Saturday, April 4, 2015

2015 @ The Movies Archives - March

Monthly Movie reviews originally published on Facebook - YEAR 2:

March 1 2015 through March 31 2015:
2015 @ the Movies take 27 : “Mr. Turner” With this biopic, Mike Leigh seems to have put all his creative energy in translating Turner’s palette to the screen. However, in spite of a great performance by Timothy Spall, the film fails to resonate in terms of characters and plot. We are very far from the humanity and depth of Leigh’s previous effort “Another Year.” Watching this piece from a pure visual standpoint feels then redundant when one can go back to the paintings themselves. Experienced Moxie Cinema in Theater 2 on March 1st with Terry, Kurtis & Susie.

2015 @ the Movies take 28 : “Focus” (IMAX) A totally new twist: A Will Smith movie where he is going to be super-smooth and wear sun glasses! Nothing revolutionary in this super-slick con man tale that is enjoyable for what it is, but fails to con its viewer and peters out into a very a nondescript melodrama. Experienced Springfield 11 with Susie & Kurtis. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxCRgtdAuBo


2015 @ the Movies take 29 : “Song of the Sea” A well-deserved Oscar nomination from a pure visual and animation stand point. The film delivers a beautiful vision where characters and decor mesh perfectly. The most magical scenes are Saoirse' silent ones that are unfortunately too few as the piece gets ruined by chatty over-explanation: “In case you did not get it kids, here is the story so far…” And here lies the major flaw of this charming visual feast: the story. Yes, it is based on a celtic myth, but it is also a hodgepodge of motifs found in Hayao Miyazaki’s work: Ponyo + Spirited Away with a dash of Mononoke… Tomm Moore walks a very thin line between homage and cloning that is very distracting. Experienced at Moxie Cinema in Theater 2 with Susie Kiki and Kurtis Ashitaka. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcXjPLmWZzc


2015 @ the Movies take 30 : “A Most Violent Year” (2nd viewing) A second viewing is well worth it. When I was struck by the rich character study the first time around, I can now appreciate how well-crafted the story is. In spite of long takes and a circular structure, the film packs an unexpected punch that stays with you. Catch at Moxie the while you can! Experienced at Moxie Cinema in theater 1. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySWXwXlXlQU


2015 @ the Movies take 31 : “Chappie” (IMAX) At least Transformers doesn’t pretend to be something else than a hollow SFX feast. This pseudo-philosophical tale has a paper-thin script led astray by a very improbable cast: a colorful South African rap couple teamed up with a token Indian nerd to defy a mullet-sporting Hugh Jackman (two cubicles away)… All this for Chappie: a banged-up Patlabor ersatz with a budding AI that is as charismatic as Wall-E with a dead battery. Stay home and re-watch Mamoru Oshii’s Ghost in the Shell (1995) instead. Experienced at Springfield 11 with Susie Yo-Landi & Kurtis Ninja! 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6bmTNadhJE


2015 @ the Movies take 32 : "Divergent Series: Insurgent” (IMAX 3D) Memo to producers: when starting (and continuing) a female-empowered YA action franchise, cast a talented, charismatic young actress. This memo was unfortunately lost in the mail and continues to plague this Hunger Games wannabe. In order to save the mayonnaise, this installment introduces a new character portrayed by Naomi Watts. The latter demonstrates more acting range while eating a slice of bread than the lead - Shailene Woodley - in both movies combined. Maybe when you are born “abnegation, “ you become so selfless that you can’t act, but I diverge. Experienced at Springfield 11 on March 20 with Susie Candor & Kurtis Dauntless.

2015 @ Ciné 33ème prise : "Two Days, One Night" (Deux Jours, une Nuit) Toujours un plaisir après un deuxième visionnage - Marion Cotillard sans les paillettes Hollywoodiennes brille de son jeu subtil qui aurait mérité son pesant d'or aux Oscars.... Vu au Moxie Cinema dans la salle 1 le 21 Mars avec Angel, Kristen, Thomas et Mary.

2015 @ the Movies take 34 : "What we do in the shadows” Vampire mockumentary? To be honest, when I first saw the trailer I was dubious at best. This kind of gimmick-based movies tends to disseminate their best in the trailer and fall flat like an exhausted soufflé after 10 minutes. I am happy to report this soufflé soars and sustains great hilarity throughout. It is also a “biting" take on discrimination - too bad the makers of True Blood missed that memo. Experienced at Moxie Cinema in Theater 1 on March 21 with KurtisVon Dielaughing-on-the-floor.

2015 @ the Movies take 35 : “Holy Mountain” (1973) A creative tour de force that takes us on a mystical acid trip without resorting to the often boring and dated Pink-Floyd-light-show-rip-off sequence. Each scene is a marvel of set design, cinematography and prop invention. It is also fascinating to think that Jodorowsky’s vision was brought to life practically without digital magic, but just real magic. “It is a film. Zoom back camera!” Experienced at Moxie Cinema in theater 1 on March 21 with Kurtis who can run through solid matter. A Mondo Moxie presentation!

2015 @ the Movies take 36 : “Two Days, One Night" (Deux Jours, une Nuit) Still fresh after a third viewing - in spite of the repetitive nature of the plot and the very mundane environment, I love how the Dardenne brothers carefully place small details to inform the larger story. For instance, they feature multiple eating scenes throughout the film. What the characters eat mirrors their struggle. When Sandra gets the ill-fated call about her job, she is baking a homemade strawberry tart after that it’s only pre-packaged or hospital food… Culturally relevant? Check out this IFC featurette (at 0m06s you will see the homemade strawberry tart and at 2m38s the store-bought pizza). Experience at Moxie Cinema in theater 2 on March 24 with Anne, Josh & Susie.

2015 @ the Movies take 37 : “Timbuktu” A stunningly beautiful cry against obscurantism shot in the historical heart of Mali. It is also a tale of female resistance sung in colliding languages rarely bought to the screen. Let’s not forget that this linguistic mosaic includes a couple of french-based dialects - the remnants of a previous invader. Highest recommendation. Experienced at TIFF Bell Lightbox in cinema 3 on March 25 with Susie Wallet & KurtisRockwell.

2015 @ the Movies take 38 : “Wild Tales” This Argentinian short film collection finds its unifying theme in bitter revenge. Always outrageous and often funny, most stories hit their target. My stand-out is "La Propuesta” (The proposal) a study in greed that shows more restraint and packs a more powerful punch (or should I say blow) in the end.
Experienced at TIFF Bell Lightbox in cinema 4 on March 27 with Susie Wallet & Kurtis Rockwell.

2015 @ the Movies take 39 : “It Follows” Good genre films - especially of the horror kind - are the ones who translate a social commentary through a nightmarish vision that forces our eye open (sometimes with the help of a razor blade). With his second feature, David Robert Mitchell achieves exactly that. Through a basic horror trope, he captures the torment of the teenage years - torment that remains unnamed and barely visible but so devastating. He even goes as far as removing the parents from the story altogether to reinforce the generational disconnect and the teenage need to find a new identity. A treat for the entire family! Experienced at Moxie Cinema in theater 2 on March 31. I went alone, but saw Shelley & Mike in the lobby. 
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