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 Review

2.5 Stars

 

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), the man who left him for dead. 

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.

At first, John Fitzgerald is just a business man.  He wants to stay the course and get as many pelts to take home to get as much money as they can.  His decision to abandon Glass after the bear mauling was initially just a logical one taking into account Glass' chances of survival versus how much it would hinder their trek home trying to save him.  That logic quickly turned vicious as Fitzgerald's greed and desperation turned murderous.  

I thought there were some great cinematic scenes, but most of them were shown in the brief preview.  Of course the big scene is Glass being mauled by a bear which looked mostly realistic.  As for the Oscar for Best Actor, I feel this was done out of the same sentiment that kept Tom Hanks from being nominated for Saving Mr. Banks or Captain Philips.  Most speculated he was omitted because he's already won and he'll probably win again, so let someone else have a shot.  This was the opposite.  DiCaprio has been nominated and many feel he should have won already, so they gave it to him.  I don't doubt he would have won an Oscar some day, but I don't think this should have been the one that got him there.  Hardy was nominated for Best Supporting Actor and, had Mark Rylance not been nominated for his performance in Bridge of Spies (rightly nominated and won as I speculated immediately after seeing the movie), he surely would have won for his performance in The Revenant.

I gave The Revenant a hesitant 3.5 star prediction.  It dragged and didn't have much of a plot and the cinematography was played out in the preview.  I give the movie 2.0 stars but bump it up to 2.5 because of Hardy's performance.  It's a renter at best, but wait to catch it on cable and you'll be fine.  So, what movie will be on my mind next?  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.

The Big Short Review

3.0 Stars

Based on the same housing economic meltdown in 2008, The Big Short covers the story from the different viewpoint of a few who saw it coming.  Michael Burry (Christian Bale), was a physician and hedge fund manager, creator of Scion Capital LLC.  He was the first to recognize the impending doom of the careless practices by financial institutions and bet heavy on the housing market bubble to burst in a big way.  He was so confident in his analysis that he used $1 Billion of his investors money.  Some of his investors were more than displeased and pulled out in 2006 and 2007.  When the market crashed in 2008, Burry profited $100 million for himself and another $700 for his remaining investors.  He was quoted as saying, "I don't go out looking for good shorts.  I'm spending my time looking for good longs."

Banker Jared Vennett (Ryan Gossling) and another hedge fund manager Mark Baum (Steve Carell) caught wind of what Burry was up to and jumped in as well.  Some young investors accidentally discovered what Vennett was up to and talked Ben Rickert (Brad Pitt), an ex stocks trader, into taking part. 

The Big Short was nominated for Best Picture of the Year and Bale was nominated for his supporting role.  It won for Best Adapted Screenplay.  The preview looks to be a stinging look at the corporate greed that rocked the world with a bit of humor as a small group forms a bit of a financial coup.  However, the humor is either going to be one of those "it's funnier because it's true" situations, or it will illicit a sort of "ha-ha-ouch" at just how crippling their ignorance and greed was, and still remains today.

I anticipated rating this 3.5 stars.  Throughout the movie, I dropped down to 2.5, but raised it up to a final verdict of 3.0 stars.  It's entertaining, well-acted, but sometimes hard to follow.  What helped me raise it up was that the movie self-admits that it's own subject matter is boring and confusing.  It takes breaks from the film in unique ways to help those of us not in the know what exactly is going on.  I was still confused at parts during the film, but those moments of "banking for dummies" definitely helped.  These breaks are done through an artistic method called "breaking the fourth wall".  In theatre and in film, when you as an audience member are looking at a scene with 3 walls in a room, the fourth wall is assumed to be where the camera is positioned.  You take it for granted that there is a fourth wall and don't think about the cameras and cables and directors and monitors, etc that are actually there.  When an actor on stage acknowledges the audience by speaking directly to them, or in a movie when you are addressed by the actor breaking away from the movie, they are ultimately admitting that there is no fourth wall, that this is just a play or a movie and that there are people watching in one way or another.  Gossling's character helps to drive the story much like a narrator in a Shakespearean play who introduces the plot with a prologue, has a couple recapping monologues and then sums it up with a prologue.  

 

Unfortunately for The Big Short, if you watched any television at all or were on the internet or picked up a paper in late 2008, most of the things covered in the movie, we already knew.  The banks started making more money off of mortgages by clumping them into bundles.  They were secure with the best ratings meaning that there was almost no chance the mortgages wouldn't be paid back.  The banks made a ton of money.  Eventually, housing for the qualified homeowners started to dry up and the bonuses started to shrink.  That's when they started lumping in some riskier mortgages in to the bundle.  No one did background checks and the mortgages written were only for a short introductory period that would then balloon into 200 to 300 per cent of the original payback rate.  When the introductory period ended and millions found they couldn't afford their payments, millions lost their homes and even more lost their jobs and the banks covered it all up.  When the truth was finally discovered, it was too late and the US Government saw no other way to limit and reverse the damages than to shell out billions in taxpayer money to the banks.  This money was used to then pay out big bonuses and only one person ever went to jail.  And the banks are still doing it today,  just with different names.  

