THE REVIEW CORNER

Bad Times at the El Royale

2018-11-04T09:27:00.001-08:00

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm, Cailee Spaeny, Nick Offerman, and Chris Hemsworth
Directed by: Drew Goddard
Screenplay by: Drew Goddard

At first, this is a film that feels like it's going to be another one of those classic "who done it?" murder mysteries. The kind where a band of misfits has to figure out together who killed someone in the party. If you look at the run time of Bad Times (a whopping 2 hrs and 20 minutes), you might think there's no way a murder mystery could last that long on screen. But you just have to keep watching. It's not what you think...
A group of people who don't know each other appear to have all come together at the El Royale hotel; a small, but once glamorous establishment that straddles the border of California and Nevada not far from Lake Tahoe. They have nothing to do with each other, but all are hiding something. The vacuum salesman (Jon Hamm) doesn't seem to be exactly who he says he is, with his terrible Southern accent. The priest (Jeff Bridges), who has early onset Alzheimer's, doesn't seem so priestly. The hippie (Dakota Johnson) seems way too intense. The only one who seems even remotely like herself is the singer (Cynthia Erivo). All of these folks are here for different reasons and are all traveling to different places. Some of them are on the run. Some are in the middle of a trip, and others; it's hard to figure out.
The story is told in an interesting fashion. All the characters arrive at the El Royale at roughly the same time. Multiple cataclysmic events happen around the same time in the film, but not towards the end, like most movies have happen. Instead, these events happen toward the middle of the movie, and much of the film after that shows how the characters all arrived at the El Royale in the first place. While these characters all live almost completely separate lives until they all rendezvous at the hotel, they all are caught up in the same situation by the end of the story; an ultimate test of their trust and belief in strangers. This final act is also quite strange because it seems so totally out of the blue based on the rest of the story up until that point.
Bad Times is the kind of film that really requires close viewing, and perhaps multiple viewings to truly understand what's going on. It is a complex and convoluted story, yet thrilling, exciting, and highly suspenseful throughout.

I give Bad Times at the El Royale a B.

Image Source: The Fanboy Factor (http://fanboyfactor.com/2018/06/bad-times-at-the-el-royale-first-trailer/)

First Man

2018-10-28T10:08:00.001-07:00

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, and Corey Stoll
Directed by: Damien Chazelle
Screenplay by: Josh Singer
Based on the book by James R. Hansen

Yes, this is the same director who did La La Land from a few years ago. But this is a true story this time, and not necessarily a feel good one.
Many of us know about Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969. First Man is not simply the story of the moon landing, but the story about Armstrong and what led him to be the first man in history to walk on the moon. It's a story about making huge sacrifices for himself, and his family, in order to accomplish such a goal, as well as overcoming a great deal of grief.
The film focuses almost entirely on Neil (Ryan Gosling). The film opens up on him as one of the premiere pilots in the military, piloting the X-15; a plane that was capable of flying over 100,000 feet altitude. He is portrayed as a very stoic and emotionless man throughout the film, especially after the loss of his daughter (making Ryan Gosling an excellent choice for the role). Any time a new opportunity comes up for him through either the military or NASA, he does not think much on the decision as to whether or not to take it. He seems not to be much of a family man either, as he does not tell his wife or children much about what he does, where he is going, or how long he will be gone for. In one scene, ahead of the Apollo 11 launch, his wife, Janet (Claire Foy), basically forces him to tell his children exactly what this mission to the moon entails, including the risk of him not coming back at all. It is clearly a difficult moment for Neil, although not because of what he has to tell his children, but the fact that he has to tell them anything at all. Overall, I think Armstrong is not necessarily portrayed in the best of lights in First Man.
First Man feels like a film produced more for its visuals than its story; more for its style than its substance. I felt the same about Chazelle's last film, La La Land (which I very much loved). The IMAX experience is well worth it for this film. While much of the film looks as though it may as well have been shot on 35mm, the launch sequences and moon sequences are clearly done using IMAX cameras, making for an immersive experience. The camera shakes along with the ship as it launches giving the viewer a good idea of what it must be like to be in a rocket ship like that. Most of the rest of the film seems to be done with handheld cameras, and the scenes that shouldn't shake, shake anyway. This made for a dizzying movie going experience. My best guess is that it looks more amateurish, an aesthetic that throughout the history of cinema, many filmmakers have tried to achieve. Sometimes such a cinematic style works well. Not for First Man however.
Characters are not always introduced well in this film either. It assumes we know who all of them are and their roles in NASA at the time. It is easy to forget who some of these characters are as the film progresses. I found myself wondering a few times who someone was as the film progressed (perhaps because I was too focused on the shaky camera during the scenes).
I left the theater sadly feeling unimpressed with First Man. It feels like it is more style than substance, although not a bad film. I am impressed by the styles Chazelle draws from and his understanding of the cinematic aesthetic in this film. Although a long 2 hours and 21 minutes, the length feels appropriate for this kind of story. First Man is certainly an intriguing film.

I give First Man a B-.

Image Source: Geek Hard

Palm Springs International Short Film Festival 2018

2018-07-05T21:20:00.002-07:00

Yet again, I find myself at another film festival. This time it's in the heat of the desert at the Palm Springs International Short Film Festival. I attended this festival for the first time last year, but was only there for one day. This year, I'm here for more than that so I can see many more films. Here are my highlights:

Emergency, directed by Carey Williams
A group of black and Latino college-aged men come back to their house to find a girl nobody knows lying on the floor unconscious. Is she high? Is she drunk? Did she overdose? It isn't clear exactly what happened to this young woman, but they know they have to do something about her. Do they call the police? One says yes, the other thinks they need to handle it themselves. They debate back and forth, and even bring in some other friends to figure out what they should do. They know the risks involved with calling the police. One of these young men knows exactly what happens to some unarmed black men and is afraid the same might happen to him. The other thinks that nothing is going to happen and the young woman will be taken care of. So, after some debate, they decide calling the police is the right thing to do, but decide to make the best impression they can so they are not suspected of causing the young woman harm. This film is an interesting commentary on the lives of African Americans in this country who don't have a great relationship with the police in their communities. They weigh the pros and cons of calling for help, and while they are afraid for their own lives, the life of this young woman hangs in the balance.  Emergency is a fascinating film that, while it has its comedic moments, the director insists it is not a comedy. It is thrilling and dramatic at the same time as we watch to see what these guys might do.

Mobile (Mobil), directed by Truls Krane Meby
Whalid is a young refugee from Syria who lives currently in Norway. He waits by his phone nervously about news of his family who is trying to escape the war torn country and get into Europe. They appear to have a deal with a smuggler who will be able to get them as far as Hungary, but the deal they had appears to have changed. They can no longer afford the price the smuggler wants. The smuggler realizes getting the rest of his family all the way to Norway will be a more difficult task than getting them to Hungary. Whalid is on the phone with members of his family or the smuggler for the whole duration of the film. He hears his mother talk about how because of the price change, they will have to continue on foot, something Whalid does not want them to do unless absolutely necessary. Unfortunately, by the end of the film, it is absolutely necessary, and we see Whalid come to terms with this. Although the film's only character is Whalid, we see how he comes to terms with the potential fate of his entire family should they fail to make it out of the country and into Europe. The film puts a personal touch on an issue facing many countries in Europe today, and more importantly, the people trying to flee their war-ravaged homelands.

Trapeze, U.S.A., directed by Mark Anthony Green
This was the longest film I saw at the festival, with a run time of 33 minutes, but it was one of the most interesting and entertaining films I saw. Orenthal James (yes that is this character's real name, played by the wildly entertaining Rance Nix) is trying to get to a meeting for work on time. Seems simple enough, especially to people who have spent any time living in New York ever. That's all he's trying to do. But everything that can go wrong, does go wrong. It's like Murphy's law; first the subway doesn't work right, then a cab is too expensive, but too far to walk, so he'll do anything to get to work on time so he can make this meeting. This film takes a lot of sidetracks, making the viewer feel somewhat lost at times, but for good reason. These distractions often involve characters engaging in deeply political and philosophical discussions surrounding the world today. One conversation between two characters deals with veganism, while another one deals with respecting women after one character catcalls a woman on the street. The film is shot on 35mm instead of digital, making for a unique visual experience at this festival. It's colorful, exciting, and just a whole lot of fun, especially to those of us who have spent some time in New York and have experienced the various modes of transportation failing. One of the things that intrigued me about this film was something that director Mark Anthony Green mentioned in the Q&A after the film. He has no intention of expanding the film, and feels that if a good story can be told in 30-35 minutes, then it should be at that length. This is also his first film, he mentioned. It is incredibly well done, and I would not have known for a second that it was his first film had he not mentioned it.

The President's Visit, directed by Cyril Aris
This is a story about a man who runs a soap shop in a small coastal town in Lebanon. He makes some of the best soaps in the country and his products are often in high demand, especially from the fishermen of the town. One day he gets a phone call that changes his life. The President of Lebanon has chosen to visit his small shop to see about his soaps. He is told to tell nobody the President is coming to visit, for a variety of reasons. But this is a small town, so naturally, everybody finds out and makes a huge deal of the visit. While he is trying to figure out how news has spread, he must also prepare for the presidential visit. This film is a witty, fast paced, comedy that shows what living in a small town (really in any country) can be like. The President's Visit is a film that is sure to get the theater laughing.

The Beaning, directed by Sean McCoy
Any fans of experimental film? Any sports fans? Documentary fans? This is the film for you!  The Beaning tells the story of Ray Chapman, a baseball player for the Cleveland Indians who was hit by a pitch from New York Yankees pitcher Carl Mays (and later died), and the rise of the Yankees dynasty in baseball. The film combines aspects of documentary storytelling, as well as experimental, dream-like story telling, to create this near horror film. I can honestly say, and I mean this in a positive way as the film is very well done; I have never felt more creeped out by baseball. While I consider myself a fan of baseball and its history, this is a story I learned about through this film. It does a great job teaching people about this film, while also creating a psychologically thrilling story that is sure to leave a lasting impression long after audiences see the film.

Shadow Animals, directed by Jerry Carlsson
In a block of experimental shorts, this film perhaps feels the most normal. Marall is a young girl who is invited to a party with her parents one night at their friend's house. At first the party seems normal, but Marall begins to notice things that are strange. She is well behaved at the party, but as the night goes on, the behavior of the adults changes. It's no longer just socializing and eating, but odd dances and traditions, straight out of a weird cult. Shadows begin to appear and she is increasingly creeped out by what she is seeing. The worst part, everyone else seems to think that everything is fine and normal, but to Marall is is clearly not.  Shadow Animals reminds us of when our parents took us to various functions we did not want to be at when we were young. It reminds us of the awkwardness many of us have experienced in these situations, and sometimes feeling lost; in desperate desire to leave. The story is told solely through the perspective of the young girl, through the eyes of innocence. It is sure to give viewers a thrill!

August Sun, directed by Franco Volpi
Taking care of aging parents is difficult, and only made more difficult when one has a family of his/her own to take care of as well. This is the story of August Sun, where the main character, Javier, must do just that. He returns to his home town of Buenos Aires in Argentina to care for his aging and increasingly unhealthy mother, even though he lives in Vienna with his wife. Javier is engaged in legal issues with his mother's insurance company, as it makes it difficult for her to receive the proper medication she needs to stay healthy. This is a scenario all too familiar to those of us who live in the United States, but as August Sun shows us, it is not only in the United States where these situations happen. Javier tries to enlist the help of his sister, but she refuses, putting all the pressure to care for their mother on him. This film showcases a truly selfless character. He doesn't take a moment to figure out what will be best for him, but rather, the people around him; on one hand, the life he has built in Europe, and on the other, doing what is right for his mother.  August Sun is the kind of film that makes people appreciate family, and how sometimes, people are willing to do everything that is necessary to care for their family. It was among the most powerful of films I saw at this festival.

Acide, directed by Just Philippot
The Thrills and Chills block was a block meant to be experienced. Especially this film.  Acide opens up with a shot of a stuffed teddy bear lying on the side of the road as traffic goes by. It begins to rain, and as it does, traffic slows down and people run out of their vehicles and scream with increasing intensity. As the screams get louder, the teddy bear begins to melt away. It becomes clear that the rain has become so acidic that is lethal and melts everything in its path. The film, after this scene, focuses on a family trying to escape the acid rain. Running as fast as they can, and begging anyone they can find for help, Acide is 18 minutes of absolute terror. Will they find a place to hide before the rain starts? Will they make it out alive? Sadly, not all of them will. It is not clear how the rain becomes so acidic, but that's okay because the film is so thrilling that you can't really focus on that fact until the film is over. It exemplifies the theme of Thrills and Chills better than perhaps any of the other films that were screened in this block.

Two Puddles, directed by Timothy Keeling
This film was also screened in the Thrills and Chills block, and made its world premiere at this festival. A family is hiking through a park one day, when they encounter two mysterious puddles. One person falls in, another person comes up. So, the daughter falls in, and the father goes in to save her, but she comes up without him. She goes back in to find him, but he comes up instead. It goes on like this for a few minutes, until a jogger comes by and falls in herself. After that happens, the family is finally reunited after moments of terror with this puddle. The mother reacts differently each time someone falls into the puddle, signifying there are some hidden tensions within this family. The story might seem a little ridiculous on the surface, but the film has its comedic moments and is a very entertaining six minutes. This was a fun film to break up some of the tension already built in the screening block.

