2017 Movie Challenge Entry 1: The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

I had a High School friend who offered a challenge to his Facebook friends (I am privileged to be one of them) to watch 30 movies that fit into the categories he outlined here.

I'm going to try and not double up categories (i.e. one film that qualifies for multiple items on the list), but we will see what the year holds.

This movie qualifies for category #23: A favorite of a filmmaker you like. Apparently the critics at the Toronto International Film Festival saw La La Land for the first time (one of my favorite films of the year) remarked that the film is remarkably similar to The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. Before they could ask director Damian Chuzelle any questions about it, he said that Cherbourg is his favorite film of all time. As a result of his admission, I have had a burning desire to see it.  So I logged onto the public library and reserved it.

I'm really glad I watched it, especially before a second viewing of La La Land.  Cherbourg is a musical with no dancing. And when I say musical, I mean there's absolutely no non-sung dialogue in the whole movie.  This doesn't detract, however it was surprising; I didn't expect it to be that kind of musical.  Also there's no dancing.

The film is so beautifully shot. My wife and I were taken aback at how amazing some of the cinematography was. Here is a showcase of the shots that impressed me the most:

 

Probably the most striking thing about it (and the most insightful when watching La La Land a second time) was its use of color. All the primary colors represented different people and different situations. You will have to watch it to get what I mean, but if you do I really recommend paying close attention to the colors that the characters are wearing and what colors are in the background. The choices are very deliberate. 

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. 

Review: The Theory of Everything

This film is getting a lot of Oscar buzz, so I thought it would be worthwhile to check it out.  And it was, but I give the film an overall negative score.

THE GOOD
The acting is exquisite in this movie.  Both the actors who play Stephen and Jane Hawking deserve some accolades for their performances.   Both are revelations from mostly unknown entities (and Felicity Jones, who portrays Jane, is breathtakingly beautiful in this film).  In fact, there wasn't a bad performance in the whole film.

As with much of British-originated cinema these days, it was very beautifully shot.  It was also pretty well directed.  Its pace is great and is fairly compelling.

THE BAD
This story is remarkably sugarcoated.  Like many men with an abnormally high IQ, Stephen Hawking is a jerk in real life (think Sheldon Cooper).  This film portrays him as a 'lovable scientist' whose only sin was being too brilliant.  It sets the blame of his divorce almost solely on his wife and never takes into account of how difficult he is to live with.  It's unfair and uncalled for.

It also treats the eventual divorce and infidelity as inevitable.  This is a false narrative, especially when both were so talented and smart.

CONCLUSION
Although spectacularly acted and beautifully shot, this film is a whitewash that does a disservice to all who watch it.  It deifies a man that doesn't deserve deification.  Hawking is brilliant man, but doesn't deserve a candy-coated biopic.  2.5/5 Disco Balls.

PARENTS GUIDE
There is no nudity and very little adult language.  However, there is implied infidelity that I think would be wisely avoided.

Review: The Hunger Games, Mockingjay Part 1

I'm in the minority of film critics in that I think that the trend of splitting the last book of a Young Adult Novel series into two movies is quite fine.  It worked REALLY well for Harry Potter; it gave the story room to breathe in a way that the other films didn't.  However, I was a little hesitant in jumping on board with the splitting of the last Hunger Games installment into two movies.  The book is easily the worst of the 3, so I naturally questioned the studio's decision to split it.  I thought the first film was pretty good, although not as polished or as compelling as the second one, Catching Fire. 

THE GOOD
First off, Jennifer Lawrence continues to prove herself as a force to be reckoned with.  Her performance is so good and I thank my lucky stars that they casted her back when she was relatively unknown.  I was genuinely and pleasently surprised with Liam Hemsworth's performance as Gale.  I felt his earlier portrayals were little more than eye candy, but here he proves that he can give a fairly moving performance.  In fact, there weren't really any bad performances in the whole movie, with one exception, which will be discussed on 'THE BAD' section.

The propaganda scenes in the film are 10 times more compelling than they were in the book.  I was sincerely moved and inspired by the speeches.  This was very unexpected for me, and it brought the film to a whole different level. 

The musical score was VERY good as well. 

The set design and overall look of the film is a big win too.  I really felt immersed in District 13. 

