BY: CLINT BULLIN, FILM AND ENTERTAINMENT WRITER
@Clintosaurus
The biggest surprise for me was Edge of Tomorrow. It is an incredibly intelligent, Tom-Cruise like , sci-fi epic. Sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? I wanted to hate this movie so much. Tom Cruise takes me out of films because he always plays himself. Not here. I couldn’t imagine anyone else in the role. He brings that sarcastic, real everyman hero that made him a star in the first place. The most surprising aspect here though, is how smart this film really is. It always keeps you guessing. There’s a lot of thinking that’s going on during the gunfire and explosions (I promise). Also, it has explanations for everything. Just when you think something is going to be a giant, gaping plot hole, they hit you with some information that will stop that kind of nitpicking in its tracks. It so undeniably funny and engaging that, when it’s over, you’ll want to see it again right away. I’ll go ahead and say it: This is the best science fiction film since 2009?s District 9. I personally cannot wait for the Blu-Ray on this one.
There haven’t been as many indie-hits (especially mainstream ones) as 2013, but the ones we have gotten so far are some big-hitters. Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel is the second part of my tie for favorite film this year and possibly Anderson’s best work to date. It has all the usual tropes- the magnificent ensemble cast with many of the usual players and a few new delights; the quirky humor, the meticulously planned sets and shots, exceptional dialogue. The new ingredients here though are bursts of violence and the ever-moving pacing. The film always feels like it’s going somewhere, never a dull moment. Another role added to the list of out-of-this-world performances by Ralph Fiennes (and the most fun one at that), as well as a breakthrough performance by Tony Revolori as the lobby boy, Zero, centers this ever-changing, mesmerizing caper story.
You know who is having one of hell of a year? Chris Evans. Not only did his Captain America: The Winter Soldier blow the roof off the MCU building, but his career best performance as the lead in Snowpiercer blew our minds. Set in a not so distant, dystopian future where the entire planet has been wiped out due to an ice age caused by global warming, except for the passengers aboard a large, technically advanced train. It takes place 17 years after the apocalypse and tells the story of the rebellion of the back-ended, lower class of the economics system that has evolved within the train. It’s a gritty, political, ultra-violent, science fiction morality play about our current class system. It’s a truly original and always exciting tale. It’s also another one of the reasons sci-fi is having such a stupendous year. Evans leads the rebellion which you can currently watch via most VOD platforms.
Some other important independents released so far are:
Blue Ruin– An ultra-realistic approach to your typical revenge tale. What separates this micro-budget flick from the pack, are the ways it depicts violence. It in no way glorifies it and the film deals with the immediate consequences and repercussions of such acts. It is also available on most VOD platforms.
Enemy– Jake Gylenhall stars as a community college professor leading a monotonously boring life until the day that he rents a film and sees an actor within it who appears to be his biological clone or twin or something. I can’t say much without ruining the film but the ending will haunt you for weeks. It’s a must-see. Available on VOD and DVD
Under the Skin– Scarlett Johansson stars as a seductive alien out for human male blood in this liquid narrative that feels more like some kind of twisted fever dream than a movie. The visuals are highly impressive and Scarlett knocks this one out of the park. Available on VOD and DVD
Chef– Jon Favereau stepped away from large explosions and superheroes and went back to his Swingers’ roots. Though a story about a cook opening a food truck sounds lame, Favereau inserts enough heart, humor, and respect of the titular profession to make this one more than worthwhile. Favereau takes the lead with some help from Robert Downy Jr, Scarlett Johansson, John Leguizamo, Sofia Vergara and a few others in this highly entertaining road trip movie.
The Sacrament– Ti West (The House of The Devil , The Inkeepers, V/H/S) is becoming a horror staple. While I wish this film strayed from the source material more (it’s an exact modern reimagining of the famous Kool-Aid mass suicide/massacre of Jonestown) his style and straight-forwardness left me feeling extremely uneasy during and (for a long time) after watching it. It’s a slow burn, but its effect is long lasting.
