Captain Phillips

Down and Dirty: An edge-of-your seat nail biter that's long, but a good long.

Director: Paul Greengrass

Big Names: Tom Hanks

Big Surprises: Barkhad Abdi and Faysal Ahmed

I just got out of the theaters for this one so my emotions may still be running high... but wow... wow, wow, WOW. This, ladies and gentlemen, is why you go to the movies.

I'm not saying it had high artistic value, and it probably won't win any awards, but once the excitement started it never stopped. Just because there wasn't any "deeper meaning" or thought provoking, enigmatic plot twists doesn't mean that this story was anything less than compelling. The fact that it actually happened is shocking enough, but even if it were a completely original work of fiction Captain Phillips would still be an outstanding film.

The movie progresses at the perfect pace. And, more importantly, it actually moves from one setting to another. This is not your stereotypical hostage film where all of it takes place in one room. As the story develops, the characters develop, and the camera man takes you directly to where you need to be. What I mean is, there is never a time when you're wondering "I wonder how [he/she/they] is doing," or "I wish they would get back to [character name here]'s part of the story, that part is my favorite." Simply put, this is the first 2 1/2 hour (+/-) movie that made me hold in my extra large soda all the way until the credits for a long time. I couldn't avoid the longing for what was going to happen next. There was simply never a time when I thought that I could leave for 3 minutes and not miss out on something important.

I cannot decide what is more impressive, the story or the acting. Because Tom Hanks is just as brilliant as always and the Somali pirate's were outstanding, to my pleasant surprise. I don't know how Hanks keeps doing it, but that man can act out any age, emotion, or cultural background that a human being could possibly have. He really knocked this one out of the park. His character reacted exactly how any of us would have. By the time the last few scenes began, it seemed like Hanks, or Captain Phillips, or Hanks... Ahhh he's so good they were one in the same!! He allowed me to forget he was acting, forget that I was in a theater, and not forget that my palms were sweaty.

Did I mention the pirates were phenomenal? Because the pirates were absolutely phenomenal.

I have to partly accredit this to the script. Thankfully, this film gave the pirates an equal spotlight and room on the center stage. It made them into sympathetic characters, one's that you couldn't help but to care for by mid-way through the film. Barkhad Abdi and Faysal Ahmed played two very different roles--Abdi was the brains of the crew and Ahmed was the heartless enforcer--which added to the realness of the role's in the film. They were individuals too. They had lives and families, reasons for stealing ships, and pasts that had affected their present personalities. You may not have liked that they were holding Tom Fucking Hanks hostage, but you understood why. And, most importantly, Abdi and Ahmed did an amazing job at bringing those characters to life.

If you read this far, then you'd know that I'm considering this one a must see. I am a big fan of suspenseful thriller movies though, so I must also warn that this is by no means a light hearted movie. It was, however, rated PG-13 because the actual violence and course language was not very prevalent. That does not by any means suggest that the content matter was less than serious and anxiety filled.

Gravity

Down and Dirty: If you want to see it, do so in theaters, because this movie would suck on a TV.

Director: Alfonso Cuaron 

Big Names: Sandra Bullock and George Clooney (kinda)

Don't worry, there IS more to this movie than Sandra Bullock breathing heavily and spinning around in Outer Space. 

To be honest, I had absolutely no idea where this movie was going to go. The commercials showed a bunch of bad things happening to Georgey Boy and Bullock, but there had to be some kind of plot, right? Sort of. This movie could just as easily been titled "The Worst Thing That Could Possibly Happen to a Human Being." Because all that happened through out the entirety of this film was a bunch of bad situations going worse. 

Before I continue to blast this script (which, by the way, left my girlfriend and I speechless all the way back to our car--and we couldn't decide wether it was a good speechless or not) I would like to talk about the pros of this movie. It was visually stunning. Like, Oscar and Golden Globe nomination stunning. Alfonso Cuaron is most well known for directing Children of Men, a piece of cinematography gold, and this was certainly fantastic as well. I loved the cinematography and the CGI, and I had no idea that this guy directed another one of my visual favorites, which I would claim is a testament to Cuaron's skill, creativity, and genuine expertise. 

