Rush student review

Ron Howard comes back after a dilemma called The Dilemma with a sexy thrill ride across the Formula 1 world in Rush. Staring Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Brühl, and Olivia Wilde, we get thrown into a rivalry of chaotic measures involving two incredibly competitive racers. James Hunt is the playboy who lives life to all of its pleasures, while Niki Lauda is the optimist and strategist that feels everything with his ass. Complete opposites, yet both will do whatever it takes to win, and that’s what really drives this film to reach the audience. I don’t have the slightest idea why people like racing. Maybe it’s the danger of it all, the look and speed of the cars, or just the thrill of feeling invincible. But in Rush the racing lifestyle was very intoxicating and its main characters had minimal fluff to them. This was a no-BS, in your face look at racers and their close to death experiences, with a really involving score by the great Hans Zimmer and smooth direction from Ron Howard, who consistently surprises me with each genre he takes on.

With the help of Peter Morgan, who also wrote the screenplay to Ron Howard’s Frost/Nixon, Rush isn’t a biased look one certain racer, but instead gives caution to the track with two very likable people in James Hunt and Niki Lauda. I felt guilty every time I wanted one to trump the other because of how much I liked each of them, despite being so different from one another. Hemsworth and Brühl each give amazing performances, but I think if one was to get an Oscar® nod it would be Daniel Brühl as Niki Lauda. He’s just the more reassured pick, even though I thought Hemsworth was equally great. Before I would have thought Chris Hemsworth was just meant to play Thor like the statue of David was meant to be a famous statue, but he really shows off the light and dark of James Hunt.
He’s playful and wild during Hunt’s wins, yet serious and fierce during Hunt’s losses, and I was impressed by how well he evoked this larger than life presence.
While with Daniel Brühl, it was the sheer fire in his eyes that got me to switch over to Lauda’s side at times too. After his performance in Inglourious Basterds I wished I could have seen more of his character, and now that I have seen him act in another film I’m glad to know he can commit to every role he plays. Lauda is a sympathetic man at heart, but you also know he can take care of his own problems. He knows he’s the best and doesn’t want to take that knowledge for granted, because otherwise he would be just like James Hunt; a wild man who doesn’t see death around the corner. What happens to Niki Lauda later on in his career isn’t a curse, but rather a blessing that his time to race isn’t limited to a few years like most racers at that time, which Brühl is able to portray so beautifully. And what I liked most about their rivalry is that, both were aware of each other’s strengths and weaknesses, which made them better drivers in the long run. I didn’t see a clear winner, and I liked the movie more that way, because then it would have been just another generic story where one person clearly comes out on top for the most obvious reasons. Morgan gives everything as a yin and yang, and for that I give him a gold star.

Like I said before, Ron Howard is a great genre director. That is when he’s not narrating the Bluth family’s daily escapades. Going from the fantasy in Splash and Willow, to the dramatic true stories in Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind, he puts me into each story and always gives me something new exciting to look forward to next. Even if films like The Dilemma and How the Grinch Stole Christmas aren’t the next big hit, he can still come back bigger and better, and that’s what he does with Rush. It’s the most stylish movie he’s made, but also the most adrenaline filled. I love the way he uses camera placement. It’s so varied and exciting to see where he’s putting the camera in, like their helmets or the front of their cars, or even giving us a point of view of the rain spewed track from the racer’s fogged up visor. It was very creative and new from a veteran like Ron Howard. Rush is a very intriguing story with the most impending sense of danger attached as well thanks to Howard’s sure-fire direction. There’s great cinematography by Anthony Dod Mantle(Slumdog Millionaire), an incredibly emotional score by Hans Zimmer, and both these things combined with Howard’s direction really made for a great time at the movies.

The film gets a little slow near the third act and Olivia Wilde’s character of Suzy Hunt is barely in the movie, which kind of made me question why she needed to be in the film in the first place, but other than those personal problems I think this is one of the best films of the year. I’m gonna give Rush an ‘A-‘; definitely go see it if you get the chance.  I think you’ll have as good a time as I did! So those are my thoughts on the film. Do you want to see Rush, or are you going to see the directorial debut from Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Don Jon? Or maybe BOTH!? Leave a comment down below, go check out my review of Don Jon, and spread the PNW word! I’ll see you all next week for my review of the new Alfonso Cuarón sci-fi thriller Gravity!

