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Top 5 Movies of 2016

12/29/2016

2016 was a shit year and movies were no exception. I had a tough time coming up with five movies I absolutely loved, but after some thought and last-minute viewings I was able choose what I thought were the five best movies of the year.

Honorable Mention - Green Room:

I liked this movie and feel like a lot of people may have missed it, so I wanted to give it a brief shoutout. Green Room is about a punk rock band that gets in trouble after performing for a group of neo-Nazis. This movie is both gruesome and terrifying so it is not going to be for everyone. However, the acting and directing is well above the normal slasher flick. It has great performances from Patrick Stewart, Ali Shawkat, and Anton Yelchin in one of his final performances before he passed away earlier this year. Director Jeremy Saulnier had a lot of success with Blue Ruin and I think you are going to see a lot more from him as his career continues.

Arrival:

This was the toughest choice for me and it came down to Hell or High Water or Arrival, but the reason I picked Arrival is because the story stuck with me longer. Arrival is a bit of a slow burn, and at times feels poorly paced, but by the third act I was completely invested in the story and was almost in awe of what director Denis Villeneuve was able to accomplish. He put forward some of the most interesting ideas to come out of a fictional film this year. I also really like Amy Adams and she shines in this movie. I wasn’t expecting to think or feel as much after watching this movie but I did, and that’s why it deserved to be on the list.

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping

Without a doubt the funniest movie of the year. For every five jokes made I think I laughed at four of them, and that is a pretty high number. This was a blink-and-you-miss-it movie in the theaters but it has all the makings of a cult classic. Those who liked the “Lonely Island” sketches on SNL are going to love this movie. If that wasn’t enough, the soundtrack also happens to be legitimately great and perfect for long holiday road trips. When everyone starts busting out the Donkey Roll at the bar you know you’ve got a great movie on your hand. Okay, it wasn’t everyone, but it was definitely the four or five other drunk people who I went to the bar with.

Captain America: Civil War

I will be the first one to admit it; I am a big super hero nerd and perhaps I am ranking this too high, but Civil War is a fun movie that also happens to be extremely rewatchable. Everything that DC is doing wrong with their movies Marvel is doing right. Their stories aren’t just slapped together with random guys in tights fighting another big bad guy; they are character-driven. Of course there is more of a payoff for people who have seen all the Marvel movies, but there is enough here for the casual movie-goer to enjoy as well. The battle scene at the airport also happened to be the best action sequence of the year. That scene is a mixture of good action, great special effect, and the best part was that it was funny too. Everything that surrounds this scene works as well and the climax of the movie proves to be more emotional than your average comic book movie.

Manchester By The Sea

God this was tough to watch. What made it even tougher is that the story isn’t outside the realm of possibility of what anyone might experience in real life. In that realism the director risks losing some of the big moments on which most movies usually rely, like telling a family member that someone died. Instead the camera keeps its distance and just watching the reaction to the news is enough to affect you. Director Kenneth Lonergan allows the story to slowly unravel to encourage the audience to connect more deeply with the characters. There is no bow on this movie, no perfectly summed up ending, but that’s what life is. Rarely do we get the endings that we want, so we settle with the best we can do and I can’t remember the last movie so honest in that kind of storytelling.

La La Land

It’s one of those movies that the more I think about the more I like. The dance numbers and the bright colors make it seem beautiful, but the story is actually extremely poignant. The final number punched me in the gut but still left me wanting to see more. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are both fantastic and have terrific chemistry. Director Damien Chanzelle has complete control over the music, his performers, and the story which melds together perfectly; if he’s not already he should be considered of the best directors out there. It is a throwback to the movie musicals of the 1950’s and made for people who love movies which may be why I love it so much.

Any movie I left off? Don't be afraid to let me know and enjoy your time at the movies as we head into Oscar season.

