Film Columbia 2015

22 movies in 7 days. I'm completely exhausted but it was totally worth it. This was my big vacation for the year. I had so much fun seeing movies and reuniting with some wonderful people. There were a lot of good movies this year and a few that were... not so good.

As I do every year with this, I'm not doing long reviews for each movie. For one thing I just don't have the time. The other thing is most of these movies haven't been released to the public just yet so I don't want to spoil things too much. I'm just going to give a few brief thoughts and then my rating. So here we go-

Suffragette:

• Wonderful movie set in 1912 about the early days of the British Woman's Suffrage Movement. Powerful performances especially by Carey Mulligan, who's sure to get a Best Actress nomination. My Rating: 9/10

Mia Madre:

• A foreign movie about a director who has to cope with her dying mother while trying to deal with a crazy actor on the set of her latest film. The movie wasn't terrible, but aside from a few funny moments I just found myself bored. I didn't care too much about the characters either. My Rating: 7/10

Cemetery of Splendor:

• This was such a chore to get through. I'm still not sure what it's even about. A few pretty scenes here and there overall it was a mess. Avoid this movie at all costs unless you have trouble falling asleep. My Rating: 3/10

Jack of the Red Hearts:

• Sweet little movie starring Anna Sophia Robb as Jack, a troubled teen who poses as a caretaker and forms a close bond with a young autistic girl and her family. Great acting by all. A little sappy at times but overall it's very well made. My Rating: 8/10

 Louder Than Bombs:

• Predictable movie starring Gabriel Byrne as a man struggling with his feeling about his wife's death and his relationship with his two sons played brilliantly by Jesse Eisenberg and Devin Druid. Narrative could be seen as confusing to some. My Rating: 7.5/10 

45 Years:

• British drama about a couple about to celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary. The husband receives some shattering news and it changes the wife's perspective on their marriage. A little dull but the movie is pretty short. I thought the performances by Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay were very believable. My Rating: 7/10

Very Semi Serious:

• An interesting and funny documentary about artists who've had several of their cartoons featured in the New Yorker over the years. My Rating: 8/10

Monsoon:

• A documentary about the monsoon season in India. Okay overall but at times I questioned some of the direction. If you're an animal lover like me there's a scene that will really turn you off. My Rating: 6.5/10

The Lady in the Van:

• Maggie Smith can do no wrong! Based on the play of the same name that also starred Maggie Smith about writer Alan Bennett and the bag lady who lived in her van in his driveway for 15 years. Good movie even with the slightly out there ending. My Rating: 8/10

Labyrinth of Lies:

• Powerful drama based on a true story. A young prosecutor names Johann Radmann (Alexander Fehling, who's amazing in this) who in 1963 brings many German guards serving  at Auschwitz during World War 2 to trial for murder. I strongly urge everyone to see this when it comes out. My Rating: 10/10

Brooklyn:

• An old fashioned love story set in the 1950's about a young Irish immigrant played by Saoirse Ronan who is torn between her Italian American boyfriend and a nice Irish man from back home. They don't make many movies like this anymore which is a shame. My Rating: 9/10

Sweet Red Bean Paste:

• A charming and surprisingly touching Japanese movie about an elderly woman who suddenly shows up to help a man, who runs a confectionery shop, perfect his red bean paste used in his pastries. This movie had me tearing up quite a bit. My Rating: 8.5/10

May Mountains Depart:

• A love story/family drama told in 3 time periods- the late 90's, present day, and the near future. Has some really nice cinematography. However, I enjoyed the first two parts much more than I did the third. My Rating: 7/10

Measure of a Man: 

• Vincent Lindon stars in this well made and very relevant French drama as a man who is unemployed and struggles to take care of his family, which includes his special needs son. My Rating: 8.5/10

Truth:

• The great Cate Blanchett and Robert Redford star as CBS producer Mary Mapes and anchor Dan Rather during their report that claimed that Bush Sr. used his influence to put Bush Jr. in the National Guard who then skirted his duties. I wasn't too impressed with Robert Redford's performance. However, Cate Blanchett really shines here. My Rating: 8/10

 Trash:

• Has some similarities to Slumdog Millionaire but that's not a bad thing. Tells the story of three friends who accidentally find a wallet that has evidence to destroy a politician. The three leads are outstanding young actors. Hope they do well in the future. My Rating: 9/10

I Saw the Light:

• I really wanted to like this movie but it's such a lazy attempt at a biopic. Tom Hiddleston plays legendary country singer Hank Williams. The only positive thing I can say is that he looks and sounds like him. Other than that Hiddleston is just doing a bad imitation. The editing was just awful and the movie had some of the worst dialog I've heard in a long time. Avoid this if you can. My Rating: 5/10

Taxi:

• Delightful and at times funny movie directed by Jafar Panahi, who's been banned from making movies for 20 years in Iran for so called "propaganda against Islam". Yet somehow he's made three movies since his arrest. Such a pleasure to watch. My Rating: 9/10

Spotlight:

• This was the Saturday night surprise movie. So much better than last years. Directed by Tom McCarthy, it tells the true story of the Boston Globe and how they uncovered the huge scandal of child molestation and the cover up within the local Catholic Archdiocese. Great performances by Michael Keaton, Liev Schreiber, and Stanley Tucci. As much as I love Mark Ruffalo, I felt like he was overacting here. My Rating: 8.5/10

Beyond Glory:

• Stephen Lang stars in this one man performance based on his play where he brings to life the story of eight Medal of Honor winners. Very powerful. My Rating: 8/10

Son of Saul:

• Boy this was a downer. Of course going into this knowing it was a Holocaust movie I expected it to be. Powerful movie. I just wish they had developed the main character more. My Rating: 7.5/10

Heart of a Dog:

• I like to think I'm pretty open minded when it comes to movies. I'll watch just about any genre. I went into this expecting a cute movie about a dog. Instead I get some strange shit straight out of the Terrence Malick school of movies. Took everything in me not to walk out. How much did I hate this? Let me put it this way- I'd rather sit through all four of Michael Bay's Transformers movies while getting a root canal. My Rating: 2/10

Crimson Peak (IMAX)

Call me crazy, but I loved Guillermo del Toro's last movie Pacific Rim. In fact I've always been a fan of his work. I know I'm not the only one. So when I heard he was making this I knew I had to see it opening night. That and of course, Charlie Hunnam is in it. While I think I liked Pacific Rim just a little bit more, Crimson Peak is still a really good movie. 

Mia Wasikowska stars as Edith Cushing, an aspiring author who has been able to see ghosts ever since the death of her mother years ago. She meets a mysterious outsider named Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston) and his sister Lucille (Jessica Chastain). After yet another family tragedy Edith marries Thomas and goes to live with him and Lucille in their home that is the very definition of a haunted house. Sensing something isn't right, Dr. Alan McMichael (Charlie Hunnam)- Edith's friend since they were children and as you probably guessed is in love with her, begins to investigate. 

I'll say this about Guillermo del Toro, he sure knows how to make beautiful movies. Especially period pieces like this. And his attention to detail... Wow!! I can see why this movie took so long to make. 

The cast was just perfect. Jessica Chastain can't seem to give a bad performance. She's absolutely terrifying as Lucille. I found myself more scared of her than I was the ghosts. The ghosts to me were more creepy than they were scary. 

I know a lot of women will disagree with me, but I don't find Tom Hiddleston to be all that attractive. Don't get me wrong he's a great actor and he's very charming in this, but he just doesn't do anything for me. 

Charlie Hunnam on the other hand... Damn!! That man is just so gorgeous it isn't funny. The things I would do to him. He has more of a supporting role in this but he's really good. It made me want to yell at the screen at Mia Wasikowska, You idiot! You've got a great guy here who clearly loves you and you go for the creepy outsider instead? What the fuck is wrong with you??

I would've liked this movie even more had it not been so predictable. I was able to guess what the big reveals were very early on in the movie. I also found myself a little disappointed. Going into this I thought it would be more of a horror movie. Instead it ended up being a gothic romance. A very good gothic romance but still. 

Crimson Peak is the perfect movie to watch this time of year. I highly recommend you spend the extra money and see it in IMAX. And if you're a fan of Guillermo del Toro's previous movies, you'll enjoy this as well. 

My Rating: 8.5/10

Everest (3D)

When I first heard they were making this movie I thought great, here's another movie about a bunch of dumbasses doing something crazy for no reason, shit happens but yet they somehow all manage to survive. Boy was I wrong! Everest is a wonderful movie that is not only visually stunning, but gives you a huge emotional punch in the gut. 

Everest is based on the true story of a group of climbers lead by Rob Hall (Jason Clarke). On May 10, 1996 they are about to make their final ascent to the summit of Mt. Everest. Suddenly, a huge storm hits. Facing extremely harsh conditions, the group struggles to survive against all odds. 

