Category Archives: 2014 Films

2014 Films, Cameron Diaz, Comedy, Jack Black, Jake Kasdan, Jason Segel, Nat Faxon, Rob Lowe, Romantic Comedy

Sex Tape-2014

January 15, 2020 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Sex Tape-2014

Director Jake Kasdan

Starring Cameron Diaz, Jason Segel

Scott’s Review #980

Reviewed January 15, 2020

Grade: C

Sex Tape (2014) is a cliched, by-the-numbers, standard romantic comedy that meets expectations, but does little to exceed them.

It is a raunchy affair, perhaps too raunchy for some, and riddled with juvenile moments.

The film contains good chemistry between the leads and is fun up to a point. The final sequence strays too far into dumb, situation comedy-style moments, with too many seen-before stereotypes, that take away most of the preceding fun.

With universally scathing reviews, I expected to hate the film salivating over the opportunity to craft a good, old-fashioned terrible review, but, Sex Tape is marginally fair to middling.

After reuniting again after starring in Bad Teacher (2011), Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel do what they can with the material given, offering strong convictions and fluid moments of enamored charm.

In a supporting role as the boss, Rob Lowe is fine in a stock role, and the child actors are abhorrent (what else is new in romantic comedy casts?)

The film treats the viewer to a brief backstory, narrated by Annie, about the fresh romance between twenty-somethings, Jay and Annie Hargrove (Segel and Diaz).

Much in love, they can barely keep their eyes off each other and have sex at the drop of a hat. Once they settle down and have kids, their romantic interludes must be balanced and scheduled amid bath time, feedings, and the necessity of sleep.

Annie writes a popular blog, expressing the challenges of being a mom, as she bucks for a well-paying job at a company run by Hank Rosenbaum (Lowe).

One day, while feeling naughty, Jay and Annie rapturously and spontaneously decide to record their session of hanky panky on video, to enjoy later.

Predictably, an error occurs, and their lovemaking session is inadvertently synchronized to video to several iPads the couple had given away over time, which is the entire cast.

They struggle to retrieve the iPads and erase their session while being blackmailed by an anonymous viewer.

The strength of Sex Tape is the pairing of Diaz and Segel because without them the film would be nonsense. Chemistry and antics are everything in physical comedy films, and these two have it down.

We accept that the married couple, despite it being ten long years, is still in love with each other, avoiding the doldrums. What they need is a spark and it is fun watching them come up with a sneaky idea.

Even when the film gets bad, the actors are a hoot.

The supporting cast is what one usually gets in a romantic comedy and the wonder is why these characters are always written as a “type” and not better fleshed out.

Examples are Jay and Annie’s best friends, Robby and Tess Thompson (Rob Corddry and Ellie Kemper), one-dimensional and offering merely extensions of the lead characters, with no character development of their own.

The same can be said for Annie’s mother (played by Nancy Lenehan).

The studio’s attempts to promote the latest technological tool, the iPad, to death is strongly evident. If one more iPad appeared on screen I would have screamed. And how is it possible to record yourself in numerous sexual positions with an iPad?

How did they move the iPad and get into those positions? Why did everyone and their brother have an iPad? A weak explanation alluded to Jay’s occupation being somehow responsible.

Sex Tape (2014) does not rewrite the comedy roadmap and will assuredly be forgotten over time- might this film’s bad reviews and the disastrous remake of Annie (2014) be why Diaz retired from acting altogether?

Regardless, for a pleasant Saturday night of silly laughs over a Cosmopolitan or two, this film is okay but for fans of Diaz, watch There’s Something About Mary (1998) instead.

2014 Films, André 3000, Biography, British, Hayley Atwell, Independent, John Ridley, Ruth Negga

Jimi: All Is By My Side-2014

September 30, 2016 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Jimi: All Is By My Side-2014

Director John Ridley

Starring André 3000

Scott’s Review #487

Reviewed September 30, 2016

Grade: A-

Jimi: All Is By My Side (2014) was not quite the film I was expecting it to be. It was better!

I was not expecting poor work since the film received a Best Male Lead Independent Spirit Award nomination for André 3000 (rapper) in the title role.

I expected an overview of the rise and fall of famed rocker Jimi Hendrix. Instead, I was treated to a more introspective piece than I imagined.

The film is a British production.

Interestingly, the film denied any Jimi Hendrix songs familiar to audiences, but only songs were written in 1966 and 1967.

This surprisingly turns out to be positive for the film.

The awesome achievement of this film is its non-conformity and being an independent film, lots of freedoms were undoubtedly given.

This is a good thing.

Had this film been targeted for a showing at local theaters, it may have been a run-of-the-mill affair, focusing on the star and the star only.

It is also shot in a less-than-glossy way, giving it an almost grainy, gritty look that I found added something.

Impressively, the supporting characters, specifically three females whom Hendrix has relationships with throughout his initial rise to fame, are prominently featured, and the story shifts at times to their perspectives and feelings, not just Hendrix’s.

The film does not focus on Hendrix’s untimely death.

We meet Hendrix (compellingly played by André 3000) performing guitar in a sparsely attended bar in New York City. He is discovered by Linda, the girlfriend of Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, as she becomes both smitten with Hendrix and recognizes his immense talents.

Slowly, he is discovered (mainly in London) and rises to fame.

However, the film is not only focused on his success but his personal life.

Besides Linda, Hendrix becomes involved with a volatile groupie and fixture in the 1960s London music scene, Kathy, and cultured American Ida. Instead of the female characters being written as one-dimensional and dizzy, all three are quite intelligent and layered.

While each has feelings for the star, they are forced to be reckoned with in their own right, and we grow to care about their characters as individuals.

A scene involving Jimi violently beating girlfriend Kathy with a telephone during an argument has been refuted by friends as being fictitious- Hendrix was known as a gentle, peaceful man.

A controversy has emerged surrounding the accuracy of this film in general, but I thought it quite introspective and fascinating.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Male Lead-André 3000

2014 Films, Cameron Monaghan, Claire Foy, Comedy, Fantasy, Gabriel Byrne, Horror, Horror-Comedy, Lucy Fry, Mark Waters, Sarah Hyland, Zoey Deutch

Vampire Academy-2014

September 18, 2016 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Vampire Academy-2014

Director Mark Waters

Starring Zoey Deutch

Scott’s Review #482

Reviewed September 18, 2016

Grade: C

Vampire Academy (2014) is a teenage intended mixture of Harry Potter meets Heathers meets Twilight. It is escapist fare and is quite light, but rather fun in an amateurish way.

I am certain the target audience is of the teenage, female persuasion, but when traveling one can be limited in film options.

Hence, on a chilly night in Norway, this film kept us occupied.

The story features a half-human-half vampire named Rose, a teenage girl, who aspires to be a guardian, and who is called back to a boarding school to uncover a hierarchical web of secrets, lies, and plots.

She is accompanied by her best friend Lissa.

Predictably, there is a romantic angle to the story as Rose has feelings for Dimitri, a fellow guardian.

The film itself is fine- it knows the demographic it is going for and young adults are sure to enjoy the compelling drama, likable leads, and attractive cast.

From a film critique standpoint, there is nothing wrong with the film, but it is a bit generic and slightly predictable- from the romantic perspective, though impressively the ending is a bit of a surprise and a whodunit.

Impressive also is Sarah Hyland (Modern Family), as nerdy classmate Natalie, who seems to be the brains and the keeper of gossip throughout the academy.

The role is against type for the young actress and she does very well.

It is tough not to compare this film to the Harry Potter series of films since many aspects of Vampire Academy mirror Harry Potter- only with a female in the driver’s seat. The mysterious teachers and characters are also reminiscent of the fantastical Harry elements.

Unfortunately, a planned sequel was scrapped due to a lack of interest, which surprised me. I would anticipate a film like this to be a hit and perhaps introduce a franchise, but not to be.

An adequate young adult film that borrows from other films and also harkens back to the days of teen-minded genres of the past, specifically the 1980’s.

2014 Films, Carmen Ejogo, Frank Grillo, James DeMonaco, LaKeith Stanfield, Thriller

The Purge: Anarchy-2014

August 16, 2016 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Purge: Anarchy-2014

Director James DeMonaco

Starring Frank Grillo

Scott’s Review #466

Reviewed August 16, 2016

Grade: B

As a fan of the original The Purge (2013), a creative, fresh modern horror film with a distinct message, I did not expect the sequel to match expectations nor to be as powerful as the original.

I was right on both counts.

As a stand-alone film, though, it is a decent flick, having almost nothing to do with the original, save for the same premise.

I hesitate to call The Purge: Anarchy a horror film as it contains little blood, gore, or true horror elements- it is much more of a thriller.

The premise is simple- the Government sanctioned holiday of March 21st has come around again, meaning twelve hours of sanctioned mayhem, where murder, rape, and assault are all allowed without punishment to the criminals, and no police or rescue teams are available.

The period is 2023, though I am unsure why this is relevant since nothing distinguishes the year from the current year, 2016, in the story.

Several protagonists fearfully hunker down for a night of safety in their dwellings, but circumstances force them onto the streets.

A mother and her teen daughter, a young couple, and a vigilante are the characters. The backstories of these folks are not all that important or relevant to the film. They form a group and bond with each other.

Whereas the original kept the audience in one house, The Purge: Anarchy does anything but. As the group commences, the streets of Los Angeles serve as the backdrop for the action as they endlessly traverse the dark and mainly deserted streets, hiding in garbage dumpsters, tunnels, and other sources of protection.

The vigilante, who is revealed to be an off-duty police officer, has the motivation, as his son was killed one year ago today, not as a result of the Purge, but by a drunk driver. The police officer seeks revenge via the freedom the annual Purge allows him.

The film is purely plot-driven and little character development exists, however, the group is mostly likable, especially the mother and daughter.

Interestingly, the filmmakers feature multiple races and ethnic groups, giving it a dose of diversity, which gets big kudos from me.

I could not help but draw comparisons to the popular television series The Walking Dead (2010-2022), at several points of the film, as the group, brandishing weapons, continuously encounters thugs and enemies of every kind as they wander the streets.

