Spotlight (9/10): A Love Letter to Investigative Journalism

"It could have been you, it could have been me, it could have been any of us. We gotta nail these scumbags! We gotta show people that nobody can get away with this; Not a priest, or a cardinal or a freaking pope!"

Good investigative journalism is a dying medium in today's world where most media outlets are in a rush to get the exclusive and tell the story first. The same could be said for the film industry, but there are always exceptions because for every dozens of films like Alvin and the Chipmunks, we get a Spotlight. Director, Tom McCarthy, takes his time to tell this brilliant true story through a tight script that slowly begins to uncover the truth behind one of the Catholic Church's greatest cover-ups. It is a reminder of how important good journalism can be in today's world. Hopefully after watching Spotlight more people will begin reading their news from trusty newspapers instead of simply reading headlines from any internet article. It was refreshing to see a film like this portraying what good journalism is all about without taking any shortcuts. As a communication major the subject matter really appealed to me and I felt very emotional during a couple of scenes. McCarthy did a fantastic job at going through the every day ordeal of investigating. If you notice there is barely any reference towards these characters backgrounds or their family life. The entire film focuses entirely on their profession and that is what makes this such a powerful film because it avoids any kind of manipulation into character development. I loved the attention to detail that McCarthy brought to the film and how he decided to exclusively build it all around the investigation.

Bringing the true events of an investigation concerning the child molestation cover-up by the Catholic Church to life in a film might not seem like an interesting subject matter, but McCarthy handles the material with grace. He manages to slowly build the tension by going through the everyday ordeals of serious journalism. Spotlight is the name given to the investigative section of the Globe comprised of four reporters that take their time to research an important issue and build a compelling story. In this case they discover a link between several child molestation incidents with some priests from the Boston area and how the Church has repeatedly covered up for them by simply relocating them to other areas. These four reporters are given the gigantic task of trying to unmask this secretly huge system of defense built by the Catholic Church. The film accomplishes what it sets out to do from the first frame and it delivers one of the best films about investigative journalism in years. 

This is a team effort, there are no lead performances in this film. Michael Keaton might be the leader of the Spotlight team, but Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, and Brian d'Arcy James all deliver strong performances. Ruffalo has received much of the acclaim because he has some of the more emotional moments on screen, and that verbal standoff off with Keaton is powerful, but everyone on screen delivers solid performances. Liev Schreiber is also outstanding as the new editor in chief who arrives at the Globe and comes up with the idea for the story. And Stanley Tucci of course is always mesmerizing any time he's on screen. Spotlight has probably my favorite ensemble cast of the year. I was a huge fan of this film and of course comparisons with All The President's Men are justified.

Infinitely Polar Bear (5/10): A light hearted portrayal of a father dealing with bipolar disorder

“My father was diagnosed manic-depressive in 1967.”

Maya Forbes’s debut film received a lot of praise when it was released at TIFF last year, especially for Mark Ruffalo’s lead portrayal of a father undergoing a bipolar disorder. The film is set in the early 70’s and it centers on this unconventional family that is separated when Cameron has his first breakdown and is sent to a halfway house. Maggie (Zoe Saldana) is left on her own trying to raise her two young daughters with very low income. Faith (Ashley Aufderheide) and Amelia (Imogene Wolodarsky) are very spirited and loud spoken girls who want their parents to be reunited once again. Wanting to give her girls a better life, Maggie decides to move to New York to study and leaves the girls in Cameron’s charge. The film focuses on this estranged father and daughter relationship in a very light hearted way. Cameron has his usual up and downs, while the girls struggle to adapt to their new lives. Ruffalo is a talented actor, but every time he would have an outbreak I kept on waiting for him to transform himself into The Hulk. I never really saw him as Cameron and I had a difficult time seeing Ruffalo as this character despite all the praise he’s received for his performance. I personally felt the material was taken in a very light hearted way, but I’m in the minority here. Overall I did enjoy the pacing of the film, but I couldn’t help but feel that something was missing.

Zoe Saldana is a talented actress, but she is relegated here to a supporting role because the focus of the film is on the father and daughter relationships. Her chemistry with Ruffalo wasn’t an important aspect of the film and it is a shame because she is the one making the sacrifices for her daughters. She is playing a strong and independent female role but the film doesn’t take time to focus much on her character and the sacrifices (or risks) she makes for her children. It decides to center on Cameron and his ups and downs as he struggles to care for his daughters. The two child actresses are fantastic. They have some strong emotional scenes and I especially enjoyed Imogene Wolodarsky’s performance. The daughters are given pivotal roles because the film revolves on them and how they are affected by their father’s mental illness. This is a light hearted drama that never manages to scratch under the surface, but for audiences who are simply looking for a fun drama it offers more than enough.  

