"Bridge of Spies" Review
I’m going to be honest here and admit I did not know “Bridge of Spies” was a Steven Spielberg film before the credits rolled at the end of the film. As soon as I saw the famed director’s name though, it all made sense. Spielberg films perfectly walk the line between thrilling and comforting — and “Bridge of Spies” is no different. The film, starring Spielberg favorite Tom Hanks, takes on a small (but important) story in America’s history with heartwarming humor and provides us all with a reassuring look at the many faces bravery can take on.
“Bridge of Spies” is the “based on true events” tale of James B. Donovan, an insurance lawyer who is called to serve his country when he is asked to defend accused Soviet spy Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance). It’s a job no one wants — the country’s extreme distaste for anything Soviet related means defending Abel is equivalent to treason — but Donovan gladly takes on the case, citing that every man brought to trial deserves due process. As Abel’s trial moves forward, a separate story involving the CIA’s new spy plane technology comes into play. The two stories meet when an American pilot is captured after his spy plane is shot down while on a mission over Soviet territory. Donovan is sent to East Berlin to negotiate the return of the American pilot, in exchange for his client, Abel.
Aesthetically, “Bridge of Spies” is a dark film. The film plays out in dimly lit offices, the frozen streets of Soviet Russia, and a decent amount of prison cells. What’s so great about the film’s dark cinematography is that it lulls you in to unexpected humor and tender interactions between certain characters that really shines through. For a movie about one of America’s darkest moments in time, there were a decent amount of laughs. It is refreshing to see a historical film that seems to really take some time to focus on comedic writing and timing. Much of this is due in part to the brilliance of Tom Hanks, but his performance would not have worked had the film not decided to balance out its darkness with a little bit of light.
Another area where the film succeeds is its take on the Cold War’s defining characteristic: intelligence gathering. As the film notes, the Cold War was a war of information rather than one built on human sacrifice. There are no large battle scenes to be played out in a bloody, glorified mess — instead, the war takes place on a much smaller, intimate scale. Battles scenes are replaced by intense conversations in back offices and sketchy hotel rooms — and the effects of this war seem to take on a new meaning without the physicality of war to emphasize it. Between Donovan’s interactions with his family, the close relationship he develops with his client Abel, and his dedication to bringing home an American soldier, the film really brings the idea of “war” down a notch, making a hero of Donovan without trying to hard to do so.
With Oscars on the brain, I think it is safe to say that “Bridge of Spies” will be garnering at least a couple of nominations — historical films are always a hit and this one has all the tell-tale signs that it will be celebrated as such. What’s even better is it has real entertainment value. Besides, what could be better than two hours spent with Tom Hanks?
Grade: A
"In My Father's House" Review
“In My Father’s House” is one man’s journey to turning around his family’s legacy. The set up is much like that of an after school special. The difference is the level of sheer honesty that celebrity Che “Rhymefest” Smith gives to the viewer, making it a poignant, extremely relevant film for this generation.
You may not know the name Rhymefest, but you certainly have heard his work. Having co-wrote the Grammy winning “Jesus Walks” with Kanye West, and Oscar winning “Glory” with Common, his talent is undeniable. Smith’s story is a rags to wisdom story. No matter how successful Smith has become, the impact of life without his father has left an imprint. After purchasing his childhood home, Smith sets out to reunite with his father, Brian Tillman, who abandoned him 25 years earlier.
After finding his father, now homeless and an alcoholic, the film covers a one year journey of Smith trying to assist his father’s rehabilitation. While the normal grievances, questions, and judgement that one may have for the person who abandoned them during Smith and Tillman's reunion comes to light, this is when the film turns. Smith informs viewers about a child that may or may not be his, the struggle for him and his wife to conceive and reach full term, and even losing wealth due to lack of knowledge.
It’s in the depth of vulnerability that Smith is willing to share his life, and how co-directors Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg piece together Smith’s story that the documentary shines. It exposes the unsure footing we all experience in life in trying to make the right decision. No one is quite sure of their next steps in the film. Whether Smith is putting together a rap or putting together his family, or Tillman is fighting to stay clean, there is a message of human frailty that is beautiful.
We make decisions every day in our lives. Some decisions are small, and others can have consequences that touch multiple generations. “In My Father’s House” documents the decision for Che Smith to take back what was missing in his life, and take control of his next generation's story by becoming the father that he needed for his children and forgiving the one he wish he had when he was younger.
Rating: B+
"The Final Girls" Review:
I remember watching “Friday the 13th” and “Nightmare on Elm Street” marathons on the occasional Friday the 13th back in the day. Even though I would watch from underneath a blanket in fear, it was something about the slasher flicks that I enjoyed. “The Final Girls” is a celebration of the 1980s style slasher flicks. It knows what it is and what it’s doing. It’s a movie on the timeline of a cinematic history full of movies and it uses tropes from over the years to make its point. There is so much going on in the film that highlights the past through a contemporary lens, but in the best way possible!
Max (Taissa Farmiga) was always playing the role of the grown up with her mother, Amanda (Malin Akerman), a one time star of “Camp Bloodbath” 1 and 2. Three years after losing her mother in a car accident, Max is invited to a movie marathon of her mother’s biggest role by the franchise’s biggest fan, Duncan (Thomas Middleditch). Max drags her best friend Gertie (Alia Shawkat) to the theater. They run into Max’s possible new flame Chris (Alexander Ludwig) and his ex/mean girl, Vicki (Nina Dobrev). The teens double for the stereotypical characters that can be seen in “Camp Bloodbath”.
After a fire breaks out in the theater, the group try to escape through the theater screen to the back exit but are transported into the “Camp Bloodbath” movie, “Last Action Hero”-style. They soon discover they are stuck in a continuous 92-minute loop of the film and the only way to get out is to get involved in it. As the film moves forward, each cast member steps into their position. Duncan is the genius who knows the Camp Bloodbath movies in and out. While you may assume that you know how everyone else fills their roles, it’s their interaction with their counterparts that makes the film so interesting!
