Mr. Holmes and the Consolation of Fiction

Warning: This is a film analysis of the movie Mr. Holmes and will contain complete spoilers. 

Mr. Holmes is a film about an aging Sherlock in self-exile.  His age has brought on a senility that has caused him to forget so many of his cases, and the most important of all, the case that brought on his retirement.  Through a gradual series of revelations we learn that his dedication to deduction, fact, and his own brilliance led to the allowing of a woman to commit suicide.  The 'game,' as he commonly referred to it, was up, for a person's life hung in the balance.

The theme of the film is what Carter Burwell titled the last track of the soundtrack that he composed for the film: the 'Consolation of Fiction.'  Mr. Holmes learns that his facts can and have hurt people, and thereby chooses fiction to console an individual at the end.  However, the theme is explored in other, less direct ways.

From very early on in the film, the audience learns that all of the stories written by Dr. Watson, Sherlock's partner in deduction, were embellished.  How embellished were they?  That question is ever present in audience's mind, for we never really see any bit of brilliance from Sherlock himself until the climax.  Whenever Mr. Holmes does a bit of deduction, there's always an alternative explanation as to how he was able to come to that conclusion.  These explanations could lead the audience to think that maybe the whole Sherlock facade is an embellishment. For example, when the housekeeper's son asks how he knew it was the wife; was it because of a series of small details that he saw?  No.  When a husband came with a case, it always had to do with the wife.  

What if Sherlock Holmes was nothing more than a charlatan?  The smirk he wears in the flashbacks might suggest that. And this deception is almost solidified when he attempts to read the palm of the woman central to the retirement inducing case.  After the ridiculous palm reading she confronts him, letting Sherlock know that she knows who he is and has been leading him on only to confront him.  Could it be that him being exposed as a con man is why he went into retirement?  Yet this ends up as another bluff by the filmmakers.  An attempt to cause confusion as to what is fact or fiction.

Only at the climax do we glimpse that Sherlock Holmes is indeed the master logician that we know from the stories.  He knows exactly what the woman has been up to and that it was all a show for him.  However, as it turns out, she performed her dupe because she knew that the only person in the world who could understand her was the brilliant Mr. Holmes.  And his exposition into her condition and his inability to see the truly dire nature of the situation caused, or at least failed to prevent, her subsequent suicide.

So, Mr. Holmes now hates himself and has chosen self seclusion for the sole purpose of not hurting anyone else.  He saw that he had abused his talents in making his work a game.  At that point he concludes that while fact and truth had once been his greatest allies, they are now his greatest enemies.

Of course this journey that we make with Mr. Holmes is so much more compelling because we are making the discovery with him.  In his old age he has lost this particular life changing memory and spends the better part of the film trying to remember it. 

Thoughts on Robert Zemeckis' THE WALK

Today I saw The Walk, a biographical/narrative film about the fellow that tight-walked between the Twin Towers back in the 70's when they were being built.  It was directed by a master of technical direction, Bob Zemeckis (Back to the Future Trilogy, Forrest Gump, Polar Express, Beowulf, Cast Away, etc.).

It was a little odd to see Joseph Gordon Leavitt do a French accent.  But it only bothered me for like 5 minutes.  He actually does it quite well and you could tell he loved the part.  If the film wasn't so borderline cheesy, I would say that he could be a possible nominee for a Best Actor Oscar.

It was wonderfully directed, ESPECIALLY the last half hour.  The last half hour is the best filmmaking done this whole year, IMO.  It's really odd, because this film absolutely bombed at the box office, which has never really happened to Bob Z.  Outside of Spielberg and James Cameron, he's the most consistent moneymaker in Hollywood, until now.

Ultimately I had a hard time relating to this character.  My conservative nature doesn't let me sympathize with a man who spends years of his life attempting a feat like that.

The narrative structure of this movie really grated on me.  The way the story is told is by JGL's character telling his story while standing on the Statue of Liberty's flame. Yes, you read that right.  The bizarre backdrop makes the film feel cheesy.  The only part the location of the narration actually works is at the end, which I won't spoil.