THE BAD
The film ended in a weird place, and I honestly don't know where they are going to go from here.  It's a huge divergent from the book. 

The portrayal of Prim feels a bit forced.  It's not way distracting, but I definitely felt like her lines were there just to move the plot forward. 

CONCLUSION
I REALLY liked this film.  It was dramatically better than its source material and was even thoroughly compelling.  It threw around some great ideas like having to make ethical compromises even when you're on the side of good.  I really recommend it.  4.5/5 Disco Balls

PARENTS GUIDE
This film has some disturbing things happen, but all of them off camera.  You don't actually SEE any blood or violence, with exception of some bones.  There's no sex and no profanity.  I almost think they could have gotten away with a PG rating with this one, although I'm glad they didn't.  

First thoughts on Interstellar

I saw Interstellar yesterday.  It was an intense experience to say the least.  It was my most anticipated film of the year. I'm just going to jot down some thoughts.  Unfortunately this movie can't really be discussed without including SPOILERS. So I apologize in advance if you choose to read this without first having seen the film. 

• There are TONS of allusions to Stanley Kubrick and in particular his film 2001: A Space Odyssy. 
• The most obvious is the themes of both films: both of them deal with the evolution/progression of humanity into more or less Gods. 
• Both films have obelisks play an important role in the evolution of mankind.  I really don't think it was any kind of accident that Nolan chose the shape of a monolith for his robots. More of the robots later. 
• The idea that the moon landings were faked is a very prominent conspiracy theory. And among the true believers it is widely believed that Kubrick was the one who filmed the fake landings. 
• There is a lot of Christian/Mormon theological symbolism here.  I doubt the Mormon bits were intentional, but who knows. 
• The main character represents both Adam and Jesus Christ.  He sacrifices himself to save humanity and is 'resurrected.'  He also is considered to be the individual who 'prepares' the world with his Eve, Anne Hathaway.  
• The film is obviously a paradox: mankind couldn't have been saved without his future self, and his future self couldn't have existed without his previous self.  
• I inferred that we become progress into Godhood when we as a people understand the 5th dimension. Early Christians called this process 'Deification' and it is something that Mormons believe today.  And without Coop' (or Christ) it wouldn't be possible. I definitely took away the message that 'We Are God collectively.' 
• Matt Damon represents Lucifer and his world represents the Garden of Eden.  Damon will do anything to destroy humanity for his own selfish reasons.  He also wants the pull down the only remaining humans to his level.  Misery loves companny.
• I certainly hope Matt Damon at least gets nominated for his performance in this film in the Best Supporting Actor category.  It was his best performance ever, with his part in Hereafter. 
• Christopher Nolan is well known for his mastery of marrying high-brow cinema with the pleasing of the masses.  He usually makes his films as smart as they are entertaining, earning both critical and box office acclaim.  However, with Interstellar, I think he focused too much on the symbolism and not enough on making an entertaining film that the masses can consume.  
• This is a film that falls into the category of 'the trailer is vastly better than the movie.' 
• Technology is demonized at the beginning of the film, but it is technology that saves them in the form of the Matt Damon-voiced robot that provides the data to save humanity. 

A bunch of recent reviews

Sorry it's been so long since I've written. I quit the Red Carpet Refs because it was taking so much time away from my already limited time with my family.  We are still in survival mode even though Penelope, our third child, is 7 months old.  I will basically just do a paragraph or two for each film until I feel a bit better situated.

Guardians of the Galaxy
I adored this film, although I wouldn't call it perfect.  The opening sequence felt so out of place for me and its emotional full-circle at the end didn't land very well for me.  With that being said, it's easily the funniest film I've seen all year.  It was very ambitious and it paid off for the audience and for Marvel.  Rocket Racoon is my absolute favorite character in the film.  4.5/5 Disco Balls.

The Maze Runner
I found this film to be among the most suspenseful films I've ever seen.  It was a very compelling story that was reasonably well acted.  Its biggest problem was that it didn't give the audience any room to breathe.  Its onslaught of suspense was so constant and with no release that I almost had a panic attack. Someone who has an anxiety disorder probably should avoid this film.  3.5/5 Disco Balls. 

