Here is yet another quick review. I want to apologize for not posting a big one in a while. However within the next few days there will be one for Cinderella,but just to hold you over here's another quick review. When you get down to it Song of the Sea tells a simple story in a simple way. It's anything but barebones though,and soon you realize that the films real strengths come in how much one can dig into the world and the characters that occupy it. Song of the Sea (released today on DVD) is about a family that lives in Ireland. Him and his sister Saoirse go on an adventure throughout the film concerning the magical being called the Selkie's. Really that's all I want to give away as far as the story goes. Again it's simple,and what really matters is the way that the characters are constructed. Because of a prior event (which I will not spoil) all of the characters seem to hold onto a slight bit of resentment toward Saoirse. The characters show this through actions they do to prevent it from overcoming them. This gives everyone a surprising amount of depth,and helps the viewer feel as all the magical stuff on screen is happening by keeping the characters interesting and firmly grounded in reality. That's not to say it doesn't get a little whimsical at times, but the reality of the characters solidifies the power of the film. Also part of this is the fact that the team of animators working on this film have done fantastic work. Song of the Sea looks like no other film I have ever seen,and it's beauty is appreciated especially in the dark and drab color palate of most modern movies. I give the Song of the Sea a 9.5 out of 10.
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The reason I have made this a quick review is I actually don't have a lot to say about Mockingjay Part 1. I have feeling this is because of the way it is orchestrated. The film feels like a first part stretching out a tight plot into a full 2 hours of movie. That means that the themes and story lines at play seem to not change throughout the entire movie,and really don't get resolved by the end. That doesn't mean the cast and crew don't try their absolute best to make what is here good because it most certainly is. The shift from the brutal fights of The Hunger Games to the political chess game that is Mockingjay is refreshing. The more talky script requires the actors to really go all in with Jennifer Lawrence, Julianne Moore,and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman really standing out. The action which is mostly the people of Panem revolting is really thrilling,and quite emotional when you get down too it. But again none of these story lines are really seen through by the end of the movie leaving me quite disappointed in the fact that all of this could have been a better beginning to the tightly plotted intense war drama Mockingjay could have been. But I'll take this over anything. I give The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 a 7.5 out of 10. What a pleasant surprise What We Do in the Shadows is. This is a smart comedy that is hysterical not because it’s gross out or raucous, but because of the actions of it's characters. It's characters happen to be vampires getting filmed by a documentary crew. Now that's actually all the story you really get. The entire film is about the little things that might happen to vampires that live in New Zealand. But it works because the situations are hilarious,and the characters' personalities are very amusing. The clash of personalities is incredible, and the film is actually short enough to make the entire thing not overstay it's welcome. The actors are also surprisingly charismatic. Taika Waititi is great as Viago. Viago is a French man who has now been alive for 379 years as a vampire. The way that he acts is shy,and also reasonable as well as kind. Therefore watching him attempt to kill a victim in the most humane, and clean way had me giggling through my teeth. Vladislov is an older vampire who has girlfriend issues,and a torture chamber that after he gets depressed gets put to use in a quick scene that is so distasteful yet hilarious I can hardly believe it. Then there's Deacon who is 183 years old,and is kind of aggressive leading to some fights that are extremely memorable. Lastly,there's Peter the 8,000 year old Nosferatu vampire in the basement. He's the most entertaining surprisingly bringing entertaining charisma to match everybody's through only a few growls,and hisses. Other than these few vampires there are also a wide array of awesome supporting, characters including a particularly coldhearted,and impatient assistant. At this moment I as many critics must I'm going to cop out in the middle of the review,and say simply that the problem with reviewing a comedy is the fact that all the matters in one is that it's funny. What We Do in the Shadows is hilarious,and even scary at times. But that's all I can really say about it. I was too busy laughing to notice anything else.
