Hot Fuzz

On a Scale of 1 to 10, with 10 Being the Best

8

Courtesy of Buzzfeed

Plot: An expert police officer from London is good, in fact he's too good. The police agency thinks that Nicholas Angel is showing everyone up so he is transferred from crime filled London to the quiet town of Sandford. The town is voted "Village of the Year" but there are numerous accidents that keep occurring in the town. Are they accidents or is Nicholas Angel paranoid? This is a brilliant comedy and detective movie if I ever saw one. Buddy Cop movie to the max!

Characters/Actors of Note:

Simon Pegg playing Nicholas Angel: The thing that I love the most about the "Cornetto Trilogy" is that each character is vastly different from one another. In this film, Mr. Pegg is a put together cop that has awkward interactions with the Sandford townies. He hands out tickets and arrests like there is no tomorrow. That is not the only characteristic that defines him as he has to learn how to have fun and make friends. I loved watching Nicholas Angel go from strict to a more fun loving person. It was adorable!

Nick Frost playing PC Danny Butterman: To every yin there is yang and Danny Butterman is that yang to Nick Angel's yin. Even though he is a great person, Danny Butterman is not a good cop but wants to be very badly. Danny loves cop movies and wants to do all the crazy action sequences he's seen. When first meeting Angel he bombards him with questions like, "Have you ever fired two guns whilst jumping through the air?" Eventually, we get to have all the satisfaction of a cop movie and some fuzzy feelings thanks to Mr. Frost. 

Music: The music is fun. The music comes off with some dance-y beats.The other instruments include a rock and roll guitar, keyboard, and vocals that sound like a British 60s band. I love the lyrics to the songs and how the lines in the movie are put into the music. It pushes the cutesy buddy cop movie theme again and again. Lovely!

Camera Work/Cinematography: The movie has well used cut and slow motion scenes. For whatever reason, I particularly liked the scene where they bought ice cream over and over. The slow motion made the film so funny and at the same time created tension. Even though blue ice cream was bought in the film, I don't feel like the color blue was that prominent. The colors were well used for mood however. There were bright colors for the town, and then dark colors for the realization of what was happening, and sort of a mix at the end. 

RECAP:

The plot to the film was fun and I actually did not see the end coming (for the most part). I loved how Nicholas Angel and Danny Butterman got to be good cops and have fun while doing it. The acting was good, the music was fun, and the camera work was well done. If you are looking for an excellent buddy cop movie, please watch this!

Courtesy of gamesrader.com

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Sucker Punch

On a Scale of 1 to 10, 10 Being the Best

10

Courtesy of Buzzfeed

Plot: A teenage girl, nicknamed Baby Doll, tries to protect her sibling from her abusive step-father but it goes horribly wrong. She is sent to a mental institution where she fantasizes of a two part world. The first is that she is not in a mental institution but a dance hall/brothel and the other world is where she and the other inmates fight all sorts of characters to free themselves of the mental institution. The movie is brilliantly made and well written. Two thumbs up!

Characters/Actors of Note:

Emily Browning playing Baby Doll: This character appears soft and delicate which of course makes her the most talented killer. All of the characters had intense weapon and body training to prepare themselves for their roles. Ms. Browning had most of the action sequences and was the leader of the girls. Even though she was quiet, she did not come off as shy. The watchers also are told that she is feisty and daring. I did not get this vibe but got the feeling that she was serious. These duel feelings may have been the angle that the director was after. 

Carla Gugino playing Dr. Vera Gorski: It is fun to see how Baby Doll's imagination changed some of the characters around. Gorski is the head psychiatrist in the mental institution who helps the inmates by having them act and sing. In the imagination of Baby Doll however, she is the dancing coach of the brothel and is second in command. This is to reflect that some shady nurses are going over her head and taking control of the inmates. Ms. Gugino has to switch personalities from reality to the imaginative. It was great to see the differences of personalities and the realization that occurred with this character. 

Oscar Issac playing Blue Jones: Blue Jones is a nurse that works in the institution but to the girls, is the pimp of the brothel. As a nurse he is a conniving and sniveling jerk who takes advantage of the defenseless. As head of the brothel he is a controlling and murderous psychopath. Once again we see a character that switches personalities. Mr. Isaac's performance makes the viewers automatically wary and afraid of him. At the end, we discover just exactly why he is portrayed as a pimp which makes the viewers sick. 

Music: The music is rock and roll to the max. There is screamo, slow rock songs, and an orchestra that uses guitars and brass. I love how they incorporate the dancing music to the battles. The songs can be listened to by themselves and are often really cool rock covers of famous songs. On top of that, you can listen to Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon to the film and it would fit perfectly. It is not often that the soundtrack of a movie can be that edgy and listenable. 

Camera Work/Cinematography: The movie was striking in many ways. First, the lines and blurriness worked very well together. To give a saddened look to the film, the film looked streaky as if it from water but at the same time the lines are clear enough to give it a sharpness. The colors being mostly grey and blue were well used to show the depression of the girls and the gravity of war. There was the added benefit of a steam punk aesthetic. The bad guys could be robots, people, or a combination of both. The clothes were also a cool combination of steam punk and battle clothes. It was an interesting choice and very much the right choice. It's not often that steam punk is put in films and on top of that, make so much sense. Even though the clothes are revealing it makes sense in that they reflect that the girls are vulnerable, especially to Blue Jones. 

RECAP: 

The acting was well done and the action scenes were amazing! The look of the film was new and edgy and awesome. The music makes the listener feel like they are at a rock concert. This movie is so different from the norm and it was done so well that it deserves applause. 

Courtesy of MoviePoster.com

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The Aviator

On a Scale of 1 to 10, with 10 Being the Best

5

Plot: The movie is based off of Howard Hughes' life beginning with his first directed film and ending with his court date with US government.  The film shows how Howard Hughes went from being a ambitious perfectionist to a paranoid and perverted man. The story is fascinating but I wished that there was more. The ending had me curious and had to look up more information.  

Characters/Actors of Note:

Leonardo DiCaprio playing Howard Hughes: It was amazing to see how Mr. DiCaprio could change from a young ambitious character to an old and extremely paranoid character. The body shapes and moods are so different from one another but it is understood that this is still Howard Hughes. Mr. DiCaprio was even nominated for an Oscar...but we all know how that ended up. Has DiCaprio ever let me down before? Great acting per usual. 