The Boxtrolls
I was pretty excited for this movie, it being a release from the same studio that did ParaNorman.  The emotional core of the film wasn't as strong as its immediate predecessor, but it was still good.  I found it to be so remarkably filled with subtext and symbolism. I saw it as a strong analogy of Hitler and the Jews.  I also found A LOT of Marxist Theory in it.  4/5 Disco Balls.

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
I found this movie to be pretty endearing.  It was very clean and had a wonderful message about family.  It was pretty funny and is a shockingly short film.  I recommend it to pretty much everyone.  3.5/5 Disco Balls.

St. Vincent
I really dug this film, although it was difficult to watch for me.  Bill Murray's character is one of a whole slew of characters that have a hard shell on the outside, but turn out to have soft hearts.  I think the thesis of the film is that all people are good on the inside, which is something i tend to agree with. Bill Murray's performance is absolutely brilliant and I certainly hope he gets at least some consideration for the Best Actor Academy Award. 4/5 Disco Balls.

The Book of Life
I REALLY dug this movie! It was ambitious and it got a lot of points for that in my book.  I just adored it.  It was really spiritual, really funny, and really touching.  I loved the music too.  4.5/5 Disco Balls.

Big Hero 6
I had hoped that this movie would have risen to the level of Wreck-it Ralph, but alas, it did not.  The actual animation was easily the best I've ever seen.  It was quite funny and had some fairly well fleshed out characters.  However, it was kind of derivative in that it seemed to blatantly copy some other Marvel films like Iron Man and The Avengers. 3.5/5 Disco Balls. (Although I do think that this score will go up once I end up seeing it again)

Review: Guardians of the Galaxy

Expectations
Anyone who knows me knows that after Christopher Nolan's upcoming space epic, Interstellar, Guardians of the Galaxy (or GOTG for short) is at the top of my most anticipated films of the year.  So my expectations were sky-high.  And I was very much NOT disappointed. 

The Good
First of all, this is easily the funniest of any of the Marvel films.  I haven't laughed this much in a long time.  It is perhaps the funniest film of the year, although The Lego Movie gives it a run for its money.  The jokes are pretty clean too, for the most part.  

The characters are SO GOOD.  They are easily the most unique and fleshed out characters in any comic book film, with a possible exception of The Avengers being better (but only because we knew each of those characters better going into the film).  Chris Pratt is going to be a star.  I predict that he will play Indian Jones one day.  Bradley Cooper brought Rocket Raccoon to life in a way that no one else could have.  Rocket is the best non-human character that has ever graced the silver screen, with Vin Diesel's Groot a close second.  (I was asked if Caesar from Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was better, and he was close, but no Rocket).  Dave Bautista's Drax is amazing too. 

This is the most beautiful and unique of any of the Marvel films.  It's a joy to watch as they end up in so many different places.  It really is the best Star Wars film since Return of the Jedi. 

Another real strength that this film has is in its pacing (and no, I'm not referring to Lee Pace who plays Ronan the Accuser).  It goes a mile-a-minute and yet still gives room to breathe.  Never a dull moment. 

The Not So Good
I was taken by surprise with the beginning.  It started out with an old 70's tune which made me think that it was going to be a funny scene.  However, it turned out to be a deadly serious moment (literally) and I didn't know how to feel about it. 

Also, although the climax was cool, it felt a bit forced.  I think with a second viewing it will settle a bit. 

Conclusion
Guardians of the Galaxy is a really fun ride.  It's so clever and well-scripted, with fleshed out and interesting characters.  I can't put it above The Avengers as the best Marvel movie of all time as many of my friends have, yet I have to admit that it's up there.  This is one not to be missed in the theater. 

Parents Guide
There is very little swearing, although there is a middle finger that shows up for a minute.  Also, there are a few innuendos that will go over the heads of many, but they are there.

30 Day Movie Challenge: My favorite actor/actress

This was a difficult one, because there are many actors and actresses that I admire greatly and enjoy their performances immensely.  However, there are some that rise above the rest, and in particularly, Emily Blunt. 

The world was introduced to Miss Blunt in 2006 when she was in The Devil Wears Prada, and she later parodied that role with her cameo is The Muppets.  Here are my favorite films that she's in:

• The Adjustment Bureau
• Charlie Wilson's War
• Salmon Fishing in Yemen 
• Looper
• Edge of Tomorrow

 As far as I'm concerned, every thing she touches turns to gold.  She is so good to watch in any role.  I was very delighted to hear that she is playing the Baker's Wife in Disney's upcoming cinematic adaptation of Stephen Sodheim's Into The Woods.  

