Brit Robertson and Dylan O'Brien make for two pretty great leads and it makes sense that they started dating during the shooting of The First Time. Their chemistry is outstanding and obviously the moments where the two are together are the highlights of the film. The fact that these characters are high school kids are both its rise and its downfall. The young characters make this more of a teen movie than anything but their innocence is also what makes the film unique. These characters go through some problems that a lot of young people have when falling in love for the first time.. There are so many cute moments throughout this movie. It's unfortunately pretty clichéd though, but it is still plain to see that both Brit Robertson and Dylan O'Brien were bound to become stars.
Zootopia is the best Disney animated film that I have seen in a long time. This is a movie that works for everyone. It doesn't matter if you're 4 years old or 40 years old. I love the characters. They did such a great job of building up Judy Hopps from the moment she comes on screen so we love her almost immediately. I think she is going to go down and I think I will remember her as one of my favorite Disney characters. One thing that Disney has done so well with their animated films is casting. They don't ever feel like they needs to stuff their animated films to the brim with big name voices in order to be successful they just hunt for the voices who fit their characters. Ginnifer Goodwin (who I never even heard of before this movie) made such a great voice for Judy Hopps and I can say with confidence that Jason Bateman was the perfect choice for Nick Wilde. Disney just aced the animation. It is so beautiful and I watched this film with a friend in a theater packed with children and their parents and I think my friend and I had the most fun during the screening. I think it could have been a bit funnier but I thought that it was just the right length despite being one of the longest running Disney films to date. I think Zootopia is a early candidate for best animated film of the year.
Accepted has a bit of an original premise and it does take it into some unrealistic territory but it is a pretty fun comedy film. Justin Long makes a pretty solid lead and its unfortunate that he's not playing bigger roles in many movies anymore. Jonah Hill is in the mix and you can really see his potential here. He's really funny. Blake Lively is a great down to earth love interest. Then you have all the crazy side characters that are probably the highlight of the humour. I found this movie to have a pretty good amount of heart and the story may a little unorthodox and clichéd but I'd certainly watch it again.
I thought that Wanderlust had a pretty interesting premise for a comedy movie and Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston are both pretty interesting names when it comes to comedy. It just isn't nearly as funny as it should be. There are even some points in this movie feel like behind the scenes bloopers. The cast is full of several notable names in the supporting cast. I liked the look of Justin Theroux's character and he did have a few funny moments but he was not nearly as funny as he could have been. The conflict in this movie is a little too major for the resolution as well. It feels a but like the ending was a little convenient.
We Were Soldiers may embrace some of the war film clichés but it still has enough talent and pretty solid action to hold the attention of its audience. The cast is full of big names like Mel Gibson and Sam Elliot and some cast members that would only gain more recognition as their career continued like Jon Hamm and Clark Gregg. I thought that the first 30 minutes of the film before they actually go to Vietnam Is great. I think it was a good way to build up the characters, but the story seems to get in a bit of rut once they do arrive but the ending is solid. Mel Gibson is strong but not as strong as you would like. War films are his bread and butter and he had the power to elevate this film a bit more and he did not. There were a lot of times where the story cut from the battlefield to the home front but I thought that it worked pretty well in this case. Barry Pepper gives one of the best performances of his career despite only being in the film for the second half. I actually though that he was the highlight and the movie seemed to get back on track once he joined the fight. I think this is a movie this is more for fans of the war genre but certainly has enough redeeming qualities that I can recommend it.
I love Amy Poehler and I really like Tina Fey and the duo have worked very well together in other projects including hosting the Golden Globes. Sisters is their newest collaboration and this film could have been so much better. Fey and Poehler's friendship behind the camera certainly contributed to good chemistry in front of it and they do provide some pretty solid laughs here and there but there are a lot of random jokes that are terrible. I found the supporting cast of characters to be really funny and at some points they were funnier than the two stars. I know I'm not really the target audience but I just didn't laugh as much as I would have liked. The other major issue that I had with this movie is that it is a movie that did all it needed to do in 90 minutes but its two hours. I'm not completely writing Sisters off because it may be considered funny to other people but I didn't like it as much as I thought I would.
