The Revenant Review

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, Will Poulter

Most likely, you've heard of The Revenant. The epic revenge tale directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, the winner of last year's Oscar for Best Director (Birdman) and starring Leonardo DiCaprio has exploded both critically and commercially. It's been a box-office smash for the past few weeks, rekindling the same January spark American Sniper has last year. It also has more Oscar nominations than any other movie this year, with many saying Leo is a lock for a win, and will finally get the award he deserves. Having seen The Revenant (a little late, I'm ashamed to say), it really deserves the good word-of-mouth it has received. The movie is spectacularly beautiful. The cinematography, all filmed with natural light and real nature shots, is just breathtaking and stunning. The whole film is like a beautiful portrait of nature. This is contrasted by the horrible occurrences onscreen. After being mauled by a bear, frontiersman Hugh Glass is left for dead by his men. After tending to his wounds, he embarks on a journey to find and kill those who betrayed him. Have you heard of the bear scene? It really is as incredible as everyone says it is. The Revenant is more craft over content, and it has some flaws. But the moviegoing experience is so enthralling and engaging, it's worth it.

The Revenant is three hours of stunning shots. Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki has earned an Oscar for the past two years for his visionary work on Gravity and Birdman. He's definitely winning a third consecutive award this year. The man is an artist, and this is some of the most breathtaking photography I've seen, and it's in a movie! If you've heard, this film was plagued by filming predicaments. They used all natural light so they had a limited time frame, and they had to change location when winter ended. Director Alejandro Iñárritu is a dedicated man, but the real dedication is seen in Leonardo DiCaprio. DiCaprio did his own stunts. He ate a bison liver, and slept inside a carcass, while losing a ridiculous amount of weight. Does he finally deserve an Oscar? I'd like to give him one so he doesn't kill himself with these roles (I was a little worried a couple times), and it looks like he's going to get it. It's probably the best performance of his since What's Eating Gilbert Grape.

Like I stated earlier, The Revenant is craft over content. As good as DiCaprio is, he has very few lines. In contrast, Tom Hardy has many lines, and you can barely understand most of what he says. I really enjoyed Hardy's performance, but I understood only about 60% of his dialogue. Also, with all of the beautiful cinematography, there's actually little that goes on onscreen. The Native American subplots are really cool, but there's a little to be desired. I just felt like I wanted more. The stunning visuals are fantastic, and the bear deserves its own special shout-out, but there's not a lot of substance. It's just your classic revenge story.

The Revenant is a fantastic movie. I loved it. I run into the same situation I ran into with American Sniper. Everybody loved that movie. Actually, they revered it. And it was a great movie, and incredibly well-made. But I felt that as a film enthusiast, I saw flaws that everyone else ignored. For The Revenant, the word-of-mouth is kind of the same. Everyone will be rooting for it at the Oscars, but I don't think it has a good chance at Best Picture. It's not a perfect film, but it's close. I could have also gone for a little shorter running time (it clocks in at almost 3 hours). If you haven't seen The Revenant already, what are you doing? Go see it, you'll be rewarded.

Rating:

Carol Review

Starring: Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Sarah Paulson, Kyle Chandler

Carol is a surprisingly unusual film. I've known about the film since its debut at the Cannes Film Festival in spring 2015. It instantly became an awards contender, yet this past week it missed out on a coveted best picture nomination. Carol tells the story of a young naive woman named Therese (Mara) who is swept off her feet by Carol, an older married socialite. What starts out as a companionship ends up being a romantic relationship. For a movie that could so easily be called a "lesbian" movie, Carol is surprisingly about so much more. In a year where so many movies (Room, Brooklyn, The Danish Girl) have tried to convey the emotions a woman feels, Carol brings you as far into the mind of a woman without becoming an adult Inside Out. For these two women, it is more than just a lesbian relationship. Therese needs Carol because Carol is the only person who understands her. Not even her boyfriend can do that. And Carol has what police call a "patterned behavior" because she can't stand the life she's been thrust into. It's a slow burn, and it's not perfect. But the skill of Mara and Blanchett, and the technical prowess the music, sets, and costumes provide make it worth it.

