Throwback Thursday Review: 'The Matrix Reloaded'

Sorry for the delayed review as I was quite busy this past week and when I was about to pop in The Matrix Reloaded disc Thursday night, I learned it was scratched and wouldn't play. This week I'm continuing my trek through The Matrix trilogy and in the following weeks I will review The Matrix Revolutions to cap it off and John Wick to coincide with John Wick: Chapter 2. The reason I decided to review The Matrix trilogy prior to John Wick is that John Wick: Chapter 2 sees a reunion between actors Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne. Anyways, I'm well aware I've fallen behind in regards to reviewing some of the recent releases but will definitely get around to seeing Patriots Day and Split soon, no promises for The Founder and Gold but I intend to see those as well. Other reviews I haven't mentioned but can all but guarantee will be coming in the next two weeks include The LEGO Batman Movie and John Wick: Chapter 2. 

'The Matrix Reloaded' Review

The Matrix Reloaded picks up with Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus continuing their efforts to thwart the machines and our heroes must learn the secrets of the Matrix if they hope to save mankind. The Matrix Reloaded was written and directed by the Wachowskis as the duo sought to expand the immersive world they created in The Matrix. 

The Wachowskis succeed in some avenues but ultimately are unable to find the spark that made the original so great. The Wachowskis' visual plane is much more of a mixed bag than previous efforts with post-apocalyptic production design and streamlined futuristic special effects blended seamlessly together in contrast to the CG-rendered versions of characters, who look like poorly designed avatars from a dated video game, utilized in the more outlandish action sequences. 

The Wachowskis nail the action sequences when they're not trying to break the boundaries of what visual effects are capable of in filmmaking. However, these effects heavy sequences don't hold up to today's standards and that's to be somewhat expected from a fourteen year old movie but these are just awful. The sequences actually shot by cinematographer Bill Pope are a remarkable display of varying fight choreography from visceral hand-to-hand combat to a riveting chase sequence to the thrilling sword fight in the Chateau. These sequences are made even cooler thanks to another digitized soundtrack from Don Davis that's a perfect fit for the world of the Matrix. 

All the action's fairly memorable and there are plenty of cool moments interspersed but there's one thing that nearly undermines it all. There's simply no major stakes. This is largely due to the Wachowskis' script that negates the most crucial element of any action screenplay, vulnerability. It's difficult to truly become invested in the onscreen exploits if the screenwriters can't bridge the gap, leaving none of the threats to seem credible when Neo can simply walk away from everything unscathed. 

Another problem with the Wachowskis' screenplay is that it fails to properly address gaping plot-holes that emerge as a result of bringing back characters simply because they were cool in the original or fail to explain what really happened in-between the previous film and now. The Wachowskis did a fairly good job of laying out the rules and concepts of the Matrix in the predecessor but this time around so much is left unexplained, making it difficult to ascertain why certain events or actions are able to occur. The Wachowskis almost threw the idea of grounding the story (and quite literally characters) completely out the window. 

Most cast members return for the sequel with Keanu Reeves' Neo much more confident in his own abilities and prowess, Carrie-Anne Moss' Trinity given further humanity to explore while serving as the black leather-clad eye candy (the early 2000s were weird...), Laurence Fishburne's Morpheus deepened as the keen believer, and Hugo Weaving's Agent Smith a reckless robotic force to combat. 

To sum it up, The Matrix Reloaded is a serviceable popcorn action flick with enough iconic moments to keep action junkies entertained but fails in almost every regard to live up to its predecessor. It probably sounds like I'm being overly critical of the Wachowskis but it's merely because all the pieces are there, they simply aren't laid out correctly or to their greatest potential.

Film Assessment: C-

'A Dog's Purpose' Review

A dog is reincarnated time and time again in search of the canine meaning of life. That's the premise for A Dog's Purpose, a film that will be released this weekend embroiled in controversy. If you haven't heard about it and are wondering what could possibly be so controversial about a dog movie, then just do a Google search and the first thing you'll probably find is a set video depicting a dog seemingly forced into running water, although there has yet to be an official report as to what actually happened on set. Now, I personally think it's always appropriate to separate subjective entertainment from the circumstances surrounding it and considering that animal cruelty hasn't been undeniably proven I won't be slamming this movie with blatant accusations (although I would avoid that regardless). 