Scream 2 is one of the better horror sequels out there. Wes Craven returns to direct which is a rarity in horror films and all of the members of the cast return to carry on the story and that makes the story feel like a true continuation of the first movie. Its not as self aware as the first one and there are not as many tense scenes but Scream 2 still has the fun. There are a few points were you really didn't know who the main character was and I thought that took me out of it a little and the twist ending is a little out there and unneeded, but Scream 2 does exactly what a horror sequel should do.
Carol is a well crafted film. Both Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett are well cast and both deserved their Oscar nominations. Your eye is just drawn to Blanchett throughout the movie and I think that she is the real star of the film even though Mara may actually get more screen time overall. Todd Haynes direction is great as well and although the time the film is based in is the 1950's it doesn't take over the story. It looks great and you feel like you are in the 50's but you far more drawn to the two actresses. I thought that the music was Oscar worthy also. It is a bit of a boring film though and there are some points where I had a difficult time paying attention. The only other small problem I had with Carol was Kyle Chandler's role was almost supposed to be villainous but he really wasn't that bad of a person. There can still be some enjoyment in this as well.
I wanted to rewatch Black Dynamite the moment I finished the first watch. I can't recommend this film enough to people who have yet to see it. Black Dynamite is one of the most badass characters I've ever seen on screen and very few people have ever seen him. I can't really explain this film. All I can do is just tell you to watch it yourself and have a hell of a time. Its funny and its just down right awesome, one of the best parodies I've ever seen. "It'll give you Ooooooo!"
Paranormal Activity 2 brings back the same found footage style that the first movie had and it has a direct link to the first movie with Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat returning for cameos in the sequel. The budget was exponentially bigger for this edition despite the whole film taking place on one location just like the first film. I like the way that the film involved a true family rather than just a couple. That dynamic made the horror all the more terrifying. There are some points where the main character is switched around and it seems like the story would have worked better with one character being the focal point. It takes a little while for the movie to get going but I was completely engaged for the whole second half. All the characters manage to stay likeable which I could not say about Featherston and Micah Sloat in the first movie. The horror is very much the same as the horror in the first movie but I actually found it more scary than its predecessor. Paranormal Activity 2 is a good watch for any horror fan, but I insist that you watch the first movie before the second because there is some very important connections between the two films that really come into play later.
Yet another version of the world famous Frankenstein novel Victor Frankenstein is a blend of several genres and it is really difficult to find a specific one that it fits under. This movie is intended to be reimagining of the classic tale but there is still not anything revolutionary going on. I enjoyed the first two acts of this film it may not have been the story that I was looking for but there was some fun to be had. In the third act though, everything falls apart in just a few scenes and it completely drags on and when the time comes you are not invested in the ending at all. James McAvoy was really the reason I watched this film in the first place and he is great here but there is some pretty obvious overacting in spots. Radcliffe is pretty solid as well as he often is.
Deadpool is not going to let any fans down. This is the way the character had to be portrayed in a film adaptation. Its raunchy, its wild and its ridiculously funny the whole way through. It still does not beat X-Men Days of Future Past but the film is at least in my top 3 Fox Marvel films so far. Its so self aware. No one is safe from the jokes even Ryan Reynolds himself. Ryan Reynold's has worked so hard to get a screen version of the true Deadpool character and all his hard work truely paid off. Reynolds is Deadpool now. There is no doubting, it's just like Hugh Jackman for Wolverine. This movie has romance that suits Deadpool and is really believable. The side characters are great although I did wish I would've saw more of TJ Miller. I thought he was starting to get so funny in one scene towards the end and then you don't see him again in the film. I hate to say it but there is really nothing out there like this. Remember when you go to see this film that it only took 50 million dollars to make. THATS OUTSTANDING. The action is so well filmed and although it is over the top its not really to the point where it becomes cheesy. Who knows how many knockoffs we'll be getting now but now is a good time to be a Deadpool fan.
Pixar Studios has become so revolutionary in the world of animation that it has got to the point where only perfection can be accepted. The Good Dinosaur is the second Pixar film we got this year (the first being the better overall film Inside Out) but it is not as strong as most of the other Pixar efforts. This movie does not have the innovation that the other films do and it is really just a kids movie. Its still solid but this feels a bit more like a DreamWorks movie. The relationship between the dinosaur and the boy is really cute but the story feels recycled. I've seen it before and in better movies. The animation is still great but it just doesn't have the Pixar magic that we have come to expect.
