When I heard about Operation Avalanche from last year’s Sundance Film Festival, I was instantly intrigued. Operation Avalanche is a 1969-set conspiracy thriller film set behind the scenes of NASA’s staged moon landing. It took a while for me to get the opportunity to see Avalanche, but I’m really glad I did. Operation Avalanche is the debut film by writer-director-actor Matt Johnson, and while it’s not a perfect film by any means, it’s a promising debut, combining period-style footage and tone with archival footage in interesting and unique ways.
The Girl on the Train is a capably made film featuring a standout lead performance by the reliable Emily Blunt. Unfortunately, the material around her is simply lacking. Though it touches on themes of male dominance, violence, alcoholism, the film is ultimately more interested in its own melodrama than in any actual exploration of those themes.
Additionally, for someone who hadn't read the book, the time jumps and narrative shifts occasionally left me confused about the narrative. The frequent comparisons to Gone Girl make a lot of sense - The Girl on the Train seeks to copy a lot of the style and tone of Gone Girl - but ultimately it's closer to a voyeuristic melodrama than to a thrilling masterpiece.
Charlie Kaufman once again delivers a wholly unique cinema experience, one that bends and blurs the lines of reality in some of the same ways as Adaptation and Being John Malkovich. For fans of Charlie Kaufman, this movie will be right in their wheelhouse - if his work isn't as much to your taste then this probably won't change your mind.
A well-made movie with some sharp characterization. Takes on a book that's a real challenge for adaptation and successfully creates a narrative that is (relatively) easy to follow, albeit not a traditional film narrative. Adam McKay's direction is strong enough to keep the focus of the film in line, but you do occasionally lose track of key parts of the film.
This is simply a movie that would not get made today. The ambition and scope of the project make it easy to see why it's one of the great movies of all time. Even for someone who is not enthusiastic about movie romances, it's worth a watch of this movie just to understand what it's all about. The technique, precision, and detail that went into this movie show on screen.
With this film, Cary Fukunaga proves himself an incredibly talented up-and-coming director who should see a long, award-filled career ahead of him. This is a challenging, weighty movie, and it doesn't shy away from the darkness entailed therein. Idris Elba delivers a (as per usual) commanding lead performance, and Fukunaga manages to bring out extraordinary performances out of all of the child actors. Beasts of No Nation would be a courageous risk for any filmmaker, but especially for an up-and-comer like Fukunaga, so I'm very glad that it is a success.
A movie that you probably had to be a certain age when watching to truly connect to. I appreciated a lot of what this movie did, but watching it recently, it paled in comparison to both contemporary action/adventure movies, as well as ones from the same era. Put this next to Raiders of the Lost Ark, and no matter how much you squint, Raiders is just a better movie.
I hadn’t heard a lot about The Fall, Tarsem Singh’s 2006 masterpiece starring Lee Pace, but I had heard that it was one of Roger Ebert’s favorite movies. It’s easy to see why, as even if the story doesn’t connect personally (it didn’t for me), it’s a visually stunning film that functions on the merits of being a work of art if nothing else.
The Martian is a good reminder of why Ridley Scott is a master director who has so much to teach aspiring filmmakers. Even in his later career, when he is as likely to make a bomb as a success, he can put out an instant classic film like The Martian to show other filmmakers how it’s done. The Martian is a movie that doubles as a teaching tool in problem solving, and an advertising resource for NASA. That’s because it shows the amazing feats that ingenuity and hard work can accomplish, while simultaneously showcasing the heights that humanity can come to by working in unison. It’s a bit on the idealistic side, sure, but maybe we’re due for some idealism in our pop culture.
James Bond has a soft spot in my heart, so I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy Spectre. But, with that said, I did come out of the film feeling like it had squandered a lot of good will. For one thing, it felt like there was only one really unique setpiece (Dia de los muertos in Mexico City) in a film that should be filled with interesting setpieces. So that was an obvious disappointment. Going beyond that, however, the Bond girls played by Monica Belluci and Lea Seydoux both fell flat to me. In particular, Seydoux’s character felt problematic to me given that a mere two scenes after she promises to kill Bond if he tries to step into bed with her, she ends up falling into bed with him. Seydoux is a thrilling, fun-to-watch actress who can really pull off action sequences (if you’re in doubt, check out Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol) – so it seemed like a massive waste to have her here in this loser of a role.