As Chris interacts with Kurt (Adam DeVine), the jock of Camp Bloodbath, viewers can see the 80’s definition of the athletic male stereotype versus the 2015 version. Yet, where the movie finds a lot of it’s emotional depth is in the interaction with Max and her mom’s character, Nancy. The chance for Max to speak to her mom again turns “The Final Girls” into a fun movie with wit and heart.
For the film geeks, the movie is technically proficient and brilliantly executed. All the elements of slasher films are there for dissecting through humorous scenes thatserve the story: slow motion running, backstory flashbacks, stepping over titles, jump screams from the killer appearing in the window, swelling scores, and so much more that this review could turn into a paper. There are plenty of spoof horror films out that you probably can roll your eyes thinking about right now, but this I assure you is not one of those.
“The Final Girls” is an absolutely brilliant film that celebrates the process of filmmaking, the history of slasher films, and the emotions we feel as viewers when we go to the movies. You can’t reinvent the wheel that Wes Craven created in “Scream”. However, you can create your own brand. “The Final Girls” does that and some! Go see it now!
Rating: A+
"The Martian" Review
Space seems to be having a moment. It’s always been there, in real life and in the movies, but it seems 2013’s “Gravity” took space to a whole new level cinematically. If “Gravity” was Alfonso Cuaron’s call to the final frontier, The Martian is Ridley Scott’s response and an attempt to reclaim his territory after 2012’s not so critically acclaimed “Prometheus”. Mix in Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar” (2014) and we’ve got ourselves a little trinity of (recent) epic space dramas. “The Martian" stands out for its own reasons, but it also fits right in.
Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is all alone. Left behind on Mars after being separated from his crew during an emergency evacuation, Mark is presumed dead by his fellow crew mates and NASA. This all changes when satellite images from Mars prove Mark is very much alive and somehow surviving on the barren planet. The rescue mission begins, but it will be no easy feat. Time, funding and Mars’ atmosphere are all working against every effort to bring Mark home.
“The Martian” essentially takes place in three different locations. There is Mark’s Mars, a vast rust-colored landscape captured through sweeping extreme wide shots. Next, there’s Planet Earth, which is essentially the various offices and airplane hangars of NASA. And finally, there is space — where Mark’s crew is aboard a shuttle, completing their next mission. This separation works in favor of the film in that we stay in each area just long enough to build a decent amount of anticipation for our return to the next location. This is especially important considering the isolation of Damon’s performance on Mars. With no one to interact with, Damon’s Mark is a one-man show. He cracks jokes, airs his frustrations and explores his surroundings all by himself. While Damon is fun to watch, Matt Damon all by himself does not a movie make. The plot points presented in the other two locations (NASA and the shuttle) give Mark’s solo mission the tension it needs to move forward.
A major setback for Mark on Mars eventually creates a sense of much-needed urgency for the film and for Mark’s rescue mission. Mark has been able to “science the sh*t” out of his time on the planet, but in the end his stay on Mars becomes a life or death situation. A cooky, so-crazy-it-could-work plan is playfully delivered by a nerded-out Donald Glover and NASA is given the choice to either abandon Mark or put the lives of his crew members in danger in order to rescue him.
For an almost two and a half hour long film, The Martian does provide enough thrills and nerd-talk to satisfy the space movie lover in all of us. And on a much deeper level, there is some interesting commentary on our society’s dependence on technology — Mark is presumed dead because the technology on his suit fails to communicate his vital signs to his team — which would make for a fantastic college paper. Personally though, Armageddon still stands as this reviewer’s top film about space.
"99 Homes" Review
If you’re like me, there is nothing more thrilling than a glass of red wine and an episode of House Hunters. The show simply follows someone as they pick out their next home and while the formula is predictable, it does not make the show any less addicting. There is something about getting a peek into someone else’s living situation — it satisfies a natural curiosity. “99 Homes”, a film written and directed by Ramin Bahrani, is the exact opposite of a comforting episode of House Hunters. It is an exploration of the much darker sides of home ownership and the realities of the real estate business.
The film’s tone is immediately set as we meet Dennis Nash (Andrew Garfield) and his son as they fight their forthcoming eviction in a local courtroom. Dennis is unwilling to accept that the house he grew up in- the house his son is now growing up in- can be taken from them. He pleads with the judge, but to know avail. He has 30 days to appeal the court’s foreclosure of the property, but it’s done — they have lost their home. The music for this scene is heart-pounding, a deep bass that signals this is just the beginning of the troubles Dennis and his family are about to face.
Dennis and his family (which includes his son and mother, played by Laura Dern) are evicted from their home the next day, by Rick Carver (Michael Shannon) — a cold-hearted real estate broker whose only bit of sympathy for those he is evicting comes in the form of the two minutes he grants the families to gather any possession that they don’t want thrown out on the curb. Rick is evil personified. He has gotten rich off the backs of those far less fortunate and by working the housing crisis caused by the recession to his advantage. He is savvy in all the wrong ways and Shannon turns the Miami-vice clad monster into a multi-dimensional villain that you’ll hate, but secretly understand.
The movie truly takes off when Rick recognizes in Dennis an entrepreneurial spirit that can be used to his advantage. Rick takes Dennis on as his assistant, teaching him the how to run a real estate business through shady deals and bank foreclosures. Dennis, who walks a fine line between hopeless and hopeful, makes the perfect errand boy for Rick — Dennis needs the money and Rick needs someone who is just desperate enough not to ask questions. As their predator-prey relationship plays out, Dennis becomes someone he and his family thought he would never become. His decision to take a walk on the dark sideeventually comes to head leaving Dennis, Rick and the audience to wonder — was it worth it?