After watching the first two Despicable Me films I would've argued with you until I was blue in the face that the Minions could lead their own film. I was wrong. Minions serves as a spinoff/prequel to Despicable Me and I did find a few things interesting at the beginning of the movie that had the Minions interfering with some of the most important moments and oddities in the worlds history but it quickly feels like it is running in circles over and over until the end of the movie. This movie has practically 0 heart and 0 development. The Minions just spend the whole movie running around causing mischief and ruining things and they are not nearly as funny as they were in the first two Despicable Me movies. The side characters needed to be good in this movie as well because the Minions obviously don't speak English and this were forgettable throughout. Its just an overall disappointing film that could have been so much better.
Richard Linklater is a guy that can really do anything with the comedy genre every one of his films are different as he has a very good track record. School of Rock is just another example of another solid Linklater film. Jack Black is in the role he was destined to play and you can sense his true passion for this project throughout the film. Everyone knows that working with kids in film can be hell but it works in School of Rock and they make it look so easy. If Black didn't have a good dynamic with the kids this movie would have been dead in the water and it was excellent. There are some great child actors in this film that are cute, funny and you believe the whole band even if they are all kids. The development is great for Black and the kids grow along with him which is really cute. The ending is really satisfying as well, it will leave you smiling. That's all I will say.
Well written and extremely interesting The Squid and the Whale offers a very real look into divorce, an abnormal process that has almost become a normal part of the lives of children. Wes Anderson produces this movie and it is directed and by Noah Baumbach. The writing is outstanding. There is never a point where you feel like these characters are not real people and the story is told in a short concise fashion. Running time clocks in at under 90 minutes.This is likely the best role that I have ever seen from Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney is great in the film as well. Jesse Eisenberg continued his rise with a great performance. The Squid and the Whale is unquestionably one of my favorite independent films.
Despicable Me 2 is a pretty good example of a sequel for an animated film. It is almost parallel to the first one although the love story that gets added is not that freshness and its under developed but this is a kids movie and that hardly matters. The movie is still as cute as the originals. The animation is great and watching Gru interact with the girls is priceless. One thing that certainly improved from the first one. The popularity of the Minions was a little unexpected so the second film had way more of them and oh my god are they ever funny in this movie. Its not hard to see why they ended up getting their own spin off movie. It doesn't matter how old you are you can still laugh your ass off at them. I understand that there will a third film in this franchise and I'll be ready.
Dirty Grandpa gives you exactly what you would expect when you read the title. The film is raunchy as it gets. Robert De Niro is so funny as the most wild grandpa that anyone could ever have and he has surprisingly great chemistry with Zac Efron. Robert De Niro has been known to dip into comedy here and there but this is certainly as "dirty" as he has gotten and I would say that it is the funniest film I have seen him in a long time. Efron is also really good in this movie. I think that he's one of the more underrated actors in Hollywood right now. Sadly outside of the humor that I thought was fairly plentiful this movie does not have a whole lot more to offer. There are a few members of the supporting cast that are fairly good Aubrey Plaza could be as funny as I've ever seen her which is saying something. Zoey Deutch was great and I'm sure that her "girl next door" personality will get her roles in some more films soon. Dirty Grandpa is pretty predictable in the third act which brags it down and there are a few characters that take up a little too much of the screen time rather than focus on the character that we like. Its not a perfect movie but I can recommend it to people who love great laughs.
I wanted to love Everest so badly but in the end I wound up just liking it. There's a pretty big cast in this movie some of which have bigger roles than others, but its a very well performed film. Jason Clarke is without a doubt the star of the film and he probably gives the best performance. Josh Brolin was also very good. Then you have talent like Jake Gyllenhaal, Sam Worthington (who really impressed me) and Kiera Knightley. There is not a huge amount of development in the characters but Brolin and Clarke's characters do get a little which makes the second half of the film work a little better. The film goes through a pretty big shift after about a hour and gets emotional, but not as emotional as it could've been. Then the ending is a bit of a bummer if you are not aware of this story. I did not and the ending was just slightly disappointing.
