'Vice' Review

Nominated For: Best Picture, Best Director; Adam McKay, Best Actor; Christian Bale, Best Supporting Actor; Sam Rockwell, Best Supporting Actress; Amy Adams, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, and Best Makeup and Hairstyling.

Won: Best Makeup and Hairstyling.

Vice explores the epic story about how a bureaucratic Washington insider quietly became the most powerful man in the world as Vice-President to George W. Bush, reshaping the country and the globe in ways that we still feel today. 

Written and directed by Academy Award-winner Adam McKay, Vice is McKay's seventh directorial feature. Before 2015, McKay was mostly known for writing and directing mainstream comedies starring Will Ferrell such as Anchorman, Step Brothers, Talladega Nights, and The Other Guys. Then he made The Big Short and wound up winning the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay while the film received a total of five nominations including Best Picture and Best Director. Tasked with explaining the housing market crash of the late 2000s, McKay simplified matters via fourth wall breaks, symbolism, celebrity cameos, and so much more. Clearly, the switch-up worked well for McKay though, so it's not surprising he'd carry that style over to Vice. However, this time he's wholly demolished the fourth wall and dialed everything up to an eleven. So, chances are, you'll hate this film if you weren't a fan of The Big Short. Vice is already proving to be quite divisive amongst critics and audiences alike, but that should be expected given the political subject matter. Some may feel offended by McKay's twisted satire while others may think he didn't go far enough. 

Whatever the case may be, I'm not easily offended or all that interested in political rhetoric, so I personally wasn't bothered by any of McKay's creative decisions. In fact, I can't help but respect McKay's ambition due to the twisted, subversive route which Vice explores alongside its audience. Vice has little in common with traditional biographical pictures, and that was so refreshing to witness. Usually, bio-pics are a favorite of the Academy, so I wind up watching a few every year, but they rarely surprise me or differentiate from what's come before concerning narrative structure and style. There's nothing wrong with following a formula or abiding by a proven approach, but I'll be much more likely to admire bolder technique than something I've seen a thousand times before. McKay really swings for the fences with lacking subtlety, risky comedic gags, and some very inspired editing choices. While I wouldn't necessarily say every risk paid off, I found the dark comedy to be hilarious and the film to be more entrancing as it went on. 

McKay's method of presentation maintains a brisk momentum to what could have otherwise been a dull look at the life of Dick Cheney and his rise to unprecedented power. Just when you're expecting drawn-out dialogue, McKay cuts away. In spite of breezy pacing and humor, McKay upholds a degree of seriousness and grounds his depiction of Cheney somewhere between the extremes of caricature and a sympathetic lead. He's humanized to an extent but still seen as evil by the camera. In one particular fourth-wall break, Cheney provides his own justification for his actions, though the film doesn't concede to his viewpoint. One audience member left at that point, and if you're thinking this film seems to skew far too left, don't worry... McKay's well aware and calls himself and the audience out in a bonkers post-credits scene that I considered a riot (this will contribute to the film's polarized reception more than anything else). 

Regarding production quality, cinematographer Greig Fraser makes effective use of shadows and low-lighting, Nicholas Britell offers a varied set of compositions in his score, and the production design's excellent while the hair and makeup work is extraordinary, going a long way to transform the illustrious ensemble convincingly. Also, as a brief side-note, the events in Vice are clearly embellished and exaggerated for comedic effect so don't expect a historically accurate glimpse into Cheney's life. The filmmakers acknowledge as much with an opening title card that informs the audience Cheney was a secretive man so they "tried their f*cking best." I just went along for the ride with an open mind.

Elevating Vice from an experimental passion project to a serious awards contender, Christian Bale's once again committed wholeheartedly to physically transforming himself for a role. Over the years, Bale has gone through cycles of intentional weight loss and gain to better embody his characters, just look to The Machinist, The Dark Knight Trilogy, and American Hustle for evidence of this. It's surely an unhealthy practice, and Bale's recently acknowledged that it's beginning to catch up with him as he enters his late forties. Bale slips into the guise of Cheney like it's nothing and perfectly replicated his vocal mannerisms, steely gaze, and cold composure. Matching Bale beat-for-beat is counterpart chameleon actress Amy Adams. As Lynne Cheney, Adams only gained about 12-15 pounds in comparison to Bale's approximated 40-pound pack-on, but she wears the conniving Lynne Cheney persona like a glove. Their devious dynamic and calculated scheming behind-the-scenes in Washington D.C. was a fascinating and unnerving background element which enhanced the film's shady atmosphere. Both performances are well deserving of their current awards buzz, and I hope the momentum translates to Oscar nominations for the two of them at the very least. 