Both Mara and Blanchett are nominated for Oscars. Cate Blanchett is one of my favorite actresses, and she truly proves that she is one of the most versatile actors working today. It's also interesting that while she has such a commanding presence onscreen, Mara works with subtleties. Carol says everything on her mind, but you have to read Therese's face. Rooney Mara can be intense (ie The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), but she shows her talent in her ability to hold back. She has a life that's worth living, but she just isn't happy. While Carol has what doctors and therapists call a "condition", Therese is just swept up in the sheer mystique of this older woman. From their first meeting, there is just something mystical about the way Carol walks that pulls her in. And this is no love story, because both of the characters find problems in each other and they do not sort them out properly. Carol invites Therese on a road trip so she doesn't have to be alone for Christmas. Her husband is divorcing her after she cheated with her best friend, and he seeks to take their daughter. Carol's relationship with her daughter is one of the only way the viewer sees her shortcomings. While the film is split between Therese and Carol's perspectives, it is definitely skewed towards the former. And she sees no faults in her lover, so the audience really doesn't either. But her proclamation of love towards her daughter and then reluctance to even care for her gives insight into how she will soon fail Therese.

Though I really enjoyed the performances (Sarah Paulson is also great as Carol's best friend/former mistress), and the script is great, there are a few things I didn't like. The first meeting (pictured above) between Carol and Therese was incredibly strange. Therese works in a department store, and Carol is buying a doll for her daughter for Christmas. Carol definitely asks more questions than one would deem appropriate, yet Therese doesn't catch on. When Carol exits, she leaves behind her gloves, forcing Therese to call management to send them back. Carol calls and asks to speak to the employee who found them, and upon "realizing" it is Therese, she asks her to dinner to express thanks. The whole thing seems fine to Therese, but it makes Carol come off as a stalker. The way she talks and the way she acts is like she saw Therese and was attracted, and she will stop at nothing to get her way. While this allows Mara to act beautifully naive, I actually would call Carol a predator because of how forced their interactions are. This never leaves your mind, and for me, it made their whole relationship seem incredibly awkward. It's also dreadfully slow. I love slow movies, especially if there is substance. But I really needed some action about 70 minutes into the film.

Carol is definitely a movie to see if you like prestige pics with great acting. I don't think it's a real contender in any awards except Rooney Mara for Best Supporting Actress and maybe the costumes. But do not walk into this thinking it's an epic romance, which is sadly what it's advertised as. It's far from comfortable viewing (in the sense that it's almost boring to watch), but it's a very interesting take on the female psyche. Truly I think it may represent why a lesbian relationship in that time period would not work out. People were just different.

Rating:

Academy Awards Nominations, Snubs, and Surprises

The following post is coverage of the Academy Awards (aka Oscars) nominations revealed last Thursday morning. As a movie fan, the Oscars are a huge deal to me. Take into consideration that all artistry is great in its own form, and that this is not a contest (even if to movie studios and some actors, it may be). Nonetheless, the Oscars give people a good way to be exposed to great movies that fly off the radar. Here are some snubs and surprises that I feel were deserved.

SNUB: Carol for Best Picture

I've seen Carol. My opinion aside, it was definitely a frontrunner for the entire awards season since Cannes. And I thought it was fantastic, so it truly deserved the nomination for Best Picture. It got nominations for both its leads: Cate Blanchett for lead, and Rooney Mara for supporting (more on that later), and four other technical categories. But it was glaringly omitted from the top award, which came as a huge surprise. Carol would have been one of the only completely female-centric movies nominated in years (Brooklyn is nominated this year), and there have always been rumors of the Academy not favoring women. Giving Carol's plot of a homosexual relationship between woman in the 1950's, it seems like Carol was slighted by industry politics.

SUPRISE: Mad Max: Fury Road dominates

While The Revenant got the most nominations (12), the real story was Mad Max: Fury Road scoring a remarkable 10 nominations across the board, from Best Picture, its costuming, editing, and directing. The movie shocked everybody upon its opening, and finished the year as the best reviewed movie on RottenTomatoes. But many fans feared it would get left behind because of its blockbuster and action movie status. Low an behold, the first critics circle gave it Best Picture, and that led to nominations by the National Board of Review and Golden Globes, and now it's a frontrunner to win! It's definitely a dream come true for Mad Max fans, and one that I never saw coming back in May.

