of the only movies I liked in 2015 thus far.
Thursday, February 19, 2015
87th Academy Award Preview
This Sunday February 22, 2015 will be the return of an event that I look forward to each year for the dedication to cinema and the pageantry and tradition of what the event has meant since 1927. This year marks the 87th installment of this event and it should be an interesting night. What I will do is post the main awards nominees: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Director-these are the six I feel are the important ones, though I am always interested in Best Costuming, Best Score/Original Song, Best Visual Effects and Best Make-Up, they aren't necessarily the most important ones-just ones that interest me. I will post the ones I THINK/FEEL will win in bold. I will post the ones I WANT to win in italics. Keep in mind in one or more of these categories they may be one and the same for think and want. Then I will provide some commentary on my thoughts on the nominees involved.
BEST PICTURE:
American Sniper
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash
This year's Best Picture nominees are very diverse. Every movie has a big theme to it whether it's about post traumatic stress, identity crisis, experiences as you grow up, eccentric hotel owners, cracking the Nazi code, one of the major voices of civil rights, the big bang theory, or an intense music school. I think it's an interesting list of movies, but at the same time, there were many on the list that I didn't particularly enjoy. I personally would like to see The Grand Budapest Hotel pick up the win here. The story was so over the top, which is a trademark of Wes Anderson. I thoroughly enjoyed Moonrise Kingdom a couple of years ago and this was no exception. The cast created animated, entertaining characters that kept me invested in the story. I also love the use of color in the movie. It just adds to the overall zany nature of the movie. If I had to pick another movie from the list, I'd like to see win it would definitely be Birdman. I thought the movie's dark nature exploring alter egos was intense, and well acted. I really hope people see this movie. It may be dark, but it's just a really well done movie that feels fresh since it isn't a biopic or some movie with a political/civil rights agenda to it that we've seen over the last few years. I'm not saying these movies are bad. It's just great seeing something authentic. It's also a huge reason why I'm a big supporter of the Grand Budapest Hotel-I think the ensemble cast & the eccentricity of the plot make this the frontrunner for me. There are many movies I can see winning this award, but I think Selma has the best chance of winning. I can see this winning, because there were protests all over social media infuriated that David Oyelowo wasn't nominated for portraying Martin Luther King, Jr. I compare this backlash to Ben Affleck being snubbed for Best Director for Argo. Argo would end up winning Best Picture due to all of the noise about that snub, and I definitely agreed with that. I don't really think Oyelowo was that good in the role personally, but I get people's passion and it's really awesome to see people getting so invested in an actor's performance. I certainly discuss performances all the time on this movie blog, twitter, or facebook. Movies are my passion. I think Theory of Everything & Boyhood are the other big possibilities to win. I felt these two movies were extremely dull. People were praising these movies so much over the last few months, and I have to say I don't believe the hype. While Boyhood had some type of story going for it, I just never was able to get into the 3 hour ordeal. Theory of Everything's poster is next to the word boring in the dictionary. I gave the movie to scientists trying to concoct a cure for insomnia. The results were overwhelmingly positive on multiple test subjects. I was frustrated to see that Gone Girl & Interstellar were excluded from the list. Those were two movies I felt deserved to be on the list. They were two of my favorite movies of 2014. While I see three possible winners for Best Picture with Selma leading the charge, I'm definitely in favor of seeing a truly entertaining, over the top movie like Grand Budapest Hotel or Birdman picking up the win.
BEST ACTOR:
Steve Carell-Foxcatcher
Bradley Cooper-American Sniper
Benedict Cumberbatch-The Imitation Game
Michael Keaton-Birdman
Eddie Redmayne-The Theory of Everything
With the exception of Steve Carell, I think everybody on this list has a chance at winning. I'm not taking anything away from Carell's performance as John du Pont, because quite frankly it was really well done, and I think he captured the eccentric nature of the man quite well. It's just that not many people actually have discussed his performance. They've really been talking more about his physical appearance than the actual performance. Personally, I don't think anybody on this list delivered a better performance or deserves it more than Michael Keaton's Riggan character. The intensity of his performance mixed with the bizarre nature of his personality was so compelling. This is possibly Keaton's finest work. My all time favorite movie when I was growing up was Beetlejuice, so I've been a Keaton guy since about 6 years old. What I really found to be clever about this performance was the subtle undertone of Keaton himself putting the Batman character in his past in this character. That's what I see when I watch this. If you haven't seen this performance, you really need to. It's one of the best male performances in years. It's probably my favorite Oscar acting performance since Jean Dujardin in The Artist about three years ago. I definitely can see him winning. The good news is people are seeing this performance and agreeing with his nomination. One performance that seems to be a heavy favorite is Eddie Redmayne's role as Stephen Hawking in Theory of Everything. Here's my thing with this performance: Great job in terms of physical appearance, but I wouldn't necessarily call this an acting performance. I hate to say it, but it was really a guy mumbling in a wheelchair in a movie where nothing happened. I can't get behind the actual acting part of this, because there really wasn't any acting. It was kind of a lazy performance that would easily garner a nomination. Like I said, he nailed the physical look of Hawking, but the performance lacked any sort of substance. One movie that has gotten a ton of buzz is American Sniper. I absolutely loathed this movie. It was unnecessary. The events in this movie regarding Chris Kyle have been debated over (I'm not getting into this-because this isn't a politics/current events blog), but people saying Cooper should win probably didn't see the performance. His accent was laughable & the performance was very wooden. I like Cooper, but to me he didn't seem to be into this role. I could understand that based on the subject matter. It felt like The Hurt Locker in so many ways, and for the record, I didn't like that movie either. I don't like when movies with some type of agenda get nominated. That was the year Avatar didn't win Best Picture. I was fuming about that, but sometimes the Oscars will throw you for a loop and surprise you. I may not always like the result, but it's great when there's a surprise win. Benedict Cumberbatch is a definite dark horse. My friend & movie blog buddy Jacqui made a bold prediction that Cumberbatch will win if Keaton doesn't. I didn't get why she was so on board with this, but then she explained it to me. There are so many complex things about Alan Turing. I think the complexity of Turing mixed with Cumberbatch's great performance definitely could be a surprise win. We'll see what happens. Go Keaton!! For Jacqui's case-Go Cumberbatch haha!!