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Your Freshman Philosophy Course - In Space

12/22/2016

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Passengers Reviewed

Whatever producer or studio head decided to release his space blockbuster one week after Star Wars must be a mad man. What executive in their right mind would feel they could go against the movie of all movies? But Passengers isn’t like Star Wars at all really; obviously the two are comparable given the genre and the setting, but Passengers tells a complicated and intriguing story and does it on the backs of fantastic performances by two of the most likable lead actors in Hollywood.

In the middle of a 120-year journey, a spacecraft traveling to a distant planet and transporting thousands of people has a malfunction. As a result, two passengers, Jim Preston (Chris Pratt) and Aurora Dunn (Jennifer Lawrence), wake up still 90 years from their destination and are stranded without anyone else on the ship to help them.

That is actually not the entire plot; there is an important detail to the story that is being left out of trailers, so out of respect to the storytellers I am going to leave it out as well. However, there is a contingent of people out there for whom the movie will be ruined by this development. I don’t begrudge that reaction at all; this is a complicated story, but for me that aspect of the plot led to many fascinating themes.

Passengers is simultaneously a romantic drama, a sci-fi thriller, and an action movie –but above all else it is a movie about humanity and morality. In fact, the first part of the movie feels a little like Cast Away as our leads come to grips with being the only people around, and it’s then the movie explores its depths.

Jennifer Lawrence may be the top billed actor but this movie is all about Chris Pratt and his character.

In a movie with only two humans, your two leads better be strong and Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence prove themselves worthy. At this point there should be no doubt that Academy Award winner Jennifer Lawrence is going to be great in a movie. She is one of the most compelling actresses out there and can display a wide range of emotions. If that isn’t enough, she also manages to become more attractive the sweatier and bloodier she gets –or maybe I just have a Hunger Games thing going on, I’m not sure.

But for this movie to work Chris Pratt needs to be likable, REALLY likable, because his character does some evil things in order to survive. Whether you like the movie or not may rest entirely on the performance of Chris Pratt and I think he nails it. There is nothing this guy can do that won’t make you smile. His performances in Parks and Rec, Guardians, and even The Magnificent Seven embolden the people around him and his on-screen presence knows no bounds. When I realized what his character was going to do early in the movie I recoiled, but it was his performance that enables the audience’s empathy.

This movie is the opposite of Star Wars; in fact it feels more like an episode of Star Trek. The story deals more with issues of morality and technology than it does bad guys in capes. Of course there are explosions and exceptional CGI work, but the themes of the movie could work well with a smaller budget and unknown actors, as long as those actors could make the leads almost impossibly likeable. Passengers makes a bold decision in its storytelling and with so many other by-the-book movies out there it is always a pleasant surprise when someone takes a chance. B

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Lower Expectations You Must

12/15/2016

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Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Reviewed

Nothing I say over the next 600 words is going to convince you to see or not see Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. If you’re a fan of the franchise, you are probably going to love this movie. For the more casual fan, or those being dragged to the movie by the Star Wars lover in your life, be warned: it takes a reeeaaaalllllllyyy looooonnnnnnggggg time to get to the good stuff. For those people the good stuff may not be enough.

Rogue One takes place before the events of the original Star Wars and follows Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), the daughter of the man who is the unwilling designer of the Empire’s superweapon. Jyn leads a small group of fighters whose mission is to steal the plans to the Death Star and deliver those plans to the rebel alliance.

The problem with the movie—as is the case for any prequel—is that you know how the movie has to end. The events of Rogue One lead directly to the events of Star Wars: A New Hope. They even refer to Rogue One’s mission in the original movie some 40 years ago, so the mission and the fate of its character has been predetermined for quite some time. So the question is not what happens, but how it happens. And in order to create a compelling movie the “how” needs to be beyond captivating. Unfortunately, the how in this instance is barely even interesting.

Nothing against The First Order but man it feels good seeing the original stormtroopers again.

The most glaring problem is I didn't care about any of the characters in this movie. The lead characters in this movie are completely one-dimensional, and the performances from Felicity Jones and Diego Luna lack any sizzle. I find this especially odd considering how Star Wars has always had a gift for creating characters with depth. There was an obvious attempt to create an emotional connection with the audience early in the movie, perhaps even by using familiar faces with the casting of Forest Whitaker, but without getting to know the protagonists it is hard to feel empathy. The most interesting characters in the movie are the comic relief robot, who serves as a stand in for C-3P0 and R2-2, and the movie’s villain Orson Krennic, played by a terrific Ben Mendelson.

