Flight

Movie Name: Flight
Year of Release: 2012

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Stars: Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle, Kelly Reilly, John Goodman, Bruce Greenwood, James Badge Dale, Garcelle Beauvais, Ron Caldwell, Tamara Tunie, Nadine Velazquez, Melissa Leo

Genre: Drama

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7

Synopsis:

Robert Zemeckis' is back with his first live action feature since "Cast Away" and "What Lies Beneath" were released in 2000. "Flight" follows the story of Whip Whitaker, a flight captain, who is an accomplished professional, but secretly an alcoholic. In one flight out of Orlando, FLA towards Atlanta, GA, the plane suffers mechanical problems, and thanks to Whip's quick thinking, the plane lands, with some casualties, but still without major fatalities. When the investigation starts, the fact that Whip was under the influence at the time of the flight, becomes a major issue, and his life slowly starts unraveling.
Robert Zemeckis has always been an interesting director. After a successful decade in the 90s (with "Forrest Gump" and "Contact" to name but a few), the following decade was primarily focused on his performance capture films ("The Polar Express" for instance). "Flight" in some ways, has some points of contact with Peter Weir's "Fearless", which featured a fantastic performance by Jeff Bridges, but this film in particular, deals more with the fact that a man has difficulty in dealing with his own demons and shortcomings. Whip can't accept the fact that alcohol and substance abuse has taken over his life and is basically controlling his impulses and everything he does. His family life has been destroyed due to that, and his son basically doesn't know the person he is. The film in itself, presents nothing new in terms of a man who has to fight his own demons, sober up and learn to live again, but Robert Zemeckis manages to create a film that is engaging, dynamic and technically impeccable (the crashing scene is superbly well shot). Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle and Kelly Reilly also create vivid and strong performances. A solid film worth watching.

Cloud Atlas

Movie Name: Cloud Atlas
Year of Release: 2012

Director: Lilly Wachowski, Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer

Stars: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Ben Wishaw, James D'Arcy, Jim Sturgess, Hugo Weaving, Keith David, Doona Bae, Hugh Grant, Susan Sarandon, David Gyasi, Martin Wuttke, Xun Zhou

Genre: Drama, Thriller, Sci-Fi

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8

Synopsis:

"Cloud Atlas" is a unique project, an adaptation of the stupendous book from David Mitchell, and directed by the trio of Lilly and Lana Wachowski, previously directors of "Bound", "The Matrix" trilogy and "SpeedRacer", and Tom Tykwer, who previously directed "Run Lola Run", "Perfume" and "The International". The film offers the premise that everything and everyone is connected, what we do while we're alive carries itself through times and existence. The film follows six different stories, which are connected by some element which the viewer uncovers as the story progresses. The first story follows Adam Ewing in the 19th century, who is slowly being poisoned by a false doctor who is in fact after his gold. The second story follows Robert Frobisher, a young destitute man, who is forced to leave his lover, due to a poor financial situation. Robert ends up working for an almost retired, but well known composer, to secure his earnings, but also to create his own masterwork. The third story introduces Luisa Rey (in the 1970s), a reporter who ends up uncovering a masterful conspiracy plot surrounding a nuclear power plant on the brink of collapse. Her discoveries put her on a target to be silenced at all costs. The fourth story presents Timothy Cavendish, an editor and publisher, who is on the run from some aggressive money collectors, and who due to the machinations of his brother, ends up being held prisoner in an asylum. The fifth story takes place in the future, in New Seoul, where a race of genetically created women, are specifically assigned managerial tasks. The rebellion in this society wants to expose this new type of slavery. The sixth story, also taking place in the far future, focuses on Zachry, a man who witnessed his father and brother being killed by a rival clan, and lives with the guilt that he did little to help them. He helps a more technologically advanced group who comes to his island for research. Of that group, he particularly focuses on Meronym, who is exploring his world, including the habits of his tribe.
The film is cleverly constructed and built around these different stories, whose tentacles spread and touch each other. The actors are given different parts in the different stories, changing genders, ethnic groups to serve the purpose of the stories and simultaneously add substance to the common thread of perpetuity of actions and their consequences throughout different ages. While each chapter very much functions autonomously, the characters have sufficient dimension which allows us to understand what motivates and propels them to act the way they do. Be it a loving relationship that can't be spoken of, an awakening from a life of servitude, or even a guilty conscience that is suddenly awakened, all these relationships that are illustrated throughout the narrative, eventually bring to life the concept that every action has a consequence, and that we are indeed connected to each other in more ways than one. It's a film with multiple layers, including humorous ones, that makes these situations and characters always engaging. Technically the film is impeccable, from the stunning cinematography from John Toll, to the visual effects, which create futuristic, yet "realistic" areas (reminiscent of Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner" or Steven Spielberg's "AI") , and of course the makeup (which can at times be a bit distracting). This is an ambitious and fantastically crafted film, which maintains the spirit of the book and yet gives it an extra layer due to the interpretation of the directors/writers. Worth watching!

