Beasts of No Nation

Beasts of No Nation, the latest film from visionary director and writer Cary Joji Fukunaga is a gritty, intense, and tragic movie with absolutely incredible performances. It's an ambitious war film that takes you into the heart of the conflict one boy deals with everyday. It's one of the best films I've seen all year and because of that I give Beasts of No Nation five buckets of Killer Korn.













Right up front I have to say this, if Beasts of No Nation is the reason why director Cary Joji Fukunaga had nothing to do with season two of True Detective (he directed every episode of season one) then all is forgiven. This movie is a powerhouse of a production. It's scope and breadth is impressive and it's intimacy is almost embarrassing. It feels like you're listening in on conversations you shouldn't know anything about. In my opinion Nation is on par with other war movies like Platoon, Apocalypse Now, and Full Metal Jacket. Cary shows how True Detective was no fluke and why season two was so horrible. This man is a talented director and I can only imagine how amazing Detective season 2 would have been had Cary been behind the camera. Based on the book of the same name by author Uzodimna Iweala, Nation tells the harrowing and heartbreaking tale of Agu, played by the amazing newcomer Abraham Attah, a little boy from an unnamed African village. His family is split due to the war heading their way. The village elders chose to send the women and children away while those who call themselves men would stay and fight, defend their land.

Nation is Attah's first movie and you would never know it, he's that convincing. When his father and brothers are murdered by the government backed military, Agu escapes into the woods. He's found by a platoon of the rebel forces of the NRC under the command of the Commandant played by the man himself, Idris Elba. He is in charge of an army comprised of little boys armed with AK-47's and other deadly armament who stay high on different kinds of drugs. They shoot where the Commandant says shoot and they kill who they are told to kill and they do this with absolutely no remorse. Cary downplays the violence as much as possible with this kind of story but there is one scene that made me incredibly uncomfortable. It's when Agu kills his first person. The man is clearly innocent but Agu is ordered to murder him and the look on his face as the blood splatters on the camera lens is unforgettable and disturbing.

Cary never details the heart of the conflict because that shit really isn't important. Knowing why there is a war isn't going to help you relate to or understand Agu better, it's his journey that's more important than anything else. You hope one day he'll find his mother and younger sister again but everyday he carries his weapon you realize he's getting further and further away from that heartwarming reunion. The logistics of Nation are almost impossible to comprehend. Getting such realistic performances from these children couldn't have been easy and staging the battles even more difficult I imagine. Now I already mentioned Cary was the writer and director of Nation but the man pulled triple duty as he was the cinematographer as well. This allowed him to get every shot exactly how he wanted it and every shot was beautiful. Scored by Dan Romer-who kept the music to a minimum-Nation's score is ethereal and breathy which represents the innocence of the corrupted youth. It's a job perfectly executed. Everyday we wake and are led to believe that we are here on this earth for a reason, that we have a purpose, but it's a film like Nation that can make you question all of that. The brutality of war is something most of us will never know, it will never touch us and we should be thankful for that. I'll see you at the theater.

The Martian

The Martian, the latest film from accomplished director Ridley Scott is a film best described as a satisfying meal. It's not an over the top emotional rollercoaster it could have been nor is it a sci-fi film that is absent of heart. It's a smart, engaging, and entertaining film and because of that I give The Martian four buckets of Killer Korn.














Based on the bestselling novel by Andy Weir, it appears Ridley Scott has another sci-fi hit on his hands. The Martian is the kind of movie that satisfies on every level. The storytelling is well done and not dumbed down at all. It starts off fast and gives the impression that it could burn itself out. With Ridley at the helm however, the film finds a nice steady pace and what could have been an "I'm fucked" scenario turns out to be just the opposite. For someone stranded on a planet after being considered dead and millions of miles from Earth, The Martian took the approach to find the humor of the moment and embrace the science. In a world where people are more and more turning away from science, The Martian explains how science can save your life.

