Category Archives: Genre

Birdman (2014)

birdamn movie posterFor all the hype surrounding Alejandro González Iñárritu’s (Babel, BiutifulBirdman, I was highly unimpressed. Yes, it was an above-average movie. Yes, the directing was good. Yes, the acting was good. But I never felt anything remarkable about this movie, its directing, or its acting. According to www.indiewire.com, Academy Award nominations are certainties for the film and for Iñárritu, Michael Keaton (as Lead Actor), Edward Nort-on (as Supporting Actor), Emma Watson (as Supporting Actress), and a host of others. I know this has been a terrible year for movies thus far, but there are still two months left. I still have incredibly high hopes for films like InterstellarNightcrawlerThe Imitation GameThe Theory of EverythingAmerican SniperWildExodus: Gods and KingsFoxcatcher, and Unbroken. I am hoping more than a few of these movies can break through and be the movies of 2014 that you have to see. So far, I’ve been told that Birdman, Gone Girl, and Boyhood were the movies that would be these movies that you HAD to see. So far, those who have said this have been 0 for 3. Each of these movies has been above average (B- to B range), but I will not have lasting memories of any of them.
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Fury (2014)

fury movie posterDavid Ayer’s (Harsh Times, End of WatchFury is a mix of bits and pieces from about every war movie you’ve ever seen. It’s Saving Private Ryan meets Apocalypse Now meets Black Hawk Down meets platoon sprinkled in with a little bit of The Perfect Storm (nonwar movie). It unsuccessfully tries to tug on your emotions while trying to tell fragments of stories about each of the five main characters. If you were to just read spoilers for this movie, you might think this movie is fantastic. The trailer makes the film look incredible.
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Kill the Messenger (2014)

kill the messenger movie posterAfter stints in movies that have limited his ability to showcase his range (Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, The Avengers, The Bourne Legacy), the talented Jeremy Renner returns to the type of film that has helped establish him as one of America’s best, under the radar actors. With Academy Award nominations in back-to-back years (The Hurt Locker – Best Actor, The Town – Best Supporting actor), Renner brings his acting prowess back to the big screen for the first time in four years in Michael Cuesta’s (Showtime’s HomelandKill the Messenger. While researching this movie, I learned that Renner is signed to continue the BourneMission Impossible, and Avengers franchises. Now while I’m never going to chastise an actor for getting as much money as they can, it would be my wish that he exit two of these three series (the Bourne series is tired and played out, and there is no need for his character in the Mission Impossible franchise) and concentrate on roles that bring out more of the actor in him. Then, of course, he would still have The Avengers movies for name recognition and bigger paydays. I feel like this man has a handful of Academy Award nominations (and hopefully a couple of wins) in his future if he continues tackling these more character-driven movies.
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500 Days of Summer (2009)

500 Days of Summer was one of the most rewarding movie experiences I’ve ever had. When I first heard about this movie back in the summer of 2009, I thought there would be no way I would ever see it, let alone see it in the theater, let alone see it in the theater and enjoy it. But as word of mouth began to spread and as the movie sustained life in the theater, it became inevitable that I would eventually see it. Nevertheless, I still was convinced that I would not like it. I was wrong. I loved it. Not only was it my favorite movie of 2009, but it most likely has a permanent spot in my all-time top 25.

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Gone Girl (2014)

gone girl movie posterHalfway through Gone Girl, I thought I was watching this year’s movie to beat. It had everything I wanted in a terse murder mystery/thriller. First, it had the small town file (which I love). We know who the main potential suspect may be from the film’s opening minutes. But this likely suspect may also be the film’s protagonist. And we are left guessing about his guilt or innocence throughout most of the film. We like him. We don’t like him. We hate him. We love him. We go through the gamut of emotions, leaving us exhausted as we sit on the edge of our seats. But the movie unravels in the last 45 minutes with more absurdities than a Jim Carrey movie. Suddenly this well-thought-out thriller becomes a bit of a mockery of itself in an attempt to separate it from other whodunit movies.
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