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Nereus · 08-14-2016, 12:03 PM

I really liked the idea The Island was rolling with until it turned into a Michael Bay explosion fest like you said. Fun fact, one of the explosion sequences from that movie was apparently expensive enough to include in like 2 transformers movies, touched up in different ways obviously but it's still hilarious. Smile

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Spangle · 08-14-2016, 04:11 PM

Quote:Originally posted by JayTee@Aug 14 2016, 11:54 AM

I liked it for what it was. A fun action movie albeit with a very mundane plot and average acting.

Will Smith and Margot Robbie were very good....Jared Leto was terrible in my opinion.

The score was brilliant though.

Sounds like you enjoyed it far more than the disaster that was BvS?

I'm still oddly looking forward to seeing it, but not enough to warrant spending money on doing so.

**bk1689** · 08-14-2016, 04:19 PM

Watched Zootopia with my kids. Pretty entertaining movie.

Wasty · 08-14-2016, 04:25 PM

Quote:Originally posted by JayTee@Aug 14 2016, 07:54 AM

I liked it for what it was. A fun action movie albeit with a very mundane plot and average acting.

Will Smith and Margot Robbie were very good....Jared Leto was terrible in my opinion.

The score was brilliant though.

I enjoyed it a lot as well. I echo the comments about Smith and Robbie. I thought Jay Hernandez was pretty good for his role and Jai Courtney played a seemingly useless character enough that you care about him and was pretty funny.

Flagg and Katana were duds imo

I disagree on Leto's joker which I enjoyed and wanted to see more of. I think he was used improperly though and didn't get the chance to really use his role effectively. His portrayal was quite different that what we are used to with Jokers on screen so I can understand people's dislikes about it. But I was happy with what he did and he did try to make it his own take on a character that is probably one of the hardest roles to take on and do properly and get fans approval in the mean time.

#40 Niclas Wastlund - W - VANCOUVER WHALERS Whalers

/ MINNESOTA MONARCHS

dankoa · 08-14-2016, 04:30 PM

Jason Bourne was good, also watched LÃ©on: The Professional for the first time a couple nights ago and that was sick

BasedMinkus · 08-14-2016, 04:44 PM

Quote:Originally posted by Spangle@Aug 14 2016, 12:11 PM

Sounds like you enjoyed it far more than the disaster that was BvS?

I'm still oddly looking forward to seeing it, but not enough to warrant spending money on doing so.

Ya like the difference I feel, is that Suicide Squad knew what it was as a film while BvS was just a punch to the gut to fans of both.

And Wasty I think that is why I disliked Leto as Joker, mainly because they didnt give him time to flesh it out.

Also for 90% of the movie I thought Jai Courtney was Tom Hardy and was wondering why they were wasting him.

JPL · 08-14-2016, 05:35 PM

Quote:Originally posted by JayTee@Aug 14 2016, 03:44 PM

Ya like the difference I feel, is that Suicide Squad knew what it was as a film while BvS was just a punch to the gut to fans of both.

And Wasty I think that is why I disliked Leto as Joker, mainly because they didnt give him time to flesh it out.

Also for 90% of the movie I thought Jai Courtney was Tom Hardy and was wondering why they were wasting him.

One thing about BVS is that I don't 100% blame Snyder for how bad it was (I liked like the last 20 minutes) the studio is pretty much forcing to make a movie to set up all the Justice League in one movie is insane

BasedMinkus · 08-14-2016, 06:32 PM

Quote:Originally posted by JPL@Aug 14 2016, 01:35 PM

One thing about BVS is that I don't 100% blame Snyder for how bad it was (I liked like the last 20 minutes) the studio is pretty much forcing to make a movie to set up all the Justice League in one movie is insane

Right, but you can do that with better acting choices and still do it with a better story

Maxy · 08-14-2016, 07:50 PM

I really want to see Suicide Squad simply because I loooove Harley Quinn as a character and the Joker is my favorite character in comic books period. But I have very low expectations.

Affleck was a good batman in BVS. Superman still sucks cock. Gal Gadot has promise as Wonder Woman.