Cate Blanchett playing Katharine Hepburn: I first thought that Ms. Blanchett was being over the top but then I realized that Katharine Hepburn was really like that. Ms. Blanchett did extensive research into this part watching at least 10 of her films, taking cold showers, and playing sports as Hepburn did. She seemed odd but fun, just as Hepburn was. Ms. Blanchett was spot-on in this performance and won an Oscar for her work. 

Music: The movie takes place in the 30s and 40s and enjoyed how the music sounded like it came from that era. The jazz music in the beginning and even the orchestra for Hughes' actions were well done. The music had lots of brass which created as much tension as there was excitement. 

Camera Work/Cinematography: The movie was bright and the lines were done well. After reading some trivia about the film, I learned that Scorsese tried to make the film seem like it was in the 30s and 40s by using the same color format. He wanted to make the film seem as blurry as those films as well. I am glad that the blurriness was not added and personally did not notice the coloring until it was pointed out. The issue I had with the film is one of Scorsese's trademarks, which is rapid cut shots. If the point was to make the film seem 30s and 40s, how about using the same types of cuts and fading techniques used during that era? Did I like the way the film was done...for the most part yes. Did I think Scorsese achieved his 30s/40s look....no. 

RECAP:

The acting was spot-on and impressive. The music was perfect. The camera work was not done well but the cinematography was. The script could have used a better ending but the rest of the writing was good. It made me squirm, it made me think, and it made me sad. I thought about this film often afterwards just because it was so as disturbingly interesting. I recommend it. 

Courtesy of 411 Posters

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Mad Max: Fury Road

On a Scale of 1 to 10, with 10 Being the Best

7

Courtesy of Metapicture

Plot: In the future everyone is fighting for survival. The only things that are left are cars, water, and other people which are scarce and often abused. This film focuses on Furiosa who is trying to smuggle out the warlords wives and get to "the green place." On their way they meet Max who was kidnapped and used as a blood donor by the warlord party. Max is haunted by his past which causes him to hallucinate. It is an interesting story-line but I wish that the annunciation in the film was more clear so we could understand the story-line better. I have not watched the other Mad Max films but did not need to, to understand this film. 

Characters/Actors of Note: 

Tom Hardy playing Mad Max: Mr. Hardy had few lines in this film and despite the movie being named after him, isn't the main character. Max does come to save the day in the end and is a huge help but is forced to come along with the crew. He was more of a reluctant hero. I would say that Mr. Hardy did a nice job of being the silent tough guy but how hard could that be to do? 

Hugh Keays-Byrne playing Immortan Joe: This villain was perfect. Immortan Joe is the warlord that has been abusing his power of the people by taking away their water, having multiple wives, and kidnapping strangers to be blood donors to his suicidal army. Immortan Joe tracks his missing wives and risks many of his soldiers lives to do so. Mr. Keays-Byrne does an excellent job of keeping his control while also being desperate; it could be compared to his own costume which makes him appear powerful but is hiding the fact that it is keeping him alive. Nice balance was given to this character.

Charlize Theron playing Imperator Furiosa: As stated before, Furiosa is more of the main character of this film. She is the one that smuggled out the wives, got Max to help her, and kicks many butts. Ms. Theron did a fine job being tough. The language she uses with the wives is in the same tone she uses with the riders. The wives seem intimidated by her but Furiosa obviously cares for all the characters and what she is doing. Ms. Theron balances out her roughness with her empathy well in this film. 

*I was happy to find out that Eve Ensler helped write many of the female roles. I commend the writing of these characters as they weren't just the normal damsels in distress.

Music: The music involves a lot of drums and brass which surprised me as I felt that there was a lot of guitar while watching the film. The movie sounds like rock and roll with a mixture of horror. Junkie XL or Tom Holkenborg was in charge of this music and has done a lot with horror films. Despite me hating horror films I thought that this score was well done. 

Camera Work/Cinematography: Wow, wow, wow was this done so beautifully. Many apocalypse films often use dusty or grey colors but this was not that kind of film. The director stated he was tired of dystopian films done in this matter and remarked that desert people often find beauty in their land. There were tons of colors and wonderful effects in this film. Most of the scenes were not made from CGI which will help the film keep it's beauty longer. My favorite scene was the desert storm scene which used lively blues, reds, and oranges along with bright lightning strikes. I also loved the camera angles as it still gave the effect of fast and crazy without straying from the characters. Often action movies are so involved with fist fights and sprawling that they take away the focus from the faces but this film stayed with the characters.  The costumes and make-up were fantastic for this film as they used representational colors and incorporated the level everyone was at from the "well-treated" wives to the dirty car riders. The use of chrome was clever as it added cult-like beliefs along with some brightness to the film. The pull way from the greatness is the speediness looked very similar to a Baz Luhrmann film, which gave it a sort of cartoonish vibe. The vibrant hallucinations and even the credits seemed a bit over the top as well. 

RECAP:

The plot was well done but the words were so mangled in the film that I lost parts of the story. Since there was hardly any dialogue I will take that every line in this film was important, if only I could hear it. The acting was well done. The music was fine and the cinematography was great. It is a good action film but thanks to it's cinematography, is a great one despite it being a bit over-the-top. 

Courtesy of IndieWire

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Snowpiercer

On a Scale of 1 to 10, with 10 Being the Best

8

Plot: Due to the fear of global warming, it is decided to put a chemical in the atmosphere that will cool down the Earth. The problem is that the plan worked too well and the entire globe is now a winter wasteland. To survive, people buy tickets onto a train or others beg to be let on to live. A class system is soon implemented and the poorest of travelers are tired of being treated so horribly; after 17 years of bad treatment they decide to fight their way to the front of the train. This is based off of a graphic novel Le Transperceneige by Jean-Marc Rochette and Jacques Lob. It strays significantly from the graphic novel so keep that in mind. 

Characters/Actors of Note:

Chris Evans playing Curtis: It took me a second to realize Chris Evans was in this film, as in The Avengers and Fantastic Four, Chris Evans. I have to admit that I thought Mr. Evans was a superficial actor but this movie completely changed my mind. The character of Curtis is the leader of the charge to get to the front of the train but often states he does not want to be the leader. I thought this character was going to be flat but the last monologue that Mr. Evans performed could make anyone stomach churn and jaw drop. The performance that Mr. Evans gave was stunning and I apologize for ever thinking that he was just acting for the money. Excellent, excellent acting. 

