Mockingjay Part 1 (6/10): Propaganda for what is to come

“I have a message for President Snow: If we burn, you burn with us!”

When Francis Lawrence took over director duty for the second film in the Hunger Games franchise we got a much more serious YA adaptation from Collins’s novel. The film had a great sense of pacing and storytelling while introducing us to the Capitol and the other districts and not just focusing on the actual Hunger Games. I thought it was a much better film than the first, but I still loved them both. They ended up in my list of the best films for the year in which they were released, so my expectations for this third film were huge considering Lawrence was back in the director’s chair. I still had some concerns about adapting the final book in two parts because the first parts didn’t work too well with the Twilight and Harry Potter franchises. My concerns turned out to be true because I did have a similar issue with Mockingjay Part 1. The entire film felt stretched, focusing on small details that didn’t do much to build the tension of the story. It actually hurt the pacing of the film that the director had worked so well with in the previous installment. This first part felt like a slow build-up and a giant filler to what will come next in the grand finale, so I couldn’t help but feel let down by what Francis Lawrence had to offer. I still enjoyed Mockingjay, but it doesn’t live up to its predecessors. 

Mockingjay is a huge departure from the previous films. There are no Hunger Games and very little action scenes here, while there is a lot of exposition and preparation for what is to come. The previous films worked as a social commentary on reality TV, while this one focuses more on advertising. Catching Fire allowed us into the Capitol where we got a glimpse of who the real enemy was, but in Mockingjay we don’t see what is actually going on in the Capitol and everything takes place mostly in District 13 where a big revolution is uprising. What all three films do have in common is the strong lead performance from Jennifer Lawrence who holds everything in place and keeps us engaged with this dystopian world Collins has introduced us to. When certain scenes in Mockingjay began to feel tedious or drag out a bit too long, Lawrence’s Katniss reminded us why we are tagging along with this franchise. She literally is the symbol of hope for the rebellion as much as she is for the franchise. This film is more political than the previous ones and we are introduced to a lot of propaganda (not just as a build-up for the next film, but actual propaganda as the Capital and District 13 try to smear each other’s credibility). The political intrigue plays out as a sort of chess game where one side tries to outdo the other. This was done really well here, but the problem was that it became repetitive, and that is where I felt the story was incredibly stretched out.

Jennifer Lawrence has some great scenes in this film, and others that felt a bit cheesy (the nightmares for example), but during a scene where she sends a message to President Snow she gave me goose-bumps. I also enjoyed the scene where she sings “the hanging tree” lullaby. Those were the moments that drew me back to the film and reminded me why I loved this franchise in the first place. I am sure the second part of this film will work better, but the slow build-up didn’t do much for me here. I missed some of the characters that I had learned to love and that only got a few minutes of screen time here. Haymitch and Caesar provided some of the much needed comic relief in the previous films, but here everything becomes political and serious and there is little room for them. Effie is perhaps the character who comes out better this time around and Elizabeth Banks nails the role once again. The new characters didn’t do much for me and despite the fact that Liam Hemsworth gets much more screen time as Gale he doesn’t do much either. Claflin’s role as Finnick is nowhere as nearly interesting as it was in Catching Fire. Phillip Seymour Hoffman brings class once again to his role and he also stood out for me, while Josh Hutcherson shows much more range as Peeta here despite the very little screen time he’s given. So despite having a lot of interesting characters in the franchise, they really don’t get to do anything interesting in Mockingjay. Of course, the film ends with a teaser and we will all return for the grand finale despite the slow build-up because enough time has been spent on these characters and we care for them.

My Review: Out of the Furnace (5/10)

"Am I supposed to be scared of him because he sucks on a lollipop?"

