Monday, December 28, 2015

The Hateful Eight - Review


The Hateful Eight

Director Quentin Tarantino once again delves into the western genre (to some degree) approximately 8 years after his pre-civil war story in “Django Unchained” film with a post-civil war story called “The Hateful Eight”. 

In "The Hateful Eight," a lone and totally isolate stagecoach is moving as fast as it can through the bitter cold and wintry landscape of Wyoming. Inside we discover there are two passengers; one is the bounty hunter named John Ruth aka “The Hangman” (Kurt Russell) and his filthy looking and murderous fugitive Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh). They are racing towards the WY town of Red Rock where Ruth is bringing Domergue to justice.

Along the same wintry mountainous road, they come across two strangers: First Major Marquis Warren (Samuel Jackson), a black former union soldier turned infamous bounty hunter whose horse had died and shortly later the second stranger Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins) a southern renegade who claims to be Red Rock’s new Sheriff whose horse has oddly died as well. 

Together they all four ride the now cramp stage coach in what they hope is the warm stopover called “Minnie's Haberdashery” which is located high up on a mountain pass on their way to Red Rock. When all the principles eventually arrive at Minnie's, they are greeted not by Minnie the proprietor but by four unfamiliar faces. One named Bob aka “The Mexican” (Demian Bichir) who is taking care of Minnie's establishment while she’s visiting her mother; an erudite sort of character named Oswaldo Mobray (Tim Roth) who establishes himself as the actual employed hangman of Red Rock; a moody cow-puncher named Joe Gage (Michael Madsen) who is writing a novel about himself and finally a gray hired grizzly former Confederate General named Sanford Smithers (Dern) who makes it clear he hates anyone affiliated with the Union Army and “Ns” aka African Americans.  

As all of the mysterious figures settle in for the harsh and cold night from the blizzard snow storm these eight travelers soon come to learn there is secret someone is keeping that may not allow some if not all of them to make it to Red Rock after all. 

MY OBSERVATIONS: I went in to this movie thinking I would be somewhat disappointed. After all Rotten Tomato has a collective score of about 75 with some critics scoring it with comments (which I read after writing my own) seeming to suggest they not only disliked this latest film of QT’s, but seem to relish also in suggesting he has lost his skill in making interesting future films altogether………………. Aaaaaah their all freaking nuts. And while I would say this is not Quentin’s best work, I challenge anyone to tell me you have seen 10 better films all year. Here is my more in depth take on “The Hateful Eight”. 

TH8 is a clever humorous, dark, satirical and dramatic mix of Agatha Christie, William Shakespeare, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (aka Sherlock Holmes) novels with the structural context of the 1957 film classic “Twelve Angry Men” which delved into matters of group suspicion, guilt and innocence among forcibly confined total strangers. Specifically, all of these giants of literature, the theater and film created memorable characters all developed from fictional scratch where their personalities, appearances and mannerisms help develop and enhance who they all are to an eventually revelation of personal motives under an intricate plot mystery. QT takes this foundation to make his TH8 story into a fascinatingly  odd tale with no shortage of creativity and imagination, all the while weaving a rather intricate tale of huge socio-political, sexual and racial commentary that is not only applicable for that time period but for today as well. And he takes on these delicate issues with a sly and subtle sardonic condemnation of those who hold these attitudes rooted in old antiquated traditions, ignorance and sometimes downright ugliness in the simple context of 8 seemingly unrelated characters being stuck in a cold cabin.  
 
Does TH8 have its moments where the writing and plot strays somewhat? Yes, but ever so briefly and not worth even mentioning at all.

PROS 

First, the 70mm format that TH8 was shot in is stunning. And while 90% of the movie is shot inside the cabin-esque “Minnie's Haberdashery”, both the exterior and interior scenes are rich in detail and color.  

Secondly, there are two running jokes in the film that deal with a mysterious letter and a wooden door that never failed to make me laugh out loud and or hold my interest throughout the film’s 3:02 running time. 

Third, Samuel Jackson is essentially the star of the film as he is a mix of the Outlaw Josey Wales, Peter Falk’s TV police detective persona Lt. Columbo and his former “Pulp Fiction hired killer Jules Winnfield. Specifically, think if Jules decided against “waking the earth” in retirement and instead got his law degree; you would have the consciousness of his Major Marquis Warren. 

Fourth, Walton Goggins, proved to be more than capable adding considerable weight to a feature film as QT takes his character “Mannix and moves him beyond his initial southern redneck persona into something far more surprising and interesting overall. He gives a very funny and introspective performance here I did not see coming. 

Fifth, Jennifer Jason-Leigh clearly has the best chance of all of the ensemble list of cast characters to garner some Oscar consideration with a possible Best Supporting acting nomination. Once again like John Travolta, QT may have given an actor a second act chance for new stardom with her funny, vulgar and provocative turn as the murderous “Daisy Domergue”.

And finally sixth, I found it a bit amusing that Christoph Waltz of “Inglorious Bastards” and “Django Unchained” fame must not have been available to shoot in this latest QT effort. Meaning, it was a bit amusing how much Tim Roth does as close of an impression (intentional or not) of the two time Oscar winner Waltz and how he would of played the jovial and cheery Oswaldo Mobray through his Waltz like mannerisms and vocal sounds. 

