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Good Kill (2014)
All around missed opportunity
It's Summer 2021 and the whole world knows about what's happening in Afghanistan. 20 years of progress (or lack thereof) depending on which eye you shut behind the red or blue lense of your 3D glasses.
And 3D glasses are essentially what we have at this time. But we don't toss them into the recycle after our matinee feature. We toss them into our pocket when we realize we need two hands to perform a task-- say driving a car...
Major Thomas Egan (played by Hawke) is a skilled drone strike operator. He is accompanied by others who verbalize their opinions on the morality of the situation. Some are red and some are blue. However, Egan reserves judgment-- at least on the surface. He is inward and withdrawn but there's no question that this job affects him deeply. But that's where the film loses focus. We learn that whether or not Egan agrees with the cost/benefits of pondering the morality of the drone strike campaign that he is at least feeling detached with the mechanics of the situation. He wants to fly a REAL plane and fulfill his duties on the ground. This is where the film could have reached another level. Unfortunately, it is distracted by awkward dialogue between him and his wife Molly (played by January Jones). Hawke is a fantastic actor and did what he could with the material. Jones falls short slightly. And for where the film goes we really need both of them in tip-top performance to feel invested. I end up not caring about his family situation as it feels hollow and shoe-horned.
Andrew Niccol, who wrote Gattaca (1997), The Truman Show (1998), The Terminal (2004), clearly did well writing characters who find themselves in increasingly uncomfortable situations yet find the courage to improvise in an attempt to leave those situations. They work because the rules of the worlds are up to him. However, in Good Kill, our protagonist is in a real-world situation. While the rules of foreign policy aren't as clear to us as we'd like them we still have an intuition that navigating them carefully is extremely important.
Because of the wooden family and lack of focus it doesn't feel like Egan has anything to risk. Therefore the conclusion drawn falls flat.
Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985)
A True Burton Classic!
Synopsis:
Pee-wee Herman, a boyish adult who finds joy in the strangest places, loses his most precious possession: His Bike! Facing the quirkiest scenarios, Pee-wee sets out to find his bike embarking on a remarkable adventure.
Review:
We already know Pee-wee from the early '80's TV show. But we see Pee-wee in a much stranger world created by the ever-so-strange Tim Burton. This vision is what lifted Pee-wee's character and legacy to new heights.
While funny, quirky, and just downright silly, this film carries with it a darkish tone which adds to the suspense of the film. While a scene may just be silly, Burton's vision just makes it remarkable. For instance, in one scene Pee-wee finds himself abandoned in the middle-of-no-where only to be picked up by a creepy trucker. This trucker, inconsiderate of hitch-hiking etiquette, finds it necessary to immediately terrorize Pee- wee with a creepy story. But just before the story ends the audience finds themselves asking, "What the hell was that?!!"
Pee-wee's humor is redundant but never gets old and especially when Pee- wee is furious. He acts much like a 10 year old boy would. But honestly, we all want to act out like 10 year olds, we just don't want to admit it.
If you haven't seen this film then give it a watch. It's only 90 min and will at least weird you out! Also, if you're a Tim Burton fan, you owe it to him to see it.
They Live (1988)
Reptillian Shapeshifters! Oh snap!
Synopsis:
I know John Carpenter through his film Halloween (1978) which has become an American Movie Classic. Having heard about Carpenter's other works I had just never found the time to see another until recently.
They Live is a story about a 'nameless' man who becomes aware of the world he lives in through the most unusual circumstances. And this world is much different than what you and I are familiar with. Upon this discovery, he becomes driven to exploit this 'other world' to the rest of the sheep out there. Filled with suspense, action, and quirky humor, this film has put me on a Carpenter binge.
Review:
If you're a conspiracy theorist, this film will blow you away. One reason this is true is because how the 'uncovering' is played out. It seems that the enlightenment that our nameless character experiences is much like the creepy terms "sooner than you think
" and "before you know it
" in which the events you just discovered have already tread an almost irreversible path. In addition, there are always a million people who just aren't going to believe a word you're saying. And this aspect is evident during a pretty gnarly fight sequence.