I had high expectations for Out of the Furnace considering it had a very strong cast and I enjoyed Scott Cooper's previous film, Crazy Heart, but I was really disappointed with this movie which never managed to engage me and had some serious pacing issues. The depressive tone of the film and the dark atmosphere was a bit over the top and the story also has many manipulative moments. The performances were solid and actually make this film worth the watch despite its many flaws. The tone of the film reminded me a lot of Prisoners, but that movie worked much better and was way more engaging. This isn't your typical revenge movie, I wouldn't consider this an action film or a thriller; it's more of a drama about this economically depressed town where two brothers are struggling to find a way out and move on in life, a life which hasn't been very kind to them and has dealt them some terrible cards. Many may argue that the performances were enough to save this film, but for me the weak script brings it down by making several scenes feel forced and out of place.

Russell (Christian Bale) and Rodney (Casey Affleck) are two brothers that have grown up in economically depressed Rust Belt, Pennsylvania. Russell has followed his father's footsteps working at the local steel mill and seems content with his life as he cares for his ill father and finds comfort in his relationship with Lena (Zoe Saldana). He also looks out for his brother who gets into small gambling debts with John Petty  (Willem Defoe) and ends up paying off those debts for him. Russell's life takes an unexpected twist one night when he suffers a car accident killing a child in the other vehicle. He is sent to prison for five years while his brother who served in the Iraq war comes to visit him. They both go through traumatic experiences, but when Russell is released from jail he is determined to turn their lives around despite that he no longer has the comfort he had in Lena who has left him for the local sheriff, Barnes (Forest Whittaker), and his father past away during his time in prison. To make matters worse, Rodney has entered the underworld of street fighting and got involved with a violent crime ring leader named Harlan (Woody Harrelson). When Rodney goes missing and the police can't seem to do anything about it, Russell decides to take things into his own hands and avenge his brother.

Christian Bale and Casey Affleck both give great performances. Bale's character, Russell, is portrayed as a very nice guy who seems to be a victim of the circumstances that surround him. I think he was portrayed in a far too light way, so the audience could identify with him and feel sorry for what he was going through. Harrelson also looked menacing as the villain, but at times his character was also a bit too cartoonish and always tried to have some funny remark. These elements didn't play out too well for me considering the dark tone of the film. The cinematography was really good and it did capture that depressing mood very well. There is one specific scene where I can point out how manipulative and forceful the story was trying to be and it has to do with the moment in which we discover Rodney's fate while Russell reads a letter that he has left for him telling him how he is planning on changing his life and is convinced that this will be his last fight. That was just an example of how manipulative the screenplay was trying to be and I found several moments like that. Instead of drawing me in, it only took me out of the movie. The film was gritty, but I just didn't like the way in which they tried to trap the audience. It may have some important social commentary and interesting metaphors, but those forced moments took me out of it and made me feel it lacked substance.

My Review: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (9/10)

"Remember who the real enemy is."

Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend) takes over director duty from Gary Ross in the sequel to The Hunger Games franchise which results in a much darker and better film. I know I gave the original Hunger Games film the same rating as this one, but I think I was a little too generous with the first film. Francis clearly sets the right mood and tone for this franchise by giving us a better picture of the world outside of the games. The districts and the Capitol are better portrayed here and we get a sense of who the real enemy is now. In the first film I felt like the enemies were some of the kids from the first districts, while in this sequel you get more of a sense as to why the Capitol and President Snow are the true enemies. The film takes more time to set up this world and it does so with a great sense of pacing and storytelling. The actual Hunger Games don't begin until the second half of the film, but I was ok with the buildup since it was absolutely necessary. Catching Fire gives us glimpses of what we are going to get in the next two films as sparks of a revolution begin to develop, and it also gives us new characters that are certain to play a key role in the upcoming films. These new characters are far better developed than the ones in the first film and the entire film sets things up perfectly for the grand finale. Jennifer Lawrence carries this film and she truly is a girl on fire showing both sides of her persona: her courage and her vulnerability. She balances these elements and the struggles she's going through perfectly and allows the audience to identify with her character. I don't think that two and a half hours have gone by so quickly for me as it did during this movie (I've seen 90 minute films that seemed to be longer than this) because it was just so exciting and engaging. The action during the actual games were also much better developed (no more shaky cams). Catching Fire is probably along with Star Trek Into Darkness the best blockbuster of the year.

Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrece) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), the winners of the 74th Annual Hunger Games, have returned home. Katniss has turned into a symbol of hope for the people who are beginning to rebel against the totalitarian government of the Capitol under President Snow (Donald Sutherland). Katniss and Peeta's return home is short lived as they embark on a Victor's Tour around all the districts paying their respects to the falling tributes. Despite Katniss's love for Gale (Liam Hemsworth), she is forced to continue with the farce surrounding the media coverage of her relationship with Peeta. Effie (Elizabeth Banks) and Haymitch (Woody Harrelson) join Katniss and Peeta as advisors during the tour. President Snow recognizes that Katniss has become a symbol of hope for the people outside of the Capitol and therefore has a surprise for the upcoming Quarter Quell (the 75th Annual Hunger Games). He announces that for this special event a male and female tribute winner from every district will have to compete against each other in this tournament of champions. Katniss and Peeta are the chosen tributes from District 12 who will face other tributes in a special arena designed by the new Head Gamemaker, Plutarch Heavensbee (Phillip Seymour Hoffman). Other tributes include Finnick Odair (Sam Claflin) and Johanna Mason (Jena Malone) who form an alliance with them. President Snow is planning on crushing Panem's new symbol of hope, but Katniss will do what it takes to survive and protect her loved ones.

Francis Lawrence does a much better job here at exploring the different themes that the film is trying to get across. Catching Fire is more than a simple survival tale as other themes such as government oppression, heavily marked social classes, and society's obsession with celebrities are all explored very well. The characters are better developed as well. Take Katniss for example, as she's forced to live a double life feeling hypocritical and imprisoned at times as she has to hide her true feelings for Gale. She doesn't feel like a hero and doesn't want to be that symbol of hope that's she become. She has to come to grips with her new identity and the responsibility that has come with it. Jennifer Lawrence delivers a strong performance as she shows these inner struggles she's facing while at the same time proving she can be lethal. The film is also very well adapted by Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire) and Michael Arndt (Toy Story 3) from Suzanne Collins' novel. The returning supporting actors like Lenny Kravitz and Stanley Tucci are phenomenal once again, while the new characters played by Jenna Malone, Sam Claflin, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and Jeffrey Wright have sparked my interest as to what they can bring to this franchise. They were all very well developed and add so much to a first part which in my opinion was dependent entirely on Jennifer Lawrence. She carries this film once again, but has an even more impressive supporting cast to leave us even more hooked with the cliffhanger ending. This film was great and I haven't even mentioned the amazing sets and awesome costume designs that went up a notch from last year's Hunger Games. Catching Fire is an upgrade over the original film and one you should definitely give a chance.

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: Seven Psychopaths (7/10)

¨I´m sick of all these stereotypical Hollywood murderer scumbag type psychopath movies. I don’t want it to be one more film about guys with guns in their hands.¨

This is one weird, strange, unique, and messy movie as the title suggests. At times the film seems to be a masterpiece, at other it simply wonders off too much. I was a bit disappointed with how things turned out, but it was still a great ride. Martin McDonagh is perhaps one of the best contemporary playwriters; I had a blast with his film In Bruges and had huge expectations for this one considering the impressive ensemble cast, but I guess my expectations were set too high because this film didn’t work as well as I would have liked. McDonagh does succeed in creating original characters as he plays around with movie clichés and has fun breaking the genre down and putting his spin on things. We´ve seen other movies about movies before, but not like this one; it never gets generic. This is one funny and quirky dark comedy written with very sharp dialogues and unique characters. You can see some influence from Quentin Tarantino and Martin Scorsese in McDonagh´s work, but it still remains fresh and breaks with generic clichés in a way that it remains unique. This is the second time Colin Farrell works with director McDonagh after In Bruges, and in my opinion these are his best roles. We can only hope these two continue to work together. McDonagh couldn’t have counted on a better ensemble cast than this one; everyone was terrific here.