SNUB: Ridley Scott for Best Director

The Martian is one of my favorite movies of the year, and there's no doubt directing is one of its strongest points. Director Ridley Scott, previously nominated for Black Hawk Down, Thelma & Louise and Gladiator (which won Best Picture), but he's never won. Many, including myself, thought it was his year. But as is the usual with the directing category, younger artsy directors get in over the perennial favorites. The others are deserved, but it's disappointing to see Scott left out again.

SURPRISE: Adam McKay and Lenny Abrahamson instead of Ridley Scott

I'm happy for them. There's no doubt Adam McKay strongly directed The Big Short into being the masterpiece it is. And Lenny Abrahamson had to work very hard to film chronologically and in most times confined to a small room. This continues a trend of younger artistic directors getting favored over frontrunners. Ben Affleck famously was snubbed in 2012, along with Kathryn Bigelow and Quentin Tarantino over Michael Haneke and Benh Zeitlin for two super independent films. At the end of the day, it's just a tough call.


SNUB and SURPRISE: The entire mess that is Best Supporting Actress

The Golden Globes called out awards campaigners for campaigning Rooney Mara in Carol, and Alicia Vikander in The Danish Girl for supporting, when they were in fact lead performances. They subsequently both got Best Actress-Drama nominations there. I've seen The Danish Girl, and she's definitely a lead. I've head the same about Mara. Because of both of their inclusions in Best Supporting Actress, the whole category is mixed up. Presumed heavyweight Kate Winslet, winner of the Golden Globe for Steve Jobs, is now probably unlikely to win, and key supporting roles from Jane Fonda in Youth, Helen Mirren in Trumbo, and even Vikander's own clearly supporting role in critical darling Ex Machina, were left out in favor of leads masquerading in supporting. Very confusing.


SNUB (and SURPRISE?): Straight Outta Compton

Shamefully, I admit I still haven't seen Straight Outta Compton. I know I should, and I'll catch it on DVD, but I've heard this movie is nothing short of great. Awards buzz came super late, but when it hit it hit hard. Many people thought that it would get a coveted Best Picture nomination, and it would bring diversity to the all-white nominees. But it got nothing but...wait for it...Best Screenplay? Was this ever a contender there to begin with? It seems an awful lot like a consolation prize.

SURPRISE: Tom Hardy for Best Supporting Actor

It was a big day for The Revenant, with 12 nominations total. Along for the ride was Tom Hardy, who had largely been forgotten next to Leo's dominating performance. It's true early sources said Hardy was a contender, but other roles were predicted to take the final slots, and Hardy was probably the least talked about thing of The Revenant. You were more apt to see the bear get a Supporting Actor nomination than him, but here we are, and Tom Hardy is nominated. I'm a big fan of his, so I'm happy.

SNUB: Idris Elba for Best Supporting Actor

One of the casualties of The Revenant is Idris Elba. His performance in Beasts of No Nation, Netflix's original movie, was considered a lock predominantly because he was recognized by every single other guild. I personally believed a Netflix film would never contend at the Oscars, so I expected the snub, but for Elba, who I believe is one of the finest actors working today, this isn't very good.

SURPRISE: Ex Machina

In early April, a small sci-fi movie hit screens. This was Ex Machina, and it was instantly hailed by critics as the best original science fiction movie in recent memory, and one that will stand the test of time. But awards guilds took no notice. It's about a scientist who creates a sentient robot with a human-like appearance, who is ready for the Turing test, which will determine if it is an appropriate human counterpart. Breakout star Alicia Vikander was getting awards nominations, only for The Danish Girl. She did get nominated for the Oscar for that movie, but Ex Machina got nominations for Best Visual Effects, and Best Original Screenplay. You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who says it's not original, but that it got nominated over blockbusters like Jurassic World is a true testament.


SNUB: Jacob Tremblay for Best Supporting Actor

Everyone is pretty much in agreement that it's Brie Larson's turn to win an Oscar. And she likely will for her complex and layered performance in Room, where she plays half of a mother-son duo held in captivity in a small room until their escape. But the other half, Jacob Tremblay is able to hold his own. Only 7 years old, Tremblay more than carries the movie on his small shoulders. He shows an emotional depth that I've rarely seen a child actor have. I thought that Larson's star quality and momentum would pull him in, since he's largely sat on the sidelines this awards season. I was wrong, and they missed an opportunity to nominate up and coming talent.

