Zootopia (2016)

Directed by Byron Howard, Rich Moore and Jared Bush

Screenplay written by Jared Bush, Phil Johnston

Story by Jennifer Lee, Phil Johnston, Josie Trinidad, Jim Reardon, Jared Bush, Rich Moore and Byron Howard

Starring the voices of Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba and Jenny Slate

Easily the best animated film of 2016-- this film is great for kids and adults all around. Zootopia tells the stories of animals in a very humanized seeming world, with many social issues that we are dealing with as a society today. It also has many genuine laughs, clever animal stereotypes and so much more. 

Zootopia is a mammal metroplis that is home to the largest of elephants, the smallest of mice, the slyest of fox and the slowest of sloths. Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) is a bunny who is new to the Zootopia police department-- the first bunny they have ever had on the force actually. Hopps soon learns how hard it is to be on the police force, and that she is constantly being underestimated because she is a small "cute" bunny (cute seems to be a hateful slur to bunnies in this universe). Set on a track to prove herself, Judy jumps at the opportunity to solve a mysterious case. She teams up with a wily fox, Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman) to solve the big case that even the chief of police (Idris Elba) cant crack. 

The film dawns on some pretty heavy topics such as racial and social prejudices. It sheds light on certain biological predispositions to crime from certain species. It states that everyone should have the chance to change what people think of them. The main characters face so much prejudice themselves, as Judy is always being overlooked in what she's capable of because of her stature and generally cute nature. Nick falls under that umbrella of a species who is predisposed to crime because he is a sly and sketchy fox. This movie sets out to prove that you cant change who you are but you can change people's perceptions of you. While the adults watching this movie may have a lot of underlying messages to uncover, there are a lot of laughs for the kids too. What is great about the humor in this movie is that it works on so many levels. For example, the scene with the sloths. Children will buckle in laughter over the notorious slow moving animals, but what the adults will enjoy about that scene is all the sloths in Zootopia seem to be working at the notoriously slow DMV. 

Aside from the humor and overall message from this movie, it also just has very great animation. The layout of the fictional and animated metropolis of Zootopia is very cool looking-- as well as the animation of the characters. Plus, we get Shakira as a gazelle singing a new song. So much to love about this movie! 

8/10

The Fundamentals of Caring (2016)

Directed by Rob Burnett 

Written by Rob Burnett (screenplay) and Jonathan Evison (novel)

Starring Paul Rudd, Craig Roberts, Selena Gomez and Jennifer Ehle 

          I was pleasantly surprised with The Fundamentals of Caring. This movie was limited to being released on just Netflix, but easily could have succeeded in theaters. This is one of those movies were you can't stop saying how "cute" of a movie it was after you have finished it. If asked to define why it was "cute," I am not sure what I would even say. It is a funny, feel-good, drama all in one.  Thats all I can say. Plus, you can never get enough of Paul Rudd's cheeky personality.
     Ben (Paul Rudd) is a man suffering from extreme loss (the loss of his son), and is in the middle of a divorce. In the midst of all this, he decides to take a course on becoming a caregiver. Immediately following the completion of the course, Ben takes a job interview with a family- a single mom (Jennifer Ehle) with her 18-year old son suffering from MS, Trevor (Craig Roberts). The mom very reluctantly hires him for this extremely difficult, important task, despite Ben's lack of experience. On top of having to keep track of Trevor's stretching, medication and meal schedule- Ben literally has to wipe his butt for him. Aside from the daunting daily tasks Ben does for Trevor, there isn't much else, considering Trevor is very introverted and spends his days watching TV and eating the same meal of waffles and sausage. Looking to make a difference in his life, Ben convinces his patient to go on a road trip with him to see the deepest pit in the world: a landmark that Trevor oddly has always wanted to see. Along the way they pick up a trash-talking, sarcastic young runaway, Dot (Selena Gomez). The three then embark on a journey where they all learn something about themselves.
     The road trip that the main characters go on, at first appears as a way just to get Trevor out of the house- but it ends up being so much more. Ben is recovering from a tremendous amount of despair after his young son died and this road trip is serving as a perspective change on life for him. Dot is discovering herself as she runs away from her old life, and Trevor is seeing the world beyond the four walls of his house. This movie was filled with heart-warming moments, but no singular cliche emotional scene at the end of the movie. Thats what I liked so much about this movie, based on the book written by Jonathan Evison.
     Aside from the emotion was a genuinely funny movie as well. Craig Roberts did a great job at bringing humor to his characters shitty situation. He could have been a depressing man wallowing in his emanate death from this crippling disease, but he was a sarcastic teenager that made a lot of jokes about his ass being wiped. Paul Rudd has always been a favorite of mine, and I always have appreciated the emotion and humor he brings to any of his characters. This role just adds to his wide array of strong characters. Selena Gomez was given a role of a snarky, rebel 20-something year old- and she played it well. She's not just a singer and a wizard of waverly place. This was a very heart-warming movie so bravo to Netflix for bringing this wonderful piece of work to us. 

