Buttered Popcorn: Buzzmans Movie Review Thread Part II

[Buzzman]

Noah (2014)

There was a time when I would have seen promotions of Noah and completely written it off. I hate religion and tend to enjoy telling people its voodoo. Why then would I be interested in the biblical retelling of the story of Noah? I’d like to think I have grown to watch any genre of film at this point, but I cannot lie and Darren Aronofsky behind the camera was the only real selling point for me. His previous work includes some of the most compelling forms of art and giving him a budget as massive as it was did enough to drag me to see his latest piece known as Noah.

We all know the basic outline of the story of Noah and surprisingly this is a very paint by numbers interpretation that I didn’t expect to get from someone like Aronofsky, who loves to be anything but ordinary. He deviates a bit with certain aspects; mainly concerning the “Watchers” who are fallen angels who have been punished for trying to help humanity right their wrongs. You’re introduced to them early on and give the audience a pause for thought. You can’t help but wonder what you’re getting yourself into, but fairly quickly they become a casual part of the film as the building of the Ark comes surprisingly early on in the film. The CGI here is very spotty with a poor use of spontaneous forests sprouting from the ground and animals of all kinds traveling to enter the Ark. It’s something that nearly pulls you out of the experience. Everything up until this point is fairly mixed. I couldn’t tell if it was heading to a place I wanted it to see, but when it becomes a simpler film with its core cast surviving on the Ark, it finds a comfortable ground for the director.

With time to finally calm down, Noah turns to its title character and lets Russell Crowe show off that he still has it that made him such a household name years ago. He faces the impossible question of man and its right to live on and it clearly eats at him. The power inside of him to choose between blind faith and his family isn’t an easy one nor does it hide from it. Aronofsky does his best to show the despicable acts of man and the punishment judged upon them, but without a harder rating, you only catch glimpse of what might have been. Unfortunately, many of the other characters are very underdeveloped and the film spends a bit too much time on a far too familiar plot involving a jealous son. That’s not to say there aren’t a slew of good performances here, especially by the woman, but this was never going to focus on them as this wasn’t there story, but it would have been a stronger film for it.

There will no doubt be a wave of controversy with the film, but there shouldn’t be. It doesn’t come off as a preachy film with a hidden agenda but rather a mild action-adventure film with a hint of substance to it. In the hands of many other directors, it wouldn’t have had a chance, but as Aronofsky’s passion project, it could have done a lot worse. Noah isn’t the kind of film I want to see Aronofsky make in the future, but it’s a good enough hiccup in an otherwise great career.

Grade: B-

 

[Houston]

I'll ask you the same thing I'd ask The Bible.

How did they fit all of those animals travel to the boat, how did they fit, and was there food?

 

[Buzzman]

I have the same questions about this movie as I do the biblical tale.

How did they fit all of those animals on the boat, and was there food?

As with the tale, the movie doesn't care to answer your question.

 

[Houston]

Sounds like the kind of plot holes that deduct from a movie.

 

[Palooza]

Sounds like the kind of plot holes that deduct from a movie.

Sounds like you should see the movie before complaining about it.

 

[Buzzman]

The films way of dealing with the food is that the animals are put into a deep sleep. As for the space, its impossible for them all to fit, but when there are rock Angels building the actual Ark, the realistic possibility of them all fitting doesn't really seem like something I should care about.

 

[Houston]

Sounds like you should see the movie before complaining about it.

:jonesy:

Aronofsky generally bores me and nothing about Noah looks intriguing, I'll pass.

 

[Buzzman]

You at least like The Wrestler?

 

[Palooza]

:jonesy:

Aronofsky generally bores me and nothing about Noah looks intriguing, I'll pass.

So you're concerning yourself with plot holes in a movie you don't care about and will never see. uhhh why?

 

[Houston]

So you're concerning yourself with plot holes in a movie you don't care about and will never see. uhhh why?

This movie is based on one of the most popular tales in human history, one that has large plot holes. I was interested in seeing how the writer/director dealt with them. That's why.

 

[Palooza]

This movie is based on one of the most popular tales in human history, one that has large plot holes. I was interested in seeing how the writer/director dealt with them. That's why.

Then watch the movie.


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[Buzzman]

Enemy (2014)

Last year, Denis Villeneuve surprised audiences with his crime thriller Prisoners. The film seemed to come out of nowhere at the Toronto International Film Festival, with many claiming it the best film of the festival. Little did many realize that wasn’t his only collaboration with Jake Gyllenhaal that he brought to the festival; the other was Enemy. The two films couldn’t be any more different but they both showcase a talent in Villeneuve that we should start to anticipate from here on out.

As with many films nowadays, the story is a complex mystery told from the perspective of an unreliable source. You are never quite sure what’s going on as one viewer could interpret it in a completely different manner than another. You can say that with pretty much anything, but the difference here is that you will never determine who is right. In the most generic of ways to explain the basis of the movie, a teacher discovers a third rate actor that looks exactly like him. After digging further, the perception of reality is blurred creating a morale and complex transformation into a much different man. It’s a slow buildup and reveal, but it runs your brain afire. You question what you see, the order in which you see them, and whether it’s actually occurring. It’s a trip in the best way possible. You’ll never look at spiders the same again.

At the center of the film is the performance by Jake Gyllenhaal. He effortlessly plays two identical characters with ease despite the only difference between the two characters is their confidence and clothing. It’s just another impressive performance in a long underrated career for the actor. The two woman of the film are personal favorites in Melanie Laurent and Sarah Gordon. They aren’t given a whole lot to do but they are two very important pieces to the puzzle. They are as crucial to organizing the chaos as Gyllenhaal himself. It’s essentially a three actor piece, with strong performances throughout. And did I mention both actresses go full frontal and bask in their natural beauty? Boing!

My favorite kind of film is one that sticks with you in some form. That doesn’t mean the film is great or even good, but it leaves you thinking about it for days, even weeks at a time. Enemy does just that on top of being a great film. It’s one of the stronger films to come out this year and hopefully doesn’t get painfully overlooked. It accomplishes just as much if not more than Prisoners. When you see it come back and let’s talk about it. I still haven’t quite nailed down my thoughts on it.

Grade: B+

 

[Palooza]

And did I mention both actresses go full frontal and bask in their natural beauty? Boing!


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[Buzzman]

Laurent is definitely my dream girl.

 

[Palooza]

Laurent is definitely my dream girl.

 

[Palooza]

lame the twist is in the still image

 

[Palooza]

either way, get your damn hands off her. no surprise motherfucka

 

[Buzzman]

The Raid 2 (2014)

The first Raid was really fun. It was a film with the singular goal of showing a one man army kick and punches his way through an entire wave of criminals in a broken junkie apartment building. That’s all it wanted and needed to be. It is interesting then to learn that the Raid was never meant to exist. The Raid 2 was written and ready to be shot, but it was going to cost too much money so they just wrote a much simpler prequel to the film and shot it at a faction of the cost. I thought I was satisfied with that. Thank god it would go on to become a hit because The Raid 2 is unlike anything I have ever seen before and it was almost one of those films that ended up in the what ifs category.

The story begins mere hours after the events of the first film, with a bloody, beaten down Rama bringing the detained kingpin in for punishment. He retires but his past catches up to him and forces him back into action, once again going up against a kingpin. He goes to prison undercover and aims to join in the ranks of his enemy. This is a very work out storyline you’ve seen done many times, but it’s not a problem when executed as well as it is here. That’s the biggest difference between the films. This one has a deep plot that balances extremely well with all the fights it contains. Without it, it would have been too repetitive. The film contains a whole slew of characters that have real depth to them. It not only gives due time to every character, it gives them their own identities that differentiate them from one another. When this film ends, you remember the entire cast, unlike the first where only two stick out. One of the greater aspects of the film was its decision to reveal background about the character through the method in which they fight. It allowed you to see more than just punches but a rhythm and method to it. It does come at a cost though. The film does run a bit long, but it rarely wastes that runtime. Effort is put and seen into every scene.

As for the action itself, I’ve never seen anything better. Each set piece is massive on its own, but they constantly throw them at you. It’s quite impressive how different each scenario felt, but more impressively was the execution of them. The director does a ton of long scenes that let the fight play out that make them feel raw and authentic. The only time he decides to cut is for injury continuity that occurs throughout. Just imagine the first film injected with adrenaline and on a larger scale and you can paint a better picture of what to expect out of this sequel.

Like so many before it, it capitalizes upon the good things the original did and made a way to make it better. Too easily could this have been a mindless re-hash of the first one, but it decides to be something greater. It not only goes down as one of the greatest action film ever made, but it’s an overall great film. If you didn’t like the first, give this sequel another shot.

Grade: A-

 

[Buzzman]

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

There was a time for myself when Captain America was without a doubt the weakest aspect of this universe Marvel has been building. It wasn’t to the fault of Chris Evans, who I enjoyed as Steve Rodgers from the start, but rather the supporting cast around him. They were putrid in the first Captain America and he had little time to talk in the Avengers while they bounced around from character to character. There was that hope with this sequel though because the time jump essentially allowed them to reboot the character while still building off things from that the first film. It improves in every way, but it’s all made entirely possible because of the work they went through all those years ago despite my poor thoughts about it.

