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Freedom Writers

2/29/2016

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I had actually watched this film a while ago, when it first came out, but I was held captive and forced to watch it again in a class. I didn't have the same eye for detail that I have now when I first watched it, but I remember it being a mediocre film.

The film is ridiculously cheesy. It is made by MTV after all. The plot is super predictable and the ending is delivered in the most worn-out, cheesy way possible. The film tries to be more profound than it is. It tries to be a story about a group of inner-city kids and a story about gang violence at the same time, but it needs to be one the other. The conflict between the main character and her husband seems forced. I do realize that it is a true story, but it could have been handled better.

Even though the actors are way too old to be playing high school freshmen, they are otherwise believable. They do really well in their roles. Patrick Dempsey also has a good turn in a supporting role. Hillary Swank does very well in her role, however I would have liked to see more about the students and less about her. The film did some cool things with voiceovers and her imagination while she is reading the diaries, but that only happens once.

So overall, "Freedom Writers" is not a terrible movie, but it is relatively interesting, however don't rush out to see it.

Freedom Writers
Big Tuna's Rating: B-
​How Did I Watch It?: DVD/Blu-Ray in a class.
Had I Seen It Before?: Yes.
Would I Watch It Again?: I doubt it.

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The Big Short

2/26/2016

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This film was a really great film. I really liked it when I saw it in theaters, but I knew that I would get more when I watched it again. This is definitely the type of movie that you need to re-watch to fully appreciate it.

The film is phenomenally written, acted, and directed. McKay did a great job of making a hilarious film out of something that is dead serious. I was laughing frequently at the film's many jokes. The film is consistently interesting, even in the parts that aren't as comedic. The three storylines blend well together, and I don't feel that any one of them felt unfulfilled. The film has some magnificent editing too.

The acting in the film was very good. Steve Carell was hilarious in his role and nailed it perfectly. Christian Bale was great in his role. Ryan Gosling was phenomenal too, delivering some of the funniest lines in the film. Marisa Tomei and Brad Pitt were pretty underused, though.

I do have to say that the film can be a bit confusing at times, especially with the financial lingo. The explanations offered by famous celebrities were quite welcome, and for the most part, quite helpful and funny. There are some things that the film could have explained better, but I got the overall meaning of the film.

So overall, "The Big Short" is a funny, enjoyable, and well-made film. Give it a chance, and even if you are utterly confused in the first viewing, give it another go, because it is so worth it,

The Big Short
Big Tuna's Rating: A
How Did I Watch It?: Digital that I own.
Had I Seen It Before?: Yes.
Would I Watch It Again?: Yes.

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Triple 9

2/26/2016

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This film had relatively good reviews for a film of this genre, and it had quite a cast, so I decided that I would check this out, since I wanted to see an action movie, and it seemed like a better choice than "Gods of Egypt" (which I will probably end up seeing anyway).

The film's plot was very standard. It was like pretty much every dirty cop movie ever made. That being said, I often found myself bored by the ridiculous amount of clichés in the film. The opening scene was pretty cool, and the ending had a few big twists that were pretty decent, but the rest of the plot was pretty mediocre. I found myself to be bothered that the film seemed confused (not confusing), since it couldn't really decide who were the "good guys".

The acting was the best part of the movie. Casey Affleck, Anthony Mackie, Aaron Paul, Norman Reedus, and Woody Harrelson are all solid. Chiwetel Ejiofor was great in his role, probably the most human in the film. Kate Winslet, though, is the shining star in this film. She really delivers as the leader of the Russian mafia, and I knew that she was in the movie, but was super surprised when I realized that was her after about 5 minutes of screen time. She was great. The cinematography was also good, but not revolutionary.

So overall, "Triple 9" isn't really a bad movie, but it's not particularly good either. I didn't even think that it functioned particularly well as an exciting action movie.

Triple 9
Big Tuna's Rating: C
How Did I Watch It?: In theaters.
Had I Seen It Before?: No.
Would I Watch It Again?: No.