A creative twist to The Purge: Anarchy involves a group of Anti-Purgers, all black, who have a following of people supporting them against the government’s protocol of allowing an annual purging.

It is made clear that the main victims of the purge holiday are the poor and the sick.

Correlating with this, our group finds themselves kidnapped and taken to a lavish party where wealthy folks arrange a night of champagne and hunting as the victims are lured to their deaths as the onlookers cheer and feast in celebration.

Think of an Oscar party with gruesome results.

The Purge: Anarchy (2014) is a fun, Saturday night popcorn film worth pondering. Would society succumb to a fetish such as the annual purge if the government condoned it?

Undoubtedly the film must have been influenced by the popularity of The Hunger Games (2012-2023) in tone and theme.

It is a decent film, no more no less.

2014 Films, Animated, Beau Bridges, Chloë Grace Moretz, Daniel Dae Kim, Darren Criss, Dean Cain, George Segal, Isao Takahata, James Caan, James Marsden, Japanese, Lucy Liu, Mary Steenburgen, Oliver Platt

The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya-2014

June 23, 2016 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya-2014

Director Isao Takahata

Starring (Voices) Chloë Grace Moretz, Darren Criss

Scott’s Review #430

Reviewed June 23, 2016

Grade: B+

The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya is a Japanese animated film released in 2014.

It is a unique film- mixing elements of fantasy and drama- stunning to experience and appreciate from a creative perspective. Unusual still is the lengthy running time of two hours and seventeen minutes- animated films are typically on the short side.

This is not to say that it drags, although I found it helpful to view it in segments.

Originally made in Japanese, the film has been dubbed in English and features recognizable voices such as Mary Steenburgen, Lucy Lui, and James Caan.

A bamboo cutter, Miyatsuko, discovers a baby girl inside a bamboo tree one day. He and his wife consider her a divine presence and keep her as their own, naming her Princess Kaguya.

Mysteriously, she begins to grow and develop at an alarming rate and is the wonder of the village. Kaguya develops a playful crush on Sutemaru, a handsome peasant. Kaguya, led by her parents, is taken into a life of nobility and wealth as her destiny.

Her governess attempts to mold her into a regal Princess, but Kaguya is a wandering, free spirit, and rejects the formalities of this life. Her myriad of wealthy suitors counters her feelings for Sutemaru.

From a story perspective, the film shines, as the conflict over wealth versus poverty is explored. Kaguya’s parents are not greedy, but they want her to receive just desserts and a life free of hardship- as they are used to.

They want something better for her.

One can relate to the parent’s views, but Kaguya feels differently. She wants freedom, love, and happiness, not a life of rules, procedures, smoke and mirrors.

The filmmakers present the viewpoint of someone “other-worldly” observing and analyzing planet Earth, warts and all, so the film has a message. It is not cliched or overbearing in its approach though-merely honest and sincere.

Every frame in the film appears to be a gorgeous drawing- not conventional, fast-paced animation, but classic, muted, pastel-type colors are used, giving it a softer touch, which astounded me.

If one is not into the story (tough to imagine), one could easily sit back and marvel at the spectacle.

The growing trend in animated films seems to be a return to traditional drawings- think Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer from the 1960s- as evidenced by The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya and Anomalisa (2015), two recent animated features receiving critical acclaim.

This is music to my ears as these are far superior to the redundant, CGI-laden films.

Oscar Nominations: Best Animated Feature Film

2014 Films, Drama, International, International Drama, Israeli, Ronit Elkabetz, Shlomi Elkabetz, Simon Abkarian

Gett: The Trial of Vivian Amsalem-2014

June 9, 2016 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Gett: The Trial of Vivian Amsalem-2014

Director Ronit Elkabetz, Shlomi Elkabetz

Starring Ronit Elkabetz, Simon Abkarian

Scott’s Review #409

Reviewed June 9, 2016

Grade: B+

Gett: The Trial of Vivian Amsalem (2014) is the third in a trilogy of films focusing on the title character Vivian Amsalem and her unhappy marriage to her husband, Elisha.

The unhappiness is hers and he sees no reason to end the marriage.

It is a film about culture, religion, and modern views versus traditional ones.

I was unaware the film was a trilogy until after I finished watching and began conducting some research as I prepared to review it. It is not required to view the first two films (To Take A Wife and Shiva) to enjoy this film as I suspect they are each a chapter not continuations.

Vivian is a tall, beautiful woman, though she is weary and haggard when we first lay eyes on her in the stifling courtroom, where she sits and spends much of her time. She has long dark hair and intense eyes- she appears driven and quite modern and of liberal thinking, a feminist perhaps.

She is frustrated because her yearning for an independent life has been thwarted by her husband. She would like a divorce after over twenty years. Having met him at age fifteen, his is the only life she has known.

Since he will not agree to the divorce, the courts will not grant her the decision she wants. Since he has not abused her and gives her everything she desires, the judges have no grounds to grant her the divorce.

This is the conflict of the film.

Gett: The Trial of Vivian Amsalem has a clear religious message, which is an interesting component for an American viewer.

How simple it is to divorce somebody in Western civilization and how different the measure is in Israel. Jewish religious law is quite restrictive.

Vivian faces an enormous ordeal. She does not love her husband yet cannot end her loveless marriage. The film is fraught with a clear conflict and one’s interpretation of right and wrong.

Almost set as a play since the film has merely one set- the courtroom- this aspect is effective at showing frustration, exasperation, and even rage.

All the while, Gett, has a sly sense of humor, and I could not help but smirk at a few of the supporting character portrayals.

I sensed a Pedro Almodovar (a famous Spanish director) influence in the quirky, sly writing, and his themes of political freedom.

Character after character is called into the courtroom to testify as witnesses to Vivian and Elisha’s happy marriage- each attorney looking for evidence to cement their client’s point of view.

In contrast, to Vivian’s fierce independence, a mature neighbor couple of Vivian and Elisha heralds them as the perfect couple. Soon, the wife is grilled revealing that she is submissive to her husband and lives in an entirely different world than Vivian.

To be critical, the film drags slightly, but I wonder if this is the director’s intent. The tone is a suffocating one- Vivian and her attorney languish in the same courtroom for five long years as delay after delay occurs.

Throughout the numerous testimonies, an accusation is raised that is an interesting component of the film and an aspect I wondered about very early on- was an affair brewing between Vivian and her attorney? It is alluded to, but never confirmed, rather shrouded in mystery.

One wonders.

From an acting perspective, Ronit Elkabetz is fantastic, I am saddened she did not receive an Oscar nomination, but some buzz about this actress was expressed when the film was released. Her scene of pure rage towards the end of the film is brilliant. All the years of bottled-up emotions come flowing out in one great performance.

Gett: The Trial of Vivian Amsalem (2014) is an intense experience in tedium, frustration, and ultimately rage, but is never stuffy or too serious as evidenced by humorous supporting characters. It is for patient film fans seeking an emotional, human experience.

2014 Films, Brazilian, Daniel Ribeiro, Drama, Fábio Audi, Ghilherme Lobo, International, International Romance, LGBTQ+ Films, LGBTQ+ International, LGBTQ+ Romance, Romantic Drama

The Way He Looks-2014

June 4, 2016 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Way He Looks-2014

Director Daniel Ribeiro

Starring Fabio Audi, Ghilherme Lobo

Scott’s Review #408

Reviewed June 4, 2016

Grade: B+

The Way He Looks is a foreign language film (Brazilian) from 2014 that tells a coming-of-age story about a blind high school student, who develops feelings for the new kid in town. The other boy has rapidly become his new best friend and the boys, while unsure of the other’s sexual preferences, fall in love.

The film is a charming story about a modern romance, now becoming more prevalent today.

Leonardo (known as Leo) is a blind high school student struggling to be his true self. His close friend Giovana (Tess Amorim) is in a similar situation as neither has ever been kissed, yet they feel adolescent desires- they are lonely but share a close bond.

Regardless of his disability, Leo is quite independent, despite having parents who border on smothering. One day, a new student named Gabriel volunteers to sit behind Leo in class and strike up a friendship.

Giovana, unaware of Leo’s sexual preferences, develops a crush on Gabriel.

The film then tells a sweet story about a young, blossoming, romance. The main characters do not face particularly tough obstacles from outside sources, but rather from each other as their feelings and emotions are fragile.

In addition to romance, the film focuses on the friendships between Leo, Gabriel, and Giovana.

The Way He Looks is a warm film. It is sweet, compassionate, and tenderhearted. The viewer witnesses a budding romance between two teenagers and the fact that they are both males is secondary- that is how charming the film is.

The audience will root for Leo and Gabriel because they are nice kids. Giovana, the outsider, also has a rooting factor- she is in no way a villain, nor does she harbor resentment for either Leo or Gabriel, but rather yearns for her first romance and happiness.

The film wisely does not turn her into an emotional wreck, or a psycho. Sure, she gets drunk at a party, but this is only to escape her feelings.

I recoiled at the scene after scene of Leo’s parents either fretting about something, worried sick about Leo coming home late or worried that something may happen to their son.

Relax already. Life is not meant to be spent frazzled because your son is blind.

The parents are not the strongest written characters in the film and are rather secondary characters. The case is the same for the bullies, the slutty girl, and the teacher.

The film belongs to Leo, Gabriel, and Giovana.

The supporting characters in The Way He Looks are meant to react to the central characters.

The Way He Looks is about a same-sex, young romance. Charming, not too heavy, with likable characters, who one can root for. There are no bombs, car chases, or explosions needed.

The Way He Looks (2023) is a slice of life that is simple, pure, and true.

2014 Films, Comedy, Drama, Gaby Hoffmann, Gillian Robespierre, Independent, Independent Comedy, Independent Drama, Independent Romantic Comedy, Jake Lacy, Jenny Slate, Romantic Comedy, Romantic Drama

Obvious Child-2014

March 22, 2016 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Obvious Child-2014

Director Gillian Robespierre

Starring Jenny Slate

Scott’s Review #387

Reviewed March 22, 2016

Grade: C+

Obvious Child is a 2014 independent comedy/drama nominated for a couple of independent spirit awards, that has mixed results.

