Gone Girl

     The newest David Fincher movie, “Gone Girl,”  is based on a book written by Gillian Flynn. Flynn also wrote the screenplay, which is probably one of the reasons why the movie is so good. It stars Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike and Neil Patrick Harris. This movie gets better the more I think about it. I give it four and a half stars. “Gone Girl” has a 87 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. I’m a little surprised it’s not higher, but I can see how some people might not enjoy it.

      At the beginning of the film, Amy (Pike) goes missing on the day of her fifth wedding anniversary. As the investigation continues, the town starts to suspect that Nick (Affleck) killed his wife. While details unravel, information about the not so happy marriage gets out to the media, making the townspeople more and more suspicious. The movie takes the audience through the intense investigation and reveals the unbelievable details.

     The story is fantastic. I didn’t read the book, and I don’t feel I missed anything by not reading it. However, it makes me wonder what I would have thought about the movie if I had read the book first. I thought the twist was great. I had a feeling the movie would turn in a different direction, but I didn’t know just how much. It definitely makes me think twice about trusting people. The characters were fascinating, and I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen.

     Affleck played the role of Nick well. There’s a mixture of innocence and violence that he mixes perfectly to make the viewers unsure whether he killed his wife or not. At certain points, he draws sympathy, and in others, he brings fury. I love the character of Amy even more. Pike did a great job portraying so many different emotions, some real and some fake. She makes the movie absolutely bone-chilling. I also really enjoyed what Carrie Coon did with her role of Margo, Nick’s sister.

     I think “Gone Girl” was well directed by Fincher. The lighting, the tone, the music and the setting all came together to really sell the story. He did not shy away from the graphic scenes. Fincher had to show just how far these characters would go in order to get the intended impact on the audience. The whole movie seemed to have a little darker lighting than normal or maybe duller colors. This brought out even more of the dark tone of the plot and characters.

     The ending of “Gone Girl” is quite divisive. Some people love it and some hate it. I personally love it. I feel it’s the only ending that works for this interesting story. Nick and Amy are a very unique couple. They challenge each other. They excite and terrify the other, making a complex relationship. Therefore, the ending should be just as complex. Also, the uncertain ending adds to the intensity and draws me in even more. It makes me keep thinking about it.

     I had a good feeling I would like this film based on other Fincher movies I’ve seen, which include “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” “The Social Network,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “Fight Club” and “Se7en.” I saw Affleck in “Argo,” “Extract,” “State of Play,” “He’s Just Not That Into You,” “Smokin’ Aces,” “Jersey Girl,” “Pearl Harbor,” “Dogma,” “Shakespeare in Love,” “Good Will Hunting,” “Chasing Amy” and “Mallrats.” I also enjoyed Pike in “The World’s End,” “Surrogates,” “An Education,” “Fracture” and “Pride & Prejudice.” The work of these three individuals came together well to make a fantastic movie.

Guardians of the Galaxy

    “Guardians of the Galaxy” is the newest Marvel superhero movie to hit the theaters. It was directed by James Gunn. The movie was written by Nicole Perlman and Gunn from the comic book written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. It includes stars such as Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper. I couldn’t wait to see this movie and with good reason. It was fantastic. It’s very funny, full of action, and has an all around feel good tone. Rotten Tomatoes has it listed at a 92 percent fresh rating, which is very high.

    This film is about a man named Peter Quill a.k.a Star-Lord (Pratt). He’s in the business of stealing and ends up stealing something many dangerous people are looking for, including Ronan the Accuser. Quill is captured along with a few others who are looking for the stolen orb. He befriends his fellow criminals to escape. The way they become friends seems quite realistic to me. Star-Lord and his new friends Gamora (Saldana), Drax (Bautista), Groot (Diesel), and Rocket (Cooper) go on a mission to save the galaxy from Ronan and the dangerous powers of the orb.

    In all, the story is pretty simple. There’s not much unusual about the plot. It’s very straight-forward. A guy gets in some trouble and meets some new friends that help him fix the problem. Of course, there is also a little romance thrown in. This story might have been terribly boring in a typical movie. However, the skilled humor and action make this story exciting.