CONCLUSION
This was an overall great film.  It was gutsy and fun. Highly recommended.

No, I don't think The Force Awakens will beat Jurrassic World on opening weekend

I have been called blasphemous and have been accused of smoking crack because of my prediction that Star Wars won't break the opening weekend record.  Here are a few of my reasons for thinking this.  I am among the biggest Star Wars fans I know, so I hope I'm wrong.

• Although the original trilogy did quite well and A New Hope and Return of the Jedi broke the opening weekend records, a Star Wars film hasn't done that since.  
• The Phantom Menace DID NOT break the opening weekend record (neither did Attack of the Clones or Revenge of the Sith) despite the sheer amount of people buying tickets early and standing in line. It didn't take the crown away from the then current record holder...wait for it....Jurassic Park: The Lost World. If someone had said that Phantom Menace wouldn't take the box office away from The Lost World, they would have been called blasphemous as well. 
• We also have to understand that A New Hope broke records because it had almost no competition in the 'blockbuster' category. It was the 2nd blockbuster EVER, so while it was a great achievement, it should not be considered as precedent in this matter.  
• Generally, millennials don't care about Star Wars.  There are some exceptions, but as Chris Pratt (star of Jurassic World and Guardians of the Galaxy) once said, Jurassic Park was the Star Wars of his (the millennial) generation.  
• I would never have thought that Jurassic World would even come close to beating out The Avengers or even The Dark Knight, but it did.  I highly doubt that Star Wars has more box office potential than Tony Stark and his friends among the crucial demographic of millennials.
•  The film opens in December.  The reason this is important is because films that open in the Holiday season almost NEVER do as well as it would have in the summer.  The classic anecdote to show this is when Pixar renegotiated its deal with Disney: it demanded that its films be released in the summer instead of Thanksgiving so it could get better box office performance.  And their demands paid off, literally. 
• Look at the list below.  You'll see two Star Wars movies, but none in the last 30 years.  
• Star Wars fans are among the most passionate in the world.  However, there is very little evidence that they are more plentiful than Jurassic Park, Avengers, or Batman fans. 

Review Round-up: Summer 2015 Edition

I apologize that I haven't found time to review all the films I've seen over the summer.  Life is crazy with 3 small children and therefore have very little time to myself. 

I will do a short blurb on all the films I haven't touched on yet that were released during the summer.

JURASSIC WORLD
I saw this film twice: once when I was ill and once in IMAX 3D.  The film is a true blockbuster, but never rose to the level that I wanted it to.  Everyone gives great performances, but the script felt a bit dumbed down.  However, it was very suspenseful in a Spielberg-type of way.  And I can't fault the director: it was only his second film, and it's pretty great for an Indy director's second film.  3.5/5

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
This is the breakout film of the summer.  It's the best directed of the year so far and probably the best action film since The Dark Knight.  I can't recommend it to everyone, but I've seen it 3 times and every time is a bit of a rush.  It's pure action storytelling.  4.5/5

FURIOUS 7
My brother-in-law and I have a long standing tradition where we attend the latest Fast & Furious film on its opening weekend.  I differ from my critical colleagues in that I find these movies to be entertaining only in that they should be mocked.  They are absurd and I can't help but laugh out loud at their absurdness.  And this film gets even more absurd than the previous ones.  1/5

INSIDE OUT
This is my favorite film of the summer.  I won't say it's better than Wreck-it Ralph or Toy Story 3, but it's such an amazingly complex little film.  I had tears in my eyes more than once.  It is a masterpiece.  5/5

ANT-MAN
Oddly enough, my initial viewing of this was more enjoyable than Avengers: Age of Ultron.  Where Ultron felt bloated, Ant-Man had time to breathe.  It's not a perfect film by any stretch.  But it was very enjoyable.  4/5

PIXELS
Pixels is the worst film I've seen in a very long time.  I wanted to like it so much, and I even laughed at a few parts.  But, overall I was dumber for having watched it.  If Michelle Monaghan hadn't been in it, I probably would have walked out and requested a refund.  0/5

