Spotlight (2015)

"I know there's things you cannot tell people. But I also know there's a story here people will hear about it."

In 2001, The Boston Globe newspaper hires a new editor, Marty Baron (Schreiber).  One of the columnists at the Globe writes a piece about sexual abuse of children in the Catholic church.  Baron asks the Globe's Spotlight team to investigate.  Spotlight is a small group of tenacious reporters, led by Walter "Robby" Robinson (Keaton), who spend months doing in depth research on every subject prior to writing their official article.  The rest of the Spotlight team consists of investigative journalists Mike Rezendes (Ruffalo), Sacha Pfeiffer (McAdams), and Matt Carroll (d'Arcy James).

The team begin investigating the information from the column, beginning with lawyer Mitch Garabedian (Tucci).  Garabedian is reluctant to talk at first, but eventually opens up and allows them to set up interviews with some of his clients.  They also talk to Phil Saviano (Neal Huff), a victim and member of SNAP, an organization for other survivors.  Their investigations also lead to conversations with lawyer Eric MacLeish (Billy Crudup).  They can't talk about the case with anyone else, except Assistant Editor Ben Bradlee Jr. (Slattery) and Baron.  The deeper they dig, the bigger the case gets.  Can they get enough information to publish the article?


In 2003 the Boston Globe's Spotlight team were awarded the Pulitizer Prize for Public Service for their investigation of the child sex abuse in the Boston Catholic church.  The team began reporting the story in 2002, and their coverage led to convictions of the offenders.  It also caused more victims to come forward.

In 2013, Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer wrote a screenplay based on the Spotlight team's investigation.  Their story focused on the reporters and the work they put into uncovering the truth.  The screenplay was included in the 2013 Black List of unproduced screenplays.  A year later they began filming, with McCarthy as the director.

The cast is excellent, and work well as a unit.  The main cast all get more or less the same amount of screen time, and there is no weak link.  The cast members met with the people they portray, and most were on set to help the filmmakers get the right feel for each character and their work space.  All their work pays off.

The film was nominated for 6 Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Mark Ruffalo), Best Supporting Actress (Rachel McAdams), Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing.  It won Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.

It is a fascinating film and worthy of all the accolades it received.

Spotlight (2015) 129 minutes
Rating: R for some language including sexual references
Director: Tom McCarthy
Starring: Mark Ruffalo as Mike Rezendes
Michael Keaton as Walter "Robby" Robinson
Rachel McAdams as Sacha Pfeiffer
Liev Schreiber as Marty Baron
John Slattery as Ben Bradlee Jr.
Brian d'Arcy James as Matt Carroll
Stanley Tucci as Mitchell Garabedian

Oscar Picks 2016

Once again it's time to predict the Oscar winners.  This is my 10th (how is that possible) set of predictions.  Last year I saw 13 of the nominated film, and correctly predicted 7 of 8 categories (I don't predict all of them).  This year I saw 14 films (for the full list of nominees, go to the Academy Awards website):

Amy
Bridge of Spies
Cartel Land
Cinderella
Inside Out
The Look of Silence
The Martian
 The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared

The Revenant
Shaun the Sheep Movie
Spectre
Straight Outta Compton
Trumbo
What Happened, Miss Simone?
 Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom

Cinderella is nominated for Best Costume Design
The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared is nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyles
Spectre is nominated for Best Original Song
Straight Outta Compton is nominated for Best Original Screenplay
 

Alright, let's get to the main event:

Best Supporting Actor

Christian Bale, The Big Short

Tom Hardy, The Revenant

Mark Ruffalo, Spotlight

Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies

Sylvester Stallone, Creed

...who will win... Sylvester Stallone

...who should win...*

At this time, I have only seen 2 of the films in this category... but Sylvester Stallone seems like the front runner for this award.  Stallone is returning to one of his most famous characters, a role he originated over 40 years ago.  He is also the only nominee that is not playing a real person.  Mark Rylance was phenomenal in Bridge of Spies and Tom Hardy was menacing in The Revenant, and Mark Ruffalo and Christian Bale are acclaimed for their roles, but it seems like Stallone has a nostalgia vote.  The only possible upset would be Mark Rylance.
*I thought Idiris Elba was a lock for this category for his role in Beasts of No Nation (which was brutal and I couldn't finish), and would have been my pick for this category.

Best Supporting Actress

Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight
Rooney Mara, Carol

Rachel McAdams, Spotlight

Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl

Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs

 ...who will win...Kate Winslet

...who should win...

This is a hard one.  I haven't seen any of these films... and it feels like they are level playing field.  Kate Winslet is a past winner and playing a real person, so I'm going to pick her for the win.  But it could really be anyone.  Alicia Vikander is an up-and-comer, Rooney Mara is a previous nominee, Rachel McAdams and Jennifer Jason Leigh are established names with diverse bodies of work.  I'm not confident in this category, and every article I've read has picked a different name.

