In honor of Liam Neeson's (Schindler's List, The A-Team) birthday yesterday, I decided to watch his most recent film.  From director, Jaume Collet-Sera (The Shallows, Unknown, Orphan, House of Wax), comes another thriller starring Neeson in a lead role.  Collet-Sera's past collaborations with Neeson have been fun to watch and well-made.  Unfortunately, The Commuter falls short of the previous collaborations.  While the cinematography and filming techniques are exciting, the storyline drags down the film and often reduces the weight of the superbly acted roles.  

Of course, Neeson brings gravitas to his role.  Ever since the release of Taken, Neeson has become an amazingly realistic hero for the common people.  From saving his daughter to saving a whole airplane full of passengers, Neeson has perfected the role of action hero.  Once again, his acting stands out in The Commuter and he is surrounded by other good performances.  Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air, The Departed), Patrick Wilson (The Phantom of the Opera), Jonathan Banks (Mudbound, Gremlins), and Sam Neill (Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Jurassic Park​) round out the cast.  Every character is unique and important to the story as it progresses.

While the acting performances are good, the writing for the film struggles to create an impact for viewers.  At first, I was entranced with the plot as it started to unravel.  However, after the first half of the film there are major plot holes that open up.  We never get any sort of background for the main character because development is sacrificed for more action at the end of the film.  We are thrown into a situation without much meaning behind the actions that occur.  This leads to a final act that is merely disorganized and lackluster.  There are certain lines in the final act that are extremely cliche of past action thrillers.  The film becomes more of a cheesy blockbuster and less of an impactful story by the end of the screening.

The Bottom Line:  The Commuter tends to sacrifice a meaningful and organized plotline for more action towards the end of the film.  Liam Neeson once again acts the part, but the story holds very little weight for his character.

Score: 5.5/10

Image credit: ​By Karen Seto / ???? from Toronto, Canada - Toronto, Ontario, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5108817

This film is truly special and unique to Martin McDonagh's (In Bruges, Seven Psychopaths) well-crafted genre.  McDonagh's films are hard to compare with others because they come with a full serving of drama and a good amount of comedic sides.  While it might be hard to digest everything going on upon a single screening of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, there is plenty left for our cinematic tastebuds to indulge in this film many more times.

It takes really smart writing to create such deeply dumb and interesting characters.  The trio of McDormand (Fargo, Almost Famous), Harrelson (No Country for Old Men, Zombieland), and Rockwell (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Green Mile) brings acting perfection with some of the most underrated actors of our time.  After Fargo, it seems as though McDormand had been forgotten for a while.  Yet, her portrayal of Mildred is spot-on with the dark tone of McDonagh's direction.  After the death of her daughter, Mildred has a hardened heart and is looking for her own definition of justice.  One of her targets is the police chief of the town, played by Woody Harrelson.  Harrelson brings the only respectable character to life with twists and turns that will surprise first-time McDonagh-ers.

While Harrelson and McDormand are great in their roles, my favorite part of the movie would have to be Officer Dixon (played by Sam Rockwell).  Rockwell is fantastic in his role as the dumb and conflicted officer.  His character is relevant to modern news stories, and is a portrait of many issues with America's police force.  Without going into too much detail, I will say that there are a lot of interesting aspects on this character's journey.

Of course, it wouldn't be a McDonagh movie without a thin balance between darkness and comedy.  While the script-writing is not quite as solid as In Bruges, it is damn-near close.  One-liners often dominate the film, creating an uncomfortable awkwardness in the theater.  Personally, I love when directors drag audiences into an uncomfortable tone.  Good filmmaking does not have to be happy and joyous, as long as the audience is able to ponder what they are watching and the message being sent through the medium.  

The Bottom Line:  So far, this is my favorite film of 2017 because of the solid screenwriting and intriguing tone portrayed by every single character.

Score: 9.8/10

Image credit: ​By Dixiekin - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49330101

Tom Cruise (Top Gun) breaks away from his Mission Impossible franchise to bring us a film that probably didn't require the dangerous stunts that his fans are used to.  Even without him hanging off of the side of a plane, fans can enjoy this brisk-paced action/drama flick.  From the very get-go, this film flies by without any stop in the action.  The opening credits prepare us for the winding journey that we are about to take with Barry Seal.  I was completely unfamiliar with this story going in and found every twist and turn to be surprising and, for the most part, unpredictable.

Something even more unpredictable about this flick is Doug Liman's (The Bourne Identity, Edge of Tomorrow) superb directing.  Liman's past filmography is wishy-washy, and mostly includes shallow action films.  Liman's creativity behind the camera helps to progress this story, with varying shots and photography.  The film goes from extreme close-ups to landscape shots in an instant, never ceasing to bring a spectacular image to the viewer.  Found footage brings unfamiliar viewers (such as myself) into the past time period.  So far, this is my favorite of Liman's films because the direction clearly leads the storyline.  While we are constantly thrown forward in years, it's hard to get lost or confused about the plot.

