Welcome back gang. I'm still going strong and this was a damn good week. The low wasn't even bad, just average. And the best is a new genre classic. So while a review will have to wait for next week, click here to see my review of Taken 3 and other things. So sit back and relax, and read the beautiful words that fell from my fingertips.
Homefront (January 11th, 2015)
Director: Gary Felder
Starring: Jason Statham, James Franco, Winona Ryder, and Kate Bosworth
Sometimes it's the simple things. This is not a complex movie. Awards are not going to be thrown at this movie, and no one will complain that they didn't. Which is fine, because it ain't that kind of movie. It's a throwback actioneer, with a script by Stallone and starring Jason Statham. There's really not much more to be said. Statham plays an ex undercover DEA agent who is now in in hiding in a small southern town with his daughter. He has no drive to do good or to stand out. Just to stay quiet and raise his daughter. But when his daughter gets into a fight with a bully, the bullies mother (Bosworth) sets her middling criminal brother (Franco) on him. But Franco only gets into it when he finds out who Statham is. Trying to use that to move up in the crime world, Franco brings a shit storm down on Statham. The movie is less in the mold of todays super complex and over directed action movies. It's more like a throwback to Walter Hill and the no nonsense action. Straight to the point and low key which is very refreshing. Statham is solid in the role, more warm than he's had to be. Franco doesn't go big and broad as the villain, probably straining himself trying not to ruin the movie with a terrible performance. And the two ladies are surprisingly good slumming it as low down, trashy ladies. The movie is a good little time, a nice throwback that isn't steeped in winking references.
Rating: 9/10
Selma (January 13th, 2014)
Director: Ava DuVernay
Starring: David Oyelowo, Carmen Ejogo, Tom Wilkinson, and Tim Roth
The movie racist assholes didn't want to see. A movie that is shockingly still timely. We see the events that lead to the march in Selma in the 60s, led my Martin Luther King. Showing the blockades of hate from the South, trying to keep things "pure" and how they always are. Dealing with the political strains that LBJ had to deal with, leaving them stranded when the president says he is for Civil Liberties. But more importantly, seeing the strife within the civil rights movement. Each group has different ideas. There's MLK and his group, who do things differently than the group that is based in Selma. They even show a third option, that in Malcolm X, the black boogeyman. Now, this could have been a typical, boring biopic. But the movie isn't interested in black and white morality. This is a movie of grays. Aside from the strife within the black community, there is MLK himself. He believes in the fight. But he is human, so he is afraid. When Malcolm X shows up, he gets angry at the man who talked shit about him. And in a pivotal scene, LBJ calls MLK out for knowing full well that having his people beat by the police on TV is a good publicity move. Showing the humanity in the situation instead of deifying the subjects, it elevates itself. A damn good film that should be seen by all. Except for fans of the words thugs and animals.
Rating: 9/10
A Walk Among The Tombstones (January 14th, 2014)
Director: Scott Frank
Starring: Liam Neeson, Dan Stevens, David Harbour, and Boyd Holbrook
It's nice to see that Liam actually tried to make a good movie in 2014. Sure, he was in the surprisingly entertaining Non Stop, and was a voice in The Lego Movie. But to actually show up to a set that could actually be a legitimately good movie is refreshing. It's been too long since The Grey. Here he plays Matthew Scudder, a retired NYPD detective who is now a PI and is on the wagon. When he is told of a case involving a missing woman and her husband is a drug smuggler, he passes. But when he hears that the husband paid the ransom and was killed anyway, he has no choice but to get involved. What sets this movie apart from other mystery/noirs is that it is brutal. This movie does not pull any punches, giving it a weight and a feeling of anything can happen. Neeson is great in the role, giving the proper amounts of sadness and regret. He's a smart man who has seen too much. Yeah, it's a character type we've seen before. But Liam makes it work. It's good to see he can still deliver, after seeing the abysmal Taken 3. Frank shows a real knack behind the camera here. After the solid if unremarkable The Lookout, he takes a big leap here and makes a small budget shine. This isn't a movie to go for awards. This is based on a pulp novel, and is the cinematic equivalent. But with Neesons performance and a brutal tone by Franks, it elevates a little bit.
Rating: 9/10
Blackhat (January 16th, 2015)
Director: Michael Mann
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Viola Davis, John Ortiz, and Tang Wei
Stay tuned next week for a link to my other site for a review.
