2016 Awards Season: Feature Film Highlights

The 2016 Academy Awards will be held on February 28, 2016.  Take some time out to catch up on some of the nominated films up for awards! (best picture, directing, acting, editing, writing, music, visual effects, sound editing and mixing, production and/or costume design).  A number of these movies are still playing on extended run at your local theaters. 

http://www.sdentertainer.com/movies/2016-awards-season-feature-film-highlights/

Here are some of the highlights:

"The Big Short"

Mortgage-backed securities.  Subprime loans.  Adjustable rate mortgage.  Credit default swaps.  Collateralized debt obligation.  How do you think a movie tackling such dry and difficult topics fare?  Dull?  Cumbersome?  Incomprehensible?  Not even close.  The filmmakers craftily executes the film.  To avoid monotone exposition, concepts and occasions are illustrated in a variety of ways.  Songs and news and characters facing and speaking directly to viewers.  And most ingeniously, comically utilizing actress Margot Robbie, chef Anthony Bourdain and singer Selena Gomez, who all make cameos as themselves.  With such serious subject, surprisingly, "The Big Short" is not short on jocularity.  The madcap pace, akin to the award-nominated "The Wolf of Wall Street" (albeit without the gratuitous shots or glamorous sheen), helps make it entertaining.  The film is an enlightening companion piece to the award-winning documentary, "Inside Job."   The ending will make you think about whether the whole economic apocalypse could happen all over again.  Ingloriously funny, fiery and frightening, "The Big Short" is no small feat.  Check out the full review and trailer here. 

***

"Bridge of Spies"

In 1957, a New York insurance lawyer, James Donovan (Tom Hanks, "Saving Mr. Banks"), gets pulled back into criminal law, called to represent an accused Soviet spy, Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance).  James, an honest, principled man finds that justice can be relative, even as America showing to the world that we provide due process and capable defense for everyone.  A skilled negotiator, James intuitively understands his opponents and pushes the right buttons to make things happen in tricky political waters and hostile climate.  This is a story about doing the right thing even when it doesn't suit your purpose and having respect for people for doing their job honorably for their country even when you don't agree with what they do.  Not as tension-filled as one might think, it's a serious slow-burn, surprisingly sprinkled with mordant humor. Based on real events and helmed by Steven Spielberg ("Lincoln"), "Bridge of Spies" is classily crafted, directed and acted.  Steady, measured and assured historical Cold War drama.  Check out the full review and trailer here.

***

"Cinderella"

It's every little girl's fantasy. Being a princess. And among all the princesses, Cinderella is arguably the fairest of them all.  Unlike the reinvention of the last several adaptations, which edges on the darker side or leans towards modern feminism, "Cinderella” is a straightforward retelling of the classic, although it's not without surprising gems.  The fairy magic does wonders. It's magical to see Cinderella transform, twirl and glow in the shimmery ball gown and sparkling glass slippers. And the rest is a delightful treat because of the gradual transmutations where you can still see partial semblance to the original forms. From pumpkin turning carriage, mice into horses, goose into coachman, lizards into footmen, and back to their origins.  For an old-fashioned story, it ends with an empowering message to speak your mind, stay true to yourself and have the courage to do the right thing.  Lushly gorgeous and opulently vibrant, “Cinderella” is so earnest and charming that you'll be swept away in the dreamy fairy-tale romance and magic of happily ever-after.  Check out the full review and trailer here. 

***

"The Danish Girl"

Einar Wegener/Lili Elbe (Eddie Redmayne, "The Theory of Everything," "Les Miserables," "My Week with Marilyn") is documented as one of the first persons to receive a sex reassignment surgery.  In 1920, Copenhagen, Einar and Gerda Wegener (Alicia Vikander, "Ex-Machina," "The Man from U.N.C.L.E") are like any other young, married couple.  Einar is a successful landscape artist and Gerda a portrait painter.  When a model fails to show up for painting, Gerda jovially persuades her husband to stand in with a women's clothing.  It is at this moment that Einar feels... something.  Something indescribable that makes him feel closer to his true self, which he believes that he's woman.  The film has a soft-focus feel with colorful palette, postcard-perfect scenery, impeccable interior and luxurious costume design.  While Redmayne bravely steps into a unique role, it is Gerda's perpective and Vikander's acting that stand out.   Perchance "The Danish Girl" is not about Einar Wegener/Lili Elbe, but a story about the 'other' Danish girl, Gerda Wegener.  Check out the full review and trailer here. 

***

"Ex-Machina"

A young coder, Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson), wins an office prize for a weeklong retreat with Nathan (Oscar Isaac), the company's reclusive CEO and inventor of the world's most popular search engine. Nathan has been working on a secret project, artificial intelligence in the form of humanoid-robot named Ava (Alicia Vikander).  You'd feel things are not what they seem and something sinister is going to surface, but you don't know what, when or how. It's tantalizingly thrilling. Vikander is a wonder, walking a fine line between human and machine. Her Ava, partially translucent with wires and circuits and partially covered in human skin, is both mechanically perfect and surrealistically human. The reveals come in pieces and they boggle the mind. Ethical quandaries of identity, humanity, freedom, life and mortality. If you could create a machine with human consciousness, would you... just because you could? What if artificial intelligence goes beyond artificial? Does it have the right to exist? How would it be integrated to society? What are the implications? What will become of mankind?  Strikingly compelling, cerebrally cool and eerily suspenseful, “Ex Machina” delivers on the futuristic visual and philosophical level and ceases with an ending that lingers in your mind.  Check out the full review and trailer here.  

