
The Town (2010)

Joel Edgerton’s (Warrior, Exodus: Gods and Kings) The Gift is easily the surprise hit of the summer. Creepy and suspenseful, this movie is a clinic on developing characters and entrenching viewers fully into the storyline. I saw the film in a probably 75% full theater, and you could hear a pin drop during the film’s quieter moments. Everyone was all-in on the story, and nobody seemed to know where it was headed because of the oohs and aahs at each new twist. Based on its 93% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, I did not doubt this movie would be good. However, I did not watch a preview beforehand (purposefully), nor did I know anything about the film other than when somebody said the night before my viewing that they heard it had a crazy twist. Therefore, before I get into my review, I would suggest stopping reading and avoiding as much reading or trailer-watching as possible about the film. Long story short, see the movie.
Continue reading The Gift (2015)
After months of hype, Wally Pfister’s directorial debut, Transcendence, was by its 19% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. I remember looking forward to this movie when I first heard about it. However, my hopes quickly extinguished when I saw how poorly the critics received it and how poorly it did at the box office. It grossed only $23 million domestically (although it did end up grossing $103 million worldwide, surpassing its $100 million budget barely and making it a slightly profitable movie). I thought that movie was not disappointing at all, but maybe misunderstood. It was slow (one of its significant gripes), but honestly, not any slower than Interstellar (which critics loved, made a ton of movies in the United States, and was released just a few short months earlier). I know I am in the minority when I say that, despite its limitations and shortcomings, which I will discuss, you should give the movie a chance.
Continue reading Transcendence (2014)