10., RAW: THE AMY WINEHOUSE STORY
9., CAROL
8., THE MARTIAN
7., TAG
6., MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
5., SPOTLIGHT
4., VICTORIA
3., ROOM
2., THE BIG SHORT
1., TRADERS
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Top Films 2015
2015 was another strong year in film. I would rank it as more very good films than 2014 but not as many great memorable movies. Here at Flick Hunter we branched out and covered the Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal. It was a top notch affair in a city that we do not visit enough and will be back in the future. Without further adeau here are my top 10 films for 2015.
10., RAW: THE AMY WINEHOUSE STORY
9., CAROL
8., THE MARTIAN
7., TAG
6., MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
5., SPOTLIGHT
4., VICTORIA
3., ROOM
2., THE BIG SHORT
1., TRADERS
10., RAW: THE AMY WINEHOUSE STORY
9., CAROL
8., THE MARTIAN
7., TAG
6., MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
5., SPOTLIGHT
4., VICTORIA
3., ROOM
2., THE BIG SHORT
1., TRADERS
Sunday, December 20, 2015
Film Review - Star Wars The Force Awakens
Parallels to Episode IV Star Wars a New Hope dominate the plot of Star Wars Episode VII The Force Awakens. Jakku replaces Tatooine as the desert planet home of a new fledgling Jedi soon to discover their powers. The Empire is now the First Order and the Rebellion is the Resistance. The film also introduces a new reluctant rogue hero who is drawn to support the Resistance's cause.
Director J.J. Abrams crafts a film that has the style, pace and feel of the original trilogy. The story is simple, the goal plain and the steps to complete the Resistance's task straightforward. The main villains are easily identified from the moment they arrive on screen. Abrams also mixes in a fair amount of timely comedic moments that were missing from the middle set of films.
The episode starts out on Jakku. Lor San Tekka (Max Von Sydow) a learned elder is meeting with Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) the best resistance pilot to discuss the whereabouts of a missing Luke Skywalker. Tekka hands over a map to Skywalker's location that Poet places into his droid BB-8 for safekeeping. When the First Order arrive on the planet one of their ranks Finn (John Boyega) has issues with their tactics while Poe seeing that his escape route is cut off sends BB-8 off with the map with a plan to retrieve it later. We next meet Rey (Daisy Ridley) scavenging from long abandoned vehicles from the days of the Empire. She brings her daily haul for ever reducing rations and lives in an abandoned vehicle herself waiting for her family how left when she was a little girl to return.
Maz Kanata's castle fortress on Takodana is the location where a diverse group of aliens meet to trade and exchange goods. Its vibe is very similar to the Mos Eisley cantina from the original film. It's on Takodana where Rey is called to the basement catacombs having visions of events that have occurred in the past and those that will take place in the future. The Fortress is also the current resting place of Luke's lightsaber that Finn takes to use in battle against the The First Order when they invade the planet.
Finn and Rey are worthy of their roles as the new leads of Star Wars trilogy 3.0. Rey is agile and effective at every tasks she attempts from rigging bypasses on spaceships to wielding a staff against wood be attackers to beginning to harnessing unforeseen skills that she begins to develop as the film progresses. Finn shows moral strength when he deserts from the Stormtrooper ranks after his unit is ordered to commit a horrible act on Jakuu. He teams with Poe to escape the First order and comes back to help Rey in the fight at Maz Kanata's compound. Harrison Ford (Han Solo) and Peter Meyhew (Chewbacca) are at their rogue smuggling banter filled best from the moment they appear on screen. However the production has a major flaw in casting Adam Driver as Kylo Ren. He has a mask, pays homage to Darth Vader but takes it off too frequently and simply does not personify evil as the character should. He is also a character one would expect to be an expert with a light sabre but has difficulty in exchanges with foes who have just picked up the device for the first time.
Star Wars The Force Awakens is a welcomed trip back to the sensibility of the originally trilogy. The film has some strong elements and introduces new heroes that work in unison with old familiar faces. But the casting falls down in a critical area on the main villain for the 3.0 universe who when on screen makes it hard to shake the thought of his roles in New York based female driven vehicles.
*** Out of 4
Star Wars the Force Awakens | J.J. Abrams | U.S.A. |2015 | 135 Minutes
Tags: Star Wars, Space, Jedi, Droid, Space Opera, the Force, Dark Side, Massacre, Kidnapping, Stormtroopers.
