Collateral Beauty

It's interesting to watch this after seeing "Manchester by the Sea". Both films tackle the difficult subject of how a father grieves the loss of his child or children. I would argue that what we see from Will Smith in this film is the "typical" depiction of grief. Not that that's bad - Smith is excellent here. The way he allows grief to flow through his eyes without a word is tremendous and very heartbreaking. However, if one studies grief in men, one will find that, in fact, how Affleck portrayed grief is far closer to the truth for most fathers who have lost children. Knowing that, and having recently seen Affleck give that amazing performance, I had a hard time falling into this film. The plot was very banal - I saw nearly all the turns in it a mile away. The acting outside of Smith was only above average, and the dialogue forced. Maybe if Casey Affleck weren't still living in my head I would have reacted differently, but that's why Affleck won the Oscar and Smith wasn't even nominated I think. For me, this was just okay. 3/5

Collateral Beauty on Netflix

The Dressmaker

I guess I'm just not sure what film this wanted to be. It was, all at once, magical realism, western, black comedy, romantic drama, and absurdist. It's possible to successfully blur so many genres, but I don't feel this film pulled it off well. The acting was good for the most part, but, at times, the characters veered into such absurdity that I was quite confused as to their story arcs. The direction was sublime, and I was highly entertained for the most part, but I just couldn't settle into this film - it was too uneven for me. 3.5/5

The Dressmaker on Netflix

Steve Jobs

Having recently watched "Jobs" with Ashton Kutcher I was very curious about this film and how it would differentiate itself from "Jobs". I was especially curious to see Fassbender's performance, especially given his Oscar nod for it, and I wasn't disappointed in either respect. I'm not a huge Danny Boyle fan, as I tend to think he emphasizes style over substance, but this film was more solid in tone and pace than much of his past work. Fassbender did a marvelous job as well, and really took command of the screen as Jobs. But, if I'm being honest, I'll take Kutcher's performance any day of the week and twice on Sunday. While this was a slick film, I preferred the steady pace and scope of "Jobs" and thought Kutcher did a superior turn in the role. That may not be the predominant opinion, but it's mine. 3.5/5

Steve Jobs on Netflix

Divergent

This action version of "A Brave New World" is fun to watch but light on plot depth - I wanted more details. 3/5

Divergent on Netflix

Contagion

This Soderbergh thriller is engrossing, suspenseful, well written & well executed - I've nothing bad to say. 4/5

Contagion on Netflix

Carnage

The acting was excellent but the plot became more ridiculous & unbelievable by the minute. Why take it so far? Hrmm. 3/5

Carnage on Netflix

Revolutionary Road

Why couldn't the whole movie be as strong as the end? Brilliant acting, but an overly hollow script. 4/5

Revolutionary Road on Netflix