The brilliance of “99 Homes” comes from the context of the film. It’s not an original story, but the context of the housing crisis feels like uncharted territory. There is something so sacred about the home: it is a comforting space (unless of course you’re in a horror movie). “99 Homes” removes all the feel-good amenities of domestic life and exposes several sides of the white picket fence that haven’t really been given this level of dramatic treatment. It’s fresh and thrilling, despite the somber subject matter. Well worth the watch!
Grade: B
"Sicario" Review
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Can you hear it? It’s Oscar Buzz season and the rumors of which films may or may not be contenders have begun their yearly journey. Depending on your interest level in Oscar Buzz season, Sicario may or may not be on your radar. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year and the Oscar contender talk immediately followed.
As the film notes in a series of title cards, sicario means hitman. The journey of the word, from a term used during the Roman Empire to its modern meaning of hitman in Mexico, perfectly captures the main concern of the film: the U.S. government’s struggle to control Mexican drug cartels. It’s an ancient battle, one captured in a countless number of films, and Sicario is the latest film to tackle the subject.
Sicario begins with a gruesome discovery during an FBI raid. (Side Note: This reviewer feels the need to emphasize the word gruesome, for those readers that might be more faint of heart). It is during this raid that we meet Kate Macer (Emily Blunt), a leading agent with the FBI. After the raid, Kate is handpicked to volunteer with a task force going after the men responsible for the discoveries at the raid. Hellbent on seeking justice, Kate agrees to join the task force. As their mission becomes clear, the lines between right and wrong become blurred, leaving Kate to decide where her allegiances lie.
Sicario is one of the most beautifully shot films this reviewer has seen in a long time. If I would not have gotten kicked out of the screening, I would’ve been taking pictures on my phone, some of these shots were that fantastic! Besides the creativity of the shots — which ranged from simply well-done to blow your mind splendor — the film adhered to a color scheme to such a detailed degree, that I want to both thank and applaud the team that worked on color correction. No matter if we were in the Kate’s bedroom or the ghettos of Juarez, Mexico, the film was awash in tans and blues which worked to emphasize the film’s steady calm against some of the more chaotic moments.
Besides the aesthetics, Sicario offers up two great performances by Emily Blunt and Benicio Del Toro. For many, Emily Blunt is still the comedic assistant in 2006’s The Devil Wears Prada. She has taken on serious roles since then — The Young Victoria (my personal favorite), Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, Edge of Tomorrow — but none of them have really won her award show gold. Why Blunt may deserve the praise for her Sicario performance comes from her ability to create a fully fleshed out character out of what may typically be stone. Her character is a serious woman but Blunt brings flickers of realness that balance out, or intensify the complexities of an outwardly austere exterior. She makes this no-nonsense agent a human being. Pairing Blunt with the experience of Del Toro also gives the film a unique chemistry that helps bring the drama of the film to another level.
Where the film takes an unfortunate dip is the storyline. To be brutally honest, it’s generic, made of bits and pieces that we have all seen before. There’s not much an edge-of-your-seat dramatic arc, but even with that said, it still offers up a steady train of twists that will keep any viewer enticed.
Grade: B+
"The Perfect Guy" Review
“The Perfect Guy” is a movie that you can be late to. You can go get popcorn during the opening credits (credits not trailers) and be back in time to not miss anything you don’t already know from the film’s trailer. It’s the same old tale with new characters, but that doesn’t mean it can't be good popcorn chompin’, throw it at the screen while you yell fun.
Leah Vaughn (Sanaa Lathan) is a 36 year old, hard working woman who by all signs has a lot going for her. She’s got a beautiful house, a great job, and a handsome boyfriend, Dave (Morris Chestnut), to come home to. The only thing she’s missing is a ring on her finger and the pitter patter of little feet running around the house, which Dave doesn’t want to rush into. Unfortunately, that’s the motivation that causes her to chase after completion and happiness by breaking up with Dave and shortly after, getting involved in with Carter (Michael Ealy).
Blinded by her desires, Leah has the time of her life with Carter. She introduces him to her inner circle of girlfriends, and even her parents. Everyone loves him. That’s all you missed while getting popcorn. Over the top, rushed vignettes of Carter being the “perfect” guy in the first half hour is what writer Tyger Williams cooked up for us so that we can finally get to Carter giving us a moment of explosive behavior.
From there, the movie gets decent, tense, and suspenseful in the “I wonder how this will play out” kind of way. You know how it’s going to end. You just don’t know the steps the film will take to get there. Lathan and Chestnut give performances that are good enough to receive their check but nothing more. Ealy shows signs that he tried to get inside Carter's psychopathic head and actually have some fun with his character.
I had a great time laughing at how dumb Sanaa’s character is with my wife. We had fun picking up the bread chunks of foreshadowing that the movie threw at us. We didn’t mind that we paid matinee price to see the film, and neither will you if you know what you’re getting yourself into. Otherwise, you can wait for it to come on Netflix and be entertained from home.
Rating: C-
"The Visit" Review
These days, the name M. Night Shyamalan doesn’t hold much cinematic weight. The director of “The Sixth Sense” has probably had more failures than successes at this point in his career. With “The Visit”, Shyamalan displays an ember that we hope he fans into flame for all future work!
Becca (Olivia DeJonge) and Tyler (Ed Oxenbould) have never met their grandparents. After their mom (Kathryn Hahn) left her parents’ home after a feud for a relationship with an older man (who became Becca and Tyler’s father) as a teenager, she never reconciled with them. Even though she doesn’t care to see them, she let’s her children go on a week long trip to meet Nana (Deanna Dunagan) and Pop Pop (Peter McRobbie) for the first time after being contacted by them online.
The film takes on the found footage genre from the perspective of aspiring documentarian Becca. Becca enlists the help of her rapper wanna-be brother as a camera operator during the week. As the days unfold, the two teenagers slowly realize that Nana and Pop Pop are a bit strange. While Pop Pop has incontinence and is forgetful, and Nana struggles with sun downing, there seems to be more there than “old people problems”.