Argo

Movie Name: Argo
Year of Release: 2012

Director: Ben Affleck

Stars: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Victor Garber, Tate Donovan, Clea Duvall, Scoot McNairy, Rory Cochrane, Christopher Denham, Kyle Chandler, Chris Messina, Titus Welliver, Bob Gunton, Philip Baker Hall, Richard Kind

Genre: Drama, Thriller

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7

Synopsis:

Following the commercial and critical success of his first two directorial efforts, "Gone Baby Gone" and "The Town", Ben Affleck is back, tackling a story based on true events. The story of "Argo" follows the events surrounding the hostage situation that occurred in 1979/1980 in Iran with a group of American embassy workers. The group managed to take refuge in the Canadian ambassador's house following the invasion of the American Embassy. Back in the US, Tony Mendez comes up with a concept of portraying the group as part of a film crew and thus manage to secure their safe extraction, before the Iranian regime notices that they are there.
Ben Affleck is clearly an intelligent director, and "Argo" uses a fantastic premise and concept to build a film that brims with tension. The film successfully creates the atmosphere lived in 1979/1980 and provides insight into the tense political situation that dominated the world at that time. The film intertwines the more combustible political and war-like situation, with the more outlandish concept of using a fake Hollywood production to successfully save the hostages. The film really has a fantastic production design and cinematography, but Alexander Desplat and his soundtrack are disappointing - the talented composer is basically copying his own work from Jonathan Glazer's "Birth". The film also falters in Ben Afflecks attempts to make the story one of personal redemption for his character. That belongs to another film. "Argo" is nonetheless a good film worth checking out.

Frankenweenie

Movie Name: Frankenweenie
Year of Release: 2012

Director: Tim Burton

Stars: Catherine O'Hara, Martin Short, Martin Landau, Winona Ryder, Charlie Tahan, Atticus Shaffer, Christopher Lee, Conchata Ferrell, Robert Capron

Genre: Comedy, Animation, Horror

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 9

Synopsis:

Tim Burton's "Frankenweenie" is a beautifully realized version of a short feature the director worked on at the beginning of his career at Disney. The film follows the story of young Victor Frankenstein, who is a lonely young boy, whose best friend is Sparky, his lively little dog. In one unfortunate accident, Sparky gets killed, and Victor unable to deal with his loss, decides to bring him back to life. This seemingly small event, starts going around Victor's young school colleagues, who in a bid to win the science fair unleash all sorts of monsters around town.
Tim Burton is a director with a very unique universe. As usual his main characters are part of the social tissue of a community, but always move in the fringes of it. His young hero, Victor, again comes in the vein of Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood and even Willy Wonka - characters who are idiosyncratic and conduct their lives in a manner that though consistent with themselves, still sets them apart from everyone else. "Frankenweenie" has all of this and all the traditional trademarks from Tim Burton: the love of classic horror films, the eerie taste of suburbia, the quirky supporting characters, all designed fantastically well, with a beautiful cinematography from Peter Sorg and music from Danny Elfman. This is a great work from a director who keeps developing his universe and giving us films that have heart, intelligence and humor. A very good film worth watching.

Looper

Movie Name: Looper
Year of Release: 2012

Director: Rian Johnson

Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Paul Dano, Noah Segan, Piper Perabo, Jeff Daniels, Pierce Gagnon, Frank Brennan, Garrett Dillahunt, Nick Gomez

Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8

Synopsis:

Rian Johnson's third feature, "Looper" is again an original screenplay from the young director, who previously directed the fantastic "Brick" and the interesting and flawed "The Brothers Bloom". "Looper" follows the story of Joe, a young man in 2044 who is basically a killer for hire. Joe eliminates people who are sent from the future by a crime syndicate - this sort of job is called a "looper". All these "loopers" eventually have to kill themselves. When the Joe from the future is sent back, he manages to escape, sending the life of his younger self on a downward spiral. The younger Joe attempts to escape retaliation for the unfinished job and also understand a larger crime plot taking place in the future. On his quest to escape, the younger Joe comes to know Sarah and her young son Cid, who both change his life forever.
After "The Brothers Bloom", director Rian Johnson is back with a stunning and intelligent science fiction film. The director manages to create a future that is bleak, and yet recognizable and not totally removed from our current reality. The characters are fully explored, in particular the young Joe, played fantastically well by Joseph Gordon-Levitt (under prosthetics to make him look like a younger Bruce Willis). The film utilizes the concept of time travel to smartly create  a notion of interconnection throughout the main characters and their fates, giving the film more than just an extra layer of action set pieces. This ends up giving the film it's pulse and heart, differentiating it from any standard action film. A great film waiting to be seen.

