"The Revenant"

My review of "The Revenant" starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Will Poulter.

"The Revenant"

Posted on Jan. 8, 2016 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

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Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox

"The Revenant'  (2015)

In 1823 South Dakota, a group of fur trappers is guided by scout Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) and aided by his son, Hawk (Forrest Goodluck). The trappers are led under the command of Captain Andrew Henry (Domhnall Gleeson). Their mission is to trap as many animals for fur as they can and then get back to the fort that houses the trading company where they work. It’s hard work, made harder by the harsh winter conditions and the constant threat of Indian attack. Glass is a man of few words, but he is a great scout, capable of finding the best places to trap and a man you want by your side during trouble.

Suddenly, the men are attacked by the Arikara tribe, and it’s very apparent that unless they act quickly, few of the trappers will survive such an attack. Glass and his son lead as many men as they can gather onto their riverboat to escape the merciless Indians. After getting away from the initial attack, Glass convinces most that the way home isn’t by boat, where they will be sitting ducks for any attack, but across the mountains to their fort. Some decide to stay with the boat, but most trust their scout, including Captain Henry. John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) is very vocal in his opposition to following Glass. Fitzgerald is not well liked by his fellow trappers, and he bares the scar of having been partially scalped in his past.

Glass hunts alone for food. Out in the woods he is savagely attacked by a bear that badly mauls him. Captain Henry sends men out to locate Glass and Hawk finds his father near death. The men drag Glass back to their makeshift camp and now Captain Henry must decide to either try and carry what he perceives as the dying Glass over an incredibly rough terrain or leaving him behind with a couple of men, giving them grave digging duty when he dies. Captain Henry decides to leave Glass with Fitzgerald, Hawk and another young man named Jim Bridger (Will Poulter). It’s a decision that all the men will regret for the rest of their lives, with some of those lives will be shorter than others.

“The Revenant” is a brutally violent movie, but that violence is not exploited like a “campy” horror film but is shown to illustrate how harsh the world was. The attack by the bear is horrific and goes on so long it becomes very uncomfortable to watch. Director Alejandro G. Iñárritu has created action sequences that are incredible to watch, especially with the knowledge that  it was done with a minimal amount of CGI special effects (mostly to animate the bear) and without “green screens.” The battle sequence between the Indian tribe and the trappers is one of the best war scenes I have ever experienced in a movie theater. The action flows in one almost continuous shot as we follow Glass as he navigates through all the fighting in an attempt to find his son and get him to safety.

The movie is beautifully shot as cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki used only available light to film the outdoor scenes. Lubezki makes the landscape seem gorgeous and threatening all at the same time. There are times the views are breathtaking as the white of the snow contrasts with the dark greens of the forest and landscape shots seem to go on forever. Lubezki also uses light to create moods, such as the ominous looking woods along the river, making us think we see an attacker behind every tree as the men try to escape in the riverboat.

Leonardo DiCaprio gives one of his most powerful and captivating performances of his career. If he does win the Oscar for this role, it won’t be because of the dialogue as DiCaprio has more lines in Pawnee than in English. DiCaprio gives the part his all, and we can see it in his face and eyes as he fights for survival in this harsh, cruel world. Tom Hardy, almost unrecognizable under a scraggly beard, partially scalped head and a voice that is more grunts than words matches DiCaprio’s intensity and commitment. He makes us hate his character from the start, spewing out venom to anyone who will listen. It’s the type of role that Hardy excels at, immersing into a character so deeply that we believe his character is that evil to the core.

“The Revenant” is not a perfect film and is let down by some dialogue that sounds downright wooden. I also did not like the numerous dream sequences that Glass has throughout the movie as he reminisces about his life when he was younger with his wife and young son. Iñárritu goes to those dream sequences too many times and making the film feel choppy and lacking pace.

