Review of “Inherent Vice” starring Joaquin Phoenix

This movie reminded me in many ways of a Cohen brothers movie.  There are lots of famous actors and a story about crime and lots of laughs in between things.  Because it can be considered a comedy, the tone of this movie was a lot different than the last two movies we saw from director Paul Thomas Anderson (“The Master” and “There Will Be Blood”).  The story is based on a 2009 novel by Thomas Pynchon.  Joaquin Phoenix plays a pot smoking private investigator who works out of a doctor’s office.  He gets tangled in a web of crime searching for his lost love.  The run time is a little long at 2 and a half hours, but lots of movies are that long these days.

I recommend this movie if you like Cohen brothers movies but you wish they were directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.

Review of “The Gambler” starring Mark Wahlberg

I’m not sure if this is a movie or some English professor’s daydream.  Mark Wahlberg plays a professor from a wealthy family who gambles big.  In his class is a beautiful student who witnessed him lose $200,000 in one bet on the roulette wheel while working as a waitress.  Wahlberg points out in class the next day that she is the only person in the class with a real talent for writing.  This leads to a romance between the two.  Also in the class is a star basketball player and a star tennis player who figure into the plot.  Most of the movie involves people threatening Wahlberg to repay money that he has lost gambling.

I recommend this movie if you are a male English professor who likes to daydream.  It’s also not bad if you are a small stakes gambler who likes to daydream.

Review of “Foxcatcher” starring Steve Carell

If you are expecting a comedy because this movie stars Steve Carell, just rewatch “The 40 Year Old Virgin”.  There are a few laughs, but they are laughs born out of lots of tension.  This is an intense movie.  The tension builds from the beginning and it doesn’t let up.  This is by no means a feel good movie.  Carell’s appearance is noticeably changed with makeup.  I imagine this is to help the audience take him seriously and not see the loveable goofball we are all familiar with.  It was a risky casting choice, but it worked.  Carell creates a real intense weirdo to keep us in suspense as to when or if he will crack.

I recommend this movie if you like wrestling, intense weirdos, or awkward silences.

Review of “The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies” based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkienn

This is the final movie of a trilogy based on the novel “The Hobbit” by J.R.R. Tolkien.  The trilogy is also a prequel to “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy also based on novels by Tolkien.  If you have already seen the other five movies, this movie in no way will disappoint you.  It is just as good or better than any of the rest.  Also, while the ending is still a little bit drawn out, it is not nearly as unbearable as the ending of “The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King”.

I recommend this movie for people who like and have seen the other five movies in the Middle Earth saga.  If you haven’t seen at least the first two of this trilogy, watch them first.

Review of “Unbroken” directed by Angelina Jolie

Here is another movie set during World War II that is a likely candidate for some Oscar nominations.  It is a biopic about the life of Louis Zamperini.  He was an Olympic athlete in Berlin in 1936.  He was lost at sea when his plane was shot down in the Pacific.  He also spent time as Japanese prisoner of war.  Through it all, he never lost hope.  Angelina Jolie has made an engaging, touching, inspirational movie.

I recommend this movie if you like to be inspired by movies.

Review of “The Imitation Game” starring Benedict Cumberbatch

This is a movie that takes place during World War II.  ***SPOILER ALERT*** The Allies win the war.  Alan Turing cracked the German enigma code and allowed the Allies to read encrypted German communications.  Historical experts estimate that this shortened the war by as much as two years.  Cracking the code had been a seemingly impossible task.  Turing advanced computer science by leaps and bounds with his invention.  So the allies had to be careful about what intelligence they acted on or the Germans would know their code had been broken.  ***SPOILER ALERT OVER***

The preceding spoiler alert really just outlines an important part of the history of our planet.  So, if you don’t see the movie, this is something you should familiarize yourself with anyway.  That being said, this movie is not about a lesson in history, even though it is one that isn’t as well known as it should be.  This movie is about Alan Turing and his unique personality and interactions with people and it is set during a crucial moment of human history.  I think this is a likely candidate to receive some Oscar nominations.  Benedict Cumberbatch gives a great performance.  His Alan Turing is sort of a less sociable version of his characterization of Sherlock Holmes in the popular British television series.

