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Ad Astra (2019)
Original and Captivating Movie!
I have always been a fan of space exploration, so when I heard this film's premise, I was sold on going to the theatre opening weekend. With that being said, I had high expectations. The trailers made the movie look so unique, and after watching it, it surpassed my expectations. Ad Astra tells the fully original, thrilling, emotional, and thought provoking story of a man who has to face himself, his father, and the galaxy as he travels to the outer depths of the solar system to confront his father and save the earth. Through Roy McBride's journey, the film explores themes of isolation, determination, and being grateful for what one has. The film also portrays a wide variety of moods throughout. There are many great scenes that are full of tension and suspense, and there are others that are emotionally powerful and memorizing. Despite the variety of themes and tones, it still feels like a very cohesive narrative with a thought-provoking message.
On a technical level, two aspects that stood out were the cinematography and score. Each shot in the film seemed to have a great deal of thought and effort put into its composition. The use of reflections was a tool often used to create some really beautiful and interesting looking shots. Along with the reflections, the color choices really elevated the mood in some of the scenes. As for the score, I thought it was simple, but appropriately used to help evoke an emotional response from the audience. Both of these technical aspects were used to construct a beautiful viewing experience.
All praise aside, there were a few things I did not care for in this film. Some of the scenes felt a bit out of place and did not really add to the overall story. These felt like things the studio insisted on being in the film to make it more accessible. Some of the science jargon could have been turned down a bit as well. I think it would have been more mysterious if they didn't try and explain a few things in a rather silly manner.
Regardless of a few faults, I think this was one of the best movies of 2019 thus far. I had a lot of fun watching the film and felt absorbed by it the entire runtime. I would not have predicted this, but I think Brad Pitt has starred in my two favorite movies this year thus far. I really hope people go out and take a chance on this film because it desires some attention.
Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood (2019)
An Immersive Experience
Quentin Tarantino's 9th film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood has a much different feel compared to his previous filmography. Instead of tense scenes and thrilling action, Tarantino takes a more unique unconventional way of telling a story (which is, of course, what make him famous in the first place). Rather than having a clear narrative, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood feels like a collage of scenes that are connected by overarching characters, themes, and location. Some might think this is a negative of the film, but I thought it was one of the best parts of the film. Instead of having a straightforward narrative about the Manson Family, this film lets that idea bubble under the surface while exploring the ideas of changing times, the rise and fall of one's career, and a relationship between an actor and his stunt double. This story structure allowed each of the three main characters (Sharon Tate, Cliff Booth, and Rick Dalton) to shine in their own scenes and really explore their character. Yet, all three characters storylines have common themes, which hold the film together.
On a technical level, this film is far above most Hollywood blockbusters. You can feel the artistry behind the camera. Instead of green screen sets and backgrounds, the sets are actually constructed, which give a much dirtier and lived in feel to the location. The best sets are the streets of Hollywood. I think I could watch Brad Pitt drive around those streets for hours. The amount of detail that went into all of the sets is astonishing and I'd hope to see this film be nominated for best set design. Not only was the set design great, but the shot composition, acting, and costume design was all top notch. Margot Robbie was perfectly cast as Sharon Tate, and Brad Pitt and Leo's chemistry was excellent.
Overall, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this. It had some great moments of comedy, suspense, and drama. The characters are wonderfully crafted, and the film culminates to an exciting 3rd act. I think I have to rewatch a few of Tarantino's other movies, but this might be one of my favorites. I plan on seeing this one again very soon.
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Not an MCU fan, but really enjoyed this
No spoilers!!
