REVIEW: Interstellar: The IMAX Experience

MOVIE
Interstellar

CAST
Matthew McCounaughey,
Anne Hathaway

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
November 5, 2014
(70mm IMAX)

DIRECTOR
Christopher Nolan

STUDIO(S)
Paramount Pictures,
Warner Bros. Pictures

RUNNING TIME
2 hours 45 minutes






STARS
****









REVIEW:

Last year, director Alfonso Cuaron took audiences into space with the 3D technical achievement "Gravity."  This year, "Inception" director Christopher Nolan has not only taken us into space in his new film "Interstellar," but into wormholes, distant galaxies, and different planets as well.  Along for the ride with the audience is Matthew McConaughey's Cooper, a farmer who has volunteered to travel into the vast abyss of space to find a new planet for the humans to live on in order to keep the human species alive.  For those who don't know, Nolan shot about an hour of this 165 minute movie with IMAX cameras, meaning that it would fill up the entire IMAX screen should people choose to see it in that format.  I personally waited over a month so I could have my first viewing of this film be on a 5 story high IMAX dome showing the film in 70mm IMAX film, the most ideal quality out there to see the film in.  Having seen a lot of movies this year, I will happily say that my experience with "Interstellar" is one of the more memorable ones I've had this year.  Not to mention, this is one of the best films of the year, period.

The first thing that I need to talk about is how original and intelligent the concept and the script are.  I've seen people complain about the script being poorly written and not making much sense, but that didn't apply to me here.  Aside from a couple of moments, I pretty much understood everything that was going on here.  This film wasn't meant to be a mind-bender ala "Inception," rather it was simply trying to capture the struggle that a group of humans face when they are given the task to save the human race.  And to think that it plays with your expectations and manages to play with your emotions at the same time is also something pretty rare and cool to find in a big Hollywood film like this.  So for that, I give props to both Christopher and Jonathan Nolan for thinking outside the box and, for the most part, writing an original, intelligent, and even realistic space thriller.

Christopher Nolan's direction has never been stronger, in my personal opinion.  From the intense and spectacular scenes taking place on different planets and within some mind-blowing visual effects to the intimate and emotional scenes both on Earth and within the confines of a spaceship, Nolan knows how to bring the best performances out of his actors and tell a story that is well-told and really fascinating.  I loved Nolan's use of IMAX footage here, as seeing this on a 5-story high, 70 feet wide dome really added to my experience personally.  There are some sequences shot with IMAX cameras, done by cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, that honestly made my jaw drop in amazement.  Even if you don't like the film as a whole, it's hard to deny how amazing the film looks with its visuals.  In fact, another impressive thing done in this film is that there are a decent amount of effects done practically, with only the necessary effects done digitally.  The visuals in this movie were like that extra icing on the cake to the impressive narrative and great acting present thanks to Nolan's direction.

I am one of those people who thinks that Matthew McConaughey didn't deserve his Oscar win for "Dallas Buyers Club" earlier in the year.  In fact, I believe that Leonardo DiCaprio should have won for "The Wolf of Wall Street."  Having said that, I'm pretty surprised that McConaughey isn't in the talks for a Best Actor nomination at the 2015 Academy Awards.  Now to be fair, the Best Actor race is extremely crowded as it is, but McConaughey really packs a punch with some of his scenes, particularly one involving a video his daughter sends him during his space journey.  If the race wasn't as packed as it was, I would honestly be rooting for him to get a nomination for his performance here.  Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain are also great here, but again, the acting races are really crowded this year, so sadly it doesn't seem like they'll be in the talks for nominations.  These three, to me, delivered the best performances of the film, and in turn have given three of the most overlooked performances of 2014.

So as you might have seen already, "Interstellar" is not a movie that everyone will enjoy.  People have complained about its run time, the script, and other things of that sort.  Me personally, I have absolutely nothing to complain about.  As a film experience, this is a jaw-droppingly unbelievable achievement in cinema.  It's one of those movies that needs to be seen on the largest screen available in order to have the best experience possible.  Even if you're not able to see this on the big screen, I still feel that the performances, visuals, and emotional punch are enough to enjoy the film as a whole.  This is one of those movies that just reminds me on how amazing, original, and ambitious movies can be if directors and writers chose to do things outside of sequels, reboots, and adaptations all of the time.  I'm not saying that those types of films are bad, as some of my favorite movies this year have been sequels and adaptations, but sometimes it's nice to have an original concept unfold itself for the first time on screen.  "Interstellar" is an ambitious, emotional, visually outstanding, and overall amazing movie that I highly recommend checking out before the year is up.