99 Homes is certainly a well acted film. Andrew Garfield and Michael Shannon are both excellent and the film is really raw. You can see their characters existing in the real world. Garfield's character is not as good as I hoped, he is almost embarrassingly naïve and although his family is a fairly key part in the film their relationship is a little downplayed. He can almost be nearly as evil as Michael Shannon at points so there is a big gap in the film where he is borderline unlikeable. Michael Shannon is the man to watch though and he gives the type of performance that we have come to expect from him. He is a symbol of American greed and he embraces it. He has no empathy which even makes him a little scary. 99 Homes is partially horrifying and at times heartbreaking despite the ending being a bit of a disappointment.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars is a waste of time. I don't care how big of a Star Wars fan you are this movie is really hard to like. The film offers a major role for a new character Ahsoka Tano, who is so annoying. The banter between her and Anakin was so lame and childish. Most of the voices for the characters are new and completely flat. The movie also is way to confusing for kids but the dialogue is certainly dumbed down for kids. Don't bother with this crap.
This movie is so bad it hurts and I love Bill Murray. Rock the Kasbah has a pretty interesting concept but its just so flat and unfunny that it is pretty much unwatchable. Murray gives a decent performance but its certainly not going to do down as one of his best. Despite getting almost all the attention throughout the film Murray's character developed very little. He was essentially the same **** at the end of the film that he was at the first. Then you have Kate Hudson and Bruce Willis (I should've known it was bad if Willis was in it) and both their characters have fairly minimal roles that really just do not mean anything to the viewer. Finally the third act is atrocious. Rock the Kasbah is just such an intolerable mess that I really can't recommend it to anyone. Please just save yourself some misery.
WALL-E could be the most inventive Pixar film to date. The plot is very ambitious and risky, but the studio managed to pull it off once again. The film is surprisingly interesting considering that there is really not a lot of dialogue. The robot characters can basically only say a few words and somehow we still manage to love them. That is such an accomplishment. The animation is outstanding which is implied with the name Pixar and the film is a beautiful visual experience. I put off watching this movie for far too long.
Any film that brings two powerhouses together like Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg gets attention and Bridge of Spies is no different. These two guys had already collaborated for a few films like Saving Private Ryan and Catch Me If You Can so you knew that this would be an interesting film. Honestly although I still think that Bridge of Spies is a good movie I find it very comparable to Spielberg's Lincoln from 2012. It is almost all dialogue. Bridge of Spies does not have very many scenes that are that tense, sure the dialogue is good and Tom Hanks is as solid as ever but this could be a good movie to go to sleep to. I still had to give it a solid rating because I know this film is still good I just wish there could've been a bit more excitement. It the end I found the film to be a little flat.
I'm as big of a Tom Hardy fan as anyone but I couldn't help but be a little disappointed by Legend. Legend was one of the most anticipated movies of the Oscar season because it had Tom Hardy playing a set of twins and the performance really doesn't disappoint although it didn't pick up an nominations. Hardy completely carries Legend, its a film that is fairly dull, repetitive and overlong without his performance. Emily Browning is pretty strong as the love interest as well and Taron Edgeron from Kingsmen is in this film but he really doesn't have much of a role which was disappointing. Legend seems almost style over substance. The film looks really great but a film that relies so much on the twins storyline the twins really don't have that many good scenes together and their relationship is underdeveloped in favor of an on again off again love story. I can still recommend Legend if you are a Tom Hardy fan but outside of that there isn't much to be had here.
Adam McKay shows the world that he is not just a director for stupid Will Ferrell movies (which I still love) with The Big Short. The story of several individuals that were able to predict the collapse of the housing market. McKay's direction is a highlight of the film and although this film deals with more serious subject matter than he's used to there are some pretty funny moments thrown in there as well. I know that this movie is certainly not for everyone because there is just so much talk about bonds, shares, etc. and most people just don't care about that. This subject is confusing but the film is very self-aware, it uses cameo appearances from several celebrities and several 4th wall breaks in order to explain the big terms to the audience. The cast is big but it delivers. I thought that Steve Carell was the big gun myself but others think its Christian Bale who was great too. Ryan Gosling and Brad Pitt are used less but there are great as well. In the end The Big Short is deserving of the attention its getting.
