John Wick 2

John Wick 2 wasn't released in time to be a contender for the upcoming Academy Awards, and I'm pretty confident that it won't get any recognition next year either.  But who really cares?  There is a sequence involving handguns, a shotgun, and an assault rifle that is so energetic and fluid, it's like giving an award to the audience.  Please strike that last sentence, it was inappropriately corny.  Probably my favorite part of John Wick 2 is that his dog {spoiler alert} doesn't die.  Now if you've seen the first movie, you'd know why that's so important.  The gun-fu gets old after a while, but it's quite amazing through the entire aforementioned sequence.  The reunion between Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne brought a smile to my face - this almost made up for the third Matrix movie.  Thanks so much for bringing up that piece of crap!

Best Picture

The following films have been nominated for Best Picture:
La La Land
Manchester by the Sea
Hacksaw Ridge
Arrival
Lion
Fences
Hidden Figures
Moonlight
Hell or High Water

Out of these nine films, I'll definitely watch La La Land again, because it was light, fun, family friendly, and Ashley really liked it.
 
Manchester by the Sea was deeply depressing, with Casey Affleck single-handedly bringing a dark cloud of bleakness to an otherwise sunny coastal town.  For this role he deserves the award for Best Actor.

Hacksaw Ridge honestly doesn't deserve to be in the running for Best Picture; I can only suppose that its anti-war message won favor with the Hollywood crowd.

Arrival was a really good character study packaged in a decent science fiction film.

The first half of Lion was a moving story about a boy lost in India; unfortunately he wasn't in the second half.

Fences may be a good play, but the film version isn't a good translation.

I'm glad to have seen Hidden Figures, it's a good film about amazing women.

Moonlight is the most dynamic film of the nine, and while I grieve the message it delivers, it deserves to be Best Picture this year.

I had my very first Shiner Bock after seeing Hell or High Water.  I had my first White Russian the night I saw The Big Lebowski.  Characters that Jeff Bridges plays in movies have good taste in adult beverages.

As for Best Supporting Actress, I'd say Viola Davis in Fences gave the most powerful performance.

Best Supporting Actor is the hardest to choose from, but I would probably vote for Mahershala Ali in Moonlight.

I've only commented on categories for which I saw all the nominees.  On a side note, Jess and I tried to watch the all the feature length documentaries nominated this year, but after 7 hours and 47 minutes of O.J.: Made in America, can you really blame us for not seeing the rest?  By the way, it was quite good.

Captain Fantastic

Captain Fantastic is the best movie about homeschooling ever made.  

Viggo Motensen plays a fierce, modern day Transcendentalist, father of six children.  He and his wife decided to raise their children in the forests of Washington...  At this point Mortensen's character would interrupt me, and point out that I'm merely describing the plot.  He would prompt me to provide an analysis of the movie instead:  I found it surprising that the director, Matt Ross commits an entire film to a man who, by all societal standards, is in the wrong.  That we see the story from this man's perspective, makes us sympathetic because we feel his emotions.  Yet we also find him reprehensible because we see his actions.  Ross' film handles this contradiction like a great novel, not seeking to draw clear conclusions, rather allowing the viewer to absorb the information and contemplate what it all means.

Other than the profanity, field-dressing deer, and anti-Christian rhetoric, this movie is a pretty accurate representation of the homeschooling experience..

Hell or High Water

To paraphrase the great Roger Ebert, a movie about why people do what they do is far more interesting than what they do.  Director, David Mackenzie's Hell or High Water follows two brothers as they rob a string of banks, with an emphasis on why they've chosen this path.  In the vein of No Country for Old Men, the lawman on their trail is a central character, whose motivation is also relevant to the story.  In a lesser film, these three characters would be one-dimensional, good for a few laughs, with a focus on the action, likely with a plot twist to keep things interesting.  Hell or High Water rises above its genre to give us a thoughtful (without being heavy-handed) film about brotherly love, and a reminder that justice and vengeance are not the same thing.