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: ROGUE NATION
I had a great time at the theater when I saw Rogue Nation.  It was funny and the action was pretty spectacular.  However, I will say that it felt way more like an American James Bond film than a Mission Impossible one.  Also, it's not as well directed as its predecessor.  3.5/5

FANTASTIC FOUR
I didn't despise this movie like many others did.  I could definnitely see the studio's fingerprints all over it.  Also, the first half of the movie felt like a pretty decent scifi flick, whereas the second half felt like a forced superhero film.  There are ridiculous plot holes.  2.5/5

THE MAN FROM UNCLE
A very polished and un-Guy-Ritchie film.  Superbly acted and well shot.  Not only is it a period 60's spy thriller, it also feels like it was shot IN the 60's. Very recommended.  4.5/5

Review of "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl"

Every year there seems to be at least one 'coming-of-age' film to come out of the Sundance Film Festival. I usually look forward to them, because they tend to be right in my wheelhouse. The Way Way Back, which was released two years ago at Sundance, is among my favorite films of recent memory; I can watch it over and over again and cry every time. This year's big 'coming-of-age' flick to come out of Sundance was Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. Both of my best critic friends loved this movie, with one saying that it was easily a frontrunner for Best Picture at the Oscars. While I don't share his sentiment, I did really like it.

THE GOOD

The acting is so spectacular in this movie. Nick Offerman gives probably his most memorable performance outside of playing Ron Swanson on Parks and Recreation. Connie Britton (Nashville, Friday Night Lights) gives an almost unrecognizably quirky performance. And the kid that they got to play Earl, RJ Cyler, is just a revelation. I don't know if it was the superb direction or whether Cyler is actually that good, but it's just a spectacular role.

The Storytelling of this movie is pretty remarkable. The gradual reveals and head fakes build a complexity that I didn't think was possible for a movie about a kid's senior year of high school. The main character, Greg, is the most complex and relatable character of the year. I really relate to him, and Thomas Mann's portrayal of him is just so good. I certainly hope he gets nominated for an Oscar, because it's the best performance and characterization since Ralph in Wreck-it Ralph for me, hands down.

Many people are contrasting this film with The Fault In Our Stars, which makes sense: they are both about teenage cancer patients. I didn't care for Stars and its overly emotional plot devices. Earl feels much more real to me, although I never had cancer or knew anyone who did in high school, so perhaps I'm not the best judge.

I also found this movie to be incredibly funny and refreshingly creative in its plot devices.

THE NOT SO GOOD

I didn't find the abstract camera work to be as accessible as it could have been. My critic friends just ate up the cinematography, but I'm just not as good at following artsy subtext as they are (for example, I didn't care for Birdman, whereas they adored it). I'm sure the art direction had meaning, however I just couldn't see it.

CONCLUSION

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is one of the better movies of the year so far. It's sweetly complex, endearingly quirky, and deeply emotional. I wouldn't recommend it to the average popcorn film-goer, but only to folks who enjoy quirky, Oscar-type films.

4/5 Disco Balls.

PARENTS GUIDE

This movie is a lot dirtier than I expected it to be. Lots of references to girls as 'titties' and way too many masturbation jokes. It also has them accidentally getting high from marijuana cookies.

I raise my glass to James Horner, 1953-2015

Last night I sobbed uncontrollably in mourning for about an hour after hearing the news that James Horner had died. To me, he was the greatest composer of our time. He made the world a better, more beautiful place.

My first introduction into the world of film music was with the movie Braveheart. I was in middle school when I was introduced to it, but that movie moved me so, and it was its music that did it. Horner said that Mel Gibson, the director of Braveheart, gave him free reign without any specific direction. This practice is unheard of, even among frequent collaborators Steven Spielberg and John Williams or Robert Zemeckis and Alan Silvestri. The result of the unbridled collaboration was what I consider to be the greatest film score of all time. I dare you to listen to the End Credits track and not be moved.

