Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Avengers: Endgame is the serviceable capstone on a decade's worth of serviceable movies worth billions of dollars. There are millions of superfans all around the world. And this is for them. This movie is 100% fan service. One last hurrah for the old guard of Avengers. I'm unfortunately not one of those superfans. I think I missed a lot of the references to the older films. I think they didn't have as much of an emotional impact for me because I am not attached to the characters and I don't recall the details of the old movies. The explanation of time travel from The Hulk is brushed over really quickly and I didn't catch it. But I think there are some significant plot holes that I'm willing to overlook. The movie runs way too long. There are a lot of subplots they could have cut out that serve only to prolong the movie. And to top it off, I fell asleep during the climactic battle scene. We can blame jet lag, but also, I have a tendency to fall asleep during battles.

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

This movie does not exist in a vacuum. If you didn't see the previous Marvel films, you're not going to get this one. Even if you did see all the other ones, you might not follow this one. The focus is on the infinity gems, which have made appearances in the previous movies but totally escaped my notice. There are so many characters in this movie who each have a history we are assumed to be familiar with. There are so many things going on; it's almost nonstop action, and it gets repetitive.

There is one thing the movie does very well in the beginning half while juggling the many character introductions. The Marvel movies have each developed a distinct style that this movie manages to retain and mix. Notably, the Guardians of the Galaxy introduction is distinct with the 80s soundtrack and the ridiculous jokes. Amidst all the action there are many jokes, and I think comedy has always been Marvel's strength.

There are a number of deaths, but as this is Marvel, we know that death may not be permanent. So what should be poignant does not always come off as so, because we know they probably don't really mean it. Also, we only got Wakanda a few months ago and already they've ruined black utopia. We can't have nice things...

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Taika Waititi's first foray into the superhero world of Marvel is one big joke. That's not necessarily new for Marvel, think Guardians of the Galaxy. But the action really takes a backseat to the unrelenting, self-aware comedy. Overall, it is an enjoyable movie. It's just fun. Cate Blanchett must have been paid a ton of money to do a superhero movie, much less a comedic one. She is superb as always. But I think the real star here is Jeff Goldblum. I personally think he is one of the funniest actors in Hollywood. He has this nonchalance to his delivery that is so disarmingly funny. The premise of the plot, which mostly takes place on a bizarre lost junk world run by Jeff Goldblum, is kind of wonky. It is totally irrelevant to the Avengers storyline and even Thor's storyline, an awkward diversion from the main battle. But the actual Asgard part of the arc is rather clever. That is where Ragnarok comes into play. There is a brilliant resolution of mythological proportions. I won't give it away, but the serious part of the plot is actually quite well done.

Spotlight (2015)

I don't know if I've ever looked at journalists as heroes, but this movie paints these investigative journalists at the Boston Globe as heroic figures.  It makes you want to pursue a career in journalism to uncover all the dirt that our most important institutions are hiding.  That's not to say that the movie glamorizes journalism, because it doesn't.  It is gritty work and these are average people that do not have much going on in their lives outside of their careers.  This movie is so good because it doesn't try to sugar coat it. This is difficult, demoralizing, alienating, soul-searching work.  And as the story (very) slowly unfolds at a controlled pace, the audience comes to the same discoveries of disbelief that the characters do.  

Michael Keaton has been getting all the buzz because he's fresh off of Birdman, but I think Mark Ruffalo gives the best performance amid a phenomenal ensemble cast.  He always does.  Rachel McAdams, too, does a standout job following some disappointing work in True Detective.  And John Slattery looks markedly different outside of a suit, but the big office still suits him well.  From inside the Boston Globe, we get the perspective of the journalists. We hear the victims' stories through the ears of the interviewers, and we hardly see any of the perpetrators.  They are unseen villains. The visible antagonist is the community itself and I think that is what makes the story so devastatingly interesting, how ingrained the Catholic Church is in Boston society.  

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

The Avengers seems to get more and more confusing with each film in the series. This is mostly because they keep adding more characters. This is not necessarily a bad thing. The movies are trying to get closer to the source material comic books, which are quite convoluted. There are so many characters in the Marvel universe, and by that standard, the movies actually only feature a small fraction of them. And Gwyneth Paltrow and Natalie Portman weren't even in this one.

The Avengers has always been about action first and comedy second.  Compare that to last year's Guardians of the Galaxy which is just one long joke.  The Avengers does have its comedic moments. The best is Hawkeye acknowledging his uselessness.  That is a brilliant moment of self awareness, and the joke is ongoing.

The central plot of Age of Ultron revolves around artificial intelligence.  Artificial intelligence is interesting because it isn't just a technology/engineering feat, but there are philosophical and ethical issues that are addressed as well.  Avengers doesn't dive very deep into these debates, but it is an interesting plot point that provides for a formidable foe for the Avengers.

Foxcatcher (2014)

I was looking forward to this highly anticipated movie but was disappointed.  It was slow-paced and dare I say boring.  The characters, especially John DuPont and Mark Schultz, go through extreme transformations; however the movie fails to depict the process of transformation, only showing the before and after with very little transform-ing.   We never get inside the heads of these disturbed characters.  This doesn't make the movie any more difficult to follow, but it certainly makes for some sudden transitions coupled with some awkwardly fast cutaways.

That being said, all three leading men give excellent, gritty, dark and disturbing performances. Steve Carrell is unrecognizable in his breakout dramatic role behind loads of makeup.  Mark Ruffalo is perhaps even better than Carrell.  Some of the best scenes are when Ruffalo as David Schultz coaches his younger brother.  It is in these scenes, such as the silent sparring one, in which we see their relationship in its rawest form.        

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.

The Normal Heart (2014)

Unfortunately, I missed the Tony-winning production of The Normal Heart a couple of years back.  In the movie adaptation, Jim Parsons reprises his role, while Mark Ruffalo takes over the lead from Joe Mantello, demoted from his Tony-nominated performance as Ned Weeks to a supporting role.  Julia Roberts plays the role that won Ellen Barkin a Tony, and Matt Bomer plays the role that won John Benjain Hickey a Tony.  As with all of HBO's annual Emmy contenders, the acting is superb, scoring six well-deserved acting nominations.

The Normal Heart tells a very important story about the lack of attention the AIDS epidemic was receiving in the early eighties and I am surprised it had not been adapted for film earlier.  In any case, the issues are still relevant today.

The transition from stage to screen is evident.  There is a lot of grandstanding, soapbox speeches, and furious monologues.  It is very theatrical and though I did not see the play, I'm sure it worked well on stage.  But these theatrical elements are slightly awkward on screen.