Jeff Bridges as the Texas Ranger had the most interesting role in this film, and once again inhabits his character so completely.  While he plays-off his racially-charged derision as merely joking around, we sense that there is some emotional damage that has skewed his personality.  He's not talking this way (as he claims) to toughen-up the recipient, rather he's doing it to protect himself from being hurt.  This comes abruptly apparent after a sequence of raised tensions during a hilltop pursuit; the Ranger's response is involuntary and represents a complex range of emotions.

Some of the dialog, and certain plot points seem a little forced, but these are minor quibbles.  A film like this reminds me of how amazing No Country For Old Men is; only once in a great while does practically perfect film come along.  In the meantime, Hell or High Water will do.

Moonlight

People can inadvertently be on the right side.
People can knowingly be on the right side an misbehave quite horribly.
I suggest that the opposite of these statements can also be true.

Moonlight is a film in three parts, following Chiron from boyhood to manhood, as he struggles to survive on the streets.  Chiron catches the attention of a drug dealer named Juan, played by Mahershala Ali, who cares for the young boy as an adoptive father.  Juan is the central character in Chiron's life, being his teacher, confidant, and ultimately his role model.  At its heart, this is a film about the importance of fatherhood, and a cautionary tale to those of us who are fathers:  What we do and say will have a serious impact on who our children become.

From a young age Chiron is teased for being "different" and eventually comes to the conclusion that he is romantically attracted to one of his male classmates.  The film presents this as Chiron's natural path, portraying those who mistreat him as cruel and primitive... and cruel they most certainly are.  In a fallen world it is often impossible to distinguish the righteous from the wicked; everyone's in the wrong.  I found this film to be extremely sad, partly because I felt such compassion for Chiron, but mostly because such an effective film can be subversive.

Moonlight is an effective film, beautifully shot, with precise editing, an excellent score, and great acting.  I believe that the director, Barry Jenkins set out to portray someone knowingly on the wrong side (Juan the drug dealer) behaving quite honorably (in the way he cares for Chiron).  Now if only we could get people knowingly on the right side to behave accordingly.

Hidden Figures

Hidden Figures uses a well established formula to tell a compelling, and sometimes surprising story.  This is a rare combination; typically filmmakers try to surprise us with their storytelling style, here it's the story itself that's surprising.  Hidden Figures, directed by Theodore Melfi, shines the spotlight on historical figures that usually don't get any recognition.  Melfi does a good job keeping this film focused, understanding that an intimate examination of a few people is most effective.  I liked that the characters were allowed to develop, and while much of this was predictable, it still was a pleasure to watch.  One of my favorite scenes happened towards the end of the film, when a supporting character surprises one of the main characters with a demonstration of extreme generosity and humbleness.  This stood out to me because Melfi had taken the time to set up this scene in such a way that it enriched the entire story with a moment of true joy.

I hesitate to say anything bad about a good movie, so I won't.

Fences

Fences is quite simply a film about a family in Pittsburgh, spanning from the late 1950's through the 60's.  Race, economic status, religion, work ethic, etc. are all topics addressed in the film, but ultimately I believe that family is the subject.  Denzel Washington directed and stars, playing the charismatic, and domineering father.  Children from three different mothers are being raised by the current wife, which complicates the definition of family.  The worldview presented in this film is a messy one, wherein Denzel's character is definitely the central character, but is not the hero of the story.  Actually, it would be difficult to argue that any of the characters qualify for this title, everyone here is flawed, and there isn't much hope for redemption.  The film suggests that each of the family members contribute to their own suffering.  The wife enables the father, the sons become their father, and the best friend does nothing substantive to make a difference.  Ultimately all the characters are trapped in a hopeless cycle of despair... that may have been a better title.

The film is unique in it's portrayal of a family, where not much happens, and there isn't a plot to speak of.  Unfortunately this film suffers because it feels so much like the play on which it is based.  The actors often sound as though they are reading their lines; they're well written lines, but still it's distracting.  With the exception of David Mamet and Quentin Tarantino, I'd prefer not to hear the writer when the actors are speaking.

Lion

Lion is a story told in two very distinct parts.  The first half is almost a documentary in the way that it follows the main character, Saroo as he wanders through the streets of Calcutta.  The second half of the film feels 'movie-ish' in comparison, with recognizable actors who find themselves in situation that feel somewhat contrived.  I will leave my review of the second half of the film at that, and focus instead on the opening act.

