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Joker (2019)
Most Overrated Movie of the Year
Alright. I'm going to start this review by saying I went into this movie with an open mind. I'd heard very mixed things (despite the absurdly high rating that is somehow staying intact). I expected the performance to be impressive and the visuals to be great, both ended up true. Joaquin gives a great performance (at times really overdone but it's easy to overlook) and the cinematography is really good. Everything else about the movie was either bad or ok.
This movie has been out for a while and has hundreds of thousands of ratings, it is number 19 on the Top 250 films OF ALL TIME at the moment. That's simply asinine to me.
I called the twist (all the zazie beets stuff was in his head) within a few seconds of him meeting her. I literally said "every interaction he has with her is in his head" within literal seconds of him meeting her. This is indicative of poor writing and direction, as neither disguised any of the tricks the movie had up its sleeve. Then, when they reveal the twist, Phillips opts to literally bash you over the head with callbacks to the movie you just watched. Like we get it, man! This movie has 0 faith in it's audience to be intelligent moviegoers.
I know the comparisons have been made to Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy a lot in relation to this movie, but man if this isn't a straight up direct remake of those two films then I'm on crack and have no idea. It honestly felt like the writers finished the script and realized "yo we just rewrote Taxi Driver lol" and because of that no company would pick up the script. So in order to sell the movie they made it a comic book movie (the literal go-to genre for guaranteed money in todays film world) and decided to rewrite the script set in gotham and about "Joker". The Thomas Wayne subplot that somehow takes up a quarter of the movie? What in the world was that? I felt like I was wasting my time while watching it. It felt so shoehorned in just to make sure the audience knows this is a DC Comics movie.
I knew how the movie would end before I saw it as well; I predicted he'd somehow commit some atrocious act and public opinion would split between supporting him and villifying him. And to be honest the reason I realized this is because I kept hearing that it was just a redone Taxi Driver/King of Comedy and, well, that's how both of those movies end (more or less).
Nothing about this movie was unique or innovative, it's a RIDICULOUSLY derivative dark character study that benefits from the fact that it's about the most famous comic book villain ever.
My plea is this: please rewatch this movie after seeing any other dark character study. Comic book fans who only watch superhero movies and have never seen a real character study before are the people I assume keep giving this movie 10/10's on this site. Anybody who has watched a character study before can recognize that this movie is mediocre at best. Don't just repeat what others say, this isn't a very good movie.
Game of Thrones: The Bells (2019)
Not the Greatest Series Ever
People have been asking me if I thought Game of Thrones was the best show ever for a long time. I always said that I wouldn't be able to fully answer until after season 8, however in the back of my mind the answer was probably yes. It was the most ambitious, most thrilling, best developed and well executed piece of Television that I'd ever seen. And yet I sit here now after having watched that episode and all I can think is how grateful I am that I didn't tout Game of Thrones as the Best Show Ever as so many have done. I didn't understand the hate last weeks episode got and I thought The Long Night episode was as good as any other Thrones battle; I told myself that people online were overly critical because they weren't long time fans of the show and had binge watched it the month before it aired and never seen the show with week breaks between episodes. While on some level I still believe that to be true, this episode was simply bad. From a writing standpoint this is the most erroneous thing I've ever seen a great television series do. They valued shock over storytelling, for god sake they literally just destroyed the character arcs of Jaime and Daenerys who are arguably the two most complex characters they developed.
They took seven and a half seasons to develop the character of Jaime, he went from scum bag to handless hero. So how do they end his storyline? He's just going back to Cersei after they made such a huge deal about him leaving Cersei and how it's a huge change for his character? Oh. That's kind of.... that doesn't sit well. Daenerys went from seven and a half seasons of being a breaker of chains and liberator of men who frees slaves and can't morally understand how a ruler could kill an innocent to committing the most horrific (simply by number of dead innocents) massacre the show has seen. Like what? Straight out of nowhere is Thrones bread and butter but WHAT???This simply doesn't make sense.
What stands out to me is the fact that the direction the plot is going and simply the events happening themselves, are shocking enough to be a fitting penultimate episode to this show, but all of these plot developments are coming out of nowhere. Literally last episode Jaime is completing his character arc and trying to live a life with Brienne of Tarth that they've been building towards for seven seasons. The next episode his character is in the place he was in like season 4 ("I need to get back to Cersei"). Daenerys has seven whole seasons of being a good ruler under her belt. She shows up in Westeros and realizes that for the last seven seasons she'd been ridiculous to assume everyone in Westeros was waiting for her (which every other character has been telling her or her brother since the first freaking episode), two of her friends die and now she wants to burn millions of people to death. WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? It's a complete betrayal of her character and it comes directly out of left field in a bad way. If this is what they wanted to do with her character then why didn't they start to make her character change during season 7 and eventually devolve to this point over time in the show? It would've been much better than not using season 7 to do anything and then randomly having each character make decisions that their characters just wouldn't be making. All of the decisions Daenerys made last night were not decisions that Daenerys would have made last freaking episode and that's a problem. Tyrion was the most interesting character to watch for the whole run of the series, he was clearly the most intelligent and could talk his way out of anything. Now he's just kind of an idiot. I assume next episode he will turn on Daenerys and some backwards BS will piss off the entire fan base for the rest of eternity because that's how this shows ending is shaping up, which is really sad. But yeah this shows ending is shaping up to be so problematic.
