Sully Review

Starring: Tom Hanks, Aaron Eckhart, Laura Linney, Anna Gunn, Autumn Reeser, Mike O'Malley

You probably know the story of Chesley Sullenberger (aka Sully) and US Airways Flight 1549. "The Miracle on the Hudson" is what the press labelled it. If you aren't familiar, go read about it and come back. I'll give the short version. Flight 1549 was struck by a flock of geese as it was taking off, destroying both of the engines in flight. The captain, Sully, guided the plane to a forced water landing in the Hudson River, something that had never happened before. And miraculously, every single person on that flight survived. Hailed as a hero, it was only a matter of time before Sully's story would make it to the screen. And who better to take on the role than Tom Hanks and director Clint Eastwood? Sully is a depiction of one of the greatest heroes of our time that doesn't lavish its subject. Sully was just doing his job. While the film falls short every in a few places from pacing and a few supporting characters, the message remains constant. And in an era where not many great messages are out there, it's refreshing to see Sully shine

Sully is grounded by Tom Hanks' fantastic performance in the titular role. Tom Hanks is one of my favorite actors because he always delivers. While he gave fine performances as Walt Disney in Saving Mr. Banks, and James Donovan in Bridge of Spies, not since Captain Phillips has he really given such a deep and layered performance. Hanks has demonstrated time and time again that he is the best actor to play the American "Everyman" in film, and his last four mainstream roles prove it. Sully is just an average guy doing his duty. He doesn't see the point in the pedestal the media places him on, and doesn't feel that he alone is the hero that saved the 155 souls on board. He carries this demeanor into the investigation. Yes, there is an investigation, and who better to head it than Anna Gunn, TV's favorite b*tchy wife from Breaking Bad. Because at the end of the day, while 155 people survived, Sully destroyed the plane. I actually found myself steaming at the investigation team for the accusations they made at Sully, and the test footage they showed. It seemed as if they were robots rather than humans. This would be a fine narrative to go by, albeit probably not true (especially when the team feels they were misrepresented), except Eastwood doesn't let that happen. In the end, he shows that the team investigating Sully do have hearts. They just have to do their job, which is unfortunate, but it plays back into the theme of Sully "just doing his job". I don't see why they felt they were portrayed poorly in the film. I think (and this is the same argument I had for Eastwood's last film American Sniper) that it was all up to interpretation.

While Sully certainly rises to the occasion, it does fall flat in a few categories. Laura Linney's performance as Sully's distraught wife is particularly poor. I love Linney, and I truly believe that the way she acted is the way someone could act in that situation. But after the credits, you see the real Sully, his crew, and his family. And the real woman is so far from the Laura Linney performance that it's baffling. Another few times there was humor when there really shouldn't have been. That may have been intentional, but I often found myself cracking up at parts that didn't seem like it should have been humorous. The film also makes a point at going inside the lives of the survivors, and showing their side of the story alongside Sully's. They try to force some dramatic stories onto us, but none of them stick. They feel tacked on and useless next to Sully's. I understand why Eastwood wanted to portray all the sides to this story, but sticking with Sully would have been best. All in all, it's a very enjoyable movie that lacks in certain areas. I cannot express how much I enjoyed seeing Sully. Go see it, and see a wonderful story unfold.

Rating:

Sausage Party Review

Starring:  Michael Cera, James Franco, Bill Hader, Salma Hayek, Jonah Hill, Nick Kroll, David Krumholtz, Danny McBride, Edward Norton, Craig Robinson, Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen, Kristen Wiig

By the time I saw Sausage Party this week, I had already seen the headlines. "The Most Offensive Movie Ever Made", "A Filthy Feast", "Literal Food Porn". It's the only other mainstream R-rated animated movie besides South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut. The opening of the film is presented with enough whimsy and allure that it almost tricks you into believing it's a kids movie. There's a musical number and the animation is just so bubbly and child-like, almost second-rate compared to Disney and Pixar. Until that hot dog bun comes up. The sausages didn't really need an animator to make them sexual, but the buns have been specifically designed to be very "suggestive". Sausage Party is incredibly baffling. It presents ideas that are so brilliant, discussing religion, beliefs and morals, but then it throws it away for raunchy humor and trying to push boundaries. It's vexing that I still can't get a feel for whether I enjoyed it or not. Overall I laughed, but sometimes it was because I could not believe what I was seeing. Parents be cautioned...this is no children's movie.

