Sicario Review

Sicario

 

"You ask how the watch is made. Keep your eye on the time."  - Alejandro

  Well I've just lost faith in humanity...or at least our government and the DEA.

  Sicario, directed by Denis Villeneuve, stars Emily Blunt as Kate Macer, Josh Brolin as Matt Graver, and Benicio Del Toro as Alejandro. This is Villeneuve's third wide released American film behind Prisoners (2013) and Enemy (2014).

^Denis Villeneuve^ 

  Kate Macer is a morally sound FBI agent recruited by a government official to join a task force, led by Matt Graver, that is trying to track down the powerful Mexican drug lord Manuel Diaz (Bernardo P. Saracino) and his boss Guillermo (Edgar Arreola). Kate is deceived one scene after another and realizes that the intention of the task force isn't what she signed up for.

^Everything's OK Emily. Nothing bad happens to you...except for a lot of mental scarring^

  Sicario gives much more than I expected. My expectations were that it was going to be really good and it will be intense at times. I was right in that it was good and intense, but the thing that I didn't expect was HOW intense Sicario was going to be.

 ^Dude...is that blood?...yup^

  What helped a lot in the department of cringe-worthiness was the cinematography by multiple award winner and Academy Award nominee Roger Deakins. The look of this whole film was out of this galaxy. Night really looked like night and dim lit rooms really looked like dim lit rooms. I was especially impressed by the end sequences of the task force stealthily breached the Mexican cartel's hiding spot. For about 5 minutes give or take a few, the film was shot in negative film and in night vision.

^Emily blunt is in the night vision picture and this photo negative isn't actually from the film. I just couldn't find one from Sicario, but it looks like this.^

  Another component of Sicario that won me over was Benicio Del Toro as Alejandro. His character, from his beginning scene, was so distraught about something in his past that he couldn't sleep or function normally. It was as if he had PTSD, which I can't say with such confidence because the film never confirmed that. The rest of the cast which also included Emily Blunt and Josh Brolin worked beautifully together to create an uncomfortable feeling (that feels weird to say).

 ^Such beautiful people^

  Like I just said, this movie made me feel extremely uncomfortable at times (in a good way though). The people who contributed to the mass amount of violence (like Alejandro) seemed to have no remorse at all for what they did. THIS IS NOT A NEGATIVE POINT ABOUT THE FILM. I'm saying that because of these scenes with violence and intensity, it made me have an uncomfortable feeling. It made me feel. For that I commend the director, the screenwriter/s, the cinematographer, the actors and actresses, the producers, and the audience who sees Sicario.

^You were waiting for the shot, weren't you Benicio? Well it's a good thing I said something nice^

  There is really no hope to look out for in the movie. No happy moments. Nothing that makes the uncomfortable feeling shrink at least a little bit. So because of this, I would say that Sicario is not for everyone. If you are Mexican, or in that case Latino, and have an extreme sensitivity towards people portraying your race in a negative way, then this film may not be for you. For kids, well...it's rated R for good reasons.

^It's OK bud. Go see Hotel Transylvania 2 instead. That should cheer you up^

 

  Denis Villeneuve has done it again. He did it with Prisoners in 2013 (which was my favorite movie of that year) and he did it with Enemy is 2014. I recommend Sicario to anyone with or (especially) without a heart. By the way, the thrilling ending will leave you speechless and wondering "Is this based on a true story? I feel like this could and is actually happening."

 

Pro

• Intensity and On-the-edge-of-your-seat levels are through the roof
• Benicio Del Toro, Emily Blunt, and Josh Brolin
• Excellent cinematography
• Characterization

Con

• Limited audience
• May be too intense for people
• That uncomfortable feeling

4.6/5

 

Watch the trailer here

Sicario is rated R for Strong Violence, Grisly Images, and Language

Sicario is out in limited release now and comes out in wide release October 2, 2015

Black Mass Review

Black Mass

"Take your shot but make it your best. 'Cause I get up, I eat ya."  - Whitey Bulger

  James "Whitey" Bulger, one of the most notorious gangsters in American history and many people haven't even heard of him...until now.

  Black Mass, directed by Scott Cooper, is the dark biopic film about Whitey Bulger's rise to infamy. Johnny Depp stars as Bulger who, to be honest, I couldn't even tell if it was Johnny Depp or a completely different actor.