On some level I feel like if G.R.R. Martin had written the final books before the show was made it would've been way better. On paper the ending of this show is kind of brilliant (George told them the whole ending a while ago) it's just they are not executing it properly. If you want your character who refuses to kill innocents to personally mow down millions with a dragon then maybe start setting that up before the ACTUAL EPISODE WHEN IT HAPPENS. Last episode it's seemingly normal, somewhat stressed maybe, Daenerys and this episode we get the Mad Queen. Like what? It's not even shocking it's just confusing. It breaks all known rules of narrative structure. If and when George writes it he will take his time, develop the narrative of Daenerys going mad in book six and then have everything go down in book seven and it will feel like a satisfying turn for a character who seemed so pure. Even the purest with the best intentions can become the most terrible people alive. That's what the show tried to say with Daenerys last night but what came across was something way different. When I imagine the writers room for this episode this is what I see: "Ok so here's the pitch: the good person who is trying to rule everyone for this whole show is gonna just kill as many innocent people as she can. It's shocking and fans will love it. Her two friends died, she's a very entitled person, and she just goes mad. All the fans will think this makes sense because if you look back we've been hinting at Daenerys being evil for 10 whole minutes." There's no buildup to this at all.
Ultimately they didn't have enough episodes to properly end this show. They kind of started ending it in season 7 but they straight up wasted the entire season on hyping up season 8. All of these crazy character turn shifts could have been foreshadowed and development on them could've began in season 7 but instead they took seven episode to watch the Starks painfully slowly reunite. Then season 8 rolls around, almost two years later mind you, and it feels like every script was a first draft written in twenty minutes. It's just upsetting.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Best Film of 2015
I have a friend. I don't know if he wants me to use his real name so we'll call him Ben. Ben is what I would call a radical film fan. We were in the same high school TV and Video Production class and we both love film, but he's a radical film fan. So when he came to school and told me "Mad Max: Fury Road is the best action film I've ever had the privilege to watch in theaters." I replied, "Chill out dude I'm sure it's good but it's not that good." He kept on hyping it for me so when I eventually did see it, it was not even close to what I was expecting. It took me three viewings of Mad Max: Fury Road for me to realize it was a great film. I have now come to the conclusion, that although Spotlight was a GREAT movie, Mad Max: Fury Road was the best film of 2015. There has never been a director I've watched in my life that took more risks with the camera than George Miller in this movie. He directs the crap out of this movie. It is one of the best directed films I've ever seen, and my film watching career includes over 500 movies. The acting is first rate and spectacular, however the visuals and absolutely fantastic imagery overtake the great performances across the board which further proves my point that it is a fantastically directed movie. I can't find a single flaw with this film. If it had won best picture I would have been one happy camper. It is a GREAT movie, and I will be upset if it does not make this years AFI top 100. You are doing yourself a major disservice if you do not see this movie, it is beyond what I would call a great film. Mad Max: Fury Road is the Best action film, nay the best movie I've watched in the past 10 years. WATCH IT NOW, BUT KEEP AN OPEN MIND.
