The Nice Guys (2016)

Directed by Shane Black
Written by Shane Black and Anthony Bagarozzi
Starring Ryan Gosling, Russell Crowe, Angourie Rice and Margaret Qualley

A mismatched pair of Private Detectives investigate the apparent suicide of a fading porn star in 1970s Los Angeles. As they dig deeper they uncover a conspiracy that is bigger than they could've ever imagined.

Director Shane Black returns to his roots by following his second film, "Iron Man 3", with a detective oriented dark-comedy much like his first film "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang".

As was expected, this film delivered many laugh-inducing moments. The writing and plot were just as expected. What was a bit of a surprise was the chemistry between Gosling and Crowe. Their banter and interactions with each other were flawless and very believable, even in the most ridiculous of moments.

While the story was impressive in itself, the set dressings and wardrobes to emulate the 70s seemed flawless. At least to myself. I never experienced the 70s in person. So maybe some of the more experienced viewers noticed some faults. However, I was never taken out of the story by an ill-timed prop or car.

This is one of the funniest films I have seen in a while. And I cannot praise the two headlining actors enough. They truly brought this film to life. It was a refreshing change to the typical cookie-cutter film…

I realize I used "cookie-cutter" in my last review as well. I apologize. But let's be honest. So many movies these days are similar, it's rare that you see two films that break from the norm in two days. I'm having a good week.

My Rating: 8/10

Green Room (2015)

Written and Directed by Jeremy Saulnier

Starring Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots, Alia Shawkat and Patrick Stewart

After witnessing a murder, the members of a punk band are forced into a vicious fight for survival against a gang of malicious skinheads.

For whatever reason, I couldn't find a trailer on Youtube to embed on this review. But click here and check it out.

Blogger is being a piece of fecal matter right now so here is my short, but sweet review.
The setting alone for this film are enough to turn closed minded audiences away. But for those brave enough to venture into the theatre, (or in my case, just a fan of aggressive music) they will be treated to the most suspenseful film I have seen in a while.

There are no rules to this story. Everyone is fair game and I was honestly unsure of where the film was going. Which, in a world filled with cookie-cutter plotlines was like a breath of fresh air. Director Jeremy Saulnier created yet another masterpiece (GO SEE "BLUE RUIN") with his third feature film.

In his short career, he has birthed a sub-genre of horror/thriller movies that stand out amongst a sea of such films. I don't know what he calls them, but I hereby dub his genre "Boonie Slasher".
In a film this small, it is awesome to see someone like Patrick Stewart involved. And he is utterly terrifying.

GO SEE THIS MOVIE YOU IDIOTS!!!!
My Rating: 9/10

Midnight Special (2016)

Written and Directed by Jeff Nichols
Starring Michael Shannon, Jaeden Lieberher, Joel Edgerton and Kirsten Dunst

A father and son run from the U.S. Government and a cult drawn to the child's special powers.

In an era of film where director's like Colin Trevorrow and Rian Johnson only use independent films as a springboard into bigger studio films, it is nice that there is a director out there that is dedicated to his own work and continues to deny intrusion from cinematic corporations.

That's not to say that abandoning independent films to create the next "Star Wars" or "Jurassic Park" movie is a bad thing. It's just refreshing that Jeff Nichols, a man who undoubtedly has the pull to grab some sort of franchise, sticks to his guns and creates unique stories.

In his fourth film, Nichols has created an intriguing sci-fi thriller in what feels to be a mix of "The Road" and "E.T.". It is a beautiful story, that admittedly, I was unsure of upon my first viewing. I could tell that it was a well made film, but due to my previous expectations not being met, I was left confused and desired a second watch.

"Midnight Special" is a film that rewards multiple viewings. Symbolism and minute details are more apparent once you know what to expect. I noticed things that I completely missed the first time around and it all stitched every question I had up very nicely.

It isn't out of the ordinary these days for a trailer of a film spoil it's entire plot. In this case, not only did the trailer contain the mystery, but much of the film did as well. I enjoyed questioning the plot throughout this thriller rather than being completely up to speed as most studio films allow you to be. The mysterious element is one that I doubt, Disney and Warner Brothers will adopt, but I would love if they did, even if just for a few projects.

Jeff Nichols and his latest film is everything that I love about independent film. Had a major studio been involved in more than just distribution, I feel they would have tampered with the story to the point where it lost everything that makes it special.

My Rating: 8/10

Demolition (2015)

Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée
Written by Bryan Sipe
Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Naomi Watts, Chris Cooper and Judah Lewis

As an investment banker struggles after losing his wife in a tragic car crash, his increasingly confessional series of letters to a vending machine company catch the attention of a customer service rep with whom he forms an unlikely connection.