WARNING: If you have any disdain for the use of the “N’ word or the “B” word, then I suggest that you not only don’t see TH8, but drive about two hundred miles in the opposite direction of your local theater that is showing it just to avoid it. To say TH8 is saturated with both these words throughout is not only an understatement, it would be the obvious equivalent saying the oceans are saturated with fish………………Both are in the film almost every 10th word. 

CONCLUSION: I know some of you who may take my advice to see this will think I may have missed my mark on this review and not like it as much as I did. Others of you may in fact agree with me. However, after spending an entire day before writing up my comments about this film (which I rarely do), I do know that I could not forget huge whole sections of this film, with its snappy and intricate dialogue, provocative plot and beautiful vista and interior sceneries. But more important than that, what I will remember is I like this QT effort better than “Django Unchained” and what I had witnessed for those three hours yesterday was not so much a featured film, but rather a fabulously written entertaining “Six Act Theatric Play”, that was inventive, distinctive and filed with lots of gags, guns and swagger. Oh, did I forget lots of blood too. It happens after the intermission in blood splattering “Carrie” bucket loads.   

TH8 conjures up the genius of western fame director Sergio Leone and a noir pulp crime story of writer Elmore Leonard – it’s a big drama in a very small room. It thrills with darkness, humor and an abundance of smart aleck repartee and jousting wordplay. But more than anything it reaffirms QT as never being conventional. He is a risk taker not afraid of showcasing his quintessential story telling vison through an unpredictable and un-quintessential alternate universe life prism, along with a screenplay that is adroitly rich in dramatic verbal detail that is also funny with its intricate laced obscenities. Th8 simultaneously will shock you, as well as make you think in that same immediate moment.  

Finally, I make a habit of leaving the theater almost immediately as soon as I see the first credits go up the screen. As I turned the corner yesterday to exit the room down the dark hall way to the exit, just over my left shoulder – just over my left ear, I heard the sound of applause....................Its not just me who liked it a lot.  

4 Stars

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Lester's Oscar Nomination Predictions 2016


"Lester's Oscar Nomination Predictions 2016"
7 Major Categories
(Not My Preferences)
* The Current Favorite To Win

BEST PICTURE -

1. "Spotlight"  *
2. "The Revenant"
3. "Room"
4. "The Martian”
5. "Brooklyn"
6. "Bridge of Spies"
7. "Mad Max; Fury Road"
8. "The Big Short"
9. "Straight Outta Compton"
10. “Carol”
    
BEST PICTURE WILDCARDS -

11."Inside Out"
12."Creed"
1"The Hateful Eight"
14."Son of Saul"
15."Steve Jobs'"


*The "Best Picture" Category Has No More Than 10 nominees & No Fewer Than 5 Nominees. 
BEST ACTRESS -

1. Brie Larson, "Room"
2. Jennifer Lawrence "Joy"
3. Cate Blanchett, "Carol"   *
4. Charlotte Rampling ,"45 Years"
5. Saoirse Ronan, "Brooklyn"

BEST ACTRESS WILDCARDS -

6. Carey Mulligan, "Suffragette"
7. Blythe Danner, "I'll See You In My Dreams"
8. Lilly Tomlin,  "Grandma"
9. Charlize Theron, "Mad Max: Fury Road"
10. Maggie Smith, "The Lady in the Van"

BEST ACTOR -

1. Leonardo DiCaprio, "The Revenant"  *
2. Michael Fassbender, "Steve Jobs"
3. Eddie Redmayne, "The Danish Girl" 
4. Bryan Cranston, "Trumbo"
5. Johnny Depp, "Black Mass"

BEST ACTOR WILDCARDS -

6. Tom Hanks, "Bridge of Spies"
7. Will Smith, "Concussion" 
8. Matt Damon, "The Martian"
9. Michael Caine, "Youth"
10. Géza Röhrig, "Son of Saul"
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS -

1. Rooney Mara, "Carol"   *
2. Alicia Vinkaner, "The Danish Girl"
3. Kate Winslet, "Steve Jobs"
4. Jennifer Jason Leigh, "The Hateful Eight"
5. Jane Fonda, "Youth"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS WILDCARDS -

6. Helen Mirren, "Trumbo"
7. Julie Walters, "Brooklyn"
8. Rachel McAdams, "Spotlight"
9. Elizabeth Banks, "Love & Mercy"
10. Joan Allen, "Room"
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR -

1. Mark Rylance, "Bridge of Spies"   *
2. Michael Shannon, "99 Homes"
3. Idris Elba, "Beasts of No Nation"
4. Sly Stallone, "Creed"
5. Jacob Tremblay, "Room" 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR WILDCARDS -

6. Michael Keaton, "Spotlight"
7. Tom Hardy, "The Revenant"
8. Benicio Del Toro, "Sicario"
9. Paul Dano, "Love and Mercy
10. Mark Ruffalo, "Spotlight"
BEST DIRECTOR -