The performance by Sunny Pawar in Lion is reminiscent of Quvenzhané Wallis' performance in Beasts of the Southern Wild back in 2012.  It is extremely effective when such a young actor is able to be so convincing in a role.  Of course I realize that anytime you place a child in such horrific conditions it is only natural to have an emotional response, so much credit must be given to the production designers and editor.  That being said, Pawar played his part so well, showing a wide range in his reactions to various situations.

I believe that this film has a good message, which so often is lacking in movies today.  Even though the second half doesn't rise to the level of the first, it's still part of the film, and seeks to deliver an uplifting conclusion.  For these reasons I liked the movie, and would definitely recommend it to anyone.

Star Wars: Rogue One

That I saw Rogue One on opening day, yet I am just now getting around to writing a review should tell you something.  This movie is well crafted, entertaining, and cleverly fleshes-out the a backstory which was briefly mentioned in A New Hope.  It's actually the last three or four minutes of the movie, where everything ties together, that Rogue One is at its best.  That's good news for the moviegoer, because a good ending can redeem an otherwise blasé offering.  The bad news is that a good ending can punctuate just how blasé the rest of the movie was...  It wasn't until days after seeing the movie that it struck me how all the main characters had {spoiler alert} died, but I didn't really care because I had seen Darth Vader go medieval on some Rebels and Princess Leia circa 1977.

More than anything else this probably proves that attachments formed in youth are strong, while attempts to recreate experiences from youth are impossible... because we are no longer that person.

Arrival

Arrival is a deliberately paced science fiction film that effectively uses chronological disorientation to enrich its story.  The real danger in making a movie that deals with aliens is that almost assuredly the aliens will disappoint.  If we’re honest with ourselves, the only aliens we really like are the ones who look exactly like us, i.e. Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, and Chewbacca.  We find all other aliens either scary or irritating.  Therefore every great film that contains aliens (excluding Star Wars) must be about something other than aliens.

It doesn’t take long to realize that the aliens in Arrival are not its focus; rather the film is centered on a linguist played by Amy Adams.  The storyline involving a race to interpret the alien’s true intentions before the rest of the world starts World War III is the films weakest point, allowing clichés from the genre too much time.  Yet interwoven into the standard plot is a more interesting thread of self-sacrifice.  The question is asked, if you knew how painful the consequences would be, would make the same decision?   The choice that Adam’s character is faced with is unambiguous; either she can pursue happiness, or she can save the world.  Let me suggest that another layer is alluded to; not only does Adam’s character have to make this terrible choice, but she’ll also be eternally subject to experience the effects of her decision.  This concept was explored in a lesser movie earlier last year; Doctor Strange had a really long battle in which the title character locked the antagonist into a seemingly never-ending loop.  Because nobody wants to leave a superhero movie without a conclusion, Doctor Strange devised a clever technicality to end the never-ending loop.  Arrival doesn’t give it’s protagonist a loophole; the difficult decision she must make is final.

Arrival also deals with the concept that it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all, but I’m out of time for today’s review.

Hacksaw Ridge

I imagine that people who don't like movies are unable (or unwilling) to detach themselves from reality long enough to appreciate a movie for what it is.  Even the most realistic movie is still just a movie, even a documentary isn't actually happening (it already happened).  I think that I have levels of detachment, depending on the movie there is a sliding scale of what I'm willing to accept in the pursuit of entertainment or enlightenment.  La La Land gets a wide berth, while Manchester by the Sea receives greater scrutiny.  On that note, it is difficult for me to give Hacksaw Ridge a favorable review; while it contained a great story and challenged my preconceptions, its set-up kept jerking me back into reality.
 
The first half of the movie felt more like Captain America than a dramatic WWII film.  Instead of fleshed-out characters, the central cast were simply caricatures, with Vince Vaughn and Hugo Weaving setting entirely the wrong tone.  Both of these actors are great given the right roles, unfortunately this movie was seriously miscast, and the first half poorly directed.  I have struggled with being overly critical of this movie (as you'll see in the next paragraph), but it almost feels like the first half of this movie was made simply as an afterthought.  Backstories in comic book movies can be entertaining.  The first half of a war film shouldn't feel this cliché.

