Best Movies of the Half Year and Awards

Note: All of this is based on my personal opinion, and remember I haven't seen everything that has been released this year.

5. This is the End
I'll be the first to say I thought this movie was going to be terrible, when I first saw the trailer I said to myself "this looks dumb." And I held onto that thought as long as I could, but then the reviews starting coming in. I heard from many people that it was actually funny, I was in disbelief. So when a friend invited me to go see it I was on board. And leaving the theater, I thought it was one of the funniest movies I had seen in a while. It's dumb, it's crude, but it really is funny. What I like most about it is that it is obvious that everyone had fun making it. The guys were sitting around drinking and someone threw the idea on the table and they rolled with it. The movie won't be remembered as a classic but it's fun to go see with some friends.

4. Much Ado About Nothing
I have never been a huge fan of Shakespeare, there's probably only one or two plays by him I really like. But when I heard Avengers director Joss Whedon was doing a modern day representation of what many consider to be his best comedy, I decided to give it a chance. Mainly to see how good of a director he really it, and what we got was one of the most delightful movies of the year. The movie is funny, touching, and downright enjoyable. Most of Shakespeare's plays put me right to sleep, but I was fully invested in this one. I cared about the characters and was really interested in seeing what happened to them. I'm not sure how true it is to the actual play but I couldn't care less, I loved it beginning to end.

3. Star Trek: Into Darkness
Going into 2013, Star Trek: Into Darkness was my most anticipated movie of the year. The long awaited sequel to the 2009 Star Trek movie had more pressure on it than almost any other movie this year. With the previous film widely considered one of the best movies of the year, and the fact that it was announced that director J.J. Abrams would be making the next Star Wars movie means that all the pressure was on him. And he did better than we could have imagined, in my opinion Into Darkness was even better than the previous. Pulse pounding action, astonishing visuals, and superb acting (especially from supporting actor Benedict Cumberbatch) doesn't just make this one of the best movies of the year; but my favorite as well.

2. The Place Beyond the Pines
This movie got a lot of bad press, many saying it was pretentious and overrated. They must have watched something else because what I saw was one of the most unique and ambitious films released in the past decade. This is a story of consequences, and how the decisions we make can build up or destroy those around us as. I saw this months ago and it has stayed with me ever since, it is a deeply emotional and impacting movie that won't soon be forgotten. While not everyone loves it know, I am sure that a couple years down the line people will look back at this movie and call it a misunderstood masterpiece, but I'll look back and see a movie that is just as great as when I first saw it.

1. Mud
If there was one movie that I knew was going to be good, one movie I would have put money on to be one of the best of the year, it would have been Mud. The film is written and directed by Jeff Nichols who made movies like Shotgun Stories (one of my top 10 of 2008) and Take Shelter (my pick for best movie of 2011). Mud has everything you could ask for comedy, drama, love, action, adventure, ect. Bolstered by Matthew McConaughey's Oscar worthy performance, Mud is a movie that captures American hopes and values; the ability to follow your dreams and be happy. Mud is one of the best movies I've seen in years, and a front runner for best Picture. If I had to suggest a single movie from this year you need to watch, it would be Mud.

Best Actor in a Leading Role: Matthew McConaughey (Mud)
Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Benedict Cumberbatch (Star Trek: Into Darkness)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Amy Acker (Much Ado About Nothing)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Eva Mendez (The Place Beyond the Pines)
Best Animated Feature: Monsters University
Best Animated Short Film: The Blue Umbrella
Best Cinematography: The Place Beyond the Pines
Best Costume Design: Star Trek: Into Darkness
Best Director: Jeff Nichols (Mud)
Best Documentary Feature: Sound City
Best Film Editing: Star Trek: Into Darkness
Best Foreign Language Film: A Hijacking (Denmark)
Best Live Action Short Film: The Runaway
Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Star Trek: Into Darkness
Best Original Score: The Place Beyond the Pines
Best Original Song: Snow Angel (The Place Beyond the Pines)
Best Picture: Mud
Best Production Design: Star Trek: Into Darkness
Best Sound Editing: Star Trek: Into Darkness
Best Sound Mixing: Star Trek: Into Darkness
Best Visual Effects: Star Trek: Into Darkness
Best Adapted Screenplay: Much Ado About Nothing
Best Original Screenplay: Mud 

