Category: Movie Reviews

‘Oppenheimer’ Review: An Explosive Experience

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★★★★★

This movie was absolutely phenomenal. Not many films can keep up the pacing and keep an audience entranced for 3 hours but Christopher Nolan did just that. The interwoven timelines seamlessly brought the story from Oppenheimer’s time as a student through to receiving the Enrico Fermi award. So many fascinating tidbits about Oppenheimer’s time as a student made it into the film, and there were nods to many well-known moments in his life.

I don’t think this film could have been anything less than 3 hours, Nolan brought in elements that made the story more enticing while grappling with the scientific genius and the immoral destroyer of a man. It was a tough line to toe but Cillian Murphy was up to the task and played the role brilliantly. The cast was star studded but not without reason, every face played their time with the camera even with some major actors have little to no lines or screen time.

The soundtrack by Ludwig Göransson is what truly made the movie shine, this film could not have been the directorial masterpiece that it is without that musical genius. The times when Nolan made the directorial choice for silence vs explosion were well-thought out and so appreciated. It’s all in the details.

However, Nolan missed the mark in two areas. The Hispanic community in New Mexico, specifically in and around Los Alamos, was not mentioned. When in truth families and the entire community was ran out of town when the military and Oppenheimer’s scientists came in to build the laboratory in the “desolate desert of New Mexico.” There were people whose lives were uprooted and who suffered from the nuclear weapons tests, and they should have been acknowledged in the film. 

Also, the film, while honing in on the scientific mastery of Oppenheimer and the following investigation into his background, shows Oppenheimer grappling with the idea of blood on his hands but doesn’t show the audience. There are moments when the audience feels the horrors and understands the horrifying reality that has just occurred. But that’s assuming the audience has known, background, and understanding of nuclear weapons. Which, as an international affairs scholar, I cannot assume every other viewer has the same background as I do. The film shows an artistic rendering of these horrors, makes mentions of radiation and body counts, but fails to show the audience a glimpse at the true horrors that atomic bombs leave behind. There is a worried that such an epic film showing the ashonishing feat of science won’t leave the viewer with the necessary feeling of deterance, especially in the current nuclear age. We are now closest to midnight on the doomsday clock (courtesy of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, depicting how close we are to total nuclear annihilation) than ever before, 90 seconds to midnight. Midnight being nuclear annihilation.

Overall, the film astounded me and I am thrilled so many folks are out to see it this weekend and this month. This type of film wouldn’t typically bring a large crowd as it’s more niche, but the fortuitous release alongside Barbie has brought many more folks to the cinema. 

Humanity’s Downfall: A ‘Don’t Look Up’ Review

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★ ★ ★ ★

Don’t Look Up is an apocalypse comedy, set in the modern era that puts the viewer face-to-face with some of today’s toughest realities. I began watching this film the week it came out, a depressing evening in December 2021. However, after about an hour of the film, I had a feeling I knew its end and during the midst of my own personal anxieties, that wasn’t an ending I felt emotionally available to watch.

Flash forward to June of 2023, the day after I finished my last assignment for my Masters program I decided I was ready to finish watching it. It was emotional, it was honest, it stared the viewer in the face.

I enjoyed the playful mix of characters, some caricatures of reality, and how they each brought a different element to the screen. They each decided to face this new reality in a different way, through a different coping mechanism (sexual advances, screaming at the world, peace with one’s maker, denial, overcompensation, etc). The ties to our current reality are obvious, at times on the nose. Many viewers commented on the “Look Up” vs. “Don’t Look Up” war as a metaphor for vaccines and anti-vaxers, in a post-COVID era. I felt the most on the nose comparison was climate change, the approaching comet being of course the changing climate and escalation of climate disasters.

I really didn’t understand Ariana Grande’s cameo in the story. It felt out of context and while it was parody on life itself and stardom, it didn’t feel like it fit so much as the rest of the story. But then again, I’ve never been much of a fan of hers, so that could be my own bias clouding my judgement.

Overall, the film wasn’t exactly thought provoking as it was enticingly depressing and evocative.

Knives Out 2: Glass Onion, Falls Flat on Arrival

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★ ★ ★

I hate to say it, but I was bored. There was so much build up of the storyline that it left hardly any time for the actual mystery to unfold. Most of the reveals didn’t feel exciting or surprising, some characters were just too over-the-top and a bit much.
I wanted to love this movie and I’ll definitely be seeing any future Knives Out movies but this one just fell flat.

