Category Archives: Drama

2013 Films, Biography, Comedy, Crime Drama, Dark Comedy, Drama, Epic

The Wolf of Wall Street-2013

June 17, 2014 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Wolf of Wall Street-2013

Director Martin Scorsese

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio

Scott’s Review #33

Reviewed June 17, 2014

Grade: A

Martin Scorsese’s latest offering, The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), is a tale of overindulgence, chaos, and debauchery in the world of stockbroking during the 1980s.

The film is superb.

It is a drug-filled, sex-filled, over-the-top, loud, testosterone-fueled, frenetic extravaganza that works on so many levels.

Humorous, jaw-dropping scenes occur throughout the film.

The casting is flawless- Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill deserve the praise and Oscar nominations heaped on them.

The supporting actors are perfect- Rob Reiner, Matthew McConaughey, Jean Dujardin, and Kyle Chandler.

With Scorsese, you get an intelligent film, though it’s very R-rated.

It’s similar in style to another of his masterpieces, Goodfellas (1990), as it is narrated by the main character (DiCaprio).

Comparisons to the 1987 film Wall Street are silly. This film is much deeper, grittier, and frankly, much better.

Do not let the unfathomable running time of three hours discourage you- the time goes by very fast.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director-Martin Scorsese, Best Actor-Leonardo DiCaprio, Best Supporting Actor-Jonah Hill, Best Adapted Screenplay

2013 Films, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Drama

August: Osage County-2013

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August: Osage County-2013

Director John Wells

Starring Meryl Streep

Scott’s Review #32

Reviewed June 17, 2014

Grade: B+

Based on the play of the same name, August: Osage County (2013) is a family drama/dark comedy led by the incomparable Meryl Streep.

The family reunites after the patriarch disappears, and drama and sniping ensue quickly.

The stifling-hot Oklahoma setting works well and adds a smothering, suffocating feel to the film, much like many of the characters.

It’s a bleak, depressing film, and reminded me of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1966), or A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) in tone.

This film has exceptional acting all around, especially Streep and Julia Roberts, as well as Chris Cooper and Margo Martindale.

It’s a raw, angry movie, and the intensity builds throughout.

Oscar Nominations: Best Actress-Meryl Streep, Best Supporting Actress-Julia Roberts

2013 Films, Black & White, Comedy, Drama, Independent, Independent Comedy, Independent Drama

Nebraska-2013

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Nebraska-2013

Director Alexander Payne

Starring Bruce Dern

Scott’s Review #31

Reviewed June 17, 2014

Grade: B+

Deservedly earning a handful of Oscar nominations, Nebraska (2013) tells the story of a senior citizen who mistakenly believes he has won a million dollars.

He is determined to travel from Montana to Nebraska to collect the coveted prize.

On the surface, this film sounds like a downer, and the black-and-white cinematography does wonders to set an atmosphere of coldness and bleakness in the wintry Midwest.

There are moments of humor, and little-known June Squibb is a delight as the saucy wife of lead actor Bruce Dern, also wonderful as boozy, curmudgeonly Woody Grant.

A few unnecessary Midwestern stereotypes, commonplace in director Alexander Payne’s films, make this a heartbreaking, comical experience worth watching.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director-Alexander Payne, Best Actor-Bruce Dern, Best Supporting Actress-June Squibb, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: 1 win-Best Feature, Best Director-Alexander Payne, Best Male Lead-Bruce Dern, Best Supporting Male-Will Forte, Best Supporting Female-June Squibb, Best First Screenplay (won)

2012 Films, Danish, Drama, Independent, Independent Drama, International, International Drama, Psychological Drama

The Hunt-2012

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The Hunt-2012

Director Thomas Vinterberg

Starring Mads Mikkelsen

Scott’s Review #29

Reviewed June 17, 2014

Grade: A-

Nominated for the 2013 Best Foreign Language Oscar, this controversial Danish film, The Hunt (2012), centers on pedophilia and is powerful and gripping.

Mads Mikkelsen stars as a kindergarten teacher falsely accused of inappropriate behavior with a five-year-old female student.

This sets off a small-town witch hunt that stirred up emotions in me, mostly disdain for the fellow teachers and principal who so easily “gang up” on the teacher, seemingly unable to believe he may be innocent.

The principal blurts out “children never lie”.

Um, yes they do!

I love how the film goes deeper than the obvious content. The accused son is featured. The student is the accused best friend’s daughter.

When one supporter of the accused rips into the five-year-old, it is intense to watch.

The Hunt (2012) is a layered, multi-faceted film worth seeing.

The ending is great, but the alternate ending is even better, and I wish the director, Thomas Vinterberg, had used that instead; overall, it’s an exceptional film.