Rating: 7.5/10
The Guest (January 17th, 2015)
Director: Adam Wingard
Starring: Dan Stevens, Maika Monroe, Brendan Meyer, and Lance Reddick
I enjoyed the last movie from this writer/director team, You're Next. But I wasn't blown away by it. It had an interesting hook to it, but didn't deliver it perfectly. So I was expecting fun but a bit rough around the edges with this one. Holy shit was I wrong. This is the best movie of the 80s that wasn't made in the 80s. Dan Stevens plays David, a soldier returned home from the middle east. He shows up at the doorstep of the family of a friend from the service. He made a promise to give them a message and he does. But the family invites him into their lives and starts to affect them and help them. Now, this movie is not what it seems. No spoilers or even hints at such will be given here. Just know that this movie takes a turn. And it's great. Wingard makes a big leap in his craft. The visuals are crisper and more confident. The action is shot more than competently, better than most big budget stuff. The script is a lot cleaner too, with almost no dumb character moments like the last one. Yet the real standout here is Stevens, perfectly playing a different version of Captain America essentially. This is a certifiable genre masterpiece and I can't recommend it more with giving things away. It's a great John Carpenter love fest and was made for me.
Rating: 10/10
American Sniper (January 17th, 2015)
Director: Clint Eastwood
Starring: Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller
This is a movie that is getting a lot of heat, and having seen it I don't understand why. I mean, I understand. There's a few reasons. Alot of critics like to be progressive by attacking a movie, based on true events, that it's just a white guy killing brown people. Those same critics don't like Clint after his RNC speech, so they sharpen the knives whenever he has something now. And also, the real guy was kind of a lying dickhead who claimed to have killed Americans during Katrina. So, this movie could have been a masterpiece and still gotten an earful from the higher beings in the critical field. And while not a masterpiece, it is a damn fine military film about a man desperate to help his fellow soldiers, no matter what. Clint manages to stay awake behind the camera, the first time in a while, giving the movie a livelier feel, and the action scenes more punch. The visuals are nice and clean. There's a few instances of rough CGI, but it's minimal. He also doesn't hold back, showing some rough stuff in this. But this movie would be nothing without Cooper. He completely disappears into the role. Physically, he is an imposing man. Big, burly and bearded. Cooper becomes this man. And just emotionally, he conveys the almost simplistic view of Kyle. He does what he does because its right, that's it. He's not a nut, complete gun crazy lunatic. But when he's home, it's almost like he's asleep. Wishing he was back there, saving his boys. And the ones he couldn't save weigh on him. Also good is Miller. Never being a big fan before, she is great. She is the strong, yet still feminine woman that Kyle needs. It's a great performance that gives Kyle a reason to want to go back by the end of the movie. This is a damn fine film and is gonna be given shit due to its Academy Awards nominations. Fuck that noise. See it and judge for yourself. In terms of modern warfare, it's no Lone Survivor, but it gets the job done.
Rating: 9/10
Top Movies
1. The Guest
2. Selma
3. American Sniper
4. Homefront
5. Blackhat
Top 5 Performances
1. Dan Stevens - The Guest
2. Bradley Cooper - American Sniper
3. David Oyelowo - Selma
4. Sienna Miller - American Sniper
5. Jason Statham - Homefront
Top 5 Moments
1. Bar Fight - The Guest
2. LBJ Calls Out MLK - Selma
3. First Kill - American Sniper
4. The Siege - The Guest
5. Firefight Phone Call - American Sniper
Selma (January 13th, 2014)
Director: Ava DuVernay
Starring: David Oyelowo, Carmen Ejogo, Tom Wilkinson, and Tim Roth
The movie racist assholes didn't want to see. A movie that is shockingly still timely. We see the events that lead to the march in Selma in the 60s, led my Martin Luther King. Showing the blockades of hate from the South, trying to keep things "pure" and how they always are. Dealing with the political strains that LBJ had to deal with, leaving them stranded when the president says he is for Civil Liberties. But more importantly, seeing the strife within the civil rights movement. Each group has different ideas. There's MLK and his group, who do things differently than the group that is based in Selma. They even show a third option, that in Malcolm X, the black boogeyman. Now, this could have been a typical, boring biopic. But the movie isn't interested in black and white morality. This is a movie of grays. Aside from the strife within the black community, there is MLK himself. He believes in the fight. But he is human, so he is afraid. When Malcolm X shows up, he gets angry at the man who talked shit about him. And in a pivotal scene, LBJ calls MLK out for knowing full well that having his people beat by the police on TV is a good publicity move. Showing the humanity in the situation instead of deifying the subjects, it elevates itself. A damn good film that should be seen by all. Except for fans of the words thugs and animals.
