La La Land (2016)

It is so refreshing to see a film as good as “La La Land” in an era when movie-making appears to be getting lazy. That’s not the case in most situations, but it feels like it with films so rushed and produced only to make the box office. Every movie ever made is meant to make money, but when they solely rely on the box office, the movies can be very bland and unfulfilling. “La La Land” is a film that gets every emotion out of you. Even more so than “Inside Out” (2015). (That’s saying a lot.) “La La Land” has a terrific message, a touching love story, a beautiful and memorable score, exciting songs, and superb performances from its actors. The best part of this film is the whole movie!

Damien Chazelle directs this musical epic who I think is one of the most talented upcoming directors. This whole film definitely reflects  his love for music and classical movie-making. His project follows two people, a struggling jazz pianist named Sebastian played by Ryan Gosling, and Mia an aspiring actress with a fear of failure played by Emma Stone. Both fall in love and are faced with balancing their passions to their talents and their passions for each other. As a married man sitting with my wife watching this film, it brought us closer together as a couple who loves good musicals-let alone good movies.

I watched a lot of movies this year with forgettable and bland scores. I’m looking at you Marvel! I was also looking forward to Michael Giacchino’s score for “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”, but was disappointed with no whistling melodies. Justin Hurwitz’s score for “La La Land” brings new life in my life. It’s very recognizable, hip, beautiful, emotional, and easy to whistle. I get a  lot of satisfaction when I’m able to whistle a melody from a film. A recognizable and captivating score, even the simplest melody can do a lot for a film. When a score comes on, you should be able to think of that character or scene. I can recognize Mia’s theme, Sebastian’s them, their love theme, and all of the scenes. I just like a movie more when its music gets me all giddy inside.

Like “The Revenant” (2015), “Gravity” (2013), and the “Pianist” (2002), “La La Land” takes us on single cuts with us following the camera every where. I prefer less cuts than most people, and boy was I pleased with the camerawork and motions this film took me on.  I could focus on the characters and the scene as a whole without cuts distracting me. It was as if I was looking at a moving photograph. Funny to mention that because that’s what motion picture is. But with the way the film was shot makes it more true to that statement.  CinemaScope really came through with this one. It took me back to watching 1960s musicals with large scale shots of the whole production.

The marketing for this film has been the most honest marketing for any production I’ve seen in a long time. Every frame and shot in the trailer is in the movie! The first trailer I saw of this musical was so catchy, brief, and motivating. I need to refer back to “Rogue One” again (sorry for the negative publicity). Half of the clips from the trailers never made it into the movie! I was so annoyed with that. I understand that editing isn’t finished when the trailers come out eight months prior to its release, and “Rogue One” went through re-shoots. I was so relieved sitting in the theater for “La La Land” watching all of the clips and scenes make their way into the picture. I was sometimes anticipating some of the best shots not making it in. I was so overcome with joy and pleasure when the trailer came through on its promise.

This film is so good that this review can’t detail all of the positives I want to write about it. I can hardly think of any negatives about this film. When I watch it enough times, I’m sure I’ll get nit-picky, but for now I’ll enjoy the freshness that comes with this masterpiece. Eyes moistened in my sockets during the third act, not because of the story, but from the sheer good film-making and production of the whole thing. Everything was where it was supposed to be. All of the actors played their parts perfectly. And the score, sets, and editing harmonized to make the best movie and musical this modern world could have asked for.

Emma Stone (L) and Ryan Gosling (R) in “La La Land.”

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

(SPOILERS)

I saw “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” directed by Gareth Edwards twice now to get a clearer opinion and I think the only way for me to fully get my thoughts down about it accurately and truthfully is to go deep into spoilers. Beware if you haven’t seen the film about these rebels stealing the Death Star plans.

There are a few things in “Rogue One” that bothered me. Don’t get me wrong, I am a big Star Wars fan. I can probably tell you what race Greedo is. Ya. I’m that guy. But with being a Star Wars fan-I am a movie fan first. And a good movie overpowers a Star Wars movie. In this Star Wars movie I’ll start out mentioning the two CGI faces that I wasn’t all that impressed with.  The first one we see was of Grand Moff Tarkin speaking with Director Krennic. Seeing Peter Cushing’s face on someone else really took me out of the movie. Cushing died in 1994 and that makes it more distracting. No matter what you do to a character’s face with CGI, if the actor is dead, it will always look fake. Was the CGI good? Yes. Was it convincing? No. Good effort though.

The first two acts were blurred into one. It was a bit dry and I fell asleep during the second act when I watched this film the second time. A lot of moving around from different planets, which got me distracted from the main plot of the film. I would have preferred a more direct and linear approach by following Jyn Erso and Captain Cassian Andor on their mission only. They would have their team from the beginning. This way, we would be more invested in Jyn’s mission and her friendships with all of the soldiers around her. “The Dirty Dozen” (1967) does a really good job with this. This other route they went was really boring. I never thought I would fall asleep during a Star Wars film in the theater. I saw the film already, so I knew what was going to happen, but I didn’t care enough to stay awake for it. I jolted myself awake when they get to Scarif. Don’t fall asleep during that fight. It’s worth staying awake for.

I loved the third act of this film as it brings our heroes, villains, and weaponry to the same place on Scarif. Rebels verses Imperials at its finest. Stormtroopers get blown up, blaster fire goes in every direction, the Rebel fleet meets two star destroyers, Scarif troopers throw grenades, AT-ACTs stampede, and the Death Troopers get dropped into the midst of the firefight and cause some heavy damage. Smoke rises, ships crash, bodies fall, everything I wanted in a Star Wars “war” film. This film definitely delivered on that front.

My biggest gripe about this film is it gives us location subtitles. I hate these whenever they come on screen. This is just me, but I feel that it really undermines the audience’s intelligence by reminding us where we are in the movie. First it was Eadu, then Jedha, then Yavin 4, and finally Scarif! There was that planet that Galen Erso gets caught on and the comet station where we first meet Captain Cassian Andor. I didn’t care about those places, hence I can’t remember. I always get taken out of the movie with these things, and what’s worse is we have never seen these in any other Star Wars film. They don’t belong there.

The best part of this film for me was Darth Vader slicing up rebels, berserker style. When Vader’s lightsaber lit up, he proved to us (the audience) that he is the scariest and most destructive living being in the galaxy. He uses every single force power to take out a dozen troops. Force throw, force pull, and a ton of lightsaber moves. This was not Anikan. This was Vader at his roughest and deadliest. The entire movie could have sucked, and this scene alone would save it from a negative review. I would have preferred seeing more Vader in a more key role such as Tarkin was.

I like the movie, but I won’t give it anything more than that. For me to have loved this film would to take out the location subtitles, give more back story to its characters, give me an opening crawl, compose a more memorable score with a melody, less side characters, moving Easter eggs around (R2-D2 and C-3P0 show up randomly for no reason), and more Vader in a plot driven scene. Again, let me reiterate that I liked the movie, but I (as in we) need to like good movies and expect it from Star Wars. I wanted to “love” this chapter of the saga, but I wouldn’t be honest with myself if I said otherwise. So looking forward to “Episode VIII” next year.

Diego Luna (L) and Felicity Jones (C) in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”

 

 

Arrival (2016)

Denis Villeneuve directs the smartest film of 2016 with this intense and inspiring story of first contact with an alien race. I never really thought about what first contact would be like from this perspective on the topic of communication. Chances are very likely that the alien race will not be speaking our language. Star Trek and Star Wars pretty much take out that concern by having most of them speak English. Suitable for quicker story telling.

This has been the most personal first contact story I’ve ever seen. Everyone on screen has their concerns, joys, and sorrows with this mission of finding out why these aliens are here. Jeremy Renner, Forrest Whitaker, and Amy Adams play their characters to match these emotions, and they hit it out of the park. I was most surprised with Whitaker’s performance as Colonel Weber who is most concerned for safety for others. He’s not portrayed as the hardhearted military antagonistic character, he just wants to make sure that the human race isn’t wiped out. A lot of stress.

Now that said, I want to focus on Adams’ character Dr. Louise Banks. She gives a great performance as a strong willed woman who is tasked with an almost impossible mission of finding out why these “new arrivals” have come to Earth. She has to hurdle over a big language barrier, the CIA, and all of the other teams doing the same thing around the world. What was amazing about her performance is she never does her trademark hardcore Amy Adams “don’t f*@& with me” monologues as she tends to do in films such as “Batman v. Superman” and “Trouble with the Curve.”  She is more subtle, more professional, and more caring in this film. She is someone is normal who gets put in an abnormal situation. A very good fit. It’s also nice to see a more loving female protagonist opposite from what Jodie Foster gave us in “Contact.”

The whole movie is wonderful. It’s a very good sci-fi story that belongs with the first contact epics. Every part of this film fits into the main mission. There are no wasted scenes. It’s edited cleanly, the score by Johann Johannsson gives the film emotional weight, and the acting is very convincing and understanding. All of these gave me the “feels”. I love it when a movie gives me those.

Amy Adams in “Arrival”