Whiplash Review

     The things that a person will go through to obtain perfection are astounding. They will push their mind, body, and soul to the absolute limits to be the best they can be. Throughout my life I have known many people like this, people who will push everything to the side except a single facet of their life. One of my very good friends in high school shut himself out from the rest of the world so he could study and have the best grades possible. Since he graduated in the top 20 of our class I guess you could say it worked, but at what cost. He alienated himself from his friends and completely missed out on his senior year. So was it really worth it. "Whiplash" premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival where it won both the Grand Jury and the Audience Award, a feat rarely done. This movie explores that search for perfection and what it can do for a person, and the journey it takes us on is one of the best of the year.

     Andrew Neyman is an extraordinarily talented young drummer who has hopes to be one of the best of all time. He attends one of the best and most competitive music schools in the country but is afraid he doesn't stand out. While practicing one day he is met by Terrence Fletcher, the teacher of the school's most prestigious band. After taking an interest in him, he decides to invite Andrew to join his band. Excited at first, Andrew soon discovers that Terence is a sadistic perfectionist who will verbally and physically abuse his students. While apprehensive if this is right for him, Andrew is determined to be the best and sticks it out. Practicing until his hands bleed, Andrew only improves; but he soon discovers that it will never be enough for Terence. 

     "Whiplash" is only the third film of director Damien Chazelle, and it is unquestionable that it will take him to new heights. For such a young director this is a very impressive outing, and it shows great promise for him in the future; he might be looking at a best director nomination. While this movie does almost everything right, what takes it to the next level would be the acting of Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons. I first saw Teller in the 2013 independent film ""The Spectacular Now," in which he immediately showed promise. He's most known for playing parts where he's quick witted and sarcastic, but in this movie he shows serious acting chops. It's also worth mentioning that he actually played the drums in this movie. Often where you see an actor play a musician, the music is added in later; but Teller really plays the drums, and he's damn good. Starring opposite of Teller would be J.K. Simmons, who gives what might be the best performance of his career. He's a commanding figure that always draws attention to himself. Imagine if a really mean drill sergeant decided to become a music teacher. What really helps these two is that their characters are so great; Teller's character is driven and hopeful while Simmons’s is a task master who does want his students succeed and will push them to their breaking point. In some ways they are polar opposites, but in others they are surprisingly similar. The film also features great cinematography and editing. The movie it is shot makes it feel alive; there are lots of cuts (especially during music scenes) that emphasizes what is going on and keeps it fast paced. And speaking of the music scenes, this movie has one of the best scores of the year. The jazz influenced band music is great and memorable; I really hope that it is at least nominated for best original score. It's also worth noting that the movie features one of the best adapted screenplays of the year. The movie does suffer from one drawback though, romance. The movie attempts a romance between Teller's character and a young woman towards the begging of the movie, but never really goes anywhere; it is short lived and ends abruptly. In all honestly it could have been cut from the film altogether, it plays such a minor part and doesn't add anything. Overall, this is an incredible movie and an impressive outing from such a new director. Worth all the acclaim that it has received, I really hope that it gets a much wider release. Exhilarating from start to finish, it is one of the best movies of the year.

Pros: Great performances by Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons, one of the best soundtracks of the year, great video editing and cinematography, interesting lead characters, well written screenplay, wonderful directing from Damien Chazelle. 

Cons: Romance feels tacked on and unnecessary.

4.5/5 Stars

Interstellar Review

     There's an old say that when an animal’s back is against the wall it is at its most dangerous, that statement describes humans perfectly. Faced with our own mortality, people will go to the end of the earth to survive; but what happens when there is no where left on earth to go to. The only logical answer is to look to the stars. That is exactly what "Interstellar" is about. Directed by one of the best directors currently working, Christopher Nolan, this has been the most anticipated movie of the year for a lot of people. It had a great cast, an interesting premise, and the fact that it was a Nolan movie only brought more attention to it. Since the first trailer, I couldn't even contain my excitement. I was convinced that this was going to be the next sci-fi masterpiece and would be the best movie of the year. So after waiting more than a year, "Interstellar" has finally taken flight. 

     Taking place in a not so distant future, Earth is dying. After years of trying to sustain billions of people, the entire world has entered into a sort of dust bowl; the soil is no longer fertile, and we are having trouble feeding so many people. Cooper, a farmer and former astronaut, lives with his two children and father-in-law; one day after a huge dust storm Cooper comes upon some sort of anomaly. After decoding what appears to be a message, it takes him to a secret base run by the government. He learns that about 50 years ago, a wormhole was discovered near Saturn that could lead to another galaxy with habitable planets. The people behind the mission ask Cooper to pilot the ship; reluctant about leaving his kids, he ultimately agrees since it might be the only way to save the human race. So along with a group of scientists they head out knowing that if they fail, all is lost.

