Tag Archives: 2014 Films

Whiplash-2014

Whiplash-2014

Director-Damien Chazelle

Starring-Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons

Scott’s Review #192

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Reviewed November 13, 2014

Grade: A

Whiplash is a film about an aspiring nineteen-year-old Jazz drummer- Andrew Neyman, played by rising star Miles Teller (known for 2013’s indie teen drama The Spectacular Now), who is attending one of the most revered musical schools in the country, the Schaffer Conservatory in New York.

There, he is both mentored and terrorized by his intense and sometimes sadistic conductor- Terence Fletcher, portrayed by J.K. Simmons.

Andrew aspires to be the best drummer that he can be and worships Buddy Rich- a famous Jazz drummer from the 1930s and 1940s, who he constantly listens to and emulates.

While Andrew aspires to make the school orchestra that desperately needs a new drummer, he meets a cute girl, Nicole, at the concession stand of his favorite movie theater, and they bond.

Also in the mix is Andrew’s father, played by Paul Reiser. Once an aspiring writer, who never made it big, he struggles as a high school teacher. Andrew’s mother left the family when Andrew was just a toddler leaving just father and son.

The film mainly centers on the tumultuous relationship between Andrew and Terence and Andrew’s determination to be the best drummer in the world.

J.K. Simmons is simply mesmerizing in his role of Terence and this is wonderful to see as Simmons has struggled as a character actor for years. He gives a powerhouse performance and plows full steam ahead in his viciousness and extreme brutality towards the students, and on more than one occasion reduces a student to tears- if the tempo is not to his liking he shakes his clenched fist in disapproval.

The audience wonders if Terence is simply mean and sadistic or is tough on the students simply to make them work harder and achieve all that they are capable of.

Throughout most of the film, I wondered if I should hate this character or have sympathy towards him for wanting the students to excel. The sexuality of Fletcher is ambiguous.

He belittles and ridicules the students with fat jokes- he hatefully taunts an overweight student about Mars bars and happy meals, uses Irish digs, and inevitably gay slurs on other students, but is he hiding something in his personal life? Is he a closet case? His private life remains a mystery.

As brutal as Terence can be, there are moments of sensitivity that the character exhibits- he tearfully tells the orchestra a heartbreaking story of a former student, whom he admired, who recently died in a car accident.

In another scene, he warmly bonds with a friend’s young daughter.

As brilliant as Simmons is we must not forget to recognize the immense talent of Teller. The young actor does a fantastic job of portraying determination, drive, anger, and vengeance.

Andrew has a wonderful relationship with his dedicated father, a love/hate relationship with Terence, (are they bitter enemies or do they have the respect of a mentor/student?), and a sweet yet uneven relationship with Nicole. He successfully portrays a myriad of different emotions throughout the film.

Paul Reiser is wonderful in an overlooked and, quite frankly, thankless role as Andrew’s unsuccessful, yet forever faithful father.

Thankfully the film chose to center on the conductor/student dynamic and Andrew’s romantic relationship with Nicole did not take center stage and usurp the main point of the story, as I felt that the dynamic between the two was of lesser importance to the greater whole of the film.

The finale, an intense concert performance scene focusing on the intensity between Terence and Andrew, is superbly done. The close-up camera shots of the two added much to the climax of the film.

In fact, throughout Whiplash, extreme close-up shots of sweat and blood and intensity during performances and practices add to the overall rawness of the film.

Whiplash is an intense, sometimes brutal, assaulting experience, but what an amazing film it is.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor-J.K. Simmons (won), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Sound Mixing (won), Best Film Editing (won)

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Feature, Best Director-Damien Chazelle, Best Supporting Male-J.K. Simmons (won), Best Editing (won)

Birdman-2014

Birdman-2014

Director-Alejandro G. Inarritu

Starring-Michael Keaton, Edward Norton

Scott’s Review #190

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Reviewed November 6, 2014

Grade: A

Birdman is a very unique art film, which happily, has garnered major exposure and publicity because a movie like this runs the risk of receiving praise and notice only from the art-house crowd itself.

The film’s star-Michael Keaton, portrays Riggan Thomson, a former action hero superstar from the 1990s, who was made famous for the “Birdman” character he created. Having made sequels to the film, his career has since dried up and he hopes to establish credibility and prove himself a real actor by writing, directing, and starring in his play.

The film is set in and around the Broadway theater in New York City.

