The Academy Awards: Better than Last Year...But Good?

The 88th Academy Awards have come and gone.  All I can say is PHEW...Mad Max Fury Road didn't win Best Picture.  All is right in the universe.  Though it did beat out some huge films and swept the technical categories taking home Best Production Design, Film Editing, Costume Design, Makeup, Sound Editing, and Sound Mixing.  That being said, there were some pretty big upsets.  Ex Machina, one of my personal favorite films of the year took home Best Visual Effects over popular favorites like Star Wars and The Martian which was both surprising and well deserved.  Spotlight, a true underdog in my book, took home the most coveted award of Best Picture which was a delightful shock and Leo finally secured Best Actor for his role in The Revenant.  His acceptance speech was both humble and poignant as he used his time to talk about the problem of global warming and a variety of other world issues.  Brie Larson won Best Actress for her stunning role in the emotionally powerful Room which I'm still DYING to see.  Alejandro Inarritu secured Best Director for The Revenant, his second year in a row (last year he won for Birdman).  Final highlights included Ennio Morricone winning Best Score for his soundtrack to Quentin Tarantino's Hateful Eight and Pixar's Inside Out taking home Best Animated feature.  As anyone knows though, the awards are only half the night.  Chris Rock was a great host who kept things light but decidedly topical focusing almost entirely on the lack of diversity in this years nominees.  A speech by the head of the Academy on diversifying Hollywood added a seriousness to Rock's jokes as she addressed the audience directly and called for all involved in the process of making movies to try harder to include more people of color in the film industry.  Overall, the night was just what I've come to expect from the Academy Awards.  A few upsets, some hit and miss jokes, some long winded speeches, and some poor choices.  But hey, at least they raised over $65,000 for the Girl Scouts of America by selling cookies to tipsy celebrities.

Daniel Craig's Time as James Bond Ends with A Flop

                James Bond is an icon; an eternal character too large for one man.  Thus every actor’s stint as the suave British agent with a license to kill must come to an end.  Connery, Dalton, Moore, Brosnan…their times have all come to a close and with the release of Spectre, Daniel Craig’s chapter as the tuxedo wearing, martini drinking, Astin Martin driving spy is now part of the pantheon of greats that have come before him.  But that’s the problem.  Throughout the course of Craig’s four Bond films the character has become a shadow of itself.  Maybe it was a Bond for a new generation; a Bond with an edge who sacrificed the debonair attitude for some grit and grime.  I’d be able to accept that if the films were any good.

                Now don’t get me wrong.  I enjoyed 2 out of 4 of the Craig films.  Casino Royale was based on the first Ian Fleming Bond novel and thus had most of the elements of what we’ve all come to expect in a 007 flick: the Astin Martin, the martinis, the sex on the beach.  Quantum of Solace was a miss in my book, a continuation of the events of Casino Royale in a way that DID NOT feel like a Bond film.  Part of that comes from the fact that they were forced to create a plot without the help of a Fleming novel.  They took this “new” Bond which Craig had helped create – the kind that rudely says “I don’t give a damn” instead of “shaken not stirred” to the bartender – and thrust him into a new world.  While Quantum fell flat, Craig and co. turned it around with Skyfall, a film that in every way felt like classic Bond.  Diving deep into James’ past as well as his lifelong personal relationship with Judy Dench’s M was spectacular.  Javier Bardem’s villain was superb.  He was the classy, sophisticated psychopath you expect to try and take over the world.  I was blown away and had such high hopes for the follow up; which brings us to Spectre.

                What happened??  The film fell flat and was not the “go out with a bang” I was hoping for for Craig’s last iteration of Bond.  While Ralph Fiennes is INCREDIBLE as M, Christopher Waltz’s rendition of classic Bond villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld was bland and forgettable.  This is immensely disappointing as I’ve come to adore Waltz as an actor, particularly in the role of the villain and yet he is completely forgettable.  Gadgets are nowhere to be found and the sleek, bullet proof spy car only has a rear flamethrower...whoop dee doo.  The evil organization SPECTRE where the film gets it’s title does not come across as all powerful but instead a rather plain group of individuals ruled by…money? power? influence? force? It’s never abundantly clear leading you to not really believe the fact that they are “everywhere” so to speak.  Aspects of Bond’s character are almost non existent and make the film feel like a generic, run of the mill action movie with dark undertones.  If it weren’t for the Bond theme playing in the background, it would be possible to write off the film as just that.  Ultimately, it’s a poor and disappointing end to Craig’s time as the titular hero but ultimately, an accurate reflection of his version of the character from the beginning.

                Craig’s “rough around the edges” adaptation of 007 has never quite fit.  Something has always been a little off and Spectre seals the deal.  It reminds us that while his four films have elements and aspects of the classic Bond movies that came before, they never quite hit the mark.  Something was always missing.  Now that he’s moving on from the character the world will wait anxiously for a new Bond to take up the reigns.  Without the constraints of the Fleming novels the character could go in any direction.  But I’m holding out hope that after the raucous thrill ride that was the last four, we’ll see a return to form.

The 88th Annual Academy Awards Approaches!