Ah-sung Ko playing Yona: Ms. Ko plays a teenager, Yona, who is intelligent and telepathic. Due to her foresight she can help the team of lower-class citizens get to the front of the train. Yona is a bit bizarre but not over the top. Ms. Ko did a great job with this character as she was innocent, curious, and determined. I thought this was by far one of the most interesting characters I have watched in a long time. I applaud both the writing and the acting for this character. 

Octavia Spencer playing Tanya: It can't be denied that the passion that was put into this character was powerful. Tanya is a mother who is looking for her son and even though she wasn't the only one doing this, her performance was the most gripping. Ms. Spencer may have had more of a "minimal" character but she gave it her all. Ms. Spencer adds so much heart in her characters that it is impossible to look away. Amazing performance. 

Tilda Swinton playing Mason: Mason is supposed to maintain order among the lower-class and often gives out harsh punishments. She also has a cult-like love for the train conductor and believes that all the orders given by the conductor are like sacred law. Ms. Swinton has been known to play villains that are rather frightening but this character was bizarre and also naive. It was interesting to see this character accept everything she was told and would be so harsh to others because of that. Ms. Swinton gave the film a different vibe and also caused tension. Nice job. 

Music: Not a big fan of this aspect. The sound of the film is brash and techno-like. There were violins, bells, and cellos that made a deep and menacing tone. I suppose that the film is supposed dark and perhaps introspective but when I listen to the music, it sounds like it is trying to be sarcastic or ironic. I didn't like the mood that the music was trying to portray. Overall, I thought the music was done rather poorly. 

Camera Work/Cinematography: I wish that this movie could have been done in high-definition but the work done in this film was really good. The effects of snow, bullets, and frostbite were excellent. I loved the transition from orange and black in the back of the train, to white and colorful in the middle of the train, back to the darkness in the front of the train. The colors in the film were representational, which is hardly used in film, and I love it that they director chose to do that. Some annoyances were the translators, a cool idea but the captions were inconsistent. The camera angles were also odd. The shots varied from fast cuts, to slow motion, to a strange zooming feature. It wasn't distracting from the film but I felt that it was out of place. 

RECAP:

The acting was GREAT for this film along with the writing. The camera work could have been improved but the colors were well-used. The music was not fitting of the film and the biggest downfall of the film. This movie would appeal to those that love watching relationships, apocalypse films, or psychological thrillers. 

Courtesy of ChickFlix

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Chef

On a Scale of 1 to 10, with 10 Being the Best

5

Courtesy of Buzzfeed

Plot: A short tempered chef loses his job at a restaurant when he refuses to cook the same boring meal. Chef Carl Casper then tries to reconnect with his son and reclaim his original cooking creativity. The movie has a heavy focus on social media and how it can help and hurt a person. I wished that the script would move straight into him getting his food truck as it took almost half the movie to get there. I also thought the ending of the film was a bit hokey. Overall, the film is not bad. 

Characters/Actors of Note:

Jon Favreau playing Chef Carl Casper: This character is short tempered and selfish but in the end becomes more involved with his family. It was fun to see him cook and how he related to others. I also loved how the character knew he was good at cooking and saw it as an outlet to reach others. I was disappointed in that the character of Carl Casper still couldn't handle criticism at the end of the film. I think being an artist in any field means you get both good and bad reviews and you accept it and move on, but this character broods on the bad criticism clear to the end. The character would have been more of a hero if he was humble. Not to mention that Carl Casper knew the food wasn't good and was still mad about the review. It is interesting to note that Mr. Favreau also directed and wrote this film, which takes a lot of talent. 

Emjay Anthony playing Percy: Percy is the son of Carl Casper who teaches him about social media. The son was well portrayed, as most teenage boys bottle up their feelings. Percy doesn't tell his father how he feels about being pushed aside or how he feels about the divorce. I thought that Mr. Anthony did an excellent job portraying such a shy character that was also in awe of his father and being in new places. He showed genuine surprise and happiness which was fun to watch. 

Sofia Vergara playing Inez: Inez is the ex-wife of Carl who pushes him to better himself. She was the one that really connected Percy and Carl, not to mention got Carl a new job, and a new food truck. Ms. Vergara is like the guardian angel who is looking out for everyone in the film. Ms. Vergara plays a lovable and clever person and is the thread that kept this movie together. 

Music: The music was fun to listen to and even sing-a-long with. The music reflected the part of the country they were in at that moment and the silliness of the characters. It was fun and even cheerful. Well done. 

Camera Work/Cinematography: The film looks a bit like a made-for-TV-movie which isn't bad but it isn't IMAX quality either. The movie probably had a low budget but the film still looked nice. The camera angles were well used and the colors were vibrant. The food looked delectable as well. I liked the inclusion of the tweets on screen but I couldn't read them. I was even watching it on a big screen TV and the print was far too small. The point could have been that Twitter was helping them and not to read them...but I would have enjoyed reading what everyone said, especially the son's tweets. 

RECAP:

The acting was not bad, the music was fun, and the camera angles were well used. The print on screen was far too small and the plot was weakened by the pride of Carl Casper and also by the ending. The end was like a fairy tale in that "everyone lived happily ever after" but I would have preferred if they ended the film at the last food truck scene. It also took a long time for Carl to actually get the food truck and admit he needed help. However, the film is fun to watch so I would recommend watching it at least once. 

Courtesy of Joblo

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The Wind Rises

On a Scale of 1 to 10, with 10 Being the Best

7

Courtesy of Buzzfeed

Plot: This last Hayao Miyazaki film is about story about a man's life who always loved airplanes. Due to his poor eyesight, Jiro, decides to design airplanes instead. The movie follows along his hopes, his love life, and his literal dreams during the 1920s until the end of WWII. This film is more serious than the other Miyazaki films and has basically no crazy creatures but is still lovely to watch.

Characters/Actors of Note: *English Dubbed Cast*

Joseph Gordon-Levitt playing Jiro Horikoshi: I enjoy Mr. Gordon-Levitt's acting and this film was perfect for his voice. Jiro is a serious fellow that loves his work and the soft and somewhat monotone voice that Mr. Gordon-Levitt gave this character was lovely. I really enjoyed the performance and give it a thumbs up.