30 Day Movie Challenge: movie I can dance to

Good dance films, especially in the modern age, are really hard to come by.  The Step Up franchise has great dancing, but the plot and the acting are just terrible.  So for this choice, I had to go back quite a few years. 

Singin' in the Rain is the oldest film on my Top 20 Films of All Time list, and it is easily my favorite dance film. I can watch it over and over again, and NEVER get sick of watching the dancing in this film.  I like almost every dance number in the film, with 'Moses Supposes,' 'Good Morning,' and of course the title number.  Some people prefer to watch Fred Astaire dance to Gene Kelly, but I think these people are smoking crack.  Gene Kelly makes dancing look easy, which is essentially what a good artist should do. 

As with most of the films I'm going to be including in this countdown, if you haven't watch this film, you are missing out and I highly recommend you remedy the situation.  My children even will sit and watch the whole movie in one sitting!  That's how good it is. It's my favorite musical of all time, and very much my favorite dance film of all time.  I dare you to watch the video below and not smile.  Also note that both dancers are doing the exact same steps, but Gene Kelly makes it look much easier.  The man is the best dancer in film, IMO.

Fun Fact: the main character Debbie Reynolds is actually the mother of Princess Leia (Carrie Fischer). 

30 Day Movie Challenge Day 8: a movie I know by heart

Most people think that this spot should be held by a film like Princess Bride or some Disney film from when I was a child.  Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your point of view) none of these films take the the top spot. 

The movie I have watched the most and the one I find to be the most quotable is Hot Shots! Part Deux. I suppose this choice is fitting for Canada Day, being that the title chooses the the French numeral.  My friends and I in high school watched this film more than any other.  I have probably seen it 30 times.  I just watched it again with my wife the other night.  I find it to be perfect comedy and consider it to be the funniest film of all time.  I know every line and every joke before its coming and love to endlessly quote it.  I still send random texts or write on a friend's wall on Facebook with quotes from this comedic masterpiece.  If you haven't seen it, I can't recommend it enough, ESPECIALLY if you like Airplane! type of humor.

Guest Post: Why I Didn't Like 'How To Train Your Dragon 2' by Zany Zach

From Disco Dan: I haven't posted a review of HTTYD2, mostly because I was speechless. The film exceeded all my expectations thoroughly.  However, I sent one of my best friends to see it with his family and here is his review.  He is a very accomplished actor and an honorary Scot.

 Why I Didn't Like How To Train Your Dragon 2 by Zany Zach

 

Okay, before I begin, I should qualify everything I say with two caveats:

1. I did not see the first "How To Train Your Dragon" (although I have it on good authority that it was not necessarily a prerequisite for understanding the sequel that I saw today). 

Likewise, I have never read any of the books that the movies are based on.

2. I am not an experienced film critic. 

I am, however, a published author/historian, and something of an expert on both Celtic and Norse history and culture. Hence my disdain for this particular film.

With that out of the way, I will explain my issues with this film, which initially spawned from my confusion as to why the majority of the adult characters portrayed in this film spoke in distinct Scottish dialects, even though it is clearly implied that the story of the film takes place in Scandinavia.

A quick Google search revealed that the first "How to Train Your Dragon" film cast Gerard Butler (a native of Scotland) as one of the leading roles in the film, early on in the first film's production. This information stated that the casting directors and producers decided that Mr. Butler's natural Scottish accent might fit well with the character he was playing in the movie, and that he should keep it, despite the fact that the film takes place in Scandinavia, and not Scotland. This exception was taken a step too far when it was decided toward the end of the casting process to cast Craig Ferguson (another native of Scotland) in another leading role in the film, who was also encouraged to use his own natural Scottish accent for his character portrayal. 

It was at this point that producers and directors decided that the entire adult generation of the small community in which the film takes place should also speak in Scottish dialects, so as to portray as senses of homogenization amongst eachother, as well as with the two characters played by Butler and Ferguson. 

