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Hamilton (2020)

7/5/2020

“Hamilton" stars Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr., Phillipa Soo, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Christopher Jackson, Daveed Diggs, Okieriete Onaodowan, Anthony Ramos, Jasmine Cephas Jones, and Jonathan Groff. Released on Disney+ on July 3, 2020, the film chronicles the life of Alexander Hamilton.

The film is directed by Thomas Kail, who is known for directing Broadway productions and television shows like “2 Broke Girls” and “Fosse/Verdon”. It is a recording of Miranda’s 2015 Broadway musical of the same name, which is inspired by the 2004 biography Alexander Hamilton by historian Ron Chernow. This weekend is Independence Day, which means it’s time for us to once again celebrate our independence, crank out the fireworks, and explore some American history. Just because you’re out of school doesn’t mean you can’t learn some history, am I right? “Hamilton” is considered to be one of the best Broadway musicals of all time as it earned rave reviews, received numerous awards, and played to sold-out shows. With Lin-Manuel Miranda’s infectious music and a story that combines the old with the new and respects the importance of America, the musical has become an American treasure that everyone should experience for themselves, especially on Independence Day. Fortunately for us, we don’t have to wait until the Broadway theaters reopen to see it because Disney is releasing the live recording of the 2016 performance of “Hamilton” on its streaming service so that everyone can see it without wasting their money on some expensive Broadway tickets. It was originally set to hit theaters next fall, but due to the pandemic affecting the performing arts, Disney decided to just release it on Disney+ during this year's 4th of July weekend. I’m honestly glad that they made this decision. We get to celebrate the performing arts in our living room and celebrate the American nation. I call this a win-win. I’m one of the few people who have not seen “Hamilton” since it was first released, so this review will be my very first experience with the Broadway musical. With that said, let’s dive into some history.

Divided into two acts and filmed from the Richard Rodgers Theatre performance in June 2016, the story depicts the life and career of Alexander Hamilton (Miranda), an immigrant from the Caribbean island of Nevis. Throughout the span of his life, he works as General George Washington’s (Jackson) aide-de-camp, marries Eliza Schuyler (Soo), becomes the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, and engages in a duel with his friend turned rival Aaron Burr (Odom Jr.). What makes this musical unique compared to the other representations of American history is its perspective. The depiction of America in the past is told through the use of modern music that draws from certain genres like hip hop and pop and a diverse cast, making it accessible to…well, everyone. But do these things alone make a great musical? Honestly, they absolutely do. You can argue that the story in “Hamilton” isn’t 100% accurate to the history books, but when you look at the bigger picture, it’s actually a one-of-a-kind experience that brilliantly captures the spirit of Broadway and represents the rise and fall of the title character in its own way. From its relatable political themes to the show-stopping musical numbers, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton” is a music-driven and captivating drama that’s full of energy, pizzazz, and more importantly, heart. I was a bit concerned going into this one, considering the fact that the film is basically people singing or rapping for over two and a half hours. However, I was generally surprised to see how highly entertaining (and important) it was to watch history come alive from a different perspective. Sure, the runtime can be a bit problematic for those who aren’t into the performing arts, but the pacing and the music were suitable enough to keep things moving along. The entire cast of the film consists of Miranda and the original principal cast of the musical, and, unsurprisingly, they were all fantastic, especially Miranda, who performed his heart and soul out as the title character. Jonathan Groff as King George III has to be one of my favorite highlights of the film. Not just because of his musical numbers, but also because of his humorous and enjoyable delivery of his lines (or lyrics). The film’s music by Miranda is also my personal highlight. “Hamilton” is best described as either a story-driven concert or a song-driven historical drama, whichever one works for you. What could’ve been an off-putting and derivative storytelling tool turned out to be something more than that. Not only were the musical numbers filled with stellar lyrics, catchy music, and stunning choreography, but they also play an important role in representing the film’s events and the characters’ emotions through modern eyes. The result is a visual soundtrack that’ll get you to either dance along with its upbeat score or feel emotionally moved by its lyrics. From a Broadway perspective, the production design and the costumes were simplistic, yet well-crafted enough to depict America from the 1700s and the 1800s.

