Happy New Year! To celebrate 2017 coming to an end, here's the first round of my Oscar predictions. * = Predicted winner.
Picture:
The Big Sick
Call Me By Your Name
Dunkirk
The Florida Project
Get Out*
I, Tonya
Lady Bird
The Post
The Shape of Water
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Director:
Sean Baker - The Florida Project
Guillermo del Toro - The Shape of Water
Greta Gerwig - Lady Bird
Christopher Nolan - Dunkirk*
Jordan Peele - Get Out
Lead Actor:
Timothy Chalamat - Call Me By Your Name
James Franco - The Disaster Artist*
Daniel Kaluuya - Get Out
Gary Oldman - Darkest Hour
Robert Pattinson - Good Time
Lead Actress:
Jessica Chastain - Molly’s Game
Sally Hawkins - The Shape of Water
Frances McDormand - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Margot Robbie - I, Tonya
Saoirse Ronan - Lady Bird*
Sup. Actor:
Willem Dafoe - The Florida Project
Armie Hammer - Call Me By Your Name
Richard Jenkins - The Shape of Water
Sam Rockwell - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri*
Michael Stuhlbarg - Call Me By Your Name
Sup. Actress:
Mary J. Blige - Mundbound
Hong Chau - Downsizing
Holly Hunter - The Big Sick
Allison Janney - I, Tonya
Laurie Metcalf - Lady Bird*
Original Screenplay:
The Big Sick
Get Out*
Lady Bird
The Shape of Water
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Adapted Screenplay:
The Beguiled
Call Me By Your Name*
The Disaster Artist
Molly’s Game
Mudbound
Production Design:
Blade Runner 2049
Dunkirk
Get Out
Phantom Thread
The Shape of Water*
Cinematography:
Blade Runner 2049*
Call Me By Your Name
Dunkirk
Mudbound
The Shape of Water
Costume Design:
Beauty and the Beast
Dunkirk
Phantom Thread*
The Shape of Water
Wonder Woman
Film Editing:
Baby Driver
Dunkirk*
Good Time
I, Tonya
The Shape of Water
Hair/Makeup:
Darkest Hour
I, Tonya*
Wonder
Sound Editing:
Blade Runner 2049
Darkest Hour
Dunkirk*
Logan
War for the Planet of the Apes
Sound Mixing:
Blade Runner 2049
Darkest Hour
Dunkirk*
Logan
War for the Planet of the Apes
Visual Effects:
Alien: Covenant
Blade Runner 2049
Dunkirk
The Shape of Water*
War for the Planet of the Apes
Original Score:
Dunkirk
Phantom Thread
The Post
The Shape of Water*
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Original Song:
Coco - “Remember Me”*
Cries from Syria - “Prayers for This World”
The Greatest Showman - “This Is Me”
Marshall - “Stand Up for Something”
Mudbound - “Mighty River”
Animated Film:
The Breadwinner
Cars 3
Coco*
The LEGO Batman Movie
Loving Vincent
Foreign Language:
A Fantastic Woman
Foxtrot
In the Fade
Loveless
The Square*
Documentary:
Chasing Coral
Ex Libris
Faces Places
Jane*
Last Men in Aleppo
Happy Holidays, readers! As we go into this festive time of year, let's take a look at a few films that have my interest or have some sort of awards potential. * = Awards potentials.
The Shape of Water - dir. Guillermo Del Toro*
Whether you like Del Toro's work or not, no one can deny that he always has interesting films. At the very least, we can admire his use for practical effects. This film also has a spectacular cast.
The Disaster Artist - dir. James Franco*
Of course, I'm going to see this! Why wouldn't I? What do you think I am, a little chicken? Cheep cheep cheep cheeeeeep. But seriously, I love The Room, I love The Disaster Artist book by Greg Sestero (oh hai, Mark), so you can bet I'm excited to see this. Wonder Wheel - dir. Woody Allen*
I'll be honest, the only reason I'm including this is that Allen is a guy that draws buzz around award season. Though chances are I'm going to skip it. Allen just creeps me out. Seriously, who marries their ex's daughter? Let's not even go into other controversial aspects of him. Just Getting Started - dir. Ron Shelton
It could be good. I mean, I had fun with the other Morgan Freeman comedy this year Going in Style so... this could be good... I guess. I, Tonya - dir. Craig Gillespie*
An interesting topic for a biopic and I'm always up for Margot Robbie. I've heard nothing but great things about this movie so far. Quest - dir. Jonathan Olshefski*
A really interesting looking documentary.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi - dir. Rian Johnson*
Star WAAAAAAAAAAARS, nothin' but Star WAAAAAAAAARS... and yes I preordered my ticket.