SURPRISE: Room's massive support

Room established a huge following when it won the Toronto Film Festival, but its awards prospects had been waning. Of course Brie Larson was a shoo-in for a nomination (and likely a win), but the rest was up in the air. Room walked away with four nominations Thursday, all in major categories. As previously stated, director Lenny Abrahamson was a huge wild card, and the screenplay nod coupled with the directing shows its clearly thought of as a frontrunner, a surprise to all, but well deserved.

SNUB: "See You Again" for Best Original Song

This one is just stupid. How does "See You Again", one of the most emotionally affecting, well-written, and commercially successful songs, not get nominated? The last adjective may be the answer. Favorite "Love Me Like You Do" from Fifty Shades of Grey was not included in favor of "Earned It", and Wiz Khalifa's track from Furious 7 also missed the cut. This one is just bizarre since it is such a well known and well loved song. It seems like the Oscars are trying to alienate fans.

SURPRISE: Charlotte Rampling for Best Actress

Charlotte who? That's probably what your reaction is. Rampling is apparently a veteran English actress with a slew of films in both English and French. She's never really bounded into any sort of attention until this year. While many (including myself) assume this is just the Academy rewarding a respected actress while they have the chance, those who've seen 45 Years, whatever it is, say she's great in it. So there's obviously a dark horse film I need to see.

SNUB: The Hateful Eight for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Makeup/Hairstyling

The Hateful Eight is without a doubt one of the most well-crafted movies this year. That being said, it's actually simple to see why the Academy wouldn't nominate it for its top prize. It plays out more like a stage play and seems less cinematic than Tarantino's previous efforts. And it may be the most shocking in its play with blood and gore than Django Unchained and Inglourious Basterds. So it's easy to see why they'd stay away. But Tarantino is always a lock for his screenplays, and this is one of his most clever. It looks like the last-minute nod for Straight Outta Compton, to make them seem less racist, took its slot. And where is the nod for its makeup? Jennifer Jason Leigh's face was covered in blood and brains, with her teeth knocked out, and her hair in tangles. To me, that was one of the most obvious Oscar wins, but it's clear that the movie just didn't click with the Academy.

SURPRISE: Fifty Shades of Grey is an Oscar nominee

I never thought I'd ever be saying this. Fifty Shades of Grey is an Oscar nominee. I never saw the movie, for my personal beliefs that it was solely a marketing attempt, and because I heard it was just a terrible horrible movie. But the one thing I do love about the movie is its soundtrack. With music from Ellie Goulding, Sia, The Weeknd, and Beyoncé, the album perfectly blends R&B with sultry smooth vibes. For a theme so explicit, the music is pretty clean. While I personally believed Ellie Goulding would be nominated for her hit "Love Me Like You Do", instead The Weeknd is nominated for "Earned It". The Weeknd is a huge contender at the Grammys, and an up-and-coming talent, so it's no surprise they probably just wanted him to perform at the show. Nonetheless, this is a huge achievement for a movie with a reaction so polarizing with audiences. 

SNUB: Inside Out for Best Picture and Best Original Score

There is no doubt. Inside Out is definitely one of the ten best movies of the year, and deserves to be rewarded. Nearly everyone thought it would be with a nomination. After all, it's included in the Original Screenplay category for its sharply written, beautiful, and imaginative story. For whatever reason, it got left out, and another popular movie is slighted. Maybe it's faded from peoples' memories, but I really was pushing for this to get a Best Picture nod. And Michael Giacchino (Up, Lost)'s simple and elegant score for the film really set the tone. The figure skating scene is one of the most affecting scenes in film this year, and Giacchino's composition made the audience feel the emotion. It seems like Inside Out just wasn't a favorite this year, and it is a shame.

SURPRISE: When Marnie Was There for Best Animated Feature

I'd never really call myself an anime fan, but I definitely respect the beauty of the craft if it's executed correctly. While I don't think Inside Out has even a microscopic chance of losing Best Animated Feature (it was considered for Best Picture), Studio Ghibli films have fared well in the past. Spirited Away is undoubtedly the best animated movie of the 2000s, and while that was from Hayao Miyazaki's brilliant mind, Studio Ghibli has turned in very beautiful and touching movies over the years. This story about a distant girl who finds comfort in a haunted mansion and possibly spirit girl echoes many of Miyazaki's themes, and may prove to be a fantastic film.

