Judas and the Black Messiah Review

2.5 Stars

Judas and the Black Messiah is the latest film by Director Shaka King.  While this isn't exactly his directorial debut, this is only his second full length feature film and is certainly his most noteworthy.  Other than a spattering of TV episodes and a couple short films over the last 8 years, King's previous work as a Director was Newlyweeds.  He directed 5 episodes of the one-season sci-fi comedy People of Earth which I thought was a clever, witty, dark comedy and was disappointed it didn't get more seasons.  Now, seemingly out of nowhere, he brings us Judas and the Black Messiah that is nominated for 6 Academy Awards including Best Picture.

William "Bill" O'Neal (LaKeith Stanfield) is caught stealing a car and impersonating a Federal Agent.  He is given a choice: several years in prison, or become an FBI informant.  FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover (Martin Sheen) sees the Black Panther Party as the biggest threat in America and commands the FBI to take down their charismatic leader, Chairman Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya).  With his FBI handler, Special Agent Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons), keeping close tabs on him, O'Neal infiltrates the Illinois Black Panthers to keep tabs on Hampton.  

The film is based on true events.  Which sometimes makes it really tough to criticize.  If you're watching a movie about Malcolm X, for example, you can't really be upset with the movie maker when Malcolm X is murdered.  That actually happened.  In 1989, O'Neal gave an interview to PBS for a documentary called Eyes on the Prize II.  O'Neal died in a traffic accident less than a year later.  It was ruled a suicide.

Judas and the Black Messiah starts with O'Neal entering a bar in a trench coat and fedora impersonating an FBI agent.  After he is caught and asked why he didn't just rob the place with a gun like most thieves do, he replied that they aren't scared of guns, but they're scared of the badge and the army of back-up that comes with it.  After stealing a car from one of the men in the bar and barely getting away alive as they chase him down, O'Neal is quickly apprehended by the FBI. 

He is interviewed by Agent Roy Mitchell who lists the charges and jail time he faces, unless he agrees to infiltrate the Illinois Black Panthers and provide the FBI important information to help take down their organization.  Mitchell befriends O'Neal, asking him if he was upset by the recent murders of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.  He tells O'Neal that the Black Panthers are no different than white supremacists who are hell bent on violence and mayhem rather than peace and equality.  Mitchell takes O'Neal out to eat at nice restaurants, pays him for good intelligence.  He invites him over to his house and allows him to meet his family.  

I think we were supposed to see the inner conflict in O'Neal.  As he gets closer to the Panthers, he realizes they are not terrorists.  They are good people trying to do the right thing and stand up against racist oppression.  But O'Neal's life was in danger more than just a couple times as the Panthers challenged his stories and identity.  LaKeith Stanfield, who played O'Neal, really didn't have a good poker face, nor did he have subtle facial expressions.  There was a scene where the Panthers were in the same bar O'Neal robbed.  Afraid of being recognized, he comically attempted to hide in the corner and conceal his identity.  He was just as exaggerated under the same circumstances in the headquarters of a rival gang.  

Later, O'Neal is challenged by other Panthers to hotwire the car they're in to prove his story.  He does so and let's out an exaggerated deep breath and roll of the eyes showing relief that he pulled it off.  And there is yet another scene at a rally welcoming Panther leader Hampton back from prison where Agent Mitchell shows up and blends in with the crowd.  O'Neal sees him and is visibly disturbed by his presence there.  He just seemed to lack any nuance in his performance.

In fact, I found the inner turmoil of Agent Mitchell to be more compelling.  You could see him struggling to convince O'Neal that taking down the Panthers was a good thing.  You could see his faith in his own FBI waver as fellow agents willingly put another informant in harms way and left him out to dry.  You could see his hesitancy to carry out the order to eliminate Hampton before he was to go back to prison.  And you could feel his conflict when he had to threaten O'Neal with prison time when O'Neal called him desperately wanting to stop being an informant.  

Daniel Kaluuya burst onto the scene in 2017 with his outstanding performance in the twisted thriller Get Out.  He is nominated for Best Supporting Actor in Black Messiah.  While I thought he was convincing and charismatic and accurately portrayed the Panther Leader, I don't know that I'd consider his performance Oscar-worthy.  LaKeith Stanfield has been around, but this is definitely his most prominent role to date.  He is nominated for Best Actor, and I certainly don't think his performance warranted the nomination. 