The sequel definitely is the total package. Part of it feels like a Tom Clancy novel, other times a superhero version of Jason Bourne, and lastly feels like a mini Avengers film. That last one seems to be crucial to this films biggest success. Outside of Iron Man 2 (which was terribly executed), every solo film seems to have Easter eggs to some extent, but seem a hesitant to fully embrace the world Marvel is building. They tend to focus solely on the films hero and tease tiny things that just aren’t enough. The Winter Soldier throws that out the window and weaves so many characters (both old and new) into this perfect pattern and take advantage of what they’ve built for a change. This is Nick Furys, Black Widows, Flacons, The Winter Soldier story just as much as it is Captains. Don’t get me wrong, he is still the center of it all but I cannot find any dead weight around him. They all get the time and exploration in this film to feel like real characters in this world. It was exciting. The other side of that coin was the thriller it started as. Who could’ve predicted such a seamless transition from scaled back to massive and not have anything feel forced or questionable. The beginnings of the film, so beautifully shot by the Russo brothers, place Steve Rodgers in a world he cannot quite comprehend. Everything he has stood for seems forgotten and he doesn’t know the good from the bad anymore. It does a great job at creating tension when there really isn’t any. Quite clever. If it doesn’t satisfy you, I don’t know if Marvel films are what you should be watching.

Not only did they find the right form in storytelling, as I said before, they just did an absolutely incredible job with its characters. In every single one of these solo films, there is always dead weight. It either comes from bad acting or just poor character development, but The Winter Soldier has none of that. Each character is a piece of the puzzle and earns that moment when their number is called. Chris Evans has really grown into that role after 3 films and is my favorite one of all. It just brings every trait of the character to life and you cannot help but buy into it. Scarlett Johansson coming off a strong Avengers’, kickass once again, revealing a character with a much darker path then she’d like for you to know. She has a lot of fun with it. For the first time all series, Samuel Jackson gets to do something as Nick Fury and runs away with it. He proves why he’s at the top with intelligent moves ahead while holding his own in action. Falcon could’ve come about as cheesy, but Mackie nailed the blend of humor and chemistry with Steve, adding a sidekick of sorts that felt a lot more authentic than War Machine or Thor’s nameless group of allies. Even a usually throwaway character like Brock Rumlow and Maria Hill are fun and a part of the action. It reminds me so much of how well Joss Whedon nailed the Avengers. Then we get to the film’s title and Marvels only good villain not named Loki. The Winter Soldier gets a lot of help with the presentation of the character, but he is completely badass. He doesn’t say much or stop and throw things down, but rather comes out guns a blazing with a determination that he won’t be stopped. He should provide the universe with plenty of opportunities to turn him loose and be an amazing player in this world.

Captain America: The Winter Solider really raises the bar for Marvel films moving forward. It’s such a character driven story set in this massive world that never feels too big. It setup so many future opportunities while never forgetting to tell its own self contained story. Other films are going to need to take note of that. Iron Man 2 tried so desperately to be this kind of film but largely failed at it. With Guardians of the Galaxy up next and The Avengers 2 right behind it, Marvel is riding high, as they should be. The Winter Solider is the kind of films dream of and they executed it perfectly.

*Post credits scenes were great without spoiling them. Best ones we’ve gotten so far.

Grade: A-

 

[Buzzman]

Neighbors (2014)

Neighbors looks like a great comedy. It has the cast of a great comedy; it has the energy of a great comedy; even has big laughs like a great comedy. It should’ve added up to a huge blast of fun, but takes some bizarre turns throughout the movie that destroy any momentum it had going for it. It’s a real shame because it had some potential to have a lasting impact with a few changes in direction. Sometimes an R rating is a comedies biggest aspect, but other times like these, it’s just a bland excuse to swear and make dick jokes.

Things kick into gear right away as new Parents welcome a frat next door but after countless complaints, the two go to war to make their lives hell. The frat just wants to party and have a good time but the parents just want a good night’s sleep. There is plenty of room for laughs with a few directions to take but things just never quite click. Scenarios occur for the sake of the joke, other scenes extended too long without laughs, and a lot of the characters just go through the motions without much material to do anything. Considering this cast, it was disappointing so many characters just seemed to be background noise. There really was no good message here either. I know you don’t need one to be good, but it helps to have an occurring theme to keep the film on track, but the only thing I got here are just a bunch of college dicks and even worse parents.

Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne play the concerned parents. They are funny at times, but they play off this “acting cool” vibe that is too reoccurring. It might have worked once or twice, but they run this gag the entire time. It was repetitive and wasn’t trimmed enough. They also come off as just two awful parents, even if its played for laughs. They weren’t my problem though. I got enough laughs to overlook those flaws. The frat on the other hand was just very poorly written. They didn’t really have any really funny jokes, a lot of them were glorified cameos and the funniest one, Dave Franco, is underused. Most of the time is spent on Zac Efron, who does a great job with what he’s given, but they had no idea where to take the character. He was all over the place and ultimately came off too stylized. For such a great cast, they came away too dull.

Neighbors was one of my more anticipated films of the year, but those expectations had no effect on the quality of this film. It’s just mediocre at many of the things it tries to do. I have little doubt that it will make money and be praised because it has the look and feel of a fun movie, but it wasn’t to me. I came away thinking it was too long only to be blown away it was only ninety minutes long. That doesn’t bode well on its quality and pacing. Shame. Shame.

Grade: C