Matt Damon stars as the botanist/martian Mark Watney and the casting is brilliant because Matt plays Mark with a cool, dry, almost detached of emotion performance. I would assume much like any scientist who is confronted with a difficult situation, they don't fall to their knees and wonder why them and instead they try to solve the problem. Matt Damon does that better than anyone in the business today. Starring alongside Matt is Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels, Michael Pena, Kate Mara, Sean Bean, Sebastian Stan, Benedict Wong, Donald Glover aka Childish Gambino, and Chiwetel Ejiofor. This is an amazingly talented cast and there isn't a weak performance from anyone. There is a practical realism to this movie that is wonderfully detailed due to the politics of trying to get Mark Watney home and trying to keep him alive until he can be rescued. The push to get him strains both the people that are working to back to earth and the equipment. Corners are cut and mishaps happen because space is unpredictable and both wondrous and brutal from one second to the next.

Aesthetically The Martian is a beautiful movie to look at which is usually the case with a Ridley Scott production. It's been that way since Alien blew our minds back in 1979 and that doesn't look like that's changing anytime soon. The landscape of Mars may look like every other landscape that's supposed to be Mars but when shot by cinematographer Dariusz Wolski, whose last four films were all Ridley Scott projects, the vistas of Mars look beautifully majestic. The score by Harry Gregson-Williams is beautifully rendered. I think it's Harry's for all electronic score and it was a perfect marriage. It didn't overpower the film and it didn't take you out of the experience. I really enjoyed The Martian and while it's not perfect you have to love the fact that they aimed for the stars and landed on Mars. I'll see you at the theater.

Everest

Everest, the latest film from director Baltasar Kormakur is the movie based on the novel Into Thin Air by author John Krakauer and it's both visually and emotionally arresting. It tells the story of the fateful expedition up Everest where eight climbers died on the mountain and countless others were injured after being trapped on the mountain and besieged by a monstrous storm. I enjoyed Everest and feel it's worthy of three buckets of Killer Korn.













Off the bat I want to clear the air and come clean with you. I want to admit that I am not a fan of Baltasar Kormakur's work. I didn't like his film Contraband and I thought his film 2 Guns was decent. Now this may be because Mark Wahlberg were in them both and if you don't know how I feel about him as an actor please allow me to share. He's absolutely atrocious and that may be what dragged Baltasar's last two American films down. Thankfully Markie Mark is not in this film. This time around Baltasar has a pretty impressive cast. The story follows climber and Adventure Consultants owner Rob Hall, played by the talented Jason Clarke as he leads an expedition of semi-inexperienced climbers up the mountain while his pregnant wife Jan Arnold, played by Kiera Knightly stays home.


Rob was the guide/herder of Doug Hansen played by John Hawkes, Naoko Mori who played climber Yasuko Namba, John Krakauer played by Michael Kelly, and Beck Weathers played by Josh Brolin. Everest also stars Emily Watson, Sam Worthington, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Robin Wright. It may be Baltasar's best collection of talent in any of his American or Icelandic films. Going into this movie I was curious to see what they did visually with a book I absolutely fell in love with and I was not disappointed. Some of the visuals in Everest are absolutely breathtaking. The screenplay written by Williams Nichols and Simon Beaufoy did a great job of balancing the beauty and the terror of Everest with the emotional aspect of all the characters. They each get their emotional moments and if you didn't read the book and you don't know what happens the emotional impact will hit you even harder.


Technically I think Everest missed the boat on educating the viewer to all aspects of mountain climbing. It instead leaves the audience ignorant. You aren't informed that climbers have to use ladders to traverse crevasses. They are held together and in place by a specific type of rope, something you get no explanation on. Now I know that it's not about those things, that the movie is about the human condition and the will to survive in surface-of-the-moon type conditions but when lives depend on ladders being secured by a specific rope that doesn't freeze, I become fascinated. The look of the film is authentic, like you're actually at Everest and that's due to Salvatore Totino. The film looks exquisite and very fucking cold. The score by Dario Marinelli didn't impress me and I am a big fan of his work. The music sadly didn't add anything to Everest in any way for me so I'll chalk this one up to a project not in his wheelhouse. It happens to the best of them. All in all though, Everest is worth the price of admission but if you go see it bring a sweater, and I'll see you at the theater.

Sicario

Sicario, the latest film from director Denis Villeneuve is an intense, gripping drama about how this country does battle with the Mexican cartels. It's a well written film with impressive performances by everyone involved. I enjoyed every scene of this dark, brooding, and violent film and because of that I give Sicario four and a half buckets of Killer Korn.














