This Is a Movie Review: Joy

February 1, 2016

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Joy_SoapOpera

David O. Russell’s freewheeling directorial style is Joy’s biggest strength and its biggest weakness. This is the story inspired by the woman who invented the Miracle Mop. There is no obvious way to film her story, as it is an odd fit for the typical biopic structure, or anything else really. So Russell addresses that problem by throwing a bunch of random ideas together that play like bits of inspiration from throughout his career that he has not gotten around to yet. They are always interesting, even if they do not especially cohere as a unified whole. There are dream sequences that exist just for the hell of it, progressive ideas about ex-spouses, dynamic cinematographic coverage, a typical all-star Russell cast excitingly bouncing off of each other, Susan Lucci playing a soap opera star, Melissa Rivers playing her mother, and about a million other things. They make for a film that is almost as zesty as American Hustle and Silver Linings Playbook, but also a lot more exhausting.

This Is a Movie Review: Room

February 1, 2016

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An especially telling moment of Room is when Jack (Jacob Tremblay) meets a dog for the first time. The happy ending of this film’s premise – Jack and his Ma (Brie Larson) escape their captor – occurs less than halfway through, which leaves plenty of time for the ending to be not so happy as it could be. And it is and it isn’t. The canine introduction is one of those times when things are going well, but it feels a little foreboding. The dog might not be as friendly or as exciting as advertised (he’s great, don’t worry). These are the risks that come with living in the outside world after years spent locked away in a shed. Really, this is the risk of life itself when moving onto any new stage. Jack’s path to these moments is unusual, and they convey the power of discovery that is not always obvious to someone without a traumatic past. His story can open viewers’ eyes in a way that is both sobering and exhilarating.

This Is a Movie Review: Daddy’s Home

January 23, 2016

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews 2 Comments

DaddysHome

The problem with Daddy’s Home is one of pitch. It wants us to believe that Brad is a nice guy, and we believe it, because he is played by Will Ferrell in Family Man Mode. Sure, he might have the occasional overwrought meltdown, but he looks as fundamentally decent as his quality credit score implies. But that meltdown, prompted by his wife’s ex (Mark Wahlberg) ends up being so thorough that the film is more uncomfortable than it is prepared to be. It could work if the tone were to ramp up the boorish ridiculousness (as in Talladega Nights) or play more like a low-key dramedy (as in Everything Must Go). Instead, it is a middle-of-the-road breeze that ends in a dance battle. That conclusion itself is amusing, but it skirts over some major conflicts.

None of that really matters when considering the insane levels of product placement. Ferrell’s voiceover in an early scene includes praise for his Ford Flex, which is basically a verbatim recitation of the copy of a suburban car commercial. It is such a jarring pastiche that it initially plays as a devious goof. There appears to be some interest in satire about the reality behind cheery all-American ads. The film’s premise, as it traffics in the roles worn by adults, would lend itself well to that approach. But along the way, Daddy’s Home feels too beholden to a traditional narrative to really work as something stranger.

This Is a Movie Review: Concussion

January 17, 2016

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concussion

When tackling any real life story, a film must decide what not to include just as seriously as what it does include. In that vein, Concussion wisely focuses its investigation of the long-term ravages of football on the doctor who identified chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Bennet Omalu (played with the utmost nobility by Will Smith). On the other hand, when providing examples of former players who have succumbed to CTE, it does not know when to stop. The cautionary tale of Pittsburgh Steeler Mike Webster (David Morse), reduced from Steel City hero to homelessness, is powerful enough to establish the message for the whole movie. But then Concussion proceeds to show the same tragedy in the cases of Justin Strzelczyk, Andre Waters, and Dave Duerson, and the overall effect is more numbing than inflaming.

This is a shame, because otherwise the film actually manages to wring drama out of scenes dominated by examining medical slides. Omalu’s fight is so obviously right, and he is bolstered by esteemed colleagues (Albert Brooks, Alec Baldwin) and a supportive wife (Gugu Mbatha-Raw). His battle could be too virtuous to be dramatically interesting, except that it is very real and his opponent is so outrageously opposed to the truth. It may not be the zippiest of narratives, but it is certainly rousing in its conviction.

Oscar Nominations Reactions

January 14, 2016

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-Sad to see no “See You Again” in Best Song, but at least the correct song from 50 Shades of Grey was picked.
-This is the most spread out I can ever remember the field being, as expected. Carol, Star Wars, and Straight Outta Compton had to be pretty close to Best Picture noms. Also Sicario, amazingly. And Ex Machina, too.
–Room got more overall support than I was expecting. Lenny Abrahamson is your iconoclastic Director pick this year.
-Most of what I’m happy to see was expected or close to it, i.e., plenty of love for The Big Short, Stallone for Supporting, Mad Max for Costume.
-Denmark’s been doing well in Foreign Language Film this decade.
-Glad to see The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out Of The Window And Disappeared for Makeup and Hair. I haven’t seen it, but it’s probably the best title of the year.