***

"The Martian"

During an exploration in Mars, a fierce sandstorm forces a team of astronauts, led by commander Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain, "Zero Dark Thirty," "The Debt") to abort their mission and evacuate the base.  Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon, "Elysium," "The Adjustment Bureau") is impaled by a satellite antenna, left stranded and presumed dead.  In a hostile, arid planet and encased in solitude, Mark uses his expertise as a botanist and resourcefulness to generate oxygen, create heat, produce water, grow crops and ration his limited food.  And perhaps just as important, not losing his sense of optimism and wry humor to keep his sanity and spirit alive.  On Earth, a lively group of really smart, passionate people working together tirelessly to develop solutions to rescue Mark.  Drawing upon science, intelligence, collaboration and imagination, it shows how the brightest minds can accomplish great things together.  "The Martian" is a crowdpleaser, hopefully one that may inspire the next generation of space explorations.  Check out the full review and trailer here.

***

"Spotlight"

The film takes us back to 2001 for a behind-the-scene look at "Spotlight, " a team of professional journalists working tirelessly to uncover the truth, unravel and assemble information piece by piece, yielding chilling revelations that rock one of the oldest and most esteemed institutions, the Catholic Church.  Their year-long investigative work and news story won them a Pulitzer award.  This is more than chasing a story,  making a mark or generating money for the publication.  While it's an explosive expose, it is not sensationalized.  This is a hard-hitting storytelling, conducted with sensibility and acted with remarkable realism.  The film also shows the power of the press.  That when a focus of a story is carefully selected, thoroughly investigated, responsibly corroborated, persistently followed through and timed well for publishing can make a far-reaching and lasting difference.  "Spotlight" not only demonstrates investigative journalism at its finest, but perhaps more importantly, it shines a spotlight on a previously untouchable story.  Check out the full review and trailer here. 

***

"Steve Jobs"

"Musicians play the instruments.  I play the orchestra," said Steve Jobs (Michael Fassbender, "X-Men" series, "Prometheus") in response to a question why he gets all the glory since he's not an engineer or designer, and that he takes all the credit for the brilliant and tireless work from the people who devote themselves to him.  The Danny Boyle-directed "Steve Jobs" is uniquely structured like a play, a three-act play before three key product launches; Macintosh, NeXT and iMac.  A paradox, Steve Jobs is out-of-the-box thinker, yet out-of-touch with human connection.  The backstage drama is a cacophony filled with farcical facades about product features, room preparations, and intense confrontations about relationships where each act ends with a phenomenal, cult-like mania when the man of the hour seizes the stage.  The rapid-fire dialogue, razor-sharp script, deft direction and fast-paced editing will keep you fixated onto the screen.  The stakes are elevated and emotions are running at a fever pitch.  "Steve Jobs" is masterfully orchestrated like a spectacular theatrical play in a grand opera house, complete with orchestral music.  Check out the full review and trailer here. 

***

"Trumbo"

"Trumbo" chronicles the life of Dalton Trumbo (Bryan Cranston), one of Tinseltown's most successful and highest paid screenwriters in the 1940s and 1950s.  It's a dark time in Hollywood and American history; the Red Scare period post-World War II where thousands and thousands of people suspected for or believed in communism are targeted unjustly.  Even branded as a traitor, Dalton never lets darkness dims his survivor spirit.  Dalton starts ghostwriting for other writers, working for a fraction of his fees for B-rated producers producing movies starring A-list stars.  Even more fascinating, he establishes a homebased screenwriting business, working with other unemployed screenwriters and cranking out script after script.  The shenanigan eventually pays off, with films like "The Roman Holiday," "The Brave One," "The Exodus" and "Spartacus" grace the silver screen, furtively netting Dalton two Oscars.  "Trumbo" is oddly delightful.   If you're into the movies scene, politics and civil liberties, you'll enjoy the film's history lesson, old-fashioned Hollywood feel, witty wordsmithery and joie de vivre spirit.  Check out the full review and trailer here. 

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"The Danish Girl"

"The fact is I believe that I'm a woman."

Einar Wegener/Lili Elbe (Eddie Redmayne, "The Theory of Everything," "Les Miserables," "My Week with Marilyn") is documented as one of the first persons to receive a sex reassignment surgery.

In 1920, Copenhagen, Einar and Gerda Wegener (Alicia Vikander, "Ex-Machina," "The Man from U.N.C.L.E") are like any other young, married couple, in love.  Einar is a successful landscape artist and Gerda a portrait painter.  When a model fails to show up for painting, Gerda jovially persuades her husband to stand in with a women's clothing.