A Walk Among The Tombstones (January 14th, 2014)
Director: Scott Frank
Starring: Liam Neeson, Dan Stevens, David Harbour, and Boyd Holbrook
It's nice to see that Liam actually tried to make a good movie in 2014. Sure, he was in the surprisingly entertaining Non Stop, and was a voice in The Lego Movie. But to actually show up to a set that could actually be a legitimately good movie is refreshing. It's been too long since The Grey. Here he plays Matthew Scudder, a retired NYPD detective who is now a PI and is on the wagon. When he is told of a case involving a missing woman and her husband is a drug smuggler, he passes. But when he hears that the husband paid the ransom and was killed anyway, he has no choice but to get involved. What sets this movie apart from other mystery/noirs is that it is brutal. This movie does not pull any punches, giving it a weight and a feeling of anything can happen. Neeson is great in the role, giving the proper amounts of sadness and regret. He's a smart man who has seen too much. Yeah, it's a character type we've seen before. But Liam makes it work. It's good to see he can still deliver, after seeing the abysmal Taken 3. Frank shows a real knack behind the camera here. After the solid if unremarkable The Lookout, he takes a big leap here and makes a small budget shine. This isn't a movie to go for awards. This is based on a pulp novel, and is the cinematic equivalent. But with Neesons performance and a brutal tone by Franks, it elevates a little bit.
Blackhat (January 16th, 2015)
Director: Michael Mann
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Viola Davis, John Ortiz, and Tang Wei
Stay tuned next week for a link to my other site for a review.
The Guest (January 17th, 2015)
Director: Adam Wingard
Starring: Dan Stevens, Maika Monroe, Brendan Meyer, and Lance Reddick
I enjoyed the last movie from this writer/director team, You're Next. But I wasn't blown away by it. It had an interesting hook to it, but didn't deliver it perfectly. So I was expecting fun but a bit rough around the edges with this one. Holy shit was I wrong. This is the best movie of the 80s that wasn't made in the 80s. Dan Stevens plays David, a soldier returned home from the middle east. He shows up at the doorstep of the family of a friend from the service. He made a promise to give them a message and he does. But the family invites him into their lives and starts to affect them and help them. Now, this movie is not what it seems. No spoilers or even hints at such will be given here. Just know that this movie takes a turn. And it's great. Wingard makes a big leap in his craft. The visuals are crisper and more confident. The action is shot more than competently, better than most big budget stuff. The script is a lot cleaner too, with almost no dumb character moments like the last one. Yet the real standout here is Stevens, perfectly playing a different version of Captain America essentially. This is a certifiable genre masterpiece and I can't recommend it more with giving things away. It's a great John Carpenter love fest and was made for me.
American Sniper (January 17th, 2015)
Director: Clint Eastwood
Starring: Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller
This is a movie that is getting a lot of heat, and having seen it I don't understand why. I mean, I understand. There's a few reasons. Alot of critics like to be progressive by attacking a movie, based on true events, that it's just a white guy killing brown people. Those same critics don't like Clint after his RNC speech, so they sharpen the knives whenever he has something now. And also, the real guy was kind of a lying dickhead who claimed to have killed Americans during Katrina. So, this movie could have been a masterpiece and still gotten an earful from the higher beings in the critical field. And while not a masterpiece, it is a damn fine military film about a man desperate to help his fellow soldiers, no matter what. Clint manages to stay awake behind the camera, the first time in a while, giving the movie a livelier feel, and the action scenes more punch. The visuals are nice and clean. There's a few instances of rough CGI, but it's minimal. He also doesn't hold back, showing some rough stuff in this. But this movie would be nothing without Cooper. He completely disappears into the role. Physically, he is an imposing man. Big, burly and bearded. Cooper becomes this man. And just emotionally, he conveys the almost simplistic view of Kyle. He does what he does because its right, that's it. He's not a nut, complete gun crazy lunatic. But when he's home, it's almost like he's asleep. Wishing he was back there, saving his boys. And the ones he couldn't save weigh on him. Also good is Miller. Never being a big fan before, she is great. She is the strong, yet still feminine woman that Kyle needs. It's a great performance that gives Kyle a reason to want to go back by the end of the movie. This is a damn fine film and is gonna be given shit due to its Academy Awards nominations. Fuck that noise. See it and judge for yourself. In terms of modern warfare, it's no Lone Survivor, but it gets the job done.
Top Movies
1. The Guest
2. Selma
3. American Sniper
4. Homefront
5. Blackhat
Top 5 Performances
1. Dan Stevens - The Guest
2. Bradley Cooper - American Sniper
3. David Oyelowo - Selma
4. Sienna Miller - American Sniper
5. Jason Statham - Homefront
Top 5 Moments
1. Bar Fight - The Guest
2. LBJ Calls Out MLK - Selma
3. First Kill - American Sniper
4. The Siege - The Guest
5. Firefight Phone Call - American Sniper
- Tom Lorenzo
No comments:
Post a Comment