Marriage Story

     Marriage Story is directed by Noah Baumbach (Frances Ha) and stars Adam Driver (The Force Awakens) and Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow). It tells the story of an actor and stage director's messy divorce taking place between New York and Los Angeles.
     Noah Baumbach is a director whose work I had seen very little of until about a month ago, when I decided to marathon through his entire filmography (see a quick top five below). What I discovered was a lot of family drama, cynicism, and darkly comedic material. His movies taking place in New York work much better than those set in other cities. The performances he can get out of actors are powerful and feel deeply personal. Baumbach's films often feel like you are getting to watch him work through therapy, a trait that makes his movies authentic, messy and real.

Quick Top Five (pre Marriage Story viewing):

1. Mistress America

2. The Meyerowitz Stories

3. Kicking and Screaming

4. While We're Young

5. The Squid and the Whale

     The hype for Marriage Story was real. It won numerous awards from a variety of film festivals and is tracking to be nominated for quite a few awards for the upcoming months. And I would say it lives up to the hype.
     The highlight of the movie is the performances of its two stars, Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson. Both are able to portray hurt and pain incredibly effectively, enough to make you empathize with them. You can feel Driver being stretched to his breaking point, as he feels everything he loves could be taken away in an instant. He is willing to do whatever it takes to stop that from happening. Johansson struggles with hurting those she cares so deeply for. Many scenes feel awkward to watch, not because they are poorly done but because it feels like you are a fly on the wall to something you should not be watching.
     Each of the three lawyers also bring something unique and special to their roles. Laura Dern (Jurassic Park) represented Johansson's character and perfectly embodies a stereotypical Californian all the way down to the fake tan. She plays nice in such a slimy way that it will make your skin crawl.
     As Driver tries to decide between two different lawyers, you get to see two different sides of what it means to help your client. Ray Liotta (Goodfellas) plays the rich, scummy lawyer who takes no prisoners. Alan Alda (The Aviator) plays perhaps the sweetest lawyer ever put to screen. He just wants to make sure everyone ends up happy.
     My only criticism of the movie is that I wish we got to see more from Johansson's perspective. Because the story is semi-autobiographical, it makes sense you feel Driver as more heroic and Johansson as slightly more villainous. But I think it would have made for a more interesting movie if it had been more nuanced between the two POVs.
     Marriage Story feels like Baumbach's most personal film to date. The performances he can get from every actor on screen are incredibly and likely to win some awards very soon. And the best part about all this: You can stream it on Netflix right now.

When should you watch it?
Opening Night

Top 100 of the Decade: 91-100

The 2010s have produced some great films, excellent actors, and exciting directors. As the decade comes to a close, I find it fitting to take a look back at the best movies that have come out in the past 10 years. The best part about lists such as this is it provides a baseline for you to start thinking about how your list would differ and might just inspire you to check some of the movies out that I mention you may have never seen.

Today's post will focus on films ranked 91 to 100.

100. Les Miserables

A beautiful musical featuring stellar performances and singing that takes place within the scenes themselves, not later added in post.

99. The Meyerowitz Stories

If you think Adam Sandler can't act, then I challenge you to check out this movie.

98. The Gift

A twisty and creepy little thriller that will shock you.

97. Logan Lucky

Self proclaimed as "Ocean's 7/11" this heist movie features an oddball cast of characters that leave you wondering how they were ever able to pull it off in the first place.

96. Manchester by the Sea

A movie I do not know if I will ever watch again, it is incredibly haunting and sorrowful with Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams both firing on all cylinders.

95. The Shape of Water

An Oscar award winning creature feature that is equally romantic and strange.

94. Anomalisa

Asks a lot of questions about life through the use of stop-motion puppetry.

93. Fruitvale Station

Ryan Coogler's small budget introduction to the world stage that humanizes a real life tragedy.

92. Knives Out
Great ensemble for a murder mystery that remains credible and believable.

91. American Sniper

Interesting to see how war can affect the men caught up in it. Even the best soldiers have scars that will last throughout their entire life.

Check back soon to see the ranking continued!

Favorite Superhero Movies of the Decade

As this decade comes to a close, I am going to take a look back at some of the best films in a variety of categories. From Best Picture winners to horror movies and everything in between, I hope to provide you some insight into some gems you may have missed and maybe you can take a look back on the decade and decide which films you like, loved, or maybe do not ever want to see again.

