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Lawlass
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Straight Outta Compton (2015)
Beautiful movie
This is the most important movie of the year, in this time when race relations in this country are so strained. I am so glad that someone has finally produced a truthful movie showing the view of individuals growing up in a violent society and the challenges that each and every one of them faces. The most telling scene was that of a young Ice Cube on a bus - just a high school student writing poetry - when he is exposed to gang intimidation and violence. This was not my experience growing up in white suburbia, when I rode along in the safety of my school-bus in the mid 1980's, writing morose poetry (which I thought at the time to be rebellious, but was just an outpouring of boring adolescent melancholia as opposed to true suffering.) Rap is poetry and I truly loved the insight provided by that single scene of the sweet, observant soul of the poet becoming witness to what will inspire his verse. The rest of the movie is equally riveting in its lyricism, its acting, and its emotion.
O'Shea is brilliant in his portrayal of his father. Jason Mitchell left me speechless in the purity, sincerity and depth he brought to his role. O'Shea and Mitchell should each be nominated for Oscars.
Homeland (2011)
Flawed, but entertaining, nonetheless
I hesitated in purchasing the DVDs of this show, because I am not a fan of Claire Danes. But I heard so much hype about how great this series is, that I caved in and bought seasons one and two. I am almost finished with season two, and I have found Homeland to be vastly entertaining and intriguing.
I disagree with the reviews which criticize some of the slower-moving scenes, as being unnecessary or dull. I like the plot lines dealing with the family issues of the returning POW and believe that those moments have made Nicholas Brody an interesting, complex, character. Instead of being a robotic, Manchurian Candidate-like character, Brody's interactions with his family show the human, normal, side of a man whose conscience is in an erratic state of flux and peril. His daughter, who is a troubled teenager, is ironically, the stabilizing force for the more-troubled Marine. The actress who plays Brody's daughter is the scene-stealer of this show, outshining the much-hailed veteran acting cast.
The only downside of this program is Claire Danes, who is difficult to listen to when she delivers her lines, because she is so over-the-top and bordering on hysterics in nearly every scene. The fault for this probably lies more with the writers and director than the actress. While Danes is indeed playing a character who is suffering from some serious mental disorder, she cusses, yells, cries and contorts her face into ugly forms throughout every episode. It is simply unbelievable that the CIA would allow this person to even have a guest pass to its headquarters, let alone be an employee. Cannot the writers of the show give us some moments of an unwired Carrie with a quiet mind, such that her character becomes a bit more believable, or at least, likable?
Les Misérables (2012)
Fans of the stage production will not be disappointed
I have seen the stage production of Les Miserables three times. I loved this movie as much as, if not more than, the stage production. I have always found the second act (the revolution plot and the story of young love) to be somewhat dull compared to the first act (Jean Valjean's redemption and Javert's pursuit of justice); this is so, despite my favorite songs being contained in the second act. However, the movie production kept me consistently interested in the characters, such that, for the first time, I really cared about the revolutionaries and the young lovers.
While all the actors were superb in their roles, I was awestruck by Anne Hathaway's portrayal of Fantine. Her facial expressions, her physical transformation, and the depth of misery in her eyes, combined with her enormous talent as a vocalist, had me crying with compassion throughout most of her performance. She deserves an Oscar for her performance.
Hugh Jackman was excellent as Jean Valjean and really hit a home-run in singing my favorite tune, Bring Him Home. Jackman was really flawless throughout the film, with his vocals and his acting performance. He deserves an Oscar nomination, but I think that Daniel Craig's performance as James Bond in Skyfall should be rewarded with an Oscar over Jackman's Jean Valjean (and yes, I have seen that bore of a movie, Lincoln, which should not be nominated for anything except for the Why in the World did Daniel Day Lewis pick this one? category).
Eddie Redmayne as Marius deserves a best-supporting actor nomination. He really owned the character of Marius - a character I never before found to be even slightly interesting. Redmayne brought that character to life and showed a dimension to Marius that you do not take away from the stage production.
Russell Crowe is one of my favorite actors and he brought out a different side to Javert than is portrayed in the stage production. Crowe's Javert was less of a dark villain, and more of a man whose soul is imprisoned by his own rigid view of the world. There was a vulnerability in Crowe's eyes that I had not seen since L.A. Confidential, and it softened this portrayal of Javert, so that one was able to empathize with him and feel that he was trapped into this world where he only sees things as good and evil, right and wrong. It was simply a beautiful acting job, and I thought his voice was perfect for the complexities of the character.
Lastly, George Blagden as Grantaire, the young revolutionary with the dark curls and the sweet face; I had never seen him before, but he truly stands out in this movie as taking a small role and turning it into a memorable part. His talent in this film portends a great future.
Anna Karenina (2012)
Beautiful work of art, but lacking in character development
This movie has some beautiful aspects to it, such that I believe it aptly deserves the title of a work of art. It is a different movie-experience in that Joe Wright filmed parts of it as a stage play. Combined with the dramatic romantic and tragic flair of the plot, and the aesthetic beauty of the costumes and backdrop, this movie is visually entertaining. I did not find the transitions between stage-play scenes to be distracting; instead, I found them to create a unique, bold, and captivating experience. I particularly found the steeplechase scene and the Moscow-theater scene to be compelling, stunning, and magical.
Much has been written about the miscasting of the actors. I had just finished reading the novel prior to seeing the movie, and I was greatly disappointed in the choice of Keira Knightley as Anna. Tolstoy's Anna is full-bodied, voluptuous, round, and mature; Keira Knightley, while a stunning beauty, needs to drink a few beers and eat some stew to put on some weight, and she is too young to have played the role of an older woman. There should have been a greater age discrepancy between Anna and Vronsky; instead, with the casting of Knightley and Taylor-Johnson, they seemed like two young, giddy, contemporaries. Tolstoy often describes Vronsky as being in awe of the aristocratic Anna and he repeatedly describes Vronsky as "obedient" to Anna. This movie never captures the true essence of the lovers' relationship, due to the miscasting of the lead roles. Unfortunately, as a tragic love story, the movie fails.
Finally, even with the miscasting, Wright should have brought us more scenes of the relationship between Anna and Vronsky, so as to develop the characters such that you cared about them. When reading Tolstoy's novel, I cried at points; but I did not feel moved by Wright's portrayal of the novel.
Lincoln (2012)
Even DDL could not bring life into this movie
The magic that is Daniel Day Lewis could not save this terrible movie. What was DDL thinking when he signed up for this? DDL is a phenomenal actor who generally does not make missteps in his artistic choices. Choosing to play Lincoln with such a weak script and such poor direction by Spielberg, was a mistake in an otherwise near-perfect acting career. But heck, the critics seem to disagree, as their love-fest with all-things Spielberg continues, and they have bestowed a number of Golden Globe nominations (and likely, Academy Award nominations to follow) upon the players involved in this mess of a movie.
Tommy Lee Jones; I just love the man. I saw Coal Miner's Daughter as a child, and have watched his performance in that movie numerous times. I never get tired of that movie. I have watched the Fugitive dozens of times; that movie is great because of TLJ. No Country for Old Men - more greatness from TLJ. Two great actors in Lincoln - DDL and TLJ - and this movie just fails, utterly fails. Who do I blame for this flop? The screenwriter and the director.
Unlike Spielberg's last over-hyped flick (Warhorse), this movie does have a couple of worthwhile moments - not shining moments mind you, but good moments nonetheless. I truly enjoyed some of the scenes between the President and his young son. There were some touching scenes between the aging leader, ravaged by the burden of sending boys and men to death on battlefields, finding solace from the horror of war by holding his son, talking to his son, parenting his son. There were also some notable scenes between Lincoln and his wife as well, with Sally Field playing her part well. I also enjoyed the moments when Lincoln would tell rambling anecdotes from his legal career with a bit of glint in his sparkling eyes, as though such stories lifted him to a different place, brought him back to a time when his life was not burdened with the horror of war and the devastating, demanding, daily, decision-making. The portrayal of Lincoln as father, as husband, as a lawyer turned politician now perhaps longing to return to the simplicity of the profession, had some appeal to it, and I left wishing that these aspects of his life had been more fully developed in the script.
War Horse (2011)
More Overrated Spielberg junk
I was so excited when I saw the trailer for this movie. I love horses. I love war movies. I thought this would be an incredible combination; the trailer gave me chills and I thought I would need to bring a box of Kleenex to the movie theater. But then, I went to actually see the movie and the only tears that I (should have) shed were for the loss of the eight dollars that I paid to see this ridiculous drama. The only good acting in this movie comes from the horse. The script is silly, the dialogue is just awful, and the movie is devoid of a single great moment, which is hard to say about a film involving two passionate topics - the bond of man and horse and the horror of war.
Skyfall (2012)
Oscar should prefer Daniel Craig as Bond as opposed to Daniel Day Lewis as Lincoln
Though I have enjoyed adventure/mystery flicks over the years, I have never previously seen an entire James Bond movie. As a child, I would catch glimpses of old Bond movies on television, and I always found the dialogue to be trite and boring, prompting me to change the channel. But now comes 2012 and the draw of the chiseled, serious-minded, Daniel Craig, drew me to finally watch a Bond movie. I took my 70 year old father, who enjoyed the movie, but afterward quipped that "Sean Connery was a better looking James Bond." I have not watched Connery as Bond, but Daniel Craig sizzles with sexiness as this dark blonde, brooding, dangerous, unsmiling, elegant agent. Setting aside the sultry energy that this actor emits on screen (something that I do not believe any modern day actor equals; Craig's smouldering affect is akin to Cary Grant in North by Northwest or Brando in On the Waterfront), the plot of this movie is fast-paced, energetic, and overall entertaining. Craig's moving performance is corroborated by the assistance of being surrounded by great actors, such as Dench and Bardiem. And, of course, Bardeim's villain matches his equally demonically dark presence of his character in No Country for Old Men. The Skyfall script is tight, unpredictable, and the cinematography is nothing less than stunning (and no, I am not talking about the scenes of a shirtless Bond - though Craig is as visually beautiful as the Scottish landscape).
I have not been so entertained by a movie in many years. I am actually going to see this one again next weekend and, while I made repeat trips to the theater to see Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark as a child, I have not made a repeat visit to a movie theater in adulthood.
In closing, Daniel Craig should get an Oscar nod for this movie. I am tired of hearing about the "brilliant" acting of Daniel Day Lewis in Lincoln and the "brilliance" of Spielberg. Lincoln was a mediocre movie at best, and this is coming from a person who resides in the Land of Lincoln and who is a Civil War buff (Ridley Scott's Gettysburg is one of my favorite movies). Spielberg has not made a great movie since Schindler's List and, while DDL was indeed "brilliant" in My Left Foot and There Will Be Blood, his performance in Lincoln is hampered by a silly, exaggerated, sophomoric, Joey-the-horse type, of script.