I didn't know what exactly to expect from Judas and the Black Messiah.  It was easy to deduce that O'Neal was Judas and Hampton was the Messiah based on clips in the preview.  I assumed it would be an emotionally charged film about the racial tensions in the late 1960's in Chicago, but this film failed to elicit much of an emotional response from me. 

Like I said, films based on historical events are hard to critique.  I would have appreciated more of a back-story on O'Neal so we could see how he ended up in the bar that fateful night.  I would love to have seen more of Mitchell's family life and his conflict between morals and duty.  I cautiously anticipated 3.5 stars for this movie.  I will say that one of the things I love about Oscar season is that I push myself to see movies I normally wouldn't necessarily be inclined to watch on my own.  Trying to see all the Best Film nominees pushing me to explore just the ones I think I would personally find entertaining based on the previews.  

After watching Judas and the Black Messiah, however, I'm going to have to lower my rating to 2.5 stars.  I was hoping it would be powerful, emotional, well-acted and a tough look at our country's ugly recent history.  Overall, I felt it was underwhelming, missed opportunities to have the viewer invest more in the characters, and was almost comically melodramatic at times.  I might have found it worth a matinee or a rental, but it's not one I anticipate seeing again, and it will not be finding a home in my personal collection.  So, what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see . . . 

Judas and the Black Messiah Preview

Judas and the Black Messiah is the latest film by Director Shaka King.  While this isn't exactly his directorial debut, this is only his second full length feature film and is certainly his most noteworthy.  Other than a spattering of TV episodes and a couple short films over the last 8 years, King's previous work as a Director was Newlyweeds.  He directed 5 episodes of the one-season sci-fi comedy People of Earth which I thought was a clever, witty, dark comedy and was disappointed it didn't get more seasons.  Now, seemingly out of nowhere, he brings us Judas and the Black Messiah that is nominated for 6 Academy Awards including Best Picture.

William "Bill" O'Neal (LaKeith Stanfield) is caught stealing a car and assaulting a Federal Agent.  He is given a choice: several years in prison, or become an FBI informant.  FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover (Martin Sheen) sees the Black Panther Party as the biggest threat in America and commands the FBI to take down their charismatic leader, Chairman Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya).  With his FBI handler, Special Agent Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons), keeping close tabs on him, O'Neal infiltrates the Illinois Black Panthers to keep tabs on Hampton.  

O'Neal is torn.  As he gets closer to the Panthers, he realizes they are not terrorists.  They are good people trying to do the right thing and stand up against racist oppression.  The FBI doesn't see it that way and he is told that Hampton must be taken down by any means necessary.  Things get tense as the Panthers suspect a rat in their midst and O'Neal struggles between his morals and his duty.

Daniel Kaluuya burst onto the scene in 2017 with his outstanding performance in the twisted thriller Get Out.  He is nominated for Best Supporting Actor in Black Messiah.  LaKeith Stanfield has been around, but this is definitely his most prominent role to date.  He is nominated for Best Actor. 

I honestly don't know what to expect from Judas and the Black Messiah.  I mean, I can easily deduce that O'Neal is Judas and Hampton is the Messiah from the title.  I can tell this will be an emotionally charged film about the racial tensions in the late 1960's in Chicago.  Malcolm X was shot and killed in 1965, only 100 years after the 13th Amendment officially ended slavery.  Martin Luther King JR. was shot and killed just a few years later in 1968.   I know that films like this are never comfortable to watch.  As a society, we never enjoy being reminded of how horribly we've treated people in our country's history.  Partially because it's such an ugly time in our past, and also because we still have a long way to go.

Like I said, I enjoyed King's recent work on the TV series People of Earth, but Black Messiah is neither sci-fi nor comedy.  I enjoyed Daniel Kaluuya in Get Out, but this is not a thriller.  It's a heavy and relevant topic.  Now, if someone like Quentin Tarantino was directing it, you could be sure it was overly bloody and irreverently and uncomfortably funny.  But it's not Tarantino.  I will say that one of the things I love about Oscar season is that I push myself to see movies I normally wouldn't necessarily be inclined to watch on my own.  Trying to see all the Best Film nominees pushing me to explore just the ones I think I would personally find entertaining based on the previews.  That being said, it does make it a little difficult to predict ratings for these kinds of films, especially with how my personal rating scale works.