Superhero movies dominated the box office, as it took over pop culture in general. It's hard to believe the MCU started in 2008. While the MCU has dominated headlines, other franchises and studios have stepped up as well to create some films with perhaps even more quality. The beginning of the decade saw a lot of superheroes with optimism and cheer, and as we have ended we have begun to see more of a referendum on the genre as a whole. Is the genre close to coming to a close, or will it dominate the next decade? I'm not here to answer that question, only to talk about the greatness we saw this previous one.

Deadpool 2
Whereas the first Deadpool was a fun introduction to the characters, Deadpool 2 is able to have more fun and bigger set pieces than its predecessor could.

Spiderman: Into the Spider-verse
Incredibly innovative, Spider-verse feels like a comic book put to the screen. It features things that a live action movie never could. It is also incredibly beautiful to look at.

Avengers: End Game
The end of an era, End Game lived up to the hype and then some. It provided fitting conclusions for the franchises biggest heroes and included great payoff to the over decade long build up. I do not know how they could have done it any better.

The Dark Knight Rises
Following up the best movie of all time is tough, but TDKR is a very fitting sequel. The Joker sought to mentally break Batman, but Bane did it physically. Again, the set pieces are awe inspiring and are even cooler when you realize much of the movie was done practically.

Logan
Perhaps the least comic booky of all the choices, Logan is all about the end of one hero. This movie strips its titular hero to nothing and is able to tell a poignant story about growing old and the legacy we leave behind.

Split
A surprising sequel to the sleeper hit of Unbreakable, Split features a great multi-personality performance from James McAvoy and created a near iconic character based on no source material.

Captain America: Winter Soldier
A spy thriller under the guise of superhero movie, MCU films are almost always better when they are acting as something other than a straight comic book movie. Throw in a couple of good twists and you have a great movie.

Kick-Ass
A send up of superhero movies that pushes the genre to its limit. Gory and profane, it surely is not for everyone. But if it sounds like something you would be into, then I would highly recommend.

X-Men: First Class
A complete reinvention of the X-Men franchise that blends history with the younger versions of the classic characters. Each actor is perfectly cast as a younger version of the team members.

Interesting to see where superhero movies will be in a decade from now. Will they continue to dominate the box office and streaming services?  Or will it fade into the background like many other genres have before it?

Favorite Sports Movies of the Decade

As this decade comes to a close, I am going to take a look back at some of the best films in a variety of categories. From Best Picture winners to horror movies and everything in between, I hope to provide you some insight into some gems you may have missed and maybe you can take a look back on the decade and decide which films you like, loved, or maybe do not ever want to see again.

Sports movies took an interesting turn this decade, with many of the best in this genre took a step off the field and looked more behind the scenes, with the sports themselves taking a backseat. And truth be told we did not see a lot of greatness from this genre in the 2010s. Nevertheless, some of these stand out as some of the best of all time and are definitely worth a watch at the very least.

Creed

Rocky came back as a role player in a film that looked like it could be a disaster but turned out to be incredible. Michael B. Jordan transformed and Ryan Coogler aptly directed this franchise defining movie. I say it is the best of the franchise.

I, Tonya

A darkly comedic ice skating movie saw a great physical transformation from Margot Robbie and shined a lot on a true story that I only had passing knowledge of previously.

Eddie the Eagle

A feel good comeback story with great chemistry between Hugh Jackman and Taren Egerton. The ski scenes are really good and has quite a few pump your fist moments as well.

Warrior

A tale of two brothers who are both really good at MMA. Lots of family drama is mixed perfectly with fighting action and incredible performances from all involved: Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, and Nick Nolte are all in prime form.

Ford v Ferrari

The newest entrant on this list, this movie places you right in the driver's seat for the most immersive sports experience. It includes great cinematography and incredible practical effects that help elevate it above some of the more standard tropes it could have fallen into.

Goon

Sean William Scott brings the one liners and is instantly quotable. It mixes hockey action with a surprising amount of heart. It feels like a perfect throwback to the more crass movies of the 1990s and is more than a welcome surprise.

Moneyball

Who knew that a movie about the nerdy side of baseball would turn into the best of the decade? Not only does it do a great job of explaining a complicated topic, but it includes the insanely great dialogue of Aaron Sorkin mixed with a great lead performance from Brad Pitt. Everyone swings for the fences and scores in the best sports movie from the past ten years.

