Foxcatcher

— Good acting and an intriguing story on which it was based aren’t enough to keep this film from falling a little short of the mark. We offer directors leeway in biopics to make the experience more meaningful, allowing fact and fiction to be blurred. “Foxcatcher” feels like there’s been a blurring but I’m not sure any meaning has been added. Instead, it almost seems like some background information has been hidden so we wouldn’t fully understand things. It’s still better than many films, but not among the best of the year in my mind. Once it was over, I just didn’t know what to do with it other than wish I’d seen a documentary version of the story instead.

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[2014. 129 min. Directed by Bennett Miller. Starring Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, and Mark Ruffalo.]
http://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/cannes-film-review-foxcatcher-1201185646/

The Guest

— Kudos to Dan Stevens who is a perfect pyscho killing machine. This thriller (DVD) takes a traditional, bloody, and fiery path to its inevitable conclusion, but Stevens is so adept at equal parts of charm and menace that it’s fun just to watch everything play out. Even the music and sets are perfect at advancing the story and mood. There’s something so smooth about it that it almost makes you feel you’re part of some inside joke that raises this from B-List to sleek, pop, cult classic.

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[2014. 99 min. Directed by Adam Wingard. Starring Dan Stevens, Sheila Kelley, Maika Monroe, Brendan Meyer, and Leland Orser.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-guest-2014

Inherent Vice

— I tried to see “Inherent Vice” as a remarkable film, but I kept wanting it to be a bit more coherent, perhaps even have a storyline. Instead, I got something outside the normal range of narrative, something more free-flowing and possibly free-falling. Joaquin Phoenix is very good as the stoner detective tackling a case for his former girlfriend, but the path is more a series of encounters, linked vaguely, and the situations mostly outside any control. Sometimes you start to think you’re in the same drug-induced state rampant on screen, or maybe that’s just wishful thinking. Not tidy, not quick, barely resolved. I think I have a love/hate relationship with Paul Thomas Anderson’s film where I feel like I might love them but I just can’t understand how I sat through the entire film.

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[2014. 148 min. Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin, Owen Wilson, and Katherine Waterston.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/inherent-vice-2014

The Normal Heart

— I finally watched the HBO version of Larry Kramer’s “The Normal Heart” (DVD). It’s incredibly moving and a fantastic cast reminds us how we, as a nation, let so many die while taking no real action for years to stop the epidemic. The failure to even acknowledge the crisis or to help so large a segment of the population, particularly when contrasted with the recent, all-out concern over Ebola, should anger each of us and remind us that inaction can be an unforgiveable action.

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[2014. 132 min. Directed by Ryan Murphy. Starring Mark Ruffalo, Matt Bomer, Taylor Kitsch, Jim Parsons, and Julia Roberts.]
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/23/arts/television/mark-ruffalo-stars-in-larry-kramers-the-normal-heart.html

American Sniper

— “American Sniper” surprised me. Admittedly, I like most of the films Clint Eastwood directs, but this is almost on a par with his best. No matter what anyone says, this isn’t a political statement or patriotic propaganda. It’s what Eastwood does best—focusing on the inner struggles of a character. Bradley Cooper deserves his Oscar nomination for this subtle unfolding of his struggle with the realities of war. Cooper’s character isn’t whitewashed or glorified. He’s there with all his flaws, pushing any anguish and doubt about killing into the farthest recesses of his mind for a greater good, and then having to find redemption and a way back. This is a powerful film and a very troubling one. It is certainly among the better films of the year and well worth seeing.

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[2014. 132 min. Directed by Clint Eastwood. Starring Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, and Kyle Gallner.]
http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/American-Sniper-review-A-sly-war-film-from-6016035.php /41808

Selma

— This is a film that’s worth seeing, particularly for viewers who may be unaware of the struggle for equality in 1965. Unfortunately, important as the story is, the film could have used tighter scripting and editing. The writer seems to rely too heavily on private (and lengthy) conversations instead of letting the visuals help convey the emotion and conflict inherent in the events. This seems like a mistake given the competent actors associated with the film. The good news is the conversations do add some depth and complexity to the view we’re given of King and his associates and colleagues. The bad news is that the struggle for equality continues today.

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[2014. 128 min. Directed by Ava DuVernay. Starring David Oyelowo, Carmen Ejogo, Tim Roth, and Tom Wilkinson.]
http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/movies/2015/01/08/selma-man-and-icon-are-one/Y0Lwpo0jgObbHSSFghbYGN/story.html /41808

Pride

— A look at an historical moment when striking mineworkers and gay and lesbian Londoners forged an unlikely solidarity and friendship. “Pride” (DVD) is based on a true story from 1984, when such an alliance was much more unlikely than it might be today, and it is an uplifting film that escapes being preachy or sentimental, although it doesn’t shy away from an occasional tried-and-true formula to bring a lump to your throat. A good cast makes the film even more enjoyable and I’d recommend it as an enjoyable film to watch as well as a reminder of the similarity of our individual struggles and the beauty of our differences.

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[2014. 120 min. Directd by Matthew Warchus. Starring Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Dominic West, George McKay, and Ben Schnetzer.]
http://www.theyoungfolks.com/review/allys-movie-review-pride/41808

Whiplash

— A surprisingly good film given that I didn’t recognize either of the two actors’ names or the director. As it ends up, the second I saw J.K. Simmons on screen I knew who he was and, after his incredible performance in “Whiplash”, I’ll recognize his name in the future. The film is also surprisingly interesting for a film about jazz and drumming that focuses on the conflict, bullying, respect, passion, obsession, and ambition of a young, jazz drummer and the teacher who takes him to the edge and a little beyond. There’s a frenzy to the experience that’s absolutely perfect.

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[2014. 107 min. Directed by Damien Chazelle. Starting Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/whiplash-2014

The Imitation Game

— A good story about patriotism, greater good, emotion and detachment, expectations, sexuality, fairness, and the birth of the computer. Yes, it’s a bit of a mixed bag of tricks but they're appropriate for complicated times and people, and all told with a bit of humor sprinkled throughout the script. Benedict Cumberbatch is perfect as Alan Turing and Keira Knightley is not too shabby either. There’s not much wrong with this film and, if pressed to find something, I suppose it would be the irritating repetition of the line they want to stand out: “Sometimes it’s the people no one expects anything from who do the things no one expects”. Amen to that.

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[2014. 113 min. Directed by Morten Tyldum. Starting Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, and Matthew Goode.]
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/12/01/keeping-secrets-2

Non-Stop

— Liam Neeson plays his patented skilled killer and family man with a tragic past role. He’s definitely a talented actor and is joined by the wonderful Julianne Moore but, between the two of them, they can’t quite elevate “Non-Stop” (Netflix) into something worth seeing. In the end, it takes half the film to get going and ends up being a solid action thriller but not as good as Neeson’s “Taken” franchise films.

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[2014. 106 min. Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra. Starring Liam Neeson, Julianne Moore, and Scoot McNairy.]
http://entertainment.time.com/2014/02/28/non-stop-movie-review-liam-neeson/