It's February and that means one thing (besides Valentines Day)...the Academy Awards are approaching!!  I have high hopes for this year and maintain the belief that the Oscars is the LAST truly sensible award show.  After the farce that was this years Golden Globes (see my post on The Martian) I'm really hoping the Academy can pull it together to make some wise, multicultural, intelligent picks this year.  Though it seems popular opinion has continuously found it's way into the mix with movies like Mad Max Fury Road getting a nom for Best Picture....give me a break!! That being said there are some truly amazing films and actors up for awards this year.  Best Picture noms include Spielberg's Bridge of Spies and the Boston based Catholic Church drama Spotlight.  Leo is up for Best Actor again for his emotional role in The Revenant who's mastermind Alejandro Inarritu is also up for Best Director.  Jennifer Lawrence is quickly establishing herself as a core part of the next generation of iconic Hollywood actresses and is nominated for her role in Joy.  As far as animation goes, there is only one film in the category in my opinion; Pixar's fabulous Inside Out.  Other things to watch for include whether John Williams will take home his sixth Oscar for Best Original Score for his work on Star Wars: The Force Awakens and whether or not The Martian will win Best Adapted Screenplay (it should!).  In the weeks leading up to the film industries biggest night, stop by the DFL and pick up a Best Picture winner from years past!

The Martian Was Sci-Fi Perfection

      The Golden Globes died for me this year.  Science fiction director extraordinaire Ridley Scott's adapation of Andy Weir's critically acclaimed novel The Martian won Best Comedy.  BEST COMEDY!!! Are you kidding me??  Now, I never read the book...but any idiot with half a brain could tell you just from reading the back cover that it is decidedly NOT a comedy.  What it most certainly IS is a fabulously acted SCI-FI film with gorgeous environments, accurate science, and stunning visuals.
      Matt Damon plays protagonist Mark Watney, a botanist and mechanical engineer working on Mars as part of the Ares III mission to the red planet.  After a suprisingly violent sandstorm forces the crew to make an immediate departure from the planet's surface, Mark is struck by debris and believed dead.  The crew retreats to the Hermes orbital station and begins their return voyage to Earth.  Mark wakes up after the storm subsides and makes his way back to the HAB where the astronauts had been living on the surface.  Faced with immeasurable odds, Mark must overcome each obstacle one at a time if he ever hopes to survive long enough to make it home alive.
      Damon's portrayal of Watney is superb.  It's always dangerous when you put such a recognizable and iconic actor in such a role because it can be hard to immerse yourself in the film.  It's so important to be able to sympathize with the plight of the survivor in films such as this and the added variable of survival in space makes it all the more harrowing.  As such, prominant actors can often be more of a distraction than an enhancement and make it harder for the viewer to put themselves in the protaganists shoes.  This is not the case in The Martian.  Damon is superb.  Supporting actors were also on their game, most notably Jeff Daniels as the Director of NASA and Jessica Chastain as Ares III mission commander Melissa Lewis.
      While the film certainly utilizes a heavy amount of comedic relief, mostly from Watney as he talks to his video log, it is meant to help keep Mark and the viewer sane as the notion of years alone on the red planet begins to sink in.  It's important to make light of any dire situation to avoid panic and ultimately failure.  The fact that this sarcastic, comedic relief was misconstrued as outright comedy by the motion picture elite is downright embarrassing.  I'll leave it at that.
      The films visuals are brilliant and showcase the beauty of the Martian surface.  Large rock formations, sweeping dunes, and a glowing orange sky serve as the backdrop to Mark's survival activities.  They are a constant reminder of the perils and beauty of space.  While the film certainly had its pitfalls, overall I can't speak highly enough about the acting, script, and visuals.  When combined, they do exactly what science fiction is supposed to do: inspire, intrigue, and continually tempt humanity to open the Pandora's Box that is deep space travel.

Testament of Youth Was Brilliant

I’m a self-proclaimed HUGE fan of period dramas.  Being a total history nerd, I love immersing myself in a well filmed, well-acted, well written historical drama and 2014’s Testament of Youth was just that.  Based on Vera Brittain’s memoir of the First World War; the film stars Alicia Vikander (Anna Karenina, Ex-Machina) as Vera and Kit Harrington (Game of Thrones) as her fiancée Roland.  Focusing less on the battles and violence and more on the emotional weight of the conflict, the film manages to instill the fear of the unknown in the viewer as the men and women at home in England wait with bated breath for news of their loved ones.  Vera’s fiancée, brother, and childhood friends are all sent off to the front which inspires her to abandon her long sought enrollment at Oxford to become a nurse with the Voluntary Aid Detachment at the Front.  As she spends time waiting for news of her loved ones Vera helps to heal both allied and German soldiers.  This humanizes the conflict and shows how the Great War was not just a war between countries but a war humanity faced against itself.  Testament of Youth shows how close we came to the brink of destruction and how despite all the tragedy and suffering endured by those who were there, we still managed to emerge on the other side with hope for the future.

Terminator Genisys is a Successful Return to Form

What year is it?  Who’s aware of Skynet?  Is it still called Skynet?!  Just some of the questions that were flying through my head as I dove head first into the new Ahhnold action flick Terminator Genisys.  Initially I thought the film was going to be a straight remake.  The movie opens with John Connor leading a resistance army against the Skynet mainframe in an attempt to destroy to the sentient machines once and for all.  Having acknowledged its potential impending destruction, Skynet activates a time machine and sends a brand new T-800 (that’s young Arnold) back in time to murder Sarah Connor in an attempt to prevent the birth of John.  John’s right hand man Kyle Reese promptly volunteers to follow suit and protect Sarah.  This is essentially how the first Terminator film begins and as such I thought we were getting a remake. 

