True Story (2015)

Directed by Rupert Goold
Written by Rupert Goold and David Kajganich, based on the memoir of Michael Finkel
Starring Jonah Hill, James Franco, Felicity Jones and Robert John Burke

When disgraced New York Times reporter Michael Finkel meets accused killer Christian Longo - who has taken on Finkel's identity - his investigation morphs into a game of cat-and-mouse.

A gripping, real life court case that builds in intensity as the story moves along is overshadowed by the distracting combination of Jonah Hill and James Franco trying to be serious at the same time. I am a big supporter of Jonah Hill and his transition to becoming a dramatic actor, but I feel the casting was poorly executed for this film.

Every scene in which the two are by themselves or with other actors are suspenseful and filled with great performances. But when the two share screen time together, every facial expression feels like a lead up to the reveal that this entire thing was a prank, thus turning the direction of the story on a dime and turning it into a raunchy comedy.

Not pictured: Seth Rogen sitting just off frame behind James Franco.

The film was well intended and the story was strong enough to keep me interested. But I can't help but feel that casting the two of them opposite of each other was a good idea. Had it been Jonah Hill and another actor or James Franco and another actor, or even two completely different actors, this could have been a much stronger movie. I love the effort to keep Jonah Hill's career moving. James Franco doesn't need it. He's already been established as a dramatic actor. 

Other than the casting, this was a great story. I don't know how much of it was actually factual in the true story, but it definitely kept me interested. This movie is worth checking out. Just try not to laugh when they're on screen together.

My Rating: 6.5/10

Oscar Best Picture Nominee: The Theory of Everything

With the Oscars coming up in a little over a week, I decided I would take these next few days to discuss my opinions of the Best Picture Nominees.

Directed by James Marsh
Written by Anthony McCarten based on the book by Jane Hawking
Starring Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones and David Thewlis

The relationship of Stephen and Jane Hawking as his ALS begins to deteriorate his body and their struggle to remain happy.

This film had a lot of things going for it. It had top notch performances from all of the actors. The cinematography was stunning and enticing. The direction was surprisingly phenomenal seeing as how James Marsh usually sticks to documentaries. The only thing lacking for me was the story.

Here, you have one of the most intelligent men, not just in modern times, but perhaps the history of the world. You have his struggle with motor neuron disease while he struggles to complete his doctorate at Cambridge. Not to mention the countless scientific break-throughs that Mr. Hawking is responsible for. But they chose to follow in my opinion, one of the least exciting parts of his life. His first marriage.

Not shown: Anything alluring.

I understand that this is based off the memoirs by Jane Hawking, so I only have myself to blame for my expectations of the film versus what it actually was. What I can't grasp is how enough members of the academy thought this was the best picture of the year in order to have it nominated for an Oscar. A nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role? Of course. You'd be crazy not to. But Best Picture?

That seems to be the running theme this year. Every year, you might get one undeserving film in the group. But this year, three of the nominees have no right being there in my mind. It seems this year, the academy has become obsessed with films that could have been so much better than they were. "American Sniper", "Selma" and "The Theory of Everything" are all good movies. But they could have been great.

My Rating: 6/10

Eddie Redmayne's performance: 10/10