Avengers: Age of Ultron (7/10): And the Build-up continues...

"I know you're good people. I know you mean well. But you just didn't think it through. There is only one path to peace... your extinction."

Age of Ultron doesn't live up to the first Avengers mostly because the novelty of seeing all these superheroes together has warn off, but it is still a very entertaining film with some positive elements to take out of it. First of all, the villain voiced by James Spader is an improvement over most others we've seen in the Marvel Universe. He is actually a menace to the heroes, and although Ultron isn't as charismatic as Loki, he still represents a much more dangerous threat for them so we feel there is much more at stake. The addition of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch also enhances the franchise. Olsen is an actress I've admired ever since her screen debut in Martha Marcy May Marlene, so it was exciting to see her play this role alongside other fantastic actors. Aaron Taylor-Johnson's Quicksilver wasn't used as well as he was in X-Men, but it was still fun to see him on screen. Quicksilver was the highlight for me in the latest X-Men franchise, but here he is simply another new character. It was much more fun to see his quick movements in slow motion instead of at such a rapid pace. The returning characters also enhance the sequel and make it entertaining. Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man is by far my favorite character in the franchise and Mark Ruffalo's Hulk always delivers some of the best comedic moments. Age of Ultron delivers plenty of fun scenes, but it also tries to take itself a bit more seriously, and that didn't work as well for me considering I found Captain America The Winter Soldier to be a slightly better and interesting serious thriller. In summary, it doesn't match the comedy of its predecessor and it doesn't stand out as a more serious film either. The run-time does begin to feel a bit heavy, but I still have to admit that I had a fun time with the movie. There is a lot going on and with the addition of the new characters some of the scenes feel rushed and the plot gets a bit convoluted.

The main problem  with these Marvel movies is that they're getting more and more difficult to view as individual films. They seem to be always building up to something and I expected all the build-up in the previous films was going to lead to something important in this second Avengers movie, but what we get instead is more of a build-up to the next phase of the Marvel universe. Ultron presented a great threat to the heroes, but everything was rushed and it seems it was resolved all too easily by the end. It's still hard to resist a film with so many likable characters and charismatic leads, but I couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed with Age of Ultron when the introduction of the main villain seemed promising. Spader's voice work stood out for me in this film as one of the best performances. I was also happy to see Jeremy Renner get much more screen time with his character, Hawkeye, as well as Scarlett Johansson with Black Widow. This is probably as close to an individual film about them we'll get. Captain America and Thor however, are underused and I really didn't care too much about them here.

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Foxcatcher (8/10): Combining elements from Capote and Moneyball, Miller delivers a chilling psychological character study

“You have a problem with me?”

If you thought Bennett Miller’s Capote was a cold and distant crime thriller wait till you watch Foxcatcher because it is a very silent and slow paced psychological character study that explores some pretty interesting relationship dynamics along the way. I was captivated by this film and the atmosphere that Miller sets during its 134 minute runtime.  I went into Foxcatcher completely unaware of the story it was based on, and I think that is why I may have enjoyed it a lot more than others who were already familiar with the story. This isn’t your typical inspirational sport film, it is more concerned on studying the characters and you get an eerie sense that it is building into something much more than simply winning or losing a wrestling match. Miller’s Capote was a crime thriller and he followed it with Moneyball which was a sports film centering on relationships, and in a way Foxcatcher is a combination of both those films. Miller is interested in telling real stories and exploring the characters behind them. Unlike Jolie’s Unbroken where we get a sense that she is simply narrating a story where one event unfolds after another; Miller seems to be focused on the characters and their motivations. A lot of people might get bored with the slow pacing and somber tone of the film, but I was engaged with these characters fifteen minutes into the movie. There was a moment during the opening in which I felt the performances were a bit too actory or stagey, but once I got past that I was really invested in the psychological drama behind each one of the relationships. Miller has now directed three impressive films although this is his least approachable one.