So, I am going to cautiously predict 3.5 Stars for Judas and the Black Messiah.  I think it will be powerful, emotional, well-acted and a tough look at our country's ugly recent history.  I have my doubts about whether I'll want to watch it again or add it to my permanent collection, however.  So, am I right?  We shall see . . . 

Green Book Review

3.0 Stars

Green Book, winner of Best Picture at the 2019 Oscars, is the story of an unlikely pair on tour in the deep South of the United States in 1962.  Tony "Tony Lip" Vallelonga (Viggo Mortensen) was a nightclub bouncer from the Bronx.  Dr. Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) was an African-American classical pianist originally from Pensacola, Florida.  

Shirley, leaving the comfort of his deluxe suite above Carnegie Hall in Manhattan, was to embark on a tour with his Trio in the deep South.  The nightclub where Vallelonga worked as a bouncer was closing for renovations.  Vallelonga is tough, simple, loving, and street-smart though not book-smart, and he is extremely good at what he does.  Shirley is gentle, refined, educated, and acutely aware of the dangers his chosen tour path presents to he and his band members.  He is also exceptional at what he does.  After reluctance and negotiations, Vallelonga agrees to drive and look after Shirley on his tour of the South.

Before I go too much further into this review of Green Book, I feel compelled to remind you of my rating scale and what the stars mean.  I rate the movies I watch on three factors: the accuracy of the preview that lead you to watch the movie, the movie in and of itself, and (most importantly) the likelihood that I will watch the movie again and own the movie in my personal collection.  With that in mind, please continue reading my review.

The phrase Green Book refers to The Negro Motorist Green Book, a guide used by African Americans for safe travels through the deep south in the 1960s.  It had a list of roads, hotels and restaurants that were friendly and safe for African Americans in an otherwise hostile and unwelcoming part of the country.  Though Green Book is based on a true story, it felt very much like a John Hughes movie from the 80s, namely Planes, Trains and Automobiles.  While Shirley and Vallelonga fought against each other along the way, and endured violence and racist hatred, there were plenty of endearing and humorous moments as well.

Early in the film, Vallelonga stops at a Kentucky Fried Chicken in Kentucky.  In the car, he offers Shirley a piece of the fried chicken, which he disgustingly refuses.  Confused, Vallelonga comments that "you people love fried chicken".  Unmoved, Shirley responds, "You have a very narrow view of who I am."  Vallelonga takes is as a compliment to his sharp observational skills.  Moments later, Shirley has acquiesced and consumes the greasy delicious chicken. 

The acting performances by Ali and Mortensen were definitely Oscar-worthy.  They were honest and believable.  We got to see how both of their particular views matured and evolved by the others' influence throughout the course of the tour.   Shirley never gives up on refining and educating Vallelonga, while Tony continues to chip away at the overly prim and proper shield put up by Dr. Shirley.  At one point on the road, Vallelonga is penning a note to his wife.  Shirley reads the first line and puts it down critiquing it as pathetic.  He then takes on the role of Cyrano de Bergerac, giving him the eloquent poetic words that bring his wife to tears.  

Mortensen was nominated for his leading role as "Tony Lip".  Ali won his second Oscar for his role as Dr. Shirley, his first win was in 2017 for his performance in Moonlight.  Green Book also won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.  I commented in my preview that while the movie looked touching, gut-wrenching and smartly humorous, it wasn't a preview that I saw and immediately though of as an Oscar-contender.  Based on it's Oscar wins and recommendations from family and peers, I raised my expectations and gave Green Book an anticipatory 4 Star Prediction.  For me, I enjoyed it, though I thought it was slow at times.  I thought what Dr. Shirley endured was sad and embarrassing.  I thought it was humorous, almost too humorous at times that overshadowed just how serious the topic of racial prejudice was trying to be covered.  Again, it felt like if John Hughes made a movie today: it knocks you down with a healthy dose of reality, but picks you right back up with humor.  It draws you in with believable and well-acted characters who develop through the movie and have great relationships, and then ties it up with a pretty bow with a heart-warming feel-good ending.  

