Film Review -- The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

The sequel to the wildly successful 2012 film is directed by Francis Lawrence and stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Elizabeth Banks, Jena Malone and Sam Claflin. When Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Hutcherson) embark on their Victory Tour after winning the 74th Hunger Games, they notice that there is unrest in the Districts, and early signs of a possible uprising. President Snow (Sutherland), senses this too, and realizes that Katniss, after defying the Capitol with the poisonous berries in the Hunger Games, has become the people's symbol of hope. To remedy this situation, Snow and Head Gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee (Seymour Hoffman) decree that the 75th Hunger Games, or the 3rd Quarter Quell, will be unique in that the Tributes will be chosen from the Districts' past victors. This means that Katniss and Peeta must return to the arena and fight for their lives again, much to the dismay of Gale (Hemsworth), and Katniss's sister, Primrose (Willow Shields). This time, they will be up against much stronger tributes, including the charming but deadly Finnick Odair (Claflin) and the sassy but lethal Johanna Mason (Malone). What I like most about the Hunger Games films is that they are as true to the books as possible. The screenplay by Simon Beaufoy managed to take a large amount of content and weave it into a film that contains all of the book's important elements and that is not absurdly long; in fact, those two-and-a-half hours felt like much, much less. What I also enjoy about these films is that they do not try to be a cheeky fan girl love story (ahem, Twilight). The romance that is included is necessary to the story and quite subdued, and the heavier social commentary, as well as plenty of action and suspense, shines through. Of course, this film doesn't try to be a cinematic masterpiece, and you can't really describe as anything more than an action blockbuster. Nevertheless, in terms of blockbuster films, this one is about as good as they come. 

Should you see it: Yes
Grade: B+

Film Review -- Lee Daniels' The Butler

Directed by Lee Daniels, the film stars Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrence Howard, David Oyelowo, and a slew of other stars in cameos. Loosely inspired by the life of Eugene Allen, it tells the story of Cecil Gaines (Whitaker), who worked as a butler in the White House under eight presidents. Born on a cotton plantation in 1919, a young Cecil is taught to serve by his first master, Annabeth Westfall (Vanessa Redgrave). After escaping the plantation, he winds up working as a waitor at a hotel in North Carolina, and then is offered a much better job at a fancy hotel in Washington, D.C. He settles down in the city with his wife, Gloria (Winfrey), and two sons. One day, after serving a White House official, he is offered a job as a butler in the most important house in the country. Over the span of thirty years, he witnesses up close some of the most significant events in American history, from President Eisenhower (Robin Williams) sending troops to Little Rock, Arkansas, to President Kennedy (James Marsden) pledging his support for Civil Rights, to President Johnson (Liev Schrieber) signing the Civil Rights Act, to President Nixon (John Cusack) deciding to resign. He also sees his son Louis (Olyelowo) become a Freedom Rider and an important figure in the Civil Rights movement, his younger son Charlie (Elijah Kelley) shipped off to Vietnam. It is definitely a lot of material to pack into a two-hour film, and that is the film's central flaw. There is no room for elaboration or deeper analysis of situations that deserve to be examined more closely. Even so, the film boasts some very strong performances, specifically from Whitaker and Winfrey. Look for them to get Oscar nominations later on. The ensemble cast is filled with major stars, and they do a great job in their small but significant roles. In all, the film is a powerful look at not only one man's journey, but an entire nation's journey through the social demonstrations, civil rights movements, and anti-war calls that shaped twentieth-century America. It is often hard to watch, but you can't help but look.

Should you see it: Yes
Grade: A-

Film Review -- Captain Phillips

This Paul Greengrass-directed thriller stars Tom Hanks and Barkhad Abdi. Based on real events, it tells the story of Richard Phillips (Hanks), a merchant mariner whose cargo ship, the Maersk Alabama, is taken hostage by Somali pirates on April 8, 2009. Let by Abduwhali Muse (Abdi), the four pirates are unsuccessful in seizing the ship, so they kidnap Captain Phillips and hold him hostage in one of the Alabama's lifeboats, hoping to reach the coast of Somalia before the Navy stops them. I will start by saying this: the film -- as a film -- is spectacular. Even though these events are very recent, and the outcome easily remembered, the film manages to be tense practically from the moment it begins to the moment it ends. It is beautifully directed, acted, written, edited, etc. However, the story that it tells is extremely one-sided. The good-vs.-evil distinction is very evident, and there is no grey area: Captain Phillips is good and heroic, and the pirates are bad and evil. No matter how much their actions fall under the "despicable" category, I did feel sorry for the pirates throughout most of the film. There is a scene towards the beginning that depicts their living conditions in Somalia, and it is very sad to see. I remembered this scene when Captain Phillips, in the lifeboat, asks Muse, "Isn't there more to life than fishing and kidnapping?", and Muse replies, "Maybe in America, Irish. Maybe in America." What chance in life do these pirates have, living in poverty in Somalia? The "American Dream" lies so far beyond their realm of existence that piracy, to them, seems like one of the only ways to escape the destitution that is their reality. Thus, I really wish the film had shown more of the pirates' perspective. Theirs is a very sad story that also deserves to be told. But, being an American feature, the filmmakers chose to tell it from Captain Phillips' viewpoint, and that was their choice. Although I wish its final narrative had been different, the film presented to me, purely as a piece of storytelling and of filmmaking, is fantastic.

