Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

I was thoroughly entertained by Han Solo's origin story. Han Solo is one of the most iconic characters in film history and I think Alden Ehrenreich plays Han the way exactly how I imagine young Han would have been, smug as hell. Good casting of Donald Glover for Lando too, also smug as hell. It makes it really quite enjoyable. Ron Howard did a good job swooping in and finishing the movie. The origin story is basically to fill in some gaps and expound on some of the things we know about Han from the original trilogy. There is the introduction of some new things, like the love interest Qira and the Crimson Dawn syndicate. Qira's inclusion as a character in Han's story makes perfect sense. Except at the very end, when she goes off on her own story line. Are they giving her a movie too? Because they do not explain (though heavily infer) what happened between Han's escape from Corellia and when he reunites with Qira. The whole Crimson Dawn inclusion is unnecessary, unless it's coming back in a Qira movie. Maybe putting the cart before the horse a little bit. And then for some reason, Darth Maul, instead of just any new character that would've done just fine, is brought back. Wasn't he dead?

Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

It's a dark comedy, cleverly written, well-acted, and unexpectedly quite funny for a movie about vigilante justice. But I do feel like it hides a little behind it's label as a dark comedy. There are some rather problematic parts that I think have been glossed over a little quickly without scrutiny. For example, Peter Dinklage's character is the butt of a number of ill-spirited midget jokes. How about the blase attitude on police brutality? There's the cop that beats African Americans. There's this same cop that defenestrates people. There's the sheriff that seems to condone this cop's behavior. And we're supposed to feel bad for this sheriff? And what about the black friend that is thrown in jail on trumped up drug charges? Frances McDormand makes a big fuss about it at first, but then let's it go. Just collateral damage. So what redeems the movie amidst all this? Frances McDormand. She's devilishly good.

The Glass Castle (2017)

The Glass Castle is very ok. I hear the book is very good, but the movie wasn't really holding my attention. I've read about some key changes between the book and the movie that sort of change the dynamic of the movie. The premise was similar-ish to Captain Fantastic with regards to the unconventional father, but this movie wasn't as novel. It was also reminiscent of the bad parenting of The Meyerowitz Stories, but this movie is less funny and explores childhood more. I thought there would be more elaboration on why they were on the run--I thought that would be the plot that moves the story along, but that's not the case. The strongest bits were the adulthood scenes in which Brie Larson reflects on how her upbringing has affected her. Brie Larson is quite good as is Woody Harrelson. I think the biggest problem with the movie is that it can't decide what it wants the audience to think. They're horrible wacky parents, but are we supposed to sympathize with the parents by the end? Do we want them to reconcile? Not really. Maybe it's a little too sentimental for me. 

War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)

The Planet of the Apes trilogy has actually been surprisingly strong. This film has continued the streak of good visual effects, the best motion capture technology and acting in Andy Serkis, and a morally complex and emotional story. The moral dilemma is always slightly different. But always interesting. There are some really brilliant moments in this movie. However, I don't think the last death in the movie was really necessary. There was a very satisfying end that they then messed up. The power of the story comes from the perspective of the apes. We are put in their point of view. We come to root against the humans. The soundtrack by Michael Giacchino is also spot on. 

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay--Part 2 (2015)

This is a much darker film than other blockbuster series. And that tone matches the the book but I didn't really like the last book. The Hunger Games series was great because of the hunger games. But the last two films don't feature a hunger games. They focus instead on rebellion, which is complicated, cynical and messy. Much of this final movie is spent filming propaganda. And there is no glamour in propaganda. There is no glamour in war. It makes you long for the extravagance of the earlier films. Jennifer Lawrence can do no wrong-- she'll forever be known as The Girl on Fire. The novelty has kind of worn off now that dystopian teen fiction is everywhere, only exacerbated by splitting the final book (arguably the worst one) into two films.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I (2014)

The penultimate Hunger Games film is all about setting up the final battle between Katniss and the Capital.  Where this movie fails is that it does not give the viewers quite enough.  When it comes down to it, just not that much happened and the action was kind of lacking. I, for one, am not a fan of the recent trend of splitting the final book of a series into two parts. To be fair, I was not particularly fond of the last installment of Suzanne Collins's Hunger Games trilogy anyways.

But this movie does some things right.  With an ensemble cast, there are some very solid performances. This is one of Philip Seymour Hoffman's final roles and his performance does his legacy justice.  And Jennifer Lawrence is good in everything she does (though she doesn't do anything terribly special).  This film does lack the stylish glitz and glamour of the Capital, and the intensity of the Hunger Games that stood out in the first two films.     

True Detective: Season 1 (2014)

True Detective is not just an average mystery.  It is half detective gothic, half rich character development, and its the latter half that really lets Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson shine.  McConaughey is widely considered a front-runner (along with Bryan Cranston) in the Emmy race and rightly so, but Harrelson holds his own and does not let his costar overshadow him one bit.  If it had not been for McConaughey's momentum fresh off his Oscar win, I think Harrelson would be right up there with him.  His character might not be as mysterious or philosophical, but he has equal depth and range.  Together, their brilliant dialogue reinforces the intense atmosphere and dark style set by the Louisiana bayou.  T Bone Burnett backs that up with a fittingly ominous and gorgeous soundtrack.

We watch the characters evolve as well as the mystery unfold over a twelve year period.  In terms of storytelling, the format of the show allows for the story to unfold slowly, keeping the viewer transfixed.  Multiple timelines reveal different stages of the detective-work sometimes out of order, letting the viewer piece it together.