This dark comedy is about a screenwriter named Marty (Colin Farrell) who is trying to write a screenplay titled Seven Psychopaths. The only problem is that he has only come up with one psychopath so far, and can´t get inspired to write the story. His good friend, Billy (Sam Rockwell), a frustrated actor who makes a living by kidnapping dogs and collecting the ransom, tells him about another psychopath and begins throwing ideas for the script. Billy´s associate in the dog kidnapping business is Hans (Christopher Walken) who is trying to make some extra money to help out his wife, Myra (Linda Bright Clay), who is in a clinic diagnosed with cancer. Billy and Hans end up kidnapping a shih tzu from a dangerous mob boss, Charlie (Woody Harrelson). They´ve messed with the wrong guy, because Charlie begins going all psycho on everyone in order to find his dog. Somehow Marty becomes entangled in this Los Angeles criminal underworld and in a way everyone seems to be pitching in ideas for his movie. The story begins taking some weird and unexpected turns everywhere as the action continues and some of Marty´s characters begin to come to life as not everyone seems to be who we expect.

This dark comedy has some wonderfully written dialogues with some great moments of humor, but at other times I felt the movie was drifting away by trying to break with generic barriers. It is still a fun movie and one I recommend thanks to an excellent and cleverly written script, and a brilliant ensemble cast. Farrell is always great working alongside McDonagh; Sam Rockwell gives another masterful and quirky performance, Woody Harrelson was made for these types of role, and Christopher Walken is just spectacular with his deadpan acting. It is not difficult to give good performances when you have such a great screenwriter creating some memorable and funny dialogues. I had a pleasant time with this film although my expectations were set much higher considering McDonagh´s previous film was much better. I was a huge fan of In Bruges, but Seven Psychopaths didn’t really surprise me as much.

  

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My Review: The Hunger Games (9/10)

"We wish you Happy Hunger Games! May the odds be ever in your favor. "

The Hunger Games have begun and the odds are definitely in director Gary Ross`s favor as he has managed to adapt Suzanne Collins`s bestselling novel really well to the big screen. Ross has delivered a highly entertaining post apocalyptic, sci-fi, action, romantic thriller. Most fans will be satisfied with this film because it is truly entertaining and has a little bit of everything for those people who are looking for action, or for those who are more interested in the romantic story, and so on. It also has a great cast and the lead performance from Jennifer Lawrence is just brilliant. She captures the ideal female heroine who we all want to root for. She is truly the girl on fire. It comes as no surprise since Lawrence blew us all away with her performance in a small independent film called Winter`s Bone. She has already turned into a true star and proves she can have a lead role in what looks to be a very successful trilogy. The rest of the cast is also pretty interesting as you have great actors like Stanley Tucci, Woody Harrelson, Toby Jones, and Donald Sutherland, along with young talented actors like Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, and Alexander Ludwig. They`ve really done justice to the characters that were created by Collins, and I can`t forget to mention Lenny Kravitz who was also excellent as Cinna. As good as all these actors were, Jennifer Lawrence was above par and she really delivered the story and brought a lot of heart to her character. A great deal of the success this movie is having can be owed to her remarkable performance as Katniss.