     Going into 2014, I don't think there was a single movie I was more excited about seeing. I am such a huge Nolan fan, I was hoping this would be the next "2001: A Space Odyssey." Unfortunately though, it is not. One thing that really got me excited was seeing some of the cast, a lot of A-list actors with Matthew McConaughey at the helm. And as expected, everyone does great. There isn't a bad performance in the bunch. Even the kids do a really good job. They're assisted by the fact that the characters are so likable. You want nothing more for these characters to succeed because you see the hardships that they go through and you just want them to catch a break. The movie is also very emotional, on more than one occasion it had me almost tearing up. I did hear a few people in the theater full on crying. What really helps would be the musical score by Hans Zimmer, who always known the perfect piece to assist the scene. One thing that Nolan has become known for would be how beautiful his movies are, and "Interstellar" is no different. The cinematography and visual effects are gorgeous and Oscar worthy. There are multiple shots in this movie were you're jaw will drop of the sheer beauty. The film also has really great production value; Nolan really like to use practical effects and actual sets instead of having too much CGI, and it all looks really good in this movie. I think one thing that this movie really has going for it is that it is ambitious. The scope of the movie isn't something you see every day, and you can tell that Nolan had a vision for what this movie could be and went after it. And that just shows how great he is, and he really does an amazing job directing this movie. And while he does a great job, the movie doesn't always match stack up. The movie is very though provoking, I don't think anyone can deny that, but at times it tries too get a little to philosophical. It wants to be this incredibly deep thematic movie all of the time, but at a certain point you role your eyes and want it to hurry up. Also, this movie is very long; much more so than needed. At 169 minutes, they could have cut out about half an hour of footage. Personally, I think the last ten minutes shouldn't have been included at all. You think the movie is over but there is one more scene, and I think the movie would have been better without it. But the biggest problem would be the plot, it's jumbled. Nolan tries to fit so much into this movie that at times it loses itself in its own ambition. It just kind of jumps from one plot line to another; and towards the end it tries to tie a nice little bow on top, but you still might leave the theater confused and a little frustrated. "Interstellar" is not perfect, it suffers from a few problems that hold it back from being the next great space movie; still though, this is something I would recommend if you are at all interested. It is a beautiful, well acted movie that will make you think about your place in the universe when you leave the theater. It might not be the masterpiece I was hoping for, but it is another solid addition in Christopher Nolan's filmography. 

Pros: Great performances from the entire cast, likable characters you root for, beautiful cinematography and visual effects, solid production value, great directing from Christopher Nolan, very ambitious, thought provoking, really emotional at times, beautiful score. 

Cons: Half an hour too long, plot gets jumbled, tries a little too hard to be philosophical.

4/5 Stars

Birdman Review

     What happens to a star when they have nothing left, what happens when their career is in shambles and their fame is long gone? Usually they have two options, they either accept their fate with dignity and let the past stay in the past, or they do whatever is necessary to revitalize their dead career. When most former stars go for that second option though, it rarely works out. I feel it stems from a need to be special, that they have to be above the common folk. They crave for admiration and popularity, and will sell their souls for it. It's always been like this though, once someone has served their purpose they are nothing more than a faded memory and we just move on to the next young star. We often don't see these stars as people; we see them as a commodity to be used at our leisure. We rarely care what happens to them once we're finished, and through this attitude once great people are thoroughly destroyed. And its reasons like that why they will stake it all for one last chance of fame. 

     Riggin Thomas is a washed up, has-been of an actor most famously known for portraying a superhero named Birdman years back. After saying no to a fourth movie, his reputation started to slip through his fingers. Struggling with alcoholism and eventually getting divorced, Riggin didn't having a whole lot going for him. At the tail end of his career he decides to do a Broadway adaptation of Raymond Carver's short story "What We Talk About When we Talk About Love." Writing, directing, and starring, Riggin manages to put it together. Unfortunately, just a night before the first preview one of his co-stars is severely injured and has to be replaced. An acclaimed actor named Mike Shiner steps in to fill the roll, but is incredibly difficult to work with and tries to take over; and all this is happening when Riggin is slowly losing his mind. Haunted by the voice of Birdman, he attempts to balance the play as well as the relationship with his estranged daughter while slowly descending into madness and losing his grip on reality. Also, Riggin might have telekinetic powers.

