
mother! (2017)

Fans of the self-published debut novel will not be disappointed by Ridley Scott’s (Alien, Gladiator) adaptation of Andy Weir’s The Martian. This is a good movie that should be viewed in 3D on the largest screen that you can see it on. While it doesn’t come close to delivering the same experience as Gravity or even Interstellar, it is one of the rare movies that truly benefits by being seen in 3D. Before I get into this review, I want to mention that I will try to write it from the standpoint of someone who has not read the fictional novel as best as I can, as I know this is something that most people have not read. With that said, I will refer to the novel. I will also give some spoilers, but I will provide notice before diving into any of these. If you read around the paragraphs marked spoilers, you will be okay with reading this review before seeing this movie. The Martian is a very good movie, but it is not great. I was not disappointed by it. If I hadn’t read the novel, I think that maybe the trailers and the hype would have left me wanting more. This movie currently sits as my #6 movie of 2015, but I think there is less than a 1% chance it will finish in my end-of-year top 10. It didn’t have the emotional impact Gravity had, nor does it have the What did I miss? I need to watch this movie again type of feeling Interstellar had. Also, as I will mention, something was missing overall from the performances especially considering that Scott landed the cast of the year. While I will heavily critique this movie, I again want to say that I really liked the movie. It was a very good adaptation of the book. It held my interest throughout its 2 hour and 14-minute time frame.
Continue reading The Martian (2015)
One of the most honest and straightforward movies in all of 2014 saw two of the most well known Saturday Night Live alums take on roles that were very, very different from anything that we have seen them in before. Rian Johnson’s (Looper, The Brothers Bloom) The Skeleton Twins is a movie that deals with mental health, a topic that hits very close to home with me. This is one of those movies that is categorized as a hit or miss drama/comedy, but this is hardly a comedy. This isn’t the heaviest movie in the entire world, but you certainly won’t be smiling much as you empathize with the leads Maggie (Wiig – Bridesmaids, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty) and Milo (Hader – Year One, Superbad). You might spend the first 15-30 minutes wondering when the comedy is coming, only to realize that maybe it not be. Best rest assured that you will know right away that this isn’t the Hader and Wiig that you know. This is something much more profound. This is a film to be seen for the film enthusiasts of the world. Continue reading The Skeleton Twins (2014)