Category Archives: Drama

12.12.14
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Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

ratings5

Riggan Thompson, a washed-up actor who once played an iconic superhero, must overcome his ego and family trouble as he mounts a Broadway play in a bid to reclaim his past glory.

Birdman is definitely one of the best movies of the year, or maybe even THE best. The plot is great and very interesting, The cast are all fantastic, especially Michael Keaton and Emma Stone. Zach Galifianakis was really good, too. The cinematography is great, and I love how the entire movie is, like, one take. There is only one camera on the set that moves with the actors from scene to scene. It’s unique, and unlike any other movie. It was a great experience. The directing is fantastic as well, and this is probably Alejandro G. Inarritu’s breakthrough film. I’m glad he got nominated. Keaton and Stone deserved their nominations as well. This movie deserved it’s other nominations, too. I think it has a great change of winning Best Picture, or Director.

Birdman is definitely one of the greatest, most creative films about film making and the media. I loved the way Michael Keaton showed me the distress and suffering he was going through with himself, and Emma Stone did great as his just-out-of-rehab daughter, who doesn’t like him for not being around when she was younger. The directing and cinematography are also fantastic. I would highly recommend this movie, it’s definitely a must-see! I think the age limit would be 14 or 15 because of some inappropriate content.

Birdman poster.jpg

11.22.14
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The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1

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When Katniss destroys the games, she goes to District 13 after District 12 is destroyed. She meets President Coin who convinces her to be the symbol of rebellion, while trying to save Peeta from the Capitol.

I saw this movie today, and honestly, I’m very disappointed. There are two words I can use to describe this movie: cash grab. The filmmakers split Mockingjay into two movies just for the money, obviously, and this one just feels like a trailer for Part 2. Once again, Jennifer Lawrence is excellent as Katniss, and her emotion is so well-portrayed, but none of the other actors are so good. The movie is really short on action, and the plot isn’t so intriguing. Director Francis Lawrence, who directed the previous installment in the series, is back, but he doesn’t do an amazing job like in Catching Fire. He adds some shaky camera in part of the best action scene of the movie. It’s only for a minute, but it’s really disturbing, but not as bad as the shaky cam in the first Hunger Games. The movie itself is definitely better than the first film, but nowhere close or comparable to Catching Fire, which is still the best of the series. I wouldn’t say it’s the worst of the series, but it’s the weakest. The movie starts out as a really good film, but as it goes, it goes down from good to OK. I think the ending sucked, and unlike Catching Fire’s ending, it wasn’t a cliff-hanger, it was just a tease. Mockingjay would have been better off as one movie, if the filmmakers weren’t so greedy! I hope Part 2 will be much better, and make up for the disappointment of this one.

Overall, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 is a big disappointment, that turns out to just be a cash grab, and isn’t as entertaining and rewarding as Catching Fire. In a way, it’s also weaker than the first one. It feels much more like a teaser than a movie. It’s enjoyable, but disappointing and definitely not a must-see.

MockingjayPart1Poster3.jpg

11.20.14
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Whiplash

ratings5

Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller) is a talented drummer — talented enough to make it into Manhattan’s prestigious music conservatory, Schaffer Academy. There’s no bigger badge of approval at Schaffer than to be invited to join its elite jazz band, which is run by the tough and mysterious Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons). Fletcher has groomed some of jazz’s best players, but pleasing him is a minefield. Fletcher’s methods include — among other, more traditional methods like pedagogy and charismatic history-sharing — complete and utter humiliation. Andrew is thrilled to make the initial cut, but surviving Fletcher’s class may break him, and his love for music, for good.