It is at this moment that Einar feels... something.  Something indescribable that makes him feel closer to his true self, which he believes that he's woman. What begins as one portrait turns to another, and to their delight, the portraits are high demand.  And what continues to be a game of pretend, like having Einar show up at party to fool everyone as a woman, Lili, turns into a an unsettling reality. It grows more thorny when a man (Ben Whishaw, "Skyfall," "Cloud Atlas") shows an interest in Einar/Lili and a childhood friend (Matthias Schoenaerts) comes into the fold.

The film, directed by Tom Hooper  ("The King's Speech"), has a soft-focus feel with colorful palette, postcard-perfect scenery, impeccable interior and luxurious costume design.  But it would have connected deeper on an emotional level had it focused on Einar and his inner exploration.  Beyond the pretty makeup, dresses and poses, perhaps a flashback to his childhood, growing up shy and awkward, gradual struggles of self-identity, and self-awakening transition in a society that treats transgender as mentally ill.

While Redmayne bravely steps into a unique role, it is Gerda's perpective and Vikander's acting that stand out. She's a complex character dealt with an unprecedented fate.  Strong-willed, loyal and playful, she's pained and desperate, yet remains unconditionally supportive of Einar's desires to fully become a woman, knowing that she would forever lose the love of her life.

Perchance "The Danish Girl" is not about Einar Wegener/Lili Elbe, but a story about the 'other' Danish girl, Gerda Wegener.

http://www.sdentertainer.com/movies/movie-review-the-danish-girl/

DVD: http://tinyurl.com/thedanishgirldvd

DVD (blu-ray): http://tinyurl.com/thedanishgirlbluray

Book: http://tinyurl.com/thedanishgirlbook

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"The Big Short"

Mortgage-backed securities.  Subprime loans.  Adjustable rate mortgage.  Credit default swaps.  Collateralized debt obligation.  How do you think a movie tackling such dry and difficult topics fare?  Dull?  Cumbersome?  Incomprehensible?  Not even close.

Director and co-writer Adam McKay and screenwriter Charles Randolph have inherent challenges in presenting complex terms and making them more palatable to mainstream audience.  By most accounts, they've succeeded.

Dr. Michael Burry (Christian Bale, "American Hustle," "Batman" trilogy), an idiosyncratic doctor-turned-money manager, foresees a historic event that no one sees coming - the 2007-2008 economic meltdown.  A curious, opportunistic financial wizard, Dr. Burry studies the market and bets against the banks.

Real estate agents oversells the American dream of home ownership to anyone and everyone.  Lenders are making boatload of loans like there is no tomorrow.  No income and no job?  No problem.  Bad credit score?  That's okay.  You're not who you say you are?  No big deal.  These homeowners are signing into loans with adjustable rates and when those rates kick in, they won't be able to pay back.

Furthermore, loans are stretched and slapped the highest ratings, sold and re-sold in unrecognizable packages to unsuspecting public.  Mortgage brokers, banks, credit-rating agencies and government regulators are either asleep at the wheel, turn a blind eye or in bed with one another.  As long as the hefty fees continue to pour in, there's no conflict of interest or check and balance.  Greed breeds more greed.

Bale is accompanied by a strong set of actors.  A smarmy trader, Jared Vennett (Ryan Gosling, "The Ides of March," "Drive") catches wind of Dr. Burry's discovery and connects with a morally-torn fund manager, Mark Baum (Steve Carell) and his team.  Along with a couple other young traders, Jamie Shipley (Finn Wittrock) and Charlie Geller (John Magaro), and their retired banker-mentor, Ben Rickert (Brat Pitt, "World War Z"), these opportunists smell a fortune like no other, make an educated guess, place their bets and score big in a rigged system that is doomed to fail.

There's no one to root for here... not really.  There are a lot of losers in this twisted scheme that even the majority of winners do not feel like winning.  Millions of people lose their jobs and their homes.  Century-old companies shut down.  The world economy collapses.  But virtually no one goes to jail. The institutions are too big to fail and they would eventually get bailed out.

The filmmakers craftily executes the film.  To avoid monotone exposition, concepts and occasions are illustrated in a variety of ways.  Songs and news and characters facing and speaking directly to viewers.  And most ingeniously, comically utilizing actress Margot Robbie, chef Anthony Bourdain and singer Selena Gomez, who all make cameos as themselves.

With such serious subject, surprisingly, "The Big Short" is not short on jocularity.  The jargon-filled docudrama does feel long, but the madcap pace, akin to the award-nominated "The Wolf of Wall Street" (albeit without the gratuitous shots or glamorous sheen), helps make it entertaining.  The film is an enlightening companion piece to the award-winning documentary, "Inside Job."  For a micro-perspective on the Great Recession, also check out "99 Homes."

The ending will make you think about whether the whole economic apocalypse could happen all over again.  Ingloriously funny, fiery and frightening, "The Big Short" is no small feat.

http://www.sdentertainer.com/movies/movie-review-the-big-short/

DVD: http://tinyurl.com/thebigshortdvd

DVD (blu-ray): http://tinyurl.com/thebigshortbluray
Book: http://tinyurl.com/thebigshortbook

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2016 Movies Preview Mashup

Happy New Year!