There are some outstanding and creepy performances in this film, but the way in which the characters related to one another is what worked best for me. First of all you have these two brothers who’ve each won Olympic gold medals. Mark (Channing Tatum) is the youngest brother who seems to be sort of a social outcast living in the shadow of his older brother, Dave (Mark Ruffalo) who is the more likable one. Dave also understands wrestling better and knows how to coach, while Mark is more muscles than anything else. They have a solid and caring relationship with one another, but there is some resentment in Mark. Their relationship changes when a multi-millionaire named John Du Pont (Steve Carell) enters in the picture. He is a wrestling aficionado and offers Mark the opportunity to come stay with him in his ranch and train in the facility he has built there. There is something offbeat with du Pont who is desperately searching for acceptance and recognition. Vanessa Redgrave plays his mother and despite not having much screen time her presence seems to have an effect on John who is seeking for her approval. There is something true about what Miller said when he referred to comedic actors as having something dark about them because Steve Carell pulls off a chilling performance as this eccentric millionaire who tries to become a role model for Mark. The problem is that du Pont isn’t a coach, he is more of a sponsor, and without Dave Mark isn’t that good of a wrestler. Tatum, Ruffalo, and Carell each give strong performances, which doesn’t come as a surprise considering Miller directed each one of his lead actors to receive Oscar nominations in his previous films. The film relies heavily on their performances and they deliver. Carell receives most of the attention because he plays a creepy character who makes everyone around him feel uneasy at times (there is a homoerotic undertone to the film). The moments in which du Pont is trying to impress his mother by acting like he is guiding the wrestlers was the highlight of the film for me because no matter how much money this guy has you know he is desperate to be something he is not. Ruffalo is also outstanding and is given perhaps the most likable role in the movie, but Tatum is equally as good. Foxcatcher succeeds in most part due to those three strong lead performances and the way each one of these characters relates to one another.

My Review: Begin Again (8/10)

“I just think you have let your troubles get in the way of your entire life.”

There is no doubt that music has a deep influence in our lives, and there is no one who expresses this better in movies than director John Carney, who has returned to the musical drama genre after his success in 2006 with Once. Begin Again is sort of a love letter for musicians and aspiring musicians as well, reminding them about the importance of not selling out and remaining authentic. This is a big part of the dramatic narrative and Carney, a former musician himself, reminds audiences that music is personal and has a different meaning for everyone. This isn’t your standard rom-com because the screenplay is written in such a way that you never can fully anticipate what direction it’s heading. Rather than centering on a love relationship it focuses on a work collaboration between people who are passionate for music. Somewhere along the way they got their hearts broken and lost their motivation, but a coincidental encounter brought these two characters together and set them in the right path once again. I fell in love with these characters and found it hard to resist this feel good film. The chemistry between Mark Ruffalo and Keira Knightley was special and charming. This film may have flown under many people’s radar, but it is one that is worth checking out. There are plenty of authentic and funny moments while the dramatic elements are also engaging. The cinematography might not be the best we’ve seen, but the rich characters and charming score make up for it. Begin Again is a joyful and genuine film that pulls at your heart strings without ever feeling manipulative or clichéd.    

The performances are a huge part of the success of this uplifting and cheerful musical film. Mark Ruffalo has been on quite a role lately and once again he plays a rather flawed character in such a way that he still manages to remain likable for the audience. This lost musical producer seems to find his way when he encounters Keria Knightley’s character in a bar one night. Knightley is fantastic as well and I felt her performance to be impressively genuine and authentic. Every scene she shared with Ruffalo felt real and the dialogue was never forced. The natural chemistry between these two is something you don’t run into very often. I would go as far as saying that Knightley’s performance is one of my favorite of the year. Adam Levine gives a solid performance playing this self absorbed rising star. He is a better singer, but that doesn’t mean he can’t act. Hailee Steinfeld has grown as a mature actress, but she has always been a force to reckon with ever since her outstanding performance in True Grit. Most Def and Catherine Keener also have solid supporting roles. Everything about this film is charming and hard to resist despite the fact that it remains small and unimportant. It’s simply a feel good movie that pays homage to the influence of music in our lives, and lets us in on the creative process while at it. 

My Review: Now You See Me (4/10)

"First rule of magic: always be the smartest person in the room."

The latest film directed by Louis Leterrier (Clash of the Titans, The Incredible Hulk, and The Transporter) is probably one of his weakest efforts, only competing against Clash of the Titans. If the first rule in magic means you have to be the smartest person in the room, then the first rule to enjoy this movie is that you have to be one of the dumbest persons in the audience. The movie tries to make us think that the more we look the less we will see, kind of like telling us the more we think about the movie the less we will enjoy it. So it is trying to keep our mind centered on the nice tricks and great cast, but trying to keep us away from thinking too deeply at the absurdity of the plot. Now You See Me is all an illusion and the more you think about it the more you know that the tricks and twists are a bit beyond belief. It is a pity because I really like this cast (seeing Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine back together after the Batman trilogy was something I was looking forward too) and they aren't bad in this movie either, but the problem I had with it was that the screenplay was pretty weak and the tricks were unbelievable. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against smart heist films that use magic and illusions, but this doesn't even deserve to stand against other films in the genre such as Oceans 11 that accomplishes this feat way better than this. The characters could have been developed so much better, but the film introduces them in such a lazy way that I didn't really get emotionally involved with them. I know all the movies don't have to be smart and believable, but at least those that aren't manage to engage and involve the audience in an entertaining way. I didn't feel that way about this silly movie. I didn't feel tricked either, I felt cheated on with such dumb twists. 