Suzanne Collins has created a very creative new futuristic world with some common elements from the past. The United States doesn`t exist as a country anymore, but it is divided into twelve districts which are all controlled by the Capitol. The name of the country is Panem, and the further away the districts are from the Capitol the poorer its people. The wealthiest families live in the Capitol and in order to control the districts and avoid another uprising they have created the Hunger Games, which consists of selecting two teenagers (one male and another female) from each district and have the 24 teens face off one another until only one survivor remains. They force the entire nation to watch these games and it has become a popular sporting event, kind of like the Roman Empire did with the gladiators, except that the arena is much bigger as they have the wilderness to hide in. This serves as a reminder of what happens when the districts rebel against their capitol and at the same time it keeps the districts fighting amongst themselves so they won`t form any alliances to try to begin a revolution. Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) lives in the 12^th District along with her little sister and mother. She is a hunter and is excellent with the arch. Her best friend is Gale (Liam Hemsworth). When the elections for the 74^th Hunger Games take place, Katniss`s younger sister is selected, but she takes her place instead as a tribute. The other member selected from the 12^th District is Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), who is very strong and has a secret crush on Katniss. Together they must face the rest of the tributes with the help of their trainer, Haymitch (Woody Harrelson), the sole Hunger Game winner from their district in its 74 year history. The favorites are always the tributes from the first two districts because they have been raised all their lives to be prepared for these games. Cato (Alexander Ludwig) from the 1^st District and who is sadistic in nature is their biggest threat.

Once the Hunger Games begin the audience is immediately submersed into the story and Katniss`s struggle for survivor. The story is really well told and there are plenty of thrills and suspense for the audience to enjoy. The two and a half hour long movie has such a quick pace that by the end it will seem like you were only in there for an hour. The games are really that interesting and have you at the edge of your seat for almost the entire movie. I really enjoyed the pacing of this film along with the performances. It is hard to get a lot of character development with a movie that has so many things going on and that focuses almost entirely on Katniss, but we really do grow to care for several of these characters that have to face off each other. Of course there is no time to really know all 24 of them, because the story centers on Katniss and Peeta. There is sort of a love triangle going on, but the film really doesn’t delve in too deep with it. We will probably have more of that in the upcoming sequels, but most of the scenes involving Katniss don’t have to be spelled out for us. She delivers such a great performance that we can hear what she`s saying without ever having to say anything. We can read what she`s saying through her eyes alone. When I heard about the story I thought this was going to be a violent film, but it really doesn’t focus on the violence as much as it does on surviving. I really enjoyed every second of this film and it is my favorite film of the year so far.

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My Review: Friends With Benefits (7/10)

¨I have the perfect body for Photoshop. This (face) gets more angular, these (legs) get longer, and this (nose) get way more Christian.¨

I don’t think anyone would have a problem in real life believing that Mila Kunis could be a model, but this is just a movie so we go with the flow when she tries to convince someone she works as a model in order to find Justin Timberlake`s character in a photo shoot. Friends with Benefits is director Will Gluck`s follow up to his very successful 2010 comedy: Easy A, and although it isn’t as great as a film as that one was, the movie still manages to entertain thanks to a decent script and a great chemistry between Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis. This movie actually had all the ingredients to fail: First of all there was a very similar movie that came out in the same month staring Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis`s Black Swan partner, Natalie Portman. Second the film follows the same formula most romantic comedies do, and we can anticipate the ending miles away. So, why did I enjoy the film as much as I did? I admit the chemistry between Timberlake and Kunis was great, but that isn’t enough for me to make a film of this caliber enjoyable. I also have to admit that I love Mila Kunis and think she is extremely gorgeous on film, but that neither is enough for me to enjoy this movie. I actually enjoyed the plot quite a bit and found most of the things happening believable. I know love doesn’t work like this all the time, but there can be a couple of occasions in which true love can be magical and predictable. Some girls have found their Prince Charming, and that is the story some filmmakers have decided to tell despite all the clichés and formulas.

