This is such a moving film that highlights the problem of homelessness in New York. Several of my friends and I had been talking about how there seemed to be more homeless men and women out on the streets of this city this summer, so this film hit theaters at a critical moment. The film captures the complexity of the infrastructure that supports the homeless, and at the same time shows how difficult the system is to navigate or "free" oneself from. I urge everyone to see this film, especially if they live in a major city, because it provides a spark for a conversation that needs to be had, even if real change must come from the top (i.e. the government) down.
While I didn't find this entry in the franchise quite as exhilarating as Ghost Protocol, it is certainly a close second. In fact it has so many bad-ass action sequences and killer set pieces that it was hard to recall all the amazing moments once the movie was over. Tom Cruise, of course, continues to kill it. He can steal a scene by raising an eyebrow or giving a "you're kidding me" look. Basically this is a non-stop thrill ride starring the most gorgeous movie star out there with one of his best haircuts ever. But the thing that made this movie really enjoyable was the compelling and clever story that holds it all together. This was not just a bunch of action sequences strung together for the hell of it. Every sequence genuinely moved the story along or provided a worthy thrill or delight.
I actually wish this movie was longer. They had to fit over a hundred years of life into under two hours, which meant too many things were rushed. It would have been nice to see more of Adaline's story played out than to have it covered by long chunks of narration. Mainly, I just would have liked to see more flashbacks featuring the younger version of Harrison Ford's character, who is actually played by this guy. I could have sworn they had done some digital trickery a la Jeff Bridges in the TRON remake, but nope this YouTube clip convinced me that Young Harrison Ford is mighty real. As for the leads, Blake Lively is quite good at playing someone who's seen it all, even if she does come across as overly stiff at times; actual Harrison Ford is delightful; and Michiel Huisman had actually grown on me by the end of the film. The thing is, his character is so open and honest and earnest that it's impossible not to like him and find him utterly charming. He plays jazz records while cooking dinner in an unfinished loft! Sign me up! But as far as semi-mystical, quasi-time travel romantic films go, The Age of Adaline is a highly enjoyable one.
This is an extremely good film that examines gender and identity in a very honest way. It explores the human condition in the face of loss, and the various relationships depicted in this film are fascinating to observe. Also, this is a rare French film that didn't feel particularly European. The houses that the characters live in could be found in any tony American suburb, which makes the film seem more universal, and less "other". Both Romain Duris and Anaïs Demoustier give fine performances. While it may seem at first that The New Girlfriend is about Duris's character, the film truly belongs to Demoustier who provides the character of Claire with believably conflicting, and constantly evolving, emotions.
First of all, this is the first movie I have ever seen in IMAX that I felt like I was able to absorb in that format. Usually, if I see a movie in IMAX, I have to go see it again within a week because I feel like I couldn't / didn't really see the whole movie. Spectre, however, was extremely well suited to the format, and the scenes were choreographed and framed so well that there was not a lot of extraneous stuff going on. As James Bond movies go, this one is definitely up there as one of the best, even if all the major plot points are telegraphed ages in advance. In the more immediate realm of Daniel Craig James Bond movies, I would place Spectre behind Casino Royale and ahead of Skyfall. Spectre is more fun to watch than Skyfall, but not as stylish or smart as Casino Royale. In fact, Spectre is so good that by the time the movie was over, I had forgotten all about the awful Sam Smith song that I was subjected to at the beginning of the film! While Daniel Craig's Bond is just as strong and sexy as ever, Spectre is much more of a team effort, with Q, M, Moneypenny, and Madeleine Swann all stepping up in their own ways. In fact, Q steals just about every scene he's in, and it's utterly delightful. When I left the cinema, I felt the same kind of euphoric high that I feel after I've seen an amazing concert -- a very good feeling to have indeed.
Being the huge William F. Buckley, Jr. fan that I am, I was beyond excited when I stumbled upon the fact that there is a new documentary about his 1968 televised debates with Gore Vidal. It was really interesting to see so much video footage of WFB after having read so many of his books. But because I *have* read so many of his books, the main take away of the movie was not new news to me -- namely, that the political climate in this country has not really changed that much over the past 50 years. This is a fascinating documentary that does a good job presenting Buckley and Vidal (who literally hated each other) in a fair and balanced way, while providing quality commentary from a variety of contemporary intellectuals.
