"What Happens in the Dark" is a solid effort from the Youngstown film community. The cinematography is great. The acting is good (especially by the two lead actors). The locations are nice. And the ending is shockingly powerful and cathartic. The story's concept is neat; the focus is on a man who seemingly has it all but hides a darkness that ends up ruining his facade. There were some subplots that weren't addressed and a missed opportunity (or two) that could have added more tension to the story. One of them involves the main character Trevor accidentally shooting a friend during a botched robbery. It was strange that the police did not show up to ask Trevor questions, see him as a person of interest, or even a bit where he feels guilty over this incident. Any one of these options could have added more flare and excitement to the story. Other scenes could have been cut to tighten up the film's length, specifically the many drone shots of downtown Youngstown and a few moments where characters are shown simply doing day-to-day activities. I understand going for realism and a bit of the "fly on the wall" approach in filmmaking, but it felt really unnecessary for this kind of movie. Some of the audio could have been sweetened and the music was a bit loud at times. Overall, a decent contribution to the independent film scene. I'm looking forward to seeing what else comes out of the Youngstown area.
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Napoleon Movie Review: Decent but not the masterpiece we deserve...bring on the director's cut!11/27/2023 Ridley Scott has directed many fine films with epic storylines, stunning visuals, and engaging characters. For the last decade, he hasn't made a movie that fits these criteria. "Napoleon" has a lot of promise. The film chronicles the great leader from his ambitious rise through the military ranks to his violent role as king, to his downfall AND his volatile relationship with Josephine. A lot is crammed in two hours and thirty-eight minutes. While never boring, everything feels rushed, especially the third act. Some scenes feel a bit off-putting and rather silly. There are gratuitous sex scenes added for shock value and some ill-placed comedy that detract from what should be a serious bio-pic. Seeing Joaquin Phoenix going "num-num-num" with Vanessa Kirby doesn't fly. In contrast, the battle sequences are among the movie's highlights. They depict both Napoleon's strategic wit and sheer brutality. The VFX team mostly do a good job, particularly during the Battle of Austerlitz. It's a heck of a scene to witness on the big screen.
The rest of production values are on par with Scott's other films. Production design, costumes, sound, make up & hairstyling, and cinematography are all on their A game. The acting is decent. You really can't go wrong with Joaquin Phoenix. There are moments where you can see he's channeling his inner Commodus from "Gladiator." He plays the titular role as quiet, enigmatic, cold, conniving, manipulative and a bit delusional. We don't really know much more about the man after the film is over and that's okay. Vanessa Kirby is serviceable and bold as Josephine. Despite having two exceptional actors, stunning visuals, and an intriguing plot, I still left the theater wanting more. More chemistry between the leads. More plot. More cohesiveness overall. The product Apple TV released is a solid effort but not the masterpiece it could have been. As a huge fan of Ridley Scott, this felt like a letdown compared to the rest of his body work. In some ways, it feels like this movie was directed at arms' length and with little passion. Maybe it's his age? Maybe he's just tired? Or maybe it was meddling studios who wanted a 2.5-hour film for this year's Oscars? We saw that same problem with Kingdom of Heaven. His 3.5-hour director's cut for KOH is one of the best movies ever made. He claims to release his 4-hour director's cut of Napoleon on Apple TV at some point. I'll be waiting for it. And I hope it'll be the masterpiece we truly deserve. *** out of **** I found this movie very personal. Two of my friends died by suicide. I myself have struggled with depression and suicide ideation. In addition, I work in a newsroom. I read about journalist Christine Chubbuck before seeing this film and her story broke my heart. She struggled with depression, never found any love in her life, and committed suicide on live television in front of her co-workers. "Christine" is a tough watch and an accurate portrayal of someone going on the downward spiral of mental instability. The camera is often locked on actress Rebecca Hall's face, as the viewer gets to see and feel her every emotion. Her transformation into Chubbuck is peerless. She captures her look, voice, and mannerisms. I don't understand why she didn't get a Best Actress nomination in 2017. One scene that stands out is an encounter she has with her mother, where she ends the fight by saying, "Why won't you just listen to me?" As someone who's fought depression, her delivery cut right through me. Another scene I love is when she attends a party with her coworkers. The camera stays with Hall, keeping all the other actors out of focus and not well framed. This emphasizes her isolation. Again, this realistically captures that feeling of loneliness and disassociation from others. This is not a movie I can picture myself watching again. But it's an exceptional one nonetheless.