REVIEW: Foxcatcher

MOVIE
Foxcatcher

CAST
Steve Carell, Channing Tatum

RATING
R

RELEASE
November 14, 2014 (NY/LA)
November 21, 2014 (Expands)

DIRECTOR
Bennett Miller

STUDIO
Sony Pictures Classics

RUNNING TIME
2 hours 14 minutes






STARS
***3/4









REVIEW:

I take it that when you see the names Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, and Mark Ruffalo all associated with the same movie, the first thought that comes to your mind is "that's gonna be funny."  Well in case you haven't even heard of their latest film or the true story behind it, "Foxcatcher" is anything BUT a comedy.  Believe it or not, this is a film, based on the real life murder of Dave Schultz at the hands of millionaire John du Pont, that is meant to be taken seriously.  And aside from the crinkling of popcorn bags and the occasional cough from an audience member, I could practically hear pins drop due to everyone being so captivated by the intensity this film brought in its quiet nature.  Director Bennett Miller is no stranger to films that tell tales based on real life people, as his last two films "Capote" and "Moneyball" all hit it big during their awards seasons.  The same should be expected with this one, as "Foxcatcher" is a brilliant look into the lives of a millionaire slowly driven to insanity and the brothers who are in the passenger's side of the insanity the whole way through.

Without a question, my favorite performance in the film belonged to Steve Carell.  While Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo were great here and deserve all of the praise they've received thus far, Carell just blows them out of the park mainly due to how much he loses himself in the role of John du Pont.  Rather than being loud and hilarious as he usually is, Carell is quiet and a low talker, which makes him all the more menacing and terrifying along with the fantastic prosthetics he's wearing.  When du Pont gets angry at someone like Mark Schultz in the film, he doesn't yell or have a temper tantrum, which just adds to the character's eerie nature.  Not only is this performance a favorite of mine in regards to Carell's already great career, but this is also one of my personal favorite performances of the year.

Bennett Miller's direction here, while slow, is calculated and really well orchestrated. The screenplay by E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman allows for the audience to see the breakdown of a friendship between du Pont and the Schultz brothers, thus adding to the constant tension present in the movie.  These three men allow their visions to mesh so well that it's almost as if we the audience are watching a documentary on the characters in the movie.  The musical score also keeps an eerie vibe alive during the movie as it's barely noticeable and not as extravagant as other scores have been this year.  The one complaint that I have with the film is that when it's slow, it's pretty damn slow.  However, considering how great everything else is in the film, that didn't really bother me as much as it may bother others.

Nothing in "Foxcatcher" is meant to be light-hearted or serve as some type of relief from everything else going on.  From the first scene on, we are on a two hour journey of shock and dread that is both unpredictable and jaw-dropping if you don't know the true story that this film is based on.  The performances are amazing here, the script and direction are well-calculated and great, and the film as a whole feels authentic and makes each of the characters both despicable and empathetic at the same time.  This movie is not meant to put people in a good mood, rather its purpose is to tell a shockingly true story and to showcase the range that the actors, who usually are on the comedic spectrum of things, have here.  "Foxcatcher," thanks to its intensity and slow burning nature, is a film that leaves a lasting impact on the audience long after the credits roll.




PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:

Danny Collins

Selma

Blackhat

Unbroken

Big Eyes

Mr. Turner

MINI-REVIEW: Laggies

MOVIE
Laggies

CAST
Keira Knightley,
Chloë Grace Moretz

RATING
R

RELEASE
October 24, 2014 (NY/LA)

DIRECTOR
Lynn Shelton

STUDIO
A24

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 40 minutes






STARS
***1/4







REVIEW:

Being in my senior year of high school currently, I always wonder how my life is going to be ten years from now when I'm trying to get my life on track.  Hopefully, I won't be in the situation that Keira Knightley's character in "Laggies" is in.  Knightley's character, Megan, is a twenty-something woman who hasn't done much to improve or enhance her life in anyway from her high school self.  She still lives with her high school boyfriend, and her current job involves flipping a marketing sign outside of her father's office.  Megan sees that her life isn't the way she wants it to be, so she escapes her adult life and ends up befriending/staying with a 16 year old girl named Annika and her father Craig.  What follows from there is a predictable and flawed, but well-acted and sweet movie that gets the job done and overall acts in the way that "comfort food" does.