1. Tom McCarthy, "Spotlight"   *
2. Alejandro González Iñárritu, "The Revenant"
3. Ridley Scott "The Martian"
4. Todd Haynes, "Carol"
5. George Miller, "Mad Max: Fury Road"

BEST DIRECTOR WILDCARDS -

6. John Crowley, "Brooklyn"
7. Quentin Tarantino, "The Hateful Eight"
8. Lenny Abrahamson, "Room"
9. Steven Spielberg, "Bridge of Spies"
10. "Ryan Coogler, "Creed"
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY -

1. Roger Deakins, "Sicario"
2. Emmanuel Lubezki, "The Revenant"   *
3. John Seale, "Mad Max: Fury Road"
4. Robert Richardson, "The Hateful Eight"
5. Dariusz Wolski, "The Martian"

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY WILDCARDS -

6. Janusz Kaminski, "Bridge of Spies"
7. Christian Berger, "By The Sea"
8. Edward Lachmann, "Carol"
9. Danny Cohen, "The Danish Girl"
10. Yves Belanger, "Brooklyn"


Friday, November 27, 2015

Creed - Review

“Creed”

Academy Award Winner Sylvester Stallone revives once again his “Rocky” franchise tale with his 7th story about his iconic persona aka “Italian Stallone” aka Rocky Balboa. Only in this latest effort the title of this film is called “Creed” which is named after Rocky’s very first nemesis “Apollo Creed” who after the first four films went from being in the ring mutual combatants to best of friends until Apollos Creed’s surprising death at the hands of the super Russian Boxer named Ivan Drago (as if you didn’t already know all this already).

In this installment Director Ryan Coogler’s who directed the critically acclaimed “Fruitville Station” and who looks a lot like the lead actor Michael B. Jordan, the story “Creed” revolves around a smart and up and coming boxer named Adonis Johnson (Jordan) who was born out an affair Apollo Creed had with his mother. It also resulted in Adonis never really knowing his famous heavyweight champion father who died before he was born.  Still, there’s no denying that boxing is in his blood, so Adonis heads to Philadelphia, the site of Apollo Creed’s legendary match with a tough upstart named Rocky Balboa.

Adonis tracks Rocky (Stallone) down and asks him to be his trainer.  Despite his insistence that he is out of the fight game for good, Rocky sees in Adonis the strength and determination he had known in Apollo—the fierce rival who became his closest friend. 

So eventually and grudgingly so, Rocky agrees to take him on. So we watch Rocky train the young fighter and with Rocky in his corner, it isn’t long before Adonis gets his own shot at the title…but can he develop not only the drive but also the heart of a true fighter, in time to get into the ring?

PROS: Also starring Tessa Thompson (“Selma,”) as Creed’s girlfriend Bianca, Phylicia Rashad as Apollo’s widow; and English pro boxer and former three-time ABA Heavyweight Champion Anthony Bellew as boxing champ “Pretty” Ricky Conlan, the film “Creed” works big time. It captures the magic of the very first Rocky film with the right amount of old school Rocky touches as well some modern touches to keep a new generation of ephemeral minded film goers thoroughly engaged. The writing also works well as it deliberately and patiently develops the central charcter relationships with realism allowing the viewer over time to seeing and hearing something that is meaningful, with deep emotional consequences and honest humanity. 

Also kudos to Director Coogler, who directs his film with an authentic sense of the moment and no preordained out comes. It takes you down an inevitable path of a big fight at the end but you don’t really see it coming because of his fine hand at directing what could  have been just another Rocky story completed exhausted of any new plots to sell.  

CONS: The editing in a few scenes seemed a bit too snappy and quick for my taste but this is only in few instances and only bothers someone like me who has a sense of what good editing can do to making a scene go from good to great to iconic. Ultimately it’s no big deal in “Creed”.

CONCLUSION:  “Creed” has genuine earnestness at its core with real human warmth and crowd-pleasing surprises. But the biggest surprise is actor Sly Stallone. Now hold on while I go down stairs to get a hit of “Woodford Reserve” bourbon before I write any further, I needed to make sure my mind is right before writing any further.

OK, I'm back and here it goes………….. Sly Stallone, deserves an Oscar Nomination as Best Supporting Actor. Yes, Stallone cuts through some of the corny and sometimes bravado laden dialog from some of his previous films, including some of the Rocky films, to deliver one of the most honest, weighty, moving and stirring performance you will see all year. Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeees.

He manages to capture what we like about his first Rocky film which was that obscure guy who was both quiet and yet funny, but above all filled with endearing optimism by just working hard and being honest and kind to friends both in and out of the ring. He not only exhibits these same qualities in “Creed”, he makes that occasional lumpy feeling jump in your throat as that occasional slightly slurred speech “lug of a guy” you just want to root for again all because he is just loveable nice.

“Creed” is crafted with a lot of smarts that over time earns the viewer’s trust in that you are seeing real people on the big screen who are putting their real affections and real honesty on the line for others they care about. In the end just as with the first Rocky film it all comes together to do some heartstring-tugging on your soul.

I hope “Creed” is the last film for this series, but something tells me it won’t be – hey people in Hollywood will always want to make more money if they can, so I am guessing there will be more coming now.

