Steve Jobs (2015) - 8 stars out of 10

Steve Jobs (2015) - 8 stars out of 10

"Steve Jobs" is a surprisingly unbecoming look at the cofounder of Apple.  This was nothing like what I expected.  The film is based on the biography of Steve Jobs in which he encouraged the interviewees to be honest and waived his right to preview the book before its release.  The honesty of this film is vivid.  Rather than detail the life events of Jobs, this film examines the character of this man.  We expect to see Jobs portrayed as a successful billionaire but it actually shows him to be an arrogant workaholic with an inability to communicate with his coworkers and daughter.  The story takes place in three acts and tells his story through the lens of three major product launches during his career – the Apple Macintosh, the NeXT Computer, and the iMac.  Danny Boyle's approach to creating a portrayal of Jobs is successful in that it is unique but it also falls short of expectations because we were all expecting a traditional biopic.  As long as you know what to expect, you will be blown away by the impeccable performances by Michael Fassbender and Kate Winslet that were both worthy of their Oscar nominations.  Seth Rogan, Jeff Daniels, and Katherine Waterston also turn in great performances that enhance this film’s realism.  The nonstop energy that permeates the film comes straight from the complex relationships between the various characters.  It is as if every relationship could be categorized into its own conflict: Man vs. Caring Assistant, Man vs. Freeloading Ex, Man vs. Friend (whom he treats terribly), Man vs. Inferior Coworker, Man vs. Boss, and most interestingly, Man vs. Mistreated Daughter.  There are so many emotions in this film and they all filter through Fassbender as he distributes them toward the appropriate party.  2016 was an incredibly strong year for film so it is no surprise that this film missed out on nominations in the directing, editing, and production categories, but it is a quality film with amazing acting performances and it is worth two hours of your time.

[Pictured: Incredible acting energizes the entire film]

OSCAR PREDICTIONS 2016

OSCAR PREDICTIONS 2016

Disclaimer: These are the films that I personally believe should win in each category, not my prediction of who I believe The Academy will choose.  Also, I did not see Boy & the World, Shaun the Sheep Movie, Straight Outta Compton, The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, or When Marnie Was There

Best Picture – 1st Pick: Room, 2nd Pick: The Revenant (but Spotlight will win)
Best Actor – 1st Pick: Leonardo DiCaprio, 2nd Pick: Bryan Cranston
Best Actress – 1st Pick: Brie Larson, 2nd Pick: Saoirse Ronan
Best Supporting Actor – 1st Pick: Tom Hardy, 2nd Pick: Sylvester Stallone
Best Supporting Actress – 1st Pick: Alicia Vikander, 2nd Pick: Kate Winslet
Best Director – 1st Pick: Lenny Abrahamson (Room), 2nd Pick: Alejandro G. Inarritu (The Revenant) should win, but George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road) will win
Cinematography – 1st Pick: The Revenant, 2nd Pick: Mad Max: Fury Road
Film Editing – 1st Pick: The Big Short, 2nd Pick: Mad Max: Fury Road
Original Screenplay – 1st Pick: Inside Out, 2nd Pick: Spotlight (will win)
Adapted Screenplay – 1st Pick: Room, 2nd Pick: The Big Short (will win)
Best Animated Feature – 1st Pick: Inside Out, 2nd Pick: Anomalisa
Best Documentary Feature – 1st Pick: Amy, 2nd Pick: Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom
Production Design – 1st Pick: Mad Max: Fury Road, 2nd Pick: The Revenant
Costume Design – 1st Pick: Cinderella, 2nd Pick: Mad Max: Fury Road
Makeup and Hairstyling – 1st Pick: Mad Max: Fury Road, 2nd Pick: The Reventant
Visual Effects – 1st Pick: Star Wars: The Force Awakens, 2nd Pick: Mad Max: Fury Road (but they all deserve to win)
Best Original Score – 1st Pick: Carter Burwell (Carol), 2nd Pick: Ennio Morricone (The Hateful Eight) will win
Best Original Song – 1st Pick: Writing’s On the Wall (from Spectre), 2nd Pick: Til It Happens To You (from The Hunting Ground)
Sound Editing – 1st Pick: Mad Max: Fury Road, 2nd Pick: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Sound Mixing – 1st Pick: Star Wars: The Force Awakens, 2nd Pick: Mad Max: Fury Road