2016 movies in 2:04 minutes:

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"Trumbo"

"Are you or have you ever been a member of the communist party?"

That was the question asked by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) at congressional hearings.  And the question doesn't stop there.  They want names; they want people subpoenaed to name names.

"Trumbo" chronicles the life of Dalton Trumbo (Bryan Cranston), one of Tinseltown's most successful and highest paid screenwriters in the 1940s and 1950s.  It's a dark time in Hollywood and American history; the Red Scare period post-World War II where thousands and thousands of people suspected for or believed in communism are targeted unjustly.  Some jailed for not committing any crime, but simply for holding such political ideology.  Dalton Trumbo is one of them.

The hostile air blows wide, fanned by an influential gossip columnist, Hedda Hopper, wickedly played by dramatically dressed Helen Mirren ("RED," "The Debt").  With powerful connections, Hedda makes certain that Dalton and his colleagues are fired from and blacklisted by studios, which means that they would never be able to work again as screenwriters.

Lives are in shambles.  Destroyed careers, broken families, ruined friendships and shunned by the paranoid society.  Dalton, for his part of refusing to testify at the hearing, is hauled to jail in contempt of Congress, along with a number of producers, directors and writers.  They're dubbed as the Hollywood Ten.  One particular scene in prison is so disgraceful that it makes your heart stop in disbelief.

After serving 10 months in federal prison, Dalton is released.  Back in the world, life is never the same.  While he's fortunate to have his family intact, he realizes he has to earn a living.  So why not doing the one thing he loves to do most?  Writing. Dalton knows he can write; he just can't put his name on paper or publicly gets paid for it.

Even branded as a traitor, Dalton never lets darkness dims his survivor spirit.  He has a perpetual sense of optimism and idealism, even when the systems or the people fail him.  And he has the smarts to reinvent himself and navigates his way around.

Dalton starts ghostwriting for other writers, working for a fraction of his fees for B-rated producers (John Goodman, Roger Bart) producing movies starring A-list stars.  Even more fascinating, he establishes a homebased screenwriting business, working with other unemployed screenwriters and cranking out script after script.

With the  help of his wife, Cleo (Diane Lane, "Man of Steel," "Under the Tuscan Sun") Dalton operates under multiple pseudonyms and delivers scripts discreetly.  His oldest daughter, Niki (Elle Fanning, "Maleficent," "Super 8"), stands out as the one who pushes him back into the spotlight.  And thankfully, his wife, while loyal, is no wallflower herself.  The family scenes, even with squabbles, are heartwarming.

The shenanigan eventually pays off, with films like "The Roman Holiday," "The Brave One," "The Exodus" and "Spartacus" grace the silver screen, furtively netting Dalton two Oscars.  Whilst the golden statues are undoubtedly a validation of his talent, more importantly, there's an illuminating light at the end of the warped tunnel.   When a famous actor and director back him up, there's no more hiding.

Cranston lifts the film with his performance. One may think that with such a heavy subject, "Trumbo" is a drab movie.  On the contrary, it is oddly delightful.  Dalton Trumbo could have appeared as a caricature had it not been portrayed skillfully and sprightly.  Like the bathtub scenes, where the chain-smoking writer props up a wooden table over the tub and types away, digging in for booze and pills from time to time.

"Trumbo" is a movie about Hollywood, but the importance can never be understated.  A blemished chapter in the American history, it is astonishing how un-American the entire racket was.  The land of the free repressing the freedom of expression and infringing upon its citizens' constitutional rights.  The news reel throughout the picture help transport us back to the era.  Stay through the credit and watch a clip of the real Dalton Trumbo's interview.

If you're into the movies scene, politics and civil liberties, you'll enjoy the film's history lesson, old-fashioned Hollywood feel, witty wordsmithery and joie de vivre spirit.

http://www.sdentertainer.com/movies/movie-review-trumbo/

DVD: http://tinyurl.com/trumbodvd
Book: http://tinyurl.com/trumbobook

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"Spotlight"

"You want to sue the Catholic Church?"

That was the implication when the Boston Globe newspaper would like to file a motion to unseal court documents containing allegations of child sexual abuse cases by pedophile priests.  And that is, if the paper trails exist at all. 

The film takes us back to 2001 for a behind-the-scene look at "Spotlight, " a team of professional journalists working tirelessly to uncover the truth, unravel and assemble information piece by piece, yielding chilling revelations that rock one of the oldest and most esteemed institutions, the Catholic Church.  Their year-long investigative work and news story won them a Pulitzer award in 2003. 

The tenacious team, led by Walter 'Robby' Robinson (Michael Keaton), consists of three reporters - Mike  Rezendes (Mark Ruffalo, "Avengers: Age of Ultron," "The Avengers"). Sacha Pfeiffer (Rachel McAdams, "Sherlock Holmes") and Matt Carroll (Brian d'Arcy James) - reporting to deputy managing editor Ben Bradley Jr. (John Slattery) and the new managing editor, Marty Baron (Liev Schreiber, "Pawn Sacrifice," "X-Men Origins: Wolverine"). 