Still, do not pass up this “Creed” just because you have some preconceived notions about this being another recycled clichéd Rocky film; no go see it in the theater for the well-choreographed action, good acting and moving story.

In the end “Creed” is “IN-CREED-IBLE” entertainment for 2015.

3 – 3/4 Stars

Monday, November 23, 2015

"Spotlight" & "Brooklyn" - Reviews


“Spotlight”
 
Starring Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, Brian d’Arcy James and Stanley Tucci, "Spotlight" tells the riveting true story of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Boston Globe investigation that would rock the city of Boston. And what was the story? It was the incredible kept secret and crisis involving one of the world’s oldest and most trusted institutions – The Catholic Church and Faith.
 
With the newspaper’s tenacious “Spotlight” team of reporters we watch as they delved cautiously but with dogged determination from one allegation to multiple allegations of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church. The movie tells the year-long investigation of uncovering the shocking decades of systematic cover-up at the highest levels of Boston's religious, legal, and government establishment, touching off a wave of revelations around the world.

CONCLUSION: Spotlight is clearly one of the best films for 2015 and I have no doubt that it will be nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay and possibly several Best Supporting Actor Nominations, with special note to Mark Ruffalo and Michael Keaton.

The strength of this film is its ensemble of fine actors working as a team together  in the highest form of acting collaboration, as no one actor has a singular leading role in this unique film. And while there is no real crescendo moment in “Spotlight” it is very reminiscent of the procedural style found in the 1976 Best Picture nominated film “All the President's Men”.  The true story of the President Nixon White House and the array of operatives working there who were involved  in the scandal of covering up the Watergate break in and the  Washington Post reporters who broke the story starring actors Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford. 
 
Just like its predecessor, “Spotlight” takes us down a path we already know where we are headed in regards to its conclusion. But as was the case in 1976  and now with "Spotlight" what is really fascinating to see as film viewers is what good journalistic investigation looks under the cinematic microscope, as well as what personal human commitment looks like to getting to the unquestioning result that they are all tirelessly working to achieve -  THE TRUTH.

4 Stars

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Brooklyn”

"Brooklyn" tells the profoundly moving story of Eilis Lacey (Saoirse Ronan), a young Irish immigrant navigating her way through 1950s Brooklyn. Lured by the promise of America, Eilis departs Ireland and the comfort of her mother’s home and her adoring sister for the shores of New York City. The initial shackles of homesickness quickly diminish as a fresh romance sweeps Eilis into the intoxicating charm of love. But soon, her new vivacity is disrupted by her past, and Eilis must choose between two countries and the lives that exist within.         

CONCLUSION: Based on a novel of the same name, “Brooklyn” is well acted and has a quiet beauty that is easy to become enchanted with its old style exactness to its direction which makes it appropriate for the time period it is portraying.  It also has a lot more humor in it that was a pleasant surprise, especially involving discussions of the seemingly antiquated social mores and customs involving males and female relationships i.e. touching each other and the overall matters and awkwardness of tentative romance.

Eventually the film does turn from its classic romantic style into something weightier involving issues of marriage and culture that seemingly holds true even by today standards. And while it never offers up any real dramatic surprises to its story it does work on the level of telling a story about love, family, culture, intimate relationships with an abundance of old style wit, charm, poignancy, tenderness and nostalgia as any film in recent memory.

“Brooklyn” works well in the finest sense of just solid movie making and therefore I believe will be nominated for Best Picture, as well as a strong possibility of securing a Best Director nomination for John Crowley and a Best Actress nomination for Saoirse Ronan and her beautiful performance of the love torn “Eilis”.

“Brooklyn” is an elegant film with dream like qualities to its story that everyone can relate to with a superb direction that makes it a real pleasant joy to have experienced.

4 Stars  

 

 

Saturday, November 7, 2015

Spectre - Review

Spectre

1962 was the first time film fans had the chance to see novelist Ian Flemings featured character Secret Agent 007 James Bond in the adaptation of his first book titled “Dr. No.” And with the perfect casting of a relatively unknown British actor named Sean Connery their collaboration transformed Ian’s Agent 007 from the pages of a series of successful books into an international phenomenon that subsequently resulted in the Bond films becoming one of Hollywood’s longest and most lucrative franchises with 24 films and counting. The mere mentioning of the name Bond connotes debonair, sex, intrigue, thrills, action, action, witty humor, great international locals and lots of girls, ah yes the Bond girls. So whenever I and probably you hear a new Bond film is coming out there are some basic expectations that you will be highly entertained (see sentence listing connotes).

PLOT: In the latest Bond installment called “Spectre” we find actor Daniel Craig as Agent 007 in Mexico City on an unauthorized mission during the festival of “The Day of The Dead”. He’s there because his former boss, mentor and friend “Q” (Judy Dench) who died in the film “Skyfall” had left Bond a cryptic message to uncover a sinister organization that Bond is determine to complete as her dying wish. The only thing is as Bond peels back the layers of this sinister organization he discovers it has a connection to his own youthful past filled with deceit.