While Denis Villeneuve may not be a name most film goers know just yet, it doesn't mean the man will stay unknown. In fact he may soon become a household name since he's been tapped to direct the Blade Runner prequel/sequel. That notwithstanding, Sicario is going to start moving him into rarified air. I've seen all of Denis' American films, and this man knows how to set a tone, and it's usually dark in nature. His previous films Prisoners and Enemy had some truly disturbing moments, and Sicario is no different. With this kind of film the violence could have been over the top, Denis scaled it back instead of ratcheting it up, but don't think for a New York minute that the violence doesn't make a significant appearance. It does, but it's subtle violence if violence can ever be subtle, and it shows how Denis has a firm grasp on this whole directing thing. He's great with uncomfortable silence and the manipulation of darkness. There are times the colors in Sicario are washed out and the shadows are prominent. All done to set that eerie mood Denis is apparently a big fan of.

Emily Blunt plays Kate Macer, a police officer in Phoenix that specializes in hostage recovery. Her and her team come upon a house where they think hostages are being held, but when they get there the house is virtually empty. That is until they search behind the walls. What they find there gets the ball rolling. The talented Daniel Kaluuya plays Kate's very protective partner Reggie, Josh Brolin plays the sneaky government agent Matt Graver, and Benicio Del Toro plays the mysterious Alejandro. Kate is recruited to work with Matt's team because she wants to get to the people who were responsible for what was found in the house. Written by Taylor Sheridan, the story is not complicated, but it's a fun and intriguing puzzle to piece together. While there's not much mirth from anyone in the film, all of the performances are solid. I don't think any of the  actors are winning an award come Oscar time, but no one mailed their effort in. In my opinion, however, this is the best I've seen from Benicio Del Toro in a really long time.

Technically Sicario is a powerhouse of a film, and in my opinion it's Denis Villeneuve's best film of his young career. Without giving anything away the last third of this film is when he shows how good of a filmmaker he truly is. Using certain filming techniques at his disposal he takes the viewer and puts us right smack in the middle of the action, so much so that you may forget to breathe. It's that intense. Remember when I said no actor on this film will probably get recognized come award time? The same can't be said about cinematographer, Roger Deakins. This is the second time Roger and Denis have worked together, (Prisoners was their previous collaboration.) so they share the same eye. Roger has been nominated twelve times for an Oscar. This time he might finally hear his name called. Same goes for composer, Johann Johannsson. The score he built and married to this movie was without a doubt the most tension-filled, overwhelming thing I've heard from a movie all year. Melodies are few and far between. What's not, however, are the sounds and the power behind those sounds. The music is one of the most impactful characters in Sicario, and when you see the movie you'll understand what I mean. See this movie. Wait, I don't think you heard me...SEE THIS FUCKING MOVIE!!! Sicario will impress you like it did me. I swear it, and I'll see you at the theater.

Black Mass

Black Mass, the latest film by director Scott Cooper is one of the best films of the year in my professional opinion. It's right up there with Mad Max: Fury Road and Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation. It's not a high octane, action packed, shoot em up, but it will put you on the edge of your seat. It will grab you by the throat and not let go until you've left the theater. It is a flawless masterpiece, and because of that I give Black Mass five buckets of Killer Korn (with extra butter).











There are truly good movies, movies that almost leave you breathless and wanting more after you initially see them. There are movies that will have you proclaiming 'BEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR!' until you sit around and realize how that movie "could have been better if..." I have fallen prey to those movies as well, so I know what that feeling is like. Well it's Tuesday, and after much deliberation I still firmly believe that the movie I saw on Sunday starring Johnny Depp as James 'Whitey' Bulger is definitely one of the best movies of 2015. There isn't any of that annoying second guessing or any "if only they had done that" madness. Scott Cooper put together an absolutely amazing film about one of Boston's most notorious crime lords, and it's just Scott's third time in the director's chair. Yeah, you read that right. This is his third movie. His last one, Out of the Furnace, was one of those "if only" movies. It had all the elements to be awesome. It had a great cast and a great location. It just didn't have a great story. His first movie though won Jeff Bridges an Oscar. Crazy Heart was a great film about addiction, redemption, and friendship. It also showed that Cooper knew what he was doing behind the camera.