Amongst the stellar supporting cast, Sam Rockwell, Steve Carell, Tyler Perry, and Jesse Plemons all put forth solid performances. Rockwell channels the dopier side George W. Bush to great comedic effect, and Tyler Perry plays Colin Powell as very straight-faced. It honestly took me a while to view Donald Rumsfeld as anything other than Carell in extensive makeup, but as the film went on, that notion disappeared. Lastly, I wouldn't dare spoil Plemons role, but that will prove divisive to many as well. As for me, I personally dug it and considered it to be an interesting framing device. 

Vice is without a doubt the 2018 release vying for the title of the most creative feature, brimming with nuanced black comedy most filmmakers wouldn't dare poke with a twenty-foot-long stick. Not every component sticks the landing, but those which do, further contribute to the film's fascinating storytelling approach in a satisfying manner. 

Film Assessment: A

'Beautiful Boy' Review

Beautiful Boy chronicles the inspiring experience of survival, relapse, and recovery in a family coping with addiction. When Nicolas' meth addiction threatens to destroy him, his desperate father does whatever he can to save his son.

Based on the best-selling pair of memoirs from real-life father and son David and Nic Sheff, Beautiful Boy is directed by Felix van Groeningen and features a screenplay co-written by van Groeningen and Luke Davies. Van Groeningen immediately immerses the audience into the dual perspectives of Nic and David through non-linear storytelling as he cycles between flashbacks and the present day. Occasionally, this made the continuity and chronology of the film a tad confusing, but it amounts to merely being an insubstantial flaw once you figure out when the said scene takes place. Between the soundtrack and score, there were certain songs and musical cues utilized which didn't quite fit the scene they accompanied. However, the soundtrack overall has an excellent collection of songs on it, and I've become obsessed with John Lennon's "Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)" in particular. Otherwise, I really didn't find any other issues.

Beautiful Boy may be a little messy here and there in regards to structure, but I believe that's meant to be an intentional reflection of Nic's unfortunate predicament. Having never personally experienced anything like this, I can't quite vouch for whether the film's depiction of addition is authentic or not, but it sure felt real from start-to-finish. Believe it or not, nothing in Beautiful Boy seemed overdramatized for the sake of being more cinematic. The film felt honest and down-to-earth regarding its central tragedy in ways I wasn't expecting. To be quite honest, I'm not sure I've ever been more emotionally-invested watching a film in the theater before. I cried during virtually every other scene because the events shown were brimming with raw emotion due to the very nature of the narrative's heartbreaking situation and the exceptional acting on display. While some may consider Beautiful Boy emotionally manipulative, I feel otherwise. To me, the emotional beats were earned and felt genuine on account of a layered story. David feels guilty for partially enabling his son's addiction, and watching him struggle to become more accountable while his son descends into the cycle of addition was devastating, to say the least. Thanks to the flashbacks mentioned above, the father-son relationship feels even more established, which in turn enhances the eventual emotional beats and concurrent drama.

If one thing's to be said about Beautiful Boy though, it's that Timothée Chalamet and Steve Carell give career-best performances. Chalamet digs in deep to exhibit an honest portrayal of an introspective addict while Carell exemplifies a caring, supportive father. His emotions settle just under the surface, and it's gut-wrenching to merely watch David struggle to maintain composure around other family members when you can just tell he's ready to break out in tears. The heart-to-heart conversations between the two actors will absolutely obliterate your heart in addition to showcasing the actor's immense range. Less prominent in the ensemble, Maura Tierney and Amy Ryan each put forth a pair of strong performances in spite of the film's attention primarily going towards Carell and Chalamet.

All in all, Beautiful Boy is a poignant, tearjerking cautionary tale about the perils of addiction. Not always pretty, but certain to tug at your heartstrings with a subtle sincerity and the force of at least five thousand men.

