BradWesley123's Movie Journal- August 2015

DVD- 1hr. 49min.
First Viewing

Technical proficient and ably performed, Mirren in particular is very good, Woman in Gold is nevertheless blandly inspirational oscar-bait. The true story at the center of the film is such a strong one that this movie should be more than a dull procedural.

DVD- 1hr. 40min.
First Viewing

A disappointing buddy comedy disguised as a semi-satire on race and wealth, Get Hard is very funny at times, but not enough to justify many of the choices it makes. Of the comedy that actually works, Ferrell and Hart are responsible for most of it and have solid comedic chemistry that deserved a better film. The stuff that doesn't work though, is fairly homophobic and racist. If the gags where smarter, and funnier, then maybe it would work, but it doesn't really here.

Netflix- 1hr. 33min.
First Viewing

A rare modern horror film that works as both a horror film, and a dramatic one. The Babadook is a very much a traditional horror flick; ominous score, slow-build scares, late-reveal monster. Luckily director Jennifer Kent knows how to use these element, not lean on them, creating a stylish, smart, and exceptionally well acted film (Essie Davis is amazing here) that is deeper than just above every other modern horror film, and many older ones to boot.

DVD- 1hr. 31min.
First Viewing

Very Good Girls is pretty much exactly what you'd expect for a female-focused coming of age story. As always, just because it isn't fresh doesn't make it bad; it's bad because it doesn't go down any interesting avenues, nor does it offer any real insight into the subject matter or it's paper-thin characters. The film would be a total wash without the work of Dakota Fanning, who does so much more than the script gives her.

Netflix- 1hr. 29min.
First Viewing

An odd psychological thriller that keeps you guessing at about every corner, Faults is a surprising little flick. Director Riley Stearns somehow keeps everything tonally on-point and gets some excellent work from his leads, especially Winstead, who points on an acting clinic going through an expansive range of emotions. It's one of those movies that you should just see for yourself.

Netflix- 1hr. 30min.
First Viewing

There are a couple of okay moments, but Kill Me Three Times is too derivative and convoluted to make much of a positive impact. The lone bright spot is Simon Pegg, how is superb in an against-type hitman role. Had the movie been solely about him, then it may have been something awesome.

HBO Now- 1hr. 38min.
First Viewing

Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight can't help but be a bland bore. It is a well-made bore though, with a great cast and a respect for the material but, such respect leads to a lack of risks or intrigue.

VUDU- 2hrs. 9min.

Netflix- 1hr. 27min.
First Viewing

The film has a solid story and a surprising, considering the plot, control of tone, but what makes Welcome to Me stand out from a slew of other indie-flicks of this nature is Kristen Wiig's performance. It's a powerhouse that blends so many different elements, while always making them work as one collective portrait. The film itself does falter at times, but the Wiig's performance does not.

DVD- 1hr. 55min.
First Viewing

An interesting "message" movie is lost amidst a sea of incoherence and nonsense in The Gunman. After a solid start, that lays out what could have been a decent film, the movie succumbs to the frantically (i.e. poorly) shot and edited action mold of many a thrill-less modern day "action" films. The "action" might be forgivable if the story was at all finally-honed, but it is not. It just keeps going and going and going without making to much sense along the way. The film also managed to waste a strong cast, giving them barely anything to chew on. Winstone probably fares the best, playing a character that he's played pretty much his entire career; Elba likely gets the least, he got second-bill and is in the movie for about ten minutes total. Definite worst of the month candidate.

DVD- 1hr. 48min.
First Viewing

It's pretty predictable, and too bland, but Danny Collins is always watchable thanks to an excellent cast, especially Pacino. After years of hamming it up, it's nice to see Pacino actually doing some decent character work again.

Netflix- 1hr. 47min.
First Viewing

While the revolving door of SNL cameos is good deal of fun, Staten Island Summer has, pretty much, nothing else to offer other than "last day of summer party" cliches. It might've worked in the 1980s, but not today.

DVD- 1hr. 29min.
First Viewing

An okay TV movie with an excellent performance from Cicely Tyson. There's not much else to say about; it's just okay, but not very memorable.

DVD- 1hr. 43min.
First Viewing

There really isn't too much to this movie; it's foundation is built on "WTF", splashy twists that don't actually mean anything, but keep happening. Most of the twists, luckily, are so inane that you can't help but laugh. The Loft isn't necessarily "so bad it's good", there are too many moments of dull meandering, but its stupid enough to be somewhat amusing.

DVD- 2hrs. 3min.
First Viewing

The cast is as good as they were in the first, but there's just no point to this movie. The inherent fun that this scenario holds ran out in the first movie, resulting in a boring, dull retread that just keeps going on and on.

