Back in Time (2015) - 7 stars out of 10

Back in Time (2015) - 7 stars out of 10

“Back in Time” is a nostalgic look at the creation of the “Back to the Future” series and its international fandom.  If you are not a fan of the films, this documentary will be meaningless to you.  If you are, you will be thrilled to see interviews with Robert Zemeckis, Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, and Steven Spielberg.  One of the most interesting aspects of the film is the ability to see pictures and footage of Eric Stoltz in the role of Marty McFly before it was recast.  It also chronicles the inspiration behind the story, the complex journey to bring it to a production company, and the unprecedented cultural impact of the DeLorean.  The documentary unearths new trivia, such as Michael J. Fox’s encounter with Princess Diana at a premier of the film and why the Jennifer character had to be written out of Part II and III.  Since the film represents all aspects of fandom, it sometimes feels disjointed.  The science behind actual hoverboards and the DeLorean convention are loosely related to the franchise but feel like filler.  “Back in Time” is a great walk down memory lane and is worth seeing if for no other reason than that it was released on October 21, 2015 - the day that Marty goes back to the future!

[Pictured: This film has every aspect of fandom including these people, the owners of three authentic vehicles featured in the series]

Zootopia - 10 stars out of 10

Zootopia - 10 stars out of 10

There is a lot more to “Zootopia” than a bunch of anthropomorphic animals coexisting in a city.  This allegorical presentation of racism and privilege in our society portrays its themes on a level that can be easily understood by any audience member.  Some might worry that the topical content is some form of political propaganda but its message just strives to make the world a better place.  Aside from the heavy themes, this is a well-written story of unlikely friendship between a fox and a bunny.  There is creativity around every corner, from the climatized design of the city and the unique Disney take on a cop story to the separation of the animals into two different classes (predators and prey) and the endless string of movie references.  So many films rely on one-liner jokes but this film succeeds because the humor lies in the situational comedy created by the story's concept.  Whether it is a giraffe dominating at volleyball or a bunch of lemmings following each other, the movie is funny at its core.  The final result is a balance of comedy and interesting storytelling that appeals to everyone.  I saw Zootopia in a sold out theater in which 50% of the audience was under the age of eight.  This seems like a miserable situation and yet, I did not hear a peep out of those kids. They were entirely engaged from start to finish and the adults never felt like they were watching a “kid movie.”  That is the measurement of a perfect family film.  The only misbehavior in the theater came from the two women sitting in front of me trying to illegally record the movie.  Speaking of pirating movies, one of the funniest moments of the entire film comes when a sleazy character is selling bootlegged Disney DVDs, including ones that haven't been released (Meowana, Giraffic).  But no scene can compare to the sloths at the DMV.  It is one of the funniest sequences in movie history.  It even has a few really great twists!  While most of the film was balanced, there were a few exceptions, like the inclusion of too much Shakira.  The scenes with the phone app were great and it helped the editors to incorporated the theme song into the film but much of her character could have been left on the cutting room floor.  I also feel that they could have milked a little more emotion out of this friendship story, though they nailed the climactic emotional moment.  It comes out of nowhere and hits so hard that you will surely tear up.  It is one of the most emotionally charged moments in animated film history.  The voice actors also bring a lot to the table.  Jason Bateman is the perfect voice for this sly fox, Ginnifer Goodwin’s voice really fits the appearance of her character, and who can resist the inclusion of J.K. Simmons, Octavia Spencer, and Idris Elba.  The animation is a visual masterpiece with the textures of its characters vividly bringing this fictional animal world to life.  The bunny fur looks so soft and enhances the cuteness of the characters (doesn't get much cuter than a fuzzy bunny from rural Bunnyburrow who aspires to become a cop and is named "Judy Hopps").  I was particularly struck by a scene where there is a badge sitting on a table and it looks too real to believe that it is animated.  The animation design is fastpaced and energetic which keeps the story moving and enhances the humor (the vermin neighborhood sequence).  The only disappointment of the night was that there was not a short before the feature!  You can't exactly hold it against this specific film but we've been spoiled with so many great shorts in recent memory that I look forward to them just as much as the feature.  I was very skeptical of “Zootopia” when I first heard its concept but Disney has managed to create another modern masterpiece that creates laughs for the entire family while embracing tough real-world themes.

[Pictured: The texture of Judy's fur is absolutely amazing]

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]

Hardball (2001) - 3 stars out of 10

Hardball (2001) - 3 stars out of 10
1350th Review

“Hardball” is everything that you expect from a “Bad News Bears”/”Mighty Ducks” story.  A reprehensible human is tasked with organizing a group of misfits into a sports team, and the coach is the one who is transformed in the end.  The story is formulaic but satisfying.  The acting of Keanu Reeves, however, is not satisfying.  His emotional moments feel overacted and the other 95% of him performance is completely emotionless.  The script gave him little more than a single monologue to prove his acting chops and the result is lackluster.  The whole gambling aspect of the story is rather overdramatic.  The ballplayers in the film are cute in a “kids say the darndest things” sort of way.  DeWayne Warren puts on a nice performance (though much of it is due to the “cuteness” of such a small child using profanity) and it offers a chance to see Michael B. Jordan 15 years before “Creed.”  There is a nice message in there about seeing the potential in a group of kids from the projects but it has been done better in other films.  “Hardball” provides a moderate amount of entertainment and a few heartwarming moments, but I’d recommend any great movie about teachers (“Mr. Holland’s Opus,” “Dead Poets Society”) before this one.

[Pictured: Gotta love Dewayne Warren!  He has most of the best lines in the film]

The Look of Silence - 7 stars out of 10

The Look of Silence - 7 stars out of 10

"The Look of Silence" is the second documentary by Joshua Oppenheimer with regard to the Indonesian Killings of 1965-66.  It's a tough sell because it presents the same information as "The Act of Killing" but in a less thorough way.  It's interesting to tackle this chapter in history through a personal narrative since the main character is emotionally invested due to the direct effect of these killings on his family.  He is an ophthalmologist and uses his profession to question each of his brother's killers under the guise of giving the individuals an eye exam.  It is an extraordinary circumstance, for this man to interview the killers without them realizing their hand in his brother's death.  Each killer demonstrates the remorselessness seen in “The Act of Killing” as, even once they realize that they were responsible for killing his brother, they continue to defend their actions and heartlessly justify the mass killings.  It is similar in tone and content to its predecessor but is less poignant because there is no moment of regret experienced by the killers.  All of the emotion comes from the victim.  Those emotions create a lot of empathy but it would be more powerful to see a transformation in the wrongdoers as they accept what they have done.  The film is not as captivating as “Amy” but manages to keep pace with the bold risks taken by “Winter on Fire” and “Cartel Land.”  Its crew stands in the face of danger as the anonymous main character and videographer confront some less than savory ex-soldiers.  “The Look of Silence” works as a nice supplement to “The Act of Killing” by relating the action of several murderers to a specific victim but it isn’t a strong enough standalone documentary to take down “Amy” for the Oscar.

[Pictured; The lack of remorse in the interviewees is disturbing]