Cinderella Review Grade: B+

Release date: 3/13/15
Rating: PG
Directed by: Kenneth Branagh
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Lily James, Richard Madden, Helena Bonham Carter, Nonso Anozie, Stellan Skarsgard, Sophie McShera, Holliday Grainger
Synopsis: "When her father unexpectedly passes away, young Ella finds herself at the mercy of her cruel stepmother and her daughters. Never one to give up hope, Ella's fortunes begin to change after meeting a dashing stranger."--IMDb.com




Overall:

So, Disney's new live action adaptation of Cinderella is sort of pointless. It has nothing new to say. It lacks the clever, feminist believability of its other live action counterpart, Ever After and doesn't quite have the same magical charm of the original 1950's animation. It's a pretty straightforward rehashing of the famous fairytale. 

But, that doesn't mean its not a fun movie to watch. 


Kenneth Branagh's vision is big and sweeping and pretty to look at. He infuses the classic (and apparently ancient) fairytale with his own little touches of Shakespearean drama; we see at least two cases of concealed identities (a favorite plot device of the Bard) and there's a lot of focus on parents dying. There's an undeniable Christian influence as well. Cinderella is very much a Christ like figure: she's loving, generous and forgiving, almost to a fault (like in her last scene of dialogue with her stepmother). With modern sensibilities in mind, a good chunk of the film is spent giving the main characters richer, more complex backstories. While most of the focus falls on our amiable heroine's ludicrously happy childhood, the prince  gets a chance to be fleshed out as well. He even has a few surprisingly touching scenes with his father. The complexities feel a little underwhelming when it comes to the evil stepmother though (not for lack of trying on Cate Blanchett's part). A brief attempt is made to humanize her but its abandoned before it blossoms into anything serious. 

Overall, Cinderella is more enjoyable than you might expect. Yes, it hits you over the head with its redundant message to "be kind and have courage" but, if you're in the mood for a little cheesy Disney romance, it makes for a genuinely entertaining film. 

Sophie McShera, Cate Blanchett and Holliday Grainger as Cinderella's step family.

The Acting:

The film's success is mostly due to its cast; without them it would feel cartoonish. Leading the pack is the ever graceful Lily James. Most actresses couldn't pull off her character's bubblegum sweetness and still be so likable. It's not all sparkly dresses and pumpkins though; James gives her Cinderella an inner strength and resilience, something the film doesn't play up nearly enough. Richard Madden fits the role of dashing royalty (a skill perfected during his Game of Thrones days, no doubt) with ease and gives him some much needed personality. Cate Blanchett remains impressive, as always. She's quite adept at portraying villains by now, especially ones that need to convey a wide range of emotions (see: Hanna). Helena Bonham Carter does her best "Helena Bonham Carter". She's as much a scene stealer as you'd expect her to be and it's a shame she's not in more of the film (it was jarring to see her in a blond wig and poofy dress though).

Richard Madden as the prince.

Best scene: 
Cinderella and the Prince's first meeting in the woods. It's obnoxiously cute but the chemistry is there. It will leave you grinning (and swooning over Madden's eyes!) like a Cheshire Cat in the dark.
Runner up scene: the transformation of the pumpkin.
Also: My favorite running gag of the film was that hilarious goose.



To see or not to see: See it! Sit back and enjoy the pretty cheesiness.


Grade: B+





Watch the trailer:

Best of 2014: My top 15 movies of the year

DISCLAIMER: I am just a regular, broke 25 year old, not a professional member of the press or anything. My access to the numerous films of 2014 was limited to what my Netflix account and/or a local movie theater was showing at matinee price. There are several films out there that given the time and the money, I'm sure I would have enjoyed. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get to them all.




