"That Awkward Moment" When A Movie is Not Anything Like it Was Advertised...

The Trailer:

Director: Tom Gormican
Cast: Zac Efron, Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Mackenzie Davis, & Imogen Poots

Synopsis: After Mikey (Michael B. Jordan) is cheated on by his wife,  he and his two friends, Jason (Zac Efron) and Daniel (Miles Teller) decide to make a pact to stay single. This becomes difficult when Jason meets Ellie (Imogen Poots) and Daniel starts a secret relationship with his friend Chelsea (Mackenzie Davis). How will they keep their pact?

I wasn't expecting a cinematic masterpiece when going into this movie. I was expecting something more along the lines of the Hangover movies (which I've never liked, apparently, much to the bewilderment of my fellow 21st century, early 20's peers). What I mean is that I thought that kind of weird comedy where nothing actually happens and is just a bunch of dudes bro-ing out with each other and doing ridiculous things was what this movie was gonna be. And it definitely is, but it just fell flat for me. There are too many moments where literally NOTHING happens. It's just people looking at each other, or walking along and talking, though the conversation is muted and there is some sentimental song being played over the scene. There's also too many scenes of their surroundings. And while I certainly don't mind seeing the beauty of New York, these scenes are definitely just filler scenes to prolong the movie. Albeit, there are gag scenes, though they are few and far between and also just not funny. I'm sure I emitted a small chuckle at some of the scenes, but nothing that had me bowed over with laughter, which is really what I want in a comedy. It's actually listed as a rom-com, which are definitely not my favorite type of movie. But it really does fit the mold of a typical rom-com, fully furnished with a manic pixie dream type girl and the two buffoon like friends who impart their own types of wisdom on our dear Zac Efron who is apparently in the middle of a crisis because he finally realizes that it is possible to love women and not just fuck 'em for a while until their time on his "roster" runs out.

The actors did an average job at their characters, nothing to be excited about. For me, the only good thing about this movie was the attractive cast, but that's about it. Would I watch it again? Probably not. Like if it were on tv and I just wanted some background noise, yeah I'd put it on. But other than that, no I wouldn't watch it again.

"Housebound"... Bound for Greatness Or???

The Trailer:

Director: Gerard Johnstone
Cast: Morgana O'Reilly, Rima Te Wiata, Glen-Paul Waru, & Ross Harper

Synopsis: When career criminal, Kylie Bucknell (Morgana O'Reilly), is sentenced to house arrest in her childhood, where her mother, Miriam (Rima Te Wiata) and stepfather, Graeme (Ross Harper) still live, strange things begin to happen. Enlisting the help of Amos (Glen-Paul Waru), the man in charge of keeping track of Kylie who is also a beginner paranormal investigator, Kylie is about to solve the mystery of her home.

I wouldn't say I loved this movie, though I did like it quite a bit. This New Zealand movie is funny without being obnoxious, as is the norm in most American horror comedies. It's humor lies in how much it follows the clichés of general ghost story movies where the main character returns to their childhood home and memories of paranormal happenings resurface, and so he/she works to solve the mystery of the hauntings. Along with the cliché story line, this movie is fully equipped with a stereotypical horror film score that is loud, "haunting", and builds to a crescendo just as there is about to be a cat scare (definition: "when there is a buildup of tension followed by a fright of something harmless" as defined by tvtropes.org). And yes there were plenty of cat scares, and even some jump scares which add some to the horror aspect of the movie, but mostly lends a hand to the comedy aspect that pokes fun at typical horror movies. There is also a good amount of humor that lies in the subtle dialogue between characters or said as an aside, that can easily be missed if you're not paying attention. All the actors did a good job as their characters, nothing to rave about but still good enough that they ca pull off the sheer ridiculousness of the movie without it feeling amateur and silly. Because, in the end, this movie is still a ghost story that needs a satisfying conclusion, for the ghost and for the family.

Overall I liked this movie. It's nothing new, but it was still good fun and I would surely watch it again in the future when I want a good laugh.

"Wet Hot American Summer"

The Trailer:

Director: David Wain
Cast: Too many people to name...