Monsters University Review

Pixar is consistently called the best animation study out there. They brought us the Toy Story trilogy, Up, Wall-E, the Incredibles, and one of the first animated movies nominated for best animated picture, Monsters Inc. After 12 years we finally get a follow up to Monsters Inc in the form of a prequel. Monsters University is the origins story of Mike and Sully. The last couple Pixar movies haven't been up to the high standards they once had, Brave being alright and Cars 2 just not being good. So maybe revitalizing one of there classics will get them back on track. Monsters U takes place many years before the original with the characters we love attending scare school. Ever since Mike was a little kid he wanted to be a scarer. After making it into college he realizes it's a lot harder than he imagined. Mike is smart, he knows every tactic and trick in the book. The problem is that he just isn't scary. All of a sudden another monster comes on campus, Mike's future friend Sully. Sully is a legacy, and has more raw talent than just about anyone at the school. After Mike and Sully get in a little argument they become enemies, with Mike promising to out scare Sully. Before their big exam they start to have a scare off and accidentally destroy something very important to the Dean; as punishment she kicks them out of scare school and crushes their dreams. Suddenly Mike gets an idea, every year the college has a competition called the scare games where the fraternities and sororities compete in a scaring competition. Mike makes a deal with the Dean, if he wins he gets back in scaring school. She reluctantly agrees but promises to expel him if he loses. Seeing the opportunity Sully joins in, so Mike and Sully need to put their problems aside and work together in the hopes of salvaging their dreams. A couple years ago when it was released, Cars 2 really pissed me off. It was one of the most shameful cash grabs I had ever seen. Some guys from Pixar were at a meeting and one of them said, "let's make a sequel to our worst movie." And everyone just shook their heads yes. So that's what scared me going into Monsters U, fortunately this is actually a pretty good movie. Unlike Cars 2, it's obvious some real time and effort went into making this movie. But it's not without its problems. The plot is played out, the two enemies who have to come together to overcome an obstacle; we've seen that a million times. The movie also seems to be aimed more at kids than the original was. Pixar has the ability to make a kids movie that appeals to adults, Monsters U is clearly for kids. But there is one overwhelming problem with the movie that many have pointed out, it's not that funny. There are a couple scenes that will make you chuckle but nothing outstanding. Not all of Pixar's movies are hilarious, but they are a lot more touching than this one is. All in all Monsters U is good, not great. It is the best movie Pixar has done since Toy Story 3. It's a fun movie worth the watch if you're interested.

3.5/5 Stars

Bonus: The short at the begging of the movie entitled "The Blue Umbrella" is fantastic. I enjoyed it more than Monsters U, it's worth the price of admission on its own. It's easily a contender for best animated short at the Oscars. I'd tell you more but it will be more enjoyable if you go in not knowing what it will be about; but trust me, it's worth it.

4.5/5 Stars

The Last of Us Review

Going into 2013 The Last of Us was at the top of many people's list of games to get, and rightfully so. The game comes from the development company Naughty Dog who are most well known for the award winning Uncharted series. From the first cinematic trailer for the Last of Us people were excited; it is a new and somewhat realistic twist on the zombie genre. I went to go pick up the game from GameStop at 10:30am on opening day, when I arrived there were five people in the line that were in front of me; all five were there to pick up the game, and for good reason. A little over a week ago the first reviews came out and the game quickly became one of the most critically acclaimed games of all time, receiving over 50 perfect scores from major publications (which is mind boggling). The Last of Us takes place twenty years in the future where a real life parasitic fungus called Cordyceps (which has a nasty habit of literally taking over organisms and turning them into what are essentially "zombies") has evolved to be able to infect humans. After the initial outbreak: the US military declares martial law, rounded up all survivors, and fire bombed all major cities in an attempt o control the plague. But after twenty years the fungus is starting to reemerge and has even made its way into the safe zones. You play as Joel, a man who lost his daughter in the initial outbreak and has lived a sad and broken life since. Joel is a smuggler; he gets people inside the quarantine zones whatever they need. One day when he and his partner were supposed to receive a large shipment of guns and ammo, they get it stolen right out from under them. They find out that the guns have been sold to a rouge militia group called the Firefly's who oppose the way that the government treats the remaining survivors. Joel meets up with the leader of the Firefly's who makes him a deal, if he can smuggle a young girl out of the quarantine zone and to the capital building in D.C., he'll get his guns back. He doesn't know why or even care that much; he just wants to get it done, so he sets out to get the girl to her destination. But with the civilized world being long gone, he's going to have to go through hell to get the job done. I'll say it right now; The Last of Us is one of the greatest games I have ever played. It is an astounding achievement in video game storytelling and atmospheric design. Ascetically, The Last of Us is almost unmatched by any game of this generation. The world has a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere, seeing skyscrapers and buildings crumble and being taken over by nature is quite surreal. It even gives off a terrifying vibe that's reminiscent of games like Bioshock and Silent Hill. Combined with some of the best graphics I've ever seen on a console makes it a visual feast. I would also like to commend the actors who participated in the game. The character animations were caught using live motion capture technology, meaning that the voice actors actually played out the cut scenes and many of the movements to make sure the game captured the realistic situations they are put in. And I can't think of a time this technology looked better in a video games. The game play is fast, frantic, and challenging. You play with a third person perspective, and in contrast to the developers previous games (such as Uncharted) you are not a superhero. You can die very easily in this game, and when you come in contact with zombie hordes of three or more it can be very difficult to get back the upper hand. There are two different zombie types, the first being runners which will attack you with shear rage and can quickly swarm you. They aren't hard to kill on their own but can be difficult in groups. The second enemy types are called clickers, these are zombies that have been infected for years and have lost their eyesight due to the fact that the fungus has engulfed their face. They use a type of echo-location to see so if you make any sort of noise they will hear you and can kill you in one hit (it is best to take them out stealth fully). When you have to engage enemies, the combat is brutal and executed perfectly. One thing I would like to add is that this game is terrifying and ungodly stressful. The fact that you can die so easily makes you really think, you can't just go in guns blazing. It is best to play stealthy as long as possible and go crazy only if you have to. And the fact that supplies is rare means you can't waist anything. Everything about this game is amazing: the visuals, game play, story, characters, ect. I can't actually say that the game has any problems. The one thing I have against it is more of a personal preference. This is one of the most violent games I have ever played, almost to a disturbing level. I usually don't have a problem with violence in any sort of entertainment, but I don't like when they have violence for the sake of violence. The first time in the game where I encountered this in the game was fairly early on. I was facing a group of enemies. I got up close to melee one of them, and for the killing blow you take this injured man and slam his head into a wall where you hear the skull crack and blood is everywhere; it was unsettling. I understand why there is such violence in the game since they are trying to have a very serious and mature narrative about the fall of civilization, but in my opinion it's unnecessary. The Last of Us is special, it is a rare game that we experience maybe once every couple of years. Up to this point the developer’s finest achievement was the 2009 game of the year Uncharted 2, but this game might just be better. Its games like this that show the video game's are changing. No longer are games defined as mindless first person shouters where you go around and kill just because. Its games like the Last of Us and Bioshcock Infinite that show games can have complex and deep stories and are truly works of art. If you have a PS3, go get this game. If you don't you really are missing out on one of the best games this generation.

