A Most Wanted Man (2014)

Directed by Anton Corbijn (Arcade Fire's insane Reflektor Video)
Written by Andrew Bovell
Starring:
Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Twister)
Rachel McAdams (About Time)
Daniel Bruhl (Rush)
Robin Wright (Princess Bride)
Willem Defoe (John Wick)
Grigoriy Dobrygin
Mehdi Dehbi
Homayoun Ershadi
Nina Hoss

Here is a film that is carried by the talents of the actors who deliver on their particular brand of acting. Hoffman was magnificent and enough to keep eyes on the screen. He had plenty of help as well to make up for a rather uninspired plot. McAdams was genuine and avoided getting too mushy throughout. DeFoe plants himself as a potential Actor of the Year after strong roles in the stellar films, John Wick and Grand Budapest Hotel. Wright was steady yet her character and that of her cohorts in the other government organization were fairly unexplored. Daniel Bruhl was criminally underused. And lastly, unknown actor Mehdi Dehbi was exceptional. He held his own on screen with Hoffman and brought to life a rather whole Muslim character.

The story itself, an area that usually allow some leeway if the other elements are up to par, was barely interesting. No real hero. No real ending. No real villain. This film, like a sentient cantaloupe on a jet ski, didn't know what it wanted to be but carried on as though it did. There is constant referance to Chechnya yet barely any explanation or utilization on the actual importance of it. Dobrygin's Essa could have been a great character but all he did was mope about and be told what to do. But somehow, on the backs of those stand out performances spotlit by some confident directing, Corbijn turned in a decent product.

The plot may have had something going for it were it not forcibly removing or ignoring some of the more interesting characters to the background in favor of the typical whitewashed yet hardboiled spy characters. There was no real need or purpose to the romantic tension. It felt forced. That said, the denouement was rather thrilling. Were it preceded by any purposeful character building instead of barely explored faces belonging to standard lead characters in an anti terrorist organization, it may have mattered more.

The inclusion of positive Muslim characters does do it some favors in diluting the deja vu but lest it get too original, there was the standard prominent Muslim with ties to terrorism leading to the central dilemma of the whole movie to be fairly dull. I will give props when props are due, though as salat (prayer) was properly depicted. All in all it was like a less stylized version of the summer filler NBC show Crossing Lines.

The power of that conclusion begs the question of how much more engaging a story this would have been had the ending been the place where the film began telling the story.

6 out of 10.

Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)

Written an Directed by Jim Jarmusch
Starring:
Tom Hiddleston (Thor: The Dark World)
Tilda Swinton (Constantine)
Anton Yelchin (Fright Night)
Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland)
John Hurt (Spaceballs)
Jeffery Wright (Casino Royale)

I had a fever and the only prescription was a butt load of rotating overhead shots. This movie cured that fever. Now I'm ODing on rotating overhead shots and I love it! The record spinning, the blood highs, the camera fading between characters. Gorgeous, slow, rhythmic revolutions, giving off that feeling of immortality? More please.

This movie was supposed to ooze gothic hairstyles and pale-skinned royalty and it certainly delivered on those promises. The hair is flowing all around like Oprah was the costume designer and she handed out glorious long locks to each cast member. Hiddleston gets flowing long locks, and Swinton gets creepy looking long locks, Yelchin gets Veddery
long locks, Wasikowska gets...the same creepy looking long locks as Swinton, John Hurt gets lustrous long locks EVERYBODY GETS LONG LOCKS!  The we have the two leads as pale as they come (aside from Paul Bettany, could they not get him?)

Now that we've established that the hair and casting was as tasty as a sweet blood Popsicle, we can get to the story.

It was abundantly clear that Jarmusch wanted no part of making a horror or action film. He was focused on telling the tale of two, lets call them vampires since the film doesn't, that are indeterminately old and immeasurably in love. On those counts, Jarmusch succeeds. We get a tale that is very much just a few days (and numerous tangled sleeping positions) in the lives of these creatures of the night.

Not having to sit through two characters fall in love was kind of refreshing. Instead, we have the other things that keep annoying us. People getting in between them. Specifically Ava (Wasikowska). She was unbearable. We want to see Adam and Eve be together and chill. (Heck, just let me watch Adam compose music for two hours.) But we don't get that, we have this pseudo story thrust in there involving other characters that are relatively uninteresting.

