Category Archives: Los Angeles

2009 Films, Drama, Independent, Independent Drama, LGBTQ+ Drama, LGBTQ+ Films, Los Angeles, Romantic Drama

A Single Man-2009

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A Single Man-2009

Director Tom Ford

Starring Colin Firth

Scott’s Review #577

Reviewed January 1, 2017

Grade: B+

A Single Man (2009) is a dark film fraught with meaning and honesty-it is a very good movie.

It is a melancholy film and a bit surreal, but worth seeing.

The acting, especially from star Colin Firth, is first-rate.

The subject matter involves being gay in the 1950s and 1960s and the ramifications of living a forbidden and secretive life.

The intelligent film is based on the novel of the same name, written by Christopher Isherwood.

The film is written as a sad tale of a day in the life of a gay man living in the 1960s.

Firth portrays George Falconer, a British college professor living in liberal-minded Los Angeles. When his much younger lover (presumably a student) dies, George plans to commit suicide.

Moore plays his best friend and confidante, Charley, who is dealing with her own demons.

Through flashbacks, we learn about George and his lover Jim’s secret life together and the challenges that ensued. George also had a strange relationship with a male prostitute.

We learn the path of life George leads following Jim’s tragic death; we also see them happy at one time.

A Single Man (2009) is a bit of a downer, containing a definite dream-like feel and is heavy on the flashbacks, but this is intriguing to the picture and not a complaint.

A very good, but not an uplifting film.

Oscar Nominations: Best Actor-Colin Firth

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Male Lead-Colin Firth, Best First Screenplay, Best First Feature

2012 Films, Action, Crime Drama, Drama, Los Angeles, Thriller

End of Watch-2012

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End of Watch-2012

Director David Ayer

Starring Jake Gyllenhaal

Scott’s Review #447

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Reviewed July 8, 2016

Grade: B+

End of Watch (2012) impressed me much more than I was expecting. I expected a safe, by-the-numbers buddy/action movie, since the previews promoted it as such.

It was worlds better than that and threw me for a loop, in a good way.

The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña as two detectives patrolling the streets of grizzled central Los Angeles, which are riddled with drug and gang violence.

The viewer is brought along for the ride as we see a day in the life, if you will, of their cop beat.

The one knock I’ll give the film is the implausibility factor of a cop videotaping everything. This seems silly and unrealistic.

Wouldn’t he be incredibly distracted? That said, some of the filmings were amazing, including the opening sequence.

The film has a realistic grittiness, and the Los Angeles locale is very effective.

End of Watch (2012) feels painstakingly real, isn’t always happy, and the dynamic between Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña is evident; their friendship feels real.

The movie feels like a day in the life of an LA cop, sparing no edgy detail, and it doesn’t gloss over the lifestyle as many cop films do.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Supporting Male-Michael Peña, Best Cinematography

2013 Films, Drama, Independent, Independent Drama, Los Angeles, Romantic Drama, Science Fiction

Her-2013

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Her-2013

Director Spike Jonze

Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson

Scott’s Review #147

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Reviewed August 5, 2014

Grade: A-

Her (2013) is a very unique film directed by Spike Jonze.

The film tells the tale of a lonely, depressed man named Theodore, played by Joaquin Phoenix, who lives in a beautiful high-rise in futuristic Los Angeles.

He works as a writer for a company that creates intimate cards for people in relationships.

After a recent divorce, he falls in love with his computerized operating system, Samantha, played by Scarlett Johansson (voice only).

Conflicts emerge as the relationship deepens and intensifies.

This is a uniquely crafted love story, but also a story of loneliness and the world of technology we now live in.

It portrays human relationships as troubled and unsuccessful, yet several characters have wonderful relationships with computers.

Is this what the future may bring for human beings? How many people have fallen in love with a fantasy or a voice on the phone?

The film ponders how technological advances have changed relationships and wonders what will happen further into the future. Technology, while wonderful, has changed our interpersonal relationships, and this film delves deeply into that.