Director Baltasar Kormakur (2 Guns, Contraband) has put together an amazing cast that includes not only Jason Clarke but- Josh Brolin, Jake Gyllenhaal, John Hawkes, Sam Worthington, and many more. While they don't look like their real life counterparts they do a good job portraying them. There are many times thought the movie however, where it is so snowy and windy that you have a hard time keeping track of who's who. It's very confusing but nothing that should stop you from seeing it. 

A lot of credit should go to the visual effects team. I'm not sure how much of it was filmed on actual locations and how much was green screen but it was beautiful. Especially when you see it in 3D. The 3D isn't as in your face as other movies, but it still makes you feel like you're on that mountain with them. Definitely worth the extra money. My only regret is that I didn't get a chance to see this in IMAX. I can only imagine how incredible it looks in that format. 

The movie is only about two hours long but it does drag a little. At the same time, it ends rather abruptly. Leaving you wanting just a few more minutes to deal with all the emotions brought on. If it wasn't for that I would have given this a perfect rating. 

Everest is a brilliant movie that I highly recommend. While there's no way in hell I would ever attempt climbing a mountain like that, I now have respect for people who do. Just be prepared- it's very much a downer. You'll want to go home afterward, put on Netflix and watch nothing but comedies just to cheer yourself up. If you can deal with that, go see this while it's still in theaters. 

My Rating: 9.5/10

The Martian

Wow! I knew this movie would be good judging by the amazing cast and from the trailers I've seen. The Martian exceeded all my expectations and is probably one of my favorite movies of the year so far. 

The Martian is based on a popular book written by Andy Weir. During a mission on Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is presumed dead after a storm and is left behind by his crew (Jessica Chastain, Michael Pena, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, and Aksel Hennie). Using his intelligence and some supplies, Mark must struggle to survive on this dangerous planet and find a way to signal to Earth that he's alive. 

A lot of comparisons have been made to Gravity and yes, there are some similarities. But what surprised me with The Martian was that , unlike Gravity, it's really funny at times. I found myself laughing quite a bit. Another way it's different is you don't spend the whole movie with Matt Damon. You get to see what's happening on Earth as NASA tries to come up with a rescue mission as well as the crew who feels horrible for leaving him behind. 

Director Ridley Scott has created a visually stunning movie. Because the showtime worked out better, I ended up seeing in this in 2D. So I can't comment on the 3D. Just know that if you decide to see it in 2D it still looks amazing. 

Ridley has also put together a great cast. Of course a lot of this movie falls on Matt Damon's shoulders and boy does he pull it off. Which is no surprise to me since I've always been a big fan of his. The supporting cast does just as good a job and has a lot of chemistry. 

There's a lot of scientific talk and while I didn't understand it half the time, I was never bored. Those nearly two and a half hours just seemed to fly by. 

I was all set to give this movie a perfect rating but the more I thought about it, I do have one small complaint. Aside from a few moments, you never got the sense that Mark was in any real danger. He's able to come up with solutions to his problems almost too easily. It's nothing that should stop you from seeing the movie though. 

The Martian is an interesting, dramatic, and humorous movie that will have you on the edge of your seat. If you're into these types of movies I highly recommend it. 

My Rating: 9/10

Black Mass

Johnny Depp is back! After basically playing the same character for the last several years, he's taken on a serious role and proven what I already know- he is an amazing actor. His performance as well as the movie in general just blew me away.

Black Mass tells the true story of James "Whitey" Bulger- the head of the Irish Mob in Boston in the late 70's. He was also the older brother of Senator Billy Bulger (Benedict Cumberbatch who does a Boston accent convincingly enough, it was just weird for me to hear him talk like that). He ends up making an "alliance" with a guy he grew up with- FBI agent John Connolly (Joel Edgerton) to take down the Italian Mob.

Johnny Depp gives a performance that is at least worthy of an Academy Award nomination. He completely transformed himself for the role. For two hours he stares at you with these haunting eyes and you totally forget that he's Johnny Depp. It's so scary and tense whenever he's on screen. One minute he's very calm and the next he's putting a bullet is someone's head. All it takes is one little word or action and you'll quickly realize you don't fuck with this guy. It had me cringing in my seat the whole time. 

I thought Joel Edgerton did just as good a job. This is as much his movie as it is Depp's. He's having and incredible year and I couldn't be happier for him. 

There are so many great actors in here that I just don't have time to talk about all of them. I will say that I don't think anyone in here gave a bad performance. 