The whole premise is that food is alive, and it doesn't know that it will be eaten by humans. The food in the supermarket anticipates when the "Gods" will take them to the "Great Beyond" and free them. It's obviously playing off of religion. When Seth Rogen's character Frank discovers the truth and tries to tell the food, they refuse to believe it. They would rather die and see the Great Beyond, because of what they've been promised. The idea of religion and that we believe "the best story" is really interesting. I wish it was explored more, and in more depth. I wish the movie settled with the idea that everyone can choose religion, and you can't force someone to believe. That's a message I wouldn't expect from Seth Rogen. Bickering between a Jewish bagel and a Muslim lavash mirrored the Israel-Palestine conflict, until someone points out that they have more in common then they think they do. It's so witty. But the conclusion of that storyline is that everyone has been lied to and the food tries to kill the people to achieve vengeance. Does that mean we need religion or we're savages? Am I looking too much into a raunchy food porno? Messages aside, I really appreciated the original humor. It was rarely "laugh-out-loud", but it's the type of clever humor that made me smile and chuckle to myself, mostly at the brilliant food puns. While some jokes might be seen as racist, I think overall they were pretty clever, though insensitive. There's a latina taco, African-American grits, and a gay twinkie. It's so stereotypical, and this movie doesn't hold back, making fun of just about every religion and race. The fact that it really hits everyone makes it seem a little more acceptable. Everyone got thrown on the cutting board and no one came back unscathed. I was promised a movie that would push boundaries and cross lines, and it certainly does that in every scene.

For all the interesting religious and cultural insights (a personal favorite is the African-American grits and Native American liquor getting their aisles replaced by crackers), Sausage Party throws it away for a VERY graphic orgy scene at the end. While the end result is so over-the-top, Sausage Party does present surprisingly mature ideas on sex and sexuality. The character of Brenda (brilliantly voiced by Kristen Wiig) has an interesting moral conflict. She and Frank broke through their packages to touch hands, and while he's on his mission for the truth, she feels everything that's happened, including falling out of their packages, seeing the truth, and getting lost, is because of their premature touching. Because "sex" is so repressed in this community, the food's belief system causes her to blame herself for everything. It's just like how many religions disapprove of sex before marriage, and shows how religion can really get in the way of people just trying to live. But, when she and Frank finally have sex, it's a ridiculously graphic scene. It's almost as if it was so repressed everyone turned into animals. It's just a free-for-all, and then the whole supermarket joins in. The Jewish bagel has sex with the Muslim lavash, and it's almost entirely just for shock value. While it was happening, I could not stop laughing, partly because I was so uncomfortable. Another sex story that's mishandled is the douche. This literal douche (he's the bad guy and it's a hilarious pun) wants revenge for being knocked out of the cart and losing his fluids. To do this, he rapes many characters to take their juices. It's shocking, and just not very funny. The discomfort I felt was kind of angering to see that happening. I wasn't offended, but I certainly don't think rape should be taken lightly.While it's genius to have a douche as a villain, his jaw-dropping actions really crossed the line for me.

While Sausage Party is interesting, and is certainly full of clever humor, I believe it throws all of it away for shock value. It's probablythe most inappropriate movie I've ever seen, and I don't know if it has any re-watchability. I can pick and choose certain scenes, and talking about it with friends who have seen it certainly bring some laughs, but I'm still confused about the film. I'm not even going to address the "twist" ending, which is the kind of introspective humor that belongs in Seth Rogen's This Is The End, not Sausage Party. If you're ready for what's "in store", go see Sausage Party. You truly have to see it to believe it. Words will never be able to accurately describe what is depicted.

