Sad news was reported today. Legendary actor Leonard Nimoy has passed away at the age of 83. Best know for his role as Spock in Star Trek, Nimoy paved the way for future generations of actors to strive to achieve their dreams and goals. He created an icon in Spock that gave people hope and will never be forgotten. "Live long and prosper" Mr. Spock. You will be missed.
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***GREAT FILM***
Here are a few other films that I have seen and rated. For some of the films, as well as in the future, I will write a brief sentence or so on what I thought. Reviewer: Pat Brennan Dracula Untold (2014) Rating: 1.5/4 Director: Gary Shore Writers: Matt Sazama, Burke Sharpless & Bram Stoker (characters) Cast: Luke Evans, Dominic Cooper, Charles Dance, & Sarah Gordon - This film had the potential to be pretty decent due to the casting early on, but the final product did not end up that way. The acting wasn't bad and was probably the only salvageable part of the film (mainly Charles Dance) but other than that it's easy to overlook. The plot was rushed/did not make any sense and the editing seemed to be done poorly. ——————————————– Love, Rosie (2014) Rating: 3/4 Director: Christian Ditter Writers: Juliette Towhidi (screenplay) & Cecelia Ahern (novel) Cast: Lily Collins & Sam Clafin - I am all for "Rom-coms" if they are done right, meaning that they take the idea of what a romantic comedy is and have an original twist to it or a different style than almost every other romantic comedy. What this film does well is explore the relationship between the two characters and tell the story in a way that made the film flow smoothly. By creating a separation between the two, it allowed the audience to feel both characters' emotions and relationships, as well as made the story feel real and relatable. All in all, a surprisingly good film. ——————————————– Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (2014) Rating: 1.5/4 Director: Miguel Artera Writers: Rob Lieber (screenplay) & Judith Viorst (novel) Cast: Steve Carell, Jennifer Garner, Dylan Minnette, Kerris Dorsey, & Ed Oxenbould ——————————————– The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (2014)
Rating: 3/4 Director: Paul Tibbitt Writers: Glenn Berger & Jonathan Aibel Cast: Antonio Benderas, Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, Clancey Brown, Carolyn Lawerence, Rodger Bumpass, & Mr. Lawerence - What can I say, Spongebob is probably one of my favorite shows of all time. I hadn't really planned on seeing this in the theater but I am actually kind of glad that I did. The only part that I kind of had a problem with was the live-action versions of the characters but that was only a smaller portion of the film. I think that if you like Spongebob, you will certainly enjoy this film. ——————————————– Reviewer: Mike Welsch Rating: 3.5/4 Director: Dan Gilroy Writer: Dan Gilroy Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed, Bill Paxton Have you ever met someone who can hold a completely fluent conversation, argue with sound logic, persuade with witted charm, and yet doesn't seem fully human? Nightcrawler tells the twisted story of a man who exemplifies just that; a being who can obtain whatever it desires, but lacks and often refutes any ethical values that would otherwise block its path to success. As his directorial debut, Nightcrawler demonstrates Gilroy's distinctive skill in illustrating the maniacal progression of a character blinded by his false perception of success. Gyllenhaal plays Lou Bloom, a thief who pilfers whatever is in reach to sell to any willing customer for a profit. To Bloom, profit means success. After witnessing the scene of a car crash and the work of a news-team cameraman, Joe Loder, played by Bill Paxton, Bloom recognizes a profession that combines his proclivity for violence and adrenaline and asks Loder if he is hiring. He is not. Due to his eerily-optimistic nature, Bloom refuses to be discouraged by Loder and acquires a camera and a one-man crew, played by Riz Ahmed, as well as a police scanner purchased at a local pawn shop from the profits of a stolen racing bicycle that Bloom sells during the same transaction. Once taking to the streets, Bloom and his sidekick Rick Carey (Ahmed) race to crime scenes and car crashes to capture the footage to sell to news channels. As their footage becomes the focal point for one particular news channel, Bloom recognizes the inelasticity of his product and uses it as leverage to force a relationship with the channel's news director, Nina Romina, played by Rene Russo. What happens from there intensifies both the content that Bloom seeks to film as well as the audience's understanding of his true moral compass. Gilroy does a fantastic job of creating a character whose entire understanding of the world seems to have been torn from a "Business for Dummies" paperback. If you asked him, Bloom would tell you that there exists a fine-tuned algorithm for successfully brushing your teeth every morning, which in some way would play a pertinent role in your life's achievements. Gyllenhaal brings terrifying life to Bloom with his façade of positivity and transparent demeanor towards other human beings. "A friend is a gift you give yourself." To Bloom, there is no life, there is no death. To Bloom, there is only success and failure, and failure is not an option. This is one of my favorite films of the year. Gyllenhaal is amazing and gives what is, in my opinion, the best performance of his career to date. This is a must-see. Enjoy. With the third season hitting Netflix this Friday February 27, 2015, I thought that now would be a good time to talk about the show that has changed Netflix and also has changed the way production companies think about having their shows on the internet. House of Cards is certainly one of the best shows out there right now and is one of the best shows to ever be created.
Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright play Frank and Claire Underwood, a politician and his wife, who will stop at nothing in order to rise to power, even if that means becoming ruthless and cunning. The show takes place in the heart of Washington D.C. at the center of the U.S. political landscape. Spacey delivers one of his best performances (a Golden Globe winning performance) portraying a southern Democrat in Underwood, who uses his mind to move his way up the ladder of the political world and get stronger and stronger along the way. Both Spacey's and Wright's performances are what draw the viewers in and keep them wanting more and more. After watching two well-crafted and thought out seasons of this hit show, I could not see anybody else in these roles. Spacey has adopted and become one with Underwood and continues to show why he is considered to be one of the greatest actors of our generation. Beau Willimon, one of the creators of the show, creates an environment that shows how dark and inhuman this world can be. The portrayal of the media and the behind the scenes of Washington D.C. almost feels too real to be considered a work of fiction. David Fincher, also a creator and directed the first two episodes as well, brings his film-making style to the show and helps create a strong and dark tone in which he is so well at crafting. Without all of these elements from the creators, directors, writers and of course the excellent acting from Spacey and Wright, this show would not be as popular as it is. It continues season after season to rise and become something more powerful every year. If you haven't yet checked this show out, you definitely should because you are missing out on something phenomenal. I have also given another small list (which has no particular order) for the films that deserve honorable mentions this year. These were also fantastic films; they just did not fall into my top 10. That list is below. List by: Pat Brennan Here are the films that are, in my opinion, the best of 2014. Obviously some of these might not be first choices on other lists when it comes to the best films of the year, but these overall stood out for me. Take a look. (Films are in order from 1-10) (Click on the numbers at the bottom or the arrow at the top to scroll) Let me know what you think of these lists! Reviewer: Pat Brennan
Rating: 3/4 Directors: Richard Glatzer & Wash Westmoreland Writers: Richard Glatzer (screenplay); Lisa Genova (novel) Cast: Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin, Kate Bosworth, Kristen Stewart Still Alice is one of those films where you know there is not going to be a happy ending. There is a feeling of sadness and anguish as the film moves along, which continues to sit with you long after it is over. First and foremost, lets talk about Julianne Moore's performance as Alice and what a performance it was. Moore plays Alice Holland, a linguistics professor at Columbia in New York, who slowly starts to forget everyday words and the things that she does daily. When she is diagnosed with early on-set Alzheimer's disease, her life drastically changes. Moore is able to become one with Alice and separate herself from the rest of the characters in the film, which made it seem as though they were not even there half of the time. That is not to say that the supporting cast did not do a great job (Baldwin shines as her husband; Bosworth and Stewart both create excellent supporting characters that make you feel the pain they are going through), it is just simply because Moore is one of the best that is working today. You are drawn to her and find it hard not to feel like you are one of her children watching her go through this horrible disease. Moore is, in my opinion, one of the greatest actresses to ever grace the screen and this being her fifth Academy Award nomination, I can say that the Oscar will finally tip her way. She most definitely deserves it. There were a couple of moments in the film where the directors truly showed how Alice's disease was changing her and separating her from the world, as well as her family. The first moment came towards the beginning of the film when she is at her doctor's office for an appointment to help with her memory. The shot starts out completely out of focus, but as she starts to talk and tries to put pieces together, the camera slowly comes back into focus, solely on her. This is to show how her mind and her sense of identity is slowly becoming distant and fuzzy. This subtle trick is to show the audience that this is what she is starting to feel and go through. This is what it will be like moving forward. The second moment in the film that truly stood out to me was when her husband, John, and her children, Anna and Tom, were discussing how they should care for her now that she is not even recognizing them or even remembering who she is. The shot starts out with Alice leaned over to the side in the foreground