Passengers (2016) - 7 stars out of 10

Passengers (2016) - 7 stars out of 10

“Passengers” is a creative look at helplessness in the desolate depths of space.  Unlike recent space dramas that place their characters within view of earth, this unconventional love story takes place midway between earth and the new habitation of Homestead II.  The critics didn't like this story because of the questionable moral decision made by the main character, but that decision is what makes the film so compelling!  By placing the morality at the very heart of the story, if forces us to self-analyze and question which decision we would have made.  Does it make the love story incredibly amiss?  Of course.  That’s what gives the film its depth.  The Oscar-nominated score by Thomas Newman blends his typical beautiful themes with electronic sororities to create a futuristic sound and transport us into deep space.  I think that the Academy really got it right when they gave “Passengers” a nomination for Best Production Design.  This conceptualization and execution of a spaceship that could travel 120 years across the universe is believable in every detail and accounts for everything that a crew and passengers would need for the journey.  Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence deliver the chemistry that we hoped for.  Their relationship undergoes a unique progression and they take the time to explore each facet.  Michael Sheen is so good as Arthur that I still have yet to accept that he is not actually an android.  The special effects are also on point with the gravity loss sequence is one of the single coolest moments that I have ever seen in a movie.  “Passengers” may not be the greatest film in the history of cinema but it is a lot more enjoyable than the critics would have you believe.  Give it a chance and you will be wowed by a unique setting, excellent chemistry, and a story whose difficult moral question will leave you thinking.

[Pictured: Love this setting, love these actors, love that the story makes you think]

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - 6 stars out of 10

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - 6 stars out of 10

“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” expands the Harry Potter universe to the United States.  Even better, it shows us what the wizarding world was like in the 1920’s.  Unfortunately, this feels like a total money grab for J.K. Rowling.  The creatures and special effects are visually interesting but as far as a story, this film does not have much to offer.  It lacks the memorable characters, epic story, and heart of the Harry Potter series.  Outside of the Potter label, I would find this to be a decent fantasy film but it doesn’t deliver the quality expected of the franchise.  You would expect Eddie Redmayne to be the highlight of the film but his performance was surprisingly bland.  I have noticed a downward trend in the quality of his acting since his Oscar-winning performance in “The Theory of Everything” and this seems to be yet another example.  The best performance actually Katherine Waterston who is amazing in every role that she plays (particularly “Inherent Vice” and “Steve Jobs”).  Notable actors Colin Farrell, Ezra Miller, Jon Voight, and Johnny Depp are also present but this film is more about the cool CGI creatures than it is about acting.  The score by James Newton Howard is one of the film’s finest features and I would’ve liked to see it receive an Oscar nomination.  This cheeky score blends playful 1920's ragtime with gorgeous musical themes.  It was an important departure from the original series’ mystical theme by John Williams as it helps to establish the new mainly Muggle setting.  “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” is an enjoyable film but gains its quality through special effects instead of memorable acting performances.  J.K. Rowling was celebrated for bringing finality to the Harry Potter series instead of letting it drag on forever; unfortunately, this film (plus its FOUR anticipated sequels) seem to be more about the money than about contributing to the literary world.

[Pictured: The niffler steals our heart but the human characters do not]

Life, Animated - 7 stars out of 10

Life, Animated - 7 stars out of 10

"Life, Animated" tells the incredible story of Owen Suskind, an autistic boy who found his voice through the dialogue of Disney films.  It was very brave of this family to allow cameramen to infiltrate their lives for two years but director Roger Ross Williams has treated the material in a gentle and honorable way.  It taps into every parent’s fears as this seemingly typical toddler suddenly loses his ability to communicate and relate to others.  We see the family struggle as doctors and special schools could not seem to reach a breakthrough with Owen’s struggles until finally, a simple line of dialogue from a Disney film turned their lives around.  What follows are moments of extreme joy as Owen thrives in school because of the moral lessons learned from Disney films.  There are also moments that are incredibly sad when he gets lonely and sees himself as a sidekick without a hero to help.  The stories from Owen's childhood are inspirational and emotional, but the documentary takes a turn once it starts chronicling his relationship with his girlfriend.  It is important to see that Owen becomes a functioning member of society but it made for a slow second half that lacks the purpose of the first half.  I also feel that they missed a chance to create more awareness about autism.  We get a very basic understanding of the condition but this film is definitely more about Disney than it is about autism.  Stylistically, the story is enhanced by original animation that brings each chapter of Owen’s childhood to life.  It steps out of chronological order so that we can understand where Owen has been and where he is headed all at the same time.  As a Disney fan, I admittedly relished the opportunity to revisit some of my favorite classics and the scene with the surprise guests was priceless.  I don’t anticipate “Life, Animated” winning the Oscar for Best Documentary but it is certainly worth watching to see how Disney movies changed one boy’s life for the better.

