Into The Woods

Talent is cobbled together to create a giant mess!

Meryl Streep plays a Witch who has placed a curse upon the family of a Baker (James Corden) and his Wife (Emily Blunt) wherein the Baker and Wife cannot have children. The Witch is willing to remove the curse if the Baker and his Wife are able to obtain four objects: a red cape, a white cow, yellow hair and a gold slipper.

                                               "Hopefully there are no half man/half wolf pedophile Johnny Depp
                                                               lookalikes with a penchant for underage girls with picnic baskets
                                                               lurking in these woods."


During this time, the owners of the other objects begin to live out the fairy tales that you have read in books. Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford) and her cape are on their way to grandmother's house with a basket full of goodies only to be interrupted by The Big Bad Wolf (Johnny Depp). Rapunzel (MacKenzie Mauzy) spends her days locked in a tower while being secretly visited by a Prince (Billy Magnussen). Jack (Daniel Huttlestone) is on his way to town to sell his beloved cow while Cinderella (Anna Kendrick) struggles continues to lead on her Prince (Chris Pine) and leaving him with a serious case of blue balls.

All these characters meet and intersect "into the woods" as they each have their reasons for crossing through the title. Eventually, in what would seem like the film beginning to wind down, The Baker and his Wife gather the objects desired by the Witch to have the curse removed. Surprisingly, the film continues onward for a long portion of time and leads past all of the characters living out their "happy endings".

                                            "Sup, sexy?"
                                                           "Sup, beefcake."


Watching the characters go through their happy endings and finding out that everything does not end well could be an interesting idea. Unfortunately, the film doesn't really follow through with following the characters beyond where the fairy tale ends. What we get instead is a race against time with the characters teaming up to stop a threat coming down to the woods. Any hope that might have survived for something interesting quickly fades and we are reduced to a bland and boring second half of the film.

Not to say the first half of the film was something to write home about. Into the Woods has a star-studded cast, yet no one seems to hit the notes the characters need for this type of film. Meryl Streep is having a lot of fun, but her Witch is never menacing. Johnny Depp's brief appearance as The Wolf is highly disappointing as The Wolf comes off as just a pedophile version of Johnny Depp with painted on whiskers. James Corden tries to step up and hold the film as the Baker, but Rob Marshall's bland directing and surprisingly ugly set design keep the film bogged down; never allowing Into the Woods to get any momentum going.

                                          Johnny Depp molesting this tree is still more watchable than 'Mortdecai'.


It's a shame, as there is a good idea to be had with Into the Woods. Unfortunately, that idea lays dormant and we are instead treated to an uninspired film that wastes a perfectly good cast.

3.4/10

The Prince

Bruce Willis and John Cusack in a straight to video thriller? Yes, please.

When Paul's (Jason Patric) daughter, Beth, disappears from her college life, Paul begins an independent investigation. While searching for Beth, Paul meets Angela who knows just enough information to become Paul's sidekick while continuing his search. Partnering up, Paul and Angela make their way to New Orleans where it appears that Beth has fallen under the wing of various drug dealers.

                                               "I'm just your average blue-collar, hard-working, lovable dad who has
                                                               a cache full of weapons, marksman-like aim and tactical gear that will
                                                               make the ATF take notice."

Paul knows being in New Orleans is dangerous as a man from his past, Omar, awaits Paul's return to avenge a tragedy in Omar's life. Not to be deterred, Paul teams up with Sam, (John Cusack) a contact from his past to help protect Angela, but to also assist in helping locate Beth. All these cliched plot points eventually meet up and become one predictable cliche-filled movie.

Also, 50 Cent shows up playing a character named: The Pharmacy.

                                          50 Cent after reading the script for 'The Prince'.

Opening with a redundant and unnecessary flashback, the film never improves. Jason Patric's Paul starts out as a blue-collar mechanic, but is more than he appears. The script by Andre Fabrizio and Jeremy Passmore never makes an attempt to elevate this standard crime film above mediocre. The Prince is filled with mediocre as the writers, director and actors seem uninterested and looking forward to cashing their paychecks.

Jason Patric stars and has the burden of having to carry the whole film on his shoulders. The weight crumbles under his attempt to pull the film through. Never showing much interest or threatening menace, Paul comes off more as just a grunting, angry father who just so happens to fire guns and is lucky to be missed by every bad guy and henchman trying to kill him.

