The Fighter (2010)

Directed by David O. Russell

Written by Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson, and Keith Dorrington

Starring Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Melissa Leo

     From the elusive David O. Russell, comes yet another movie about boxing that majorly succeeds in the theaters and during awards season. These films either revolve around an underdog boxer, who is given one more chance in the ring, and succeeds greatly. These ones always have tremendous success among viewers as they sympathize with the underdog, and root for their success. Then there are the fighting movies that have deeper and darker back stories of the fighter- and have lots of hidden connotations. The Fighter is a rare gem that represents both these types of films. Based on the true story of Irish fighter Mickey Ward (played by Mark Wahlberg), this film is much different from other boxing films. 

     Set in Lowell, Massachusetts in the 1990's- The Fighter opens with an HBO documentary crew filming Mickey's older brother, Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale). The HBO documentary is a chronicle of how crack destroys lives- with Dicky being the prime example. Dicky believes the film crew is documenting his triumphant, eventual return to the boxing ring. When he's not spending his days in Lowell's notorious crack house, he is training with Mickey. With the incompetent management of his mother, Alice (Melissa Leo) and Dicky's unreliability in training- Mickey gets thrown into a fight against a guy who is 20 pounds heavier than he is, and gets pulverized. Mickey soon gains the confidence he needs to break away from his parasitical family when he meets bartender, Charlene (Amy Adams). Dicky's reckless actions land him up the river- which is when Mickey takes matters into his own hands to further his boxing career. With the help of his girlfriend Charlene; his father, George (Jack McGee); and his new trainer, O'Keefe (Mickey O'Keefe)- Mickey steps towards respectability in the sport of boxing. While he tries to make a name for himself with his new support crew- Mickey's family drama continues to threaten his career. 

     The family drama mixed with the sports, is what makes this film so enjoyable. Mickey's extremely dysfunctional family puts him in a lot of difficult situations. Mickey faces a lot of dismay over choosing a more professional manager and trainer, over his mother and brother. 

     In the end credits, there are some clips with the real life Mickey Ward and Dickey Eklund. I was astonished with the similarities between Christian Bale's portrayal and the actual Dickey. Bale perfectly nails the mannerisms and habits of Dickey. Him and Melissa Leo crawl into the skins of their characters and play unforgettable characters in this film. Leo and Bale both took home Oscars for their supporting roles in this film- however I think their performances were anything but supporting. Amy Adams plays a foul-mouthed bartender who is the girlfriend of Mickey, and was contender for the supporting role oscar that went to Leo. We're used to seeing Adams in more innocent roles, so seeing her play this confrontational bitch who beats up one of Mickey's seven sisters- was surprising. Her ability to take on any role given to her is amazing. Mark Wahlberg does well in the lead role- but is often overlooked because of the complexity of the supporting characters. 

     This film does not fit the status quo of boxing movies at all, which is why I enjoyed it so much. It mostly focused on how Mickey's deranged family effects his career. The boxing scenes were still thrilling though. The cast drives this film to success. One of my favorite roles of Bale's. 

I give The Fighter a...

7/10 

10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

Directed by Dan Trachtenberg

Written by Josh Campbell, Matthew Stuecken and Damien Chazelle

Starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman and John Gallagher Jr. 

     A reboot of sorts of the 2008 horror/mystery film, Cloverfield- 10 Cloverfield Lane is brought to us with the same level of suspense and mystery. This mysterious horror film will leave you in suspense from start to finish. Director Dan Trachtenberg delivers his first big blockbuster hit with the assistance of a few writers including Damien Chazelle (yup, thats right- the director of La La Land is a writer for this film). 

     The movie begins with an intense car wreck which leaves Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), waking up in a basement, chained to the wall. Not knowing where she is or how she got there, she soon meets her captor, Howard (John Goodman). Along with former handyman of Howard, Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.)- Michelle shortly discovers the apparent, imminent danger going on outside. She was taken into a doomsday bunker following her crash and the hulking, scary Howard claims he "saved her." According to him, apocalyptic events have occurred and it is not safe to go outside. He intends on the three of them staying inside the underground shelter until things are safe. Obviously Michelle is a skeptic, because what sane person who just awoke from a car wreck in a mysterious basement would be on board with this lunacy. As the movie progresses however, we soon learn that Howard's ramblings of the apocalypse may actually be true. 

     Trachtenberg does a superb job at maintaining this level of mystery throughout the entire film. Set in a much different environment than the original Cloverfield, there is never really a dull moment- which is quite possible considering the set of the movie is a claustrophobic underground bunker. The movie keeps us guessing constantly. Who really is Howard? A lonely savior who predicted the apocalypse- or a deranged kidnapper? Is the earth really under attack, and if so by what? 

This nail-biting level of suspense was hovering over me the whole film. 

     Although not a very big name, I liked Mary Elizabeth Winstead in the lead role. Her level of paranoia was never over-the-top like we see from a lot of female horror movie stars. She was calm and collect and secretive over her suspicions of Howard. John Goodman was very creepy- yet also had some scenes where you almost sympathized with his character. I can't see anyone else playing this role. 

     A real psychological thriller. The suspense never really lagged. This is one of those horror movies you really can't explain, when your friends ask you what it's about. It's a movie worth seeing if you're seeking a suspenseful mystery movie. The constant not knowing over what is going on in the outside, and who Howard really is- is what makes this movie scary. There's no forced "jumpy" scenes. Just a real psychological thriller. 

