Dope – A Review

“I’m from a poor, crime-filled neighborhood, raised by a single mother, don’t know my dad, blah, blah. It’s cliche.”

Writer and director Rick Famuyiwa delivers an energetic coming of age film that goes out of its way to avoid cliches. That is why despite having a familiar premise, the characters feel unique and are fun to hang around with. This film premiered at Sundance and it was well received thanks to Shameik Moore’s charismatic lead performance. It’s a feel good movie about a straight-A student who despite growing up in a poor neighborhood dreams of being accepted into Harvard. Malcolm also happens to have a punk band and hangs around his two best friends, Jib (Tony Revolori) and Diggy (Kiersey Clemons). The three are geeks who happen to be fascinated with 90’s hip hop culture, but Famuyiwa writes these characters in such a way that they don’t feel like your typical geeks from high school. The three friends have a difficult time surviving their last year in high school, but things take an unexpected turn for them when a drug dealer named Dom (ASAP Rocky) invites them to his birthday party. A riot ensues later that night in the club and Dom hides the drugs in Malcolm’s backpack which will in turn unfold a chain of crazy events that will put his and his friends’ lives in danger. I know the premise might sound a bit familiar for a coming of age film, but the movie does avoid familiar cliches and ends up taking a life of its own. Not every scene works in this comedy and I was grossed out a couple of times (the Chanel Iman scene didn’t work for me), but there are some funny moments. There is one scene where Malcolm and his friends are having a conversation with their stoner buddy (played by Blake Anderson) about why white people can’t use the n word. The film also ends with the main character breaking the fourth wall and giving us a moral lecture about racism which many found to be a bit preachy and out of place, but I didn’t have an issue with it.

The things the film does get right is the energetic editing that keeps the pace of the film moving at a fun beat and the fantastic soundtrack from Pharell Williams. It’s hard not to enjoy a film that pays tribute to some of the 90’s pop culture references and there is even a scene where Dom’s character disses Malcolm and his friends for being overly excited about that era, so even if you weren’t a fan of the 90’s you can enjoy his rant about it. The film always has this feeling of being fresh and fun and Shameik Moore plays a huge role in doing so. His friends don’t get much character development and are only there to back him up at times or land a strong joke, but they have strong enough chemistry with Malcolm to give the film its energy. Forest Whitaker is the narrator and we get several interruptions during several moments in the movie to hear what he has to say. I don’t know if it was necessary, but it didn’t take away from the movie either. There is also a romantic relationship that is very loosely explored between Malcolm and Nakia (played by Zoe Kravitz), but it isn’t really a big part of the film. The entire film feels fresh because it’s very different from other coming of age films. As I mentioned before these aren’t the typical geeks we’ve seen in other films and Malcolm has a strong and charismatic personality that allows the story to rely on him. The script is witty and avoids falling into familiar stereotypes and that is why I enjoyed this comedy.

Grade: 3,5/5

Review by Esteban Gonzalez

October 30, 2015 by estebueno

City of Angels – A Review

“I would rather have had one breath of her hair, one kiss of her mouth, one touch of her hand, than eternity without it. One.”

Brad Silberling’s City of Angels isn’t a film that seems to have aged well and perhaps it suffers a bit from the Nicholas Sparks syndrome we’ve been exposed to over recent years. I’m not bashing on Sparks because I was a fan of The Notebook, but his stories seem to have been recycled over recent years and its hard not to find them emotionally manipulative. That’s the case with Silberling’s film as well, it seems as it is trying to force a chemistry that isn’t really perceivable. The film is a loose remake of Wim Wender’s German film, “Wings of Desire,” which I haven’t seen but heard is far superior. After seeing City of Angels I honestly have no desire to watch the original. I felt like something was missing from this screenplay (adapted by Dana Stevens) and perhaps it was simply the cast, but I never found the romance behind this story believable. Costner did a much better job than Cage does here playing the lead character in Stevens’s previous screenplay “For Love of the Game” which is a film I still admire despite its flaws. There was something about Cage’s performance here that simply didn’t resonate with me. I found his character more of a creepy stalker than anything else and his puppy dog eyes didn’t change my perception either. Cage is a talented actor and there are a number of films where I’ve really enjoyed his performances, but this wasn’t one of them.