Beneath the Ink, directed by Cy Dodson

This short documentary follows a tattoo artist in rural Ohio named Billy Joe White. He's not just any tattoo artist however. He spends much of his time covering up people's past tattoos, mainly of things of hatred. He covers up things on people's bodies like swastikas and other symbols of hatred, usually white supremacy. The people who come to him often feel that they made mistakes earlier in life and look for a chance to close that chapter in their lives. It's not always clear what happened to get these people to change, but it is heartening to hear their stories of what they have dealt with and overcome over the course of their lives. This is a story of redemption for people and shows how they can change. It is a film that shows just how much times are changing in this particular part of the country.

Souls of Totality, directed by Richard Raymond

"The Souls of Totality have exited this plane" a sign reads as a young woman leaves a small religious compound. She has been chosen to stay behind, to remain on earth when everyone else in the compound believes their souls will be taken to heaven during a total solar eclipse. She is the only one chosen to stay behind, but she has a secret. She and another member are in love. Realizing that she must let him go in this rapture-like event, she is deeply saddened. He is sad to leave her as well, but he has not been chosen to stay, so he must unfortunately go with the rest of the group, to the next plane of existence. As the eclipse nears, they must prepare for their eventual separation, and for the future. At the last moment, he decides to disregard his duties to the group and stay behind with her. Souls of Totality was perhaps my favorite film of the festival. It features the best mis en scene of any film in the festival as well. There is one scene in particular that was shot during last year's total solar eclipse that went all across the United States. It was a truly awesome shot to cap a wonderful film. The story is captivating and inspiring, and leaves much up to the imagination of audiences. Director Richard Raymond told me that they only had a few weeks to prepare for the film because they had to get that one particular shot exactly right, or it wouldn't have worked at all. Talk about a once in a lifetime shot! It is sure to have a lasting impact on audiences.

Avengers: Infinity War

2018-04-28T09:55:00.002-07:00

Starring: Everyone in the Marvel universe basically
Directed by: Anthony Russo and Joe Russo
Screenplay by: Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely

I remember back in 2012, when the first Avengers movie came out, thinking that there would never again be a movie with that much A-list talent in it, especially another superhero movie like that. Well, it's 2018 and Marvel has once again raised the bar. This time however, the stakes have become much higher for all the characters in the story.
Over the course of the past 10 years of Marvel films, we have been introduced to the concept of the infinity stones, each one of the six stones representing different aspects of the universe. Whoever possesses all of the infinity stones will become the most powerful being in the universe, capable of bringing destruction and genocide on an unimaginable scale. We also in past films have been introduced to Thanos (Josh Brolin), a big purple being who looks to be about the size of the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), but isn't so angry and doesn't want to smash everything. We've really only seen him in post-credit scenes, or been briefly introduced to him in one or two scenes. In Infinity War, we finally get to see Thanos as the main villain. He is on a quest to capture all of the infinity stones and reshape the universe in his image, by essentially wiping out half of all life with just "the snap of his fingers." With the whole of reality, time, and space on the line as well, the Avengers (who have had their problems in the past), must band together against this threat because the stakes have never been higher.
Marvel did something very different with Infinity War that I don't believe they have done with past films in this franchise. This movie assumes you have seen some if not all of the other Marvel movies. This is important as a viewer because there are plenty of things that you can miss if you have not seen the whole franchise. For example, you might wonder about how Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is missing one eye if you haven't seen Thor Ragnarok. You might wonder who Mantis is if you haven't seen the recent Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. And if you haven't seen that one, you might even wonder about Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) being snarky teenager. But I digress. There are so many things that have happened in past Marvel movies, it is perhaps best to familiarize yourself with the franchise as much as possible before seeing Infinity War, because there is plenty that can and will confuse you otherwise.
Like most other films in the franchise, Infinity War is two and a half hours long. For me, two and a half hours is a perfect length of a movie, but not for Infinity War. This film actually needs to be longer because there are so many characters and so many different storylines that intertwine over the course of this film that things get lost. Some characters are focused on more than others. For example, Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) has far more screen time than Captain America (Chris Evans) or Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson). There are simply too Thanos. Perhaps this is because he is largely unseen in this franchise until now or it is because the directors went with a slightly different perspective on this film. Thanos feels more developed as a character in this particular film than most of the other characters. It is as if the story is told from the perspective of the villain this time, making Infinity War a clear departure from superhero movies, and even its own franchise.
I left the theater feeling like Infinity War is simply a placeholder movie, one whose story simply tells the viewer where the rest of the story is headed. This does not mean that it is not important to see the film and just wait until the next Avengers film is released. Perhaps of any of the Marvel movies, this one has the most important details of where the story and the franchise are headed. One can't help but feel excited about what's to come.

I give Avengers: Infinity War an A-.

Image Source: www.olympicstudios.co.uk

Palm Springs Jewish Film Festival 2018

2018-03-26T15:52:00.004-07:00

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to attend the Palm Springs Jewish Film Festival. This was a festival I had heard about purely by accident. I was waiting in line to go into a screening at the Palm Springs International Film Festival back in January when I heard about the Jewish Film Festival happening in March. I decided immediately that I would put it in my calendar and make sure I could go. This is the first Jewish film festival I have attended, and while I may have been the youngest person perhaps in attendance the day I went, the festival did not disappoint. I saw three feature films, all of which highlight different aspects of the Jewish experience in today's complex world. Being Jewish myself, I felt like I had a particular appreciation for these films.

The first film was a documentary called Germans and Jews. The film highlights the Jewish experience in modern day Berlin, which has one of the fastest growing Jewish populations in the world today. This is particularly interesting given Germany's history with the Holocaust. The film discusses how the country has transformed into one of the most democratic societies in the world and has confronted its history head on. Through interviews with Germans both Jewish and non-Jewish, born in Germany as well as foreign born, the film discusses the German-Jewish experience in the 21st century. Some of the people interviewed are German-born non-Jews, while some others are foreign born Jews who have come to Germany. I was particularly struck by the people who spoke about others' reactions when the would find out that the person was Jewish. They spoke about non-Jews not knowing exactly how to react to the news that this person was Jewish. While it seems as if for the most part, over 70 years later, things have gotten better, there is still a serious presence of anti-semitism throughout Germany as well as throughout Europe as a whole. The film does not necessarily highlight the current wave of anti-semitism sweeping through the country, but grapples with it in context of Germany's past. The film talks about how important the country's part in WWII is and how people growing up there today learn so much about it; and how they were on the wrong side of history. Germans and Jews asks the question, when is it time to move on? At what point do we realize that the ugliness of the history is there? And at what point can we not let it weigh us down in today's world, even though it was the wrong thing to do? I found this documentary to be particularly insightful as a young Jewish person in America today. While I cannot necessarily identify with the German perspective, I can identify with the perspective of the young Jewish person living in a 21st century democracy. This is not the kind of documentary that tells the history of Jews in Germany, but rather about being Jewish in modern Europe. It's the kind of film that provides a great basis for a discussion long after one leaves the theater.

The second film I saw was a mockumentary called The 90 Minute War. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has raged on for generations. Peace agreements and compromises have not worked in determining who's homeland it really is. Finally after all of this, the best compromise they have come up with is a soccer game. Yes, that's right, a soccer game. 90 minutes to determine who gets to stay and who has to find a new homeland. This fake documentary (think Spinal Tap) is incredibly entertaining. While we do not actually get to see the match or its result, it is a fun take on a way that the conflict can one day come to an end. The film follows multiple people, both the Israeli and Palestinian ministers of sport, the organizing committee, IFA, a fun take at FIFA, and the man who manages the stadium in Portugal in which the game will be played. The process to get to this game is nearly insane. The two ministers of sport argue over everything, including who qualifies to even be on both respective teams, who qualifies to be the referee (they want someone literally as neutral as humanly possible), and even on whether the match should be played in Portugal or some other neutral site like Switzerland. The film highlights all sides of this conflict quite evenly and very well. It gives us as neutral-seeming perspective as perhaps is possible. It pokes fun at both ministers who are pulling as many strings as they can to get the game to be more advantageous to their respective team. There are plenty of things that are completely absurd in this film that make it very comedic at times, and really, the whole story and concept are pretty absurd as well. All it takes to settle this whole conflict is just a 90 minute soccer match? Gosh, if that was all it took, then this conflict could be settled so easily. And although the film makes it look this easy, we all know that in real life it's much more complicated than that and that a soccer game won't settle it. Perhaps the most important thing this film provides is a glimmer of hope that one day the conflict will be settled in a peaceful way that will work for both sides, ultimately bringing peace to the region.

The third and final film screened the day I attended the festival was an Israeli film called Our Father. The winner of 12 Israeli Academy awards, this really is an excellent film. Ovadia Rahamim and his wife, Rachel, have been trying to have a baby for a few years and it has not worked out very well. Rachel is a very religious woman and Ovadia is not a particularly religious man, but he is willing to do whatever he can so that they can have a child. Ovadia is a security guard/doorman at a popular night club in Tel Aviv. He is fearless and is willing to break up any disturbances that might occur on a given night at the club. He has gotten into fights with people as he tries to break up their fights. Some of the people who often attend this club are Shalom Rozental and his associates. Rozental is a gangster who is looking for a hired hand. He knows that the club isn't paying Ovadia very well and that in order to get Rachel pregnant, they are going to have to go to an expensive fertility clinic. Rozental can help, but for him to do that, Ovadia is going to have to work for him on the side. Rozental is owed a lot of money by a number of people and needs someone who is tough, fearless, and isn't afraid to get his hands dirty. Ovadia accepts the offer and begins to work on the side for Rozental. At first it's not so bad. He beats a few people up, collects their money, and makes bank. As Ovadia grows into his role in this world, things become more dangerous, and as he begins to want out, it gets harder and harder to leave. There comes a tipping point, where Ovadia must make a choice as to whether the people closest to him at the club get hurt, or he and his wife get hurt. While the characters are seemingly all a little flat, they are well acted. The story is not anything that American audiences aren't totally familiar with, but can certainly relate to on some level in reference to other gangster films. I very much enjoyed this film. It is well acted, well paced, and intense enough to keep audiences interested until the very end. This is the kind of film that many people would find entertaining. Not only does it take audiences through an emotional journey, but a somewhat spiritual journey as well, especially as Rachel seeks religious help to understand why she cannot bear a child. I definitely would recommend this film.

The three films I saw at this festival were three very different films. They were screened in a good order, progressing from the documentary to the fully narrative film. All three films showcase intriguing stories with interesting things to learn. I very much enjoyed this film festival and will make sure I can attend again next year, but perhaps for longer than one day.

Image Source: Palm Springs Jewish Film Festival website

Pasadena International Film Festival 2018

2018-03-20T16:57:00.002-07:00

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to attend the 5th annual Pasadena International Film Festival in Pasadena, California. This is the only film festival I have attended more than once since I began writing about festivals for this blog last year. Similar to last year, I got to see many great short films and one feature length documentary. These films all covered a variety of topics, some of which happen to be quite relevant to themes in the news today. They also take viewers through a wide array of emotions throughout the screening blocks. Here are some of my highlights:

The first short film I saw was Bella Donna, a story of a husband and wife who don't see eye to eye on their ideas of perfection. The film opens up and we see the wife only from the neck down as she prepares a dinner and sets a table for what is sure to be a beautiful date night. She is faithful to her husband and has prepared a delicious dinner for him. But when he walks in and sits down, seems unimpressed. She sits down and the viewer realizes why her face has not been shown up until this point. She has a nasty black eye. At this point, it becomes clear to the viewer what is really going on here, especially once the husband begins critiquing the dinner in a way that suggests he is not totally satisfied. She is beautiful and does everything he asks of her, but it still isn't good enough. There was an audible sense of shock among the other viewers in the theater when her face is finally shown. As powerful men are taken down publicly by allegations of domestic violence one by one in these times, Bella Donna provides an interesting perspective from the victim's standpoint that we don't always see in the news. Now is a great time for this film to be released, as the issue discussed is on the minds of so many.

Underhanded is a short film about a young man who is the son of a well known bootlegger in prohibition era Atlantic City, New Jersey. The film begins as he is a boy, watching his father get shot by gangsters trying to take over the business. As their business flourishes and expands, the main character, now a young man, wants to get revenge for his father's murder. Underhanded is the kind of film that I can see being expanded into a feature film. As a short film, there is not enough time to fully develop the story as much as perhaps is necessary. However, the actors are all compelling in their roles and the film left me wanting more.

Vellum is a short film about a young woman's ride in a ride share program gone horribly wrong. It's late one night and the main character has called for a "Rydeshare" (think Uber) after a party. As the ride goes on, she begins to notice some strange things about her driver, such as ignoring GPS directions and some tattoos on his neck that would suggest he is a white supremacist (the main character is white by the way). She begins to fear that something is wrong and asks to get out of the car. She tries to call her boyfriend for help, but he does not answer. While trying to call for help she is kidnapped and wakes up sometime later in the garage of a house completely tied up and unable to get help. The same driver she was trying to escape from is holding her hostage along with another young woman who seems high on drugs. She does eventually find herself released from her captivity by these white supremacists and the film does have a happy ending. I found this short film to be rather thought provoking because it seems like so many times when we call for a cab or other ride share, it seems like we do exactly what our parents told us NOT to do when we were younger, which is to get into a car with a stranger. This was certainly an interesting film and I very much enjoyed it.