BEST ACTRESS:
Marion Cotillard-Two Days, One Night
Felicity Jones-The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore-Still Alice
Rosamund Pike-Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon-Wild
Everybody knows how much I value female performances in movies & television. This year, much like the Best Actor nominees, I think we have three possible winners. I think that Julianne Moore is picking up the victory. For years, Moore has been one of my favorite actresses. She has delivered great performances in so many projects. Since The Hours, I've really been enamored with her work. She did a phenomenal job as Alice Howland. Watching Moore from the first shot to the last shot is something that students of theater should study. Constantly changing showing the effects of losing who you are as a person is the overall theme of Still Alice. While it deals with the serious nature of Alzheimer's disease, I think Moore's performance took the movie beneath the surface & showed physical & emotional pain of losing herself. Her intelligence is waning. Her ability to differentiate between people, places, and things is diminishing. She captured the trauma & devastation caused by the disease. She provided substance to a movie that could have fallen flat, but through her performance and some other great supporting cast members, this movie flourishes. Performances make or break a movie. Moore's certainly made a movie. I would certainly agree with her winning Best Actress, and I think she definitely is the frontrunner. If you know me well or you've seen my tweets or status updates, then you know my favorite female performance of 2014 was Rosamund Pike's insanely awesome role as Amy Dunne. The truly psychotic nature Pike brought to the character was so intriguing. While she portrayed Amy Dunne during the whole movie, the fact of the matter is she had to change her personality to match the situation she was in whether it was with Ben Affleck, pretending to be from New Orleans, or how hauntingly crazy she was in the scenes with Neil Patrick Harris. It was just an incredible femme fatale character that will be a favorite of mine always. Massacre at Desi's is the most memorable scene in years. Everything Pike did was on point. Her facial expressions showed that she was always thinking. Just watch her eyes-there's so much going on behind those blue eyes. It's actually quite intimidating at many points. I've always been a fan of her as well. Amy Dunne is Pike's breakthrough performance. Her actions were memorable & kept you engaged throughout the movie. I'd really love to see Pike win. I think Reese Witherspoon is the dark horse winner. I didn't particularly find the woman vs. nature motif to be interesting at all. However, that motif is integral to putting her problems in the past. I knew Reese would be on the list for sure this year. The reason she goes on this journey is to become the woman her mother wanted her to be. It focused mostly on one night stands & heroin use. Reese did a decent job with the role for sure, but it was tough to watch this movie. Since we're talking about the performances, she should be nominated, but I think that Pike & Moore deserve the win over her. Reese's performance relies too much on the morbid past of Cheryl's character, which as a viewer isn't what you want to see. You want to see the character keep that behind them. We don't want to be reminded of her dark passengers. Cheryl is shown standing on the bridge at the end of the journey. It could be the scene that helps Reese pick up the win. It's definitely a three way race. I think Moore has the best chance. I want to see Pike get the win. Reese's performance had many layers.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Robert Duvall-The Judge
Ethan Hawke-Boyhood
Edward Norton-Birdman
Mark Ruffalo-Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons-Whiplash
This is the only category where I can see a definite winner, and that is J.K. Simmons awesome Fletcher character in Whiplash. He had some of the best dialogue in 2014 cinema. He was so believable in his role & really made the movie for me. I could have just had a movie of him yelling at the screen the whole time. His tough as nails exterior was amazing to watch. The intense nature of his passion for music was like Mr. Holland's Opus with the voltage turned up. I'd highly recommend watching this for that performance. I think he's definitely picking up the win. He had basically cleaned house at all the other major awards shows, and I think he definitely deserves his nomination. I wouldn't have a problem with him winning at all. It was such an awesome performance. While Simmons will most likely win & deserves to, I'd personally love to see Edward Norton pick up the win for his role as Mike in Birdman. I loved the pomposity Norton had in this character. He took every stereotype of a stage actor and turned the voltage up. Norton is definitely a favorite actor of mine. If I had to pick a favorite male movie performance of all time, it's his role as Derek Vinyard in American History X. This role as Mike was a look at Norton himself, much like Riggan was a look at Keaton. Many people tend to say Norton has an arrogance about him, and Norton took that and simply ran with it. I loved it. The verbal spars him and Keaton had were gold. I loved the scene where Norton says: "Who are you going to get to play me now? Ryan Gosling?" His scenes with Emma Stone were well done also, especially the ones on the roof. That's where you saw more substance in Mike & combining who he really is to the person he feels he has to be makes a complete character. If you watch Birdman, all the main characters have that theme, and I think it's brilliant. Norton is a solid actor & the fan in me just wants to see him win. If you saw The Judge, Robert Duvall gave a good performance. It was tough to watch his character suffer so much, especially in the bathroom scene, but it showed how good Duvall is. I don't agree with Mark Ruffalo being on the list, because they should have gone with Channing Tatum as Mark Schultz instead. Tatum gave one of the best performances of his career in Foxcatcher. He deserves to be recognized for that. I also think Tatum was technically the lead character, and perhaps Carell should have been nominated for Best Supporting Actor instead. It's like what happened with the Godfather. I agree with Al Pacino when he says that he should have been nominated for Best Actor while Marlon Brando should have been nominated for Best Supporting Actor. The Godfather is all about Michael's rise, and he is integral to everything that happens. I'm not discussing Ethan Hawke, because even though he brought some depth to Boyhood as the father, it's not really a memorable performance. A lot of his performance felt unnatural and much like the film was quite poor. I definitely think Simmons will win the award, and I wouldn't have a problem with it at all. I'd personally like to see Edward Norton win, because he's a favorite actor of mine & he did an excellent job portraying the Mike character in Birdman.