Being a sceptic of Marvel movies for a long time, I had low expectations going into Endgame. I didn't love Infinity War, but I wanted to see this film opening weekend to avoid spoilers and see how the 10-year culmination of the MCU concluded. Well, I was pleasantly surprised with the film. It's not without its issues, but Endgame felt like one of the most unique and captivating Marvel films to date. I was very surprised at how easily I was engaged throughout the 3-hour runtime. The film breaks down into three parts, each part having its pros and cons. Personally, I thought the first act was the weakest and overstayed its welcome. Despite that, there were still some interesting parts that helped flesh out the aftermath of Infinity War. The second and third act felt very original and had many surprising moments that kept me guessing what would happen next. However, there were parts that felt VERY fan servicey. Of course, some of the fan service was fine, but at other points it felt like a little much.
One of the great things about this movie was that it broke from the simple MCU formula. It has a much different story than any of the other MCU films and utilizes much different plot mechanisms to make it feel more original. The emotional range of the film was another thing that felt different to me compared to many other MCU films. I thought the humor in this film was handled much better, causing me to laugh multiple times. Not only was the film funny at points, but it also had some sad, depressing, exciting, and thrilling sequences. This film, unlike some other MCU films, was able to have some very serious moments and did not have to cut the emotional tension by inserting a cheesy one-liner.
Despite it being a much more original and emotionally driven film compared to other MCU films, it did have some shortcomings. I think that some of the fan service took me out of the film because it felt either overdramatic or forced. There were times were I caught myself rolling my eyes at how overdramatic or socially 'woke' the movie was being. One scene in particular felt like a blatant advertisement in the middle of the film, which was jarring and cringe worthy. There were also many moments of the film that could have been explained to help bring more tension, but instead were brushed over in order to fit everything into a reasonably lengthed film. I think there were parts that should have been cut or shorted and other parts that should have been extended. Lastly, I thought that Thanos was misused in this film. I was excited to see his role in this film but was left disappointed by his role as the villain.
As someone who wouldn't consider themselves a Marvel fan, I had fun watching this movie regardless of it having some issues. I would definitely recommend it if you have been following the MCU at all recently, but I probably don't need to do that because everyone and there mother is going to see this. Overall, I thought it was enjoyable and quite possibly my favorite Marvel film.
P.S. It feels satisfying to have this chapter of superhero movies come to a close. I hope that it will make way for more innovative and interesting films, whether they are superhero related or not.
Us (2019)
Great idea, questionable execution...
I am torn on whether or not I like the story of Us. Part of me really likes the originality of the idea and the subtle social commentary the film delivers; however, I felt that despite Us having an interesting idea, the execution led to a disjointed story that felt a bit scatterbrained. There were definitely parts of the film that were suspenseful and horrifying, but at the same time, other parts felt too over-explained or tropey. This leads to me having many unanswered questions about certain aspects and feeling like other aspects shouldn't have been explained at all to keep the mystery. I think the story is hard to talk about without spoiling it, but overall, I expected more from Jordan Peele's writing but did enjoy some of it.
Despite my indecisive feelings of the film's story, many pieces of the film were exceptionally well done. One aspect that stood out in Us was the soundtrack and the usage of music. I think the original soundtrack was memorable and used appropriately to accentuate the feeling of horror at some points in the film. On the flip side, the soundtrack was used to perfectly contrast what was going on onscreen. This led to some great sequences (the Beach Boys scene) that utilized the soundtrack in an interesting way. Another part of the film that I really enjoyed was Lupita Nyong'o and the child actors' performances. Nyong'o in particular is the most terrifying part of the film. She plays both a horrific monster and a badass mother, making it easy to forget that the same actor plays them.
As a whole, I think Us is an enjoyable horror film that has some missteps with its story elements and structure. I would recommend this film to horror fans, but don't go into the film expecting anything like Get Out.