BOTTOM LINE: Overall Spectre stays within the legacy of all of the Bond films enduring past. It’s visually stunning to look at and is filled with some really well coordinated moments of action sequences involving a helicopter, a car chase, a plane chase, a train fight in the desert and a helicopter chase again. What is missing is having any meaningful relevance within the plot. Specifically, rather than keeping me glued to my seat, the plot felt like it was just business as usual, even if it was directed with precision, great choreography action and photogenic sexy style. Essentially, this film felt like pieces of previous great Bond moments that were spliced into Spectre, that while was very lavish to look at never felt like a story that was taking me any place new with any dangerous intrigue or ominous adventure.

Make no mistake about it, while Spectre is slick it is also a bit scattershot and a bit disorganized offering nothing new. It’s my guess is that the Broccoli family and the creative minds behind this successful franchise may be finally running out of ideas for the venerable James Bond to save the world from. I hope not, as a world without Bond films would be very empty.

Ultimately, Spectre is decent enough entertainment for you to see in the theater especially for the great action and polished execution. It’s just overall this Bond effort Spectre plot is not quite “shaken” and certainly not “stirring”.


3 – 1/4 Stars

Monday, October 26, 2015

Room - Review


Room
 
 
I went to see this film titled “Room” this past weekend. That’s it, that’s the title, not “The Room” or “A Room”, just “Room”, where it tells the story about a twenty something woman called affectionately by her son as “Ma” played by Brie Larson  and the child itself a 5-year-old boy with long flowing girl like hair who his mother has named “Jack” played by Jacob Tremblay. And so now you ask what else?

Well from the onset we discover and shockingly so “Ma” has been held captive for over 7 years by her stranger abductor who she refers to as “Old Nick” and who is also the biological father of 5 year old “Jack”. We also see that both Jack and Ma are living a subsistence existence inside a sound proof toolshed in Old Nick’s backyard that is approximately twelve by twelve with only the bare necessities of a tub, electricity, floor heater, running water, tiny refrigerator, a toaster oven and a high sky-light window for them see the sky.


Now, with this background imagine you being born a child in that environment as Jack was, waking up each day not knowing that there was a large and unique world just outside of those walls with other people, dogs, restaurants, buildings, trees, streets, cars and or anything that was not inside that “room”. For Ma it was important each day to make sure her son would live as much a normal life without having to try and explain the complexities of an entire world where Jack only knew it existed within those cold walls, along with his endless fantasies as small kids are naturally incline to develop to amuse themselves as entertainment. His only real external emotional escape was manifested in the film through Jacks’ minimum daily stimulation from their tiny cable-less TV in their room where Jack could not differentiate that cartoons and people on TV were both not reality, but at the same time where the cartoons and people are not one in the same as both being not real verse humans being real. Get it? Yeah, heavy stuff isn’t it?

In the end Jack’s TV world was just a part of a greater fantasy world that his mother Ma had always use to foster and nurture normalcy so as to keep both Jack and her amused and more importantly sane day after day after day after day for 7 years.

Then one day, Ma” devises a scheme to escape, but she realizes it will only work if she can now convince young Jack that all the things she has told him for the past 5 years that were not true (inside the room) are now true (outside the room) and where in fact was an actual whole new world with a new reality just outside those immediate walls. She patiently and lovingly has to convince young Jack to believe her in very short order so as to trust her in finding someone outside the wall to eventually escape.

PROS: “Room” is singularly one of the most powerful, moving and stirring films I have ever seen. My words alone will not do justice to this film which produced for me some of the rawest emotional feelings of anger, grace and joyous uplift I or probably you will ever experience.

The story’s power to take a claustrophobic plot that deliberately gets inside some unexpected place in your mind, your visceral DNA and your primal instinctive soul is nothing short of directing - screenplay genius and brilliance. And while I am a sentimental man, I am not weepy in the slightest, but there was a scene midway involving a red truck riding through a residential neighborhood that had my heart pounding and put a lump in my throat. I felt myself being filled with genuine heart felt emotion during this scene and I believe you will too.

This is impressive film making at the highest, highest order with an extraordinary performance by Brie Larson as Ma who I sure hope like hell gets an Oscar nomination as Best Actress. Also, if the Academy has any courage at all they sure as hell should nominate young Jacob Tremblay as Best Supporting Actor. I for one would vote if I could for him to won now.

I have seen thousands of movies in my life time and I here to tell you I have never; I will say it again, NEVER – EVER seen such a young child master a dark adolescent subject and character as his Jack, with all of the complexities of understanding and recreating the emotions of a child and mother devotion to one another under such assaulting and provocative conditions. Meaning?

Meaning where on one hand his Jack was to be a normal child prone to displays of unexpected silliness and wondrous imagination. Then with equally adroitness and skill to show genuine moments of anger and frustration as any child would display when he doesn’t understand something that is suddenly confusing by countering what he had previously learned. And finally to show authentic mistrust, doubt, confusion and shyness in a new world that has turned his life completely upside down becoming bigger than big in a sudden blink of an eye.

Young Jack Tremblay’s emotional acting senses and acting timing here are so creative by understanding the aura and atmosphere of total isolation verses the sensations of reality verse the sensation of fantasy and then to make all of these various emotional strata’s work on the big screen so effectively, I can only say this is some of the best acting I have seen in 40 years whether it be man, woman or child.