JPL · 08-14-2016, 08:19 PM

I loved suicide squad personally it's a fresh air for a super hero movie I like marvel movies but they are getting really repetitive

Spangle · 08-21-2016, 09:48 AM

7/10 - Amistad is a masterfully crafted from the master of historical films, Steven Spielberg. With lavish costume design and a huge scope, Amistad is a mournful and moving look at one of the major battles before the Civil War came to be. The film's entire cast, especially Djimon Hounsou, do a terrific job here. Spielberg also does a great job himself (obviously) at keeping us focused on what truly matters here: the human element. The violence and even the essence of slavery and the court case take a backseat to exploring who these people are and why it matters who they are. Once we understand that, only then can we move into examining the impact of this case on history and the country. That said, Amistad is a bit of a slag at times. Though beautifully crafted with a good score from John Williams, it moves very slowly at times and as noticeably bad pacing. Essentially, it uses its runtime quite poorly and is excessive in length. It could have cut some time off and still have been just as impactful. That said, Amistad is a good film from Spielberg, even if it suffers from pacing issues.

7/10 - The Duchess can be a bit slow, but it is a very focused film featuring a stellar performance from Keira Knightley that is a feast for the eyes. With breathtaking costume design, production design, makeup, and hairstyling, The Duchess is a visual delight. Beyond this, it is a very solidly crafted film with a tight plot that remains focused on the joy, pain, anguish of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. In this role, Knightley is a real highlight reel with a terrifically nuanced performance that really captures the essence of England's "it girl" of the late 1700s. She really radiates charisma in this film and attracts the eyes, as is appropriate. Ralph Fiennes also turns in a good performance here as her manipulative and cruel husband. Overall, The Duchess hits the breaks more than it should, but does a fantastic job crafting a portrait of this beloved figure.

8/10 - Your Sister's Sister is a truly delightful viewing experience. With good performances from Mark Duplass, Emily Blunt, and Rosemarie Dewitt, Your Sister's Sister is filled with charismatic, heartfelt, and truly emotionally impactful performances. The writing for the characters is very strong and it can honestly feel as though you are watching a documentary with how raw some of the emotion in the film can be. This type of writing really ups the overall emotional impact of the film as it feels as though these are people you know and would want to know. Additionally, the film is incredibly funny. Very witty and smart, mostly thanks to Duplass' delivery, the film really leaves you in stitches more than a few times. Overall, Your Sister's Sister is a really charming film that makes an emotional impact and is incredibly funny.

7/10 - The International is a thoroughly engaging action thriller with a top-notch lead performance from Clive Owen and sleek, stylish director from Tom Tykwer. Just as engaging as Tykwer's past films, The International examines the corrupt activities of a bank and uses it as a moralistic play when it comes to reality and the way bankers seem to get away with everything. For this, the film can be somewhat unsatisfying due to its lack of pay off, which many will find problematic, though I thoroughly loved the ending. The cinematography is very good, as in all of Tykwer's films and really gives the film this stylish, sexy look. That said, there are problems. The one major action set piece is really, really dumb. Like, earth-shatteringly dumb. Additionally, it can be hard to follow. Not too hard to follow, but there is certainly some confusion along the way. All in all, The International is a stylish thriller with an overly complicated story, an ending that I liked but many will not, and can be quite implausible at times. Overall, it is a truly flawed film that has more good than bad to it, plus it is definitely entertaining.

3/10 - Flightplan is the kind of bad movie that does not even bother to kill Sean Bean. Is that a spoiler of some sorts now? Well, anyways, he does not die and that is always indicative of a bad movie. Flightplan has an interesting premise with a good lead turn from Jodie Foster, but really just falls apart as the film progresses. As a short film, it could have been okay. By that, I mean if it ended after 40 minutes we would have been just fine here. Unfortunately, the film decides to show its hand too early and the ending is ludicrous and out of this world stupid. As the film progresses into the absurd, the tension vanishes and the film sputters into disappointment. This very interesting premise really falls apart and would have been well served not being limited by being on a plane. The only redeeming factors are the tension and mystery that abound in the first third of the film, as well as the acting from Jodie Foster and Sean Bean. Otherwise, Flightplan needed to crash and put everyone out of their misery.