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Patricia Arquette-Boyhood
Laura Dern-Wild
Keira Knightley-The Imitation Game
Emma Stone-Birdman
Meryl Streep-Into The Woods
Even though the movie is called Boyhood, in a lot of ways it's about Olivia (Mason's mother). It can be rather dull over the three hour run mark. Her journey can get boring throughout the movie, since the actual movie definitely is dull. I think the reason Arquette may have been so believable in her role was because she borrowed off her own life experiences while shooting this. I still don't think it was good enough to warrant a nomination. I knew that she would be on this list, because she had such a passion for this movie, and critics really liked her work. I just wasn't enamored with it. I never really found Arquette to be a great actress, and I think anybody could have played the Olivia character to be honest. I don't make the decisions on who or what gets nominated though. The performance that I think is most deserving is Emma Stone's Sam character. All I have to say is to watch the dialogue between her and Michael Keaton where she basically tells him he's nothing. What an amazing scene. That scene gave me goosebumps when I first saw it. Stone has become one of my favorite actresses over the years. Her work as Sam showed how talented she really is. Her character may be rebellious, but at the same time she is the one character that can keep it together more than anyone else. She tells it like it is. She is such a huge presence in the entire movie. Watching her mature as an actress over the last few years has been great. The Help is where she really broke through, even though Easy A was the launching pad to The Help. Stone deserves this win for how captivating she was in every scene she appeared. Every scene she appeared in is a critical turning point in character arcs. It's absolutely amazing. Emma Stone has a bright future, and this is just one example. I see Arquette winning, but Stone deserves it. Those are the only two people I see it coming down to: Stone & Arquette. I don't think anybody else really has a chance. Streep is always on the list. The last time she won at the Oscars should have been Michelle Williams night for My Week With Marilyn, but what can you do? If there was one person I felt should have been nominated that wasn't, it's Kristen Stewart's performance as Lydia in Still Alice. This performance shows how much she matured as an actress. I have always been a K-Stew guy, but in 2014, I've seen her turn out some really good performances. Her role as Lydia is the second most important character in Still Alice. Throughout the movie, it's really Lydia that seems to care the most about her mother's well-being. That's my view any way. I see her putting her acting pursuits aside to move across the country to help Alice. That face to face at the end with the poem was so powerful. I really think she should be on the list instead of Streep or Dern. Check out Stewart in The Clouds of Sils Maria. I thought her role as Valentine was really well done. The point is K-Stew should be on the list. I've followed her work since Panic Room, and really became a big fan when she portrayed Em in Adventureland. This year I'm all about Emma Stone winning Best Supporting Actress. I am fully prepared to see Patricia Arquette win, though.
BEST DIRECTOR:
Alejandro G. Inarritu-Birdman
Boyhood-Richard Linklater
Foxcatcher-Bennett Miller
The Grand Budapest Hotel-Wes Anderson
The Imitation Game-Morten Tyldum
Best Director is always an interesting category, because you never really know what style will be appreciated more. Personally, nobody on this list deserves this more than Alejandro G. Inarritu. The long takes, especially the one where he follows the long hallway and the way he shot the main characters on stage, backstage, or on the street were all compelling shots & really brought the audience into the scenes. You feel like you're in the actual theater watching the play as its happening. Inarritu has won a couple Best Director awards this season, including the Golden Globe, so I'm hoping lightning strikes twice and awards a man that worked hard to create a masterpiece with a cast that absolutely blew me away in Birdman. Unfortunately, the movie I can see picking this up is Richard Linklater for Boyhood. The method he used was a gimmick. It wasn't creative. To me, it shows he had no creative ideas for 12 years. I tend to dislike Linklater movies, and this was no exception. I don't like his style. I don't like the shooting once every 12 years idea. It's not incredible film making. It's lackluster & makes Linklater look lazy in many ways. David Fincher being snubbed for Gone Girl (as well as Best Adapted Screenplay) is just ludicrous. The way he shot this reminded me of his work in the 90s with Seven & Fight Club. He brought audiences right into the movie. His fade outs in Gone Girl worked so well with the events on screen. They created a type of cliffhanger to the next chapter in the movie. I am still befuddled how he was snubbed, but sometimes the Academy doesn't think things through. I can only comment on what is nominated, but since this is my blog, I will point out the errors of their ways & point out their snubs. Inarritu-Keep on rolling!! Linklater-Cut!!
