2015 Golden Globe Predictions

With the booze-friendly and less tense Golden Globe Awards airing tomorrow evening, Greg Rouleau and I are once again throwing our hats into the prediction ring. Although the awards show doesn't carry the same clout as the Oscars, the Globes are always a good time thanks to their proven hosts, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, and their free flowing endless supply of alcohol that's guaranteed to lighten the mood. For a full list of Golden Globe Nominees, click here.

Smaller Categories

Best Animated Film: Dave & Greg - The Lego Movie

Best Foreign Film: Dave & Greg - Ida

Best Original Score: Dave - Antonio Sanchez - Birdman & Greg - Trent Reznor/ Atticus Ross - Gone Girl

Best Original Song: Dave & Greg - "Glory" - Selma

Best Motion Picture - Drama

The Civil Rights drama Selma and the Alan Turing biopic The Imitation Game are both serious players in this category as well, but Richard Linklater's beloved hit, Boyhood, will separate from the pack and set up a big-time Oscar showdown with the "Comedy" winner.

Predictions: Dave & Greg - Boyhood

Best Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical

A strange occurrence happened on the Golden Globes website the other day. Images appeared on the 2014 winners list for 2015 nominees Selma (drama) and Into the Woods. Many are wondering if this was the Globes mistakenly leaking the pair of Best Picture winners. I'd be surprised, however, as Birdman feels like one of the evening's safest bets here.

Predictions: Dave & Greg - Birdman

Best Actor - Drama

Similar to the Best Picture - Drama race, minus the final winner, Selma star David Oyelowo and The Imitation Game's Benedict Cumberbatch become the most likely to upset Eddie Redmayne's transformational role in The Theory of Everything. 

Predictions: Dave & Greg - Eddie Redmayne - The Theory of Everything

Best Actor - Comedy/Musical

The Grand Budapest Hotel's Ralph Fiennes is the longest of long shots to take down the widely assumed winner, Michael Keaton.

Predictions: Dave & Greg - Michael Keaton - Birdman

Best Actress - Drama

Rumor has it the Hollywood Foreign Press mailed the statue out to Julianne Moore months ago ... or at least they could have. There's zero chance of an upset here,

Predictions: Dave & Greg - Julianne Moore - Still Alice

Best Actress - Comedy/Musical

Amy Adams has a long documented history with the Golden Globes making her an intriguing selection here. However, Tim Burton's Big Eyes hasn't made anywhere near as big a splash in the early going of awards season as Into the Woods, giving Emily Blunt the slight edge.

Predictions: Dave & Greg - Emily Blunt - Into the Woods

Best Director

The Best Director race is an interesting one for a multitude of reasons. David Fincher (Gone Girl) and Wes Anderson (The Grand Budapest Hotel) were huge surprises in the final cut, making them feel like sneaky selections. Yet, the three headed race between Ava DuVernay (Selma), Alejandro G. Inarritu (Birdman) and Richard Linklater (Boyhood) is most likely to produce the winner. We would be surprised by any of the three.

Predictions: Dave - Richard Linklater - Boyhood
& Greg - Alejandro G. Inarritu - Birdman

Best Supporting Actor

Someone should tell the other four nominees that there's no need to prepare a speech. Quite possibly the most deserved winner in any category is J.K. Simmons' unbelievable supporting work in the critically acclaimed Sundance hit, Whiplash.

Predictions: Dave & Greg - J.K. Simmons - Whiplash

Best Supporting Actress

Another race that feels pretty locked up is the Best Supporting Actress competition, where Patricia Arquette should keep the momentum building for Boyhood's Oscar push. However, if a lot of categories start going to Birdman, there's a remote possibility of an upset here at the hands of Emma Stone.

Predictions: Dave & Greg - Patricia Arquette - Boyhood

Best Screenplay

The Grand Budapest Hotel has been a rare early-year release that has held firmly through the barrage of November and December Oscar hopefuls. Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness offer up a delightfully funny screenplay and one that could very well come away victorious. Yet, it's never safe to count out Birdman or Boyhood in any race.

Predictions: Dave - Inarritu, Giacobone, Dinelaris and Bo - Birdman
& Greg - Anderson and Guinness - The Grand Budapest Hotel

*** Be sure to tune in Sunday night to the Golden Globes for all of the laughs and tom-foolery that are guaranteed to transpire!

