Movie of the Week: The Departed

   

    Movie of the Week (2/23/14-3/1/14): Well, it is Oscar week ladies and gentlemen, one of my favorite weeks of the year, and I figured we would jump back to a Best Picture winner in history this week. Now, we're not going that far back, but that's okay because this movie is pretty much a classic already. I haven't met one person who did not like this movie and I imagine it would be hard to find someone who does. I mean this has a fantastic cast, a wonderful director, amazing editing, and of course fun bloody shootouts to go with it. That's right, this is The Departed.
    The plot might be a little hard to follow because it has so many components going into it, but nevertheless let's give it a try. It centers around the police trying to take down the mob and in doing so they send in an undercover to try and catch them in the act of doing something. Now, the mob has their own plans, they have a mole in the police department who is telling them everything that the cops do to try and catch them. So, sometimes things get a little messy, and both of these cops are new to the force and have their own problems. Soon they become involved with the same girl and find out stuff about each other that could get each one of them killed in their own way.
    The cast in this movie is absolutely phenomenal and each one did such a great job that they could all have won an Oscar in my book, but only one got nominated. Leonardo DiCaprio is Billy Costigan, the undercover cop in the mob, Matt Damon is Collin Sullivan as the mob mole in the police department, Jack Nicholson is the main man here, Frank Castello, as the man the cops are after, Mark Wahlberg is Dignam, Martin Sheen is Queenan, Ray Winstone as Mr. French, Vera Farmiga is Madolyn, Alec Baldwin as Ellerby, and David O'Hara as Fitzy. As you can see, that is a great cast. Now, some of them are cops some of them are mob members and one of them is stuck in the middle. But, all of them probably do their best work here, although it is close for Leo. Mark Wahlberg is great as he was the only one nominated for an Oscar.
    First things first, this film was directed by the great Martin Scorsese and it is hard to say if this is his best work, but it is certainly up there. He gave us an absolutely wonderful movie and it was all because of him and his great direction. And, believe it or not, this is the only movie in which he won an Oscar for directing, but he no doubt deserved it. We also have great editing here, as we have with all of Scorsese's movies, the editing is pretty much a character itself because it controls the pace of the movie sometimes. There are several long dialogue scenes in this movie and the quick editing helps make those scenes fun to watch because it gives it tension.
    Whiles we are on that subject, the cinematography is also at its best here as Michael Ballhaus shot us a beautiful movie to look at with some fancy camera work in several scenes and some classic camera work mixed in. Some of the classic would be during the shootouts when we have a nice wide shot going and everything can be seen. The score is also very creative here as it is mostly electric guitars giving each scene its own tone. Everything in this film is put together so well, that I'm surprised that it didn't get nominated for more Oscar's. It only got nominated for five but won four, directing, adapted screenplay, editing, and Best Picture. But it should have gotten many more nominations. Nevertheless this is a new American Classic and will probably be the last good mob movie for a long while. Stay tuned for later this week when I post my Oscar predictions and who I want to win.
4/4 Stars      

Movie of the Week: Miracle

   

