"Sicario" is a raw labyrinth of grit and surprises. This film is a python of suspense. Just when you think the film can't squeeze you any tighter, it chokes you even more. It resets the bar as the best and finest film on drug warfare that Hollywood has ever attempted. "Sicario" is steely, seedy, scary, and jarring in its underlying social and political commentary to bore that out. It's the kind of film that will make you never want to visit Mexico or live in Arizona or Texas.
Read MoreLike all of the failed live-action fairy tale remakes, the two largest missing components are restraint and charm. The timeless stories being attempted by films like "Pan" have no idea how to let a good narrative flow build or a poignant moment breathe before stepping to the next unrelenting set piece. The original written sources of these films have that restraint and quality. Blasts of action and sound have replaced subtle imagery and brevity. "Pan" lacks any and all charm to enamor the audience into what made Barrie's tale lovable and enchanting. Charm is replaced by dissonance and pandering.
Read MoreSimply put, "The Martian" from director Ridley Scott and headlining star Matt Damon, is a great survival film. It strikes all of those aforementioned chords of survival essence and entertainment. Giving it the easy labels of "Castaway in Space," "Robinson Crusoe: Astronaut," "Interstellar without Nolanism," "Apollo 13 on Mars," or "The Next Gravity" sells it too short. "The Martian" doesn't need to borrow anything from those five notable survival film stories and can stand confidently aside, or even above them, as an exemplar all its own in the genre. Meet what is sure to go down as one of 2015's best films.
Read MoreThe definition of "marvel" can be given as a noun or a verb. As a noun, it means "something that causes wonder, admiration, or astonishment." When used as a verb, marvel means "to wonder of be curious about." Several aspects about the true story behind "The Walk" spell out both definitions of marvel. Just hearing about the daredevil feat orchestrated by Frenchman Philippe Petit, walking for an hour on a high-wire 110 stories up across the former twin towers of the World Trade Center, evokes a "He did what?!" head-turning reaction where you acknowledge the wonderment and want to learn more. While not perfect, "The Walk" astonishes enough visually bringing this historic stunt to life to captivate movie-going audiences.
Read MoreAccording to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the most basic two-part definition of the word "identity" is "who someone is" and "the qualities, beliefs, etc. that make a particular person or group different from others." That notion of identity speaks to both our distinguishing physical appearance and persona on the outside as well as our internal soul, thoughts, preferences, and desires. In 2015, a captivating year where our own country has legalized same sex marriage and the introduction of Caitlyn Jenner set off shockwaves, our society is coming around to learning and understanding that not all identities fit into the usual two check-boxes of "male" and "female." We are witnessing the emerging battle for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) equality right before our eyes.
Read MoreMarketed like a thrilling disaster film yet playing like a respectful drama, "Everest" is still carries the sheen of every other Hollywood mountain climbing movie while offering enough of a eulogistic history lesson to be respectful of its true story. Based on the real 1996 events documented in Jon Krakauer's massively best-selling novel "Into Thin Air," astute viewers who know how it will all end will still be engaged and entertained through the cliches. Director Baltasar Kormakur veils the seams of Hollywood dramatization enough to not sour the experience.
Read MoreNot to put on the school teacher hat, but let's pose a few questions and directions. Raise your hand if Johnny Depp has let you down since 2003 when he hit the big time playing Captain Jack Sparrow and became a caricature instead of an actor? Alright. That's most of you. Now, how many times did he let you down? Twice? Five times? More than five? Wow. That's still a lot of hands. Last question, how many of you miss Johnny Depp, The Actor who made us marvel as a serious performer back in films like "Blow" and "Donnie Brasco" Yup, that's everyone. Rest assured, class, "Black Mass" is here.
Read MoreSometimes, the best documentaries aren't about stirring victories, historic successes, or heroic people. Sometimes, the best documentaries are about losers, accidental stardom, hubris, and horrible people. We are equally fascinated by a trainwreck as much as we are a space shuttle launch, maybe even more so. The captivation and interest factor doesn't wain. That's the draw of the new documentary "Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films." It makes a trainwreck fascinating.
Read MoreJoe Swanberg is a leader of the "mumblecore" movement, which primarily employs naturalistic everyday settings with improvisational dialogue and a loose story structure. Such an approach has been found to be a double-edged sword of open-endedness. Either it's fresh and interesting enough to keep you guessing or it's maddeningly lost and too unstructured for not really coming to a conclusion or making a point. This film adds another miss to the list for Swanberg. This writer loves what he stands for, but hates the underwhelming results.
Read MorePlaying concurrently in limited theatrical release and on Video On Demand outlets after debuting at January's Sundance Film Festival, "Z for Zachariah" is based on Robert C. O'Brien's 1974 novel of the same name. Written in the form of a diary during the paranoid peak of the 1970's, the post-apocalyptic novel reverberated with tension and clashes of survival. Even with a trio of talented actors that turn heads, you would never know such crackle existed from the resulting film that falls flat at every turn.
Read MoreUPDATED: September 11, 2015 with updated and new movie inclusions (after original post on the 10th anniversary in 2011) and a new section of faded and relaxed sensitivity. I plan to make this an annual post and study.
Read More"Before We Go" premiered in the special presentation undercard section of the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival and got a second public look at the 2015 Seattle International Film Festival. It landed on Video on Demand in July and finally gets a chance to shine in a limited theatrical release starting on September 4. Borrowing way too much from the "Before..." series works of Richard Linklater to be a flattering mild homage or influence, "Before We Go" is a cute, approachable, yet flawed romantic comedy. The weak chemistry can't match an innate charm to honor its simple premise.
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