Keira Knightley, Chloë Grace Moretz, and Kaitlyn Dever all deliver delightful, humorous, and even real performances that help to carry the film's rather typical flare.  The movie itself is predictable and features characters, those in particular played by actors such as Mark Webber and Ellie Kemper, that aren't the least bit interesting and, frankly, aren't written that well.  The ending also felt a little abrupt if you ask me, but that's only a minor nitpick I have compared to everything else.  Overall, there was more here that I liked than disliked, so in that regard I'm glad I got to see it. "Laggies" won't change your life in anyway, but it most likely will make you feel good and give you a nice time while watching a film.




PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:

Inherent Vice

Big Eyes

A Most Violent Year

While We're Young

MINI-REVIEW: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

MOVIE
The Hunger Games:
Mockingjay Part 1

CAST
Jennifer Lawrence,
Josh Hutcherson

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
November 21, 2014

DIRECTOR
Francis Lawrence

STUDIO
Lionsgate

RUNNING TIME
2 hours 3 minutes






STARS
****








REVIEW:

After a really good introduction to a series and an even better follow-up, I think it's pretty safe to say that "The Hunger Games" series is as good as it is faithful to the source material.  Needless to say, after "Catching Fire" came out last year I was immediately excited for "Mockingjay."  Then again, I was already excited for it having read all three of the books written so well by Suzanne Collins.  I also happen to enjoy final installments when they're split into two films, a prime example being "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1."  There have been a decent amount of people complaining about how this film merely was just here to set up for the action-packed adventure that "Mockingjay Part 2" is going to be.  Honestly speaking, that's exactly what I was expecting from this movie.  And being the fan of "Mockingjay" that I am, I can happily say that "Part 1" is a satisfying and accurate portrayal of what I believe is a satisfying conclusion for this series.

Jennifer Lawrence keeps on impressing with every movie she's in, and her performance here is no exception.  The same goes for other cast members such as Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, and Liam Hemsworth, who all bring their A-game here.  Julianne Moore is great as President Coin, Donald Sutherland is menacing as ever as President Snow, and it's great to see that the late and great Phillip Seymour Hoffman's talents weren't wasted here.  Looking back on the film as a whole, I have absolutely nothing wrong with it.  The action was well-paced and intense, the political aspect of this impending war between the Capital and District 13 is extremely engaging, and overall the movie is just fantastic.  Some may be turned off at this being "the appetizer before the main course," so to speak, but for me this was a great set up to an even heavier and more emotional finale to a series that I've begun to respect more and more after each film.  At the end of the day, I think "Mockingjay Part 1" isn't just a great sequel and great buildup to a sure to be spectacular conclusion, but I just think it's a great movie in general.

REWIND REVIEW: A Merry Friggin' Christmas

MOVIE
A Merry Friggin' Christmas

CAST
Joel McHale, Robin Williams

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
November 7, 2014

DIRECTOR
Tristram Shapeero

STUDIO
Entertainment One

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 22 minutes






STARS
**







REVIEW:

Alright, before you go any further into this, I want you to take a look at the cast listed on the poster.  Ok, since I'm assuming you looked, isn't that a great cast?  I mean, you have Joel McHale from "Community," Clark Duke from "Hot Tub Time Machine," and the late Robin Williams along with many other talented people present here!  Alright, with a cast as great as that, you would think that the film they're all in would be up to the comedic and talented chops that each one of the ensemble members has, right?  Well unfortunately, you're wrong today.  "A Merry Friggin' Christmas" tells the tale of a man's quest to keep the Christmas spirit alive for his kids after his father failed to do so when he was a kid.  What ensues from there on is 82 minutes of hijinks and craziness that is supposed to expel laughs from the audiences' system.  As someone who isn't necessarily a fan of Christmas movies, I wasn't necessarily expecting anything extraordinary.  However, considering that this was one of Robin Williams' last films, I was hoping for some type of film that would do his career justice and give him a decent send off from the world of film.  What is presented here is a movie that, while harmless, is uninventive, uninteresting, and just stupid overall.

Sure Williams is giving his all here and does a fine job as the grumpy father to Joel McHale's character, but in the end this is just 82 minutes of stuff happening that I, for one, couldn't have cared less about.  Had this film stuck to a focused storyline, maybe delved into the characters' past a little, and put something of an R-rated edge to the jokes and the script, then I honestly think the film could have worked in the way that "Bad Santa" worked.  Unfortunately, this is just another Christmas movie that was made for a quick buck.  Even if you just want to see Robin Williams in a movie one more time, do yourself a favor and wait for the new "Night at the Museum" movie.  Sure it's probably not going to be that great, but I can bet that it will be more entertaining and smarter than this.  "A Merry Friggin' Christmas" is a holiday film that is forgettable, bland, and something that will dissolve into the abyss of other movies that aren't "Home Alone" or "A Christmas Story."