Movie #9 of 100: "Venom"

Movie #9 of 100: “Venom”

Overall Thoughts:

After his disastrous turn in “Spiderman 3: The Dance of Peter Parker,” Venom gets significantly better treatment in his own film, with Tom Hardy doing the honors as the cinematic redemption tour hits the road.

The movie does take a while to get going, really emphasizing just how much of a “loser” Hardy’s Eddie Brock character is. He’s self-absorbed, willing to throw anyone under the bus that he needs to in order to get his story, or advance his own career.

That selfishness really comes back to the forefront of your mind as you watch Eddie deal with the symbiote Venom, as the pair need one another just to survive. Venom keeps Eddie alive through confrontations with mercenaries and businessmen alike, and Eddie helps Venom on a journey of self-discovery, and I enjoyed both of those elements of the film.

Ultimately, the movie suffered from several bad elements, including its villain, who was basically Elon Musk with a different haircut. His “ruthlessness” was comically bad, and I never really bought his motives or his flimsy reasoning behind his plan.

The special effects were also a letdown for the most part, and the relationship between Hardy and Michelle Williams was completely devoid of meaning or emotional heft.

All of that being said, it was a somewhat fun movie that had good moments between Venom and Brock, but in the end, that wasn’t enough to really save it.

Favorite Scene:

The highlight of the movie would have to be the scene where Venom explains to Brock why he’s had a change of heart about his feelings toward the Earth, and why he’s decided it’s worth saving. I won’t get into too many details to avoid spoilers, but it was the closest the film ever really came to having a strong emotional impact.

Favorite Performance:

It took a while to realize that Hardy’s voice was the voice of Venom, but that little detail made his character that much more enjoyable. Usually I like to pick another supporting role for my favorite performance but considering the lackluster villain, love interest, and supporting cast, I’m stuck with Hardy by default.  

Stars: 2 out of 5

Movie #8 of 100: "The Shape of Water"

Movie #8 of 100: “The Shape of Water”

Overall Thoughts:

It only took me eight movies, but I finally got to my first Best Picture winner, and unlike some other entries in that group (I’m looking at YOU “Crash”), “The Shape of Water” was a delight in every conceivable way.

For starters, the performances in the movie were all top notch. While I’ll get more into that later when I reveal my favorite performance of all, a lot of credit has to be given to Sally Hawkins, whose Elisa was a distinctive and wonderfully nuanced character, despite the fact that she doesn’t speak a line of dialogue in the movie.

Her artful grace as she signs words to her friends and colleagues was a treat to watch, and one of the movie’s most distinctive features.

Of course, no collection of thoughts on the film would be complete without praising the work of Guillermo del Toro, who has been thrilling me with movies since I first saw “Hellboy” all those many moons ago. I have not seen all of his movies, but he has put together quite a resume, as “The Shape of Water” may rank right up there with “Pacific Rim” and “Pan’s Labyrinth” in my ranking of top del Toro flicks.

The vivid colors and visuals that are the hallmark of del Toro films are all present here, and with painstaking detail, the director creates a world that simply feels right, and feels like one that you want to be in, even as the amphibious creature unnerves you with its realism and its unpredictability.

Finally, praise must be heaped upon the score of Alexandre Desplat, who’s been on a real roll lately with his incredible work in really strong films, including “The Imitation Game” and “Isle of Dogs.”

Favorite Performance:

I have not seen “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” but I get the sense that when I do, I’m going to be even more irritated that Richard Jenkins did not win Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards for this film (and this is coming from someone who has always picked Sam Rockwell as the “guy I’d love to play me in a movie”).

Jenkins, who plays Elisa’s confidant and accomplice, gives probably my favorite performance that he’s ever given, playing Giles with a mix of endearing honesty, good humor, and desperation at improving his lot in life.

That sadness and tension that Giles feels in his heart as he deals with the disappointments, joys, and frightening moments of life are all apparent in Jenkins’ acting, but he never loses his core optimism that the world can be a good place, and that quality is something that is continuing to linger in my mind as I think about the film.