To follow up his masterpiece in "Dallas Buyers Club" and the wildly disappointing movie "Wild" (pun not intended, I promise), director Jean-Marc Vallée seems to have type-cast himself, in a way, with the types of films he creates. Perhaps he has finally found a style that he feels best expresses himself, or maybe he's just trying to recapture the success of "Dallas Buyers Club", but I feel he is starting to drift away from what made that film great while he tries too hard to keep himself significant.

At it's core, this film is (or could have been) intensely beautiful and heart wrenchingly emotional. It could have created a bond between protagonist and audience that could not be easily broken. After all, anyone that has lived a significant portion of their life has experienced the loss of a loved one in some way.

But instead, we are presented with a convoluted story of a selfish, unforgiving man. And perhaps that is exactly what the writer, director and actor wanted him to be. But I can't help but feel that it fails on so many levels.

The film feels as though it believe it is more clever than it is, elbowing you in the ribs as if to say "You see what I did there?". But in reality, there isn't much to point out. There are no deep metaphors or well constructed character arcs. In fact, it's hard to tell how the main character comes to the end of his journey. It kind of just happens. But about an hour after it should have happened.

Jake Gyllenhaal, while a decent actor, has seemingly been doing everything within his power to get an Oscar nomination. And it's been painfully apparent in every film he's been in since "Nightcrawler" (with the exception of "Everest").

Naomi Watts' role, as much as I love her, served absolutely no purpose other than to be a Macguffin. She disappears for much of the film, and when she is in the scene, you feel a sense of anticipation for everything to finally come together. But it never does.

If I'm honest, the first six paragraphs of this review paint a worse picture than it deserves. It's not a terrible movie. There is just a lot that I had to say regarding the plot. It wasn't terrible. It was just bland. It didn't have the emotional punch to the gut that made "Dallas Buyers Club" so great. And much like "Wild", it didn't appear as though the protagonist knew how to act around people.

I don't know if Vallée is going for something that I just can't comprehend, and if you feel differently than I do, please contact me to discuss it. I would like to see another view of it. But it just felt as though everyone involved in the higher-ups was just trying to hard.

My Rating: 5/10

Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

Directed by Zack Snyder
Written by Chris Terrio and David S. Goyer
Starring Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot and Amy Adams

A lot of Superhero fans were upset with me when I pointed out the Rotten Tomatoes score for this film. Some stated that film critics hate Super Hero movies (not true). Others stated that the then 33% (now 29%) was an exaggeration of it's failure. And while that may be true. Let's face it. This movie just wasn't good.

If you enjoyed it, that's completely different. Hell, I enjoyed it. But technically speaking, with editing, cinematography, acting and writing, it was one of the worst $250 Million dollar movies I have ever seen.

The acting was stiff, but that was expected. The writing was campy, as expected. Zack Snyder, a man who more or less invented steady cam action scenes, created sequences that were terribly shot and it seemed as if the camera operator was shaking under the weight of the camera. And the editing! Oh my, how it was some of the worst editing in recent memory. The film had very little flow and there were so many scenes that felt like they were cut short.

It was an enjoyable movie, but by no means was it a good movie. There were too many problems to forgive. And while I don't expect the average movie goer to notice, that is the reason I did not like it. The entire thing felt phoned in from what's supposed to be a professional cast and crew. It was as if they were forced into making it. For a film they've been teasing for decades, it was too little too late.

Thank God I don't have to pay for movies.

My Rating: 5/10

10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

Directed by Dan Trachtenberg
Written by Josh Campbell, Matthew Stuecken and Damien Chazelle
Starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman and John Gallagher Jr.

After getting into a car accident, Michelle finds herself chained to a pipe in a cemented room of a bunker. When she meets her captor, he tells her of the ongoing apocalyptic crisis happening outside of their doomsday shelter. However, Michelle has her suspicions when she learns more of the man who says he saved her life.

While J.J. Abrams has explicitly said that this is not a continuation of the original "Cloverfield" film from 2008, it certainly takes place in the same universe. And although I haven't seen the first installment of this alien plagued world, I have seen enough through several shifts working at a movie theater during it's release to know I did not care for it.

The areas that I felt were terrible in "Cloverfield" (i.e. "found footage" style, story etc.), were greatly improved for this film. Any style is a huge upgrade from the shaky-cam style of "found footage" movies. And I found the story to be much more engrossing than it's predecessor.

Rather than motivate the story using action and destruction, the filmmakers decide to go the psychological rout, focusing on the protagonists thought process after essentially being kidnapped. It made for a significantly more interesting film.

As for the cast, John Goodman stole the show. He captured his character so perfectly that it was easy to sway between trust and distrust with him. You were never sure of his intentions or his past. He proves yet again why he is one of the greatest actors of his time.