                                          A behind the scenes shot of John Cusack being informed that unlimited whisky
                                                        was not in his movie contract.

Coming off even worse is John Cusack as Sam. Looking like the crew just woke John Cusack up, all of Sam's brief screen time takes place at the same hotel with Sam either holding booze or a cigar in hand. Which I guess explains why John Cusack took the role. Free suite at a hotel with unlimited booze and cigars and I don't even have to try? Sign me up! - John Cusack.

The Prince is not the worst film ever made, but is so forgettable and offers the viewer nothing new. So, why bother watching when no one involved in the film bothered to try.

                                          "Straight-to-video or not, my fee is still a million dollars a day. $1.5 million
                                                        with the goatee." - Bruce Willis

3.0/10

Inherent Vice

So....where to begin with this one.

Dope head, Larry "Doc" Sportello is visited by his ex-girlfriend, Shasta Fay Hepworth (Katherine Waterston) regarding Mickey Wolfmann, (Eric Roberts) Shasta's current lover. Shasta claims that a plot is being put into motion to have Mickey placed into an insane asylum by Mickey's wife. While looking into the query, Doc accidentally becomes the prime suspect in a murder.

After being questioned by Detective Christian "Bigfoot" Bjornsen (Josh Brolin) about the murder. Doc gets turned on to a case about a missing musician: Coy Harlingen (Owen Wilson). Once finding Coy alive and well, Doc realizes that he is spiraling down further into a case about the mysterious: "Golden Fang". With drugs and killer hair, Doc continues to march on in an attempt to solve the cases.

Honestly, those paragraphs barely scratch the surface of what is a truly meandering, yet highly-enjoyable film from Paul Thomas Anderson. The film seems to feel within the wheelhouse, though, of PT Anderson with multiple characters jockeying for screen time amongst a convoluted and dense plot. Joaquin Phoenix does a solid job as the drug-hazed Doc who really does not understand the plot, along with the audience, as he stumbles from one clue to the other. Josh Brolin, though, stands out as the tough-as-nails, yet vulnerable Bigfoot. His gruff persona acts as a stark contrast to the others in the film. And you'll never have more fun watching someone eat a frozen banana.

Not having read the book by Thomas Pynchon that the film is based off, Inherent Vice the film is more about the characters and setting. Throwing out what seems to be a plot that's more confusing than the film deserves, I gave up trying to follow what was going on and just enjoyed the ride. And if you can get over not really caring about where the story is leading (if it's leading anywhere) then there is enough enjoyment within the stable of actors that PT Anderson has corralled.

My main issue doesn't actually come regarding the film; but moreso with PT Anderson himself. I am still a huge fan, yet am growing worried with his film as of late that seem to disregard plot and focus more on just acting. I have enjoyed The Master and Inherent Vice, but wish that a more substantial (or in Inherent Vice's case) reduced plot to make a more entertaining movie-going experience. Both, this film and The Master have been enjoyable, I just wish there was a little less meandering and more focus on a streamlined plot.

As is, Inherent Vice will be a film that divides people, but I came away with a film that I enjoyed throughout and am glad I experienced it.

7.0/10

Dumb & Dumber To

I'm fully expecting this to be one of my shortest reviews....at least I'm hoping so.

20 years after the original, Lloyd Christmas (Jim Carrey) and Harry Dunne (Jeff Daniels) are reunited to go on another road trip. This time, Harry needs a kidney and through some circumstances that are best left unmentioned, the only one who can provide him a new kidney is from his previously-unknown daughter, Penny (Rachel Melvin). Lloyd decides to join Harry as he sees fit to fall immediately in love with a picture of Penny. Hilarity Ensues.

Every note from the original Dumb and Dumber is hit from Lloyd having a fantasy sequence involving the love of his life to persons we meet earlier in the film turning out to be government agents. And what would this listless film be without adding on a bad guy plot. The bad guys in this film involve Penny's adopted mother, Adele, (Laurie Holden) and her lover/housekeeper Travis (Rob Riggle) who are trying to poison Adele's husband Bernard (Steve Tom). Hilarity ensues.

During the extended road trip sequence, Travis joins Harry and Lloyd in an attempt to complete his and Adele's master plan along with killing Harry and Lloyd. Once Travis has been removed from the film, we are provided with Travis' twin brother Captain Lippincott (Rob Riggle, also) who also wants to kill Harry and Lloyd because, well... reasons. Hilarity ensues.

