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.
I've been waiting for 'Guardians of the Galaxy' for awhile. With each new tidbit of information my interest grew. I was apprehensive in the early stages of that this would turn in to. All of that has since been obliterated, as this film is one of the best all around movies Marvel has ever put out. The synergy, atmosphere, story and characters they developed, in what isn't an Avengers related film, is quite amazing. Chris Pratt leads an almost ragtag group of actors in a Marvel action flick and makes it seem like he's been in character for years. 'Guardians of the Galaxy' is everything a Michael Bay film wants to aspire to be, but never will.
"I am Groot."
'Guardians of the Galaxy' follows the story of Peter Quill/Starlord (Chris Pratt) as he is abducted from earth as a child and grows up to become a space pirate under Yondu (Michael Rooker). Twenty six years later we meet a grown up Quill who is stealing a mysterious sphere-like object from the planet Morag. He is intercepted by Korath (Djimon Hounsou), who is sent my Kree Ronan (Lee Pace), but manages to escape with the sphere. Once Ronan is informed that Quill has escaped he sends his assassin Gamora (Zoe Saldana) to retrieve it. Things turn sour for Quinn when he returns to Xandar and the person he is selling to backs out. While all this is happening,Yondu is putting a bounty on Quinn's head. Two bounty hunters, a genetically engineered raccoon, Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and a treelike humanoid, Groot (Vin Diesel), are already on Xandar. They begin to hunt Quinn as Gamora takes the sphere from him. A fight filled chase ensues between the four and eventually they are all incapacitated, arrested or both. They are sent to a prison facility called the Klyn, and the four band together once they learn of Zamora's plan to sell the sphere. They enlist the help of fellow inmate, Drax The Destroyer (Dave Bautista), and begin on what they think is a quest to sell a mysterious sphere. What they don't know, is the unimaginable power that lies inside and that the most powerful being in the universe wants to control it.
"They balled up my pants! Rude! They folded yours!"
We'll start with the story that ties in with everything that is happening in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Which is pretty cool. This isn't just some spin-off movie. Thanos is revealed in full, shout-out to Josh Brolin, and we also now know what the Infinity Stones do and why they are so sought after by the aforementioned Thanos. They've already announced 'Guardians of the Galaxy 2' and who knows who's gonna be able to be in that film as the Marvel movies keep churning out. James Gunn, the director of this fine film, is also signed on and I think he did a brilliant job with this film. There's a ton of CGI, but I feel like the cinematography as a whole and the overall direction was brilliant. The scenes in space are beautiful, the grittiness of desolate planets are highly apparent and I loved the design of Xandar. Speaking of CGI and things of that nature, this movie is chalk full of it. Some of the scenes it's noticeable, and one of the chase scenes was kinda iffy. Despite the few rough spots, the CGI was really done well in this film. The action, throughout was also done pretty well too and there was a metric ton of it littered throughout this. The fights set in space were fun and explosive and then when hand to hand combat was involved no one was slacking either. The seamlessness of all the visuals blending together with the characters and writing really made this a fun movie. If there's one complaint out of me about this movie it definitely isn't the soundtrack either. They set the tone early and every track that followed was so perfectly placed, it was beautiful to listen to. Not to mention the fantastic score to go along side this. This is probably the best score and soundtrack to a Marvel film that I've ever heard and it's truly one of the best parts of the film. This is a movie that is two hours long, but one that gets you so wrapped up and entertained you're not even gonna notice the time flying by. I do wanna touch one one thing that kinda irked me and it's my biggest flaw with this film. That's the way they used Ronan in the film. He's supposed to be this bad-ass super villain, but it more felt like he was a supporting character, that was just a placeholder until Thanos comes along to wreak havoc.
"I don't think anyone is 100% a dick."
