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Bridge of Spies (2015)
Spielberg vs Hanks Episode 4
For the fourth time in they're respective careers, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg have come together to make a movie. This time set during the Cold War, Tom Hanks ( James Donovan) is required to represent Mark Rylance (Rudolf Abel), a Soviet Spy. But when an American spy is captured by the Soviets, it's up to Donovan to negotiate an exchange between two opposing nations. Seeing the trailers and knowing who was involved in this film, it would make one excited (if you know anything about Steven Spielberg or Tom Hanks). Bridge of Spies is a great example of historical story telling done at it's finest. Spielberg is no stranger to this feat. However this is an example of old school Hollywood, and it is not for everyone. There are two types of Spielberg history movies, the Saving Private Ryan (action packed, thrilling) and the Lincoln (great performances, talking based). Both are incredible movies for different reasons, and Bridge of Spies falls into the Lincoln category, where there isn't action, it is a film with a lot of talking. But it's those talking scenes where the movie comes to life, and a lot of that is thanks to the masterful directing of Steven Spielberg. Another big part why this movie is great are the performances. You have Tom Hanks, two time Oscar winner (Philadelphia 1993 and Forrest Gump 1994) who does amazing. What else can you expect from one of the best actors of all time. Also you have Mark Rylance (Rudolf Abel) who does, maybe just as good or even better than Hanks. Whenever he appeared on screen, he was electrifying. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets a nomination for best supporting actor come the Oscars. This is definitely not Spielberg's best, and has some slight negatives. At times, felt slow and the second act was not as strong as the first or third, but still solid. Overall, Bridge of Spies is a beautifully directed film, with amazing performances, and a great history lesson. It is written by the Coen Brothers, and composed wonderfully by Thomas Newman. This movie is not for everyone, but if your the type that gets goosebumps from watching people talk in a perfectly crafted scene, then this movie is for you.
The Martian (2015)
Ridley Scott could be back.
Has Ridley Scott finally returned to form with The Martian? Well seeing that The Martian turned out to be one of the best films of the year, you can say yes! After a period of mediocrity by Scott, The Martian was a reminder that Scott is one of the great directors living today. When you initially look at this film on paper, you see an amazing cast, good writer, and shaky director, but this film had it all. First of all it is amazing to look at. The cinematography is stellar, shot by Dariusz Wolski (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Exodus: Gods and Kings, Alice in Wonderland). Ridley Scott's execution of this film was outstanding, he made you feel like they were actually on Mars. When you look at this cast, which has various Oscar nominated actors you are expecting the performances to be good (maybe not great cause look how the Counselor turned out), and they deliver big time! Matt Damon who played Mark Watney was obviously the star of the movie. He delivered on all aspects, and might be one of his best performances of his career. Jeff Daniels (Teddy Sanders) does an amazing job in this movie, playing a real human being, a business man who is concerned only about what is best for NASA. He is not the antagonist at all, even though he might be made out to seem like it. The whole crew consisting of Jessica Chastain (Melissa Lewis), Sebastian Stan (Chris Beck), Michael Peña (Rick Martinez), Kate Mara (Beth Johanssen), and Aksel Hennie (Alex Vogel) played off each other so wonderfully. It seems like they have been together for such a long time and the chemistry is beautiful. Chiwetel Ejiofor (Vincent Kapoor) was superb, but when is he not? Sean Bean was Sean Bean really, nothing super spectacular, but not bad. Kristen Wigg, leaving we can say her comfort zone in comedy and doing some drama, did well, didn't disappoint. Surprising performance came from Mackenzie Davis (Mindy Park) who blew me away. My least favorite was Donald Glover who seemed out of place in this movie and was one really slight negative, but did not detach me from the film. This movie is really an original piece, of human survival and hope. Ridley Scott managed to make this movie feel so real, you were scared for the well being of Matt Damon while he was stuck on Mars. The writing was outstanding as well, done by Drew Goddard. It was the perfect blend of comedy and suspense. The big things I was worried did not happen at all. Mainly being that the movie seemed to spoiled by the trailers, but it wasn't! Also the science behind it all which I thought could become confusing, wasn't! This film ended up being one of my favorite of the year, and made me remember what a great director Ridley Scott can be, and don't be surprised come Oscar time, you see The Martian in the running for an award. Highly recommended a must see this year.
Ashby (2015)
A bowl of trail mix
Going into Ashby, I was hoping for a well directed,smaller, coming-of-age film. What I got was more like a bowl of trail mix. This film contains a hand full of positives; decent performances, heartfelt moments, and what I enjoyed most of all was the humor.
It was really light hearted and I really connected with Nat Wolff's character Ed. However, he is the only one I really connected with. Ashby (Mickey Rourke) was a fun character, that was not fully developed, and had more to offer. Then we had Eloise (Emma Roberts) the love interest, and June Wallis (Sarah Silverman), Ed's mom. These two characters for me felt bland and except for a couple of funny moments with Sarah Silverman, didn't do much for me.
