The Gift

THE PITCH

WORTH

$$$$

THE VIEWING

"Life is like a coin, you can spend it on whatever you want to... but you can only spend it once."

Psychological thriller defined to a perfect “T”.  I loved how the film slowly brought me into the lives of all the characters in this story and then scrambled my eggs before sending me home.  I didn’t feel as the film tried too hard to be complex.  There was a natural progression of connecting with the three main characters. I genuinely cared about their origins, well being, purpose in this story, etc.  In the process I thought I knew how each would turn out but I was wrong and that is what made this “psycho thriller” so right!

I really recommend this film, it is definitely worth watching!!

letter grade: A

War Room

THE PITCH

WORTH

$$$$$

THE VIEWING

"Very few of us know how to fight the right way."

This has to be one of the most important films since Fireproof!! I think the movie should be seen by everyone.  I enjoyed it immensely.  Be aware of some shabby acting even though the story itself more than balances the scale for an incredible experience at the show.

Worth watching!!

letter grade: A

Ex Machina

THE PITCH

'Ex Machina' Teaser Trailer from J.D. Funari on Vimeo.

WORTH

$$$1/2

THE VIEWING

"Isn't it strange, to create something that hates you?"

         The title Ex Machina[pronounced with a hard 'C'] is a spinoff from it’s latin parent “Deus Ex Machina” meaning ‘god from the machine’.  The phrase usually refers to a person/thing that presents itself when the main character has his/her back against the wall or is in a “no win”  situation, then defuses that situation.  Director Alex Garland’s directorial debut wasn't short of innuendos and contrasts between God and creation; humans and artificial Intelligence.  Blatant character Mise en scene: Ava= Eve, Nathan= wise prophet to King David, and Caleb= spy sent by Moses to scout the new land.... quotes and scriptures from all manners of books, philosophers, artists...

        EM was deep, not too deep where the story loses you. Just to the point where you feel like you picked up valuable ideas and material for debatable topics later.  This is one of the slower paced movies, which is a good thing for movie buffs that can sit there and absorb.  Maybe a bad thing for action junkies. Think The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons or even HER. Two very good films that you’ll probably only view once.  Having said all of that, EM’s rewatchability supersedes the latter two because of the incredible visual effects.  The post production work and CGI is just amazing to watch. The cinematography of the terra that facilitates the home/facility is candy for the eye even for the brief amount of time that we see it.

    I am giving it a very strong “B” grade.  I am highly recommending it for SCI-FI fans alike.  The tagline reads: “To erase the line between man and machine is to obscure the line between men and gods.”  I know what they meant but I prefer the phrase: To erase the line between man and machine is to obscure the line.[period]  This film is the best I’ve seen at blurring that line.

   Lasty, of course this film is worth watching. It could become a cult classic, even a masterpiece as time goes on and we rewatch and discover things that we’ve missed before. EM has that much potential.

letter grade: B+

Chappie

THE PITCH



Chappie - HD Trailer from Nueplex Cinemas on Vimeo.

WORTH

$$$$1/2

THE VIEWING


"The problem with artificial intelligence is it's way too unpredictable."

"Chappie: Why did you build me to die maker?
Deon: I didn't. I built you to live."

    Seeing the trailer for Chappie I initially became mildly interested.  No doubt it looked great visually but I had zero confidence in the director Neill Blomkamp [District 9] . Well, maybe I shouldn’t say zero because all offences were made up with Elysium… errr, made even.  So there is this great unknown when it comes to his work.  Will there be this over-the-top ending or will the conclusion complement the story?   

  Artificial Intelligence films seem to always have the same conflict.  A.I becomes evil because that Intelligence is so much better, so much more efficient than that of humans.  Naturally we [humans] become “in the way”.  Therefore the higher intelligence must eradicate the obstacles in the way of ‘superior’ intelligence.  That or A.I robot is outcast and needs help adjusting to real world adaption and it becomes an adventure.  Then there is the Man vs. Machine conflict that doesn't necessarily have to include AI.  All though Chappie may have a few of those characteristics in the story, it doesn’t seem or feel like the same type of AI flick.

   Remember the movie D.A.R.Y.L. (one of my all-time faves) or Short Circuit, or even the movie A.I before it got controversially weird at the end?  Well, just like Chappie we become extremely endeared and  involved with the main character.  Not very original material but the execution of the story and the script was just amazing to watch.  Even more surprising is that the main characters are really a South African rap group with no acting experience at all.  Their attempt at “gangsta” mannerisms were comedy to me at first but now that I know who the actor and actress are I can see now see that it was the cultural quirks and oddities that felt a little odd.

   For Sci- Fi aficionados Isaac Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics held true.  I had some serious questions about Chappie’s “learning process” and other computer code commands that were used but now I admit that it was the cynic in me.  Forensically analyzing the little bit I know about computers to what was going on on-screen.  

    All-in-all I am very impressed with Chappie. So glad I saw this film in the theater.  I would most definitely recommend spending theater cash and concession stand money as well.

Worth Watching.

letter grade: B+

Get on Up

THE PITCH

WORTH

$$$1/2

THE VIEWING

SHOTGUN MODE REVIEW

(trying to catch up)


Too bad I have to give a brief review, this picture certainly deserved more than a few words, as ALL the movie reviews do, but unfortunately the words " I expected more" should do nicely.
barely worth watching.
letter grade: B-

I Origins

THE PITCH

I Origins by teasertrailer
I Origins - Window To The Soul by teasertrailer

WORTH

$$$$

THE VIEWING

" Pryia: The Dali Lama said if science disproved his spiritual beliefs he would have to change his thinking.

   Ian:  Good Answer.

   Pryia: What would you do if something spiritual disproved your scientific beliefs?" 

     Love, science and Spirituality, all essentially heavy in topic but fundamentally the fulcrum of this entire story… No way Director Mike Cahill can pull off a film that has all of these things and keep us interested all the way through… but he did. Just a little racy and weird at first, I was concerned if I wanted to finish it. Then the amount of science jargon spewed at me was ‘dumbed-down’ just enough for me to barely keep up. Once the true plot revealed itself, it became impossible to look away from the screen.  The process of the scientific, emotional and spiritual on-screen discoveries captured me.  Director Cahill did an extraordinary job bringing that great script to life and making it so relatable that even a blunt instrument like me can grasp the main ideas used in this outstanding piece of work.

    While watching I began to feel like the film was trying to find itself at one point.  As I look back after everything is seen it was I who lost my place. Mike Cahill’s story board was not complicated.  The way it came across the screen may have seemed like that because of the nature of the subject matter.  The only other director that automatically comes to mind that can balance the seriousness of science and the light-heartedness of a great love/action story and make it appeal to the masses is J.J Abrams and the work that he has done with the recent Star Trek reboots.  It’s a shame though, the same masses won’t be able to see Cahill’s work because my understanding is this film will only be available in limited release.  

    When discussing Spiritualism there are somethings I believe, some things I don’t.  I’m not cynical enough to point out all the points I differ about.  I rather embellish the points that made this movie a real discussion starter. I genuinely admire a film that can accomplish that.  I’ve said in this blog many times:  ANYTIME you come out the theater with more than you came in with[intellectually], that is true value.

    There is talk about a sequel, maybe an origins sequel using the scientific subject of “Emergence” as the central theme [non-life turning into life]… he may even call it EMERGENCE, who knows.  Usually I would scoff at the idea of gambling a follow up of an original that was so good that it should stand alone.  Not anymore; This past year so many successful sequels have emerged that I am now optimistic about those things, at least until I can’t be.

    I Orgins is worth watching.  Popcorn and drink are suggested.

     letter grade: B+