The story set in the near future, centers on a team of astronauts on a
space station making a terrifying discovery that challenges all they know about
the fabric of reality, as they desperately fight for their survival. Director: Julius Onah Release Date: Jan 12, 2018 Cast: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, David Oyelowo, Daniel
Brühl, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris O'Dowd, Zhang Ziyi Not Rated Runtime: 1 hr. 42 min. Genres: Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Review:
Years from now The
Cloverfield Paradox, originally titled The God Particle, will be remembered
mostly for Netflix’s release strategy more than the actual content of the
film. Ultimately, Netflix’s strategy of
releasing a repurposed sci-fi film, which had been delayed a couple of times
before, after the Super Bowl shortly after premiering the first trailer gave
the film the kind of visibility it wouldn’t have received otherwise. The gambit surely paid off in spades even
though the final product is lacking in several areas. Sadly, for all the hoopla the film is simply
a passable sci-fi film that recalls better films like Sunshine or even Event
Horizon with a heaping serving of Star Trek’s oft used multiverse conceit. The result is an uneven story with a subplot
grafted onto it’s spine that tries desperately to connect the main story to the
larger franchise. It’s a choppy feel
throughout resulting in a story that never finds it’s footing even with the
ensemble’s best effort. The cast
assembled is impressively strong but the script leaves way too many of them
hampered with one dimensional character.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw does her best to give the entire production a heart beat
and is only partially successful; displaying some real chops in the film’s
final act. The rest of the cast is populated
by top notch actors like David Oyelowo and Daniel Brühl who try their best to
bring some sort of life to uncooked characters but they can only do so much
with razor thin characterizations.
Elizabeth Debicki’s character could have been thoroughly fascinating if
she’s been explored properly. In the
end, The Cloverfield Paradox is a glossy looking misfire which could have used
more fine tuning and less overt franchise shoehorning to work effectively.
The true story of Molly Bloom, a beautiful, young, Olympic-class skier
who ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game for a decade before
being arrested in the middle of the night by 17 FBI agents wielding automatic
weapons. Her players included Hollywood royalty, sports stars, business titans and finally, unbeknown to her,
the Russian mob. Her only ally was her criminal defense lawyer Charlie Jaffey,
who learned there was much more to Molly than the tabloids led people to
believe.
Director:
Aaron Sorkin
Release Date: Dec 25, 2017
Cast: Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin
Costner, Michael Cera, Brian d'Arcy James, Chris O'Dowd
Rated R for language, drug content and some
violence
Runtime: 2 hr. 20 min.
Genres: Biography, Drama
Review:
Molly’s Game, the directorial
debut of renowned screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, is a crackling dialogue driven
legal thriller.Sorkin’s move behind the
camera is fairly effortless as he directs his film with a confident steady
hand.His style isn’t overly flashy,
outside of an expertly crafted opening sequence, he keeps a steady and measured
hand allowing his actors and script to do the heavy lifting.The script is everything you’d expect from
Aaron Sorkin, the snappy dialogue is as plentiful as the extended
monologues.The film carries a sort of
Social Network feel to it, especially in the first act, before it settles into
its own rhythm.Molly Brown’s story is a
fascinating perversion of the American Dream.Jessica Chastain is electric in the lead role and she’s nearly always
the most magnetic person on screen.It
probably helps that she’s glam vamped for the better part of the film as her
character routinely transformed herself into the “Cinemax” version of
herself.Chastain’s talent is on full
display as she simultaneously displays sexuality while still radiating an
intrinsic intelligence and unbridled drive throughout the entire film.There’s a running theme about an overbearing
father that feels slightly off especially in its resolution even though Kevin
Costner turns in decent work in an undercooked role.Idris Elba spends the most time with Chastain
in the post arrest scenes and he’s just ready made for Sorkin’s writing.He and Chastain share solid chemistry
together, making their mutual intellect and respect believable.A few of the courtroom scenes in the third
act do feel a bit clunky and convenient when compared to the majority of the
film that came before it.Still,
Sorkin’s first foray into directing is an impressive and entertaining success.
After a family tragedy, a boy named Jake (Asa Butterfield) follows a series
of clues that lead him to a mysterious orphanage on a remote Welsh island.
