Collateral: What's The Damage?

10 years late, but nonetheless, Collateral is critically acclaimed as one of the best thrillers in (somewhat) recent years. Starring Tom Cruise (Top Gun) and Jamie Foxx (The Soloist), the film takes place over the course of one night in LA. A modest cab driver finds his life flipped upside down when his passenger ends up being a contract killer. Already the basis for this story is ludicrous, along with that there are some issues within the film. Most of all, the awkward comedy writing and even worse  the deliverance of said comedy by Jamie Foxx. A movie with such a dark tone and even darker cinematography deserves better than the poor comedic writing thrown in. It's easy to shrug off but still a takeaway from the film overall. Onto the positives, Cruise delivers as he always has and always will. Foxx is on and off, in my humble opinion. Although appearing as a simple thriller/action "blockbuster" attempt, there is deeper meaning lodged within the film and its characters. More specially the importance, or lack there of, of life. Truly asking the audience, "how much do you care?" "What is your life worth?" And so on. If you can get past the little inadequacies then you're sure in for a treat. 

8/10

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

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

American Beauty: Beautiful Filmmaking

The 1999 Oscar Best Picture winner, American Beauty stars Kevin Spacey(The Usual Suspects) as a depressed suburban father in a mid-life crisis who becomes infatuated with his daughter's friend, thus causing him to try and turn his life around. Directed by Sam Mendes(Skyfall) who has been a consistent director ever since this film. With "Beauty" in the name it would be expected that the camera work would be stellar which it is, capturing everything possible. I believe it is the message this film has on society, family, and life that truly pushes it past a lot of movies. Kevin Spacey is in nearly every scene and he is the lone man I wound want for this role, from his classic narrating to his onscreen depression, you feel for him. Wes Bentley(The Hunger Games) has a role in the movie as well and is certainly overlooked often. Mendes captures elegance, awe, spectacle, and deep thought in this masterpiece. 

9/10

X-Men Series: Better than your X-Wife

I will be ranking the 7 X-Men films from worst to best below

7. X-Men: The Last Stand

Brett Ratner(Tower Heist) took helm after Bryan Singer's(The Usual Suspects) departure to work on his Superman film. In the third installment of the X-Men franchise, a cure for mutants has been found and Magneto decides this cannot be and goes on a mission to destroy it. Sounding interesting on paper, this film is easily the worst X-Men film for me. A muddled plot has mutants fighting without any real reason, and fails to provide us with any character development whatsoever. This adaptation of the famous Phoenix Saga from the Marvel comics was ruined and honestly insulting to fans everywhere. 

3/10

6. X-Men Origins: Wolverine

The first film after the original trilogy is a simple origin story for Wolverine. Instead of developing the character and fleshing out his backstory we are left with little to no character development, poor editing, well below average CGI and effects, and a ruined Deadpool character. The film would've been much more intriguing had it focused on the montage that opens the movie. A lone bright spot is Taylor Kitsch(Friday Night Lights) as Gambit, who only has a couple of scenes. 

4/10

5. X-Men

Bryan Singer rejuvenated the idea of superhero movies in Hollywood and essentially started up this genre. We are introduced to the X-Men and their struggle for acceptance. What seperates X-Men from every other superhero story is the fact that is a political struggle more than a battle of "Good vs Evil." This is what pushes its boundaries as a story and comic altogether. 

7/10

4. The Wolverine(2013)

Somewhat a follow up from X-Men Origins, this film follows Wolverine after the events of X-Men: The Last Stand. Wolverine shines in this movie in what I believe is, a good interpretation of Wolverine's mission as a man. His entire life is so interesting and his blessing/curse is focused on here. The Silver Samurai and Viper were cast aside as villains so perhaps that hurts the film overall but it does provide a nice insight into Wolverine.

7.2/10

3. X2: X-Men United(2003)

The X-Men are at odds when they face Striker, who is constructing a horrible scheme against mutants everywhere. Great performances all around, a near perfect set piece, and stunning action bring this movie all together very well. The set up for X3 was great although The Last Stand faltered and could not live up to any expectations.

7.5/10

2. X-Men: First Class(2011)

The origin of Magneto and Professor X is told through Matthew Vaughn's(Kick-Ass) perspective in this attempt to kick start the franchise. A near perfect story followed by scene stealing perfomances by Michael Fassbender(Shame, Inglorious Basterds) and James McAvoy(Trance, Filth) make this movie one of the best in the franchise. 

8/10

1. X-Men: Days Of Future Past(2014)

When Sentinels have taken over the world and leave the Mutant race barely alive, Wolverine must travel back in time and save the day. With a time travel story many parts can be messed up and their needs to be a fully thought out script/story or else there will be plot holes and a poor film. The most recent installment of the franchise will knock your socks off. Sadly there are some slower parts but the movie is gripping, touching, and devastating. Bryan Singer's return to the X-Men Universe creates the best episode yet and I can't wait for more. 

8.5/10

The Fault in Our Stars: The Faults in our Cancer Drama

Based off of John Green's(Looking For Alaska) novel with the same title; The Fault in Our Stars focuses on a young girl, Shailene Woodley (The Descendants, Divergent), who has thyroid cancer and is forced to go to a support group by her parents. Through the support group she meets a boy, Ansel Elgort (Divergent), who is in remission and lost his leg in his own battle with cancer. Although this film's target demographic is teenage girls it sure reaches out to everyone by focusing on cancer. There is an instant connection between Hazel (Woodley) and Gus (Elgort), their chemistry is near perfect throughout the movie. The narrative pushes us past the stages of being diagnosed with cancer and opens with Hazel already having cancer, this is something most cancer dramas don't do. Woodley and Elgort carry themselves well and really keep the movie going, though there are some great performances by Willem Dafoe(Spider-Man) who is in the film for one scene and Nat Wolff(Stuck in Love) who had a cancerous tumor on his eye. I will give the movie the praise that it deserves however there are some issues at hand and one glaring fault. Cancer is something that has, is, or will affect everyone at some point in time and cancer is not pretty. Josh Boone's story avoids the hazards of cancer and such by taking a leg away from one character or an eye from another thinking it will make up for not showing the atrocities that come with cancer (this problem has more to do with the source material rather than the film itself). Along with that, it seems as though every other scene is trying to make the viewer sad rather than let the audience understand the sadness themselves. Perhaps not the best cancer drama I've seen (50/50), and perhaps not the best teen romance I've seen (The Spectacular Now, also starring Shailene Woodley), but certainly the best of the two combined. Driven by a strong narrative, perfect pacing, and a near perfect script, albeit with some bugs, The Fault in Our Stars will certainly dampen your mood but also leave you hopeful and optimistic.

7/10

The Dark Knight: It'll Make Your Night

The Dark Knight picks up right where the last film, Batman Begins, left off. Batman and Joker come to odds and Batman struggles to do what is morally and ethically right. If you haven't seen this movie by now, I suggest you drop what you're doing, get it, and watch. This movie could be better than having a child. At a run time of over 2 hours and 40 minutes, you'd think it would slow down at parts and albeit it does but the movie keeps you on edge and paying attention throughout. Directed by Christopher Nolan (Memento, Inception), he is best known for his darker tones in films which you can truly feel when you watch The Dark Knight. For a superhero film, it is shot wonderfully and simply done with style, a plethora of memorable shots are in this movie. Directing and camera work aside, this film is star studded and each delivers. Before I get into The Joker, some honorable mentions have to be Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Air Force One) as Gordon, who will be overlooked time and time again by the Academy, Christian Bale (The Prestige, The Fighter) who plays Bruce Wayne and does a magnificent job, and finally the most overlooked: Aaron Eckhart (Thank You For Smoking) as Harvey Dent, who, if not for The Joker would have stolen the show. Now The Joker, tragically after filming, Heath Ledger (Brokeback Mountain) passed. But his memory will be enshrined forever in The Joker, with what some would say is the best perfomance ever. In every single scene your eyes will be drawn to The Joker and his little ticks to go along with his maniacal laugh and his menacing scars. The Dark Knight was truly snubbed of an Oscar Nomination and it was so controversial that it pushed the number of films allowed to be nominated from 5 to 10. It's on my Best of the Best (http://dilpreetmovies.blogspot.com/2014/05/best-of-best.html) list and deserves to be there.

10/10