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Eddie the Eagle

2/25/2016

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I went into this movie with sky-high expectations. (Yes, I do realize the pun.) I absolutely love Taron Egerton and Hugh Jackman, and I adore Matthew Vaughn, the producer of the film (director of "Kingsman: The Secret Service" and "X-Men: First Class", among others).

The film was pretty solidly-made. There was some great cinematography, from showcasing the scenery in the areas in which they are training/competing to great POV shots of Eddie doing the jumps. The movie had me wanting to laugh, cheer, cry (even though I didn't), and lean on the edge of my seat, sometimes even at the same time. Taron Egerton nailed his role as the eponymous Eddie, and Hugh Jackman was also great as his mentor. The soundtrack was also phenomenal, and very fitting too.

I only really had a few minor issues with the film. There were a few conspicuous lapses in reasoning (He'll walk in here in a wheelchair!), but they didn't detract from the movie. Out of the five "antagonists" that I could find (the Dad, the Norwegians, the British Olympic Association head, the Flying Fin, and Warren Sharp), I felt that only the Flying Fin, the B.O.A. head, and Sharp felt natural. I thought that, albeit necessary to the story of the film, the Dad and the Norwegians felt very forced. I would have liked to see them handled in a less stereotypical way.

So overall, I was really impressed by this film. It was a well-made sports biopic that was a lot of fun to watch. I am a bit disappointed that it was released so close to the (also good) film "Race" targeting the same audience, and the competition will not let them realize their full potential at the box office. (By the way, it counts as an "Ascendant Independent" because it was the Surprise Screening at Sundance this year.)

Eddie the Eagle
Big Tuna's Rating: A
How Did I Watch It?: In theaters.
Had I Seen It Before?: No.
Would I Watch It Again?: Yes.

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Spotlight

2/23/2016

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This movie is absolutely phenomenal. It is a great story about people who do the right thing, no matter the odds against them. It is heartbreaking, angering, and inspiring at the same time.

The writing is fantastic. The film moves along at a sharp pace. The dialogue is graphic, but never unnecessarily vulgar. There are so many brilliant lines delivered in this film that made me want to shout "Yes!" at the screen. The cinematography and score are also solid, heightening emotion and making the film feel more personal.

The ensemble cast is amazing. Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, and Rachel McAdams are getting all of the attention, and they are fabulous, however they are pushing some other talent to the back-burner. John Slattery has one of the best, most under-appreciated roles of the year, as does Stanley Tucci. All of the actors are ridiculously believable and make me think that they are actually these people. I even had a hard time sometimes remembering that this wasn't a documentary because it was that believable.

Overall, "Spotlight" is an absolute must-see for anyone who loves film. It was the best film of 2015, and it's my pick to win Best Picture.

Spotlight
Big Tuna's Rating: A+
How Did I Watch It?: Digital that I own.
Had I Seen It Before?: Yes.
Would I Watch It Again?: Yes.

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The Witch

2/23/2016

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I have heard some really good things about "The Witch", but I have also heard some really bad things too. I tend to be a fan of indie horror, however, and the trailer looked phenomenal, so I really wanted to see the film.

I have to say, my theater-going experience was not a great one. We were alone in the theater, and I love to watch the audience react. The sound quality was not very good. The aspect ratio and the screen size did not match. Theater workers shined light on the screen every time they walked in. It was annoying.

The film does some really good things. The cinematography is often phenomenal. The acting is really good, for the most part. The script has both literal and metaphorical interpretations. I thought that it was pretty interesting, and really intense and suspenseful in many parts. The film had an eerie, creepy tone to it, like I had wanted and expected.

That being said, there were also a lot of things that I didn't like too. The score was pretty generic. There were points when the score drove to nothing. The film way overused cut-to-black, to the point where it was almost distracting. The ending was absolute crap. My rating for this film would probably be an A- or an A if it weren't for the ending. The film even had a pseudo-ending that would have been far better and added ambiguity.

So, did I like it? Yes, I thought that it was pretty well-made, and it was also pretty interesting. Is this for everyone? Not at all.

The Witch
Big Tuna's Rating: B+
How Did I Watch It?: In theaters.
Had I Seen It Before?: No.
Would I Watch It Again?: Probably, when it goes onto Prime.

