(2014)TopherAllen'sFavorites
Once again, here's a compilation of my movie reviews for the past year in :
A
list
of
8s, 9s, and 10s.
These are the best movies of 2014.
That I have seen.
In order,
as a list should be,
of favoritism.
"For Your Consideration" films have been given as little consideration as possible.
Reviews written by Topher Allen
A
list
of
8s, 9s, and 10s.
These are the best movies of 2014.
That I have seen.
In order,
as a list should be,
of favoritism.
"For Your Consideration" films have been given as little consideration as possible.
Reviews written by Topher Allen
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- DirectorAlejandro G. IñárrituStarsMichael KeatonZach GalifianakisEdward NortonA washed-up superhero actor attempts to revive his fading career by writing, directing, and starring in a Broadway production.Is "Birdman" about religion?
If so, it's about much more than religion. We're in the midst of a pivotal moment in the life of a piece of theater. Seen as a commentary on religion, we're given the concept of evolution as parallel to faith when the director of the play is taught to embrace the purpose of a "preview," before which he has no idea, he cannot know, what his play is even really about. It's the audience who decides. And based on these previews, tone and purpose will really emerge. The actors and writers can dissect dialogue and meaning, but the audience will take away what the audience will take away.
I love me a thought-provoking film, and this one most certainly, while heavier metaphorically, trumps out the ambitious "Interstellar," which had its own ideas pertaining to God.
Much like a stage performance, there is no editing in "Birdman" (or, at least, that's how the filmmakers have designed the film). Much like life itself, we are on an exploration, "we," the audience, as we journey behind the scenes of a play adapted and directed by an "ambitious" has-been action hero. Between the special effects and perfectly-timed stage direction, there is not a dull moment in "Birdman." Meant to be viewed once and again and again, the film is rich with detail ("A Thing is a Thing, not what everyone says of the thing" is on a mirror in an actor's dressing room). This is a character study about a man who knows less about himself than everyone around him, it seems. And, unfortunately, the alternate title of the film, "The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance" is what has kept our "hero" alive thus far in his life.
This is a film you could watch over and over, but I'm walking out of the theater with one question...
If "Riggan" is who we might be...just beings who walk the earth and don't matter...and the character of "Birdman" is who we think we are...that voice in our head telling us we're better than everyone else...his faith is his fame...celebrity is his religion...then who is the critic?
The most important (my favorite, I mean) scene in the film is the scene where the director, Riggan (beautifully played by Michael Keaton in the role of a lifetime), confronts the critic nearly hell-bent on destroying not only the play he's directing, but the very livelihood of our main character. For her, the critic, this man represents all that is wrong with the world. Using his "celebrity" to have accomplishments in life is a sin to her. She will destroy him even though he acknowledges that she does nothing but label everything (you know, black, white, gay, bad, good, man, or woman, that kind of thing), and tries to prove that he, the actor, does all of the real work and, in doing so, risks everything in his own world.
The critic merely laughs, and corrects him. "You are a celebrity, not an actor, let's not forget that."
Is the critic...God? The one and only "judge?" After all, it's not God who labels, but we who do so. It's us who see sinners of these characters, all of them. The critic sits in one spot the entire film except for one scene near the end, and then she is only seen in the background amidst the audience of a "sold out performance." Riggan's opinions are blurted out as if talking to an almighty being, and all are lost on the recipient of his verbal beating.
Or is "Birdman," the voice in Riggan's head, the real "God?" The Bible says that God is within us. Either way, and I'm still being careful not to reveal spoilers here...heaven is real, and that's why the ending is left on a hopeful note. That's my interpretation. Find your own.
"The truth is always interesting" -Mike (Edward Norton). - DirectorDan GilroyStarsJake GyllenhaalRene RussoBill PaxtonWhen Louis Bloom, a con man desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story."Nightcrawler" may very well be the best film of the year.