I give 10 Cloverfield Lane a...

7/10

Arrival (2016)

Directed by Dennis Villeneuve

Written by Eric Heisserer 

Starring Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker

     Ever since the beginning of the film age basically, Hollywood dramatized these movies about human interaction with extraterrestrial activity. These films always involved destruction, chaos, danger and battle. Dennis Villeneuve brings us a compelling, intelligent film about humans first contact with these strange "visitors" on our planet. 

     Shortly after the film begins we see the arrival of mysterious ships which hover just above the ground, in 12 random locations across the globe. No one is aware of the alien's nature, considering communication is pretty impossible when they first arrive. Are they hostile? Do they come in peace?We don't know. Soon after, Dr. Louise Banks (Amy Adams), a world-renowned professor of linguistics, is recruited to assist in the communication with the seven-legged foreign species. Louise is wandering around her beautiful lake house, remembering her teenage daughter she lost to cancer- when the government sends in Colonel Weber (Forest Whitaker). Alongside physicist Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner), Banks begins the arduous task of deciphering the complexity of this alien language. The film expands to much greater depths in understanding the alien's (or as they call them, "heptapods") language- but to review where it goes would spoil the viewers full experience of this movie. 

     To play a character with this level of sophistication and intelligence is quite the task- but Amy Adams steps up to the plate and hits the role out of the park. Adams character is quite reserved and often sad about the memories of her deceased daughter that we always see her reminiscing over. She is an extremely intelligent linguistics professor who is given an unthinkably difficult task in understanding this never before encountered language. What makes her character so real however, is that she's no icon of calmness and stability. We often see her hands trembling and her shaky breath over entering the ship. This is by far one of Adam's most complex roles, and to say she was snubbed of an Oscar nomination for this role is the understatement of the year. Renner and Whitaker give solid performances which strongly compliment Adams. 

     This science fiction film provides for a deep first encounter story with these aliens. We get to see the way in which the world reacts to their arrival. What made this movie so compelling was the lengths Dr. Banks goes to to understand the heptapods language. Banks is forced to look deep into her own soul to discover the mystery behind why the aliens are here- and what do they want? This is an amazing journey worth taking- especially for the ending. A very powerful film. One of Adams best roles, and one of my favorite films of 2016. 

I give Arrival a...

8/10

Moonlight (2016)

Directed by Barry Jenkins 

Written by Barry Jenkins (screenplay) and Tarell Alvin McCraney (story)

Starring Mahershala Ali,  Naomie Harris and Janelle Monae

     A timeless story of self discovery-which follows the same character from childhood to adulthood. Moonlight is a cruel but honest story that in large, is a story of a gay black man. Broken down into thee parts though- this is a story of how this character overcomes many things, along with his sexuality. Chiron battles poverty, overcoming social boundaries, his drug addict mother, and love. Barry Jenkins brings us an episodic tale which allows us to see the character's struggles as he grows up, and how he learns from them. 

     The first part of Moonlight is named "Little," which introduces us to elementary school Chiron (Alex Hibbert) and we really start to gain a perspective on his personality that sticks with him through all three parts. Young Chiron is shy and tormented by the other boys at school. He really only seeks comfort with one other kid, Kevin (Jaden Piner). With a parental gap at home, the young boy starts to become attached to drug dealer Juan (Mahershala Ali) and his girlfriend, Teresa (Janelle Monae). 

     The bullying Chiron faced as a child progresses in the second part while he's now a teenager (now played by Ashton Sanders) in high school. Kevin (now played by Jharrel Jerome) still remains his only friend, his mother began a relationship with crack, and Juan is dead. A lot changes for the naive boy in this middle part. Chiron's questioning of his sexuality only heightens after a passionate experience on the beach with his friend Kevin- which eventually leads to a violent bullying experience at school. By the time we enter the third part of the film, we see Chiron's totally re-branded himself. He takes on this "hood" persona, wearing grills and becoming a bulky drug dealer in Atlanta now known as, "Black" (now played by Trevante Rhodes). On a lighter note, we get to see a reunion between Kevin (Andre Holland) and Chiron in the end. 

     The ensemble cast is the reason for the film's greatness- especially the three actors who portrayed Chiron. I was sad to see Mahershala Ali's supporting role was so short-lived. My favorite performance definitely came from Naomie Harris though. She had some riveting, serious scenes showing the negative impacts of crack on family members- specifically on her son. The cast had lots of newcomers that all attributed to the storytelling in their own way. 

     The film covers many serious topics including poverty, bullying and coming to terms with ones sexuality. Chiron's specific upbringing and habitat may be unfamiliar to some, but the adversities he is forced to overcome are universal. I really liked that the film was broken up into three episodes. Even though I wasn't crazy about the ending of the film, I still left feeling satisfied that I was told a heroic story of self discovery. 

I give Moonlight a...

7/10

Fences (2016)

Directed by Denzel Washington 

Written by August Wilson 

Starring Denzel Washington and Viola Davis 

     Well, it looks like we won't have to worry about a "white wash" at the 2017 Academy Awards. Fences takes substantial steps towards making sure of that. Denzel Washington steps behind the screen again as director of this film- adapted by the late August Wilson's 1983 Tony and Pulitzer prize-winning play. Such a captivating story, you lose sight of the "play nature" of the film. 

