Reviews

The Wachowski team collaborate with writer Tom Tykwer to spin English writer David Mitchell's highly complex novel of the same name into cinematic poetry. Scorching with uncompromising ambition and electrifying visual methodology, Cloud Atlas is an enormous roar of a cinematic project that is bound to divide people. David Mitchell's novel is written in a profoundly unwieldy style, making a daring attempt at balancing six interrelated storylines, that many described as "unfilmable". For the Wachowskis and co-writer Tom Tykwer (who also serves as co-director), unfilmable is not in their books. Their rendition of the seemingly undoable novel is a blooming science-fiction tale with relentless complexity, challenging philosophy, and an outlandish narrative structure that will lead people into coming out with high praise or extreme loathing, with a significantly small minority straying between the middle. To me, this star-studded film roars as a splendid cinematic achievement with glaring flaws that are not too hard to notice but are nonetheless overshadowed by the filmmakers' enchanting style, even if their ambition towers over the film's grasp. Telling as story spanning across six different periods within human history, this film opens up in 1849 in the Pacific Islands where American Lawyer Adam Ewing (played by Jim Sturgess) becomes a stow away on ship carrying a poor African-American man to slavery before challenging to crew in a battle of wills. Jump to 1936 Cambridge, England, we meet Robert Frobisher (played by Ben Whishaw), an English composer who collaborates with an elderly composer (played by Jim Broadbent) who has a dubious agenda hidden under his sleeve. Next, we are taken to 1973 San Francisco, where journalist Luisa Rey (played by Halle Berry) is trapped in an elevator, only to nuclear scientist (played by James D'Arcy) who informs him a diabolical plot to take down a nuclear reactor. This places her on the path of a violent assassin Bill Smoke (played by Hugo Weaving) who tries to outwit her plans. Next up, we come to 2012 London, England where elderly man Timothy Cavendish (also played by Jim Broadbent) who finds himself in the ruts of a retirement home he is wrongly enrolled in. Now jumping ahead to the future, we meet Sonmi-451 (played by Doona Bae) in 2144 Seoul, South Korea where she is subject to slavery at a futuristic fast-food restaurant run by her clones before crossing paths with Yoona-939 (played by Zhao Xun) to rebel against the corrupt system. Finally, we make to 2321 where tribesman Zachary (played by Tom Hanks) and his family are living in a post-apocalyptic society where technology no longer exist. Zachary cross paths with a mysterious woman (also played by Halle Berry) who has connections to the technologically advanced past.

Yes, describing the plot is nothing short of a mouthful. And many will asking what to do these six storylines have in common. The answers are slowly, but subtly unveiled throughout the film, which clocks just merely under three hours. While many will doubt that the runtime isn't inflated, many would be surprised to believe that this runtime might even be enough to fully flesh out of the storylines that take place, especially when viewers are giving the absurdly difficult task of trying to decipher the connection between each storyline. It is a powerfully complex narrative scope that strictly demands your attention in order to keep track of where the film is going on, something that most people may not be able to accomplish upon first viewing. Each storyline is sketched with a unique sense of humanity and melancholy that sheds the light on both the beauty and the darkness of humankind, while paying an absorbing message to how a single choice from the past and change a major course of society in the future. Some storylines are more compelling than others in terms of emotional twists and soundness. The story set in 1936 Cambridge with Ben Whishaw working as a composer for an aging musician is quite subtle as it touches on the forbidden love between two men who share a homosexual relationship, which is gravely prohibited in their society. The emotional payoff at the end of it leaves a brutal impact. The storyline taking place in the dystopian future of South Korea is equally compelling, especially with the Wachowskis' striking visual style, which pays sweet homages to science-fiction classics like 'Blade Runner' and 'The Matrix'. This one has the Wachowskis' handprints all over it. The 2012 London storyline has it moments with idiosyncratic humor and silliness, but perhaps not the most memorable or particularly interesting. The other three also have moments that grab at the heart with both emotional resonance and pulse-pounding tension, but it is hard not to feel that they could have been more fleshed out, especially when they task the actor with foreign accents that make their dialogue painful to understand. As if balancing half a dozen storylines isn't a heavy enough weight to carry, the Wachowskis wield an interesting concept of casting each actor and actress in multiple roles spanning across each storyline, while associated them with more screentime to their main roles. Tom Hanks, easily the most recognizable, puts on a fine performance as the grungy tribesman in the sixth storyline, but journeys way outside his typecast with a series of goofy roles of characters cooked with occasionally laughable foreign accents and heavy prosthetics and make-up that often get a little distracting. It is awfully hard to buy Hanks as an 19th century English man with slightly seeding red hairline. Halle Berry does best in her role as both Luisa Rey in the 1973 storyline and the 2321 story, though she is slightly more memorable in the former. Hugo Weaving on the other hand, competes in his villainous typecast in each storyline, playing in roles that owe significant reminiscence to his role as Agent Smith in the 'Matrix' franchise. And here's a hilarious case-in-point, one of those roles is an elderly transgender woman. Jim Broadbent does his best in most of his roles, though perhaps his most memorable outing would be his shtick in the 2012 London storyline. Ben Whishaw and Jim Sturgress have their moments in their respective roles, but there is no doubt that they have done more remarkable works in the past.

Cloud Atlas is destined to leave people divided in terms of structure, scope, and innovation. But that does not take away from the cerebral beauty that makes the film such a pleasant, if not masterful cinematic experience. The prolonged runtime will alienate some, but for everyone else, is an cinematic achievement that deserves to be embraced.

Argo is a film that suitably fits in the category of films that tackle real-life events and captures them with electrifying precision and grit, and it is Ben Affleck who is taking the director's chair. With 2007's 'Gone Baby Gone' and 2010's 'The Town' stamped on his resume, Affleck proves himself as a filmmaker fueled with astonishing directorial virtuosity It is little to no wonder he was the perfect choice of this political thriller, a briskly-paced, suspense-driven rendition of the stranger-than-fiction real-life event that marked an unlikely collaboration with Hollywood and the U.S government in effort to execute one of the most daring rescue missions performed in history. The central role of the film is the Iran Hostage Crisis of 1979-1981, a world-rocking event that not only marked the beginning of the blood-drenched tensions between the United States and the Middle East but shattered with distressing effects that still linger today. Of course, like most cinematic interpretation of historical events, the film is not empty of wielding creative liberties at the expense of significant historical accuracy. Affleck's depiction of the event has been held in the crossfire of controversary, with many deeming it as either exaggerated or fabricated from what really took place. However, that is nothing to take away from how grippingly entertaining it is. Set during the final decade of the Cold War, Affleck takes the lead role of Tony Mendez, a CIA agent who was approached by the agency to rescue six Americans who were hostage in the U.S Embassy in Tehran, Iran in 1979 in the heat of a political uprising before taking refuge at the home of the Canadian Ambassador Ken Taylor (played by Victor Garber). Knowing that they would eventually be found and captured to be taken in public execution if they stayed there any longer, Mendez collaborated with Hollywood producer Lester Siegal (played by Alan Arkin) and make-up artist John Chambers (played by John Goodman) came up with a plan that was far out of the ordinary: pose as a Hollywood producer under a fake name and disguise the hostages as his film crew in search for location to shoot a fake science-fiction movie titled "Argo" in an effort to sneak them through an airport ran by angry-faced, gun-wielding guards. Intertwining the story is his supervisor Jack O'Connell (played by Bryan Cranston) who along with his colleagues keep contact with Mendez during his dangerous mission.

Curious to what the Iranian revolution was about? It was about rebelling against the Pahlavi dynasty under the ruling of Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi who was upheld by President Jimmy Carter. Swiping from the pages of the Tony Mendez's memoir 'The Master of Disguise' and Joshuah Bearman's memoir 'The Great Escape', this film, written by Chris Terrio, paints an authentic picture of the real-life events while appropriately masquerading as a tension-fueled race-against-the-clock thriller defies against the typical tropes of an espionage thriller. Ben Affleck shows he has an ambitious eye for detail and a heart for a palpable atmosphere that plays a major role in delivering the emotional touch for each scene taking place within the violent, dirty, socially unrest environment of Iran. He effectively lands the look of a period set in 70s and early 80s, and the intertwining of archive footage of President Jimmy Carter and news footage help set both the political and emotional tone. He also bravely exhibits with talent in front of the camera with a performance that, while proficient, doesn't quite mark one of his most memorable roles. It is his directorial efforts that takes the crown. He proves himself capable of staging each scene with a vivid eye for detail, and his effort pay off especially well for the final thirty minutes when Tony Mendez must lead the hostages through an airport where Iranian guards are watching with bold eyes, locked and loaded. The entire scene, crafted with captivating, you-are-there hand-held cinematography by Rodrigo Prieto, scorches with suspense as the atmosphere boils with arresting fear of what will happen if they get caught. On the other hand, there are moments of levity offered by John Goodman and Alan Arkin in scenes showing their time at the Hollywood studios as well as moments of their collaboration with Ben Affleck with their running gag line "Argo f**k yourself".

Argo is an electrifying, tautly crafted political thriller that bears powerful evidence that Ben Affleck holsters plenty of talent behind the camera as much as in front of the camera, perhaps even more so. The film is entertaining, smart, and rarely bears a dull moment. If the fictional liberties of the event don't bother you, you are in for a gripping, if not remarkable cinematic ride. In conclusion, it stands tall as one of 2012's best motion pictures.