Film Assessment: A 

'Despicable Me 3' Review

Despicable Me 3 picks up with newlywed Anti-Villian League agents Gru and Lucy on a mission to prevent '80s centric baddie Balthazar Bratt from stealing the world's largest diamond. When the duo fail to capture Bratt and the head of the AVL retires from his tenure, the new boss immediately fires the two agents. Gru then learns of his long lost twin brother Dru and is invited to come visit and shenanigans ensue. 

I've recently been of the opinion that Illumination Entertainment, the animation studio behind this franchise along with The Secret Life Of Pets and Sing, have started releasing passable projects that are incredibly entertaining for children but more uninspired for older audiences. I do however enjoy both Despicable Me and Despicable Me 2 and find the Minions to be okay but was disappointed to walk away feeling dissatisfied by Despicable Me 3 because it fell into the same rut as the remainder of Illumination's animated slate.

Despicable Me 3 is co-directed by Kyle Balda, Pierre Coffin, and Eric Guillon with a screenplay penned by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio. Despicable Me 3 is overstuffed with superfluous superficial storylines of every variety. It's almost as thought the creative voices couldn't contain their ideas for the sequel with plot-lines including a Minion revolt and incarceration, Agnus searching for a Unicorn, Lucy trying to be a merited maternal figure, Gru bonding with Dru, and Gru attempting to bring down Bratt. These ideas have merit as standalone short films but feel out of place when interwoven into Gru's narrative.

Just like the last two, the animation's okay and the humor's geared towards especially young children. On top of that, the minions insane adventure feels totally tangential to the ongoing events. I don't really have a problem with the minions as I can recognize they're around for the kids, but I found their sequences to be oddly amusing despite the fact they were unwarranted.

There's one scene in Despicable Me 3 that's an accurate summation of my opinion of the movie itself where Gru and Dru impersonate one another while all the characters onscreen are absolutely unamused. Illumination constantly flaunts around unfunny jokes and gags I'm sure the writers thought kids would get a kick out of while I consistently elicited no reaction. I struggled to find any fresh entertainment in this installment to put it anywhere near the league of Disney and Pixar. 

Steve Carell sounded like he had the time of his life voicing Gru and Dru. Carell manages to invoke similar voices to each character while drawing out over-the-top unique attributes to differentiate the two. In the hands of a less capable actor, the shtick would have fallen flat but the twin brother angle is one of the amusing attributes of Despicable Me 3. 

 

Kristen Wiig is sufficient reprising her role as Lucy Wilde but lacks the leeway to really draw out any new characteristics aside from more motherly intuition. Elsewhere, Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, and newcomer Nev Scharrel each also fill their restrained roles as Margo, Edith, and Agnes with all the characteristics of the responsible elder sister, odd middle child, and cute youngest sibling.   

Trey Parker's Balthazar Bratt is largely living in the past as a one-note eighties obsessed antagonist. Pratt's antics are fairly amusing but they never surpass your expectations. Once you've seen one gag, you'll have a handle on the character. 

If you're looking for a blast this Fourth of July weekend, I'd actually swing over and see Spider-Man: Homecoming instead as it's a blockbuster the entire family can enjoy, but Despicable Me 3 will delight young viewers for sure. Despite my criticism, I'll admit Despicable Me 3 is actually just a mediocre movie that lacks a message and fell short of the endearing entertainment of the precursors. 

Film Assessment: C

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Despicable Me 2'

Sorry for the delay but I put this review on the back burner in order to publish my early thoughts on Spider-Man: Homecoming. However, this week I'm reviewing Despicable Me 2 to coincide with the release of Despicable Me 3. Next week I'll be finishing out my Spider-Man reviews with a Throwback Thursday Review of The Amazing Spider-Man and Recollection Reflection Review of The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Reviews that will appear throughout July include Throwback Thursday Reviews for Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Inception, and Shaun of the Dead, a Triple-R Review over Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and reviews of new releases War for the Planet of the Apes, Dunkirk, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, The Emoji Movie, and Atomic Blonde.

'Despicable Me 2' Review

Nominated For: Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song "Happy" (written by Pharrell Williams).