   
I give The Fundamentals of Caring a...

7/10

The Girl on the Train (2016)

Directed by Tate Taylor

Written by Erin Cressida Wilson (screenplay) and Paula Hawkins (novel)

Starring Emily Blunt, Haley Bennett, Rebecca Ferguson, and Justin Theroux 

     *spoilers for those who haven't read the book*

     A thrilling movie based on the book by best selling, world renowned author, Paula Hawkins- that still manages to be somewhat of a let down despite the books tremendous success. It has everything to be almost as successful as Gone Girl, with a riveting storyline adapted from best selling books- however it falls short of being anything like Gone Girl. This being director, Tate Taylor's first thriller, I can't say I was expecting much- although with how much everyone loved the book I still had some hope for the film adaptation. 

     It all starts with the protagonist and narrator, Rachel (Emily Blunt). She is an alcoholic who spends her days riding the train for long stretches, back and forth into New York City. Along the trains route is a beautiful house, with her idea of a picture perfect couple: the pretty blonde Megan (played by Haley Bennett who looks shockingly similar to Jennifer Lawrence in this film) and her husband, Scott (Luke Evans). Rachel adores this couple she has never met, in a somewhat creepy manner at times. She hopes the best for their love, which is why she is enraged when she witnesses Megan embracing in a passionate kiss with her therapist, Dr. Abdic (Edgar Ramirez). Through many confusing flashbacks, we learn that before alcoholism consumed her marriage- Rachel once lived a few houses down from Scott and Megan. Her ex-husband Tom (Justin Theroux) now lives in her old house with his new wife, Anna (Rebecca Ferguson). Things start to get tricky for Rachel when the apparent adulteress, Megan- disappears. To make matters worse, she disappears on the same night that Rachel decided to confront her on her infidelity. Because of a drunken black-out, Rachel does not have any memory of that night, leading her to be a suspect in the disappearance. 

     As more "twists" start to unveil throughout the course of the movie, I can't say I had any big "no way!" moments. Everything is presented in such a manner that my suspicions of the outcomes of the plot, were just confirmed. I was never really surprised. The movie takes places over a 6 month time period, and the constant flashbacks between the past and present gave me whiplash. 

     Emily Blunt's performance is impressive despite the sometimes messiness of the movie. Her portrayal of this alcoholic woman relays back and forth between tortured victim and scheming lunatic. She has a strong performance that leaves little room for other characters to share the spotlight. Despite the importance of the supporting characters in the book, Erin Cressida Wilson portrays them in a pretty one dimensional, cliche manner. Theroux plays the controlling ex-husband, Ferguson plays the stuck-up new wife, and Bennett plays the damaged goods who ends up the victim. The film brings some more big names to the film like, Laura Prepon, Lisa Kudrow and Allison Janney but they all have such minuscule screen time you could blink and miss them. 

     Despite all my criticism, this was a thrilling movie and I was never bored. Although the flashbacks may have been confusing, and the depiction of the story may gave been predictable- it was still a story that I wanted to follow. 

I give The Girl on the Train a...

6/10

Sausage Party (2016)

Directed by Greg Tiernen and Conrad Vernon

Written by Kyle Hunter, Ariel Shaffir, Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill 

Starring Seth Rogen, Kristen Wiig, Jonah Hill and Michael Cera

      When I think of how the story of this movie was created- I picture a group of men lead by Seth Rogen sitting in a room high as a kite, brainstorming movie ideas. In this case, I think that is exactly what happen- because only the minds of extremely high men could craft such a weird movie. I mean, its literally talking food. The weirdest part of this whole movie was that I actually kind of liked it. It wasn't horrible. It was fun to imagine that if food could talk, this is how they would act. The humor was often lost behind the vulgarity of the script- but overall it was a tastefully (no pun intended) funny movie. 