Let me know where you agree, disagree, and what I may have left off.

Ford v Ferrari

     Ford v Ferrari is directed by James Mangold (Logan) and stars Matt Damon (The Martian), Christian Bale (The Dark Knight), and Caitriona Balfe (Escape Plan). It tells the story of a revolutionary car race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966, and the true story of car designer Carroll Shelby (Damon) and driver Ken Miles (Bale).
     This type of movie is a dying breed. Not based on any existing intellectual property, made for adults, and with movie stars for over seventy-five million dollars is the type of movie that Hollywood is wary to make because of the lack of return on investment. Yet movies like this are the type that I hope we continue to see be made. Directors like James Mangold have an interesting vision and something to say, and small budgets may limit the scope of that message. Even though I have little interest in car racing, I am a big fan of Damon and Bale, so seeing them team up is something I will always get excited for.
     The highlights of Ford v Ferrari are the extended car racing sequences. Incredibly thrilling, the races put you in the driver's position, helping you to understand decisions made that would otherwise get lost in standard montage sequences. The practical crashes add to the realism and the stunt work should be award winning (if the Oscars finally decides to add a stunt work category).
     Every actor is on top of their game. It was jarring to learn that Bale is actually British, and often uses an American accent in movies, a fact that makes me respect other roles he has had even more. Damon is of course great, and it is a nice return to form after a recent string of misfires for the Oscar winner (see Suburbicon, Downsizing, and The Great Wall). Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead) plays a Ford executive, and is slowly turning into one of the best character actors of this generation, a guy whose face you recognize even if you can't place where. He is reliable to turn in a great performance every time he shows up.
     Although Ford and Ferrari are the titular names in the title, the central force of the movie more closely follows the battle within Ford itself. This inversion of expectations reverses what you would normally expect from a sports movie. Even when it is clear who the victor between the two titans are, drama still unfolds from within the ranks of Ford. And rather than fade to black at the end of the race of Le Mans, thirty or so minutes remain.
     While the movie appears to be following a standard formula, it actually uses this formula as a vehicle to showcase great acting, incredible stunts, and beautiful cinematography.

When should you see it?
Opening Night

Doctor Sleep

Doctor Sleep is directed by Mike Flanagan (Hush) and stars Ewan McGregor (Revenge of the Sith), Rebecca Ferguson (Rogue Nation) and Kyliegh Curran (I Can I Will I Did). It continues the story of The Shining, this time following an adult Danny Torrance, as he tries to save a young girl gifted with the shine from a group looking to feed off her, while he also deals with the ghosts of his past.

Halloween comes around once a year; it is the perfect time for horror movie marathons. Nightmare on Elm Street. Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Halloween. All classics that always find a way onto the screen. But all with sequels never able to capture the magic or terror of the original. The Shining is on a similar rotation, but a sequel had never been released. Stephen King disowned Stanley Kubrick's interpretation of his work, leading many to wonder how someone could juggle the differences between book and movie. A horror sequel attempting to balance the stories of two different source materials would be a tough job for anyone, but Flanagan has shown himself more than capable as one of horror's best up and coming directors.

The movie works best when left to its own devices and not attempting to recreate the magic of the shining. Ferguson's cult, The True Knot, brings new horrors and feature some incredibly creepy characters. Characters I wish we could have spent a little more time with than we do. Their ritual is one of the most terrifying things put to screen this year, as they gain power from taking the life force out of children who shine. They meet their end far too conveniently for the protagonist's sake, but they are still able to pack in the scares with their limited screen time.

The adult Dan Torrance has been able to deal with the horrors from the Overlook Hotel and the pain dealt to him and his mother by his father, Jack (originally played by Jack Nicholson). Yet his coping mechanism includes the thing that plagued his father, alcohol. He is able to sober himself with the help of Billy Freeman, played by Cliff Curtis (Hobbs & Shaw). Their plan to protect Curran's shine sensitive character is clever and comes very close to success. It kept me on the edge of my seat, leaving me wondering what would happen next, a spot I love to be in.

The third act is where the film began to fall apart for me. Instead of focusing on the new, we go back to the Overlook and see many of the ghosts from the original. But the second time seeing a horror character is rarely as scary as the first. I wish we had stuck with the new characters, and possibly trimmed at least a little time off the over two and a half hour run time.

