Room (2015)

I came into this film with a bit of a misconception. I heard a lot about Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay giving tremendous performances (and they do), but I thought those performances were restricted to the confines of the titular room. I thought it was going to be two hours of Larson musing to her son about the outside world and keeping him entertained in the face of misery. But I was so wrong. Sure, there is some of that and it is really good, but the movie is really about adjusting to the outside world after having lived in Room for so long. And it's not like Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt happy-go-lucky optimistic kind of adjusting; this is raw and powerful. This is not too much of a spoiler, but they escape from Room well before the end of the movie, to allow ample time for thoughtful introspection.

The two main characters have vastly different experiences despite living together in Room. Larson plays Joy, who was kidnapped at the age of 17. So she knows what is beyond Room and years to be free. But her son Jack complicates things. Her motives change when she has to think about her child. And the viewer soon realizes that her own agony is bottled up inside her because she is so worried about Jack that she can't worry about herself. Larson plays Joy beautifully. On the flip-side, you have Jack who was born and raised in captivity and knows nothing else. I think that the decision to give Jack narrative monologues to get inside his unimaginable child mindset was brilliant. Tremblay is a phenomenal 9-year old actor who just gives it his all. The escape scene is so powerful because of him. You feel the shock and awe and that raw emotion lingers with you for a solid 15 minutes. Full-grown actors can't even do that. 

Creed (2015)

I've seen the original Rocky, but I haven't seen any of the sequels. So I basically got the gist of it, but I might have missed some of the backstory though it is well implied by the screenplay. I did not miss the reference to the American flag boxing shorts that Rocky bestows on Creed before the big fight. I think overall it is a solid movie, but I guess I just didn't really have the connection to the franchise that those who have been following this character for four decades. It is actually pretty incredible that it has lasted for so long and so many movies. It is not just Star Wars that made it all the way to seven. And what we see in this movie is an aging Rocky, and it is his story line that interested me the most. As a boxer past his prime, he must decide what impact he will have on the next generation. And I think this movie is quite good enough to create a new generation of Rocky fans who will now go back to see the movie that started it all.

Similar to Star Wars Episode VII, this movie borrows a lot from its original source material. It sticks to a tried and true formula. Michael B. Jordan as Adonis Creed packs Rocky-type heart that makes the character likable. Sylvester Stallone lets Jordan shine as the protagonist, playing second fiddle in his own movie. It is the second half of the movie that Stallone gives Rocky some substantive material (which I think brilliantly advances the character in a very natural way) and then he still finds a way to make this movie about the titular Creed. It could have become the Rocky show at that point, but he exercised a poignant restraint. And finally, the last scene on the legendary steps is the perfect way to bring the franchise full circle.

My Golden Globes Picks 2016

This year, Ricky Gervais returns to host and offend. Here are my predictions for the always erratic Golden Globes. (Things I've seen already in bold)

Film

Best Picture (Drama): Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Actor (Drama): Leonardo DiCaprio from The Revenant
Best Actress (Drama): Saoirse Ronan from Brooklyn
Best Picture (Comedy/Musical): The Big Short
Best Actor (Comedy/Musical): Matt Damon from The Martian
Best Actress (Comedy/Musical): Amy Schumer from Trainwreck
Best Supporting Actor: Sylvester Stallone from Creed
Best Supporting Actress: Alicia Vikander from Ex Machina
Best Director: Ridley Scott for The Martian
Best Screenplay: Steve Jobs
Best Animated Feature: Inside Out
Best Foreign Language Film: Son of Saul from Hungary
Best Score: Carol
Best Song: One Kind of Love from Love & Mercy

Result: A dismal 6/14...who knew The Revenant would sweep like it did? I am very happy for Kate Winslet from Steve Jobs getting a well-deserved win.

TV

Drama Series: Mr. Robot
Best Actor (Drama): Rami Malek from Mr. Robot
Best Actress (Drama): Taraji P. Henson from Empire
Comedy Series: Transparent
Best Actor (Comedy): Aziz Ansari from Master of None
Best Actress (Comedy): Lily Tomlin from Grace and Frankie
TV Movie/Limited Series: Wolf Hall
Best Actor (TV Movie): Oscar Isaac from Show Me a Hero
Best Actress (TV Movie): Kirsten Dunst from Fargo
Best Supporting Actor: Ben Mendelsohn from Bloodline
Best Supporting Actress: Regina King from American Crime

Result: An even worse 4/11 for a total of 10/25...The TV categories were really quite out there. I am proud that I called Wolf Hall and Oscar Isaac, but I really should have seen Lady Gaga from American Horror Story coming. And look at the CW with two Best Actress in a Comedy wins in a row for different shows. Who would have ever guessed that?

The Look of Silence (2015)

This is a brutal follow-up to Joshua Oppenheimer's ground-breaking The Act of Killing. Coming off a well-deserved MacArthur Genius Grant, Oppenheimer tells a horrifying story that needs to be told. It differs from its predecessor in a few ways. This movie's capstone moment is "silent" in comparison to The Act of Killing featuring a remorseful perpetrator heaving loudly. Perhaps for this reason, this film seems slightly less profound. But it is Adi's mother's defeated acceptance of her brother's atrocities that is so powerful.

Whereas I watched The Act of Killing with wide-eyed shock, I sort of knew what to expect going into this movie. The movie features many scenes of Adi sitting alone watching Oppenheimer's footage of perpetrators boasting about their atrocities committed and the terrible things they did to his brother, Ramli. He watches intently, forcing the viewer, too, to not look away. The eyes are a recurring symbol. We hear repeatedly about the common eye gouging. Adi is an optometrist, and his patients are the those who murdered his brother. He claims that everyone knows who killed their relatives, and they live as neighbors in silent acknowledgement. Though he improves their vision, his patients fail to see their own faults from the past.

I'm not positive, but it seemed that this movie was not originally intended by Oppenheimer. It appeared that after many years of research, he discovered that he had a full story from both sides and so he revisited the perpetrators with Adi. Adi confronts the perpetrators by interrogating them forthright. He is brutally honest and very brave. Oppenheimer was less confrontational (it was less personal for him) but rather he allowed the perpetrators to confront their own sins in The Act of Killing. These two approaches are very different, but both are effective in conveying the atmosphere of modern-day Indonesia where the perpetrators remain in power.

Everyone wishes to let the past be past. The victims' families and victim Kemat would rather not reopen old wounds. The children of the perpetrators do not wish to speak about how they came to their positions. And the result is that everyone is silent. They allow history to flow by forgotten. Adi's son learns the lies and propaganda taught in schools. And as a final reminder of the murderers in power, much of the production staff must remain anonymous for their own safety as the credits roll in silence.

Brooklyn (2015)

Brooklyn is a beautiful film about the immigrant experience in 1950s Brooklyn. It is tough at first but life gets better for Ellis Lacey, no doubt a reference to Ellis Island. The movie feels authentic. It paints a picture of Brooklyn that is diverse, with the Irish (played by Irish actors) and Italians interacting daily (and I love the accents). Despite the big city feel, she finds an immigrant community that is supportive. The costumes and the sets look like they come straight from the the middle of the century. It is a very believable story--Ellis has problems that an immigrant girl would have being homesick and missing her family and feeling alone. Saoirse Ronan plays Ellis brilliantly. She comes into her own as a strong young woman, growing up with her character in the span of the film.

What is perhaps most extraordinary about this movie is that it is simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming. Nick Hornby wrote a very emotional screenplay that is deeply moving and sometimes quite funny. It is a story about home (it's where the heart is) and community and love. Overall, it is a gorgeous story that is really well done.

Unbroken (2014)

Louis Zamperini had quite an incredible life. There are three phases in the movie that represent very different parts of his life. And it doesn't even get into his PTSD after returning home. The first phase plays out like a typical sports movie. It follows a young boy who goes into sport as a means to keep himself out of trouble and he runs all the way to the Olympics. The second phase is a lot like All Is Lost with talking. And the third phase is pure war from inside a POW camp. I think the movie tried to squeeze in a little too much. I feel like I would've gotten the same story without the track story line.

Miyavi plays the Japanese corporal in charge of the POW camp. He is devilishly cruel and has a look that inspires fear. There is a scene in which he implores Zamperini  to "Look at me!" and I couldn't help but think of Captain Phillips. The aerial fighting scene in the beginning is well done and it provides a good introduction to the war half of the story. 

Jurassic World (2015)

The newest installment in the Jurassic Park series is a lot like the original. It is a solid movie, but lacks originality. It understandably introduces Jurassic Park to a younger generation unfamiliar with the original. But having seen Jurassic Park, this seemed a little too safe. Even the dinosaurs were not very imaginative. The whole premise of the movie is that the dinosaurs are genetically engineered. But they still look like dinosaurs the way we know them. Where's the creativity? I guess the Mosasaurus is kind of cool. The new, terrifying Indominus Rex looked almost indistinguishable from the T Rex to me. Spielberg's dinosaurs were so lifelike to begin with that the advancements in computer technology and special effects did not produce anything that really impressed me. The original animatronics were perhaps even scarier.

That being said, it is still a fun movie, if a little predictable. There is lots of action. I particularly liked the gyrosphere ride, that lets the park attendees roam among the dinosaurs in the safety of a hamster ball. It would make for an enjoyable real ride, and it is really cool. Chris Pratt is a very likable hero  even if just two years ago I would've never picked him for a hero-type. Michael Giacchino does a good job with the score, integrating John Williams's memorable themes into his own original music.