Dredd

Movie Name: Dredd
Year of Release: 2012

Director: Pete Travis

Stars: Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Lena Headey, Warrick Grier, Wood Harris, Rakie Ayola

Genre: Action, Sci-Fi

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7

Synopsis:

After the dreadful adaptation of "Judge Dredd" at the hands of Danny Cannon in 1995, featuring another forgettable performance from Sylvester Stallone, director Pete Travis and writer Alex Garland (who collaborated with director Danny Boyle in the films "The Beach", "28 Days Later" and "Sunshine"), finally achieve a great adaptation of the gritty comic book character. The film follows the lead character, Judge Dredd, who in the future is part of the police force, who are tasked with multiple functions, including applying the law and executing it immediately. Dredd is assigned the evaluation of a new recruiter who has telepathic skills, and they both go investigate multiple murders in a problematic neighborhood. They end up locked up in a huge building, which is under the tutelage and control of Ma-Ma, the drug lord of the area.
Pete Travis, who has built a career on TV, first came to attention with the film "Vantage Point", which featured William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver and Dennis Quaid. His take on the Judge Dredd character is definitely grittier and closely resembling the tone and feel of the comic book. The film is more in tone with a polished B picture, but with a very intelligent screenplay and very good actors to anchor the action and suspense (Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby and Lena Headey give the film credibility and edge). The film also benefits from good visual effects and the cinematography of Anthony Dod Mantle, whose work is always fantastic, definitely place it as one of the most interesting action films of the year. The film smartly uses the claustrophobic setting of the apartment building to create a tense and menacing atmosphere. A good film not to be missed.

The Master

Movie Name: The Master
Year of Release: 2012

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Laura Dern, Jesse Plemons, Kevin J. O'Connor, Ambyr Childers, Martin Dew, Christopher Evan Welch, Bruce Goodchild

Genre: Drama

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 10

Synopsis:

Following the stupendous "There Will Be Blood", the fantastic Paul Thomas Anderson is back, with a new film, which represents a new crowning achievement in a career already filled with stunning films. "The Master" follows the life of Freddie Quell, a young man who upon finishing his time in service during World War II wanders aimlessly through life, engaging in chronic drinking, violence and sex. On one of his escapades, he meets Lancaster Dodd, and his family (including pregnant wife Peggy and his adult children from previous marriages). These seemingly opposite people, are drawn to each other, as Lancaster, himself described as a Renaissance man, tries to save Freddie from his self-destructive path.
It's undeniable that Paul Thomas Anderson's films have always been  populated by interesting characters, with his central characters seeking a family, or a nuclear group setting, one that allows them to have a feeling of belonging. That occurred in "Boogie Nights", "Magnolia", ""Punch Drunk Love" and "There Will be Blood". "The Master" is an extension of those themes, but expanded on a different level - the quest of Lancaster in saving Freddie, is like a damn trying to stop the flow of a raging river. The film illustrates the basis of a cultish religion, but ultimately focuses it's attention on the quest of two different men, who cross paths, one trying to save another, and the other trying to understand where his life is going. The film is fantastically well done, from the stunning cinematography from Mihai Malaimare Jr. (who deserves an Oscar), to the brilliant performances from Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams. Joaquin Phoenix in particular dominates the film from beginning to end - his portrayal of the lost Freddie, is simply unforgettable. A masterful film, impossible to be forgotten.