I'm not sure if anyone really asked for this film. Or if it was even meant to be involved with "Cloverfield" until they realized it would be the best way to market it (which is the more probable case). But regardless, this movie has been presented to the world. I would't go as far to call this a great movie. But it is better than a lot. Especially at this time of year. With the exception of "The Witch" and all of the Oscar winners that have been rereleased, I would say this is the best movie out right now. 

Although most of you are probably asking, "what about 'Deadpool'". For you, it's probably better than this. But not in my opinion. And that, my friends, is the beauty of movies.

My Rating: 7/10

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (2016)

Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa
Written by Robert Carlock, based on the book "The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan" by Kim Barker
Starring Tina Fey, Margot Robbie, Martin Freeman and Christopher Abbott

Feeling trapped by her mundane desk journalism job, Kim Baker (changed for some reason) makes a decision to find more adventure in her life by taking a position as a war journalist in Afghanistan.

On the surface, due to a misleading advertisement, this would appear to be just another situational comedy. When I first viewed the trailer, I perceived it as one of those standard comedies that takes a slightly interesting setting and plot and inserts sex and drug jokes in an attempt to seek tickets, but overall not accomplish much as a film. Fortunately for this film, it was surprisingly more delicate than that.

From the get-go, it is apparent what kind of film this will be. With an opening scene showing how hectic her life in Afghanistan would be in just three years, the directors then cut to the chronological beginning of the protagonists story as an incredible example of juxtaposition. Tina Fey masterfully captures the essence of her character and puts it on display right away.

I was quite surprised with how unfunny this movie was. But I was even more surprised that I didn't mind. It was more complex and gratifying than I could have predicted and kept me engaged throughout.

With several themes, including the morality of journalism, the dangers of the addiction to conflict and moving forward in your life no matter what happens, it is safe to say this is the most unexpected important film in this young year.

Much of my opinion of this film comes from expecting very little from it. Had I gone in expecting greatness, I might have a completely different opinion. But that's not to say it's not a good movie. It's a hell of a lot better than I expected it to be.

My Rating: 7/10

The Witch (2015)

Written and Directed by Robert Eggers
Starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie and Harvey Scrimshaw

In his review of this dark and demonic horror film, Drew McWeeny of HitFlix.com writes:

"It feels like we're watching something we should not be seeing."

I usually try to avoid quoting other reviewers, because of course, reviewing a film is about putting your feel ins about a film into your own words. But, dammit, Drew nailed it with that quote. It is truly the best way to describe this film.

For myself, horror films rarely do anything for me. Out of all the genres, they are certainly the most predictable and formulaic. However, every so often a film is released that absolutely changes the game. It is rare, but when it happens, that horror film becomes one of my favorites of the year, if not of all time.

Inspired by actual reports of 17th century witch trials and folklore, Robert Eggers has created a film so sinister and unnerving that it kept me tensed up throughout the majority of its duration. And believe me when I tell you that it is an impressive feat.

One of the most striking things about this film is how truthful to the time period the world that the filmmakers created was. There was not a single piece of clothing, architecture or even line of dialogue that took you out of the story. That, on top of some of the best acting of any horror movie ever (that's right), teamed up for one hell of an experience.

One of the most surprising aspects of the film was the young actors in it. At first, I thought that due to the subject matter, these kids would have limited roles in the film. But every single one of them gave a performance that seemed eerily understanding to the scenarios being depicted. I actually worried for these kids and their mentality.

Had this film been widely released last year, it certainly would have cracked my Top 10 movies of 2015. But with how much I loved this movie, I think it has a good chance of cracking my Top 10 of this year, if not my Top 5.

Forget seeing Deadpool again. See this instead. Or see both in one day! That's cool too!

My Rating: 10/10

Hail, Caesar! (2016)

Written and Directed by The Coen Brothers

Starring Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Alden Ehrenreich and Ralph Fiennes

In my mind, The Coen Brother's are America's directors. They seem to capture so many different sub-cultures of America perfectly while also satirizing them. The desperation of the American Middle-Class in "Fargo". Three run-away prisoners during the depression era in "O Brother Where Art Thou?". And many others (I don't feel like listing each one. Check their filmography out for yourself!).

In "Hail, Caesar!", the genius brother's tackle Hollywood during the Golden Age of film. Following a studio "fixer", the guy that runs around sweeping scandals under rugs and keeping his bratty movie stars in check, as he attempts to solve his biggest problem yet. The kidnapping of their biggest star.

While this film more than likely won't be named with the Coen Brothers' masterpieces, it sticks with the style that has come to distance the duo from other directors. And it is no exception for my belief that they have never made a bad movie. Not one.

This film certainly rewards the hardcore movie goers in the audience. While many of the jokes will go over the heads of people not familiar with classic cinema, there is seldom a sequence in which there is no reference or nod to classic films. That is probably it's most notable feature.

