It's been quite a while since I've posted anything. I've had two busy semesters of student filmmaking, and took the summer in between off from writing reviews. For my own sake, I thought I'd do a year end wrap-up, which I haven't done before. These are, in no particular order, my favorite films of 2014. There are still a good many films I've missed or have yet to see, so I may amend this list in the coming weeks.
The LEGO Movie
Phil Lord and Chris Miller's delightfully cheery and anarchic animated film was one of the most creative and touching movies I've had the experience of enjoying all year. From the wonderful cast (Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, and Morgan Freeman, to name a few) to the colorful and top-notch animation, The LEGO Movie is a new classic that, despite being based on a popular toy, is as thoughtful and moving as anything I've ever seen from Pixar.
Edge of Tomorrow
Doug Liman's sci-fi action film is probably the best film you weren't aware of this year. Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt star in the Groundhog Day-esque film in which Cruise's cowardly character must relive the same events over again each time he dies, during an alien invasion. Like Groundhog Day, this film knows how to introduce humorous new twists each time you think it might outstay its welcome or grow stale. It's a fine showcase both for Cruise, playing against type as a slick rat forced into heroics, and for Blunt, who owns the role of a seasoned veteran who helps Cruise learn to fight the enemy. From head to toe, this film is much, much better than its bland title suggests.
22 Jump Street
Phil Lord and Chris Miller had quite the year, first by filling the void of February with The LEGO Movie, and then by making a repetitive, redundant action-comedy sequel that may top its predecessor. 22 Jump Street tells essentially the same story as 21 Jump Street (Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum's undercover cops go to school and become/re-become friends), but the sequel is completely self-aware, and is perhaps the most meta film of the year. Filmmaking and sequel jokes abound, pointing out every cliche along the way, while Hill and Tatum (along with the rest of the cast) remain hilariously captivating. There's a creative energy in 22 Jump Street that overflows to such an extent that the end credits are the funniest part of an already consistently great comedy. I never thought I'd really be saying this, but can I have 23 Jump Street now?
Guardians of the Galaxy
I like the Marvel movies a lot, though they can be a bit forgettable from time to time. Guardians of the Galaxy is a comic book film swimming in personality, from Chris Pratt's swaggering Star-Lord, to the fantastic soundtrack of 60s and 70s pop and rock that gives it a groove that most other blockbusters lack. Guardians didn't blow me away with spectacle, or wildly exceed my expectations, but it's just so damn fun. Co-writer/director James Gunn is obviously having a blast with his ragtag group of title characters, including Bradley Cooper's scene-stealing Rocket Raccoon, and, I'm anxious to see where he takes them next.
The Imitation Game
Full disclosure, I'm a big fan of Benedict Cumberbatch. Whether he's playing Sherlock Holmes or a fire-breathing dragon (especially if it's happening on The Colbert Report), I'm there. Well, not for The Fifth Estate, but that's another story. I probably would've liked The Imitation Game because of Cumberbatch alone, but the story of Alan Turing and the team at Bletchley Park working to break the Nazi Enigma code is so intriguing in its own right that the film excels even more when all involved turns out great work. Cumberbatch is particularly good as the unsocial and brilliant Turing, but Keira Knightly, Matthew Goode, and Mark Strong also bring wit and fire to their characters. Though a partial biopic about Turing (the film features some of his life at school and after the war), The Imitation Game functions as an excellent spy thriller, with the tension mounting throughout the narrative as lives hang in the balance. It's smart and thoroughly interesting entertainment.
Gone Girl
Wonderfully dark and cynical satire. That's what David Fincher's adaptation of Gillian Flynn's novel is, in addition to a great mystery thriller. Rosamund Pike turns out a star-making performance as the titular missing spouse of Ben Affleck's Nick Dunne. Gone Girl is a biting look at marriage and the media (specifically that of the Nancy Grace kind) that is twisted fun, beginning to end. Just when you think you've figured out the mystery, the film pulls the rug out from under you, and you realize just how smart Fincher and (especially) Flynn are in weaving their tale. Gone Girl is a film best experienced with little to no knowledge of the plot or characters going in, so if you haven't seen it or read the book, you're in for a devilish treat.
