Category Archives: Drama Movie Reviews
You Were Never Really Here (2017)
You Were Never Really Here (2017)
I was a little apprehensive about seeing this movie. It appeared like it would be either really good or just really bad. I have enjoyed most of Joaquin Phoenix’s work, so I thought I would give You Were Never Really Here a shot.
The film is about a hit man who gets in over his head when he is hired to rescue a young girl from a sex slave ring, and make the people involved suffer for what they have done to her.
The movie was directed by Lynne Ramsay and the noteworthy cast includes Joaquin Phoenix, Judith Roberts, John Doman, Alex Manette, Ekaterina Samsonov, and Alessandro Nivola.
You Were Never Really Here is unflinching and unplugged. The film does not pull any punches. The subject matter is as dark as it gets. This movie is certainly not for everyone. The movie was unique. The way that it was filmed raised the level of intensity. The soundtrack and natural background noise in the movie really set the gritty tone. It was rough at times, but it was very necessary to tell the story.
Phoenix is ruthless and almost robotic. It is a cold, hard, Oscar-worthy performance. He throws everything into his character and continues to reveal to us his wide range of talent and ability as a versatile actor.
I have heard comparisons of You Were Never Really Here to Taxi Driver (1976), and I have to say that I liked You Were Never Really Here better. I can see the comparison in only the mean streets and loud, tough city. The atmosphere was reminiscent of Taxi Driver in the way that it was filmed. However, I feel like Taxi Driver tried too hard and often fell short. There was a lot more unnecessary shock value in Taxi Driver. I felt like there was more depth and purpose to You Were Never Really Here (2017).
This movie was in limited release and therefore I had to go way out of my way in order to see it. Because it was such a dark film, I can understand that it was only in limited release. Not everybody can handle this type of movie. However, I am glad that movies like this one are still able to get made.
You Were Never Really Here will leave you thinking about it long after it is over. That is often how you can tell that a movie was worth seeing, when it sticks with you. If you are a fan of Joaquin Phoenix and you like grittier films, then you will most likely enjoy You Were Never Really Here.
I rate this movie a 9 on a scale of 1-10.
If you liked this film then you might also enjoy:
Bad Samaritan (2018)
John Wick (2014)
John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)
Collateral (2004)
Street Kings (2008)
Training Day (2001)
Crank (2006)
Crank: High Voltage (2009)
Gladiator (2000)
Her (2013)
Triple 9 (2016)
Running Scared (2006)
Run All Night (2015)
Harsh Times (2005)
Beirut (2018)
Beirut (2018)
Beirut looked intriguing to me because the always dapper Jon Hamm was finally given the main lead in a serious film. He has always been likable in every role that I have seen him. Of course, his boost to stardom was in the leading part in the Mad Men (2007-2015) series.
The film is about a hostage situation that summons a former U.S. diplomat back to war-torn Beirut in an attempt to save his old friend.
The movie was directed by Brad Anderson and the noteworthy cast includes Jon Hamm, Rosamund Pike, Mark Pellegrino, Dean Norris, Shea Whigam, Douglas Hodge, Larry Pine, Ben Affan, and Mohamed Attougui.
The filmmakers did a superb job creating a believable Beirut in 1982 and thereafter. The not-so-peaceful Middle East was very apparent in the movie. There was a sort of gloomy undertone to the film and this gave the movie a much darker feel to it.
It was nice to see Jon Hamm in a leading role carrying a film. He brought a level of class and finesse to his character that made the movie exciting, where it otherwise may have lacked with someone else playing his part.
Rosamund Pike did a good job in the movie. However, I felt like her character could have been developed better. She is a strong actress, but this film did not allow her a strong presence. I felt like her performance in Hostiles (2017) and Gone Girl (2014) were far better than her performance in Beirut because she was able to give those other characters more substance.
Beirut is not a movie that you are going to want to watch over and over again because of the subject matter. However, it is a well-made, above average film that is worth the watch.
I rate this movie a 7 on a scale of 1-10.