Justin Timberlake plays an upcoming successful blogger from Los Angeles named Dylan who happens to have some good job offers coming his way from New York. Jamie (Mila Kunis) is a work agent who makes Dylan the offer to come to New York to work as the editor for GQ Magazine. Dylan just ended up being dumped by his girlfriend for being emotionally unavailable and decides to give New York a shot. Jamie was also recently dumped by her boyfriend, so both Dylan and Jamie realize it is better to focus on work and not enter relationships at this stage of their lives. Jamie convinces Dylan to accept the job by selling him the idea that New York is a great place to live and he agrees. Once in New York, both of them begin to form a strong bond together and become real good friends. They both agree that they don’t want to be in relationships at the moment, but they miss sex. All of a sudden they both come up with the idea that they should sleep together without dealing with the whole relationship issue. They decide they can have sex just like two friends would play a game of tennis together, without all the romantic emotional stuff involved. Of course the plot gets more complicated than this and emotions begin to affect their relationship. Patricia Clarkson plays Lorna, Jamie`s hippie loving mother, while Jenna Elfman plays Annie, Dylan`s older and caring sister. Richard Jenkins is Dylan`s father, while Woody Harrelson also has a supporting role as Tommy, the sports editor for GQ magazine.

The entire cast is really fantastic in this film. The strong chemistry between the two lead roles (Timberlake and Kunis) is supported by a magnificent cast. Richard Jenkins is always great, and in this movie he plays the role of a father suffering from Alzheimer to perfection. Jenna Elfman is also great in her role as the sweet and caring sister, but the two supporting characters who get the most laughs are Patricia Clarkson and Woody Harrelson. Patricia is great as the free loving hippie mother, and Harrelson shines as the gay sports editor. The plot also works really well despite following all the Hollywood clichés that the film sort of tries to make fun of when they have Jamie and Dylan watch romantic comedies together and rip them off for being so predictable. The screenwriters were a little hypocritical because they followed most of the same formulas those movies did, but I still had a good time with it and laughed at several scenes. I also liked that there was more to Timberlake`s character than what we were first introduced to. We got to see some of the depth that he had in the film and he did a great job with his role. I thought I was going to hate this film, but I was surprised at how much I ended up liking it. The first half hour was a little strong for me, but after that the film picked up and ended up having a good message after all.

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My Review: The Messenger (8/10)

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¨Men don’t ask for directions, much less soldiers. Soldiers on a notification, definitely, positively do not ask for freaking directions. No GPS, no Map Quest, we navigate.¨

(8/10) Oren Moverman co-wrote and directed this great film focusing on the impact the war of Iraq has on its soldiers and their families. The Hurt Locker got a lot more critical attention, but in my opinion The Messenger is also a great movie with a lot of psychological depth and great performances from the entire cast. It is a movie you won`t want to miss if you are interested in good acting and character driven films. It is not a popcorn action film and some may find it slow, but it is a good movie, and it focuses on the characters rather than on special effects or action scenes. It is also very well written; Oren Moverman and Alessandro Camon received Oscar nominations for Best Screenplay. This was Moverman´s directorial debut and it is quite impressive as he managed to get great performances from everyone. He had previously written I`m Not There, but what really helped him with this film was his personal experience as he served in the Israeli Army for four years. No one can possibly understand the psychological impact of war in the soldiers as someone who has actually been in one, so that personal insight was what gave this movie a real look to it.

Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery (Ben Foster from 3:10 to Yuma) just returned from the Iraq War after being injured in an explosion. He still has 3 months left of service and is being treated back home in the States for an eye and leg injury. Will is being assigned to work with the Casualty Notification Team for the remainder of his enlistment days. He has the difficult task of informing the family`s of deceased US soldiers that they were killed in action. He is paired with a more experienced officer, Captain Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson) who shows him the protocol.  He soon discovers that the job is more difficult than he imagined and is not prepared for the reactions of the family members. Meanwhile he maintains a sexual relationship with his ex girlfriend Kelly (Jena Malone from Stepmom) who happens to be engaged with another man since they broke up when Will was at Iraq. Will and Tony both have their own issues to deal with, but they manage to establish a nice friendship. Will is surprised one day after informing a young woman, named Olivia Pitterson (Samantha Morton from Minority Report),  about the death of her husband. Her reaction is unlike the rest and she seems to be very polite towards them. Olivia and Will form a friendship and their relationship begins to grow despite the awkward situation. The movie is very character driven and it focuses mainly on these four characters and their relationship with each other.