Danish director Thomas Vinterberg's The Hunt is a dark, powerful, and remarkably haunting testament of a human's innocence crumbled by a misunderstood lie, and the repercussions that follow when the ones who hold your trust the most immediately turn on you before you know it. Whether Vinterberg is taking inspiration from specific real-life events leads little to be known, but the sad news is the events that transpire within the near-two-hour runtime occur to people all around the world more often than many realize. In today's society, it is not uncommon for the innocent victim to be robbed of justice. So what is the topic here? The topic is sexual assault, a major issue that has run rampant throughout society like the plague while innocence of victims, or, in some cases, the wrongly accused hides in the dark as evil prevails with no obstacles to be set free. Mads Mikkelson takes the lead role in the story of a man who is caught at the business end of everyone's cruel misunderstanding while he watches as his life is sucked into a downward spiral. By the end to the film, it is nearly impossible to keep your heart intact from the sheer emotional destruction that follows. This film tells the story of Lucas (played by Mads Mikkelson), a divorced kindergarten teacher who appears to have his life in shape. The children at school love him like a father, and he is dating a beautiful woman (played by Alexandra Rappaport) who hopes to marry. But things get weird when he discovers that one of the girls in his class has somewhat of a crush on him. Lucas believes it is just part of her weird imagination. However, when the girl unexpectedly makes up a story about him doing some sexual misconduct to her, he becomes a target of hatred and hostility by the community including the girl's father (played by Thomas Bo Larsen), her mother (played by Anne Louis Hassing), and the community as a whole as he struggles to prove he is innocent.

Thomas Vinterber and co-writer Tobias Lindholm display the liveliness of their storytelling while the former operates the story with a strictly appropriate pacing and delicacy that paints an honest picture of the ugly side of the human race. The subject matter powering to the story is far from comforting and can be especially displeasing for anyone who has dealt with similar incidents. After all, this film never makes any attempts to sugarcoat the upsetting aftermath that consumes an innocent man's life. But that is only part of what makes it so powerful and, at times, deeply frustrating to the point where you can't help but roar at the corrupt face of human nature. We know Lucas is innocent but the community almost immediately sides with the little girl and believes Lucas is an evil seed. Their response to the innocent little lie only evokes sympathy for Lucas as he is forced to endure mass hysteria of angry citizens while he struggles to prove to them that the girl is lying for the sake of exercising her unchained imagination., even when she later admits she was only telling a story. And his struggle would not be emotionally draining enough without the powerful performance by Mads Mikkelson who nails the role with flying colors. The innocence in his eyes never soars away, and his talent on fueling the role with effectiveness pays more than enough to win our hearts up until the end credits roll. And Charlotte B. Christensen blesses the dark environment, lit with eerie lighting to grip viewers with deep displeasure, with striking cinematography that gracefully captures the tone and despair of the characters. It is genuinely impossible to recall a single shot that felt out of place.

The Hunt is a haunting, yet brutally powerful drama full of heart, despair, and deeply gripping emotion. And by no means will people will exit it without being choked with a sense of dread or exhaustion, but that is only what makes it a profoundly memorable experience in more ways than one. Thomas Vinterberg delivers a shocking whiplash of a cinematic work that desperately deserves your attention.

So, the beloved Star Wars saga has reached the eighth chapter and now continues the story with our heroes battle against the diabolical First Order. After making a warm welcome back with 'The Force Awakens' in 2015, the Star Wars franchise has made a remarkable recovery from the damper left by the botched prequel trilogy launched by the hands of George Lucas. Although The Force Awakens was a flawed chapter as it drew more than enough parallels to 'The New Hope', it marked a significant turning point in the saga. The Last Jedi, directed by Rian Johnson of films such as 'Brick' and the hit time-traveling sci-fi piece 'Looper', is a heartwarming spectacle full of just about everything you desire in a Star Wars movie: killer special effects, compelling expansion of the characters, heart-pounding twists, and a story bursts with near endless excitement from beginning to end. This film strikes at the heart of the franchise with a strong emotional magnitude that keeps you growing hungry for more as it leaves you questioning nearly everything. What is all gonna come down to? And don't worry, this review will be restrained to a spoiler-free frontier. But if you prefer to go in completely blind, just go see the movie and come back later. So, Princess Leia (played by Carrie Fisher) is the now the commander of the Resistance as they continue their fight against the First Order headed by Snoke (played by Andy Serkis). Ex-Stormtrooper Finn (played by John Boyega) has awaken from his coma and escapes with fellow resistance warrior Rose (played by Kelly Marie Tran) on a conquest to foil the First Order. Meanwhile, Resistance fighter Rey (played by Daisy Ridley) is stranded on an island where he encounters the estranged Luke Skywalker (played by Mark Hamill) who he must convince her in battle to settle the score with his nephew Kylo Ren (played by Adam Driver). But first, he must teach her the ways of the force.

What Rian Johnson has to offer in this jaw-dropping chapter of the epic space opera series is as compelling you can come with the franchise, and with no shortage of fun and thrills to leave you hanging. From the iconic opening credit crawl sequence followed by the massive spaceship battle, to the final sequence, Johnson's admiration for the franchise bursts through just about every frame without sacrificing his opportunity to bring a large barrage of newborn elements to the table. There is nothing more exciting than witnessing as all our favorite iconic characters including Princess Leia, R2-D2, C-3PO, and of course, Luke Skywalker, make their return to the galaxy. Then let's not leave out our new characters from 'The Force Awakens' as they make their trip back to the screen. So, as the story continues the war between the Resistance and the First Order erupted by the diabolical Kylo Ren has lead a life of family issues, the story goes almost full throttle on unleashing shocking emotional twists that very few will see coming. At the same time, the story also allows for deep expansion upon our characters including Rey and Kylo Ren who contribute to a powerful storyline that dares to grip your seats until the end. Excellently paced and blistering with moments of clever humor, the excitement is near endless. The storyline, however, following John Boyega's Finn and Kelly Marie Tran's Rose is perhaps less of a home-run, especially with their chemistry lacking the heart that Boyega boasted with Daisy Ridley in the previous film. While there are a few good moments to spare, it would have helped if the film kept things interesting when focusing on these two. Nonetheless, Boyega and Tran make good use of their roles as does Ridley as Rey. The rest of the cast including Carrie Fisher who is sadly no longer with us, boasts a powerful performance as ever-charismatic Leia that leads a helping hand to a warming tribute. Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, and Benicio Del Toro all hit the right marks. And the excitement soars as the film wraps things up in an explosive climatic war sequence, with one beautifully shot Light Saber battle in the desert, and the other taking place inside the Resistance ship as it explodes in a fiery chaos with guns flaring everywhere and stormtroopers getting blown away before our very eyes. It is a true special-effects joy ride that does just about everything it can to feast the eyes, and that is not without John Williams's poetic score to complete the picture.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is a sucker punch of entertainment that holds a special place in the heart for all Star Wars fans, and another for everyone else. Rian Johnson proves he has remarkable respect of the characters, the story, and the overall spirit that makes the franchise such an endearing gem to the genre. Best movie in the franchise? That is highly debatable, especially when looking at the masterful hit that was 'Empire Strikes Back', but everyone will certainly come out with differentiating opinions. After all, this is Star Wars we are talking about. And may the force be with you!

It is hard to root for Luc Besson's science-fiction adventure being in the blockbuster of the summer, particularly with 'Wonder Woman', 'Spiderman: Homecoming', Christopher Nolan's 'Dunkirk', and Edgar Wright's 'Baby Driver' hitting all the multiplexes. It is not, however, unreasonable to believe that Besson's rendition of the popular graphic novel series of the same name boasted some potential. This film marks a perfect opportunity for the French director in indulge in this extravagant visual versatility, and he does so with shockingly stellar use. But everything else dominated this big-budget adventure leaves his visual style standing lonesome among other assets that fail to bring the film to life in the way it is valuable. There is plenty of fantasy-based action and battle sequences that pay more than a fair amount of homages to Besson's earlier film 'The Fifth Element' and a moody futuristic production design complete with CGI that is absolutely breathtaking to say the least. But in terms of narrative and direction, everything that transpires in its overlong runtime equates a ludicrously hot mess. For all the fun and thrills to be spared, there is not excitement to compensate for the overarching flaws that send this sci-fi romp sinking under the surface. Opening up with montages of the Space Race during the Cold War before proceeding into the future; this film opens up on Planet Mul, a place inhabited with blue Avatar-like aliens who live in harmony. Their peaceful lives are soon disrupted when explosion crash erupt from the sky and crash down the planet, forcing most of its inhabitants to escape to another planet. This calls for intergalactic space agents Valerian (played by Dane DeHaan) and his hotshot partner Laureline (played by Cara Delevigne) by their commander (played by Clive Owen) to set out on a conquest to the ginormous city of Alpha, a place where thousands of cities and tribes are crunched together in a futuristic society, and go after the source that destroyed the planet and save the future of not the only the residents of Alpha but the future of the human race.

This adventure skews deep into the zone of style-over-substance without paying solid attention to how uneven it is. Sure, Luc Besson's visual style is absolutely outstanding to the point where you can''t help but forgive the bloated use of CGI scattering all the across the map. The design of Alpha, a Blade Runner-like planet with small world clapped together in a downtown sort of structure that appears to go on forever, is beautiful to look at. The writing, on the other hand, is another story. Our two main heroes are kicked into a wild adventure through a wacky world of bizarre-looking creatures ripped from H.P. Lovecraft books, and the journey goes into a zig-zag of ridiculous detours while failing bear any proper character development. Battering its straightforward storyline in favor of intertwines with the title character going through long stretches to save her partner Laureline who he has deep feelings for, and Laureline making numerous attempts to do the same, the film pummels its plot into a pulpy mess at the expense of thrills that come far and few in between. And it most certainly does not help that neither of their characters are remotely interesting. Dane DeHaan feels significantly miscast in his title role, while Cara Delevigne bears a small amount of charisma that makes up the lack of characterization these two are forced to bear. Then there is an overlong scene where we not only come across a goofy Ethan Hawke playing a pimp with a loopy disguise that is far too goofy to take seriously, but introduced to Rihanna playing a stripper who performs a provocative dance in attempt to seduce the title hero. This scene could not feel more out of place. While viewers are left to relish in a few thrilling, well-shot action sequences complete with laser gunfights and hacking-and-slashing, it is not long before the fun eventually wears off and places you in the position of asking how many more minutes are left in the runtime which is awfully long for the story the film operates on.

