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Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Review

28 Mar

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When I went to see this, there were six trailers that played beforehand, but I left the theater having seen another five or so during the actual movie itself. What this bloated, 150 minute slugfest seems to want to communicate is that other DC characters exist and that many movies can be constructed for them from the colossal burning carcass of a project that was Man of Steel. Get excited, because we have a big Marvel universe competitor on the market, led by the venerable Zack Snyder and his subtle hand. This is a man unscathed by his own dumpster fire of 2013, the rusty keys to the DC Universe in his hands as desperate studios throw money at his feet. This is a man unafraid to take the perfection that is Amy Adams and proceed to shit stupidity all over her storyline. This is a man who will doggedly pursue the best end product possible, even if it means sacrificing a coherent story and interesting characters and a competent editing job…you know, fluff like that.

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Krisha Review

21 Mar

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Krisha could very easily be a cliche-ridden, self indulgent home video fest that prioritizes style over substance. Fortunately, it avoids that description at almost every turn, telling its story with a ferocious intensity and a real understanding of an addict’s world (which is understandable considering the actors themselves were involved with the true story the film is based on). There’s a heart-wrenching personal story under the stylized surface, and it rapidly takes form through Krisha Fairchild’s incredible leading performance; every scene of hers is fraught with conflict and tension and anxiety, her face speaking volumes about what may be concealed and what may be about to burst onto the surface. It’s a difficult role that Fairchild nails perfectly.

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Midnight Special Review

17 Mar

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One of the treats of Midnight Special is its use of visual storytelling. The film takes its time in setting up its world and characters, letting images linger as mysteries swirl around in the twilight air. It’s about the journey more than the answers, and each development raises additional questions that Nichols is content to leave hanging. More important is his focus on the love a father has for his son, the love a mother has for her son, and the uniting belief in something greater, in something that inspires wonder and keeps us going. It’s this sense of science fiction wonder balanced out with the focus on family intimacy that drives the film, and this approach results in the evocative moments that Nichols-directed films can craft.

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10 Cloverfield Lane Review

12 Mar

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Midway through 10 Cloverfield Lane, John Goodman’s Howard starts dancing along to music blaring from a jukebox, breaking the tension just enough to entertain you but not enough to take you out of the moment; in fact, it further envelops you in its grasp. Every humorous moment in this movie works in a similar manner, drawing on comedy to reveal even more sinister layers underneath. Throughout, the writers and actors have a rock solid handle on these shifts in tone, mood, character, and genre, and what results are genuinely unnerving and unexpected moments that add beautifully to the overall experience. Plot twists weave in and out of motivations and backstories with remarkably few hiccups, and the writers–featuring new Tension Master Damien Chazelle–demonstrate a knack for building a very specific atmosphere.

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Knight of Cups Review

5 Mar

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I’m guessing that if I were to ask any Malick fan which of his films I should watch first, Knight of Cups would be near the bottom of everybody’s lists. But alas, this Malick newbie decided to dive headfirst into his filmography with his most recent work, a fascinating rejection of conventional film techniques outside of having a working camera. I know enough about the director to know that this isn’t something new for him, but it’s nonetheless a very interesting approach to filmmaking in general.

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Thoughts on the 88th Annual Academy Awards

29 Feb

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Not going to/qualified to comment on every category, but here are some thoughts:

THE GOOD

Best Picture: I am extremely happy about Spotlight taking home the crown. It was the frontrunner at first, but a PGA win for The Big Short and DGA/BAFTA winners for The Revenant knocked it down a notch. I predicted The Revenant, but it was a pleasant surprise to hear Spotlight announced. It’s the perfect example of a film that takes a potentially Oscar-bait topic and turns it into something else (i.e. a damn compelling and well made film).

Best Actor/Actress: There were other people I wished were nominated in these categories, but I’m happy with the winners. Leo finally got his first Oscar! I think his Wolf of Wall Street role fit him perfectly and should’ve snagged him the award, but this will do. As for Brie, I’m so, so happy for her. A year ago, no one knew who she was–please watch Short Term 12, everyone–and now, she’s a winner. I love that she, Walton Goggins, and Oscar Isaac are all getting the attention they deserve this year.