It works on some levels but has an irritating underbelly and some unneeded components that ultimately give it a thumbs down.

The major success is star Jenny Slate, a real-life Brooklyn stand-up comic with immeasurable comic timing, who will hopefully become a rising star.

Slate starred in a 2009 short film of the same name before said film graduated to a full-length feature.

Slate stars as a twenty-eight-year-old Brooklyn-ite, who moonlights as a stand-up comic in a dingy bar while working in a desolate bookstore that is soon closing.

Conversely, her parents are successful- her mother is a famed professor. When she is unceremoniously dumped by her steady, she takes up with a handsome young man for a one-night stand filled with fun.

Predictably, she winds up pregnant and forges ahead with a plan to abort their child.

The abortion story is quite interesting since there is never a doubt about what will happen. Unlike films that make abortion the main focus of conflict, Obvious Child wisely does not- every character supports, and even encourages her to have the procedure, including her mother and best friend.

Having been written and directed by women, this is intentional and a way of empowering women, which is one of the high points. If one is on the fence about the topic of abortion or is a pro-life stance, this film may be very tough to watch as its slant is made crystal clear.

Slate is the other high point of the film.

She exudes confidence and comic range. Jewish and slightly awkward looking, she is not the leading-lady type and this arguably makes her wit and sarcastic language all the more comical. She is a natural in the comedy department and hope she will go far.

Two slight props for me worth mentioning are the wonderful mention of the classic film Gone with the Wind (1939) and the setting of Brooklyn. This was a great nod to film history and the setting gave Obvious Child an authentic New York City feel.

On the other hand, an utter annoyance about Obvious Child is the shameless and constant use of blatant and off-putting bathroom humor- not just once or twice, but numerous times.

How is this necessary to the plot? I can’t say, but surmise that it was deemed necessary by the filmmakers to show that females can give as good as males can.

Almost saying, “men can make poop jokes, why can’t women”? Why this is necessary for any film is beyond me and it gives Obvious Child a crass, ugly feel.

The film also has an unrealistic quality to it. Max is portrayed as prince charming. He can do no wrong, supports Donna in any decision she makes, is enamored by her sole being, and loves her unconditionally after only a one-night stand.

This would not happen in real life.

The fact that Donna is Jewish and quirky and Max is Christian and straight-laced is not explored. What conflicts would they undoubtedly face? Why were his parents not featured?

Highly uneven, with a great premise and an interesting slant on a still-controversial social issue, Obvious Child (2014) succeeds in the story department but fails in its uncalled-for use of potty humor to elicit cheap laughs.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Female Lead-Jenny Slate, Best First Feature

2014 Films, Damián Szifron, Drama, International, International Drama, Oscar Martínez, Pedro Almodovar, Ricardo Darín, Spanish

Wild Tales-2014

February 5, 2016 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Wild Tales-2014

Director Damian Szifron

Starring Liliana Ackerman

Scott’s Review #374

Reviewed February 5, 2016

Grade: A

What a crazy adventure!

Receiving a well-deserved 2015 Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award nomination, Wild Tales is a Spanish film that weaves six unique vignettes together.

Each tale involves conflict between characters and centers around the subject of revenge. Each reminds me of a foreign language version of a Twilight Zone episode, albeit much darker, mixed with a prevalent Quentin Tarantino influence.

A psychopath arranges for all of his enemies to be on the same flight (“Pasternack”), a hit-and-run accident among a wealthy family turns murderous (“The Proposal”), a bomb expert turns his expertise onto a corrupt towing company (“Little Bomb”), a disturbed bride and groom bizarrely celebrate their wedding reception (“Until Death Do Us Part”), a revenge-driven waitress waits on her rival (“The Rats”) a brutal tale of road rage (“The Strongest”) are the stories told in this fantastic film.

Wild Tales is an outrageous journey and as each chapter unfolds we are treated to the unexpected and each is cleverly written- bear in mind that they are independent stories and have nothing to do with each other chronologically or otherwise.

The vignettes also vary vastly. One as short as ten minutes and another hovering around the forty-minute mark.

Some characters are sympathetic and hateful, which is interesting in itself. The diner in “The Rats” is despised and we wish for his demise.

After “Little Bomb”, the protagonist (or antagonist depending on how you look at it) receives a hero’s welcome for standing up to corruption.

In other stories, particularly in “The Strongest”, all the characters are unlikeable.

Famed director Pedro Almodovar (The Skin I Live In, Volver) does not direct Wild Tales but does produce the project and his imprint is all over it. Almodovar has a thing for the weird and, as in 2013’s I’m So Excited, a thing for passengers in peril inside airplanes.

After “Pasternack”, the first installment, one will experience an “OMG!” moment, which wisely sets the tone for the entire movie.

We wait and wonder what can happen next.

My favorite tale is between “The Proposal” and “The Strongest”. I love the class distinction evident in the former as a wealthy father struggles to cover up his family’s dirty deeds initially at any cost necessary, but has he finally had enough?

Will the wealthy once again victimize the poor?

In the latter, class distinction is again explored, as a hotshot in a slick car angers a simple man in a battered car, only to regret his outburst of road rage.

The story turns into a Lord of the Flies situation where it is “kill or be killed”. The clever ending for this one is fantastic as the officials completely misinterpret the events.

The most bizarre tale is “Until Death Do Us Part”, which is also the finale. A glorious and festive Jewish wedding reception turns bitter and bloody as the bride’s jealousy is tested. But is the bride the unstable partner or is the groom? Or perhaps both?

This chapter reminds me of a Quentin Tarantino film (must have been The Bloody Bride), as the tone and the texture are reminiscent of his films (and yes, the blood too!).

Unusual, delightful, and sometimes even deranged, Wild Tales (2014) is a nice reminder that there are still creative and left-of-center projects being made in modern film that must be experienced and enjoyed.

This is not an ordinary, predictable film making it quite a gem.

Oscar Nominations: Best Foreign Language Film

2014 Films, Aleksei Serebryakov, Andrey Zvyagintsev, Crime Drama, Drama, International, International Drama, Russian

Leviathan-2014

January 16, 2016 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Leviathan-2014

Director Andrey Zvyagintsev

Starring Elena Lyadova, Vladimir Vdovichenkov

Scott’s Review #370

Reviewed January 16, 2016

Grade: B+

Nominated for the 2015 Best Foreign Language Film (Russian), Leviathan is a tale of governmental corruption at the expense of the “little man”, mixed in with a family drama- and is quite heavy.

The film is above average. It’s a standard, tense drama, if you will, though a bit slow-moving at times. This is not so much a complaint as it is an observation.

As with many Foreign language films versus American films, there is more nudity (not in a gratuitous way) and fewer explosions, which is admiration, and hats off to foreign language films as a whole.

Leviathan made me think of the overall foreign language film genre in that assessment as it did not need CGI or any other “bells and whistles” commonplace in current American films.

Set in a gorgeous coastal area of Russia, featuring landscapes and outdoor shots, Leviathan is a story with religious overtones mixed with drama. “Good vs. evil” and both sides questioning God or defending their actions for god are featured message points.

The protagonist, Koyla, lives with his second wife, Lilya, and his son Roma in a coastal fishing town. Koyla is hot-headed and sometimes expresses rage, but is a good man living a simple life as a mechanic.

The corrupt Mayor is determined to take Koyla’s land and build a villa, offering Koyla an insulting sum of money to sell his land. The disputed land is currently in legal hands, and Koyla’s handsome lawyer friend, Dima, arrives from Moscow to handle the case and support the family in their uneasy times.

A secondary plot involves a love triangle between Koyla/Dima/Lilya, and Roma’s hatred for Lilya that, while somewhat interesting on its terms, did not do much to further the main plot and I am not sure how necessary it was to the film as a whole.

It has nothing to do with the land dispute and was left unresolved.

The clear “hero” of the film is Koyla, but he is no saint himself. He drinks heavily, at one point smacks his son (albeit deservedly so), and has a temper. But his land is being taken from him by a corrupt figure making Koyla empathetic and likable.

Leviathan is a compelling film as the clear message received is “bully vs. beleaguered working man”. The mayor is a fat, unattractive, drunken bully and the audience is instructed to root against him. He has the town justice department in his back pocket and uses blackmail to achieve success.

The film brings religion into the plot as a priest tells the mayor he is doing “God’s work”, thereby justifying his motivations (at least in his mind). Later, a defeated Koyla converses with a religious man questioning God and God’s actions.

The film is cold despite being set in what I believe to be the summer or fall. There is a chill in the air, it always looks windy, and the look of the film is dark. This is effective as Leviathan is a dreary film with an unhappy ending.

Life is harsh and cruel and the film extends that message.

I did not quite understand Lilya’s motivations and not much is known about her character, despite being involved in the events. What motivates her to have an affair with Dima? Why does she return to Koyla? Is she unhappy and seeking a more glamorous life?

This can be assumed but is never made clear so she is a mysterious character.

Enjoyable to me most is the final thirty minutes or so. When a character’s sudden death occurs, I wondered if a particular character was responsible for the death before it was revealed what truly happened.

A cinematic treat and an interesting premise, mixed with a bit of religion and a whodunit, make the Russian film Leviathan, a worthy viewing experience.

Oscar Nominations: Best Foreign Language Film

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best International Film

2014 Films, David Robert Mitchell, Horror, Independent, Independent Horror, Jake Weary, Maika Monroe

It Follows-2014

December 23, 2015 scottmet99 Leave a comment

It Follows-2014

Director David Robert Mitchell

Starring Maika Monroe, Debbie Williams

Scott’s Review #306

Reviewed December 23, 2015

Grade: A-

It Follows (2014) is a mysterious, unique, dreamlike (or shall I say nightmarish!) independent horror film that is a pleasant throwback to old-school horror films (my favorites!), with a supernatural twist thrown in.

The film is directed very well by newcomer David Robert Mitchell containing wonderful cinematography and creative camera angles.