of the frame, while her family is in the background of the frame, sitting at a table completely out of focus. The next shot (wide angle) has her shown from a distance, sitting in the living room with nobody around her. It is as if she is trapped there in the living room with no escape. No escaping the empty space that is growing in her mind. Again, this particular moment in the film shows how Alice is becoming more distant from her family and from herself. She is slowly starting to forget those that she loves and who she is. What these moments tell us as an audience member is by not showing a lot happening within the frame, you can actually express a lot through emotion and thought by creating these vivid images. These moments not only help create the character of Alice, they also express what she is going through by showing the audience what this disease can do to someone. By having her often shot by herself within the frame, the directors are able to establish how Alice is feeling throughout the film, as well as connect the audience to Alice. Without Moore in the leading role, I do not think that this film would have had such a strong impact as it did. She will win the Oscar. Without a doubt. Just entering it's third season, The Americans is another FX show that often seems to get overlooked. The premise of the show is about two KGB agents posing as an American couple in order to spy for the Russian Intelligence against the United States. Basically, they are Russians posing as Americans. It takes place during the 1980's at the height of the Cold War, right in the heart of Washington D.C. Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys play Elizabeth and Phillip Jennings, who live just outside of D.C. with their two children, Paige and Henry. Right across the street however, is FBI agent Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich) which complicates the mission they were sent to do. Both Russell and Rhys give outstanding performances but the stand out star, in my opinion, is Rhys. I had never really heard of him before this show but after catching up on the past few seasons, it amazes me at the amount of range he has. The guy can act and is easily one of the better actors I have seen for quite some time.
The underlying theme of the Cold War should not overshadow what this show is trying to say. It is easy to side with the U.S. because we are citizens, but it is hard not to feel a connection with Elizabeth and Phillip. The show is trying to establish and maintain the identities of the characters as well as the identities of both the U.S. and the Soviet Union. By feeling a connection with each character you start to trust the actions that they take, whether they are good or bad. The overall message seems to be the struggle to find the true identities of one another and if both sides of the war are right in their actions or are causing more harm than good. With top-notch writing, genius acting and an excellent story, it becomes hard to choose which side you are on. The never-ending power struggle between the two nations is certainly not to be missed. Here are a few other films that I have seen and rated. For some of the films, as well as in the future, I will write a brief sentence or so on what I thought. Reviewer: Pat Brennan Frank (2014) Rating: 3.5/4 Director: Lenny Abrahamson Writers: Jon Ronson & Peter Straughan Cast: Michael Fassbender, Domnhall Gleeson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Scott McNairy - This film tackles the idea of what it means to be accepted in this world, no matter who you are or where you came from. Frank tries to hide is true identity from those around him because he is scared to show what he actually looks like. What this film is really trying to express is the idea of seeing someone for who they are regardless of what they might look like on the outside. The always fantastic Michael Fassbender plays Frank brilliantly alongside someone who is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors, Domnhall Gleeson. ——————————————– The Hunger Games: Mocking Jay - Part 1 (2014) Rating: 3/4 Director: Francis Lawrence Writers: Peter Craig & Danny Strong Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore - Did not really need to stand alone as a solo film, but I still find these movies very entertaining. ——————————————– The Giver (2014) Rating: 2/4 Director: Phillip Noyce Writers: Michael Mitnick & Robert B. Weide Cast: Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep, Brenton Thwaites, Alexander Skarsgard, Katie Holmes, Odeya Rush ——————————————– Burn After Reading (2008)
Rating: 3/4 Director: Joel & Ethan Coen Writers: Joel & Ethan Coen Cast: Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, Richard Jenkins |
Authors:Pat Brennan: Recent Film grad from Temple University with a love for all aspects of film. David Fincher for life. Archives:
November 2016
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