Frank (Quick Review)

Frank is a bizarre film, bizarre yet very effective.  It’s hilarious, unpredictable, emotionally effective, unexpectedly touching, and refreshing in style.  The cast deliver great performances, in particular Domhnall Gleeson as the protagonist Jon and Michael Fassbender as Frank.  If I hadn't known Frank’s identity before viewing, it would have remained a mystery since Fassbender wears a concealing paper- mâché head until the very end.  It’s such a strange choice in style, yet is what allows the film to work so effectively.  The mysterious nature of Frank sets the film’s course; guiding plot and characters while concealing emotionally effective revelations under the misdirection of its comedy. 

Dracula Untold (Quick Review)

Sometimes there are certain films viewers watch not for plot or any story-like structure, but instead for the promise of an epic feature (possibly features) that guarantees to knock their socks off!  These films are usually popcorn films, with the grand feature being a combination of unique action/horror/comedy sequences plus notable character(s).  Jaws had its title killer shark, Taken made Liam Neeson an intimidating ass-kicking machine, The Avengers united multiple superheroes from different films, and Dracula Untold has the Vampire Legend fighting an army…by turning thousands of bats into a giant fist!  Occasionally these films end up far superior than initially expected (i.e. Jaws and The Avengers), other times they fulfill their promised feature (Taken’s plot may be sub-standard, but Liam Neeson certainly kicks ass); yet the majority of times these films either fail to live up to their hype, or fail in general (i.e. Hercules, All the Transformers, The Hangover Sequels, The Purge, Taken 2, Iron Man 2, Movie 43, Pacific Rim, Most Children-Aimed Comedies of the 90s, etc…).  Take the newest Godzilla film for example; it had two prominent aspects (Bryan Cranston & the big guy himself) yet to many viewers dismay, one dies fairly early in the film, while the other gets around 5 minutes of screen time.  Despite finding other enjoyable elements to Godzilla, I can understand the disappointment people felt from being misguided by its trailers; I’m surprisingly pleased to write however, that Dracula Untold lives up to its asinine yet awesome trailer. 

The Solo Network? aka The Social Network Review (Film Analysis/Minority Opinion)

“You Don’t Get To 500 Million Friends Without Making A Few Enemies.”  This was the slogan for David Fincher's 2010 drama The Social Network.  The film tells the story of Mark Zuckerberg as he creates the now multi-billion dollar website known as Facebook.  The story switches between flashbacks and the present, showing how through the creation of Facebook Mark ultimately loses what his website is most known for, friends…or does it!?  I've seen The Social Network a total of three times (in theaters, on DVD, and in a classroom) and I doubt I’ll watch it again.  Admittedly I enjoyed my first viewing, yet only to a certain degree; after seeing its mass amount of critical acclaim (on Rotten Tomatoes, its Top Critics average surpasses that of Citizen Kane) I became self-conscious and convinced myself I hadn't “fully grasped” what made it so great. 

Gone Girl (Film Review)

If Gone Girl was a road, it’d be full of twists and sudden turns.  Not too surprising, considering its director David Fincher, whose strong forte is surprising viewers with out of the blue events.  Instead of one big twist however, it’s a bunch of smaller ones constantly changing up the film’s direction, along with its audience’s reaction to characters.  The plot isn't simple to explain, since it changes every 20 minutes or so; the gist of Gone Girl consists of husband Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) and wife Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike), who has mysteriously gone missing on their fifth year anniversary.  Nick calls the police along with detective Boney (Kim Dickens), who are instantly suspicious of Nick and his nonchalant attitude towards his wife’s disappearance.  Nick’s sent away from the crime scene to live with his twin sister Margo (Carrie Coon) while public opinion begins to develop against his innocence.  The media begins cashing in on the public’s attitude, even suggesting Nick hire defense attorney Tanner Bolt (Tyler Perry), infamous for his specializing in defending accused wife murders.  Yet all the pieces don’t add up, and soon Gone Girl switches up its plot course…again and again and again…which is why I end this paragraph with MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW!!!!

A Walk Among the Tombstones (Film Review)

A Walk Among the Tombstones is best defined as a darker, two-part episode of Criminal Minds.  The film shares a lot in common with the show; similar morals, story structure, characters and even considerable screen time towards its monster criminals (breaking down their twisted mindsets).  Though if A Walk Among the Tombstones is similar to Criminal Minds, then it’s comparable to one of its better episodes; particularly towards the last third where things really pick up and Liam Neeson truly shines.