This film is not glossy and has a raw, almost videotaped feel, which I found quite wonderful. The film was shot entirely in and around Detroit giving it a cold, industrial look.

The film begins on a dramatic note leaving the viewer immediately curious.

A young woman flees her suburban home and nervously stands on the street looking back at her house. A neighbor asks if she needs help. She returns, collects her things, and hurriedly drives to the beach. She suspects something or someone is watching her. She tearfully phones her father and tells him she loves him.

The next scene appears to be the following morning and the woman is lying murdered on the beach in a grotesque position- her leg strangely bent.

This is a fantastic way to begin the film.

From this point, the premise is quickly revealed. The main character is Jay (Maika Monroe), an attractive college-aged girl. She lives with her sister Kelly and is good friends with their next-door neighbors Paul and Yara. An additional neighbor and classmate, Greg, also figures into the plot.

Jay is on a date with Hugh and things are going well. They attend a classic film. They sneak into a deserted lot and have sex. Afterward, Hugh chloroforms Jay and the weirdness begins.

A strange woman appears and Hugh tells Jay she must pass on a curse. Otherwise, an entity in the form of another person that nobody else can see but the victim will get Jay and she will be doomed.

I love the throwback elements to 1970s and 1980s horror but it’s vague when the film is set- purposely so I imagine- as many cars are 1970s and 1980s models. Only one cell phone is used throughout, but mostly the time could be present or past.

Even the houses appear dated.

Story-wise, It Follows is tough to figure out and open to a certain level of interpretation. Is the film anti-sex? Is the story a metaphor for sexually transmitted diseases?

The victims become possessed by the entity after sex and then must pass it to another unwitting victim, sexually.

I notice some similarities to John Carpenter films- specifically the classic Halloween from 1978. Jay sits in a classroom (ironically in the back row next to the window ala Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween) and sees a strange old woman slowly lumbering towards her, eyes fixed on her.

Later, the three principal girls casually walk around the neighborhood engaging in small talk similar to the characters of Laurie, Lynda, and Annie on Halloween.

The ending- a scene in the indoor community swimming pool where the kids try to catch the spirit is a bit hokey and unresolved. However, I did enjoy the final scene- a peaceful one in which I was unsure if the entity had been destroyed or remained.

A sequel perhaps?

I give It Follows (2014) major props for its styling, and creativity while giving classic horror fans a good old-fashioned treat without much CGI necessary.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Director-David Robert Mitchell, Best Cinematography, Best Editing

2014 Films, Anja Marquardt, Brooke Bloom, Drama, Independent, Independent Drama, Marc Menchaca

She’s Lost Control-2014

December 14, 2015 scottmet99 Leave a comment

She’s Lost Control-2014

Director Anja Marquardt

Starring Brooke Bloom

Scott’s Review #299

Reviewed December 14, 2015

Grade: B+

She’s Lost Control (2015) is a dark, independent drama, and the directorial debut of Anja Marquardt.

This film is one reason I proudly support independent film, as it is otherwise a film that most would not know about, and will never know about, if not for good word of mouth and award recognition- think indie spirit awards.

Hopefully, Marquardt will one day be a household name.

The film is heavy yet intriguing and a character study.

It is a dark and dreary experience- some might argue depressing, centering on Ronah (Brooke Bloom)- a young, female, college student, aspiring towards her master’s degree in psychology, who works as a sexual surrogate in Manhattan.

The film explores her experiences with various clients, specifically, a disturbed, volatile man she takes on as a client. As she becomes better acquainted with Johnny, they forge a special bond, but will romantic feelings and jealousy get in the way of the therapy assigned to both parties?

How each of them explores their feelings is the focal point of the tale, and clearly, the feelings involved are not peaches and cream.

Ronah is not a prostitute and there is very little sex that goes on, albeit the implication is there. She is nurturing and emotionally invested and intends to become a psychiatrist one day.

It is unclear whether her “boss”, a shady seeming character, is her pimp or simply an employer. His role and motivations are unclear.

The most interesting aspect of the film is the title and throughout my viewing of the film I wondered about the title more and more- are any of Ronah’s experiences in her mind? Is she stable or does she have some emotional or mental issues?

She befriends a kind neighbor around her age and invites her for dinner- they bond. The neighbor invites her out to dance, but Ronah declines.

She also has an older female confidant- a former surrogate who gives Ronah tips and suggestions. Still, Ronah is lonely.

Again we wonder if perhaps all is not what it seems. This is a fascinating aspect of the story. One must watch to determine the answers to questions such as these.

New York City can be a tough, unkind world and She’s Lost Control does not sugar coat an individual’s difficult existence when not blessed with family money, strings, or some other advantage.

Ronah lives in a dump with holes in her shower and cramped quarters. In addition to the hardships, she is constantly kept abreast of problems concerning her brother and mother back home in upstate New York.

Quite simply, Ronah is overwhelmed by her life. Might she be spinning out of control?

The dreary aspect of the film is not so much the sexual aspect. Ronah is a therapist and everything is with mutual consent. Unfortunately, she is challenged by some of the people she encounters in her profession.

I admire She’s Lost Control (2014) quite a bit for its insight, thoughtfulness, and compelling story of a woman with a difficult life, trying to make ends meet, and aspiring to something worthwhile.

She is brave, troubled, and interesting all rolled up in one fascinating lead character.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best First Screenplay, Best First Feature

2014 Films, Adventure, Alison Brie, Animated, Channing Tatum, Children, Chris Pratt, Christopher Miller, Comedy, Elizabeth Banks, Jonah Hill, Keegan-Michael Key, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Nick Offerman, Phil Lord, Shaquille O'Neal, Will Ferrell, Will Forte

The Lego Movie-2014

October 24, 2015 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Lego Movie-2014

Director Phil Lord, Chris Miller

Starring Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks

Scott’s Review #284

Reviewed October 24, 2015

Grade: D

A child’s movie in every sense of the word, The Lego Movie (2014) is silly and amateurish. It contains a hackneyed plot and a fast pace that makes the viewing experience quite unpleasant.

Computer-animated and primarily created by imagery, a scene involving two human beings interspersed among all the animations only makes the plot more sappy, overwrought, and predictable.

The film is a complete dud and a waste of energy save for one lone catchy song appearing throughout the film. I am perplexed why this film received mostly positive reviews as I did not share the same sentiment.

The premise is too complex for the target audience, in a Lego universe, where all of the characters are Lego pieces, a mysterious wizard- Vitruvius, attempts to protect a superweapon (Kragle) from the evil Lord Business.

While he fails, he prophesies that a person named “The Special” will one day find the Piece of Resistance capable of stopping the Kragle.

Kragle turns out to be superglue in the human world, as a cameo with Will Ferrell reveals he is the human version of Lord Business and refuses to let his young son play with Dad’s Lego set, thereby threatening to keep the set stationery with glue.

Inevitably, this leads to a tender scene with Dad and his son.

I did not find The Lego Movie engaging story-wise or visually and I was bored during most of the experience.

Admittedly, modern animated films are not my favorite genre- I miss the days of the classic Disney drawing-style films like Bambi or Dumbo both in the 1940s.

The major flaw is the frenetic pacing of the film. Did the powers that be think that all youngsters and parents dragged along suffer from attention deficit disorder? There was no time to pause and ponder what was going on in the story since immediately it was on to the next scene.

The action is non-stop so the film seemed like one long action sequence.

The main character of Emmett, a young Lego piece characterized by everyone as dull is voiced by Chris Pratt. Emmet stumbles upon a young woman named Wyldestyle looking for something at his construction site- she assumes he is The Special and they race to save the world from Lord Business.

Emmet, as far as a lead character goes, is likable enough, and predictably, a romance develops between him and Wyldestyle. We meet various creative characters like Batman and Princess Unikitty.

The film contains a sickeningly catchy song called “Everything Is Awesome” that will stick in the viewer’s head whether desired or not and that is the strongest part. It is not that the song is lyrically great or anything, but it is fun and hum along.

Overly high octane and an uninteresting plot make The Lego Movie (2014) perhaps appealing to young kids in the seven to ten range, but it is a forgettable and tedious experience for this grown-up.

The ending of the film leaves room for the inevitable sequel.

Oscar Nominations: Best Original Song-“Everything Is Awesome”

2014 Films, Adventure, Benicio del Toro, Bradley Cooper, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Djimon Hounsou, Glenn Close, James Gunn, John C. Reilly, Josh Brolin, Super Hero, Vin Diesel, Zoe Saldaña

Guardians of the Galaxy-2014

October 9, 2015 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Guardians of the Galaxy-2014

Director James Gunn

Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana

Scott’s Review #281

Reviewed October 9, 2015

Grade: C-

The summer blockbuster hit of 2014, Guardians of the Galaxy, a Marvel comics film popular among fans and critics alike, disappointed this viewer.

Too many superhero films are overly conventional, by the numbers fair, and this one contains these characteristics. Presumably targeted for teens (I would think), the film has cute jokes and decent special effects, but a bland, mediocre screenplay that lacks edginess.

Handsome Chris Platt plays Peter Quill, a space pilot from Earth, abducted by a pirate group named the Ravagers. Now a grown man, Peter attempts to steal a mysterious and powerful Orb known for special powers, for monetary gain.

The Orb is desired by many, including the evil Ronan, and his daughter Gamora.

Predictably, events turn into a battle of good vs. evil as Peter and Gamora (who turns good) team up with misfits Drax (a strongman), Groot (a tree), and Rocket (a raccoon) to thwart intentions by Ronan of destroying a peaceful planet, Nova Empire.

The meat of the story involves the team’s journey from imprisonment and escape to their efforts to save the world.

As traditional with these types of films, there is inevitable romantic chemistry between Peter and Gamora, who at first are rivals, but slowly develop a fondness for each other when it is revealed that she is plotting against Ronan and his valiant efforts.

The strengths are the 1970s soundtrack a cassette player and the Walkman, unheard of in today’s modern world, to the story.

I love how this is not simply backgrounded music but referenced throughout the film in various situations.

For example, Peter comically explains to a clueless bad guy what his treasured cassette tape consists of and how he cannot bear to part with it.