Movie Reviews for 2016 Oscar Nominees

45 Years - http://jonnysdailymoviereview.blogspot.com/2016/01/45-years-5-stars-out-of-10.html
Amy - http://jonnysdailymoviereview.blogspot.com/2016/01/amy-2015-8-stars-out-of-10.html
Anomalisa - http://jonnysdailymoviereview.blogspot.com/2016/02/anomalisa-5-stars-out-of-10.html
The Big Short - http://jonnysdailymoviereview.blogspot.com/2016/02/the-big-short-9-stars-out-of-10.html
Bridge of Spies - http://jonnysdailymoviereview.blogspot.com/2016/02/bridge-of-spies-8-stars-out-of-10.html
Brooklyn - http://jonnysdailymoviereview.blogspot.com/2016/02/brooklyn-10-stars-out-of-10.html
Carol - http://jonnysdailymoviereview.blogspot.com/2016/01/carol-8-stars-out-of-10.html
Cartel Land - http://jonnysdailymoviereview.blogspot.com/2016/02/cartel-land-7-stars-out-of-10.html
Cinderella - http://jonnysdailymoviereview.blogspot.com/2015/04/cinderella-2015-10-stars-out-of-10.html
Creed - http://jonnysdailymoviereview.blogspot.com/2016/01/creed-10-stars-out-of-10.html
The Danish Girl - http://jonnysdailymoviereview.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-danish-girl-2015-4-stars-out-of-10.html
Ex Machina - http://jonnysdailymoviereview.blogspot.com/2016/01/ex-machina-9-stars-out-of-10.html
The Hateful Eight - http://jonnysdailymoviereview.blogspot.com/2016/02/the-hateful-eight-8-stars-out-of-10.html
Inside Out - http://jonnysdailymoviereview.blogspot.com/2015/06/inside-out-2015-10-stars-out-of-10.html
Joy - http://jonnysdailymoviereview.blogspot.com/2016/01/joy-2015-7-stars-out-of-10.html
The Look of Silence - http://jonnysdailymoviereview.blogspot.com/2016/02/the-look-of-silence-7-stars-out-of-10.html
Mad Max: Fury Road - http://jonnysdailymoviereview.blogspot.com/2015/12/mad-max-fury-road-8-stars-out-of-10.html
The Martian - http://jonnysdailymoviereview.blogspot.com/2015/11/the-martian-2015-9-stars-out-of-10.html
The Revenant - http://jonnysdailymoviereview.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-revenant-10-stars-out-of-10.html
Room - http://jonnysdailymoviereview.blogspot.com/2016/01/room-2015-10-stars-out-of-10.html
Sicario - http://jonnysdailymoviereview.blogspot.com/2015/12/sicario-2015-7-stars-out-of-10.html
Spotlight - http://jonnysdailymoviereview.blogspot.com/2016/02/spotlight-2015-8-stars-out-of-10.html
Star Wars: The Force Awakens - http://jonnysdailymoviereview.blogspot.com/2015/12/star-wars-episode-vii-force-awakens-10.html
Trumbo - http://jonnysdailymoviereview.blogspot.com/2016/01/trumbo-2015-8-stars-out-of-10.html
What Happened, Miss Simone? - http://jonnysdailymoviereview.blogspot.com/2016/02/what-happened-miss-simone-7-stars-out.html
Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom - http://jonnysdailymoviereview.blogspot.com/2016/02/winter-on-fire-ukraines-fight-for.html

Spotlight (2015) - 8 stars out of 10

Spotlight (2015) - 8 stars out of 10

I had really hoped that "Spotlight" would live up to the hype of 6 Oscar nominations and its status as the front runner for Best Picture.  It did not.  Expectations aside, I found this film to be interesting and well-done but not at the same level of Oscar contenders like “The Revenant,” “Room,” and “The Martian.”  The only nomination that I would have given to this film is to Tom McCarthy for his screenplay and its treatment of this sensitive subject matter.  The statistics are shocking and the stories of the victims are sad but the film never seems like an attack on the church.  The use of strong sexual language is limited to the first half of the movie, serving as a reference point that we can remember throughout the story without having to hear those words over and over again.  I think that the shock of hearing some of those terms is necessary to grasp the levity of the allegations but I appreciate that the script didn’t continually hit us over the head with graphic sexual explanations.  The film focuses on exploring investigative journalism instead of pushing a hidden agenda, and it is impressive that a story about new research could be so riveting.  The acting is above average, especially the Boston accents, but I disagree with the Oscar nominations of Rachel McAdams and Mark Ruffalo in the Supporting categories.  In fact, I enjoyed the acting of Stanley Tucci, Michael Keaton, and John Slattery more than either of them.  Ruffalo gets to shine in one emotional scene but his acting throughout the rest of the film is average when compared by this year’s performances by Steve Carrell and Idris Elba.  I’m not even sure what stood out about McAdams’ performance to bring her so much acclaim.  Outside of the acting, the atmosphere and sense of authenticity adds to the realism of the story.  It was appropriate to film on location at The Boston Globe where the Spotlight team's findings transpired.  “Spotlight” is a very good movie that handles sensitive events in a creative, informative, and nearly unoffensive way.  Just prepare yourself for two hours of depression and a film that may fall below your expectations for an Oscar contender.

[Pictured: The acting is good but the screenplay is great]