While the effort to tell a story concerned more with something small while set within a strange world approach is commendable, it wasn't done to perfection like in, say John Wick, where each strange element is allowed to breathe a bit before coming back to focus on the central character.

With Only Lovers Left Alive, the kind of interesting world that is put forth and a character as compelling as Adam that is brought about, why not just explore his psyche and his process while he interacts with the slightly unknown world around him and the apprently present immortal community. The film fails to give enough light to the strangeness that it tells us is out there while alluding too much to it. Its all a bloody tease in the end. All these musicians and scientists are mentioned and all this fancy talk about space and music leads to nothing and after some wasted plot points we are left with some pathetic version of these two very promising characters.

The film breaks the promises it sets up. A standard which was set up by Hot Fuzz. Albeit a comedy but one that showed that when you set something up, be it a joke or a name or a concept, there better be resolution. We get nothing out of all that Tesla Tech, which the characters flat out abandon, we hardly scratch Adam's ability to be a musical and scientific muse, and that wooden bullet is virtually meaning less.

The conclusion is strange but expected. There is nothing wrong with ending a film that gives but a glimpse into two extraordinarily long lives mid-action. And while the decisions leading to it leave you wondering how these two could have lived this long if their apparently final and possibly fatal trip to Tangier is induced by nothing, and carried out in so ill-prepared a manner, you still have to allow these characters to make that mistake.

These story hiccups are, however, only minor when set next to how entrancing the performances were and how cool Hiddleston is. Swinton and Wasikowska are take em or leave em but there is nothing without Hiddleston. Yelchin and Hurt are great as well, bringing their more capable talents to simpler roles than they are used to. Its always nice to see actors who can be leads to supporting work (cough Jude Law and Matt Damon cough)

Back to Hiddleston for a quick wrap up. He is this movie. Everything feeds off of him including that hypnotic music his character composes.

8 out of 10

Birdman (2014)

Written and Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu (Babel)

Starring:

Michael Keaton (Beetlejuice)

Emma Stone (Zombieland)

Naomi Watts (I Heart Huckabees)

Edward Norton (Fight Club)

Andrea Riseborough (Oblivion)

Zach Galifianakis (Corky Romano)
Lindsay Duncan (Doctor Who)
Amy Ryan (The Office)
Merritt Weaver (New Girl)

Everything promised by that killer trailer, to the tee. Almost good enough to make up for it not being about Ray Randall (DEEP CUT!). Also, there were some missed opportunities here. No sign of Chris Anderson   (Miami Heat Center) and little to no rap music anywhere (PURRRRR). Some may argue that those are good things but can you really sit there on your stand alone ottoman and say that the synergy brought about by including each of those in this film wouldn't be like some sort of Avatar bringing balance to the world of pop culture? I thought not.

As for what the film did have, let's start with the biggest triumph. One Take Tony missed out on being in this pseudo-one-take beauty.  Everything on screen and all the sounds thumping about fed directly into making it feel like the camera never turned away from the moment. The music (a must for any film to transcend mediocrity) is boundless. Immediately penetrating your consciousness, dictating your levels of attention with exquisite, raw, and lasting drum solos.

The consuming style and tunnel-vision-like trance the visuals vacuum you into with such confidence distract from any flaws with ease. Filmed as though experiencing a dream from a real singular perspective. A continuous flow to every aspect of the film done not to show off but to enthrall. The drums beat intensifies when it needs to and the camera never lets up. There are obvious spots where a cut is taking place but not only are they smooth, they are soothing. Pauses in a ride that isn't over until its over. The camera work is stunning. There's a but of strutting too like when the camera is moving around Keaton's head as he looks in a mirror. There is no camera anywhere in sight. Overly clever but well executed.

Outstanding performances are commonplace here. Its like each A-lister is trying to prove how amazing they really are. To his credit, Zach Galifianakis pulls an Edward Norton. Edward Norton also pulls an Edward Norton. Norton's new found acceptance of supporting roles (which was birthed by his infamous parting with Marvel) is a plus to any movie that can nab him (Grand Budapest, Moonrise Kingdom, Bourne Legacy). At the center is Keaton. It's been a strong year for the guy with him being the best part of two sub-par outings (Need for Speed and Robocop) finally delivering on the promise we all saw in Multiplicity. But seriously, his success was no fluke. He deserves to in films like this. You long for his return to the playing The Dark Knight. What a role, a truly spectacular job by him.

