In Your Eyes (2014)

Directed by Brin Hill (...Ball Don't Lie)
Written by Supreme Lord Joss Whedon (that one line in X-Men about toads)
Starring:
Michael Stahl-David (The Black Donnellys)
Zoe Kazan (Ruby Sparks)
Mark Feurstein (Royal Pains)
Nikki Reed (Twilight)
Genre: Romance, Science Fiction, Dramedy

An anticipated and long sought after Joss Whedon project, this was something I devoured with the impatience of a toddler staring at cake, this movie is as delicious as cream cheese frosting. (Shout out to Netflix)

The basics: It's a tale about two people. One, a dirt-covered model-faced guy who happens to be an ex-con, and two, a Zoe Kazan-like girl. They've never met but, through science fictional splendidness, they share an unreal connection; each can see what the other sees, feel what the other feels. What potentially could have been something Wachoiwskian (or even Whedonesque, really) in scope, something huge that simply contained an average tale about star-crossed, telepathic, attractive "twenty somethings"(even though both actors are 30!) is instead a more intimately focused feature that ultimately proves to be rather satisfying. I still can't help but ponder the consequences of the world that was created. It's an itch that be forever left lingering.

While it may travel through some familiar romantic tropes, the story avoids going too far off the deep end and holds true to the promise of quality small budget content under the Bellweather Films production banner.

The two leads are phenomenal and Kazan continues to prove that she is the new age Zooey Deschanel. Her characters are a morphing, evolved version of the dreaded Manic Pixie Dream Girl. Much like in the film What it (aka The F Word) her character isn't there to be a sweeping resolution to a male hero. The male hero, as it were, is just as flawed as her female hero is. When a romance is tackled with both sides on even footing, we are able to witness a more believable attachment develop. The supporting cast is a bit on the annoying side but well acted enough to not be a huge hindrance.

The experimental and telepathic scenes are capably handled. Senses are a tricky thing to capture on camera but Brin Hill gets us to connect with what the characters are truly experiencing, much like how Danny Boyle managed in 127 Hours but way less intense.

Bottom Line: Hill and Whedon take us on a peculiar yet facinating journey about two linked hearts. We still get that sharp edge Whedon loves to supply along with his usual dollups of clever sweetness in an adorably weird romance which has minimal need for eye rolls.

INKS or Stinks?

This little darling INKS.
Tentacle 1: Weirdness of the story.
Tentacle 2: Chemistry of the leads.

The Interview (2014)

Written and Directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (This is the End)
Starring:
James Franco (Spider-Man)
Seth Rogen (50/50)
Randall Park (Fresh of the Boat)
Lizzy Caplan (Mean Girls)
Diana Bang (Fringe)
Timothy Simons (Veep)
Eminem (8Mile)

This review will be on the short side as this movie got thoroughly publicized and you all know damn well what it's about.

Exactly the film I expected and wanted. Vulgarity comes in vast platoons, wrapped in sweetly-stupid, precisely-aimed sheer nonsense. Essential viewing for anyone looking to level-up their quote game.

Overall, it's an enjoyably upbeat pace with clever musical choices. (I've still yet to tire of the trailer) Cameos are liberally and joyfully flaunted with a lot of genuine bromancing using that proven Franco/Rogen chemistry and the secret ingredient that is Randall Park. As an added delicacy, we are given opportune slow motion usage and you can never never NEVER go wrong with slow motion.

(Introducing a new ratings system fully embracing the SQUID brand...
INKS or Stinks and the 2 Tentacles, the two strongest features.)

Personal: The Interview...INKS!
Conditional: May Stink for those looking for deep political meaning.

Tentacles: Actors' chemistry and Dialogue.

Run All Night (2015)

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (Non-Stop)
Written by Brad Inglesby (Out of the Furnace)
Starring:
Liam Neeson (The Lego Movie)
Joel Kinnaman (The Killing)
Ed Harris (The Truman Show)
Common (Smokin' Aces)
Boyd Holbrook (A Walk Among the Tombstones)
Genesis Rodriguez (Casa de Mi Padre
Nick Nolte (Tropic Thunder)
Vincent D'Onofrio (MIB)

Picking up right where 2014 ended, Reigning SQUID Actor of the Year Liam Neeson headlines this seemingly standard entry to the action genre. If only taken for its obvious machismo, Run All Night may be soggy with familiarity but, here, Neeson is backed by an excellent supporting cast and unique, flashy visuals that are a rarity for a brainless revenge romp. 

There are obvious negatives here. It's yet another violent film for Neeson. A standard Caucasian overload in the lead roles. There's no important female affecting the story. But, if you're watching this movie, you already know all that from the outset. The real question is this, what does Run All Night bring to the table? The answer is style. 

