“True Story” movie review

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True StoryDoes everyone deserve to have their story told? Fox Searchlight Pictures’ True Story starring Jonah Hill and James Franco is the type of mystery/drama cinematic work that sucks you in from the opening scene. It’s like a good mystery novel that you can’t put down. This movie slipped past a large portion of patrons of the temple of moving pictures and critics, including yours truly. At the recommendation of a friend of mine, I watched it and found it to be an exemplary movie that combines the best of a gripping mystery and pairs it with pedigreed acting and direction. It was also surprising to see both Hill and Franco in serious roles–very much a juxtaposition to the roles each respectively find themselves in. Director Rupert Goold provides us with an outstanding movie that intrigues and entertains. The cool color pallet and cinematography resemble a David Fincher style of direction. For journalists, authors, or even university researchers, this movie adds a self-reflivity element to the plot steeped in the idea of telling a story.

After years of having stories grace the covers of notionally syndicated magazines and news papers, award-winning New York Times journalist Mike Finkel (Hill) winds up disgraced after publishing a story that was was unethical in its presentation. Following his relation to Montanna, Finkel is presented with a high-profile case of Christian Longo (Franco), a man accused of murdering his entire family. Skeptical at first, Finkel is soon confronted with a multifaceted story that screams to be published. The more Finkel delves into the mind and history of Longo, the more he is intrigued by the events and actions that led Longo to be accused of the horrendous crime. Striking up a deal to teach Longo how to be a writer, Finkel takes the opportunity to write a best-selling novel in order to get back into the gam; only, he may have encountered more than meets the eye, and wrestles with the question: how to tell a true story? Sometimes a “true” story contains far more than could have ever been anticipated.

Gotcha! Like an excellent mystery/drama should, True Story contains a fantastic “gotcha” moment during the third act. Beyond the mystery at hand, there is a manipulation of facts and emotions that will catch you off guard and cause you to question and analyze the story in such a way that you did not see coming. I don’t know about you, but when I watched it, I felt the movie had a fair amount of a Hitchcockian feel about it. Just when you think you have it figured out, then you have to rethink your entire perception of past events and plot devices. You will likely ask yourself, ‘what is the true story being told here?’ This dynamic plot is three fold. You have the story of the alleged murders, the story Finkel is writing about Longo, and the movie itself which captures the over-arching story of the relationship between Finkel and Longo. This is a true story based on the true story which is based on another story. At each turn, you are sucked in deeper and deeper until you are not sure who is deceiving whom.
The cinematography and direction are both outstanding. Couple those elements with the excellent acting and writing, and you have a fantastic mystery/drama that continues to entice you as you watch it. A very positive note on the plot of this movie is the commitment to visual storytelling. From the moment the movie opens, the audience is shown the director’s commitment to using the magic of moving pictures to tell this story. So often with mysteries, it is necessary for the characters to engage in prolific exposition in order to help the detectives/journalists or even you as the audience member to piece together the puzzle. Fortunately, Goold and Finkel (as we wrote the story based on his encounters with Longo) all the characters to evolve naturally and dialog with one another in such a way that they enhance the plot and not speak their way through it.

If you enjoy murder-mysteries or investigative journalism, then this is definitely a movie for you. Despite the fact this movie flew under the radar, it is a wonderful example of how a true story can be more interesting and gripping than the best work of fiction. If for no other reason, you should watch this movie in order to see a different side to Jonah Hill and James Franco as they demonstrate their ability to reach beyond the comedies and satires they are so often associated with.

“The Gift” movie review

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TheGiftWho knew a slow-burning plot could be well-paced at the same time. The Gift is the latest movie released by Blumhouse and performed quite well over the opening weekend. Although billed as a suspense/thriller/stalker movie, it plays as a dark drama with a few intense jump scares. Unlike many movies in this sub-genre of horror, this one is surprisingly well-directed and written. In fact, there was only one exchange of dialog that I felt was extremely OTN (“on the nose,” meaning stating the obvious). Structurally, the plot is solid and leaves very little time for the audience to grow restless. Another interesting component to the movie is being predisposed early-on to side with and feel particular ways about the respective characters; but then after some big reveals, you begin to question your allegiance and favoritism. Perhaps you may find yourself rooting for whom you first admonished. There is much that is left up to interpretation, but not in a way that leaves you feeling negatively about unanswered questions. It’s one of those horror movies that encourages you to think differently about situations and characters.