Many times with a directorial debut feature, we're seeing a long-time-coming original work. This flick is no exception.
We're given insight into a unique corner of the world that has never been highlighted to my knowledge in film before. I'm not even sure if the concept of a "nightcrawler" is real, but what it means to go "nightcrawling" is to give television stations (or their competitors) the chance to give their viewers front-row seats to breaking stories.The footage they capture can be seen as raw and unprofessional, but our title character gets so in-depth he starts his own business where "in order to gain job security you must make yourself an indispensable employee"...at any cost. The film plays like a behind-the-scenes look into the world of television news, and could be seen as insightful as why our news is so dark. While the "news" is not at all the subject of this flick, the heart of the whole thing may just be how to get your own business running, but the plot itself plays perfectly in the background of a mad character study. Jake Gyllenhaal plays Louis Bloom, a conniving manipulator who is more character than personality, both smart (even though he doesn't come from a "proper education") and psychotic (he'll do whatever he needs to get ahead), in a performance so precise we always know what's going on in his head and his motivation (business, capitalism) so haunting he almost disappears as an actor. The film itself almost makes you forget you're watching a movie from cinematography mixed with shaky-cam ("steady hands") so purposefully and editing that builds into an edge-of-your-seat climax culminating itself with a car chase of the like I haven't seen in years (even if it is still overly-edited).
If this flick were made in the '80s, we would get sequel after sequel with new actors playing the main nightcrawler, but as the genesis film surely warrants a dozen rip-offs of an idea this great, this one will stay fresh in our minds for a long time. - DirectorMatt ReevesStarsGary OldmanKeri RussellAndy SerkisThe fragile peace between apes and humans is threatened as mistrust and betrayal threaten to plunge both tribes into a war for dominance over the Earth.
- DirectorDavid FincherStarsBen AffleckRosamund PikeNeil Patrick HarrisWith his wife's disappearance having become the focus of an intense media circus, a man sees the spotlight turned on him when it's suspected that he may not be innocent.It isn't everyday, not even every year David Fincher comes out with a new film. This is why my anticipation gets stronger with each one. The director of "The Social Network," "Fight Club," and "Se7en" is the greatest working filmmaker.
Ben Affleck, the lead in "Gone Girl" is an Oscar-winning film director who, when called by Fincher, dropped a project of his own as if ready for a chance at superior education.
This is because we've reached an era where the true rockstars of cinema are the directors as opposed to the Golden Age when movie stars were the reason films made money, even though the directors of the time made rules still followed today. Fincher uses these rules with such precision (infamous for excessive takes on set) that he lives by his own quote, in reference to film-making "There are two ways to do something, and one of them is wrong."
~~~~~
I was nervous as "Gone Girl" seemed to fast-forward through studio logos and main titles. Like many of Fincher's title sequences, I knew it would be thought-provoking later, but I think it was more effective at being simply unnerving. This theme didn't leave the film as my nervousness became stronger. Especially once act II started.
In the era of being able to know anything whenever you choose to learn something, "Gone Girl" doesn't make you wait too long to learn its secrets. We're put in a world where the media tells us what to think. News sources that echo so clearly what we've come to expect are at the heart of what makes this film a satire (managing to be surprisingly funny). Marriage itself is treated like the shower we feared in "Psycho," or maybe a more proper analogy would be the ocean in "Jaws."
Think of the third act as a shower scene or a venture out into the ocean. If you're terrified, the movie will have done its job. And I promise...the movie makes you feel exactly what it wants you to feel. I was nervous and didn't want it to end...I wanted to stay nervous, I guess. I'd have you go in knowing everyone involved in the making of the film really knows how to do a masterful job...and you'll know you're in good hands. Just don't let those hands out of your sight for a second. - DirectorRichard LinklaterStarsEllar ColtranePatricia ArquetteEthan HawkeThe life of Mason, from early childhood to his arrival at college."Boyhood" could have been called many things. "Modern Family" was taken, unfortunately, but growing up in today's day and age was a constant theme throughout the film. The heart of the film, played by Ellar Coltrane, is the boy in "Boyhood," accordingly. However, I was almost wishing Ethan Hawke showed up more in the film (as the boy's father), but I think that was kind of the point. He was a little absent, but the influence was always there.
