From the visionary director that brought us Pan's Labyrinth comes another creepy and yet heartwarming film.  The Shape of Water is a lovely portrayal of a forbidden love between a creature and a human.  The plotline is spectacular, balancing the heavy-hitting politics of communist Russia and the United States in the 1960s and the science-fiction creature that drives the love story forward.  The tone is classy, with a jazz-inspired score that brings the audience back to the 60s.  The story is relatable to any time period, but the 60s backdrop makes it even more interesting.

Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy, Pacific Rim) never ceases to create beautiful effects for his visionary films.  The imagery throughout The Shape of Water is consistently fluid and spectacular.  There is one scene where we get to see two raindrops dance around on a bus window, acting as a metaphor for the story unfolding on screen.  There is blood and gore involved, but only the necessary amount for us to enter the world that the screenwriters have created.  This is not a film for children, but for a mature audience that can handle the darkness of a spy thriller and the nudity that comes with a full love story.  To gently push the audience through the film, Alexandre Desplat (The King's Speech, Argo, The Queen, Philomena) contributes a smooth score that juggles between intensity and charm.  The orchestral score fits with every single scene, settling and unsettling the audience at certain times.

I would go amiss without acknowledging the cast members that bring the story to life.  Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine) easily gives the best performance of the year with her portrayal of a mute janitor.  While she cannot talk, there is emotion behind every sign that she gives.  Alongside Hawkins, Doug Jones (Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth) plays a fantastic sea monster.  Rounding out the cast, Michael Shannon (Midnight Special) is a scarily bigoted villain.  This is the big bad role that Shannon has perfected throughout his career.  Finally, the support for the main roles are brought to the screen by three well-seasoned actors.  Octavia Spencer (Fruitvale Station), Richard Jenkins (Step Brothers), and Michael Stuhlbarg (Call Me by Your Name​) are all great additions to the film.  Overall, this is a top-notch cast brought together to create a top-notch film.

The Bottom Line: The Shape of Water certainly deserves all of the Oscar-buzz that it is receiving because of its tender and yet unsettling approach at a love story.

Score: 9.7/10

Image credit: ​By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=54631984

Call Me by Your Name is a slow-burning coming-of-age story with bold direction and stunning performances.  Luca Guadagnino (I Am Love) brings out the best of Armie Hammer (The Social Network) and Timothee Chalamet (Interstellar, Lady Bird), with this realistic and yet unique love story.  The first half of the film flies by with a clever script that plays Oliver and Elio off of each other perfectly.  These two intelligent characters are fun to watch when they are alone and together.  As they often try to outsmart each other, they notice their similarities.  There is a purity in their relationship that is hard to describe on paper, but Hammer and Chalamet create the relationship with gravitas.

Focusing on passion, the film also uses an interesting soundtrack to progress the storyline.  A blend of classical music and modern indie tunes composed by Sufjan Stevens tie character thoughts to the audience perspectives. The characters are deeply intellectual and the music brings us into their world at certain instances.  The soundtrack also gives us sweet and haunting melodies to portray the romance that unravels over time.

While I enjoyed this movie, I think that there is a drop-off point between the first and second half.  The first half has a fun script that kept me engaged with the characters during my first viewing of the film.  However, the second half slows down to focus more on the intimate relationship between Oliver and Elio.  We no longer get a good amount of the crisp and engaging commentary from Elio and Oliver, which is what really built their relationship.  There is one scene towards the end between Chalamet and Michael Stuhlbarg (A Serious Man​) that is powerfully written, but aside from that there is a dramatic change in tone for the second half.  Yet, there is plenty to enjoy with these characters and I look forward to the Oscar nominations that the film will clinch.

The Bottom Line: Call Me by Your Name is a pure film filled with intimate detail and engaging characters.