The creative sets and bright colors are other positives to Guardians of the Galaxy. The Xander planet is portrayed as clean and progressive, which counterbalances the dark, dreary nature of where Ronan and his entourage live.

However, the film is too conventional and not edgy or out of the ordinary story-wise. Let’s take the hero for example. He is clean-cut, all-American, and is humorous. But, why exactly is he the hero? He inevitably saves the world but makes him go from a pirate who is a thief to a golden boy leading a team to save a relatively unknown planet.

There is, of course, a scene involving a backstory of his mother dying of cancer and his regret over not taking her hand one final time. This is assumed to make him kind-hearted and one of the good guys.

This feels forced to me and what we have seen time after time in superhero films. The message I received from the film was basic- the powerful, strong, masculine guy with a sense of humor mixed in for good measure, saves the world from the bad guys while including a bunch of tag-along.

This is fine albeit predictable.

I was left with some questions. What were Ronan’s and Tharos’s motivations? They were simply evil with not much explanation as to why. What led them down this path? Did they each want theirs to be the only planet remaining in the galaxy?

A tender moment towards the end of the film, when one of the team members dies, is done in a rushed way that was a missed opportunity for more emotion.

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) is a mediocre superhero/action film that might have been better if further fleshed out. This film left me forgetting about it soon after the credits rolled.

Oscar Nominations: Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Visual Effects

2014 Films, Drama, International, International Drama, Johannes Bah Kuhnke, Lisa Loven Kongsli, Ruben Östlund, Swedish

Force Majeure-2014

October 4, 2015 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Force Majeure-2014

Director Ruben Östlund

Starring Johannes Bah Kuhnke, Lisa Loven Kongsli

Scott’s Review #280

Reviewed October 4, 2015

Grade: A

As a huge fan of foreign language films, I was delighted to stumble upon this inventive and thought-provoking treat Force Majeure (2014).

A Swedish film set in the Alps of eastern France, the film is a family drama that is powerful, emotional, and especially psychological. The best films leave you absorbed in thoughtful conversation or introspection, and this film successfully did both for me.

Tomas (Johannes Bah Kuhnke) and Ebba (Lisa Loven Kongsli) are an attractive couple in their mid-thirties vacationing with their two young children, Vera and Harry. Everyone is excited about the holiday as Tomas is away from work for a full week.

They are a family of affluence and sophistication based on the luxurious mountaintop hotel they stay in.

However, there is a subdued level of tension among them.

On the second day, they enjoy lunch at the hotel on an outdoor patio along the snowy mountainside. As a controlled avalanche begins to head their way there is suddenly panic as everyone flees for safety.

The avalanche is feared out of control, but thankfully only mist, and everyone safely returns to lunch.

However, Tomas’s instinctual reaction to the terror sets off a wave of debate for the remainder of the film. The family experiences a range of emotions and subsequently engages their friends in the conflict as they discuss and analyze the event.

The heart of the film is Ebba’s rage and Tomas’s guilt.

What I adore most about this film is its intelligence. It is smart and well-written. From a pacing perspective, it is slow and may turn some viewers off.

Simple scenes feature the family brushing teeth or napping- scenes in which not much happens.

But the intense psychological aspect lying beneath the surface makes up for these uneventful scenes. Smart dialogue between characters is my favorite. Ebba sits in the lobby sipping a drink with her friend, a sophisticated, promiscuous woman, who is vacationing alone to get a break from her husband and children.

She picks up men for fun and has no hang-ups about it. This particular scene is laced with interesting discussion. Ebba cannot understand her friend’s life choices and freedom and reveals that she is afraid of being left alone- she comes across as judgmental and insecure whereas the friend is confident and secure.

It is a “coffee talk” moment but reveals so much about the characters.

Later, Tomas and Ebba chat with their friends Matts and Fanni. When the discussion turns to the avalanche experience, the situation is analyzed by Matts, leading to tension for all. Matts sides with Tomas, whereas Fanni sympathizes with Ebba.

The disagreement stays with Matts and Fanni throughout the night as they reveal their conflict and put themselves in the other couple’s shoes.

Towards the end of Force Majeure events become strange as Matts and Tomas embark on a relaxing guy’s day out on the ski slope. As they sip drinks and listen to music an attractive female flirtatiously tells Tomas that her friend thinks he is the sexiest man she has ever seen.

Tomas feels like a million bucks and the audience is happy for him- however, the woman quickly returns and informs them that she was mistaken and her friend was referring to another man.

This escalates into a near fight and little dialogue is used throughout the scene. Rather, expressions are widely used. Later, a bizarre scene involves Tomas being accosted by frat boys and forced to guzzle beer- is this imagined or real?

We never find out.

Force Majeure is a spectacle. Scenes of the crisp, white, cascading snow are beautiful. The avalanche scene is amazing and creepy as the snow rapidly comes into view and gets closer and closer to the diners.

Will they be killed we wonder? The climactic scene as the departing vacationers travel by bus down a windy road is quite scary as the inept bus driver has difficulty navigating the bus. Will it crash killing everyone? Is he purposely driving recklessly on a suicide mission? The looming mountainside to the bottom is frightening and fascinating.

Intellectual, curious, and bizarre, Force Majeure (2014) is an international film worth checking out for a unique, cerebral experience.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best International Film

2014 Films, Anne Hathaway, Casey Affleck, Christopher Nolan, David Oyelowo, Ellen Burstyn, Epic, Jessica Chastain, John Lithgow, Matt Damon, Matthew McConaughey, Michael Caine, Science Fiction, Timothée Chalamet, Topher Grace, Wes Bentley, William Devane

Interstellar-2014

September 25, 2015 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Interstellar-2014

Director Christopher Nolan

Starring Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Chastain

Scott’s Review #277

Reviewed September 25, 2015

Grade: B-

Interstellar (2014) is an interesting film to review.

Science-fiction/futuristic epic with a run time of nearly three hours and is complex and intricate. It is the latest offering by director Christopher Nolan.

I cannot say I loved the film, however, I did appreciate and marvel at the visual and technical aspects of it, which completely usurps the convoluted plot, made difficult to follow due to changing worlds and galaxies.

The film reminds me of Inception (2010) with an obvious homage to 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), the former directed by Nolan, but not quite as compelling from a story point of view as Inception was.

The complexities of different entities, worlds, and layers of worlds are featured and admittedly, mind-blowing, which is the weak part of the film.

Making the film arguably too intelligent, it loses the audience’s attention.

By too intelligent, I mean too complex. As I review the film, I see two halves-the story side and the visual side. In Interstellar, both are essential components and one fails and one marvels.

The story goes something like this. Matthew McConaughey plays Cooper, a widowed, former space expert stuck in a small town in the mid-west, where he begrudgingly runs a farm, living out an unsatisfying existence.

The Earth’s food and crops are slowly running out and the planet is dying. His two children, daughter Murphy and son Tom face a bleak world.

One day, a dust pattern with coordinates leads Cooper and Murphy to a secret NASA team intent on finding other worlds and attempting to save Earth. The team is led by Dr. Brand, a college professor, and science wizard, played by Michael Caine.

Cooper, naturally, is chosen to lead the venture, which could take him away from his family for years. He accepts much to Murphy’s chagrin. Once in outer space- assisted by Amelia Brand (Dr. Brand’s daughter), the team embarks on an endless mission leading them to different planets and one strange encounter with a rebel astronaut (played wastefully by Matt Damon).

Years later (on earth anyway) Murphy and Tom (now grown and played by Jessica Chastain and Casey Affleck) assume their father Cooper is dead.

Critically, the story is way too much to comprehend. I let go of the story instead of focusing on the visual spectacle I was treated to.

The plot eventually meanders off track as the team traverses through a space wormhole created by an alien intelligence and travels fifty years without aging. Life has gone on over planet Earth. Some characters age, others do not.

To summarize, the story is convoluted and impossible to follow.

Speaking of the story side of Interstellar, the writing contains an irritating wholesomeness, especially in the early stages- pre-outer space.

McConaughey was given this tough, machismo side to him that screams of Hollywood traditionalism- almost like “I am a man- I save the family”. Haven’t we seen this too many times in film?

I also found the relationship between Cooper and his young daughter Murphy incredibly saccharine and screamed of Hollywood schmaltz.

McConaughey was given and succeeded in delivering, one great crying scene.

The visual aspect of Interstellar is a spectacle and much, much better than the story, especially during the final third of the film. The sheer grandeur is astounding. When the crew lands on Miller’s planet, an ocean world, a great tidal wave topples their space ship killing one of the team.

The massive look of the tidal wave is monumental in size and ferocity. Later, when the crew lands on an icy planet, the immense coldness and shape of the planet work perfectly and one feels like they are in outer space.

How inventive and creative is the scene where Cooper attempts to contact a character through a bookshelf. The scene is set up like a maze with different periods, colors, and shapes, seemingly blending is very impressive and artistic.

Visually speaking, Interstellar has some similarities to the 1968 epic 2001: A Space Odyssey. Grandiose, artistic, experimental, and epic along with the obvious space theme allow the two films to be compared.

However, where 2001: A Space Odyssey was about life and contains a clear and powerful message, I did not find the same with Interstellar. Instead, I did not find a message, only a confusing story, mixed with spectacular visuals.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Production Design, Best Visual Effects (won)

2014 Films, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Dennis Haysbert, Drama, Independent, Independent Drama, Justin Simien, Satire, Tessa Thompson, Tyler James Williams

Dear White People-2014

September 18, 2015 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Dear White People-2014

Director Justin Simien

Starring Tyler James Williams, Tessa Thompson

Scott’s Review #274

Reviewed September 18, 2015

Grade: B+

Dear White People (2014) is a highly creative, independent satire that begs to be watched for no reason other than for its message of existing racism in present times, homophobia, and class distinction.

Set at an Ivy League college and written tongue and cheek, but also with a direct message from newly discovered director Justin Simien, it is a meaningful gem that challenges audiences to think and be entertained and emit an occasional chuckle at the wit and comical lines presented.