     Set in 1950's Pittsburg, Troy (Denzel Washington) is working as a garbage collector trying to make ends meet. An ex-Negro League baseball player, Troy is always stuck on the fact that he was never able to play for more money. Now he lives in a small house with his wife of 18 years, Rose (Viola Davis), and their son, Cory (Jovan Adepo). Even in his career as a garbage collector with his best friend Bono (Stephen Henderson)- Troy has a thirst for more. He has aspirations of becoming the city's first black trash truck driver. We soon meet other members of Troy's sort of unconventional family. He has a son, Lyons (Russell Hornsby) from a previous marriage. His brother Gabe (Mykelti Williamson) suffered an intense head injury in the war and recently moved out of his house to live on his own. 

     After being introduced to the extended family, the film begins to follow a string of events and crises in Troy's life. It's clear that he does not take it easy on his son Cory, as he says at one point- "what law is there that says I got to like you." He is a hard headed father and Cory is a hard headed teenage son. Feeling trapped, Troy enters an affair and the events that transpire after that are as devastating as you can imagine. Once this infidelity is confessed to Rose, this leads to a heart wrenching scene of ferocity- which inevitably should guarantee that Davis is accepting the Oscar for best actress in a supporting role. 

     Viola Davis's role in this film is anything but supporting- but if thats what leads her to winning her first Oscar, then I rest my case. With an entirely black cast, the film does a great job capturing the dialect and mood from this time period. Washington and Davis are brilliance as the leads. It is no surprise that they are responsible for 3 of the 4 Academy Award nominations the film received. Davis gave me goosebumps in some of her scenes. Her raw emotion was impeccable as always. It was no surprise either how wonderful Washington was for this role- considering he was in the limited release 2010 adaptation of the play. 

     A film filled with a lot of emotion and amazing acting performances. I don't think Fences got the audience it deserved, as many honest, intense dramas like this don't. However, the film got the necessary attention from the Academy. 

I give Fences a... 

8/10

La La Land (2016)

Directed by Damien Chazelle

Written by Damien Chazelle 

Starring Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, J.K. Simmons and John Legend

     I wanna start off by saying that I am not the biggest fan of musicals whatsoever- but with all the buzz over this film I decided to take the leap. Chazelle's beautiful modern day musical surpassed my expectations. With the director's past triumph (2014's Whiplash) and Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone as leads, how could it not be doomed for major success. 

     Set in Los Angeles- the city of hopes and dreams; we meet aspiring actress, Mia (Emma Stone) and jazz pianist, Sebastian (Ryan Gosling). The two first meet after an extensive highway scene musical number, in a special circumstance. They continue running into each other after that which deems us all to believe it is fate that they be together.

      As the movie progresses it starts to feel like an homage to classical hollywood films and musicals. With the set design, costumes and the beautifully crafted score of the film- I felt like I was watching a musical from the golden age of film. I was reminded constantly this wasn't a film from the 20th century as the characters were driving in Prius's and talking on iPhones. The musical numbers in this film were spectacular. They fit in perfectly with the flow of the story. The expertly shot musical scenes never took away from the brilliant story of Sebastian and Mia. They aided in telling the budding love story between the two artists. They were visual spectacles to watch- with amazing choreography and a sea of colors. It was very fun to watch while being very aesthetically and audibly pleasing. 

     Aside from the extravagant yet not overdone musical numbers- Sebastian and Mia's story is what captivated me. Sebastian being a starving jazz musician, trying to keep the genre alive. Mia being an aspiring actress jumping from audition to audition. They were both real, genuine people facing struggle, and that made them very relatable. Their relationship was very genuine and they were constantly assisting each other in their ambitions. 

     The chemistry between Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling is everlasting. I already loved the pair after the romantic comedy, Crazy, Stupid Love- so to see the on-screen duo triumph in this film was no surprise. However, they bring an extra to the table this time around. Showing they are more than just a comical duo with amazing chemistry. Gosling showed us he can sing, dance and play the piano. While Stone demonstrated her strong singing (especially in the song, "Audition). The dynamic duo bring a level of class to their roles along with some comical scenes on top of the romance. Individually, they were amazing as well. Gosling showed levels of talent we didn't know we had while also playing a character with charm and confidence. Stone exudes a similar level of charm while also showing some raw emotion over the constant rejection she faces. Both amazing. Both deserving of the Academy Award. 

     La La Land is amazing. A brilliant storyline heightened by very pleasing music (I can't stop singing "City of Stars"). A musical journey everyone needs to take regardless of your opinion on films involving song and dance. 

I give La La Land a...

8/10

Easy A (2010)

Directed by Will Gluck

Written by Bert V. Royal

Starring Emma Stone, Amanda Bynes, Penn Badgley and Aly Michalka 

     Director Will Gluck, brings us a film that could've fallen in the abyss of cliche movies that revolve around teenage angst and the struggles of fitting in in high school. However, Easy A falls into a unique category of movies about teenagers with satirical references to popular culture, genuine humor, and a lead actress who's momentum never dies down the whole film. 