As opening night approaches, he struggles to pull everything together and emit a successful production while faced with an injured terrible actor, a difficult actor, his insecurities, and a miserable theatre critic destined to ruin his big chance.

To make matters worse, his daughter Sam, played by Emma Stone is a recovering drug addict who hangs around the theatre distracting actors with her charm and good looks.

Naomi Watts and Edward Norton play Leslie and Mike, other cast members in the production. Watts is sympathetic as the emotional actress with the heart of gold who finally has her dream of performing on Broadway realized. Norton, outstanding as Mike, is blunt yet socially awkward and can only perform truthfully on the stage.

Keaton is simply a marvel as he plays a dark and vulnerable man-hating and wishing to shed his ridiculous movie persona of yesteryear and secretly cringes when recognized by fans. He communicates with a voice inside his head, the voice he used when he played “Birdman” years earlier.

The uniqueness of the film is the use of what seems like one long take as the action rarely stops and seems to be ongoing. In my opinion, the film belongs to Keaton- he wonderfully relays vulnerability, pain, and fear within with an outward persona of bravery and masculinity.

Throughout the film I wondered, is Riggan suicidal? What is real and what is imagined? Are certain scenes foreshadowing for later events?

The film has much depth.

One marvel at how art imitates life- Is Keaton portraying himself? Keep in mind that Keaton was the original Batman in the successful superhero franchise beginning in 1989 and his career tanked shortly thereafter.

Birdman is a comeback film for him and he is devastatingly good.

Norton’s character Mike impressed me- blunt and honest he is also flawed and scared and in some ways addicted to the stage.

Stone has one particularly brilliant scene as she lambasts her father and with regret, later on, tells him that the world has moved on without him and that he is irrelevant just like everyone else- it is a powerful scene.

In another, Riggan is locked outside of the theater during the performance, clad only in his underwear- how on earth will he return to the stage and complete the show? The quick slights at current Hollywood superstars playing superheroes, specifically Robert Downey Jr. are deliciously naughty.

A dark comedy for sure, it is impossible to predict what will come next and the film is very New York theater style. Keaton’s run-in with a theater critic in a cocktail bar is the best scene in the film as the critic’s vicious critique of “You’re a celebrity, not an actor” resonates with both pain and tremendous anger for Riggan.

Riggan is a sensitive, struggling man and Keaton so wonderfully shows his vulnerability in every scene.

Bravo!

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture (won), Best Director-Alejandro G. Inarritu (won), Best Actor-Michael Keaton, Best Supporting Actor-Edward Norton, Best Supporting Actress-Emma Stone, Best Original Screenplay (won), Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Cinematography (won)

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Feature (won), Best Director-Alejandro G. Inarritu, Best Male Lead-Michael Keaton (won), Best Supporting Male-Edward Norton, Best Supporting Female-Emma Stone, Best Cinematography (won)

Annabelle-2014

Annabelle-2014

Director-John R. Leonetti

Starring-Annabelle Wallis

Scott’s Review #186

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Reviewed October 17, 2014 

Grade: B+

Annabelle is a classic, edge-of-your-seat, ghost story that is effective in its creepiness and element of surprise.

Set in California circa 1969, John and Mia Gordon are the all- American happy young couple. He is a Doctor and she is beautiful and pregnant with their first child. They attend church each Sunday, are friendly with the neighbors and have a strong sense of community.

As a surprise, John bestows a life-sized doll on Mia as a present and as an addition to her existing collection of interesting dolls. Before long strange events begin to occur- a home invasion, a fire, a bizarre experience in an elevator, and creepy drawings by the neighbor’s children.

The film eventually dives into murkier territory when a strange, religious woman, played by Alfre Woodard, is introduced, and the film then shifts focus a bit to spirits, taking one’s soul, and the occult.

What sets Annabelle apart from similar horror contemporaries is the power of suspense- we as the audience know something bad is going to happen- we just do not know when.

Unlike many horror films that slice and dice for shock value, Annabelle has none of these qualities. Rather, foreshadowing and anticipation are common within the film, making the eventual jumps scarier! – Mia’s constant use of an electric sewing machine and Mia attentively watching news coverage of the Manson murders are clues as to what will come next.

A scene set in the middle of the night as a home invasion takes place next door is shot exceptionally well- think Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window- with no dialogue- that the audience sees inside the house from across the yard as violence occurs- frightening.

Within the same scene we know the home invasion will gravitate to Gordon’s house- but when will it strike? Another effective scene shows a seemingly innocent little girl running towards another character in a separate bedroom, but she quickly turns into a maniacal fiend and the foot thudding makes this terrifying- I found myself genuinely scared during a few scenes!

