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 True Grit (2010) Rating: 3.5/4 Directors: Joel & Ethan Coen Writers: Joel & Ethan Coen Cast: Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld - An excellent remake from the 1969 John Wayne classic, the Coen Brothers are able to adapted that story into a modern day western masterpiece. What made this movie stand out above all else, was the acting. Jeff Bridges leads a superb cast that features Matt Damon, Josh Brolin and Hailee Steinfeld (her breakout role). They are able to create an environment of dismay and gun-slinging violence that makes the film feel as though it is one of those classic western films, channeling the greats' John Wayne and Clint Eastwood. The grittiness of the world and of the story, allowed the Coen's to take risks and trust that the audience will follow them on the journey. I highly recommend this film because it often gets overlooked, even though it is one of the Coen Brother's best films. ——————————————– Friday the 13th (1980) Rating: 3/4 Director: Sean S. Cunningham Writer: Victor Miller Cast: Kevin Bacon, Betsy Palmer, Harry Crosby, Adrienne King, Robbi Morgan ——————————————– A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) Rating: 3/4 Director: Wes Craven Writer: Wes Craven Cast: Johnny Depp, John Saxon, Ronee Blakley, Rod Lane, Amanda Wyss, Heather Langenkamp - One of the all time classic horror films, A Nightmare on Elm Street helped redefine the slasher film genre. With horror classics like Halloween and Friday the 13th, this film was able to create a new wave of horror that allowed audiences to see and feel real life scenarios. Watching this film today, it may seem out dated; but that does not take away from the overall terror that this film brings. It even has Johnny Depp in his first role, which would lead him into becoming one of the most famous actors of all time. Wes Craven is able to adapt such a simple idea (a horrific figure that haunts your dreams) into becoming one of the most memorable film characters of all time, even with an extremely low production budget. He does this by making each character on screen seem more human than most horror/slasher films where the characters are only there to die and seemingly have no personality. It is safe to say, that this film can still scare the hell out of you, no matter how old you are. ——————————————– The Ladykillers (2004)
Rating: 3/4 Directors: Joel & Ethan Coen Writers: Joel & Ethan Coen Cast: Tom Hanks, J.K. Simmons, Marlon Wayans, Tzi Ma, Ryan Hurst, Irma P. Hall ——————————————–
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Even though everyone already knows the story of Cinderella and knows the story that is about to unfold, the film still leaves you questioning where the story was going next. I mean, I obviously knew what was coming but it was still exciting to see how Branagh was going to get to the climax of the film. He keeps the audience wanting more and more and almost questioning if the story is going to change. What also helped with the originality of the film, was the score. Composer Patrick Doyle is able to generation strong emotion with his score and allows the music to connect with the environment and most importantly with Cinderella. Academy Award winners Dante Ferretti (Production Design) and Sandy Powell (Costume Design) also help to create this beautiful environment that allows the audience to be apart of all the glitz and glamor that this story is known for. Just an overall great production that Branagh was able to put together for this film.