The humor of this film is awesome. Our nameless character is a buff-all- American tough guy who makes parody of the Stallone and Schwarzenegger personas giving a clear idea of the tone Carpenter possesses in regards to those types of action figures. With cheap cliché idioms and catchphrases Carpenter owns this aspect of the film creating a character whose comic appeal turns out being more badass than Stallone or Schwarzenegger.
Many have complained about the special effects of this film giving it a poor review. I might contend that the special effects, although cheap, in fact ADD to the strange and bizarre nature of the world that our nameless character uncovers.
Obey my command and see this film. Do not question it.
Before Sunrise (1995)
The Story That "Titanic" Needed But Didn't Deserve!
I have been aware of this film for quite some time having never seen it. Perhaps this is for the best for I was too young to understand the raw substance this film contained.
Synopsis:
Before Sunrise brings to life an experience between two human beings who find themselves connected to one another. With only a single day to themselves before heading back to their "lives" these two creatures engage in a dialogue about love, death, and life while enjoying the scenes of Vienna, Austria.
Review:
For a film that is virtually all dialogue, Before Sunrise holds up remarkably well. It's a great capture of human interaction contrasting other well-made dialogue films like: Glengarry Glen Ross and 12 Angry Men.
The day that transpires between these two is entertaining, funny, and inspires one's own thoughts into the topics discussed between Celine and Jesse. It is not the typical love story. It's a love story where two people discuss their views on love and whether or not love itself even exists.
A scene following the characters departing from a train to spend the day together reveals honest direction of dialogue between Jesse and Celine. While they had just met only a few hours before, they both confess to their feelings of awkwardness after their spontaneous decision to get to know each other. Honesty captured in this way is very nice to see. Instead of trying to correct this awkwardness, they acknowledge it and decide to take the moment wherever it leads. Astounding!
What follows are healthy discussions and honest debates about the topics they address all while being vulnerable and having nothing to lose, except for their short time together.
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
Alice in Burtonland !!!
As an avid viewer in the cinematic world, I must trust that most directors indeed have good intentions. It is after viewing a set of film's that we may begin making assessments. I could not comment on whether or not this film's main influence was that of gaining a quick few extra bucks. However, I can say that being a huge fan of Tim Burton's films, I can't say I was disappointed. I felt the film was honest. And to judge this film based on Burton's other works or the actual story behind this set of characters is a bit useless. Burton always adds his tweaks, variations, and style to most of his works. I'm in favor of a director taking a story and expressing their interpretation of it. Therefore, I would recommend adding this film to the Burton fan's collection. Enjoy!
Tiptoes (2002)
An Awful Film
So my girlfriend's mom rented this movie on Netflix. She claimed this movie had a great surprise. Don't worry! I won't give anything away! I assumed that "being a surprise" would somehow relate some aspect of the film to something in my life. This was wasteful and unnecessary thinking on my part. This movie was a 90 minute reel of soap opera acting. Apparently, the surprise to be communicated was the fact that Matthew McConaughey even starred in this film despite his already established success. Please do not watch this film. If so, be sure to arm yourself with the remote to turn it off when it finally hits you; and maybe an i Pod or mp3 just in case (GOD forbid) someone else in your vicinity enjoys this film. No acting, bad casting, no plot (just boring actually) and a horrible horrible film score. Thanks!
Rocky Balboa (2006)
A sixth sequel to the Academy award winning film Rocky. A story about one who can and will prove himself to the world.
I highly recommend seeing this movie if you liked the first Rocky. I went and saw it Christmas Day 2006 with my father and sister. My father had seen the first Rocky back in 1976 and loved it. The new Rocky had that same emotion like the first one. People were in the theater making fun of Rocky saying, "Oh, so when is Rocky XIX coming out?!" "Come on you old man!" But I think anybody who liked the story and could relate to it would actually walk out of the theater and say, " That was a darn good movie" It had a lot of the silent sort of scenes where that early morning Philadelphia song would come in. GO SEE IT! RENT IT! YOU WILL LIKE IT!
If you don't, you probably never seen the first one, put down movies a lot, or are just insane. Enjoy!