My Review: The Giver (2/10)

“Our community was built on rules. Differences weren’t allowed.”

It’s not an easy feat to make Meryl Streep look bad in a film, but The Giver manages to do so with this simplistic and dull film. Based on the best selling novel written by Lois Lowry, this adaptation is yet another film geared towards a young audience centering on a dystopian society. The plot centers on a community where everything is apparently perfect because since no one actually feels anything there is no pain. Everyone has a specific role in society and must do as they are told. The similarities with Divergent came up more than once while I was watching this and unfortunately The Giver makes Divergent seem like a masterpiece. I have never read the novel, but I doubt it is close to being anything like this film because it is very bland and predictable. For a film that is attacking sameness it really doesn’t do anything to try to stand out from other films in the YA department. The social critique seemed like it was written by a young teenager who was spelling out everything for the audience, and there really isn’t anything deep or thought-provoking about it either. These themes have been explored in the past in much better films. Perhaps I’m just tired of the teen dystopia genre, but this easily wins my vote for one of the worst films of the year. The only good thing I can say about this film directed by Phillip Noyce is that the cinematography is gorgeous so at least the movie looks good, but there really isn’t much going on story wise. There really isn’t much more I want to say about this film because I felt it was a complete waste of time, but I’m surprised it has worked for so many people. 

Despite how much I like Merly Streep and Jeff Bridges I didn’t really enjoy their performances here. Alexander Skarsgard and Katie Holmes may not be considered amongst the best actors out there, but I usually enjoy their performances. It wasn’t the case in this film either and I don’t think they added anything to the film. Some actors can elevate the material at times, but there wasn’t anyone who could’ve done it here. Brenton Thwaites plays the lead character in this film and he doesn’t do a bad job. Odeya Rush and Cameron Monaghan’s characters aren’t really developed, but I guess it is sort of the point considering they live in a society where there is no feeling and everyone is expected to act in the same way. I never really got engaged with the film or the themes it was trying to explore.

My Review: What Maisie Knew (8/10)

"This is my new stepfather. My father married my nanny, so Court made my mommy get married too."

What Maisie Knew is a wonderful adaptation of Henry James's novel of the same name. Writers, Nancy Doyne and Carroll Cartwright, managed to capture the spirit of the novel really well. It is a great (although difficult) film with some very memorable performances thanks to some well developed characters. Directors, Scott McGehee and David Siegel, succeeded in focusing on the small details and interior of each character rather than on the big melodramatic moments. Despite all the drama, this film always manages to stay small and let us experience things through the eyes of the 7 year old lead character. It is her memories we are seeing and the way the film was edited draws us into her character and helps us identify with the things she is going through. This film might just be one of the best movies about divorced parenting. Through the eyes of Maisie the audience can experience the difficult situations she has to go through because of her parents neglect. It is such a surprise to see how James's novel which was written about a century ago still remains so contemporary now. The film felt so real and authentic and it was easy to relate to the story as well. The directors approached this story of a dysfunctional family in a very sensitive manner and it really worked. What Maisie Knew is a very touching film and one I'd definitely recommend, especially if you like tasteful character studies of human nature. I found this film to be very emotional without being manipulative or melodramatic and definitely one all parents should watch.

Maisie (Onata Aprile) is the tender and loving 7 year old daughter of Beale (Steve Coogan), an art dealer who travels a lot for work, and Susanna (Julianne Moore) a rock star whose glory days are a bit behind her. They have a beautiful apartment in New York and seem to be living very well, but Maisie's world is shaken when her parents get divorced and fight for custody over her in court. The judge decides that they both share custody so the film follows Maisie as she lives ten days with her mother and ten with her father. When she arrives at her father's place she is sort of surprised to find her nanny, Margo (Joanna Vanderham) living their, but she is glad to have her company. Margo and Maisie get along really well and since her father travels a lot she spends most of her time with her. Then when Maisie returns with her mother she finds out that she is dating a younger man named Lincoln (Alexander Skarsgard). Lincoln has no clue about parenting and at first their relationship is kind of strange, but with her mother gone for most of the day the two begin to bond and form a special relationship. Despite her parents neglect, Maisie enjoys most of her days with her step parents who really seem to care for her more than her parents. Susanna and Beale do love Maisie and have a good relationship with her, but they are so focused on their jobs and their right to have custody over her that they actually neglect Maisie along the way.

The film can be disturbing at times because divorce and parental neglect can be rough, but the story is told in a very sensitive manner. The true star of the film is the 7 year old Onata Aprile who really delivers a powerful emotional performance. This is a girl who is forced to adapt to the different changes in her life at such a young age and despite the complexity of the role, Aprile really captures the heart of the character. Julianne Moore also stands out in her role as the neglectful parent. She really is unlikable, but she gives a memorable performance and kind of stands out as this year's best female villain. The film takes a very different perspective on divorce as it centers the action around the little girl, instead of the parents. It's the innocence through which she sees everything that captivates the audience. She has to pay for her parents sins, but she manages to adapt along the way. Aprile may not have a lot of lines in the film, but her emotions can be read through her facial expressions. She deserves a lot of recognition for her performance. Skarsgard and Vanderham play the most likable characters in this film so it is easy to like them in their lovable roles and I enjoyed their performance. This is a film you won't want to miss.

My Review: The East (7/10)

"Spy on us, we'll spy on you."

The East teams up director Zal Batmanglij with actress Brit Marling once again after their collaboration in Sound of My Voice. Once again they co-wrote the screenplay after having spent some time with several anarchist groups in order to write a believable script. The East is an interesting thriller that had me guessing what was going to happen next. It has its weak moments (the beginning is a little slow and the final act leaves several questions unanswered) but the middle act is very strong and it raises several ethical and moral questions. I loved Marling, Skarsgard, and Page in this film. There were some elements that reminded me a lot of Martha Marcy May Marlene despite this being an anarchist group and not a sect. That film had a much stronger ending, but here the middle act kind of creates a similar atmosphere with the leader of the group (Skarsgard) showing his influence and charisma over the rest. Perhaps this film doesn't work as a psychological character study like that one, but there are some weird things going on inside the group, but in a way you sympathize with them despite their "eye for an eye" philosophy. At the end you are left with a sense of having wanted to see more, but the movie is still entertaining and goes into unknown and unexplored territory. Marling is such a great actress, if she can't find the role she is looking for she doesn't lay down, she simply writes a character she would like to play and does it. Ellen Page is also great in her supporting performance and delivers once again on every scene. The East won't be on my list of top films of the year, but it is still highly recommendable watching!

Jane (Brit Marling) works for an important private intelligence agency run by Sharon (Patricia Clarkson) and is assigned to infiltrate an anarchist group known as The East. Jane has spent the last nine months getting prepared for her assignment by studying the reserved group. They are an eco-terrorist group that publicly attack the CEO's of big corporations such as oil companies or pharmaceutical drug distributors that are aware of the harm they cause and try to cover it up. The East pays these people with the same coin, for instance if a drug has dangerous side effects and these CEO's are paying people off to distribute them, they simply force the same drug on them. Once Jane infiltrates the group, under the covert name of Sarah, she befriends these eco-friendly anarchists who are led by Benji (Alexander Skarsgard). He is a charismatic leader and has the members of the group do strange things like eat food they gather from dumpsters or bathe each other. The other members of the group are Izzy (Ellen Page), Doc (Toby Kebbell), Luca (Shiloh Fernandez), Tess (Danielle MacDonald), and Thumbs (Aldis Hodge). As Jane begins recollecting information she becomes more and more sympathetic towards their cause as opposed to the private firm she works for that is only concerned in defending these rich CEO's. 

The East raises a lot of moral questions and lets the audience decide what side to take. It doesn't try to manipulate us into deciding one way or another. We see things through the lead character's eyes as she begins to be influenced by this group. They seem to be fighting for the right cause, but the way they do things through terrorist acts is immoral. Everyone seems to have their heart in the right place. The screenwriters did a decent job with the script creating a tense atmosphere that had me glued to the screen despite the flaws. I wasn't disappointed despite having high expectations for The East. My favorite thing about this movie beside the heavy political eco-friendly message were the performances from the strong cast.

My Review: Battleship (5/10)

¨Warning red, weapons tight, I want everything loaded.¨

Battleship has proven that it will be very difficult to compete with the high quality standard that The Avengers left for this year`s Summer movies. Battleship really disappoints although honestly I wasn’t expecting much from the film. There are some good actors in this movie, but the script is just so cheesy that even Liam Neeson looks bad in this. The story has its numbing entertaining moments thanks to all the special effects, but it is just another Transformers 3 all over again (as the trailer proudly announces). Battleship is directed by Peter Berg, the man who brought us The Rundown and Hancock, and who is responsible for the successful TV series Friday Night Lights. He has made some interesting projects in the past, but this film really doesn’t work despite all the great visuals and explosions going on. The greatest problem the film has is the script which was written by Erich and Jon Hoeber who haven’t had success in the past with neither Whiteout nor Red. This move also marks the debut of Rihanna as an actress and she does what she can with the little she was given. Overall this is a forgettable movie and I would rather play the game then watch the film again. Saying that Battleship is based on the Hasbro game is like saying Saving Private Ryan was based on RISK.

Stone (Alexander Skarsgard) and Alex Hopper (Taylor Kitsch) might be brothers, but they are very different. Stone is a Commander in the NAVY, while Alex hasn`t found his calling in life and is sleeping in his brother`s couch. After Alex finds himself in trouble once again Stone decides to enlist him in the NAVY in order for him to mature. Alex becomes a Lieutenant, but is always causing trouble despite his potential, and Admiral Shane (Liam Neeson) has already announced that after the Naval war games exercise he will discharge him from the NAVY. Alex also happens to be dating the Admiral`s daughter, Sam (Brooklyn Decker), but can`t find the way to tell him that he is planning on marrying her. Some of the other officers in Stone`s ship are Weps Raikes (Rihanna), The Beast Lynch (John Tui), and Jimmy (Jesse Plemons). During the international war games exercise where fleets from all over the world have come to Hawaii they find themselves threatened by an alien armada invasion. In the line of fire, these men will do what they can to save the world from extinction after the aliens have proven they are here to wipe them out.

The main character in this film is played by Taylor Kitsch, who still hasn’t found his break out performance after the huge John Carter box office failure. He is still mostly known for his role in Friday Night Lights. Alexander Skarsgard is also known for his role in the TV series Trueblood, so there truly isn’t a movie star in this film considering Liam Neeson has a very small role in this. These relatively unknown television actors (unless you’re a fan of either TV series) do what they can with the poor material they were given to work with. They aren`t to blame as to why the movie doesn’t really work. The film takes a while to pick up and there are several unnecessary scenes, like the one where the American NAVY crew is playing soccer against the Japanese; it was just awful. The entire movie felt like a NAVY propaganda telling everyone that if you want to have fun then you should enlist in the NAVY. There isn’t much more to this movie than that so don’t expect too much. This could rank alongside other films with good visuals but no story like Transformers 3 and Battle Los Angeles.

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My Review: Melancholia (5/10)

¨Life is only on Earth. And not for long. ¨

Melancholia as its name suggests is a very depressing movie starring Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg as two troubled sisters. Danish director Lars von Trier (Antichrist and Dogville) suffered from depression himself and decided to use his personal experience and share his emotions with the viewer in this melancholic film. The story is interesting at some points and the visuals are really stylish, but I am not a big fan of these dark, depressing movies so I didn’t have a pleasant experience. Lars von Trier wrote the screenplay himself as he usually does with his work and filmed the movie in Sweden so the scenery is actually quite beautiful, but the story and characters are too dark for my personal taste. The film is really slow and consists of two parts, one focusing on each sister. The long opening scene set the mood for the entire movie with music from Wagner`s ¨Tristan and Isolde.¨ You can fall asleep with how slow the pace is. This is definitely not a movie for everyone, but those of you who enjoy these depressing movies might have a good time it thanks to the great visual style and the psychological study of the characters. I understood the message that the director was trying to get across, and I actually enjoyed his work in Dogville, but I just wasn’t entertained with Melancholia and found time moving so slowly that the film seemed like it was never going to end. A much better film dealing with depression that I recommend and also came out this year is The Beaver starring Mel Gibson. His performance is much more deserving of recognition than Kirsten Dunst`s work in this film for which she won the best actress award in the Cannes Festival.

The movie opens with a long eight minute scene where we are introduced to some of the scenes that occur during the movie in a very artistic style, like if we were viewing a live painting. We also see how a planet (which we later learn is called Melancholia) is headed towards Earth and collides with it. Then the movie begins with the first part called Justine and it focuses on her (Kirsten Dunst) wedding reception. She seems happy at first as she kisses her new husband Michael (Alexander Skarsgard), but we can tell there is something off about her. She is trying to hide her depression with fake smiles, but she can`t take it for long. Her sister, Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg), and her brother-in-law, John (Kiefer Sutherland), have spent a lot of money on the wedding reception and are a bit disappointed with the way things are turning out. Their parents, Dexter (John Hurt) and Gaby (Charlotte Rampling), who are divorced have a discussion in front of everyone, so that doesn’t help either. Justine can`t keep on pretending to be happy and all of a sudden tells her boss, Jack (Stellan Skarsgard) that he is a selfish person, she ignores Michael, and ends up having sex with Jack`s nephew, Tim (Brady Corbet). The second part of the story is titled Claire and it takes place at their residence a couple of months after the disastrous wedding. Everyone is aware now that a planet seems to be heading towards Earth, although John (as the scientist he is) assures them that it will just pass by. Justine`s depression is getting worse and worse, but she seems to not care much about the possible collision. It`s Claire`s turn now to suffer anxiety and panic attacks as she fears for the worst.