 

The Big Short was very well-acted, entertaining, confusing, upsetting, but seeing it once was enough for me.  I might catch it on tv someday, but it won't be making it to my home collected, hence the 3.0 star rating.  So, what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.

Spotlight Preview

In February 2016, Spotlight beat out The Revenant, Martian, Room, Mad Max, Bridge of Spies, Brooklyn and The Big Short for Best Picture of the Year at the Oscars.  Spotlight refers to the group of investigative reporters who work for The Boston Globe.  The group has been there since the 1970 and will often spend months working on a single story.  In 2001, Marty Baron (Liev Schreiber) comes in from Florida as their new editor-in-chief and asks the current team to put their latest investigation on hold and look into allegations of a Catholic priest's sexual abuse against a minor and the potential cover-up.  Retiring editor Walter "Robbie" Robinson (Michael Keaton) and his team of reporters are hesitant at first, considering Baron to be an outsider just trying to stir things up.  Eventually Robbie and his investigators Michael Rezendes (Mark Ruffalo), Sacha Pfeiffer (Rachel McAdams), and Matt Carroll (Brian d'Arcy James) agree to the story and find the truth is much worse than one priest and one child.

In their pursuit of the truth, the Spotlight team must dig deeper and reach higher to discover just how much the Archdiocese knows about the scandal and what has, or more importantly has not, been done to eliminate such abuses.  While doing so, they try desperately to keep their findings a secret until they are ready to release their story so as not to be beat to the punch by competing agencies.  Their challenge grows as it's not just other news organizations they have to worry about, but powerful religious and political forces that will try to shut down their story.

Ruffalo and McAdams earned Oscar nominations for their supporting roles and Tom McCarthy was nominated for his work as the film's Director.  McCarthy and partner Josh Singer won the Oscar for best original screenplay.  The preview looks powerful, disturbing and awful.  The all-star cast looks like they will not disappoint in their performances and the story is one that would tear at anyone with a heart.  My only concern is the potential for deep lulls in the movie pulling the investigation and interviews together for their story over the course of the 2 hour and 8 minute film.  I'm giving Spotlight an anticipatory 3.5 stars.  I have a feeling it will be entertaining, moving and bold, but probably one of those films that seeing it once or twice is enough without feeling the need or desire to own it.  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.

Her Review

3.0 Stars 

 

Her stars Joaquin Phoenix as Theodore, a writer who is going through the final stages of a divorce.  Theodore delves deeper into playing video games and escapes into the latest technological gadgets to occupy himself.  When he hears about the OS1, the world's first artificially intelligent operating system, he has to have it.  Theodore is quickly taken in with Samantha (Scarlett Johansson), the voice of OS1.  He falls for the voice in his electronic box and Samantha falls for him as well.  This creates a whole new world of problems for Theodore that he never imagined, but it also opens his eyes and his heart to things he never felt before.

In the preview, Her portrays Samantha the OS1 as a computer with a personality.  She is heard telling Theodore that it's 5am and asks if he would like to try to get out of bed on time in a playful way.  She also takes the liberty of reading his emails and inquires about his recent divorce which leads to questions about love and marriage.  The preview also shows two other women in Theodore's life: Catherine (Rooney Mara) and Amy (Amy Adams).  Although it isn't clear from the preview, it seems Amy is the supportive, encouraging and understanding friend where Catherine is the condescending and judgmental sister to Theodore.  At least that's what I gathered from the clip. Actually, Amy is a good friend who is in a loveless marriage.  She fully supports Theodore in his pursuit of love, no matter who or what he finds it with.  Catherine is actually his ex wife.  They have fallen out of love because Theodore wanted all the romance with none of the reality of an actual relationship.  She thinks it silly that Theodore has fallen for a computer, but also admits that it makes sense.  

Her is nominated for 5 Oscars including Best Picture of the Year and Best Original Music.   Though none of the actors in Her were nominated for their performance, Phoenix should have been.  While Theodore struggles with relationships with humans, he still greatly desires love and affection.  One sleepless night, he calls an adult chat line.  The call is erotic in nature and quickly turns bizarre as the female on the other line wants him to choke her with a dead cat.   Theodore purchases a new personalized Operating System called the OS1.  Immediately after installing it, he is asked a couple questions about his personality and voila, the OS1 is online.  Upon asking OS1 its name, the voice replies Samantha.  She comments that she gave the name to herself because she liked the sound of it.  Due to her team of programmers, she understands sarcasm, humor, anger, sadness and quickly "feels" them for herself.  They grow together and fall in love.  Because of his relationship with Samantha, Theodore finds the strength to finalize the divorce with Catherine.  Eventually, Theodore's relationship with his OS1 meets the same fate as the one he had with Catherine; however, after losing Samantha, he is able to truly let go of his past relationships and his own past and face the future.

