Fruitvale Station

After hearing so much (early) Oscar buzz about Fruitvale Station, I figured I had to check out the film for myself. Critics have been saying nothing but excellent things about the film’s star, Michael B. Jordan. I must say I agree with everything that has been said about his performance and the film. Fruitvale Station is emotionally gripping throughout but rises to a whole new level towards the conclusion of the film.

The film follows Oscar Grant on New Year’s Eve of 2008. Oscar is trying to get his life in order after being released from prison and losing his job. As he is preparing for his mother’s birthday, he spends time with his daughter, begging his boss for his job back, and meeting old friends. It is clear that Oscar is trying to improve life for his girlfriend and daughter. Flashbacks throughout the movie reflect important moments in his life that lead to where he is at present.

The movie is based on real life events. I was not familiar with shooting at Fruitvale station that inspired the movie. However, the film opened with cell phone footage of the shooting before going into the story. It presented an in-depth look at one person involved.

The cast of the film is relatively unknown. Octavia Spencer, who won an Academy Award, for her role in The Help, played Oscar’s mother. I felt she was under-utilized in the film until the very end. Michael B. Jordan is the clear breakout star of the film as he portrays Oscar Grant. Jordan’s previous work includes The Wire and Friday Night Lights. Melonie Diaz played Grant’s girlfriend, Sophina. The film was written and directed by newcomer Ryan Coogler. This was his first feature-length film. Forest Whitaker produced the film. 

To date, the film has won awards at Sundance and Cannes. Yet, this is not going to be the end of the awards for Fruitvale Station. I expect this film to receive numerous nominations and wins throughout the upcoming award seasons. Definitely expect nominations for Spencer, Jordan and Coogler at all the major shows.

Fruitvale Station is not for everybody. This is a very poignant movie, but it is truly for film buffs. The subject matter is very heavy and there are no light moments. I spent much of the last half of the film shaking in my seat and holding back tears. If you like dramas, this film is for you. However, if you are looking for some easy entertainment for the night, I don’t suggest seeing Fruitvale Station.

Despicable Me 2

After the surprise that was Despicable Me, it wasn’t hard to tell that there would be a sequel. Last week, fans were happy to welcome the villain Gru and his adorable minions back into their lives with Despicable Me 2. However, like most sequels, this one fell short. I found the film dragging in many parts and overall boring. One place it does stand out is including enough jokes to keep the parents entertained.

The sequel finds Gru in his new roles of father and legitimate businessman. He left behind his work of villain to care for his three girls. Like a single father, he is dealing with boys coming into his daughters’ lives and neighbors trying to set him up on dates. Since he is no longer a villain, Gru is called in to use his expertise to catch a new villain who stole a top-secret lab and its contents from the Arctic Circle. He teams up with Lucy of the Anti-Villain League to catch the mysterious offender.

All of the characters carried over from the original are voiced by the same actors. This includes Steve Carell voicing Gru’s indiscernible accent and his daughters voiced by Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, and Elsie Fisher. Russell Brand also returned as Gru’s lab assistant, Dr. Nefario. The sequel added the voices of Kristen Wiig as Lucy and Benjamin Bratt as Eduardo. Other actors that lent their voices to the project include: Ken Jeong, Steve Coogan, Moises Arias, and Nasim Pedrad.

Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul also returned to write the film. Other than Dispicable Me, their works include Horton Hears A Who and The Lorax. The same directing team from the first film joined them: Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud.

I was happy to see the minions take a bigger role in the sequel. I think they are the best part of the movie and I am still waiting for my own army of minions. This film spent a lot of time developing the family aspect of Gru and the girls, really too much time. I felt the film was dragging on at parts, talking about him being a single father. At 98 minutes, I thought it was too long.

Overall, I thought the jokes were cheap and many rolled over from the first film. Even though the children may drag their parents to see it, it’s better to wait for it to come out on DVD. Really, the film would have been better if it was just the minions for an hour and a half.

The Heat

The Heat certainly is not a highbrow film, but it is a fun way to spend the afternoon. The Heat follows an FBI agent as she teams up with her polar opposite from the Boston police force to catch a drug lord. It’s a foul-mouthed comedy that is very enjoyable.