Conversation is a lost art, and Her captures both the joys and tragedies of technology.

Visually, the film is successful because it portrays Los Angeles in a sophisticated, ultra-sleek, modern way that is fascinating.

Several technological games are featured (the Alien child is brilliantly comical), and the “Mom points” are fascinatingly ironic.

Her is a deep film that raises questions, and I applaud this in modern cinema.

Her is a slow-moving film, but a questioning one.

It won the 2013 Best Original Screenplay Oscar, and I am so glad the Academy recognized the film’s originality.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay (won), Best Original Score, Best Original Song-“The Moon Song”, Best Production Design

2013 Films, Action, Horror, Los Angeles, Social Issues

The Purge-2013

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The Purge-2013

Director James DeMonaco

Starring Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey

Scott’s Review #128

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Reviewed July 23, 2014

Grade: A-

On paper, the premise of The Purge (2013) is intriguing. It immediately caught my attention, and I was compelled to see it.

The government, fed up with the overwhelming crime and prison overcrowding, decides to initiate a once-a-year purge, where anything goes.

It’s like Christmas for the criminals and the insane.

All emergency and police services shut down on this night, and citizens are left to their own devices as a way to purge the violent and aggressive instincts from human systems.

An affluent family, led by a security systems genius (Ethan Hawke), nestles in their lavish home.

Of course, events go awry, and chaos ensues.

The film has suspense, thrills, frights, and a bit of humor, while raising questions of class distinction and societal inequality: Why are the wealthy better off than the poor? Do they deserve to be?

I enjoyed the setting of the wealthy, gated Los Angeles community and the eerily Stepford-wife-like atmosphere of the neighborhood, where housewives delivered casseroles and other dishes to each other for the big night.

Throughout this sunny environment, the viewer could sense a too-good-to-be-true cheerfulness and the darkness to follow, anticipated as sunset emerged.

I found this film unpredictable and edge-of-your-seat, and it delved into a home-invasion thriller that worked well.

I couldn’t predict what would happen next, and that was incredibly entertaining.

I am unsure whether some of the humor in the film was intentional; some of the kills were over the top and included one-liners, but The Purge (2013) is a crisp, fun, summer popcorn horror film.

1977 Films, Best Picture Oscar Winners, Comedy, Drama, Los Angeles, New York City, Romantic Comedy, Romantic Drama, Satire

Annie Hall-1977

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Annie Hall-1977

Director Woody Allen

Starring Woody Allen, Diane Keaton

Scott’s Review #48

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Reviewed June 19, 2014

Grade: A

Annie Hall (1978) is one of Woody Allen’s finest works, and that says something as his list of wonderful films goes on and on; Manhattan, Blue Jasmine, and Interiors are gems.

Annie Hall is a witty, intelligent, great comedy. It is sharply written, quirky, and neurotic all rolled into one.

Comedy is a tough genre. Romantic comedies are even tougher to get right.

My favorite part of the film is Woody Allen himself. Some might say he plays himself, but he is engagingly hysterical as the neurotic, skeptical, Jewish, cynical New York man named Alvy.

He meets and falls in love with equally neurotic Annie Hall, played by Diane Keaton.

They quarrel, love, and travel from New York to California and back.

The film has some very funny scenes (lobster, movie theater line, and the drive-through Manhattan), and the intelligent, crisp dialogue makes it a top-notch comedy.

Oscar Nominations: 4 wins-Best Picture (won), Best Director-Woody Allen (won), Best Actor-Woody Allen, Best Actress-Diane Keaton (won), Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen Based on Factual Material or Story Material Not Previously Published or Produced (won)

Golden Globe Nominations: 1 win-Best Picture-Comedy or Musical, Best Director-Woody Allen, Best Actor-Comedy or Musical-Woody Allen, Best Actress-Comedy or Musical-Diane Keaton (won), Best Screenplay