The Skeleton Twins (2014) Movie Review

I always enjoy seeing comedic actors take on dramatic roles. Whether it's Jim Carrey in the Truman Show, Bill Murray in Lost in Translation or myself in everything I do, comedians showing their range is generally a treat. Also sometimes when serious actors do comedy. You can't convince me Russell Crowe singing in Les Miserables isn't some of best performed comedy I've seen. Anyways, when it comes to The Skeleton Twins, I'm pleased to say two SNL alums give some of the best performances of the year in a well made film.

Milo (Bill Hader) is a gay actor living in New York. He's not successful, he's depressed, and suicidal. Maggie (Kristen Wiig) is a housewife living with her husband, Lance (Luke Wilson), but is constantly miserable and tired of her life. After a situation that causes Milo to move in with Maggie, who haven't spoken in ten years, they begin to understand why they are how they are, what made them that way. That's honestly the best way to explain the plot. I wish there was more detail. But there isn't. Seriously.

Hader and Wiig are excellent as Milo and Maggie. Both actors, who are close friends in real life, have a natural report on screen that makes them really feel like siblings. Wiig is cold, miserable and, at times, stand-offish, and plays it perfectly, proving that her SNL characters being perfect parodies is due to her clearly understanding how people function. Hader is heartbreaking at times as Milo, who is clearly depressed and lonely, and who seems lost. It's really a strong performance from Hader, who could probably sneak in with a nomination if they campaigned him as Best Supporting. It's honestly a fantastic pair of performances.

Wilson is also good as Lance, Maggie's clueless happy all the time husband. He plays it like most characters he's played before, but really shines near the end of the film. Ty Burrell is also strong as Rich, an old fling of Milo's, who is still in the closet.  Boyd Holbrook, who seems to just be a solid supporting character actor, and Joanna Gleason are also strong in supporting roles.

First time director Craig Johnson, who co-wrote the film with Mark Heyman, has a strong debut giving a character drama that makes the characters feel like real people. And makes the characters comes to their own realizations about themselves, instead of other characters doing it for them. It's a little thing, but goes a long way in terms of believability.

In the end, The Skeleton Twins is carried on the power of two strong dramatic performances from actors who you wouldn't expect them from. While it probably won't win any awards, or make a ton of money, it is a strong directorial debut and a great dramatic coming out party for Kristen Wiig and, especially, Bill Hader.

Grade: B

Begin Again (2014) Movie Review

Pirates of the Caribbean 12

Anyone that knows me knows I love movies about music. It's my musical theatre upbringing. If I can find a reason to be singing after a movie, it's a good thing. Hence why I watch all the Disney movies. And I loved Inside Llewyn Davis. I love music. Can I sing? Yes. Is it good? ..No, it isn't. I'm not a good singer. But whatever. I don't need your judgement. Anyways, it's rare that I watch a movie and have a big stupid grin on my face through most of it. But that's just what Begin Again, the latest effort from writer/director John Carney, does so damn well to me.

Dan (Mark Ruffalo) is an executive working at a popular record label. But the thing is, he hasn't brought in a good act in years, and is kind of a mess of a human. Gretta (Keira Knightley) is a songwriter who has lost the inspiration that made her good, and has reached the end of her rope living in New York. One night Dan hears Gretta at an open mic and loves her songs and knows he can turn it into something special. And so they agree to work together, and start the journey of trying to make a record.

Ruffalo and Knightley are both excellent in the lead roles. Dan is the type of guy who you know cares about the music, but has become tired and jaded. He loves music, but hates what the music industry has become. And it's a testament to Ruffalo's performance that we can sense everything he is feeling, as Dan keeps trying to build himself up again. Knightley, who I have admittedly never been a big fan of, is equally as good. Performing all the songs herself, she brings a natural vulnerability to Gretta that instantly makes you root for her, despite how she may sometimes act. Gretta is someone who believes in herself, but isn't sure anyone else does, and Knightley does a fantastic job bringing out her subtitles

The supporting cast is also very good. James Corden, who I'm pretty sure is my white counterpart, as Gretta's friend Steve brings the right amount of levity to scenes and is the supportive fat friend we all love to have. Adam Levine is also surprisingly quite good as Dave, Gretta's boyfriend, who is a big time musician working on his big follow up album. Then there's Hailee Steinfeld and Catherine Keener as Dan's daughter and wife, who he is currently not living with, but who both clearly need him. Both actresses are their reliable best, especially Steinfeld. And then there's Cee-Lo Green, who I'm pretty sure is my black counterpart, as a rapper named Troublegum, who owes his whole career to Dan. Classic Troublegum.

