Wish I was Here Review

     In 2004, "Scrubs" star Zach Braff made his directorial debut with the comedy-drama film "Garden State." To the surprise of pretty much everyone, the movie was actually really good and won several awards. What made the movie special was that it had a lot of heart to it; you could tell Zach Braff truly wanted it to be great and poured his heart and soul into it. With the success of "Garden State," Braff expressed interest in directing another movie; but for some reason, no company wanted to give him a chance or let him make the movie he really wanted to. So in 2013 he went to KickStarter, and asked his fans for help in funding the movie. The movement was a success, and he raised over three million dollars and was eventually picked up by a distributor. So after ten long years, Zach Braff gets another chance to show off his directing skills with his second movie "Wish I was Here."

   The movie revolves around a man named Aidan, a wanna be actor and father going through some rough times. After learning that he owes some money to his kid's private school, he goes to talk to his father (who agreed to pay as long as he chose the school). Aidan learns that his father's cancer had returned and is spreading; his father decides he wants to try an expensive experimental treatment and can no longer pay for the kid’s school. Aidan is terrified of the public school system, since he was bullied as a kid while in it, so he decides the only option is to home school his kids. Unfortunately, he has no idea what he's doing. Not long after, he gets words from his father's doctor, the treatment didn't work and there was nothing more they could do. Faced with his father's mortality, his own failed career, an unhappy wife, a brother who doesn't seem to care that their father is dying, and challenges with his kid’s education, Aidan just tries to stay strong and attempts to keep his family together while fixing everyone's problems. 

     Right off the bat I'll say that I certainly enjoyed "Wish I Was Here," but it is a mixed bag; it does many things right but just as many wrong. For the most part, the movie has a really good balance between comedy and emotional moments. Some jokes do fall flat, and it feels that the movie tries a little too hard to be emotional and philosophical at times; but the movie is still quite funny and there are a few scenes that might bring a tear to your eye. Probably the biggest problem with the movie is that the plot gets jumbled a times. Different things are happening with Aidan, his dad, brother, wife, and daughter all at the same time; and while they're related things can get a little messy. And with so much going on, I'd say it's about 20 minutes to long. Acting from the entire cast is really good; everyone from Zach Braff to the little kid who plays his son plays their roles very well. One thing that was evident immediately was the cinematography, this movie was shot beautifully. It's bright, colorful, and fits the mood of the movie perfectly. An aspect of the movie that I'm sure fans of Braff will like is that the movie is very reminiscent of his previous movie "Garden State;" some may see this as retreading of old water, but it still has that level of charm that made his last movie lovable. And like "Garden State," the movie has a really great soundtrack. This movie has many flaws, many of which can straight up ruin movies; but there is something here that many movies don't have, passion. Zach Braff puts more love and passion into every shot than most directors put into an entire movie, and you can see that throughout. "Wish I Was Here" isn't a perfect movie and came close to me giving it a bad review. But Zach Braff's hard work and determination didn't just save it, he made me like it. 

Pros: Often very funny and emotional, great soundtrack, good performances from the entire cast, beautiful cinematography, reminiscent of "Garden State," a lot of passion put into this movie.

Cons: Plot gets jumbled, 20 minutes to long, a few jokes fall flat, tries to hard sometime.

3.5/5 Stars

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Review

     "Planet of the Apes" is one of the most recognizable and culturally significant series to come out of America in cinema history. With a total of eight movies dating back all the way to 1968, few movie franchises have a legacy like this one; but it hasn't been all sunshine and roses. While the series is incredibly well known, I would call only two of the films good. For the longest time only the original was the only good one, but in 2011 we were greeted with a surprisingly great remake. "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" acted as a reboot for the series, and takes place long before the events of the original movie. It takes place just as the apes are starting to become more advance. One of the surprise hits of 2011, the movie was a critical and financial success and had fans begging for a sequel. After three the next installment has arrived, and it will most likely be remembered as one of the greatest sequels of all time.