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is not a total slog as it least has it moments to spare for the overarching flaws that could its judgement. But it is far from a great sci-fi tale nor does bear any resemblance of what otherwise could have been a thoroughly top-notch adventure into the world of science-fiction. Some may argue that this film has a shot at growing a cult status, similar to 'The Fifth Element'. Sure, that is possible. But it does not take away from the hot mess it is.

In age when teen comedies are dominated by sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll, this movie, brought us to by Brian Dannelly, offers a slightly more conservative touch to the largely populated genre. That is a trip to the world of Christianity, or in other words, a religious satire of teens coming to terms with challenges that put their faith to the test. Capitalizing on an underpopulated blend of cheeky PG-13 humor and bold social commentary on religion, this movie offers good-spirited wit that makes the best of its attempts to pitting viewers with satirical jabs at teen Christianity without diving into execution that could rub Christians the wrong way. It does so, unfortunately, by playing things safe to the point where too many punches are pulled and good laughs come few and far in between. On the other hand, one of the biggest accomplishments it holds is by delivering a kindhearted, if occasionally bold tale without being forceful with its predictable message. So, you won't have to go in expecting an hour-and-half sermon. The film follows high school senior Mary Cummings (played by Jena Malone), a born-again teen girl attending a Christian high school with her friends Hilary Faye (played by Mandy Moore), a devout Christian who strives to get everyone in her class "saved", and Veronica (played by Elizabeth Thai), a Vietnamese girl raised by an African-American couple. Then there is Hilary's handicapped brother Roland (played by Macaulay Culkin) who falls short of Christian faith and falls of a Jewish, cigarette-smoking outsider Cassandra (played by Eva Amurri Martino) who's doesn't quite fall into the category of a good girl. Upon learning her boyfriend Dean (played by Chad Faust) is gay, Mary tries to save him; and her does by losing her virginity to him, only for this parents to send him way to something called the "Mercy House". When she discovers she is pregnant, she becomes subject to unwanted social rejection by her friends who began to turn on her.

There is plenty of poking fun at Christianity which some of the conservative right, predictably so, did not take too kindly to. By no means does this film try to push the boundaries with raunchiness or mean-spirited hostility against believers of Christ. Director Brian Dannelly's approach fires a few good moments of laughter such as a scene in which the lead character makes performs a questionable act in attempt to get boyfriend her boyfriend to divorce from his homosexuality. After all, being gay is a big no-no in the Christian community. Sadly, there just isn't enough good jokes to go around. The film's attempts at satirizing the devout religious nature of the characters are less satisfying and struggle to hit the dynamics of the culture in which teens who grew up in households where attending church was a requirement. There is an overarching belief that establishing a character with faith requires him or her say Jesus in nearly every single line, which happens so with Mandy Moore's Hilary who grows into hypocrisy when her former best friend is nine months from becoming a mother. Balancing kind-hearted humor and religious subtext can be tough trick to pull off, especially when trying to perform the former without tapping into humor Christ-followers may deem edgy. But the film's satire on faith often too shallow borders on the line of pushing a ham-fisted agenda. On the other hand, it doesn't take away from the performances by Jena Malone, Macauley Culkin, Mandy Moore, and Elizabeth Thai who play their roles with good spirits. Patrick Fugit; playing a skateboarder and son of church pastor is fine as well, while Eva Amurri Martino burns fuel as the "bad girl" of the crowd who looks at everyone's spirituality with a cold shoulder. In the end, at least holds a kind heart rather than thrusting with an hostile attitude towards either side of the religious spectrum.

Saved! isn't a home-run in the crowd of teen comedies, or does it meet the criteria of a finely-crafted "Mean Girls at bible school" tale. But the film offers just barely enough cleverness and heart to compensate for the flawed satire that gives the story momentum. Religious or not, it is not too great, or it is definitely not an overtly conventional drama with a hammy agenda that would have otherwise rendered the film into a cheesy afterschool special.

More often than not, when Hollywood falls into the misfortune of slapping audiences with a bottom-of-the-barrel cinematic atrocity, the final fate is it spirals into obscurity with virtually everyone forgetting about its existence within a matter of a year (maybe less). Then there is rare films such as 'The Room' that succeed at achieving the strange feat of soaking the audiences with laughter for how horrendous it is in quality. That is where Polish-born director Tommy Wiseau (or wherever on Earth he was born, who knows?) and his friend Greg Sestero come in. After a longtime struggle to sell their script to major studios, it was up to this duo to come up with their independent black comedy. The results are something initially unsurprising: a disastrous, slipshod, horribly acted slugfest that spent the following ten years growing an unusual cult status from audiences who relish in laughing at the final product for how wildly inept it is. In short, it is a rare cinematic pain- inducer that everyone is willing to withstand. So the story here follows Johnny (played by Tommy Wiseau), a San Francisco banker who is on his way to marrying his long-time girlfriend Lisa (played by Juliette Danielle). What the poor sap doesn't know however, is that Lisa has grown bored of him and decides she is not in love with him and has unexpectedly fell in love with his best friend Mark (played by Greg Sestero). Although Mark is initially reluctant, not wanting to soil his friendship with Johnny), Lisa is too persitent and pulls him into a romance that soon sends everyone's lives in a downward spiral.

This film completes the handbook of how not to make a cinematic picture: horrendous acting, despicable excuse of a script, production values that would fit best for a middle school play, and dialogue that is just flat out bad to the core. If you wondering about the story, well, that's pretty much of an eye-roller as well. But Tommy Wiseau's mysterious distortion of artistic value evokes the mystery of how one can make such an atrocity and somehow provide a oddly fresh source of laughter. Wiseau, spending the entirety phoning in a mawkish performance and delivering his lines with total lack of authenticity, puts on the show with his goofy chemistry with Juliette Danielle. But once Lisa's plan to disavow her engagement with Johnny takes action, that is when the unintentional hilarity ensues. Each scene taking a place on the rooftop with the San Francisco, tacked in sloppy green-screen effects, has moments of "so bad, it's good moments" spectacle. Nearly every other scene, however, slips into the cracks of "so inept, it's just bad". That is not even including Wiseau's braindead way to filming and editing each scene, especially in the overlong sex scenes in which we witness repeated footage of Wiseau's nude back. Secondly, how often do you go to a friend's house and find pictures of silverware in the living room? Now that is just silly. Above all, the events that transpire are too short of substance in terms of execution the point where even the unintentional hilarity factor has difficult to dig up.

The Room may indeed fit perfectly in the category one of the worst movies in cinematic history, but in its own special way. Regardless, the level of ridiculousness still falls too shallow to uphold a proper "good because it's bad" spectacle. It is more of just plain bad and not enough of funny bad, which is simply disappointing to say the least.

Bizarre and courageously gruesome, this film inspired by the Stephen King novel of the same name gives a rise to an idea that boasted potential, regardless of how questionable it gets with its exercise into outlandishness. Crippling the underlining potential of its concept is the schlocky execution by director Lawrence Kasdan who fails to provide enough satisfying thrills and narrative compulsion to compensate for all the silliness and its failure to juggle a multitude of ideas at once that dominates the overall picture. For a film with a promising start, Dreamcatcher is a grave disappointment sparking with entertaining value that can only possibly be found in the unintentional laughter perpetrated by its poor attempts at landing good scares and thrills in the midst of its stomach-churning gore. And that is not even including Kasden and co-writer William Goldman's struggle to come up with good dialogue for the characters. Set in Maine, typical for Stephen King adaptations, this film deals with a quad of childhood friends: Henry (played by Thomas Jane), Beaver (played by Jason Lee), Jonesy (played by Damien Lewis), and Pete (played by Timothy Olyphant). These four are reuniting for a camping trip in the woods. Upon rescuing a frostbitten man lost in the woods, the four men discover that this man is infected with an alien parasite that threatens to invade the town. As these men, with their telepathic abilities, band together to fight against this mysterious alien invasion, they must cross paths with their old mentally ill friend Duddits (played by Donnie Wahlberg) to help stop the mayhem. Meanwhile, Army Colonel Abraham Curtis (played by Morgan Freeman) and his accomplice Owen Underhill (played by Tom Sizemore) in placed in the fight to save their town from the invasion as well.

A good science-fiction horror piece requires a compelling idea blended with solid, edge-of-your-seat scares and thrills to keep your pulse pounding, and this film unfortunately contains neither of these. The dominating flaw in this film is that its filled with too many ideas to shuffle and not enough thought on how to blend them into a firm, coherent plot. Serving as the pedestal of the story is four men spending their weekend drinking booze and hunting deer, while recounting on the good ole days before being interrupted by a man who has, ahem!, an alien bursts out of his rear-end while sitting on the toilet. This odd episode transpires into an inert alien invasion plot that at least could have worked as a disposable gorefest. But add the subplot of the men acquiring telepathic powers, demonstrated in flashbacks of them as children, and the film is tasked with a difficult feat to blend it with the plot revolving around their battle with a vicious alien scum. With the script failing to do so, the overarching result is a hot mess of story alternating between laughably inept and convoluted to the point where the story swiftly loses it track of how schlocky it gets. The cast, particularly the four main actors Damien Lewis, Jason Lee, Thomas Jane, and Timothy Olyphant, display performances that never ski past the line of.....acceptable. It's awfully difficult to take such a stellar cast seriously when they strewn into a script pitting them with slipshod dialogue and awkward one-liners. It appears as if Morgan Freeman and Tom Sizemore is the only ones landing solid performances, but it is only too bad that their characters are even less interesting than our already underwritten main characters.