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American Sniper

Film: American Sniper

Starring: Bradley Cooper (American Hustle) and Sienna Miller (Foxcatcher)

Director: Clint Eastwood (Million Dollar Baby)

U.S. Release: January 16th, 2014 (Rated R)

Genre: Action

Runtime: 132 minutes


Every year a few prestigious titles hold off their general release until the last possible moment. Although most viewers won't be seeing Clint Eastwood's American Sniper until 2015 (me included), a late-December limited release in the Los Angeles and New York City markets only qualified the film for the upcoming Academy Awards in February. The reason for this is simple, many people believe there's a strategic advantage to being the freshest movie in a voting member's mind. And while no one will really know the impact until Oscar Nominations are handed out on Thursday, January 15th, the fact remains that American Sniper is a well-earned return to form for Eastwood.

Bradley Cooper stars as the war hero and patriot, Chris Kyle. After a stagnant life in the Texas rodeo prompted the 30 year old to join the Navy Seals and defend his country, Chris Kyle was deployed to Iraq where he collected more than 150 recorded sniper kills. But rather than the enormous number of Iraqi insurgents he murdered with pinpoint accuracy in order to protect his fellow officers, Chris was haunted by all the American casualties he failed to save.

It's an undeniable truth, war desensitizes you. But what can prepare someone for pinning the Navy Seal emblem on their chest and becoming a trained assassin in an endless war? Bradley Cooper gives his most valiant attempt at understanding such a person as he lives, breathes and transforms himself into Chris Kyle, the deadliest sniper in American history. Cooper's immensely dedicated performance is both cold and selfless all at the same time. I watched an interesting interview where Chris Kyle described the barrier between the typical American lifestyle and the battlefield. Much like Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men, Chris spoke about the every-day civilian's inability to process what goes on in a war zone. We could never really understand unless we experienced it, and perhaps that's what makes Cooper's performance so golden. He peels the layers of a character devoted to his country and guilt ridden while state-side in between tours, but aware of the war's crippling impact on his family life. This multi-dimensional story is brilliantly captured by Clint Eastwood, a director I've openly criticized after a lengthy decline in his quality of work. But much like a tough-love superior officer, I only offered my negative remarks towards Eastwood because of his illustrious history as a filmmaker. After the disappointing adapted musical, Jersey Boys, it was fair to say that Eastwood was capable of better. And with the upcoming general release of American Sniper, we're given a refreshing taste of his prior greatness.

Although American Sniper is a successful and tense action-drama, the feature suffers from a few detractors. Like many other recently adapted films, the source material is so expansive that it becomes impossible to transfer every aspect of the book to the big screen. Eastwood places the main focus on Chris Kyle's time in Iraq and, as a result, cuts a great deal of the Navy Seal's home life out of the script. Personally, I'm a fan of substance and story, so I would have gladly traded a majority of the constant gun fire and battlefield footage for a deeper insight into his personal life. Furthermore, some of the war-time scenes feel slightly unrealistic. Although a service member friend of mine assured me of more accuracy than I'd expect, witnessing Chris Kyle's personal phone calls to home while out on important assignments seemed both irresponsible and highly fabricated. However, an Oscar-worthy performance from Bradley Cooper and detailed direction from Clint Eastwood clearly overshadow the film's weaknesses.

With American Sniper you should expect a long-winded and slow-burning affair, regular staples in any Eastwood film. The repetitious cat-and-mouse struggle between Chris Kyle and a lethal Syrian sniper definitely over-extends itself as well. Yet, long after the credits roll,  Bradley Cooper's towering portrayal of a complex national hero will not be forgotten. The same goes for Chris Kyle's unselfish service to our country.


Stars: 3 stars out of 4

Grade: B

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Ant-Man (Teaser) and Demonic Trailers

As Marvel Studios continues its conquest of the entertainment world, we're given another intriguing superhero to latch on to. Paul Rudd stars as a con artist who accepts the responsibility of being Ant-Man, a hero armed with the unique ability to shrink in size, but increase in strength, in order to protect the world. Ant-Man boasts a particularly unusual team with comedy star Paul Rudd taking center stage and director Peyton Reed (Bring It On and Yes Man) at the helm. But after last year's surprise blockbuster hit, Guardians of the Galaxy, I'm open to giving a fair chance to anything that Marvel produces, Ant-Man is slated to reach theaters on July 17th, 2015.





Horror enthusiasts have latched onto their beloved niche director, James Wan (Saw and The Conjuring), who crafts another promising tale with Demonic. Although Wan's story has been carefully placed in the hands of director Will Canon, who helmed the clever 2010 indie film Brotherhood, anything with Wan's name attached is sure to attract an audience. Demonic follows a police office (The Purge: Anarchy's Frank Grillo) and psychologist (Prisoners' Maria Bello) who investigate the mysterious deaths of five people who were attempting to summon spirits. If this film is even half as good as The Conjuring, we're in for a real treat.

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2014's Most Overrated Movies

Today I'll be reminiscing over 2014 once again and pinpointing the year's most overrated and overblown features. A few days ago I compiled my list of 2014's Most Underrated Films and Overlooked Performances as well.