My Top 15 Films of 2014:

15. Under the Skin (Jonathan Glazer)
Under the Skin is one of those movies that audiences will either love or hate. For some, it will bore them to death (just check out the film's numerous scathing reviews on Amazon). A majority of the film has no dialogue and much of the plot is pretty ambiguous. For others, it will stick out as one of the most memorable films they've ever seen. Under the Skin is a strange and intriguing story of seduction, alienation and sympathy. It's a subliminal exploration of what it means to be human. Scarlett Johansson mesmerizes as a beautiful extraterrestrial being set out to ensnare young, lonely men in Scotland, like a spider to her web. Under the Skin really lives up to its name; I still can't get a couple of the film's darker and more disturbing images (specifically the baby on the beach and the last scene in the woods) out of my head.



Watch the trailer here.
Available to stream on Amazon Prime and to rent on VUDU and Google Play.

14. Gone Girl (David Fincher)
Gone Girl proved that good, old fashioned adult thrillers could still be a big box office hit. The film isn't especially moving or poignant but my god, is it entertaining. Tightly filmed, paced and acted (especially by Rosamund Pike), Gone Girl is a movie clearly made by professionals. It's a great companion piece to Gillian Flynn's riveting novel of the same name.


Watch the trailer here.
In theaters now, available on dvd 1/13/15.

13. The Skeleton Twins (Craig Johnson)
This under the radar drama/dark comedy about two seriously messed up siblings really stood out thanks to the beautiful chemistry between Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig. The film wouldn't have worked without them and a lesser team of actors would have drowned in the never-ending depressing secrets. The film does have some light hearted moments though, the clear winner being the hilarious "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now"lip sync scene. The best part of the film is realizing that Hader and Wiig have had "serious" acting chops all along, we just never noticed.



Watch the trailer here.
Available to rent and buy on dvd.

12. Locke (Steven Knight)
The premise will put some people off (the entire film takes place inside a car) but if you're willing to give it a chance, Locke is one of the most thrilling human dramas of the year. The story line isn't anything you haven't seen before (marital issues, deceptions, etc) but its packaged in a way that makes it feel exciting, all thanks to Tom Hardy's performance. There are few actors his age that can match his incredible range and gravitas, and even fewer that could carry a film like this on their shoulders with such grace.


Watch the trailer here.
Available to stream on Amazon Prime, available to rent and own on dvd.

11. The One I Love (Charlie McDowell)
Just when you thought its all been done before, The One I Love manages to add a new sci-fi twist to the classic "marital issues"storyline. The twist is so unique and enchanting, you can't help but love this film. Mark Duplass is marvelous as the cynical and stubborn Ethan, but its Elisabeth Moss that steals the limelight in this one. Her ability to express an impressive range of emotions with just the simplest furrow of her brow is incredible to watch.





Watch the trailer here.
Available to stream on Netflix, own and rent on dvd.

10. John Wick (Chad Stahelski)
John Wick is the best revenge flick you've probably never heard of. Produced and directed by a team of ex-stuntmen (one of which was Keanu Reeves' double in The Matrix), the film moves and breaths like a well choreographed dance. Reeves is perfectly cast as the stoic, introverted ex hit man. It's no secret that Reeves has always been a stronger physical performer than speaker, and John Wick plays perfectly to his strengths. The film's success lies mostly in the fact that it knows exactly what it is and never tries to be something its not. The filmmakers create a universe for John Wick that has its own rules and laws without ever making it feel unrealistic. They also add in little bits of humor and wit that nicely balance out all the film's violence.

(See my full length review of the film here)



Watch the trailer here.
Coming to dvd soon.

9. Boyhood (Richard Linklater) 
As one of the most talked about films of the year, Boyhood is a real testament to the talent and patience of its director, Richard Linklater. Boyhood isn't a perfect film; some of the acting by a few of the supporting cast is patchy and the film would have benefitted from a little more focus on Mason's younger years. But overall, the beauty of Boyhood is in its simplicity; its the story of a little boy growing up and experiencing all the bumps and bruises that come with life. The fact that we literally get to see Mason and all his family and friends age before our eyes only adds to the magic of the film.


Watch the trailer here.
Currently playing at the IFC Center in NYC, available on dvd 1/6/15.