Set in the present day- assuming 2013 or 2014, and well beyond the Civil Rights era, the film features a hip, sharp look and a myriad of characters, all with differing perspectives, all Caucasian or black in racial identities.

All the characters attend the affluent and sophisticated Winchester University, a mostly white, conservative school with a small community of black students, who curiously all seem to reside in the same dorm house.

In addition, the Dean is a black man (played by Dennis Haysbert).

Sam White is a rebellious female student, of mixed race, who runs a radio show entitled “Dear White People”, which challenges the current state of racism in America, specifically at Winchester University.

Supporting characters include Lionel Higgins, a gay, bookish student with an enormous afro, excluded from almost all the sub-groups. Lionel is intrigued by Sam’s radio show.

Other characters include Coco- an attractive black girl with typically “white” mannerisms and friends, who try to fit in with the white culture. Troy, a very handsome black student (who tries to act “white”), dates a white girl (who tries to act “black”).

Finally, the film features Kirk, a white student whose father is the school president, who values an old-style way of thinking. Kirk, shockingly, hosts a blackface party, which leads to major controversy at the school and is the focus of much of the film’s drama.

The main theme is race, but different characters have different viewpoints on the subject matter, and all are explored, which makes the film unique and interesting.

Sam, for example, is a true advocate for racial equality and constantly challenges white people’s motivations and actions, blatantly so.

Coco, on the other hand, is resistant to being stereotyped as a woman of color and, in one scene is incorrectly assumed to be from the hood by a reality television producer she is auditioning for.

She is envious of white people and the advantages they have, even going so far as having straight hair and blue contact lenses. Then we have Lionel, who is both gay and black, and considered an outcast. He fits in with no group and curiously seems okay with being his own person.

What is unique and compelling about Dear White People is that it brings up a controversial issue, mixes it in satire, humorously, but presents compelling arguments against stereotypes, also bringing those stereotypes center stage, which most films avoid like the plague.

One black character is frustrated that, in their mind, most black people are content watching dumb black comedies, thereby supporting a negative racial stereotype.

One interesting aspect regarding the score is the use of lily-white classic film music- such as Barry Lyndon (1975)- the most lily-white of lily-white films (British and Irish).

Famous film director, Quentin Tarantino, is called out as being a racist director. What wonderful irony!

Dear White People (2014) is a witty, intelligent slice of inventive filmmaking that is worth seeing if only for its controversial subject of inequality and racism, which is too often forgotten.

An indie treat for those inclined to think a little.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: 1 win-Best First Screenplay (won), Best First Feature

2014 Films, Ana Lily Amirpour, Elijah Wood, Horror, Independent, Independent Horror, International, International Horror, Persian, Sheila Vand

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night-2014

August 24, 2015 scottmet99 Leave a comment

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night-2014

Director Ana Lily Amirpour

Starring Sheila Vand

Scott’s Review #271

Reviewed August 24, 2015

Grade: A-

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night is a highly creative, unique, independent horror film from 2014.

One of the many reasons I am a fan of independent cinema is to discover and promote little-seen gems.

The dialogue is in Persian and the cinematography is in black and white, which is unique in modern film. I notice similarities between this film and Let the Right One In, 2008, (both the English and the Swedish versions) in the frigid mood and love story enveloped within.

This film is the debut of director Ana Lily Amirpour and what a marvel she could become. Despite obvious influences by other directors, A Girl Walks Home At Night has a brilliant freshness and seems original and unpredictable.

The title accurately depicts the main story. A teenage girl (Sheila Vand) walks around the dark streets of a city aptly named Bad City in the Iranian underworld.

The film is shot in southern California and could double for Detroit.

The girl, who has no name, has strange encounters with a myriad of peculiar individuals, including what appears to be a transgender prostitute, a vicious drug dealer, a nice yet mysterious young man named Arash, Arash’s father, who is hooked on drugs, and a mysterious cat.

She then embarks on a tender flirtation with Arash.

The overall plot, which I found secondary to the look of the film, centers around The Girl’s encounters with these individuals and their encounters and relationships with each other.

The Girl is a lonely vampire and feels isolated from society, but it is unclear what she is looking for. She is both destructive and sweet depending on the circumstance.

She takes her aggression out on the bad.

The most striking and impressive aspect is its dark moody atmosphere. Brooding and cold-looking, the city reeks of death and loneliness. The Girl speaks very little so her expressions are what the viewer will notice.

Her eyes delve into her soul.

She is the most interesting of the characters, but the others, specifically Arash and the transgender prostitute have potential and we are curious to explore more about them.

Arash and his father have more depth than any of the supporting characters- Arash painfully lets his drug-riddled father stay with him and attempts to assist him with his issues.

One assumes that since the father’s wife (Arash’s mother) has died suddenly, he has taken a downward spiral, but this is only suggested to the audience.

We do know for sure where she is- in one scene we see the father angrily look at a photo of a middle-aged woman and is destroyed by her absence. He believes that the woman has taken on the body of the mysterious cat.

Arash caring for his father is a fascinating role reversal.

Wouldn’t we expect the young man to have a drug problem and the father the caregiver? This is interesting in itself.

The influences are plentiful, but most notable from a director standpoint is David Lynch. The black and white filming along with the viewer’s point of view in one scene involving a car driving down a dark highway resembles the Lynch film Lost Highway (1997).

The moody background music and the slow but methodical pacing give A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night a Lynch feel. One curious element is The Girl’s interest in 1980′ pop music- her bedroom wall riddled with Madonna and similar pop stars from the 1980’s posters.

The Girl even admits to listening to a sappy Lionel Richie tune.

It is unknown if it even could BE the 1980’s as time seems unimportant. The film strangely combines edgy, alternative filmmaking with commercial pop references.

I half expected The Girl to break into a rendition of “Pour Some Sugar On Me”.

My thought is that perhaps Amir intends to portray the Girl’s desire to fit into mainstream society knowing that a vampire never can. This theory is proven when The Girl is melancholy when Arash buys her a hamburger, knowing she cannot enjoy it as he does.

Creative, with a dreary atmosphere, and intelligently thought out, A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (2014) is a strange, murky experience in film experimentation.

Amirpour is a fresh, new director worth watching for.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best First Feature, Best Cinematography

2014 Films, Alan Rickman, British, Drama, Kate Winslet, Matthias Schoenaerts, Period Drama, Romantic Drama, Stanley Tucci

A Little Chaos-2014

August 22, 2015 scottmet99 Leave a comment

A Little Chaos-2014

Director Alan Rickman

Starring Kate Winslet, Matthias Schoenaerts

Scott’s Review #269

Reviewed August 22, 2015

Grade: B-

A Little Chaos (2014) is a difficult film to review. The film does not kick into high gear, or much of gear until the final thirty minutes or so as the drama hits a crescendo and past events are suddenly explained.

At this point, it becomes a very entertaining film.

Until then, it is largely a bore and slow-paced.

Starring Kate Winslet and Alan Rickman, who also directs the film, A Little Chaos is a good film with beautiful period piece costumes to marvel over, and feels great, but misses the mark with a lack of balancing the momentum throughout the length of the film.

It is also largely fictionalized, making the viewing less enjoyable.

A period drama set at the gorgeous Versailles in France, the period in the late 1600s when King Louis XIV of France is in power and lives on the illustrious estate.

Landscaper, Andre Le Notre, hires unconventional gardener Sabine (Winslet) to create one of the gardens.

Sabine is progressive and does not live in the past. Rather, she has ideas for creating a unique pattern. Sabine is instructed to incorporate a wonderful fountain within the garden. She faces hostility from staff members for simply being a woman and they refuse to work for her.

Others admire her creativity.

As the plot unfolds, Sabine has romantic feelings for Andre, a man trapped in a loveless marriage with Francoise, and they begin a tender courtship.

Sabine is haunted by the past and frequently hears cries in her dreams. The audience does not know what her past life was, only that she is widowed.

The final act of the film brings everything together nicely. We learn about Sabine’s past and her suggested dalliance with Andre comes to fruition.

After the film, I was left thinking how exceptional it was, but then remembered the majority of it had dragged.

The themes of A Little Chaos are class systems, feminism, and societal views. At first, snubbed by some for being a commoner, Sabine slowly is accepted by the royal figures, including the King himself, whom Sabrine humorously mistakes for the gardener at one point.

Ideally, it would have been lovely if a woman had been hired to create the garden.

Sadly, events do not happen this way but is someone’s fantasy.

A Little Chaos (2014) has great potential and looks beautiful- my main complaint is for most of the film nothing happens.

Also disappointing is that the film was not filmed at the historical Versailles, nor was it even shot in France. Every exterior scene was filmed in England.

This is not a deal-breaker, but some genuineness would have been nice. Another major detraction is that Sabine De Barra is not even a real-life figure, but rather is fictionalized- sort of how the past should have been but wasn’t really.

Having been a real person would have made the film more interesting. What is the investment?

From an acting standpoint, the film succeeds. Winslet, a highly talented actress, is well cast and the chemistry between her and Matthias Schoenaerts is palpable. Both actors are believable in their roles.

Stanley Tucci, typically great in whatever he appears in, plays Phillippe, a silly, slightly effeminate Duke who does more to annoy than to amuse and is a trivial character.

Throughout my viewing of the film, I kept thinking of it as the type of film that should be liked because it looks great, but something was missing.

The royal drama, sexual dalliances, and antics were fun, but I felt like the film could have been much more than it ended up being.

2014 Films, Drama, Fabrizio Rongione, French, International, International Drama, Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne, Marion Cotillard

Two Days, One Night-2014

August 21, 2015 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Two Days, One Night- 2014

Director Luc Dardenne, Jean-Pierre Dardenne

Starring Marion Cotillard, Fabrizio Rongione

Scott’s Review #268

Reviewed August 21, 2015

Grade: B

Two Days, One Night (2014) is a French-language drama starring the wonderful and highly talented Marion Cotillard, who received an Academy Award nomination in 2015 for this role and is the main draw.

I never tire of viewing any of her film performances, however, I felt the film itself lacked something special. Adequate, but below the standards I was expecting given the award recognition.

