Legend

Legend, the latest film from writer/director Brian Helgeland is a highly entertaining biopic on the notorious Kray twins from the East side of England. There are moments of utter hilarity, violence, an heartbreak during the unfolding of the story and when you have those three ingredients along with fascinating subject matter and amazing acting, then that usually adds up to hit movie. That's what Brian Helgeland may just have on his hands and that's one of the reasons I'm giving Legend four and half buckets of Killer Korn.










The first time I really noticed Tom Hardy was in a crackling film entitled Bronson. He was so convincing in that movie, so magnetic that I went back and found him in previous movies that I had seen already and had no idea he was in like Star Trek: Nemesis and Black Hawk Down. His range was dynamic and his talents were so undeniable that I became a Hardy fan. I didn't think he'd be able to top himself after seeing this years Mad Max: Fury Road but it was his performance in that film that compelled me to see Legend. The movie is about the Kray twins, Ronald and Reginald who were gangsters back in 60's England. Reggie was the somewhat more level headed of the two, who saw himself initially as a businessman rather than a gangster. Ronald was the beast, a man prone to sudden acts of violence and anger so profound that you never knew what might set him off, a man who embraced the word gangster. Hardy captured these two distinct personalities in such grand ways that you cease to see him and instead you see the twins. It was, without any subterfuge an epic performance and one that will be talked about for years to come. That's not to say the movie was perfect, there were some holes in the story and a lot of underdeveloped characters buzzed around the twins but since Hardy dominates the screen in a myriad of ways (even his walk is a character) then you may find yourself not really caring about the Krays crew.

Now believe it or not there was some serious talent in this movie alongside Tom. Emily Browning plays Frances, the wife of Reggie, David Thewlis plays Leslie Payne, the Krays business advisor and money launderer, Chazz Palminteri plays Angelo Bruno, the middle man between the Krays and Meyer Lanski. Paul Bettany makes a frightening and funny appearance as does Sam Spruell who plays Jack "The Hat" McVitie. Taron Egerton, fresh off his turn as Eggsy in Kingsman also makes as much of his secondary character Mad Teddy Smith as possible. It's a talented lot to put it mildly but they all take a backseat to the man. If you are not a Tom Hardy fan, first I ave to ask,  what in the hell is wrong with you? Secondly do NOT see this movie as he's in virtually every shot being smug and menacing. I won't give any of the plot away (especially since you can read up on the Krays on their Wikipedia page for yourself) but Brian Helgeland's screenplay was adapted from John Pearson's book The Profession of Violence and if it's anything like the movie, it's a must read.

I've never been to London but I doubt any sets had to be built for Legend. Shot entirely in the UK I would imagine the hardest thing to come by production wise were the cars. The costume designers did an excellent job of dressing one man two different ways in order for him to portray two different personlities. I'm sure some pieces had to be made but it wouldn't surprise me if most of the clothes were purchased from second hand shops. Legend's look was also crafted by Oscar nominated cinematographer Dick Pope. The framing, the camera movement and placement were perfect and made you feel like you were very much a part of the action. The score by Carter Burwell was a jazzy soundtrack which surprisingly fit perfectly alongside the pop songs of the day. It was a nice light touch. I highly recommend Legend to everyone. It will convert you into a Tom Hardy fan if you aren't one by now and if you are a Hardy fan, than this is your early Christmas gift. Enjoy and I'll see you at the theater.

Spotlight

Spotlight, the latest film from writer/director Tom McCarthy is an intense, intelligent, and heartbreaking film that can leave you feeling a couple of ways, and none of them are good. The performances were stellar if not a bit cold and while the subject matter feels like it's ten years too late, Spotlight was good enough for me to give it three and a half buckets of Killer Korn.















I am just going to lay this out here, I am not a fan of Tom McCarthy's last film. The actor/writer/director's last work was the horrible Adam Sandler racist piece of crap entitled The Cobbler. After seeing the trailer for Spotlight however, I had no qualms about doctoring my popcorn just right and heading into the theater. I am not Catholic but I have known people who were and who hasn't heard of the scandal of the Catholic church and their priests and the child molestation accusations? Spotlight chose to discuss that madness in a way never approached in a film before. This film shines a spotlight (see what I did there?) on a team of reporters from the Boston Globe who investigated the Catholic priests and the abuse allegations in the predominantly Catholic population. They unearthed such rampant cases of abuse that while they initially buried the news when it came to light years before, it was just too much to keep hidden a second time around. Spotlight is a taught drama that highlights the overwhelming disbelief that this kind of sexual abuse was happening in parishes all over the city of Boston and the state of Massachusetts. It was like the reporters themselves had a hard time wrapping their brains around it.