That talent of Cooper's is on full display in Black Mass. For all those that questioned Johnny Depp's abilities. After seeing this movie all that will cease. Depp delves so deep into this role that you no longer see him. You see Whitey. You fear Whitey, and what he or his Winter Hill Gang may do to someone that crosses them. Johnny brings Whitey to life in such a way that will be recognized come award season, bank on that. Starring alongside Johnny is Benedict Cumberbatch who plays his brother Billy Bulger, Joel Edgerton who plays FBI agent Johnny Connolly, Dakota Johnson who plays Lindsey Cyr, Rory Cochran who plays Whitey's right hand man Steve Flemmi, Kevin Bacon playing Charles McGuire, and Corey Stoll who plays Fred Wyshak. A truly talented cast, and Scott Cooper got great performances out of them all. There were no weak links in the chain, and to say I was impressed would be an understatement.

Black Mass was a period piece and that period was the early to mid 80's and the one person that deserves a shout out is the production designer, Stefania Cella. From the houses to the cars to the clothes, she nailed it all, and if it was her idea to put Depp in the black Members Only jacket then she is a genius. The movie is framed and shot exquisitely by cinematographer Masanobu Takayanagi. The camera work and the angles kept this movie from becoming stale. It was masterful work by a talented man. The gothic score crafted by Tom Holkenborg aka Junkie XL is one that will ensure us seeing his name a lot more in the near future. The music he put together fits this film so perfectly that I can't help but marvel at how far he's come in the art of scoring. I am now willing to forgive his 300: Rise of an Empire score. With Mad Max and now Black Mass under his belt, 2015 is shaping up to be the year of Tom. Well done, sir. Look, I can't recommend Black Mass enough, but you will thank me afterwards if I have in any way, shape, or form pushed you into seeing it. Bank on that, and I'll see you at the theater.

 

Mission Impossible - Rogue Nation

Mission: Impossible-Rogue Nation, the latest film from writer/director Christopher McQuarrie is one of the best movies of the Mission Impossible series. While I still think JJ Abram's Mission: Impossible 3 the best of the franchise, Rogue Nation delivers on every entertaining promise the trailer offered. It's comprised of exciting explosions of action wrapped around a highly engaging and intelligent plot and that combination makes it one of the best popcorn movies of the year in my opinion. That's why I enthusiastically give Mission: Impossible-Rogue Nation five buckets of Killer Korn.










I officially have to bestow the genius label on Christopher McQuarrie. I don't know what kind of man he is personally, but as a filmmaker and writer he is without a doubt one of the best in the business today. I have to put his name in that select group of directors and writers that whatever they're involved in, I'll go see. If you don't think he's all the special then see Mission: Impossible-Rogue Nation and then take into account that it's just his third time directing a movie. You read that right, Rogue Nation is just his THIRD time behind the camera. If you don't think that's impressive then take a look at his writing resume. He's written or co-wrote Edge of Tomorrow, Jack Reacher, Valkyrie, The Way of the Gun, and Usual Suspects just to name a few. What he's done with his latest movie of the highly profitable Mission: Impossible franchise was give it a distinct shot of some powerful adrenaline. I enjoyed Ghost Protocol but when compared to Rogue Nation, Ghost seems like its running in slow motion and Rogue is Usain Bolt.

As usual Tom Cruise stars as Ethan Hunt, the best agent the IMF has to offer. He's joined by Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, and Jeremy Renner. New to the franchise is Rebecca Ferguson who plays Ilsa Faust, a lethal woman with mysterious allegiances and her own agenda and Alec Baldwin who plays CIA director Alan Hundley who wants nothing more than to apprehend Ethan and jail him forever. This is the first time in a Mission: Impossible film where the IMF is in any kind of contact with other intelligence agencies. The CIA and Britain's MI6 flank the IMF as they hunt down a terrorist organization known as The Syndicate. Doing that was just what the next Mission film needed after Ghost Protocol, an influx of new blood and agents as skilled if not more skilled than Ethan Hunt. Rogue Nation almost had a James Bond feel to it and that was refreshing. For a director who's working on his third film, Rogue Nation was a masterpiece in every way and I for one hope he directs the next installment.