Now that I have covered the six major categories I hope the readers of this blog will enjoy this look into the 867th Academy Awards. The only other thing I'd like to add is I hope to see Big Hero 6 win Best Animated Feature as well as Everything Is Awesome for Best Original Song. I am so picky on animated movies, but Big Hero 6 was just so amazing. I love the unique characters as well as the entertaining plot. I enjoyed writing this Oscars piece and hope you enjoy reading it. There are some really competitive categories, and it should be interesting to see what Neil Patrick Harris does as the host. I'm fully expecting the show to start with an opening musical number. It's NPH-it's happening people!!
BEST PICTURE:
American Sniper
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash
This year's Best Picture nominees are very diverse. Every movie has a big theme to it whether it's about post traumatic stress, identity crisis, experiences as you grow up, eccentric hotel owners, cracking the Nazi code, one of the major voices of civil rights, the big bang theory, or an intense music school. I think it's an interesting list of movies, but at the same time, there were many on the list that I didn't particularly enjoy. I personally would like to see The Grand Budapest Hotel pick up the win here. The story was so over the top, which is a trademark of Wes Anderson. I thoroughly enjoyed Moonrise Kingdom a couple of years ago and this was no exception. The cast created animated, entertaining characters that kept me invested in the story. I also love the use of color in the movie. It just adds to the overall zany nature of the movie. If I had to pick another movie from the list, I'd like to see win it would definitely be Birdman. I thought the movie's dark nature exploring alter egos was intense, and well acted. I really hope people see this movie. It may be dark, but it's just a really well done movie that feels fresh since it isn't a biopic or some movie with a political/civil rights agenda to it that we've seen over the last few years. I'm not saying these movies are bad. It's just great seeing something authentic. It's also a huge reason why I'm a big supporter of the Grand Budapest Hotel-I think the ensemble cast & the eccentricity of the plot make this the frontrunner for me. There are many movies I can see winning this award, but I think Selma has the best chance of winning. I can see this winning, because there were protests all over social media infuriated that David Oyelowo wasn't nominated for portraying Martin Luther King, Jr. I compare this backlash to Ben Affleck being snubbed for Best Director for Argo. Argo would end up winning Best Picture due to all of the noise about that snub, and I definitely agreed with that. I don't really think Oyelowo was that good in the role personally, but I get people's passion and it's really awesome to see people getting so invested in an actor's performance. I certainly discuss performances all the time on this movie blog, twitter, or facebook. Movies are my passion. I think Theory of Everything & Boyhood are the other big possibilities to win. I felt these two movies were extremely dull. People were praising these movies so much over the last few months, and I have to say I don't believe the hype. While Boyhood had some type of story going for it, I just never was able to get into the 3 hour ordeal. Theory of Everything's poster is next to the word boring in the dictionary. I gave the movie to scientists trying to concoct a cure for insomnia. The results were overwhelmingly positive on multiple test subjects. I was frustrated to see that Gone Girl & Interstellar were excluded from the list. Those were two movies I felt deserved to be on the list. They were two of my favorite movies of 2014. While I see three possible winners for Best Picture with Selma leading the charge, I'm definitely in favor of seeing a truly entertaining, over the top movie like Grand Budapest Hotel or Birdman picking up the win.
BEST ACTOR:
Steve Carell-Foxcatcher
Bradley Cooper-American Sniper
Benedict Cumberbatch-The Imitation Game
Michael Keaton-Birdman
Eddie Redmayne-The Theory of Everything
With the exception of Steve Carell, I think everybody on this list has a chance at winning. I'm not taking anything away from Carell's performance as John du Pont, because quite frankly it was really well done, and I think he captured the eccentric nature of the man quite well. It's just that not many people actually have discussed his performance. They've really been talking more about his physical appearance than the actual performance. Personally, I don't think anybody on this list delivered a better performance or deserves it more than Michael Keaton's Riggan character. The intensity of his performance mixed with the bizarre nature of his personality was so compelling. This is possibly Keaton's finest work. My all time favorite movie when I was growing up was Beetlejuice, so I've been a Keaton guy since about 6 years old. What I really found to be clever about this performance was the subtle undertone of Keaton himself putting the Batman character in his past in this character. That's what I see when I watch this. If you haven't seen this performance, you really need to. It's one of the best male performances in years. It's probably my favorite Oscar acting performance since Jean Dujardin in The Artist about three years ago. I definitely can see him winning. The good news is people are seeing this performance and agreeing with his nomination. One performance that seems to be a heavy favorite is Eddie Redmayne's role as Stephen Hawking in Theory of Everything. Here's my thing with this performance: Great job in terms of physical appearance, but I wouldn't necessarily call this an acting performance. I hate to say it, but it was really a guy mumbling in a wheelchair in a movie where nothing happened. I can't get behind the actual acting part of this, because there really wasn't any acting. It was kind of a lazy performance that would easily garner a nomination. Like I said, he nailed the physical look of Hawking, but the performance lacked any sort of substance. One movie that has gotten a ton of buzz is American Sniper. I absolutely loathed this movie. It was unnecessary. The events in this movie regarding Chris Kyle have been debated over (I'm not getting into this-because this isn't a politics/current events blog), but people saying Cooper should win probably didn't see the performance. His accent was laughable & the performance was very wooden. I like Cooper, but to me he didn't seem to be into this role. I could understand that based on the subject matter. It felt like The Hurt Locker in so many ways, and for the record, I didn't like that movie either. I don't like when movies with some type of agenda get nominated. That was the year Avatar didn't win Best Picture. I was fuming about that, but sometimes the Oscars will throw you for a loop and surprise you. I may not always like the result, but it's great when there's a surprise win. Benedict Cumberbatch is a definite dark horse. My friend & movie blog buddy Jacqui made a bold prediction that Cumberbatch will win if Keaton doesn't. I didn't get why she was so on board with this, but then she explained it to me. There are so many complex things about Alan Turing. I think the complexity of Turing mixed with Cumberbatch's great performance definitely could be a surprise win. We'll see what happens. Go Keaton!! For Jacqui's case-Go Cumberbatch haha!!