It’s blindingly obvious that Hawkins did a great job as Elisa, Michael Shannon jumped off the screen as Richard Strickland, and that Octavia Spencer is a goddess among mortals, but for me, Jenkins’ turn in this movie narrowly edges out ahead of a field of truly incredible work.

Favorite Scene:

In the interest of avoiding spoilers, I won’t reveal my favorite little moment in the film, which is part of a larger scene in which Elisa is beaming with happiness after spending time with the “asset,” so instead I’ll say that the scene in which Elisa aims to help the creature escape captivity is my favorite, simply because of the fact that it so deftly mixed the undercover agents’ attempts at springing the creature free with the amateur-planning of Elisa and Giles, who get an unwitting assist from Zelda in the process.

Any scene involving Giles and Elisa talking for an extended period, whether at the diner or in their apartment building, was worth rewinding again as well, if for nothing else than the way it captures you in the spirit of the early 1960’s, when things seemed simpler and we were a country fighting a just war against oppressors, instead of worrying that we’re being oppressed by those in power.

Naturally, the scene in which Elisa forces Giles to say, out loud, what she is signing to him as she tries to explain why she wants to help the creature escape was a painful and remarkable moment in the movie. It got plenty of attention during awards season, and with very good reason.

Stars: 4.5 out of 5

Movie #7 of 100: "Vice"

Movie #7 of 100: “Vice”

Overall Thoughts:

Going into the movie, I had a pretty good idea of what to expect: Christian Bale, huffing and puffing around set as he carried around 40 extra pounds of weight and extra muscle in his neck, weaving a story of both redemption (from former Vice President Dick Cheney’s partying ways all the way to the White House) and ruthlessness (Iraq War. Duh.).

Therefore, the movie gave me about what I expected, but it also gave a lot more than that.

The film added a bit of humanity to a character that it would have been all too easy to just pass off as pure evil and leave it at that. Instead, director Adam McKay made sure to imbue his Dick Cheney with a certain amount of understandability (I don’t know if that’s a word, but I’m rolling with it), a characteristic that makes viewers identify with the man who worked his way up from a grunt worker with the electric company to one heartbeat away from the presidency.

Bale’s Cheney was a master at something truly remarkable: dominating a scene while simply remaining quiet and observing. That quality is usually absent in high-profile biopics, but the film’s insistence on amplifying that important characteristic of the former vice president was a very smart idea that definitely worked to the movie’s benefit.

The movie’s non-linear approach may have thrown some folks off, but I felt it gave some important context to some key moments in the former VP’s life, and the mix of narrative documentary, dark comedy, and heavy-handed drama made for an entertainment experience that was impossible to predict and even more difficult to forget about after I walked out of the theater.

Favorite Performance:

It would be easy to just cast my lot with Bale, who will likely get nominated for an Academy Award for his performance, but I’m going to lean toward Amy Adams, who did a great job of playing Lynne Cheney.

While most moviegoers would expect Dick Cheney to be the ruthless brains behind the operation, Adams made sure to play his wife in a way that made her absolutely imperative to the story of both his life and of the film itself. She was a tour de force, to use an incredibly hackneyed phrase, and she should certainly get a great deal of credit for injecting some real tension and drama into the movie.

Favorite Scene:

The scene in which Dick Cheney, settling into his first job in the White House, is sitting in his tiny, cramped office is one of, if not the best, bit of acting in the whole film.

The delightful mix of sheer glee at being able to call his family from the White House, the smirking confidence of a tactical battle well won, and the bewildered “what comes next” in his eyes was probably the movie’s defining moment for Bale, as he got to bring all of his acting ability into one scene. He had to act with his eyes, his words, and his body language, and he somehow managed to nail all three facets of the performance with flawless execution.