If you see this and implore all of my friends and film fans to really make the effort to see it in the theater you will discover that Jacob Tremblay was initially given an extraordinary very high hurdle to play this character who has enormous complicated layers to his persona that in the end he delivers on his task with such brilliance it’s bordering on perfection.

CONS: Zip.

CONCLUSIONS: The film runs about 2 hours with almost two distinct acts, with the first act delving into Jack and Ma exclusively being inside their insanity they call “Room” and the second act where they manage to escape to the outside world. It is also where again I really don’t want to say much more. However, I will say that it is important to know that while the subject is very dark, there is not one thing in the entire movie that is gratuitously violent or vulgar. Trust me there is so much more to this movie that I have not conveyed in my comments and review.

I also so hope that some of you will not be intimidated in not seeing it because as its core it is about sexual abduction. What I can assure you though is that the ending will bring you genuine satisfaction for taking a chance in seeing this film that dramatically starts in a dark place and appropriately and believably moves to a light place.

Check your local listings. I do know it is currently playing at the Landmark Theater E Street in Washington, DC and the Landmark Theater Bethesda Row in Bethesda, MD.

For me the movie “Room” is one of the very, very best films for 2015. Its a must see film in any form whether it is in a theater or home rental as it will probably be on my short list of ten best films for this current decade.

4 Stars Plus

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Steve Jobs - Rewiew

Steve Jobs

Michael Fassbender will undoubtedly be on the short list for a Best Actor Oscar nomination. BUT while it is well acted across the board (Kate Winslet and Seth Rogan) and has excellent writing that pops and is very smart, the overall film never really has a moment of build up to anything meaningfully for us to have examine Jobs any differently than we already know for better, for worse or for more.

The movie wants us to view Jobs as someone with Shakespearean nobility – virtue, as well as a real human anomaly with flaws of isolation, alienation, attacks, who was also shaped with self-inward tortured conceit.

But with such a larger than life subject as Jobs to tell a story about and his personal historical material to work with, the film never reaches any kind of crescendo. In the end "Steve Jobs" feels more like a mix of an actor studio workshop being filmed and 4 act play performance (i.e. last year's "Birdman" ) which I think can be entertaining, but is very hard to pull off cinematically when 99% of the films 2 hour running time is singularly focused on just one character.

Yeah Jobs was a jerk, I get it, but there seemed to be nothing else beyond that - no signs of a real human life beyond an obsessive focus of always being right about everything - all the time - with everyone - at any place - at any price.

Still for Michael Fassbender brilliant fueled performance and excellent supporting cast work and a story that will hold your attention.........................., it’s a solid rental.

3 - 1/2 Stars


Friday, October 16, 2015

Bridge of Spies - Review


Bridge of Spies

Steven Spielberg has risen to highest upper echelons of his profession by making and producing some of the most memorable movies and feature films in history. So much so (for me) his name is done a disservice with the simple utterance of him being a” Director”. No, Spielberg is more than that; his name is a brand, it’s a noun, it’s a verb, it’s a standard; it’s an expectation of the highest quality in cinematic story telling that seems to always go well beyond the norm or average.

Since his very first films “Duel” (1971), “Sugarland Express” (1974) and “Jaws”, Steven Spielberg has been on a consistent upward glide trajectory of cinematic, critical and box off success, amassing the sum of a lifetime world box office totals as a Director  $4,155,901,520B and $16,222,200,000B as a Producer. That’s a lot of money folks, but what is my point? Well, you don’t have that kind of longevity nor that kind of box office excellence by being simply good, you get it because you are great. So as for me, and probably like a lot of other film fans, I am on auto pilot when he releases a new film. Largely because of the high regard I have for him at making something potentially exceptional. Such is the case in his latest true story effort titled “Bridge of Spies”.

This story begins around 1957 at the height of the Cold War and where we find the FBI has adroitly captured a Soviet spy named Rudolf Abel and where in pretty much short order the communist Soviet Union has also captured a U.S. pilot named Francis Gary Powers who was shot down flying a reconnaissance mission in his seemingly advanced U-2 spy plane. Sentenced to 10 years in prison Powers' only hope is for New York lawyer James Donovan (Tom Hanks), who is secretly recruited by CIA operatives, to negotiate his release in an arena where both sides politically will not acknowledge the other in any official capacity. Donovan’s only hope (as he sees it) is to use his experiences at negotiations from the Nuremberg trials in winning the young pilot’s freedom through a prisoner exchange. That’s assuming he can negotiate any release by principally using spy Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance), as the key bargaining chip who James Donovan also help defended during his federal court trial.

PROS: “Bridge of Spies” is an exceptional film and for me is Spielberg’s best work since “Saving Private Ryan” (aaaaaah I said “since” not “as”) and should be on that short list of 10 films nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. It also should garner Tom Hanks an Oscar nomination, as once again he seems to channel so effortlessly and naturally the humanity of the “ordinary guy doing good things” that was always so indicative of actor Jimmy Stewart’s films. Hanks has never been better and never more ideally suited to play someone who historically is largely and mostly obscure by name recognition and yet exudes so much of American nobility, American decency and American respect for what is just.

