"The Danish Girl" *Non-Spoiler* Review

The Danish Girl is the fictitious love story inspired by the lives of Danish artists Lili Elbe (Eddie Redmayne) and Gerda Wegener (Alicia Vikander). The two leads are the stars of this film. Their characters have depth, carry emotional weight, and make you feel for them throughout the movie. Eddie Redmanye (Theory of Everything) delivers yet another stellar performance as Lili. He starts out the film known as Einar, the husband of Gerda. Throughout the film you watch him struggle with the fact that he is woman stuck inside a man’s body. Obviously this is the main focus of The Danish Girl. The big conflict of the film is with his wife. Alicia Vikander gives an equally magnificent performance as well and may have well stolen the show from her counterpart. The chemistry the two leads is a delight to watch and keep your eyes on the screen every time the two are on it at the same time. As Lili struggles do understand what she is going through, Gerda equally struggles to watch lose her husband slowly every day. When Redmayne and Vikander are not on the screen, which is when The Danish Girl runs into its problems. The film is only 2 hours long but moves at such a pace that it seems a lot longer than that. Outside of the main struggle of the two main characters, the rest of the movie is quite boring. There is nothing that really gets your attention and makes you sit up and demands your attention. The side characters are also very forgettable and not used to their own potential. Amber Heard (Ulla) plays Gerda’s and Lili’s good friend and is absolutely wonderful in the first scene you see her in but is rarely used at all afterwards and becomes an afterthought throughout the rest of the film.

Conclusion: The Danish Girl provides you with one best performances of the year from the two leads and hits perfectly on the emotional chord between them. Director Tom Hooper instantly has you caring about the two leads and the conflicts both are fighting within themselves and with each other. Unfortunately The Danish Girl suffers from forgettable secondary characters, too slow paced, and not the best story telling. It is a shame that The Danish Girl didn’t come out better due to how relevant it is given what is going on in the world today. You don’t have to run out and see this one.

SCORE:                 6.25/10 – AVERAGE  

                                                 

"Joy" *Non-Spoiler* Review

Joy is the wild true story of Joy Mangano who rose to become founder and matriarch of a powerful family business dynasty. Director David O. Russell does an admirable job telling this story as you watch Joy (Jennifer Lawrence) struggle her way up from poverty, only to be knocked down by strangers and those closest to her, but ultimately claw her way back on top of the mountain. Joy is an emotional movie as you watch how tough and cruel today’s world can be. Even though you know the outcome of the film, you find yourself rooting for Joy the entire length of the movie. Jennifer Lawrence gives an Oscar worthy performance as Joy. She hits an emotional chord as you hit on every single emotion possible throughout the film. She proves yet again, that she is one of the best actresses out there in Hollywood today. Robert De Niro (Rudy) plays Joy’s father and his performance is second only to Lawrence’s. De Niro’s Rudy is the ever so relatable father who looks out for his child but will lean on them for support quite often. Rudy is a character you cannot quite put your finger on. Sometimes you will think he is for Joy, while at other times you will think he is against her. Finally, Bradley Cooper (Neil Walker) is a joy, no pun intended, to watch in his limited screen time.  That is where the negatives of Joy start. While Joy is the story of the title character, that does not mean the other side characters need to be forgotten. Aside from De Niro’s Rudy, no characters were given the depth for you to care for them. Tony (Edgar Ramirez) is Joy’s ex-husband but you are given very little details of their relationship except for the time they first met. The film is narrated by Diane Ladd (Mimi) and it felt rather useless to do so. All in all, aside from the story and the performance of Jennifer Lawrence, there is not much in Joy to be very joyful about. Yes, that pun was intended….My apologies.

Conclusion: Director David O. Russell is back with Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, and Bradley Cooper but he cannot quite capture the magic he did with Silver Linings Playbook. While Jennifer Lawrence turns in a trophy-worthy performance, her counterparts are not given enough time or depth for you to really care about their characters. Aside from the story Joy told, there was nothing to get you excited about in the film. The true story of Joy Mangano is heartwarming, astonishing, and inspiring for many, sadly the movie about her is quite average.

SCORE:                 6/10 – AVERAGE 

"The Hateful Eight" *Non-Spoiler* Review

Well this one was a surprise for sure. Going into The Hateful Eight, my expectations were best described as mediocre. It has been a love – hate relationship between Quentin Tarantino films and me. But damn, this one is my favorite film of his and definitely his best one yet. As with all of his films, The Hateful Eight was both gory and long. The gore did not bother me and at all, and believe it or not, this 2 hour and 48 minute movie feels a lot shorter. The Hateful Eight is masterfully paced to the point where it left me wanting more. There was rarely a dull moment and the film is full of interesting characters. Samuel L. Jackson (Major Marquis Warren), Kurt Russell (John Ruth), Walton Goggins (Sheriff Chris Manix), and Jennifer Leigh (Daisy Domergue) are the 4 standouts in the movie. Their characters had depth, motives, and were just a blast to watch interact. The two that stole the show from the group were Jackson and Goggins. They deliver brilliant performances and do not overact at all. They both stay within their characters and it is a treat. The story of The Hateful Eight is a pleasure to watch unfold. The idea of a bounty hunter and his prisoner worth 10,000 dollars, stuck in a house with eight strangers made for a ride that had as many bumps, twists, and turns as I could have imagined. But that is what makes the film work. Tarantino uses multiple styles of storytelling and camera work that blend together perfectly to make a phenomenal cinema experience. The setting of the old west was felt throughout. The cinematography might have been the best of the year behind only to The Revenant. My only problem with The Hateful Eight was that there were certain characters that could have been fleshed out a little more than they were. In the end, The Hateful Eight made me laugh, cringe, hold my breath, and put me on the edge of my seat. Everything I want in a movie.

