Avengers: Infinity War

Movie Name: Avengers: Infinity War
Year of Release: 2018

Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Holland, Don Cheadle, Josh Brolin, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Chadwick Boseman, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Dave Bautista, Tom Hiddleston, Karen Gillan, Peter Dinklage, Idris Elba, Benedict Wong, Pom Klementieff, Gwyneth Paltrow, Benicio Del Toro, Sean Gunn, William Hurt, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Carrie Coon, Winston Duke
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
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Synopsis:

After their experience directing two installments of Marvel Studios "Captain America"'s saga, directors Anthony and Joe Russo are back, tackling this time around the new chapter in the "Avengers" storyline. The film is a direct sequel to events that took place in both "Captain America: Civil War" and "Thor: Ragnarok", and finds Thor and his Asgardian citizens under attack of Thanos. Thanos is on a rampage to retrieve the powerful Infinity Stones, that grant him enormous power to travel in time, manipulate reality, but also destroy the entire Universe if he so desires. Thanos sends his minions to retrieve the remaining stones, including one that is held with Doctor Strange, one that is a part of Vision (the artificial humanoid) and the stone whose whereabouts is known by Gamora, his daughter. All the heroes, including the Guardians of the Galaxy, Spider Man, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, unite their efforts in order to thwart Thanos' plans.
"Avengers: Infinity War" is a film that is a merger of multiple plot lines that have been built from the different Marvel films throughout the years. In a way, it's very much the climax of all that Marvel has been building in terms of their characters and shared universe. The film is a cacophony of characters, all allotted a small amount of time to showcase their character traits, yet strangely the character that comes across with more depth is the foe to all the events, a digitally created entity, Thanos (voiced by the always great Josh Brolin). The film is mostly successful due to the tremendous and stunning visual and digital effects, but ultimately they unbalance the narrative and sense of story development. It's a film that for all the tremendous cast that it assembles, it gives them all nothing much to do. And for all it's confrontations and sense of dread that it's suppose to create, it's eventually hollow and deeply artificial. The film does have an interesting structure, and showcases a well oiled production machine, but sadly that doesn't make a memorable film.

You Were Never Really Here

Movie Name: You Were Never Really Here
Year of Release: 2017

Director: Lynne Ramsey

Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Judith Roberts, John Doman, Ekaterina Samsonov, Alessandro Nivola, Alex Manette, Dante Pereira-Olson, Scott Price
Genre: Drama, Thriller

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 9
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Synopsis:

Director Lynne Ramsey's latest directorial effort is now on release, following its successful debut at the Cannes Film Festival of 2017, where it won two awards, specifically for Best Actor and Best Screenplay. This his first film since the fantastic "We Need to Talk About Kevin", and is based on the novel by Jonathan Ames. The film follows the story of Joe, a war veteran, who is haunted by his traumas, and who currently engages in the rescue of young women who are kidnapped or sold to slavery. He's brutal in his approach, and leads an invisible life, taking care of his elderly mother. His business partner sends him on a high profile case of retrieving the daughter of a senator who has disappeared. Following her retrieval, Joe is suddenly faced with a situation that exposes more layers of deceit than he anticipated. This throws his entire existence into disarray.
Lynne Ramsey has by now made a career for herself as a fantastic director with a unique point of view. "You Were Never Really Here" may, at a first glance at least, seem like a remake of "Death Wish", but it's oh so much more than that. The film manages to capture the inner darkness of the central character, from his childhood, through his traumatic experiences in the army, and how he battles and lives with those burdens in his adult life. The film is also stylistically stunning, allowing for the director to showcase an aesthetic that is engrossing, unique and fascinating. The film walks a perfect balance between character exposition, and explosions of violence, that are not tainted by a gratuitous flair - they are perfectly orchestrated (almost like a virtuous ballet of death). It's a film where all the parts come together perfectly, and it's also a narrative that sits beyond any specific time stamp that may be tempted to be attributed to it (it could have easily taken place in the 90s, or in the early millennia). The cinematography from Tom Townend is fantastic, as is the score from Jonny Greenwood. Joaquin Phoenix is once again phenomenal, proving that he is quite possibly the best actor working these days. A fantastic film worth watching.

A Quiet Place

Movie Name: A Quiet Place
Year of Release: 2018

Director: John Krasinski

Stars: Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe, Cade Woodward, Leon Russom
Genre: Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
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Synopsis:

Following his previous directorial efforts, actor/director John Krasinksi is back, tackling a suspense/horror story. The film follows the story of a family on a farm. We learn that we're on day 89, from what appears to have been a pretty devastating and apocalyptic event. We soon find out, Earth has been invaded, and the creatures that have taken siege, are driven by noises, and attack upon it. This family has devised a way to consistently communicate using sign language. One of the children is sadly taken, but as the days move on, we soon discover the mother to be with child yet again. The father in the meantime has been devising a hearing aid for one of the children who was born with hearing disabilities. In one of their food gathering outings, they are attacked, something that sets in motion a series of events.
"A Quiet Place" is a film that marries a lot of influences from different films, most clearly Steven Spielberg's "War of the Worlds" (aesthetically and in tone). The film is anchored by the interesting premise of a world dominated by silence, even if there are quite a few incongruous elements in the screenplay about that fact. It's a film that is more successful, the less it shows of the menacing creatures - the ability to conjure an environment of threat and menace is impeccable (and also a bit derivative of M. Night Shyamalan's work), but it's a film that falters whenever it has to push itself beyond the confinements of the family unit. Claustrophobic thrillers can be extremely successful precisely because they're anchored on confined spaces and circumstances, however, that also means the characters have to be built with some dimension, beyond the typical cliches. This film doesn't build much on that, but it retains the audience's attention through the suspenseful tone it has built. It's nonetheless a middling effort with a good performance from the always solid Emily Blunt.

All the Money in the World

Movie Name: All the Money in the World
Year of Release: 2017

Director: Ridley Scott

Stars: Michelle Williams, Christopher Plummer, Mark Wahlberg, Charlie Plummer, Romain Duris, Timothy Hutton, Charlie Shotwell, Andrew Buchan, Marco Leonardi, Giuseppe Bonifati
Genre: Drama

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
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Synopsis:

The prolific Ridley Scott is back, following his big budget "Alien: Covenant". "All the Money in the World" created all sorts of noise in the media, when original cast member Kevin Spacey was replaced by Christopher Plummer, when the film was just a few weeks away of premiering. The film focuses on the Getty family, specifically on the events that took place in the 70s, when John Paul Getty III, at the time a young teenager of 16, got abducted in Italy. The family had moved there, so his father could run the oil business that was headed by his grandfather, the tycoon by the name of John Paul Getty. At the time, the kidnappers demanded a ransom of 17 million dollars, money that his mother did not have (she was already divorced from his father, himself a drug addict), forcing her to go to the elder Getty. His grandfather blatantly refused to forfeit the money, and sent a former CIA agent to assess the situation. As time progress, things just escalated for the young Getty and for his safety.
At this point Ridley Scott shoots films almost non stop, releasing a new film every year, with the quality barometer being a bit all over the place. For every solid film such as "The Martian", there seems to be an "Exodus" or "The Counsellor", themselves deeply flawed features, borderline unwatchable. "All the Money in the World" falls somewhere in between those two groups: it's a film impeccably mounted and shot, something that is typical in Ridley Scott, but it's film that lacks a spark, and more of a point of view to indicate a pulse, in order to provide a glimpse into the nightmare that family lived. It's a glacial film, very restrained, where only the performance of Christopher Plummer gives the film an edge and a crooked heart. Michelle Williams, typically a great performer, feels miscast in the role, as does Mark Wahlberg, who appears to be lost in the proceedings. This is a film that needed a sense of urgency, of exacerbated greed, something that is never really conveyed. It's more of a distant illustration of some events, without making it sufficiently real. As much as the work of cinematographer Darius Wolski is impeccable, the disaturated tone of the film (as is habitual with some Scott films), feels like an odd stylistic choice. Another minor film in the career of a veteran and very prolific film director.