Best Actor

Bryan Cranston, Trumbo

Matt Damon, The Martian

Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant

Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs

Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl

...who will win... Leonardo DiCaprio

...who should win... Leonardo DiCaprio

I think this is Leonardo DiCaprio's year.  He is phenomenal in The Revenant.  It is a mostly physical performance, with minimal dialog, but he nails it.  Eddie Redmayne was my early guess for this category, but he hasn't won anything for The Danish Girl, so he probably won't pull an upset.  Bryan Cranston and Michael Fassbender are talented actors, but I don't think this is their year.  I enjoyed Matt Damon in The Martian (the only actor in this category that is not portraying a real person), but I give the edge to DiCaprio.

Best Actress

Cate Blanchett, Carol

Brie Larson, Room

Jennifer Lawrence, Joy

Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years

Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn

...who will win... Brie Larson

...who should win... Brie Larson

I haven't seen any of the films nominated in this category*, but the buzz seems to go with Brie Larson in Room.  Cate Blanchett and Jennifer Lawrence are popular actresses and past winners, so either could pull an upset, but it doesn't seem likely.  And Saoirse Ronan and Charlotte Rampling just don't have the buzz behind their films / roles to really stand as strong contenders.
*I have plans to watch all of these films, but haven't had the opportunity to do so before the ceremony.

Best Director

Adam McKay, The Big Short

George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road

Alejandro G. Inarritu, The Revenant

Lenny Abrahamson, Room

Tom McCarthy, Spotlight

...who will win... George Miller or Lenny Abrahamson

...who should win... Alejandro G. Inarritu or Lenny Abrahamson

George Miller's directorial career began in 1979 with Mad Max (which he also co-wrote).  Now over 30 years later, he has returned to the franchise with Mad Max: Fury Road, he might be a front runner for the award because of that history.  But Alejandro G. Inarritu and Lenny Abrahamson did incredible things with their films.  Inarritu made a mostly silent film, in brutal conditions.  Abrahamson limits the majority of his film to a confined space and makes the audience claustrophobia.  I'm sure Tom McCarthy and Adam McKay also made great films, but I think it will come down to Miller, Inarritu or Abrahamson.

Best Animated Film

Anomalisa

Boy and the World

Inside Out

Shaun the Sheep Movie

When Marnie Was There

...who will win... Inside Out

...who should win... Inside Out

Shaun the Sheep was cute and innovative, but there is no doubt in my mind that Inside Out will win.  Inside Out was the perfect mixture of creativity, fun animation, and emotions.  It is enough to keep kids entertained, but also draw in adults (and make you bawl like a baby).

Best Documentary 

Amy

Cartel Land

The Look of Silence

What Happened, Miss Simone?

Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom

...who will win... Amy

...who should win...

This is the only category that I saw all of the nominated films (which is odd since I don't tend to enjoy Documentaries).  Each film was gripping in it's own way.  All were emotional and, at times, difficult to watch for various reasons.  Cartel Land and Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom are brutal films that don't shy away from showing the harsh realities of their situations (they are gory and disturbing, without glorifying the violence).  The Look of Silence (the follow up to The Act of Killing) is heartbreaking.  What Happened, Miss Simone? and Amy focus on the lives of songwriters Nina Simone and Amy Winehouse respectively.  What Happened, Miss Simone? is compelling, Simone has a charismatic presence and an interesting life... but I believe the Oscar will go to Amy as Amy Winehouse left an undeniable mark on the music industry in a short amount of time, and her name is still big right now.  But I would be happy to see any of these films win.

Best Picture

The Big Short

Bridge of Spies

Brooklyn

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Martian

The Revenant
Room

Spotlight

...who will win... The Revenant or Mad Max: Fury Road

...who should win...The Revenant

I liked The Martian and Bridge of Spies, but I think it will come down to the The Revenant or Mad Max: Fury Road for the same reasons I listed in the director category.  Both are big movies (epic scale and taking place in open spaces in nature) with dedicated directors.  I liked The Revenant so I'll call in favor of it.

I would like "Sanjay's Super Team" (pictured above) to win Best Animated Short (I mean look at Sanjay, he's a cutie).  I look forward to seeing Chris Rock as the host.


EDIT: 5 out of 8, not great... I wanted Mark Rylance to win Best Supporting Actor, and I thought he would be the only upset to Sylvester Stallone's victory... so if you count that, it ups my list to 6 out of 8.  Regardless, for seeing more nominated films than usual, I did worse than usual.

Trumbo

"What we’re about to do is the one thing everyone says we can’t: we work."

