Movie Reviews

Nebraska

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  • Title: Nebraska
  • IMDB: link

NebraskaThere are several interesting choices that went into making Nebraska. Written by Bob Nelson, it’s the film to be directed by Alexander Payne where Payne didn’t have some input into the screenplay. And, against Paramount Vantage’s wishes, Payne chose not only to film in black and white but cast the actors he wanted rather than the big stars the studio was pushing for. Given his clout, the two-time Oscar winner got his way and the results certainly justify each of those decisions and Payne delivers a family drama, road trip, and slice-of-life take of middle America that is a joy to watch.

We first meet the Woody Grant (Bruce Dern) attempting to walk from Billings, Montana, to Lincoln, Nebraska. Confused after receiving a sweepstakes form in the mail, Woody is certain he has won $1,000,000 and will not be talked out his trip by either his overbearing and long-suffering wife (June Squibb) or either of his two sons David (Will Forte) and Ross (Bob Odenkirk). Despite being dragged back home several times, Woody consistently sets out again on his treck believing he is perfectly able to walk 800 miles to collect his reward.

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Catching Fire

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  • Title: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
  • IMDB: link

Catching FireThe Hunger Games: Catching Fire is very much a typical sequel with the same inherent strengths and weaknesses of the first film. Those who enjoyed The Hunger Games (based on a series of teen fiction) are likely to enjoy this one as well. And those, like me, who found the first film wanting will have a similar reaction to the sequel.

Picking up a year after the events of The Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) leave their separate lives to reconnect for a celebratory tour on the anniversary of their win. Despite little contact over the past year, the pair play up the lovers angle at the command of President Snow (Donald Sutherland) who hopes it may help quell the glimmer of insurrection Katniss’ victory began.

When Katniss proves unable to give Snow what he wants, and he realizes killing her would only create a martyr, the president reaches out to new game master Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman) to design a scenario to end both her popularity and her life.

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Dallas Buyers Club

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  • Title: Dallas Buyers Club
  • IMDB: link

Dallas Buyers ClubWhen we first meet Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey) the southern redneck might, in some circles, be described best as an ignorant sumbitch. Coasting through life with no cares deeper or more involved than rodeo, fucking, betting, drinking and drugs, Woodroof certainly isn’t ready to discover he has HIV which he and everyone around him still consider a gay disease.

Based on a true story, the tale could have gone as one might imagine. Given a prognosis of 30 days to live, and ostracized by his friends, you might expect a downward spiral into oblivion or a last-minute feel-good redemption tale. Thankfully for the audience, Dallas Buyers Club has far higher aspirations and Ray Woodroof led a far more interesting life after being diagnosed.

Although ignorant, Woodroof isn’t dumb. Possessed with a keen mind and driven by both greed and his own continued survival, the film follows the unusual path his life takes after researching not only the disease but also various medical treatments all over the world for the treatment of HIV and AIDS.

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Thor: The Dark World

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  • Title: Thor: The Dark World
  • IMDb: link

Thor: The Dark World

Trading in directors and screenwriters (only one of the six credited here for story and screenplay were involved in the first film), Thor: The Dark World proves to be a solid follow-up to director Kenneth Branagh‘s 2001 origin story for Marvel Studios’ version of Thor. With nearly the entire cast of characters already introduced in the first film director Alan Taylor and his half-dozen writers can take the time to delve a little deeper in the supporting cast and give several characters from the previous film stand-out moments in the sequel.

I keep mention the number of writers on Thor: The Dark World because the script itself does feel like an odd mix of concepts and mashed-up designs that don’t always quite work. There is plenty to question in both film’s villain (Christopher Eccleston), an odd amalgam of Star Trek and Lord of the Rings, which to be fair so is much of Thor’s lore which jumbles sci-fi and fantasy with relish, and His quest to destroy all of creation with magic floaty water (that is shown mostly as smoke because apparently the CGI folks couldn’t decides what the “Aether” should actually be).

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In a World…

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  • Title: In a World…
  • IMDb: link

In a World...

Premiering at Sundance earlier this year first-time writer/director Lake Bell‘s In a World… quickly became a critical darling taking home the festival’s award for screenwriting. I’ve been largely unimpressed with Bell and her forgettable career which includes one of the worst comedies I ever had the misfortune to sit through, so I can definitely understand her reasoning for wanting to but together the kind of role no one else was offering her.

As the film of a first time director In a World… shows promise and centering the story around the largely untapped world of voice-over artists gives the otherwise by-the-numbers romantic comedy something of an unique feel. Bell’s time in the industry also allows her to put together a pretty strong indie cast of familiar faces.

But despite the intriguing set-up and good performances, most of the promise of In a World… is unfulfilled. Bell’s creativity in one part of the story is balanced by laziness in another as she fails to do much other than offer up what amounts to a slightly better than average romcom.

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