The Aftermath (2019)

I'm usually a fan of romantic movies in which it doesn't work out. But the ending of this movie just really didn't work for me, spoiler alert. The movie is not nearly as tantalizing as it thinks it is. It has about enough content for the trailer, and that's about it. The daughter's subplot is neither interesting nor does it really add anything to the story. Keira Knightley is divine but her character is not likable. None of the characters are very likable for that matter. Points for the sound though...you hear the heartbeats? And points for costumes, those sweaters.

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)

Disney's latest attempt at a live-action re-imagining of a beloved tale is almost incoherent. It's ostensibly the Nutcracker, but it tries to emanate the Chronicles of Narnia, Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, and Wizard of Oz, making it wholly unoriginal. Some of the characters have the same names as the ones from the ballet but the story is totally different and that's a bad thing. Nothing is really quite explained enough to satisfaction. And there are a handful of plot points that frustratingly don't go anywhere. I love Keira Knightley and I've never heard her voice sound so unnatural. Also beware the mice; there are A LOT of mice in this movie.

But let's try to focus on the good. The cinematography and art direction are beautiful. Linus Sandgren's visuals are stunning as usual. The music of the Nutcracker is iconic. The score by James Newton Howard does not merely copy Tchaikovsky's composition. It does includes short snippets here and there. But Howard's excellent soundtrack has noticeable variations on the themes from the Nutcracker. There is one scene of the movie that rises above the rest: it's obviously the ballet scene featuring none other than Misty Copeland. In a movie full of CGI, the most magical scene is the one featuring practical sets on a ballet stage. I actually wouldn't have minded if more of the story was told through dance. That wouldn't have been inappropriate for the Nutcracker. They couldn't done a Chicago-esque kind of thing. The ballet is preceded by maestro Gustavo Dudamel taking his place in front of the orchestra in silhouette a la Fantasia. That's Disney invoking itself; I don't know if anyone else would be so bold but Disney.

Everest (2015)

Everest is a film about torture.  These mountaineers inexplicably put themselves through misery for a steep $65,000 per summit. Climbing the highest mountain in the world does not look like fun. It is unbearably cold, the air is inhumanely thin, and everyone is perpetually exhausted.  I thought Jake Gyllenhaal would have a larger part in the movie, but he was hardly in it.  The visuals are incredible though.  You actually feel as miserable as the trekkers and you feel like you're on the side of the mountain.  You feel the snow pouring down as it becomes more difficult to breathe.  It is a truly immersive experience that probably would've been great in IMAX. Nothing ever goes right in the expedition doomed to fail.  It is a dangerous adventure disaster movie.  And it is done quite well. One of the scariest moments is crossing a ladder bridged across a deep crevasse in the ice.  It is a flimsy looking ladder and there is nothing protecting them from falling down into the depths.  The aerial shot over the bottomless pit is a dizzying visual.  These are some terrifying shots.

The Imitation Game (2014)

Benedict Cumberbatch is so good as the eccentric British hero Alan Turing.  His stutters and mannerisms convince the audience that he is playing a true genius.  After doing a little research on Turing, I appreciate the little details included in his characterization that I otherwise would have ignored (For example, he was an avid runner in real life).  Turing was not the only person facing discrimination; Keira Knightley's Joan Clarke is a fellow outcast whom Turing befriends.  Knightley leads a fabulous supporting cast working in ultra secrecy during WWII.  Praise to the production design team for depicting the reality of wartime Britain.

This story is an important one that needs to be told to recognize these war heroes' massive achievement in computing history.  There were some parts in the subplots that went by so quickly that I failed to understand what happened.  As I later read, the subplots are partially fictitious.  The screenplay does a good job of strategically tracing three key periods of his life to highlight his closeted homosexuality without undermining the central war part of the story. The movie also attempts to explain Turing's famous Imitation Game and some of the mechanics behind his decoder.  Perhaps the ideas are too difficult for the common audience to understand, but I think we could have benefited from a little more detail about how the machine actually worked. 

Begin Again (2013)

Begin Again is filled with good music.  Keira Knightley's singing voice is surprisingly pleasant.   Her singing is notably better than Adam Levine's acting.  Mark Ruffalo, as always is phenomenal.  The two leads have excellent chemistry.

However, the star of the film is definitely the music.  Gregg Alexander, John Carney and Glen Hansard have composed a solid soundtrack.  The song Lost Stars is sure to be a front runner for Best Song at the Oscars.  Carney is known for making movies about music, and he succeeds at integrating the songs into the plot.  The film must be compared to Once, and the fact of the matter is that Once is a better movie.  Begin Again seems to lack the emotional depth and the authenticity that Once has.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014)

The latest installment in the Jack Ryan series features Chris Pine as the titular spy.  It appears that Pine is the go-to young actor for Hollywood reboots after two films playing Captain Kirk as well.  Quite frankly, Kirk is better.  Keira Knightley's performance is not her best work either.  A far cry from her much anticipated role in the upcoming Begin Again.  She did not seem very comfortable with the American accent.  Kenneth Branagh, on the other hand, nailed his accent and role as the Russian villain (just listen to how he says the word 'hotel').

The plot moves very quickly and as it unravels, it becomes a little ridiculous just how fast the questions are answered.  They go from having nothing to having all of the answers in three minutes.  However, I will give them points for one unusual plot point for a spy movie.  Jack Ryan works in finance and having taken a course this past semester on international macroeconomics, I was able to appreciate that the plot was advanced by Ryan entering the action after noticing financial inconsistencies.