Oscar Nominations: Best Foreign Language Film

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best International Film

2013 Films, Comedy, Drama, Independent, Independent Comedy, Independent Drama, Independent Romantic Comedy, Romantic Comedy, Romantic Drama

Don Jon-2013

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Don Jon-2013

Director Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore

Scott’s Review #27

Reviewed June 17, 2014

Grade: B+

I did not expect Don Jon (2013) to be as good as it is.

Frankly, I was expecting a by-the-numbers romantic comedy.

Written, directed by, and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, it tells the story of a twenty-something New Jersey bartender who is addicted to porn despite receiving all the female attention he can imagine.

Scarlett Johansson and Julianne Moore play two completely different women in his life.

The film contains stereotypical, though hilarious and spot-on, New Jersey trademarks. Tony Danza is effective as the brash father.

In the last thirty minutes, the film turns into a wonderful, yet hardly sappy or traditional, love story that makes Don Jon (2013) a positive experience.

Gordon-Levitt is a breath of fresh air and a young Hollywood talent getting the recognition he deserves.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best First Screenplay

1973 Films, Comedy, Drama, Musical, Musical Comedy, Musical Drama, New York City

Godspell-1973

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Godspell-1973

Director David Greene

Starring Victor Garber, David Haskell

Scott’s Review #23

Reviewed June 17, 2014

Grade: B

Although Godspell (1973) is a popular and legendary Broadway musical production, the film left me with very mixed reactions.

The positives for me are the songs- they are memorable, and they stay in your head for days to come.

My absolute favorite is “Day by Day”.

I also enjoy the cast traveling throughout NYC, as I love it when films are set here.

For the first thirty minutes of the film, I did not get it at all.

There is no plot, but simply a group of college-aged people leaving their crummy jobs and celebrating Jesus as they aimlessly flit about the city, with nobody else in sight, singing songs of salvation and celebration.

Then I realized this is not a “message” movie or an attempt to convert people to religion. Many devout Christians despise the film.

The film left me with questions.

Is it tongue-in-cheek or meant to be taken seriously?

By the end of the film, I took it for a fun musical with great songs. It offers nothing more, nothing less.

1998 Films, Drama, Favorite Film of the Year, Independent, Independent Drama, LGBTQ+ Drama, LGBTQ+ Films, LGBTQ+ Romance, New York City

High Art-1998

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High Art-1998

Director Lisa Cholodenko

Starring Ally Sheedy, Radha Mitchell

Scott’s Review #21

Reviewed June 17, 2014

Grade: A

Superlative indie drama by acclaimed director Lisa Cholodenko (The Kids Are All Right, 2008) and an incredible performance by Ally Sheedy, who makes viewers forget all her past, forgettable “80’s roles”.

She portrays a lonely, drug-abusing, star photographer, enamored with a new neighbor in her New York City apartment building.

Her life is spiraling out of control, and she is inspired by her new friend, who is on an upward career path.

The film is a dark love story with a raw, moody quality. It’s a raw, emotional, mesmerizing film.

Patricia Clarkson is her usual awesome self as Sheedy’s even more drugged-out, unhappy partner.

The love triangle is interesting and painful.

The three leads (Sheedy, Clarkson, and Radha Mitchell) all give knockout performances, but the film belongs solely to Ally Sheedy, who is spectacular.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: 1 win-Best Female Lead-Ally Sheedy (won), Best Supporting Female-Patricia Clarkson, Best First Screenplay, Best First Feature, Best Cinematography

2013 Films, Art, Best International Film Oscar Winners, Drama, Independent, Independent Drama, International, International Drama, Italian

The Great Beauty-2013

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The Great Beauty-2013

Director Paolo Sorrentino

Starring Toni Servillo

Scott’s Review #16

Reviewed June 17, 2014

Grade: A

The Great Beauty is an Italian film and winner of the 2013 Best Foreign Language Oscar and, in my opinion, well deserved.

The film is hardly conventional- it is thoughtful, character-driven, and quite Fellini-influenced.

It takes some time to get into- the first thirty minutes are mostly people dancing and partying wildly.

Set in present-day Rome, it follows a successful sixty-five-year-old journalist as he reflects on his life, past and present.

The film explores themes of loss and loneliness, and while cynical, it is not a downer.

Quite the contrary, one party after another is thrown, and the nightlife and excesses of Rome are the centerpieces.

A main aspect of The Great Beauty is that all the money and success in the world do not measure happiness, something that many people forget.

The main character loses people close to him, and many of his wealthy friends are bored and alone. This film is about life and its complexities.

It left me thinking long after the credits rolled and is a huge testament to its power. Rarely, a film like this comes along any longer.