City of Angels introduces us to a guardian angel named Seth (Nicolas Cage) who watches over the people of Los Angeles along with many other angels. One day as he is sent to pick up a dying patient at a hospital he falls for a heart surgeon named Maggie (Meg Ryan). He is captivated by the way she fights for this patient’s life and how his death affects her. He begins falling her around and after giving it some thought he allows her to see him. He’s never experienced touch or feelings before so he asks her to describe everything around her, such as the taste of the pear she’s eating and so on. He is surprised when one of her patients at the hospital senses his presence. Nathaniel Messinger (Dennis Franz) is a man who enjoys life to the fullest and while he is being treated at the hospital he acknowledges Seth’s presence. He confesses that he was once an angel who decided to give up on eternal life as an angel to become human. When Seth realizes this is possible he begins to ponder wether or not he too should fall to Earth to be with the woman he has become enfatuated with.

Silberling’s film isn’t simply a love story, it is a film about living life to its fullest and learning to appreciate the small things in life. That is what it tries to say anyway in a rather manipulative way through Cage’s character. I think that the film misses its opportunity to explore love and how it is much deeper than a simple feeling. Seth was the perfect vehicle to explore this considering he could not feel anything but somehow he felt attracted to Maggie. Unfortunately the film doesn’t explore this and it lacks that emotional impact that I though a film like this could deliver. The lack of a stronger chemistry between Ryan and Cage definitely hurts the film, but at least Dennis Franz elevates the material. It’s a shame this is the last film he made considering he went on to work in NYPD Blue for more than a decade and has retired from acting since. He showed a lot of potential here playing a very different role. Andre Braugher also gets to share some scenes with Cage as one of his fellow angels as the two philosophize about life. After having been released over 15 years ago the greatest legacy this film has left is its soundtrack, which is easily recognizable thanks to its popular pop songs.

Grade 2,5/5

Review by Esteban Gonzalez

October 29, 2015 by estebueno

The Shawshank Redemption – A Review

Oh, how do I even start?

The Shawshank Redemption, directed by Frank Darabont, tells the story of Andy Dufrense. He’s sentence to 2 consecutive life sentences for the murder of his wife and her lover. He is sent to the Shawshank State Penitentiary, where he meets Red, the guy who can get you anything. What follows is a tale of friendship, prison, and most importantly, hope.

You know, I’ve heard of The Shawshank Redemption way before I decided to watch it today. I knew about because it’s considered one of the best films ever made by just about everyone. Top 10 movies ever made? Chances are it’s on there. What left me confused though was that I never heard why. Most people just say it is. So I went into this movie with some expectation and a smidge of skepticism. And I must say, the people weren’t lying. This is one of the-if not the-best films I have ever watched.

The Shawshank Redemption is ultimately a tale about never giving up, and director Frank Darabont portrays that beautifully. This was him directional debut, and you seriously cannot get a better start than this. He shows the life in prison meticulously and the stories that come from it, from Brook’s life after parole and the roof tarring convict crew of ’49 to Andy’s eventual escape are all oozing with delicious lighting and atmosphere. Hell, he makes eating jail food with fellow inmates feel cozy.

While the performances here are all great, it’s Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman that make this movie. Tim is Andy, the wrong-fully convicted banker. His relentless drive of hope and freedom makes this movie. And if that’s not enough, we have Morgan Freeman as Red, who befriends Andy and helps him, albeit unknowingly, with his escape. He also serves as the narrator of the film, and his soothing voice and narration works so well with the film. This was a decade before he was known as the voice of God, but you can already see where he will go. Oh, and special mention must go to James Whitmore, whose screen-time may be short, but owns every part of it. Don’t check his IMDb page for who he plays, just don’t.

Honestly, what I write here doesn’t do The Shawshank Redemption justice. Words can’t describe just how effective the film can be. You can just cut to a scene of Andy, Red and friends chatting during food-time, talking and joking about what’s happening, and within seconds you feel for them. Hell, you start laughing with them about their going-ons. It’s a shame it didn’t do that well at the box office, but then again, it came out the same week as Pulp f**kingFiction. It also would’ve been nice if it won at least one Academy Award from its nominated 7 categories, but Forrest Gump happened. Are those 2 films better than this one? I can’t say. They appear in top 10 lists as much as The Shawshank Redemption does too. I would say I heavily recommend it, but that was pretty much a given. Get yourself a Blu-ray of this movie, sit down, and watch it. You’ll do yourself a great service for doing so.