***1/2 out of **** Blue. A color? A mood? A person’s name? The film does not address the title. It is about a Helen (Callie Shuttera), a young woman who has no luck. She loses her job, her ailing grandmother dies, and she faces insurmountable debt. Helen tries to take the easy route via suicide. At first, it seems fate has a cruel sense of humor, allowing her to survive with no family and a mountain high bill pile. As Helen continues her journey, she meets a small group of people who cheer her on toward success: a wealthy but pleasant business named Robert (Shaw Jones), a chirpy nurse (Laura Nicole Harrison), and a cold doctor (Judith Scott). The question we wonder through the film is whether Helen will persevere or relapse. A particularly poignant scene depicts a group therapy session where real live attempted suicide victims share their stories. These moments are gut-wrenching, but also cathartic and a little bit refreshing. They are real, captured with a cinema verite quality. The harsh reality is enough to move any sensible person. While the themes of suicide and self-injury are prominent factors in “Blue,” the film does not fall into the traps of predictable plot devices or clichés (although there is a point in the story that feels rushed). Nor does this movie come off as being overly pretentious. Rather the movie’s central focus is on Helen and her relationships with meeting new people. There are several well-written scenes between Helen and Robert, which evoke both subtle brilliance and clever wittiness. Not to spoil too much, but my personal favorite is a moment where the two main characters visit a laser tag, have fun, and then share a joint afterwards. I mean, who hasn’t done this? As a character-driven film, “Blue” relies heavily on the cast’s performances. There are no weaknesses here. Callie Shuttera brings a burning passion to the lead character, delivering a strong and heartfelt performance. Shaw Jones offers a gentler performance as the quirky Robert, which works very well for his character. The other performers are superb in their respective roles. Chelsea Lopez as “Crazy” Ruby is a real screen stealer.
For an independent movie, “Blue” looks like a million-dollar picture. The cinematography is beautiful and stunning. The sets are clean and polished. And the editing is crisp and seamless. The score is minimalistic, primarily solo piano with light percussion. However, the “Zimmer” factor is a bit heavy in one key scene. This is a movie that proves what a group of talented filmmakers can make with a shoe-string budget. Most great movies are about people trying to resolve an issue. “Blue” is one of those films. This is a picture that demands our surrender to its’ acting, writing, filmmaking and above all its’ exploration of an issue that the media and society glaringly overlooks. The year is 1640. The Catholic Church has spread all over the world, yet one nation has been labeled a danger. That is Japan. Two Jesuit Priests, Father Rodriguez (Andrew Garfield) and Father Garupe (Adam Driver) receive word that their former master Ferrerira (Liam Neeson) has apostatized. Believing this a lie, the two priests embark on a journey to the foreign land, hoping to discover the truth of their teacher. The Priests’ quest proves more burdensome than they had expected, putting their lives in danger and faith to the test. Dubbed as his passion project, Scorsese explores many deep, philosophical questions in Silence. Is there a God? If so, why does he permit so much suffering? Is it mere arrogance and selfishness to hold onto one’s faith at the expense of other people’s lives? There is much to meditate and reflect upon in this film. At times, Silence is very hard to watch. While not particularly bloody, unlike some of Scorsese’s other movies, the brutal acts depicted feel very real. Aside from the controversial subject matter, Silence is an excellent character study on Father Rodriguez and Garupe. We get to see how they change and ultimately follow two different paths. Andrew Garfield turns in his best work as Father Rodriguez. Adam Driver is equally brilliant. Liam Neeson has minimal screen time, but delivers one of his finest performances. He can convey so much emotion without speaking. There is more to his acting capability than Bryan Mills from Taken. Isse Ogata is evil and manipulative as the Japanese Inquisitor. He can be charming one moment and vile the next, a sort of Doctor Jekyll/Mr. Hyde personality. The rest of the supporting cast are also great in their respective roles. Like most other movies by Scorsese, the production values are top-notched. Rodrigo Prieto’s cinematography is simply stunning. Each shot is a work of exceptional art, whether it is a close-up on an actor’s face or a beautiful landscape image. Prieto has a phenomenal eye for composition and lighting, proving himself as one of Hollywood’s best DP’s. The production and costume designs are exquisite, capturing a lost era. The make-up design accommodates the ugliness and lack of personal hygiene people had centuries ago. We don’t see actors with pearly white teeth or unblemished skin.
