Here are a few other films that I have seen and rated. For some of the films I will write a brief sentence or so on what I thought. Reviewer: Pat Brennan Miracle (2004) Rating: 3.5/4 Director: Gavin O'Connor Writer: Eric Guggenheim Cast: Kurt Russell, Patricia Clarkson, Noah Emmerich, Kenneth Welsh, Eddie Cahill ——————————————– ***GREAT FILM*** Beauty and the Beast (1991) Rating: 4/4 Directors: Gary Trousdale & Kirk Wise Writer: Lina Woolverton Cast (voice): Robby Benson, Rex Everhart, Angela Lansbury, Paige O'Hara, Jesse Corti, Jerry Orbach, David Ogden Stiers, Bradley Pierce - Arguably one of the greatest Disney animated films of all time (second to The Lion King), Beauty and the Beast shows how an animated feature film can aspire to become something that will stand the test of time. If you do not know the story by now, which I don't know how you wouldn't, it is about a Prince who becomes transformed into a Beast and has to find true love in order to break the spell, or he risks being trapped inside the Beast's body for the rest of his life. What this film draws on well are strong themes about becoming an adult. One aspect is to not judge someone by the way they look or act. Everyone is quick to judge the Beast because of his looks. Belle starts to do this, but slowly is able to break away at who the Beast is on the inside and the real person he is. She is the only one who really gives him a chance and does not judge him by the way he looks. Another theme that this film draws on, is to be an independent thinker and stand out by talking against society when you sense that something is wrong. Become an independent person and stick up for something you believe in or love; in this case it is Belle's feelings towards the Beast. Beauty and the Beast is more than just a children's film. It allows audiences of all different generations and backgrounds to be drawn into the story and relate to it in a way that they might have never noticed before. It will always be considered as one of the greatest and most influential animated films of all time. ——————————————– Let's Be Cops (2014) Rating: 3/4 Director: Luke Greenfield Writers: Luke Greenfield & Nicholas Thomas Cast: Jake Johnson, Damon Wayans Jr., Rob Riggle, Nina Dobrev, James D'Arcy, Keegan-Michael Key, Andy Garcia ——————————————– ***GREAT FILM*** Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
Rating: 4/4 Director: Doug Liman Writers: Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth Cast: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Brenden Gleeson, Bill Paxton - Probably one of the more overlooked films of 2014, Edge of Tomorrow is able to rise to the occasion and deliver one of the best action stories we have seen in quite some time. Tom Cruise is one of the masters of the action genre and delivers again on the thrills we have come to know from him. Liman is able to deliver a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat with non-stop action and even some comedic moments. I thought that having the day repeat over and over again would get boring and lose me, but it most certainly did not. Emily Blunt also delivers a great performance and shows how strong of a female figure she is. She becomes the centralized character of the story and keeps the audience wanting more and more of her. Although it was released in early summer and sort of forgotten about towards the end of the year, it should not be overlooked. I don't want to delve too deep into the story without giving away any of the plot, so if you have not seen this film go check it out now! ——————————————–
0 Comments
The story takes place in Detroit where a young girl named Jay (Maika Monroe) ends up being followed by a supernatural presence after having a sexual encounter with a man. By having that sexual encounter, she becomes stuck with this supernatural force following her wherever she goes. By creating this idea of the unknown following the main characters throughout the course of the story, David Robert Mitchell is able to also bring the audience along and have them question really what this supernatural force is. There is always this fear that most people have of someone watching you or chasing you, even though when you turn around, there is nothing there. That is what made this film so strong in my opinion. The fact that it draws on the theme of the unknown and relates it to something we have all felt before. When the film is over, you will not be able to shake the feeling of someone always being behind you; wondering if someone is about to creep up and scare the living hell out of you.
