Black Mass? More like Black Mess. This movie was not just a story that most of us could care less about, but it’s boring. It reminded me of American Hustle in that it was set in the same time period; it had a fantastic cast and, most importantly, the high expectations coming into it. I wouldn’t say that this movie was as disappointing because it didn’t have the Oscar expectations going into it as American Hustle did. Nonetheless, like the Christian Bale-led movie, I expected big things from this Johnny (Finding Neverland, Chocolat) endeavor. I don’t know if this movie was trying to be a combination of The Godfather/The Departed/Public Enemies and others, but it didn’t succeed outside of making Depp look like an old Jack Nicholson. I liked seeing Depp outside of the quirky roles he has been performing in as of late. And while he was pretty good, I did feel like the movie was brought down, in part, to how boring his character was. Unlike American Hustle, in which the performances were good (yet still overrated), the performances in Black Mass were flat. A terrific cast is wasted here. It is a disappointing movie in every sense of the word.
Continue reading Black Mass (2015)
All posts by bryanbuser
Insurgent (2015)
As I mentioned near the end of my review on Divergent, what is Kate Winslet (The Reader, Little Children) doing in a movie franchise like this? Anybody could have played the role of this minor character. There isn’t any depth to her character. The movie isn’t going to win any awards. And Winslet could be spending her time in movies that bring out her acting prowess. I understand it from the film’s standpoint. Why not get another big name? Even if it costs 10+ times as much money as getting an unknown actor, it makes sense. The movie, more or less, covers its costs in the first week or two anyway. I’ve always come back to that appearing in movies such as Insurgent allows her to sustain her way of life to take on more roles in independent films that can’t afford to pay her as much because they won’t make as much at the box office. And if this is the reason, then I am cool with it. I am willing to give Naomi Watts (The Ring, The Impossible), who also appears in this movie, the same leeway. It does bother me that these talented actresses are merely supporting less talented actors and actresses in a film that relies on young adult fantasy and adventure scenes rather than the performances of its leads. Nonetheless, I’m willing to accept this with the hope that Winslet and Watts will continue to put out Oscar-contending performances in future films.
Continue reading Insurgent (2015)
Cop Car (2015)
Dark humor movies aren’t my thing. They have never been. They never will be. I want my comedies to my funny. I want my dramas to be full of drama. I do like a lot of dramedies, but, to me, dark humor movies don’t fall into that category. I also like movies that make me think, keep me entertained, or, preferably, both. Jon Watts’s (The Amazing Spider-Man 3, Clown) Cop Car did neither of these things for me. While I understand there are many critics of Indie films out there who will enjoy this film, this is a movie to avoid for the everyday moviegoer. I feel like this is the top movie for many movie fans that you’ll ask yourself how you can get those 90 minutes of your life back. For me, the film had promise. I felt that it was building towards something good. Unfortunately, it never came close to reaching what I had hoped for, at least for me. It actually didn’t come close.
Continue reading Cop Car (2015)
Two Days, One Night (2014)
While I am not the biggest fan of foreign language films, I am the first to admit that when a foreign movie is excellent, you get to the point where you don’t even notice you are reading subtitles anymore. You become so gripped by the film that it’s not just a great foreign film you are watching…but rather it’s a great film. However, on the flip side, when a foreign film is terrible, it tends to drag and drag and drag. I think part of that reason is that you’ve tuned out the movie so much that you have no idea where you are in the film when you do glance back. As a result, it becomes a dreadful movie experience. I feel that almost all foreign films I watch are based on recommendations. Rarely will I be perusing Netflix and seeing a movie and adding it to my queue because it’s a “foreign movie.” I am far more likely to eliminate a film in subtitles than I am to entertain it. As a result, I rarely find a foreign film to be mediocre. I usually end up either liking the movie a ton of feeling like I just wasted two hours of my life. There are, of course, exceptions to the rule, and that is exactly what Two Days, One Night is. It is a movie that is mediocre in every sense. It had nothing to do with it being a foreign film. Had it not had subtitles, it would have been equally mediocre.
Continue reading Two Days, One Night (2014)
No Escape (2015)
No Escape is a combination of Behind Enemy Lines meets Argo meets World War Z. Unfortunately, it is not nearly as good as any of these movies. In fact, it wasn’t good at all. It certainly was not the worst movie I had seen in 2015, but thus far, it has been the most disappointing. The previews for this movie make it looks great. If you’ve seen any movie this summer, you’ve undoubtedly seen the extended clip of Owen Wilson, in a last-ditch effort to save his family, hurling his young daughter from the roof of one building to another. It makes the movie look like the most intense movie of the year. Unfortunately, this scene is easily the best of the film, and the movie ultimately falls apart after that. Unfortunately, there is no escape from me giving this movie a poor review. It’s so bad that it’s not even the best movie named No Escape. The 1994 Ray Liotta effort was much better and more deserving of your time.
Continue reading No Escape (2015)