    Movie of the Week (2/16/14-2/22/14): "Do you believe in miracles? Yes!" That is what happened at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, a miracle, when the United States men hockey team defeated the heavy favorite and talented Soviet Union on February 22. But, that wasn't even the game that won them the gold medal. They then defeated Finland to complete that miracle and give hope to the United States during the troubling times of the Cold War. So, with the Winter Olympics going on right now, why not have this movie as the movie of the week. This is Miracle.
       Well, you all know the story, I'm sure, of that hockey team and their run in the Olympic Games. But, most people don't know the story behind the team and their coach, Herb Brooks. This is what the film focuses on. We get to see how Brooks brought his team together and turned them into a winning team that was full of amateur players and college players. We also see what he goes through as a coach at home and on the ice with having to make hard decisions when it came to cutting players or to punish his team when they did not play to his expectations. Although some of those decisions weren't hard. We end the movie with the "Miracle on Ice" game that will have you standing up and cheering.
    Kurt Russell is Herb Brooks and from pictures that I have seen of the real Herb Brooks, this was a perfect casting. Tragically the real Herb Brooks was killed in a single car crash the year before this movie was released. But, Kurt Russell is the reason we watch this movie because it is all about his character and what he does with it. This is probably his best performance because he nails it, especially near the end with his reaction to the Miracle. We also have Noah Emmerich as Craig Patrick, an assistant coach, and he is also great here as he is in everything he does. I really like Noah, to me he is an underrated actor who doesn't get enough recognition for the great roles he plays. Most everybody else in the film, mainly the players, are unknown actors but they all really do a great job and should be recognized as well with taking on an important film about one of the biggest sport moments in history.
    Another person that we should recognize is the director, Gavin O'Connor, who hasn't done very many movies yet. In fact he has only done three that you may know, this, Pride and Glory, and Warrior, all of which are fantastic films and if you haven't seen them you need to. His direction is similar to that of Michael Mann's, and what I mean by that is he does films that have a very realistic feel to them. He doesn't do too much fancy camera work with them and the way they are shot makes it feel like you are in the room with the actors. We can also think Dan Stoloff for that because he was the cinematographer for this film and he shot great scenes with great shots that gave them a different effect and feel. So, scenes that were meant to be uplifting were shot differently than scenes that were suppose to be sad or serious, and each shot worked perfectly.
    I believe the next big factor in this film was the score, I mean you can't have an inspirational movie without an inspirational score, right? Well, we get that thanks to composer, Mark Isham, who wrote a very inspirational score for the film and it works perfectly especially, of course, at the end. Finally, to me a good sports movie needs to have good editing because so much is going on that they can easily miss something and put it in the film where it is not suppose to be. That has happened a lot, just watch the scoreboards in sports movies, it will read a different score than it's suppose too. But, here we have good editing overall, with the exception of the missed scoreboard, once I believe during the main game. But, the rest of the editing is done very well and gives the film some extra inspiration to it as the cuts get faster during the Miracle game. This is a very good movie of a very important event that has great acting, direction, editing, and score. By the end you yourself might just be standing up and cheering!
3.5/4 Stars

Movie of the Week: Hitch

   

    Movie of the Week (2/9/14-2/15/14): I hear tell love is in the air this week, and if you want some of you can just swat it away or spray it with a can of air-freshener, or you can embrace it. That's right, this Friday is Valentines Day, or as I like to call it "Single Awareness Day," and naturally we need a movie that celebrates this holiday, at least I guess we do. However, Valentines Day is the last thing on the minds of the people in the movie this week because it is about getting people together for the first time. But, the people in this movie need the help of a man known as "The Date Doctor." This is Hitch.
    This film is a touching film as it is about a man who helps men who have a hard time talking to women, sounds like something I need, and gets them on a date. Alex Hitchens is "The Date Doctor" and he specializes in getting men on dates with women who they think they have no chance with or can't talk to. He has these principles that he and his clients go by that says otherwise. Throughout the film he focuses on one client, a guy named Albert, who wants to go on a date with the beautiful Allegra Cole. At the same time Hitch begins a relationship with a gossip columnist, Sara, who doesn't know who he is but is assigned to write about Allegra. Soon she gets some information, wrong information mind you, about Hitch from a potential client who wanted to use Hitch for something that he does not do.
    Will Smith plays Hitch and like most of his roles he is enjoyable to watch in this one. This is probably one of his most moving performances as several times he delivers great and emotional monologues. My favorite comes near the end at a speed dating scene when some things get revealed. Kevin James plays Albert Brenneman and this is probably his best performance in a movie, he is funny and serious in several scenes and it really mixed well. These are the kinds of roles that he needs to be doing more often. Eva Mendez is Sara Melas and she too delivers a charming performance as a lost girl when it comes to love, plus the chemistry between her and Will is very good. Amber Valletta finishes off the main cast as Allegra and she too, like the rest, delivers a very nice performance.
    This is the kind of movie where special effects are pretty much obsolete because it is about great story and great dialogue. This film has a very well written screenplay with some great scenes that contain wonderful monologues that are very moving. All in all it is also a very good story about love and what is the best way to peoples hearts, we can think Kevin Bisch for that. The film also has very good direction from Andy Tennant as it has a very nice flow from beginning to end along with several well directed scenes, that are funny and serious at the same time. He might be the reason Kevin James did such a good job. Now that being said this is probably Tennant's best movie because some of the others he has done are just trying to be romantic comedies, whereas this one is.
    Like I said this is a romantic comedy that is actually good. Throughout the whole film we get stuff about romance and love, yes, but we also get several funny scenes that are spaced out very well. Plus we get a good original story that is touching and not the same thing that we see in every other romantic comedy out there. This film is a well written, acted, directed, and scored film that will make you laugh, give a crooked smile, maybe tear up a little, and make you think at times. This is one of those rare romantic comedies that could actually teach us a thing or two about love this Valentines Days.
3/4 Stars.