Nobody wants to touch the topic.  The victims are typically vulnerable kids from broken homes, poor families or bad neighborhood, preyed upon by a trusted figure they believe might be sent from God.  Filled with shame and guilt, and discouraged by others, they are reluctant to come forward.  And when they do, its tales are told behind closed doors, in hushed whispers or agonizing tears.  And then covered up, swept under a maze of red tapes and under-the-table settlements with lawyers (Stanley Tucci, Billy Crudup).  Many of those kids, robbed of their innocence, turn to bottles, needles or suicides.

Some, perhaps, refuse to believe that evils lurk behind the holy masks.  53% of the readers of the newspaper are Catholic and the influential religion does a lot of charity work for the city.  But everyone knew.  It's a horrific, systematic pattern hidden by a broad network of  religious figures, law enforcement authorities and the legal system at the highest level.  The priestly predators, instead of facing justice, are simply moved from one parish to another, with the full knowledge of the Archbishop and Cardinal (Len Cariou). 

This is more than chasing a story,  making a mark or generating money for the publication.  While it's an explosive expose, it is not sensationalized.  This is a hard-hitting storytelling, conducted with sensibility and acted with remarkable realism.  The film also shows the power of the press.  That when a focus of a story is carefully selected, thoroughly investigated, responsibly corroborated, persistently followed through and timed well for publishing can make a far-reaching and lasting difference.  Parts of the in-depth investigation takes place in the shadow of 9/11 and timing crosses over Christmas.  There's a talk about when the scandalous news should break.

Directed by Tom McCarthy and jointly written with Josh Singer, "Spotlight" not only demonstrates investigative journalism at its finest, but perhaps more importantly, it shines a spotlight on a previously untouchable story.  As the credit rolls, scrolling through a massive list of  cases will send shiver down your spine. 

"Steve Jobs" is one of the best films of 2015.  "Spotlight," not only one of the best, but quite possibly the most important film of the year. 

Book: http://tinyurl.com/spotlightbook

http://www.sdentertainer.com/movies/movie-review-spotlight/

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"The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2"

[For write-up and pictures from "The Hunger Games" stars' appearances at Comic-Con and the Conan O'Brien late night show, click here]

The end of the journey.  It sounds so final, yet here we are and it's bittersweet.  When "The Hunger Games" premiered in 2012, with a seemingly simplistic premise, I did not anticipate how deep and absorbing a sci-fi YA adaptation could be.  And how it could maintain its momentum installment after installment.

By now we all know that teenagers forced to fight one another in a life-or-death game hosted by a rich totalitarian government as entertainment only scratches the surface.  The Hunger Games is not a game.  What starts off as a personal story of survival for Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence, "American Hustle," "X-Men: First Class") turns her into a symbol of defiance against the cruel system, and a beacon of hope for her impoverished and oppressed people to rise up.

And rise up they did.  The political propaganda machine from 'Mockingjay Part 1" continues from President Coin (Julianne Moore), the dissident leader, who expects Katniss to continue to pose for the cameras and give rousing speeches to rally the rebels.  She's too valuable of an asset to be in the frontline and needs to be seen alive and talking.  Katniss, of course, wants to be on the ground with the troops, to march to the Capitol to kill President Snow (Donald Sutherland, "The Mechanic") herself and end the regime.

On Katniss' side are Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson). Complicated feelings run deep with both men for different reasons, although wisely never overshadow the main story.  Katniss' purpose in life is never defined by her love interests.

A crack in her lifelong friendship with Gale appears when they come to a head over warfare philosophy and strategy, involving the lives of civilians as a way to win the war.  Peeta is clearly not himself, still suffering from the brainwashing effects by President Snow, leading to emotional confrontations with Katniss.

Katniss eventually sneaks out from President Coin's underground bunker and makes the trek towards Capitol and President Snow's estate, accompanied by several key players.  A treacherous trek, war-torn streets marked by hidden traps, yielding machine gun shots, deadly explosives and lethal liquid, not to mention Capitol's armed peacekeepers and Mutts, ferocious underground creatures.  Lives are lost (a few in gruesome ways), including one so close to Katniss' heart.  The latter is a very quick scene that barely registers, but its impact comes out later and is distressingly felt, emotionally performed by Lawrence.

The solo "Kill Snow" plan doesn't go as planned.  Bloods spill among Capitol civilians, peacekeepers and rebels as Katniss gets closer to the estate.  There's a force working behind the scene unbeknownst to Katniss.  And casualties happen; it's the harsh reality of war.

In the end, Katniss takes a decisive stance to end a vicious cycle of conflict and violence, and ensure that people have the freedom and choice to secure their own future.

One person who is not surprised by Katniss' independent act is Plutarch Heavensbee (the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, "The Ides of March"), the former gamemaker, conveying his hope that Katniss will find peace, something that has eluded her damaged state for so long, when justice is served.

