Brooklyn - 10 stars out of 10

Brooklyn - 10 stars out of 10

"Brooklyn" is a tribute to the immigrants who left their homes with nothing in their pockets and risked everything to begin a new life in the United States.  Due to my personal family history, I can appreciate the challenges faced by these characters as they integrated into American society.  The setting of 1950's Brooklyn is fascinating as the Irish and Italian cultures (and their accents) meld together while preserving their identities.  The story is as beautiful as the setting, pairing a blossoming romance with an independent search for identity.  The film doesn’t rely on fancy camera tricks or special effects; instead, the simplicity of the story and strong connection to the characters keeps us engaged and interested.  The Oscar-nominated screenplay provides a combination of comical and sentimental moments that give us an immediate attachment to the main character.  The meet cute keeps us hoping that she will choose her American life and the scenes around the dinner table at the boarding house are hysterical.  The script sets up an amazing story but this film is truly about great acting.  Saoirse Ronan steals the screen with her performance.  Her Irish accent is flawless and, when you add in her emotional moments and transition throughout the film, her Oscar nomination is a no-brainer.  She has grown quite a bit since her nomination for “Atonement” but, unlike many successful child actors, this role has established that her greatest roles are yet to come.  I still can’t get over that accent.  The same can be said for Jim Broadbent, who masters his accent and makes an impact in spite of his limited screentime.  This was a big year for Domhnall Gleeson but I preferred him in “Ex Machina” and “Star Wars” over his role in this film.  “Brooklyn” is the complete package as it offers a beautiful coming-of-age story, one of my favorite acting performances of 2015 (Ronan), and a great ending that brings the film full circle.

[Pictured: Ronan gives the best performance of her career, which is impressive with films like "Atonement" and "The Lovely Bones" on her resume.]

What Happened, Miss Simone? - 7 stars out of 10

What Happened, Miss Simone? - 7 stars out of 10

"What Happened, Miss Simone?" recalls the improbable rise to fame by Nina Simone during the turbulent 1950’s.  This Oscar-nominated documentary combines rare concert footage with recorded interviews from Simone’s life and a first-person perspective from her daughter.  The music documentary has been popular for several years (“Searching for Sugar Man,” “20 Feet from Stardom,” and this year’s Oscar frontrunner “Amy”), and I hope that their popularity with critics and the Academy will continue to encourage filmmakers when choosing subject matter for their next documentary.  I would have never known Simone’s story or incredible talent without this film.  It is hard to categorize her music because she transcends genres.  Simone's style is a fusion of her classical piano background (particularly Bach) and natural ear for jazz.  She aspired to be the first famous black classical pianist but was forced to alter her style when she was denied a scholarship from Curtis Institute because of her race.  She began playing at night clubs where she discovered her unique, soulful singing voice out of necessity to keep a piano gig as a young adult.  It has the quality of a baritone voice singing in an alto range and is one of the most unique voices that you will ever here.  Her sound brought the fame that allowed her to become an important figure in the Civil Rights Movement.  She was very bold but could use more blatant song lyrics because she was a woman.  For all of her successes in the music industry, she fought the challenges of depression, an abusive husband, and eventually exiled herself to Liberia.  “What Happened, Miss Simone?” is full of history, great music, and a strong message about Civil Rights and domestic abuse.

[Pictured: Her piano style is unlike anything you’ve heard, as is her voice]

Anomalisa - 5 stars out of 10

Anomalisa - 5 stars out of 10

To say that “Anomalisa” is a stop-motion film for adults is a misrepresentation.  It would be more appropriate to refer to it as a stop-motion film full of adult content.  I was shocked at the amount of profanity and graphic nudity (yes, somebody created those body parts with a 3D printer) woven throughout the story.  I even had to distract myself for several minutes in the middle of the film to avoid watching the extensive adult scene, although hearing it was equally disturbing.  Animated films don’t have to be for kids, but I find it unfortunate that the last family-friendly Oscar category has now been soiled by this extreme content.  I don’t see this film as a masterpiece like many of the critics; however, the thought-provoking themes were not lost on me.  The concept that the main character perceives everyone with the identical face and voice (including men, women, and tv characters) was absolutely fascinating and animation was the perfect medium to make this work.  The monotony of Tom Noonan’s voice was driving me crazy, but I suppose that is one of the most important points in this story.  The film also delivers a strong message about lack of contentment and how we get bored with what we have, though the dialogue did not need to be so mundane.  Screenwriter Charlie Kauffman has written plenty of odd, psychological stories (including “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” “Being John Malkovich,” and “Adaptation”) but the gripping, edge-of-your-seat momentum of those films is completely absent from this one.  Maybe we are supposed to experience the same boredom as the lead character experiences with life.  I actually think a lot of the issues stem from the fact that this was originally supposed to be a short film and then it was expanded to a feature length.  No matter where we choose to assign the blame, “Anomalisa” is a thought-provoking story that will make you reexamine your life while wondering why an adult toy store and a bunch of nudity are necessary to express the writer’s ideas.