Those Spotlight reporters were Mark Ruffalo, who was incredible as Mike Rezendes, Michael Keaton as Walter Robinson, Rachel McAdams as Sacha Pfeiffer, and Brian d'Arcy James as Matt Carroll. Alongside them was Liev Schreiber as Marty Baron, John Slattery as Ben Bradlee Jr. Stanley Tucci as Mitchell Garabedian, and Billy Crudup as Eric Macleish. It's a talented cast and they were all good but the stand out was Ruffalo. His portrayal of Rezendes was electrifying and he was the one I'm sure most viewers will gravitate to. He voices his anger in such an impactful and profound way about this story that it inspires others of his team to get off their hands and to even fall on their swords. I've always thought Mark was a solid to good actor, thanks to Spotlight he just became great in my opinion.

The movie eschewed any nice aerial shots of Boston, the camera work was nothing special, it wasn't a pretty film to look at. In fact it was almost drab but with this particular subject matter making this movie something visually interesting would have almost been inappropriate. Cinematographer Masayobu Takayanagi kept Spotlight visually close to the vest when you compare it to his previous film, Black Mass which visually arresting. The piano heavy score by Howard Shore was disappointing. This was a chance for a really dark melodic score considering the subject and instead what we received something that seemed rudderless. There was nothing memorable here and I know this Oscar award winning composer is better than this. As I said earlier the subject matter for Spotlight feels like it's ten years too late but when it comes to molested children at the hands of some of the most trusted men in the communities, stories like this never get old. That's one of the issues I have with recommending Spotlight, but if you do see it...brace yourself and I'll see you at the theater.

Spectre

Spectre, the latest film from acclaimed director Sam Mendes is a twisting, turning, action packed film filled with covert actions and flashes of violence. Spectre spans the world putting Bond in the harshest environments and pitting him against some of the most ferocious villains seen in Bond film is a very long time. If you're a fan of the Bond films then Spectre will most assuredly entertain and because of that I give it four buckets of Killer Korn.













I'm just going to put it out there, I thought Skyfall was a decent Bond film but I wasn't head over heels in love with it. It had some truly magical moments but I thought it could have been better in a lot of ways. It seems Sam Mendes felt the same way because he improved on the good things he did and discarded all the things that didn't work in Skyfall. Spectre is a throwback to Bond films of the Connery/Moore days and that was refreshing. Instead of going over the top with the villains and the toys from Q, Spectre brings a sense of brutal realism to the world of Bond. There's a menacing, hulking villain in Spectre that rivals the likes of Odd Job and Jaws that honestly makes you question what would happen to Bond if the two went toe to toe. I have been looking for  a weakness in this film since I saw it and I can't find one which is surprising after I read about all the major rewrites and reshoots of the third act. That's a testament to the skills of Sam Mendes as a director and his editing team but that may also be the reason why Spectre may be Daniel Craig's last ride as 007.

Starring alongside Daniel are the normal cast of talented actors from Skyfall. Ralph Fiennes as M, Naomi Harris as Moneypenny, Ben Winslow as Q, and Rory Kinnear as Tanner. This time around Christoph Wentz is the big bad guy who in typical Bond fashion for it's bad guys talks WAY too much. He plays Oberhauser and is the leader of the underground all powerful Spectre organization. Lea Seydoux plays the latest "Bond girl" Madeleine Swan who captures the dichotomy of fragility and fearlessness better than most Bond girls before her. At first she got on my nerves but eventually she won me over. Andrew Scott plays C, the man who seeks to shut down the double 0 program, Dave Bautista who plays the dangerous Hinx, and Jesper Christensen who plays the tragic Mr. White.
The chases were gripping, particularly the one in the Alps that made me absolutely giddy because it brought me back those incredulous Bond chases of the past. The fights were physical, frenetic, and just flat out awesome (yeah, I said it).

Spectre was a gorgeous film to watch. The sets, the mountains, and the framing of the shots were impressive. The cinematographer on this Bond film was the award winning Hoyte Van Hoytema who's last project was the Christopher Nolan space odyssey Interstellar. Thomas Newman was once again tasked to score his second Bond film and I have to say in my opinion, he did a vastly better job of it this time around. I was disappointed in his score for Skyfall but he hit all the right notes here. It was a job well done. I vociferously recommend this film for those looking to be entertained at the movies and even more so for Bond fans. Spectre will not disappoint in any way. I'll see you at the theater.

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.