Friday, February 27, 2015

Fifty Shades of Grey [A Fat Jesus Quick Hit]


'Fifty Shades of Grey' is the cultural phenomenon that took women's fantasizes by storm over the past few years. When it was announced that a film adaptation was happening, I could not have been less thrilled. But, seeing as this is the most highly anticipated film based of a romance novel about BSDM to ever come out, needed to see this. So I gathered a group of chums, because there was no way I was gonna watch this alone, and we set off into a colorless world. Full of the most unemotional characters and just plain boring conversations and situations you could ever imagine in your entire life.

'Fifty Shades of Grey' follows the story of Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson), a 21 year old college student living in Washington. When her roommate Kate becomes ill, Ana agrees to take her place and interview 27 year old millionaire Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) in Seattle. Christian becomes enamored with Ana and not long after arrives at where she works. He's in town to deliver a speech at her college's graduation. After a photo shoot to go along with the interview, the two go for coffee. Christian leaves abruptly which confuses Ana, but sends her a gift in the mail after she graduates. The two continue this back and forth until they start a love affair in which they escalate events, inside and outside the bedroom, to new heights.

I'm not sure where the plot was in this film, so I hope that was an accurate rundown of one of the worst films I've ever watched in my life. 'Fifty Shades of Grey' is a film that, from start to finish, is a boring and bewildering look into the, by all accounts, shocking and over-the-top, events of the book it was based on. The writing actually included a character saying "Um" multiple times. It also helped depict some of the most boring scenes you'll ever find in a film based around sex. Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson have some of the worst on-screen chemistry I've ever seen. So putting them, in scene, after scene, after scene, is a complete disaster. Though sometimes Johnson can be charming, the stone-faced Dornan is a man without emotion (or acting prowess) throughout the entire film. The "shocking" sex scenes are really tame and mostly involve two shirtless people moaning. While scenes where the two are conversing, or flying through the air doing rich people things, are astoundingly dull. The character development is non-existent. Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey are more or less two robots, made for this film to spit out horrible cliches and make confusing facial expressions. "Which car is yours?", "They all are." This line is actually said in the film. This film is not a comedy and there's no laugh track. This was a serious line, said in a film that came out in 2015. This also contains a four plus minute montage, of a contract being read aloud. Four (or more) minutes of a voice-over reading a contract. I could keep going with examples throughout the entire film. It's abysmal, truly abysmal.

This review is short because I don't have anything good to say about this film at all. This is an early front runner for my least favorite film of the year and I still have 'Jupiter Ascending' to get to. 'Fifty Shades of Grey' gets nothing right. From the acting, to the writing, to the music, to the length (THIS IS TWO HOURS LONG), everything is a painful mess. For a film that is supposed to "shocking," I spent a lot of time thinking about why I was watching this. For what purpose was this film made? Why there's going to indeed be two sequels to this? This film is censored and altered throughout parts of the world. I wish that they would just censor the whole film, so no one ever has to see this again.


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Monday, February 23, 2015

Fat Jesus' Quick Thoughts On the 87th Annual Academy Awards


Random thoughts about the Academy Awards is something I've been thinking about since watching the show last night. Rather than just a big block of a paragraph. I've decided to jot down some random thoughts about the show and winners last night, much like the random thoughts in my preview post. So before I get going, thanks to anyone who happens to be reading this!

Thoughts

Neil Patrick Harris was very good last night. From the opening musical number with Anna Kendrick and Jack Black, to the one liners and audience bits he was doing all night, NPH was on-point the whole show. Not only was he entertaining and funny, he was apart of the show every step of the way and always felt like he was involved in things.

The LEGO Oscars Statues are awesome, I want one.

The musical performances throughout the night were alright. "Everything is Awesome" and the Will Arnett as Batman cameo was great. The performance of "Glory" was powerful. All while Lady Gaga's tribute to 'The Sound of Music' was astounding.

John Travolta is still creepy as hell.

The awards themselves were fine. I loved that 'The Grand Budest Hotel' and 'Whiplash' got a ton of love. 'Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)' winning best picture was cool. I don't like that they snubbed 'Boyhood' outside of the Patricia Arquette win for Best Supporting Actress. Disney is never gonna lose in the animated category are they?

Nice immigration joke, Sean Penn. Why were you even presenting this award?

I get that speeches are often about the personal politics and a platform to voice personal opinions. I get thanking God and family and crew, but a millionaire telling us about the wage-gap doesn't resonate as highly as it should. I loved the speeches, but rich and/or famous people, touting all this in a room full of other rich and/or famous people, kind of brute forces any issue upon the viewing audience, even if the topic is a very important one.

Jared Leto is a gorgeous man, even when he's out of focus in the background.

Three hours and thirty eight minutes was how long this chore of a show was to watch. It wasn't even about the show itself, it was fine. It felt long cause they took too long to do everything, took 9,000,000 commercial breaks and made a three hour show feel like an eternity. Hell, on the East Coast this show ran into Monday. It's absurd and I hope next year they don't start at thirty past the hour, purely because of Red Carpet fashion shows.

It was a fun (long) show this year, I'd love Neil Patrick Harris to host again. Just with less about 200% less commercials during the broadcast.