The Zim tells the story of racism in Zimbabwe shortly after gaining independence from the British. During this time, many black people were seizing the properties of white people throughout the country, and The Zim tells one such story. A white farm owner is approached by a black man one day claiming he has the right to the property. It has been the white man's family home for generations and he refuses to give up the property without first going through the proper channels. Things turn violent and nearly out of control. But if the white man is forced to give up his property, then where will he go? The Zim offers a history lesson to those of us who were previously unaware of the race tensions and turmoil that existed at the time. The film is the perfect length. I left the theater feeling like I had learned something as well as seen a fully developed story play out. It is sure to leave a lasting impression on audiences.

A Timepo (In Time) is about an undocumented immigrant trying to arrive at his daughter's dance recital in time. He can't leave work early to get there early, so if he gets done at the right time, he'll just barely make it. The problem is that when he is done with work, his truck won't start. Instead of calling for help to get the truck started, he starts to run to the location of the recital. He runs all the way there. But on the way, a police officer notices him running, reports it as suspicious activity, and begins chasing him. Intercut through the scenes of the man running are scenes of his daughter performing. He bursts into the auditorium just as she finishes her recital, with the police officer right behind him, pushing him to the ground and arresting him. Yet, that is not the focus of the film. The film focuses on the man working hard to provide for his family as well as being a good father. It showcases the difficulty undocumented immigrants face each day being in this country. It is never shown ultimately what happens to this man. A Tiempo is a great, thrilling and intense film.

Speaking of fast-paced, intense thriller short films, Active Shooter ratchets it up even more. The film opens up to a man horrified by what he is seeing on the television in front of him. A shooting is going on at his son's high school. As he watches more and calls his son to see if he is okay (only to receive no response each time he calls), he realizes the key to the closet where he keeps his guns is missing. He begins to worry that his son may actually be the shooter. All signs point that such may be the case. He goes through his son's room and sees that he is an introverted and troubled young man who was rejected by a classmate he tried to date (as notes show). Meanwhile the father keeps trying to contact his son, worrying he may in fact be the shooter or otherwise caught up in the situation. This film is perhaps the most topical of the short films at the festival I saw. It seems as if there are far too many school shootings happening these days, and other attempts that are thwarted. Active Shooter provides a unique perspective because it removes the viewer from the action and puts us in the seat of a parent who is frantic about the whereabouts and safety of his child. Of all of the short films I saw, this one was perhaps my favorite.

A Desert Storm takes place about the time of the first Gulf War back in 1991. Miles, a young boy, is out camping with his family when he stumbles upon a homeless veteran. No words are exchanged between the two characters, but he begins to think about what a soldier goes through in war. This creates a rift in his mind as he is caught between two phases of his life, the naivete of his childhood fantasies about soldiers, and the violent realities they experience. Miles becomes fascinated with the coverage of the war, unable to turn it off upon his family's return from their trip. Miles has a serious wake-up call about reality that shakes him to his core. As a young man who constantly has a model war plane with him everywhere he goes, he begins to realize that the people who fly those planes in real life do not experience fun and games, but rather extreme violence and chaos that have profound effects on them. A Desert Storm reminds us of ourselves during those times when we realized the world is a completely different world than we had once imagined, one that is far more complex that we previously understood. It juxtaposes the large and complex world we live in with the intimacy of a young boy coming of age to begin to understand it.

Sinatra in Palm Springs is the last film I saw at the festival this year, and it is the only feature length film I saw. This film is not a history of Frank Sinatra's life, but rather a film about his life specifically in Palm Springs, California; the place he called home for more than 40 years. Sinatra considered Palm Springs his true home even though he had a home in Los Angeles. If you are looking to learn about Sinatra's singing or acting careers, or just about his life in general, this is not the film for you. Director/Producer Leo Zahn interviews many people throughout this film, including owners and managers of many of the restaurants he frequented in the area, his wife Barbara, to whom he was married the longest of all of his wives, and actor and comedian Tom Dreesen, who was very close friends with Sinatra. This documentary paints an interesting picture of Sinatra's life in the desert. It's the kind of documentary that makes you feel like you learned something about Sinatra that is unique to that documentary. While other documentary filmmakers might choose to talk about Sinatra's life and professional career, Zahn chooses to tell the story about his personal life, but in Palm Springs. It is a truly fascinating film.

Image Source: Things to do in LA (www.ttdila.com)

Annihilation

2018-03-11T10:15:00.004-07:00

Starring: Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tuva Novotny, Tessa Thompson, Benedict Wong, and Oscar Isaac
Directed by: Alex Garland
Screenplay by: Alex Garland
Based on the novel by James VanderMeer

I walked out of the theater after this movie and I had two reactions to it. The first was, wow this is totally amazing. The second, which came some time after I left and had digested some of what I had seen was, well this is a weird movie. In any sense, this is a film shrouded in mystery. Don't expect to receive many answers from all the questions you might have about the story.
The film opens up with Lena (Natalie Portman), a biologist being interrogated by a man named Lomax (Benedict Wong). He and all of the spectators (of which there seem to be many) of this interrogation wear hazmat suits, yet Lena does not. It becomes clear that she has survived something that may have been catastrophic and it appears she is the only one who has survived. Lomax wants to know what happened in a place called "Area X", specifically inside of some odd force field type thing called "the Shimmer". But how did Lena get to Area X in the first place?
For some unnecessary backstory; Lena's husband, Kane (Oscar Isaac), is in the military. He has been on a mission for nearly a year and nobody has heard from him. By the time we learn about Kane, he is presumed dead, until he mysteriously shows up at Lena's house in a moment when she is emotional and distraught about what may have happened to him. She is obviously thrilled to see him and quite surprised as well, but when she asks him about his mission, the only answer he can give her is that he doesn't know. It's not because he can't tell her what happened, but because he genuinely does not know what happened. It is clear that upon his return he is not well. On the way to the hospital, they are both taken to a top secret facility, where he receives care and where Lena meets Dr. Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh), a psychologist. At this facility she also meets some other female scientists in various fields. She tries to get some answers about the Shimmer from them and does not get very far. Except that nothing ever comes back from the Shimmer. Eventually it becomes clear to Lena that Kane's mission was inside the Shimmer and that he is the first person to ever come back from inside of it.
A team is being put together of some of the other women Lena meets at the facility; Anya Thorensen (Gina Rodriguez), Cass Sheppard (Tuva Novotny), Josie Radek (Tessa Thompson), and Dr. Ventress. Together, along with Lena (who volunteers to go as well), they will venture into the Shimmer, well aware of the risks. The source of the Shimmer appears to be at a lighthouse some distance away. The Shimmer is slowly expanding, consuming everything in its path. It refracts everything. Plants and trees become odd looking with bright colors and fungi growing everywhere. Animals begin to change and the women begin to lose their sense of things around them. It is unclear what the progression of time is, although we do know that time is funky inside of the Shimmer. Lomax wants to know from Lena upon her return how she was able to survive for four months on only two weeks worth of food. The goal for these women is to reach the lighthouse and find out what's causing the Shimmer, and maybe even figure out how to stop it if indeed it can be stopped. At this point, the film becomes too conventional as one by one, the team loses a member to various circumstances that I will not spoil for you.
Perhaps the most refreshing aspect of this film is how female-driven it is. They are all strong characters played well by their respective actresses. Unfortunately for these characters, their stories are not as compelling as I had hoped they would be. It is never quite clear why they all venture into the Shimmer, despite their awareness of it being a suicide mission. Are they ordered to go? Do they volunteer? We have some idea as to why Lena goes in because she perhaps wants to understand what happened to her husband, but even that is just an educated guess on my part. They seem to be unclear even of what their mission is. Are they there to destroy the source of the shimmer? Are they there for research purposes? Also, what are the stakes they are faced with? If the shimmer is constantly growing, consuming everything it comes into contact with, wouldn't the fate of all of humanity potentially be in their hands? And if so, wouldn't they feel a little more pressure than they already do?
Alex Garland, the director, also directed a film a few years ago that I absolutely loved, Ex Machina, with Alicia Vikander and also with Oscar Isaac. It was remembering how much I loved that film that made me excited for Annihilation, Garland's only film since. The visuals are stunning. It's the kind of movie that on the surface, one might want to experience in IMAX or something similar. The colors are extremely rich and vibrant and the setting is quite beautiful. But those are sadly the most compelling parts of the movie. Annihilation had so much potential, but unfortunately fell short.

I give Annihilation a C+.

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The Shape of Water

2018-02-10T09:35:00.000-08:00

Starring: Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, and Michael Stuhlbarg
Directed by: Guillermo del Toro
Screenplay by: Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor

Elisa Esposito (Sally Hawkins) lives a life of isolation. She works as a janitor at a top secret research facility just outside Baltimore in this cold-war era story. As a child she sustained a curious injury that has left her mute. Her co-worker, Zelda (Octavia Spencer) does much of the translating for Elisa as she uses sign language to communicate. Elisa and Zelda are very much outsiders. As janitors, they are not allowed everywhere in the facility, and if they are allowed in some of the top secret places, they can only be there for a few minutes to clean up. Elisa's next door neighbor, Giles (Richard Jenkins), is also an outsider. He's a commercial artist constantly looking for work. Giles and Zelda appear to be Elisa's only two friends; until one day that is unlike any other.
There's a new specimen brought to the facility; an amphibious fish-man type creature (played by Doug Jones and is a clear throwback to Creature From the Black Lagoon) found in the Amazon. The plan is for the scientists and researchers to study it and learn what they can so they can stay one step ahead of the Russians in the space race. Can they put this thing into space? Elisa and Zelda are assigned to clean up the room where the creature is being held one day, and Elisa becomes quite curious about the creature. She sits by the tank where it is being held and tries to see it for herself. She lures it with hard-boiled eggs and over time, gets on the creature's good side. When she is alone in the facility, she tries to spend as much time as she can with the creature, but she has to be sneaky about it. She begins to develop a strong affection for the creature that eventually turns into something resembling a romance.
Dr. Robert Hoffstetler (Michael Stuhlbarg) is the scientist in charge of studying this creature (who is also a Russian spy), but his boss, Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon), head of security, doesn't much care for it or his research. He seems to be interested only in torturing and studying it, then probably killing it. Elisa becomes increasingly aware of what is going on and wants to help this creature escape this facility and go back into the ocean, where it belongs. She feels the treatment of this creature is unacceptable despite it not being human. She feels it should be treated as human and will stop at nothing to ensure its safety. This is a tale of unexpected friendship, love, and people by some to be outsiders sticking together.
The film has been nominated for 13 Academy Awards. That should tell you already a little about what an incredible film The Shape of Water is. I love that while this film is about a monster-like creature, it is not a horror film. In fact it is quite the opposite. The creature is treated like a monster because the characters are afraid of it, simply because they do not know anything about it. We are often afraid of the things about which we do not know. The depiction of this creature is anything but scary. The way it looks at characters like Elisa tells the viewer that this creature is harmless and just wants to be set free so it can be left alone. It looks to Elisa as its deliverer to freedom. The fact that neither can communicate with each other in a common language also makes this dynamic interesting. They communicate largely on an emotional level and that is what kicks of this sort of romantic relationship between the two. A dynamic between a human (usually female) and a monster type character like this is not uncommon, but does not usually develop to quite this level of romance. For example, in the 2005 version of King Kong, Kong, the monster type character, develops an affinity for Naomi Watts's character; not necessarily because of romantic feelings, but rather because Kong sees safety in her. He can feel safe with her. I believe the amphibian man in The Shape of Water feels the same way toward Elisa.
The Shape of Water is brilliantly shot, incredibly well acted, and tells a story that blurs the line dividing fantasy and reality. To some, it might seem completely absurd to have a human woman fall in love with an amphibious creature that does not speak, but it feels strangely natural on screen. This is a film that combines elements of a spy thriller with an example of racism in the United States during the Cold War, all with fantasy to create a film that needs to be experienced to be believed.

I give The Shape of Water an A+.