The film begins by introducing us to four different magicians that are all being recruited by some sort of mystery man. First there is J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg) who is doing a classic card trick in front of an audience in the street and picking up a girl while he's at it. Then there is Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), who is hypnotizing a woman while blackmailing her husband. The third magician is Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher) who is performing a dangerous stunt involving a pool and piranhas. And finally there is Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) a con-magician who distracts people with cheap tricks while stealing from them. These four magicians are all recruited by a mysterious man who gives them a blue print of some great tricks they can work on together. The film then jumps a year forward where we see these four magicians working on an act together in Las Vegas. They are known as the Four Horseman and they are about to pull a live bank robbery from the stage. This is where the FBI comes in as lead investigator Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) begins to pursue the case along with his assigned partner from Interpol, Alma Dray (Melanie Laurent). With no definite proof to arrest these magicians they must work together before their next heist takes place. For this, they enlist the help of Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman), a profesional illusion exposer and former magician himself. But be warned, nothing is what it seems in this film as the twists begin.

I had high expectations for Now You See Me because it had an interesting premise and the cast involved was excellent. They are all really talented and honestly they did a good job with the weak script they had to work with. My biggest issue was the story which didn't make much sense. I won't mention the issues because I don't want to give away spoilers, but everything pretty much seemed false. I didn't believe the twists and turns the film took. I also thought the entire hypnotic sequences were kind of a cheat to explain how they could perform most of the tricks. The film really defies logic and I had a problem with that considering I never got emotionally involved with the characters in order to forgive those faults and simply enjoy the movie for what it is. I can forgive films that don't make sense as long as the audience is allowed to have fun with the premise and be entertained with what is going on, but that didn't happen with me. I won't be recommending Now You See Me to anyone, but I know some fans will have a good time thanks to the illusions and tricks that the director plays on us.

My Review: The Avengers (9/10)

¨Maybe your army will come, maybe it's too much for us, but it's all on you! Because if we can't protect the Earth, you can be damn sure we'll avenge it!¨

Along with many others, The Avengers was one of my most anticipated films of 2012, and I can honestly say that it didn’t disappoint me one bit. It was even better than what I had anticipated and every single person in the theater seemed to have had the time of their lives. There were plenty of laugh out loud moments where everyone just cheered and the movie never ceased to entertain. The Avengers is one of the best superhero movies ever made, and I would say only The Dark Knight surpasses it, although comparing these two movies isn’t fair because this film is much lighter and self aware of its premise. The Avengers, directed by Joss Whedon (who also wrote the screenplay) is masterfully put together, meshing the incredible special effects and action scenes with the beloved characters and perfect cast. Everyone is really great in this film and it entertains from the very beginning. This is what a popcorn summer movie should be. I was worried so much hype for this film could`ve ruined the film for me, but I was wrong. All the hype only built the momentum for this great action comedy superhero flick. Ever since the first Iron Man came out these films (Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America, and The Incredible Hulk) have been a sort of teaser trailer for this big movie. Those films helped build the characters and build the momentum for what we truly wanted to see: The Avengers. I assume this is how kids actually felt during the early 50`s when they were expecting for the next Marvel comic book issue to come out. This film definitely captured that essence and magic thanks to such a magnificent team of cast and crew.

The movie opens with Loki (Tom Hiddleston) attacking the SHIELD agency directed by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) in order to retrieve the cube which would enable him to open a portal to another universe and send an army to destroy earth. Loki is successful and manages to steal the cube and force Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Dr. Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard) to join him by taking away their free will. In order to stop Loki, Nick Fury decides it`s time to assemble the team of superheroes which he has kept a close eye on for several years. He sends Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) to get Dr. Banner (Mark Ruffalo) and Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) to call on Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). Fury decides it`s time to get Captain America (Chris Evans) back into the action, and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) comes all the way from Asgard to try to stop his villainous brother from destroying Earth. These superheroes are assembled together, but aren`t ready to work as a team. They have some issues at first and have to learn to work together if they want to stop the evil Loki.