If you liked this film then you might also enjoy:
American Sniper (2014)
The Kite Runner (2007)
No Escape (2015)
American Assassin (2017)
Chappaquiddick (2017)
Chappaquiddick (2017)
Prior to seeing this movie, I had no knowledge of Ted Kennedy’s infamous scandal. This is not something that is talked about in school. I remember having class discussions about the assassination of JFK. However, I never heard a word about how JFK’s brother, Ted tarnished the family name. It makes you wonder about all of the things that get left out of the history books.
Chappaquiddick is based on the true story of when in 1969 Senator Ted Kennedy fled the scene of a car accident in which his woman passenger was left to drown in his submerged vehicle on Chappaquiddick Island.
The movie was directed by John Curran and the noteworthy cast includes Jason Clarke, Ed Helms, Jim Gaffigan, Kate Mara, Bruce Dern, and Clancy Brown.
The movie let the story speak for itself. It was slow and methodical and seems factual. This is certainly not a feel-good film, nor is it a movie that you are going to want to rush out and see a second time.
Ted really disgraced the Kennedy name. I always hear about the bad luck that surrounded the Kennedys, but there was also a lot of scandal that surrounded them. I believe that you make your own luck in life. Obviously, a lot of the things that happened to the Kennedys were awful, but it does make me wonder how much of the scandalous stuff they brought on themselves. Just think about how many conspiracy theories revolve around the Kennedys.
The almost full theater that I was in was eerily quiet after the film ended. I think that was because the story was a sick display of what people with a position of power, especially in government, are capable of.
This was a disturbingly vile true story of how America was duped and Ted Kennedy successfully swept manslaughter under the rug. He seemed to show no remorse for being responsible for a woman’s death. All he cared about was protecting his political career.
It is a travesty that Ted was able to go on to be one of the longest running senators in history. It goes to show just how corrupt the government can be.
I have not been a big fan of Jason Clarke. He just has not been very likable in anything that I have seen him in. He played his part of Ted Kennedy well in this movie, however. To the point where I do not like him because of how bad his character is. That is how you know an actor is decent; when he is a believable bad guy.
The thought of two comedians (Gaffigan and Helms) in serious roles in this film made me nervous, but they were both likable for the parts that they played.
The filmmaking of Chappaquiddick was not overdone. They told the story and did not sugarcoat it. With how far left Hollywood leans, I am a little surprised that this film even got made, and furthermore, made wide release. The movie felt impartial politically, which I felt was tasteful. Too often movies will attack one political party with slanted views and opinions to further their agenda. Chappaquiddick seemed to just stick to the facts and try to tell both sides of the story without choosing a side.
I rate this movie a 7.5 on a scale of 1-10.
If you liked this film then you might also enjoy:
JFK (1991)
Bobby (2006)
Jackie (2016)
All the President’s Men (1976)
Wag the Dog (1997)
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
The Ides of March (2011)
Munich (2005)
Beirut (2018)
The American President (1995)
State of Play (2009)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
Citizen Kane (1941)
Darkest Hour (2017)
Darkest Hour (2017)
I have to admit that prior to seeing this film, my history knowledge of Winston Churchill was a little fuzzy.
Gary Oldman is a wizard when it comes to his ability to become whoever he is supposed to be portraying on screen. I became more interested in seeing Darkest Hour after I found out that Oldman was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar, even though I am fed up with the Academy Awards.
Darkest Hour is based on the true story of when British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill was forced to decide whether or not to negotiate with Adolf Hitler when all of Western Europe was being threatened by the Nazis in 1940.
The movie was directed by Joe Wright and the noteworthy cast includes Gary Oldman, Ben Mendelsohn, Lily James, Kristin Scott Thomas, Stephen Dillane, Nicholas Jones, and David Strathairn.
Gary Oldman successfully transformed into Winston Churchill. He was a mumbling, bumbling, blabbering, grumpy old man. It is hard to believe that anyone else could have done half as good a job as he did in his role.
The U.K. in the 1940s was duplicated convincingly and artistically in Darkest Hour. Watching the movie, it was very easy to be pulled into that time and place. It was as if you were there witnessing Winston Churchill make history.