The fun of the film is trying to unravel the mystery of what’s going on with Nana and Pop Pop with the kids. In fact, Shyamalan perfectly plays on our fears that we had as youngsters throughout the film. We wonder what the sound on the other side of the door is, but we’re afraid to investigate. We wonder what Pop Pop might be hiding or doing in the barn just like Tyler. We wonder why Nana wants Becca to climb into the oven and clean it. It’s our curiosity that puts us on the edge of our seat, right where Shyamalan wants us.
Always a visual storyteller, Shyamalan uses the entire frame to tell the story, placing the camera with purpose and forcing us to observe what the camera sees. He combines his technical use of the frame with going back and forth between comic, heartfelt, and utterly creepy moments in the film. Each emotion serves the other. We’re able to laugh after a scary scene, learn more about the characters during a sincere interview for the camera, and cover our eyes when things get scary after sunset. It all blends together into a uniquely told tale.
The cast and performances within the film are solid. Deanna Dunagan deserves a special mention as Nana. She steals almost every scene she’s in effortlessly by embracing the irrational and equally sincere sides of her character.
While the kids can be a little over-precocious at times, and the film asks us to turn a blind eye to some moments, it’s a great ride! Known for making surprised twists, this one sucks the air out of the theater, as the crowd I screened the film with could be heard collectively gasping. “The Visit” will have you sleeping with one eye open next time you visit the grands, as Shyamalan seems to be saying “don’t sleep on me!”
Rating: B+
"Learning to Drive" Review
If there is one guarantee about our time here on planet Earth, it is the fact that our lives will become entangled in someone else’s. The hermit in the cave may be the one exception, but even he has a mother and a father. Some of the most true-to-heart movies are about the complicatedly simple process of two strangers coming together. Learning to Drive is one of those films.
In New York City, not having a driver’s license is a badge of honor — except for when the husband who always drove you around, leaves for his younger mistress. For Wendy (Patricia Clarkson), an unplanned divorce and a fortuitous cab ride lead her to Darwan (Ben Kingsley) — a Sikh cab driver by night and a driving instructor by day. Unsure of what life has coming for her next, Wendy decides to take driving lessons from Darwan. And what starts out as a way to gain some footing in the chaos, ends up as a teachable moment on paying attention to what is in front of you, for both Wendy and Darwan.
It seems unfair to call an independent movie quaint, but Learning to Drive is just that. It is a comfortable and sweet story about an unexpected bond between two strangers. Wendy and Darwan come from two separate worlds. She is a well-respected critic who lives comfortably in a brownstone filled to the brim with the bits and pieces of a life dedicated to culture and academia. While he is a hardworking immigrant scraping and saving to provide himself and his family with the American dream. These characters are not supposed to meet, but they do. It is under the charming circumstances of their driving lessons that we learn that most of us have something to learn from the people we think we may have the least in common with. The film’s focus on two adults as they go through a somewhat juvenile adventure — learning to drive — creates a story that resonates with the part in all of us that doesn’t want to grow up, even though the rest of you has.
While Learning to Drive excels at charm, the missing piece of the puzzle seems to be the rhythm of the humor. As to be expected, the majority of the film is spent in the car with Wendy and Darwan. During each lesson the two characters go back and forth in earnest conversation, but it is far from the spirited conversation you might see between friends. The result of this somewhat stoic relationship leads to some clunky writing choices between making a joke and taking the time to set up a life lesson. The humor is still heartwarming, but more attention could’ve been paid to how it was executed.
Speaking after the screening I attended, Patricia Clarkson discussed the mechanics of making this film — from the years spent trying to get it made to the rough-and-tumble nature of the filming process. Learning to Drive began as an essay in the New Yorker, written by Katha Pollit in 2002. Clarkson fell in love with the piece and knew immediately that she wanted to make it into a film. The film finally found a home that Clarkson was comfortable with in Broad Green Pictures. Once Kinsley agreed to take part, filming began immediately, with no rehearsals. Clarkson and Kingsley, who are close friends in real life, stayed apart during the filming — mindfully keeping their intimate relationship from bleeding into the new friendship between Wendy and Darwan.
Learning to Drive is a charismatic film about the different roles people play in our lives as we grow-up and learn how to appreciate the relationships around us. It is worth the watch, but maybe save it for a Sunday afternoon on your couch.
Rating: B-
"Grandma" Review
On the scale of cinematic grandmothers, Grandma falls somewhere in between Ramona Calvert, Sandra Bullock’s sweet, but still tough mother in Hope Floats and the rapping grandmother featured in The Wedding Singer. The film has humor and heart — and just enough grit to make you feel like you got a good talking to from the sweetest woman alive.
Elle Reid (Lily Tomlin) was not expecting her granddaughter Sage (Julia Garner) to show up when she did. She and her girlfriend had just broken up that morning and Elle was looking forward to a maudlin day of vacuuming and reminiscing about the past, as most of us tend to do post-breakup. Eighteen-year-old Sage is pregnant and although she has scheduled her abortion — for 5:45pm that day — she doesn’t have the cash to pay for it. Pushing her present heartache aside, Elle ushers Sage into her aging car and their road trip begins.
Grandma immediately separates itself in a moment not often seen on screen: a woman, over the age of 50, sobbing in the shower, after a breakup. The emotional reality of this scene is one typically reserved for the younger set, perhaps a grieving young mother who just lost her child, but never for a baby boomer who has fallen out of love. Hidden within the film’s witty dialogue and sun-soaked landscape is a statement about where different generations come together, and where they divide. The film takes on ageism, sexuality, and women’s rights without throwing them in your face. Instead, each topic is addressed through realistic, laugh-out-loud performances delivered by a primarily female cast.
There is no denying that the major force behind this delectable film is comedienne extraordinaire, Lily Tomlin. Speaking after the screening I attended, Paul Weitz (director and writer of the film) discussed how Tomlin was the voice in his head as he wrote the script. After working with her in Admission, Weitz was eager to work again with Tomlin’s edgy, transgressive and ageless style. His courting paid off and Tomlin agreed to work on the film, which was shot in 19 days with a budget under $600,000.
