The Painting

This has got to be the most original film I've ever seen. Visually, it's really unlike anything else. I don't want to say too much, but the realization of the vision of this film is extraordinary. By the end I was truly stunned at how the visuals so perfectly tied the whole story together. The base of the story was also really cool and different from anything I've ever seen. The morals of the film, those I've seen before, but never done like this. I could watch this again right now, easily. One of the best films I've seen in recent memory. 5/5

The Painting on Netflix

House at the End of the Street

There was something here with this suspense thriller, but it just wasn't developed enough for me. The first half of the film was completely predictable and by-the-numbers. The second half had real promise as the details of the plot begin to unfold, but, ultimately, it failed to have the impact it should have had. I never cared about the characters enough to get invested in them, and the detail that would have made the "twist" really great was missing. This movie needed to both show and tell more than it did. Just okay for me. 3/5

House at the End of the Street on Netflix

The Wall

There are only three people in this film, and you only ever see two of them. This is often a recipe for disaster, but I was completely entranced by this action thriller. It all came down to whether Aaron Taylor-Johnson could handle his very weighty role, and he did a spectacular job with it. Cena didn't have as meaty a role, but I was impressed with him as always. As the film develops and the plot unfolds, you learn more and more about the situation in which these characters found themselves, and the ending is a perfect wrap-up. I really enjoyed this and recommend it. 4/5

The Wall on Netflix

Colossal

Sorry for the long absence, I have been dealing with some bad health issues. But let's get to this film, because I have some things to say. This is not a comedic film, which was what I was expecting. The trailers would have you believe it is, but it is in actuality very, very dark. It starts somewhat dark, gets darker, has a few witty moments, and then dives full-on into some pretty serious stuff. I feel like writer/director Nacho Vigalondo wanted to make something funny with a bit of darkness, which is a combination that works well. But, instead, he made a very dark and disturbing film with some bizarre moments of levity that were definitely out of place, and I found the occasional humor a bit unsettling. Having said all that, the actual meat of the story is quite good. It's daring, interesting, and it's brought to life with knock-out performances from Hathaway and Sudeikis. As the film barrels towards what becomes an inevitable and tragic end, I found myself wishing Vigalondo had just dived in and really dedicated himself to the darkness of this story, because it would have been amazing. Instead, I found myself both wowed and confused, so a mixed bag here for me. 3/5

Colossal on Netflix

Eden Lake

I really did not expect this to be as brutal as it was, but I appreciated the reality of the violence. Most films that depict human suffering tend to either show as little as possible, or go over the top with the gore. This film had the guts to show violence as it would truly be, and the realism of it made the film more impactful to watch. I also liked how the gang of teens weren't all massive sadists, because, in reality, that would be a truly rare occurrence. Instead, we saw how a brutal gang leader can take a flock of misguided sheep and lead them all to a slaughterhouse. The acting was solid, and the direction was tight and well-paced. I really liked this horror thriller. 4/5

Eden Lake on Netflix

It Comes at Night

This is a gorgeously directed psychological horror film that reminded me in tone and feel to "The Witch", which I found spectacular. The acting is solid, and the script is doled out very slowly and carefully, creating a sense of tension that was almost palpable. I admire post-apocalyptic films that never show the apocalypse, but rather leave that horror in the past and unseen. I also have to mention there was an interesting visual trick that happened slowly over the course of the film. I didn't notice it until the end, and I actually started the film again and advanced through it slowly to see if I was right in what I saw, which I was. I've never seen it done before, and I'm not going to spoil it for anyone who rents this, but, if you do rent this, just keep your eyes open, and if you miss it, start it again immediately. You'll see it. Kudos to this film, I definitely enjoyed it. 4/5

It Comes at Night on Netflix

Hunger

Here's the thing. If you're going to make a movie about trapped people who have gone weeks without any food whatsoever, you might want to do something to make sure your cast looks like they've been losing weight. You know, as you would, if you haven't eaten anything for weeks. Like... I don't know.... things like make up, prosthetics, progressively baggier clothes.... anything. Also, don't dress one of your female cast members in pajama bottoms and a tank top, because then it's really easy to see she's lost no weight at all. Which doesn't make sense, if your characters haven't eaten in weeks. So... yeah. Not good. 2/5

Hunger on Netflix

Christine

I had remembered a story about a depressed reporter taking drastic action on the air from my childhood, but I really knew nothing about the life of Christine Chubbuck. For me, the ending of this film was easy to spot early in, but I can imagine many being surprised by what occurs. Rebecca Hall gave the performance of a lifetime in this - she was tragic, bold, emotional, restrained, kind, and, often, all of these things at once. The whole of the movie is excellent - there really no flaws to it. Watch it, but be prepared to be jolted by it. 4.5/5

Christine on Netflix

Wakefield

This is one of the more fascinating character studies I've seen in recent history. The character of Howard Wakefield suffers from a particular personality disorder, which he demonstrates throughout the film. But there's something else at work here, something explored in films like "Castaway" and "Into the Wild" (the true story of Christopher McCandless and his death). It is a separation from reality and the social mores by which we live, in order to embrace the lawlessness of being homeless or completely apart from human company. Cranston is utterly sublime at capturing the tension between these opposing personality forces and the destruction this conflict leaves in its wake. It is truly amazing, and I hope Cranston gets an Oscar nod for this. Loved this. 4.5/5

Wakefield on Netflix

Miss Representation

I could write a thesis on this film, but I will keep this simple. There are essentially three parts to this film. The first, based on hard facts, is good and interesting. I don't think you can find anyone who doesn't know that women are underrepresented in TV and movies and often hypersexualized in both. The second part is where things get tricky and conclusions are drawn from these facts. As everyone in the social sciences knows, correlation does not equal causation, but this film gets that wrong time and time again. It also "helpfully" ads dubious facts to create stronger causal links... the problem being that these  "facts" aren't facts at all. For example, they state conclusively that violence on TV and in video games causes real world violence, but that is not nor could ever be "proven", and we don't even have strong correlations for it. The third part is the worst, where social actions, based on these erroneous conclusions, are demanded, and I'm just not having that. Come back to me when you have a FAR stronger case and we'll talk, but right now these filmmakers need to rethink how they are making their case. 2/5

Miss Representation on Netflix

Toy Story 2

Am I weird? I must be weird, because I wasn't a huge fan of this. I liked the characters and their development, especially all the new folk from Woody's Roundup. I liked the sense of adventure and the moral of the story. But, honestly, the plot got a little much for me. Okay, I know this is an animated story about toys that come to life when no one is watching, but it got a bit ridiculous. For example - Woody's arm tears from gentle play, but he can handle the air velocity of a plane taking off without injury. RIIIIIIGHT. The whole film is filled with these types of gaffes, where we're given a rule of the world one minute and it's broken the next. It really bothered me after a bit, if I'm being honest. I'll be interested to see the third one now. 3/5

Toy Story 2 on Netflix