Wisely choosing to avoid the all too frequent CGI effects, Annabelle instead goes the traditional route with genuine scares harvested from the unknown and the feeling of anticipation and dread of events to come.

The fantastic musical score composed by Joseph Bishara adds to the anticipation. Annabelle is a prequel to the equally scary The Conjuring and the very first scene is, in fact, the same first scene from that film where two nurses explain how they obtained the doll, named Annabelle, and cannot get away from her.

The final act of Annabelle delves into the spiritual world of evil- a soul (presumably Mia’s or her babies) must be sacrificed to relinquish the curse put upon by Annabelle’s original owner.

A surprising figure aids in the conclusion of this film. Annabelle is old-school horror done very well.

Gone Girl-2014

Gone Girl-2014

Director-David Fincher

Starring-Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike

Scott’s Review #181

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Reviewed October 6, 2014

Grade: A-

Gone Girl, directed by dark yet mainstream filmmaker David Fincher, offers a simple premise- an affluent woman disappears without warning and a loved one is suspected of the crime.

This type of story has been done many times before in film- think Prisoners from 2013 to cite a very recent example, but what makes Gone Girl unique is its storytelling, pacing, and twists and turns aplenty.

The film is based on the best-selling novel, written by popular novelist Gillian Flynn, who also wrote the screenplay of the film.

Ben Affleck plays Nick Dunne, a man in his 30’s, whose wife Amy, magnificently played by Rosamund Pike, mysteriously disappears, causing a media frenzy to ensue.

After clues are revealed, Nick is thought to be a sociopath and responsible for Amy’s disappearance. Nick and Amy have the perfect marriage….or so it appears. Until fairly recently Nick and Amy have lived an idyllic, well-to-do lifestyle in New York City. Amy’s family is wealthy and writes as successful children’s authors.

Following the recession of 2010 causing both Nick and Amy to lose their jobs and all of their money, combined with Nick’s parent’s health problems, they wind up in a state of peril, and their marriage is severely tested. They are forced to move to a small town in Missouri where Nick grew up. Their lifestyle completely changes.

These facts are naturally revealed as the film progresses, via flashbacks, mostly told from Amy’s perspective, as she chronicles events by writing in her diary.

The story is so smart and layered that the audience continually asks questions throughout the film- Is Amy dead? Did she fake her death? Is Nick involved or innocent? Could Amy’s parents be involved in her disappearance? Can we trust Nick’s sister Margo? What involvement does Amy’s wealthy college sweetheart Desi Collings (Neil Patrick Harris) have?

As more of the plot is revealed new questions are asked.

Intelligently written, with twists and turns galore, after a slow start, the film is a thrill ride. The slow start is necessary to lay the groundwork of the film and it wisely keeps the audience guessing throughout.

The film seems to be a puzzle (literally and figuratively) as each layer is unraveled leading to further questions and new theories.

The film’s score is composed by Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails), which adds a dark, techno-gloomy feel, which increases the mood wonderfully.

The acting in Gone Girl is very good- Affleck is capable in the lead male role, though I did not find the part as meaty as one might think. Affleck is handsome and charismatic, though unlikeable too, and I think that is all the part requires.

The standout and breakout performance belongs to Rosamund Pike. After years of struggling along in support film roles as someone’s wife or friend, Pike finally has a complex role that allows her to sink her teeth in. Pike displays almost every emotion- kindness, anger, rage, deception, humor.

The character of Amy is nuanced and certainly resourceful and more than one movie-goers mouth dropped open at her actions in a couple of scenes- think wine bottle and hammer for reference. Neil Patrick Harris is dynamic in the role of Desi- he brings a healthy dose of creepiness mixed with child-like sweetness.

Gone Girl features one of the most shocking scenes in recent history involving a bedroom, a box-cutter, and lots of blood. Fincher’s setting of North Carthage, Missouri is interesting- hardly the intelligentsia of Manhattan that Nick and Amy are accustomed to, the perfect mix of homespun kindness turned to lynch mob of the townspeople is effectively portrayed- the sweet neighbors, happily offering casseroles and hugs to Nick one minute, suddenly turn into sharks when detail is revealed.

The media is, almost ironically, portrayed as menacing and ready to pounce- mainly female reporters played by Sela Ward and deliciously and comically played by Missi Pyle. More than a handful of female characters are written as borderline man-hating and eager to either castrate, figuratively speaking or bed (or both!), Nick Dunne.