In divorces, there are probably more realistic circumstances, long-term effects, and prolonged damage done unto a family, but in "Boyhood," we see an ideal one. Our boy turns down alcohol in the presence of his father. He listens to adults. He goes through a fairly normal childhood.
The realism we feel in "Boyhood" has to do with the laid-back film-making of Richard Linklater. The film, in fact, being so laid back, that they would only do a few scenes here and there over the course of twelve years (I think making cinematic history right there). The script is heavily influenced by the real life of our main character, I imagine. The scenes are strewn together as if without transition and hair color and style is sometimes our only clue as to how the time has moved forward.
Whether you feel this is a film worth watching again and again is something I would like to know, but I believe it's a film that will live a long long time and should not be one you miss given the chance to see it. - DirectorFrank PavichStarsAlejandro JodorowskyMichel SeydouxH.R. GigerThe story of cult film director Alejandro Jodorowsky's ambitious but ultimately doomed film adaptation of the seminal science fiction novel.I did not do my research going into "Jodorowsky's Dune," therefore not knowing what I was walking into except for the fact that I had read that a man had an entire concept for a film that was never made. The documentary was a first for me as I've never seen a documentary like this in theaters. I'm glad I took the chance (played it safe, though, since the Rotten Tomatoes rating is at 99%). This film was an intimate look into what a wild imagination is capable of doing, failure or not. The man, Alejandro Jodorowsky, a very misunderstood (or perfectly understood, but feared) being, like many people on Earth, has a lot to say and just wants to change the world for the better. As inspiring as the story of failure can be, his passion speaking of this grand idea made this a great experience in film. His cult-like gathering of creative artists only came about because of his passion for the project. Everyone involved believed in it until they took it to Hollywood's studio heads (businessmen and accountants) who had no room for creativity. Their business, even today, is to create products and passion projects with big budgets can be easily overlooked and forgotten. Jodorowsky's Dune has never been forgotten and may be the most inspirational film never made as influences are seen even in "Star Wars." The documentary doesn't flesh out too much story based on the novel, Dune (written by Frank Herbert, known as a classic in science fiction), therefore what's in the audience's imagination is what we get based on a lot of concept art and interviews. There's an alternate reality of what could have been had this film been made. Star Wars would not be what it is today, nor would Alien or Blade Runner or too many other movies inspired by this piece of imaginary art (few people have seen the actual original artwork). It begs the question to the viewer...the creator...the wannabe director or writer..."What if?"
- DirectorPhil LordChristopher MillerStarsChris PrattWill FerrellElizabeth BanksAn ordinary LEGO construction worker, thought to be the prophesied as "special", is recruited to join a quest to stop an evil tyrant from gluing the LEGO universe into eternal stasis.THANK YOU, Warner Bros. for making LEGOs COOL again!
The movie was basically an hour-and-a-half advertisement for LEGOs, but ten years from now, kids will STILL be watching it and the ones who saw it when it first came out will (be laughing twice as much and) have a Click-Bait link reading "Everything-You-Missed-from-the-LEGO-Movie-When-You-Were-A-Kid."
From the creativity in the story (we see Western worlds and Pirates and countless familiar character cameos such as Batman) to the uniqueness of the animation (stop-motion as if the flick was made 20 years ago), "Everything is Awesome" is what you will definitely be singing on your way out of the theater.
I'm so happy my kid will be growing up in this generation, especially if the morals of the flick have anything to teach us. - DirectorChristopher NolanStarsMatthew McConaugheyAnne HathawayJessica ChastainWhen Earth becomes uninhabitable in the future, a farmer and ex-NASA pilot, Joseph Cooper, is tasked to pilot a spacecraft, along with a team of researchers, to find a new planet for humans.Why won't "Interstellar" live forever?
