HER - Review

Her

Sci-Fi/Romantic Comedy/Drama, 2013
2 hours, 5 minutes
Written and Directed by Spike Jonze
Rated R for "language, sexual content and brief graphic nudity"

Starring
Joaquin Phoenix
Scarlett Johansson
Amy Adams
Rooney Mara

"I've never loved anyone the way I love you."

Let's be real, most romantic movies are marketed towards women. Always a hot girl falling for a nerdy guy, or a hot guy falling for a nerdy girl, or two stupidly attractive people having stupid first world problems and they're all mostly dumb. When looking at romance movies, there are only three that come to mind as being perfect. Lost In Translation, a funny, quiet, and simple romance, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, a bizarre, bittersweet, and unusually clever look at an ordinary couple's relationship. The third would be Her. 

Okay, now the premise is really weird. A lonely guy falls in love with his AI operating system... yeah, it's pretty strange. That being said, it's actually rather sweet. The film stars Joaquin Phoenix as a lonely, recently divorced man named Theodore. Theodore is a writer, a man of simple taste. One day, Theodore picks up a new operating system for his computer, simply named OS 1. The OS is an artificial intelligence that grows and learns over time after getting to know the user. Theodore's OS (voiced by Johansson) names herself Samantha. Theodore is a little uncomfortable at first, but quickly warms up to the idea. Soon, Samantha starts asking questions because she is learning how to "feel" emotions. So... they start dating. Each other. And it goes without saying that it's strange and a little uncomfortable at times, but you get used to it. And crazier still, you start to believe that what they have is, well, real. And like most relationship dramas, things get out of hand, which gets into some pretty strange territory.

It's strange premise aside, Her is very impressive visually. The world is made up of a sleek, yet warm and muted color palette. The year is never defined, but one can assume that it's in the near future. Everything has a futuristic vibe to it, even the fashion. And I suppose a lot of the technology in the film exists already. For example, Theodore's first OS before Samantha is the equivalent of Apple's Siri. He has a tiny, wireless earpiece, a phone, and a computer, but it's all connected to one another.

The performances are equally impressive. Phoenix is a very sympathetic character. He's just an ordinary guy with some problems, and his ability to act without another person in the room is very natural. Johansson's voice work is very impressive as well. She doesn't feel like just a voice, she feels like a real character. You can pick up on the smallest of nuances in her voice. It's one of her best performances to date.

As unusual as it may seem, Her is probably one of my favorite movies of the year. It's a different kind of sci-fi, the kind of sci-fi that doesn't need an incredibly high concept. It's a low concept character drama that uses a high concept world to tell it's story and it pays off in spades. And on top of that, it's truthful especially in today's age. It will make you think a lot more than you'll expect.

I think if there's just one movie that I remember from this year, it's going to be this one.

9.8/10

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET - Review

The Wolf of Wall Street

Biographical Black Comedy, 2013
3 hours
Screenplay by Terence Winter
Based on the book The Wolf of Wall Street by Jordan Belfort
Directed by Martin Scorsese

Starring
Leonardo DiCaprio
Jonah Hill
Margot Robbie
PJ Byrne
Kenneth Choi
Jon Bernthal
Kyle Chandler
Rob Reiner
Matthew McConaughey
Jean Dujardin
Brian Sacca
Henry Zebrowski

"You have my money taped to your tits. Technically you do work for me."

I've been so excited about The Wolf of Wall Street since the trailer premiered a few months back. The trailer is funny, exciting, and insane. It's so perfect, I've watched it probably 100 times. Thank God it lived up to the hype.

I can't remember the last time I sat in a movie theater for 3 hours. Sadly, the one real criticism I hear is that it's too long. And it might be. A few minutes of fat could've been trimmed down. But whatever. Haters gonna hate, taters gonna tate... whatever the fuck that means.

The Wolf of Wall Street is based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, a stock broker who starts his own company and makes a ton of money... I can't really say a ton about the plot mostly because the main plot stuff is all about the stock market and I'm not about to explain how that shit works. Mostly because I only understand a little bit of how it works. I'm not a damned economist, get off my back. In a nutshell, Belfort gets his first job on Wall Street, but after a short time there, the company closes down, and he sells penny stocks out of a tiny building in a strip mall. Turns out, his experience with the big leagues helps out quite a bit, and he manages to make a killing off of selling practically nothing. So he takes the next natural step and starts his own company. And they're pretty successful. And then he and his insane buddies do a shit-ton of coke and fuck a ton of hookers. It's part drug addiction, part sex addiction, and all money addiction.

The movie plays out similarly to Goodfellas, in more ways than one. There are tons of structural parallels. For example, the film starts out with a flash-forward, and then after about 5 minutes, the movie jumps into a flashback where we're taken through the events of how Belfort got to where he is in the first scene of the film. And it catches up maybe 40 minutes or so into the movie, and it all feels very natural. Sound like Goodfellas yet? There are a lot more parallels, and if you pregame with Goodfellas before you see this, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. Even at three hours, this structure works to it's advantage. There are a few moments that were stretched a bit thin, but for the most part, it works very very well. The movie also reeks of Scorsese. His definitive style is so remarkable and vibrant, he's the perfect man for this script.

But it's the characters that steal the show. A lot of people complained that nobody in the movie is likable, but I disagree. The character's decisions are unlikable. They're all self absorbed coke addicts that make awful decisions. And yet, they're all so charismatic that you just have to keep watching. Some films might tiptoe around their characters, but with Wolf, you're right there the whole time. You know everything about these guys that you feel like you're best friends with them. And all of this goes the same for Goodfellas. See? Parallels!

And it's no doubt that the performances are all excellent. DiCaprio is at his finest, probably his most memorable role since Django Unchained. He's fucking insane in this, from start to finish. So is Jonah Hill, who plays something totally unlike Jonah Hill. Even in Moneyball, you look at him and think "Oh, Jonah Hill," but in this, he's something completely different. I think it's his best role to date. And he's still hilarious. Even Rob Reiner, who doesn't do a lot of acting, his hilarious in his brief time on screen. And everyone is so damned charismatic and hilarious that it's impossible to dislike anyone. And I should definitely mention Matt McConaughey's brief, yet scene stealing performance.

I don't know if The Wolf of Wall Street is the best movie of the year, but it's most likely clinched a top 10 spot on the list. It is, without question, the best stock market movie you'll ever see. Watch Wall Street or Margin Call? Nah. Skip those. Wolf is the best damned movie in the genre.

Also, quaaludes. If you don't know what a quaalude is, don't bother looking it up, just wait to see it in the movie. Oh my good gracious, this movie would be nothing without quaaludes. Quaaludes make up a couple of the funniest scenes in the entire movie. Hell, one of the funniest scenes in 2013.

9.5/10

AMERICAN HUSTLE - Review

American Hustle

Drama/Comedy, 2013
2 hours, 9 minutes
Written by Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell
Directed by David O. Russell
Rated R for "pervasive language, some sexual content and brief violence"

Starring
Christian Bale
Amy Adams
Bradley Cooper
Jeremy Renner
Jennifer Lawrence
Louis CK
Jack Huston
Michael Peña
Robert DeNiro

"We were so successful for so long because we kept it just small enough."

I love David O. Russell. He doesn't go for spectacle or anything explosive. He just makes good, straight-shooting movies. He makes great romance movies. He made a great boxing movie. I've never seen anything bad from him, even his earlier work is pretty solid. Russell really knows how to work with actors, and he's great at choosing actors with natural talent.

This time around for American Hustle, he took the best parts of his last 2 movies, Silver Lining's Playbook and The Fighter, these parts being actors from these films. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence from Silver Linings Playbook, and Amy Adams and Christian Bale from The Fighter. The performances in this movie are all around stellar. STELLAR. Each and every character is so vibrant and distinct and watching them all interact with each other is great. Everyone has fantastic chemistry, impressive for something with a good-sized cast of very talented A-listers. It also has Louis CK as an FBI director, who pretty much just acts like Louis CK. But that's ok, because it's fuckin' Louis CK.
The movie is definitely a lot funnier than you'd expect. I don't think I would exactly call it a comedy, but it does have a few fantastic moments of subtle hilarity. Even Christian Bale's hair is fucking hysterical.