Conclusion: Quinten Tarantino’s 8^th film, The Hateful Eight, was his best film to date. While it is both gory and long, the film leaves you wanting more and more. The quartet of Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Walton Goggins, and Jennifer Leigh carry the load of the movie but it does not affect their performances because they were all outstanding. The story and plot keeps you on the edge of your seat with every twist and turn it provides. The storytelling technique Tarantino uses are done to perfection. Even though certain characters could have been fleshed out more, which does not deteriorate any of the movie experience The Hateful Eight will provide you. Unless you don’t like blood, The Hateful Eight is a must see movie.

SCORE:                 8.8/10 – VERY GOOD

"The Revenant" *Non-Spoiler* Review

Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu is at it again in his new film The Revenant. There is a lot to like in the film. The movie tells the story of Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) who sets out on a path of revenge when his confidant, John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy), kills his son and leaves him for dead. The Revenant’s biggest assets are the two leads. DiCaprio and Hardy both turn in stellar performances and get you to care about two characters that could not be further apart from each other. Even though he does not have a lot of lines to work with, Leonardo DiCaprio is at the top of his game in this one and delivers a deep, emotionally driven performance that is definitely Oscar worthy. Almost outdoing DiCaprio is Tom Hardy. His Fitzgerald always draws your eyes to where he is because of the heaviness of his performance. There are a few scenes where Hardy even steals the light from his counterpart. In addition to the two leads, Domhall Gleeson (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) and Will Pouter (Maze Runner) also turn in admirable performances in supporting roles. One thing Inarritu does masterfully is his camera work. He can make you in awe and feel as if you are right there in the movie with these characters. As he did with Birdman, his transitions are smooth and where he chose to do edits and cuts were not really noticeable so it didn’t feel like you were watching a movie. The Revenant was shot using only natural light, and it is beautiful. This isn’t some kind of CGI spectacle, this movie is a spectacle of the natural kind. The scenery is absolutely breath taking.  Unfortunately, there were some issues that were rather glaring in the film. The biggest flaw is the length of the film. One could argue that The Revenant could be 20-30 minutes shorter and be an even better film. At times it felt as if you were never going to see the climax of the movie. The last gripe with this movie is that they are some plot points that seemed too easy for the characters. Some things just so happened to work out for them.

Conclusion: The Revenant is a spectacle in its own right. The two leads of Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy turn in Oscar worthy performances, while director Alejandro Innarritu works his magic again as he draws in the audience with his almost flawless camera work. Even though the story has its problem, and the movie could have been shorter. The Revenant is a satisfying movie going experience. The film is not a must see, but it is definitely as close as it gets.

SCORE                   8/10 -  VERY GOOD

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" *NON-SPOILER* Review

The force has awakened….and it was beautiful. We can all finally move on from the prequels because Star Wars: The Force Awakens actually feels like a Star Wars movie. J.J. Abrams does a tremendous job kick starting the new trilogy off. First and foremost, The Force Awakens is an incredible action packed space opera. As soon as the crawl in the beginning started, I was smiling until the end of the movie. I have waited for a long time for this movie and I can gladly say it did not disappoint. The film’s bright spots? Daisy Ridley (Rey), John Boyega (Finn), Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron), and Adam Driver (Kylo Ren). The four newcomers were tremendous in their performances and gave me the sense of a bright future in the Star Wars films with those four leading the way. The new droid BB8 is just as fun to watch as R2D2 was in the originals. Speaking of originals, I got chills every time a member of the old cast appeared on screen. Abrams did a fabulous job giving each character a pretty epic entrance. But as I said earlier, it is the new comers that steal the movie and give me hope for the future. Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren is not as scary as Darth Vader was, (In fairness who can be?) but he is a formidable opponent whom has emotional conflict within himself. The chemistry between Ridley’s Rey and Boyega’s Finn is just a delight to watch. While one is scared, the other is a fighter. The characters have both intense emotional scenes and a lot of light hearted scenes as well. But it was Isaac’s Poe Dameron that was the crown jewel of the bunch for me. His character was not given a lot of screen time, but his performance was so heavy, it just drew me to him. The Force Awakens also has an abundance of well-timed comedy in it as well. There were times though that the comedy felt forced. (No pun intended). Without getting into spoilers, there were some things that bothered me about the film. It was a difficult task for Abrams to fit 30 years of history into one movie and it shows. There are characters that show up throughout the film and we are given barely any, if any at all, history about the character. We never learn who they are, what importance they to the story, and how they fit into the grand scheme of things. There were some story telling issues such as we got too much story of 2 people when we could have gotten a little more from others. Finally, my biggest gripe with the film is a spoiler, so I will give that away.

Conclusion: Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a great action packed, space opera that does an excellent job in reopening the doors to the Stars Wars saga. Director J.J. Abrams does a noble job in making The Force Awakens feel like a Star Wars movie. The new cast brings a fresh flavor to the film, while the old cast brings the nostalgic energy that had us all excited from the beginning. While we don’t get to learn enough about some characters, and the story has its issues. I assume that both those issues will be resolved in episodes 8 & 9. One does not have to see the original trilogy to enjoy Star Wars: The Force Awakens. But it would definitely help make the experience much more exiting. Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a must see movie.