While I think Joaquin Phoenix might have been overlooked for an Oscar nomination for his performance in this movie, I don't think Her is deserving of the Best Picture of the Year.  I thought it was a unique story and well told and very well acted, but I felt the story was slow and honestly boring at times.  It was both sad and heart-warming and was not a "happily ever after" tale of love.  Just because someone has a new and fresh idea doesn't mean it's the best of all the films out there and I felt that Her fell short of other movies that deserve the recognition.  I gave it 3.0 stars.  I didn't think it a waste of money, but I'm not anxious to see it again and it will not be making it to my home collection.  So, what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.

Her Preview

Her stars Joaquin Phoenix as Theodore, a writer who is going through the final stages of a divorce.  Theodore delves deeper into playing video games and escapes into the latest technological gadgets to occupy himself.  When he hears about the OS1, the world's first artificially intelligent operating system, he has to have it.  Theodore is quickly taken in with Samantha (Scarlett Johansson), the voice of OS1.  He falls for the voice in his electronic box and Samantha falls for him as well.  This creates a whole new world of problems for Theodore that he never imagined, but it also opens his eyes and his heart to things he never felt before.

In the preview, Her portrays Samantha the OS1 as a computer with a personality.  She is heard telling Theodore that it's 5am and asks if he would like to try to get out of bed on time in a playful way.  She also takes the liberty of reading his emails and inquires about his recent divorce which leads to questions about love and marriage.  The preview also shows two other women in Theodore's life: Catherine (Rooney Mara) and Amy (Amy Adams).  Although it isn't clear from the preview, it seems Amy is the supportive, encouraging and understanding friend where Catherine is the condescending and judgmental sister to Theodore.  At least that's what I gathered from the clip.  

Her is nominated for 5 Oscars including Best Picture of the Year and Best Original Music.   There are a couple of things that are of concern immediately for me.  None of the actors in Her were nominated for their performance, but it seems like Phoenix should have been, judging from the brief preview.  The movie is rated R which normally isn't that alarming except it earned the rating partially for sexual content and brief graphic nudity.  I really hope that doesn't imply Theodore and his OS1 having a sex scene.  However, Phoenix is usually reliable for a solid performance, I love Amy Adams in everything she does, and it's a unique idea for a movie.  Hopefully all the elements come together for a most enjoyable and touching movie.  I'm predicting a solid 4 stars, something well worth the price of admission and likely to make my home collection.  Am I right?  We shall see.

Dallas Buyers Club Review

3.0 Stars

Dallas Buyers Club is based on the true story of an electrician / rodeo bull rider Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey) and his unlikely campaign to spread awareness and provide comfort and medicine for those who contracted AIDS.  The story is set in Dallas in 1985 where Woodroof works hard and plays even harder, drinking, smoking, abusing illegal drugs and having casual sex.  After seeing a doctor after a work-related injury, Woodroof is informed he has the AIDS virus and is given a month to live.  At first, his ignorance and bravado prompt a defiant denial.  Once he comes to terms and accepts the facts, he refuses to accept that there's nothing he can do.  He does whatever he can to find treatments to at least prolong his life.  In the process, he befriends and helps others who are afflicted with AIDS, others he would normally have nothing to do with.  He dances dangerously between two worlds: the public world in which he provides assistance and medicine, and the private world trying to stay hidden from the FDA and authorities.  

Dallas Buyers Club has been nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role (Matthew McConaughey) and Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Jared Leto).  Leto has been nominated and won dozens of awards for his role as Rayon in Dallas Buyers Club.  Rayon is a cross-dressing prostitute who starts as Woodroof's business partner and ends up his friend as Woodroof's greedy nature evolves into compassion.  When hospitals refuse to give Woodroof any treatment for his AIDS because the medicine has not been approved by the FDA, his investigation leads him to Mexico.  There, Woodroof concocts a scheme to make a lot of money by smuggling the experimental medication into the United States and distributing the drugs to those who need it.  In an effort to evade the FDA, Woodroof starts the Dallas Buyers Club and sells memberships, not drugs.  The drugs just come with the membership.  At first, this is just a way for Woodroof to prolong his own life and make some money in the process.  Somewhere along the way, he finds himself compelled to actually fight for the right of those with the AIDS virus to obtain treatment and to be treated not only for their illness, but also as human beings.

 

 The movie is exactly what the preview proclaims it to be: the story of Ron Woodroof dealing with contracting the AIDS virus, fighting with hospitals that are handcuffed by the FDA as far as what treatments they are allowed to administer, fighting with the FDA which is less concerned about actual treatment and more concerned about profit, and fighting with stereotypes about those who have contracted the virus.  It's a sad story, it's upsetting, and it was brilliantly acted by McConaughey and Leto who definitely deserve the Oscar nominations they have received.  But I don't feel the movie itself is worthy of the nomination for best picture of the year.  I felt is was slow and boring at times in spite of the outstanding acting performances.  I gave it 3.0 stars as I don't feel it was a waste of money, but I'm not excited to see it again and this won't be making it to my personal collection.  I'd say it's a good renter or matinee in the theatres.  So, what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.

Dallas Buyers Club Preview

Dallas Buyers Club is based on the true story of an electrician / rodeo bull rider Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey) and his unlikely campaign to spread awareness and provide comfort and medicine for those who contracted AIDS.  The story is set in Dallas in 1985 where Woodroof works hard and plays even harder, drinking, smoking, abusing illegal drugs and having casual sex.  After seeing a doctor after a work-related injury, Woodroof is informed he has the AIDS virus and is given a month to live.  At first, his ignorance and bravado prompt a defiant denial.  Once he comes to terms and accepts the facts, he refuses to accept that there's nothing he can do.  He does whatever he can to find treatments to at least prolong his life.  In the process, he befriends and helps others who are afflicted with AIDS, others he would normally have nothing to do with.  He dances dangerously between two worlds: the public world in which he provides assistance and medicine, and the private world trying to stay hidden from the FDA and authorities.  

Dallas Buyers Club has been nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role (Matthew McConaughey) and Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Jared Leto).  Leto has been nominated and won dozens of awards for his role as Rayon in Dallas Buyers Club.  Rayon is a cross-dressing prostitute who starts as Woodroof's business partner and ends up his friend as Woodroof's greedy nature evolves into compassion.  When hospitals refuse to give Woodroof any treatment for his AIDS because the medicine has not been approved by the FDA, his investigation leads him to Mexico.  There, Woodroof concocts a scheme to make a lot of money by smuggling the experimental medication into the United States and distributing the drugs to those who need it.  In an effort to evade the FDA, Woodroof starts the Dallas Buyers Club and sells memberships, not drugs.  The drugs just come with the membership.  At first, this is just a way for Woodroof to prolong his own life and make some money in the process.  Somewhere along the way, he finds himself compelled to actually fight for the right of those with the AIDS virus to obtain treatment and to be treated not only for their illness, but also as human beings.

Though this movie takes place nearly 30 years ago, it tackles themes of racism and homophobia that are just as relevant and prevalent today.  While it might be easy to dismiss the topic of AIDS because the treatment and prevention have made so many advancements since the 80's, and while it might also be easy to dismiss the topics of racism and homophobia because perhaps the viewer has never directly been impacted or affected by such ignorant hatred, the masterful writing and powerful performances by McConaughey and Leto will touch anyone with a soul who watches Dallas Buyers Club.  Granted, I'm basing that assumption from watching the preview for the movie and basing that presumption on the awards this film and these actors have been nominated for and already won.  But this looks like an inspirational and emotionally moving film that I'll want to see again and add to my personal collection.  I'm predicting a solid 4.0 star rating of this movie.  Am I right?  We shall see. 

The Wolf of Wall Street Review

4.0 Stars

The Wolf of Wall Street stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jordan Belfort, a Long Island stock broker who served 3 years in prison for his part in defrauding investors in a securities scam in the 1990s. The Wolf of Wall Street is nominated for five Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Actor (DiCaprio), Best Supporting Actor (Jonah Hill), Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Director (Martin Scorsese).  This is DiCaprio's fourth acting Oscar nomination.  This is Scorsese's ninth nomination.  He won the Oscar for his direction of the 2006 movie The Departed, which was another all-star ensemble cast including DiCaprio.  This would be the fifth time Scorsese and DiCaprio have teamed up for a blockbuster hit.

Jordan Belfort (DiCaprio) began working on Wall Street when he was 22 years old.  His first day with a broker's license was tragically October 19, 1987, also known as Black Monday, when the world's stocks plummeted and Belfort lost his job.  Desperate for work, he finds success for a firm called Investor Center.  With his newly acquired wealth and a few of his friends, he leases out an empty garage and starts his own firm, Stratton-Oakmont.  Their continued success gains the attention of the financial world and the FBI.  Forbes magazine dubbed Belfort as the "Wolf of Wall Street". His goal was to make more money than he and his friends knew what to do with.  Throwing lavish parties and spending ridiculous amounts of money, not only were Belfort's trading practices shady and illegal, so were his methods of hiding his money from the federal government.  His world of family, friends, parties and drugs eventually come crashing down around him. 

