Legend

Make no mistake, Tom Hardy has proven he is the finest working actor in cinema today, and his performance in this film simply cements that. His versatility and prowess is evident in all his work, and his nuanced portrayal of the infamous Kray twins is just exquisite. The problem with this film isn't Hardy, but rather the lackluster script that goes nowhere and only scrapes the surface of what could have been a far more fascinating story. As such, this was just average for me, but I'm shocked Hardy didn't get an Oscar nod for this. 3/5\

Legend on Netflix

Ted 2

The first "Ted" film was funny, had a plot-line that made sense, and characters that maintained an arc throughout the film. This sequel made little to no sense, had characters that fell apart, and no real cohesive plot to speak of. It was too much like "Freddy Got Fingered" for me. Not good. 2.5/5

Ted 2 on Netflix

Southpaw

I'm going to start this by saying that the fact that this film received no Oscar attention is a crying shame and further proof of how out of touch the Academy has gotten. Jake Gyllenhaal gave what was, in my eyes, the best performance of his career - only in "Nightcrawler" was he as completely immersed in a role like this. Forest Whitaker was both powerful and tender and should well have gotten a Best Supporting nod. And Antoine Fuqua remains one of the finest directors in modern times - his visual palette in this film was astounding. Surprisingly, the weakest link in this film was Kurt Sutter's script, which relied on too many tropes and caricatures for my taste. This was a wonderful film, and the fact that I heard nothing about it last year is truly a shame. 4/5

Southpaw on Netflix

Carol

Maybe it's just me, but I really wasn't feeling this drama as much as I thought I would, and here's why I think it didn't work for me. The whole picture hinges directly on the restraint the two main characters, played by Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett, have to have on the love they feel for each other. The problem for me was that I felt that restraint turned into a coldness and lack of passion that only erected a wall between them. Mara and Blanchett dialed it back so much that I just didn't feel what I needed to in order for the story to work. This was just okay for me. 3/5

Carol on Netflix

Everest

This tense thriller is action-filled and well acted throughout. Really amazing direction, I enjoyed this a lot. 4/5

Everest on Netflix

Starry Eyes

Cult horror films are a real hit-or-miss game. They either fall apart at the seams, or they transcend their meager origins to achieve something great. This horror film is of that latter variety. I kinds-sorta understand the comparisons to "Martyrs", but it's far more a cross between "Rosemary's Baby" and "In the Skin". The direction is simply beautiful, and I was so taken by how well the last fifteen minutes were shot I kept exclaiming about how great it was. And make no mistake - Alex Essoe is a star, and I hope to see her in a lot of new movies. I really enjoyed this, very well done. 4/5

Starry Eyes on Netflix

99 Homes

Strong showings from Andrew Garfield and Michael Shannon kept this tense drama moving but I wished for more character and plot depth to really sell it. 3.5/5

99 Homes on Netflix

Secret in Their Eyes

I must confess I didn't remember the plot of the Spanish original, but based on my 5 star review I clearly loved it. To refresh my memory, I reread the plot on Wikipedia, and it all came flooding back like a roaring river - I could feel the emotion of the film washing over me again as it did when I first saw it. This remake is actually a fairly faithful (in tone if not detail) to the original, and the acting was excellent across the board. Julia Roberts was outstanding, and Chiwetel Ejiofor is always wonderful to watch. My one main problem was that I felt a large emotional gap between me and the characters - I never felt sucked into their world, and that made the movie falter some for me. But, overall, this was an ambitious project that was handled respectfully and well by director and writer Billy Ray. 4/5

Secret in Their Eyes on Netflix

Stonewall

I know this film got a lot of bad press in the gay community, and I'm not knowledgeable enough to discuss what is or isn't factual about it. What I can say was that, purely as a film, I found it inspiring and very well acted all around. Well paced and well directed as well - this is a solid film. 3.5/5

Stonewall on Netflix

Tanner Hall

The acting was solid but the plot and characters weren't nearly dark or complex enough to hold up the story. 3/5

Tanner Hall on Netflix

Macbeth

This most recent version of Macbeth isn't just bad, it's offensively bad. Fassbender and Cotillard drone their dialogue in near monotones - there is no intensity or emotion present. Indeed, apart from a few scenes, the entire film is devoid of emotional impact. There is no madness, no passion, nothing. The changes made to the text made little to no sense, and, were it not directed so beautifully, I would have one starred this. I actually started fast-forwarding after the banquet scene. So not good. 2/5

Macbeth on Netflix

Somm

When I was 22 I developed an allergy to what I thought at the time was alcohol in general, but what I learned later to be an allergy to most barrel-aged liquor. Up until very recently, I thought I was doomed to never taste wine, but then I discovered the magical world of unoaked wine. So, given my new love of unoaked spirits, I jumped at the chance to learn more with this documentary. This film would make a great double-feature with "Kings of Pastry", as both follow sets of candidates through a grueling masters exam. In "Somm" we meet four young sommeliers as they train and cram for their Master Sommelier exam. This film is enlightening, personable, entertaining, and immensely informative - I enjoyed it quite a bit. Highly recommended if you re interested at all in wines. 5/5

Somm on Netflix

Pawn Sacrifice

I grew up in a chess household, and thus with the name Bobby Fischer. I knew of his genius and his struggles with mental health when I was very young and have always followed his life with great interest. "Pawn Sacrifice" is a fairly accurate portrait of his mental illness but left too many of the details of his life open for question. There was a lot of interesting story left out, which made me rather sad. However, Wood was brilliant in this, and gained it back half of a star. And, just for the record, I believe Kasparov would have beaten Fischer had they met in their prime. 3.5/5

Pawn Sacrifice on Netflix

I Smile Back

When this movie began I wasn't really sure what I was watching and I wasn't sure how I felt about Silverman's portrayal of the main character. It took a while for me to understand what types of mental disorders Silverman's character had, but once I did, all the pieces of this film began to fall into place. Without spoiling anything, whoever wrote this script really seems to understand mental health and addiction in a deeply poignant way. I've never seen Silverman play drama before, but she leaned into this part like a true master. This was sure a deeply textured and nuanced performance with such a tortured core that I felt it through and through. I'm surprised she didn't get Oscar attention for this quite frankly. The ending was simply outstanding and truly appropriate for the story. This is a triumph of a drama, I highly recommend it. 4.5/5

I Smile Back 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