The second half of the movie was effective and thought-provoking.  Director Mel Gibson has often used violence gratuitously, sometimes with great impact.  The violence and gore in Hacksaw Ridge is shown in stark contrast to the self-sacrificing determination of the movie's hero.  The one person who is unwilling to shed any blood is covered with the most.  The person ridiculed and misunderstood is most willing to give everything he has for others.  Even if you find yourself disagreeing with him on principle, you would be calloused indeed if you don't appreciate his commitment.  Therein is the greatest strength of this film, it presents a seemingly enigmatic contradiction, and solves it.  This may have been one of the most interesting war films ever made, if it only it had a better first half.

Manchester by the Sea

Manchester by the Sea is a deeper, and more honest observational study than its spiritual prequel, Good Will Hunting.  Both films center around a man who has concluded that he has potential, he has the capability to achieve a good life, but knows that he doesn't deserve it.  Casey Affleck gives a depressingly tragic performance, portraying a man who feels obligated to punish himself.  His friends and family plead with him to stop, attempting to relay how his behavior is harming those closest to him.  Yet his conviction is so deep, and his commitment to complete, that rational arguments hold no sway.  Will Hunting had a gift that was recognized by the right people at the right time.  Will is encouraged and challenged in ways that turn him from his path of self-destruction.  Affleck's character in Manchester by the Sea isn't rescued from his downward spiral.  I would suggest that the difference here, is that his heart has been hardened.  There is a moment in Good Will Hunting, between the title character and his counselor (played by Robin Williams) where Will Hunting's heart is softened.  Manchester by the Sea doesn't contain such a scene, and with that the chance of hope and joy vanishes.

Nocturnal Animals

Have you ever been sitting there in the theater, the screen fades to black, and you think to yourself "this would be the perfect place to end the movie"?  If the first closing title appears, you've just seen a great film.  I'm not referring to your run-of-the-mill Hollywood fare with a predictable ending; I'm talking about those rare films that could go on to tie-up loose ends or explain every last detail, but instead choose not to insult the viewer's intelligence.  Nocturnal Animals has a perfect ending.

I'm going to break from my typical approach, which shies away from revealing too much about plot; so consider yourself warned.  Nocturnal Animals slowly reveals itself to be an allegory told in parallel with real-life events.  The main character doesn't recognize her role until the very last moment of the film.  There were times at which the chronology of the film was difficult to follow, the lines between time and reality were blurred.  The director, Tom Ford uses this storytelling technique to explain the motivations of his characters, interweaving the connection between allegory and real-life.  There's a lesson to be learned here:  Quite often we aren't the characters in the story that we want to be.

Now if the movie picks up again after it fades to black, and continues for another 45 minutes, you're watching Return of the King.

The Jungle Book

Back in August of 2016 I wrote the following:
"The Jungle Book is one of the best movies I've seen in a long time.  Director Jon Favreau has successfully created a modern retelling of this classic story."
I'm not sure where I was going with this.  Discuss amongst yourselves.

Split

I guess it was inevitable that eventually M. Night Shyamalan would choose to utilize absolutely-no-twist-at-all as a twist in one of his films, and believe me, I was surprised.  Split is the greatest argument so far for not watching trailers; if you've seen one, you've seen the other.  The crafting of this film was excellent, Shyamalan's storytelling, the editing, and James McAvoy's acting were all top-notch.  Unfortunately, that was all evident in the trailer, along with the entire storyline, cast of characters, and for any experienced moviegoer, the obvious ending was clear.  That's how I knew that the ending would be significantly different; but I was wrong.

Perhaps this is Shyamalan's commentary on pop culture, and fanboys with too much time on our hands.  He gave us exactly what the trailer promised, and nothing more.  Maybe I'll learn my lesson and never watch a trailer again.

Once good thing has already come out of watching Split; it prompted me to revisit one of Shyamalan's other films, one that I had only seen once 17 years ago.  It's better than I remembered.

