Wednesday, February 28, 2018

TOP 20 BEST MOVIES OF 2017!

The time has come for us to reveal our list of the TOP 20 BEST MOVIES OF 2017! It was a long and arduous process, and we thank you for being so patient with us as we waited to see the last few stragglers in order to be as inclusive as possible. Our one honorable mention is "Their Finest," which we encourage everyone to see because it is a wonderful drama (and a wonderful accompaniment to both "Dunkirk" and "Darkest Hour" from 2017). Keep in mind, these are our favorite films of 2017, and we would love to know if you agree or disagree with this list. Let us know what your favorites were from last year!
20. "Raw" - Bloody, creepy, brutal, and awesome. We had no idea what to expect from this foreign horror, but boy did we love it!
19. "Thor: Ragnarok" - Brilliantly directed by one of our favs Taika Waititi, "Thor: Ragnarok" is hilariously funny, and super colorful. It puts a different spin on the character and makes him so much better than he has been in the past. A really fun movie!
18. "Baby Driver" - A music lover's dream! "Baby Driver" has excellent visuals, stellar performances, and incredible stunts. Edgar Wright nailed it with this film!
17. "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" - Look, it's cool if you watched "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" and promptly forgot about it. We will love it for you. In our opinion, this is a worthy follow-up to the original and is surprisingly emotional to boot. The new characters are awesome, the old characters get more to do, and we get some twists and turns along the way.
16. "Brigsby Bear" - An unexpected and uber creative gem about friendship, growing up, family, compassion, and understanding. It is eccentric and hilarious. Do yourself a favor and watch this quirky indie movie!
15. "Darkest Hour" - Most people will completely disagree with us, but we found "Darkest Hour" to be supremely compelling. It is rousing, dramatic, and has some of the best makeup work we have seen put to film in recent years. Gary Oldman absolutely kills it as Winston Churchill and gives the best male performance of 2017.
14. "Molly's Game" - Aaron Sorkin's directorial debut boasts a tremendous cast, expert dialogue, and tons of intrigue and drama. Jessica Chastain gives an incredible lead performance and Idris Elba is wonderful as well. This is a crazy-but-true film worth seeing!
13. "War for the Planet of the Apes" - The "Planet of the Apes" franchise has always had some of the best CGI we have ever seen, and this final installment in the trilogy continues its pristine trend of gorgeousness. It is a deeply involving, somber film with a brilliant lead performance by Andy Serkis.
12. "Good Time" - Calamitous, raw, realistic, and frenetic. Another fabulous hidden gem from 2017. The Safdie Brothers did a number on us with "Good Time." Robert Pattinson and Benny Safdie are glorious here.
11. "Spider-Man: Homecoming" - Another Spider-Man movie, you say? Luckily, "Spider-Man: Homecoming" is loads of fun. It forgoes the tired old Peter Parker origin story and makes it a relatable, tech-savvy coming-of-age tale as Peter tries to mature as both an individual and as a superhero. It will definitely make you smile. Plus, Michael Keaton is one of the best villains in the MCU.
10. "The Big Sick" - One of the best comedies AND romances of the year. Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon's "The Big Sick" is heartwarming, tearjerking, and so, so lovely. Nanjiani and Zoe Kazan have terrific chemistry, and supporting actors Aidy Bryant, Holly Hunter, and Ray Romano shine and delight.
9. "Stronger" - Overlooked and underseen, "Stronger" is one of the best true-life stories from 2017. Powerfully dramatic without being hammy or phony, it has wonderful performances by Jake Gyllenhaal and Tatiana Maslany in a story about a reluctant hero. What a excellent movie!
8. "mother!" - Where to begin... "mother!" wowed us from day one. Jennifer Lawrence gives one of the year's best performances in this controversial, visually striking, and divisive allegorical film. Director Darren Aronofsky sure knows how to make a movie that gets people talking. PS: FUCK YOU, RAZZIES!!!
7. "Logan" - Violent, heartbreaking, and well made, "Logan" is said to be Hugh Jackman's last performance as Wolverine. He is a marvel in James Mangold's latest film where he is a grizzled older man beaten down by life mentally, emotionally, and physically after his decades of hard-fought battles with the X-Men. This is a stupendous send-off for Jackman in a bloodier, sadder comic book movie that exceeded our expectations.
6. "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" - This movie gets better with each viewing. "The Last Jedi" brings unexpected endings, fabulous new beginnings, and an uncertainty we're excited to see moving forward in the "Star Wars" series. This is a supremely emotional second installment in the new trilogy of films and boasts some marvelous character development. We will truly miss seeing Carrie Fisher going forward.
5. "Wind River" - "Wind River" has been unfairly overlooked this year at all major awards ceremonies. It is absolutely deserving of praise, accolades, and attention. What Taylor Sheridan accomplishes here is telling a tragic but important story with sharp-tongued dialogue and stellar acting. It is an exquisitely made movie about loss and juxtaposes the horrific nature of humans and what awful atrocities can happen with a place that is so serene looking. It is inspired by true events and pulls back the curtain on important issues related to life and crime on Native American reservations, especially against women. A MUST-SEE FILM!
4. "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" - Not everyone will agree with this choice, but we loved "Three Billboards." It is provocative, difficult to watch, and steeped in dark humor and irony with characters that hover in a moral gray area. Frances McDormand gives a powerhouse, layered performance, and Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson are excellent as her on-screen counterparts. We believe it is sufficiently tragic, enthralling, brutal, and powerful.
3. "The Disaster Artist" - The best comedy of 2017. We love "The Room," but even if we didn't, we would still agree with that statement. "The Disaster Artist" is painfully funny, ironic yet hopeful, a love letter to those with talent and to those with a lack thereof.
2. "Get Out" -  We knew"Get Out" would instantly be in our top 5 films after we watched it. We couldn't get it out of our heads all year. It's poignant, scary, and effective as both a horror and as a satire. Jordan Peele has created something intelligent and magnificent. It will make the audience uneasy and keep them engaged the entire time. It's surprisingly funny, extremely nuanced, and painfully socially relevant.
1. "The Shape of Water" - "The Shape of Water" is the kind of movie that reminds us why we love cinema. Watching it was a magical, haunting, tremendous experience. It is visually interesting, ethereal, romantic, horrific, and thought-provoking. Guillermo del Toro has crafted a masterpiece with this film. This is a fairytale come to life! Sally Hawkins is a marvel, Octavia Spencer is perfect, Richard Jenkins is wonderful, and Doug Jones as the creature is a breath of fresh air. We are absolutely enamored with this film, from Alexandre Desplat's unique mood-setting score to Dan Laustsen's stunning cinematography. GO SEE THIS MOVIE!!!