5/5 Stars 

American Beauty Review

American Beauty is viewed incorrectly by so many people it kind of bugs me. Many of those who didn't like it went in expecting a very serious drama, but that isn't what the movie's about. American Beauty is a satire; it is a satire of the stereotypical "perfect" lifestyle of American’s. You have a well off family of two parents (both employed) with a single child living in a nice area. The type of family every family wants to be when they start off. American Beauty pokes fun at that showing it's not so perfect. Those who were expecting a drama left the theater going "wtf." So if they did that they missed out on probably one of the 15 best movies of the 90's. Like I said earlier the movie revolves around an upper middle class family living in suburbia, but no one in this family is happy. The father (Lester) is a f*ck up who's wife and daughter are ashamed to be seen with him, the mother (Caroline) is inches away from a total mental breakdown and is no longer in love with her husband, and the daughter (Jane) is going through the typical rebellion phase and hates both of her parents. The story really begins with their new neighbors; a family moves in next door, the father (Colonel) is a task master gay-hating former marine, the mother who seems to be suffering from Alzheimer's, and a drug dealing son (Ricky) who has gained the reputation of being crazy after spending some time in a mental institution. Ricky becomes infatuated with Jane who is reluctant at first but later gains very strong feelings for him. One day Lester and Caroline decide to go see one of their daughter's cheer leading events at her school's basketball game. There Lester see's his daughters best friend Angela, a beautiful young woman and one of the most popular kids at her school, and falls for her instantly. Going through his mid life crisis he sets out to improve himself in the hopes his daughter's friend will become attracted to him, he also quits his job and blackmails his boss, buys a new car, and starts smoking a lot of weed. At the same time his family starts to fall apart; his wife is going crazy and cheats on him, his daughter is becoming more and more distant, and it turns out within a year of the beginning of the movie he will die (not a spoiler they say that two minutes in). And it's surprisingly enjoyable to watch this families life crumble away. I would list American Beauty as one of the greatest satires of all time, along movies like Dr. Strangelove and Network. American Beauty was considered by most to be the best movie of 1999, it even went on to win five Oscars (including best picture). On top of being critically praised it was also an astounding financial success. It grossed almost 25 times its budget (which is mind boggling). In my opinion American Beauty is extremely underrated; when you think of Oscar winners you think of movies like the Godfather, Lawrence of Arabia, and Gone with the Wind. American Beauty is one of those fantastic movies that people forget about. American Beauty is one of the best acted, best directed, and best written movies in years. A brilliant social commentary on American life on what we consider to be perfect, and it's a movie that I won't soon forget. 

