Movies Spotlight – 2016 Movies, Part 2 – August 2016

Overall, 2016 has felt disappointing at the movies. Yes, we have a few great movies like Everybody Wants Some!!, Green Room and The Witch, but the year seems to have produced one disappointment after another (especially this Summer). Captain America: Civil War, The Jungle Book, Zootopia, Finding Dory, and Deadpool lived up to our expectations (and surpassed them), but Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, X-Men: Apocalypse, The BFG, The Legend of Tarzan, Jason Bourne, and now Suicide Squad have all come up short (seemingly pulling down our opinions of the whole year and our enthusiasm for what is to come). And yet, there are a number of films to still be excited for:

Pete’s Dragon

At face value, it is surprising that Disney would remake Pete’s Dragon, a back-catalog 1970s musical that I imagine anyone under 35 does not even know ever existed. But Disney has done something interesting with this remake, they have only taken the very basics from the original and let indie auteur David Lowery run with it, resulting in a family film that actually feels substantial. Lowery also has a great cast with Bryce Dallas Howard, Robert Redford and Karl Urban. In theaters August 12^th. Check out the trailer.

The Light Between Oceans

Derek Cianfrance makes brooding dramas, steeped in deep, dark emotions. This all makes him the perfect filmmaker to take on an adaptation of The Light Between Oceans, a drama about a man and wife who decide to raise a baby they find adrift only to discover years later that the child’s mother is still searching for it. The cast is among the year’s absolute best with Alicia Vikander, Michael Fassbender and Rachel Weisz. This could be 2016’s first serious Oscar contender. In theaters September 2^nd. Check out the trailer.

The Girl on the Train

Paula Hawkins’s novel was a huge success, making this adaptation one of the most anticipated films of the Fall. Emily Blunt leads a good cast and Tate Taylor has proven very adept in his ability to produce strong cinematic adaptations (like The Help). The mystery thriller is about Rachel Watson, a divorced woman who takes a train past her old house everyday on her way to work; only, one day something is different when she believes that she witnesses a murder, but that is not the whole story. In theaters October 7^th. Check out the trailer.

The Birth of a Nation

Writer/director/star Nate Parker won both the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize at this year’s Sundance Film Festival with his slavery drama The Birth of a Nation. The film feels vital, given the #OscarsSoWhite controversy and our current sociopolitical climate. Parker also represents a much needed fresh cinematic voice. The film is about Nat Turner, a literate slave and preacher who organizes a rebellion against the masters in the antebellum South. In theaters October 7^th. Check out the trailer.

Doctor Strange

Marvel Studios can do no wrong with their Cinematic Universe (aka the MCU), or so it seems. Doctor Strange, however, represents an interesting challenge. Marvel bottled lightening with Guardians of the Galaxy, a gaggle of heroes unknown to general movie-going audiences, but can they do it again with Dr. Stephen Strange? They certainly have the goodwill of their fans, a promising (and different) concept and a phenomenal cast, headlined by Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Eijiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Mads Mikkelsen, and Tilda Swinton. In theaters November 4^th. Check out the trailer.

Loving

Indie auteur Jeff Nichols is one of America’s brightest independent filmmaking stars. His new drama tackles the true story of Richard and Mildred Loving, an interracial couple struggling to live in 1958 Virginia. Like The Birth of a Nation, Loving feels tonally vital right now. The buzz out of the Cannes Film Festival, where it screened in May, was very strong with special notices for leads Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton. In theaters November 4^th. Check out the trailer.

Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk

Filmmakers have had limited success tackling the Iraq War, as it seems to be difficult to really capture the tone of such a twisted and problematic conflict and portray the struggles faced by the men and women in the middle of it (my personal favorite is the HBO miniseries Generation Kill). That said, auteur Ang Lee is a good fit to take it on. Lee also has a good eclectic cast with Kristen Stewart, Vin Diesel, Steve Martin, and Chris Tucker. The film adaptation is about Billy Lynn, a war hero who temporarily gets to come home. In theaters November 11^th. Check out the trailer.

