BradWesley123 @ the Movies: 2015

Slyly smart and outrageously funny, Top Five easily is Chris Rock's best directorial effort, and a pleasant surprise. Several well-known actors popup for cameos here and there, but the movie is essentially Rock's and Rosario Dawson's, and they carry it admirably. My only big problem with the movie is that it's very reminiscent of numerous other "one day" stories like the Before series. Still, it's an enjoyable flick, and I recommend it.
B

After all of the madness that the film caused, the world has finally been able to see it, and it would surprise me if Kim Jung-Un isn't kicking himself. Instead of the "act of war" he was expecting, The Interview is just a really stupid comedy. It does draw a solid number of laughs, but they can't overcompensate for the missed opportunity that is the plot. This should a been a smart, funny satire about one of the most controversial figures alive; instead it was a movie where Matthew McConaughey fucks a goat (allegedly).
C

A smart, authentic, and moving portrait of one of the greatest civil rights leaders ever. The film thrives mainly do to it's grounding of it's central hero, dismissing the myth and presenting a real, flawed human being. The ensemble is strong, but the film belongs to Oyellowo who gives a commanding lead performance. It does get bogged down by the biopic tropes, but director Ava DuVernay is smart enough to not lean heavily on them, and thus transcends them.
A-

A solid war movie, but not much else. Its very well made on a technical level, with numerous thrilling action sequences amped up to queasy effects. It's very lacking in originality though, with several scenes recycled from other, better war flicks, and the movie is quite repetitive. The main strength of the film is Cooper, who gives the most understated, yet commanding, performance of his career, elevating even the weakest of scenes.
B

It's pure Oscar-bait, but when it's this well made its pretty hard to hate it. The cast is strong, especially Cumberbatch and Knightley, and the script is solid. Could've used a bit more subtlety on the directing front (there a few too many obvious moments).
B+

Maybe the best movie of 2014, I'm still debating. Superb on every level, A Most Violent Year is an engrossing crime drama that subverts numerous worn-out tropes to create something more naturalistic. The cast is strong with Jessica Chastain, David Oyellowo and Albert Brooks all doing great work, but the movie belongs to Oscar Isaac, giving an incredibly conflicted performance that continues to prove that he's one of the best actors out there. This isn't a movie for everyone though; most of the title's violence is implied, and its very dialogue driven, but for those that enjoy slow-burn character driven thrillers, this is a must see.
A

Entertaining, but messy as hell. Seriously, the plot of this movie is so fucking jumbled that it alternates between obvious and incomprehensible. Visually, like all of the Wachowskis' movies, its gorgeous. The $175 mil. was well spent; now if only they put as much effort into the story. The elements are there though, and the film is entertaining at times. The cast, for the most part, is serviceable; Kunis and Tatum are solid, if not spectacular. The same cannot be said of Eddie Redmayne, who gives one of the most over-the-top performances that I've seen in years. Every time he was on screen, the audience was laughing uncontrollably. He may well win an Oscar this year, but he should be prepared for a Razzie next.
C-

A smart, funny movie that is unfortunately never as smart of as funny as it thinks it is. Don't get me wrong, it's a blast, but there's a layer of pretension that kept me from full being on board with it. Aside from that; the action is exciting, the script is amusing, even though the final gag falls flat (I'm of the camp that thought the anal joke was not particularly funny rather than sexist or offensive), and the cast is strong.
B

A fun, escapist movie that never really comes together fully. There are a lot of strong elements (cast, direction, style), but the plot is way too episodic with no strong through line. Still, it's a decent amount of fun, and an above average February release.
B-

Neill Blomkamp sets up a strong premise with potential to become a classic, then drops the ball hard. The characters are one-note, the script is all over the map (the tone is all over the place, and the ending is a confusing cop-out), and the casting poor. When I say poor, I'm speaking of course of Die Antwood. Yolandi, the female half, is okay, but Ninja doesn't have the chops to make his easily hateable character anything more than a nuisance. The visual effects are good though, especially when the third-act devolves into explosions and noise. A really wasted opportunity.
C

While not necessarily all that original, Run All Night is a smartly made, sufficiently thrilling action-noir that benefits greatly from the presence of Neeson and Harris, who imbue every scene they're in with real dramatic weight.
B

There is absolutely nothing new or original in Cinderella, and yet it's simply so charming that I was willing to forgive it. Kenneth Branagh directs the film with a subdued style, respecting the source material but never succumbing to it. The cast is strong too, with Lily James radiant as Cinderella and Cate Blanchett unsurprisingly having a blast as the evil stepmother.
B

While not the franchises finest (that honor still goes to Fast Five), Furious 7 is a exhilarating action spectacle with some of the greatest stunt work in recent cinema. Unlike most action films though, this isn't just a lot of explosions and noise. There's a surprising amount of heart on display here, including a powerful, fourth-wall breaking ending that would be a fine ending to the franchise.
B+