Image Source: Texas Lifestyle Magazine

Palm Springs International Film Festival 2018: Jupiter's Moon

2018-01-19T12:17:00.004-08:00

Starring: Merab Ninidze, Zsombor Jéger, György Cserhalmi, and Mónika Balsai
Directed by: Kornél Mundruczó
Screenplay by: Kornél Mundruczó and Kata Wéber

Jupiter's Moon is one of three foreign films I saw at this year's Palm Springs International Film Festival. It is also one of two Hungarian films that I saw.
A young man is trying to escape from Syria. He is one of millions of people fleeing the war torn country and attempting to seek refuge in Europe. He and many other people are just about to cross the border into Hungary when they are ambushed by border police. This particular young man is Aryan Dashni (Zsombor Jéger). After being shot multiple times in the stomach and chest and being captured, it appears he gains a mysterious ability. He can levitate. While recovering in a refugee camp, the camp doctor, Dr. Stern (Merab Ninidze), discovers Aryan has this ability. He then sneaks Aryan out of the camp trying to find a safe place for him to hide while also exploiting his levitating ability for personal financial gain. Dr. Stern does what he can to get Aryan to stay in the country legally, but when he becomes a suspect in a terrorist attack, it gets very difficult for Dr. Stern to help him; not because Dr. Stern doesn't want to, but because allies and people he trusts begin to be more watchful. They must also be on the lookout from the police. The refugee camp director, Laszlo (György Cserhalmi), someone Dr. Stern knows quite well, is on to him. Laszlo works closely with the police to ensure Aryan's return to the camp, possibly for deportation.
At first this film is pretty straightforward. However, as the film progresses, the story becomes more convoluted and less clear. It is a dramatic film about the struggle European nations deal with regarding a massive influx of immigrants and refugees, many of whom are Muslim. But more importantly, it highlights the difficulties these refugees are met with once they arrive in Europe. It also highlights how some people are only willing to help others if there is a potential benefit for themselves. Dr. Stern offers to help get the money for Aryan to get papers so he can stay in the country legally, but it is very expensive. Stern already has his hands in some shady business and a way he figures he can collect some of the money people owe him is to show off Aryan's abilities to them. They never get all the money required to get Aryan his papers, but it is not clear what would have happened had they gotten all of the money. Would Stern actually have helped Aryan, or would he have just kicked Aryan to the curb and kept the money for himself?
There are some action sequences in this film, but it is mainly a drama. The film is well acted and well directed. It provides an interesting perspective on the situation that some European countries, like Hungary are facing, regarding the refugees. Unfortunately, much of the setting seems to be in dark places, places that look run down and full of graffiti. One could make the argument that it even looks somewhat like a dystopia. Jupiter's Moon is not my favorite film I saw at this festival, but certainly an intriguing film that deserves to be seen.

I give Jupiter's Moon a B-.

Image Source: Palm Springs International Film Festival

Palm Springs International Film Festival 2018: The Ring Thing

2018-01-12T14:35:00.001-08:00

Starring: Sarah Wharton, Nicole Pursell, and Matthew Connolly
Directed by: William Sullivan
Screenplay by: Derek Dodge and William Sullivan

Romance can be complicated. Being in a relationship is extremely difficult and there are often a multitude of misunderstandings. It's how the two people in the relationship handle those misunderstanding that makes this particular story happen.
Sarah Watson (Sarah Wharton) and Kristen Jennings (Nicole Pursell) are two young women in a committed relationship trying to start their own careers and start their lives together. Sarah and her mom are cleaning out their house one day when her mom finds the ring that her ex-husband gave to her when they got engaged. She tells Sarah that she can keep it. Some time later, Sarah meets up with Kristen on the beach and decides to show her the ring. She only wants to show it to her. So, while Sarah only wants to show Kristen how cool it is and whatnot, Kristen is thinking it might be something else. Kristen misinterprets this as a proposal from Sarah. But that's not what Sarah intended.
Sarah and Kristen are two very different people. Both are very career driven, but Kristen appears to be more established, being the producer for a popular web series, while Sarah is a film editor. Both are very much in love with each other and both want to be together forever, but Kristen wants to get married and Sarah does not. Sarah's parents are divorced and believes because of that that marriage is pointless and that if two people want to be together, they should be, even if they don't get married. She doesn't want to feel tied down even though she wants to spend the rest of her life with Kristen. Kristen however, feels that marriage is important and wants to exercise her right to marry the person she loves.
The story is told in two parts intercut together to make this story. The first part starts with the accidental proposal in which Sarah sets out to discover what marriage is about. She decides to make a documentary film about marriage, its pros and cons, to help her decide whether or not she actually wants to marry Kristen. She interviews mainly same sex couples and some divorced people to make her documentary.
The second part of the story is about a possible future between Kristen and Sarah. The two stories are marked separately by the length of both characters' hair. In the first part of the story, they both have significantly shorter hair, and in the possible future part, they have longer hair. It's not clear what their relationship status is in this part of the story, except for that they are still together. Are they engaged? Are they actually married? They are trying to figure out how they fit together in each other's lives. They both have full time jobs with differing hours and rarely get to see each other. So, when Kristen gets a new opportunity across the country, she has to convince Sarah that they should go on this journey together. Much of the time in this part of the story, Kristen seems to sacrifice much for their financial stability and seems less happy than in the first part of the story. Sarah wants to fix their relationship before she can agree to go across the country with Kristen, but that puts stress on Kristen to decide what to do. Push ahead with her career, or with Sarah. Can she have both?
Interestingly, the film leaves the two biggest questions open at the end. The viewer is unclear if Sarah and Kristen actually get together, and if they move across the country or not. I think this is an interesting way to end the film because it keeps people thinking about it long after they finish watching it. Listening to the Q&A after with the filmmakers, even they have differing views of what happens at the end. In this instance, this open ending works well.
Another thing that I really enjoyed about this film, that the filmmakers commented on, was the improvisation of much of the dialogue. This gives the film a more natural feel and seems almost like a documentary. Also, it makes the actors' performances stronger, forcing them to think on their feet much of the time. Conversations move more naturally than in some other scripted narrative films and challenges the actors in ways rarely seen on screen.
The film feels quite long; much longer than it actually is, but it is engaging and interesting throughout. There is not a dull moment in The Ring Thing. This is the kind of film that makes film festivals worth going to because this is not the kind of film that might get a theatrical release, but will surely make the rounds at film festivals. A worthwhile watch!

I give The Ring Thing a B+.

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Palm Springs International Animation Film Festival

2017-11-30T07:59:00.002-08:00

Well, it was back out to the desert for me again! This time, for the inaugural Palm Springs International Animation Film Festival. Animation has always had a special place in my heart. I've loved animated films since I was a little kid. I can remember clearly all the different Pixar movies I saw growing up, like Toy Story, The Incredibles, Monster's Inc., and so many more. Animation is different from live action because it can transport us to worlds that are only able to be realized through animation. Many people think of animated films as just for kids or fun for the whole family. While those are the vast majority of types of animated films released, there are many more that tackle much more adult subjects. But, of the films I saw at this festival, they were almost entirely family friendly, and it was great to see so many parents taking their children to these screenings. With that said, here are some of my highlights:

Taking the Plunge is a short film about a young man about to propose to his girlfriend at the edge of a pier. Just as he is about to pull out the ring while she is looking the other way, he drops it through the floorboards and it falls into the ocean. Distraught, he does what anybody would do in that situation; he magically pulls out of his bag some scuba gear and dives in to go after it. Meanwhile, the girl has no idea what's happened or where he has gone off to. So, she decides to wait there for his return. Once in the water, the man befriends an octopus who will help him find the ring. For the next few minutes, they go on a short adventure looking for this ring, searching far and wide, and even trying to fend off a shark who appears to be king in these waters. Eventually the ring is found and all is good again and the man can set out to do what he originally had planned. This is a cute and sweet film that is sure to tug at the hearts of audiences and would be well placed to play before a Pixar film.  Taking the Plunge is thoroughly entertaining.

Extinguished is a short film in which all the people in the film have cutouts in their chests where there is a little flame that ignites when someone has affection for another. Our main character is a man who lives alone in a building with an older woman next door. One day, a young woman shows up to visit her and he runs into her in the hall and is immediately swooned by her. He gets nervous and once she walks in the door with the older lady, his flame lights up and he gets embarrassed. Over the next few minutes of the film, all he can do is think about her and try to figure out how to make it not look like he likes her (making the little flame go out). This is the perfect film for anyone who's ever been in the beginning stages of a relationship. It shows the anxiety of having the butterflies in your stomach when you find someone you're attracted to and how awkward it can be in some cases. This film is all about that cute meet.

My favorite film in this romantic comedy block has to be The Wishgranter.  There is a fountain in the main square of a small town that happens to be able to grant people's wishes when they throw coins into it. There is a guy running the fountain who is able to grant just about anything people wish for. When a young man and a young woman on opposite sides of the fountain throw their coins in at exactly the same time, they get stuck. They both wish to find love, but because the coins get stuck, the wish granter can't do his job. But he'll do whatever he can to make sure these two people stick around the fountain until he can fix the problem and bring them together. It seems to me that we often wonder if things happen by chance or if there is a rhyme or reason for things, and this film seems to show us that there sometimes is a reason things happen in the way they do. Similar to the first film I talk about here, The Wishgranter is an excellent film to play before a Pixar film. It's engaging and suspenseful (but has a happy ending).

The next block of short films I saw was called "Cool Stop-Motion Animated Shorts." Stop-motion can be extremely taxing and time consuming when making it, but is truly an amazing form of animation. Some of these films were purely entertaining, while some of them appeared to be critiques of our world today.

One of those films was Ethnophobia.  With a nearly 15 minute running time, this was the longest film I saw at this festival. Not only was this a stop-motion animated film, but it was claymation too. The premise is this; there are three clans of people, the red clay people, blue clay people, and yellow clay people. They constantly fight over things like territory and who can claim to kill the large animal they go after in the beginning scene of the film. After the fighting, they apparently make peace with each other and have a big celebration. Some time later, new people are formed; green, orange, and purple. They all stick together in their own clan, while the red, blue, and yellow people stick to their original clans. Things are okay for a while, until the original clans decide to attempt to remake the new clan's people fit into their clans by changing their color, or casting them out of the society. The original clans are afraid of the new people taking over and fundamentally changing their society.  Ethnophobia is a dark yet riveting film that helps explain some aspects of our world today; the fears some people have about an ever changing population landscape. It shows how divisive the world can be and how unaccepting of others it can be. It also show how in the end it may not matter if nuclear war breaks out (there is a scene in which the clans unleash massive weapons on each other that basically destroy the world).  Ethnophobia is certainly the most powerful film I saw in this block, and perhaps of all the films I saw at this festival.

  Not One of Us runs along the same lines as Ethnophobia.  It's about the fear of others taking what you have. The film opens up on these three green clay people hanging out on a tiny island with an abundance of fruit on trees. Suddenly, three orange clay people come by and take over the island and kick the green people out. They horde as much of the fruit on the trees as they can and do their best to keep it all to themselves. People of other kinds and colors come by to try to ask the orange people to share some of it with them. Instead the orange people kick them out and attempt to ban them from ever coming back. It gets to be so much so, that they ban everyone of every kind except themselves from the island. Why? Because they're not orange. They build walls and defense systems to keep them separate from anyone who might come to the island as well. Eventually, two of the three orange people turn out to become other people, and the third one kicks them out too. The film ends with him sitting in what looks like a prison he built for himself to keep everyone out. He has basically trapped himself so he can stay safe from others. This is a film that seems to critique our society about what keeping people out really does. It is about the paranoia that others are coming with ill wills. This is a powerful film about what can happen when we are so afraid of others that we seal ourselves off from everyone because they are not one of us.

The last film I want to talk about is called Monsters of the Web. This is a film about a family losing a child to the internet. The internet is represented by a physical monster inside of a computer who lures kids into it to get lost. The film is only two minutes long, but it is a powerful two minutes. It shows us where we are headed in this age of connectivity, where kids would rather stay inside and play video games or surf the internet instead of going outside to do activities.  Monsters of the Web is an insightful film to all of us that shows us how addictive these activities can be and how lost we can get in doing them.

Animated films have always held a special place in my heart. Perhaps this is because I took an animated filmmaking class once and have a little experience with animation; both computerized animation as well as claymation. So perhaps having done it myself is why I love animation. But I love it also because it is a different and refreshing way to tell a story. These films I saw at the festival are family friendly for the most part, but they tackle difficult and adult subjects as well. What amazed me about all but one of these films was that they had no dialogue. That adds to the challenge of filmmaking; to tell a story clearly without the aid of dialogue. These are all films that do it extremely well, leaving the audience to question nothing about the story and not leaving us confused at the end. I truly enjoyed this festival, and I look forward to hopefully spending more time there next year!

Image Source: www.psiaf.org

Good Time

2017-09-14T16:12:00.002-07:00

Starring: Robert Pattinson, Benny Safdie, Taliah Webster, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Barkhad Abdi
Directed by: Josh Safdie and Benny Safdie
Screenplay by: Ronald Bronstein and and Josh Safdie

The title for the movie might be Good Time, but the characters have anything but a good time in this film. Nick and Constantine Nikas (Benny Safdie and Robert Pattinson respectively) are brothers who go on the occasional bank robbery. When one goes wrong, Nick gets caught and sent to Rikers Island, a prison just outside of Queens, NY. Nick suffers from some intellectual disabilities, for which he gets help, but Constantine wants to get him out of Rikers Island as soon as possible before something horrible happens to him inside the prison. Constantine hears that he might be in a hospital elsewhere in Queens after potentially suffering injuries in the prison. If Constantine is going to break him out, that's the place to do it. Well, unfortunately for Constantine, things get mixed up there, leading him on a dangerous endeavor to find him and get him out of prison.
Good Time is one of those films where you can see Murphy's law in action. It seems like anything Constantine tries to do to make the situation better actually makes it worse for him and those around him. He's the kind of guy who thinks he knows exactly what he's doing and knows the consequences (both good and bad). He also claims to be better at robbing banks than he actually is. He thinks he's a professional but he's really not.
This is a fast paced-high intensity film that will give audiences a good time for sure. Robert Pattinson is incredibly entertaining to watch in this film and delivers an excellent performance blending a character who thinks he's a hot shot with a guy who will do anything for his special needs brother. The techno score by Daniel Lopatin helps to deliver a dose of high octane for this film and makes you feel like you're in a nightclub or something for some scenes. The use of colorful lighting helps enhance this effect at times as well.
Good Time delivers a great theatrical experience and is sure to please audiences.