There is so much other stuff to talk about that it almost boggles my mind. I don't think I have another "bad" thing to say about this film either so I'm already going to cliche this as a "glowing review." I've bought completely into Marvel and what they're doing with the cinematic universe. It doesn't matter if the film is main series or one that's kind of off the radar like 'Guardians of the Galaxy.' Marvel is going in for all their movies and I love it. We'll start with the writing and I really loved the way they got us used to these characters seamlessly. I felt like, by the end of the film, that I knew them. I loved that I had a connection to them as not just people on a screen I paid money to see. The way the audience connected with a raccoon, a walking tree and space thief, is truly amazing. The story was pretty solid as well. It wasn't just a bunch of degenerates who banded together and found out how to be good. It was a superhero story that felt more like an grand adventure rather than your usual "good vs bad leading to a final fight." Not saying that all this formulaic stuff wasn't there, but it's one of the films where I didn't even care one bit because I was so enthralled. All this is directly tied to the acting. This is the year of Chris Pratt and I've loved this guy ever since I first started watching 'Parks and Recreation.' Pratt is the true star of this film, no pun intended, and carries the film with each scene that he's in. He has such a good chemistry with all of his co-stars, including two that are merely CGI. His comedic timing is spot on, his emotion shines through and even the action sequences involving him were pretty damn good too. He is the glue that holds the cast together. But, that doesn't mean everyone else involved is slacking at all. One of the biggest surprises is Dave Batista as Drax The Destroyer. I'm a pro wrestling fan and I've been watching Batista for years now. Only a handful times have I ever been as entertained by this man. His comedic timing in this is impeccable and got a ton of laughs out of me. Plus, his action scenes were great as I think that's what came most naturally to him. Bradley Cooper as Rocket was great as well. It's not often that live action and CGI mesh so well, but Bradley Cooper walked the line perfectly. Never did I ever think in the middle of this type of movie I could get major feels out of a genetically engineered raccoon, or laugh at his antics. Well, maybe the second part of that. The other half of this duo was Groot, voiced by Vin Diesel. He doesn't say much, well anything aside from "I am Groot." When he does speak, there's always a laugh, smile or a welling of emotions afterward. Finally, Gamora was someone that took a little bit to get accustomed to out of these five. Her action scenes are great and he back story is pretty detailed in the film. Zoe Saldana was just playing the same green alien role that she only played okay in 'Star Trek' to me. She wasn't bad, but she really was the kinda weakest point of all five of them. That's not saying much though when they all have such a great chemistry on-screen.
"I look around and you know what I see? Losers!... But life's giving us a chance."
'Guardians of the Galaxy' is probably the best action film you're gonna see all summer. It's also one of my favorite films of the year so far. The story, characters, action, look and humor were all done exceptionally and I don't think I need to praise this anymore. It also felt like a lite version of 'The Avengers' and that's part of the reason it's gonna be liked as well. Amidst all the lightheartedness there's some real emotion and you really do get hit hard at points in the film. I think that's what really made me have a great time. It wasn't just the fantastic humor or the awesome visuals. It was the fact that during all that, we still got a chance to relate, feel sadness, happiness, joy or pain with who we were watching on screen. That's what movies are all about right? Having fun and connecting with your audience. Marvel, you have the formula down, keep 'em coming.
It's that time of year again. The time of year when I get a huge itch to really dive into movies. Needless to say, I watch more movies than most. With The Oscars just around the corner, I've decided to once again review of all the movies nominated for Best Picture. These will be reviewed alongside some of the bigger movies of 2013 nominated for an award. Starting off this week, I will be reviewing one of the most talked about and nominated films "American Hustle." With an all-star cast consisting of Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, David O. Russell made his bid for the Oscar Season. Even though the overall product could widely be considered safe and over-hyped.
"American Hustle" follows the story of Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) and Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) as they meet, begin a relationship and subsequently begin to con people using a loan scam. Irving is reluctant to leave his wife, Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence), with her son, who he's adopted. FBI Agent Richard DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) catches the couple red-handed, but offers to release them if they help him catch some additional criminals. The main guy they would be looking to arrest is Mayor Carmine Polito (Jeremy Rinner). On the surface Carmine is greatly helping the community, but if you were to dig a little, you'd find that he isn't quite the savior he's thought of as. His newest plan is to revitalize the gambling in Atlantic City. Irving and Richie hatch a plan to entrap Carmine, despite Richie's boss, Stoddard Thorsen (Louie CK), objecting. Using one of Irving's friends, Paco Hernandez (Michael Pena), posing as an Arab Sheikh willing to invest, they set up a fake meeting and the ball beings rolling on the biggest con of Irving's life.
This was a movie I really liked when I was watching it. The look, the long con and the lead role Christian Bale played had my interest. I the overall look of the film was great. Though sometimes a bit over stylized, the characters never looked out of place in this late 1970s set movie. One of my favorite things about movies is getting caught up in the surroundings. When a movie doesn't do that well, it really does bring it down. The overall story was pretty fun as well. It's always fun to watch a plan unfold over the course of a movie, and this was a fun one to watch. Not original by any means, but it still was something that won't leave you disappointed after watching this. Crime and con movies more often than not, fall flat. This movie found a way to not be awful, while not getting overly complicated and turning into a mess. Finally the acting, at least by Christian Bale, was pretty good. This is his first role post-Batman, and while not his strongest performance, it was one that's very good. He really gets into the role and plays Irving Rosenfeld well. I think at this point I can look forward to more Christian Bale, as the roles he's been playing as of late suit him well. The supporting cast does him well in this too, and he really does shine as the best character and actor in this film.
