"The Theory of Everything"

“When there’s life, there is hope.”

Directed by James Marsh, “The Theory of Everything” tells a life story of the world-renowned astrophysicist, Stephen Hawking (Eddie Redmayne, “Les Miserables,” “My Week with Marilyn”).  More of a love story than intellectual discoveries, it’s told from his first wife’s perspective, Jane Hawking (Felicity Jones, “The Amazing Spider-Man 2”), based on her memoir, “Traveling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen.”

Cambridge University, 1963.  Stephen Hawking is first introduced as a vibrant young man with a brilliant scientific mind and quirky humor, quickly charming an arts and literature student, Jane Wilde.  Not long after they meet and fall in love, Stephen receives a devastating diagnosis, degenerative motor neuron disease (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease), with an estimated life expectancy of two years.

It’s chillingly heartbreaking to see Stephen falls and hits the ground hard and Jane witnessing the first signs of his physical deterioration during a croquet game.  Even as he pushes her and his friends away, and cautioned by his parents for an uphill battle of a life she could never prepare for, Jane earnestly chooses to stay by his side and marry him regardless.

Then comes the children and domestic life is far more challenging than anyone could ever imagine.  As the deadly disease progresses, Stephen is gradually losing his abilities to do routine things; breathing, bathing, eating, drinking, dressing, speaking, writing, sitting, standing, walking.  It is painful to watch and serves as a powerful reminder of how much we take everyday living for granted.

His mind, his brilliant mind remains, however.  It’s the singular thing that Stephen has control over and continues to put to great use.  He finishes his doctorate study, discovers and theorizes, contributes to breakthroughs, speaks at engagements, writes books, gains recognition and rises to fame.

Life eventually does take a toll on Jane as a primary caretaker as her husband’s life stretches for many years.  She ends up befriending a church choirmaster and kind widower, Jonathan Hellyer Jones (Charlie Cox).  Jonathan becomes a close family friend, supportive and integrated to day-to-day struggle of the family’s life.  Jane’s relationship with him comes across naturally and is handled with class, as well as glimpses of Hawking’s later connection with his new nurse, Elaine Mason (Maxine Peake).  Through it all, Jane and Stephen’s bond is lifelong.  They’re shown as very human and fully realized.

The film is softly shot, hazy and rich in saturated colors, with an authentic feel of sets design and costume of the period.  It tugs at your heartstrings with a stunning score, a harmony of piano and violin.

Redmayne will be up for awards for his true-to-life portrayal.  He didn’t dramatically lose weight or put on prosthetic makeup, but his transformation from an able body to severely debilitated, functioning through a computerized voice and motorized wheelchair, while still conveying the essence of Stephen Hawking is extraordinary.  From struggling to walk, trembling hands, resting of his head, slurring of his speech, to facial tics, including expressive eyes, playful smile and arching eyebrows to communicate and convey his personality.  Jones is not to be overshadowed.  Jane’s incredible inner strength, quiet determination, endless compassion and loving devotion profoundly shine through.

Filled with much life, love and tears, and sprinkled with laughter, “The Theory of Everything” is a beautiful film.

http://www.sdentertainer.com/arts/movie-review-the-theory-of-everything/

http://tinyurl.com/theoryeverything

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"Into the Woods"

[Originally posted on 12/25/14]

A twisted tale on the classics - Cinderella, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk - tied together by the central characters' narrative, a baker and his wife, cursed to be childless by a witch. In order to reverse the spell, the couple must collect a cow as white as milk (Jack), cape as red as blood (Red Riding Hood), slipper as pure as gold (Cinderella), and hair as yellow as corn (Rapunzel) by midnight of the blue moon. Their lives all intersect in the woods.

The actors belt out dialogue in songs like champions, particularly Meryl Streep ("The Iron Lady"), power-singing through the movie and casting spells with her presence. Anna Kendrick ("Up in the Air") and Emily Blunt ("Edge of Tomorrow," "The Adjustment Bureau") enchant in a number of moments.