The other major misfire of this movie for me was everything to do with Franz Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz) – or should I say, Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Even ignoring the cheat the filmmakers used to get around giving away the big “surprise” reveal of his character (and it shouldn’t have surprised anyone), let’s be honest – if Blofeld’s secret origin is that he’s just got some daddy issues, that’s kind of a major letdown. Plus, why does every Bond movie need to tie into some kind of grand overarching story? There are plenty of Bond movies that stand on their own merits (Goldfinger, anyone?) – why can’t these movies also try to do that?
Noah Baumbach’s Mistress America, starring Greta Gerwig and Lola Kirke, is very much a spiritual sequel to one of my favorite movies from 2013, Frances Ha (also starring Gerwig). Mistress America is very much of the same spirit as Frances Ha, and while it doesn’t quite meet the lofty standard set by that film, it’s an enjoyable romp nonetheless. Gerwig continues to shine, and Lola Kirke also stands out in one of her first starring roles.
Really entertaining and funny, thanks largely to a great cast that gets the chance to be pretty flexible and try interesting things. Alison Brie and Jason Sudeikis are enchanting, and yet the movie never shies away from showing their humanity. The ending borders on cliche, but if you're into romcoms with cliche happy endings then this is definitely in the upper echelon.
A meh romcom whose only redeeming feature is a decent lead performance by Emma Caulfield. I wouldn't recommend this movie to any but the most devout romcom fans.
I thought this was an ambitious work with unique subject matter and performances unlike those we're used to. With that said, I had trouble connecting to this movie on a thematic level.
An unpredictable movie with enjoyable lead performances. At first you're set up to think certain characters fall into certain archetypes, but as the movie paints a fuller portrait, you realize that this movie is not what it seems on the surface.
A heartfelt addition to Todd Haynes' oeuvre, with strong performances by the dual leads of Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara. I thought the use of period was a poignant way to set the right tone for what this movie attempts to accomplish, and I appreciated that this was a romance done with subtlety in an era of romance movies with no subtlety at all.
This movie was a treat to watch. Well edited, incredibly stylish, with three fun lead performances. It's especially hard to take your eyes off of Alicia Vikander, who is an incredible combination of gorgeous and funny and talented. It's not the most well written movie and there are times where it's not entirely clear what is happening, but otherwise a very fun and enjoyable film.
Sure, the script isn't exactly the most original one out there and Sam Worthington's lead performance is kind of weak.
But this is still one of the most well-directed movies I've ever seen. Every element of this movie works in concert beautifully to create a cohesive viewing experience.
Pretty much exactly what you can expect from a Richard Curtis film these days. Not very deep, kind of light and breezy, with a sweet message. It's a comforting movie.
Pretty dazzling three hour documentary film. The music is amazing, the editing enhances the movie so much, but the real star of the movie is the sheer youth of festival. Seeing people in their teens and twenties manage to put something so massive and so successful on is especially jarring in today's world where a music festival like this one would have dozens of corporate sponsors and would be planned out months in advance. As a companion piece I recommend the Rolling Stones concert documentary, Gimme Shelter, which presents the dark side of the rock and roll revolution.
Val Kilmer pulls off a pretty great Morrison impression, it's too bad the rest of the movie is pretty significantly flawed. Like many biopics, it falls in the trap of simply showing a series of unrelated, but important, events in Morrison's life rather than giving a real story. Also don't love that the film ends up being exclusively a Morrison biopic - don't get me wrong, of the Doors, Morrison is the most interesting, but there's a lot more to them than just Morrison.
An adequate movie, but I can see why it's attained something of a cult status among certain audiences. Meryl Streep is of course good, but the real surprise standout performance for me was Emily Blunt.
Had never seen this until recently, and it hasn't aged much at all. Brilliantly staged, with dazzling performances - I had never quite "gotten" why Catherine Zeta-Jones was such a big name until I saw this movie, and the way she just shines. Some of the stage-to-film adaptations could have been done in more interesting ways, but for the most part it utilizes the medium excellently. Also, it contains some great thematic content regarding the meaning of celebrity and fame - surprisingly, it's thematically similar to The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, another impressive movie.
Comments 1 - 25 of 42
Movie comment on Operation Avalanche
nymusix
When I heard about Operation Avalanche from last year’s Sundance Film Festival, I was instantly intrigued. Operation Avalanche is a 1969-set conspiracy thriller film set behind the scenes of NASA’s staged moon landing. It took a while for me to get the opportunity to see Avalanche, but I’m really glad I did. Operation Avalanche is the debut film by writer-director-actor Matt Johnson, and while it’s not a perfect film by any means, it’s a promising debut, combining period-style footage and tone with archival footage in interesting and unique ways.Movie comment on The Girl on the Train
nymusix
The Girl on the Train is a capably made film featuring a standout lead performance by the reliable Emily Blunt. Unfortunately, the material around her is simply lacking. Though it touches on themes of male dominance, violence, alcoholism, the film is ultimately more interested in its own melodrama than in any actual exploration of those themes.Additionally, for someone who hadn't read the book, the time jumps and narrative shifts occasionally left me confused about the narrative. The frequent comparisons to Gone Girl make a lot of sense - The Girl on the Train seeks to copy a lot of the style and tone of Gone Girl - but ultimately it's closer to a voyeuristic melodrama than to a thrilling masterpiece.