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Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Movie Review: "True Grit" (2010)

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Movie: "True Grit"
Year Nominated: 2011
Director: Joel and Ethan Coen
Rating: PG-13
Oscar Nominations: 10
Oscar Wins: 0
Running Time: 1 hour, 50 minutes

A 14-year-old girl hires a U.S. Marshal to hunt down the man who murdered her father.

Is "True Grit" the movie that started the marble/mush-mouth accent Jeff Bridges has used in tons of films since 2010? We reckon so! This movie is written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, so you know it has got to be good. They have directed some of our favorite films, including "O Brother, Where Art Thou?," "No Country for Old Men," and "The Big Lebowski." It is a remake of the John Wayne-led western of the same name from 1969. The aforementioned Jeff Bridges takes on the role of the one-eyed alcoholic lawman named Reuben 'Rooster' Cogburn. Joining him is Hailee Steinfeld in her feature film debut as Mattie Ross, a 14-year-old girl who has a smart business sense and an even smarter mouth. Mattie is determined to hunt down the man who killed her father come hell or high water. She hires Rooster for the job because it is said he is the meanest U.S. Marshal around and is also the least likely to bring in a suspect alive. Mattie just has one catch: she gets to come along for the manhunt and nothing will dissuade her from doing so. Also in the film are Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, and Barry Pepper.

"True Grit" is another film in a long line of worthy examples that proves remakes aren't inherently awful. It probably helps to have a couple of writer/directors as talented as The Coen Brothers to do the remake justice, but that's beside the point. This proves to be an impressive western full of wonderful performances and a surprising amount of humor. Both Hailee Steinfeld and Jeff Bridges are fantastic and build an interesting relationship with one another as Mattie strives to kill the man who betrayed and murdered her father. They are the perfect opposites: Rooster is gruff and mean, and she is stubborn but sweet and always speaks frankly. Both Steinfeld and Bridges received very deserved Oscar nominations for their performances. Matt Damon isn't terrible either and gives one of his better performances as Texas Ranger LaBouef. Apart from the acting, the direction is excellent and the cinematography is absolutely stunning. We were not at all surprised when we noticed Roger Deakins' name pop up as cinematographer as the credits rolled. Deakins does a brilliant job capturing the dusty, dreary southern landscape.

The story here is a simple tale of justice and revenge, but it's the characters, the performances, and the dialogue that helps it be a supremely engaging, highly successful western film. Many westerns movies just don't have the - wait for it - grit, to be successful. The "True Grit" remake has almost everything fans of the genre could want and is compelling enough to please those who are not huge fans of westerns. We will admit, we only seem to like the cream of the crop of the genre ("High Noon," "Unforgiven," The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly," "Quigley Down Under"), but Joel and Ethan Coen have done an astounding job making this old story their own. They get the audience invested regardless of the fact that it is about cowboys and outlaws. It has been a while since we have seen the original, but from what we remember, we may actually enjoy this version more.


My Rating: 9/10
BigJ's Rating: 9/10
IMDB's Rating: 7.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 95%
Do we recommend this movie: ABSOLUTELY YES!!!

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Monday, February 26, 2018

Movie Review: "Black Panther" (2018)

Director: Ryan Coogler
Year: 2018
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 2 hours, 14 minutes

Prince T'Challa returns home after the death of his father to officially become the king of Wakanda. Meanwhile, Erik Killmonger and Ulysses Klaue hatch a plan to steal Wakandan vibranium and sell it on the black market, but one of them may have a grander scheme in the works.

We are now 18 movies into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and if "Black Panther" is any indication of what's to come for the rest of this universe, it's in pretty damn good shape. "Black Panther" is directed by Ryan Coogler. We loved his other directorial efforts "Creed," and "Fruitvale Station." Coogler also helped write this movie's screenplay with Joe Robert Cole. The film is based on a comic book series by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. It stars Chadwick Boseman reprising his role as T'Challa, aka The Black Panther. After the death of his father T'Chaka, T'Challa is heir to the throne and will soon be crowned king of Wakanda. Once he becomes the king, he must defend Wakanda and its population. As the Black Panther, however, T'Challa must protect his people and keep the country's most precious resource, vibranium, from falling into the wrong hands. Meanwhile, arms dealer Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis) teams up with the military trained Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) to steal some vibranium and sell it on the black market, though one of them may have the long game in mind. With the help of his personal bodyguard Okoye (Danai Gurira), a Wakandan spy named Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o), and his tech-wiz sister Shuri (Letitia Wright), T'Challa hopes to end whatever scheme Klaue and Killmonger have hatched, and also must defend the country's valuable supply vibranium from any invaders.

