"Snowden" Review
I’m not quite sure if Joseph Gordon-Levitt is purposefully taking biopic roles in which a documentary of the same subject comes out prior (Snowden is to Citizenfour as The Walk is to Man on Wire) and covers it better or it’s pure coincidence. Either way, in both instances he’s fully committed to the role. While Snowden has great moments, there are a lot of deflated scenes that string them together.
The film starts with Edward Snowden (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) in training to become a member of the Special Forces in the US Army. After breaking his legs, he’s not able to complete training and eventually joins the CIA. From there the film quickly journeys into Snowden’s rise in the intelligence community. He’s a brilliant programmer who catches the eye of Linsay Mills (Shailene Woodley) along the way.
As Snowden’s clearance levels expand, he starts to notice programs that encroach on privacy of people. His moral compass keeps him on the straight and narrow, while many around him either turn a blind eye or have suffered the wrath of speaking up. Hank Forrester (Nicolas Cage) is one of those mentors, banished to what looks like a high school science/computer lab in the CIA, who serve as a visual as to what happens to those who don’t play by the rules.
With the decision to be quiet or speak in front of him, Snowden chooses to contact documentary filmmaker Laura Poitras (Melissa Leo) and journalist Glenn Greenwald (Zachary Quinto) to wisely set up a meet in a hotel room in China to give the truth before the media machine can shut him down. This part of the film is where the documentary Citizenfour centered and covered beautifully. Here, it’s not unveiled as smoothly.
Let it be known that Joseph Gordon-Levitt wears Snowden on his shoulders like a rucksack and fights to carry it toward being a film worth seeing. He executes the role with a laser-like focus and care for the character and telling his story. Quinto and Poitras give poignant performances that add to the weight of Snowden’s decision to come forward. Unfortunately, Woodley’s Linsay is forgettable, a character piece placed in the film for conflict with the main character. The pacing of the film, jumping through time, checks off the biopic “must cover” list and director Oliver Stone is able to create the sense of pure paranoia that one would expect to feel in going against the most powerful country in the world.
I don’t think a based on a true story was necessary, and its message is muddled in explaining counter surveillance at times. However, Stone’s film does not shy away from promoting real life document leaker Edward Snowden as an American hero who should be commended, not chastised. Unfortunately, it’s in its slant that the ability to judge for yourself is lost. Which probably wasn’t necessary, because by the end of the first act you already want to turn off your phone and cover your webcam. Excuse me as I close my laptop!
Rating: B-
"Allegiant" Review
“Stop. Put your pencils down. Close your test book.” That’s what the teachers used to say to us at the end of a big test. All I needed to see was five minutes of Allegiant before I wanted to tell the screenwriters, check writers, studio execs, and anyone else who can get another Divergent Series movie created to “Stop! Put your pencils down. Don’t make another one of these!”
Tris (Shailene Woodley), her boyfriend Four (Theo James), best friend Christina (Zoe Kravitz), brother Caleb (Ansel Elgort), and flip flop peer Peter (Miles Teller) are ready to see what’s on the other side of the wall this time. So they venture out against the orders of Evelyn (Naomi Watts), who took over as Chicago’s leader after the last film, Insurgent. It takes the usual outfoxing to get to the wall, but thank goodness for the genius that is Tris.
The problem (among many) with Allegiant is that it recycles themes from its previous films. As the world of Tris and her friends opens to a new and unknown world outside the wall of Chicago, we’re simply introduced to a new society that has separated people into categories: pure vs. damaged. The film does a terrible job of explaining why some people are damaged and other people are pure. I tried to pay attention, but it was a quite convoluted exposition monologue given by David (Jeff Daniels), the new leader of the new world. What was made clear, was that Tris holds the key to cracking into the pure human genome. Unfortunately, in this franchise, Tris is a poorly written heroine who seems to step up only after everyone around her has done the work needed to let her step on their backs. It’s a boring watch.