While it was a good story, based on real events, and Mortensen and Ali gave fantastic performances well worthy of their nomination and win, I don't quite agree with Green Book winning Best Picture of the Year.  For me, seeing it was enjoyable, but once was enough.  I probably wouldn't stop on it flipping through the channels, I wouldn't rent it, and I won't be owning it.  With that in mind, I'm lowing my rating to 3.0 Stars.  I wasn't exactly disappointed, just felt it didn't live up to the hype.  So, what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.

Green Book Preview

Green Book, winner of Best Picture at the 2019 Oscars, is the story of an unlikely pair on tour in the deep South of the United States in 1962.  They say it's always darkest before the dawn and the 1960s were some of the darkest in the country's history for racial discrimination.  

While the nightclub where he works as a bouncer was closed for renovations, Tony "Tony Lip" Vallelonga (Viggo Mortensen) reluctantly accepts a job offer to provide security for an African-American classical pianist Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) on his tour through the South.  Vallelonga is tough, ignorant and simple, but he's good at what he does.  Shirley is classy, sophisticated and intelligent, and he's exceptional at what he does.  It is clear from the beginning that these two men have nothing in common.  In the preview, Vallelonga offers Shirley a piece of fried chicken which he disgustingly declines.  Confused, Vallelonga comments that "you people love fried chicken."  Unmoved, Shirley responds, "You have a very narrow view of who I am."  Vallelonga takes it as a complement to his sharp observational skills.  

The phrase Green Book refers to The Negro Motorist Green Book, a sort of guide for safe travels for African Americans through the deep South.  Even with the guide, they both know they are in for trouble on their tour, but the full extent of how ugly people with hatred in their soul can be soon became a brutal reality.  In one scene in the preview, the two are pulled over by the police.  Vallelonga, trying to protect his client the way he knows to do, decks one of the officers and they end up in jail.  Shirley is heard giving sage advice: "You never win with violence.  You only win when you maintain your dignity."

It is a difficult topic, an embarrassing time in our history, and Green Book is based on a true story.  As uncomfortable as it is, the unique and beautiful characters in the story make it a fascinating, touching, warm, entertaining and heart-warming film.  At one point on the road, Vallelonga is penning a note to his wife.  Shirley reads the first line and puts it down critiquing it as pathetic.  He then takes on the role of Cyrano de Bergerac, giving him the eloquent poetic words that bring his wife to tears.  And through their journey, they are able to help each other to understand, to grow and to become more well-rounded people.

Mortensen was nominated for his role as Leading Actor.  Ali won his second Oscar, his first was in 2017 for his performance in Moonlight.  Green Book also won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.  While the movie looks touching, gut-wrenching and smartly humorous, it wasn't a preview I saw and immediately thought of as an Oscar-contender.  I thought it would be one I'd enjoy, but not necessarily rave about.  The recent wins at the Academy Awards and recommendations from my family and peers have made my expectations rise about this movie.  With that, I'm giving an anticipatory 4 Star Prediction.  I'm hoping it lives up to and exceeds the hype and turns out to be a movie I'd watch again and possible own in my collection.  Am I right?  Are the critics and peers right?  We shall see.

The Revenant Preview

Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) was a frontiersman on a fur trading expedition in the 1820s.  It was a particularly dangerous and desperate time as the nearly 300 year old tradition of fur trading was in its waning years.  Europeans came to America hoping for gold and silver in the early 1500s.  They were disappointed, but found their riches in fur, particularly beavers.  By the 1800s, beavers were scarce as they were over-hunted, and they weren't fetching the prices they used to and many turned to logging and working in lumber mills.  This particular expedition proved especially treacherous for Glass as he was mauled by a bear and left for dead by his team.  Glass made his way home, fueled by anger and his thirst for revenge against John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy), his former confidant and the man he blamed for his abandonment. 

The Revenant was nominated for 12 Oscars and took home 3.  Alejandro G. Iñárritu took home the Best Director award while the film also won for Best Cinematography.  And, of course, DiCaprio finally got his Oscar for Best Actor that many felt was long overdue.  It was his fifth nomination for acting as he was previously recognized for his performances in What's Eating Gilbert Grape, The Aviator, Blood Diamond, and The Wolf of Wallstreet.