Winners

Best Picture: 'Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)'

Best Actor: Eddie Redmayne, 'The Theory of Everything'

Best Actress: Julianne Moore, 'Still Alice'

Best Supporting Actor: J.K. Simmons, 'Whiplash'

Best Supporting Actress: Patricia Arquette, 'Boyhood'

Best Director: Alejandro G. Inarritu, 'Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)'

Best Foreign Language Film: 'Ida'

Best Adapted Screenplay: Graham Moore, 'The Imitation Game'

Best Original Screenplay: Alejandro G. Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris Jr. and Armando Bo, 'Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)'

Best Animated Feature Film: 'Big Hero 6'

Best Production Design: 'The Grand Budapest Hotel'

Best Cinematography: 'Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)'

Best Sound Mixing: 'Whiplash'

Best Sound Editing: 'American Sniper'

Best Original Score: 'The Grand Budapest Hotel'

Best Original Song: "Glory" from 'Selma'

Best Costume Design: 'The Grand Budapest Hotel'

Best Documentary Feature: 'CitizenFour'

Best Documentary (Short Subject): 'Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1'

Best Film editing: 'Whiplash'

Best Makeup and Hairstyling: 'The Grand Budapest Hotel'

Best Animated short film: 'Feast'

Best Live action short film: 'The Phone Call'

Best Visual effects: 'Interstellar'

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Saturday, February 21, 2015

Fat Jesus' Preview and Predictions For The 87th Annual Academy Awards


Ahh it's this time of year again, it's time for The 2015 Oscars, or if you like to be more formal, The 87th Annual Academy Awards! The biggest night of the year for film, whether you think every award given out is rigged or not. Like last year, I've compiled a list of some of the categories and given a little bit of thought into each category, as well as a few predictions for each one and some random thoughts about everything. You can also comb through my blog and read reviews of all the Best Picture Nominees, if you so choose. Without further adieu, here's my thoughts and predictions for this year's show. If you wanna follow along with my live thoughts, once the show starts, check out @FatJesusReviews on Twitter! Thank you kindly in advance for reading!


Best Picture
American Sniper
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash

Thoughts
Compared to last year, this category is actually really good overall. I only gave three of the films a "bad" rating, 'American Sniper,' 'The Imitation Game' and 'The Theory of Everything,' and they got seven out of ten a piece. 'Boyhood' and 'The Theory of Everything' have been racking up tons of awards leading up to the show. While all films, despite other opinons or mine, are pretty critically acclaimed.  My personal favorite of the bunch is 'Boyhood' followed by 'Birdman,' 'Whiplash' and then 'The Grand Budapest Hotel.' As long as it doesn't go to 'American Sniper' I'm not going to be too picky this year.

Who I Want To Win
'Boyhood'
'Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)'

Who Will Win
'Boyhood'
'The Theory of Everything'


Best Actor (Leading)
Steve Carell- 'Foxcatcher'
Bradley Cooper- 'American Sniper'
Benedict Cumberbatch- 'The Imitation Game'
Michael Keaton- 'Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)'
Eddie Redmayne- 'The Theory of Everything'

Thoughts
This category is pretty stacked. Despite lackluster films, Eddie Redmayne and Bradley Cooper are fantastic in their respective roles in 'American Sniper' and 'The Theory of Everything.' Steve Carell is haunting and creepy in 'Foxcatcher,' but I don't think he has any sort of chance at winning. Same goes with Benedict Cumberbatch and his role in 'The Imitation Game.' My personal favorite of the bunch is Michael Keaton's performance in 'Birdman.' To me he's far and away the best in the category.

Who I Want To Win
Michael Keaton- 'Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)'

Who Will Win
Eddie Redmayne- 'The Theory of Everything'


Best Actress (Leading)
Marion Cotillard- 'Two Days, One Night'
Felicity Jones- 'The Theory of Everything'
Julianne Moore- 'Still Alice'
Rosamund Pike- 'Gone Girl'
Reese Witherspoon- 'Wild'

Thoughts
Yikes, this is a weak bunch for best actress. Julianne Moore is getting praise from a slow film I could not for the life of me get into ('Still Alice'). Felicity Jones was fantastic in an otherwise, only alright film. I never got around to 'Wild' but I've heard great things about Reese Witherspoon's performance in it. I absolute loved Marion Cotillard and Rosamund Pike in their respective films 'Two Days, One Night' and 'Gone Girl.' Cotillard carried a minimalist film from Belgum, while Pike gave a hair-raising performance in a great Fincher flick. If one of these two take it, that'd be awesome but I'd be willing to bet it goes to Jones or Moore.

Who I Want To Win
Marion Cotillard- 'Two Days, One Night'
Rosamund Pike- 'Gone Girl'

Who Will Win
Felicity Jones- 'The Theory of Everything'
Julianne Moore- 'Still Alice'


Best Actor (Supporting)
Robert Duvall- 'The Judge'
Ethan Hawke- 'Boyhood'
Edward Norton- 'Birdmman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)'
Mark Ruffalo- 'Foxcatcher'
J.K. Simmons- 'Whiplash'

Thoughts
'The Judge'? I have no desire to watch this film. Sorry, Academy. Where the hell is Tony Revolori for 'The Grand Budapest Hotel'? Yeah, give me him instead. Otherwise this is a stellar list of nominees. Mark Ruffalo was great in 'Foxcatcher' and would be high on my list if other films didn't happen this year. This is probably the hardest category for me to think out. Ethan Hawk's performance in 'Boyhood' is much better than I think most think. Edward Norton in 'Birdman' is a great hot mess you can never look away from when he's on screen. While the J.K. Simmons half of Simmons/Teller from 'Whiplash' is nothing short of astounding. Give it to any of those three, just watch though, Duvall will get it for some reason, haha.