I recommend this movie if you like World War II history, Benedict Cumberbatch or watching big machines that you don’t understand.

Review of “Into the Woods”, a musical by Stephen Sondheim

I am admittedly not a connoisseur of musicals.  I was intrigued by this one, so I checked it out.  Many of the fairy tales we know are woven together and Meryl Streep plays a witch in the midst of it all.  It is no surprise that Meryl Streep is phenomenal in her role. She uses the full palate of emotions and creates a dynamic character to center the movie. There are also a few good laughs and the songs are catchy, but there isn’t much substance to it all.  The song at the end tells us to be careful what stories we tell to children.  It doesn’t tell us what to tell or what not to tell, just that the children will listen.  The story is coherent, it just isn’t very compelling or suspenseful or wonderful.

I recommend this movie if you like Meryl Streep, movie musicals or songs about the woods.

I do not recommend this movie if you are expecting a lot from Johhny Depp.  I would not have complained if they cut his entire scene from the movie.  Go to the concession stand or the restroom when he appears on screen.  It seemed to only take five minutes or so.

Review of “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1” starring Jennifer Lawrence

Books and movies, movies and books.  I have read all three of the Hunger Games novels by Suzanne Collins and now I have seen 3 of 4 movies based on them.  I would say that this one translates pretty well into a movie.  It is sort of a movie about making movies.  It occurred to me that the people of Panem are very susceptible to what they see on the screen.  Maybe this is what the future will be like.  We just had an election.  Are competing television ads in real life much different than the competing propaganda films in the fictional dystopia of Panem?  At least in the movie, the “ads” are broadcast live and not replayed ad nauseum.

I do not recommend this movie as a stand alone movie.  If you haven’t read the books or seen any of the other movies, this movie doesn’t have much to offer you.  I think you would be more confused than entertained.  It has a great cast, but unless you are looking for a movie where you don’t understand what anybody is talking about, their talents will be wasted on you.

I recommend this movie if you are familiar with the Hunger Games Trilogy of novels or you have seen the first two movies based on the novels.

Review of “Dumb and Dumber To” starring Jim Carrey

If you discount the fact that it is completely unoriginal, this movie is just as good as “Dumb and Dumber”.  Of course, you won’t love the bits in this movie as much as the ones you have grown to love over the past twenty years, that would be unreasonable.  If you buy a ticket, you will get exactly what you expect.  Also, there is something at the end of the credits if you stay to the very end.

Review of “Interstellar” directed by Christopher Nolan

Christopher Nolan has now secured his place among directors with what I call the trifecta draw.  He can attract the best actors, the best awards and the best box office receipts.  If you are the type of person that likes to see all the movies nominated for best picture in a given year, go ahead and cross this one off your list.  It will be nominated.

I honestly think they could give Albert Einstein a writing credit for this movie.  This movie is like a sequel to the theory of relativity.  What I mean is, you should familiarize yourself with it before you watch.  Also, Google black holes and worm holes and get a basic understanding.  If that sounds like too much, it’s okay.  There is also a strong human element to this story.  That element even surfaces in the robot characters.  Bill Irwin steals many scenes as the voice of TARS.

Not everyone will enjoy this movie as much as I did.  ***SPOILER ALERT*** The same people that complained that “Inception” didn’t make any sense, will complain about the ending.  I will say this movie turns away from science and more toward science fiction in order to bring about a happy ending. It reminded me a lot of “Prometheus” which had a mixed ending in contrast to this saccharine drenched close. In true Nolan fashion though, he clues you in to the ending if you are paying attention. ***SPOILER ALERT OVER***  Nolan sets the course of the film through key lines of dialogue, much in the same way he does in “The Dark Knight”.  Is this movie better?  It’s apples and oranges.  This movie is more touching and beautiful than any of Nolan’s other work.  I look forward to whatever he does next.

I recommend this movie if you like Nolan, science, science fiction or instant classics.