Movie of the Week: Mission: Impossible III

   

    Movie of the Week (2/2/14-2/8/14): There is a scene in this film, part of it is shown in the opening and the rest is shown later, where the villain has Ethan Hunt and his girlfriend handcuffed to two chairs. The villain then proceeds to point a gun at her head and tries to force Ethan to tell him where The Rabbit's Foot is, but Ethan swears he gave it to him. The villain then starts counting to ten and Ethan continues to tell him that he already has it. Then in a fit of rage, that is probably one of the best ever on screen, he shoots her in the leg then yells at Ethan with the camera right on his face with even more rage that is absolutely terrifying to watch, but at the same time great. That actor playing the villain is Phillip Seymour Hoffman, who passed away just yesterday, so this week we honor him with one of my favorite roles of his. This is Mission: Impossible III.
    This is another film in the Ethan Hunt adventure series and one of my favorites in the series. This one focuses more on Hunt's personal life as he tries to keep his job a secret from his girlfriend. But then he ends up trying to take down an arms dealer who has some kind of weapon, which we don't know what kind, called The Rabbit's Foot and things then backfire. He soon has to go out and get The Rabbit's Foot himself and we are then propelled through a series of intense shootouts and interesting intense scenes that involve having small bombs placed in people's heads.
    Tom Cruise is Ethan Hunt and he probably gives us his best performance as the character as his emotions take over several of the scenes because things get very personal. Ving Rhames plays the trusty side-kick as he reprises his role as Luther Stickell. Maggie Q and Jonathan Rhys Meyers join the series as members of Ethan's team to help him take down the arms dealer. Michelle Monaghan also joins as Ethan's girlfriend. Simon Pegg is there for the comedic relief. But, the best role of this film goes to Phillip Seymour Hoffman as Owen Davian, the notorious arms dealer, who gets what he wants. This role might not be the best villain in history but it is one for the ages as Hoffman delivers us a true character that we love to hate, he gives us one powerful performance here!
    This film is also directed by the great J.J. Abrams, the man behind the new Star Trek films, and he gives it his own touch with the fast paced and cut action scenes. But he doesn't stop at the action scenes, even the dialogue scenes are done in such a way that they themselves are intense. There is one scene with Laurence Fishburne that is very intense and the way that J.J. does it, you begin to hate him even though he is on Ethan's side. With that the film also has fantastic editing that adds to the excitement of the film, especially one shootout on a bridge that was done very well and will leave you sweating once it's over.
    The film also has an updated version of the iconic theme that we all know, but we have a new and intense score that is particularly good and gives the film the extra boost it needed. With the score, direction, and editing, it is all mixed together to make one great thrill ride. But, this film wouldn't have been completed without the wonderful performance of the Phillip Seymour Hoffman. The intensity and emotion that he brought to his scenes is unquestionably fantastic and I really can't picture anybody else in the roles but him. His untimely tragic death is awful, even it was caused by his own doings, his loss will be felt in the film industry.
3/4 Stars.