The last 30 minutes of the movie is far and away the best part. Rogue One plays more or less as a war movie, and it’s in the final act when we get the big battle payoff. The action sequences during these scenes are at times gritty and the CGI is fantastic. There are even a few emotional moments, though not as many as I am sure they were hoping to create. So it is at this moment fans will decide if they liked this movie. Is the last third of the movie strong enough to forgive the problems in the first two-thirds?

For this reviewer, while the last 30 minutes are good, it doesn’t forgive the tedious plot and uninspiring character development of the first 90 minutes. It leaves me wondering how much of this was a tonal problem from all the reported reshoots the movie had to do. Many fans (some of whom I have already spoken with) will disagree with me and say all the big battles, the CGI, and the movie’s Easter eggs will leave fans of the series more than satisfied. I found myself yawning on more than one occasion, and no matter how much I love the franchise I fear the mouse is going to oversaturate the market with these movies. Help us J.J. Abrams— you’re our only hope. C-/D+

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Chicken On A Stick

12/8/2016

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La La Land Reviewed

La La Land begins with an aerial shot panning over a typical Los Angeles traffic jam. One by one drivers file out of their cars and people all along the highway are suddenly singing and dancing. The incredibly catchy song ends, everyone hops back in their car, and the title pops on the screen. After which I immediately turned to my partner and whispered: “this movie is going to be nominated for so many awards.”

Damien Chazelle, previously known best for his direction of 2014’s Whiplash, wrote and directed La La Land. The story follows an aspiring actress named Mia (Emma Stone) who serves coffee on a Hollywood lot, and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a jazz musician forced to play Christmas jingles and songs from 80s hair bands to make money. Mia and Sebastian are chasing their dreams, but as they start achieving professional success their relationship begins to suffer. Ugh, just typing that sentence started giving me the feels.

Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone were not picked for their Broadway prowess. The songs they sing are fine, but if musical talent had been the number one focus, they probably would’ve cast someone else. The director needed strong performances to achieve the story he wanted; he needed the look in his performers’ eyes while they were singing more than the actual singing. The same could be said for their dancing—while the tap dancing scenes are god damn adorable, their moves are rudimentary. Then again, their characters aren’t professional song and dance people either—Mia is an actress while Sebastian plays the piano (which apparently Gosling spent two hours a day six days a week learning so they wouldn’t have to use a hand double), so it makes sense. But Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone’s chemistry can’t be denied and it serves as the lynchpin of the movie.

Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are still 1000x better dancers than I am and look great doing it

Los Angles is a picturesque city, and Damien Chazelle is quick to show off its beauty. He takes advantage of the city’s bright colors during the early parts of the movie as our two characters are falling in love. There is one sequence about halfway in goes a little too far; it features Mia and Sebastian dancing in space. While musicals are almost always more fantastical than your average movie, this scene went beyond the established tone. It doesn’t help that the CGI wasn’t particularly well done.

La La Land is by no means a typical movie musical. For one it’s an original story (rather than an adaptation) paying homage to classics like Singin’ in the Rain and Swing Time. In that vein, the movie’s soundtrack is mostly made up of jazz music and it is fantastic. For those who say they hate jazz, wait and hold judgement until Ryan Gosling’s character can explain to you why you shouldn’t. The musicians in the movie are absolutely incredible, including the likes of John Legend, who has a relatively important part in the story.

The final moments of the movie are what stand out to me as beautiful. All of the musical numbers build towards a final sequence that will stick with you well after you walk out of the theater. Chazelle did a similar thing in Whiplash, but in La La Land he has the brooding eyes of Ryan Gosling to stare into your soul and ravage your insides.