^Whoa...Johnny, is that you?^ 

 

  Boston, Massachusetts is the center scene of Bulger's gang, murders, and connections. The film starts out in an interrogation room with Kevin Weeks (Jesse Plemons) informing the FBI about Whitey. 

 

 ^Jesse Plemons. There's so much putty on everyone's face! Why?!?!^

  It's 1975 and Whitey is the leader for the Irish-American Winter Hill Gang. He controls most of the organized crime in South Boston with his right-hand man Stephen Flemmi (Rory Cochrane), the cold-blooded killer Johnny Martorano (W. Earl Brown), and new guy Kevin Weeks. The northern Angiulo Brothers have started to emerge and create competition for the Winter Hill Gang. John Connolly (Joel Edgerton) now returns to South Boston as a promoted FBI agent. Connolly is a long time friend on the Whitey Bulger and his brother Billy Bulger (Benedict Cumberbatch), now turned a Boston senator.

  

^Joel Edgerton^   ^Benedict Cumberbatch^

  Connolly is given the assignment to take down the Angiulo Brothers and tries to get information about them from Whitey. Whitey doesn't want to be considered a "rat" but feels pressured to be the informant in order to protect his wife Lindsey Cyr (Dakota Johnson) and his son. Whitey gives out information and in turn he gets protection from the FBI as long as he does not commit any crimes. During the rest of the film, Connolly's boss, Charles McGuire (Kevin Bacon), is growing more and more suspicious that Connolly is aware of Whitey's murders and other illegal activities (which Connolly is, of course). John Morris (David Harbour), another FBI agent that is helping with the case of the Angiulo Brothers, gets put into a situation in which he has to make a decision whether to break the law with Connolly or report him to McGuire. Unfortunately, Morris breaks the law.

^David Harbour, Adam Scott (who knew a goofball like Scott could do gritty drama?), and Joel Edgerton^

  In the end, everyone gets what's coming to them. By the way, this is NOT a spoiler. This is a biopic. There are no real spoilers in biopics.

  As it stands, Black Mass is a dark and gritty film that will make you cringe and applause the exceptional performances by the whole cast, especially Johnny Depp.

 

^Ding! Ding! Give this man a nomination for best actor!^

  I'm just going to say that the main selling point for me to go see Black Mass was the acting. I saw the trailer and immediately thought 'Wow. This could be Johnny Depp's big break from those weird and annoying roles he's put in.'

^Yeah. I'm looking at you Willy Wonka!^

  I am proud to say that once the end credits rolled, I was definitely pleased to see the GOOD Johnny Depp on screen again. The other actors and actresses in Black Mass were also entertaining and superb. Joel Edgerton could possibly be nominated for best supporting actor at the Golden Globes and Academy Awards. Every time I see Joel in a film, he gets exponentially better.

  Surprisingly, Benedict Cumberbatch's performance was just mediocre compared to the rest of the cast. I'm not saying it was bad at all. I'm saying it just wasn't a stand out job. However, he did have less screen time than Johnny and Joel, so I can't completely discard his performance.

 

  ^C'mon Benny. Don't take it out on Johnny^

  Also, I don't have the actual statistics on this, but Black Mass might just have beaten The Wolf of Wall Street with the amount of f-bombs used. There are A LOT in here. I honestly feel bad for the person who has to count them all. 

 

 ^OK Johnny. OK! Geez! It's only 1 word! Just stop laughing!^

  Another thing that I enjoyed about this film was the realism it possessed. I mentioned earlier that Black Mass will make you cringe. I really wasn't lying. Some of the murder scenes were really brutal and at times gave me the chills. I know it sounds weird, but I honestly could not look away. It was disturbing, but in a good way.

  ^Don't worry. Johnny Depp didn't actually kill this guy. It's just acting ;)^

  Despite all of the great things it had, I can't give Black Mass a perfect score.

 

^Please! Please spare me Whitey!^

  Storytelling was a huge factor in why this film falls short. I sat in the theater watching what had happened to Whitey Bulger in 1975. His child was on  life support and his wife wanted to pull the plug and end his misery. Whitey got mad, threw a table to the ground at the hospital cafeteria, and walked off the screen. Now it's 1981. I wanted to know what had happened to Whitey's mental state and if his wife is even in Whitey's life anymore or if he killed her. This happened like 3 or 4 times. Black Mass is 2 hours and 2 minutes, which I believe is a tad short for a biopic spanning decades of activity that could've been explained better in the movie.