Stars: 4 out of 5

Movie #6 of 100: The Death of Stalin

Movie #6 of 100: “The Death of Stalin”

Overall Thoughts:

I went into the movie expecting a dark, twisted comedy, and that’s pretty much what I got. The film, about the aftermath of the death of Soviet despot Joseph Stalin, has a ton of laugh-inducing moments, but behind the frivolity lies a very serious message: the carnage in Stalin’s Soviet Union was random, quickly meted out, and often exceedingly cruel.

Fortunes change on a whim in the film for characters of all stripes, and often times while the camera is panning around there is something terrible happening to somebody. Whether it’s a character being arrested, beaten, or killed, as the main action is going on in several scenes there are other characters being tortured and killed, and while it’s funny at first, soon you realize that behind the comedy there is that inescapable truth that life in Soviet Russia was probably just that random and deadly.

Aside from the big messages that the film is there to deliver are some stellar performances, mixing the horror of the occasion with the hilarious comedy of the absurd. I’ll delve into some specific scenes later, but Steve Buscemi’s Nikita Khrushchev constantly being flummoxed by Russell Beale’s Lavrenti Beria, and the dim-witted actions of Jeffrey Tambor’s dopey “God I hope I look cool doing this” Georgy Malenkov, make for some truly excellent moments.

Favorite Performance:

Beale’s equally vicious and cunning turn as Beria was a big highlight of the movie for me, and it was amazing watching him so convincingly remain one step ahead of Khrushchev throughout the film.

An underrated part of the cast was Olga Kurylenko, who portrayed musical performer Maria Veniaminovna Yudina. Her character was one of the few in the film that constantly acted against Stalin, potentially incurring his wrath with her actions throughout the movie, and her reaction to news that Stalin had died was pitch-perfect: “he looks so small.”

Favorite Scene:

The entire scene around the death of Stalin was chock full of absolutely dazzling moments, including the men moving Stalin’s body into his bedroom, with the group struggling to move him without dropping him.

As word of Stalin’s death spreads, another fantastic scene takes place in which numerous people are arrested and shot, including a group of individuals being executed by firing squad in a gulag. Before his death, one of the men yells “LONG LIVE STALIN” before being told that the leader had died, and before he can finish saluting the new Soviet leader, he too is executed.

The scene is a perfect encapsulation of the random brutality in the film, and of the dark comedic overtones that make it all so entertaining.

Stars: 3.5 out of 5

Movie #5 of 100: "The Lego Batman Movie"

Movie #5 of 100: “The Lego Batman Movie”

Overall Thoughts:

Everything about Will Arnett’s Lego Batman was cranked up to 11 in “The Lego Movie,” and in his own standalone film, the filmmakers only amplified the absurdity.

That, perhaps more than anything else, is what made this movie memorable for me. Instead of going the dark and brooding route for dramatic effect, the film made light of that idea in this movie, giving the character a bit of goofiness that worked well in the larger context of the Lego universe.

The movie also does a great job of not getting too bogged down in standard superhero tropes, and instead focuses on the real motivations that drive the characters involved. Why does Batman really refuse to allow anyone to help him, or get close to him? Why does the Joker continuously try to defeat Batman and destroy Gotham (and, why does he ALWAYS get away?)

The film tackles those questions and a whole lot more, and does so in really inventive ways that move beyond simple parody or spin-off techniques. It is an original piece of filmmaking that delivers the laughs and gives some good old-fashioned fun.

The various nods to other Batman films were also worthwhile, and the movie even features jokes about Batman’s “rivalry” with Superman for good measure. That willingness to poke fun at the Batman mythos, even as the live-action films are pushing in darker and darker directions for the Caped Crusader, is an essential part of the movie, and a welcome move back toward some of the campiness that made the Batman of the 1960’s and of the Tim Burton-era memorable.

Favorite Performance:

Will Arnett and Michael Cera, who played Robin in the film, shared some remarkable chemistry on-screen, but the show was really dominated by Zach Galifianakis, who turned in one of his better performances as the Joker.