NEXT REVIEW :

Fruitvale Station student review

So I’ve been a volunteer at the Capitol Theater’s Olympia Film Society for almost 2 years, and I mainly credit them for my love of independent film after seeing some of the most incredibly poignant movies that have struck so many chords in me. Plus they’ve made me realize that there can be so much more to the world of film rather than the Hollywood machine and its vapid, emotionless core of no-talent hacks they give checks to every day to make pseudo-intellectual garbage we’ve seen millions of times over. And it occurred to me over the weekend that I should start a segment where I get to celebrate the true artists and the films they make that go under the radar without anyone getting to appreciate them come Oscar® time. So now it’s time I debuted a new segment on the PNW site called OFS Selections, and my first pick for you guys is the debut film from 27-year old Ryan Coogler, Fruitvale Station. This film stars Michael B. Jordan, Melanie Diaz, and Octavia Spencer, and for those of you that haven’t heard about Fruitvale Station, I’ll give you a quick rundown:

‘Oscar Grant is 22 years old, living in the Frisco Bay area, and struggling to put his life back together. After a stint in San Quentin and losing his job at the supermarket, he’s slowly losing hope and is almost on the verge of going back to the bad decisions that landed him in prison in the first place. It isn’t until he realizes that the things that matter to him the most could be gone if he doesn’t make a change soon. And after one tragic New Year’s Eve, Oscar is literally backed up against the wall, facing the end of life and all that he loves in a matter of moments.’

Fruitvale Station is not only one of the best films of the year so far, but it’s also the most tragic on account that it is a true story. On the first day of 2009, Oscar Juliuss Grant III was fatally gunned down by BART(Bay Area Rapid Transit) police officers by accident, or so that story supposedly goes. Why I told you this crucial plot point, you may ask? Well because the first three minutes of the film is cell phone footage of Oscar getting shot by the police officer that night. It’s a bold choice that writer/director Ryan Coogler decided to take when making the film and man does it ever leave a cold soul shattered to bits. In part by showing us something so horrific, Coogler then takes us to beginning of the day to remind us why we are watching him in the first place. Oscar Grant is a man who’s got a troubled past but knows what real life situations he has in front of him. He loves his girlfriend Sophina and daughter Tatiana, and wants to supports them, but all the chances he’s been given he screws up. And that’s the first thing I got from Michael B. Jordan; he’s so in the character that you almost believe he is Oscar Grant revived. As Grant, he delves into the daily process of taking his daughter to school, girl to work, and buys his mom some crab for her birthday. The dialogue by Coogler allows Jordan to be free in his interpretation of Oscar, and it is so easy to trivialize a character like this as cliché, but it’s not.

Oscar’s not a character, he was a man who had flaws and inconsistencies in his life that caught up to him eventually, and now he’s paying for them. Sometimes it isn’t easy to root for the guy because of what he did in the past, but I admired him for what he was willing to change for the better good. I think this is the right time to see both Jordan and Coogler jump-start their careers. I really hope that Michael B. Jordan gets recognized by the Academy this year, cause a performance this raw should be worthy of an Oscar®. They’ve both shown tremendous strengths in Fruitvale Station, especially for such young guys, only 27 and 26 years old. The pairing of Coogler and Jordan is perfect here, and it’s not in that conventional sense. Like in the vein of Scorsese meets DiCaprio type of perfect. They’ve found their starting points in the race side by side. It’s just a matter of time when we see that race end. As for the rest of the cast, Melanie Diaz who plays Sophina was great. I thought Ariana Neal as Tatiana was the emotional heart of this film, and Octavia Spencer as Oscar’s mom was a force to be reckoned with in this film. If there’s one other person to nominate in this film for acting, it’s Spencer.