Strangely enough, the story is the weakest link. It's not that it's even a bad story. It just moves at such an incredibly breakneck ADHD speed that you might get lost at a couple of key points in the film. It's a little complex and could be clearer, but it's still good for the most part. The overall plot is easy to track, but the subtleties are easy to overlook.

Russell definitely has another hit with American Hustle. For its missteps in it's plot, it's characters and performances more than make up for what will most likely be called one of the best movies of the year.

9.3/10

OLDBOY (2013) - Review

Oldboy (2013)

Action/Mystery, 2013
1 hour, 45 minutes
Based on the Korean film Oldboy, directed by Chan-wook Park
Screenplay adapted by Mark Protosevich
Directed by Spike Lee
Rated R for "strong brutal violence, disturbing images, some graphic sexuality and nudity, and language"

Starring
Josh Brolin
Elizabeth Olsen
Sharlto Copley
Samuel L. Jackson
Michael Imperioli


"I've been thinking about it for twenty years."


Well I don't know what I was expecting.

The original Oldboy, a gritty Korean revenge film, is nothing short of spectacular. I could go on for hours about it. Unfortunately, I'm not here to talk about Chan-wook Park's movie. I'm here to talk about Spike Lee's American remake.

I think I was right about assuming that American audiences weren't ready for an adaptation of Oldboy. For those who have seen the original, you know what I'm talking about, don't pretend you don't. I mean, it's a pretty fucked up movie. Like, really, beyond fucked up. But in a totally awesome and entertaining way. While Lee's adaptation follows closely in it's footsteps, it often missteps and falls flat on its face.

The story is pretty much identical to the original: A man is captured and imprisoned in a hotel room for 20 (15 in the original) years without an explanation. He kind of loses his mind. His only company is a television set. One day he is released from captivity without explanation, and is given some money and a cellphone. He sets out to find who imprisoned him. So he goes and does stuff. I don't want to give anything away.

So, what's wrong with this remake? Lots of shit. The only redeemable quality is Josh Brolin as the lead character. Also, Samuel L. Jackson is in it and he does say "motherfucker" a few times. He's basically Jackson in every Jackson movie ever. So that's fun. But otherwise, it's just all wrong. The writing is really weird. Characters do shit that makes literally no sense at all just to advance the story. There are a few moments that build drama that are then just completely ignored, and the story moves forward. The editing is sloppy. There are a few cuts that just take you from one scene to the next without any kind of tension, it just happens and it's weird and I don't like it. They also re-created the hallway fight scene. I shit you not. If you've seen the Korean version, you know what I'm talking about. I mean, they actually did a decent job, but for the most part, I'm just a little peeved that they had the balls to go through with it. Sharlito Copley's performance is way too overdone to the point where it's just annoying as fuck. Some of the twists are a little different, and not in a good way. Finally, the remake's ending is far too Hollywood for my taste. Korea did it better.

From what I understand, the producers took a few liberties with the cut of the movie, taking out a significant amount of footage that apparently made it better. I doubt it. Although I would certainly like to see this director's cut, I doubt it will even compare to the original.

But seriously, there's no reason for this movie to exist. I can only hope that this will turn people to watch the Korean Oldboy. Because it's really, really good.

4/10

FROZEN - Review

Frozen

Animated Musical, 2013
1 hour, 25 minutes
Written by Jennifer Lee
Directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee
Rated PG for "some action and mild rude humor"

Starring
Kristen Bell
Idina Menzel
Jonathan Groff
Josh Gad
Santino Fontana
Alan Tudyk
Chris Williams
Maurice LaMarche

"You want to talk about a problem? I sell ice for a living."

Frozen is the latest in Disney's princess/musical lineup, and for the most part, it's good. It didn't blow my mind or anything, but it's still enjoyable. The animation is pretty much identical to Tangled, with solid character design and vibrant colors. The songs are pretty good, but only a couple really stand out. The movie kicks off feeling very much like an old school Renaissance era movie, which made me pretty excited. Unfortunately, the feeling disappeared quickly. There are maybe two or three musical numbers that really made me feel like I was watching a classic Disney movie.

However, Frozen does a lot of new stuff that I wasn't expecting. The movie, in a nutshell, is about two sisters named Anna and Elsa. Anna is a carefree, but lonely princess. Her older sister, Elsa, has powers that let her freeze stuff. Why does she have these powers? Don't bother looking for an explanation. There isn't any, but it's kind of hard to look past simply because of how important it is to the film. So basically, some shit happens and Elsa runs off and kinda sorta causes an eternal winter in the kingdom. So Anna goes off to find her. She teams up with a little comic-relief snowman named Olaf and a guy named Kristoff and Kristoff's moose named Sven. So they go on adventures and they sing and stuff.

The best thing about Frozen is the characters. Excellent voice work gives the characters a tremendous amount of depth. This isn't just Anna and Kristoff, the main characters. This also applies greatly to Elsa, who is probably the most sympathetic villain in Disney history. She's more of a victim than anything else. Anna and Kristoff have great chemistry and a surprisingly believable relationship. Olaf, the little snowman dude, is really just there for comic relief, which isn't really needed. Some of his stuff falls flat, but when he's funny, he's funny.

There are a few story beats that felt really rushed, mostly in the beginning and end of the movie. There's a lot of exposition that is mostly effective, even if it is short. Once the movie hits its main story beats, then it really takes off and gets good. And yet, the ending, while not entirely predictable, still felt like it was tying up its loose ends at a breakneck pace.

I definitely don't think that Frozen is the best Disney musical out there, but it's probably the one we need right now. It's not amazing, but I'm happy that Disney is trying out some new stuff with its storytelling. Some of it pays off, some of it doesn't. I don't think it even compares to the Disney Renaissance films, but some may argue otherwise. I personally prefer hand-drawn animation instead of 3D animation, but hey, that's just my opinion.

7.4/10

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE - Review

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Action/Adventure, 2013

2 hours, 26 minutes

Adapted from the book Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy and Michael deBruyn

Directed by Francis Lawrence

Rated PG-13 for "intense sequences of violence and action, some frightening images, thematic elements, a suggestive situation and language."

Starring

Jennifer Lawrence 

Josh Hutcherson

Phillip Seymour Hoffman

Woody Harrelson

Elizabeth Banks

Donald Sutherland

Stanley Tucci

Sam Claflin

Jeffrey Wright

Jena Malone

Amanda Plummer

Lenny Kravitz

"She has to be eliminated."

Taking a look at the trilogy of books, Catching Fire, the second in the series, is easily the best. While the series is ripe for a film adaptation, the first film was pretty good. Not amazing, but good. It was overall a cut-and-dry adaptation for the book, which isn't really a bad thing. There were a few emotional moments that felt rushed, despite being better told in the book. But overall, it was good. 

Catching Fire is without question better in pretty much every way. The story is better and far more interesting. It's an excellent sequel that ultimately leads to something far greater, even if that something far greater isn't that great at all (I fucking hated the third book). And I'm not just talking about the book, but the movie as well. It manages to keep you on your toes, and the story is well woven with a wide range of interesting characters to keep you on your toes. 

The story picks up after the first. JLaw and Pita have to go on this victory tour thing, but Jack Bauer's dad has other things in mind. He needs JLaw to stop causing a ruckus (aka a rebellion) in the other districts. Eventually, a bunch of shit goes down. Basically, they wind back up in the arena. Again. Because Jack Bauer's dad is trying to kill them. For reasons. But this time they at least have Aquaman on their side, so that's cool.  

Much like the book, the story is split almost directly in half. The first half is buildup. The second half is arena shit. And if you read the book, the arena shit is pretty much exactly what you'd expect it to be. Except there's a lot less shaky camera. I was shocked at how good of a job they did in recreating the games. It was pretty much identical to how I imaged it. Even the look of the arena was identical to what I pictured. So that was pretty cool.

The performances are pretty much the same as they were in the first, except it seems like JLaw is kind of a crybaby. I mean I get that tons of shit is going down, but she cries a LOT. Jack Bauer's dad is great as well. The best addition to the cast by far is Phillip Seymour Hoffman, who is one of my favorite actors ever. He doesn't do a lot, but he steals every scene that he's in. 