I learned everything I needed to know about Christopher Nolan from watching "The Prestige." This is his defining film, if not his best. It is nearly flawlessly constructed, albeit quite quickly paced for being almost three hours long. Many look at "The Dark Knight" as Nolan's masterpiece, his follow-up to "Batman Begins." But his true follow-up was "The Prestige," and while elements are not as powerful (there's no Heath Ledger), it is certainly more shocking.
This is what I was waiting for in "Interstellar."
The last true Christopher Nolan film was "Inception," which was a film that relied on ideas. This film, also in between Batman films, made creativity his trademark.
This is one of the few directors I've seen all of his films in order from when they were released (Tarantino is another one, but that was just a coincidence). "Memento" got him noticed. That's a great flick, but it wouldn't work if it were constructed any other way, and the simplicity seems to take away from the whole experience for me. "Insomnia" was a mystery, uncovering elements from the main character as the movie went along. It was a classical thriller.
His latest, "Interstellar," is another experience, another epic. More than that, it's an exploration unlike any other. A creative as it is, still in line with "Inception" and "The Prestige," we are again grounded in realism, just as we felt in his superhero franchise.
But what we might be seeing is the next phase of Christopher Nolan the filmmaker. "The Prestige" will live forever. I can go back to that film and watch it like I did the first time I ever saw it because the story is told not not from beginning to end not chronologically, but only parallel. This was filmmaking. This film is quite the definition of what a filmmaker does.
And what "Interstellar" may be lacking is a "prestige" that is as satisfying as what a true "prestige" is supposed to be. Where "Inception" tried showing us so much concept, it was much more entertaining when it stopped being "The Matrix" and let us watch the story unfold. "Interstellar" almost throws story away with a simple exploration-mission-to-save-the-world. It is so fast-paced that I felt like we were missing scenes. Gone is the traditional Nolan editing (until a certain hollywood movie star comes to make or break the mission) from "Inception" and "The Prestige." Here, we're meant to experience.
The final act plays like it's what we're all here to see.
But it isn't.
Why will "Interstellar" live forever?
Because the concept is just that good. Black holes? Other planets in other galaxies? Nolan sure knows how to get people to the movies. And the ending is just that mind-blowing. I just hope you find it as satisfying as I did.
Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan are brilliant. - DirectorJon FavreauStarsJon FavreauRobert Downey Jr.Scarlett JohanssonA head chef quits his restaurant job and buys a food truck in an effort to reclaim his creative promise, while piecing back together his estranged family.
- DirectorWes AndersonStarsRalph FiennesF. Murray AbrahamMathieu AmalricA writer encounters the owner of an aging high-class hotel, who tells him of his early years serving as a lobby boy in the hotel's glorious years under an exceptional concierge.It's a Wes Anderson movie. It's my favorite Wes Anderson movie (besides "Fantastic Mr. Fox," actually). I'm not exactly a fan of Wes Anderson, but for an acquired taste, this is a good place to start. Sit back and enjoy it.
- DirectorDarren AronofskyStarsRussell CroweJennifer ConnellyAnthony HopkinsNoah is chosen by God to undertake a momentous mission before an apocalyptic flood cleanses the world."Noah" is the story of Noah.
The best The Bible can do is give us a message. It is full of messages. When Hollywood takes over, what we see is an interpretation of a story that was meant to give us a message. For many stories, translated into too many languages, interpreted too many ways, we take what we can get. What you learn from any situation would be learned a completely different way from another person resulting in different lessons. "Noah" is the story of Noah. It is his lesson in the end. The message of the movie is an important one.
I'm not sure the same message had gotten across from The Bible, as there isn't enough of the story of Noah in The Bible for a film. In The Bible, Noah is chosen. In the film, we learn why Noah was chosen.