I was very impressed by this movie. The cast, the directing, the script, and the style of the movie are all great. Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons both did an amazing job, and I think they both have a chance of getting an Oscar nomination. I thought the story and dialogue were great, too. The directing is excellent, and I think this is a huge breakthrough for Damien Chazelle, the director of the movie. This is a type of movie that really made me think. The ending of the movie really made me go, “Wow!”. The movie delivers the message that you have to try as hard as you can in order to succeed. The style was great, and I liked how it felt like a very musical film. The cinematography was also great. This isn’t my favorite movie of the year, but possibly on my top 5 or top 10. It’s a great film and I would definitely recommend it, but only for ages 14 and up, because there is some very strong language.

Whiplash poster.jpg

11.09.14
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Interstellar

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A group of explorers make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage.

So I finally saw Interstellar yesterday after all this anticipation. Did it disappoint? Absolutely not! This is an excellent film! There is so much suspense, the acting is fantastic, the visuals are gorgeous, and so is the soundtrack. This is Hans Zimmer’s best score ever. The whole cast was excellent, and they all deliver such stellar performances. But Matthew McConaughey blew me away with his emotion and I really felt for him. There were parts that made me really emotional too. Jessica Chastain and Michael Caine were also great. But the real star is director Christopher Nolan. He amazed us with movies like Inception, The Dark Knight Trilogy, and The Prestige. And now this, I just couldn’t believe what I was seeing. He directed it so well, and the film is just so great. Chris Nolan always has great and unique ideas, and that is why he is my favorite director, and he blew my away with this. This movie is 2 hours and 49 minutes, but it felt like much less. It was pretty fast, but not rushed. I was not bored for a second. To be honest, I think it could have even been longer, but it didn’t have to be. The scenes in space are the most amazing things I’ve ever seen, and yes, it’s much better than Gravity.

I will say the ending did disappoint, though. I thought it would be one of Nolan’s genius endings like Inception, but it wasn’t. It didn’t make sense at first, but when you think about it, it kind of does, but I just wish it was less confusing and a bit more realistic.

Nonetheless, this movie is terrific. From the visuals to the acting to the soundtrack to the story, it’s a flawless space drama movie, except I didn’t love the ending. But I will say it is the best movie of the year and one of Christopher Nolan’s best films. I would definitely recommend this movie for anyone.

A ringed spacecraft revolves around a reflective sphere.

10.25.14
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Captain Phillips

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(Blu-ray review)

Captain Phillips is the amazing true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years.

I have to admit, I did not expect to love this movie like I did. It is breathtaking, suspenseful, beautifully shot, written, and directed. Not to mention Tom Hanks’ flawless performance is Captain Phillips. I cannot believe he didn’t even get nominated. The person who played Muse, the leader of the pirates, was also good. The action is very suspenseful and kept me on the edge of my seat for almost the whole time. I could not look away for a second! The pacing is also very good. It never feels to rushed or too slow or boring.

I think that overall Captain Phillips is an amazing film with a high level of suspense and a beautiful performance from Tom Hanks.

Captain Phillips Poster.jpg

09.17.14
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Dolphin Tale 2

My rating: ratings3

In this family-friendly sequel, Winter’s story continues when her dolphin companion dies, and her condition is deteriorating, so the people at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, including Sawyer, the boy who discovered Winter in the first film and serves as the main character in both films, do their best to help her. Soon a baby dolphin named Hope is found and rescued, and Winter and Hope form a unique friendship.

Dolphin Tale 2 is a fun family flick that both kids and parents can enjoy. It’s a cute movie that does not disappoint much. I don’t think it was better than the first one, but I still liked it. It’s problem is that some parts just feel to much like the first one, and it feels like the same movie twice. I think the cast was good, except I thought Hazel, the girl who is Sawyer’s friend, was annoying at times. Our main story is supposed to be Winter and Hope, but that only happens for the last half hour of the movie, and I wanted more of Hope. Overall I think Dolphin Tale 2 is a cute family film that is enjoyable but feels too much like the first at times.