There are several theories as to to why a Scottish dialect was not only overlooked, but encouraged for this particular film, even when the setting of the film should dictate otherwise. The first theory is that ancient Celtic and Norse culture and mythology have a lot of crossover and intertwining. While there is some truth to the statement, in that there were several Viking settlements and integrations in the far northern islands of Scotland during the time of the Vikings, there was not enough cultural integration to postulate that actual Vikings would've spoken Gaelic, let alone spoken in Scottish dialect (a derivative of Gaelic). As a matter of fact, there is more historical evidence that Northern Scots of that time would have spoken Norse or with Norse accents, rather than the other way around. 

Another working theory for this oversight, is simply that the Scottish dialect is more palatable to certain audiences, particularly those expected for this film. It's argued that precedents for this line of thinking were set by films such as Braveheart (which made Scottish dialect, and culture, extremely popular), or films like Shrek, wherein the actor (in this case played by Canadian actor Michael Myers) chose a Scottish dialect simply because he thought it fit the nature of the character he was portraying, not because the character actually hailed from anywhere in Scotland. In the case of Shrek, the use of dialect to match a character is far more excusable, again because the film itself does not take place in any specific geographical or cultural location. This is not the case with either of the "How to Train Your Dragon" films, which clearly portrays a specific geographic location (namely Scandinavia) both by displaying landscapes that have a distinct Norwegian feel about them, and then even more so by referring to the human characters in the film as "Vikings" - a term associated with a group of people at a specific place in a specific time period.

If in fact the Scottish dialect for this film was decided upon simply because of the popularity of the Scottish dialect as a whole, I am both offended and saddened. I have seen many films in the past 20 years that should have been wonderful, but instead completely missed the mark because directors and producers decided it would be a good idea (for example) that 19th-century French peasants should speak like Cockney Londoners, in order to convey a sense of poverty and streetlife in a non-US/Western European nation. I'm certain that the powers-that-be decided to go this route because they decided that American audiences are too uncultured to enjoy a movie with French accents, or (what's worse) these same powers decided that American audiences were too ignorant to know that the film takes place in a country other than the United States. Both are unacceptable motivations for these decisions, and the assumed ignorance that American audiences possess will only be further exacerbated with such a historical/cultural inaccuracies in film.

I will say that the "Dragon 2" film wasn't a total loss. The animation was beautifully executed and artistically pleasing. The voice actors did a fine job, and I found the plot of the film to be perfectly adequate for the genre and the intended audience. The part in the film with the traditional Viking funeral was not only touching and beautiful, but surprisingly accurate from a historical perspective, considering that there were so many other historical errors in the rest of the film. In fact it's paradoxes like that that lead me to believe that the filmmakers knew what they were doing when they made a Viking film, and blatantly decided to mix up cultures anyway, just for cheap entertainment value. 

I see two easy fixes for this film, which would have enabled me to enjoy it thoroughly:

1. Change the Scottish dialects to Norse dialects. The Disney movie "Frozen" used a small amount of Norse dialect for a film that also took place in Scandinavia. It worked beautifully and audiences loved it.

2. Change the Scottish dialects to American dialects. The younger generation portrayed in "Dragon 2" all spoke with an American dialect, which was completely acceptable, since the movie was designed for an American audience. Again, it was the juxtaposition of mixing American dialects with Scottish dialects, that made the absence of a Norse dialect anywhere in the film, feel so blatant and uncomfortable for me.

As an actor myself, I have come to realize the importance of using dialect in character portrayal. As a matter fact, I have used both Scottish and Norse dialects in a professional capacity, for various shows. Admittedly, I'm sure this experience is partially responsible for the personal disdain that I had with this particular film, but nevertheless I feel my argument is valid for movie audiences who know about dialect, as well as those who don't.

Overall, the historical and cultural inaccuracies were too much for me to ignore, in order get lost in the film's better qualities. I'm well aware of the fact that I'm probably in the minority when it comes to the intended audience for this film. However, that leads me to strongly believe that Hollywood has an even greater responsibility to maintain cultural and historical accuracy so that children  and uninformed adults can come away from this film with the newly acquired base of knowledge, whilst being entertained. In my opinion, there is a gigantic difference between artistic license and flat-out falsehoods, and this film was on the wrong side of that line. Entertainment does not necessarily have to be educational, but if it is in danger of simultaneously educating while it entertains, filmmakers have a duty to ensure that it educates properly.