The preview for The Wolf of Wall Street just barely gives you a glimpse into the seedy world of finance that is a breeding ground for complete and utter debauchery and total lack of self-control or inhibition.  On Belfort's first day on Wall Street, he is taken to lunch by senior partner Mark Hannah (Matthew McConaughey) who snorts cocaine, drinks  martinis and talks about sexual gratification openly with Belfort.  Belfort innocently declines the drugs and booze and naively suggests that making money for their clients in the process of making money for themselves would be a good thing.  Hannah quickly shuts down that idea and says it's only about making themselves rich.  Within months, Belfort is in a strip club, doing enough daily drugs to sedate Manhattan, and drinking excessively.  He is making so much money that he snorts a line of cocaine off his desk at work with a hundred dollar bill, crumples the bill and tosses it in a waste basket full of them.  He comments that he made forty-nine million dollars last year and that upset him because he was three million shy of a million a week.  He is constantly with different women, cheating on both of his wives.  He is constantly cheating investors out of their money and training his staff to do the same.  This film is graphic and disturbing.  I laugh briefly but am quickly nauseated to remember that this actually happened, and probably still happens in the world of finance among those who care for nothing than to have more money than they know what to do with.  I don't care to watch it again and it will not be making it into my personal collection.

So why the 4.0 star rating?  Because that's exactly what the movie aimed to do.  It isn't glorifying this behavior.  It's bringing it into the spotlight.  It shows how dark and ugly riches can make people.  And co-star Johah Hill understood that fully when he took on the role of Belfort's co-founder and best friend Donnie Azoff.  "It was understood going in that there was no holding back.  Every day we were doing something crazy, and it's fun and exciting working for Scorsese, and then when I'd be driving home at the end of the day, I'd feel a wave of guilt come over me because I treated people so badly that day."  And Hill was just playing a role.  Playing a character.  Except these aren't just fictional characters in someone's mind like a psychopath in the mind of Stephen King.  These people actually exist and they actually don't have those moments of guilt or remorse for the things they've done or to whom they were done.  While the FBI was investigating Belfort and his company, none of his co-workers ratted on anyone, giving the FBI no information at all that could help with their investigation.  They presented Belfort with enough evidence that suggested he could go to prison for 20 years to life if he refused to cooperate. In exchange, he would only serve 4 years.  He agrees to wear a wire, but slides a note to Azoff alerting him to the fact they were being recorded.  The FBI recovers the note and arrests Belfort with no more deals.  However, once he tells them everything he knows, his sentence is reduced to a mere 3 years in a facility where he is seen playing tennis daily.  Belfort went on to write a best-selling novel about his experience about which this movie was written, he had a guest appearance in the movie, and is currently giving salesmanship seminars.  It's disturbing that our financial and our justice system allow and encourage this type of behavior while the hardest working people can barely get by. 

Matthew McConaughey, Jonah Hill and Leonardo DiCaprio give amazing performances and effectively portray the slimiest dirt bags you could possibly imagine.  To me, however, it's just sad that even in bringing about such evil to light, the performances and film themselves are rewarded with nominations for the best of the year.  Maybe I'm just getting too old and maybe I'm just a prude, but this seems a bit like showing criminals on the news.  Yes, it gets ratings, but it also gets them what they want: their moment of fame.  In fact, the story of criminality continues for the real Jordan Belfort.  He was paid $1.045 million dollars for the rights to his book.  According to the government, only $21,000 of that went to repay his victims.  In 2003, he was ordered to repay $110.4 million dollars to his victims.  He has only paid back $11.6 million.  Though it doesn't glorify the behaviors, The Wolf of Wall Street does still show that you can cheat people and make yourself filthy rich, if you don't mind the filthy part.  And, even if you get caught, if you have enough money to start with, you'll still end up much better off than most people.  So, I reluctantly give 4.0 stars to this disturbingly graphic look into the world of Wall Street.  So, what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.

The Wolf of Wall Street Preview

The Wolf of Wall Street stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jordan Belfort, a Long Island stock broker who served 3 years in prison for his part in defrauding investors in a securities scam in the 1990s. The Wolf of Wall Street is nominated for five Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Actor (DiCaprio), Best Supporting Actor (Jonah Hill), Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Director (Martin Scorsese).  This is DiCaprio's fourth acting Oscar nomination.  This is Scorsese's ninth nomination.  He won the Oscar for his direction of the 2006 movie The Departed, which was another all-star ensemble cast including DiCaprio.  This would be the fifth time Scorsese and DiCaprio have teamed up for a blockbuster hit.