There, he discovers a community of children with unusual abilities, and learns
he is destined to protect them. Eva Green, Samuel L. Jackson, Kim Dickens,
Allison Janney, Judi Dench, Chris O'Dowd, Rupert Everett, and Terence Stamp
co-star. Directed by Tim Burton, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
was adapted from Ransom Riggs' debut novel of the same name. ~ Daniel Gelb,
Rovi
Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Eva Green, Asa Butterfield, Chris O'Dowd, Allison
Janney, Judi Dench
Release Date: Sep
30, 2016
Rated PG-13 for violence and Peril and Intense Fantasy
Action
Runtime: 2 hr. 7 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure, Family, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Review:
Tim Burton’s newest film is a
welcome return to his glory days as a director.The book seems ready made for Burton and give a certain feel that works in the films favor.The cast seems to be having a blast, for the
most part, with a radiant Eva Green leading the way.Green is always the most interesting person
on screen and the film loses some pop when she’s not on screen especially
during an extended absence in the final act.Ella Purnell gives the best performance of the titular peculiar
children.It’s a shame her story and
character isn’t fleshed out more.Also
not helping matters is the film’s male lead.Asa Butterfield is possibly one of the blandest actors I’ve watched in a
long time.His line deliver is so stiff
and uninspired that it almost feels like he might yawn in the middle of
it.On the other end of the spectrum is
Samuel L. Jackson who’s so over the top that’s its jarring when he first shows
up.Its not good or bad just odd.Equally odd is just how thinly written the
villain is.It’s a shame because with a
better lead and more dynamic villain this might have been scratching the top
tier of Burton films.
Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for a double-bill of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and Deepwater Horizon.
Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers or perhaps the news.
First up: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.
Some characters straight out of his grandfather's bedtime stories turn a young man's ordinary existence upside-down.
It goes without saying that a story with "peculiar" in the title is ideally suited to director Tim Burton. All of Burton's more recent projects have earned critical ire (mostly deserved), and, if Miss Peregrine isn't quite the Burton of old, at least it seems to be a step in the right direction.
The film boasts glorious production design, some lovely set pieces, and stunning locations; Burton has not lost his ability to find beauty in even the strangest and most macabre things. Colleen Atwood's costumes and a wonderful score by Michael Higham and Matthew Margeson perfectly compliment the eerie atmosphere.
Unfortunately, though the story is compelling, the movie seems to crawl along at a snail's pace. There's too little of the stellar Eva Green (who was born for this role), and too much of the bland child cast.
Asa Butterfield is perfectly dreadful in the lead; he might as well have been reading from cards. Nothing points to 3D being a worthwhile investment on this one, aside from the fact that, in 2D, the movie's often too dark to see what's happening.
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children clocks in at 127 minutes and is rated PG13 for "intense sequences of fantasty action/violence, and peril."
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is visually impressive enough to earn your big-screen dollars, but, sadly it's also something no idea so magical should ever be: kinda boring.
Of a possible nine Weasleys, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar children gets five.
Fangirl points: Keep your eyes open for a rare and delightful Tim Burton cameo!
Next up, the based-on-true-events tale of Deepwater Horizon.
An explosion on a free-floating offshore drilling rig has disastrous consequences.
Dear reader(s), Deepwater Horizon is one of those movies whose trailer was so ubiquitous and irritating that I worried the movie wouldn't have a chance of overcoming it, but I'm pleased to report my concern was mostly unfounded.
Mark Wahlberg stars as Mike Williams, a technician on the rig who is central to this telling of the story. We're introduced to his insufferably cutesy wife and daughter (Kate Hudson and Stella Allen), then to most of the rig's crew through his eyes, giving viewers just enough of each person to make sure they'll be acceptably sad for the unlucky ones.
The supporting cast has a fair few familiar faces: Kurt Russell, John Malkovich, and my celebrity boyfriend (per a super-scientific Buzzfeed quiz) Dylan O'Brien. There's enough setup to make it clear who're the Good Guys and the Bad Guys, and then--BOOM!--disaster.
The film doesn't waste too much time getting there and, to its credit, moves along nicely throughout. The bulk of the picture plays out as the rig's situation deteriorates and crew members try to save themselves and others. Deepwater Horizon does a perfect 180 from its advertising, showing individuals behaving heroically, minus the frustrating chest-thumping vibe of the trailer.
The movie's disaster effects are spectacular, with sound mixing and editing in particular deserving full marks. It's a bit dark and jiggly at times, but that only adds to viewers' ability to share the terror the folks aboard that rig must have felt.
Two small and random quibbles: Did Williams' wife really take time to do her nails over the course of these harrowing hours?
They're pink the whole movie, then a French manicure when she and their daughter reconnect with him at the hotel following the rescue. Also, looking at photos of the crew next to the actors portraying them, I'm thinking my wish to have Beyonce star in the story of my life isn't so unrealistic after all.
Deepwater Horizon runs 107 minutes and is rated PG13 for "prolonged, intense disaster sequences and related disturbing images, and brief strong language."
