torfarrells Reviews

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)

Birdman does not live up to its hype

[7/10 · 12 July 2015]

Expecting more then an acting movie will only disappoint you. Birdman is a film so unique and clever— that you have to give it up to the actors. Keaton, for playing a character with such pain— a character with such a strive for success that no one else could have pulled off. Norton, for playing the charismatic and vein actor Mike, who eventually becomes the character that the audience looks forward too seeing the most. Stone, for playing the disturbed daughter, who delivers the most intense and well written monologue in the film. Finally, Watts, who delivers an actress who is trying to make it big in Hollywood role that was "ok". The camera shots were incredibly unique— giving the movie a sense of realism. The movie on its own was not as great. It is absorbed by messy drums, pounding louder and louder every time someone stops talking— and is washed out by the slow 30 minute ending that should have only been 10 minutes. Birdman found itself in a bizarre position, in which the first 40 minutes or so were great, but the 60 minutes left found itself redundant and dragging. It truly is an actors movie— one all actors surely will relate to. But not everyone (including me) is an actor, and the film fails to demonstrate a moral message that does not comply with only a certain group of people. Its dark humour may have saved it from drowning at the bottom of a lake— but it certainly was not as glorious as the other movies who lost to it at the Academy Awards. Michael Keaton has delivered a once-in-a- lifetime performance, but unfortunately gets dragged down by the pillars. B-. Ryan Farrell.

Inside Out (I) (2015)

Inside Out's heartwarming tale is one of PIxar's best

[10/10 · 6 July 2015]

Pixar has proved itself to be more than a children's studio on numerous occasions— entertaining audiences of all ages— but never before have I seen anything so delightfully touching and smart as Inside Out was. Its perfectly layered switch-offs between reality and thoughts generate a mind boggling and colourful depiction of a somewhat normal young girl dealing with moving away. The emotions we see interact on screen are all personalities and features of the protagonist. The film generalizes a simple way to look at the mind of a human— categorizing our emotions into 5 characters: Joy (the gleeful and charming Amy Poehler), Sadness ("The Office" alum Phyllis Smith), Anger (perfectly exaggerated by Lewis Black), Fear (a charming and frightful Bill Hader) and Disgust (the broccoli shaped scene- stealer voiced by the endearing and relatable Mindy Kaling). The movie doesn't just grab 11 year old girls or San Fransisco hockey players— it grabs all of us, and pulls us in to the extraordinary world of the reality. We need a little Office before Parks and Recreation— we need a little blue before yellow— we need a little sadness before joy, and that insightful little message plays through the movie like a roller-coaster; the disgust of looking at it— the anger of the line— the fear of the drop— the sadness of the long way down— and of course, the joy that follows. A. By Ryan Farrell.

Whiplash (2014)

Whiplash hit a high note

[10/10 · 6 July 2015]

With nearly no soundtrack, Whiplash still manages to accelerate with tension so brilliantly executed it could not have been done better. The film projects an interesting message— one that questions the very theory of teaching. By pushing your students beyond the boundaries, will they be able to make it out as a star? Or will they end up overwhelmed, exhausted and afraid to embark further? Whiplash portrays this controversial message through the life a young drummer, Andrew, (a surprisingly talented Miles Teller), who begins to question his talent when he is coached by the ruthless and abusive Fletcher (a well- deserving Oscar winner J.K Simmons). Chazelle directs the heartbreaking picture with heart and soul— delivering an outstanding opening sequence in which the camera slowly gets closer while the loud drum beats hit. The constant thrill of Andrew and Fletcher standing in the same room ignites the suspense and excellence of the film— proving the point and message it gave out. Teller's performance was truly excellent, and it was sad to see his amount of nominations at the Oscars (zero). Simmons was perfect and precise. He perfectly fit the role of Fletcher, the toughest character to judge. Fletcher is portrayed throughout most of the film to be the main antagonist of Andrew. But throughout the film we receive little glimpses of human feelings and emotion— making you question whether he is a villain or just a coach who takes teaching to the extreme. Andrew did not have to be in his class. It was a choice that he made to go into this class with this teacher— and it was his choice to say. The film magnificently illustrates these small breakthroughs of each character perfectly. With a brilliant setup, a thrilling middle section and the most satisfying ending one could ask for, Whiplash hit a high note. A. Ryan Farrell.