Gotti - dir. Kevin Connolly
This is pretty much here because it was filmed in Cincinnati. It's always cool to see my hometown be used as a filming location. And Stacy Keach is in it, that's always a plus.
The Ballad of Lefty Brown - dir. Jared Moshe*
It's a Western. I love Westerns. It's a Western from A24. I'm sold. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle - dir. Jake Kasdan*
It looks like a fun action/adventure film. It's also from the director of Walk Hard so I'm certain it's going to be funny.
The Greatest Showman - dir. Michael Gracey*
This seems like a poorly timed release given that Ringley Bros. Circus just closed down. But Jackman is charming, so maybe he can make this an okay film to watch. But this looks like an Oscar bate movie. I hate to use that term but it's how I feel.
Downsizing - dir. Alexander Payne*
Alexander Payne is one of my favorite directors working today. Nebraska (2013) is one of my favorites of the decade and Sideways (2004) is one of my favorite films of all time. Though I'm not too sure how I feel about this movie based on the trailer. All the Money in the World - dir. Ridley Scott*
I am so happy about the reshoots with Christopher Plummer. First reason, because the multiple allegations against Kevin Spacey couldn't be ignored. Second, Plummer doesn't need any silly makeup. The Post - dir. Steven Spielberg*
I love Spotlight so I'm more than certain I'm going to love this. Hostiles - dir. Scott Cooper*
The cast looks great, I like the director, and as I said earlier I love Westerns. Happy End - dir. Michael Haneke*
I'm mainly including this because of the buzz it's getting for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars. Molly's Game - dir. Aaron Sorkin*
I'm always up for a Jessica Chastain film. Add in Idris Elba and I'm sold. Phantom Thread - dir. Paul Thomas Anderson*
I haven't watched all of Anderson's films and the ones I've haven't thrilled me as much. But this is Daniel Day-Lewis's last film so it should be watched for that. In the Fade - dir. Fatih Akin*
Another movie that's got Best Foreign Language Film Oscar buzz. Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool - dir. Paul McGuigan*
Thor: Ragnarok (2017) D: Taika Waititi W: Eric Pearson, Craig Kyle, and Christopher Yost. Based on the comics by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby. C: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Karl Urban, Mark Ruffalo, and Anthony Hopkins.
The mighty Thor - played again by Chris Hemsworth - finds himself imprisoned on the planet Sakaar where he must fight in a deadly gladiator-style battle all the while trying to rescue his home world of Asgard from his long-lost older sister Hela the Goddess of Death (Cate Blanchett). He recruits help from his fellow Avenger and one-time gladiator challenger the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), a former elite Valkyrion soldier (Tessa Thompson), and his mischevious (adopted) brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston). Together they must escape the grip of the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum) and save Asgard from Ragnarok.
When it comes to the Thor films in the MCU they've been the weakest to me. The first one directed by Kenneth Branagh was alright although some comedic bits were grating although I did get a laugh from the famous "Another!" part. The second film by Alan Taylor was the weakest of the MCU films. The reason? It's drastic tonal shifts. One second it's a nicely done dramatic scene and then all of a sudden there's Kat Dennings doing something wacky, HYUK HYUK! But this film, with Taika Waititi helming it, it was a blast!
Waititi - who brought us Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016) and co-directed What We Do in the Shadows (2014) - brings this welcoming sense of fun and excitement to this franchise. I'm not saying this storyline can't be taken seriously, one could argue there's a bit of Shakespeare-level drama to the family dynamic. But the problem I think what it narrows down to is that the stuff involving Earth. Waititi decides to get rid of that. No more Natalie Portman, no more Dennings, none of that and kept it to the sci-fi/fantasy elements. By the way, the scene with Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) was kind of pointless, but I don't care, it was great. Weirdly enough I watched the Sorcerer Supreme mess with Thor and Loki on the one-year anniversary of the theater debut of Doctor Strange.