The film is also made with mass audiences in mind. We can appreciate themes of love. We can appreciate how we hurt each other. We can appreciate why God was angry with the world as it was and needed to start again. Kids have their villain and subtle humor. Horror fanatics also have plenty in this film. There's also quite a fantastical element. This flick could spawn action figures if it wanted to. Evolutionists can see how many species (including a feathered dog-like creature) died out and imagine how many species descended from others. And for me? Film buffs, too, have an experience to behold. The acting isn't awful, although there is a lot of crying...and I don't mean the massive rains and flooding.
This isn't Hollywood's version. This is a big budget flick entrusted to an established director. One who has proved himself again and again, but never to appeal to kids. This is a fairly universal story, though, complete with action figures, but all the not-kiddie stuff can be seen as the reason why "The Creator" is doing what He's doing.
It might not have been meant to be very enjoyable, but sometimes that's exactly why I enjoy films. They're effective. However, if you were looking for the "Based on a True Story" version...sorry...you can't even find that in the Bible. - DirectorDavid DobkinStarsRobert Downey Jr.Robert DuvallVera FarmigaBig-city lawyer Hank Palmer returns to his childhood home where his father, the town's judge, is suspected of murder. Hank sets out to discover the truth; along the way he reconnects with his estranged family.
- DirectorGareth EvansStarsIko UwaisYayan RuhianArifin PutraOnly a short time after the first raid, Rama goes undercover with the thugs of Jakarta and plans to bring down the syndicate and uncover the corruption within his police force.As a pure action film, this flick is revolutionary.
- DirectorBong Joon HoStarsChris EvansJamie BellTilda SwintonIn a future where a failed climate change experiment has killed all life except for the survivors who boarded the Snowpiercer (a train that travels around the globe), a new class system emerges.More of a profound statement than a good action movie. But it is that profound as it's also a good action movie.
- DirectorJennifer KentStarsEssie DavisNoah WisemanDaniel HenshallA single mother and her child fall into a deep well of paranoia when an eerie children's book titled "Mister Babadook" manifests in their home.What is truly terrifying?
As a child, Samuel's self-defense is a little stronger than it should be. Unfortunately, for what he lacks in safety, he makes up for in mischief. This is quite troublesome for Amelia, his mother. She has to deal with him not fitting in at school and disapproving friends. Incidents occur that push these two away from society and nearly trapped together in their house.
Perhaps a certain children's book is to blame?
A certain creepy and potentially prophetic children's book with violent images and terrifying promises. "If it's in a word or in a look, you can't get rid of the Babadook."
People have been talking about this flick a lot.
It's been called a masterpiece.
It's a lot of hype.
However, the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. For a child, imaginary beings and untrustworthy parents mixed with a massive misunderstanding of everyone around you seems truly terrifying...yet...this film channels the fears of parents even more. Being hated and embarrassed. Pushed away. Being a single parent. Sleep deprivation.
"The Babadook" carries on with very little explanation, but it has a complete story that unfolds until the very end. Using classic images from old horror movies, and referencing even more, this flick is somehow a fresh entry to the horror genre. It is absolutely better than most horror movies today, if only because it is more satisfying than actually scary. - DirectorSteve JamesStarsRoger EbertChaz EbertGene SiskelThe life and career of the renowned film critic and social commentator, Roger Ebert.Unfortunately, "Life Itself" is not about its title. It is about the life of Ebert and the death of him. The title comes from the idea that Ebert loved one thing that is greater than the movies, and that great thing is Life Itself. This is the inspiring concept behind the documentary and the very reason we should look at the life of this great man.
Why, exactly?