    Pratt was the perfect choice for Star-Lord. He’s one of my favorite comedy actors. He’s hilarious without even trying. I have been a fan of Pratt since Everwood.  My favorite part of the movie is the opening credits. Pratt walks/dances his way to steal the orb while singing along to “Come and Get Your Love.” He grabs a creature from the planet he’s on and sings into it like a microphone. Much of the movie has the same type of humor.  Saldana also did a good job as Gamora. She’s become an action movie staple. The other actors added to the humor with their own talent. Groot had a couple of my favorite moments. After he takes down a bunch of their captors, with a little more enthusiasm than was needed, he turns around and gives the best smile. I also loved Groot’s dancing.

    All this dancing made complete sense with the amazing soundtrack for the film. The oldies songs are not only great alone, but they bring another upbeat and fun element to “Guardians of the Galaxy” making many parts even funnier. It’s definitely a main character. Music isn’t just used as another fun element to put the audience in the right mood. It’s part of the plot. Quill’s mother died when he was a young boy. He had a cassette tape of the songs with him when she died and is only of the only souvenirs he has from his time living on Earth.

    Gunn did a great job with this movie. The only other thing I’ve seen of his is the “Scooby-Doo” movie, which I mildly enjoyed. I am more familiar with his brother Sean Gunn, who played Kirk in “Gilmore Girls.” Sean Gunn also played a minor role in this film. Besides Everwood, I’ve also seen Pratt’s work in “Parks and Recreation,” “The Lego Movie,” “Delivery Man,” “Her,” “Zero Dark Thirty,” “What’s Your Number,” “Moneyball,” “Bride Wars” and “Wanted.” Other movies I’ve seen Saldana in are “Star Trek Into Darkness,” “Star Trek,” “Avatar,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,” “Drumline” and “Center Stage.”

    I loved this movie, and I can’t wait to see the next one. Also, I’m excited to follow the work of Gunn and the actors to watch how they develop in the future. “Guardians of the Galaxy” is a must watch.

Boyhood

            A 12 year movie making process gave us “Boyhood,” which was directed and written by Richard Linklater. The stars include Ellar Coltrane, Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke and Lorelei Linklater, who is the director’s daughter. I absolutely loved this movie. The story, acting and movie creation are great. It even has a near perfect 99 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. I definitely encourage every person to see this movie. There is nothing else like it out there so far.

I am just amazed how these actors and Linklater dedicated themselves to this project for 12 years. It’s fantastic to be able to actually watch the characters grow older and change over the course of the film. Everything from the haircuts and clothing to the music and Harry Potter showcase the passing years. I loved watching the boy’s haircuts over the years. They changed so drastically, whereas his sister’s didn’t. It’s the opposite from what I thought would’ve happened. These haircuts also helped me see the different periods of time easier.

This film follows the lives of a family, how they deal with some very rough challenges and how these challenges shaped their lives. It’s about Mason (Coltrane) growing up with his sister Samantha (Linklater) and their mom (Arquette). Their father (Hawke) spends time with them and is really interested in talking to them about their lives and getting to know them. Even though he is not with the mother, he plays a big part in their lives. The problems don’t feel like they were staged just to make everything more interesting.The story unfolds like real life and the audience gets to be a fly on the wall. There’s more that happens in this family’s life. We just get to see a portion of it.

The acting was really good. With so many years together, the actors have a real connection and feel like an actual family. They’ve had a lot of time with the characters, and the movie includes a lot of popular things during those years, so it feels like a true story. Hawke does really well in these roles lasting for a longer period.

Another great role was the music, which almost seemed like another character. As I mentioned earlier, the way music was used added a lot to the film. It helped distinguish what time the scenes were taking place and what that time was like. The changes in music went along well with the changes of the characters, showing everything’s evolution over time. Music is a very important tool to get the right tone of the film and get the audience more involved with what’s happening on screen.

“Boyhood” is two hours and 45 minutes long. It’s a little longer than an average movie, but I’m impressed Linklater got 12 years of filming down to this length. The movie doesn’t feel too long while watching it. However, it’s long enough to make the viewers feel all twelve of those years.

