Tag: Review

REVIEW: Nightcrawler (2014)

The following is a review of Nightcrawler — Directed by Dan Gilroy.

In Nightcrawler, the directorial debut of The Bourne Legacy-co-writer Dan Gilroy, we meet Louis Bloom (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) a guileful thief, desperate for a chance at a job. As Bloom traverses through Los Angeles at night, he, at one point, encounters Joe Loder (played by Bill Paxton), a so-called ‘stringer’ who makes a living by selling footage of violent crimes or accidents in the Los Angeles nightlife to local news stations. Bloom becomes intrigued, acquires a cam-corder and a police scanner, and slowly begins to climb up the ladder of relative success as an unscrupulous freelance photojournalist. But when Bloom then becomes an employer, he becomes decidedly unhinged. Bloom is a quick learner, and if he wants something, he’s prepared to take it by any means necessary. Continue reading “REVIEW: Nightcrawler (2014)” →

REVIEW: Boyhood (2014)


The following is a spoiler review of Boyhood, a Richard Linklater film.

There’s something quite special about Richard Linklater’s Boyhood. This isn’t like anything else you’ve seen in the cinema. And I know what you might be thinking – is this like a documentary? No, this is not filmed like a documentary. No, this is not a mockumentary. You’re not going to see a Modern Family-like camera setting. This is simply a story about a boy, or rather a story about one kid growing up.

Now, this movie throws you some curveballs. Some might be led to believe this film is about parents splitting up – it’s not. Some might be led to believe this film is about a violent stepfather – it’s not really. Sure, there are elements of the aforementioned plotpoints. With that having been said, this film is simply about life. It’s about a single-mother, her disobedient daughter, sibling-rivalries, learning to allow your parents to move on from eachother. This is life.

Filmed over the duration of 12 years with the exact same actors – Boyhood is unique. The two main children are not really trained actors, as far as I understand, but following them grow up is a sight to be seen. Interestingly, the daughter in the film is the real life daughter of the director – and her character is significant. Mason Jr. (played by Ellar Coltrane) is really intriguing, but while he’s the main character in Boyhood, it’s his parents that provide the most stellar performances seen in a while.

I’m a big fan of Ethan Hawke, and his character’s transformation is possibly the most interesting. For while Mason Jr. & Samantha go from children to teenagers – Ethan Hawke’s Mason Sr. goes from mid-life crisis dad, worrying about his children forgetting his role in their life, to a new father – a new husband – trying to juggle two lives; becoming a role model in the process.

But while Hawke’s character finds his spot in the world eventually, he might be the only one doing that. Samantha and Mason Jr. go their seperate ways as they need to build their own lives – it’s exciting to watch Mason Jr. finally being able to build his life (in spite of some problems along the way).

This film is depressing too, though – and it is due to an amazing performance from Patricia Arquette’s Olivia. Arquette deserves an Academy Award for her performance, she really does, as she is dealt some very tough cards in life. It’s tough for Olivia, as she has seperated from Mason Sr. and rather quickly gets together with Marco Perella’s Bill Welbrock. Bill ends up being a heavy drinker, and a violent one at that – as becomes apparent when his strictness evolves into hitting Olivia in front of Mason Jr. And eventually another man becomes a problem. This is tough for Olivia, and I dare you to not feel heartbroken as Olivia finally breaks down in front of Mason Jr.

But as I said, this film is about life – and doesn’t rest by these plotpoints for too long. Life goes by fast, and so does the various events in Boyhood. So will Mason Jr. have a disappointing life, like his mother did? We don’t know, all we can do – as viewers – is to leave Mason Jr. at College – just like Olivia does. A boy became a man, and it is his job to evolve. We witnessed this coming of age-film – and it was absolutely perfect.

Overall Score: 10 out of 10. This is my favourite film this year, and it really is stellar. This is a unique film, don’t miss it.

REVIEW: BoJack Horseman – Season One (2014)


Recently, I decided to introduce season or show reviews for television shows, and coincidentally ‘BoJack Horseman’ popped up on Netflix as a fresh new binge-product. This will be my first season review of a television show ever – and as you should always do when reading my blog, expect SPOILERS. You’ve been warned, so without further ado – here’s my take on this new animated series starring Will Arnett and Alison Brie.