This Is a Movie Review: The Forest

January 9, 2016

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the-forest

Movies like The Forest make me upset that horror does not on the whole get the critical fair shake it deserves. It has a decent premise that it does not quite live up to, though it has plenty of interesting moments. For most genres, that translates to respectability and a Rotten Tomatoes score of approximately 60-75%, but for horror, it means dismissal and a Tomatometer as low as single digits. If the scares are not up to snuff, then neither is the praise.

The Forest is indeed not all that scary, but while it is disappointing, it has enough elements to make it worth watching. Suicidal thoughts, a disorienting location, repressed memories, paranoia, disturbing folklore, and ghosts exploiting all of the above make for a potent mix of anxiety. In a dual role as twin sisters, Natalie Dormer frequently adjusts her personalities, occasionally switching characteristics between the two. It is a tricky performance that requires the support of better editing and writing than is on display. Ultimately, The Forest does not know if it wants to be ambiguous or answer all its mysteries; it is too eager to be the former and too overstuffed to be the latter. Still, it manages to distinguish itself in a genre that usually settles for the same old tricks.

This Is a (Quickie) Movie Review: The Good Dinosaur

January 9, 2016

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gooddinosaur

The Good Dinosaur is the most uncomfortably close Pixar has gotten to the uncanny valley since Cars. “Dinosaurs with self-aware intelligence living alongside feral humans” is not on quite the same level as organic transportation devices, but it is still a freaky mix of weird and familiar. As disorienting as this premise may be, embracing this weirdness more completely may have actually been to The Good Dinosaur’s benefit, because otherwise, it is a fairly standard journey back home adventure film. What does stand out are the digressive bursts of personality. Specifically, there is the (too-short) acid trip caused by fermented berries and a triceratops with various critters adorning its horns. Other than that, Sam Elliott as a papa T. Rex rounds out the highlights.

This Is a (Quickie) Movie Review: The Hateful Eight

January 3, 2016

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Hateful-Eight

You’ve got to hand it Quentin Tarantino. He always knows exactly what he is doing. His latest – the Western mission movie-cum-locked room mystery The Hateful Eight – starts off about as deliberately paced as possible. Sure, the tension needs to be built up for the enmity promised in the title to be worth watching, but does it have to take an hour and a half? While that setup could be more economical, it makes damn sure that the cabin this mix of bounty hunters, criminals, and mystery men find themselves trapped in is a lit powder keg. A mix of flashbacks and narration threatens to explain too much, but that is acceptable when withholding information as confidently as The Hateful Eight does. Is the whole thing indulgent, excessive, and distasteful? Sure, but the master of the prestige B-movie proves once again that such a bloody stew can still make for quality cinema.

2015: A Year at the Movies

January 1, 2016

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20150708_225121

After 2014’s total dropped significantly from 2013’s, 2015 moved back in the right direction, up 6 on last year, with a strong December showing (accounting for about 16% of the final tally) to wrap up the year.

(Included with the list of titles are grades, dates, showtimes, theatre locations, and folks I saw the movies with.)

