Miles Teller (Whiplash, Bleed for This) is an actor I increasingly like with each passing role. Since arriving on the scene in 2010 with memorable roles in Rabbit Hole and the well-made remake of Footloose, Teller has starred in the forgettable 21 and Over, Two Night Stand, and That Awkward Moment. Furthermore, his time has been consumed with the Veronica Roth Divergent / Insurgent / Allegiant franchise. This series fell way short of the fantastic Hunger Games franchise and the lesser The Maze Runner series. Now, I’m not going to knock a guy for picking movies that are going to bring him a hefty paycheck, especially if there’s part of me that believes he’s doing it so that he can take less money in independent movies that can showcase his skill, evoke emotion, and that I can enjoy.
Category Archives: Year of Release
The Disaster Artist (2017)
Each year, there is at least one movie that I think I will hate and that I end up loving. Some years, it is much easier to pinpoint that movie than in other years. Not in 2017. Based on the trailers and the movie’s premise, I thought I would hate James Franco’s (Child of God, As I Lay Dying) The Disaster Artist. I will say that I knew nothing about Tommy Wiseau or the cult status of his movie The Room. However, I was pleasantly surprised and impressed by this movie’s effectiveness. This movie had quite a bit of Oscar buzz heading into awards season. It netted Franco a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. Unfortunately (for him), he was hit up with some sexual misconduct claims right around this time, and it very well could have cost him a nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role. This was the sixth-best performance of the year. As mentioned in previous posts, I would have gone with four nominated, minus Denzel Washington (Roman J. Israel Esq.), and replaced him with Jake Gyllenhaal (Stronger). After seeing this movie, I would have knocked Washington’s performance down to seventh and inserted Franco’s performance as the best not to be recognized with a nomination. His performance was very good. The movie would still have been good had he directed it and cast someone else as the lead, but casting himself was the right call.
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.
The Hero (2017)
When I randomly clicked “add to queue” when Netflix prompted me with this and five or six other movies based on a movie I did want to see, I don’t remember anything strikingly vivid about the description other than reading it was a man who turned to drugs to deal with his pain. It was enough to earn a yes-click from me. I don’t even think the description had any of the actors’ names in it. So when the disc showed up in the mail, I tossed it to the side for a few days while watching other movies in my queue and some of my favorite shows. Then, on a lazy Sunday afternoon, I decided to give the film a chance. I never thought it would be one that I would write about.
I only review about 30-35% of the movies I see. I must review the ones that I think will be up for Oscar nominations and then pick and choose the other ones. More frequently than not, I refrain from reviewing the big blockbusters. Director Brett Haley’s (I’ll See You in My Dreams, Hearts Beat Loud) 2017 The Hero was neither an Oscar contender nor a big blockbuster. And it was a movie we’ve seen on screen many times (including two times a decade ago that earned their lead actors Oscar nominations), which would be another reason for me not to review it as I’m big on originality. But this movie kept me interested and invested in the characters while keeping me away from my phone, computer, or other distractions. When a movie can do that, I’ll often give it the benefit of the doubt and give it a review.
The Mist (2007)
The best film adaptation of a Stephen King horror novel since the 1980s, The Shining, is not classics like Misery, Cujo, Pet Sematary, 1408, Christine, Firestarter, Thinner, or even IT (who seemingly everyone not named me seemed to love). Instead, it is the 2007 Frank Darabont’s (The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile) The Mist, a creepy dark tale that haunts your mind as much after its viewing as it does during it. King’s adaptations are either hit or miss, and all of the ones mentioned above (except for IT) are ones I enjoyed and would watch on multiple occasions. But there is both a plot and a suspense factor with The Mist that is like nothing I’ve seen before. I will also say that The Mist is the best Stephen King book I’ve ever read (granted, I’ve only read five or six), and it is one of the best adaptations of a film made from a book that I’ve read before (again, granted there had not been many of those). Recently, I started watching the Netflix show based on the book/movie. While not nearly as good as the book or the movie, Netflix did the show right. I don’t know if there was a need for the show, but I’m glad that they did it right since they went that route. Everything about The Mist is fantastic. I wish I could say the same about a movie like The Fog, one of the worst horror films I’ve ever seen. But I digress.