October 29, 2015 by WilliamLi

Bridge of Spies – A Review

“This man, my father’s friend, he was beaten. Every time they hit him, he stood back up again. They hit him harder, still he got back to his feet. I think because of this they let him live.”

Over the past few years Steven Spielberg has shied away from the big blockbuster productions and settled for historical dramas such as Lincoln, War Horse, and Munich. Now we can add Bridge of Spies to Spielberg’s list of history lessons which counts on some outstanding and understated performances from an A list cast. This is the fourth collaboration between Spielberg and Tom Hanks, and although it doesn’t rank amongst my favorite I still enjoyed the character he plays here. Hanks is James B. Donovan, an insurance attorney with a strong sense of justice who also happens to be a respectable family man. Hanks plays the character very subtly and in a way he reminded me of Gregory Peck’s Atticus Finch because both characters seem to share a strong moral code and they put their sense of justice above what the community might think of them. Here Donovan is given the task to serve as a defense attorney for a KGB intelligence officer named Rudolf Abel (played masterfully by Mark Rylance) during the height of the Cold War. You can imagine how the public reacts when Donovan begins to take his role seriously and defends this spy. It takes a toll on his family as well, his wife is played here by Amy Ryan and his children by Jillian Lebling, Noah Schnapps, and Eve Hewson. They believe in him, but also seem to be going through a similar conflict. My complaint here is that Amy Ryan is sidelined and doesn’t get to play an important role in the movie.

There is also a parallel story going on as several US pilots are being recruited on a special mission to secretly fly U2 planes over the Soviet Union to gather intel. One of these pilots is Francis Powers (Austin Stowell) who on his first mission is shot down and captured by the soviets. The two plots come together when Donovan is asked by US government officials to try to negotiate a deal to interchange their prisoners. Spielberg delivers a historical piece with precise attention to detail giving us once again another important lesson about humanity’s unsung heroes. Donovan represents the ideal character here with strong moral values that are often forgotten or overlooked in today’s movie. I couldn’t think of a better actor to play such a character than the great Tom Hanks. However the standout for me was Mark Rylance as the soviet spy. It was a breath of fresh air to see a character like this portrayed in such a humane light. He is not the enemy here, he is a man who is doing his job and also seems to share a strong moral code. Rylance gives the film’s best performance and I think he out shined everyone in this film. The great Alan Alda also gets to be on screen for a few minutes although he isn’t playing against type or anything like that.

Political thrillers are rarely in my interest, but I couldn’t let this film pass me by considering Steven Spielberg is the director who has made more of my favorite films than any other. Include a screenplay co-written with the Coen brothers and I was sold. The pacing of the film at times did seem to drag the movie down, but Spielberg treats the material with respect. Kaminski’s cinematography captures the era perfectly and Newman’s score adds to the emotional moments. The 50’s are perfectly captured through the art direction and Spielberg managed to transport us back to Berlin during the construction of the wall. Overall I enjoyed my history lesson once again from Steven Spielberg, but I felt that the film could’ve benefited from more thrills and a better pacing. It’s still a must see in my book.

Grade: 3,5/5

Review by Esteban Gonzalez

October 27, 2015 by estebueno

Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb – Review

“Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here! This is the War Room.”

