BradWesley123's Movie Journal- April 2016

I was curious as to whether my not having seen the series would impact my reaction to the film. While I'm sure that there were some moments that would've played better had I been a viewer, the film Veronica Mars was still a wonderfully fun movie with smart dialogue and strong performances. I'm certainly more inclined to watch the series now.

Monthly Wesley AwardBest Picture
Best Adapted Screenplay- Diane Ruggiero & Rob Thomas

Whatever freshness that the original Maze Runner had, The Scorch Trials manages to lose it completely. Some of the action does work, but the script offers absolutely nothing new in either the story or character development departments, it also doesn't help that it's overlong by around 45 minutes. About as bland as mainstream cinema can get.

The cast is superb, and the film's aesthetic is as well, though Pawn Sacrifice has some trouble consolidating the information into a straightforward story. Had the story had simply focused on the Fischer/Spassky matches, and the two men's diverging playing methods and personalities, it could've been something great. As it is, focusing tightly Fisher and his mental problems, it's a solid if unsurprising story.

Monthly Wesley AwardBest Supporting Actor- Peter Sarsgaard
Best Cinematography- Bradford Young

The Perfect Guy is just really fucking stupid. Like, so stupid. To it's credit, it is often so stupid that it's funny. Not enough to recommend though, as it often attempts to veer away from it's trashy lifetime-esque roots with "realism", that isn't real; just boring.

Another movie that's pretty stupid, but made with a veneer of respectability due to it's talent in front of and behind the camera, The Formula is an insanely convoluted and, often, incomprehensible mess of a movie, only occasionally enlivened by Brando's over-the-top, terrible performance.

Conspiracy Theory works at times, thanks to the inherently enticing premise and Mel Gibson's performance, but it ultimately becomes a plodding mess in it's second half. Had it's follow through been done as well as it's buildup, this would've been one of the better remembered hits of the 1990s.

When it sticks to the facts and away from the less-than-stellarly written story, Concussion flourishes. Unfortunately, it often feels as though the film is really pulling it's punches, and never goes as hard as it can. What could've been a searing look at concussion problems plaguing the NFL, and the league's lies to cover it up, is rendered as more of an inspirational story about a good person trying to stand up to a big corporation. It works well in spots, often thanks to Smith's committed performance, but never really hits it's mark. It's the textbook example of a well-meaning, okay, diverting film.

Writer/director William Monahan was likely masturbating while looking at his Oscar when he was writing Mojave, because how else could you explain all of the self-congratulatory jerking-off that this his script does. This film feature some of, and I am not exaggerating, that worst dialogue that I have ever heard recorded to film. It's an atrocity of screenwriting, and not a single member of the cast can do anything but lean into. Granted, it occasionally drifts into the "hilariously bad" category, hearing Mark Wahlberg say "bum" in place of ass is so absurd that I busted out laughing, but then it moves back to the really self-satisfied stuff and loses it.

Monthly Wesley AwardWorst Picture

Plotless and frequently undercut by unnecessary sentimentality, Sisters is still an, often, fun ride thanks to Fey and Poehler. It is disappointing to see their talents squandered in fairly rote setup (we really don't need any more "crazy house party!!!" movies, do we?), but that enliven every scene that they're in, and their work, along with some decent supporting work, is the sole reason to watch this.

The Falling is such an odd movie to review. There are certainly some excellent parts; the cast is great, the story intriguing, and I appreciated director Carol Morley's handling of mood and the ambition of the project. The problem is, though, the story just never clicked for me, never coming together in a satisfying way. While often a beautifully made mess, it's a mess all the same.

Monthly Wesley AwardBest Director- Carol Morley
Best Supporting Actress- Florence Pugh
Best Original Screenplay- Carol Morley

There's not a whole lot that separates Bare from other like-minded films in the story department, but it does have a rather authentic feel to it that helps lend it some depth, and it's also handled with a surprising amount of nuance at times. It also helps that it has a great, surprising lead performance from Dianna Agron, whole burst out of her Glee bubble to craft a realistic, grounded character. While, yes, the story doesn't really take any chances or surprising turns, Bare handles itself much better than I had expected.

Monthly Wesley AwardBest Actress- Dianna Agron

While it does feature a commanding performance from Tom Hardy as Reggie Kray, less said about Ronny the better, and some nice period detail, Legend does nothing out of the ordinary for gangster movies, even introducing a pointless voice-over that negates itself at the very end. If they had come up with some fresh angle, then maybe this could've worked, but it's often a diluted remake of better films.

Monthly Wesley AwardBest Actor- Tom Hardy

While the film is technically magnificent, In the Heart of the Sea is mostly a stale Moby Dick rehash with a bland script and rote characters. The actors try to add some life to the proceeding, but the simply can't compete with the script and lack of interest in the face of effects-laden thrills.

Monthly Wesley AwardBest Editing- Daniel P. Hanley & Mike Hill
Best Score- Roque Baños
Best Production Design
Best Sound
Best Visual Effects

Where the first film was something of a nice little surprise (it wasn't great, but it was fairly fun) to me, Hotel Transylvania 2 is the bland, forgettable, lowest-common-denominator entertainment that I expected from the first one. Nothing matters in the plot; the film is just a collection of images and noise that can be used as a babysitter for tired parents.

While it is often nice to look at, Red Riding Hood is just another Twilight wannabe deprived of any sort of coherence or intrigue. It's stupid enough to provide a few campy, soap opera-esque laughs, but not enough to recommend.

Monthly Wesley AwardBest Costume Design- Cindy Evans

While McAvoy and Radcliffe do the best that they can, and the costumes and makeup are on point, Victor Frankenstein is a lame attempt to make the classic character into a Sherlock Holmes-esque genius-asshole. The script is more-or-less tone deaf, and the direction leaves much to be desired.

Monthly Wesley AwardBest Makeup

An amiable, light dramedy with a strong pair of performances from Smith and Jennings, The Lady in the Van is wittier than most British awards-types, but it still too often bland and lifeless that it can be a slog at times. Solid, but unspectacular.

An electric story told in a frequently dull manner, Confirmation does work for strong portions of it's runtime, thanks to some excellent work from the ensemble. It does stumble with weak characterizations though, never really giving any of the characters anything more than their looks and attire, hoping that will do the work. It's a by-the-numbers historical pick, but luckily the numbers are interesting enough to carry the pic.