In a amicable blend of recent violent stories like John Wick and A Walk Among the Tombstones, with transitions that more resemble a video game than a pulpy, melodramatic shoot'em up, Run All Night manages to be somewhat refreshing. The closest match to the aesthetics would be the superb, instant-classic bicycle chase film Premium Rush where the camera breaks out of the grittiness to give you an out of body thrill while swiftly moving the story along.  

That is the biggest strength for Run All Night. Jaume Collet-Serra's third pairing with Neeson expands the director's camera trick arsenal. It moves and shakes as if the camera was operated by a prodigal ten year old abusing the zoom function. 

There's enough character building in the story to engage the audience and the familiar territory of an estranged son is somehow fresh with Kinnaman and Neeson's interactions. Ultimately, thanks to the flying lens and the zoned-in perspectives, we get to see it in bathed in a new over coat of swirling lights. 

Bottom Line: Its a fun ride and it has some heart. There's a pretty good chase scene. There's a rapper assassin, there's a flaming stick sword fight, there's that gorgeous shot gun shot, and (my favorite element) there's slow motion paired with rotating freeze frames. Absolutely delicious. Go, Liam Neeson, Go!

10 out of 10

2014 SQUID Actor of the Year

Quite a few thespians decided to be busy this past year in both film and television. While it proved to be a close race for both sexes, the triumphant recipients are truly the stand out King and Queen of the screen for 2014. Below, we shall break down the race for the SQUID Actor of the Year 2014. 

Among the men, some, like Willem Defoe (John Wick, The Grand Budapest Hotel) and Bill Paxton (The Edge of Tomorrow, Agents of SHIELD, and Nightcrawler) made strong comebacks of sorts. The veteran actors made firm cases for AOTY but they were never center stage. 

Other actors in the running this year include two genre stalwarts. One, the reigning champ, the other, his Hobbit and Sherlock costars. Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game) and Martin Freeman (Fargo) proved that they have indeed arrived and are going nowhere. Cumberbatch wasn't one to easily relinquishing his throne. While Freeman would have run away with it if this were solely a television award. 

There were dark horses including relative unknowns who excelled at supporting roles like Boyd Holbrook (A Walk Among the Tombstones, Gone Girl, The Skeleton Twins), and James Cordon (Into the Woods, Begin Again). Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher, Begin Again) and Channing Tatum (Foxcatcher, 22 Jump Street) were also quite visible throughout the year.

The year marked the arrival of another Brit, Dan Stevens (The Guest, A Walk Among the Tombstones, and Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb) who, now free of the Abbey, sets his eyes on conquering Hollywood. He'll throw his hat in the ring for the next couple of years, no doubt, as he was recently announced to star opposite Emma Watson in the live action Beauty and the Beast.

It would be a crime to ignore the tour de force performances on both mediums from Matthew McConaughey (Interstellar, True Detective), but there were talents who proved far more present. We arrive now at the hyper-massive-mammoth-cosmic explosion of Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy, Parks and Recreation, The Lego Movie, and, while only a trailer, we can't ignore the raptor master of Jurassic World). Pratt truly came close to taking the title but his ascension to the A-List was trumped by one man. 

All those men and all those roles yet none of them are the pyramid's tip. No, the tentacled crown for SQUID Actor of the Year of 2014 belongs to the resilient, prolific Irish Terminator that is Liam Neeson. IMDb lists him in ten roles during the twelve months including exceptional films like The Lego Movie and A Walk Among the Tombstones, along side decently entertaining fare like Non-Stop, A Million Ways to Die, and Taken 3. He was front and center, he was supporting in both villainy and comedy, he was everywhere! Say what you will about the generic actioners he churns out, they still pack a stylish and visceral punch. He has the tendency to go full Nic Cage but he still manages to be a resonant actor. Now venturing into comedic roles, he crossed a line into unknown territory so who knows what his future holds. The year, however, belonged to Liam Neeson. 



SQUID Actor of the Year recipients:

2014 winner - Liam Neeson
The Lego Movie, A Walk Among the Tombstones, A Million Ways to Die in the West, Non-Stop, Taken 3, Various other voice acting roles on TV. 

2013 winner - Benedict Cumberbatch 
12 Years A Slave, Star Trek into Darkness, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, August: Osage County, The Fifth Estate, The Simpsons

2012 winner - Joseph Gordon Levitt
Premium Rush, Looper, Lincoln, The Dark Knight Rises

2011 winner - Michael Fassbender 
Jane Eyre, X-Men: First Class, Shame, Haywire, A Dangerous Method