In 1947, Dalton Trumbo (Cranston) is the highest paid writer in Hollywood.  He has a contract with MGM and his family lives a comfortable life.  He is also an outspoken Communist.  The House Un-American Activities Committee, led by gossip columnist Hedda Hopper (Mirren), is formed to investigate Communists in Hollywood.  Trumbo and 9 other screenwriters are subpoenaed to appear before the HUAC.  When they refuse to answer the questions, they are found in contempt of court and sentenced to jail.  They are also blacklisted in Hollywood.

When they are released from prison, the HUAC is still investigating and blacklisting screenwriters and actors.  Former allies, actor Edward G. Robinson (Stuhlbarg) and producer Buddy Ross (Bart), have publicly denounced them to protect their own careers.  Trumbo moves his family into a smaller home and tries to find a way around the blacklist.  He is hired by Frank King (Goodman) and Hymie King (Root) to ghostwrite B-movie scripts.  Can he ever get credit for his scripts?


Prior to this film I was not familiar with the name Dalton Trumbo, although I am familiar with his body of work.  He wrote Gun Crazy, Roman Holiday, The Brave One, Spartacus, among others.

The film focuses on Trumbo's life from the late 1940s to the 1960s and his role as part of the Hollywood Ten and subsequent blacklisting from Hollywood.  I don't know much about this time, so I don't know how much is historically accurate.  Some articles I have read dispute parts of the script, such as Edward G. Robinson naming names in front of the HUAC.  A few characters, including Louis C.K.'s Arlen Hird, are combinations of several people.

The filmmakers had the difficult task of portraying well-known actors.  This could easily turn into caricatures, but they made the right decisions with casting and portrayals.  David James Elliott does not physically resemble John Wayne, but captured his overall presence without going over the top (which is the reaction of most).  Michael Stuhlbarg captured some of the facial expressions of Edward G. Robinson, but otherwise did not resemble or sound like him.  Dean O'Gorman is great as Kirk Douglas.

Bryan Cranston carries the film well as Trumbo.  He makes you cheer for Trumbo and his plight.  It isn't a great script, which is sad since the film is about a great screenwriter.  It throws a lot of information and unnecessary characters at the audience and is uneven at times.  Trumbo is an interesting person and this film is enough to spark an interest in him.

In 2007, Peter Askin directed a documentary about Dalton Trumbo's life (also called Trumbo) which was written by his son Christopher Trumbo.  The documentary features interviews, footage from the hearings, and letters.

Cranston is nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor.

Trumbo (2015) 124 minutes
Rating: R for language including some sexual references
Director: Jay Roach
Starring: Bryan Cranston as Dalton Trumbo
Diane Lane as Cleo Fincher Trumbo
Helen Mirren as Hedda Hopper
Louis C.K. as Arlen Hird
Elle Fanning as Nikola Trumbo
John Goodman as Frank King
Michael Stuhlbarg as Edward G. Robinson
Alan Tudyk as Ian McLellan Hunter
Stephen Root as Hymie King
Roger Bart as Buddy Ross

Man Up (2015)

"God, you're such a cynic!"

"And you're such a romantic!"

Nancy (Bell) is a single, 34 year old writer, who is unlucky in love.  On the way to her parents 40th anniversary party, she meets Jack (Pegg), a 40 year old aspiring artist.  Jack mistakes Nancy for his blind date, Jessica (Lovibond), and Nancy decides to just go with it.

Jack is in the midst of a divorce and is a romantic at heart.  Nancy is frustrated by the endless string of set-ups from her friends.  Despite their differences they hit it off.  But their happy night is threatened by the madness around them: Jack's ex wife (Williams) and her new beau (Campbell Moore), an obsessed classmate (Kinnear), frantic phone calls from Nancy's sister (Horgan), and the real Jessica.  Can they find love, and make it to the party for Nancy's parents?


I discovered this film while pursuing Simon Pegg's filmography on Netflix.  The description sounds like the typical romantic comedy, but thanks to a stellar script by Tess Morris and direction by Ben Palmer, it rises above the cliches.  The characters are interesting and the story veers just enough to keep you guessing what will happen next.

The script and direction are aided by great performances.  American actress Lake Bell dives into a realistic British accent and brings a realism to Nancy.  Pegg is quirky and likeable as Jack, talking a mile-a-minute from the beginning.  Bell and Pegg have excellent chemistry, and both have a varied career, popping up in different genres.  Rory Kinnear is creepy as Sean, but still brings the laughs.  Sharon Horgan, Harriet Walter, Ken Stott, and Paul Thornley are funny as Nancy's family.

It is funny and honest, while still delivering the beats you expect in a rom com.  A definite must-see.

Man Up (2015) 88 minutes
Rating: R for language and sexual references
Director: Ben Palmer
Starring: Simon Pegg as Jack
Lake Bell as Nancy
Sharon Horgan as Elaine
Rory Kinnear as Sean
Ken Stott as Bert
Harriet Walter as Fran
Ophelia Lovibond as Jessica
Olivia Williams as Hilary
Stephen Campbell Moore as Ed

Paul Thornley as Adam

Straight Outta Compton

"I got something to say."