SCORE:                 9/10   -  GREAT

"In the Heart of the Sea" *Non-Spoiler* Review

I went into Ron Howard’s In the Heart of the Sea as my 2^nd most anticipated December movie, so one could say I had very high expectations for it. Though Heart of the Sea was a good movie, it was somewhat disappointing because the premise had so much potential. In the Heart of the Sea is based on the 1820 whaling event the brought about the famous novel Moby Dick. Some of the aspects which turned me off were the execution of the story, character development, and pacing. The premise of this movie was so fascinating to me that the instant I saw the first trailer I was hooked on the movie. There were parts in the film that were jaw dropping but then were immediately followed up with a snoozer of a scene. There was a magnitude of intense sequences that were canceled out by a dull moment afterwards. This is very unlike a Ron Howard movie but unfortunately was the movie’s biggest flaw. The last thing that got to me was there was really no character development in the film. The only character I cared about was Owen Chase (Chris Hemsworth), and that’s only because I am a big Hemsworth fan.  Tom Nickerson, played by both Brendan Gleeson and Tom Holland, is the narrator of the film, so there was no fear that he was going to die. The rest of the crew was just not given enough time for us to get to know them and fear for the lives. Remember, I did say this was a good movie, so there are obviously facets of this film that I enjoyed. The spectacle of In the Heart of Sea was just magnificent to watch. As stated above, there were so many breathe taking action sequences that had me in awe. Also, the film did a tremendous job making me feel as if I was aboard the Essex along with the crew. Finally, the performances were outstanding. Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleeson, and Ben Whishaw all gave grade A performances. The scenes between Gleeson and Whishaw were by far the best parts of the film.

Conclusion: While In the Heart of the Sea did not meet my lofty expectations, it was still a rather enjoyable film to watch. Even though there is not much that is special about it, it is still a movie people can sit down and get something out of. There were many great spectacles in the film that made me wide eyed, but were too often followed by dull moments that pulled me right back out. The actors all five great performances but are hampered by the lack of development their characters are given. In the Heart of the Sea is not a must see, but it is a nice place holder as we all wait one more week until Star Wars.

SCORE:                 7/10   -  GOOD

"Krampus" *Non-Spoiler* Review

The premise of Krampus is a very intriguing idea…. It is a shame that the film’s execution of that idea is very flawed. Krampus tells the story of the Christmas demon that is accidently summoned upon a family’s house because of the little boy. Some of the bright spots of this movie are the cast, the humor, and the unique feel of a Christmas horror movie. The cast, led by Adam Scott, Toni Collette, David Koechner, and Conchata Ferrell, all give outstanding performances and all hit on their humor in the story. Adam Scott and David Koechner lead the field as the 2 biggest figures in the movie, and also come up with the majority of the comedy. Alas, Ferrell is a good laugh when it was her turn to do so. While this was a horror and a comedy, the horror side fell completely short of meeting my expectations. There were very few jump scares, and the monsters themselves were not very scary looking overall as well. Krampus spent a lot of time making us hear the creatures snickering, running around upstairs, or making noises that we really don’t see them a lot in the film. Krampus himself, well, he leaves a lot to be desired. The movie is named Krampus, but he is really just a minor presence in the film, while his monsters do most of his grunt work. . Let’s not forget about the ending! Without getting into spoilers…it was just confusing and pointless. Some say it’s up for interpretation but I am not a fan of when a film does that because it makes the movie feel unsatisfying.

Conclusion: Krampus is just not a scary movie at all. The creatures do not really lay fear into anyone’s eyes and most of the time they are not even on screens. While the cast give great performances and hit on almost all of their jokes, the horror side of this film does not do it any justice. The last thing Krampus has going for it is that I could see this becoming sort of a Christmas classic where it is played on family’s televisions because I will admit that it was pretty cool to watch a horror movie set in the Christmas season. Krampus will make you laugh, but the Santa at the mall is scarier than this movie.

SCORE:                                 5/10    -    AVERAGE

Most Anticipated December Movies

Hey everyone, today I will be giving you my Top 3 movies I am most looking forward to this month. I base my ranking off of 4 categories; Director, cast, story, and trailers. So without further ado, here are my top 3 most anticipated December movies.


3) The Big Short
 Director: Adam McKay
 Cast: Christian Bale, Brad Pitt, Steve Carrel, Ryan Gosling, Marisa Tomei, Melissa Leo
 Release Date: December 23, 2015
 Trailer: The Big Short Trailer #2

There is a lot to like about The Big Short; The cast is something to behold. There is a lot of Oscar winners and nominees on that cast list. Even though director Adam Mckay is more known for his comedies with Will Farrell. He has done some smaller films (Sleeping with Other People) that I have found myself to enjoy. With McKay, I know I am going to get a pretty decent story with some good timed humor in there as well. I must admit that I hadn't heard anything of this film until I saw its first trailer, but it blew my away and I immediately became gripped to the story that this movie is telling. I think we can all relate with being in debt, and not really liking the banks. So, this will be interesting to see this true story unfold and watch this extraordinary cast deliver astonishing performances like they have so many times in the past. I will be curious to see how all these actors play off each other when it seems every single one of them have played completely different roles in the past.


2) In the Heart of the Sea
  Director: Ron Howard
  Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleeson, Ben Whishaw, Tom Holland, Charlotte Riley
  Release Date: December 11, 2015
  Trailer: In the Heart of the Sea Trailer #3

I will be the first to come out and say that I am usually not a fan of movies that mostly take place out in the sea. The always seem to bore me and have the same feel to them as the next. In the Heart of the Sea is completely different though. The moment I watched the trailer, I was on board....No pun intended. Come on, who hasn't read the story of Moby Dick? It is a famous novel, and one that looks like it will be done justice in this film. Ron Howard is a fantastic director, giving us movies like A Beautiful Mind and Cinderella Man. Plus, the last movie he made with Chris Hemsworth was Rush which was a masterpiece. The cast, I do not know much about. Hemsworth (Thor), Murphy (Dark Knight Trilogy), Gleeson (Edge of Tomorrow) and Holland (Our new Spider-man) are really the only ones I am familiar with. While they are likely the 4 main characters, it is the supporting cast I lack knowledge of, but if the trailers are any indicators, they will do just fine.


