When you go into a movie that is about a famous couples first date, you would expect to feel a connection between the characters. I must say that I did not feel a connection at all between the characters in Southside with You.
Southside with You is about the first date between Barack Obama and Michelle Robinson (yes that Barack and Michelle). The movie takes place in Chicago in 1989 where the two work at a law firm. This is the first movie directed by Richard Tanne and stars Parker Sawyers as Barack and Tika Sumpter as Michelle.
I'm going to keep this short and simple, I was completely bored watching this movie. I felt that there was no chemistry between Barack and Michelle. For most of the movie Barack just looks up and down Michelle's body in this super creepy way and made me feel a little uncomfortable. Tika's performance as Michelle was rigid and lifeless. It seemed like it wasn't until three quarters into the movie that you finally saw her smile and that was probably because Michelle was drinking. If someone is on an enjoyable first date, you would expect them to smile a little more. Michelle was not likable at all, she was angry for most of the movie and I could never imagine someone falling for her. Barack had charisma and charm and seeing him interact with Michelle was frustrating. For a lot of the movie I was wondering what Barack saw in her and was wondering why did he want to date her so badly. The dialog between Barack and Michelle was pretty painful and uninteresting. A lot of the things they talked about seemed forced. There were multiple lines that just seemed like they were thrown in just so the audience could say "Hey I heard about that in the news". It never felt like an actual conversation two people would have on a first date.
I do have to give the director a little credit though. The movie was beautiful to look at. There were some fantastic shots throughout the movie. Also the movie had some great music.
Southside with You was a huge disappointment. This movie was completely boring and there was no chemistry between Barack and Michelle. This was a romantic movie that completely lacked any kind of romance. There is absolutely no reason to see this movie and the more I think about it, the more I dislike it.
2 out of 5 Stars (and falling)
Sunday, August 28, 2016
Don't Think Twice Review
Seeing Don't Think Twice was a very rare movie going experience for me. I didn't have any real knowledge or connection to any of the actors in the movie, the plot was about things that don't really interest me and it felt like nothing really happened in the movie. Yet I have to say, I really enjoyed Don't Think Twice.
Don't Think Twice is about a group of friends that are part of a New York improv troupe. The main goal for the members of the troupe are to become a cast members of the hit show Weekend Live (basically Saturday Night Live). When one of the members ends up getting hired to join Weekend Live, the remaining members start to wonder what to do with their lives and tension starts to mount.
The movie is written and directed by Mike Birbiglia, who also stars in the movie. I have seen Mike in a couple movies, but I don't remember him from any of them. The only thing I remember him from is seeing him on Conan O'Brien's talk show. The movie also stars Keegan-Michael Key (Key & Peele), Gillian Jacobs (Community, I think), and then three comedians I have never heard of, Kate Micucci, Chris Gethard and Tami Sagher. There are also a couple cameos from some famous comedians. I think not knowing the cast helped keep me from comparing them to previous roles and made it feel like they were just playing themselves in this movie.
What I really liked about Don't Think Twice was the connection and bond within the improv troupe. The movie did a really good job of making it seem like these were real friends that have been performing together for many years. It was fun watching them interact with each other and just witness them going through life together. One character has a family emergency come up and watching how the group came together felt special and authentic. Two members of the troupe are in a relationship and the way that it plays out was really emotional and kept me invested in the movie. It was also fun watching what ended up being a behind the scenes look at what it's like to get on a show like Saturday Night Live. For comedians, that show is the pinnacle of making it, so watching these characters strive to get there was interesting.
If I had to pick something I didn't like about the movie, I would probably have to say that for a movie about comedians, it isn't really that funny. Going into the movie, I thought it was going to be a comedy, but it ended up being more of a drama with the occasional laugh. But I would have to say I kind of preferred that it was a drama so it isn't really that much of a negative.
Don't Think Twice surprised me. All the actors are relatively new to me, the main subject of the movie was something that I have no interest in and nothing really happened in the movie, but I still had an enjoyable time watching it. I recommend seeing this movie. It is probably the most "real" movie I have seen this year and it surprisingly hit me emotionally.
4 out of 5 Stars
Don't Think Twice is about a group of friends that are part of a New York improv troupe. The main goal for the members of the troupe are to become a cast members of the hit show Weekend Live (basically Saturday Night Live). When one of the members ends up getting hired to join Weekend Live, the remaining members start to wonder what to do with their lives and tension starts to mount.