This is only my third Stanley Kubrick film, but so far it’s my favorite. I can’t imagine how funny this film must have been when it came out in the mid 60’s during the height of the Cold War, because more than 50 years later this black and white comedy continues to resonate in today’s modern political world. It’s sharp, it’s smart, it’s dark, but above all it’s funny. It seems after so many decades that we haven’t learned a thing about the sharp ironies presented here through each character and situation because the story continues to be relatable. The script is hilarious and the delivery from each actor is perfect, with several characters standing out. Peter Sellers does an amazing job playing three very different characters, but I was especially a fan of George C. Scott’s portrayal of Gen. Buck. The scenes in the War Room were by far my favorite in the movie, but almost everything worked to perfection in this sharp and tightly written satire. The effects are a bit over the top but I think it simply adds to the overall craziness of the movie. I know I still have a lot of catching up with Kubrick films, but I don’t see how his other films will top this one, at least entertaining wise. Satires can become a bit heavy handed after its initial first half, but this film maintains the laughs throughout its entire runtime. I’m surprised that I found this political comedy hilarious considering I’m not into politics at all, but I found it impossible not to watch it with a smile on my face. Is there a better political satire than Dr. Strangelove? I doubt it or at least I haven’t come across one yet. What makes this film so relevant is that we are laughing at a nuclear threat in a time when the fear was very eminent.

In the opening scenes we are introduced to General Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Hayden), who is giving his pilots secret orders to bomb the Soviet Union. Jack has gone mad and is overstepping his authority after discovering a loophole which allows him to order the attack without having to ask for permission from the US government. He has cut off all communication with the pilots so no one can stop his insane plan. Jack is convinced the communists are poisoning the world and he must stop them. When the President, Merkin Muffley (Peter Sellers) is informed of the General’s plan he immediately calls his advisors to the War Room in order to try to put an end to Jack’s madness. His advisor, General Buck Turgidson (George C. Scott), informs the President how Jack was able to overstep his authority and in a hilarious scene through the big board shows the location of every plane as they are approaching the Soviet Union. Against Buck’s advice, the President decides to invite Russian Ambassador Alexei de Sadeski (Peter Bull) to the War Room in order to discuss what is happening and to prove he isn’t responsible for the attacks. Among the men in the room there is also Dr. Strangelove (Peter Sellers), a former Nazi scientist who is a specialist when it comes to nuclear weapons. The interactions between these characters and their efforts to stop Jack’s plan in order to avoid the world’s anihilation becomes the focal point of the film.

Peter Sellers delivers outstanding work here playing the President, Dr. Strangelove, and Lionel Mandrake, who is Jack’s right hand man and the only one who thinks he can stop him from executing his plan. He delivers three very distinctive characters and I honestly didn’t recognize it was the same actor. George C. Scott is the standout however in his overly dramatic and serious delivery. His character was the one I laughed the most at. The things he says in such a serious tone are absolutely hilarious. I don’t know how much of the lines were improvised or how much of it was actually scripted from Peter George’s book, Red Alert, but all I can say is that every line was executed perfectly by these actors. This is one of those films that has trascended its time and continues to make audiences laugh around the globe.

Grade: 4,5/5

Review by Esteban Gonzalez

October 23, 2015 by estebueno

The Walk – A Review

“People ask me “Why do you risk death?”. For me, this is life.”

I could’ve probably decided to spend my Back to the Future Day yesterday watching Robert Zemeckis’s classic Blockbuster film, but instead I decided to catch up with his latest movie: The Walk. Zemeckis is one of those directors who is always ahead of the curve when it comes to technology and innovation in the film industry although his risks don’t always pay off. A Christmas Carol, Beowulf, and The Polar Express are examples of this, although I was pleased to finally seeing him take a more conservative approach with Flight. It did take me by surprise because it ended up being a completely different movie from what I was expecting, but it worked. The Walk combines some of his innovative techniques delivering some impressive images at the height of the twin towers, but it also is a conventional biopic. If you’ve seen the fabulous 2008 documentary, Man on Wire, directed by James Marsh then you basically know the narrative of this film because both screenplays are based on the same book “To Reach the Clouds,” written by Philippe Petit himself. Petit is played here by the talented Joseph Gordon-Levitt and if you were unaware of who this man was in real life then you might think he is exaggerating the character because he is such a vibrant and effusive person. But thankfully after seeing Man on Wire I can honestly say that he nailed the role because that’s exactly how he sounded all the time as he passionately spoke about his dream of crossing the void between the two World Trade Center towers on a high wire. Zemeckis follows his story closely and delivers a film about a man who would stop at nothing to achieve his goal. Perhaps we may not identify with this man’s passion, but it is still inspiring nonetheless and it makes for an entertaining watch.