The film is good, with an interesting tale of morality, but becomes redundant as it goes along.

Sandra, played by Cotillard, is a working-class woman living in an industrial town in Belgium. She works in a factory and struggles to make ends meet with her supportive husband, Manu. They have two young children.

It is revealed early on that Sandra has a history of suffering from depression and has recently been forced to take a leave of absence from her job due to her struggles.

Now recovered, she is ready to resume normalcy but her boss forces a vote among her sixteen colleagues who decide to either save her job or eliminate her position, thereupon each will receive a hefty bonus.

Sandra and a co-worker she feels close with, convinced the boss to allow an anonymous vote the following Monday, leaving Sandra with one weekend to convince the others to save her job.

The conflict is that during Sandra’s absence, the department was able to run successfully so why is she needed?

The plot has an interesting moral concept. Will people sacrifice personal gain to assist someone else? The fact that Sandra is a kind woman makes the decision seem easy. However, many of her colleagues struggle to put food on the table for their families and could use any extra wages manageable.

The audience is on the side of Sandra and her equally kind husband, who continually talks her out of giving up and instead encourages her to spend the weekend convincing the others to vote for her come Monday morning.

The weak point is that it contains one basic formulaic story and does not branch into anything more. The plot is simple but I expected a bit more from this film.

The action takes place throughout one weekend and the entire plot is that of Sandra traversing the town looking for colleagues to persuade them to vote for her. Most of the people she encounters are sympathetic and, if they cannot help her, they empathize with her.

Soon, we get that she needs their votes. It becomes the same scene over and over.

The character of Manu is undeveloped. We learn nothing about him except he is a devoted husband and father, but what about his feelings? How did he deal with Sandra’s depression? Strangely, many co-workers Sandra looks for are not home at the time, requiring her to go to the park, the laundromat, or the pub to track them down.

I question the authenticity of the story.

Sandra’s boss has the power to pit colleagues against each other (supposedly approved by management) and to assume the destiny of one employee.

There is no Human Resources department mentioned throughout the story until almost the final scene when a manager appears, and it is never explained why the boss can get away with this. There is also no mention of a union, which in factory work is common.

Furthermore, Sandra and Manu never mention consulting an attorney- yes, they are poor, but surely a conversation might have occurred.

The title also does not make sense- Two Days, One Night- the film begins on a Friday and ends on a Monday morning. What does the title mean?

Two Days, One Night (2014) is a film featuring an honest performance from a talented actress (Cotillard), but a tad bit slow and tedious at times, and repeats similar scenes over again.

The film is a nice, simple, quiet story, but nothing spectacular.

Oscar Nominations: Best Actress-Marion Cotillard

2014 Films, Carrie Fisher, David Cronenberg, Drama, John Cusack, Julianne Moore, Mia Wasikowska, Olivia Williams, Robert Pattinson, Satire

Maps to the Stars-2014

August 14, 2015 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Maps to the Stars- 2014

Director David Cronenberg

Starring Julianne Moore, Mia Wasikowska

Scott’s Review #266

Reviewed August 14, 2015

Grade: A-

Maps to the Stars (2014) is a bizarre, unpleasant, film that is as dark and perverse as provocative and fascinating to observe and ponder.

It is more like an independent art film than a blockbuster Hollywood project and was made by an arguably mainstream director, David Cronenberg (Crash-1996, The Fly-1986), I am surprised it was able to be made on a large scale budget due to the negative portrayal of actors and celebrity types, specifically, troublesome starlet and child star.

One must be wary of biting the hand that feeds.

Maps to the Stars is a film where almost all the central characters are unlikable- difficult, unstable, self-absorbed, or all of the above.

The subject matter is ugly but fascinating to me.

The wealthy and glamorous are interesting and, at times the film is like a Greek tragedy containing Shakespearean elements- think Romeo and Juliet in an incestuous way times two. One must watch this film to see what I mean.

Hint- it contains the ick factor.

The plot centers on a Hollywood family, where the son is a famous child star and the primary breadwinner. They are the Weiss family- all struggling to either find success or hang on to it, all the while each of them is neurotic.

The father, Dr. Samuel Weiss, played by John Cusack, is a TV psychologist, hired by Havannah Legrand (Julianne Moore), a highly self-centered, aging actress, struggling to land a coveted role-playing her mother.

Her mother was a young actress in her day, who tragically died in a fire. Havannah despises her due to claimed childhood abuse.

Cristina Weiss (Olivia Williams) is Samuel’s wife. This controlling, ambitious woman strives to get the most money out of her son Benjie, a Justin Bieber-type character with a troubled streak.

Rounding out the family is Agatha Weiss, a troubled teenager, sent away for years after giving her brother pills and setting her parents’ house on fire. Though not directly related to Weiss’s, Havannah, and the limo driver, Jerome Fontana (Robert Pattinson) become heavily involved with the family as events transpire.

It reminded me of a myriad of other influential film directors in peculiar ways. I noticed elements of David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive (1992), for instance, in a dark clever mood and the obvious setting of Los Angeles- even the score is similar during parts of the film, as the moody monotone sounds played in the background.

The Ice Storm (1997), American Beauty (1999), and Magnolia (1997) also sprang to mind in their dark and strange worlds (Magnolia) and the inclusion of the dysfunctional family element (The Ice Storm and American Beauty).

Furthermore, to a lesser extent, I saw some Robert Altman ingrained in Maps to the Stars. These aspects are an enormous reason why I loved the film so much.

A prevalent theme throughout Maps to the Stars is one of burning- a victim of burning, a fire set, a character setting oneself on fire. Some characters see dead people. Havannah regularly sees her dead mother. Benjie sees a young girl whom he visited in the hospital before she died, her last wish of meeting the big star.

She suffered from non-Hodgkins lymphoma, who he foolishly thought had AIDS. He sees her in visions and tries to strangle her, instead of strangling an innocent living person.

The film is a weird trip, and the viewer will be dreading an oncoming dark moment.

When Benjie carelessly plays with a gun that he assumes is unloaded we know trouble will occur. He is showing off at an actor friend’s party along with equally obnoxious starlets while talking about poop, all selfish and wanting to party.

When Havannah belittles Agatha, her assistant, we see Agatha’s past anger come back into play as she slowly unravels with rage- Havannah is unaware of Agatha’s knowledge of her betrayal.

One small gripe is the continued use of gross toilet talk in multiple scenes including a raunchy discussion of a fan buying a well-known actor’s waste for thousands of dollars. What was Cronenberg’s motivation for this?

This was a silly, tasteless, unnecessary element of an otherwise great film.

Maps of the Stars (2014) is dirty and ugly but is also a quirky treasure about bad people in Hollywood. Unpleasant characters whom I could not take my eyes off of.

A brilliant film that delves into Hollywood shallowness and madness and does it in a daring, twisted, wonderful, sort of way.

2014 Films, Billy Bob Thornton, David Dobkin, Denis O'Hare, Drama, Grace Zabriskie, Robert Downey Jr., Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga, Vincent D'Onofrio

The Judge-2014

August 2, 2015 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Judge-2014

Director David Dobkin

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Robert Duvall

Scott’s Review #261

Reviewed August 2, 2015

Grade: B+

The Judge (2014) is a formulaic, courtroom drama that we have all seen many times before, but I found the film rather enjoyable.

The main reason for this is the casting of Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall in the pivotal central roles. The two actors play estranged father and son.

The clichés are numerous, but with excellent acting, the story feels fresh, fun, and compelling, if not innovative. As seen by only a few, The Judge was on my radar only because of Duvall’s Oscar nomination for his role.

Hank Palmer (Downey Jr.) is a big-shot attorney from Chicago. Highly successful, he is selfish, driven, and a downright prick. Going through a messy divorce with his gorgeous, athletic wife, he has a close bond with his daughter, despite not being home very often.

Suddenly, Hank’s mother dies tragically and he must return to small-town Carlinville, Indiana, a place he despises, not simply because the town is in the sticks, but because he has bad memories.

When he arrives he reconnects with his two brothers and his father (Duvall), the local judge. While staying at the family house, Hank once again butts heads with his father and runs into an old girlfriend (Vera Farmiga), who now owns the local diner.

On his way out of town for good, Hank is asked to defend his father when he is arrested and charged with murder.

The Judge is a family drama that contains suspense and a few twists.

The film reminds me of a slew of 1990s-era courtroom dramas based on John Grisham novels (A Time to Kill, The Client, The Firm) so I expected a bland, dated film.

I love the chemistry between Downey Jr. and Duvall, which I think is the most successful aspect of the film, and the family-style drama with numerous trials and tribulations thrown in.

Hank is smarmy and ruthless, but has a humorous side and tells it like it is. I smiled at his wry wit.

Judge Parker is equally stubborn and the battles are wonderful to watch. Conversely, the film also has tender bonding moments between the two men, which are sentimental and warm. As one man takes care of the other during sickness it is a tender and heartbreaking scene.

An interesting aspect is the small-town sense of community of Indiana, which I found charming. Everyone gravitates towards the cute diner in the center of town owned by Hank’s high school sweetheart. There is a nice wholesome, small-town appeal to the entire film.

I half expected a county fair or apple pie baking scene to be added.

The film feels wholesome and comfortable- a slick, mainstream drama. Movie comfort food if you will.

The relationships among the three brothers- Hank, Glen- a middle-aged man regretting never having moved from Carlinville, and Dale, a sweet-natured autistic man, determined to one day become a filmmaker, are interesting.

They are so different but stick together bicker, and bond. Similar to real-life families.

The negatives are that the courtroom scenes sometimes go on too long and the film brings nothing new or exciting to cinema and plays it safe throughout.

Still, I was pleasantly surprised to be treated to a film above mediocrity but not a reinvention of the wheel.

To be seen for simmering acting by the entire cast and especially film stalwarts, Duvall and Downey Jr, who bring life and wit to an otherwise traditional film.