Rating:

Suicide Squad Review

Starring: Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Jay Hernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Cara Delevigne

Suicide Squad is one of the most anticipated releases of 2016. An adaptation of the DC comic book team of the same name, Suicide Squad teams up famed Batman villains Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, El Diablo, Killer Croc, Enchantress, Katana, and of course....Harley Quinn and the Joker. A lot of the fascination with the film was driven by its comedic marketing campaign, as well as the innovative performances by Jared Leto as the Joker, and Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn. The commercial and critical disappointment of Batman v Superman also fueled interest, as director David Ayer promised a difference in the somber and serious tone of the DC universe thus far. The numerous trailers, characters, and songs really made Suicide Squad break every August record possible, and score one of the biggest openings ever. Then the reviews hit. I saw Suicide Squad late, so I had already witnessed the horde of negativity towards the film. And it wasn't different between critics and fans. The 27% score on  RottenTomatoes was echoed by disappointed fans. I tried to have an open mind for Suicide Squad, but there was just so much riding on this film for me. I am constantly frustrated with the DC superhero movies rushing their storylines. Suicide Squad was hopefully going to be the new beginning...but it's just another road block. It's not a step back, and actually isn't horrible. Their are salvageable parts that make it an enjoyable movie. It doesn't deserve as low as 27%. But it truly is a disappointment in the long run, and DC fails to live to expectations once again.

I think the Joker and Harley Quinn deserve their own section. I really liked the portrayal of Harley Quinn. I think the Harley that I saw in the cell, and in the training was the Harley I'm familiar with. But I don't think her relationship with the Joker was particular believable. It was very thinly crafted. I had no introduction to their relationship because it starts somewhere in the middle. I think the claim Davis' Amanda Waller made that she was "crazier" than the Joker was interesting. This Joker was definitely a little more subdued. But the claim was never really explored. Harley didn't always seem crazy, she seemed as if she were stumbling around sometimes. I loved Margot Robbie's mannerisms, but I hated her accent. It was so bad, and basically a different accent every time she opened her mouth. The Brooklyn accent never really stuck. Now to the Joker. I didn't love Jared Leto's performance, but I see that it could possibly be improved with more screen time. The true casualty is that he's barely in the movie. It's disappointing, because so many people are intrigued by a new Joker, and one that is innovative, but closer to the comics' roots than Jokers before him. He's a gangster, and that's an angle not seen since Nicholson played the character. Breathing life into a character that could have died with Heath Ledger is a huge selling point for any movie, and the ad campaign for this film capitalized on it. But no one could emerge from this film truly "loving" this Joker, because he barely gave a performance. This Joker is a far departure from Ledger's performance, but it doesn't commit to a new direction. I was mostly confused about where Leto's Joker stood, but I think the future installments will do him justice. I love that the Joker with Harley is finally hitting the big screen.

There's no doubt that this is a talented cast. But I believe only one person emerges unscathed, and that's Viola Davis. As Amanda Waller, she expertly blended menace with insanity. She was one crazy woman, but one no one would ever cross. Davis has proved time and time again she's a talented actress, and this was no exception. While Nick Fury assembled the Avengers and left them to their own devices, Waller really is ingrained in their actions, always watching them and messing with them. Then there's Rick Flagg, played by Kinnaman. He does nothing. He has no superpowers, and though he claims the Suicide Squad works for him, Waller foils him constantly. It just makes him look like an idiot. He's dating June Moon, aka Enchantress: the film's main villain. Cara Delevigne was probably the worst part of the entire movie. She deserves her own paragraph, but it was truly pathetic. Killer Croc, Katana, Slipknot, and Boomerang also had nothing to do. They shined in certain places, but overall they contributed nothing to the team. Slipknot even was the first to die, in a death so obvious you could see it coming a mile away. And El Diablo didn't even shine. He never fought until the end, in a random twist with a thin backstory and loose morals. It just wasn't interesting. Every action scene proved it was "The Will Smith Show." He had the backstory, the motivation, and the star power. He was alright. I didn't hate him, but I didn't love him, as he was a little too one-dimensional. It felt like the studio was so obviously "shoving him down my throat", and I just didn't care for his character. The sad part of Suicide Squad's team is that so many people feel useless. In Marvel, even if the heroes are less powered (i.e. Black Widow, Hawkeye), they still feel useful to the audience. They have intellect, and tactics that make them seem valuable. Only about three members of the Suicide Squad felt like they could really do damage, and were necessary.