[Pictured: Everybody looks and sounds the same to him - cool concept]

The Reluctant Dragon - 7 stars out of 10

The Reluctant Dragon - 7 stars out of 10

“The Reluctant Dragon” is a really cool behind the scenes look into the production of animated features at Walt Disney Studios.  It lost money at the box office (likely a result of a Disney animators' strike and the disappointment that it was not an animated feature), but it is still an important film because it preserves the hustle and bustle of the studio during the Golden Age of Hollywood.  The studio’s various movie-making operations are tied together by a fictional story of comedian Robert Benchley trying to pitch a film to Walt.  On his journey, he encounters everything from the artists and storyboard designers to the sound effects crew and the voice of Donald Duck.  It's amazing to see Clarence Nash in action, and even more baffling to watch as Florence Gill produces the sounds of Clara Cluck.  I particularly like the demonstration of the multiplane camera that creates the lifelike depth in Disney films and the sonovox that was used to create the voice of Casey Jr. in “Dumbo.”  This documentary-like feature keeps us engaged through a few animated shorts that are incorporated into the story as we learn about the production process.  The shorts include "Baby Weems," Goofy's "How to Ride A Horse," and "The Reluctant Dragon."  I love the story of this flute-playing, picnic-sharing, poetry-reciting dragon.  He is the antithesis of dragon stereotypes and it creates great comedic moments.  The primary purpose of the film is to create an understanding and appreciation for the animation process, but it’s nice that we get to see the fruits of the studio’s labors through this fun short at the end.  “The Reluctant Dragon” isn't really a movie for kids but it's a thrilling behind-the-scenes experience for movie nerds.

[Pictured: The dragon breaks all of the dragon stereotypes and the results are hilarious]

Grease: Live (2016) - 7 stars out of 10

Grease: Live (2016) - 7 stars out of 10

"Grease: Live" is the latest in a line of live TV musical specials.  I love the attention that Broadway musicals have been receiving but I also feel like this production was less successful than NBC's recent production of "The Wiz: Live."  Rather than using a single stage with changing set pieces and drops, this production design involved two soundstages and an outdoor area that covered a massive 20-acre area.  Inevitably, the production feels more like a tv broadcast than watching a Broadway show onstage.  Where “The Wiz: Live” could be transported directly to a Broadway stage, it would be an impossibility for this production.  It works well, but it was very different from the other tv recreations of Broadway shows.  “Grease: Live” immediately embraces this tv-special vibe through its clever intro that displays the complexity of filming between multiple sound stages.  One major downfall is that the complexity of cameras moving from set to set resulted in a lot of lines being dropped.  Another interesting feature of this special was the live audience.  In concept, I liked the idea of including a live audience as part of the scenery and to recreate the energy of live theater.  In execution, their cheering at inappropriate times was kind of annoying and I don't think that it worked out exactly as Fox had anticipated.  Hopefully someone will reuse this idea in a more controlled way.  This production struck a positive balance between the original stage show and the 1978 movie adaptation.  It was nice to hear Freddy My Love and Those Magic Changes, and still found a way to work Hopelessly Devoted to You into the story.  They also did a good job of cleaning up the dialogue to make it mostly family appropriate while keeping the edge that allows the story to make sense.  The sexual content could have been toned down through implied actions but it still fit in to the TV-14 rating.  One of my biggest concerns was the casting of the leads since the 1978 movie was so iconic.  John Travolta defined the role of Danny Zuko and anybody else seems out of place in the role.  Aaron Tveit delivers a stunning vocal performance with effortless high notes, but he seemingly makes mistakes because his falsetto isn’t as nasal as Travolta or because he didn’t deliver the “Sandy, don’t make me laugh” line the way that we’re used to.  I had a tough time accepting him as Danny but I’m glad that he didn’t just mimic the character the way that we’d expect.  The same goes for Vanessa Hudgens as Rizzo.  I was pretty let down for the majority of the production, only because I was so used to Stockard Channing.  But then she sang There Are Worse a Things I Could Do.  Then I connected with her and was so thankful that she landed this role.  It is also important to note that her father died the morning of this production but she still performed in his honor.  He would have been proud.  One of the biggest disappointments was Carlos PenaVega in a completely unmemorable performance as Kenickie.  For being one of the most integral characters in the story, he sure didn’t have much presence.  Julianne Hough was a different story.  She was absolutely perfect as Sandy and completely stole the show.  She rivals Oliva Newton-John in the perfect innocent appearance for Sandy and the emotional delivery of her songs.  She is already a star but this has definitely opened the backstage Broadway door for her.  The casting of Didi Conn (the original Frenchy) as Vi was inspired as she interacts with her “younger self.”  Mario Lopez was a no-brainer for Vince Fontaine and I was digging the use of Boyz II Men as an adaptation of the Teen Angel role.  They were probably the best inclusion of star power in the special.  Some of the onscreen transformations (Marty's costume change, the car in Grease Lightning) were like something out of a tv magic act where the live audience can see how the trick worked but the tv audience is amazed.  The inclusion of a live audience does not mean that it was intended to be seen by a live audience.  The car race looked pretty realistic.  I was wondering how they'd pull that off and they did a great job of tricking the eyes.  The unexpected finale was fantastic, once again breaking the fourth wall but turning into an all-out party.  This special preserves the 1950's counterculture and catchy songs of the original musical, but one thing that must be noted when discussing “Grease” is the moral of the story: Changing who you are is better than being yourself and sticking by it.  I love the music and the characters from this show, but I hope that the conclusion of the film opens the door for parents have a discussion with their impressionable daughters about why they should never compromise their morals for a boy.  “Grease: Live” had a lot of high points and low points but in the end, it was a success it is exciting to see Fox jumping onboard and hopefully this will lead to twice as many live musical productions in the future.

[Pictured: Of the many great performances in this production, Hough and Hudgens were the greatest]