One of my favorite things that they got right over the first one is the camerawork. Remember how you can't see shit because of all the damned shaky cam in the first one? There's a little shaky cam, but at least this time you can see fights. It's not nearly as absurd as it was in the first one.

Catching Fire, much like the book, is just better than the first one overall. It's long run time goes by pretty quickly, thank God. But yeah, if you liked the first one then you'll love this one. Not just because it's a better story, but because it's just a better movie overall. It's unfortunate that they're doing the unnecessary splitting up of the third book. It's not that good. Ugh. 

Also, Stanley Tucci's teeth are disturbingly white. Weird thing to thing to note, but let's be real, we're all thinking it.

9.3/10

NEBRASKA - Review

Nebraska

Dark Comedy, 2013
1 hour, 54 minutes
Written by Bob Nelson
Directed by Alexander Payne
Rated R for "some language"

Starring
Bruce Dern
Will Forte
June Squibb
Stacy Keach
Bob Odenkirk


"I never even knew the son of a bitch wanted to be a millionaire. Should've thought about that years ago and worked for it."


There really isn't anything quite like Nebraska. Alexander Payne has a pretty good track record, and he certainly keeps it going strong with this new one. It's an excellent combination of sad and hilarious, executed well with great performances and phenomenal writing.
Nebraska is about a father and son, played by Bruce Dern and Will Forte. Dern's character, Woody, receives a letter one day telling him that he's one a million dollars and he can claim his prize in Nebraska. It's clear to pretty much everyone except Woody that this is a scandal. Woody is a rickety old man who's lost some of his marbles, but he doesn't have Alzheimer's or anything like that. He's just a bit lost. Pretty much everyone, including David (Woody's son played by Forte) Ross (Bob Odenkirk) and Woody's wife Kate (June Squibb) knows that it's not real. But that doesn't stop Woody from trying to claim his prize money. David takes pity on his father and decides to take him down to Nebraska, just to ease his father's addled mind. On the way, they stop for a couple of days in Woody's hometown, where he runs into his aging family as well as some old "friends." Things quickly unravel for David, who discovers more about his father and his family than he realized.
The film has a pretty slow start, but once the duo arrives in Woody's hometown, things quickly pick up. Almost immediately the movie begins to reveal itself. The deadpan humor bursts out of the starting gate and never really lets up, even in the more depressing scenes of the story. Drama ramps up when Woody's old friends come a knockin' asking to see some of his million bucks. Some of the family drama gets intense as well, but it's played off with some fantastic deadpan humor that Payne is known for in his films. There's even a steady character growth for both Woody and David, and their chemistry is fantastic.
The performances are all stellar. Bruce Dern is great, and has already won some awards for his performance. He expertly nails the clueless determination that makes up so much of Woody, and sticks the landing in the final touching scenes of the film. Will Forte's first real dramatic performance is also noteworthy. Some comedians can't quite stick the landing for dramatic roles, but Forte is completely sympathetic and likable as David. What really surprised me was June Squibb, who plays Woody's wife. She's sassy, courageous, and completely steals the screen. For an 84 year old actress, that's something to take note of. She has some of the funniest material in the movie.
Like I said, the movie starts out slow, but quickly picks up. The movie is just under 2 hours, but it can feel slow at times. There are also a few jokes that don't quite hit the mark. Sometimes it felt as though it were trying to be too comical. Some of these jokes payed off, some didn't. But overall, it's surprisingly funny.
I'm also a little split on the ending. While it's a little predictable, I can't help but to think of how crazy the ending would be if it were to take the other route. If you see the film, you'll understand what route I'm talking about.
Nebraska isn't for everyone. Some will be turned off from its slow pacing and the flatlined deadpan humor. But for those looking for an Alexander Payne movie, then well, look no further. If you like any of Payne's other movies (there's one for everyone), I would definitely recommend Nebraska. Despite it's flaws, it's probably somewhere on my best of 2013 list. But we'll have to see.

Something tells me that this is one movie that's gonna grow on me.

9.3/10

INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS - (Advance) Review

NOTE: I saw this movie the other night because I got tickets to a preview screening. The film still has a few weeks before release.

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Inside Llewyn Davis

Drama/Dark Comedy, 2013
1 hour, 45 minutes
Written and Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen
Rated R for "language including some sexual references"
Limited Release on December 6th, 2013
Wide Release on December 20th, 2013

Starring
Oscar Isaac
Carey Mulligan
John Goodman
Garrett Hedlund
Justin Timberlake
Stark Sands
F. Murray Abraham
Adam Driver
Ethan Phillips
Max Casella

"Folk songs... thought you said you were a musician."

Joel and Ethan Coen have made a career out of strange characters. Many of these characters find themselves under unusual and mysterious circumstances. This is the beauty of Inside Llewyn Davis. Much like A Serious Man, it isn't really about anything. If anything, it's about less. It's ordinary. It's a character study, and it's a damn good one at that. While some may be turned off by its heavy focus on folk music and lack of plot, it's certainly not a movie to be missed.
As I said before, Inside Llewyn Davis doesn't have much of a plot, but it's still a great story. Set in the early 60s, the film follows Llewyn Davis, a poor, down on his luck folk singer just trying to get by on his music. Did I mention that he's down on his luck? The movie is kind of a downer. Nothing at all goes right for Llewyn. Nothing at all. He's not the most likable guy. He doesn't even live anywhere, he just crashes on any couch that he can. He plays at the same venues when he can. He's not even the most likable guy. He's very critical of others, even if they've done nothing wrong. And yet, he's extremely sympathetic. We want him to succeed, and even when it looks like he's about to, he fails. It's just one failure after another.
I think the beauty of the character Llewyn Davis is that he feels like the most human character the Coens have ever written. Take a look at the iconic Coen characters throughout the years: The Dude is a pot smoking human paraquat and his best friend is an angry Jewish Vietnam war obsessed bowler who knows a guy who can get you a toe by 3 o'clock. Anton Chigurh is a hitman who likes to kill people based on the toss of a coin, and he does some other sadistic shit. Everyone in A Serious Man is basically a stereotypical Jewish caricature. Everyone in Fargo has a funny accent. But Llewyn Davis isn't a caricature. Some of the characters around him might be, but he certainly isn't. He doesn't have any absurd quirks. He feels like a real human being who makes some bad decisions and bad shit happens to him. He could be a caricature of a struggling musician, but he's not crazy. He's not over the top. He's not ridiculous. Llewyn Davis is human. Everyone else around him is a bit unusual, in typical Coen brothers fashion. But Davis himself almost seems aware of how insane those around him really are. But Davis isn't insane. He's incredibly human and real and honest and lifelike. And that might just make him the best character that the Coens have ever created. The film even feels very distinctly Coen brothers. If nobody told you it was them, you could spot their style a mile away.
The performances are all around stellar. John Goodman has some great scene stealing moments, despite his limited screen time. Carey Mulligan is hilarious as a feisty foul-mouthed ex-lover of Llewyn's. Even some of the smaller characters, like Goodman's valet played by Garret Hedlund or Davis' agent named Mel, who don't do a lot, are just hilarious to watch. Every scene is full of excellent and witty dialogue. The movie is more of a dark comedy, but it doesn't quite travel that far into the darkness. The movie might as well be titled "Llewyn Davis and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day." For the most part, the humor feels very natural, although I found the audience laughing quite a bit at some of the stuff that wasn't really funny at all... which bothered me. But I suppose humor is subjective.
If you like folk music, you'll absolutely love this movie. The music is raw and honest. The singing is beautiful, the best soundtrack from any Coen film since O Brother, Where Art Thou? Isaac is a fantastic singer, and he completely absorbs you in his music. Carey Mulligan and Justin Timberlake can also carry a tune, even if they only have like two songs between them. It's an exceptional soundtrack which I highly recommend checking out.
Inside Llewyn Davis is easily one of the best Coen brothers films. It's a fantastic character study with well written dialogue, gorgeous cinematography/lighting, and a beautiful soundtrack. As of right now, it stands as the best film of the year thus far.