     Olive (Emma Stone) is an ordinary high school student; in her own words, if she were a ten-story building, Google Earth wouldn't notice her. This claim quickly changes after an innocent lie to her best friend, Rhiannon (Aly Michalka). Growing weary of being virginal and boring, Olive tells her friend that she lost virginity to some guy in college. Un-lucky for her, the school's religion enthusiast and big gossiper, Marianne (Amanda Bynes) over-hears. Her fake confession spreads through the school like wild fire via whispers, text messages and notes passed in class. After one period, Olive's "lost" virginity is what the whole student body is talking about. The main character exacerbates her new floozy reputation when she agrees to help her gay friend (Dan Byrd) "lose his virginity." The two execute a very fake but public sexcapade to convince everyone of his "heterosexuality."

At first Olive embraces her newfound reputation as she embroiders a red A on her chest- just as Hester Prynne did in The Scarlet Letter. As her skanky facade starts to spiral out of control, Olive becomes increasingly more aware of the negatives associated with popularity. 

     What I liked about Easy A so much was how it has such a unique voice compared to other teenager themed films. It plays with the correlation between popularity and sleaze. The screenwriters really dived into what popularity has become in high school, and what it really entails. 

     Emma Stone represents who we wish we could be in the face of sometimes cruel high school judgment and gossip. She gets her chance at leading a film and does it beautifully with charm and ease. Her character had such quick wit and was so likable. I found myself constantly rooting for her the entire duration of the film. It's no surprise Stone received her first Golden Globe nomination for this role. The supporting cast is riddled with familiar names. Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci play Olive's cooky yet supportive parents. The many times I audibly laughed during Easy A were from scenes between Olive and her parents. Thomas Hayden Church plays Olive's favorite teacher, Mr. Griffith. While Lisa Kudrow plays the guidance counselor who is also the teacher's wife. Penn Badgley plays the love interest- who the main character takes the whole movie to fall for. Which we've seen before in John Tucker Must Die. 

     Easy A sheds some light on important issues that many teenagers are probably going through now and adults who went through them years ago. This may be a film directed towards teens but it really deserves a wider audience. It has lots of bold humor that anyone can enjoy. One of my favorite teen films next to Mean Girls. One of my favorite films starring Emma Stone. 

I give Easy A a...

7/10 

     

Passengers (2016)

Directed by Morten Tyldum 

Written by Jon Spaihts 

Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Pratt, Laurence Fishburne and Michael Sheen

*contains spoilers*

     I went into this film feeling extremely bias considering the leads are Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt, who are two of my favorite actors. To say my heightened expectations of the film were met would be an exaggeration but I also wouldn't say I was underwhelmed whatsoever. This science fiction/romance film, brought to life by director Morten Tyldum director of oscar nominated Imitation Game (2014), has an intriguing storyline and unconventional love story that keeps you engaged. 

     The film is set during what I assume is the near future based on the extremely advanced technology however no the year is never said. What we do know is the Homestead II spaceship is in the midst of its 120 year long journey to the distant space colony. On board the ship is nearly 5000 passengers and 200 crew members whom are all in a cryogenic hibernation for the century long expedition. The ship encounters unforeseen errors as an asteroid strikes it, causing one of the sleep chambers to malfunction thus waking up inhabitant Jim Preston (Chris Pratt), nearly 90 years early. Mechanic Jim, spends a year on the ship alone, trying to find any way out of his troubling situation. His tireless efforts of finding a way to get back to sleep become cloaked with debilitating loneliness. He will die of old age before the ship reaches its destination or someone else awakens. Jim's only solace to his loneliness is waking someone up. 

     Initially repulsed by the thought of forcing someone else to wake up, Jim gives into temptation as he discovers fellow passenger, writer Aurora (Jennifer Lawrence). After waking up, Aurora goes through the same initial shock as Jim did a year prior. Once this shock is over and she begins to accept her fate, thus commences the love story between Jim and Aurora. 

     Jon Spaihts writes a script that doesn't force us to agree with Jim's actions but to understand why he did it and causing us to sympathize with him. Jim is simply acting out of desperation and fear of living out his 50-60 remaining years alone aside from a somewhat human robot, Arthur (Martin Sheen). His actions make us ask ourselves if we would do the same or not. 

     As Jim and Aurora's love story is at its peak only about halfway through the movie, its pretty easy to predict that she will find out that her "accidental" awakening was no accident at all. Once she does, the results are devastating as you would expect. I really enjoyed the storyline of the is film up to the downfall of the climax of Aurora finding out Jim's secret. The remainder of the movie plays out sort of predictably as the ship is failing even more and the estranged lovers must team up with ship captain (Laurence Fishburne) to save themselves and the still sleeping 2000 plus passengers. 

     The chemistry between Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt was very enjoyable to watch. Considering they are two of my favorite actors, this pairing was anticipated and magical for me. Lawrence does a superb job at portraying this character that goes from optimistic over her new adventure to devastated over waking up early to falling in love with a total stranger than being betrayed by what he did. Bravo Jen. It has been fun to watch Pratt's transition from chubby Andy Dwyer on sitcom, Parks and Recreation  to action movie star. 

     Passengers has a great storyline aside from the sometimes predictability. Problems aside, the film has a great pair of actors in the lead roles with great charisma. Another movie involving space that is definitely worth watching. 

I give Passengers a... 

7/10

     

Deadpool (2016)

Directed by Tim Miller

Written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick

Starring Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin and T.J. Miller

     In the expanding cinematic universe of Marvel, comes the tale of your not so average "superhero." For those who have felt that recent superhero films have been predictable and anti-climatic, Deadpool is a breath of fresh air with its R rated satirical take on the not so average hero. A laugh-out-loud movie with over a hundred hidden references to other films (like the X-Men franchise), a snarky vengeful main character, and even a love story that may be hard to find at times. 