Now, staying focused on my current list, I always refer to 4 specific pieces of criteria. Two mainstream indicators for a film's quality reside in its critic evaluation percentage (courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes) and IMDB viewer score (where a "7.0" rating represents a strong film and the "8.0" range means its highly exceptional). My final two pieces of criteria for formulating my list are a film's Box Office Revenue and any award season accolades (i.e. Golden Globes, SAG and Critics Choice awards). So here they are, 2014's Most Overrated Films of the Year!

Honorable Mention: The Equalizer (7.3 rating on IMDB and grossed north of $100 million), The Maze Runner and its infuriating ending (7.0 rating on IMDB and grossed north of $100 million), and Selma, a presumed Oscar contender that's already been recognized by the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards. Despite giving the Civil Rights drama a slightly above-average grade (mainly for its performances and direction), its 100% critic approval and outpouring of love is way overblown.

#5. Edge of Tomorrow

I remember walking out of the movie theater completely on the fence with the Live.Die.Repeat action thriller, Edge of Tomorrow. After taking the night to sleep on it, I woke up still feeling unsatisfied with the film's ending. This Tom Cruise sci-fi flick lands on my overrated list not because it's an awful movie, but more so because of the public perception surrounding the film. With a 90% critic approval, an unfathomable 8.0 rating on IMDB, a box office north of the $100 million plateau and a Best Action Film nomination by the Critics Choice Awards, there are plenty of reasons to think Edge of Tomorrow needs to be knocked off its high horse. 

#4. Into the Woods

As stated in my recent review of the Oscar-hopeful Broadway musical adaptation, Into the Woods, the film's a tale of two halves. The first being an enjoyable and enchanting genre-blend, while the second portion is as unbearable as nails being scraped along a chalkboard. Into the Woods is by no means Best Picture material, but the film has performed well in the early going of awards season after being recognized at each of the Golden Globes, SAG and the Critics Choice Awards. With a 71% critic approval and a box office that's on its way to $100 million, Into the Woods hasn't warranted any of its accomplishments.

#3. Godzilla

One of 2014's most anticipated blockbusters also turned out to be its most disappointing. It isn't hard to believe that hordes of people swarmed to theaters to catch the monster destruction movie, enough to land Godzilla's box office total north of $200 million. What's more shocking is the film's 74% critic approval. Especially considering the fact that we're only given about 10 minutes of face time with the title character! The majority of the action movie centers around the human characters' story lines, none of which are that thrilling. Needless to say, Godzilla was one of 2014's biggest busts.

#2. Unbroken

Once upon a time, Angelina Jolie's account of Louis Zamperini's heroic journey was believed to be "the film to beat" in the Oscar race. However, Unbroken, justifiably opened to middling critic reviews and now its awards season hopes are in some serious jeopardy. In one of the most polarizing films in recent memory, Unbroken has a fair share of supports (evident by the movie's solid  7.3 viewer rating on IMDB). Yet, drowned in religious undertones and obsessed with physical brutality, Jolie's offering is barely enjoyable. Unbroken has been recognized by the Critics Choice Awards and it's on its way to crossing the $100 million mark, making the one-time Oscar favorite a highly overrated inclusion on my list.

#1. 22 Jump Street

Despite my counterpart's (guest-writer Greg Rouleau) glowing review of the action-comedy sequel, 22 Jump Street, I actually found the follow-up to be mildly entertaining at best. 84% of critics approved, its box office fell just short of an astounding $200 million and the film even captured a few nominations from the Critics Choice Awards. Obviously, there is plenty of love being thrown around for the overly self-aware and minimally funny action-comedy, enough to land 22 Jump Street as my most overrated film of the year. The first installment used cleverly developed jokes to aid its leading pair of immature officers to comedy glory. However, this extremely anticipated sequel took all of the original's glowing attributes and outstretched them to ridiculous lengths in a self mocking and pretentious manner. I was hoping for a lot more than what 22 Jump Street actually delivered.

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The Ultimate 2015 Movie Preview

The turn of the calendar year represents a new beginning and, in the world of cinema, there’s no difference. This early on it’s always impossible to predict which film will be the biggest summer blockbuster (who would have guessed Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014?) or which drama will capture Oscar glory when it’s all said and done. But one thing is for sure, these are the 2015 films definitely worth keeping an eye on.

Coming Soon

Focus (Feb 27): It’s not typical to see Will Smith outside of his usual summer or holiday season tent-poles, but a breezy rom-com/action-thriller seems like a strong fit for the mega star at this point in his career.  The directing team of Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (Crazy, Stupid, Love) tell the story of a con man that becomes romantically involved with his protégé – played by the entrancing Margot Robbie (The Wolf of Wall Street).