The movie is written and directed by Mike Birbiglia, who also stars in the movie. I have seen Mike in a couple movies, but I don't remember him from any of them. The only thing I remember him from is seeing him on Conan O'Brien's talk show. The movie also stars Keegan-Michael Key (Key & Peele), Gillian Jacobs (Community, I think), and then three comedians I have never heard of, Kate Micucci, Chris Gethard and Tami Sagher. There are also a couple cameos from some famous comedians. I think not knowing the cast helped keep me from comparing them to previous roles and made it feel like they were just playing themselves in this movie.
What I really liked about Don't Think Twice was the connection and bond within the improv troupe. The movie did a really good job of making it seem like these were real friends that have been performing together for many years. It was fun watching them interact with each other and just witness them going through life together. One character has a family emergency come up and watching how the group came together felt special and authentic. Two members of the troupe are in a relationship and the way that it plays out was really emotional and kept me invested in the movie. It was also fun watching what ended up being a behind the scenes look at what it's like to get on a show like Saturday Night Live. For comedians, that show is the pinnacle of making it, so watching these characters strive to get there was interesting.
If I had to pick something I didn't like about the movie, I would probably have to say that for a movie about comedians, it isn't really that funny. Going into the movie, I thought it was going to be a comedy, but it ended up being more of a drama with the occasional laugh. But I would have to say I kind of preferred that it was a drama so it isn't really that much of a negative.
Don't Think Twice surprised me. All the actors are relatively new to me, the main subject of the movie was something that I have no interest in and nothing really happened in the movie, but I still had an enjoyable time watching it. I recommend seeing this movie. It is probably the most "real" movie I have seen this year and it surprisingly hit me emotionally.
4 out of 5 Stars
Thursday, August 25, 2016
Don't Breathe Review
About midway through the movie Don't Breathe, I realized I had a huge smile on my face, does that make me a sick and twisted individual?
Don't Breathe is a horror film starring Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette and Stephen Lang. This movie has a fairly simple premise, Rocky (Jane Levy), her boyfriend Money, and Alex (Dylan Minnette) decide to break into the house of a blind man (Stephen Lang). Something goes wrong while they are in the house and the blind man locks the three teens inside the house. Will the three of them make it out alive or will the blind man be able to handle the home invaders?
What's really interesting about Don't Breathe is that you don't really know who to root for. The blind man is just protecting his house. The three teens are committing a crime and they are on his property so he has every right to protect himself. Throughout the movie, I found myself rooting for the blind man and looking forward to what he would do to the home invaders. But as the movie progresses you do start to wonder if maybe the blind man isn't that innocent and there is more to him than just some lonely hermit. This causes you to maybe start to root of the teens, but you still have this sour taste in your mouth that maybe they do deserve what is happening to them.
The performances in this movie are pretty spectacular. Stephen Lang does a marvelous job as the blind man (and yes that's what he is listed as in the credits). He doesn't have a lot of dialog but his facial expressions are able to show a wide range of emotions from rage to toughness to fear. When you look at him, you wouldn't expect him to be afraid, but then you remember that he is blind and he doesn't really know where the intruders are at in his house so at times he can be pretty vulnerable. Because they are trying to avoid the blind man, Jane Levy and Dylan Minnette have to do a lot of their acting without words as well. If they were to speak or make any type of sound, the blind man would find them. This causes a lot of their fear and anxiety to be shown via facial expressions. I feel like they both did a great job conveying what was going through their heads and that immediately help put you as an audience member into their shoes.
Even though the premise of Don't Breathe is pretty simple, there were still some fun surprises and twists. I felt like the movie was predictable in all the right places and then would throw a twist at you at just the right moment. Early on in the movie, they show you certain things around the house and you just know that those items will play into the story in some way and I really enjoyed that kind of foreshadowing. There is one twist that doesn't really fit with the rest of the movie and probably could have been left out, but it did lead to a moment that made me gag which I'm not sure has ever happened in a movie before.
I was really surprised with how much fun I had with Don't Breathe. I highly recommend seeing this movie if you are a fan of suspense and enjoy being stressed out while watching a movie. Maybe I am just sick and twisted, but I think you too, will find yourself with a smile on your face while you watch Don't Breathe.
4 out of 5 Stars
Don't Breathe is a horror film starring Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette and Stephen Lang. This movie has a fairly simple premise, Rocky (Jane Levy), her boyfriend Money, and Alex (Dylan Minnette) decide to break into the house of a blind man (Stephen Lang). Something goes wrong while they are in the house and the blind man locks the three teens inside the house. Will the three of them make it out alive or will the blind man be able to handle the home invaders?