Overall, “Hamilton” is a joyous and heartfelt musical that respectfully celebrates both America then and America now. Thanks to its incredible cast, Miranda’s unforgettable music, its well-portrayed narrative, and Thomas Kail’s successful attempt to bring the musical to life for newcomers, the film marks another reason why you should subscribe to Disney+, other than to watch all of your favorite Disney classics. It would’ve been nice to see the musical in person, but with everything that’s going on right now, I guess this will have to do for now. For people who are unfamiliar with the musical and people who are fans of Broadway, it’s definitely worth checking out.

A

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Classic Review: Inception (2010)

6/29/2020

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“Inception” stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, and Michael Caine. Released on July 16, 2010, the film is about a thief who steals information from people’s dreams.

The film was written and directed by Christopher Nolan, who also directed films such as “Memento”, “Insomnia”, “Batman Begins”, and “Interstellar”. If you have the power to infiltrate people’s dreams, what would you do with it? This was the question that master filmmaker Christopher Nolan answered in his most ingenious and trippy film of the 2010s. Nolan was originally planning on working on it after the completion of “Insomnia”, but he later shelved it in order to gain more confidence with a project this complex and grand and instead went on to work on the two “Batman” films and the 2006 thriller “The Prestige”. Fast forward to the summer of 2010, where the film became a critical and commercial success and won four out of eight Academy Awards, including Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Visual Effects. It also became a major influence in popular culture in terms of its memorable sequences and its trailers using the popular “braam” sounds. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the sci-fi action classic and with Nolan’s upcoming film “Tenet” heading to theaters soon (hopefully), I decided to revisit it and see if it really is a filmgoer’s dream come true or if it’s actually an absolute nightmare when it comes to the complexity of its plot and themes. For those who still haven’t watched it, I will do my best to share my thoughts on the film without giving away any major spoilers, so that you can experience it for yourself someday.

The story centers on Dom Cobb (DiCaprio) and his partner Arthur (Gordon-Levitt). They’re a group of professional thieves known as “extractors” who use experimental technology to invade their targets’ subconscious and extract information through a shared dream world, hence the term “extractors”. Dom runs into Mr. Saito (Watanabe), a businessman who promises to erase his criminal record by completing this request: implanting an idea into the subconscious of Robert Fischer (Murphy), the heir to his father’s business empire. With a team by his side, Cobb works to complete this dangerous mission while also dealing with his own personal demons in the process. Now, you may think that this plot is as simple as telling time, but it’s actually a complex and modern heist film that does two things: expand on the concept of dream vs. reality through dialogue and deliver a heart-pounding and visually striking thrill ride that every summer blockbuster is known for. With a runtime of two hours and 28 minutes, the film does take a while to get to the actual heist, but with its interesting characters and Nolan’s execution on the “dream vs. reality” scenario, getting through the first act didn’t feel like an absolute chore. Instead, it sets up this idea in a way that Nolan is known for: mixing together character-driven moments with the genre elements while keeping the pace consistent. Once the heist kicks into high gear, that’s when things get even more exhilarating. From its thrilling action sequences to its mind-bending visuals, the film is a trippy and invigorating experience that’s more intelligent than brainless. In other words, it still holds up as one of Christopher Nolan’s best-looking and intense blockbusters of his career. The cast did such a fantastic job with their performances, especially Leonardo DiCaprio as Dom Cobb, who serves as the focus of one of the film’s themes, which is dealing with guilt. Throughout the film, Cobb has been haunted by the events that led his wife Mal (who is played marvelously by Marion Cotillard) to commit suicide, and those thoughts are affecting his job, which helps make the film’s high stakes much more serious. The way they handled this character arc was undoubtedly riveting without feeling forced. This is one of those moments where storytelling and character depth are just as important as the action set pieces and the visual effects. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ken Watanabe, and Ellen Page were also great in their roles as Arthur, Saito, and Ariadne respectively as they insert enough interest in these characters to prevent them from being one-dimensional. The scope of the set pieces and the film’s mixture of practical effects and CGI play a big part in portraying some of the most memorable sequences in film history, including the Paris-folding sequence and the zero-gravity fight scene that takes place in one of the dreams. These things alone looked incredible ten years ago, and they still look incredible now. The sequences that I mentioned successfully portrayed how the dreams are affected by the real world and the characters without taking some easy shortcuts that most of the action blockbusters are known for. Another thing I want to mention is Hans Zimmer’s score, which still sounds great in my opinion. Zimmer definitely knows how to create music that matches the intensity and the scope of a specific film without making things too overwhelming or too underwhelming, and “Inception” is a well-deserved example of that. Give it a hear if you get the chance.