Whereas the Joker has been pushed in even more psychotic directions thanks to Heath Ledger’s remarkable portrayal in “The Dark Knight,” Galifianakis’ turn in the role moved him back into a comedic role, but also explored the deeper emotions of the movie villain. It was a fascinating twist, and one that mined a lot of narrative gold as the movie went on.

Favorite Scene:

There were two scenes in the film that really stood out, and the first occurred within the first minutes as Batman encountered an entire Rogue’s Gallery of his greatest……and not so greatest enemies.

The homage to Batman’s history of villains was a top-notch nod to fans of the Dark Knight, including the appearance of little-known baddies like the Condiment King, whom I vaguely remembered from the Animated Series that was so popular in the 1990’s.

The other scene that stood out thanks to its complexity was the scene where Batman and Robin go to the Fortress of Solitude. During the scene, Batman finds out that the Justice League is hosting a massive party that he wasn’t invited to, and the mixture of awkward attempts at socializing, as well as his hilarious exit from the party, both made for a memorable mix of levity and sadness.

Stars: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Movie #4 of 100: "Incredibles 2"

Movie 4/100: “Incredibles 2”

Overall Thoughts:

The internet is full of gushing praise for just about everything Pixar does, and while this movie didn’t quite live up to the original for me (more on that later on), I still though it was a really entertaining and thoughtful film.

The main premise of the film, with Holly Hunter’s Elasti-girl taking on the role of main family superhero felt a bit derivative of the first movie, in which Mr. Incredible was doing undercover hero work under the guise of a “straight job.”

This time, the whole idea behind bringing Helen Parr back into the hero fold is to try to get laws banning superheroes overturned, and Bob Odenkirk does a really nice job as the business executive trying to make that happen. That element of the movie was much more interesting, and definitely was fleshed out with all of the positives and negatives fully vetted on screen.

The main selling point of the narrative, as many others have surely mentioned, is Bob Parr (Craig T. Nelson) having to deal with being Mr. Dad instead of Mr. Incredible. Learning how to juggle the responsibilities and the roles of a father, therapist, and cheerleader, for his kids gave the movie some of its finest emotional juice, and the writing and execution of that portion of the story were both top-notch.

In terms of the villain and stakes, the movie certainly delivers. The idea of a Screenslaver-type character feels appropriate in an age where we’re all addicted to the little computers in our pockets (and felt like a bit of a personal attack for me, since I watched three movies on the day I saw this film), and the motivations behind the character made for a compelling antagonist.

My complaints about the movie center around how Helen Parr’s “job” mirrored the role of her husband in the first film, and a much smaller quibble: that Dash Parr didn’t seem to get as much of his character fleshed out as his sister Violet and brother Jack Jack did. That can probably be at least somewhat explained by the fact that he got some narrative baggage in the first film (not being able to participate in sports, and rebelling against the notion that he had to keep his powers secret), but it still would have been nice to have seen that thread stretched out a bit further.

Favorite Performance:

Nelson’s performance as Mr. Incredible was top-notch, as it was in the first film. His transition from the bread-winning hero to the behind-the-scenes rock was a compelling development in the story arc of the family, and his earnest attempts to help out his children, and his wife, during a time of transition both at the familial and societal levels made for a great watch.

I also have to shout out Catherine Keener, who brought a lot of heft to her role as Evelyn Deavor. Odenkirk obviously steals a lot of scenes because of his upbeat and high-volume dialogue, but Keener provided a fantastic counter-weight to him and made for an ideal sibling, all things considered.

Favorite Scene:

The contrast between Bob Parr’s dedication to helping Dash with his math homework, where he was wildly dedicated and ultimately successful, and his complete and total failure in helping Violet get a date with her love interest was absolutely stellar. When taken together, those scenes perfectly encapsulate how life can hand you a massive success with one hand and then slap you with the reality that you’re not perfect with the other.

Naturally, the scene in which Jack Jack gets to show off his powers for the first time was both dazzling visually and just an hysterical scene in general. The tension that the audience feels as it becomes increasingly unclear whether the infant’s “adversary” will survive the encounter only adds to the effectiveness of the scene.