The Revenant is just over 2 and a half hours long, so already there's concern about a lot of down time and dragging scenes.  Of course, the preview gives no indication of that as each second is filled with action, intensity and some absolutely gorgeous cinematography that already makes me see why it won in that category.  It was passed over for Best Picture along with The Martian, Room, Bridge of Spies, Brooklyn, Mad Max and The Big Short as Spotlight took home the award.  I didn't necessarily agree with Spotlight winning, but it gives me further pause that The Revenant fell short in the eyes of the Academy.  At least it didn't go to Mad Max which swept the Oscars in every other category.  

Anyone who knows me knows I'm not the biggest fan of DiCaprio.  I think he's a really good actor, but I think he gets way more praise than he deserves.  He is a really good actor that gets great roles in great movies and always has.  But it seems people are putting him on the level of Robert DeNiro, Jack Nicholson and Al Pacino.  He may get there someday, but I don't think he's there just yet.  I'm trying to keep an open mind, so I give The Revenant a hesitant 3.5 star prediction.  I think I'll enjoy the movie, especially the breath-taking cinematography; however, I think it will drag and I think it's one of those movies that will be enough to see it once and will not make it to my home collection.  Am I right?  We shall see.

Steve Jobs Review

3.5 Stars

 

In 1965, Jim Sutherland believed a computer could be small enough and practical enough to be in an average American home.  Steve Jobs would have been 10 years old at the time.  In 1969, the Honeywell Kitchen Computer was set to be the pioneer in home computing, except for one problem: they didn't sell a single one.  It wasn't until the late 1970s with the mass production of the microprocessor that the first home computers were made available to the general public and they became popular in the 1980s for video gaming and writing documents.  By 1982, it was estimated that 621,000 computers were in America's homes costing an average $530.  Many credit Apple co-founder Steve Jobs as a pioneer of the microcomputer revolution of the 1970s.  

Jobs and his co-founder Steve Wozniak fought over control and Jobs was eventually forced out of Apple.  He took a few of his employees and started NeXT, a computer platform development company that catered to the higher-education and business markets.  He funded a visual effects company Pixar that released the first ever fully computer animated feature film, Toy Story.  Apple purchased NeXT in 1997 and Jobs returned as CEO, saving Apple from the brink of bankruptcy.  He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2003 and died of respiratory arrest related to the tumor in October of 2011.  

His power struggle with co-founder Wozniak (Seth Rogen) wasn't his only battle.  Steve Jobs (Michael Fassbender) fathered a daughter with his girlfriend Chrisann Brennan (Katherine Waterston) that he denied publicly for years.  His marriage, his family, his business relationships and his health all suffered as the genius struggled to make the ideas in his head become a reality.  Fassbender was nominated for an Oscar for his performance as Steve Jobs.  The preview alone would warrant that nomination not only for his acting portrayal of Jobs, but also the physical transformation that took place through the film as Jobs aged and also ailed.

The movie starts in 1984 with the release of the Macintosh.  Jobs is a control freak and berates his entire team and alienates those who have helped him get to where he is.  He has a confrontation with his ex girlfriend Chrisann and his daughter Lisa who he denies is his daughter.  The movie ends in 1998 at the triumphant launch of the iMac that started the Mac revolution in America.  In 1998, Jobs would have been married to Laurene Powell for 7 years, something that is never brought up in the movie.  And, according to several sources I've read, the movie takes several things out of context and pulls things from different times to fit snugly in a 2 hour movie over 3 major events in Jobs' career.  So, like so many other "based on actual events" movies, the point of this is not going to be accuracy, but effectiveness as an entertaining movie with bits and hints of facts thrown in throughout.  To that end, Steve Jobs was a success.

 

Steve Jobs is one of those movies that makes my rating scale a little tough.  I feel the need to remind you that my scale is based on two things: first, how accurately the preview represented the final product; and second, the likelihood of a movie making it to my home collection.  A film could have received bad reviews and been nominated for no awards, but if I loved it and know I will own it, I will give it between 4 and 5 stars.  On the flip side, I can watch a film and appreciate the talent both on and off screen and I can agree in the slew of nominations that a movie might receive; however, if it's one that I know I will not own, it will still only receive 2 or 3 stars on my scale.  I originally went in with very low expectations giving an anticipatory 2.5 star rating.  However, like Moneyball or The Social Network, regardless of the accuracy of the events or timelines, it was a fascinating story based on things that actually happened.  It was entertaining and extremely well acted.  So, I'm raising my rated to 3.5 stars.  It was worth it to watch and I'll surely catch it again when it's on TV.   So, what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.