     The movie opens with the title character (played by Ryan Reynolds) taking a taxi to a fight. 'What superhero takes a taxi as means of transportation, can't they just run fast or fly' you may be asking. This is not your typical superhero movie as Deadpool narrates in the beginning as a disclosure. We soon find out that this anti-hero is driven by one force and one force only: find and kill Ajax (Ed Skrein), the "villain" responsible for giving Deadpool his immortality and making his face look like Freddy Kruger's uglier brother. This vengeance towards Ajax buds from the inhumane torture that he was subjected to at the hands of Ajax and his female henchman, Angel Dust (Gina Carano). He also blames Ajax for the partition he created between him and his estranged soulmate, Vanessa (Morena Baccarin). With the opposition of the X-Men, Deadpool faces some resistance from Colossus (Stefan Kapicic) and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand). However, nothing will stop him from seeking out his homicidal revenge plot. 

     Deadpool is your classic anti-hero who isn't constrained by these unspoken rules of morality that we see most superheroes succumb to. He isn't afraid to get his hands dirty (or cut off in his case). Un-like most comic book heroes, Deadpool has no remorse for killing or torture although he does so with good reasons. Deadpool's wide success derives off the films off-beat style thanks to director Tim Miller and the screenwriters. Aside from the anti-hero tendencies and qualities of the main character, the film beats excellence with its constant "fourth-wall breaking." Deadpool is constantly aware that he is in a superhero movie, and is caught talking to the camera quite often, wether making direct references about the genre or warning us that "we might wanna look away" during a gory mutilation. 

     Deadpool owes most of its success to lead actor, Ryan Reynolds, who before this movie didn't have the greatest track record with movies adapted from comic books after the dismally received 2011 Green Lantern. However, Reynolds hit the nail on the head with this performance. He gives us this character stricken with revenge over his immortality and loss of love, however his sufficient humanity he brings to Deadpool makes us all hope everything goes well for him. Gotham's Morena Baccarin is aesthetically pleasing as the love interest of the main character while also giving a good performance. 

     This hugely entertaining Marvel flick will appeal even those who say they do not like superhero movies. Deadpool will undoubtedly be labeled as a superhero classic. 

I give Deadpool a...

7/10

Hidden Figures (2016)

Directed by Theodore Melfi

Written by Theodore Melfi and Allison Schoeder (screenplay)

Margot Lee Shetterly (novel)

Starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae and Kevin Costner

    From St. Vincent director, Theodore Melfi comes an inspiring tale of the untold true stories of three African-American female mathematicians who all played a key role in calculating the momentous launch of astronaut John Glenn into space. A heroic tale of three woman overcoming race and gender in the workplace during the 1960's Civil Right Movement. A tale that I honestly knew nothing about before seeing this movie. 

     Set in the mid 20th century, Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughn (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae) are three "human computers" working at NASA but are widely under appreciated as they are stuck working in an employee-temp circle with many other black women. As the race to get a man in space starts to heat up with America wanting to beat Russia, Katherine, Dorothy and Mary start to work their way up, especially Katherine, being that she's the only human computer who knows analytical geometry, finds herself working directly on the John Glenn launch into space with some of NASA's top scientists including leader of the operation Al Harrison (Kevin Costner). 

     Despite the misogyny and racial segregation of the time, these three women prevail from "colored" bathrooms and coffee pots (yes, I said coffee pots) to being some of the key minds that were responsible for John Glenn's successful manned mission into space, and his anticipated return home. Melfi beautifully tells not just a story of three extremely intelligent women working for NASA, he reminds us all of the discrimination that men and women of color went through at this time (and he does so very mildly as this film is rated PG). We are reminded that there were segregated drinking fountains, sections of the library and even schools despite the 1954 Supreme Court case, Brown vs. Board of Education which declared segregated schools to be unconstitutional. Virginia being an exception to this court ruling still had all white schools, which we see in the movie as Mary attempts to take night classes to become an engineer. 

     While this film does have a powerful message of these basically hidden NASA African-American women breaking racial and gender boundaries, it also has some refreshing humor with three working women's friendship. We get so see some quite comical car ride scenes and scenes from their personal lives which make them a little more relatable. 

     Hidden Figures brought some very enjoyable acting performances that I felt were right on this invisible cusp almost Oscar nomination worthy but not quite there. Henson's main character was a lot different from her Empire character, Cookie. She plays such a soft spoken, sensitive character prone to pushing up her glasses on her face who did have one scene where she stands up for herself in a very inspirational Cookie-esque manner. Octavia Spencer brought her usual sense of bold humor mixed with some powerful authoritative scenes. Who knew Janelle Monae could act? Being one of her first acting performances I thought she did pretty great. Oscar worthy? No... but great none the less. We also see some supporting performances in this film that are worth mentioning like Kirsten Dunst who plays the condescending white supervisor who is holding Dorothy Vaughn back. Jim Parsons also has a supporting role as Katherine's arch-nemisis Jim Stafford, who is always giving her ridiculous tasks and feeling envious of her progress. You can't like every character in the movie. 

     After seeing this movie and becoming much more informed on the impact these three women had on Glenn's launch into space, I can say I am very joyous that author Margot Lee Shetterly celebrated their story in her book. Melfi and Schroeder inventively craft their story into a brilliant film about friendship, conquering injustice, and being very very good at math. 