   Ten years after the events of the previous film, the human population has been decimated. The drug used on the apes turned out to be lethal to humans; it caused a virus that spread throughout the planet. While humans have suffered, the apes that escaped from captivity and their children have thrived. Gaining even more intelligence, Caesar and his legion have set up a fully functioning society in the forests outside of San Francisco. To them, all seems right in the world; Caesar has a family and has led his people to success. One day some apes out hunting come upon some humans, the first they had seen in years. One of the humans ends up shooting an ape, which sparks the first conflict between humans and apes in a long time. It turns out the humans had been traveling to a dam near the forest that they hope can generate power for a small colony in the city. Most of the apes aren't trusting of the humans, and vice versa; but the humans need the dam, and are willing to go to war for it. So Caesar needs to make a decision, trust the humans enough to let them work on the dam or risk a war that could claim lives on both sides. 

     Putting it simply, "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" surpassed my expectations and my high hopes. Its 2011 predecessor was a surprise, and managed to reboot a series that had been dead for years. So all I wanted from the film was to be as good as the last one, but it managed to be better. The aspect of this film that is most evident would probably the great CGI and amazing motion capture. The CGI is Oscar worthy, and the motion capture is some of the best I've ever seen (matched only by a handful of films). It also helps that the movie is just beautifully shot with all around great cinematography. Throughout the film the acting is really good, everyone manages to hold their own and do justice to their characters; but the stand out star is easily Andy Sircus. Doing the motion capture for Caesar, he is incredible. Known for being one of the guys to pioneer motion capture by playing Gollum in "The Lord of the Rings" movies, he's able to put more emotion into an ape than most actors could ever hope to show. He's truly incredible, and if there was ever a case when someone doing motion capture could win an Oscar it would be him. Being a summer blockbuster, the movie's main purpose is to entertain; and fortunately it does just that. The movie is just plain exciting, I was never bored and it always managed to keep my attention. I had never had to pee so badly while sitting through a movie until this one, but I refused to get up because I didn't want to miss a thing. Filled with raw emotion and complimented by some intense action sequences, you'll never want to take your eyes off the screen. One of the biggest surprises was just how complex the movie was, it was so much deeper and had more interesting themes than the last movie; and that's exactly what a sequel needs to do in order to improve upon its predecessor, take a solid base and just make it more. "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" is to "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" as "The Dark Knight" is to "Batman Begins." I only had one real problem with the movie, the humans. They're just not that interesting, especially compared to the apes. Whenever humans are on screen, you just want them to go back to the apes. They're not bad characters; some just come off as bland. "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" is fantastic; it's as simple as that. The 2011 film managed to bring a dead series back, and they seem to just be improving on it. There has already been a confirmation that a third film is in the works and should be released in the next couple years. It has a lot to live up to but I think the people behind it can do it. 2014 has been a pretty great year for summer blockbusters, and "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" might be the best one yet. 

Pros: Great CGI, amazing motion capture, good acting from the entire cast, beautiful cinematography, more complex than expected, amazing performance from Andy Serkis, intense action sequences, gets pretty emotional at times, always keeps you interested, all around exciting, one of the best sequels ever.

Cons: Human characters aren't as interesting as their ape counterparts.

4.5/5 Stars

Locke Review

   A few months ago a friend of mine got to a special screening of a type of experimental film called "Locke." He said it was like nothing he'd ever seen, the entire 85 minute run time is just a single actor sitting in a car talking. At first it didn't sound very interesting, but he vouched for it and the reviews for the movie had been great. So I decided to give it a try, unfortunately I couldn't find it anywhere. It had been released in the UK, but only a limited release in the States. I looked everywhere but it didn't seem that it would be coming to a theater near me anytime soon. Well after months of waiting I finally got to watch it; and it's safe to say that "Locke" is truly a tour de force. 

     The story revolves around Ivan Locke, a construction manager, during an hour and a half car drive. The following day, Ivan is supposed to over see the largest concrete pour in Europe for a new skyscraper, unfortunately he is being plagued with family problems. A while back during a night of heavy drinking, he cheated on his wife; and later found out that the woman has decided to keep the baby. On this particular night, she has gone into premature labor. Ivan could very easily walk away from this situation, but stemming from problems with his own father he decides to be there for the mother and his baby. Originally, he was supposed to travel back home and watch a big soccer match with his family, who he ends up telling about the woman. And on top of all that, there are a series of problems involving the construction tomorrow that threaten to ruin everything. So he has to deal with his family falling apart, the baby that is about to come into this world through adultery, and work problems that threaten months of work all from the confines of his BMW. So it's pretty safe to assume this will be the single longest car ride of his life.