The look of Rogue Nation is far more gritty and realistic than Ghost Protocol. Where Ghost had a cleaner, sleeker look, Nation comes at you like a punch in the face. The stunts were eye popping and breathtaking. Tom is notorious for doing his own stunts and while the motorcycle chase showed his proficiency on a bike, the stunt where he's hanging off the side of plane showed his level of pure insanity. Oscar award winning cinematographer Robert Elswit captured all the action, the fights, and the quiet moments brilliantly. The way the film was lit gave it gravitas and the music by Joe Kraemer heightened the intensity with a bombastic score that put you on the edge of your seat. As I said earlier Rogue Nation is one of the best popcorn movies of the year so far and I highly recommend you see it. It's one I will see again because it is well worth the price of admission. I'll see you at the theater.

Southpaw

Southpaw, the latest film from acclaimed director Antoine Fuqua is a blisteringly emotional film with boxing in it. I say that because the story of Southpaw could have been drafted around any sport or no sport at all, it's that compelling. Sadly the filmmakers and writers could have done so much more than what they brought to the screen that I need to break down my rating. Based just on the story I have to give Southpaw a disappointing two buckets of Killer Korn. Based on the boxing and the technical aspects of Southpaw, I give it three.











As an Antoine Fuqua fan since the days of Training Day I was really looking forward to seeing this movie. And when I found out the man behind Sons of Anarchy and The Shield, Kurt Sutter was the writer my excitement doubled. I figured those two men alone would be just as good together as the partnership of David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin in my mind. Sadly if Fuqua and Sutter plan on working together again, they need to do a far better job of telling a story. Southpaw opened the doors to so many potentially amazing stories and conversations only to slam those doors closed and ignore them entirely. Either those stories were lost in the editing room or it was lazy filmmaking. Those are the only two reasons I can come up with as to why this movie fell the fuck apart the way it did. There were multiple plot devices and out of all those introduced, only one had closure. I also don't understand why the movie was called Southpaw when that aspect of boxing played a very minuscule role in the film. I really wanted to like this fucking film way more than I did but it failed to educate the fine intricacies of boxing to the average film goer who is a casual boxing fan. In my mind missing  a teachable moment is criminal.

Thankfully the performances in Southpaw overcame a crumbling story in completely wonderful ways. Jake Gyllenhaal was scintillating in this movie. He may have been overlooked for some award in the past but I firmly doubt that will happen after seeing his portrayal of boxer Billy Hope. Rachel McAdams plays Maureen Hope, Billy's wife and Oona Laurence plays their daughter Leila. After losing his wife to a shooting accident due to his temper, Billy loses his license to box by assaulting a ref in his next fight and then loses his daughter to child services and his house. He then seeks out the trainer of the one fighter Hope felt he lost to for help, Forrest Whitaker's Tick Wills. The two men start off on unsure footing and almost come to blows until Billy humbles himself. While Billy goes through the motions of getting his life together in order to get his daughter back his biggest rival Miguel Escobar, played by Miguel Gomez is now managed by Billy's one time manager Jordan Mains played with the appropriate amount of sleaze by Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson and being trained by Billy's one time trainer Eli Frost, played by Jose Caraballo. Every performance was well executed and sharp which is a testament to Fuqua's talent as a director.

Southpaw's glaring flaws in the storyline were also slightly overshadowed by the technical prowess the film displayed. HBO's involvement in the film with the inclusion of Jim Lampley and Roy Jones Jr. lent a real air of authenticity. The parts of the film when fighting occurs is breathtaking. It's some of the best camera work done in the ring since Michael Mann's amazing Ali. You are put right in the middle of the fighting and many of the punches came directly at the camera. Oscar award winning cinematographer Mauro Fiore captured the true brutality of the sweet science in ways rarely seen on the big screen. It was truly sublime work. One of the last scores by James Horner was scarce and ultimately forgettable but to his defense Southpaw is a movie that doesn't really need a score. The intensity is wound so tight in the movie that music isn't needed. I wish Southpaw was a better written movie but it's an exceptionally well crafted one. If you're a boxing fan, see this movie because you'll enjoy it. If you're hoping for a good story, skip it because it will disappoint and I'll see you that the theater.