La La Land

After a 5-month hiatus, La La Land is bringing me back.

I'm going to start with a minor complaint, then I promise to tell you all the things I really liked about this movie.  The people who love movies the most have inadvertently ruined the them.  Star Wars is no longer a space fantasy, it has become Saving Private Ryan in space.  Batman has more in common with The Godfather than his comic book origins.  And La La Land feels more like a tragic Woody Allen film, than the musical that it could have been.  It's not that the filmmakers are more cynical than a generation ago, rather the critics and film snobs have become harsher.  La La Land could have been our Singin' In The Rain; unfortunately it's too cool for that.  I understand the irony here, if the characters spontaneously burst into song too often, or dream sequences had a few too many neon lights, I'd probably be making fun of the movie right now.  La La Land hit all the right notes; it's just a shame that so many people are just as jaded as me.

I liked the scenery.  I liked the costumes.  I liked the character development; while it was quite cliché, the characters were so likable that it worked.  I like the music; while not to the level of Singin' In The Rain, is that really a fair comparison?  I liked the ending; it works for the romantic and the cynic, not an easy task.  I like that this movie is getting so much buzz; after so many difficult-to-watch movies, I like being reminded of why I love movies.

Jason Bourne

Jason Bourne follows the same pattern and delivers the same action/espionage thrills that we have come to expect from Matt Damon Bourne movies.  I contend that the first two Bourne films had convincing plots, while the third film and this (the fourth starring Damon as Bourne) have plots that seem to primarily exist to give Bourne another movie.  That's a minor complaint though, since Bourne is an intriguing character, Damon plays him so well, and the director Paul Greengrass certainly knows his craft.  From a technical standpoint this film is extremely impressive, the choreography of the mob scene and the editing is spot-on.  Sometimes Greengrass' proclivity for using handheld cameras is distracting, but when the action gets intense he makes us feel that we're right there in the middle of it all.  I think that casting Vincent Cassel as the antagonist is always a good idea, although seeing him in another movie up against Damon where he will not be allowed to succeed (as in the Ocean's movies) is somewhat frustrating.  I wonder if Matt Damon would consider playing a similar character to Cassel's in French movies.
  
My wife Jess commented that the ending of this film seems to be setting up another movie, and I tend to agree with her.  I hope that the producers of this series can find a way to give Bourne some peace, because up to this point his life has been extremely tragic.

Suicide Squad

So I’m going to work my way backwards from my most recently viewed yet unreviewed movie.

Suicide Squad is a mess, but did anyone really doubt that it would be.   When people attack comic books as juvenile, they could easily point to the plot (and I use that term hesitantly) of Suicide Squad and unequivocally win their argument.  Each and every character is motivated by a strong commitment to cliché.  Suicide Squad follows the current trend of comic book movies by inexplicably using CGI to detach the audience from the antagonist.  Perhaps the makers of these movies are concerned that they might hurt the main characters, so they give them ridiculous cartoons instead of formidable foes.  Or maybe the Animation Union hired the Russian mafia to strong-arm their way into all comic book movies.  Or perhaps it’s just another indication of our country’s cultural decline.

You may be surprised to find that overall I enjoyed the movie.  I’ve become so accustomed disappointment in non-Nolan comic book movies that even the briefest well-made scenes make me happy.  Suicide Squad has quite a few well-made scenes interspersed throughout, just enough to make the whole movie seem alright.  Will Smith as Deadshot was quite funny, Killer Croc had some pretty cool makeup, Batman underwater, and colorful clothing dissolving in acid.  I will close by saying that Joker is the Joker we deserve right now.  Somehow he seems to fit in with today’s political climate.  I am a little concerned with what it will take to entertain us with the next iteration of Joker – perhaps it’ll come full circle and we’ll get Cesar Romero again.

Biting the Bullet

I will soon write about The Good Dinosaur, The B.F.G, Tarzan, The Jungle Book, Jason Bourne, and Suicide Squad, but please allow me a brief detour into politics:

A few years ago I was extremely critical of a couple I know who voted for the Constitution Party presidential candidate.  During that election there were two, and only two candidates who could realistically win the general election.  If given the choice of only two candidates you choose neither, you have at best wasted your vote – more likely you have made the path easier for the candidate whom you should have opposed.  I believe that it is reasonable to suggest that two votes for the Constitution Party candidate in 2008 were essentially two votes for Barack Obama.

