I have to say it, Inception jumped straight to the top of my personal list. To me, it is the greatest movie I have had the pleasure of watching. I emphasize the idea that that ruling is only relative to myself. Frankly, I think everyone can and should have a different "greatest movie of all time" because we are all different people that enjoy different things. Personally I have always loved sci-fi and action movies, and this film gave me plenty of those things. Watching it was genuinely just pure fun. I loved the elaborate yet controlled plot, and the simplicity of the characters actions despite the complexity of their motives. Directed by Christopher Nolan, Inception is the best movie I have ever watched. It is no doubt assisted by an absolutely stellar cast, capped off by names like Leonardo DiCaprio, Cillian Murphy, and Tom Hardy, but the movie is also a masterpiece of writing. The film doesn't just create a world, it creates worlds within worlds where anything can happen. Worlds with such limitless possibilities yet such finite rules. I love the movie's concepts of how we visualize our subconscious, from the "vaults" where we lock away our secrets to the defense of our own minds being created in the form of actual armed guards. Somehow this movie throws you into a world you know nothing about, with crazy inventions like dream-walking, and yet everything makes perfect sense. It is a masterpiece of world building. I think I could write endlessly about this movie's ending, but it suffices to say I think it is one of the greatest ever implemented into a film. I personally believe that the top does fall, that he lives in the real world, but I have talked to many who feel different. The real complexity of the ending is that this small detail left in the dark to the viewer not only changes the ending, but could change the entire movie. More than other, I struggle to describe this movie in a context that someone may not have seen it because this movie is truly an experience. You have to watch it to understand. I had heard it used to describe movies before, but I had never experienced it myself: this film is life-changing. 9.9/10
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It's here, my inevitable return to sports movies. This one delivered everything you would expect: a heartwarming story, mediocre acting, and the patented feel-good ending. Directed by Jeff Celentano, The Hill is most definitely a stereotypical sports movie, but it isn't without its merits. The movie is actually based off a true story, and the actual person in follows, Ricky Hill, was heavily involved in production, including a cameo in the film. If I had to put a main complaint on this movie it would be the acting. The main characters, including Dennis Quaid who seems to just love baseball movies, are pretty decent, but you can tell there is a major talent drop off in the supporting cast. Other than that the movie is very entertaining, but does contain a couple of polarizing features. As much as I would love to rate this film highly, it does have two major concepts that isolate viewers. One is a very strong religious context that I think people who haven't experienced organized religion just would not be able to understand or relate to. Secondly, I think that someone who doesn't love the game of baseball would not be able to appreciate the film. While some sports films are universally entertaining, I do think loving the game of baseball is a prerequisite for this one. As much as I personally loved this film and actually really really related to it, I don't think it would be fair to use that to overlook the questionable scriptwriting, acting, and wide-audience marketability. Don't get me wrong, if you love baseball or God, you will love this film, but I just don't think it is for everyone. If you love a good heart-warming story, and especially the classic "dad abandons some but then learns to accept his dream and support him" cliché, give it a watch. Other than that, not a must-see. 5.0/10 Looper surprised me in so many ways. A movie I had not heard of, with really no huge actors of note. There were some members of the cast whose reputations preceded them, but definitely not "star studded." To be honest I only watched this movie because the premise looked super intriguing when it popped up on Netflix. I went in with low expectations becuase usually when I movie is pretty unique, you have heard of it if it's any good. However, this movie defied expectations and I am shocked it isn't more popular. The first thing that impressed me about this film was the time travel concept. The first thing that you have to do when making a time travel film is accept there will be plot holes, it is basically inevitable, but this movie gives it a really good go with the whole "closing your loop" concept and the memory issues with the older versions of the loopers. Taking on time travel is really hard to do while keeping viewers invested, and even as someone who prides myself on being critical of plot holes, I didn't give it a second thought watching this film. The second thing that really impressed me was the ending. The best way to describe it would be morbidly optimistic. There is something really special about a movie that can achieve a sad ending that still is full of hope or has a strong silver lining. To be honest the ending was brutal and yet I had to be happy with how things turned out. Of course it would be easy to point at issues with it like how he could have shot off his hand to make his future self unable to hold a gun, but the truth is the ending is both what viewers wanted and what viewers needed. If you want a film that is guaranteed to entertain you and leave you satisfied I would definitely recommend this movie. It is not winning movie of the year, but it scratches that quality-movie itch. 7.8/10 Get Out, directed by Jordan Peele, definitely lived up to the hype. The movie's reputation preceded it, and I know that sometimes that can spoil a film as one ends up placing unrealistic expectations on it. Needless to say my hopes for Get Out were very high going in, and I am glad to say it delivered. I was very concerned because I had also recently watched Us, another