10/10

MOVIE OF THE WEEK - November 17th, 2013

OKAY so I want to try something called MOVIE OF THE WEEK. Back when I started writing this blog, I talked about some movies that weren't current, just stuff that I liked. Then I just focused on new stuff in theaters. I do feel like sometimes I should talk about older movies in some capacity, so I'm starting this new thing with a boring name called MOVIE OF THE WEEK which for some reason is in all caps. Beats me. But it's just a thing where I talk BRIEFLY about these movies because I don't really want to put a ton of energy into writing these. I'm mostly doing it as a recommendation kind of thing. A quick couple of paragraphs with my rating on the bottom, and then you can see for yourself if you like it or not. I dunno. Maybe, maybe not. Just go with me on this.

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The Night of the Hunter 

Noir/Thriller, 1955
1 hour, 33 minutes
Produced by Paul Gregory
Written by James Agee and Charles Laughton
Based on the novel The Night of the Hunter by Davis Grubb
Directed by Charles Laughton

Starring
Robert Mitchum
Billy Chapin
Sally Jane Bruce
Shelley Winters
Lillian Gish

"A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit. Neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Wherefore by their fruits, ye shall know them."

The Night of the Hunter wasn't too popular in its initial release, but has since gained a huge following as one of the best thrillers ever made. It's certainly one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen, shot by Stanley Cortez. Some people think black and white films are boring, but for what you lose with lack of color you make up for in stark contrast and shadows. Sure, you can have contrast and shadow in a color film, but it doesn't achieve quite the same effect. Really, it's incredibly beautiful, and often terrifying.
The Night of the Hunter is about a mysterious traveling preacher named Harry Powell. Powell one day discovers that a small fortune is hidden at a household in a small town. The home belongs to the Harper family. The money was stolen by Mr. Harper and given to his son, John, to keep hidden. So when Powell arrives at the Harper household, little John must do everything he can to keep the money away from Powell. Eventually, shit kind of hits the fan, and it's really quite a compelling story.
The performances are all quite excellent. Mitchum steals the show as Powell, and little Billy Chapin does a pretty good job as John. Like I said before, the camera work and shot composition is incredible. My only real complaint is that it has a bit too much of a classic Hollywood feel. In particular the ending, which was left on a note that was far to cheery for my taste. Especially for a movie like this. Otherwise, I loved it.

9.8/10

If anyone is interested in checking this movie out, I recommend finding the Criterion Collection's release of the film. It's presented in its native aspect ratio of 1.66:1 (or 1.77:1 for the Blu-Ray release, no significant difference) instead of MGM DVD's 1.33:1 aspect ratio. 1.33:1 is a full screen ratio, whereas Criterion's aspect ratios boast a wide screen presentation.
I realize that only a few people might know what I'm talking about, but just roll with me on this and trust me. It'll look much better in a wider screen format.
Just trust me.

CAPTAIN PHILLIPS - Review

Captain Phillips

Thriller, 2013
2 hours, 14 minutes
Written by Billy Ray
Directed by Paul Greengrass
Rated PG-13 for "sustained intense sequences of menace, some violence with bloody images, and for substance use."

Starring
Tom Hanks
Barkhad Abdi
Barkhad Abdirahman
Faysal Ahmed
Mahat M. Ali
Michael Chernus
Corey Johnson
David Warshofsky
Catherine Keener

"I am the captain now."

I really liked Captain Phillips. I know there was some controversy over whether Phillips was actually a dick or not, but even so, it's an interesting story. It's really intense and went to places that I never expected it to. It's a very well made film that is definitely one of Tom Hanks' best movies.
So the movie is about Somali pirates taking over a freighter ship captained by Phillips and he's taken hostage at one point. It's a really intense story, well directed by Paul Greengrass of The Bourne Ultimatum fame. The movie is well shot and edited, and the score by Henry Jackman is pretty good.
The whole movie is very tense. It starts as soon as the first pirate ships appear on the radar, and from there, it just doesn't stop until the end. There's almost no lull in the intensity, and that's actually quite a feat. Some films might have high intensity, then lull a bit, but Captain Phillips is just one thing right after another, and it just does. Not. Stop.
The movie is definitely going to be up for some awards this year, in particular for Hanks. Barkhad Abdi, who plays the main pirate named Muse, is sure to be a contender as well in a fantastic breakout performance. Not only him, but the rest of his crew all boasted great performances, all bringing a strange sort of humanity and sympathy to their characters. It's really quite impressive.
The only real issue is Phillips' relationship with his wife and family. It's touched on like two times but then they bring it around in the end, and while it definitely has an emotional impact, it could have been far more explosive and, well, emotional. I mean, Catherine Keener, who plays Phillips' wife, is in it for like the first five minutes of the movie and then she's just... not. Not even at the end of the film. It's weird.
Captain Phillips is definitely not short on thrills, not by a long shot. It had me tapping my foot on the floor in anticipation right up until the credits rolled. It's not a movie to be missed.

9.5/10

THOR: THE DARK WORLD - Review

Thor: The Dark World

Comic Book/Action-Adventure, 2013
1 hour, 52 minutes
Written by Christopher Yost, Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely
Directed by Alan Taylor
Rated PG-13 for "sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, and some suggestive content"

Starring
Chris Hemsworth
Tom Hiddleston
Natalie Portman
Anthony Hopkins
Idris Elba
Stellan Skarsgård
Christopher Eccleston
Adawale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
Kat Dennings
Rene Russo
Jaimie Alexander

"You must be truly desperate to come to me for help."

Thor: The Dark World is an impressive entry into Marvel's cinematic universe. It's certainly better than the first Thor film. It adds some excellent depth to the beloved characters, as well as sets up for what is sure to be an incredible third Thor movie.
The Dark World is set some time after the events of The Avengers. One of the first things we see is Loki being imprisoned by Odin, the king of Asgard. Then there are some other bad guys, who are really only bad for the sake of being bad. They're called "dark elves" and they're bad because they need a bad guy. No joke. It's one of those shitty "we want to bring darkness everywhere because we can" kind of movies. Which is quite unfortunate.
Anyway, so some predictable shit happens. Thor gets to meet Natalie Portman again at last, and then all hell breaks loose when Portman discovers something kind of evil. Then shit really hits the fan when there's an attack on Asgard and it turns into a kind of fun action fest.
But things get really interesting when Thor turns to Loki for help. It's evident in the trailer that this is happens, but it's actually well done in the movie. If I keep talking, I'll spoil stuff.
The cast is in top form this time around, considering they've all played these characters in two films previous. Tom Hiddleston one again steals the show as Loki. Hemsworth is great again as Thor, Natalie Portman is good, blah blah blah. There definitely was NOT ENOUGH IDRIS ELBA who plays the gatekeeper dude with the cool golden armor. He's a fucking badass but he doesn't nearly get as much attention as he should.
Marvel films have always been funny, but it's really pushed in The Dark World. The biggest issue is Kat Dennings' character, Darcy. It seems like she's literally just there for the sake of being funny, trying to steal the show constantly, and it's not funny. She's just annoying and it's unnecessary. It was fine in the first one, but this time around it's just too much. She's trying too hard. But otherwise, the humor flows quite nicely. It's not a constant stream of quips like The Avengers, but it's spread around quite nicely... it just would've been better overall if it weren't for Dennings just trying too hard.
Probably the biggest issue, aside from the cruddy villain and Kat Dennings is the entire fantasy world in which Thor is set. I know that it all makes sense, but I'm just not catching on. All of this stuff with portals and worlds and dimensions and eclipses and holy shit I have no idea what's going on. It can't be that complex, but the film has to clarify what's going on because, really, it's just a lot to process. It's there, but it's not as clear as it should be.
Otherwise, The Dark World is still plenty of fun. There are some great twists and turns. The visuals are great and the action scenes are intense. The post-credits scenes are fantastic and do a great job of setting up the rest of the Marvel universe, including what I can only assume is a lead-in to Guardians of the Galaxy. It looks pretty wild.