I give Hidden Figures a...

7/10

Room (2015)

Directed by Lenny Abrahamson 

Written by Emma Donoghue (screenplay and novel) 

Starring Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Sean Bridgers, and Joan Allen

     A movie that will make you happy cry, sad cry, and audibly rejoice throughout the 2 hours. Director, Lenny Abrahamson makes his big time debut with this drama adapted by the novel Room written by Emma Donoghue, who also wrote the screenplay. Donoghue perfectly transitions her masterpiece novel into a screenplay without leaving viewers repeating to themselves, "the book was better." 

     19 year old woman, Joy (Brie Larson) is abducted off the streets, taken captive in a garden shed and continuously raped by her captor (Sean Bridgers). After two agonizingly depressing years for her in captivity, she gives birth to a boy- Jack (Jacob Tremblay). With Jack growing up in this tiny room, he has no knowledge of the world outside of room. When Jack turns five, his Ma becomes increasingly more aware of how his growth effects their perilous situation. Ma then devises a plan of a great escape with the help of naive little Jack. The plan involves Jack playing dead, all rolled up in a rug as the captor who they call "Old Nick" removes him. Once Jack enters the outside world via Old Nick's truck, he jumps out and retrieves help from the first person he finds. With the assistance of the police, they find Ma and cue the hugging and crying as the two are reunited in the outside world. I watched this movie with my boyfriend and at this point he was waiting for the credits to start rolling not having read the book. This movie does not end on a note of optimism. 

    The second half of Room continues on with Ma and Jack's life outside of the four tiny walls of their once home. Although their life inside room is a major aspect of this film, the most important aspect is the post kid-napping return to normality. Like Donoghue's book, the movie is told from Jack's point of view of how he perceives the world. In room, Ma has sheltered Jack from the cruel reality of their situation by making him believe that the "world" is what exists behind the closed locked door of the shed they are kept in. Jack believes that everything he can see through their skylight is outer space, and that nothing on the television is real, and Old Nick is magic and comes from the fake television world. In the second half of the movie we see Ma struggle with their sudden freedom as Jack flourishes. Jack is seeing so many things for the first time, and Ma is stuck on all the wasted time she lost. 

     The screenplay differs from the novel in that we get to see a much more prominent role from Ma. Watching Brie Larson take on this intricate role is breath taking. Her acting in this movie is effortless and unforced almost as if this were a candid filming of an actual circumstance that happen to her. She plays her sons image of her - Ma. Not this un-hinged captive woman always seeking a way out. She's living everyday as Jack's Ma in what he thinks is their world. Larson had the role of her career in this film and scored an Academy Award win for it. Her performance was admirable and she perfectly portrays my expectations from Ma in the novel. Jacob Tremblay is eight years old. Every time I watch this movie I am reminding myself that. It is so incredible to watch his performance. Its not like any other child actor. I am shocked he didn't get an Oscar nomination for this. Joan Allen provides a strong supporting role as Joy's mom. 

     With such a horrific backstory, Room is surprisingly uplifting. The transition from captivity to reality is not one of peace and prosperity. It is honest and it is dark at some points and that is what sets this apart and makes it amazing. With true and real and impeccable acting performances from the two lead roles and an incredible adaptation from book to movie, Room is one of the best movies of the decade. 

I give Room a... 

10/10

Monster (2003)

Directed by Patty Jenkins

Written by Patty Jenkins 

Starring Charlize Theron, Christina Ricci, and Bruce Dern 

     Patty Jenkins brings us a dark and chilling film based on the real life of Daytona Beach prostitute turned serial killer, Aileen Wournos (Charlize Theron), who murdered seven men in 1989. Going into this film I was very hesitant considering Jenkins really had no past track record. Charlize Theron and Christina Ricci both never had any memorable past roles either that drove me to watch this film. However, after seeing Theron play this haunting character I will always be a fan of hers. 

     Set in Daytona Beach, Florida where real life Wournos commit her murders, the film starts with the prostitute on the verge of putting a gun to her head under a highway over pass. Then she meets Selby (Christina Ricci) at a gay bar, who I assume resembles Aileen's real life girlfriend Tyria Moore. After the initial denial of Selby by calling her some vulgar terms used towards lesbian women, Aileen who is looking for any form of affection for her barren life, eventually becomes very taken with timid Selby, who is living with family friends because her father kicked her out. Aileen murders her first "john" after he beats her, ties her up and tries to rape her. From that point, what we're thought to believe is a "cute" lesbian relationship (based on the roller skating scene) turns into Selby enabling Aileen's sudden erratic behavior. The first murder seems justified, as her life threatening predicament left her with no other option but to shoot the man in self-defense. However, from there everything goes down hill very fast as each of the next victims become progressively more innocent, leading up to her last murder which was a case of the man being in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong person (Aileen). 

     Jenkins presents Aileen in a very interesting way as we neither sympathize or empathize with her. She leads us to understand why Aileen committed all these murders time and time again, not why we should acquit any of our previous beliefs of Wournos being a "monster". Jenkins does present us with this unconventional "love" story between Selby and Aileen as a way to further display why Aileen commits these murders, not in an attempt to humanize her and justify her actions. 