The show is centered around BoJack Horseman, an anthropomorphic horse. BoJack is a former actor best known for a sitcom in the 90s. BoJack lives in his Hollywood home with Todd (played by Aaron Paul), a friend of his. The show co-stars Alison Brie, primarily as Diane Nguyen a Ghost Writer for BoJack’s memoirs; Paul F. Tompkins, primarily as Mr. Peanutbutter, a rival of BoJack who has the same background as him; and Amy Sedaris as his Agent/ex-Girlfriend Princess Carolyn.

The show is incredibly ‘meta’, and features a lot of throwbacks to the golden age of US sitcoms. And though this show follows the feel of The Simpsons, Family Guy and American Dad, you will quickly notice that the show incorporates a linear narrative. Unlike the aforementioned animated television shows, this show is primarily about the sadness of celebrity, and you don’t expect a happy ending for ol’ BoJack. Inspite of the serious tone, the show is funny – though I find it much more poignant and strong, when the show leans on its depression-tone of storytelling.

The standout episodes for me are “The Telescope” (Episode 8) & “Downer Ending” (Episode 11) – with both episodes revolving around the very sad horse that BoJack is. One thing I wanted from this show was a heartwarming episode, not unlike many Futurama standouts, but the sorrow showed in the aforementioned BoJack standouts left me satisfied.

B+

REVIEW: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

The following is a spoiler review of Guardians of the Galaxy, a James Gunn film. 

Today I saw a movie that featured the characters that reignited a fire within me, reignited my passion for comic books – Guardians of the Galaxy. I’ve been really excited for this film for a long time, and I even feel like I’ve been ahead of the massive hype-train for a long time. In the following review, I will briefly discuss the credits-scene, I will shed some light on what I liked, disliked and what I would’ve liked to have seen more of in this film. Guardians of the Galaxy might become one of my favorite films of all-time sooner, rather than later.

Continue reading “REVIEW: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)” →

REVIEW: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)

Theatrical Release Poster – 20th Century Fox

The following is a quick spoiler review of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes – Directed by Matt Reeves.

In 2011, I quite enjoyed Rupert Wyatt’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes, I must admit. And that was in spite of some mistakes that I had found in what I found to be a rather simple story. I liked that movie, but it pales in comparison to its 2014 sequel Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Gone is Wyatt, Franco and Pinto – in stays the amazing Andy Serkis. Continue reading “REVIEW: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)” →

ALBUM REVIEW: Linkin Park – The Hunting Party (2014)

I’ve listened to Linkin Park for the past 14 years, and they’ve made some of my favourite songs of all-time. The fact that I’ve met them at Meet & Greets has only solidified their places in my heart. In these days they are releasing their sixth studio album titled ‘The Hunting Party’ – referring to a Japanese article about culture being in trouble, because all young men were simply herbivores. This is their hunting party, rough, loud, fast and free. In the following review I will go over each song, and try to compare it to those of former albums – and in the end, try my hardest to come up with a score. For more on their past albums, check out my ‘Legends’ section for song grades.

