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A Vigilante (2018)
Gripping Film Carried by Wilde
I wanted to check out this movie because I'm a big fan of Olivia Wilde. She's an amazing actress and I love pretty much all of her performances that I've seen from her. She did not disappoint.
I will not dive into the plot or anything with this review, but rather I want to describe how I felt watching this movie: enthralled, gripped, chilled, engaged, anxious, uneasy, suspended, appalled, and relieved.
This is a thriller, a drama, and even a bit of horror all rolled into one. It is an intense, emotional surge. The acting here is top-notch. It is not everyday you become so totally taken in by the character that you forget that it's an actor altogether, but I certainly did during this movie. The way that Olivia Wilde inhabits the character of Sadie and displays the immense variety of extreme emotions is magnificent. Covering the entire spectrum with the utmost conviction, from numb and empty to sobbing and devastated. The highlight of this film is the acting and the final act. I love how the movie ends and I think the overwhelming emotion that this movie will leave you with is a deep contempt and disgust for abuse and abusers. A great watch if you're in the mood for a cold, thrilling, dark, bleak, gritty drama/thriller/horror. This movie will pull you in with it's amazing acting, soundtrack, and cinematography. Will watch again.
Rudderless (2014)
This movie is a boat with a rudder being directed to a hopeful end.
The movie starts out by introducing us to a young man, Josh, playing music in his college dorm. We are also introduced to the young man's father, Sam, sealing a deal at his business. We see Sam calling up his son so that they can meet up and celebrate his deal. It quickly takes a turn when we find out Josh did not make it to meet up with his father, and instead lost his life. Sam quickly finds out on the news at the bar he was waiting to meet at that his son died in a shooting at the school's library.
Most of the movie takes places two years after Josh's death and centers around Sam and the aftermath of the tragedy. Sam receives his son's music from his ex-wife. He comes in contact with another side of his son in his music. He is consumed by this version of his son that has been overtaken by all the negative voices speaking of his son. This version is personified almost by this new young man that enters his life, Quentin, who loves the songs his son wrote. It's a troubled soul that is crying out for help in some of the songs I think.
Pretty much everything about this movie is excellent. The songs are beautifully written, musically and lyrically. It gives you a unique perspective as the parent of a school shooter. The performances are superb. The cinematography is notable. Lawrence Fishburne is awesome.
At the start of the last third of this movie, you are hit with "the big twist". His son was the bad guy. Most people don't see it coming. It's written exceptionally well, it really sets you up to believe that Josh was an innocent victim, but at the same time it lets you come to that assumption on your own. Having watched it multiple times, there are definitely some subtle hints that he was the shooter.
This movie prompts discussion about a number of things, art, loss, grief, music, etc.. if you like talking about movies and the subjects they bring up with your movie watching partners, then this is a good one.
The separation of art from it's artist is an example of one of the things we discussed. Would you listen to music or rock out to it at a show if you knew it was written by the Columbine shooter? Brock Turner? Hitler? John Wayne Gacy? No, probably not.
It could be music about anything; a nice day at the park, a special happening, a blooming romance, but when it is revealed to you that it's creator has done terrible things, would you still listen? That's where the viewer finds himself in this movie. The son of the main character who wrote most of the songs that his dad plays shot and killed 6 students at his college. Even after the "big reveal" I think it makes you question whether or not it is okay that his music is shared with the world. Before you reveal, you're like, of course. It's cool that his dad is playing his songs! Why are they having a problem with this? It could be because he's gone and they aren't really his songs, but then again you're not sure.
Ultimately, I think this movie is about healing. Healing through a devastating loss. The healing in this movie occurs with the aid of music and a few new relationships. He starts the sad descent into hopeless despair rudderless, but by the end of the movie, I believe he has found his course, his solace, his peace. He has made his impact. The truth has been revealed. Some healing has occurred.
The End of the Tour (2015)
Genuine, thought provoking, human, truly wonderful.
I hadn't read Infinite Jest, nor had I heard of either of these two people before, but something about this movie pulled me to rent it from my local Redbox. What I gathered was that this movie was a movie about dialogue, about conversation, and that it had a sense of realness to it. It seemed genuine, it seemed human, and it seemed to simply be a movie that consists of two guys talking about life. I'm so glad it was what I thought it would be.
This movie speaks about loneliness, fame, depression, social strategies, perceptions, insecurities, and many other things that are ripe for honest conversation.
It reminds me of great conversations that I've had with some of my friends. I went into a movie theater, sat down alone, and watched a movie that felt about as natural as if I were lying on a bed next to a friend discussing the intricacies of life. As a person who often feels great loneliness this movie really connected with me, but at the same time it made me feel like I was hanging out with these dudes and not so alone at all.
Even though Lipsky was almost always recording their conversations, it still felt so natural. Especially those elusive moments where he wasn't. Those moments where it didn't feel like an interview in the slightest, it just felt like two people really opening up to each other.
I found myself laughing several times during this movie, from the "oh, you're paying?" *grabs more goodies from the convenience store* moment to their escort around town almost condescendingly questioning his choice of outfit to a radio interview to which he replies just as I would. The humor was great and added another strong element to the formula that makes this movie so good.
This movie to me is the perfect movie to watch by yourself. Put away your phone, put away what it is to be seen by anyone else, and just immerse yourself in it. Feel the humanity that is movie is made of. Be in the room with David and David.
I'm really not a big reader, but this movie kind of makes me want to read Infinite Jest.
The acting and cinematography were notably fantastic.
This is a movie about humanity, this is a movie about loneliness. This movie is a lot of things, but at it's core it's a movie of humanity, of conversation between two people about their lives in the world we live in.
Sit down, have a giant diet Rite and have a conversation with this movie. It's a conversation that is one of the best I've ever had.