Overall, this is a film that on one hand is beautiful and awe-inspiring, but also is a brutal movie to watch as we see men pushed to their very limits in a world that does not forgive. It’s a difficult journey to watch this film, but the performances of DiCaprio and Hardy make it worth the effort      My Rating: Full Price

My movie rating system from Best to Worst:  1). I Would Pay to See it Again  2). Full Price  3). Bargain Matinee  4). Cable  5). You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again

“The Revenant” is now playing in Atlanta area theatres.

“The Revenant” Website

"Ex Machina"

My review of "Ex Machina" starring  Alicia Vikander, Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac.

"Ex Machina"

Posted on March 18, 2015 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

Photo courtesy of A24

“Ex Machina” (2015)

The highlight of SXSW Film Festival and my favorite movie of the year so far, “Ex Machina” is a masterpiece of simplistic Sci-Fi at its best. A film that combines elements of “Blade Runner” and “2001” with a bit of “Sleuth” thrown in for good measure.

Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) works as a coder for the world’s pre-eminent search engine, Bluebook. Much to his surprise, he wins a contest of a lifetime, a chance to spend a week with the creator of Bluebook, Nathan (Oscar Isaac), on his isolated estate.  Right away, Caleb realizes that this will be no ordinary week, as the helicopter pilot sets him down in the middle of nowhere Alaska and tells him to follow the river upstream. After finding the house, Caleb meets Nathan and is given two options; he can sign the mother of all confidentiality agreements that restrict just about every aspect of his life, or not sign the agreement and just party with Nathan for the week. If Caleb does not sign the agreement, he will never find out what secret project that Nathan has been working on. Very quickly, Caleb decides to sign, as it’s just too much of an opportunity to pass up.
assignment

It turns out that Nathan has been working on developing Artificial Intelligence that the world has never seen.  He has brought Caleb to evaluate the A.I.. His assignment, to determine if it is truly an independent thinker, a robot capable of individual thoughts and feelings. Caleb meets the A.I. , a beautiful robot named Ava (Alicia Vikander).  Almost from the start Caleb is smitten with Ava, and they hit it off from their first conversation. As Caleb interacts more with both Nathan and Ava, it is very evident that there is something more to this experiment than Nathan is willing to reveal. The big question is what is Nathan planning for this A.I. and will he succeed?

Writer/director Alex Garland has created a world of search engines and Artificial Intelligence that could be five years into the future, or it could be present day. The film tackles a number of subjects including; just how much information do our search engines gather on us, can computers develop independent thoughts and if they do ever get truly independent thought will it pose a danger to man.

Garland has created a movie that is a chess game between its two main human characters. It’s a game that both players think they can win.  Nathan is arrogant and sure that he is the smartest one in the room, no matter if it is a robot or a human. He sees robots and fellow humans, as just servants to him, their only purpose is to do his bidding. Caleb isn’t as confident as Nathan but he believes in doing the right thing, and that good intentions will ultimately win out. As Caleb falls in love Ava, he begins to see her as an individual, not a robot.

The look of this film is a cool, modern look that is rarely open to space and becomes more claustrophobic as the film goes on. Director of Photography Rob Hardy, plays with these spaces, showing instead of two people talking on screen, one person is often shown  just in reflections of the objects in the rooms. It’s as if that reflection isn’t a real person talking, and in the case of Ava, it isn’t.  Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury scored the film and it perfectly matches the scenes, bringing the tension into almost every scene.

The three principals actors are all up to carrying out the task of slowly revealing the fascinating and twisted plot. Alicia Vikander gives a brilliant performance as the A.I. Ava, All the more remarkable because most of her torso is robotic and see through, meaning that only her face is really available to show emotions and meaning. Vikander is perfect in the role, reminiscent of Sean Young.  You can see why Caleb falls hard for Ava, as she reveals more and more of her personality to Caleb, slowly but surely putting him under her spell. Oscar Isaac, playing the ego mad inventor, gives one of the best performances of his career. He is mesmerizing up on the screen.  Isaac gives the sort of performance that you almost like Nathan in spite of his boorish behavior. Of the three, Domhnall Gleeson, has the hardest role. Initially, it looks as if his character is overmatched with the blustery Nathan. Appearing at first quite shy and unsure of himself, Gleeson’s Caleb, becomes stronger and more driven as the two men try to outwit each other. Gleeson shows remarkable range and at times let’s Caleb wear his heart on his sleeve.