It is always interesting to me how movies with similar subjects get made around the same time. It is no accident that Dunkirk (2017) came out the same year as Darkest Hour. Hollywood likes to capitalize on one concept by showcasing similar movies in the same year. I guess that they assume that if one movie does well, everyone will be curious about the other movie of the same type and will go to see it while the idea is still fresh.
Darkest Hour is about what is going on behind the scenes while Dunkirk is happening. In this case, the two movies do make good companion pieces to each other.
The problem with Darkest Hour is that everyone in the movie besides Gary Oldman felt like an afterthought. His character development improved as the movie went on, but there was not much care placed on the other characters.
The other main thing that was wrong with the film is that it just felt like it took way too long to make its point. It probably could have been 30 minutes shorter. I think that this would have made it more enjoyable.
It felt historically accurate and Oldman’s performance was superb. Without him, this movie would have really struggled.
The film felt a little bit like The King’s Speech (2010). This is not one of those movies that you will want to watch over and over again. It was tasteful and informative, but I will be OK with only seeing it once.
Darkest Hour is a well put together World War II period piece. It is a good depiction of some historical events, however it is overly drawn out and therefore falls a little short.
I rate this movie an 8 on a scale of 1-10.
If you liked this film then you might also enjoy:
Dunkirk (2017)
The King’s Speech (2010)
Leon: The Professional (1994)
True Romance (1993)
Schindler’s List (1993)
The Pianist (2002)
The Imitation Game (2014)
The Aviator (2004)
Cinderella Man (2005)
J. Edgar (2011)
Ready Player One (2018)
Ready Player One (2018)
Some aspects of this film intrigued me prior to seeing it, while other things about the movie worried me.
It interested me that a lot of characters and parts from famous films would be scattered throughout Ready Player One. However, I was concerned that every aspect of the movie would be overdone.
Why would I worry that a big budget film might be overcooked and therefore tasteless?
Hollywood has become obsessed with gathering together big budget group movies. It started with superhero movies and those superhero movies had to keep getting bigger and fuller. It is no longer just Batman or Superman, or even just Spiderman anymore. Batman vs. Superman also was not even good enough (of course, we knew it wouldn’t be). It is now The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Justice League, Suicide Squad, and X-Men, to name a few. Hollywood will take a concept that worked once and bleed it dry for everything that it is worth. It will be purged of all entertainment value. All that will be left behind is an overdone, and overblown metastasized mess that should be cut off because it is destroying the host that is the superhero genre.
What does this have to do with Ready Player One?
Because Hollywood has to keep trying to outdo itself, it keeps adding too many ingredients, and we no longer recognize what we are being fed. The trailer for Ready Player One had me worried that the movie would just be too much.
Ready Player One is about a future where a virtual reality videogame world called “The Oasis” is better than the real world. The creator of “The Oasis” has hidden secrets inside of his game. The world has become obsessed with finding those secrets and taking control of “The Oasis” and the trillions of dollars that it is worth.
The movie was directed by Steven Spielberg and the noteworthy cast includes Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Mark Rylance, Simon Pegg, Lena Waithe, Ralph Ineson, Susan Lynch, Clare Higgins, and Laurence Spellman.
I got to enjoy this film in 3D and I believe that greatly improved my movie watching experience. The special effects are firing on all cylinders in this one.
To say that I was pleasantly surprised by this movie would be an understatement. Were things overdone at times? Yes. But, let’s say they were tastefully overdone.
If you grew up playing videogames, then you will likely enjoy this movie more than someone who did not play video games, as a child. In other words, if you are in your fifties or older, you might not get much out of this movie.
Some of the characters and places that were recreated from other films in this movie were nothing short of incredible.
Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, and Ben Mendelsohn all did a great job in this movie.
I enjoyed how Spielberg walked the line of videogame and reality in Ready Player One. The videogame world created inside of the film feels just like the real world inside of the movie. In a lot of ways, Ready Player One is like nothing we have ever seen on screen. However, you can bet that the concept in this film will return again soon to a theater near you.
Overall, Ready Player One was peppered with nostalgia. Characters and icons from our childhoods were brought back to life with a vengeance. It was an exciting and epic Steven Spielberg story of good vs. evil in a fight to save the fictional world.