Movie comment on Anomalisa
nymusix
Charlie Kaufman once again delivers a wholly unique cinema experience, one that bends and blurs the lines of reality in some of the same ways as Adaptation and Being John Malkovich. For fans of Charlie Kaufman, this movie will be right in their wheelhouse - if his work isn't as much to your taste then this probably won't change your mind.Movie comment on The Big Short
nymusix
A well-made movie with some sharp characterization. Takes on a book that's a real challenge for adaptation and successfully creates a narrative that is (relatively) easy to follow, albeit not a traditional film narrative. Adam McKay's direction is strong enough to keep the focus of the film in line, but you do occasionally lose track of key parts of the film.Movie comment on Gone with the Wind
nymusix
This is simply a movie that would not get made today. The ambition and scope of the project make it easy to see why it's one of the great movies of all time. Even for someone who is not enthusiastic about movie romances, it's worth a watch of this movie just to understand what it's all about. The technique, precision, and detail that went into this movie show on screen.Movie comment on Beasts of No Nation
nymusix
With this film, Cary Fukunaga proves himself an incredibly talented up-and-coming director who should see a long, award-filled career ahead of him. This is a challenging, weighty movie, and it doesn't shy away from the darkness entailed therein. Idris Elba delivers a (as per usual) commanding lead performance, and Fukunaga manages to bring out extraordinary performances out of all of the child actors. Beasts of No Nation would be a courageous risk for any filmmaker, but especially for an up-and-comer like Fukunaga, so I'm very glad that it is a success.Movie comment on The Goonies
nymusix
A movie that you probably had to be a certain age when watching to truly connect to. I appreciated a lot of what this movie did, but watching it recently, it paled in comparison to both contemporary action/adventure movies, as well as ones from the same era. Put this next to Raiders of the Lost Ark, and no matter how much you squint, Raiders is just a better movie.Movie comment on The Fall
nymusix
I hadn’t heard a lot about The Fall, Tarsem Singh’s 2006 masterpiece starring Lee Pace, but I had heard that it was one of Roger Ebert’s favorite movies. It’s easy to see why, as even if the story doesn’t connect personally (it didn’t for me), it’s a visually stunning film that functions on the merits of being a work of art if nothing else.Movie comment on The Martian
nymusix
The Martian is a good reminder of why Ridley Scott is a master director who has so much to teach aspiring filmmakers. Even in his later career, when he is as likely to make a bomb as a success, he can put out an instant classic film like The Martian to show other filmmakers how it’s done. The Martian is a movie that doubles as a teaching tool in problem solving, and an advertising resource for NASA. That’s because it shows the amazing feats that ingenuity and hard work can accomplish, while simultaneously showcasing the heights that humanity can come to by working in unison. It’s a bit on the idealistic side, sure, but maybe we’re due for some idealism in our pop culture.Movie comment on Spectre
nymusix
James Bond has a soft spot in my heart, so I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy Spectre. But, with that said, I did come out of the film feeling like it had squandered a lot of good will. For one thing, it felt like there was only one really unique setpiece (Dia de los muertos in Mexico City) in a film that should be filled with interesting setpieces. So that was an obvious disappointment. Going beyond that, however, the Bond girls played by Monica Belluci and Lea Seydoux both fell flat to me. In particular, Seydoux’s character felt problematic to me given that a mere two scenes after she promises to kill Bond if he tries to step into bed with her, she ends up falling into bed with him. Seydoux is a thrilling, fun-to-watch actress who can really pull off action sequences (if you’re in doubt, check out Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol) – so it seemed like a massive waste to have her here in this loser of a role.The other major misfire of this movie for me was everything to do with Franz Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz) – or should I say, Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Even ignoring the cheat the filmmakers used to get around giving away the big “surprise” reveal of his character (and it shouldn’t have surprised anyone), let’s be honest – if Blofeld’s secret origin is that he’s just got some daddy issues, that’s kind of a major letdown. Plus, why does every Bond movie need to tie into some kind of grand overarching story? There are plenty of Bond movies that stand on their own merits (Goldfinger, anyone?) – why can’t these movies also try to do that?