7.8/10

THE COUNSELOR - Review

The Counselor

Crime Thriller, 2013
1 hour, 54 minutes
Written by Cormac McCarthy
Directed by Ridley Scott
Rated R for "graphic violence, some grisly images, strong sexual content and language"

Starring
Michael Fassbender
Penelope Cruz
Javier Bardem
Brad Pitt
Cameron Diaz

"You may think there are things that these people are simply incapable of... there are not."

Well, I was really excited for The Counselor to come out. Then I saw the reviews for it. Only 30% of audiences liked it on rottentomatoes.com... but I'm not going to lie, I actually enjoyed myself. There are a ton of issues, but I found The Counselor to be fairly entertaining.
There are two things that The Counselor does right: acting and dialogue. The cast is pretty solid overall, especially Javier Bardem and Michael Fassbender. While the characters might be somewhat generic, neither one overdoes it. They both feel real and three-dimensional, at least for the most part. Some of the side characters like Brad Pitt and Penelope Cruz, are fine, even if their characters don't do much. Brad Pitt is basically the same guy he is in every movie and Cruz is just sexy as hell... like in everything she's in. McCarthy's dialogue is exceptionally well written and well executed. It's cohesive with the story and is ultimately one of the highlights of the movie. There's also one particular scene at the end, which does so little, but has a huge impact, big enough that we can recognize exactly what's happened without even needing to see it. You'll know what I'm talking about if you see the movie.
Unfortunately, almost everything else falls flat. The story itself has potential, but the dramatic beats seem almost out of order. There's a reveal that comes in relatively quickly that would have made for an awesome twist ending. There's some stuff that's hardly explained, but then we're just supposed to go along with it and the rest of the story revolves around these decisions. The story actually has a ton of potential, but it's just not there.
The second major thing is Cameron Diaz. She was so awful in this movie it was almost painful. The only good scene is when she fucks a car. I'm just going to say that again, she fucks a car. That's actually one of the best parts of the movie. But overall, her performance comes off as kind of like that one girl you went to high school with who doesn't realize that her dream to become an actress is really just delusions of wanting to be famous and she always just comes off phonier than Holden-fucking-Caulfield.
Except when she fucks that car.
So basically, The Counselor feels like a failed Cormac McCarthy experiment. Apparently, the dude is a cinephile and has written unpublished screenplays in the past, but he really wanted to make this one... I dunno. For a guy who doesn't like quotation marks in his books, I'm just glad that he wrote something that was at least entertaining. Because the movie does do exactly that. Even if it is a bit of a mess, I was still compelled until the end, even if the story is wobbly as hell. The trailer may make it look like a follow up to No Country for Old Men or something of that nature, but it's not. It's just a failed experiment.
But I guess I was entertained... so fuck it.

6/10

ENDER'S GAME - Review

Ender's Game

Sci-fi Action/Adventure - 2013
1 hour 54 minutes
Adapted and Directed by Gavin Hood
Based on the book Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Rated PG-13 for "some violence, sci-fi action and thematic material"

Starring
Asa Butterfield
Harrison Ford
Hailee Steinfeld
Ben Kingsley
Viola Davis
Abigail Breslin
Moises Arias
Aramis Knight
Nonso Anozie

"You'll be the finest commander we've ever trained."

I've never read Ender's Game, so I went into this movie completely blind as to what the hell was going on. All I really knew about it was that there's an impending alien invasion, a kid, and Han Solo going by some weird alias. I really had no idea what to expect, and based on the trailers, I still didn't know jack shit.
Turns out, Ender's Game was pretty badass. The special effects were awesome, the visuals overall were great, and the acting was surprisingly good for a big blockbuster action flick. Especially since it's mostly carried by kids. And Han Solo. There are plenty of interesting twists and turns abound, and they really don't stop coming at you until the credits roll. You're constantly kept on your toes.
Usually, big budget blockbusters have plenty of decent performances, but nothing groundbreaking. Ender's Game is quite the opposite. Asa Butterfield (of Hugo fame) and Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) do an excellent job as kid geniuses doing space stuff. Butterfield really carries most of the movie, except when Han Solo is onscreen. Solo has aged a bit, obviously, but his acting chops certainly haven't.
My only real complaint about the movie is this one subplot that doesn't seem to quite hit its emotional mark that it's trying so hard to make. I don't want to go into exactly what it is, but from what I understand, it's an important subplot in the book. This apparent subplot is important for the characters and their motivations, but the movie doesn't have it... so this character's presence falls flat and feels unimportant to the story as a whole. In addition to this, there were a couple of emotional beats that didn't quite connect fully with the story. I wouldn't blame this on the actors, but more on the writing and construction of these scenes. I can't really discuss them without giving too much away, but what can I say?
Overall, Ender's Game will either be good or bad, depending on whether you like the books or not. I've heard mixed things on it, but I certainly enjoyed it. If you like high-concept science fiction, Ender's Game is not to be missed... especially after flops like Man of Steel  and Elysium, we could use some good blockbusters this year. Ender's Game definitely delivers.

9/10

ALL IS LOST - Review

All Is Lost

Survival Drama, 2013
1 hour, 40 minutes
Written and Directed by J.C. Chandor
Rated PG-13 for "brief strong language"

Starring
Robert Redford



All Is Lost is an excellent lesson in minimalism. In its sets, in its acting, in its visuals, everything about it is simple. With the exception of a monologue to open the film, Redford speaks hardly 30 words throughout the whole movie. There is no one else in the whole movie. Not another soul. Just a man, the sea, and his boat.
The trouble begins one day when Redford, a nameless man on his yacht, finds water in his boat. Upon investigation, he discovers that a shipping container has crashed into the side of his boat. Sounds a lot worse than it is, but this is just the beginning of the man's troubles. Soon a storm hits, and, well, you can take a guess as to what happens next. The entire film is just Redford trying to survive the deep blue sea. He can't catch a break. It's a real nail-biter.
The score, cinematography, and visual effects are spectacular. It's all simplistic
The most minimalistic feature of All is Lost is Redford's character. We don't know anything about him. What's his name? Is he married? Any kids? Job? Age? Rich? Poor? What is he doing on his boat in the first place? The only thing that we really know about him is that he has a boat and he's just trying to survive. This is what makes All is Lost so great. We don't care about who this guy is, only that he survives. He's instantly relatable because he's just some guy. Then again, he's the only guy, which helps us sympathize with him further. Redford completely captures the essence of this nameless man. His entire performance comes from his body and his facial expressions, and he totally nails it.
There's nothing totally insane that happens. No crazy Life of Pi style shit. Just a man trying to survive. And it moves at a surprisingly fast speed. By the time the movie had ended, I was a little shocked that an hour and 40 minutes had just zipped past. It felt like nothing at all. But it was worth every second. It's hugely entertaining, and is sure to pick up some awards.

9.6/10

PRISONERS - Review

Prisoners

Mystery/Thriller, 2013
2 hours 33 minutes
Written by Aaron Guzikowski
Directed by Denis Villeneuve
Rated R for "disturbing violent content including torture, and language throughout"

Starring
Hugh Jackman
Jake Gyllenhaal
Viola Davis
Terrence Howard
Maria Bello
Paul Dano
Melissa Leo
David Dastmalchain

"Be prepared for the worst, but hope for the best."


Prisoners is pretty fucked up. It's the kind of movie that stays with you long after you've left the theater. It's a tightly written mystery that, despite having a lengthly run-time of 2 1/2 hours, it never slows down.
The film takes place in an ordinary town with an ordinary family. Wolverine plays the central character, a somewhat religious and somewhat overly-cautious father to his older son and young daughter. One day, Wolverine's daughter, along with Terrance Howard's daughter, gets kidnapped. They search high and low, but to no avail. The investigation is headed by Detective Loki (not the bad guy from The Avengers) played by Jake Gyllenhaal. And so it turns into a typical mystery-thriller kind of movie... except Wolverine kidnaps the prime suspect, a mentally challenged man named Alex and tortures him for information. Information which Alex is incapable of giving him.
The film is basically two intersecting stories: Wolverine's morality tale of this kidnapping and his personal investigation, and the detective's actual investigation. The stories obviously intersect and are both equally interesting. And, strangely enough, the whole film feels necessary. There are plenty of interesting, tense, and terrifying twists and turns. I really can't say too much else without giving anything away, but the final moments of the film are really quite incredible.
The performances are excellent, even from it's supporting cast. The movie is full of A-listers, and everybody delivers fantastic performances. It's beautifully shot, intensely edited, and the score is quite haunting.
Really, I don't have a ton to say other than it's most likely on my top 10 list for the year. An excellent movie, but not at all for the faint of heart.