Stars: 3.5 out of 5

Movie #3 of 100: "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse"

Movie 3/100: “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”

Overall Thoughts:

There has been a lot of concern expressed that we are going to hit comic book movie fatigue at some point, that movies about these heroes are going to become so commonplace that movie-goers are going to rebel against the idea of putting more caped crusaders on screen.

It’s probably a good thing then that Spider-Man doesn’t wear a cape.

“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” was, without a question in my mind, the best movie about the web-slinging hero. That is not meant as a knock on Tom Holland, who has done a wonderful job in the separate MCU films about the hero, but Miles Morales, ably played by Shameik Moore, is a fantastic new addition to the comic book world, and his story is a downright fascinating one.

Given how many times Spider-Man’s origins have been put up on the big, and small, screens, the movie’s insistence on telling every Spider-incarnation’s story as if it is the last time it will be done is downright hilarious. It is a great nod to the amount of times we’ve been subjected to “With great power comes great responsibility,” and it is a great jumping off point for a movie that likes to push the boundaries of what a comic book movie can be.

The thing that makes Spider-Man so easy for movie-goers to identify with is that he didn’t get his powers as a result of lucky genetics, some lab experiment gone wrong, or a suit of armor that he designed in his laboratory. Instead, Miles Morales got his powers because he happened to be in the right subway tunnel at the right time, and he gets forced into taking on an identity that he did not choose.

That conflict is one of the movie’s central backbones, and this movie does a great job of portraying the superhero who didn’t get to choose his path forward. Right from the word go, Miles knows that he needs to use his powers for good to help humanity, but the reality is that there is a lot more to being a hero than shooting webs from your wrists and having incredible reaction time. There is an impact on everyone around you, and the “great responsibility” part of the quote is where this movie mines most of its emotional ore.

The filmmakers did a wonderful job of capturing that conflict, and they also did that while managing to pull together a narrative that was based on alternate dimensions and characters with similar, but also vastly different, motivations. Phil Lord, who has been doing a great job with the “Lego” movie franchise, and Rodney Rothman did a great job of balancing the chaotic nature of the story with the very human elements of the narrative, and it made for a wonderfully fast-paced, but nuanced, production.

Finally, the animation style, which I worried about, ended up being one of the film’s biggest strengths. The filmmakers used the animation to full advantage, taking the technique to places that it has never been before. It made for a very pleasant, and very visually appealing, presentation, and it was a delight to watch on the big screen.

Favorite Performance:

Peter B. Parker, played by Jake Johnson, was everything that Ben Affleck’s Batman was supposed to be. A hero who still very much believes in his duty to humanity, while still grappling with the impact that commitment has on those that he loves.

Johnson’s ability to balance the “do-gooder” motivations that drive Spider-Man with the exhaustion that comes with watching his personal life crumble as a result of his incessant hero-ing is a delight in the film, and the way he was able to convincingly portray his transformation from reluctant guru to full-on cheerleader of Morales’ exploits was one of the movie’s most fun and satisfying elements.

Brian Tyree Henry, who plays Morales’ father Jefferson Davis, nearly stole the show with his performance. The way he is able to go from the lame, pun-making dad to a fully fleshed out character that is able to connect with his son on an emotional level and inspire him to do things that he has no idea he’s inspiring him to do, is truly remarkable, and if he were to blare a siren at me and force me to say that I loved him, I would have to acquiesce.

Favorite Scenes:

The final showdown between the Spider-People and Kingpin was a cinematic marvel, with the reality-bending animation very accurately portraying the sheer insanity of what was going on.

Aside from that, the scene that most resonated with me was the scene where Davis, who takes off his hat as a very subtle way of expressing vulnerability and sadness, really opens up to Miles for the first time. The pair, separated by a doorway, share a remarkably tender moment, and the fact that Morales doesn’t even say a word while his father opens up to him makes the scene all the more touching.

Stars: 4 out of 5