In terms of acting, Tom Cruise and Domhnall Gleeson (Ex Machina, The Revenant, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2) give bring the energy to their respective roles.  Cruise may be typecast as this point, but I'll be damned if he doesn't play the action hero part well.  Even without huge stunt productions, it's hard to avert your eyes from Cruise piloting a plane.  I will admit that it is still hard for me to take Domhnall Gleeson completely seriously because of that one big franchise he was in as a child, but he is definitely maturing into more serious roles.  I foresee more big roles being thrown Gleeson's way after his success this year.

The Bottom Line: Liman brings on the action at a fast pace and a time period that many moviegoers weren't alive to witness.

Score: 9.3/10

Best known for his screenwriting, Taylor Sheridan (Hell or High Water, Sicario) finally writes a film for his own direction.  Wind River is a gritty crime mystery revolving around a subject that is overlooked in modern cinema.  Native American culture has not been portrayed a lot in mainstream American cinema, even though there is a large amount of subject matter for the big screen.  Sheridan's full filmography shows his interest in other cultures and diversity.  Wind River takes an idea and creates a story around the idea.  The film is not a shallow image of drama and mystery, but a spiritual and in-depth character study.

The character development slows the movie down, but is wholly necessary to build the story.  Jeremy Renner (Arrival, The Avengers, The Bourne Legacy) and Elizabeth Olsen (Avengers: Age of Ultron, Godzilla) are at the forefront of the mystery, but other actors contribute great performances as well.  Graham Greene (The Green Mile, Die Hard with a Vengeance), Gil Birmingham (Hell or High Water, Rango), and Kelsey Asbille (The Amazing Spider-Man) bring important secondary characters to life, helping to create a diverse screen for Sheridan.  I really enjoyed Graham Greene as the police chief on the reservation.  Without his character, many viewers would struggle to understand why the mystery is hard to solve.

While the main action does not come until the second half of the film, the wait is totally worth it.  An explosive final act gives the audience what they waited for.  There is one fantastic transition towards the end of the film that gives the audience a complete explanation for the mystery.  Rather than having a smartass character explain the mystery, Sheridan effectively shows the discovery.  Just as the characters figure out what happened, the audience has the realization.  And of course, as any intriguing mystery resolves, there is a shoot-out to give audience members the action sequences they paid for.

The Bottom Line:  Wind River is a uniquely diverse mystery with a slow start and explosive finish.

​Score: 9.5/10

Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World) has never let me down with his superb filmmaking, which continues with this installment in his filmography.  After the conclusion of the Cornetto Trilogy, Wright was expected to direct Ant-Man.  However, Peyton Reed (Bring It On) got to helm the Marvel film leaving Wright time to work on an original film of his own.  Wright is clearly a perfectionist when it comes to film editing.  Similarly to his previous creations, Baby Driver flows seamlessly with constant transitions.  The film runs in high gear with fun action sequences comparable to The Fast and Furious franchise.  

One thing that this film can hold over The Fast and Furious is a sustainable plotline.  The story never grows stale because the characters are enjoyable and well-acted.  There is not a lot of cheesy dialogue, even though there are plenty of jokes throughout the film.  At times, I felt like the characters and settings were influenced by Pulp Fiction.  There is certainly a high amount of blood and gore, which might also have brought Tarantino's masterpiece into my mind.  The comedic dialogue plays off of the mature imagery, distracting the audience from the seriousness of violence.  Just when you start to feel grossed out by the film, the script reminds you that this is all fun and games.  

As with all of Edgar Wright's previous films, this one does not need to remind audiences of reality.  This is a film to enjoy because of how it was made, not because of the values it holds.  Sure there are some lessons that we can learn from the film (such as, don't mess with Kevin Spacey), but we never have to compare the film with our own lives.  For that, I thank Mr. Wright.  Sometimes, I like to sit back and look at the technical aspects of film creation.  Baby Driver shows us that we do not only need big franchises to have fun in theaters.

The only complaint that I can come up with for this film is the soundtrack.  For a film focused around music, I was hoping for more iconic music.  It is hard to release a film like this after audiences have familiarized themselves with Guardians of the Galaxy.  The soundtrack for Baby Driver is filled with fuel and fire tracks, but there is nothing that compares to the use of "Don't Stop Me Now" in Shaun of the Dead.  If Wright had given me a comparable track in this film, I would really be in love with this film!

