Category Archives: Drama

03.15.16
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10 Cloverfield Lane

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10 Cloverfield Lane is a movie nobody had any idea existed until two months ago, when the trailer was released and the movie was no longer kept a secret. The trailers (whose very secretive style comes from producer J.J. Abrams) did not reveal anything about the story but still intrigued me. It was only referred to as a “spiritual successor” to Cloverfield, and never a sequel. We never knew what to expect, and with such an incredible style of marketing, 10 Cloverfield Lane ultimately did not let me down. The thrilling plot buildup always kept me on the very edge of my seat, thanks to spectacular cinematography and directing from first-time feature-length director Dan Trachtenberg. The movie almost felt like a mystery, but much more like a thriller with lots of twists and suspense that kept my eyes on the screen. The cast is outstanding, with a great leading role played by Scott Pilgirm vs. the World‘s Mary Elizabeth Winstead. She conveys her character very realistically, and felt like a terrific protagonist. John Goodman is fantastic in his role as a man who may or may not be a psychopath, and John Gallagher Jr. is also very good in the one other role in the film. There is also a voice cameo in the film that I was not able to catch, but I was informed by the credits, so stay on the lookout for a familiar voice toward the beginning of the movie.

The movie pulled me in from the very moment it started, and I was always guessing how the movie would turn out to be, as many pot points turn out to not be what they seem. The reason I did not mention the plot in the beginning of this review is because it is best to walk into this film without any expectations at all, like I did. The movie’s trailer tells you nothing about the movie’s plot, and I had no idea what the film was actually about. The trailers don’t give you anything about the story, and only teases a few scenes from the movie. I was glad I knew nothing about how the movie would play out or even the basic plot, because part of the great experience sitting through this movie was the suspense and the feeling of oblivion throughout. The movie’s genre and story-line is nothing like Cloverfield‘s, so don’t walk in expecting another found footage film filled with destruction and monster madness. This movie is a claustrophobic thriller with a cast about as large as Gravity‘s, and it’s a much better film as well. My one issue with the movie is that the ending could have been handled a bit better, as it feels like a mystery that can only have two outcomes, and it ends in the one way I was really hoping it wouldn’t. I feel it ended that way for fans’ sake, but it may have been a better film with the other outcome. I did not hate the ending though, it was enjoyable (but also rushed), and leaves a few loose ends for you to guess for yourself. I am so glad I had the opportunity to watch a film like 10 Cloverfield Lane in theaters, it’s definitely worth a watch if you are a fan of thrillers, and want a movie to keep you on the edge of your seat.

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02.18.16
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Bridge of Spies

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During the Cold War, James B. Donovan, an American lawyer portrayed cleverly by Tom Hanks, is recruited to defend an arrested Soviet spy in court, and then help the CIA facilitate an exchange of the spy for the Soviet captured American U2 spy plane pilot, Francis Gary Powers.

Bridge of Spies is what may be the finest period piece of 2015. Nobody knows how to make these movies like Steven Spielberg does, and his directing highly pays off in this film. Instead of delivering us a huge history lesson of the Cold War, Spielberg gives us a small court drama that takes place during the Cold War. Both Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance deliver great performances, with Tom Hanks digging into his character and making him feel real, and Mark Rylance completely disappearing into his role and providing a slight sense of humor. Although he isn’t too much in the film, Rylance delivers a very realistic performance that he deserves an Oscar nomination for, at the most. Hanks, who has the most screen-time in the movie, entertains and carries on the movie with great humor and monologues, and his character feels very challenged but motivated while defending a member the opposing side of the war. This may be one of Hanks’ finest performances in a Spielberg movie.

What makes Bridge of Spies stand out more than anything else is its directing. Spielberg is doing what he does best with this movie, developing an interesting thriller from such a small subject within a bigger one in our history. It teaches you enough about the setting, but just the right amount to let it focus on the smaller story as well. The way the movie is finds such a thrilling and interesting story within a larger subject as done very well and in a very focused way by Spielberg. In most scenes, he lets the camera flow without many cuts, and it works perfectly in many shots. The story never drags, and there  isn’t ever a dull moment or a scene that doesn’t feel as realistic as the rest. The script from the Coen Brothers is also fantastic, and the writing always felt alive and very thoughtful as well. The script did a great job at delivering every scene’s point clearly, and did well at conveying the movie’s message. The movie’s ending was very satisfying, as the movie has an excellent climax, as well as a delivering ending.