Gone Girl contains a few plot holes- how could there be no recorded tapes of the goings-on at Desi’s lake house? The entire plot is so far-fetched when one decides to ponder it.

Gone Girl is mainstream yet dark Hollywood thrill-ride with a theme of dishonesty, and a film exceptionally well-written and layered.

Oscar Nominations: Best Actress-Rosamund Pike

The Skeleton Twins-2014

The Skeleton Twins-2014

Director-Craig Johnson

Starring-Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig

Scott’s Review #179

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Reviewed October 2, 2014

Grade: A-

The Skeleton Twins is a tremendous, character-driven, family drama that focuses on character development rather than standard plot devices.

The film stars Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig from Saturday Night Live, but do not be fooled based on the actors involved that The Skeleton Twins is a light comedy- it is not. Certainly, there are laugh-out-loud scenes throughout, but this is a serious story about depression, suicide, and anger, and at times, is very dark.

Wiig plays Maggie, a woman in her thirties who seemingly has it all. Lance, her handsome, loyal husband, played by Luke Wilson, adores her. She has a stable job as a dental hygienist and lives a quiet, quaint life in upstate New York- seemingly enjoying a happy middle-class existence.

Hader plays Milo, Maggie’s estranged twin brother, who lives in Los Angeles and is a struggling actor with no agent, reduced to waiting tables in a lousy restaurant. Presumably, just out of a relationship, Milo attempts suicide by slitting his wrists. Maggie flies to Los Angeles to visit Milo in the hospital and invites him to recuperate with Maggie and Lance in New York.

Having grown up as best friends, they reconnect once Milo moves in.

The Skeleton Twins is so jammed packed with interesting stories, both current and back story, that it becomes effortless to fall in love with Maggie and Milo. When the twins were aged 14, their father committed suicide by jumping off a bridge, a father they were very connected to.

Their mother, played by Joanna Gleason, was a horrible mother growing up and, in present times, is a hippie involved in an interracial marriage. She awkwardly visits Maggie and Milo and attempts to heal them through meditation.

Other character history is revealed- Milo, who is gay, was molested by his teacher when he was 15 years old, a teacher he is still in love with, and is wonderfully played against type by Ty Burrell. Maggie has carried on affairs with various men throughout her marriage to Lance and is secretly using birth control pills to avoid becoming pregnant- Lance happily thinks they are trying to conceive.

The characters of Milo and Maggie are incredibly layered and well written- they are both damaged from a difficult childhood, suffer from depression, and now only have each other- rich material.

Scenes in The Skeleton Twins range from hysterical- a scene in a dentists office involving laughing gas is rolling on the floor funny and a lip-synching scene to the 1980’s schmaltzy hit “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now”, are both wonderful, to shocking- scenes where Milo and Maggie go at each other with gusto, dredging up childhood wounds, is brilliantly acted by Wiig and Hader.

The chemistry between Wiig and Hader is incredible and both actors are very successful at playing hysterical comedy versus dark drama, which impressed me.

Luke Wilson is great in support as the straight-laced, nice guy married to Maggie.

A slight criticism- the character of Milo is written as stereotypically gay- man-hungry and hardly a man’s man-He has trouble clearing brush because presumably, he is too girly to handle the task- I wish more films would steer away from these stereotypes.

Ty Burrell’s character of Rich is so complex that I wish he would have been explored a bit more- being gay how can things work with his girlfriend while harboring many secrets? Is he still in love with Milo despite repeatedly pushing him away? I would have loved more depth to this complex character.

After the film, we are left with relief that the filmmakers did not go as dark as they could have, and audiences will know what I mean following the final scene. There is no fairy tale ending ether.

Milo and Maggie are damaged goods who only have each other and that makes for a dynamic character-rich film.

Love Is Strange-2014

Love Is Strange-2014

Director-Ira Sachs

Starring-John Lithgow, Alfred Molina

Scott’s Review #174

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Reviewed September 24, 2014

Grade: B

Love Is Strange is sweet, though not nauseatingly sentimental, look at many different types of relationships, but at the forefront is the same sex couple, Ben and George, played by John Lithgow and Alfred Molina respectively.

They are a successful New York City couple of a certain age, who have been together for nearly 30 years and finally legally wed in a low-key ceremony surrounded by friends and family members.

George teaches music at a strict Catholic high school where the students and staff know and love both him and his new husband. The bishop, however, is not supportive of his marriage and he is unceremoniously fired.

