It is rare to see a film that really invigorates me with its performances, story and direction. Birdman is one of those rare films. Birdman delivers those aspects in all forms bringing a genuinely unique experience. As the years pass by, I feel that this film with be heralded as a classic. This film encompasses pretty much everything that comes with being in the entertainment world whether it is Hollywood or Broadway. Birdman dives deep into the plight former A list actors have with trying to stay relevant. The over saturation of superhero movies and how every major actor seems to have been a part in one, the ongoing battle between big budget movies against independent films, an actor's desperate need for credibility or box office draw, and the infiltration of Hollywood into Broadway. It gracefully balances these topics, the movie never getting disjointed in the process. When you add in the breathtaking performance by Michael Keaton, hilarious turn from Edward Norton, a career best for Emma Stone, a revelatory one from Zach Galifianakis, and remarkable direction from Alejandro González Iñárritu who makes the movie seamlessly look as if it was all shot in one take. This cinema masterpiece contains fantastic cinematography, with some breathtaking shots, and beautiful editing. This is the first movie I have seen to perfectly dissect the entertainment industry without feeling ostentatious and having a lot of fun doing it.
Rating: 10/10 Orange Slices. BIRDMAN, or (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE).
When it comes to cinema, there are often little gems in a sea of bigger spectacles, that can break through in the most proficient way. An impeccable and tightly wound experience that brings your anxiety to a feverish level. If you are thinking about engaging in some other activity after watching Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash, be sure to leave some time for decompression. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, the semi-autobiographical Whiplash is a visceral, adrenaline-pumping musical drama. Whiplash rises on the strengths of a brilliant, Oscar-winning performance from J.K. Simmons and a great soundtrack to complement it, turning what could have been a rather bland story of a determined drummer into something far more memorable. As we are getting entirely caught up in a sort of physical and spiritual dedication we rarely see onscreen, we’re also challenged to reexamine our attitudes, both personal and cultural, toward that dedication. Is what we’re witnessing unduly extreme, or utterly necessary?
Rating: 10/10 Orange Slices. Whiplash
Mr. Feig did a great job writing and directing, 'Spy.' A fast paced and enjoyable action-adventure-comedy, this movie kept my attention from beginning to end. Other than a couple of unfunny comedic moments, McCarthy held it together and was funny and entertaining. Spy was everything I wanted it to be and more. I laughed harder at this movie than I did at most comedies. The production value was fantastic, the pacing was perfect, and director Paul Feig clearly knows how to do comedy but now can add action to his resume. Everything about this movie works. Spy is an absolutely brilliant, perfectly casted satire that should not be missed by fans of action or comedy. As far as lead performances go, this is in my opinion the funniest Melissa McCarthy has ever been. This is the ideal role for her because her character has a serious job and a serious mission contrasted with McCarthy's snarky personality and usual shenanigans, making for some truly hysterical situations.What I find most compelling about Spy is how likable each character is. It's not just McCarthy or Law, but each supporting character. Through its physical comedy and unexpectedly exhilarating combat scenes, it still manages to feel like a screwball comedy throwback with stellar verbal between the great actors. Everyone just seems to be having an absolute blast and that fun is contagious. Janney and Byrne stand out as solid and strong comedic presences. Hart and Statham take charge every scene they are in, each playing with their own Hollywood identities to great effect. At the center of it all, McCarthy and Feig steer the film, often managing heartbreaking honesty and side-splitting hilarity all at once. However, as you settle into the world, you can't help but love the ways in which it takes the self-righteousness out of spy thrillers by highlighting the hilariously dull details. Melissa McCarthy always rocks the movies where she usually plays funny roles in, because she is the best at that for her sense of humor and the way she emphasizes things to make it even funnier. In addition, the chemistry between Meslissa McCarthy and Jude Law is undeniable, hope to see them working together in more films. It also has a lot of mean spirited, bully type, humor; aimed at McCarthy's character (and her appearance). Still the movie is funny, and action-packed enough. Don't be put off by pretentious would-be intellectuals who wouldn't know humor if it came up and kicked them in the butt. There have been a number of spy spoofs made over the years. This has to be one of the funniest. All this is to say Spy is an entertaining spoof exposing the considerable comedic talent of Ms. McCarthy as the audience slowly forgets the fat on which she built her persona.