Then we get into the main plot of the story, and although I was never lost, there was way too many sub plots and holes that were never really addressed. The pace of the film also felt stop and go, where in some instances it flowed well, then all of a sudden it braked to a stop and slowed down, then sped back up. The tone also changed from scene to scene and I couldn't figure out what the director was going for exactly.
Although I did not love this film, I didn't hate it either. I especially loved Nat Wolff's performance in the first and second acts, but then he lost me towards the end, when the movie shifted completely. Overall, I look at this film as a light-hearted, comedy, coming-of-age movie, that tries to be a lot of other things as well. I would recommend checking it out if you have spare time or if you want to hear Mickey Rourke's amazing voice.
Mississippi Grind (2015)
Charlie Sheen said it best...WINNING
A smaller film coming out this year, Mississippi Grind turned out to be a rally great entertaining movie. I wasn't expecting much out of this movie to be honest, a gambler with an addiction who needs money and meets a charming Ryan Reynolds could be good, or trash, but it was great. The cast for this movie was the thing that peaked my interest the most. Having seen Ben Mendelsohn do great things in Starred Up and Slow West, I was interested to see him play this character. Also Ryan Reynolds is an actor I love and this is his last movie before the upcoming Deadpool film, so I wanted to see glimpses of that if possible. That is exactly what happened! The chemistry between Curtis (Ryan Reynolds) and Gerry (Ben Mendelsohn) was beautiful. The performances of the two where really good as well, in particular Mendelsohn in very key parts of the movie. Throughout the film I wanted these guys to win and keep winning. However, not a perfect film by far, had some moments especially toward the end which bothered me slightly but nothing that ruined the whole movie for me. This is definitely a smaller film so I recommend checking it out, worth your time if you are tired of bigger budget movies.
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015)
Potential but disappointing
Maze Runner: Scorch Trials, the next installment of the Maze Runner series. Coming just a year after the first one, I had high hopes for this movie as I really enjoyed the first one. So it was a shame to me after seeing this movie I was straight up disappointed. For the first 30 to 40 minutes I was having a good time. After that it turned into a completely different movie, pace was, I was confused with the story, and I was not interested in the characters. That is what made the first one really fun for me, I cared about these characters and I was rooting for them. My biggest complaint about this movie is, it felt like the writers of this movie gave up. I found the script to be lack luster and bland. However, I did enjoy the chase scenes with the scorch zombies, and the effects did not let me down. The cinematography was good, and they portrayed this barren wasteland really well. I thought Dylan O'Brien did a good job in this movie, but overall it was a disappointed for me in the end. For fans of the book series however this movie might be a blast, but for someone who hasn't read the books, this film makes you scratch your head at times.
Paper Towns (2015)
John Green v2
Well this is the second film based around a John Green novel, and it is not bad. Very well rounded movie, great actors, great soundtrack, and it really is a fun ride. Coming off the success of The Fault in our Stars, this movie had a lot of potential.
The performances by Nat Wolff and Cara Delevinge where good, however could have been even better in my opinion. One part that really made me like this movie for what it was, is the chemistry between Quentin (Nat Wolff), Ben (Austin Abrams), and Radar (Justice Smith). These guys hit it out of the park and I truly believed their relationship. They make you laugh and they really act like high school seniors. A lot of that also has to do with the writing, which was good, nothing spectacular, but not horrible. It is a good film to take a date on, but overall I recommend it too anyone really. It says my vote it 7 out of 10 but it is more of a 7.5 because i liked it all around, but some parts left me wanting more. Go see it and you will have a good time!
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Brutal without question..
This was without doubt one of my favorite Nazi war movies I've seen. A nice blend of comedic fun with harsh gritty violence makes for a very enjoyable film. Although not totally accurate at all, this movie brings an interesting twist to one of the biggest wars ever fought. When you see a film consisting of Brad Pitt and Michael Fassbender and directed by Quentin Tarantino you would assume it would deliver a good film, and it does just that.
As a movie lover, this film has it's quirks but doesn't take away from the actioned packed monster called Inglorious Bastards. You will definitely laugh, and cringe, and be shocked while watching this movie. Overall, this is a very fun and enjoyable movie to watch whether in a group or by yourself, but make sure no children are around.
Boyhood (2014)
12 years of pure excellence!
For some it is difficult to fit a full story or plot line in a 2 hour film. Boyhood took 12 years of a boys life and compressed it into less than 3 hours. This film was a pretty darn successful experiment, something not tried before. Although it is not a perfect film, it really captures the life of this one boy with very few negatives and many positives. So many movies try and capture the coming to age theme, but Boyhood accomplishes that through the growing of this one boy.
He faces problems so many people face today and you get to see how he handles each one. In some scenes it is slower and more dramatic than others, but overall it captures the life of this boy wonderfully. If you watch this movie i can assure you, you are bound to relate to one thing this kid was going through. You really see how each character feels. Although the dialogue wasn't perfect it seemed authentic and real. I give Boyhood a 9/10 because it is so different and entertaining see this kid grow up and I was engaged throughout the whole movie. It is not your ordinary drama film, but something definitely worth watching.