6/10 - Ever watch a movie and realize you are wildly incapable of putting together your thoughts on what you just watched? Well, that was me with Observe and Report. A disturbing look at a man suffering from extreme mental illness and rife with dark jokes and dark scenes (date rape...). That said, the film can be quite funny at times and is reminiscent of a lesser Taxi Driver-esque look at those suffering from violent mood swings and violent inclinations such as Seth Rogen in this film. Rogen is very good in the lead role and encapsulates this delusion and the man different sides of Ronnie. Though he can be quite awkward and creepy, this is all part of his character and can be very tough to watch. Essentially, Ronnie is a very good antihero and thoroughly unreliable narrator. You can be misled into rooting for him many times, even if his actions dictate that he is certainly not the hero of this tale. Overall, Observe and Report is never quite as funny as it thinks it is, but the dark picture portrays of its protagonist/antihero is richly rewarding and thoroughly disturbing. Observe and Report plays less as a comedy and more as a drama about a man who suffers from a serious mental illness and for that, it really hits hard at times. Unfortunately, its tone is all over the place and the film can never decide whether it wants to horrify you, make you laugh, or extract drama and tears from the situation. For this inconsistent tone, the film winds up being only slightly above average. If it remained more focused, it could have been far better.

7/10 - A journey of discovery, Sideways is a slice of life film from Alexander Payne that does not quite reach the heights of his other works due to some iffy pacing at times, but is still funny, romantic, touching, and thoroughly depressing. Paul Giammati and Thomas Haden Church are terrific in this wine-obsessed film that uses wine and literature as expertly hidden exposition as to who these two characters are. Truly brilliant writing on the part of Payne brings these men to life, along with all of their hidden motivations and baggage without a series of monologues to accomplish the same thing. As mentioned, however, the film does slack at times and can be slightly off-putting by focusing on some detestable main characters. Due to this, Sideways is held back a bit and not as good as Payne's other works. That said, nobody captures the true essence of his characters like Payne and Sideways is entirely character driven. Overall, it packs a lot of emotion and will really hit hard if you let it.

8/10 - I am certainly no stoner, but Pineapple Express is hysterical. Off-the-wall, odd, absurd, and delightful, Pineapple Express is an over-the-top stoner comedy with on point comedy, comedic timing, and great acting from James Franco. From beginning to end, the film is an absolute riot. I typically detest comedy, but this one worked perfectly. The cast had great chemistry with one another and though the characters, plot, and film are absolutely the dumbest I have seen in a while, the energy and aesthetic of the film are undeniably infectious. James Franco turns in a characteristically charismatic performance and really steals the show as a drug dealer who is absolutely hysterical. He has phenomenal one-liners and comedic timing that leave you in stitches repeatedly, though the cast does. I never expected to actually come away liking this film. Yet, here I am. Pineapple Express is an absolute riot with a solid plot, likeable characters, and terrific comedy writing.

4/10 - Margot at the Wedding tells the story of a bunch of characters and their lives, but fails to let us know why we are watching them. I love slice of life films, but this is more than slice of life. This simply a series of scenes with loose threads connecting them. It is cringy and quirky, but Baumbach demonstrates little knowledge of human emotion here with very unhuman characters. Honestly, this movie could be described as how aliens would act if they suddenly landed on Earth and tried to act human. These people had the motions, but not the emotions or language. Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Jason Leigh are good, but are stranded in a sea of indie quirk and Baumbach refuses to throw them a lifeline, which is deeply unfortunate. Unlike previous Baumbach efforts I have seen, Margot at the Wedding is not just distant emotionally, it is a film that you have to squint and really focus to see any emotion. Even then, I am not sure there is any. Often times, it plays like a crude and raunchy comedy of modern day that are known for saying things that are outlandish and uncommon just to be random and funny. Though not crude or raunchy, Margot at the Wedding falls for the same trap and thinks being random is hysterical. Unfortunately, it is not. Very disappointing.

6/10 - The Long Goodbye was greatly disappointing for me. As a lover of neo-noir crime mysteries, I had my hopes set high. Plus, I loved The Big Sleep, which also featured Detective Philip Marlowe. Unfortunately, The Long Goodbye is an aimless, meandering two hour film that is really well shot with a good score and a terrific performance from Elliot Gould, but the rest is eh. There is very little detecting that goes on, the things he does find are just handed to him, and the film seems to be headed on a road to nowhere. I get there is a lot going on behind the scenes and maybe I was in the wrong mindset or something with my expectations, but this one was not overly interesting. I certainly did not hate it, but the strong dialogue is very much let down by a downright bad to uninteresting plot. Luckily, everything else is so good, I can somewhat look past that major issue. Overall, The Long Goodbye may be a classic neo-noir, but do not expect much detective work from this one.