Who I Want To Win
Ethan Hawke- 'Boyhood'
J.K. Simmons- 'Whiplash'

Who Will Win
Ethan Hawke- 'Boyhood'
J.K. Simmons- 'Whiplash'


Best Actress (Supporting)
Patricia Arquette- 'Boyhood'
Laura Dern- 'Wild'
Keira Knightly- 'The Imitation Game'
Emma Stone- 'Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)'
Meryl Streep- 'Into the Woods'

Thoughts
I actually kind-of like this category more than the Best Actress category. Again, I haven't seen 'Wild' so I can't comment on Laura Dern's performance. I quite liked all the other nominees in the category. It's Meryl Streep and her performance throughout the entirety of 'Into the Woods' kept the film alive for me. Keira Knightly had a very sweet and emotional role in 'The Imitation Game' that I dug. Emma Stone in 'Birdman' was a great compliment to Norton and Keaton throughout the entire film. While watching Patricia Arquette throughout 'Boyhood' was just a treat. Streep is always the answer at the Academy Awards, but I really hope Arquette or Stone take this.

Who I Want To Win
Patricia Arquette- 'Boyhood'
Emma Stone- 'Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)'

Who Will Win
Meryl Streep- 'Into the Woods'
Patricia Arquette- 'Boyhood'


Best Animated Film (Feature)
Big Hero 6
The Boxtrolls
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Song of the Sea
The Tale of Princess Kaguya

Thoughts
I don't know what 'Song of the Sea' is, but even if I had seen it, it would have been hard to top 'Big Hero 6' and 'The Tale of Princess Kaguya' for me. On a side note, why the hell is 'The LEGO Movie' not nominated here? Is it because of 'Song of the Sea?' Is it because of 'How to Train Your Dragon 2?' I still think 'How to Train Your Dragon' was much better than the sequel. 'The Boxtrolls' is fine, but I put it on the level with HTTYD2. 'Big Hero 6' is a beautiful looking film, with a fun story and great animation. 'The Tale of Princess Kaguya' is one of the most mesmerizing and emotional animated films I've ever seen. Knowing just when to poke at your heart through the story, art or dialogue, it is the best, saddest film you'll see.

Who I Want To Win
Big Hero 6
The Tale of Princess Kaguya

Who Will Win
Big Hero 6
The Tale of Princess Kaguya


Best Director
Wes Anderson- 'The Grand Budapest Hotel'
Alejandro González Iñárritu- 'Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)'
Richard Linklater- 'Boyhood'
Bennet Miller- 'Foxcatcher'
Morten Tyldum- 'The Imitation Game'

Thoughts
Last year, Spike Jonze won for what is quickly becoming one of my favorite films of all time, 'Her.' This year the field is a little more tight for me. Wes Anderson's direction of 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' was a whimsical and fun journey to a colorful world. Richard Linklater brought an unheard of and one of a kind film, filmed over the course of 12 years in 'Boyhood.' All while Alejandro González Iñárritu gave us a fantastic film, 'Birdman,' made to look like a seamlessly executed one shot. Bennet Miller and Morten Tyldum are just kind-of there. Sorry, guys. Linklater looks to be the favorite, but Iñárritu and Anderson deserve a ton of credit if they don't win. I really do like all three.

Who I Want To Win
Alejandro González Iñárritu- 'Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)'
Richard Linklater- 'Boyhood'

Who Will Win
Alejandro González Iñárritu- 'Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)'
Richard Linklater- 'Boyhood'


Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
Jason Hall from 'American Sniper' by Chris Kyle- 'American Sniper'
Graham Moore from 'Alan Turing: The Enigma' by Andrew Hodges- 'The Imitation Game'
Paul Thomas Anderson from 'Inherent Vice' by Thomas Pynchon- 'Inherent Vice'
Anthony McCarten from 'Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen' by Jane Wilde Hawking- 'The Theory of Everything'
Damien Chazelle from 'Whiplash' (his own short film)- 'Whiplash'

Thoughts
The writing categories are two of great ones in my eyes. Without good, or even half-decent writing, a film goes nowhere. See all 'Transformers' live action films. All of the adapted screenplay's are fine. Thought I haven't read (or seen in 'Whiplash' case) the source material, you can tell how a movie is shaped just by watching it. One of the best of the bunch here is 'The Theory of Everything,' purely because it brought out the best of the leads, Redmayne and Jones. Even though it falters in the second act for me. The other stand-out is 'Whiplash.' Because making the phenomenal film that it turned out to be, from a short, is a pretty cool feat when you think about how films are made.