Jordan Belfort began working on Wall Street when he was 22 years old.  His first day with a broker's license was tragically October 19, 1987, also known as Black Monday, when the world's stocks plummeted and Belfort lost his job.  Desperate for work, he finds success for a firm called Investor Center.  With his newly acquired wealth and a few of his friends, he leases out an empty garage and starts his own firm, Stratton-Oakmont.  Their continued success gains the attention of the financial world and the FBI.  Forbes magazine dubbed Belfort as the "Wolf of Wall Street". His goal was to make more money than he and his friends knew what to do with.  Throwing lavish parties and spending ridiculous amounts of money, not only were Belfort's trading practices shady and illegal, so were his methods of hiding his money from the federal government.  His world of family, friends, parties and drugs eventually come crashing down around him. 

From the preview, this looks like another huge success for the DiCaprio and Scorsese team.  The Wolf of Wall Street boasts a cast of stars including Matthew McConaughey, Kyle Chandler, Rob Reiner, Jon Favreau, and even a cameo from the real Jordan Belfort.  The film looks disturbingly hilarious.  What I mean by that is that the performances, the writing, even the plot will make you laugh, until you pause for a second to realize this actually happened.  For Belfort, it didn't matter if his clients made money, only that he did through any means possible.  Those of you who know me, know I'm not the biggest DiCaprio fan, though I am a fan of nearly all the films he's been a part of.  This looks like it will be no exception.  I looks like an unsettling, sad, and funny look into the dark side of Wall Street with great direction and star-studded contributions from Hollywood's who's who.  I predict a wild entertaining ride, though a long ride as this film is just shy of three hours long.  I'm predicting a 4 star rating which means this should be well worth the money in the theatres, something I'd watch again, and has a decent chance of making it to my home video collection.  Am I right?  We shall see.

Gravity Review

3.0 Stars

 

Gravity is the harrowing tale of the survival of brilliant medical engineer Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and and veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney) in space.  This is Stone's first mission to space and Kowalsky's last before retiring.  While out on a seemingly routine spacewalk, tragedy strikes.  Debris from a nearby Russian satellite that has just exploded destroys their ship and the space station, killing the rest of the crew and leaving Stone and Kowalsky drifting away by themselves.  

This looks like a combination of Apollo 13 in which astronauts were trapped inside their damaged shuttle and Open Water in which two scuba divers are stranded in shark infested waters with no land in sight.  Gravity appears to be the worst of both of those scenarios; however, for me, it failed to truly capture the sense of desperation.  The film starts with about a ten minute continuous shot of Dr. Stone (Bullock) working on updating a satellite in space while Kowalsky (Clooney) is maneuvering around the satellite and the shuttle.  The cinematography is brilliant as the camera captures shots of the earth, of deep space, of Dr. Stone, of the shuttle and of Kowalsky.  The crew is alerted that the Russians have destroyed one of their own satellites with a missile and debris is heading their way.  Although the movie opens with the notes that sound does not travel through space, for dramatic effect, we hear the debris screaming past the astronauts and the ship being torn apart. The debris sends Dr. Stone and Kowalsky hurdling through space.  They are separated and Dr. Stone has no way to stop herself from floating away.  Though we spend a few minutes tumbling frantically with her, it seemed Kowalsky was able to track her down rather quickly and they both made their way back to the shuttle to assess the damages.  Upon arriving at the ship, we learn that Dr. Stone and Kowalsky are the only two survivors.  Peering into the wreckage of the shuttle, silently alone in space, the bodies of two other crew members killed in the accident come floating towards Dr. Stone and the silence is broken up with sharp and loud music heightening the terror of discovering the dead bodies.  Sometimes I feel that less is more and that the horrified reaction of Dr. Stone alone would have been scarier than the manipulated fear the accompanying music tried to create.  Gravity has been nominated for 10 Oscars including Best Original Music, but I felt that the music actually took away from the movie rather than complimented it in many parts of the film.