9.6/10

12 YEARS A SLAVE - Review

12 Years a Slave

Historical Drama, 2013
2 hours, 13 minutes
Written by John Ridley
Directed by Steve McQueen
Rated R for "violence/cruelty, some nudity, and brief sexuality"

Starring
Chiwetel Ejiofor
Michael Fassbender
Lupita Nyong'o
Brad Pitt
Sarah Paulson
Benedict Cumberbatch
Paul Dano
Paul Giamatti


"I don't want to survive. I want to live."


As the credits rolled and the lights came up, I found myself unable to compose myself. I could not stand. I could not breathe. My stomach and chest were tingling. I had to sit for a couple of minutes before I could stand and wipe the tears running down my face.
12 Years a Slave is nothing short of a masterpiece. It is, without question, the best film of the year thus far. There are so many aspects that make this film so perfect. Everything, ranging from the performances right down to the subtle execution of the sound design.
12 Years a Slave is the true story of Solomon Northrup, a free black man living with a loving family in New York. He is an exceptionally well-educated man and an accomplished violinist. He cares deeply for his family. One day, he is kidnapped and sold into slavery. From there, he spends 12 years working for various slave owners before he is freed. It's truly an incredible story.
The performances are remarkable. Comprised of a mostly European cast led by Chiwetel Ejiofor and Michael Fassbender, pretty much anyone in this film could win an award for their acting. The cast is surprisingly star-studded. Brad Pitt, Paul Giamatti, Paul Dano, and Benedict Cumberbatch have smaller, but important roles in the film. And they're all fantastic. There's so much more that I can say about the acting in this film, but I don't have the patience, or the words, to express how I feel.
It's also insanely brutal. There's whipping, beating, choking, hanging, stabbing, and a whole lot of despair. The sound of the whips actually made me physically wince to the rhythm of the crack, something that's never happened before. I cried more than once. I wept at the end. No other movie has made me cry more than once. There has been a comparison to Schindler's List in it's accurate portrayal of persecution of a group of people. By many, it's been called the Schindler's List of films about slavery. And they're not wrong. Not only is it incredibly accurate and difficult to watch, but it's also incredibly well made in almost every single facet.
I've spent too much time already talking about this. I don't know what else I'm supposed to say at this point. I just don't have all of the words. Just please, please see this movie. If you have to see any movie this year, it's 12 Years a Slave. I still have a few movies I have to see before the year is up, but right now, this stands at #1. This film will not be easily forgotten. It's an incredible accomplishment in filmmaking and deserves to be called one of the finest films ever made.

10/10



*EDIT: Just added a couple of comments at the bottom that I forgot to put in there.

GRAVITY - Review

Gravity

Thriller, 2013
1 hour, 30 minutes
Written by Jonas Cuarón & Alfonso Cuarón
Directed by Alfonso Cuarón
Rated PG-13 for "intense perilous sequences, some disturbing images and brief strong language."

Starring
Sandra Bullock
George Clooney
Ed Harris


"Houston, I have a bad feeling about this mission."


I will never watch Gravity ever again for as long as I live. Once was enough. I was having a fucking anxiety attack for about 75% of the movie, and it's only like 90 minutes long.
I'm not saying I disliked Gravity. In fact, I think it's one of the best films of 2013. 
Gravity's premise is simple: space debris destroys a space station, which sends Sandra Bullock and George Clooney on a desperate run to safety. And in it's simplicity, we get a solid 90 minutes of heart-pounding and anxiety inducing tension. This is definitely more of a thriller than anything else, even though the only real villain is, well, gravity. Or lack thereof.
Gravity is an impressive technical feat. Remember how everyone was really impressed with Avatar? Yeah, fuck that. I've never in my life seen better use of 3D, which is undoubtedly worth the price-tag for this film. The visual effects are beautiful. The soundtrack is terrifying. Even the sound is designed to feel like you're hearing everything happen from inside the space-suits. Cuarón's usual long-take shenanigans really add a lot to the visuals, there ain't no shaky-cam here. If I'm not mistaken, the first shot in the film runs somewhere over the 12 minute mark before the first cut. That's fucking unheard of. And really, really impressive. I'm not joking when I say this is film is basically guaranteed to win a fuck-ton of technical awards for pretty much every kind of technical award that such a film can win.
It's lighter on dialogue than most films, but that's fine. Not a word is wasted. The writing isn't groundbreaking, but it doesn't need to be. It's concise and does exactly what it needs to do. Even when the characters are just chatting in between the tension, it doesn't feel wasted. We get a reasonable sense of who these people are, which is amazing, considering all of the special effects constantly happening.
Gravity comes with my highest recommendation. I'm not quite sure if it's better than Children of Men, but right now, it's one of the best films of the year, easily in my top 10 for right now. It will leave you breathless, and by the end of the film, you'll feel your heart beating through your fucking chest.
No movie has ever made me feel quite like this. No movie has ever caused me to have a near-full blown panic attack. And I've seen a lot of movies. Like, a LOT of movies. Gravity did something that none of those movies could do, and getting me to that point of anxiety is impressive.

On a side-note, I DO recommend seeing it in 3D. If you can't handle the headaches or don't want to pay the price-tag, I won't judge. But you don't want to ignore the 3D for Gravity. At least consider it.

9.7/10

CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2 Review - it's like an animated jurassic park. with food.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2

Animated, 2013
1 hour, 35 minutes
Written by John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein, and Erica Rivinoja
Directed by Cody Cameron and Kris Pearn
Rated PG for "mild, rude humor"

Starring
Bill Hader
Anna Faris
James Caan
Will Forte
Andy Samberg
Terry Crews
Kristen Schaal
Benjamin Bratt
Neil Patrick Harris




I don't watch many kids movies other than whatever Disney puts out. Because let's face it, Most of those other Dreamworks movies are far too deep in the kids movie range. Disney and Pixar films are so finely crafted, they don't bullshit, and there are plenty of jokes for adults. They're fantastic.
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs is a great movie on it's own. Strong voice acting and fun animation make for a fun movie for all ages. It's a great adaptation of the kids book, despite taking a very different direction with the story, but hey, it's a movie.
Cloudy 2 was definitely made with the intention of "hey we made a fortune on this and people liked it, let's do another one!" And it works. Despite following some very familiar story and character tropes, I found it to be quite enjoyable. Careful watchers will see that Cloudy 2 has taken a few notes from Jurassic Park, and there are a few great adult jokes (in particular, a device that's called a BS USB, which had me cracking up).

However, the best part of the movie is the puns. Holy shit, so many puns. All food puns. They're amazing. So many I don't even know where to start, but they're all fantastic, and they add a ton to the movie.

The voice work is top notch. All of the original cast, except for Mr. T, returns for the sequel. It's all the same characters in all of their absurd quirky selves.
The only thing that doesn't work quite as well are some of the themes. There's a whole bit about abandoning your friends, but it just doesn't have quite as much payoff as you'd expect it to. Not in terms of story, because it's not like it just happens, but as far as just storytelling goes, it just doesn't work as well as it should. On top of that, it's just far too predictable, but then again, most kids movies are.
And that's okay.

So if you like punny movies and Jurassic Park, then you'll probably get a kick out of this.
It should also be noted that there is an adorable little strawberry thing named Barry and he's adorable as fuck. Like, Jesus. I want a little toy outta that guy he's so cute. I can't even... Jeez. You know how girls get when they see small mammals? JUST LOOK AT THAT FUCKING ANIMATED STRAWBERRY!!!

Just look at that fucking cute face. SHIT I can't take how adorable he is. He's a fucking animated strawberry with giant animated eyes. Fuck. I can't handle this. I can't. I'm outta here.

