Star Wars: The Force Awakens

— What’s not to like about “Episode VII” in the series? It’s filled with nods to the 1977 “Star Wars” (now known as “Episode IV: A New Hope”) and brings back the enthusiasm of the original film and the other two films in the original trilogy. It also helps us forget the bitter taste of the next trilogy, the prequels. Of course, by paying so much attention to its nostalgic origins, some argue it loses originality, but I didn’t much care. It was fun and filled with action and it set the stage for two more that I hope will be even better thanks to the introduction of Rey, a decidedly interesting female lead.

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[2015. 135 min. Directed by J.J. Abrams. Starring Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, and Mark Hamill.]
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/18/movies/star-wars-the-force-awakens-review.html

The Revenant

— A beautiful and brutal film, with expansive scenes of mountains, snow-covered forests, and white valleys, but up close enemies are inescapable and there is often blood splattering and sometimes coating the snow. The cold is always part of it—and the danger, the sadness, and the revenge. It never lets up and the film is so well done that we feel every tension and every blast of arctic air, enduring right along with DiCaprio, loss of family and friends, death, rebirth, and vengeance. In the end, you may be scratching your head trying to figure out what the dream imagery meant, but there’s comfort in just seeing it as a classic tale of man against nature and man against man. There probably is more to it on some figurative level, but even on its obvious, lyrical level this is a gorgeous film thanks to DiCaprio, Iñárritu, and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki. It deserves all the praise it’s getting.

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[2015. 156 min. Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu. Starring Leonardo Dicaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, and Will Poulter.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-revenant-2015

Carol

— I haven't read Patricia Highsmith’s novel “The Price of Salt” but “Carol” just seems like what a film adaptation should be. A sparse script, perfect period feel, and subtle acting. It evolves more like a relationship than a film, with a mix of intimacy and danger, messy and complicated heading toward an uncertain destination. It seems to move a little slowly at first but that’s not a criticism since layers are being added to a complicated and emotional glimpse of a 1950’s love story involving two women.

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[2015. 118 min. Directed by Todd Haynes. Starring Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Kyle Chandler, and Sarah Paulson.]
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/carol/review/

Trainwreck

— A much better film (DVD) than the previews and poster suggested, thanks to Amy Schumer’s writing and the casting of Schumer and her buddy, Bill Hader, in the lead roles. There are some good laughs and pop culture comments, particularly when Amy is still non-monogamous, but it's less successful once Amy makes a commitment and it starts feeling more like a Lifetime movie with a potty mouth and an R rating.

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[2015. 125 min. Directed by Jud Apatow. Starring Amy Scumer, Bill Hader, Brie Larson, and Colin Quinn.]
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/07/trainwreck-is-a-comedy-smash/398807/

The Hateful Eight

— Quentin Tarantino films have their own look, a sort of violent whimsy, that can be a little disconcerting. Isn’t it wrong to grin, perhaps to smile, at spurting blood? In “The Hateful Eight”, it’s hard not to laugh for just a second a couple of times. In many ways, the film looks like a stage play and the dialogue’s a little more stilted or dramatic than in "normal" films. It’s divided into chapters instead of acts, but all the action takes place in or around a stage coach or inside a way station where the players take refuge from a snowstorm. Through it all, the playful dialogue shines as stories are told, threats are issued, and suspicions arise. The actors are good, the lines are witty, and the plot is Tarantino’s own version of “Clue”. Once it gets going, it’s hard not to try to figure out how it will end. I liked it a lot, although not as much as Tarantino’s two previous films (“Django Unchained” and “Inglorious Basterds”). Even if it isn’t quite up to par, it’s still a lot better than many directors can do on their best day.

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[2015. 187 min. Directed by Quentin Tarantino. Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Demian Bichir, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, and Bruce Dern.]
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/25/movies/review-quentin-tarantinos-the-hateful-eight-blends-verbiage-and-violence.html

Concussion

— There’s plenty of earnestness in this rather dull film. Will Smith shines adding life the portrayal of Dr. Bennet Omalu, a pathologist who realized what can happen to football players as a result of repetitive head injuries. It’s a David vs. Goliath story with plenty of righteousness and perseverance to get the audience behind Omalu and against the NFL. Trouble is, we know the story and in spite of Smith’s excellent acting, the film falls flat because there’s something one-dimensional in his character. This is an okay film but nothing special except for Smith’s efforts.

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[2015. 123 min. Directed by Peter Landesman. Starring Will Smith, Alec Baldwin, Albert Brooks, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/concussion-2015