Film Review -- Inside Llewyn Davis

Written and directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, the film stars Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, John Goodman, and Justin Timberlake. Llewyn Davis (Isaac) is a struggling folk musician in 1960s Greenwich Village. After the suicide of his singing partner, Llewyn struggles to establish himself as a solo act in a virtually un-marketable genre. Complicating things is his relationship with Jean (Mulligan), a friend's wife with whom he had an affair and possibly got pregnant. The film is essentially a character study of the protagonist -- someone who thinks of music as much more than a hobby, and thus struggles to be taken seriously -- and analyzes the sacrifices a musician must make for the sake of his art. The film is filled with literary and cultural metaphors, the most evident being the orange cat Llewyn rescues (the cutest part of the film, by the way). At first, I was disappointed in the film. Since it is so critically acclaimed, I expected a lot more. There was no concrete plot, and left me asking Why is all of this important? For what did I spend two hours watching you? After distancing myself from the film for a few days and reflecting upon it more carefully, I've come to appreciate its uniqueness. I see now that not having a complex plot allows for greater character development, and that's just what the Coen brothers are going for here: "a day in the life of." It is not one of the best films I've seen this year, but Inside Llewyn Davis is intelligent entertainment. 

Should you see it: Yes
Grade: B

My Definitive Ranking of 2014 Oscar Best Picture Nominees

Based upon the letter grades I've given the nine films vying for this year's top prize at the Oscars, here is my official ranking of the nominees:

1. 12 Years a Slave -- A+

2. Philomena -- A

2. Gravity -- A

4. Nebraska -- A-

5. Captain Phillips -- B+

5. Dallas Buyers Club -- B+

7. American Hustle -- B

8. Her -- C

9. The Wolf of Wall Street -- C-

Thoughts? I thought this was a pretty good year for films! 

Film Review -- The Wolf of Wall Street

Directed by Martin Scorsese, the film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie, and Jonah Hill. Based on a true story, the film describes the rise of stockbroker Jordan Belfort (DiCaprio) from young and ambitious to greedy, fraudulent and corrupt. In his entourage are his business partner, Donnie Azoff (Hill), and his wife, Naomi (Robbie). To be honest, I only saw two of the film's three hours. Not only was I tired, but I felt like I had seen enough. Perhaps it isn't very "professional" of an amateur film critic, but I justify this with part boredom, part disgust. Scorsese films are usually "excessive." Usually, it is often gratuitous violence, but this one, since there's no violence, is riddled with needless (and, frankly, borderline gross) sex. It gets tiresome to watch and really detracts from any positives one could take from the film. Wolf is also unapologetic in its depiction of Belfort's life. I understand that it is based on his autobiography, but at no point does the film attempt to be two-dimensional and portray the viewpoint of his victims, or in any way depict his actions in a negative light. At some point (and that point for me was two hours in, which is quite enough for a film like this; three hours is exaggerated, to say the least). I can appreciate, however, Scorsese's distinct style, which is apparent throughout the film. There is also some splendid acting, particularly from DiCaprio and Robbie. But it is not nearly enough, however, to overcome the film's many, many flaws.

Should you see it: Go ahead, but you've been warned
Grade: C-

FIlm Review -- Her

Written and directed by Spike Jonze, the film stars Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, and Scarlett Johansson. In the not-so-distant future, Theodore Twombly (Phoenix) writes love letters for other people. He, however, is depressed and lonely after the demise of his marriage. He finds solace in his intelligent operating system, Samantha (voice of Johansson), but a human-operating system relationship proves more difficult than he imagined. I can see where Jonze was going with this concept: a commentary on our ever-increasing dependence on artificial intelligence, and a warning on what the future of human relationships might become. It had the potential to be an extremely relevant film. The execution, though, failed miserably. Instead of coming off as an intelligent, insightful piece, the film is just plain stupid. It is laugh-out-loud ridiculous at times, because nothing the characters do or say sounds genuine or even believable. Theodore comes off as a juvenile, immature man the audience shouldn't care about, and the film manages to be sexist even when the female lead isn't even real! I know I'm in the minority, but I was not impressed with this film. It is one of those that makes you feel like you've wasted two hours of your life.

Should you see it: At your own risk
Grade: C

Film Review -- Philomena

Directed by Stephen Frears, the film stars Judi Dench and Steve Coogan. Based on a true story, the film tells of down-on-his-luck journalist Martin Sixsmith (Coogan) who, when in between jobs, stumbles upon the story of a lifetime. He meets Philomena Lee (Dench), a "little old Irish lady," who was forced to give her son up for adoption in the 1950s. At the time, and out-of-wedlock baby was cause for disgrace, so she worked as a virtual slave at an abbey in order to "atone for her sins."On her son's fiftieth birthday, she decides to track him down. The quest takes Martin and Philomena to Washington, D.C., where she learns of her son's fate, with many shocking twists and turns along the way. The film is, at the same time, hilarious and heartbreaking. Often, performances that lean towards subtlety are overlooked in favor of the more flashy ones, so it is really wonderful to see Dench being honored for a performance that was nothing short of amazing. I could feel her joy and her pain simply by watching her. Coogan, who also co-wrote, is wonderful, too. His script is well-paced and well-written. I guess one could call it the surprise of awards season, but all recognition is deserved. This film works on almost all levels, and exceeded my expectations. 

Should you see it: Yes
Grade: A

Film Review -- Nebraska

Directed by Alexander Payne, the film stars Bruce Dern, June Squibb, and Will Forte. Woody Grant (Dern) is an aging, alcoholic, and stubborn man. He is convinced that he one a million dollars in a marketing sweepstakes. His son, David (Forte) is reluctant to drive him from Montana to Nebraska to claim the prize, knowing that it is definitely a scam. He gives in, however, and they set off on a road trip to Lincoln Along the way, wife and mother Kate (Squibb) joins them, and they stop at Woody's hometown, where they visit old relatives and friends. This film, you could say, is much more about the "journey" than the "destination." It closely examines the strained relationships between father and son and husband and wife. Does it sound dull? Well, its not. In fact, the simplicity of the film is what makes it great. Shot in black and white, and slowly but masterfully paced by Payne, the film exemplifies the power of a good dialogue and a good story. The writing is suberb; the dialogue is natural, poignant, and often times hilarious.The trio of protagonists all give wonderful performances (Dern and Squibb earned Oscar nominations). Payne has developed a trademark of exploring human relationships in offbeat settings, and Nebraska surely deserves to rank among his best films.

Should you see it: Yes
Grade: A-