Outer Space looks amazing and so do the space stations. There are no glitches, nothing that stands out at all, especially if you see it in 3D. In fact I'd go as far as to say this is the best 3D movie I've seen. Nothing is in there just for the sake of being in 3D, and the visuals flow so smoothly that they're barely noticeable.

Speaking of 3D.... That reminds me! I spent $14 to watch this damn thing! Not worth $14 dollars to me, but for all the CGI nerds out there: you'll love it.

Back to the script--Clooney probably filmed this movie in like 2 and a half hours. His face is in the movie for 6 or 7 times longer than his full body is and it all adds up to practically nothing. His name is clearly on the cast list to attract middle aged women and people who were hoping for one of those strong acting jobs he can be known for.

As for Bullock, she is the story's central character--who does develop nicely--but I can't help thinking that this would have made a much better book. I don't mean that in the stereotypical "Meh, meh, mehhhhh. The book is always better than the movie. Blah, blah, I'm a cat person," sort of way. I mean that her character's struggle was extremely internal. It's about a person who goes through a psychological, emotional, and somewhat spiritual change that just-so-happens to have occurred during her time above the atmosphere. 

I wanted to know what she was thinking and feel how her thought process worked. I wanted to experience her flashbacks with her. And, most of all, I DON'T want to hear her talk aloud to herself! Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, is cornier to me than a character talking to themselves out loud. Especially when it is unrealistic and forced into the script solely for the sake of the audience. This isn't Shakespeare, people. Asides are not allowed.

Like I said earlier, this is a movie that you must see in theaters (I don't care how good your surround sound system is), but only do so if you have a strong interest in seeing the movie. And most importantly, this review is only my opinion--not Greg's and certainly not yours. It's worth checking out if curiosity is pulling you like gravity (I'm so sorry, I couldn't help it) in that direction.

Don Jon

Down and Dirty: If you can handle graphic material, go see this film.

Director: Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Big Names: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore, Tony Danza

 

Body. Pad. Ride. Family. Church. Boys. Girls. Porn.

Unexpected. That’s the simplest way to debrief you on Don Jon. Joseph Gordon-Levitt hits you with a little misdirection in the movie trailer, as what might appear to be a romantic comedy actually turns out to be a much deeper film with some serious bite. The thinly veiled social commentary on modern media contained within the film is honestly pretty refreshing, albeit a tad out of left field - particularly based on the way this film is marketed. You wouldn’t necessarily expect this type of movie from an actor like Gordon-Levitt who has never been at the center of anything controversial. Perhaps though that is why he tackles the following subject matter with such tenacity.

Gordon-Levitt wrote, directed, and stars in Don Jon as a New Jersey homegrown who only cares about a few things in life: his body, his pad, his ride, his family, his church, his boys, his girls, and his porn. Yup, you read that right. Pornography. But this bold and taboo subject matter (porn addiction) that would throw almost anybody else into fits of uncomfortable turmoil ends up being right in JGL’s wheelhouse. And while I wouldn’t say he knocks it out of the park, he comes about as close as one can while working within the constraints of such a difficult subject matter. The story is that of one typical Jersey guy who comes to realize that his ‘normal’ pornographic viewing isn’t really normal at all and instead is extremely damaging to himself and those around him. JGL tackles the challenging subject in a profound way, treating porn addiction with the same severity that we typically reserve for more ‘acceptable’ addictions like drugs or alcohol. And he does it in a lighthearted fashion. Straight up, this movie is funny and Gordon-Levitt finds a way to bring comedic levity to even the most serious of situations, which is an impressive feat for his directorial debut. But at the heart of it, pornographic addiction is a devastating issue that nobody really wants to discuss despite its growing market in the Internet age and Gordon-Levitt doesn’t mask the problems it causes the way we as a society often try to.