     Sausage Party begins with a grocery store full of hopeful food, singing about the "great beyond" and the excitement that lies behind those sliding doors. All the food wishes to get chosen, especially the hotdog, Frank (voiced by Seth Rogen) along with the other hot dogs in his package, Barry and Carl (Michael Cera and Jonah Hill). Frank strongly wishes to get picked off of his Fourth of July display so he can live out his life's destiny- insert himself into the beautiful hot dog bun, Brenda (Kristen Wiig). When they all finally get chosen, Frank and Brenda escape their packaging and fall out of the cart, losing their chance to venture outside to the great unknown. Following the wise influence of the spiritual fire water (voiced by Bill Hader), Frank and Brenda are off on a search to figure out what really goes on outside the grocery store- while also being hunted by the vengeful douche (Nick Kroll). They are joined on their journey by some pretty unforgettable characters like the sexy, Teresa Taco (Salma Hayek) and Sammy the bagel (Edward Norton).
     This animated film definitely had its moments. Seeing the horrific reactions of the food that ended up in some woman's kitchen, ready to be cooked- was pretty hilarious. This film tries to get most of its laughter from its excessive amount of sex jokes mixed with an over the top use of profanity. While these things sometimes gained a chuckle from me, they were mostly just too much. The end scene of the movie is where this movie gets it's R rating, for sure.
     Overall, this is a pretty stupid movie that is strangely funny simply because of the idea of our food having these inane beliefs of this great beyond. The actors that bring the voices to these characters contribute to the humor greatly. Bill Hader provides multiple voices in the film and is great per usual, Michael Cera voices a lovable deformed hot dog that you just wanna hug- and his quiet voice is perfect for this character. A well rounded funny cast to bring life and voices to our everyday food and supplies.

I give Sausage Party a...

5/10

Hell or High Water (2016)

Directed by David Mackenzie

Written by Taylor Sheridan

Starring Chris Pine, Ben Foster and Jeff Bridges

     A thrilling western-crime film that will have you rooting for both sides of a gun fight at one point. The only reason I choose to call this a "western" film is for the barren, desolate landscape it takes place in- although I guess Jeff Bridges having a role in it does give it that label as well. Hell or High Water is an entertaining movie that with enough car chases and bank robberies to excite crime movie enthusiasts; and enough cowboy hats and Texas accents to excite those nostalgic of Tombstone.

     The movie begins with a bank robbery right off the bat, committed by brothers Toby (Chris Pine) and Tanner (Ben Foster). Although the two seem amateur at this, we learn that Tanner is somewhat of a bank-robber novice having just gotten out of jail, while Toby is devoted to a non-violence method. After a couple of robberies, we learn the motives behind them which involve reverse mortgages, oil drilling and Toby's recent divorce and estranged child. While the carefully crafted robberies are happening with the brothers, we also get to see the law enforcement side of this story. Two Texas rangers are in charge of following this case; retiring officer Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges) and his sidekick Alberto (Gil Birmingham). These two have a very cat and mouse relationship which was humorous to watch- with Hamilton often making jabs at his partners Native American heritage. As the plot unravels, we see the real intelligence behind these devised robberies is Toby. While at first Tanner may seem more experienced and in charge, Toby is the real mastermind. 

     The acting in this movie is one of its greatest strengths. Chris Pine to me, is Captain Kirk. For him to step out of the Star Trek ship (metaphorically) and step into this intense Texan bank robber- was very impressive. This sort of role suits him very well. Ben Foster plays a verbally and physically aggressive ex-con. He is very unpredictable yet his love for his brother is often what keeps him somewhat tame. Veteran, Jeff Bridges earns a best supporting actor oscar nomination for his role as the old, smart-mouthed, laid back Texas ranger. 

     This film is more of a drama than anything aside from the thrilling car chases and bank robberies. Mackenzie and Sheridan give the audience a lot of character development to help us further understand the motives for Tanner and Toby's crimes. Hell or High Water may not be the thrilling gun-fight, car chase movie you're looking for- but it is definitely a movie worth watching. 

I give Hell or High Water a...