Tomlin’s performance just doesn’t quit for the entirety of the film. No matter who she is playing out the scene with, from her daughter Judy (Marcia Gay Harden), to Sage’s boyfriend Cam, played by new teen heartthrob Nat Wolff (Fault in Our Stars/Paper Towns), Tomlin brings an unmatched level of humor and truth. She’s definitely the coolest grandma on the block!
Grab your mom, your sister or your best friend and go see this film as soon as you can! Better yet, use all that birthday money from over the years and bring your grandmother.
Rating: A
"Z For Zachariah" Review
When you’re out on the lake fishing, you have to be patient sometimes, but the wait is worth it when you catch one. “Z for Zachariah” is the type of slow burn thriller that slowly gets you invested in its characters and hooks you in without realizing it. With a stellar cast, and breath stopping tension, it’s certainly a film to see!
After an unknown disaster wipes out most of civilization, Anne Burden (Margot Robbie) survives on her father’s farm, an unaffected sliver of the world. She hunts, works the land and stays busy with her dog. As far as she knows she’s the only person alive, until a man named Loomis (Chiwetel Ejiofor) comes along in a laboratory made, radiation safety suit.
After mistakenly bathing in polluted water, Anne nurses Loomis back to health. It’s just the kind of kind act that can create a spark of romance in a world left to two people. Loomis is an intelligent man. He helps the pure hearted and deeply religious Anne around the house by doing things like getting her plow running. Just as their connection starts to grow into love, a mysterious wanderer named Caleb (Chris Pine) comes upon the farm.
As a love triangle starts to take shape, a competition between Loomis and Caleb does as well. The linchpin of the film is superb performances from its cast and pace. Director Craig Zobel is no stranger to unnerving tension. His 2012 film “Compliance” certainly was filled with it, and with “Z” he’s honed it. Zobel knows how to let a scene breathe and not only direct his cast, but his audience’s thoughts and emotions as well in what he chooses to show.
Robbie, Ejiofor and Pine bring three uniquely different and fleshed out characters to the film. It’s never about what they’re saying so much as what they’re thinking or omitting from their conversations together that really pulls you in. You’re left without a doubt that Margot Robbie is more than the beautiful face that recent blockbusters have sold her as. In this role, she looses the makeup and gives an excellent performance as a woman stuck between the world before disaster and after, and eventually the two men. Ejiofor brings his usual polarizing presence to the flawed Loomis. Pine has just the right amount of boy next door charm, sprinkled with just beneath the surface darkness that makes his character a worthy wrench in what appears to be a happily ever after between Anne and Loomis.
“Z For Zachariah” shows what you can do with a talented storyteller in the director’s chair, and an equally talented cast. It’s a good reminder that sometimes a simple, minimalist approach can entertain more than crowded, action sequences and explosions! The fact that only three characters make the story, should be an instant grab for any indie filmmaker. Yet, the film’s ability to entertain on various levels of complexity and evoke near tangible suspense, makes it one to see for anyone!
Rating: A
"No Escape" Review
Summer blockbuster season is winding down. There have been some major misses: Fantastic Four, Tomorrowland, Aloha; we’ve seen major hits: Jurassic World, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Avengers: Age of Ultron. For moviegoers, summer premieres offer up a buffet of adrenaline driven plots and extreme visuals. Maybe it’s the hazy heat of August, but this reviewer thinks No Escape could be the cinematic thrill ride needed to cap off your list of hits this season.
No Escape, which stars the sometimes serious — almost always funny — Owen Wilson and Lake Bell, follows the Dwyer family as they attempt at a fresh start. Jack Dwyer (Owen Wilson) has been offered a job with Cardiff, an engineering company that specializes in water treatment facilities. With one failed business behind him, Jack is desperate for this Cardiff opportunity, even though it means uprooting his family and moving them from Texas to Asia. Unbeknownst to the Dwyers, the never-named Asian country is now under the control of a violent group of rebels after the assassination of its prime minister. Stick with me here!
There are many reasons to go to the movies — a chance to see friends, good-looking celebrity leads, the air-conditioning — but the most satisfying reason to see a film is to escape. There is nothing better than leaving the real world at the theater entrance and surrendering yourself to whatever is flashed up on to the big screen. No Escape is not a perfect film, but it delivers enough heart-stopping moments that for an an hour and forty-one minutes, you are simply engrossed.
Those familiar with the trailer of the film know that as the Dwyer family attempts to escape the bloodthirsty rebels they make the unbelievable decision to hurl themselves off of the roof of their hotel, onto the roof of a nearby building. That’s no spoiler, it’s there, right in the trailer! What the trailer does not detail, what you can only get from the watching the film, is just how gut-wrenching the scene is to watch. With their lives at stake, and two young children in tow, this mother and father have to make the decision of a lifetime and as a viewer you cannot help but hold your breath and wait to see where it lands (pun, fully intended). As a viewer, the film continuously forces you to decide what you would do in these adrenaline-pumping moments, bringing you right into the mental space of the Dwyers’ as they run for their lives.
Story-wise, No Escape has some gaping holes. One, the Asian country, where all of this is taking place, is never identified accept to say they’re close to the Vietnam border — a plot detail that would’ve given some more weight to the military coup and made the film less generic. Next, there is Pierce Brosnan, whose character functions as more of a narrative device than an actual person. And finally, there is the film’s final standoff between the Dwyers and the rebels, which is suspiciously calm as compared to the duck-and-cover speed of the rest of the film. These are major mistakes, but this reviewer is willing to forgive them for the breathtaking moments when the film does deliver.
No Escape is a visceral getaway. For those looking for a comparison, the Dwyers’ fight to survive recalled many of the gripping emotions found in The Impossible, from 2012. If you’re willing to forgive some of the film’s letdowns, you’re in for a good time.