Synopsis: On the last day of summer camp circa 1981, a group of teenage counselors try to make the best of their last day.

I realize that this movie came out in 2001, a whopping 14 years ago, but it wasn't until yesterday that I took the time to watch it. And let me just say that I was not disappointed. It is a parody of all those bad 80's summer camp flick that make summer camp look like the epitome of American teenage life. This movie is not very plot driven, and more of a series of events over the course of a day that follows various characters on their independent conquests. And it's hilarious, with all it's offbeat humor and witty, clipped dialogue. Plus all the overtly clichéd, stereotypical characters of teen flicks are played to a tee by all the actors involved in this movie. And these actors being able to carry a joke without making it seemed forced is what really made this movie so hilarious. Along with the constant jokes, there are just so many silly moments that simply require a laugh due to their sheer ridiculousness. And all the little jabs and fun made of 80's movies was icing on an already well iced cake!

Wet Hot American Summer is in no way a cinematic masterpiece, but it is a wonderfully crafted comedy. Will everyone enjoy this type of humor? Definitely not. But those that do will love it. Will I watch it again? Hell yes, I would!!

"If I Stay"... Long Enough To Actually Care

The Trailer:

Director: R.J. Cutler

Cast: Chloë Grace Moretz, Jamie Blackley, Mireille Enos, & Joshua Leonard

Synopsis: After a tragic car accident, Mia Hall (Chloë Grace Moretz) has an out of body experience while in a coma. She must decide whether she will wake up and live out her life, even though it is clear that it will never be as it was, or if she will allow herself be coaxed into death.

Unfortunately, I have to say that I wasn't impressed with this movie. Maybe it's because I was mentally comparing the movie to the book (which I thought was beautiful and poignant). Not much was lost in the book to movie process, mostly just the emotional impact of the book.

I was mostly disappointed with Mia's character. She seemed much more self-involved, whereas in the book she was mostly concerned with her family especially in the beginning right after the crash: Mia is all over looking for her parents and her brother before the paramedics arrive, but in the movie she pretty much goes immediately to her own body and stays there not even concerned with her family. And I just didn't love Chloë Grace Moretz as Mia. Which is such a shame considering how much I love Chloë Grace Moretz's other work, most notably her portrayal of Abby in Let Me In. But in this movie she was just blah. She was too quiet and/or timid in parts that required more of a punch, and she was too emotional in moments that didn't need it. She was unconvincing as the Mia Hall I was expecting. To me, Mia always seemed confident in herself, while also knowing that cello wasn't the coolest of instruments to play, especially since her parents are punk rockers. Even still, she was confident and witty, but in the movie she comes off as self-conscious and reserved. I'm not sure if it is Moretz's acting abilities that I'm questioning or if it is the directors directing, either way this was not Mia Hall. Also, can I just mention the shitty CGI effects of placing Chloë Grace Moretz's head on some real cello players body. I would have been satisfied with the typical up-close shots of hands playing the instrument and/or shots from behind as in other movies that have actors who can't actually play the instrument the character does, but CGI-ing her head in just cheapened these intense moments. UGH!

I was appreciative of Mireille Enos' portrayal of Mia's mother, Kat. When I saw the previews for the movie, I thought "she is the perfect choice for Mia's mom". Kat is comforting and motherly while also being a total badass and Mireille portrayed that seamlessly. Joshua Leonard was also good as Denny, Mia's father.Not exceptional or award-worthy but he got the job done. Jamie Blackley as Adam wasn't bad but he wasn't believable. I mean the guy is 25, and we're supposed to believe he's a highschooler? Yeah, right!

This movie is trying to hard to be overly sentimental and poignant and ended up feeling too forced. I never felt connected to Mia or any of the other characters for that matter. It's lengthy as well, for no reason because it just seemed to drag and about half way through I didn't care if Mia woke up or not (although I already knew because I read the book), I just wanted the movie to end already! Like I mentioned before, nothing was really lost from the book and yet the emotional impact simply wasn't there anymore. It was somehow lost in translation. Don't get me wrong, though, I did cry quite often throughout the movie but I think that is mostly because I was reminded of the despair I felt while reading the book, not necessarily because the movie moved me to tears. Would I watch this again? Most definitely not!