Horner and Cameron

Then came freshmen year, 1997. This was a memorable year in cinematic history because it was the release of James Cameron's Titanic, which was unforgettably scored by Horner. This film held the record for biggest box office gross for 12 years, until Cameron's and Horner's next collaboration, Avatar. How much of Titanic's success can be attributed to its score? It's hard to say, but I know that it affected me immensely. I wore out my CD of the soundtrack from listening to it too much and I saw the movie 9 times in the theater.

Like many of his collaborators, Horner got his start working with B movie director, Roger Corman. However, his first big break was with An American Tail, which garnered him his first Oscar nomination. He also scored some other fairly high profile movies of the 80's, such as Krull, Willow, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, The Land Before Time, Cocoon, Aliens, and Field of Dreams.

In the 90's he continued his success with Fievel Goes West, Jumanji, Casper, and many others. In 1995, he garnered critical and Academy fame with Apollo 13 and Braveheart. He didn't win a statue for either (which is one of the greatest blunders in Academy history, IMO), however he did win two Oscars two years later for his work on Titanic.

Ron Howard with Horner

The 2000's saw his remarkably expressive score to Ron Howard's A Beautiful Mind and many others. Most notably, in 2009 he scored Avatar. The two highest grossing films of all time are directed by James Cameron and scored by James Horner. It is very sad to me that he will not be able to score the Avatar sequels.

One gem that I encourage you to listen to that is often overlooked is 2010's The Karate Kid.  The music is deeply moving for me.  

I love music deeply, to the point that I wanted to do it for a living; I even studied music in college for a number of years; and no single person influenced that direction in my life more than James Horner. I 'feel' more because of his work. His music has helped me out of some dark places and helped me feel joy when I thought it wasn't possible. I raise my glass to him. May he rest in peace. I close with a tune from Braveheart that is played during the mourning of William Wallace's father. 

Thoughts on 'Love and Mercy'

In looking at the possible movies that I could see this weekend (I see a movie in the theater every week, almost without exception), I was pleasantly surprised that Love and Mercy, a film that I had been wanting to see, was playing at my local Harkins theater.  This was the only wide release that was in my wheelhouse (Spy and Insidous 3 are NOT my cup of herbal tea).  Also, through pure Serendipity, I was able to sit next to some good friends.  

You have probably not even heard of this movie, so I will post the synopsis and trailer here before posting my thoughts. 

Synopsis: 

In the 1960s, Beach Boys leader Brian Wilson struggles with emerging psychosis as he attempts to craft his avant-garde pop masterpiece. In the 1980s, he is a broken, confused man under the 24-hour watch of shady therapist Dr. Eugene Landy.

And finally, my thoughts:

• This movie SUPERBLY acted.  It's my favorite performances of both Elizabeth Banks and John Cusack.  One of the friends I saw it with (we'll call him N. Cooley...or maybe just Nate C.) thought that Cusack tried too hard, but I disagreed.  Also, Paul Dano delivers an Oscar-worthy performance as a younger Brian Wilson.  
• This film could probably be placed in the category of 'Oscar Bait.'  I doubt it's going to get a strong push by its studio, but it still feels like an Oscar play.  3/5 of the last Best Picture winners were bio-pics, had strong acting, and didn't have wide audience appeal.
• My friends and I were the youngest kids in the theater, probably by at least 10 years.  It looks like it was marketed to the right crowd.  
• About half the movie takes place in the mid-1980s, and as such the clothes worn by Elizabeth Banks were just amazing.  Her massive 80's belt deserved its own headline in the credits.
• The music scenes (i.e. the scenes where Brian and/or the Beach Boys are recording, creating, or performing) are simply magical.  They were the best part of the film.
• The movie got me really curious about the history of the Beach Boys and Brian Wilson.  I had no idea that the Beach Boys were so influential.  I also didn't know that Brian Wilson was such a genius.  
• After seeing it, I came home and read up on his story because the movie left a lot of unanswered questions, IMO.  It turns out that, like most bio-pics, a lot of the plot points were based on conjecture rather than solid fact.  This practice usually doesn't bother me, but the film wasn't good enough to make me not care about its historicity.  Argo, The King's Speech, or The Social Network are all such good movies that it didn't matter to me if they took leaps.
• The movie does raise mental illness awareness, I think, which is a good thing. 
• However, it never rises to be a particular great movie, overall.  It's worth seeing for the music, the acting, and the fascinating history of Brian Wilson, but I wouldn't say rush out and see it.