The Wife (2017)
Poorly Written Film with a Good Performance
The Wife is basically 100 minutes of elderly people doing elderly things, individuals shaking hands, people screaming at one another, actors delivering poorly written lines, and Glen Close delivering a solid performance. The film's script is by far the worst aspect of the film. It is extremely predictable. I foresaw every "twist" coming a mile away. The dialogue ironically enough is extremely stilted and awkward at times. There are so many lines that had me rolling my eyes and thinking, "really the writer couldn't think of any better dialogue than this...;" many of the scenes were either frustrating or annoying, particularly the flashback scenes. I would guess about half the scenes contained either characters screaming at each other or the main characters introducing themselves to other random people that are never seen in the film again. There is also an annoying journalist character, who is supposed to be bothersome, but gosh, he was not fun to watch. All of this and a good helping of forced social commentary make for an unenjoyable time. The only real good thing I can say about the film was that the performances of Glen Close and Jonathan Pryce were good. Glen in particular was good at portraying her emotion through facial expression and body language. Despite the decent performances, I would not recommend this movie to anyone except maybe my grandma and her friends.
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)
Fun Anthology Film
The best word to describe The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is variety. The film has a lot of diversity in its themes, tone, and storylines, which makes for an engaging film. Sort of a Western anthology, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a collection of short stories that take place in the days of the Wild West. Throughout the short stories, extreme violence, funny moments, and unique characters provide a cohesive structure for the anthology. However, when dealing with a collection of stories, there are always ones that are better and ones that are worse. For me personally, I really enjoyed Meal Ticket, Mortal Remains, All Gold Canyon, and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, but did not care for Near Algodones and The Girl Who Rattled. This difference in quality makes it hard to rate the film in total because the group of stories is only as good as its weakest link. If the Coen Brothers would have cut out one of the weaker storylines, I would have considered this an excellent anthology film (similar to Creepshow), but instead, the somewhat inconsistent quality hurt the film.
Despite some weaker storylines, there are a lot of other great things about this movie. The original songs in The Ballad of Buster Scruggs short were great, the set and costume design looked authentic, the gory violence was amusing, and the solid performances throughout helped create a good anthology film.
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
by the numbers music biopic
This film really feels like a greatest hits montage. Yes, you get to hear all the Queen songs you enjoy. Yes, you get to see many different moments of Freddie Mercury and Queen's career, BUT it feels really rushed, frazzled, and overgeneralized. The film has a problem not focusing on one thing. Whether it was the themes, plot points, stories, or characters, it really feels all over the place because of it. The viewer never gets to dive deep into the problems Freddie Mercury or the band faced. Everything just felt so surface level and generic. I have heard people say that the film feels like it could apply to any band, and I can agree with that somewhat. Parts of it are Queen specific, but those parts seemed like minor details. The structure and plot of the film are what feels like a generic "make a rock band" movie with similar beats to films such as Almost Famous. With a better script, director, and editing, this film could have been very compelling. I read another review that said the film should have been focused on the events proceeding the Live Aid Concert instead of Queen's whole career. I thought that was an excellent idea because it would have allowed the filmmaker to focus more on a few specific issues the band was facing and flesh out the characters a bit better.
Of course, there were some good moments in the film. Rami Malik's performance is decent, nowhere near as good as other actors who have taken on musical personas, such as Jamie Fox's performance in Ray. The music is fun because well... it's Queen and they have some fun songs. The costume design is easily the best part about the film, but other than those few things, the quality of the film is rather mediocre. However, that does not mean Queen fans won't like the movie. I think many people, particularly Queen fans, will enjoy the film since it plays their greatest hits and has a straight forward story. If you are looking for something more than just a surface-level music biopic, this is not the film for you.
Minding the Gap (2018)
Great Doc
After the first 10 minutes of Minding the Gap, I began to wonder why this film was nominated for an Oscar for best Documentary. How could a skateboarding documentary made by a young filmmaker be that great? Well, I was very wrong. This film about skateboarding covered many different issues, including child abuse, drug/alcohol abuse, poverty, teen parenting, racial prejudice/stereotypes, and much more. The documentary did an extraordinary job connecting the audience to the people shown in the film and empathizing with their experiences. The film caused me to think about my life and how fortunate I have been to avoid many of the problems that the young adults in the film have faced in their life. It caused me to reflect on how life altering something like abuse can be. What I thought would be a simple documentary on skateboarding turned out to be a beautiful, thought provoking film.