BEST ACTRESS:
Marion Cotillard-Two Days, One Night
Felicity Jones-The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore-Still Alice
Rosamund Pike-Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon-Wild
Everybody knows how much I value female performances in movies & television. This year, much like the Best Actor nominees, I think we have three possible winners. I think that Julianne Moore is picking up the victory. For years, Moore has been one of my favorite actresses. She has delivered great performances in so many projects. Since The Hours, I've really been enamored with her work. She did a phenomenal job as Alice Howland. Watching Moore from the first shot to the last shot is something that students of theater should study. Constantly changing showing the effects of losing who you are as a person is the overall theme of Still Alice. While it deals with the serious nature of Alzheimer's disease, I think Moore's performance took the movie beneath the surface & showed physical & emotional pain of losing herself. Her intelligence is waning. Her ability to differentiate between people, places, and things is diminishing. She captured the trauma & devastation caused by the disease. She provided substance to a movie that could have fallen flat, but through her performance and some other great supporting cast members, this movie flourishes. Performances make or break a movie. Moore's certainly made a movie. I would certainly agree with her winning Best Actress, and I think she definitely is the frontrunner. If you know me well or you've seen my tweets or status updates, then you know my favorite female performance of 2014 was Rosamund Pike's insanely awesome role as Amy Dunne. The truly psychotic nature Pike brought to the character was so intriguing. While she portrayed Amy Dunne during the whole movie, the fact of the matter is she had to change her personality to match the situation she was in whether it was with Ben Affleck, pretending to be from New Orleans, or how hauntingly crazy she was in the scenes with Neil Patrick Harris. It was just an incredible femme fatale character that will be a favorite of mine always. Massacre at Desi's is the most memorable scene in years. Everything Pike did was on point. Her facial expressions showed that she was always thinking. Just watch her eyes-there's so much going on behind those blue eyes. It's actually quite intimidating at many points. I've always been a fan of her as well. Amy Dunne is Pike's breakthrough performance. Her actions were memorable & kept you engaged throughout the movie. I'd really love to see Pike win. I think Reese Witherspoon is the dark horse winner. I didn't particularly find the woman vs. nature motif to be interesting at all. However, that motif is integral to putting her problems in the past. I knew Reese would be on the list for sure this year. The reason she goes on this journey is to become the woman her mother wanted her to be. It focused mostly on one night stands & heroin use. Reese did a decent job with the role for sure, but it was tough to watch this movie. Since we're talking about the performances, she should be nominated, but I think that Pike & Moore deserve the win over her. Reese's performance relies too much on the morbid past of Cheryl's character, which as a viewer isn't what you want to see. You want to see the character keep that behind them. We don't want to be reminded of her dark passengers. Cheryl is shown standing on the bridge at the end of the journey. It could be the scene that helps Reese pick up the win. It's definitely a three way race. I think Moore has the best chance. I want to see Pike get the win. Reese's performance had many layers.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Robert Duvall-The Judge
Ethan Hawke-Boyhood
Edward Norton-Birdman
Mark Ruffalo-Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons-Whiplash
This is the only category where I can see a definite winner, and that is J.K. Simmons awesome Fletcher character in Whiplash. He had some of the best dialogue in 2014 cinema. He was so believable in his role & really made the movie for me. I could have just had a movie of him yelling at the screen the whole time. His tough as nails exterior was amazing to watch. The intense nature of his passion for music was like Mr. Holland's Opus with the voltage turned up. I'd highly recommend watching this for that performance. I think he's definitely picking up the win. He had basically cleaned house at all the other major awards shows, and I think he definitely deserves his nomination. I wouldn't have a problem with him winning at all. It was such an awesome performance. While Simmons will most likely win & deserves to, I'd personally love to see Edward Norton pick up the win for his role as Mike in Birdman. I loved the pomposity Norton had in this character. He took every stereotype of a stage actor and turned the voltage up. Norton is definitely a favorite actor of mine. If I had to pick a favorite male movie performance of all time, it's his role as Derek Vinyard in American History X. This role as Mike was a look at Norton himself, much like Riggan was a look at Keaton. Many people tend to say Norton has an arrogance about him, and Norton took that and simply ran with it. I loved it. The verbal spars him and Keaton had were gold. I loved the scene where Norton says: "Who are you going to get to play me now? Ryan Gosling?" His scenes with Emma Stone were well done also, especially the ones on the roof. That's where you saw more substance in Mike & combining who he really is to the person he feels he has to be makes a complete character. If you watch Birdman, all the main characters have that theme, and I think it's brilliant. Norton is a solid actor & the fan in me just wants to see him win. If you saw The Judge, Robert Duvall gave a good performance. It was tough to watch his character suffer so much, especially in the bathroom scene, but it showed how good Duvall is. I don't agree with Mark Ruffalo being on the list, because they should have gone with Channing Tatum as Mark Schultz instead. Tatum gave one of the best performances of his career in Foxcatcher. He deserves to be recognized for that. I also think Tatum was technically the lead character, and perhaps Carell should have been nominated for Best Supporting Actor instead. It's like what happened with the Godfather. I agree with Al Pacino when he says that he should have been nominated for Best Actor while Marlon Brando should have been nominated for Best Supporting Actor. The Godfather is all about Michael's rise, and he is integral to everything that happens. I'm not discussing Ethan Hawke, because even though he brought some depth to Boyhood as the father, it's not really a memorable performance. A lot of his performance felt unnatural and much like the film was quite poor. I definitely think Simmons will win the award, and I wouldn't have a problem with it at all. I'd personally like to see Edward Norton win, because he's a favorite actor of mine & he did an excellent job portraying the Mike character in Birdman.