"Kindness' covers all of my political beliefs. No need to spell them out. I believe that if, at the end, according to our abilities, we have done something to make others a little happier, and something to make ourselves a little happier, that is about the best we can do. To make others less happy is a crime. To make ourselves unhappy is where all crime starts. We must try to contribute joy to the world. That is true no matter what our problems, our health, our circumstances. We must try. I didn't always know this and am happy I lived long enough to find it out." - DirectorPhil LordChristopher MillerStarsChanning TatumJonah HillIce CubeAfter making their way through high school (twice), big changes are in store for officers Schmidt and Jenko when they go deep undercover at a local college.
- DirectorDavid Gordon GreenStarsNicolas CageTye SheridanGary PoulterAn ex-con, who is the unlikeliest of role models, meets a 15-year-old boy and is faced with the choice of redemption or ruin.I couldn't help but notice how much J-O-E is similar (or at least as simple as) to a D-O-G.
The film is more than just a glimpse into the life of a man who does know how to live, but I was wondering if he served more as a metaphor for everyone of us as a part of the human race who live better when we're on a leash. Nicolas Cage plays the title character as a man who can smile and have fun, but lives off the leash. He'd be a good dog to the extent that he will always do the right thing. Just don't mess with him. Or his friends.
"Joe" has been the movie event of the festival.
It plays a dramatic chord through notes of laughter and some extreme intensity (seriously, of "Gravity" caliber). The violence is strong (the 60-year-old man next to me had to look away during one scene in particular), and the acting is subtle (realistic).
Nic Cage, in his conversation at the SXSW Film Festival, spoke about his wife telling him that this role was as close as he's gotten to his real persona. I found it more along the lines of "Leaving Las Vegas." If you're reading that right, you should be expecting Nic Cage do start doing lower-budget movies (this was made for $6 Million, I believe). This is what he wants to do now (I quote him personally), and I believe this could be the start of a sustainable career toward what we might come to know as a legacy. Nicolas Cage, you should know, is the ideal movie star. He knows how to live, and he knows how to be kind. This is his return to form while there may be a *wink* or two in this film at what he's known as on this wild thing called the "internet." Still, he's not really like any other movie star, and there will never be anyone known as "the next Nicolas Cage." He is truly one-of-a-kind.
As is this film.
"Joe" is a simple story of simple people. There are many minor characters who just seem to exist in this world. There is one scene of him looking over to see a couple in a jeep next to him. I felt this might have been out of place, although the two made eye contact and it granted a laugh from the audience. What I wanted was this scene to be a metaphor for was a life Joe could have had. He doesn't like being messed with, especially when nobody has a reason to mess with him. He doesn't give them one, but when he fights back at them, the consequences are played out throughout the film. The editing lets the actors breath and the music lets the atmosphere live. Shot around Austin, an audience member (that same 60-year-old man) told me that the director, David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express), grabbed a few people off a bus, and gave them starring roles. They serve as decay of human beings. We're shown the lowest of the low, and it will make you angry to see what people are capable of doing to each other.
I don't believe people are happier on a leash. When we're told what to do, we may be rewarded with food, but at the end of the day, it's the connection to each other that makes us want to wake up again. Dogs play a major role in this film to the extent that one serves as a major character. In the final moments (No spoiler, I promise), there is a tear-jerking scene that lets you know that we can find happiness and peace. We see the dog in the front seat, happy with it's tongue out for the first time in the film, as opposed to the brute-ready-to-fight we've come to know in the back of Joe's truck.
All we need in life is to be raised well.
On that note, Tye Sheridan's (from "Mud" (2012) with Matthew McConaughey) part is played tough, but his deadbeat abusive father has become such a bad influence, and Gary is smart enough to know not to follow in his footsteps.
This film was nearly perfect, but sadly still not made for everyone. I hope, when it's finally released worldwide to audiences everywhere, I'm wrong about that, and audiences see it. It's an important film, as well as very entertaining. - DirectorGareth EdwardsStarsAaron Taylor-JohnsonElizabeth OlsenBryan CranstonThe world is beset by the appearance of monstrous creatures, but one of them may be the only one who can save humanity.Having just seen "Godzilla," the 1954 cautionary tale about the effects of the 1945 nuclear explosion, I waited with strong anticipation for what would come next. Gareth Edwards, director of this year's "Godzilla," came on stage, and I was relieved. Throughout the 1954 version, I remember thinking it'd be too good to be true that he was actually going to be coming on stage.