     "Locke" isn't really like any movie I have really ever seen; literally, the entire film involves one actor talking on the phone in his car for the entire run time. The closest comparison I can think of would be "12 Angry Men," but that had a dozen actors carrying the movie. In "Locke" the entire film rests on the shoulders of one actor. This movie could have been an absolute failure, a boring, uninteresting film that could put you to sleep. But to my surprise, it turned out to be one of the most compelling movies of the year. "Locke" is a one man show; Tom Hardy is the only person you see the entire movie, and he is incredible. He manages to show such range and emotion, and keeps you interested the entire time. It is the best performance of his career, one of the best performances of the year, and I really hope he gets nominated for an Oscar for this movie. In a film like this, where the driving force is the writing, dialog is the key. "Locke" is filled with great writing and smart dialog that keeps you interested for the entire film. One of the most striking aspects of the movie would be the cinematography; since the entire movie takes place in the car, I wasn't sure we would see much variety. But the cinematographer does a great job with a series of angles from inside the car as well as shots from the passing cityscapes. They really managed to turn this into a beautiful and expertly shot film. "Locke" manages to do just about everything right, but it does suffer from a single flaw; the movie lacks action. You’re always interested in the film, but watching it you really hope something dynamic would happen. While I was captivated the whole time, I imagine there are a lot of people who would find this movie plain boring; if so, that's their lost. "Locke" is a one of a kind movie; it's a unique experiment that's expertly executed. You can find "Locke" online, and if you have any interest watching it I would highly recommend it. It's one of the best and most interesting movies you'll see in 2014. 

Pros: Oscar worthy performance from Tom Hardy, surprisingly compelling, great writing with smart dialog, meticulous and well done cinematography, a unique experiment that's expertly executed.

Cons: Locks action and may bore some.

4/5 Stars

Best Movies of the Half Year and Awards 2014

Honorable Mentions: In Your Eyes, Veronica Mars, The Lego Movie, Godzilla, 22 Jump Street, Jodorowsky's Dune, The Normal Heart, Snowpiercer

Runner-Up #1 : Chef
"Chef" was a movie I hadn't heard about until two of my favorite film critics reviewed it and praised very highly. So I saw it was playing at my local theater and I checked it out, I loved it. Written, directed, and starring Jon Favreau, the movie follows a celebrity chef who ends up quitting his job at a fancy restaurant due to disagreements with his boss. Recently divorced and becoming distant from his son, he decides to be his own boss and buys a food truck in Miami. He then travels the country with his partner and his son serving up food on their way back to Los Angeles. A surprisingly great film, this is one that has flown under a lot of people's radar. Fortunately, due to word of mouth this movie is getting the recognition it deserves.

Runner-Up #2 : Captain America: The Winter Soldier
To be honest, up to its release I was not particularly interested in this movie; the main reason was that I hadn't been very impressed with the second generation of Marvel movies (consisting of "Iron Man 3" and "Thor: The Dark World") up to that point. But to my surprise, "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" was actually pretty great and a huge improvement over its lackluster predecessor. With improved CGI, awesome action sequences, well written dialog, and themes paralleling what is happening in our world today, "The Winter Soldier" doesn't just work as a badass superhero movie but also as a top notch spy thriller. This movie gives me hope that the upcoming Marvel movies can also be great, and it sure gets my pumped for "Avengers: Age of Ultron."

5. X-Men: Days of Future Past
I was looking forward to this movie since the moment I heard about it. It seemed that it was going to combine the best elements from the original X-Men movies and "X-Men: First Class." It was also going to be directed by Bryan Singer (director of the first two, and arguably best, X-Men movies). At one point I thought my expectations were to high and was afraid that the movie wasn't going to live up to my expectations; Fortunately, "X-Men: Days of Future Past" managed to go above and beyond all the expectations I had for it. Not only is it the best X-Men movie, I would rank it in the top five superhero movies ever. The next film in the series "X-Men: Apocalypse" (set to be released in 2016) is also set to be directed by Singer, and may even be the final X-Men movie with this group of actors attached to it. If so I'm sorry to see this saga to end, but it's produced some of the best superhero movies ever.

