Fassbender, Winslet, Rogen, Daniels, Stuhlbarg, Waterston - all did an excellent job. I truly felt I was watching a documentary on the characters that they each represented and not the actor him/herself. The movie is constructed as a play, in a way, with three acts, all taking place before an unveiling of a new product, but as a viewer, I didn't know that until the movie was over. With that said, when the movie was building up towards the first presentation and then it cut away to sum up the events and time jump, I felt robbed as a viewer.
When I found myself at the "NeXT" presentation (pun intended), I was semi waiting for the same thing to happen again and I don't know how invested I could get because I didn't want to feel robbed again so I put up a wall. Thankfully, the plot knocked it down as it focused on the aftermath of Jobs termination and the anger he still felt about it. Coupled with the events of his personal life with his estranged daughter, and the fact that Jobs himself was adopted as a baby, I did feel sorry for him, but at the same time I kind of hated him and it appeared that everyone in his life at the time did too so the viewer was on the same page with the supporting cast against the main actor so props to Boyle and Sorkin for a job well done.
After a strong second act, I had renewed hopes for the end of the movie and while I enjoyed parts of it, it just kind of ended. Maybe I craved more. Maybe I wanted a fourth or fifth act. I'm not sure.
In the end, I don't know what I expected or wanted from this movie. I'm glad it wasn't like Justin Long's portrayal in "iSteve" and I have yet to see Ashton Kutcher's performance in the 2013 movie "Jobs" and at this point I don't know if I will, but I guess I wanted to be entertained as I do with every movie I see and I was for the most part. I suppose I was left with wanting more and I didn't feel fully satisfied.
Monday, March 21, 2016
Thursday, March 17, 2016
The Big Short [2015] review
This movie takes the very confusing concept of the housing bubble collapse of the mid-2000s and makes it slightly less confusing using humor that combines 3 different yet similar stories into one semi cohesive storyline. The first follows Christian Bale's character, one follows Steve Carell's character (and his group), and the last follows Brad Pitt's "friends". Ryan Gosling's character is associated with Carell's group and he brings a lot of laughs.
At first I was kind of lost. Then the movie takes the gamble by insulting you, but then has Margot Robbie playing herself explain what is going on while she sits in a bubble bath. Hilarious, and thankfully the laughs continue. Director Adam McKay does a great job of keeping you invested in the story, but I found myself fighting it. I was rooting against the characters because I didn't like them and they appeared to be betting against the US economy. Then you realize that they are actually betting against the banks, and at one point I felt sorry for them, so I started rooting for them. Unfortunately, rooting for them meant rooting for the eventual collapse of the US economy due to the then-stable housing market so it was quite the journey.
McKay did a good job putting a face on some of those affected, "the poor and the immigrants" and I genuinely felt sorry for them. He also showcased how dumb and/or ignorant people were concerning mortgages, bonds, and other financial products.
The movie definitely had a "The Wolf of Wall Street" vibe, and I find myself wanting to watch it a 2nd or 3rd time to maybe understand it more, but at the same time I don't want to watch it because it's so freakin' sad. People saw the tragedy coming and everyone just laughed at them. It's truly heartbreaking.
__________
Best Pic noms in order of enjoyment:
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Big Short
The Martian
The Revenant
Bridge of Spies
To view:
Spotlight
Room
Brooklyn
At first I was kind of lost. Then the movie takes the gamble by insulting you, but then has Margot Robbie playing herself explain what is going on while she sits in a bubble bath. Hilarious, and thankfully the laughs continue. Director Adam McKay does a great job of keeping you invested in the story, but I found myself fighting it. I was rooting against the characters because I didn't like them and they appeared to be betting against the US economy. Then you realize that they are actually betting against the banks, and at one point I felt sorry for them, so I started rooting for them. Unfortunately, rooting for them meant rooting for the eventual collapse of the US economy due to the then-stable housing market so it was quite the journey.
McKay did a good job putting a face on some of those affected, "the poor and the immigrants" and I genuinely felt sorry for them. He also showcased how dumb and/or ignorant people were concerning mortgages, bonds, and other financial products.
The movie definitely had a "The Wolf of Wall Street" vibe, and I find myself wanting to watch it a 2nd or 3rd time to maybe understand it more, but at the same time I don't want to watch it because it's so freakin' sad. People saw the tragedy coming and everyone just laughed at them. It's truly heartbreaking.
__________
Best Pic noms in order of enjoyment:
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Big Short
The Martian
The Revenant
Bridge of Spies
To view:
Spotlight
Room
Brooklyn
Friday, February 19, 2016
Big Eyes [2014] review
Props to Tim Burton for 1) not casting Johnny Depp, 2) not casting Helena Bonham Carter, and 3) exploring a movie filmed not using his "normal" style, even though it does have a tinge of Edward Scissorhands coloring at parts.
Amy Adams does a good, not great job as Margaret Keane. Christoph Waltz does a fantastic job as Walter Keane, but I wish the script explored a little bit more of his motivations other than just making him look like a clever ass hole. Both take you on a interesting journey of this story inspired by true events, and it kept me captivated for most of the movie until the end courtroom scenes that just felt silly. It's definitely worth a watch, as I enjoyed it, but don't rush out and rent/buy it. 3 out 5 stars.