Stanley Tucci has Caproni: The extraordinary talented Mr. Tucci once again did his magic on movies. I was surprised to read in the credits that Tucci was the voice. Caproni is the airplane designer that Jiro only talks to in dreams and leads Jiro to success. The accent and joy that he gave this character was GREAT. Mr. Tucci gave a nice fatherly tone to Caproni and was such a nice supporting character. 

Emily Blunt playing Nahoko Satomi: Ms. Blunt also surprised me when I found out she was the voice. Ms. Blunt has also shown her great versatility in films and she was wonderful in this film as well. Nahoko plays the love interest for Jiro and compliments him to a T. She is also a soft spoken person who thoroughly loves her work, which is painting. She is also a huge supporter to Jiro and loves him more than many could understand. Ms. Blunt's characterization of this was what we needed from the film that was getting a bit too heavy. Nicely done. 

Music: The music was the typical Miyazaki sound which is kind of a folky sound. It was as if I was listening to a charming folk song from Italy. There were guitars and accordions for the lower parts of the film, tubas and accordions for the silly parts, and the piano for the sad moments. I did not notice the music at times because it was so well fleshed into the film. Everyone had their own theme song as well, which I wish were included in films more often. A person could hear a few bars from the song and have a picture in their mind on who was supposed to be on screen. 

Camera Work/Cinematography: This is by far one of the most well illustrated animated film I have seen. The shadows, reflections, and glares from glass were all included and the colors were vibrant. Whenever I saw a person wearing a kimono in the film, it grabbed my eye instantaneously and ooheed and ahhed a great deal. The issue I had with this movie is that there was not a clear cut from dream and reality. Perhaps that is the way it was supposed to appear but it caused confusion at times. Whenever Caproni showed up, I got so excited because I thought Jiro had finally met his idol...only to realize he was dreaming again. They cut to the dreams and reality too fast and wish they would have done something to signal to me that they were changing the setting. Usually in films where the characters age they jump time periods too fast, I did not feel this way in this film.  

RECAP:

The casting was spot-on, the music was great, and the animation was stunning. The issue I had was with the dream sequences as they seemed to jump in and out so fast. I also wish the story, how do I say this, not necessarily shorter but perhaps more urgency? Maybe not even that but something to be a little snappier? It just seemed a bit slow. (Sorry to the big anime fans!) Another fact about the film is that Jiro is designing airplanes to fight the USA, and I found myself conflicted. On one hand I wanted to cheer on Jiro and on the other hand, I didn't want him to fight the USA. Despite these two things, I did think that it was still a nice film to watch. 

Courtesy of dramafever.com

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Jurassic World

On a Scale of 1 to 10, with 10 Being the Best

5

Courtesy of Buzzfeed

Plot: A theme park has genetically engineered carnivorous dinosaurs. What could go wrong? Well, science could once again try to outdo itself. This new Jurassic Park movie has a new scientist whose job is to keep the park going. All is well in the security department until they engineer a dinosaur that is part T-Rex and part every other bad decision which makes it stronger, smarter, and harder to kill. I think it's good for the thrills but the added plot points are disappointing. (At one point they try to add in a story-line of the kids parent's divorcing...people are dying, I do not care.) As always, the original is better. 

Characters/Actors of Note:

Bryce Dallas Howard playing Claire: I was a bit wary of this character at first but I liked how strong she was in the film. Ms. Howard was a business woman who learned how to focus more on family. She was also able to out-run a dinosaur in heels. Where I was disappointed was how everyone treated her. Her nephews thought that her "boyfriend" was stronger than she was, her sister said she should start a family, and everyone else called her a control freak. Give a girl a break! She's been running a successful theme park of dangerous dinosaurs for years now. I thought her emotions that she used were understandable and I liked how professional she seemed throughout the film.

Chris Pratt playing Owen: Mr. Pratt plays the man who has been training raptors and sort-of a dinosaur expert. As much as I love Christ Pratt, I didn't think he fit the film well. The reason being that he often talked about how the dinosaurs thought and worked in a nice way, but then added this weird level of sarcasm. His "tough guy" attitude was strange too. It seemed so cliche to have him beat dinosaurs and then flirt with the main girl. He watched 10 people die and he's relatively undeterred? Try again. 

Irrfan Khan playing Simon Masrani: When I saw Mr. Khan, I was so excited! I loved his character in Life of Pi and looked forward to seeing his character. Simon Masrani is the head of Jurassic World and is the one that orders for bigger and scarier dinosaurs. Mr. Khan added the curiosity to the film and even talked about important the human quality was to the park. Of course, he was all in for the fun and not the true reality of dinosaurs which gets him into trouble. I do wish that the character was a bit smarter and was in the film more. SPOILER ALERT: move on to the next item if you don't want to be ruined. I wish he would have survived the film just so we could see the moment where he learned his lesson or seen more of his curiosity. 

Music: They had the original score to the movie which is iconic of course! I thought the volumes were done well and the surprising moments were well orchestrated. 

Camera Work/Cinematography: Since Spielberg did not direct this film (darn it) it did not have the iconic shots. There could have been more mouth dropping moments but instead it was more horror-like. There was a lot of dinosaurs biting into people, blood dripping, and hiding behind cars than I would have imagined. The suspense could have been built better if it was done in a different way. I will admit it got boring after a bit because you knew who was going to die next. The animation was well done for the dinosaurs and the park looked very nice. Thumbs up for design, thumbs down for creativity. 

RECAP:

Music was excellent and everything else was okay. Mr. Pratt's character was too cliche, Ms. Howard's character was never given a break, the plot was mediocre, and the camera work wasn't creative. As a movie by itself, it's interesting but cliche. I would support watching this film just because it's another Jurassic Park and dinosaurs are cool, otherwise not much to brag about. 

Courtesy of Geektryant.com

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Captain Phillips

On a Scale of 1 to 10, with 10 Being the Best

5

Courtesy of Buzzfeed

Plot: A boat is headed around Africa to deliver food and supplies to poor people. Along the way, the cargo ship is followed and boarded by Somali pirates. The movie is based off of true events but apparently many of the items that happened were left out, which makes sense when the incident took five days and the movie is two hours long.

Characters/Actors of Note:

Tom Hanks as Captain Phillips: Mr. Hanks actually looks like the real Captain Phillips and I thought the portrayal was nicely done. Mr. Hanks could be stern and also feeling which I thought was a great balance. It was not overdone as I was expecting, good job. 