Roma (2018)
Beautiful in every way
Roma was one of the most beautiful films of 2018. The cinematography was stunning, with many great camera movements and long takes. The monochromatic palate of the film perfectly matched its tone. Not only were the visuals beautiful, but the story and characters were as well. The story is told through the eyes of a housemaid, Cleo, who with the family she cares for, goes through a great deal of pain and suffering that depicts the real social and biological pressures women deal with. This translates into a story that feels genuinely real. The emotions felt by the characters felt real. This realism reels you in as you get lost in the story. Cuarón proves again that he can write and direct a film with such precision and emotion behind it.
First Man (2018)
Fantastic...
First Man is a technical wonder. The first thing that stands out is the sound of this film. Justin Hurwitz again does a fantastic job creating a score that fits the mood and emotions of what is captured on screen. Not only is the score killer, but the sound design/editing is phenomenal. The sound (or lack of it) during some of the space scenes did a great job of heightening the suspense when something went wrong and exaggerating the sense of awe felt when viewing space. The sound is also paired with some breathtaking cinematography. It is obvious that a lot of time went into planning the shots for this film. Every shadow and reflection feels deliberate. Many have complained about the use of close-ups and shaky cam, and even though I can agree that they were used a little heavy-handedly, I think they were used deliberately to give a certain feeling of anxiety and uncomfortableness that Neil himself felt when piloting a rocket.
The film also has some great performances. Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy do a great job of displaying emotion, showing not telling how they feel. Claire Foy in particular does a fantastic job as Janet Shearon.
As for the story, First Man tells Neil's untold personal side of going to the moon and his life around that time. The story was unique in that it humanized Neil Armstrong. When you think of Neil Armstrong, you think of a historical icon and not a father, a husband, a friend, a man. Throughout the film, you witness Neil being all of these things along with an iconic astronaut. This allows the viewer to put themselves into Neil's shoes. Neil feels anxious, sad, and scared just like any of us. Neil's relationship with his wife, his kids, and his co-workers are all explored to some degree, giving us the opportunity to see Neil in a different light. Of course, this is only a portion of the film; the other plot points that deal with the actual journey to the moon are very interesting as well. One thing that this portion of the film demonstrates well is the level of technology used to make the trip to the moon. In hindsight, the technology used to communicate and control the space shuttle wasn't advanced, and this film demonstrates many of the technical issues they had with completing this monumental task. This allowed for some great suspenseful scenes in space. With the combination of some great space sequences and the personal relationships of Neil Armstrong, the pacing of this film feels consistent. Overall, I would highly recommend this film.
The Good
- Beautiful cinematography
The Bad -Shaky cam became a bit much at some points
The BFG (2016)
Disappointing...
When I found out The BFG was directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Melissa Mathison, I was looking forward to it having a similar feel to one of my favorite films of all time - E.T. the Extra Terrestrial. However, upon viewing this film, I can say that I was sorely disappointed. This film lacks feelings of whimsy and adventure, something you might expect from a film based on a Roald Dahl book or a Spielberg movie. Instead, it feels rather forgettable and uninteresting.
I rolled my eyes so hard whenever there was farting on the screen. I mean really... farting corgis. I would have never guessed I would be watching a Spielberg film that contained a dog farting joke. CRINGE...
Getting past the farting jokes, something else I was disappointed about and found distracting throughout the film was the special effects. There were many usages of CGI that looked terrible. Some of the shots looked like the visual effects artists didn't do a good job of blending what was computer generated and what was real. Other shots had computer imagery that looked like they were straight from a videogame. I mean honestly, I expected more from Disney, but it seems like many of these CGI-heavy films still look unnatural. That's not to say there weren't any good-looking shots in the entire film. There are a few moments, such as the scene where Sophie and BFG enter the dream realm, that looked nice.