Dreamcatcher is not the Stephen King adaptation we deserve. It is inept, sloppy, and plunges below the grounds of quality adaptations to the works of one of the greatest writers working today. Hollywood has boasted plenty of adaptation of King's works that warrant high praise for soaking their viewers into entertainment craze, this is not one of them. And if you wondering if this falls into the category of "so bad its good", my best answer would be probably not.

Calling Forrest Gump may be saying a lot, but there is nearly impossible to deny the astounding talent roaring in front and behind the camera. Robert Zemeckis, a filmmaker with a heavenly gift of storytelling, take his talent to the fullest extent with this heartwarming, charm-fueled tale focuses on the eponymous fighting to find his place in the complex world many people struggle to understand. This movie, unraveled from the pages of the screenplay by Eric Roth, lightens the flame with cinematic mastery with storytelling that blends landmark American history with a timeless tale of a misunderstood man with the heart of gold. When you are supposed laugh, you will laugh. When you are supposed to cry, your eyes will get soaked; and that is only half of the beauty that makes this adaptation of Winston Groom's novel of the same name a triumphant piece of cinematic glitter. So this film stars Oscar- winner Tom Hanks as, yours truly, Forrest Gump, a forty-something year old Alabama man who suffers a low IQ but nonetheless carries a gentle soul. Providing the framework of the story is Forrest sitting on the park bench as he tells his story to various individuals of his life from his childhood, to his adult life where he caught in the middle of America's landmark moments including the meeting with President John F. Kennedy, to his tour in Vietnam where he forms friendship with his squadmate Lieutenant Dan (played by Gary Sinise), to the Lyndon B. Johnson administration. While caught up a series of political unrest that ran rampant during the 60s and 70s, he finds himself distracted in his pursue for his childhood sweetheart Jenny Curran (played by Robin Wright) who's life is in shambles, while reflecting his life choices all of the wisdom of his mother (played by Sally Field).

This movie never takes its chances to pull at our heart strings for granted, but never does so in a way that feels hammy or exploitative. It is a film with that almost always has its heart in the right place while gently feeding you the message of in the world full of darkness and despair, there is always an underlining humanity resting somewhere within. Forrest in particular, wins our hearts with his heartwarming personality as he ventures through key moments in America's history while refusing the let go of the woman dear to his heart. Each scene following Forrest in the midst of the political tension including the Vietnam War, the ill-fated JFK administration is handled with maturity with an underlining dose of snappy charm. Flowing with an uproar of social commentary without slapping the story with a bias agenda, it is satisfying to see Robert Zemeckis prevail his effort in balancing a compelling story with a sweet batch of swift history lessons. Of course, the romantic drama is the brighter star in the story. The separation between him and Jenny transpires to moments of both bittersweet and melancholy, and the emotional chemistry really grabs at the heart, especially in the beginning when we get a sad inside look at her childhood at the hands of her abusive father. And thanks to Tom Hanks and Robin Wright, the romantic affinity between them works gracefully. Robin Wright plays her role with plenty of humility to prove her talent as an actress. However, this comes less of a surprise than Tom Hanks who tackles on what may be the most triumphant role of his career. Hanks plays the title character, a man with a mental disability that requires a kind of performance that could have easily come off as mawkish and ham-fisted. Luckily for a talented actor he is, his performance is blisteringly top-notch with moments that effectively show the down-to-earth nature of his character. He is the ultimate reason why his chemistry with not only Robin Wright, but his friend Gary Sinise as the well-acted Lieutenant Dan works well.

Forrest Gump is a triumphant slice of cinematic art blooming with a a career-defining performance by Tom Hanks and Robert Zemeckis working at his prime with a cinematic piece that is simply timeless, if not a masterpiece. For a movie that was predicted to be a critical and commercial by many prior to its release, it is definitely one hell of a sleep hit. I guess it comes to show that Forrest's mother was right when she said "life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get."

This buddy action comedy, directed by Patrick Hughes of action thriller 'The Expendables 3', aims for achieve nothing particularly special other than to exhibit a sweet laugh-out-loud chemistry between Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson as they pick up their guns for an adrenaline-fueled action foray that feels like a throwback to old-fashioned buddy cop flicks. The film is just about everything you can expect from your average buddy action comedy, and the kind that forces you to leave your brain at the door in order to observe the absurdity that transpires on screen. Nonetheless, it is a fairly forgettable one where the action greatly trumps over the laughter uprooted from the comedic flair from its charismatic stars. Ryan Reynolds has boasts comedic talent not too long ago as the merc-of-the-mouth anti-hero 'Deadpool', while Samuel L. Jackson has continued waved around his charisma for the past two decades' but perhaps this film shows him doing one of their least remarkable works. This film follows Michael Bryce (played by Ryan Reynolds), a triple A bodyguard who's career is shunned after an escort of a Japanese client went horribly wrong. Now demoted to a lower-level agent, Bryce is enlisted by his ex-lover and Interpol agent Emelia (played by Elodie Yung) to transport a ruthless assassin Darius Kincaid (played by Samuel L. Jackson) from Manchester, England to the Hague to testify against a sadistic Belarusian mobster (played by Gary Oldman) in court in exchange to free his jailed wife (played by Salma Hayek). The mission quickly turns into a wild barrage of dodging bullets and mowing down the bad guys as the whole ordeal spins dangerously out of control.

As formulaic as it is, the film roars with a total blast for anyone who can get past the derivative nature of the plot which proceeds with a wildly inconsistent tone, often alternating between loud and cheery and uncomfortably dark, particularly when Gary Oldman shows up on screen and murders a mother and her child in cold blood. When it comes to engaging in bombastic action sequences, Patrick Hughes executes these pieces in a solidly choreographed methodology that allows viewers to relish in the frenetic atmosphere without suffering an eye-sore from erratic quick-cut editing. Cars flipping, gun firing, bullets riddling bodies to swiss cheese, and vehicles exploding into a fiery fury; just about everything you complete the playbook of action flick chestnuts. The chemistry between Samuel L. Jackson and Ryan Reynolds is less of a triumph. Hammering in the biggest laughs is Jackson, channeling his usual loud-mouth persona while maintaining a dim-witted personality, while Reynolds resorts is his average everyday character who's blindsided by Jackson's seemingly nonstop antics that threaten to get them both blown away by an endless array of bullets. When pairing these two together, their chemistry only half works, and does little to compete with the overarching number of one-liners that fall flat. Salma Hayek has a few good moments, but their shortage of screen time only leaves you wishing she shared a little more time in the spotlight to compensate for the shallow command that is delivered from Reynolds and Jackson. As funny and charismatic as they try to be, the duo only ends up overstaying their welcome before they reach the third act.

The Hit-man's Bodyguard is, at times, funny and exhilarating to relish in, but perhaps far from the actors' most remarkable works, and leaves you only desiring for something much more. This is not a bad movie, but it is not exactly a great on either, especially when consider far more superior action comedies in recent years. Thus, low expectations is best warranted.

Stephen King's work has been subject to both ups and downs in the celluloid, some such as 'Green Mile', 'The Shawshank Redemption', and 'The Mist' have been powerfully triumphant, some have been swarmed with the "meh" factor, then others such as 'Dreamcatcher', 'Cell', and 'The Longliers' have been severely loathed. Now we have Mike Flanagan, director of 'Oculus', 'Hush', and 'Ouija: Origins of Evil', coming into to bring another adaptation of Stephen King's novel of the same name Gerald's Game. Premiering on Netflix, this film straps audiences in another ride of King's twisted horror methodology with hair-raising twists and thrills to ignite of shivering atmosphere that challenges viewers' expectations nearly every step of the way. When it comes to providing solid scares and nightmare-inducing aesthetics, the results are moderately satisfying with a few attempts that fall flat and an questionable ending. But with Flanagan working behind the wheel, it is safe to say his effort do justice to King's work. So the film is about Jessie (played by Carla Gugino) who takes some time off an spend a weekend with her husband Gerald (played by Bruce Greenwood) at a lake house in attempt to mend their fractured relationship. Upon arriving, Gerald treats Jessie to a kinky sex game involving him handcuffing her to the bed. When he suddenly suffers a fatal heart attack, Jessie is left handcuffed in the bed with no food, water, or anyone in contact to help free her. As the sun goes down, Jessie experiences some supernatural events that lead her into some dark secrets from her past about her father (played by Henry Thomas).

The film does not pine as your average survival tale, it is a supernatural one that takes a hostage situation and spins it with a Twilight Zone-esque twist. Mike Flanagan holds a solid patent for splashing viewers with cutting-edge thrills and wringing out surprises from supernatural concepts. His efforts pay off to the events that sketch out how a woman fights for survival when her husband's kinky antics are disrupted by an unforeseen tragedy. The execution in which Flanagan operates not only give both Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood the task of taking on challenging roles, but pay satisfying results to a hair-raising experience that dares to leave questioning every step. When Greenwood bites the bullet, Gugino is pulled into a deeply unsettling world where reality and imagination begin to merge, and the haunting horrors of her past are brought to light. That is when the story explores her past relationship with her father who had a morally despicable conduct, and the scares and thrills tautly dominate the atmosphere before taking horrifically gruesome turn that demands the squeamish to turn their heads. Not all the scares land well and some of the thrills fall short of effectiveness. But one major aspect that never fall short of such is the performance by Carla Gugino who packs pure grit for a role that requires her to carry nearly the entire portion of screen time while left stationary to a confined setting. Henry Thomas does a fair job at gripping us with discomfort as does Bruce Greenwood in his oddly dubious role. Every scene with these two present is bound to tie viewers up for one hell of a chilling position. If you are leaning at the edge of your seat with your hands squeezing the sides, you know each of them are getting the job done.

