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.

Watch What I Said 4

IMDb: 7.1/10

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.

Another week, another Netflix recommendation. I know I'm a couple days late on it this week, but it's not like anyone is reading this anyways. But I digress. As many people know, I have an affection for George Clooney that I reserve for only the finer things in life, like good cheesecake and velvet jackets. The reason I enjoy Clooney so much is because he's able to balance his pretty boy looks and charm with interesting projects that show off a lot of his interests. That's why my pick for this week is his 2011 directorial effort The Ides of March. Clooney plays the supporting part of Mike Morris, a presidential candidate, who has to deal with one of his top campaign specialists hiding secrets. That specialist is played by Ryan Gosling, in one of his best performances in recent memory. The cast for this movie is stacked, with Philip Seymour Hoffman, Marissa Tomei, Paul Giamatti, Evan Rachel Wood, Max Minghella and Jeffrey Wright all being in this film along with Gosling and Clooney. The stand outs are really the two leads, and Hoffman, who commands the screen every second he's on it. Clooney proves he's quite excellent at crafting a deft political drama like few others can.

Boasting a 7.1 score on IMDb and an 85% Rotten Tomatoes score, you'd be foolish not to check out the film, especially if you are a fan of Clooney, Gosling or Hoffman.

Watch What I Said 3

IMDb: 7.7/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 94%

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.

So, by now, we know that Ben Affleck has truly capitalized on his career resurgence. He's going to be playing Batman, he's won an Oscar and has gone from a mediocre actor to a Hollywood heavyweight. Some people may say he started this turn around with his role in Hollywoodland, where he played TV's first Superman George Reeves, in which he was fantastic and got a Golden Globe nomination. Personally, I think he really kick started all of this with his feature film directorial debut, and my pick for this week, Gone Baby Gone. With his directorial efforts, most people will have seen Argo or The Town by now, as both films are quite good, but Gone Baby Gone is damn near a masterpiece. It's a tightly wound crime drama, centering around a little girl being kidnapped, and the manhunt to find her. Affleck assembles a phenomenal cast, including his brother Casey, Michelle Monaghan, Morgan Freeman, Titus Welliver, Ed Harris and Amy Ryan, who was nominated for an Oscar for her role here. Casey Affleck shines in this film, giving a performance rivaling anything he's done before. And Ben crafts an expert film, one that I would call one of the best of the decade, and among my favourite films of all time.

With a solid 7.7 on IMDb (which is way too low), and a sparkling 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, Gone Baby Gone is a film you should actively seek out to watch. It's currently available to stream on Netflix.

Watch What I Said 2

IMDb: 7.1

Rotten Tomatoes: 88%

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.

You'd be forgiven if you have no idea who J.C. Chandor is. He's not exactly a household name, nor does he make big budget movies you're clamouring to see. However, in the past couple of years, he's made All Is Lost (with Robert Redford) and A Most Violent Year (with Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain and David Oyelowo). So what I'm saying is that he makes damn good movies. So my pick for this week is his feature film debut, Margin Call. This film follows the 24 hour period before the 2008 financial meltdown that saw the economy flushed down the toilet. What this film does is take that giant mess and turn it into a tightly wound drama, featuring excellent performances from everyone in the cast. And, boy, what a cast Chandor got. This movie has Kevin Spacey, Zachary Quinto, Jeremy Irons, Paul Bettany, Penn Badgley, Demi Moore, Simon Baker, and Stanley Tucci. Quinto, in particular, proves he can hold his own opposite heavyweights Spacey and Irons. The film was also nominated for a Best Original Screenplay Oscar. This is a film that everyone should make time to see.

With a 7.1/10 score on IMDb and a strong 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, you're doing yourself a disservice to not, at least, give it a chance. Margin Call is currently available on Netflix.

Watch What I Said

IMBd: 8.0

Rotten Tomatoes: 99%

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. 

So without further ado, this weeks selection that people should check out is a little film that I absolutely adore called Short Term 12. The basic premise revolves around workers at a juvenille detention facility and the stories of neglect and abuse that follow. If it sounds like a downer, that's because it can be at times. But it also tells a beautiful story, with rich, fully formed characters. The performances from the likes of Brie Larson, John Gallagher Jr and Keith Stanfield are all outstanding, and there will be numerous times throughout the film that you'll have a lump in your throat and will be fighting back tears. Larson, in particular, delivers an Oscar caliber performance that was so unfairly overlooked in 2013. In truth, this was a movie that stuck with me long after I saw it, and one that I mananged to get Pasan and Justin to check out.

Boasting an 8/10 score on IMDb and an astounding 99% on Rotten Tomatoes, this is simply a film you must check out. Currently, Short Term 12 is available on Netflix.