I give Good Time an A-.

Image Source: The Reel Critic

A Ghost Story

2017-09-14T15:13:00.004-07:00

Starring: Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara
Directed by: David Lowery
Screenplay by: David Lowery

In theory, a film about a ghost lurking in the background much of the time should be a horror movie; one that should terrify you to the core (or not). It might be a film that one thinks little of upon leaving the theater at the film's end. Or it might be a film that sticks with audiences long after they leave. A Ghost Story is a film that leaves the viewer unsure of what to think.
Casey Affleck plays a character only known as C. Rooney Mara plays a character only known as M. They are clearly in a relationship and living together, very much in love. The film begins as they are trying to build their life together, but it comes to a tragic and crashing end when C is killed in a car accident appearing to be not far from the house. M, seemingly unsure of how to deal with this sudden and shocking loss remains calm and somewhat emotionless through the grieving process. C wakes up on the table in the morgue, not as himself, but as the ghost. He makes his way back to the house and becomes simply part of the background. In one instance, he watches M eat pie by herself for nearly ten minutes. He is stuck in this limbo, unsure of where to go or what to do. M leaves notes behind when she moves from place to place, one night before his untimely death, and leaves one hidden in the wall after he dies. Throughout the film, he picks at the place in the wall where she left the note, desperate to get to it in order to hang on to that part of her.
Time marches on, and M ultimately decides to move out of the house, closing that chapter of her life and forcing C to attempt to let go of her. But he is still stuck in the limbo of this house. A new family moves in, and again C is just in the background. The new family does not see him, but he can see them. He begins to haunt the house, breaking plates and moving things around, terrifying them until they move out of the house as well. New people move in and one night hold a party at the house. This is the loudest part of the film as well as the part with the most dialogue. A man explains to friends over a poker game his thoughts on the enormity of time and the affect people have on others throughout time. We can tell that C is focused on what this man says although the camera is fixated on him as he speaks. The effect his speech has on C is unclear, but he begins to realize that he must do what he can to hang on to his memory of M and attempt to reconnect with her from the afterlife. His quest for the note M left behind becomes more clear and tries even harder to get to it.
A Ghost Story is basically a highly intellectual film about being a fly on the wall; an observer. In a sense, the audience is watching someone who is simply observing what is happening around them. There is little dialogue, and sometimes there is a long pause between characters speaking. Like C, the viewer is unsure of things. The film seems to be unsure of things as well, placing the viewer, like C, in a state of limbo; a place between worlds. The film captures this idea beautifully. For some viewers, the film might get boring quickly because of the lack of action and dialogue. A Ghost Story is an intellectual film that is sure to have audiences pondering it long after the film is over.

I give A Ghost Story an A-.

Image Source: www.whysoblu.com

HollyShorts Film Festival 2017

2017-09-07T15:39:00.001-07:00

Lots of film festivals lately! Yes folks, I've been to another one showcasing short films. I love short films. Short films are amazing things. A short film can do a number of things; it can showcase a particular scene and make that the central focus or even the entirety of the short film, or it can challenge the filmmaker. It can challenge him or her by forcing him or her to condense a story into a short span of time. It can challenge the filmmaker to develop a story, whether it be complex or simple, in a short amount of time. I am often amazed by short films and the power they can have on the viewer. HollyShorts is a big film festival here in Los Angeles. It's an Academy Awards qualifier which makes it a very important and competitive festival. I found the production value of some of these short films to be higher overall than some of the other shorts I've seen at other festivals like Palm Springs or LA Shorts. There were some truly terrific shorts at the screening blocks I went to, and here are some of my highlights:

Under Water tells the story of a young man who comes from a seemingly dysfunctional family and has managed to get into drugs and alcohol from a young age. This is a story that showcases how drugs and alcohol have not only affected him, but those around him as well. We see a character who has significantly withdrawn from others around him. In one scene, he is alone at a party and a moment later passes out and nobody appears to be there to help him out; except for two guys who kick him and beat him while he is laying on the ground passed out. By the end of the film, it is clear how much of a toll the drugs and alcohol has taken on him. Under Water is a short but powerful film that deserves to be seen.

TV In The Fish Tail is about two boys who live in a remote village in the Himalayas in northern India. The opening scene shows them watching what looks like a WWE fight on television, with one of them exclaiming that it's fake and choreographed for entertainment. That appears to be one of the only working televisions in the village as it has little power. But a new power station is being built in a region nearby called the Fish Tail and will one day bring electricity to the village. The two boys like to explore outside the village and one of the places they like to go is to the power station, even though they are not allowed to go there because it is dangerous and there are "no entry" signs. But at some point, tragedy strikes, and one of the boys is changed forever. Filmmaker Iesh Thapar tells this story of adventure, curiosity, and innocence lost in a powerful coming of age film. Through this story, the viewer is shown what life is like in an unfamiliar culture to many, as well as what it is like to grow up in such a place. Along with some truly breathtaking scenery, TV In The Fish Tail is a story that is both visually and emotionally powerful.

Kid Gambled is a visual thriller about an innocent young man who looks to be about high school aged. He hangs out with some friends in a car outside a convenience store one night where they are actively taking part in drugs and drinking. They give the main character a challenge; to go into the store and steal a case of beer without getting caught. Reluctantly, the main character goes into the gas station. He wanders around the store, noticing just about everything in there, including the slot machines as this appears to take place in a state where gambling is legal everywhere. Our main character appears to be tripping like crazy making this film a visual thriller. It also is very suspenseful to the viewer, making us wonder if he will ever just steal the beer and get it over with. Kid Gambled is a high intensity thriller that's sure to make audiences have some fun.

Mackenzie is about a girl, Allison, who is about to leave to go to college. The film takes place on her last day at home and her sister, Mackenzie, wants nothing to do with her. Allison looks through her room and begins to pack and finds old pictures of her and Mackenzie, flooding her with memories of when they were younger. Allison keeps asking Mackenzie to hang out with her, but refuses to. From the way this relationship is depicted on screen, it appears that their relationship as sisters has been strained like this for some time although it is not clear what caused this rift. Mackenzie helps Allison load the car for a little bit but then goes back to her room to do her own thing, claiming that she is too busy that day to help Allison. Allison however, keeps reminding her that she's leaving that day and won't be back for a very long time. And yet, Mackenzie seems not to care. This is a film that dwells on one particular detail, the sisters' strained relationship. The audience never gets a clear understanding of what's really going on with Mackenzie and it's not clear that Allison wants to or is in a position to be able to help her. Allison never simply asks what is going on with her, leaving the audience to feel dragged along in this story.

A Boy Named Su is a short and very sweet film about a young boy who looks to be kindergarten aged and is brand new to a school in a country different from the one he appears to be from. He can't speak any English. Su is often by himself on the playground with a red plastic ball with spikes all over it. One girl tries to befriend him while other boys taunt him and make fun of him for not being able to speak English. Most of the other kids don't understand why he can't speak English either. The red ball is Su's transitional object. He seems to go everywhere with it and takes great comfort in having it. This is a film that doesn't focus much on the overall story as it does the details. It takes place entirely on the play yard and shows audiences the struggles he has with getting acclimated to his new school and the kids around him. A Boy Named Su is sure to tug at the hearts of audiences.

A Date In 2025 is the kind of film that might remind you a little bit of the Spike Jonze movie Her. But instead of the main character falling in love with artificial intelligence, the artificial intelligence unite (also known as the counselor in this film) helps the main character work up the courage to ask a girl he likes out on a date. This film takes place in a world where human interaction appears to be a rarity. Our main character goes to school remotely, from the comfort of his apartment. The girl he likes is in his class. He can privately message her to ask her out, but doing so is hard for him. He hasn't left his apartment in weeks because everything he needs is right there and there's really no reason to leave. Fortunately, his "counselor", the artificial intelligence in his apartment, is there to cheer him on. How so? By constantly reminding him that his potential for suicide is increasing by the second unless he asks this girl out on a date. This film is a comedy, but it also sheds light on the potential for where we are headed as a society. As we increase our dependence on technology like our smart phones, human interaction becomes increasingly less common and more difficult. A Date In 2025 is a witty commentary on society that is sure to leave an impression on audiences.

Five Minutes With Mary is a quick but thrilling film. A young man is walking through the desert all alone when he receives a phone call from a young woman in serious distress. She is breathing heavily and is barely able to speak she is so scared of the events unfolding in front of her. As the main character in front of us becomes more and more concerned and asks her what is happening around her, we hear her begin to fear for her life. She is afraid someone is going to kill her. We later find out that she was in a Paris night club the night terrorists stormed in and killed many people in that attack back in 2015. This is a film that showcases panic and distress like no other. It is short, to the point, and tells us exactly what happened. This puts a more human perspective on the attack that occurred in Paris that night. When horrific events like this happen, the news often tells us about the victims who called their loved ones before their untimely deaths, but rarely do we hear about the people who are on the receiving ends of these calls. This film shows that side of these events in a fast paced, intense fashion.

This Always Happens shows us a window into modern day hook up culture. The film starts and two people are intensely making out looking like they can't find a room fast enough. Occasionally, words are spoken, but they are too busy kissing; until one person says something that changes the mood. The guy says something the woman doesn't like. She appears to have a strong interest in astrology and he thinks it's stupid. Instead of her just walking away, they talk it out for a few minutes. And then she walks away. He runs after her to try to make up, even so much as gets into her cab with her to try to win her over again. He at one point tells her that this always happens to him (hence the title); that he always says something wrong. Much of the scene in which he is in the cab with her, against her wishes, is him admitting to her that he was being kind of a dick, but also, admitting to himself that he's saying the wrong thing. This is a short film that definitely can hit a little close to home to some of us, but is well worth watching.

Lastly, Tripolar is a short film that opens on a couple just finishing up having passionate sex and telling each other how much they love each other, but in a comedic way (exaggerating what they want to do to each other because they love each other so much). All this changes when the woman tells the man that she has a psychological disorder called tripolar disorder. Similar to bipolar, this disorder causes her to have mood swings and other things associated with bipolar, but exaggerated to be "tripolar." As soon as she says this, the man becomes enraged, calling her crazy, and losing his cool (basically having a major mood swing as if he were the one with the disorder). She manages to keep her cool throughout all of this and tells him constantly that she's not "crazy", but just is tripolar. This is an interesting film because one character actually has the disorder, and the other acts as the way it would manifest itself. It's actually quite comedic in the banter and the way the scene is acted out. This was a hilarious film that actually had quite a serious message about respecting one's psychological illness and seeing it as a part of their character, rather than a character flaw. Tripolar is a fun satire that is sure to have audiences laughing long after they leave the theater.

Overall, HollyShorts 2017 was awesome! It seems to me that many of these shorts had a higher production value than some of the shorts in other festivals that I've been to in recent months. These are all films that show great commitment by the filmmakers to their craft. You can see the passion come through on many of these films. This is a film festival I hope to go to more in years to come.

Image Source: HollyShorts Facebook page

L.A. Shorts International Film Festival

2017-08-10T14:01:00.002-07:00

So, I've been to another film festival. One of the great things about this particular film festival is that it is walking distance from my house, making it a little easier to get to than, say, Palm Springs (for a festival back in June). Similar to the Palm Springs International Short Film Festival, LA Shorts is also a festival for short films.
This was a screening block whose theme was music. So, the question is, how many films about struggling musicians can be made? Well, a lot. But they're important films because they show the human side of the music industry; the level of passion and drive needed to succeed in such a cutthroat industry. This screening block included a number of short films, but also a few music videos, something I felt was quite refreshing. Here are some of my highlights.

  Gatekeeper is a film about a young African American woman trying to make it as a singer. When she is invited to a party where a famous rapper is going to be, she becomes exposed to the darker side of the industry, the side that people often don't want to admit exists, but is present nonetheless. This will be a test as to how badly she wants to be a singer. Director Peter Huang depicts this story of innocence lost quite well. This is a girl who knows what is happening but is unsure as to how to come to terms with it and/or how to avoid it. By the end, she can no longer necessarily look at the future as innocently. Gatekeeper is thrilling and suspenseful, and a deeply meaningful film.

  Da Capo is a film about a struggling classical pianist who has just about given up on her dreams. Penelope (Caroline Bloom) is selling her piano; a piano that has gone with her just about everywhere. She attended Juilliard with that piano and searched all over Los Angeles hoping someone would sign her a record deal with that piano. A man has come by her house to pick up the piano as she is selling it to him. While this film is short, these two characters learn much about each others' lives and how music has affected them. He gave up jazz piano because of an injury, and she has given up because she can't seem to make it. What's next for both of them is unknown, but this is a film that is reflective of the past. We see how the past has led these characters to this moment. These characters seem incredibly natural together on the screen and the chemistry among them makes for a lighthearted yet at some points dramatic conversation. Da Capo is an exquisite film.

  The Neighbors is a short film that packs a powerful punch right to the feels. A widower lives in an apartment below an 8 year old girl who is learning to play the piano. The widower listens to a particular piano piece when he wants to remember his wife, but he has difficulty dealing with the piano playing upstairs. He is constantly banging on the ceiling to get her to stop playing or play more quietly. The relationship between her mother and the man downstairs becomes increasingly worse as he bangs on the ceiling more and more to get the girl to stop playing piano, until he hears her playing the piece that makes him think of his wife. The Neighbors reminds us of the neighbors many of us have had who live upstairs who love to move furniture at two or three in the morning while we are trying to sleep, but it also reminds us of the things that trigger memories of loved ones who have passed away. This is a short and sweet, but very powerful film.

  DJs is a film about a man, Joss, who works for a big time music label. He and his boss try to sign a well known DJ while at a big awards festival. The deal they are trying to make will be huge, but after a short private conversation, things change for Joss, making him realize there is more going on than just this deal being signed. It's not clear there will be a part for Joss once the deal is finalized. This is a film that falls short on its potential. It shows the viewer how cutthroat the music industry is especially while trying to sign with a big label, but not perhaps to its fullest extent. It feels like the film ends rather abruptly after Joss is let go from the company. It's not totally clear what Joss will do next. Nor does it show the emotional shock that Joss experiences. This is the kind of film that seems like it would make a little more sense if it were a few minutes longer.

  L.A. Fadeaway takes viewers back in time to Los Angeles in 1977. Drew (Lindsey Newell) is a female musician simply trying to find her voice. She works for a bar that has bands play live many times per week. After one performance, she sneaks into the green room for the band and picks up one of their guitars. One of the bandmates catches her and thinks she's pretty talented. It turns out they're looking for an opening act once they sign a record deal. Drew is willing to do whatever it takes to be that opening act as it is likely her ticket into the industry. Yes, this is another film about a struggling musician, but this time that seems to be the point. This is another film about innocence lost as well. The cinematography includes this shiny aura around many of the characters, especially Drew. This shiny aura around them can often be a bit distracting as it seems to blur some of the scenery around the character, but it adds to the effect of the appearance of innocence. As the film goes on, this aura disappears. The film is a perfect length and shows us an impactful story.

By the end of the screening block, I felt that I had seen a number of stories about struggling artists, but all were unique in their own way. This screening block tells all different stories about artists trying to break into the music world, and sometimes how they are taken advantage of, or even shut out of it completely. Through all of these films, there is a sense of passion among these characters for what they do. They feel their music is a gift to others, not simply a means to an end for themselves.

Image Source: LA Shorts Film Festival Website

Dunkirk

2017-07-22T09:09:00.002-07:00

Starring: Fionn Whitehead, Damien Bonnard, Aneurin Barnard, Harry Styles, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance, James D'Arcy, Kenneth Branagh, and Tom Hardy
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Screenplay by: Christopher Nolan

Every few years, when there's a new film directed by Christopher Nolan, I get really excited. Usually that particular film is my most highly anticipated of the year. That was the case with every one of his films since Inception, and Dunkirk is no exception. So does Dunkirk live up to the hype? It most certainly does.
Based on the true story of the evacuation of allied forces from the beaches of France in the early part of the Second World War (before the United States entered), Dunkirk is a tour de force film about bravery and courage like no other. The film has three distinct parts to it that in real life happened at different times; the mole, the sea, and the air.
The mole is a long narrow pier used to get the troops onto boats to head back across the English channel to the safety of England. The navy ships are unable to get to the troops on the beaches at Dunkirk because the water is too shallow, leaving upwards of 400,000 men stranded in France awaiting enemy forces as well as forcing smaller boats to take troops across. Enemy aircraft are constantly bombing the beach and occasionally the ships taking these troops home. It's up to Commander Bolton (Kenneth Branagh) to ensure the safety of these men and make sure they get home.
The sea shows us that civilian boats were called in to help out with the evacuation. One man, Dawson (Mark Rylance) takes his sons with him on their private boat to pick up as many soldiers as they can. This is only one example of the civilian boats that went out to Dunkirk for these soldiers. They pick up an unnamed soldier (Cillian Murphy) clearly shellshocked after a wreckage leaves him stranded in the sea. He begs Dawson to turn the boat around and go back to England and believes that going to Dunkirk will only get them killed. Dawson simply responds "there's no hiding from this son...we have a job to do." Dawson and his sons clearly understand the risk they are taking, but are aware that the only way these soldiers will get home is if they do their part to help.
And lastly, the air focuses on Tom Hardy's character; a pilot named Farrier constantly chasing and shooting down enemy aircraft before they drop bombs on the stranded troops. There are some truly breathtaking scenes here, almost putting the audience in the pilot's seat. He is not the only one however. There are other British and French pilots assisting to shoot down enemy aircraft. There is a great sense of urgency on Farrier's part because his fuel runs dangerously low part way through the film. He must ultimately decide whether to keep up or turn back to refuel.
These three storylines all take place not only at different times, but take place over the course of different amounts of time. The mole scenes happen over the course of a few days, the sea scenes take place over the course of a single day, and the air scenes take place over only an hour or so. Nolan is a master of storyline manipulation (see Memento), and joins these stories together seamlessly. That is one of the truly remarkable traits about Dunkirk. We are not left wondering what the timeline is. And it is not very confusing. This is not one of those films in which Nolan is trying to mess with our heads. This is a film in which there is a bigger picture Nolan is trying to show and does so beautifully.
Dunkirk is stunningly minimalistic for a Christopher Nolan film. It is one of his shortest, if not his shortest, feature film. I am used to his films being two and a half to nearly three hours long. Yet Dunkirk is not even two hours long. But the intensity of the film will make you think that the film is plenty long. The film plays out much like the third act of any other war film. There is almost no backstory to these characters and almost no introduction. Yet what is incredible is we seem to know these characters quite well by the time the film is over. It is a film filled with emotion and hardship that tries the courage and bravery of its characters. There is also very little dialogue. Much of the action speaks for itself.
The cinematography is truly incredible. My favorite shots are the ones where the camera is attached to the airplanes because it feels like the audience is along for the ride. In IMAX, it almost feels like virtual reality for a few minutes here and there. One of the other things that is done really well is the capturing of emotions on soldiers' faces. There are a number of scenes in which enemy planes approach the beach to bomb the soldiers. If this were any other film, the camera might focus on the approaching plane, but Dunkirk turns the camera around and focuses on the soldiers who are about to be carpet bombed, again creating this sense of urgency in the film.
Speaking on the sense of urgency, Hans Zimmer's score perhaps exemplifies it best. Much of the score involves a ticking sound, much like the ticking of a timer (which does get a little annoying by the end of the film). It portrays the presence of danger extremely well too. It serves as a constant reminder that these soldiers must get off the beach as quickly as possible before enemy forces overrun them on the beaches.
The sound in the film is also incredible, especially in the IMAX experience. One might have some difficulty hearing upon exiting the theater, but it is worth it! The sound gives the viewer the experience of almost being there. The airplanes going over are almost as loud as a ceremonial flyover at a big football game or baseball game as they are so close to the ground for this film.
I must recommend seeing this film in the IMAX 70mm format. This is the way that Nolan wants audiences to see the film, and it truly shows why. The grainier footage of the 70mm projection makes Dunkirk feel like a true war film. The IMAX experience makes it feel like you are actually there. If there is a film that has the power to take you to a whole new world, it is Dunkirk. Dunkirk is a film not just to be seen, but to be experienced. It is a film that shows the courage and bravery of soldiers in wartime better than many other films, and I believe this may be one of the greatest WWII films ever. Dunkirk is another example of how Christopher Nolan has cemented himself as a legend in the history of cinema.

I give Dunkirk an A+.

Image Source: moviestruckers.com

Transformers: The Last Knight

2017-07-16T17:31:00.003-07:00

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Josh Duhamel, Laura Haddock, Isabela Moner, Anthony Hopkins, and Stanley Tucci
Directed by: Michael Bay
Screenplay by: Art Marcum and Matt Holloway

Does it ever feel like certain things are just getting old now? Like, they're not even fun anymore? That's how I feel about Transformers: The Last Knight, the fifth installment of the Transformers series that Michael Bay has said is his last (even though there will be more of these movies).
Optimus Prime ( Peter Cullen) is gone. He has left to go find his makers and see what is left of the planet Cybertron after being ravaged by war between the autobots and the decepticons. While there he is seduced by a weird transformer sorceress named Quintessa (Gemma Chan) and changes his name to Nemesis Prime. She convinces him that in order for Cybertron to live once again, Earth must die. So like an asteroid speeding towards a point of gravity, Cybertron speeds toward Earth so that the transformers can begin to rebuild their world.
Back on Earth, we meet up with Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg), the new protagonist from the fourth movie that took the place of Shia LaBeouf's annoying character from the first three movies. He is hiding out somewhere in South Dakota with some of the autobots because they are deemed illegal and now there is a task force whose purpose is to find and destroy all remaining transformers. Cade is trying to help the autobots in whatever way he can, mainly by doing maintenance on them and making sure nobody sees them. Eventually they get found out and Cade is brought to England to meet Sir Edmund Burton (Anthony Hopkins) and Viviane Wembley (Laura Haddock). Burton is the last in a long line of secret keepers about the transformers. Viviane is an Oxford professor who also happens to wear very tight dresses and looks more like a supermodel than a professor. But we'll let that one go for a moment.
Believe it or not, the transformers have something to do with King Arthur and the knights of the round table story; a story which takes far too long to be told. Magically, Viviane happens to be just the person needed to defeat the latest onslaught from the transformers; in this case, stopping one planet from literally crashing into another planet. Fortunately, she's in the right place and with the right people who can help her out.
If you think that I've told the story poorly, I probably have. But that's because the film tells the story poorly as well. And there's just way too much going on. There are about three different storylines going on that seem to have almost nothing to do with each other, and they make some characters who have been main characters throughout this series seem like minor characters in The Last Knight? For example, did you see me mention Megatron? That's correct, I did not. He is in the film, so don't worry if you thought you could go one Transformers movie without seeing your favorite Megatron! But Megatron is a minor character who for once is not even the mastermind behind the evil side of the movie. It's Quintessa, a character brand new to the series. This film has so many different storylines and aspects to its story, it's almost hard to keep track of while watching the film. And that's not what I want with a Michael Bay film. I want explosions! I want crazy visual effects! I don't want to have to keep track of like five different storylines that seem to have nothing to do with each other! The worst part? The end sets us up for another sequel!
There are a lot of franchises out there that are long past their prime. I'm beginning to feel that way about Pirates of the Carribbean for example. However, Transformers is truly past its prime. The first film was released 10 years ago, and each film seems to have gotten progressively worse (with the exception of the third one in my opinion). Yet they all still make millions of dollars at the box office, which is why they keep getting made. Transformers is the quintessential franchise that simply needs to be over. This franchise has become like a car that keeps falling apart after each release and yet keeps getting put back together when it's time to simply get a new car. The Transformers movies need to stop, and The Last Knight is the prime example of why. It's not fun anymore and the storyline has gotten so confusing and convoluted that it's almost a totally different story for each film, making it seem like one can watch them in any order.
Transformers is a series that was a lot more fun when I was younger. I remember waiting for the first one to come out and how excited I was for it. I felt the same way about the second and third films, and even to some degree about the fourth film even though I knew it wouldn't be very good. I was not excited about The Last Knight. I've lost my excitement for this franchise, and I'm sure that many others have as well. So, if this series is to continue, someone needs to wright the ship, because otherwise we are going to have more let downs like The Last Knight.

I give Transformers: The Last Knight an F.

Image Source: Inside Pulse

Baby Driver

2017-07-15T09:35:00.001-07:00

Starring: Ansel Elgort, Lily James, Jon Hamm, Jon Bernthal, Eiza Gonzalez, Jamie Foxx, and Kevin Spacey
Directed by: Edgar Wright
Screenplay by: Edgar Wright

This is the kind of film that is made specifically for the summer; the kind when you're just trying to beat the heat outside and see a movie that doesn't make you think too much and is just a whole lot of fun. That's what we've come to expect with Edgar Wright films, and Baby Driver is no exception.
Baby (Ansel Elgort) is a getaway driver. He works for an Atlanta crime boss who simply goes by the name Doc (Kevin Spacey). Somehow Baby got himself into some debt with Doc and is working steadily to pay it off. What the debt is and how he acquired such debt is not explained, but we go along with it anyway. Apparently it's supposed to make the story a bit more compelling. Doc never uses the same crew twice, but uses Baby for the getaway car each time. Why? Well, it is the music Baby is always listening to, even when the other members of the crew don't understand it. "He had an accident when he was a kid. Still has a hum in the drum. Plays music to drown it out. And that's what makes him the best" Doc points out when one of the characters thinks he's just being ignorant or lazy.
Debora (Lily James) is a waitress at a local diner. Baby likes to go to that diner occasionally and starts talking to Debora. Shortly thereafter, they begin going out. But just when Baby thinks he has paid his debt back in full to Doc, duty calls again, dragging Baby back into the life he is trying to leave behind. This new job has the potential for everything to go wrong, putting himself and everyone close to him, including Debora, in danger.
This is a story about a guy trying to get out of a life of crime and turn legit. Wait, we've heard this kind of story before right? Right. The list goes on and is far too long to list names of films with stories like this, so the originality factor for Baby Driver is very little. What sets it apart however is the incredible chase scenes and stunt driving, especially through obstacles that downtown Atlanta presents. There is constant music in the film as well, featuring an impressive soundtrack. What's more impressive? How well the music lines up with the action. In the opening scene, Baby sits in the car waiting for the crew to finish up a bank robbery and the camera focuses on him. He's lip-syncing to a song and the timing could not be more perfect. This is just one example of the film's exquisite editing.
Edgar Wright is also the director of the "Cornetto Trilogy": Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World's End. While Baby Driver is not a comedy such as these other three films are, Baby Driver has one thing in common with them other than having the same director. It's just a plain fun movie. It is a movie that is extremely fitting to be a summer flick simply because of it's entertainment value. Unlike some other summer blockbusters, Baby Driver maintains a degree of quality that films like Transformers: The Last Knight simply don't have. With Wright's films, I find myself thinking about how much fun it must be to work on one of them.
Overall, the story has some plot holes, the characters are rather stereotypical for this type of film, and it lacks originality. But it sure is a whole lot of fun.

I give Baby Driver a B-.

Image Source: Geekadelphia

Palm Springs International Short Film Festival 2017

2017-07-11T12:08:00.000-07:00

It's summer and everybody is trying to beat the heat. I live in Los Angeles where it's been excruciatingly hot recently. Wherever you live, hopefully this summer will make you appreciate the beauty that is air conditioning. During a recent heat wave, while most people went to the beach to escape the heat, I drove straight into it for the Palm Springs International Short Film Festival. That particular day, it was 91 degrees when I left my house and 115 degrees when I pulled up to the theater that afternoon. Fortunately, the theater was comfortable and air conditioned! I was only out there for one day, but attended two screening blocks, one called Around the World in 90 Minutes, and the other, The Things We do for Love. These were great experiences because the films shown were from all over the world. Both screening blocks were about 90 minutes long or a little more and I felt that I had experienced so much in those blocks. Each film was distinctly different from the others and stood out in various ways. So, here are some of my highlights:

Around the World in 90 Minutes
The first film in this block was a film from Cuba called House For Sale, a documentary that showcases the housing market in Cuba now that the ban on the sale and purchase of homes has been lifted after nearly 50 years of being in place. People are often their own real estate agents and are not totally sure how to sell their homes. Many of the people that are shown in this documentary have lived in their homes for much of their lives and even have family members who live there with them. Each scene shows a different person trying to sell their home, but not only do they try to pitch the home to the filmmaker, but we get a whole tour of their home and see all of the various trinkets they have. One instance that stood out to me particularly, was the first woman in the film who shows off her refrigerator that is something like over 60 years old and still works! It is a film that does not have much in the way of a story, but rather showcases a particular way of life now that things are so different in post-Fidel Castro Cuba.

Grandfather is the story of a young girl orphaned at an early age who lives with her aging grandparents in rural northeast India. The grandfather is told that he will die soon because of his terrible smoking habit and thus begins to collect all of his personal belongings and even digs his own grave. There is almost no emotion on the faces of any of these characters, and there is very little dialogue. Almost none in fact. Much of the sound in the film is just the ambient noise of the tiny village in which the characters live. I had a hard time with this movie because there's not much that's compelling about the story. It lacks emotion to the point where it's almost completely dry and hard to take seriously. But it is an interesting take on how we approach death. It is a clear statement that one cannot always prepare for another's departure from this world and in a way shows this confusion and distress quite interestingly.

Commodity City is a short documentary about the Yiwu Markets in China, which is the single largest wholesale consumer market in the entire world. It is mainly just a series of shots showing shopkeepers and their stalls at the market. Often these stalls are devoid of customers and we see what some of these shopkeepers do to pass the time. It seems like many of them are on their phones, on their computers, or even doing some book keeping. Some of them even bring their children to work with them. It is also interesting to see what these people sell. It appears that one can buy just about anything at the Yiwu Market. Similar to House For Sale, there is not much of a story, but the film simply serves as a window into a world unfamiliar to its viewers.

Green Screen Gringo is a somewhat edgy and a little bit avant-garde film in which a foreigner goes around Brazil with a person-sized green screen and puts it behind some seemingly random people and random things. The images that get superimposed on it are seemingly random as well. It creates for a film that again, has little in the way of story, but shows a turbulent country around the time of the ousting of president Dilma Rousseff in August 2016. This is a film that shows the turbulence in Brazil almost in real time. It gives viewers a look at the situation in Brazil from the point of view of a foreigner and real people, not the news media. It gives us an on the ground look at things. Green Screen Gringo also gives sense that things aren't right with all that is shown on the green screen. The placement of people and objects throughout scenes is often random and makes little sense. Some things show up more than once, such as that man on the lifeguard chair. He shows up once on a scene at the beach, and again inside somewhere that does not make sense. This is a film that will intrigue you, but make you scratch your head at the same time.

The Bliss of Being No One is a Saudi Arabian film about a man getting into another man's car after his car breaks down on the side of the road. The man who gets picked up has a patch over one of his eyes claiming he has had some various surgeries on that eye and wears the patch while it recovers. As the two men begin to talk, they begin to discuss similar stories, about loss. They have both lost a son; the driver's son got lost while their family was on Hajj (Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca) and they do not know if he is alive or not, nor about his whereabouts, and the other man's son died. As they drive, they get into a complex and emotional discussion about their experiences in life with many different things. It becomes a film that really reels you in and makes you pay attention to their stories, and the story tugs on the heart quite a bit. But the most surprising thing about the film happens at the end (spoiler alert). When the man with the eye patch gets out of the car and then the car drives off, he switches the patch to his other eye and hails another stranger's car. He then proceeds to tell the story of the driver who just drove him, but as if it is his own story. This is where I believe the title The Bliss of Being No One comes into play. This was my favorite film of the screening block; a film that is compelling and emotionally strong.

The Things We Do For Love
  See You Yesterday is a film about trying to change the past. C.J. and Sebastian are two African American teenagers who have built a time machine in order to change an event from a few days before the film takes place. C.J.'s older brother is wrongfully shot by the police in Brooklyn, and C.J. believes that she and Sebastian have the power to change the past and prevent her brother's killing before it happens. After multiple attempts that yield the same results, one last attempt yields a result that has devastating consequences that will have potentially worse ramifications for C.J. This is a film whose message is that while we often wish we can change the events of the past, we might only make matters worse for ourselves and those around us. This is a film with a powerful message that also highlights tensions between the police and African Americans all around the United States; images that resonate all too clearly for so many.

  Edith + Eddie is a documentary about a couple in Virginia who got married when they were both in their nineties. While both of them seem to be in perfectly good shape for their age and with no signs of slowing down, conflicts among Edith's daughters threatens to tear Edith and Eddie apart. While the couple lives alone in Edith's family home of many years, one daughter believes that is not the place she should be, even if it means taking her away from Eddie. One daughter believes Edith must live down in Florida with her and her family, where Edith complains about abuse and is clearly unhappy, while the other daughter thinks it is perfectly fine for Edith to live with Eddie in their home. This documentary showcases the legal issues around this situation as well as the intervention of a legal guardian who does not know Edith, yet is tasked with doing what is legally best for Edith, even if it is not what she or her family wants. This is a film that demonstrates serious family instability and shows the family dynamic quite well. It is an interesting film that is sure to tug on the hearts of audiences.

The Good Mother is a film about a family in Mexico in which the mother wants to make sure her son has the birthday party he truly wishes for. And what does he want? A piñata in the form of Donald Trump. The film takes audiences all across the country on this mother's journey to find her just the right piñata for her son's birthday. While only a few minutes long, this film is sure to make people think as well as laugh along the way. It gives us a little insight into the view of Trump in other parts of the world, in this case; Mexico. For a film that gives off the impression of having a strong and impactful message (which it does to an extent), it is surprisingly lighthearted.

  How Far She Went is a short film about making an impossible choice. A rebellious teenager who now lives with her grandmother runs off to be with two men who can only be described as thugs. It is clear she is invested in one of them romantically. The grandmother does not know where she is or what she is doing so she frantically searches for her. When she finds that she is with these thugs, things begin to get heated and ugly, ultimately forcing the grandmother to make a difficult decision; one that will truly linger in the minds of the viewer. This is a high drama and high intensity film despite its rather slow pace. If any of the films in this block truly demonstrate the theme of this block (which all of them do, but this one I argue does it the best), it is this film. This is a film that shows that people are willing to do just about anything that is necessary for love of any kind.

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Logan

2017-06-12T14:28:00.002-07:00

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, and Dafne Keen
Directed by: James Mangold
Screenplay by: James Mangold and Scott Frank

The year is 2029, and much of the world has changed for our hero, Logan/the Wolverine (Hugh Jackman). Many of the mutants are gone and Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) is not well. Logan is living out his days chauffeuring bachelorette parties as well as caring for Charles Xavier. They live in an old and run down building that looks like it was once a small factory or mill somewhere along the Mexican border. Charles is suffering from severe seizures that impact not only his abilities, but can cause serious harm to people around him, and it is up to Logan and their mutant friend, Caliban (Stephen Merchant), to care for him and make sure he's on his meds.
One day, along comes a young girl named Laura (Dafne Keen) who can't speak. It becomes clear that she is a mutant and needs help. She has escaped with the help of her mother from a facility where she and other mutant children are being studied and potentially weaponized. Laura is a big fan of the X-Men comic series and carries issues of it with her in her backpack. In one of her comics, there is a place somewhere in the north, near the Canadian border, where mutants are headed to escape the persecution they suffer. Laura believes wholeheartedly that this place is real and is desperate to get there, by any means necessary. She believes Logan and Charles will want to go as well so she does her best to convince them that the place is real. Logan is unwilling to take her as he is aging, ailing, and spends much of his time drinking. The ravages of time are clearly affecting him and he must decide whether to use his powers for good one last time, or not. Meanwhile, the corporation that Laura has fled is after her and will follow her for as long as they can until either she reaches this place, or they capture her. So, not only will Logan have to take her there, but will have to protect her at all costs; a decision that weighs heavily on Logan.
There are plenty of good action sequences in this film, but unlike so many other superhero films, Logan chooses not to focus on them, but rather the more mundane aspects of being heroic. Here, we see a superhero in the twilight of his life, and unsure what to do with the rest of it, or how he will even get by. Logan struggles emotionally, physically, and financially.
Logan is a unique film because it shows the hero with superhuman qualities, as simply human who just so happens to have special abilities. He has struggled throughout his life and it shows in this film. He does not self-heal as well as he once did, and he does not fight as well as he once did. Rarely do we see such a flawed superhero character. Logan is unsure of himself. He does not necessarily hear the call to save the day like other superheroes might. He hears it but has to think about it. In this sense, I am reminded of Christian Bale's portrayal of Batman in The Dark Knight trilogy. Logan is a more emotional and existential film than other superhero films might be. This is a quality that sets it apart from much of the rest of the Marvel universe.
Logan is a film that will draw you in emotionally. It is a truly excellent film in this sense. I give Logan an A-.

Image Source: www.fanboyfactor.com/2017/02/movie-review-logan-fox/

John Wick: Chapter 2

2017-06-12T13:17:00.004-07:00

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Riccardo Scamarcio, Ian McShane, Ruby Rose, Common, and Laurence Fishburne
Directed by: Chad Stahelski
Screenplay by: Derek Kolstad

Do you ever feel like watching a movie where all the characters seem to do is shoot each other in high-octane, high intensity action sequences all loosely blended together by a simplistic storyline? Well, John Wick: Chapter 2, does that even better than the first one. And the first one does it pretty well.
This movie picks up right where the last one left off. John Wick (Keanu Reeves) has a new dog, after his first dog is killed by the son of a Russian mob boss in New York. A man who was once retired from the hit man life has been dragged back into it by that unforeseen incident in the wake of his wife's death. Now, in Chapter 2, there are no signs he wants out of the life again. But wait, there's more!
An associate of John's named Santino D'Antonio is calling in a debt that John owes him. Now that he has returned to this life outside the law, there's no refusing to pay up, even though he tries to turn it down. Santino's sister, Gianna (Claudia Gerini), is set to become a member of the High Table, a group of very powerful assassins. Santino wants John to kill her so that he can take her seat at the High Table. After John's house is nearly destroyed by Santino after John tries to refuse to pay his debt, John has to take the dog somewhere. So, he takes the dog to Winston's (Ian McShane) Continental Hotel in New York, where all the underground assassins and hit men can stay while on "business". The hotel's concierge, Charon (Lance Reddick), takes care of the dog while John travels to Rome to complete the mission given to him by Santino.
John stays at the Continental hotel in Rome, where just like the one in New York, one of the most important rules is, no business allowed. As John heads back to New York after the mission, Santino places a bounty on his head of $7 million. Word gets out to every assassin in New York, so John no longer has many friends he can count on. Some of this madness is on him, so he must do his best to survive.
The difference between the first movie in this series, and this film, is that Chapter 2 has a more complex and a more interesting story. This is a more standard type of assassin movie than the first one. The first one is somewhat original in the fact that it is so overly melodramatic about the situation. One small event sets off this huge chain reaction, and that chain reaction is John Wick going on a rampage in order to gain vengeance for his dog. Chapter 2 is about his past coming back to haunt him, a past that is not shown in the first film.
There have only been about a billion movies made about a character whose past has come back to haunt them. And so many of them are movies that involve a lot of action. This is just another one of those movies. There's nothing original in the slightest about John Wick: Chapter 2. Perhaps the best part of this movie is that it is a "clean" action movie. The editing is quite good, with emphasis on long takes and scenes that do not often show many close-ups. You can tell that the filmmakers were much choosier on the shots they wanted than filmmakers of other action movies. This is a film in which the viewer is simply meant to enjoy the action and the violence from afar. The fight scenes are choreographed quite well and make for an intense viewing experience. So, bring your popcorn because you'll be eating quite a bit of it.