There's something to be said for a movie that passes itself off as a comedy yet tries so hard for laughs and couldn't manage a full laugh from this reviewer. Dumb & Dumber To reeks of desperation, specifically from Jim Carrey, who seems to be trying to recapture his former box office glory. Jeff Daniels is the one I feel more sorry for as he did not need this film on his resume as he has been putting out solid work including his award-winning role in 'The Newsroom'.

I remember when Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls was getting ready to be released that Jim Carrey mentioned not wanting to be associated with continuing to do sequels. Here we are, 20 years later--Jim Carrey is not the draw he once was and goes back to the well for a substandard sequel to a beloved comedy.

Hilarity does not ensue.

1.9/10

Nightcrawler

Social outcast and small time criminal, Lou Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) has a chance encounter with Joe Loder, (Bill Paxton) a cameraman who films news stories and sells the video to local news outlets. Sensing he has found his calling, Lou buys a camera, hires an assistant, Rick, (Riz Ahmed) and pursues a career in recording newsworthy incidents in Los Angeles.

Starting small and losing to the higher-funded, Joe, Lou decides to try and take his filming where others wont go. Lou starts innocently enough by filming a medical emergency closer than Joe does. Using this footage, Lou sells the video to local news director Nina (Rene Russo) who sees value in the footage that Lou is able to offer. Wanting to be the best at his job, though, Lou begins to cross ethical boundaries by altering crime scenes to make the shots more dramatic and putting himself at the center of a crime in an effort to get video coverage first.

First time director Dan Gilroy, shooting from his own script, is able to pull the audience into Lou's off-kilter world. Los Angeles becomes its own character with Dan Gilroy being able to film his own script. Los Angeles hasn't been shot this beautifully since 2004's 'Collateral'.

While riding shotgun with Lou, though, we still do not get a complete understanding of who Lou truly is. Yes, he wants to be the best at his job, but why? In some ways, Lou comes off as just being a social outcast (as mentioned above) or could have a touch of Aspberger's Syndrome in the way he is so meticulous about the details of his job. Maybe the character is underwritten, or maybe we are just not meant to fully understand what goes on in Lou's head, but either way, Jake Gyllenhaal does the best he can with the performance. Sometimes quiet, sometimes frustrated, you see it all come through in a role where the character never explodes because he is so meticulous and has every angle thought out.

The rest of the cast is has to play second fiddle to Lou, and no one really stands out. Rene Russo never really gives off a performance of a director who does not like the position she is in, yet is willing to do what it takes for the ratings. Her character still gives off some light, when the performance should be more cold and cutoff. Though, if Nina and Lou were both cold and cutoff from the audience, this film would be even harder to like.

The film takes its time getting to its definite point. The first hour or so of the film is filled with set up and shot in an almost vignette way with no sign towards an actual plot. Eventually, Lou finds himself involved in a crime and has to find a way to resolve the issue along with being the first to report the status of the crime he is involved in. This is by far the strongest portion of the film as 'Nightcrawler' then begins to feel like the plot is moving forward and towards an exciting conclusion. Unfortunately, the final few minutes derail the good will that had been built up in the preceding forty or so minutes.

A beautifully shot film with a solid performance and sure-handed directing make 'Nightcrawler' a film worth checking out. If the film had gotten to its point earlier and wrapped up differently, this could have been a great film.

6.9/10

Whiplash

Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller) is a jazz drummer at the Shaffer Conservatory. In Andrew's first year at school, he spends as much time as possible perfecting his drumming skills. Conductor Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons) notices Andrew and offers him the chance to be an alternate into Terence's band. Unbeknownst to Andrew, being able to meet Terence's lofty expectations for perfection will take a toll of him mentally, physically and emotionally.

 While trying to perfect his drumming, Andrew and his girlfriend, Nicole's (Melissa Benoist) relationship begins to deteriorate. The constant physical and verbal abuse by Terence forces Andrew to break up with his girlfriend in an attempt to perfect his drumming. As the abuse continues to mount for Andrew and others in the band, Andrew has to decide whether continuing under the tutelage of Terence is best for his life.