The use of sound or rather lack thereof is particularly unique. There are moments where it is completely silent. The visuals take priority, allowing the audience a chance to absorb the character’s emotions. This technique works very well. The fact Silence does not have a music soundtrack makes it even powerful. So many films rely on music to convey an emotional response in the viewer. The visuals, performances, and story do this for the movie. The only criticism I have is the pace. The first two hours move steadily but the ending drags a bit. It is almost as if the screenwriters wanted to add more to the story than it needed. In my opinion, a shorter ending would have given the film a much stronger resolution. With such a huge filmmaking career that Scorsese has developed over the years, it is hard for me to rank this as one of his best. He has made so many excellent movies. Silence is a great one. That’s for sure – one of 2016’s best. While most modern-day sci-fi flicks focus on extravagant CG set pieces and mindless destruction, Denis Villeneuve’s film “Arrival” offers the viewer something much more profound and thought-provoking. As twelve canoe-shaped spaceships touch down on earth, linguistics professor Louise Banks (Amy Adams) and scientist Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner) are recruited by the US government to investigate the purpose of the newly arrived extraterrestrials. ![]() The plot focuses on how Banks and Donnelly attempt to communicate with the aliens and understand their mission. Rather than this process being tedious or even boring, screenwriter Eric Heisserer constructs an interesting and well-crafted story, built on mystery, tension and intrigue. As a viewer, I wanted to know about the aliens identity, their mission, and whether humanity will go to war or if a compromise could be made. The tension is astronomically well done. I kept guessing till the end and was pleasantly surprised with the final outcome. The creativity of the alien language and the use of linguistics help make the film even more plausible. Without giving too much away, it is amazing how a simple set of words could easily be misinterpreted or construed. That’s one of the several underlying themes of this movie, how people make quick judgments without fully comprehending the meaning of another individual’s, or in this case, an aliens’ perspective. Language can be a powerful weapon. The visuals and aesthetics of “Arrival” are simply astounding. The sheer scale of the alien spacecrafts is terrifying and unique. Even though the aliens resemble large cephalopods, they pose as a powerful and foreboding force. Bradford Young’s cinematography consists of dimly lit interior rooms, sometimes only lit with computer screens, and overexposed exterior shots. His choice of lighting and camera angles makes the movie feel real, almost like a documentary versus a studio lit scene from a soundstage. But the component I enjoyed the most was the sound design. Some scenes are deathly quiet and then bang, something loud happens. This technique made me feel like I was part of the movie. Johann Johannson’s score takes the film’s sound to a new level. He conveys something intense, magical, and above out of this world (I hope he wins an Oscar). Max Richter’s piece “On the Nature of Daylight” adds an additional layer of emotion to this great film. ![]() The final highlights of what makes “Arrival” an excellent alien contact movie are the performances. Renner is solid as Donnelly, determined to a find scientific way to communicate with the aliens. It is nice to see him take more dramatic roles rather than playing Hawkeye from “Marvel’s: The Avenger’s.” Amy Adams as Dr. Banks could easily receive her sixth Oscar nomination. Her performance is based on subtlety, particularly with her movements and facial expressions. She can express so much emotion without uttering a single word. Instances like these are what can make an actor either really good or bad. Adams is simply wonderful. 2016 still has quite a few movies left to hit the theaters. So far, “Arrival” is the best one I have seen. Since 2006, I have predicted the winners at the Oscars. I admit, my accuracy has been hit-or-miss. This is the second year I have posted my predictions. In addition to my predictions, I have also added who I think should win. My predictions do not always correlate with my preference winners. Best Picture of the Year Probably Will Win: The Revenant Prefer to Win: Spotlight Best Actor in a Lead Role Probably Will Win: Leo Dicaprio for The Revenant Prefer to Win: Leo Dicaprio for The Revenant Best Actress in a Lead Role Probably Will Win: Brie Larson for Room Prefer to Win: Brie Larson for Room Best Actor in a Supporting Role Probably Will Win: Sylvester Stallone for Creed Prefer to Win: Tom Hardy for The Revenant Best Actress in a Supporting Role Probably Will Win: Alicia Vikander for The Danish Girl Prefer to Win: Alicia Vikander for The Danish Girl Best Director Probably Will Win: Alejandro G. for The Revenant Prefer to Win: Tom McCarthy for Spotlight Best Original Screenplay Probably Will Win: Spotlight Prefer to Win: Spotlight Best Adapted Screenplay Probably Will Win: The Big Short Prefer to Win: The Big Short Best Cinematography Probably Will Win: The Revenant Prefer to Win: The Revenant Best Costume Design Probably Will Win: Mad Max: Fury Road Prefer to Win: Carol Best Production/Set Design Probably Will Win: Mad Max: Fury Road Prefer to Win: The Martian Best Editing Probably Will Win: Mad Max: Fury Road Prefer to Win: The Big Short Best Sound Mixing Probably Will Win: The Revenant Prefer to Win: The Revenant Best Sound Editing Probably Will Win: Mad Max: Fury Road Prefer to Win: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens Best Visual Effects Probably Will Win: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens Prefer to Win: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens Best Make-Up & Hairstyling Probably Will Win: Mad Max: Fury Road Prefer to Win: The Revenant Best Original Music Score Probably Will Win: The Hateful Eight Prefer to Win: The Hateful Eight Best Song Probably Will Win: Spectre “The Writings on the Wall” Prefer to Win: Spectre “The Writings on the Wall” Best Animated Film Probably Will Win: Inside Out Prefer to Win: Inside Out Best Documentary Film Probably Will Win: Amy Prefer to Win: Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom Best Foreign Film Probably Will Win: Son of Saul Prefer to Win: Son of Saul In conclusion, I think The Revenant will set Oscar history. Leo will finally win his first Academy Award. Emmanuel Lubezki will win his third Oscar consecutively, and Alejandro G. will take home his second Best Director Award in a row.