Where to begin with Enchantress? She was a member of the Squad that was so obviously going to turn evil. It's the old worn-out story of another personality controlling someone to be evil and fight their allies. The ad campaign tried to hide it. They pulled the old "bait and switch", teasing us with a Joker and flipping at the last second. She was controlled by her heart outside of her body, in a case held by Waller. The scene where Waller stabs the heart with a pen to try and kill her was so pathetic. I rolled my eyes and laughed, because it was so ridiculous. It was such a stupid idea. I also don't understand how that same heart (now stabbed) could be given to Enchantress and still be viable. As for Delevigne, she barely acted. It was a different voice than hers, speaking in a made-up language and hula dancing like a cheesy showgirl. It was just yet another CGI villain with NO motivation, NO morals (be them good or evil), NO feasible plan but to destroy everything, and NO sensible way of achieving that plan. She even fights a different CGI monster. It reminded me of the worst Transformers scenes imaginable, except not even action-packed. DC has great villains! Batman has great villains! So why was this opportunity wasted? There is nothing salvageable from Enchantress, and her involvement in the movie is what dooms it. Just like Doomsday in Batman v Superman, she's a third-act CGI antagonist. The studio so obviously switched the original plot of the Joker to the Enchantress story. I'll never understand the reasoning, and it further frustrates me. Where DC was supposed to correct its mistakes, it just makes the same ones over again.

So is Suicide Squad really bad? It's not, but it's certainly not great. I can't say I'd ever see it again, so that's the failure of a superhero blockbuster. These are supposed to have re-watchability. Everything good is just overshadowed by horrible executive decisions. This version of the movie is not the version I saw in the trailers that got me excited. I heard that the executives really came and sliced it up, and they removed everything great. Harley Quinn would have been perfect in medium doses, but she's so over-the-top it's kinda stressful, even if I did like what she did with the character. The Joker doesn't even have a chance to make an impact. Will Smith is front-and-center for some reason. The musical soundtrack deafens the audience with rap verses. A stupid subplot with a generic villain weighs the whole film down. This movie had so much potential. Just listen to "Heathens" by twenty one pilots and watch the trailer. That's the best version of the movie you'll ever see.

Rating:

Ghostbusters Review

Starring: Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, Chris Hemsworth

The new all female Ghostbusters film is probably the most polarizing film in recent memory. Before it even came out in theaters, haters were slamming it on YouTube, calling it: unnecessary feminism, an unwanted reboot, and essentially, "the movie nobody wanted". It currently stands as the most disliked movie trailer in internet history. People wanted to "kill" this movie before it even had a chance to open. I wanted to see Ghostbusters for myself because I am a fan of the original. I distinctly remember the first time I saw it, and the wonder I felt. I was pretty intrigued when I heard the plans to gender-swap the main characters. I was never offended by the female update because of the talent in front of and behind the camera. Paul Feig directed Bridesmaids, The Heat, and Spy. Those are three very funny movies, and all good. Wiig and McCarthy are famous for being hilarious, and Leslie Jones's offbeat humor on SNL always brings a laugh. Jones, along with Kate McKinnon's pitch-perfect impression of Hillary Clinton, and her original characters on the same show sold the film for me. I'm always open. If they can do it and do it right, then I cannot argue with the effort to remake a classic movie, even if it's risky. And oh, they tried. It's unfortunate that it just wasn't as successful as it should have been. Because of this, the 2016 all female Ghostbusters fails on so many fronts, even if I was surprised that it wasn't completely terrible.

First, as always, I'll talk about what was good, and not just well-intentioned. There are a few salvageable pieces that are great. Kate McKinnon is absolutely hilarious. Her character is so goofy and crazy that her performance feels completely genuine. With all of her spot-on impressions and original characters on SNL, Ghostbusters proves she is simply a great character actor. Leslie Jones is also hilarious. I walked in with a small trepidation of her character. McCarthy, Wiig, and McKinnon's characters were all scientists, and Jones was the black one who "knew New York". That stereotype was a little worrying, but I'm happy to say it didn't play into the plot at all. She was a great asset to the team, and had some of the best jokes in the film. I was also surprised by Chris Hemsworth. He was outstanding as the dumb receptionist. While Annie Potts was a charismatic and competent source of laughs in the original, Hemsworth was a dumb "hot guy". Many of us know these guys exist, but I've never seen one put to film so accurately, and he gave so many laughs. The cameos in the movie were also some of the high points. While Bill Murray's cameo was a little disappointing and half-hearted (he wanted nothing to do with this film), appearances by Annie Potts, Ernie Hudson, Dan Ackroyd, and Sigourney Weaver were some of the biggest laughs in the movie. The appearance of the famous ghost symbol, Slimer, and a very fitting nod to the late Harold Ramis also were very well executed scenes. The action sequences were also choreographed with a lot of physical humor and wit.  New York City was very well-realized, and I loved that the movie immersed me in a world that was its own, but still connected to the original. The movie was at its best when it was being witty, and connecting back to the original. This makes sense, as the original Ghostbusters is so witty and original. There is never a dry joke in the original film. Sadly, the humor is not this film's forte.