Boyhood (2014)
Excellent Portrayal of Real Life
Boyhood was called by some Richard Linklater's masterpiece. I tend to agree with that assessment. Linklater is an odd director in Hollywood meaning he does make some very experimental movies (Boyhood, the Before series) but he also does formulaic films, such as School of Rock, a movie that could've been absolute trash but Linklater made into a really enjoyable film. Well, that being said this is a VERY experimental film that needed a hell of a lot of finesse in filmmaking to make. Editing had to be one terribly difficult thing to do with this movie, as they had to seamlessly put together a story that takes place over twelve years using different looking actors for all twelve years of it. The direction had to be perfect as well for this movie to work and Linklater made it work. He had to give the editor something of a story that he had to film differently every year. OK this is getting kind of ranty, but this is a difficult movie to talk about without getting a little ranty because everything is to be great in order for this movie to work. Every single piece in the puzzle that was Boyhood had to fit together seamlessly for this movie to work, and it works. Those are some of the positives of the movie. Some of the others are the fact that this movie wasn't going for a story that's going to make you say "Wow that was crazy cool!" They were going for "Wow this could have actually been someone's real life story." While watching it it had a strangely eerie likeness to real life. Everything in the movie could have happened in real life, and probably has happened in real life to someone. That is where the movie really succeeds greatly. It is also where many people have drawn criticism to it. Saying it is boring is ridiculous. It's trying to be boring! It's trying to real life! It's not an escapist movie and if people didn't understand that then gave it bad reviews then they are dumb. The one criticism I have for this movie is that at the beginning of the movie some of the young performers suffered from the general curse upon child actors. Specifically Lorelai Linklater's performance during the first two years were slightly annoying but after those two years I literally didn't see a flaw in this movie. Fantastic. Probably should have won best picture, but that's a different argument. (10/10)
Manchester by the Sea (2016)
Really Really Really Really Good
I see no problems with this movie. A masterclass of filmmaking on every level. The direction is superb, the cinematography is gorgeous, the music is great, and the acting is some of the best ensemble work I've seen in a very long time. Lonergan uses an immense amount of poise in this movie, making it so that it is not overly film like. By that I mean about halfway through this movie I forgot that it was a movie. I was watching real life. It was like a freaking documentary. Of course in all facets this is not a documentary but everything in it is so unbelievably believable it's hard to put into words. That is a major compliment to Lonergan and especially to Casey Affleck. I will be upset if he doesn't win the Oscar this year. His performance is so understated and so believable. Like I said, I felt like I was watching real life, and Casey Affleck was no longer Casey Affleck. He was Lee Chandler. His performance is quiet but powerful. Every frame that he is on screen I felt bad for him, which is what they were going for. Michelle Williams is in the movie for like 6 minutes and every time she showed up she stole every word. Lucas Hedges is fantastic in the movie as well. The story is sad though. There is not a happy thing you can really take out of this movie. It's depressing and sad but at the same time very funny. There were times when the entire theater I was in would burst out laughing. To all those complaining that the pacing is slow, it's supposed to be slow. This is a depiction of life and a study of one humans journey through one really terrible life. Life is slowly paced and that's what the movie was going for. Look, if you like film then this is essential viewing this year. It's not a fun movie to see. You will probably get really sad, you may cry, you may feel a pain in the pit of your stomach whenever you see these characters. But in the end it is a painstakingly wonderfully crafted film. Every element of it is exemplary work from all parties involved. It's slow, sad, depressing, painful, beautiful, funny, wonderful and all around great in every way. 10/10
Neighbors (2014)
Don't listen to the hate, see it for what it is
Really entertaining movie that I've enjoyed thoroughly every time I've watched it. It's really not that bad of a movie, it's very entertaining and Rogen and Byrne's performances are both great for what they are. People on IMDb have given this movie really horrible reviews, as a matter of fact I scrolled through the reviews and couldn't find anything above a 3/10. That's just wrong. Neighbors is not supposed to be Citizen Kane for crying out loud. It's a silly frat comedy and should be taken as such. I saw one reviewer complaining about the municipal guidelines that the frat refuse to acknowledge. What?? It's a fine movie that WILL make you laugh at least once or twice, if not throughout depending on your sense of humor. It will entertain you for it's whole runtime. The movie isn't trying to win any Oscars, so on that note some technical aspects of the film. It's edited in an interesting way at points that I found myself really enjoying. The cinematography is never upsetting which means that it's not shot by Roger Deakins but it never once really made me gag or anything (another thing reviewers have said). Stoller directed this movie in a really interesting way as well, and again I think the movie would be a lot worse without his direction, but again it's by no means directed by Hitchcock nor is it trying to look like it. All of the performances are great, if not entertainingly and appropriately slightly over acted. My point is, see this movie as a silly frat movie. Don't expect it to make you belly laugh from minute one to minute 95. Let it entertain you. It's a good movie that I'm never upset by re watching. DON'T LISTEN TO THE HATE!!!!!! 7/10
There Will Be Blood (2007)
One of the Greatest American Films Ever
I don't know if there has been a movie like There Will Be Blood since There Will Be Blood. There aren't many things to say about this movie that haven't been said already, so I won't even try. Daniel Day-Lewis gives quite possibly one of the best performances in the history of cinema. Paired with Paul Thomas Anderson's always perfect direction we have There Will Be Blood. For all cine-files out there the idea of the perfect film is paired with movies that have perfect everything: Direction, acting, writing, cinematography, effects, what have you. Such films as Casablanca, The Godfather, The Shawshank Redemption or Pulp Fiction come to mind for me, along with There Will Be Blood. There isn't a single false note in this movie. It is paced perfectly, every shot has a purpose and tells the story of an industrial man whose morals (or lack thereof) continue to show (or don't show) for a full 2 and a half hours of madness personified. This film asks questions about the nature of the human being and of the point where wanting something becomes wanting something too much. It forces us to ask ourselves questions that relate to modern society, and for a movie that takes place during the early 20th century California oil boom that is pretty incredible. It asks us these questions while presenting us with one of the most evilly misguided characters in film history. The movie shows the true darkness of Daniel Plainview in a perfectly drawn out film and what caused this darkness to finally rear its ugly head, until yes, there is blood. It is one of the best films ever made. 11/10
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Don't Listen To The Haters!