The Bottom Line: Edgar Wright's first film after the completion of the Cornetto Trilogy is another sweet treat for audiences who enjoy high-octane entertainment!

Score: 9.3/10

Image credit: By Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27437520

For a three hour runtime, this is one of the quickest paced movies I have ever watched.  Scorsese (The Departed) directs this biopic about Jordan Belfort, one of the many salespeople who took advantage of others for their own gains on Wall Street.  I have not yet read Belfort's book, but I imagine that it is just as crazy as the film adaptation.  Drugs, sex, and all sorts of raunchiness progress the film forwards at a relentless pace.  Just when I wondered what could happen next, surprising events unfold as Belfort and his gang constantly get high and make millions of dollars.

A trio of acting dominates the storyline with Leonardo DiCaprio (Inception, The Departed, Titanic) at the helm.  Leo's portrayal of Belfort balances on a tightrope of lovability and immorality.  Even with his wishy-washy character, Leo leads the film in what is his best performance to date.  Don't get me wrong, The Revenant is another great film in his filmography, but nothing beats the authenticity of this role.  The other two screen-dominating roles are Jonah Hill (21 Jump Street, Superbad) as Donny Azoff and Matthew McConaughey (Interstellar, Dallas Buyers Club​) as Mark Hanna.  At a time when Jonah Hill was starting to take off, he plays the perfect henchman for Belfort to work with.  Azoff is an oddball character that is shrouded in mystery.  No actor could have been a better fit for this role.  Alongside Hill and DiCaprio, McConaughey shines bright as a mentor for Belfort.  Even though his role is short-lived, he is iconic and exciting to watch.

It still amazes me that this film is directed by Scorsese.  The Wolf of Wall Street is not for all ages, but geared toward a specific audience.  Anyone who is interested in economics might take offense with the film and its display of Wall Street crookedness.  However, at a time when everyone dreamed of being rich, the film played well to young adults.  Honestly, who doesn't dream of a life with the comfort of Jordan Belfort's.  Of course there were clear flaws with living this sort of life, but you have to admit that being able to buy a yacht and go wherever you want in the world has an appeal.  Scorsese's character study is able to appeal to wannabe millionaires even with a story as immoral as Belfort's.

The Bottom Line:  Fine acting and a quick pace push this drug-filled film forwards, creating a piece of art that will be remembered by anyone who dreams of being rich.

Score: 9/10

As the first full Fast and Furious movie that I have seen, this one is exactly what I expected.  One liners, explosions, and a lot of cars round out this eighth installment in the franchise.  The culture surrounding the franchise remains the same with large-muscled characters and rap music playing in the background.  Although the film is shallow at times, it is still an enjoyable adventure/action flick that keeps the audience engaged for a runtime over two hours.

With seven preceding films in the franchise, it must have been hard to create somewhat realistic action sequences.  From what I've heard, as the franchise chugs forward, the effects and events become more and more insane.  Clearly, it is getting hard to stick with just cars for action.  The franchise has expanded into more weaponry and turned into a cheesier Bond-esque genre.  At times hundreds of cars are controlled by one hacker, but there are also torpedoes to keep the film from becoming too focused on car racing.  Honestly, I love the integration of weaponry with the cars because the cars now create a safe place for the characters wherever they go.

While I do praise the film for a lot of it's action, I will warn you that this is in no way a serious action film.  Do not walk into the theater expecting to see Skyfall or Saving Private Ryan.  Rather, expect a fun flick similar to Escape Plan or Get Hard.  The story is simple as heck with a villain trying to terrorize the world and turn a good guy into a bad guy.  As a centerpiece for the film Vin Diesel is just a simple character and without his team this film would be really bad.  Luckily Dwayne Johnson (Moana) and Jason Statham (The Transporter) return with decent dialogue here and there.  Unfortunately, this is one of my least favorite roles that Charlize Theron (Mad Max: Fury Road, Hancock) has ever played.  Her script makes her a weak villain who is capable of hacking into anything, but cannot even make a joke funny.  Without seeing the other films I assume that this one is not the worst, but I also hope it is not the best of the franchise...

The Bottom Line:  The Fate of the Furious is a fun-to-watch action film, so long as you do not get too caught up in the physics of the real world.

Score: 6/10 

Image credit: ​By Tokumeigakarinoaoshima - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=58045638

Hell or High Water is not the best motion picture of the year.  There is nothing groundbreaking, or majorly original in this film.  Yet, there is not much to complain about.  The screenplay is not the freshest thing in modern cinema, but the cast is spectacular and they grace the screen with their presence.  The other day I watched The Hollywood Reporter's actor roundtable, which included Jeff Bridges (The Big Lebowski, True Grit, Iron Man, TRON: Legacy).  If I had not watched the roundtable, I might not have been as invested in this film.  If you have any doubts about watching the film, check out the roundtable so that you can connect with Bridges a bit more.  Bridges is as genuinely interesting guy with a lot of experience in acting.

