There is a very specific reason I continuously watch movies with horribly edited trailers and awful marketing campaigns. Every now and then a gem slips through the cracks of the studio system, and surprises me more than I would assume. Gina Prince-Bythewood wrote a perfectly serviceable story, that follows a lot of tropes, but manages to rise above them with the help of a few great performances, and Bythewood's elegant direction. What really makes this a film worthy of seeing, however, is the (hopefully) star-making performance of actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw playing rising star Noni. She is broken, lost, and waiting for someone to see her for who she is, and not for what she is. I did not expect to enjoy "Beyond the Lights" nearly as much as I did, and it is a wonder that this got so mishandled..
Grade: B
3D: N/A
Easter Egg: No. Though I was hoping for a set up for "Even Further Beyond the Lights".
Starring: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Nate Parker, Minnie Driver
Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Writer(s): Gina Prince-Bythewood
RT: 116 min
Rating: PG-13 for sexual content including suggestive gestures, partial nudity, language and thematic elements
Two Sentences:
The Judge (2014): David Dobkin has made a self-important dramedy that never rises above a mediocre, melodramatic pitch. Robert Downey Jr. plays an over-intelligent smartass (like always), Rober Duvall is forced to say a fistful of horrendous and silly dialogue, and Vincent D'Onofrio and Vera Farmiga are completely wasted as filler characters.
Grade: C-
St. Vincent (2014): Though it is packed with tremendous flaws, mostly due to the film's unfortunate attempts at humor, this movie is packed with a lot of heart. The moments that it shifts from wannabe comedy to full on drama are the moments where this film really shines.
There is a good chance that "Big Hero 6" is the best film that Disney Animation (not Pixar) has ever produced. Hyperbole? Maybe. Is the film really good enough for that title? Absolutely. It is a film about unimaginable loss, and the way it effects those closest to it. It is about the memories of those we lose, and the difference between justice and revenge. The story sounds like the same origin story we have heard multiple times, but the way the young Hiro, a 14 year-old robotics genius, is forced to deal with it, and the way he continuously rises to meet his expectations, and inspires those around him, the more you want to be inspired by him.
Hiro's relationship with his brother's creation, a medical robot name Baymax, is touching, and beautiful. Especially for what it comes to represent. The supporting characters are all very well written. They are a lot fun, and have very distinct personalities, but they are never once annoying in the way many family films treat their supporting casts. Though they seem to take to their new suits a little fast, this gets forgiven by the two major action sequences that they use them in. They are fast, fun, and well animated, without losing the tone of the film. The eponymous fictional super hero team may be in the foreground of the film, but the very real emotions are what really put you into the story.
Grade: A
3D: Not necessary
Easter Egg: Yes. Oh yes!
Rating: PG for action and peril, some rude humor, and thematic element
Two Sentences:
Feast: This short film about a puppy found in an alleyway, given a home, and fed beyond his wildest dreams, is adorable and touching, with adorable and touching to spare. It runs the gamut of gut busting laughs to gripping despair, all within a handful of feeding times.
Grade: A
John Wick: To be honest, their is absolutely nothing special about John Wick. It is a serviceable action movie, with a few really excellent scenes, a couple of good performances, and it was well shot, but it was a lot of fun.
The latest offering from Christopher Nolan gets so many things right. So many things. The script may not be perfect, but it is exciting in the right parts, and emotional in many others. The cast brings some of their best performances to some very well rounded characters. Nolan's decision to use practical effects instead of constant CGI, is absolutely commendable for a myriad of reasons, but tops among those its keeping the actors' reactions genuine and believable. The biggest problem is that the third act drags on a little long, thus leaving all of the heightened emotions to fizzle out. This is a completely solid film that should be experienced in the theatre, but just know it is flawed.
Grade: B+
3D: N/A
Easter Egg: No
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain
Director: Christopher Nolan
Writer(s): Jonathan Nolan & Christopher Nolan
RT: 168 min
Rating: PG-13 for some intense perilous action and brief strong language.
Two Scentences:
Horns - Sometimes this film feels a little sillier than it needs to be, but that never really keeps it form being enjoyable. Radcliffe brings a lot charisma to his role, and Alexandre Aja keeps the film just the right amount of dark to not disrupt the tongue-in-cheek humor of the script.
There are so many things to enjoy about Dan Gilroy's debut. It is shot with complete care around Los Angeles, highlighting the city's darkest corners. He has cast Jake Gyllenhaal (in the best role of his career) as his anti-hero, Lou Bloom, a loner sociopath who spends his time stealing to make a few dollars, and studying many facets of the world in order to make a place for himself. The story takes him to the career of gathering footage for stories for local news affiliates. The events that transpire in his new career become increasingly more disturbing the deeper he gets into the world around him. Gilroy's script is a sharp allegory of the shape of media in America, and a nihilisticly stark view of the current economic landscape. The more I think about this film, the more I love it!
