If I Stay (Quick Review)

If I Stay is your standard “teen-dream romance” with a twist and several refreshing elements.  The twist is where and how the romance is unfolded; our protagonist Mia (Chloë Grace Moretz) has an outer-body experience after suffering a horrific car crash along with her parents and younger brother.  Her life turns devastating in the blink of an eye as both parents’ die from their injuries, her brother goes into critical condition, and her body stays in a coma from which there may be no waking up.  Mia hears a nurse whisper to her motionless body that it’s her willpower that’ll determine whether she wakes or passes on; causing Mia to have a series of flashbacks to her life before, particularly focused on her family, passion for the cello, and former boyfriend Adam.

Calvary + The Karate Kid Effect (Film Review/Ideas & Thoughts)

Film critic Gene Siskel once said that when it comes to film, your opinion ultimately boils down to whether you liked the movie or didn't.  Roger Ebert and his thumbs up/thumbs down system helped to express their overall opinion on a film, with a thumbs up=liked & recommended while a thumbs down=disliked & suggested to avoid.  While the thumbs up/thumbs down system works, its simplicity fails with giving individual pros and cons on a film that perhaps was good yet flawed, or one that was bad yet possessed some virtues (which is why it was important to read/listen to their reviews as well).  The point of my ramblings stem from this very review of Calvary, a film that possesses beautiful cinematography, lovely settings, solid performances from its actors and some wit to go alongside its premise.  Yet when it comes to my overall experience, I must confide that the film gets a solid thumbs down.  It may not start off this way, but by the end Calvary becomes a dark, depressing and mean-spirited film; a downward spiral of unpleasant bleakness that takes away from the positives I've stated above.  It’s sad, depressing and made me rather bitter by its conclusion, leaving a sour aftertaste that stayed long after seeing the film.

Locke (Film Review)

Locke is a true minimalist film, with only one actor appearing throughout (the rest are only heard via phone calls) and taking place entirely in a driven car.  The story is about a man (Tom Hardy, playing our title character Ivan Locke) who’s one mistake has ended up having much greater than anticipated consequences.  Rather than avoid the problem (which would allow his life to remain the same), Locke makes a split second decision to face his mistake head on, without lies or deceit.  The rest of the film follows Locke driving towards his destination while calling a list of people (his family, boss, work associates, etc…) that are significantly affected by his choice.  While the film’s minimalist setting is unique and refreshing, its success resides largely because of Tom Hardy’s performance; a role that would decide whether Locke would flourish or fail.  Fortunately, not only was Tom Hardy the right choice for the role, it’s his performance that brings Locke to the next level.

Only Lovers Left Alive (Quick Review)

Only Lover’s Left Alive (OLLA) is the Bizarro version of the Twilight films; the premise is similar, but unlike Twilight it’s sophisticated, intelligent, rational, artistic, imaginative, humorous, romantic and a refreshingly well-made film!  I was thoroughly surprised to discover OLLA is not adapted from any previous source material, since it seemed way too collected to be an original screenplay.  The film stars two centuries-old vampires (respectively named Adam [Tom Hiddleston] and Eve [Tilda Swinton]) who live hidden in plain sight in the modern world.  The two actors possess a lovely amount of chemistry that makes both their interactions enjoyable, passionate, and engagingly sophisticated.  The film treats its very old characters (they were married in the 1800s) exactly how you’d expect them to act.  Both are extremely wise and knowledgeable of their respective interests, with Adam knowing practically everything about music and instruments, and Eve having read multiple lifetimes worth of books plus knowing the proper names of all animals/fungi.  In one scene the couple plays a game of chess while reminiscing about people who have long sense died (much to the annoyance of Adam who’s trying to make his move); Eve then decides to bring out an experimental surprise in the form of frozen blood popsicles.  A good amount of scenes focus simply on Adam and Eve’s interactions with each other; discussing philosophies and issues, visiting old landmarks to reminisce and enjoying each other’s company.  The actors not only FEEL like an actual couple, but are remarkably engaging to watch from beginning to end.

5 Major Reasons Why I Hate Boyhood (Film Analysis)

Boyhood; raved by critics as the best movie of the year, greatest movie of the decade, and an absolute masterpiece…I hated it.

2014 Mid-Year's Best 20 Films (Film List)

It’s unavoidable…

The Giver (Film Review)

I was surprised by The Giver, pleasantly surprised that is.  I never read the book in school (nor have I ever for that matter) and admittedly its trailer looked quite lackluster.  Hasn't this story been told dozens of times before?  Even recent films such as Divergent looked way too similar in premise to The Giver’s trailer (though technically The Giver’s book came out 18 years before).  After seeing the film, I can safely say my prediction was wrong; in fact The Giver is somewhat refreshing.  Unlike many dystopian films before it, The Giver feels…simple…thoughtful, yet simple.  There are no prolonged action scenes, no maniacal dictators, and no decisive “right decision”; the film sticks to its basic, rational ideals, and in doing so actually says more than expected.