Director J.J. Abrams crafts a film that has the style, pace and feel of the original trilogy. The story is simple, the goal plain and the steps to complete the Resistance's task straightforward. The main villains are easily identified from the moment they arrive on screen. Abrams also mixes in a fair amount of timely comedic moments that were missing from the middle set of films.
The episode starts out on Jakku. Lor San Tekka (Max Von Sydow) a learned elder is meeting with Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) the best resistance pilot to discuss the whereabouts of a missing Luke Skywalker. Tekka hands over a map to Skywalker's location that Poet places into his droid BB-8 for safekeeping. When the First Order arrive on the planet one of their ranks Finn (John Boyega) has issues with their tactics while Poe seeing that his escape route is cut off sends BB-8 off with the map with a plan to retrieve it later. We next meet Rey (Daisy Ridley) scavenging from long abandoned vehicles from the days of the Empire. She brings her daily haul for ever reducing rations and lives in an abandoned vehicle herself waiting for her family how left when she was a little girl to return.
Maz Kanata's castle fortress on Takodana is the location where a diverse group of aliens meet to trade and exchange goods. Its vibe is very similar to the Mos Eisley cantina from the original film. It's on Takodana where Rey is called to the basement catacombs having visions of events that have occurred in the past and those that will take place in the future. The Fortress is also the current resting place of Luke's lightsaber that Finn takes to use in battle against the The First Order when they invade the planet.
Finn and Rey are worthy of their roles as the new leads of Star Wars trilogy 3.0. Rey is agile and effective at every tasks she attempts from rigging bypasses on spaceships to wielding a staff against wood be attackers to beginning to harnessing unforeseen skills that she begins to develop as the film progresses. Finn shows moral strength when he deserts from the Stormtrooper ranks after his unit is ordered to commit a horrible act on Jakuu. He teams with Poe to escape the First order and comes back to help Rey in the fight at Maz Kanata's compound. Harrison Ford (Han Solo) and Peter Meyhew (Chewbacca) are at their rogue smuggling banter filled best from the moment they appear on screen. However the production has a major flaw in casting Adam Driver as Kylo Ren. He has a mask, pays homage to Darth Vader but takes it off too frequently and simply does not personify evil as the character should. He is also a character one would expect to be an expert with a light sabre but has difficulty in exchanges with foes who have just picked up the device for the first time.
Star Wars The Force Awakens is a welcomed trip back to the sensibility of the originally trilogy. The film has some strong elements and introduces new heroes that work in unison with old familiar faces. But the casting falls down in a critical area on the main villain for the 3.0 universe who when on screen makes it hard to shake the thought of his roles in New York based female driven vehicles.
*** Out of 4
Star Wars the Force Awakens | J.J. Abrams | U.S.A. |2015 | 135 Minutes
Tags: Star Wars, Space, Jedi, Droid, Space Opera, the Force, Dark Side, Massacre, Kidnapping, Stormtroopers.
Friday, October 9, 2015
Fox Searchlight Film Review - He Named Me Malala
At the centre of Davis Guggenheim's documentary He Named Me Malala is the strong bond between a Father and Daughter. It's in the title and clearly visual as Malala Yousafzai's dad Ziauddin is by her side or just off camera at all of her public appearances and accompanies her on all of her trips around the world. The quieter thread is the realization of the Yousafzai family that they will likely never again see their home in the Swat Valley back in Pakistan having left after Malala was singled out on a bus home from school and shot by the Taliban because she had first spoke out on a BBC blog under an assumed name then openly in public.
The film opens with an animated sequence on the fabled character after whom Malala was named. The historical figure from the 19th century lead Afgan fighters back to the battlefield against the British from a mass retreat. She is killed in battle but her fellow countrymen won a great victory because she stood up and made her voice heard. Ziauddin Yousafzai must have had a strong feeling when his daughter was born, as she would mirror her namesake by standing up as a young teenager to fearlessly defy the Taliban fighting for the right for girls to obtain a complete education.
Director Guggenheim next turns the aftermath of the shooting and Malala's waking up in a hospital bed in a foreign country. The story follows her on 2013 visits to the United States, Kenya, Nigeria, and the Jordanian Syrian border. At each stop she champions the rights of girls and children in general to have access to education. Yousafzai knows her subject well having frank discussions with President Obama then tough words for Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan over his weak response to Boko Haram's abduction of Nigerian schoolgirls. The production also shows the other side of Malala to remind viewed that she is a teenage girl that both loves and battles with her two brothers, gets no special treatment from her high school teachers in Birmingham and becomes exceedingly shy when the topic turns to boys.