In addition, it’s my hope that  British actor Mark Rylance who played Soviet Spy “Rudolf Abel” garners an Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actor. He is splendid in his role here and quickly establishes a fresh perspective of what spies were really - probably like during that time in history. Without playing downward to some stereotypical angry indoctrinated zealot negatively filled with propaganda and anti-west vitriol, Rylance work here is superbly obvious from the first moments. He’s an avuncular quiet character who is unusually introspective in his thoughts, more respectful to his enemy, smart and seemingly rather matter of fact about his circumstances rather than someone you would ordinary think being quick to engage in rancor, hostility and malevolence. Rylance gives a performance that is quietly exceptional here.        

Joel and Ethan Coen of “Fargo”, Blood Simple”, “Raising Arizona” and “No Country for Old Men” fame wrote an outstanding script that in the first half of the film is a cerebral legal thriller and in the second half of the film is a cerebral espionage thriller. They manage to create a polished dialog that seemed real, relevant to the times and above all very coherent without getting too bogged down into minutia and burdensome details. It would not shock me that they too get an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay.

Finally, Cinematographer Janusz Kaminski. Who? I won’t bore you with his background other than to say Spielberg has not made a movie without this man since “Schindler’s List” 1993. Why? He is simply the best ever, as the look and feel of this film offers the visual feel in “Mad Men-eque” detail the sensation of what people, streets, dark alleys, buildings, clothing and etc. look like with soft lights and lush rich vibrancy. And once again as well (in my mind) should get him an Oscar nomination in Cinematography.

CONS: There was one scene where we see James Donovan has his first visit at the  Soviet Embassy in East Germany that involved him meeting Abel’s family that I guess was supposed to be either serious or a moment of levity. In my opinion it was neither as it came off a bit stiff and odd, but this did not detract from the film’s overall excellence.

Also, sometimes the music overlay that was sparingly used here, still seemed to be more of a nuisance than a help in establishing and or re-enforcing a certain mood. Such was a scene involving Hank where his Donovan was petitioning for an appeal to the Supreme Court. The dialog here was already very well honed and refined but was almost over shadowed with some needless violin music that was clearly an effort to enhance further what already was a passionate moment in the spoken word alone. Look, this is minor stuff that only I obsess over, most viewers won’t never notice these issues.

CONCLUSION: Spielberg’s “Bridge of Spies” is overall an exceptional film of historical events in a dangerous and tumultuous time. But it is also about how patriotism sometimes manifests itself, not with guns and talks of war, but in the form of those quiet patriotic efforts that feel more like watching and listening to poetry rather than the legalese terminology jargon within the nuts and bolts of diplomacy. It is respectful to a time; to a specific kind of nostalgia where people, even when dealing with their enemies; even while being commitment to their political beliefs, spoke honestly and spoke fairly to one another and above all were always respectful and decent to one another. And they did their work quietly and always dressed properly in suit and tie - no flip flop détente here.

I deliberately repeated a word in my comments in this review and I will do so again and that is Spielberg has made an “exceptional” film here. It’s “exceptional” because it is exactly that – not great but exceptional. And in every moment it was directed with an absolute precision where there is not one wasted scene or needless melodramatic moment; I believed what happened every step of the way. But in the end, this is Tom Hank’s fine work here we will remember, as once again he proves that even with middle age clearly on his face now he is still one of the finest actors ever.

There is a scene towards the very end where Hank’s Donovan is staring out of train with a faint smile. I swear it took me back to another faint smile of Hank’s in Forrest Gump where he is sitting on that bench as his son goes to school on the school bus for the first time in the final scene. I say this only to make a personal point about Hanks as an actor. No matter if his character dies in the arms of a solider in “Saving Private Ryan”, is standing in the rain getting wet in “Castaway”, is on his death bed from the ravages of AIDS in “Philadelphia”, stoically stuck in a dead space craft in “Apollo 13”, or is the voice of the animated Woody in “Toy Story”, he always makes us smile and I for one adore this quality in his work - this effortless genuine commitment by him to be sincere and decent on the big screen without trying to be (act) that way.

The fact is in ‘Bridge Of Spies” Spielberg and Hanks don’t just direct and act here, they both make us smile; they both give us poetry to our viewing souls and with that I highly recommend you all should see this “exceptional” film.

4 Stars

Friday, October 2, 2015

The Martian - Review


The Martian – Review
Those who know me well, know when it comes to movies a film Director can carry as much weight and credibility for me as any particular actor that I may enjoy. And while some of my favorite Directors can be easily recognizable by the simple pronunciation of their last names such as Spielberg and Scorsese, i.e. others have more generic sounding names like Mann and Scott. In this case I am speaking of Sir Ridley Scott, an English film director and producer, who in only his second film achieved commercial and critical breakthrough success with the landmark science-fiction horror film “Alien” (1979) starring Sigourney Weaver.