The movie has an eerie aura throughout its storybook-like settings and is surprisingly violent at times. But it's also self-aware and bleakly funny. It could have done away with the last third act, unnecessarily prolonged and muddled.

Plays like a Broadway show, “Into the Woods” is an entertainingly dark mix of musical and parody.

http://tinyurl.com/intothewoodsmusic

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Upcoming Movies: January 2015

[Originally posted on 12/26/14]

[Note: Taking a break for the holidays and will be back with a review in January.  Happy new year!]

January 2
"A Most Violent Year" - In New York City 1981, an ambitious immigrant fights to protect his business and family during the most dangerous year in the city's history.

January 9
"Taken 3" (http://www.taken3movie.com) - An ex-government operative is accused of a ruthless murder he never committed or witnessed.  As he is tracked and pursued, he brings out his particular set of skills to find the true killer and clear his name.

January 16
"Blackhat" (http://blackhat.legendary.com) - A man is released from prison to help American and Chinese authorities pursue a mysterious cyber criminal. The dangerous search leads them from Chicago to Hong Kong.

"Still Alice" - Alice Howland, happily married with three grown children, is a renowned linguistics professor who starts to forget words. When she receives a devastating diagnosis, Alice and her family find their bonds tested.

January 23 
"Mortdecai" (http://mortdecaithemovie.com) - Art dealer Charles Mortdecai searches for a stolen painting that's reportedly linked to a lost bank account filled with Nazi gold.

"Black Sea" - In order to make good with his former employers, a submarine captain takes a job with a shadowy backer to search the depths of the Black Sea for a submarine rumored to be loaded with gold.

January 30
"Project Almanac" (http://www.projectalmanac.com) - A group of teens discover secret plans of a time machine, and construct one. However, things start to get out of control.

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2014: Year in Movies

[Originally posted on 12/19/14]

A look back to 2014... 200+ movies in 7:16 minutes.

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"The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I"

“If we burn, you burn with us.”

“The Hunger Games” franchise has been a fierce success, both from the critics’ and public’s side.  Since it premiere, there have been similar sci-fi YA adaptations; “Enders’ Game," “Divergent,” “The Giver” and “The Maze Runner.”  I greatly enjoyed every single one of them, but “The Hunger Games” reigns supreme.

“The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” was not only a game-changer; it shattered everything.  Everything that ace-archer Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence, “The American Hustle,” "X-Men: Days of Future Past," "X-Men: First Class," Silver Linings Playbook”) knew, what went on behind the scene and right under her nose, what she became and how she meant to the people in the downtrodden districts of Panem.  When her arrow disabled the forcefield and obliterated the inhumane game, Katniss unwittingly transformed into a mockingjay, a beacon of belief and hope, inciting the uprising against the cruel Capitol regime. 

Rescued and safely ensconced in the underground base of district 13, Katniss is reunited with her childhood friend, Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth), mother (Paula Malcomson) and sister (Willow Shields).  She finds herself in a secret, militarized society led by President Coin (Julianne Moore), who expects her to be the face of their cause.  Katniss doesn’t agree right away, as her main intention is to save Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), her loved one, captured by the Capitol.  She changes her mind after finding her homebase, district 12, charred and ruined, filled with smokes and skulls. 

Working together with strategist Plutarch Heavensbee (the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, “The Ides of March”), the plan is to develop a series of propagandas, broadcasted to all the districts.  People need to see that the mockingjay is alive and well, ready to lead.  While the concept is easy to understood, Katniss can’t act in front the camera and doesn’t do green screen.  It’s finally decided that she goes into the field and gets filmed live by a film crew (led by Natalie Dormer). 

A visit to a hospital filled with the wounded ends in a tragedy when President Snow (Donald Sutherland, “The Mechanic”) orders an air strike.  It’s the moment that everyone’s looking for, anguished Katniss speaks from the heart and fights back, uniting the people to rise and rebel.  She makes a deal with President Coin to have Peeta and other tributes rescued from the Capitol. 