As a Best Picture nominee of this year, Bridge of Spies rewarding enough to be considered worthy of its nomination. With great performances, directing, and writing, Bridge of Spies is one of the must-sees of 2015. See this movie expecting a very talky movie, and not much action, but I think most younger viewers will enjoy this movie, so you should check this one out soon, as it is now on Blu-ray and other home media.

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02.06.16
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Hail, Caesar!

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In the most recent film from the Coen brothers, Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) is a Hollywood “fixer” helping the production of the film Hail Caesar, starring famous actor Baird Whitlock (George Clooney). When a drugged Whitlock is kidnapped by a group named The Future, Mannix is the one in charge of collecting $100,000 and rescuing him. This hilarious comedy also stars an ensemble of Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, Tilda Swinton, Ralph Fiennes, Jonah Hill, and Frances McDormand.

Hail, Caesar! aspires to act as many things: a love letter to the golden age of Hollywood, a hilarious and insanely fun comedy, and an interesting look at Communist beliefs of Hollywood’ hypocrisy. Mostly, this movie succeeds at that. Hail, Caesar is the kind of movie that casts the most famous faces from other Coen brothers movies in only cameos, that has a lengthy but awesome dance number from Channing Tatum (which the other scenes have really nothing to do with), and that loses some sense in its climax with a goal to merely entertain. There was never a dull moment in the movie, I was always pulled in and very entertained. The directing is always spot-on. The tension is always built up perfectly, and every scene cuts to the next right when it needs to. The cinematography from Roger Deakins was great, and he helped bring the style of old Hollywood to life with his camerawork. There were some shots that really impressed me, a few longer than the others, and the cinematography barely ever felt out of place. The score also fits the theme of the movie, and doesn’t ever get too repetitive.

Josh Brolin delivers a spot-on performance as the lead, and he always entertains with his witty dialogue and charm. George Clooney was quite hilarious as a kidnapped actor, who shines in every scene he’s in. Alden Ehrenreich plays a cowboy actor in quite a funny role as well, and the small but more well-known ensemble are great. Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton, and Channing Tatum were all so great in their small roles, and I loved the way their characters were handled. However, they could have been in the film for long, especially Johansson, to better handle their subplots. I loved all the visual imagery of the film, and like I said, it tries be many different things, and thankfully succeeds. The movie’s short length ultimately pays off, considering how silly and fun the final act turned out to be. In many ways, this movie reminds me of 2014’s The Grand Budapest Hotel, with both their ambition, comedic tone, witty screenplay, and relatively short runtimes. Both of them have early release dates, but they are both begging for Oscar love, that of which Grand Budapest Hotel has already received. Although the movie has a specific target audience, and may not be for everyone, I think most moviegoers will love Hail, Caesar! like I did.

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01.25.16
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Room

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Room tells the extraordinary story of Jack, a spirited 5-year-old who is trapped in a windowless, 10-by-10-foot space he and his Ma call Room. Ma has created a whole universe for Jack within Room, and she will stop at nothing to ensure that, even in this treacherous environment, Jack is able to live a complete and fulfilling life. But as Jack’s curiosity about their situation grows, and Ma’s resilience reaches its breaking point, they enact a risky plan to escape, ultimately bringing them face-to-face with what may turn out to be the scariest thing yet: the real world.

Based on a fantastic novel, Room is able to tell a realistic, captivating and emotional tale with great directing, writing, and wonderful performances. Brie Larson delivers what could be the best female performance of the year. Her motherly soul feels realistic and there with her every moment she’s on screen. She has excellent chemistry here with young star Jacob Tremblay, who also delivers a marvelous performance here. They feel so intimately connected as mother and son, and they both blew me away in this film. Tremblay is also great as Jack, and since the story is told through his character’s eyes, he gets a lot of time to shine in this amazing breakthrough role for him. I would be pleased if Larson were to win the Academy Award, she is very well-deserving of the award, at least as much as the other nominees.