What's really interesting about Don't Breathe is that you don't really know who to root for. The blind man is just protecting his house. The three teens are committing a crime and they are on his property so he has every right to protect himself. Throughout the movie, I found myself rooting for the blind man and looking forward to what he would do to the home invaders. But as the movie progresses you do start to wonder if maybe the blind man isn't that innocent and there is more to him than just some lonely hermit. This causes you to maybe start to root of the teens, but you still have this sour taste in your mouth that maybe they do deserve what is happening to them.
The performances in this movie are pretty spectacular. Stephen Lang does a marvelous job as the blind man (and yes that's what he is listed as in the credits). He doesn't have a lot of dialog but his facial expressions are able to show a wide range of emotions from rage to toughness to fear. When you look at him, you wouldn't expect him to be afraid, but then you remember that he is blind and he doesn't really know where the intruders are at in his house so at times he can be pretty vulnerable. Because they are trying to avoid the blind man, Jane Levy and Dylan Minnette have to do a lot of their acting without words as well. If they were to speak or make any type of sound, the blind man would find them. This causes a lot of their fear and anxiety to be shown via facial expressions. I feel like they both did a great job conveying what was going through their heads and that immediately help put you as an audience member into their shoes.
Even though the premise of Don't Breathe is pretty simple, there were still some fun surprises and twists. I felt like the movie was predictable in all the right places and then would throw a twist at you at just the right moment. Early on in the movie, they show you certain things around the house and you just know that those items will play into the story in some way and I really enjoyed that kind of foreshadowing. There is one twist that doesn't really fit with the rest of the movie and probably could have been left out, but it did lead to a moment that made me gag which I'm not sure has ever happened in a movie before.
I was really surprised with how much fun I had with Don't Breathe. I highly recommend seeing this movie if you are a fan of suspense and enjoy being stressed out while watching a movie. Maybe I am just sick and twisted, but I think you too, will find yourself with a smile on your face while you watch Don't Breathe.
4 out of 5 Stars
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Kubo and the Two Strings Review
In recent years there have been many attempts at making movies based off video game properties and all these attempts have failed and failed miserably. But sometimes a movie comes along like Kubo and the Two Strings, that plays out like a classic video game adventure and makes you wonder, why do they keep attempting to make movies of video game properties when they can make solid original adventure movies?
Kubo and the Two Strings is a stop-motion adventure movie from Laika, the studio that brought us Coraline, ParaNorman and The Boxtrolls. This movie is about a young boy named Kubo, who must go on an adventure to find his father's ancient battle armor. Kubo doesn't go on this journey alone though, he is helped by a monkey named Monkey (voiced by Charlize Theron) and a beetle-like man named Beetle (voiced by Matthew McConaughey). Along the way Kubo must avoid his evil aunts (voiced by Rooney Mara) and his grandfather, Raiden the Moon King (voiced by Ralph Fiennes) as well as various other creatures.
There are a lot of positive things to say about Kubo and the Two Strings. First off, I really enjoyed how the adventure played out. It truly played out like a video game. There was great world building at the beginning that explained the lore of the world. There were three parts to the armor that Kubo had to find and those played out like mini-dungeons that are found in video games with a boss battle at the end of each. At the completion of each "dungeon", Kubo gained new abilities that would aid him on his next task. While watching the movie, I kept thinking about how much fun this adventure would be to play out at home in a video game.
Another great part of Kubo and the Two Strings was the stop-motion animation. This movie was absolutely beautiful to look at. The design of each character was unique and original. I loved the design of Monkey the most and multiple times throughout the movie I was wishing I could have a figurine of her. There were multiple times throughout the movie I would be sitting there awestruck in wonder on how did they make this movie. Most animated movies today are made using computers, but this was made using stop-motion puppets and the fact that this movie has epic battle scenes you just can't help but wonder how long each of those scenes took to make.
The characters in Kubo and the Two Strings are also fantastic. I loved the passion that Kubo would have when he was telling stories to those in his village or when he discovered a new skill. I loved the banter between Monkey and Beetle. They were constantly shooting one-liner jokes at each other that would cause everyone to laugh. The evil aunts brought this extreme evil and creepiness to the movie. Every time they were on the screen you would forget you were watching a "kids" movie because they were super scary, I can definitely see them causing nightmares for little ones (and maybe me too).