The only intriguing part of Allegiant is its images. The environments and architecture are beautiful. The invented technology in the film is unique and gives a vision for our world’s future tech. It’s sad that it’s all used on a film with little story crammed into two hours of something we’ve seen before. In short, Tris and the gang have jumped out of the pot and into the fire. They have a new “villain” to take down with the same old issues to fix.
Unless you’re a fanatic of the series, please save your money and don’t go to the theaters to see this film. The creators didn’t spend time putting something fresh and coherent together, and thus you shouldn’t spend your time and money viewing it. I’d fall asleep watching it on Netflix if I were you.
Rating: F
"Insurgent" Review
Of the many words that come to mind when I think of “Insurgent”, uncomfortable is the one I just can’t shake. The actors look uncomfortable in their wardrobe and performances. The fact that teenagers act like adults and adults like idiots is uncomfortable. More than anything, I was uncomfortable in my chair suffering through the 119 minute running time waiting for the film to be over.
Shailene Woodley reprises her role in the follow up to "Divergent" as Tris Pryor, a young girl who happens to be different in a world where everyone sticks to the tribal stereotype they’ve been tested into. It’s easy to pick out the Divergents in the film, just look for the actors who wear cool clothes and walk with a little swag. Everyone else looks uncomfortable in their wardrobe, and has a robot-like presence (no matter what faction, outside of Divergents and maybe the Factionless).
Due to her ability to be all types, Tris is labeled a Divergent. In fact, she’s The Divergent of all Divergents. Even though she’s “powerful”, her past won’t allow her to move forward. For most of the movie we’re forced to watch Tris lash out at others and doubt herself because of the self-imposed emotional load she carries around. She can’t forgive herself for the deaths that she has caused by her own hand or by association with her.
In the meantime, Jeanine (Kate Winslet) is hunting down Divergents and testing them to the point of death in an effort to open a mysterious box. This box has a message in it from the founders of their society, and only a powerful Divergent can open it. Four (Theo James) reunites with a long lost relative who just may help them turn the tide in the war against Erudite.
The cast performances in this film are just awful. While most of the main characters have given us wonderful performances in other films, they barely showed up for this one. Shailene Woodley plays an excellent fragile but strong character in “The Fault in Our Stars”, but the same magic doesn’t work in “Insurgent”. You never quite believe her as an action star, her screams are like nails on chalkboard (there is a lot of chalkboard throughout this movie) and she . Miles Teller was awesome in “Whiplash”, but doesn’t do more than recite his lines in this film. Kate Winslet brings nothing new to her role as well. The list goes on.
Will Jeanine get the box open? Will Tris forgive herself? Who cares?! If the movie gives us no reason to be invested in the characters and stakes, why should we care? This series already started out rocky, and this installment just cements the rockslide of cookie cut teen dystopia that we’re being forced to swallow. Don’t waste your money this weekend, especially in 3D or IMAX. If only the boatload of cash this film is going to see this weekend sunk with the series.
Rating: D
"The Fault in Our Stars" Review
“The Fault In Our Stars” isn’t a movie you recommend people go see. Two teenage lovers whose love blossoms after meeting at a cancer support group. You know teenager equals melodrama when it comes to love, and you know cancer means life and death. Even though the writing may be on the wall in your mind, this is a film that is more about how you choose to live life than death, which makes it worth the watch.
We first me Hazel Grace Lancaster (Shailene Woodley) in an isolated state. She’s cornered herself off from the world as not to bring the pain of her inevitable death to anyone close to her. Her parents (Laura Dern, Sam Trammell) think she’s depressed and want her to attend a cancer support group that may give her help. That’s where she bumps into (literally) Augustus “Gus” Waters (Ansel Elgort).