There wasn’t much mystery to the murder, just complicated storylines that too far too much runtime. Such a disappointment after the success and masterpiece of the first Knives Out. Hopefully audiences won’t be so far deterred from this limp film that they will end the series. Benoit Blanc makes a fascinating character and this murder mystery format lends itself well to developing further mysteries, but perhaps with a little more thought to the script next time.

Although, I did love Benoit Blanc’s bathing costume.

We Can’t Fault a Viking Film for What it is: “The Northman” Review

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★ ★ ★

Honestly, it was a Viking film. It portrayed rather accurate depiction of a time when it Vikings ruled the Nordic region, therefore however grotesque the violence was, I would say it is accurate to the time.

Of course I will watch anything with Anya Taylor-Joy, and any of the Skarsgård family. This was definitely an all star cast with a lot of fun surprise appearances and there was strong characterization throughout. 
I do believe that about 30 minutes of the movie could have been cut and it definitely could’ve benefited from a little bit faster pace.

Overall, I would say I was entertained, even though I did end up checking my watch a few times to see how much longer I would have to endure.

The Downfall of “Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness” (no spoilers)

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★ ★ ★

This movie clearly had good bones and a fascinating plot. However the poor choice in its direction — by notable horror film director Sam Raimi — is what derailed this film for so many viewers and Marvel fans. What would have been a strong and fascinating look into the multiverse felt both too much while also being lackluster. The moments that intertwined the multiverse alternatives of characters we may know and love felt unimportant with the disregard of those characters within the storyline.

Also the blatant villainization of Wanda as a mother felt callous and unnecessarily evil. While I think showcasing her motherly instincts would’ve been a strong move on the part of the plot, where it fell through is in the direction of the movie. By having a horror movie director there were grotesque horrific scenes that did not lend themselves to the Marvel cinematic universe, there were moments that felt disjointed with the rest of the universe.

Some of these elements could have been interesting and possibly even well done if the director had more knowledge of the fan base and knew what people were looking for in a movie. This movie left a lot of questions for the audience, which could be interesting to explore in a follow up movie or within one of the other upcoming Marvel movies. But a lot of the final choices were entirely unnecessary and were clearly seeking shock factor and to service the fans, in all the wrong ways.

Bo Burnham’s “Inside” Comedy Special

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★ ★ ★ ★ ★

I’m not a typical viewer of Bo Burnham, nor do I partake in Comedy Specials. But one late afternoon, while scrolling on Netflix — this is by no means a unique experience — I came across the new “Inside” Comedy Special by Bo Burnham and without my consent it start to play the trailer. I decided to indulge and watch the trailer. And damn, if that wasn’t the most well-crafted trailer for visual media I have seen in a long while. I sat back for the evening, cheese puffs, seaweed snacks, and See’s chocolates at the ready and decided to watch the full special.

As I mentioned, I’m not a typical viewer of Comedy Specials, so I was a little surprised how entertained I was the whole way through. A few days later I went back to previous Comedy Specials of Bo’s and found that I enjoyed his most recent work the best. I know many people have joked that the forced isolation of quarantine brought forth a type of creative energy, or maybe the lack of socialization made us all reach a special kind of madness where creativity flourishes.

I now regularly hum my favorite songs from the special under my breath at work. I listen to them every day.

What made this special so… “special”? Talent, time, and a pinch of, perhaps, madness. Of course anything based off the past year and a half (2020-2021) will be relatable for a majority of the population. At least when we’re assuming the viewership are from a certain sample size.

But look I made you some content

Daddy made you your favorite, open wide

Here comes the content

It’s a beautiful day to stay inside

— Bo Burnham

My personal favorites are “Bezos I” and “Bezos II,” “FaceTime with my Mom (Tonight),” and “Problematic.” But, before you listen on Spotify, I do recommend experiencing their performance in the special first. It adds a whole extra layer to the songs, experiencing in their full chaos and art.

Perhaps the most striking was the mixture of media, while there were aesthetic film shots throughout, incorporating a vivid array of colorful lights and projections, there were also moments behind the creative process, showing mistakes and moments of silence. Whether those “behind-the-scene” moments were carefully crafted to elicit a specific response, or if they were natural goofs during the filming process, is unclear. However, for me it doesn’t matter, it’s the idea of perfection and chaos that makes the special stand-out.