     "Birdman" has a run time of 119 minutes, and for those 119 minutes I never even looked at my phone to see what time it was because I was so enthralled with what was happening on the screen. If you were to make the argument that film can be art, this would be a prime example. Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu did an amazing job with this movie, having absolute control of everything going on and filling it with several complex themes. It also does great job as a social criticism. It's very critical of Hollywood and the way that stars are treated; it also shines a light on the way critics and journalists work, who are more concerned about having a good quote than giving thorough critiques and really exploring their subject matter. But the movie doesn't come off to pretentious in that aspect, everything it says makes sense and refers to serious problems that should be addressed. One of the best features of this movie would have to be the acting, every member of the cast does a great job; Edward Norton, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts, and Zach Galifianakis Give some of the best performances of their careers. Undoubtedly though, it’s Michael Keaton as the lead who steals the show. He's incredible and has never been better, and I'm willing to bet money that he wins an Oscar. It does help that the writing is so good with such great dialog. By the end you are really rooting for these characters and only want to see them succeed. An interesting aspect of this movie would that it is almost satirical in a few ways, some of the characters act as parallels to the real actors' careers. Michael Keaton played Batman in the 1980s at the height of his career, and has never really been able to recapture that former glory. What's funny is that like the play is for the lead character, this movie could seriously revitalize Keaton's career. Another actor parallel would be Edward Norton who, like is character, is notorious for being difficult to work with. I will say that Edward Norton's story line could have been handled better towards the end. For most of the movie he plays a major part and is the source of much of the conflict, but in the third act his involvement just kind of tappers off. I feel the director purposely sought out actors who could so closely relate to these characters, and if so it worked perfectly. Something that everyone has been talking about would be the film's cinematography, and I will say it may be some of the best cinematography I have ever seen. The entire movie is designed to look like one continues shot, and it manages to do it through meticulous planning and clever cuts. One of my favorite aspects of "Birdman" would be the soundtrack and more precisely how it uses the music. Most of the score is only percussion based with a jazz influence and feels very in the moment. It makes the movie even more dynamic, in a way we don't often see. One of the few problems I have with the movie though would be the end; it's not that the ending was bad or inappropriate or even unsatisfying, it's just that I felt it could have been handled better. The last ten minutes or so could have ended in several other ways that would have ended itself better to the story overall. "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" is arguably the best movie of an already stacked year. It is smart, original, and in some ways genre defining. Only open in a few theaters, this is one of the most see movies of the year. Meant for true film lovers, it's movies like this that show that the cinema is not a dying art form. 

Pros: Oscar worthy performance from Michael Keaton, great performances from the entire cast, fantastic directing from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Oscar worthy cinematography, great use of music, great writing and dialog, complex themes, very funny at times, several sincere and emotional moments, critical of Hollywood and critics in all the right ways, the very definition of film as art

Cons: I didn't love the ending, Edward Norton's story-line just tappers off.

5/5 Stars

Nightcrawler Review

     We live in a society where the news is sensationalized to an absurd level. People don't care if the reporting is of high quality or if it has a happy ending, they want to see the dark side of our world. People seem to like rape and murder on their 8pm news. I've always believed people are like this because it confirms to them that the world is bad, and anything outside of their personal little bubble is dangerous. My biggest problem though is that the news knowingly exploits this, instead of covering what should be covered they decide to go after these sensational stories because that's what people want to see. It's a question of ethics, and most of the time the news doesn't seem to have any. I wish more people knew this, but obviously they wouldn't hear it from the news. "Nightcrawler" takes a serious look at the way we cover news, it’s social criticism disguised as a crime thriller. And through its criticism, it places itself alongside some of the best movies of the year.

   Louis Bloom is an ambitious young man just scrapping by in modern day Los Angeles with less than legal activities. One evening he is driving down the highway when he comes upon two cops rescuing a woman from a burning car. Shortly after, two men with cameras show up and film everything. Louis learns these two are nightcrawlers, freelance journalists who listen to police scanners at night and film breaking events. Louis is immediately attracted to this line of work and decides to get in on the action. So after acquiring a camera and a police scanner, he gets in on the action. Despite a rocky start, he ends up getting some good footage and sells it to a TV station. Once his foot is in the door, he starts his own company and even ends up hiring an intern to help him out. Louis is dedicated to his work and will do whatever it takes to get the best footage possible, and he soon finds out that his morals are pretty much non-existent when it comes to his work. 

