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Culture Shock (Moonlight)

11/29/2016

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As human beings, we will never know what it is like to live another person's life.  We may try to imitate their actions, but we will never truly know what is going on inside their minds.  Yet, we try to connect to each other on a daily basis.  Whether it is just a smile to a passerby or a full-length conversation with our best friends, we are constantly striving for human relationships.  Moonlight displays a stark image of human relations between characters.  Through a storyline that spans over three different age periods, we watch Chiron as he grows into the environment that surrounds him.

The idea of change caused by the environments that surround us is not a new idea.  However, when we see the change up close, it is quite shocking.  Moonlight assures us that we have no idea what is going on in another person's life, no matter how close we are to them.  It reminds us to be genuine to each other and to trust that the people who surround us always have inner struggles.  All three of the actors that portray Chiron give outstanding performances for the different developments in his life.  Alex R. Hibbert brings us the sweet innocent child that is known as 'Little' by his peers.  Ashton Sanders (Straight Outta Compton​) plays a more angsty Chiron, who struggles to prove himself among his friends.  Finally, we get the full transformation of Chiron into 'Black'.  Trevante Rhodes (Westworld) portrays Chiron as a more mysterious figure who was misled by the environment that he was raised within.  We still get a familiar face with Mahershala Ali (House of Cards, Luke Cage, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button​), but there is not a completely star-studded cast in this indie flick.  All of the performances in the film are realistic and often times bring tears to our eyes as we realize that a lot of people go through the similar struggles that Chiron went through.

Another aspect of the film that gives it authenticity are the shots used.  Often times, the camera follows the character as if we are walking behind them.  This type of behind-the-back shooting places the audience at the same level as the characters, relating to them as equals.  Whenever Little is running with his friends, we are running alongside or behind him.  These shots also create a mysterious tone when we cannot see the actors's faces.  While we are connected to them because we are up close to them, we are also disconnected because we are often unable to see their facial expressions.  However, if we were able to see their faces at all times, this film would have probably been an even bigger tearjerker.

The Bottom Line:  If you like indie flicks with real-life authenticity and creative filming methods, then this flick is for you.

​Score: 9.7/10
Image credit: ​By Gordon Correll - Mahershala Ali, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=52454211
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As The Earth Dies (Before THe Flood)

11/28/2016

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Leonardo DiCaprio (Inception, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Departed, Titanic) once again shocks audiences, but this time in documentary form.  Last year, DiCaprio's portrayal of Hugh Glass in The Revenant was raw, harsh, and emotional.  This time around, DiCaprio is bringing audiences an image of apocalypse with Before the Flood.  His new documentary focuses on two big topics, ignorance and climate change.  As audiences tour the world's political corruption, they are also brought into the upbringing of DiCaprio.

Throughout the film, DiCaprio makes it clear that he is extremely focused on helping to create a change in the modern world.  He acts as though he has finally found a cause that he must fight for and reveal to his fans.  As he explains his childhood, he reminds us that we all have a purpose on this earth that is starting to bear the consequences of its mass population.  It seems as though DiCaprio's acting in The Revenant revealed the importance of reversing climate change.

Masterfully interviewing multiple sources, DiCaprio guides us through the corruption in the American political system when it comes to creating policies.  Political figures often misguide the population because of their funding sources.  After the last presidential election, it has become clear that there is corruption in our political system.  We have been led to believe that corruption does not exist in democracy, but we are finally seeing that there are still flaws in America's leading ideologies.  Clips of politicians constantly dodging the fact that climate change is real portrays the point of DiCaprio's journey.  It is time to stand up against these climate change deniers and fight to reverse the effects of climate change so that we can preserve our world for future generations.

The Bottom Line:  DiCaprio's powerful message strikes against common misconceptions relating to the survival of our world.