Most importantly, I hope Ennio Morricone receives his long overdue Oscar for the chilling music he composed for The Hateful Eight. This marks his sixth nomination. It's about time he wins. While loved by fans and critics, I think Mad Max: Fury Road will mainly clean out the technical awards. Hopefully, the academy will be nice and give Star Wars 7 a well-earned and much needed Oscar for VFX. As an aside, I base most of my predictions off of the BAFTAs and Guild Awards. My final prediction tally. The Revenant: 5 Mad Max: Fury Road: 5 Star Wars 7: 1 Spotlight: 1 The Big Short: 1 Room: 1 Creed: 1 The Danish Girl: 1 The Hateful Eight: 1 Inside Out: 1 Spectre: 1 Son of Saul: 1 Amy: 1 I have not listed any of my predictions for the documentary and animation shorts. This is because I often don't predict them; I never get a chance to view them anyway, which defeats the purpose. A winter storm sweeps through the mountainous Wyoming valley as eight individuals shelter in a log cabin. Each person seems upfront and friendly, but not all of them are who they claim to be. The characters include John Ruth (Kurt Russell), a bounty hunter bringing in Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh) a crazy little minx, to hang; Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson), also a bounty hunter collecting some reward money, a town sheriff (Walter Goggins), the town’s hangman (Tim Roth), a former colonel (Bruce Dern), and the cabin’s caretaker (Damien Bicher). In a “who done it” storytelling fashion, the characters figures out the hidden truths and turn on another one. Writer and director Quentin Tarantino approaches his eighth film like a play. He takes his time unraveling the story as the characters engage in idle conversations through the blustery storm. QT is a master of witty dialog and has a talent where he can have his characters talk endlessly about irrelevant matters to the movie’s plot, yet remain entertaining and enthralling. While this worked flawlessly in “Inglourious Basterds” and “Django Unchained,” in “The Hateful Eight” it drags the story out longer than necessary. After awhile, the dialog feels very long-winded. If Tarantino wanted to emphasize the boredom of being secluded in a cabin during a storm, he certainly achieves that. There are still some very well written scenes though, such as a reoccurring gag where each character asks John Ruth why he is bringing Daisy in alive when it is just simpler to shoot her in the back. The punch line, “It’s too much work to bring ‘em in alive” will go down as a classic Tarantino movie line. Without giving too much more away, the “surprise” twist is very predictable. In Tarantino style, people die gruesomely. Shot, stabbed, hanged, poisoned, bled to death, take your pick. Unlike other QT movies where the violence seems justified, “The Hateful Eight” depicts violence just for the sake of it. The last on-camera death specifically displays a disturbing act of pure sadism. I never really felt uncomfortable watching a Tarantino movie. This one actually bothered me a little. There are some more worthwhile factors that “The Hateful Eight” offers. Shot in 70mm film, the landscape shots pay homage to the old Westerns. Cinematographer Robert Richardson has once again shown his talent as one of Hollywood’s greatest DPs. Ennio Morricone’s score is haunting to say the least, but also has the soul he created from the Spaghetti Westerns. Both are probably in luck for some Oscar nominations this year.