As the movie concluded, I found maybe one gripe to complain about the movie, and that was it reminded me a bit of Boyz n the Hood in the way I interpreted the film’s message. Maybe that’s just because of how similar both movies ended as well, but I just couldn’t shake that thought of Ricky getting killed in Boyz n the Hood out of my head. It’s not the movie’s fault because it was a real life event, it’s just I had a prior viewing experience just like Fruitvale Station, which kind of sucks, but at the same time didn’t change my emotions during the scene cause I was in tears. And it all does go back to the main theme of this movie which is violence in America. As Fruitvale Station was starting to get released nationwide, the verdict in the Trayvon Martin case was reached and George Zimmerman was found not guilty on account of killing the 17-year old teen. And while that has little to do with the movie, it does play on the direction our judicial system has been taken nowadays. Zimmerman was found not guilty, while Johannes Mehserle, the officer who shot Oscar Grant, was sentenced to two years in jail and got out in 11 months… I mean, this just blows my mind. Why are the victims in these crimes not getting the justice they deserve? It’s just disappointing to live in a country where offenses like these get passed over so easily, and the people who commit the crimes probably won’t learn from their mistakes. But anyway, that’s just my point of view on those depressing matters. Like I said, there’s some similarities to Boyz n the Hood, but not nearly enough to give up on Fruitvale Station all together. The emotional journey you go through, having this realization that the end is inevitably coming will overpower you and leave you speechless once the film is over. I’m gonna give Fruitvale Station an ‘A-‘. I really think everyone should see this film, but I know that they won’t due to the subject matter. But if you want to see it, go check it out at the Capitol Theater on 4th Ave. downtown, check the local screenings to see what time it’ll be playing this week. I know it’ll be hard to watch, but it’s worth at least one viewing just to see how brilliant Michael B. Jordan and Octavia Spencer are. So those are my thoughts on Fruitvale Station. I hope you guys enjoyed my first segment of OFS Selections. Will you guys see Fruitvale Station, and if you have already, what did you think of it? Leave a comment down below, like and share the PNW word, and I will see you guys next time.

R.I.P Oscar Grant (1986-2009)

Mortal Instruments: City of Bones – Teacher Review

So I went a little late in the Show life of Mortal Instruments:  City of Bones because my schedule just didn’t allow me to get out to see it earlier.

If you need a storyline you can read it here on IMDB:  The Casting of Lily Collins as Clary and Jamie Campbell Bower as Jace, the female and male leads of the storyline were good moves.  They play their parts well as written.

So, to give you some of my bias, you must know that I have read the books by Cassandra Clare.  I have found them interesting enough to read through the series but not enough to declare them great.  They have a good story line but always the most captivating, in my opinion.  It must be pointed out that I am older than the attended audience of the books.

I am not going to waste any time getting to the point that I was not found of this movie, at all.  I went with my wife, who has not read the books, and I was almost as confused as she was about where the storyline was going.  The only 2 characters that were written well were Jace and Clary, which is good since they are vital to the storyline.  If I were a novelist and I found that Jessica Postigo, was going to write the screen play for my novel, I would panic based on this particular instance.  I understand that not all story lines can be followed in translating from book to movie form but this was totally out of control for my taste.  They way it it written, if they intend to make book 2 or 3 they have some MAJOR changes, or back tracking to do to make it work.  SPOILER ALERT:  The whole of book 2 is about Valentine having the Mortal Cup and stealing the next Mortal instrument – but in this version he doesn’t get it.  Other story line issues include – Hodge not being released from his curse.  Excusable changes – they downplay Luke a little bit but it was a good place to cut storyline so the movie wouldn’t be too long.  Curious changes that added time confusion to the storyline.  Valentines men don’t exist in the book and were REALLY unnecessary in the movie, they added nothing to the plot. The fact that the final battle took place in the institute made zero sense at all and the idea of the portal in the institute didn’t fit as well. Writing a movie out of a book is a hard task so I never understand why writers add content that affects the storyline, meaning you have to remove more content from the original.  If you are going to grab the name of the book, you should stay true to the original authors written vision.  As you can tell I wasn’t a fan of the writing but I am not sure I like how Harald Zwart directed the movie either. There were times that the movie just jumped around between story lines badly and was hard to follow – twice my wife ask what is going on?  The concept that Clary can create her own runes, and how special that ability is, is totally overlooked and not conveyed at all.  There is no mention of the wards that protect the Institute and actually ignores that part of the story so that when/if they get to book 3 how are they going to explain that the wards have to be destroyed – curious.

All in all, since the movie was not drawing much interest and quickly getting less and less showings in the theaters, I feared it wouldn’t be a good viewing, and in fact I was right.  I am more than a little disappointed that I paid full price for this movie.  I give it a “D” because I have seen worse – but based on this movie, I probably won’t be giving them any more money if they do decide to make book 2 into a movie.  If they do, I hope they do Cassandra Clare’s writing a little more justice and stay closer to the baseline of the books.