The Messenger works mainly because of the performances from the entire cast. Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson are just great. Woody actually was nominated for the Oscar as a Best Supporting Actor, but Ben Foster also gave a terrific performance in the lead role and he deserved a nomination as well. Samantha Morton was also extremely believable in her role as Olivia and felt very natural. These good performances along with great dialogue and character depth are what make The Messenger such a great film. The psychological impact in the characters is also very raw and real and the film just develops nicely. The beginning started off a bit slow, but as the movie moves on we are really drawn to the characters and the relationships that bind them. The Messenger is not another movie about the Iraq War, it is a movie you won`t want to miss even though it was kind of forgotten after all the hype that The Hurt Locker received. This is not a better film than that one, but it still is one I recommend and enjoyed.

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My Review: Zombieland (7/10)

¨This lady could have avoided becoming a human Happy Meal. Woulda... coulda... shoulda¨

(7/10) Zombieland counts with a very talented cast but it isn`t among the funniest movies of the year. Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin are among the best young talents and if you include Woody Harrelson`s experience and a cameo from the extremely funny Bill Murray then you would expect a lot more from this movie. Don`t get me wrong, I enjoyed this film, it had some very funny moments and funny dialogues, but I was expecting much more from it because of all the hype coming from the critics. I wouldn`t include Zombieland in the horror genre, it isn`t scary and it doesn`t try to be either. It`s more of a satire on zombie movies like Shaun of the Dead was. Actually, first time director Ruben Fleischer said he was inspired to make this movie after watching Shaun of the Dead. It still has some action, gore, and good special effects, but the main ingredient in this film is the comedy and you wouldn`t expect less from these actors. When you have a zombie get killed by a falling piano from a building you know you can`t take the violence seriously. One of the things I enjoyed the most in this film was the dialogue. Taking a phrase from Harrelson`s character, Tallahassee, and rephrasing it I would say: ¨[this movie] totally blows! .... my mind. Just fun for the whole family.¨

Jesse Eisenberg, who recently was in another comedy - Adventureland, plays Columbus one of the few survivors in a world where pretty much everyone has turned into a zombie. He has survived because he lives by what he calls survival rules which are displayed throughout the movie while the action takes place. The film is narrated by Columbus. Eisenberg plays his ussual self and he reminds me a lot of Micheal Cera. Columbus meets Tallahassee (Woody Harelson), a fearless zombie killer who has a weakness for twinkies (or as they call them in Mexico: el submarino) and will get into danger just to get his hands on them. Columbus and Tallahassee form an unlikely duo and decide to take a road trip. During their trip they encounter Wichita (Emma Stone known for her role in Superbad) and her sister Little Rock (Abigail Breslin, My Sister`s Keeper) who happen to be con artists and take their possesions. The four end up together despite having trust issues and not wanting to become involved with each other, which could serve as a satire on American society where you find neighbors trying to keep a distance from each other. The highlight of the movie is when they decide to visit a celebrity`s mansion and have an encounter with him, but I will not give any more of the movie away.

Overall this movie works as a comedy, it is a satire on zombie movies which have bombarded Hollywood over the recent years in the same way vampires are nowadays. Don`t go into this movie expecting horror, because this movie is 95% comedy. There are several funny lines and at less than 90 minutes the movie is short enough for you to enjoy it. The survival rules were pretty funny and the scene in which Columbus narrates his encounter with his hot neighbor who almost ends up eating him was also hilarious. Despite all this, I still think there were much funnier movies out this year like The Hangover, World`s Greatest Dad, Adventureland, and I Love You, Man. Anyways this movie still is a lot of fun and one you will enjoy. My favorite zomby movie (but I ain`t much of a zombie fan so it ain`t saying much). To end this review, I would like to quote one of the many funny lines in the film: ¨In those moments where you're not quite sure if the undead are really dead, dead, don't get all stingy with your bullets. I mean, one more clean shot to the head, and this lady could have avoided becoming a human Happy Meal. Woulda... coulda... shoulda.¨