Overall, “Inception” is the type of experience that remarkably blends intelligent thrills with awe-inspiring visuals. Ten years after its official release, the film still remains as one of the best examples of what Christopher Nolan can do with a higher budget and his intriguing concept. The cast was great, Cobb’s character arc was well-executed, the visuals and the action looked stunning, and the story was complex, yet interesting, thanks to Nolan’s direction and screenplay. It can be a bit confusing at first, but once you fully understand its substance, I can assure you that you will be in for one heck of a treat. Here’s hoping that Nolan’s latest film “Tenet” will deliver that same experience as this one.

A

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Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)

6/28/2020

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“Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga” stars Will Ferrell, Rachel McAdams, Pierce Brosnan, Dan Stevens, and Demi Lovato. Released on Netflix on June 26, 2020, the film has two Icelandic singers representing their country at an international song competition.

The film is directed by David Dobkin, who also directed films such as “Clay Pigeons”, “Wedding Crashers”, “The Change-Up”, and “The Judge”. Now here’s something that left me completely mind-boggled. We have a film that’s centered on a singing competition that some of us aren’t familiar with. Fancy that. I did some research on it and here’s what I learn from it. Apparently, the film is based on the “Eurovision Song Contest”, which is an annual international song competition that features participants representing their European countries by performing their original songs. So, think of it as Europe’s version of “American Idol”, but instead of doing cover songs, you have to come up with your own song. This latest comedy was originally planned for a May 2020 release to coincide with the 65th annual Eurovision Song Contest, but the competition was sadly cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But that didn’t stop the film from being released. The show must go on, I guess. This is a pretty neat opportunity for me to experience a singing competition that doesn’t have “American Idol” in the title. But aside from that, is it able to blow me away with its talent?

The story follows Lars Erickssong (Ferrell) and Sigrit Ericksdottir (McAdams), two small-town friends who form a musical duo known as Fire Saga. When they are chosen to compete in a singing competition called Eurovision Song Contest, the duo must face multiple obstacles in order to come out on top and impress Lars’ disapproving father (Brosnan) as well as their hometown. The film is best described as both a tale about chasing one’s dreams and proving the naysayers wrong and an introduction to the Eurovision Song Contest for the newcomers. They can always look back at the competitions from the past if that’s an option, but if not, I would say that this is a suitable choice for those who are curious. As for the film itself, there’s nothing really special about this one due to its formulaic storyline, but aside from that, it’s a mildly entertaining comedy that’s backed up by its amusing, yet strange, humor and David Dobkin’s handling of its inspiring message. Yeah, that’s right. This is another Will Ferrell movie that I actually enjoy. Come at me, bro! On second thought, please don’t. Ferrell and McAdams did a pretty decent job carrying the film together when it comes to their performances and the chemistry between the two. While the film doesn’t offer any surprises in its storytelling, it immediately makes up for it by having the two main actors sing their hearts out and letting the sparks fly in the process. Dan Stevens and Pierce Brosnan were also decent in their roles as Alexander Lemtov and Erick Erickssong respectively, and Demi Lovato…well, she’s not in the film that much, but her singing is still top-notch in my book. The film’s humor wasn’t all that bad either. Sure, it’s got a couple of shenanigans that Ferrell is known for, but there were actually some humorous parts that worked quite well for me. It’s not going to win everybody over because humor is subjective, but in my eyes, it’s funny enough to keep me entertained. I also have to give the film credit for its soundtrack. Despite a few jukebox songs thrown in there, the soundtrack has enough enjoyable moments to make me tap my feet with glee and fill my ears with happiness and good cheer. What can I say? I’m a sucker for these types of soundtracks. My personal highlight of the soundtrack would have to be the songs that were performed by Ferrell, McAdams, and Swedish singer Molly Sandén, such as “Double Trouble” and “Volcano Man”. By the way, it was actually Sandén singing for McAdams and not McAdams herself. As I mentioned before, the plot has that “been there, done that” scenario even though Dobkin’s execution on its formula was fairly acceptable. The film also has this issue where a simplistic story that could’ve been 90 minutes long got a bit too stretched out. Its two-hour runtime is indeed questionable for something like this. Fortunately, it didn’t distract me long enough to ruin my experience. I think I would’ve liked it a bit more if they either remove or shorten a couple of scenes that were too dumb or too surreal for its intended tone.

