REVIEW: Prisoners

MOVIE
Prisoners

CAST
Hugh Jackman,
Jake Gyllenhaal

RATING
R

RELEASE
September 20, 2013

DIRECTOR
Denis Villeneuve

STUDIO
Warner Bros. Pictures

RUNNING TIME
2 hours 33 minutes






STARS
****








REVIEW:

For the first time this year, I walked out of a movie shaking.  Like literally, my hands were still shaking when I was walking out of this film.  Now to be fair, it might have been because it was pretty cold outside when I exited the theater, but still, "Prisoners" is the first movie I've seen in 2013 that has truly shaken me to the core.  This is a film that makes you question how far you would go to find your child if they somehow go missing.  Without spoiling anything, I think it's pretty fair to say that Hugh Jackman's character gets a little out of hand and handles this situation to the extreme.  While Jackman is doing is own thing to find his daughter, along with the daughter of Terrence Howard and Viola Davis' characters, Jake Gyllenhaal's character has devoted himself to finding these two girls as well, and what unfolds is a 2 and a half hour intense thrill ride that grabs you by the horns and never lets go until the credits begin rolling.  "Prisoners" is not a film for soft parents or even soft people in general, so if you're not in that demographic, I'd highly recommend you checking this movie out.

If you thought Hugh Jackman was good in "Les Miserables," then wait until you see him in this movie.    Aside from maybe one or two moments where his character becomes a bit of an over the top, cookoo-for-cocoa-puffs type person, Jackman captivates the screen and gives possibly his most powerful and devoted performance to date.  While you might not agree with some of the things that Jackman's character does as the film progresses, you can still sympathize with him and understand exactly where he's coming from.  In a way, he's like a father Lion trying to protect his cubs by using any means of torture imaginable.  And like a Lion, his character is ferocious, gritty, and even terrifying at times.  As great as Jackman is, though, I believe that the one who stole the show was Jake Gyllenhaal.

Gyllenhaal just continues to further prove just how damn talented he is in this film as Detective Loki.  Loki, while being a tough-as-nails cop, has a good heart and will stop at nothing to find the two little girls and bring them to safety.  Gyllenhaal gives a raw, effective, and all around great performance, and he once again proves that he is one of Hollywood's best actors working today.  Viola Davis, Terrence Howard, and Maria Bello, while good in the film, weren't used a lot and didn't really warrant the star power that the three actors have.  Paul Dano is great as the potential suspect of the kidnapping, and Melissa Leo is also great as Dano's oblivious and concerned aunt.  No bad performance is given in this movie at all, however you'll probably be talking about Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal when exiting the theater.

I give major props to director Denis Villeneuve and writer Aaron Guzikowski for making a gritty, tough as nails, and suspenseful movie that has twists and turns around any corner, almost all of which you will never see coming.  The acting is great, particularly from Jackman and Gyllenhaal, the story is gripping and keeps you invested, and it's just all around a fantastic movie.  Rarely do movies ever have me shaking upon exiting the theater, and "Prisoners" is one of those rare few movies that did just that.  "Prisoners" may just be the single most suspenseful movie of 2013 thus far, and it's highly worth a watch for the performances alone.



PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:

Out of the Furnace

Escape Plan

Lone Survivor

The Wolf of Wall Street

Gravity

Her

REVIEW: Blue Jasmine

MOVIE
Blue Jasmine

CAST
Cate Blanchett, Sally Hawkins

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
July 26, 2013 (NY/LA)

DIRECTOR
Woody Allen

STUDIO
Sony Pictures Classics

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 38 minutes






STARS
***1/2








REVIEW:

After hearing the mixed reviews over last year's "To Rome With Love," I was honestly a little worried that the next Woody Allen film I'd see would be the first bad one I saw.  The trailer for "Blue Jasmine" didn't help its cause either, so I wasn't exactly excited for it.  Having finally seen the film, I gotta say that this wasn't the film I thought I was going to be getting upon entering the theater.  Instead of getting, for lack of a better term, "whimsical," Woody Allen comedy/drama, I got a sad, emotional, and complex drama that delves into the psychologically damaged mind of Cate Blanchett's Jasmine, while jumping between her seemingly glamorous past in Brooklyn and her current state of living with her sister in San Francisco.  All in all, "Blue Jasmine" is a great movie, and not what I was expecting of a Woody Allen movie, considering that the only Woody films I've seen prior to this were "Midnight in Paris" and "Annie Hall."