Chappie (Mar 6): Neill Blomkamp thrilled audiences with his 2009 directorial debut, District 9, only to follow it up with the middling 2013 effort, Elysium. In a relatively quick turn-around Blomkamp returns this March with the intriguing prospect, Chappie, which follows an ever-developing robot possessing the human-like abilities to both think and feel for itself.

In the Heart of the Sea (Mar 13): The first trailer for Ron Howard’s high seas adventure story was mighty impressive.  After an impressive last outing with Chris Hemsworth in Rush, the director is once again back with the Aussie, with Cillian Murphy also along for the ride.  The film portrays the tumultuous journey of the Essex whale-ship and the crew – as well as their encounter with a giant sperm whale that inspired the story of Moby Dick.

The Gunman (Mar 20): Sean Penn, Javier Bardem and Idris Elba star in this action-thriller, from the director of the first Taken, about an international operative (Penn) and his attempt to settle down with his longtime love, whilst trying to clear his name from the organization he works for.

Child 44 (Apr 17): This thriller will be the fourth film to star both Tom Hardy and Gary Oldman in as many years.  Adapted from the 2008 novel of the same name, Hardy plays MGB agent Leo Demidov who investigates the brutal child murders taking place during the Stalin-run Soviet Union.  Noomi Rapace, Vincent Cassel, and Jason Clarke also star.



Age of Adaline (Apr 24): Think Curious Case of Benjamin Button meets Nicholas Sparks – that’s exactly the vibe the trailer for this romantic sci-fi drama gives off.  Blake Lively stars as a woman who becomes immortal after an accident, and stays the same age for nearly eight decades.  After meeting a possible “Mr. Right”, his parents, played by Harrison Ford and Kathy Baker, believe they recognize her from their youth and threaten to reveal her secret.

BLOCKBUSTERS

Avengers: Age of Ultron (May 1): When you have the sequel to the highest-grossing non-James Cameron movie of all-time, little needs to be said to elevate the hype.  The biggest question is will audiences eat this up like the first one? Or is superhero fatigue finally setting in with the masses? Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Andy Serkis and James Spader (as the voice of Ultron) join the already star-studded cast.

Tomorrowland (May 22): Brad Bird reportedly turned down directing Star Wars: Episode 7 for this movie, so obviously he felt strongly about the story that was written by himself and Damon Lindelof of Lost.  A teaser debuted in October, narrated by star George Clooney, which shows a young girl discovering a pin that transports her to another world where she can seemingly alter the future.  With it’s family-friendly story it seems like this could be a sleeper for a solid box-office run amidst the major franchises of the summer season.



Jurassic World (Jun 12):  Executive producer Steven Spielberg dropped hints of this film’s development around the time of the fourth Indiana Jones, and nearly a decad later the project has finally found the right story and director.  Colin Trevorrow who helmed the acclaimed indie, Safety Not Guaranteed has been given the task of breathing new life into this storied franchise and red-hot Chris Pratt is in the lead role with Bryce Dallas Howard in support.  The first trailer looked promising, even if a little too reliant on CGI, and we’ll have to see how they handle the new lab-created dinosaur terror, but it should be a fun trip back to the park.

Spectre (Nov 6): While initially met with some trepidation and controversy, it’s difficult to argue the success of Daniel Craig as James Bond.  Quantum of Solace aside, both Casino Royale and Skyfall were welcomed additions into the franchise, and Skyfall set box-office records and even threatened to nudge its way into the Oscar race.  Expectations are high with Sam Mendes once again behind the camera; we’ll also see Christoph Waltz and Dave Bautista in villain roles, and Monica Bellucci takes on the role of the obligatory Bond girl.



Star Wars 7 (Dec 18): Another film that isn’t lacking at all in the hype department is the latest addition to the Star Wars franchise, sub-titled The Force Awakens.  Fans rejoiced as George Lucas announced he’d be handing over the reins to Disney and JJ Abrams settled in as the director for the first installment. While the prequel trilogy was a box-office success, it was much maligned by critics and fans due to the addition of unwelcomed characters and an overabundant use of CGI.  Abrams has promised to use more practical special effects this time around.  Details of the story are still being kept quiet, but fans will see the major stars of the original trilogy as well as some fresh faces in key roles.  I’ll remain cautiously optimistic about this one, even if it doesn’t reach the heights of episodes 4-6, it’ll be tough not to outdo episodes 1-3.

More Blockbusters: Furious 7, Mad Max: Fury Road, San Andreas, Terminator: Genisys, Ant-Man, Fantastic Four, Jungle Book, Mission Impossible 5

Comedies

Spy (May 22): Spy will be the third collaboration between director Paul Feig and star, Melissa McCarthy, following Bridesmaids and The Heat.  McCarthy has had a disappointing run recently with some critically panned efforts, but perhaps this comedic take on a CIA agent forced to go undercover can get her back to the heights of her Oscar nominated turn in Bridesmaids.