This film deals with complex political ideals of isolationism versus duty to the global community. T'Challa as a character has a very good arc in that aspect as his views on the situation evolve over the course of the film, as do his views towards what he thought to be the truth. He discovers that good and evil, right and wrong, are not always so black and white and that the line between the two is a very blurry one. The turmoil in "Black Panther" is far more intimate than it has been in any of the past MCU films. It isn't a case of "if I fail, the entirety of mankind will be wiped out." It means "failure now means bigger problems later down the line." The situation and the anger here are far more personal to all of the characters involved.

One of the bigger problems comic book movies have faced in the past is failing to properly develop each villain. We have seen this issue in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we have seen it in the DC Extended Universe, and we have seen it in the Fox and Sony properties as well. Luckily, "Black Panther" does not have that problem. Killmonger is one of the most well-developed villains in the MCU. He is a fully fleshed out character, and we understand his motivations and can even sympathize with them at times.

The acting is great across the board. We have always been big fans of Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Andy Serkis, and Martin Freeman for a long time, and they are all wonderful in their respective roles. T'Challa is powerful, tough, smart, and always tries to do what is right for his people and his country. Killmonger is an excellent villain who threatens to burn it all down. Oyoke is fierce, strong, and loyal to her country. Nakia is badass, empowered, and still vulnerable when she needs to be. Klaue...C'mon, is there anyone better than Andy Serkis to play an unhinged maniac arms dealer? Though all of these characters are enjoyable, it's Letitia Wright's character Shuri who really stole the show for us. Talk about brilliant! She's funny and a smartass, wise beyond her years, and is an excellent "sidekick" that we hope to see more of in the future. Now, "Black Panther" does have a few problems as some of the CGI, especially in the climactic showdown, becomes a little too video game-like. We must admit, it was a little distracting. Also, we felt there were a couple of pacing issues early on in the film as characters and situations are being set up. It isn't until Killmonger finally shows up that the story really gets going. Still, these are still minor complaints.

"Black Panther" is another wonderful addition to the MCU. It is its own separate entity but fully combines with the rest of the cinematic universe and will take us right into "Infinity Wars." Ryan Coogler did an incredible job directing this movie. Rachel Morrison's gorgeous, striking cinematography makes it even more compelling. The costume design by Ruth Carter is colorful, iconic, authentic, and brimming with culture. If Marvel keeps churning out quality like this, they have very little to worry about moving forward.

My Rating: 8.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB's Rating: ~7.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: ~97%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!

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Sunday, February 25, 2018

Movie Review: "Taxi Driver" (1976)

Year Nominated: 1977
Director: Martin Scorsese
Rating: R
Oscar Nominations: 4
Oscar Wins: 0
Running Time: 1 hour, 54 minutes

A taxi driver's downward mental spiral leads him to become a vigilante.

It's a little hard to say what the message of a movie like "Taxi Driver" really is. Is it condemning society's idolization of vigilantism? Is it praising vigilantism? Or, is it merely an exploration of one man's descent into madness with a little bit of an ironic ending? "Taxi Driver" is directed by the legendary Martin Scorcese. He would go on to direct Academy Award-nominated and winning films like "Raging Bull," "Goodfellas," "Gangs of New York," and "The Departed." It is written by Paul Schrader, who has written films like the aforementioned "Raging Bull," as well as "American Gigolo" and "The Last Temptation of Christ." The film stars Robert De Niro as taxi driver Travis Bickle, a minimally educated former Marine who seems to be at the very least socially awkward and at the most plagued with a development mental disorder. Bickle sees the crime and muck in the world around him and is disgusted by it and wishes he could do something about it. He falls for a political campaign manager named Betsy (Cybil Shepherd), who is a mismatch for him in every way. When Travis is eventually and inevitably rejected by Betsy, it pushes him off the deep end as his fantasies of becoming a vigilante start to take over.

We have to wonder if anyone idolizes a character like Travis Bickle. Is there anyone who dreams of being a mentally disturbed man who violently takes the law into his own hands and only does so after he fails at his initial task? Does anyone want to be an accidental antihero? It's a scary thought, but hey, people idolize Batman, so is it much of a stretch? Many regard this as one of Scorsese's best films. We have seen it multiple times now, and though we think it is a solid movie, truth be told, it is not fantastic. Robert De Niro does put on an iconic performance as a man spiraling out of control who eventually snaps after a woman rejects him. He earned an Oscar nomination for his role as Bickle, though he didn't take home a trophy that year. Also tremendous in her much smaller performance is Jodie Foster as 12-year-old prostitute Iris, the eventual goal of Bickle's delusional hero trip. Foster was also nominated for a supporting actress Oscar.

Martin Scorsese has always had a great eye, and there are a lot of wonderful visuals in this film. You can practically smell the dank, dirty New York sewers coming through the television screen simply because of his brilliant directorial efforts. The story, however, is a bit meandering. A slow paced story is a staple of Scorsese's films, and since "Taxi Driver" is more of a character sketch, it doesn't have a standard narrative that regularly drives the story forward. It takes its time exploring different aspects of its protagonist's personality. The ending of this movie and its meaning are up for debate. Some see it as a final dream sequence, an emotional catharsis for a crazy man's mad rampage. Pretty much everyone involved with the film claims that is not the case. Now, the big question to us is: is the ending of the film meant to applaud Bickle's actions, or condemn society's views towards vigilante justice? What you think the ending is trying to say and how you feel about the subject at hand can greatly impact your feelings towards this movie. We can debate the meaning without much conclusion, so at least it makes the audience think about it and discuss it. That being said, the trip getting to that ending isn't as engaging as we had hoped. Despite multiple viewings of the film, we still feel the same way. We do applaud many aspects of "Taxi Driver," but we don't think it's as profound as some would have you believe.