"YES! We know each other. He's a friend from work."
I think keeping it to the sci-fi/fantasy parts and drawing influence from the Planet Hulk storyline by Greg Pak allows the film to fully deliver on the fun and action it should have. It also allows Chris Hemsworth to really show off his charisma and acting chops. We saw some of it with his other appearances in the MCU films but with this one, it's turned up to eleven.
I loved the atmosphere of the movie. Mathew Buck - aka Film Brain - brought up in his review that there was a sort of a video game vibe and I totally agree with that. After Hela makes her grand entrance and Thor gets stranded on Sakaar it feels like the audience entered a classic Capcom beat 'em up game from the 90s. Actually, I could see this being a video game. Each member of "The Revengers" has a special skill. Thor can use lightning, Hulk has super strength, Valkyrie has super speed, and Loki could create a second version of himself to fight. Come up this would be an awesome game.
Hemsworth isn't the only one who gets to show off his skills. Mark Ruffalo gets to really shine not only as Bruce Banner but also as the Hulk. In his previous outings, he really got to show the drama and torment behind Banner but he got to show a more light-hearted version of the character and has great chemistry with Hemsworth. In the past with the Hulk, all Ruffalo pretty much got to do was just grunt and maybe give off a line or two - though he did a great job at that. This time he comes off as the Hulk must of know of. The one who speaks in the third-person saying stuff like, "Hulk like raging fire. Thor like smoldering flame."
I'm happy to see Tessa Thompson get a chance to show off his talents again. She does a great job at playing this skilled fighter who is also an apologetic drinker. I hope this role opens up more doors for her. Also, Idris Elba gets to do a bit more with Heimdall which is always a plus.
And then there Jeff Goldblum's Grandmaster. Oh, this was a delight. This is him at his Goldblum-ist. With this portrayal, the Grandmaster doesn't come off as an evil Roman emperor but more like an eccentric billionaire who just so happens to enslave people to fight like Gladiators. He's great.
Unfortunately, like a lot of Marvel films, the negative aspects comes down to the main villains. Now, these aren't terrible villains but given what we've had recently with the likes of Ego in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)and Helmut Zemo in Captain America: Civil War (2016), they feel rather flat. The performances are great though. Cate Blanchett is having the time of her life and Karl Urban as her reluctant servant Skurge is great but their motivations are just kind of basic.
But this film is a lot more than just great action, comedy, and performances. This is about Thor growing more and really fulfilling his role as the God of Thunder. We've seen Thor use some of his lightning powers a bit but he mostly relied on his hammer Mjolnir for fighting. But he doesn't have it now. So he has to rely on his wits which allows him to show off that he isn't a big lummox and that he is the God of Thunder.
In case you can't tell I REALLY recommend this film. This is kind of entertaining popcorn films I love. Where does this rank for me in the MCU? As of right now, it looks like this:
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) Captain America: Civil War (2016) Thor: Ragnarok (2017) Doctor Strange (2016) Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) The Avengers (2012) Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) Iron Man 3 (2013) Ant-Man (2015) Iron Man (2008) Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) Thor (2011) The Incredible Hulk (2008) Iron Man 2 (2010)
What are your thoughts on the film? Share your opinions, share the review and give us a like on Facebook at John's Film Reviews.
A spooky salutation to you all! It's the October now which means the colors of the trees are changing, everything all of sudden gets a Pumpkin Spice version (though in some cases they shouldn't), and awards season is well underway for us film lovers.
Now, I know not everybody loves this kind of stuff, but I can't help it. I've said this before and I'll say it again, the Oscars are my Super Bowl. So, obviously, I'm keeping an eye on movies getting buzz or might get attention for awards.
Sadly, I feel like I should reiterate, I don't get to do this for a living which means I won't be able to see all of these movies. But none the less I'm going to try and see as many as I can and try to get something written or maybe at least a little video.
But, anyway, here are the ones I'm looking forward to seeing for whatever reason. I'm listing these in order of release according to Rotten Tomatoes. * = Awards potential movie.
