Rising Sun - 3 stars out of 10

Rising Sun - 3 stars out of 10

“Rising Sun” is a decent crime film.  The only reason that anybody would really seek this film out is if they are a fan of Wesley Snipes and Sean Connery, but it is good enough to hold your interest for two hours.  The content of the film is definitely geared toward adults.  The crime revolves around a murder that occurs in the middle of a sexual act, which resulted in a graphic portrayal of the act and then a consistent revisiting of the scene throughout the film.  It definitely could have been done in a more tasteful, family-friendly manner but since I haven’t read the book, I can’t judge whether Michael Crichton’s original source material necessitated it.  I definitely prefer his stories about dinosaurs to this one.  Connery and Snipes offer average performances compared to their typical output and establish an interesting buddy-cop-but-not-buddies chemistry.  This is a great example of using a diverse cast to bring the characters to life.  The white-washing of Hollywood films is always a hot topic but this film proves two things: 1. Using actors of the proper ethnicity for their character helps to create realism.  2. When you properly use actors of ethnicity, you do not have to parade it around as a victory against racism.  This film was properly cast and it isn’t necessary to turn it into a political statement.  “Rising Sun” won’t leave you feeling like you wasted your time but there are hundreds of better crime films that I would recommend before prioritizing this one.

[Pictured: “Rising Sun” isn’t good but it isn’t terrible either]

Fences - 8 stars out of 10

Fences - 8 stars out of 10

“Fences” is an emotional expression of unfulfilled dreams, perceived (but not always present) racism, and 1950’s Americana.  It is an adaptation of Pulitzer Prize-winning play by August Wilson and is impressively acted by Denzel Washington and Viola Davis.  Denzel also directs the film, which is completely logical since his character drives every plot development in the film; in fact, I would estimate that there are less than 15 minutes where he is not onscreen.  His performance is full of emotion and the disillusionment of a man who is quick to blame his inadequacies in life on racism and a vindictive Grim Reaper.  He is a shoe-in for a Best Actor Oscar nomination and this is a guaranteed Best Actress Oscar win for Viola Davis, especially after she unexpectedly didn’t win for “The Help.”  She creates an amazing progression as her character passively yields to her husband, allows her silence to grow into a pensive frustration, and eventually explodes into a highlight-reel monologue that will earn a spot in the cinema hall of fame.  The film also includes impressive performances by Stephen McKinley Henderson, Jovan Adepo, and Russell Hornsby (plus an okay performance by Mykelti Williamson as Gabriel).  The natural chemistry between the cast comes from their collective involvement in the 2010 Tony Award-winning revival of the show on Broadway (with the exception of Adepo).  The chemistry creates an energy that fuels the unexpected twists and emotional outbursts that make the film so memorable.  The conversational nature of the first 20 minutes definitely feels like a play than a movie.  It creates some confusion as it lacks the scenic visuals that we expect in a movie, but it also lacks the intimacy of a play with a small cast.  However, everything feels more organic once the film hits its stride.  The theme of baseball serves as a relatable bridge between modern times and 1955 while the allegory of the fence creating a border between a man and everyone around him teaches an important lesson about empathy.  I really appreciate the Pittsburgh setting of this story and that the production staff elected to film it in a house in the Hill District to preserve its authenticity.  “Fences” offers the raw, dramatic performances that we crave during Oscar season and will help to preserve August Wilson’s play forever.

[Pictured: The entire cast is impressive, but these two are the reason that you must see "Fences"]

Vintage Tomorrows - 7 stars out of 10

Vintage Tomorrows - 7 stars out of 10

“Vintage Tomorrows” is an interesting look into the visually arresting world of Steampunk.  This documentary goes beyond the images that we all recognize and explores the social views of this movement.  This group of dreamers looks to the world that could have been and uses this perspective to create an atmosphere of optimism.  The interviews with experts help to bridge the ideals of the movement with the visuals that we have all seen.  The documentary is broken down into different chapters that give an informative, organized feel that is easy to follow.  The section on music was interesting but pretty odd.  The main draw for this film is the movement’s visual style that includes gears, goggles, and machines that show their inner workings on the outside.  It is slowly becoming visible in our culture with musicians like Justin Bieber embracing Steampunk in one of his music videos.  It is all about the details and really makes me want to revisit Discoveryland at Disneyland Paris to properly appreciate those details.  “Vintage Tomorrows” is a great film for anybody interested in art, fashion, and the ideas of romantic science fiction writers like Jules Verne.

