Here are a few other films that I have seen and rated. I won’t give a review for these but I will just show the rating of what I thought about these films. Reviewer: Pat Brennan This Is Where I Leave You (2014) Rating: 2/4 Director: Shawn Levy Writer: Jonathan Tropper Cast: Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Jane Fonda, Adam Driver, Corey Stoll, Dax Shepard, Timothy Olyphant ——————————————– Hercules (2014) Rating: 1.5/4 Director: Brett Ratner Writers: Ryan Condal, Evan Spiliotopoulos Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Ian McShane, Jon Hurt ——————————————– Million Dollar Arm (2014) Rating: 3/4 Director: Craig Gillespie Writer: Thomas McCarthy Cast: Jon Hamm, Lake Bell, Alan Arkin, Bill Paxton ——————————————– Into the Woods (2014)
Rating: 2/4 Director: Rob Marshall Writer: James Lapine Cast: Anna Kendrick, James Corden, Emily Blunt, Meryl Streep, Chris Pine, Johnny Depp
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Reviewer: Pat Brennan
Rating: 3/4 Director: Clint Eastwood Writer: Jason Hall, Chris Kyle (Book) Cast: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Kyle Gallner, Keir O’Donnell American Sniper tells the story of U.S. Navy Seal Chris Kyle, a trained marksman, and his troubles throughout his life. Bradley Cooper excels in the role of Kyle and continues to show how he is becoming one of the most sought after actors in the game today. His portrayal of Kyle is something that simply cannot be missed. There were moments in the film where I did not even feel like I was watching Cooper at all. He went so deep into developing the character of Kyle that it almost seemed impossible to separate the two. In my honest opinion, he deserves the Oscar nomination for Best Actor this year. Although Cooper is clearly the standout star, Sienna Miller’s portrayal of Kyle’s wife, Taya, is also a performance not to be overlooked. Miller has been in two roles this year in which she is the wife of one of the main characters (the other being Foxcatcher). Her performance as Taya feels so real and emotional that it is hard to not feel a strong connection towards her. Without these two actors and their performances, I do not see this film being as powerful as it was. Clint Eastwood was able to create an environment that showed the struggles and hardships that war can bring. Perhaps the best line that was said during the film came from Kyle’s brother, Jeff, when he ran into Chris during his stay over in Afghanistan. When Chris asks him what he has been doing and how he has been, his response is “Fuck this place!”. That is his response to everything that is going on around him. What I love about this response is that not only is he saying fuck this idea of war and where they are, but he is also saying fuck what this place can do to someone. Just fuck it all. This moment stood out to me which is why in my opinion it is one of the most powerful parts of the film. Although the film does seem to die down a little at the end and stray away from what made it powerful in the beginning, it does not take away from the story that Eastwood was trying to create. Cooper’s portrayal of Kyle is one that will stick with you for quite some time. Even as I left the theater you could hear a pin drop. There was definite feeling of sadness and respect for what soldiers have to go through day in and day out. American Sniper is certainly one of the more powerful films to come out in 2014. Reviewer: Pat Brennan
Rating: 4/4 Director: Damien Chazelle Writer: Damien Chazelle Cast: Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, Melissa Benoist If I were to sum up this film in one word, it would be “Incredible”. By now most people are probably starting to hear about this film due to the vast number of award shows that are coming out. This film deserves every award it can get. The performances are so powerful that they leave you with a feeling of wanting more. Miles Teller (Andrew) shows how deep he can go into developing the persona of a character. He is able to separate himself from his other performances to show that he has the ability to be one of the best actors in Hollywood. The last scene alone is easily one of the best moments in film this year, if not the past decade. It will leave you sitting on the edge of you’re seat and watching in “aw” as Teller controls the outcome of the film’s end. After watching this performance, I can safely say that Miles Teller has the ability to someday win an Oscar. He is that good. J.K. Simmons (Fletcher), in by far his best performance, is able to create a character so powerful and memorable that he is impossible to forget. He is a lock for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor and he deserves it. Hands down. I felt as though his screaming and cursing was directed towards me and the audience, not Andrew. He made me hate him as a character, which is when you know the actor is playing the role perfectly. There are moments when the character of Andrew looks as though he has pleased Fletcher, but Fletcher has other ideas. One stand out scene is where Fletcher has Andrew and two other drummers playing for hours on end until one of them can match the tempo that he wants. Literally hours of playing until 2 A.M. O yeah, he also hurls a chair at Andrew because he again does not match the tempo. These are just a few moments throughout that make Simmons the best part of the film. He is able to create this feeling towards the audience of being uncomfortable and petrified as he speaks to anyone in the frame. I felt as though I was the one who was auditioning for the class. One other major quality that this film brings is its unique style and cinematography (Sharone Meir). This is easily one of the best shot films of the year. The pacing and editing make it feel as though the film is one long jazz number. It is simply impossible to look away. To top it off this film was shot in 19 days. Yes, 19 days. If you have not already, check out this film. NOW. It is unlike anything you have ever seen. You will not be disappointed. |
AuthorPat Brennan: Recent Film grad from Temple University with a love for all aspects of film. David Fincher for life.
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