Overall I gave it 3/5 Disco Balls. 

Parents Guide:

It doesn't have any nudity, but there is one scene where they run around in some bed sheets.  It has LOTS of drug use.  

Spoiler-free Thoughts on TOMORROWLAND

I was able to go on a date with my awesome wife yesterday to a screening of Brad Bird's latest film, Tomorrowland. I can safely say that before the reviews for it were released earlier this week, this film was my most anticipated of the year, outside of Star Wars.  Brad Bird has made some of my favorite films of the last 10 years and has written/directed two out of my top three Pixar films.  The Incredibles and Ratatioulle are cinematic masterpieces, and Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol is an amazing film as well.  So, with that in mind, here are my spoiler-free thoughts of Tomorrowland. 

• This is a very inspiring film. Its message can be pretty powerful and it resonated with me. It made me rethink a few things, which is what a movie like this should do. 
• I liked the acting in this film MUCH more than many of my critical colleagues.  I was very moved by Clooney's performance. Also there is a child actor who plays a character named Athena that does an absolutely stellar job.  She is not in the trailers, but I think that she really adds a lot of depth to the film. 
• The script is REALLY clunky in parts.  Bird does his best with what is there, however there is only so much he can do with Damon Lindelof's story.  
• With that being said about the script, there are some very authentic and moving moments in the film.  
• I think the best way I can describe this movie is that it's like a really good episode of Once Upon a Time or even LOST. It has some amazingly compelling, emotional moments, but the in-between parts are just 'so-so.'  
• The score is pretty good; it sounds very much like John Williams could have written it, which gives me some great hope for the new Star Wars, as it's the same composer (Michael Giacchino). 

I went in with pretty tempered expectations, so I can't say that it was a disappointment.  If I had seen it before I had read the reviews, I certainly would have been.  But I can't say that it isn't a misfire for Bird, especially compared to his other films.  I give it 3.5/5 Disco Balls. 

Thoughts on Avengers: Age of Ultron

Summer movie season has commenced with a bang, as Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron has finally been released here in the USA.  I attended a double feature last night of both Avengers and Ultron and I wanted to jot down a few thoughts.

SPOILER-FREE Thoughts

• It was delightful to watch the first Avengers in the theater again. I love that movie so much and watching it in 3D was a fun experience, although I did use my new 2D conversion glasses part of the time. 
• There were only 40ish people in our theater, so it was a very relaxing event. My friend John and I had an absolute blast and we got prime seats. 
• Age of Ultron was a good and satisfying movie, although I do think there were some significant flaws in it:
• It felt rushed to me. Joss Whedon had a truly Herculean task of putting this many characters on screen together and do a few other things.  I think that Kevin Feige put a lot of constraints and requirements on what he could and could not do in this movie, and I think it shows. 
• The movie could have easily been split into 2 movies and would have had more room to breathe. There really weren't enough breaths for anything to settle in my mind. 
• The acting was fantastic
• The action was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. 

Top 13 Under PG-13 of 2014

It's that time of year to write a top list of films for the year.  I'm a bit late because I wanted to make sure I watched a few films that had potential to make my list.  But, I will say that this year's Oscar season slate (e.g. films that are released near the end of the year in order to catch the eye of Academy voters) has been a huge disappointment.  I've only included two films on my list that are getting serious Oscar consideration.  However, this year's Blockbuster summer slate was amazing, as you will see reflected in my list.  Without further caveat, here is the list.

13. The Book of Life

 This film kind of took me by surprise at how much I adored it.  Its themes are very prescient to me, although I think it tried to simplify a few concepts a little too much.  The animation was so unique and ambitious!  The music was just delightful.  Most of the voice acting was phenomenal, with the exception of the random Ice Cube cameo.  Films that are this ambitious should be applauded and I recommend this film to one and all.

