jackgradis
Joined May 2013
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Mojave follows a depressed/possibly suicidal artist who goes to the desert and encounters a homicidal drifter. I had heard nothing but terrible things about this film, and anticipated it to be my first "bad" film of 2016. Nevertheless, while very flawed and lacking a true protagonist, Mojave is a self-awarely pretentious physcological thriller featuring another fantastic performance from Oscar Isaac.
What this film ultimately boils down to is a battle of wits between Oscar Isaac and Garrett Hudland's characters. Hudland is good for what he is given, but his character isn't given much depth to work with, and you just have to take small drops of knowledge you learn about him to piece together who he is as a character. His role is similar to most characters he typically plays, and he plays the part well.
Oscar Isaac continues his streak of greatness, having fun in a role similar to what he did in Ex Machina. He gets to show off his funny and darker side, and is very convincing in his role. Isaac's presence is felt throughout the film, even when he is not on screen. Truly an underrated performance by an actor who is taking over Hollywood.
William Monahan wrote and directed this film, and he earned an Academy Award for penning The Departed. Monahan crafts a very fascinating script with Mojave. It's pretentious, but it knows it's pretentious, and uses that as a tool for its characters to go back and forth at one another with. I definitely get what he was going for, and I dug most of it. Some fascists are very underwritten however, and while attempting to balance two tones, the film gets lost in itself from time to time.
Overall, Mojave is a deeply flawed film, but a bold, knowledgeably pretentious one, that includes some good thrills. Isaac is phenomenal yet again, having a blast in his role and leaving a lasting impression on the film as a whole. It won't be winning any awards, and most viewers will be turned off by it, but Mojave is a fascinating thriller, and one I recommend if you go in with the right expectations.
What this film ultimately boils down to is a battle of wits between Oscar Isaac and Garrett Hudland's characters. Hudland is good for what he is given, but his character isn't given much depth to work with, and you just have to take small drops of knowledge you learn about him to piece together who he is as a character. His role is similar to most characters he typically plays, and he plays the part well.
Oscar Isaac continues his streak of greatness, having fun in a role similar to what he did in Ex Machina. He gets to show off his funny and darker side, and is very convincing in his role. Isaac's presence is felt throughout the film, even when he is not on screen. Truly an underrated performance by an actor who is taking over Hollywood.
William Monahan wrote and directed this film, and he earned an Academy Award for penning The Departed. Monahan crafts a very fascinating script with Mojave. It's pretentious, but it knows it's pretentious, and uses that as a tool for its characters to go back and forth at one another with. I definitely get what he was going for, and I dug most of it. Some fascists are very underwritten however, and while attempting to balance two tones, the film gets lost in itself from time to time.
Overall, Mojave is a deeply flawed film, but a bold, knowledgeably pretentious one, that includes some good thrills. Isaac is phenomenal yet again, having a blast in his role and leaving a lasting impression on the film as a whole. It won't be winning any awards, and most viewers will be turned off by it, but Mojave is a fascinating thriller, and one I recommend if you go in with the right expectations.
This is the movie all Deadpool fans have been waiting for. Crude, rude, and anything but subdued, Deadpool at times plays too much like fan service than a movie, but what better character to finally get his moment in the spotlight.
Everyone, behind and in front of the camera, did a phenomenal job bringing the merc with a mouth to life. Tim Miller did a great job with Deadpool's origin, and the way it is handled is brilliant. Ryan Reynolds is Deadpool. He is perfect in the role, no one else could possibly play Deadpool. The cast around him is great as well, with Morena Baccarin playing a very believable love interest and T.J. Miller supplying some nice back-and-forth scenes. Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead are also great additions, and I hope more X-Men characters interact with Deadpool in the future.
As far as pure entertainment goes, this is as good as it can get. 90% of the jokes hit, and the ones that don't were in the trailer. The humor is raunchy and juvenile, working perfectly with the awesome action scenes. There are countless bad ass moments in this film, and the R rating allows them to have these moments. They don't abuse the R rating, but it serves it's purpose.
The only "flaw" I have with this film is at times it kind of gets lost in its fan service. There are a few scenes that are definitely funny, but serve no purpose but to please fans of the comics. I still enjoyed the moments as a fan of the character, and I get why they did it was to make sure hardcore Deadpool fans were satisfied after the long wait for their character to hit the big screen.
Overall, Deadpool gives its character the movie he deserves. It's consistently hilarious, and the action scenes will leave you with plenty to discuss with your buddies. It's more fan service than a complete film, but I am definitely OK with that.
Everyone, behind and in front of the camera, did a phenomenal job bringing the merc with a mouth to life. Tim Miller did a great job with Deadpool's origin, and the way it is handled is brilliant. Ryan Reynolds is Deadpool. He is perfect in the role, no one else could possibly play Deadpool. The cast around him is great as well, with Morena Baccarin playing a very believable love interest and T.J. Miller supplying some nice back-and-forth scenes. Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead are also great additions, and I hope more X-Men characters interact with Deadpool in the future.
As far as pure entertainment goes, this is as good as it can get. 90% of the jokes hit, and the ones that don't were in the trailer. The humor is raunchy and juvenile, working perfectly with the awesome action scenes. There are countless bad ass moments in this film, and the R rating allows them to have these moments. They don't abuse the R rating, but it serves it's purpose.
The only "flaw" I have with this film is at times it kind of gets lost in its fan service. There are a few scenes that are definitely funny, but serve no purpose but to please fans of the comics. I still enjoyed the moments as a fan of the character, and I get why they did it was to make sure hardcore Deadpool fans were satisfied after the long wait for their character to hit the big screen.
Overall, Deadpool gives its character the movie he deserves. It's consistently hilarious, and the action scenes will leave you with plenty to discuss with your buddies. It's more fan service than a complete film, but I am definitely OK with that.
You know you have just watched something special when you sit through the credits and don't want to leave when the lights go up. Steve Jobs is something special.
Steve Jobs stars Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Jeff Daniels and Seth Rogan. It is directed by Danny Boyle and written by Aaron Sorkin. Despite barring few resemblances to the actual man, Fassbender is award-worthy in his portrayal of Steve Jobs. Equally as impressive are Winslet and Rogan, who are perfect in their roles. Jeff Daniels absolutely steals the scenes he is in, crushing every line out of the park.
On a technical level, Steve Jobs is, quite frankly, perfect. Boyle maximizes the use of different mm and digital filmmaking, capturing the time they were in. The way certain scenes flow and flashbacks are smoothly inserted is masterful to watch. The man we have been counting down to, Aaron Sorkin, does not at all disappoint. Like The Social Network and Moneyball, Steve Jobs has the fast paced, engaging dialogue you would expect. But what is different about Steve Jobs is the emotional punch that it packs. Once again, Sorkin takes a character, makes him utterly dislikable and gets us to care about him on some level. The ending is truly beautiful and leaves you in awe.
What makes this film so special is that it is a mirror image of its real life subject. At times it is over the top, brash, aggravating, but undeniably genius and captivating. These were the characteristics of Steve Jobs the person, and this is perfectly translated into the film. I was engrossed for the entire running time, and wanted another hour or two when it ended.
Overall, Steve Jobs showcases some of its A-list cast's best work, while playing beautifully into its subjects personality. Boyle and Sorkin compliment each other to a perfect degree, and Steve Jobs might just be my favorite film this year. I hate perfect scores, but I'm not even hesitating with this one. I can't wait to watch this film again and again.
Steve Jobs stars Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Jeff Daniels and Seth Rogan. It is directed by Danny Boyle and written by Aaron Sorkin. Despite barring few resemblances to the actual man, Fassbender is award-worthy in his portrayal of Steve Jobs. Equally as impressive are Winslet and Rogan, who are perfect in their roles. Jeff Daniels absolutely steals the scenes he is in, crushing every line out of the park.
On a technical level, Steve Jobs is, quite frankly, perfect. Boyle maximizes the use of different mm and digital filmmaking, capturing the time they were in. The way certain scenes flow and flashbacks are smoothly inserted is masterful to watch. The man we have been counting down to, Aaron Sorkin, does not at all disappoint. Like The Social Network and Moneyball, Steve Jobs has the fast paced, engaging dialogue you would expect. But what is different about Steve Jobs is the emotional punch that it packs. Once again, Sorkin takes a character, makes him utterly dislikable and gets us to care about him on some level. The ending is truly beautiful and leaves you in awe.
What makes this film so special is that it is a mirror image of its real life subject. At times it is over the top, brash, aggravating, but undeniably genius and captivating. These were the characteristics of Steve Jobs the person, and this is perfectly translated into the film. I was engrossed for the entire running time, and wanted another hour or two when it ended.
Overall, Steve Jobs showcases some of its A-list cast's best work, while playing beautifully into its subjects personality. Boyle and Sorkin compliment each other to a perfect degree, and Steve Jobs might just be my favorite film this year. I hate perfect scores, but I'm not even hesitating with this one. I can't wait to watch this film again and again.