To those who have yet to view the Comedy Special, I’d say I highly recommend it. Even if just to watch the opening 3 minutes, which are what drew me in. Even if comedy, stand-out, or Bo Burnham aren’t your usual “cup of tea,” this one feels a bit different and I think it’s a worth — in the least — those 3 minutes of your time.

ONWARD 2020 Movie Review

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(This review contains mild spoilers for the Disney Pixar movie Onward, 2020.)

I have seen this beautiful movie twice now, and I’ll probably go back to see it more before April. I went into Onward with as little knowledge as I could because I wanted to be surprised. And I was, in the most wonderfully pleasant way.

First, the mixture of old magic and modern technology is so well done. The sprites drive motorcycles because they grew used to the ease of modern technology and no longer use their wings. And there are skyscrapers, but if you look closely, many of them have castle turrets on top, a fantastic touch. There were also rabid unicorns.

Another aspect I really appreciated was the way that the writers pulled in ongoing threads throughout the story. The tail light looked like a phoenix gem, which came in handy. There were several instances where Ian or Barley got a splinter from the magic staff, which becomes a useful tidbit towards the end. And the car air conditioning was a plot point!

During my viewing I managed to catch some neat little tidbits. In the grocery store there is “Cloak & Cola” as one of the soda options, as well as some jerky sticks that are labeled “wild boar sticks.” Here we also see Dewdrop, one of the sprites, eating a pixie stick, which I found strangely ironic. There are also fun store names throughout, the most memorable being “Sir Snips A Lot,” for the barbershop.

Other details that need to be mentioned and should be appreciated is the precision that the animators and artists brought to the scenes:

  • the messy pen ink
  • the peeling paint on an old wooden bench
  • dust particles in the air
  • tiny visible face hairs
  • wet hair during a misty afternoon
  • face oil and sweat when stressed
  • slightly uneven and realistically imperfect teeth
  • sweater fuzz

The coloring and lighting was so beautiful and well done! Overall the movie had a general blue tint, which transitioned to necessary green or red lighting to accommodate for stop lights and glowing soda machines. I felt the passion that the team had for this movie, all the details came together so well.

The amount of brotherly and familia love in this movie! I definitely cried twice during my first viewing, and got teary-eyed in my second viewing. Barley has had the role of big brother and father figure all his life, and Ian didn’t notice, not until much later. Barley does the stereotypical “embarrassing dad” things. He picks Ian up from school in his beat-up van, embarrasses Ian, tries to clean him up — with his own spit — , protects him, and teaches him.

“You’ll never be ready, MERGE!” Barley shouts at Ian while Ian is learning to drive in the midst of a crowded freeway.

“You can do this!” Barley tells Ian during multiple tough situations.

“I never had a dad, but I always had you.” Ian says towards the end of the movie.

Onward is for the nerds. Barley is a history buff, who play role playing games and Ian is a math whizz and science geek. Their dynamic shines throughout the story and their own individual quirks come into play in sweet and inventive ways.

Where this movie really shines, is the power of the MOM. The mom is so fantastic, along with her new friend The Manticore as they travel after the boys, trying to keep them from trouble. With the mom and The Manticore there is a recurring theme of female strength.

The mom repeats, “I’m a mighty warrior,” a few times throughout the movie. The first time during a fitness workout, and the last time in an epic battle.

Something that really made this movie spectacular was the variety of body shapes, voices, and people throughout. There was also a character with a disability and a gay character. While Disney Pixar still has quite a way to go in the field of diversity and inclusivity, this was a start and I look forward to watching as they go down that road.

There is a scene towards the beginning of the film, where Ian is listening to a tape from his dad. He interacts with it as if it were a phone call and not a prerecorded tape. I loved the way they did this, it felt so raw and personal. I immediately started tearing up, even though it was just the beginning of the movie.

Onward was one of my favorite movies of 2020, I can’t wait to go see it again and to own it once it comes out on DVD.

Her

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Directed by Spike Jonze

    What makes the movie Her timeless is it’s deeper message about life and connections. It’s true it’s a movie about artificial intelligence and the emergence of AI’s in modern society, and following the social implications. However, it transcends time. There are constant moments of old fusing with new, making it difficult to distinguish the exact moment in time this might be happening. Based off of setting and surroundings, the tall buildings, curved line of the modern era, and thick screened technology, retro colors, and old fashioned furniture of the 70’s it’s hard to tell.