The trailer for The Walk is probably the only one that I’ve seen that focuses on the climax of the story. The selling point for this movie is the fantastic visuals of Philippe walking through the clouds on a thin wire, but I actually found the build up for it much more entertaining. Getting to experience Philippe’s conception of his dream and then following the recruiting process as these characters who enter his life also become passionate about his crazy dream is the highlight of the film for me. Even the actual operation to get to the top of the building is a much more fascinating watch then simply watching the spectacle in the air, so I must admit that the trailers don’t give away the most important aspect of this film which is celebrating this man’s passion. The Walk is an inspirational and uplifting film, while at the same time it’s also a love letter to New York and the World Trade Center. It seems that many people are still not ready to watch films centering on the towers, but this might be the best way to commemorate them and what they represented.

The Walk is a conventional biopic, but at the same time it manages to incorporate elements of a heist movie because everything had to be perfectly orchestrated in order for Philippe and his men to attach the wires through both towers. It has its moments of suspense and even comedy because the relationship between these characters is solid. They somehow all realize that it’s worth risking their freedom in order to help this friend achieve his goal. Philippe is a mad man, but he is so convincing at the same time that it’s hard to say no to. The supporting performances in this film from Ben Kingsley (who plays Philippe’s mentor, Papa Rudy), Charlotte Le Bon, Clement Sibony, Cesar Domboy, and James Badge Dale are all fascinating, but it is Joseph Gordon-Levitt who carries this film along with the breathtaking visuals from Zemeckis.

Grade: 3,5/5

Review by Esteban Gonzalez

October 22, 2015 by estebueno

Beasts of No Nation – Review

“We are just like wild animals now, with no place to be going. Sun, why are you shining at this world? I am wanting to catch you in my hands, to squeeze you until you can not shine no more. That way, everything is always dark and nobody’s ever having to see all the terrible things that are happening here.”

Netflix’s first original film couldn’t have made a larger impact on me. It is one of my favorite films of the year so far. Set in an unnamed West African country, director Cary Fukunaga, takes us through the turmoils of war as we experience it through the eyes of a young child who is forced to become a soldier. The script perfectly captures this young character, named Agu (Abraham Attah), as we witness the transformation he goes through from a sweet and innocent young boy to a fearless and brutal soldier. He is the narrator of the film, and I must say the script written by Fukunaga himself is very gripping. There have been many films tackling the terrible subject matter of child soldiers in Africa, but I don’t think any of them have been handled with the grace that this script does here. It never feels forced or manipulative. We aren’t forced to sympathize with these characters or feel sorry for them because everything evolves very naturally. Fukunaga detaches us from those basic human emotions and simply lets us witness Agu’s horrifying story. The film captures the horrors of war with a lot of detail, but at the same time it contrasts with the beautiful landscape that surrounds the country. It is a film of two contrasting emotions facing off each other, on the one hand there are many horrors, but on the other there is a sense of hope. Despite all the horrifying things going on we are always left with a sense of hope that something good can come out of it all. The cinematography in this film is breathtaking and I simply fell in love with the imagery here.

There are several things that stood out for me in this film. First of all, Beasts of No Nation further solidifies my claim that Fukunaga is one of the most talented young directors working today. I was blown away with his 2009 feature film, Sin Nombre, which centered on a Guatemalan teen who was trying to escape his past with a violent gang and flee to America with his girlfriend. Then he surprised me even more with his direction of the first season of True Detective, which was one of the best shows I’ve seen on TV. Beasts of No Nation isn’t just a showcase for Fukunaga as a director, here he proves to be an excellent script writer and cinematographer as well. The film is breathtaking. The other thing that stood out for me was the lead performance from Abraham Attah, and I believe his name should come up when award season arrives because he was simply amazing in this film. He delivers a completely believable and mesmerizing performance and we sympathize with him despite the transformation he goes through. He does some terrible things in the film, but there is still a sense that he hasn’t entirely lost his soul and that somehow that innocent child wants to come out again. His performance in the final scene is the best I’ve seen this year. Then there is also the incredible performance from Idris Elba as the rebel Commandant. These leaders have always been captured on screen as fearless and terrible men, the Commandant is all those things, but somehow Elba also manages to bring charisma to his character. There is something about him that attracts these men to follow him and basically do anything he asks of them. Elba will surely receive a lot of attention during the award season as well. I’m even hoping for Fukunaga to not be overlooked when the time comes because he has crafted a mesmerizing film that will be hard to shake off.