Without giving anything away (NO SPOILERS!), the movie does a solid job of blatantly revealing how badly porn can taint and destroy the true value of sex. And when I say blatant, I mean blatant. Explicit. Upfront. You see a lot of graphic material throughout this film. In most cases it creates an unpleasant voyeuristic feeling in the viewer, but that is by design as it is necessary to understand where the mind of an addict will go at any given moment. There is one sequence in particular where Jon has tried to go cold turkey and quit watching porn altogether, but it is creating unwanted lingering effects. As Jon is having a normal conversation and simply going about his day, pornographic sex scenes flicker on screen spliced between regular scenes. It is disturbing and unwarranted, illustrating to the viewer what its like to be an addict who is bombarded with undesired mental imagery. It is a terrifically haunting feat of cinematography and I give props to the young director for his presentation.

I can’t believe I’ve gotten this far without mentioning Scarlett Johansson, the ultimate sex symbol. She fits the mold well as Jon’s love interest and Jersey hot bod Barbara, but here again Gordon-Levitt throws you for a loop. Whereas Jon is damaged by his porn addiction, Barbara is damaged by her infatuation with unrealistic Hollywood love stories. It’s a much-needed commentary on gender roles and how the media influences our expectations in relationships. And though the film might get preachy at points, it is addressing issues that our community chooses to brush under the rug all too often. What is most interesting is that JGL is using the cinema medium to comment on how the medium itself can negatively affect us. He’s playing Hollywood’s game in hopes of changing the game altogether. He gives us a moment of pure honesty in a conversation that blatantly fabricates fairy tales that distort our perception of realistic expectations.  Simply put, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is tackling taboo issues in the most brazen fashion he knows how – by broadcasting the message in his own movie. It’s a bold strategy but one that, in my opinion, ultimately pays off (Dodgeball reference). If graphic content ain’t no thang to you, go see this movie – or at the very least rent it upon its release.

P.S. Tony Danza absolutely kills it as the Guido dad, hilarious.

Prisoners

Down and Dirty: Go see it

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Big Names: Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Terrence Howard, Melissa Leo

I’ll be direct; this is the most thrilling and terrifying crime movie since David Fincher’s Seven, which came out almost twenty years ago. Do not go see this and expect an uplifting film. This is a hard movie to watch at times and it will challenge your view of what is moral versus what is necessary. Without revealing any spoilers (why read a review that tells you everything you’re about to go see?), the plot unfolds around a kidnapping of two young girls - one belonging to Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) and the other to Franklin Birch (Terrence Howard). These two families struggle to cope with the unfolding search and investigation headed up by the local detective (Jake Gyllenhaal). I hesitate to reveal anything further because there are so many unforeseen developments that it’s better if you don’t have any expectation of what lies ahead. All you need to know is that with a subject matter this dark, these characters will take you to places you don’t want to go.

It’s not just a crime thriller though - this film is downright scary. Not seat-jumping horror like you might expect from a Paranormal Activity or Insidious, but scary in the sense of how terribly real it all feels. At no point in time during my viewing experience did I think to myself “bullshit, no way it goes down like that,” which I often find myself thinking during over the top thrillers and horror flicks. I mean this is genuinely something that could happen and it forces you to think about how you would react in a similar situation. What sort of measures would you take? Who would you trust? How far would you be willing to go?

But I think the most interesting effect this film creates is super high anxiety in the viewer. The extreme level of helplessness I felt alongside some of the main characters was legit nerve racking. If you don’t fare well with movies that make your knees knock, don’t go see this.

From a filmmaking standpoint, Villeneuve gets just about everything right. The acting, the cinematography, and the score all blend together like a terrifying black tar that keeps you glued to your seat. Even when the pacing slows down there is never a dull moment. Instead, the intense dialogue succeeds in drawing you further down the dark rabbit hole of creepiness. Hugh Jackman, in a different role than his typical 'hero' look, outperforms everyone as the devastated father who will do anything to find his daughter; and Jake Gyllenhaal, who I've always been iffy about, does an amazing job as the anything but stereotypical workaholic detective. Another standout is Melissa Leo who makes the most of her limited screen time (I didn’t even recognize it was her until the credits rolled). It’s just a well-put together American cinema debut from this Canadian director. Up until now he has been known as a foreign film specialist, but that is surely about to change. Look for big things to come from Denis Villeneuve in the future.

Now that I’ve gushed about almost every aspect of Prisoners, here’s what you should do:

Go see it! …and tell me what you think!