I have loved watching other Linklater films including “Before Midnight,” “Before Sunset,” “School of Rock” and “Before Sunrise.” Another movie of his, “Bernie,” I didn’t enjoy as much. I think it was well made, but the plot with that pace just wasn’t for me. I can’t wait to see what comes next from Linklater.

            Hawke worked with Linklater in his “Before” trilogy, which were also fantastic. I’ve also seen Hawke in “New York, I Love You” and “Dead Poets Society.” The only other film I’ve seen Arquette in is “Holes.” This is the first thing from Coltrane and Lorelei Linklater I’ve seen. Now that this big project is over, I’m looking forward to seeing this cast in more movies.

The Wind Rises

            “The Wind Rises” is the newest Studio Ghibli film and is said to be the last one written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Studio Ghibli is a Japanese Production Company that creates animated movies. The original version of this movie is in Japanese, but it has a dubbed version in English with the voices of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, John Krasinski, Emily Blunt and several other well known actors.

            I love Ghibli films. Seeing the style for the first time could turn some people away because it’s so different from what we are used to seeing in American animated movies. It can take some getting used to. After getting over the style difference, it’s easier to focus on the great storyline and the amazing way the animation looks. I find both of these elements in every Studio Ghibli film I see. “The Wind Rises” is very good and I urge everyone to see it. Rotten Tomatoes has this movie listed at an 88 percent fresh rating.

            This movie is about Jiro Horikoshi (Gordon-Levitt), who dreams about designing airplanes. This is based off his real life story. During the course of the film, major Japanese events take place. Another big plot point is that Jiro falls in love with a woman who is very sick. He has to spend his time worrying about her while also trying to complete his life’s dream of creating a great airplane.

            The storyline of this film is a little controversial. Jiro strives to make a great fighter plane for Japan to use in the big war. Although the movie is showing how the fighter planes were made that caused a lot of destruction in war, I believe the film is focusing on the man following his dreams. The other part of the plot that seems to be causing some division is the love story. It’s very enjoyable to watch, but at one point in the film, it seems the movie veers into a completely different direction. It goes from showing all about Jiro working on his dream to him falling in love. They seem like two completely different movies. However, it does tie both parts together in the third part of the film. Another thing that helps explain the sudden jump in storyline is a line Jiro’s friend says in the first part of the movie. He explains how it’s necessary to have a family to go home to in order to work.

            Something else that I believe makes a difference in the story is the language. I saw the Japanese version of the film with English subtitles. I liked seeing “The Wind Rises” in its original form. Seeing the film in Japanese made it feel more real, since the movie takes place in Japan during some historical times. I’m interested in seeing “The Wind Rises” again in English though to see if that changes the effectiveness of the story. I wonder how the English would influence my feelings about Jiro making the fighter planes. Also, I’m a big fan of Gordon-Levitt. I’d like to see the difference in the delivery of the lines and if it would change the emotional impact.

Along with the story, the way this movie looks is fantastic. I haven’t seen anything else like the Ghibli films. There are so many little details that make it seem so realistic. However, that’s combined with clearly animated features. For example, the sounds of the airplanes are obviously made by people making noises with their mouths. It’s an interesting combination that somehow works.

If this truly is the last film by Miyazaki, I suggest everyone see it in theaters if possible. Other great Studio Ghibli movies I’ve seen include “From Up on Poppy Hill,” “The Secret World of Arrietty,” “Ponyo,” “Howl’s Moving Castle,” “Spirited Away,” “Princess Mononoke,” “Whisper of the Heart,” “Grave of the Fireflies,” “My Neighbor Totoro” and “Castle in the Sky.” I encourage everyone to watch these movies and experience this fantastic production style.

Inside Llewyn Davis

            The new Coen Brothers film “Inside Llewyn Davis” stars Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, John Goodman and also Justin Timberlake. It was written and directed by Ethan and Joel Coen. I’m usually not the biggest fan of Coen Brothers movies. I think they are good, but they’re not really my thing. However, I loved this movie. I completely agree with the 94 percent fresh rating it received from the critics on Rotten Tomatoes. I can’t wait to see it again.

