Love & Mercy (2014)

Directed by Bill Pohlad
Written by Oren Moverman and Michael A. Lerner, based on the life of Brian Wilson
Starring John Cusack, Paul Dano, Elizabeth Banks and Paul Giamatti

In the 1960s, Beach Boys leader Brian Wilson struggles with emerging psychosis as he attempts to craft his avant-garde pop masterpiece. In the 1980s, he is a broken, confused man under the 24-hour watch of shady therapist Dr. Eugene Landy.

A film about a person I was unaware of from a band I don't particularly care for, yet somehow found myself deeply invested in his story. Being director Bill Pohlad's first film in the captain's chair since 1990, there was some obvious rust that he had to shake off, but did so all the while creating a heart wrenching story of a man trapped by his own illness.

With valiant performances from the entire cast, most notably Paul Dano and John Cusack, an unexpected problem arose. John Cusack is so impressive as the aging rock star that he distracts from the rest of the cast.

There was one scene in particular that was mostly shot over his shoulder to Elizabeth Banks. His reflection is scene out of focus just behind her, but I couldn't take my eyes off of his blurry face. His performance was so powerful that I was drawn to it, even when he was barely on screen.

Another thing that was obvious was Paul Dano's voice. He matched Brian Wilson's voice so well that I couldn't tell which scenes were Paul singing and which were the original recording.

The film, overall was decent. I had some issues with the editing, but most of you wouldn't even notice it if I pointed it out. The acting, of course was top notch and the story was beautifully tragic. I would definitely not call this one of the top ten movies of the year, but it is worth the watch.

My Rating: 7/10

Memories of Murder (2003)

Directed by Joon-ho Bong
Written by  Joon-ho Bong, Kwang-rim Kim and Sung-bo Shim
Starring Kang-ho Song, Sang-kyung Kim, Roe-ha Kim and Jae-ho Song

In 1986, in the province of Gyunggi, in South Korea, the countries first serial killer is on the loose. Having been deemed incompetent for the case, the rural towns two detectives find themselves being babysat by an investigator from Seoul. Their polar techniques cause them to bump heads and often create a stand-still in the case.

From the start, it was hard to tell if this was supposed to be a dark comedy or a drama with a lot of comedic relief. Regardless of the subject matter, it was easy to find humor in much of the movies first act. Whether that was intentional or accidental is unclear, but seeing as how the beginning of the films as dedicated to showing the incompetence of the towns Police Department, I would say it was intentional.

As time went on, it became increasingly dark. It was almost as if it had become a completely different movie. But it worked. It was a great display of the stress of finding a killer the longer an investigation goes on, thus providing some insight into why these men would go to any lengths to get answers.

The story is very intriguing. It's a similar story to other murder mystery movies, but the setting of South Korea in the 80s added for an unfamiliarity that kept it interesting even at it's dullest moments. The similarities made for an easy connection and the differences were an interesting study into the countries culture.

Director Joon-ho Bong ("The Host", "Snowpiercer") proves yet again that he has an extensive and diverse style that transcends genre. It is remarkable that he can make such a serious, realistic murder mystery such as this as well as a sci-fi, apocalyptic thriller like "Snowpiercer".

This is an engrossing film that will make you laugh your ass off and then have you hanging to the edge of your seat in a five minute span. It reminded me much of David Fincher's "Zodiac", in the sense that it was creepy, intense and humorous all at the same time. This is definitely one you should definitely check out.

My Rating: 8/10