Amy Adams does a good, not great job as Margaret Keane. Christoph Waltz does a fantastic job as Walter Keane, but I wish the script explored a little bit more of his motivations other than just making him look like a clever ass hole. Both take you on a interesting journey of this story inspired by true events, and it kept me captivated for most of the movie until the end courtroom scenes that just felt silly. It's definitely worth a watch, as I enjoyed it, but don't rush out and rent/buy it. 3 out 5 stars.
Monday, January 4, 2016
No Escape [2015] review
The Dowdle Brothers do an excellent job in creating a real sense of fear and urgency in this film, but that's really where the praise ends.
I think the casting was the biggest issue. There were some very serious, very realistic events portrayed in this movie and I felt that maybe Owen Wilson's character was cast to alleviate the tension when those situations got intense, but I don't think it came across as expected/desired. Maybe it was just the writing. Also, I understand the need for the children and the mother figure in this movie, but I felt they could have added much more to their roles. Ultimately, they just felt like baggage. Pierce Brosnan was added as the "action star/inside guy" since Owen Wilson was playing the "father/out of his element" role; sadly, Mr. Brosnan didn't add much to the overall experience, but his final scene was pretty cool.
Plot-wise, the overall mystery of "why is this happening" added to the realism, and while there were some hints once things got started, I think holding off on the reveal until the final act was a mistake. Since the reveal was so simple and expressed nonchalantly, it lacked any real punch, and by that point, I was just waiting for the movie to end.
I think the casting was the biggest issue. There were some very serious, very realistic events portrayed in this movie and I felt that maybe Owen Wilson's character was cast to alleviate the tension when those situations got intense, but I don't think it came across as expected/desired. Maybe it was just the writing. Also, I understand the need for the children and the mother figure in this movie, but I felt they could have added much more to their roles. Ultimately, they just felt like baggage. Pierce Brosnan was added as the "action star/inside guy" since Owen Wilson was playing the "father/out of his element" role; sadly, Mr. Brosnan didn't add much to the overall experience, but his final scene was pretty cool.
Plot-wise, the overall mystery of "why is this happening" added to the realism, and while there were some hints once things got started, I think holding off on the reveal until the final act was a mistake. Since the reveal was so simple and expressed nonchalantly, it lacked any real punch, and by that point, I was just waiting for the movie to end.
Friday, November 20, 2015
Adventure Time Season 7 thus far
Season 7 kicked off on 11/2. They aired one episode each day from Monday (11/2) to Friday (11/6) to form some sort of mini arc with the King of Ooo, now the Princess of the Candy Kingdom, at the center of the story for the most part. All of a sudden Princess Bubblegum's first name is Bonnie? I wonder if this is a reference/joke on that fact that Princess Toadstool in the Mario Bros series is more commonly referred to as Peach now. I'm not a huge fan of the King of Ooo as a character, and I don't really care about him. I care more about others who weren't showcased. Overall, I'd give this arc a 2/5 stars.
There were no new episodes 11/9-11/13.
On 11/16, they changed the opening theme song to center on Marceline who is the focus of this arc. It's subtitled STAKES. Parts 1 & 2 aired on Monday, 3 & 4 aired on Tuesday, and 5 & 6 aired on Wednesday. The last two parts (7&8) aired last night, and I've yet to watch them. There is a hint of Kill Bill in this arc as Marceline hunts each of the five vampires on her "list" that once gave her her powers. With Marceline at the center of this arc, I was really hoping for more musical undertone, but it's been very minimal. I'm enjoying the structure of this arc better than the first, but some of the beats are falling flat and it's pretty predictable. Without seeing the conclusion, I'd give this arc a slight edge over the previous one. 2.5/5 stars.
New episodes after that? Good question. I'm not a fan of the sporadic schedule.
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
TV Episode Reviews (11/15/2015)
Last Man on Earth S02E07 "Baby Steps" - Season 2 hasn't had the same magic as Season 1, but thankfully this episode was pretty funny overall Does anything think that Erica is really pregnant? I don't think she is.
Family Guy S14E07 "Peter's Sister" - No surprise, but it was another lack luster episode. There was a Back to the Future bit that made me laugh so much that I had to pause the show. My gf also thought Meg's voice seemed off. Did it sound weird to anyone else? Not Mila's best work I suppose or just a bad mix.
Talking Dead S06E06 "Always Accountable" - A very bad episode of Talking Dead thanks to the lackluster guests: Michael Rooker was all over the place and not in a good way, Paget Brewster was VERY annoying, and if Doug Benson was any more stoned, he'd be a puff of smoke.
Monday, November 16, 2015
Spy [2015] review
Another Melissa McCarthy movie where instead of being a bridesmaid, cop, identify thief, or grand daughter to Susan Sarandon, she's a spy (obviously). It's pretty much what you'd expect. If you like her and her style of over the top insults, then you'll like this movie. If you don't, then don't waste your time.
I thought it wasn't bad and found myself quoting some of the lines a few hours later, but it's pretty much gone now. Her co-star from Bridesmaids (Rose Byrne) was one of the antagonists, and I liked how they played off each other.
Other observations: It was odd hearing Jude Law with an American accent. Jason Statham should stick to action and stay out of comedies. Annoying British character (Miranda Hart) acting surprised when doing a simple task is annoying.
I thought it wasn't bad and found myself quoting some of the lines a few hours later, but it's pretty much gone now. Her co-star from Bridesmaids (Rose Byrne) was one of the antagonists, and I liked how they played off each other.
Other observations: It was odd hearing Jude Law with an American accent. Jason Statham should stick to action and stay out of comedies. Annoying British character (Miranda Hart) acting surprised when doing a simple task is annoying.
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