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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03.06.16
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Zootopia

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In a city of anthropomorphic animals, a fugitive con artist fox and a rookie bunny cop must work together to uncover a conspiracy.

Disney strikes again with Zootopia, a buddy cop comedy, a political crime thriller, an urban mystery, and everything else you would not expect from a movie of its kind. Zootopia reminds us why animated movies are made. The clever humor, fantastic cast, and thoughtful messages make this Disney’s best animated feature since Wreck-It Ralph. I honestly did not expect this much from the movie, especially since the marketing didn’t make it look like anything great. Instead, I got a very smart, mature, and insightful animated tale that families can enjoy, and I even feel that adults would enjoy and understand this movie more than kids. It has tons of references, jokes, and concepts that adults would especially understand and take in. But it does still have a good touch that kids will enjoy as well, including promoting tolerance and teamwork and has a fast pace and great humor for younger audiences, including a hilarious scene with a DMV office run entirely by sloths. The animation is also splendid, with very vivid settings, colors, and tons of different mammal species.

Ginnifer Goodwin is great in the strong lead role: a bunny who aspires to be more than she is, and to make a difference. Her character is easy to sympathize with, and is put down by many peers but always tries harder. Although this aspect of her character at first seems very cliched, it becomes unique once the big message kicks in. Goodwin’s voice performance was very charming, and she was able to carry the movie along very well. Jason Bateman was the perfect choice to play con artist-turned sidekick fox Nick Wilde, as he fantastically delivers Wilde’s charm, sneakiness, and heart. Idris Elba was also perfectly casted as the angry police chief Bogo, who steals every one of his scenes in possibly my favorite performance in this film. It’s no surprise that J.K. Simmons is also great, voicing a lion who is also the mayor of Zootopia. The overall message of the movie very well relates to our modern society, and how politics can shape the way our community lives through fear. The movie discourages things like racism and drugs, and ultimately delivers a great moral about tolerance and being whatever you aspire. However, the first ten minutes of the movie are very unnecessary, and the movie falls flat for a couple of minutes in between the second and third acts. But overall, Zootopia is still an awesome animated movie that, like its protagonists, dares and succeeds to be much more than it is. One of Disney’s best recent features (excluding Star Wars), this one is definitely recommended for the entire family to go see and enjoy.

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02.29.16
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The Oscars (88th Academy Awards)

Yesterday, the 88th Oscars took place. I really enjoyed this year’s Oscars, as Chris Rock was a mostly entertaining host, and the awards were delivered in a clever way. I really enjoyed Louis C.K. and Jacob Tremblay as presenters, Louis was especially hilarious! C3P0 had a great moment with his pals R2D2 and BB-8, perhaps one of them should host next year! Some wins really fulfilled our expectations, but others disappointed some of us. In this post, I will share my full thoughts on the wins and awards, but first, here are the winners:

Best Picture: Spotlight
Best Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu – The Revenant
Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio – The Revenant
Best Actress: Brie Larson – Room
Best Supporting Actor: Mark Rylance – Bridge of Spies
Best Supporting Actress: Alicia Vikander – The Danish Girl
Best Original Screenplay: Spotlight
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Big Short
Best Animated Feature: Inside Out
Best Original Score: The Hateful Eight
Best Original Song: “Writing’s on the Wall” (from Spectre), by Sam Smith
Best Cinematography: The Revenant
Best Film Editing: Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Production Design: Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Costume Design: Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Animated Short: Bear Story
Best Visual Effects: Ex Machina
Best Sound Editing: Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Sound Mixing: Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Documentary Feature: Amy
Best Documentary Short: A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness
Best Live Action Short: Stutterer
Best Foreign Language Film: Son of Saul (from Hungary)

I was satisfied with most of these winners, especially the fact that Leo DiCaprio finally win his first Oscar! He definitely deserved the prize for his painfully realistic and marvelous performance in this year’s The Revenant. It’s about time he earned such an award for not only his performance the film, but for his fantastic career, as he is definitely one of my favorite actors alive, and was already nominated five times before this year! Brie Larson definitely earned her Oscar for how moving and deep she was in Room. Mark Rylance was very good in Bridge of Spies, but I don’t see how he won over Tom Hardy in The Revenant. Although I have yet to see The Danish Girl, and although I really wanted Kate Winslet to win for her outstanding performance in Steve Jobs (the year’s most underrated movie), I find it quite awesome that Alicia Vikander won an Oscar for a movie in her breakthrough year in film. I am surprised by how many technical awards Mad Max: Fury Road swept away, almost as much as Gravity two years ago! Fury Road is a great action adventure, but it really only deserved half of the awards it won. Film Editing should have gone to The Big Short or The Revenant, the latter of which should have won at least one of the sound categories. I am also disappointed that Don Hertzfeldt’s beautiful animated short World of Tomorrow didn’t take home the trophy for its category, as it’s by far the greatest animated short I’ve ever seen. Ex Machina winning Visual Effects over Star Wars and The Martian was a surprise as well, although Ex Machina was a great film in its own way, but much less deserved to win the category. Inarritu deserved a second directing Oscar for this year’s The Revenant, but I was taken aback when Best Picture was lost to Spotlight, a story about the Boston Globe’s uncovery of a scandal within the Catholic Church. I have yet to see Spotlight, but I feel that The Revenant took so much effort and had so much emotional power and incredible filmmaking, and that it was suited to win Best Picture more than any other movie. I’ll definitely have to see Spotlight to find out which one was actually worth it, but I feel disappointed that such a difficult and incredible movie filmed in a desolate location lost over a movie filmed in a comfortable location and made for a low budget.