The women, while acted beautifully by all, especially Stone, are not allowed to break out of standard female roles. They are there to be affected by the men, each one in a different way, which is really the only negative the film brings. Where Jessica Chastain in Interstellar and Emily Blunt in Edge of Tomorrow set a standard for all films to uphold, Birdman was lacking.

On the pus side, yet again we have an original story, non sequel, non adaptation. They seem to making a nice return these days.

Bottom Line: With elements of fantasy peppered into a simple story of a comeback attempt, Birdman lays down an ambiguity to the whole world it presents. By the end you can determine who in the audience is a kid at heart and who is a grumpy old fart. 

9 out of 10. This is turning into a magnificent year for films. 

Interstellar (2014)

Review for those who've not seen the film:

If you love Nolan, you get everything you want.  

10 out of 10 - Read no further because I'm about to spill everything. Save yourself, oh intelligent film goer. Go in Blind!

If you have seen the film:

Directed by Christopher Nolan
Written by Jonathan and Christopher Nolan
Starring:
Matthew McConaughy (Tropic Thunder)
Anne Hathaway (The Dark Knight Rises)
Mackenzie Foy (Apparently Twilight)
Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty)
Topher Grace (Predators)
Casey Affleck (Oceans Eleven)
Michael Caine (Batman Begins)
John Lithgow (Rise of the Planet of the Apes)
Ellen Burstyn (The Fountain)
Timothee Chalamet (Royal Pains)
David Oyelowo (Jack Reacher)
Collette Wolfe (Take Me Home Tonight)
David Gyasi (Doctor Who) 
Wes Bentley (Four Feathers)
Josh Stewart (The Dark Knight Rises)
Bill Irwin (MR. NOODLE!)
Elyes Gabel (World War Z)
(Freakin Matt Damon) 

Like standout songs in a concept album, movies, especially action-adventure sci-fi movies, tend to have highly memorable scenes. Interstellar brings one after another. Sequences you can absorb out of context just for the coolness of it all. And this movie is exactly that, hyper cool.  Absolute zero. It believes in itself, and while some may find that off putting, I absolutely love it. Why watch a movie that is unsure of it self?

With Interstellar we have a new SciFi juggernaut. A story of wayward and hopeful souls flying across the universe divide, looking for the future of humanity. A story to sit in the upper echelon of the genre and take a spot next to Moon, Sunshine, and Inception.

For Nolan, like Inception before it, this standalone nonsequel non adaptation brings sequence after sequence of beautiful, mind-shattering practical effects. The clarity with which you can tell that you are watching something that occupied actual space instead of rendered pixels is astonishing, refreshing even. The worth of those aspects alone stands out in this day and age of CGI splurging. As for the running time, I'm firmly in the camp of never having too much of a good thing. 

Here are the scenes ranked in order of Stellarness. 

1. Spin Docking (The score in this scene alone is enough to melt the hair off your entire body.)
2. First Journey through the Wormhole
3. Black-hole Bookshelf
4. New Earth 
5. Drone chase
6. Solid Cloud/Matt Damonland 
7. Space Station Orbiting Earth (I'm getting dizzy just remembering it,)
8. Water World. 

It's a 12 Monkeys situation (among probably every other film that messes with time) where the end is fundamentally tied to the beginning, but unlike 12 Monkeys, it doesn't massacre the story's worth by burying the narrative in doomed time loops. With Interstellar the characters' actions matter and their sacrifices have gains. The pivotal scene reminding me of Looper's aha moment. All while operating in the theoretical realm with a future that's ever so slightly apocalyptic. Let's not forget that there is no sound in space, the fifth dimension is the exact representation of "all time experienced at once." Two details I always wish to enact in films utilizing the time or space travel tropes. To see them executed on screen and so near to how i imagined is a thrill beyond words. 

Then there's the casting. Familiar names and faces popping up not just as dense characters but also unexpected roles. Mackenzie Foy was an exact match to Jessica Chastain. Topher Grace continuing to make amends for his miscast opportunity as Venom being in a enjoyable enough to place along side his other film success, Predators. There's Wes Bentley's ongoing supporting actor career resurgence (Coupled with his importance to Hunger Game Franchise, a welcomed success after the promise he flashed in Four Feathers.) And we have the golden geezers. Lithgow holding his own and Caine doing what he does. 

