Oscar Best Picture Nominee: Boyhood

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.

"Boyhood"
Written and Directed by Richard Linklater
Starring Ellar Coltrane, Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke and Lorelei Linklater

Formally known as "The 12 Year Project", "Boyhood" is a groundbreaking film in which Richard Linklater told the story of a boy growing up by using the same actors and filming a little bit each year to show the highlights of his life at each age.

I'm not going to lie to you guys. Some of you will not like this movie. I could sit here and say it's because you won't understand it, but that's simply not true. I have heard from others that they felt this film was slow-moving and uneventful, and I completely see where they are coming from. But I have to disagree.

While the image above is the main reason why I believe this film deserves every bit of attention it is getting, I also believe that it is a story every single one of us can relate to. Man or woman. At the surface it doesn't feel like much, but when you really dig deep into your own past you can truly connect with Mason. His growth as a person, every single person reading this has dealt with that. The struggle to really find your identity and figure out who you want to become.

It gives us such an impressive and immersive look into how we are all in control of our own destiny. Every decision we make affects the outcome of our lives. And whether that gives you solace or anxiety is up to you. Personally, it gives me solace. And the three hours of this movie go by smoothly and seems like less time than that.

I will not promise to everyone that you will love this movie. I know for a fact some of you might not even get through it. What I can promise you is a film like nothing you have ever seen before. And while you might not be able to connect with every aspect of Mason's life, I guarantee that there is something in there that is a little piece of you. Watch this movie!

My Rating: 9.5/10

Iron Sky (2012)

Directed by Timo Vuorensola
Written by Jarmo Puskala, Johanna Sinisalo, Michael Kalesniko and Tim Vuorensola
Starring Julia Dietze, Christopher Kirby, Götz Otto and Peta Sergeant

In 1945, the Allies of World War II defeated the Nazi's. But what they didn't realize is that some of the most prominent members of the National Socialist Party (including Hitler) traveled to the dark side of the moon and started an Aryan space colony. When an American astronaut is caught by them in 2018, it sets forth a plan for the Nazi's to return and take over the planet.

Sometimes as an avid movie watcher, you just get tired of watching heavy movies. They ware you down. So during those times, you seek out the most ridiculous movie you can find. Some ways you can search for movies like this are the topic you feel like watching, then adding the word "space".

This movie is so gleefully terrible and ridiculous that I'm pretty sure the script only had two words over and over again. "Space Nazis. Space Nazis. Space Nazis". Complete with a Sarah Palin-esque president, a black man that is turned white with Nazi science, a beautiful blond woman, Zeppelin shaped space ships and references to the German film "Downfall".

Nazi science? Did he say Nazi science?

If you go into this movie expecting anything other than absurdness, you will hate it. And this is not a good movie at all. But if you go in with the right mind, you will enjoy it for it's silliness. The only thing missing from it is a Nazi riding a T-Rex.

Which WILL be in the sequel!!!

My Rating: 2/10 (But in a good way)

Oscar Best Picture Nominee: Birdman

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.

"Birdman: Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" (2014)
Directed by Alejandro González Iñúrritu
Written by Alejandro González Iñúrritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris Jr., Armando Bo
Starring Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, Edward Norton, Zach Galifianakis and Naomi Watts

A washed-up actor, best known for his role as "Birdman", the protagonist of a super hero franchise attempts to recover his family, career and himself just days before his passion-project play opens on Broadway.

An in depth look at what it's like to be an aging type-cast actor, while still trying to maintain your dignity, "Birdman" nails it on all fronts. The acting is unmatched by any ensemble in recent years and the cinematography is unmatched in the entirety of cinema history.

With seamless editing, the majority of the movie appears as though it is an hour, forty-one minutes and 18 seconds (Yes, I timed it) of one continuous, unbroken shot. To put that in perspective, that means the actors had to roughly 10-15 minutes of dialogue, blocking and action without messing up. And if anything went wrong in that shot (camera work, lighting, sound, acting etc.) they would have to do it all over again.

How many miles do you think they walked, just

resetting for each take?

While every film, good or bad, is a work of art, "Birdman" takes the art of cinema to a whole other level. And while it's not my favorite movie of 2014, I believe it is the most deserving for the Best Picture Oscar this year. It's a close race, so we'll know on February 22nd.

My Rating: 10/10

Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)

Directed by Matthew Vaughn
Written by Jane Goldman and Matthew Vaughn
Based on the Comic by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons
Starring Taron Egerton, Colin Firth, Mark Strong and Samuel L. Jackson

A troubled young man is recruited by the secret organization his Father worked for to become an agent. While training to become a Kingsman, the world becomes in danger of a villain who is planning to wipe out much of the human race.

While I have not read the comic book, I can only imagine that this is a close representation of it. It was a fun and intense thrill ride that never made the mistake we see so commonly in action movies nowadays, taking itself too seriously. Throughout, it remains light and comical, even when characters die. Just when you think it's going to become dark and brooding like every comic book movie has become today, it surprised you with a joke. And a hilarious one at that.

There is no other singular word to describe this movie than "bad ass".  The heroes are bad ass. The villains are bad ass. Killing the entirety of the fictional version of the Westboro Baptist Church is bad ass. It is filled with intense fight sequences and suspenseful scenes that, regardless of whether or not you think you know what will happen, they keep you second guessing yourself.