Arrival

Auteur Denis Villeneuve made my favorite film of 2015 with Sicario; he is back in 2016 with the sci-fi drama Arrival. It is about an expert linguist who is recruited by the military to determine if an alien race that has landed crafts across the globe comes in peace or are a threat. Villeneuve again champions the need for more roles and better roles for female actors by casting Amy Adams in the lead (he famously gender switched the lead in Sicario, casting Emily Blunt). In theaters November 11^th.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Cynically speaking, we all knew Warner Bros. would find a way to keep the Wizarding World of Harry Potter going; however, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them has the pedigree to delight fans. J.K. Rowling is providing the script, David Yates (who directed films 5-8 of the Harry Potter series) is behind the camera, and Oscar-winner Eddie Redmayne stars. The film is about the adventures of Newt Scamander, a specialist in magical creatures, in 1920s New York City. Even after eight films, I am excited to return to the Wizarding World. In theaters November 18^th. Check out the trailer.

Manchester by the Sea

Auteur Kenneth Lonergan is finally back with a new film with Manchester by the Sea, a drama about an uncle who must take care of his teenage nephew after the boy’s father passes. The film has a ton of Oscar buzz coming out of its early festival screenings, many calling it the best film of 2016 so far. It boasts a solid cast, led by Casey Affleck, Kyle Chandler and Michelle Williams. In theaters November 18^th.

Moana

Disney’s latest ‘princess’ film aims to be something completely different. First, Moana, a young Hawaiian woman, is actually voiced by a young Hawaiian woman in Auli’I Cravalho and second Moana is her own hero without a love interest. This feels like a big step forward for Disney, who has made big recent strides forward in promoting its female characters. The film also features voice-work from Dwayne Johnson as Maui the demi-god. Ron Clements and John Musker lead the creative team (they have given us some of our most beloved Disney films like The Little Mermaid and Aladdin). In theaters November 23^rd. Check out the trailer.

Allied

Each new Robert Zemeckis film feels like a big deal, as he is a filmmaker known for pushing the visual envelope forward while telling big stories. His new film, Allied, is a WWII action romance about two spies working for the Allies who marry each other and work together, but what if one of them was really a double-agent working for the Nazis? The film also happens to have two of Hollywood’s most dynamic leading actors in Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard playing its spies. I think this is a sleeper for film of the year. In theaters November 23^rd.

La La Land

Bursting onto the scene with Whiplash, writer/director Damien Chazelle is back with a musical dramedy and he has J.K. Simmons with him again. We need more good musicals; this one looks magical and sublimely charming. It stars Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling (who has fantastic chemistry) and is about a jazz pianist who falls for an aspiring actress in Los Angeles. In theaters December 16^th. Check out the trailer.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Set right before the beginning of A New Hope, Rogue One is about the team of rebels who steal the plans for the Death Star. Director Gareth Edwards describes the film as a war movie, set in the Star Wars Universe. Writer Tony Gilroy is working with Edwards presently finishing up the final editing process, getting the tone just right. Everything we have seen so far is very promising. Plus, the cast, fronted by Felicity Jones, is very good. This is the film I am most looking forward to seeing. In theaters December 16^th. Check out the trailer.

Passengers

Sony’s most high profile film of 2016 is Passengers, a sci-fi adventure about a spacecraft shuttling thousands of people to a distant colony planet that experiences a malfunction in one of its sleep chambers awakening two passengers 60 years early. The story sounds intriguing alone and then you throw in the very charming leads Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt and Passengers suddenly jumps to the top of a lot of ‘Most Anticipated’ lists. If Lawrence and Pratt have chemistry, I cannot imagine this not being highly entertaining. Rising star Morten Tyldum is behind the camera. In theaters December 21^st.

A few others to look out for: Queen of Katwe, American Honey and Lion. 

Flight (2012) – Review

Review: Flight is a very good character study that plays a bit like a wakeup call. The film is about an airline pilot Whip Whitaker who struggles with alcoholism. However, on this day, showing up drunk for work (as usual), Whip saves the lives of many people when he is able to successfully crash-land a plane after it malfunctions and goes into a dive. Heralded as a hero, Whip must decide if he wants to keep lying or face the truth about his alcoholism.

