Everest (6/10) The Magnificent mountain imposes over the characters.

“Human beings simply aren't built to function at the cruising altitudes of a seven-forty-seven.”

Based on the true events that took place in Mount Everest on May 1996 during a climbing expedition to reach the summit of the mountain, this disaster movie directed by Baltasar Kormakur stands out for its fantastic and impressive visuals. However what it has in its visual department, it lacks in character development. The only strong character here is Jason Clarke’s Rob Hall who is the heart and soul of a story that is a bit overpopulated with characters who don’t get enough screen time for us to really identify with them. The narrative could’ve worked better with fewer characters, but the magnificent mountain does end up taking center stage and the visual style makes up for all its flaws. Some patience is required as we are introduced to each character at the beginning of the film, but once the preparation for the climbing begins its hard not to fall in love with all the beauty surrounding them and the passion these climbers had for reaching the summit. Kormakur does manage to establish the harsh conditions these men would have to endure to reach the top while they acclimatize to the region, which makes the approaching menacing storm during the second half of the film even more dreadful. Including so many characters and trying to remain true as possible to the real life events may have hurt the narrative arc of the film, but the scenery more than makes up for it.

By 1996 the climbing expeditions to reach the peak of Mount Everest had become a sought out tourist attraction. The nearly impossible task wasn’t only achieved by professional climbers, but now amateurs could achieve their dream by paying for the service of well trained expedition companies that facilitated the acclimatizing process. One company is being led by experienced climber, Rob Hall (Jason Clarke) who is preparing his new crew for the upcoming adventure. He leaves his pregnant wife, Jan (Keira Knightley) at home and heads off to Nepal to meet the team. This year the clients are Doug (John Hawkes), a returning customer who hadn’t been able to reach the summit the previous year, Yasuko (Naoko Mori) who has climbed 6 of the 7 highest peaks of the planet and is hoping to complete her adventure, Beck Weathers (Josh Brolin) who is so immersed in the experience that he’s forgotten to call his wife, Peach (Robin Wright) for their anniversary, among many others. Rob is worried about the growing amount of expeditions that are heading to the summit around the same time so he asks other experienced leaders like Scott Fischer (Jake Gyllenhaal) to team up with his people. Other employees working at the mountain include Helen (Emily Watson) who is in charge of communications from the base camp and Guy Cotter (Sam Worthington) another experienced crew member who is a friend of Rob’s. As hard as they were working to give their clients a memorable experience, there was nothing they could do to anticipate the storm that was heading their way. 

Kormakur had previously directed two very different action flicks starring Mark Wahlberg (Contraband and 2 Guns), but this is more of an epic disaster film with some tense moments of human drama. The cast is brilliant, but as I mentioned before there isn’t enough time to get to know them all. Jason Clarke is the actor who is given more depth and he is allowed to flesh his character, but the rest are simply there as recognizable names: Worthington, Gyllenhaal, Knightley, Hawkes, and Watson don’t have much moments to shine which is a shame because they are talented actors. Perhaps the only other actor we truly get to know beside Clarke is Josh Brolin who gets some more screen time as well. But despite all the big names, the truly breathtaking character here is the Mountain which imposes an immense threat for everyone, even for the professionals who think they are part of it. I was a bit underwhelmed with the movie because I wanted to care more for these characters, but I did enjoy the breathtaking visuals and the marvelous landscape.    

My Review: Life of Crime (5/10)

"She looks like a million bucks."

If you were to run into Life of Crime prior to having seen Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown then you probably wouldn't feel in the mood to see it considering Daniel Schechter's film is a bit of a letdown. Despite being a prequel to Jackie Brown, which was also based on Elmore Leonard's novel, this film doesn't have that same punch to it. This proves just how difficult it is to do what Tarantino does so well. Leonard always writes rich characters who at times seem quirky. He mixes black humor with action pretty well, but in Life of Crime that spark is missing. The film relies on a talented cast who make the movie a bit more entertaining, but the story simply fails to engage and at times everything seems so light and pointless. There is something phony about these characters and the plot which constantly reminds the audience that there isn't anything true or authentic about this world. For a film based on a Leonard novel, the characters don't seem to have much going for them either. These aren't the characters we fell in love with in films like Jackie Brown, Out of Sight, and Get Shorty which were all created by Leonard. If I had to compare it to another adaptation from a Leonard novel I would say this is much more similar to Armitage's The Big Bounce starring Owen Wilson and Morgan Freeman. It is that disappointing no matter how much you  like the cast here. Life of Crime doesn't have anything remarkable to say really, it simply is content with existing and perhaps trying to hook Jackie Brown fans along the way. The comedy doesn't work really well, while the vibe and tone of the film is way too silly to take the action seriously. Perhaps I was just familiar with the characters this time around and found the entire premise a bit too ridiculous, but the film simply didn't engage me as much as other Leonard adaptations have in the past. 