I rate this movie a 9 on a scale of 1-10.
If you liked this film then you might also enjoy:
Back to the Future (1985)
The Shining (1980)
The Book of Henry (2017)
The Book of Henry (2017)
With the popularity of the film Wonder (2017) and Room (2015), it seems like Jacob Tremblay is starting to pop up all over the place. However, this time around in The Book of Henry, Tremblay is not the main young actor in the film. It is Jaeden Lieberher in the starring role. Lieberher got a lot more recognition in his boost to fame part in the movie It (2017). Excluding the kids from the renowned Netflix Original TV Series, Stranger Things (2016), Tremblay and Lieberher are probably the most popular child actors right now. With Naomi Watts playing their mother in The Book of Henry, this movie looked entertaining.
The Book of Henry is about a genius 11-year-old boy who works together with his mother to try to stop the child abuse of their next door neighbor girl.
The movie was directed by Colin Trevorrow and the noteworthy cast includes Jaeden Lieberher, Naomi Watts, Jacob Tremblay, Dean Norris, Sarah Silverman, Lee Pace, Maddie Ziegler, Bobby Moynihan, Geraldine Hughes, Joel Marsh Garland, and Wass Stevens.
After you get past the fact that the premise of this movie is super farfetched, it is enjoyable enough. The story is all too convenient, but yet tastefully done. Many complications in the storyline were solved all too easily and in a very formulaic fashion.
I fault the writing for everything that is wrong with The Book of Henry. The filmmaking was good enough overall, but the story was just really lacking.
For their age, the young actors in this film are superb. Lieberher is the standout in the movie. I definitely expect to see these to young actors continuing to have successful careers.
I usually really like Watts as an actress, but did not care for her much in this film. I am not sure if it was because I did not like her or her character. She was dumbed-down so much for this movie that it almost seemed like she was miscast.
The irresponsibility and stupidity of Watt’s character is not believable when you see just how much of a mastermind her oldest son is supposed to be. He is so beyond crazy smart at 11 years old that it seems impossible to fathom. Get past that and The Book of Henry is average. It is a drama with some unexpected twists and turns. Some ideas about the story really worked, while others just did not.
I rate this movie a 5.5 on a scale of 1-10.
If you liked this film then you might also enjoy:
Room (2015)
It (2017)
Stand By Me (1986)
St. Vincent (2014)
Stranger Things (2016)
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
The Goonies (1985)
Thoroughbreds (2017)
Thoroughbreds (2017)
Initially, the main reason that I wanted to see this film was because of Anton Yelchin, may he rest in peace. This is his last movie to be released in theaters. He passed away in 2016. This movie was completed in 2017 and finally released last weekend, almost 2 years after his death.
This is a limited release film that sort of fell through the cracks.
Thoroughbreds is about two upper-class teenage girls who find themselves plotting and scheming to get what they want in their troubled home-life.
The movie was written and directed by Cory Finley and the noteworthy cast includes Olivia Cooke, Anya Taylor-Joy, Anton Yelchin, and Paul Spark.
Thoroughbreds is a unique movie in a lot of ways. It is a well-written, dialogue driven thriller. There is a naturally chilling pace to the story. Everything seems relevant. It does not try too hard to impress and therefore, is impressive. The story is just told with precise timing. Even the cinematography was tactful and articulate in an almost, but not quite, Hitchcockian manner. This movie did not just go through the motions. It was premeditated and executed beautifully.
The soundtrack, although odd at times, matched the disturbing nature of the story.
Thoroughbreds was an opportunity for a couple of mostly small screen, lesser known actors to show their worth and carry a film themselves. They all showed that they were up to that task. I feel like they were quite successful in making the transition from small screen to big screen right before our very eyes. Olivia Cooke, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Paul Sparks were all superb. Olivia Cooke’s performance especially stood out. I guarantee that all three of these actors will start popping up all over the place in the near future.
I think that it is an odd coincidence that Anton Yelchin plays a troubled character in each of his last three films before he died. I also still think it was quite suspicious the way that he died.