For about the first hour, Whiplash is a really solid piece of film making. The narrative is tight and the performances are top notch. Watching J.K. Simmons unleash a beat that hasn't been seen before is a sight for sore eyes. If Terence Fletcher were selling Allstate Insurance, everyone would be a perfect driver. Miles Teller performs a solid, if unspectacular job, of trying to show a student that will go through hell in an attempt to become the best drummer he can be.

Now, I said for about the first hour the film was solid. Once we get to a point where Andrew's story shifts from the school, the film loses a bit of momentum, in my opinion. The dynamic we had between Andrew and Terence isn't there and the film suffers for it. The script then finds a way to shoehorn the two characters back together for a big third act that is more predictable than it should be. I guess, the finale is the only way that the film should have wrapped up, but it wasn't as satisfying as most of the movie that had come before it.

With a lesser second half, and some script cliches, (car crash?) I feel Whiplash was somewhat held back from greatness. I did appreciate the characters not having superfluous B-stories and detours from the main plot, which kept the pacing tight overall. J.K. Simmons steals the film in a very showy role that was worthy of an Oscar Nomination (maybe not the Oscar itself, though) while Miles Teller hangs on enough to make the audience understand the hardships he is experiencing.

Slightly uneven, but very watchable, Whiplash deserves most of the praise it has received.

7.9/10

Birdman

Continuing to play catch-up, my latest review is Oscar-contender: Birdman.

Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton) is an actor on the wrong-side of his career. Decades removed from being an A-Lister with a big budget Hollywood franchise, Riggan finds himself trying to re-establish his career by trying to self-finance a Broadway adaptation of 'What We Talk About When We Talk About Love'. Trying to write, direct and star in the play, though, begins to take its toll on Riggan's professional and personal life.

Riggan's daughter, Sam, (Emma Stone) fresh from rehab takes a job as Riggan's assistant in an attempt to help make Riggan's passion project a reality. Troubles arise when Riggan and his lawyer Jake (Zach Galifianakis) decide to hire method actor Mike Shiner (Edward Norton) for the lead role of his play. Mike's ex, Lesley (Naomi Watts) co-stars in the play and their relationship is still a fresh wound which causes problems during rehearsals. Mike and Sam then begin to flirt which strains Riggan's already fragile psyche.

While trying to ensure he creates the best play he can, Riggan is tortured by Birdman, his inner voice, Birdman constantly reminds Riggan about his time when he was the envy of Hollywood. Egging Riggan on about how he should return to his roots as a Hollywood actor and give up the new life he is trying to start. All of these characters and problems begin to come to a head as Riggan struggles to get his play ready for opening night.

An idea that could be inspired by Michael Keaton's career, Birdman provides a perfect vehicle for himself and all actors within the film. Birdman is dripping with self-indulgence, yet each actor steps up and brings their A-game to elevate the film above its own self-important ideas. Michael Keaton allows the camera to show a man who's life has taken its toll on him. When not hiding behind the wigs used for his play, Michael Keaton is able to play Riggan as a man who understands that his life is not what he would want it to be, yet gives optimism that he may be able to save himself, or at least, what is left of his family.

Equally good is Edward Norton's Mike, who steals every scene he is in. Mike wants to be the best actor he can, and will go to any lengths allowed to be the actor he is. Funny, yet uncompromising, Mike and Riggan butt heads about what is best for the play. The interactions between both actors provide some of the best scenes in the film.

The star, though, is still Michael Keaton. For all the showy scenes in the film, the scene that works best comes when Riggan and his ex-wife, Sylvia, (Amy Ryan) discuss what Riggan has missed in his life by putting his career first. Michael Keaton completely owns the scene and shows how vulnerable Riggan is. The scene is Oscar-bat, for sure, but Michael Keaton uses his acting skills to really invest the audience in seeing that Riggan is a sad man and wants you to root for Riggan in an attempt to regain his life. Definitely one of the best scenes of the year.

Birdman is a true tour de force, filmed with the appearance of one-take by director Alejandro G. Innarritu. The acting, directing and screenplay are all top notch with the exception of the final scene. The film builds towards opening night and delivers in all ways one would expect. My issue comes after opening night. I will not go into specifics, but my feel is that Birdman should have ended with opening night as it feels like the logical conclusion. The last scene, though good in its own right, does not jive with the film that came before it. A slight letdown in an otherwise great film.

With great acting and directing, Birdman is my favorite film of 2014 and hopefully gets the recognition is deserves from the Academy.