Begin Again– This film came out of nowhere for me. It’s an honest, heartfelt tale about an aging record company executive (Mark Ruffalo) and an aspiring singer/songwriter (Keira Knightly) and their chance encounter that changed their lives. The film is about their attempt to defy the music industry and make an album their way. The music in the film is wonderful, it really drew me in. It had a way of engaging me without pressuring me and I liked it. It preached without being preachy. Itjust made me feel good. That’s allowed every now and then, I think. Still in theaters so get over to your local cinema and support this movie and indie film at the same time.
Locke– Hamlet on the highway as they say. I’m not usually one for films with a confined single location, but this film worked for me and that’s solely because of Tom Hardy. The performance this man gives is nothing short of perfection. Just go ahead and give him his Oscar, Academy. He’s earned it. This may be the performance of the year and that is reason enough alone to check it out. Which you can do currently via VOD.
Finally, I’d like to mention two films that, to me, aren’t getting enough love. Sure, they aren’t perfect, but I appreciate what they’re going for and they’re more than interesting enough to have a look at. The first is Seth Macfarlane’s A Million Ways To Die In The West. While completely predictable story wise, it has an abundance of laughs and an old-school charm that I don’t see much anymore. It’s a comical western from the creator of Family Guy and Ted, and it’s getting most of its hate from people who don’t like Macfarlane in the first place. Its humor is of both high and low brow, but always smart. The cast of colorful characters are played by some big-name performers including: Liam Neeson, Charlize Theron, Neil Patrick Harris, Sarah Silverman, Giovanni Ribisi and Amanda Seyfried, but led by Macfarlane himself. I laughed more often than not and there are two cameos that will have you rolling on the floor. I’d take this over generic Neighbors style comedy any day. Keep ‘em coming, Seth.
Secondly, we have Deliver Us From Evil. The way it blends cop-noir procedural with occult thriller is what makes this film important enough to mention. This genre-blending flick does have some truly played-out tropes, but when it’s good, it’s really good. It has some perfectly creepy moments sprinkled throughout. The protagonists being a macho-man, tough guy cops instead of damsels in distress adds much to chill factor, while taking away any reason for yelling “Run the other way, stupid!” at the screen. The fact that they are cops gives them reason to put themselves in these sticky situations as it is their job after all.
Sure, we still have plenty of movies to look forward to this year. Christopher Nolan graces us with his presence in November with his sci-fi opus Interstellar. David Fincher is back with another dark, mystery based off a bestselling novel in Gone Girl. Eli Roth our favorite sicko is back with his first directorial project in 6 years. The first half of the final installment in the popular The Hunger Games franchise is on its way at the end of the year. Disney goes dark with its big name characters in Christmas’s Into The Woods. The sequel to the 20-year old smash hit Dumb & Dumber will be arriving soon and there are many, many more to be on the lookout for. While so far it hasn’t been as good as 2013 for movies in my opinion, it has been quite a unique year in itself. Things we highly anticipated tanked while others we weren’t interested in became our favorites. Multi-genre is at an all-time high. It is becoming more and more apparent that one day genres probably won’t exist (but that’s a whole other can of worms to open some other time).
The only blockbusters people cared about were ones with purpose and emotion (Cap 2, Apes, X-Men, Guardians, etc.) All the heartless, FX- driven ones (TMNT, Sin City etc.) are now smirked at and hopefully we can leave films like that in the dust. So many new things to talk about with so many films to see before it’s all said and done. I can’t wait to see them and discuss them here with you. We’ll just have to see what the rest of the year has to bring. Who knows what we’ll be saying about film this year in January 2015. Until then, catch some of these that you may have missed. Or rewatch the ones you have enjoyed. Whatever the case, I’ll continue to be here to give you some insight on this industry we all love so much. Until Next time, enjoy the movies.
(Check out Clint’s Take: 2014 Film Review, Part 1 in our Lifestyle section).
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CEO, Eagle English and New Age Eve Productions
Wow, Clint, great to see you online using your skills. Vicki forwarded this to me.
I mostly watch older movies, but if I go out to see a new film, I will take your recommendations to heart.