     Ever since I saw the trailer for this movie, I had been excited; and after watching it, I can certainly say that it surpassed my expectations. Of all the things this movie does right there is a clear stand out, and that would be Jake Gyllenhaal. This isn't just the best performance of his career; it may be the best performance of the year. He will definitely be nominated for best actor, and has a serious chance of winning. He really brings to life this complex and sadistic character in a way most actors could not. And despite being the main character and not having a particular adversary, he ends up being the villain by the end. I also have to praise Rene Russo, she manages to stand alongside Gyllenhaal and may be nominated for best supporting actress. The movie also co-stars a young man named Riz Ahmed who plays Louis Bloom's assistant. While he doesn't do a bad job, he is overshadowed by Gyllenhaal every time they share the camera. I feel they could have found a dozen other actors who could have done a better job. One aspect that captivated me from the first shot to the closing scene would be the cinematography; it's beautiful and will likely be up for an Oscar. The writing is also great and features smart and fast paced dialog, it has to be one of the best screenplays of the year. The movie also does a great job with suspense, there were a few times I was on the edge of my seat; and the last twenty minutes might be the most nail biting moments we see in a movie all year. The film does suffer from one flaw that I couldn't help but not notice would be the characters, it's not that they're bad but they are so incredibly unlikable. They are all horrible people and you don't want to root for anyone. There's one decent guy among everyone and he's a minor character. Many times over the years we have seen despicable characters that are likable, but this movie doesn't have any. "Nightcrawler" is outstanding, I went to see it with a few friends and nobody had bad things to say. It paints a beautiful picture of LA's seedy underbelly and the flaws within US media. If "Nightcrawler" is playing anywhere near you, this is a must watch; it is one of the best movies of the year. It is dark, disturbing, and the creepiest film you'll watch anytime soon. 

Pros: Jake Gyllenhaal gives an Oscar worthy performance, beautiful cinematography, great writing, smart and fast dialog, Louis Bloom is a complex and unique character, great performance by Rene Russo, well directed, suspenseful.

Cons: Riz Ahmed is consistently overshadowed by Jake Gyllenhaal, very unlikable characters. 

4.5/5 Stars

John Wick Review

     When was the last time anyone said, "I heard the new Keanu Reeves movie was great." Acting since the mid 1980s, Keanu first came into fame with movies like "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" and "Point Break." He gained further fame as an action star with 1994's "Speed;" but with "The Matrix" in 1999, he became a household name. Unfortunately Reeves has fallen from grace since then, doing terrible movie after terrible movie. He's one of those stars we want to like but he's just not a great actor and constantly chooses bad roles. So to everyone's surprise when the first reviews of his new movie "John Wick" came out, they were overwhelmingly positive. Many said this was Reeve's comeback role, the one that would reestablish him as a real action movie star. Granted we have heard that statement many times over the years, but this time is may actually be true.

     John Wick is a simple, retired man whose wife had just passed away. Stricken with grief, he's not sure how he's supposed to go on with his life. The day of the funeral he receives something from his recently deceased wife, a dog that she had delivered to him upon her death. Meant to help him move on, he does his best and becomes attached to the dog. One day while at a gas station a young man and son of a Russian mob boss comes up to John offering to buy his classic muscle car, John responds in a way the man finds unsatisfactory. Later that night, the man and his associates break into John's hose to steal his car. Not only do they take it and rough him up, they kill his dog. When they take it to a chop shop to get forged papers for the car, the owner refuses to help after recognizing the car. Shortly after the man finds out who the John Wick is from his father, a world class hitman who used to do work for the mob. Really, really pissed off, John is not going to take this lying down; and will go through hell to get his revenge.

   Going into this movie, I knew absolutely nothing about it; I hadn't even seen the trailer. All I saw was that it had a lot of great reviews, so I gave it a shot. And knowing nothing going into it, I was pleasantly surprised. First off, I have to give it to Keanu Reeves; he does a great job in the leading role, and I can't imagine anyone else in the part. This might be his best performance, and that's including "The Matrix." It helps that John Wick is a likable character. Despite being a hitman and a murder, you root for him and want him to get his revenge. The movie manages to be surprisingly emotional at times, there are a few scenes where you feel for the title character; but on the other end of the spectrum, the movie does a good job interjecting unexpected humor into several scenes. More than once was the theater cracking up. But where this movie really shines would be the action, and it’s pretty awesome. There are several fantastic action sequences filled with beautiful fight choreography. The fights feel similar to "Taken," they're brutal, efficient, and in your face. It also helps that the movie has great cinematography which only ads to the action. The way it's shot and how the action plays out, it feels like if you took the action of "Taken" and combined it with the style of "Drive." The movie does have a few drawbacks though. "John Wick" suffers from more than a few action movie clichés that may take you out of it. Also, while the writing works fine there are some lines of dialog that aren't particularly good. Those complaints aside, this movie works. It may be the best American action movie since "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol." "John Wick" is a fun, badass action movie that is worth your time and money. 

Pros: Great performance by Keanu Reeves, fantastic action scenes, beautiful fight choreography, great cinematography, surprisingly emotional at times, does a good job interjecting comedy, likable main character.

Cons: Suffers from several action movie clichés, some dialog isn't particularly good.

4/5 Stars