Doctor Sleep shines in its new ideas and terror, but slows to a halt when it realizes too much on the past. I would be interested to see what Flanagan could do in this world, now that he would be more free to follow new things, not having to rely on what has previously been set up.

When should you see it?
Wait a Week

Favorite Comedies of the Decade

As this decade comes to a close, I am going to take a look back at some of the best films in a variety of categories. From Best Picture winners to horror movies and everything in between, I hope to provide you some insight into some gems you may have missed and maybe you can take a look back on the decade and decide which films you like, loved, or maybe do not ever want to see again.

Comedies became much more high concept than previous decades, with a lot of interesting premises that did not always sounds like they would work on paper yet churned out some pretty hilarious results. It is tough to see who from this decade will move onto the next, as many of the most bankable stars of the previous decade have seen their star begin to fall. Many comedies now find life on streaming services because of their lack of box office return, a trend which, more than likely, will continue on for the foreseeable future.

Neighbors

A college comedy in the modern age. But this time we focus on the next door neighbors. Seth Rogen's best of the decade comes as he matures and is forced to be more of the straight man than the goofy side character.

The Lobster

Not the most crowd pleasing on the list, this movie is darkly funny. It takes a satirical look at modern society and the lengths we may end up going to find "love". And a midway twist turns around everything we thought about the others, and makes us realize we may have more in common with them than we realized.

The Lego Movie

What should have been a cheesy kids movie turned into a look at capitalism while also featuring plenty of puns and all the situations we dreamed up as children. Side warning: "Everything is Awesome" will be engrained into your head for the rest of your life after just one viewing.

Lady Bird

Greta Gerwig has all but taken over Hollywood as the decade has come to a close, and her directorial debut shows just how great this takeover will be. Even though I have almost nothing in common with the main character, I was still able to connect with her and her life.

21 Jump Street

In an era of endless reboots, 21 Jump Street looked like it was going to be just another part of the corporate machine. Instead it updated the series in a cool way and took the time to make thoughtful jokes and characters that you care about.

The Other Guys

Will Ferrel was the king of the 2000s. This decade has not been as kind to him. But The Other Guys stands heads above the rest. Not only is it funny the first time, but I contend it gets better and better on subsequent rewatches. And it has surprisingly a lot to say about the financial crisis from 2008.

Brigsby Bear

SNL alum Kyle Mooney is in a star making role as the titular character. Where the movie starts versus where it ends up taking us could never have been predicted, yet the innocence of Mooney and the weirdness of the story helps make it a lot of fun.

Hot Tub Time Machine

Taking a trip back to the '80s helps to answer a lot of questions about time travel in the funniest of ways. The bit with the handyman's arm cleverly adds to the humor throughout, and the stakes feel just real enough to have you rooting alongside them.

Game Night

A high concept comedy that leaves you guessing throughout. Rachel McAdams returns to her comedic roots and Jason Bateman proves to be a great leading man in a movie that toes the line between realistic and absurd in just the right balance.

Horrible Bosses

Star studded and bit filled, Horrible Bosses packs just about everything you like to see in a Hollywood comedy. Fun to see Spacey, Anniston, and Farrell go full psychopath as the horrible bosses.

These are some of the best comedies I saw. Maybe you saw one that I missed or thought something was funnier than one of these movies. Let me know where you agree, disagree, and what you think I left off the list.

Favorite Horror Movies of the Decade

As this decade comes to a close, I am going to take a look back at some of the best films in a variety of categories. From Best Picture winners to horror movies and everything in between, I hope to provide you some insight into some gems you may have missed and maybe you can take a look back on the decade and decide which films you like, loved, or maybe do not ever want to see again.

The first of this series is coming in the form of Horror. Horror films took an interesting turn this decade, one that has led to it becoming a more respected genre. While the typical B horror movies still exist, auteurs like Jordan Peele and Ari Aster have begun to create films that are being recognized by the Academy. Some dubbed this elevated horror, while others push back against this term as a snobby way to view this films. However you feel, it can't be denied that horror movies have become more slick, and some don't always feel like conventional horror at all.

Here are some of my favorite horror movies from this decade and a few of my thoughts about each one.

Final Destination 5

After just describing the artistic side that horror has begun to take the form of, I come out with the goofiest of this list. Final Destination 5 continues the Final Destination franchise and comes up with more innovative death scenes, plenty of blood, but features a twist at the end that ties the whole series together in a satisfying way. Not the best movie by any means, but one of my personal favorites.