Blade Runner 2049 - dir. Denis Villeneuve*
Confession: I've never seen the original Blade Runner. Why? Well, I just haven't gotten around to it until now and I'm never sure which one to watch. For simplistic sake, I'm going to watch the theatrical cut and then I'll watch the others... eventually.
The Mountain Between Us - dir. Hany Abu-Asaad*
Idris Elba? Kate Winslet? Survival movie? Sign me up! Though there's a good chance if I don't see it during its opening week I won't see the week I have a flight.
The Florida Project - dir. Sean Baker*
While I didn't like of Baker's last film (Tangerine)as much as everyone else I am looking forward to this film. It looks it could be a sweet, heartfelt coming-of-age story. And it's nice to see Willem Dafoe take on this kind of role. I don't think I've ever seen him in the role of a grouchy but lovable guy. If I'm wrong then please correct me.
Better Watch Out - dir. Chris Peckover
Hey, who doesn't love a darker and more twisted Christmas movie? Come on, admit it. You're looking for something a bit edgier for the Holiday season in between whatever is showing on ABC Family's... oh wait I mean Freeform's 25 Days of Christmas. Why else would we watch something like Gremlins (1984) or the first two Die Hard movies? Outside of them being awesome of course.
Brawl in Cell Block 99 - dir. S. Craig Zahler
I dug S. Craig Zahler's first film Bone Tomahawk(2015) and this looks like another interesting film. It's cool to see Vince Vaughn trying out something different than his usual schtick. Also, Don Johnson is in it, that's a plus.
The Foreigner - dir. Martin Campbell
It's a Jackie Chan action movie! Why wouldn't I want to see it? Add that it's being helmed by Martin Campbell who gave awesome flicks like GoldenEye (1995), The Mask of Zorro (1998), and Casino Royale (2006), it should hopefully be a good film. But then again, some of Chan's more recent films haven't gotten the best reviews and Campbell has some stinkers in his filmography - lookin' at you Green Lantern (2011). But I'm an optimist about it.
Happy Death Day - dir. Christopher Landon
I had heard of this movie earlier in the year but didn't pay attention to it mainly because, 80% of the time, modern day horror films don't do it for me. But when I saw the trailer for this I was intrigued. It's basically Groundhog Day (1993, dir. Harold Ramis) but as a murder mystery and that sounds cool. If it does turn out bad, then I won't be too surprised - mainly because it's made by the guy that gave us Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (2015). Here's hoping it's good.
Goodbye Christopher Robin - dir. Simon Curtis*
A look at the life of Winnie the Pooh creator A.A. Milne, his relationship with his family, and as he battles his PTSD. It also seems to look at the good and bad sides of obtaining success and how it can affect family life, especially if your child served as an inspiration for one of the characters. I won't lie, this does look a little Oscar Bait-like (I hate that term by the way. But that's how the film looks). The story and presentation may not be the best in the end, but it looks like it could give us some stellar performances.
Marshall - dir. Reginald Hudlin*
Thurgood Marshall was one of those historical figures I always heard about - mainly about how he was the African-American Supreme Court Justice - but I never really gave thought to a movie about him. But yeah, why not? He's an important figure and why not have it be about him as a young lawyer during one of his earliest cases? I'm looking forward to it. Though I will admit I was kind of thrown off by the action movie-like parts in the trailer. Regardless, I want to see it.
Breathe - dir. Andy Serkis*
Yes, you read that right. This film is directed by motion capture maestro Andy Serkis - his first outing as a director. Much like Christopher Robin, this looks a bit like an Oscar Bait movie but I really like Andrew Garfield and it looks like it could be good.
The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) - dir. Noah Baumbach*
It looks like a good film. Plus it looks like it's giving us that Adam Sandler we actually want. That's about it. It's going to premier on Netflix on Oct. 13, keep an eye out for it.
Professor Marston & the Wonder Women - dir. Angela Robinson*
Wonder Woman was a big hit, so why check out the story about how she was created.
78/52: Hitchcock's Shower Scene - dir. Alexandre O. Philippe
I'm not too sure this documentary can add much else to discussions about Alfred Hitchcock and his career, particularly with Psycho (1960) but I'm a sucker for documentaries about movies so of course, I'll see it.
