Review: The Fault in Our Stars

Wow, this movie did amazingly well at the box office this last weekend.  Its budget was only about $6 million and it ended up making $48 million!  For those counting, that's a 800% return, not including marketing expenses (which were almost non-existent, as far as I can tell).  I almost always love to see a film with a small budget do well like this.  And while there are many lessons to be taught to Hollywood by its success, I didn't find the film to be very good. 

The film stars the beautiful Shalene Woodley as a teenager with terminal cancer and her ups and downs in that experience.  She eventually meets a boy that is a cancer survivor and they fall in love, but with unexpected consequences. 

The movie does a lot of things right.  Firstly, it allows Shalene Woodley to wear a breathing machine during the whole movie, basically obscuring her beauty.  A major studio wouldn't have allowed that to happen, IMO.  This willingness to go against convention was pretty refreshing.  I also related to the parents and found their performances, especially the mother, to be amazing.

However, I personally had a few problems with it.  The first problem I had was that I just didn't like the male lead.  His personality just rubbed me the wrong way, and I think this was probably the biggest factor in causing me to not like the film.  And it never got better. 

The other problem I had was that in trying to go against convention it tried to be too self aware which just came across as poppy and hipster to me.  I admit I can't really relate to any of the maincharacters (except for the mother) so its attempts to go against the groove just really didn't work for me the way that it was intended to. 

The Fault in Our Stars was not my kind of movie.  It did some very admirable things and had some great performances, but for me it never rose to the level that I wanted it to.  It must be admitted that I am not the target audience for this.  I think I was only 1 of maybe 4 guys in the sold out theater! 

2.5/5 Disco Balls

Parental Guide
Sexual dialogue and images are very present in this film.  There is a sex scene that I was pretty uncomfortable with.  It's also a really heavy subject matter. 

30 Day Movie Challenge Day 4: a movie that makes me sad

A dear friend in high school named Zach once observed the trait in me that I don't like sad things.  In fact, I tend to avoid sad things like the plague.  He assumed that it was a bad trait, and I think it probably is.  Nonetheless, it's part of me and heavily influences my movie tastes.  I still refuse to see 12 Years a Slave because of this preference.  This makes it hard to choose a sad movie because I usually don't watch them.  That being said, I have a few that I could choose from.

I think that out of all of cinema the film that makes me the most sad it is Ron Howard and Russell Crowe's second collaboration, Cinderella Man. I'm usually a sucker for sappy, true-story sports dramas, but this one really takes its time before any emotional payoff is delivered.  It's not till way past the half-way point of the film that the main character (and us, for that matter) actually catches a break.  Rocky had small triumphs and great character moments, but I don't find any of those in here.  I understand the desire to show how horrible the Great Depression was, however I don't like watching it over and over again.  It feels like torture to me.  We get it: The Great Depression is depressing! 

Review: Edge of Tomorrow

It was said in an article that went viral a few weeks ago that Tom Cruise was the last movie star.  Essentially it argued that he is the last star that his name alone could reliably get butts in the movie theater.  While I disagree that he's the last (Jennifer Lawrence does a FINE job of being a huge box office draw), I do think he is one of the great actors of our time.  He always gives a compelling and charismatic performance.  Many argue that his character is the same in every one of his films, and that's mostly true.  But, as my high school choir teacher would say: if it isn't baroque, don't fix it (Also, if you want to see him in a different performance, watch the VERY family-unfriendly film Tropic Thunder). 

Review
In Edge of Tomorrow, Cruise does it again.  I think he gives his best performance since Knight and Day (if you haven't seen Knight and Day, shame on you).  And then include Emily Blunt as his co-star, and you have a recipe for perfection.  Everything that Blunt touches turns to gold as far as I'm concerned.  In this film she is as amazing as she has ever been.

The script is very well written and marvelously executed.  Many of us thought this film would just be another crap comic-book adaptation like R.I.P.D. or Ghost Rider.  But it turns out that it's one of the smartest and most character driven sci-fi films of the last few years. 

The music score is wonderful as well.  I've been listening to it a lot since returning from the theater and I have to say it's among Christopher Beck's best.  (I was introduced to Beck at a young age via one of the most compelling TV scores of all time, Buffy the Vampire Slayer). 

The only problems that the film has is that there are a few rather large leaps of logic made in the film's ending.  Many critics will say that the film 'falls apart' at that point.  However, I wasn't bothered as much as others, though I did notice them.  The film ends very different from the book it was based on (originally titled All You Need Is Kill) and that is kind of felt.  But, again, it didn't bother me as much as others.

Conclusion
Edge of Tomorrow is a brilliant film that must be experienced in the theater.  It's smart and doesn't treat its audience as dumb.  It's wonderfully acted and the characters are so rich.  I highly recommend this film to anyone who likes Sci-Fi.  4.5/5 Disco Balls

Parents Guide
This film is very violent, although not necessarily very bloody.  A major plot point is that Tom Cruise must live the day over and over again, and in order to reset the day he must die.  It's usually not bloody or gory, but he and his colleagues die A LOT. 

30 Day Movie Challenge Day 3: a movie that makes me happy

There are a lot of films that make me happy, which is why I adore cinema so much.  But if I had to settle on one film that makes me happy, it's probably going to end up My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

I was told that I could get extra credit in my Anthropology 101 class if I watched this film, which I missed while I was on my mission.  I adore movies so I thought it a win-win.  Little did I know how enjoyable the film would be and how it would grow on me over time.  The professor of Anthropology thought that this would be a great intro to clashing cultures.  It's that and more.