Overall, as an introduction to the annual singing competition from Europe, “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga” has enough moments to get newcomers interested. As a comedy with a heartfelt message, it’s a formulaic, but watchable, Netflix film that hits most of the high notes. The story is indeed predictable and its narrative structure can be a bit overlong, but despite those flaws, the film was able to earn second place due to the likable chemistry between Ferrell and McAdams, some decent humor, and its soundtrack. It’s not the type of film that’s going to win a lot of Grammys or a lot of Academy Awards, but if you’re still interested in it regardless, it’s worth a watch.

B-

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My Spy (2020)

6/26/2020

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“My Spy” stars Dave Bautista, Kristen Schaal, Parisa Fitz-Henley, Chloe Coleman, and Ken Jeong. Released on June 26, 2020, the film is about a CIA operative who is assigned to protect a young girl’s family.

The film is directed by Peter Segal, who also directed films such as “Tommy Boy”, “Anger Management”, “Get Smart”, and “Second Act”. It’s been a long time coming, but after months and months of waiting, it’s finally here. The latest “action star meets cute kid” comedy has arrived to satisfy our humorous needs this weekend. Yeah, I know that everyone’s not excited to see it because of the trailers that they’ve seen a bunch of times, but for fans of the genre, it’s hard not to get ecstatic for its arrival. I have a soft spot for these types of films, whether they’re good or not, so it’s no surprise that I was looking forward to it. The film was made no more than two years ago, and it didn’t see its release until this year. This is due to the amount of release date changes that it faced. Originally distributed by STX Entertainment, the film was supposed to be released in theaters last August, but its release has been changed numerous times due to some competition and, of course, the pandemic. After months of impatience and insanity from seeing the same trailer in theaters over and over again, the film has finally decided to skip the theatrical release in favor of a digital release. Its distribution rights were handed over to Amazon Studios, which released it digitally on Prime Video for free (with an Amazon Prime subscription, of course). Now that it has finally arrived, was it worth the wait?

The story centers on JJ (Bautista), a former US Special Forces soldier turned CIA operative. He, along with tech operator Bobbi (Schaal), is assigned by his boss (Jeong) to keep a close eye on the in-law family of Victor Marquez (Greg Bryk), an illegal arms dealer who’s searching for the nuclear bomb plans that were hidden by his brother. JJ and Bobbi move into the apartment building where Victor’s brother’s family resides, which consists of single mother Kate (Fitz-Henley) and 9-year-old Sophie (Coleman). During their surveillance, they are unfortunately exposed by Sophie, who blackmails JJ into keeping her company and training her how to be a spy. It’s undoubtedly obvious that the film has the “tough guy meets cute kid” formula that was seen in the other family comedies like “The Game Plan” and last year’s “Playing with Fire”. You can easily see it just by looking at the film’s poster. However, as the film went on, it became less of that and more of a family spy drama that features the "new-kid-at-school" trope and the “child attempting to hook up their single parent with a nice person” plot. While certain fans of the “tough guy meets cute kid” films may feel a bit disappointed or a bit bored depending on the age group, I actually didn’t mind this approach. After watching John Cena making an absolute fool of himself in “Playing with Fire”, it’s quite nice to see a film that doesn’t always rely on kid-friendly jokes, pratfalls, yelling, and disastrous comedic incidents to deliver an enjoyable and cute family comedy, but that doesn’t mean I’m letting it off the hook that easily. To Peter Segal’s credit, he did his best to keep its charming antics consistent, which is one of the most important things that the directors must do with these types of films. However, his attempt at combining the three different elements together was pretty mediocre, mostly due to the film’s unoriginal plot and the lack of strong dramatic elements. There were actually some moments that made the film highly watchable for me, including the cast. Dave Bautista was very likable in terms of his performance as JJ, which proves that he can work pretty well in both comedy and drama. Chloe Coleman also did a nice job playing Sophie, a character who has the right amount of cuteness and tolerance to pass off as the main character’s young companion. Kristen Schaal had a couple of good moments as Bobbi despite not being as irresistible as the chemistry between Bautista and Coleman, and Ken Jeong was probably here for the paycheck. The film’s humor was a hit-and-miss. On the one hand, it had a proper balance that won’t annoy a lot of adults with its childish tomfoolery. On the other hand, there wasn’t a lot of memorable jokes that would make some people want to watch it over and over again. There were some humorous moments that made me laugh, and there were some humorous moments that either felt flat or were forgettable. In other words, the film is 50% funny, which in my mind is better than 0%.