The only real issue I had with the movie was the main villain, Raiden the Moon King. They kind of build him up through the lore with bits of information here and there, but they never showed him until the very end. This caused me to not really feel his impact on the story and how things wrapped up. Previously I compared the adventure in Kubo and the Two Strings to a video game and this complaint I have with the villain is one I have with many newer games. You get this great adventure with solid boss battles throughout, but then last boss is just underwhelming and leaves you wanting more.
Kubo and the Two Strings is a fantastic adventure that everyone should go see. The story is exciting and keeps you engaged the entire time. The characters are hilarious and fun to be around. The visuals are incredible and you will have a smile on your face the entire time because of how beautiful it looks. Movies like this don't come around often and when something original and fresh like Kubo and the Two Strings comes out, it should be seen and seen on the biggest screen possible.
4 1/2 out of 5 Stars
Kubo and the Two Strings is a stop-motion adventure movie from Laika, the studio that brought us Coraline, ParaNorman and The Boxtrolls. This movie is about a young boy named Kubo, who must go on an adventure to find his father's ancient battle armor. Kubo doesn't go on this journey alone though, he is helped by a monkey named Monkey (voiced by Charlize Theron) and a beetle-like man named Beetle (voiced by Matthew McConaughey). Along the way Kubo must avoid his evil aunts (voiced by Rooney Mara) and his grandfather, Raiden the Moon King (voiced by Ralph Fiennes) as well as various other creatures.
There are a lot of positive things to say about Kubo and the Two Strings. First off, I really enjoyed how the adventure played out. It truly played out like a video game. There was great world building at the beginning that explained the lore of the world. There were three parts to the armor that Kubo had to find and those played out like mini-dungeons that are found in video games with a boss battle at the end of each. At the completion of each "dungeon", Kubo gained new abilities that would aid him on his next task. While watching the movie, I kept thinking about how much fun this adventure would be to play out at home in a video game.
Another great part of Kubo and the Two Strings was the stop-motion animation. This movie was absolutely beautiful to look at. The design of each character was unique and original. I loved the design of Monkey the most and multiple times throughout the movie I was wishing I could have a figurine of her. There were multiple times throughout the movie I would be sitting there awestruck in wonder on how did they make this movie. Most animated movies today are made using computers, but this was made using stop-motion puppets and the fact that this movie has epic battle scenes you just can't help but wonder how long each of those scenes took to make.
The characters in Kubo and the Two Strings are also fantastic. I loved the passion that Kubo would have when he was telling stories to those in his village or when he discovered a new skill. I loved the banter between Monkey and Beetle. They were constantly shooting one-liner jokes at each other that would cause everyone to laugh. The evil aunts brought this extreme evil and creepiness to the movie. Every time they were on the screen you would forget you were watching a "kids" movie because they were super scary, I can definitely see them causing nightmares for little ones (and maybe me too).
The only real issue I had with the movie was the main villain, Raiden the Moon King. They kind of build him up through the lore with bits of information here and there, but they never showed him until the very end. This caused me to not really feel his impact on the story and how things wrapped up. Previously I compared the adventure in Kubo and the Two Strings to a video game and this complaint I have with the villain is one I have with many newer games. You get this great adventure with solid boss battles throughout, but then last boss is just underwhelming and leaves you wanting more.
Kubo and the Two Strings is a fantastic adventure that everyone should go see. The story is exciting and keeps you engaged the entire time. The characters are hilarious and fun to be around. The visuals are incredible and you will have a smile on your face the entire time because of how beautiful it looks. Movies like this don't come around often and when something original and fresh like Kubo and the Two Strings comes out, it should be seen and seen on the biggest screen possible.
4 1/2 out of 5 Stars
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Wiener-Dog Review
Sometimes a movie comes around where I know nothing about it and that movie ends up being completely insane and bonkers. Wiener-Dog is one of those movies.
Wiener-Dog is a dramedy (drama-comedy) written and directed by Todd Solondz and stars Kieran Culkin, Danny DeVito, Greta Gerwig and a few others. The plot of this movie is a little hard to explain so I will just give a basic summary. Wiener-Dog is about a dachshund that moves from owner to owner and how she affects their lives. The movie is composed of four short stories, with only the first two having a shared location.
Wiener-Dog was an interesting experience that can be truly hard to describe without going into spoilers. The comedy throughout can be very dark and at times uncomfortably funny. I found myself often just shaking my head and laughing and wondering what is going on. In one scene the dog's first owner gives her some granola bars that cause her to have extreme diarrhea. The camera slowly pans along the side of the road just starring at the mess the dog has made. This goes on for longer than it comfortably should and you just sit there wondering when will it go away. Wiener-Dog also has this really random intermission halfway through, which seemed odd for a movie that is only 90 minutes long.