People everywhere have raved about how great Cate Blanchett is in this film, and to get this right off the bat, she really is THAT great.  Jasmine is the type of character whom you want to root for, but at the same time can't stand and feel pity towards her due to her situation in life.  Blanchett gives off a raw and emotional vibe that can best be described if Samantha or Carrie from "Sex and the City" had a mental breakdown on the show and they moved in with their sister in San Francisco.  In fact, the true genius of this character is the fact that you never know when to either love her, hate her, or pity her, plus the fact that it's fairly easy to put someone you love dearly in the place of Blanchett.  If there was only one saving grace to this film, it would be Blanchett's performance.  Luckily, though, everyone else in the film is quite good and very entertaining to watch.

What I think is so great about the entire cast of the film is that every character is flawed and even unlikable at times.  Sally Hawkins plays Jasmine's sister Ginger, who can't seem to find a boyfriend who isn't a "loser" according to Jasmine.  Hawkins is fragile and innocent, which enhances her character and makes her more sympathetic to the audience.  A lot of the other characters, including Alec Baldwin, Louis C.K., and Michael Stuhlberg, are all despicable characters in their own ways, so I won't go into them that much.  I thought that, other than Blanchett, the two that stole the show were Andrew Dice Clay and Bobby Cannavale.  Both men are involved in Hawkins' love life in some way, and both are funny and really engaging in every scene they were in.  Overall everyone was great in the movie, but Cate Blanchett is what made the movie great.

"Blue Jasmine" isn't so much a dramady as it is a character study, and director/writer Woody Allen pulls that off almost flawlessly.  Aside with some of the characters getting a little annoying at times, some of the dialogue having very little effort put into them, and the film feeling slow at times, "Blue Jasmine" is a great movie with a stellar performance from Cate Blanchett.  Woody Allen further proves why he's still around making movies, and that's because he's able to tell great stories with great characters in them.  It might not be as good as "Midnight In Paris," but it is still definitely worth a watch.  Not much else is there to say, other than the film was well acted and well directed.  And since it's still in theaters after 2 months, there must be a reason for that.





PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:

Prisoners

Captain Phillips


The Secret Life of Walter Mitty


Enough Said

MINI-REVIEW: The Wizard of Oz: An IMAX 3D Experience

MOVIE
The Wizard of Oz

CAST
Judy Garland, Frank Morgan

RATING
G (2D Version)
PG (3D Version)

RELEASE(S)
August 25, 1939 (ORIGINAL)
September 20, 2013 (IMAX 3D)

DIRECTOR
Victor Fleming

STUDIO(S)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer,
Warner Bros. Pictures

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 41 minutes





STARS
****









REVIEW:

To be incredibly honest here, I was never really a fan of "The Wizard of Oz."  It's not that I hated the film, it's just that it never really wowed me like how it's been wowing people for generations.  However, I had the feeling that, like "Raiders of the Lost Ark," the film would be better on the big screen rather than on a small TV.  Sure enough, the film was just that.  I fell in love with this movie all over again, and it felt to me personally like I was seeing it for the first time.  While there are some nitpicky things here and there, this film pretty much is as flawless as a kids movie can get.  Getting to the whole "IMAX 3D Experience," it was actually pretty good.  The film was shown in its original aspect ratio, which caused there to be black sections on the left and on the right on the screen, which was a little disappointing.  The 3D, however, was very good for an old movie.  While the 3D doesn't add anything, however, the film alone is worth going to see on the big screen.  If you haven't seen "The Wizard of Oz" recently, I highly suggest doing so.  It's a sweet, funny, and just overall amazing movie that still stands the test of time even in 2013. 

REVIEW: Battle of the Year 3D

MOVIE
Battle of the Year

CAST
Josh Holloway, Josh Peck

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
September 20, 2013

DIRECTOR
Benson Lee

STUDIO
Screen Gems (Sony)

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 49 minutes








STARS
***









REVIEW:

From looking at the poster for the new film "Battle of the Year," what else is there to expect?  This isn't going to be a compelling, original, and moving Oscar worthy drama, in case you somehow were expecting that.  This is a dancing film, along the lines of the "Step Up" franchise.  However the difference between this and all of the "Step Up" movies is that this actually has some type of substance surprisingly.  It's not trying to be anything more than a simple dance movie that wants your money, but for the most part, "Battle of the Year" is an entertaining movie to say the least.  It's nothing groundbreaking, but it is a fun movie to watch and even make fun of some of the time.

