Edge of Tomorrow

Edge of Tomorrow directed by Doug Liman, starring Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, and Brandon Gleeson.

For those of you who know me I'm a sci-fi junkie and will always have a soft spot in my heart for anything sci-fi.  And if the sci-fi is a good product, it doesn't even have to be great, good is way better than most sci-fi even aspires to be, I'll take it and gobble it up with pleasure.

Edge of Tomorrow isn't great but it's good and highly entertaining.  Easily one of the best original movies, not just sci-fi movies, to come out in a long time.  I saw it twice in a month and I don't normally do that with movies.  It's a mesh of Ground Hog Day and sci-fi, and they fit together beautifully, creating a movie experience that was a pleasure to sit through (twice). 

The production design was intricately detailed giving a lot of weight and authenticity to the world being created.  Liman did a great job on the direction, not relying on the shaky camera to help transport the viewer into this world, but he actually set up shots and let the production design of the movie shine in every scene.  His action scenes weren't chaotic to sit through.  They had a controlled presence that is so lacking with directors of today.  With this movie he just continued to express that he's one of the better directors out there - see Mr. and Mrs. Smith and the first Bourne movie for further proof o this.  He also continues to prove that really good directors can make some of the best action movies when they get behind the camera.

Enough can't be said for Cruise and Blunt as they bring this movie home with some convincing performances.  I guess both of them have the track record for doing good no matter what movie they are starring in.  Cruise included, who despite his off the camera insanity at times, continues to always bring his A-game to whatever movie he's starring in.  Emily Blunt continues to prove what a great actress she is, no matter genre or role she plays.  Her versatility is simply amazing and her screen presence simply commands the viewer's attention when she shows up in a shot.

I don't find a lot movies now-a-days that have entertainment value of just being good.  The kind of movie I can put in, watch, and have a good time as it plays.  Edge of Tomorrow is one of those movies, so sit back and have a good time watching it, more than once.         

Hannibal Season One

Hannibal Season One, created by Byan Fuller, starring Mads Mikkelsen, Caroline Dhavernas, Hugh Dancy, Lawrence Fishburne, Gillian Anderson, and Kacey Rohl.

I honestly didn't think this series would add anything to Silence of the Lambs or Manhunter.  I was so wrong.  This series is by no means perfect but it is completely captivating to watch.  Very slick, very polished and very pleasing to the eyes, which makes for a hugely watchable series.  The direction alone makes it seem more fitting to the movies than television.  The psychology and mind bending games played here make this unlike anything else on TV and give it a depth not found on many TV shows.  Depth is what the series is striving for as it plums the depths of, the main character, Will Graham's mind as it tries to find out how serial killers think.  I will not lie this not a show for the faint of heart as it is very bloody and very gory.  I don't know it aired on prime time?  This show seems more comfortable on cable than it does on the major networks, not that I'm complaining mind you because I had a bloody good time watching it.

Who would have thought that someone else could have played Hannibal Lector than Anthony Hopkins?  I sure didn't but Mads Mikkelsen surely fits into Lector's shoes with an ease and grace giving him a likableness that makes him thoroughly compelling and interesting in every scene he's in.

I like how this series didn't revert to serial killers of the week with each episode.  Now there were some episodes where they were tracking down serial killers but the focus of the show was always on the after effects of the first episode as its roots crawled throughout this entire season and played games with Will Graham and Lector.  I don't find many shows on prime time television that want continuity over the serialization of their series.  This show strives for continuity of the psychology to see how actions affect a person and how it does is both startling and interesting but that don't feel gimmick-ed or cheap. 

Brick Mansions

Brick Mansions directed by Camile Delamarre, starring Paul Walker, David Belle, RZA, and Catalina Denis.

Not much to say about this movie other than it's a somewhat good action movie with little intelligence in the story but the movie makes no apologies for that.  This is just a an action movie that tries to walk a line on commenting on politics and class division but when it walks that line it lets its own story line down.  It just needed to focus on the action and the set pieces that follow that action speak for themselves.  It played as lite version of Escape from New York but with none of the heart or grittiness and Paul Walker is no Kurt Russell and the director is no John Carpenter. 

Neon Genesis Evangelion

Neon Genesis Evangelion the manga written and illustrated by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto.