One most memorable performance is also a special effect, more of a puppet actually. The robots TARS and CASE are unexpected packages of jokes. Not only that but they defy expectations with their abilities and purpose. An R2D2 and C3P0 for a time not too far off. 

We have our standard Hero's Journey set in space, playing with time. In Nolans hands, it flourishes. The story is anchored by the standard white male lead but we can't fault Matthew McConaughy here. Another celestial performance from the best actor in Hollywood. In fact, we're lucky he's in such a far out film like this, bringing credibility, loopiness, and his immense talent to a genre that may not always get the respect it deserves. After him, there is real diversity present in the other characters as well. Not in any extraordinary amount (See: Maze Runner) but it's still nice to get a female character or two that aren't annoying. Chastain is beyond perfect. Even with Hathaway's Brand needlessly in love, it eventually leads to a payoff we may not see but certainly can understand.


Bottom line. Christopher Nolan is the best there is (Aside from Edgar Wright). As far as this year goes, Interstellar now sits atop the rankings edging out John Wick but the year's not done, emotions are still raw and flux. It may come down to this, while John Wick and Edge of Tomorrow thrilled, Interstellar fulfilled. 

To repeat. 10 out of 10

X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

Directed by Bryan Singer
Written by Simon Kinberg, Matthew Vaughn, Jane Goldman
Starring:
Everyone. (Everything)

Five Pluses:

1. Stunning, splashy, mesmerizing effects. The kind we've been longing for since the X2 and continuing the momentum Matthew Vaughn brought forth. 
2. Absolutely brutal at times. Not holding back on the bone crushing consequences drawing on our genuine fear for these character's lives. 
3. The actors are stone cold awesome. Fassbender is Fassbending. McAvoy be McMacking it while the old guard brings the gravitas. 
4. Flat out ignores Origins and swipes clean the damage of The Last Stand while keeping most* of the good.
5. The music. X2's theme back in all it's former glory. 

What was missing: 

1. Ben Foster's Archangel.* Completely and unfortunately MIA.  
2. The signature misty teleportation was nowhere.  
3. More of everything. I wish this was a 5 hour long film. 

Bottom Line:

The good far outweighs the bad and there are some stellar scenes that transcend the bar to the levels of even the X2 opening sequence. (Miss you, Kurt!)

10 out of 10

Nightcrawler (2014)

Written and Directed by Tony Gilroy (Bourne Legacy)
Starring: 
Jake Gyllenhaal (Source Code)
Riz Ahmed (Four Lions)
Rene Russo (Thor)
Bill Paxton (Edge of Tomorrow)

In the mud of Marvel congestion and superhero saturation, it's a risky maneuver to title a film the same name as a well known mutant but alas, here we are. So then the question becomes, how does a movie get over this disadvantage. A 94% tomatometer rating? Absolutely. An sinister, zoned in Jake Gyllenhaal finally showing his true talents? And we're off.

Gyllenhaal comes full force, fresh off another great performance in Enemy (2014), he gives life to a vile creature we never knew we needed to witness. His skeletal frame under sleek, greasy hair and that soulless bugeyed stare are magical. He completely dives into the character of Lou Bloom and it is terrifying. Riz Ahmed brings a strong presence to the screen as well as the tag along to Gyllenhaal's nightcrawling leach. Paxton is again a gratifying screen hog but he basically plays the same character he is in everything recently. You either like him or you don't by this point. This is also Paxton's second consecutive film to be at 90% or higher after Edge of Tomorrow so we can safely conclude that critics love him. Rene Russo does bring a little fire to her shared scenes with Lou Bloom but it all starts with Jake. His performance fuels this whole movie.

The story is as uninteresting as the trailer suggests, unless you're in to all that media nonsense, I mean, who even watches the news these days, probably people who would not enjoy this movie. That's the razor thin line that is walked. That's how good the performances are, that despite the lack of a feel good story, the absence of any true root-forable protagonist, we still feel a corrupted rush of wanting to know what will happen. Gilroy manages to add in a couple of snazy stylized sequences leaving the finished product to be a definite good movie. Not great, but certainly memorable and weirdly worthy of that RT score.

8 out of 10