However, because there has been so much time traveling over the course of the franchise, the film took an interesting route. The space time continuum is so altered, that when Reese returns to the 1980’s to save Sarah she is already aware of Skynet and is waiting with an aging T-800 (current, post Governator Arnold) at her side as a reprogrammed bodyguard.  The three then have to decide how best to take out Skynet in the past (or the future?) whilst interpreting alternate time line visions in Reese’s dreams and running from a T-1000 (liquid metal baddie from T2).  More advance Terminator models later join the pursuit culminating in an interesting twist. 

Overall, I felt the film was very successful.  I was skeptical that Arnold was going to feel out of place and overly campy and yet he pulled off his role incredibly well.  Treating him as an aging T-800 was a brilliant ploy and fit nicely with the rest of the cast of characters.  Additionally, the film truly hearkened back to the originals which is something Terminator 3 and Terminator: Rise of the Machines failed to do. As such, those last two felt more like stand-alone films and less a continuation of the Terminator timeline.  Jai Courtney’s rendition of Kyle Reese was fine but took a back seat to Swartzenegger and Emilia Clarke’s Sarah Connor.  Clarke was a pleasant surprise as I felt her role as Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones would be hard overlook despite her change in hair color.  But she was a totally believable Sarah Connor.  In the end, the film was a nice return to form and saw many aspects acting as homages to the original 1980’s classics.  While there are obvious questions, like why the machines would send back an easily destroyed T-800 to kill Connor when significantly more advanced units are available,  the film should be taken for what it is: an classic style action flick with Arnold Swartzenegger kicking ass and taking names…and some other stuff thrown in there too.  With an open ending courtesy of a surprise mid credit scene (wait for it!) it is safe to say that this franchise….will be back. 

Mad Max Fury Road Was a Major Disappointment

Let me just say that if I ran Barter Town, I wouldn’t trade half a dirt clod for the abomination that is the Mad Max reboot Fury Road.  Before we break down all the things this movie did wrong, I just wanted to make that clear.  Let’s get the one positive thing straight up front; the movie’s effects were great and the post-apocalyptic vehicles they constructed were indeed, very cool and a great homage to 1981’s The Road Warrior.  But the nice comments stop there. 

The film was completely devoid of plot, dialogue, and subtext. It was essentially one, long (two hour!!) continuous car chase.  I wish that was an exaggeration.  Tom Hardy’s rendition of Mel Gibson’s titular character was appalling.  He came across more like an escaped, mumbling convict with brain damage than the heroic waste lander with a devastating past I was hoping for.  While his past is checkered as evidenced by random flashbacks he has of some traumatic experience and a girl whom we assume Max couldn’t save, the details end there.  We never get any background or context or explanation of what these visions represent. 

On top of that, Charlize Theron’s character has some sort of standing with the evil warlord who runs a solitary, desolate community by controlling the only water source for miles, but we don’t ever find out what their relationship is.  He allows her to drive his massive war vehicle full of water to trade for fuel and bullets (a very important duty) despite the fact that she has admittedly tried to defy him in the past.  On this particular run (the one which takes up the entirety of the film) she decides to attempt to rescue the young women who essentially serve as the warlords baby factories.  Upon the discovery of her treachery he sets out with all of his forces to safely apprehend his "wives" and kill Theron.  After initially being captured by the evil, mutated(?) army of the warlord, Max manages to break free during the beginnings of the chase and join up with Theron’s motley crew of blond, scantily clad escapees. Once the rulers of Bullet Town and Gas Town (two places we never get to see or learn about) realize their water has been high jacked, they also set out in pursuit of the war rig and now ladies and gentlemen the plot is set.  Explosions, screaming, shooting, and lots of fire are all that follows with a disappointing climax and even more far-fetched conclusion. 

What I’m saying is, and I can’t make this clear enough, don’t go in to this film thinking that it’s anything more than a glorified car chase.  Hardy Tom Hardy’s Mad Max has approximately 15 lines, most of which are grunted and mumbled in an indiscernible slurry that dribbles out of his always concerned looking visage beneath an annoying and permanently furrowed brow.  He is essentially a cave man!! 

If you were a fan of the original films which have since become cult classics and arguably made Mel Gibson’s early career and turned him into the 80’s action star he became, than you will be so incredibly disappointed with this film.  I was so excited when I heard of this movie last year and was anxiously awaiting a new chapter in the story of Mad Max but what I got was a ridiculously extended PORTION of a complete movie; a chunk of what could have been a well-developed, well-acted sci-fi powerhouse. Now I’m left wishing I could go back to the before time, to the long long ago when I hadn’t wasted two hours of my life watching this atrocious excuse of a reboot.