The movie is captivating from the start to the very end. The movie’s setting immediately fascinates and brings a very believable and realistic story to the screen. The writing is always on the spot, and a few lines within the script will make you tremble. However, there are a few minor but important points of exposition that were mentioned in the book, and that the movie should have clarified to be a tad more understandable for people who haven’t read the book. Sometimes, the movie’s score is out of place, as there are a few parts where the music did not fit into the intended tone of the scene in the film. The climax halfway throughout the film is just as intense as it should have been, and seeing an incredible story like this one being brought to the screen feels like an achievement for such small (as in independent) filmmakers. The movie has excellent directing, as it’s a daring challenge to put two young actors in a room, and have them prepare for their roles for so long. Although the directing isn’t perfect, due to the minor flaws I stated earlier, it’s mostly on point, and I’m proud that the director dared to take on such a strong and interesting topic and make the product feel very real and emotionally heavy.

Room is thrilling, emotional, and very well-made, and I would definitely recommend you see it, as it’s worth all the Oscar buzz it’s getting. I would love to see Brie Larson win the Oscar for her performance in this film, and I hope it does well in it’s other categories, too.

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01.22.16
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The Revenant

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Based on true events, The Revenant stars Leonardo DiCaprio in Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s recent masterpiece. DiCaprio plays fur trapper Hugh Glass, a frontiersman on a fur trading expedition in the 1820s along with his son and a dozen hunters. He fights for survival after being mauled by a bear and left for dead by members of his own hunting team.

Having swept up this year’s Golden Globe awards, I knew I was up for something when I walked into The Revenant. I had been looking forward to the film since the trailer was released in July, and of course because of its director and cast. In The Revenant, Inarritu scores big with an impressive, breathtaking scale that must be experienced on the big screen. The Revenant is not only a work of art, but is also a beautiful, although gory, experience of cinema. Inarritu tries his best here to work in the key of Terrence Malick, and in ways this movie does feel like an anti-thesis to The Tree of Life; instead of showing you the joy of life with Malick’s style of visual storytelling, Inarritu uses this style to show strong, gruesome violence and death, and uses silence here perfectly to depict the film’s natural setting as realistically as possible.

Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, who has proven to be one of the best cinematographers in contemporary Hollywood with films like Gravity and Birdman, demonstrates what may be his best work with this movie. Like every other film he’s shot, he tries to keep as many little takes as possible, and it pays off very well here, adding to the intensity the film delivers, as well as the beauty (and danger) of the setting our hero is pit against. Speaking of our hero, Leonardo DiCaprio delivers a marvelous and excellent performance here. Lubezki’s camera is pointed at him for almost the entire film, and DiCaprio transforms into his character both physically and mentally, with little dialogue and lots of action. His performance feels so realistic, and I was shocked to find out that he actually did all the unbelievable things his character did to survive in the film, like eating raw fish and sleeping inside a horse’s carcass. Is his performance worth all the awards buzz he’s getting? I would definitely say yes to that, as his performance is so riveting and unbelievable, I would love for this to be his long-awaited Oscar-winning performance. Tom Hardy is also great in his villainous supporting role; he felt very threatening and was developed very well.

What helps make this movie so real and breathtaking is its use of practical silence to show you the realism of the setting, like I said before. Even the quietest moments in the movie can be breathtaking. The sound is used so well that it adds such a great effect to the frightening realism of the movie. We are pulled into the vastness of nature as our protagonist advances through his journey. Every scene feels special in it’s own way, from the 10-minute opening battle which feels like the opening minutes of Saving Private Ryan, and an intense scene with a bear that feels like an achievement in action filmmaking. With a relatively long runtime and flawless filmmaking, Inarritu brings this adventure to life in the most realistic way.

If there is one movie you should see from 2015, it’s The Revenant. The Revenant is not only one of the best filmed movies of the year, but also of the decade. Although incredibly graphic and not for young viewers, I would absolutely recommend it to anyone, ideally 15 and up, that is searching for the perfect Oscar-worthy film of the year. The experience is ideal on the big screen, so please go see this movie in theaters as soon as you can.