One other aspect that drew me into the film was the way Mitchell was able to draw back and connect the film with some of the horror classics like The Shining, Halloween and A Nightmare on Elm Street. The soundtrack was very much an homage to The Shining. There were moments where I almost thought that it was the actual soundtrack that was being mixed in. By incorporating elements from The Shining and blending them with other elements like the fear of being followed or watched (Halloween) and also showing the gruesome elements that make up the horror genre (A Nightmare on Elm Street), It Follows is able to become a modern-day, classic horror film. Overtime, it will be mentioned up with the greats as the films that helps define the horror genre. It Follows is certainly a film to check out. It is a throwback to the films of the 70's and 80's and shows just how great the genre can be. Mitchell seems to be trying to convey a message of Hollywood moving away from the found footage ideas and bringing it back to what made the genre great. This film is certainly a step towards that direction. It will make you want to go back and watch those classic films again. Here are a few other films that I have seen and rated. For some of the films I will write a brief sentence or so on what I thought. Reviewer: Pat Brennan The Wedding Ringer (2015) Rating: 2.5/4 Director: Jeremy Garelick Writers: Jeremy Garelick & Jay Lavender Cast: Kevin Hart, Josh Gad, Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting, Olivia Thirlby ——————————————– ***GREAT FILM*** Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) Rating: 4/4 Director: Matt Reeves Writers: Mark Bomback, Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver Cast: Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Toby Kebbell, Kodi Smith-McPhee - Dawn of the Planet of the Apes continues the story of Caesar from the first film (Rise of the Planet of the Apes), but this time the world has completely changed. Government and society ceases to exist. It is Man vs Ape and in this case, it becomes hard to choose a side. Director Matt Reeves does a superb job in exploring this apocalyptic world by showing how both species, Man and Ape, interact differently within the environment. The Apes are on the rise and are slowly taking over the landscape; starting with the forest. Man seems to be hiding in the abandoned cities, seeking any hope in order to survive in a world which they are struggling. Andy Serkis, once again, shows why he is the master of motion capture and delivers an outstanding performance as Caesar. It is a shame that the Academy continues to overlook is motion capture work. I hope someday he gets his recognition. The interactions between Caesar and Jason Clarke's character, Malcolm, are what drive the film forward because they both seem to want peace between the two species. What made an impression on me about this film was the fact that it became hard to pick a side on who is right. The lines between Man and Ape become blurred and it delivers a powerful theme that sits with you after the film has ended. That theme being who are we really when it comes down to surviving? With an extremely detailed environment, an excellent cast and a theme of man interacting with nature, it is safe to say that Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is one of the best films of 2014. ——————————————– The Man Who Wasn't There (2001) Rating: 3.5/4 Directors: Joel & Ethan Coen Writers: Joel & Ethan Coen Cast: Billy Bob Thornton, Frances McDormand, James Gandolfini, Katherine Borowitz, Tony Shalhoub, Scarlett Johansson, Richard Jenkins ——————————————– Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)
Rating: 1.5/4 Director: Michael Bay Writer: Ehran Kruger Cast: Mark Whalberg, Stanley Tucci, Kelsey Grammer, Nicola Peltz, Jack Reynor - I still have yet to figure out why Michael Bay keeps making almost three hour long Transformer films. It just seems completely unnecessary for a plot that is already all over the place. Clocking in at 165 minutes, Transformers: Age of Extinction is another entry in the blockbuster series, which really hasn't made a good film since the first one. Although this is not as bad as Revenge of the Fallen, it still is nothing that is worthy of watching again. The plot often doesn't make any sense and it often relies on the heavy action to keep the audience interested. I just had a hard time believing the relationships between the characters. Nicola Peltz's love interest in the film, Jack Reynor, has an Australian accent and is a racecar driver in the middle of Texas (essentially the middle of nowhere). Seemed like a really odd character choice that just did not seem believable. One moment in the film that really made a bad impression on me was during a battle scene in China, when a Bud Light truck comes out of nowhere, crashes and spills Bud Light bottles everywhere. Wahlberg picks one up, cracks it open against the car and drinks it; in the middle of fighting alien robots. I honestly felt like someone slapped me in the face. Terrible product placement. This is just one moment in what was a dull attempt to try and rejuvenate the Transformers franchise. It did however gross 1 billion dollars worldwide, so it is safe to say we will see a fifth entry sometime soon. Let's hope that one will be better than the last three. ——————————————– Here are a few other films that I have seen and rated. For some of the films I will write a brief sentence or so on what I thought. Reviewer: Pat Brennan Pitch Perfect (2012) Rating: 3.5/4 Director: Jason Moore Writer: Kay Cannon Cast: Anna Kendrick, Skylar Astin, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp, Rebel Wilson, Adam DeVine, Elizabeth Banks - In honor of Pitch Perfect 2 being released this Friday, I thought I would give my rating on the first film. Going into the film I remember thinking that this was going to be another "teen" flick that was trying to attract a younger generation. Boy, was I dead wrong. This is probably the ultimate guilty pleasure film, in that it is hard not to enjoy every minute of it. Although Anna Kendrick had already made a name for herself in Hollywood at the time (Oscar nominee for Up in the Air, as well as appeared in the Twilight films), this is when she really became known to everyone. She clearly shows that she has the ability to tackle any genre thrown at her. What this film does tremendously well in my opinion, is that it does not take itself too seriously and often pokes fun at the premise of an entire film being portrayed around A Cappella. With a great script, excellent music and simply having Anna Kendrick being awesome as usual, it is hard not to love Pitch Perfect. ——————————————– The Spectacular Now (2013) Rating: 3/4 Director: James Ponsoldt Writers: Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber Cast: Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley, Brie Larson, Kyle Chandler, Jennifer Jason Leigh ——————————————– The Square (2013) Rating: 3/4 Director: Jehane Noujaim Cast: Ahmed Hassan, Khalid Abdalla, Magdy Ashour ——————————————– ***GREAT FILM*** Walk the Line (2005)
Rating: 4/4 Director: James Mangold Writers: Gill Dennis & James Mangold Cast: Joaquin Pheonix, Reese Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin, Robert Patrick, Dallas Roberts - Walk the Line depicts the life of one of music's most controversial artists, Johnny Cash. Joaquin Pheonix, who plays Cash, delivers probably his best performance of his career and makes it hard to separate him from the real Johnny Cash. It is clear that Pheonix took time to study Cash and his behavior in order to generate a performance that should not be forgotten. Paired along side a phenomenal performance from Reese Witherspoon, who plays June Carter Cash, they both are able to escalate the film into one of the great biopics of our generation. ——————————————– |
Authors:Pat Brennan: Recent Film grad from Temple University with a love for all aspects of film. David Fincher for life. Archives:
November 2016
|