In 1987, life in Compton, CA is rough.  Eric "Eazy-E" Wright (Mitchell) and Lorenzo "MC Ren" Patterson are drug dealers.  O'Shea "Ice Cube" Jackson (Jackson Jr.) writes rap lyrics, while his friends Andre "Dr. Dre" Young (Hawkins) and Antoine "DJ Yella" Carraby (Brown Jr.) DJ work as DJs.  Frustrated with their lives, they band together to form the rap group NWA.  Their first single is a success, and they are approached by Jerry Heller (Giamatti), who offers to manage their group.

Their studio album is a success, but controversial lyrics make them targets for the police and hate groups.  Their commercial success also brings personal tragedies.  Contract negotiations cause a rift in the group and their friendships.


In the 1980s, N.W.A. rose to popularity for their "reality rap."  They were among the first rappers to popularize gangster rap, and their legacy lives on in groups today.  Former members Ice Cube and Dr. Dre, along with Eazy-E's widow Tomica Wright, served as producers on the film.

Director F. Gary Gray also has ties to the group.  He worked with both Ice Cube and Dr. Dre, directing music videos.  He also directed Ice Cube's first film Friday.

I don't know anything about rap and I don't know much about N.W.A. or their story.  Since this film came out, the group's violent past (specifically their abusive relationships) has come to light.  The film does not depict any of the female groups that were tied to N.W.A.  The only women that have main roles, are the women who married members of the group: Ice Cube's wife Kimberly, Eazy-E's wife Tomica, and Dr. Dre's wife Nicole.  Ice Cube, Eazy-E, and Dr. Dre are the main focus of the film, often excluding or minimizing the contributions of the other members.  The other members of the group gave their support to the film, but were not all happy with their portrayal / screen time.  Jerry Heller filed a lawsuit against the film, filmmakers, and the producers, over this film.

As I mentioned before, I don't know anything about the group or their music... but it is an interesting film.  The actors do a decent job in the roles and the story is compelling.

This film is nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

Straight Outta Compton (2015) 147 minutes
Rating: R for language throughout, strong sexuality/nudity, violence, and drug use
Director: F. Gary Gray
Starring: O'Shea Jackson Jr. as Ice Cube
Corey Hawkins as Dr. Dre
Jason Mitchell as Eazy-E
Aldis Hodge as MC Ren
Neil Brown Jr. as DJ Yella
Paul Giamatti as Jerry Heller
Marlon Yates Jr. as The D.O.C.
Alexandra Shipp as Kimberly Woodruff
Carra Patterson as Tomica Woods
R. Marcus Taylor as Suge Knight

Spectre

"Why did you come?

"I came here to kill you."

"And I thought you came here to die."

"Well, it's all a matter of perspective."

James Bond (Craig) travels to Mexico to fulfill the final wish of the late M (Judi Dench): kill assassin Marco Sciarra (Alessandro Cremona), who was responsible for many deaths within the 00 program.  He kills Sciarra and takes his ring, which bears the symbol of an octopus.  Bond's actions in Mexico cause an international incident and gets him suspended.  Despite orders from the new M (Fiennes), he continues to dig into the octopus ring and uncovers a secret organization called Spectre.

Meanwhile M is in the midst of a power struggle with C (Scott), the head of the newly combined MI-5 and MI-6 programs.  C feels the 00 program is outdated and wants get rid of the program.  Q (Whishaw) and Eve Moneypenny (Harris) are in the cross-hairs as they try to help Bond investigate Spectre and avoid detection by C.

Spectre is run by Franz Oberhauser and has countless resources on hand.  He is forced to team up with Dr. Madeleine Swann (Seydoux) to find and stop Oberhauser.  Can Bond find a way to defeat Spectre while still proving the necessity of MI-6?


This is the 24th film in the James Bond film franchise.  This is also Daniel Craig's 4th turn as Bond, the second directed by Sam Mendes.  Like the other Bond films with Craig, this is a continuing story... all of the other films are referenced (and shown during the opening credits) and tied together in this film.

The film starts in the middle of the action, with Bond in Mexico, and then explains what happens when Bond is back at MI-6.  This film has a lot going on.  It's hard to explain the plot and can be hard to follow at times... and it requires at least a basic understanding of Craig's other Bond films: Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, and Skyfall.  Craig is again joined by Ralph Fiennes as M, Ben Whishaw as Q, Naomie Harris as Moneypenny, and Rory Kinnear as Bill Tanner.  Christoph Waltz plays the villain, but never really gets to do much other than seem mysterious.  I wish they had cut back some of the unnecessary exposition and give Waltz more time to sink his teeth into the role.  It is an ok Bond film, but not great.  It's trying too hard.

The theme song "Writing's on the Wall" by Sam Smith and Jimmy Naples is nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song.