Barkhad Abdi as Muse: As the lead pirate of the story, I thought that Mr. Adbi did a wonderful job. I was impressed how he showed the desperate motives of Muse without harping on them. The balance he gave as a leader and as a worker for the Somali bad guys was also well done. This was his first film and was impressed. The one issue I had is that Muse was supposed to be 18 when this event occurred and I think Mr. Adbi was a bit old to be playing him.

Music: The music in the film was so stressful! I felt my heart beat out of my chest for a majority of the film and just wanted to take a break. It was mostly brass which made me think that Hans Zimmer did the music for the film. I was surprised to see that it was Henry Jackman. (It is noted in the credits that Hans Zimmer did help and I bet he was the one that offered the brass idea.)

Camera Work/Cinematography: The director tried to make this movie seem like a documentary with the camera shaking and quick cuts to other people. I personally hated that very much. It was hard to get into the film when I felt like I was being thrown all over the place. Two big thumbs down in this aspect.

RECAP:

The movie is pretty close to the actual events and the acting was well done. I did not like the music or the camera work as they both were huge distractions. They gave more anxiety to the situation which I am not sure was needed. The story itself was frightening enough and did not need the extra push. I would recommend the film only if you want to learn more about the story, otherwise prepare for a lot of stress.  

Courtesy of christianmediamagazine.com

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Milk

On a Scale of 1 to 10, with 10 Being the Best

8

Courtesy of Buzzfeed

Plot: A gay hippie and his boyfriend move to California where they work on equal rights for gay people. As tensions rise across the US to oppress homosexuals in the workplace, Harvey Milk decides to step up and be the first openly gay government official. This biopic follows Harvey Milk's love affairs, the influence he had on others, and his work in California.

Characters/Actors of Note:

Sean Penn as Harvey Milk: Mr. Penn did a phenomenal job portraying such a loving and kind person as Harvey Milk, which surprised me since Mr. Penn has such a violent and crude history. I can't deny that his portrayal was done very well including voice and looks. Despite Mr. Penn being a horrible human being, his acting skills can't be denied. 

James Franco as Scott Smith: I didn't find Mr. Franco that believable as Scott Smith. Scott Smith is Milk's longtime boyfriend but I just kept thinking that it was James Franco on the screen and couldn't break from it. I felt that Mr. Franco could have more emotional connection. He just fell flat. 

Josh Brolin as Dan White: Mr. Brolin played the politician that tried to work with Harvey Milk but eventually turned his back to him. I thought the struggle that Mr. Brolin portrayed was evident throughout the film. He went from hating homosexuals to accepting them and then hating Milk on a political level. He even showed how sneaky and desperate he was in small ways. The acting done here was well-done.

Music: The music in the film kind of sounded like a music box. It was light and refreshing and I loved that. There were violins and pianos that gave such a soulful beautiful tone. Danny Elfman was the orchestrator and I couldn't be happier with that choice.

Camera Work/Cinematography: I loved the work that they did in this film. They used film that looked exactly like the real video clips from the 1970s. I noticed lots of white in the film and loved it. The filmmaker did a great job capturing moods from the colors and angles. The final scene with Milk was done in such a poetic way. Really superb job here. The make-up and costumes were exceptional as well.

RECAP:

This movie was accurate to the history of Harvey Milk. The acting was well done by Mr. Penn and Mr. Brolin but I felt that the supporting characters were not as strong (except Emile Hirsch, he was very good). The music fit perfectly for Harvey Milk's character. The cinematography was superb as well. I think it is a wonderful biopic that is still relevant today.

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After the Dark

On a Scale of 1 to 10, with 10 Being the Best

7

Courtesy of sbnation.com

Plot: A philosophy class' final is to decide who will live and who will die in a three different hypothetical apocalypse situation. There is also a romance between two of the students who are the best in the class and the professor tries to pin them against each other. This movie is great for making you think but also has lovely humorous moments. I found this movie very entertaining and interesting and recommend it to others.

Characters/Actors:

Sophie Lowe playing Petra: The only issue I had with this movie is the acting; Ms. Lowe is the main character in this film and she is the main culprit. The way she portrayed her character was soft and submissive, something that makes her character suffer. Since she is the smartest in the class and ends up being the leader and I found her attitude annoying. She just wasn't assertive enough to be a real leader. She also has to face a tug-of-war scenario and she does not give a single care about it and I felt that she could have given some emotion there. 

James D'Arcy playing Mr. Zimit: Mr. D'Arcy plays his character well. Mr. Zimit is a jerk of a professor who loves to stir the pot and make a bad situation even worse. He's also got a secret which we find out at the end between him and Petra. I thought his performance was well done.

Bonnie Wright playing Georgina: Ms. Wright's character is not a pivotal person in the film but loved her character. Georgina has the most leadership out of all the students and is very smart. Ms. Wright also has a soft voice but is assertive enough to tell off Mr. Zimit. I wish that Ms. Wright played Petra instead.

Music: The movie uses lots of brass. It was used well and I enjoyed it.

Cinematography/Camera Work: The movie appeared to be in high definition. The colors and lines were sharp. They also used slow motion often in the film but I thought it was used well. Good work here.

RECAP:

The movie is entertaining and it looks nice. I felt that Ms. Lowe was not assertive enough but the other actors do a fairly good job. The reason I did not rate it higher is because I would laugh at how ridiculous some of it was or how awkward. There is a scene where they have to decide who will repopulate the human race, and it is a serious discussion, but I couldn't stop laughing. I would recommend watching it and hope you enjoy this film.

Courtesy of Pinterest

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Mommie Dearest

On a Scale of 1 to 10, with 10 Being the Best

4.5

Courtesy of Buzzfeed

Plot: This is the story of Joan Crawford and her abusive relationship with her daughter Christina Crawford. It starts when Joan Crawford adopted Christina up until Joan dies. I was told that this movie is pretty traumatic but I was surprised. There was a lot of mental abuse but the way it was described to me was that Joan Crawford beat her kids often, but there was only one case of that in the film. It is hard to watch but most of the time it was infuriating. I also found that it lacked the brother's side of the story. He also lived with Joan Crawford but his abuse was not documented in the film. Many people have watched this film and I have even heard the term, "Her mom as a real 'Mommie Dearest'." It does have relevance in our culture. It is based off the novel with the same title.

