STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER (2019) – My rating: 7.5/10

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (also known as Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker) is a space-opera and is produced, co-written, and directed by J. J. Abrams. It is the third installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, following The Force Awakens (2015) and The Last Jedi (2017), and the final episode of the nine-part “Skywalker saga”. This movie was produced by Lucasfilm and Abrams’s production company Bad Robot Productions and was distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The Rise of Skywalker follows Rey, Finn, and Poe Dameron as they lead the Resistance’s final stand against Kylo Ren and the First Order, who are now aided by the return of the deceased galactic emperor, Palpatine. I think I’m a little tired of Star Wars — this one was just ok.

Following a threat of revenge by the revived Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) obtains a Sith Wayfinder, leading him to the uncharted planet Exegol. There, he finds Palpatine, who reveals that he created Snoke (Andy Serkisas) a puppet to control the First Order and lure Kylo to the dark side. Palpatine unveils a secret armada of Star Destroyers and tells Kylo to find and kill Rey (Daisy Ridley), who is continuing her Jedi training under Resistance leader Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher). Finn (John Boyega) and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) deliver intel from a spy that Palpatine is on Exegol; Rey has learned from Luke Skywalker’s (Mark Hamill) notes that a Sith Wayfinder can lead them there. Rey, Finn, Poe, Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo), BB-8, and C-3PO depart in the Millennium Falcon to Pasaana, where Luke’s search for Exegol ended.

While on Pasaana, the group encounters Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams), who points them to the Wayfinder’s last suspected location. Kylo learns where Rey is through their Force bond and travels there with his warrior subordinates, the Knights of Ren. Rey and the others discover the remains of a Jedi hunter named Ochi, his ship, and a dagger inscribed with Sith text, which C-3PO’s programming forbids him from interpreting. Sensing that Kylo is nearby, Rey goes to confront him. The First Order captures the Falcon, Chewbacca, and the dagger; attempting to save Chewbacca, Rey accidentally destroys a First Order transport with Force lightning. Presuming that Chewbacca has been killed, the group escapes on Ochi’s ship.

I’m stopping here to reserve some semblance of integrity and of course, the element of surprise.  This supposedly last Star War film was not as good as some of its predecessors. I found the story rather robotic and cursory, it was all over the place. There were numerous scenes of fighting and often, without merit. The story jumped from subject to subject leaving me desperate for an explanation. Some parts were even a little boring. I think there was too much action to say very little. Despite the uneven flow, the acting was very good and the special effects were absolutely brilliant. Carrie Fisher lives through the age of repurposed unreleased footage from The Force Awakens. I also think I’ve had enough Star Wars, the whole battle between The Force and Emperor Palpatine and his stormtroopers after 43 years is a lovely adventure but is screaming for closure and “The End”. The movie received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the cast performances and visual effects but criticized the story, pacing, and perceived departures from the themes and story of The Last Jedi. It has grossed over $840 million worldwide against a production budget of $275 million, making it the ninth highest-grossing film of 2019. You Star War fans, Check It Out!

[STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER is Oscar-Nominated for Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing and Best Visual Effects — Totaling 3 Oscar nominations]

AT ETERNITY’S GATE (2018) – My rating: 7.5/10

At Eternity’s Gate is a biographical drama about the final years of painter, Vincent van Gogh’s life. The film is directed by Julian Schnabel, from a screenplay by Schnabel, Louise Kugelberg and Jean-Claude Carrière. Last year an animated, fully hand oil painted version of the last years of Vincent Van Gogh, was nominated for Best Animated Feature and told a very similar story – This movie, made with true life actors, was brilliantly done and I find the film indescribably touching. I’ve decided to deal more with Willem Dafoe’s performance and feelings about the movie, via a series of quotes taken from various places and the direction taken by Schnabel rather than the story content, which is already pretty well known.

At Eternity’s Gate focuses on Vincent van Gogh’s (Willem Dafoe) final years, which were spent in the South of France. The opening scene shows van Gogh chanting, “I just want to be one of them,” in a mournful voice. For painting is like breathing, eating or like drinking water for Vincent. The only person who had a clue about what it was like to be van Gogh was his brother, Theodorus “Theo” van Gogh (Rupert Friend) who also supported him financially as well as emotionally, despite his illness and heavy drinking. Vincent, the son of a Dutch Reformed minister, felt he was chosen to paint, despite the constant criticisms by other painters that determined his paintings to be sub-par.

Since van Gogh died at the early age of 37, DaFoe had his work cut out for him, as he had to shed more than a quarter of a century in age to portray van Gogh with such childlike faith and innocence. From the tugging off of his old boots to sketching them or lying prone in a French field, happily dribbling dirt onto his face, Vincent’s world was simple and full of beauty. In one scene, Vincent tells a credulous priest (Mads Mikkelsen), “Maybe God made me a painter for people who weren’t born yet.” Still, the world largely ignored van Gogh, putting him away in a series of asylums.