1) Star Wars The Force Awakens
  Director: J.J. Abrams
  Cast: Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac
  Release Date: December 18, 2015
  Trailer: Star Wars The Force Awakens Trailer #3

Seriously, who didn't see this coming? I cannot describe how much I am dying to see this movie. I have never in my life this hyped for a movie. I am so excited for Star Wars that a part of will be upset after I see it because the wait is over. There is just something I love about the anticipation of a big movie. Unfortunately for me, I grew up when the prequels were coming out. I was 7 years old when Phantom Menace was released. I was raised right though. My mom had the VCR (Remember them?) trilogy pack and I can remember watching those movies for the first time when I was young and just loving them. When it was announced the original cast was returning, I knew this would be one of the biggest, if not the biggest, movies ever. J.J. Abrams did a marvelous job with the Star Treks, so there is no reason he can let us down with Star Wars...fingers crossed! All 3 Star Wars trailers were edited to perfection. It built up my excitement while also not giving away any of the story. I still don't know what is going to happen in this movie and I love that! Also, who didn't get chills watching those trailers? I was one of those people who were freaking out when the movie tickets sites broke down when tickets went on sale. What can I say.... I love Star Wars!


Well there you have it, my top 3 most anticipated December movies. Feel free to comment below and list your top 3 list. Don't forget to come back here when they are released and check out my *Non-Spoiler* reviews!

*If anyone is wondering, I did not have The Revenant or The Hateful Eight in my top 3 because they are not released until January around where I live. I am definitely looking forward to them!*

Best and Worst Movies of November

In today's blog I will be ranking my top 3 best November movies and my least favorite movie of the month. As always, feel free to comment below and give me your top 3 and least favorite of November.

TOP MOVIES

3) The Night Before

The Night Before is one of the better Seth Rogen films and is fun from the start until the credits roll. Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Anthony Mackie all bring different elements to the film but all give great comedic timing. The dynamic between the group is just another spark to a film that has you laughing from the moment it starts. While The Night Before did not make me laugh as hard as This is the End; It was by far the funniest movie of the year and an overall good time to watch. If you like Seth Rogen films, you will love this one!

My SCORE:         8.3/10 - VERY GOOD

2) Spotlight

Spotlight is a film that we will definitely being here about around award season. The story telling is top notch and the cast give great performances. Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, and Rachel McAdams were the three that stood out the most in the film. While Spotlight has a big cast, it does not lose them throughout the movie, it gives you a sense of each character and how they are handling what the team in uncovering. The drama and intensity are very heavily felt and is one that will make you think a 2 hour movie feel like a 90 minute one. Spotlight definitely challenged The Martian as the best movie of the year until I saw my number 1 movie of the month.

My 

SCORE:       9.2/10-  GREAT

1) Creed

 Creed hits on the emotional scale perfectly. It is filled with a great story, astonishing boxing scenes, and absolutely tremendous performances. You can love Creed even if you are not a big fan of the Rocky films. Even though Rocky is a big part of the film, it does not feel like a Rocky movie. Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone knock it out of the park with their performances that they both could possibly be nominated. Creed gives us everything we loved about Rocky and then some. It was an impactful love story line away from being a perfect score. Creed is unquestionably a must see and my favorite of the year so far.

My SCORE:                        9.25/10  -  GREAT

WORST MOVIE OF THE MONTH GOES TO......

1) Love the Coopers

Love the Coopers has a talented cast that cannot save the movie from being predictable and boring. The movie is only 108 minutes but feels a lot longer because nothing exciting ever happens to the Coopers. There aren’t many laughs, but are plenty of times you will roll your eyes. The heart felt moments will make you smile but it will then instantly be wiped away from the boredom of having to continue to watch the movie. The movie is called Love the Cooper….but I don’t think many people will love this movie.

My SCORE:                 3.5/10  -  BAD

"Creed" *Non-Spoiler* Review

We may have a new film at the top of my list for best movie of the year. I heard a lot of good things about Creed going into the movie, and all I can say is that I echo those same high praises. Now just to get it out of the way; I am from Philadelphia, so Rocky will always be a favorite of mine, but if you are in the same boat, Creed will not disappoint and will make you emotional as hell. Not only does Creed have good direction, it has a great story, fantastic cinematography, and amazing performances. Director Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station) does a tremendous job of telling the story of Apollo Creed’s son that is compelling, emotional, and a pleasure to watch. The story of Adonis Johnson trying to escape from his father’s shadow was nearly flawless. Michael B. Jordan (Adonis) makes us forget about Fantastic Four with a performance so rich, I would not be surprised at all if we see his name come up around Oscar season. The real crown jewel of the performances is Sylvester Stallone (Rocky). Yes, you read that right. Stallone shows in Creed that he has more to offer in his acting arsenal. While Rocky was just a supporting character in Creed, it is his relationship with Adonis that makes this movie so great. Stallone gives us emotion, tension, and drama. He leaves us wondering where this kind of acting has been his entire career. I cannot believe I am going to say this…but I would not be surprised at all if he is nominated for an Oscar for “Best Actor in a supporting role”. He is just that worthy in this movie. Creed even throws subtle nods to previous Rocky movies for that nostalgic feel. Phylicia Rashad (Mary Anne) also gives an amazing performance as Apollo Creed’s widow, even though it is a rather limited role. My only complaint about Creed is the love story of Adonis and Bianca (Tessa Thompson). While Thompson gave an admirable performance, the story of the two of them just didn’t hit home like it was supposed to. Creed focuses so much of Adonis’ and Rocky’s relationship, which is not a bad thing, that the relationship of those two just seems to be rather unimportant.

Conclusion: Creed hits on the emotional scale perfectly. It is filled with a great story, astonishing boxing scenes, and absolutely tremendous performances. You can love Creed even if you are not a big fan of the Rocky films. Even though Rocky is a big part of the film, it does not feel like a Rocky movie. Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone knock it out of the park with their performances that they both could possibly be nominated. Creed gives us everything we loved about Rocky and then some. It was a impactful love storyline away from being a perfect score. Creed is unquestionably a must see.