Jordan Peele work, that really let me down. It had a great start but by the end I was very frustrated and upset at the lost potential. Get Out was nothing like that, with killer performances from Daniel Kaluuya, Lil Rel Howey, and Catherine Keener, Get Out tells a compelling and shockingly believable story for the horror genre with both emotional and thriller elements. If you know me, you know by now I am a sucker for good plot, and this is where Get Out excels. It features a beautifully crafted plot with literally zero loose ends. Every character they introduce has a purpose, and even the classic "opening kill" scene, or in this case a kidnapping, comes back later to serve a larger purpose later in the film. Everything about this film was pleasing. The ambience is perfect, the family and house just unsettling enough to always give you the feeling something is wrong even without evidence for the claim. It also features some really well written characters. The comedic relief from Lil Rel Howey as Rod is so perfect. He isn't there to experience everything going on and really shows how his character could make jokes having no real knowledge of the depth of the situation. Get Out was just a really clean movie and a prime example of what the psychological horror genre can be. A lot of the scenes and ideas are genuinely unsettling, and even though there aren't any jump scares or many action sequences, don't underestimate how much this movie might terrify you. Definitely one of Jordan Peele's best film, and if you appreciate a well crafted story without plot-holes and even better written characters, I would definitely recommend giving it a watch. 9.3/10 The Boy and The Heron is most definitely a movie worthy of being nominated for an Oscar. However, winning the Oscar would be an incorrect decision by the Academy and an absolute snub for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. I understand that this film is Hayao Miyazaki’s last, but it feels like they auto-nominated it simply for that reason. I understand he made many amazing and successful films, but that does not mean every project he works on is great. I stand by the fact that it deserves the nomination, but not the win. The art style is visually stunning, that no one can argue with, but that is not enough to win an Oscar, especially an Oscar for overall Best Animated Picture. While it was a beautiful movie, this does not make up for the lack of plot. Reaching the end of the movie, it feels that the characters did not truly accomplish anything. Speaking to other students who have watched Miyazaki films, they say that part of what he is famous for is his “big reveal” moments at the end of films in which the story all makes sense and has a satisfying ending. This did not happen at all in The Boy and The Heron. In fact, I could hardly believe it was over because the ending was so disappointing and nonsensical. The movie really left me wondering: What was the point of all of that? I do understand that the easy counterpoint is that the film is about the boy learning to accept his new mom in her new role in his life and get over his real mother’s passing. However, to the people who propose that I would ask the question: Why was that theme not at the forefront of the film? The message is at best subtle as the boy moves from calling his new mom by her name to referring to her simply as “mom.” The truth is this movie is devoid of a central message or theme, and that makes viewers leave the theater wanting. To be honest it felt like a Japanese rip-off of Alice in Wonderland. Debatably the whole film could be hallucinations caused by the main character bashing a rock into his skull to start the movie. Mostly because, in the end, nothing about his life changed. His mom is still dead, he ends up most likely forgetting everything that happened, and he even ends up moving back to Tokyo. The truth is, if I wanted to only see something beautiful, I could go to an art gallery. Part of what makes a movie is the story that connects us to the characters and makes us laugh and cry with them. Honestly, I would take Elemental to win the Oscar over The Boy and The Heron because it featured a unique and new animation style while also an undoubtedly emotional and endearing story. More importantly, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse crafts one of the most intricate and emotional storylines over a series that has ever been seen out of animated movies. I understand that the Academy does not want to give the award to a sequel, but if a movie is deserving it is deserving, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse blows The Boy and The Heron out of the water. 6.0/10 Burnt, directed by John Wells, is an absolutely masterful performance by Bradley Cooper. It really showed the depth and diversity he has as an actor because this is definitely not a role I would have expected him to excel in. The fact that you could watch him blowing a half-sane school teacher in the Hangover and then see him play a remorseful underdog Michelin chef all in the same sitting was kind of mind blowing to me. Their are a lot of things this movie does right, but most of all is the acting performances. All the characters are very believable. Not only Bradley Cooper, but there is a back-stabbing in the middle of the movie that I promise you you will never see coming. On top of that the movie is well shot and the scene selection is on point. Gordon Ramsey was actually a huge fan of the movie, saying it capture exactly what is really feels like to be working under the stress of one of the greatest kitchens in the world. From this one can tell that John Wells puts an emphasis on realism in his films. He tries to capture not only physical realism, but also the emotional situations and the stress that people are under. This coupled with amazing acting and an incredibly written script really makes a recipe for an appetizing movie. With strong themes of addiction, redemption, and learning to face the consequences of one's own actions, this movie made me think a lot more than any before has. 9.0/10 Green Book is easily one of the best movies I have watched recently. Directed by Peter Farrelly, Green Book