The Children Book of Cinema: “Moonrise Kingdom”

“Moonrise Kingdom” PG-13

Release Date: 25 May 2012

Director: Wes Anderson

Running Time: 94 min

Grade: A+

What a movie.

The dreary or depressed might not want to watch this film because when it ends; when the warm, semi-sepia colored cinematography and spellbinding story suddenly stops, you’ll be even more distressed. If you’re a happy person, beware. Enter at your own risk. A movie like this leaves an impression, a sinking feeling in your stomach as you walk out of theater like the first day of school after the best summer of your life, because it is just too good.

To begin, Moonrise Kingdom follows the story of two young kids, Sam and Suzy, who fall in love and escape their innocently oblivious guardians to set out into the New England wilderness. With the fantastic Edward Norton as an impeccable tenderhearted boy scout, Bruce Willis as mildly humorous cop, and most importantly a wide variety of incredibly talented kids, the movie captivates and delivers all the way to the finish line. Wonderfully quirky camera work, beautiful wooded locations, and wildly entertaining sets and costumes keep something absorbing always within screen-shot so the audience stays staring intently at the screen.

Next up? The wonderful score. Alexandre Desplat made a beautifully stormy musical accompaniment to this movie. His utilization of choir music gives an operatic, meteorological epicness to the kids’ sweet adventure. Maybe a little loud and overly present at times, but still, as the drums beat and the bells jingle, childlike wonder transported me to the the recesses of the forest of the Wild Things or to the island with Puff.

To finish, I really have to mention the un-modernized, 1960′s setting of the entire film. I found it relieving. The simplistic time period is relaxing, and enjoyably unfamiliar. Due to stark publicity, I gratefully didn’t enter the film knowing the entire plot because of excessive advertisement. Its limited release allowed me to hear how great it was by word of mouth, and that alone added bonus points to the already unartificial viewing experience. This is the polar opposite in everyway of a film like The Avengers. Maybe an unfair comparison, but you get my drift.

It’s a sweet, sweet, film.

Gabri

Trailer:

For the Holidays: The Descendants

“The Descendants” R

Release Date: 9 December 2011

Director: Alexander Payne

Running Time: 115 min

Grade: A-

Beautiful cinematography, smart directing, and witty heartfelt acting breathe life into this comedic tragedy. But I tentatively use the word “tragedy” to describe “The Descendants” because of the way the script expertly dances around the subject of death and chaos. It has enough to be touching, but not heart wrenching to where you’ll find yourself emotionally damaged. Some people might back away when they hear “drama”, but this isn’t that type of “drama” some of us think of when we hear that word. To put it in terms that might not scare off viewers: this film is a well told interesting story but without action, aliens, or Jonah Hill.

George Clooney plays a husband trying to cope with a sudden accident that has befallen his estranged wife who is in a coma, making him in charge of their two daughters (Shailene Woodley and Amara Miller) who he doesn’t really know. With some interesting and clever twists throughout the film, the script, partly written by Alexander Payne, keeps your attention in a good way. No doubt Mr. Clooney’s funnily sullen but far from trivial acting and Ms. Woodley and Clooney’s fantastic chemistry on-screen also play key roles in making this such a well received film. In a way, the story is simplistic but the amount of heart in the film makes up for it.

Just to make this clear. This isn’t a heartbreaker. With well placed humorous remarks and a sagely sequenced series of happy events intertwined with a dismal core, I found myself moved, but not greatly and gladly so, which left me pleasantly satisfied after leaving the theater. The last scene of the film could be one of my favorite scenes, wrapping up all the feelings from one unedited shot. Anyways, you don’t know what I’m talking about. Go see the movie.

A great holiday film but with no Christmas music or themes (YES!),

Gabri

P.S. The director you might recognize from his past work “Sideways”.

Trailer:

“The Social Network” Networked.

“The Social Network” PG-13

Release Date: 1 October 2010

Director: David Fincher

Running Time: 121 min

Grade A/A-

This movie blew me away due to Alan Sorkin’s witty, calculated script and Trent Reznor’s the musical score. To begin by pointing out the un-obvious, Mark Zuckerburg’s  character wasn’t what really stood out to me in this movie. What really stood out to me were the performance’s by his fellow cast members: The Winklevoss Twins played by Armie Hammer, and Eduardo Saverin, Mark’s best friend, played by Andrew Garfield. They both did an absolutely amazing job at adding color and life to the relatively cold and bleak film that is “The Social Network”, which in itself is fine.