Spectre (2015) 148 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence, some disturbing images, sensuality and language
Director: Sam Mendes
Starring: Daniel Craig as James Bond
Christoph Waltz as Franz Oberhauser
Lea Seydoux as Dr. Madeleine Swann
Ralph Fiennes as M
Ben Whishaw as Q
Naomie Harris as Eve Moneypenny
Dave Bautista as Mr. Hinx
Andrew Scott as C
Rory Kinnear as Bill Tanner

Hundraåringen som klev ut genom fönstret och försvann: The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared

On Allan Karlsson's (Gustafsson) 100th birthday, he climbs out the window in his room in the nursing home and heads to the train station.  Along the way he is handed a suitcase, which he takes on the train.  He ends up in the middle of nowhere with the suitcase.  He befriends Julius (Wiklander), who works at the train station.  Allan and Julius discover the suitcase contains 50 million dollars.  They decide to keep the money and hitch a ride with Benny (Wiberg), a career student.

The money belongs to Pim (Ford).  The young man who asked Allan to watch the suitcase works for Gaddan (Hulten).  Gaddan works for Pim, and is confined to his home by an ankle monitor.  Pim and Gaddan want the money back and track Allan and his friends.  The police, led by Chief Inspector Aronsson (Carlsson), are also looking for Allan.  As Allan remembers his exceptional life, he and his friends try to avoid their pursuers.  With Gunilla (Skaringer) and an elephant in tow, can they get away?


I discovered this Swedish film because it is nominated for an Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyles.  Star Robert Gustafsson was 48 when this was filmed and has impressive makeup throughout to take him from 20s to 100 without looking ridiculous or garish.

Most of the film is in Swedish with subtitles, but the narration (and a few other scenes) are in English.  But don't let that stop you from seeing the film.  Gustafsson is a charismatic lead.  He is entertaining and you want to know what will happen next.  The rest of the cast are entertaining as well.

The story is based on the Swedish novel with the same title by Jonas Jonasson.  The book was published in 2010 and quickly became a bestseller.  It was published in English in 2012.  I haven't read the book, but based on the plot synopsis online, it looks like the film stayed pretty true to it.  It is an interesting story that keeps you guessing.

Check out this quirky comedy.

Hundraåringen som klev ut genom fönstret och försvann [The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared] (2013) 112 minutes
Rating: R for language and some violence
Director: Felix Hengren
Starring: Robert Gustafsson as Allan Karlsson
Iwar Wiklander as Julius
David Wiberg as Benny
Mia Skaringer as Gunilla
Jens Hulten as Gäddan
David Shackleton as Herbert Einstein
Ralph Carlsson as Chief Inspector Aronsson
Alan Ford as Pim

The Martian (2015)

"In the face of overwhelming odds, I'm left with only one option, I'm gonna have to science the shit out of this."

The crew of the Ares III is a manned mission to Mars, led by Commander Melissa Lewis (Chastain).  The team are surprised by a serious storm that forces them to evacuate the planet in their ship, the Hermes.  During the evacuation, botanist Mark Watney (Damon) is struck by a piece of the ship and presumed dead.  The crew leave, and the next day Mark wakes up alone.  He manages to get inside the Hab and tend to his wounds.  He has few rations and no way to contact earth, so he decides to try to grow his own food.

Meanwhile, NASA and the crew mourn the loss of Mark.  Satellite planner Mindy Park (Davis) and mission director Vincent Kapoor (Ejiofor) discover Mark is still alive, and try to find a way to bring him home.  Mark and the team at NASA try to find a way to communicate.  Can he survive long enough to be rescued?


In 2011, Andy Weir self-published "The Martian" as an online serial.  The book was officially published in 2013 and quickly debuted on the New York Times Best Sellers List.  The book combines a compelling story, edge-of-your-seat action, and scientifically sound.  Due to the success of the book, the film rights were sold in 2013.

The screenplay by Drew Goddard stays faithful to the book, while making it a more cinematic story.  Goddard is nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.  The cast is filled with likable actors.  Matt Damon is able to carry the film without needing others to play off of.  For most of the film he is alone, narrating his actions, and it never feels boring.  Damon is nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor.  The rest of the cast are convincing in their roles.

The film is nominated for 7 Academy Awards: Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Picture, Best Visual Effects, Best Production Design, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing.

I haven't read the Weir's novel yet, but look forward to checking it out.  An entertaining film.