To sum up, “The Hateful Eight” is merely decent. The acting is good. The technical skills are phenomenal. But the story is weak, but fortunately has some of the flare QT that audiences have seen before, just not enough to make another masterpiece. This is the movie that made me join Netflix. The trailers looked very promising, and the film does not disappoint. The plot is told from the perspective of Agu (Abraham Attah), a child growing up in an unnamed African country. The first fifteen minutes provides a sense of calm and general happiness, emphasizing the childhood innocence of this boy. He has a loving family and a wild imagination. The story takes a dramatic turn when war breaks out in Agu’s homeland, resulting in the separation from his family. Agu is forced into the army as a child soldier. While films like “Blood Diamond” and “Lord of War” scratch the surface on child soldiers in Africa, “Beasts of No Nation” takes you down to its core level. It is brutal, dark, and inhumane. As viewers, we watch as Agu transforms from an innocent boy to a brainwashed killer, under the manipulative powers of the Commandant (Idris Elba). Director Cary Joji Fukunaga does not sugercoat the barbarity. There are several moments intended to make the viewer uncomfortable, including a harsh scene where a young girl is stomped to death while a group of child soldiers laugh. Despite the graphic violence, Fukunaga does not demonize the children. The director provides us moments where the child soldiers are simply children. They play games and question what their futures will bring. It cannot be said that we necessarily like them, but given their circumstances and the lifestyle that has been forced onto them, they are understandable characters. While Idris Elba has been receiving nominations (including a Golden Globe & SAG) for his role, it is Abraham Attah’s performance that makes the movie. He has a talent that most child actors, and many adult-aged actors lack, the ability to convey powerful emotion without uttering a single word. Though unlikely, I hope he secures an Oscar nom for his performance. Idris Elba is convincing as the manipulative and despicable Commandant, but his British accent breaks through on several occasions, pulling me out of several key scenes. The technical skills and Fakunaga’s direction are nothing short of remarkable. Fakunaga acted as his own cinematographer for this movie and he does an incredible job. In some instances, he seemed to shadow Terrence Malick’s work from “The Thin Red Line” with his selection of beautiful landscape shots, close-ups of nature, high saturation and natural lighting. The voice-over by Agu adds another layer to this compelling film as he reflects on his past experiences as a soldier.
While this is a very good movie, it is not without faults. The last act feels drawn out, making it longer than necessary. The conclusion is particularly weak and withholds any catharsis from the character. A more glaring problem was the thick African accents. They made the English dialogue very hard to understand. It would have been more appropriate if all the characters spoke in their native language and then subtitles were added after the fact. The first fifteen minutes were mostly subtitled, as the rest of the film should have been. 2016 has not been the best year of movies. However, December is the month where the greatest films are usually released. “Beasts of No Nation” is a compelling and powerful film, and marks one of this year’s best. But I would not rank it as one of the best of all time. For nearly a decade, I have predicted the Oscar winners. Last year, I got a personal record of 22 out of 24 categories right. Rather than listing all the categories by order, I have arranged the movies in order from the biggest winner to the single winners. I base my predictions off of the BAFTA and Guild Award Winners. Now, the movie with the most likely chance of winning the most awards. For the following categories: Best Achievement in Art Direction/Production Best Achievement in Costume Design Best Writing for an Original Screenplay Best Achievement in Original Musical Writing Will all most likely go to…. For the Categories of Best Performance for an Actress in a Supporting Role Best Film Editing The Oscars will most likely go to…. For Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role and Best Adapted Screenplay The Oscars will most likely go to…. For the following categories: Best Achievement in Directing Best Achievement in Cinematography Best Picture of the Year Will most likely go to… For the categories of Best Actor in a Supporting Role and Best Sound Mixing, The Oscars will most likely go to: For Best Actress in a Leading Role The Oscar will most likely go to: For Best Achievement in Sound Editing The Oscar will probably go to: For Best Achievement in Visual Effects The Oscar will possibly go to... For Best Original Song The Oscar will possibly go to... For Best Animated Feature The Oscar will go to... For Best Foreign Film The Oscar will go to: For Best Documentary Film The Oscar will go to: For Best Achievement in Make-up & Hairstyling The Oscar might go to: Final Tally: The Grand Budapest Hotel: 4 Boyhood: 2 The Theory of Everything: 2 Birdman or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance: 3 Whiplash: 2 Still Alice: 1 American Sniper: 1 Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: 1 Selma: 1 How To Train Your Dragon II: 1 Ida: 1 Citizenfour: 1 Guardians of the Galaxy: 1 I don't keep of the animation, video, and documentary shorts for I usually never get them right. Last year was the exception though. I do have some doubts about my choices. Interstellar makes a contender for the Visual Effects and Sound Categories and finger crossed, Michael Keaton might snag the Best Actor Award. We will see though on this Sunday! The Academy can have their surprise winners. |
AuthorJD Kraus is an aspiring writer and film-maker. Archives
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