“Ex Machina” is one of the best films of the year and will be the standard bearer of great Sci-Fi films for years to come.  My Rating:  I Would Pay to See it Again

My movie rating system from Best to Worst: 1). I Would Pay to See it Again 2). Full Price 3). Bargain Matinee 4). Cable 5). You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again

“Ex Machina” Website

"Frank" Movie Review

My review of "Frank" starring Michael Fassbender, Domhnall Gleeson, Maggie Gyllenhaal.

"Frank"

Posted on Aug. 29, 2014  on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

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Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

“Frank” (2014)

Jon (Domhnall Gleeson) is a wannabe songwriter who sits in his room and composes songs on his keyboard, dreaming of playing in a band and writing songs that are important to him. He has a dead-end job and lives with his parents. Out walking along the waterfront, Jon witnesses a man trying to commit suicide in the water, with the police attempting to rescue him. As Jon watches this go down, a van pulls up, and several people get out. It turns out that the man trying to commit suicide is a keyboardist in a band. Jon mentions that he is a keyboardist and the band mates, after referring to someone inside the van, tell the young man to meet at a club for a gig.

When he arrives at the club, Jon finds out that the lead singer (Michael Fassbender) wears a paper-mache head 24 hours a day. The set is only one song because two of the band members start arguing and walk off stage. While bewildered, Jon is overjoyed because Frank thinks he has potential and wants him to play with the band for their next gig.

The next day, the band heads out on the road. Instead of a bar or concert hall, they arrive at a large country house. Jon learns that they are there to write 12 songs for a new album and that Frank’s idea of songwriting is very different than his own. Frank has the members go out into the country and record sounds such as water being poured from a pitcher. While all this is going down, Jon continually tweets about his experiences (not always truthfully), always ending his tweets with a hashtag, like #livingthedream.

“Frank” is the story of a band led by an almost cult-like figure. Michael Fassbinder’s portrayal of Frank is fascinating to watch. Since we cannot see his face, he must use his voice and his body language to give his character expression. It shows just how strong an actor he is because he pulls it off with ease. Frank starts as a mysterious person, shown in an almost comical light.   As the film progresses, we learn that he is far more complex and damaged. Fassbinder plays him as a man with one too many secrets, constantly worried that any of them will be discovered.

Domhnall Gleeson plays Jon with wide-eyed enthusiasm, almost frantic in his wonderment over his situation. Jon becomes Frank’s biggest supporter, willing to continue after many other band members have quit. Maggie Gyllenhaal is brilliant as the angry Theremin player. Her fierceness radiates off of the screen, overly protective of Frank and sees Jon as someone who could break up the band.

My complaint about this film is not in the acting, but the script written by Jon Ronson and Peter Straughan. The film turns somewhere in the middle, from being a lighthearted, quirky film about a mysterious singer, to a film that is very dark and almost morbid, choosing to make statements on the price of success, mental health and the seedy world of the music industry. This turn is hard to handle, making the film very bittersweet by the end. Director Lenny Abrahamson gets everything out of his marvelous cast and the film moves at a nice quick pace. Ultimately, Abrahamson and his cast are let down by the overwhelming need of this film to make a turn, a turn for the worse. This is a film that is worth seeing because of the cast; especially Fassbinder, who is dazzling. I just wish that the film would have kept its quirky tone that it uses so well in the beginning and without the darkness near the end.     My Rating: Bargain Matinee

My movie rating system from Best to Worst:  1). I Would Pay to See it Again  2). Full Price  3). Bargain Matinee  4). Cable  5). You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again

“Frank” is playing exclusively at Landmark Midtown Art Cinema