The Martian (2015) 141 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for some strong language, injury images, and brief nudity
Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Matt Damon as Mark Watney
Jessica Chastain as Melissa Lewis
Michael Pena as Major Rick Martinez
Kate Mara as Beth Johanssen
Sebastian Stan as Dr. Chris Beck
Aksel Hennie as Dr. Alex Vogel
Chiwetel Ejiofor as Vincent Kapoor
Mackenzie Davis as Mindy Park
Sean Bean as Mitch Henderson
Jeff Daniels as Teddy Sanders
Donald Glover as Rich Purnell
Benedict Wong as Bruce Ng
Kristen Wiig as Annie Montrose
Eddy Ko as Guo Ming
Chen Shu as Zhu Tao

The Revenant

"As long as you can still grab a breath, you fight. You breathe... keep breathing."

In 1823, a group of fur trappers are ambushed by the Arikara Native Americans.  Some of the group manage to escape with the pelts, and begin the long journey back to the fort.  Their guide, Hugh Glass (DiCaprio), suggests ditching their boat and traveling by foot to avoid further attacks.  His plan is backed by Captain Andrew Henry (Domhnall), despite the protestations of the group.  The loudest opposition comes from John Fitzgerald (Hardy) who resents the delays and loss of profits.

When Glass scouts ahead, he is attacked and seriously injured by a grizzly bear.  The group attempt to tend his wounds and carry him back to the fort, but the travel is slow and dangerous.  They decide to leave Glass and a small group behind.  Hugh is left with his half-Pawnee son Hawk (Goodluck), Fitzgerald, and young medic Bridger (Poulter).  Fitzgerald murders Hawk in front of Glass, and convinces Bridger to abandon Glass.  Can Glass overcome the obstacles: the Arikaras, the French traders, and the weather, and get vengeance for his losses?


The story is inspired by the grizzly attack on Hugh Glass.  Like in the film, Glass was a fur trader / explorer, and was attacked by a grizzly and then left for dead by his group.  He crawled / stumbled 200 miles back to the nearest American fort, after setting his own broken leg and dealing with infected wounds, and then pursued the two men who left him for dead.  This film uses that story as the backbone of the film, but makes several changes to the overall story.  The screenplay is based on the book "The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge" by Michael Punke.

Director Alejandro G. Inarritu won the Academy Award for Best Director in 2015 with Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance).  For this film, he used natural lighting and avoided computer images.  The film was mostly shot in sequence over the course of 80 days, due to the remote location and the desire to only use natural light, along with the weather conditions.

The film is over 2.5 hours long, but doesn't drag.  It is an intense film that doesn't shy away from taking it's time.  If you can't handle blood, you probably shouldn't see this film.  It is bloody / gory and violent, reminiscent of the times / situation it is portraying.  Leonardo DiCaprio is a strong lead, conveying so much without dialog and guiding the audience through this incredible journey.  Tom Hardy is equally compelling as John Fitzgerald.  They are excellent on screen together (they previously starred in Inception).  Domhnall Gleeson, Will Poulter, and Forrest Goodluck are also good in their roles.

This film is nominated for 12 Academy Awards, including Best Actor (DiCaprio), Best Director (Inarritu), Best Picture, Best Support Actor (Hardy), Best Cinematography.  DiCaprio has already won numerous awards for this film.

The Revenant (2015) 156 minutes
Rating: R for strong frontier combat and violence including gory images, a sexual assault, language and brief nudity
Director: Alejandro G. Inarritu
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio as Hugh Glass
Tom Hardy as John Fitzgerald
Domhnall Gleeson as Captain Andrew Henry
Will Poulter as Bridger
Forrest Goodluck as Hawk
Paul Anderson as Anderson
Kristoffer Joner as Murphy

Sleeping with Other People

"If you want someone to fall for you, you gotta be you."

"Yeah I don't think I like me enough to introduce him to other people."

In college, Jake (Sudeikis) and Lainey (Brie) lose their virginity to each other.  Years later, they meet again at a sex addicts meeting.  Jake is a serial womanizer.  He and his best friend Xander (Mantzoukas) are selling their company for a huge payout.  Lainey is a serial cheater, constantly returning to her college love, Matthew (Scott).  She gave up dreams of a medical degree to become a teacher.

They strike up a platonic friendship and begin spending time together.  Can they avoid attraction and help each other?


The tagline for this film is "A Romantic Comedy with Commitment Issues."  That is a fairly accurate description of the film.  The beginning of the film plays up the raunchy side, but if you can get past that, it is pretty standard rom com.

The leads are all well-known for their TV roles.  Jason Sudeikis was a regular on Saturday Night Live for 9 seasons, here he plays the same character he has been playing in films (i.e. Horrible Bosses, etc).  Alison Brie was one of the stars of Community and Mad Men, here she is neurotic and endearing.  Jason Mantzoukas was a regular on The League, as Rafi.  He has excellent chemistry with Margaret Odette, who plays his wife Thea.  Adam Scott was a regular on Party Down and Parks and Recreation.  It is interesting seeing him as a "villain."

The cast is good, and if you can get past the raunch, it is a sweet romantic comedy.