 The premise is pretty simple, but what really makes the film work is the interaction between all these great characters. This film could have relied so heavily on the special effects that it would`ve lost the magic of the great characters created by Stan Lee, but fortunately it decides to focus more on them. The tension they face working together is what really makes the movie work. There are plenty of funny moments as we have these superheroes fighting and mouthing each other. Robert Downey Jr. has showed us he can play the part to perfection, but every actor in this film really had great scenes. One of my greatest fears was that so many actors would not have enough screen time, but somehow everyone manages to be in this film for quite a while. Even minor characters such as Black Widow and Hawkeye get great exposure. Another thing I feared before The Avengers was that I thought Loki was one of the weakest villains of all the Marvel movies, but he is really great and dark in this film. He proved to be a great rival. But without a doubt, the best thing and most surprising for me was Mark Ruffalo`s performance as The Hulk, he really owned the movie and he had the best and funniest scenes in the entire film. Pairing him with Downey Jr. was really the best thing the producers could have done. Hulk is perhaps the best character in this film and the one I was least expecting to enjoy. Everyone in the theater was truly satisfied with the film and especially with the Incredible Hulk. He was amazing and so was the movie for that matter.  

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My Review: Reservation Road (5/10)

“To find the truth, you have to find who's hiding it”

Reservation Road is one of the last three movie`s Joaquin Phoenix acted in before announcing his retirement from acting (which I still don`t know if I believe or if it`s just a publicity stunt for the documentary that Casey Affleck is directing about his life as a musician, I`m Still Here). It is a pity such a talented actor wasn`t able to leave the circus with a bang, although we have Gladiator and Walk the Line to remember him by. In Reservation Road he gives a pretty decent performance along with the rest of the cast, but the material they had to work with was just not good enough. Much more could have been done with such a talented cast considering Mark Ruffalo and Jennifer Connelly were also in this film. The film is based on John Burnham Schwartz`s novel, who co-wrote the screenplay along with director Terry George. George has received two Oscar nominations in the past for writing (In the Name of the Father and Hotel Rwanda), but this time the writing just didn`t translate right to the big screen. There were too many coincidences that didn`t seem very believable and the movie felt really long considering we were all expecting how the movie was going to end. It was as if they stretched the film way too much, it began as a sad drama focusing on the guilt and mourning of the characters and by the end it tried to be a thriller with unrealistic situations and coincidences. It began with great promise, but the movie began to lose itself which is a pity because the cast was excellent.

The movie opens with two parallel stories; first we are introduced to the Learner family who are attending their son`s concert. Josh (Sean Curley) plays the cello and his proud parents Ethan (Joaquin Phoenix), a college professor, and Grace (Jennifer Connelly) are listening attentively. Their daughter Emma (Elle Fanning, Dakota`s younger sister) is also at the recital and after it`s over the family begins to head back home. At the same time, Dwight (Mark Ruffalo) is attending a baseball game with his son Lucas (Eddie Alderson). They are both Red Sox fans and the game has gone to extra innings. Dwight`s ex-wife, Ruth (Mira Sorvino), is worried that they are taking so long and calls Dwight telling them it is time he brings her son back home. After the game Dwight and his son head back home, but something happens that will change both families life`s forever. The Learner`s stop at a gas station in Reservation Road because Emma has to go the bathroom and while they are waiting, Josh gets out of the car and is unexpectedly hit by an SUV and killed. The driver happens to be Dwight who realizes what has happened but is so scared that he drives on with his son Lucas who never realizes what happened. The movie develops from this terrible accident where Ethan and Grace cope differently with their son`s death, while Dwight is haunted by guilt and considering whether or not he should turn himself in to the police.

The plot seems interesting and the movie could have been great considering the cast was very talented and they all did an excellent job at transmitting their emotions. The characters were interesting, but the problem I had with the movie was that there were too many coincidences. First of all Dwight`s ex wife was Josh`s music teacher, Josh and Lucas went to the same school together, and when Ethan hires lawyers to help find the hit and run driver he just happens to hire the firm for which Dwight works for and he is assigned the case. The film really loses itself after awhile when it tries to swift from being a dramatic character study to a thriller. It should have stuck with focusing on the emotional aspect that each character had to deal with considering that the actors were doing just fine with that. Reservation Road ends up being a forgettable film and just another one that looked a lot better in the trailers. I really hope Joaquin Phoenix decides to return to doing what he does best which is making movies. Mark Ruffalo is always a reliable actor and he does a great job in this film. I would only recommend this movie to those of you who are fans of these actors because they show a small glimpse of their great talent in this film, although it is a pity that the movie switched gears in the second half. Reservation Road is a forgettable movie.

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