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Mad Max: Fury Road

2/21/2016

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I saw this movie in theaters, and it was really awesome. I bought it when it came out on digital, but until now, I haven't had the chance to watch it again. I have heard a lot of people raving about the film "Turbo Kid", comparing it to "Mad Max", but with BMX bikes. I decided that I wanted to do a three-film series this week on post-apocalyptic Australia: beginning with "Mad Max: Fury Road", then "Turbo Kid", and "Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead" (which has been likened to a zombie "Mad Max").

About a year before I first saw "Mad Max: Fury Road", I watched the original "Mad Max" and "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome", however I have yet to see "The Road Warrior". I want to catch up on the original trilogy sometime this year, but I decided for now that I would stick with more modern movies.

"Mad Max: Fury Road" has very little dialogue and therefore relies mostly on action and visual storytelling. This is executed breathtakingly well, with some of the most emotional scenes in film this year being found in this movie. That being said, there are a few things that were left unexplained that I would have liked more elaboration on, namely the War Boys. I thought that they were a super interesting part of the story and I would have loved to have more backstory on them. Also, why was Joe's mask open once? That didn't really make sense.

The acting in this film is great as well. Charlize Theron delivers one of the best crying scenes of the year (I will give the best to Brie Larson, even though I didn't like "Room"). Hugh Keays-Byrne was intimidating as Immortan Joe, an interesting turn after he played Toecutter in the original. Tom Hardy nailed the mood of his character perfectly, even though I think that he as an actor has amazing potential for dialogue and that was underused in this film.

The special effects and cinematography are awesome. The fact that 90 percent of the effects in the film are practical effects is huge! They look amazing! The CGI is great too, especially the storm scene. The stunts are also great, my favorite being the swinging poles. The score is also eerily atmospheric, and the film would not have been the same without it, as the score performs the function of the dialogue of most films.

So yeah, I was really impressed by this movie when I first saw it and I am still really impressed watching it now. Do I think it was the best film of the year? No, but it definitely deserved a Best Picture nod for its brilliant storytelling and special effects alone.

Mad Max: Fury Road
Big Tuna's Rating: A
How Did I Watch It?: Digital that I own.
Had I Seen It Before?: Yes.
Would I Watch It Again?: Definitely.

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45 Years

2/20/2016

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The indie theater in my area finally did its job: it got an indie film in a timely fashion (it just got "Room" last weekend, and the film came out on Tuesday on digital). I hadn't really heard about this film until Charlotte Rampling started getting awards nominations for her role, but the film didn't really interest me that much, as it seemed super generic. I recently read an article online that was about the short story on which the film was based, and the short story sounded super intriguing, unlike the IMDB summary.

I found and listened to the audiobook this morning, and it was quite frankly, beautiful. I was extremely excited to see how the story would be augmented to create the film, and I was not disappointed. The film's writing took the most brilliant dialogue from the short story and added onto it to make this brilliant film. At only an hour and 35 minutes, the film surprisingly doesn't feel rushed, but it doesn't have time to drag either. The ambiguous ending is great, offering much less closure than that of the short story, but honestly, quite better.

Charlotte Rampling is definitely 100% worthy of her awards nominations. In fact, I think that she and Saiorse Ronan are neck-and-neck for my favorite female performance of the year. Her emotion was true and realistic, and I really think that she added another layer of depth to her character. Tom Courtenay was also very good in his role, and even though he has comparatively less dialogue, his looks alone illustrate everything that we need and want to know. The cinematography was also fabulous, creating smooth, appealing shots that truly showcase this character-driven piece.

Overall, I was extremely satisfied with "45 Years". This honestly gave me the hardest internal film debate that I have had all year: deciding whether this or "Spotlight" was my favorite film of the year (I went with "Spotlight", but only by a hair). You should definitely check this one out.

45 Years
Big Tuna's Rating: A+
How Did I Watch It?: In theaters.
Had I Seen It Before?: No.
Would I Watch It Again?: Yes.