8. Wild (Jean-Marc Vallée)
Based on the true story and novel by Cheryl Strayed, Wild is a tale of redemption, self discovery and forgiveness. Reese Witherspoon impresses as Cheryl, a woman pushed to the edge of her sanity after drug use, a failed marriage and the tragic death of her mother (played with heartbreaking warmth by Laura Dern) send her life into a dangerous, destructive spiral. Wild carefully straddles the fine line between realistic and optimistic, never becoming the cheesy mess it so easily could have been (I was moved to tears at one point). The only thing the film doesn't get quite right is its confusing and sporadic series of flash backs.




Watch the trailer here.
Currently in theaters.

7. Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson)
There is no film maker working today that can match Wes Anderson's impeccable aesthetic, originality and attention to detail. Watching his films is like watching a montage of an art museum set to the most incredible soundtrack. Grand Budapest Hotel is probably Wes Anderson's tightest film to date. The story mixes sadness, humor, heartbreak and adventure into one beautiful package. The ensemble cast is a non stop parade of actors bringing their A game. This one is a real joy to watch.



Watch the trailer here.
Currently available on dvd.

6. Love is Strange (Ira Sachs)
Sadly, Love is Strange seemed to go unnoticed by most film goers this year. The film tells a beautiful story about the realities of love, family and personal space in New York City. At the center of it all is a heartwarming love story between an older gay couple (portrayed with incredible tenderness and grace by Alfred Molina and John Lithgow). Love is Strange proves that "young love" isn't the only kind of love story worth telling.


Watch the trailer here.
Available on dvd 1/13/15

5. Guardians of the Galaxy (James Gunn)
Honestly, I probably wouldn't have seen this film had it not been for Chris Pratt (Andy!!) and Lee Pace (Ned!!). But boy am I glad I did. No movie had me cheering, laughing and tapping my toes louder than Guradians of the Galaxy. James Gunn managed to revive the whole over done "Marvel super hero genre"for me, adding appropriate touches of humor and heart throughout. The film owes most of its success to the hilarious chemistry between its core actors (special shout outs to Pratt, Bautista and Cooper). And at the end of the day, Guardians of the Galaxy gave us the greatest gift of all: GROOT.


Watch the trailer here.
Available to rent and own on dvd.

4. Whiplash (Damien Chazelle)
Whiplash is the most heart pounding movie you will see all year. The performances are out of this world and all the Oscar buzz J.K. Simmons is receiving is well deserved. As the omnipotent, sinewy Fletcher, he terrifies and nurtures his students, often times all in the same breath. Miles Teller anchors the film with his complex portrayal of the musical genius in training, Andrew. With a climactic ending that will leave you breathless, Whiplash demands us to ask ourselves: what price would we be willing to pay for perfection?



Watch the trailer here.
Currently in theaters.

3. Only Lovers Left Alive (Jim Jarmusch)
Stylish, sexy and rich in culture, Only Lovers Left Alive is a film that lingers in your mind long after its over. Its slower pace will weed out impatient viewers but the ones that stay will be rewarded with a dreamy, moonlit trip through Detroit and Morocco. The film makes cheeky, whispered references to literary and historical figures. It tackles major life issues like love, death and legacy. At its core, its a story about not succumbing to cynicism, about enjoying life even when you know about all the bad stuff. Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston play two painfully cool vampires, madly in love but living separate lives on separate continents. Swinton inhabits her character Eve like a well tailored suit. There's no better word to describe her performance other than magnetic. Hiddleston sulks and broods as Adam, his usual upbeat enthusiasm nowhere to be seen. Mia Wasikowska also stars as the enchanting and destructive younger sister, Ava. The dark, shadowy cinematography only adds to the film's timeless feel. To top it all off, Only Lovers Left Alive has one of the year's most incredible soundtracks.


Watch the trailer here.

Available to rent and own on dvd.

2. Ida (Pawel Pawlikowski)
Ida is one of the most stunning movies I've ever seen, not just in 2014. The film feels like a photographer's melancholy dream that occasionally flirts with becoming a nightmare. We experience this incredible journey thanks in part to Agata Trzebuchowska's quiet, powerful performance and Pawel Pawlikowski's achingly beautiful vision. Every frame is perfect, fit for the pages of a gorgeous coffee table book. The story and its eventual conclusion lingers in your subconscious long after you leave the theater. As a person of Polish heritage and a speaker of the language, it was incredibly gratifying to have a film of this caliber made by a fellow Pole.



Watch the trailer here.
Currently available to stream on Netflix and Amazon Prime, available to rent and own on dvd.

1. Birdman (Alejandro González Iñárritu)
Birdman is easily the most unique film of 2014 . Everything about it, the camera work, score, acting, dialogue and premise are all unbelievably entertaining. Anchored by some stellar performances from Michael Keaton, Emma Stone and Edward Norton, Birdman tells a darkly humorous tale of vanity, courage and legacy. Visually, its a work of technical expertise. Many of the scenes were done without cuts, making the entire film look like one long take. It's obvious that Iñárritu and his crew took a risk with this bizarre little comedy about the crazy world of theater. Luckily for us, that risk produced the most entertaining reward of the year.


Watch the trailer here.

In theaters now.

Honorable mentions:
-Chef: a fun, heart warming story about family, food and passion for your job. I've never wanted to eat a Cuban sandwich more in my life.

-The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: a haunting picture of what indescribable pain does to a marriage. The film suffered from some botched editing choices on the part of the distributors but the heart breaking performances from Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy make up for it in spades.

-The Fault in Our Stars: a tearjerker with spirit. Thanks to the realistic dialogue based on John Green's novel and the heart warming performances by leads Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort, The Fault in Our Stars never feels sappy or forced.

-Snowpiercer: in a world filled with endless post apocalyptic tales, Snowpiercer stands out in both premise and execution. Chris Evans, Octavia Spencer and the cast do excellent jobs carrying the story forwards but the real star here is Tilda Swinton. She's a scene stealer in every sense of the word.

John Wick Review, Grade: A-

Release date: 10/24/14
Rating: R
Directed by: David Leitch, Chad Stahelski
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Alfie Allen, Michael Nyqvist, Willem Dafoe, John Leguizamo, Dean Winters, Adrianne Palicki, Bridget Moynahan
Synopsis: "An ex-hitman comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters that took everything from him."---IMDb.com

Overall: John Wick is not a complicated movie: notorious hit man receives puppy as a final gift from his recently deceased wife. Group of gangsters kill notorious hit man's puppy and steal his car. Notorious hit man gets mad and digs up his old guns. Notorious hit man gets revenge. Lots of people die.


Don't let its simplicity fool you; John Wick is one hell of an entertaining 'revenge' flick. It's clever (there's a hotel for vacationing hit men with a strict "no business on the premises" rule). It has heart (a puppy! a dead wife!) and witty little pockets of humor but it doesn't shy away from the genre's love of mindless assassin-ing. The film is directed by a former stunt man and it shows. The fight scenes are crisp. They're fluid. They're even kind of beautiful. But despite all of its 'coolness', John Wick embraces a more realistic approach to its action than most movies do nowadays. There's no doubt that Wick is a skilled fighter but he's not perfect. He engages in multiple fights where he's evenly matched or struggles a lot to get the upper hand. He repeatedly gets hit, shot and stabbed. He runs out of bullets and even has to do the unthinkable: reload his gun! Wick leaves a extensive path of destruction in his wake but its rarely gory (there is one especially painful looking knife fight early on though). There's no Sin City style splatter or pizazz; just quick, no nonsense deaths. 

John Wick never tries to be something its not. It respects the genre and embraces it with style and grace. With the help of some gorgeous nightclub sets, sweeping views of New York City and a cool, thumping score, John Wick entertains to the fullest extent.