Characters/Actors: 

Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford: I thought that Ms. Dunaway was overacting. She characterized Joan Crawford in a way that seemed so fake. It almost felt that she was trying to be one of those bad 1950 actors. It was uncomfortable watching her because she was so borderline cheesy the entire time. Whenever she delivered a cruel line, I never thought that she delivered it well but thought about how Joan Crawford really said these things. I felt that Ms. Dunaway was more of a middle person. She told the story of Joan but did not embody Joan. 

Diana Scarwid as Christina Crawford: Ms. Scarwid did a pretty average job. I liked her acting performance more than Ms. Dunaway's as she seemed to try to really imagine how it was. I could sense her trying, though. It wasn't completely believable but wasn't awful. 

Mara Hobel as Young Christina Crawford: Ms. Hobel was by far the best actress in the film. Her grasp on the emotion of the film was much better than the other's. I could have been because her real innocence as a child could be seen in her portrayal of Christina. I was impressed with how intelligent Christina was and how she understood fairness, even if the adults around her did not. Spot on performance here.

Music: The music used many violins and brass which added to the drama. It's not iconic in anyway but does it's part well.

Cinematography/Camera Work: There were several errors I noticed in the movie that just made it seem sloppy. It's ironic because Joan Crawford was such a neat freak (emphasis on freak). I remember specifically in one scene where a waiter hit a glass of pop and it almost fell off the table. The fight scene was also done poorly. Everything seemed so fake as well. When I saw the house in the movie my first thought was, "That's a nice set." I did not think, "This is a nice house." I also hated the make-up on Ms. Dunaway, mostly for her lips. Joan Crawford had these strange thick lips but to hide that Ms. Dunaway didn't have the same lips, just added more lipstick. Not convincing. The camera work was fine. It had good angles, close-ups, and distance shots that worked nicely.

RECAP:

Camera work was done well but everything was pretty bad. The only good acting came from the young Christina and the music did it's part. I think this movie is good to watch to understand that even picturesque family's have dark stains and how abuse works in a family. 

Courtesy of Etsy

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Dear White People

On a Scale of 1 to 10, with 10 Being the Best

5

Image courtesy of http://cool-whipfree.blogspot.com/

Plot: The story takes place at a prestigious school and focuses on four African American students. The movie talks about the ways that black people are oppressed, how racism still exists, and how black people react to a dominant white culture. I was glad to watch this film as I wanted to learn this perspective. My wish for this film was that it would have been more hard hitting. I was under the impression that the movie was about Sam White's radio show but it ended up being about a racist party at the end of the film. The movie could have been more hard hitting if they could have focused more on day-to-day racist actions than the party at the end.

Characters/Actors of Note:

Tessa Thompson playing Sam White: I think Ms. Thompson did a wonderful job with the character Sam White and found it believable until later (which I will get to). This character was fire and brimstone about equal rights and I loved it. She was the character throughout the film explaining how black people are oppressed at her school (and our everyday lives) and how others reacted to it. Halfway through the film we find out her true nature and how she is so overbearing because she is covering up this truth. This disappointed me as she was such a powerful character at the start. The acting was good the writing was not. 

*Note there were many other characters in this film that were written to demonstrate a point. They seemed flat though and not note worthy.*

Music: The music was new and up-beat. Sometimes it seemed to go well and others I found that it stuck out to the point of distraction. It would make for great music on your own Itunes but perhaps not this film. There was one song that they play repeatedly and I hated that. So it had good music but not fitting.

Cinematography/Camera Work: The definition in the movie was nice and it looked crisp and clean. The problem was the choppiness. The movie would intermediately cut off to a bright colored background with black letters. It drove me NUTS. It took me forever that it is supposed to be chapters from Sam White's book, in fact someone had to explain it to me. These cards also cut-off the flow from the film. So the movie looked choppy and it was probably solely due to these cards.

RECAP: 

Music was excellent as a soundtrack but not fitting for the film. The look of this film was nice except that it was chopped up to bits by those cards. Ms. Thompson was by far the best actress and the others were flat. The biggest flaw was the writing. This film had the chance to hit everyone with the facts that African Americans are facing oppression in small ways almost everyday. That chance fell through when they focused on a racist party and let their leading lady become passive towards the end. I appreciate this movie nonetheless and thought it wasn't too bad. 

Image Courtesy of http://www.refinery29.com/

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Imitation Game

On a Scale of 1 to 10 with 10 Being the Best

8

Courtesy of Pinterest

Plot: A meticulous intelligent man decides to work for the British Government during World War II. His goal is to break the best coding machine in the world owned by the Nazis called enigma. Alan Turing is a mathematician who has only loved his work and his childhood friend. He has to learn to work with others, how to build the world's first computer, and dealing with the British Government's laws on homosexuality. I thought it was a good film and then the water works came out of me during one of the closing scenes. This is based off of the sad true story of a great man who died far too soon.

Characters/Actors of Note:

Benedict Cumberbatch playing Alan Turing: I thought that Mr. Cumberbatch did such a great job with this movie. His mannerisms, speech, and attitude was so believable and touching. The scene that Mr. Cumberbatch cries, I too cried. Crying is not something I do often and tried to hold back. It was just not possible to hold back the feelings though. The amount of research he did and the emotion he could evoke from me was simply amazing. Superb job. 

Keira Knightley playing Joan Clarke: Ms. Knightley also did a superb job in this film. Her character not only had the stress of breaking enigma but had to deal with the sexism at the time. She was told not to do math as it was a male profession and when she got the job, she was told to quit to get married. There is a great scene with Ms. Knightley and Mr. Cumberbatch where he wants her to leave. She demands to stay saying, "This work is the most important thing I will ever do." She was such a powerful presence on the screen and her lines were just so beautifully delivered. Two thumbs up.

Music: The music was intriguing. They made the music sound like a computer working. I love the piano and the strings that they used. A lot of thought went into orchestrating the soundtrack, which is perfect for a movie about breaking codes. It is a bit slow in parts. Perhaps because computers were slow back then and they are trying to imitate that? (No pun intended.) The pace could have quickened.

Camera Work/Cinematography: This is where the movie suffered. There were many weird unnecessary cuts in the film. They included black and white film of prestigious leaders and how the war affected the English populace but then they included (or should I say tried to include) special effects. The special effects were just awful. They looked bulky and out of place especially when they had scenes with the black and white film with the special effects right after. It was cheesy looking to have both in the film. If those special effects and black and white film were cut, nothing would be lost to the audience. It would have been better without them. The majority of the film was done in a high definition way (much like Unbroken) with heavy tints of black and red. I would say that the film needed more brown and yellows. I would also say the filming should have been done more like Cinderella Man.