This causes Ben and George to become homeless and rely on family and friends for a roof over their heads.

The film features several secondary character relationships- Ben’s nephew and his wife balance busy careers with a temperamental, rebellious, confused son; Ben’s niece from Poughkeepsie seems neurotic.

Neighbors who are gay police couples have loud parties seemingly every night. Marisa Tomei, who plays Ben’s niece by marriage, Kate, and Charlie Tahan as Joey, Ben’s great-nephew are probably the most prominently featured of the supporting cast.

Kate, while well-meaning and accommodating, oftentimes bottles her anger and comforts herself with nightly consumption of red wine. Joey lashes out at his great Uncle in frustration criticizing his artwork and scolding him for using his teen friend in a portrait, a friend whose sexuality is unclear.

Most of the other characters are not fleshed out well and simply are there to move the plot along. This is slightly disappointing. I would have preferred a bit more backstory regarding the rest of the cast.

Throughout the film, a few clues are dropped surrounding Joey and his friend’s sexuality, but never pursued further than on the surface. I was curious about the cop’s back story. How long have they been together? Do they face conflict at work? Numerous scenes show both cops in uniform while running errands or visiting the hospital, which seems to be the film’s desire to emphasize that cops can be masculine and gay- a fact I love, yet the characters are only one dimensional.

Why is Ben’s niece neurotic? This is also not pursued at all.

The film belongs to Lithgow and Molina. The two of them have such effortless, natural chemistry that the audience instantly believes they have been together for decades- the fact that Lithgow and Molina are lifelong friends in real-life surely adds to the realism and naturalness.

Ben is the yin to George’s yang. The performances of Lithgow and Molina are so understated and calming that one might overlook how excellent they are since they are both low-key characters.

At its heart Love Is Strange is a film about strength, courage, loyalty, and perseverance through life’s challenges.

It is a sensitive and lovely film.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Feature, Best Male Lead-John Lithgow, Best Supporting Male-Alfred Molina, Best Screenplay

The Grand Budapest Hotel-2014

The Grand Budapest Hotel-2014

Director-Wes Anderson

Starring-Ralph Fiennes, F. Murray Abraham

Scott’s Review #143

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Reviewed July 30, 2014

Grade: B+

The Grand Budapest Hotel is a witty and unique film by Director Wes Anderson, who has also directed similarly quirky films- most notably the Monsoon Kingdom and The Royal Tenenbaums.

The famous story of the history of the Grand Budapest Hotel is recounted, over dinner, by the current owner named Zero (played by F. Murray Abraham), and an inquisitive guest (Jude Law).

The film then goes back to the 1930s and shares the story of the actual history of the hotel.

The main story centers on the head concierge, Gustave, (Ralph Fiennes), and his antics involving older wealthy blonde women, a murder, stolen art, and a missing will.

Gustave is a ladies’ man, and bisexual, who spends time with the rich women who stay at the hotel.  Fiennes does an excellent job as the quick-witted, almost manic Gustave. This sets off a series of interesting, mysterious events for the remainder of the film that turns into a whodunit yarn.

The visual aspects usurp the story in my opinion- the art direction is amazing. The sets are constructed so perfectly and ingeniously that they almost look like animated sets or like a dollhouse.

The costumes and makeup are flawless.

The story tends to be tough to follow at times and is just not as strong as the other aspects of the film, although this is not to be interpreted as the story is not good- it is entertaining, but nothing more.

It’s just that the other aspects of the film are magnificent and the story secondary. It’s an odd film, certainly, but unique and interesting.

A slew of well-known Hollywood stars appears- Tilda Swinton, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Willem Defoe, and Harvey Keitel among others.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director-Wes Anderson, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score (won), Best Production Design (won), Best Cinematography, Best Makeup and Hairstyling (won), Best Costume Design (won), Best Film Editing

Jersey Boys-2014

Jersey Boys-2014

Director-Clint Eastwood

Starring-John Lloyd Young

Scott’s Review #95

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Reviewed July 5, 2014

Grade: B+

Jersey Boys is a film version of the hit Broadway show of the same name and is directed by Clint Eastwood.

It tells the story of Frankie Valli and his friends (later becoming the Four Seasons) growing up in 1950’s mob-laden New Jersey and their journey through hardships and petty crime to musical success.

