Saturday, December 31, 2016

The Descent: Part 2

This horror sequel managed to be even more claustrophobic than the original, which is a hard feat. The direction is tight and , utilizing very little light at times to achieve a true buried-alive feel. The acting was very uneven - a few of the ensemble stood out while others were ridiculously hammy. I was very unclear about the very end of the film, and can only assume another sequel will follow. All in all, a very solid film with a great atmosphere. 3.5/5

The Descent: Part 2 on Netflix

Friday, December 30, 2016

The Human Race

This psych thriller/horror film is pretty ingenious with it's plot. The characters didn't have a ton of depth, but they didn't really need much. The twists of this story are really good, and the ending was something I never expected. Recommended. 4/5

The Human Race on Netflix

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Four

I became completely invested in these characters and their stories very early on in this film. I was intrigued by all the questions asked and glad not all of them got answered. I really enjoyed how this film dealt with notions of togetherness and what it means to be connected to someone in the modern age. The acting was very solid and the direction tight. Two thumbs up for this intimate drama. 4/5

Four on Netflix

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

The Brothers Grimsby

Oh dear gods I hated this so much. It is honestly one of the stupidest and most unfunny comedies I've ever seen in my life. Just vulgarity for no real point and utterly absurd. I realize this might be right up some people's alley, but it definitely wasn't up mine. I can't believe I finished it honestly. Awful. 1/5

The Brothers Grimsby on Netflix

The Machine

This hard sci-fi film is exquisite. The plot is simple but effective, and delves into some really intriguing questions that have no easy answers. The acting was wonderful, particularly Caity Lotz, who does an superb job throughout the film's development. The direction was really picturesque, with lovely use of lighting. I found myself transfixed to this and very interested in all the questions posed by the it. Highly recommended for sci-fi fans. 4/5

The Machine on Netflix

Monday, December 26, 2016

Saint Laurent

This movie is way too long - I could have done without the last forty minutes and with serious trimming before that. The timelines are a mess in the last half of the film and I honestly have no idea what the hell happened for most of that time. The two saving graces are the performances by Gaspard Ulliel and Louis Garrel, which is why the movie gets two stars. Really a muddled mess. 2/5

Saint Laurent on Netflix

Saturday, December 24, 2016

10,000 km

I adored this movie. It's so rare that a film can truly capture all the intimacy and nuance of a true, loving, long-term relationship. The first twenty minutes of this film were so crucial in establishing the depth of the relationship between these two characters, so that the events of the next 70 minutes had real meaning. The two leads (the only two people in the film in fact) are absolutely perfect - one would think they had been a couple for years. This film gets a bad rap by Netflix reviewers, but I wonder how many of those who pan this film have been in a long-term relationship. This is a beautiful, tragic, romantic, tearful, and wonderful movie. I loved it. 5/5

10,000 km on Netflix

Thursday, December 22, 2016

The Resident

This is pretty much your generic stalker film. It's everything you'd expect from this type of film, except with better acting as Hilary Swank and Jeffrey Dean Morgan are the leads. There is a cool little plot device about 20 minutes in that I really liked, but it would have been far more effective had they been able to delay it until about 40 minutes in. Good, not great. 3/5

The Resident on Netflix

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Southbound

Generally, horror films that market themselves as intersecting anthologies are anything but, or the individual elements are so uneven in quality that the film suffers. I was pleasantly surprised by this movie, which, in fact, had five stories that actually all intersected in ways that made sense. I was also pleased that each of the stories were relatively solid with interesting plots. Given that each short was less than twenty minutes long, there were a lot of holes in plots and characters, but that's to be expected with films like this. The lack of budget was apparent, but I ended up rather enjoying this film. If you like weird horror, you might like this odd but enjoyable film. 3.5/5

Southbound on Netflix

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Zoolander 2

I absolutely adored the first "Zoolander" film and I had high hopes for this sequel, but it received such a clubbing by fans and critics I waited until now to see it. The critics were right - this was pretty painful to watch. The whole spirit of the first film was lost, and the plot was needlessly complicated and muddy. When I saw how many writers worked on this I was kind of stunned. This really didn't work for me. 2/5