Oscar Nominations: Best Supporting Actor-Robert Duvall

2014 Films, Angelina Jolie, Biography, Coen Brothers, Domhnall Gleeson, Drama, Finn Wittrock, Garrett Hedlund, Jack O'Connell, Sports, War

Unbroken-2014

August 1, 2015 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Unbroken-2014

Director Angelina Jolie

Starring Jack O’Connell, Garrett Hedlund, Domhnall Gleeson

Scott’s Review #260

Reviewed August 1, 2015

Grade: B

Unbroken (2014) tells the true story of Olympic athlete Louis Zamperini, a runner during the World War II period, who was also serving in the military during this tumultuous time in history.

His story is one of bravery, courage, and endurance, as he survives a hellish experience in a Japanese prisoner of war camp after having crashed in the Pacific Ocean, stranded for forty-seven days as if that were not enough to break a man.

Mainstream Hollywood fare to the hilt, this film is surprisingly directed by Angelina Jolie (a woman) and written by the Coen brothers, the latter usually emitting less traditional and more quirky fare than this film.

Jolie directs what is arguably a “guys movie” that contains very few women in the cast, and the ones who do appear are either loving mothers or giggling schoolgirl types, so the big names associated with Unbroken surprise me.

I would have taken this work as a Clint Eastwood film.

Unbroken, expected to receive several Oscar nominations, was shut out of the major categories.

Visually, Unbroken is slick, glossy, and shot very well- it looks perfect. The cinematography, sound effects, and costumes look great.

The cast of good-looking young men looks handsome even while battered and bruised and half-starved. While in a way this is a compliment, it is also not one. Unbroken lacks any grittiness and plays it quite safe. Even the scenes of abuse and beatings lack an edge to them.

This is not to say that the film is not good. It is good.

I found myself inspired by the lead character of Louis, played by Jack O’Connell, for his resilience during his ordeals. O’Connell gives a very good performance as his motto, “If I can take it, I can make it” is repeated throughout, and who will not cheer at his accomplishments?

Zamperini, who has traditional Italian parents having relocated to the United States, is strict but fair. Louis’s older brother, Peter, is his best friend and is the person who has the most faith in him. At first, Louis is on the verge of becoming a punk, in trouble with the law, if not for the interference of his brother, who gets him interested in the sport of running.

As the years go by and war erupts, Louis embarks on a tour of duty in the military and his plane crashes in the water providing yet another test of courage and stamina. Louis is strong and always the leader of the group he is intertwined with.

The scenes of the three survivors stranded on the raft for days become slightly tedious, but perhaps this is the intention, as they eat raw fish and raw birds to survive. Much of the remaining action is set in two Japanese war camps as Louis (and others) struggle to survive until the massive war has ended- they do not know if they will live or die.

The central antagonist- a vicious Japanese sergeant named “Bird”, perplexed me. Blatantly targeting Louis and administering cruel beatings and heaping tests of strength upon Louis, presumably out of jealousy because Louis was an Olympic athlete, why did Bird not simply kill him?

His motivations were also odd- In one scene, Bird tearfully tells Louis that he knew they would be friends from the beginning and seems to admire him. Bird’s father, going by a photo, seems a hard, mean man. Is this why Bird is so vicious? Bird’s character is not well thought out.

Also, every single Japanese character is portrayed in a very negative light, which sadly is common in war movies. Surely, despite being a war, there had to have been a few Japanese people who were not cruel.

Character development and depth are not a strong suit of this film.

Unbroken is a good, solid, war drama with an inspiring message of triumph, faith, and determination.

Indeed, it is a positive message to viewers of all ages.

The abuse/torture scenes are tough to watch, but the result is a feel-good story.

The snippets of the real Louis Zamperini are wonderful to watch.

Oscar Nominations: Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Cinematography

2014 Films, Adriana Barraza, Anna Kendrick, Chris Messina, Daniel Barnz, Drama, Felicity Huffman, Jennifer Aniston, Sam Worthington, William H. Macy

Cake-2014

July 14, 2015 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Cake-2014

Director Daniel Barnz

Starring Jennifer Aniston, Adriana Barraza

Scott’s Review #257

Reviewed July 14, 2015

Grade: B+

Cake (2014) is a film about a woman suffering from chronic physical pain and depression that she constantly battles after a terrible accident that she was involved in.

Jennifer Aniston gives a wonderful performance as Claire Simmons, a grumpy, sarcastic, bitter victim of unimaginable loss. Aniston’s performance is the best part by far.

It is interesting to note that Aniston Executive produced this film.

Similarly and somewhat sadly, Reese Witherspoon had to produce her own 2014 film (Wild) centered on a female role for both women to showcase their powerful acting chops. Too few films about women are made these days unless female star power is used, which is too bad.

Claire has been through hell and back.

As the story opens, Claire sits angrily in a support group filled with other women with problems. One of the women, Nina, (played by Anna Kendrick) has just jumped off of a freeway overpass to her death—a giant photo of her glares jarringly at the other women.

When Claire prods about the details of the death and uses sarcastic tones, she is politely asked not to return to the group by the lead counselor, Annette, (played by Felicity Huffman).

Claire returns to her well-maintained Los Angeles home and the audience is introduced to her well-meaning housekeeper and confidant, Silvana, played by Adriana Barraza. Barraza herself gives a powerful performance.

Nina appears throughout the remainder of the film in visions as Clare debates suicide.

Let me discuss Jennifer Aniston’s performance in particular. I thought it was amazing and she was shamefully overlooked for an Oscar nomination.

She was superior to at least a couple of the other Best Actress nominees from 2014 (Felicity Jones immediately comes to mind as one).

Her character of Claire starts as a bit of a shrew but gradually becomes quite sympathetic as the story becomes layered and the audience gets to know what makes her tick.

We do not know how she came to be in her predicament initially. We know she was in a terrible accident, but it slowly takes time for all of the details to emerge. We only know she is in pain and angry. Claire’s relationship with Silvana is an interesting one.

They spar, Claire takes Silvana for granted at times, but throughout the film, a close friendship emerges between the women. In a touching scene, they hold hands as they sleep.

Two scenes in particular are heartbreaking and honest. A man played by William H. Macy emerges on the doorsteps of Claire’s house and she is engulfed in rage at his appearance.

The power that Aniston emits in this scene is unrivaled. In another scene she sees a portrait hanging on her living room fireplace mantle given by a friend- she bursts into tears and sobs emotionally. At this point, the plot makes more sense and we feel Claire’s raw pain.

The subject matter of depression and suicide is not a cheery one, and Cake delves deeply into this territory. The film is a bit of a downer, slow, and, at moments, drags a bit, and teeters on the verge of a lifetime television movie (yikes!), but MUCH better than that thanks to Aniston’s compelling portrayal.

With a lesser actress, the film might have felt watered down and safe.

Some light moments fail. For instance, when Claire “blackmails” Annette and bribes her with vodka for the address of Nina, this seems very trivial and silly.

Thanks in large part to a gripping performance by one of Hollywood’s underrated talents, Cake (2014) takes a film on the border of being one-dimensional to a grander level of dynamic acting by its leading lady.

A supporting cast of similar talents helps the film rise above the mediocrity it may have been if served by lesser casting choices.

2014 Films, Benicio del Toro, Comedy, Crime Drama, Dark Comedy, Drama, Eric Roberts, Film noir, Hong Chau, Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin, Martin Short, Maya Rudolph, Owen Wilson, Paul Thomas Anderson, Reese Witherspoon

Inherent Vice-2014

July 7, 2015 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Inherent Vice-2014

Director Paul Thomas Anderson

Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin

Scott’s Review #255

Reviewed July 7, 2015

Grade: A-

Inherent Vice (2014) is a bizarre detective film noir-type experience, set in 1970 Los Angeles.

Directed by the superb Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights-1997 and Magnolia-1999), the film has weirdness and incoherence that is a marvel to experience.

Fans of a straightforward plot will not be thrilled with this film, but for fans of Anderson, this will not disappoint. It has a complex plot, but the payoff is grand and a thinking man’s film.

The protagonist is Larry “Doc” Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix), a stoner private detective, contacted by his mysterious ex-girlfriend Shasta. She is worried about attempts by her boyfriend’s ex-wife and new lover to kidnap him and have him committed.

Mickey, Shasta’s boyfriend, is a wealthy real-estate developer.

Doc is also hired by two other people- one a former heroin addict looking for her missing husband, and the other a former convict looking for a prison mate who owes him money and is a former henchman of Mickey’s.

All of the stories intersect and such oddities as a peculiar massage parlor and a ship named the Golden Fang come into play throughout.

The intersecting stories lead to the revelation of a drug ring. I had little idea what was happening but was still enthralled by it.

There is an unpredictability surrounding Inherent Vice that is so pleasing and captivating. Joaquin Phoenix is compelling as Doc, a damaged character whose past is unclear.

When Doc is, by all accounts, framed for the murder of a convict and interrogated by the police, we wonder what history he has with them and what led him to branch out on his own as a private investigator.

Detective “Bigfoot” Bjornsen, wonderfully played by Josh Brolin, is a rival of Doc’s, though it is unclear why. “Bigfoot” is frequently seen with chocolate-covered phallic objects in his mouth and is married to a severe, overbearing woman.

Most characters are peculiar and have strange nuances, yet are never fully fleshed out, instead of remaining curious and thought-provoking.

Reese Witherspoon, Benicio Del Torro, and Owen Wilson appear in small yet pivotal roles.

Quite reminiscent of Roman Polanski’s Chinatown (1974) and Robert Altman’s The Long Goodbye (1973), in both the California setting and the plodding, slow-paced, magnificent storytelling, Inherent Vice is a confusing gem, but by all means a gem worth seeing and reveling among the intrigue.

Just don’t try to make too much sense of it all.

Oscar Nominations: Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Costume Design

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: 1 win-Robert Altman Award (won)

Welcome to my blog! 1,425 + reviews posted so far! My name is Scott Segrell and I reside in Stamford, CT. My blog is a diverse site featuring tons of film reviews I have written since I launched my site in 2014. I hope you enjoy perusing the site for latest or greatest films or to search for your own favorites to see how we compare. Please take a look at my featured sections at the top of the page which change often! Utilize the tags and category links.