Director Robert Zemeckis structures the film in an interesting way. It opens in such a manner to present Whip as both a villain and a hero. The first scene of the film sees Whip awaken on the morning in which he is to pilot a flight drunk and taking a hit of cocaine, looking a complete mess. However, Zemeckis juxtaposes that to Whip leaving the hotel in his pilot’s uniform and aviators looking completely confident and the part of someone good at what they do. These first two images of Whip set up his whole character, and draw the audience in as well. The audience can see that he is a mess, but he is also more than competent at his job and thus is able to handle his lifestyle, which thus allows the audience to like him. It is really this juxtaposition right at the beginning that makes the film so successful. The audience is completely engaged in the story and the character of Whip – the nude woman, drunkenness and line of cocaine drew them in and the sheer bravado of Whip in his pilot’s outfit made them like him (regardless of his vices).

Zemeckis then creates one of the most compelling cinematic moments of 2012 with the plane crash. He keeps the camera in the plane, putting the audience right there in the action (almost claustrophobically – only leaving to focus on Nicole’s story in the early moments). By doing this, he both allows the audience to see the heroism (or at least extreme competence) of Whip as a pilot, even drunk, and creates an even stronger bond between them and Whip, which then allows him to let Whip fall with the audience still behind him and still liking, even respecting him. The scene itself is quite jarring (and completely brilliant).

Now that Zemeckis has his audience, the film becomes a character study (and to some extent a parable or wakeup call). The film explores alcoholism (and really addiction in general) and the effects it has on those afflicted with it and the cost both to the alcoholic and those around them. Whip believes he is in control of his drinking and cannot get out of his own way, leading him down a very self-destructive path. However, because Zemeckis has the audience so aligned with Whip, they still are behind him even after each step backwards. They want to see him redeemed. This is why the film is so powerful in its message and why it may even serve as a wakeup call to some viewers. Regardless of how well someone can live with their addiction (Whip for example lands a plane while drunk when every other pilot sober would have killed everyone on the plane trying to get out of the dive), time is against them and eventually their addiction will catch up with them (which is also played out in Nicole’s story). And because Whip is so likable, the film’s message seems all the more convincing and relatable (instead of just focusing on junkies, which is what the subgenre often does, which are not as involving to the general moviegoer).

The film does have some issues as well, holding it back from being among the elite films of 2012 (though it is on the cusp). The pacing in the middle of the film is very slow, and thus it drags a bit. This is the result of two primary things. First, the plane crash sequence is so compelling and emotionally staggering that the viewer is coming down from a huge adrenalin rush (being on edge for most of the scene) and thus feels low and more susceptible to slow pacing. And second, Zemeckis wants to slow down the film and allow the audience to get to know both Whip and his disease better. He wants Whip to seemingly be heroic but continually fall and become more and more unlikable, which will thus make his redemption more powerful. However, these two elements drag the film’s pacing down noticeably. That said, the character work done in the second act (even with the slow pacing) does payoff in a very meaningful way during the film’s resolution, and thus maybe it was worth it. Whip’s decision (leading to his redemption) is also a bit forced from a logical standpoint (which could take away from the film for some viewers), but in terms of his journey it makes perfect sense.

Flight is among the year’s best character pieces. It works as both a Hollywood prestige film (as it should garner some awards buzz, especially for its actors) and as a study of what alcoholism (addiction) does to people (in a much more relatable way). It is a very good film.

Technical, aesthetic & acting achievements: Robert Zemeckis has made many of our favorite films, including: Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Forest Gump, and Cast Away. I think Flight can be added to that list. Zemeckis showcases his talents as a director in the film by playing with the expectations of the audience. Often, his camera shows us an image, evoking a feeling or thought, and then pulls back or pans revealing more of the image completely changing that feeling or thought (for example: Nicole and Whip have a fight and we expect that she will leave in the night – Zemeckis shows us Whip sleeping in his bed with an empty space next to him and we think our thought is confirmed and she has left, then he pulls back and she is in the doorway of the room, suddenly he has changed our expectations, then he pulls back again to reveal that she has her bags packed and is indeed leaving, again managing and playing with the audience’s expectations and emotions – if you watch the film again, look out for these types of reveals as there are many, subconsciously manipulating the audience). I, for one, am very happy to have him back making fantastic live-action films.