Birdman
Now this is a unique film if there ever was one. It's the story of a once-successful superhero film star (Michael Keaton) attempting to resuscitate his career with a Broadway play written and directed by, and starring himself, and the battles, both real and imagined, that he faces in mounting it. Keaton is absolutely fantastic, and he's surrounded by an equally strong cast that includes Edward Norton, Emma Stone, and Zach Galifianakis. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's direction and Emmanuel Lubezki's cinematography are simply masterful, as the entire film is made to look like one long, continuous shot. It might sound like a gimmick, but it serves the story, and, above all, the performances. Birdman is an incredibly immersive film that should not be missed. It's a cinematic experience like no other I've had this year.
The Grand Budapest Hotel
I'm not a devout fan of Wes Anderson, but with the The Grand Budapest Hotel he's crafted a film that is my new favorite of his, as well as perhaps his most commercial film to date. Don't take that the wrong way, it has broad appeal because it's so charming, funny, and even thrilling. Anderson continues to exhibit a mastery of his own beautiful storybook visual style, and he provides Ralph Fiennes with a hilarious and nuanced character in Monsieur Gustave H., the concierge of the titular vacation spot. If you've yet to see The Grand Budapest, you won't be disappointed when you find it to be one of the funniest and most endearing films of the year. If I had to pick just one, this would be my absolute favorite of 2014.
Monday, December 29, 2014
Thursday, April 3, 2014
The LEGO Movie
Not Your Average Product Placement
by Hunter Isham
Months from now, when we're once again entrenched in the awards season releases that tend to fill up the year-end "best of" lists, don't be surprised if you find The LEGO Movie alongside those prestige pictures. It is, without question, one of the most imaginative films I have seen in quite some time, more than earning its right to exist despite being a giant commercial that will no doubt sell millions of LEGO sets. Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the writer/directors of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and directors of 21 Jump Street (and this year's upcoming 22 Jump Street), have created a film that is fast, funny, and creative in the way you would expect a Pixar release to be, although with an extra dash of subversive and satirical humor for the grown-ups.
Taking place in the LEGO universe, the story centers on Emmet, a construction worker who is more than content with his life in the corporate-run, homogenized world he inhabits. Before long, he is mistaken for a Master Builder (one of a group who build things with their creativity rather than instructions) known as "the Special," and he sets off on an adventure to stop the evil Lord Business from using a secret weapon to bring about the end of the world. Although The LEGO Movie's plot may seem ripped from about a dozen other blockbusters, that's part of the point, as it subverts conventions with its wit, and dazzles with a unique visual style.
An ingenious combination of stop-motion and computer generated animation (though mostly the latter) makes the film look as though these were real, tangible LEGO pieces that happen to move and talk on their own. Imagine if Toy Story's Buzz and Woody were truly photo realistic, and that's what The LEGO Movie delivers. It's an interesting approach that becomes more and more relevant to the story as it progresses, and it never distracts in the way having such realism in a Pixar film might. I would wager that for most audience members, this will be the first time since 1995's Toy Story that they are shocked to see what truly looks like toys come alive. Of course, one of the key's to Pixar's characters coming to life is the wonderful casts the studio always assembles, and Lord and Miller have done the same for their block-buster.
Chris Pratt brings his heart, humor, and charming naiveté to Emmet, making him a frequently entertaining and intriguing protagonist who finds himself in the role of an unlikely hero. If you're at all familiar with Pratt's work on Parks and Recreation, you will not be disappointed by his work in LEGO form. Morgan Freeman is similarly cast with his past work in mind, as he voices the sage-like Vitruvius, a character who might as well be Gandalf or Obi-Wan Kenobi with the voice of Bruce Almighty's God. Vitruvius is an excellent send-up of the wise old man character found in so many hero stories, and Freeman plays up the character's absurdity without losing his gravitas. Will Arnett brings LEGO Batman to life with a deadpan and egomaniacal delivery that will make you wish he had his own film, as he steals scene after scene. Elizabeth Banks, Alison Brie, Nick Offerman, and Will Ferrell round out a central cast of characters that are just as fun and captivating as their compatriots (Brie in particular does great work as a unicorn/cat combination who struggles to stay upbeat through the dangerous adventure).