Peeta appears in a series of television appearances, answering interview questions from returning host Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci, “Captain America: The First Avenger”).  Peeta looks unharmed, physically, but it’s clear that he’s not the man he used to be.  He delivers messages that are favorable to the Capitol.    

From an action standpoint, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I” is lacking compared to its predecessors.  But don’t mistake the sparse action beats as lacking elsewhere.  While the filmmakers’ decision to split Suzanne Collins’ last book into two installments may have slowed down the story’s progression, the film is equally suspenseful, and emotional, as the previous movies.  The stakes remain sky-high and you’ve become incredibly invested in the characters that it guts you to see the state they are in. 

The entire cast is terrific, including returning supporting actors Elizabeth Banks (Eefie Trinket) and Woody Harrelson (Haymitch Abernathy), and a nod to Hutcherson for his deepening range.  But it’s Lawrence who fires all cylinders here, carrying the entire movie with a lightning bolt of emotions.  

The game was an all-encompassing piece in the earlier installments.  However, its absence here doesn’t make “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I” a lesser film.  As a matter of fact, the story, which is now more of a political, war drama is refreshingly different.  Adverse repercussions, political weapons, moving speeches, jammed communications, covert flyover to the enemy zone and tense stealth raid. 

“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I” burns bright and explosively lays the groundwork for the revolution of all time, fueling the anticipation for an extraordinary endgame.  ‘Mockingjay Part II’  is set to release on November 20, 2015.

http://www.sdentertainer.com/arts/movie-review-the-hunger-games-mockingjay-part-i/

DVD: http://tinyurl.com/hungergamesmockingjay1

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"Interstellar"

If there's one movie I was most looking forward to seeing this year, it was “Interstellar.”

With a story shrouded in mystery, ambitious visual effects, directed by an acclaimed director and starred by top flight cast, it's one of the most anticipated movies of 2014. Attending the panel at Comic-Con with director Christopher Nolan (“Memento, “Inception,” “The Dark Knight”) and star Matthew McConaughey (“Dallas Buyers Club,” “The Lincoln Lawyer”) this summer only skyrocketed the expectations.

Earth is on life support, on the edge of extinction. Cooper (McConaughey), a former astronaut, is now a farmer, working the corn fields. Overexploitation in the 20^th century has led into earth's rapid deterioration. It's functioning at the most basic level; food, water and shelter. But there's no such thing as dreams for a better life. Cooper lives in a humble abode in the field, often engulfed in dust storms, with his two kids, Murph (Mackenzie Foy) and Tom (Timothee Chalamet), and his father (John Litgow).

When called by Professor Brand (Michael Caine, "Inception," “The Dark Knight” trilogy) from NASA, Cooper returns to his calling for a journey to the unknown. A wormhole has been found, which may be the key to find another place in space for humanity. Cooper's departure is not without sacrifice. It's gut-wrenching to leave everything behind, especially saying goodbye to his daughter, not knowing how long his intergalactic travel will be. He promises his daughter that he will back, not knowing the full picture.

Cooper blasts into space in Endurance spacecraft, with the professor's daughter, Dr. Amelia Brand (Anne Hathaway, “Les Miserables,” “The Dark Knight Rises”), along with a couple other crew members and two robots. The robots are great supporting characters, providing lighter moments in their interactions with the humans. Midway through the voyage, they're joined by another character, whose surprising appearance contributes to one of the most intense sequences in the movie.

Time is truly of the essence. Every decision must be thought out thoroughly and calculated carefully. Once they surpass the wormhole, they must choose which planets to land on, survey and gather data. There's a strong sense of scarcity. Time is a precariously precious resource, not just fuel or oxygen. In one planet, an hour translates to seven years on earth. One mistake could cost them decades and humans' extinction. Further, there's never any certainty in how far time or dimension would get distorted. And unknown, foreign landscapes can transform a mild exploration into a harrowing moment.