Zoolander 2 on Netflix

Sunday, December 18, 2016

The Invitation

This tense thriller is the very definition of the word "ominous". It unravels the plot very slowly, carefully, and deliberately, all the while allowing the viewer to feel that something is very wrong, but not to know exactly what. The soundscape of the film is just glorious, and it aids the growing tension quite well. The cinematography is thoughtful and allows the viewer to feel caught in the same house as the characters are. But, for me, the crowning glory of this film is the last sixty seconds, which are just perfection. I really enjoyed this film. 4/5

Invitation on Netflix

Friday, December 16, 2016

Romance

I think the only reason people talk about this movie is because it has scenes of actual sex in it. In reality, it's a piss poor film with very little in the way of plot, acting, or character development. If that wasn't bad enough, this movie manages to be one of the most un-erotic films I've ever seen. The sex is so bad and mechanical and passionless it's repelling, not exciting. To top it off, the film unexpectedly shows a live birth at the end, which I was in no way prepared to see. This film was built up to me as a truly great erotic drama, but it was a huge letdown in every way. 1.5/5

Romance on Netflix

Thursday, December 15, 2016

The Hollars

I only vaguely remember John Krasinski's first feature, "Brief Interviews with Hideous Men". I remember disliking it quite a bit, but I honestly can't remember why other than feeling that this was just another case of bad people behaving terribly to each other for no damn reason, and it irked me. I also remember that I felt his direction was very promising, and I hoped that his next film would show a maturing of style. This second film of Krasinski's is a definitely step up, but possibly because he didn't write it as well, as he did his first film. The writing was very solid and showed a deep understanding of family, love, and relationships. The acting was strong from all parties, and the direction was impactful and well-paced. I really enjoyed this, and I hope to see more from Krasinski along these lines in the future. 4/5

The Hollars on Netflix

Equity

This is the best film of 2016 that I've seen so far. The script is extremely well-written with a plot arc that flows and moves the characters along very well. The direction is solid with good cinematography and a great palette. But it's the three female stars - Anna Gunn, Susan Megan Thomas, and Alysia Reiner - that make this movie so amazing. It's exceptional to see a business-based thriller led by females, and this was much like "Wall Street" run by women. Each woman gave the performance of a lifetime, and I can't imagine Anna Gunn not getting nominated for Best Actress. I was so impressed by this film I applauded at the end. Spectacular. 5/5

Equity on Netflix

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

The Purge: Election Year

It's rare that the sequels of a series are better than the first film, and even more so when they are markedly superior. However, the "Purge" sequels are so markedly better than the original as to be in a different league. The first film was wrongly made as a horror film, but the second and third films were far more violent action thrillers than they were horror, and that was an excellent decision. This third film was beautifully shot with gorgeous lighting and cinematography. The acting was strong, and it was good to see to see Frank Grillo reprising his role from the second film. I really enjoyed the second and third "Purge" films, and I hope they make more in this thriller series. 3.5/5

The Purge: Election Year on Netflix

Monday, December 12, 2016

The Duel

I feel like this tense drama missed the mark a bit. There was no real roundness to the characters - they all felt like roughly drawn caricatures to me. This was most true of Harrelson's character, which was a shame because so much could have been done, especially given the quality of actor Harrelson is. I knew where this film was going from the beginning, and it would have been nice to have a turn or two in the plot. It was beautifully directed and well acted, but lacked the depth to be a truly great film. 3/5

The Duel on Netflix

Sunday, December 11, 2016

Somm: Into the Bottle

I really loved the intimacy and story of the first "Somm" documentary, and I was hoping this sequel of sorts would continue the story of the somms we met in the first film. While all of them appear in this film, this isn't a film about somms, but rather the story of wine itself. I found it intriguing and very informative, but a sequel to "Somm" it is not, and I wish it hadn't been marketed as such. Still, a fine and interesting film 4/5

Somm: Into the Bottle on Netflix

Saturday, December 10, 2016

The Purge: Anarchy

This movie is so far and away better than the first in this series it's astonishing. I found the first "Purge" rather insipid and full of plot holes, but this is a tightly written, very well directed, and well scored film. The acting was solid and I appreciated the wider view of what the Purge event would be like for urban America. What was strange to me was realizing this film was released in 2014, but how almost prescient it was given the recent elections. Think about it - in this films, the Purge was instituted by our New Founding Fathers, who were elected in 2016. The first Purge was in 2017, started by a white male leader whose first name is Donald and has a last name that begins with T. And this future is what fully half the country truly believes is coming after these elections, so make of that what you will. Me, I'm just happy this film was leaps and bounds better than the first, and I'm now anxious to see the third. 4.5/5

The Purge: Anarchy on Netflix

Thursday, December 8, 2016

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping

Straight up, this is laugh-out-loud for real material. I really loved this - the acting was spot on and the script was tight and really witty. I am usually very hit or miss with this type of film, but this was all hit for me. Loved it. 5/5

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping on Netflix

10 Cloverfield Lane

What a truly excellent film! I loved how it wasn't a sequel to "Cloverfield" at all... until suddenly it was. The set-up and delivery of the plot was perfectly handled. The acting was really solid, and Bear McCreary's score was just top-notch. This was one of the best films I've seen so far this year - a truly solid film top to bottom. 5/5

10 Cloverfield Lane on Netflix

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Song of Lahore

This joyful documentary about the music of Lahore, Pakistan, is just so lovely and life-affirming. The background about the musicians and the history of the region is really interesting, but the whole movie is worth the last twenty minutes, when we get to here chunks of a concert in America that is just breathtaking. I so loved the music in this, it's just stunning. An amazing movie. 5/5

Song of Lahore on Netflix

Monday, December 5, 2016

Batman: The Killing Joke

It's been a long time since I read this graphic novel, so my memories of the actual story are shady at best. However, I sure don't remember there being two separate and distinct stories going on, with the first half of the movie all about Batgirl and the second half being all about The Joker. I feel like this film played very fast and loose with Batgirl's story, and that whole part of the movie just doesn't fit with the second half. I wasn't a fan of the animation, and I felt the horrors the Joker puts Gordon through could have been done much better. And the ending..... what? I'm very confused. This is not the film I was hoping for, that's for sure. 2/5

Batman: The Killing Joke on Netflix

Sunday, December 4, 2016

Hell or High Water

This is one of the most solid and well-executed films I've seen this year. The acting is exceptional. Foster is a neon light of talent, and I'm glad the world is paying more attention to him these days. Bridges was also exceptional and held a level of gravitas that was a joy to watch. The score was perfectly done, and the direction quite good. I hope this little film gets a lot of attention this awards season. 4.5/5

Hell or High Water on Netflix

Saturday, December 3, 2016

Star Trek Into Darkness

I'm really struggling with a rating for this film. There was a lot that was good. The acting was good as always, the first two-thirds of the story was good, and I actually really enjoyed Cumberbatch's version of Khan. What I find utterly unforgivable, however, was the last third of the film. How can Abrams get "Star Wars" so right and this film so badly wrong? Without spoiling anything, the changes he made to the end of this story I felt betrayed the characters he is attempting to honor with these films. I so strongly disagree with these choices that I have to condemn this film. And, as a bonus, Abrams' lens flare penchant was worse than I've ever seen it before. It's not a bad movie, but it's a terrible Star Trek movie. I'm going to give it three stars and call it a day. 3/5

Star Trek Into Darkness on Netflix

Thursday, December 1, 2016

The Lovers

I wasn't really sure about the gimmick of this adventure flick but I ended up liking it in thew end. Pretty decent acting, good flow to the script, and stunning scenery made this an enjoyable watch, if a little hokey. 3/5

The Lovers on Netflix