The performances in this movie are okay. I thought Greta Gerwig was enjoyable as the vet tech that takes care of the dog after getting sick from the granola bars. Danny DeVito was also good as a grumpy film school professor who no one likes and is stressed out about a script he wrote. I didn't feel like there were any stellar performances though. This may be due to the fact that I didn't really enjoy any of the characters. No one of them were very relatable and they never gave me a reason to care about their stories.
I could probably say more about Wiener-Dog, but don't want to get into all the minor details and spoilers. I will say that this movie is not for everyone and has a scene at the end that can be pretty disturbing and will upset a lot of people. If you are willing to see a movie that is a little different and at times can be pretty fun in a very dark way, then give Wiener-Dog a watch.
3 1/2 out of 5 Stars
Wiener-Dog is a dramedy (drama-comedy) written and directed by Todd Solondz and stars Kieran Culkin, Danny DeVito, Greta Gerwig and a few others. The plot of this movie is a little hard to explain so I will just give a basic summary. Wiener-Dog is about a dachshund that moves from owner to owner and how she affects their lives. The movie is composed of four short stories, with only the first two having a shared location.
Wiener-Dog was an interesting experience that can be truly hard to describe without going into spoilers. The comedy throughout can be very dark and at times uncomfortably funny. I found myself often just shaking my head and laughing and wondering what is going on. In one scene the dog's first owner gives her some granola bars that cause her to have extreme diarrhea. The camera slowly pans along the side of the road just starring at the mess the dog has made. This goes on for longer than it comfortably should and you just sit there wondering when will it go away. Wiener-Dog also has this really random intermission halfway through, which seemed odd for a movie that is only 90 minutes long.
The performances in this movie are okay. I thought Greta Gerwig was enjoyable as the vet tech that takes care of the dog after getting sick from the granola bars. Danny DeVito was also good as a grumpy film school professor who no one likes and is stressed out about a script he wrote. I didn't feel like there were any stellar performances though. This may be due to the fact that I didn't really enjoy any of the characters. No one of them were very relatable and they never gave me a reason to care about their stories.
I could probably say more about Wiener-Dog, but don't want to get into all the minor details and spoilers. I will say that this movie is not for everyone and has a scene at the end that can be pretty disturbing and will upset a lot of people. If you are willing to see a movie that is a little different and at times can be pretty fun in a very dark way, then give Wiener-Dog a watch.
3 1/2 out of 5 Stars
Monday, August 8, 2016
Gleason Review
I find that documentaries can be tricky. Sometimes they can be about really great topics, but are one sided and preachy. Sometimes their subject matter can be completely boring or be horribly made. Or the topic can be great, not preachy, helps tell all sides to the story and can be well made. I feel that the documentary Gleason falls in the latter.
Gleason is a documentary about the former New Orleans Saint football player named Steve Gleason. Gleason became a local hero for New Orleans fans in 2006 when he blocked a punt early on in the teams first game back in the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina. This moment brought hope and excitement to a city that was down on it's luck after the devastating storm. Nationally, Steve wasn't that well known since he mainly played on special teams. That all changed in 2011 when he was diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS, also known as Lou Gerig's Disease. The documentary, Gleason, tells the story of Steve's life after being diagnosed with ALS and how he and his wife, Michel, must work together to raise their son, River, who was born 6 months after Steve was diagnosed.
The one thing I can say about Gleason is that it can be a tough watch. It is a gut wrenching film that will have you crying throughout. These tears aren't just from sadness, though, there are times of great joy and love in this documentary. You get to see Steve and Michel's love for their son, River. A lot of the footage in this documentary is from Steve's video blog that he is creating for River. Steve knows that at some point ALS will take away his ability to speak, so he records as many videos as possible so that River can some day watch them and learn from Steve. You get to see Michel's love for Steve, no matter how hard it is for her to take care of him. There are things Michel must do that almost bring her to her breaking point, but her love for Steve keeps her going. You also get to see Steve's relationship with his own father and how that affects the way Steve wants to raise River. Through Steve's relationship with his father, you learn about Steve's faith and believes about God and religion. Another aspect you get to see is that Steve is not just fighting to stay alive for his family, he is fighting for everyone else that is suffering with ALS. You learn about his foundation, Team Gleason, and how they what those with ALS to live their life to the fullest and achieve their dreams.
Reviewing a documentary feels weird. You can't judge it on an actors performance or the special effects. If I had to nitpick it, I would say the only negative were some editing choices. At times the emotions would seem to ramp up and then it would cut away. There was one scene in particular where it got really emotional between Steve and his dad and then it just seemed to cut away and left a jarring feeling inside me. Other than some minor editing, I was emotionally invested in this documentary. I loved laughing at the jokes Steve and Michel make throughout it. I enjoyed crying with Steve and Michel when River is just starting to speak and tries to say "I love you". I enjoyed being inspired by Steve's will to keep fighting not just for himself but for others with ALS.
I don't really want to say too much more about this documentary because I feel like it needs to be seen and experienced. The main subject matter for this documentary may seem sad and depressing, but while watching it, you can't help but feel inspired and hopeful. Steve's attitude and love for life is infectious and warms your heart. So please, go see Gleason, but remember to bring the tissues, because you will need them.
4 1/2 out of 5 Stars
For more information about the movie and Steve's foundation, Team Gleason, go to http://www.teamgleason.org/
Gleason is a documentary about the former New Orleans Saint football player named Steve Gleason. Gleason became a local hero for New Orleans fans in 2006 when he blocked a punt early on in the teams first game back in the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina. This moment brought hope and excitement to a city that was down on it's luck after the devastating storm. Nationally, Steve wasn't that well known since he mainly played on special teams. That all changed in 2011 when he was diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS, also known as Lou Gerig's Disease. The documentary, Gleason, tells the story of Steve's life after being diagnosed with ALS and how he and his wife, Michel, must work together to raise their son, River, who was born 6 months after Steve was diagnosed.
The one thing I can say about Gleason is that it can be a tough watch. It is a gut wrenching film that will have you crying throughout. These tears aren't just from sadness, though, there are times of great joy and love in this documentary. You get to see Steve and Michel's love for their son, River. A lot of the footage in this documentary is from Steve's video blog that he is creating for River. Steve knows that at some point ALS will take away his ability to speak, so he records as many videos as possible so that River can some day watch them and learn from Steve. You get to see Michel's love for Steve, no matter how hard it is for her to take care of him. There are things Michel must do that almost bring her to her breaking point, but her love for Steve keeps her going. You also get to see Steve's relationship with his own father and how that affects the way Steve wants to raise River. Through Steve's relationship with his father, you learn about Steve's faith and believes about God and religion. Another aspect you get to see is that Steve is not just fighting to stay alive for his family, he is fighting for everyone else that is suffering with ALS. You learn about his foundation, Team Gleason, and how they what those with ALS to live their life to the fullest and achieve their dreams.
Reviewing a documentary feels weird. You can't judge it on an actors performance or the special effects. If I had to nitpick it, I would say the only negative were some editing choices. At times the emotions would seem to ramp up and then it would cut away. There was one scene in particular where it got really emotional between Steve and his dad and then it just seemed to cut away and left a jarring feeling inside me. Other than some minor editing, I was emotionally invested in this documentary. I loved laughing at the jokes Steve and Michel make throughout it. I enjoyed crying with Steve and Michel when River is just starting to speak and tries to say "I love you". I enjoyed being inspired by Steve's will to keep fighting not just for himself but for others with ALS.
I don't really want to say too much more about this documentary because I feel like it needs to be seen and experienced. The main subject matter for this documentary may seem sad and depressing, but while watching it, you can't help but feel inspired and hopeful. Steve's attitude and love for life is infectious and warms your heart. So please, go see Gleason, but remember to bring the tissues, because you will need them.
4 1/2 out of 5 Stars
For more information about the movie and Steve's foundation, Team Gleason, go to http://www.teamgleason.org/
Thursday, August 4, 2016
Suicide Squad Review
I don't know if there is anything more frustrating than watching a movie and knowing that there is potentially a great movie inside but overall the movie is complete garbage. Suicide Squad is a perfect example of this.
Suicide Squad is a comic book movie directed by David Ayer and stars Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jared Leto and a slew of other actors. In Suicide Squad, a US government agency puts together a task force made up of supervillains to take down any potential threats that the military cannot handle like Superman for example. This supervillain task force is made up of Deadshot (Will Smith), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), El Diablo (Jay Hernandez), Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), Enchantress (Cara Delevingne) and Slipknot (Adam Beach). The crew is also joined by Rick Flagg (Joel Kinnaman) and Katana (Tatsu Yamashiro). And yes that is a lot of characters and they throw even more at you, but I'm not going to list them all. When disaster strikes in Midway City, the Suicide Squad must go in and try to save the day before the entire world gets taken out.