Life of Crime's talented cast doesn't save this mediocre film, although they provide some enjoyment. The one who stands out is John Hawkes who plays Louis (Robert De Niro's character in Jackie Brown). It is remarkable how he can play such a scary and creepy role in one film and then all of a sudden you see how likable and sweet he can be in another. This time around, Hawkes is extremely likable and charming despite being a kidnapper. His partner in crime is Ordell (played by Mos Def in this film and Samuel L. Jackson in Jackie Brown). Def is also charming in this film and the two play off one another extremely well. As thieves they are completely incompetent, but we still want them to succeed. The weak link in this film was Jennifer Aniston who plays Mickey, the wife who is kidnapped. She simply didn't sell the character. Tim Robbins plays her husband, Frank, who is having an affair with Isla Fisher's Melanie. So you can see how the kidnappers plans are ruined when they find out that the husband has no interest in paying the ransom. That is kind of the whole joke of the film. Will Forte and Mark Boone Junior give strong supporting roles as well and there were actually a few moments involving the two that stood out for me comedic wise. The film did open pretty strongly but it didn't seem to go anywhere and several elements were completely left out. For example, Mickey and Frank's son who was introduced in the opening scenes is completely left out of the picture during the ransom. It's as if director Schechter simply didn't know where to take the story once all the characters were introduced. I was a huge fan of Jackie Brown so I was quite disappointed with this prequel. 

My Review: Lincoln (7/10)

¨I could write shorter sermons but when I get started I’m too lazy to stop.¨

Lincoln is without a doubt the most iconic figure in America’s history and for that fact alone this movie is worth checking out considering it is a well researched biopic directed by one of the best contemporary filmmakers: Steven Spielberg. Lincoln may not be as entertaining as it is informative, but none the less this is a film that will stick with you and help you understand perhaps a bit more why Lincoln remains such a beloved and respectful figure in our society today. This film will win several Academy Awards and perhaps even Best Picture thanks to a wonderful lead performance from Daniel Day Lewis, a great supporting cast, and a brilliant screenplay from Tony Kushner, who had previously worked with Steven in Munich. What stands out about this biopic is the way in which Spielberg presents it by deciding to focus on a specific period during Lincoln´s second term as President. The film doesn’t have flashbacks or tell us anything about Lincoln’s past life, but rather focuses on a specific period in time where the President is trying to abolish slavery by getting the 13^th Amendment passed in the Constitution. All this occurring while the Civil War is going on of course, as we see how Lincoln brilliantly manages to maneuver both things at once. By deciding to film the biopic this way we can focus on an important period in Lincoln’s life, without having to go through his entire life. I felt that this way we were able to learn much more about the President and his actions than we would have if we were given every specific about his entire life. By focusing on this specific period we really learn and understand the person that Abe is. I thought this was just a brilliant way to approach the film and it worked wonderfully.

The film takes place during Abraham Lincoln’s (Daniel Day Lewis) second term as president in 1865 while the Civil War is nearing its end. Lincoln knows that if he wants to abolish slavery once and for all in America he will have to do it before the Civil War is over. Concerned about the little effect his emancipation act will have on the slaves after the war he begins to push for the 13^th Amendment to be passed before peace is reached. The Senate has already passed the amendment, and now it is up to the House of Representatives to pass it. He knows he has the votes from the Republican Party, but he still will need about 20 Democratic votes in order to get the amendment passed. In this political game that Lincoln begins to play he tries to extend the Civil War as much as possible in order to get the amendment passed, although he knows that the longer he extends the War the more innocent lives will be lost, including that of his son Robert (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who has decided to join the War. This crisis of conscience that Lincoln faces begins to take a toll on him and his family, although he manages to maintain his serenity through these troubled times. Sally Field plays his wife Mary, while David Strathairn is William Seward the Secretary of State. Tommy Lee Jones is Thaddeus Stevens, one of the Republicans in the House of Representatives who highly favors the amendment.

