Just Before I Go (2014)

Directed by Courteney Cox
Written by David Flebotte
Starring Seann William Scott, Olivia Thirlby, Garret Dillahunt and Kate Walsh

A man in the midst of a divorce realizes his past has created a terrible life for him. So he plans to commit suicide in his hometown, but before he does, he seeks revenge on those who have wronged him. Things don't go according to plan when he finds that people aren't as they were when he was a child.

In similar comedies in which the premise is as dark as this one ("Better Off Dead", "Wilfred") the comedic relief is plentiful and condensed. However, in this film, the comedy is spread out and separated by inspirational and important life lessons. Sort of.

While all of the messages were well meaning and honest, they seemed to clutter the film. It kind of felt like the writer wanted to touch on many subjects instead of just one, so he shoved them all into one storyline.

As far as the humor goes, the entirety of the comedic relief relied solely on Garret Dillahunt's character. Very few laughs were had due to other performances, which is strange for a self described comedy. It had it's humorous moments, but all in all, it kind of fell flat.

This was a decent movie. It had it's moments. And for her feature film directorial debut, Courteney Cox did an excellent job creating a film that flowed well. While certain scenes did drag, the majority of the film moves well. This movie won't blow your mind. But it is enjoyable.

My Rating: 6/10

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 Better Angels (2014)

Written and Directed by A. J. Edwards
Starring Braydon Denney, Jason Clarke, Diane Kruger and Brit Marling

The story of Abraham Lincoln's childhood in the harsh wilderness of Indiana and the hardships that shaped him. His rocky relationship with his father, the tragedy that marked him forever and the two women who guided him to immortality.

The beautiful tragedy that was Abraham Lincoln's childhood always struck me with inspiration. When I first read about his pre-political life, I was dumbfounded that a man who had achieved so much greatness came from virtually nothing and gave himself every single bit of knowledge he would need to become the man that this country owes so much to.

Although, many parts of this movie were undoubtedly fictionalized for the sake of the story, I know for a fact that the main plot points of this film are accurate. And the monologue of the narrator is so incredibly poetic and adds so much to the incredible cinematography that this becomes more of a work of art than entertainment.

"There ain't nothin' worth talkin' about. 

Nobody much worth talkin' to… since he's gone."

Produced by Terrence Malick, I was skeptical of this film, regardless of the fact that it was about my favorite historical figure during the time in his life no one talks about. I am usually not a fan of his style of film making and although he did not direct this, it was shot much like a Malick film.

Perhaps it is my love for Lincoln or perhaps this was just done better than any Malick film, but this was a gorgeous movie. I can't quite pick out what is different from this compared to all of his other movies. Perhaps his protégé just has a better grip than he does at his own style. Maybe it's the lack of pretentiousness that is synonymous with Terrence Malick. Despite what the answer to that is, I love this film. 

"I asked him where'd he get so many blatant lies. 

He told me 'when a story learns you a good lesson, it ain't no lie. 

God tells truths in parables.'"

My Rating: 8/10