4. Blue Ruin
This was a movie I had never heard of until its release where I saw it had a 95% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, so I decided to give it a shot; and what I saw was one of the best stories of revenge I have seen in a very long time. The plot revolves around a homeless man who learns that the man responsible for the death of his parents is being released from prison, so he travels across country and tracks the man down; he then needs to make a decision, kill him and potentially ruin his life or let sleeping dogs lie. This is a dark and depressing film where, in the end, no one has a chance of winning. Funded through the website Kickstarter, this was a movie that came close to never being made. Fortunately though, some very generous people decided to give it a chance and because of them we got one of the best movies of the year.

3. How to Train Your Dragon 2
There were few movies this year I was looking forward to as much as this one. Being the sequel to my favorite animated film of all time, it had a lot to live up to; and amazingly, it did just that. "How to Train Your Dragon 2" is the sequel to my favorite animated film of all time, and the series is based off of a series of books that I read when I was younger (a few of them anyway). Taking place five years after the events of the first film, a young man named Hiccup (who learned how to befriend dragons) is coming into his own but his ambitions conflict with what his father wants for him. Filled with action, comedy, and heartbreak, "How to Train Your Dragon 2" is simply one of the best animated films of all time. A third film is set to come out in 2016, it has a lot to live up to but I believe DreamWorks Animation can turn this into the greatest animated trilogy ever alongside "Toy Story."

2. The Grand Budapest Hotel
Wes Anderson is one of the most talented, unique, and distinguished directors in the game right now. One of my personal favorite directors, "The Grand Budapest Hotel" is one of the best movies of his already impressive filmography. Taking place in a fictional 1930s Europe, the story follows a hotel manager and his lobby boy as he tries to claim a priceless painting gifted by him from a deceased lover; tons of shenanigans and Wes Anderson's sense of dry humor, "The Grand Budapest Hotel" is the funniest film he's ever made and maybe the funniest film of the year. Wes Anderson has been snubbed for tons of Oscar nominations over the years, but with all the acclaim surrounding this film I hope we see a lot of it this award season.

1. The Raid 2: Berandal
Going into 2014, this was one of my most anticipated movies of the year. The sequel to the 2011 action movie "The Raid: Redemption," "Berandal" was marketed as one of the greatest action movies of all time. After watching it, I can confirm that as a fact. Taking place right after the events of its predecessor, "Berandal" continues to follow the rookie cop Rama as he goes undercover to take down the biggest crime families in the city. While it stands out as an astonishing action film, the much improved dialog and story makes it work as a great gangster/crime thriller. 2014 has been a pretty great year for movies thus far, and there are many more movies coming out later this year that I am sure will be great; but in years to come, the film I will most remember from 2014 will probably be "The Raid 2: Berandal."

Best Actor in a Leading Role: Ralph Fiennes (The Grand Budapest Hotel)
Best Actor in a Supporting Role: James McAvoy (X-Men: Days of Future Past)
Best Actress in a Leading Role: Scarlett Johansson (Under the Skin)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Tie- Jennifer Lawrence (X-Men: Days of Future Past)/ Julia Roberts (The Normal Heart)
Best Animated Feature: How to Train Your Dragon 2
Best Cinematography: The Raid 2: Berandal
Best Costume Design: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Director: Wes Anderson (The Grand Budapest Hotel)
Best Documentary Feature: Jodorowsky's Dune
Best Film Editing: The Raid 2: Berandal
Best Foreign Language Film: The Raid 2: Berandal
Best Makeup and Hairstyling: X-Men: Days of Future Past
Best Original Score: How to Train Your Dragon 2
Best Original Song: Where No One Goes (How to Train Your Dragon 2)
Best Picture: The Raid 2: Berandal
Best Production Design: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Sound Editing: Godzilla
Best Sound Mixing: Godzilla
Best Visual Effects: Godzilla
Best Adapted Screenplay: X-Men: Days of Future Past
Best Original Screenplay: The Grand Budapest Hotel