I give John Wick: Chapter 2 a B-.

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Get Out

2017-04-20T15:17:00.000-07:00

Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, and Bradley Whitford
Directed by: Jordan Peele
Screenplay by: Jordan Peele

Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) and Rose (Allison Williams) are in a seemingly serious relationship. And now it's time for Chris to meet Rose's parents. There may be tensions when Rose's family (who is white) meets Chris (who is black). It's not the interracial love story you might be looking for. It's an interracial love/horror/mystery story that will surely take you for a wild ride.
The problems begin even before Chris and Rose arrive at the family home. Rose hasn't told her parents that Chris is black. Once they arrive, Chris notices a lack of African American people. There are a few; Georgina (Betty Gabriel), who helps around the house with Rose's parents, and Walter (Marcus Henderson), who does yard and landscaping work outside the house. They act a little strange, Chris notices at first, but doesn't think much about it. They speak in a relatively monotone way and do only as they are told; nothing more. He even feels that Rose's parents are hiding something. Rose's mother, Missy (Catherine Keener), is a psychiatrist who constantly nags Chris about hypnotizing him. She thinks it will help him to quit smoking, but as the film goes on and Chris begins to feel stranger and stranger in their home, he realizes there is something more than just helping him quit smoking that Missy wants to do. She wants to suppress him in some way, kind of like the way Georgina and Walter are.
The family has the whole extended family over one day during Rose and Chris's stay. Only one other black person arrives to the gathering. The rest of the family is white. He notices the other black person acting like Walter and Georgina, however, suggesting something is very wrong. There is no way for Chris to feel comfortable at this family reunion and no way for Chris to leave unless Rose wants to leave with him. As the film goes on, Chris finds himself in increasingly difficult situations to get out of, and feels the pressure of a seriously racist family (although they don't seem like it on the surface). As Chris finds out more about the family's history as well as Rose's history with black men, he realizes he is in trouble and needs to find a way to quite literally "get out".
When I think of Jordan Peele, I think of two things; one half of the hilarious duo, Key and Peele, and an alumnus of my alma mater, Sarah Lawrence College in New York. Get Out is most certainly not a comedy film, but rather a highly intellectual horror film that showcases examples of racism in America. While there are a few moments to shock the viewer, it's not the type of film that focuses on that, but instead the overall disturbing factor of the film. Get Out scares you by disturbing you.
I give Get Out an A-.

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Moonlight

2017-02-28T20:01:00.001-08:00

Starring: Mahershala Ali, Janelle Monáe, Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, Trevante Rhodes, and Naomie Harris
Directed by: Barry Jenkins
Screenplay by: Barry Jenkins

Moonlight is the story of a young boy who grows up in a rough neighborhood in Miami looking to find his place in his world and who he is. This is more than a story about a young African American boy who grows up to find out he is gay. This is the story of someone trying to understand his own human condition.
In the first third of the film, the audience meets Chiron (Alex Hibbert) as a young boy running away from schoolmates after school who are trying to attack him. This is where he runs into Juan (Mahershala Ali), a drug dealer in the area who becomes almost a father figure to Chiron. Juan and his girlfriend Teresa (Janelle Monáe) help Chiron as a young boy grow up when his mother, Paula (Naomie Harris), is not the most positive influence in his life (she is an occasional crack smoker, who is supplied by Juan). But Juan isn't your typical drug dealer. In fact, the way he's portrayed, you might not notice he is a drug dealer if he didn't say he was. Juan isn't the tough guy type drug dealer we're used to seeing. There's a more human aspect to him that Jenkins chooses to focus on, making the audience feel good about him and feeling like Chiron is in good hands when he's with Juan and Teresa. It's an interesting way to portray this character and Mahershala Ali plays this character beautifully. Perhaps that's why he won the Oscar for his role in this film.
The second third of the film focuses on Chiron (now Ashton Sanders) as a high school student. His mother has gone from a casual drug user to a full on addict, and it's affecting more than just her. It's affecting Chiron as well. He no longer wants to be at home with her very often as it has become an unsuitable environment for him. Chiron is still trying to find himself, but he learns a little bit more now. This is the part of the film where Chiron explicitly learns that he is gay. He even has a "moment" with a friend of his, Kevin (Jharrel Jerome), whom he has known for a very long time. He struggles to deal with this aspect of his life and his schoolmates pick on him for it.
The final third of Moonlight finds Chiron (Trevante Rhodes) much older. He has moved away from Miami to Atlanta and has a life there. He receives a call from Kevin (André Holland) one day and invites him to the restaurant at which he now works. They haven't seen each other in years. The two characters have travelled in very different directions so it's interesting to see them reunite in this chapter of the movie. But after watching it, there are plenty of reasons why they reunite. So if you want to know more, then you'll just have to go see the film.
Moonlight is very clearly not a love story. It's not even really a story about love. It's about the human condition, and explains it through an interesting perspective. This is not a film that will entertain you, rather it will make you think. At times, it feels like the film is more style than it is substance, but that is only at certain parts of the film. Moonlight is overall a very good film that absolutely must be seen. It wasn't my favorite film of the year, but the Academy absolutely made the right choice naming Moonlight best picture of the year!

I give Moonlight an A-.

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The 89th Academy Awards

2017-02-27T15:40:00.002-08:00

About last night... that was interesting, wasn't it? The show was great, Jimmy Kimmel was a fantastic host, the thing with the tour bus was entertaining as hell, and the best picture mix-up was... unfortunate. The 89th Academy Awards were last night and here are a few highlights of the films that were celebrated this year I enjoyed.

Things I wasn't Happy About
Like many of you, I filled out an Oscars ballot this year to see how well I would do. Heck, I was so confident, I filled out two; one for what I wanted to win and one for what I thought would win. As of the end of the awards show, both of my ballots had the same number of things I predicted correctly. I was good for 6 of the 24 awards given out last night, on both ballots! That's the first thing I'm not happy about.
I'm not thrilled about Casey Affleck for Actor in a Leading Role. Most people I've talked to loved Manchester by the Sea. I didn't. I found it to be one of the most boring, emotionless, slow-paced movies of the year. I know that it's the point of the film, but it didn't work for me. Casey Affleck was perfect in the leading role, playing someone who seems to have not a care in the world for anything at a time when he needs to step up to the plate and do the right thing for his family. Heck, his character lives in a basement of an apartment building and he's a janitor. This is an award that should have gone to someone playing a dynamic role in a film, not a static one. This award is about the power of an actor, and Casey Affleck (while he is absolutely fantastic in Manchester by the Sea) doesn't display the power of an actor who should receive the award. It should have gone to Denzel Washington.
In addition to being one of my favorite actors, Denzel Washington displays a powerful performance in Fences that will be remembered for years to come. This is a powerful role that would challenge any actor to be their very best, and Denzel does it beautifully. He was my choice for the award.
Silence was not nominated enough. Silence was perhaps the most under-represented film at the Oscars that should have been nominated more. Although Andrew Garfield was nominated for Supporting Actor for Hacksaw Ridge, he delivers a more powerful performance in Silence. In both films, he plays a devout Christian who stands by his beliefs even when they are tested most, whether as a conscientious objector in the battle of Okinawa, or as a Jesuit priest sent on a mission to spread the faith throughout Japan. Both films showcase what a dynamic actor Garfield is, but Silence does it better.
I was somewhat surprised about the Film Editing award going to Hacksaw Ridge. Mainly because it was not Arrival that received that award. Editing in film has the power to change people's perception of the film. Editing is an element of cinema that is unique to the art. Time can be played with. And indeed time is played with in Arrival. It is a story that at first seems to be told in a linear fashion, but by the end, we realize it is not. This is the power of editing and Arrival demonstrates how a film's editing can make or break the film. In the case of Arrival, I would argue that it is one of the more powerful elements that made the film.

Things I was Pleased With
Perhaps one of my favorite things about the Academy Awards is that they champion original filmmaking (most of the time). Films like Manchester by the Sea and La La Land are original films, I would argue. Manchester by the Sea is a film about a man who is forced to confront things he'd rather not deal with. While I may not necessarily like the fact that it's an emotionless film, it's realistic in every sense of the word. It makes us question, and wonder how we would deal with things like this if we were put in the situation the main character has been placed in. And yes, La La Land is a throwback to what some would say was the golden age of Hollywood, but it takes the idea of a traditional musical, and turns it on its head. For this, I was pleased that Damien Chazelle won the Best Director award for La La Land, but any of the five directors nominated could have won because they all created remarkable films.
If La La Land were a traditional musical, made in the traditional way, the two lovers would have gotten together in the end and I would have been here slamming it for its lack of originality. But what makes it original (WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD)? The simple fact that the lovers do not get together in the end. The dream sequence shows what their life could have been if they had gotten together. But they didn't, and that is the realism of this film. It shows that while life can seem like a technicolor film with all the bright colors and happy things at times, it isn't always that way in the end. I was thrilled that La La Land received the award for Production Design, and would have been even more thrilled if it had in fact won Best Picture. I am sure the Academy made the right choice by giving that award to Moonlight, but I won't comment until I've actually seen it. So when I do, there will be an update to this article.
The category I cared about most however, was Best Supporting Actress. I was really hopeful that Viola Davis would win for her role in Fences. She plays a woman who is largely overshadowed by her husband. And yet, Viola Davis makes us remember who she is, and shows us that she should be in the spotlight too. She fits the role beautifully and I am thrilled that she won.

Movies make us laugh, cry, think, and feel a wide range of emotions beyond that. Movies are a way for us to get away from the world for a while and just enjoy what's in front of us. And the movies highlighted by the Academy this year did just that. This year's Oscars were truly remarkable, capping off a year that was mostly pretty average for movies, but had a spectacular finish. All the films that were recognized this year deserve that recognition and should all be seen. They are for the most part, excellent films all worthy of such high praise. It was an entertaining show and had a finish that we will all remember for years to come.

Image Source: The Player's Tribune

Split

2017-02-27T14:43:00.000-08:00

Starring: James McAvoy, Anya Taylor-Joy, Haley Lu Richardson, Jessica Sula, and Betty Buckley
Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan
Screenplay by: M. Night Shyamalan

Here's a statement that will shock you. M. Night Shyamalan has made a decent film again!
Three young women have been kidnapped outside of a mall. They are taken back to the kidnapper's lair where he likes to watch them undress and dance for him. He comes back to check on them occasionally, but wearing different clothes and having vastly different personalities. He turns out to be a guy named "Kevin", but "Kevin" has 23 different personalities, all of whom are almost completely different characters.
While the girls are trying to escape from the windowless, dungeon-like room they've been put in, "Kevin" goes to a psychologist who specializes in dissociative personality disorders like he has. But it's one of the 23 identities who gets the help needed. It's up to the girls to play tricks on these different identities in order to escape. But there's a time limit. The different identities mention occasionally that there is a 24th identity that is trying to break through, one known as "the beast". Also, at the end there's a nod to one of M. Night Shyamalan's movies from the past.
M. Night Shyamalan may not always make great movies, but he makes intriguing concepts. The concept for Split is clearly meant to play with the viewer's mind a bit; although not quite as well as one of his earlier films, The Sixth Sense. Shyamalan tries to put in a plot twist that is as exciting as the ending of The Sixth Sense, but fails to be so.
The best part of this film is James McAvoy. He is a truly terrific actor and that is shown well in his other work, but Split is a defining performance of his career. He embodies these different identities wholly as if they are different people. Had this film been released last November or December, he may have been considered for an Oscar nomination. It's a truly powerful performance that should not go unrecognized.
Overall, this is not Shyamalan's best work, but it's his best work in years. If you're thinking that it's a guaranteed waste of money, it's not. Yes, it's the same filmmaker of bad hits such as The Last Airbender or After Earth, but it's also the same filmmaker as The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable. This is a solid B-movie. Maybe M. Night Shyamalan's having a comeback?

I give Split a B.

Image Source: Substream Magazine