American Hustle
Directed by David O. Russell
Written by Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell
American Hustle is a very fun movie. The cast is full of likable, good looking people delivering energetic, fun performances. All of this helps distract from the fact that, narratively, the film is a bit of a mess. David O. Russell and all the actors certainly have fun telling the story, but it is sometimes unclear if they know what story they are trying to tell. Is it a story about con men trying to bring down corrupt politicians, or is it simply a character study without a clear narrative? The film seems to constantly change its mind about this question. As well, some of the roles, though performed by strong actors trying their best, feel a bit miscast. Amy Adams especially suffers from this, as she does not feel truly right for the role given to her. Christian Bale and Jennifer Lawrence, however, come out largely unscathed, as they have the most versatility among the cast, and they keep the audience's attention firmly on the screen. The film is fun for fans of the involved actors, but feels a bit unpolished for a Best Picture nominee. B+
Captain Phillips
Directed by Paul Greengrass
Written by Billy Ray
Based on the book "A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea" by Richard Phillips and Stephen Talty
In Captain Phillips Paul Greengrass reminded the world of just how skilled he is at creating tension from realistic circumstances. Though it has less "action" than the Bourne films, Greengrass still manages to make the entire film interesting and exciting. The film tells the story of Captain Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks) who is kidnapped by a group of somali pirates led by the desperate Muse (Barkhad Abdi) and held for a few days in a small life boat by the four men. This film is made even better by the strong performances of Hanks and Abdi. Hanks realistically reacts to the dangerous circumstances he is in, emotionally anchoring the film. Abdi, meanwhile, is a revelation. In his first role he shows an extreme command of the character, creating somebody at once sympathetic and threatening, and lends the film most of its moral ambiguity. The only thing dragging the film down is the fact that, besides these two, the entire supporting cast feels very one-dimensional, and the film feels a bit biased into making Phillips a hero. It cannot be denied, however, that the film is truly a solid, well built thriller. A-
Dallas Buyers Club
I already have a review of this film, which you can find the link to below. It is a film that features a fantastic performance from McConaughey, and a great one from Leto which anchor the film well, although the film fails to become anything more than just a strong biopic.
Gravity
Directed by Alfonso Cuaron
Written by Alfonso and Jonas Cuaron
If Gravity wins Best Picture on Sunday I will have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, I will be very happy that the Academy was willing to embrace a sci-fi thriller over more traditional Oscar bait. On the other hand, Gravity has some significant dialogue problems which prevent it from actually being the best film of the year. Gravity tells the story of two astronauts (Sandra Bullock and George Clooney) who, after their ship is destroyed by a debris field, must survive alone in the cold, harsh emptiness of space. This film is one of the most visually brilliant films I have ever seen, with amazing effects and cinematography that truly make the audience feel like they are up in space with the characters. As well, George Clooney and Sandra Bullock turn in strong performances which mostly overcome the weak dialogue they are given. This film is perhaps the greatest visual experience of the year, if not the past several years, and would have deserved the award if its screenplay was just a little bit stronger. A-
Her
Written and Directed by Spike Jonze
The premise for Her sounds incredibly silly: a divorcee (Joaquin Phoenix) falls in love with his AI operating system. However, it is in this silly premise that Her becomes perhaps the most heartfelt film of the year. By developing the OS, Samantha (Scarlett Johansson) as a fully fleshed out character without ignoring her origin the film is able to keep the originality and uniqueness of its premise while still taking it seriously. It feels like a truly accurate account of what love is like, without any of the Hollywood BS that feels so apparent in most romantic comedies. The excellent performances from Phoenix and Johansson elevate the film as they show true chemistry, despite the fact that we never actually see Johansson onscreen. Though some of the story elements have proved troublesome to people, Her mostly manages to achieve a perfect balance of drama and lightheartedness, without feeling like it is stealing anything from other films. A
Nebraska
Directed by Alexander Payne
Written by Bob Nelson
Nebraska continues Alexander Payne's streak of accurately capturing real human emotion and behavior, in all of its funny and dramatic moments. Nebraska tells the story of an older man (Bruce Dern) who is determined to go to Lincoln, Nebraska to pick up the money he believes he won in a magazine scam. His youngest son (Will Forte) decides to humor his father and drive him to their destination. The black and white cinematography of the film sells the plain-ness of the setting, and the story of the film avoids feeling forced at any points, instead flowing naturally from one moment to the next. The performances are incredibly strong, especially Forte, who provides a strong emotional anchor for the film, and June Squibb, who plays Dern's cantankerous and unashamed wife. The sections of the film dealing with the extended family seem to go on a bit longer than necessary, but they don't hold back Nebraska from going right up among Alexander Payne's best films. A-
Philomena
Directed by Stephen Frears
Written by Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope
Based on the book "The Lost Child of Philomena Lee" by Martin Sixsmith
Philomena Lee (Judi Dench) was a woman who gave birth to a child out of wedlock. She was abandoned by her family and cared for by a group of nuns who looked down on her for her indiscretion and put her child up for adoption without allowing her a say in the matter. Martin Sixsmith is a disgraced journalist who helps Philomena, some 50 years later, to try to find her son. This is a fantastic story with a very strong cast as Dench and Coogan seem tailor made for the roles they portray here. Once the cast and story were in place, however, all the director needed to do was to not mess things up. Stephen Frears is a talented filmmaker, but Philomena rarely seems to be trying to do something more with its story. It is a great plot and certainly a nice, entertaining piece of Oscar Bait, but it is disappointing that it falls short of where it could have been with a little more care. B
12 Years a Slave
Directed by Steve McQueen
Written by John Ridley
Based on the book by Solomon Northup
At first glance, 12 Years a Slave seems to be exactly the kind of Oscar bait I wish didn't always win Best Picture. It's a historical film about an important time in human history that has been somewhat underrepresented in film. 12 Years a Slave rises above all of that, though, in its more minimalistic approach. Lacking the sweeping emotional beats of its like, 12 Years instead reaches for realism. Characters all have some good and some bad in them, to varying degrees, and the film focuses on silence and facial reactions for emotion rather than impassioned speeches. Though there are many moments that are difficult to watch the film does not seem interested in merely shoving the brutality of slavery down our throats, and instead aims to show all aspects of slavery, including the boredom and monotony which likely occupied much more time than the brutality. The only real flaw in this emotionally effective film is that some of the supporting roles, which are played by recognizable actors, could have been better served by less well known performers, in order to keep the suspension of disbelief even more. In the end, though, this is a small complaint and 12 Years a Slave proves to be possibly the most emotionally effective film of the year. A
The Wolf of Wall Street
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Written by Terrence Winter
Based on the Book by Jordan Belfort
The Wolf of Wall Street might be the most fun I had at the movies all year. Full of depravity and insanity, the 180 minute run time seems to just fly by. Everybody in the film seems to be having fun, from Leonardo DiCaprio to Jonah Hill to the entire supporting cast. This is not a film for everybody, as the constant adult content will turn some people off instantly, but for those who can stomach it the story of a corrupt stockbroker will prove to be much more fun than one could have ever expected it to be. Just maybe don't see it with your parents. A
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