Trainspotting Review

Whenever you talk about Danny Boyle the same topic always comes up, what is his best movie? Is it his 2008 Oscar winner Slumdog Millionaire, his underrated sci-fi epic Sunshine, or the greatest zombie movie of our times 28 Days Later. All of these are valid choices; but the most common answer would be the movie that put him on the map, Trainspotting. Considered by many to be a modern day classic, Trainspotting was released in 1996 to very positive reviews and heavy box office success. This is not a glamorous movie, this isn't a movie the actors would be proud to show their kids. Each character is a scumbag, a psycho, a heroin addict, or some combination of the three. The story revolves around a young man named Renton, a long time heroin addict and loser, and his group of friends who are in the same boat as he is. Renton is at a moral crossroad in his life. On one hand he wants to get clean and just live a normal life, and on the other he doesn't really give a sh*t. But after he and a friend get arrested he pleads out and instead of jail agrees to enter rehab. But after shooting up like two days later he almost OD's, his parents decide to help him out in his recovery. So they lock him in his old room for a couple days until he's clean. After being sober for the first time in years Renton tries to get his life together, so he moves away and tries to be "normal." But as you can imagine it's not really what he wants. This is one of the most memorable movies I think I've ever seen, it's not really like anything I can think of. Start to finish this movie is funny and original; it was even nominated for best adapted screenplay (which, in my opinion, should have won). Trainspotting is a truly underrated movie that not enough people have seen. The movie is actually on Netflix if you're interested, and what I mean by that is go watch it immediately. It's pretty awesome. 

Holy Motors Review

Not gonna lie, Holy Motors may be the strangest movie I've ever seen. Released in 2012, Holy Motors is Franco-German fantasy/drama that is like nothing I've ever seen before. The film was met with very positive reviews from critics and even appeared on numerous best of the year lists. The plot is simple but doesn't make much sense. A man named Mr. Oscar spends his day dressing up as other people and taking part in their lives. There’s a poor old woman, a crazy homeless guy, an old man on his death bed, a hit man, and a couple other roles. All of which can actually be related to roles that are commonly found in movies. One of the more interesting ones would be when he put on a motion tracking suit and simulated fighting (which is becoming more and more common in movies). Holy Motors is a movie of actions not words, there isn't a lot of speaking. The story is told through these absurd characters and crazy events. The acting is well done for the most part. The only stand out performance would be the lead actor who plays the character perfectly; the actor even won a couple awards for his part. Now the thing is I don't know why I liked this movie, but I did. The story doesn't make sense, there isn't much dialog and what there is isn't great, and for the most part the movie doesn't have a lot going for it. But there's something mesmerizing about Holy Motors that we don't see often in film. I would actually recommend this movie to others, it's really unique and I respect the director for taking such unorthodox chances. While movies like Holy Motors don't always work out, it's nice to see something every once in a while that's just really weird. 

Moulin Rouge! Review

I don't like musical's, that's just the way I am. I can count on one hand how many musicals I actually enjoy, but the one that stands above all the rest is Moulin Rouge. Running jover two hours I loved every minute of every scene, every song and dance number, all the performances, the style, the cinematography, the set pieces and costume design, everything. It really is just a joy to watch. Released in 2001, Moulin Rouge was loved by critics and audiences and became the first musical nominated for best picture in ten years. The movie is what you would call a jukebox musical which means the soundtrack consists mostly of already existing songs changed up to fit the movie. The story takes place in the very early 20’Th century in Paris, France. As you probably could have guessed, by the fact the movie's a musical; it's a love story (because every musical ever has some sort of love story). It's about an inspiring artist who moves out to Paris to pursue his dream; not long after being there he falls into an acting group consisting of several strange individuals. While out hoping to get a gig the group goes to the famous Moulin Rouge night club. There the young man meets the center attraction, a beautiful singer and actress that catches his attention immediately. Confusing him with the Duke (who she was supposed to have a private meeting with), she gets to know him and quickly falls in love. After spinning a quick lie about a show they plan to put on, the two lovers get to spend more time together. But the Duke (who thinks that the woman loves him) is being more than difficult. So the couple must try and keep their love secret, or die trying. Moulin Rouge changes throughout the movie; it starts off more like a comedy but ends as a heartbreaking drama. I always felt that the two stars do a great job and have great chemistry, plus the supporting cast also shine throughout the movie. The visual style of the movie fits perfectly as well, and Baz Luhrmann's directing style worked great (as compared to some of his other movies). I really do love this movie; it's a rare and delightful gem that we don't see very often. In my opinion this is a must see, even if you don't like musicals.