I was a little worried that watching Daddy's Home in the theatre would be a waste of time. I had heard that this film has aimed for more of a family audience, but I really didn't get that vibe. This is not a kids movie at all. Anyone who has seen The Other Guys knows that Mark Wahlberg and Ferrell have chemistry and it is one of the most important parts of this film and that was what kept it on an enjoyable level because I was not laughing out loud at all the jokes. The cast is pretty solid. I really liked the addition of Hannibal Burress, he was one of the funniest characters in the film although he really didn't need to be there. There is so much product placement in Daddy's Home that it almost feels like they are parodying it. There is a pretty good amount of heart in this movie and although the story is not exactly the most believable its still a warming end.
The Danish Girl is certainly an interesting film, but I would not call it a perfect one. The story is very intriguing but the whole film is carried by the performances from the leading duo of Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander and both of these stars deserve the Oscar nominations that they have received for this year. I can't say that I am a true fan of Tom Hooper's films. I didn't enjoy The Theory of Everything as much as some other people did although I did think it was a good film. I find that this film has a bit of a similar formula to The Theory of Everything (which of course also had Redmayne in a starring role) and there are points where this is completely obvious. The actors do a good job at playing their roles but there still feels like there is just something missing. The film just feels a little less significant than it should. Despite its performances The Danish Girl will just have to settle for being a "good" movie not a great one.
The Last Watch Hunter is a fairly lazy attempt to start a franchise and although I did have a good time with this movie its not a good movie. The whole thing is just so ridiculous that at points its really hard to take it all in and understand it. It was still a fun watch as Vin Diesel fights all these witches with these random and unexplained tools. The witches are all CGI and they really don't look that good. I think they took the wrong path and should've went with make-up rather than overloading on the CGI. The dialogue is way too serious and there are several lines that are just not suitable for Vin Diesel. He's fine for most of the film but there are a few scenes where you can tell he's out of his element. There are also roles from Michael Caine and Elijah Wood and neither one of them are really used enough or really even need to be there. Then in the ending we get an even more unneeded plot twist that really does nothing for the story that they just threw in because they could. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed The Last Witch Hunter, it was still entertaining, but so flawed. It may be in so bad its good territory or it may be destined to become a cult classic. Who knows? The ending severely hints at a sequel so there may be more.
Brooklyn may not really bring you the type of content that you'd expect from the title, but it's still an unquestionably good film. Saoirse Ronan gives one of the best female performances of the entire year. She portrays a character that is likeable and you can connected with her. Her character is a woman that is unaware of where she belongs and many people can understand that. The costume design is great and the 1950's is captured very well in this film by the locations and also the acting. Its also one of the better directed movies of 2015.
Burnt has some shades of greatness but unfortunately just as much disappointment. Bradley Cooper is pretty strong in this movie as he often is and that is one of the main factors that keeps this film afloat because his character is almost impossible to like. You may be drawn to him because of his reputation but you do not like him organically. Sienna Miller also reunites with Cooper after they were together in American Sniper and she's got a bit more of a significant role in the Burnt and you can see that she is a pretty decent actress. The cinematography is great and the food looks so beautiful on camera. One of the main problems with Burnt is that is hard to connect with and that makes it come across as pretentious. The ending is also really abrupt and convenient so it almost feels like the film is cut short.
Hotel Transylvania 2 kind of falls into the same template as the first movie but it pushes all the right buttons. I'm sure that many young kids get a real kid out of it which makes sense why it took in so much money over its theatrical run. All the important voices come back and for the most part they do a great job and their also some new characters with great voices behind them as well. I had a few good chuckles with it and its just an enjoyable film and the animation is pretty decent.
Trumbo was one of the 2015 films that I was looking forward to the most. Bryan Cranston has just come off of Breaking Bad and although he'd had some roles in films like Godzilla and Argo he still hadn't proven himself in the lead of a film. Notice I'm speaking in past tense. Cranston is outstanding as screenwriter Dalton Trumbo a man who's story is both interesting and inspiring. He captured the true quirkiness of the man. Cranston is certainly in the running for a Oscar nomination. Jay Roach also delivers in a project that you would not really expect from the man who directed Austin Powers. The cinematography is great, the movie really had an old-time feel and its just really nice to get a look into the classic era of Hollywood when screenwriters were true geniuses. The problem that I did have with Trumbo was there was not another excellent performance that made it great. John Goodman and Hellen Mirren were both great in the film but they just didn't get enough screen time. Trumbo is a great look back for an old film buff and an even better watch if you want to see a great performance.