From the moment that the film begins you get a sense that you really are seeing Abraham Lincoln, the icon himself come to life. Daniel Day Lewis immerses himself completely into his role in such a way that you forget that you are seeing a portrayal of Lincoln, and actually begin to see Lincoln himself. Daniel is a tremendous actor, he surprised us all in There Will Be Blood, and once again he outdoes himself. I wouldn’t be surprised if he wins his third Oscar for his tremendous performance here. He is the highlight of the film. The rest of the cast is also brilliant: You have Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, James Spader, Hal Holbrook, John Hawkes, Jackie Earle Hayley, and Jared Harris among many other great actors. The entire cast here is magnificent as they transport us into the past in such a way that you forget you are watching a film. Everything about this film works really well, but I felt it worked more as a history lesson than as a piece of entertainment. This is not an action film, it doesn’t focus on the Civil War, but rather it takes a more personal approach as to the persona of Lincoln and the strategic politic mind he had. This is a film that will help you understand more about the man and how he managed to end the Civil War while at the same time abolish slavery. This is perhaps the greatest historical American political film ever made. Unfortunately I’m not a fan of politics and I did find this film a bit heavy handed, but it was a wonderful experience and it helped me understand and learn more about the man Lincoln.

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My Review: Martha Marcy May Marlene (10/10)

¨There's no such thing as dead or alive; we just exist. ¨

Sean Durkin and Elizabeth Olsen have two things in common; first of all most of us probably never heard of them before Martha Marcy May Marlene was released, and second now they will be on everyone`s radar as to what they will be doing next. First time director and screenwriter, Sean Durkin, directs a terrific and dark psychological thriller that has many parallels and similarities with the Charles Manson cult. The film might be considered as slow paced for some people, but I was haunted with the story and premise throughout the entire 100 minutes and was completely enamored with the film. I absolutely loved every second of the movie, I loved the editing and how the film went back and forth so naturally playing with the main character`s delusions and fears. Elizabeth Olsen, the youngest sister of the famous Olsen twins, is just breathtaking in this film and gives one of the best leading performances of the year. She was spectacular and truly became the haunted and troubled character that was Martha. The name of the film which many people hated, but I loved, had to do with the different names by which Martha was known during the movie. Beside the excellent direction from Durkin, the great performance from Olsen, and the excellent editing, the film also counts with terrific secondary performances. John Hawkes is really good as the leader of the sort of cult which Olsen becomes a member of and later tries to escape from. He has a quiet role, but he shows true leadership qualities and you can see how these troubled people might have been fooled into wanting to belong to this family.

The film begins with a scene where we see Martha (Elizabeth Olsen) fleeing from a sort of cult and calling her sister to come pick her up after disappearing for nearly two years and having no contact whatsoever with her family. Her sister, Lucy (Sarah Paulson), comes to the rescue as soon as she can and is glad to be reunited with her missing sister. Lucy takes Martha to her vacation house where she is staying with her husband, Ted (Hugh Dancy), and they soon begin to realize that Lucy has been through some sort of psychological and physical abuse during these years, but all Lucy tells them is that she was with a boyfriend who had lied to her and that is why she has left him. She tells them nothing about the cult or the ¨family¨ with whom she was living and keeps mostly to herself, although her strange behavior gives her away at times. During these scenes in which Martha is with her sister we see a series of flashbacks as to what she was up to during these past two years. The movie jumps back in forth between these scenes as Martha tries to adapt to normal society life and deal with the paranoia and fear that she is being hunted by the sect that she has just fled. We see the first time that Martha is presented to the leader of the ¨¨family¨, Patrick (John Hawkes), who sees a lot of potential in her and calls her Marcy May. The rest of the members of the cult greet her and teach her the ways of the family. They all have different roles in the house, but they sort of all live a sort of hippy lifestyle. The movie jumps back and forth between Martha`s memories of the cult and her adaptation process while living with her sister.

