SPOILERS THROUGHOUT
3/10 - It is hard to place my finger on what Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice truly is as a film. Before I begin tearing it apart scene-by-scene, let me state the positives. The acting is phenomenal. Jeremy Irons, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Laurence Fishburne, Henry Cavill, Jesse Eisenberg, and Amy Adams, are all very, very good here. The film's score is terrific. The sound in the film is great as well. IMAX is the best way to view this one and truly get the full sound experience. Additionally, it is greatly entertaining. Immediately after leaving the theater, I was tricked into thinking I liked it more than I did because the film truly feels epic and the film has the weight and entertainment level it desperately needed. It is a truly cinematic experience that needs to be experienced in theaters, even if I think the movie is bad. As with all Zack Snyder films, the film's look and feel is incredible. It looks gorgeous and really is a visual splendor. Finally, Superman's best scene here is when he lands in a crowd of people after saving a child in Juarez. The people all crowd around just to touch him. Brilliantly chill inducing scene.

Now the spoiler packed negatives. The film runs two and a half hours and is way overlong. There are so many filler scenes it is incredible. For example, the four dream sequences are idiotic. Having, I think, the Flash tell Batman in a dream that "Lois Lane is the key" is pointless and does nothing here. Plus, why is the Flash here already? Wonder Woman watches videos of the other Justice League members for nearly 3-5 minutes right before the climax of the damn movie. Is that some sick joke? It is almost like Zack Snyder has a blue balls fetish and figured his audience did too. The film opens with Batman's origin story, yet the audience already knows it and it is largely inconsequential (except for one stupid scene that needed to be reworked anyways). The entirety of the trial in the film can be cut out. The bombing at the capitol building is quickly forgotten and the throngs of people who hate Superman and thinks he needs to be brought to justice are swiftly forgotten when he dies and everybody loves him again in five seconds. The same happens with Batman. He hates Superman for the destruction he caused in Man of Steel, yet he finds out their mothers share the same name (yep) and that Superman is trying to save his mom from Lex Luther, so he decides to team up with him and become friends. What a serious cop out. There is a dream sequence in which Superman speaks with his dead father and it adds nothing to the movie. Also, Batman walks past the graffitied outfit of Robin here as he does in the trailer, but it has no point in the movie. He glances at it and moves on quite quickly.

Speaking of Lex Luther, Eisenberg does a great job, but I have no idea what his point is. He hates Superman and wants to get his hands on kryptonite to kill him for some reason. Oh and he wants him to fight Batman for....what? So that way the movie sells more tickets? Maybe to get rid of the only other person who would stop him, but I still have no idea why he hates Superman. Then he creates Doomsday, but has no way of controlling what he does and for some guy who is portrayed as being really smart, he is really dumb. Speaking of poorly constructed characters, what an abomination Lois Lane is. As with Man of Steel, she just follows the plot and almost dies repeatedly, only for Superman to save her. Just let her die at this point.

They kill Superman here, but let you know he's alive at the end because, well, how can you just kill Superman like that amirite? The plot keeps moving, but only begrudgingly. For a film that is too long, it really could have stood to be longer. The editing is incoherent and scenes are just thrown together because, well, why not. If this is really the version of the film we are getting and nothing will be cut, then something seriously needed to be added to give characters more depth and for me to just better understand what happened beneath all the Justice League hype up nonsense. Why does Lex Luther do anything here? The tragic answer is because he needs to in order for the rest of the movie to happen, even if it motivations are unclear.

Most egregiously, the religious symbolism is off the charts. There is literally a shot where Superman extends his arms and tilts his head like Christ on the cross. The the number of crucifixes is off the charts. This is no Superman. This is a Bible adaptation and Henry Cavill plays Jesus Christ. Seriously. Watch the movie and tell me otherwise.

Overall, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a mess. Incoherent noisy nonsense that demands a change in direction. Zack Snyder is clearly enthusiastic about the material, but has no idea how to realize his dream film here. Instead, we get this mish mash of, possibly, three different movies. Yep, seriously. That said, Gadot is so good that Wonder Woman will be a must watch in 2017. Disappointing, yet fun.