Who I Want To Win
Anthony McCarten from 'Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen' by Jane Wilde Hawking- 'The Theory of Everything'
Damien Chazelle from 'Whiplash' (his own short film)- 'Whiplash'

Who Will Win
Jason Hall from 'American Sniper' by Chris Kyle- 'American Sniper'
Anthony McCarten from 'Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen' by Jane Wilde Hawking- 'The Theory of Everything'


Best Writing (Original Screenplay)
Alejandro González Iñárritu (and others)- 'Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)'
Richard Linklater- 'Boyhood'
E. Max Frye and Danfutterman- 'Foxcatcher'
Wes Anderson and Hugo Guiness- 'The Grand Budapest Hotel'
Dan Gilroy- 'Nightcrawler'

Thoughts
Wow, this original screenplay list is stacked with juicy goodness. 'Foxcather' which was supposed to be a biopic, I loved this, angered the person it was based off of so much, he went on a crazy rant. 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' is an amazing adventure into a completely unique world, that is set in our real world. 'Birdman' takes us into the mind of an aging former superhero movie star as he tries to reinvent his career on Broadway. 'Boyhood' takes us into the life life of a family, who over the course of 12 years, grows up before our very eyes. Finally 'Nightcrawler' gives us a dark look into the underbelly of Los Angeles and the lengths people will go to to make a name for themselves. Give it to 'Nightcrawler' please, but I'm betting 'Boyhood' takes it.

Who I Want To Win
Dan Gilroy- 'Nightcrawler'

Who Will Win
Richard Linklater- 'Boyhood'


Best Music (Original Song)
"Everything is Awesome"- 'The LEGO Movie'
"Glory"- 'Selma'
"Grateful"- 'Beyond the Lights'
"I'm Not Gonna Miss You"- 'Glenn Campbell: I'll Be Me'
"Lost Stars"- 'Begin Again'

Thoughts
I have no clue who's gonna win, but I really REALLY want it to be "Everything is Awesome" from 'The LEGO Movie.' Here's all the tracks.


Who I Want To Win
"Everything is Awesome"- 'The LEGO Movie'

Who Will Win
"Glory"- 'Selma'


Best Cinematography
Emmanuel Lubezki- 'Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)'
Robert Yeoman- 'The Grand Budapest Hotel'
Łukasz Żal and Ryszard Lenczewski- 'Ida'
Dick Pope- 'Mr. Turner'
Roger Deakins- 'Unbroken'

Thoughts
No matter the film, if it doesn't have at least one shot that makes me go, "Wow, that's cool," you're going it wrong. If I ever going over the editing category, I'd give this to 'Birdman' all the way. But this is cienmtography and I wanted to give props to not only 'Birdman,' but 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' here. Not only is it a fun, charming and eccentric film, it's one that looks absolutely beautiful from start to finish. There was never a scene that didn't look good and that's hard to say of a lot of films. Never mind the fact I haven't seen the other films nominated here, so I'm not that informed, the clear cut choices have to be the two best picture nods, right?

Who I Want To Win
Robert Yeoman- 'The Grand Budapest Hotel'

Who Will Win
Emmanuel Lubezki- 'Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)'
Robert Yeoman- 'The Grand Budapest Hotel'


Best Costume Design
Milena Canonero- 'The Grandbudapest Hotel'
Mark Bridges- 'Inherent Vice'
Collen Atwood- 'Into the Woods'
Anna B. Sheppard- 'Maleficent '
Jacqueline Durran- 'Mr. Turner'

Thoughts
'Into the Woods' is a great example of a film that got everything right in their costumes. Maybe not the entire film from start to finish, but the costumes on display throughout, for each character, is amazingly good and detailed. Not to be out done in the slightest, the most stylish film of the year 'The Grand Budapest Hotel.' I'm now calling it that, even if no one else does. Much like 'Into the Woods', 'The Grand Budapest Hotel's' costumes are spot on for each character. Full of vibrant colors that accent the spectacular world to a tee. I won't be mad if either of these win. 'Inherent Vice' is fine, but not on the level of those two up there.

Who I Want To Win
Milena Canonero- 'The Grandbudapest Hotel'

Who Will Win
Milena Canonero- 'The Grandbudapest Hotel'
Collen Atwood- 'Into the Woods'


Best Visual Effects
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Guardians of the Galaxy
Interstellar
X-Men: Days of Future Past

Thoughts
This is by no means a big award, I just wanted to write about superhero films and the fact that I keep putting off actually watching 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.' Let's be honest here, 'Interstellar' is probably the front runner just because it's not a superhero film. I mean it looks fine, but was it really that eye-popping? 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' had some of the best set pieces in a superhero film ever and the same can be said at 'X-Men: Days of Future Past.' Going with that, the Quicksilver scene in X-Men is still up there as one of the best film scenes all year. 'Guardians of the Galaxy' looked good throughout, the CGI and overall effects were on-point (my favorite film of 2014). I want Guardians or X-Men to win, but I'd bet it go to a non superhero film in 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes' or 'Interstellar.'

Who I Want To Win
Guardians of the Galaxy
X-Men: Days of Future Past

Who Will Win
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Interstellar


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Random Thoughts

I would have much rather had Ralph Fiennes in the Best Actor Category than Steve Carell. This coming from a mega-fan of 'The Office.'


I said this before and I'll say it again, 'The LEGO Movie' should have a nomination over 'How to Train Your Dragon 2' or 'The Boxtrolls' for Best Animated Feature. 

I'm watching 'Leviathan' tonight and and we'll see if I can get to 'Ida' for Best Foreign Language Film. Kinda irked 'Two Days, One Night' didn't get a nod here, it was really good. 