SNUB: Star Wars: The Force Awakens for Best Picture

 Let's save the best for last. Well, at least the one most people can get behind. I truly believe Star Wars: The Force Awakens is good enough to get a nomination for Best Picture. However, I knew Thursday morning that it wasn't going to happen. First, the movie was basically released day and date on December 18, with critics seeing it two days prior at its worldwide opening. Other movies are shown months in advance to their releases, so the Academy likely got the screeners late. Second, while Star Wars was an Oscar darling, they've never rewarded a sequel the same way, not even the better follow-up The Empire Strikes Back. It did get 5 nominations in the technical categories, and it might win some there, but a Best Picture nomination was just not a possibility. Still, it's something hugely deserved and something I think alienates a lot of people.

Here are the full nominees:

Best Picture
The Big Short
Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian 
The Revenant
Room
Spotlight

Best Director
Lenny Abrahamson- Room
Alejandro González Iñárritu- The Revenant
Tom McCarthy- Spotlight
Adam McKay- The Big Short
George Miller- Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Actor
Bryan Cranston- Trumbo
Matt Damon- The Martian
Leonardo DiCaprio- The Revenant
Michael Fassbender- Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne- The Danish Girl

Best Actress
Cate Blanchett- Carol
Brie Larson- Room
Jennifer Lawrence- Joy
Charlotte Rampling- 45 Years
Saoirse Ronan- Brooklyn

Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale- The Big Short
Tom Hardy- The Revenant
Mark Ruffalo- Spotlight
Mark Rylance- Bridge of Spies 
Sylvester Stallone- Creed

Best Supporting Actress
Jennifer Jason Leigh- The Hateful Eight
Rooney Mara- Carol
Rachel McAdams- Spotlight
Alicia Vikander- The Danish Girl

Best Original Screenplay
Bridge of Spies
Ex Machina
Inside Out
Spotlight
Straight Outta Compton

Best Adapted Screenplay
The Big Short
Brooklyn
Carol
The Martian
Room

Best Animated Feature
Anomalisa
Boy & the World
Inside Out
Shaun the Sheep Movie
When Marnie Was There

Best Foreign Language Film
Embrace of the Serpent (Columbia) in Spanish
Mustang (France) in Turkish
Son of Saul (Hungary) in Hungarian
Theeb (Jordan) in Arabic
A War (Denmark) in Danish

Best Documentary Feature
Amy
Cartel Land
The Look of Silence
What Happened, Miss Simone?
Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom

Best Original Score
Bridge of Spies
Carol
The Hateful Eight
Sicario
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Original Song
"Earned It" by The Weeknd- Fifty Shades of Grey
"Manta Ray" by J. Ralph & Antony- Racing Extinction
"Simple Song #3" by Sumi Jo- Youth
"Til It Happens to You" by Lady Gaga- The Hunting Ground
"Writing's on the Wall" by Sam Smith- Spectre

Best Costume Design
Carol
Cinderella
The Danish Girl
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant

Best Production Design
Bridge of Spies
The Danish Girl
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
  
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
The 100-Year-Old-Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant

Best Film Editing
The Big Short
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Spotlight
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Visual Effects
Ex Machina
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

The Hateful Eight Review

Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Demián Bichir, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern, Channing Tatum

 Please listen to this score above as you read the following, in order to get the "full experience".
The Hateful Eight is (by no coincidence) the eighth film by Quentin Tarantino, the stylish director of critical masterpieces like Pulp Fiction, Inglourious Basterds, Kill Bill, and most recently Django Unchained. Tarantino is well known for his unforgettably quirky characters, sharp writing style, precise cinematography, and of course, copious amounts of blood. I admit, Tarantino is an acquired taste, but I've been a big fan ever since I saw Django Unchained. If you like that movie, you will enjoy The Hateful Eight. But it's very different. Django Unchained is a western, and The Hateful Eight is a mystery. Yes it has western elements, but it's, for the most part, a Tarantino take on a Hitchock murder mystery. This is not a mainstream movie that audiences will embrace. It's disgusting and delves into the depths of human depravity, which is something Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained. Taking place in a stagecoach stop in a blizzard, this movie is about eight strangers, one a deadly prisoner, who befall tragedy when they realize one of them is trying to kill the others and escape with the prisoner. Veteran actress Jennifer Jason Leigh plays the aforementioned prisoner, and let me tell you, she deserves an Oscar, but she'll never get it. My first words as the credits rolled were: "What a disgusting woman."

