Birdman - Movie Review

            

            

            

            

            There was a total of five people in the theater that was showing this film. It was opening night for Birdman in this theater. However, it was also opening night for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part I. People coming out of the theater showing that said it was full. There were four show times today for Birdman. There were twenty-five for The Hunger Games. It’s funny how this relates to one of the many things Birdman is about. One of many things, because there is so much more.

            Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) is about an actor, Riggan (Michael Keaton), who became very famous a decade or two ago when he stared as the title character in a popular superhero movie, Birdman. But since the Birdman franchise had crashed, he had become less and less famous. Now he is trying to make a comeback with a Broadway play he wrote, directed, and stared in. The film takes place as previews of the play are being debuted then actual showings happen.

            Emma Stone plays his daughter, Sam, who is battling a drug addiction is just now out of rehab. Zach Galifanakis plays Jake, Riggan’s assistant/agent. Naomi Watts plays Lesley, one of the main actresses in the play. Edward Norton plays Mike, an actor hired at the last second who is dealing with some issues and is very hard to work with. All of these characters are centered on around the play and have a part in conveying some of the ideas of the movie. But they are not just objects used for a theme; they are actual characters. They all have psychological problems they are fighting. That may contribute to the buildup to another theme, but it gives the characters depth, nonetheless.

            If could not tell by my A+ grade and nearly perfect rating, I loved every second of this movie. I think it probably is a masterpiece and is definitely one of the best films I’ve ever seen. Within seconds of it starting, it had me engaged, 100%, and I knew I was in for something special. I’ll start with the extraordinary directing job. Iñárritu’s style is magnificent. He tried to make most of the film seem like one shot, and it is accomplished through perfectly done editing. There are some very cool transitions in the editing, and these help engage the viewer even more. And the lack of any cuts at all during any of the scenes adds an odd feeling that makes this movie unlike any other. It is such an original movie both in story and style. There isn’t much out there that I can compare it to. It’s simply different.

            The direction also adds a striking realism to the film. Not only does it look great; not only is Iñárritu a master with the camera, he is also a master with his direction over the actors. The performances themselves and the script contributed to this, but the direction also plays a part in making every single scene seem like real conversation between real people, and not a staged scene in a movie. And another thing that’s great about the direction is the sense that every scene is important. The use of pans and zooms very much make it seem like many things are going on and the movie is constantly going at a fast pace. But it’s really not. However, the brilliant scene-to-scene structure in the script and the astonishing job done behind the camera make it a non-stop, always on, immensely entertaining picture.

            The dialogue is brilliant. Not only does it really help develop the characters and introduce themes without directly explain to the audience, it’s also simply realistic dialogue. It very much seems like in-the-moment dialogue that is quickly thought of by the characters instead of pre-written words on a page that actors read while standing in front of a camera. The plot is original and very interesting; the ideas and themes of the movie are introduced in the script very well for them to really be conveyed through visuals.

            Every single actor in the movie is absolutely terrific. From the second they were on the screen, I was amazed. It did not take long at all before I started seeing the characters instead of the actors. They are all fantastic in their roles.

            As the past paragraphs have stated, the execution of this movie is basically as good as it can be; everything is flawless. The performances, direction, overall look… and sound. The sound design of this movie is fantastic. There is one room with a clock on the wall. This room appears in the film many times, and every single time, through every single second of the scene, you can hear the clock in the background. The sound also contributes to the striking realism of the movie.

            With all that said, now we can get into some themes. This movie has a lot to say about general American audiences, but those are not themes because of their obviousness in the movie. They are said through dialogue. However, I’m glad it’s in the movie and very much agree with it. It serves more as a message to the main character than a theme to the movie.

            The plot, characters, and some dialogue contribute to the overall themes of the movie, but it’s mostly some images shown near the close of the film. There is some truly beautiful imagery that conveys something that cannot be conveyed with dialogue; only an image. We have a motif of admiration in the movie, and there are things on the flipside as well. The desire to be great, to feel important, to feel like you’re transcendent, also plays a role. The ideas mostly have to do with the admiration of all of the characters to be transcendent. The desires of humans and a way to look at life. But there is flipside: the ignorant. The movie is not called Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) for a reason. No one wants to be ignorant. But is there is a light in the situation. To not know may be best in some situations. The general American theater/film audience can be included in that area.

            There are many ideas that can be deciphered from the film; many people can look at it and see many different things. And I think that is the beauty in films like this: they become poetry, something that can be studied and looked at, something that can be analyzed. But this film is even more than that; it’s one of the best in modern films in terms of the making of it, the ingenuity behind it, all of the technical aspects. You pile up some messages and poetry on top and you have a great work of art that is among the best of all time.

            Of the mess of ideas I have tried to put together, I’ve found that the movie tells us that everyone has the admiration in them to want to be better. Everyone wants to be able to fly above everyone else and see that they’re better. But there are the ignorant that will stop that from happening. And ignorance can be a virtue in some situations. It can keep from knowing all that went into what you see before your eyes. It’s an unexpected virtue indeed, but a virtue nonetheless.

