“Jackie” stars Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup, and John Hurt. Released on December 2, 2016, the film follows the life of Jackie Kennedy after the 1963 assassination of her husband, President John F. Kennedy. The film is directed by Pablo Larrain, who also directed films such as Tony Manero, Post Mortem, No, and Neruda. 2017 has officially begun, and do you know what that means? Yep, it’s time for me to catch up with the other 2016 films that I haven’t seen yet until now. Even though I haven’t watched any of Larrain’s other works, I was already interested on his vision of the president’s wife. That, and I’ve been hearing a lot of praise for Portman’s performance as the title character. So, let’s see how this one turns out. There were a few things that I found very impressive, such as the execution of the story. The film covers the days of Jackie Kennedy leading up to the burial of her husband. You probably figured out what happened to Jackie’s husband. If you don’t, then stop reading this review and look it up! I can see this being shown in several history classes in high school because there had been so many people who were in disbelief or shock after witnessing what happened to President Kennedy in 1963, including his wife. Larrain delivered an interesting look at how Jackie felt after the assassination and before the burial. Portman did a very good job at playing this type of character who felt like she could’ve done more to protect the man she loved. Another shining moment in the film was the cinematography. The film takes place in the 1960s, so there were some scenes that felt like they were actually shot in that decade. This is definitely what the power of cinematography should feel like. Even though the story’s execution was good, the entire movie itself wasn’t as captivating as I hoped it would be. That doesn’t mean I didn’t like the film. I found some scenes that either slowed the film down or didn’t pack a wallop in terms of emotional depth. When it comes to independent films like this, I don’t really care about slow scenes as long as they know how to make them as attention-getters. This one didn’t quite get my attention as much as I thought it would. The film is close to 99 minutes long, but it felt like a few minutes more. Overall, while it doesn’t have the right ingredients to make “best movie” status, “Jackie” still shines in terms of Portman’s performance and its impressive cinematography. I appreciate Larrain’s interesting vision, but the process of telling that story wasn’t as attention-getting as I would’ve imagined. Other than that, I would say it’s worth a watch, mostly for Natalie Portman. B
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“Why Him?” stars James Franco, Bryan Cranston, Zoey Deutch, Megan Mullally, Griffin Gluck, and Keegan-Michael Key. Released on December 23, 2016, the film is about a father who gets into a feud with his daughter’s boyfriend. The film is directed by John Hamburg, who also directed Safe Men, Along Came Polly, and I Love You, Man. Remember that feeling you get when your teenage daughter introduces her new boyfriend to you? That’s pretty much the best way for me to describe this latest R-rated comedy. Hamburg is no stranger to this type of concept, mostly because he was one of the screenwriters for the 2000 comedy, Meet the Parents, which also has a similar concept. James Franco has been pretty successful as a comedy star lately, but now that he’s teaming up with Breaking Bad star, Bryan Cranston, will his comedic streak continue with this film? Pros: Good performances from the cast. Cranston and Franco delivered some pretty entertaining chemistry together. The humor was hilarious. There were plenty of laugh-out-loud moments to go around. Cons: The story was formulaic and predictable. At some points, the humor can get in the way of its nicer moments, such as Franco’s consistent swearing. Final thoughts: Despite the plot being formulaic, “Why Him?” offers enough R-rated laughs to deliver a surprisingly good time at the movies. It’s the type of film that you just go in and laugh at Franco dropping some F-bombs or laugh at Cranston being a crazy, overprotective father. Either way, you’ll be satisfied at what this film has to offer. B-“Fences” stars Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Jovan Adepo. Released on December 16, 2016, the film is about a family man who faces racial issues in 1950s Pittsburgh. The film is directed by Denzel Washington, who also directed Antwone Fisher and The Great Debaters, and it is based on the 1983 play of the same name by August Wilson, who also wrote the film’s screenplay. This is the third film that has Washington serving as both a director and an actor. With 2016 drawing to a close, it’s only fair that I see at least one or two films that are nominated for Golden Globes. I haven’t actually heard of the play that it’s based on, to be honest, but I’m seeing it anyway because it has Denzel Washington in it. How can you not be excited for a film that has Washington in it? This film has been nominated for only two Golden Globe awards, including Best Supporting Actress for Davis, but does it deserve more? Yes, yes it does. Not only was it well-crafted and strong, but it’s also heartbreaking. As soon as the first few minutes of the film started playing, I was immediately engaged. This film is filled with dialogue-driven scenes, but Washington found a way for these scenes to be compelling and thoughtful without missing a single beat. The dialogue between the characters were either fun to listen to or just plain remarkable. Washington and Davis delivered some fantastic chemistry as a couple whose marriage is threatened due to the husband’s beliefs that blinded him. Even though Washington was outstanding in his role, it was actually the magnificent Viola Davis who knows how to portray a real person. A person who’s not only emotional, but also full of wisdom. If she doesn’t get an Oscar for her performance, there will be some problems. What’s heartbreaking about the film is that this is the type of family that you love to hang out with and when they fall apart, your heart falls apart too. There were some certain themes and symbolism that were a bit hard for me to explain, but they fit very well with this type of concept. What’s more special about this film is that it made me feel like I was watching real people interact with one another, pretty much like Manchester by the Sea. Overall, “Fences” is a fantastic and compelling story about a family torn apart thanks to some strong performances, superb direction, and an engaging screenplay that hits me pretty hard. If it gets noticed by the Academy, I will be happy. If you haven’t seen it yet, I suggest you do before the Golden Globes and the Oscars start. A“Passengers” stars Chris Pratt, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Sheen, Laurence Fishburne, and Andy Garcia. Released on December 21, 2016, the film is about a mechanical engineer who woke up 90 years early due to a malfunction on a starship. The film is directed by Morten Tyldum, who also directed Buddy, Fallen Angels, Headhunters, and The Imitation Game. I don’t really get into romance films that much. Unless they have something like vampires, werewolves, or even space travel, then I would consider taking a good look at them. This has been on my radar for quite some time, mostly because of the two main actors and the film’s director. I really liked Tyldum’s last film, The Imitation Game, so I was hoping that he can pull off another win with this one. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite what I was expected. Let me start off with a couple of things that I enjoyed out of this film. The chemistry between Pratt and Lawrence were a delight to watch. As soon as they’re on screen together, their talents just pulled me right into the film. Michael Sheen portrays a robot bartender named Arthur, who not only served the main characters drinks very often throughout the film, but also provided some comic relief. I thought they did a nice job at balancing this type of character without making him too distracting or annoying. Another thing that I liked was the visuals. The entire film takes place in a spaceship known as the Avalon and, for the most part, the interior of the ship was very creative. It’s like a combination between a hotel and a mall. With all the fancy futuristic stuff that they had, it made me wish that I was in that spaceship as well. The outside part of the ship, however, served as the best thing about the film’s visuals because of how vast and lonely space can be, and it looks beautiful. Sadly, the film’s story didn’t reach that same potential as its visuals. I liked the concept and the idea of expressing the sense of loneliness in the first act, mostly from Jim Preston (Pratt), but as soon as the film went on, it slowly started to underwhelm. It offered some mediocre romantic fare between the main characters, which I also found enjoyable to watch. There were also times where the film rushes from one scene to the next, causing itself to lose certain qualities that I was looking for, including the emotional depth around the characters. There was this one scene that could’ve been added in to enhance the relationship between Jim and Arthur, but I don’t want to spoil it for you. Overall, despite the enjoyable chemistry between the two main stars and its beautiful visuals, “Passengers” suffers from too many malfunctions. It had a good concept, but the story’s depth just wasn’t there. This is one of those films that offered more beauty on the style and less oomph on the substance. It’s worth seeing for the two actors alone, but everything else won’t be enough to make you want to see it twice. D+“Sing” stars Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane, Scarlett Johansson, John C. Reilly, Tori Kelly, Taron Egerton, and Nick Kroll. Released on December 21, 2016, the film is about a koala who hosts a singing competition in order to save his theater from closure. The film is directed by Garth Jennings, who also directed The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Son of Rambow. After the success of The Secret Life of Pets back in July, Illumination Entertainment is hoping to copy that success with their latest animated feature that has a group of animals singing songs and learning some lessons along the way. That’s something you would expect from Disney’s The Lion King. If there’s one thing I should know about this film, it’s that it loves to put the emphasis on the word “sing”, with characters singing songs that your parents are familiar with and songs that are for a modern-day crowd. I saw this movie with my family today and truth be told, they couldn’t get enough of it. As for me, personally, I was genuinely surprised at how it turned out. The story takes place in the world of anthropomorphic animals, which is similar to the Disney film, Zootopia, where a koala bear named Buster Moon (voiced by McConaughey) hosts a singing competition that he hopes will save his theater from shutting down. It’s like the kid-friendly version of The Voice. The film also focuses on a few competitors who each want a chance to show their talents. From a domestic mother of 25 piglets (Witherspoon) to a teenage elephant (Kelly) who has a fantastic singing voice, but has severe stage fright, these characters are relatable for their own reasons and this film represented that very well. However, I really didn’t see the moral for the mouse, who is voiced by Family Guy creator, Seth MacFarlane. He’s the type of character who’s in it for the money and for himself. I don’t see any reason why I should like this guy, but it’s nice to see MacFarlane in a kids movie for once. While the story didn’t have a lot of memorable moments, it was surprisingly heartwarming. These characters have a simple theme that carries over throughout the rest of the film, and that’s doing what you love and not let certain obstacles bring you down. I believe that kids are going to learn from this when they’re planning on chasing their own dreams. Unlike The Secret Life of Pets, this one favors thoughtful storytelling over cartoonish humor despite not being as fantastic as Disney or Pixar. The animation isn’t anything special, but it does its job at bringing this colorful world to life as well as adding some flare to the songs. Speaking of which, there were plenty of songs that were pretty darn catchy, and kudos to the voice actors for actually singing them. My only nitpick for this film besides the lack of purpose for the mouse character is that it can be a bit slow during certain scenes, but it knows exactly when to pick itself back up. Overall, with its relatable characters, colorful animation, a splendid voice cast, and a story that has a surprising amount of heart, “Sing” is Illumination’s best animated film since Despicable Me. It doesn’t beat out the likes of Zootopia and Moana, but I would say it is a satisfying holiday treat that you and your kids don’t want to miss. If you’re nervous about whether or not there’s going to be another Minions short in front of the film, don’t be. There is no Minions short. A- |
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