7/10

Split (2016)

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan

Written by M. Night Shyamalan

Starring James McAvoy, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Haley Lu Richardson

     Director and writer, M. Night Shyamalan of past box-office successes like, Sixth Sense and Signs- brings us yet another psychological thriller with his name attached to it. This time around unfortunately, he does not triumph like in the past. Split was longer than it had to be, lacked his normal intensity and suspense, and left the possibility of a sequel with its choppy ending. The one good thing that came from this film for me was the interesting acting performance from McAvoy. 

     The movie begins with a birthday party involving two popular girls; Claire (Haley Lu Richardson) and Marcia (Jessica Sula), and the outcast, Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy). Following the party the three girls are abducted by a deranged man (James McAvoy). We soon learn that this man suffers from a severe case of multiple personality disorder. He has 23 district personalities- three of which we see make a strong presence. We meet the "leader" Dennis, the motherly Patricia, and the childish Hedwig. The three personalities all speak of how the girls were brought there to feed the "Beast"- who is a possible 24th personality. The psychiatrist for the girls captor, Dr. Karen Fletcher (Betty Buckley), thinks this alter may not be real, but we soon find out otherwise. 

     The remainder of the film proceeds as any other cliche thriller flick. The girls attempt to escape in many ways you would expect- physical assault against their captor, trying to outsmart him, or even using a hanger to un-lock a door. Most of the film was focused on the girls trying to escape, while the captor attended therapy sessions with his psychiatrist- which kind of took away from the suspense of the film. I understand the intent was to further allow us to understand the disorder that he is suffering from- however, the scenes with the psychiatrist took away from the film's tension. There were also some flashback scenes to Casey's childhood, which I remain unsure of their intent. 

     McAvoy's displays over a dozen personalities in this film, and obviously steals the spotlight with them. The other characters in the movie were pretty forgettable making it easier for McAvoy to shine. Anya Taylor-Joy does stand out from the other two girls considering they are perfect examples of horror movie cliches. She plays a pretty sullen character considering the circumstance she is involved in. 

     The ending sets this lacking thriller movie up for a sequel, which may be what we need considering the ending was left very opened. Overall, Split is missing the suspense I was seeking when I watched it. It had an interesting idea for a plot, with a man suffering from multiple personality disorder kidnapping three girls. However, the narrative was weak and left me disappointed. 

I give Split a...

5/10

Lion (2016)

Directed by Garth Davis 

Written by Luke Davies (screenplay) and Saroo Brierley (adapted from his book "A Long Way Home")

Starring Dev Patel, Nicole Kidman, Rooney Mara and Sunny Pawar

     A breathtaking story about a young Indian boy who gets lost in the overly populated Calcutta, India- nearly a thousand miles away from his home- and his journey to find home after 20 years of living with his new family in Tasmania. Lion is adapted from the real life story of Saroo Brierley- a story in which he wrote about in his book: "A Long Way Home."

     The journey starts with 5-year old Saroo (played by Sunny Pawar) living his impoverished life in the shadow of his older brother, Guddu. The two complete chores together to help their mother, Kamla (Pryanka Bose) put food on the table. One day, Guddu informs his younger brother of his impending trip to a distant city via train, to look for work. Being a stubborn small kid who just wants to be like his older brother, Saroo insists that he must come along. After many initial rejections to this request, Guddu finally gives in and agrees to let him come along.  Along the way, the two become separated and Saroo finds himself embarking on a train to the distant Calcutta- where he doesn't know the language, the people, or even the name of the village where he is from. After spending a lot of time on the crowded streets of this Indian city, Saroo is adopted by a loving Australian couple, Sue and John Brierley (Nicole Kidman and David Wenham). After growing up with this new life and new family, he has only dim memories of his life and family back in India. Once Saroo hits adulthood (now played by Dev Patel), he decided to locate his home via Google Earth, and hopefully be reunited with his mother and brother. 