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Race

2/19/2016

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This movie actually really surprised me. I was expecting to get a ridiculously formulaic sports biopic, and well, I got a rather formulaic sports biopic.

The acting in "Race" is phenomenal. Jason Sudeikis joins Harrison Ford and Denzel Washington as one of my favorite sports biopic mentors. Even though he doesn't quite look like Owens, I think that Stephen James does a very good job in his role. Jeremy Irons also did well in his supporting role.

The writing, albeit somewhat formulaic, does have some shining moments. The parts of the film that play out like a political thriller, with Irons in Germany, among others, are the best parts of the film. There is also a great subplot involving Leni Riefenstahl and her documentary, "Olympia". I also think that the title itself is intriguing because "Race" could be referring to the Olympic race or race relations, both of which play an equal part in the film.

So overall, I was really pleasantly surprised by this film. I think that it definitely had its flaws, but the things that it did right far outweighed the negatives. "Race" made for an enjoyable time at the movies.

Race
Big Tuna's Rating: B+
How Did I Watch It?: In theaters.
Had I Seen It Before?: No.
Would I Watch It Again?: Yes.

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Room

2/17/2016

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This is the first year that I have seen all of the best picture nominees before the Oscars. At the end of my review, I will give my opinion on who should win, but I will talk about this movie first.

I thought this movie was extremely overrated. It is the weakest of the best picture nominees, in my opinion. From this point on, there may be some spoilers. The movie did get substantially better in the 2nd half, after they got out of the room. The first half of the film relied on you liking the characters, and I quite honestly thought that they were annoying characters. If you write a character that is depressed and suicidal, who has given up the will to live, the audience won't root for them. I honestly found myself thinking that Jack would be better off without Ma. My biggest issue was that Ma was just mopey for most of the movie. I would have rather wanted to see her conquer her sadness than her act mopey. There were a lot of things that didn't really make sense in the writing. If Ma kept telling Jack to stay in the wardrobe while Old Nick was there, why would he idealize Old Nick? He would have undoubtedly seen something about space on TV, why would space have clouds? Why would Old Nick let Jack go, knowing that Jack could say that he only knew that one room? Even if he didn't know where it was, the police would be able to figure out that Jack was kidnapped. Both Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay are good in their roles, working with what they have, but I don't think they had very much. Jacob Tremblay had a bright attitude throughout the movie, and it felt not fitting to the role.

I felt extremely dissatisfied with the resolution of the plot. I thought that William H. Macy's subplot was one of the ones in the film that had the most potential, but it just abruptly ended with only implications. I would have liked to seen the film go in one of two ways: watch Jack develop in the Room and getting out is the end, or the way the movie went (mostly) and show the trial/plea deal of Old Nick. Either of those would have given me more closure.

So yeah, I didn't think "Room" was that great. I thought it had sad parts for the sake of tear-jerking, poorly-written characters, a horrible score, lots of things that didn't fully make sense, and unimpressive cinematography (not to say it's bad, but it wasn't anything special). Yeah, it's a heartwarming story, but only if you feel sympathy for the annoying characters. Full disclosure, I have sympathy for Ma's situation in the Room. It was a terrible, abusive situation and nobody should have to face that. I do not, however, think that she should have been so mopey after she got out.

Room
Big Tuna's Rating: D+
How Did I Watch It?: Digital that I (sadly) own.
Had I Seen It Before?: No.
Would I Watch It Again?: No.

So now, about the best picture award. Obviously, I thought that "Room" was extremely weak. "The Martian" was also riddled with plot-holes. I liked "The Revenant" a lot, but I definitely don't think that it was the best picture of the year. I absolutely loved "Brooklyn", but I don't see a romance film like this winning. "Mad Max: Fury Road" was great and revolutionary because of its practical effects and real stunts, but not best picture. "The Big Short" was great but slightly confusing. "Spotlight" was all-around amazing. So I would give it to "Spotlight", with "Mad Max: Fury Road" and "The Big Short" as back-ups.

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    Big Tuna

    I am a huge movie fan that wants to tell people about my very varying taste and opinion of film.


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