Say Anything is an excellent directorial debut for Cameron Crowe, one of my personal favorites. It hangs on to its time and you can always associate this film with the time frame it was released in. It's got all the quirkiness that became Crowe's trademark as his film career went on. The soundtrack is great which doesn't even need to be said of a Crowe film. John Cusask plays a unique, but likeable and memorable character in Lloyd Dobler and then Ione Skye gives what is likely the best performance of her career. Say Anything is simply a classic and belongs up there with the rom com classics.
The Revenant is one of the most epic yet simple films that I have ever seen. This film is long but there is never a part of the film that feels like it doesn't need to be there. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu already showed us with Birdman last year that he is one of the best directors out there. Its only been a year and Inarritu WILL be in the winners circle again this year. I feel that The Revenant is even better than Birdman. The film is so raw and powerful and its visually stunning regardless of the scene. Leonardo DiCaprio has become an actor that we expect nothing but excellence. Not only is this one of DiCaprio's best performances but I think that there is almost no way that he does not take home the Oscar for Best Actor. The Revenant may sweep many of the major categories at the Oscars. I think it will win Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and perhaps even Best Supporting as Tom Hardy is excellent in this film as well and its one of his best performances so far. The Revenant is outstanding filmmaking and it may only improve with more watches.
Straight Outta Compton is a great music biopic and I was kind of shock how much I enjoyed it. This film was a bit **** where most of the main cast were fairly unknown actors. The film brings us a great story of the upbringing and the fall of NWA, one of the most influential rap groups of all time. The acting is great O'Shea Jackson will certainly be a star in the next few years I have no doubt. Corey Hawkins and Jason Mitchell are great as Dr Dre and Easy E respectively. Paul Giamatti also brings another great performance as a corrupt manager as he already impressed me in Love & Mercy. F. Gary Gray tells an interesting tale and I was never bored over the course of the 2 and a half hour runtime. One of the few things that bothered me was the bias that is fairly obvious if you are familiar with NWA before you watch the movie. The feud with Dr Dre and Easy E is fairly faint and ignored. I think that this movie would be an even better film without Ice Cube and Dre producing because they were trying too hard to display themselves in a good light.
2015 is appearing to be the year the Western and Bone Tomahawk is one of the best ones I've seen so far. It may not be for everyone because it is a little on the slow side but the characters and the performances are good enough that you can get to the climax without any yawns. I was very shocked with how good the acting was in this movie. Kurt Russell is the perfect man for the lead as and I'll be even more interested to see how he does in the Hateful 8. Matthew Fox is great. Patrick Wilson is great and Richard Jenkins is great. I like the adventure and although it is a long wait I really enjoyed the look of the cannibals and the climax really didn't disappoint. I'm sure that fans of westerns will certainly find some enjoyment in Bone Tomahawk.
I love a good, campy slasher movie so I figured The Final Girls would be an excellent movie for me. The plot is really promising and for the most part it is a fairly entertaining film, but it could have been so much better. I think the movie relies too much on the comedy and not a lot of it is really that good. I had a few mere chuckles but The Final Girls is not going to make you laugh out loud and then it is not even slightly scary. The other downside to this film is that its rated PG-13 so it has very little gore or violence that we see in classic horror films. The cast is decent though and there are a few faces that you may recognize from other films. I liked the look of the villain but he wasn't really that badass and that is an essential in a movie like this. However, thumbs up for the music, which of course is modeled after the old Friday the 13th films.
