Cloverfield (2008)

With the release of 10 Cloverfield Lane only days away, I felt it was fitting to take a look back at the film which shares (in part) the same name.  One can only speculate as to how much of a sequel this new film will be.  From the looks of the trailer, 10 Cloverfield Lane will have a new cast and story-line while continuing to exist in the same universe as the first.  I would be hard pressed to call this a sequel in a traditional sense of the word.  Regardless, Cloverfield is very capable of standing on its own two feet as a welcome addition to the monster/disaster movie genre.

Although I would not consider myself a fan of the 'found footage' style of filming, it can still be an effective means to engage the audience.  Maybe the novelty has worn off for most, but here the handheld camera effect created a more intense viewing experience; we feel very much a part of the disaster. This type of filming eliminates the traditional three act narrative and allows us to jump right into the action with little backstory. Instead of investing time on the character's development we are able to focus almost entirely on the terror being recorded, which is the real strength of the film anyway.

The film centers around Rob, who after a one night stand with close friend Beth, is now very much in love with her.  In the midst of Rob's own going away party, Manhattan is attacked by a vicious monster.  Rob, accompanied by his friends, set out to save Beth and get off the ravaged island. TJ Miller plays Rob's best friend and is the "cameraman" for the film. Miller does a serviceable job tracking his way through the city yet his acting leaves something to be desired.  Generally Miller is quite funny in films, although here his jokes fall flat.

The film shines through its sudden bursts of intense action.  Despite its low budget, Cloverfield is a visual triumph.  It puts the audience right at the ground level, forced to look up and witness the monsters destruction. To watch Manhattan, a city so well known, fall to chaos is both jarring and familiar.  One can feel a strange sense of déjà vu, drawing parallels to the attacks on 9/11-- only now we see what a full scale attack on our soil could look like. Replace the monster for a more realistic adversary and the films true terror message can really hit close to home.

Cloverfield's characters can be frustrating and at times downright unlikable. Their decision to go back and save Beth is almost nonsense in the face of imminent doom.  To make things worse, Rob is arrogant and selfish which makes it hard to root for his survival.

In a nut shell: While Cloverfield may not have the most likable cast of characters, it certainly has enough action and suspense to captivate the audience.  It doesn't get bogged down with an overly complicated plot and serves as a crushing reminder as to how devastating a terrorist attack can be.  It takes everyday Americans and shows that in a moment's notice their entire world can change. The trivial issues in everyday life can suddenly feel insignificant when faced with your own mortality. It's a sobering thought--one that we should reflect on more often.  (2.5 out of 4)

Top 10 of 2015

Overall, it was a  good year for film.  Although the Oscars do a somewhat decent (if not subpar) job at showing off the best in film, there are a few nominations this year that made me scratch my head. In any case, who doesn't like a good top 10 list? Be sure to comment below if you think I am missing a movie or disagree; I haven't seen them all.

1. It Follows- Maybe it's because I'm a sucker for horror but this movie took me out of my comfort zone in a way few films are able to.  It is a unique story, masterfully told, that introduces a new horror folklore we have yet to see in this genre. The film's haunting score enhances an already frightening tale into something far more foreboding.  It is a must see.

2. The Hateful Eight- Tarantino is very much in his element. It is not his best work but certainly in the top half.  Another film with a tremendous score.  Give it a listen after you see the film.

3. Spotlight- My vote for Best Picture (If I had one)

4. Sicario- You want an Oscar Snub? How about Benecio Del Toro's masterful work as the mysterious lawyer/Colombian drug enforcer/CIA agent?  An anti-hero for the ages.  The story also sheds some light on the horrors going on right across our boarders.

5. Steve Jobs- They nominated Bridge of Spies and The Martian over this? Really?!  Some absolutely iconic moments in this film and one that I look forward to re-watching.

6. Creed- The best Rocky film since Rocky.

7. The Big Short-  The performances are exceptional and a complex story is broken down for the audience in a clever way.  I will still need to watch this one again.

8. Straight Outta Compton- A very informative and compelling film about the 90's surge of hip hop in LA.

9. Bone Tomahawk- A western/horror starring Kurt Russell. It is a slow building tale with action that is so abrupt you never feel ready for it.  Might have one the most gruesome scenes in a film that I wish I could 'unsee'.

10. Ex Machina- An engrossing film on first viewing that is mysterious and unpredictable.

Honorable mentions: What we do in the Shadows, Dope, Mad Max.