Alexandre Desplat was nominated for two separate films in the Best Music, Original Score category. I hope he wins for 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' but not 'The Imitation Game.'

I do want 'Foxcather' to win for Best Makeup and Hair Styling. Any movie winning here though is fine by me since the other two nominees are 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' and 'Guardians of the Galaxy'.


'Citzenfour' is the only documentary I've even heard of, so it won't win.

'Feast' is far and away the Beat Animated Short, mostly because it's the only one I've seen. Also because it's legitimately a great and emotional short. Go watch this if you can.


That 'Too Many Cooks' didn't get nominated for Best Live Action short is still a travesty. 


Finally, does anyone really care about Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing? If you do, more power to ya.

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Friday, February 20, 2015

Selma [A Fat Jesus Quick Hit]


Much like '12 Years a Slave' last year, 'Selma' is a movie about the hardships that African-Americans have endured over the years in America. This is a powerful film and one that is a different than you'd think about a movie featuring the start of Martin Luther King's historical revolution in the United States. 'Selma' though, is a film that plays out more like a well written and acted biopic you might see on the History Channel, than a film that you'd have a bucket of popcorn and a soda with. David Oyelowo leads a nice cast, in a film that's going to get a ton of talk because of the seriousness of the movement he sparked. 

'Selma' follows the story of Martin Luther King (Oyelowo) after he accepts the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. We are shown a church where four African American girls are killed due to a bomb. In Selma, Alabama, an elderly lady, Annie Lee Cooper (Oprah Winfrey), attempts to register to vote, but is turned away cause of her race. King attempts to persuade President Lyndon B. Johnson (Tom Wilkinson) to work on legislation to allow all blacks to be able to vote unhindered, but Johnson has other projects. King then travels to Selma with Ralph Abernathy, Andrew Young, James Orange, and Diane Nash (Coleman Domingo, Andre Holland, Omar Dorsey ad Tessa Thompson) to meet with SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference) activists in the area. The rift between King, president Johnson and local (racist) residents, beings to thicken. King decides that a march, from Selma to Alabama's state capitol, might be just what the US needs. So the country can see how African Americans are really being treated.

This is a heavy film, because the use of human to human violence is brutal. It gets the point across that these type thing happened to African Americans during that time period and for decades before all this too. Brutality and realism will only get you so far. The acting, led by David Oyelowo, Tom Wilkinson and Tim Roth was a great look into the minds of powerful men at the time. David Oyelowo plays Dr. King beautifully and we see a full range of emotion out of him. From the highs of the Nobel Prize, to the lows of the government testing his marriage. We see all sides of King. Tom Wilkinson plays the, conflicted, President Johnson, well and let's us see both sides of the man. The evil and the remorseful side. Finally, Tim Roth as George Wallace is the pure evil lurking in the shadows, pulling strings in the attempts to disrupt any uprising that was trying to happen. The story is great too, one of the biggest movements that stirred the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s. The march at Selma is a story we get to see unfold from inception, to the completion of one of King's most well known speeches. This film isn't perfect though and I feel like it should be sold as a biopic than a drama. It really feels like they cracked open and history book and we watched the chapter on "The March at Selma" rather than a drama that follows the story of it. This was also a long film, just about two hours, with a ton of scenes that I just plain didn't like or ones that felt draggy. Make it about King, Johnson and Wallace and the true struggle between the three. Sure, getting development of the people involved in the march is important. It will hit me just hard when I see the racist actions to any African Americans on screen, not just the ones I feel like I know.

'Selma' is a fine film, with a good story and good acting. David Oyelowo is honestly great as Martin Luther King, but don't try to sell this to me as a drama. This feels a biopic that sees Dr. King go through tough times and begin one of the biggest movements of the 1900s. My problem with this is that it yet another film that might be being pushed on us because of the "guilt" of awards shows, and not because of the actual content of the film. I quite liked '12 Years a Slave' last year and 'Selma' is good. I just hope one year, a bad film doesn't get forced upon us as greatness, because of the historical or cultural content.


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Wednesday, February 18, 2015

The Imitation Game [A Fat Jesus Quick Hit]


Benedict Cumberbatch is great, not only because of his name. He's the type of actor I can appreciate almost anything that he does. I went into 'The Imitation Game' basically blind, having no idea what the film was really about. Cumberbatch and Keira Knightly shine in this very intriguing film. I kind-of liked the story and the overall historical aspect, but this is a film that just didn't quite sit right with me. I liked it, but I'm not sure I loved it. Maybe my thoughts about this film are an enigma.

'The Imitation Game' follows the story of Alan Turing (Cumberbatch) a brilliant mathematician. After a break-in at his home in 1951, he recalls the story of his time working at Bletchly Park. In 1927, a young Turing is bullied at boarding school and develops a friendship with Christopher Morcom. Christopher ignites his interest in cryptography and soon Turing develops feelings for him. Morcom suddenly dies of tuberculosis, before Turing can tell him his feelings. Fast forward to 1939 and Britain has declared war on Germany. Turing travels to Bletchly Park, and under the supervision of Commander Denniston (Charles Dance) joins the team of Hugh Alexander, John Carincross, Peter Hilton (Matthew Goode, Allen Leech, Matthew Beard) and others. They are trying to decrypt The Enigma Machine, invented by the Nazis. Turing is difficult to work with, and even goes as far to get the weak links of the group removed from the project. To find replacements, Turing puts a difficult crossword in the newspaper, eventually hiring a bright young woman, Joan Clarke (Knightley), who solved the crossword and a tough test. Now with this newly assembled group, the real test begins as they are given a limited amount of time to crack the code. Turing and company have a seemingly impossible task, in cracking The Enigma Machine.

