Movie Night- Suicide Squad

8/10/2016

Suicide Squad 

Between Suicide Squad, Batman v Superman, and Ghostbusters; It seems like having an opinion about films has become really controversial this year. The disconnect between movie critics and standard film audiences seems to be growing larger every year, and having an opinion either way has become a cause for massive backlash. People need to understand that giving your opinion on a piece of art is just their perspective and what they got out of it. You might have a completely different feeling of a film and that's a good thing. Always rely on your own opinion regardless of mass consensus or differing views. While I will be giving you my opinion about this film like I do with every film, you should still see it for yourself before you give an opinion either way. In my opinion, this movie was a flat out mess. 

There are a few positives about the film that do deserve some recognition. Will Smith did a fairly good job in this film, even though he did just feel like a standard Will Smith character. He never really went for it and there were no scenes I thought he really shined in, but he did do a good job. Margot Robbie also did a really good job as Harley Quinn. She instantly connected with audiences and made the character likable but never too sympathetic. I also really liked the character of Diablo played by Jay Hernandez. Diablo had an interesting pathos that made for a fairly well handled character arc. Overall with a few exceptions the film was well casted but that's all I can really say positively. 

Now I have to talk about the things I did not like, because there are a lot of them. The editing of this was all over the place and the film never had a cohesive flow to it. Scenes came and went never feeling important or having a sense of urgency to them. They mashed in so many random pop songs in the first act that felt so out of place you can tell they weren't added until much later. The songs never fit the film, or even the scene for that matter, feeling sloppy and gimmicky. The film was shot so indifferently it never once contained a cool or interesting shot. The writing of the film was cringe-worthy and awkward. I have no idea how this screenplay was approved. When the film you praise to be the more fun and entertaining entry in your universe fails at humor, then you have failed. The directing seems to be completely missing from the final product, and I believe that is because DC and Warner Bros cannot help but interfere with a completely natural process like directing. There never seems to be a clear voice or a single directorial touch. It feels like a movie directed by a committee of board members.

Everyone has been giving their opinion on the new Joker portrayed by Jared Leto, and mine is pretty indecisive. I have to give him credit for trying to be different from Ledger, Nicholson, and Hamill; but he seems to be going too far off the mark. While he isn't in the film long and the lines he was given were not the best, I can't completely fault him for this movie. But by far the worst performance in the movie was that of Cara Delevingne as Enchantress. Her performance was completely laughable and didn't work in the slightest way. Considering she was the main villain of the film and not only was she not menacing, she was down-right ridiculous. When your main villain inspires more fear, immediacy, or clear motivation your movie loses any and all tension.

This movie was all over the place. The editing was amateur. The acting was all over the place, either good or terrible. The writing was embarrassing, which is shocking considering David Ayer wrote Training Day as well. I do not personally see the appeal that fans of this movie are raving about. I was not expecting much from this movie, but it surprised  me how bad it ended up being. 

3/10

Movie Night- Cafe Society

8/3/2016

Cafe Society 

Going into this screening today I couldn't necessarily say that I was very excited. I saw the trailer for this film a few months prior and thought it would be your standard yearly submission from Woody Allen. While I have a lot of respect for Woody Allen and I would not even say he's made a bad film, most of his films are good yet forgettable. Annie Hall, Manhattan, and Midnight In Paris are really good films, but those are the only ones I really like from his filmography. Well I now have to add Cafe Society to that list. 

I was genuinely surprised on how much I ended up enjoying this film. From the opening shot until the final credits I was thoroughly entertained. First let's discuss the cast of the film because everyone completely nailed their performances. Jesse Eisenberg returned to what he does best after the disastrous Lex Luther we received earlier this year, playing the awkward yet endearing main character. Steve Carell, Kristen Stewart, and Blake Lively all did great work as well. While I can't say that any performance was outstanding or all that spectacular, every actor and actress fit their role like a glove and helped make the film more investing. The cinematography was also very well handled by the excellent cinematographer Vittorio Storaro. The two cities of New York and Los Angeles feel very different due to lighting and setting. The film overall looks great, helping lend to the comforting feeling Woody Allen is known for. Obviously the stand out component of the film is Woody Allen, who delivers a film that felt familiar but fresh. His writing is entertaining and snappy as it always is but he also wrote some fairly engaging characters. I found the characters relatable but not overly realistic and serious, which would've totally conflicted with the story. Woody Allen excels at directing as well having a great sense of pacing and overall direction. He knows when to have funny dialogue to entertain the audience and he knows when to insert a slightly more serious scene. The film is never melodramatic but it does allow for relatability.

There are a couple flaws with the film however, but never enough to weigh down the film completely. While I did praise the film for the cast filling their roles well, it felt sort of predictable and safe. The story never really surprises you and doesn't take many risks. The film also meandered a bit in the third act and slowed the film down a tad. 

Cafe Society is a very competent film, but don't let it's subtleties fool you. It's an entertaining film that has great dialogue and really good characters. While it very much feels like a Woody Allen film, it wasn't the goal to try something experimental or daring. It was enjoyable and is now one of my favorites by Allen. 

7/10