Rating: 9/10 Orange Slices. Spy
You may not be blessed with intelligence, good looks, good parenting, good social status or any other common predictors for success but having a good heart can make all the difference in the world. This film is a great modern fable, a fable in the dictionary is defined as a brief fictitious story that teaches a moral. Stripped to its purest essence, this movie is about loyalty and devotion, particularly to the ones in our lives we love and care about. These are the human values being reinforced. Loyalty. Devotion. Forrest Gump embodies loyalty and devotion. To his mama. To his good best buddy Bubba. To the love of his life, Jenny. To his leader, Lt. Dan. And in the end to Forrest Jr. One by one and all together Forrest sticks by and takes care of his family, friends, and loved ones. This is the thread running through the entire story. This is what carries Forrest to all of the remarkable places he goes along the way. In the beginning Forrest is a little slow as his momma said, but as we discover he can do some amazing things no matter of his problems. No matter where he was he was always thinking about the ones who loved, even for someone he knew for a little while, he always saw the good in people. In the end we learn that he is not the ill or the problematic one but that everyone around him were that. He was always enjoying the little things, a thing that we all don't do very often. Forrest was and still is the perfect example of showing children who feel they are different from others that they can do anything that they put their mind too. Forrest experience life and loving a girl that was too afraid to love him back in fear of hurting him and because of what others would say. This is a powerful yet charming movie; fun for its special effects and profound in how it keeps you thinking long after it's over. Like others, I've seen this movie more than once. Everybody should see this at least once to see how beautiful things are through Forrest Gump's eyes. He is a completely free human being, in the matter he doesn't have any biases or stiff beliefs. I think everyone can learn a lot from this uncomplicated man, who does what he believes is right, without turning away from his goal, no matter if it happens' to involve running across America for three years... What Forrest Gump did mattered, he fulfilled his destiny. Now it is the question of whether we fulfilled ours.
Rating: 10/10 Orange Slices Extra Pulp. Forrest Gump
Whilst I did not hate 'Ted' I cannot say I was impressed by it. First, the voice of Ted. It's Peter Griffin!!! It's like the creators of SpongeBob making a movie and they use the voice of SpongeBob. It's really distracting. And when Ted is making fun of someone, he uses Stewie's voice?!?! Why!?!? I would imagine he would have another voice he could have used. The beginning of the film, Ted is a cute and innocent bear. I felt the movie was funnier then. The vulgar, smoking, sexually active Ted felt forced to me. In addition, the hype and popularity that built up the film had me expecting something fresh, something that would keep me laughing days after. To my disappointment, 'Ted', turned out to just another Rom-Com, its only real unique twist being Ted himself. Having said that, 'Ted' did provide some laughs. The animations for Ted were of a good quality, doing a good job in making it seem like Ted was actually there with the actors, rather than just a computer-generated 3D image. What I felt let 'Ted' down was it's predictability and lack of memorable or unique laughs. 'Ted's plot didn't seem to suit it's targeted audience, I have seen similar story lines in films rated PG or even G but the explicit content of 'Ted' was clearly intended for more mature audiences, therefore I felt it deserved a more mature plot. The middle of the film is bogged down in so much of the humor style that MacFarlane has become known for that I lost interest in the humor and moved my full attention on the plot, which I had even less interest in. There were several problems I noticed with the middle chunk of the film when the comedy died down to almost nothing with a few chuckle-worthy moments every now and then. The biggest problem was that John and Lori had no chemistry together. I did not buy the fact that they were a couple and I could not invest to their story. If the film had focused on John and Ted trying to remain friends because of John's relationship with Lori, the film would have worked because the two had good chemistry. I never felt like John and Lori were emotionally connected on any level, so I did not care if they got back together or not. In order for this movie to be funny you have to find the idea of a crude teddy bear to be ridiculous. For this to happen, you need to be able to associate the voice of the voice actor with a CGI bear. The voice was a little too real for me. I could imagine in my head what the voice actor probably looked like. Overall, I'd recommend 'Ted' to those who are looking for a relatively light-hearted story with a few giggles added in and a cursing, yet somehow still lovable, teddy bear. It's descent, but nothing overly special.
