Thursday, November 13, 2014

Edge of Tomorrow - 8 stars out of 10

Edge of Tomorrow - 8 stars out of 10

“Edge of Tomorrow” is surprisingly as good as its trailer.  It looked so fascinating that I was sure the concept would be a letdown, but it was very cool and had more depth than your average action flick.  Something that I DIDN’T expect was for this to be an alien movie, but this story is about the time loop and not about the enemy (even though the concept technically couldn’t exist without the aliens).  The acting of Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt is very good and the special effects are cool, but the script is what makes this film so special.  Each event is conceived with precision to develop the characters, explain the time loop, further the story (one small step at a time), and keep us on edge… even though we know that our main character technically can’t die.  The editors did a great job of manipulating the shots so that we get a different perspective of the exact same start to each day, and the consistency is actually necessary to complete the story later.  This doesn’t really make sense if you haven’t seen it, but the whole film has an impressive intelligent design.  This film combines all of the things that we love about action films and mindbenders.  “Edge of Tomorrow” is an impressive jigsaw puzzle that must be solved by its characters, even though there is only one character that remembers where the pieces must be placed in the future.

[Pictured: Blunt and Cruise have great chemistry... over and over again]

Monday, November 10, 2014

Snowpiercer - 9 stars out of 10

Snowpiercer - 9 stars out of 10

In a market that has been saturated with dystopian stories, “Snowpiercer” has one of the most unique concepts that I have seen in a while.  It is unlike any post-apocalyptic film ever made.  The set design, sociological statements, and vision for this film are amazing.  In fact, the only letdown was the ending (albeit one of the most important parts of the story).  Every great dystopian story has a warped organization of class systems.  We have seen characters classified by Districts, virtues, and the amount of time remaining in their lives, but something as simple as the characters’ seating on a train has proven to be incredibly effective.  Contained within a perpetually running train, this society is complete with propaganda, rule by intimidation, uprisings, and even a god (Wilford).  The journey of these characters into the unknown progressively reveals the events that have led them to this place.  The clever script is complimented by excellent acting by Chris Evans, Octavia Spencer, and John Hurt.  The highlight, however, is Tilda Swinton.  I was never a fan of her, but now I’m on her bandwagon for a Best Supporting nomination for this role.  It was just something about the contrast between her emotional detachment in the first scene and her humanity later on.  She perfectly captures the approach of a power-hungry henchman with her first monologue and it’s all uphill from there.  If for no other reason, “Snowpiercer” is a must-see for Swinton’s performance.  The plot constantly builds momentum, angst, and frustration as the future of humanity is revealed.  Not to mention the amazing action sequences, inspired sets, and an amazing monologue that reveals everything that we need to know about Curtis and the beginnings of tail dwellers.  I’m not at piece with its ending, but I still look forward to revisiting “Snowpiercer” in the near future.

[Pictured: Tilda Swinton's performance is utterly stunning]