“First Reformed” Film Review

First Reformed is the latest from Paul Schrader, a legendary filmmaker known for penning such classics as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and The Last Temptation of Christ. Our story follows Rev. Toller (Ethan Hawke), a man in his mid-forties running First Reformed Church, a historical landmark owned by a local megachurch. Toller is preparing the grounds for a special anniversary service, which will host a star-studded congregation and be simulcasted to the megachurch. Meanwhile, he begins counseling a young pregnant couple, as the wife Mary (Amanda Seyfried) is concerned about her husband Michael’s lack of drive and his desire to have an abortion.

Schrader’s works are known for protagonists suffering great personal turmoil and struggle, and this film is no different. Toller is a complex man with many problems, both internal and external, and First Reformed is a complex and compelling exploration of what factors lead to his personal crisis. It may not end up as Schrader’s most memorable film, but it is certainly a return to form for the veteran as he has crafted a truly remarkable work. *SPOILERS AHEAD!*

“Sicario 2” Film Review

Sicario: Day of the Soldado, directed by Stefano Sollima and written by Taylor Sheridan, stars Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro as a CIA Agent and hitman who become embroiled in conflict along the U.S.-Mexico border. While the subject matter and cast is largely the same, it loses the guiding hand of director Denis Villenueve, the vision of cinematographer Roger Deakins, and the groundedness of star Emily Blunt. Can the film transcend these shortcomings and live up to the mammoth expectations of the original?

Five Faves #5: “Whiplash” (2014)

We’ve reached the end of my Five Faves series, chronicling my five favorite films of all time! We’re ending the series with a bang today…pun intended, because we’re talking about Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash, following an ambitious jazz drumming student (Miles Teller) who is taken under the wing of abusive instructor Terrence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons). The film earned significant accolades during its theatrical run, nabbing three surprise Oscars, but I feel it deserves even more credit than it’s gotten. This is a modern masterpiece.

“American Animals” Film Review

American Animals was written and directed by Bart Layton, formerly known for his work on documentary features such as 2012’s The Impostor…which makes sense, given his latest film’s documentary-style, format-breaking approach. It follows the true story of four college students – Warren, Spencer, Chas, and Eric – who conspire to steal a collection of valuable art books from their on-campus library. The film cuts back and forth between the dramatization of past events and present-day interviews with the real-life participants in the heist, nearly fifteen years later.

I’m just gonna come out and say it: this movie was fantastic. I was not expecting something this visceral, this intense walking into the theater, and I got an edge-of-your-seat experience that I haven’t had in quite a while. On top of that, Layton takes care to flesh out the primary characters and make sense of their daring feat when, in reality, their motivations didn’t seem to make much sense. Far more ambitious than anyone thought it needed to be, and it (mostly) worked beautifully. (Some spoilers ahead!)

Five Faves #4: “The Social Network” (2010)

Welcome to entry #4 in my Five Faves series, chronicling my five favorite films of all time! We’ve already discussed Pulp Fiction, In Bruges, and The Dark Knight, and today we’re looking at Aaron Sorkin and David Fincher’s collaborative masterpiece, The Social Network (2010). The biopic based on the book by Ben Mezrich follows a young Mark Zuckerberg at Harvard as he builds Facebook from the ground up, and the resulting personal and legal drama with both his friends and rivals.

At first glance, some may find it strange that a story involving two legal disputes, a bunch of technical and financial jargon, and no discernable structure could be one of the most engaging dramas of the past decade. But Aaron Sorkin works his magic to craft a tense, gripping experience thanks to a few weird tricks. (Directors HATE him! You won’t believe #12!!!) Clickbait aside, let’s dive deeper into the script of The Social Network and try to make some sense of the madness…

The Problem(s) with Video Game Movies

Hollywood has tried (and mostly failed) to adapt a video game to the silver screen several times now…34 times in fact, since 1993. The results have not been promising, ranging from just okay (this year’s Rampage and Tomb Raider) to mediocre (Warcraft, Assassin’s Creed) to just atrocious (Postal, Alone in the Dark). As an enthusiast of both video games and films, I want to explore the factors contributing to the shocking lack of quality in the genre, and what challenges are standing in the way of our first truly great video game adaptation.

“Upgrade” Film Review

Upgrade is the latest film from writer/director Leigh Whannell, formerly known as a horror writer on the Saw and Insidious franchises. His sci-fi thriller stars Logan Marshall-Green as Grey, a man who is paralyzed in an accident and watches his wife get murdered. Grey undergoes experimental surgery to repair his body that also introduces him to STEM, an AI that can speak to him and control his body to perform superhuman feats of strength, as he hunts down the men responsible for his wife’s death.

I had low expectations for this one going in. A low-budget Blumhouse flick with a no-name cast and an ex-horror director didn’t exactly scream virtuoso writing. But what I did get was a mostly-pleasant surprise: a competent thriller with excellent action sequences and compelling philosophical themes, despite some shortcomings in the acting and writing departments.

My Top 10 Anticipated Films of 2018

We’re in the thick of summer blockbuster season at the moment, which is not typically my favorite time of year for cinema as strong writing and well-crafted stories are set aside for flashy visual effects and lowest-common-denominator fare. While the awards contenders won’t be released until the end of the calendar year, it’s never too early to look ahead and speculate on what the best films of the year might be! While limited information is available for some of the films on the list, I’ve compiled the ten films that I’m most looking forward to from the upcoming year.