Overall, Cinderella is definitely one of the better films of 2015. With an excellent cast from the evil stepmother (played by the always fantastic Cate Blanchett) to Cinderella herself, this becomes one of the better adaptations of the Disney timely classics that have come out over the years. Branagh continues to push his career to new heights by taking on challenging stories that can be hard to make great. Even though it is still March and there are many months left in the year with huge films coming out, do not overlook Cinderella. You will be glad that you took the time to see Branagh's take on the story and it will want you to go back right away and watch the original animated film. 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 Men, Women & Children (2014) Rating: 2/4 Director: Jason Reitman Writers: Jason Reitman & Erin Cressida Wilson Cast: Adam Sandler, Jennifer Garner, Rosemarie DeWitt, Judy Greer, Emma Thompson, Kaitlyn Dever, Ansel Elgort - Technology. That is the main idea of this film. Technology controlling everyone and everything. Director Jason Reitman's latest, Men, Women & Children, tries to connect the idea of technology with everyday interactions. The film opens with the Voyager satellite, hurling through the emptiness space, with no end destination in sight. Reitman tries to connect the technology that is moving towards the far ends of space with the technology that is trying to reach the far ends of the earth. For me this idea did not work. By cutting back to these scenes in space it took away from the overall feeling and tone that Reitman was trying to go for. Those scenes particularly felt out of place and unnecessary. Most of the characters were over the top, especially Jennifer Garner's, when it came to technology. She literally thought that everything on the internet was going to hurt her daughter and was controlling every aspect of her life. It just did not seem realistic and believable. Overall, there was just not much happening with this film. ——————————————– Citizenfour (2014) Rating: 3.5/4 Director: Laura Poitras Cast: Edward Snowden (himself), Glenn Greenwald (himself) - Citizenfour is probably the most important documentary of 2014. By now, everyone knows who Edward Snowden is and knows that he is one of the most famous whistle-blowers in U.S. history. This documentary shows the behind the scenes accounts of the moment when Snowden decided he was going to release all of the documents and how he went about doing it. Filmed in real time, this documentary is one that should be watched by all Americans because it shows just how much privacy, you don't have. ——————————————– Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) Rating: 4/4 Director: James Gunn Writers: James Gunn, Nicole Perlman Cast: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Lee Pace, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close - Easily one of Marvel's best and most surprising films to date, Guardians of the Galaxy blends together humor and intense action in the way that Marvel has come to be known for. The story revolves around Peter Quill (Pratt) and his group of outlaws who band together to stop the evil forces that are threatening to take over the galaxy. With a rising star in Chris Pratt, an excellent supporting cast and memorable soundtrack, it is hard not to love what you are watching and feel emotionally connected to each member of the group. James Gunn has certainly brought forward a different tone which blends comedy, action and drama all in one, to the Marvel Universe. It will definitely be interesting to see where he expands that tone with Guardians of the Galaxy 2. It is safe to say that not only is Guardians a must see, but you will also be continuously saying, "I am Groot" long after the film has ended. ——————————————– Intolerable Cruelty (2003)
Rating: 2.5/4 Directors: Joel Coen & Ethan Coen Writers: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, Robert Ramsey, Matthew Stone Cast: George Clooney, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Geoffrey Rush, Cedric the Entertainer, Richard Jenkins, Billy Bob Thornton - In my opinion, this is probably the Coen's weakest film. There just isn't too much to remember about it. Clooney and Jones are good as always but I was just looking for the film to take that extra step and it just did not. There are a few good comedic moments, mostly from Clooney, but other than that the story just doesn't overall work. It is not a terrible film by any means, it is just kinda forgettable. (Watch No Country for Old Men. Masterpiece) ——————————————– 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 Fury (2014) Rating: 3.5/4 Director: David Ayer Writer: David Ayer Cast: Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Michael Pena, Jon Bernthal - David Ayer's WWII drama takes place right in the heart of the war that changed the world. Brad Pitt leads a superb cast which includes Logan Lerman, Jon Bernthal, Michael Pena, & Shia LaBeouf. What this film does well is show the horrors of what WWII did to not only the soldiers, but the rest of the world as well. Ayer created an environment that felt so real and powerful that it was hard not to feel emotionally connected to the characters. Each character was developed and defined into being their own, which made them all seem like a tight family. The tank resembles their home and it is the only thing that they can feel connected to because they are with each other. In their eyes it is "The best job they have ever had". ——————————————– Nightcrawler (2014) Rating: 3.5/4 Director: Dan Gilroy Writer: Dan Gilroy Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Riz Ahmed, Rene Russo, Bill Paxton - I won't say too much about this film since Mike already did a fantastic review on this (go check it out in his review section), but I just wanted to acknowledge how Jake Gyllenhaal continues to not be recognized for the work that he continues to put out; especially with this film, as well as Prisoners. It is certainly a performance not to be missed. I also wanted to say that Gilroy made an excellent choice in shooting and staging the film as if the audience were part of the camera crew helping Bloom follow the stories. By creating this gritty and dark environment, Gilroy wants to show how characters like Bloom exist in the world and how they will stop at nothing to find the story. ——————————————– The Judge (2014) Rating: 3.5/4 Director: David Dobkin Writer: Nick Schenk, Bill Dubuque (screenplay) & David Dobkin, Nick Schenk (story) Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga, Billy Bob Thorton, Vincent D'Onofrio, Dax Shepard, Leighton Meester, Jeremy Strong - The Judge is one of those films where the trailer does not do it justice at all. The film deals with the relationship between a father (Duvall) and son (Downey, Jr.), who can never seem to come together even under the most difficult circumstances. What I felt this film did well was talk about how families tend to avoid issues and often not speak to each other for years because of those issues. Dobkin was able to tackle these issues and tell the audience to not wait too long to repair relationships with those you love. Looking back on it, this is one of the more underrated films from last year and one of RDJ's best performances. ——————————————– Interstellar (2014)
Rating: 4/4 Director: Christopher Nolan Writers: Jonathan Nolan & Christopher Nolan Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, John Lithgow, Michael Caine, Casey Affleck, Ellen Burstyn, Mackenzie Foy, Wes Bentley, Bill Irwin - The BEST film of 2014. Actually, one of the best of all time. Directed by the great Chris Nolan, Interstellar is one of the movies that comes around once every ten years or so and changes the view of cinema. Nolan creates these worlds that seem so imaginable and authentic that it is shame his films don't get the recognition they deserve. What particularly stood out to me the most was how Coopers' (McConaughey's) children were the complete opposite of each other, but were also two different versions of himself. His daughter resembled the hope for the future and the strive towards achieving a new life for humanity, while his son resembled the working-class farmer who was deeply rooted in family values and remained stuck in the past because he is a family man and puts his family before himself. There is a scene in particular where a moment between the two children shows who they are as individuals, but I don't want to spoil anything. I may do a review on this in the future and break down some scenes but for now just please go and check out this film (and Mike's review of it) if you haven't already. Trust me it is a masterpiece. ——————————————–
That idea ultimately led to another problem, which were the characters. I guess I was just not as invested in the characters as the film wanted me to be. I just did not seem to care about any characters really or truly feel connected to them. What Blomkamp was trying to do was allow Chappie to have a sense of identity to himself and give him feelings that would make the audience see him as a human. That was the true message I thought of when looking back at this film. What Blomkamp was doing was not trying to create a robot that talked but rather a robot that felt as though he belonged in the world just as much as a human does. In his mind he was a human. There were a couple moments where I did feel a little connection with Chappie but overall it was hard for me to really see the point, which could have been due to the side characters around him which tended to bring him down.
Overall, Chappie was not a bad film. It was just, alright. The stand out scenes were definitely the action sequences, which Blomkamp has no trouble mastering. They show his ability as a director to create environments that feel and look real. It was just hard for me to really connect with Chappie. Blomkamp had a great idea with this film, but it seemed to never really take off for me. However, I do have high hopes for his Alien sequel which is due out in 2017. I am really looking forward to seeing his take on the Alien Franchise.
The film ends, like I said, with the same exact shot as the opening; however there is a completely different tone. This time when Amy turns around she stares right into Nick's eyes as if to say "I am in control now". There is a new tone in the environment surrounding her in that there is warmer color than the beginning and shows a lot more about who Amy really is; a controlling psychopath. The same lines are spoken again by Nick about what will they do to each other and this time it reads completely different. In the beginning, everyone was quick to blame Nick for Amy's disappearance and judge him right off the bat. But, at the end of the film, it was almost as if the message is now saying whose side are you on? Who is the least crazy in your eyes? That is what ultimately Fincher was trying to go for. Marriage being questioned by the audience in not only in the film but also in reality.
The turning point of the film is the most well thought out and creative moment in my opinion. That comes just as we find out that Amy is in fact not dead, but instead framing Nick for her death and describing to the audience her plan on how she will do it. "I am so glad that I am dead. Well.....technically, missing". I had already known that she was not actually murdered so I knew the story was told from two different perspectives. This entire sequence made me love the film even more the second time watching it through. The dialogue is spot on and the pacing is just right, which allows the audience to see that Amy is not a dumb housewife and she is much smarter and deceitful than she actually leads on. The music builds and builds as she describes her plan to show that the control is shifting towards her and the power is in her hands. Her true character is revealed in this scene and it is the moment where the audience has to start deciding what side to choose. So that brings us to main villain in the film and it is not Amy or Nick; it is "marriage". The idea of marriage and the horrors of what it has the potential to bring. Now I am not saying marriage is bad at all, nor is Fincher or Gillian Flynn; I am just saying that marriage is built on trust and even if you have known someone for years, you still might not fully know who they actually are. The real question is, what lies ahead in their future? What will Amy and Nick do to each other? That is what makes the film so fascinating. Fincher always tries to make the audience think about what they have just seen on the screen. Whether that be films like Seven or The Social Network, he always wants the audience to really think about the story and what lies ahead for the characters he has created. It is hard to say what is next for Amy or Nick but one thing is for certain, their marriage is certainly not a normal marriage. They are both so controlling and powerful that in the end they may end up killing each other. So the question becomes, are you #TeamAmy or #TeamNick? 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 Wild (2014) Rating: 3.5/4 Director: Jean-Marc Vallee Writers: Nick Hornby & Cheryl Strayed Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Thomas Sadoski, Michael Huisman - What made this film so strong was Reese Witherspoon's performance. She went above and beyond to connect with and establish the character of Cheryl Strayed, which only further proved why she is one of the more underrated actresses in Hollywood today. Another aspect of the film that I felt was vastly overlooked was the editing. After looking back at this film, it became apparent to me that without the way the entire film was structured, the character of Cheryl would not have come off as powerful as she did. By incorporating the use of flashbacks to help dig deeper into the mind of Cheryl, it allowed me to see how anyone has the ability to overcome the struggles of their past and move towards a new life and a new rebirth. ——————————————– The Fault In Our Stars (2014) Rating: 3/4 Director: Josh Boone Writers: Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber (screenplay) & John Green (book) Cast: Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Nat Wolff, Laura Dern, Sam Tramell, & Willem Dafoe - I decided to watch this film just randomly one day and was very glad that I did. This movie was definitely a surprise for me because I thought it was going to be the same teenage love story that is seen over and over again. I am not afraid to admit that I was wrong on that assumption. With great performances from both Woodley and Elgort, The Fault In Our Stars is a film that takes on the issues of young adults going through the most terrifying and horrific disease known: Cancer. The chemistry between the two is definitely what keeps the film going strong from start to finish. This film shows how the idea of love can overcome any obstacle in its way. Every time you look up to the stars, those that have been lost will be looking down at you and will always be a part of your life. ——————————————– Foxcatcher (2014) Rating: 3.5/4 Director: Bennett Miller Writers: E. Max Frye & Dan Futterman Cast: Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo, Sienna Miller, & Vanessa Redgrave - Bennett Miller is quickly becoming one of my favorite directors. With his first two films (Capote, Moneyball), Miller shows he has the ability as a director to create such strong and mesmerizing characters and that continues with Foxcatcher. With three incredible performances from Carell, Tatum and Ruffalo, Foxcatcher easily stands out as one of the top films of 2014. Although there are some moments in the film that progress a little slow, that does not take away from the overall tone that Miller is trying to show. By creating a sense of unease and often moments of silence, the characters within Miller's world help create the themes of power and control that resonate so deep within the story. This film is definitely one to check out. ——————————————– Birdman: Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)
Rating: 4/4 Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu Writers: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Nicolas Gincobone, Alexander Dinelaris, & Armando Bo Cast: Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, Edward Norton, Naomi Watts, Zach Galifianakis, & Andrea Riseborough - Birdman is one of those films that can spark and influence a new generation of filmmakers. The idea of the whole film being one long tracking shot, paves the way for a new technique and a new idea on what it means to make a film. With strong performances from Keaton, Stone and Norton; Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (along with beautiful cinematography from Emmanuel Lubezki) is able to create this world that allows the audience to move along with the characters, almost as if we are observing each situation like a fly on the wall, moving from scene to scene. The film acts as though it is a play within a play that shows the behind the scenes of what it takes to put on a production of this scale. The main theme of the film seems to be about the redemption of the main character Riggan (Keaton), and his ability to resurrect himself from being out of the spotlight for so long. By batting his alter-ego, that seems to follow him everywhere, Riggan tries to not only save the play that he has been working on for so long but also save his life in the process. This film will easily be looked at as one of the more important and influential films to come out in the 21st century. ——————————————– 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 rest of the film. 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 will 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 relationship, 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: 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. (Below is the trailer for the 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 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 ——————————————– 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. ——————————————– 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 |
AuthorPat Brennan: Recent Film grad from Temple University with a love for all aspects of film. David Fincher for life.
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