7/10 - Extremely safe and straight forward, this is certainly not up there with some of director Stephen Frears' more challenging works, but is a thoroughly enjoyable, sad, and funny film about a woman with a big heart who had a truly awful voice. Meryl Streep is very good in the lead role and Hugh Grant turns in a typically charismatic performance as her doting husband. Both have received Oscar buzz for their roles. Personally, I do not know if they were quite to that level, but you never know what the rest of the year will deliver. If either are nominated, they were certainly quite good, so it would not be totally unjustified. As for the film itself, the costume and make-up are terrific. However, the problems lie with Frears. Aside from its straight-forward nature, the film is sort of unbalanced. It wants us to sympathize with Florence and show how ruthlessly she was mocked and laughed at by those who did not know her. Yes, she was bad, but dammit she tried and poured her heart and soul into every note. It made her truly happy and filled her heart with joy. Who are we to mock that? Yet, then the film turns her bad singing into comedy, encouraging us to laugh at her with long, drawn out scenes of her singing with reaction shots of the rest of the cast to her singing. These scenes are hysterical, but man oh man, does it not gel with us sympathizing with her. Are we to feel bad for Florence or just join the chorus of laughter? I have to imagine Frears wanted us to feel for her, but fails in this endeavor as the film plays more along the lines of a comedy than anything else. While it was funny, do not get me wrong, it could have been a far more powerful film if it did not simply play into cheap laughs at this poor woman's expense. Overall, Florence Foster Jenkins is a pretty, well-acted film that simply cannot decide what it wanted to try to do.

Justice · 08-27-2016, 11:19 PM

Just watched The Nice Guys with Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe. 8/10, loved it. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a fun movie experience.

BasedMinkus · 08-27-2016, 11:23 PM

I watched a movie called XOXO

It was the worst shit i ever have seen.

Wasty · 08-27-2016, 11:43 PM

I honestly don't understand this statement "I typically detest comedy"

#40 Niclas Wastlund - W - VANCOUVER WHALERS Whalers

/ MINNESOTA MONARCHS

Spangle · 08-27-2016, 11:47 PM

If you just can't wait to see my reviews on Saturday and have a Letterboxd account, here's mine: http://letterboxd.com/kjones77/

6/10 - I expected a comedy and Whiskey Tango Foxtrot was certainly not that. The first half of the film attempted to be a comedy, but largely failed. It does not find its stride until the second half when it focuses on the serious effects of war on war reporters who are always risking their lives for the sake of a story. Here, the film is very dramatic and serious, yet works really well. I am not convinced it works too well with the first half of the film, but it really hits hard at times when you see the risks these people take for their craft. Tina Fey is very good here, as is Martin Freeman. The two of them have terrific chemistry and really draw you into the film. Additionally, the film is very much enjoyable. Even in the weaker first half, there are some very funny one-liners at times and then the serious take of the second half may be darker, but still has good takes on a middle aged woman trying to find herself in Kabul and in life. Plus, Fey is so charismatic, she remains endlessly watchable.

Unfortunately, the film does have many faults. It is not as funny as it should be and it tries to tackle too much in a limited time when it comes to the issues it raises. Additionally, it is pretty typical and hits all the notes of the middle aged person who is lost attempts to find themselves and meets weird people along the way narrative. That said, I did enjoy Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. Somehow sweetly nostalgic with incredibly enjoyable characters, the film is very palatable and enjoyable, even if it is not always easy to watch due to its subject matter.

3/10 - Star Trek is really awful. The original series was known for being cheesy and stupid, which is also why it never resonated with me too much. Sadly, so is this one. Packed with stupid quips that are supposed to be funny but are not, Star Trek is also maligned by many other faults. The entire cast is dreadful, the story is beyond stupid, convoluted, and ruined by the time travel element. The time travel element, instead of being interesting, is really poorly executed and makes no sense whatsoever. It adds a layer of complexity to a plot that did not really need another layer of complexity. The resolution comes far too quickly and easily. Sure, some people die, but the crew is never really threatened. The plot is packed with filler that really adds nothing other than an opportunity to play 80's music. The dialogue is horrifically cringe-inducing and, even worse, it looks fake. The set design is blatantly obvious and is so bad it is reminiscent of a 50's movie when somebody is "driving" a car - it is that obvious. The only saving grace here is the special effects, which are incredible. Unfortunately, the look of the film is ruined by JJ Abrams' hard on for lens flare, which is distracting and wildly overused. Overall, Star Trek may have stunning space visuals and some cool designs, but the film is like the hot girl with no personality.