But he showed...and he had quite a show for us prepared.
After showing us the second preview for the upcoming film, he had a rough cut of a scene from the movie. It was the scene we are first introduced to Godzilla. We see a tidal wave that introduces him. Our main guy's on a train. Navy ships are on the lookout.
This scene couldn't come soon enough for me in the finished film. This is when I felt the film really got started. Of course, where the ultimate teaser of a scene cut off at a very crowd-pleasing moment (which erupted into a standing ovation at the first screening), the film did the same thing!
This happened again, almost used as a tool to transition into the next scene. We would have build-up...we would see our monster...and the scene would cut. I felt like this was a gimmick...as if to get me to say "Gimme some action already!" but perhaps I just wasn't embracing the Spielbergian technique of making us wait for it.
That is unfortunately where the Spielbergian influence gives out.
We're only introduced to one-dimensional characters who take up way too much screen time where some might feel deserve more Godzilla action. I guess we needed to appeal to more potential audience-members (hence the heavily advertised and severely underused Bryan Cranston). If not more in-depth story (which, I guess was asking too much), at least give the actors something to do or the opportunity for some kind of performance.
What Gareth Edwards does amazingly well is perspective. Even in the final battle scene, we see Godzilla fighting for his life, but much of it is done from the perspective of our humans. With a massive title character, it isn't hard to find new angles to see him, but Edwards kept us on the run and as we got farther away from Godzilla, the battle scene becomes more epic. Debris, dirt, and dust is also used to shadow the creature creating a feeling of foreboding. What this was doing was keeping the audience wondering what could happen next.
From Japan, to Hawaii, to California, the picture is a moving adventure, but what we have yet to discover is how little control we have as humans. Perhaps this recalls themes from previous Godzilla films, but fans will have a lot more to see (spoiler: awesome Atomic Breath is awesome).
Nature will take it's course, but until we learn how to co-exist and let it live...we may be in more danger than we thought. - DirectorChad StahelskiStarsKeanu ReevesMichael NyqvistAlfie AllenAn ex-hitman comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters who killed his dog and stole his car.
- DirectorAntoine FuquaStarsDenzel WashingtonMarton CsokasChloë Grace MoretzA man who believes he has put his mysterious past behind him cannot stand idly by when he meets a young girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters."The Equalizer" is what every Liam Neeson movie should be at the very least. It was arguably better than another kickback action movie from this year, "John Wick." Very entertaining.
Check out this picture from a very Edward-Hopper-like scene clearly referencing one of my favorite paintings, "Nighthawks." - DirectorMichael WinterbottomStarsSteve CooganRob BrydonRosie FellnerTwo men, six meals in six different places on a road trip around Italy. Liguria, Tuscany, Rome, Amalfi and ending in Capri.The only problem with the flick was trying to add a story. This could have been the "Before Midnight" of the year.
- DirectorDavid AyerStarsBrad PittShia LaBeoufLogan LermanA grizzled tank commander makes tough decisions as he and his crew fight their way across Germany in April, 1945.I went to see "Fury" a few days ago and am just now realizing how much I really remembered. Especially since I tried to forget it.
*Minor SPOILERS ahead*
If you're looking for a reminder that war is hell and tough guys are tough because they are desensitized so much that they have become awful human beings, look no further than "Fury."
For me, the defining scene, the longest one, felt even longer given the director used it almost as the centerpiece to the film. This was where Brad Pitt and the "good" kid played house with a couple of German cousins. We trust them at this point in the film. Then, heavily suggesting consensual rape, the women had to then cook for the soldiers, and for no reason a great sense of dread came when the others joined in. They proved to be bullies and horribly juvenile, so much so that I expected Brad Pitt to put a bullet through their heads (he didn't, because he's one of them). Instead, he just spit at his fellow American soldier, which, I felt, was an insult to all American soldiers because of the way they are portrayed in this movie.
