Inherent Vice:
I’m just going to be straight here. I enjoy this movie, but I
have absolutely no idea what happens. Pretty much anyone who isn’t prepared for
this movie going in, giving it their full attention from the word “go” onward
(and even those who are paying full attention), this film will be extremely
challenging to follow. Paul Thomas Anderson seems too fond of certain segments
of the book by Thomas Pynchon to cut them out (and I hear it already made MAJOR cuts), leading to a convoluted script
with numerous diversions, exposition dumps, and characters and subplots that
have no need to be there. I get that Anderson was going for that intentionally
to add to the insanity of the film, but a leaner script and a half hour of
trimming would have made the film gain more impact than it already did.
Regardless, the film’s direction and technical eye are all
exceptional, Robert Elswit shooting the film with gorgeous attention to detail,
often using effective haze techniques and long takes to compliment the film’s
wild tone. Paul Thomas Anderson (whose previous films include There Will be
Blood and The Master) has a knack for hypnotic direction, and is excellent with
using his actors. Joaquin Phoenix leads the pack, having a blast going between
laid-back and completely bonkers, and the supporting cast (including Benecio
Del Toro, Katherine Waterston, Owen Wilson, Reese Witherspoon, Jena Malone, and
Martin Short) are all stellar. Standout notice goes to Josh Brolin as a cop
Phoenix’s character frequently has conversations with, clearly having fun acting
as irrepressibly violent as he can, and hilariously conveys an egotistical
sense of superiority.
***1/2 / *****
The Judge:
Wiith The Judge, Director David Dobkin seems determined to
break into more serious territory and away from the Wedding Crashers style
humor he’s most well known for, and while I respect his intentions on paper,
the idea doesn’t really pan out in execution. I’m not one to throw out the degrading
term Oscar bait to just any movie, but that’s precisely what this feels like; a
piece of sentimental, Academy luring subject matter with massive names attached
that almost screams “For Your Consideration”. This is especially evident with
Thomas Newman’s score, lovely to listen to by itself, but in the context of the
film it overplays itself as if to tell the audience “It’s your cue to cry.”
That’s not to say that Dobkin doesn’t have the chops for it,
because it’s evident by several sequences in this film that he does have a
clear grasp of what makes these situations work. My problem is that, try as he
might to shed his comedic skin, Dobkin still can’t resist throwing in gags for
the sole sake of it. One sequence he skillfully establishes dramatic gravity
and conflict, and the next, he chips in unnecessary snarky humor that upsets
the tone previously set up. It’s fine if you want to include comedy in your
drama, but there’s a time and place for it, and this movie can rarely figure
out when that is.
Ultimately, what keeps The Judge afloat is the simple fact
that it is, from head to toe, an actor’s movie. However, that’s both a good and
bad thing, because if these weren’t already established veterans of their
craft, the movie would be terrible. Somehow, this ensemble cast (including and
especially Roberts Downey Jr. and Duvall) find something in these characters
that simply isn’t there on paper. They’re given far more depth and strength
than they deserve, and it actually makes the movie enjoyable solely because
they’re so well chosen, a major saving grace for an otherwise dull flick.
A Most Violent Year:
JC Chandor’s ode to the crime saga is not always an easy
sit, but is surely one of the most engrossing cinematic experiences I’ve had
all year. Painting New York City in a very bleak light, Chandor likens the
violent nature of the city to a snake pit where business competitors fight to
the last man standing. It’s a dog eat dog world in this film, and despite that
everlasting search for the American dream, even the best of men can easily stray
from the path of honesty, using deception to cut corners and get ahead in life.
It’s actually still as relevant an issue today as it is in this film’s setting
of 1981, where honesty can sadly be ravaged, and only the vicious survive.
The film brims with slowly boiling tension, managing to keep
our attention throughout these long stretches of the film, and much of this is
because the cast is so great. Oscar Isaac plays the lead role of Abel Morales,
pushed to his limits by trying to set an honest example, but finds himself often
tempted to easy outs for a more fulfilling life. Abel sees himself as a good
man pushed to do terrible things, and that conflict of which side he eventually
sees himself landing on is given stellar vulnerability by Isaac. They say that
behind every great man is a great woman, but through Anna Morales, played by
Jessica Chastain, this pushes that statement to a disturbing new level. Often
dressed in the most stylish and costly clothing, this all acts as a front to
hide her truly violent and corruptive nature. She often looks and acts the part of
supportive wife to Abel’s choices, but this eventually gives way to reveal her
ultimate influence on the situation, that she feels like the one slyly pulling
all of the strings. It’s no surprise then that this character commands every
second that she is on screen, thanks mainly to Chastain’s reliably fiery
presence.
****1/2 / *****
Mr. Turner:
The latest film from British filmmaker Mike Leigh is an
exquisite one, boasting gorgeous production values all across the board,
especially cinematographer Dick Pope emulating JMW Turner’s own
paintings, looking very much alike his use of striking water colors and diverse
spectrums.