This film suffers from issues in its tone. It tries to be hilarious, and it just isn't. There was not one joke that really had me laughing, nor were there any jokes that stuck in my brain. That is the true failure of a comedy film. It also tries to switch from comedy to some serious sci-fi paranormal depictions. And it's simply not scary. Then it tries to give Kristen Wiig's character a serious motivation, giving her a backstory monologue complete with sob story music. And her story just isn't sad. I didn't feel for her character. The one thing Wiig always brings to her movies is a leading quality. She grounds her films with her characters, so I understand why she was cast. But she brings nothing to the table for comedy, which is disappointing because she's so funny! But nobody made my eyes roll more than Melissa McCarthy. Personally, I am so fed up with her humor. It's just not funny to me anymore. She's just yelling, and the jokes weren't even funny. I loved Spy, but that was a huge departure for her. I don't think she made me laugh even once, and boy, she tried very hard. That's the sad part of this movie, and how I would sum it up. It tries so hard. It tries to be true to the source material, which is admirable. It tries to pave a new wave of remakes forward, which is also admirable. But then it tries to tackle its haters...which is where it becomes so pitiful. There are extended scenes with the characters looking at YouTube and reading hateful comments out loud (comments on their work that mirrors the real hate for the trailer) and talking about how no one has faith in them, and women can do it, and they'll prove "the haters" wrong. The villain is also a one-dimensional, spiteful internet troll. Yes, they re-wrote the villain to be a nerdy guy who hates the Ghostbusters. It's just too on the nose. The film literally ends with the women looking at the New York skyline, tears in their eyes, saying "Well, that wasn't terrible, was it?" It's just trying too hard. I was looking for Ghostbusters to prove my worries wrong, yet all it did was blow them up in my face and mock those who held such criticisms.

Overall, there are some really promising parts of Ghostbusters. I truly believe the forces behind the film: the director, producers, and actors, tried very hard to make a good movie. But what I witnessed was a film that tried to hard to do everything at once, and had very little success. What should have been funny was not funny. What should have been intense was not intense. What should have been witty remarks at the skepticism of the female leads was instead overused mocking. It's disappointing, because I really was rooting for Ghostbusters. I have no problems with changing the men to women, because I think if it works with the right talent...who am I to complain? But this is different. The talent failed. Ghostbusters is, and will forever be, an example that classic films DO NOT need updates.

Rating:

Finding Dory Review

Starring: Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Hayden Rolence, Ed O'Neill, Diane Keaton, Eugene Levy, Kaitlin Olson, Ty Burrell, Idris Elba, Dominic West, Sigourney Weaver

There was certainly a lot of excitement going into Finding Dory's premiere. June 17th, 2016 was a date I was anticipating since the first day Ellen announced the sequel, and I know many of my high school-aged friends were anxiously waiting Finding Dory's arrival. It's a little strange, especially when in the theater, because older teens and adults made up most of the audience. Truly Finding Nemo was a huge film in my childhood. I've seen it more times than I could possibly count, even going as far to see the 3D re-release my freshman year. I recently took out the old VCR tape of Finding Nemo to jog my memory and see if I'd still appreciate it at 19 years old. I wasn't surprised to see that it held up exceptionally well, even thirteen years after I'd first seen it.  Finding Dory has quite a lot to live up to. I'm certain if you haven't seen the film yet (I'm a little late on the review), you've heard it's either as good as Finding Nemo, or you've possibly heard it's even better. After seeing the film, I can confirm it is as good as Finding Nemo. While it doesn't carry the same whimsy as the first film had for me, it really transported me back to being a kid who lived for Pixar movies, while making me feel like as an adult, I can really appreciate a meaningful animated movie. Finding Dory really is as good as everyone says it is.