DVD- 2hrs. 8min.
First Viewing

The surprise of The Longest Ride isn't that it's good, because it really isn't (though compared to other Nicholas Parks adaptations, it's a masterpiece), it's that it really could've been. Instead of the rote, bland melodrama of whether Scott Eastwood will give up bull riding (seriously), it should have focused on the past storyline Oona Chaplin and Jack Huston. While it isn't the greatest thing in the world, there's some genuine emotion to it, and it's far more romantic that the main story. As it is, it's just okay.

DVD- 2hrs. 17min.
First Viewing

Child 44 should be an interesting thriller with some historical clout; it is instead a boring slog that even it's cast, giving some of the dullest performances of their careers, can't save. It almost like every little thing that could be interesting is first drained of it's potential, then presented to the audience.

DVD- 1hr. 37min.
First Viewing

What could've been a fun throwback to 1990s teen flicks, but with a action-twist, is rendered a derivative bore. Barely Lethal has an okay lead, a few good jokes, and a couple of strong supporting characters (Dove Cameron and Gabriel Basso are good enough to outshine the rest of cast and story), but beyond that is a total mess.

Netflix- 1hr. 36min.
First Viewing

Goon is a pretty mixed bag; the crudeness and the slapstick are fine on their own, but don't really mesh into a sustainable tone. The story, also, does take too many derivative turns, taking from better sports-comedies. Though, the films it takes from have strong template (if you're gonna steal, steal from the best), and the cast is very strong. Good enough for one view, though I doubt it'll get returning fans.

Netflix- 2hrs.
First Viewing

Arguably the finest of the "Cornetto", easily the funniest, Hot Fuzz is just a blast from start to finish. It's smart, subversive, and highly original.

DVD- 1hr. 49min.
First Viewing

Spacey is excellent, and the movie does score a few decent laughs, but the Casino Jack never goes beyond the surface. You won't know much about the whole story if you just watch the movie, just what you saw on the news.

Netflix- 1hr. 26min.
First Viewing

Alex of Venice is well intentioned benefits from an excellent lead performance from Mary Elizabeth Winstead, including solid work from the rest of the cast, and features some striking camerawork, but it just hits too many familiar beats. If it would've branched out a bit more, then it could've been a nice little character drama. As is, it's simply an okay Netflix curiosity.

DVD- 2hrs. 3min.
First Viewing

While it does border on being too small-scale for it's own good, Clouds of Sils Maria does work, for the most part, as a dissection on the thin line between art and reality. It helps that the cast is excellent, with both Binoche and Stewart doing some of the best acting of their careers.

DVD- 1hr. 32min.
First Viewing

The cast is solid, but the story is so damn derivative and dull that it's hard to get through. Highly forgettable.

DVD- 1hr. 35min.
First Viewing

Schwarzenegger and Breslin do some strong work (Ahnold, in particular, does some of his best dramatic work), but Maggie only works in spurts. When it focuses on the characters, its solid. When it tries to be a Malick-y look at conflict between man and nature, it is fairly bland. Unfortunately, the latter gets the most screen time, and the film suffers for it.

VUDU- 1hr. 39min.
First Viewing

While both leads do strong work (Franco in particular excels here), and the real-life story is mesmerizing, the film has such low energy that it threatens to make even it (the story) dull. Had the film had any verve or energy, than this could've been something excellent.

DVD- 1hr. 34min.
First Viewing

The candy-colored animation is fun to look at, and the lead characters are mildly endearing, but Home too often mistakes rapid movement for plot. Like many of DreamWorks' lesser animated flicks, it works only for the kids and forgets the adults buying the tickets.

DVD- 1hr. 53min.
First Viewing

Crowe's directorial debut is competently made, but falls short of the grand, old-fashioned epic it aspires to be. Crowe himself is superb in the lead, doing better in front of the camera than behind it, and the film looks tremendous. Unfortunately, the story is fairly contrived and, while starting out pretty strongly, peters out towards the end.

DVD- 1hr. 44min.
First Viewing

Based on what's on screen, you'd think that this was the Crowe making his directorial debut this day. Somehow, Cameron Crowe is able to make a film worse than his, once, nadir Elizabethtown. Aloha is smug, stupid, and flat out inane. How could the guy who gave us Almost Famous seem to forget how humans interact? The only thing that works in this movie is the scene where Alec Baldwin comes in to berate Bradley Cooper's character, largely because that was what I wanted to do.

Note: No man has ever been happy to hear that another man is the biological father of his daughter. Just, what the fuck man?