This was also a movie that I really felt could've been much better. Dwelling on this after watching it, it all hit me. David O. Russell is not a writer and director I'm too keen on. Last year's "Silver Linings Playbook" was only okay for me. Partly due to the acting and partly due to it just flat out losing my interest. This movie doesn't do that to me, but there are so many places that could've been better. The con, while fun, wasn't really that great in the end. The writing felt rushed, even though the movie was pretty long. Honestly, the best writing parts of this for me were the scenes involving Louis CK and his ice fishing story. The acting, while great from Bale, was lacking everywhere else. Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence and Bradly Cooper are all fine actors and I like their work. But in this film, they do not deserve Academy Award Nominations they've received. The final scene Jennifer Lawrence is in, she is great, and I wish that character had been the one portrayed the whole time. Bradley Cooper plays a bumbling FBI agent. Amy Adams plays a woman with a bad British accent 90% of the time. Oh yeah, Robert DiNero is in this too, his one scene was fine I suppose. Overall the roles were fine, but not Oscar worthy. The movie felt long as well. You can compare this to other movies nominated that never felt long that were half an hour and an hour longer.
"American Hustle" is still a good film, despite my harshness and criticisms towards it. Christian Bale leads a capable cast in a fun, rushed, but still kind of long, con film. David O. Russell is looking to clean house again this year at The Oscars with his film and ensemble cast. But, like last year, he's made a movie that will most likely get awards to his cast, for doing mediocre jobs. This is worth your time simply for the fun you'll have watching it. "American Hustle" is a movie that's getting a lot of praise, for simply being good, when it could've been great.
I like well made romantic comedies. Well at least ones I proclaim as good like Knocked Up, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Zack and Miri Make a Porno and more (raunchy) movies of the like. But I like Bradley Cooper, and really wanted him to make up for Hit and Run (I mean what the hell was that movie) and have a good performance in this. Also Jennifer Lawrence is adorable and I've been a fan of her since I saw her in Winter's Bone in 2010. I liked The Hunger Games and wanted her to keep that roll going. Instead I got a movie, Silver Linings Playbook, that left right in the middle of where I wanted to be.
Silver Linings Playbook follows the story of Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper), who had undiagnosed bipolar disorder. He is released from a mental health facility and is cleared to go home and live with his parents. His wife Nikki (Brea Bee) has moved away in the eight months since he went in and his father, Pat Sr. (Robert DeNiro), lost his job and is resulting on gambling on football games to try and start a restaurant. Pat wants desperately to get back with his wife, who has since filed a restraining order against him. At one of his court mandated therapy sessions he tells his therapist (Anupam Kher), Pat explains that he was sent away because one day he came home to his wife having sex with another teacher in their shower with their wedding song playing ("My Cherie Amour" by Stevie Wonder) and beats him almost to death. That night having dinner with his friend Ronnie (John Ortiz) and his wife Veronica (Julia Stiles) he meets Ronnie's sister-in-law Tiffany Maxwell (Jennifer Lawrence). Tiffany is a young widow and a recovering sex addict who is also living at home. Pat and Tiffany form a relationship off of all their shared quirks and Pat realizing he can use Tiffany to get his wife letters. Pat getting back together with his wife is what he wants or through unorthodox (and dance-y) ways he can develop a new life with Tiffany. See which play he calls by watching this for yourself.
This movie was a mixed bag for me. As it's one of the better rom-coms, I'll admit, I really don't think it should be getting all the Oscar buzz and nominations it has. The music is well done and the score is good. But sometimes the amount they're drilling it into our heads that Pat is indeed bipolar, by playing "My Cherie Amour" over and over and over, is a little off-putting. The cinematography of sites around Philly and it's very close-knit family and friends are pretty good to watch. Times it seems like everyone knows what's going on between Pat and Tiffany and they're not afraid of letting us know, that everyone else knows as well. The acting by DeNiro and Weaver as husband and wife are awesome to watch throughout. Cooper and Lawernce (as well as his scenes with John Ortiz and Chris Tucker) are done very well too. The writing and dialogue, by David O. Russel, was more, real I guess you could say, than other romantic comedies and the tension between the families and characters were done well. It's much more serious with the humor, but that's a plus in this movie.
The story was as original as you can get with the whole rom-com scheme. Guy meets girl. Guy pisses off girl. Girl leaves. In the end guy and girl get together. This is that with more a feel with everything. The story felt real, the characters were relate-able, and the outcome (though predictable) is what you want out of a feel good movie like this is. Here's where my problem with all the praise this is getting is coming from. There's laughs. There's romance. There's drama. But in the end this is just an above average movie for me. Cooper, Lawrence and the rest of the crew did great and made this the above average movie it is, but still in the end this just a rom-com. Like the steps I listed, it follows them almost to a tee. I want movies to surprise me. Lawrence does well, Cooper does great and DeNiro is DeNiro. This movie was what it was though, above average movie watching. It was just okay.
All in all this is still worth your watch. The story is highly engaging and the acting by everyone is superb. The acting by Bradley Cooper is probably the best of his career and Jennifer Lawrence keeps her acting train rolling. With DeNiro, Weaver and Tucker, there are great compliments to the two main stars on screen. The writing is a helluva a lot better than most rom-coms as well. This is not Oscar worthy in my eyes, it has a ton of nominations, but who am I to say. Silver Linings Playbook was just an okay watch for me.