     By far the best thing about this film was Charlize Theron's depiction of the real-life serial killer. Theron's transformation from glamorous to homely is quite astounding. While most of the credit goes to the make-up team, Theron still deserves appraisal as she gained over twenty pounds and let her body flab and sag in some unflattering places. She didn't just become "ugly" on the outside to play this role. She perfectly adopts the mannerisms and dialect of the Daytona Beach prostitute that blows all the fellow 2003 oscar nominees out of the water. Theron delivers an unforgettable character that is probably the best of her career so far. Monster is an eerie drama film that is no way like any other "monster" or "slasher" horror movie. It is real. It is scary. 

I give Monster an...

7/10

The Help (2011)

Directed by Tate Taylor

Written by Tate Taylor (screenplay) and Kathryn Stockett (novel) 

Starring Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Octavia Spencer and Bryce Dallas Howard

     "You is kind. You is smart. You is important." These candid compliments have the power to repair any mended ego and build your self confidence and will be forever stuck in your mind like a commercial jingle after you see this film. This drama set in the 1960's is based on the critically acclaimed novel written by Kathryn Stockett and brought to the big screen by Stockett's childhood friend from Mississippi, Tate Taylor. Jackson native, Taylor makes his big directing debut with a film that tackles issues of prejudice and racism in Jackson, Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement. Stockett and Taylor conquer a story that has been told before in film, and make it an unforgettable emotional story that is driven by an impeccable cast that brings awareness to what was going on in this time period, with an appropriate level of humor to leaven the drama.
     Recent college graduate, Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan (Emma Stone) gets her first job of writing a cleaning column for the Jackson Journal. Skeeter approaches local housewife friend of hers, Elizabeth (Anna O'Reilly) in hopes of interviewing her maid, Abileen (Viola Davis). Skeeter starts to become more aware of the injustice these maids are facing at a local card game with her socialite housewife friends lead by the iron grip of Hillie Holbrook (Bryce Dallas Howard). Hillie refuses to use Elizabeth's bathroom because she allows her colored help to use it. Dismayed by this, Skeeter decides write a book from the maid's point of view, with the assistance from the reluctant Abileen. Employed by Hillie Holbrook, the sassy Minnie (Octavia Spencer) very reluctantly joins Skeeter and Abileen after she loses her job for using Hillie's bathroom during a violent thunderstorm. Eventually, dozens of other maids join the battle and Skeeter gets her book anonymously published.
     The Help brilliantly tells the story of racial prejudice and bigotry through the point of view of the black maids. Normally we hear these stories from this time told by the privileged white men and women who employ these maids, and when that happens their actual stories get lost in translation. Tate Taylor brings us the remarkably talented Davis and Spencer to play these noble black maids who are experiencing issues of injustice and poverty.
     This film portrays all black people as humble and kind and all white people as ignorant and racist, with a few exceptions. One of these exceptions is Celia Foote (Jessica Chastain) who is viewed as this outcast "trailer trash" to the other bigoted socialites. Celia eventually employs the recently fired Minnie, and breaks all the racial boundaries created by society during this time. Chastain plays a role that was so fun to watch. I found myself feeling sad for her as she was an outcast that just wanted the attention of her community members, white or black. Celia Foote saw no racial difference between her and Minnie and mostly hired her to help her impress her husband as she was very new to the housewife scene.
     Aside from Chastain's oscar nominated supporting role in the film, we get a heartfelt performance from Emma Stone as the protagonist. Stone's performance is mainly fed by Davis and Spencer, as she mostly serves as the pen that records all of their experiences. Viola Davis was Oscar nominated for her leading role in the film, as Octavia Spencer gained her first Oscar win for her supporting role. I mean, how could she not win an Oscar after her delicious pie that she makes for Hillie Holbrook.  Bryce Dallas Howard's role as the venomous queen B was fun to watch as well. Allison Janney has a minor role in the film as Skeeter's mom, which was comical at some points as she played a fierce, sometimes over the top local socialite who is sick with cancer.
     The Help is dominated by strong female performances which is one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much. It was't some fuzzy female empowerment movie about friendship. It was a powerful film covering important issues from the past, told by empowering female characters.

I give The Help an...

8/10     

The Martian (2015)

Directed by Ridley Scott

Written by Drew Goddard (screenplay) and Andy Weir (novel)

Starring Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kristen Wiig

      A gripping sci-fi story brought to the big screen by writer, Drew Goddard and adapted by novelist, Andy Weir, The Martian will leave you at the edge of your seat, mentally and audibly cheering at every small victory that gets astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) one step closer to getting home. Directed by the exquisitely aged mind that brought us other science fiction films such as Alien (1979), this film has a refreshing splash of comedy thrown throughout to leaven the sometimes confusing dialogue filled with lots of astro physics and chemistry. However this film did have me bragging to my friends after that I know how many Earth days equals a Mars sol. 

     Set in the near future, Mark Watney and his fellow Hermes crew members lead by Commander Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain), are on a routine walk when a storm strikes the dry planet and sends the crew in a frenzy as they hustle to get back to their ship. The impending situation leaves the crew with no other choice but to evacuate, but while doing so Watney is struck by flying debris and left stranded on Mars while the rest of the Hermes crew presumes him as dead. Talk about some bad luck. Mark wakes impaled by a metal rod and still on Mars. With enough food rations to last him about a month, and stuck in a small life habitat not meant to keep humans alive for very long, his death seems imminent. With the tireless efforts of NASA and Watney's own brilliance, he perseveres and we witness humanity unify as we "bring him home."

     Brilliantly casted, the real beauty behind The Martian lies behind the importance and fluidity that every cast member brings to this storyline. There is no evil NASA scientist secretly plotting against Wateny's heroic return to Earth. Everyone in this film comes together and is genuinely sincere over the efforts to send this astronaut home, and their acting performances show this. Damon's role scored him an Oscar nomination for best lead actor and won him a golden globe. Matt Damon brings a very personable character to the screen that we all cant help but relate to and root for. He doesn't have some sob story of his wife and kids that he needs to get back home to. He's just a man who was doing what he loves and suffered a terrible accident that no one could've predicted. He bring's a very astonishing level of intelligence matched with a dry sense of humor that makes this one of my favorite roles that Matt Damon has played. 

    Aside from Damon, this movie brings us a cluster of strong supporting cast members riddled with Oscar nominees and winners. Jessica Chastain has always and will always be one of my favorite actresses after her roles in The Help (2011) and Zero Dark Thirty (2012), so seeing her play this intellectual commander of the Hermes ship that had a manned mission on Mars was so different than her other roles but she did a stellar job. You can really feel guilt for leaving Mark behind but admire and believe her conviction in getting him back. The rest of the Hermes crew (Michael Pena, Sebastian Stan, Kate Mara, and Aksel Hennie) all contribute to the collective greatness of this film. The most prominent NASA crew member was Vincent Kapoor played by the growingly talented Chiwetel Ejiofor. Ejiofor's character, along with Kristen Wiig's character, give us faith that everyone on ground control is doing everything in their power to help Watney. Donald Glover plays astrophysicist Rich Purnell and brings some comical moments to the film. 

     Screenplay writer Drew Goddard beautifully made a film that could've been 142 minutes of confusing science diction and boring scenes that tend to drag on, into something that is brimming with humor and really appeals to a wide audience. I left the film shocked that over 2 hours had passed because every minute had me intrigued. I especially enjoyed the music in the film and found myself downloading lots of old songs that The Martian re-surfaced (Like David Bowie's "Starman"). With a cast that is out of this world (had to throw at least one space pun in there), tremendous visuals, and an unforgettable storyline, The Martian will undoubtedly be deemed a Science Fiction classic. 

I give The Martian an...

8/10

The Kids Are All Right (2010)

       

Directed by Lisa Cholodenko

Written by Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg

Starring: Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo

     After watching this movie, I can see why its only the kids that are all right. Lisa Cholodenko wears two hats as Writer and Director of this drama/comedy film, and scored her first Academy Awards nomination for best writing for an original screenplay. Cholodenko brilliantly tells a story that American film has never really seen before of two kids both conceived through artificial insemination  that are on the search for the man who donated his sperm to their moms over a decade ago.
     The movie begins and you meet Laser (Josh Hutcherson) and I was immediately hooked because come on, his name is Laser! How unbelievably cool is that! Right off the bat you can tell that Laser is the rebellious younger child while his sister, Joni (Mia Wasikowska) is the older, responsible child who is in the midst of her last summer at home before she heads off to college. Then we meet their moms, Nic (Annette Bening), the authoritarian hard working doctor and Jules (Julianne Moore), the free spirited budding landscape designer. Joni and Laser are well aware of the circumstances of their conception and once Joni is "of age" her and Laser begin the process of finding the man who donated sperm to their moms all these years ago. When bohemian restaurant owner, Paul (Mark Ruffalo) is contacted by the sperm bank that two children would like to meet him, he is caught of guard but intrigued and agrees to meet with them. Fast forward past a first awkward lunch between the kids and Paul to a dinner with Nic and Jules with the children and Paul. Nic, being very type A personality, becomes very territorial over Paul's sudden impact on her families life. She is uncomfortable with how much her children and wife warm up to him, and she makes that very clear. Nic's actions seem a bit over the top at first, but are soon appropriate when a heterosexual relationship begins with Paul and Jules.
     Jules craves attention and affection, which are two things she is not getting from Nic. Thus she jumps into the arms of the first guy or girl that can give her that, which happens to be her and Nic's once anonymous sperm donor. Though their predicament is very unusual, it is not just because they are a couple of the same sex. Similar issues can be found in more conventional households. That Cholodenko decided to tell such an interesting story of the forces that can dominate a relationship with a homo-sexual couple is very different and refreshing from what we as an audience are used to seeing.
     Bening's performance as the outspoken perfectionist, Nic was one of my favorites and one of the reasons I enjoyed the film so much. At one point she says something along the lines of "I need your observations like I need a dick in my ass." My mouth was agape for a solid ten seconds after that line. The audacity that her character has to just say whatever she wants was very fun to watch and I was not surprised she got an Oscar nomination for her role in this. Mark Ruffalo did an impressive job of bringing some light comedy to a movie that otherwise would have been too dark. I have always been a big fan of Julianne Moore and how she is able to play such a wide array of characters, so seeing her play this role was very pleasing.
     Cholodenko leaves the film with a lot of loose ends not neatly knotted, but I still left the movie feeling oddly satisfied. There's really no "happy ending." She really did leave the characters feeling "all right." My satisfaction with the ending comes from the feeling of just being told maybe not your conventional story where some sort of catharsis is reached, but an honest atypical story. The Kids Are All Right was more than "all right" to me.

I give The Kids Are All Right a...

7/10