This movie is a fantastic work of art, and one of Tarantino's best, which is saying something. People have criticized this movie for being long and boring and have said that the first scene, the bar scene, and Christoph Waltz's performance are the only enjoyable parts. This is completely, and utterly, false. Though those two scenes are brilliant and Christoph Waltz delivers one of the best performances possibly in the history of cinema, there are so many other things that these criticizers have overlooked. For instance, the entire damn movie. What the hell were those people thinking?! If you cannot see the art of this film and the brilliant, breathtaking filmmaking, you are not a true fan of cinema in the slightest, and definitely not a true Tarantino fan. Honestly this film is fantastically made in every facet of film, the acting is superb, the directing is, well... It's Tarantino. If you want a more reputable name on a film, you'd have to speak to a dead guy by the name of Alfred Hitchcock, and even then you might not be getting what you're looking for. Seriously, one of the greatest films of all time. And did I mention the writing? this story is amazing, every character is well drawn and there is literally close to nothing wrong with this film. 10/10 without a doubt.
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)
Why are people saying this is so bad??
I saw Birdman, twice, and am starting to wonder if I saw a completely different film than anyone else did. I loved it. The performances were spectacular. The directing, writing, score, and cinematography were all perfect. Literally everything was amazing. Don't listen to all the Birdman haters out there, watch this movie. There are so many reasons to watch it. I think the reason that so many people are hating on this movie is because it is not what one would expect when walking into it. It is, and I cannot stress this enough, not what one would expect from any movie, let alone a Best Picture winner. I watched this in the theater the first time I saw it and after I had seen it I walked out saying "What the f**k just happened". It was not at all what I had expected I would be seeing. When I saw it the second time, at home, I was able to fully appreciate all of the comedy, weirdness, and general coolness of the movie, because I knew what to expect. For all the people who didn't like this movie, try watching it a second time, you'll probably like it a lot better. Also try to take this movie for what it is, a comedy that satires the Hollywood machine. It is that, and nothing more than that. Don't try and turn it into a "piece of existentianalist art, that is as much funny as it is beautiful", watch it as a movie, not as a Van Gogh.
Better Call Saul (2015)
Similar to Breaking Bad thus far, both in watchability and overall excellence
Breaking Bad is, in my opinion, the greatest show ever put on television. Now that I've put that out there, let's talk about Better Call Saul. It's been on for nine episodes so far, and after watching the newest episode I hope it's on for fifty more. This show is AMAZING. The writing is spectacular, the acting is phenomenal, the sets, and locations are mesmerizing. So much can go on in one frame that it's mind blowing. After watching Breaking Bad it's hard to not compare the two because they are so extremely similar. If I am comparing them, I still think Breaking Bad is better. That being said, if Better Call Saul continues to be as good as the ninth episode was, there isn't a doubt in my mind that Better Call Saul can pull ahead of Breaking Bad. Overall this is an amazing show that has every good thing Breaking Bad ever had (not that it had any bad things) and puts those things into a new story. 10/10 P.S. If you are going to binge watch this show you have to stick with it until past the fifth or sixth episode. Some people may be bored by the first few episodes but it gets so much better after that. For people who really want to love it, but just can't after watching the first few episodes, watch until the ninth episode. It. Is. Spectacular. Besides the finale of BB, it is the best episode of any TV show that I have ever seen.
Chicago (2002)
EXTREMELY disappointing film
When I saw "Chicago", I went in to it thinking, "Wow, this won Best Picture over The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Pianist, and Gangs of New York so it must be pretty good!" Boy was I wrong. This movie may have actually been the worst film that I have ever seen in my entire life. This film is legitimate proof that The Academy can, and will, get their awards really, really wrong sometimes. I admit that this film, probably, did have the best sound in 2002, and maybe the best editing, and just barely the best set decoration, but costume design should have been awarded to The Pianist, LOTR, or Gangs of New York. Best supporting actress did not have the strongest crop of nominees that year, but Queen Latifah did a much, much better job of acting than Catherine Zeta-Jones did. In fact the only two actors in this film who actually deserved their nominations were Queen Latifah and John C. Reilly, because all of the other actors over-acted SO badly in this movie it was almost laughable. The only convincing thing about Renée Zellweger's performance was when she shoots the guy in the first 5-10 minutes and is crying and calling him names. Catherine Zeta-Jones didn't use facial expression at all in the film and that was probably the director's fault and not hers. The music and dance numbers were fine but everything else plain-old SUCKED!!!