Score: 9.5/10
Image credit: ​By Siebbi - ipernity.com, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14740864
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The Obituary (11/21-11/27)

11/28/2016

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November 21st
Ron Thornton - Spaceballs, Star Trek: The Motion Picture

November 22nd
Peter Sumner (b. 1942) - Spyforce

November 23rd
K. Subash - Chennai Express
Jerry Tucker (b. 1925) - Captain January

November 24th
Nadine Alari (b. 1927) - A Simple Story
Al Brodax (b. 1926) - Popeye the Sailor
Florence Henderson (b. 1934) - The Florence Henderson Show
Renato Lopez (b. 1983) - El cielo en tu mirada
Frantisek Peterka (b. 1922) - Fairy-tale at Krkonose Mountains

November 25th
Ron Glass (b. 1945) - Barney Miller

November 26th
Fritz Weaver (b. 1926) - ​All My Children
Image credit: ​By photo by Alan Light, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1355238
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AN Average and Genuine Hero Flick (X-Men: Apocalypse)

11/26/2016

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Imagine two years ago... superhero movies were as popular as they've ever been... innovative effects were dominating global cinema... casts fit their roles perfectly and cinema buzz was constantly revolving around what would come next in superhero franchises.  Now, fast-forward to today.  Some people are still in constant anticipation of what the next superhero film will provide for audiences.  However, there is also a splitting group that it weary of superhero movies.  They are telling directors, "Enough is enough."

I lean somewhere in between the two groups.  There have been some amazing superhero films including The Avengers, X-Men: Days of Future Past, and Captain America: Civil War.  Yet, there have also been some really bad ones recently including Batman v. Superman, Man of Steel, and X-Men: Apocalypse.  So why does X-Men: Apocalypse fall short when Days of Future Past rose so high?  One reason is probably recycled material.  With the amount of villains we see in cinemas, it is hard for a villain to really stand out with an outstanding performance.  Oscar Isaac was a good choice for a villain, but the plot made him out to be lame.  A villain that can influence other people to fight for him has been done on the big screen before.  Even the powerful voice modifications in the new film cannot give him the necessary innovation to provide audiences with an original character.

Yet, there are still some amazing small parts in the film that grant us an appreciation for the newer films in the X-Men franchise.  Quicksilver gets another great scene filled with eye-popping effects and effervescent movements.  All of the special effects look fluid and up-to-par with modern cinema.  Even if we cannot fully appreciate the story, we must admit that the effects are well-created and took a lot of work.  It is easy to look at the surface of X-Men: Apocalypse and write it off as another average/not-so-good superhero movie.  However, if you delve into all of the bricks that it took to build this film, you can gain an appreciation for the crew that continues to keep the X-Men towards the top of the box office.

The Bottom Line:  An underwhelming story grabs the audience's dismay, but effects still stay true to the evolution of the superhero genre.

Score: 7.5/10
Image credit: ​By Gage Skidmore - Cast_of_X-Men_Apocalypse.jpg[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14], CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45575380
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Happy Thanksgiving!

11/24/2016

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I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving filled with food and friends/family!
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Intricate Storytelling lAyered with Dark Themes (The Handmaiden)

11/23/2016

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Going into the theater, I expected something a bit different from what I encountered with this film.  I expected a dreary and dark thriller that would lack the coherency of Chan-wook Park's (Oldboy) past filmography.  Yet, The Handmaiden is most definitely my favorite film that Park has directed.  It is a long film, but almost all of the scenes add to the building tension of the characters.  Park's final product is reminiscent of the storytelling methods used by Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction, The Hateful Eight, Django Unchained, Kill Bill​).  The technical aspects are brilliant and constantly catch the audience off-guard with a series of twists.

Throughout the film, a symphony of sweet melodies and tense pitches add to the perfection of the story.  This is my favorite non-lyrical soundtrack of the year so far, and it will be damn-near impossible for any other film to beat it.  The melodic tracks add a charm to the characters, as the audience tries to figure out who is good and who is bad.  At the same time, there are tracks that have the intensity of 80s horror themes.  The balance between all of the instruments creates a tone that is coherent, but everchanging.

I warn readers that this film is not for the faint-hearted.  Filled with nudity and gory sequences, the darkness of the film is overwhelming.  However, if you appreciate modern cinema even in grotesque forms, this film is a must-see.  Although it is grotesque, most viewers will find something to enjoy about it.  You can focus on the filming techniques or the setting to move through the film without disgust.  Or at times, you can close your eyes and listen to the soundtrack.  In order to get the full experience though, you must watch the full 2.5 hour film and focus on everything at once.  Then, once you realize that you missed something, you can watch it again in fragments to see what is going on behind the outer-shell of the story.

The Bottom Line:  This film ranks within my top 10 for the year because of the depth in storytelling and technical aspects.

Score: 9.7/10 
Image credit: ​By tenasia10 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbknOaI-4pI, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=52956567
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What to Watch: Thanksgiving Edition

11/23/2016

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1. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving: It's short and simple, but why not spend some time with the Peanuts gang this Thanksgiving?

2. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: This buddy-style comedy is sure to get the whole table laughing as Steve Martin and John Candy travel together during the holiday season.

3. Free Birds: I made it about 5 minutes into this film and decided to listen to the Lynyrd Skynyrd song instead.  Probably a wiser choice...

4. Super Size Me: This film works with any feast that you know you will regret after-the-fact.

5. Pocahontas: If you are a history buff or a child bored out of your mind, this Disney flick will surely entertain you.
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And finally, the featured pick of the holiday:

6. The Blind Side: Okay, it's football season and Thanksgiving has become a football celebration as well as a feast.  While your home-cooked meal might satisfy your taste-buds, The Blind Side will quench your thirst for some hard tackles and emotional impacts.  
Image credit: ​By U.S. Department of Agriculture - 11.09.11 Turkey top questions blog, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17796530
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The Obituary (11/14-11/20)

11/21/2016

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November 14th
Barrie Everard - Never Say Die
Janet Wright (b. 1945) - The Perfect Storm

November 15th
Lisa Lynn Masters (b. 1964) - The Stepford Wives
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November 16th
Juan Amoros (b. 1936) - Between Your Legs

November 17th
Steve Truglia - Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

November 18th
Evgeniy Lazarev (b. 1937) - Iron Man 2

November 19th
Gino Gavioli - Once Upon a Time

November 20th
Wimal Kumara de Costa - Ek Tam Ge
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A Foreign Response to Gran Torino (A Man Called Ove)

11/21/2016

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A Man Called Ove has a tone that balances between depression and joy.  Depending on how you view the film, you might leave the theater in sadness or leave filled with an overwhelmingly charmed attitude.  Rolf Lassgard (The Hunters) portrays the life of an older man who picked the short straw in life.  His performance is endearing and humble, as the character changes throughout the film from a grumpy old man to an arguably happy neighbor.  This idea was seen a few years ago with Clint Eastwood's (Million Dollar Baby​) performance in Gran Torino, but Lassgard's acting is more tender and a lot less racially motivated.

Unlike Gran Torino, A Man Called Ove brings a comedic grouch to the big screen rather than a scary one.  Both of these types of characters exist in real life, so it is nice to see the differences between the two.  Eastwood's film is a serious drama/thriller, whereas Hannes Holm's (Adam & Eva) is more of a romantic dramedy.  The filming is reminiscent of romantic dramas like The Notebook, with sappy glowing shots but also depth.  Yet the tone also has a darker comedic tone that is reminiscent of indie foreign films in general, like The Brand New Testament or Amelie.  This tone keeps the film entertaining, yet keeps us thinking throughout the viewing experience.

One of the reasons why this film is highly ranked in my books is because of the way I felt after walking out of the theater.  I was sad, yet charmed by what I had watched.  I was capable of leaving the theater with two different perspectives, depending on what I focused on throughout the film.  Personally, I thought that the film ended with a happier tone.  Yet, after discussing it with others who had seen the film, I was unsure of how the director wanted audiences to respond to the ending.  Art house films like this one show us that we can look at a piece of art and get multiple perspectives on the same piece.  

The Bottom Line:  This film is a fantastic portrayal of a curmudgeon who picked all of the wrong cards in life, but has a chance to redeem himself.

Score: 8/10
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The Obituary (10/24-10/31)

11/2/2016

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October 25th
Margit Bara (b. 1928) - Jacob the Liar
Kevin Curran (b. 1957) - The Simpsons
Howard Davies (b. 1945) - Copenhagen
Richard Martin 

October 26th

Melis Abzalov (b. 1938) - Vostochnaya plutovka
Birger Larsen (b. 1961) - Dance of the Polar Bears
Luciano Rispoli 

October 27th

Hazel Shermet - A Star is Born
Pentti Siimes - The Unknown Soldier
John Zacherle (b. 1918) - Frankenhooker
Vladimir Zemlyanikin (b. 1933) - Ulitsa molodosti

October 28th
Ron Grant - Knots Landing

October 30th
Tammy Grimes (b. 1934) - The Last Unicorn
Imre Jozsa (b. 1954) - The Best Man
Don Marshall (b. 1936) - Land of the Giants

October 31st
Srihari Khoday
Reynaldo Miravalles (b. 1923) - The Twelve Chairs
Vladimir Zeldin (b. 1915) - ​Ten Little Indians
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