My Rating: 7.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 7.5/10
IMDB's Rating: 8.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 98%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!

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Movie Review: "The Ritual" (2017)

Director: David Bruckner
Year: 2017
Rating: TV-MA
Running Time: 1 hour, 34 minutes

A group of friends goes on a hiking trip to pay respects to a former member of their group who was killed in a liquor store robbery. During the trip, one friend hurts his leg so, in order to make the hike shorter, they decide to take an alternative route through the forest. Once they are in the forest, strange things start to occur. 

Oh no! Someone in our hiking party is injured! What should we do!? Should we stick to the well-charted and often patrolled path, or should we take a shortcut through a thick forest full of unknown terrain that will obviously not be faster even though it's shorter? Well, "The Ritual"  This movie is directed by David Bruckner, who has directed numerous horror films including "The Signal," "Southbound," and the "Amateur Night" segment of the horror anthology "V/H/S." It is written by Joe Barton, who also wrote the Netflix sci-fi superhero flick "iBoy" and is based on the novel by Adam Nevill. The film stars Rafe Spall, Sam Troughton, Arsher Ali, and Robert James-Collier as Luke, Dom, Phil, and Hutch, a group of old college friends who go on a hiking trip to pay respect to another friend of theirs who was murdered in a convenience store robbery. On the hike home, Dom twists his ankle and believes he has torn his meniscus. Hutch proposes the group take a shortcut through the forest to shorten their journey back to civilization. Once they are in the woods and cannot turn back, they come across a creepy cabin full of witchcraft relics. From that point on, weird things start to happen as they completely lose their way and may even lose their lives.

When "The Ritual" first starts off, David Bruckner does a good job establishing an eerie mood and succeeds in building tension early on. However, as the film progresses, all of that pent up mood and anxiety dwindles away as the story starts to feel repetitive and loses its creep factor very quickly. It sets up a bunch of mysteries as to what really occurred the night they spent in the witch's cabin, but the story doesn't do a sufficient job answering the questions that arise from these mysteries. It is never all that clear what is a hallucination and what is actually real, which left us wondering what the overall point really was.

What we hoped would be a moody horror film with a little more depth turned out to be a rather basic "boo! in the night" creature feature. It regularly borrows elements from other flicks and uses genre tropes to the point of cliche. Once the scary movie elements kick in, there is nothing but confusion and conflict. There is no real rhyme or reason to it all. The narrative doesn't have a good cause and effect progression. It seems like there are specific moments Bruckner wanted to add into the movie but had trouble finding ways to get them to fit naturally into the story, so he said: "screw it, I'm going all in!" The final act feels very underwhelming and is extremely unsatisfying. We thought the writer and director were trying to truly say something deep about regret, but this entire aspect seems like nothing more than a plot device. By the end of it, regret has little to do with the overall theme of the film.

 "The Ritual" is competently made and well acted, but it sets the audience up for a deeper, more meaningful story that's always lurking just below the surface, but unfortunately, it never comes.

My Rating: 5/10
BigJ's Rating: 5/10
IMDB's Rating: 6.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 69%
Do we recommend this movie: Meh.

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Saturday, February 24, 2018

Movie Review: "In Old Arizona" (1928)

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Year Nominated: 1930
Director: Irving Cummings
Rating: Passed
Oscar Nominations: 5
Oscar Wins: 1
Running Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes

A wanted outlaw named The Cisco Kid romances the woman he loves while avoiding the man tasked with killing him.

"In Old Arizona" was nominated for five Oscars. It was tied with "The Patriot" for the most nominations at the second annual Academy Awards ceremony. Keep in mind, this was at a time when there was only seven categories total, so five nominations was most likely a huge deal. The movie is directed by Irving Cumming and Raul Walsh and is written by Tom Berry. It stars Warner Baxter as The Cisco Kid, a charming outlaw who appears to be more interested in romance than anything else. His love is for one woman, Tonia Maria (Dorthy Burgess), who he thinks is a loyal lover but isn't as faithful as he believes. Also in the film is Edmund Lowe as Sergeant Mickey Dunn, the man tasked with hunting down The Cisco Kid. Dunn also views himself as somewhat of a lady's man. The Cisco Kid thinks he has it all figured out, but when he asks Tonia to send a message to Dunn for him, she shows her true colors, which may put The Cisco Kid in danger.

Some movies just don't age well. "In Old Arizona" is certainly one of them. There are some people in the cinephile community that go absolutely bonkers if anyone dares insult the original films that set the stage for what we know and love as present-day Hollywood. We are not those people and have no problem giving our honest opinion on this film. We have to wonder how this got nominated for so many Oscars, and then have to tell ourselves, "it was the late 1920's, "talkies" were a new thing, and well, not much was going on in 1928 to facilitate a super interesting story." "In Old Arizona" is actually the first western film to use sound, and it is the first talkie to be shot outdoors. We have to imagine much of its accolades and attention arose out of the technical achievements for its time.

The best thing about this movie is easily Warner Baxter, who can be both funny and charming in his role. He took home the Academy Award for best actor that year, which was the only Oscar this movie would actually win. Edmund Lee and Dorthy Burgess are fine in this film, but you can tell they got their start in silent films. It is especially noticeable with Burgess, whose every physical motion and expression is overly exaggerated, a common practice in silent movies. Where this film really suffers is in its story. It starts out as a manhunt for The Cisco Kid, but the most Sergeant Dunn does to find him is sit in a bar and twiddle his thumbs hoping Cisco will show up. What this movie winds up being is a romantic love triangle about infidelity, jealousy, and revenge. Still, there is no tension and little excitement. Nothing interesting happens until the last few minutes of the film. We guess some may try to call it a slow burn, but we would simply call it boring. Not every classic film needs to be seen, even if it is as technologically groundbreaking as "In Old Arizona" was in 1928. The time it would take to pay attention to this movie just isn't worth wasting.


My Rating: 3/10
BigJ's Rating: 3/10
IMDB's Rating: 5.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 56%
Do we recommend this movie: AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!

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Friday, February 23, 2018

Movie Review: "Suspicion" (1941)

Year Nominated: 1942
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Rating: NR
Oscar Nominations: 3
Oscar Wins: 1
Running Time: 1 hour, 39 minutes

 A woman becomes increasingly suspicious of her husband's behavior and thinks he may be planning a crime to get the money to pay off his enormous debts.

You know, you should probably find out if the person you are in a relationship with has no money, has massive debts, has a gambling problem, or has any other terrible vices before you actually marry them...just thinking out loud.

"Suspicion" is directed by cinema legend Alfred Hitchcock. He has directed many iconic films including "Psycho," "Vertigo," "Rebecca," and "North by Northwest." This movie stars Joan Fontaine as Lina McLaidlaw, an heiress that Alfred Hitchcock would like us to believe is not a complete knockout. One day while riding the train, Lina meets a young playboy named Johnnie Aysgarth (Cary Grant). After a Sunday afternoon stroll one day, Lina falls madly in love with Johnnie. The two eventually get married and go on their honeymoon. As soon as they get back, Lina begins to learn some rather unsavory things about the man she wedded. She discovers that Johnnie is broke, has a gambling problem, and has a hefty amount of debt. As his behavior becomes increasingly more secretive, Lina starts to suspect Johnnie has more sinister intentions in mind in order to wipe his debt clean.

The first thing we thought while watching "Suspicion" is "wow, that escalated quickly." Lina goes from having just met Johnnie to deeply pining for him. She quickly falls madly in love with him and then they get married when it appears they have spent no more than a few minutes tor a few hours with each other at most. Talk about jumping in head first without looking! Of course, that lack of actual intimate knowledge or genuine friendship is required for this story to work. The fact that Lina married a man she hardly knows lends to her suspicions about him. All the things she learns are things someone should know before saying yes to marriage. Now she is stuck learning as she goes and already has too much in the pot to fold her cards and walk away.

When "Suspicion" first begins, it appears to be an average romantic comedy, the young "Hollywood frumpy girl" meets the dashing and devilishly charming playboy who is very worldly but is finally ready to settle down. There is a lot of humor and it all feels mostly like a light romance. Then, the second act starts and the lies and deceit pour in fast. We see Joan Fontaine's Lina struggle to come to terms with her husband's Johnnie's actions. She even begins to suspect him of planning a murder. It turns into this big suspense mystery, though Grant and Nigel Bruce are always lurking around to deliver a good quip or two to keep the comedy aspect alive. Fontaine is really brilliant in these moments of uncertainty. Her face is so expressive without saying a word. Fontaine does a wonderful job juggling numerous different emotions. She was so great, in fact, that she took home the Oscar for best actress for this role. Cary Grant is no slouch either. However, it's a role we've seen him play before, so we know he does it well.

Director Alfred Hitchcock had a real knack for creating films with compelling narratives and "Suspicion" is no exception. This was our first time watching this movie and we absolutely loved it.


My Rating: 8.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB's Rating: 7.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 96%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!

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Thursday, February 22, 2018

Movie Review: "L.A. Confidential" (1997)

Director: Curtis Hanson
Rating: R
Oscar Nominations: 9
Oscar Wins: 2
Running Time: 2 hours, 18 minutes

Three cops with very different ways of doing business look into a mass murder that took place at a late night diner. As they look further into the incident, it may turn out to be more than just a simple robbery gone wrong.

Ah, the 1950s, a time when the police didn't let pesky little things like civil rights get in the way of finding their perp...or at least their scapegoat. "L.A. Confidential" is directed by Curtis Hanson, who has helmed other films like "The Hand that Rocks the Cradle," "River Wild," and "8 Mile." He also helped write the screenplay along with Brian Helgeland. It is based on the novel of the same name by James Ellroy. It stars Guy Pearce as a straight-laced career-climbing cop named Ed Exley, who does everything by the book and will not hesitate to rat out fellow officers who bend the rules. Joining him is Russell Crowe as Bud White, a violent cop who is willing to bend or straight-up breaks the rules whenever necessary in order to find a perpetrator. Lastly, we have Kevin Spacey as Jack Vincennes, a narcotics cop-turned-vice agent who is a consultant on a television cop show and enjoys the fame and limelight that comes with it. Jack tends to make deals with tabloid reporters to keep his name in the papers. These three cops, who each have an entirely different approach to their job, all wind up looking into a robbery and mass murder at the Night Owl Diner. One of the victims of this crime was Bud's partner Dick Stensland, played by Graham Beckel. Also in the film are Kim Basinger, Danny DeVito, James Cromwell, and David Strathairn.

This neo-noir crime thriller is not only set in the 1950s but also somehow captures the very essence of 1950s filmmaking. It is modern in many ways when it comes to its levels of violence, sex, and language, but there is still a very "classic film" feel to the way it looks, to the way characters act, and to the way dialogue is delivered. "L.A. Confidential" is a movie with a lot of characters and a lot of threads that eventually all come together, though the road to get to its conclusion is a little bumpy and disjointed at times. That being said, the overall story remains very compelling. The film explores themes like police corruption and abuse of power, especially how prevalent they were back in the day...if you follow the news, it's painfully clear that practices such as planting evidence and abusing suspects are things that still happen way too frequently today.

The acting in the film is very good. Russell Crowe plays the raging ball of fury character quite well. Hard-nosed brute is a role he has revisited numerous times in his career (and has also revisited outside of it... what? We are already blocked by the guy on Twitter, so we might as well get our digs in, right?). This movie also served as a breakout role for Guy Pearce here in the states. He would use this as a launching pad to get much more work stateside, and we think this was the perfect role for him. Pearce is great as Exley even if he's a narc. Though this film is very focused on the men and the police officers in the story, it was Kim Basinger who took home an Academy Award for her best-supporting-actress role as celebrity lookalike prostitute Lynn Bracken. She is very good in her part, but we aren't sure it was an Oscar-worthy performance, especially considering the caliber of talent nominated that year.

In the end, there is a lot of intrigue in "L.A. Confidential," along with some solid performances, some interesting dialogue and plot points, and a helluva lot of blood.


My Rating: 8/10
BigJ's Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB's Rating: 8.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 99%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!

Please be sure to check out Lolo Loves Films all over the internet!
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Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Movie Review: "Atlantic City" (1980)

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Year Nominated: 1981
Director: Louis Malle
Rating: R
Oscar Nominations: 5
Oscar Wins: 0
Running Time: 1 hour, 44 minutes

When a woman's estranged husband returns home looking for a way to unload a stash of stolen drugs, he hooks up with his wife's neighbor, an old small-time gangster who sees this as an opportunity to relive his glory days. Since the drugs were stolen, it brings trouble to everyone involved.

When we look back at many of the movies that have been nominated for Oscars throughout history, sometimes we scratch our heads and wonder what the social climate was like at the time that allowed this or that particular film to be nominated for Best Picture. This is what happened when we were finished watching "Atlantic City." It is directed by Louis Malle and is written by Jon Guare. It stars Susan Sarandon as Sally, a woman who works at an oyster bar inside a casino in Atlantic City and has dreams of becoming a card dealer in Morocco. When her no good, estranged husband Dave (Robert Joy) shows back up after running away with her sister Chrissie (Hollis McLaren), it throws Sally's life into chaos. Dave recently stole a stash of drugs and is looking to earn a quick buck before he and Chrissie's baby is born. He eventually approaches Sally's neighbor Lou (Burt Lancaster), who was once a small-time gangster, to help him unload the drugs. Lou happily accepts as he is looking to relive his youth. When the people Dave stole the drugs from come looking for them, it puts everyone's lives in danger.

There is a lot going on in "Atlantic City." In some ways, it is this crime drama. In other ways, it is a romance. It is also a bit of a slice-of-life film about a woman trying to follow her dreams and make her life right. Despite the fact that Susan Sarandon's Sally seems like the main character of the story, she is actually little more than a bystander and footnote in the majority of the film. Most of the meat of the narrative is allocated to Lou and Dave. Sally is merely the catalyst that brings the two of them together due to Lou's obsession with her and because Dave is her estranged husband/new brother-in-law of sorts. This situation enables Lou to become the bigshot he never got to be in his youth, allowing him to pursue a relationship with Sally despite being 30+ years her senior. The plot can be a bit meandering at times and it isn't always completely engaging. It isn't a long movie but sure feels much longer than it is. Luckily, the acting is solid from Sarandon and Lancaster, both of whom were nominated for an Oscar for their performances in the film. We can't really say either of their roles are all that layered, and neither of their characters or their portrayals of them elicited much emotion from us.

"Atlantic City" is one of the most forgettable Best Picture nominees we've seen. This film will likely be tucked away in our memories until a decade down the road when we realize, "oh yeah, we did watch that one."


My Rating: 6/10
BigJ's Rating: 6/10
IMDB's Rating: 7.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 100%
Do we recommend this movie: Sure, why not?

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Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Movie Review: "Loving Vincent" (2017)

Director: Dorota Kobiela & Hugh Welchman
Year: 2017
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 1 hour, 34 minutes

The son of Vincent van Gogh's mailman investigates his death by interviewing the people who knew Vincent when he was alive.

We love animated movies, so we were excited to see "Loving Vincent" since it looked like one of the most visually compelling films to be released in 2017. It is directed by Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman, who also wrote the screenplay along with Jacek Denhel. It takes place just after Vincent van Gogh's suicide. His mailman and friend Joseph Roulin (Chris O'Dowd) asks his son Armand (Douglas Booth) to deliver the last letter van Gogh ever wrote. Once Armand arrives in van Gogh's community, he begins talking to the locals and thinks there is more to Vincent's death than what was previously thought. The movie also stars Saoirse Ronan, John Sessions, Aidan Turner, and Helen McCrory, to name a few others.

The major selling point of "Loving Vincent" is the technique used to animate it. It was handpainted on canvas by over 100 artists in the style of van Gogh's work. That selling point is by far the film's best feature. Of course, most animated movies prior to 1990 were hand-painted or hand-drawn by artists on animation cells rather than canvas. Here, rotoscoping is used to make the actors look more lifelike, an old technique that Ralph Bakshi was very fond of implementing in his animated works. Still, it does create a visually interesting effect. It really captures the aesthetic of van Gogh's work as it attempts to bring his painting technique life.

Unfortunately, that is really the only interesting feature about this movie. We are sorry to say we found the story itself to be a complete bore. There is not one interesting thing about the narrative that's even remotely compelling. We never felt truly connected or drawn to what we were watching. We would have much rather watched a film that explored van Gogh's life as opposed to one that spent so much time focusing on a conspiracy theory about his death. Characters walk and sit around spinning their wheels and trading banal dialogue for an hour and a half. By the end of it, they (and we) are no better off than when they started their journey. As the movie came to a close, we felt like we didn't know much more about van Gogh or his art than we did when the film started. Everything else (story, characters, dialogue) seems secondary to its gorgeous visuals.

"Loving Vincent" is a good movie to watch if you want to see Vincent van Gogh's work come to life as an animated film on canvas. It really is a visual delight. If it's an emotional impact you're after, you may be better off looking at one of van Gogh's actual paintings instead.


My Rating: 5/10
BigJ's Rating: 4.5/10
IMDB's Rating: 7.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 84%
Do we recommend this movie: Meh.
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Monday, February 19, 2018

Movie Review: "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" (2017)

Director: Rian Johnson
Year: 2017
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 2 hours, 32 minutes

The First Order attempts to wipe out what is left of the New Republic and the Resistance while Rey uncovers the truth about the pasts of Luke and Kylo Ren.

The "Star Wars" franchise has been around since 1977. What started out as a simple space opera has spun into a cultural phenomenon with devout followers obsessed with all things Jedi and Dark Side. We are huge fans of the series ourselves. When "The Force Awakens" was released, it was a return to form for the franchise, a nostalgia trip that brought back many of the warm and fuzzy feelings we had when we saw the original (now-renamed) "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope." The release of that movie in 2015 spun off fan theories for every single character, no matter how insignificant they were to the overall story. Much like what happened when "The Empire Strikes Back" was released 37 years ago, Rian Johnson's "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" doesn't go how many fans expected it would. Returning to reprise their roles from "The Last Jedi" are Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill. New to the cast are Laura Dern, Benicio Del Toro, and Kelly Marie Tran. The story, or at least the portion we are willing to talk about without spoilers, picks up where "The Force Awakens" left off: Rey meets Luke, The First Order continues their rise to power proceeds to wipe out the New Republic and the Resistance.

After 40 years as a franchise, us fans thought we knew every beat and every possible direction this series could go. Leave it to Rian Johnson to prove us wrong. As a director, Johnson has broken protocol with past endeavors into the Star Wars universe. He did not choose to follow the formulas of his predecessors in previous installments and sends audiences in a completely unexpected direction. While we can understand why some people will be upset with his bold choices, we personally loved this movie and even enjoyed it more the second time around. Johnson has managed to add something that has been lacking in the past, and that is a depth of character and nuance. This story isn't as black and white as other "Star Wars" films have been in the past. What we thought was pure evil can now be seen as somewhat justifiable anger. Some of the characters people thought to be perfect are little more than flawed after all. The film runs multiple converging storylines that allow for a wonderful arc for the four main characters of this new trilogy: Rey, Finn, Poe, and Kylo Ren. None of these four characters are the same at the beginning of the story as they are at the end of it, and we personally can't wait to see how this trilogy concludes in a few years' time.

The acting is great all around and we get to see very layered performances from everyone involved. We absolutely love Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver as Rey and Kylo Ren. Their on-screen dynamic has developed, darkened, and matured a lot since "The Force Awakens." They get some of the best scenes in the film, as do Driver and Mark Hamill's Luke Skywalker. Speaking of Luke, one of the scenes we had hoped would happen actually did, and let us tell you, we cried buckets when it occurred. *for those who have seen the movie, think: hair* To us, the narrative felt super gripping and intense. Each portion lends itself to the development of the characters involved. That being said, while some have complained about the overabundance of humor, going back and watching the series as a whole has shown us that "Star Wars" has definitely been a slyly funny set of films all along (ludicrous goofiness of the prequels excluded). We will admit that some of the comedy doesn't always land and some of the jokes do feel forced. Also, a couple minutes here and there could have been shaved off its runtime despite the fact that we found it to be engaging and well paced from start to finish (truncation is a-okay!). One of our favorite aspects of the film is that old characters have been allowed to evolve in ways we never imagined. These characters feel like people who have had lives off-screen for the past 30 years, lives full of successes and failures that have shaped them into the people we see now in "Star Wars: The Last Jedi." This is a wonderful installment in an ever-growing franchise, but don't go in expecting a rehash of the past because you certainly won't get it. Rian Johnson always kept us guessing, and we found ourselves welcoming his vision with open arms.

My Rating: 9/10
BigJ's Rating: 9/10
IMDB's Rating: 7.5/10
Do we recommend this movie: ABSOLUTELY YES!!!

Please be sure to check out Lolo Loves Films all over the internet!
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Movie Review: "Oliver!" (1968)

Year Nominated: 1969
Director: Carol Reed
Rating: G
Oscar Nominations: 11
Oscar Wins: 5 (+1 honorary Oscar)
Running Time: 2 hours, 33 minutes

An orphan escapes a workhouse and is taken in by a den of pickpockets. Unfortunately, his hospitable criminal friends may be the very thing that prevents him from improving his situation.

Orphans, child abuse, horrendous working conditions, homelessness, juvenile pickpockets employed by a seedy criminal, prostitutes, murder and cheerful toe-tapping songs are combined to create the 1968 film "Oliver!" It is directed by Carol Reed, who is known for directing movies like "The Third Man" and "The Fallen Idol." The screenplay is written by Vernon Harris, which was adapted from the Lionel Bart stage musical of the same name which was, in turn, adapted from Charles Dickens' classic novel "Oliver Twist." The film stars Mark Lester as the titular Oliver, a boy who grew up in a workhouse before being sold to an undertaker where he got used as free labor. A short time later, Oliver runs away to the city where he meets a young pickpocket called The Artful Dodger (Jack Wild). Dodger brings Oliver back to their squatting place to meet Fagan (Ron Moody), who wants to add Oliver to his army of child pickpockets. Also in the film are Oliver Reed as Bill Sikes, who grew up working for Fagan and is the man all his kids aspire to be, and Shani Wallis as Nancy, the hooker with a heart of gold.

"Oliver Twist" is a social indictment of the way life was for many children in England in the early 1800's. As the years have passed, as laws have changed, and as society progresses, stories like "Oliver!" become less socially relevant and more of a historical time capsule. What Lionel Bart did was take a beloved classic and reimagine it into a musical. We've said it before and we will say it again: musicals live and die on the quality of their songs. Luckily, this film has some really fantastic music. Many musicals have mixed results with their music as some tunes are wonderful and many are forgettable. "Oliver!" has a vast amount of enjoyable numbers throughout its runtime. It has iconic songs like "Food, Glorious Food," "Consider Yourself," "You've Got to Pick a Pocket or Two," "It's a Fine Life," "I'll Do Anything," and "Who Will Buy?" The list just goes on and on. This is a musical that will leave you with songs stuck in your head. Beyond the music, the film has many great performances, especially from Ron Moody and Jack Wild, both of whom received nominations for best actor and best supporting actor respectively. The story is engaging as well, and we really root for Oliver to find a way out of his less than fine life. It helps that Mark Lester is an adorable cherub-looking kid that the audience can't help but like.

"Oliver!" is a fantastic film that wound up being nominated for 11 Academy Awards. It took home five golden statuettes, including the one for Best Picture. It was also awarded a sixth honorary Oscar for outstanding achievement in choreography. Out of all the classic musicals out there, "Oliver!" still remains a favorite of BigJ's and is most certainly a must see.


My Rating: 8/10
BigJ's Rating: 9/10
IMDB's Rating: 7.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 81%
Do we recommend this movie: ABSOLUTELY YES!!!

Please be sure to check out Lolo Loves Films all over the internet!
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Sunday, February 18, 2018

Movie Review: "Frost/Nixon" (2008)

Year Nominated: 2009
Director: Ron Howard
Rating: R
Oscar Nominations: 5
Oscar Wins: 0
Running Time: 2 hours, 2 minutes

Flashy talk show host David Frost arranges a series of interviews with former President Nixon shortly after his resignation from the presidency. Frost has set up this interview at a great personal expense, though many think he is the wrong man for the job.

A movie about a series of interviews? Sounds boring as hell. Luckily, "Frost/Nixon" is anything but a snoozefest. This film is made by seasoned director Ron Howard, who has directed numerous award-winning and nominated films like "Apollo 13," "A Beautiful Mind," and "Cinderella Man." It is written Peter Morgan and is based on his own stage play. It stars Michael Sheen and Frank Langella as the unlikely titular duo of David Frost and Richard Nixon. The film is about the lead-up and execution of David Frost's now historic interview with former president Nixon. At the time, Frost was considered a bit of a clown. Everyone said he was the wrong man for the monumental job of taking Richard Nixon to task and putting him in the hot seat post-Watergate, post-resignation, and post-pardon from Gerald Ford. Most people thought Frost would never be able to conduct the hard-hitting interview the people of the United States deserved to see, but he was determined to prove everybody wrong...while also getting huge ratings in the process.

On the surface, "Frost/Nixon" looks very obvious, like it will simply be a not-too-riveting average movie about a news interview. The actual meeting between Frost and Nixon was one of major historical significance, so when you combine a recreation of this moment with some really fantastic performances, it becomes something greater, something both compelling and timeless. In many ways, this is a classic underdog story. David Frost, a man wildly unqualified for such a lofty task, must silence the critics who say he is in over his head and must prove wrong the people who told him he should have left the interview to a "real journalist." Frost must overcome insurmountable odds and attempt to get the facts about the once most powerful man in the world and hold his feet to the fire about subjects of the utmost importance to the American people.

Michael Sheen has a tremendous charisma on screen and is amazing as David Frost. He does a wonderful job exploring a man who puts on a devil-may-care facade but deep down is struggling with the task in front of him that could ruin his career if he fails. On the other side of the coin, we have the titan, the undisputed champ, a former president who has decades of experience doing interviews and giving speeches. For such an occasion, it's Nixon's job to prepare, deny, and stall Frost's onslaught, and prepare, deny and stall he shall. Frank Langella is brilliant as Richard Nixon and captures the essence of the man without hamming it up too much (which would have been easy to do considering he was playing Richard freakin' Nixon). Langella earned an Oscar nomination for his performance in this film and it was much deserved. We honestly think his portrayal should have earned him the win. These two powerhouse performances are fantastic, but we must not forget the great supporting cast including Matthew Macfadyen, Kevin Bacon, Sam Rockwell, Oliver Platt, and Rebecca Hall. All of these actors add their own style to this fascinating true-life event. Couple the acting with Ron Howard's expert directing and the biting, important screenplay and you've got one hell of a compelling story. We love "Frost/Nixon" and think it has aged well in a decade, especially considering our current political climate.


My Rating: 8.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB's Rating: 7.7/10
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!

Please be sure to check out Lolo Loves Films all over the internet!
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