Score: 9.3/10

Image credit: ​By Franz Richter (User:FRZ) - Own work (taken with Nikon D60 SLR), CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56267295

Your Name is one of the most beautiful movies I have seen in quite some time.  The story is touching, the visuals are awe-inspiring, and the music is catchy as heck.  Upon a first viewing, I understand the main idea without being able to fully place all of the details.  Your Name is a film that takes multiple viewings to comprehend the complexity of the storyline.  Without going into too much detail, the timeline is hard to follow right off the bat, but I am sure that there are very few flaws (if any) in this film.  There is a lot going on all at once, but the main storyline leaves room for discussion after viewing.  Every good film should leave room for discussion after the story is resolved, and Your Name leaves plenty of ideas hanging around in our minds.

Makoto Shinkai's (5 Centimeters Per Second) direction brings us beautiful visuals to guide us along the story's journey.  Every line drawn is thoughtful and concise.  The precision of animation in this film is reminiscent of Miyazaki's (Spirited Away) works.  In fact, Shinkai might be the next Miyazaki.  As someone who knows almost nothing about animation, it is still clear to me that the team behind this film spent long hours in its creation.  While there are plenty of Pixar and Disney films with good animation, nothing that I have seen from American studios can compare to this form.

I would go completely amiss without discussing the soundtrack for this film as well.  RADWIMPS's indie rock soundtrack brings the viewer back to their childhood with a punk edge added in.  Often times, the beauty of the film is complimented by the soundtrack's sweetness.  Some of the lyrics do not translate well into the subtitles, but I'll be damned if the sounds are not a perfect match to the visuals.  I have been waiting a long time to view this film after it's release because I missed it in theaters.  While I waited, I had to check out the soundtrack that all of my friends have been raving about.  At the very least, listen to the soundtrack as it pulls you into a foreign world, full of jaw-dropping inspiration and beauty.  For starters check out the song, "Sparkle".

The Bottom Line:  Shinkai's animated masterpiece will be cherished for a long time because of it's beauty and complexity.

Score: 10/10 (This is my first 10/10 since Swiss Army Man)

Disney's newest outing in live action remakes stands true to the success of the original animated film.  The "tale as old as time" remains relevant to society with it's depiction of love and different levels of societal classes.  Beauty and the Beast has deeper messages hidden in its storyline, but is still enjoyable as a family film filled with charm and attraction.  Sticking to a storyline that has already been put to the test on the big screen can be hard, but Bill Condon's (Dreamgirls) direction gives the film a fresh setting and jaw-dropping effects.  Throughout the film, animation still prevails with normally inanimate objects.  Lumiere (played by Ewan McGregor [Trainspotting, Star Wars]) shines as bright as he did in the original film, and Cogsworth's (played by Ian McKellen [The Lord of the Rings]) gears turn once again in the new adaptation.  The two actors for these roles heavy lifting with their voice acting roles.  While McGregor was able to charm as Lumiere, I'm not sure that I buy his French accent.  It was a bit over-the-top, but it did not detract too much from the film.

The best roles are saved for two very prominent actors of our time.  Dan Stevens (The Guest) is unrecognizable as the beast, which is a good thing.  After the opening scene, we get a scary image that takes time to gain the audience's trust.  His role is much different from his other works.  Stevens seems to be one of the most versatile actors in Hollywood right now.  

Speaking of versatile actors, Emma Watson (Harry Potter) graces the big screen once again as an iconic Disney character.  In this remake, Belle is different from the original film.  This time, she is a much more empowered character.  Watson's work on feminism clearly made its way into the film, proving that equality in movies is possible.  No one could do a better job in this role than Watson, and no one is more fitting.  Condon makes it very clear that this story is more based around Belle than it is around the beast.  

Of course, this wouldn't be a Disney live action adaptation without a reworking of the original score.  Usually, pre-recorded performances distract me from the screen as I watch clear lip-syncing.  However, I applaud Beauty and the Beast's sound crew for making the singing look as realistic as possible.  Sure it is not as authentic as the Les Miserables performances, but this is as good as it gets!  The massive scale choreography is also exciting to watch as the cast dances to iconic songs such as "Belle", "Be Our Guest", and the titular song "Beauty and the Beast".  Of course, "Gaston" remains as one of my favorite Disney songs ever with a job well done by Josh Gad (Frozen) and Luke Evans (Fast & Furious 6).  These familiar names play off of each other with a grand stage presence.  Evans is menacing as hell and Gad brings another wimpy character to life.