SCORE:                        9.25/10  -  GREAT

"The Night Before" *Non-Spoiler* Review

The Night Before’s trailers come off as it is just another Seth Rogen comedy about doing drugs and getting chicks. To my delight, it was a lot more than that and was heartfelt comedy that was hilarious and just enjoying to watch. The Night Before tells the story of three friends of over 10 years are ending their Christmas tradition, so they want to go out with one big bang and hit all of their usual spots before heading over to the big party. The trios of Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Anthony Mackie have great chemistry and feed off each other very well. The underlining thread of this film is that each of them has their own issues that the others try to help them out with. Of course, while the three of them are going through the night, misfortunes and problems occur, but it makes for a great time with many laughs. There are some great cameos in the film that serve their purpose that make you laugh even harder. Outside the main trio, Michael Shannon (Mr. Green) practically steals every scene he is in, and is a constant throughout the movie. Lizzy Caplan (Diana) and Mindy Kaling (Sarah) are just as outrageous and funny as their male counterparts. The only downside of this movie was that some of the drama scenes just didn’t hit as hard as they were supposed to. The good thing is, the movie will be making you laugh so much, that is a flaw that is very easy to overlook. 

Conclusion: The Night Before is one of the better Seth Rogen films and is fun from the start until the credits roll. Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Anthony Mackie all bring different elements to the film but all give great comedic timing. The dynamic between the group is just another spark to a film that has you laughing from the moment it starts. While The Night Before did not make me laugh as hard as This is the End; It was by far the funniest movie of the year and an overall good time to watch. If you like Seth Rogen films, you will love this one!

SCORE:           8.3/10 - VERY GOOD

"Spotlight" *Non-Spoiler* Review

Spotlight lives up to the hype it is getting from the media. It tells the story of how the spotlight team unveiled the massive scandal of child molestation and cover – up within the local Catholic Archdiocese. While some will not like this movie because of their political beliefs, I found the story Spotlight told, was one of the most, if not the best, riveting stories of the year. It is a slow paced movie, but the story is engaging enough where it does not feel as if the movie drags on. The core cast (Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, Brian James, Live Schreiber, John Slattery, and Stanley Tucci) all give in tremendous performances. Yes it is an ensemble cast, but the movie does an excellent job of giving each enough screen time to help us get to know each one of them. Even though they are pitted against the church, Spotlight shows the effects and tolls the assignment is taking on each character. They all had histories with the church, and the film does a brilliant job in perfectly showing the struggle each has to deal with as they continue to uncover the truth. The actual event in which Spotlight is about is a very big deal and the film does make us feel that. During the film, the magnitude of what these characters are working on is very prevalent. The story keeps us on the edge of our seats and rooting for the team and feeling for the victims that are portrayed in the film.

Conclusion: Spotlight is a film that we will definitely being here about around award season. The story telling is top notch and the cast give great performances. Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, and Rachel McAdams were the three that stood out the most in the film. While Spotlight has a big cast, it does not lose them throughout the movie, it gives you a sense of each character and how they are handling what the team in uncovering. The drama and intensity are very heavily felt and is one that will make you think a 2 hour movie feel like a 90 minute one. Spotlight definitely challenges The Martian as the best movie of the year so far. I would absolutely recommend seeing the film. 

SCORE:            9.2/10   -  GREAT

"Love the Coopers" *Non-Spoiler* Review

Love the Coopers offers a lot of heart felt moments in an otherwise very unsatisfying film. The incredible cast cannot save the movie from feeling like a bunch of clichés mashed up to create an odd and somewhat pointless of a story. Love the Coopers feels like it is moving sideways the entire time, rather than moving forward with its story. That is the main problem of this film; the story. It was dull, predictable, and cringe worthy at times. You can see how Love the Coopers is going to end from the moment you meet every character. It is very unfortunate a talented cast, lead by Diane Keaton and John Goodman, was wasted away trying to tell a story, that quite frankly, has been told hundreds of times before a lot better. Even though the whole cast is talented, there were some characters that felt out of place and ultimately unneeded. It felt as if they were just there. But again, that is a problem that stems from screenplay/story telling.Love the Coopers. While the story stinks worse than sour milk, there are some redeeming moments in the movie that are relatable and make you think about how holidays are always hectic when it comes to families.

The synopsis of the movie claims that 4 generations of the Cooper family come together, but don’t get your hopes up, because they do not get together until about the midway point of the movie. And by that time, you are bored and have stopped caring for the characters and their cliché problems. Heart felt moments, as I stated earlier, are the only saving grace of

Conclusion:  Love the Coopers has a talented cast that cannot save the movie from being predictable and boring. The movie is only 108 minutes but feels a lot longer because nothing exciting ever happens to the Coopers. There aren’t many laughs, but are plenty of times you will roll your eyes. The heart felt moments will make you smile but it will then instantly be wiped away from the boredom of having to continue to watch the movie. The movie is called Love the Cooper….but I don’t think many people will love this movie.

SCORE:                 3.5/10  -  BAD

"Spectre" *Non-Spoiler* Review

Hey everybody! Sorry for the long layoff. Some things had come up that kept me from writing more often but I'm glad to say I am back and ready to get the wheels started again with Spectre! Hope you enjoy my review. Remember to feel free to comment below if you want.

While Spectre may not live up to its predecessor’s quality; it is still a good movie. Spectre had many action pieces, good drama, and surprisingly a lot of well-done comedic jokes. The film seems to tie all of Daniel Craig’s previous 3 Bond movies together with a nicely wrapped bow. Spectre definitely had the feel of the ending of the Daniel Craig Bonds era. While it was not the perfect ending, it was good enough to end it positive note. As usual, Daniel Craig (James Bond) gives us another remarkable performance of portraying the iconic, smoothe talking Bond. He is not alone as Lea Seydoux (Madeline Swan) is not only beautiful but delivers a noble performance as well. Even though I was not the biggest fan of Sam Smith’s Spectre theme, the classic Bond music always gives me goosebumps.