  1. Keys To The Kingdom: If you were wondering what direction they were headed in with this album, then this opening song definitely makes a mark. Opening with a distorted screamed chorus by Chester Bennington, this song quickly attempts to find the band’s place within the aging ‘Heavy’ core of Rock music. However, about 45 seconds into the song we have Mike Shinoda attempting to reclaim his singing voice from songs such as ‘Roads Untravelled’. In many ways this song is representing the many ways this band has evolved, as we have some techno, some heavy, some rap-rock and some soft elements. The band has chosen to curse in the chorus, and had Mike Shinoda not had his soft-element within this song – then this would easily have been a swift return to the Rap-Rock/Nu-Metal roots.
  2. All For Nothing (Feat. Page Hamilton): This is true Rap-Rock as we know it, though without the plentiful Heavy-elements. The verses are sung by Shinoda, and lead to a chorus that is really great in my ears. This song is perfect for those ‘fans’ that have decided to stop following the band because of them having forgotten their roots. This should please them, as I’m sure it will the remaining large fan-base. This was an early-album favourite of mine.
  3. Guilty All The Same (Feat. Rakim): This was the first song released from the album, and I’ve definitely gotten used to it – it opens with some of the roughest intrumental play for Linkin Park in a while, and then slowly turns into a great rap-rock sound. I think its chorus fits perfectly within the Linkin Park-chorus family, and the addition of Rakim has only helped Linkin Park in this song. ‘Tell us all again how to do what you say’ – is a powerful line, and I cannot help but think this song is a response to fan criticism, and possibly Linkin Park telling us that the entire genre has moved, they are all guilty of evolving and abandoning the genre. Regardless, this is a really great song – and as you know, I love the entirety of the Linkin Park evolution.
  4. The Summoning: This is an instrumental song, as we know Linkin Park to often include. Lasting only one minute, this song should not do much but allow the wait for the coming songs to be more interesting. I would describe this instrumental as eerie – but I love it.
  5. War: This seems very heavy to me, perhaps too heavy for me. The chorus is simply… ‘WAR!’, and though I love Chester’s voice even when screaming – this song does not interest me as much as the rest of the album does. I don’t think it fits on any other album they’ve made, not even Chester’s side project ‘Dead By Sunrise’. This isn’t a bad song, it’s just not my kind of song.
  6. Wastelands: This 100% feels like the Linkin Park of their Meteora-days, and this rap-rock return is definitely well-received by me. I absolutely love the chorus, but I do agree with other fans that the melody being played during the chorus sounds like the Guilty All the Same melody. Maybe they should have placed them closer together on the album. Regardless, when I was worried about how this album would turn out (prior to the entire album release) – this song singlehandedly got my hopes up again.
  7. Until It’s Gone: I feel that this is a polarizing song. This definitely feels like a Linkin Park song, and could’ve been on Living Things easily. I’ve heard this song being referred to as ‘cliche’, and it is – and that’s the main problem with this song. The text, the lyrics, is not challenging enough – and therefore feels very simple when listened to. With that having been said, this is a song that will surely be stuck in your head – and that’s not a bad thing.
  8. Rebellion (Feat. Daron Malakian): I was looking very much forward to this song due to the fact that they’ve Daron Malakian featuring on this song with them. This is possibly my favourite lyric-song, as the chorus is right in line with my interests and opinions. “We are the fortunate ones. Who’ve never faced oppression’s gun. We are the fortunate ones. Imitations of rebellion.” – a comment on today’s social problems in the western world, I believe – and their value compared to the real rebels of the world.
  9. Mark The Graves: I’ve heard some people refer to this song as the album’s version of ‘Numb’ in stylistic choice. This might in fact be the only song befitting of that title. This song is much softer than one first imagines when hearing the introductionary instrumental. The chorus is simple, but sounds really great from the voice of Chester Bennington. I would probably say, though, that the verses of the song feel more like parts of a bridge section – therefore I do believe the structure of the song is interesting and different. This is a stand-out song, and definitely not in a bad way.
  10. Drawbar (Feat. Tom Morello): I’m sure we all thought Morello’s involvement would’ve been bigger, but I don’t fault the album for that, for I actually think this is one of the more beautiful instrumentals in recent Linkin Park memory. A highlight on this album.
  11. Final Masquerade: This was a welcomed surprise, acting very much as a reminder of their great Minutes to Midnight-album, this song represents one of their softer sides – and could actually feel somewhat like a Dead by Sunrise-song. A side that I’ve fallen in love with over the years as they have evolved. The song itself paints the picture of a relationship about to end, as the people involved are simply keeping up a play, the final masquerade, to match the expectation – as they are slipping away from each other.
  12. A Line In The Sand: Quite possibly my favourite song on the album, this one opens very much like The Little Things Give You Away, and then turns into a more rap-rock focused core. I love this song, and it is perhaps described best on my Twitter-acount: https://twitter.com/ImJeffreyRex/status/476105664620941313 – A mixture masterpiece, indeed. Representing all sides of Linkin Park.

In the end, this album shows us a different Linkin Park than the one premiering their Living Things album in 2012. It is not without its flaws, but stands as a brief return to old material, as well as a representation of the proposed resurrection of Heavy Metal in Rock. The album does not top Meteora or Hybrid Theory, but becomes an album closely related due to its core.

Final Score: 9.0 out of 10.0. Linkin Park return to their roots, with an album that attempts to resurrect a dying genre in pop culture.