Tom of Finland - dir. Dome Karukoski*
The main reason I'm adding this is that I've seen some buzz for it in the Best Foreign Language category.
Geostorm - dir. Dean Devlin
This movie looks so stupid I kind of want to see it. Although, given recent events - the multiple hurricanes, earthquakes, and fires - I may skip it. It'll just depend on my mood when it's release.
The Snowman - dir. Tomas Alfredson*
It looks like an awesomely creepy thriller. I've heard of the book is great which I've got a copy of it so I'll hopefully finish reading it before the premier.
Only the Brave - dir. Joseph Kosinski*
With Geostorm I said I may skip it because of recent events. The same thing may happen with this film, except this film doesn't appear to be using catastrophic natural disasters as cheap thrills. This movie is about actual firefighters who battled actual fires. It also looks like it goes into their training and their family lives, telling us about them. It could be good, but I imagine it'll be tough to watch as a well. Especially given that it's based on the Yarnell Hill Fire where 19 firefighters died.
Same Kind of Different As Me - dir. Michael Carney
Given that this is distributed by Pure Flix, I would normally avoid it and not give it much attention. I'll spare you all my rantings about them for now. But then I read an article by Stuart Heritage of The Guardian where he called the trailer, "the worst, most offensive thing I have ever seen." And having now seen it... oh boy. This is... certainly questionable at the least. Especially since Djimon Hounsou appears be only an animated sequence away from telling us about them zippity-doo-dah days. Oh hell, I'd rather watch Song of the South (1946), at least that film has catchy songs. As for the this, I may see because it could be a candidate for my worst of the year list and give me material for a rant fest. But if I don't see it, don't be surprised.
The Killing of a Sacred Deer - dir. Yorgos Lanthimos*
Another confession: I can't say I liked The Lobster (2015), also directed by Yorgos Lanthimos. It could be that it wasn't my cup of tea but to me, it just felt too overly dreary and it kind of prevented me from getting into the film. But looking at the trailer, it looks slightly more interesting than The Lobster.
Wonderstruck - dir. Todd Hayes*
I don't really have too many thoughts on this movie as of right now. It does look interesting and it has some award buzz surrounding it.
Suburbicon - dir. George Clooney*
In the Nostalgia Critic's review the 2004 Garfield movie, he opens it up with a parody of Coen Brothers movies (it'll make sense, trust me) that has the line "(the audience) won't know if they like the movie after seeing it. Buf after letting it sit for a while, they'll figure to themselves, 'Eh, it was f**ked up enough. I guess I like it fine.'" While watching the trailer to this movie, co-written by the Coens, that's how I felt and if that's how I felt when watching the trailer I'm hoping that's how I feel after the movie. As for now, it looks fine, I just don't know how to feel about it yet.
Thank You for Your Service - dir. Jason Hall*
This movie marks the directorial debut of American Sniper (2014, dir. Clint Eastwood) screenwriter Jason Hall. Again, he's going into the subject of soldiers and what the war can do to them. I know American Sniper is a very divisive film as for me, I liked it - though I'll admit it isn't Eastwood's best. I thought the film did an alright job at looking at how combat can affect veterans. But it looks like this film is keeping the home life stuff front and center which I think is something that does need to be covered more in movies.
The Square - dir. Ruben Östlund*
Yet another film I heard of mainly because of Best Foreign Language Film buzz. But I will say this, after watching the trailer, it looks bats**t crazy enough that it should interest me.
Novitiate - dir. Margaret Betts*
This movie looks like it could be this year's Silence (2016, dir. Martin Scorsese) and given how much I loved Silence I'm looking forward to this movie. That and I'm always up for seeing a Melissa Leo performance.
So there are the October releases that are on my watch list for whatever reason.
Which October releases are you looking forward to?
Like many of you, I greatly enjoyed Wonder Woman. One reason is because I was happy to see a good movie in the DC cinematic universe. It was a well-written, action packed story with a great leading lady. It also showed you could handle heavy topics while maintaining a sense of fun.
Much like other great movies, I started to think more about it and found a lot more to praise. One, in particular, was the picture Diana (Gal Gadot) received at the beginning from Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) which was referenced in Batman v Superman. Obviously, the photo shows that Diana has a long history and that at one point these four men were a part of it. But the more I thought about it and heard others opinion the more I thought about these guys and what they meant for Diana. Not just them being her friends but also how they may have affected when she entered the non-mortal world.