Movie comment on Mistress America
nymusix
Noah Baumbach’s Mistress America, starring Greta Gerwig and Lola Kirke, is very much a spiritual sequel to one of my favorite movies from 2013, Frances Ha (also starring Gerwig). Mistress America is very much of the same spirit as Frances Ha, and while it doesn’t quite meet the lofty standard set by that film, it’s an enjoyable romp nonetheless. Gerwig continues to shine, and Lola Kirke also stands out in one of her first starring roles.Movie comment on Sleeping with Other People
nymusix
Really entertaining and funny, thanks largely to a great cast that gets the chance to be pretty flexible and try interesting things. Alison Brie and Jason Sudeikis are enchanting, and yet the movie never shies away from showing their humanity. The ending borders on cliche, but if you're into romcoms with cliche happy endings then this is definitely in the upper echelon.Movie comment on TiMER
nymusix
A meh romcom whose only redeeming feature is a decent lead performance by Emma Caulfield. I wouldn't recommend this movie to any but the most devout romcom fans.Movie comment on Tangerine
nymusix
I thought this was an ambitious work with unique subject matter and performances unlike those we're used to. With that said, I had trouble connecting to this movie on a thematic level.Movie comment on The Overnight
nymusix
An unpredictable movie with enjoyable lead performances. At first you're set up to think certain characters fall into certain archetypes, but as the movie paints a fuller portrait, you realize that this movie is not what it seems on the surface.Movie comment on Carol
nymusix
A heartfelt addition to Todd Haynes' oeuvre, with strong performances by the dual leads of Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara. I thought the use of period was a poignant way to set the right tone for what this movie attempts to accomplish, and I appreciated that this was a romance done with subtlety in an era of romance movies with no subtlety at all.Movie comment on Room
nymusix
I haven't cried watching a movie since I was about 6, but I cried watching this one.Movie comment on The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
nymusix
This movie was a treat to watch. Well edited, incredibly stylish, with three fun lead performances. It's especially hard to take your eyes off of Alicia Vikander, who is an incredible combination of gorgeous and funny and talented. It's not the most well written movie and there are times where it's not entirely clear what is happening, but otherwise a very fun and enjoyable film.Movie comment on Avatar
nymusix
Sure, the script isn't exactly the most original one out there and Sam Worthington's lead performance is kind of weak.But this is still one of the most well-directed movies I've ever seen. Every element of this movie works in concert beautifully to create a cohesive viewing experience.
Movie comment on Dig!
nymusix
FUCKING BROKE MY SITAR MOTHERFUCKERMovie comment on About Time
nymusix
Pretty much exactly what you can expect from a Richard Curtis film these days. Not very deep, kind of light and breezy, with a sweet message. It's a comforting movie.Movie comment on Woodstock
nymusix
Pretty dazzling three hour documentary film. The music is amazing, the editing enhances the movie so much, but the real star of the movie is the sheer youth of festival. Seeing people in their teens and twenties manage to put something so massive and so successful on is especially jarring in today's world where a music festival like this one would have dozens of corporate sponsors and would be planned out months in advance. As a companion piece I recommend the Rolling Stones concert documentary, Gimme Shelter, which presents the dark side of the rock and roll revolution.Movie comment on The Doors
nymusix
Val Kilmer pulls off a pretty great Morrison impression, it's too bad the rest of the movie is pretty significantly flawed. Like many biopics, it falls in the trap of simply showing a series of unrelated, but important, events in Morrison's life rather than giving a real story. Also don't love that the film ends up being exclusively a Morrison biopic - don't get me wrong, of the Doors, Morrison is the most interesting, but there's a lot more to them than just Morrison.Movie comment on The Devil Wears Prada
nymusix
An adequate movie, but I can see why it's attained something of a cult status among certain audiences. Meryl Streep is of course good, but the real surprise standout performance for me was Emily Blunt.Movie comment on Chicago
nymusix
Had never seen this until recently, and it hasn't aged much at all. Brilliantly staged, with dazzling performances - I had never quite "gotten" why Catherine Zeta-Jones was such a big name until I saw this movie, and the way she just shines. Some of the stage-to-film adaptations could have been done in more interesting ways, but for the most part it utilizes the medium excellently. Also, it contains some great thematic content regarding the meaning of celebrity and fame - surprisingly, it's thematically similar to The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, another impressive movie.Showing items 1 – 25 of 42