This truly is an ensemble movie, and the small cast works well together. Samuel L. Jackson is obviously having the time of his life. His performance is so witty and funny, and I truly believe only Jackson could pull it off. Kurt Russell is great as "The Hangman" who is transporting Daisy Domergue to hang. He's very good for the type of role, but I wish I could have seen more of his acting chops. I mentioned Leigh already. Most of the awards attention has surrounded Leigh's performance, and it's deserved. She plays one of the most vile and disgusting characters I've ever seen. But somehow she completely owns this film. It's definitely a supporting role, but its interesting how her sometimes bombastic and sometimes nuanced performance drives the other characters. Leigh deserves an Oscar, but they'll never give it to her for something this disturbing. The script is also well written. Tarantino strongly relies on heavy dialogue, and with this mystery setting, his sometimes comedic and profanity-laden script butts heads occasionally. The tone of the movie is often confusing. While it's definitely a well-made movie, that's my only real criticism. It just doesn't have a steady tone, and it's not as big as some of the other movies this year. There is no huge setting or big plot. It's just eight people who can't figure out who is secretly helping Daisy Domergue kill everyone. While I enjoyed it, I can see why the movies 3 hour pace with this recurring theme would be a little uninteresting.

By far, the best part of this movie is its incredible score. This is one of the best movie scores I've heard ever. It feels like a classic horror movie score. Reminiscent of Halloween's iconic overture, Ennio Morricone's overture is able to pierce you, and it gave me chills. The music is so haunting, and having an overture focused on a slow pan of a crucified Jesus statue really sets the stage for the eerie film. The rest of the score is phenomenal as well, and I really hope Morricone can be rewarded for his work here. The music has just stuck with me since I first heard it. I really enjoyed this movie, though I'll admit it's not perfect. It's just a movie catered towards people like me. If you're a fan of Tarantino's style, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Rating:

The Danish Girl Review

Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Alicia Vikander, Matthias Schoenaerts, Ben Whishaw, Amber Heard

The Danish Girl is a beautiful movie. Every scene looks as extravagant as the artwork Einar and Gerda Wegener painted. The cinematography is perfect, and the music is beautiful to listen to. The movie's physical beauty makes sense, because the story of Lili Elbe is a beautiful one. Lili was formerly Einar Wegener, until she transitioned to become one of the first documented transgender individuals. It seems like the formula for a perfect movie, but The Danish Girl can't help but feel lacking. There's something missing that doesn't make it the next great leap forward in cinema, or even an awards juggernaut. The performances are a different story. Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander give two of the best performances of the year. I seriously believe Vikander can go all the way and win, her performance far eclipses Redmayne, who is the titular character.

In my opinion, The Danish Girl's fault is that it's a message movie. I really enjoyed the movie, but it didn't strike me as totally emotional. By the end of the movie, I get it. I get the message, but I think the movie should have been more passionate rather than charming. I think the transgender community deserves a heavy movie like Selma for the African-American community. That's not to say its not a good movie, but it does more to paint an illustration of Gerda and Lili's relationship and its ultimate failure than it does to actually examine Lili and her issues. The Danish Girl is a love story that relies too much on a romantic message, which is not what I would have liked to have seen. I would have liked to see Lili and her struggles to fit in. The story is based off of her diary, yet almost nothing is in her perspective. You see the whole movie through the eyes of Gerda, and how she reacts to her husband being a woman. The movie is about a tragic romance. I believe that it fails to capitalize on a great opportunity. But in this mistake, it brings forth a fantastic performance from Alicia Vikander.