The Witch

To start off, this one is not going to be a crowd pleaser. A period piece taking place in 1630s New England, the accents are thicker than the haze covering the small farm land. No flashy kills or funny one liners but instead immense dread and a lot of unease. Just because it does not feature conventional horror stereotypes makes it no less scary. And best of all it is currently streaming on Netflix.

Get Out

The highest grossing movie on this list, chances are you have probably seen this one. Jordan Peele made the jump from comedy to horror in maybe the most fascinating media development of the decade. The thrills of the movie keep us guessing on the first go around, but the layers are good enough to have a high level of rewatchability.

The Cabin in the Woods

A mystery box that the less you know about the better. What starts as a pretty standard cabin in the woods slowly turns into something much more sinister and clever. It's currently available to stream on Apple for less than a dollar.

Tucker & Dale vs. Evil

Another horror-comedy of sorts, Tucker and Dale face off against evil itself. Whereas the teens in the woods believe our titular heroes are axe wielding psychopaths, the two think the teens have a suicide pact in which they are randomly killing themselves. Cue death by woodchipper, among many others. While it slows down a little in the third act, the first two feature enough jokes and blood to make any horror fan happy.

Don't Breathe

Don't Breathe permanently ruined Thanksgiving for me. And it also turned what could have been a hokey premise into something much more. Takes a lot of tropes (old man alone in house, something hidden in basement) and turns the terror up on them. The kids thought they were breaking in, but what they have to break out is even more surprising.

Green Room

More terror than pure horror, yet still features grotesque imagery and incredibly realistic injuries and wounds. Sir Patrick Stewart flipped his classic genial persona to a hardened Neo Nazi as one the scariest monsters to come out of the decade in film. And it features some good music from a genre I wouldn't normally listen to.

The Visit

M. Night Shyamalan finally returned with an ultra low budget horror movie that was suitably creepy and returned Shyamalan to his horror roots. The classic twist brought chills to my arms and instantly turned the tension up. And the twist comes about halfway through the movie, meaning we had to sit through the ramifications for the rest of the movie. And it's actually good found footage (a genre that was thankfully mostly left in the 2000s).

Hush

A movie that doesn't turn the technology off, but instead uses it as part of the terror (a feat hard to do in the modern world). Another movie that could have relied on its premise for cheap scares instead takes time to set up pay offs that are incredibly rewarding. It is currently streaming on Netflix.

Unsane

Takes technology to the extreme by actually shooting the movie on an iPhone. We can never truly trust what we are seeing as we are being led by a potentially unreliable narrator, or maybe she is telling the truth the entire time. Super intense and engaging for the entire run time and emerges us into the story through extreme close ups and a fishbowl effect on the lens.

Wish I had seen but never got the chance:
The Babadook, Sinister, You're Next, The Love Witch, and Let Me In

Happy Death Day 2U

     Happy Death Day 2U is directed by Christopher Landon and stars Jessica Rothe, Israel Broussard, and Phi Vu. It continues the story of Tree who, after having survived the first time around, is back to face new dangers, but also might discover a few answers this time around.

     The first Happy Death Day movie was an interesting concept, that ultimately fell apart in its execution. I was hoping for the sequel to amp up the horror, while also keeping some of the more comedic elements displayed in the first one. 

     HDD2U was a dissappointment on many levels. But perhaps the worst part was that the movie had an identity crisis. Even looking at the IMdB page for the movie, it has six categories it is placed under: Comedy, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, and Thriller. Trying to juggle this many different tones resulted in a scatter brained movie that was not quite sure what it wanted to be. The slasher elements that made the first one enjoyable seemed to be an afterthought in favor of the science fiction on display. 

     Whereas one plothole I may be able to overlook, when a bunch began to pile up it can began to tear the movie apart. Some may be nit picky, but when your mind begins to snag on little things in can distract you from the rest of the movie. The ultimate reveal that comes at the end of the movie is completely unearned and thinking about it for more than a minute has it completely fall apart.

     I wanted to like Happy Death Day 2U, but the film's lack of ability to commit to any one genre hampered it from being very good at all. The trailers do not do a good job of advertising this movie, so don't go in expecting what you see in the commercials.

When should you watch it?
Cable