RECAP:

This movie is educating, heart wrenching, and beautifully acted. It suffers in cinematography but the music is not too bad. The story was well written and true to form according to Alan Turing's family. A great World War II movie to watch with anybody, not just the hard-core war fans.

Courtesy of mrssmaug.tumblr.com

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Nightcrawler

On a Scale of 1 to 10 with 10 Being the Best

7.5

Plot: Holy mother of plot twists was this movie a roller coaster! The movie is about a man who is barely above the poverty line and he often steals in order to live but wants better. One day he is driving back from selling his stolen goods when he sees a car accident with paramedics near by. He pulls over to watch, when a camera crew pulls up and films. The crew calls up a station when he overhears that they are going to be paid up to $300. That is when our character Louis Bloom buys a camera and starts his own filming. The movie shows the underbelly of how news crews get their film and how far some people will go to get paid.

Characters/Actors of Note:

Jake Gyllenhaal playing Louis Bloom: I sort of got the Donnie Darko vibe from Mr. Gyllenhaal except in this film he was even more of a sociopath. I loved the build that Mr. Gyllenhaal gave this character. It was creepy, it was exciting, and just floor-stomping terrifying. The movie starts with Louis cutting a fence to sell to a construction crew and has a confrontation with a guard, keep this scene in mind as it states who Louis really is. I was pleasantly shocked by how good the writing was for this film and how well it was portrayed. 

Rene Russo playing Nina Romina: Ms. Russo plays Louis' boss and loves his film. Her contract is almost up for the company and needs the ratings to be up. She is desperate to keep her job but still keeps the appearance of being the woman in charge. The last line she has left me gaping like a fish. I loved how she owned her character. The portrayal was so believable and her energy was nice. The bite that she gives to the film is as scary as it is necessary. Nicely done. 

Riz Ahmed playing Rick: Mr. Ahmed plays Louis' apprentice who has low-confidence. His low-confidence made him appear pathetic and small. Later, when he tries to be more confident, he still has some slight struggle. The handle of his character was well understood. There was a point where I wondered how he was going to handle the climatic scene and was left gasping. I wish that the movie could have shown more into his life and the struggle he dealt with on a daily basis with Louis. What Mr. Ahmed was given was done perfectly though.

Music: The music in the movie was glued together well. The times that I noticed it I thought were perfect and blended well with the film. I was glad that there wasn't a blaring of brass but instead violins, guitars, and chimes. They used silence in the movie to their advantage. I am often surprised when I watch an action scene and was so into it, that I didn't notice the music. In this movie, I was so into the scenes that I didn't notice the silence. This was done well. 

Camera Work/Cinematography: I will start with the negatives and go to the positives. I thought the darkness was overused and could have used another color undertone. Also, the cuts were pretty sharp and sometimes too fast. I think that the camera could have lingered longer on facial expressions and the surroundings. The part I did like was how they displayed the shots that Louis did. They did not show the audience anything until it reached the news room. This built suspense and also showed me one thing. Throughout the movie, I was shocked and disgusted at what these people did but when it came to Louis' shots, I wanted to know what was happening. The director, Dan Gilroy, stated that was his purpose actually. Not to show how bad news companies are but to question why people watch it.

RECAP:

The script was interesting and the way the suspense was built in the film was jaw-dropping. I thought the acting was well done. Music was not overbearing or too loud. The color of the film was pretty dark and the editing was done too fast. Great movie to watch if you are looking for a suspense-thriller. 

Courtesy of shortlist.com

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Big Eyes

On a Scale of 1 to 10, with 10 Being the Best

6

Courtesy of javasbachelorpad.com
Painted by Margaret Keane

Plot: A woman leaves her husband to go to the West Coast to earn a living for her daughter. On the side, she tries to sell her paintings which are typically children and animals with large eyes. One day, at an art fair, she meets a smooth talking man and they fall in love. As the story progresses, her second husband tries to sell her art but with the idea that he painted them and not her as "people don't buy lady art." This is based off the true story of Margaret Keane and her relationship with her abusive husband Walter Keane. According to my research, the movie stays true to the story. It is interesting to watch but I found the story-line predictable. The script writing could have been improved.

Characters/Actors of Note:

Amy Adams playing Margaret Keane: Ms. Adams has stated that she enjoys playing "happy characters." Margaret Keane should not have been played as a happy character. Mrs. Keane has stated that she was afraid for her life when she was around her husband and I found that Ms. Adams did not portray that well. Instead, she tried to bring her quiet nature as sort of the "brightness" of Mrs. Keane's life. I believe that a hint of darkness could have been better incorporated by Ms. Adams because frankly, the situation was pretty dark. The acting was not terrible by any means but I think that the situation was not captured well. 

Christoph Waltz playing Walter Keane: As usual, Mr. Waltz plays a villain that is smooth as he is terrifying. Right off the bat, I knew that Mr. Waltz was going to snap just because he was cast in the film. I wish that they would have shown more of his infidelity side. He was often seen with women but I could have used a scene to actually understand his sleezy nature. They portrayed his business persona well though. To state again, the acting was not bad at all, but there was tweaking to be done.

Music: I did not notice the orchestral music much in this film to be honest. Though the songs that were included, I did enjoy. The one song I liked the best was by Lana Del Rey written specifically for the film. I think that this aspect was pretty well done. No complaints here. 

Camera Work/Cinematography: The aging and cutting in the movie was not done very well. I felt there could have been a better flow between shots and the time laps were confusing. Granted, there were years that would pop-up at the bottom of the screen but it did not feel like 10 years had passed in the movie. The look of the movie was brightly colored and withheld its sharpness. There were digitally added "big eyes" in the film at times which I felt were not done well. They looked blurry and sometimes off center. The concept was nice but the execution fell through. The editing was just done poorly.

RECAP:

I think that the story itself is interesting but the way it was written made it easily predictable. The editing was not done well. The acting was not bad but there could have been better character development. Music was pretty good. You may not be blown away by this movie but I would say watch it for the interesting true-life story-line. 

