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 Ted (2012) Rating: 3/4 Director: Seth MacFarlane Writers: Seth MacFarlane, Alec Sulkin, Wellesley Wild Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Seth MacFarlane, Joel McHale, Giovanni Ribisi, Patrick Waterburn, Jessica Barth - Ted tells the story of a childhood teddy bear that comes to life through the wish of a little boy. As they grow up together, John Bennett (Wahlberg) and Ted (MacFarlane) have their friendship tested when Lori (Kunis) wants more from John in their relationship, instead of him hanging out with Ted all the time and smoking weed. Now I particularly like MacFarlane's type of humor from "Family Guy", so I think this film is pretty funny (though I haven't seen A Million Ways to Die in the West). MacFarlane does a good job at creating a strong dynamic between both himself and Wahlberg through his humor. The writing makes the relationship between the two believable, even though you still take a step back and think "I am watching a film about a teddy bear who comes to life and ends up smoking weed all day". The concept in itself is pretty damn funny. If you haven't seen this film, or don't particularly like MacFarlane's type of humor, I would still recommend giving this a shot because overall it is one of the better comedies I have seen in quite sometime. ——————————————– Happy Valley (2014) Rating: 3/4 Director: Amir Bar-Lev Writer: Amir Bar-Lev ——————————————– The Duff (2015) Rating: 1.5/4 Director: Ari Sandel Writer: Josh A. Cagan Cast: Mae Whitman, Robbie Amell, Bella Thorne, Bianca A. Santos, Skyler Samuels, Romany Malco, Nick Eversman, Ken Jeong, Allison Janney - The Duff tells the story of Bianca (Whitman), a high school senior who is seen around the school as the "Designated Ugly Fat Friend" (aka. The Duff). Throughout the course of the film, Bianca tries to separate herself from the label put on her and makes herself standout amongst the school. I kind of went into this film seeing at as sort of a tribute to Mean Girls, and it is in a way. That is what must have been the problem for me. It was hard to separate this from Mean Girls because it was trying so hard to be on the same level. The Duff is something that we have witnessed time and time again, so it is hard to see it as being rememberable. The acting isn't at fault but I think with a weak script and cliche and predictable moments, it is easy to see where this film falls flat. ——————————————– Casting By (2012)
Rating: 3/4 Director: Tom Donahue Cast: Marion Dougherty, Woody Allen, Jeff Bridges, Glenn Close, Ned Beatty, Robert De Niro, Clint Eastwood, Danny Glover, Robert Duvall, Mel Gibson, Diane Lane, John Lithgow, Ellen Lewis ——————————————–
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NBC's Hannibal is truly a risk for a network show. It stretches the boundaries between what can be seen as going too far when it comes to network programming. Even though the third season of the show (currently airing) will be the last, it does not take away from how captivating this series has been. Hugh Dancy plays Will Graham, an FBI criminal profiler who is able to go into the mind of a serial killer and become one with them. Dr. Hannibal Lecter, played brilliantly by Mads Mikkelsen, develops a strong relationship with Will and helps him control the emotions that illuminate from his mind to shape the person that he is becoming. The chemistry between both Dancy and Mikkelson is so strong and fascinating that it is hard not to want them to succeed in their friendship. Rounding out the rest of the ensemble are Caroline Dhavernas, Hettienne Park, Scott Thompson, Aaron Abrams, Gillian Anderson, and Laurence Fishburne.
I do give NBC a lot of credit for giving this superb show three seasons. It is not easy to do with this sort of subject matter and they have given this show the life that it deserves. Each episode looks and feels like a painting, that could be digested and discussed for hours on end. The cinematography is some of the best I have ever seen for a TV series and probably will be for quite sometime. From the incredible acting, to the fantastic writing, Hannibal is a series that has been overlooked for too long, which it should not be because this is, in my opinion, one of the defining series of all time. It is truly a masterpiece. Fair warning: there is a lot of blood and gore so be prepared. |
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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