[Pictured: The original animations help to bring Owen’s incredible story to life]

Moana (2016) - 8 stars out of 10

Moana (2016) - 8 stars out of 10

“Moana” is the latest coming-of-age adventure from Disney.  It follows in the tradition of animated musicals with original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda that mix pop music with a healthy dose of Polynesian culture.  Still, “Moana” will be remembered mainly for being one of the most visually beautiful Disney movies ever produced.  “Frozen” innovated with an artistic use of ice and “Moana” continues the innovation with water.  The artists really captured the natural movement of water as well as its interaction with humans (and demigods).  For me, this is where the comparisons to “Frozen” end.  I have been told by many that they prefer it to “Frozen” and I believe that they are speaking from movie-burn-out.  It is no secret that “Frozen” has been overplayed and overdone, but its songs, story, balance between fantasy and realism, integration of music into the story, and voice acting are superior to “Moana.”  I'm so thankful to be a part of the second Disney Renaissance even though this is the “Hercules” of the group: Highly entertaining, full of clever comedy, but definitely not “The Lion King.”  My favorite part of the film are the tender moments between Moana and her grandmother.  They are everything that we love in a Disney movie and I shed a few tears multiple times.  Something that we don’t expect in a Disney movie is that there isn’t really a villain.  This film’s conflict is truly “man vs. nature” as well as “girl vs. growing up.”  I appreciate that the entire cast is made up of actors from the South Pacific.  Auli’I Cravalho gives an inspired performance in the singing and speaking roles of Moana, Temuera Morrison (the voice of Boba Fett!!!) delivers the role of Moana’s father very well, and I was pleased with Dwayne Johnson’s singing and speaking voice for this role.  They even got retired Pittsburgh Steeler Troy Polamalu in on the fun!  There are some excellent visual moments in the film like the genius decision to put 3D animated characters into a 2D animated world for Maui's "Your Welcome" song.  All of the sailing sequences were put together really well and the animation of the hair was the best since “Brave.”  The place where the film lost me was the whole Tamatoa (giant crab) piece of the story.  It didn’t fit in with the realistic journey of Moana and felt like a forceful way for the writers to squeeze another “fun” song into the story.  Speaking of the music, I was actually pretty let down by Miranda’s songs.  “How Far I’ll Go” is destined to be a favorite forever (hence the Oscar nomination) and I love how that theme was incorporated throughout the film at important moments, from its initial performance to the reprise before her journey and again as part of “I Am Moana.”  The rest of the songs either feel forced into the story or completely out of place (“Shiny”), giving credence to Maui’s joke of “If you start singing, I’m going to throw up.”  Also, I found the film to be a lot less believable than a lot of Disney’s fantasy films.  I jokingly commented at the beginning of the film “I hope that this one doesn’t have a singing volcano” in reference to last year’s “Lava,” but then… I understand that the writers were trying to depict the Polynesians’ connection to the earth and I couldn’t have conceptualized it any better, but it made it much more difficult to buy into the story.  On a more pleasant note, the one-line jokes throughout this film are great.  There are a ton of laugh out loud moments and when you pair them with the antics of Heihei, the story finds a good balance of serious journey and fun for the whole family.  “Moana” didn’t like up to the hype surrounding it but it is a great addition to the Disney catalog and a worthy recipient of a Best Animated Feature Oscar nomination.