This film's story of how it was produced is just as good as the film itself.  Here are the bullet points of the story:

• Nia Vardalos (the star of the film) wrote a one woman play about her experience marrying an non-Greek and performed it in L.A.  (FYI, the bald guy meeting the male lead at the restaurant in the beginning is her real life husband and the experience of marrying him is what inspired the play)  
• The play was quite successful, mostly due to her one-woman marketing machine targeting Greek Orthodox Churches in the valley.  
• She wanted to make a film out of it, but all the producers/executives she approached wanted to make MAJOR changes (they wanted to make the family Hispanic and not Greek, for example)
• Tom Hanks somehow found the script and called Nia about making the film as is (Hanks said that having her star in it made the film very authentic).  His production company, Playtone, financed it. 
• The budget was about $5 million and it went on to gross $368 million, making it one of the best investments EVER with a return of approximately 6150%.

But beyond all this fun trivia, the film is absolutely delightful!  The meeting of two cultures is so much fun and very relatable to me as a Mormon.  I grin from ear to ear every time I watch it.  If you haven't seen it, I own it.  It's a remarkable film. 

30 Day Movie Challenge Day 2: My Least Favorite Movie

I sincerely apologize to all 3 of you who read this that I have not been consistent with this 30 Day Movie Challenge.  I had an emergency dental visit in which they had to pull one of my teeth.  I had to take two days off from almost everything, but I'm back now.

It was a hard decision to choose my least favorite film.  There are many films that I just didn't like, however there aren't many films that I outright hate.  I almost chose Zach Snyder's Sucker Punch, but out of reverence to my friend Kaptain Kevin, I went a different direction.  I ultimately respect what Snyder was trying to do with Sucker Punch, although I think its execution was incoherent to the point of ridicule.

I decided to choose last year's Lee Daniel's The Butler as my most hated film because I hated both the message and the delivery.  I went into it thinking it would be a great piece of historical fiction with some great acting and left seething with hatred for the work.

I don't really like hating on films, so I will keep this short.

The main message of this film is "Vote for Barack Obama."  I mean really.  It ends with him campaigning for Obama.  He decides to leave his respectable job at the White House in order to join meaningless protests.  It also advocates that all Republicans are bad and all Democrats are good.

I was overjoyed that this film was completely snubbed at the Oscars last year.  It was Oscar bait in its lowest form and an utterly contemptible film.  If you want to watch a film that deals with civil rights, watch The Help.  It is much more effective and much more enjoyable.

30 Day Movie Challenge Day 1: Your Favorite Movie

This is a very hard question to answer for me.  Movies are a huge part of my life and so choosing one to be my favorite is akin to me choosing which of my children is my favorite (and no, I don't consider movies to be as important as my children).  After much contemplation I finally decided on The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.  However, there were many runners-up that only missed out on this top distinction by the skin of their teeth.  These include Miracle, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Empire Strikes Back, Back to the Future, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. 

WHY?
'What makes Two Towers surpass these others for me,' you ask?  Well, I'm here to tell you!  Needless to say (but I'm going to say it anyway), I find the film to be perfect.  Each scene is extremely compelling, masterfully and artfully directed, superbly acted, and divinely scored.  As a whole, this movie moves me more than any other. 

FAVORITE SCENES

The above scene is cut a little short from having its full effect, but I love it so! It is one of the most emotionally satisfying scenes in any movie for me.

 The above scene moves me every time I see it.  The camera work, the acting, and the score are so spectacular.

Another extremely moving and satisfying scene.  "Victory! We have victory!"  "When the sun finally shines, it will shine out the clearer."  "There's good in this world!  And it's world fighting for!"

30 Day Movie Challenge

I've decided that it would be fun to do the 30-Day Movie Challenge on this blog.  Basically the Challenge is to give a new movie every day for 30 days based on the following criteria: 

day 01 - your favorite movie

day 02 - your least favorite movie

day 03 - movie that makes you happy 

day 04 - movie that makes you sad

day 05 - movie that reminds you of someone

day 06 - movie that reminds you of somewhere

day 07 - movie that reminds you of a certain event 

day 08 - a movie that you know by heart

day 09 - movie that you can dance to

day 10 - movie that makes you fall asleep 

day 11 - your favorite actor/actress

day 12 - movie from the actor/actress you hate 

day 13 - movie that is a guilty pleasure 

day 14 - movie that no one would expect you to love 

day 15 - movie that describes you 

day 16 - movie that you used to love but now hate 

day 17 - movie that you see often on TV

day 18 - movie that you wish you saw on TV

day 19 - movie from your favorite director

day 20 - movie that you watch when you’re angry 

day 21 - movie that you watch when you’re happy

day 22 - movie that you watch when you’re sad

day 23 - movie that you want to play at your wedding

day 24 - movie that you want to play at your funeral

day 25 - movie that makes you laugh

day 26 - movie that you could direct

day 27 - movie that you wish you could be a director

day 28 - movie that makes you feel guilty

day 29 - movie from your childhood 

day 30 - your favorite movie at this time last year

If you would like to join in, feel free.  Either leave your answer in the comments on this blog, on Google+ or on Facebook.  

I start tomorrow.  Cheers!