The Gift is about Simon (Jason Bateman) and Robyn (Rebecca Hall) who move to LA for Simon’s new job. Relocating from Chicago, Simon and Robyn are excited to buy their new mid-century house and develop a life in a new city (which is actually childhood home of Simon). During an ordinary shopping excursion to a homewares store, the couple runs into a former high school classmate of Simon’s named Gordo (Joel Edgerton). After several conversations and a dinner invitation, Simon begins to suspect that there is something not quite right with Gordo and tells Gordo never to visit them again. Despite the harsh treatment from Simon, Gordo leaves gifts for the couple on their front porch, only some gifts should remain wrapped.

Other than a couple jump scares and eerie music, the movie is more of a mystery/drama than a thriller. It lacks that visceral thrill that curdles the blood throughout the movie. But despite that, it’s incredibly well paced and written. The excellent direction did not go without notice. Often times, movies that feature the director in a principle acting roll suffer because it is very difficult for a director to focus on orchestrating the storytelling and acting at the same time. Joel Edgerton is nearly unique in his demonstrable ability to successfully tell a visual story and deliver excelling acting. My only negative critique to the writing and the directing is the blatant absence of a climax/showdown. I was expecting something big to happen toward the end of the movie, in which the culmination of all the reveals and investigations come to fruition; but I was disappointed and felt unsatisfied with the resolution. Even though this is a different take on the whole stalker concept, I feel that the plot should have included a showdown in order to add a definitive thrilling element to the story.

Sometimes I think I know how a movie is going to play out; and often times, through my research and productions of my own, feel confident in my ability to read a movie through the trailer and the advertising. Not the case with this one. Honestly, I was expecting another Lifetime movie trying to make it big in the cinema (much in the vein of January’s Boy Next Door); however, I was pleasantly surprised and mostly happy with how this one played out and how well it was directed. It definitely leaves you to interpret actions, in the movie, for yourself and it also contains some very cool symbolism and subtext.

“Mission: Impossible–Rogue Nation” movie review

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MI5Mission: Resurgent. The fifth installment in the Mission: Impossible franchise is surprisingly good. Ordinarily, this far into a franchise, the stories and plots can begin to suffer; but, Paramount Pictures continues the TV series turned cinema powerhouse with great promise for a continued successful run. I don’t think the Mission: Impossible library will ever have quite the allure that James Bond has, but it fairs better than the Bourne franchise. All three definitely perform well, but Mission: Impossible is unique in that Tom Cruise truly sells the movie. Unlike in Hollywood’s Golden Age (~1920s-50s) when particular actors were truly regarded as stars and would essentially sell the movie to audiences and investors, most of today’s movies are not built on the backs of particular fixtures in the star system. There are a few exceptions out there, but Tom Cruise is definitely an actor that is as close to an old-fashioned movie star as we can see and have in contemporary cinema. If you’re looking for a great popcorn movie that you can just chill-ax at, then checkout the latest movie in this unkillable franchise.

With the IMF now disbanded and Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) out in the cold, a new threat — called the Syndicate — soon emerges. The Syndicate is a network of highly skilled operatives who are dedicated to establishing a new world order via an escalating series of terrorist attacks. Faced with what may be the most impossible mission yet, Ethan gathers his team and joins forces with Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), a disavowed British agent who may or may not be a member of this deadly rogue nation. (IMDb, 2015).

Due of the very nature of these movies, I don’t feel it necessary to pick apart the plot because it is purposely high concept and requires the audience to engage in a momentary suspension of disbelief in order to enjoy the action and adventure. That being said, the movie is pretty solidly acted, written, shot, and directed. I was a little disappointed in that the most impressive sequence of events, involving the plane taking off with Ethan hanging on for dear life, is right at the beginning of the film and everything else pales in comparison. It follows a fairly standard order of tropes common to high concept espionage-action-adventure films. Despite the very contemporary nature of this espionage movie, there is a classic feel that is successfully woven throughout the narrative.