The acting: There is an exquisite ensemble cast here: a smarmy, charismatic crime boss (Michael Nyqvist), a mysterious old partner (Willem Defoe), a delightfully pathetic antagonist (Alfie Allen), a tough as nails rival (Adrianne Palicki) and a wide range of slimy, formidable thugs (and an excellent Dean Winters). But the best part of the film (aside from the puppy) is Keanu Reeves. He's good...Matrix level good. For years, Reeves has (unfairly) been a kind of punching bag for "bad actor" jokes. While his calm, dead pan delivery isn't appropriate for every role, it works wonderfully in John Wick. For the most part, Reeves is effortlessly cool throughout but he gets a chance to show off occasional moments of humor and emotion. The scene where Wick receives the puppy really pulls at the heart strings and Reeves plays it with a surprising amount of depth. Its nice to see Keanu Reeves in top form again. 




See it or don't see it: see it!


Grade: A-

Lawless- Grade: A

Starring: Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises, Inception), Shia LaBeouf (Transformers), Guy Pearce (Memento), Jason Clarke (Public Enemies), Jessica Chastain (The Help)
Directed By: John Hillcoat (The Proposition, The Road)
Release Date: August 29, 2012
Opening Weekend: $9,700,000
Rating: R
Run Time: 1Hr 55Min
Synopsis: Resilient and loyal group of Bondurant brothers make a profit selling illegal Moonshine during the Prohibition Era. When corrupt new deputy rolls into town and threatens their business, the brothers must decide how to fight back.

The Bondurant Brothers.

So How Was It?: Violent, suspenseful and slow burning; Lawless is a powerful film about family, power and how far you're willing to go to protect them. With a strong cast and screenplay, it becomes one of those rare films that you wish was just a few scenes longer.

The film works so well because it takes its time setting up the Bondurant Brothers. We see their moments of weakness and stupidity, resilience and strength and most passionately, their love and their loyalty. We can see ourselves in them and the choices they make, no matter how dumb or stubborn they seem. The Bondurant brothers differ from your average "good guys" because they're allowed to be human and consequently more accessible. Without this, Lawless would run the risk of being just another easily forgettable big guy vs. the little guy story.

Premium Rush: Grade- B+

Starring: Joseph Gordon Levitt (Inception, 500 Days of Summer), Dania Ramirez (Heroes), Michael Shannon (Take Shelter)
Directed By: David Koepp (Ghost Town, Secret Window)
Release Date: August 24, 2012
Opening Weekend: $6,300,000
Rating: PG-13
Run Time: 1Hr 31Min
Synopsis: Young bike messenger unknowingly gets caught up in complex web of money and power when he tries to make seemingly routine package delivery downtown.

So How Was It?: Premium Rush is exactly what its trailer promises it to be. It's fast. It's thrilling. It's suspenseful. You're not seeing it for character development (of which there is a minimal amount of) or some complex plot. You're seeing it because you want to have a bit of fun watching some crazy bike riding stunts. (And boy does Premium Rush deliver on that.) The best part? It manages to be quite witty and funny on top of it all.

All you need to know is that its a decent film. The acting is good. The premise is interesting. Even if its not an especially memorable movie, it still warrants interest in seeing.

Snow White and the Huntsman- Grade: B

Starring: Kristen Stewart (Twilight), Charlize Theron (Monster, The Italian Job), Chris Hemsworth (Thor)
Directed By: Rupert Sanders 
Release Date: June 1, 2012
Opening Weekend: $56,217,700
Rating: PG-13
Run Time: 2Hr 7Min
Synopsis: Beloved king is deceived and killed by his new mysterious bride. Kingdom of Tabor is plunged into darkness under new Queen's rule. Young, beautiful daughter of King is only person with the power to stop new Queen. Young princess befriends troubled huntsman to help rally up army to take back their kingdom. 

So How Was It?: Director Rupert Sanders takes the more sinister aspects of this classic Brothers Grimm fairytale and expands on them; greed, murder, jealousy, mental illness, betrayal and heartache. Although there is still some love, happiness and goodness, this Snow White is nothing like the beloved animated Disney tale we all know and love. This Snow White is much darker.