Rating: 6/10 Orange Slices. Ted
You don't need to be Einstein to see where this is going, but it's an enjoyable and occasionally very funny trip. The teen-movie standard about the struggles of the high school outsider is given a good, surprisingly thoughtful going over in an above-average offering that challenges stereotypes and the alleged importance of fitting in. Though The Duff doesn't set the bar for teen comedies, it is enjoyable. As in any romantic comedy, star chemistry is essential, and this movie's got it, Whitman and Amell have an easy bond that makes Cagan's dialogue sound snappier than it is. This movie is Mean Girls with a mix with She's All That and 10 Things I Hate About You, this high school comedy is one of the better teen comedies to come along thanks to its charming and funny lead in Mae Whitman and a supporting cast that is solid all around. It is a story about how social statuses have changed for kids in today's world and the universal theme of loving one's self. Despite the predictable ending, the movie has wit, humor, and a decent love story that will entertain even those who are no longer in high school. Sure it was pretty cliche and predictable, but I enjoyed it nevertheless and would recommend you watch it.
Rating: 7/10 Orange Slices. The Duff
'Some infinities are bigger than other infinities'. The Fault In Our Stars is a tragic love story between Hazel Grace Lancaster (Shailene Woodley) and Augustus Water (Ansel Elgort). Shailene Woodley delivers her best performance to date. Even though this is a love story of a girl who has terminal cancer, I do not think that this film was tragic, rather the film is about living your life to the fullest in your 'little infinity'. As the film progresses we come to understand that death has minimal hold on these people, love is what really drives them. Their love will not last long but it still is an infinity by itself, at least to them. Some Infinities are smaller than others, but they're still classified as infinities. This adaptation of John Green's novel The Fault In Our Stars stays true to the story till the closing credits, and the superb acting, directing, and music adds an entirely new dimension to this already great story. This movie will make you laugh, cry, and fall completely in love with it's story.
Rating: 9/10 Orange Slices. The Fault in Our Stars
Annie is easily one of the worst movies of the year. It's offensive, dull, poorly acted, and terribly choreographed. Quvenzhané Wallis is very cute, but almost everything going on around her is irredeemably bad. Though the old numbers are here, they're staged in an off-hand manner that lacks the excitement of John Huston's original. The filmmakers only thought about how to make it current, and not about how to make it better. Gluck, who appears to have never seen a musical film in his life, shoots dance numbers with sedate unbearable choreography, and no sense of rhythm, and edits them in a way so as all the performers are barely visible. The plot was generic and boring. The direction was very generic also, absolutely nothing new, no risks taken. Just boring filmmaking with too big a budget. In the 1982 Original Annie A.K.A. "The Good Annie" Miss Hannigan was an older woman who was cranky and unattractive, Carol Burnett nailed the part. You don't take a blond model and put her in the role. Why mess with a good thing? There's a reason it's been in Broadway for decades. Instead of this, just watch the older one and get the happiness, sadness, courage, quality of music and dance, and so on all at once. Don't waste your time on this. It's a hard-knock life for moviegoers who make the mistake of going to see this new version of Annie hoping for the same Broadway pizzazz the original demonstrated.
