Birdman (2014) Movie Review

I genuinely can't explain to you how batshit insane and wonderful Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) is. It's like a hyper stream of thoughts that threatens to overwhelm the sense, but also knows just when to stimulate them. And also, did I mention that Birdman is so batshit insane? I feel like it needs to be mentioned often, because a lot of the time I would just stare at the screen going "What the fuck am I watching?" But in a good way. Like a fat person running a marathon. Or a fighter hugging his family before breaking the face of a man he doesn't know. Or me, running a marathon. Comedy works in rules of three, people.

Riggin Thomson is a former box office titan, been part of the Birdman franchise, a popular comicbook movie trilogy that earned billions. But that was over a decade ago, and now Riggin is, more or less, a washed up actor trying to make his mark in the acting world again, by adapting a Raymond Carver play for Broadway. He also has to worry about the other actors in the play; Laura (Andrea Riseborough), his current girlfriend, Lesley (Naomi Watts), an actress about to achieve her dream of being on broadway, and Mike (Edward Norton), a quasi-method Broadway veteran. There's also Riggin's best friend and agent Jake (Zach Galifanakis), his ex-wife Sylvia (Amy Ryan), and his former drug addict daughter and assistant Sam (Emma Stone).

Alejandro Inarritu is known for generally making some pretty downer films. He's made Amores Perros, 21 Grams, Babel, and Biutiful, all of which will makes you want to curl into a ball and call your family to tell you it'll be okay. With this movie, I felt like he just said "FUCK IT!" and decided to go balls to the wall and enjoy himself, though this movie can get dark at times. Another connection all his movies share, is that they showcase facets of the actors involved people may not have known they had. He put Gael Garcia Bernal on the map, showed the vulnerability of Benicio Del Toro, showed that Brad Pitt has always been more than abs and a perfect jawline, and that Javier Bardem can get sick too, despite being Spanish Brad Pitt.

Birdman is no different, as it shows that Michael Keaton is fucking force to be reckoned with. I'm not overly familiar with Keaton's filmography, to be honest, but this is the best performance I think he's given. Obviously, it's not hard to see the Birdman/Batman parallel to his life, but Riggin is an insane creation. He's a former A-list movie star that wants to prove he's a legitimate actor. That he's an artist. And Keaton is so wonderful in the role that I think he's certain to get an Oscar nomination for his work here. He perfectly embodies Riggin as someone who clearly knows they are better than what everyone sees, and he leaves it all out on the table. Beetlejuice feels tame compared to Riggin Thomson. BIRDMAN BIRDMAN BIRDMAN!

Similarly excellent is Edward Norton, as Mike, who is the type of actor everyone hates, but loves. He's an asshole, who knows he's brilliant, and is out there for himself. But Norton finds a way to make him utterly memorable, to the point where you can't wait for him to come back on screen. He nearly steals every scene he's in. But the first rule of acting, is you do not talk about acting. The second rule is make sure your cheek make up is in an L shape. Theatre basics.

The rest of the cast is all good. Naomi Watts as Mike's girlfriend is her usual fantastic self, as is Amy Ryan as Riggin's ex-wife, who is actually loving and supportive. Andrea Riseborough is strong, but fairly underused compared to the rest, while Zach Galifanakis plays it mostly straight, and puts in some of his strongest work. However, it's Emma Stone that surprised me, giving a range of emotion I haven't seen from her before. Yes, we all fucking love Emma Stone. She's all of our dream girls. But damn, she can act a storm up when she wants to. She makes Sam a fantastic character to watch, and one that we end up really caring about.

So, in case you hadn't heard, the entire film feels like it is shot in one gigantic take. The way the camera weaves along with the actors, along with seamless editing and beautiful cinematography, it really makes you feel like you're a part of the show along with them. A lot of credit has to go to DP Emmanuel Lubezki , who shoots with a wonderful crispness. Lubezki is pretty much the master of long takes, as he also shot Gravity last year (with it's 14 minute opening), as well as Children of Men (which has some of the best long takes ever put on film). The point is, don't bother looking for the edits. You won't find them. They'll find you. Oh, and gotta give it up to Antonio Sanchez, as well, for an up tempo jazz feel to the score, that keeps you, as well as the film, on your toes. 