"Girls Against Boys"... Or Slow Against Boring, Which Will Win?

The Trailer:

Director: Austin Chick

Cast: Danielle Panabaker and Nicole LaLiberte

Synopsis: After being assaulted twice by men, Shae (Danielle Panabaker) teams up with Lulu (Nicole LaLiberte) on a killing spree of various men that have crossed their paths recently.

Where to start? I think there is an overall message that all girls aren't inherently good and that all boys aren't inherently bad, but it took too long to get to this point, and honestly it was just a bore to watch. There is nothing innovative about this tale. A girl gets raped and then her and her unstable friend seek revenge on, not only her rapist, but just men in general because they "are all guilty of something". Though Danielle Panabaker and Nicole LaLiberte do their best at portraying such flimsy characters, there is simply nothing interesting about this movie that seems to drag on forever and ever. And the more the movie progresses the more sloppy and messy it becomes. *Sigh*

The killing spree. Okay, not really a killing spree; in the course of a day, as a couple, they kill three individuals. And then both Lulu and Shae go on to kill one other person, each on their own. I simply cannot wrap my head around the kills. They all seem so unnecessary and pointless. Also, I am completely incredulous to the idea that after seeing Lulu kill the first victim, Shae just goes along with it without a second thought. And then, after the first kill, they sit and have a bowl of cereal. I guess this is to show to us how ruthless and heartless these characters are that they can sit and eat while a dead body is laying beside them, but just comes across as pretentious and plainly put, dumb. Also, at the end of the movie, after they've killed all these people, we're supposed to believe that they didn't get caught. Because never, not once in the movie do they question their involvement in these murders and if the police are looking for them. They are not skilled murderers, they are amateurs that left messes and bodies lying about, how were they not caught? It's pure silliness. My suspension of disbelief could not stretch far enough to cover this absurd implication.

Also this movie has little dialogue. I get that in certain movies talking is unnecessary as what is being conveyed to us can be shown through body movement and facial expression, but this is not one of those movies. There needed to be discussion between the characters, and real discussion. Not pointless guessing-game talk about the percentage of vitamins and ingredients in Captain Crunch cereal. There's also quite a few filler scenes that serve no purpose. Like Shae just walking about a farmers market, or sadly walking to class, or writing notes in class. None of these moments make Shae seem more relatable or whatever it is that director was trying to shoot for with these scenes, they're just ineffectual. Also, on a side note: what was Shae's deal wit bathrooms? Every time she was feeling uneasy about something, she went into a bathroom. I don't know, I think that may be something that only bothers me.

I can't say this is a horrible movie, because it's not, but it's also not good in any way. As a drama, horror, thriller (as it's classified on IMDb) there's not nearly enough blood or scare components to make it a horror, and there's not enough emotional substance to be a drama either. It's just sort of blah. Also, as another side note completely off topic: I'm not entirely sure that Lulu is a real person, she could be a separate sect of Shae's psyche that is a much more extreme version of herself, but this is only a theory and I don't really have enough evidence to support it. All in all, I probably wouldn't watch it again.

"WhoAmI/ No System Is Safe (Kein System ist sicher)"... Literally, No System!

The Trailer:

Director: Baran bo Odar

Cast: Tom Schilling, Elyas M'Barek, Wotan Wilke Möhring, Antoine Monot Jr., Hannah Herzsprung, & Trine Dyrholm

Synopsis: Benjamin (Tom Schilling), a computer hacking genius, joins a computer hacking team in order to become noticed in the darknet hacking groups, especially an idolized hacker, MRX.