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My Top 20 Films of 2015

9 Feb

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Haven’t Seen: The Lobster, Knight of Cups, Legend, Crimson Peak, Grandma, I’ll See You In My Dreams, Trumbo, Heaven Knows What, James White, Taxi, Arabian Nights, Spy, Breathe, Experimenter, The Forbidden Room, Heart of a Dog, Mustang, The Walk, The Assassin, Chi-raq, Victoria, Li’l Quinquin, Blackhat, Hard to Be a God, Magic Mike XXL, Mr. Holmes, Amy, Bone Tomahawk, Dope, Girlhood, Shaun the Sheep Movie, Youth

HONORABLE MENTIONS: What We Do In the Shadows (this would likely be #21), 45 Years, Creed, Son of Saul, Brooklyn, Bridge of Spies, Beasts of No Nation, The Look of Silence, Diary of a Teenage Girl, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Timbuktu, Queen of Earth, While We’re Young, Clouds of Sils Maria, Suffragette, Furious 7, Trainwreck, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, Black Mass, 99 Homes, Spectre, The Good Dinosaur, Straight Outta Compton, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Truth, Macbeth, The Martian, Love and Mercy, Joy, Mistress America, The Duke of Burgundy, Slow West

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Hail, Caesar! Review

3 Feb

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A big focus of a Hail, Caesar! synopsis might be the kidnapping of George Clooney’s Baird Whitlock, a movie star taken and held for ransom by a group known as The Future. However, as much as that might seem like a central storyline, it’s really just a jumping off point for the Coens. It’s important, but a typical kidnapping plot is not what they’re going for here. Primarily, they’re exploring the intersections between faith, ideology, politics, and the movie industry as they dive into the old, studio-driven days of Hollywood, and they convey these ideas through scenes of films being filmed in this very film. From a hilarious interaction between Ralph Fiennes’s Laurence Laurentz and Alden Ehrenreich’s Hobie Doyle to a wildly entertaining Channing Tatum the Tap Dancer musical sequence, Hail, Caesar! spends quite a bit of time jumping from movie set to movie set. Roger Deakins does a great job with the artificial nature of it all, the scenes on the sets coming out crisp and vivid and the wide shots outdoors establishing Hollywood as a larger-than-life world.

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Mojave Review

30 Jan

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Written By: Maria Leia

There have been a lot of actors that have floundered despite showing early promise, never achieving the full range of their talent despite a number of quietly stellar performances. Oscar Isaac, after Star Wars: The Force Awakens, seems to have broken out of that bubble and might have moved from being a familiar face into true movie star material. Which is why his next released film, Mojave, is so important and hopefully won’t derail a career that is primed to take off.

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My Top 15 Film Scenes of 2015

19 Jan

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Haven’t Seen: Legend, Crimson Peak, Grandma, I’ll See You In My Dreams, Trumbo, Heaven Knows What, James White, Taxi, Arabian Nights, Spy, Breathe, Experimenter, The Forbidden Room, Heart of a Dog, Mustang, The Walk, The Assassin, Chi-raq, Victoria, Li’l Quinquin, Blackhat, Hard to Be a God, Magic Mike XXL, Mr. Holmes, Amy, Bone Tomahawk, Dope, Girlhood, Shaun the Sheep Movie, Youth

HONORABLE MENTIONS: The opening (It Follows), The hospital scene (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl), Long take boxing match (Creed), Rey gets the lightsaber (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), The ending (End of the Tour), Connecticut (Mistress America), Catherine’s monologue (Queen of Earth), Dirty Talk (The Duke of Burgundy), Shootout (Slow West), Selling the Mop (Joy), Eilis gives advice (Brooklyn), Celebrity cameos (The Big Short), Boyz-N-The-Hood recording (Straight Outta Compton), Opening chase (Bridge of Spies), Agu’s final monologue (Beasts of No Nation), Church fight (Kingsman: The Secret Service), Opening sequence (Steve Jobs)

Awesome moment: The Rock flexes off his cast in Furious 7

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