A Most Wanted Man Makes Me Miss Philip Seymour Hoffman

When it comes to spy thrillers, John le Carre knows what he’s doing.  His enormously popular series The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has been made into two film trilogies and a successful British TV series.  Fewer people noticed another film adapted from one of his novels which came out last year after the death of its lead actor.  A Most Wanted Man starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rachel McAdams, Willem Defoe, and Robin Wright details covert anti-terrorism operations in post 9/11 Hamburg, Germany.  Hoffman plays covert agent Gunther Bachmann who heads a small, government run, technically illegal group of operatives whose mission is to locate, contact, and turn lower to mid-level individuals with ties to terrorist organizations operating inside Germany.  Specializing in Islamic terrorism, Bachmann has been spending years trying to ensnare a local millionaire philanthropist named Dr. Abdullah whom he suspects has been funneling legal money through his legitimate charities to Al Qaeda.  After the recent arrival of Issa Karpov, an Islamic Chechen national with ties to Russia, Bachmann sees an opportunity to not only entrap Abdullah, but perhaps use him to gain access to the real threat; the terrorist leaders he is funneling money to.  That is if the local German authorities and CIA reps don’t get to him first.  While the film has its exciting moments, its strength is in its subtleties.  The characters are all attempting to stay hidden from the authorities and while Bachmann is trying to secure Abdullah as an asset, he is also trying to look out for Karpov who is seemingly innocent and caught up in this mess because of his Russian mafia connected father.  The dialogue and cinematography reflect the espionage in that everything feels subtle, quiet, and in the shadows – just where Bachmann’s team operates.  Performances by Rachel McAdams and Philip Seymour Hoffman are stunning and while Defoe’s portrayal of the banker is good, it takes a backseat to the other stellar performances.  In the end, your adrenaline is rushing and your hope is high for the success of an operation which has taken years to put together and is so near completion.  All the chess pieces are necessary and in play as the finale approaches and it is one that leaves you both wide eyed and confused whilst leaving you to exhale as the credits roll. 

Kingsman: The Secret Service Was Surprisingly Great

When I first saw the preview for Kingsman: The Secret Service I had 0 desire to see it.  First off, it appeared to be a kid’s movie.  Secondly, it seemed like it would be full of awkward, cringe inducing one liners, something I absolutely despise.  However, after a friend recommended it to me I figured I’d give it a go and I was pleasantly surprised.  The movie was fantastic.  First off, it was rated R so any aspect of “kid movie” went out the window after copious amounts of the F word and the superfluously violent fight scenes.  Add that to that Samuel L. Jackson as the flamboyant billionaire super villain with a lisp, alongside the always suave James Bond-esque Colin Firth as head agent Galahad and you’ve got the formula for a great movie. 

Beginning with a failed mission in the Middle East in which an agent in training sacrifices himself for his compatriots including Firth, we find the man had a young son at home.  Galahad returns and offers the boy a Kingsman medal with a number and tells him if he ever needs anything to call the number and give the code word.  Years later, the young man nicknamed Eggsy finds himself in some trouble and calls the number.  Gallahad reaches out and informs him of the Kingsman, a private secret agency tasked with saving the world from its threats free of the influence of world governments.  Eggsy begins his training alongside other candidates to replace the recently deceased Lancelot who was killed on a recent mission investigating billionaire Richmond Valentine (Jackson).  As Valentine’s plot becomes clear, a conspiracy begins to unravel as Eggsy must use his training to help the Kingsman take down Valentine.

The film was beyond entertaining and surprisingly thought out.  We get enough background on the history of the Kingsman to appreciate the organization and answer our questions (i.e. who are they, where did they come from, what’s their deal?)  The action sequences are wonderfully choreographed and when combined with a veritable smorgasbord of weapons and gadgets make for some intensely awesome fight scenes.  The training of the new agents is also fantastic as the young men and women are put into death defying situations in which they must react in real time adding an adrenaline inducing excitement to each task.  The humor is perfect as well.  Subtle enough to not be too in your face and cliché but over the top at just the right times; Samuel L. Jackson is superb.  Overall, the film was immensely entertaining and something I would most certainly watch again.  It felt like a mash up of James Bond, Harry Potter, and Kill Bill with sup

er cool spy gadgets and copious amounts of obscenities.  What could be better than that?

Jupiter Ascending Was Flashy But Not Memorable

As sci-fi movies go, Jupiter Ascending was pretty typical.  Captivating plot twists and intriguing storylines were sacrificed in favor of stupendous action sequences and brilliant visual effects.  The resulting movie is a two hour burst of flashing lights and not a single memorable line.  That being said, the movie did have a certain entertainment value and thus can’t be tossed away entirely.

The movie centers on Jupiter Jones (played by Mila Kunis) who learns she is a genetic reincarnation of the powerful matriarch of the Abrasax family who until her recent passing, owned the Earth and many other planets.  Now pursued by the wealthy woman’s three children, Jupiter is assisted by Caine, an ex-soldier with a bone to pick with the Abrasax children and their demented methods to achieve immortality.  If this all sounds loose, that’s because it is.  Small details like Caine’s lost “wings” and his past mentor/friend Stinger (played by Sean Bean) are glossed over so quick they feel like snippets thrown in to try and establish more character depth.  But the film progresses from one thing to the next so quickly we never get the chance to really develop any sort of attachment to ANY character.  Even Jupiter’s backstory feels so rushed and insignificant that it’s hard to sympathize with her plight in any way.  While there are many grand declarations of futuristic technologies and processes interspersed with brief explanations of the history of the universe and the aliens Jupiter encounters, it is almost all lost amongst the flashy miasma of the action sequences which tend to flow from one to the next allowing for little time to understand what you’re witnessing.  On top of that, little explanation is given as to how these advanced human races have managed to maintain control over vast quantities of our own solar system without ever being noticed.  The only reason we are given is some sort of Men in Black rip off where Caine tells Jupiter that they erase people’s memories when they witness something they’re not supposed to.  That’s pretty flimsy when you see the scale of destruction left by many of the events in the movie.