La La Land gives the movie musical genre new life, with a vibrant story set to an absolutely gorgeous score. Two years ago Damien Chazelle made my favorite movie of the year. This time around, with the addition of amazing performances by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, he made an early contender for the Best Picture. A

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Top 5 L.A. Movies

12/1/2016

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There are not too many movies coming out this week. I had a chance to see La La Land but I’m not allowed to talk about it until next week. But La La Land was just nominated for 12 awards by the The Critics’ Choice Film Awards, so I decided to do the top 5 movies that take place in Los Angeles. There are a LOT of movies based in LA so please forgive me for not including your favorite.

Honorable Mention: Collateral

I really wanted to put this movie on the list because it is extremely underrated. But if I am being honest with myself it just doesn’t have enough to make the final five. This 2004 Michael Mann movie was advertised as just another action movie starring Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx, but that was not the movie at all. Collateral offers some philosophical discussion about what defines a person and features beautiful shots taken all across LA. If you get the chance see this movie, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised that it’s more than you expected it to be.

5) The Big Lebowski

Admit it, when you first saw The Big Lebowski you started drinking White Russians. Hell I still drink White Russians whenever I can get my hands on some cream. Lebowski is a cult classic with so many memorable lines it is tough to name them all. Even the lines censored for the TV airings are legendary ("This is what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps!”). If you go out to LA you can get tours of where this movie was shot. I don’t know what it is about The Big Lebowski, but this is a tour I would want to go on. The Dude can abide and so can I.

4) Chinatown

Directed by Roman Polanski, Chinatown was supposed to be a trilogy about the corruption that goes on in Los Angeles, but the second movie bombed and they never even made the third one. However, Chinatown remains a near perfect film, terrifically acted by Jack Nicholson. I took a screenwriting class in college for funsies during my senior year and the script they used to teach us how to properly write a screenplay was Chinatown. The movie includes a ton of cultural moments that you’d probably be shocked to learn originate from this story including one of the movie’s major reveals. The thrust of the story revolves around the city’s water shortage; it seems some things about LA never change.

3) Die Hard

Yipee Kay Yay Mother Fucker. Die Hard is one of the most defining movies of the action movie genre and propelled Bruce Willis into a career of shooting bad guys in the head. Its not really a good sampling of Los Angeles as it takes place entirely in one location but the fact that he is from New York and visiting Los Angeles becomes an important part of the fish out of water narrative. John McClane spends most of the time walking around battered and bruised and without those damn shoes. The movie is an homage to the Western genre, which is how McClane gets his catch phrase and is called Roy Rogers by evil-doer Hans Gruber. Speaking of Alan Rickman, he is also fantastic in this movie; the scene where he slips out of his German accent and into an American one with ease is so fun and effortless it’s no wonder Rickman became one of the best actors of his generation.

2) Who Framed Roger Rabbit

There may not be a third Chinatown film, but you might as well consider Who Framed Roger Rabbit a continuation of the corruption story, featuring cartoon characters. The writers of Roger Rabbit were heavily influenced by Chinatown and the story is based on an actual plan to boost car sales in LA by getting rid of public transportation. The major difference between the two is Chinatown is a movie I feel I should watch, whereas Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a movie I want to watch. Except when Judge Doom puts that little shoe in The Dip—just thinking about that scene haunts my dreams.

1) Pulp Fiction

Quentin Tarantino is a master of dark humor and he showcases that throughout Pulp Fiction, which was only the third movie he directed. This movie is on countless lists as one of the best made movies of the past 25 years. In the years since it's release it has served as inspiration, been parodied, helped revitalize the career of John Travolta and made Samuel L. Jackson a household name. The story tells several different narratives, jumping back and forth in time, weaving in and out of the city in a wonderfully bloody and violent fashion. If nothing else, the movie inspires a trip to France to get a Royale with cheese.

Next week I’ll be allowed to talk about La La Land. Until then, stay safe out there.

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Top 5 Movies of 2016

Your Freshman Philosophy Course - In Space

Passengers Reviewed

Lower Expectations You Must

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Reviewed

Chicken On A Stick

La La Land Reviewed

Top 5 L.A. Movies

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