Movie of the Week: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

   

    Movie of the Week (1/26/14-2/1/14): I am way late this week, and to be honest with you I forgot. Yeah, I know what you're thinking, "Kurt! How could you leave us without a movie to watch for so long?" My bad, but don't fret no longer because we do have a movie to watch, like we always do. This particular film is my personal favorite of the series that is overall a very good series. But, this one adds a cast member that I'm sure most if not all of us enjoy seeing on the screen and his chemistry is perfect with his on screen son. This is Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
    The films opens with one of my favorite prologue scenes on film. We get to see a young Indiana Jones in his first encounter with a bad guy and we get to see how he got his scare and his hat. From there on we get to the main plot of the movie as Indiana searches for the Holy Grail. But, his whole reasoning as to searching for the Grail is because his father just went missing while searching for it. So, Jones races to find his father while at the same time trying to escape from and stop the Nazis from getting there first.
    Of course we all know that Harrison Ford plays Indiana Jones, or Junior as his father calls him throughout the film, and naturally he nails it. The new cast member that we have added here is Sean Connery as Henry Jones, his father. Connery also is great here as the chemistry between him and Ford is truly unforgettable as they make you laugh several times and make you think as their relationship as father and son is very important throughout. River Phoenix plays the young Indiana Jones and he was certainly entertaining during that segment. Denholm Elliott, Alison Doody, John Rhys-Davies, Julian Glover, and Michael Byrne round out the rest of the cast as they all deliver as well.
    I guess where we should start here is the exciting screenplay and story, I mean we all wanted to go out looking for the Holy Grail and the screenplay helped bring this to life. George Lucas and Menno Meyjes gave us the story but Jeffery Boam gave us the explosive screenplay that we know today. But, of course it would not be a complete Indiana Jones film without the direction of the great Steven Spielberg. He again gave us a great film with his classic direction and well shot scenes that will leave you on the edge of your seat at times. I also enjoyed his direction in the well shot comedic scenes with Ford and Connery, also the Denholm Elliott's scenes.
    The film also has good effects and for 1989 they are very good and make the film look that much better. The effects are more necessary near the end and with the great sound editing and mixing, the action scenes are perfectly put together for the screen. Of course we can't forget the memorable score that we find ourselves humming whenever we watch this film or the other ones, and John Williams made sure that we would. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is an upgrade from the film before it and keeps your attention until the very end when we find out the true meaning of the movie. The great direction, effects, screenplay, and musical score makes this one of the best Indiana Jones adventures and films of 1989.
4/4 Stars

My Favorite Top 10 Movies of 2013

    Well it is awards season now and I finally got around to making my favorite top ten movies of the year. So the films below are my pick for the best movies of 2013 that I have seen and I have seen a lot of movies. Now, that being said I was not about to see Nebraska, Philomena, Dallas Buyers Club, 12 Years A Slave, or Her because all of those were in limited release and I wasn't about to see them. However, the first chance I get to see them I will. Now, I'm going to go on and tell you all that I have seen American Hustle and you might notice that it is not in my top ten movies of the year. That is because I thought it was a little overrated, it had great acting and direction but the story didn't really go anywhere by the end and I was a little disappointed at the ending. But, I still liked it overall. So, without further ado, here are my Top Ten Movies of the Year.

  
10. Pacific Rim

    We start off the top ten with a movie that is clearly run by visual effects, but that wasn't enough to derail this picture, because sometimes it does. This film has great visual effects, but that is because it is about giant monsters coming up from under the ocean to wreak havoc on Earth. So, the high point of this film are the beautiful effects, but I also liked that the monsters came from a portal inside the Earth instead of from space, an interesting idea I thought. We also have a good cast as Charlie Hunnam and Idris Elba headline it and they both are great, Elba is the best since he controls the screen whenever he is on it. It is also nice seeing Charlie starting to branch out from his Sons of Anarchy role. So we get an action packed movie with beautiful visuals to start out our top ten, one that should have gotten at least an Oscar nomination for effects.
3.5/4 Stars