I always enjoyed Anton as an actor and it seemed as if he had a very bright future ahead of him. It is a shame to see such a nice personality lost to this world, far too soon at the young age of 27. He had been acting for 16 years. He successfully bridged the gap from kid actor to adult actor and had the potential for so much more. He will be missed.
Thoroughbreds would probably have been more successful if it were released years ago. Today’s audiences do not have the attention span for real filmmaking anymore, it seems. This is the unfortunate truth. The depth of this movie will likely not be appreciated by many for what it actually is, a diamond in the rough.
I rate this movie an 8 on a scale of 1-10.
If you liked this film then you might also enjoy:
Heathers (1988)
A Perfect Murder (1998)
Dial M for Murder (1954)
Bully (2001)
All I See is You (2017)
All I See is You (2017)
I did not expect much from this movie. I am not a big fan of Jason Clarke because I just feel that he is an overrated actor. Blake Lively is really sort of hit or miss. Marc Forster has proved to be decent director, so I thought I would give this movie a chance.
All I See is You is a story about a blind woman who gets an operation to regain her sight. Life as she knows it changes when she can see again. She and her husband begin to see negative changes in each other and it affects their marriage.
The movie was directed by Marc Forster and the noteworthy cast includes Blake Lively, Jason Clarke, Danny Huston, Ahna O’Reilly, Miquel Fernandez, Yvonne Strahovski, and Wes Chatham.
The first thing that I thought about this movie was that Blake Lively would definitely have to be blind to be married to a guy like Jason Clarke. That casting was just poor and unrealistic. Also, it seems like they dumb down Lively’s looks a bit for the movie. Maybe that was because they realized that there was a definite mismatch in that relationship on film. She is out of his league and they knew it.
Blake Lively was cast against type. Her part in the movie was just not fitting to everything else that she has done up until this point. It was just not believable. Or, maybe she did not make it believable. Either way, it just did not work.
There really is not much to this movie. It felt long and drawn out. It did not really seem to get entertaining until it was just about over. There was just no follow-through to what they were trying to achieve in this film.
There were a bunch of unnecessary scenes that were just not pertinent to the story. On top of that, there was some unnecessary nudity that was possibly trying to be artistic, but just came off as awkward.
Overall, All I See is You is a boring, and messed up movie. The acting is bad, and the casting was worse. It is not even worth a cheap rental. Do not waste your time, like I did mine.
I rate this movie a 2 on a scale of 1-10.
Here is a list of movies with a somewhat similar theme that are much better than this one:
Blink (1993)
The Eye (2008)
At First Sight (1999)
Blood Work (2002)
Tell Tale (2009)
Jennifer 8 (1992)
Stronger (2017)
Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017)
Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017)
What is not to like about the thought of Denzel Washington being an attorney? His track record speaks for itself. He is a man who can become anyone. I do not remember the last time I was disappointed in a Denzel Washington movie. He is one of the most consistently extraordinary actors of our time. So, of course I wanted to see Roman J. Israel, Esq.
The film is about a stubborn savant, Roman J. Israel, Esq. He is a diligent and methodical defense attorney, who is hopelessly stuck in his ways. When his career is flipped upside down, it sends his ritualistic life spiraling out of control.
The movie was written and directed by Dan Gilroy and the noteworthy cast includes Denzel Washington, Colin Farrell, Carmen Ejogo, and Tony Plana.
Great quote from the film: “Every weapon is a tool if you hold it the right way.”
This is not a great movie. This is a meticulous, one man freight train, and immersive performance by an iconic heavyweight, Denzel Washington. This is eloquence in motion and an exercise in character.
In Roman J. Israel, Esq., Denzel becomes his character down to the gap in his front teeth, glasses, mini fro, headphones, precision in speech, mannerisms, and tendencies. He is a diligent and unique man who sticks to his guns, and is still stubbornly listening to records and using paper files. He is an eccentric-minded “Rain Man-like” attorney of sorts
The movie itself, is not anything special. It is good until about halfway through and then it starts to lose its momentum. Denzel keeps it afloat and it sort of redeems itself at the end.
Colin Farrell’s character wafts badass arrogance. His role is a good one, but feels like an afterthought.