Since that initial effort Scott has successfully gone on to pad his directing resume with other well-known works such as the future science fiction story Blade Runner (1982), the woman - buddy road trip effort Thelma & Louise (1991), the historical drama Gladiator (2000) which won a Best Picture Oscar, the war film Black Hawk Down (2001), the crime thriller Hannibal (2001), the black comedy Matchstick Men (2003),the biographical crime film American Gangster (2007), the adventure film Robin Hood (2010) and the science fiction film Prometheus (2012). I enjoyed them all immensely.
Now, I listed some of his films only to set the table for an irrefutable fact about me; when Sir Ridley Scott makes a film no matter collectively if the reviews are great (Alien) or bad (The Counselor and Exodus: Gods and Kings), I will still go see his films to judge for myself. So, when I heard Scott was directing another science fiction film titled “The Martian” my entertainment antennas went up with much anticipation.
“The Martian”, starring Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Kate Mara, Michael Peña, Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Donald Glover, tells essentially a contemporary in the not too distant future story of a 4 year (round trip) manned space mission to Mars, where a crew of 6 astronauts who have landed on Mars at an established working station. Un-expectantly they have to leave Mars quickly after a wind storm incident occurs and where also it is presumed during the storm Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is killed. Thinking the worse his crew leaves him behind. But Watney was not killed and manages to survive the storm, but finds himself completely stranded, alone, without any food or readily accessible water (well until this week’s news) on a hostile planet where Watney states “nothing ever grows”.
So, with only very limited supplies to last a few days, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive. Meanwhile, millions of miles away, NASA and a team of international scientists work tirelessly to bring "The Martian" home, while his space crewmates concurrently plot a daring, if not impossible rescue mission against extraordinary odds.
PROS: First watching “The Martian” in 3-D was amazing, largely because since none of us have been to Mars nor will we ever, everything in the film captures your “mind’s eye” attention with a great deal more of wonder, authenticity and mystery to your subconscious where you may find yourself asking, “So this is what it’s like to be on Mars”
But the larger question you may ask is, was the movie any good? Yes, it’s very good, probably Scott's best work in a while. However, what may surprise you is how un-Scott science fiction this film is. His previous works always had a rather dreary and slightly unhinged view of the future and space where monsters are always lurking just around the corner. Here in “The Martian”, there is no such creepiness, in fact for its 2 hours 14 minute running time it is very funny, self-deprecating, whimsical and “cheeky” (a British expression to describe being impudent or irreverent in an endearing or amusing way).
The most noticeable aspects of this film for me were the themes of how cool science is and can be, as well as the theme of the human spirit to survive. Just like Tom Hanks in “Castaway”, as a species, some of us may not vote in every election, some of us may not pay our taxes on time, some of us are prone to cheat in our relationships and some of us find humor in the oddest things, but the one quality that we all share; that exist in all of us is the innate will to survive, which would include mixing up water and mud to eat if it meant easing out desire for food and hunger.
CONS: Just a few moments of mawkishly sentimentality and corniness with the cast at NASA, but nothing to detract from the overall quality of the film.
CONCLUSION: So let’s be real here now folks. Do you really actually think they would spend a $108 million budget to make this movie for you to go see a story where in the end Matt Damon’s character would be left on Mars to die a horrible agonizing emaciated excruciating death? Come oooooooon now, this is not a spoiler, but you know he does not die going into the theater. Therefore, the only operative and pertinent questions that remain are how much clever “touch and go” perilous hell will Astronaut Watney have to go through does the film’s story, directing, acting and screenplay genuinely offer up to us? Will it be effective overall as a believable drama with appetizing thrills to get you to its obvious hopeful joyous conclusion? 
 
With a little something for everyone to chew on from the science fiction geeks, the adventurer fan and the Matt Damon fan, “The Martian” takes you on this space journey with inviting fun, wonderment and surprising excitement. It also offers along the way some very smart discussions involving the applications of math, smart user friendly conversations on physics, smart discussions about agriculture and botany, smart dialog about space exploration and overall just plain smart old fashion human ingenuity and hands on know-how. 

“The Martian” is a bit of a throwback old fashion classic Saturday “popcorn film” where just like Captain Kirk who “never liked to lose” while saving the universe, John Wayne always “saved the west” and earlier James Bond films where he always got out of deadly predicaments while “saving the world” too. Like all of these movie characters, you don’t go in worrying if this is the day John Wayne gets shot off his horse. Noooooooooooo. You go to be entertained in what you hope is a good story with good intrigue. Director Scott delivers on both points of a really good movie, where everyone in “The Martian” is likeable, have some light hearted fun with each other, and have genuine team comradery and unity. But the star of the film is Matt Damon and as usual he delivers terrifically a character that is equal parts very smart, occasionally corny and in the end someone you never tire of simply rooting for.

“The Martian” is something definitely worth seeing on the big screen (3-D), worth telling friends to see and maybe even seeing twice. But the films strength is weaving a solid enough adventure story for all of us day dreaming want-a be fearless “Captain Kirk-ers”, minus the faster than light space ship and all of us ingenious want-a be “MacGyver-ers”, minus turning a carrot into a communication device. It is visually stunningly to see and experience where the movie goer gets the rare close encounter satisfaction of having the experience of “boldly going where none of us will ever have the chance to go”…………..
Mars.  

3 – 3/4 Stars