1. The Gambler – C (1/7, 8:15 PM, Regal United Artists Oxford Valley, Langhorne, PA; Walter Wojcik)
2. Selma – A- (1/9, 7:20 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
3. Predestination – B+ (1/14, 1:00 PM, AMC Neshaminy, Bensalem, PA; Walter Wojcik)
4. Whiplash – A (1/17, 3:10 PM, Neshaminy; Walter Wojcik)
5. Inherent Vice – B (1/22, 2:45 PM, Oxford Valley; myself)
6. American Sniper – C+ (2/4, 7:00 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
7. The Theory of Everything – B (2/5, 1:00 PM, Neshaminy; Walter Wojcik)
8. Fifty Shades of Grey – C (2/16, 11:20 AM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
9. Jupiter Ascending – B (2/19, 7:10 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
10. What We Do in the Shadows – A- (3/14, 4:15 PM, Landmark Sunshine, New York, NY; Rob Malone and Walter Wojcik)
11. Kingsman: The Secret Service – B- (3/24, 6:30 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
12. It Follows – B+ (3/26, 7:50 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
13. Get Hard – B- (3/26, 9:50 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
14. Furious 7 – B+ (4/13, 1:30 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
15. Unfriended – B+ (4/17, 2:30 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
16. Ex Machina – A (4/24, 7:20 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
17. Rifftrax Live: The Room (5/6, 8:00 PM, Regal Union Square, New York, NY; myself)
18. Mad Max: Fury Road – A- (5/15, 1:20 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
19. Avengers: Age of Ultron in 3D – B- (5/15, 7:10 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik and Terri Wojcik)
20. Pitch Perfect 2 – C+ (5/19, 1:30 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
21. Far From the Madding Crowd – B (5/21, 4:15 PM, Angelika Film Center, New York, NY; myself)
22. Poltergeist – B- (5/27, 8:00 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
23. Insidious: Chapter 3 – B- (6/4, 7:20 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
24. Tomorrowland – C+ (6/9, 7:15 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
25. Dope – B+ (6/22, 7:40 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
26. Spy – B (6/22, 9:50 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojick)
27. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl – A- (6/24, 7:50 PM, Neshaminy; Bob Malone and Beth Woods)
28. Inside Out in 3D – A- (7/2, 12:40 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojick, Natalie Wolanin, and Stasiu Wolanin)
29. Jurassic World – B (7/8, 8:30 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojick)
30. Minions in 3D – B+ (7/16, 8:10 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
31. Trainwreck – B+ (7/16, 10:00 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
32. Magic Mike XXL – B (7/27, 8:00 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
33. Terminator Genisys – B (7/27, 11:00 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
34. Ant-Man – B (8/3, 7:15 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
35. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation – B (8/3, 9:40 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
36. Irrational Man – B- (8/11, 1:40 PM, Regal Manahawkin, Manahawkin, NJ; Bob Malone and Kaity Malone)
37. Shaun the Sheep Movie – B+ (8/24, 7:45 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
38. The Gift – B (8/24, 9:20 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
39. The End of the Tour – B+ (8/26, 7:55 PM, Neshaminy; Walter Wojcik)
40. The Diary of a Teenage Girl – B (9/1, 7:40 PM, Oxford Valley; myself)
41. Sinister 2 – B (9/10, 7:35 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
42. The Visit – B+ (9/10, 9:40 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
43. Straight Outta Compton – B (9/11, 6:50 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
44. Grandma – B (9/28, 8:50 PM, Oxford Valley; myself)
45. The Intern – B- (10/1, 12:20 PM, Oxford Valley; Claire Dansbury)
46. Rifftrax Live: Miami Connection (10/1, 8:00 PM, Neshaminy; Walter Wojcik)
47. Sleeping with Other People – B+ (10/5, 7:50 PM, Neshaminy; Walter WojciK)
48. The Martian – B+ (10/8, 9:00 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
49. Sicario – A- (10/15, 12:50 PM, Oxford Valley; myself)
50. Black Mass – B (10/21, 12:40 PM, Oxford Valley; myself)
51. Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension in 3D – C (10/29, 2:00 PM, Neshaminy; myself)
52. Goosebumps – B- (11/2, 8:20 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
53. Crimson Peak – C+ (11/2, 10:20 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
54. Bridge of Spies – A- (11/4, 7:00 PM, Oxford Valley; Claire Dansbury, Pat Dansbury, Walter Wojcik)
55. Steve Jobs – A- (11/5, 12:50 PM, Oxford Valley; myself)
56. The Night Before – B (11/19, 8:00 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
57. Brooklyn – B+ (11/30, 7:35 PM, Neshaminy; myself)
58. Rifftrax Live: Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny (12/3, 8:00 PM, Neshaminy; Dave Coyle and Walter Wojcik)
59. Spotlight – A (12/6, 3:20 PM, Oxford Valley; Pat Dansbury)
60. Krampus – B+ (12/6, 7:50 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
61. Creed – B+ (12/6, 10:10 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
62. Chi-Raq – B+ (12/10, 1:35 PM, Neshaminy; Walter Wojcik)
63. Spectre – B (12/15, 6:30 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
64. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 – B- (12/15, 9:30 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
65. The Peanuts Movie – B+ (12/16, 7:10 PM, Oxford Valley; myself)
66. Star Wars: The Force Awakens – A- (12/22, 10:00 AM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik and Terri Wojcik)
67. The Big Short – A (12/22, 7:05 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
68. The Hateful Eight 70mm Roadshow – B+ (12/29, 11:00 PM, Neshaminy; Walter Wojcik)

Best Films of 2015

December 31, 2015

jmunney Best in Film 2015, Best of 2015, Cinema , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

best-movies-of-2015-collage

Clockwise from Top Left: Inside Out; Spotlight; Ex Machina; The Big Short (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshots)

Box office records kept falling in 2015, and some of the biggest blockbusters were actually among the best films of the year! This is appropriate enough, as bigness was the name of the day in 2015, with Big Emotions and Big Ideas all over this list. Whether it was through muckraking journalism and statesmanship, the birth of new heroes, or the burning desire to make personal connections, the makers of the best films of 2015 made sure audiences heard what they had to say.

This top 10 list was originally posted on Starpulse in December 2015.

1. The Big Short – Spoiler alert: as the wild ride of Adam McKay’s adaptation of Michael Lewis’ bestselling nonfiction thriller about the players who anticipated the bursting of the U.S. housing bubble settles into its conclusion, the epilogue reveals that every Wall Street fraudster was imprisoned and new stringent legal regulations have been implemented to prevent another crisis. Except, of course, that didn’t happen. This is an esoteric topic, but the audience for “The Big Short” knows it has been screwed. The level at which this swindling occurred is astounding and ridiculous, and the filmmaking that captures it is just as absurdly gut-wrenching.

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