            “Inside Llewyn Davis” is about a folk singer trying to making it in the music world on his own in 1961, after losing his singing partner. Llewyn (Isaac) encounters bad luck at every turn. His life is going from bad to worse with no salvation in sight.

            One of the main reasons I love the story of this film is because it’s very unique for a movie. Llewyn doesn’t have a great relationship with any of the people or the cat in the movie. He’s not very nice to any of them, even though they try to help him. He is faced with many challenges, but also many opportunities to help him make his life better. It doesn’t get any better. He learns nothing and accomplishes nothing throughout the movie. There is no change in the character at all. This doesn’t happen in movies. There is always a growth in the main character. I think the Coen Brothers’ choice for this film makes a bigger impact and seems more real.

            Another great part of this movie is the music. It’s one of the main characters of the movie. I was pretty indifferent about folk music before. This movie has changed my mind a little. It really depends on who sings the song and how it is sung though. I like the songs sung by Isaac and a few of the other actors. The acting of the singers and their emotion make the songs more believable and therefore, more enjoyable. I have listened to the music several times since seeing the movie, and I’m planning on getting the soundtrack.

            The acting was also good. I’ve always enjoyed the performances of Carey Mulligan, and this one was no different. I was pleasantly surprised by Timberlake in this movie. He seems to do well in supporting roles. Isaac did a good job in his role as well. His performances of the folk songs were great, and those performances make up a big portion of his role. Even when he wasn’t singing though, he seemed to get the melancholy life of Llewyn.
           Other Coen Brother films I’ve seen include “True Grit,” “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” and “The Hudsucker Proxy.” I really like “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” but I didn’t enjoy the other two movies as much. They were well made with great stories; however, they didn’t keep my attention as well. “Inside Llewyn Davis” is fantastic, and I’m interested to see how I feel about the next Coen Brothers movies I see.         

           

The Wolf of Wall Street

           “The Wolf of Wall Street” is the latest movie directed by Martin Scorsese. The screenplay was written by Terence Winter, and the book was written by Jordan Belfort, who wrote about his own life and is the main character of the story. The stars of the film include Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie and Matthew McConaughey. This movie came out on Christmas, but it’s definitely not the typical family movie.

I really enjoyed this movie, but I think a person needs to have a pretty open mind in order to like it. The f-word was used pretty extensively, although I didn’t notice it was used that much while watching it. There is also a lot of drug use and sexual content. This was the first time that I went to a movie where a group of people actually got up and left about ten minutes into it. Viewers should know what they’re getting into. “The Wolf of Wall Street” has a 76 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. I think it should be higher, but I can see why some critics wouldn’t like it.

The film is about Jordan Belfort’s journey to fulfill his dream of being rich by being a stockbroker. Belfort (DiCaprio) learned from the best on Wall Street (McConaughey) and took what he learned to create his own firm. He did whatever he could to make as much money as possible, even though that involved some serious scams. All of his activity didn’t go unnoticed.

The storyline is as interesting as it is disturbing. It’s thoroughly entertaining though. At one point of the movie, there's almost a "Titanic" moment, which makes me laugh. Even though the movie is three hours long, it kept me engaged. I was never tempted to check my watch, and I think part of the reason for this was the acting.

DiCaprio played the role of Belfort very well. He started off as a tentative young man, just starting to learn the ropes of stocks with a dream of being a millionaire. He became more and more corrupted throughout the film. He did a great job of showing the different dimensions of the character, making the audience love and hate him all at once. Without giving too much away, I think the scene with the lemons was amazing. I have no clue how DiCaprio pulled that off, but I was laughing and horrified at the same time. If he doesn’t win an award for this role, it would be a terrible shame.

I also thought McConaughey played his role very well. It was just for a short time at the beginning, but it made a lasting impression. Hill’s character was in line with the types of roles he has done in the past, so he did a believable performance.

The end of the movie seems to be taken in a few different ways. Some see it as a cautionary tale, some see it as triumph over challenges, and others see it the way I do. I see the ending as a combination of the two. It clearly shows punishment for severe wrong doings, but it also shows how it’s possible to come out of it on the other side. I don’t think there is an incorrect way to look at the movie. It just depends on personal opinions. However, I believe this a great movie, no matter how you feel about outcome.