Perhaps one of the greatest things about Martha Marcy May Marlene (beside the great performances from Elizabeth Olsen and John Hawkes) is the way in which the film is edited and jumps perfectly between the present and the memories of the past. At some points even I was fooled as to we were watching Martha or Marcy May. The film successfully jumps back and forth and it kept my interest throughout the entire time. I loved this film, its pace, and everything about it: the dark psychological aspect and the delusions Martha suffered which we couldn’t really tell if they were real or not. Many people also hated the ending, but I loved it. Martha Marcy May Marlene is one of the movies that keep you thinking about it long after it’s over. It really had a great effect on me and it reminded me once again why I love going to the movies despite it not being about a subject matter I really cared for. This is truly a remarkable movie and among the year`s best, although I admit it probably will divide audiences because it isn`t a commercial movie. Elizabeth Olsen deserved a nomination for her performance, but I`m used to expecting the Oscars to ignore performances like this one. I really recommend this movie.

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My Review: Contagion (8/10)

¨It`s figuring us out faster than we`re figuring it out.¨

The first thing I wanted to do after the movie was over was to wash my hands and get disinfected. Contagion is a great thriller about an epidemic that is spreading around the world and taking millions of lives while at the same time spreading panic and fear everywhere. The film is a great case study on human behavior and it felt very authentic (especially after the Swine-flu scare that spread over the globe a couple of years ago). Some may complain due to the pace of the film or the multiple stories that are going on that don`t let you focus on any of the characters, but I really enjoyed it and thought Steven Soderbergh made the right decision by focusing on the virus and letting it be the true central character as we see it spread throughout different parts of the world and affect almost everyone in the same way. The virus and the fear combined together produced sufficient thrills for me despite the slow pace of the film, and I really enjoyed the script from Scott Z. Burns who had previously collaborated with Soderbergh and Matt Damon in the 2009 comedy The Informant. It`s very difficult to typecast director Soderbergh since he makes a wide variety of films and it`s almost impossible to compare his works due to the variety of his projects, but I would have to say Contagion is the most similar to his Oscar winning film Traffic due to all the multilayered plots that were going on. In Traffic the main character was the drugs, while in Contagion it`s the virus. Out of Sight remains my favorite Soderbergh film however.

The movie begins with Day 2 of the virus where we see a sick woman named Beth Emhoff (Gwyneth Paltrow) who is travelling from Chicago to Minneapolis. She had been on a business trip to Hong Kong but spent a few hours in Chicago. Once she arrives home, her husband Mitch (Matt Damon) finds her really ill and decides to take her to the hospital after she suffers a convulsion. Apparently some guy in Hong Kong died from similar symptoms, and so did someone in London, Japan, and Chicago. The virus seemed to have started somewhere in Hong Kong, but it is spreading all over the world. Some doctors in the U.S. Center for Disease Control decide to investigate what could have caused the deaths. Dr. Ellis Cheever (Lawrence Fishburne) is in charge of the investigation, and he sends Dr. Erin Mears (Kate Winslet) to Minneapolis in order to try to pick up as much information as she can and see how Beth`s death could be related to the one in Chicago and across the globe. Erin has an interview with Mitch who seems to be immune, but he won`t take chances with his daughter Jory (Anna Jacoby-Heron) and overprotects her. Dr. Ally Hextall (Jennifer Ehle), who also works for the Center, is in charge of trying to find a vaccine or a cure. Meanwhile the World Health Organization decides to send one of their own to Hong Kong to try to point out where the virus could have begun. Dr. Leonora Orantes (Marion Cotillard) arrives to the populated city and begins her investigation with the help of a local named Sun Feng (Chin Han). Everyone is working against the clock as the virus continues to spread over the world at an alarming rate, and conspiracy theory-blog writer Alan Krumwiede (Jude Law) doesn’t help control the chaos as he complains about the government working alongside pharmaceutical companies to make a profit.

There are so many different stories going on that it can be hard to track what is going on if you aren´t paying attention. Everything happens so fast, and the urgency has to do with how quick the virus begins to act and kill people. Many characters or stories get sidelined at times, but that is ok because the main character is the virus itself and it is everywhere. Soderbergh makes sure we get this point across by filming a lot of close up shots of people shaking hands or touching objects that someone else later picks up. The threat is eminent and everywhere. In a way Contagion is a disaster movie, but it is different from most films which usually tend to take an all-action approach or that focus on a few characters. In Contagion there are so many characters and stories going on that some don`t even get a resolution, but it is ok because we find a resolution to the main character: the virus. I know some might find this difficult to deal with and would have wished for the story to have focused on one character, but that isn`t the way Soderbergh works. The only downside to this is that some great actors such as John Hawkes, Marion Cotillard, Elliott Gould, and Bryan Cranston don`t get enough screen time and their talents seem underused. It really doesn’t matter because Contagion is a smart and entertaining thriller well worth a watch. 

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My Review: Winter`s Bone (6/10)

¨Never ask for what oughta be offered.¨

Winter`s Bone is director`s Debra Granik`s only film that I have had a chance to watch (she also directed Down to the Bone, so I guess she must have something for bones), and I was really expecting much more from this picture considering it won the Grand Jury Award at Sundance and it has recently been nominated for four Oscar awards (Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actress for Jennifer Lawrence, and Best Supporting Actor for John Hawkes) with which I only agree with the two acting nods. Without a doubt the highlight of this movie is Lawrence`s breakthrough performance as Ree Dolly. She is great in this film, especially with all the non-verbal communication she conveys with her silence and facial expressions. She is one tough girl who hasn`t been corrupted by the world in which she was raised and manages to take care of her mother and siblings and she`s only 17. The other highlight of the film is John Hawkes performance as Ree`s father`s brother, Teardrop. He is excellent as a supporting character, but Lawrence is the true star of the film. The screenplay was adapted by Granik herself along with Anne Rossellini from Daniel Wodrell`s 2006 novel of the same name and I have to say the pace of the film is rather slow. There is a real authenticity and reality to the film, and poverty is depicted in a very natural manner, but at the same time the movie moves along at a very sluggish pace.

The story takes place in the Ozark Mountains, a very poor Southern rural area where all the locals seem to be involved with illegal drugs (cooking and consuming crystal meth to be more precise). Ree Dolly (Lawrence) is a 17 year old girl who has had to mature beyond her years and raise her two younger siblings on her own because her dad is constantly away from home due to troubles with the Law and her mom is mentally ill. Somehow Ree has managed to grow up strong and apart from this drug environment and manages to support her family. One day the town Sheriff (played by Garret Dillahunt) shows up bringing some more bad news for Ree. Her father has put their home as a guarantee to pay his bail and if he doesn`t show up in court in two weeks they will lose their home. The problem is that her father hasn`t showed up for a long time and no one seems to know his whereabouts or at least don`t want to talk about it with Ree. She tells the Sheriff she will find him and sets this as her primary mission. She begins asking questions to several people from the area that were involved in the same crystal meth business her father was, but no one seems to help her. The name Thump Milton (Ronnie Hall) shows up, but she gets into trouble for trying to speak to him. Finally her father`s brother, Teardrop (John Hawkes) decides to help her out after refusing to help at first. The problem is that there seems to be a code of silence between the people in the Ozarks and no one is willing to break it.

Winter`s Bone is not actually a mystery film, the main focus of the movie isn`t really trying to find out where Ree`s father is or what happened to him, the issue Granik is really trying to get at is portraying a real and authentic environment involving poverty and responsibilities a teenager shouldn`t have to carry at such an early age. Ree`s character is the center piece of the film and it is a wonder she turned out so strong in the midst of such a bad environment. She doesn`t seem to belong with the rest of the people from the Ozarks and yet she is still willing to find enough courage to stand up against them and their code of ethics. Lawrence delivers a very strong performance and Hawkes is also a great supporting character as he has to confront himself with the fact of helping out his niece or keeping up with the code of silence he has always sworn too. None of the characters of the film are one dimensional, they are all real characters and Granik manages to stay away from stereotypes. Ree`s neighbors offer help at some points and at others they turn their backs on her. Winter`s Bone is well balanced, it is also beautifully filmed, but somehow I didn`t think it was such a great film as many critics have pointed it out to be. For me the pace was too slow and the 100 minutes seemed an eternity. The movie still is a pleasant experience, it is good, but I just don`t think it`s great or Oscar worthy material for Best Picture. I would have preferred Affleck´s The Town to have been nominated in this category, a much stronger film in my opinion.

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