This is a smart time travel movie that got my mind working overtime to unravel it all. I'm not sure I've ever convinced myself of how its time travel mechanics make sense, but sometimes you just have to suspend disbelief and go with it. Both Ethan Hawke and Sarah Snook give performances of great depth. For a time travel movie, it has a lot more talking than I would have anticipated, but since the film is wholly dependent on its narrative and not flashy action, the talking is integral, and the narrative is what makes the film so compelling. It's a shame that Predestination didn't get wider release, because it's better than other time travel films like Looper that get tons of attention.
This film is one of the funniest I've seen in a very long time -- I laughed hard and often while watching it. It took a little while to get used to Lake Bell doing an English accent, but once I got past that, she and Simon Pegg could do no wrong. Their characters are so flawed and likable that I couldn't help rooting for them. Of course, it didn't hurt that Waterloo and the South Bank (and blind dates) are central to the story, since these are all things near and dear to my heart. Ultimately, this is a RomCom for actual adults. The characters are in their 30s and 40s and don't have time for bullshit -- which is good news for those of us who want to see comedies about something other than protracted adolescence.
I had heard of Tab Hunter here and there, but I knew nothing about him and haven't seen any of his films. This meant that Tab Hunter Confidential was a documentary I could actually learn a lot from, and it fully delivered in that department. The film mostly consists of Hunter telling his own story with added color commentary from contemporaries like Debbie Reynolds and Clint Eastwood, as well as from various cultural critics. This allows the film to not only capture Hunter's fascinating life, but also provide a snapshot of the Hollywood studio system during the mid to late 50s. I came out of the cinema feeling enriched in both mind and spirit, which is pretty much the most you can ask of an excellent documentary.
This is a fascinating documentary that uncovers a story tangential to the life and death of Elvis, but truly deserves to live outside the shadow of The King. That story is one of a man named Jimmy Ellis, who sounded so much like Elvis, that he never stood a chance of forging his own career. However, a novel about Elvis faking his own death, masks, questionable paternity, and some shady marketing by the successor of Sam Phillips at Sun Records all come in to play as Ellis strives to make it doing the thing he loves best -- singing. Ellis's story is in turns bizarre and tragic, but it is definitely one that deserves to be told.
This movie was just what I needed after working an eleven and a half hour day. It's adorable, sweet, funny, and touching. There are great sight gags throughout the film, and the sheep make such cute noises! Sometimes you just need a fun movie that goes back to basics and lets you veg out without making you feel like you've had to lower your standards as well.
This is a heartfelt romantic comedy with a truly likable, if complicated, protagonist. Like it's main character, this film is funny, sweet, and daring. It didn't make my monthly faves list back in the spring when I saw it, but it and its messages of compassion and inclusiveness have stuck with me all year. Since the Trans community has been such a hot topic this year, I'm surprised this film hasn't received more attention. It is certainly deserving of kudos for presenting a Trans character (and actress) in an approachable and no-nonsense way -- i.e. in the same way any mainstream RomCom would present it's female lead.
This is a pure summer blockbuster and it manages to deliver fun and entertainment. It's pretty much the cinematic equivalent of a great theme park ride. Chris Pratt is just fantastic and he can deliver a line like no other. The dinosaurs and the nods to the original Jurassic Park are also top notch. The evolution of the velociraptors since that first film is a big surprise -- one for which the filmmakers deserve major kudos. As soon as Jurassic World was over, I wanted to see it again -- though unfortunately I never found the time to do so.
This is an engaging, compelling, beautiful film -- even though it's also a bit too jarringly violent at times. Then again, it is about young men fighting in World War I, so I suppose it does a good job of conveying the confusion and atrocity of the battle of Gallipoli. Russell Crowe both directed and stars in this film, and it really comes through that this is a labor of love for him. The depth of emotion expressed by his character and the ways in which he interacts with other characters – from British officers to a Turkish widow and her son – is at the heart of this film. As a bonus, the film sheds light on the post WWI conflict between Turkey and Greece (not something we covered extensively in school), so it was nice to be exposed to a piece of history that doesn't often make it into movies.
Jude Law on a submarine. You don't need to know anything other than that to know this film will be good. To quote Entertainment Weekly's review, "there's almost no such thing as a bad submarine movie." So true. Though I suppose this is technically a heist movie or thriller, but I don't find that either of those labels do this film justice. It's just as claustrophobic as one would expect, and it also has the not-everyone's-going-to-make-it thing going on. The film does a nice job of letting you know most of the characters just enough to root for or against them. Additionally, it's got a moral dilemma or two that must be faced, and an ending that is bittersweet but satisfying. Above all, Black Sea is a film that goes from one tense scene to another with little respite – basically it does a nice job of putting the audience right there on the sub with the characters – and that's exactly what a good submarine movie should do.
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