The LEGO Movie is, plain and simple, joyous fun with a good deal of heart packed in for good measure. It does what few big movies do these days by taking you on an adventure that feels wholly original despite it's origins not just in a toy, but in all the films it lampoons and to which it pays homage. The charming characters go a long way toward making The LEGO Movie the film that it is, but the sly sense of humor that Lord and Miller bring to the table truly puts it over the top. The vocal talent's they've assembled are known for their collective work on Arrested Development, Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock, and Community, and trust me when I say that The LEGO Movie fits in perfectly with those deliriously funny comedies. It's a rarity for a movie for the entire family to truly operate on different levels, reaching audience members of all ages, but that's exactly what The LEGO Movie does, and it does so with ease. Cynical moviegoers tend to groan at the appearance of yet another sequel or movie based on a toy or board game, but if the next film in the LEGO franchise arrives with the same creative spark of this first installment, I'll greet it with enthusiasm and an ever-growing itch to dig out my old LEGO kits. 9/10
Taking place in the LEGO universe, the story centers on Emmet, a construction worker who is more than content with his life in the corporate-run, homogenized world he inhabits. Before long, he is mistaken for a Master Builder (one of a group who build things with their creativity rather than instructions) known as "the Special," and he sets off on an adventure to stop the evil Lord Business from using a secret weapon to bring about the end of the world. Although The LEGO Movie's plot may seem ripped from about a dozen other blockbusters, that's part of the point, as it subverts conventions with its wit, and dazzles with a unique visual style.
An ingenious combination of stop-motion and computer generated animation (though mostly the latter) makes the film look as though these were real, tangible LEGO pieces that happen to move and talk on their own. Imagine if Toy Story's Buzz and Woody were truly photo realistic, and that's what The LEGO Movie delivers. It's an interesting approach that becomes more and more relevant to the story as it progresses, and it never distracts in the way having such realism in a Pixar film might. I would wager that for most audience members, this will be the first time since 1995's Toy Story that they are shocked to see what truly looks like toys come alive. Of course, one of the key's to Pixar's characters coming to life is the wonderful casts the studio always assembles, and Lord and Miller have done the same for their block-buster.
Chris Pratt brings his heart, humor, and charming naiveté to Emmet, making him a frequently entertaining and intriguing protagonist who finds himself in the role of an unlikely hero. If you're at all familiar with Pratt's work on Parks and Recreation, you will not be disappointed by his work in LEGO form. Morgan Freeman is similarly cast with his past work in mind, as he voices the sage-like Vitruvius, a character who might as well be Gandalf or Obi-Wan Kenobi with the voice of Bruce Almighty's God. Vitruvius is an excellent send-up of the wise old man character found in so many hero stories, and Freeman plays up the character's absurdity without losing his gravitas. Will Arnett brings LEGO Batman to life with a deadpan and egomaniacal delivery that will make you wish he had his own film, as he steals scene after scene. Elizabeth Banks, Alison Brie, Nick Offerman, and Will Ferrell round out a central cast of characters that are just as fun and captivating as their compatriots (Brie in particular does great work as a unicorn/cat combination who struggles to stay upbeat through the dangerous adventure).
The LEGO Movie is, plain and simple, joyous fun with a good deal of heart packed in for good measure. It does what few big movies do these days by taking you on an adventure that feels wholly original despite it's origins not just in a toy, but in all the films it lampoons and to which it pays homage. The charming characters go a long way toward making The LEGO Movie the film that it is, but the sly sense of humor that Lord and Miller bring to the table truly puts it over the top. The vocal talent's they've assembled are known for their collective work on Arrested Development, Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock, and Community, and trust me when I say that The LEGO Movie fits in perfectly with those deliriously funny comedies. It's a rarity for a movie for the entire family to truly operate on different levels, reaching audience members of all ages, but that's exactly what The LEGO Movie does, and it does so with ease. Cynical moviegoers tend to groan at the appearance of yet another sequel or movie based on a toy or board game, but if the next film in the LEGO franchise arrives with the same creative spark of this first installment, I'll greet it with enthusiasm and an ever-growing itch to dig out my old LEGO kits. 9/10
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