Gerald's Game is an engrossing experience lodged with sheer cutting- edge twists and chilling scares to keep things in rolling in spectacular fashion. It is a film worth indulging in when craving for chilling Stephen King-style scares, but don't expect anything groundbreaking. Going in with a heavy wish list will likely lead to some disappointment if not more.

This movie was by no means destined to be a masterwork, but coming from Colin Trevorrow who dawned the indie drama 'Safety Not Guaranteed' and the summer blockbuster 'Jurassic World', this film should have been at least competent. The Book of Henry, unfortunately, is anything but competent. Exercising through absurd tonal shifts and abrupt changes in styles, this movie has absolutely no clue of what kind of movie it is trying to be. Is it a comedy? Is it a drama? Is it a thriller? Based on the two-decades-shelved screenplay by Gregg Hurwitz, it appears as if the film is trying to balance all of these genres at one time, but fails miserably and transpires into a hot mess. And that is not even including how overtly contrived it gets. Balancing a suspense thriller with raw emotions and family dynamics is a wildly tricky task to pull off. But one thing is for sure, it is better than make something simplistic and succeed than attempt something ambitious and fail horribly. This film follows Henry Carpenter (played by Jaeden Lieberher), an unusually gifted 11-year old boy with an IQ of a grown adult who spends his time organizing papers and paying the bills, while his mother (played by Naomi Watts) is the child at heart who sits on the couch playing video games and drinking with her friend Sheila (played by Sarah Silverman). What her job? Working as a waitress at a local restaurant. Standing by his side is his little brother Peter (played by Jacob Tremblay) who he fights to protect against bullies at school. One day, the family is greeted by a young girl named Christina (played by Maddie Ziegler) and her stepfather Glenn who move in next door. Upon discovering Glenn abusing her, Henry formulates a plan to kill him.

Yep, that's right! The title character believes that assassinating the man in next door is a more wholesome plan than rather capturing evidence of his abusive behavior and showing to the police. Nonetheless, this is just the very beginning of what is wrong with this picture. This movie showcases an eccentric blend of suspense, domestic abuse, and coming to terms with a family tragedy; and seems to have no idea on how to balance these without throwing logic out the window. Tonally all over the place and contrived in exhibiting emotional resonance, the story opens us as a kind-hearted family- type drama as it explores the lives of the title character and his family before shifting into a gloomy tear-jerker when a character is diagnosed with a serious illness. The final third is when the plot finally gains real momentum as the family decides to execute their plan, and that is when the story attempts the absurd task of suddenly establishing itself as a suspenseful spy thriller, but eventually goes off the rails in terms of plausibility that it fails to provide a good suspension of disbelief. Seriously, does this mother actually approve of following her son's plan on going to dangerous lengths to take care of a man who happens to be abusing her daughter? Performance wise, the cast is fine and the relationship between Henry and Peter is both cute and heartwarming, these aspects are just a little strands of gold buried underneath the ineptitude of the film's script.

The Book of Henry is an overtly contrived picture that tries way too hard to be ambitious it quickly loses track of how horribly misguided it is. The film holds the capacity of leaving viewers wiping away tears which would be far more acceptable if it wasn't so ham-fisted. Sadly, that is not the case here. There's no doubt this will reach the appeal of soft-hearted moviegoers, but for everyone else, this is almost destined to leave them scratching their heads.

This Spanish-language drama is a thing of cinematic beauty. Director Alejandro G. Inarritu packs a powerful punch in this drama, painting a melancholic picture of coming to terms with the guilt defines the course of your life and learning to redeem yourself from the tragedy that threatens both your emotional and spiritual being. The Mexican filmmaker proves he has a gift in not only capturing a heartfelt story without resorting too heavily on pretentious craft, but breath life into the film from a powerful technical standpoint. And he makes the richly profound decision of handing the lead role to Spain-born actor Javier Bardem who stand as the true revelation of this tale. 'Biutiful' is not your average melodrama of a man trying to find his place in the world, it is something with a much deeper meaning than a by-the- numbers tear-jerker that straps you into an emotional roller coaster, though there are moments that dare leave your eyes watering. It is by no means a perfect picture as it does occasionally slip into the cracks of sentimental contrivances, but Inarritu's fashion on telling the story holds surprises that solidly outweigh the flaws. Set in Barcelona, this film follows Uxbal (played by Javier Bardem), a divorced father living on the crime- ridden streets where he resorts to underground crime including trading deals with two Chinese criminals to provide for his two children Mateo (played by Guillermo Estrella) and Ana (played by Hanaa Bouchaib). When he is diagnosed with terminal cancer that is set to end his life in a month, he find himself guided on a path of redemption as he attempts to make mends with his drug-addicted ex- wife Maramba (played by Maricel Alvaraz) to bring their back family together, while struggling to stray from the path of his criminal lifestyle.

This Spanish-speaking movie, shot beautifully by Rodrigo Prieto, is a slowburner and moves at a pace that requires a fair amount of patience to withstand its long 147-minute runtime. But those capable of relishing in the compounds of the story meet the privilege of witnessing the poetic beauty of the Inarritu's style of filmmaking as captures an unflinchingly powerful character study of a man who faces an awakening in his life. And the events that transpire bring a hefty hand on not only setting stone to powerful themes of guilt, grief, and redemption, but paint an absorbing portrait of how our choices can change a course in the lives our surrounding loved ones as well as ourselves. Lead character Uxbal is a man with an enormous heart but nonetheless is trapped with a conflict soul as he struggles to come to terms with his lifestyle that threatens to tear his already broken family apart completely. And who would possibly make a better choice in the role than Javier Bardem, the Spanish actor who garnered an Oscar for his sociopathic role in the Coen Brothers' 'No Country for Old Men'? Bardem breathes unflinching humanity in the role with a performance that falls nothing short of genuine gravitas. He nails his role in a fashion that allows him to flex his acting chops with incredible poignancy. Maricel Alvarez, playing his ex-wife slumped down on her crackpipe, is powerful in her role as well, playing the mother of her children who are forced to deal with her emotional abuse as a result of her unsavory habits. From Uxbal's relationship with his ex, to the relationship with his children, the family dynamics set stone to a poignant element that contributes to the depressing atmosphere of the story. Sure, there are moments of hope spliced throughout the proceedings, but nonetheless did little to lighten the jarring mood viewers will feel during the finale.

Biutiful is a rewarding, yet deeply heartrending experience with a beautiful slice of cinematic mastery to be witnessed from Alejandro G. Inarritu's craft. In an enormously wide range of foreign films, this one stands among a fair portion of others and carries a gift not many directors like Inarritu hold. Many will debate whether the film showcases the director's skills at his prime, but very few can argue the gravity he packs in.

When Angelina Jolie makes her appearance on screen, chances are most people are interested in seeing in nothing but her kicking some major ass. And for those who relished in a good time of shoving popcorn in their mouth while watching her go gun-blazing in the action thriller 'Wanted' back in 2008, this one makes a sound, if slightly lesser option. This spy action thriller, helmed from director Phillip Noyce who brought his work to the screen with two Jack Ryan adaptations 'Patriot Games' and 'Clear and Present Danger', is just another one of your average trips to the land of Angelina Jolie wielding her action skills against the baddies as she fights her way through the sporadic blemishes in the script written by Kurt Wimmer. Unlike 'Wanted', this flick proceeds with a slightly more political agenda at hand, primarily the corruption uprooted from Russia since the beginning of their fallout with the United States during the Cold War. This film focuses on Evelyn Salt (played by Angelina Jolie), a CIA operative who is a living a peaceful life with her German boyfriend Michael Krause (played by August Diehl) and being held as one of the most respectable agents at her job. Her life comes crashing down when she is accused by a captured Russian agent Orlov (played by Daniel Olbrychski) of being a Russian sleeper agent with a plan to assassinate the President of the United States. With the law enforcement along with Agent Peabody (played by Chiwetel Eijiofor) pursuing her and her boss Ted Winter (played by Liev Schieber) the only one who fully trusts her, Salt must set out on a mission to clear her name.

For a movie set on exhibiting Jolie in her frenetic ass-kicking mode, this one delivers for the most part. Watching the actress step into action with a frenetic gun-blazing, bone-crunching convulsion makes the tasty icing on the cake most action junkies crave for. But those who make the decision of taking the ride seriously fall victim to witnessing the flaws in the film's attempt at establishing a solid political complex. Adding substance to the plot is a political theme involving international corruption and relations between the U.S and Russia which ties knowledge the historical threats of the Soviet Union during the Cold War back in the 50s. It also makes the unfortunate feat of occasionally convoluting the plot, especially when throwing in a few twists and turns that will take audiences by surprise or leave them scratching their heads. Regardless, anyone willing to escape these blemishes are in for a nice treat, and that witnessing Angelina Jolie shoot, punch, and kick were way through the story in a sleek James Bond-style. Tension is kept high and the action falls nothing short of beauty, especially when adding explosions, car crashes, and vehicles slipping to the equation. For what the movie offers, it does enough to meet the appetite of cinema-goers hungry for a blend of sleek action thrills with brainy political subtext to go in the mix.

Salt is an entertaining ride, if somewhat forgettable in terms of cinematic action mayhem. For those craving a sweet kick of action, this makes a fresh choice, though it nothing that reaches the peak of its genre. All that can be said is that fun and thrills is the best thing this movie delivers if nothing more.

