Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: Dawn of a Franchise

The 2014 follow up to 2011's smash hit Rise of the Planet of the Apes has just hit theaters and with raised expectations due to Rise's success, it has some big ape shoes to fill. That said, boy does Dawn of the Planet of the Apes deliver. Roughly 8 years after the events of the first film, there has been peace for a small civilization of humans living in San Francisco, along with the apes from the first film who have made a civilization of their own. However these two did not know that the other race even still existed. So when the humans cross paths with the apes when searching for a dam to supply power back to San Francisco, things get hectic. At times the film feels like The Dark Knight Rises or even Gladiator, yet it never feels like it is trying to be those films. There is a clear cut vision from director Matt Reeves (Let Me In), and it the movie feels very uncluttered and focused, delivering multiple themes yet focusing on one concise event. I cannot stress how fantastic that is from Reeves. Plot aside, the visuals are stunning although at some points it's easy to tell that they took dome money away from a couple of shots. Albeit, Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings Series) does deserve some recognition for his performance as Caesar, he will most likely not get nominated for Best Actor. Along with Serkis, there is a somewhat limited but definitely great performance from Gary Oldman (Dark Knight Series) and even Toby Kebbell (War Horse) as Koba. Something that truly caught my attention was the cinematography and overall camera work. There are two shots in particular that have been revolving around in my head, some of the most unique and fresh camera work I have ever seen. Along with that, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is one of the most unique and original films/sequels I have ever seen.

8.5/10

MUST SEE!

Locke: Locked In

Writer/Director Steven Knight (Eastern Promises) creates a 1 hour and 25 minute journey of a man named Ivan Locke. Tom Hardy (Bronson) stars as Mr. Locke, essentially the film centers around one car ride and Locke's life which slowly unravels around him. Truly a genuine and original film barring some similarities to other films (Buried), although the narrative is almost entirely within a single car, the audience is reeled in by this man and his life. Personally, I was just engrossed in Ivan Locke himself, along with the story but the character development of Locke is so deep and rich that it is almost impossible to not feel involved with his life. A one man show, Tom Hardy delivers a reverent performance. All camera work and angles are somewhat peculiar, but they all bring a different emotion, from dread and sorrow to hope and chance. One thing that cannot be argued is the breathtaking cinematography; delivered in terms of just a car, a man, and a highway. In the end, Locke is a one man show that will touch everyone and also put everyone on the edge of their seat every time the phone rings. 

A must see.

9/10

Shompton Police Review

Recently released, Shompton Police, from my understanding, a two part film has hit the web. 

Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6NWtAl7UJM

Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQ5NYCrRUIg

Part 1 opens strong but dwindles as we go on. A strong and somewhat comedic performance is put on by Dylan Tywan which eventually overshadows another great performance by Kyle Ficarrotta. The cinematography and overall camera work took me out of the film for a bit but was good enough to make the viewer understand what was happening. 

Part 2 was a blunder of sorts as it did not compare to episode 1 and eventually came to a disappointing conclusion. That said, the camera work and action improved heavily for this sequence. However the end of part 1 never fully linked part 1 and 2, thus confusing the viewer and causing the film to take a hit. Overall, the two part film idea was smart but needed more of a connection. Part 1 delivered some memorable scenes and great performances whereas part 2 did not.

Part 1: 7/10

Part 2: 3/10

Shompton Police. 

Produced and distributed by lenoci5 Productions.

The Grand Budapest Hotel: How Grand?

The latest installment in the Wes Anderson (Bottle Rocket) universe is The Grand Budapest Hotel, which focuses on a particular adventure featuring Mr. Gustave H. The entire film is a leveling of flashbacks, like a reverse Inception (2010). Ralph Fiennes (Harry Potter Series) stars as Gustave and works at The Grand Budapest, his former lover and friend has been murdered and he was framed.. Or was he? From a director's standpoint, this film is a marvel, fantastic character development and a great pact of story along with an interesting narrative. All of the camera work and cinematography was crafted to near perfection as always with Wes Anderson's films. Nonetheless this is a Wes Anderson film, witty comedy, odd quirks, good storytelling. All are present and there throughout, however there is a minor annoyance to me; the film ended up feeling like more of an ensemble cast rather than a focus on Gustave H. which bothered me during the film. In hindsight, the ensemble feel was obviously intended. Alexandre Desplat's score is heard and felt, the cast is top notch despite many getting less than adequate screen time (Jude Law, Bill Murray, and many others). Overall, The Grand Budapest kept me involved and entertained at the multiple storylines and provided many clever chuckles throughout.

8.5/10 

Under The Skin: Under Your Skin

Writer/Director Jonathon Glazer (Birth) brings us one of the most unsettling and easily one of the deeper films of 2014. The only way I can explain this movie's plot without ruining it is this: An alien is placed in Scotland to abduct humans. A simple plot, but this movie is complex and although not the most riveting of films, it will keep you engrossed due to its creepy and very much consistent tone of dread. Scarlett Johansson (The Avengers, Lost In Translation) stars in this Sci-Fi/Horror, and although she delivers a great performance, she is given a very simple role that could've been played by any woman in Hollywood. Nonetheless, she does perfom and the movie performs as well. Although it is classified as a horror, it does not completely frighten the viewer but rather unsettle him/her. Mica Levi's score was eerie yet stellar in terms of what it did for the audience. Under the surface of this film lies a deeper meaning that can be interpreted many different ways but it is a fresher meaning and not one commonly found or even thought about. The cinematography/camera work in general was breathtaking, many shots of the Scottish countryside and scenery are used. There is a lack of dialogue throughout the movie (the first line is only spoken 14 minutes in) which somewhat bothered me, but it did let you think, which seemed to be its intended purpose. Although I don't think the silence served as much of a purpose as this technique did in other films such as Drive or There Will Be Blood. All in all, I found this movie to be very intriguing and thought provoking. I do not recommend this for the common movie goer as they could find themselves "bored" or uninterested, however if you enjoy good films and want to think about yourself a bit, I strongly encourage you see Under The Skin.

8.5/10