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01.03.16
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The Big Short

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The Big Short follows the true story of four outsiders in the world of high-finance, who predicted the credit and housing bubble collapse of the mid-2000s and decide to take on the big banks for their lack of foresight and greed.

Ever since I heard about this film, I knew I was up for something, especially because of the director and four main actors. This movie gave me everything I wanted from it. The stars, screenplay, directing, and humor were all excellent and made this film so entertaining. It follows in the footsteps of The Wolf of Wall Street, being another financial true story filled with cursing, humor, celebrity cameos, and fourth-wall breaks. The only difference from those basics is that this film is an achievement from a more amateur director in the genre. Adam McKay has directed some of my favorite comedies, including Anchorman and Step Brothers among others, and I loved seeing him venture into a more dramatic territory with this film. From beginning to end, the movie entertained the hell out of me, and even its ways of exposition to explain the financial laws of the story are made fun.

The stars in this film blew me away. Christian Bale completely transforms into the role, delivering a very realistic and human performance. Bale is one of my favorite actors and he was practically unrecognizable with his portrayal of Michael Burry and the character’s eccentric personality. Steve Carell also strikes with his performance as a somewhat mentally unstable broker who also finds himself able to profit from the economic collapse. Carell entertained and really delivered in his hilarious role. Ryan Gosling is also fun to watch on screen with his narration and nearly constant fourth-wall breaks. Brad Pitt is solid as well, but is not as frequent on screen as the rest of the main ensemble.

Even if you are not someone who would understand something as complicated as CDOs and other key financial items leading to the collapse, this movie’s script and directing makes this film entertaining and worth watching for everyone. I applaud Adam McKay for trying something new (especially not having Will Ferrell cast as his lead for the first time), and I hope I can see him do something like this again in the future. I am glad this movie got recognition at the Golden Globe nominee list, and hopefully it goes big at the Oscars this year as well.

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01.02.16
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My Awesome Year of 2015

My year of 2015 was quite huge! My site has thrived now, as I have been expanding it through lots of social media and have spreading it to many people I know and have yet to know! Thank you to all of you who are following and enjoy reading my reviews! I will make a Top 10 Movies of 2015 list once I am able to see every 2015 movie that deserves to be there, so expect reviews for films like Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Revenant, The Hateful Eight, The Big Short, Room, and more on my site very soon, and after that I will rank my 10 favorites on YouTube. Looking forward into 2016, I will also make a video covering my 10 most anticipated movies of 2016. So thank you to everyone who stuck around for 2015, and I hope to see you all in 2016!

Here’s an excerpt from a consensus WordPress made covering my year of 2015 on this site:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 4,600 times in 2015. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 4 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

12.12.15
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Brooklyn

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An Irish immigrant lands in 1950s Brooklyn, where she quickly falls into a new romance. When her past catches up with her, however, she must choose between two countries and the lives that exist within.

Brooklyn is without a doubt one of my favorite movies of the year. Brooklyn is  incredibly stylish, sweet, heartfelt, emotional, and well-acted. Saoirse Ronan delivers my favorite female performance of the year as a very compelling and interesting character who immigrates across the globe and has her life changed in both New York and Ireland. Ronan conveyed every feeling and emotion so realistically, and allowed the audience to relate to her closely. Throughout the film, I felt myself emotionally compelled, at times I was laughing, smiling, and even almost crying at other times, all thanks to Ronan’s deep and strong performance, as well as the way this movie was able to convey every emotion into the film. When Ronan’s character has to make decisions, you are always provoked to think how you would make them yourself. The movie delivers with a great story and screenplay, with a necessarily moderate length, a tad less than 2 hours, but still fits the story perfectly. Everything about the set and costume designing was great as well. I found Brooklyn to be a movie that has something great that has something for everyone, so I definitely recommend a big screen experience for this film.

Brooklyn delivers a great story with fantastic emotions, performances, and has something for everyone, no matter what your taste in film is like. If you want a charming and amazing time at the movies, I would recommend you see this.

