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

Shrink (2009)

Directed by Jonas Pate
Written by Thomas Moffett, based on the story by Henry Reardon
Starring Kevin Spacey, Mark Webber, Keke Palmer and Dallas Roberts

Unable to cope with a recent personal tragedy, LA's top celebrity shrink turns into a pothead with no concern for his appearance and a creeping sense of his inability to help his patients.

A humorous, yet dark mosaic of the protagonists patients' lives, this film does a great job of bringing out the comedy in tragedy. The lives of the characters are all connected through mutual loss, drug addiction and depression, yet somehow find themselves amidst the chaos.

Kevin Spacey is fantastic, as has come to be expected from the two-time Academy Award Winner. He continues to prove himself as an actor that makes other actors better. That fact is most apparent in the scenes he shares with Keke Palmer.

I wouldn't go far to say that the young actress isn't talented. I would just leave it at her inexperience. Before this film, she had yet to impress me. And even as the troubled student aspiring to become a filmmaker, she never wowed. But it was definitely an improvement from other roles.

With a very basic and overdone plot, this movie won't stick out above many others. It is relatively formulaic and easy to predict. But it is definitely not a waste of two hours. I enjoyed it thoroughly. It's entertaining. And in the end, that's all you really need from a movie.

My Rating 6.5/10

The Salton Sea (2002)

Directed by D.J. Caruso
Written by Tony Gayton
Starring Val Kilmer, Vincent D'Onofrio, Doug Hutchison and Peter Sarsgaard

After his wife is murdered, a man drifts into a world populated by thugs and speed junkies. He struggles to identify with both his past life and his new one, where danger lurks at every corner.

A perfect combination with equal parts Scorsese, Guy Ritchie, western and classic noir films, "The Salton Sea" is a dark thriller filled with great performances and writing. It perfectly captures the feel of those classic private detective movies, flipping it around and telling it from a junky/informant's perspective.

The most notable performance in this movie is hands down Vincent D'Onofrio as "Pooh-Bear". One thing that he continually proves is his ability to be intimidating and comedic simultaneously. As the nose-less, drug cooking murderer, he casts a shadow of unease and commands the screen with every scene. And just when you think he's going to go completely dark, he'll do something that changes the mode of the scene on a dime.

One thing that I couldn't take seriously was the relationship between Val Kilmer and Peter Sarsgaard's character. It reminded me much of the Frodo/Sam relationship from "The Lord of the Rings". There was this unintentional "will they, won't they" tension throughout. Somewhat ending with the Frodo character being surrounded the fiery death of Mordor.

"I'm your Sam!"

Overall, this was a decent, enjoyable movie. It's not without it's faults, but few movies are. But the noir-style writing, filming and editing of this film make it a unique modernization of a once lost genre. In that sense, it is a beautiful homage to an entire decade of cinema.

My Rating: 7/10

Rudderless (2014)

Directed by William H. Macy
Written by Casey Twenter, Jeff Robinson and William H. Macy
Starring Billy Crudup, Anton Yelchin, Felicity Huffman and Laurence Fishburne

A grieving father in a downward spiral stumbles across a box of his recently deceased son' demo tapes and lyrics. Shocked by the discovery of his unknown talent, he forms a band in the hop of finding some catharsis.

I'm really struggling to find a way to write this review that doesn't contain any spoilers. There is so much I want to say about this film that needs context to explain, but said context would involve me giving away so much of the emotional impact of this movie. So if you watch this movie, please please PLEASE let me know so we can discuss it.

This is William H Macy's feature film directorial debut and he hit a home run. This movie has everything that makes a great movie. The acting, the writing and the social context all make for a intensely emotional film on both ends of the spectrum. Not only that, but it is topped off with incredible original songs that rival the world's most famous musician's and is actually performed by the cast!

There is still so much I want to tell you about, but I know it will only ruin you experience watching it if I do. Do yourself a favor. Watch it and come talk to me so we can discuss it! I'm dead serious! Since I can't say what I want to about this movie, I'll just leave you with one of the amazing songs in it.

My Rating: 9/10

The Broken Circle Breakdown (2012)

Directed by Felix van Groeningen
Written by Carl Joos and Felix van Groeningen, based on the play by Johan Heldenberg and Mieke Dobbels with collaboration from Charolette Vandermeersch
Starring Johan Heldenberg, Veerle Baetens, Nell Cattrysse and Geert van Rampelberg

A religiously devout tattoo artist and an atheist banjo player obsessed with bluegrass music form an unlikely romance and instantly fall in love despite their differences. Years later, their daughter becomes ill, putting new strains on their relationship.

A heartbreaking story about the stresses of having a child with cancer, this film explores that terribly common scenario with a couple who have two separate views of the afterlife. In a brutally honest, yet with a hint of reverence, the filmmakers tackle such controversial topics as religion, stem cell research and the separation of church and state.

The two leading actors give painfully sincere performances, depicting the parents who may lose their only child. And the fact that the two performed the music throughout only adds to the impressive feat. The way the director uses delicately chosen songs to push the plot forward, while also giving more insight to where the characters are at emotionally, is truly a task that should not be overlooked. It is impeccable how well these songs say so much, yet don't bring the flow of the film to a screeching halt.

And the songs are pretty damn good, too.

One of the most unexpected thing in this movie is the performance of the little girl who plays their daughter. It is rare that a young actress such as herself can be convincing in their performances. I found myself thinking that they had hired one of their daughters to play her, but that was not the case. She just seemed so natural with them.

While the story is a heavy one and it may be hard to watch at times, "The Broken Circle Breakdown" is one of the more powerful films I have seen. And although it has only been about three years since it's release, I can tell that it is a timeless story that people will be able to connect with decades from now.

My Rating: 8/10