Despite all of that, there are some good things about this film. Mark Rylance's performance is probably the most obvious one. His motion capture performance is playful and fun. Many of the different faces and expressions Mark makes in the film genuinely made me smile. The same can be said for Mark's vocal performance, which was a perfect match for the big friendly giant. Another aspect that stood out to me was some of the small details in the film. The set design in particular had many clever details that really elevated the scenes and made the locations feel more like a fairy-tale. With that being said, I still would not recommend this one. Despite my love for Spielberg, I thought this was one of his worst films, and completely worth skipping.
Hachi: A Dog's Tale (2009)
Was this written by a 50-year-old hack?
I was surprised at how poorly written Hachi: A Dog's tale was. This film felt like a made-for-TV Hallmark movie that was written by a 50-year-old. The dialog and many of the scenes were very cliche and stale (ex: the skunk scene), making it hard not to roll your eyes while watching. The writing was also very emotionally manipulative, using a puppy's cuteness and other overly dramatic elements to play the audience. Another one of the major issues I have with this film is the pacing. There were many story elements that I felt should have been cut, and others seemed to happen too quickly. It also did not help that the film was missing a climax. The one moment that could have been the climax of the film took place a little over halfway through and felt abrupt, which I thought was an odd choice. Really, this film should have been much shorter; maybe like a 30 minute short. That would have helped with the pacing and left more of an emotional impact.
If you look past the stale writing, the technical aspects of the film are good. I really enjoyed some of the cinematography and visual choices that were made. I particularly enjoyed that all of the Hachi point of view shots were in black and white. This helped distinguish the dog's perspective, allowing the audience to understand Hachi's emotions better. Another aspect of the film I thought was done exceptionally well was the score. The composer's usage Japanese influences and the piano made for a very beautiful and captivating score.
Overall, I have mixed feelings about the film. On one hand, the dog is very cute and fun to watch at times, but on the other hand, the film is rather depressing poorly written. For these reasons, I don't think I would recommend this film.
The Good
- Nice Score
- Cute Dog
- Some nice cinematography
- The writing
- the pacing
- Emotionally manipulative
- Cliche dialog and scenes
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018)
More like a Sing-Along than an Actual Movie...
Oh god, here we go again... Mama Mia! Here We Go Again makes many of the same mistakes the original film does, including a paper-thin plot, a script that barely connects the music to the story, and one-dimensional characters.
The script is by far the worst part of the film, being lazy and contradicting itself multiple times. Normally, a sequel is supposed to add something new to the story or expand on its characters. Instead, the film delves into Donna's backstory, a story we already heard in the original film. Of course, we see the three relationships Donna has with Sam, Bill, and Harry, but all seem rushed and generic. Their storylines also fail to add any detail that isn't covered in the original Mama Mia! The relationships boil down to Donna knowing each man for about a day, sleeping with them, and then never seeing them again. There is nothing new about the relationships that we did not know. No cute surprises or subverting of expectations, just the same old story we heard from Donna and her friends in the original. This film is much more of a sing-along than an actual movie. This is why I would only recommend this film to an ABBA fan that will simply enjoy singing along and not care about the plot. If you are looking for more than an ABBA sing-along, look somewhere else.
The only thing I enjoyed about this film was the end credits, not only because it was the best-choreographed sequence in the entire movie, but because the film was finally over.
Oh, I also enjoyed the Fat Bastard Cameo. It was a little out of place, but still hilarious.
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Not a Marvel Fan, but enjoyed this film
Going into Spiderman: Homecoming, I was very worried for two reasons. One, I still had the terrible taste of The Amazing Spiderman 2 in my mouth making me not particularly excited for ANOTHER Spiderman movie. Two, some would call me a Marvel sceptic. I have never really liked any of their movies with a few exceptions (e.g., Iron Man), and some of the recent films, such as Age of Ultron or Captain America: Civil War, have left me fatigued with the entire superhero genre. Well with those things in mind, I went into Spiderman: Homecoming with very low expectations and I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, this is still a Disney Marvel superhero movie, so it is not groundbreaking or very original, but it is better than most of Marvel's pervious work.
One of the main things I think this movie does well is the depiction of Spiderman. In the film, Peter Parker is a relatable superhero who is still in high school and going through many things normal people went through during adolescence, such as dealing with bulling, trying to ask someone to homecoming, etc. This helped me build a better relationship to Spiderman since I could relate to him, more so than I could to Thor or Captain America. Spiderman acts like how a normal person who just became a superhero would act. He struggles with realistic issues such as keeping secrets from people he cares about, budgeting his time between normal life and fighting crime, and being ignored by someone he looks up to. All of these issues are much more interesting than the issues many other of the characters in the MCU deal with. Another thing that I think makes this film better than its counterparts is the storyline and villain. I am very happy we did not see a third origin story of how he got his powers. The superhero origin story has been beaten to death, so it was a good move to avoid it. Instead of an origin story, Spiderman: Homecoming tells the story of a Spiderman who is struggling to get the attention of the Avengers, a team of individuals he looks up to highly. It also shows Spiderman going up against The Vulture, an Alien removal worker turned illegal arms dealer. The plot is much more interesting and has more depth than other Marvel movies, but still feels generic and safe. All of these elements helped make this film stand out amongst the masses of superhero films being produced today.
Of course, just because this film was better than many other superhero movies, it does not mean it doesn't have its flaws. As I mentioned before, the film's plot was very safe and unoriginal. It still felt calculated and created by a board of executives at Disney. It did not have a distinct style like the Sam Raimi Spidermans, and that made for a non-innovative film. Instead, the movie looks like any other of the brightly colored CGI superhero movies being released today. I also felt like the story lacked originality, but at least there weren't any giant blue beams shooting into the sky. It also felt as though many of the characters were high schooler stereotypes, such as MJ, who felt unnecessary in this film. Overall, this film felt safe but somewhat different to the other MCU movies. So, in that regard, it is a great Marvel movie, but in the big picture, it is a decent action/superhero film, nothing more nothing less.
The Good
-Relatable main character
-Spiderman faces realistic issues
-Ned is hilarious
-Has some fun moments
The Bad
-Very safe
-Original for Marvel, unoriginal for cinema
-Stereotypical characters
-Lacking style, both visually and in storytelling
Call Me by Your Name (2017)
Simple coming of age film
Call Me by Your Name was a gorgeous film with an enjoyable but simple story. A coming of age story about a gay man who falls in love with an older student; this film is a slow burn. It has a relatively slow pace, but the film is still captivating with its beautiful shots and interesting characters. This film excels at character development. You can see both Chalamet's and Hammer's character change the way they feel about and act toward each other throughout the film. I also think that the acting was very good. Timothy Chalamet, Armie Hammer, and Micheal Stuhlbarg had great performances. All of them really displayed their character's emotions well. The last thing I really enjoyed was the cinematography. I thought the visuals were very beautiful, partially because of the amazing location choices and partially because of the lighting and camera work. Now the reason that I gave this film three and a half stars and not higher is because of the few things I did not enjoy. I thought the film had a hard time ending. It kept acting as if it was about to be over, and then an additional scene would start up. I enjoyed how the film concluded once it did, but before that I kept feeling restless. This film also did not make me feel as many emotions as other recent coming of age stories (e.g., Moonlight). I felt less connected to the characters even though I thought they were great. Overall, I enjoyed this film and can see why many people loved it, but I do not think it added anything new to the coming of age teen romance genre.
The Boss Baby (2017)
Has its moments
The Boss Baby was definitely an interesting ride. There were things I disliked in this film as well as enjoyed. Let us start with the bad. The plot for The Boss Baby is well... odd and not that strong. There are a few problems I have with it. First, it is difficult to figure out when the boss baby's older brother is just imagining crazy stuff happening or not. There are scenes that elude to the idea that the whole thing is Tim's (the big brother) imagination, and others that make it seem like he does have a boss for a baby brother. Another issue I have is with the plot; it is very convoluted. There is a conflict between puppies and babies as well as an odd ending; it makes it for a weird movie experience. Of course, this is an animated movie targeted towards children, so you can only expect so much from the plot and I understand that.
As for the good, this film had some genuinely funny and emotional moments. I laughed at some of the jokes while watching the film. Some of the jokes were very childish, but again, what do you expect out of a movie like this? This movie also has some touching moments and leaves a good message to its viewers. I also really enjoyed Alec Baldwin; he does a wonderful job and is easily the highlight. Overall, I think this film has its moments, some good and some not so good.
Darkest Hour (2017)
Interesting Historical Piece
Historical films have always been a soft spot for me, and Darkest Hour is no exception. The story of Winston Churchill and his promotion to Prime Minister of England during World War II, this film lets you see Churchill struggle and succeed. I enjoyed seeing the British political side of the war, and learned a lot about Churchill and how the English government handled WWII. I was captivated the entire time; the story even became inspiring towards the end. I found this film to be complementary to Dunkirk, it included the same period, only the political side of the story. This film added to my understanding of Dunkirk as a whole.
I also thought that Gary Oldman's performance was grand. His delivery as Churchill was captivating, and you could tell that he was dedicated to nailing the performance. The makeup team also did an unbelievable job transforming Oldman and definitely deserves the best makeup award. As for the films negatives, I think the film did not excel at thinking outside the box; it was similar to other historical film biopics I have seen. I also think that the film had a few parts that dragged a bit. Other than that, I enjoyed the film.
Heroin(e) (2017)
Inspiring Women
Heroin(e) is a short documentary that tells the inspiring story of three different women in West Virginia who help people cope with Heroin addition. The documentary is informative and very emotionally captivating throughout the 39-minute runtime. It displayed some truly heartbreaking events, comeback stories, and some inspiring women. Hats off to the documentary team on this one for taking one of the biggest issues in the United States and showing how it affects so many across the country. This is worth watching for anyone who enjoys documentaries, loves stories about strong women, or is interested in the drug epidemic.
The Shape of Water (2017)
Fun retro story with great visuals
Guillermo del Toro, knocked his newest film, The Shape of Water, out of the park. The film is a magical ride from scene to scene that mesmerizes the viewer with amazing cinematography, beautiful visuals, and an astounding soundtrack. That's not all; the acting in this film is fantastic. Sally Hawkins, Michael Stuhlbarg, Doug Jones, and Richard Jenkins are all amazing in this film, but my two personal favorites were Octavia Spencer and Michael Shannon. Octavia was hilarious in this movie as well as a great supporting character to Hawkins since her character was mute. I thought Shannon did a great job creating a compelling villain. You hated his character for the things he did, but you couldn't help but love watching him.
Another thing I loved about The Shape of Water is how it played with genres. It was mostly a sci-fi/fantasy romance, but also included thriller aspects and (spoiler) musical aspects. I always love when films cross genres, and this film does it wonderfully. It is really what makes the film as unique as it is (that and del Toro's style as well).
I still haven't discussed the story, which was also fantastic. The plot, which flows very nicely and keeps you entertained throughout, reminds me of an old monster movie turned love story. The film has a strong message about relationships and people who are different, which makes this film very timely. Overall, I loved this film and would recommend this to anyone, since I think that there is something that everyone can take out of this film.
Dear Basketball (2017)
Recommended to Basketball Fans
Being a Kobe Bryant fan when I was in high school, I enjoyed watching this animated short. I thought the film, which is based off a poem written by Kobe, was inspiring and reminiscent of his successful career. The hand drawn animation style was well done; it added an imaginative look to the short. I would recommend this film to any fans of Kobe or basketball in general.