A Dog's Purpose is directed by three-time Academy Award nominated director Lasse Hallström, but you would have absolutely no idea of that from watching this movie. That's not to say it's directed poorly, just not with the caliber or prestige one would expect upon learning that tidbit. The screenplay was conjured together to adapt W. Bruce Cameron's source material by a team of five screenwriters including the author himself, Cathryn Michon, Audrey Wells, Maya Forbes, and Wally Wolodarsky. 

The writers could have easily been tangled up with the multitude of storylines and human characters but managed to keep the dog a steady focal point which drove the film forward. The narrative has a fair share of predictable cliché and convenient story beats but there's surprisingly some mature subtext for a "PG" film I didn't see coming like loneliness and alcoholism to name a few. 

Josh Gad provides voiceover for the various pups (Bailey, Ellie, Tino, and Buddy) and is the basis of a majority of the film's heart and humor but honestly isn't pushing himself as an actor, essentially just reading the script. Bailey's owner Ethan is portrayed at three different stages of his life by Bryce Gheisar, K.J. Apa, and Dennis Quaid who each imbue the necessary qualities to make Ethan an endearing character. The supporting cast are peppered throughout with melodramatic turns from John Ortiz, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Britt Roberson, Peggy Lipton, Juliet Rylance, Luke Kirby, Gabrielle Rose, and Michael Bofshever respectively. 

In summary, A Dog's Purpose is a dispensable melodrama dog lovers will thorougly enjoy. If you plan on boycotting A Dog's Purpose then you honestly won't miss out on much, but for those on the fence, I think it's a cute enough movie to justify the price of admission. 

Film Assessment: C

'Live By Night' Review

Live By Night follows World War I veteran Joe Coughlin's descent into delinquency amidst Prohibition and the Roaring '20's. Ben Affleck directs, writes, produces, and stars in his followup to Best Picture winner Argo, Live By Night, so it's needless to say he had a lot of heavy lifting to do. 

2016 wasn't the greatest year for Ben Affleck, he headlined both Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and The Accountant, which were divisive among movie goers and critics but ultimately diced on Rotten Tomatoes. BvS didn't perform as expected, failing to truly do well beyond it's opening weekend and while I was ultimately disappointed I can say its unfairly slammed at times. Ben Affleck's turns in both aforementioned blockbusters were a high mark and he certainly elevated the material. 

Live By Night is another 2016 Warner Bros. release headlining Ben Affleck, this case in just about every department, that's not being looked kindly upon by critics (it's in contention for the 2016 Oscar season and premiered in limited release so I'm counting it as one). Unfortunately, Affleck doesn't fully deliver in all areas since the story lifted from Dennis Lehane's novel gets muddled in the transition to screenplay as story points are quickly brushed over rather than spending the time to emphasize the significance of said events. The film's end does however justify the means to reach its conclusion by tying everything together nicely but the glut in-between can't be ignored for dragging the film down a notch. 

Affleck's direction on the other hand is as refined as his previous work with Live By Night certainly evoking the atmosphere of a mobster flick. There are two exhilarating action sequences in Live By Night: a thrilling get-away car chase and an old fashioned gangster shoot-out to cap things off and if these action sequences did anything other than keep my eye's glued to the screen, they further supported that Ben Affleck's upcoming Batman project should be quite the spectacle. The technical aspects of Live By Night are the crème de la crème with authentic 1920's production and costume design and illustrious imagery captured by Robert Richardson's excellent cinematography. 

The cast also do quite well with their roles regardless of size, adding to the authenticity of the time with various accents and nuanced portrayals. Ben Affleck delivers some awesome gangster quips but his character Joe Coughlin never feels quite fully formed, he's a man who stays true to his moral compass but even when he does something bad you can't quite despise him as Affleck portrays him in a noble light. Just a fine performance from a talented man, nothing to praise or jeer. Chris Messina brings Coughlin's best bud and trusted ally Dion Bartolo to the silver screen as a delightful companion to Affleck who helps bring the film out of it's darker moments. 