Deepwater Horizon might have been better suited to summer's action season than to awards season, but it's an edge-of-your-seat tale that hopefully will make the world more cautious and aware going forward.
Of a possible nine Weasleys, Deepwater Horizon gets six.
Dearest Blog, over the long holiday weekend, I finally, FINALLY got
to see a movie to which I've been looking forward for nearly all of
2014: Calvary.
Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing that isn't divulged by the trailers.
After being threatened in the confessional, a priest in a small Irish town has a week to decide how to address the situation.
Well,
dear reader(s), what can I say except Calvary proved more than worth
the wait. The whole Internet has not the capacity to hold all the good
things I have to say about this movie, so I'll try to hit the high
points and keep this short...or...you know...short for me.
Calvary
is headlined by Brendan Gleeson, and, if you think you've seen the
performance of the year from Eddie Redmayne or Jake Gyllenhaal or
Michael Keaton, well, roll all those up into one and you might get
halfway to Gleeson's work in Calvary.
He is magnificent as a good man
caught in an unspeakably bad situation, and his interactions with his
parishioners swing from hilarious to heartbreaking without missing a
beat. Solid turns by Chris O'Dowd, Dylan Moran, Aidan Gillen, David
Wilmot, and especially Kelly Reilly round out a cast that never hits a
sour note.
Peacefully beautiful Irish locations seem at odds with
shocking actions and words. The film's grim mood is broken by
laugh-out-loud moments; it's serious as a heart attack, but never
miserable. The movie manages to show faith as a good thing, without ever
being preachy, and acknowledges horrors perpetrated by Catholic clergy
while always maintaining THIS priest as a good and strong, if
complicated, man.
Though it's hardly action packed, there is not a
single dull moment as Calvary keeps its secret right up to an unsettling
and strangely hopeful ending.
Calvary clocks in at 102 minutes and is rated R for "sexual references, language, brief strong violence, and some drug use."
Though
it never earned a wide-release in the US, Calvary is now available on
BluRay, digital download, and VOD.
DO NOT MISS IT.
Of a possible nine
Weasleys, Calvary gets all nine and wants Arthur and Molly to have a few
more kids.
After many years of marriage, Pete (Paul Rudd) is the sole male in a household that includes his wife, Debbie (Leslie Mann), and two young daughters (Iris Apatow, Maude Apatow). As Pete struggles to keep his record label afloat, he and Debbie navigate a three-week course of sex and romance, career victories and financial hardships, aging parents and maturing children. They'll have to learn to forgive, forget and enjoy the rest of their lives -- before they kill each other.
Director: Judd Apatow
Cast: Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Megan Fox, Albert Brooks, Chris O'Dowd.
Release Date: Dec 21, 2012
Rated R for pervasive Language, Crude Humor, Sexual Content and Some Drug Material
Runtime: 2 hr. 14 min.
Genres: Comedy
Review:
This is 40 is Judd Apatow’s 2nd uneven film in a row. Honestly, you might start to wonder if he’s losing touch with the type of humor that really put him on the map. The honestly and crassness is here but it only makes an appearance here and there in between grating arguments between 2 incredibly well meaning leads. The better part of the blame for the faults falls on Apatow who wrote the film. His leads aren’t ever particularly likable and come off as annoying and entitled throughout. A meandering molasses like pace doesn’t help matter either. The film trudges slowly and aimlessly towards an unresolved ending which leaves the audience with questions but so exhausted that they couldn’t be bothered to ask what will happen afterwards. 2 hours plus for a comedy is a stretch at best, something Apatow could get away with in The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up with a better story even then just barely, but here it’s just a drag. The film feels longer than The Hobbit by a mile. Paul Rudd does his best to pull the film out of its doldrums. He and Leslie Mann do share some good comedic chemistry as displayed in Knocked Up but here when it’s front and center for the entire film it makes the entire thing look like a fool’s errand. That’s not to say there are some strong scenes with plenty of laughs because there are. The problem is that there are twice as many scenes of them arguing or fretting about manufactured problems throughout. Mann is likable, she works well as a supporting player but here her acting shortcomings are on full display and her bugged eyed occasionally emaciated figure can start to wear on a viewer. The supporting cast is strong but only Albert Brooks and Melissa McCarthy leave a strongest impression while being thoroughly underused. John Lithgow, Chris O'Dowd, John Segal and Megan Fox are all played for types and given very little else to do. Apatow and Mann’s real life daughters appear again with the Maude screaming her lines, playing on the worse piece of first period humor possible, for the better part of the film with Iris coming off more muted than before. The first hour or so of the film has some steady steam providing a good series of laughs especially for anyone in a long term relationship but the film’s faults start to weigh it down ultimately bringing down the entire production.