An aside: I am very anxious to see Son of Saul and feel as though it would have made my list.

Movies You May Have Missed - The Babadook (2014)

The Babadook haunted me. It shook me to my core.  So much so I've watched it four times over. I'm not done, maybe I never will be, and isn't that the critical sign of a great film? The film has an ending, the credits role, but the story and its themes live on through discussion and analysis. It strikes the perfect balance of scares, to engage us on a visceral level, and enough content/ideas to keep us thinking long after the film ends. To successfully create a chilling sense of unease while also being poignant in its message is a rarity and something only a select few horror films have been able to achieve.

The film centers around a mother, Amelia, trying to raise her six year old son, Sam.  He is precocious in some ways but also lacks the social polish most other children his age have already developed. He doesn't listen, has a penchant for violence and speaks freely to everyone. It is clear Amelia is overburdened by the weight of raising her troubled child but keeps her anxiety bottled up. Because of her nature, their contentious relationship remains fairly repressed.  Things take a turn for the worse once a  demon is conjured that inflicts great horror onto the family.  I would go into further detail but any more would be an injustice to the film's ability to stay unpredictable. 

The Babadook hits on certain themes that many films are unable to properly convey usually due to a convoluted plot.  It deals with grief, loneliness and the dangers that can come along when you repress these feelings. 

There is so much content in the film just begging to be dissected -- so many moments that demand exploration and further analysis.  It can be an absolute delight if viewed with the right mind frame. It is a film that takes itself seriously and demands its viewer to do the same, therefore I recommend watching it alone. This is by no means intended for the passive viewer.

The genius of this film is in its obscurity. Is the monster a literal form or simply a conduit for the character's anxiety and fears?  Maybe it's both.  You can interpret the film however you'd like; there is enough left open ended  for viewers to engage in lively debate as to what really is taking place.  

In a nut shell: The Babadook did what few films are able to do, truly scare me. There is so much dread, such foreboding atmosphere it can feel quite unsettling. However, having a sense of dread and feeling scared, to me, are two very different emotions. Some films try to supplant one for the other but to have a perfect horror film you need both to work in congruity.  Being scared is almost indescribable. We can't show it but we can feel it.  There is a childlike innocence to being scared.  When a film can conjure back those emotions with such ease, in a way that doesn't feel cheap, we realize the awesome potential of the genre. 


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The Witch

   2 1/2 Nuts

The Witch serves as a haunting parable whose application spans two distinct time periods.  On the one hand it is a cautionary tale for early colonial America that witches are undoubtedly real, so please be advised.  Simultaneously, The Witch is a tale intended for the current generation, regarding human nature and the divisive powers of religion. Regardless of its audience, The Witch is as chilling as it is thought provoking.

The film manages to keep a steady sense of dread throughout without relying on Hollywood's typical cadence of scare tactics.  What happens off camera may in fact be more terrifying than what is viewed on screen.  Far from conventional horror films, this smaller more "indie-film", certainly does not have the "wide" audience in mind (despite being a wide release).  Many going into the film expecting big scares and a simple plot will be disappointed.  That is not to say the film does not have shocking moments; it most certainly does.

The Witch centers around one family, cast out from a plantation they were a part of, over religious differences with the other settlers. They are sent off to fend for themselves.  The husband is not a good farmer, nor a hunter both vital for survival.  It is apparent the transition borders on untenability, however, the family's trust in god keeps them going. They do not waiver from their faith even when things seem most dire.  Enter the witch, who begins to make the situation much worse by stealing and occasionally possessing the children of the family.

Folklore tales at the time helped solidify public paranoia as to the validity of witches, showing how even the most pious of families can fall to the temptations of the devil.  I do not doubt these folktales are the very same that inspired the witch trials and the murder of innocent girls. Girls stuck in the most unjust of times.

The film effectively shows how religion was everything to these early pioneers. The witch is both a literal being in the film while also serving as a manifestation of the settlers' fears and doubts of making it in America.  She represents greed, lust, temptation, all things forbidden and repressed. They have such a devotion to God that blaming him for such intense hardship wasn't possible.  (God could only be testing them so much) The witch could be that outlet.  A physical being to explain why things were so unrelentingly tough.