5/10 - Star Trek Into Darkness is better than the first entry into the new series, but is still aggressively mediocre. The acting here is better, though spotty. The special effects and cinematography are also both very good. The first one had terrific special effects, yet this one found a way to improve upon those as well and is really striking. It is true eye candy. That said, the lens flare is still awful and distracting. The story is somewhat okay, but I am guessing Khan needed to be stronger. That is certainly not the case, as he is a very weak villain even if Benedict Cumberbatch is very good. He is easily overcome and, though he has superhuman strength, he is apparently easy to trick and beat. This weak villain ties into the very weak resolution and truly terrible ending. The dialogue is also still bad in this one ("KHAAAAAAN") with stupid quips coming from every direction to annoy and cause the audience to cringe. Overall, Star Trek Into Darkness is a step forward, but the film refuses to depart the Trek formula or typical blockbuster formula. For a series that proclaims to go boldly where no has ever gone before, the films really enjoy playing it safe and staying close to base.

6/10 - If you ask someone what the most typical thriller movie ever made is, Red Eye should certainly be in contention. Fortunately, a requisite to be the most typical thriller ever made is that the film must be thrilling. Red Eye is certainly that. Director Wes Craven knows how to elicit fears and thrills along the way in this straight forward thriller. The acting is spotty, though never outright bad. The first half of the film is very cheesy and kind of silly, while the second half really finds its groove and, though kind of outlandish, is truly thrilling. This obviously makes the second half far superior, even if the dialogue can be in-and-out between solid and terrible. Essentially what I am trying to communicate here is simple: only thriller fans need apply. Red Eye's typical nature and adherence to cliches will annoy many, but for fans of the genre, its taut thrills and tight plot will be more than satisfactory.

8/10 - Powerful. Stirring. Therapeutic. Fearless is a terrific film from director Peter Weir about a man healing and trying to come back to life after surviving a plane crash. A tough and thoroughly hard to watch journey, Jeff Bridges is stunning in the lead role as a man who tries to grapple with what he saw and come to grips to with what happened. As he is dragged in every direction, he finds one solace: saving others. Unfortunately, he cannot save himself and must bring himself back to life along the way. From beginning to end, the emotion of the film takes centerstage and really does sweep you up as you watch this man struggle with this tragedy and even his own role in its aftermath. Packed to the brim with great acting and directing, terrific character development, and great writing, Fearless is a drama film that has considerable heart and packs an emotional punch that leaves you both elated and on the brink of tears.

3/10 - Suicide Squad is a bad film, but damn is it a lot of fun. Not my thing, but I can see why one would enjoy it if they are into comic books. Me, however, I am not. As it stands, it leaves more than a bit to be desired. First though, the positives. Will Smith is very charismatic and knows how to play Will Smith. Margot Robbie is terrific as Harley Quinn. Acting-wise, she is hit-and-miss in the film. However, in terms of playing Harley Quinn, she was born to play the role. I loved June Moore. Cara Delevigne did well as her. She struggled as Enchantress, but I loved June Moore. I really liked Jared Leto as the Joker. I loved the gangster take on it, which certainly plays into David Ayer's sensibilities, but I enjoyed it. That said, I would have either gone full Joker or cut him entirely from the film. He was a bit like filler in my mind. Additionally, I thoroughly enjoyed the middle of the film. The film moves past the classic rock music and the character introductions to truly find its groove. Here, it is imperfect, but thoroughly fun and enjoyable. That is, until the end.