8.2/10

John Wick

Sometimes, simple is better.

John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is a former assassin for the Russian mob who has just lost his wife, Helen, (Bridget Moynahan) to an illness. While grieving Helen's loss, John is surprised with a letter and a dog sent from Helen. Helen provided the dog as a gift to John for something to watch over and to help move forward with his life. After a chance meeting with a group of Russian men, John's dog is killed and his prized car is stolen from him. As these were the last things in his life that mattered, John plots out a course of revenge. Really, that's the gist of the plot.

Though the plot may sound silly, its not as lightweight as it might seem from the outset. Connecting with members from his past including: chop-shop owner Aurelio, (John Leguizamo) John's mentor Marcus, (Willem Dafoe) and Winston, (Ian McShane) who owns a hotel that houses assassins, John is able to use skills in an attempt to enforce his brand of justice on Iosef, (Alfie Allen) and the other Russian men involved that took away everything John had. Complicating matters is Iosef's father, Viggo (Michael Nyqvist) who John had worked for previously. Viggo is torn between understanding John's plight and still trying to protect his son.

The film follows a simple structure of John going from place to place, mayhem happens and we repeat. This is not a bad thing, though, as John Wick has energy to spare and a solid script written by Derek Kolstad that keeps the film from not dwelling too long in one place. John Wick takes the audience into a world where assassins rule the landscape and are never affected by others around them. Everything from a hotel that caters to assassins to a clean-up service that disposes of victims within the drop of a hat add nice, if unrealistic, touches to this assassins version of New York City.

Directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch infuse the film with vibrant uses of color and well-choreographed kung-fu sequences to keep the film feeling fresh. Plenty of guns (especially head-shots) are in store, but the directors do enjoy mixing up the film and its action so that the film doesn't feel too repetitive. Even though you have probably seen this film a hundred times before; including knowing who will live and die, the ride and simple structure proves enjoyable for those yearning for a more simplistic film experience.

John Wick certainly wont win any awards, but its not trying to. The film is simple, but elevated by an enjoyable cast and solid directing. As an entertaining film experience, John Wick should satisfy most people who yearn for a solid action film.

7.0/10

The Judge

Living in the shadow of his father, Judge Joseph Palmer, (Robert Duvall) estranged son and hot-shot lawyer, Hank Palmer (Robert Downey Jr.) returns to his hometown to help bury his mother. While here, Joseph and Hank struggle to keep their dislike for each other to keep from boiling over. After the funeral, Joseph is accused of striking and killing a person with his car who he had, earlier in life, shown a great disdain for. Hank decides to try and help fight for Joseph's innocence as prosecutor Dwight Dickham (Billy Bob Thornton) pushes for Joseph to be charged for murder.

A passion project for Robert Downey Jr, as he is the star and his production team helped get the film made, The Judge tries to balance a film that wants to be equal parts dysfunctional family comedy and court room drama. Director David Dobkin struggles to maintain a solid balance in the film; resulting in a movie that never really knows what it wants to be. The only thing The Judge know what it wants is for every nearly every scene to be blown out with light as if they hired a second-rate Robert Richardson (sorry, Janusz Kaminski).

Hank is what you would expect Robert Downey Jr. to be playing, as of late. He is brash and fast-talking (is there any other lawyer in film?) while Joseph is stern and cold to Hank. Hank's brothers Glen and Dale (Vincent D'Onofrio and Jeremy Strong) are much closer to Joseph, having stayed in town while Hank left and went to law school. The strained relationship between Joseph and Hank fuels most of the film's verbal dynamics, yet comes off as more forced than a natural relationship.

While in town, Hank is going through a divorce and tries to rekindle a past romance with Sam, (Vera Farmiga) who owns the local diner. The constitutes an added subplot, along with Sam's daughter (another subplot) that feels shoehorned into the story to try and make Hank sympathetic, yet antagonistic at the same time. Sam comes and goes from the film as the screenplay needs and never pulls you in as it should.

The meat of the film comes from Hank and Joseph trying to reconcile their past differences in an attempt for Hank to adequately defend Joseph of the charges levied against him. Along with the previously-mentioned cliches in the film, Joseph also might be suffering from an illness that can cause him to forget pieces of information in his life (including whether or not he killed a person).

