Mockinjay

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part I

A review

November 22, 2014

Viewed November, 21, 2014

****.5 out of *****

“To know your Enemy, you must become your Enemy.” 
― Sun Tzu

            Our common heritage is war.   There are myths of war, pains of war, the costs both tangible and the costs to the ones who fought and lost and the unseen costs on those who survived. Wars have been fought, won, and lost since mankind took its first precious breaths.    War’s ravages leave no survivors, and yet the true measure of a war’s toll is mostly found on the vacant stares of the ones who fight for something that can’t even name.   All revolutions begin with a promise of glory, but the survivors know a bitter truth.   The battle within has no ending. 

            As the first part of the concluding chapter in the four film series, The Hunger Games Mockingjay- Part I is a drastic and sudden departure from both the tone and substance audiences found in the first two.   The worldwide best-selling books by Suzanne Collins contain a not so subtle metaphor of a dystopian world that is North America by the author’s own admission sometime in the future.  The massive popularity of the books and films and the rising ascent of their mega-star Jennifer Lawrence has only increased anticipation for the two part conclusion.    The complaints rage about Hollywood’s milking of lucrative properties into multiple films, but after seeing this latest installment and the workmanship and craft that has been produced the film it seems doubtful that one much longer film could have really done the property justice.

            In this find we find the tortured heroine in an awful state reeling from the results of the second film.   Despite her goofy public persona, Ms. Lawrence has always been best in her film career at playing tragic and struggling characters and she has found her soul mate in Katniss Everdeen, and Ms. Lawrence’s work he is her best yet.   

            Director Francis Lawrence who took over for the second film in the series has provided fans a disturbing and painful landscape of dreams lost and the horrors of war.     This bracing and sudden departure in tone (the film opens in total darkness with Ms. Lawrence in an almost manic state, and concludes with a horrifying image of pain for her character) is one of many adjustments the viewer must make to this nightmare world.

            This is not to say that the first two films are sunny picnics of joy, but Ms. Collins targets and her intended reach has always been more about the character’s struggles to come to grips with the horror of the world she inhabits.   This is especially true here as the screenplay by Peter Craig and Danny Strong with contributions by the author herself allows multiple opportunities to explore the character’s choices and decisions.    By exploring the themes of the costs of war on those who stand on the sideline, and in a deeper sense the way we have become desensitized to these costs, the filmmakers have given food for thought along with great entertainment.   The films have never been about just which boy she will wind up with in the end.

            The film’s two jarring set pieces are perfectly done, yet the primary complaint viewers may have with this edition is a lack of excitement.   The first two films with their game action have offered thrilling and morally challenging climaxes, and this film in contrast offers a dark dénouement and a promise of something more to come that leaves viewers hanging and waiting for part two to begin.  The moral issue at stake here with this film is much more complex.    Katniss the center piece in the chess battle that is her homeland Panem’s war is not Queen, but Pawn of the powers that be. 

            The elaborate look of the second film with its bright colors and costuming has been replaced with this new worn turn look as the inhabitants of the District 13 huddle together for the speeches that will carry them to victory and its inhabitants try to spark a rebellion from afar.   The effect of this on the viewer is immediate as it provides an aura of dread.

            The casting of the series has always been first rate and both Liam Hemsworth as Gale, who has an increased role here and is especially effective in all his scenes, and Josh Hutcherson as Peeta offer first rate work here.     The film is dedicated to the late Philip Seymour Hoffman who returns along with marvelous work again here from Woody Harrelson and especially Elizabeth Banks whose work as Effie Trinket has always made the character more interesting and deeper than expected.    New to the cast is Julianne Moore as President Coin, who is likely to become the head of the country if the resistance survives.   Ms. Moore’s presence is a virtue to a film that already has many.

            The series is set to conclude next November, and this stunning, powerful effort only increases the anticipation for its conclusion.   Whether one sees her as symbol, heroine, or pawn the journey and struggle of Katniss Everdeen will continue to hook readers and viewers for years to come. One can views this as a reflection of the times we live in, or as just an allegory for the loss and struggle of war, the enduring message of the story endures and the odds are in the favor of those who enter this challenging world.

Tommy Key

Rated PG-13(intense sequences of violence and action, disturbing images, thematic material)

Mockinjay

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part I

A review

November 22, 2014

Viewed November, 21, 2014

****.5 out of *****

“To know your Enemy, you must become your Enemy.” 
― Sun Tzu

            Our common heritage is war.   There are myths of war, pains of war, the costs both tangible and the costs to the ones who fought and lost and the unseen costs on those who survived. Wars have been fought, won, and lost since mankind took its first precious breaths.    War’s ravages leave no survivors, and yet the true measure of a war’s toll is mostly found on the vacant stares of the ones who fight for something that can’t even name.   All revolutions begin with a promise of glory, but the survivors know a bitter truth.   The battle within has no ending. 

            As the first part of the concluding chapter in the four film series, The Hunger Games Mockingjay- Part I is a drastic and sudden departure from both the tone and substance audiences found in the first two.   The worldwide best-selling books by Suzanne Collins contain a not so subtle metaphor of a dystopian world that is North America by the author’s own admission sometime in the future.  The massive popularity of the books and films and the rising ascent of their mega-star Jennifer Lawrence has only increased anticipation for the two part conclusion.    The complaints rage about Hollywood’s milking of lucrative properties into multiple films, but after seeing this latest installment and the workmanship and craft that has been produced the film it seems doubtful that one much longer film could have really done the property justice.

            In this find we find the tortured heroine in an awful state reeling from the results of the second film.   Despite her goofy public persona, Ms. Lawrence has always been best in her film career at playing tragic and struggling characters and she has found her soul mate in Katniss Everdeen, and Ms. Lawrence’s work he is her best yet.   

            Director Francis Lawrence who took over for the second film in the series has provided fans a disturbing and painful landscape of dreams lost and the horrors of war.     This bracing and sudden departure in tone (the film opens in total darkness with Ms. Lawrence in an almost manic state, and concludes with a horrifying image of pain for her character) is one of many adjustments the viewer must make to this nightmare world.

            This is not to say that the first two films are sunny picnics of joy, but Ms. Collins targets and her intended reach has always been more about the character’s struggles to come to grips with the horror of the world she inhabits.   This is especially true here as the screenplay by Peter Craig and Danny Strong with contributions by the author herself allows multiple opportunities to explore the character’s choices and decisions.    By exploring the themes of the costs of war on those who stand on the sideline, and in a deeper sense the way we have become desensitized to these costs, the filmmakers have given food for thought along with great entertainment.   The films have never been about just which boy she will wind up with in the end.

            The film’s two jarring set pieces are perfectly done, yet the primary complaint viewers may have with this edition is a lack of excitement.   The first two films with their game action have offered thrilling and morally challenging climaxes, and this film in contrast offers a dark dénouement and a promise of something more to come that leaves viewers hanging and waiting for part two to begin.  The moral issue at stake here with this film is much more complex.    Katniss the center piece in the chess battle that is her homeland Panem’s war is not Queen, but Pawn of the powers that be. 

            The elaborate look of the second film with its bright colors and costuming has been replaced with this new worn turn look as the inhabitants of the District 13 huddle together for the speeches that will carry them to victory and its inhabitants try to spark a rebellion from afar.   The effect of this on the viewer is immediate as it provides an aura of dread.

            The casting of the series has always been first rate and both Liam Hemsworth as Gale, who has an increased role here and is especially effective in all his scenes, and Josh Hutcherson as Peeta offer first rate work here.     The film is dedicated to the late Philip Seymour Hoffman who returns along with marvelous work again here from Woody Harrelson and especially Elizabeth Banks whose work as Effie Trinket has always made the character more interesting and deeper than expected.    New to the cast is Julianne Moore as President Coin, who is likely to become the head of the country if the resistance survives.   Ms. Moore’s presence is a virtue to a film that already has many.

            The series is set to conclude next November, and this stunning, powerful effort only increases the anticipation for its conclusion.   Whether one sees her as symbol, heroine, or pawn the journey and struggle of Katniss Everdeen will continue to hook readers and viewers for years to come. One can views this as a reflection of the times we live in, or as just an allegory for the loss and struggle of war, the enduring message of the story endures and the odds are in the favor of those who enter this challenging world.

Tommy Key

Rated PG-13(intense sequences of violence and action, disturbing images, thematic material)

Gone Girl

Gone Girl

A review

October 4, 2014

Viewed October 3^rd 2014

**** .5 out of *****

All concerns of men go wrong when they wish to cure evil with evil.

SOPHOCLES,

            There is a central question that many cannot resolve.   How well do we truly know those who share our lives and then our beds?   How well do we ever know the person who we commit our lives to in marriage?   For marriage, as antiquated as the idea may seem as it breathes and lives in this twenty-first century world where men and women marry many times over the course of a lifetime; it is a constant and a guide for so many. Marriage defines for many their chance to prove something to themselves or it is the last refuge of people who maybe know and understand the vagaries of marriage even if it is on the verge of unraveling before their eyes.   Then of course there is always the marriage of Nick and Amy Dunne.

            As timelines go from initial publication to the film opening, Gone Girl establishes a sort of record speed from book to film.   Gillian Flynn’s 2012 novel which covers the disappearance of a wife with husband the top suspect in her sudden vanishing has captured and rode a wave all the way to film with lofty expectations.    The film version lives up to the hype delivering the twists, emotional shocks, fine acting, and a pinpoint script by Flynn herself, and another standout work to add to the directorial career of David Fincher. 

            Surely no other filmmaker today was more equipped to handle the dark and disturbing insights into not only the expected thriller, but the sharp dissemination of popular culture and the current world we inhabit.   Fincher’s hand is all over the work which will work for fans of the book that have followed its complex plots and characters who are brought to life with conviction from a cast that delivers the goods. 

            Flynn weaves in minor changes to her story while keeping the central plotline intact including a few tremendous twists that no one should spoil lest they take away from the fun.   

            The screenplay allows a great deal of depth to the characters in its revealing dialogue, and for a long film which follows the structure of the book’s three acts leaves nothing to be trimmed.   There is simply not a wasted minute to be had, and this is important for a thriller that wants time and time again to not only challenge its viewer but alter their thinking.   

            Fincher has retained the talent he has used in previous films, with the same cinematographer, film editor, and the talents of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross who have again delivered an amazing score.  

            Gone Girl works best in in second half when it takes aim at its targets, leaving no characters unscathed.  This is a movie that will prompt lots of discussion for possibly years to come. 

            Its cast is superb.   In supporting roles that are a change of pace writer-director Tyler Perry is a perfect choice for Tanner Bolt, who supplies the film with some of its only intentional humor.    Neil Patrick Harris is both sad and frightening as Desi.   The smaller roles are filled with great performances including Sela Ward, who is great in her brief moments, and pay attention to the knockout performances by Carrie Coon as Margo Dunne, Nick’s sister and Kim Dickens as Detective Boney, a character from the book that comes alive in the actress’ hands.  

            In the end the film belongs to the actors at its center.    As its major star Ben Affleck must walk a fine line as Nick and the actor is perfect here.  He inhibits just the right amount of pathos and animosity.    

            I suspect based on her performance, note perfect and to date the best performance I have seen this year, Rosamund Pike is going to be a big star by years end based on her shimmering work as Amy Dunne.   In Ms. Pike’s hand we are treated to a mesmerizing look inside her head.   Whether it is just her voice we hear or we see the impressive gazes she casts the audience way, this is a knockout.

            Gone Girl stands as one of the first truly great films of the year.   It is not for all tastes, and its challenging subject matter will keep you guessing and wondering for days.   It is not to be missed.

Tommy Key

Rated R( violent and disturbing images, sexual situations, language, thematic material

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

A review

April 4, 2014

Viewed April 3, 2014

“It is not titles that honor men, but men that honor titles.” 
―  Machiavelli

          There is a moment late in the fantastic fun that is this sweeping and epic sequel a continuation of the story of Steve Rogers, aka Captain America when he is forced into a choice.    The choice defines him in the moment as have the choices he has made over the course of the film, and the franchise that Marvel has created since they began their perch on top of the comic book world.    In a lesser film the choice would have challenged audiences to take sides over his decision, but as characterized by actor and script, we already know his choice before he takes it, and we cheer him.

          This sequel follows nearly two years after The Avengers, and picks up Steve Rogers as serving his country as a SHEILD agent and one of its greatest assets, but a dark secret is going to come to light as he fights for his survival and is confronted with his past.   

          The directors, brothers Anthony and Joe Russo have provided audiences with a nearly breathtaking spectacle that is full of exciting moments, while maintaining a unique vision, a spy story interwoven within a universe of the fantastic.    It was a wise choice to focus this sequel on characters, and the film soars most when it slows down and lets the characters talk as people, and less as heroes.     It would have been easy to simply depend on CGI, and let the fantastic take over, but what sets this franchise apart is that Steve is flesh and blood and his character can show pain.   This is especially noticeable in how the screenwriters, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely have the characters address one another, by first name, and not by super moniker.

          Returning to his role as Captain America, Chris Evans once again provides a character worth investing in with a sharp turn.      His fellow Avenger, Scarlett Johansson as Natasha, continues to explore the shadings of this character.      Samuel L. Jackson has some great moments this time as Nick Fury.    As the Winter Soldier, Sebastian Stan is underwritten and needed more scenes, the movie’s only discernable flaw is the back story element that drives the story further.     Robert Redford’s role turned out to be more than the cameo that it seemed to be and he looks to be having a blast.     Anthony Mackie who plays Sam/The Falcon is one of the most welcome additions to the Marvel universe in some time, and Mr. Mackie was the perfect choice for this role.

          The film begins and ends with Steve and Sam together, one scene that is deeply comical in its intent, and one scene darkly foreboding.    The two men born decades apart have formed a bond, and they are moving forward in this harsh and dangerous world they must call home, bound by a code of honor they do not forsake.

                                                            Tommy Key

Rated PG-13(Intense sequences of violence, gunplay and action throughout)

her A review

her

A review

January 12, 2014

Viewed January 11, 2014

****.5 out of *****

“Don’t you draw the queen of diamonds, boys

She’ll beat you if she’s able, you know the queen of hearts is

Always your best best”

                               Frey & Henley

          Love in all of its forms is an emotion of connection.   Those who love most deeply and lose that love often describe the vacant, empty feeling of having something missing, a part of themselves they cannot accurately describe, except when it is gone.     The most basic forms of love asks us to share common ideas, common hopes and dreams.     A love that truly endures is often the love that accepts and allows their love to go forward, and take a fresh journey forward.   The connection survives, even after their presence is gone.  

He spends his days in quiet reflection, writing words for others that move some to smile, some to tears.   His face blank, void of the sentiment that pours out of him like an endless cycle of repetitive thoughts of faces and connections he will never make.   He is lonely, confused, and is waiting for something to awaken again.   He is coming back to life.   He is vaguely recognizable if only our eyes are open to see.

In the hands of writer-director Spike Jonze in the deeply moving and comical parable that is her, we meet Theodore Trumbley, suffering from a vague depression after the failure of his marriage, whose landscape and world is upended by his fledging relationship with his newly installed operating system who calls herself Samantha.   Samantha and Theodore begin the most unlikely of friendships, and Jonze and the incredible group of actors take us on a journey into our possible future.

Forty-Four year old director Jonze is only his fifth major feature seeks to explore the landscape of a perhaps not too distant future with this tale of loneliness, love, and regret.  Like never before Jonze has found his footing as a director with a sharp attention to detail and fashioned a film of expression.  her is a film which works on so many levels that it defies easy categorization.   It is certainly funny, but it is insightful in its analysis of our society, and its growing need of expression and connection through our devices.    Jonze uses his L.A milieu to paint the picture of the life Theodore must be living inside.    The film is one of images and thought, but its insightful and beautiful written screenplay reveals in slow increments the story of Theodore and Samantha.   It is remarkable in taking a story that seems on the outside implausible, and making it a human story.

Is Theodore a reflection of our times?    Jonze uses his occupation, as a letter writer for others who cannot express themselves emotionally, as an extended metaphor about our current age of time, when individuals hide behind their screens creating and synthesizing whatever they see fit to be.  The audience sits outside as observer as we watch the relationship grow between Theodore and Samantha.   We hear her voice, full of emotion and human feeling, and for the audience this creation is often more real than the characters we meet in the film.     I suspect that multiple viewings of the film will reveal layers of truth not apparent at first blush.

Casting of this film is surprising with four actors who are making notable departures from previous personas.   First off once again marvel at the wonder that is Amy Adams, who plays Theodore’s longtime friend, Amy.   Ms.  Adams once again has proven her versatility with a moving performance.     Rooney Mara has one wonderful scene and tons of flashbacks as Theodore’s soon to be ex, Catherine.      However the movie belongs to two actors who are stepping far away from their personas.   In this remarkable year for lead actors, Joaquin Phoenix gives a soulful and complicated portrayal of Theodore.  Mr. Phoenix, whose standard performance has been one of intense structure is deeply moving here in a subtle and heartfelt performance.     As Samantha, Scarlett Johansson is a marvel.   Although ruled ineligible for her voice-over performance for Academy Award consideration, she is able with her voice to reflect the growing conflicts of a character we cannot see, but certainly come to understand. 

Films like her come few and far between.  Today’s films celebrate style and flash often at the expense of heart.   Jonze explores the foundations of love, and what it means to address our most basic fundamental needs, and find our place in the world.    This is a wonderful, moving story filled with memorable moments, and its last grace note is one to remember and cherish.    her is one of this year’s best films.   

                                         Tommy Key

Rated R( language, sexuality, brief nudity)