Not all was well for Spectre. The biggest stain was its villains. Christoph Waltz (Oberhauser) and Dave Bautista (Hinx) portray their characters to a tee. Unfortunately, the movie does not utilize them well at all. Waltz’s character is not on screen for the majority of the movie and Bautista says one word the entire film. The strongest villain is the one that isn’t quite obvious at first but you can positively see coming by the midway part of the film. For spoiler reasons I will not reveal who that is. Another thing Spectre stumbles at is run time. There were points that director Sam Mendes seemed to want to drag out, that simply do not have to be.

Conclusion: Even though Spectre has its flaws, it is still a good movie. It seemingly wraps of the Daniel Craig era as Bond very nicely. While the villains are not that strong, they serve their purpose enough to get us to feel the drama of the suspense if Bond will pull it out. You will have to watch the first 3 Craig movies to get this one because they tie any loose ends from them in Spectre. It wasn’t the best one, or even the 2^nd best, but it was certainly not Quantum of Solace. Spectre is a fun movie going experience and an overall good movie.

Score:   7/10  -   GOOD

Brute's "The Martian" *Non-Spoiler* Review

The Martian lived up to my personal hype. It is just simply a great movie. Director Ridley Scott returns to his Gladiator form and takes us on the Journey of Mark Whatney (Matt Damon) having to survive on Mars for over 500 days. The story and flow of the film is one of the many things that make it great. The Martian is only 142 minutes, but it feels shorter. This is a movie where you will actually want it to be longer. There is so many great scenes and sequences you will want to see more of. There is a lot to love in this movie. This is not just an all drama, no fun movie. There is plenty of levity in the film to help even out to intense tragedy of the situation Damon is in. Speaking of Damon, he gives a great performance. He perfectly plays a stranded astronaut who is trying to make it out alive, make light of his situation, and not lose his mind. When things go wrong, you feel for his character and are on the edge of your seat to see what happens next. Damon makes his character relatable, witty, and charming. He is not the only one to give a great performance. His crew, The Hermes, consist of Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain), Beth Johanssen (Kate Mara), Rick Martinez (Michael Pena), Chris Beck (Sebastian Stan), and Alex Vogel (Aksel Hennie) all give wonderful performances and bring depth and insight to each of their characters. The most underrated performances may be of both Jeff Daniels and Chiwetel Ejiofor. Both characters are back at NASA working to bring Mark home, and the intensity they bring to such a task is brilliant. One thing not to be overlooked is the visual effects of The Martian. They are seamless and flawless. You would have thought that this movie was actually shot on another planet. Finally, the soundtrack is a marvelous on, probably not as good as Guardians of the Galaxy’s soundtrack, but pretty damn close to it.

Conclusion: The Martian is a must see movie. The story is gripping and will have you on the edge of your seat throughout. It is not all drama, prepare to have some laughs along the way with great performances around the board. You will nod along with its great soundtrack and be amazed by the visuals of the film. This a movie you may want to see in IMAX, it is that good. Director Ridley Scott conjures up his old form and brings you a movie you will want to see again right after you leave the theatre. It is an amazing experience. Do yourself a favor. Go see The Martian, the best movie of the year so far.

GRADE:    A

Most Anticipated October Movies

Welcome to the first day of October! In today's blog I will be giving you my top 3 most anticipated movies of the month. Last October gave us some pretty good movies such as; Gone Girl, The Judge, and Fury. Here's hoping that this year's October can meet those same standards, or hopefully exceed them. I based my top 3 off of simple categories; Trailers, actors, and what the movie is about. Remember, not everyone's list will be the same so feel free to comment below and share your top 3 most anticipated movies!


3) Burnt
Release Date: October 23
Director: John Wells
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Daniel Bruhl, Omar Sy, Lily James, Uma Thurman, Emma Thompson
Trailer: Chef Trailer #2

In all honesty, when I first saw the trailer of Burnt, the first thing that came to my mind was Jon Favreau's Chef. But when I thought more about this movie, I realized that they were two completely different stories. Chef told the story of the main character rediscovering his love for making his own meals while Burnt tells the story of a chef who has destroyed his career through drugs and other means, and tries to work his way back to redemption. The story alone gets me excited, but add in that the movie has both Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller (Both starred in American Sniper), it just amps up the excitement level that much higher. Also, I love Daniel Bruhl. He is great in everything and can do nothing but help the overall quality of the film.

2) Bridge of Spies
Release Date: October 15
Director: Steve Spielberg
Cast: Tom Hanks, Alan Alda, Amy Ryan, Eve Hewson, Peter McRobbie, Austin Stowell
Trailer: Bridge of Spies Trailer #2

Tom Hanks and Spielberg. That is what initially first got me excited for Bridge of Spies. Hanks very rarely puts out a sub par movie. He does such a great job giving depth to his characters and fleshing them out in a way that we can latch onto them and connect with them. And what can I say about Spielberg that hasn't been said? The man can just make great movies. The movie takes place during the cold war era and tells the story of an insurance agent recruited by the CIA to help rescue a US pilot caught in the Soviet Union. I would probably say that the cold war period is probably the one period in US history that I am fascinated the least in. It never really hit me like the world wars, civil war, or the revolutionary war. But what I will say is that when I saw the first trailer, it captivated me with the story and the drama in just the trailer alone. Bridge of Spies looks to be a hit.