Now the negatives. The film often plays as if David Ayer loved classic rock and had longed to make a music video for these songs. Unfortunately, he was misled into thinking this was a good time to do so. As a result, the songs are entirely distracting and take away from the film. They frequently pull you out of the movie and focused solely on the movie. The opening showcases this as they try to introduce the characters. The character development also sucked. Suicide Squad forgot there were more characters than Deadshot and Harley Quinn apparently because nobody else got any attention, especially Slipknot(?). If you were not aware of any of the characters beforehand (as was the case for me), you wee entirely SOL. The character interactions were also dreadful, particularly when Killer Croc is involved. The dialogue was poor for everyone from beginning to end, but his was a special kind of horrible. I physically cringed every time he opened his reptile mouth. The other characters' dialogue were also bad, but not as bad. Captain Boomerang was also entirely useless. He throws boomerangs twice, but both fail. His little unicorn was far more enjoyable than him. This said, I am glad that only Deadshot and Harley Quinn got any attention at all, because the rest were horrific actors. They did not need any more lines to deliver poorly. The ending also leaves a lot to be desired. Though I loved June Moore, I wish they had not used Enchantress because this ludicrous, off-the-wall, and thoroughly unenjoyable ending is sadly impossible to avoid. I do not know how else to end it, so I wish they did not choose her as the villain. That said, the special effects regarding her were solid, though they felt like they were straight out of the Brendan Fraser Mummy movies. Finally, the movie just felt oddly ordered. There was no flow between scenes. Instead, they smashed into one another (much like in Batman v. Superman) where they barely related to one another. It was almost as if Ayer came up with some cool ideas for scenes, but had no idea how they related to the plot or what order to put them in. So, he shot them and figured the editors could somehow work miracles with the nonsense he shot. Unfortunately, editors are not miracle workers. Thus, for this, I do not blame editing. Unlike Batman v. Superman in which there was a good film desperately trying to come out only to be killed by Zack Snyder, there is no good film underneath Suicide Squad. Instead, there is only disappointment and David Ayer failing spectacularly at telling any kind of worthwhile story with this set of characters. This is very unfortunate, considering I was really hoping that Suicide Squad would be really good. Even after the reviews, I hoped I would like it. Yet, here we are. Though it may be enjoyable, Suicide Squad is a bloody mess.

7/10 - I really enjoyed Cassandra's Dream. Tense, sad, and dramatic, Cassandra's Dream is a very different film from Woody Allen, but shows that an old dog may be able to learn new tricks. Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell are great together here and have great chemistry as brothers who are asked to kill somebody in return for great financial gain. Though the morality play the film poses and the theme of family relationships may be unoriginal, Allen never fails to elicit tension and thrills along the way, with his two leads game to follow his lead. There is nothing wrong with a genre film and Cassandra's Dream certainly fits the bill as both a drama and a thriller. It executes its well-worn cliches to perfection, while entertaining in spades. Though its ending may be predictable to some, it does not lose its impact and can be quite spellbinding in the lead up as you watch these brothers grapple with the ramifications of the decisions they make; both positive and negative. Overall, Cassandra's Dream is a very good film from Woody Allen that has even better performances, while leaving you on edge for much of the film anticipating the next turn it will take.

7/10 - The Manchurian Candidate is a truly chilling look at the influence that both corporations and money can have in politics. Though this remake is flawed, it has more than its fair share of positives. From its compelling premise that really hooks you in from the very beginning to the absolutely stunningly good performance from Meryl Streep, The Manchurian Candidate has some real high notes. Liev Schrieber also turns in a reliably good performance in this film from director Jonathan Demme that keeps you on your toes and thrills continuously from beginning to end. That said, it does have a few problems. With its compelling premise, things at the end should have would wound up being far messier. Unfortunately, its too neat ending left me more than disappointed. Additionally, the editing can be a bit spotty with some really weird transitions and scenes seemingly lacking flow here and there. That said, The Manchurian Candidate is a solid to pretty good film with a chillingly cold and calculated performance from Streep that more than steals the show.

8/10 - Texas fried to its very core, Hell or High Water is a film with a deep Southern fried aesthetic from its look, feel, and killer soundtrack/score. With terrific performances from Chris Pine, Ben Foster, and Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water is a thoroughly unique family-fueled crime film. It may be a touch heavy-handed at times with its anti-bank mentality, but this is more than overcome by its terrifically crafted characters. The brothers are very multi-dimensional, as though they may be criminals, we feel for them deeply because of their circumstances and hope they can get away with it all. That said, even the cops are well developed. Bridges' character and his relationship with Gil Birmingam's character is terrific. Not only is their banter hysterical, but for friends and fellow cops, they are given a shocking amount of depth. In addition to its terrific writing, Hell or High Water is a sturdy film that defies expectations, as is tradition with David Mackenzie's films. He takes typical premises and more than just spruces them up. Instead, he reinvents it and turns it into a fully nuanced and powerful film that explores family relationships and how far you will go to help your family. Even more, it explores the violent nature of man and how thin the line between life and death is and can be. The film's cinematography is also terrific with some seriously beautiful shots strewn through this film. Not only did it capture the Southern aesthetic as previously mentioned, it really captured the look and feel of the towns it was set in. This is also heavily due to the film's terrific production and set design. Overall, Hell or High Water is a real gem set to go down as one of the very best releases of 2016.