“Interstellar” is a duel of philosophies, one for being human and feeling connected to our loved ones and our generation, and the other obligations to reach higher and do something greater for the future survival of mankind. And at the heart of it, wholeheartedly acted, an emotional tale between father and daughter (Jessica Chastain as adult Murph) that transcends time and space.

The visuals are vast and victorious. Majestically framed and filmed, they invoke a sense of awe, reminiscent of last year's award-winning “Gravity.” Spinning and floating space station against the dark starry skies, shining spheres, kaleidoscope of cosmic colors and lights, mountain of tidal waves, sea of clouds, jagged ice tundra. The score (Hans Zimmer, “Inception,” “The Dark Knight”)  impeccably underscores tense moments peaking with crescendo and cutting into silence.

The film is not without flaws. The running time of nearly three hours and verbose dialogue on quantum physics, gravity and relativity can be toned down without impacting the story. In real life, they don't withstand scrutiny anyway. But in this universe, it's believable enough in its plausibility.

“Interstellar” is imperfectly perfect in its stellar storytelling, simplicity of the plot and complicated details. A celestial tapestry of space exploration, time bender and heartfelt human story, it earns its place among the stars.

http://www.sdentertainer.com/arts/movie-review-interstellar/

http://tinyurl.com/p52ogzx

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"Nightcrawler"

“If it bleeds, it leads.”

Lou Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal, “Source Code”) is desperate for a job. He scours and scrapes for anything. One night he runs into a freelance videographer (Bill Paxton, “Edge of Tomorrow”) filming a crash rescue, a footage that can be sold as headline exclusive to the highest bidding news station. This speaks to him on a primal level.  

Riding a beat-up car and equipped with an amateur police scanner and cheap camcorder, Lou is in business. A quick study, fast on his feet with a keen eye for detail, he trolls the night for a crime scene worth shooting. He's able to sell his first graphic shot to a night-shift news director (Rene Russo) in need of booster for ratings.  Their relationship morbidly blooms from there. Lou takes advantage of a homeless man (Riz Ahmed) to be his assistant; he's proven to be useful since he knows the ins and outs of Los Angeles streets. He thrives and soon is able to buy a fancy car and fancier equipments to run his business more professionally.

Lines are crossed, as Lou realizes that power and dollars come with getting the right shots at all costs. It's not just creeping or crawling into any crash, fire, murder, stabbing or carjacking. There's such thing as the “right” neighborhood, the “right” victim or the “right” circumstance. So what's the harm in manipulating frames at crime scenes when the police aren't looking? It gets the message across, scores and praises. But at what point a line is crossed to the point of no return? Setting up and staging scenes and gambling with people's lives?

Gaunt, bug-eyed and detached with a penchant for long, preaching monologue, Gyllenhaal plays the part like a pro, showing Lou's narcissistic hunger and smarm, opportunistic instinct with no qualm for morals, driven to be somebody who holds all the bargaining chips.

Natural light and neon-lit scenes are perfectly photographed in “Nightcrawler.” The nighttime shots remind me of the visually aesthetic “Drive."  It's a notable debut from a first-time director, Dan Gilroy.

Notwithstanding the unsatisfying ending, “Nightcrawler” is a great macabre satire about how news are made, packaged and pushed to the limit behind the scene, sensationalized and consumed by the public, and those who profit from tragedies and atrocities. A dark comedy and thriller rolled into one.

“Nightcrawler” may not be the typical ghoulish movie for a Halloween weekend. And while it's easy to say that Lou is one of the lowest kinds, there's something to be said about the public's appetite for ghastly sensationalism. As long as people are watching and ratings are soaring, the media would continue to publish. And that, is where the horror lies.

http://www.sdentertainer.com/arts/movie-review-nightcrawler/

http://tinyurl.com/o3wvup9

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