Ultimately, the credit has to go to Inarritu, as he seems to blend all the aspects of this film together with such ease and craftsmanship. In the hands of a lesser director, this film could have been a total shit show. Yeah, the film has a couple of problems. Mainly that it can be a tad hard to follow, with so many pieces in play. And that the ending felt like a few false endings (Lord of the Rings syndrome). But otherwise, it's fucking great. I'd highly recommend you watch it with other people. And if they don't like it, shame them for being wrong and dumb and ugly.

Grade: A

Fury (2014) Movie Review

The Justice League

War movies often have the tendency to glorify the brutality of war, or to patrioitize whoever is being depicted. And in most cases, it is justified. I can't imagine the courage that those people had, and still do have, and it makes me admire what they have done for freedom. The thing that Fury did that I admired was that it made me feel these things for these men, while also allowing me to understand them, sympathize with them, and even hate and pity them. 

It is April, 1945 and in a last ditch effort to win the war, Hitler has militarized all men, women and children in Germany, while the Allied forces continue to press deeper into the country. Don "Wardaddy" Collier (Brad Pitt) is the leader of the tank named Fury, and the leader of the operators of that tank. Those men are Boyd "Bible" Swan (Shia LaBeouf), Trini "Gordo" Garcia(Michael Pena), and Grady "Coon-Ass" Travis (Jon Bernthal). When their assistant gunner is killed, they receive Norman Ellis (Logan Lerman), a typist who is assigned to Fury. He is afraid, and does not fit in with these hardened men, and fears constantly for his life as they embark on a mission to take a neighbouring town, and, simply, hold the line.

What writer/director David Ayer crafts with Fury is very much akin to what he did with End of Watch, delivering a powerful character drama with real human moments. The men who sit and operate inside Fury are as close as brothers, and are willing to do whatever it takes to make it out alive. What I really enjoyed about it was that it was never about winning the war to these men, it was simply about survival. It shows you the side of these men, where they are busting each others balls, having a meal together, fighting each other, or fighting beside each other. It allows into the minds of each man, and Ayer does a good job fleshing out each character. He makes you feel the bond between these men without ever having to explicitly state it.

He also does well to balance the action once the plot begins to move. The trailers make it seem as though it is non-stop tank action, which is not true. The action comes in waves, with each wave becoming more overpowering than the last, but it is still a film about the characters, and the effect this has on them. It's a character study taking place in World War II. Ayers eye to realism really pays off in this sense.

The entire cast is outstanding. Brad Pitt is his usual outstanding self, playing Wardaddy as a man who has seem some shit. He's angry, bitter and tired about the war, and you see it from the way that Pitt simply looks at another character, or his posture or the way he clenches his  jaw. It's a performance of subtly, but it's something Pitt is used to. He's a man who is functioning on the mantra of kill or be killed, and he refuses to die.

Michael Pena, who was also in End of Watch, plays the driver, and brings the right amount of intensity, passion and drunkenness to the role. He's a character, you can sense, feels lost in the war, but at home in Fury. Jon Bernthal plays a bull of a man, playing Coon-Ass like the classic loose cannon assholes that made DeNiro a star. It's another reliable turn from the actor. And LaBeouf, who seems to be the topic of so much hate, is also excellent as Bible, the operator of the cannon. LaBeouf may get shit about being somewhat crazy, but he can act. And does he. Something about having a southern accent makes his performances all the more believable and genuinely better (see Lawless for proof of this). Also the silly moustache actually works. Don't ask me how.