Sienna Miller and Zoe Saldana are fairly static love interests for Coughlin and are fabulous actresses who are criminally wasted in this film, they don't have much to do aside from drive the plot and aren't able to leave much impression on the viewer. Elle Fanning, Brendan Gleeson, and Chris Cooper all have brief but crucial supporting roles in the narrative as a girl who's seen the light and error of her ways Loretta Figis, police captain and father Thomas Coughlin, and Tampa Sheriff Figis. Meanwhile, the Irish and Italian mafias being headed up by Robert Glenister and Remo Girone respectively with Matthew Maher playing a disgustingly wicked Ku Klux Klan leader on the sidelines. Also, keep your eyes peeled for some surprising cameo appearances from some well known talent. 

In summary, Live By Night has it's moments and will successfully engross viewers in the mobster drama but would be much better served with an episodic format as opposed to the scrunched 130 minute runtime provided. If a period piece crime drama's your thing, then you should be fairly satisfied with Live By Night.

Film Assessment: B-

My Thoughts on the 2017 Oscar Nominations

My Thoughts 

It's that time of year again as the awards season circuit comes to a close with the Oscars fast approaching and the annual announcement of the films nominated for the various categories. This morning the Oscars nominations were released so once again, like I have the previous two years, I will cover them and provide some analysis into my feelings on the nods. One thing I'm quite proud of is the fact I've seen almost everything nominated in every category with only a few exceptions, I saw eight of the nine Best Picture nominees if that's any indication. Once again, I will also share reviews of the Best Picture nominees weekly till the awards ceremony and figure out the logistics of that soon. That weekend I will make a post with my predictions of who will likely win and who I personally feel should win and then the night of the Academy Awards I will write out a post as winners are announced that will show my predictions and the actual winners. I won't breakdown my opinions on each category because that would simply make this post unnecessarily long but here are my biggest takeaways. The Best Animated Feature and Best Visual Effects nominees were about as expected and I'm enthused that La La Land picked up a record breaking fourteen nominations (tied with Titanic and All About Eve) considering that was my favorite film of the year, you can go to my Top 10 Movies of 2016 list to check out why that is if you haven't read it already. I'm also glad to see Arrival get a lot of appreciation because it was another favorite from last year but I think not nominating Amy Adams for Best Actress was a huge snub. I feel nominating Meryl Streep over Amy Adams after Streep's infamous Golden Globes speech is a move against Donald Trump's idiotic tweet surmising that she's an overrated actress. I'm merely stating that Hollywood's liberal and wouldn't be surprised to see Streep actually win or something just so they "can stick it to the man." Also the fact that Meryl Streep now has twenty nominations and three wins to me makes the case alone that she's not overrated. While Streep was great in Florence Foster Jenkins, there were actresses more deserving for the nod over her this past year. As for some of my disappointments, I'm saddened to see no love for Sing Street in at least the Best Original Song category. Don't laugh but I'm also a little surprised that Deadpool was completely shut out, considering that it picked up substantial legitimate awards momentum in the last month with nominations from the Writer's Guild, Producer's Guild, Director's Guild, and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Prior to this month I wasn't expecting it to get any attention from the Academy considering the nature of being a crude action comedy comic book film, something that's typically not appreciated by the Academy outside of technical nominations, I was still holding out hope for at least a Best Adapted Screenplay nod. Overall, I'm fairly pleased with the nominees and will certainly be checking out a few of the films I missed out on in the coming weeks!

Nominations

Best Picture

"Arrival"
"Fences"
"Hacksaw Ridge"
"Hell or High Water"
"Hidden Figures"
"La La Land"
"Lion"
"Manchester By The Sea"
"Moonlight"

Best Director

Barry Jenkins, "Moonlight"
Damien Chazelle, "La La Land"
Denis Villeneuve, "Arrival"
Kenneth Lonergan, "Manchester By The Sea"
Mel Gibson, "Hacksaw Ridge"

Best Actress

Emma Stone, "La La Land"
Isabella Huppert, "Elle"
Meryl Streep, "Florence Foster Jenkins"
Natalie Portman, "Jackie"
Ruth Negga, "Loving"

