Movie Night- The Guest

4/25/2016

The Guest 

Welcome to Movie Night with Brandon, which is basically my excuse to discuss and review any film I feel like. Whether it's a brand new film or an older one, it's whatever I feel like doing. In this series, I won't be giving grades because I don't feel that they're necessary for this particular series. With all that out of the way, let's talk about some movies. 

The Guest is easily one of the most genuinely fun movies I've seen in the last few years. This film just simply oozes cool and is always a good time to watch. I'll go further into detail about this movie without giving any spoilers but if you have not seen it yet, please go watch it as soon as possible. It's currently on Netflix so please watch it. 

The movie starts with the family grieving over the loss of their son who died in combat. And one random day a guest shows up at their front door claiming to be a friend of their recently dead son. The mother invites him in and they talk about how they knew each other from the Army and how he was asked to tell the family he loved them. All seems well and good when David (the guest) first comes to town. He is an extremely well-mannered guy and extremely like able. But then strange things start happening around town and you start to wonder who David really is. 

The first thing I really have to commend is Dan Stevens for his portrayal of David. He displays so much charisma through his performance but you can also sense that there is something else going on with him as well. He had the presence that the role required as well as very good comedic timing when the scene called for it. Maika Monroe also did an excellent job as the sister in the film. She was always very believable and she never felt non-authentic to me. Between her performance in this and It Follows, I think she has a bright future ahead of her. The rest of the cast also feels very believe-able as well, but the younger brother sometimes faltered in some of the earlier scenes, but he does get better as the film progresses. 

The direction of The Guest is also spot-on. Other people have made the connection to John Carpenter and I really agree with the comparison. This film hits so many different genres and it always feels effortless. The director of the film Adam Wingard also directed films like You're Next and a few segments of the the V/H/S franchise. I enjoy both those works but this is obviously his best film as of yet. While the cinematography never blows you away, it is well done and there are some clever shots in the movie. The Guest also takes place during Halloween and it really adds to the atmosphere that it's trying to create, especially during the ending segment of the film. 

If you know me, you know I love a good soundtrack/score, and this movie has one of my favorite soundtracks in the last ten years. The soundtrack really adds the style the film is going for and helps it feel even more unique than anything recently released.  I own the soundtrack and I listen to it almost on a weekly basis. 

This film is so infinatley re-watchable because of it's fun story, awesome soundtrack, and memorable characters. I can see this movie becoming a classic in years to come and being considered when it starts to receive the recognition it deserves. 

Movie Night- Under the Skin

4/18/2016

Under the Skin 

Welcome to Movie Night with Brandon, which is basically my excuse to discuss and review any film I feel like. Whether it's a brand new film or an older one, it's whatever I feel like doing. In this series, I won't be giving grades because I don't feel that they're necessary for this particular series. With all that out of the way, let's talk about some movies. 

Where do I even begin with a film like Under the Skin? I should probably start off by saying this is an art house film. For all you general audience members out there you may not have the best experience watching this film. You will be left with a lot of un answered questions and you might be a little confused by the end. Although I think you all should give it a shot and try the film out for yourself, go in knowing this is about as art house as it gets.It is hard to talk about this film  without going into spoilers, and there will be very basic spoilers in this review but I will stay away from many plot points for .

 Under the Skin is about Scarlett Johansson's character, billed only as "The Female", hunting for lonely men in the night. Not much is known at the offset about her character but all we can understand is that she is not human. This is one of the interesting notes about the film is they had hidden cameras in the van that Johansson drives in the film and a lot of the men she encounters are not paid actors. This is one of the many way that Johansson delves deep into her character. She has become a very successful and recognizable actress over the years, mainly for her work as Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But whenever I watch this film I don't see any of her other characters she is more well known for, I see simply "The Female". She is completely flawless in this film and genuinely Oscar worthy. The rest of the cast is composed of mostly unknown actors or Scotland locals. All the other actors felt like real people. While they aren't technically stealing the show, they absolutely do the job well.  

The story this film tells is one of variation. On one hand you watch this film as a straight up thriller with tons of creepiness, but there also a great deal going on under the surface. It is a very convincing horror movie with the genius of art house cinema. This is because of the brilliant direction from Jonathan Glazer. He crafts a emotionally gripping story that takes you from fear, empathy, and wonderment. Another thing I have to mention is the films score, because it's one of the most inventive and fitting scores I've ever heard. The music of the film alone is enough to give you an insurmountable amount of chills. The cinematography is also spot on, showing off either beautiful landscape, or eerie close ups. The overall camera work shows off amazing visual story telling while not over blowing the screen. The special effects of the film work wonders as well lending to the films other worldly story. The opening of the film leaves my jaw on the floor, pondering how they could've managed the shots. 