Another thing I mentioned is the score, which supported everything perfectly by complimenting every camera angle, especially in the “rowing” sequences (you’ll have to see the film to know what I’m talking about). A thing to keep in mind about this film is the fact that this happened 7 years ago, at Harvard college. That this film is a biography of someone who is only in his twenties at the moment. That being said, the music was modernized a little bit, it was more electronic and more “21st century”. It really complimented college life, the rise of Facebook, and all people who were apart of it.

Some people will not go and see this movie since lengthy dialogues and nerds in front of computers aren’t there thing. I respect that. I just want to say that the nerds doin’ nerdwork in this 2 hour film was thoroughly entertaining and fast-paced. Sharp, inspiring, intriguing and interesting, this film was a joy to watch for the whole $8.50 I spent. I don’t think I’ll look at Facebook the same again.

Sincerely,

Gabri

Here is the trailer:

“Walk the Line” A Johnny Cash Memoir.

“Walk the Line” PG-13

Release Date: 18 November 2005

Director: James Mangold

Running Time: 136 min

Grade: B+/B

“Walk the Line”, like many films based on famous musicians, isn’t a masterpiece. The story is unique and the acting is phenomenal but the script and the progression to the climax is nothing new. I didn’t find anything in the script that stood out to me i.e. nobody said anything that I am going to remember for a while. The filming style, though, was very well done. I enjoyed how the scenes were shot and how a lot of them were done during “Johnny’s” performances. Large audience in front, and Joaquin Phoenix singing his heart out. It looked incredibly realistic, and Mr. Pheonix and Ms. Witherspoon were perfectly cast because their chemistry was palpable and real. Besides my negative views on some things, I found it to be a rather enjoyable movie that told Johnny Cash’s story well (as far as I know).

Very watchable,

Gabri

Here is the trailer:

“Casino Royale” Bond, Modernized.

“Casino Royale” PG-13

Release Date: 5 January 2007

Director: Martin Campbell

Running Time: 144 min

Grade: A

I have seen this movie past and have decided to grade it now because it is one of my favorites. In league with the countless remakes, this one does stand out. Possibly because it is new, and possibly Daniel Craig, a relatively unknown actor since the enterprise, fits the “James Bond” persona perfectly. I believe the latter. It might have cool effects and fight scenes, it might have witty humor and beautiful women, but what makes “Casino Royale” tick, is the talent of Mr. Craig. He doesn’t talk that much, but the way he carries himself is exactly how I picture the real James Bond (I’m not saying Sean Connery is out of the picture; he’s a legend). And the awesome chemistry between Eva Green and Craig makes the movie. I found the train scene to be a blast. The score is also brilliant, it’s just great to watch. Nice job.

impeccable,

Gabz

Here is the trailer:

“Se7en” A Film Noir

“Se7en” R

Release Date: 22 September 1995

Director: David Fincher

Running Time: 127 min

Grade: A/A+

I want to begin by stating that the 127 min runtime for this movie is suprisingly long. It’s suprising because I have just finished watching it and I wanted to watch even more! I wasn’t even paying attention to the time I was so enthralled. Personally, detective stuff is pretty boring. Especially with all those “CSI” shows on the air, it always seems like the same story. But boy, do I have a special movie to present to you. “Se7en” captures your attention from the beginning and doesn’t let go until you turn off the TV. Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman are a surprisingly great detective team which really made the movie. As these two detectives try to unravel the mystery behind a series of bizarre murders the film gets darker and more engrossing. The interesting mystery created by the elaborate script is fantastic, yet simplistic, which I immensely enjoyed because I was able to follow the plot easily. I don’t really understand why this movie wasn’t nominated for Best Picture, maybe it had to do with the detective style of the film and the unoriginality. Who knows. I know I really enjoyed it and I think you will too.

Don’t watch in on a dark and stormy night,

Gabz

Here is the trailer:

“21 grams”: Interesting but not mind blowing.