There are times where the movie slogs along, and it feels that 'Mockingjay Part 1' and 'Mockingjay Part 2" could have been combined into a three-hour plus movie without losing much development.

The ending is mildly sweet, as a sunlit scene of a new family closes the saga for good. 'Mockingjay Part 2' is not as staggeringly scorching as the previous installments, but it is a solid, solemn conclusion to a brutal journey of an ordinary girl, a reluctant heroine who inspires and unites a nation in a dystopian time.

http://www.sdentertainer.com/movies/movie-review-the-hunger-games-mockingjay-part-2/

DVD: http://tinyurl.com/mockingjay2dvd
Book: http://tinyurl.com/hungergamesnovel

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"Steve Jobs"

I wasn't particularly looking forward to seeing "Steve Jobs."  Notwithstanding that I wanted to catch a noteworthy film before it disappeared from local theaters, there was a sense of deja-vu, considering that "Jobs," just premiered a mere two years ago.  It was mediocre, but it had some high notes and I enjoyed it.

But having heard critical acclaims of "Steve Jobs" and personally admired Aaron Sorkin's screenplay on "The Social Network," I would make it to the theater sooner or later.  So glad I did.

"Musicians play the instruments.  I play the orchestra," said Steve Jobs (Michael Fassbender, "X-Men" series, "Prometheus") in response to a pointed question why he gets all the glory since he's not an engineer or designer, and that he takes all the credit for the brilliant and tireless work from the people who devote themselves to him.

Not an ordinary biopic, the Danny Boyle-directed "Steve Jobs" is uniquely structured like a play, a three-act play before three key product launches; Macintosh (1984), NeXT (1988) and iMac (1998).

Each act provides a fascinating insight into the iconic man behind the black turtleneck.  In the eyes of the world, we know who Steve Jobs is, Apple co-founder.  One-of-a-kind visionary.  Driven problem-solver.  Supremely creative thinker.  Marvelous marketer.  He's a legendary innovator with a keen eye for intuitive design and miniscule details, who showed people things they never imagined or knew they needed or wanted.

Behind the scene and within his inner circle, Steve Jobs is a mercurial figure.  Self-aggrandizing, antagonizing, calculating and condescending control freak.  It is an ironic realization to see how a man with an innate ability to visualize and understand how people think and want are not able to connect with the people closest to him.  A paradox, Steve Jobs is out-of-the-box thinker, yet out-of-touch with human connection.

The backstage drama is a cacophony filled with farcical facades about product features, room preparations, and intense confrontations about relationships where each act ends with a phenomenal, cult-like mania when the man of the hour seizes the stage.

It could feel a little repetitive, but the rapid-fire dialogue, razor-sharp script, deft direction and fast-paced editing will keep you fixated onto the screen.  The stakes are elevated and emotions are running at a fever pitch.

Certain scenes are crisscrossed between present happenings and flashbacks, paralleling the heightened situations. The cinematography is distinguished; each act shot differently, ranging from painterly in the initial act to pristine in the final one, with attention to lighting, composition and reflection.

The key players power the movie with electrifying performances through those intense confrontations.  His former girlfriend and mother of his child, a woman who refuses to be silenced, Chrisann Brennan (Katherine Waterson); his daughter, Lisa (played at different ages by Perla Haney-Jardine, Ripley Sobo, Makenzie Moss) humanizing him, someone whom he denied paternity for years; Andy Hertzfeld (Michael Stuhlbarg, "Pawn Sacrifice"), a degraded key member of his early development team; John Sculley (Jeff Daniels), CEO of Apple, an experienced business executive lured from Pepsi, which turns into a father figure in some respect; Steve Wozniak (Seth Rogen, "Paul"), Apple co-founder and lifelong frenemy; and perhaps most prominently, Joanna Hoffman (Kate Winslet, "The Divergent " series ), the head of marketing and long-suffering confidant and right-hand woman who stands by and stands up to Steve Jobs when the moments count.

Last but not the least, the man at the center of it all, Fassbender.  While he doesn't bear the physical resemblance to the real Steve Jobs (except toward the end), he captures the core of the controversial figure with bravura.

"Steve Jobs" is masterfully orchestrated like a spectacular theatrical play in a grand opera house, complete with orchestral music.  An amazing showmanship, it's one of the best films of the year.

http://www.sdentertainer.com/movies/movie-review-steve-jobs/

DVD: http://tinyurl.com/stevejobsdvd

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"99 Homes"

"It's not your home anymore."  The words that would cut any homeowner's heart.  It's any family's nightmare, the loss of the American dream.

The blood-splattered opening scene where a homeowner ends his life than being dragged out of his home sets a unnerving tone for the film.  When the market crashed and housing bubble burst in 2008, thousands of homes went into foreclosure.  This is a fictional story, yet it will feel all-too-familiar and hit close to home for many.

Dennis Nash (Andrea Garfield,  "The Amazing Spider-Man," "The Social Network"), a young single father, along with his son (Noah Lomax) and mother (Laura Dern), find themselves having merely minutes to gather their most important belongings and get out of their lifelong home.  They're being told that they're now trespassing.