Untitled Cameron Crowe Movie (May 29): The upcoming, still untitled Cameron Crowe movie was one of the subjects of the recent hacked Sony emails, with executive Amy Pascal apparently unimpressed by the project’s development.  It was once set to be released Christmas 2014, but was pushed back to May to finish work on it.  Bradley Cooper stars as a military contractor who becomes caught in a love triangle with Emma Stone and Rachel McAdams.  It’s been a while since we’ve had a great Cameron Crowe movie and while hopes may not be high for this one, let’s keep our fingers crossed it’s somewhat of a return to form.

Trainwreck (Jul 17): No story details have emerged about latest from director Judd Apatow, but with a script co-written by Amy Schumer and an extremely long and impressive cast list, we could be looking at the comedy of the summer, hopefully.  Some of the names in that ensemble include the talented Brie Larson, Ezra Miller and Captain Phillips’ Barkhad Abdi.

Vacation (Oct 9): The Griswold’s are back and all grown up, as Rusty Griswold (Ed Helms) now the patriarch of his own family set off on their own vacation adventure.  Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo will make an appearance, at least.  Chris Hemsworth, Charlie Day and Christina Applegate star as well.  

Jon Levine Christmas Eve Movie (Nov 25): Jon Levine directed one of the finest films of 2011, 50/50, and his next project finds him back with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen, so suffice to say this one will be on my must-see list.  The untitled movie will see three friends setting out to find the best Christmas party in New York City, hijinks and hilarity ensue, I’m sure.

More Comedies: Rock the Kasbah, Entourage, Magic Mike XXL, Pitch Perfect 2, Ted 2, The Man from U.N.C.L.E, Goosebumps, The Intern

Oscar Hopefuls

Black Mass (Sep 18): For Johnny Depp, it’s been a long line of Jack Sparrows’ and Tim Burton roles over the past decade.  Even his attempts to do something more serious have been one critically panned, box-office failure after another.  So with Scott Cooper, who directed Jeff Bridges to an Oscar in his first feature as director, maybe Black Mass will be the start of a much needed “Deppaissance”, in the vein of Matthew McConaughey.  Depp plays Whitey Bulger, criminal turned informant, in a cast that also features Benedict Cumberbatch, Sienna Miller and Corey Stoll.

The Walk (Oct 2): Robert Zemeckis finally returned to live-action with 2012’s Flight, and his follow-up to the Oscar nominated drama is the story of French high-wire artist, Phillipe Petit, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and details his famous tightrope walk between the Twin Towers, in 1974.  The feat was the subject of a documentary, Man on Wire, which also won the Oscar for Best Documentary in 2009.

Untitled Spielberg Cold War Thriller (Oct 16): Spielberg directing a period-thriller, written by the Coen Brothers, with Tom Hanks in the lead? Take my money.  The last Spielberg effort in this genre was my beloved Munich, and Tom Hanks has been churning out some consistent, quality work as of late, too.  Some feel Spielberg’s best days are behind him, but I have a strong feeling that the auteur can still pull out at least one more classic in the twilight of his career, if this movie is that, remains to be seen.

Hateful Eight (Nov 15): Controversy surrounded the new feature from Quentin Tarantino earlier this year, when the leaked script prompted the director to cease production.  After a few months and a live table read of a first draft, Tarantino decided to resume production and he filled out his cast with frequent collaborators, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Madsen and Tim Roth.  Bruce Dern and Channing Tatum have also been cast in roles.  The Hateful Eight continues the director's tour of the Western genre and if it’s anything like his last effort, Django Unchained, we’ll be in for a treat come November.

By the Sea (No release date): Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken may not have been the awards juggernaut in was once thought to be, but she’ll have another chance again this year, this time with husband Brad Pitt in tow. Unlike Unbroken, Jolie wrote the screenplay for By the Sea and while details about the drama are scarce, the plot seems to be focused on a vacationing couple attempting to revive their marriage.

Midnight Special (Nov 25): *Taken from our 2014 preview, before being pushed to 2015* Jeff Nichols is certainly a young director worth keeping an eye on.  Mud and Take Shelter are a pair of great, underrated films and he follows them up with a story about a father and son on the run after they learn of the child’s special powers.  Starring Kirsten Dunst, Joel Edgerton and Nichols' movie regular, Michael Shannon.