In Despicable Me 2, Gru has grown accustomed to his transition from dishonorable baddie to adoptive dad when he's approached by the Anti-Villain League to help bring down a mysterious, malevolent force. Gru then teams up with adept agent Lucy Wilde to go undercover and ascertain the identity of the heinous wrongdoer behind it all.

Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud reprise their respective roles as co-directors of the sequel, which is also penned by returning writers Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio. Paul and Daurio escalate their parody to the realm of secret spies and dating in addition to furthering their entertaining examination of parenting. The duo ensure the script feels familiar to the first with habitual heart and humor that made the precursor successful in the first place. 

The comedy's certainly catered towards children as the Minions are bestowed a raised profile before their Minions movie. If you're entertained by these yellow creatures, then you'll get your fill of their shenanigans and they do actually have a more poignant purpose this time around. Elsewhere, the animation's an improvement over the original due to a bigger budget and progression of technology but Illumination's renderings don't compare to Disney or Pixar's masterful work. The storytelling's substandard with accustomed aspects all around the animated field but there's enough sentiment for Despicable Me 2 to coast off.

Steve Carell lends an outrageous, over-the-top goofiness and a does of sentiment to Gru that sticks the landing while Kristen Wiig joins the fun as the loopy Lucy Wilde. Her dynamic opposite Carell remains one of Despicable Me 2's prime points as the two extrapolate an oddly entertaining pairing.

Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, and Elsie Fisher all reprise their roles as Margo, Edith, and Agnes embodying the endearing attitudes that made them memorable in the first place. The sisters consistently and convincingly portray the encapsulating attributes of children that in-turn enables the sentiment of the story. 

Meanwhile, Benjamin Bratt hams it up as the insanely masculine El Macho but doesn't bring much to the character aside from an eccentric personality. Russell Brand's elderly Dr. Nefario also isn't ingrained too deeply in the script but has a few memorable moments to shine.

 

In summary, Despicable Me 2 is almost equally endearing as Despicable Me but it never quite reaches the endearing elements of the original. The story's sweet, the characters are charming, and the jokes land but there's not really a purpose to the madness other than furthering the franchise.

Film Assessment: B-

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Despicable Me'

Sorry for the string of delayed Throwback Thursday Reviews these past few weeks but I went to an advanced screening of Baywatch on Thursday and Comicpalooza Friday through Sunday. This Throwback Thursday may seem random but I didn't have another open slot to review Despicable Me before Despicable Me 3's release. I should have several reviews coming this week as I traverse further into the Alien Anthology leading up to Alien: Covenant this weekend, It's looking as though I'll have one Alien Anthology review a day this week. If you missed my review of Alien, you can find it at that corresponding blue hyperlink, and the next Throwback Thursday will be Prometheus to further tie-in to the release of Alien Covenant. Other reviews you can anticipate this May include Throwback Thursday Reviews over Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and new reviews like Alien: Covenant, Baywatch, and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.

'Despicable Me' Review

Despicable Me follows the exploits of vile villain Gru, who vows to steal the moon so he can be the greatest villain that ever lived. There's just one caveat, the adoption of three young orphan girls becomes embroiled in his scheme and he soon discovers his heart of gold. Despicable Me wasn't particularly groundbreaking for the animation genre, but it's a charming animated feature that has a nice dosage of sentimental satire.

Despicable Me was co-directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud with a script penned by Cinco Paul, Ken Daurio, and Sergio Pablos. The screenwriting team properly parody villainy and parenthood while the duo's direction helps to maintain an emotional element and sense of humor. One thing that I feel has become a source of contention for this franchise are the minions but quite frankly, the minions are a stroke of creative genius.

For starters, they fit into the narrative naturally considering most baddies have their own crew of cronies. Then there's the fact they appeal to children based on appearance alone and are semi-effective immature comedic relief. Even when they're annoying, it's easy to see why they're around because it's simply the ideal marketing ploy. The animation in Despicable Me isn't particularly pretty and looks rather substandard, but that's usually the case for Illumination Entertainment animated efforts.

Elsewhere, Despicable Me bolsters a fun soundtrack and an impressive comedic voice cast. Steve Carell doesn't just provide a goofy, over-the-top demeanor to Gru, but instills an underlying humanity to the vulnerable villain. The film really hits this home with Gru's backstory and the inclusion of Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, and Elsie Fisher as subsequent adorable adoptees Margo, Edith, and Agnes. Each of the girl's really bring a sense of realism to the project, as I have three sisters and am constantly reminded of them every-time I watch Despicable Me. The respective portrayals feel incredibly authentic because I've witnessed those traits in my own siblings from time-to-time and the screenplay captures the family dynamic and childlike wonder beautifully.