  Also, there isn't anyone to connect with in Black Mass. One of the factors that makes a good film, in my opinion, is the ability to create or portray a character in which the audience can connect with. Whitey is a despicable criminal, Connolly is a criminal FBI agent, and everyone else is just a little less despicable as Whitey. I'm sure many people can argue that gangster movies can't have any protagonists, but take GoodFellas for example. They are all terrible people, but Ray Liotta's character is a passive protagonist: Other than survival and greed, he doesn't want anything. He isn't the goal-driven protagonist that a lot of stories have.

 

  ^Don't worry Ray. I got your back^

  Even though Black Mass, can't really express storytelling and pacing at it's best, I still recommend it to any film lover, particularly for Johnny Depp's performance as James "Whitey" Bulger. I neglected to mention that everyone had gotten caught within the same time at around the 90s. Whitey, however, was on the loose from the FBI and was finally caught in 2011. Yes, I said that correct. 2011. I bet many of you didn't even know that.

Pro

• Performances all around, especially Johnny Depp's
• Brutally real
• True story depicted well with the facts
• Much use of the word f***

Con

• Storytelling and pacing
• No one to connect to/no one to root for

4.2/5

Watch the trailer here 

Black Mass is in theaters now

!!!UPDATE!!!

  Hey everybody! I am changing the day of when I'm posting my reviews. I will now be posting on SATURDAYS. So starting September 19, 2015, there will be reviews every Saturday. Thanks for sticking with me everybody :)

Reservoir Dogs Review

Reservoir Dogs

  "I don't wanna kill anybody. But if I gotta get out that door, and you're standing in my way, one way or the other, you're gettin' outta my way."  - Mr. Pink

  Reservoir Dogs: deception, dialogue, regret, violence, confusing. These specific words are what makes this an excellent (if not perfect) movie.

  The story seems to be one long scene. It starts off with Quentin's signature dialogue being countered off each character sitting at a diner table. Mr. White, Mr. Orange, Mr. Blonde, Mr. Blue, Mr. Brown, Mr. Pink, Nice Guy Eddie Cabot, and Joe Cabot. All of the Mr.'s have been rounded up by Joe Cabot to conduct a robbery that entails stealing diamonds.

 ^These are definitely the cool guys in high school you wish you could be^

  This beginning scene contains one of favorite rants in all of film history, why you don't tip at diners, told by the fantastic Steve Buscemi as Mr. Pink.

^Is it me or does Steve Buscemi look creepy even out of character?^

  After leaving the diner, the film takes place in an abandoned warehouse (their safe house). Then story becomes even more convoluted and violent. In regular Tarantino fashion, the film is told out of order. I honestly couldn't explain the entire plot because: 

1) my explanation would ruin the movie.

and
2) I don't have the utmost confidence to explain it. It's just an out of order movie.
(If you can explain it without any spoilers, props to you).
  Anyways, chaos emanates with elements of violence, cursing, and a big twist: someone is not who they say they are...

 

^Yes, Nice Guy Eddie. I would be pissed too if you hard a nark on your side^

  Suffice to say, after the movie ended, I was craving so much more of these characters. It left so much mystery to the imagination which believe me, I like, but I honestly wanted it handed to me on a silver platter. Nothing against the movie at all. In fact, I'm praising it. I wanted much more.

  Knowing that this is Quentin Tarantino's directorial debut for the silver screen, I know this guy has major skills. I don't think he's made a bad movie. Some forgettable ones, maybe, but not bad. Tarantino is up to par with Orsen Welles' Citizen Kane for directorial debuts, and I truly believe that. Oh! He's also Mr. Brown! The chops on this guy...

^Nothing phases Mr. Tarantino^

  I have to admit that I saw the scene with Michael Madsen's Mr. Blonde cutting off the police officer's ear with Stuck In The Middle by Steelers Wheel playing in the background. Seeing it with the whole movie in place however, I just have to say, "It's so hard to keep this smile from my face."

 ^Oh god...torture at its finest?^

  The only gripe that I have with Reservoir Dogs is that it's too short. Which in retrospect, is a plus if you think about it. It's good, but it's short. It leaves you wanting more.

  I have only great things to say about Quentin's progress in film so far and that leads me to say, I can not wait until The Hateful Eight.