Resident Evil: Retribution

Movie Name: Resident Evil: Retribution
Year of Release: 2012

Director: Paul W. S. Anderson

Stars: Milla Jovovich, Sienna Guillory, Michelle Rodriguez, Aryanna Engineer, Bingbing Li, Boris Kodjoe, Johann Urb, Kevin Durand, Oded Fehr, Colin Salmon, Shawn Roberts

Genre: Action, Horror, Sci-Fi

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3

Synopsis:

The "Resident Evil" franchise continues, under the helm of the original creator of the series, prolific director Paul W.S. Anderson. The film picks right after the previous one, where Alice is again being hunted by the Umbrella Corporation. Alice finds herself in an underwater testing ground, where Umbrella develops biological weapons. Her former nemesis, Albert Wesker, is now trying to save her in order to get her help fighting the artificial computer who is running the entire Umbrella corporation and is intent on destroying the entire human race. It's up to Alice and her allies, to escape the desolated and dangerous ground and battle the corporate menace.
Paul W.S. Anderson is a director who primarily focuses on spectacle and big action sequences. Character development is usually secondary, and the "Resident Evil" has been a good example of it. The series is at this point starting to exhibit a bit of the same tiresome plot points, with some back and forth on story line elements that have been explored previously. To balance the weaker plot issues, the visuals are getting increasingly more sophisticated and so is the budget for the films. "Resident Evil: Retribution" tries to emulate a bit of James Cameron's "Aliens", by giving Alice/Milla Jovovich a maternal anchor, but that is sadly, threadbare and hardly developed. What ends up on screen are some good visual effects and some nicely choreographed action scenes, that don't make up for a film, but occupy some time.

More Tshirts!

New tshirts available.
You can check them here.

For a Good Time, Call...

Movie Name: For a Good Time, Call...
Year of Release: 2012

Director: Jamie Travis

Stars: Ari Graynor, Lauren Miller, Justin Long, Mark Webber, James Wolk, Mimi Rogers, Don McManus, Steven Shaw, Kevin Smith, Ken Marino, Sugar Lyn Beard, Seth Rogen

Genre: Comedy

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:

"For a Good Time, Call..." follows the story of two young women in New York, who met each other many years ago, disliked each other and now by force of circumstances, find themselves having to share an apartment. Lauren, comes from a well off family and is trying to get a good job in publishing, while Katie, is living in her late grandmother's apartment, and making ends meet by working as a phone sex operator. Lauren ends up having to forge a partnership with Katie, and both women learn to tolerate and furthermore support and love each other.
Jamie Travis' debut film is a quirky and sweetly written comedy, which hides a very tender heart behind it's raunchy sex-related humor. The film follows the standard pairing of opposing personalities, namely the uptight girl, versus the more liberated one, both of whom eventually find out that their common ground is a lot more profound than what initially separated them. If the screenplay itself holds no particular fresh insight, the actors really bring it to life and are the key anchors of this independent comedy. Ari Graynor in particular holds the film together - she's a natural and vibrant force as the loud mouth Katie, who deep down has yet to know so much about love. The supporting cameos from Justin Long, Kevin Smith and Mimi Rogers, just add an extra bonus of hilarity. A cute little film worth watching!

ParaNorman

Movie Name: ParaNorman
Year of Release: 2012

Director: Chris Butler, Sam Fell

Stars: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Tucker Albrizzi, Anna Kendrick, Casey Affleck, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Leslie Mann, Jeff Garlin, Elaine Stritch, Bernard Hill, Jodelle Ferland, Tempestt Bledsoe

Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7

Synopsis:

"ParaNorman" follows the story of Norman Babcock, a young boy who has the unusual capability of seeing ghosts. Norman's family doesn't believe in his different capabilities, and at school his colleagues mock him and ostracize him. Norman's uncle, unexpectedly appears and warns him about a curse, one that affects the small town where Norman lives. It's up to Norman and his new found group of friends, to prevent the curse from occurring and to restore peace to the small town.
"ParaNorman" is the joint effort from Chris Butler and Sam Fell, both with previous experience in animation, but who tackle with this feature, the challenge that is creating a stop-motion animated film. The film is simultaneously an homage to the features of Stuart Gordon (who directed the cult horror film "Re-Animator"), but also a heartfelt trip to the memories of the Hammer films (which featured Christopher Lee for instance). The simultaneous existence of the reverence for the familiar horror/suspense structure and the comedy that is distilled throughout the film, make this a compelling animated feature. Though there is the conventional undertone of the young hero coming to terms with his own difference and being accepted by his family, the overall tone of the film is still unique and original. The design of the characters should also be highlighted, and the special effects give an extra dimension to the overall film. A small gem worth watching.