8/10 - It is almost always a challenge to wring excitement and drama out of a real life story. Yet, The Imitation Game does it with quiet assurance and ease. Director Morten Tyldum continues to demonstrate his skill in the director's chair here, though the real stars are Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley, who are simply delightful in the lead roles. Cumberbatch embodies Alan Turing and turns in an emotionally devastating and touching performance that shows both the uniqueness and brilliance of the man, while also accurately portraying the injustice he faced. The Imitation Game is a very well-written film that is a very moving and thrilling experience that encapsulates Alan Turing, his accomplishments, and his struggles. Overall, The Imitation Game is a very good film that operates both as a good biopic and a good drama.



8/10 - Clouds of Sils Maria is a very good film from Olivier Assayas with fantastic acting, a compelling story, and beautiful cinematography. Juliette Binoche, Kristen Stewart, and Chloe Grace Moretz, are all phenomenal here and turn in great performances. Stewart was my personal favorite, though the against type performance from Moretz was really interesting and well done. The story is very dense, but can be boiled down to being about an aging woman having a relationship with a younger woman, after having the shoe be on the other foot when she was younger. Now that she is older, she struggles to grapple with this age and the shoe being on the other foot, due to her own approach to the relationship when she was younger. In this way, the film is a compelling look at aging, both on stage and in life, and at relationships of all kinds. Finally, the cinematography is fantastic. The film has repeated gratuitous shots of landscapes in the Swiss alps and thank God for that because is pure eye candy. The cinematography in non-landscape scenes is also great though and that point cannot be understated. Clouds of Sils Maria is a great little film that really deserves more attention from film lovers due its well-written and well-directed approach to its subjects.



8/10 - Two Days, One Night is an entirely human experience and an exercise in compassion and empathy. Featuring a stirring lead performance from Marion Cotillard, the film is excellently written and directed by the Dardenne brothers. A subtle, flow of life type film, the movie really manages to hit home, even when our protagonist faces resistance. An entirely difficult choice is presented to each character in the film and the film does a great job portraying a fair and balanced look at that question. The film manages to also be a very good look at depression, as well as being quite thrilling. Real life drama has never been so thrilling before, yet this one has you on the edge of your seat waiting to see the outcome and how our characters will react. Overall, Two Days, One Night is a great film that is an ode to compassion and helping your neighbor.



8/10 - Jesus of Montreal is a great film and a very compelling take on Christ in modern times. In many respects, the film argues that Christ can arise from anyone and anywhere, which is an interesting way to look at it. The acting is very good and I loved the unique method of heavily utilizing the play within a film angle. The acting is very good and I loved the writing and direction of the film. It is also very well lit with the appropriate lighting in each scene and it really magnifies the poignant movies quite well. Overall, Jesus of Montreal is a really profound experience that also manages to be quite funny at times, which is a nice balance with the spiritually poignant elements.



8/10 - This is the first film I have seen by Christian Petzold and what an introduction. Nina Hoss is revolutionary in Petzold's post-WWII drama thriller Phoenix. The film is a borderline haunting experience that thrives on subtlety, exemplified by Hoss' performance. The film has been described by others as being a bit of a noir film and this is most certainly true, but more than the mystery element here, for me is the drama. Phoenix is a film that rips your heart out as you watch this woman realize what has happened in the aftermath of her being sent to a concentration camp. Though Holocaust films are almost overdone at this point, Phoenix manages to breathe a breath of fresh air into this subset of films. Phoenix is deeply affecting and really rips your heart out repeatedly as you watch this woman grapple with the fact that her life is changed forever.



5/10 - I did not love Bringing Out the Dead. A compelling character study, the film simply does not resolve enough about its premise to be a truly good film. The whole film builds up to something and the pay-off, if it is there, is so not worth it. It does not deserve the low audience score it has on Metacritic, though I would attribute that to some weird bot based on the amount of negativity compared to the positive reviews. It is really well done and the acting across the board, especially Ving Rhames, is very good. It is well-written and all that, minus the ending. Another problem I had here was with the editing. I typically love the editing in Scorsese's work, but here, it feels quite disjointed and downright odd at times. Overall, Bringing Out the Dead is an oddly put together and somewhat incomplete work from a master director.