Sandra Bullock plays the uptight, arrogant FBI agent Ashburn who is seeking a promotion. She travels to Boston to catch a big time drug dealer where she meets street smart Detective Mullins played by Melissa McCarthy. The two are the most unlikely duo. Personally, I think the biggest test of an actor is how believable he or she is in the role. I would never have pegged Ashburn as the same person as Leigh Anne Tuohy or Mullins as Sookie St. James. This makes me appreciate the actresses even more. The two perfectly fit into their roles and play it magically. 

The women completely steal the show. The rest of the cast sat nicely in the background to give Ashburn and Mullins something to talk about. Demian Bichir plays Ashburn’s boss at the FBI, Hale, and Marlon Wayans plays FBI agent Levy helping out the duo. Tom Wilson plays Mullins’ Captain at the Boston PD. Michael Rapaport plays Mullins’ brother, Jason. Dan Bakkedahl and Taran Killam join the cast as DEA agents.

The Heat is a typical buddy comedy, featuring women. Katie Dippold, known for her work on Parks and Rec, wrote the screenplay.  The film features very, very strong language and some violence and gore. Bridesmaids director Paul Feig returns to direct The Heat.

The movie takes the style of 70s cop shows. “The Heat” is the name of the duo. Overall, it was very funny. I don’t think I stop laughing throughout the whole film. I would not nominate the film for any awards, but it was a great film to go see over the weekend. I recommend it for anyone looking for a good laugh.

Jobs Trailer

The trailer for the Steve Jobs biopic was released today. The film stars Ashton Kutcher as Apple founder, Steve Jobs. From the trailer, I'm not completely sold on the idea of Kutcher as Jobs but I want to see the movie none-the-less. I'm most looking forward to seeing Josh Gad take on the role of Steve Wozniak. Check it out below and tell me what you think!

Monsters University

Pixar is back with their newest summer release, Monsters University. This is the prequel to the 2001 film Monsters, Inc. Here, we learn how Mike and Sulley went from rivals to lifelong friends. The film follows the duo through their first year of college as they compete for the role of top scarer at the famed Scaring School of Monsters University.

In the adorable opening, Monsters University reveals what started Mike’s goal of being a scarer. He finally makes it to Monsters University where he meets his fellow roommate and scarer, Randall. The two become quick friends helping each other through their first class where they are overshadowed by a cocky monster, Sulley. The film gives great background on the three characters.

Mike, Sulley and Randall are the only three characters from Monsters Inc. that are focused on in the second film. However, Monsters University adds a whole new group of monsters to the cast. Billy Crystal and John Goodman returned to play Mike and Sulley, respectively. Steve Buscemi returns as the slimy Randall. Helen Mirren brings her grace to Dean Hardscrabble and Alfred Molina is the voice behind their scaring professor, Professor Knight. Various character actors voice Mike and Sulley’s closest friends. Peter Sohn is a go-to voice in Pixar films plays Squishy. Joel Murray plays the older monster Don. Sean Hayes and Dave Foley team up to play the two-headed Terri and Terry. Finally, Charlie Day is the perfect voice for Art. And don’t worry; John Ratzenberger and Bonnie Hunt makes an appearance in the film.  

This was a fantastic film! It had all of the emotion that is expected of a Pixar film. We get to see the ups and downs of Mike and Sulley’s college days and learn a few important lessons with them. It even had some great references to Monsters, Inc. It is finally revealed why Randall has such a grudge against Mike and Sulley and why Roz wants to keep such a close eye on the two. Dan Scanlon was given the reigns of Monsters University. This is his first feature with Pixar. He previously directed a Cars short.

The story was very well written. I never felt that this was sequel as the story was strong enough to stand on its own. Robert L. Baird wrote the screenplay with Scanlon adding to the story. This film is a true testament to the young talent at Pixar. I look forward to seeing great things from these two.

Many have said that Pixar lost its shine with its past two releases, Brave and Cars 2. While I never felt that Pixar was losing its magic, I feel that this film is enough to quiet the critics. Monsters University is a great film for all ages. It will especially help the older crowd reminisce about their college days.

Like all Pixar films, Monsters University opened with a new short. TheBlue Umbrella is quite possibly the most visual stunning short to date. It follows two colorful umbrellas trying to find love in a sea of black umbrellas. The bleak city scenes looked completely realistic. The short was directed my Saschka Unseld who previously worked in the art department of part Pixar films. It’s worth seeing on its own.

Man of Steel

I was eagerly waiting the release of Warner Bros and DC Comics' new Superman film, Man of Steel. I had very high hopes for the film and was ultimately let down. I thought the film had forced dialogue and too much action for its own good. Overall, it crammed so much of Superman's origin story into the film.