America might be the founding country of B-Boy Dancing, but they are currently the hosts of the worst professional dance teams in the world.  Hip hop mogul Dante wants to bring the trophy back to the States, so he hires former Basketball coach Blake to form the ultimate "dream team" that could hopefully reclaim the trophy that's been absent from American soil for 15 years.  With the help of his assistant Franklyn, Blake starts to form this dream team, but the drama that surrounds certain members of the group might affect the team's chances of heading to the finals and winning it all.  All it takes for America to reclaim the gold is for the team to work together, get along, and give it all they have in order to be the absolute best B-Boy Dancing team in the entire world.

The best thing about the film by far is the dancing sequences.  There aren't as many as one may expect, but when they do hit the screen, they are a lot of fun to watch.  However for a dancing movie, the 3D didn't quite do it for me.  In fact, it was kind of useless and not worth paying for, no matter how cool the dancing might look.  The majority of the film is dialogue and story driven sequences that aren't needed to be in 3D at all.  Having said that, the dialogue and the story weren't as bad as one may expect.  The script and the acting might not be Oscar worthy, but I could easily tell that everyone in this film was trying their best to give a decent performance, and for the most part, everyone succeeded.  Josh Peck and Josh Holloway had some solid chemistry and did good jobs on their own as well.  Chris Brown, like in the horrible movie "Takers," shows that he isn't the worst actor out there, and I actually thought he was one of the best actors in the film.  Everyone else was fine, but not really worth talking about.

I give props to director Benson Lee for taking the true story of American B-Boy dancers, which he actually made a documentary about prior to this movie, and making it an enjoyable piece of entertainment.  Is the movie perfect?  Not at all.  Is it a fun piece of entertainment that's worth a rental or the price of a matinee ticket?  I think so.  The acting is fine, the script is fine, and the story isn't as terrible as one may expect.  The 3D is good, but it's not worth paying a $5 surcharge for.  There are moments in the movie that are laughable and ridiculous, but that sort of enhanced the experience of watching this movie for me.  This is one of those September releases that will be forgotten once 2014 comes around, but for what it is, "Battle of the Year" is a fun dance movie that is a decent way to take a break from life and spend two hours of your day in a movie theater.

REWIND REVIEW: A Haunted House

MOVIE
A Haunted House

CAST
Marlon Waynes,
Essence Atkins

RATING
R

RELEASE
January 11, 2013

DIRECTOR
Michael Tiddes

STUDIO
Open Road Films

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 26 minutes






STARS
**1/2








REVIEW:

In the slew of forgettable films that came out earlier this year, one that was actually a pretty big success was the horror-spoof film "A Haunted House."  This spoof film comes from the Wayans Brothers, aka the guys who brought the world the first two (and only genuinely good) films in the "Scary Movie" franchise, as well as the apparently awful "Dance Flick."  Here is a movie that, like "Scary Movie 5," focuses its main story on making fun of the "Paranormal Activity" series, but actually does it in a way where the humor is genuine and doesn't feel forced exactly.  I mean sure, this movie is no masterpiece by any means.  However it did make me laugh a few times, and I for one had a good time watching it.  It's not for the faint of heart or those looking for an intelligent comedy like "The World's End," but it is a decent way to turn your brain off for 85 minutes or so and just have a good time laughing at the situations these characters get in to.  While not a fantastic and hilarious comedy, "A Haunted House" is a silly, stupid, and fun enough movie that's worth watching when a bunch of friends are over and looking to watch something that requires no work from the brain whatsoever.

REVIEW: Short Term 12

MOVIE
Short Term 12

CAST
Brie Larson, John Gallagher Jr.

RATING
R

RELEASE
August 23, 2013 (LIMITED)

DIRECTOR
Destin Daniel Cretton

STUDIO
Cinedigm

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 37 minutes








STARS
****








REVIEW:

In all honesty, there aren't enough words I could put into this review that explains my love for "Short Term 12." For those, and I assume many of you reading this, wondering "What the hell is "Short Term 12?"", allow me to explain: this is a smaller film that won some big awards at SXSW this past March and is slowly being released by indie company Cinedigm across the country. The main story revolves around a twenty year old named Grace and the experiences she has while working in her job at a foster care facility called "Short Term 12." Here is a movie that just needs to be seen in my honest opinion. This film is filled with gut-wrenching emotion, light-hearted and sweet moments, and a very realistic feel to it that just makes the entire thing perfect. Thanks to the script and direction from first time director Destin Daniel Cretton, along with powerhouse performances from the film's three leads, "Short Term 12" is, in my eyes, the best indie of 2013 thus far.

After showing off some of her talent in films like "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World" and "21 Jump Street," Brie Larson proves herself to be one of Hollywood's best up and coming actresses with her performance as Grace in this movie. Like Charlie in "The Perks of Being A Wallflower" and Pat in "Silver Linings Playbook," Grace gives off the type of likableness, as well as the type of raw and emotional essence of a human that gives you the ability to put yourself in her shoes. I've been trying to restrain from any awards talk recently due to my excessive use of saying it in the past, but here I can't help it: Larson deserves an Oscar nomination for her work in this movie. She steals nearly every scene she's in, and when she shows off her emotional side, it punches you in the heart. Larson's co-stars John Gallagher Jr. and Kaitlyn Dever are just as impressive as well.

Gallagher plays Grace's supportive and laid back boyfriend Mason, and Dever plays a new addition to the Short Term 12 family named Jayden. Mason is the type of guy you would want to be really great friends with, and the way he gets along with these kids is a beautiful thing to watch. Gallagher gives off the same type of vibes that actor Jake Johnson does, in which he's the joking and likable male lead who you, for the most part, are on the side of. Jayden, like Grace, is a very raw and complex character whom you learn more about as the film progresses. Without giving anything away, I'll just say that Grace and Jayden are almost like the same person, yet both give off two different, but equally as emotional performances. Kaitlyn Dever is one of those young faces who I could see going places after this movie, because for a young actress, she is a true treasure as of now. Everyone, particularly the kids, give great performances, but it's Larson, Gallagher, and Dever who you will be thinking about when the credits start rolling.

I give major props to director/screenwriter Destin Daniel Cretton for adapting his short film into a full narrative filled with heart-wrenching moments and very relatable, but also flawed, characters. The story flows with grace and never misses a single beat. The dialogue is moving and sometimes charming and sweet, which help give the film some air to breathe before descending back into the realm of drama. There are twists that happen in the film that, while hinted at throughout, are shocking, sad, and quite unexpected. It's great when a director has a good eye for filmmaking and a good sense of language that helps make a film's script juicy and effective. Cretton may very well be the best indie director to have come along in a very long time.

All in all, "Short Term 12" is an incredible piece of filmmaking. The acting is top-notch, with Brie Larson deserving some serious awards consideration for her work here as Grace. The script and dialogue are fresh, raw, and genuinely real, giving the audience the ability to put themselves in all of the characters' shoes in one way or another. Destin Daniel Cretton is one of those guys who has an understanding of how how the mind of teens and 20-year old adults work when put into certain situations that include abuse and pregnancy. If this movie is playing at any theater near you, please seek it out. "Short Term 12" is a marvel of a movie, and it's without a doubt one of my personal favorites of 2013.


PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:

Salinger

Thanks for Sharing

You Will Be My Son

Inequality For All

MINI-REVIEW: Hell Baby

MOVIE
Hell Baby

CAST
Rob Corddry, Leslie Bibb

RATING
R

RELEASE
July 25, 2013 (VOD)
September 6, 2013 (LIMITED)

DIRECTOR(S)
Robert Ben Garant,
Thomas Lennon

STUDIO
Millenium Entertainment

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 34 minutes






STARS
***








REVIEW:

When a film is entitled "Hell Baby," is there anything else to expect other than a movie involving the devil?  In this case, it is a horror-comedy spoof involving a married couple, Jack and Vanessa, expecting their first child who get involved in supernatural and demonic occurrences happening in their new house.  This married couple is played by Rob Corddry and Leslie Bibb.  While their demonic story is going on, there is a subplot involving two Vatican priests, played hilariously by the film's writer/director duo Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant, who hunt down demonically possessed people and just happen to show up where the newly terrorized married couple is.  Other celebrities that show up include Keegan-Michael Key as Jack and Vanessa's stalker-esque neighbor F'Resnel, as well as "Childens Hospital" star Rob Huebel as one half of a bumbling duo of cops that have also grown kind of attached to the new couple on the street.

While the film isn't exactly a spoof film, it plays out like one.  It relies on visual gags, random things happening, and other things of that nature. For the most part, that's why the movie surprisingly works.  The film definitely has its flaws, including some of the jokes falling flat, a lot of plot devices being taken from other exorcism movies, and the acting sometimes going a little over the top.  But those flaws can be put aside as long as you're along for the ride.  If R-rated horror comedies are your thing, then this is the film for you.  "Hell Baby" isn't the funniest or the best comedy of the year, but it is an entertaining and funny enough one that is worth watching for the most part.