What I was expecting was a film about camaraderie and survival when it was almost anything but. The film turned into the feel-bad movie of the season seemingly trying to be a "day-ruiner," if you asked me, not because of the depressing colors or downer ending (okay, there's actually a somewhat hopeful ending), but because we're supposed to care about these characters.
To this movie's credit, the pacing was well done, only slowed down by one aforementioned scene. The music, by Stephen Price, was really good and moody and any intensity in the flick owes itself to his score. This is the man who made "Gravity" such a memorable experience. The action, random as it was, had graphic images spliced in that did add a great level of realism, as did the dialogue which felt authentic. The scenes built towards a climax that I would have preferred been the focus of the movie, if only because I didn't understand Brad Pitt (once again, acting with his haircut) and his motivations of staying with his dead tiger tank and awaiting to ambush a massive German army to march over them. The action itself, however, had me completely distracted by the green-laser-beam effect from the bullets flying by. I thought the special effects guys on the new Star Wars movie were experimenting or something. There was also a great deal of computer-generated explosions that took away from the "old fashioned film-making."
Plus, I must say, in the post-"Saving Private Ryan" world of cinema, making a world war II movie any less unique is a near waste of time for filmmakers and audiences alike. - DirectorMichael BayStarsMark WahlbergNicola Peltz BeckhamJack ReynorWhen humanity allies with a bounty hunter in pursuit of Optimus Prime, the Autobots turn to a mechanic and his family for help.Well, I'm very proud to say that I have NOT gone to see the new "Transformers" movie. I'm SO proud that I don't even mind advertising it. Obviously, the flick doesn't need help advertising even the fact that it is literally IN...YOUR...FACE (although advertisements phrase it another way factoring in the 3D factor). I guess that helps get the attention of 'muricans, and even overseas, since the film has still managed to make $600,000,000.
That means that Michael Bay can say things like this:
“(People who criticize these movies) love to hate, and I don’t care; let them hate. They’re still going to see the movie! I think it’s good to get a little tension. Very good.”
Up until now, I was at the theaters for every Transformer movie in the first opening weekend. Up until now, I just hadn't realized I was part of the problem. See, I love to hate. I enjoy some enjoyable bad movies, especially when they hit cult status and they're a phenomenon of sorts. "Transformers" has been that...but the legacy...is a sad one.
You see, they spent $210,000,000 on this movie. That's a lot of money, but factoring the summer-tentpole-movie-factor, it was a pretty safe bet. Much like The Amazing Spider-Man 2, there isn't much of a bet. These movies are full of exciting explosions and well-shot action, but...and I'm guilty of seeing NEITHER of these movies, I believe I'm pretty safe in the "there's no content" bet. It saddens me, though.
Here's a test:
Go watch an episode of your favorite TV (not necessary for this test).
Make a bet and guess how much each episode costs to the producers.
Make a bet and guess how much a SEASON costs to producers.
I bet that YOUR favorite television show is cheaper than a Transformers movie.
I bet...that your FAVORITE television show...is a lot better, too.
I bet that's a pretty safe bet.
But what does that say about "Transformers?"
This summer...go see: "Boyhood."
"Chef" was really good, and it's already out...go see "Chef."
Check these movies out, too:
("Gone Girl" and "Guardians of the Galaxy" are my "tentpoles" of the year)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/01/2014-movies_n_5527949.html - DirectorSteven KnightStarsTom HardyOlivia ColmanRuth WilsonIvan Locke, a dedicated family man and successful construction manager, receives a phone call on the eve of the biggest challenge of his career that sets in motion a series of events that threaten his carefully cultivated existence.