Sometimes, when I’m at home looking for something to watch, I’ll say an actor’s name to my voice-activated remote control. After recently rewatching and reviewing 3:10 to Yuma, I was interested in seeing what other Russell Crowe (Gladiator, Cinderella Man) movies I might be interested in rewatching or viewing for the first time. When I saw Fathers and Daughters, a movie I had never heard of before, I decided to play the trailer. Within 30 seconds, I stopped the trailer. I had successfully been teased enough to want to watch the movie without knowing more about it. I didn’t need to read any reviews, which may have turned me off. I saw it was a relationship movie that revolved around a past traumatic event that involved Crowe. That was all I needed.
Category Archives: 2016
Man Down (2016)
Continuing the two themes of actors who I once didn’t like but who, in recent films, have begun to win me over (Miles Teller), as well as films about characters suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after serving in wars in the Middle East (Thank You For Your Service) comes the critically panned Man Down, a movie that I don’t ever recall being in the theatre and didn’t know existed until a good six months after it was released. Earning a score of just 17% on Rotten Tomatoes, director Dito Montiel (A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, Fighting) delivers an emotionally disturbing, uneven film about a character traumatized by a specific incident that happened on his single tour. Man Down stars Shia LaBeouf (Lawless, Honey Boy) in what might be his finest performance to date. He stars as United States Marine Gabriel Drummer, who, after a raid and clearing of a house gone wrong in a village in Afghanistan, tells his story to Captain Peyton (Gary Oldman – Darkest Hour, The Dark Knight Rises), a military superior. The critics said that this movie exploits PTSD compared to a more subtle film like Thank You For Your Service (which also has the advantage of being based on a true story, something that Man Down lacks). While I can see that, especially in the film’s final act, I disagree. War is hell. It’s one of those things that we don’t have to experience firsthand to believe. But we need to experience or be close to someone who experienced it to understand it. When we can’t, we sometimes turn to books, television, or movies, hoping they will portray a true picture. That’s what Montiel did here, even if most of his critics disagreed.
Into the Forest (2016)
Movies that make you think long after they are over are among the best movies. Movies that make you feel present in the moment, or movies that bring out whatever type of emotion they were designed to bring out, are, of course, strong contenders to the effectiveness of a movie as well. But when you are still thinking about something you’ve seen, months or even years after it is over, and feeling the need to watch it again (even if you didn’t love it) is one of the biggest compliments you can give a movie. I’m saying that Patricia Rozema’s (Mansfield Park) Into the Forest is Platoon or E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. Still, it is a movie that will keep you involved and have you think about it after viewing.
Lights Out (2016)
Lights Out is based on a 2-minute and 41-second short by directing newcomer David F. Sandberg. Creepy from its opening scene to its final second, which will creep you out, the film got the funding to be developed into a full-length movie that stars not one but two well-known actresses. Unfortunately, the 2016 release flew under the radar. I hadn’t heard of the movie until I listened to The Film Vault, a movie podcast site that inspired the Six Pack feature on my blog. If you’re a person who watches a lot of movies, the Film Vault is a weekly must-listen-to. Hosts Anderson and Bryan review all the recent films while doing a Top Five segment each week (top five stabbings, top five divas, top five movies we can’t wait to show our kids, etc.). Also, they assign each other movies that the other one probably would never see and require each other to follow through on these assignments. Like almost all podcasts, it can get a little long at times, and sometimes, the movies they discuss are so obscure that you might have only seen two or three of the 15+ films they discuss each week. But if you watch many movies, even if you don’t necessarily agree with their lists entirely, you’ll be introduced to many movies you’ve never heard of. And, if nothing else, you’ll at least be intrigued to research some of these films to learn more. That’s precisely what happened to me with Lights Out.
Continue reading Lights Out (2016)
The Accountant (2016)
Gavin O’Connor’s (Pride and Glory, Miracle) The Accountant is a movie that resonated with audiences ($86 million at the box office, 78% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes) but nearly as much with critics (a score of just 51% on Rotten Tomatoes). I saw the movie on its opening weekend because I thought the trailer looked fantastic. I’ve been a big fan of just about everything Ben Affleck (Argo, Gone Girl) touches in front and behind the camera since 2007’s Gone Baby Gone, a film that led to his reemergence as a Hollywood A-lister. The Accountant looked like it would be the type of movie I enjoy. I love a gritty drama/thriller that is dark, mysterious, and violent.