8/10 - Cold in July is a fantastic crime thriller from director Jim Mickie with outstanding performances from Michael C. Hall and Sam Shephard. Mickie does a great job wringing tension out of the premise and the end result is that the viewer is constantly on pins and needles awaiting the next twist the film is going to take. Once you think you have a grasp on where the film is headed, it frequently pulls the rug out from under you and changes course yet again. The film is incredibly detailed, right down to the different filters on the film, which transition from blue to gold to red in the film. It is really the defining factor in why this film has really fantastic look. The cinematography ain't too shabby either though. Overall, Cold in July is not perfect, but it is the exact kind of film that crime thriller fans are looking for and, beyond that, it is incredibly well crafted and is one that will definitely stick with you for a bit.



8/10 - Seeking a Friend for the End of the World is a fantastic film. Steve Carell and Keira Knightley are absolutely irresistibly delightful here. The film as a whole is very well put together and a really funny and authentic look at how the world would react to the end of the world: poorly. The characters act as if they are trying to cram their entire life into the time they have, which to me, makes complete sense. I have no idea how else people would respond. However, where the film is truly a resounding success is in the touching elements: romance and reconciliation. Sure, it is anything but original, but is deeply affecting all the same and really hits home. This film handles the blend of doom, romance, and comedy, quite well without becoming too jarring in one direction or the other. Overall, it is not the most challenging film ever made, but is one that plants an infectious smile on your face.



8/10 - Skyfall is truly phenomenal. Daniel Craig gives an assured performance as James Bond, Judi Dench is fantastic as usual as M, Ralph Fiennes is great, and Javier Bardem is thoroughly evil. Even more, the villain is well-crafted and ties nicely into Bond's train of thought at the time. The direction from Sam Mendes is typically great and adds an artistic flair to the giant spy franchise. The film also sports some absolutely breathtaking cinematography, especially in the final fight scene (which is also very well choreographed). Roger Deakins is an absolute legend and it shows here with the color scheme, lighting, and general shot composition. The film is certainly the best Craig Bond film and also happens to be one of the more compelling and well made spy films I have seen in a long while. Finally, the music here is great, especially Adele's "Skyfall", which I already knew was great, but was that much better in the film. Overall, Skyfall is not perfect and has some faults, but it is incredibly well put together and a thoroughly entertaining affair.



8/10 - I never expected to like this one as much as I did, but here we are. Galaxy Quest is everything a satirical film needs to be and expertly mocks sci-fi films such as Star Trek, while also providing unique entertainment of its own. Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub, Sam Rockwell, and Justin Long, are all very good here and turn in equally hysterical performances. From beginning to end, Galaxy Quest is incredibly funny poking fun not only at the genre, but also at acting, fan bases, and Hollywood as a whole. Even better, it is not necessary to watch the films it spoofs here because the themes and jokes are easily accessible regardless. Overall, Galaxy Quest is a very entertaining and smartly made satire.



3/10 - Here is a sequel that lives up to the hype of the original. The Hunger Games: Saving Peeta is a worthy sequel to a really awful first installment. Equally as bad, this sequel features terrible acting, even worse writing, and a stupidly inane plot that shows Katniss rebelling against everyone she encounters and pouting for two and a half hours. Before I go further, Liam Hemsworth is a horrifically bad actor. Whew lad does he ever suck. The film is an entirely grating experience featuring the weirdo hair designs of the first film. Even worse though, it strands its actors in a hopeless wasteland of ineptitude that even the best actor would struggle to find success in. Ultimately, this feels more like a bloody version of Gossip Girl than it does a truly engaging dystopian science fiction film, which I feel like is not the goal. The dialogue is cringe-inducing and falls flat nearly 100% of the time. The ending is telegraphed from the start, so when it finally happens, you are left to roll your eyes and thank God it is over. Overall, Catching Fire is a bad movie that does have good special effects, but fails in every other arena. If this film were in the Hunger Games, it would be die second. The original would die first.