Best Actor

Andrew Garfield, "Hacksaw Ridge"
Casey Affleck, "Manchester By The Sea"
Denzel Washington, "Fences"
Ryan Gosling, "La La Land"
Viggo Mortensen, "Captain Fantastic"

Best Supporting Actress

Michelle Williams, "Manchester By The Sea"
Naomie Harris, "Moonlight"
Nicole Kidman, "Lion"
Octavia Spencer, "Hidden Figures"
Viola Davis, "Fences"

Best Supporting Actor

Dev Patel, "Lion"
Jeff Bridges, "Hell or High Water"
Lucas Hedges, "Manchester By The Sea"
Mahershala Ali, "Moonlight"
Michael Shannon, "Nocturnal Animals"

Best Adapted Screenplay

Allison Schroeder, Theodore Melfi, "Hidden Figures"
August Wilson, "Fences"
Barry Jenkins, Tarell McCraney, "Moonlight"
Eric Heisserer, "Arrival"
Luke Davies, "Lion"

Best Original Screenplay

Damien Chazelle, "La La Land"
Efthymis Filippou, Yorgos Lanthimos, "The Lobster"
Kenneth Lonergan, "Manchester By The Sea"
Mike Mills, "20th Century Woman"
Taylor Sheridan, "Hell or High Water"

Best Foreign Language Film

"A Man Called Ove"
"Land of Mine"
"Tanna"
"Toni Erdmann"
"The Salesman"

Best Documentary Feature

"13th"
"Fire at Sea"
"I Am Not Your Negro"
"Life, Animated"
"O.J.: Made in America"

Best Animated Feature

"Kubo and the Two Strings"
"My Life as a Zucchini"
"Moana"
"The Red Turtle"
"Zootopia"

Best Film Editing

"Arrival"
"Hacksaw Ridge"
"Hell or High Water"
"La La Land"
"Moonlight"

Best Original Song

"Audition (The Fools Who Dream)" from "La La Land" (written by Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek, and Justin Paul)
"Can't Stop The Feeling" from "Trolls" (written by Justin Timberlake, Max Martin, and Shellback)
"City of Stars" from "La La Land" (written by Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek, and Justin Paul)
"The Empty Chair" from "Jim: The James Foley Story" (written by J. Ralph and Sting)
"How Far I'll Go" from "Moana" (written by Lin Manuel Miranda)

Best Original Score

Dustin O'Halloran and Hauschka, "Lion"
Justin Hurwitz, "La La Land"
Mica Levi, "Jackie"
Nicholas Britel, "Moonlight"
Thomas Newman, "Passengers"

Best Cinematography

Bradford Young, "Arrival"
Greig Fraser, "Lion"
James Laxton, "Moonlight"
Linus Sandgren, "La La Land"
Rodrigo Prieto, "Silence"

Best Costume Design

"Allied"
"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them"
"Florence Foster Jenkins"
"Jackie"
"La La Land"

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

"A Man Called Ove"
"Star Trek Beyond"
"Suicide Squad"

Best Production Design

David Wasco, Sandy Reynolds-Wasco, "La La Land"
Guy Hendrix Das, "Passengers"
Jess Gonchor, Nancy Haigh, "Hail Caesar!"
Patrice Vermette, "Arrival"
Stuart Craig, James Hambige, Anna Pinnock, "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them"

Best Sound Editing

"Arrival"
"Deepwater Horizon"
"Hacksaw Ridge"
"La La Land"
"Sully"

Best Sound Mixing

"13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi"
"Arrival"
"Hacksaw Ridge"
"La La Land"
"Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"

Best Visual Effects

"Deepwater Horizon"
"Doctor Strange"
"The Jungle Book"
"Kubo and the Two Strings"
"Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"

Best Short Film, Live Action

"Ennemis Intérieurs"
"La Femme et la TGV"
"Silent Nights"
"Sing"
"Timecode"

Best Short Film, Animated

"Blind Vaysha"
"Borrowed Time"
"Pearl"
"Pear and Cider Cigarettes"
"Piper"

Best Documentary, Short Subject

"4.1 Miles"
"Extremis"
"The Mute's House"
"Watani: My Homeland"
"The White Helmets"

Throwback Thursday Review: 'The Matrix'

This week I'm starting my series of Throwback Thursday Reviews over The Matrix trilogy with my thoughts on The Matrix. In the next three weeks I'll review The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, and John Wick to coincide with John Wick: Chapter 2 since it will see a reunion between actors Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne. In the meantime, reviews you can expect to see relatively soon include Patriots Day, Live By Night, Split, The Founder, A Dog's Purpose, Gold, The LEGO Batman Movie, and John Wick: Chapter 2.