    Her is like a Rorschach test, more commonly known as an inkblot test. Everyone sees the same set of inkblot imagery, but what they perceive and what they get out of it is entirely up to the individual, what they experienced in their lives that leads them to see different images. Although many problems have been found with the Rorschach test, the metaphor still stands. There are many angles of interpretation for Her, every person will latch on to a different aspect and theme for the film. It’s about the complexities of life, relationships, love, technology, and connection. Although the tech in the movie is new, a high performance processing system equipped with a female (or male) voice to organize your life, the thinking is still relatively the same to what we have today. Theodore ends up in a kind of long distance relationship, spending long periods of time on his phone, talking to his lover’s voice.

    This kind of embodiment of a character through purely voice adds to the connection Theodore feels toward Samantha. She’s always in his pocket, never absent, able to be called upon at any moment. Feminists will look at this idea as vaguely sexist, the idea of the perfect woman ready at a moment’s notice to do the man’s bidding. Samantha is there to organize Theodore’s files and get his life together. But she also functions as more. By connecting with Samantha, Theodore is able to move past the difficulties of his divorce from his now ex-wife Catherine. She acts as the stable person in his life who helps him realize where he went wrong with his past relationship, his molding of his partners to be something they aren’t.

    Even though Samantha is truly a mold made from him, learning from his speech patterns and his topics of conversation, she eventually evolves into someone/something else. Later in the film she speaks to other AI’s and interacts with thousands of other humans. Through this she learns to be more than what Theodore originally planned her to be, and his original mold of her. She gains insight that eventually aids Theodore, by pointing out why his relationships always fail. His high expectations and fantasies of his partners always fall in his way.

    This film offers a snapshot into the human psyche, embodying what we do wrong as humans, our flaws, in the eyes of an AI. In the picnic scene with the other couple, Samantha has a moment of clarity. She says she used to be resentful of not having a body, but then she realized she doesn’t need one. She is so much more by not having a physical form, she can be in many places at once, she never ages, she isn’t fragile like humanity. The camera angles in this scene add to her words by emphasizing the empty space beside Theodore, while the other couple sits side by side. There’s a void where Samantha should be, overlayed by diegetic non synchronous sound. The source of Samantha’s voice is not shown. In this scene Samantha uncovers what humans fear about AI’s, the sheer power they would have over us as flawed humans, how they would control us and our lives, while we’re stuck in our meat sac human forms. Through this moment of self actualization Samantha manages to separate herself from the picnic scene and from her human connection. Before her small speech the scene felt almost natural, a double date in the countryside. But after, her connection to humanity feels severed, the characters realize the difference between them. The human experience cannot be fathomed by an AI.

    By the end of the movie it’s not the connection with Samantha that’s left. Along his journey to knowing Samantha and living his life with the presence of an AI, Theodore has found the connection he lost. He’s parted from the idea of his ex-wife, signed his divorce papers and departed on stable terms. He’s realized what had brought about the destruction of his marriage. Himself. And he formed a true human connection. Him and his long time friend Amy bound over their relationships with AIs, and find each other over their mutual loss of connection with them. They feel abandoned, together, by their AI’s who left the human servers to go on to bigger and better things. This scenario is a new and futuristic idea, while still holding true to an age old struggle of abandonment. Amy and Theodore have both lost what was at the time very near and dear to them, without realizing that what they learned from these relationships is the benefits of humanity.

    Even though they aren’t immortal or able to transcend their physical space, they hold the flaws of humanity in their hands. Their mortality makes their relationships worth so much more, their connections so much more valuable because of the singular physical space they can occupy at any one moment.

    The movie Her is able to portray such a timeless message of connection and the human experience by using the carefully interwoven old and new. Through seeing this story of AI technology in an ambiguous setting of future and retro, the viewer gets a glimpse of modern society. What will and won’t change. Different connections, but humans will always be connecting, through whatever means they find. As stated in Film Theory An Introduction Through the Senses by Thomas Elsaesser and Malte Hagener, “Screens are in effect something that stands between us and the world, something that simultaneously protects and opens up access” (43). The screens through which the humans in Her interacted with their AI’s acted as a screen that protected them from the rejection of real human connection, but also blocked them from true experiences with others of their own. Both negatively and positively changing their life’s experiences. The AI’s are coming for us.