Ex Machina (Quick Review)

2015’s been a solid year so far for first time directors (excluding The Duff), first with David Robert Mitchell’s It Follows and now with Alex Garland’s Ex Machina.  I’m going to briefly ignore some of the usual aspects a reviewer would critique (plot, character, theme, music, etc…) to praise the film’s most striking aspect, its cinematography.  Ex Machina is a visually gorgeous film, with every scene containing some form of pure eye candy.  The setting ranges from imposing mountainous landscapes, lush green fields, a scenic river surrounded by glaciers, and an ominous building with an inside of various mechanical features (the film was shot in Valldal, Norway, a place I would love to visit).  The setting superbly enhances Ex Machina’s thriller aspects in a natural way, with its vast isolation from civilization and claustrophobic rooms underground; the film could have been without characters and still remained more captivating than the average thriller. 

It Follows (Film Review)

The present decade has slowly, yet efficiently been restoring the horror genre’s former glory.  Cabin in the Woods (2012), The Conjuring (2013), and The Babadook (2014) are three prime examples which successfully pay tribute to the 2^nd golden age of horror movies (namely the 60s, 70s and 80s) while simultaneously reconstructing past tropes into a contemporary setting, thereby creating refreshingly new films.  To join these films comes It Follows, the film debut of director David Robert Mitchell which is as thrilling as it is beautiful.  The term “beautiful” isn't commonly used when describing a great horror film, with “terrifying” or “highly entertaining” usually being more accurate adjectives.  While both frightening and highly entertaining, It Follows is equally as impressive in its artistic design, effectively providing entertainment for both the average film goer and snobby arthouse lover.

Insurgent (Film Review)

In terms of Young Adult film series (excluding standalone titles such as The Giver), Harry Potter and The Hunger Games stand on top as excellent entertainment and storytelling; after them there’s a significant drop in quality.  If Hunger Games/Harry Potter are tier 1 (very good-great), and there’s nothing to fit in tier 2 (good-very good), then the Divergent series would be tier 3 (mediocre-good).  The first film Divergent, was an intriguing dystopian piece for its first two-thirds, before crumbling into a disappointing array of clichéd action tropes.  Its sequel Insurgent takes Divergent’s last third and lengthens it to a feature length film.  An unfortunate way to go considering the plot’s vast possibilities, yet Insurgent is a surprisingly enjoyable (albeit nonsensical) action film; though who exactly its target audience is remains a mystery.

The Top Ten Greatest Movies OF ALL TIME!!! (APRIL FOOLS!!!)

APRIL FOOLS EVERYONE!!!!!