The Bottom Line: Beauty and the Beast ​brings back a tale as old as time with grandeur and charm-filled acting that could only be produced by the familiar faces in the cast.

Score: 9.3/10

Image credit: ​By http://flickr.com/photos/nieve44/ - http://flickr.com/photos/nieve44/418072188/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2099783

When Across the Universe was first pitched, I am sure there was backlash to the project.  Creating a film about a highly critiqued war effort is one thing, but using the Beatles's discography to progress the story is a whole other monster.  As a Beatles fanboy I can appreciate the covers throughout the film, even if the film falls short of being a masterpiece.  Jim Sturgess (21, Cloud Atlas) shows off his talent in singing and acting as the main star in the film.  Kudos to Evan Rachel Wood (The Wrestler) as well, who has now proven that she is a major star in Westworld.  Awesome cameos from Bono (Click, Batman Forever), Joe Cocker (Iron Man 2, The Pursuit of Happyness, Flight​), and Eddie Izzard (Valkyrie) round out the film's soundtrack.

The one area where the film falls flat is the storyline.  The storyline occurs over a long period of time as Jude (played by Jim Sturgess) grows up.  The film parallels his life with current events of the time period.  At times, the metaphors seem to push too hard towards a very heavy anti-war message.  I like the message, but it's a bit too heavy a lot of the time.  Odd interactions seem out of place along the way as well.  At points, I wish that a lot of the film was cut out because it is irrelevant to the storyline.  It was really cool that the filmmakers tried to use as many Beatles songs as possible, but sometimes they distract the flow of the film.

Coming out in 2007, Across the Universe used innovative tools to create a visually striking piece of art.  Kaleidoscope images cross the screen during Bono's performance of "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds", portraying the psychedelic style of the late Beatles music.  My favorite part of the movie occurs during a scene about the army draft.  The scene starts off with a horrifying image of Uncle Sam reaching out of a poster to grab a conscripted soldier.  The choreography is grand and the song fits perfectly with the scene, displaying the political messages embedded in a lot of the music by the Beatles. 

The Bottom Line: Even with a flat storyline, Across the Universe is a spectacle based around an anti-war message embedded in iconic Beatles songs.

Score: 6/10

As my first Jim Jarmusch (Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai) film viewing, I am quite impressed.  Jarmusch brings out great performances in his layered characters, while subtly dropping heavy symbolism throughout Paterson.  The film is a deep look at a single person's daily routine as he gets up, drives his bus for work, and ends up at the bar each night.  Rather than being repetitive like Groundhog Day, this film is a closed circle of commentary.  Yes, the story loops and certain elements are kept constant.  However, we do not have to drudge through the same thing happening over and over on a smaller scale.  

The shining element that keeps this film rolling is the character development.  One might argue that there is not a lot of development in the characters, but I would argue that each day there is a different perspective for each character.  Adam Driver (Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Inside Llewyn Davis) fits perfectly into the role of Paterson, a bus driver by day and a poet by night.  Everything around Paterson is constantly changing, yet his routine remains the same.  Driver plays a passive and yet productive character, which is a hard concept to understand.  Alongside Driver, Golshifteh Farahani (Exodus: Gods and Kings​) plays a great supporting actress as Laura.  As Paterson's partner, Laura can get into his mind and yet never fully understand him.

This film would be fun to view and then discuss in a group because of its deep metaphors and symbolism.  No matter how many times I watch this one, I will always have different thoughts about what Jarmusch was getting at.  Right now, I am contemplating a theme that relates to twins.  I am not sure what Jarmusch was trying to say with the theme, but clearly there is something there.  If I ponder this one for a while, maybe I will have an answer in the near future.  Yet, if I rewatch the film I might change my mind.  That is the beauty of this film!

The Bottom Line:  It's not full of action, but it is full of dense character writing and a deeply symbolic screenplay.