Just see the movie, it's great. Not really on my top 10 of the year, but still pretty great.
9/10

RUSH - Review

Rush

Sports Drama, 2013
2 hours, 2 minutes
Written by Peter Morgan
Directed by Ron Howard
Rated R for "sexual content, nudity, language, some disturbing images and brief drug use."


Starring
Chris Hemsworth
Daniel Brühl
Olivia Wilde
Alexandra Maria Lara
Christian McKay
Natalie Dormer
Pierfrancesco Favio



I don't know a lot about Formula One racing, but I've watched a couple of movies about it. I feel as if I were to watch Formula One in real life, I'd be bored out of my fucking mind.
Thank God Rush isn't boring. It isn't quite the best movie I've seen this year, but it's definitely a good one.
For those who don't know, Rush is the true story about two racers, James Hunt and Niki Lauda, and their intense rivalry as racers. They're both fairly interesting guys, both of them very skilled racers, yet they're both polar opposites. Hunt is a regular playboy, picking up various women and finding no happiness in his sexual exploits. Lauda, on the other hand, is more focused on his cars than he is women... that is, until the right one comes along, of course.
Their story begins one day during a Formula Three race (Formula Three, from what I understand, is just a lower tier of Formula racing) in which Hunt takes the win, just barely, out of Lauda's hands. From that moment on, the two of them become fierce rivals. Both of them make their way into the prestigious Formula One league, and they both are incredible racers. Then, one day, Lauda's car crashes, and receives severe burns on his face which horribly disfiguring him. This further builds the tension between the two of them.
Both lead actors are excellent in their roles. It's easily Chris Hemsworth's finest role to date, definitely better than he is as Thor. I got nothing against Thor, but yeah. It's better. Daniel Brühl, most known for his performance as the Nazi who fucks everything up in that bar scene in Inglorious Basterds. He's wonderful as Lauda, expertly capturing the emotionally and physically tortured man. The cinematography is great. The use of color, as well as the shot composition, is great. The racing scenes are tightly shot and edited, and the visual style adds a lot to the film.
The film seemed a bit long at times, but it also was frustrating because half the time, you have no idea who to root for. The protagonist/antagonist relationship is constantly shifting. Lauda will do something shitty, making Hunt look like a good guy. Then Hunt does something kinda douchy and make Lauda look like a good guy. It's kind of strange, seeing as there's no firm antagonist despite the fact that the film seems to set one up.
Overall, its a solid movie. It might be one of Ron Howard's better movies, but it's not amazing.

8/10

ELYSIUM - Review

Elysium

Sci-Fi/Action, 2013
1 hour, 49 minutes
Written and Directed by Neill Blomkamp
Rated R for "strong bloody violence and language throughout"

Starring
Matt Damon
Jodie Foster
Sharlto Copley
Diego Luna
William Fichtner
Alice Braga
Wagner Moura



God. Fucking. Damnit.
Remember District 9 and how FUCKING AMAZING that movie was? Not only was it an incredible modern day science fiction masterpiece, but it was made on a shockingly small budget for a film of that caliber. It boasted a strong performance from newcomer Sharlto Copley, impressive special effects, a beautifully and fully realized alternative present day South Africa. Not to mention, the film is textbook hero's journey, not just in a storytelling sense, but in a very literal sense of "character transformation."
And it was all thanks to writer/director Neill Blomkamp.
So you can imagine how excited I was to hear about Elysium, Blomkamp's first followup to District 9. Matt Damon wearing a badass exoskeleton suit toting a fucking huge rifle that reads CHEM-RAIL on the side (whatever the fuck that means) looked pretty sweet. The trailer is still pretty awesome. So was the set up.
Unfortunately, Elysium isn't all it's cracked up to be. Despite promising high concept science fiction, its execution and story structure falls a little flat. There are plenty of very exciting moments and the action is intense and (mostly) great, but the whole movie comes down to one really absurd plot-hole.
So basically, what you can deduce from the trailer, its about a cancer-stricken Matt Damon who needs to get cured by going to Elysium, a space structure in space. For rich people. And up on Elysium they have these things that can cure cancer and pretty much anything wrong with someone. It fixes people in literally seconds. But it's only for the RICH people.
People back on earth don't have this technology, despite the fact that they need it more than ever. And these people on Elysium are filthy fucking rich, so they could afford healthcare if they were even back on earth. So why aren't these pods on earth? There's no real explanation other than "rich people are assholes." And that's a HUGE driving point of the movie! Really kinda ruined it for me.
But, plot-wise there was a nice curveball that took the film in a direction that I didn't see coming. I don't want to give it away, but basically, it gives Matt Damon the opportunity, if played correctly, to change the course of human history for the better. It's pretty cool and was naturally integrated into the story, so that was a nice touch.
So despite a MASSIVE logic plot-hole and some spotty storytelling, Elysium isn't really that bad. It has some redeeming qualities, namely the performances (especially from Copley) and its GORGEOUS visuals, Elysium is far from perfect. It had lots of potential and I got really excited for it so whatever. It is what it is. Still worth a watch, I think.

7/10

ONLY GOD FORGIVES - Review

Only God Forgives

Crime/Drama, 2013
1 hour, 30 minutes
Written and Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn
Rated R

Starring
Ryan Gosling
Vithaya Pansringarm
Kristin Scott Thomas

"Wanna fight?"

Nicholas Winding Refn is known for his stylish and cerebral sense of filmmaking. His big hit, Drive, starring everyone's favorite Ryan Gosling, was something we had never seen. Gripping story, tense action, and pretty much awesome everything, Only God Forgives looked like a spiritual sequel.
It isn't.
Honestly, it's just Nicolas Winding Refn jerking himself off. I've seen a couple of his other movies, like Drive and Valhalla Rising. Yes, they've visually beautiful and minimal on story and dialogue, but this takes it to a whole new level. Like, an annoying level. I really wanted to see something cool here, but there wasn't anything as far as story goes. It's basically a revenge story. Gosling's brother goes batshit crazy for literally no reason whatsoever, and he gets himself killed. So Gosling has to take revenge on the guys who killed his piece-of-shit brother. Gosling's mother gets involved, and then it turns into this fucking crazy Oedipus complex stuff which is kind of weird. But whatever.
So basically the movie is just really slow. Lots of slow walking down long hallways, lots of foreshadowing. It's just slow as hell. It clocks in at a short 90 minutes but feels like 180. There are a few cool scenes. The action is solid and sweet, in particular a really cool fight with Gosling and the bad guy whose name I can't remember. It's easily the highlight of the movie. There's no quick cuts or shaky camerawork. It's a few punches at a single angle, then a cut to another angle with a few more punches, but you actually get to see ALL of the action.
But yeah, overall, the movie is just kind of empty. I didn't feel much exiting the theater, but it looked like it could've been a crazy kind of spiritual sequel to Drive. It isn't. That being said, I didn't completely hate it, so that's something, right?
Also at one point, Gosling gets angry and screams REALLY loudly and his voice gets high pitched and its fucking hilarious. So there's that too.

6/10

PACIFIC RIM - Review

Pacific Rim 

Action/Sci-Fi, 2013
2 hours, 12 minutes
Written by Travis Beacham and Guillermo del Toro
Directed by Guillermo del Toro
Rated PG-13

Starring
Charlie Hunnam
Idris Elba
Rinko Kikuchi
Charlie Day
Ron Perlman
Robert Kazinsky
Max Martini


It seems like people like giant robots. The Transformers movies, no matter how awful, gross a fuck-ton of money without fail. But the Transformers movies, last time I checked, kinda suck. Critics don't like them and for the most part it seems as though moviegoers don't like them much either.
So... why isn't anyone going to see Pacific Rim? It's got giant robots fighting giant monsters. Isn't this what the people want? Maybe even a little bit? I know it's been out for a few weeks (because I've been neglecting to write reviews of any sort) but I mean it when I say that this movie deserves your money.
Everything nowadays is a sequel or adaptation. While Pacific Rim may take strong influences from classic monster and giant robot movies, it's surprisingly original. It's got a clever premise and, strong performances, and GORGEOUS visual effects, both practical effects and CGI. The writing itself, the dialogue, is a little cheesy at times, but it's fairly excusable.
So what's a monsters vs. robots movie about? Well, giant monsters called Kaiju burst out of a rift in the Pacific ocean and come and destroy everything in sight. So what do the humans do? Build MASSIVE robots called Jaegers to fight the monster threat. The but no matter how many Kaiju are killed, they keep on coming. Set in 2020, the Kaiju are becoming more powerful, and there are only a handful of operating Jaegers left. The situation has become quite dire. The film itself takes place not at the beginning of the Kaiju threat, but at the end of it. The Jaeger pilots make a desperate run to seal the rift.
While the storytelling is fairly good, the only thing that really holds this back is its writing. Some of the sub-plot points are weak and predictable. Some of the dialogue is kind of cheesy, but it doesn't hold back the movie as a whole.
There isn't a ton else that I have to say about Pacific Rim. It's an excellent summer blockbuster, much better than anything else out as of this moment. If you're looking for anything action-y, don't see Red 2 or RIPD, go see Pacific Rim.
Please do, it's worth your money.