Courtesy of Time.com

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Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

On a Scale of 1 to 10, with 10 Being the Best

9

Courtesy of Domenic Bahmann 

Plot: An aging actor, Riggan, decides to try a risky project. He will direct, write, and act in a production based off of a book but everything does not go the way he wants. Riggan also deals with his drug-addicted daughter.Throughout the movie he is badgered by a voice in his head to go back to his easy money making project of Birdman, a superhero franchise that he did several movies for. The movie is about what "real" acting is compared to Hollywood acting and what it takes to make art.

Characters/Actors of Note:

Michael Keaton playing Riggan: What can I say about Mr. Keaton? I guess I can start with that I am glad he agreed to do this film! When I watched this with my roommate, she stated that he probably saw Batman within this movie. In an interview with NPR, he even stated that he did. The acting job in this movie was incredibly hard as he had to be Riggan, then the "Actor Riggan," then the "Birdman Riggan." He also had to deal with telekinetic powers, being powerless, and being selfish. Not to mention the way the movie is filmed is unusual. They would film for 40 minutes straight and if someone messed up, they had to start the entire scene over. Talk about tough. I thought the performance was incredible and definitely Oscar worthy.

Emma Stone playing Sam: I didn't know that Ms. Stone was in this film until she appeared on screen. She gave an interesting perspective to the movie. She is able to connect the ideas of the Hollywood ideal to the real acting ideal. Her character also reminds the audience what is valuable and, to the other characters, she shows what is actually seen by the general public. She comes off so cool and she has this persona that was very different for her. I was so glad she was in this film.

Edward Norton playing Mike: This character was goofy and shocking and just what was needed. Mr. Norton's character often stated that the truth was the most exciting thing in the world. Like Ms. Stone's character, he brought up what was really seen but only according to the "real theatre people." His character was not in the movie often but when he was there he was surprising. I thought this character was well-used and well-done.

Music: Generally, I do not like the sound of the drum. I find the drum to be loud and abrasive but in this movie it was incredibly perfect. I thought it was creative and, in some scenes, surprisingly fun! Listening to the soundtrack, it does not sound like much but the music was used just so darn well. It was well tailored to the film. I was just so impressed with how innovative they were with the use of drums.

Camera Work/Cinematography: The. Directing. Style. Was. Awesome. As mentioned earlier, they would film a scene without any cuts. They would film 40 minutes at a time, which was apparently pretty hard during the improvised scenes. It appeared as if everything was happening in real time even though days would go by in the movie. They would position the camera at lights for transitions. The way the did the telekinetic powers and the Birdman paranoia parts were SO INNOVATIVE. I can't stress how great this movie looked. The director, Alejandro González Iñárritu, showed us a new artistic look without being over-top or too "artistic for regular people." Much appreciation.

RECAP:

This movie is the epitome of artistic movies that I can actually watch and enjoy. The use of music, camera angles, and cinematography is above and beyond what I expected. The script was truly interesting not to mention that the acting comes from the acting giants (in my opinion). If you are tired of the hum-drum garbage of the movie industry of today and want a breath of fresh air, please take in this incredible movie. I love it for its artistic value and how they portray the theatrical arts. I would rate it higher but it did not speak on an emotional level for me; that is the only thing they left out. Birdman is entertaining though and important to cinema. 

Courtesy of io9.com

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TiMER

On a Scale of 1 to 10 with 10 Being the Best

7

Courtesy of Pinterest

Plot: A new device attached to the wrist is able to count down to when a person will meet the love of their life. Unfortunately for Oona O'Leary, her timer is blank, as her true love has not gotten his timer yet. Oona is feeling stunted as she is 30 years old and has no clue if she will meet her true love or if she's already dating him. Steph Depaul, Oona's stepsister, has a timer that isn't supposed to go off until she is 40 years old. Together the sisters try to handle their crappy love timers. Besides the two sisters, we also see how timers affect those who are against them, those who got timers very early, and how timers have possibly changed destinies. For a romantic movie I thought it was quite clever and recommend it to others.

Characters/Actors of Note:

Emma Caulfield playing Oona O'Leary: Ms. Caulfield plays a stunted and desperate character. Her character is going to be 30 years old and knows that if she is going to have kids, that he better show up fast. Oona only dates men who do not have timers to see if they are the ones that make her timer beep. Her step-sister's philosophy is to sleep around and have fun, as she will be too old to have it with her true love. Oona decides that she will try it out this philosophy with a man that is 8 years younger and feels conflicted. Ms. Caulfield does a fairly good job acting. This movie is "Made for Netflix" so I was expecting the acting to be pretty cliche. Her acting boarders on cliche but the script is to clever that it wasn't very noticeable.  

Michelle Borth playing Steph Depaul: Ms. Borth's character was more interesting that Ms. Caulfield's. Steph had a timer that worked but it was so far in the future that she became distraught and angry. She got a job in a nursing home to be around those that don't have timers and works at a bar to pick up guys that do have timers. She doesn't mind sleezing around because she feels she has been cheated. Steph has a good heart though and tries to set up her sister with good people. After meeting a guy without a timer, she learns about how people used to guess on who their loved one was and how the emotions were much higher. I can see growth with this character and really appreciated it. Well done Ms. Borth.

John Patrick Amedori playing Mikey: Man, this guy is handsome but he is also a great actor. Mr. Amedori's character is a young player. Mikey has a timer that is going to go off in four months but is discouraged that he can't date around because others consider that "cheating," even though he has never met the woman. Oona decides to see Mikey and both have a lot of fun. Later, Mikey gives us another surprising perspective on timers and why he does not agree with the idea of them. In a subliminal way he shows us why people want timers as well. I thought that Mr. Amedori's portrayal was relaxing from the stressful sisters but is also thought provoking.

Music: I really enjoyed the tune they used in this film. It was cutesy and could be changed to be a sad tone or an upbeat one. The other songs used in this film are enjoyable as well. The music was great for blending the movie together and also for keeping us up with the mood. It really completed the film.

Camera Work/Cinematography: The cinematography bordered on being tiresome but they would break it up with dreams, close-ups, or a shock of white. The camera work was pretty good as they would film from outside a window, in the street, or above their heads. The film looked alright but was close to bordering average.

RECAP:

The movie is incredibly clever, humorous, and sad and that makes it a must-see. The acting was either pretty average or pretty good. The music was wonderful and the cinematography was not that bad. This film has a great script and everything else is pretty good. Watch and see for yourself and tell me what you think. Time is slipping away you know.

Courtesy of Pinterest

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