After realizing their shuttle is completely destroyed, Dr. Stone and Kowalsky make their way to the International Space Station where they will hopefully use one of the pods to make their way back to earth.  Dr. Stone is running low on oxygen and Kowalsky keeps her talking to keep her calm and conserve her oxygen.  But he also has a problem as his jet pack is running low of propulsion fuel.  Once they make it to the ISS, Kowalsky quickly realizes, they both won't be able to make it and one of them must go forward without the other.  He sacrifices himself and she enters the ISS.  I know that he is a professional astronaut and makes the smart decision to allow Dr. Ryan to continue, but I felt the scene was just a little too quick and emotionless again failing to create the sense of Dr. Ryan's situation getting more and more desperate and hopeless.  Once inside the ISS, Dr. Ryan realizes the boosters on the remaining escape pod have been damaged and she appears to be trapped.  She quickly gives up on herself and shuts down the oxygen supply to her ship.  Miraculously, Kowalsky reappears claiming he was able to find a little more juice in his jet pack to make it back to her and reminds her that there's still a way to power the escape pod enough to make it to a nearby Chinese satellite which should still have an escape pod to make it to earth.  It turns out, predictably to me, that the Kowalsky return is a hallucination, but it's enough to prompt Dr. Stone to give it another shot.  She resupplies her pod with oxygen and makes her way to the Chinese satellite.  There is, indeed, a remaining pod and she's able to use the pod to safely return to earth.

The movie is only an hour and a half long.  With so many movies often eclipsing the two hour length, it seems that a few more minutes of excruciating and awkward silence could have been added to some scenes to create the feeling of hopelessness and futility of the situation.  I felt there was always hope and always a way out for Dr. Ryan.  I was disappointed with the use of musical accompaniment to create emotions when I felt the situation by itself would have achieved the effect much more successfully.  I felt the long continuous shots of the astronauts in space were ground-breaking and gorgeous.  My only complaint about that would be the times when water splashed on the camera lens.  This is a technique used sometimes in movies to create the effect that you, the viewer, are right there in the middle of the action.  However, in a 3D movie, the water on the lens just created a blurry distraction.  I felt that Sandra Bullock gave an incredible performance.  I can see why she was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress, but I will have to see the rest of the nominees before deciding if she is the worthy recipient.  Ultimately, Gravity fell short of my expectations which is why I gave it 3 stars.  It was worth the money to see it, but I probably won't see it again and it won't be making its way to my personal collection.  So, what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.

Gravity Preview

Gravity is the harrowing tale of the survival of brilliant medical engineer Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and and veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney) in space.  This is Stone's first mission to space and Kowalsky's last before retiring.  While out on a seemingly routine spacewalk, tragedy strikes.  Debris from a nearby Russian satellite that has just exploded destroys their ship and the space station, killing the rest of the crew and leaving Stone and Kowalsky drifting away by themselves.  

This looks like a combination of Apollo 13 in which astronauts were trapped inside their damaged shuttle and Open Water in which two scuba divers are stranded in shark infested waters with no land in sight.  Gravity appears to be the worst of both of those scenarios.  The film is nominated for ten Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director (Alfonso Cuaron), Best Leading Actress (Bullock), and Best Visual Effects.  The creative team that worked on Gravity have also worked on the visual effects in Batman the Dark Knight, Avatar, Superman Returns, several of the Harry Potter movies, Transformers, Gladiator and Saving Private Ryan, just to give you an idea of why this might be nominated for an Oscar in this particular category.

This is a tough film to preview since we really aren't given too much to go on by the trailer.  The astronauts are on a routine spacewalk, their ship is destroyed, and two of them are left floating in space.  It sounds absolutely terrifying and the brief clip definitely does its job well making me want to rush to the theatre to see what happens.  We already know the movie should be visually stunning, so I will be seeing this in 3D.  The rest of it, well that will be up to the two stars of the film, Clooney and Bullock.  And they are both wonderful actors.  This is Bullock's second Oscar nomination for Best Actress.  She won her first Oscar for her performance in The Blind Side. Clooney has been nominated for eight Oscars and won two of them, Best Film for Argo with Ben Affleck and Best Supporting Actor for his role in Syriana.  Clooney was not nominated for an Oscar in Gravity.  This is the first time Clooney has worked on a film with his longtime friend Bullock.  They almost had a chance fifteen years ago, but Bullock lost the leading part in Out of Sight to Jennifer Lopez.  This has all the makings of another movie that terrifies you without and blood or violence or even a villain to root against.  I predict 4 stars and that Gravity will be worth the money in the theatre, a movie I'd love to see again, and one that has a good chance of finding a home in my personal collection.  Am I right?  We shall see. 

Captain Phillips Review

4.0 Stars

Captain Phillips is the harrowing tale based on true events that transpired in 2009.  Tom Hanks plays Captain Richard Phillips aboard the cargo ship Maersk Alabama that is taken over by Somali pirates lead by Muse (Barkhad Abdi). According to Director Paul Greengrass, the film is "simultaneously a pulse-pounding thriller, and a complex portrait of the myriad effects of globalization". 

Captain Phillips is nominated for 6 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor for Barkhad Abdi who was apparently a limousine driver with no acting experience or aspirations of becoming an actor before landing this role. Talk about being in the right place at the right time.    Tom Hanks won the Oscar for Best Actor in Philadelphia and in Forrest Gump.  Hanks is not nominated for an award in Captain Phillips, nor is he nominated for his leading role in Saving Mr. Banks, omissions that are raising eyebrows amongst movie-goers. 