[Pictured: This house on wheels is one of the coolest things in the film]

Toys (1992) - 1 star out of 10

Toys (1992) - 1 star out of 10

“Toys” is truly one of the worst movies I've ever seen, from its lifeless character to the Gettysburg Address/"I have a (Barbie) dream-house" war speech.  This long-winded approach to telling a short (uninteresting) story is painful in spite of its amazing artistic vision.  It is hard to imagine a movie this bad receiving Oscar nominations, but it is even harder to believe that it may have actually deserved the nomination for Best Art Direction!  The film places an inherently stupid story and overacted characters amidst a creative-looking toy factory and a vividly colorful landscape.  You’d expect powerful performances with names like Robin Wright Penn, Joan Cusack, Michael Gambon, Jamie Foxx, and LL Cool Jay (why not?) on the list but they are all awful.  I never imagined that Robin Williams could be so unfunny and unlikeable without it being intentional.  The worst part is that they all seem to think that they are contributing to a legitimate film.  I’d blame the editors but they must have known what they were getting into when they read this script.  Beyond the actors, I don't think that any audience watching a PG-13 movie is dumb enough to accept this as entertainment.  Is this supposed to be a comedy or... ?  They even had to Insert of a random music video because there isn't anything interesting about the transparent plot.  They probably thought that the 15-minute long toy battle sequence would be the big payoff but instead, it is unbearably long.  Outside of the cheesy slow-motion effects, the film hasn’t aged well with a factory full of toys that most kids have never seen in the iPad age.  They did somehow manage to unintentionally predict drone warfare.  “Toys” is a horrible film but if you can’t tell that from the cheesy Christmas opening sequence, you might actually enjoy parts of this movie.  But I doubt it so don’t bother.  What a waste of a triumphant Hans Zimmer score.

[Pictured: Need I say more?]

KidPoker - 7 stars out of 10

KidPoker - 7 stars out of 10

“KidPoker” is an awesome look at the life and career of poker star Daniel Negreanu.  From the origins of the KidPoker nickname to the amazing support of this mother, this film tells the entire story.  Anybody who has played Texas Hold ‘Em poker will be ecstatic while watching footage from some of Negreanu’s best poker tournament moments.  Even those who do not understand what the big deal is about these poker hands will be drawn in by the stories of his gambling away everything over and over again until he finally came out on top.  My favorite parts of the film are the interviews with Jennifer Harman, a rival poker player but still close friend of Negreanu.  This documentary does a great job of providing a behind the scenes look at the poker world.  I don’t know that “KidPoker” is going to turn anybody into a poker fan but for those who have seen Daniel Negreanu on the World Series of Poker and the World Poker Tour, this documentary will humanize him and make you appreciate his big wins even more.

[Pictured: Negreanu is one of the liveliest, most entertaining poker players in the business]

Contact (1997) - 6 stars out of 10

Contact (1997) - 6 stars out of 10

“Contact” is a realistic look at how man’s first contact with aliens might actually occur.  It is easy to draw comparisons to the recent hit “Arrival” but they are different enough that they can be treated as their own entities.  One of the main factors that maintains the realism is the lack of spaceships.  We all love “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” but the spaceships put the fiction is science fiction.  Moreover, this film focuses more on the debate of science-vs-religion than it does the actual aliens.  I didn’t appreciate the blatant anti-religious sentiments, nor were they necessary.  I understand that the film is trying to make a statement about the struggle for science and religion to coexist but it clearly favors science and portrays religion as a disillusioned, extremist belief.  The casting is interesting.  I would never picture Jodie Foster and Matthew McConaughey in the same film but they work well together.  I don't know if there is a reason for Foster's constant throat clearing (perhaps some line that I missed about the dust of New Mexico bothering her allergies?) but it is very distracting.  James Woods plays the snotty Congressional investigator well and John Hurt brings an interesting dynamic to his character, but overall the acting is nothing special.  Something that is special is the work of the special effects team.  One of the best moments of the film is the payoff when we get to see the machine and the editing team did a great job of using news footage to explain how the machine works.  Director Robert Zemeckis harnesses his inner-Kubrick for the wormhole sequence and interprets space travel in a surrealist way that looks so fantastic that we have to believe it.  I wish that there was more resolution at the end but it is appropriate for leaving things open-ended.  “Contact” was decades in the making for Warner Brothers and while it science-vs-religion theme gets in the way of the story, it still delivers during the final 20 minutes of the film.

[Pictured: The setting it pretty cool, I just wish that the anti-religious statements didn’t get in the way]

Call Northside 777 - 3 stars out of 10

Call Northside 777 - 3 stars out of 10

“Call Northside 777” is not as good as you might think from reading the synopsis.  I appreciate that the film is based on a true story but I expected a riveting thriller and got a slow-paced look at the newspaper world.  The ending is fascinating… it’s just too bad that the method of getting to the last 20 minutes is painfully slow.  Those 20 minutes combined with the performances by Stewart, Lee J. Cobb, Helen Walker, and Richard Conte are enjoyable, but that’s about it.   I suppose that each piece of the puzzle is interesting if you look at it individually but in context, it seems like we’re moving in slow motion to get from one point to the next.  I found issues with the film from the very start, particularly the opening narration about prohibition for the first 10 minutes.  If I hadn’t known that Jimmy Stewart was in it, I likely would have assumed it was a documentary and turned it off.  Even the title of the film has very little to do with the story.  Once you start watching “Call Northside 777,” you can’t stop because you have to find out if Stewart can prove the prisoner innocent.  But if you never start, you probably won’t be missing much.

[Pictured: The mystery is interesting but its development is not]