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Patricia Arquette-Boyhood
Laura Dern-Wild
Keira Knightley-The Imitation Game
Emma Stone-Birdman
Meryl Streep-Into The Woods
Even though the movie is called Boyhood, in a lot of ways it's about Olivia (Mason's mother). It can be rather dull over the three hour run mark. Her journey can get boring throughout the movie, since the actual movie definitely is dull. I think the reason Arquette may have been so believable in her role was because she borrowed off her own life experiences while shooting this. I still don't think it was good enough to warrant a nomination. I knew that she would be on this list, because she had such a passion for this movie, and critics really liked her work. I just wasn't enamored with it. I never really found Arquette to be a great actress, and I think anybody could have played the Olivia character to be honest. I don't make the decisions on who or what gets nominated though. The performance that I think is most deserving is Emma Stone's Sam character. All I have to say is to watch the dialogue between her and Michael Keaton where she basically tells him he's nothing. What an amazing scene. That scene gave me goosebumps when I first saw it. Stone has become one of my favorite actresses over the years. Her work as Sam showed how talented she really is. Her character may be rebellious, but at the same time she is the one character that can keep it together more than anyone else. She tells it like it is. She is such a huge presence in the entire movie. Watching her mature as an actress over the last few years has been great. The Help is where she really broke through, even though Easy A was the launching pad to The Help. Stone deserves this win for how captivating she was in every scene she appeared. Every scene she appeared in is a critical turning point in character arcs. It's absolutely amazing. Emma Stone has a bright future, and this is just one example. I see Arquette winning, but Stone deserves it. Those are the only two people I see it coming down to: Stone & Arquette. I don't think anybody else really has a chance. Streep is always on the list. The last time she won at the Oscars should have been Michelle Williams night for My Week With Marilyn, but what can you do? If there was one person I felt should have been nominated that wasn't, it's Kristen Stewart's performance as Lydia in Still Alice. This performance shows how much she matured as an actress. I have always been a K-Stew guy, but in 2014, I've seen her turn out some really good performances. Her role as Lydia is the second most important character in Still Alice. Throughout the movie, it's really Lydia that seems to care the most about her mother's well-being. That's my view any way. I see her putting her acting pursuits aside to move across the country to help Alice. That face to face at the end with the poem was so powerful. I really think she should be on the list instead of Streep or Dern. Check out Stewart in The Clouds of Sils Maria. I thought her role as Valentine was really well done. The point is K-Stew should be on the list. I've followed her work since Panic Room, and really became a big fan when she portrayed Em in Adventureland. This year I'm all about Emma Stone winning Best Supporting Actress. I am fully prepared to see Patricia Arquette win, though.
BEST DIRECTOR:
Alejandro G. Inarritu-Birdman
Boyhood-Richard Linklater
Foxcatcher-Bennett Miller
The Grand Budapest Hotel-Wes Anderson
The Imitation Game-Morten Tyldum
Best Director is always an interesting category, because you never really know what style will be appreciated more. Personally, nobody on this list deserves this more than Alejandro G. Inarritu. The long takes, especially the one where he follows the long hallway and the way he shot the main characters on stage, backstage, or on the street were all compelling shots & really brought the audience into the scenes. You feel like you're in the actual theater watching the play as its happening. Inarritu has won a couple Best Director awards this season, including the Golden Globe, so I'm hoping lightning strikes twice and awards a man that worked hard to create a masterpiece with a cast that absolutely blew me away in Birdman. Unfortunately, the movie I can see picking this up is Richard Linklater for Boyhood. The method he used was a gimmick. It wasn't creative. To me, it shows he had no creative ideas for 12 years. I tend to dislike Linklater movies, and this was no exception. I don't like his style. I don't like the shooting once every 12 years idea. It's not incredible film making. It's lackluster & makes Linklater look lazy in many ways. David Fincher being snubbed for Gone Girl (as well as Best Adapted Screenplay) is just ludicrous. The way he shot this reminded me of his work in the 90s with Seven & Fight Club. He brought audiences right into the movie. His fade outs in Gone Girl worked so well with the events on screen. They created a type of cliffhanger to the next chapter in the movie. I am still befuddled how he was snubbed, but sometimes the Academy doesn't think things through. I can only comment on what is nominated, but since this is my blog, I will point out the errors of their ways & point out their snubs. Inarritu-Keep on rolling!! Linklater-Cut!!