Overall this is a great performance in an about average movie. Denzel takes a mediocre film and makes it watchable. It is an Oscar caliber performance. He is submerged in his character. He has multiple performances that are better than this one, but his character dominance in this movie brings it up a notch and makes it worth seeing.
I rate this movie a 7 on a scale of 1-10.
If you liked this film then you might also enjoy:
Training Day (2001)
The Hurricane (1999)
Déjà vu (2006)
American Gangster (2007)
Inside Man (2006)
The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
Man on Fire (2004)
Antwone Fisher (2002)
John Q. (2002)
Remember the Titans (2000)
The Bone Collector (1999)
Philadelphia (1993)
Ricochet (1991)
Glory (1989)
The Equalizer (2014)
Out of Time (2003)
Red Sparrow (2018)
Red Sparrow (2018)
This movie appeared like it would be a cross between Atomic Blonde (2017) and Black Swan (2010). I always find it interesting how after such a unique film like Atomic Blonde is released, shortly after we get a copycat movie (I will talk more about this concept in a post in the near future).
I have gotten fed up with actors and actresses feeling the need to be politicians. As if their political opinions matter. Please just do what you do best and stick to filmmaking. It gets a little old when they stir up the negativity.
All politics aside, Jennifer Lawrence is a talented actress. I feel that she proved her ability in her role in Silver Linings Playbook (2012). She has a tendency to make insanely outrageous statements that are about as inappropriate as some of the things that come out of President Donald Trump’s mouth. This has started to taint my view of Lawrence as an actress. If she was a little more careful with her words publicly, I would respect her more.
Prior to seeing this movie, I went to the theater with an open mind. Instead of having a biased and negative opinion before even seeing the film, I thought I would let Jennifer Lawrence’s acting do the talking and drown out the crazy things that she says publicly.
Red Sparrow is about a damaged Russian ballerina who finds herself training to be a “Sparrow”, a Special Agent of sorts for the Russian government. She is tasked with getting information from the American C.I.A. and becomes entangled between both governments working against each other.
The movie was directed by Francis Lawrence and the noteworthy cast includes Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton, Matthias Shoenaerts, Jeremy Irons, Charlotte Rampling, Mary-Louise Parker, Ciaran Hinds, Joely Richardson, Douglas Hodge, Bill Camp, Sakina Jaffrey, and Thekla Reuten.
The film did in fact, feel like a cross between Atomic Blonde and Black Swan. However, there was much less action than Atomic Blonde and far more drama. It has the surprising sexual darkness of Black Swan, only much more magnified. The graphic violence in the movie is a lot more twisted and vicious than Atomic Blonde.
I did not think that Jennifer Lawrence was going to be able to pull off a Russian accent. I was worried that this would really take away from the movie. For the most part, the accent was OK though. Towards the end of the film, it started going in and out, but overall was believable. Her performance was quite gritty. There were some surprisingly twisted nude scenes. It definitely has the shock value.
Edgerton’s character was likable, but he was a little underused. His character was not quite developed enough. That was acceptable, because it really is Jennifer Lawrence’s movie. However, I feel like this did take away from the film. The chemistry between the male lead and female lead was just not there.
I did feel like Red Sparrow was trying really hard to be like Atomic Blonde. All the way down to platinum blonde hair and Stoli vodka. Charlize Theron was a much bigger badass in Atomic Blonde than Jennifer Lawrence was Red Sparrow. Atomic Blonde was a lot more fun and exciting. The dark subject matter in Red Sparrow was not broken up with any humor or much fun. I feel that took away from the overall quality of movie because it makes the 2 hours and 19 minutes runtime feel like that amount of time. They did not cut the tension and therefore it felt like it was trying too hard to be too dark.
This is a shadowy spy thriller that pulls no punches. It is intentionally and methodically puzzling. The film is a little rough around the edges, but overall is well-made and well-acted.
I rate this movie a 7 on a scale of 1-10.
If you liked this film then you might also enjoy:
Atomic Blonde (2017)
Salt (2010)
Black Swan (2010)
Casino Royale (2006)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
Mission: Impossible (1996)
Mission: Impossible III (2006)
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015)
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