Lets start with what I liked about Suicide Squad. The main group of characters in the Suicide Squad are fantastic. Margot Robbie absolutely nails it as Harley Quinn. She does a great job of playing a completely crazy women as well as someone with great heart and love and can switch between the two at a drop of a hat. Will Smith is wonderful as Deadshot. He has great one liners and brings a lot of emotion to a character that is a hired assassin but just wants to be with his daughter. Jared Leto played the Joker and you was absolutely insane. He brought this crazy energy to the movie and you never knew what he would say or do next. Jai Courtney was actually tolerable in this movie and I think thats because he doesn't really have to do much, but when he is on screen, he is pretty funny and entertaining. Most of the other characters, though, could have been played by anyone else or completely left out of the movie.
Another thing I enjoyed was the action. Most of it was just shoot-outs, but when you get to see Harley Quinn fight it was usually in tighter corridors and a lot more physical than other characters. It was also fun to watch what each member of the team brought to the fights. I would have enjoyed seeing them play off of each other a little more though, but since this is the first time they have been together I will give it a slight pass. Another thing that bothered me about the action was the things they were fighting were pretty faceless (they actually were faceless zombie like creatures) and never really seemed to be a menacing threat.
Now let's get to the fun, this movie is a hot mess. The villain is completely pointless and appears to have just been thrown in so the Suicide Squad has someone to battle against. When you are first introduced to the villain you see them absolutely destroying the city and taking out people left and right. But then suddenly it stops and allows for the Suicide Squad to be brought together. One moment they show the skyline just being destroyed and the next you see a little smoke coming from some buildings but no further damage is being done. The villain also doesn't really appear to have any kind of motive. They casually say a line that is supposed to indicate what they are upset about, but there is no proof that that reason is actually true. And maybe this is a spoiler, but they show the location of the villain, you see the type of building they are in from the outside. Then they show where the Suicide Squad is supposed to go to stop the villain. These are two visibly different locations, there is no surprise when the Suicide Squad reaches there destination and the villain isn't there. It's not that hard to just show the inside of the villain's lair and make us think the Suicide Squad is going there and then surprise us. Let the audience go on the journey with the crew.
Another extremely annoying part of the movie is the usage of music. For the first half of the movie, they constantly play various hit songs from all sorts of bands which include, The White Stripes, Kanye West, Queen and the one that caused me to give up on this movie, Eminem. I enjoy Eminem, so it has nothing to do with that, it has to do with the way the song fit in with the scene. It was completely jarring and out of place. Another frustrating part about the music, was that they would play these hit songs during the fight scenes at the beginning. Then the movie reaches a certain point and they quit using the songs and just use the film score. Once they used the film score, the fight scenes were way more entertaining and fit in with the flow of the movie. For the first half the movie, it felt like you were watching a mini trailer while the songs played.
Suicide Squad is a movie that has a fantastic cast that plays wonderfully fun characters. Margot Robbie is fantastic as Harley Quinn, Will Smith is great as Deadshot and Jared Leto is a blast to watch as the Joker. Unfortunately they are thrown into a story that is pretty pointless. The plot was extremely messy and the villain served no purpose. Things would happen that would just cause me to shake my head and wonder why. I cannot recommend this movie at all. I wish I could say go see it for Margot, Will and Jared, but you would have to sit through a completely disappointing movie that isn't worth your time.
1 1/2 Stars out of 5
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
Captain Fantastic Review
Seeing the movie Captain Fantastic taught me two things. First, sometimes your expectations for a movie can be too high that no matter what, the movie will not reach those heights. Secondly, having to pee at the end of a movie really makes the ending drag on, especially when the movie feels like it has three different points at which it could have ended.
Captain Fantastic is an indie drama starring Viggo Mortensen as Ben, a father who is trying to raise his six kids while his wife is in the hospital. Ben's family isn't your typical family though, they live in the middle of the forest just outside of Seattle, Washington. One day, Ben learns that his wife has passed away, but his father-in-law does not want him to go to the funeral. If Ben does go to the funeral, he will be arrested on the spot and his kids will be taken from him. That threat does not stop the kids from wanting to go to the funeral, so Ben and the kids hop on their bus and drive down to New Mexico. Will this road trip bring the family closer together through this hard time or will Ben lose those that mean the world to him, his kids?