Joy (Dec 25): David O. Russell will once again be back with a late year release, starring Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper. The premise sounds like it could be a strong showcase for Lawrence, which is the story of a Long Island single mom who becomes an entrepreneur after inventing the Miracle Mop.  O. Russell’s last three films have been nominated for a total of 25 Oscars, including three Best Director nods, so we’ll see this holiday season if Joy can add to that remarkable total.

The Revenant (Dec 25 ): Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.  If you’re not familiar with this director by now, his profile will only get higher over the next year.  The director is seemingly a lock for a Best Director nod for his 2014 black comedy, Birdman, and could take home multiple awards for his innovative direction.  Later this year, his next feature finds him directing Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy in what will once again put the director back in the awards conversation.  DiCaprio stars as Hugh Glass, a frontiersman, who treks cross-country, seeking vengeance on his enemies after being mauled by a grizzly bear.  Certainly a nice change of pace for Inarritu, and the question that always looms with every subsequent DiCaprio role, will this be the one to finally bring him the Oscar?

More Oscar Hopefuls:  Silence, Triple Nine, Knight of Cups, Carol, Regression, Sicario, Crimson Peak, Everest, The Martian, Sea of Trees


*** A special thanks to Reel True owner and guest writer extraordinaire, Greg Rouleau, for all his work on this piece.

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Unbroken

"If you can take it, you can make it."

Those words of exhortation come from Louis Zamperini's older brother, Pete, when the two sons of Italian immigrants are still in high school. But it turns out Louis will need to cling to Pete's counsel again and again throughout the excruciating trials that soon pile painfully upon him.

Bullies menace Louis in high school, resulting in fights he gets blamed for. It's a volatile situation, especially when combined with his penchant for smoking and drinking. But Pete's seen how fast Louis runs from teenage thugs and school administrators, so he encourages his little bro to join the track team … even offering to help him train.

Turns out Louis is fast. Really fast. As in, the fastest high school distance runner in America. Before he knows it, the so-called Torrance Tornado is competing in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, where he turns in a record time on the last lap of his race. Louis dreams of competing again in the 1940 Olympics in Tokyo. And he does make it to Tokyo … but hardly how he'd hoped.

World War II scuttles those Games, and Louis winds up as the bombardier on a B-24 Liberator in the Pacific—a plane that earned the nickname of Flying Coffin. That moniker proves prophetic when the engines on Louis' bomber fail, prompting his friend (and the plane's pilot) Russell "Phil" Phillips, to ditch it.

Louis, Phil and another airman named Mac are the only survivors. They lash two life rafts together … and begin marking time and praying for rescue as they strive to stave off starvation and sharks. Mac dies 33 days in. Two weeks after that—47 days after crashing in the ocean—Louis and Phil are rescued … by the Japanese.

Their rescue-turned-capture begins a two-year ordeal for Louis (who's soon separated from Phil) in three different POW camps: one near where they're captured, another near Tokyo and a third far to the north. In the last two camps, Louis and his fellows must endure not only the degradation of being prisoners of war, but the sadistic cruelty of Mutsushiro Watanabe, a monstrous man the Americans call "The Bird."

Beaten and humiliated time and again over the course of two years, Louis takes refuge in memories of his mother's prayers, his friend Phil's faith and those powerful, guiding words of his older brother:

"If you can take it, you can make it."

GENRE
Drama, War
CAST
Jack O'Connell as Louis Zamperini; C.J. Valleroy as Young Louis Zamperini; Domhnall Gleeson as Russell Allen 'Phil' Phillips; Finn Wittrock as Francis 'Mac' McNamara; Alex Russell as Pete Zamperini; John D'Leo as Young Pete Zamperini; Vincenzo Amato as Anthony Zamperini; Maddalena Ischiale as Louise Zamperini; Takamasa Ishihara as Mutsushiro 'The Bird' Watanabe
DIRECTOR
Angelina Jolie (In the Land of Blood and Honey)
DISTRIBUTOR
Universal Pictures
IN THEATERS
December 25, 2014

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DVD Outlook: January 2015

Let me begin by wishing a Happy New Year to everyone! December brought us a fantastic reunion with some of the summer's most notable action blockbusters, while this month we'll dive deep into some worthwhile Oscar contenders. As we continue down the path to the Academy Awards, the big-named October and November theatrical releases want their films delivered to the masses to generate a stir. That means January will be the perfect month to catch some of the year's best films, and I'm not exaggerating.




