Watch What I Said 6

IMDb: 7.7/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 85%

My Grade: A+

So as part of adding content to this increasingly shitty blog, I've decided to include a weekly segment detailing a movie-a-week that people should check out. I know anyone that reads this blog does so primarily for my reviews, but I'm lazy and don't want to review anything right now. This weekly segment may also contain suggestions from other members of the Public Nerdity Podcast from time to time.

As I said, I'd have a second recommendation for this week. And it's a film I recommend to most people I talk to. If you've been paying attention to Jake Gyllenhaal the last several years, you'll notice he's been quietly doing the best work of his career. Snubbed last year for Nightcrawler, he's also been phenomenal in Prisoners and Enemy. However, the film that really kicked off this excellent stretch was End of Watch. This cop drama thriller from David Ayer, who directed Fury and the upcoming Suicide Squad, mixes traditional filming with a found footage, first person style. It follows two LAPD officers, Mike Zavala (Michael Pena) and Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal), who are partners as well best friends. We follow Mike and Brian as they deal with the aftermath of a drug bust, and the fallout it ensues. Both Gyllenhaal and Pena are brilliant, making you believe they are the first to bust each others balls, as well as take a bullet for the other. The rest of the cast is great too, boasting the likes of Anna Kendrick, Frank Grillo, Natalie Martinez, America Ferrera, Cody Horn and David Harbour. I tend to dislike the found footage shooting style, but I really love this film.

Do yourself a favour and check out End of Watch. 

Watch What I Said 5

IMDb: 7.6/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 85%

My Grade: A

So as part of adding content to this increasingly shitty blog, I've decided to include a weekly segment detailing a movie-a-week that people should check out. I know anyone that reads this blog does so primarily for my reviews, but I'm lazy and don't want to review anything right now. This weekly segment may also contain suggestions from other members of the Public Nerdity Podcast from time to time.

Yes, I'm aware I haven't written one of these in a while. But I'm back now. And I have got quite a fantastic film for you. And as an added treat, I'll post a couple of recommendations. The film I decided to pick this week was one that I firmly believe was robbed of a Best Actor Oscar, featuring one of my favourite performances. This week's pick is A Single Man, directed by fashion designer Tom Ford. The amazing performance, in question, is from Colin Firth, who plays George, a man desperately trying, and failing, to find anything worth living for after the death of his longtime partner Jim (Matthew Goode). As George goes about his day, teaching his university class, while being pursued by a charming young student named Kenny (Nicholas Hoult), and having dinner with his old friend Charlotte (Julianne Moore), we hear his inner turmoil. We see him flashing back to happier times with Jim, and the life they had built together. And we see when he finds out that Jim has died, in a scene that should have won him the Oscar, because it's one of the most heartbreaking scenes you'll see. Also, Jon Hamm is the voice on the other end of the phone. Tom Ford creates a beautiful film, that relies on performance and subtlety to engage you, as well as a gorgeous visual asthetic.

With a score of 7.6 on IMDb, and 85% on Rotten Tomatoes, you should do yourself a favour and check this film out. Currently, it's available on Netflix.

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015) Movie Review

Full disclosure right at the top of this review: I'm a massive Mission Impossible fan, and an even bigger Tom Cruise fan. So going into Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (directed by Christopher McQuarrie), I kind of already assumed I would enjoy the movie. In my opinion, there seems to be a weird witch hunt against Tom Cruise because of his religious beliefs, which are admittedly out there, and this somehow constitutes him as being a bad actor. If you hold this belief, then you're an idiot, because there's no one in Hollywood who can do what Cruise does, and remains, for the last 30 years, as Hollywood's best action hero.

Following the events of Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, CIA operator Hunley (Alec Baldwin) is set to shut down the IMF, while William Brandt (Jeremy Renner) is try to keep them afloat. Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) has been hunting for a terrorist organization known as The Syndicate, armed with the same training as the IMF and ready to cause complete controlled chaos. When the IMF gets shut down, Ethan goes off on his own to stop The Syndicate, and their leader (Sean Harris). Along the way, Ethan gets help from old friends Benji (Simon Pegg) and Luther (Ving Rhames), and crosses paths with a mysterious woman (Rebecca Ferguson). Listen, this is all plot stuff. You wanna know if Tom Cruise runs really hard at something. AND YOU'RE GOD DAMN RIGHT HE RUNS SO HARD. STRAIGHT HANDS, HIGH KNEES, CAN'T LOSE.

Yeah, I enjoy the hell out of these movies. Mostly because Tom Cruise is just so damn committed to showing you he does his own stunts. He's great again as Ethan Hunt, really tailoring the role to his strengths as an actor. Pegg, Renner and Rhames also bring back what has made them stay in the franchise, all doing solid work. Though I wish Renner had more to do. Harris is superbly menacing as the leader of The Syndicate (I'm not revealing his name since it's a mystery for a lot of the movie), and there is good work from Baldwin, Simon McBurney as the head of the MI6, Atlee, and from Tom Hollander as the British Prime Minister. However, it's Ferguson that really steals the show here, as a female member of these movies is given more to do than look attractive and occassionally do a couple of fight scenes. Here, she shows she is just as game as anyone to lay down an ass whooping. Side note: Can someone write me a part for a movie like Ving Rhames has here? Just wearing a crooked fedora and saying sassy things?

I was a little hesitant when I heard that Christopher McQuarrie was going to be writing and directing this, mostly because I loved what Brad Bird did with the previous installment. But McQuarrie holds his own here, delivering a satisfying movie full of big set pieces, action packed chases and a solid cat-and-mouse spy element that makes all these movies great. Yes, there are issues with the film, such as the pacing not being the greatest, and an underdeveloped villain. But overall, I shouldn't have worried about a guy who has written The Usual Suspects and Edge of Tomorrow.

Ultimately, Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation is a nice addition to a franchise that clearly has staying power. While not quite as good as the recent installments by Brad Bird and JJ Abrams (you're never gonna get a better villain in this franchise than Philip Seymour Hoffman), it is very enjoyable and leaves you waiting for the next film.