The first twenty minutes of the movie is spent introducing us to our principle characters.  First, we meet Captain Richard Phillips (Hanks) as he prepares for his flight to Oman where he will captain the cargo ship Maersk Alabama to Kenya.  He is meticulously making sure he has his passport and itinerary and everything he will need for the trip.  Once on board the ship, he continues with his attention-to-detail routine and inspects the Alabama.  Meanwhile, in Somalia, we see vans with armed mercenaries driving to a coastal village where the local Somali pirates are awakened and commanded to go out to sea to get more money for their "boss" Garaad who is displeased with their lack of production.  Immediately a group of villagers gather at the shore begging to be selected to assist in the work, not unlike the lines that formed in America in the 1920's depression era.  After the crew is picked, they head out in speed boats to find their victim.  It was interesting to be able to see these pirates humanized.  I went into the movie already hating them for what they did before even watching the film, but the film does a good job of forcing you to identify with their desperate situation.  I didn't like them, I didn't root for them, but I found myself understanding them more and not hating them as much as I had anticipated.  

The rest of the film, I was holding my breath.  From the first attempt the pirates made to approach the ship, to their second and successful attempt to board the ship, to the search for the hiding crew members, to Captain Phillips being taken hostage, to the negotiations with the military, to the attempts by US Navy SEAL Team 6 to rescue Phillips, I found myself finally taking a breath about the same time Phillips finally broke down after his eventual rescue.  Hanks gave another Oscar-worthy performance though his name is missing from this years' list of best actors.  I can only assume this was due to the fact that they can only nominate so many people and the reasoning behind it must have been that he has won before and will probably win again, so give someone else a chance this year.  Regardless, Hanks was spectacular. And though I enjoyed the film, I don't see Captain Phillips winning the Best Film Oscar for which it was nominated.

There are really no surprises in the film.  Reading comparisons between the first-hand accounts of what transpired from the crew and what eventually made it's way into the movie, Captain Phillips is pretty close to accurate in many regards.  The preview tells you exactly what will happen: a Somali pirate band take a cargo ship hostage.  But I still found myself completely engulfed in the story and emotionally exhausted by the end.  I raised my star rating from 3.5 to 4 full stars mostly due to Hanks' performance.  This movie was definitely worth it's money.  Though it may or may not ultimately find a home in my personal collection, I could easily see paying to see it again.  So, what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.

Captain Phillips Preview

Captain Phillips is the harrowing tale based on true events that transpired in 2009.  Tom Hanks plays Captain Richard Phillips aboard the cargo ship Maersk Alabama that is taken over by Somali pirates lead by Muse (Barkhad Abdi). According to Director Paul Greengrass, the film is "simultaneously a pulse-pounding thriller, and a complex portrait of the myriad effects of globalization". 

Captain Phillips is nominated for 6 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor for Barkhad Abdi who was apparently a limousine driver with no acting experience or aspirations of becoming an actor before landing this role. Talk about being in the right place at the right time.  Director Paul Greengrass is not nominated for Best Director and is best known for his shaky hand-held camera style of directing in the Jason Bourne Trilogy starring Matt Damon and for his post Iraqi search for weapons of mass destruction in Green Zone also starring Matt Damon.  No, Damon does not make an appearance in Captain Phillips.  Tom Hanks won the Oscar for Best Actor in Philadelphia and in Forrest Gump.  Hanks is not nominated for an award in Captain Phillips, nor is he nominated for his leading role in Saving Mr. Banks, omissions that are raising eyebrows amongst movie-goers. 

One quiet day at sea, Captain Phillips notices two small watercraft approaching his cargo ship quite rapidly.  Uneasy about the situation, he calls it in to the Coast Guard who don't seem too concerned and believe the boats to simply be fisherman.  Phillips alerts his crew and tells them to hide as he and his top assistants fail to keep the Somali pirates from boarding the ship.  After failing to locate the rest of the crew, the pirates demand that those hiding on the ship reveal themselves or the Captain and other ranking officers will start being executed.  Things get even more intense when the military arrives on the scene and the standoff escalates between Phillips and the pirates.  Director Greengrass has done a great job directing action thriller movies in the Bourne Trilogy and also in directing politically moving work in Green Zone.  This looks like another edge-of-your-seat thriller that leaves you asking, "Does this really happen?" Add that to what looks like another amazing performance by the talented Tom Hanks, and I predict Captain Phillips to get 3.5 stars: worth the money spent and has a decent chance of making it into my personal home movie collection.  Am I right?  We shall see.