Blue Valentine is a love story that is not too pleasant to sit through. It is an uncompromising portrayal of marriage showcased in a form that shines light on the more brutal and inconvenient truth of how love is more complex than many people realize. In the world of Hollywood, many viewers have been accustomed with romantic tales that tap into the comfortable fantasies of love always been an adventure to the point where happy endings are almost always expected. Thus, many tend to be blind of the agonizing truth about how marriage is complicated in a way that is beyond our understanding. Directed by Derek Cianfrance, the film unravels a gritty testament of the tragedy that lies within a relationship between a husband and wife, and is driven by uncompromising performances by Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams who simply grab at your heart and never let go. Although the story is not a total downer, it nonetheless holds no bars on evoking a frown upon your face. This film follows Dean (played by Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (played by Michelle Williams), a married couple raising their five- year old daughter Frankie (played by Faith Wladyka). Dean is a high school dropout working as package handler for a moving company, while Cindy is nurse with more healthy habits unlike her husband who enjoys smoking and drinking early in the morning before heading off to work. At first, the couple appears to be enduring an normal, everyday marriage before the story dives into the downward spiral the two are facing as they go for a night-out in attempt to save their marriage. In the process, the story is intertwined with moments of when the two first met as young adults in their early twenties.

Anyone who grows in expecting a light-hearted love story with an infectious romantic tone is in rude awakening. This movie provides a powerful and unsettling portrayal on the scorching complexity of marriage, and the events that transpire draw distressing parallels to the harsh reality of how marriage unravels in today's society, especially with the steadily rising rate of marriages ending in divorce. Amidst Derek Cianfrance's provocative storytelling, the driving forces behind this emotionally raw tale should be credited to the performances by Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams who share an immersive chemistry in the flashback moments showing the tender side of their relationship while boasting unsettling heat in the present day scenes showcasing the dour conditions of their marriage. Each minute they are on screen yelling and arguing converted with dialogue so authentic you can almost feel like you witnessing their rivalry in person. Intertwining the story are moments following the more tender side of the couple's relationship that adds a small amount of levity to the atmosphere. These moments shine with such an enamoring feel to the point where our hearts melt for what is anticipated to come. And Derek Cianfrance is not proves he does not believe in emotional manipulation which, in return, bears a more gripping sense of tragedy that is not impossible to leave more than a few wet eyes at the end. For those mature enough to take this journey, you may find those Nicholas Sparks stories as tear-jerking as you remember. Of course, that is not to be condescending.

Blue Valentine is a powerful, albeit heartbreaking tale blistering with a raw truth how complicated love is, and as admirable as Gosling and Williams are in their roles; this is not meant to be entertaining but offer an important message that should not be taken lightly nor as a cry of discouragement. As a gripping humanistic drama, this movie makes for a worthy, if somewhat hesitant recommendation.

Garry Marshall's third foray into a supposed trilogy of holiday- themed dramedies following 'Valentine's Day' and 'New Years Eve' marks yet another film involving a large ensemble cast of A-list actor and actresses placing themselves in witless comedic fare. This film sets stone to a spiritless comedic wasteland where the talent of the large cast is buried under Marshall's perfunctory approach at portraying family values and individuals coming to terms with their relationships with their mothers, and that includes squandering the comedic chemistry each member of the cast has demonstrated in the past. Those poor souls who bother to sit through this near two hours of tediousness are bound to be left questioning what kind of wit is Marshall expecting to squeeze out of a story dealing the dynamics of Mother's Day when tied to a script that fails to provide the cast with even an inch of wiggle room to flex their talent muscles. Following the familiar story structure of 'Valentine's Day' and 'New Years Eve', this movie focuses on three interconnecting families on their celebration of Mother's Day including Sandy (played by Jennifer Aniston), a recently divorced woman who is disillusioned y her ex-husband upon learning he is married to a new woman Tina (played by Shay Mitchell) who barely looks like she's in her early twenties. Then there is sisters Jesse (played by Kate Hudson) and Gabi (played by Sara Chalke) who are paid an unexpected visit from their parents who are not pleased to learn the former is married to an Indian (played by Aasif Mandvi) and the latter is a lesbian. Next, we have Kristin (played by Britt Robertson) who is pregnant and is facing anxiety by marrying her longtime boyfriend, while coming to terms with her estranged mother (played by Julia Roberts). Finally, there is Bradley (played by Jason Sudeikis), a widowed father who must learn with his two daughters to celebrate Mother's Day for the first time since their mother's death.

Garry Marshall doesn't go all out with a laugh-out-loud comedic flair, but instead tries arming the film with a heartfelt story with a comedic undertone that fails to compensate for how charmless it is. Marshall's sense of humor leave the film aggressively restrained to what feels like a series of sitcom episodes stretched into a lame two-hour skit that the actors never rehearsed for. Nearly every moment of humor fails to land, often resulting in one eye-rolling joke after another, while the more dramatic moments where audiences are supposedly intended to reach for the tissues simply fall flat. As poignant as it tries to be, the storyline concerning Jason Sudeikis helping his daughters come to terms with the death of their mother fails to touch the heart in a way it intends, which explains why I never found myself grabbing any tissues. As for the comedy bits, it appears as the film's definition includes Kate Hudson and Sara Chalke being the daughters of parents who are apparently racist and homophobic, Jennifer Aniston constantly whining about her ex- husband being married a woman who likes too young to even be in college, and Jason Sudeikis trying to break it down in a karaoke, only to subject himself into a cheesy slapstick gag even children who find overly derivative. In shorts, it's just plain stupid. And if that is not worse, one should consider the erratic editing in numerous scenes that take their time to set up a joke only to cut to another scene before the supposedly climatic gag occurs. If you find yourself laughing more than once, that would be called a miracle because funny is far from the appropriate word to describe this horribly misguided dramedy.

Mother's Day is tedious, unfunny, and severely lacking in charm; and at the worst, showcases its usually talented stars exercising at the lowest peak of their careers. Offensively dumb and dry in cleverness, this film is instantly forgettable the minute the end credits begin to roll. Good word of advice: don't choose this as a movie to watch with your mother, just don't.

This action-fantasy adventure sees the titular source material getting the Guy Ritchie treatment, and that name alone should just a little bit of light on what you are in for. His style is greatly engraved in nearly frame, and that means, for better or worse, drifting away from the style that the King Arthur is most known for in previous incarnations. Capitalizing on mounds on heavy action set pieces, this movie marks just another entry in the park of big- budget action flicks with nothing truly ambitious at hand but to grip audiences with piles of cutting-edge CGI and special effects to serve as the forefront of its Medieval setting. The final results work, but only to a fault. The capital flaw lying in Ritchie's interpretation of the classic character is the narrative which struggle to find an even balance between extravagant action and overcooked exposition. It only leaves you with the impression that had the potential to something much better. This movie takes us the ancient city of Camelot where we meet Uther Pendragon (played by Eric Bana), the ruler of the land who leads an army to fight against an invasion against lead by Mordred and his band of warriors who threaten to destroy the city. When his jealous brother Vortigern (played by Jude Law) leads an assault that kills Uther and his wife Igraine (played by Poppy Delevingne), their son Arthur (played by Charlie Hunnam) an orphan. Twenty years later, he grows up and sets out to find Vortigern with the assistance of resistance leader Sir Bedivere (played by Djimon Hounsou) and the Mage (played by Astrid Berges-Frisbey). But first, he must hone the power of the Excalibur sword.

This movie never quite rises above anything beyond a go-for-broke action foray, but that doesn't fully defeat how fun it can be at at times, especially when it is not teetering on overdrawn exposition. Easily the biggest draw to Guy Ritchie's execution is the visuals which are heavily engraved on the nifty production design exhibiting a moody feel of the Medieval times, almost reminiscent to the Middle Earth settings in the 'Lord of The Rings' trilogy. And the scenes showcasing the title character slicing and dicing in a series of swordplay battle sequences punctuated with slow-motion shots are undeniably fun to sit through. But the hyperkinetic atmosphere can only do so much to compensate for the flawed script which bears trouble in landing a proper balance between intense action and overlong exposition that never seems to find rest stop with its use of flashback montages. To describe in greater detail, the montages alone make up what feels like nearly half of the two-hour runtime, occasionally hindering the pacing. Of course, thanks can be given to the climatic battle sequence at the end when Charlie Hunnam's Arthur embraces his chance to turn the tables on the antagonistic Vortigern. In a satisfying performance, the English actor fuels the role in deep charisma that makes his character worth rooting for. Jude Law should also be commended, though perhaps not in what would fit the category of his most remarkable roles. At least the actors don't let the talents go to waste.

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is not what I would call a glamorous cinematic landmark in even the slightest. But it provides just enough cutting-edge thrills to pass for good popcorn entertainment. But for a film that is rumored to a start of a franchise, its quality may not reach the heights of what would rise above a stand-alone feature.

There are not many filmmakers like Hayou Miyazaki, especially here in the United States. The Japanese animation director and head of Studio Ghibli films has become a household in both the U.S and Japan for crafting motion pictures bound to push the boundaries of imagination since his directorial debut in the late 70s with 'The Castle of Cagliostro', a film that didn't see the light of day in the U.S until a little over a decade later. Castle in The Sky is a breathtaking adventure that dares to explore the indefinite world of heart and imagination, and what comes about Miyazaki's craftmanship is an journey that is by no means a tear-jerker, but an ultimately moving picture with an appeal for both kids, teens, and adults. Whether you are watching the original Japanese version or the English dub, the magic of Miyazaki's directorial hand shines like gold and transcends the picture into something more than your average family-friendly fairy tale. The film follows young teen Pazu (voiced by James Van Deek), an mechanical engineer who witnesses a young girl Sheeta (voiced by Anna Paquin) floating from the sky by the power of a glowing crystal she wears around your neck. When the two find themselves in a crash course between league of pirates lead by the dubious Dola (voiced by Cloris Leachman) and an army lead by a shady general (voiced by Jim Cummings) and the equally shady Muska (voiced by Mark Hamill), each of whom are after Sheeta to claim the crystal; the two youngster set out on a race to a secret temple floating thousands of feet in the sky. Together, they must learn the secret hidden within the mysterious castle.