Now that I have covered the six major categories I hope the readers of this blog will enjoy this look into the 867th Academy Awards. The only other thing I'd like to add is I hope to see Big Hero 6 win Best Animated Feature as well as Everything Is Awesome for Best Original Song. I am so picky on animated movies, but Big Hero 6 was just so amazing. I love the unique characters as well as the entertaining plot. I enjoyed writing this Oscars piece and hope you enjoy reading it. There are some really competitive categories, and it should be interesting to see what Neil Patrick Harris does as the host. I'm fully expecting the show to start with an opening musical number. It's NPH-it's happening people!!
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Kingsman Review
Justin and I saw Kingsman on February 15, 2015!! I think this was the first great movie of the year. I was into the movie from beginning to end. This was a great mix of spy movies, a little bit of Kick-Ass & X-Men: First Class, and a whole lot of awesome!! Kingsman is kind of a modern day Knights of the Round Table to help save the world. I think the overall plot was really good & I found the cast to be extremely effective in their roles.
The action sequences were brilliant-amazing action & choreography mixed with incredible cinematography. Taron Egerton's Gary "Eggsy" Unwin constantly changes throughout the movie. He may be less refined from what Kingsman usually recruits, but he has the ability to think on his feet & people that see this movie will instantly like this character. Colin Firth was excellent as Harry Hart-very refined like the James Bond of old, but at the same time very gritty when it comes to his work. Samuel L. Jackson was hilarious & at the same time very menacing as Valentine-the film's main villain. His plan is really diabolical considering it consists of worldwide genocide. The films secondary villain is quite possibly the most awesome character in recent memory-Gazelle. The characters look & fighting style was incredible to watch. Watch out for her legs & feet!! I think Sofia Boutella makes a great addition as a female action star. She fit in perfectly with the over the top nature of this movie. Mark Strong was excellent as Merlin, Kingsman's guiding light in many ways. I also need to point out Sophie Cookson's role as Roxy. She was a strong female character that ends up being such a vital piece in saving the world. Cookson was intelligent, gorgeous, & showed true poise of a Kingsman. Roxy is the most likeable Lancelot ever.
There are many memorable scenes throughout this movie. I think the training exercises are really well done & thrilling. The twists during these exercises are compelling. The church scene, Pomp & Circumstance (as I'm calling the scene), and the big battle scenes are all well done. The dialogue is witty & sharp laced with some dark humor. If you want to see a really well done modern day spy genre movie with a great cast & incredible action sequences, then I highly recommend Kingsman which easily gets a 5/5 from me. I enjoyed everything about this. They brilliantly mixed intense emotion, comedy, and a plot that keeps building on itself throughout the movie. WATCH THIS!!!
The action sequences were brilliant-amazing action & choreography mixed with incredible cinematography. Taron Egerton's Gary "Eggsy" Unwin constantly changes throughout the movie. He may be less refined from what Kingsman usually recruits, but he has the ability to think on his feet & people that see this movie will instantly like this character. Colin Firth was excellent as Harry Hart-very refined like the James Bond of old, but at the same time very gritty when it comes to his work. Samuel L. Jackson was hilarious & at the same time very menacing as Valentine-the film's main villain. His plan is really diabolical considering it consists of worldwide genocide. The films secondary villain is quite possibly the most awesome character in recent memory-Gazelle. The characters look & fighting style was incredible to watch. Watch out for her legs & feet!! I think Sofia Boutella makes a great addition as a female action star. She fit in perfectly with the over the top nature of this movie. Mark Strong was excellent as Merlin, Kingsman's guiding light in many ways. I also need to point out Sophie Cookson's role as Roxy. She was a strong female character that ends up being such a vital piece in saving the world. Cookson was intelligent, gorgeous, & showed true poise of a Kingsman. Roxy is the most likeable Lancelot ever.
There are many memorable scenes throughout this movie. I think the training exercises are really well done & thrilling. The twists during these exercises are compelling. The church scene, Pomp & Circumstance (as I'm calling the scene), and the big battle scenes are all well done. The dialogue is witty & sharp laced with some dark humor. If you want to see a really well done modern day spy genre movie with a great cast & incredible action sequences, then I highly recommend Kingsman which easily gets a 5/5 from me. I enjoyed everything about this. They brilliantly mixed intense emotion, comedy, and a plot that keeps building on itself throughout the movie. WATCH THIS!!!
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Still Alice Review
I saw Still Alice on February 4, 2015!! This was an incredible movie based around a serious illness in Alzheimer's disease. There were some amazing performances throughout this movie. I think the ensemble cast in its own right was good all around, but two stood out for me.