The best part of a Pixar film are always the characters. While Dory was great as a sidekick, it's clear that she can hold her own as the lead. Pixar has crafted such a realistic and relatable character, and Ellen only gives Dory life. Her charismatic voice performance makes her impossible to not like. The new characters are amazing as well. Hank the octopus (septapus) in particular made a big impact on me. I really related to his character and his arc was very well done. I wasn't a big fan of Destiny the whale shark, mainly because I thought her design was too cartoonish in a movie where the fish really look realistic. But her scenes were funny, and her nearsightedness was a great joke. Bailey the beluga whale made me laugh constantly, thanks to Ty Burrell's great voice and snarky demeanor. Plus, his echolocation was very cool and a great way to educate kids about the animals. I think everyone will walk away loving the sea lions. Idris Elba and Dominic West (partners on The Wire) play two hilarious lazy sea lions that try to protect their rock from Gerald, who's a little special. Their banter back and forth is hilarious, and they have some of the funniest dialogue in the whole film. The two characters I didn't like were Nemo and Marlin. I thought they were very unneeded. Until they met up with Dory again I thought their plot was very flat, I didn't particularly like Becky (nor did I understand why she couldn't talk) and I thought Marlin was very mean. You would think he learned a little from his adventures in the first film, but he resorted back to being mean to Dory.

As you can see in the above picture, Baby Dory is very adorable (and compelling!). I think the way Dory's past was tied into the present was so masterful. You really felt the loss of her parents and her need to find them, because the exposition of her childhood was so well done. It was reminiscent of finding a piece of Nemo all the way to Sydney, but more emotional. Every scene of Baby Dory brilliantly tied into the current plot and carried some emotional heft. From "what do we say to the undertow?" to "Mommy likes purple shells" everything was utilized brilliantly. I thought a certain scene with her parents (no spoilers) was so emotionally touching, and the image was burned into my brain for the day. Pixar has been accused of emotionally manipulating lately, probably because between Toy Story 3 and Inside Out, their films weren't very great, so it seemed like you were crying because of forced emotion. Finding Dory trumps those films, to feel like their most genuine sequel since Toy Story 3.

I think Finding Dory really nails it the Pixar formula. It's a great story and it has great humor. There are running gags that are hilarious every time, like the Sigourney Weaver voice, and the "three hearts" joke. I waited to see Finding Dory in both 2D and 3D to give a proper review, mostly because Finding Nemo in 3D blew me away with how well the effects worked with the ocean setting. I'd recommend Finding Dory in 3D only because it really immerses you into the film, but other than that it's fine in 2D. I highly recommend Finding Dory. It's fun for the entire family, younger kids and older teens with both appreciate it, and it has a lot of clever humor, with an emotional story. It doesn't quite match the perfection that Finding Nemo effortlessly had, but for a new generation of kids, this will certainly be a classic.

Rating:

Me Before You Review

Starring: Emilia Clarke, Sam Claflin, Janet McTeer, Charles Dance, Brendan Coyle, Matthew Lewis

Me Before You is the breakout romance of the summer. It stars Emilia Clarke, who appears as Khaleesi Daenerys Targaryen (Mother of Dragons) on Game of Thrones. You wouldn't believe how enormous her fanbase is. Then there's Sam Claflin, best known for playing Finnick Odair in The Hunger Games series. In Me Before You, Claflin plays a quadriplegic billionaire in a wheelchair, struggling after being struck by a motorbike years ago. Emilia Clarke plays his caregiver, and the two fall in love. That's the story Hollywood has sold you, and it's mostly true. But if you've seen the film, or done your research, you know the amount of controversy Me Before You has received. It portrays euthanasia (doctor-assisted suicide) in a very casual form. Basically the entire plot is Lou (Clarke) trying to persuade Will (Claflin) to not go through with a euthanasia appointment in six months, and the two fall in love while she's trying to show him the riches life has to offer. He truly is a different person after meeting her, and she brings out the best in him, and he finally gives her a purpose. Me Before You is a very well-made romance. As a male, I didn't feel sidelined and I never rolled my eyes. It truly services both male and female audiences, and it didn't really feel like a romance film. I highly recommend this, but be warned that you're probably going to feel very strong emotions (bring the tissues).

Me Before You is really a two-actor showcase. There are supporting actors in key roles, but it's truly Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin on display. Clarke is unrecognizable from her Game of Thrones role. That truly is a testament to her ability, because the silver-haired dragon queen is something etched into many minds. Yet I never once thought of Daenerys when watching her in this movie. I've seen interviews with Clarke, and this role is pretty close to who she actually is in real life. Very bubbly, very kooky, and very eccentric. She's like the new Jennifer Lawrence of interviews. You probably understand why I believe she's poised for incredible success. Her energy is contagious, and she is the emotional heart of the film. When she  rejoices, the audience is happy. Likewise, when she cries, the audience feels her pain. So what about Claflin? He does extraordinary as well. His role is much more sheltered, and much more stoic, but he holds his own. The chemistry between the leads is apparent from their first scene together. As an audience, you are invested in their relationship, which makes their struggles even more heartbreaking to watch. These two actors really become their characters and truly excel as a couple. In smaller roles, Janet McTeer (famous "I've seen her in something" actress) gives a solid performance as Will's distressed mother. She has the most to do of any supporting character, as the father (Charles Dance; Papa Tywin Lannister on Game of Thrones) isn't really a driving force. I have to give a shout-out to Brendan Coyle (Downton Abbey's Mr. Bates) as Lou's father, because he has one of the most touching scenes with his onscreen daughter. All the relationships in this film are so believable, even outside of Lou and Will. I 100% believed these people were the parents of the leads, signifying that the casting is extraordinary.

Before I give my criticism (and address the controversy), here are some other strong points. The music is incredible. Most movies like this (namely The Fault in Our Stars) have assembled great soundtracks. "Unsteady" by X Ambassadors is a highlight that perfectly complements the scene. The costumes of Lou are also outstanding and fit her character, and the cinematography paired with these factors is gorgeous. The movie is a very well-made romance, not just your usual chick-flick. However, I think Me Before You suffers from a pacing problem. It's about 2 hours long, yet it feels longer. It takes an awfully long time for anything to start, and I know from the trailers that a romance is happening. I appreciate that it's unconventional, but as a film it lags too much before it gets to the point. There are a few scenes between Lou and Will that are unneeded. Their chemistry is undeniable, and wasting time with extra scenes to "sell" their romance is not a necessity. I'm specifically referencing the shaving scene. As for the euthanasia controversy, I think people just need to take it as the movie presents it. The film does not want you to take a side, nor does it expect the characters to take a side on the hotly debated issue. You can agree with it, disagree with it, or fall somewhere in between. I don't believe this movie really makes an effort to try and take a stand.

Review:

X-Men: Apocalypse Review

Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Oscar Isaac, Nicholas Hoult, Rose Byrne, Tye Sheridan, Sophie Turner, Olivia Munn, Lucas Till, Evan Peters, Hugh Jackman

X-Men: Apocalypse has a lot to live up to. The previous installment: X-Men: Days of Future Past is not only a great superhero action movie, it's one of the most poignant, well made, and entertaining blockbusters I have ever seen. It's a hard act to follow, and the trailers for Apocalypse were underwhelming. I don't really know what it was, but the movie just didn't seem exciting. I wasn't heavily anticipating a movie coming from one of my favorite brands. I've always preferred the X-Men to the Avengers because of their backstory. They don't want to be superheroes. They are cursed with their powers and live in a world where "mutants" are hated. That can be spun into a great story, and Days of Future Past used it so well, on the backdrop of the Vietnam War and following JFK's assassination by a mutant. It was history combined with comics, and very poignant. I'm happy to say that Apocalypse came through and did give a great story, though not nearly reached its predecessor's heights. I was really surprised how much I enjoyed it, seeing as I hated the advertisements. This movie was sold very poorly. It's clear that the movie struggles in parts, mostly the same concerns I had while watching the trailers, and some scenes are quite bad. But at its heart, it is a very entertaining and well-made movie with good acting. It's not nearly as bad as its 48% RottenTomatoes score would suggest.

First I'll talk about the good acting. I actually think everyone does a nice job. There are no overwhelmingly bad performances. James McAvoy is excellent as Professor Xavier. Every movie he steps up his acting, and his performance as the telepath is greater every time. He really is the heart of this movie, even if the ads don't suggest it. A few of his scenes are super hokey, like when he sits awkwardly by Jean Grey's bedside, or when he cries at "how much power he feels", but overall he does a great job. Magneto is the opposite. He's great, but Michael Fassbender is giving the same performance. It's a great job, but Magneto doesn't really grow. He's just angry and hateful the whole time. Fassbender is good, but he doesn't have the enigmatic ability Ian McKellen had with the character. I think Sophie Turner is great as Jean Grey. She has to navigate the movie's biggest twist, and she does it so well. Many know Turner as Sansa Stark from HBO's Game of Thrones, and Apocalypse finally made me see how good of an actress she is, as Sansa can be a little whiny. Then recently on Game of Thrones, Sansa kicked it into high gear. It's clear Turner is a great young actress with a good path ahead of her. I also enjoyed Cyclops and his backstory. They really ditched him in the film's final act, which was disappointing. The same treatment befell Nightcrawler, who is my favorite mutant on the X-Men. Well, he was until Quicksilver came onscreen. Evan Peters sold probably the best scene in the whole film, and possibly one of the best comic book movie scenes ever. Quicksilver is such a hilarious and emotionally sensitive character, it's hard not to love him. I hope we see more of him.

Now onto what was bad. Apocalypse. I don't think that Oscar Isaac did a poor job playing the supervillain (who is practically the X-Men's BIG antagonist in the comics), it's just that the villain wasn't given the justice he should have received. Apocalypse is such a menacing character, and he seemed pretty weak in the film. His power was clear, but it really didn't seem like he thought anything through. His ending was pretty ridiculous, as he should have seen it coming. The suit Isaac wears is just so campy and huge, you cannot even tell who is acting. His Horsemen of Apocalypse were interesting, and I think that's a great storyline, but it was weird because of the actors. Olivia Munn as Psylocke just had a resting angry look on her face, and she carried around a metal sword even though her powers gave her unlimited energy swords. It didn't make sense and took me out of the movie. Storm was especially poor. The actress was okay, but the character was confusing and not realistic. She was a big antagonist, but suddenly turned on Apocalypse at the climax with no real warning. Then she's just accepted into the X-Men school. I find that hard to believe. The third horsemen (Magneto is the fourth), Archangel is basically nonexistent. He does nothing, and is a waste of a great plotline. Now onto Mystique. Jennifer Lawrence almost ruins the movie. Mystique is an amazingly twisted, morally complex shape-shifter. Lawrence almost barely shape-shifts, and she has zero action scenes. However, she does talk the audience's ear off. I'm disappointed they've sacrificed such a great character just to allow Jennifer Lawrence to take center stage. The movie also suffered from trying to sell a love story between Xavier and Moira McTaggert, who followed around the X-Men, wore a suit, flew the jet, and did literally nothing. She has no powers, so why are we focusing on her so much? Her discovery of Apocalypse was relatively important, but they'd eventually find him by themselves when he started destroying the world.

Overall, I enjoyed this movie. It clearly has some huge flaws, but that lies in the writing for specific characters. If we're going to move forward and not end here, Mystique needs to either be recast (J-Law just isn't working) or she needs to have action scenes. We don't want Mystique just give halfhearted speeches. However, I do need to address Hugh Jackman (without spoiling). The Weapon X/Wolverine scene was amazing. Again, this movie has amazing scenes that really shine in my memory. Jackman's physical acting and his animalistic nature was just what the film needed to pick up. Another huge issue with the X-Men is that these last few films have been split by decades. First Class was during the Cuban Missile Crisis, Days of Future Past during Vietnam, and now we had X-Men in the 80's (not really doing anything relevant except seeing Return of the Jedi). The actors don't look like they're twenty years older, because they're not. It doesn't make sense to time jump that much and then not utilize it.

Well, there's my review. I'm trying out a new star review, basing it off of 10 stars rather than 5. I find that I can fine tune my final review better this way.

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