The film is a mainly feel-good experience as the songs alone resonate with the audience and immediately stick in one’s head as catchy as they are (Sherry, Walk Like a Man, Big Girls Don’t Cry, Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You) are prominently featured throughout the film and it is tough not to toe-tap along with the musical numbers.

Most of the boys grow up in a heavily Italian neighborhood, which is a delight as Eastwood’s authenticity is impressive: the food, the fights, gangster mob ties.

Admittedly, I found the first 30 minutes or so a bit slow, but afterward, the film takes off.

The cast is very good- John Lloyd Young is excellent as Frankie Valli, a role he also portrayed on Broadway, and it is very nice to see Christopher Walken as a kindly mob boss who looks out for the kids.

The film is wonderfully shot and the 1950’s nostalgia is apparent throughout via set pieces, costumes, etc.

Is this film edgy? Not in the least. Is it a safe crowd-pleaser? Absolutely!

It is a fun musical experience that does not delve into schmaltz and is quite enjoyable.

Non-Stop-2014

Non-Stop-2014

Director-Jaume Collet-Serra

Starring-Liam Neeson, Julianne Moore

Scott’s Review #55

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Reviewed June 22, 2014

Grade: B-

I am a sucker for a good airline disaster action film. I found Non-Stop to have 2 parts- the first 1 hour and 15 minutes and the final 30 minutes.

A film like this (action, popcorn flick) requires suspension of disbelief.

The events in this film will NEVER happen.

In recent years, Liam Neeson, at 60 years old plus, has settled nicely into action hero star in mediocre to above-average film roles. He has found his niche.

The first part of the film is highly entertaining- 150 passengers on board an international flight from New York to London are in peril when a terrorist begins texting troubled U.S. Air Marshall (Neeson) that someone on the flight will die every 20 minutes unless 150 million dollars is transferred to their account.

From this point begins a compelling whodunit.

Which passenger is sending the text messages? Could it be a flight attendant or the captain of the plane? Several characters are introduced and some red herrings commence. Who begins framing the Marshall? Why?

This is compelling fun stuff.

Most of the action takes place on the plane giving the film a claustrophobic atmosphere.

Then, however, the second part of the film takes over. Not to give spoilers away, but it reaches a ridiculous, silly conclusion, and I found myself saying out loud, “this is stupid”.

A needless and contrived plot of a little girl on the flight is trivial.

Michelle Dockery of Downton Abbey fame I expected more from and Lupita N’Yongo is given a throwaway role (let’s assume she was cast before her Oscar-winning turn in 12 Years a Slave).

Popcorn fun, but disappointing ending summarizes this film.

Noah-2014

Noah-2014

Director-Darren Aronofsky

Starring-Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly

Scott’s Review #3

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Reviewed June 16, 2014

Grade: B+

Upon hearing that Darren Aronofsky, a very dark director (Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream, and The Wrestler), would be tackling a religious film piqued my curiosity.

Those expecting an uplifting, happy film about “god” will be disappointed.

This film is generating a great deal of controversy from the religious folks, which I find interesting, but nobody wants me to go off on a religious tangent.

The film tells the tale of the biblical figure, Noah, and his quest to do God’s will through the signs he is given.

It takes incredible talent to make a film like this not seem silly and Aronofsky, Russell Crowe, and Jennifer Connelly succeed.

The film is quite dark and at times Noah comes off as more of a madman than a savior.

The visual effects and the musical score are wonderfully effective.

A few plots holes, but a nice fantasy/apocalypse type film.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2-2014

The Amazing Spider-Man 2-2014

Director-Marc Webb

Starring-Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone

Scott’s Review #2

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Reviewed June 16, 2014

Grade: B+

Super-hero movies are not my top genre (although admittedly, I end up seeing most of them). They are fun, popcorn-type films not to be over-analyzed or taken too seriously.

One thing that confuses me is the seemingly constant reboots of the franchises and forgetting the previous installments. Wasn’t this series just made with Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst not too long ago?

That being said, the strongest part of this film is the chemistry between Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, which is undeniable and great to watch.

Sally Field adds life to anything she appears in. The more “human” parts of the film are the best.

The special effects/CGI are admirable. I enjoyed how one “villain” is a close friend of Peter Parker’s, wonderfully played by Dane DeHaan. His character has many nuances.

The other villain, Electro, played by Jamie Foxx, is silly and his story almost seems botched. His motivations are weak. He hates Spider-Man and wants to destroy the city because of a contrived misunderstanding??

I do not want to over-analyze, as this is a fun, enjoyable summer film.

Enjoy.