Grade: B-
"American Ultra" Review
The psychedelic posters for American Ultra make the film’s purpose clear: it’s a bold, stoner comedy. The film’s tagline — “Everyone’s getting smoked” — further drives the point home. Unfortunately, like most potheads, American Ultra fails to deliver on its promise.
Mike Howell (Jesse Eisenberg) is a stoner with an ambition problem. He wants something beyond the life he has created in the small West Virginian town he lives in. Unfortunately, he’s all too content working at the local convenient store, getting high while doing so, and coming home to his all too understanding girlfriend Phoebe (Kristen Stewart). Things begin to shift for Mike when a federal agent (played by Connie Britton) comes to visit him at the convenient store one night. Through a string of nonsensical words, the agent activates a deadly night of gun-slinging, bomb-blasting debauchery for Mike and Phoebe — just your normal stoner comedy, right?
Comedy is by far one of the hardest genres when it comes to telling a good story. When the main purpose of a film is to get a good laugh, major details like structure and plot can get lost in the name of going for the joke. For American Ultra, the comedy seems to have been prioritized and the all important question of “What is at stake?” is simply forgotten. Between the rushed introduction of the “romantic” leads and the disjointed CIA storyline, there is no space for the audience to get to know these characters or give us a reason to care about them. This set-up worked in the sense that the film is just bizarre enough to be funny, but the humor is one-note, rarely going beyond a well-written line or two. The surface level humor of American Ultra is further compounded by the sheer violence of the film. Guns were a plenty, as were other cringe-worthy kills brought about by dust pans and spoons. Yes, spoons.
A case could be made that this was simply a wrong person, wrong film situation, but as a big believer in comedy, this reviewer stands by the sour taste left in her mouth by American Ultra. There is also the chance that maybe, just like it’s main characters, American Ultra is best watched while stoned. Maybe then this peculiar film would make a little more sense.
Grade: D+
"Mistress America" Review
There is something very necessary about portraying the female experience in all its varying forms. It is a story often left behind — or at least out of focus. Mistress America — directed by Noah Baumbach and cowritten with Greta Gerwig — is a unique approach to the complicated relationships that enrich and detract from being a girl in this world. And no, this isn’t about a boy.
Tracy (Lola Kirke) is the Barnard babe we all wish we were when we started our freshman year at college. She is intelligent, knows how to rock a blazer and her literary aspirations are classically indie. There is one tiny problem though: she does not fit in, or at least her peers seem to have little interest in letting her join in on the freshmen fun. Tracy laments to her mother about her lonely days and nights on campus and her mother reminds her to get in touch with Brooke (Greta Gerwig), her soon-to-be step sister.
Brooke is the thirty-flirty-and-thriving NYC woman, hitting all of the benchmarks of a fabulous New York City lifestyle. At first glance, she does not seem to be the answer to Tracy’s dashed college dreams, but in girl world, the solution to the problem is not about finding the perfect solution — it’s about finding the best solution for right now. Fans of Gerwig’s character from Frances Ha may find Brooke a little grating. She’s manic and blissfully unaware of her shallowness. For Tracy though, Brooke offers up the fun and sophistication that has been lacking from her college experience. They are an immediate pair, informed by Gerwig and Kirke’s obvious chemistry.
Mistress America could’ve easily turned into a self-aware commentary on this generation and the plight of the aimless twenty-something. Instead, the film becomes a situational comedy featuring quick-witted characters who offer a plethora of depth depending on the life experience of the audience member. By stepping away from the will-the-girl-get-the-boy formula, Baumbach and Gerwig have created a film about the other, if not more important, relationships that come in and out of a girl’s life. This film is about the positive and negative experiences we all go through as we chose who to align ourselves with — how you find yourself through the good and the bad.
Baumbach and Gerwig clearly know how to get things done. Speaking after the screening I saw, Gerwig noted that Mistress was shot in only 60 days — an extended vacation compared to the 50 days the pair used to shoot Francis Ha. Baumbach and Gerwig also know how to use their time to tell a story that is often not told. Combining an 80s touch and feel (especially apparent in the soundtrack) with quick dialogue, Mistress America offers up the charm, quirk and depth of your favorite short story.
Rating: B
Mistress America releases this weekend in select theaters!
Why "Straight Outta Compton" is a Powerful Biopic (Review)
“Straight Outta Compton” is worthy to be mentioned in awards talk this year. Clocking in at 147 minutes, the bio-drama will keep you riveted in your seat without glancing at your watch. While the film takes certain liberties with history, there is no doubt that N.W.A took a stand, transformed music, and made an impact on a generation that can still be felt today.
From 1986-91 the group N.W.A made a mark in hip hop music that crossed boundaries and changed the landscape of American music, and some may argue the world. One of the earliest groups to popularize gangsta rap, N.W.A consisted of Ice Cube (O’shea Jackson Jr.), Dr. Dre (Corey Hawkins), Eazy-E (Jason Mitchell), DJ Yella (Neil Brown Jr.), and MC Ren (Aldis Hodge). Formed at a time when police brutality and harassment in black communities was turning up, the group’s message was forged out of that oppression and living in the tough Compton neighborhood, which gave them a spirit and drive to have their voices heard.
The film covers the group over a ten year period. It focuses mainly on Eazy-E, Ice Cube, and Dr. Dre’s journey during that time. As the three most notorious members of the group, we’re able to see their home lives and stage life, and how they all mixed together. Each of the three get just the right amount of time to shine, while pushing the story forward. Fans will definitely enjoy seeing other famous performers like Snoop Dogg (Keith Stanfield) and Tupac (Marcc Rose) portrayed and sprinkled in throughout the film.
The movie’s power is found on numerous levels. Writers Jonathan Herman and Andrea Berloff do a great job of harnessing the intrinsic drama of the rise and fall of N.W.A. They started out as teens with a dream, and accomplished it! Yet, with the success came egos and issues surrounding money which led to the group splitting up. Another issue that the film deals with is violence against the black community from police officers. Unfortunately, almost 25 years after Rodney King, young black men are still a target of not just police batons but unwarranted bullets on what feels like a monthly occurrence in the news. So the energy that stems from perhaps their largest record, “F**k the Police”, sadly still resonates today.
The film paints a picture of N.W.A as fighters for free speech and self expression. While they spoke explicitly about their environment and the movie covers the media, FBI, and certain groups of people trying to suppress their message, it excludes the misogyny in their music. This was a large part of the protest in real life, but is conveniently left out in the motion picture. So the group looks more like oppressed freedom fighters, which works for Hollywood but some may take issue to.
Regardless of slight alterations or omissions, director F. Gary Gray captures and paints a masterpiece in this biopic. His camera frames the glamour of the come up, their wild lifestyle during the height of their success, and the ugliness of oppression. The pacing of the film is warranted even under the lengthy running time. The performances of these young actors are excellent. Entertaining, funny, and solemn at times, “Straight Outta Compton” is the perfect combination and a must see!
Rating: A
"The Diary of a Teenage Girl" Review
Oh to be young again! To have the world at your fingertips and not know what to do with it. For most of us, reminiscing about our teenage selves brings back a multitude of memories — your first dance, first kiss, the fight you had with your parents about getting in five minutes after curfew. As adults, we explore these memories through rose-colored glasses, glossing over how things truly felt way back when. Writer/director Marielle Heller’s The Diary of a Teenage Girl removes these glasses and plops viewers right back into the tumultuous life of being a teenager.
The film is told from the perspective of Minnie Goetze (Bel Powley), a 15 year old aspiring cartoonist who lives in San Francisco, during the 1970s. Minnie exists in the world of most teenage girls: her bedroom walls are covered in art and posters of Iggy Pop and Janis Joplin, she holds telephone conversations with her best friend in the bathroom while her little sister listens on the other side of the door, she passes notes to boys in class, and most importantly, she records life’s daily confusions in an audio cassette diary. Where Minnie’s story diverges from that of a typical teenage girl is found in the film’s R-rating: Minnie likes having sex.
Exploring sexuality is nothing new for coming-of-age films. The Diary of a Teenage Girl exists in the minority though for its honest, full-throttle approach to teenagers and sex. For Minnie, and her sexuality, sex is not the awkward “I don’t know what I’m doing here” scenario often depicted in films on the same subject. Minnie is bewildered, but very much empowered by the sex she is and is not having. It’s a rare approach, one that might leave audiences cringing more than usual, but it is an honest one. The film takes ample time to explore the internal world of Minnie and with that comes the familiar teenage, wildly inconsistent thoughts on love and body image — grounding Minnie’s exploration of sex in the naïveté of a 15 year old girl.
While the movie’s honest approach to teenagers and sexuality deserves a fair amount of praise, the argument could be made that it tries a little too hard in this arena. Maybe the film’s first person perspective is to blame, but the film lacks a well-roundedness that could’ve easily been achieved by amping up the performances of the other characters in Minnie’s world, especially since the film features a well stacked cast. Kristen Wiig, Alexander Skarsgard, and Christopher Meloni all play supporting characters, and there was definitely a missed opportunity to give the film a little more depth through their performances.
Nostalgia is the name of the game for The Diary of a Teenage Girl and on that front, the film delivers. The good, the bad and the ugly are all out in the open as Heller uses Minnie to help us all remember the innocence, and the confusion, of our youth.
Rating: B-
"Fantastic Four" Review
“Fantastic Four” is simply the Tin Man. It’s got the same old cinematic structure we’ve come to expect in a super hero film, but it has no heart. In fact, the actors look pretty soulless as they get their lines out to fulfill their contracts. Even the film’s villain is cheated out of being seen for at least half of the movie. (He gets 30 minutes, if that.) It’s sad, because this movie could have finally gotten the Fantastic Four franchise on track. While it dug into new territory with a new approach, it still dug itself into a hole that we should all hope it won’t return from.
Reed Richards (Miles Teller) has been a genius since he was a child. He was able to teleport a toy car between dimensions with his friend Ben Grimm (Jamie Bell) in middle school. After being brought into some kind of an off the grid super science college (??? it’s never really clear as to what the place is) ran by Dr. Franklin Storm (Reg E. Cathey), Richards teams up with Sue Storm (Kate Mara), Johnny Storm (Michael B. Jordan), and Victor Von Doom (Toby Kebbell) to create a stable inter-dimensional teleportation device.
After teleporting a monkey safely, the boys are looking for glory with their discovery. They decide to teleport themselves, only to return infected by the other world’s energy. Of course, the U.S. government steps in to try and weaponize the group, and for some reason a guy who can turn into flames and fly, a woman who can make herself invisible and create force fields, a guy super strong and made of rocks, and a genius who can stretch his body, all decide that they can’t fight the government and will do whatever they say.
It makes no sense. Much of the movie makes no sense. What are all the design schematics that they pull up on computers, monitors and displays throughout the movie? We’ll assume it’s something real for the movie. As Sue Storm quickly presses keys almost violently in a particular scene, we’ll assume she’s really getting somewhere for the movie. When the Earth has yet another portal beam sucking its contents through it, we’ll assume...wait, no we won’t. This doesn’t make sense, and we’ve seen this stuff before! Any super hero film asks you to believe what you’re seeing is real, but this one goes to far.
I had high hopes for “Fantastic Four”. The Fantastic Four cast (Teller, Mara, Jordan, & Bell) are all stellar young actors and have individually done much better work, but together the chemistry in this film didn’t work. The rote story and dialogue will make you regret that you paid for admission and think to yourself “could I walk out and sneak into Mission Impossible?” Save your money folks! Don’t even get it on Red Box. Just wait until it’s on cable.
Rating: F
"Mission: Impossible- Rogue Nation" Review
Finally, a summer blockbuster in which the explosions serve a point, the chase scenes are visually understandable, and it doesn’t feel too long for no reason. (Although it is a tad long.) While “Mission: Impossible- Rogue Nation” follows the standard Mission Impossible layout, it certainly is popcorn chewin’ fun! Yes, Tom Cruise still has it at age 53.
Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is still saving the world one day at a time. In the latest installment, it’s just a matter of who he’s protecting us from! This time it’s a shadow organization called The Syndicate. When the film starts, he disrupts a delivery of weapons in an awesome practical stunt in which Hunt mounts an airplane during takeoff. Unfortunately, the CIA has grown tired of the IMFs risky behavior, regardless of the positive outcome.
CIA Chief Hunley (Alec Baldwin) wants the IMF disbanded, and he gets his wish. Thus, Hunt is hunting without a team, while being hunted himself. Of course, it’s only so long before Brandt (Jeremy Renner), Benji (Simon Pegg), and Luther (Ving Rhames) find their way back into Hunt’s life. With a mystery agent (Rebecca Ferguson) in the mix, the film keeps us on our toes and wondering who is who.
Cruise gives a great performance in one of his trademark roles. Typically he does a lot more running around in these films, but there is a slight feeling of wear on him. Regardless, like a seasoned dancer, Cruise makes his stunt work look easy. The supporting cast work together fluidly in their roles.
What makes the film fun is the new thrills within the action sequences. The infiltration scene in which Hunt dives into an underground, water filled, computer server (as seen in the trailer) makes you want to hold your breath. There’s an awesome fight sequence at the opera, and a motorcycle chase that makes you feel like you’re behind the wheel.
With “Mission: Impossible- Rogue Nation” we get the same, proven Hollywood formula with varied ingredients, and a satisfying outcome. The beautifully choreographed stunts, comic relief, and inherent suspense makes for a great joyride.This installment won’t let you down!
Rating: B+
"Southpaw" Review
With a movie like “Southpaw”, the question is not have you seen the story before, but how is the story going to be told? While the classic redemption story is apparent even from the trailer, the journey to it is gripping and refreshingly real. With stellar performances, “Southpaw” is a standout character study in the ring of boxing films.
The film starts with Billy Hope (Jake Gyllenhaal) on top of the world. He’s the light weight champion of the world, lives in a mansion, and has a beautiful wife, Maureen (Rachel McAdams), and daughter, Leila (Oona Laurence). After his Maureen is tragically murdered (in a breath-taking, dramatic scene) Hope starts to lose control. Running the gamut of grief from anger to depression, by the time he sobers up it’s too late. He’s lost his wife, mansion, and the state has put his daughter in protective services.
With no money, due to fake friends draining him, his excessive spending and his own ignorance, Hope is forced to get a 300 square foot apartment. He enlists the help of Tick Wills (Forest Whitaker) to train him properly to do the only thing he knows how to do, fight. He not only has to fight an opponent in the ring, but he has to fight his own demons and fight to win his daughter’s heart back.
The rich detail that writer Kurt Sutter (Sons of Anarchy) and director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) go into in combination of the script and visuals show a side of boxing we don’t normally think about. They highlight the “performance” of boxing and use the glitz and glamour to their advantage to remind the viewer that there is a person who steps out of the ring after a fight we pay to be entertained by. Sons of Anarchy fans know Sutter’s writing can be emotional and moody, but thanks to great casting (except Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson) each emotional stepping stone is earned.
Jake Gyllenhaal is immersed in the character of Billy Hope. From his mumbled speech pattern to the way he holds his body, Gyllenhaal is totally believable as an adult fighter who came up through the system. The chemistry between Gyllenhaal and McAdams is what award winning performances are made of. While McAdams role is short-lived in the film, her performance is so strong that her presence remains throughout in a way that the words on the page couldn’t have dreamed of!
Forest Whitaker gives a long overdue, subtle, and genuine performance that he didn’t dial in for as Tick Wills. He’s a trainer with demons that we never know the origins of, but they come through in many of his scenes. I’ve never seen Oona Laurence, but after this film she is definitely a young talent to watch!
“Southpaw” is one of those films that feels out of place in the middle of the summer. A film like this usually plays in the winter months for awards consideration, and it should definitely get that! It’s a character study into love, loss, grief, and how we choose to respond when we’ve fallen.
Rating: A
"Ant-Man" Review
Ant-man isn’t a well known name to most moviegoers and lovers of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). In fact, the average reader probably would be interested in knowing that the creation of Ultron was due to Dr. Hank Pym according to the comic books. That being said, “Ant-man” is a solid, scaled back entry into the MCU.
The film begins in 1989 as Dr. Henry “Hank” Pym (Michael Douglas) retires to try and live in seclusion. We then jump to president day where Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) finds himself fresh out of prison. Trying to keep on the straight and narrow and make his child support payments, he looks for work. After Baskin Robbins finds out that he’s an ex-con, he’s let go and turns to his former crime partner and friend, Luis (Michael Pena) for a big score.
Let’s say the score leads Scott to Dr. Pym, who enlists his help to go against Pym’s protege Darren Cross (Corey Stoll). Cross is on the crux of finding the secret to Pym’s particles (which allows a person to shrink to ant size), and is working in league with HYDRA. Which means trouble for the world! It doesn’t take long before the film turns into a caper.
“Ant-Man” takes a light hearted approach to Marvel’s character and likely in part to writers Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish. From the opening credits, you can see, hear and feel a different vibe for this limb of the MCU. Rudd and Douglas bring heart to the film, and Rudd sells the every man role of Lang. Michael Pena also adds comic relief to the film with plenty of memorable moment.
The bottom line is that “Ant-Man” is a solid first time out for the character’s origin story in the MCU. The film’s casting is stellar, and the reason why it won’t tank in the box office. It’s an entertaining time at the movies, but you could wait until it comes out on DVD or streams.
Rating: B-