Serving the eviction notice is a real estate shark, Rick Carver (Michael Shannon, "Man of Steel," "Premium Rush").  Not merely serving a notice, Rick is manipulative and merciless, evicting people from their homes coldly and swiftly, profiting from their miseries and legal loopholes.

When a cleanup job opens up unexpectedly in one of the foreclosed houses, Rick presents Dennis, an unemployed construction worker and skillful handyman, with a bottom-of-the-barrel opportunity.  Dennis begrudgingly takes it up as a means to put food on the table for his  homeless family.

One simple job opens up a world of shady dealings.  Rick justifies and the stealing and scamming from the government and banks as being no different than the people who buy homes they can't afford and are not able to pay back.  As he plainly puts it, "America doesn't bail out losers."  It's a rigged system made for and by winners.  Of course, there are those honest, hard-working people who fall on hard times due to the recession.  And people who get snared in the reckless lending practices and don't understand what it is they're signing on the dotted lines or told to do certain things by those in charge.

Dennis learns fast, rises to the top and makes real cash.  He cuts a deal with Rick that he will do his bidding as a way to get his family home back.  Internally conflicted with transparent anguish, Dennis the evictee becomes the very person serving eviction notices and getting people out to the curb.  One heartwrenching scene after another inexorably play out.

While the details of the latter dealings may not be entirely clear than the earlier scams, it is deeply distressing as livelihoods, and in some cases, people's lives are at stake.  Dennis is left with a choice to stand up or turns a blind eye.  Garfield is exceptional in conveying Dennis' crisis of conscience.

There's no Hollywood ending and it does feel less satisfying, but just like in real life, there's not always a happy ending.  Directed and co-written by Ramin Bahrani, "99 Homes" is a dreary story worth telling, unfolding through realistic, powerful acting all around.

While no "Inside Job" (a must-see documentary), "99 Homes" is a sobering reality and concrete byproduct of our time.

http://www.sdentertainer.com/movies/movie-review-99-homes/

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"The Walk"

Talk about walking the talk.

On a clear summer day in 1974, one man crosses the immense space between the World Trade Center towers.  The only man who has ever accomplished and will ever accomplish such feat.

Philippe Petit (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, "Lincoln," "Premium Rush," "The Dark Knight Rises," "Inception") narrates the film, perched on  the Statue of Liberty, taking us back to that glorious day.  Gordon-Levitt, sporting a French accent, plays the role with believable zeal.

In the earlier days in France, French street performer Philippe charms a musician, Annie Allix (Charlotte Le Bon) with his flair and quirkiness in the streets of Paris.  Annie becomes his biggest cheerleader to pursue his impossible dream of the high-wire act.

From the trees to the light poles to the grand Notre Dame walk, the time is right at last for Philippe to go to New York.  The construction of towers is almost finished.  He's also come to learn the ropes of being a tightrope walker from a circus patriarch, Ben Kingsley ("Iron Man 3").  More than knowing about the right cables, bolts or knots, and obviously having the extreme balancing ability, it's also about having the right mental attitude.

With Annie as his first "accomplice," a photographer and a friend, Philippe recruits several New Yorkers, intrigued enough by his insane obsession and ambition, to set the stage for the high-stake wire-walk.

Played like a heist, the team works together covertly; researching the specs of the towers, smuggling and testing equipment, all the while trying to evade security from getting caught.  The all-night rooftop-rigging pays off when the sun comes up and Philippe realizes his dream.  An illegal, crazy dangerous stunt.

Must-see in 3-D, the height and depth dimensions are absolutely incredible, allowing you to experience the wonder of it all.  As if you're there, witnessing or  walking alongside Philippe, marveling in the sights, feeling the rustling breeze and hearing the traffic noise from a distant.  110-story, 1,350-feet tall.

What a magical walk it was.  There are moments that will take your breath away.  From the first moment when Philippe balances his body, standing with one foot on the ledge of the tower and the other on the wire to finally stepping on with both feet.  No safety net or harness.  And he doesn't just walk across.  Suspended in the air, he kneels and salutes, feeling the joy and expressing his gratitude. Sitting and looking down in awe.  Lying down and looking up in peace.  And turning around, shuffling his balance bar in daring mischief, again and again.

Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the movie is filmed in a whimsical, hyper-realism style, reminding me a bit of Martin Scorsese's "Hugo."  It is no fable, however, as "The Walk" is based on a true story.  And the final scene, before everything fades away, is a shining homage to one of America's greatest landmarks.

The greatest artistic, daredevil coup of the century is gracefully breathtaking and magnificently elegant.  "The Walk" giddily ascends the skies and reaches for the clouds.

http://www.sdentertainer.com/movies/movie-review-the-walk/

DVD: http://tinyurl.com/thewalkvideo
Book: http://tinyurl.com/thewalkbook

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"The Martian"

Two years post the groundbreaking "Gravity" and a year after the stellar "Interstellar," along comes "The Martian," based on a best-selling book by Andy Weir and directed by Ridley Scott ("Prometheus").