The performances in Captain Fantastic are what stand out the most. Viggo Mortensen was truly mesmerizing. Viggo brings this warmth and emotionally relatable energy to his character. Whenever he is on screen, you never want to see him leave it. You get emotionally connected to Ben and that's because Viggo never makes him feel like a character on the screen, but rather a friend or a family member. Viggo also elevates those around him. The actors and actresses playing his kids are fairly inexperienced and some are pretty young. Not once during the movie did the kids feel out of place around Viggo. They felt like they were his actual kids and that they were a real family going through this tough time.
I also really enjoyed watching the family dynamic, especially at the beginning of the movie. It was great to see how Ben was teaching his kids to survive in the forest. Seeing how they each had to perform daily chores for the family to thrive. Seeing them all get pushed to their physical and emotional limits and their father being their to support them every step of the way. Later on in the movie, you get to see how these teachings may help in the forest, but in the real world, the kids still have a lot to learn. In one scene, the family is at a restaurant and the kids have no idea what Coca-Cola is and Ben just tells them "It's poison water".
If I had to pick something I didn't like about Captain Fantastic, it would have to be the pacing. It's hard to describe, but at times I felt like something would happen and suddenly the flow of the movie would be off. Once scene in particular that did this was when they rob a grocery store. I don't know why but that scene just felt off. It didn't feel like something the family would actually do. Also the movie felt like it wanted to end multiple times. Something would happen that normally would seem like a perfect ending to a movie, but then it just keeps going. Then you reach another perfect time to end and it continues to keep going. I can see how it helps to answer some questions that the audience may have, but sometimes we don't need to know everything.
Captain Fantastic was an extremely enjoyable movie that is funny, touching, original and thought-provoking. The performances by Viggo Mortensen and the kids were outstanding. The family dynamic was a joy to watch. Emotionally, this movie didn't reach the heights I was hoping for and I think thats do to some pacing issues at the end. I still think you should see Captain Fantastic. Movies like this need to be seen so they can continue to be made.
3 1/2 out of 5 Stars
Captain Fantastic is an indie drama starring Viggo Mortensen as Ben, a father who is trying to raise his six kids while his wife is in the hospital. Ben's family isn't your typical family though, they live in the middle of the forest just outside of Seattle, Washington. One day, Ben learns that his wife has passed away, but his father-in-law does not want him to go to the funeral. If Ben does go to the funeral, he will be arrested on the spot and his kids will be taken from him. That threat does not stop the kids from wanting to go to the funeral, so Ben and the kids hop on their bus and drive down to New Mexico. Will this road trip bring the family closer together through this hard time or will Ben lose those that mean the world to him, his kids?
The performances in Captain Fantastic are what stand out the most. Viggo Mortensen was truly mesmerizing. Viggo brings this warmth and emotionally relatable energy to his character. Whenever he is on screen, you never want to see him leave it. You get emotionally connected to Ben and that's because Viggo never makes him feel like a character on the screen, but rather a friend or a family member. Viggo also elevates those around him. The actors and actresses playing his kids are fairly inexperienced and some are pretty young. Not once during the movie did the kids feel out of place around Viggo. They felt like they were his actual kids and that they were a real family going through this tough time.
I also really enjoyed watching the family dynamic, especially at the beginning of the movie. It was great to see how Ben was teaching his kids to survive in the forest. Seeing how they each had to perform daily chores for the family to thrive. Seeing them all get pushed to their physical and emotional limits and their father being their to support them every step of the way. Later on in the movie, you get to see how these teachings may help in the forest, but in the real world, the kids still have a lot to learn. In one scene, the family is at a restaurant and the kids have no idea what Coca-Cola is and Ben just tells them "It's poison water".
If I had to pick something I didn't like about Captain Fantastic, it would have to be the pacing. It's hard to describe, but at times I felt like something would happen and suddenly the flow of the movie would be off. Once scene in particular that did this was when they rob a grocery store. I don't know why but that scene just felt off. It didn't feel like something the family would actually do. Also the movie felt like it wanted to end multiple times. Something would happen that normally would seem like a perfect ending to a movie, but then it just keeps going. Then you reach another perfect time to end and it continues to keep going. I can see how it helps to answer some questions that the audience may have, but sometimes we don't need to know everything.
Captain Fantastic was an extremely enjoyable movie that is funny, touching, original and thought-provoking. The performances by Viggo Mortensen and the kids were outstanding. The family dynamic was a joy to watch. Emotionally, this movie didn't reach the heights I was hoping for and I think thats do to some pacing issues at the end. I still think you should see Captain Fantastic. Movies like this need to be seen so they can continue to be made.
3 1/2 out of 5 Stars
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