9. Iron Man 3

    Iron Man 3 was a leap from the previous film because it dug deeper into Tony Stark rather than Iron Man. After the chaos in New York he developed post traumatic stress disorder and looses it every now and then. But, with Stark suffering from that we got the best performance from Robert Downey Jr. as Stark and I was very impressed with it. We also get the best villain of the series so far, although we think we have one then it turns out to be another, a twist I wasn't very fond of, but the main villain was a very interesting one and by the end you really do hate him. We also got great visual effects, editing, and screenplay from writer/director Shane Black, who I hopes comes back for the fourth one.
3.5/4 Stars

8. Mud

    We steer away from effects here. This is one of those films that not many people know about because it wasn't in wide release or promoted will. But, don't let that stop you from going to rent because it is very good and tells a good story. This film didn't use hardly any effects because it didn't need to, it is a character driven film with an intriguing main character named Mud. Matthew McConaughey plays the mysterious Mud character who is on the run and is trying to find the woman he lost. He runs into two boys who try to help him find her and leave the area, but he is also being pursued by bad guys. Nevertheless we get a groundbreaking performance, one of a few this year, from McConaughey, a great screenplay, and great direction in a film that will leave you smiling by the end.
3.5/4 Stars

7. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

    Back to more visual effects! The film opens with a flashback and then jumps back to where the first one left off, and from there on it grabs you and doesn't let go. I'm serious now, by the time it ended I was like "that's it?" because I was that into this film. First off, it is visually brilliant with the classic Peter Jackson feel and effects. The fight scenes were also incredibly filmed and fun to watch, especially the barrel scene, spider scene, and the whole sequence with Smaug near the end. The make-up and acting was also fantastic along with the incredible sound editing and mixing. By the time it ends you will be left wanting to see the third and final one as soon as possible.
3.5/4 Stars

6. The Place Beyond the Pines

    If you like stories about bank robberies, dirty cops, and family then this film is for you. The last thing this movie is is a thriller because you're not waiting for anything big to happen or any twists. You are waiting to see where the story goes because it spans quite a few years and you want to see what the characters will do and why. It is told in three segments that all connect with all of the different characters in some way. It has a fantastic screenplay, that should have been nominated for an Oscar, and wonderful direction by Derek Cianfrance. Not to mention the cast, Bradley Cooper, Ryan Gosling, Eva Mendes, and Ray Liotta who all deliver thrilling performances.
3.5/4 Stars

5. Prisoners

    This film might be the best thriller of the year along with possibly the best screenplay of the year. The screenplay if filled with so many suspenseful twist that I lost count and by the end I was shocked beyond belief, and I loved it!! Hugh Jackman also delivers us one of his best performances ever that is Oscar worthy, but didn't get nominated, and this is pretty much his movie. Jake Gyllenhaal is also very impressive as a detective struggling hard to find the truth. Direction is also fantastic from a new and upcoming director Denis Villeneuve. This film will leave your heart pounding and your mind twirling from start to finish.
4/4 Stars

4. Star Trek Into Darkness

    If you liked the first movie by J.J. Abrams then you will love this one because it ups the ante. Not only is it visually thrilling it is will make sweat from beginning to end. With several nostalgic moments from past Star Trek films it pays perfect homage and delivers better than ever. The cast blows this out of the water, especially Benedict Cumberbatch who takes over the film whenever he is on screen. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto aren't too bad either, especially when it comes to the fantastic emotional scenes. This may not be the best or most thrilling movie of the year, but it will leave a mark when you're done watching it.
4/4 Stars

3. Gravity

    It is very hard to act in a movie where it is just you for the majority of the time, but Sandra Bullock did just that. Yes, George Clooney was in there as well, and he was great, but Sandra had to virtually act with a green screen by herself and this is probably her best performance. Along with her we have possibly the best visuals in all of film this year along with sound mixing and that frightening score that we get in those wonderfully shot frightening scenes that will make you squeeze your arm rest to death. We can credit Alfonso Cuaron for the thrilling screenplay, the perfect direction, and the scariest filmed scenes of the year.
4/4 Stars