Creed is a fresh yet familiar story that builds once again on the story of Rocky Balboa and now Adonis Creed. After the sixth installment of the Rocky franchise it seemed like the series had finally run its course, but Ryan Coogler managed to come along and inject some new life into this franchise. Ryan Coogler both writes and directs beautifully by creating new great characters with new stories while also paying tribute to the Rocky films that came before it. Michael B. Jordan is officially a movie star. This kid showed how talented he was with Fruitvale Station and now he's got a role that makes him unavoidable. Sylvester Stallone is back as Rocky and he plays him beautifully. Stallone simply just will never forget how to play him, but he doesn't steal the spotlight either. This film belongs to Jordan and Coogler. The fights are outstanding and truly some of the best fight scenes in all of film. We even get a fight that is done all in one take which I'm sure many people wouldn't notice and that's a huge accomplishment. I can't wait to see a sequel for this film and Coogler better be involved. He better take Black Panther too.
The Intern is simply a feel good movie. It exists solely to put a smile on the viewers face. Nancy Myers is generally an optimistic film maker and this movie is no different. Anne Hathaway and Robert De Niro are not the most likely pairing in a film but it works, the chemistry is there. Hathaway and De Niro aren't giving the performances of their careers by any stretch but they are simply great actors who are undeniably likeable. The Intern is a film with very little conflict which is a downside. Robert De Niro's character is essentially flawless. He really can do no wrong, but on the other side that how you manage to adore him even more. I wouldn't consider the film to be clichéd but it is a little predictable and not the most original work in the world. Its too long as well but its still hard not to be in a good mood when the movie is over and that is why I can still recommend watching it.
Joy the story of a woman that most of the world is completely unaware of and it is kind of random selection for a project. David O Russell and Jennifer Lawrence have already worked together twice so its easy to get our hopes up. I wasn't a huge fan of American Hustle but I could respect it. The real strong side of Joy is the great performance by Jennifer Lawrence. I totally understand the Golden Globe nomination. Joy is by far the most interesting and loveable character in the film and she's very easy to root for as the movie goes and she continues to struggle. Now the main issue with the rest of the cast is that they aren't very likeable. Robert Di Niro and Bradley Cooper are both in this film but sadly they are almost unlikeable. Joy comes from a life of dysfunction and because of that there are times where she is completely on her own. Then there are certainly some scenes that really stand out above the rest.
Room is one of the most brilliant ambitious films that I have ever seen. Very few films can take a premise like this and completely run with the ball. The story is very intriguing throughout and the characters are easy to love because they are in such a difficult spot. The acting is outstanding. Brie Larson finally shows the world that she is a leading woman after spending several years in the supporting cast of films like 21 Jump Street and Trainwreck. Larson is undeniably likeable and brings such realism to her role. It will be interesting to see what her next projects will be. Then you got Jacob Tremblay, who delivers one of the best performances I have seen from a child in all of film. Tremblay's character Jack is an imaginative, and curious young boy and he portrays that beautifully as well as bringing a sense of innocence to the young character. Room will certainly get some attention at Oscar time for the Screenplay, Acting and possibly Best Picture.
Ron Howard is a good director, but he's not always a sure things. He does have some weaker movies and sadly In the Heart of the Sea is one of them. The film relies more on visuals than on a interesting story and characters. Ron Howard collaborates with Chris Hemsworth again after he was great in Rush in 2013. I'd be completely fine if Hemsworth replaces Tom Hanks as Howards new frequent collaborator. He was definitely one of the upsides of the movie. I have no doubt in my mind that this man is a true movie star. Cillian Murphy is also in this film and he is painfully underused considering how talented he is. The major issue with In the Heart of the Sea is that it just does not have the characters that you can latch onto and care about. Then when the **** hits the fan later on in the film you really don't care if they live or die. I would find this film very comparable to Angelina Jolie's Unbroken from last year. Its also about 10 or 20 minutes too long.
Concussion offers an interesting premise that the world has been waiting to be taken to light for years. The film is a great story of the relatively unknown man who discovered the consequences of concussions in football. Will Smith is outstanding in this movie. I think this is one of the best performances that he has had to date. Dr. Bennet Omalu is simply good for the sake of good and he is easy to root for. Then you have a great supporting cast in Alec Baldwin, Albert Brooks and David Morse as Mike Webster. The downside to this very interesting story is the third act which derails the train a little bit and takes away from the story that we were really interested in. Concussion could also be considered a little biased or overdramatised but overall its a good watch, even if you are not a football fan.