This year the conundrum is worse, both candidates are so repugnant that it seems unthinkable to vote for either.  At the risk of coming across as flippant, “rending unto Caesar what is Caesar’s” back when there was a Caesar seems a whole lot easier than performing one’s civic duty of voting in America today.  If you are planning on voting for someone other than Clinton or Trump this November, you are only doing so to appease yourself.  Your vote will be meaningless.   Let me suggest that those who refuse to choose when confronted with the lesser of two evils are actually responsible when the greater evil wins.

Neither candidate believes in the sanctity of human life.

Neither candidate believes that our country’s greatness is irrevocably tied to God’s grace.

Neither candidate respects our country’s Constitution.

Neither candidate is wise, humble, brave, respectful, or has a heart of service.

So don’t try spreading any lies about why you’re voting for one or the other – neither of these people deserve to be the President, and either one will be detrimental to this country.

 

And don’t lie to yourself and vote for the Constitution Party candidate – you might as well write-in “Kanye”.

I for one will begrudgingly vote for Trump, he represents the lesser of two evils.

This country is in God’s hands.  His will isn’t constrained whether Clinton or Trump is the President.  I for one will be on my knees asking that the plans of the wicked are thwarted.  I do believe that God can change hearts; Clinton and Trump are just as savable as I.  I also believe that God could miraculously influence the election; He has blessed us for the last 240 years, why stop now?  That being said, I fully anticipate Election Day to be a somber experience, and I pray that God has mercy on us. 

Batman V Superman

Zack Snyder pissed me off with his outrageous fight scene between Superman and General Zod in Man of Steel.  In that movie, Superman allows General Zod to wreak havoc on Metropolis; thousands die because of Superman’s self-imposed do not kill rule.  I’m usually a big fan of these kind of rules in fiction, whether it be D'Artagnan’s honor, MacGyver’s no gun code, or Dennis Hopper’s 50 mph policy… these all present challenges which make the stories more interesting.  But in Superman’s case, his unwillingness to kill General Zod makes him a hypocrite at best, and quite possibly an accessory to mass genocide.

Bruce Wayne is pissed too.  Therein lies the motivation behind Batman V Superman, it doesn’t matter who you are; you don’t want to piss of Bruce Wayne or (spoiler alert!) you’ll have Batman to contend with.  The opening scenes of Batman V Superman show Bruce Wayne helplessly witnessing the destruction that is being rained down on Metropolis by Superman and General Zod, from that point on it becomes his mission to eliminate Superman.  On the other hand, as we spend time with Superman it becomes clear that he is offended by Batman’s vigilante brand of justice.  Superman’s holier-than-thou attitude is our first indication that Zack Snyder has chosen sides.  This is an interesting premise; two men with contradicting philosophies cannot be good neighbors, there’s only room for one hero in the Twin Cities of Metropolis and Gotham.

Had Zack Snyder tightened his focus, this could have been a great movie; but for better or worse Lex Luthor is added to the mix – he’s either the catalyst or the third wheel, depending on your point of view.  I personally found Jesse Eisenberg’s performance as Luthor to be distracting and unnecessary.  While his character fit into the plot as an instigator, someone who was stirring up the feud between Batman and Superman, his motivation for doing this was never satisfactorily explained.  Additionally, Eisenberg’s performance was heavily reminiscent of Heath Ledger as the Joker; his psychotic behavior seemed out of place.  I realize that all of these characters and plot lines are being pulled from a variety of source material.  If you try to make everyone happy, you’re bound to fail.  But I would contend that making a great film, telling a good story, and presenting convincing characters will always trump trying to make fan-boys happy.  I wish someone would tell that to Zack Snyder.

Overall I found this to be a much better movie that Man of Steel, and I can sum it up with two sentences:

Batman hated the end of Man of Steel just as much as I did.

Man of Steel lowered my expectations so low that Snyder’s next film had to be better.