Initially, the film is quite intriguing. It's scary. It's unpredictable. Your heart breaks for the people of Tabor. You're on their side. Charlize Theron's Queen Ravenna is absolutely terrifying. She is so evil and ruthless that you find yourself cheering on her impending demise. When it finally does start to happen though, its a bit underwhelming.The buildup of her character is too strong and the payoff of her downfall is too weak.

Somewhere around the 3/4 mark the story really looses its steam. It gets weighed down by its own fanciful nature. What started off as mysterious and interesting details (a dark magic army, a supernatural forest) soon become a bit ridiculous (tiny alien like fairies, magic stags turning into butterflies). They become a distraction and take away from the severity of the film.

The main issue with the film is its main character, Snow White. The audience never really has that moment of connection with her. There's more of an emotional connection with the huntsman and the prince than there is with Snow White. She falls a bit flat, more of a metaphor for the idea of purity than an actual physical representation of it. Maybe its because Queen Ravenna is just too much of an overpowering presence that there's no way someone like Snow White could compete with her (literally). The film's ending, hopeful as it is, feels a bit underwhelming.

The Dark Knight Rises- Grade: A

Starring: Christian Bale (American Psycho, The Prestige), Tom Hardy (Inception), Joseph Gordon Levitt (500 Days of Summer, 3rd Rock from the Sun)
Directed By: Christopher Nolan (Inception, Memento)
Release Date: July 20, 2012
Opening Weekend: $160,900,000
Rating: PG-13
Run Time: 2Hr 45Min
Synopsis: Gotham's eight years of peace following Harvey Dent's death ends when a new, mysterious super villain, Bane, comes to power. Reclusive billionaire Bruce Wayne returns to his vigilante ways to save Gotham, this time with help from some new friends.

So How Was It?: The danger with films like TDKR is that they've simply become too much. There's the megastar cast, the endless promotion, the sold out tickets, the crowds, the tragic Oscar winning legacy of its predecessor and most recently the horrible events in Aurora, Colorado. There's a danger of all of these things getting in the way of what's most important; the film. The hype runs the risk of warping people's perception of the film. On one hand, people can mistake popularity for blind adoration and that isn't healthy for any film. It only belittles the endless hours of hard work the cast and crew put into making it. On the other hand, the hype may make some people decide they don't like or want to see the film without ever giving it a chance to prove itself.

Outside influences aside, The Dark Knight Rises is an example of film making at its best. Everything comes together just right; the cast, the crew and the story. The film revisits many of the trilogy's previous topics such as power, greed, corruption, revenge, fear, faith and morality and expands on them. Everything is bigger and more urgent. The final scenes of the film are beautifully done, giving many of the characters we have come to know and love (or hate) fitting ends. Most importantly though, Bruce Wayne's character arc comes to a very natural feeling close. He secures his place as one of the greatest and most human of all the comic book superheroes. Nolan leaves whoever is in charge of the series's reboot with a lot of material to work with.


Side note: although it would have been nice to get closure, Nolan's choice to forego any mention of Ledger's Joker is understandable and tastefully done.

The Fall- Grade A

Starring: Lee Pace (Pushing Daisies), Catinca Untaru
Directed By: Tarsem Singh (The Cell)
Release Date: May 30, 2008
Opening Weekend: $79,611
Rating: R
Run Time: 1Hr 57 Min
Synopsis: Young Romanian girl and paralyzed stuntman meet while both are patients at hospital in Los Angeles circa 1920. Young girl and stuntman form unusual friendship. Stuntman begins telling young girl fantastical story of 5 characters on journey for revenge. Young girl brings story to life with her wild imagination. Fact and fiction begin to blur as stunt man's ulterior motives for telling the story slowly emerge.