If you're a casual movie goer, or aren't incredibly familiar with classic films of the 50s, you might not "get" this one. Although I highly encourage everyone to see it, because, well… you never know. But it is certainly not a film that is designed for everyone, as the Coen Brothers rarely are.

My Rating: 8/10

Carol (2015)

Directed by Todd Haynes
Written by Phyllis Nagy
Based on the novel "The Price of Salt", by Patricia Highsmith
Starring Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Kyle Chandler and Sarah Paulson

Set in 1950s New York, "Carol" tells the story of forbidden love, as a young aspiring photographer finds herself infatuated with an older woman. As their intimate relationship develops, complications of living in their time see to it that their love is anything but easy.

From the beginning, this film has everything going for it. Top notch actors with brilliant director, a masterful cinematographer, a beautiful score and a gorgeous production design. The time of the story is encapsulated perfectly onto film and makes the world believable. Each shot keeps you engaged and keeps your eyes on the screen. But where it lacks, I'm afraid, is the most important part. The story.

While the the story isn't exactly overdone, it has been done before. And it's been done better. It is truly a heart breaking story, but the way it is told make it hard to connect. Drama seems to be forced upon the audience. It is as if the director is saying "feel this way because I told you to feel this way". We are not shown why we should feel a certain way.

Certain scenes in the film felt as though they were incomplete and needed more background than was given in order to truly connect with the characters. Everything seemed to jump around from one problem to the next with no real solution or conclusion. And not in a realistic way. It felt as though, perhaps there was more to the film, but for one reason or another it was cut.

This film will certainly garner some awards. And it should. As I said before, everything is set to have made this will great! But somehow, through it all, they failed to focus on the most important thing. Whether that was through editing or writing, I can't be sure. All I know is that it felt as if it insisted upon itself.

My Rating: 6/10

Anomalisa (2015)

Directed by Duke Johnson and Charlie Kaufman
Written by Charlie Kaufman
Starring David Thewlis, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Tom Noonan

Perhaps one of the more creative examples of the mundanity of every day life, Charlie Kaufman once again proves himself as one of the most unique screenwriters in cinema. In this remarkably crafted stop-motion-animated film, a man crippled by monotony of his life experiences something that causes him to find the joy in life.

The very thing that makes Charlie Kaufman stand out in the crowd of thousands of countless nameless writers is his ability to create a world that is relatable and familiar, yet simultaneously adverse and outlandish. He uses experiences from his own life that most if not all of us share and displays it for us in own dark and humorous ways. "Anomalisa" is no exception.

At first, what seems to be an odd choice of storytelling using puppets and stop motion animation, and an even more bizarre decision to have one actor voice literally all but two characters (in-scene music included), immediately becomes clear as the only way this story could have been told. This decision proves to be brilliant as it completely enforces the idea that no one, in the mind of the protagonist, is unique. Giving all of the secondary characters the same face was also a nice touch.

One of the tag lines written by a critique that the trailer uses perfectly sums up this film to the point that I wish I came up with it.

Matt Patches of ESQUIRE writes:

"The most human movie of the year. And it doesn't star a single human." 

That, to me, is a perfect summary of this film. While the choice of animation does create for some odd situations, the underlying message and emotions that the protagonists feel are 100% universal. Everyone has felt them at some point in their life and it is captured perfectly within the tiny sets and small characters.

It is of my opinion that Charlie Kaufman has outdone himself with this film. And I am curious to see how he follows it up.

My Rating: 9/10

Faults (2014)

Written and Directed by Riley Stearns
Starring Leland Orser, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Lance Reddick and Beth Grant

A down-on-his-luck author and foremost expert on mind control is given one last chance to pay back his manager. To do so, he takes a job to try to intervene with one woman whose parents say has been brainwashed by a group called "Faults". But during the job, his life begins to fall apart more so than it had, as he struggles to maintain control of the woman he was hired to help.

While this would be a stretch to categorize this as a comedy, this film has comedic tones that are rich with Coen Brother influences. The dark, situational humor that the sibling directors have become known for has been attempted by few and achieved by an even smaller amount of film makers. Riley Stearn is now apart of that group.

I can't be sure if the similarities were intentional, but being a huge fan of the Coen's, I was very pleased with how this movie played out. It was dark enough to keep it interesting, but humorous enough to maintain a feeling of familiarity amongst it's viewers. And the cult aspect of the story was just an additional element to make it even more riveting.

This film shows just how truly powerful and controlling a cult can be. And how easy it is to fall prey to their message of peace and tranquility, only to realize that it was a thinly veiled lie to achieve the leaders true goal-- spiritual domination.

While sprinkled with a layer of comedy, "Faults" is pretty terrifying film that is not at all outside the realm of possibility. The realism that this could and has happened to thousands of people creates an exceptionally frightening sequence of events that is fascinating to witness.

My Rating: 7.5/10