However, in the story department, it’s a bit stilted. Mike
Leigh has always done an exceptional job at directing actors in his films, and
here is no exception, but ultimately, the film simply has too much going on.
Characters have always been a strong suit for Leigh, but here, it feels the
need to unnecessarily pack in too many of them, taking plenty of attention away
from the central character, played by a fine and staunch Timothy Spall. The
film gets a bit too dry and stuffy (and long) for its own good. Still, Leigh’s
professionalism as a filmmaker comes through to the tiniest detail, as always.
**** / *****
Still Alice:
Incredibly on the nose writing and direction
notwithstanding, this is still quite the touching movie. Largely steering clear
of shameless exploitation, the film’s treatment of Alzheimer’s feels much more
honest, and to a degree is also terrifying to experience the decaying mentality
of the central character. Julianne Moore will receive a deserved Oscar for her
performance in this film, tender and devastating while trying to keep herself
together for the sake of her family, who all feel equally as helpless as her
knowing that this is beyond their control. Special mention goes out to Kristen
Stewart as one of her character’s daughters who chooses not to let the future
best or worst case scenarios prevent her from living squarely in the moment.
***1/2 / *****
Two Days, One Night:
Two Days, One Night:
I might not have gotten around to this gem of a movie were
it not for Marion Cotillard gaining a surprise Best Actress nomination at the
Oscars. This film brought to us by the Dardenne Brothers is simply wonderful, a
hard hitting examination of overcoming depression that speaks many truths about
the subject, and while never shying away from the hard truths that things will
not always work for the best, the will to overcome and accept it is necessary
to truly be happy. The many characters that the lead character Sandra, a woman
seeking the votes of other co-workers to be able to keep her job, comes in
contact with want to provide for their families first, but still see the
tragedy of the situation.
And that’s precisely what it is, a tragedy. This situation
has no easy answer, and it’s beyond everyone’s control, but it’s ultimately
something that needs to be confronted, and even accepted in the end. It
certainly helps that the movie features a fantastic lead performance from
Marion Cotillard in one of her best performances yet. Portraying a wholly
realized and phenomenally accurate depiction of deep-rooted depression, while she
has quite a number of crying scenes to chew on, it’s her more reserved and
internal scenes that convey much of the film’s more potent and poignant
sadness, but there’s also a subtle joy in those moments of genuine hope and
enjoyment even in the worst case scenarios, topped off by a powerful final ten
minutes. For my money, it’s the best ending of 2014.
****1/2 / *****
Whiplash:
I can’t muster *quite* as much enthusiasm as many other
audiences and critics to call it one of the year’s very best, but this debut
from Damien Chazelle is still a very intense and surprisingly psychologically
invasive film. The film’s central environment probably couldn’t be any more
deceptively simple, but with how much adrenaline and ferocity it brings out, it
hits you hard. Much of this is thanks to JK Simmons in (plain and simple) the
best supporting performance of the year. The man has a relatable desire to
unlock the fullest potential in his students, but his character always does so
dripping with venom and abuse for those who refuse to push themselves, rarely
violent in the way of physicality, but more with his psychologically damaging
words that questions when the path to perfection has crossed a forbidden line.
****1/2 / *****
Wild:
Wild:
Wild is the latest film from director Jean-Marc Vallee, best
known for his critically acclaimed Dallas Buyers Club from last year. It details
the incredible true story of Cheryl Strayed, who made an agonizing 1,100 mile
trek on the Pacific Crest Trail in 1995. This film adaptation of her memoir has
generated much positive buzz, gaining critical acclaim left and right, earning
two Academy Award nominations, and… I think the movie’s okay. Not great, but….
Okay, let me start with the positives. The film looks
dazzling. Vallee clearly has a great understanding of the core mental
instabilities that come from such a potentially perilous trek, and he isn’t
afraid to let the audience feel every bit as much of the pain and weight of this
long journey as Cheryl does. Reese Witherspoon is great in this film, pushing
herself to her physical limits, letting the pain of the character build to a
boiling bubble in a very subdued fashion, and commands every second of our
attention throughout a mostly one woman show.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with either of those two,
but I only wish that the third key component, that being screenwriter Nick Hornby,
were as good. While much of the direction and performances are very subdued and
quietly devastating, the script tends to feel annoyingly on the nose (specifically
during Cheryl’s frequent narration which could have been a great look into the
character’s psyche, but this more often than not backfires), as well as the intentionally disjointed and vague
backstory to Cheryl, much of which revolves around her late mother (Laura
Dern), and try as Vallee might (also editing the film along with Martin Pensa) to elevate them,
these tend to feel far more dull than compelling in comparison to the sequences
along the trek. Wild may be a respectable film, but is unfortunately a step
down from Vallee’s own Dallas Buyers Club.
*** / *****
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