Boyhood - 3 and a half stars out of 4 - (Read my full review here)

It's impossible for me to add to the long list of compliments that Richard Linklater's Boyhood has received, A huge part of me believes that this cinematic achievement will walk away with the Best Picture crown at February's Academy Awards, and it would be well deserved. Filmed in bits and pieces over the course of 12 long years, Linklater presents Boyhood, a groundbreaking coming-of-age tale where you literally watch Mason (played by Ellar Coltrane) grow before your very eyes. From the ages of 5 to 18, Mason is molded into a young man by his experiences growing up with a single mother (Patricia Arquette) who struggles to provide a stable environment for her family. Boyhood is a revolutionary film, like nothing you've ever seen before. Catch Richard Linklater's impressive feat before it claims Oscar Gold in February. (January 6th)




Gone Girl - 3 and a half stars out of 4 - (Read full review here)

That David Fincher is something else. The heralded director can do wonders with a dark-themed script, and Gillian Flynn's novel, Gone Girl, gave Fincher the perfect platform to work his magic. Ben Affleck stars as Nick Dunne, a husband who returns home to a frightening scene and who's unable to locate his wife Amy (Rosamund Pike). After notifying the police of her disappearance, all the clues begin to point to Nick as he becomes the primary suspect. Cluttered with phenomenal performances from top to bottom, including what should be a first-time Oscar Nomination for Rosamund Pike's unbelievable work, Gone Girl is an earth-shattering thrill ride that will leave you sleeping next to your significant other with one eye open, As a fringe player in the Best Picture race, Gone Girl is one of the year's finest films whether it makes the cut or not. (January 13th)




The Drop - 3 stars out of 4 - (Read my full review here)

Let me be frank and give warning that Michael Roskam's The Drop is a noticeable step down from the awards season quality of the films mentioned above. But that disclaimer aside, Tom Hardy gives another underrated performance as bartender Bob Saginowski, who finds himself at the center of a robbery late one morning. Just trying to do what's right in a dark underworld filled with many dangerous people, Bob and his cousin Marv (James Gandolfini) find difficulty escaping their past, present and future in this slow-burning character study. If you go in expecting a full-fledged gangster movie, you'll be sorely disappointed. Instead, savor The Drop for Hardy's exceptional performance and the end of James Gandolfini's onscreen legacy. And by the film's unforeseen conclusion, you'll be thankful that you did. (January 20th)


Honorable Mention: There are a handful of adored films I haven't had the opportunity to see. First up is the World War II saga, Fury (1/27), starring Brad Pitt and Logan Lerman. Also, the Sundance selection  Love is Strange (1/13) follows two older homosexual gentlemen who face serious hardships after they're finally granted the legal right to marry. In what feels like yet another slight deviation from his character in Taken, Liam Neeson stars in the dark crime drama A Walk Among the Tombstones (1/13). Scarlett Johnasson and Morgan Freeman star in the action sci-fi Lucy (1/20), and Robert Duvall has Oscar hopes for his role in The Judge (1/27). Finally, there's a trio of additional movies out this month that I can offer the scoop on. My blog featured a guest review concerning the James Brown biopic, Get on Up (1/6), I was extremely put off by the ineffective melodrama Men, Women & Children (1/13), and fans of 80s B-horror flicks can find some over the top enjoyment in The Guest (1/6).

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Poll Question Results: December 2014

After Google struggled to clean up some glitches with its polling gadget here on blogger, I deviated from the popular attraction for about a year. It seems that the kinks have been worked out and I've brought back the fan-friendly Poll Question of the Month. For December of 2014, I posed the question, "Which Best Picture (Oscar) Contender is Most Overrated", and the results are finally in.

By a narrow margin, the artistic and critically adored film, Birdman (33% of votes), edged out the competition. Close behind was my favorite film of 2014, Foxcatcher, which earned 27% of votes. David Fincher's Gone Girl and the Stephen Hawking biopic, The Theory of Everything, were knotted up with 17% of votes a piece. Finally, Richard Linklater's Boyhood rounded out the choices and received only 5% of votes.

Be sure to check out January's Poll Question of the Month (located in the top right-hand corner of the page) and cast a vote regarding your favorite Bradley Cooper film.

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The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death

A bunch of London children are packed up and shipped off to a huge house in the country for safekeeping during World War II. And once there, they find something rather unexpected. 

Sounds a little like the beginning of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, doesn't it? Except there's no magical wardrobe ready to spirit curious kiddos off to a nifty land named Narnia in this tale—just a creepy old cellar, a supposedly locked nursery and lots of disturbing playthings. There's no lion, either. But a witch? Oh, yes. There's a witch.

No white witch, this one, but a mysterious, ghoulish figure who skulks through the house dressed all in black. She died in the house some time ago, but her sadness and hate make her linger. And she does love little children—to death. She'd like nothing more than have this new busload of little ones stay with her ... forever.