I would suggest this movie over any poorly written and incompetently acted movie that just so happened to also be released this weekend (It which shall not be named). If you won't do it for me, do it for Samuel L. Jackson with a lisp…

Hold on to your butts…

My Rating: 7/10

Charlie Countryman (2013)

Directed by Fredrick Bond

Written by Matt Drake

Starring Shia Labeouf, Evan Rachel Wood, Madds Mikkelsen, Til Schweiger

After his mother passes away, Charlie Countryman falls in love with the daughter of a man who died on his flight to Bucharest, Romania. Becoming immediately infatuated with her, he discovers that her ex-husband is a jealous an dangerous man who threatens Charlie with his life if he does not stay away from her.

This film is not what I expected it to be. It began as a film about loss and coping and evolved into something less interesting. The persistence of Charlie's love knows no motive except that it is presented to us on screen. He has no reason for any of his actions (excluding flying to Romania) other than the movie says it happens.


It begins as a beautiful movie where two people grieving with loss grow closer together through their mutual understanding. But then expects us to go along with it when it's protagonist turns into a stalker who has no fear for his life or regard for the life of the woman he claims to love.


On the positive side, it is beautifully shot and excellently acted by all involved. And many of the scenes are well written. It just seems as if the writer changed his mind on the kind of movie he wanted to write halfway through it.


My love for the movie dropped slowly as it went on, but never passed the point where I wouldn't recommend it. The first and second half just felt like completely different movies, each good in their own right, but unfitting with each other.


My Rating: 5.9/10

And the Award for Most Pretentious

Movie Poster goes to…

Oscar Best Picture Nominee: American Sniper

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.

"American Sniper"
Directed by Clint Eastwood
Written by Jason Hall
Based on book of the same name by Chris Kyle with Scott McEwan and James Delfelice
Starring Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Jake McDorman and Sammy Sheik

The story of the most lethal sniper in American history, Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, this film tells the story of tours in Iraq and his struggles with PTSD, in possibly one of the most honest films about the struggles of an American Soldier.

Before I get started, I'm going to get all the political controversy out of the way. I personally didn't agree with the Iraq War. I never understood why we were there, and I was glad when the troops were removed. What I think is messed up is people using this movie as an example for why we shouldn't have been there. This is not a story about the Iraq War. This is the story of ONE MAN and his experiences in the war so many people didn't agree with.

People are saying that this film glorifies war. Unless you think death is awesome and seeing your friend get shot in the face is a sign of a great day, I don't see how this glorifies war at all. And if you do think that it glorifies war, maybe you should see a psychiatrist, because something is clearly wrong with you.

If you actually paid any attention to the film, he didn't want to keep going back to kill more Iraqi's. He wanted to keep going back because he felt guilty for stranding them out there and not being able to have any say in their fate. I don't know many veterans that have served in wars like this one, but the ones I do know, I can tell you that that feeling was mutual between many of them. It's not about a desire to kill, it's about a desire to try to save your friends.

Rant over. Now to discuss the movie.

Overall, I think this is a powerful film. Whether you agree with the war or not, or whether you think it portrayed Chris Kyle "too humanely" (which I think is ludicrous that someone would even say that) it is undeniably a powerful film. Do I think it is Best Picture worthy? No. But I don't get to vote on it, so that doesn't really matter.

While it is compelling, it didn't feel like it took any risks. To me, risks are a major factor for the Best Picture category. You cannot progress an industry without taking risks. But that is something I feel has been a problem with the Academy for quite sometime. Very few of the nominees this year take risks.

It was a very standard story. And while it was a side of a soldiers life many of us haven't seen in person, they didn't focus too much time on the subject.

I know it's confusing when I say this was a remarkable film, then turn around and say it isn't best picture worthy. But you have to remember, I see an obscene amount of movies. And many of them are much more impressive than this.

And I just want to ask Clint Eastwood what was so hard about getting a real baby?

And that is why Mr. Eastwood wasn't

nominated for Best Director

My Rating: 9/10

The Last Five Years (2014)

Directed by Richard LaGravenese
Written by Jason Robert Brown (Original Stage Play) and Richard LaGravenese (Screenplay)
Starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan

A musical about a struggling actress and her successful novelist husband as they each show their side of the story of their short marriage. Simultaneously showing the breakdown from end to beginning of what made them so great together as well as building it up to when it all falls apart, this eerily beautiful film spares no time before throwing the punches.

Opening with a heartbreaking song about her husband leaving her, Anna Kendrick draws you in and sticks her big, depressing hooks in you. Beautifully melancholy, you immediately feel her pain and become immersed in the story with the first notes.

Who hurt you, Anna?… WHO HURT YOU?!

While I feel this is probably much better as a stage play than it is as a film, it was certainly and intriguing movie. The initially thought the jumping back and forth between times would be distracting and/or confusing, the musical aspect of it made it very easy to follow. And onto of all that, the songs were enchanting. I can't get over how hauntingly sincere the opening song "Still Hurting" is, and how quickly it set the tone for her pain.

Note: That link, unfortunately, isn't to Anna Kendrick's rendition of that song, but beautiful regardless.

This musical won't go down in history with the likes of "Les Misérables" and other classic musicals. But it is definitely worth the watch if you enjoy them.

My Rating: 6/10