9/10

THE WAY, WAY BACK - Review

The Way, Way Back

Comedy/Drama, 2013
1 hour, 43 minutes
Written and Directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash
Rated PG-13

Starring
Sam Rockwell
Liam James
Steve Carell
Toni Colette
Allison Janney
AnnaSophia Robb
Maya Rudolph
Jim Rash
Nat Faxon

"Who is this in his awkward glory?"

Written and directed by the Oscar winning team of Nat Faxon and Jim Rash (the Dean from Community), The Way, Way Back had some pretty high expectations from me. I set the bar pretty high, and for the most part, I was happy with the results.
The movie is about an awkward teenager who gets dragged along to a summer home belonging to his mother's douchebag boyfriend played by Steve Carell. This kid, Duncan, is awkward as hell and it's actually pretty great. Anyway, he goes to the waterpark one day and meets the park's owner, played by the always fantastic Sam Rockwell. The two become fast friends, and then shit happens.
Although the script is pretty sharp, I was most impressed by the performances. Carell is a major douche. Like, Five-Star General Douche. Fucking hated his guts. That shit took skill. Sam Rockwell is, once again, in top form. I've seen not-so-great movies that star Sam Rockwell, but I've never seen him give a bad performance. He's excellent in everything, and this is no exception. Allison Janney practically steals the show as the bawdy neighbor who'll crack you up. But the real star here is Liam James, the awkward-as-hell 14 year old kid who's stuck in the middle of it all. He absolutely nails it in pretty much every way you can think of.
There isn't a ton that I disliked about the movie. It takes a while to get to the water park and sometimes it feels slow despite being a relatively short movie. Some of the events are predictable, but the ending is quite strong.
Overall, I enjoyed The Way, Way Back. It's funny and lovably awkward, and definitely deserves to be seen.

9.1/10

DESPICABLE ME 2 - Review

Despicable Me 2

Animation, 2013
1 hour, 38 minutes
Written by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio
Directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud
Rated PG

Starring
Steve Carell
Kristen Wiig
Benjamin Bratt
Miranda Cosgrove
Russell Brand
Steve Coogan
Ken Jeong



I was never really a big fan of Despicable Me. Surprisingly, a lot of people find this hard to believe. The concept was kind of interesting, but it was too... slap-sticky for my taste. You know, kid stuff. The only non-Pixar CG movie that I like is How to Train Your Dragon. That was original. Different. If you had told me that it was made by Pixar I would've believed you.
But not Despicable Me 2. Yeah, the voice work is fine and the animation is colorful and there was one moment in particular that had me laughing pretty hard. But otherwise, I just didn't care. Kids will definitely get a kick out of it, but there isn't a ton for adults.
And don't get me started on those minions. They're good for marketing, but they actually have an important role in the movie. Which is annoying because for the most part they drive me insane.
But let's be real. It's pretty creative. Some of the stuff they come up with is kinda clever... that being I just didn't like it. I hate when I walk out of a movie and say that I disliked it without having any good reason. It just isn't the kind of movie that I care about, and that's just how it is.

I swear to god I have nothing else to say. Other than good voice acting and solid animation, I just didn't really care for it. Personal preference or whatever.

4/10

The 365 Day Movie Challenge - The Second 100

I'm assuming that the very few of you who read this blog know about my 365 Day Movie Challenge, which needs literally no explanation. So long story short, I just wrapped up watching my 200th movie of the year. After the first 100 milestone, I updated you on the top 5 movies that I watched in those first 100 days. So now that 200 movies have passed, I'm going to update you on the SECOND 100, meaning not the 200 as a whole but going all the way from 101-200. So lets get started with #5.


5. Dead Man 
If you know anything about writer/director Jim Jarmusch, you know he's a weird guy. He's one of the few filmmakers that makes artsy movies that I actually enjoy, mostly because they're very coherent. Dead Man didn't really stun me at first, but once it picked up steam, I fell in love with it. Not to mention, it has one of the most beautiful endings in any movie I've ever seen.

4. Before Midnight
I enjoyed both Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, when the relationship between the two characters was at an early stage, but Before Midnight blew them both completely out of the water. In particular, the final scene (which is like 30 minutes or something like that) is so incredibly well written that you'd think that it was all happening in real life right in front of your eyes.

3. Paper Moon
I don't really have a lot to say about Paper Moon. It's funny, heartwarming, and tense. It's well written and well shot. Tatum O'Neal is the youngest person in history to win an Oscar for her supporting role in the film, and shit does she nail it! If you like, well, any kind of movies, I highly recommend it. It's not like there's any single thing that really sold it for me, this movie is just the whole package.

2. Night on Earth
I went into Night On Earth completely blind other than reading the back of the box. It quickly became one of my favorites. Long story short, it's about five different cab rides in five different parts of the world, all taking place on the same night. The film takes the viewer to New York, LA, Helsinki, Rome, and Paris. The screenplay was written in 8 days by Jim Jarmusch, and each scene is incredibly well written. The conversation is spectacular and engaging. Personally, I enjoyed the New York segment the most, starring a very young Giancarlo Esposito (yes, that is Gus from Breaking Bad) and he's fucking fantastic.

1. Mud
The third film by writer/director Jeff Nichols, Mud is easily one of the most incredible coming-of-age stories I've ever witnessed. It probably isn't as insane as the trailer makes it out to be, but that being said, this is a movie that should absolutely not be missed for any reason. Sure, it's a wee bit long, but it plays out like some kind of great American novel. It's currently my #1 movie of 2013. Last time I checked it's playing at the Wilmette Theater. Do yourself a favor and go see it.

MONSTER'S UNIVERSITY - In which Pixar is staring to show it's age... (Review)

Monsters University

Pixar, 2013

1 hour 44 minutes

Written by Daniel Gerson, Robert L. Baird, and Dan Scanlon

Directed by Dan Scanlon

Rated G

Starring

Billy Crystal

John Goodman

Helen Mirren

Charlie Day

Joel Murray

Peter Sohn

Nathan Fillon

Aubrey Plaza

I've been saying that Pixar should stop with the sequels for a while, but at least Monsters University is good. That being said, it ranks pretty low on the scale of Pixar movies. But don't worry, it's better than the Cars movies.
Monsters U is a prequel to Monsters Inc. in which Mike and Sully both meet each other at the esteemed university. There's typical college shenanigans, some of which are pretty good. Then there's this scaring competition that they need to complete and they join up with a kind of dorky fraternity that nobody likes, and lots of it feels very typical. One of the movie's strongest points is the voice cast. There are lots of names that you'd never expect to be in this. One of my personal favorites is Charlie Day, who plays a stoner-like philosophy major in the fraternity. What's even better is that his character is basically Charlie from It's Always Sunny. 
But I have to say that my favorite part of the movie was the final act, which actually takes a bit of an interesting turn. I was pleasantly surprised at how heartfelt it was, and it makes you love Mike and Sully even more.
So Monsters U is good, but not great. Definitely lower on the Pixar totem pole, but that's OK. We just need to get some original content up in here. Make it happen, Pixar.

8/10