     The first half of Lion is set in India with Saroo being a small child. Although the only english we get during this half of the movie is in subtitles- it is beautifully done, and I believe the best part of the film. Lion sets a very strong pace in the beginning of the movie. Seeing a child as young as Saroo all on his own in such a new, foreign territory, is heartbreaking and keeps us on the edge of our seat, waiting to find out his fate. Davis effectively captures the boys confusion and fear over being lost. I wasn't quite ready for the transition to adult Saroo, considering how adorable the young version of him is- but the handsome Dev Patel made that a bit easier. The second half of the movie wasn't as great as the first unfortunately. Granted there is a 20 year difference between he two parts of the film, I just felt the second half lost some momentum from the climatic first half. The story in the second half lacks the intensity from the first, and the character is less interesting as an adult. That is to say nothing bad about Patel's performance, however. 

     Patel and Pawar both play such different performances of the same character but both do an incredible job. This is the first role for Sunny Pawar, and he barely speaks any english- so to see him take on this powerful role was great. Aside from these two actors, the few supporting roles in this film are very limited. Rooney Mara plays Saroo's girlfriend, and really didn't have enough screen time for me to form an opinion on her performance. Kidman also had limited screen time but played a powerful role. She was hand-picked by the real life Sue Brierley to play this role. She already had the accent even! Patel and Kidman both scored oscar nominations for this film, as they deserved. 

     Lion is an amazing tale that for Davis and the cast, was much anticipated to tell. Davis shot footage for a "60 minutes" special on the story of Saroo- and that footage can be seen at the end of the film. Patel really immersed himself in the history of his character in order to play him to the best of his abilities. That is what I like so much about this film- the determination behind the makers to bring it life. 

I give Lion a... 

7/10

Manchester By The Sea (2016)

Directed by Kenneth Lonergan

Written by Kenneth Lonergan 

Starring Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Lucas Hedges and Kyle Chandler 

     A dark film brought to us by the minds of Matt Damon and John Krasinski (yeah, you heard right- Jim from The Office) and written and directed by Oscar nominated, Kenneth Lonergan. Manchester By The Sea is a film that tells the story of a good man who is now wallowed in grief and a completely different person than his former self. 

     Lee (Casey Affleck) is an un-social janitor/handyman in Quincy- who floats through his work days with no emotion until the night when he can get to the bar and drink, with an extreme lack of social skills. Lee's monotonous routine is disrupted when he receives a call from the hospital of his former "home," Manchester. His older brother, Joe (Kyle Chandler) is in the hospital again because of his diagnosed congestive heart disorder- but may not make it this time. Lee makes the 90- minute drive up there, just to discover he was too late. He is left to take on the responsibility of planning his brother's funeral, and taking care of his 16 year old son, Patrick (Lucas Hedges). Lee soon is informed of the startling news that Joe has named him the guardian of Patrick. He is now forced to make some big life decisions as to wether to uproot Patrick from his life and move to Boston- or to reluctantly return to Manchester- a town with some disturbing memories for Lee.
     Through some flashbacks throughout the film, we soon learn this isn't just about Lee becoming the legal guardian of Patrick. Lee has an ex-wife, Randi (Michelle Williams) and a past life in Manchester- which makes it extremely difficult for him to return without some bad past memories. To talk about the flashbacks in detail would be major spoilers, but I will say I wish there were more flashbacks to further tell the story behind Lee's now un-social, depressive state.
     If having spot-on New England accents is the reason to dole out Academy Award's to this cast- then I expect to see all nominees (Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams and Lucas Hedges) standing at the podium award night. I was hoping to get more emotion from the cast, especially Affleck- but I suppose that is the reason their performances were so real. Affleck's character experiences so much loss throughout his life that by the time his brother passes, he is suppressing some major emotion. I was kind of hoping for a big emotional scene where he finally has a breakdown of some sort. He did punch a window at one point- I guess that was it? Affleck does a pretty good job at playing an extremely one-dimensional character. Lee is a man of not many words, holding in a lot of despair and Affleck embodies that. Michelle Williams role was very limited which I was disappointed about. She did bring some strong emotion to the film, however. Newcomer, Lucas Hedges was key to the movie; bringing a lot of typical teenage angst and drama (like having two girlfriends) which leavened the very dark manner of the film. He is well deserving of his best supporting actor nomination at this year's Academy Awards.
     The appeal of a dark, depressing movie like Manchester By The Sea is limited; so I can see why it was released so close to award season. The slow-pace nature of this film will not appeal to many who seek more cinematic, adrenaline filled, gleeful movies. If you're seeking a movie with deeper experiences, this is for you.

I give Manchester By The Sea a...

6/10

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

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