Steve Jobs Preview

In 1965, Jim Sutherland believed a computer could be small enough and practical enough to be in an average American home.  Steve Jobs would have been 10 years old at the time.  In 1969, the Honeywell Kitchen Computer was set to be the pioneer in home computing, except for one problem: they didn't sell a single one.  It wasn't until the late 1970s with the mass production of the microprocessor that the first home computers were made available to the general public and they became popular in the 1980s for video gaming and writing documents.  By 1982, it was estimated that 621,000 computers were in America's homes costing an average $530.  Many credit Apple co-founder Steve Jobs as a pioneer of the microcomputer revolution of the 1970s.  

Jobs and his co-founder Steve Wozniak fought over control and Jobs was eventually forced out of Apple.  He took a few of his employees and started NeXT, a computer platform development company that catered to the higher-education and business markets.  He funded a visual effects company Pixar that released the first ever fully computer animated feature film, Toy Story.  Apple purchased NeXT in 1997 and Jobs returned as CEO, saving Apple from the brink of bankruptcy.  He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2003 and died of respiratory arrest related to the tumor in October of 2011.  

His power struggle with co-founder Wozniak (Seth Rogen) wasn't his only battle.  Steve Jobs (Michael Fassbender) fathered a daughter with his girlfriend Chrisann Brennan (Katherine Waterston) that he denied publicly for years.  His marriage, his family, his business relationships and his health all suffered as the genius struggled to make the ideas in his head become a reality.  Fassbender was nominated for an Oscar for his performance as Steve Jobs.  The preview alone would warrant that nomination not only for his acting portrayal of Jobs, but also the physical transformation that took place through the film as Jobs aged and also ailed.

Steve Jobs is one of those movies that makes my rating scale a little tough.  I feel the need to remind you that my scale is based on two things: first, how accurately the preview represented the final product; and second, the likelihood of a movie making it to my home collection.  A film could have received bad reviews and been nominated for no awards, but if I loved it and know I will own it, I will give it between 4 and 5 stars.  On the flip side, I can watch a film and appreciate the talent both on and off screen and I can agree in the slew of nominations that a movie might receive; however, if it's one that I know I will not own, it will still only receive 2 or 3 stars on my scale.  And I'm afraid that Steve Jobs will fall into the latter category.  I think I'll enjoy it, appreciate the story and the acting talents, agree with the nominations it's received, but have a feeling that seeing it once will be enough.  It's because of that, I'm giving an anticipatory rating of 2.5 stars. However, the film was directed by Danny Boyle who also brought us Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours and was written by Aaron Sorkin who was responsible for Moneyball, The Social Network and A Few Good Men.  So maybe they'll deliver more than I'm anticipating. Am I right?  We shall see.

Birdman Preview

Birdman or (The Unexpected Vitrue of Ignorance) was the 2014 Academy Award Winner for Best Picture of the Year.  In fact, it was nominated for 9 awards and won 3.  Michael Keaton, Edward Norton and Emma Stone were all nominated for their performances.  Unfortunately, I was not able to see this one in the theatres before the Oscars; however, based on the movies I saw and the previews of the nominees, this was my pick for Best Picture, so I have high hopes.

Keaton plays the title role of Riggan Thomsan who was made famous 20 years ago for his portrayal of a comic book superhero Birdman.  After making three movies with the character, Thomsan only became known as Birdman and it took over his life.  In a post-mid-life crisis, Thomsan attempts to establish himself as a true artist and separate himself from the Birdman character by writing, directing and starring in a Broadway show that he co-produced with his best friend Jake (Zach Galifianakis).  Thomsan stakes his reputation and his money in the project and will do anything to make sure it goes well.  And it goes anything but well.