8/10 - A hypnotic and chilling thriller, Imperium has been described by some as a combination of American History X and The Departed. Though obviously not nearly as good as either of those two near-perfect films, Imperium does touch on similar ideas of both and is packed with similar tension. Daniel Radcliffe is terrific in this film about an idealistic young man who is sent by the FBI to go undercover as a neo-nazi in order to find out their plans for a dirty bomb. Imperium often mirrors reality from its depictions of talking heads all the way to those who are actually willing to sacrifice their livelihood to accomplish their racist goals. At all times, director Daniel Ragussis manages to create tension and keep you on the edge of your seat as Radcliffe's character explores and infiltrates the various groups of neo-nazis. The character development is solid for all, but especially when it comes to our lead, who is really well-developed as well as the concept that the film uses to help us understand the antagonists. Ultimately, they are not too different from ourselves. They have families, friends, jobs, and regular lives. Yet, they turn to hatred through their own feelings of victimhood that they blame on others, which is truly a powerful and unique way of developing empathy for those who often seem so undeserving of it. Overall, Imperium is a dramatic, thrilling, and moving film that may not be the premier film on racism, but is a moving look all the same. Above all, Radcliffe is a powerhouse who really steals the show.

6/10 - Demolition is a solid film, but just does not fit together well. In many ways, it is broken just like its main character. Though his pain and lack of connection to that pain is entirely relatable due to his inclination to push things away and not really pay attention, the film is also really cliche. From beginning to end, Demolition plays out like your average indie movie that explores grief in the wake of the death of a loved one. Jake Gyllenhaal is terrific, the soundtrack is good, and the film can really hit hard at times, but can never escape being your run-of-the-mill film about loss. It never really achieves what it sets out to do in communicating this pain due to its sheer averageness. Additionally, though I see a parallel it tried to create between characters, the film really winds up becoming distracted as it focuses on too much and too many stories in its short runtime. If longer, it may have had a chance to explore more of these. However, it seemed like Jean-Marc Vallee just decided he wanted to touch on a bunch of existential issues and figured he could cram them into Demolition. Fortunately, Gyllenhaal is just so good, I can look past much of those issues. For those who are not afraid or tired of these cliches, Demolition may feel like a breath of fresh air and hit you like a ton of bricks. For those who often find themselves watching films such as this, it will feel tired, even if its rock tunes and top-notch acting bring it slightly above the mean.

6/10 - The bro version of Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, War Dogs is an occasionally funny yet thoroughly entertaining work from director Todd Phillips. While it is entirely derivative of many other films and, more recently, tries to emulate the success and style of The Big Short, War Dogs is still entertaining in its own right. Jonah Hill and Miles Teller have good chemistry, while Hill in particular is terrific with his shady charisma. That said, the film never accomplishes its full "let's reveal the crookedness behind the curtains" schtick, nor is it as funny as it may thinks it is. Other than attempts at making blowjob jokes, War Dogs really has no other comedic tricks up Jonah Hill's fat sleeves, which is unfortunate. That said, it is well told, decently entertaining film even if it falls short of its lofty goals. Another problem were the intertitles that really seemed out of place and were sort of trying to break the film into "chapters" for no apparent reason. Overall, War Dogs was largely disappointing, even if it was entertaining and Hill's performance is worth the price of admission. It is a film that had the pieces to be great, but lacked the heart, soul, depth, and originality to do so.

8/10 - Loved this. Though it is a typical romantic comedy in many respects, Aaron Sorkin is such a talented writer, he manages to reinvent the wheel. Charming, cute, and sweet romantically, while tough, smart, and poignant politically, The American President is a really top-notch film that is a masterclass in writing. Every word of dialogue oozes with power and weight, while demonstrating Sorkin's talent at creating incredibly well developed characters. Even better, the perfect writing allows this tremendous cast led by Michael Douglas, Annette Bening, Martin Sheen, and Michael J. Fox to really take off and soar. Not only is the character development top-notch here, but it is a truly compelling and poignant look at politics and the presidency, especially the interesting idea as to what would transpire if the President dated during this age of the media. Comedically, the film is incredibly smart, quick, and witty, showing that Sorkin is just as adept at writing a hilarious film as he is a smart one. Overall, The American President is a showcase for all the Sorkinisms that make his writing so damn perfect. Though typical, the film is so well-written, those cliches are ignorable because this is those cliches at their very best. Hard to imagine these cliches being better executed.

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