I didn't think Christopher Nolan could do wrong. His Batman trilogy will always sit atop my list of favorite films. I was looking forward to him taking the helm of this film. I think this is the one flaw in his otherwise stunning filmography. The film was only produced by Nolan. Zack Snyder, known for Watchmen, directed the film. 

The film stays true to the origin story of Superman, but with a modern twist. Before he is known to the world as Superman, Clark comes to the rescue of a young bartender just like he does for Lois Lane in his premier in Action Comics 1. The opening depicts the destruction of Krypton and Superman's parents attempt to save him. The film is also riddled with flashbacks to him growing up in Kansas and Clark coming to terms with his abilities.

One place I thought the film went wrong was in its humor. It seemed that in an attempt to be more like the Marvel films. There was forced humor thrown in that actually caused uncomfortable laughter in the theater. I felt there were times people where laughing that were not intended to be humorous due to the poor writing. I don't think the film had a strong identity.

The acting stood out in the film. It was extremely well cast, especially Henry Cavill as Superman and Amy Adams as Lois Lane. Separately, they stood out on the screen; however, the lacked chemistry

when together. Christopher Meloni was great as Colonel Hardy. I had no idea he was in the film and it was a pleasant surprise to see him. Diane Lane and Kevin Costner played Clark's parents and Russell

Crowe had a very large appearance as Jor-El. Michael Shannon played the over the top that villain, General Zod, that just seemed too much.

I am not a big fan of Superman. The story never stood out to me. This film seemed too much like Thor. During the film, I just kept thinking how I like Thor so much better. The heroes are very different in their own rights, but this film blurred the lines between them.

I wouldn't recommend Man of Steel. I'm sure the film will be made into a series but this just wasn't worth it. While I did not like this version, I think the series could have potential. Man of Steel just

tried to put too much into one film and it showed. Now that the background story has been set up, I think the next film will be more enjoyable. At least I hope so.

Now You See Me

Do you believe in magic? While this may look like the premise of the new movie Now You See Me, it is actually much more of a heist movie. The film follows four magicians who appear to be robbing backs as part of the show. The magicians try to remain one step ahead of the FBI.

I love heist movies. It's one of my favorite genres of film. Now You See Me had many of the elements of a classic heist movie. The four magicians are following orders on how to carry out the heist. I was constantly looking for clues as to whom was behind the big act. I have to admit, I was completely thrown off by the ending. Looking back, I can only think of one clue that hinted at the mastermind of the mission.

This film was very well cast. Jesse Eisenberg played the cocky leader of the group, J. Daniel Atlas. It wasn't a far stretch from his portrayal of Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg; yet, I didn't feel like he was just playing the same character again. Woody Harrelson played a forgotten mentalist, Merritt McKinney, trying to get back on the magic scene. Isla Fisher is Henley Reeves, the former assistant to Dan turned headlining magician. She returned to working with Dan for the big show. Rounding out the main cast is relative new comer, Dave Franco as Jack Wilder. He was great in the film and pulled off some tricky, magical fighting scenes. The four had a great dynamic as a group act.

The film also stared Morgan Freeman as Thaddeus Bradley, a former magician that reveals how magicians do their tricks. Michael Caine is the Las Vegas businessman, Arthur Tressler, that bankrolls the group and Mark Ruffalo is the FBI agent, Dylan Rhodes, trying to stop them. French actress Melanie Laurent plays Alma Dray, an Interpol agent also working the case. These seasoned actors brought so much to the film.

One thing I have to say is that the film did get a little cheesy at points. The underlying reason the magicians are pulling off great heists is to be initiated into a magical order of the eye. While the group did need some form of motivation, I felt this was a rather dumb way to do it. It made for a lackluster ending after a good film.

The dialogue was great but there were some pointless subplots thrown into the story. Alma Dray was very interested in the history of magic.While this later becomes important to the story it was not written into the story well. Rhodes had a small romance with his Interpol counterpart, Dray. This did nothing to drive the plot of the film, which mostly was a great story.

I would recommend this film. Now You See Me is directed by Louis Leterrier and written by Ed Solomon and Boaz Yakin. It was great entertainment and really dazzled the audience. It was very well acted. I was very surprised by the outcome and it was cool to see some magic tricks broken down on the big screen.  This is definitely a good summer film!