What did you think about this year’s Oscars? Do you agree or disagree with the Academy? Let me know what you thought by commenting below! Hopefully we’ll have much less to complain about next year!

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02.27.16
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The 2016 Golden Slice Awards

The Oscars are coming up tomorrow night, so over the past month, I held my own Oscar ceremony! Instead of simply the FilmToppings Oscars, I have decided to call my Oscar ceremonies the Golden Slice Awards from now on, as it’s a fun name that also relates to my site’s name and theme! I’d like to thank my followers on Instagram for voting for these categories, so you guys are the ones who determined these results! Not all my nominees for categories that are also in the Oscars are exactly the same, I took some movies and performances that you guys especially loved as well. I held most of the same categories as last time, including a new category that I started this year. So without further ado, here are the winners of this year’s Golden Slice Awards:

Best Supporting Actress: Alicia Vikander- Ex Machina

Best Action: Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Cinematography: The Revenant

Best Character: Kylo Ren – Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Scene: The Bear Attack – The Revenant

Best On-Screen Duo: Rey and Finn – Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Animated Movie: Inside Out

Best Visual Effects: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Screenplay: Steve Jobs

Best Score: The Hateful Eight

Best Supporting Actor: Tom Hardy – The Revenant

Best Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu – The Revenant

Best Actress: Brie Larson – Room

Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio- The Revenant

Worst Picture: Jupiter Ascending

Best Picture: The Revenant

Those are the winners that you guys selected! I feel that the results of the Oscars will be very similar to most of these, although some of the performances/movies that won here weren’t nominated in that category by the Academy. Anyway, the Oscars are tomorrow night, and hopefully all our predictions are right!

02.21.16
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Deadpool

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In this hilarious, non-formulaic superhero action comedy, former Special Forces operative turned mercenary Wade Wilson is subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopting the alter ego Deadpool.

Deadpool is nothing you would expect out of its recycled genre. Instead of being a cliche, dull, limited superhero movie like others are criticized for, Deadpool chooses to have tons of clever humor, wild and over-the-top violence, and other R-rated content to make it the Deadpool movie fans have been wishing for all along. Ryan Reynolds redeems his career as the hilarious, wisecracking hero who constantly breaks the fourth wall and makes us crack up. He always entertains and feels like the best part of the movie. Morena Bacarrin is also great in her role as Wade/Deadpool’s girlfriend Vanessa, and although her character was great, she eventually became a “damsel in distress” by the end, and that’s the one part this movie decided to keep from the superhero formula. However, I was still very convinced by Wade and Vanessa’s love story, as it does not feel like another dull romantic relationship, and it was mostly done well, even though Vanessa’s role became very cliched by the end.

The directing from first-time director Tim Miller is fantastic, as this movie always feels so well-realized and different in such a great way. This movie is self-aware about the path it takes, averting the  classic superhero formula that is still recycled today. The fourth wall breaks are always so brilliant, as Deadpool loves to blurt out everything his audiences are thinking. The script is probably the best thing about this movie outside of the cast. This movie’s script made a superhero movie so enjoyable in the most unimaginable way. The script keeps throwing unpredictable humor at you, most that will definitely make you laugh out loud. The opening credits are absolutely hilarious, and from there, the fun doesn’t stop. There is never a dull moment in this movie. In the end, I felt like the movie could have used a little more length, but mainly because I was having so much fun. Also, stay for a hilarious end-credits scene that brilliantly teases the recently greenlit sequel.

Deadpool is an achievement for mainstream superhero blockbusters, with a dirty, raunchy sense of humor, as well as awesome action sequences and a fantastic cast and crew. Deadpool redeems Ryan Reynolds as an actor, and feels so different than other films of its genre that I bet it will soon be considered a superhero classic. If there’s one movie out there right now you should see, it’s Deadpool, so see it to have the best time ever with a superhero movie!

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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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01.31.16
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Kung Fu Panda 3

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In the third installment of the Kung Fu Panda saga, Po continues his journey, “legendary adventures of awesomeness”, this time having to face two hugely epic, but different threats: one supernatural and the other a little closer to his home.

Who knew that a sequel about a fighting panda would be the first good January animated movie of the decade? Kung Fu Panda 3 just about lives up to its predecessors, surprisingly being able to handle an amount of plots with just the right balance. The movie starts off right about where the last one left off, with Po continuing his physical and emotional journey through kung fu. Speaking of our hero Po, Jack Black once again shines as the hilarious, unforgettable protagonist, who helps us laugh and enjoy our way throughout the film. Black has always been such a great comedian throughout his career, and this franchise is his opportunity to let his hilarious voice shine; here, he takes it for the third time. Dustin Hoffman is also great in his returning role of Master Shifu, and Angelina Jolie does a good job as well. Bryan Cranston was fantastically cast as Po’s biological father, as his character is very fun and well written. J.K. Simmons was the perfect choice for this movie’s villain, Kai. He has a great concept, fun lines, and he may just be the best villain in the saga yet.

The story, although often familiar, is always entertaining, and there isn’t really a dull moment in this film. The plot is always going and you never stop having fun until the end. The animation is gorgeous, bringing you amazing natural landscapes with a realistic effect. Hans Zimmer’s score is awesome, and adds to the movie’s excitement. The editing can sometimes be off, but that didn’t stop me from being very entertained. Although there is less substance in this film, what the saga is meant for is just some kung fu animated fun, and it isn’t as emotionally provoking as its predecessor, it’s just as entertaining, and ultimately, Kung Fu Panda 3 was everything it needed to be.

Kung Fu Panda 3 delivers as an awesome sequel, and a great way to kick off the year. With a high entertainment factor, vivid animation, and very clever humor, this movie is a great treat for kids and families alike.

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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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