While I totally appreciate a female lead in a genre which predominately sees male protagonists, I feel that Mila Kunis was a poor choice.  She has reached a level of notoriety that makes it hard for you to see her as this poor daughter of a Russian immigrant who works as a cleaning lady.  She doesn’t fit that role and when combined with Channing Tatum who is also a recognizable figure, the film lost much of its believability, something that is CRUCIAL for a good sci-fi film. 

Overall, I would have loved more backstory.  The story of the alien “humans” who are simply a more advanced version of our own species I found very intriguing and in my opinion would have made a far more interesting story than the one we got.   In the end, the effects were dazzling and the action sequences top notch (despite being a little too chaotic).  Fans of Divergent or Hunger Games will probably love the movie.  Fans of Cloud Atlas or Moon will not.  You get my point. 

Unbroken is Powerfully Motivational and Inspiring

        “Unbroken” by Laura Hillenbrand was one of those books that EVERYONE read.  People couldn’t speak highly enough about this story of perseverance, determination, and heart.  Many hailed it as one of the best WWII stories ever told.  Thus, when the movie was announced people were anxious for a film which lived up to the emotional weight of the book.  I myself never read the novel, so I went in with fresh eyes.                
        Directed by Angelina Jolie, the film tells the story of Olympic runner Louis “Louie” Zamperini who spends 47 days adrift in the pacific aboard a small life raft after his bomber breaks down midflight and the crew is forced to ditch the plane.  Louie is eventually picked up by the Japanese and spends the remainder of the war in various POW camps.  Many critics felt the film didn’t live up to its full potential.  Most believed Jolie bit off more than she could chew and the opportunity for one of the greatest war films of a generation was lost.  Now again, I can’t speak to how accurately the movie represented the book but
I can say that I thought it was a stunning war film.  Starting off with Zamperini in the midst of a dangerous bombing mission, flashbacks show us a troubled boy who rose from a seemingly meaningless life to one of glory and greatness eventually running in the 1936 Olympics in Germany.  The film does a terrific job of showing how far someone can push themselves if they are determined to survive and succeed.  The hardship suffered by Louie over the course of his time at sea and eventual internment is beyond motivational.  The pain, hopelessness, and degradation he faces at the hands of his Japanese captors is unbearable to even conceive of.  And yet throughout it all he remains positive and committed to making it home one day.  His staunch determination is matched only by his love of others and his willingness to take the pain if it means keeping his co captives out of harm’s way.  A rivalry develops between Louie and a young Japanese officer in charge of the camp nicknamed “The Bird” who reminds him of the Japanese Olympians he encountered years before.  Now under very different circumstances, The Bird does everything in his power to break Zamperini’s spirit.  Despite coming so close to death on multiple occasions Louie is able to persevere.
        Near the start of the film, just after Louie gets on the train bound for the Olympics his older brother reminds him that a moment of pain is worth a lifetime of greatness.  This ends up being central to the film, always popping back up in your mind as you witness the horrors encountered by both Louie and the other prisoners.  In this way Louie’s running ends up being analogous to his experiences in that if you push yourself beyond what you thought capable, you can make it through anything.  Overall, I found the film to be not only uplifting but inspirational in a way I haven’t encountered in some time.  The critics can say what they will, but I think Unbroken will be considered one of the better war dramas of the 2010’s, no question.

The Homesman is a Powerful Western Drama

I’m not a huge western fan.  I’ve never been one for the whole cowboys and Indians storyline but I am a huge fan of period dramas and so I decided to give The Homesman a try.  Directed by Tommy Lee Jones and starring him alongside Hillary Swank, I figured the film had enough dramatic weight to be worth the watch and I was right.  The film was brilliantly acted and saw supporting roles by James Spader, John Lithgow, and Meryl Streep.  Taking place in the Nebraska territories in the mid-19^th century, the film focuses on Mary Bee Cuddy (Hillary Swank), a single woman in her early 30’s who left her life in New York for a fresh start in the Western territories.  Though she has been successful monetarily, she has had no luck in securing a husband, something which begins to weigh heavily on her mind fueling a deep depression.  When three other women in their small frontier town go insane because of the daily stresses of their lives coupled with instances of tragedy, Mary Bee offers to take them back across the Ohio river to a church which has offered them sanctuary and care.  Along the way she saves a man named George Briggs (Tommy Lee Jones) left for dead by men who found him using land that wasn’t his.  After saving his life, he agrees to help Miss Cuddy on her journey.  While the film lacked any significant action, its strong suit was its ability to convey the mental hardships of life on the frontier.  The quiet, vast solitude is something that deeply affects the human psyche and that was represented clearly through each and every character.  While Mary Bee and George help these three women who’ve snapped, it becomes ever clearer that the two of them are not far off from that same insanity.  In the end, you’re left with both a profound respect and fear for the life of these pioneers and the struggles they had to go through to push the boundaries of this country westward.

Lucy is Neither Science Fiction or Memorable

When I first saw the trailer for Lucy starring Scarlett Johansson and Morgan Freeman I wasn’t too intrigued.  It seemed to be an interesting concept but one that would surely fall into the forgettable, 90 minute Hollywood “sci-fi” film category with films like Apollo 18 and Chronicle.  Then I found out it was directed by Luc Besson, the visionary directory who gave the world The Professional one of the greatest films of all time in this bloggers book.  I had to give it a try.  Going in with an open mind, I was surprised to find the film accelerate from 0-60 in no time at all.  After a random and unexplained opening scene the viewer is dropped right into the middle of a nefarious drug smuggling operation controlled by an unnamed organization of Asian mobsters.  Not what you were expecting right? Me neither.  Scarlett Johansson’s character Lucy is put in a situation in which she ends up ingesting a new mysterious drug she is supposed to be transporting.  Naturally, this has significant side effects including allowing her to, drumroll…..use 100% of her brain capacity as seen in the trailers.  Morgan Freeman’s random scientist character has almost no significant role whatsoever and serves as more of a narrator.  Someone who is describing what’s happening in a way that allows the viewer to kind of understand what’s transpiring.  The film felt very chaotic.  Jumping from one thing to the next in a series of violent random outbursts as Lucy attempts to secure more of the drug that is fueling her existential evolution while also trying to take down the mobsters who put her in this situation.  While certain moments were exciting, nothing jumped out as particularly memorable and to call the film science fiction is one hell of a stretch.  More focus on the science and less on the car chases would have worked to the films advantage but as I expected, the end product tries to be more of a Hollywood action flick than a thought provoking sci-fi film.  Mr. Besson, what were you thinking?? I should have gone with my initial instinct instead of sitting through a 93 minute cross between Taken and Limitless.  Thanks but no thanks.

Fury - More Character Study than War Film

The new Brad Pitt WWII drama Fury was underwhelming and not what I expected which left me feeling betrayed by its all-star cast.  The film centers on Staff Sergeant Don “Wardaddy” Collier played by Brad Pitt who commands a Sherman tank crew of five members.  They are all hardened war veterans and have been fighting the Germans since the North African campaign.  Now the crew of Fury (the name of their tank) is pushing into Germany during the final days of WWII in 1945.  The beginning of the film sees the addition of a new member to Collier’s squad, a young typist named Norman Ellison who has never seen a tank, let alone a battle.  Ridiculed by the rest of the crew, young Norman faces an uphill battle to earn the respect and acceptance of the war weary soldiers.  This ends up being almost the entirety of the plot which was both surprising and disappointing.  While the realism that director David Ayer tries to achieve is successful, I found myself wanting a more decisive storyline.  The film does a great job showing the brutality and darkness of war.  The crew of Fury has faced so much hardship and yet still has a long way to go as the war winds down.    Their love of each other is matched only by their hatred of the SS.  The crew, particularly Sgt. Collier despises the SS and takes any opportunity afforded him to kill every last one, regardless of whether they have surrendered or not.  In fact one of the earliest lessons Norman is forced to learn is that you don’t hesitate when it comes to killing the Germans.  Hesitation leads to death because in war you either kill or be killed.  This is one of the largest overall themes that is explored throughout the course of the film and calls into question the morality of many of the crew member’s actions.  In a way, the viewer is Norman.  Thrown into this situation suddenly and forced to react.  We have the same feelings he does in the beginning and as the film progresses we start to not only understand why the crew’s actions are necessary, but also why they are the way they are.  After seeing so much death and destruction, it’s difficult to face your enemy and have any sympathy or remorse.  While the film acts as an interesting character study of each of the men, it doesn’t have a whole lot of substance otherwise.  With the exception of taking a small town, fighting an enemy German tank, and the final push to defend a strategic crossroads, the film didn’t have any big WOW moments.  The point is to focus on the men; to try and see through their eyes.  The best part of the film for me was the simple fact that it was about tanks.  You never see WWII movies on the subject.  It’s always airplanes, naval ships or individual soldiers.  Rarely do we have such a detailed look at the lives of tank crewman and that was without a doubt the most interesting aspect of the film. 

Guardians of the Galaxy Failed to Live Up to the Hype

Marvels latest film Guardians of the Galaxy was a jumbled overload of characters which when combined with a basic plotline left me wanting more.  After all the hype surrounding this film, I was anxious to finally see it.  Of the countless characters, worlds, gods, and ships that get tossed around my favorite character inronically ended up being the one I was most skeptical about from the first time I saw the trailer, the raccoon.  But we’ll get to that.  The film centers on Peter Quill, AKA Star Lord who is abducted in 1988 by a group of space pirates.  Years later we find Quill exploring an alien world and recovering a mysterious orb which he intends to sell.  The orb is sought after by the evil Ronan, a member of the Kree who is working with a galactic super being named Thanos in an attempt to destroy planets.  After Thanos’ adopted daughter Gamora is sent to intercept Quill, the two end up colliding with a pair of bounty hunters, the genetically modified raccoon Rocket and his towering humanoid tree Groot.  The whole group is promptly arrested and imprisoned where after meeting the final member of their  band of misfit toys, they decide to work together in an attempt to sell the orb and take down Ronan in the process.  The film had plenty of laugh out loud moments as the viewer sympathizes with the awkward fish out of water character of Star Lord who is portrayed by Parks and Recreations Chris Pratt.  However, the movie couldn’t quite decide which demographic it wanted to cater to which was a detrement to the acting and story.  The visual effects were out of this world, not to be cliché and there was plently to keep your eyes busy between epic space battles, daring escapes, countless large explosions and plenty of different colored aliens.  Still, despite its successes I was looking for more from a film many hailed as the best Marvel movie yet.  As this was clearly just the start of a new franchise which will see this awkward gang going on more adventures, I’ll just have to wait and see if its follow up trumps this new addition to the Marvel family.

A Dame to Kill For Can't Stand Up to 2005's Sin CIty

After watching Frank Miller’s follow up to 2005’s out of this world Sin City, an adaptation of one of Miller’s graphic novels, it became clear why it suffered in the box office.  Despite its all-star cast and breathtaking effects and imagery, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For didn’t deliver the kind of cohesive plot line that made its predecessor such a successful film.  With several storylines in play, some of which take place before the events of the first film and several which take place after, the timeline is not just hard to follow, it’s non-existent.  The film is really just a series of vignettes from the world of Sin City incorporating characters already established in the first film nearly ten years ago.  There are three core plotlines to follow with one unifying factor, the character of Marv played by Mickey Rourke.  The first is simple and clear cut.  Formally called “Just Another Saturday Night” the film starts with Marv awaking from unconsciousness surrounded by a car wreck and several dead frat boys.  He retraces his steps to figure out what happened and crosses paths with several of our other characters at Kadie’s Saloon, a central location which acts as a hub for several plot lines.  The meat of the movie comes in the form of its two central plotlines, “The Long Bad Night” parts one and two which sees new comer Joseph Gordon-Leavitt as a cocky gambler named Johnny who gets the better of evil crime lord Senator Roark, the father of the yellow villain dispatched by Detective Hartigan in the original film.  In between parts one and two of “The Long Bad Night” we get the title sequence “A Dame to Kill For” which sees the return of several characters including Gail, Miho and the other girls of Old Town as well as Dwight McCarthy.  Dwight’s character was one of the best in the original film and to get a little more back story was exciting.  However, Josh Brolin’s portrayal of the character couldn’t stand up to the phenomenal performance by Clive Owen who played him in the 2005 film.  We learn about his relationship with temptress Ava (played by Eva Green) and the results of said relationship which turn out to be less than favorable for Dwight and Marv who he drags in to the scenario for help.  The film closes with a seemingly random storyline which takes place years after the events of the first film and finds Jessica Alba’s Nancy Callahan plagued with guilt over the suicide of her beloved Detective Hartigan as a result of the violence of the Roark family.  This whole story seemed forced and more of an excuse to give Bruce Willis a strange cameo as the ghost of Hartigan who helps Nancy inadvertently in her quest for vengeance.  Did you follow all that?  For the die-hard Frank Miller fan, the film probably makes more sense.  But to the average movie goer, it is a jumbled mix of short stories loosely intertwined and masquerading as a cohesive story which it is not.  That being said, I definitely believe the film is worth checking out.  The visuals are as stunning as the first film and the acting is top notch. 

The Giver: Finally a YA Novel Adaptation I Can Get Behind

For some reason I missed out on The Giver by Lois Lowry.  It seems everyone read that book besides me.  I can remember younger grades reading it in high school so perhaps I missed the mark by a couple years.  The point is that I went into the film with clear eyes and very little idea of what the concept was besides the fact that it was another teen dystopian flick to throw on top of the pile.  2014 has been the year of the YA novel adaptation and The Giver directed by Phillip Noyce is a good way to round out such a year.  With less of a focus on romance, the film takes on larger, more existential questions in that the society in which protagonist Jonas lives is devoid of color and feeling.  In the year 2048, society has rebuilt itself after a devastating event which we know nothing about.  Now, human beings live high on a plateau where their self-sustaining society survives by eliminating all feelings like anger, jealously, and other negative actions and emotions as well as love, joy and hope.  In every sense of the word, their world is a utopia which basically survives on the idea that no one knows any different.  Everyone is equal and is assigned a job for life upon turning 18.  When young Jonas is left out of the selection process it is revealed that he has been chosen to be the new “Receiver”, the person charged with experiencing the past and history of the human race so that he may preserve it for future generations.  Jonas is sent to the edge of the community to work with the Giver, the old Receiver who is tasked with teaching Jonas about what it truly means to be human.  While certain things inspire Jonas like hope and love, others like war, violence, and fear confuse and frighten him.  As Jonas’ training progresses he starts to discover the lies underneath the surface of their picturesque society and seeks a way to change everything.  The Giver was a success in that it showcases what it means to be human.  Part of what makes us who we are is our ability to feel and though that sometimes leads to horrific outcomes, life just isn’t worth living without it.  In the end, love is the most important thing and once someone experiences that, there truly is no going back.  Managing to focus on love without getting too heavily into romance is difficult, especially in the YA genre and yet The Giver manages to draw a distinction between the two which I was overjoyed to see.  In this way the film was significantly better than other adaptations this year like The Mortal Instruments and Divergent whose plots center almost entirely on the young female protagonist’s new love interest.  Overall, I would recommend the film.  It’s a decent sci-fi story and has some great actors including Jeff Bridges as the Giver and Meryl Streep as the stone faced Chief Elder; definitely a good way to round out the years other dystopian flops.