Edith+Eddie (2017)
Sweet and Interesting Doc
Edith+Eddie is a heartwarming, yet heartbreaking short documentary about a relationship between a recently married couple who are both in their 90s. The doc tells the story of their fight against social workers who want to force Edith to move away from her love Eddie. The documentary keeps you invested in there cute relationship for the entire 29 minute runtime. As a viewer, I felt all types of emotions including sadness, joy, and frustration while watching this film, and that is one of the reasons I liked it. The film makes you feel so much. Overall, I think the film is a great short doc that I would recommend to most.
Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Pointless Remake
I feel like there is not a lot to say about this film. It was a live action remake of the fantastic 1991 original Beauty and the Beast (emphases on the remake). I felt like this remake did not really bring new life to a story like a remake is supposed to; it just slapped a few new songs in there and called it good. I think that the whole live action Disney thing is a cash grab, but this isn't the time or place to discuss this... To be fair, there were things I did enjoy about this film. I thought the way they did some of the old songs like "Be Our Guest" and "Tale as Old as Time" were done very well. I also thought the film was visually pleasing and the costume/set design was whimsical. Overall, I think this as an average film that did not give justice to the original except for a few spots here and there.
The Big Sick (2017)
Kumail Nanjiani is Fantastic
The Big Sick was one of my favorite movies of 2017. The highlight of this film was the screenplay and the story presented. Based on the true story of Kumail Nanjiani's relationship of how he fell in love with his now wife, the film does a fantastic job drawing the viewer in and making them care about its characters. One of the reasons I think the plot was so successful includes how developed the relationships between the characters were. Many of the relationships commented on different social topics, including race, marriage, family, dedication, and love, which gave the relationships more depth and helped me as a viewer relate to the characters. One of the social topics I found particularly interesting was how Kumail dealt with having his family want him to marry a Pakistani girl. I was not very familiar with Pakistan culture, so I thought this film had an interesting viewpoint on what it was like to immigrate to the United States from Pakistan.
Another aspect of the film that I enjoyed was the acting. Kumail Nanjiani, Holly Hunter, and Ray Romano were especially fantastic to watch. They all seemed so natural in their role (it helps that Kumail played himself). I also found the movie hilarious. The standup bits were excellent, and Kumail's character was particularly funny. Of course, this movie was not perfect. I would say that the way the film is shot or edited was not particularly amazing, but to be fair, it is a romantic comedy, so I was not expecting amazing cinematography. When taking this into consideration, I would still say that it was one of my favorites in 2017, and I would recommend this film to most people because I think there is something for everyone to learn and relate to in it.
Phantom Thread (2017)
Beautiful Masterpiece. The Best of 2017
I absolutely loved Phantom Thread. From the moment the film started, I was captivated partially because of the soundtrack and cinematography, which were gorgeous. Almost every shot in the film is beautiful and the soundtrack provokes emotion when it needed too. I also loved Daniel Day-Lewis's acting in this film. He sucked me in. Everything he said and did in this film was somehow interesting to me, even eating asparagus. As for the story, I thought it was very enjoyable. You would think a movie about a man who makes dresses would be boring, yet this film is anything but. The film is very suspenseful at times and the twist towards the end of the film is very shocking. I would highly recommend this film, but I am aware that many will not enjoy this work of art.
Mudbound (2017)
Shocking! an emotionally charged film
Mudbound is a film that doesn't pull the punches in showing the reality of racism in the post-World War II south. The realism that is put into this film makes me feel many emotions including sadness, anger, and even guilt. It is hard for me to believe that people could be so cruel and inconsiderate to someone just because they had different color skin. Racism was not the only thing covered in this film. Other subjects included PTSD, family, and gender roles.
The technical aspects of the film were also well done. The Cinematography was beautiful and I thought the acting from Mary J. Blige, Garret Hedlund, Jason Mitchell, and Rob Morgan was great. I would definitely recommend this.
Side note: I don't think I have ever hated a character more than the grandfather!