So How Was It?: Set in an era where movies were still silent and color film was just a dream, The Fall plays like a declaration of love to a medium of storytelling very dear to director Tarsem's heart. Tarsem is less concerned with the details of a well thought out story than he is with the magic behind telling a story. Nearly every plot hole, unnecessary scene or underdeveloped character can be disputed by the argument that it's all being invented by a depressed, paralyzed drug addict and interpreted by a 6 year old immigrant with a limited understanding of English. Quite frankly, things don't have to make sense for the two creators of the story. What they're looking for is an escape from the grim reality of their lives.

The visuals Tarsem is able to create in this film are so strikingly beautiful that the viewer will have a hard time remembering any of the film's faults by the time the credits start rolling.

Source Code- Grade B+

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal (Brokeback Mountain, Love and Other Drugs), Michelle Monaghan (Eagle Eye, Maid of Honor), Vera Farmiga (Up In the Air, Orphan)
Directed By: Duncan Jones (Moon)
Release Date: April 1, 2011
Opening Weekend:
Rating: PG-13
Run Time: 1 Hour 33 Minutes
Synopsis: Soldier wakes up in body of dead terrorist attack victim on train in Chicago. Soldier finds out he's in secret military program that transports him into last 8 minutes of train victim's life. Soldier has no idea how he go into program. Soldier has to relive last 8 minutes to figure out train bomber's identity to save Chicago from future terrorist attack.  Soldier keeps failing mission, each time becoming more personally attached to people on doomed train even though he cannot change their fate. Soldier uncovers devastating truth about how he got into secret military program.



So How Was It?: Best piece of advice for watching this film? Just go with it. Don't think about it too logically or you'll end up being too frustrated to get the point of it. It's more a character driven story about compassion and the morality of how far we'll go for national security than it is a realistic film.


Even with its original concept of governmental time travel, Source Code still isn't overly memorable or moving. It's definitely not bad, it just isn't amazing. It's solid in its performances and ability to keep suspense building though. Where it starts to fumble is with its overly romanticized, borderline cheesy ending. It's jarring because even at its most head scratching of moments, Source Code still feels believable or at the very least, the audience wants it to be believable. Then the film just throws all of that away for what we call in my screenwriting class, a "Hollywood ending" meant to satisfy investors of the film. The film tried too hard to force its love story when in reality, what was far more interesting and meaningful were the underlying psychological issues soldier Colter Stevens (Gyllenhaal) was going through as he discovered what the Source Code program really was.

Hanna- Grade A-

Starring: Saoirse Ronan (Atonement, The Lovely Bones), Eric Bana (The Time Traveler's Wife, Munich), Cate Blanchett (Lord of the Rings, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
Directed By: Joe Wright (Atonement)
Release Date: April 8, 2011
Opening Weekend: $12,370,549
Rating: PG-13
Run Time: 1 Hour 51 Min
Synopsis: Girl is raised by her ex- CIA agent father in middle of woods in Finland with no other human contact. Father teaches girl to be perfect assassin. Girl turns 16, father sends her out to kill mysterious, deadly CIA agent responsible for girl's mother's death. Girl experiences outside world for first time while tracking agent down and discovers life changing secret her father has been keeping about her.





So How Was It?: Start with your favorite creepy fairy tale (think Red Riding Hood meets Hanzel and Gretel) and a feisty female assassin (think Kick Ass). Mix the two. Stir in some some epic fight scenes, a cup of revenge, a pinch of dry humor and a generous sprinkling of mystery. (Don't forget to coat the pan with a nice thick layer of emotionless killing.) Bake for two hours and voila! you've got Hanna.

The film is successful with many things: its gorgeous cinematic look, believable actors, original concept (i.e. the reason why Hanna has been trained as an assassin) and its less-is-more attitude with back stories on the main characters as a method to build suspense. If you're someone who needs to have fully fleshed out and humanized characters to enjoy a film, be ready to be annoyed. But if you're more like the average movie goer whose just there to have a good time, you'll be able to forgive the film's often head scratching plot points (i.e. Bana's character's strange ability to cross land and sea at super human speeds) and minimal character development. Even after spending almost two hours rooting for and traveling with Hanna, we don't really have any idea of who she is. Although this adds to the mystery and tension of the film, after a while it begins to feel like more of a downside than a strength.