John Carney, who also wrote and directed the always wonderful Once, gives another movie that feels totally believable. He creates fully formed characters, who have their own traits and lets them live in this world. The fact that he makes you invest in these characters and root for them is something that is totally underrated nowadays. Yes, he probably could have directed a couple of scenes better. The opening scene I didn't find particularly well done, actually. But the film plays out in a way that feels natural and honest, and never tries to trick you or cop out. I think this is due to Carney's work. Also, go see Once on Broadway. I heard the show is really good.

Ultimately, Begin Again is a movie that rewards you for investing in its characters. It's a film that is partially about redemption, but also about finding your place in the world. Because sometimes, what you think of yourself, and what the truth is, are two completely different things. Also, did I mention I love movies with singing? Right. Now let me annoy my roommate with my raspy dungeon troll voice.

Grade: A

Nightcrawler (2014) Movie Review

Wait, this isn't X-Men

Have you ever believed your own philosophy so completely that you were willing to go further than you ever thought possible in order to achieve your self perceived destiny? What if you not only subscribed to that ideal, but also were willing to do whatever you needed to do, whether it was lying, stealing, manipulating or just being a regular ol' motherfucker. That's what you get from Nightcrawler, the directorial debut from Dan Gilroy, a movie so full of ideologies and anarchy that you'll have a hard time believing what is happening.

Lou Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a hard worker. He's the type of guy that spouts lines like "If you want to win the lottery, you have to make the money to buy the ticket". When Lou figures out that he has a knack for being a freelance stringer, (guy who records events at a crime scene right when they happen, then sells it to a news station), he sets himself down a dark road of blood, twisted metal and, potentially, murder. You see, when you're a stringer, blood sells. So with the help of his assistant, a homeless man named Rick (Riz Ahmed), Lou sets out to record as many gruesome things as possible, and perhaps impress Nina (Rene Russo), an executive at the local news station, along the way.

First and foremost, this movie does not function without Jake Gyllenhaal. Looking gaunt and a tad terrifying, Gyllenhaal gives, perhaps, a career best performance. We've seen him play vvulnerable damaged, charming, witty and earnest. But the thing that separates Lou from every character that Gyllenhaal has ever played is that Lou is unhinged. He's a psycho, and he comes across as a ticking time bomb. He's terrifying, unsympathetic and has a stare that will cut right through you. It's a masterful, restrained performance from one of the best actors of his generation, and one that should garner some serious awards buzz.

Also very strong are the supporting cast, made up of, the aforementioned, Riz Ahmed and Russo, as well as Bill Paxton as a rival stringer named Joe. All three are great; Ahmed seems to effortlessly play Rick as a bohemian who gets caught up in Lou's fantasy and feels like he's getting in too deep. Russo is at top form as Nina, who will just as quickly praise your work, as she will call you out on bullshit. And it seems like Paxton is having a mini character actor resurgence. He was great in small roles in Edge of Tomorrow (Or is it Live. Die. Repeat?) and Million Dollar Arm, and he's fantastic here as Gyllenhaal's foil. I don't know what to call his mini-comeback. Paxtonnaisance sounds gross.

Writer/director Dan Gilroy, brother of Tony Gilroy (writer/director of Michael Clayton), crafts an interesting story that often plays on our morals. Is what is happening right? That's what I asked myself a lot of the time. The dialogue is crisp and feels real, and his direction is very good for the most part. At times, it feels like things could have been a bit tighter, though. However, it's a strong debut, and one that I hope he can follow up. 

The film mainly suffers from being a tad overlong, and has a bit of trouble finding it's footing in the first 20-25 minutes. What particularly bothered me was the score, by James Newton Howard, because it simply didn't fit the tone of the movie during that stretch. The score during the final two thirds is great, but the first little while feels like something you'd hear in an episode of Friday Night Lights.

Ultimately, I ended up enjoying the movie. Yeah, it sounds like I had issues with it, but I loved the way the story ended up playing out. And, oh yeah, Gyllenhaal acts so damn well it makes my nuts hurt. It's a story of greed that plays out well thanks to Gyllenhaal's grandstanding performance and my love of self-serving monologues.