“Paper Towns” movie review

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PaperTownsPretends to be more serious and deep than it actually is. Paper Towns is the latest movie based on a novel by best-selling author John Green who brought us last year’s The Fault in Our Stars. However, before you get too excited and begin to develop expectations of this current movie, this film falls short of the emotional roller coaster and deep introspective thoughts you may have had rushing through your head in last year’s movie. That being said, Paper Towns is very well acted and the coming-of-age story will likely keep you entertained; and may even evoke some nostalgic feeling of what it was like to be 18 and a senior in high school–or maybe the way you would like high school to have gone for you. With a solid cast and natural chemistry between friends and lovers, this film successfully brings the last month of high school alive for the audience. The cast feels like “real” people amongst a sea of the “paper” people often encountered in movies and even in real life.

Paper Towns is about the mysterious disappearance of Margo Roth Spiegelman (Cara Delevingne), the “it” girl, from a local high school in Orlando, Florida. Her cute-nerdy neighbor across the street Quentin (Nat Wolf) has been in love with her for over nine years–ever since her family moved in across the street. After Margo comes to Quentin’s window late one evening, she takes him on the ride of his life as she pranks and punks some of her former friends and ex-boyfriend who have been keeping secrets from her. Ending the night with dancing in a high-rise in downtown Orlando, it looks as if Quentin may have his girl. Not so fast. The next morning, she turns up missing, and a string of seemingly random clues may lead Quentin to where he can find Margo. Teaming up with his two best friends Ben (Austin Abrams) and Radar (Justice Smith), Ben’s high school crush Lacy (Halston Sage) and Radar’s longterm girlfriend Angela (Jaz Sinclair), they pile into Quentin’s mom’s minivan to trek across the eastern seaboard in order to find Margo.

This is one of those movies that will remind you of past films in the same sub-genre or vein, if you will. Immediately following the close of the movie, I could not help but think of the many elements and plot points that reminded me of movies such as Stand By Me, The Fault in Our Stars (not surprisingly), The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and The Kings of Summer. What do all these movies have in common? They are all type-A coming-of-age stories featuring characters who are trying to find themselves or their place in this world, typically occurring in the high school years, an often the last months of high school. Narratively speaking, Paper Towns shares many of the same tropes; but it is certainly not a reboot, remake, or simply a rehash of what’s been done before. It stands alone as unique in its own way. Unlike the endings of the aforementioned movies, the one thing that truly sets this film a part from the others is the ending–it is quite unexpected and, as a whole, unfortunately poorly executed and leaves the audience slightly angry and mostly unsatisfied. Can’t tell you what that is because this IS a movie built upon the premise of a mystery.

The brightest element of this production is the excellent casting. Honestly, these young people feel like they could be your neighbor’s kids or perhaps your friends. They are earthy, crude, funny, horny, selfish, and devoted. What really helps the story in this movie is the believability of the actors’ emotions and dialog. The writing is very natural, well paced, and usually takes us to the emotional highs and lows we need in the story. Both in appearance and in personality, the casting choices couldn’t have been better. I enjoy movies that take you back to when you were 17-18 and finishing high school. It’s like, ‘yeah, I remember going through that same stuff, talking about sex and alcohol, and our futures.’ The topics or discussion and the manner in which the characters engaged one another felt extremely natural and un-rehearsed. And, the little bit of romance between some of the characters is cute and heartwarming.

I was defintiely disappointed that the movie was so very close to hitting the emotional mark it needed to, but then fell just shy of it. It kind of leaves you in that awkward place that you may have found yourself in on a date when things lead right up to an intimate encounter with your love interest, and just before you hit the home run, it ends or plateaus. Emotionally, that is precisely what this movie’s plot does for the audience. Furthermore, the whole “paper towns” concept is never fully explained. That could be consciously done, but cinematically, I feel the analogy or symbolism could have benefited from deeper exposition. The audience is really left to draw many of their own conclusions and infer what the author or screenwriters meant by this or that. You can make sense of it eventually, but it would have been helpful for the movie to have explained it a little more clearly.

If you enjoy the movies I have referenced in respect to Paper Towns, then you will most likely enjoy this film. Definitely not really a group movie–more like one of those that you see with a significant other or maybe even alone. Unlike other movies that deal with the pains and triumphs of growing up, this one will not likely cause you to think too deeply about oneself or one’s life situations. BUT, this one is a movie to watch for the great acting and the interpersonal relationships between friends and lovers.