It`s interesting to see how von Trier plays out this film, making us see how unbalanced Justine is at her wedding. Kirsten Dunst captures her depression really well (although I don’t think it is Oscar worthy if you ask me). Then in the second part of the film we see how all of a sudden the table turns and Justine seems to be the stronger of the two. Justine goes from needing to being taken care of to caring for her sister Claire when she can`t deal with the issue. Even John who seemed to be always in control ends up taking the easy way out. Lars von Trier knew exactly what he was doing because suffering from depression himself he knew that melancholic people tend to deal better under pressure. Kirsten Dunst really transmits this idea through her character, but I still think there have been better and more deserving works this year. I really wasn’t entertained with this movie, and I don’t plan on ever seeing it again. I couldn`t recommend it, although I understand all the buzz it is receiving with the critics. The movie was melancholic, it did its job, but I am just not the kind of guy who is interested in these movies. I was plain and simply bored with Melancholia.

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My Review: 13 (4/10)

¨13 didn`t pull the trigger. You have to pull the trigger.¨

13 is a remake of a 2005 Georgian film ¨13 Tzameti¨ which was also written and directed by Gela Babluani. Unlike the original film in which Babluani also stared, this time the film had a lot of known Hollywood actors and it was filmed in color. The film has an interesting concept and it could have worked for a short film, but not for a full length feature film. Even at 97 minutes long the movie feels stretched and the dialogue really didn’t help either. There are some interesting and thrilling moments, but not enough to save this film. I had no idea what 13 was about before watching it so at the beginning I was drawn and intrigued to what was going to happen, but after the suspense was over the film got lost in the narrative. I also was expecting more from the cast because there were some interesting actors involved in the project, but the only real one who stands out in this film was Sam Riley (who I loved in Control). Riley gave a great performance and he is probably the best thing about this film. Mickey Rourke, Jason Statham, Alexander Skarsgard, and Michael Shannon were all underused, and they had little screen time to truly shine. With a better script this movie could have been much better. I was also a little disappointed with the ending, but I don’t want to give anything away, so I won`t say anything more about it.  

The less you know about the plot probably the better, but since the movie isn’t really that good I will go ahead and tell you about it. If you don’t want to know anything about the story then just go ahead and skip this paragraph. Vince (Sam Riley) is an electrician who has to put his home on mortgage in order to pay for his father`s operations because he`s very ill. Apparently the operation isn’t successful and they have to operate him again, which means Vince is going to need more money. That same day while he is working at someone`s house named William (Michael Berry Jr.) he overhears him speaking to his wife about the opportunity he just got of making a lot of money, while holding an envelope he just opened in his hands. That same day, William overdoses, and Vince doesn’t hesitate in taking the envelope and trying to figure out if he can make some money in his place. In the envelope he finds a number of hints that will lead him to some sort of secret place. Once he arrives to the location indicated he is taken by a driver named Jack (Alexander Skarsgard) to an underground building where a lot of wealthy people are gathered together making bets. He is given a number, 13, and before he can back out he discovers that he is part of a deadly game where other men gamble on his life. There are others just like him such as Jefferson (Mickey Rourke), Ronald (Ray Winstone), and many more that are all given numbers and are forced to point guns at each other with one bullet. They all have to shoot, those who are lucky survive.

13 is really poorly developed. The concept was interesting at first, but it got really boring after a while thanks in most part to a terrible script and very little character development. There were so many characters that were just wasted in the film and some of the background stories that were told about them were useless. Mickey Rourke and Jason Statham are both great actors, but their roles in this film were absolutely pointless. I really don’t understand how a movie like this needed to be made. The only positive thing I can say about 13 is that Sam Riley had a lead role and he was great. He was the only character that was really developed, and he did a decent job with the poor material he had to work with. There were a couple of intense moments, but like I said before, it could have worked well in a short film, but not in a movie like this. I really wouldn’t recommend this movie, unless you are a fan of Sam Riley (in that case just watch Control all over again and skip this).

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