I felt like I was watching a masterpiece.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Foreign Language Film (won)

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best International Film

1960 Films, Best Picture Oscar Winners, Best Picture-Comedy or Musical Golden Globe Winners, Comedy, Drama, New York City, Romantic Comedy, Romantic Drama

The Apartment-1960

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The Apartment-1960

Director Billy Wilder

Starring Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine

Scott’s Review #7

Reviewed June 17, 2014

Grade: A-

The Apartment (1960) is another gem by Billy Wilder (Sunset Boulevard-1950, The Lost Weekend-1946).

This one is set in 1959 New York City, a setting and period I adore.

The black-and-white images effectively portray the loneliness and bleakness of the characters, who are all friendless, sad, and starved for love.

It questions social morality and getting ahead in the corporate world but goes from drama to romantic comedy with no sappiness.

Quite the contrary, as the film has dark moments of despair and angst.

The film influenced the television series “Mad Men”. As with most Billy Wilder films, there is a darkness of humanity, which is fascinating to watch.

Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine are terrific, but their chemistry is lacking. Despite this, the film is still excellent.

The Apartment (1960) won the Best Picture Oscar.

Oscar Nominations: 5 wins-Best Motion Picture (won), Best Director-Billy Wilder (won), Best Actor-Jack Lemmon, Best Actress-Shirley MacLaine, Best Supporting Actor-Jack Kruschen, Best Story and Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen (won), Best Sound, Best Art Direction, Black-and-White (won), Best Cinematography, Black-and-White, Best Film Editing (won)

Golden Globe Nominations: 3 wins-Best Picture-Comedy (won), Best Director-Billy Wilder, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy-Jack Lemmon (won), Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role-Musical or Comedy-Shirley MacLaine (won)

1957 Films, Drama, Melodrama

Peyton Place-1957

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Peyton Place-1957

Director Mark Robson

Starring Lana Turner, Lee Phillips

Scott’s Review #6

Reviewed June 17, 2014

Grade: B+

Peyton Place (1957) is a scandalous soap opera, but it was made well.

The sleepy, seemingly wholesome, quiet New England town is captured well, but secrets lie within its white picket fences (don’t they always).

Topics such as adultery, rape, murder, and suicide are tackled.

I’m not entirely sure I agree with the slew of Oscar nominations it received that year (1957), but Hope Lange was the standout actor for me.

It reminded me of the syrupy prime-time soaps of the 1980s, but better written and acted than they were.

This is not intended to demean the film, as it is interesting, engaging, and dramatic, with good characterization. However, when analyzed, it is fluff—just good fluff.

Oscar Nominations: Best Motion Picture, Best Director-Mark Robson, Best Actress-Lana Turner, Best Supporting Actor-Arthur Kennedy, Russ Tamblyn, Best Supporting Actress-Hope Lange, Diane Varsi, Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium, Best Cinematography

Golden Globe Nominations: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture-Hope Lange, Mildred Dunnock, New Star of the Year-Diane Varsi

2013 Films, Adventure, Drama, Independent, Independent Adventure, Independent Drama

All is Lost-2013

June 16, 2014 scottmet99 Leave a comment

All is Lost-2013

Director J.C. Chandor

Starring Robert Redford

Scott’s Review #4

Reviewed June 16, 2014

Grade: D

The accolades heaped on All Is Lost from 2013 escape me.

Some felt that this was Robert Redford’s late-in-life masterpiece.

I’ve never found him a great actor, and while he’s not horrible in this film, it is not the Oscar-worthy performance being bandied about.

Many actors would play this role better- Tom Hanks and Sean Penn come to mind.

Beyond the performance, the film leaves facets unexplained. How did he become shipwrecked? Why did ships pass by not noticing him? Who is he?

Much of the movie drags, and a feeling of having seen this film many times before kept gnawing at me. I do give the film credit for containing only one cast member.

But castaway and shipwreck movies have been around since the beginning. They all have the standard plot developments- broken equipment, sharks, and storms- which makes it quite contrived.

Fail.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Feature, Best Director-J.C. Chandor, Best Male Lead-Robert Redford, Best Cinematography

2014 Films, Adventure, Drama, Epic, Religious

Noah-2014

June 16, 2014 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Noah-2014

Director Darren Aronofsky

Starring Russell Crowe

Scott’s Review #3

Reviewed June 16, 2014

Grade: B+

Learning that Darren Aronofsky, a very dark director (Black Swan-2011, Requiem for a Dream-2000, and The Wrestler-2008), would be tackling a religious film piqued my curiosity.

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

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

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

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

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

The visual effects and the musical score are wonderfully effective.

Noah (2014) has a few plot holes but is a nice fantasy/apocalypse-type film.

Welcome to my blog!1,555 reviews posted so far! I'm Scott Segrell and I reside in Stamford, CT. My site features hundreds of film reviews I have written since I launched the site in 2014. I hope you enjoy reading my latest reviews or searching for your own favorites to see if we agree. Please see my Recent Posts section, and don't forget to utilize the tags and category links.