The Judge has the right ingredients for a solid film, but the paint-by-numbers screenplay sinks it. Every idea in The Judge rings false and never allows one to invest with the characters or story. Instead the film forcefully tugs on the heartstrings of the audience when they want you to cry or tickle your funny bone when they want you to laugh. The Judge tries to manipulate the audience into feeling what you should feel instead of just letting the film naturally flow and letting the audience share the film's emotions naturally.

4.1/10

Fury

A David Ayer film that isn't complete garbage? Say it isn't so...

Set in the waning days of World War II, a rag-tag group of Allied soldiers led by Staff Sergeant Collier (Brad Pitt) push through Germany with their trusty tank: 'Fury'. The well-worn crew include the usual war tropes; the religious one: "Bible" Swan, (Shia LaBeouf) the non-white one: "Gordo" Garcia, (Michael Pena) the angry one: "Coon-Ass" Travis (Jon Bernthal) and the new soldier assigned to the group: Norman (Logan Lerman).

The group are assigned with other tanks on various missions through Germany in an attempt to help the Allied forces make their way through hostile territory. Wedged in between scenes of graphic violence, we are treated to Norman having trouble acclimating to life in the war. He is treated as a grunt among the others in the group and, being in the war for a short period of time, has yet to experience the ugliness that war offers.

After starting rough, with forced dialogue and a struggle to get the film in motion, Fury eventually settles in with standard war tropes. Collier is hardened from his years in combat, yet struggles with the fact the violence he sees and participates in is tearing him apart. Norman is paired with "Gordo" on the front guns of 'Fury' and acts as Norman's, and the audience's, narrator in explaining what to do in the tank. "Coon-Ass" is there to antagonize Norman while "Bible" provides comfort via various religious passages.

All the steps for making a solid war movie are here, and the script follows them step-by-step. Beyond trying to make the film even grittier than past war movies, the film feels very safe and does not take many chances with the opportunities presented. With the script setup, you can pretty much telegraph each action/plot beat way before the film presents it to you. The moment that stands out most regarding the script needing to move on is after a dining scene with the 'Fury' crew and 2 female civilians. Once the scene with the females feels like it has been stretched as far as it can, all of a sudden the script moves the 'Fury' crew to their next mission.

The script continues to let down the audience even when we get to the climax of the film; seemingly ripped out of Saving Private Ryan's script. The 'Fury' crew are outgunned and outnumbered when trying to preserve a section of Germany. With these odds stacked against them, they refuse to let the Germans pass without a fight. As this battle rages on, you can pretty much guess in order how the casualties will flow. Not to ruin the film, but at least some of the 'Fury' crew do not make it out alive.

And speaking of the ending, the resolution of the film feels so false. David Ayer spends the entirety of the film showcasing the dark elements of the film. Anyone can and will die. Yet, the last scene completely falsifies what was set up before it. I understand what David Ayer was trying, but I feel that 'Fury' did not earn the ending it wanted.

Even with that, 'Fury' as a whole is a solid film, filled with enough action to satisfy most of the persons wanting to see the film. The directing is solid and the cast provides enough pull to make 'Fury' worth a viewing.

6.5/10

Foxcatcher

Director Bennett Miller continues his streak of films based on a true story with Foxcatcher.

Based off the true story, Foxcatcher tells the tale of Olympic Gold Medal winning wrestlers Dave Schultz (Mark Ruffalo) and his younger brother Mark (Channing Tatum). One day, Mark is contacted by John du Pont (Steve Carrell) about training a group of wrestlers for the 1987 World Wrestling Championship and the 1988 Olympic Games. After living in the shadow of his older brother, Mark decides to take the opportunity in an attempt to separate himself from Dave.

Moving onto John's property and working under the name: Team Foxcatcher, Mark excels at training the wrestlers recruited and beginning to feel the confidence he lacked while training with Dave. John, as coach, begins to feel he is creating something special that can live up to his mother: Jean's, (Vanessa Redgrave) high, yet cold standards.

Having John and Mark on the same property, though, proves troublesome to each other as we see both characters and their insecurities arise. As John and Mark deal with their personal lives, the drive for winning at wrestling begins to suffer. John senses that Mark is not strong enough to handle what he wants and begins a pursuit to coax Dave onto his compound in an attempt to return the wrestling team to John's high standards.