12. Draft Day

It saddens me that more people didn't take this film seriously.  It was directed by the legendary Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters), and I really do think it's among his best work in the last ten years.  I found the storytelling to be so compelling.  I often like films and TV series that delve into the behind-the-scenes bits of a profession, and this one was great to watch.  I've shown it to both my father and my father-in-law and they both loved it as much as I did.

11. St. Vincent

 This film also surprised me.  The first twenty minutes are very difficult to watch, but then it really picks up.  The basic theme of the film is that most people are good-natured, despite making making some terrible choices.  Bill Murray was just spectacular.

10. Godzilla

My initial viewing of this movie was very disappointing.  My complaints were the same as most critical of it: they didn't show enough monsters, the characters were dumb, etc.  However, upon rewatching it I have a new-found love for it.  When I understood what the film was supposed to be and discarded what I expected it to be, I was able to appreciate how fun this movie is.   

9. Into the Woods

I honestly thought this movie would make it higher on the list because of how much I enjoyed it.  It is perfectly cast, with the possible exception of James Cordon.  The music is so spectacular, the acting is pretty amazing, and it is so beautifully shot.  However, I have to compare it to the stage musical that it's based on.  And when doing said comparison, it doesn't have the same emotional impact.  But that doesn't mean you shouldn't watch it! 

8. Lego Movie

I will say that I consider this to be the funniest film of the year.  I laugh so hard every time I watch it.  It has such a sharp script and would have made it further up my list if it weren't for the end: the last 20 minutes didn't gel for me, and I still can't shake it. 

7. Captain America: Winter Soldier

This film has the best action scenes of the year for me.  The sequence on the highway is brilliantly choreographed.  My only problem that I have with the film is, like many other films this year, in a comparison to its predecessor.  The way that Joss Whedon wrote the character of Steve Rogers in The Avengers endeared me to the character (all the characters, actually), whereas I just think that the Russo brothers (they wrote and directed the movie) didn't write him in the same way.

6. Guardians of the Galaxy

I'm certain that many will be shocked that this isn't higher on my list.  I recommend this film to almost anyone I meet.  It's absolutely hilarious, witty, well-acted, and superbly directed.  Rocket Raccoon is the most memorable character of the year for me, and I love the 80's references that make their way into this space opera.  The emotional climax never rose to the level of The Avengers or Iron Man, which is why I can't agree with many of my friends and colleagues and say that this is the 'best' Marvel film to date.

5. Edge of Tomorrow

This was the biggest surprise of the year for me.  I expected it to be terrible, or at best mediocre.  However, I LOVED it!  I've watched it probably 4 times now and like it more with each viewing.  I tried to recommend it to a friend and he said he would only see a film where Tom Cruise dies 100 times because that's how much he hates the actor.  This was obviously a great recommendation for him.  Also, Emily Blunt is brilliant in this.

4. Selma

This is the only movie on the list that is likely to get nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.  It is thoroughly moving and utterly compelling.  It doesn't omit the flaws of Martin Luther King Jr., nor does it deify him, which many other Bio-Pics this last year were guilty of with their subjects.

3. X-Men: Days of Future Past

This is probably my favorite X-Men film to date.  It was a Herculean task for director Bryan Singer to bring two ensemble casts together and make a compelling and very touching story.  The ending of the film is my favorite cherry-on-top sequence this year.  It has a very strong emotional core with amazing acting to boot.

2. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

This movie made me extremely uncomfortable the first time I watched it.  No one told me going in how much of an allegory it is.  It made me reconsider my views on the nature of human beings and whether conflict is truly inevitable in this fallen world of ours.  It is a masterpiece, plain and simple.  If I were to give out a Best Actor of the Year award, it would certainly go to Andy Serkis for his portrayal of Caesar. 

1. How To Train Your Dragon 2

As a huge fan of the first, I was anticipating this film greatly, and it actually exceeded my expectations.  It has a timeless message that mirrors World War II in a love of ways.  It was extremely touching and brought tears to my eyes.  The soundtrack is not as good as the first, and there isn't a scene like the 'Forbidden Friendship' sequence in the first, but it did work on every level and is my favorite film of the year.