Grade: A
3D: N/A
Easter Egg: No
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Bill Paxton
Director: Dan Gilroy
Writer(s): Dan Gilroy
RT: 117 min
Rating: R for violence including graphic images, and for language Two Scentences: The Boxtrolls - Laika Studios has created another gem of a film, and though it doesn't carry the same punch as their last two projects, it does have some genuinely beautiful moments. The story is fun, the cast is spot on, and the characters are rich and vibrant in so many ways. Grade: B+ The Town That Dreaded Sundown - This was a silly, and mostly forgettable, quasi-remake/sequel of a film which was loosely based on actual events in a town on the Arkansas/Texas border terrorized by a killer who was never caught. It is physical proof that certain films should remain in the library of cult classics. Grade: C-
Justin Simien's feature length debut is such an intelligent take on race relations in the U.S. that it will easily go over the head of defensive white people everywhere. This is the kind of thoughtful, purposeful meditation we need on this subject, and it will probably be dismissed in the national conversation as race-baiting. Simien sets up a well-rounded cast of characters who never fall into stereotypes, and constantly evolve throughout the film. His script is poignant and clever, and the film is beautifully shot. I want to call this a do not miss, but only if you actually listen to what it has to say, and don't make up your mind what it says before you go in.
Grade: A-
3D: N/A
Easter Egg: Sort of
Starring: Tyler James Williams, Tessa Thompson, Kyle Gallner
Director: Justin Simien
Writer(s): Justin Simien
RT: 108 min
Rating: Rated R for language, sexual content and drug use
David Ayers is far from my favorite writer or director. This year's "Sabotage" (another film he both wrote and directed) was silly, and far too gleefully violent for my tastes. That being said, he has finally made a film that feels personal, straying from his crooked cop formula that has been the staple of his career up to this point. "Fury" takes no joy in showing you the horrors of war, and gives a few great actors the chance to shine by not turning them into walking cliches. While Brad Pitt gives the performance I knew he would, and Jon Bernthal and Michael Pena were absolutely solid, it was Shia LeBeouf who stole the movie with a quiet portrayal of a southern born-again Christian trying to make sense of the Hell around him.
Though Ayers moves his protagonist, a young typist thrust into the tank crew after only 8 weeks in the service, along a little quickly, he introduces four very interesting characters to surround him. The grit and grime of the German front is captured beautifully by D.P. Roman Vasyanov. He moves his camera effortlessly from battle to battle, making the viewer feel like more than just a witness to the mayhem. The dialogue feels a little stiff in parts, and Steven Price's score is a bit out of place. It would honestly fit better in an Eli Roth horror film than a movie about WWII. This is the most solid work Ayers has done to date, and I would highly recommend a viewing.
Grade: B+
3D: N/A
Easter Egg: No
Starring: Brad Pitt, Shia Lebeouf, Michael Pena
Director: David Ayers
Writer(s): David Ayers
RT: 134 min
Rating: Rated R for strong sequences of war violence, some grisly images, and language throughout Two Sentences: The Dog (2013) - This documentary about the inspiration of the film "Dog Day Afternoon" is equal parts funny and bizarre. John Wojtowicz is a larger than life human being, who is captivating to the point of sheer entertainment. Grade: A The Book of Life (2014) - Jorge R. Gutierrez made a fairly pleasant children's film that was filled with honest emotions, and had beautiful character relationships. The script could have used some work, some of the supporting characters could have used some work, and using modern pop songs in the story was a terrible idea. Grade: C+ The Best of Me (2014) - The newest offering from the Nicholas Sparks catalog is essentially an amalgam of all of the other Nicholas Sparks stories. Some terrible acting, writing, and young actors who look like nothing like their older counterparts really make this close to unbearable to watch. Grade: D+
I ended the summer with the perfect trip tot he theater. I saw the new John Carney film, "Begin Again", and it was glorious. It is funny, sweet, and a bit sappy at times. A sappy that works for the film, not against it. Keira Knightley is achingly wonderful as a spurned song writer, whose boyfriend becomes a rock star, and left her for another woman on the road. Her counterpart, played by Mark Ruffalo, is a down-on-his-luck record producer, estranged from his family, and his label, who discovers her in a dive bar. Their chemistry together is absolutely perfect, and they match each other's energy step for step. James Corden is also quite brilliant as Knightley's friend from home, who takes her in after her break-up. The music in this film, co-written mostly by Carney and New Radicals members Gregg Alexander and Danielle Brisebois, is a lot of fun, and helps move the story along at a good pace. What could have been a convoluted mess, was easily one of the most enjoyable films of the year.
Grade: A-
3D: N/A
Easter Egg: The entirety of the credits.
Starring: Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, Hailee Steinfeld
Director: James Carney
Writer(s): James Carney
RT: 104 min
Rating: Rated R for language