The Florida Project

Movie Name: The Florida Project
Year of Release: 2017

Director: Sean Baker

Stars: Willem Dafoe, Brooklynn Prince, Bria Vinaite, Aiden Malik, Valeria Cotto, Mela Murder, Christopher Rivera, Josie Olivo, Krystal Nicole Watts
Genre: Drama

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
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Synopsis:

After his breakthrough with "Tangerine", director Sean Baker is back with "The Florida Project", which was featured on many lists of the best of 2017. The film follows the story of young Moonee, who's a six year old, living with her mom in a Motel, close to Walt Disney World in Florida. Moonee, goes on her explorations with her friends, sometimes getting into some mischief, but her adventures are always rather innocent, unlike her mother, who resorts to stealing, prostitution and sometimes violence, in order to make ends meet. The children who live in that motel are somewhat sheltered in all this by the decent and humane motel manager, Bobby, who is aware of the difficulty of all these people's lives, and tries to help as much as he can.
Much like "Tangerine", "The Florida Project" is a slice of the life of people who live with very little. It's a look anchored in the children's perspective, and therefore filled with imagination and heart, but it's nonetheless a glimpse into the lives of people who live out of schemes and who drag their children through some rather sordid situations, in order to make ends meet and keep on living. It's not by any means miserable or squalid, but it's definitely a no frills approach to hard lives, and how children cope with those difficulties. It's a film that is compelling, and manages to keep the narrative flowing due to the naturalistic performance from Brooklynn Prince and the always fantastic Willem Dafoe, who composes a character without any of stylistic tones that so many of his other performances usually have. It's an interesting film from a very interesting director.

Molly's Game

Movie Name: Molly's Game
Year of Release: 2017

Director: Aaron Sorkin

Stars: Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Jeremy Strong, Chris O'Dowd, J. C. MacKenzie, Brian D'Arcy James, Bill Camp, Graham Greene, Justin Kirk, Angela Gots, Madison McKinley, Stephanie Herfield
Genre: Drama

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
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Synopsis:

Celebrated screenwriter Aaron Sorkin has crafted an interesting film as his directorial debut. Sorkin who has been responsible for shows such as "The West Wing" and screenplays for feature films such as "A Few Good Men", "The American President", "The Social Network" and "Steve Jobs" among others, adapts the book by Molly Bloom, crafting a somewhat different biopic. The film centers on Molly Bloom, a young and intelligent woman, who we initially witness being indicted. She is being indicted specifically for having run illegal gaming activities for a few years. The film then starts to present her story and how she ended in such a predicament. Molly was always pushed and pressured by her father to excel at everything, since her two younger brothers were terrifically gifted, hence some sibling rivalry. When she was in the Winter Olympics, she suffered an accident which forced her out of professional skiing. Having to figure out what to do next, she started providing assistance for Dean Keith, firstly on his day to day business, and eventually to gambling sessions he used to run and which included some high profile people. She started getting really good at organizing those, and making a substantial amount of money from it (from tips, and also from gathering new players for the games). When Dean fires her, Molly figures out the best way to come out on top, is simply to start organizing her own games, provided everything is done legitimately. This sends her on a path where she becomes very successful, but ultimately very exposed.
"Molly's Game" is a film that captures a slice of the events of the life of a young and resourceful woman, efficiently and dynamically. The film is anchored primarily in their actors, since it's a film based on the life of someone who used to run a gambling ring for a living. As such, the film explains thoroughly how this process was established, how people came into it, and what were the stakes. Molly is the narrator of the events, and does so without over sentimentalizing the ordeal. It's a testament to Jessica Chastain's talent, that she manages to create someone who is ambitious, but also flawed and aware of it. Her character isn't a victim, but also not a crass manipulator. She's simply a woman trying to make her way in the world, harnessing her intelligence and making sure she's got all her bases covered when she goes into that activity. It's interesting that Aaron Sorkin as a director, tries to showcase some of the influences from David Fincher in how he displays information on the screen, but he doesn't manage to paint that portrait quite as vividly as that director (they worked together on "The Social Network"). It's nonetheless an engaging film, featuring a solid supporting performance from Idris Elba, and one performance that is more one note from Kevin Costner. It's still an interesting debut, one that makes for an interesting watch.