During an exploration in Mars, a fierce sandstorm forces a team of astronauts, led by commander Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain, "Zero Dark Thirty," "The Debt") to abort their mission and evacuate the base.  Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon, "Elysium," "The Adjustment Bureau") is impaled by a satellite antenna, left stranded and presumed dead.

Mark is injured but makes it back to the base safely.  Alone and alive, he quickly realizes his predicament.  Millions of miles away from home, four years until another manned mission, severed communication and supplies to last only for 31 days.  The odds are overwhelmingly unfavorable.  He could suffocate in a toxic air, freeze to death, or die out of starvation or thirst.  But instead of giving up, Mark decides to survive by making the best with what he has, while attempting to establish contact with NASA.

What happens next is what distinguishes "The Martian" with the other space movies.  This one is rooted in 'hard' science, courses of actions done based on real science and technology.  In a hostile, arid planet and encased in solitude, Mark uses his expertise as a botanist and resourcefulness to generate oxygen, create heat, produce water, grow crops and ration his limited food.  And perhaps just as important, not losing his sense of optimism and wry humor to keep his sanity and spirit alive.  In an overlong movie (2 hours and 21 minutes) filled with 'science speak' and solo time, Damon does an admirable job in moving things along in an engaging fashion.

On Earth, the wheels start turning when NASA realizes that Mark is still alive, even as officials try to keep the news from his teammates, en route home, still in space.  Each communication brings both clarity and confusion.  Even if they're able to build and launch a supplies craft, time is not on their side.  A setback occurs in Mars where Mark is no longer able to harvest more plants, which means he will run out of food.

Nobody is giving up, however.  A lively group of really smart, passionate people working together tirelessly to develop solutions to rescue Mark.  It is not without discord.  It's a matter of highly calculated risk; it could pay off big time or fail catastrophically, which would cost more lives.  And to a lesser extent, a public outcry and end of the space programs.

Meanwhile, when news reach his crewmates, the rest of the astronauts pledge to launch their own daring mission, severely risky as it may be and against the officially sanctioned plan to bring one of their own home with them.  The last stretch is a tense scene involving a remotely controlled, open-top capsule and spacecraft trying to make the right trajectory toward each other with astronauts hurling into space.

Since comparisons are inevitable, it's worth mentioning that "Gravity," "Interstellar" and "The Martian" are very different movies.  "Gravity" is a singular space survival tale and as close you could probably get to being in space.  "Interstellar" (also starring Damon and Chastain), a celestial tapestry of space exploration and heartfelt human story, is clearly a fantasy adventure with the time--bending element.  "The Martian" is a space procedural drama, looking like a real planetary operation gone wrong in a not-too-distant future, plausible survival and rescue mission somewhere near the realms of possibility.  Interestingly, it's not a grim film.  The filmmaker takes a unusual approach, telling the story with a lighter touch and air of levity.

Drawing upon science, intelligence, collaboration and imagination, it shows how the brightest minds can accomplish great things together.  "The Martian" is a crowdpleaser, hopefully one that may inspire the next generation of space explorations.

http://www.sdentertainer.com/movies/movie-review-the-martian/

Book: http://tinyurl.com/themartianbook

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2015: Year in Movies

[Originally posted on 12/10/15]

A look back to 2015... hundreds of movie releases in 6:39 minutes.

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"Bridge of Spies"

[Originally posted on 10/18/15]

In 1957, a New York insurance lawyer, James Donovan (Tom Hanks, "Saving Mr. Banks," "Cloud Atlas"), gets pulled back into criminal law, called to represent an accused Soviet spy, Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance).

James, an honest, principled man finds that justice can be relative, even as America showing to the world that we provide due process and capable defense for everyone.  He presses on with integrity, sticking to the principles of the U.S. constitution, doing his job as best as he can even with pressures mounting from the system and the public to seal his client's fate.

On the other side of the continent, an American spy plane went down and its pilot, Francis Gary Powers (Austin Stowell) is captured by the Soviet Union.  Just as the Berlin Wall is going up, an American student, Frederic Pryor (Will Rogers) lands himself on the wrong side of the wall and gets thrown in prison.

The U.S. government would like James, acting as a private citizen, to negotiate a swap, Rudolf for Francis.   James takes him upon himself to add Frederic into the mix; 2-for-1 exchange.  It's a lone clandestine mission that could go wrong in many ways.  A skilled negotiator, James intuitively understands his opponents and pushes the right buttons to make things happen in tricky political waters and hostile climate.

This is a story about doing the right thing even when it doesn't suit your purpose and having respect for people for doing their job honorably for their country even when you don't agree with what they do.

Not as tension-filled as one might think, it's a serious slow-burn, surprisingly sprinkled with mordant humor. Based on real events and helmed by Steven Spielberg ("Lincoln"), "Bridge of Spies" is classily crafted, directed and acted.  Steady, measured and assured historical Cold War drama.

http://www.sdentertainer.com/movies/movie-reviews-bridge-of-spies-and-the-gift/

DVD: http://tinyurl.com/bridgeofspiesdvd

Book: http://tinyurl.com/bridgeofspiesbook

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