Overall, “My Spy” has some major issues that will easily expose itself to the public, but it’s tolerable enough to place itself in the “action star and young kid” film collection. Even though its unoriginality and mediocre plot elements are painfully obvious, this action comedy should impress those who are into these types of films thanks to its charming cast and its passable use of humor. It wasn’t what I expected out of something like this, to be completely honest, but I had a nice time watching it regardless of its direction. Makes me feel glad that it didn’t turn out to be Bautista’s version of “Playing with Fire”.

C+

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The Vast of Night (2020)

6/19/2020

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“The Vast of Night” stars Sierra McCormick, Jake Horowitz, Gail Cronauer, Bruce Davis, and Greg Peyton. Released on May 29, 2020, the film has two teenagers investigating a mysterious sound that came through the radio.

The film features the directorial debut of Andrew Patterson. Now it’s time to move on to something completely different. Throughout the years in filmmaking, there are two types of films that deal with extraterrestrial life: One that involves beings from another planet plotting to destroy the human race with explosions and flashy special effects, and one that has the human characters investigating something that relates to alien life. This latest sci-fi drama falls into the latter category. While it is nice to watch the humans battle alien invaders for two hours, there’s nothing more intriguing than seeing them investigate the possible existence of the creatures from beyond the stars. There’s just something about it that makes the entire situation feel more enthralling compared to seeing multiple cities being blown up by alien technology. “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “Contact” are the prime examples that did this concept justice, and it looks like this film has what it takes to make it onto that list. I was very late on reviewing this because I was deciding whether or not I should talk about this. If you’re reading this right now, then that means I had already made my decision. So, let’s start talking about it.

Taking place over a single night, the film follows two teenage friends: Switchboard operator Fay Crocker (McCormick) and radio DJ Everett (Horowitz). They run a radio station together in 1950s New Mexico. When a strange noise interrupts their radio broadcast, Fay and Everett decided to investigate this unordinary sound while the entire population is at the high school basketball game. What they’ll discover could change their entire lives forever. The film’s narrative is framed to resemble an episode of a fictional anthology series known as “Paradox Theatre”. If you grew up watching “The Twilight Zone”, “The Vast of Night” should definitely hit your nostalgic nerves like they were drums. This is another sci-fi film that relies more on dialogue-driven sequences instead of the big-budget special effects that usually define the science fiction blockbuster genre, so there’s bound to be a couple of dragged-out scenes that could put any casual viewer to sleep despite its 90-minute runtime. Aside from that, this is a remarkable sci-fi thriller that’s both heart-pounding and engrossing. First-time director Andrew Patterson made his first impression known by understanding the tools that made the sci-fi elements popular in the 1950s as well as the qualities that made the other sci-fi investigation films like “Close Encounters” special. Not only that, but his effective use of the tracking shots, the transitions, the lighting, and the cinematography made the film look authentic, creepy, and awe-inducing. The result is a familiar, yet stellar, tribute to the time period and the mysteries during that time that left us scratching our heads for years. McCormick and Horowitz were both riveting in their roles as Fay and Everett respectively, delivering performances that felt natural and real during this specific predicament. Gail Cronauer was also great as Mabel Blanche, one of the people that Fay and Everett went to during their investigation. She only appears in one scene, but in terms of her dialogue, she made every minute of her scene count with spectacular results. The film’s score by Erick Alexander and Jared Bulmer is also something to be desired as it has the right touch of eeriness to further emphasize its mysterious sci-fi elements.

Overall, “The Vast of Night” can be a bit uneven when it comes to the pacing, but it’s still a fascinating and passionate debut from Andrew Patterson. Thanks to its intriguing cast, Patterson’s direction, and its ingenious score, the film was able to leap over its similar elements and deliver a captivating piece of science fiction cinema that’ll impress almost every film enthusiast on the planet. With how good this film was, it’s hard to believe that I almost missed out on this one. Good thing I found the right time to catch it before I lost interest in it. If sci-fi investigation is your thing, then this film should definitely suit you well.

B+

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Hamilton (2020)

A

Classic Review: Inception (2010)

A

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)

B-

My Spy (2020)

C+

The Vast of Night (2020)

B+

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