Dolphin Tale 2.jpg

09.05.14
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FilmToppings Summer Movie Awards 2014

So I held this summer movie awards thing on Instagram, where there was a couple of categories and people had to vote. So now I will announce the results:

Best Movie: Guardians of the Galaxy

Best Actor: Andy Serkis – Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Best Actress: Emily Blunt – Edge of Tomorrow

Best Visual Effects: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Best Badass: Rocket Raccoon – Guardians of the Galaxy

Worst Movie: Transformers: Age of Extinction

I hope you all had a great Summer and that you saw a lot of great movies during it.

 

07.22.14
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The Fault in our Stars

My rating: ratings4

Hazel and Gus are two extraordinary teenagers who share an acerbic wit, a disdain for the conventional, and a love that sweeps them – and us – on a unforgettable journey.

I saw this movie after reading the book. I wasn’t disappointed at all. Nothing from the book was messed up or left out. Hazel and Gus are a great couple just like in the book and the duo who played them were great. I also really liked the actor who played Isaac, Augustus’ best friend who lost his eyes to cancer. I also liked the humor in this movie. It makes you laugh in a way than other comedies don’t.

The end was very sad and emotional and I cried a little bit. You’ll probably see it coming but this movie made me emotional more than any movie I’ve ever seen. In conclusion, fans of the book will not be disappointed by this movie, because of it’s accuracy to the book, it’s acting, and it’s humor. So if you’ve read the book and haven’t seen the movie yet, then you should go ahead and do it! If you haven’t read the book, no problem! You would enjoy it anyway. I would recommend it for ages 13 and up.

Movie poster featuring Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort in character

02.12.14
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Saving Mr. Banks

My rating: ratings4

This enchanting Disney movie tells the true story of P.L. Travers (portrayed wonderfully by Emma Thompson), author of Mary Poppins, who, in 1961, travels to Los Angeles to negotiate with Walt Disney (played by Tom Hanks) about the rights to turn  Mary Poppins into a movie. Throughout the movie, Travers argues a lot about how to make the movie and how not to. Also, throughout the movie, flashbacks are shown from Travers’ childhood in Australia, and the inspiration for her book.

I enjoyed everything about this film: The scenery, the costume design, the acting (especially Emma Thompson, who delivers an amazing performance as Travers, and I cannot believe she was not nominated for it), and the film’s pace. It’s not as slow as other historical/biographical dramas that are at least 2 hours long. This movie might make you want to watch the original Mary Poppins movie again, since after watching this movie, you understand Mary Poppins in a different way. I would recommend this for adults who enjoyed Mary Poppins and want to know the story behind it, but there is some iffy content that is inappropriate for young kids (mainly drinking). I think anybody 13 or 14 and up would understand and enjoy this film.

Here is the film’s trailer.

Saving Mr. Banks Theatrical Poster.jpg

01.28.14
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The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

My rating: ratings3

Walter Mitty (played by Ben Stiller, who also directed the film) is a negative assets manager for Life Magazine who frequently daydreams of fantastic adventures, and has a crush on his coworker Cheryl (played by Kristen Wiig). For the final issue of Life, photographer Sean O’Connell (played by Sean Penn) sends Mitty 25 negatives and says that the 25th one captures the “Quintessence” of Life and that it should be used for the cover. The 25th one, though, is missing, so Mitty must track down O’Connell and travel the world, and makes some stops, including Greenland, Iceland and the Himalayas.

I was not disappointed by this movie, since I was very excited about it when I first saw the trailer. Walter Mitty is filled with comedy and heart, but some parts are a little slower than others. The film has a great plot and great cinematography, but Mitty never really changes throughout the movie. Instead of becoming a better person who doesn’t daydream that often, all he really does is travel the world and make a new friend (an eHarmony employee). I think adults would like this movie just like I did, but it does have some iffy content that might be intense for kids, including some violent scenes and swearing, despite its PG rating. It deserves a PG-13 rating, but I think it would be appropriate for kids 12 and up.

Here is the film’s trailer.

A side profile of a man running with a silver briefcase in hand. Behind him a cityscape.