It came as a complete surprise that Alicia Vikander eclipsed Eddie Redmayne. All the buzz has been for Redmayne, possibly capitalizing on his win last year for The Theory of Everything with another Oscar. But like I said, he's not the focus even if he is the lead. Vikander's Gerda is the real subject, to the point where a character addresses her as "the Danish girl". The two of them both act circles around each other, but Gerda is where the film stays grounded. You can see the pain in her eyes, and the anger in her face. But with all the feelings she has for her husband, it is evident she still loves the man she married, even if he's not a man, and is destined to leave her alone. Redmayne is great, and his self-exploration is really inspirational. But this film is more about what it's like to be married to somebody transgender than it is to really be transgender.

The Danish Girl is a good movie, but I could not buy into the transgender message of the movie, and I desperately wanted to. It was just too shallow in its exploration that it didn't suit my tastes. As a love story I totally believed it, and I was invested in the couple. When I felt like crying, it was because of Gerda, not for Lili. That's just honestly how I felt. I do not think you are able to connect to Lili because she appears as a mystic being on a pedestal. When I see her tragedy, I feel more for Gerda because the movie focuses on her suffering. It's definitely odd and disjointed but you get to see Alicia Vikander really bust out her acting chops. With all of its lavish sets and beautiful scores, there's surprisingly little more than just that: beauty.

Rating:

The Big Short Review

Starring: Steve Carell, Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt, Finn Wittrock, Marisa Tomei

The Big Short is an extremely clever movie. It's about the financial collapse of the world in 2007-2008, focusing on a few people who saw it coming in America. Now, this isn't the kind of subject that normally holds my attention. I'm not an expert at banking, nor do I really understand finances at this level. This should make the movie boring for me, but it didn't. I actually walked away from The Big Short in awe of what I saw. This is a movie that made banking fun, without detracting from the substance of the subject at hand. It's still a very important movie with a somber tone, even if it is a comedy. It has one of the best, if not the best, ensemble casts I've seen this year. I don't think one performance was out of place or detracted from the film. Steve Carell and Christian Bale obviously shine, but the performances work greatly together. It's such a strange movie, that I almost still can't believe worked as well as it did. It made me actually understand the housing market, so I'd say that's a step in the right direction.

There's a certain cheekiness in The Big Short. It's narrated by Ryan Gosling's character, who talks straight to the audience, and sometimes breaks the fourth wall to address the camera. Ryan Gosling who is well-known for playing some very pretentious characters, is a jerk again here, but a likable one. When he's narrating about some confusing concept, my brain turned to mush pretty quickly. Then he says, "And to explain synthetic CDO's to you, is financial theorist Dr. Richard Thaler, and pop star Selena Gomez." And Selena Gomez explains synthetic CDOs to the camera with gambling cards. It's flat-out brilliant. The film also has a creative use of Ludacris' "Money Maker" in a musical interlude. The whole concept is incredibly well-done. It makes a confusing topic relatable. It's funny, but it doesn't poke fun at its subject matter. The financial crisis is a very serious topic, and it ruined many people's lives. It doesn't shy away from showing you corporate greed, or how it affected some citizens (in the movie's timeline, and only in America of course).

Steve Carell continues to impress me as an actor. After his deservedly nominated performance in Foxcatcher this year, he delivers another amazing turn. He's so different from the Steve Carell we're all used to from The Office and stupid comedies. His facial acting is incredible, and you can see the pain in his character. He plays a cynic who, after the death of his brother, believes the whole system is a fraud. When he catches wind of these empty loans in the housing market, he's off to try and warn as many people as possible. What's great with the actors, is that there really is three stories. There's Carell and his team on Wall Street. There's Christian Bale, a hedge fund manager with an M.D, who first discovers the faulty system, and Brad Pitt and his two young investors, who also become involved, albeit at a distance. All of them are connected by Gosling's character, who is a slimy trader. Bale's plot is more separate. His performance as Dr. Michael Burry is fantastic. Bale is one of my favorite actors, and he is one of the most consistent performers working today. He's a (likely autistic) eccentric hedge fund manager who sees a problem. He doesn't do what Carell does and try to fix it. He doesn't really know how to communicate. He just tries to warn everyone, and give them a wake up call, even if his methods are strange.

If you're into low-concept comedies, this movie probably isn't your cup of tea. If you're looking for awards contenders, The Big Short has to be on your list. A couple months ago I would have never guessed an Adam McKay (director of Anchorman and Step Brothers) film could compete at the Academy Awards. Now it looks like it's a frontrunner. Go see The Big Short. It's an important movie.

Rating: