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Reviews
Tenet (2020)
Does Your Head Hurt Yet?
I think Robert Pattinson summed this movie up perfectly in one sentence............
"Does your head hurt yet?"
Tenet is a little flash, a LOT of BANG, and very little else....... I have NEVER been so ANNOYINGLY confused watching any movie EVER, and that's where the usually hyper-intuitive Nolan FAILS INEXCUSABLY. He loses the audience in the noise, quite literally and figuratively, becoming so tangled up in his own too far reaching ambition, that we are left stranded, disoriented, ears ringing, stumbling through a pretentious mess of fractured time, moving both forward and backward, unsure which way is even up!!! Tenet tragically confuses intelligent with paradoxically convoluted, trying WAY too hard to be everything that it is not. The main character is simply called, "The Protagonist." Really? Are you freaking KIDDING me!? Ironically, while resolved to an irksome fault to be drastically different, Tenet puts absolutely NO creativity into its cardboard cut, stock characters. (Save for Robert Pattinson, who was the only actor in this big budget spoof that had a PULSE!!!!) The stereotypical self-aggrandized Russian who wants to take the world out too, if he dies, the put-upon wife who married for money, hungry for revenge, and the so tellingly named Protagonist, who is all but a blank slate, with ZERO distinctive personality. I didn't care about any of their fates, save for Rob with his Chuck Bass coif, and SMASHING suits, and by the end, I was so completely LOST, I just wanted it all over and done with, inverted time nonsense be DAMNED!!!!
The hyped-up special effects which seem cool at first, become tedious by the end. Oh everything's playing in reverse. Again. Great, now where in the HELL in the timeline are we!? Ughhhh.
Consider this your inverted time message from the future, or whatever, and SKIP THIS MOVIE!!!! YES, Rob, my head DOES hurt, EVERYONE'S head HURTS, why are you running backwards!? Why is *spoiler* Trophy-Wife-Who's-Name-I-Already-Forgot trying to kill the ONE man that can take the world out with him, if he dies? Why does going through time inverted keep her from dying, *end spoiler* and most importantly........ IS ANYONE GOING TO TELL ME WHY THIS MOVIE IS CALLED TENET!?!?
The Courier (2020)
The Trouble with Tradecraft: The Lies that Keep Us Safe
"Maybe we're only two people, but this is how things change."
I am......... irrevocably wrecked. Inconsolable, incoherent, stumbling blindly through the words, even as I type them with shaking hands. I wept, I bitterly wept, staring at the rolling credits, and the name I love, struck numb, left empty in sobbing, horrified awe. The emotional upheaval endured in this real life, espionage thriller, by both actor and viewer, was so far removed from what I had expected, that the shock of it, made the following fallout an intensity such as none could viably survive.
What I had expected to see was our dashing, intrepid Benedict's origin story as an MI6 spy, cleverly outsmarting the Russians in a bold, daring Sherlock-esque display, ferrying classified information in ingenious ways, shoe heels, false-bottomed cases, and the like, with more style and wicked sharp intellect than James Bond, sleek, sexy thrills, danger, threats that he laughed in the face of, unfazed.
This movie is a powerful study in the misdirect, the dire circumvention of audience expectation. What I watched was so much better, so much more visceral than my mind had conjured based on the previews, so much so, that the heart-wrenching horrors, and the linger of the haunting trauma stayed with me, well into the night. How stunningly deceptive of the producers to only show scenes from the beginning of the movie, cleverly presenting an entirely different film, a charming mustachioed Benedict, hob-knobbing with the spy elite, clinking champagne glasses, licensed to kill, with a lethally handsome smile. The James Bond veneer, to a searing look into the real lives of spies, inevitably making the startling contrast more keenly suffered, when the sheen falls away, and that final turn is taken.........
The Courier, at its heart, is the story of a seemingly ordinary man, who found within him the courage and resolve to make an extraordinary sacrifice, in the effort to calm the tides of a world in tumult, suffocating under the threat of nuclear annihilation. Benedict tucks away his deerstalker and sentient cloak, and the other trappings of a grand, romanticized hero, to don a more quiet strength of an everyman figure, who discovers the very real bravery, waiting unexpressed, within him all along. That's not to say his adorably disarming Greville Wynne isn't romantic, no, in fact, the passion he kisses his wife with, clinging to her, as though the world will become ash tomorrow, lips pressed fervently to her neck, the tender, cherishing way he makes love to her, once the radiating threat to his way of life becomes fearfully evident, is so beautiful a human moment, that it left me in tears, wishing, hurting for all the world to be her....... To be touched, like it would be the last time.
As Greville gets embroiled deeper, and deeper into the thick of an international conflict, undercover in a hostile country, trapped by a world primed for nuclear war, he creates a bond with his contact, a high ranking, Russian Asset, KGB officer by the name of Alex P4nkovsky, a father, not unlike himself, a man who loves his country, but not at the expense of mutually assured destruction. Where our Comely Courier is deemed a hero for his daunting task, his Russian counterpart is considered a traitor, a turncoat enemy to the Russia he's risking his life to protect. It was a sneaking joy to watch Benedict dance with his new Russian friends, doin' the twist like all the other cool kids, and my GOD, that man can DANCE!!! The two even attend a Russian performance together of, "Swan Lake," which I thought beautifully mirrored their own crescedoing dangers, the perfect metaphor, scoring the detrimental risk each was taking.
Where Benedict shines BLINDING, however, where reality and fiction get confused to the point of bewildered madness, is when everything goes wrong, and the mustache comes off, as it were. After yet another cruel misdirect and sleight of hand, letting us breathe in relief, as Benedict disappears safely onto the plane in Moscow, crucial Russian intel in hand, unsuspecting, as hell itself descends, the trap closing fast around him and his friend, take-off is maddingly delayed, and our worst fears and suspicions cruelly surface.............
What follows is not for the faint of heart.......... I watched, helpless, hysterically sobbing into my hands, begging, pleading them to stop, as they throw a terrified, disoriented Benedict onto the cold, metal table, naked, brutally beating him, having forcibly shaved off all of his beautiful hair!!!! Knowing the kind of immersive actor that he is, knowing his methods, knowing he held nothing back, knowing that he must have told them to hit harder, and insisted they shave off his real hair, as opposed to a trick of film, made this gauntlet of degradation paralyzingly real, and it was screaming, violent agony to watch. When they knocked him to the ground, circling him like a lynch mob, kicking him, thrashing him with crowbars, I could think of nothing, NOTHING but flinging myself on top of him, shielding his body with mine, taking every hit and abuse to spare him such raw dehumanization.
The tortures, psychological and physical, the deprivation, the starvation ensue for eighteen months......... and the pain, the terror in his glistening eyes, is attacking my heart, panic coursing through me, making me a mess. It's not a movie anymore........ It's real, it's happening, and it's horrible. Why? Because Benedict makes you FEEL it, you're with him, languishing, breaking alongside him, watching as an already slender man, once cutting a dashing figure, becomes a gaunt shell of his formal self, a brittle, skeletal creature, indicative of his Frankenstein days, spindly, and more horror than human, his cheekbones dark, and sunken in, his body alarmingly emaciated. He's not acting starved, he HAS been starved, and you see the evidence of a talent that the world could never begin to deserve, willing to do this to himself, for the poignancy of the moment, and the payoff is unmistakable. Get this man a bloody Oscar.
Here, in this ninth circle of hell, in his long suffering, Greville proves who he was all along, not a mild-mannered business man, but a hero, a martyr, possessing that rare, selfless, resilient brand of bravery, surviving what no man physically could, and it is dizzying to witness. He is offered food, promised a pardon, to confess, and turn on Alex, and still he will NOT bend, his expression stone, as he slides the pen back across the table.
In the meantime, using the intel Greville sacrificed his freedom to procure, MI6 assists the CIA in averting what would come to be known as, "The Cuban Missile Crisis," choosing both to celebrate their hard won success, and deny Greville's affiliation, and retrieval leaving him in a Russian Gulag to die. I am aghast...... Anger, fury, frustration......... What do you do........ When the country you sacrificed everything for, turns its back on you?
Not wanting to reveal Greville's value to the agency by offering a high ranking Russian officer in trade, MI6 and the British Government wait a YEAR, to barter his return, and when the exchange is made, STILL refuse to acknowledge him as one of their own. It's both a triumph and a tragedy, in that a man, so instrumental in preventing what could have been an act of war, and the end to civilization, is denied the accolade, the recognition, and the favour he deserves. Until now.........
This is a movie about real life heroics, about ordinary people doing extraordinary things. It's raw, and intense, and painfully genuine. It's a spy movie without all the flash, and flare of the usual secret agent thriller, and it is made all the better for it. In real life, there isn't a deux ex machina rescue, moments to spare, riding off into the sunset with a pretty girl on your arm, in some fabulous car. There are real risks, there are wins that feel like losses, and there are villains that are far worse than those concocted in the realms of fiction. Monsters that look like men, capable of atrocities too terrible to write about.
The Courier is the riveting Swan Song of two men from two countries in each other's crosshairs, who abandoned their ordinary lives, suffered severe personal loss, and did everything right, even though everything went wrong. Alex died disgraced, a traitor, executed in prison. Greville returned home traumatized, scarred by a life he never signed up for, denied by the country he nearly died for. Both had to lose, so that we could win, live, and what had always seemed to me like much ado about nothing, has been revealed, through the insightful eyes of this movie, as, in fact, the worse attack in American history, that never happened......... but could have.
"There are good lies. Sometimes a lie is a gift. An act of love."
Who We Are Now (2017)
Zachary Quinto Shines In His Authentic Portrayal of A Haunted Soldier, But Who We Are Now is a Tedious, Overly Vulgar Non-Starter That Will Leave You Empty
"There's a monster out there, and I can't see it, and I can't fight it........"
Ladies and Gentlemen, Zachary Quinto. He says these words with such haunting conviction, such a quiet ache, and I look into those glistening dark eyes of night sky that I love, and I believe him, every word. I see an angel that's been through hell, a man that hasn't stopped fighting to survive, returned from the oblivion, victorious, and yet he has still lost....... everything.
I also see an actor, an ARTIST, who deserves so much more than these peculiar productions he keeps finding himself in, whose mesmerizing talent far exceeds the confines of these obscure titles. In an otherwise convoluted, mind-numbingly dull, frustrated, overly vulgar non-starter, Zachary SHINES as a charming, witty, sweet young soldier, whose handsome smile, and playful demeanor, almost hide the bruises of a tortured soul, a fractured man haunted by a horrific war, and even more by his desperate desire to return to it. What he does with his sorely scant amount of screen time is phenomenal, and with every painful secret revealed behind those genuinely tender eyes, I found myself so feverishly wishing he were the main focus instead of Julianne Nicholson's appallingly abrasive, immoral, flippant ex-con character, Beth. In the 95 minute screen time, which for the most part seemed torturously slow, I felt like I knew Zachary's character, Peter, so much more intimately, than I ever got to know her. If they had made him the main character, given him the spotlight, this would have been a much more intriguing, emotional film, with an actual beating heart.
The premise itself, sounds so compelling! A mother returned from prison, fighting for custody of her son, who falls for a soldier, traumatized by the horrors of war. She's aided by an idealistic young attorney, played adequately by Emma Roberts. But while I should be championing this woman for wanting to get her life together, and get her son back, I don't. She hasn't changed, she's a HORRIBLE person, devoid of any sense of morality, or even one remotely likeable trait. She's vile! She shouldn't have her son back, and while I'm happy she does find love, it's obvious, she doesn't deserve Peter, and could potentially be more harmful for both him and her son, than good. There isn't even an ending! She just gives up.
Zachary's beautiful performance excluded, this movie felt empty. With such a promising, and thought-provoking title like, "Who We Are Now," I wanted more. I wanted to feel inspired by this mother's love for her son, and I didn't. I did however, feel so moved, and drawn to Zachary's character, who literally carried this movie on his back, and almost made it worth watching. We need more of him, we need to hand over the spotlight to HIM, he needs more opportunities for his ohhhhh so obvious destiny as the lovely, leading man. I needed more from this movie, but more importantly, HE needed more, he deserved more. I love you, Zachary, I love who you are now, and who you've always been, and Hollywood is failing you, not understanding the absolute GEM they have!!! Somebody give this man a role worthy of his unique, absolutely transfixing, visceral, infinitely faceted talent! I need more movies that see him for who he truly is, that just let him step out of the supporting actor shadow, and be ELECTRIC!!!!! I'm so proud of him, and even though I did not like this movie, I adored his role, and how he brought such depth to a truly dismal story.
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
Doctor Strange (2016)
MARVEL Saves Their BEST Trick For Last with their Dizzying, Dazzling, Daring Foray into The Fantastical
I must still be in my astral form, floating in an etherium of utter, unbelieving, bliss, gliding, translucent and glowing, for my feet have not touched the ground once. Forget everything you know about Superhero movies, a beloved genre that began beautifully as an eccentric niche, and was falling dangerously close to convention. Let your mind be opened to the infinite impossibilities that await you...................
Doctor Strange is a MASTERWORK worthy of the name, MARVEL!!! It is unprecedented in every mirrored and reflected facet, unparalleled in its incredulous abilities, there has NEVER been a film like it, it's breathtakingly innovative, truly groundbreaking, a kaleidoscope of unimagined vibrance, and mind-blowingly BEAUTIFUL!!!!! With a man at the heart of it all that is nothing less than pure MAGIC. I didn't watch a film last night, no, I EXPERIENCED a man transformed, body, mind, and soul into a superhero, and saw a star BURST into a powerful, blinding, supernova!!!! Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you an unstoppable force, the INCREDIBLE, INCOMPARABLE, SENSATION Benedict Cumberbatch!!!!
Mr. Cumberbatch doesn't just act, he BECOMES, giving life and laughter to a BRILLIANT Doctor at the top of his profession. His Stephen Strange is arrogant yet endearing, prickly yet charming, well-liked and jovial. He's got the world on a string and he knows it, and his steady hands have been magic from the beginning, garnering for him wealth, and acclaim, a career that he adores, prizes as if it were a real and breathing love interest. Stephen Strange feels so intricately nuanced and real, as exquisitely woven as the nerve cells he so expertly navigates. It's as if he's the other dimension, American Cumberbatch, like he's been living all this time in a parallel universe, just on the other side of the mirror, an ingenious doppelganger, who's as talented at neurosurgery, as Benedict is at acting. I believed him completely, as this rockstar doctor, dancing to 70's music, outshining his peers, laughing and quipping with the interns. I believed entirely that he could actually perform all of those complicated, impossible surgeries without batting an eye. Again, Ben doesn't "play," Stephen Strange he creates him.
Mr. Benedict Cumberbatch has exquisitely OUTDONE himself in this fast-paced, highly decadent, soaring epic of an origin story. It's so refreshingly new, so unique, unlike anything ever done before, a novel and masterfully executed, feat of cinema sorcery. It's a soaring magical kaleidoscope trip through the infinite and the impossible, a Technicolor, twirling dream through time. With his Doctor Strange, Benedict Cumberbatch has broken into a whole new untouched celestial realm of his vast and uncharted talent. I'm still a bit shell shocked...........
The visual effects are in themselves MYSTIFYING, and spellbinding, cleverly tricking the eye again and again, until you're SURE what you are seeing, is in fact real!!!! Think of the first time you saw a magic trick, no matter how seemingly simple, as a child. Remember that astonished look on your face, that wonder and baffled merriment as you tried to figure it, but couldn't!!!! THAT'S what Doctor Strange is!!!!! Countless times I thought, with wide, incredulous eyes, "HOW did they do that!?!?" I've seen movies in IMAX before, but I was not at all prepared for these breathtaking, heart-racing, effects that I not only saw, but LIVED through, up close in this EXCEPTIONAL world!
The supporting cast is excellent. Rachel McAdams is the gorgeous, natural beauty of Stephen's Ex, who keeps up with him, puts him in his place, and brings out something tender and gentle in him, as revealed in a beautiful, and loving inscription on the back of his watch. It's a moment that surprises and quietly delights, tugging at your heartstrings in the sweetest way. Benedict Wong's straight faced, dead pan reactions to Stephen's tom-foolery, and wittily relevant pop culture references, is BEYOND perfect, and there's this HILARIOUS scene of him listening to Beyonce that made the whole audience laugh SO hard!!!! It's a wonderful moment, and you really get invested into Stephen's side sojourn to make Wong laugh!!!! Tilda Swinton is a REVELATION!!!!! She's ethereal and mystic, and preternatural, as the Ancient One. Her voice sings with such old world wisdom, and again, her chemistry with BENEDICT is scintillating!!! Her tranquil strength, her enlightened power........... all prove her to be the ONLY choice as Stephen's Sagacious Sensei. All those naysayers who were wary of her casting will be FOREVER silenced after seeing her in action.
Marvel and Benedict Cumberbatch have made magic and mysticism real before our very eyes. Ben becomes their greatest, and most multi-faced, three dimensional hero. What makes him so compelling as a superhero for me is his vulnerability. He's not a hulking, gamma-radiated specimen. He doesn't have laser eyes, an iron suit, or even super strength. He has the power of his mind, the magic coursing through his fingers, and the inner peace of enlightenment. He's the hero that MARVEL desperately needed, to bring new enchantment to their Universe, to take audiences to new worlds, and show them places they can't even imagine. This film is a labour of love and a testament to the mesmerizing caliber of everyone involved. For the Man with the Magic hands, this is the golden portal to everything he's worked so relentlessly for. This is his moment, his entrance to the beyond. A level of stardom that he has so rightly deserved since he first uttered those immortal words back at Baker Street. Like Strange himself, he's got time on his arm, and magic at his fingertips. I'm ready to take this adventure with you, Stephen, by astral forms, between dimensions, and through conjured portals.The beyond, the awaiting wonders and dangers beckon. The portal opened, a limitless power protected, a hero rises, and the impossibilities are endless...............
Paper Towns (2015)
Paper Towns is a Flat, Facade of a Paper Movie
Paper Towns. Paper Movie. For all its talk about those flat, hollow, deceiving facades, Paper Towns very quickly became what it seemingly tries to warn against. I feel swindled, conned, beguiled, paper mooned, pun intended! I was promised a whimsical, memorable, romantic romping young hearts, teenage adventure, a racing love story, risking it all, faint of heart never won fair lady and such! However, after a confusing, long, rather uneventful, and at times painfully awkward two hours, right when we've reached her, this woman of mystery and intrigue, who our shy hero has risked it all to find, there is............ nothing. No big, dramatic declaration, no tear-filled fantasy ending. No Magic. Paper Towns. Paper Love. It was like coming up empty handed at the end of the rainbow. Where is the whimsy, the destiny, the fleeting promise this movie had in the preview? Where were the passionate, young romantics, the real people that found each other in a paper world? Or did those shining figures exist only in our minds, were they paper stars that readily deceived? The best part for me was when Mr. Augustus Waters made an adorably unexpected cameo, a lovely reminder of what a REAL love story was the genuine gold value, that this paper, soulless, disposable nothing paled against. It's baffling to me, that the ingenious, and powerfully compelling Fault in Our Stars, and this cruel trick of a caper, Paper Towns were both penned by the same man. In truth, the moment I saw Gus, it made me wish I was watching his movie instead. This could have been a brilliant, spontaneous, wonder of a film, if its execution and ending had not so instantly caught fire. Well, then again, what better tinder for fire than ........ paper.
The Imitation Game (2014)
The Imitation Game: An Intricately Woven Enigma of Intellect, Heart, and Human Drama
"Sometimes it's the people no one imagines anything of that do the things no one can imagine."
These words. They're at the heart of this film, and echo so profoundly, indicative of the indomitable human spirit. What can I say about The Imitation Game? What can I say to even do this phenomenal film justice? However can I capture the ways that this film has affected me so profoundly, inspired my heart and then shattered it to pieces in the same two hours. Even with all my prowess of description, and my talent with turn of phrase, this film is beyond words, beyond film even as it is so much more than a movie. I feel like John Keats when it comes to this eager attempt at review. I want a fairer word than fair, a brighter word than bright. The first word that rushed to my mind on impulse was, "Sparkling."
The Imitation Game is a masterpiece, a true cinematic achievement in both acting and storytelling. For me it was a fine symphony, intricately crafted, and masterfully brought to life. Benedict Cumberbatch has OUTDONE himself in the defining performance of his career, and without a doubt, the best ever brought to screen. He dazzles, delights, and astounds, effortlessly slipping on Alan Turing's shy, quirky shoes, and seems to feel so comfortable in them, giving us a performance for the ages. He plays Alan Turing with such conviction, such beautiful fragility, endearing him to our hearts. The audience can't help but feel drawn to this sweet, shy, oddly intriguing genius, affable and awkward, and we're ready to follow him on this incredible journey, completely unaware of the horrors that await our charming code breaker. Mr. Cumberbatch's prowess to shapeshift and express emotion is like Alan's exceptional mind for arithmetic, preternatural to the point of seeming BEYOND all human ability. I must stand and applaud for my mind has been dazzled by an effortlessly exquisite performance, and in the same two hours dismayed by a great and appalling injustice. He dons Alan's persona so aptly, so sensitively, with such reverence that even Alan's own nieces have said it was like having their uncle back again, a statement that is not surprising to me in the least. The care, the painstaking devotion, the relentless attention to detail, and the overwhelming admiration and compassion, Benedict has for this man is exuberantly evident throughout his performance, making this film a stunning tribute to Mr. Turing's life and legacy. I think Alan, if he were still alive today, would have been deeply honoured and incredulously proud of the extraordinary man that told his story with such talent, humour, intellect, wit and heart. Benedict gave Alan a voice, both literally and figuratively, and now at last everyone will finally recognize him as the War Hero and unrivaled Mathematics Genius he truly was.
The Imitation Game excels at every turn, flourishes in every aspect of film making. Benedict is matched perfectly with the beautiful Miss Keira Knightly who shines as Joan Clarke, and holds her own next to the effervescent acting powerhouse, Benedict presents. She's so sweet and lovely and full of grace and wit, playing the brilliant Miss Clarke, an intelligent bright-eyed young woman who far exceeds the men in their own profession. She's got such a quiet strength, such charm and a formidable presence, those quick dark eyes, seeing Alan as few people can, a friend, and a man who will one day change the world. Her chemistry with Benedict's Turing is instant, platonic of course, but still intimate in a way that she understands him like no one else can. The scene where Alan lies in order to protect her, but still hurts her so deeply, inciting a swift backhand, still stings........... Their friendship is so beautiful, and is the heart of the film, proving them to be a fascinating team, that I hope will find themselves in many more movies together. Matthew Goode also adds his own delicious talent and foil as Alan's enemy turned friend, Hugh Alexander, and up and coming Alex Lawther is so sweet and unbelievably perfect as the young Alan Turing, mirroring Ben's talent and adding his own signature to the role in a way that is almost uncanny. It's no wonder to me that this exceptional cast of beautifully talented young actors have been called, The Dream Team. The eclectic and cohesive blend of talent makes for an ensemble that is unrivaled.
One scene in particular, is deserving of an Oscar all on its own. The final scene. Joan goes to visit Alan after he's been sentenced for gross indecency, and undergoing rigorously erosive estrogen injections. He's so pale, and frail, unlike we've ever seen him. It's so hard to watch. This beautiful, kind, brilliant man has been betrayed by the country he so selflessly championed and triumphed, and now its infliction eats away and decays the genius mind that once proved its salvation. Alan's hands shake, the pain glints in his eyes so full of quiet desperation. Tears welling in those traumatized eyes, he turns away from Keira, completely breaking down, giving way to the heart wrenching sobs and cries out, "I don't want to be alone! Please don't leave me alone!" I absolutely lost it, and still sob so painfully no matter how many times I see it. There's something so poignant about that moment, something so raw, and unnervingly real, that strikes to the heart. It's not just Alan crying out those words, but Benedict himself, channeling his own heartbreak and anguish, making this performance all the more gripping and powerful. My whole life long, I will never forget those words, and the quiet, desperate way he said them.
Decades from now they'll still be talking about Benedict Cumberbatch's Alan Turing, and how it set the precedent for excellence in future film performance. So the question is............"Are you paying attention?"
Noah (2014)
A CRUEL, Sadistic Trick, Targeting Christians, and Attacking Faith Itself...... All in the Name of God. The STORM is Coming For You, Arronofsky
I CAN'T keep quiet about this....... DON'T EVER WATCH NOAH!!! This film was NEVER intended for anyone to like, but was made for the SOLE purpose of targeting Christians, and making a CRUEL mockery out of Christianity as a whole. It SICKENS me to the core that one of my favorite mediums of artistic expression could be used for so ill and wicked a purpose, so VILE an attack!!! Noah is an abomination, and this SICK, godless director is messing with powers he doesn't even understand! He is CHALLENGING GOD himself, and will LOSE!!! I'm TICKED because he took a beautiful story that has always meant love, good, and promise, and PROFANED it in such blasphemous ways, such UGLY, horrid ways, turning Noah into a crazed KILLER who wants all of mankind to DIE, even going so far as raising a knife to two innocent babies!!! Throw in some rock monsters, Noah wrapping his arm with a snakeskin, and you have the most gruesome massacre of biblical scripture that's ever been done!!!!
We were tricked. Tricked, lured, LIED TO!!!! It was all some SADISTIC anti-theist joke to rob Christians blind, having them think they're about to see an epic cinematic representation of a beloved bible story, only to watch helplessly as their God, their faith, and everything the believe is so RUDLELY ridiculed, attacked, ALL of us made to look the fool! The worst part is, we paid for this torture, paid to watch Satan take the stage, all in the name of GOD!!! If I can get ONE person NOT to fall into this trap, not to watch this DISGUSTING film, this post will have served its purpose. This isn't even about what makes a movie good or bad, or historical inaccuracies, or artistic liberties. THIS is about ETERNITY, and taking on heaven alongside Satan and HELL itself!!! This is about innocent people believing the LIES Stan SPEWS!!! In poetic justice, a storm is coming for director Arronofsky, a relentless rain, a deluge that will be his undoing. I will FIGHT this attack on my faith and MY God with all of my might. I would NOT want to be him right now. Test GOD, and you will FAIL every time.
The Fifth Estate (2013)
Poignant & Powerful! Benedict Cumberbatch Delivers an Oscar Worthy Performance, Fifth Estate Paints a Beautifully Faceted & Nuanced Picture, Leaving Us To Our Deductions
Fifth Estate, the moment you've all been waiting for, the movie, that EVERYONE'S talking about, that I have been DYING to see since the news first broke in June that Benny was in it...... *deep breath* WOW, just WOW..... It was poignant, fast-paced, beautifully written, freaking CRAZY, and Benedict Cumberbatch should be inescapably proud of this truly Oscar worthy performance. I am in AWE. Benedict doesn't play Assange, I know that's what you've all heard, but you've ALL been misled. Benedict BECOMES Assange! :O The voice, the mannerisms, the walk, the look, even the smile, there was not a TRACE of the Ben we've become accustomed to, in this performance, other than his innate ability to shape-shift seamlessly into someone else. I kept frantically looking into his eyes, trying to find SOMETHING familiar about him, ANYTHING, but with the darkened contacts, there was none to be found. I kept looking at him, this man who could NOT have been my Ben practically screaming WHO ARE YOU!?!?! Because friends, Ben is that good. Ben disappeared and Assange took the stage.
Ben, playing a character who is worlds opposite from himself, still made us feel everything Assange must have felt. Ben portrays a man, a visionary, who, in the beginning, wants to change the world, a brilliant activist, determined to give the power back into the hands of the people, with a spirit and drive not unlike our own revolutionary war patriots. Daniel is eager to join this man is his quest, and as the audience we too, are attracted by the shining ideals he proposes, this charisma of him, the mystery that he is, yet still, there's something in his dark inquisitive eyes that we don't quite trust. Thus begins a harrowing journey, the corruption, the dwindling promise of a man and his website that were both meant for good, but fell to malevolence, and therefore utter destruction. Julian unravels, and there's something almost unhinged about him, and the more powerful he becomes, the more lives placed in his hands, the more apathetic, and egotistical he is. He holds the world's secrets, and he will expose them, no matter who gets caught in the cross-hairs. He seemed very much like Julius Caesar to me, a man that sought to do good, yet fell to the powers of his own corruption. I wouldn't say Assange is a hero or a villain. This movie doesn't really paint him as either, but seeks to do what Wikileaks was meant to do all along. Tell us the unbiased facts and let us decide. Assange was a man destined for greatness, yet because of the obsessive need for this greatness, fell to infamy.
This is a truly profound and unique film, unlike anything I have ever seen! It's so incredibly intelligent and thought provoking that I would LOVE to write a paper on it. The caliber of acting that Benedict Cumberbatch has achieved in this movie is unprecedented. There are moments in this film that I will NEVER forget particularly one resounding scene where Julian stands in the middle of a room, and EVERYTHING'S on fire, the ash is just swirling around him, and you realize, he himself burnt it all down. The relationship between him and his partner Daniel was especially striking, and the betrayal strangely enough more heartbreaking for the betrayer than the one being betrayed. I also thought it wondrously clever when Ben quoted the Assange letter at the end, frowning and saying, "I don't want this movie to be made! It's just going to vilify me." I was just shaking my head thinking, BENNY ARE YOU IN THERE!?!? What's real and what's not!?!? There is some language,5 or so "f" words, (Which was SO weird coming from Benny!) but overall I think this movie is a must see! A political thriller, character driven, story of friendship, betrayal, and what we as the public deserve to know, and when information can be the deadliest weapon of all.