Cosmopolis

Movie Name: Cosmopolis
Year of Release: 2012

Director: David Cronenberg

Stars: Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche, Sarah Gadon, Mathieu Amalric, Jay Baruchel, Kevin Durand, Samantha Morton, Paul Giamatti, Emily Hampshire, Philip Nozuka

Genre: Drama

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5

Synopsis:

Director David Cronenberg follows 2011's "A Dangerous Method", with a totally different setting, based on the book of Don DeLillo of the same name, "Cosmopolis". The film follows the story of Eric Packer, a young billionaire who decides to go and have a haircut, but due to complicated traffic the journey ends up lasting the whole day. During the day, Eric keeps meeting different people on his limousine, who challenge him, question him and finally end up confronting him with his sense of life and mortality.
David Cronenberg is a fantastically gifted director, one who has built a unique career, made of interesting and challenging films. "Cosmopolis" is an adaptation of the novel from Don DeLillo, and the film ends up being a reflection on the state of most economies and how easily people get elevated to statuses which are devoid of any meaning. The young billionaire at the core of this deambulation, goes through his day, trying to connect to a wife he doesn't know, a mistress who understands him all too well, and a variety of characters that reflect not only himself, but the state of society. The film exists mostly as a general reflection of society, and not necessarily as a narrative with characters who exist as more than "types". That in itself ends up being the limitation of the film - the characters don't really interact with each other - they reflect on different themes. This makes for a cold and detached experience. The supporting cast is uniformly good, particularly Samantha Morton and Paul Giamatti, who bring some humanity to the film. A flawed yet interesting film.

The Bourne Legacy

Movie Name: The Bourne Legacy
Year of Release: 2012

Director: Tony Gilroy

Stars: Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton, Stacy Keach, Donna Murphy, David Strathairn, Joan Allen, Albert Finney, Oscar Isaac, Zeljko Ivanek, Scott Glenn, Corey Johnson

Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5

Synopsis:

Writer and director Tony Gilroy is back, continuing the "Bourne" saga for which he has written the previous three installments (for directors Doug Liman and Paul Greengrass). The film follows the story of Aaron Cross, who similarly to Jason Bourne, is an agent under the highly secretive program Treadstone. The people responsible for the program are all trying to contain the information from becoming public, and in the process, are eliminating all the supporting players, including agents. Aaron is one of the targets, though he manages to elude his captors and pursue a doctor who may be able to assist him uncovering the whole ordeal and save his own life. Aaron and Marta go on the run from the entire agency and other agents that are trying to eliminate them.
Tony Gilroy has a long career as a screenwriter, and knows the Bourne saga quite well. The main issue with extending the series which had Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass at the helm, is the lack of the sense of urgency and gripping characters the previous films had (not to mention the strong hand from director Paul Greengrass). "The Bourne Legacy" tries to build many bridges between the new characters and the events that surrounded the previous films, but ends up being a convoluted mess, that doesn't provide any further motivation or understanding of the main characters, that are after all, the core of this new film. The film tries quite hard to explain the ramifications of the conspiracies (trying to echo the 70s conspiracy thrillers, such as Sidney Pollack's "Three Days of the Condor"), but ultimately the characters are simply not as engaging, and their relationships not really developed. The film has a fantastic cast, namely Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz and Edward Norton, but they simply can't elevate the film to the levels of the previous ones. A missed opportunity.

New tshirts!

New tshirts available.
You can check them here.

Total Recall

Movie Name: Total Recall
Year of Release: 2012

Director: Len Wiseman

Stars: Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, Bryan Cranston, Bokeem Woodbine, Bill Nighy, John Cho, Will Yun Lee, Milton Barnes

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7

Synopsis:

Len Wiseman's career as a director of big and entertaining action films continues, after his hit with "Live Free or Die Hard". "Total Recall" is another interpretation of the Philip K. Dick short story, which was also the base for Paul Verhoeven's film which came out in 1990. The film follows the story of Douglas Quaid, a worker in a factory whose life is mundane and trivial. Doug always feels as if though his life is meant for something more grandiose, and decides to go to Rekall, and get some memory implants. He soon realizes that he is a secret agent, whose task resides in aiding the resistance fighting a large corporation that wishes to destroy a colony for the sole purpose of profit.
Len Wiseman is an intelligent director, one who clearly inspires himself with the work and vision not just from the author himself, but also from other films and filmmakers. He distills and creates a vision that is unique and original. What "Total Recall" misses in terms of character development, it makes up in an original view of a future where greed dominates everything, one where the problems of social co-existence have become chronically troublesome. The film has hints and nods to Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner", Steven Spielberg's "Minority Report" and even Alex Proya's "I, Robot" (two of them based on the work from the same author). The film has a stunning production design and cinematography, fantastic special effects, and three great actors in key roles, namely Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale (who makes a really awesomely gifted villain) and Bryan Cranston. A very entertaining film worth watching!