The performance I most enjoyed, however, was the performance of Logan Lerman. After The Perks of Being a Wallflower, I've been excited to see what he can do, because that was a fucking brilliant performance. And he's aptly game here, often going toe-to-toe with each member of the cast and deliver another very strong performance. You believe Norman goes through a change in the movie, and while it feels a tad fast, you feel the emotion he feels. It's the kind of performance that made Joseph Gordon Levitt an A-list star.

Honestly, I simply enjoyed the hell out of this movie. It's not perfect. Not by a long shot. It suffers from some pretty bad pacing at times (mainly the beginning), and often simply lingers too long. But it's a movie that makes you appreciate the calm before the storm, because the storm is pure hell. It made me genuinely afraid of the situations these men were in. And, while it's no Saving Private Ryan, it will have your stomach in your throat and your balls in a vice (we all have balls in this scenario, I don't write for gender). It also suffers from some lackluster cinematography at times, as it doesn't quite do the tank battles or destruction justice.

Ultimately, Fury is a story about men who want the war to be over, but continue to fight because it's what they have to do. It's not about winning the war for their country, or to kill Hitler. It's about fighting because it's all they can do.

Grade: B+

DC and Warner Brothers Reveal Superhero Line-Up

So in case you haven't heard, DC and Warner Brothers have released their tentative movie line-up until 2020. Now, if you've read this blog before, you know I've speculated a lot on this, and superhero stuff is kind of important to me. I love it, I can't help it. But before I fanboy out, let's take a look at the schedule:

• 2016 — Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice

• 2016 — Suicide Squad

• 2017 — Wonder Woman

• 2017 — Justice League Part One

• 2018 — The Flash

• 2018 — Aquaman

• 2019 — Shazam

• 2019 — Justice League Part Two

• 2020 — Cyborg

• 2020 — Green Lantern

Alright, so let's tackle this list chronologically. I'll skip over Dawn of Justice, and go right to Suicide Squad. It was released earlier this week that the rumoured line-up for the Squad would feature Blockbuster, Multiplex, Jaculi, Mindboggler, Captain Boomberang, Vixen, and Deadshot. Deadshot, Boomberang and Vixen expect to take up majority of the story, with no word as to why the fuck Harley Quinn isn't making her movie debut. Whatever line-up they go with will probably be officially confirmed now that writer/director David Ayer (End of Watch, Fury) confirmed today to direct. While I doubt this movie will be much like it, everyone should check out End of Watch.

Alright, next we jump to Wonder Woman, which honestly has no new information, though a producer with Warner Bros did confirm that Wonder Woman would be a half-god, being a descendant of Zeus. Gal Gadot is still attached to star. After that we got the first of two Justice League movies, both of which will be directed by Zack Snyder. So he's the Joss Whedon of the DC world, for those of you that follow Marvel.

After that, we got a solo Flash movie, with the now confirmed Ezra Miller (We Need to Talk About Kevin, The Perks of Being A Wallflower), in what will be the shortest titled film of his career. I don't know how I feel about Miller being Barry Allen, partially because of Grant Gustin playing a similar aged Barry on CW's The Flash. Also, after that, we have Aquaman, with the now confirmed Jason Mamoa (Game of Thrones) set to play the Atlantean King. 

Yes, I realize how long and useless this post is, but gotta get them clicks. We also have Shazam with The Rock set to play villain/anti-hero Black Adam. No word yet on Shazam, but let's just hurry up and sign Joe Manganiello already. After that, we got the second Justice League movie, then a solo Cyborg movie, starring Ray Fischer, that no one will see, then finally a Green Lantern movie in 2020 because 9 year should be enough time to forget the last one right?

Missing from the list are Man of Steel 2, and the solo Batman movies, as the release dates for both of those has yet to be set in stone. While I'm assuming casting for the Suicide Squad will commence shortly, the main Justice League members still to be cast are Shazam, and Green Lantern. Also, if they use them, there's still Martian Manhunter and Green Arrow. 