This is a hard film, for me to write about, because I'm not actually sure how I completely feel about it. Even after thinking on it for a long while since watching it for the first time. The length, style, lighting, costumes and score were all fine. So, I really don't want to go over all of that stuff, that is merely something that I found completely fine in this film. The acting and characters were mostly fine, though beyond Cumberbatch and Knightly, there's not a whole lot of standout performances. Cumberbatch fully embraces the role of Alan Turing. From his style of speaking to his mannerisms, Cumberbatch effortlessly glides into the role of Turing. Complementing him greatly is Knightley as Joan Clarke. She packs the emotional punch of the two, and really brings out life in the scenes with Cumberbatch well. The two work together well with each other, and the rest of the supporting cast. The exception being Charles Dance, who commands attention when he's on-screen. The rest of the cast is a little harder to get behind. Unless they're directly in a scene with the two, they don't standout well enough for me to like any one of them. The story is also an alright adaption. The story about cracking the "unbeatable" Enigma Machine is an intriguing one. To see what things were like back in the late 1930s and early 1940s, and just thinking about how far technology has advanced since this is crazy. Because I'm sure the machine Turing used to decrypt the code, fits in the palm of our hands today. Unfortunately, the drama side of everything didn't do it for me. The homosexuality of Turing, the team drama and (eventually) the love aspect between Turing and Clarke, just never got my attention. This might be why I could never fully get on-board with 'The Imitation Game.'

'The Imitation Game' is a good film, one that I like. But, it's not one that I think should be getting as much (high) praise that it's getting. Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightly are great in this, but the rest of the cast just isn't up to snuff. Leaving them to lead the okay, at best, story from beginning to end. 'The Imitation Game' is a perfectly fine movie, that suffers from a story written in a way that I just didn't like at all.


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Saturday, February 7, 2015

Steam of Life [A Fat Jesus Quick Hit]


My friend Mikko, who is Finnish, has been hounding me to watch 'Steam of Life' for a few years now. I used to be a pretty regular "streamer" on Justin.tv (and eventually what it became, Twitch.tv) from about 2011 to mid-2014. That's where I first met Mikko, we've been really close friends ever since. Finnish people adore their saunas. Learning the little things about Finland over the years from Mikko, kind of prepared me for the back story of a lot of the things done in Finland, including the saunas themselves.

'Steam of Life' is a documentary, in which we enter Finnish saunas, listen to men pour out their hearts and tell us stories of their lives.

This isn't a feel good film. A lot of the stories told by these men are full of sorrow and sadness. It doesn't make them any less heartfelt. The men are truly speaking from their heart, and the emotion pours out of each individual story. The style of each shot is outstanding as well. Capturing the essence of all the different types of saunas we see throughout the film. The shots of Finland, such as landscapes, cityscapes and mountains are beautiful, and bridge the gap between each story very nicely. I'm not a huge documentaries viewer, but the lack of a narrator is something that I liked in this film. Letting good music and cinematography fill time between each story. 'Steam of Life' isn't without it's problems though. If you don't know anything about Finland, you may not fully understand why they love their saunas so much. Why they see them as almost a safe-haven to really let loose and be themselves. So even a brief history lesson at the start of this film may help people unfamiliar, familiarize themselves with Finland just a little bit. This is a very niche documentary as well, that's not going to appeal to a wide range of people.

By all accounts I've heard over the years, Finland is a pretty cool place, that I hope to one day visit. 'Steam of Life' captures the reality of people living in Finland immensely. The cinematography is beautiful. The stories are raw and emotional (with a few fun ones sprinkled in). The saunas themselves are shot beautifully. Each one has its own character, setting the backdrop for a given tale. This isn't for everyone, but if you can get behind the premise of this, I think you'll really enjoy it. Thanks for getting on me to watch this, Mikko, I wish I would've watched it sooner.


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Thursday, February 5, 2015

The Grand Budapest Hotel [A Fat Jesus Quick Hit]


Wes Anderson is a director I want to really delve into at some point. A few years ago I was enamored with 'Moonrise Kingdom' and I've heard great things about 'Fantastic Mr. Fox.' I'd been meaning to actually review this film, 'The Grand Budapest Hotel,' ever since I watched it a few months ago. I was sucked into a colorful, fun and vibrant world. Even if you're unfamiliar with Wes Anderson, 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' would be a good jumping off point, if anyone ever wished to dive in.