Interstellar - Movie Review

                

            In 1968, an American film that changed cinema forever was released. Decades ahead of its time, the film was misunderstood and not regarded well at first. It was a highly complicated film, but once you can understand the thinking behind the making of it, the countless themes, messages, ideas, and questions regarding the human race can be discerned. Many people believe it to be one of the best films of all time. It is in fact my favorite film. That movie is 2001: A Space Odyssey.

            In Interstellar, we are in a futuristic world in which the Earth is dying. Many companies have been shut down; the military in America is no longer there. There doesn’t seem to be much governing going on, but the people in this part of America are trying to keep some form of society going. Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) was a pilot before the Earth stopped being able to grow plants. He is now, like everyone else, a farmer/engineer. But he is obsessed with planes and things that fly. Mackenzie Foy plays his daughter, Murph, at the age of ten. When she is at this age, Cooper accidentally stumbles upon the last part of NASA, which no one knows exists anymore. When the few people still working for NASA find out that he is one of the best pilots they can get, Cooper is sent away from his family on a mission to go through a wormhole to find a planet that can support life in order to save the human race.

            In the paragraph above, you will find my attempt at the description of the plot. But this is not a film that can be summarized in a paragraph, or even two. There is so much more to this movie than above, even in the beginning. But I will not say so, due to my saying it possibly ruining the movie for anyone who will want to see it.

            Brand (Anne Hathaway) is one of the few other people that accompany Cooper on the mission. She is the daughter of Professor Brand (Michael Caine) who is basically the leader of all of this. Jessica Chastain plays Cooper’s daughter Murph at… Jessica Chastain’s age. This movie jumps some time in relation to how long Cooper and the others are on their mission.

            Now, to get into my opinion, you know I love this movie. The first paragraph of this review may seem irrelevant, but after seeing the movie, it is obvious that the screenwriters (Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan) and the director (Christopher Nolan) took a large amount of influence from 2001: A Space Odyssey. There are many shots that seem like Stanley Kubrick was behind them. And the overall themes and ideas of Interstellar very much relate to some of those in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

            There are many messages having to do with the overall purpose of mankind. Some of these ideas have to do with the ingenuity of the race. Some have to do with the folly. There are differing views on how to keep the race alive present in different characters. Which should we go with? Which is the right one? That is what the film asks us. Different emotions are put in the ideas of the film and the relevance of them is questioned. But there is evidence put on both sides. The question is put on us, the audience. There are many ideas present in this film and they are all expressed to the near full extent.

            Interstellar also has a lot of very smart writing not having to do with the universal themes. Thought-provoking ideas are also shown in the science of it. Interstellar travel is not mastered easily. There are things that must be mastered for it to happen and the scientists have to do some literal rocket science to figure out how to pull it off. Time and gravity and very much put in the film and I found the science of it intriguing. It was another good element to mix in with the greatness of the movie.

            As for the making of the movie, Interstellar is masterful. Christopher Nolan does an absolutely incredible job directing this movie. It all feels so under control and well done to the point where it seems like these things could really happen. Nolan’s notorious editing sequences are definitely in the movie; and they are as powerful as they have been. Nolan’s style plays into making the movie a non-stop thrill-ride. His homage to Stanley Kubrick and his film 2001: A Space Odyssey is impressive. And his vision of the movie along with its ideas helps to imbed these themes into the film even more.

            This movie is highly original. I could not feel a beat coming. And that is thanks to the script. It’s truthfully a great screenplay. There are some really fantastic dialogue sequences. And as already mentioned, the scientific elements are brilliant. The plot is thought-out and so well realized through the script. It gets just about everything right.

            The cinematography is beautiful and Hans Zimmer’s score is magnificent. It’s a very original score and it adds so much to the film. The music is not recognizably Hans Zimmer’s. This is a very different score of his. It adds a lot. And with Wally Pfister not being the cinematographer of the movie because of his desire to direct a terrible one (Transcendence), I was wary of the cinematography. I wasn’t sure it would be up to par with Pfister’s at all. And I’m not sure if it’s as good as Pfister’s, but the cinematography is fantastic. And the visuals in space are great. They are very imaginative and inventive. And they also look somewhat realistic.

            One of the things that surprised me most about the film is the acting. Every single performance, even Mackenzie Foy as ten-year-old Murphy, is great. Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, Jessica Chastain… All of the leads were great in both their dramatic, emotional performance and their acting chops.

            With all the praise I’m giving Interstellar, you might be wondering why it doesn’t get an A+ and something closer to a 10.0/10 than a 9.0/10. That is because I do have a flaw - and quite a large one, actually. It’s the last fifteen minutes of the movie. At one point something big was about to happen, and I thought that the movie was about to take a turn that could either be awful or fantastic. It turned out the turn was not awful, but still bad. Once it took the turn, I predicted every reveal that would happen in the scene and I predicted correctly. At that point, the movie almost left its themes and it certainly strayed away. I thought that it went too far and could’ve stuck with something else. It took a wrong turn. Its reach escaped its grasp. Luckily, that was the only wrong turn in the plot and the ending came soon after, so the loss of much enjoyment from me in that scene did not screw up the entire second half of the movie. Only the last few minutes.