I don't know when I'm ever going to get to see the anime version (and original) of this series so I did the next best thing and read through the manga series based on the anime version.  This is easily the best manga series I've ever read.  I liked the depth of the story line, the religious overtones and images, the technology, and the wild ideas presented here.  Everything mixed well together from the characters and story line.  Some things didn't fully gel together but the story and characters were so good I didn't care.

Giant mech robots battling giant monster Angels.  It was like Pacific Rim only with a lot more depth as the history of the bio-machines, Evangeline comes to light and other secrets are revealed throughout.  The teen angst in this series runs deep but I was able to put up with it because the idea so captivated me.  I didn't think the world building in this series did it any favors and if it had been further developed this would have been a true masterpiece of literature.  That is the one great failing of this series is that it didn't capitalize on the over all world in any way, shape, or form.

The Yiddish Policemen's Union

The Yiddish Policemen's Union written by Michael Chabon.

This is a detective novel set in Alaska that's one failing is that its over written.  Chabon seems to be more concerned about creating flourishing sentences than he is about the story line or characters in the story.  He does this so much throughout the story that he looses the focus on the story line and characters.  But other than that his characters are interesting (as they normally are in his books) and the stories mystery is interesting enough that I powered through the story.  His over all writing is a shame because his story thrives when his characters are together talking or interacting with each other that the stories pace slows when he starts becoming more focused on his words than characters.  He's normally a good writer.  I've read The Wonder Boys and The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay - both of which had the characters and story to match the writing, which by no means was over written because they all flowed together in ways a book is supposed to.  But with this book I found his writing wanting.    

About Time

About Time written and directed by Ben Curtis, starring Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighly, and Margot Robbie.

A science fiction love story involving time travel that is more concerned with characters than the actually science behind anything happening in the movie - and the movie is all the better for it.  I was completely charmed by this movie's heart and how it kept its characters at the front of everything.  Ben Curtis has had a fascination with love - Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, and Love Actually - culminating in some very keen observations and musing on that word and how it affects people.  In my opinion he hasn't really made a bad movie yet and he always keeps characters at the forefront of his movies.  This movie is no different and plays out like a variation on Ground Hog Day only in parts of the movie as this movie is completely its own.

As I've said before, plenty of times, you give British actors some good material and only good things will happen.  For some reason they always rise up to the challenge when presented with a good script.  Ben Curtis not only gave them a good script but got some good actors to inhabit these characters.  I liked the theme of this story about time travel - it's about a time traveler who is more interested in finding the love of his life than getting rich or seeking fame - that I find interesting.  A good movie well worth the time to see.

Night at the Museum Battle of the Smithsonian

Night at the Museum Battle of the Smithsonian directed by Shawn Levy, starring Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Amy Adams, Robin Williams, Steve Coogan, Hank Azaria, Jonah Hill, Bill Hader, Ricky Gervais, and Christopher Guest.

One thing I've really got tired of with comedies is the improvisation actors/comedians do during a movie and I also hate the way a director won't stop them when this happens.  A lot of times this interrupts the pacing of the movie with a scene that doesn't add anything to the plot or characterization.  This happens more frequently here as it hurts this movie more than it helps it.  All the charm of the first movie is lost in a barrage spectacle of special effects and over the top set pieces that don't add anything to the over all story line and seem more of an excuse for special effects than anything else.  Amy Adams and the other actors do a find job with the limited plot but over all I wasn't that impressed but my kids did a have a good time - so I guess that's something.

The Wire: Season One and Two

The Wire: Season One and Two created by David Simon, starring Dominic West, Wendell Pierce, Lance Reddick, Sonja Sohn, John Doman, Clarke Peters, Deirdre Lovejoy, Idris Elba, Wood Harris, Michael Kenneth Williams, and Lawrence Gilliard Jr.

This show not only lived up to all hype I'd read about it but it surpassed it in leaps and bounds.

I had heard how good this show was but never got around seeing it because it was so hard to find at the time what with it being an HBO show and all.  Well I finally found season one and two and library and got to see them, now I only have to see the last three seasons of easily one of the best shows I've seen.  HBO continues to make some of the best quality shows on TV and how this show was passed up for awards at the Emmy's is beyond me.  The acting, production, story line, direction, characters, and plot is just crazy good and unlike most things on TV or in movies.

I read about the creator of this show, David Simon, comparing these shows it to how a book is set up by chapter and it's no coincidence he labels each episode as Chapter.  This show is very slow going as it takes its time to set up all the players, story lines, and events that will come to fruition by the seasons end.  The cool thing is, the show is slow moving but the pacing never lacks or once seems like it's moving slow because there is so much character development and story line being set up that the pacing is always moving forward never stalling.  Easily one of the best scripted shows I've ever seen and the comparison to a book is fully justified - the depth of the show also justifies the book comparison.  I would liken this show to a visual tour of a Dickens novel as it covers the same type of themes as Dickens did: corruption, class division, politics, and the gritty this world has to offer.  Though the answers in this show aren't as up lifting and fairy tale ending as Dickens' world, The Wire is more brutal in that sense.  Truthfully I like more than The Sapranos it follows through on more story lines threads and the character development is more truthful and in depth.   

It is also some of the best acting I've seen as everyone fit into their role with ease.  This show cast actors that actually look like people and not the photoshopped up Hollywood actors that normally get casted in these type of roles.  Everyone in this show looks like someone you could meet down the street or have a beer with, with conversation that would be normal.  There aren't any Hollywood people in this show which only goes to help the feel of this show hit the authenticity it's striving for.

The authenticity of this show is further enhanced by the production and shooting on location that at times makes the show feel like a documentary.

Truly a show for the history books - looking forward to seeing the rest of the seasons. 

Draft Day

Draft Day directed by Ivan Reitman starring Kevin Costner, Jennifer Garner, and a bunch of really good character actors.

There's nothing really special about this movie but I found it entertaining none-the-less as I do like NFL football so I found the one day setting of the first day of the draft intriguing.  I was swept along with the story line that was supposed to be a behind the scenes kind of movie into an NFL team.  The energy and anticipation felt genuine as everyone was wheeling and dealing to make the right moves for their team.  Costner is always at his best when he's surrounded by really good actors and here they continuously help him carry the film.  I like the theme of the movie, which is stick to your guns and integrity even when times get rough, this is a well used theme and riddled with cliches but I was able to suspend all critiques of it because I'm sure the football setting helped to ease me into what was happening.  The pacing was extremely fast and fit in with the craziness of what was going on.  This is good movie for football fans to see.  

Enemy

Enemy directed by Denis Villeneuve, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Melanie Laurent, Sarah Gadon, and Isabella Rossellini.

I really liked this movie despite a lot of it being very ambiguous as to what was happening within the story line.  But I really felt enough information was given as to make everything that happens (especially the ending) actually have a meaning.  This is a very bizarre movie with a lot of double meaning behind images and dialogue spoken, but like I said before I think it all works.  If you are a fan of David Lynch films, then this is the movie for you, only with Lynch I never feel there is enough information given in the film to make a clear conclusion when the film ends. 

I will say this if you watch the film pay attention for anything related to spiders, from images resembling webs or strings that could be a web.  This is very important so pay look for these motifs as you watch it.  I knew about the ending before I saw this movie but it had no effect on the power of that single image when it finally arrives, which will either frustrate of intrigue you when it finally shows up.  For me it still haunts my thoughts these weeks after I saw it. 

This film is  beautifully shot with the production to match the visual setting.  It's directed by the same guy directed the equally beautiful movie Prisoners. With this movie Denis Villeneuve definitely sets himself up as a director to watch out for later on as his other films roll out.

I also included more movie posters than normally do because I really like the PR campaign for this movie and as these different posters show there is a lot more to this movie than meets the eye.  

The Amazing Spider Man 2

The Amazing Spider Man 2 directed by Marc Webb, starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Fox, and a bunch of other people that I felt sorry were conned into being in this film.

I've got to admit this movie was rather boring and felt longer than it's 2 hour plus run time, which is not a good thing.  The main thing I can say about this movie is that completely lacked focus and was all over the place story line wise.  Just about everything in this movie felt forced, from the relationships, the action scenes, the emotions, nothing felt earned.  The slow scenes that were supposed to build characters and move the story line forward instead slowed the movie down to halt and destroyed all kinds of relationship building.  Easily one of the prettiest, slickest looking worst comic book movie I've seen that doesn't really build on anything from the first movie and seems more like a 2 hour plus trailer for the Sinister Six movie Sony would like to do.  Huge disappointment.