The films middle section climaxes with the 2013 Noble Peace prize announcement for which Malala was a leading candidate. After the announcement the narrative switches back to her rehab post shooting in Birmingham regaining her motor skills, adapting to paralysis on the left side of her face then building up to her first address at the United Nations.
He Named Me Malala is uniquely crafted biopic on one of the leading figures for peace in the world today despite still being a teenager. The story shows her public side meeting with world leaders, accepting awards around the world and appearing on popular Television shows. Yousafzai's public activities are balanced in the piece by insightful looks at her family and private life. The film touches only briefly on decisive persona back home but at its core it's a Father daughter story about a family that because they stood up to the Taliban their daughter was thrust into the spotlight and they can never return home. It is a film that I can recommend.
*** Out of 4.
He Called Me Malala | Davis Guggenheim | United Arab Emirates / U.S.A. | 2015 | 87 Minutes.
Education, Nobel Laureate, Taliban, Pakistan, Swat Valley, Boko Haram , United Nations, Syrian Refugees.
The film opens with an animated sequence on the fabled character after whom Malala was named. The historical figure from the 19th century lead Afgan fighters back to the battlefield against the British from a mass retreat. She is killed in battle but her fellow countrymen won a great victory because she stood up and made her voice heard. Ziauddin Yousafzai must have had a strong feeling when his daughter was born, as she would mirror her namesake by standing up as a young teenager to fearlessly defy the Taliban fighting for the right for girls to obtain a complete education.
Director Guggenheim next turns the aftermath of the shooting and Malala's waking up in a hospital bed in a foreign country. The story follows her on 2013 visits to the United States, Kenya, Nigeria, and the Jordanian Syrian border. At each stop she champions the rights of girls and children in general to have access to education. Yousafzai knows her subject well having frank discussions with President Obama then tough words for Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan over his weak response to Boko Haram's abduction of Nigerian schoolgirls. The production also shows the other side of Malala to remind viewed that she is a teenage girl that both loves and battles with her two brothers, gets no special treatment from her high school teachers in Birmingham and becomes exceedingly shy when the topic turns to boys.
The films middle section climaxes with the 2013 Noble Peace prize announcement for which Malala was a leading candidate. After the announcement the narrative switches back to her rehab post shooting in Birmingham regaining her motor skills, adapting to paralysis on the left side of her face then building up to her first address at the United Nations.
He Named Me Malala is uniquely crafted biopic on one of the leading figures for peace in the world today despite still being a teenager. The story shows her public side meeting with world leaders, accepting awards around the world and appearing on popular Television shows. Yousafzai's public activities are balanced in the piece by insightful looks at her family and private life. The film touches only briefly on decisive persona back home but at its core it's a Father daughter story about a family that because they stood up to the Taliban their daughter was thrust into the spotlight and they can never return home. It is a film that I can recommend.
*** Out of 4.
He Called Me Malala | Davis Guggenheim | United Arab Emirates / U.S.A. | 2015 | 87 Minutes.
Education, Nobel Laureate, Taliban, Pakistan, Swat Valley, Boko Haram , United Nations, Syrian Refugees.
Sunday, September 20, 2015
TIFF 15 Film Review - Body (Cialo)
Starting with a police investigation of an apparent hanging suicide that turns into the deceased getting up and walking a way. Body is an off centre narrative focused on three peoples differing ways of how they view the human body and deal with loss. Janusz (Janusz Gajos) is the investigator at the scene of the non-suicide. He has a daughter at home Olga (Justyna Suwala) who is borderline anorexic and not his biggest fan. She mocks the way he eats trying to turn him off of his dinner by describing how chickens are treated before they are killed for human consumption. Anna (Maja Ostaszewska) is a therapist at a clinic for anorexic women. We first meet her as she is giving a shout therapy session to a group of recovering girls.
Janusz investigates a crime scene where a woman dismembered her newborn child leaving the body parts in a bathroom stall at the Warsaw Gadansk rail station. Janusz shows no ill effects from the event while his colleagues are visibly shaken. The investigator ends the work day greedily slurping a large bowl of soup as a junior colleague gives him an update. He comes home to find Olga slumped by a puke filed toilet leading to her admission to the clinic where Olga is a Therapist.