was an immediate hit and needless to say I had heard much about it before sitting down to view it. However, for me this just makes the movie that much more impressive. Going in with the highest of expectations, the movie still shocked me with how good it was. This was the first movie that I watched that had the real central theme of a social message. It strips humanity down to the bare bones and highlights the good, the bad, and the ugly of an unfortunate time in American history. I say the good because while the movie highlights the racism of the deep South, it also shows how people like Tony, who carries his own racist tendencies, can change when they interact with an open mind. Aside from content, the movie does a lot of things right that make it an all time "feel good" movie. First off the pacing is great. The viewer doesn't get the feeling like they miss out on much, but an entire 8-week tour is cut down into an hour and a half of the movie. We get to see the characters evolve and change, as well as keeping with the actual content of a concert tour. You can't help but cheer for Tony and Don as they traverse their worlds that have been turned upside down in their new setting of the South. I also thought the ending was one of the most satisfying things I have ever seen. Seeing a great lesson on when to draw the line between practicing non-confrontation and also being able to stand up for yourself. It was hard not to smile seeing Don finally get to play his classical music at the Orange Bird. All around this movie is such an enjoyable watch with lovable characters that will make you cheer for them, laugh with them, and cry with them. It definitely takes you into a part of history no one can be proud of, but the optimistic ending makes you excited about the progress we as a country have made and will hopefully continue to make. The social message was a 10/10. 9.7/10 I was a huge fan of Train to Busan. Directed by Yeon Sang-ho, it features a interesting take on the zombie apocalypse genre. One thing I found super interesting is that the movie is more about reaching safety than combatting the zombies. In fact, as I noted at the end of the film, the movie never tells the viewer how to kill a zombie. We do see dead ones, but we also see them survive some crazy things like falling off a helicopter. Unlike series like The Walking Dead and many others, we never know if it is a headshot or sheer amounts of physical damage that allows one to take down the zombies. Instead of fighting the zombies, the movie focuses on the psyche of the characters in the film. Our main character who claims to only be out for himself, but when the tough gets going he chooses to help others around him. The gruff man who likes to seem tough but sacrifices himself to save others and his pregnant wife. And finally the self-absorbed business man who gets almost everyone in the movie killed in various attempts to save himself. Ultimately the movie is a commentary about how desperate situations strip humans down to their bare bones, some people become selfless while others succumb to ideas of simple self-preservation. We get to see even characters who start off trying to save others eventually become terrified and begin to only look out for themselves. Train to Busan has some very strong emotional messages about the human condition, as well as some really impressive practical effects as we see zombies get thrown around, fall off trains, and dive around corners without looking really goofy. No doubt expert combinations or stunt doubles and CGI. The movie is overall very impressive and definitely defies some expectations and stereotypes that go along with the usually simple-minded zombie genre. As long as you don't mind watching with either having to read subtitles or with the audio dubbed-over, I would highly recommend this movie. 9.1/10 Dracula was honestly a great movie, but it has nothing to do with the story. The plot is well enough, but the weird sex scenes were so unnecessary and I did not enjoy watching them. The action sequences and the practical effects of the vampire suit were very impressive though. What really made this movie great was the special effects and editing used throughout the movie. It was completely unlike Coppola to use so much post production stuff but he killed it. This was when I knew Coppola was an auteur director, because even though it was such a different movie, I could still tell it was Coppola. The pacing, the limited use of music, and the excellent actors were proof enough of that. It was so cool to see Coppola operate outside his comfort zone and still excel. Plus there were some aspects I liked, which made the unnecessary nudity so frustrating as it basically ruined the movie for me when I was actually beginning to like it. Strong performance from Coppola though. 6.7/10 Francis Ford Coppola hits big with this one. Based off the book by John Grisham, The Rainmaker is a classic legal drama, with an added twist ending that I won't spoil. I do genuinely believe that one of the hardest tasks directors can be given is to turn great books into great movies. I recently watched Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and while it is an amazing movie, the book is just too good to be competed with. This is why I can really appreciate this movie as I have read many John Grisham books and can say that this movie does his writing style justice. It is hard to know what to cut and what to leave, but Coppola tells an excellent story and I don't feel that I missed out on anything. Another strong suit of this movie is casting, somehow it seems Coppola found all the up and coming great actors and got them in his movies, Damon, DeVito, DiCaprio, Voight, the list goes on and on. All the actors really fit there roles, and excel. Overall, Coppola is just a storyteller, he doesn't like to interject himself into movies, he appreciates the stories he gets to tell in their purest form, and tries to keep them that way. In this movie you will entirely forget you are watching fiction, the family battling big insurance might as well be family friends as they battle in litigation. You will get wrapped up in this movie, and enjoy every second. 8.8/10 |