Bound

Movie Name: Bound

Year of Release: 1996

Director: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski

Stars: Jennifer Tilly, Gina Gershon, Joe Pantoliano, John P. Ryan, Christopher Meloni, Richard C. Sarafian, Susie Bright, Mary Mara, Ivan Kane, Margaret Smith

Genre: Crime, Romance, Thriller

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis:

After a career as celebrated screenwriters, the Wachowski siblings made their directorial debut with "Bound", which premiered at the Venice Film Festival of 1996. The film follows the story of femme fatale Violet, who is tangled in a relationship with Caesar, himself a mobster. They both meet the beautiful Corky, who is working as a maintenance professional for an apartment that just became available on their building. Corky just recently got out of prison, and is immediately drawn to the seductive Violet. They both start an affair, and Violet comes up with the idea of robbing money from the mobsters, money currently being held by Caesar. Corky devises a plan, and establishes all the steps to carry out to fruition, but things take a sudden detour when Caesar goes ballistic.
Lana and Lilly Wachowski have of course made a name for themselves as the creators of "The Matrix". "Bound" was their first step in directing, and they successfully created a noir peace, filled with interesting characters, and definitely a lot more style than substance. It is a film that is nonetheless engaging, since it defines a criminal underworld, married with a style and aesthetic that makes it more stylized and definitely more compelling. The bend on gender dynamics also adds a lot more interest to the story, since it provides a more interesting motivation to both central characters. It's a film that is entertaining, anchored on the beautiful cinematography of Bill Pope, and the trio of performances, from the always reliable Jennifer Tilly, to Gina Gershon and Joe Pantoliano (who the directors would cast in "The Matrix"). An entertaining film from two interesting directors.

Goliath

TV Show Name: Goliath
Year of Release: 2016

Directors: Lawrence Trilling, Alik Sakharov, Dennie Gordon, Bill D'Elia, Anthony Hemingway

Stars: Billy Bob Thornton, William Hurt, Maria Bello, Molly Parker, Olivia Thirlby, Nina Arianda, Tania Raymonde, Sarah Wynter, Britain Dalton, Damon Gupton, Dwight Yoakam, Harold Perrineau, Julie Brister, Diana Hopper, Kevin Weisman, Patrick Robert Smith, Ever Carradine, Joshua James, Jason Ritter, Sarah Baker, Ken Weiler, Ana de la Reguera

Genre: Drama

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis:

"Goliath" is the latest show coming from the penmanship of creator David E. Kelley, prolific author of such iconic shows such as "Picket Fences", "Ally McBeal" and "The Practice", to name but a few, this time around with the partnership of Jonathan Shapiro (who has worked on his shows as writer since the 90s). "Goliath" focuses on the story of disgraced attorney Billy McBride. Once a powerful lawyer, head of his own firm - with a partner, the also charismatic Donald Cooperman - he has since fallen from grace, and is now dealing with alcohol addiction, and living in a run down apartment by the beach in California. He's approached by an inexperienced lawyer by the name of Patty Solis-Papagian, to help her get a settlement with a big arms manufacturer, who employed a man who apparently committed suicide. Billy decides to take the case, who is also being handled by his former firm. As his investigation starts probing deeper, more incidents start occurring, and a tangled web of corruption and criminal intent starts unraveling.
"Goliath" is a show that has slick production values, and a cast that brings verisimilitude to the situations being depicted. The show is most successful when it depicts the ruthlessness behind corporate behaviors and attitudes, but it gets tampered down by the glossiness with which it also paints the interactions between all the characters. It tries to have a certain amount of grit, but marries everything with a tone that is almost "Dynasty" style, with dramatic cliffhangers and occurrences, which removes the impact that the show could potentially have. It's a somewhat entertaining show, but it can't hide some of the sillier aspects of creating a serious dramatic show, with some soap opera tones. The show benefits from a crackling cast, with Billy Bob Thornton, Molly Parker, Nina Arianda and William Hurt, all creating very strong performances. A middling effort from an interesting writer/creator of content.