Gus is a cornball. He has the worst pick up lines, and his syrupy sweet smirk could fill a pool. He seems to fall for Hazel the moment they bump into each other, and as overbearing as it is for the audience, its’ his outlook on life that draws Hazel in. He occasionally puts a cigarette in his mouth, not to smoke it, but to stare a tool of death in the face and metaphorically not let death have power over him. As the two get to know each other and share philosophies on life, they also share a love for An Imperial Affliction, a book by renowned author Van Houten (William Defoe). The ever eager to please Gus uses his Genie (a make a wish type foundation) Wish to meet their favorite author in Amsterdam.
It’s in Amsterdam that the movie finds its’ stride. This once in a lifetime opportunity would be cherished by anyone, but we know the stakes for this couple. Visually we see the beauty of the area in extreme wide, and wide shots with Hazel and Gus in the middle of it all. We’re on the ride as they meet Van Houten, and find out he’s not the most admirable person. We’re on the ride as they tour the Anne Frank house with its’ overt metaphors to a girl who is forever young. We’re on the ride as the two make their deepest connections, and tough discoveries.
As the film plunges into the third and final act we’re hooked. Every phone call has significance and subtext. Woodley proves that she can be forgiven for “Divergent” as a tentpole, popcorn movie for her imdb page. She’s grounded in the role and carries the film rooted in the naturalism and talent of a young actress worthy to watch. Unfortunately, her co-star Elgort diverges from her skill level to create his own awkward, faux charming character but it doesn’t put the brakes on the movie.
If you’re like me and haven’t read the book, you’ll enjoy the twist in the film. Sometimes it’s easy to run away from a movie with a heavy subject matter so that we don’t have to “depress ourselves”. Don’t let that be an excuse not to see this film. Isn’t that what we love the movies for? Cinema gives us a chance to reflect on all aspects of life through the lives of people on a two dimensional screen. If we don’t let the moment pass by, perhaps through that reflection we can make decisions on how we approach each day, while we have them. This film does just that!
Rating: B
"Divergent" Doesn't Diverge From an Old Story
You’ve seen “Divergent” before. You might remember the movie about the dystopian society with the group or person that is different from everyone else, and decides to take down the powers that be. That’s “Divergent” in a nutshell.
In the world of “Divergent”, everyone is divided into factions that’s based on their personality. Shailene Woodley is Tris, the heroine that we’re supposed to root for. She’s grown up in the “good will to others” faction, but has a hankering for being with the soldier group. When she comes to the age of deciding what group she will live with for the rest of her life, she takes a test that concludes inconclusive or...divergent. After watching her brother Caleb (Ansel Elgort) choose a group outside of their family’s, she bypasses the farmers, thinkers, logicals, and decides to live her life with the soldiers.
Tris’s decision puts her in the soldier (Dauntless) group with the mysterious higher ranking Four (Theo James). Oddly, in film nerd trivia, it also places her in the same group with adversary Peter (Miles Teller). This means that Shailene Woodley is in a movie with a leading man she was in love with in a past film (“The Spectacular Now” with Miles Teller), a current love (“Divergent”), and a future love (“The Fault in Our Stars” with Ansel Elgort). That trivia was more exciting then the rest of the film. That had to be strange on set...but I diverge...digress!
There is a huge chunk of time in which Tris has to learn to fight and think like her new Duantless family while keeping her true identity a secret. Four helps our heroine along the way. In the meantime the evil Jeanine (Kate Winslet) is trying to make her Erudite group the governing societal body while hunting down and killing divergents to keep society from leaving the commands that it’s founders have set out for them.
There has been a lot of comparison to “The Hunger Games” franchise with this film due its similar theme. The biggest issue I have with the film is that I don’t care about Tris. Whereas Katniss from “The Hunger Games” is a more well rounded person who seems to think for herself, Tris just let’s things happen to her and when she does think for herself it feels forced. “Divergent” has an awesome ensemble of characters in its’ cast but they can’t overcome the script. Truth be told “The Hunger Games” is Sprite and “Divergent” is 7 Up. Sure it looks the same and tastes similar, but one is a far superior movie. “Divergent” is Netflix, Redbox material, that may be your favorite home movie rental franchise to watch as a guilty pleasure.
Rating: C-