An aside: Quality horror films today are scarce. It's a shame. When done right, the horror genre has the ability to explore the dark depths of the human psyche while effectively engaging the audience with an original story. It makes us question what is real and creates a sense of unease to thrust you out of the mundane. This was brilliantly showcased in the past few years with two of my favorite horror films in recent memory, It follows and The Babadook. If you haven't seen those, I suggest you do.

In a Nut shell:  The Witch is a beautifully shot film and the actors do an exceptional job portraying colonial settlers.  With a 1 hour 30 minute runtime The Witch can feel slow.  For a genre that I revere (indie-horror) this film couldn't create that bone chilling feel I was craving. However, it is certainly better than most of the garbage horror films put out today. (2.5 out of 4)

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Deadpool (2016)

2 1/2 Nuts!

Well it is(was) Valentine's Day weekend and this year you once again are pretty limited in terms of quality date night movies.  But if you want to hint to your girlfriend that you don't really care what she thinks then maybe go take her to see Deadpool.  She probably wont like it, but you will.  Also what's the other option, talk? hard pass.

Deadpool is one of the few Marvel "R" rated heroes.  He's more of an anti-hero in that he kills in quite devastating ways with no remorse.  He is also an ass. This is not what most are used to getting out of a Marvel film.  With the abundance of anti-heroes in film today, the concept isn't exactly earth shattering either, we are just not used to seeing it in our superheroes.

This anti-hero notion is juxtaposed in the film through the introduction of two X-men characters (Colossus and some super/fire girl) who come to the aid of Deadpool during the film.  They encompass all the traits that make a hero heroic and show how far off Deadpool's set of beliefs are from the norm.

 Ryan Reynolds plays Deadpool to perfection.  He is bold, disrespectful, and will say just about anything that pops into his childish mind. In many ways, Reynolds plays the role with the same wit and gall he displays in most film roles he is cast in.  Here this persona works perfectly. Reynolds is able to encompass the essence of the Deadpool character so well that it feels as though he was born to play this role.

Yes, the film is violent for the sheer sake of gratuitous violence; that's how we like it.  Most moviegoers who are hoping to see Deadpool shoot and cut people up will not be disappointed.

This isn't a perfect movie but honestly who thought it would be? It suffers from some pacing issues and a love story that is simply there to move the plot along (when is that not the case?).  It is also told in flashbacks that I'm sure were done to seem clever but really only serves to break up the action.  The ending tries to send a message. Something along the lines of, beautiful people are not always superficial and that looks don't matter once you have true love. It sounds like a lot of bs but the films needs to have a happy ending, I guess.

An aside: Can these films find a plot devise that doesn't circle around a love interest? Most of the guys seeing it probably don't have girlfriends, so give them a break.

There are few times that the film pokes fun at Hugh Jackman and one of the Wolverine movies.  If you get the references,  they make for some of the funnier moments in the film.  If you don't get the references, then I'm surprised you want to see this movie in the first place.

In a nut shell: If you're looking for a movie that you can turn your mind pretty much off and just go and have an enjoyable time, this is it. With the multitude of superhero movies released in the past 10 years, Deadpool certainly separates itself from the pack.  It's audacious, outrageous, and crass.  Don't watch it with your parents or do. (2.5 out of 4 nuts)

Warrior Review

                                                           3 Nuts!

Director: Gavin O'Connor

Warrior is about two brothers, Tommy, played by Tom Hardy and Brendon, played by Joel Edgerton.  Tommy, the younger brother has returned home after many years to his father, a recovering alcoholic played by Nick Nolte. His plan is for his father to train him to become a -professional MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) fighter.  Brendon, an ex- professional MMA fighter is employed as a high school teacher.  He is having trouble making enough money to support his family and so he returns to professional fighting in order to earn some much needed additional income. 

For the first hour of the film each of the brothers stories are kept completely separate.  The two have no contact with each other and Tommy doesn’t seem to be in any rush to become reacquainted with his big brother.  Tommy has incredible rancor towards his father and is only staying with him because his father is a great trainer.  The scenes between the father and son are some of the strongest moments in the film.  The viewer learns that the father has been sober for 1000 days and feels contrite for the way things are between him and his sons.  The dad desperately wants to make amends but Tommy is no longer looking for a father figure.  Brendon’s story is also absorbing as the audience watches him transform from a teacher into a great MMA fighter. 