[Pictured: The realism of the characters and the setting is beyond any other Disney animation to date]

Manchester by the Sea - 7 stars out of 10

Manchester by the Sea - 7 stars out of 10

I love the concept of "Manchester by the Sea."  The first half of the film creates a multidimensional story carried by Casey Affleck's emotionally detached character and the mystery behind his disposition.  There are an endless number of directions for this film to move after this incredible setup.  A paternal bond, an opportunity to make amends for past mistakes, a rekindled romance, facing the demons from your past, starting a new life, a transformation of character, a complete mental breakdown... This film could have chosen any theme that it wanted and instead, it chose none of them.  From the time that the mystery is revealed, nothing happens.  As I reflect on this film, I find it a struggle to spot the amazing characteristics that earned its critical acclaim.  Michelle Williams has one amazing emotional scene that I do agree is worthy of a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination.  Lucas Hedges shows potential during the freezer scene but it ends before he reaches the emotional level that l expect for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination.  Affleck is the front runner for the Best Actor Oscar but without some sort of transformation (for better or for worse), his performance is (intentionally) unemotional.  As much as I loved the unfolding of the story for the first hour, I have some issues with the script.  There is my obvious frustration with the missed potential to make a strong movement in literally any direction; however, I was equally frustrated by the amount of unnecessary language.  I understand the realism that it is trying to establish but the film could have made a great PG-13 movie and had the same effect without dozens of f-words.  The script cleverly reveals information and draws parallels to the past through flashbacks but I don't find it worthy of an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay.  There are also issues with the pacing as it just seems to plot along without much purpose.  This film does a good job of capturing the New England rough around the edges atmosphere through its cinematography and mastery of the accent by the entire cast.  It also capitalizes on the film trend of examining real life situations with raw acting and simple scenes of dialogue.  "Manchester by the Sea" isn't a bad film but I expected a lot more out of a film with six Oscar nominations and a lot of hype surrounding it.  It has left an imprint on the present but will likely be forgotten within the next few years.

[Pictured: This scene with Michelle Williams is incredible but I found the rest of the film to be uninspired as it drags along]

13th - 6 stars out of 10

13th - 6 stars out of 10

“13th" is an exposé on high crime rates in America with a focus on unfair treatment of the African American community.  This documentary examines the American criminal justice system with regard to the effects of racially fueled political decisions throughout history.  The film shows the justice system to be a form of “modern slavery” with prisoners being put to work manufacturing products for large corporations (and the title refers to the 13th Amendment which allows a man to be put into servitude as the result of a crime).  It dives deep into the disproportion between Caucasian males that will spend time in prison (1 out of 17) compared to African American males (1 out of 3).  While the statistics are rather shocking, the truly interesting piece of this documentary is its attention to historical events that led to rising prison numbers.  Unfortunately, I found much of the rhetoric in this documentary to be misled.  Director Ava DuVernay argues that it was unfair to charge African American men more harshly for using crack than Caucasian men for using cocaine during the Reagan era, but why are we ignoring the fact that they were illegally using drugs?  I am not disputing that the punishment should be comparable for these similar offenses, but it is bothersome that the film fails to point out that they all deserved jail time for illegally using or distributing drugs.  I noticed a similar theme when the filmed touched on the events in Ferguson, Missouri.  It praises the protesters for standing up for what they believe, but at the same time it seeks to absolve the rioters of any wrongdoing as they vandalize and steal.  I’m not going to take a political stance on these situations but it’s bothersome that the directors get so caught up in their statistics that they miss an opportunity to remind us that illegal actions have consequences.  I appreciate that this documentary touches on the power of labeling.  It's a lot easier to envision a person as guilty when they are labeled as a burglar than if we called them a man accused of burglary.  I think that this is the powerful statement about the unfair reputation given to innocent African Americans through labeling.  It is no surprise that this is nominated for the Best Documentary Oscar.  The real question is whether the Academy will gravitate toward the political vote, the historical vote for O.J. Simpson, or the emotional vote for something like "Life, Animated."  “13th" presents a lot of good arguments regarding the disproportionate statistics regarding inmates based on race; however, I can’t call this information “truth” I believe that the editors and director irresponsibly misrepresent the fact that most of these people do deserve to be in jail for doing something illegal, maybe just for a shorter sentence.

[Pictured: “13th” provides powerful interviews but forgets to mention that illegal actions should require some form of justice]