This could've easily been a three hour movie. I honestly think they should have made it that long. There's no way you can fit the whole story of Whitey Bulger into two hours, although director Scott Cooper does his best attempt. There are certain points in the movie where it feels like something is missing. Not that it's  edited poorly. You can just tell there had been an explanation but maybe pressure from the studio forced him to cut the run time down. I really hope they release an extended cut on DVD/Blu-Ray. 

If you're interested in knowing more about this, I highly recommend a documentary called Whitey: United States of America vs. James J. Bulger. It's goes into a lot more details especially once Whitey is caught and his trial begins. I had the chance to see this last year and it's very well made and fascinating to watch. It's on Netflix right now. 

If you're a fan of gangster movies or any of the actors in here, I think you'll love Black Mass. It's well worth the money to see it in theaters. 

My Rating: 9.5/10

The Scorch Trials

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the first movie. It had some really cool ideas. So I was pretty excited to see this one. I'm happy to report that despite a few flaws, The Scorch Trials was really good. 

The Scorch Trials takes place just minutes after the events of The Maze Runner. Thomas (Dylan O'Brien) and the other Gladers have escaped the Maze only to face a world that's been nearly wiped out by a disease called the Flare. At the same time they are trying to discover more about WCKD, the mysterious that put them in The Maze in the first place. 

If you haven't already seen The Maze Runner, I strongly suggest you do before seeing this. Not that you'll be completely lost or anything but it helps you understand the characters and their motivations. 

I thought most of the actors performed well, especially the supporting cast. I swear there were times I felt more interested in what was going on with them than I did the main characters. Aidan Gillen (aka Littlefinger) plays Janson, a shady character who "rescues" Thomas and his friends but has other motives. He's a great actor who always seems to get roles like this. If I were a character in a movie and I saw him coming I would run in the other direction. 

I also really liked Rosa Salazar as Brenda. She kicked ass and had a lot of heart. And I felt like she had more chemistry with Dylan O'Brien than the actress playing Teresa did. The special effects overall were done well, with the exception of a few moments where it was obvious green screen. 

I liked there take on zombies, although in this universe I believe they're called Cranks. I can't really say that I cared for the look of them (I've seen it done WAY better) but I still found the whole thing fascinating. 

My only real complaint would be the pacing. At the beginning the movie felt a little rushed. But in the middle it really seemed to drag. Luckily the last 30 minutes or so more than made up for it. Very tense and lots of action. It sets things up nicely for the final movie. 

If you loved The Maze Runner then I think you'll really like The Scorch Trials. Yes, in a way it does resemble other franchises. But that doesn't mean it's not enjoyable. I'm looking forward to the final movie. 

My Rating: 8/10

The Visit

The Visit is the latest movie from director/writer/producer M. Night Shyamalan. I know what you must all be thinking- Fuck this guy! He hasn't made a decent movie since Signs. I was thinking the exact same thing. I had no intention of ever seeing this. But then I saw that it was actually getting decent reviews and since nothing else better is out that I haven't already seen, I decided to give it a chance. To my surprise, the movie actually ended up being really good!

The movie is about two kids named Becca (Olivia DeJonge) and Tyler (Ed Oxenbould) who go on a week long trip to a farm in Pennsylvania to visit their grandparents (Deanna Dungan and Peter McRobbie) whom they have never met due to a falling out with their Mom (Kathryn Hahn). Things seem a little strange, but at first they attribute it to typical old people problems. But they quickly discover that it goes beyond that and that something is seriously wrong with Nana and Pop Pop.

M. Night Shyamalan has created a movie that's both comedy and horror. You'll laugh and you'll scream. I know I jumped out of my seat several times. I love how he doesn't take things so seriously this time around. The movie seems very self aware. Maybe that's the key for him from now on. That and not giving him a huge budget to work with. 

The movie really plays off the fear that most people have of getting older and also seeing our loved ones go through the effects of old age. 

The cast is made up of mostly unknowns. I really liked the performances, with the exception of the kid playing Tyler. Not even five minutes in and he was already getting on my nerves. This lasted for most of the movie and for that I had to take a few points off my rating. 

Of course, it wouldn't be a M. Night Shyamalan movie without a twist. I wouldn't call it huge (I kind of had a feeling this was where he was going with it) but it was still good.

Could this mean that M. Night Shyamalan is back to being a decent director? I don't know about that but I think The Visit is a step in the right direction. He's certainly earned another chance from me. 

My Rating: 8/10