'The Grand Budapest Hotel' follows the story of Monsieur Gustave H. and [a young] Zero Moustafa (Ralph Fiennes and Tony Revolori) as they operate as Concierge and lobby boy at The Grand Budapest Hotel in 1932. The tale is told by [an old] Zero Moustafa (F. Murray Abraham) to a young author (Jude Law) who is visiting the hotel long after its heyday. Zero has left his home country, because his family was executed, and wants no part in war, and is the new lobby boy. The Grand Budapest Hotel is thriving in 1932, much due to the fact that it's clientele is wealthy and they all love Gustave. The owner of the hotel is highly secretive and only relays messages through lawyer Deputy Kovacs (Jeff Goldblum). One of the biggest clients is Madame D. (Tilda Swinton), whom Gustave spends a night with before she departs. One night, about a month later, Gustave is informed of Madame D's death and how it is under mysterious circumstances. Gustave, along with Zero, race to the reading of her will, and as it turns out, she left him her most valuable painting, "Boy With Apple." This enrages Madame D's family. Thus begins a series of almost unbelievable events in Gustav and Zero's quest to claim a painting willed to them

This might be the best designed film of the year, as everything in 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' looks astounding. No matter if it's a scene at the hotel itself, at Madame D's estate, traveling through the (fictional) Republic of Zubrowka and even the prison, everything feels authentic. Everything also is colorful, fun and full of life. Even the darker scenes have an air of positive emotion and humor laced into them. The hotel itself becomes as important a character as Gustav and Zero, and that is a testament to the awesome writing. Wes Anderson wrote the screenplay himself. I love it when inanimate things are given a breath of life in film, and that's what Anderson has done with this exquisite hotel. This is taking nothing away from Gustav, Zero (young AND old), Agatha, Kovacs, Dmitri Desgoffe, Inspector Henckels and J.G. Jopling. As each of these characters are expertly done, and have a distinct style that broods off the screen. The acting is also phenomenal, especially the leading duo of Ralph Fiennes and Tony Revolori. The two have a chemistry you can feel as you watch this film and play off each other well. Saoirse Ronan plays Agatha perfectly and stands out in any scene she is in. Especially the more emotional ones with Tony Revolori. While even more support from Adrien Brody, Jeff Goldblum, Willem Defoe, Edward Norton and F. Murray Abraham, make this one of the best ensemble casts of 2014. The humor helps keep everything humming right along as well. This isn't Will Ferrell humor either, it's well thought out and gut-wrenchingly funny at times. The Society of the Crossed Keys introduction is brilliant. This has a lot to do with the well written script, but it's also a testament to the actors themselves. There's truly smart and witty one-liners all over the place, running gags and even some slap-stick humor. The music and score, by Alexandre Desplat, is quite pleasing as the film wears on, and accents the emotional feel of a given scene greatly.

Now there are things that hurt this film for me, but nothing in the long run that would keep anyone from watching it. There are scenes, mostly involving Madam D's extended family that just feel out of place. This film isn't long, only about an hour and forty minutes, but even then, it felt like a two hour film. Trim some of the draggy scenes and you've got a well paced film from start to finish. 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' is a film that will suck you into the most lively and colorful world of 2014...that is set in the 1930s. The acting, style, writing and humor are all top notch. Wes Anderson has made a truly energetic and original comedy that needs not to be overlooked if you're a fan of film.


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The Theory of Everything [A Fat Jesus Quick Hit]


I wish I was smart enough to be able to understand the actual mathematics that physicists use day in and day out. Much less comprehend the type of stuff that Steven Hawkins mind was (and still is) formulating, creating and hypothesizing. It's fascinating to think that a mind can be brilliant enough to think of all these mind-bending questions about our universe. Then come up with universally accepted thought processes about why it's all happening. Steven Hawking's story is one most of us at least partially know, but 'The Theory of Everything' lets us see a different side of the man. We also get a glimpse into the eyes of his first wife, Jane. This film is an interesting look at his life, his triumphs and his faults. It's hard to get fully behind this film though, because the writing, is highly questionable.

'The Theory of Everything' follows the story of Steven Hawking and Jane Wilde (Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones) as Steven Hawking becomes the man we know him as today. In 1963, while attending a party at Cambridge, Hawking meets Wilde and they talk for hours. The two begin to date not long after. All of Hawking's professors are concerned about his lack of a thesis topic. One day, Hawking and his professor Dennis Sciama (David Thewlis) go to see a lecture on black-holes. This inspires Hawking to make his thesis statement to be about time itself. While doing research, Hawking's muscles begin to give out and one day he falls and hits his head on the ground. The doctors tell him that he has motor neuron disease, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. He will eventually lose control of all the muscles in his body, but his mind will remain intact. Warning him, that he only has two years to live. Jane vows to stick with Hawking, they marry and have a son. As his disease begins to worsen, Hawking finally presents his thesis to an examination board and (though there are errors) his theory is revolutionary. The rest is history, as they say, as we get to see a more inmate side of Mr. Hawking and live through the extraordinary life that he has lived.

Oh man, I was into 'The Theory of Everything' for about the first hour of the film. Eddie Redmayne is awesome as Steven Hawking and Felicity Jones as Jane was ever so charming. Redmayne gets the mannerisms of Hawking down to a tee and is charismatic as hell. Redmayne brings out the best in Jones as Jane. As the movie wears on, we see Jane become an even more strong and confident woman, rather than just being Hawking's wife. The lighting, is superb throughout. The night-sky that is shown early on at the second party they attend is beautiful. The tinted light (and dark) colors accent each scene perfectly. The costume design and setting are superb as well. It all adds up to everything looking grand and fantastic. Then somewhere in the second act, everything just kinda got blah. Redmayne is still great and Jones becomes, more, the lead in a given scene. She handles everything quite well. But the writing becomes boring. The scenes start to feel long. This is because there's a lot of unnecessary drama that's added in. There's an arc about Jane joining the choir at church, to help with all that happens with Hawking daily. It felt forced. The family drama is pretty pathetic as well, as everything that ever came up between Jane and extended family felt petty, more than urgent. The story drags immensely and becomes almost a chore to watch. I'm not pretending I'm a screenwriter, but keeping the struggle between Hawking and his illness and Hawking and Jane herself, would've helped this story out greatly. This is not the fault of the actors, as Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones are the lone bright spots in this film, that seemingly falls off the side of a cliff. I just wish flawed films, like this one is, would stop getting added as fluff at award shows due to outstanding performances. If there's not eight true best picture nominations, nominate the five best. Don't go trying to push good films as masterpieces.

'The Theory of Everything' is a long, drawn out story that hits you right in the emotional gut at times, but ultimately leaves the viewer bored. I hate writing that out, be cause the first half or so of the film is an awesome character study, about the life of Hawking outside of his work. How he acted, what he liked to do, his sense of humor and his passion. The second half of this film does this, but in a completely unnatural and drama filled way. The acting is superb and Redmayne and Jones absolutely deserve the nominations and wins they receive. The style, colors, costumes and setting are all pretty good as well. This movie starts of exceptionally, falls off into the ocean and ends on an acceptable note. That nosedive, hurts 'The Theory of Everything' and really does bring the quality of the film way down.


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American Sniper [A Fat Jesus Quick Hit]


I'm not a huge fan of war films. I've seen the big ones like 'Platoon' and 'Saving Private Ryan.' I'm pretty sure my favorite is 'Tropic Thunder' if we're being totally honest. I am a hot-blooded American, born and raised in the good ole US of A, my hands were tied. So a few weeks ago, armed with a cheesburger in one hand and a mini American flag in the other, I hunkered down. Ready to watch Bradley Cooper kick some good old terrorist scum in 'America Sniper.' Directed by all-American director, Clint Eastwood. What I got was hardly the stereo-type that I painted right there. Bradly Cooper shines, tremendously, but everything else doesn't quite follow suit.

'American Sniper' follow the true story of Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper), deemed "The Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. History." As a kid growing up in Texas, Kyle's father taught him how to hunt with a rifle. Years later, he is working at a rodeo and sees the 1988 bombing of the U.S. Embassy and decides to enlist into the U.S. Navy. He eventually gets through training and is a sniper for the Navy. One night, Kyle meets Tanya Renae (Sienna Miller) and they eventually get married. After the attacks on September 11th, 2001, of the World Trade Centers in New York City, Kyle is sent to Iraq. After his first two kills, Kyle is shaken, but earns the nickname "Legend." Kyle is then assigned to hunt al-Qeada leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and also a sniper they call Mustafa (Sammy Sheik), a mission that will consume him for years to come.

This movie in particular, 'American Sniper,' is why I have a problem with the Academy Awards at times every year. Big name actor, big name director and a very good performance, does not a "Best Picture" nominee make. I didn't hate this film by any means, in fact, Bradley Cooper's performance is one of the best of the year. Fully immersing himself as Chris Kyle, we get to see the highs (and lows) of a man who's has been through a lot. After his first kills, and even his ones later on, you see the pain (and sometimes anger) of a man who is truly "just trying to protect his country." I've never killed someone, obviously, but terrorist or not, taking someone's life isn't an easy topic to handle. I feel like while Cooper handled everything well, Clint Eastwood and the writers did a less than stellar job of things. While I get they are terrorists, they felt, not believable. They felt like a level in a video game, running around with guns, looking the part, just waiting for Kyle to pick them off one by one. The story also felt drawn out. Long scenes that didn't really have any point being in the film abound. I want some character building, but it feels like Sienna Miller's character, Chris Kyle's wife, is almost an afterthought throughout the film. I can honestly say that I can't remember another character in the film beside her as well. Even his "best friends" throughout tours of duty. The story is alright, but I felt like we we're just watching a troubled man, let's be honest he had some issues, killing "terrorists" in the name of "God and Country." For Christ's sake, there was a scene early on where he had to explain why he killed a bunch of the people he did. The action was done pretty well throughout despite the questionable thought process behind it all. I don't get the slo-mo spot Chris Kyle gets in this, but all the other scenes and sniper shots are done will. Some more tense and pulse pounding than others. I'll bet you think I'm not going to mention that baby that's been making it's rounds on the internet. Well I am. I noticed, it was out of place, kinda funny, but everyone is making a bigger deal than it should be.

'American Sniper' isn't a bad film, but it is one that makes me question why it was nominated for so much at awards shows. I can understand Best Actor nods for Bradley Cooper, because he was really good in this. But this just isn't on the caliber of those exceptional films. 'American Sniper' is a film that has a great performance, accompanied by an okay story, solid action, and questionable motives on philosophy behind writing and the overall direction of everything going on. If you're a true American, you're gonna see this, cause 'Merica! But this is hardly a "must-see" type of film.



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