2. The Wolf of Wall Street

    Yeah, this might be a little long for some people to sit through, but you know what, once it ends, you cannot believe it has been 3 hours. That's right, the film is so well put together that you have no idea it has already been three hours once it is over. The editing is an instant classic, as are most Scorsese pictures, along with the serious and comedic filled screenplay that has perfect balance. Of course Martin Scorsese knows what he's doing and gave us another classic with his perfect direction. And finally, Leonardo DiCaprio was perfect as he gives us possibly his best performance, although he has so many it is close, that absolutely blew me away. Jonah Hill also shines.
4/4 Stars

1. Captain Phillips

    My favorite movie of the year is this masterpiece, Captain Phillips. We all knew this was a true story when this movie was announced and came out, but we didn't know it would turn into this breathtaking thrill ride that Paul Greengrass put to the screen. The film from start to finish will have you on the edge of your seat and you will love every minute of it. On top of the fantastic direction, the editing and screenplay is also flawless and controls the film's perfect pacing. But, Tom Hanks is absolutely perfect in this role as Richard Phillips and delivers his best performance since Cast Away. This is a film that brings suspense to the next level and should have earned Tom Hanks an Oscar, but the fact that he wasn't even nominated is an insult to him and film.
4/4 Stars

Movie of the Week: Die Hard 2

   

   
    Movie of the Week (1/19/14-1/25/14): I'm in the mood for another action flick this week so why not one that was a sequel to one of the best action movies of all time. That's right, Bruce Willis returned to his iconic role as the cop from New York who is always "At the wrong place at the wrong time." Now this might have been a step down from the first one, but it really wasn't a very big step down because it had a good director, that classic '80's action feel, and a couple of interesting twists. This is Die Hard 2: Die Harder.
    This second adventure follows John McClane in Washington D.C. at Dulles International Airport as a group of traitorous rogue U.S. military men take over the airport. There mission? To intercept an airplane carrying a terrorist general and set him free. And if they do that they all get paid a bunch of money and get to live in "paradise." But of course John McClane will do anything to stop them as they have caused planes to circle the airport until they run out of fuel. McClane's wife is on one of the planes, so that gives him some motivation to find and stop the traitors from intercepting the general and killing any innocent people.  
    Now, like I said Bruce Willis returned as John McClane and we all love watching his exploits and Bruce does another great job in a role that will always be his. Bonnie Bedelia returned as Holly McClane, in a smaller role, but still kept the feel of Die Hard alive. Reginald VelJohnson even has a short cameo that was nice to see. William Sadler plays the main antagonist as Colonel Stuart, you may know him from The Shawshank Redemption among many other films where he plays a good small character. This is one of his different roles where he plays a tough military man and can fight... good, he gives us a good performance. We also have John Amos as a military Major who comes in as relief during the chaos, and Dennis Franz as the Captain of the airport police, who can be quite annoying at times. Robert Patrick also has a brief appearance in a small role as one of the bad guys.
    The first thing that makes this a good movie is its small connections to the first movie with all of the little things that the director, not the same from the first one, put in there. You'll know them when you see them, or hear them. The director for this film, Renny Harlin, who also did Cliffhanger, gave this his own touch as it is a little more faster paced and filled with a little more over the top action. But, that's okay because it was fun and exciting to watch, let alone gory, and got to the point faster. Renny Harlin is a good director he just hasn't made any good choices since Cliffhanger in 1993 and I wish he did because he had potential.
    This movie also had very good effects when it came to the shootouts and were choreographed very well, which made them intense to watch. Another thing that made this a good, not great, sequel were the twists that we have and they have a few clues to them along the way, some easier and some not so much, but of course once they happen you are still shocked in a way. But, it was something that made the film better and brought some characters together in the end that we wouldn't have thought would come together. In the end this is a sequel with its own feel to it yet had plenty of connections to the first one, good direction, effects, and good twists that will keep you entertained.
3/4 Stars