Julianne Moore portrays Alice Howland who is diagnosed with familial Alzheimer's disease, which is rare, but it can be passed genetically. Her father initially had the illness, which is why she has contracted it. It's amazing watching her from the start to the finish of the movie. She really did a great job incorporating different stages of the illness. From the opening scene at her 50th birthday to the last scene, she displays how intense Alzheimer's can be. She begins as an intelligent linguistics professor at Columbia. She has confidence, but as the disease grows, her confidence wanes & her frustration grows. Her mind deteriorates at a very accelerated rate. I can understand why Alice would be feeling such frustration not being able to remember words, where she is, or who her youngest daughter is. What Moore does best with this role is portray how she becomes a shadow of her former self. Her mental anguish & emotional pain has the audience connect with her. That needs to be said. She's showing the effect of living with the disease and how serious of an issue this is. That's the message of this. This is a very scary disease. Imagine living with this not knowing where you are, who you're talking to. It's very important to have a great support system. Overall, Alice has that with her husband John (played by Alec Baldwin), her oldest daughter Anna (played by Kate Bosworth), her son Thomas (played by Hunter Parrish who some may know as Silas Botwin from Weeds), and her youngest daughter Lydia (played by a favorite actress of mine in Kristen Stewart). The family drama aspect really adds some great layers to the overall movie. Julianne Moore deserves her Best Actress Oscar nomination for her portrayal of the effects of Alzheimer's as well as the effect of losing who you are. It's a really powerful performance all around. It was very well rounded. There were more dimensions to the Alice character at every stage of the movie.
While I thought Julianne Moore was excellent in this, I think that it would be a shame not to discuss Kristen Stewart's performance as Lydia Howland. As I noted, I've always been a fan of her. This past year in 2014 saw her turn out some really good performances. I think her work in this movie deserved a Best Supporting Actress nomination. Her role as the youngest daughter showed how far she has matured as an actress. I think her scenes with Moore, particularly the poem about love at the end showed how good she really is. It's great watching somebody give her the platform to display that she can act. In a way, her character is struggling to succeed in terms of career. There's some sort of bond between mother & daughter there. It's not the exact same type of struggle, but there is vulnerability on each end. What I like about Lydia is she doesn't get frustrated with Alice's outbursts. She knows that it's Alzheimer's causing her to outburst. Her patience is amazing, and her dedication to her mother is very uplifting. She's the most supportive out of all the family. You really need to see this to watch Stewart's performance. It bothers me that she was snubbed at the Oscars.
This movie gets a 4/5 for a powerful movie featuring two excellent performances by Julianne Moore & Kristen Stewart, family drama surrounding the horrific nature of Alzheimer's disease, and the ability of Moore, Stewart, and the rest of the cast to add dimensions to the characters, thereby, increasing the emotional impact of the movie. This is truly one of the better movies for the Oscars this year.
Julianne Moore portrays Alice Howland who is diagnosed with familial Alzheimer's disease, which is rare, but it can be passed genetically. Her father initially had the illness, which is why she has contracted it. It's amazing watching her from the start to the finish of the movie. She really did a great job incorporating different stages of the illness. From the opening scene at her 50th birthday to the last scene, she displays how intense Alzheimer's can be. She begins as an intelligent linguistics professor at Columbia. She has confidence, but as the disease grows, her confidence wanes & her frustration grows. Her mind deteriorates at a very accelerated rate. I can understand why Alice would be feeling such frustration not being able to remember words, where she is, or who her youngest daughter is. What Moore does best with this role is portray how she becomes a shadow of her former self. Her mental anguish & emotional pain has the audience connect with her. That needs to be said. She's showing the effect of living with the disease and how serious of an issue this is. That's the message of this. This is a very scary disease. Imagine living with this not knowing where you are, who you're talking to. It's very important to have a great support system. Overall, Alice has that with her husband John (played by Alec Baldwin), her oldest daughter Anna (played by Kate Bosworth), her son Thomas (played by Hunter Parrish who some may know as Silas Botwin from Weeds), and her youngest daughter Lydia (played by a favorite actress of mine in Kristen Stewart). The family drama aspect really adds some great layers to the overall movie. Julianne Moore deserves her Best Actress Oscar nomination for her portrayal of the effects of Alzheimer's as well as the effect of losing who you are. It's a really powerful performance all around. It was very well rounded. There were more dimensions to the Alice character at every stage of the movie.
While I thought Julianne Moore was excellent in this, I think that it would be a shame not to discuss Kristen Stewart's performance as Lydia Howland. As I noted, I've always been a fan of her. This past year in 2014 saw her turn out some really good performances. I think her work in this movie deserved a Best Supporting Actress nomination. Her role as the youngest daughter showed how far she has matured as an actress. I think her scenes with Moore, particularly the poem about love at the end showed how good she really is. It's great watching somebody give her the platform to display that she can act. In a way, her character is struggling to succeed in terms of career. There's some sort of bond between mother & daughter there. It's not the exact same type of struggle, but there is vulnerability on each end. What I like about Lydia is she doesn't get frustrated with Alice's outbursts. She knows that it's Alzheimer's causing her to outburst. Her patience is amazing, and her dedication to her mother is very uplifting. She's the most supportive out of all the family. You really need to see this to watch Stewart's performance. It bothers me that she was snubbed at the Oscars.
This movie gets a 4/5 for a powerful movie featuring two excellent performances by Julianne Moore & Kristen Stewart, family drama surrounding the horrific nature of Alzheimer's disease, and the ability of Moore, Stewart, and the rest of the cast to add dimensions to the characters, thereby, increasing the emotional impact of the movie. This is truly one of the better movies for the Oscars this year.