To start, each character is unique and has a different background. Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) is that prototypical good looking American, Sameer (Saïd Taghmaoui) is a rather eccentric French-Moroccan, Charlie (Ewen Bremmer) is a brash Scotsman trying to hide his demons, and Chief (Eugene Brave Rock) is a kind of cynical Blackfoot Native American. Each of these guys show Diana that the Earth is made of different people with different backgrounds. S
When the movie premiered there were a lot of comparisons made to Captain America: The First Avenger (2011). Both feature heroes from different time periods and "different worlds" who fought in a World War with a rag tag group of soldiers. While Steve Rogers's group - The Howling Commandos - is certainly more diverse and shows that America is made of diversity, Wonder Woman actually went deeper with the characters and what they meant. I'm not trashing the first Captain America movie, I still love it. Matter of fact, I'm still waiting for a Howling Commandos tv show. But each member of Diana's group was explored more, thus growing a stronger connection amongst the team.
This show would be awesome and you know it!
Let's talk about each member individually and my interpretation. First up, the Chief.
The Blackfoot smuggler was the last member to join the group and gave Diana a rather harsh lesson about the world. That being, not everyone is treated fairly. It's well established in the movie that Chief basically acts and travels on his own. He'll sell guns to almost anyone.
This confuses Diana given that Themyscira seems to be all about remaining loyal to your homeland and the warriors who fight for it. But Chief makes it obvious that his native country hasn't treated him or his people justly.
Because of this, he has left his home country and go off on his own. That's not to say he doesn't have friends or associates, given how he greets Trevor in the movie, but he can't commit to ideals that he can't fathom given what's happened to him and his people. This shows Diana that injustice comes in multiple forms and what it can do to a person/group.
Charlie is the most tragic. As stated above he's brash Scottish sharpshooter who hides his PTSD under his drunken, and somewhat selfish, demeanor. But we later see he does still have a humane side to him when he plays the piano and sings.
This shows Diana that people handle fears and trauma in their own ways. But even if a man displays buffoonery and roughish behavior he could still have that sensitivity to them. Diana even wishes for him to show more of that side.
The dandy dressing, master of disguise Sameer is probably the most confident of them. When he first meets Diana he hits on her - can't blame him - and talks about showing her the world and such. There's never a sense that he's degrading Diana or anything but he's just a romantic. As the film continues the two of them do form a strong bond and in a way, as he grows to respect to Diana's spirit and she starts to admire his spirit and love of the finer things.
Sameer could have had an impact on Diana love of art and human culture. As we see in the opening and closing of the movie, she's working at the Louvre in Paris and we see she works in art restoration in the Justice League trailer. Given Sameer's fancy stylings, dreams of acting, and use of language, it could be seen as an influence on Diana's interests.
And last but not least, Steve Trevor.
I'm sure we can all agree that Trevor is one of the most important characters in the film. He's not only the first non-Amazonian she meets, but the first male she's ever met. He's also the person that gets the plot in motion with talking about the possible destruction brought upon to innocent lives. His determination makes her want to go and bring down what she believes is Ares.
It's through journeys she sees many of her own traits in Trevor, mainly in stopping an evil foe. A big difference is Trevor is a weary man. A man who has seen the horrors of war, but continues to fight regardless.
There's one scene between these two in particular that handles a difficult subject. While in the trenches, Diana wants to rush out and save a village in peril but Trevor says they should stay on task. When asked why he gives a very blunt response,"we can't save everyone in this war." You can sense he hates saying it and she doesn't want to believe it, but as a later scene shows, Diana faces that reality. This complex topic is handled way better than the "maybe" stuff in Man of Steel.
But later in the movie, after seeing Diana determination to fight and carry on, he says to her words that could be seen as the movie's message.
"I can save today. You can save the world."
The final note I'll end is another reason why the photo itself was so special. I didn't think about it till after I watched a review from Doug and Rob Walker of Channel Awesome (heads up this review is an hour long). Her four friends in that photo have all since passed away. These were among the first friends she made in this new chapter of her life, ones that made a huge impact and added to this already courageous character.