The second half of the film is primarily MMA fight scenes.  The viewer will see a total of 5 fights.  Tommy is intrepid as he relentlessly battles against his opponents.   Brendon’s style however gives the audience a more realistic idea as to how daunting other fighters can be.  These fight scenes are very exhilarating and ultimately build up to an unforgettable final brawl.   At times the fights can seem a bit much in that anyone of them could have been the final fight.  It was hard to imagine that the film would be able to top each preceding fight but it does.

This film explores the limits of both physical and emotional extremes.  The performances are so genuinely convincing that the audience can see and feel the brothers’ anguish.  This is due to the remarkable acting by both Nick Nolte and Tom Hardy.  Tommy is a rather reserved person, but Hardy plays the character extremely well so that the audience can understand where he is coming from.  Unfortunately the good acting is accompanied by some horrendous acting from several of the supporting characters. 

A shortcoming in this film appears to be figuring out who the main character really is.  For the first half of the movie it feels like it is Tommy but by the second half it has shifted somewhat to Brendon.  It was hard to choose who to root for because in the end only one can be the victor. 

Looking at the film from a technical MMA standpoint there is a huge flaw.  There is no blood.  Warrior is a PG-13 movie about an R rated sport.  People unfamiliar to the sport will be shocked when they go to watch a real MMA fight after seeing this film.  There are a few times in the film where a real professional fight would have been stopped; however, they let these keep going in order to build the drama. 

This film at times felt like a big promotional for professional MMA. It glorifies a brutal sport while making an attempt to attract a younger audience.    

In a peaNut Shell: The drama created between the scenes with Tommy and his father was just as captivating as watching the fights themselves.  The film throws in the occasional cliché but that is to be expected.  Overall this is an incredibly exciting and emotionally charged movie.

                                                                                                                   

 First Published in The Daily Targum

Apollo 18 Review

                                                             2 Nuts

                                                           

Director: Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego

Apollo 18 is not a documentary and it is not a true story.  It is a work of fiction that was created primarily for the purpose of entertaining the viewer.  That being said, the director and writer went to great lengths to make sure this picture projected an aura of irrefutable authenticity.  There are no opening credits to this film.  Instead it begins by informing the audience that what they are about to see is recently found footage from an ‘Apollo 18’ space mission.  Embedded in this story is a supposed explanation of why the U.S has never gone back to the moon.  The film starts out rather slow, briefly introducing our 3 main characters who will be sent up to the moon.  Sometimes a slow start is ok but for a film that is a few minutes shy of an hour and a half the first 30 minutes needs to have more going on.  Having said that, what follows, turns out to be at times a frightening ride in space. 

In terms of plot this isn’t something strikingly different from what audiences have seen before.  Astronauts land on the moon to find out that they are not alone.  Staying alive and getting off the moon becomes priority number one.  Unfortunately, the Department of Defense has other plans. 

The entirety of the film appears to have been shot using a handheld camera creating the impression of authentic footage.   The audience will only get to see what the camera’s set up on the space ship or the astronauts’ handheld camera allows.  At times these handheld cameras can be rather vexing to the viewer.  It has a similar feel to “The Blair Witch Project” and “Paranormal Activity.”  The camera shakes, it goes out of focus, and even shuts off multiple times.  The use of this technique does work however in helping create a creepy atmosphere for the film.  

Despite a slow start, there are many moments throughout this film that will make the audience jump. So come into the theater expecting to be repeatedly startled.   Suspense is created effectively by the camerawork.  There is always something popping out at the audience accompanied by a loud screech. But ultimately the payoff is cheap and unimaginative.  Despite all this the movie does create an eerie feel of impending doom.

The dialogue between the two astronauts has no real substance.  It is both sparce and insipid.  The main character is difficult to root for simply because he is given no opportunity to develop or change.  He is just an astronaut in space who wants to get back to his family.  Not enough depth goes into this character for the audience to really care if he lives or dies. 

Is this movie just about another United States government conspiracy?  Are the Aliens trying to prevent the astronauts from leaving the lunar surface?  Are all rocks really aliens? These and many more questions will be posed as the film progresses but none will be answered. 

In a peaNut Shell: Apollo 18 is an interesting idea and works to some extent.  It is very slow early on and the payoff is not all that spectacular.  At times it can be scary thanks to the use of clever camera work and a good set of speakers.  At other times this movie can feel vapid and boring. The good parts in the film slightly out way the negatives.  In short, if nothing worthwhile is on TV, go see it.

First Published in The Daily Targum