REVIEW: X-Men Days of Future Past (2014)

WARNING: Expect spoilers from the movie, as well as some details about the end-credits scene

For a long time I had been looking forward to this movie, until it was only weeks away – then I became afraid that it would basically be another Hugh Jackman solo-movie. Boy, was I wrong. Though Jackman is the main acting presence – this movie belongs to McAvoy’s Xavier. This movie, though, does not leave the old stars behind – they get a lot of screen time – and it works. Continue reading “REVIEW: X-Men Days of Future Past (2014)” →

REVIEW: Godzilla (2014)

2014Gojira
Theatrical Release Poster – Warner Bros. Pictures

The following is a spoiler-filled review of Godzilla — Directed by Gareth Edwards.

Not long ago, I watched Gareth Edwards’ Monsters for the first time, and that was a perfectly fine independent movie. Now, in 2014, four years after his indie-monster-flick was released, he has been given the opportunity to recapture the spirit of the former movie, with more money, an iconic franchise, an iconic kaiju, and a guaranteed audience. Sadly, I cannot quite say that his film works as well as it should. Continue reading “REVIEW: Godzilla (2014)” →

REVIEW: Noah (2014)

When talking about movies like Noah or the Passion of the Christ, one migth evaluate the motion picture by how it fits in the original scripture. That is NOT how I will be reviewing this movie, I’ll be looking for Aronofsky-signatures, spirituality and how it moves forward as a story. Obviously, some SPOILERS may come forth in this post. I feel like I need to clarify that I do believe in a God, but I don’t swear by one sole book of scripture – and it will not impact the review at all. Also, I am not a vegetarian or vegan – and why am I saying that? Well, you’ll know soon.

I really like the cast of this movie, and how can you not? With actors and actresses known for their amazing performances appearing in the movie. Russell Crowe is really great in this role, and had he not been the somewhat superhero-like Noah – I don’t think it would’ve worked. As he goes from trusted father, to trusted servant of the Creator and all the way to Castaway-Tom Hanks. And there is something you need to know when watching this film – there’s a reason why it’s not called the Arc. This story is about Noah first, and the Arc second.

You will quickly recognize the motion picture signature of Darren Aronofsky in this film, as the fast cutting of images from all over the bible often appear – like how he showed the rush of addiction in Requiem for a Dream. Does it work in this film, however? I wouldn’t say so, but it does make me feel better about the film. So, apparently Aronofsky’s a vegan – and… I fear that may’ve impacted the screenplay too much – as I feel condemned almost at the very beginning of the movie. Early on in the movie we have adult Noah facing off with other men, who’ve just killed an animal to eat it. As Noah explains how they do it because they think it makes them strong, he quickly notes that that is not the case – only the Creator makes us strong. I don’t like how that was entered into the movie, and I did feel weird when watching that.

Now, I like the different approach to the movie – but I strongly disliked how the fallen angels looked like ents from Lord of the Rings. It felt somewhat silly, I must say. There are a couple of questionable decisions in the plot, all made by Noah himself. All involving the question of prolonging the human experience on Earth. This different take on Noah is really interesting, but as it moves forward it feels more like the story of Job. In a way this movie tries to be too big, trying to tell the tale of the entire first testament of the Bible. Also, trying to make it feel like a movie from the Tolkien universe – a different approach, indeed.

There’s also the question about symbolic interpretation and spirituality. In this case I fear I am not the one to judge, but my mother, who I consider to be very spiritual, even cried at the end of the movie – saying its message and symbolism was beautiful. I don’t feel as strongly about its symbolism, but I trust that my mother knows her messages in cinema. In the end, I enjoyed it somewhat, even if I felt it was severely flawed.

Overall: 6 out of 10.0. A movie that tries to be too much at once, but has a message that can shine through you if you are open to it.

 

– I’m Jeffrey Rex.

REVIEW: The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)

TAMS2 Poster
Release Poster – Columbia Pictures

This short updated review (2020) of Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) includes some story spoilers.

Today I want to talk to you about success. What makes a movie successful? Is it the merchandise it sells, the box office numbers, or the score on Rotten Tomatoes? I gave this much thought when I first saw Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in 2014, and I think I know why. I have always loved Sam Raimi’s first two Spider-Man films. I think Raimi really understood how to make the most of the characters and the universe, the music is obviously iconic, and I think the tone of the films is pitch-perfect. Then, along came the final installment in Raimi’s trilogy and it, frustratingly, didn’t work as well. It was undoubtedly a bloated film. However, when I look back at that third film, though, I am not all that sad. You see, I always looked at those three movies as the story of a friendship. Continue reading “REVIEW: The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)” →