Alan Silvestri’s score does a great job of underscoring the emotions of the film. It has a very downbeat tone, which mirrors the tragedy of the plane crash and Whip’s fall. The more blustering moments are accompanied by wonderful classic rock and R&B, which works incredibly well further juxtaposing particular images and moments. Don Burgess’s cinematography and Nelson Coates’s production design is also very good. The film needs to feel very grounded and realistic, given the nature of the character journeys it explores. The work of Burgess and Coates very much gives it that realistic space for the characters to occupy (but it is nothing flashy or overly artistic – it fits the tone of the film perfectly however).

The acting in the film is phenomenal. Melissa Leo, John Goodman (who thunders in to steal the attention of the audience a couple times) and especially James Badge Dale (who is brilliant in a tiny role that completely changes and sets the stage tonally for the rest of the film) are fantastic in small supporting roles. The brunt of the dramatic work, however, is down by the film’s main two actors. Kelly Reilly is great as Nicole, giving maybe her best performance of her career (appearing in her biggest prestige movie role to date). The beginning of her story is her lowest moment, which allows her to be a very redemptive character and positive influence in Whip’s life. She also gives the audience a relatable perspective, as she too is behind him (reinforcing the audience’s commitment, which again allows the message the film offers to be more moving). Denzel Washington has given many wonderful performances in his career. Playing Whip in this can be added to that list. Here, he brings his usual swagger and confident demeanor to a character that is also tragic and has an immutable sadness to him. It is very compelling work.

Summary & score: Flight has a message (as many character pieces do), but it also very entertaining. It is the kind of prestige film that shows that Hollywood can still make great, important and meaningful movies. 8/10

Movie of the Week – Monster House

This week’s movie is Monster House (2006).

The Halloween movie is about three teens that discover their neighbor’s house is alive. Thus, they set out to release the spirit haunting the house to protect their neighborhood. The film marks the directorial debut of Gil Kenan (who has since also directed City of Ember). He decided to do the film with all the character performances being 3D motion-captured, which (while the animation already is a bit dated compared to recent stuff) gives the character performances on the screen a lot of life, especially in their facial expressions. The whole film was shot with the actors and then the animation was laid over their performances. It was also the second film to feature the Real-D digital 3D format. It was executively produced by Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis, which is probably why it has such a great nostalgic feeling to it. It reminds me of the great movies I loved (and still love) as a kid (things like The Goonies). Douglas Pipes also provides a festive score and the visual aesthetic of the film is fantastic as well, thanks to Kenan, production designer Ed Verreaux and cinematographers Paul Babin and Xavier Perez Grobet. The cast is great as well. It stars newcomers Mitchel Musso, Sam Lerner and Spencer Locke. Steve Buscemi is also wonderful in support. Catherine O’Hara, Fred Willard, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jason Lee, Kevin James, Nick Cannon, Jon Heder, Ryan Newman, and Kathleen Turner are featured as well, many with fun bit parts. Monster House is a great Halloween family movie – it is both scary enough and funny enough to thrill, while having good characters to engage. Though it was made in 2006, it feels like one of the movies of my childhood from the 80s. Check out the trailer.

Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Streaming

Movie of the Week - Who Framed Roger Rabbit

This week’s movie is Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988).

Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a film-noir like detective story with a twist, the client is a cartoon rabbit. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis (maybe his best with Back to the Future) and produced by Steven Spielberg. The film creates a fun world, one in which there is another section of LA, Toontown, where Disney and Warner Bros. (Looney Tunes) animated characters all live in a wacky city. The film is great do to the silly yet sincere interaction of Roger Rabbit and Bob Hoskins’ detective Eddie Valiant. The film also works well as it uses the noir detective genre to structure the story and employs suspense, action and emotion quite well for a film that has live-action actors interacting with animated ones (in the 80’s no less). Seeing the toons interact both in their world and ours is also one of the treats of this film, highlighted in many fantastic scenes, good dialog and extravagate characters (love Christopher Lloyd’s Judge Doom). This is one for the whole family as all ages will find something to enjoy. The film stars: Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Joanna Cassidy and the voice work of Charles Fleischer and Kathleen Turner.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit [DVD]