The first time I saw this film was about four months ago and I've now seen it five times, once today for the purposes for this review. Every time I watch this film I feel a greater appreciation for art of cinema and the impact that pictures can leave. The films pacing is very slow moving and some people can find that a very negative aspect of the film. I find the pace very enthralling as an audience member. It takes it's time and builds the film to a haunting finale that left me speechless. 

If you have made it to the end of this review and you have not seen Under the Skin, I implore you to seek it out. While I do understand how off-putting this film can be to impatient audiences, film lovers will in pure ecstasy through the entirety of the run time. It's a once in a lifetime picture that will be studied, analyzed, and admired for many years. 

Movie Night- Drive

4/11/2016

Drive 

Welcome to Movie Night with Brandon, which is basically my excuse to discuss and review any film I feel like. Whether it's a brand new film or an older one, it's whatever I feel like doing. In this series, I won't be giving grades because I don't feel that they're necessary for this particular series. With all that out of the way, let's talk about some movies. 

I first saw Drive when it came out in 2011, I was at first sort of disappointed. At the time I wasn't a fan of art house cinema and the advertising this film created sold an entirely different film. I didn't know who Nicolas Winding Refn was or had much interest in films that won awards at the Cannes Film Festival. In the last couple years however I became obsessed with art house film making and I rediscovered the film Drive. I saw it through completely different eyes and I fell in love with a film I had previously shrugged off as a bore fest. 

The film Drive is exceptional from every angle of film making. The cast of the film is flawless and everyone handles their roles with reverence and extreme precision. Ryan Gosling, billed only as The Driver, gives in my opinion the best performance of his career as a stunt driver with a bit of a dark side who also does driving jobs for criminals. The way he conveys emotion and character motivations with very minimal dialogue perfectly encapsulates the character while subtly presenting his acting skills. Everyone else in the cast is excellent as well from Bryan Cranston of Breaking Bad fame, the understated Albert Brooks, the always impressive Ron Perlman, and a pre-Star-Wars Oscar Issac. 

While all the acting is exceptional in the film, the biggest proponent is Nicolas Winding Refn's direction. The visual story telling in this movie is on full blast and is constantly leaving the audience in awe. The film has a very sleek look with gorgeous cinematography and brilliant choices of shots/camera angles. Another amazing aspect to this film is the soundtrack. It introduced me to an entirely new genre of music that superbly fits into the world this movie creates. I have seen very few films with this much style and substance perfectly culminating to a beautiful picture in my lifetime. 

I could talk about this film for hours, but I want to keep these reviews condensed. Overall this film is a genuine masterpiece and I recommend you seek it out immediately if you have yet to see it. Keep in mind that it's an art house film, not an action thriller with plenty of Hollywood stereotypes. It is a film that deserves your attention. 

Movie Night- 2001: A Space Odyssey

4/4/2016

2001: A Space Odyssey 

Welcome to Movie Night with Brandon, which is basically my excuse to discuss and review any film I feel like. Whether it's a brand new film or an older one, it's whatever I feel like doing. In this series, I won't be giving grades because I don't feel that they're necessary for this particular series. With all that out of the way, let's talk about some movies. 

For those of you who don't know, Stanley Kubrick is my favorite director. So I thought it would be a great idea to open up this series with one of his most prestigious films. His films are always so well-crafted and masterful in execution and I feel like 2001 is where he definitely started developing his style as a visionary director. His films prior to this were more story driven narratives, as where 2001 is a feast for your eyes and ears. 

When this film premiered 1968, people embarked on this journey that this film takes you on. It was a very unique film then as much as it is now. The visual effects in this film are genuinely impressive, even by today's standards. The shots in space feel real and the more effects heavy scenes at the end of the movie are absolutely immersive. The visuals are also masterful just from the cinematography and overall camera work. Kubrick knows when to hold a shot and when to cut. When he holds shots you know that something important is being displayed. People always discuss the visuals in the film and rightfully so, but I don't feel like people give enough credit to the films score. The soundtrack to this film is euphoric and perfectly fits whats happening onscreen. 

When it comes to characters and dialogue, this is where the film is very subtle. While the visuals and the sounds of the film are on maximum, the story aspects fly a little bit under the radar. Especially on your first viewing, you may not even get attached to any of the characters, which I think is intentional. The human characters feel very stoic and emotionless, as where characters like Hal-9000 are given the most emotional lines and motivations. Which is interesting considering Hal-9000 is a computer and he shows the most emotions. 

I've seen this movie a few times now, and every time I watch it I feel like I  discover something new or something else clicks in my brain that makes the film feel even more brilliant. I'm not gonna give my analysis in this review because I believe you should watch it and draw your own conclusions and find your own meanings. 

Overall it's a film I definitely recommend and I also recommend you watch it at least a couple of times, It may be a very slow paced film, but if you give a chance it will grow on you with it's perfect presentation and execution.