Pro

• Quentin Tarantino's directorial debut
• Fast paced and witty dialogue
• Michael Madsen making me cringe with the Ear Scene
• Leaves me wanting more
• The twist revealing that someone is not who they say they are

Con

• Too short! I want more!

5/5

 

Watch the trailer here

 

Reservoir Dogs is on Netflix and Blu-ray now 
 

Trainwreck Review

Trainwreck

"Monogamy isn't realistic" - Young Amy and Young Kim

  The romantic comedy Trainwreck is directed by Judd Apatow and written by Amy Schumer. It also stars Amy Schumer as Amy and Bill Hader as Aaron. Amy has a phobia of commitment which is why she has so many one night stands with so many guys. Kim, Amy's younger sister played by Brie Larson, is the complete opposite of Amy in the way that Kim is married and has a step-son. Kim and Amy's parents split up because they weren't happy with each other (explained by the Gordon, their dad played by Colin Quinn). Kim didn't like Gordon growing up because he was a racist, mean drunk who slept with a lot of women. Amy on the other hand, grew up just like her father and has never been in a committed relationship.

^Young Amy and Young Kim^

And here's where Amy's story begins...

  Amy has been in many different situations in which the guy with whom she just slept with wants her to spend the night. Obviously she knows how to handle this with all the practice she's had. One day at her job at a men's magazine company called S'Nuff, she is assigned to do some research and write about a new method for treating athletes' knees (she hates sports too, so this is not her cup of tea). She meets with Aaron, the doctor conducting this method, and they have some sort of chemistry at first. Granted it's not a totally positive chemistry, but it's a start.

  The rest of the movie is about Amy facing her fear of staying in a committed relationship with a perfect guy (Amy's father still being in her life, Amy's self conscious behavior, her relationship with her sister Kim, and other factors).

  I honestly came into this movie thinking it was going to be OK or pretty good. I came out thinking that it exceeded my expectations somewhat. 

 

 ^Hey Amy. I said it exceeded my expectations from being pretty good^

  Bill Hader seemed really fit for this role. At first look Bill has the appearance of a geeky guy who is really nice but isn't the best with the ladies (in real life he's a geek and nice, but he's married and has kids so...). Amy's character's (also named Amy) connection with Bill Hader's character was really believable, unlike a lot of other characters in recent memory.

 

 ^Wait. What?! Get outta here!^

  Also, it was gratifyingly funny! I expected to laugh a lot though because it was written by Amy Schumer. If you haven't seen Amy doing stand-up or anything, the brand of humor she uses is very raunchy and sometimes too much and it definitely shows in plenty of the lines given to the characters in Trainwreck.

  There were also a lot of cameos from both noticeable Hollywood actors and athletes. LeBron James had a pretty meaty role for an athlete with not too much experience acting. He played Aaron's best friend (he played himself because he's LeBron James and I don't think anyone would take him seriously as anyone else).

 

 ^Too bad about the championships bro^

  John Cena, Tilda Swinton, Amar'e Stoudemire, and some other celebrities are also in it with small roles that make a somewhat perpetual difference in the story.

  The major reason for Trainwreck exceeding my expectations were the jokes and the risks that they took. For the first couple of scenes, John Cena is dating Amy. They go to a movie and during the movie John and another guy are having an argument and John keeps referencing his "homosexuality" (which in real life, I don't think is true). But these are the types of jokes that I didn't expect at all. Amy Schumer threw a hard curve-ball and I completely missed. I really enjoyed the raunchiness.

 ^C'mon John. Just put a shirt on please^

  Just for reference, this is a Judd Apatow movie. So expect it to run a little longer than a normal comedy that is 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes. Trainwreck is about 2 hours and 5 minutes. It drags on a bit because, just as a normal Judd Apatow movie is, there has to be sentimental moments in the film.

  Trainwreck has it's faults fro editing, but I think that's just because they had to cut out the laughter from the actors and everyone else on the set. This just tells me that they had a ton of fun making the movie. For Amy Schumer's debut in a major motion picture for writing, I give major props to her for making it into the big leagues of comedy movies.

Pro

• Exceeded my expectations
• Very raunchy
• Celebrity cameos
• Jokes, Jokes, Jokes!
• Bill Hader and Amy Schumer chemistry

Con

• Drags on a little bit too long

4.4/5

Watch the trailer here 

Trainwreck is in theaters now