Sleeping with Other People (2015) 101 minutes
Rating: R for strong sexual content, language including sexual references, and some drug use
Director: Leslye Headland
Starring: Jason Sudeikis as Jake
Alison Brie as Lainey
Adam Scott as Matthew
Jason Mantzoukas as Xander
Margaret Odette as Thea
Amanda Peet as Amanda
Natasha Lyonne as Kara

Bridge of Spies

"Aren't you worried?"

"Would it help?"

In 1957, Rudolf Abel (Rylance) is arrested as a Soviet spy.  The U.S. government asks insurance lawyer James Donovan (Hanks) to serve as his lawyer, to show the Soviet Union that Abel received a good defense.  Donovan agrees to take the case, and sets out to provide the best defense he can for Abel.  His wife Mary (Ryan) and children (Eve Hewson, Noah Schnapp, and Jillian Lebling) don't understand why he takes the case and why he puts in such effort.

Abel is convicted, but sentenced to 30 years in prison.  Meanwhile, Francis Gary Powers (Stowell) is recruited by the CIA to fly a U-2 spy plane.  He is shot down and captured by the Soviet Union.  Donovan is asked to facilitate a prisoner exchange: Abel for Powers.  He is sent to Germany, as a private citizen, to meet with Soviet leaders in East Germany to negotiate the exchange.  Will he be successful?


The story is based on actual events.  In 1964, James Donovan wrote about the experience in the book "Strangers on a Bridge: The Case of Colonel Abel and Francis Gary Powers."  A few years later, Gregory Peck wanted to make a film of the story, but Cold War tensions and politics prevented it.

This film, with a screenplay by Matt Charman and Joel & Ethan Coen, makes a few departures from the actual events.  These departures don't detract from the story.  It is an espionage thriller that keeps you guessing, even with it's 2+ hour running time (which never seems to drag).

As usual, Tom Hanks is an excellent leading man.  He is the everyman who is faced with difficult choices, and regularly rises above what is expected of him.  Matching Hanks is Mark Rylance (who is nominated for an Oscar for this film) as Rudolf Abel.  It is a subtle performance with touches of humor.  Rylance is best known for his stage roles.  The rest of cast are excellent as well.

It is another great film by director Steven Spielberg.  Every decision makes sense and works well together to bring a compelling and suspenseful portrait of an ordinary man.  The film is nominated for 6 Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (for Mark Rylance), Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Production Design, and Best Sound Mixing.  It isn't as flashy as some of Spielberg's films, but it is still worth checking out.

Bridge of Spies (2015) 142 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for some violence and brief strong language
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Tom Hanks as James B. Donovan
Mark Rylance as Rudolf Abel
Scott Shepherd as Hoffman
Amy Ryan as Mary McKenna Donovan
Sebastian Koch as Wolfgang Vogel
Alan Alda as Thomas Watters
Austin Stowell as Francis Gary Powers
Billy Magnussen as Doug Forrester
Will Rogers as Frederic Pryor

Jack and the Beanstalk (1952): 800th Review

Look who made it to 800...

100 Monty Python and the Holy Grail  /  200 Duck Soup  /  300 Super Troopers  /   

400 Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein  /   500 The Odd Couple  /  600 Stir Crazy / 700 Tommy Boy

"I fear nothing when I am in the right / Whoever pushes me around will find me full of fight."

Jack (Costello) and Mr. Dinkle (Abbott) are hired to babysit actress Eloise Larkin's (Cogan) baby sister and trouble-making brother, Donald (Stollery) for the evening.  Jack loves kids and convinces Donald to read his favorite bedtime story, "Jack and the Beanstalk."  Donald starts reading and Jack quickly falls asleep, dreaming about the story.

In the dream, the kingdom has been laid to waste by the Giant (Baer).  The kingdom is so poor that Princess Eloise (Cogan) is forced to marry Prince Arthur (Alexander) from a neighboring kingdom.  But before their wedding can take place, both are stolen by the Giant.  Jack Strong (Costello) is dim-witted and his best friend is his cow Henry.  To make a little money, his mother (Brown), forces him to sell the cow to the butcher, Mr. Dinklepuss (Abbott).  Dinklepuss gives Jack magic beans, which grown into a giant beanstalk.  Jack vows to climb the beanstalk and rescue the princess.  Dinklepuss volunteers to go along, in order to steal some of the Giant's wealth.  In the Giant's kingdom they befriend the Giant's housekeeper, Polly (Ford) and find the royals.  Can they all escape the Giant's clutches?


I grew up loving Abbott and Costello films, especially this one.  It was a nice mix of slapstick and music, and a classic fairy tale story to tie it all together.  Watching it as an adult, I still remember all the words to the songs and still laugh at the ridiculous messes Costello's Jack gets into.

This was one of the few Abbott and Costello films in color.  The film begins in black and white, then changes to color during the dream.  As usual, Bud Abbott plays the straight man, the brains of the operation always looking out for himself, while Lou Costello is the slapstick center with a heart of gold.