Spotlight is one of the most interesting films of 2015. Spotlight is a film that has gone somewhat under the radar so far but will surely gain some attention around Oscar time. This may even be a potential Best Picture film. The cast in Spotlight will be what draws you in. With stars like Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton and Rachel McAdams involved its hard to ignore. Spotlight is the story of a Boston Globe crew who looks to uncover the cases of child abuse by the catholic priests. For a film that deals with such heavy subject matter it does very little to boast itself up. The crew of reporters are merely doing their job so they really do not get over dramatic or really appear to be telling a biased story. Tom McCarthy has just made a complete 180 with this movie. It has only been a year since the Cobbler, one of my personal least favorite films of all time let alone the year. He redeems himself with this true treasure. I love a good comeback Now the cast is excellent although there is really not any that truly stand out. The ensemble really works well for this story, but I'll be shocked if we see Oscar nominations for these actors because there is no one who really takes the lead. Mark Ruffalo has truly done everything this year. He's been comedic with Infinitely Polar Bear. He's been a box office draw with Avengers: Age of Ultron and he may be the only actor in the film that gets Oscar consideration. To me he was the stand out. Michael Keaton shows that his comeback role in Birdman was no fluke. Not only is Keaton back but he is better than ever. Then you have Rachel McAdams who shows some dramatic chops and it seems like she becomes more and more dependable as her career continues. Liev Schreiber plays the new editor for the Boston Globe and I thought he was excellent. I can only wish that he had a heavier involvement because I think that it was the best that I have ever seen from him. Spotlight is a film that needed to be made and now the world just needs to realise that it needs to watch it.
We Are Marshall does not have the impact that the classic football films have. McG is the director for this film and we all know what kind of track record he has with films like Terminator Salvation and Charlie's Angels Full Throttle. We Are Marshall is more of the same. The film starts out well with tragedy but the script does not allow the viewer to get behind the team. The script relies far to much on characters that really don't matter rather than just stick with the football team. Matthew McConaughey and Matthew Fox are both decent in this movie and they are certainly the highlights of a fairly talented cast including a young Kate Mara and Anthony Mackie. Despite the strong effort from the two Matthews their characters still remained underdeveloped and the film just does not make the cut.
Steve Jobs was a man who made a huge impact on millions of lives all over the world despite most people not knowing much about the man who made their PC or their IPhone. Steve Jobs also deserved a worthy biopic about his life as well, which he sadly did not get with Ashton Kutcher's version. This film was film with talent in front and behind the camera and that is why it is so effective. I must start with the great screenplay by Aaron Sorkin, who is my favorite for best screenplay so far at this years Oscars. Sorkin crafted some of the best dialogue in a film this year. The film is written in just three different time periods rather than just play right through Steve Jobs' life. Now Michael Fassbender is outstanding as Steve Jobs and there is never a moment where you feel that he is acting. He was Steve Jobs in this film. I know a lot of people were commenting on Fassbender not looking very similar to Jobs but that never bothered me. Fassbender's performance says so much about this man and I'm sure that he will have to get some attention for best actor this year and as of right now he just might have my vote. Now for the supporting cast. Seth Rogen was great, I thought he was maybe going to struggle with this role, but there is nothing I like more than an actor breaking his typecasting and he did it here. There are several scenes here the Rogen holds his own against Fassbender and the same can be said about Jeff Daniels and Kate Winslet. Winslet will surely be nominated for an Oscar as well. Danny Boyle did not exactly steal the show like he sometimes does in his films. This seemed more like a showcase for Michael Fassbender and Aaron Sorkin than anyone else involved and that certainly doesn't drag it down. Props to Boyle for delivering on a great script and excellent performances. Undoubtedly one of the best films this year.
A Walk in the Woods is a fairly generic buddy comedy that is solely enjoyable for the performances of Nick Nolte and Robert Redford, who are both great and funny in the film. The banter between the two men is great and their dialogue is always fairly interesting. However the story is fairly uneventful. There really isn't much conflict and the movie is just not funny enough to be memorable. The scenery is good as the characters advance further down the Appalachian trail. Despite the flaws I got some enjoyment out of the film throughout the runtime, but the ending is very abrupt and disappointing. A Walk in the Woods still may be worth a watch for some as many people will treasure the performances of two stars from their heyday.