What We Do in the Shadows gets a 10 out of 10. Beyond the Lights is a good,but not great movie. But the reason for that is surprising. I had thought from the reviews that the film's real draw would be the script, but it's not. The script is good,but kind of sappy even as far as romantic films go. The real compelling stuff comes from the points that the film is trying to say about the pop music business in general,and just how much the actors sell the entire thing. I can imagine how this entire thing could have fallen apart without a good array of actors,but these are actors that know what they are doing. Gugu Mbatha-Raw is as always compelling,and I think that she is going to be one of the rising stars of this generation of actors. Nate Parker does formidable work,but most of the cheesy lines are given to him unfortunately, but his sincerity takes care of that for the most part. The really hitter though for me is Minnie Driver. She plays the "aggressive mother" character,and is pretty much a cold hearted b****. This mean personality really pushes certain scenes of the film to the point of being very emotional. And at it's emotional parts the film is really at it's best. I will make special mention of the music in the film which is surprisingly fine tuned. The trashy and frankly shitty pop music the film is making fun of is trashy and shitty,and the love ballads are surprisingly touching. So Beyond the Lights is not a full classic,but the actors really make it the good movie that it is. I give Beyond the Lights an 8 out of 10. I haven't seen a sci-fi movie like this in a long time. This is a film that creates a story that uses the science to support fiction that is also incredible. This is an excellent film just as good as the Spierig's last film Daybreakers. It's weird,and to some it may be confusing,but the story is very human it's own way. Plus weird,and confusing is what you get in time travel movies. The reason it really works is because of the character that the film revolves around is great. Now this character I can't discuss in a big way because this film is one I don't want to spoil. You don't even want to know about some of this stuff. Sarah Snook is fantastic in the film though allowing you to connect to the main character. This is especially important because much of the film is told by a narrator throughout most of it's run. I am surprised by the strictly "tell don't show" approach this film takes this approach, but it's not particularly a bad thing. This storytelling strategy definitely builds the universe. Also the story is good enough to survive the laziness of the way it's told,and when the film let's loose and allows the pieces to fall into place Predestination becomes insanely intense. There are some big reveals near the end of this film that slowly allow us to better understand the main character of the film. I already mentioned the greatness of Sarah Snook,and the always reliable Ethan Hawke is in full display here. This is a very nicely made film that I would recommend to anyone with any interest toward it. I give Predestination a 9 out of 10. The surprising thing about White Bird in a Blizzard is that it (or more the events of it) becomes startlingly redundant right after it ends. Oh sure there's some after thought to it. The film isn't even that bad. The performances are good,and the the story takes a big twist that executed really well I think, but the rest of the film while I cared when watching it just seems to melt away after the film ends. The reason for this is that the rest of the film other than the main story of a young girl named Kat ( Shailene Woodley) dealing with her mother having disappeared, has her discovering how sex, and relationships work. This is interesting,and even ties into the themes of the end of the film,but ultimately feels shallow. There's some fine work from Christopher Meloni,and Eva Green as far as I'm concerned at least has the charisma to carry a movie on her own. So really for the most part I liked this even if it is quite forgettable. I give White Bird in a Blizzard a 7.5 out of 10. Quick Review: The Homesman: Directed by Tommy Lee Jones, Starring: Tommy Lee Jones,and Hilary Swank.2/28/2015 Hey guys this is a quick review. These are going to just paragraph reviews that I write on the small movie fare that I watch throughout the week. There will be reviews for larger films during the weekends. Maps to the Stars review coming up. Sigh... well that was disappointing. Now it's not that bad, but wow was that not what I expected. Then again the problem I have with this film is probably a matter of expectation. In going into The Homesman I expected a fairly straightforward western. It is not. This is not because of the style that the film has,but more falls on the story. There are some odd scenes in this film, and some characters seem to act in ways that just don't seem to make sense. Tommy Lee Jones creates some impressive and beautiful scenes, but the material just doesn't seem to support the film's 122 minute length making it feel kind of long. The performances are really good though,but it all just doesn't seem to tie together completely. I give The Homesman a 6.5 out of 10. |
AuthorI am a 17 year old film enthusiast that is happy to be sharing my opinions on this site. Archives
March 2016
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