The preview shows Thomsan battling the Birdman persona both internally and externally.  He seems to be haunted by an inner demon that won't let it go; and, try as he might to ignore the voice inside, he has every critic, friend, family member and fan doubting him and keeping the comic book character alive.  It looks sad, funny, tragic, hilarious, deep, and original.  Some of the special effects in the preview that show us we will get to see acted out in real life what is going on in Thomsan's unstable head look to be spectacular and way over the top in a very good way.  Each actor looks to give a performance well-deserving of their Oscar nominations.  I am truly excited to see Birdman.  I expect it will make it to my home collection and I'm giving this a 4.0 star prediction, maybe even 4.5.  Am I right?  We shall see.

Boyhood Preview

Director Richard Linklater's 12 year project has concluded in the Oscar-nominated film Boyhood.  Linklater has previously directed A Scanner Darkly, The Bad News Bears, School of Rock, Before Sunrise and Dazed and Confused.  This is Linklater's first time being nominated for Best Picture and Best Director; it's his 3rd time being nominated for Best Writing.  His previous 2 nominations were for Before Midnight and Before Sunset, which he co-wrote with Ethan Hawke who has also starred in many of his films.  Hawke also stars in Boyhood as Mason's father.  His performance has also earned him a Best Supporting Actor nomination.  This is Hawke's 2nd acting Oscar nomination.  He was previously nominated for his role in Training Day.  Though neither Hawke nor Linklater have won an Oscar, Boyhood did earn the Golden Globe award for Best Director.  In fact, Boyhood has been nominated for 6 Academy Awards.  Patricia Arquette has been nominated for her performance as Mason's mother, and the film is also in the running for Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing.  

Boyhood is the literal coming-of-age story about a boy named Mason (Ellar Coltrane) as he grows from a 6 year old boy into an 18 year old man.  The reason I say literal is because Linklater filmed Coltrane, Arquette and Hawke for days at a time over the 12 year period.  We are allowed to witness Mason and his family not only go through things a normal growing boy would experience (love, divorce, step-parents, sibling rivalry, birthdays, graduations), but we also get to actually watch the family grow and age in this unique cinematic accomplishment.

There have been "coming-of-age" movies since they first started making movies.  It's not a new idea.  But usually it's about a teen or a pre-teen and what they go through in school, or with a love interest, or a family drama.  But these movies usually just limit themselves to a day in the life, or maybe a year.   It's about losing a bit of innocence or naivety, it's about having to grow up in a sense when solid, beautiful, vibrant colors all of a sudden have darker hues to them.  We've also seen movies that have spanned periods of time.  Mr. Holland's Opus spans 30 years, but their son is played by 3 different actors throughout the movie.  The Butler spans about 60 years, but uses different actors and lots of special effects make-up to achieve aging.  This is the first movie to cover this large of a time period using all the same actors to portray the same main characters throughout.  That being said, that's really all that looks unique about Boyhood.  It looks like it will have moments that make you laugh, make you sad, and make you reminisce, but all of the good ones do that as well.  I'm hoping the "12 years in the making" thing isn't just a gimmick and that there is actually a movie worth all the hype and nominations waiting behind the title.  I'm not going in with high hopes.  I'm predicting 3.0 stars.  I think it will be enjoyable.  I think it will be something I'd watch again when it's on TV, but nothing about the preview makes me immediately think this will be a movie I own in my home collection.  Am I right?  We shall see.

American Sniper Review

3.5 Stars

 

Bradley Cooper stars as Chris Kyle in the biographical movie American Sniper directed by Clint Eastwood based on the autobiography written by Kyle who has the title of deadliest sniper in American history.  This is the 5th movie directed by Eastwood that has been nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture of the year.  He has won for Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby.  But this isn't like those movies.  This movie is based on Kyle's autobiographical account of his experiences in the war in Iraq following the 9/11 attacks against the United States.  Like Lone Survivor, Zero Dark Thirty, The Hurt Locker, and The Green Zone, this movie has to do with the United States' ongoing war in the Middle East.  Unlike those other movies, American Sniper is steeped with hot controversy over whether Kyle should be regarded as a hero or a monster.