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11.28.15
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Trumbo

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Trumbo depicts the life and career of iconic but controversial screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, portrayed fantastically by Bryan Cranston. In the ’50s, during times of the Cold War, Trumbo and many other Hollywood  celebrities were jailed and blacklisted for being part of the Communist Party, but against strong odds, Trumbo fights for what he believes is right and what he loves throughout the movie.

Trumbo is a one-of-a-kind film this year, with great performances, an entertaining story, and has an important history lesson. Bryan Cranston delivers a marvelous performance with every move he makes, every word he speaks, and every step he takes, literally, and forward into time. Cranston transforms into the character and is able to deliver the personality of such a complex icon. Diane Lane, Helen Mirren, and the rest of the cast are also great. Trumbo’s adventures and struggles throughout the movie are fascinating and entertaining. It was very exciting to discover the background of many classics such as Roman Holiday. Everything that had to do with movies was extremely interesting for such a film love like me. It may have felt longer than 2 hours, which is the film’s run-time, but I enjoyed the hell out of its nonetheless. In fact, I barely wanted the film to end at times.

Trumbo is able to also convey an important history lesson about a dark time for Hollywood stars, as thousands were blacklisted for their beliefs, something unjust for the American Congress to do. People like Dalton Trumbo had a hard time going through being blacklisted, and this movie does an excellent job conveying that. Trumbo’s redemption story is told very well throughout the film, and is boasted by Cranston’s outstanding performance. This is a movie that requires some patience and will to feel affected by such a thoughtful movie. It’s not a movie you go out to enjoy, but more of a film you see to learn, to understand, and to be touched.

Trumbo is an entertaining, moving, fantastic biographical film with a thoughtful message, great performances, and has a somewhat entertaining factor that still requires patience, but ultimately you will find yourself touched and very entertained by this movie.

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10.22.15
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The Walk

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The Walk tells the fascinating true story of French acrobat Philippe Petit, who in 1974 hung a wire between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center and walked on it.

Since after Forrest Gump, my favorite drama movie, was released and stole the Oscars that year, not many of Robert Zemeckis’ films have been appreciated and recognized as being his (with exceptions like Cast Away and Flight). The Walk is hopefully a return for him. A visual spectacle with a fascinating topic, The Walk delivers a fantastic storyline, lots told through constant narration from an extraordinary protagonist (like in Forrest Gump). Joseph Gordon-Levitt delivers his best performance yet as the daring French artist, nailing a French accent and perfectly capturing the heart and soul of Petit. He captures every single emotion of the character terrifically and really transforms into the role. Knowing the movie is a true story makes you think more about the movie and the person Petit is. The supporting actors including Ben Kingsley are also great, but the spotlight always seems to be pointed on Gordon-Levitt, never pulling our interest away from him, but we are often wishing a few characters were a bit more developed.

The score by Alan Silvestri, who has frequently collaborated with Zemeckis on features like Back to the Future and Forrest Gump, is once again a wonderful score, brilliant, beautiful in many aspects, and soothing to listen to. The visual effects are, of course, flawless, and absolutely amazing to look at, with the Twin Towers being shown with amazing CGI, and although some details are obviously CGI, they are still very well done, which is a great accomplishment because obvious CGI is often irritating in modern cinema. Robert Zemeckis is a master of visual effects, having perfected them in every movie he has directed. Although the film ended up focusing more on the plot than the visual beauty, it still gives enough times for the visuals to shine. The plot is always sweet, heartfelt, and has entertaining narration from Gordon-Levitt’s Petit. It focuses on Petit’s life, love, associates, and especially his daring dream and soul. It is able to entertain, touch our hearts, and bring the setting to life, while being able to avoid overused biopic cliches such as closing title cards.

The climax of the film, in which Petit finally walks the wire, is the most well-put together, compelling movie scene of the year. With such thrills and 3D effects, you are pulled from your seat to the wire with Petit. In that final 20 minutes, you can feel your heart pounding as you watch this incredible moment in history brought to life in front of you.

The Walk is entertaining, touching, visually incredible, fantastically directed and acted, and easily one of the best films of the year, and one greatest 3D experiences of the decade, following the footsteps of Gravity and Hugo.

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