What Hayou Miyazaki proves is that he is not a filmmaker who takes ambition to granted. Every inch of storytelling he carries is poured into the picture with no amount of ambition squander in the slightest. And the magic of his efforts shine through nearly every frame. Blending elements of high-classed fantasy and science-fiction with a potent touch of human drama, this beautifully animated film hits the right notes from beginning to end, and the excitement upheld in every scene following the introduction of our young characters dares to leaves us gripped. When young protagonist Paza and his newly found friend Sheeta unexpectedly find themselves cross paths with a group of shady individuals and corrupt army officials, tension almost immediately takes hold and set the story in a sleek, solidly-paced motion. And as the story strolls along, an absorbing humanity within the two characters grows; and that combined with the voiced performances by James Van Deek and Anna Paquin are the leading aspects of the character's winning over the hearts of audiences. Although the story is nothing necessarily revolutionary, Miyazaki proves capable of crafting a plot with complex layers mixed with biblical symbolism which is more than likely to fly over children's heads; and that is only part of the whimsical magic lying within the director's grandeur.

Castle in The Sky is a spellbinding journey of spectacular proportions, and definitely what earns the title of an outstanding achievement in Japanese animation. Whether you are a child, teenager, or an adult, there is something truly magical to be experienced in this adventure, something that many animated pictures are less than likely to uphold. For what Miyazaki accomplishes here, this is not far from the heights of a blistering masterpiece.

Where were Thor and Hulk during the drama of 'Captain America: Civil War'? This question is answered in this third and final chapter of the Thor trilogy. Going out with a bang, Thor: Ragnorak shows director Taika Watiti, the man behind the fairly underseen 'Hunt for The Wilder People', embracing the glamorous spirit of the eponymous Marvel Comics hero and exercising it with flying colors, while constructing the veins to the events of the upcoming 'Avengers: Infinity War'. And for the tasty extra, Hulk is in on this one, making for yet another opportunity to take the Avengers and cross them over with their film's shared universe. Following its predecessor 'Dark World', this second sequel improves upon its predecessor in many ways while adding something fresh to build upon an exciting special-effects-heavy thrill ride without dedicating too much time on establishing connections with the MCU. The concluding result is a whiplash of a superhero spectacle that competes with both 'Logan' and last summer's 'Wonder Woman' for the crown of superhero film of the year. Chris Hemsworth strikes back in his role as Thor who, along with his mischievous brother Loki (played by Tom Hiddleston), is warned by their father Odin (played by Anthony Hopkins) of the escape of their estranged older sister Hela (played by Cate Blanchett), the God of Death who is set to wreck havoc on the realm of Asgard. Crashing on a mysterious planet run by an eccentric grandmaster (played by Jeff Goldblum), they cross paths with Asgard warrior Valkyrie (played by Tessa Thompson) and Thor's former ally Hulk (played by Mark Ruffalo) who is he forced to fight against in a gladiator battle. Together, they must build their alliance to make their way back to Asgard to bring down the evil Hela before it's too late.

Explosively entertaining and compelling in its comic book roots, this third entry of Thor's stand-alone franchise boasts just about everything a cinematic rendition of the eponymous god of thunder should be. Visually arresting in its production design and action sequences is one of them but perhaps the least surprising considering the MCU's reputation on feasting the eyes of cutting special effects. It takes an uncompromising effort to build upon a franchise and make it fun as ever, let alone surpassing its predecessor's in the level of excitement. Ultimately, director Taika Watiti proves trustworthy. From the opening sequence of Thor battling against the fiery demon, to his arrival on the unknown planet, to the final battle against the villain Hela; audiences are strapped tightly for a wild ride. And this does not go without mentioning the cast taking the advantage of delivering laughs each time they get the chance. While the banter between Thor and Loki is as charming as ever, Mark Ruffalo's Hulk later comes into the picture to share an outrageous comedic chemistry with Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson that allows viewers to relish in the laugh-out- loud nature of its heroes. There is even a laugh-worthy moment with Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange who offers a nice unexpected cameo in an early scene. Jeff Goldblum has his funny gags here and there, but perhaps doesn't quite reach to the peak of the show stealer which belongs to Mark Ruffalo, especially as the story makes the clever decision of expanding upon his character arc which was neglected in previous incarnations. But what about Cate Blanchett? That's right. Stepping outside her usual good girl persona to portray the devious God of Death resembling more devilish-looking version of Maleficent, Blanchett shines the role with menacing intensity, a performance to audaciously defy against the her more human typecasting. Probably not a role who would expect to see Oscar nominated actress from 'Carol' in.

Thor: Ragnarok weaves its franchise to a stunning conclusion while appropriately building a bridge to the upcoming Avengers sequel when all our heroes will be given their time to shine. This movie delivers one hell of a good time, securing its destiny to please fans and a small portion of non-fans of Marvel Cinematic Universe. With no surprise, box office gold is waiting in its path.

This sequel to 2011's 'Thor' exhibits the return of our titular Marvel superhero with both the good and the bad to offer for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With no surprise, expectations were high on how this film would handle the resurrection of the hammer- wielding god of thunder considering how the cinematic universe is set speak to the fanbase rather than Hollywood's general expectations. This only bring us to the question of whether it succeeds. The answers lies square in between yes and no. Kenneth Branaugh who directed the first film dropped out of the project, and the director's chair was handed over to Alan Taylor. The final outcome shows the Branaugh holds a slightly more gifted handling on the source material whereas Taylor's rendition of the titular hero leaves more to desired. By no means does this mark a disaster of a sequel but rather a disappointing one to say the least. It has the sleek visual scope that everyone would expect to come from a big- budget MCU entry, but what it has to offer from a narrative standpoint is fairly underwhelming. Chris Hemsworth returns as Thor, the god of thunder who returns to Earth to find his lover Jane Foster (played by Natalie Portman) cursed by a mysterious force known as Aether, a sinister weapon helmed from a dark realm. And the evil leader Malekith (played by Christopher Eccleston) is behind all this. When Thor brings Jane to Asgard to learn what's happening to her, his father Odin (played by Anthony Hopkins) lacks interest is helping. This leaves Thor with no one to turn to but his dubious brother Loki (played by Tom Hiddleston) in a fight against Malekith and his army of Dark Elves in an effort to free Jane of this sinister curse.

Watching Thor battle against the evil demonic forces, thrashing his lightning-charge hammer in an ass-kicking frenzy should be a whole lot of fun. For awhile, it has its moments of excitement, but it is not too long before the excitement steadily starts to drain out beneath the underwhelming storyline. The film does what its predecessor did best, and that is setting up the story with an intriguing premise involving a mythological war raging between Asgard and the evil forces that threaten the mythical realm. Once the the plot kicks into gear, it settles with something less interesting than what is promised. The first half moves along a series of frenetic, visually-arousing action sequences intertwined with overlong exposition used to establish our new main villain Malekith, who is played cleanly by Christopher Eccleston, but nonetheless fails to grow as an interesting figure. Whereas Tom Hiddleston's Loki flourished with charisma that made him a compelling villain, Malekith lacks depth and feels awfully generic which only renders it final climatic sequence less effective; though not without plenty of sweet special effects to go around. As for Chris Hemsworth, he remains charismatic ever as ever in the title role as does Tom Hiddleston as his brother Loki who's alignment on both the good side and the bad side stands ambiguous. Meanwhile, Natalie Portman is restrained in the damsel-in-distress role that operates more as a plot device than a solid character. Many will be wishing she and Hemsworth demonstrated a much stronger chemistry.

Thor: Dark World marks a fairly inferior chapter to the now- franchise, and ends on a rather disappointing note. However, it is not to say that Alan Taylor doesn't offer the goods in terms of special effects action elan to occupy those who are able to skim past the patchy flaws in its script. Compared to other entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this makes for a lesser option, but maybe one worth at least a try for better or worse. After all, the movie is not a total washout

Thor is an excitement-filled action adventure that competently puts the God of Thunder on the pedestal with flashy visual scope serving a warm welcome for another Marvel comics entry. Taking the director's chair is Kenneth Branaugh who takes the spirit of the titular hero and slaps it on screen with endearing charisma, and the results shine, though not in a way that breaths game-changer. As opposed to many heroes of the Avengers team, Thor is not your typical modern day hero. This hammer-wielding god combines average superhero elements and clashes them with the fantasy-esque world that bears reminiscence to Greek mythology. He is an inhabitant of a mystical world of unnatural wonders outside of Earth, and serves as the center of the story that draws small parallels to William Shakespeare's 'Hamlet'. In some context, it is an superhero origin story that almost falls in the category of an epic, though perhaps that classification would be rooting too deep. This film is takes us in the distant world of Asgard, ruled by the mighty king Odin (played by Anthony Hopkins). Under his wing are his two sons Thor (played by Chris Hemsworth) and Loki (played by Tom Hiddleston). As Odin prepares to crown the former as king, the realm becomes threatened by evil Frost Giants. Determined to protect his home, Thor goes against his father's orders and sets out to find against the evildoers. When his actions heightens a war between Asgard and the giants, Odin strips Thor of his powers and exiles him to Earth where he is forced to enlist the help of scientists Eric Slevig (played by Stellan Skarsgard) and Jane Foster (played by Natalie Portman) and their intern Darcy Lewis (played by Kat Denning) to help regain his powers. Meanwhile, back on Asgard, Loki, jealous by his father's initial plans to choose Thor over him as the new ruler, hatches an evil plan of his own.