Should you see it: Yes
Grade: B+

Film Review -- Gravity

Alfonso Cuarón's highly anticipated space thriller stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. On her first space mission, medical engineer Ryan Stone (Bullock) is thrown into the depths of outer space when satellite debris strikes and destroys the mission's shuttle. She and veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski (Clooney) are the lone survivors of the accident. With their oxygen supplies running low and thousands of miles between them and the next functioning space station, the astronauts must figure out a way to get back to Earth. The film, first of all, is a visual wonder. This is, hands-down, the best use of 3D in any film, and the cinematography is both terrifying and spectacular. Director and co-writer Cuarón accomplished an incredible feat: imagining and executing a film with a very difficult subject matter and making it suspenseful, thrilling, and engaging. Sandra Bullock must also be given a lot of credit for basically carrying the film, being the only person on camera for much of it. She will probably get an Oscar nomination just for that. The dialogue felt a little forced at times, but that was probably inevitable in a film without almost any. The film's primary purpose is to stun audiences with its visuals, and I usually gravitate (no pun intended) towards films that focus more on plot. However, the more I think about it, the more I realize how truly impressive this film is.

Should you see it: Yes
Grade: A

Film Review -- Jobs

This biographical feature is directed by Joshua Michael Stern and stars Ashton Kutcher, Dermot Mulroney, Josh Gad, and Lukas Haas. It centers around the life of Apple co-founder and visionary Steve Jobs (Kutcher), specifically the years between the company's conception in the 1970s to its return from economic trouble in the '90s. In 1974, Jobs is a college dropout who teams up with his brilliant neighbor, Steve Wozniak (Gad) to perfect the latter's invention, a home computer -- the Apple 1. In his parents' garage in the Silicon Valley, and with the help of Wozniak, some friends, and a gutsy investor (Mulroney), the group launches one of the largest, most valuable companies in the world. Of course, the road to success wasn't easy or quick. Along the way, many changes -- including Wozniak's departure and Jobs being unseated from his CEO position -- threatened Apple's very existence. Jobs pulled it back from the brink -- and then some -- in a way only a visionary could do with his creation. The film was garnering mixed - to - bad reviews, so I was initially hesitant to spend money on a movie ticket. However, I was pleasantly surprised. The writing was sharp, the directing very nuanced, and the acting was great (Ashton actually made a pretty good Jobs....and most of the actors physically resembled their characters very closely). I wish the film had encompassed more time; it ends just as Apple's "Golden Era" is about to begin, and about six years away from the revolutionary iPod introduction (the flash forward opening scene was a nice touch, though). I may be asking too much, because it is a lot of ground to cover, and I understand the stylistic choice that the filmmakers made. Is it extraordinary? No. It's very enjoyable, and quite a nice film, but not a masterpiece. That being said, I do think it deserves more credit that it is being given.

Should you see it: Yes
Grade: B

Film Review -- Elysium

This sci-fi thriller from Neill Blomkamp stars Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Alice Braga, and Wagner Moura. In 2154, the Earth has become a vast wasteland. The wealthy now live in a space station called Elysium, while the less fortunate are left in the remains of a planet whose destruction was brought about by human activity. Max de Costa (Damon) is a humble factory worker on Earth who, after being exposed to a lethal dose of radiation, has five days to get himself to Elysium, where state-of-the-art machines cure any disease. This means taking on a dangerous mission that will change the destinies of Earth and Elysium -- but not if the latter's Secretary of Defense, Delacourt (Foster), can help it. The film's premise is gripping, and the potential for moral messages (be environmentally responsible, close the gap between the rich and the poor) are abundant. But this film is so poorly executed. The writing is stiff and slow, the direction isn't sharp, and the pace is muddy when is should be tense. The film ends up coming off in a silly, self-indulgent way, when it could have made a real impact, not only in the genre of sci-fi  but also in the consciences of the audiences. In all, Elysium is a big disappointment.

Should you see it: No
Grade: C-

Film Review -- Rush

Directed by Ron Howard and written by Peter Morgan, the film stars Daniel Bruhl and Chris Hemsworth. The film tells the story of the intense 1970s rivalry between two legendary Formula 1 drivers: English playboy James Hunt (Hemsworth) and disciplined Austrian Niki Lauda (Bruhl). Chronicling their early days as bullheaded Formula 3 drivers, to the peak of their careers and the accident that forever changed the scope of racing, to the circumstances that would lead to the decision of the 1976 World Championship, Rush covers it all in brilliant, pulsating fashion. The script is well-written and very well-paced; at 123 minutes, the film is kept at just the right length. Great acting is also present, as the leads portray the real people behind their characters with incredible authenticity. The special effects are unsurprisingly marvelous -- the racing scenes are electric, and the score by Hans Zimmer only lends to the high-octane action. But, the best thing about this film is the true story behind the rivalry. It is truly fascinating, and I found myself emotionally involved in all their victories and defeats, on the racetrack and in life, especially Lauda's. Is it a masterpiece? No, it's nothing that hasn't been done before, but it's nevertheless done very well. Rush is a highly-enjoyable, highly-welcome prelude to the upcoming Oscar season.

Should you see it: Yes
Grade: B+