'The Matrix' Review

Nominated For: Best Film Editing, Best Sound, Best Sound Editing, and Best Visual Effects.

Won: Best Film Editing, Best Sound, Best Sound Editing, and Best Visual Effects.

In The Matrix machines have fabricated a false reality for subjecting humanity as they harvest humans to fuel their campaign of world domination. Computer hacker Neo learns the truth about the warped reality from a rebel insurgent group who reveal to him that he's prophesied to be the "One." Neo then must join the fight against the Matrix if humanity is to be saved. 

Confession: I had never seen The Matrix prior to watching it for this review, I had heard about it practically my entire life and knew enough to understand references but had never really gotten around to watching it. Therefore, I had some lofty expectations and must say the film holds up surprisingly well despite being nearly eighteen years old. The Matrix was originally written and directed by the Wachowski brothers, Andy and Lawrence, however the two are now the Wachowski sisters, Lilly and Lana, and I don't want to get into semantics so for the purposes of this review I will refer to them purely as the Wachowskis. 

The Wachowskis' imagination can't be paralleled as the two pushed the boundaries of action blockbuster filmmaking with The Matrix. The visual effects were definitely groundbreaking for the time but don't quite hold up as well as one would hope. The practical effects look incredibly authentic but early CGI simply wasn't up to what the Wachowskis envisioned when compared to what we see today. The Wachowskis and cinematographer Bill Pope shoot action in such a dynamic and interesting fashion that it's nearly impossible to not get engaged despite limited character development. 

The action sequences are almost 18 years old yet still maintain high energy and robustness about them to remain iconic. This is helped by the score from Don Davis, which has a digital DNA with poppy beats and a synthesizer to (re)boot. Elsewhere, the concepts and world building present in The Matrix are exceptionally well laid-out and the Wachowskis' screenplay explains nearly everything but the characters can't help but feel hollow in contrast to the limitless world surrounding them. 

Keanu Reeves plays the role of the reluctant "Chosen One" with enough uneasiness to make Neo's disbelief viable while also maintaining an air of confidence needed by an action hero. The main supporting cast fill the standard tropes with Carrie-Anne Moss' Trinity standing in as the romantic interest, Laurence Fishburne portraying the keen insightful leader, and Hugo Weaving as the sinisterly robotic Agent Smith. While all the aforementioned actors fit the roles and play their parts well they can't help but feel limited to the boundaries of their paper thin characters. 

In conclusion, The Matrix isn't the best action film but its influence on action is virtually unrivaled. The Matrix's technical prowess, direction, performances, and conceptual notions stand tall but the lack of necessary character depth keeps The Matrix from reaching its highest potential. 

Film Assessment: B

'Hunt for the Wilderpeople' Review

In Hunt for the Wilderpeople young foster child Ricky Baker and foster parent Uncle Hec get caught up in a manhunt after a huge misunderstanding getting lost in the New Zealand wilderness. Hunt for the Wilderpeople is written and directed by Taika Waititi and is an adaptation of the book Wild Pork and Watercress authored by Barry Crump.

Waititi proves he's a gifted director worthy of taking on the upcoming Thor: Ragnarok as he shepherds this bonkers concept, meshing a Wes Anderson-inspired peculiar style and tone with what is essentially the barebone concept of Up without managing to rip off either. This film feels totally fresh and unlike most of Hollywood's offerings today and that's probably why I took such a liking to it (It probably would have slipped in my Top 10 Movies of 2016 list or at least the Honarable Mentions if I had seen it last year). 

Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a buddy movie that pairs an optimistic child with a grumpy old man, something that could have gone wrong in so many ways. However, Waititi and his two leads strike the right balance so that the kid isn't unbearably talkative or obnoxious and the old man isn't so bitter enough to become unlikable. Waititi cleverly nods his head to blockbusters such as Lord of the Rings and The Terminator while crafting some eccentric characters in his stylized world. Taika Waititi's screenplay is quirky and hilarious with dialogue that had me laughing hysterically and a heartfelt story about family at its core. The lush New Zealand landscape is beautifully captured by cinematographer Lachlan Milne, everything's well cut together by editors Tom Eagles, Yana Gorskaya, and Luke Haigh, and the score from Lukasz Patel Buda, Samuel Scott, and Conrad Wedde is simultaneously outlandish and adventurous. 

Julian Dennison brings a delightful aura to Ricky Baker, starstruck at the idea of being a gangster and quipping some fantastic one liners, that's excellently juxtaposed by Sam Neill's weary and bitter Uncle Hec, who matches the kid quip for quip. Dennison and Neill make quite the pair of runaways, with a kooky dynamic not to be found in any of last year's other releases. Julian Dennison is yet another fantastic child actor from 2016, they seem to be sprouting out just about everywhere, and while this isn't his debut it's certainly a breakout performance that could garner him some more work.

Neill, of Jurassic Park fame, could have easily fallen into the caricature of the rugged man but injects Hec with more humanism than one would expect and delivers one of the more memorable performances of his career. Other performances worth noting include Rima Te Wiata's sweet Aunt Bella, Rachel House's tough social worker, and Rhys Darby's Psycho Sam. Oh, and I can't forget Waititi's hysterical cameo where he delivers a eulogy as the local priest.

In summary, Hunt for the Wilderpeople features unconventional direction and a charming pair of lead characters that make it a delightfully zany nonsensical film that we rarely see these days, not as weird as say Swiss Army Man, but definitely not mainstream either. It's currently available to stream on Hulu and the home media market in general so I advise you check it out sometime!

Film Assessment: A

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen'

This week I'm continuing my series of Transformers reviews, once again well in advance of the correlating film due to the number of installments in the franchise and sequels that will be released this year. Next week I'm taking a break from Transformers reviews till April and in the following four weeks I will be reviewing The Matrix trilogy and John Wick to coincide with John Wick: Chapter 2 since it will see a reunion between Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne. Reviews of new (or wider) releases you expect over the course of January include Patriots Day, Live By Night, Split, The Founder, A Dog's Purpose, and Gold.

'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen' Review

Nominated For: Best Sound Mixing.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen picks up two years after Transformers as humans and Autobots are now working together to track down and destroy the remaining Decepticons while the Deceptions seek to find the remaining shards of the Allspark and resurrect Megatron. Meanwhile Sam Witwicky is off to college and gets wrapped up in the Transformers war again after encountering an Allspark fragment that causes him to randomly see cryptic symbols.

Michael Bay returns to direct, upping the ante of the action and daring to deeply explore Transformers lore. Revenge of the Fallen is almost universally regarded to be worse than its predecessor. However I do think a case can be made that for every dumb moment or failed attempt at levity, there's a cool action sequence between Transformers or compelling concept to balance it out. Yes, there are plenty of Bay-esque elements (explosions, portraying women as two-dimensional sex objects, and dumb crude humor) throughout Revenge of the Fallen, but the film as a whole is not quite as bad as everyone remembers.

Arguably, I'd say that the cinematography, visual effects, and spectacle are improvements over the first. Some of the cooler action moments include a feline Decepticon's infiltration of a covert base, a sequence in which Optimus Prime wields two sword arms to take on a host of Deceptions in an epic last stand, and the battle bot bonanza at the end. Other than that, there's not much to take away from Revenge of the Fallen.

The script written by Ehren Kruger, Roberto Orci, and Alex Kurtzman gets too caught up with trying to explain Transformers lore that it doesn't even really attempt to deepen the already lackluster characters or tell a worthwhile story. It's telling when a screenplay is able to make the robots the most likable and lifelike characters in a film. Occasionally, the film is almost self-referential to a point where characters voice the audience's opinion such as when Agent Simmons tazes Sam's obnoxious tag-along room mate or Bumblebee throws the two Autobot twins out of the frame. It's a relief but a reminder that these characters are more an annoyance than an asset to the story being told (they literally add nothing except maybe a pitiful attempt at comedic relief).

If you didn't think it was possible, the performances in Revenge of the Fallen are even worse than those found in the original. Shia LaBeouf is a total klutz, spazzing around with what I guess is his imitation of a seizure and failing to make a confident lead the audience or surrounding characters can put faith in. It almost seems that Megan Fox is around purely to run around the desert in a tight low-cut shirt and look attractive on motor vehicles because she has little else to offer in terms of acting ability.

Other returning cast members include John Turturro's rash Agent Simmons, Kevin Dunn and Julie White playing Sam's idiotic parents, and Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson as military personnel. Peter Cullen, Mark Ryan, Robert Foxworth, Jess Harnell, Hugo Weaving, and Charlie Adler all are terrific voicing their respective Transformers, bringing the appropriate demeanor to each one, while Tom Kenny's voicing of the twins Mudflap and Skids verges on the edge of being a racial stereotype. Ramon Rodriguez joins the bots as the single most annoying tag-along character but thankfully his character didn't stick around for the next installment.

Overall, the narrative presents challenges for the characters but none of them stick and there's no consequence for characters and no lasting impression on the viewers mind. The visuals don't exactly make up for the flat story, but do come to the blockbuster's aid rather than hindering it, making some parts of it watchable. In conclusion, Revenge of the Fallen is everything you expect from a Bay production, but dialed up to an eleven.

Film Assessment: D

'Silence' Review

Nominated For: Best Cinematography.

In Silence, a number of Catholics endure persecution in feudal Japan for their beliefs and attempts to spread Christianity. A Portuguese church hears wind of this from one of the high priest Father Ferreira's letters and two priests are sent to Japan to not only retrieve Father Ferreira but spread their beliefs, unknowingly to face the ultimate test of their faith. 

Silence is Martin Scorsese's passion project, he's been trying to adapt Shûsaku Endô's novel for over twenty five years and constantly claimed he wasn't quite ready to tackle the source material and I think he was wise to wait. Scorsese masterfully directs the feature length faith epic with gorgeous visual allegories captured by Rodrigo Prieto that are impeccably weaved and cut together by editor Thelma Schoonmaker. Scorsese's 74 years old yet his films are no less poignant. There are a number of interesting creative choices made by Scorsese in regards to the overarching sound design. 

For one, Silence was appropriately silent. There's little-to-no score throughout, with occasional hushed instrumentals in the film's more pivotal moments, and even the dialogue was softly spoken, almost like a prayer (literally a prayer in some cases). The only background noise to be heard is nature itself, perhaps to be interpreted at face value as silence but to be God's voice by others. This obviously ties into the thematic messages explored about response to prayer. Scorsese and Jay Cocks adapted Endô's novel into a screenplay that is riveting as a character study, exploring the progression of three different belief systems; the devout believer, the doubtful follower, and the silent Christian. 

Another undeniable strength of Silence is it's committed cast. Andrew Garfield may have lost the Spider-Man gig after Sony botched The Amazing Spider-Man franchise but 2016 has shown he's more than capable of sticking the landing and getting back to his feet with his remarkable portrayals in Hacksaw Ridge and Silence. Both Desmond Doss and Father Rodrigues have similar character arcs in that they faced trials of faith, but the characters couldn't be any more distinct and both roles demonstrate Garfield's incredible range and acting ability. 

Issei Ogata plays our antagonist as Inoue or The Inquisitor, the driving force determined to wipe out all Christianity in Japan. The Inquisitor is a man of high regard with clear and understandable philosophies and motivations. Oddly enough, I believe this elderly Asian man may have been the greatest antagonistic force present throughout cinema in 2016. 

However, Yôsuke Kubozuka's Kichijiro is probably the most interesting character in the narrative, a tortured human soul with a tragic backstory. Kichijiro is a broken man because he avoids earthly retribution through apostatizing regardless of what it may mean for those around him but he seeks to stand right with God and amend for his sins. Kichijiro is representative of humanity in that we all fall prey to sin and want compassion from higher powers, seeking forgiveness. 

As for other supporting players, Adam Driver is a subdued presence playing the calm devoted servant and Liam Neeson offers another crippled character for the medium. 

Silence isn't exactly the type of film you will come out of the theater gushing about, rather Silence is a self-reflecting spiritual journey. Scorsese succeeds in his telling of the faith epic as technical prowess is top notch, the formidable cast put-forth dedicated portrayal, and the film's messages are delivered in a way that doesn't come across as preachy or noncommittal. It probably requires multiple viewings to fully wrap your mind around everything Scorsese has to offer but you won't exactly be enticed to revisit the exhausting three hour journey.

Film Assessment: A

'Hidden Figures' Review

Nominated For: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress; Octavia Spencer, and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Hidden Figures is based on a book written by Margot Lee Shetterly that tells the true story of a trio of black women who worked at NASA and their contributions to the 1960s space race that have since been overlooked. I went into Hidden Figures somewhat concerned it would get too preachy with it's messages and wind up being a cliché bio-pic meant for television but thankfully it proved to be much more than that. 

Director Theodore Melfi is able to maintain a lighthearted tone while dealing with serious subject matter in regards to segregation and the screenplay Melfi pens alongside Allison Schroeder effectively incorporates the time period to convey the film's weightier messages. Hidden Figures finds itself juggling a lot with three major characters each getting a substantial arc, the various NASA missions, a romantic element, and a thing or two to say about segregation but the screenwriting duo don't allow the multitude of plot elements to ever overtake one another and strike a nice balance. 

The messages about discrimination are kept as a through line but never feel overbearing to the point where it entrenches on other story beats. The cinematography and editing were masterfully done by director of photography Mandy Walker and editor Peter Teschner and some other areas in which Hidden Figures shone was in the costuming and production design. 

The score composed by Benjamin Wallfisch, Pharrell Williams, and Hans Zimmer is incredibly fun and fitting for the time period with a '60s-'70s early pop vibe, however it feels like it was put together by the former and rarely felt Zimmer-esque. That's not to say I disliked the soundtrack but rather that when I listen to one of my favorite composers' pieces I'm typically able to recognize the artist who worked on it based on musical stylings. I can say that I would have never guessed that Zimmer worked on this since Zimmer's compositions are commonly epic and grandiose in nature. Contrasting that, Hidden Figures does have it's fair share of cliché moments that you will see coming from a mile away but they're few and far between and the material's elevated by the stellar cast. 

Taraji P. Henson, Janelle Monáe, and Octavia Spencer are a terrific tightly-knit trio with charisma and standout moments aplenty. Henson demonstrates great range playing Katherine G. Johnson in a more reserved capacity as the shy, intelligent hard worker till she breaks and vents the characters' frustrations, an incredible scene that feels remarkably human and speaks to the struggles that accompany segregation. Monáe is the spunkiest of the group as Mary Jackson and Spencer is the wiser and older companion that's always thinking ahead.

Kevin Costner took what could have easily been a one dimensional caricature with the fictional NASA director Al Harrison (an amalgamation of NASA directors) and provides a more layered supporting portrayal. Costner actually delivers one of the best lines I've heard in recent memory when he says "Here at NASA we all pee the same color." Jim Parsons and Kirsten Dunst both play similar supporting roles in the narrative as prejudiced whites within NASA as Parsons' Paul Stafford comes across as a ridiculously mean Sheldon Cooper and Dunst's Vivian Mitchell evokes the stereotypical snobby superior.

Mahershala Ali dominated 2016 with screen-stealing work in both Marvel/Netflix's Luke Cage and critical darling Moonlight and his subdued role in Hidden Figures proved to be no exception (I'm considering Hidden Figures a 2016 release due to it's eligibility in last years awards race and the fact it had a limited release in late December, only recently expanding). Ali's screen time is limited but his presence is not as he plays the delightfully charming Colonel Jim Johnson with ease. 

Hidden Figures launched past my expectations thanks to a well-balanced script, capable direction, a fun soundtrack, and an incredible ensemble cast. Hidden Figures balances it's story arcs and solves it's problems with the precision of the most skilled mathematician resulting in a charming feature that uncovers a true story worth telling. 

Film Assessment: B+