GENRE

Drama, Mystery/Suspense, Horror

CAST

Phoebe Fox as Eve Parkins; Helen McCrory as Jean Hogg; Jeremy Irvine as Harry Burnstow; Oaklee Pendergast as Edward; Adrian Rawlins as Dr. Rhodes; Amelia Pidgeon as Joyce; Jude Wright as Tom; Leanne Best as The Woman in Black

DIRECTOR

Tom Harper

DISTRIBUTOR

Relativity Media

IN THEATERS

January 2, 2015

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American Sniper

They call him the Legend.

You wouldn't necessarily know it by looking at him. He's not eight feet tall or covered in jangling medals—just a burly ol' cowboy with a baseball cap and Texas drawl. But put him behind a sniper rifle, and Chris Kyle is war-torn Iraq's own avenging angel—a hand of judgment laid heavy on the enemy. With a perch on a rooftop and a finger on a trigger, he wields the power of life and death. A man runs into the street with a grenade, threatening the American troops below? Crack. Thoomp. A small spray of blood and one life is gone while others are saved.

It's harsh work, but no one does it better. The real-life Chris Kyle racked up more than 160 confirmed kills and probably hundreds more. He was so lethal that insurgents slapped an $80,000 bounty on his head and dubbed him the Devil of Ramadi. Not that Chris was phased by their threats: He signed up for four tours of duty and seemed, at times, invulnerable. He thrived in those Iraqi deserts, at home in the heat.

But in this movie from Clint Eastwood, it was home that felt dangerous to Chris. It was home that was dangerous.

GENRE

Drama, War

CAST

Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle; Sienna Miller as Taya Renae Kyle; Brian Hallisay as Captain Gillespie; Luke Grimes as Marc Lee; Jake McDorman as Ryan Job; Max Charles as Colton Kyle; Kyle Gallner as Winston; Keir O'Donnell as Jeff Kyle

DIRECTOR

Clint Eastwood (Jersey Boys, J. Edgar, Hereafter, Invictus, Gran Torino, Changeling, Letters from Iwo Jima, Flags of Our Fathers, Million Dollar Baby, Mystic River)

DISTRIBUTOR

Warner Bros.

IN THEATERS

December 25, 2014

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Exodus: Gods and Kings

The gods? Pish. Moses can do without 'em.

In the ancient Egypt reconstructed here by famed film director Ridley Scott—where rivers, rocks and rising suns all have their own personal deities, where the pharaoh Seti scrutinizes animal organs for omens—Moses puts his faith in himself and his own strong right arm. As one of Seti's most trusted generals, he knows full well the challenges facing this riverfront empire: Neither Amun nor Osiris nor any other deity is going to save the Egyptian people from the Hittites. Moses and his princely stepbrother, Ramses, at the front of the Egyptian army, stand a better chance of protecting the kingdom than a handful of goose guts. 

So when a priestess uncovers an omen in some entrails—that in an upcoming battle a leader will be saved, and the savior will lead—Moses shrugs it off. And even when he does rescue Ramses from impending doom, he takes pains to minimize it. Prophecy, schmophecy.

Not Ramses, though. Even though the prince loves Moses like the brother he grows up to be, the foretelling now makes him a foe. And when Ramses hears rumors that Moses might not be Egyptian at all—that he could be, of all things, a Hebrew, one of those who were enslaved by the Egyptians 400 years earlier—Ramses knows that Moses will have to go.

Ridley's Ramses exiles Moses to the wastelands beyond the Nile, where Moses eventually finds Jethro and his fair daughters in the land of Midian. There, he finds a wife (Zipporah), a new life (as a shepherd) … and a new God to deal with. Moses' own son points to a mountain and tells him that it's sacred. "God's mountain," he says. And when Moses hesitates to accept, Zipporah chastises him for confusing the child.

"Is it good for a boy to grow up believing in nothing?" She asks him.

"Is it bad to grow up believing in yourself?" Moses retorts.

But when a few sheep scamper up this sacred hill and Moses runs after them, something happens to shake his agnosticism. He gets knocked around and knocked out by a landslide. And when he comes to, he sees a burning bush. Beside it, a child—a child who talks as no child should.

"Who are you?" Moses asks.

"I Am," the child tells him.

Moses told himself that he wanted nothing to do with all those gods. But it seems that God may want something to do with him.

GENRE

Drama, Action/Adventure, War

CAST

Christian Bale as Moses; Joel Edgerton as Ramses; Aaron Paul as Joshua; John Turturro as Seti; Maria Valverde as Zipporah; Isaac Andrews as Malak; Ben Kingsley as Nun, Sigourney Weaver as Tuya

DIRECTOR

Ridley Scott (The Counselor, Prometheus, Robin Hood, Body of Lies, American Gangster, A Good Year, Kingdom of Heaven, Matchstick Men, Black Hawk Down, Hannibal, Gladiator)

DISTRIBUTOR

20th Century Fox

IN THEATERS

December 12, 2014

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