This movie is no way a cinematic masterpiece, but it is amazing. It's overall atmosphere and tone is similar to Fight Club, but no where near as masterful. And while that is true, I still thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Tom Schilling did a wonderful job as the shy, nervous computer "nerd" who seeks help from the cybercrime detective, Hanne Lindberg (Trine Dryhom), investigating the crimes performed by the Russian cyber mafia, Fr1ends, and the computer hacking group known as CLAY (which we later learn is the group Benjamin is apart of). The group of CLAY (acronym for Clowns Laughing At You) consists of four members; Benjamin, Max (Elyas M'Barek), Stephan (Wotan Wilke Möhring), and Paul (Antoine Monot Jr.). They start out with small computer hacking jobs, but soon realize that they are nothing but a joke to MRX (MRX is like a hacking legend/icon whom they all look up to). In order to impress MRX, they move onto bigger jobs such as hacking into the German Secret Service. Their job is simple: hack the German Secret Service's main server, leave a note for them in the form a hundreds of flyers inscribed with "CLAY was here. No System is Safe!" to be printed as soon as the server boots up the next morning. The mission was just to prove to the secret service that any server could be hacked and not to be too comfortable in their so-called security, they were definitely not supposed to take anything from the server. Benjamin, though, took data from the server to serve as proof of their work. But later in a angry drunken stupor— after seeing Max kissing Marie (Hannah Herzsrpung), the girl Benjamin has had a crush on since forever— Benjamin gives this data to MRX to prove that he is a somebody rather than the nobody that Max and the rest of CLAY claim he is. This simple act leads them into a dangerous game with MRX and the Fr1ends, who have now committed murder because of the data Benjamin stole.

I was on the edge of my seat, figuratively speaking, the entire time. And I was just as confused and incredulous as Hanne Lindberg was, while Benjamin is relating his story to her. All the holes and inconsistencies in his story left me wondering what really happened and how Benjamin is truly involved. And in the end with the double twists (yes, double twists!), I was also just as surprised as Lindberg. I didn't expect either of the twists, they were perfectly crafted and extremely believable. Also on another note, I really appreciated the consistent voice-over in this movie. The voice-overs always served a purpose and were never forgotten about as it is in some movies, where it starts with a voice-over but is never followed through with. I would absolutely watch this movie again, and of course I would recommend it to others!!

"Metalhead (Málmhaus)" Rock Out With Your Grief Out?

The Trailer:

Director: Ragnar Bragason

Cast: Thora Bjorg Helga, Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson, Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir, & Sveinn Ólafur Gunnarsson

Synopsis: After witnessing her brother's death at age twelve, Hera (Thora Bjorg Helga) submerges herself into metal music (the music her brother loved) and finds solace there. And now in her early adulthood she must try to cope with the grief that she has been living in and finally find her way out.

I didn't really know what to expect from this movie. The trailer almost makes it seem like a psychological thriller, which it definitely is not. It's mostly a study of the effects of grief on a family who, rather than deal with the loss of their son/brother, remain lost inside their own sorrow. 

The setting of this film is a muted, bleak, cold village in Iceland. All the citizens are hardworking people who don't understand Hera's penchant for heavy metal music, and really just think of her as a rebellious nuisance. When Hera reaches an age that demands her to make something of herself and become someone's wife, she rebels against that even harder. She also becomes reckless realizing that her idea of how she wants to live her life doesn't match what her parents want from her. And while Hera is outrageous and loud in her effort to escape her grief, her parents are much more subdued. Her father, Karl (Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson), doesn't talk much about his late son or anything for that matter. He is quite distant from everyone, especially his wife. Hera's mother, Droplaug (Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir) is still going through the motions of being a mother and wife, but is emotionally detached from both Hera and her husband. This creates a dynamic between the family members that is both broken and strained. And though Hera is wallowing in her grief, she finds an essential part of herself. She finds her love of heavy metal music and creating her own music in order to finally deal with her pain. Which also forces her parents to deal with their own pain. 

Through most of the movie it seems as though the writer wants us to believe that only a sad or disturbed person could like heavy metal music, but that idea is snuffed out with two important moments in the film: When Janus (Sveinn Ólafur Gunnarsson), the new priest in town, reveals that he is a metal fan and when said priest encourages Hera to embrace her true self and not let others' opinions of her define who she is. Hera ultimately learns that she doesn't need her grief to be  a good musician, and she doesn't need to give up her love of heavy metal in order to prove that she has finally moved past her grief. And with Hera's new found confidence in herself and her unorthodox way of living, they also can finally move past the grief that has plagued them for so many years. I most definitely liked this move and would totally watch it again!!! \m/