Rating: 1/10 Orange Slices, no pulp. Annie
Children play with toys. It is a known fact. At one time or another, we all played with toys, whether they were action figures, dolls, little green soldiers, etc… But what if toys were real? What if they could talk? The first feature length Pixar film and the first feature film to be made entirely in computer animated imagery Toy Story was a milestone in film history. But apart from it's massive impact, Toy Story is still a really great film. Toy Story gives you a chance to relive your childhood again. The story is about Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear's (Tim Allen) jealousy and friendship; which is portrayed brilliantly in the plot which is aided by an amazing Randy Newman soundtrack. The movie is clever, funny, sad and beautiful in the way that it engrosses all age groups. Toy Story is a magical blend of kinetic direction, smart screenplay, rich characters, ideal voice cast, dynamic camera-work, terrific editing & heartwarming score that's freshly envisioned, ingeniously composed & gorgeously animated. A masterwork of jaw-dropping quality refined to perfection that triumphs in all aspects, Toy Story marks a significant moment in cinema for it marks the arrival of what would later become arguably the most acclaimed as well as critically & commercially excelling film studio of our time.
Rating: 10/10 Orange Slices. Toy Story
It's a tale as old as time, with a complex message that is as ageless as it is universal; but beneath all the layers it can be summed up very simply: love one another, and refrain from judging others who seem to be different. And leave it to Disney to present it in such a way that it can be embraced and understood by young and old alike as they have here, in one of their best animated features ever. Beauty And The Beast is distinguished by splendid animation, memorable voice work, brilliant songs and a perfectly-paced narrative. The animation is a fantastic leap forward for its time, utilizing computer generated imagery that brings the characters and places to life. In a time where hand-drawn animation is a thing of the past and computer animation is the dominant form of art, it is necessary to reminisce to a time when Disney animation was at its peak. Beauty and the Beast retains the charm and elegance of the old Disney films such as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Peter Pan. Beauty and the Beast shows one of the most beautiful love stories ever told, showing us that appearance isn't everything but what's inside. Belle fell in love with the Beast, seeing the goodness inside of him. Disney Studios poured all their talent into this magnificent masterpiece to produce not only the finest animated feature ever, but one of the most entertaining films in cinema history. The choreography moves everywhere and leaves us all just wanting more. This film is an instant classic filled with beautiful animation, great choreography, timeless music, and a love story to make your heart melt. Beauty and the Beast is one of the most enchanting films ever made, people will want to watch this over and over again.
Rating: 10/10 Orange Slices. Beauty and the Beast
I believe that among the most telling facts about a film's fortunes and qualities, is the ability to broaden it's public, but in the same time not forgetting that cinema is not all about commercial success and mass audiences. Or with other words a film that is not just eye candy and booms and explosions, but also craft, soul, dedication and wits. Given the many cinematic atrocities that have been produced by Hasbro in recent years, it is completely understandable to approach The Lego Movie with a certain amount of suspicion and dread. However, this is as wildly imaginative and fun as any film you're likely to see this year. Written and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs), The Lego Movie concerns a lonely conformist (Chris Pratt, extremely personable) mistaken for a prophecy-fulfilling rebel savior. Sweet, humorous and lots of fun. The Lego movie meets and exceeds all pessimistic expectations of this feature.
Rating: 9.5/10 Orange Slices. The Lego Movie
Do zombie movies need romance, or are rom-coms just lacking a certain zom appeal? Whatever the answer is, Shaun of the Dead manages to blend the two unlikely genres, creating an emotionally captivating, and hilarious, take on the zombie apocalypse. With witty dialogue and lovable characters, director/ co-writer Edgar Wright invents a charming homage to the good old days of Dawn of the Dead. Packed with loving references to classic horror (and even an impression of the orangutan from "Every Which Way but Loose") this film is a love letter to zombie flicks, and is guaranteed to please. Unlike other rom-zom-coms, the set-up of this film does not feel forced, and the overall tone of the movie is very genuine. The two leads (Simon Pegg and Nick Frost) have a relatable contrast, as well as a terrific comedic chemistry. Shaun, the slacker protagonist of the film, must rise up to the challenge of saving his loved ones to prove once and for all that he is not a screw-up. With help from his couch-potatoe best friend, hilarity ensues. Whether you like romantic comedies or zombie movies, Shaun of the Dead brings out the best in both, and will most definitely entertain.
Rating: 10/10 Orange Slices, Extra Pulp. SHAUN OF THE DEAD.