“21 grams” R

Release Date: 26 December 2003

Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu

Running Time: 124 min

Grade: B/B+

The script wasn’t genius, the directing wasn’t superb, but the acting was good. I believe that people enjoy a plot that makes them think and the choppy editing in this film creates a ton of foreshadowing which leaves you with a lot to think about. But it also ruins it. I couldn’t enjoy what was going on in the present segment of the film because I was too caught up in the previous segment which was about something that hasn’t happened yet. I’m not sure you understand what I just said, but go watch the movie and then read this review. Then it might make sense. I really enjoyed the acting and the story might not be genius but it does stick with you for a little bit. I think that Sean Penn and Benicio Del Toro did a great job. Naomi Watts did ok but for some reason I got tired of her. In the end, it leaves you wanting more, but at the same time it was too depressing.

I leave it up to you,

Gabri

Here is the trailer:

http://www.fandango.com/21gramsmovietrailer/78638

“Iron Man 2”: Another Sequel…

“Iron Man 2” PG-13

Release Date: 7 May 2010

Director: Jon Favreau

Running Time: 124 min

Grade: C+

As we well know, sequels never turn out to be better then the first film, except for “The Dark Night”. They usually lack the originality and the “new” things that the previous film first introduced to us. Now it just looks like the same old, boring thing. For Iron Man 2 a lot of that applies, especially since it’s still all about the suit and how cool it is. I’m not going to lie, the special effects are pretty cool especially the touchscreen thingies. I really enjoy it when Tony Stark fusses around with cool gadgets. But in the end, the witty humor, the plot, and the acting didn’t support the movie well enough to deliver a “wowing” film. And it really annoyed me that Don Cheadle became “Rhodes”. He was an annoying character in the end, at least thats what I think. The one reason I might debate making this grade higher is because of the fact that Scarlett Johansson is so incredibly hot in this movie and how that would be the only reason I would go see this movie in theaters again.

I’m tellin ya the truth,

Gabri

P.S. Remember to wait until the end of the credits.

P.P.S. I really did enjoy the special effects. And the nice cars.

Here is the trailer:

“How To Train Your Dragon” Magical Surprise

“How To Train Your Dragon” PG

Release Date: 26 March 2010

Director: Dean DeBlois
Chris Sanders

Running Time: 98 min

Grade: A

A movie that has a name like “How To Train Your Dragon” instantly gets a bad rep, at least in my mind. When I first saw advertisements for this film I was appalled that DreamWorks thought they could possibly out-animate their rival; Pixar. My assumptions were proved wrong after I saw the first 15 min or so of this dazzling, funny, and engrossing movie. The amazing detail that studios such as DreamWorks are able to create in animated movies now-a-days completely change the definition of a “kid movie”. The movie centers around a young viking boy named Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) who, with incredible luck, befriends a dragon. Being the local pansy, the story is the classic “rise to stardom” story that most PG movies are about. But the unique quality about this film that might inspire you to pay the 10 or so dollars of admission come about as: the relatively star studded cast, the amazing animation, the exhilarting 3D action sequences, and the witty lines of a somewhat memorable script. I should add that it’s a bit cliche, and that you shouldn’t expect white-knuckling action, but I personally think it could be compared to Avatar. I know that that’s saying a lot, but this movie is more original then the latter. I’m going in circles so I’ll wrap this up. Go see it.

Ever faithful,

Gabz

P.S. Don’t see it or see it in 3D, nothing in-between.

Here is the trailer:

“Date Night”: A Comic Romp with Comic Legends

“Date Night” PG-13

Release Date: 9 April 2010

Director: Shawn Levy

Running Time: 88 min

Grade: B/B+

I have to say that I had some pretty hysterical moments in the theater when watching this movie, for a reasons that now I can’t really remember. But never the less, I cannot demote Date Night for unfunnyness, since in my eyes, I found it pretty funny. Especially since I enjoy Steve Carell and Tina Fey as comedians, and I tremendously enjoy them being cast as a couple. The story line itself was not a work of art, there were some plot holes and certain things were left unexplained which is pretty annoying. The whole idea that a couple’s love life would be renewed through chaos makes really no sense, but it’s a comedy, and a lot of the time things don’t make sense in comedies (story wise). But the dry humor of Tina Fey, and the drylike humor of Steve Carell go perfect together, and that makes them really seem like a couple. An incredibly funny chase and a guest appearence of Mark Wahlberg makes for slightly stupid movie but something that I think you would enjoy.

Yours truly,

Gabz

P.S. I saw this in one of those neighborhood theaters for 6 bucks a ticket–> I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you do not spend 10 dollars on this film.

Trailer: