After a several month hiatus buried in my optometric studies, I finally had some time to sit down and write up some quick movie reviews. I condensed some thoughts about recent films below.
Enjoy!
NOW PLAYING...
"I like things that look like mistakes."
- Frances Ha
- Noah Baumbach's latest film is my favorite of his canon of quirky independent films. Frances finds it home somewhere between French New Wave cinema & modern indie filmmaking. Greta Gerwig turns in a pretty unforgettable performance as the ever-awkward, "undateable" title character. The film oscillates deftly between sincerity and hilarity in its collection of vignettes. And I love black & white.
- Rating: 5/5
- SEE IT
- Star Trek: Into Darkness
- The newest edition to the Star Trek franchise doesn't quite measure up to its immediate predecessor in many respects. However, it surpasses the 2009 Star Trek in one key aspect - its villain. Benedict Cumberbatch turns in a phenomenal performance as the brilliant, powerful, badass baddie in the film. That performance alone makes the film worth seeing. As with the 2009 film, the best sequence here features one in which main characters are hurled towards a small landing area through space (recall the drilling sequence in the previous film). Despite lacking some of the WOW-I-never-was-into-Star-Trek-but-this-is-awesome factor that greatly benefitted the previous film, there's plenty of good in this go around to make the voyage back to the Starship Enterprise well worth it.
- Rating: 4/5 ...recommended in 3-D, especially because of Alice Eve :)
- SEE IT
- Now You See Me
- Now You See Me is a film that promises big surprises and a grand finale throughout the first two acts, but can't seem to fully deliver in the final act. Unlike other "magic" movies of recent years (i.e. The Prestige, The Illusionist), Now You See Me stumbles a bit during its third act reveal. The film isn't totally predictable and does feature some clever, well thought out sequences. The cast does seem to be having fun in their roles, and a number of likable actors/actresses are involved. If the film posed more so as good old-fashioned summer fun rather than taking itself just a little too seriously (with the promise of "something that's really going to amaze") I probably would've enjoyed it more.
- Rating: 2.5/5
- SEE or SKIP?
- The Purge
- When the highlight of the film is its opening sequence and the rest is downhill, that tends to be a little disappointing. Such is the case here. The opening sequence to The Purge features "found footage" of people "purging" (basically a nationwide annual catharsis for pent up rage & aggression) while set to the tune of the Clair de Lune, which happens to be a commonly used classic piece of music which I'm very fond of. So I'm on board at this point. 90 minutes later, I'm not. The film has a few good ideas which it beats over the head throughout its runtime (i.e. the motorized toy hidden camera, the homeless man with questionable motives, the juxtaposition of rich vs. poor). However, all the film can think to do with its plot is divert into sustained sequences of violence. We're trapped in the main characters' house being tormented along with them, hoping for some glimmer of originality or innovation. But all we get is torture porn and recycled cliches. What a shame that a potentially interesting commentary on violence & poverty in society became a part of it rather than a reflection on modern culture.
- Rating: 1.5/5
- SKIP IT!!!
- The Great Gatsby (2013)
- This is perhaps the most flamboyant, outlandish version of The Great Gatsby that will ever be made, and it's this fact that will determine whether you like or hate the film. I fall somewhere in between. I can say with confidence that this is not what I had in mind while reading the classic F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, but that's not to suggest that I hated the end result. At times, the crazy world created by director Baz Luhrman is a little too much to handle, but at others it's too fun to resist. I actually enjoyed the film's soundtrack which nicely blends old school sounds with modern beats - an idea which I suspect the film as a whole was attempting. I'm not quite sure that goal was fully realized.
- Rating: 3/5
- SEE or SKIP?
ON DVD...
- Pitch Perfect
- The film is essentially a over-sized episode of Glee with very little substance or entertainment value. If you enjoy Glee, you may enjoy this one. Maybe.
- Rating: 1.5/5
- Sinister
- While certainly creepy, atmospheric, & assuredly disturbing, much of the film feels borrowed from other movies with similar horror themes. It has its moments, but overall doesn't quite have the chops to stand on its feet as a modern horror classic.
- Rating: 3/5