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

Wes Anderson's "The Grand Budapest Hotel" is smarter than you may think

[10/10 · 6 July 2015]

It is almost impossible to describe why The Grand Budapest Hotel was such a success. Anderson has created a film, so ridiculous and intelligent, it is hard to pinpoint where the movie became gold. I will attempt to do so. Its surprisingly captivating premise follows Fiennes' wonderful character M. Gustave, the vein, witty and legendary hotel concierge, who steals the spotlight with an eye catching purple tux. His character meets Zero (Tony Revolori), the new purple suited lobby boy who soon becomes his most loyal of friends. In its own way, the movie cannot be classified into one genre. There is some comedy, placed in the perfect places to draw attention to what was necessary— but overall the film deals with much more intense subject matter. It deals with loss, greed and value— breaking the imaginary world the characters are placed in. Its charming yet true dialogue opens up a whole new side of every character we see on screen. We get true depth into the minds of every character, gaining different intelligent perspectives of worth and wealth in the minds of fictional yet relatable characters. The film also successfully obtains an Inception storyboard, going from different time periods and locations but centring on one clear message, that being about life of a man who was wealthy and alone— to becoming a man who was loyal, honest and brave. Dealing with the loss of his friend (a 100 year old version of Tilda Swinton), it is discovered that her most priced possession— the symbolical Boy with an Apple painting— has been given to Gustave, instead of her greedy children. The apple of temptation and knowledge places a spell on Dimitri (the brilliant Adriaan Brody), who stops at nothing to retrieve the painting back. The film will be known for its glorious sets— bursting with colour and exploding with detail— but what was as clever was the charming atmosphere that was created. It is extremely difficult to create a good movie, but what is even harder— is to make a good movie that viewers will want to re-watch over and over again. Brilliantly, Wes Anderson has done so. A. Ryan Farrell.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)

Phenomenal

[10/10 · 24 November 2013]

If there was a 100, I would five it 1 billion out of 10. This is a spectacular film, which is visually entertaining and keeps you on the edge of your seat. The first movie was rally excellent, and when I heard about the director switch, I was worried. I went to see Catching Fire opening night, hoping this will be good. After watching this movie, I realize: Francis Lawrence is a genius. He crafted this movie so well, and kept me engaged through out. The visual effects were outstanding and truly beautiful. Jennifer Lawrence (as usual) was excellent,, Josh Hutcherson was just fantastic, Liam Hemsworth was outstanding, Sam Clafin was amazing, Jena Malone was mesmerizing, Woody Harrelson was brilliant, Elizabeth Banks was superb, Stanley Tucci was get off your feet mind blowing, Phillip Seymour Hoffman was just absolutely perfect, Lenny Kravitz gave a standing ovation performance, Willow Shields was terrific, Paula Malcomson was magnificent, Amanda Plummer, Lynn Cohen, Toby Jones, Everyone was great in this movie. I could not point out a single flaw in this film whatsoever. The ending was magnificent and brilliant:

*SPOLIER ALERT*

Katniss wakes up. She his lying down in a hovercraft, next to the unawakened Beetee. She removes her breathing mask and walks through the corridors. She hears talking about her losing her mind, when she finds out about Peeta. Katniss storms in to see Haymitch, Finnick and Plutarch all standing. She grabs a syringe and attacks Maymitch for betraying her. She is taken down and god the truth. She was their plan from the beginning. She was the symbol of rebellion. She was meant to destroy the dome. They picked up Katniss, Beetee and Finnick after the games, but the Capital captured Peeta and Johanna. Katniss freaks out and attacks, and is drugged. She wakes up to Gale in front of her. He says that not to worry, Prim and her Mother were saved by Gale. Saved? Katniss questions hi. He says that after the games, the capitol dropped bombs on district 12. FINAL LINE: There is no district 12. Katniss cries and cries then looked at the camera, anger in her eyes and the scene ends. A 3d catching fire symbol is shown, then the bird formed into a mocking jay, ready for the next film.

A great film overall.

Carrie (2013)

Carrie: An Excellent Adaption

[10/10 · 20 October 2013]

I thought Carrie was very well done.

Kimberley Pierce (Boys Don't Cry) told the story of Carrie White, with a satisfying, Modern touch. Phones and Social Networking are brought into this adaption. Chris Hargenson (Played by the amazing Portia Doubleday) takes videos of Carrie in the locker room, and posts them online. Later on (SPOILER) during the prom night, the video is played, right after the blood is dropped.

I loved the beginning. In the original (don't get me wrong, the original is a masterpiece) they do not show the scene in which Margeret decides to keep Carrie. In this, we see Margeret give a painful birth to Carrie. This is followed by Margeret attempting the stab the baby with scizzors. In the end, she decides to keep Carrie.

The CGI was not over the top, I have no idea why people are complaining.

I thought that Gabriella Wilde, Judy Greer, Alex Russel, and Portia Doubleday gave performances, I thought were better then the characters of the 1976 DePalma Masterpiece.

I am debating over Chloe Grace and Julianne against Sissy and Piper. I thought Chloe Grace gave on outstanding performance. She was (quote) "mesmerizing". I also loved Julianne Moore. She was (quote) "perfect". They both gave outstanding and truly amazing performances. I feel like Sissy really captured the innocence of Carrie, while Chloe captured the emotional aspect of Carrie. I cannot decide!

I was surprised that Judy Greer slapped Carrie in the shower room. Nowadays, a gym teacher cannot do that. Nonetheless, she was great.

Overall, a great movie worth seeing!

The Heat (I) (2013)

Why is everyone criticizing it? I loved it!!

[10/10 · 5 August 2013]

I really enjoyed this film! Good Actors, good plot, and good script! Almost everything Melissa McCarthy says in this is FUNNY! Sure the storyline itself is not original but the original part the fact that its a girl buddy cop movie, which is original in its own way. I mean younger audiences (mainly 12 and younger) I personally think shouldn't see this film, only because there is A lot of swearing and references. But it is funny!

I especially laughed the hardest when it came to McCarthy insulting people, especially the one who McCarthy refers to as an albino. Bullock is good in this as well! The ending where (SPOILER) during the rest of the film, McCarthy learns of a cat that Bullock holds in a photo. Trying not the look like an idiot (that cat in the photo is the neighbours!) she says it is. At this point they bond a little better. Then at the end, when they are really good friends, McCarthy surprises Bullock the cat! Which she found in the neighbours house! I laughed pretty hard!

If you are looking for a GOOD comedy film that will make you laugh, The Heat and This Is The End will be your best choices!

Seed (2013–2014)

Awesome show!!!!!

[10/10 · 2 April 2013]

I love seed, it's funny, and cute. Harry, is my favourite character, he is funny and awesome Seed is a very excellent show, many laughs and never gets old! I can watch it a million times and still laugh my head off, if I were to choose a favourite, I would say either the one that premiered on April fools day, or the one that talented Mark Farrell (Corner Gas, Dan for Mayor) along with others wrote. Actually, 11/10 that's how much I love this show. Congrats Mark Farrell and Joseph Raso, you two along with many other wonderful people have made a hilarious fresh new comedy that I hope gets renewed for another season:watch seed

Modern Family (2009–2020)

The Best Comedy Show in Years

[10/10 · 30 December 2012]

First of all, this a hilarious take on a modern day family. I like the fact that all the characters are certain stereo-types of people, but then they have their own unique ways overall. My characters are: Cam (warm hearted, sensitive gay guy, who is the funniest man on T.V.), Phil (A quirky, Goofy, "cool" dad as he likes to call himself), and Claire (a housewife with stress who's married to Phil). Then, the characters include Gloria (a columbian woman who's married to a man who is two times her age), Jay (a divorced dad of two kids, Claire and Mitchell, who is married to Gloria), Mitchell (Boyfriend of Cam, he is a strict lawyer who's dad is Jay). Manny (a passionate boy who was Gloria's son, before she married Jay. He is my least favourite character). Lily (a little adopted girl from Vietnam, who's fathers are Mitch and Cam. Haley (a texting, shopping college girl who texts all day). Alex (a smart girl who does not like her siblings). Luke (a weird boy who jumps on a trampoline with a pogo stick, or a box on his head. Dylan (a co-star, he is Haley's bad boy boyfriend). Favourite Episodes:

Season 1: Pilot Season 2: Earthquake Season 3: Election Day Season 4: Schooled/Diamond in the Rough (so far).

Overall, this show is great. If you disagree, you are missing out on a truly hilarious TV show.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

Pretty good, but expected more.

[7/10 · 27 December 2012]

I do admit, I had high expectations for this movie. I just finished the book as it released. I loved the mythology in this movie. I loved the action sequences and the visual experience. I especially enjoyed the escape from the goblin dungeon scene. Now, this movie was just too long and slow. The scene in which the dwarfs unexpectedly arrive at Bilbo's house goes on for 20 minutes. The orcs also were made a little too creepy for my taste. This also does not entirely follow the book. In this, Azog the giant pale orc returns and tries to kill Thorin and Bilbo. In the book, he is mentioned in the past but not in the present. There is also a scene in the movie in which there is a big conversation about a creature called a nercromancer, who can bring up the dead. This is obliquely mentioned in the book, and becomes a threat in the movie. I also found that the film makers went out of there way to not be able to see the evil dragon Smaug. I also have to say, that Martin Freeman, who plays Bilbo was fantastic. It was hard for me to understand what gollum was saying when we meet him. I did enjoy the ending scene, in which they are saved by giant eagles. In the book, Thorin does not have anything against Bilbo, and he never is seriously injured. In the movie, he hates Bilbo, and is crunched on by a gigantic wolf, called wargs. I did like seeing Frodo at the beginning of the movie. This movie also had bad luck. It was before lord of the rings but the movie came out after. Maybe i would of liked more, knowing Lord of the Rings was next. I also did not enjoy some of the dwarfs. Some were funny, strong and good acting, some were useless. Gandalf was great as usual, and I liked how they managed to put in Galadriel and Saruman, who in the lord of the rings, turns evil. Overall, this was pretty good, but didn't live up to the phenomenal Lord of the Rings trilogy.

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

A brilliant masterpiece

[10/10 · 25 December 2012]

The Dark Knight Rises: Movie Review

We all know the first two movies in this trilogy directed by Christopher Nolan were phenomenal. We were all worried about whether or not this movie would live up to the high standards set by the first two. Luckily, this succeeded in pleasing us and is an excellent classic. The villain in this is played by the brilliant actor Tom Hardy who gives an emotional and compelling performance as Bane, one of Batman's greatest foes. We liked how they also included Catwoman, who was played by Anne Hathaway. We loved the insane thrills this movie had to offer. For example, Batman's jumping off of buildings, flying in Bat-planes, and much more. We really liked the twist at the end, like most good movies. The final thing that we enjoyed about this movie was this: It's about Batman. In conclusion, The Dark Knight Rises is a must see, and give it an A, or 10/10

The Grey (2011)

A stinker

[1/10 · 25 December 2012]

The Grey: Movie Review

We saw the trailer for this movie and thought to ourselves "this could not be bad in any way". The story seemed good, and the acting seemed great. The star is Liam Neeson. But Hollywood producers found a way to make this movie bad in EVERY way. After you're done watching it, you'll wish you had another two hours because you just wasted two. So when this similar to Lord of the Flies tale starts, a plane crashes in the middle of a snowy forest. They have to find food and get along with each other. Liam Neeson plays the lead, and is the only one who has actual sense. Next thing you know there are wolves but you can't see anything because it's night and the whole scene is just a mess. You here growling but you don't see anything! The acting was bad, the story was irrational, and the whole movie was unrealistic. The one thing that really bothered us was at the very end. (SPOILER ALERT) As we may have guessed, Liam Neeson was the only survivor. He then comes in contact with the big head wolf. We see them charge at each other, and just as they're about to make contact, It freezes, and then the credits roll. What the heck? What is this? The Grey gets a D-, or 1/10. Shame on you.

Other contributers:Larry and Fred

The Hunger Games (2012)

A great movie

[10/10 · 14 December 2012]

ABSOLUTELY LOVED HUNGER GAMES. It was such a great thriller, really did justice to the book. Wonderful camera angles kept me rivetted the entire movie. Can't wait for Catching Fire :) Cast selection was selected perfectly. Liam Hemswroth was a perfect choice can't wait to see more of him :) Let the games begin. Some people accuse this movie, because of the shaky cam it has, but I liked that effect. It lets you know that wherever Katniss is, things could always go wrong. I really enjoyed this movie. I was amazed. It was astonishing and excellent. Jennifer Lawrence does a fantastic job of Katniss Everdeen, a teen who supports a lot for her family since her father died. Josh Hutcherson does great as Peeta, a teen who is a kind hearted boy who's parents own a bakery. He saves Katniss from starvation once. Here is a plot summary of the movie, In the near future, the government lost a bet for a failed rebellion so now in Panem, every year there must be a televised death match and one female and male tribute will be chosen by a lottery draw. There are 12 districts which means that there will be 23 teenagers dead and one still standing. From district 12, Katniss Everdeen lives with her sister Primrose and her mother. Her father tragically dies in a mine explosion. When the tributes are chosen by Effie Trinket , Prim gets chosen and Katniss being a caring older sister takes Prim's place. The male tribute is Peeta Mellark. Katniss and Peeta have to go to a parade, have an interview with Caesar Flickerman and get prompted by there mentor Haymitch Abernathy. She must train while Seneca Crane and the other Game Makers watch. When the games start Katniss hides in fear that someone will try to kill her. She meets a girl from district 11 named Rue who is just like Prim, and makes her a friend but Katniss makes enemies with Cato and Clove, the tributes from district 2. Katniss must find a way to survive all the knives and arrows and try to win, for her sister. This movie truly shows the horror of starvation and hunger. It also shows how bad some governments are. In this, the government is very cruel, and forces people to participate in a death match. Gary Ross did a great job. I am looking forward to the sequel, called Catching fire. A fabulous film. A.

Rise of the Guardians (2012)

An OK movie, not Christmas nor classic

[6/10 · 12 December 2012]

First of all, if you are looking for a classic Christmas movie to watch, skip this one. It is neither a classic nor a Christmas movie. Yes there is Santa but Christmas does not take place in this. Easter does though. In this, yetis make the toys, and the elves are midgets dressed like a jingle hat you might find at the dollar store. Next we have Santa, but he is named North in this movie, he is a Russian version, but the voice of the character was Alec Baldwin. We then have tooth fairy, who looks like a green and blue version of the girl with the dragon tattoo, except with wings and she doesn't collect the teeth, mini fairies do. We then come to the speechless Sandman and finally, the Easter Bunny, who looks like a burglar in grey fur. We then have Pitch, an evil boogeyman, and poor old Jack Frost. All he does is mess with people in his town and nobody sees him. Before I continue, I would like to say that I have mainly gotten the things that bothered me from this movie, we can now come to the things I loved about this movie. Like I said, it is not a classic, but is pretty good. The animation was great, with the mist of sand and yetis building toys. Not many laughs in this, but there are a few. It is sort simple storyline, and I thought the animators could make the evil pitch look even more evil. I did like the fact that teeth tell memories from the past, and soon enough, we find Jack's past. I did like the scene in which the guardians collect teeth from children and fight to have the greatest amount of teeth. I don't like how the Jamie, a little boy who ends being the only person in the world who believes in the guardians suddenly became a hero. One minute he is terrified, the next, he tells the guardians to get behind him, he will protect them. But, I enjoyed this movie a lot, and the 3D made it better. B+.

Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World (2011)

Trash. Watch the first 3, then dump this

[1/10 · 12 December 2012]

I have to say, it really deserves a negative 99. Now, I absolutely loved the trilogy of the Spy Kids movies. I was sad it was done, and wanted a 4th and 5th and so on. But when I saw this, I was outraged about how stupid this was. Now, since Robert Rodriguez is done directing good movies, I wish this movie never happened. This just absolutely downgraded the whole Spy Kids franchise. I hated this movie. Oh, and the 4D was just annoying. One time, a kid farts and it tells you to smell it. What kind of a movie does that. Well, I don't see any new movies using it, and that was a smart move. If this movie was called anything else, I would of still thought it stunk, but putting the Spy Kids title on it just made it worse. Jessica Alba did the best she could, for her role was stupid and meaningless. Carmen and Juni were a big success. The other 2 know it all brats, one a child who is hearing impaired, and 2, a prank pulling, bad acting, brat daughter who defines the word selfish. Snow White and the Huntsman has better jokes than this (And Snow White has no jokes). The plot to this story was the typical plot. A step mother with two step kids, one who hates her and a Spy Hunter T.V. show star husband. But the step mother is actually a spy. When the two kids are attacked, they have to get in to action and fight against the time keeper. For some reason, Carmen and Juni are in this, but they are a lot older. This a stupid movie, and the only thing good about this movie was the talking dog voiced by comedian Ricky Gervais. I don't know how they got him for this $2,000 picture. At one part, where the bad actress who does the prank star step daughter is attacked by some giant claw, she tries to avoid it and turns her head to the side, avoiding the claw. If you look closely, you can see her smiling. This was a huge disappointment, and awful film. Absolutely terrible. D-.

House at the End of the Street (2012)

A good thriller

[7/10 · 11 December 2012]

Despite the negative comments this movie got, I have to say I enjoyed it. It has got a good thrill in it, and at the end, there is a major twist in this that really gives it a jump. This is a story about a recently divorced mother, Sarah, moving into to a new neighbourhood with her daughter, Elissa. The town is said to have a house in which a daughter murdered both her parents and was never said to be found.The son, who was not there, Ryan, still lives in the house at the end of the street. Elissa does not like her neighbours on the other sides, so she tries Ryan. She begins to have an affection for him. When he is beat up, Elissa runs to his house and discovers a secret room. She is then attacked by a girl, which then Ryan comes in and explains to her, that the girl who murdered her parents was there, Carrie-Anne. Elissa then finds contacts and a wallet with a girl who looks like Carrie-Anne but his not named that. When Elissa questions Ryan, He traps her in a room, with the now drugged Carrie-Anne. She finds out Carrie-Anne died before she killed her parents, Which means, Ryan kidnaps girls and pretends that they are Carrie-Anne. Ryan then believes Elissa can be Carrie-Anne and the movie turns into a chase thriller where Elissa tries to escape the house, while her mother searches for her. We find out at the end, the real source of evil was the parents. They made Ryan dress up as Carrie-Anne once she died, and when Ryan denied the fact, they would abuse him. He killed his parents and all this time, he was trying to prove that he was not Carrie-Anne. I liked this. Its not an Oscar movie, not at all. It is a good thriller that will give you a chill. Although, this is not horror, it is thriller with a few effective jump scares. I liked this movie, and that is final. p.s. Jennifer Lawrence was amazing in this, she made this movie a good one.