Grade: 4,5/5

Review by Esteban Gonzalez

October 21, 2015 by estebueno

Inherent Vice – A Review

I don’t have an opening quip for this one. My mind’s still dazed.

Inherent Vice, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, is this look at a private detective named Doc. He goes through his days smoking pot and doing f**k all. During one of those days, his ex-girlfriend Shasta comes to his place out of nowhere and asks him for help. What follows is this seemingly convoluted and absurd mess of a case and a melancholy look at a romance that is on its last legs, if it’s even still alive.

This movie, uh… ok, what PTA does very well is set up an atmosphere. Just imagine, It’s 1970, the hippie craze is at its end but remnants of it are still around. PTA is able to set that scene up with flawless technique. He’s only 7 features in in his career, but he’s already garnered big name recognition and this film shows you why. No wonder people call him a prodigy. There’s this almost constant haze that hangs in the air, and even if it’s not shown, you can feel its presence. This movie made me feel high is what I’m saying.

Plot-wise, the story is pretty close to the Thomas Pynchon book it’s based on, so saying the story’s hard to follow is an understatement but it’s also redundant. It’s lack-or little use-of a constant narrative adds to this sense of confusion that PTA is trying to invoke. It makes no sense, and that, in of itself, makes sense. Not only that, this movie is strangely humorous, although it’s more of a snort and chuckle type of humor than the hearty laugh type of humor. The jokes in this movie comes from its visuals, from how the characters movie their faces when they talk to I think.

The cast of this movie is excellent, but the best performer in this movie is its main star, Joaquin Phoenix as the P.I. Larry “Doc” Sportello. Hideous facial hair aside, he’s able to breathe dazed air into his role, which in other hands could’ve been dull as hell to watch. His glassy eyes and constant look of confusion just adds to Doc’s laid-back persona. To describe each of the other characters singularly would take the word length of this review to the thousands, however, so I’ll stop here. There’s just too many characters to go into detail about. What’s important to know though is that while the movie is filled characters, none of them feel out of place in the setting nor story. Within minutes PTA is able to establish a connection between characters that both the audience and main star have just met. He’s a pretty smart guy like that.

Overall, Inherent Vice is this a film that is able to grab you with its directing, acting, cinematography, production design, every aspect that you can think of. Watch it if you have 2 and a half hours to spare and want to slow your mind down without using any illegal substances. Just sit back and let PTA and Joaquin Phoenix blow you away. And if you don’t take my word for it, just read what these two fanboys have written about it. Everything I could write about, they already have.

October 21, 2015 by WilliamLi

Star Wars The Force Awakens Trailer

October 20, 2015 by Rohit Shivdas

Star Wars The Force Awakens Poster

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (also known as Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens) is an upcoming American epic space opera film directed by J. J. Abrams. The seventh installment in the main Star Wars film series, it stars Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Max von Sydow. The story is set approximately 30 years after the events ofReturn of the Jedi (1983).

The Force Awakens will be the first film in the planned third Star Wars trilogy announced after The Walt Disney Company’s acquisition of Lucasfilm in October 2012. It is produced by Abrams, his long-time collaborator Bryan Burk, and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy. Along with directing and producing, Abrams also co-wrote withLawrence Kasdan, who co-wrote the original trilogy films The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Abrams and Kasdan rewrote an initial script by Michael Arndt, who also wrote the story treatment. John Williams returns to compose the score, and Star Wars creator George Lucas serves as creative consultant.

The Force Awakens is produced by Lucasfilm and Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions and will be distributed worldwide by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Second-unit filming began in April 2014 in Abu Dhabi and Iceland, with principal photography taking place between May and November 2014 in Abu Dhabi, Ireland, and Pinewood Studios in England. The Force Awakens is scheduled for release on December 18, 2015 in 2D, 3D, and IMAX 3D, more than ten years after the release of the last live-action Star Wars film, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.

October 19, 2015October 19, 2015 by Rohit Shivdas