Having seen Bennett Miller's past 2 films: Capote and Moneyball, this film follows in the same tradition I have regarding his past films. Performances are splendid, yet the films are somewhat hollow. This is not a knock on Foxcatcher or films prior, but Bennett Miller seems to really know how to get solid performances out of his actors, yet struggles to find a way to incorporate a solid story with the acting.

Speaking of the acting, the three leads are able to handily bolster the material. With Mark Schultz, Channing Tatum is tasked with anchoring the film as he is the primary focus for the first half of the story. I wasn't entirely sold on his performance as he mainly lacks any empathy and holds the audience at bay while projecting a tough exterior. The tough exterior, though, really doesn't come through as each character, and the audience, can easily see the cracks in Mark's foundation.

The roles that sell the film are Steve Carrell's performance as John and Mark Ruffalo as Dave. Steve Carrell becomes almost unrecognizable under his makeup while playing billionaire John du Pont. The way Carrell plays John, though, is with sadness and empathy. John is not a bad man, thought treated as one by his mother. The script provides no favors as we are only able to scratch John's surface. Thankfully, Carrell steps up to elevate the material. You may not be able to sympathize with John, but you can certainly understand why he is the way he is.

Mark Ruffalo is the true standout of the film as the Mark's older and caring brother, Dave. Even though the role is not showy, Ruffalo is able to project a warmth over the character and never loses focus on what matters most to him: family. Even when Mark and Dave begin to fall out, Dave still has Mark's best interests at hand and is skeptical that John has Mark's best interests at hand also. In true form, Mark Ruffalo can take even the simplest material and make wonders of it.

With three solid performances, Foxcatcher is a few steps above Moneyball and Capote. Now if Bennett Miller were able to find a script to go along with the performances he gets out of each film, he could be a continuous threat come awards season.

7.7/10

American Sniper

The yearly Clint Eastwood-Oscar bait freight train rolls right along through the end of 2014.

Based on the book of the same name, Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper) is a good ol' Texas boy who, along with his younger brother, are taught tough lessons by their father; Chris in particular, doing a good job of hunting with his dad. While performing rodeos in Texas, Chris attracts the attention of Taya Renae; (Sienna Miller) both hitting it off immediately. Early into their relationship, Chris decides to give up on the rodeo gig and enlists for the Navy SEALs.

Alternating between the multiple tours of duty overseas and his ever-increasingly troubled home life, director Clint Eastwood never gives the film time to establish either story the film is trying to tell. While in Iraq, Chris is teamed with a group of soldiers, yet none of them are able to be properly set-up in an attempt to distinguish one from another. Some of these soldiers die, yet you never really feel the loss that Chris does because the audience has never been given the proper time to be invested with Chris' core group of soldiers.

When not continuing on with his kill-count, Chris and Taya's relationship strains further and further as they become an ever-growing family. Yet, when at home, the and the trouble Chris has with being a normal civilian never rings true as their is no angst; just Chris not being able to handle his time away from military duty. The tension that should be in these scenes falls flat as, instead of watching someone deteriorate before our eyes, it instead feels like an afterthought that Chris just can't handle a normal life anymore. This is not a knock on either Bradley Cooper or Sienna Miller, as I felt both did a solid job.

The script, adapted by Jason Hall, does not allow the film to take any chances nor allow us to invest with anybody in the film besides Chris and, to a lesser extent, Taya. Not having read the book, the script feels very rudimentary in its pacing; choosing to play safe and not take any chances either when: Chris is in Iraq or at home. The typical cliches are there, including: making difficult decisions when sniping, not wanting to leave the war, trouble adapting back home, etc. The actual story behind Chris Kyle is more interesting than the script provided. I'm sure not too many liberties were taken with the source material, but the script could have taken a less cliched route.

As with most Clint Eastwood films he has directed, the film is established well and tight in the overall narrative. Even though the film feels tight, what American Sniper really lacked was tension. Everything from the opening sequence where Chris has to decide if he is going to kill a mother and child to the climax in a sandstorm felt derived of tension. If anything, I expected Clint Eastwood to deliver some white-knuckle moments with the sniping scenes, yet I never sat on the edge of my seat. As stated on the wonderful Karina's review, "A definite cinema watch, but it is by no means a classic".

The movie itself is not terrible, yet is not great either. It's very middle of the road, and with a story like this and the talent involved, being middle of the road may be worse than being terrible.

6.4/10

Oh yeah, and there's the fake baby too...