The rest of the cast also makes the film an exciting watch.  Chris Pine (Star Trek), Ben Foster (Lone Survivor), and Gil Birmingham (Rango) act as familiar faces for their roles.  While the screenplay may seem reminiscent of other films in the genre, the acting is excellent and fresh.  Imagine a double-date with Chris Pine and Ben Foster meeting up with Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham.  Well it's more of a duel, but there is certain bromance between the two groups of actors.  

Rather than focusing on the storyline, Taylor Sheridan (Sicario) writes deep characters.  With a premise of bank robbers, it is hard to create an original film.  Rather, the setting and the character relationships are the focal point of David Mackenzie's (Starred Up) newest film.  Sheridan's writing is subtly rich and engaging, similarly to his previous work on Sicario.  Look out for more of Sheridan's films in the near future since he appears to have struck gold with this genre.  While Mackenzie's direction is a bit unique, there are some odd moments throughout the film where non-diegetic music starts to play.  I am not sure if I liked the moments where the music kicked in, but it is an interesting way to place more music in film!

The Bottom Line:  Hell or High Water shines bright with its spectacularly written characters, even if it is not the best film of the year!

Score: 9.5/10

What really happened?  How did this University of Washington student get arrested and then set free for a crime that has no evidence of her involvement?  Amanda Knox answers most of the questions for the Italian court case with facts that never cease to astonish throughout the whole film.  The film has a stark tone for the case that created so many mixed emotions among the public.  Different sides of the story are constantly revealed as justifications for the case outcomes are created by many different parties.  With a story this complex, it is amazing to see it masterfully handled by the direction of Brian McGinn and Rod Blackhurst.  The two directors attract the audience's eyes with clear visuals in a fuzzy situation.

Crime documentaries need multiple perspectives in order to grant the full story to the audience.  Amanda Knox makes sure that all sides of the story are told.  This is hard to do in the short 1 hour and 32 minute runtime of the film.  Still, we get to hear how the original court case was blown out of proportion by the media through the retelling by a journalist.  We get to hear how the original court case was justified by a public prosecutor named Giuliani Mignini.  And of course, we hear from Amanda Knox and her boyfriend at the time of the crime.  All of these perspectives mesh together to give the audience a full view of the crime case.  I can gladly say that I learned a lot from this documentary.

The writers choose to tell the story in a well-done chronological order.  It is hard to retell a story that lasted about a decade.  Yet, I never felt overly rushed through the documentary.  A part of the credit must go to the beautiful shots throughout the film.  Found footage combines with new clear imagery to maintain a fresh view for the film.  The color palette maintains the dark tone that often comes up in modern crime documentaries.  Yet, flashy headlines scatter across the screen to make sure that our eyes are always on-target.  These types of innovations create a quick-paced film that feels short, but well-rounded.  

The Bottom Line:  Amanda Knox covers a lot of quantity in its story, yet maintains its quality through superb visuals and multiple perspectives. 

Score: 9.6/10

Image credit: ​By Scott335 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17217794

​We would be going amiss if we did not mention the leading actors in Sicario.  Emily Blunt (Edge of Tomorrow, Looper, The Devil Wears Prada), Benicio Del Toro (The Usual Suspects), and Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men​) bring fascinating characters to life on the big screen.  None of the characters are easy to read into, creating the mysterious and dark tone in the dialogue.  There is an odd relationship between del Toro's character and Emily Blunt's character.  The ending only creates more fogginess in their relationship.  In  every film that I have seen with del Toro, his character is surrounded in a cloud of mystery.  Sicario uses his perfected character form as he portrays one of the members in the government task force.  Brolin's character is set in between the two, as a straight-edged and serious proponent of the task force.  All three of the actors are spectacularly cast and fitting for Villeneuve's thrilling cartel film.

Sicario also achieves it's suiting tone through the technical aspects.  The soundtrack is constantly pulsing through the speakers, bringing us into the terror of gang territory.  The beat chugs us through the story, often times not easily noticeable.  Most of the time, when a soundtrack is less noticeable, it fits into the film better.  There also some very unique shots that include thermal vision in a way that I have never seen before.  Birds-eye-views place us above the action a lot of the time, giving us a real sense of war.  Overall, this film is produced with the style that we expect out of Villeneuve's previous works.

The Bottom Line:  Villeneuve continues to bring tense stories with good casts to audiences who are familiar with his past works.

Score: 8.5/10