Although Eastwood has said the film "wasn't political in nature", that hasn't stopped major politicians, the media and Hollywood from speaking out about American Sniper.  Political Comedian Bill Maher criticized the movie on his talk show saying "The Hurt Locker made $17 million because it's a little ambiguous and thoughtful."  He criticizes American Sniper as "lacking nuance."  Author Bret Stephens questioned whether Maher had actually seen the film and was surprised that was his impression.  Stephens felt the movie "treats what veterans and soldiers go through in a way that was subtle." On the same episode, Howard Dean commented that American Tea Partiers are angry and that's who is going to see this movie.  His comments grew criticism as well, most notably from actor Gary Sinise who felt the former governor was making "stupid blanket statements."

 

After watching the movie, I would have to agree with Stephens and wonder if Maher actually watched the movie before making his snarky, condescending comments about American Sniper.  It seemed he was confusing the man Chris Kyle with the movie which was based on Kyle's autobiography.  I agree with Stephens as well that this movie had more to do with the effects of the war on Kyle and his family and friends than it was a war movie.  There was nothing about this film that glorified war or made Kyle a hero.  It was sad to see Kyle become more and more obsessed with fulfilling his patriotic duty by returning to Iraq.  It was gut-wrenching to see him change and what his wife and children had to endure both without him home, and especially when he was home.

This is Bradley Cooper's third year in a row being nominated for an Oscar for his acting performance.  Though he did not win for American Hustle or Silver Linings Playbook, it's pretty clear why he was nominated this year.  Cooper gave another wonderful performance, but for me personally, one of the things I love about the best actors out there is their ability to make me forget that there's an actor playing a role.  They are so good at their portrayal of the character, I don't see the actor at all, but rather the character in the story.  And that's why I don't believe Cooper will win this year.  As much as I enjoyed the movie and his performance, I saw Cooper's portrayal of Kyle throughout the movie and not just Kyle.  I predicted 4 stars for American Sniper, but I'm going to lower it to 3.5.  I thought it was good, very good in the theatre. I might watch it again when it comes to DVD, but it probably won't be in my home collection. So, what movie is going to be on my mind next?  I'll give you a hint: it's an Oscar nomination.

American Sniper Preview

It's Oscar time again which means the race is on for me to see as many Oscar nominated movies that I can fit in before Sunday February 22nd.  The films nominated for Best Picture this year are American Sniper, Birdman, Boyhood, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game, Selma, The Theory of Everything, and Whiplash.  I'll be starting with American Sniper.

Bradley Cooper stars as Chris Kyle in the biographical movie American Sniper directed by Clint Eastwood based on the autobiography written by Kyle who has the title of deadliest sniper in American history.  This is the 5th movie directed by Eastwood that has been nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture of the year.  He has won for Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby.  But this isn't like those movies.  This movie is based on Kyle's autobiographical account of his experiences in the war in Iraq following the 9/11 attacks against the United States.  Like Lone Survivor, Zero Dark Thirty, The Hurt Locker, and The Green Zone, this movie has to do with the United States' ongoing war in the Middle East.  Unlike those other movies, American Sniper is steeped with hot controversy over whether Kyle should be regarded as a hero or a monster.

Although Eastwood has said the film "wasn't political in nature", that hasn't stopped major politicians, the media and Hollywood from speaking out about American Sniper.  Political Comedian Bill Maher criticized the movie on his talk show saying "The Hurt Locker made $17 million because it's a little ambiguous and thoughtful."  He criticizes American Sniper as "lacking nuance."  Author Bret Stephens questioned whether Maher had actually seen the film and was surprised that was his impression.  Stephens felt the movie "treats what veterans and soldiers go through in a way that was subtle." On the same episode, Howard Dean commented that American Tea Partiers are angry and that's who is going to see this movie.  His comments grew criticism as well, most notably from actor Gary Sinise who felt the former governor was making "stupid blanket statements."

This is Bradley Cooper's third year in a row being nominated for an Oscar for his acting performance.  Though he did not win for American Hustle or Silver Linings Playbook, judging by the preview, it's pretty clear why he was nominated this year.  From the preview, I don't quite understand why there is so much controversy as it appears to be one man's account of his experiences fighting in Iraq.  I'm sure I'll figure that part out when I watch the movie.  I'll also see if the brief glimpses we get at what looks like a gritty and powerful performance from Cooper sustains for the whole film.  I'm predicting 4 stars: it will be worth the money and has a good chance of making it to my home DVD collection.  Am I right?  We shall see.