Lone Survivor is an Emotional Roller Coaster

Lone Survivor was superbly well-acted and stunningly emotional.  Based on the amazing true story of Operation Red Wings, the film tells the story of a four man NAVY SEAL Recon team sent into the mountains of Afghanistan to track a known high level Taliban commander.  Though the mission starts out smoothly, poor communications equipment and a chance encounter quickly force the SEAL’s to adapt to a more hostile situation.  As the name implies, only a single SEAL manages to escape alive and his story is one of chance, determination, and a lot of luck.  The film defies most military movie conventions by offering up well thought out and realistic battle sequences seeing actors Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch, and Ben Foster brilliantly executing their roles in a manner that would make any veteran proud.  With a focus on brotherhood and loyalty, the film focuses masterfully on the ability of such elite Special Forces to keep on going no matter what.  You don’t stop…ever.  They are trained to keep pushing the limits and keep moving forward and that is displayed expertly, particularly by Wahlberg and Foster.  In addition, the film manages to show the US’s dual reasons for the War in Afghanistan particularly well.  The team is there to track a known Taliban leader and enemy of the US but that is only half of the mission.  The Taliban is an extremely violent and oppressive organization abroad but even more so at home.  The film manages to simultaneously make you root for the SEAL’s while also showing the viewer that not all Afghanis are bad people.  Most are honorable, regular people trying to live their lives and resist a violent sect which has given the country a bad reputation.  In this way the movie manages to use this horrific mission which was ultimately a failure to represent a larger picture; to show the viewer not only why we are in this war but why it is worth fighting for.  One of Mark Wahlberg’s best roles in years Lone Survivor is more than just a fantastic military movie, it’s a fantastic film. 

Maleficent Is an Interesting Version of the Classic Fairy Tale

I have never seen Sleeping Beauty.  There it is I said it.  It was a Disney movie I never had any desire to watch and so when I brought home Maleficent staring Angelina Jolie I had little knowledge about the story besides the fact that Maleficent was the evil witch who put a spell on sleeping beauty.  As a result, I got to view the film with fresh eyes and found it to be an interesting take on the old fairy tale.  The focus is entirely on Maleficent as we learn about her backstory and magical home.  While princess Aurora is a character, she feels more like a side note.  A chapter in the story of Maleficent whose relationship with Aurora’s father King Stefan goes back farther than expected.  Perhaps the best aspect of the film is seeing a classic Disney villain portrayed as the heroine, villain and victim.  We sympathize with her and seeing the events unfold from her perspective allows the viewer to form different opinions about the original story.  All major characters are present including Prince Philip and the three fairies (though their names have been changed for some reason).  While the film has its dark moments, it’s overall an uplifting tale with a standard Disney happy ending which makes it enjoyable for both children and parents.  I was skeptical at first about Jolie who is so recognizable I thought it would take away from her performance.  While it was initially difficult to get past the fact that you’re staring at Angelina Jolie in a fancy costume, she eventually gets it right and you find yourself focused on the character and not her (something I find she has had difficulty with in past films).  I won’t give away too many aspects of the film beyond the core plot elements everyone is aware of because the areas where the story deviates are what make it such a unique adaptation.  I would love to see Disney continue in this vein and see other classic tales like Snow White told from the perspective of the villain.  It not only gives a different point of view but breathes new life into a timeless classic.

Transformers Age of Extinction Should Have Had More Dinobots

                The Transformers franchise is FINALLY free of Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox.  Depending on your personal taste this may be a good or bad thing but for me it’s liberating.  I always felt the one thing holding those films back was the awkward character acting brought to the table by the two stars.  That being said, having Marky Mark come on board as a replacement isn’t too much better but at the end of the day the reason anyone is watching these movies is to see Optimus Prime and the other Transformers duke it out in all their epic, mechanized glory so who really cares.  On this front, Transformers: Age of Extinction did not disappoint. 

                This installation in the popular series takes place five years after the Battle of Chicago which saw the death of Megatron.  Humans have become distrustful of the Transformers and break all ties with them forcing each one to go into hiding.  A secret CIA operation is deployed to eliminate the remaining Decepticons but its vengeful leader is also focused on destroying the Autobots.  He feels the world will never be safe while any of the Transformers, good or bad, are on the planet.  Cade Yeager (played by Mark Wahlberg) is an inventor who comes across a broken down truck he hopes to salvage for parts.  The truck turns out to be a rusty and wounded Optimus Prime and Cade, along with his daughter Tessa gets sucked in to all the drama surrounding the alien, metal titans as Optimus is forced to flee the encroaching CIA operatives and their vile Transformer bounty hunter Lockdown who is on a personal mission to find Prime. 

                This installation, much like the previous Dark Side of the Moon, gives us background into the history of the Transformers and the effects they’ve been having on Earth for millennia.  Secrets are revealed which put the future of both Earth and the Transformers in a questionable light as Optimus and his Autobots must decide whether the humans are worth saving.  As is the case with any Michael Bay big budget blockbuster there isn’t a whole lot of substance to the movie.  The point is the special effects, fight scenes, and explosions of which there is an ample amount.  Wahlberg’s relationship with his daughter feels forced and cliché as he spends the entire movie more focused on her hidden relationship with boyfriend/amateur racecar driver Shane than the imminent destruction of the planet and the unrelenting battle of good and evil.  In addition, the Dinobots have a very small role to play which was immensely disappointing as the trailers focused almost exclusively on the addition of the gigantic prehistoric behemoths.  Still, what we did get to see was spectacularly awesome and made the entire movie for me.  On top of this is the introduction of Galvatron, a new villain with a hidden secret you’ll have to watch to find out.  If you were a fan of the other three films then you will enjoy this installation as well.  It feels just like the others and is a somewhat logical continuation of the story line with some fun new additions to keep you interested in what’s going to happen next.