Score: 9.4/10 

​Image credit: By Georges Biard, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49203449

Early buzz on this movie had me intrigued.  I have always enjoyed the idea of a live-action Tarzan movie, mainly because of the fantastic Disney adaptation.  This movie lacks a few things, falling short from being good.  Of course it lacks the superb Phil Collins soundtrack from the Disney film, but it could have been good even without that.  The Legend of Tarzan strives to swing above the other blockbusters released in 2016, but lands itself in the mud because of a poor storyline and oddly written characters.

At first glance, this movie had a lot going for it.  It's muscular lead actor looked to be the perfect Tarzan.  Yet, Alexander Skarsgard (True Blood) plays a sympathetic and wimpy Tarzan.  He makes the audience feel sad for his situation, but never brings the strong character to life.  The rest of the cast is well-rounded, bringing Margot Robbie (The Wolf of Wall Street, Suicide Squad, Focus) onto the big-screen once again this past year.  She did not quite fit my vision of Jane, but maybe it is because she doesn't usually play a damsel in distress.  Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction, The Hateful Eight, Django Unchained, Captain America: The Winter Soldier) and Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained, Inglorious Basterds, Spectre) add their usual type-cast characters into the midst of the action.  Jackson plays an outspoken sidekick and Waltz plays his typical mysterious villain.  

The timeline of the film brings a new take on Tarzan to the big screen.  Still, the storyline creates a boring view of the man raised by apes.  Honestly, I like the origin of Tarzan and would rather see that as a live-action film than this later timeline.  The new story feels like every other action movie, putting a hero and sidekick together to go against a villain who has kidnapped Tarzan's love.  American audiences no longer need the damsel in distress story.  The writers seem to have gotten lost in their own writings by attempting to create an original story.

The Bottom Line: The action is neat, but the storyline and script feel wholly unoriginal.

Score: 5.6/10

Image credit: ​By Thierry Sollerot from Vernon (Eure, Hte Normandie), FRANCE (08-09-2016-17 Alexander Skarsgard) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons

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

It has been a long time since I have seen this play, but this retelling refreshed my memory of the great tragedy written by William Shakespeare.  Kenneth Branagh (Valkyrie) reimagines the play with a modern touch and an older age group of actors than I have ever seen.  Some of this works for the better, but a lot of the changes fall flat and detract from the emotions of the original story.  I liked the noir atmosphere that often surrounded the stage with smooth jazz.  This ambience felt fresh and original, making it easier for the audience to connect with the old play.

My biggest issue for this retelling of Romeo and Juliet was the age of a lot of the actors.  Romeo and Juliet are usually young and innocent lovers, but Branagh's troupe chose to cast Lily James (Cinderella) as Juliet and Richard Madden (Game of Thrones) as Romeo.  Lily James is 27 years old and Richard Madden is 30 years old, so let's keep those ages in mind.  Those are both 10 years over the ages of Shakespeare's characters.  To be fair, James tries to make her character younger by portraying the nervousness of a young lover.  Yet, her character comes across as frantic and becomes annoying after the first hour or so.  James and Madden both give decent performances, it's just hard to put them in the shoes of Romeo and Juliet.  Mercutio is played by Derek Jacobi (Gladiator, The King's Speech), which is another older choice for the character.  Jacobi brings great comedy and gravitas to his performance, but he is another odd choice to fill this Shakespeare role.

At first, I was not sure if I was going to write about the play because it was filmed during a live performance.  During a live performance, the audience gets to look where they want to at all times.  However, when an event like this is filmed the editors choose what the audience can see at certain times.  One of the more interesting choices for the filming is the black and white coloring.  I am not sure why they chose black and white for the film, maybe it was to give a noir tone to the viewer.  Personally, I would have enjoyed seeing the real coloring of the stage and costuming, but this was the director's choice for the filming so I respect that.  

The Bottom Line:  Overall the play is modernized with its staging and filming, but younger viewers might struggle to relate to it because of its older cast and black-and-white color palette. 

Score: 6.5/10