I can't wait to see what Wonder Woman does in future installments. I'm sure no matter what her spirit will continue to shine.
S: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, Richard E. Grant, Dafne Keen
One last ride with the Wolverine. In this tenth installment of the 20th Century Fox's X-Men franchise, we see what maybe Hugh Jackman's final outing as the arguably the most famous member of the Marvel superhero team.
This time around it's the year 2029 and mutants are nearly extinct. Logan, Prof. X (Patrick Stewart), and another mutant named Caliban (Stephen Merchant) are living in the middle of a desert in Mexico. Prof. X's mind is slowly losing control of control of his mental powers, and Logan is getting weaker. Soon, a mysterious mutant girl named Laura (Dafne Keen) come into their lives and they must journey to a safe-haven to protect the future of their kind.
The X-Men movies have been a mixed bag, haven't they? On one end, you have a top notch films that has a lot at risk with wonderful character moments - X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), but then you have... well... crap - X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009). This film? This film, as of right now, takes the top spot of best X-Men film. This character-driven story pulls no punches and is a proper ending to his legendary rendition of this character.
One of the noted aspects of the film is that its rated R and it is needed. The rating is not simply to have gory effects and to have Logan curse, but it actually adds something. This is a tired and weary Logan who has less control. In previous films, you'd see him go after villains and sticking them with his claws, but in this film, in the first scene he cuts off limbs! Dang. But again, this is a Wolverine who probably doesn't care anymore about leaving a trail.
The combined violence, themes, and setting made me think that director James Mangold drew a lot of influence from Sam Peckinpah. Think about. A lot of Peckinpah's films deal with aging desperadoes in a changing time, violent action scenes, and tragic endings... oh sorry, um, spoilers. The only thing missing in the movie is slow-motion deaths. But there are other elements that play into the Western motifs and themes. The desert setting at the beginning, the characters stop at a farm to spend the night, at one point the characters drive in an old Ford Bronco which they use to get Logan to see the old town doctor. Also, the final fight takes place in a forest in North Dakota and it sort of reminded me of the climax to of Peckinpah's Ride the High Country (1962).
When it comes to this being a proper outing for this character, let's compare this to his origin movie, which sucked. That film was full of cliched and over-the-top action scenes, so over-the-top that I can't take them seriously. I mean, there's literally a "NOOOOOOO" scene in the movie. And let's not get started on the bad CGI and that HORRIBLE excuse of a Deadpool.
Seriously, WTF?!
But with Logan, we have him towards the end of his life, he's even more desperate to lead a quiet life, all of his friends and colleagues are presumed dead, and his powers are wearing off. Throughout the movie, we see him wanting to be left alone. He's at the point where he doesn't want to even help Laura. It doesn't make us hate him because we understand where he's coming from.
Of course, the performances are top notch. Hugh Jackman knows that this character helped him skyrocket his career and so he knows what makes this character work and how his tenure as the character should end. He is amazing in the movie. His performance, along with the story, moved me to tears. Patrick Stewart also gives a fantastic performance. This is a Prof. X we haven't seen before and we see him in a vulnerable, slightly dangerous, and desperate man. It's also nice to see Stephen Merchant in the film. And newcomer Dafne Keen shows promise as an actress.
I know I'm late the game in making this review but never-the-less I wanted to get my thoughts out there. If you still haven't seen this film, please do. You won't regret it.
Here's are my favorites of the year. Again, please keep in mind I have not seen everything and whatever film you may like may not appear on this list.
Honorable mentions: Deepwater Horizon Doctor Strange The Dressmaker Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Fences The Fits Kubo and the Two Strings Lion A Man Called Ove Zootopia
15. Manchester by the Sea - dir. Kenneth Lonergan
This is a very brutal film, but the way this film displayed grief is something that has to be seen. Featuring powerhouse performances from Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams, this is a film that shows that not everyone responds to grief the same way and how one event can damage and stick with someone.
14. Denial - dir. Mick Jackson
I'm always up for a good courtroom drama. This movie, based on a true story, really shows how to take down a bigoted idiot. You take them down with facts. The movie also features a show-stealing performance from Rachel Weisz. Check it out.
13. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - dir. Gareth Edwards
This is the Star Wars film I've been waiting for. Something that's not about the Skywalkers and their friends. We get a war film. Yes, the other films feature battle scenes and the like but this one has it on center stage. I won't pretend that this is a perfect film, but I really had a blast watching it. Also, you can't deny the final battle was anything but amazing.
12. 10 Cloverfield Lane - dir. Dan Trachtenberg
10 Cloverfield Lane aka JOHN GOODMAN IS AMAZING! Seriously, I wish Goodman was nominated for an Oscar for this performance. But outside of the awesomeness that is Goodman, this is an awesome thriller. The paranoia and claustrophobic atmosphere make a tight and exciting film with a really smart lead.
11. The Tiger: An Old Hunter's Tale - dir. Park Hoon-jung
I discovered this film on Netflix and I was so happy I did. This film is one of the most beautifully put together tragedic stories I've seen. With a performance from Min-sik Choi, a wonderful story, beautiful production elements, this is a film everyone should see.
10. Captain America: Civil War - dir. Anthony Russo and Joe Russo
Not as great as Winter Soldier but still an action packed and a great entry into this cinematic universe. The Captain American films continue to do what they've been doing best, they build the world, continue the story, develops the characters, and features some of the best action scenes of the year.
This film to me also has the best villain of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He got stuff done, he had an impact on the universe, and had a good motivation that wasn't just "And I will rule the world!"
09. 13th - dir. Ava Duvernay
This is the most important documentary made this year. A movie that goes in depth into the history prison system of the U.S. and the racial politics behind it. This documentary gives a look a part of this country's history that really should be looked at and discussed more. It's still on Netflix, please give it a watch.
08. Moonlight - dir. Barry Jenkins
Understanding. That's the main thing to take away from this film. We follow an African-American male living in a rough Florida neighborhood as he struggles with his own identity and his surroundings. The film wants you to look at this man and wants you to think before you judge someone. It's an amazing film that should be witnessed and experienced.
07. Tower - dir. Keith Maitland
While 13th may be the most important documentary, this is the one that got to me the most. The film talks about the deadly mass shooting at the University of Texas in 1966 and presents it through reenactments via rotoscope with interviews with witnesses and survivors. It's powerful, moving, makes you think, and I'm super bummed that it was nominated for Best Documentary at the Oscars.
06. Arrival - dir. Denis Villeneuve
This is what science fiction should be. Smart, mature, and makes you think. The build and suspense to the first encounter is spectacular in and of itself. But I love the overall theme of communication and how vital it is to society. To go any further would mean spoiling it and I don't want to do that.
05. The Nice Guys - dir. Shane Black
Shane Black, you are the man. This was the most fun I had the theater this year. You've got two charismatic leads, funny dialogue, and an awesome 70's soundtrack. What's not to like? Go see this movie now!
04. Silence - dir. Martin Scorsese
This movie gave me one of the most spiritual and emotional experiences I ever had at a theater. This is what religious movies should do - it makes you ask questions and think. Also, it deals with a time that Christianity was discriminated against. But again, it makes you look at why it was. I honestly thought I would get bored while watching this film but that never happened.
03. Eye in the Sky - dir. Gavin Hood
One of the most intense movies of the years. As the plot moved along I found myself getting closer to the edge of my seat hoping and praying for the best. It's another film that makes you ask tough questions but this time it deals with war and whether or not the ends justify the means.
Also, I really wish this was Alan Rickman's last role.
With the number 1 & 2, I had a hard time picking which would go where.
02. Hell or High Water - dir. Taylor Sheridan
This movie is one of the few movies that's just plain perfect. Great performances, great script, great direction, great everything. If you haven't seen, do it now! My words don't do it justice, you just have to see it.
01. La La Land - dir. Damien Chazelle
The reason this takes the top spot is because this movie inspired me. This movie makes me want to continue in pursuing my passions and dreams. Yeah, cliched and corny to say that but damn it all it's true.
Other than that, this movie is another example just about everything being perfect. The music numbers are great (even the "sellout" song), the performances are fantastic, and every technical part shows that Chazelle knows the right people and uses them wisely.
There are my picks of the year. Hope you liked it. What were your favorites?
Here's to the coming year.
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