            Overall, Interstellar is a fantastic movie. Yes, its ending was bad, which was a shame; but other than that, all elements were amazing. It hits in every category, delivers in every way. There are messages to be deciphered and ideas to think about. It makes us think about ourselves as a race, not quite so good as 2001: A Space Odyssey did, but don’t expect it to outdo one of the best movies ever made. It serves its purpose as a movie. There is but one part some entertainment was lost. And that was the end.

Nighcrawler - Movie Review

                

         

          

            In modern times, few movies that come out are actually, truly, great films. Yes, there have been films even this year that I have said are great movies. But among The Lego Movie, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Captain America: The Winter Solider, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Edge ofTomorrow, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Gone Girl, none are truly fantastic films. However, I do stand by my statement that they are all great for their genre. What I believe to be a great movie in what it goes for in its genre and a truly great film are two different things. Film critic Roger Ebert had a very profound definition of a great film, and I analyze that to be a film that goes beyond being a piece of entertainment and into a study on something; a statement about something, perhaps. There was one movie which came out earlier this year that I would consider a great film, and that movie is Snowpiercer. Nightcrawler is also truly great film.

            Louis Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a thief who does many illegal things and earns money for a living off of selling random things. He has no career and no real job. However, he is a very smart man, maybe even a genius. And when he sees that people are making money by finding events in which people are gravely hurt using a police scanner and filming them to sell to the news, he takes that up and it leads him down a dark path.

            As I just said, Bloom is an incredibly intelligent man. But he has some very odd views. He thinks of life in a very straightforward, pro-or-con, way. When he decides to do something, it is because it would affect him positively. When he is thinking about doing something illegal or “morally wrong,” he does it if the positives generated from it outweigh the risks of doing it. He doesn’t really care about other people is does not show much emotion. He basically turns everything into a mathematical equation.

            This film can offer many thrills to the audience, as it did to me, but the film is not made specifically for its thrills, but it’s made as a character study on Louis Bloom and a social commentary on several things. But I cannot go in-depth about them, because they don’t really come into play until the very end of the movie, and it’s easiest to discern them after viewing the movie. Since I would like you to be able to experience these things yourself, I will not talk about my analysis on the film’s themes. All I will say is that it gives you a possible insight on media and some new ideas about how business really works and what life can possibly be about. Does the movie condone some of the actions of its main character? No. But the movie raises questions, and could thought to be asking them itself, on the success of Bloom. Does the director/writer think Bloom is smart or insane? That is for us, the audience to decide.

            Many of the moral punishments of the film are put on the audience to decide, and that is reflected in the conclusion of the film. See, this isn’t quite a normal movie. It does not have the same plot structure - beginning, middle, and end - that most films do. The focus of Nightcrawler is not on its plot, but on its character. And that is one of the things that make it a great film. Much of the attention is given to Louis Bloom, and that is how the themes are entered into the movie. The themes do remain subtle, but not so subtle that you need to view the film six times to find out what one shot means.

            As far as the technical aspects behind the production of the movie go, we have all positives. For one, Dan Gilroy does a very great job directing the movie. It looks authentic and real with a great vision of the big city - especially at night. Because he also wrote the film, he had a great idea about the social commentary he wanted to put into it, so he could focus on the character and create a dark tone that coincides with the messages. He also does a very good job at using the camera to give us information. He has a unique style of directing, and he is able to make every scene his own. Lastly, Gilroy creates an even pace that retains throughout the entire movie.

            Jake Gyllenhaal gives a top-notch excellent performance, which is probably the best of his career. He gives every single line as if he is the character, and after a while, I started seeing the character more than I did the actor. Gyllenhaal is able to sell every single scene and performances excellently under Gilroy’s direction. He seems so natural in the movie that it’s almost shocking how good he is at the start of the film. Although none of the performances are bad, Jake Gyllenhaal’s leading one more-or-less carries the entire movie.

            Last to mention is the script. As I said earlier, because Dan Gilroy wrote and directed the film, he was able to include his ideas in both the script and the direction. And the dialogue is fantastic. It is so realistic, but also very original. The film does not create its own boundaries, it just goes in. Gilroy uses his writing to make the movie seem so real. The plot does not exactly move quickly, so there is not a bunch of stuff going on all at once. The movie takes a lot of time to lock in its themes that would later be expressed. And because of this, it seems so real that when events take place near the end, it’s shocking to point of which it seems like they are, actually, happening. With an unconventional plot, an incredible main character, and excellent dialogue, a fantastic script is created.

            Nightcrawler is definitely a great movie. It goes beyond being a piece of entertainment and emerges into a piece of art. The direction, script, and lead performance work together to create many ideas and introduce a social commentary. The only thing I can really say is “wrong” with the film is that at some times it does meander and some enjoyment was lost, but that’s it, and those times were rare due to Dan Gilroy’s good pacing job. I loved Nightcrawler and urge anyway reading this to go out and see the movie in theaters.