Director Malgorzata Szumowska presents a story that is grim but sprinkled with occasional comedic moments. The main focus of the production is how the three main characters. Olga remains devastated over the death of her mother, blaming her father for the event. Anna lost an 8 month old son 8 years ago but pretends when visiting her mother that the child is still alive and keeps a crib in her apartment. Janusz deals with dead bodies as his trade showing no outward emotion to the death of his wife Hanna.
The film gives a good representation of methods to treat anorexia. The various group treatment sessions at the Clinic feature scream therapy, role-play, dance, body image outlines and strict rules that must be followed at meal time before moving on to the next treatment session. The narrative also looks at daily city life. It's rainy damp and cold but Szumowska documents the regular interaction between apartment dwellers from friendly hellos to quiet neighbourly request to keep the music down.
Janusz Gajos leads the cast as the cynical criminal prosecutor who's character bears his first name. His is curt, emotionless and mocking of those that show emotion or warmth. Justyna Suwala is angry and vulnurable as his anorexic daughter Olga. Her anger and disgust at her father shows in her eyes, body language and actions. Olga clearly has not gotten over the death of her mother that manifests itself psychologically leading to her hospitalization. Maja Ostaszewska turns in the standout performance in the piece as Anna. She is Olga's therapist who herself is dealing with a personal loss. She lives modestly with her large dog Fredek. Anna has visions of the dead and can write their communications to the living on paper while in a trance like state. Despite her mundane existence she does her best to help the recovering girls and their families.
Body is a film that has a very narrow focus and will result is a small commercial appeal. The subject matter is heavy, the film has very few smiles or laughs and the landscape is dreary and washed out. The tone of the film is set early on and its subject matter is not one that will not likely have a wide appeal.
** 1/2 Out of 4.
Body | Malgorazata Szumowska | Poland | 2015 | 90 minutes.
Tags: Anorexia, Suicide, Psychiatry, Clairvoyance, Prosecutor, Crime Scene, Warsaw, Dead Infant, Dismemberment, Scream Therapy.
Janusz investigates a crime scene where a woman dismembered her newborn child leaving the body parts in a bathroom stall at the Warsaw Gadansk rail station. Janusz shows no ill effects from the event while his colleagues are visibly shaken. The investigator ends the work day greedily slurping a large bowl of soup as a junior colleague gives him an update. He comes home to find Olga slumped by a puke filed toilet leading to her admission to the clinic where Olga is a Therapist.
Director Malgorzata Szumowska presents a story that is grim but sprinkled with occasional comedic moments. The main focus of the production is how the three main characters. Olga remains devastated over the death of her mother, blaming her father for the event. Anna lost an 8 month old son 8 years ago but pretends when visiting her mother that the child is still alive and keeps a crib in her apartment. Janusz deals with dead bodies as his trade showing no outward emotion to the death of his wife Hanna.
The film gives a good representation of methods to treat anorexia. The various group treatment sessions at the Clinic feature scream therapy, role-play, dance, body image outlines and strict rules that must be followed at meal time before moving on to the next treatment session. The narrative also looks at daily city life. It's rainy damp and cold but Szumowska documents the regular interaction between apartment dwellers from friendly hellos to quiet neighbourly request to keep the music down.
Janusz Gajos leads the cast as the cynical criminal prosecutor who's character bears his first name. His is curt, emotionless and mocking of those that show emotion or warmth. Justyna Suwala is angry and vulnurable as his anorexic daughter Olga. Her anger and disgust at her father shows in her eyes, body language and actions. Olga clearly has not gotten over the death of her mother that manifests itself psychologically leading to her hospitalization. Maja Ostaszewska turns in the standout performance in the piece as Anna. She is Olga's therapist who herself is dealing with a personal loss. She lives modestly with her large dog Fredek. Anna has visions of the dead and can write their communications to the living on paper while in a trance like state. Despite her mundane existence she does her best to help the recovering girls and their families.
Body is a film that has a very narrow focus and will result is a small commercial appeal. The subject matter is heavy, the film has very few smiles or laughs and the landscape is dreary and washed out. The tone of the film is set early on and its subject matter is not one that will not likely have a wide appeal.
** 1/2 Out of 4.
Body | Malgorazata Szumowska | Poland | 2015 | 90 minutes.
Tags: Anorexia, Suicide, Psychiatry, Clairvoyance, Prosecutor, Crime Scene, Warsaw, Dead Infant, Dismemberment, Scream Therapy.
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Fox Searchlight Film Review- Mistress America
Tracy (Lola Kirk) is an inspiring writer and freshman at University in Manhattan. Her roommate doesn't like her, she has no friends and the schools elite writing group the Mobius Literary Society just rejected her first short story. She meets Tony (Matthew Shear) who saves her from being caught sleeping in a class both bond over being rejected by Mobius. Tracy thinks there may be a spark with Tony but learns that he has a girlfriend named Nicolette. Tracy is once again alone eating by herself in a restaurant. She takes a chance and calls Brooke (Greta Gerwig) who's in her late 20's and whose dad is about to marry Tracey's mom. The two become fast friends Brooke inspiring Tracy to write as the former takes her future step sister on a tour or her New York haunts revealing her plan to open a restaurant with her boyfriend Stavros who will be returning soon from Greece.
Director Noah Baumbach and his muse and co writer Greta Gerwig tell a contemporary tale in the big city that is dripping with rich quick and witty dialogue. Brooke a seasoned New Yorker talks a mile a minute bouncing from one subject to the next while going about her day doing one diametrically opposed activity to the next. She's a spin class instructor and junior high school tutor but only until she can pass her SATs to teach older kids and make better money. Brooke has a very large vocabulary and even better at turning a phrase not to mention Tracy and her peers who are all literary University students. Most of Baumbach's scenes are shot conservatively in the piece except for one sequence early on in the film that serves to establish the two main characters. It's Tracy's first time at Brooke's commercial space hearing about her soon to be relative's Arch enemy Mamie-Claire who stole her boyfriend, catchy floral top idea along with her two cats and apparently her favourite red pants. While Brooke rants and raves in the foreground Tracy heads into the closest to have a look for the garment. The camera moves in then back and forth between the two as Brooke tells her tale until finally resting on Tracy as she reveals the pants bringing a smile to Brooke's face.
The action is mainly based in Manhattan except for a delightful interlude in Greenwich, Connecticut to seek a last minute investment in the restaurant from her ex Dylan and the aforementioned Mamie-Claire because they owe her. Tony and Nicolette accompany the pair to Connecticut where they meet a creepy neighbour of the targets and a book club full of pregnant women. It's on the road trip where the girl's relationship changes and the audience gets a better picture of the true nature of the films protagonists.
Greta Gerwig is at her manic whirlwind best as Brooke. She is pretty but not threatening, connected but not braggy a multi tasking high functioning being that is a perfect fit for New York. Lola Kirk is quieter but keenly focused as Tracy. She narrates the piece as she writes her second short story for Morbius based on her experiences with Brooke. Jasmine Cephas Jones does extremely well with a relatively small role as Tony super possessive girlfriend Nicolette.
Mistress America is the definition of a dialogue driven piece. The narrative is very quick sneakily funny and a story that will appeal to a wide audience. It's a film that I can definitely recommend.
*** 1/2 Out of 4.
Mistress America | Noah Baumbach | U.S.A. | 2015 | 85 minutes.
Tags: Manhattan, University, Literature, Writing club, Step- Sisters, Wedding, Thanksgiving, J Crew, Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, Psychic.
Director Noah Baumbach and his muse and co writer Greta Gerwig tell a contemporary tale in the big city that is dripping with rich quick and witty dialogue. Brooke a seasoned New Yorker talks a mile a minute bouncing from one subject to the next while going about her day doing one diametrically opposed activity to the next. She's a spin class instructor and junior high school tutor but only until she can pass her SATs to teach older kids and make better money. Brooke has a very large vocabulary and even better at turning a phrase not to mention Tracy and her peers who are all literary University students. Most of Baumbach's scenes are shot conservatively in the piece except for one sequence early on in the film that serves to establish the two main characters. It's Tracy's first time at Brooke's commercial space hearing about her soon to be relative's Arch enemy Mamie-Claire who stole her boyfriend, catchy floral top idea along with her two cats and apparently her favourite red pants. While Brooke rants and raves in the foreground Tracy heads into the closest to have a look for the garment. The camera moves in then back and forth between the two as Brooke tells her tale until finally resting on Tracy as she reveals the pants bringing a smile to Brooke's face.
The action is mainly based in Manhattan except for a delightful interlude in Greenwich, Connecticut to seek a last minute investment in the restaurant from her ex Dylan and the aforementioned Mamie-Claire because they owe her. Tony and Nicolette accompany the pair to Connecticut where they meet a creepy neighbour of the targets and a book club full of pregnant women. It's on the road trip where the girl's relationship changes and the audience gets a better picture of the true nature of the films protagonists.
Greta Gerwig is at her manic whirlwind best as Brooke. She is pretty but not threatening, connected but not braggy a multi tasking high functioning being that is a perfect fit for New York. Lola Kirk is quieter but keenly focused as Tracy. She narrates the piece as she writes her second short story for Morbius based on her experiences with Brooke. Jasmine Cephas Jones does extremely well with a relatively small role as Tony super possessive girlfriend Nicolette.
Mistress America is the definition of a dialogue driven piece. The narrative is very quick sneakily funny and a story that will appeal to a wide audience. It's a film that I can definitely recommend.
*** 1/2 Out of 4.
Mistress America | Noah Baumbach | U.S.A. | 2015 | 85 minutes.
Tags: Manhattan, University, Literature, Writing club, Step- Sisters, Wedding, Thanksgiving, J Crew, Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, Psychic.
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Film Review - Straight Outta Compton
Eric Wright A.K.A. Easy E (Jason Mitchell) drives up to a Compton home in the middle of the night. He gets out, pulls out a gun and a wrapped package from below the spare tire in the trunk and heads into a Dope house. The deal goes bad and Easy barley escapes. Nearby Andre Young A.K.A. Dr. Dre (Corey Hawkins) is listening to records in his mother's home. She's not happy that he's not working or gong to school leading Dre to head to a friend's to occupy a couch. About the same time O'Shea Jackson A.K.A. Ice Cube (O'Shea Jackson Jr.) is writing lyrics in a notebook on a high school bus. A local gang leader comes on the bus to threaten some heckling students. The gang member then gives a stay in school speech and leaves. This is how the audience is introduced to the three main members of N.W.A. The business man Easy E, melody maker Dr. Dre and lyricist Ice Cube.
The film is a tour of late eighties Los Angeles. It touches on the large social events, the political landscape, and gives a glimpse into the record industry. It chronicles the birth of gangster rap where 5 guys put the stories of their experiences in the streets to paper, mike and record. It also touches on the controversy of the genre. Is the music causing violent angry criminal behaviour or reflective of what is going on in the community.
Jonathan Herman & Andrea Berloff's screenplay raises several powerful points. One memorable sequence occurs as the group speaks at a press conference following being arrested in Detroit the night before. They are asked about the violence, the drug use, the guns and the criminal elements in their songs. Ice Cube responds with a question of his own. How are the drugs and guns getting hit his community? None of them have a passport nor does anyone in their community own planes. The aforementioned riot was caused by ignoring a warning not to sing the song F**ck the Police. The creation of that song is another big point in the film. The group is recording in Torrance for their producer Jerry Heller (Paul Giamatti) when they go outside on a break. Immediately two police cars pull up and the boys are forced on the ground with their hands behind their back. Heller comes out explains that the group are Artist. The police yield, the group goes back in and Ice Cube writes the lyrics to the song from this as the topper of many similar experiences.
Director F. Gary Gray uses a lot of unique devices and strong passages to build tension in the film. He intro's the three main players individually displaying their given then known names in the background of the scene. The two other members M.C. Ren (Aldis Hodge) and DJ Yella (Neil Brown Jr.) are first seen in a group scene at the R & B club where Dr. Dre D.J's at night. He shows Compton 1986 with police helicopters and stop and searches are regular occurrences. He displays the Rodney King beating and verdict a year later through the eyes of the band. Then Gray uses quiet moments to introduce future monsters in the industry Suge Knight, Snoop Dog and Tupac.
Jason Mitchell stands out in his portrayal of Easy E in the film. Easy E had the money to start Ruthless Record and get Studio time. He sang their first hit Boys in the Hood that attracted airplay and the attention of future manger Jerry Heller. O'Shea Jackson Jr. gives several looks in the film that remind you of his dad Ice Cube. He also displayed timely comedic barbs and powerful command of the stage when delivering a lyric. R. Marcos Taylor is a scary and unpredictable as the real Suge Knight in the film. Easily switching from smiling and helpful to violent, pit bull wielding, pistol- whipping goon the next.
Straight Outta Compton is a historical journey through lat 80's early 90's Los Angeles as seen through the eyes of 5 teenagers who grew up in the tough town of Compton. The film gives a full flavour of the time pulls no punches nor attempt to be balanced. The film portrays the World Most Dangerous Group featuring their in your face raw lyrics and bold rich beats. It's violent, intense, riving and emotional a film that I can definitely recommend.
*** Out of 4
Straight Outta Compton| F. Gary Gray | U.S.A. | 2015 | 147 Minutes.
Tags: Gangsta Rap , Compton, Late 80's, Early 90's, L.A. Riots, Ruthless Records, Priority Records, Lynch Mob, Death Row, Rodney King.
The film is a tour of late eighties Los Angeles. It touches on the large social events, the political landscape, and gives a glimpse into the record industry. It chronicles the birth of gangster rap where 5 guys put the stories of their experiences in the streets to paper, mike and record. It also touches on the controversy of the genre. Is the music causing violent angry criminal behaviour or reflective of what is going on in the community.
Director F. Gary Gray uses a lot of unique devices and strong passages to build tension in the film. He intro's the three main players individually displaying their given then known names in the background of the scene. The two other members M.C. Ren (Aldis Hodge) and DJ Yella (Neil Brown Jr.) are first seen in a group scene at the R & B club where Dr. Dre D.J's at night. He shows Compton 1986 with police helicopters and stop and searches are regular occurrences. He displays the Rodney King beating and verdict a year later through the eyes of the band. Then Gray uses quiet moments to introduce future monsters in the industry Suge Knight, Snoop Dog and Tupac.
Jason Mitchell stands out in his portrayal of Easy E in the film. Easy E had the money to start Ruthless Record and get Studio time. He sang their first hit Boys in the Hood that attracted airplay and the attention of future manger Jerry Heller. O'Shea Jackson Jr. gives several looks in the film that remind you of his dad Ice Cube. He also displayed timely comedic barbs and powerful command of the stage when delivering a lyric. R. Marcos Taylor is a scary and unpredictable as the real Suge Knight in the film. Easily switching from smiling and helpful to violent, pit bull wielding, pistol- whipping goon the next.
Straight Outta Compton is a historical journey through lat 80's early 90's Los Angeles as seen through the eyes of 5 teenagers who grew up in the tough town of Compton. The film gives a full flavour of the time pulls no punches nor attempt to be balanced. The film portrays the World Most Dangerous Group featuring their in your face raw lyrics and bold rich beats. It's violent, intense, riving and emotional a film that I can definitely recommend.
*** Out of 4
Straight Outta Compton| F. Gary Gray | U.S.A. | 2015 | 147 Minutes.
Tags: Gangsta Rap , Compton, Late 80's, Early 90's, L.A. Riots, Ruthless Records, Priority Records, Lynch Mob, Death Row, Rodney King.
Sunday, August 9, 2015
Film Review - Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
The IMF is in front of a Senate committee for events that occurred at the Kremlin in Mission Impossible-Ghost Protocol at the opening of Rogue Nation. William Brant (Jeremy Renner) is advocating for the IMF while CIA director Alan Huntly (Alec Baldwin) argues against. Because of their destructive actions the Force is shut down and all agents called in to do desk work for the CIA. Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is out in the field as the London Check-in is compromised. He knows who is behind it and will not come in until he catches his target.
The adventure brings the team to Austria, London, Morocco and back to London. The Mission impossible elements are all present. Masks, unique check in points, identity swap, car chases, motorcycle chases and penetrating an unpenetrable location. Another big factor in a Mission Impossible film is innovation. Rogue Nation delivers in this category as well. The first being a palm print vehicle entry and the second being a wet suit equipped with a digital timer and oxygen indicator on the wrist area of the glove.
Writer/director Christopher McQuarrie crafts a high-energy face passed film from the pre-opening credits scene. The story is intriguing, the script contains few throwaway lines and editor Eddie Hamilton scaled the film expertly. A key element in all action films is sound which the team met their target for tis production. The department's work particularly is notable during the motorcycle chase scene through the alleys, streets and highways of Casablanca and when Cruise free dives into an underwater vault bringing the element of muffling into the picture.
The teams mission is to track down the leader of a black bag group called the Syndicate a brain child of the West using dissolved or presumed dead agents to change the course of politics affording deniably cover to Western Governments. Their leader Solomon Lane (Sean Harris) has gone rogue facilitating large disasters to achieve their goals faster before full approval of their activities have been authorized.
Tom Cruise continues to shine as Ethan Hunt. The 53 year old does not look out of place in the role that he started playing back in 1996. While other action franchise leads get stale in the role after three or four outings Cruises performance in Rogue Nation may be his best yet as Ethan Hunt. Not surprisingly a Sixth film has already been announced. Simon Pegg returns as Hunts sidekick and frequent source of comic relief as Benji Dunn. Directly effected by the dismantling of the IMF at the start of the film and relegated to playing Halo 3 at a desk all day dodging passerby's he springs back into his technical expert role when called to Vienna by Cruise under the ruse of winning opera tickets. Relative newcomer Rebecca Ferguson is very effective as Ilsa Faust. Exuding all of the best qualities of the European female spy the audience is never sure whose side she is on as she plays off everyone in the piece. Look for Alec Baldwin in a key supporting role as CIA director Huntly. He plays a key role at the beginning, crux and closing sections of the film.
Mission Impossible-Rouge Nation is an outstanding entry into the series that shows that there is plenty of life left in the franchise. The returning cast members turn in enthusiastic performances plus the new main players deliver what's expected in their recognizable spy film roles. The narrative is fresh and crisp making this a film I can definitely recommend.
*** 1/2 Out of 4.
Mission Impossible - Rogue Nation | Christopher McQuarrie | U.S.A. | 2015 | Minutes.
Tags; London, Senate Committee, Disavowed, Free dive, Motorcycle Chase, Casablanca, Computer Hack.
The adventure brings the team to Austria, London, Morocco and back to London. The Mission impossible elements are all present. Masks, unique check in points, identity swap, car chases, motorcycle chases and penetrating an unpenetrable location. Another big factor in a Mission Impossible film is innovation. Rogue Nation delivers in this category as well. The first being a palm print vehicle entry and the second being a wet suit equipped with a digital timer and oxygen indicator on the wrist area of the glove.
Writer/director Christopher McQuarrie crafts a high-energy face passed film from the pre-opening credits scene. The story is intriguing, the script contains few throwaway lines and editor Eddie Hamilton scaled the film expertly. A key element in all action films is sound which the team met their target for tis production. The department's work particularly is notable during the motorcycle chase scene through the alleys, streets and highways of Casablanca and when Cruise free dives into an underwater vault bringing the element of muffling into the picture.
The teams mission is to track down the leader of a black bag group called the Syndicate a brain child of the West using dissolved or presumed dead agents to change the course of politics affording deniably cover to Western Governments. Their leader Solomon Lane (Sean Harris) has gone rogue facilitating large disasters to achieve their goals faster before full approval of their activities have been authorized.
Tom Cruise continues to shine as Ethan Hunt. The 53 year old does not look out of place in the role that he started playing back in 1996. While other action franchise leads get stale in the role after three or four outings Cruises performance in Rogue Nation may be his best yet as Ethan Hunt. Not surprisingly a Sixth film has already been announced. Simon Pegg returns as Hunts sidekick and frequent source of comic relief as Benji Dunn. Directly effected by the dismantling of the IMF at the start of the film and relegated to playing Halo 3 at a desk all day dodging passerby's he springs back into his technical expert role when called to Vienna by Cruise under the ruse of winning opera tickets. Relative newcomer Rebecca Ferguson is very effective as Ilsa Faust. Exuding all of the best qualities of the European female spy the audience is never sure whose side she is on as she plays off everyone in the piece. Look for Alec Baldwin in a key supporting role as CIA director Huntly. He plays a key role at the beginning, crux and closing sections of the film.
Mission Impossible-Rouge Nation is an outstanding entry into the series that shows that there is plenty of life left in the franchise. The returning cast members turn in enthusiastic performances plus the new main players deliver what's expected in their recognizable spy film roles. The narrative is fresh and crisp making this a film I can definitely recommend.
*** 1/2 Out of 4.
Mission Impossible - Rogue Nation | Christopher McQuarrie | U.S.A. | 2015 | Minutes.
Tags; London, Senate Committee, Disavowed, Free dive, Motorcycle Chase, Casablanca, Computer Hack.
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