Meanwhile, Jason Segel plays the obnoxiously dweebish Vector, an ideal foil to Gru as a nerdy millennial Bond villain in contrast to Gru's evil antiquated ways. Vector's name in-of-itself is symbolic because a vector is a quantity with both magnitude and direction. He's a powerful force aware of his orientation. Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, Will Arnett, Kristen Wiig, directors Renaud and Coffin, and Jermaine Clement lend their voices to fill the supporting ensemble of eccentric characters encompassing the aged Dr. Nefario, Gru's apathetic mother, foreboding financier Mr. Perkins, gruesome girls orphanage head Miss Hattie, and a whole host of minions respectively.

While Despicable Me doesn't quite reach the heights of other triumphant animated features, it sustains a sense of fun and heart well throughout its ninety minute runtime. Despicable Me is an entertaining animated enterprise worth exploring for the laughs and tenderhearted message at its core.

Film Assessment: B

'The Big Short' Review

Nominated For: Best Picture, Best Director; Adam McKay, Best Supporting Actor; Christian Bale, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Film Editing.
Won: Best Adapted Screenplay.

The Big Short was the last of the Best Picture nominees for me to see and review and I was pleasantly surprised by the film. I wasn't expecting too much given the subject matter is about crunching numbers and the collapse of the housing market prior to the Stock Market crash in the late 2000's.

Adam McKay directs the film and even cowrote the film along with Charles Randolph. The directorial style is quite unique and charming and I especially liked the use of "breaking the fourth wall," which is when a character is speaking directly to the audience halting the actual story. The writing was incredibly sophisticated and well thought out highlighting the severity of the situation. Adam McKay was quite clever by inserting celebrity cameos for dual purpose of both comedy as well as simplified explanations for the more complicated financial terminology.

In regards to the film's performances, The Big Short is certainly an ensemble performance piece. I was surprised to see that the A-list actors were primarily separated into individual pieces of the narrative thread and never all interacted with one another. It's interesting because there isn't quite one single protagonist since the story follows multiple characters individually. Christian Bale brings a level of humanity and a snarky disposition in his role that makes his character of Micheal Burry feel real. Burry could have easily been captured as the social awkward intellectual genius that has a disability, but Bale rose above that and made the role more than that.

Steve Carell gives what may be his best dramatic performance ever as the temperamental Michael Baum and has some fantastic grounded, emotional scenes that will strike a chord with the audience and connect them to Baum. Finn Whittrock and John Magaro both portray the other integral characters in the story, Jamie Shipley and Charlie Geller, who manage to stand out aside the more experienced cast members. Ryan Gosling's role is very limited but he's hilarious when onscreen and functions as a great guide for the viewer a little similar to Leonardo DiCaprio's character in The Wolf Of Wall Street. Brad Pitt also has a limited supporting role as an ex-Wall Street Investor determined to stay off the grid and is practically a germaphobe but fills the role quite nicely.

In short (no pun intended), The Big Short is a tremendous adaptation with some terrific writing and a star studded ensemble cast. I'd highly recommend it for anyone who would be interested in learning about the housing market crash and also to those looking to check out all the Best Picture nominees.

Film Assessment: A-

'Foxcatcher' Review

Nominated for: Best Director; Bennett Miller, Best Actor; Steve Carell, Best Supporting Actor; Mark Ruffalo, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Makeup and Hairstyling.

I am currently trying to watch all of the films that were nominated for the major categories so I can develop my own opinion of which film I feel deserves to win each category by seeing each of the films nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, etc. I felt that it was a good film but the first half is somewhat boring and then has a crazy ending that I really enjoyed. I thought Steve Carell, Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo each gave great performances and understand why Ruffalo and Carell received nominations but I didn't feel that Carrell was necessarily the best choice for a nomination for Best Actor. This is a film I would recommend to watch if you are interested in wrestling or if you enjoy these three actors but I don't think I would be able to watch this film multiple times.