This is a case where you should clearly read the book and leave it at that, your mind will create a far better visual than this movie did

The Spectacular Now student review

“This, right here, this is beautiful.”

Glowing in the dark genre we call teen romance was a little indie called The Spectacular Now, for its light shined brighter than the thunder and lightning, and struck twice as hard. The Spectacular Now stars Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley, Brie Larson, Kyle Chandler, and Jennifer Jason Leigh. And in this movie, we follow our main protagonist Sutter, a high-partying, secret alcoholic who finds himself falling for the non-conventional nice girl Aimee, who unravels his layers until there’s nothing but the loving man we know he is. It isn’t until he reveals his flaws that we realize more about both of their personal family issues,  and slowly find out if him and Aimee are the couple they want to stay as. It’s been hard trying to find something deeply honest in a romance this year. While Warm Bodies did have its heartwarming moments, it felt bogged down by its endlessly cheesy story. The Spectacular Now gave me a more human look into the lives of two teenagers falling in love, and it realizes what all the little moments mean when we’re not passed out on someone’s lawn. I saw something empathetic in each character by noticing their flaws, and it was so refreshing to see Sutter and Aimee just talk about their lives and not just their own personal problems. Nothing felt forced when these two were on-screen together for it was perfectly matched in the actors depictions of their characters, the script, and the chemistry between Teller and Woodley.
Have I gushed enough on Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley…? These two were fantastic! Giving the best performances of their careers, and probably the best performances I’ve seen all year, I saw such profound insight into both Sutter and Aimee’s stories because Teller and Woodley played them so eagerly well. Such a 180 degree turn for Miles Teller’s career especially, changing from the proverbial douche bags he portrayed in Project X and 21 and Over into this incredibly complex person with multiple enticing and untiring qualities baffles me. I was rooting for Sutter the whole time through despite knowing how much respect everyone else doesn’t have for him. Even though he doesn’t have much in store for his and Aimee’s future unless it requires a flask at hand, I couldn’t stop feeling sorry for Sutter. It’s not his fault that he is the way he is, but those faults are what make Sutter a great character to figure out and Miles Teller portrayed him excellently. And Shailene Woodley… my lord, was she the most heartbreaking thing I’ve seen. As Aimee, I didn’t see a shy girl who likes Sci-Fi novels and unicorns; I saw the girl eating lunch alone by herself every day while I was in high school. Almost like Woodley was that girl in high school and just played it naturally. ‘Natural‘ is the best word to describe Aimee. I loved that she didn’t have any make up on during this movie. It wouldn’t make sense if the drab nerdy girl was glossed up to sparkling perfection. No, nothing about Aimee screamed “FAKE!” because of the way Woodley played her, and quite frankly, if she gets snubbed again at the Oscars like in 2011’s The Descendants, I’m gonna be at a loss for words. Just a tremendous job by both actors.
Probably the best thing about this movie is its script, which was adapted from Tim Tharp’s novel of the same name by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber who wrote another great romance (500) Days of Summer years back. This is probably not as complex as their precious screenplay, but Neustadter and Weber still have a lot to say about the way we live our lives and expect the world to play out in the way we want, which are major themes that get explored in both films. And like in (500) Days of Summer, I didn’t see any fluff in the execution of the plot. Though the opening montage of Sutter explaining his story in a college application does feel a little rushed, and some characters kind of teeter in and out of the film at times, every scene feels important to tell the story, no matter how dark or painful the subject matter can get. There’s one scene in particular that I won’t spoil, that just made me feel in the moment with them. Like I wasn’t watching a movie, but rather two people sharing a beautiful moment. Plus, not using music to accompany the scene just gave it more legitimacy. And I think most of that credit goes to director James Ponsoldt, who manages to construct every scene with such an eye for detail and realism.

I enjoyed his previous film Smashed, which also dealt with the subject of alcoholism. And that film came out just last year ago, but The Spectacular Now reaches a higher blood alcohol level than Smashed, if you catch my drift. I loved the way he used the camera to just follow Sutter and Aimee like Richard Linklater did with Jesse and Celine in the Before trilogy, because it added an authenticity to each scene that I don’t normally see in film today. It’s great when a filmmaker can simply understand characters as if they were the living embodiment of them, and that’s kind of what Ponsoldt is to Sutter and Aimee. Pondsoldt’s the one that lives the now, for he’s a talent that is sure to be watched after this film. Absolutely loved the direction of this film.

For teens to be absorbed by the Twilight franchise and all the Nicholas Sparks book to film adaptations really does a disservice to films and filmmakers like this, because while Twilight, Dear John, and Safe Haven get churned out every year, films like The Spectacular Now only come around once in a long while, which really needs to change, cause I’m getting too old for this supernatural romance shit. The Spectacular Now brought me back to the days of Say Anything… and Pretty in Pink but also gave me a new outlook on the way I interpret teenage love and the reasons why certain people fit together. I’m gonna give The Spectacular Now an ‘A-‘. It’s one of those films that is in limited release unfortunately but if it comes to a local theater near you, I’m implore anyone over the age of 16 to see it; you won’t regret it! So I hope you guys enjoyed this review. Tell me, are you excited for this film? Are you fans of Shailene Woodley or Miles Teller? Leave a comment down below and share the PNW word. Look forward to a new secret segment I’m starting tomorrow, and I will see you then!

Fright Night student review

“Welcome to Fright Night… for real.”

I’m gonna take a break from the downpour deluge of crap we got releasing in the theaters this week and take a stroll through the ’80s horror section in my own personal collection. And I got a great one to review today. Get ready Twi-hards, it’s Fright Night. Fright Night stars Chris Sarandon, William Ragsdale, Amanda Bearse, Stephen Geoffreys, and Roddy McDowell, and the plot of this movie is very simple by today’s standards. Charley suspects something of his new neighbor Jerry Dandridge as his weird outings at night and recluse behavior are semi-connected with the disappearances of young women. Slowly but surely, his suspicions turn out to be correct as Jerry is revealed to be one of the undead; a vampire solely out for blood, specifically Charley’s after being caught. Now Charley must recruit his best friend Evil Ed, girlfriend Amy, and his mentor Peter Vincent, the great vampire killer… At least on tv that is. By now most people have forgotten this classic horror film after it’s lackluster box office outing in 1985 and a poor release on DVD with little to offer in special features, though I still found this movie to be quite the thriller in terms of suspense and character development. And like I said before, the plot’s not anything new today as was it not so original back then, but I still appreciated the throwback to a classic like Rear Window with it’s ‘know-your-neighbor’ theme, while giving more of a supernatural twist. To this day the people who love it renounce it as a cult classic. While it’s far from amazing in my mind, I still think Fright Night is an underrated gem that many people have missed out on.
What attracts me the most to this film is the variety of character. Jerry Dandridge is one of the smoothest villains you’ll find in a movie. At first you wouldn’t expect him to rip your head off and suck you dry, but then again you wouldn’t have realized Norman Bates was a cross-dressing psychopath. But that’s just how good Chris Sarandon is in the role. He adapted those Dracula type formalities so easily and made Jerry one of those really creepy villains that has still stood out in my mind to this day. And he’s not even the best part of the movie!
“Oh, you’re so cool, Brewster!” 5 words defined Stephen Geoffrey’s career and pretty much ended it at the same time as Evil Ed. I could tell he was just having fun with the role just by his little touches of spastic energy and his shrill infectious voice is what takes the character to a whole other level. It isn’t until something happens that I don’t want to spoil, but it’s an absolute character shift that gets more insane as the film continues and I love every single moment of it. Geoffrey’s career was pretty much terminated after this role as he went on to work in the porn industry, but he’ll always be recognized for this one role no matter where he goes, because it’s that memorable. The whole cast is great in this movie and they all collide for a climax that seamlessly goes on forever, but in a good way.

Dated? Yes. Are there better horror films out there? Yes. Can you have fun with this movie? Absolutely f*ckin’ yes! This is a film that stands the test of time for it’s brilliant mixture of horror and comedy, fun set pieces, and killer score. I’ll give Fright Night a ‘B+‘. Go rent it with your friends, snuggle up to your guy or girl, and enjoy the night, because it’s totally worth your time. Hopefully you check the movie out, and I hope you guys didn’t see any of the films that came out this weekend. But if you did, tell us what you thought about them. Leave a comment down below, like and share the PNW word, and I’ll see you guys sometime this week when I debut a new segment and review some of the summer’s best independent films! You guys are so cool, I can’t stand it!