Grade: B+

Interstellar (2014) Movie Review

What happens when the world is dying? When the human race is given their doomsday clock, and we have the slimmest chance for survival, does man fight for his existence, or simply walk hand in hand into extinction? The beauty of Interstellar, the latest film from Christopher Nolan, is that it asks you questions, then sets out to answer those questions. And it makes you, not only want, but need to talk about the film after you leave. I found myself thinking about aspects and concepts and ideas late into the night. What Interstellar made me ask myself (and the local Cineplex patron who, then, asked me politely to leave) is “If a big budget blockbuster can be this polarizing and ambitious, why do we settle for anything less?”

Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) is a farmer living off his corn production, in a world where the planet seems to slowly be dying. Earth seems to be rejecting our attempts to save it, and our end may indeed be in sight. There is dust everywhere, increasing as the planet becomes less habitable. Thing is, Cooper is also an engineer, capable pilot, and a man of science. He seeks to explain everything logically, trying to instill this nature into his son Tom (Timothee Chalamet) and daughter Murph (Mackenzie Foy). When Cooper and Murph notice something off with the way dust settles in Murph's room, it sets them on a path that sends Cooper into space in search for human survival. It is really hard to talk about the plot of this movie generally, because so much of the plot relies on specifics, and I don't want to spoil anything.

What Christopher Nolan is able to, in terms of pulling you into this world and accepting the questions the characters are asking, and the stakes with which they live, is nothing short of extraordinary. The film is clearly a love letter to films such as 2001: A Space Odyssey, and, like that movie, it is truly an experience. There are moments of true beauty that Nolan mines, whether it is a ship passing by a planet, only illuminated by the faint light of the sun, or glimpsing into a wormhole, or simply the embrace of family. I can't remember a movie that gave me such a sense of wonder and phenomenon. It's a blockbuster movie that seeks to stimulate you, and test you, as it never feels like Nolan is pandering, instead feeling like he is asking you to rise to his own level.

The performances in the film are all universally strong. Leading the charge is McConaughey, who gives a wonderfully layered performance. Cooper is a complex man who strives for simplicity, and it is fantastically embodied. One particular scene, in which he catches up on things he's missed will leave a lump in your throat. Equally as good is Jessica Chastain, who has made a career out of playing strong-willed women, as the adult version of Murph. There isn't a lot to say about her performance without ruining key points within the movie, so I'll just say it's quite good. Same goes for Anne Hatheway, playing Brandt, who is another astronaut going along with Cooper. The supporting performances from the likes of Casey Affleck, John Lithgow, Matt Damon, Topher Grace, Wes Bentley, Bill Irwin and Michael Caine are all strong as well. Not really a weak performance in the house, as is generally the deal with a Nolan movie.

Written by his brother Jonathan Nolan, and with the advisory of American theoretical physicist Kip Thorne, this is a beautiful and full realized film about space exploration that also uses accurate scientific (as far as I can tell, still waiting for Neil Degrasse Tyson to call bullshit on something). It totally invokes a sense of wonder, while giving full realized characters and ideas to explore. Also, it's pretty damn hilarious at times. Interstellar is shot wonderfully by Hoyte Van Hoytema, and Hans Zimmer brings the entire thing to life with another excellent score (though, at times, it was incredibly overpowering).

Yes, the movie suffers from problems. It's probably 20 minutes too long for most people. And the last 35 minutes or so could have been handled better. But those did not take away from my overall enjoyment of the film. And for those worried about the close to 3 hour runtime, if you immerse yourself into the movie, you won't notice it. And while I've heard people say it was boring, or too complicated, I would easily watch a movie willing to take risks and explore large ideas on a large scale than another Transformers movie (which we are getting because you fuckers won't stop seeing them).

Ultimately, this is unlike any film Nolan has made before; it's not a cat-and-mouse game like Memento and Insomnia, or a mind-bending thriller like Inception. It's a look into human nature and how we, as a species, will always seek to survive. At it's heart, Interstellar is a love letter to grand filmmakers of the past, seen through the veil of a man's journey to see his daughter again.

Grade: A

*Note: If you do plan on seeing it in theatres, see it in IMAX.

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.