They are joined by a strong ensemble cast.  Former wrestler Buddy Baer, who worked with Abbott and Costello in 1949's Africa Screams, menaces from the beginning as a police officer who Jack keeps running into and later as the Giant.  He is physically larger and repeatedly picks up Jack and has a great deep voice that helps build the character.  Dorothy Ford, a 6'2" model, also towers over Costello.  She plays the receptionist at the job agency and Polly in the dream, and her height difference is a repeated joke.  Shaye Cogan and James Alexander were singers and this was the film debut for both.  They are the romantic leads in both stories, and retain the same character names in both.  Child actor David Stollery is perfect as the self-proclaimed "problem child" Donald.  He is only in the beginning and end of the film, but he is still memorable.

It is an amusing little film, the only film the duo made specifically for kids.  The songs are cute, but not great... and the choreography is underwhelming, but the real reason to see this film is Abbott and Costello.

Jack and the Beanstalk (1952) 82 minutes
Director: Jean Yarbrough
Starring: Bud Abbott as Mr. Dinkle / Mr. Dinklepuss
Lou Costello as Jack / Jack Strong
Buddy Baer as Sgt Riley / The Giant
Shaye Cogan as Eloise Larkin / Princess Eloise
James Alexander as Arthur / Prince Arthur
Dorothy Ford as Receptionist / Polly
Barbara Brown as Mrs. Strong
David Stollery as Donald Larkin

Cartel Land

The war on drugs is difficult for the people who live near the US-Mexican border.  Mexican drug cartels use violence and intimidation to smuggle their drugs and humans across the border.  Their violence and the lack of government action has inspired vigilante groups/ militias to spring up on both sides of the border.  This documentary follows the Arizona Border Recon and Autodefensa groups.

On the US side of the border, Tim "Nailer" Foley runs the Arizona Border Recon.  They are a paramilitary organization that patrols the border.  They track cartel movements and turn illegal immigrants over to the US government.

In Mexico, the state of Michoacan saw significant cartel violence.  Men and women are kidnapped, tortured and killed by the cartel on a regular basis.  A group of men, led by Jose "El Doctor" Mireles, joined together to form the Autodefensa to fight back for their town.  The Autodefensa focused on removing the Knights Templar Cartel from their towns and protect their families.  But corruption within the police force and even their own organization make it difficult to know who is good and bad.


This documentary is dark and disturbing.  It is violent and gruesome, which reflects the situation documented in the film.  The gore never feels gratuitous, it is an accurate portrayal of the situation.  The camera is right in the middle of the action, even in the midst of gunfire on multiple occasions.

The film doesn't shy aware from showing the negative sides to the men at the heart of the documentary.  It shows the success of their missions, but also shows that these men are not perfect.  It opens and closes watching a group of masked cartel members manufacture drugs and talk directly to the camera.

Despite the raw portrayal, it never asks the audience to think about the deeper issues at play... or ask any questions.  It shows you the situation in the worst places and shows the impact of the militias on the situation, and then abruptly ends.  It is a good documentary, but it needs a follow-up (or should have 10-20 more minutes to give more closure).

This film is nominated for an Oscar for Best Documentary.

Cartel Land (2015) 100 minutes
Rating: R for violent disturbing images, language, drug content and brief sexual material
Director: Matthew Heineman
Starring: Jose Manuel "El Doctor" Mireles
Tim "Nailer" Foley

The Look of Silence

In the 1960s, the Indonesian government was overthrown.  The new regime killed all the opposition under the guise that they were wiping out Communists.  These men are still protected by the government and the families of the victims live in fear and silence.

Adi is an optometrist.  His older brother Ramli was killed in 1965 during the Communist purge.  He was born to ease his parent's grief.  He watches footage of the killers talking and joking about the murders they committed.  He visits the killers and asks questions about their roles in the killings.


The follow-up / companion piece to director Joshua Oppenheimer's 2013 documentary The Act of Killing, which focuses on the killers.  This film is more intimate, focusing on one family and their heartache.  The stakes were even higher for the crew and their subjects, which is apparent by the number of people credited as "Anonymous" in the credits.  In fact, Adi and his family had to move to a different part of the country to avoid repercussions for this film.

Like it's predecessor, this is a difficult film to watch.  Silence is a big part of the film, which adds to the tension and discomfort felt by the people on screen.  Most of the killers and/or their families don't want to think about the morality of what happened and want to avoid talking about it because "the wounds have healed."

If you watched The Act of Killing, you should watch this film to see the other side of the story.  This film is nominated for an Oscar for Best Documentary (like it's predecessor).

The Look of Silence (2014) 103 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for thematic material involving disturbing graphic descriptions of atrocities and inhumanity
Director: Joshua Oppenheimer
Starring: Adi Rukun