“Southpaw” movie review

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SouthpawA ‘champion’ of a movie! Move over Cinderella Man, and make way for an incredible story of prestige, loss, overcoming challenges, and triumph. Southpaw is a surprisingly fantastic movie with dynamic characters and an incredible story. Follow one man from being on top of the world to self-destructive behavior that costs him nearly everything. Ordinarily, I do not give sports-related movies a second thought because I don’t follow any particular sporting event; however, had I let this one pass me by, I would not have had such a great cinematic experience. To be honest, it’s not screaming ‘early Oscar nom contender,’ but there is the off chance it could get the recognition. Never having attended a boxing match before, I am unsure of the adrenaline that rushes through the bodies of the audience. But, if it is anything like what I experienced during the third act of the movie, then I can totally understand why sporting events, such as boxing, can be quite the visceral thrill.

Southpaw is about champion boxer Billy “The Great” Hope (Jake Gyllenhaal) and his triumphs and tragedies. Holding the Light Heavyweight title, he is on top of the world in his professional boxing career. Furthermore, he has a beautiful and loving wife Maurine (Rachel McAdams) and an adoring daughter Leila (Oona Lawrence). After he decides–well, after being urged–to take time off from the boxing circuit, his agent is hell-bent on getting him back in the ring and sign a contract with HBO. Finding it difficult to ignore the fame and emotional high of the eyes of the world being on him, Billy turns down the opportunity to focus on his family. Following a speaking engagement at a New York City children’s home (the home both he and his wife grew up in), a brawl breaks out in the lobby and Maurine is shot. Devastated, Billy takes out his anger on nearly everyone except Leila. But, one drunken night, after he crashes his car in the front yard of his palatial estate, the court finds him unfit to be a parent and sentences him to rehab. Having lost his wife, and now his daughter, and all of his possessions, he must rebuild his name and career in order to win back his daughter despite the odds being against him.

The movie opens on a gritty scene during the championship for the boxing light heavyweight title. This intense opening is quite indicative of the entire movie. This is the type of movie that will rock you down to the very core. In many ways, the story is told through various perspectives. Believe me, it’s mostly objectively shot; but, there are definitely times that the camera gives us a subjective or point-of-view perspectives and other times the subjectivity is implied. This is an important element to the narrative because, from what little I know about boxing, it is a sport that is personally intense and highly affects the boxer physically, mentally, and emotionally. Unlike other sports which are not nearly as violating or invasive, the boxing ring is one that requires amazing stamina, discipline, and courage. Unfortunately, throughout his career, Billy was never one to focus on his defense. And this is a character flaw that transcends the ring into his life. On the subject of the coverage of the boxing matches, the cinematography is crafted so that it truly feels like you have been transported from the cinema into a great ring-side seat. This greatly increases the realism of the movie and grittiness of the plot.

Not surprising, the main focus of the plot is on Billy’s character development. But, not unlike Billy, both his daughter and his new trainer Titus “Tick” Wills (Forest Whitaker) also go through their own respective developments. In many ways, Leila and Titus embody some of the very same struggles and challenges that Billy is going through. Although Billy made decisions that lead to his fall from fame and glory, the tragic death of his wife affected him in ways in which no one is ever prepared emotionally. The writers and director of this movie were very successful is transferring the pain of Billy, Leila, and Titus from the screen into the minds of the audience. However, despite the fact that there are many elements that I appreciate about the movie, I do feel the Billy’s recovery time should have been a little bit longer and taken him to darker places in order to truly get to the very core of what his character must have been feeling and to better support the more inspirational aspects to the narrative. He went from rock bottom back to the top a little too quickly.

One of the refreshing parts to the movie was the inclusion of humor here and there. Due to the dark nature of the subject and the mental anguish experienced by Billy, it would have been all too easy to allow the low places of the film to be filled with utter despair and anger, but I was quite pleased that the writers included a little bit of humor sprinkled throughout the narrative. Wasn’t over the top, or tasteless, or thrown in there, it felt very natural and added to the believability of the story. In fact, the dialog as a whole, was well-crafted and allowed the characters to become real for the audience.

If you enjoy movies about overcoming obstacles, metaphorically returning from the dead, and the feeling of being on the edge of your seat, then you should definitely check out Southpaw. Even if you’re like me, in that you don’t typically watch sports-related movies, you should still see this fantastic story with excellent acting and character development.