The film ends rather abruptly. As fun as the ride was, where did it really take us? It's like we got buckled in, slowly chugged up the hill, made it to the top, started to go down and suddenly swerved onto a different track only to find it was already time to get off. Unless its a setup for a sequel, the film needed to be a good 10 or 15 minutes longer to really feel finished.

Jane Eyre - Grade: A

Starring:Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland), Michael Fassbender (Inglorious Basterds), Judi Dench (Casino Royale, everything else), Jamie Bell (Billy Elliott)
Directed By:Cary Fukunaga (Sin Nombre)
Release Date: March 11, 2011
Opening Weekend:(Limited Release) $182,885
Rating:PG-13
Run Time: 2 Hours
Synopsis: (Based on Charlotte Bronte's novel Jane Eyre) Girl is orphaned, has horrible loveless childhood. Grows up to be free spirited, independent and mature person, challenging the standard for women of her time. Girl gets job as governess at mysterious old manor. Manor's owner is moody, volatile and bored with women around him. Girl and owner form a strange friendship. Owner and girl start to fall in love. Girl thinks her life is finally going to change for the better but soon discovers dark sinister secret about her fairytale romance.




DISCLAIMER: It's been a good 8 years since I read Jane Eyre back in freshman year of high school and my memory of the storyline was pretty vague going into watching this film. I saw it twice in the theaters.



So How Was It?: Apparently less is more, a lot more. In an era of film obsessed with pushing the envelope and showing skin, its refreshing to watch a movie that builds a powerful underlying sexual passion without showing more than a glimpse of a bare knees and a handful of short kisses. Call it old fashioned, but Bronte's classic tale of 19th century love is more alive than ever.

A novel the length of Jane Eyre is almost impossible to ever fully and faithfully adapt because of one simple thing: books tell and movies show. The two mediums are so different that things will inevitably get lost in translation. Are the film's flashbacks of Jane's cruel childhood a bit over dramatic and underdeveloped? Yes. Do her and Rochester's deeply passionate love happen way too quickly? Yes. Is it possible to squeeze all the details of a 480 page 19th century novel into a 2 hour film that can withstand the infamously short attention span of the modern day audience member? No. Does Fukunaga create a painfully beautiful and touching film about the importance of love and staying true to yourself? A hundred times yes.

Limitless- Grade: B

Starring: Bradley Cooper (The Hangover, Wedding Crashers), Abbie Cornish (Stop Loss, Bright Star), Robert DeNiro (everything)
Directed By: Neil Burger (The Illusionist)
Release Date: March 18, 2011
Opening Weekend: $18,907,302
Rating: PG- 13
Run Time: 1 Hour 45 Min
Synopsis: Man is failing in life. Man gets hold of super secret brain drug. Man is able to use 100% of his brain. Man is super humanly smart and becomes very rich and powerful. Other very rich and powerful people begin to notice and try to use man. Man starts to feel the negative side effects of the drug. Man's life starts falling apart.



So How Was It?: What hooks you in is the insanely interesting concept of super human intelligence and what a life of limitless success would be like; a life where you could literally do anything you put your mind to. Layer that with really cool special effects, fast cars, beaches, good looking people and a surprisingly relatable, undriven protagonist (Eddie Morra) and you've got yourself one very fun (and often funny) movie.
Fun can't last forever though, and sadly, Limitless loses a bit of its innovative spark towards the end. The ending feels out of synch with the rest of the film, especially with character development. We spend so much time with Eddie in the first three quarters of the film. We root for him. We get to know him. We feel what he feels. We see what he sees (literally). And then it all stops and bam, we're thrown a year into the future and expect to believe that he has changed as much as he has, with no real explanation for his actions (not to mention his bizarrely horrible haircut). Then the screen goes blank and we're left wondering, wait...what?