1) The Martian
Release Date: October 2
Director: Ridley Scott
Cast: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Kate Mara, Jeff Daniels, Michael Pena, Sean Bean, Sebastian Stan, Chiwetel Ejiofor
 Trailer: The Martian Trailer #2

First and foremost.....that cast is simply amazing. Oddly enough though, the cast was not the first thing that had be really excited for The Martian. The story and the trailers got me right away. The story of an astronaut being stranded on Mars and having to survive without knowing when or if he will ever get help just grabbed my attention. The first trailer for the movie had it all; Drama, action, emotion, and laughter. During the trailer, when I saw the cast list, I knew that there would not be a lot, if any, bad performances. All the actors and actresses listed above have the talent to give great performances. I know director Ridley Scott can be hit (Gladiator) and miss (Exodus: Gods and Kings), but right now The Martian is rated a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. I cannot wait to get out there and see it this weekend and review it.


*Let's hope that these 3 films live up to my hype and make it on my best movies of October and not one of them is my least favorite!*

Top Movies of September!

Hey everyone, today is September 30th, marking the end of the month. Today's blog I will give you my top 3 movies of the month and my least favorite movie of September. There were really no great movies this month, but there were some very good ones, and of course some not so good ones. Please feel free to comment below and give your top 3 and least favorite movie of the month of September!



1) Black Mass
Cast: Johnny Depp, Joel Edgerton, Benedict Cumberbatch, Dakota Johnson, Kevin Bacon, Adam Scott, Corey Stoll

I really liked Black Mass and enjoyed it a lot. Johnny Depp and Joel Edgerton were amazing in their roles and every side actor brought it as well. Depp in particular, may have given his best performance in this film. The story of Whitey Bulger is nicely told and the movie has scenes that are so dark and disturbing, they make you sit back and decompress afterwards. The pacing issues prevented me from giving the movie a grade in the A range but overall it is a movie that is as close to "must see" as possible. This was in my top 3 most anticipated fall movies list, and it surely did not disappoint at all.

My Black Mass Grade:  B+



2) Everest
Cast: Jason Clarke, Thomas Wright, Martin Henderson, John Hawkes, Naoko Mori, Josh Brolin, Jake Gyllenhall

The visuals of Everest are astonishing and really help bring out the suspense and dramatic impact of certain scenes. Everest tells the true story of 2 expeditions in May of 1996 starting their ascent toward the summit of the great Mount Everest. One thing the movie did very well was make you care about what happens to the characters climbing the mountain. The performances were good but none really stood out. My few complaints about Everest were the pacing and the scenes that were too long or out of context that just took you out of the movie. Again, the visuals of this movie are something to be seen.
My Everest Grade:   C+



3) The Visit

Cast: Olivia DeJonge, Ed Oxenbould, Deanna Dunagan, Peter McRobbie, Kathryn Hahn

"M. Night Shyamalan on a list for the best movies and not worst? This has to be a typo!" I cannot blame you if that was your thought immediately after seeing The Visit on my list. But in all seriousness, this is a movie I am actually looking forward to watching again. This does not mean I loved the film, because I definitely do not, but those last 20 minutes or so still have me feeling creepy and laughing. Even though I am not
a fan of the horror genre, this is a unique blend of horror and comedy. Even though they both do not really work throughout most of the film.....Those last 20 minutes though!
My The Visit Grade: C-





AND THE WORST MOVIE OF SEPTEMBER AWARD GOES TO........



Transporter Refueled!
Cast: Ed Skrein, Loan Chabonol, Ray Stevenson, Gabriella Wright, Tatiana Pajkovic, Wenxia Yu

This movie was god awful. I will admit that I have not seen any of the original Transporters and went into this movie with an open mind. Unfortunately, this movie has no plot and barely and great action sequences. There were really only two great action pieces and the rest were pretty generic and boring. The acting in the movie is flat throughout, with the exception of Ray Stevenson, starting with the main character. There are scenes that do not make sense, especially given what had happened in the scenes before. The film tries to look like a Fast & Furious movie but fails miserably. All in all, it was a waste of 96 minutes.

My Transporter Refueled Grade:  D -




If you want to read my more in depth *Non - Spoiler* reviews they are further down the page! 
Coming soon: My most anticipated October Films!
Remember to comment and share your thoughts!

Brute's "Black Mass" *Non-Spoiler* Review

Finally a movie worth talking about! While Black Mass is not a great movie it does a lot of things right to be considered a very good one.  Black Mass tells the story of Whitey Bulger (Johnny Depp) who becomes an FBI informant for his childhood friend, John Connolly (Joel Edgerton), to help take down the Italian mafia moving in on his turf. Unfortunately for Connolly, Bulger has in own agenda as well and uses his alliance to help himself become a kingpin.  Johnny Depp is sensational in his leading role as Bulger.  He brings both the psychotic side and evil side of Bulger and puts them together for a performance that at times will gives you the chills. His presence is felt so strongly on screen; it is by far the best part of this movie. Not to be outdone, Joel Edgerton brings another great performance to Black Mass. Edgerton’s Connolly shows so much unwavering support of Bulger, he becomes both naive and biased towards him even when the people around him tell him otherwise. Edgerton makes you simultaneously sympathize for him because he is being used and frustrated with him because it is clear and he is oblivious to it. The supporting cast also has few highlights as well. Benedict Cumberbatch (Billy Bulger), David Harbour (John Morris), and Jesse Plemons (Kevin Week) all are very memorable even though they do not have substantial parts in the film. Director Scott Cooper (Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me) does a fair job that leaves you wondering that if they had a more experienced director, this movie could have been great. There were parts of the film that dragged on a bit too long and maybe a better director could have done a better job with the film’s pacing. Credit to him though, he left us with a very good movie.

Conclusion: Black Mass has some pacing issues but the movie itself is good enough to the point where they are forgivable. Black Mass is very heavy at points and will make you need time to settle down afterwards. But that is what a good movie will do. Johnny Depp gives one of his performances alongside an almost equally great Joel Edgerton, and a few others. Those performances are worth the price of admission alone. You will definitely be hearing about Black Mass and its two stars come award season. Black Mass is worth the watch.   

GRADE:      B+

Brute's "Scorch Trials" *Non - Spoiler* Review

If you are thinking about seeing the 2^nd installment of the Maze Runner franchise, be prepared for a couple of things: a lot of running, unexplained action and details, and questions such as if they are in the middle of the desert, how is there this random nicely paved road for them to drive on?  Without getting into spoilers, let me breakdown a few of those things. At one point in the movie, Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) says to another character, “I’m done running”. My first reactionary thought was it’s about damn time. Thomas has been literally just running for the past movie and a half it’s about time they slowed it down. Also, when I say unexplained action and details, I mean there things that characters will either do or say and the movie expects you to just accept it and move on but all that does is leave you lingering questions like how was something done or what are they talking about. Other than all that, the movie was actually enjoyable to a certain degree. The action pieces that do make sense are fun to watch and some of the characters are very easy to like. As like it was in Maze Runner, Dylan O’Brian (Thomas) is again the brightest part of the movie. The characters of Newt and Minho (Thomas Brodie – Sangster and Ki Hong Lee), are also not to be forgotten in the shadow of O’Brian. They bring both levity and depth to both of their respective characters. Also, Aidan Gillen (Janson) plays a villain fairly well and puts together a good performance.

Conclusion: Scorch Trials unfortunately feels like only a slight upgrade over its predecessor. While some of the action and most of the main cast are good enough to watch, the movie itself has some glaring holes and weaknesses. There are moments when you will laugh with the movie…..and moments where you will laugh at it. I thought the first Maze Runner was just okay and that Scorch Trails could be much better. If you liked the first one you will probably like this one, in the end, I was left with feeling disappointed.

GRADE:   C - 

Brute's "The Visit" *Non - Spoiler* Review

The Visit, by M. Night Shyamalan, is not like most of his latest films. By that, I mean the movie is watchable. Just to inform you, I am no horror fan, but even I found this film somewhat enjoyable. Now do not let this fool you. The Visit is not a complete 180 degree turn for Shyamalan but it is a good first step to getting back on track. The Visit tells the story of two children (Olivia DeJonge & Ed Oxenbould) who spend the week with their grandparents, whom they are meeting for the first time, to try and connect with them.  As seen in the trailers, things get a bit weird for the two and the movie concludes with a fun and surprising ending. The aspects that work for this film are the jump scares and the classic Shyamalan twist. The Visit is listed as both a comedy and horror. Excluding a couple of laughs, the jokes in the film do not quite hit and for the first 70 minutes of the 94 minute run time, there is barely any horror except for the couple jump scares that are randomly thrown in. The last 20 minutes of this film are fun, creepy, and surprising. If only the hour and change before that brought the same energy, this movie would be an instant hit. Look at the bright side… at least it’s not The Happening, The Last Airbender, or After Earth!

Conclusion: M. Night Shyamalan’s The Visit is a right first step on the path to redemption. The film’s climax is both entertaining and horrifying. Even though it does leave you wanting more from the first three quarters of the film, it does have enough redeeming qualities in that time to make it appeasable. While the comedy mostly falls flat and there are not enough scares, you will leave the theatre with no sour taste. If you are not a horror fan, I would tell you there is no need to run out and see The Visit, but if you are, the movie is worth a watch.

GRADE:      C-

About Myself

Hey Guys!

Welcome to Brute's Movie blog. My actual name is not really Brute. It was a nickname I was given back in my first year of High School and has just stuck ever since. Do not get confused though, I am by no means a brute, I am not savagely violent human being at all.

Now on to the main reason of this blog. I love movies and television, as you could have guessed. I have been a big movie fan since 2008. By that I mean, 2008 is when my passion for seeing movies flourished. I would go to the movies before 2008, but it would be only a couple times a year. The movie that got me started was Iron Man. So as you can guess, I am a huge superhero geek. I loved Iron Man when I first saw it and still love it to this very day. While superhero movies are my favorites, I do love other genres of films as well. Some of my favorite movies that I have seen over the years are no superhero flicks. Movies such as Snowpiercer, Gone Girl, Birdman, Whiplash, Wolf of Wall Street, and This is the End are all on my list of very good to great films. A film can be great no matter what genre it is in. The greatest thing about film, in my opinion, is it allows us to escape from our everyday lives and delve into someone else's story. That is what makes it so special, we can go into a theater having the worst day of your life, and then you leave that theater upbeat and joyful because movies can be great enough to have that kind of power and effect on us. The work by the director, screenwriter, actors, and everyone else involved is just so remarkable. They create these worlds and stories that we can become enamored by, that we will sit down and watch and sometimes even wish we were in them. So my goal is to have a review of a movie out for you every week. Depending on which movies comes out when, there may be more than one per week. My reviews are usually of the non-spoiler kind, but please let me know if you'd like an in-depth review of a movie.

Finally, let me tell you about myself outside of my movie going life. I am a 22 year old man from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I went to Marple Newtown High School and graduated in 2012. I am currently getting a Liberal Arts degree at Delaware County Community College. My goal is to become a professional movie critic and I am taking classes that I think will help me get there. I love my Philadelphia sport teams and am proud from where I came from. I played football for 9 years and baseball for 12 years. Writing is my passion and I will try and write the best blogs and reviews for you guys as much as possible. Lastly we will end on a fun fact. The fun fact is that I have a beard that is both brown and red. No I do not dye it. It is just naturally that way and I kind of like it.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy! Please feel free to comment on any of my blogs and share with your friends!


Follow me on Twitter! @Venoot_TheBrute