Kenneth Branaugh crafts a refreshing picture of the titular Marvel comics star with solid precision, and from start to finish, never takes telling a compelling story for granted. The premise introduces the world of Asgard, warmed with dazzling CGI, and the characters very effectively, and once everyone steps into the action, the results pay off. The first special effects-laden sequence featuring Thor, Loki, and their fellow warriors battling against the Frost Giants not only satisfy with their effects glaze, but energetically set the story in motion following Thor's banishment from the home realm. His quest to regain his strength to fight against the evil that has threatened his home holds the most meant, but also lies a few of the narrative flaws. The story feels a bit rushed at times to the point where you hold the feeling that a half-hour of more runtime could have been more necessary to add more gravity to the plot. Nonetheless, the best thing to say that is that with the script, written by a team of three writers, keeps things rolling without spending too much time sketching out connections with the Marvel Cinematic Universe beyond SHIELD Agent Coulson, played by Clark Gregg, making a sweet appearance as a supporting figure. Chris Hemsworth proves to be the satisfying choice for the titular role, playing his character of humanity and clever sense of humor. His romantic chemistry with Natalie Portman is a bit weak, but perhaps less important to her characterization. English actor Tom Hiddleston on the other hand, submits arguably one of the most appealing villainous performances ever brought to the superhero realm, operating his role with both menace and darkly rooted charisma.

Thor is a fun picture for both fans and a little bit of non-fans of Marvel Comics. Kenneth Branaugh crafts a warmly entertaining thrill ride that nicely meets the bar of summer superhero movies. For the filmmaker accomplishes, there is plenty to be offered in this solid rendition of its titular hero, though nothing destined to blow many other superhero entries out of the water. In conclusion, it fits the bill.

The late 80s was the age of numerous slasher horror films that later elevated into long-running franchises of far less superior sequels. John Carpenter's classic horror piece is the movie that raised wide influence of psychotic serial killers dressed in a mask and dispatching their victims of bladed weapons. Although Halloween was not the first slasher flick to hit the celluloid as the genre dates back to Alfred Hitchcock's classic 'Psycho', it is the film that set the bar of entries of the genre. The film is a spine-chiller from the opening moments when we are introduced to the psychotic killer Michael Myers, and the moments to follow are a series of sequences set to pull audiences into in dark, scare-your-heart-out frenzy where suspense is the key and the pacing moves at a reasonable speed. And if John Carpenter proves something crucial, it is that blood and gore, which stands as a staple of slasher pictures is only a bonus and not a necessity. This film opens up in 1963 where we meet Michael Myers, a mentally disturbed youngster who murders his parents and sister on Halloween night and is sent to live in a mental asylum. Fast forward to fifteen years, we meet high school teen Laurie (played by Jamie Lee Curtis) who is asked to babysit her neighbor's young daughter Lindsay (played by Kyle Richards) and son Tommy (played by Brian Andrews). What starts off as a normal, peaceful night turns into a Halloween nightmare when Michael Myers (played by Nick Castle) escapes the mental asylum and begins stalking Laurie and her friends. And the worst part is, he has a knife and mask and is ready to murder them.

John Carpenter, director and writer, knows how to keep viewers shivering in their seat when things begin to go south. The minute the masked killer arrives on the scene, the atmosphere quickly boils, daring viewers to lean at the edge of their seats. If there is anything that the simple story falls short of, it is depth to what went wrong in the killer's background to turn him into the psychotic maniac. We are left to believe that he is just mentally ill. However, the film does not have time to dive into detail. It's main purpose is to scare the pants off of viewers, and with Carpenter's method on shooting each scene, generating sheer suspense, and warming the atmosphere with his eerie piano score that has now become iconic; it effectively gets the job done. Compared to most slasher flicks, this one is very tame on gore, so the graphic aftermath of the killer slaying his victims is mostly to your imagination. Carpenter's effective stabs piercing us with hair- raising scares brilliantly establishes the vulnerability of Jamie Lee Curtis's character as she is chased by the masked heathen. The only downside is Curtis's performance which, by today's standards, really did not age well and feels slightly below the bar of a solid performance. But there are just enough goods throughout the picture to forgive her for that. After all, Carpenter knows his way around the genre.

Halloween stands as a solid horror film that takes the crown on influencing many slasher projects of the 1980s, even if it is not the most glamorous entry of the horror genre. For an appropriate film to watch over the Halloween holiday, this movie bears a satisfying choice for those hungry for a good scare, if nothing more.

Despite its title, this unessential remake of the 1981 original of the same name feels more appropriate for Halloween than Valentines Day. After all, it has scary and horrifying written on its forehead and deals far less with people celebrating their relationships with their significant others than it does with individuals getting picked off one-by-one by a psychotic maniac in a mask. As with many slasher films (and their remakes), this one is far from anything new and pedals on roughly the same formula we have seen numerous times in past a few decades. Director Patrick Lussier does offer a rare ingredient to the mix, and that is adding 3-D effects to the gruesome action; allowing audiences to witness the horrific bloodshed flying at their faces. Does it do much to enhance the experience? Maybe by a smidgen for those who relish in seeing things pop out in their faces. For anyone else, it is just another run-of- the-mill slasher fare showing the filmmakers desperately trying to use extreme gore in favor of effective scares which proves to be easier said than done. This film takes us in the fictional town of Harmony, where a mine collapse takes the lives of six coal miners while leaving one survivor Harry Warden. Awaking from a coma, Warden steps back into his coal mining suit and uses his pick- axe to slaughter teenagers on the night of Valentines Day. Upon escaping the massacre, Tom (played by Jensen Ackles), ten years later, returns to his hometown where he and his former girlfriend (played by Jaime King), her husband Sheriff Axel (played by Kerr Smith), college-aged Megan (played by Megan Boone) and sexy hotshot Irene (played by Betsy Rue) are threatened by the vicious coal miner who continues on his killing spree. And to matters worse for Tom, Axel and local officials are pointing their fingers at him as the suspect.

This movie operates on the middle-of-the-road recipe for slasher flicks so precisely it almost renders the story predictable, and thus, leaves itself running low on surprises. While it is not a complete wasteland running on empty with scares as there are a few genuine moments of menacing tone when the ruthless coal miner wields his pick-axe, it feels almost nothing more than a simply rehash of slasher movie clichés. Horny teenagers throw a drinking party that suddenly interrupted by a masked psychopath? Check. A man and a woman engage in sex, securing their vulnerability for the killer? Check. A character gets chased by the killer and makes the ill- advised decision of running anywhere but the exit? Check. And with fairly no surprise, there is never a character to come across and truly root for until the end. Whether the character lives to the end or dies will most likely not be on viewers' minds. It is just that character development never seems to be a convenient element in the genre. Of course, not everyone comes to sit with characters they come to care about but instead watch them in slaughtered with in an ultra-gory frenzy. For a vicious bloodbath, there are a few effective moments, particularly the scenes that send blood and guts flying into the screen in 3-D. But it is only a matter time before the joy of the fancy gimmick wears out. Only those with strong stomach are capable of handling the sight of people getting stabbed, decapitated, and impaled in disturbingly inventive ways by a man in a coal mining suit.

My Bloody Valentine is unflinchingly gory and violent to its core, but whether viewers will find themselves entertained will partially depend on their concern for the unnecessary rehash of clichés the film throws at you. If blood and gore is their treat, they are definitely in for the ride. But for everyone else, that's a different story to say the least. Regardless, it is ultimately forgettable.

This French-horror piece directed by Julia Ducournau has been hit with a substantial amount of buzz nationally and internationally. Whether from being praised for its ingenious quality or subject to notoriety for reportedly causing audiences to either leave the theaters early or rush to the restroom to blow chunks, this film is undoubtedly unique. The central theme is this horror tale is cannibalism, which is the tool to operate this gruesome coming-of- age where its revolting content is polished by sleek artistic style. Above its nauseating material is a commentary about discovering a hidden side of yourself and exploring the true you, a message that is greatly examined through the lens of a filmmaker who has a gift for telling a potent story without resorting entirely to gory exploitation. It's smart, it's subtle, and at times, shockingly funny. But one thing's sure, it is most certainly not for the faint of the heart. This film brings us Justine (played by Garance Marmillier), an 18-year old girl starting her freshman year at a veterinarian academy where she is introduced to a carnivorous hazing ritual in a form of a fraternity. Growing up as a vegetarian, Justine is forced to make the undesirable choice of eating a raw rabbit kidney by her older sister Alexa (played by Elena Rumpf) or risk being socially outcasted. Upon consuming the meat, Justine experiences bizarre changes to herself that lead her to growing an obsessive appetite for human flesh, an appetite that poses a danger to both herself and her fellow peers.

As convincing as it may sound, this is not a zombie movie -- though it most certainly shares a few traits of one. And the title definitely fits the description for the events that transpires throughout the picture. Above the lurid violence and raw sexual material is something much more shrewd for those with a strong stomach to admire. Director Julia Ducournau orchestrates an ingenious character study of a girl who is a fish-out-of-water upon entering a college life that strays far beyond what she (or the audiences for the matter) would imagine, and the psychological journey she endures becomes the driving force of the story. The relationship between her and her sister grows into a crucial subplot, and thanks to the performances by Garance Marmillier and Elena Rumpf; they each bring a helping hand at making it strike at the heart. Marmillier plays her role with stunning, yet bizarre conviction that will engage some while alienate others, especially when she is busy munching on human meat. Rumpf's performance is hardly any difference. And while the story does stumble in a few spots with trying to figure out how to proceed, it magnificently exhibits care for its characters and offers a powerful artistic style with its surreal erotic tone. Ducournau demonstrates she is not afraid to push boundaries, and that only allows for an experience that is powerful, albeit deeply unsettling and uncomfortable even for the most desensitized audience. By the end, the only real qualm viewers are likely to walk away from is the inability to unsee some of the nauseating imagery that occurs.

Raw is a surprisingly subtle horror tale with a unique vision at the absurd side of human nature and an uncompromising demonstration at pushing the boundaries with gross, yet effective shock value. For some, this movie will come off as a challenge, which is reasonable to think. Nonetheless, it is a film with a brain only the harden viewers will witness.