So much stuff. So much time. If you read the whole post, congratulate yourself. You did it. Have a Capri Sun.

Gone Girl (2014) Movie Review

I've tried several times to sit down and read Gone Girl, but either never had the time, or just not had the motivation to read a novel. Despite the fact that numerous people, whether they are friends, family or the Chapters girl who told me it's so much better than Horns, have all told me it's fantastic, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I've been close. I actually own a hardcover copy and paperback copy (I thought my hardcover one was lost. Nope, just in a box). So it's been on my mind. I'm glad I hadn't read the novel, however, because what I saw on screen kept me transfixed throughout and has me still wanting to talk about it.

When Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) comes home in the morning after checking in with his sister Margot (Carrie Coon), he comes home to a situation. The coffee table has been smashed, it looks like there was a struggle, and his wife, Amy (Rosamund Pike), is nowhere to be found. Once the police arrive, and see that there are flecks of blood on the cupboards of the kitchen, the search to find out about Amy takes place. And it leads us down a smart, twisty, incredibly fucked up road.

Honestly, I can't reveal much more about the plot than that, because there are so many things that can be delicately spoiled. The film jumps between the current investigation led by detective Rhonda Boney (Kim Dickens) and officer Jim Gilpin (Patrick Fugit), and Amy's diary entries, which denote when her and Nick met, when they got married, why they had to leave New York and move to Missouri and that their marriage had become a shaky one. 

On the performance level, there needs to be some serious awards love for Rosamund Pike as Amy, who gives a performance unlike anything you've ever seen from her. She's loving, impulsive, conniving and volatile all at once. It's easily the best performance of her career. Opposite her, Affleck gives a fantastic performance as Nick, who slowly begins to figure out what may have happened to Amy, and he gives one of the best performances of his career as well (I'd argue his best performance is in The Town).

The supporting performances are all great too. Kim Dickens and Patrick Fugit are great as the law enforcement trying to figure out what happened to Amy, and if maybe Nick is behind it. Carrie Coons is superb as Nick's twin sister Margot, who is always in her brother's corner. Lisa Banes and David Clennon are also good as Amy's parents. Neil Patrick Harris is equal parts creepy and Barney Stinson (one line in particular really), but is very good nonetheless. And Tyler Perry (!) gives a great performance as Tanner Bolt, a high profile defense attorney who Nick hires to help him. Who knew Tyler Perry is as good at trying to keep Ben Affleck out of prison as he is trying to send Madea back to it? Oh also, Scoot McNairy (who I think everyone knows I love), makes a nice single scene cameo as well.

David Fincher weaves an expertly told tale, along with Gillian Flynn (who wrote the novel and screenplay), that keeps you on the edge of your seat, wondering what the hell is coming next. It's a testament to Fincher's skill as a director and attention to detail, that he is able to keep the audience hooked and, in my theatres case, make the audience react to every twist and turn throughout the films lengthy 2 hours and 25 minute run time. And yes, I am a massive Fincher fanboy. Normally, I'd talk about the way the film is shot and looks, but unfortunately, Pasan and I had the pleasure of watching the film from the second row in an AVX theatre that was sold out hours ahead of time. And if you don't know who Pasan is, listen to the damn podcast. The link is on the right side of every page.

Flynn writes an incredibly dark screenplay that is also incredibly hilarious. No this isn't a dark comedy in any sense, but the moments of humour help to offset the incredibly dark moments so well. The score is typically good from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, who seem to have become Fincher mainstays. It's not quite as dark and brooding as their scores for The Social Network or The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, as it allows moments of levity and tranquility, while still underscoring the scenes perfectly. 

Ultimately, Gone Girl is a fucked up movie. Honestly. It had me audibly react to the events on screen numerous times. But it's a movie that will get you talking and leaves you with so many questions and morally dilemmas. Regardless, it's expertly directed, written and acted, and will definitely make my top ten at the end of the year.

Grade: A+