Director, Schnabel, captures van Gogh’s madness mostly from the inside: His shots are shaky and chaotic or slowed down to long, contemplative pauses; panicked when Vincent doesn’t know what he’s done, and blissful when he’s in the throes of painting or being held by his brother.

To portray Vincent van Gogh in At Eternity’s Gate, Willem Dafoe needed to learn to paint in a way that would allow him to see the world through van Gogh’s eyes. “The beautiful thing is you become van Gogh”. Dafoe had only a cursory knowledge of the artist before signing on to the film. “What I know about Vincent van Gogh is probably what most people know,” he says. “I had seen his paintings. I can’t say I fully appreciated him before this. I do now.” That understanding came from painting lessons, under the tutelage of director Julian Schnabel. “That was the key to everything,” Dafoe says. “It gave me very concrete examples to exercise different ways of seeing, and I loved that. This movie may have changed me for all time — not only in how I look at painting, but how I look at things.”

**** SPOILER ****

After van Gogh discharged himself from Saint-Rémy and moved to the Auberge Ravoux in Auvers-sur-Oise near Paris, he came under the care of the homeopathic doctor Paul Gachet (Mathieu Amalric) . His depression continued and on July 27th 1890, Van Gogh shot himself in the chest with a revolver and died from his injuries two days later.

I enjoyed At Eternity’s Gate immensely. Willem Dafoe outdid himself as the mad, depressed, alcoholic painter.  I don’t think Dafoe has ever portrayed any role in the same light as he portrayed van Gogh.  This movie is definitely not for everyone — as the scenes get pretty graphic as Gogh’s madness is displayed.  At Eternity’s Gate is more of a literary piece that might prove boring to some.  If you know the story of Vincent van Gogh and believe it to be a classic piece you can embrace, then go for it — Check It Out!

[At Eternity’s Gate is Oscar nominated for Best Actor]

 

OPERATION FINALE (2018) – My rating: 8/10

Operation Finale is a historical drama, directed by Chris Weitz and screenplay by Matthew Orton. The film stars Oscar Isaac (who also produced).  I was anxious to see Operation Finale because I like learning about all that happened during the Holocaust. Most of these type films are brilliantly produced. Israeli spies from the Mossad work to track down and capture Adolf Eichmann.

** SPOILERS **

Peter Malkin (Oscar Isaac) an Israeli spy, was part of a team (Mossad) whose mission was to bring in a Nazi spy. The team abducted and shot the wrong man, who died outside his home, leaving his wife widowed and his children fatherless. Fast forward to 1960, Argentina — while at the movies, which featured “Imitation of Life“, a young girl named Sylvia Hermann (Haley Lu Richardson) encounters a young boy named Klaus Eichmann (Joe Alwyn) who was with friends seated in the back row of the theater. Klaus and his friends were making a bit of a ruckus, laughing loudly at the part of the movie when the daughter, passing for white, was discovered to be Black by her boyfriend.  Sylvia shushed them but only Klaus reacted by shushing her back. She repeated her action by shushing them again, only this time with a smile on her face. Klaus responded the same, also with a smile on his face. Later they met and started dating. Sylvia lived with her blind father, Lothar Hermann (Peter Strauss), who encouraged Sylvia to invite Klaus to dinner. During that dinner, Lothar questioned Klaus intently. When asked about his background, Klaus said that his father had died and his uncle took him in and raised him as if he were his very own son. He told of a grateful young man who had no place else to live. Soon after, word gets to Peter that they may have access to Adolf Eichmann (Ben Kingsley) who was one of Hitler’s masterminds and executioners of the Holocaust. Peter would have to convince his superior, Isser Harel (Lior Raz) who became the Director of Mossad, that this may very well be a legitimate find. Isser  informed Peter, after what happened with the last mission, he couldn’t afford to screw up another one on a blind man’s suspicions. Eventually, Peter received word that the operation was a go. The team went into action, taking pictures of Klaus’ home and encouraging Sylvia to get involved. While dating, Klaus takes Sylvia to a meeting at the home of a prominent Nazi. They started off with Champaign and individual conversations where Sylvia met Carlos Füldner (Pêpê Rapozale) who questioned her name and background. Fortunately, the meeting started, saving Sylvia by the bell. When the meeting turned radical and aggressive, Sylvia abruptly left, which ended any chance of dating Klaus in the future. Sylvia was instructed by the Mossad team to bring a present to Klaus as a peace offering in order to get Adolf out in the open. When Sylvia entered the house, she was greeted with kindness and respect as she presented the present and said she and Klaus had had a misunderstanding and this was her way of apologizing. Klaus was not there but when he showed up, he was nasty and wanted nothing to do with Sylvia. She eased out the door and hurriedly walked toward the spot where she was dropped off, only to find the car gone, so she kept walking to the bus station. Klaus decided to go after her and find out why she left the meeting. When asked Sylvia said she wasn’t feeling well, but Klaus knew that wasn’t true. He tried to determine what would really make her leave and came up with, she might be a Jew. She confirmed his suspicions and asked did that really matter. Klaus became angry and didn’t answer her, indicating he wanted no part of a relationship with Sylvia. Once the team had gathered enough evidence, the investigation was in full swing complete with a plan to snatch Adolf and hold him in a safe house until the team could expedite him to Israel.

Operation Finale is an intense Holocaust story of bravery and determination. The team (Hanna Elian (Melanie Laurent), Peter Malkin (Oscar Isaac), Rafi Eitan (Nick Kroll), Moshe Tabor (Greg Hill) and Zvi Aharoni (Michael Aronov ) who were still standing up against a Nazi regime had many problems protecting themselves as well as executing their mission. Since this is a true story, many may know of the details and end result. If you do not know, this movie is very enlightening. The story was well told and brilliantly acted. The film was released in the United States on August 29, 2018, and received mixed reviews from critics. If movies about the holocaust appeal to you, then this is a good one to check out.

 

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI: (2017) – My rating: 9/10

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is an American epic space opera written and directed by Rian Johnson. It is the second installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy and the eighth main installment of the Star Wars franchise, following Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015).  The Last Jedi is produced by Lucasfilm and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures and includes an all star cast, including the late Carrie Fisher who past in December of 2016.  Star Wars never gets old.  I still find the series to be just as refreshed and interesting as the first.  The battle for the reign of the Empire is just as existing and just as much of a struggle as any two countries fighting for control of territory, Star Wars is just more modern and more futuristic.  May the Force be with them!

Many folks are still a little fuzzy about Rough One.  Some questioning why it even existed.  It almost seemed as if it was an after though or a fill in because of the disconnection from the rest of the Star Wars story and crew.  Questions like where did Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) come from and where are all the other familiar characters we have all grown to know and love?  When all was said and done, we were no closer to the answers than we were before Rough One began.  Finally, Star Wars: The Last Jedi arrived.  But as we take a long hard look, all the old characters have died, except one.  I’m not so sure this was the way to go but this is the way it went so now we are faced with a whole new era of Star War characters leaving the likes of  Mr. Yoda (Frank Oz), Luke Ski Walker and Darth Vader only briefly able to appear when needed.  There’s now only 1 hint of a female Jedi and a limited amount of the Resistance left with nowhere to live. In the Last Jedi, the Resistance fighters are led by General Leia Organa, who I figure will take her leave as well or be replaced by someone new to play her part since the beloved actress is no longer with us.  The characters from Star Wars: Rogue One are not a part of Star Wars: The Last Jedi and it’s still not clear why that whole story was presented or why they were brought into the fold.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi focuses on Rey (Daisy Ridley) traveling to the Planet Ahch0-To in order to confront Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and convince him to return to the Resistance, which is in dire need of help to survive and fight the First Order.  Rey must also complete her Jedi training to help the Resistance.  Of course Luke is resistant, stubborn and uncooperative, refusing to even talk to Rey who is equally as stubborn, camping out at his door everyday.  Eventually, after several incidents, the two come to an understanding.  Rey receives Jedi training from Luke Skywalker in hopes of turning the tide for the Resistance in the fight against Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and the First Order. Kylo is also the mysterious Supreme Leader Snoke’s (Andy Serkis) disciple, who is strong with the dark side of the Force and leader to the Knights of Ren.  Meanwhile, Kylo Ren and Rey have a telepathic meeting of the minds where Kylo tries to sway Rey over to the dark side while capturing her mind even though they are in separate locations.

Later, in a memorable battle, the Resistance fighters are forced to evacuate their base upon arrival of a First Order fleet. Following an effective but costly counterattack led by Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), a high-ranking X-wing Resistance fighter pilot introduced in The Force Awakens. Resistance fighters manage to destroy a First Order dreadnought, before the Resistance vessels jump into hyperspace to escape, but the First Order pursues them using a tracking device. Kylo Ren who has already killed his father, Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and is also General Leia Organa’s (Carrie Fisher) son, destroys the Resistance support fighters, but hesitates to fire at the lead Resistance ship, after sensing his mother’s presence on board. However, TIE fighters destroy the bridge of the ship, killing several Resistance leaders and incapacitating Leia, who only survives by using the Force. Command falls to Vice Admiral  Amilyn Holdo (Laura Dern. Disapproving of Holdo’s passive strategy, Poe, Finn (John Boyega), the former Stormtrooper of the First Order who defected to the Resistance, BB-8 (controlled by puppeteers, Dave Chapman and Brian Herring), and mechanic Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran), works in maintenance but ends up becoming much more, saving many lives and appears as a possible love interest for Finn — embark on a secret plan to disable the tracking device. In the meanwhile, Kylo invites Rey to rule the galaxy with him, but Rey refuses. Using the Force, they struggle for possession of Anakin Skywalker’s lightsaber, which splits in two.

As you can see, The Last Jedi is long and complex.  I’ve told much of the story but not nearly a quarter of what makes up this great story.  I suggest you check it out as soon as you can.

[Star Wars: The Last Jedi is Oscar nominated for Best Visual Effects]

 

THE PROMISE (2017) – My rating 9/10

Based on a true story the Turks still deny, The Promise flew way under the radar.  This is another history lesson that everyone should know and see.   Everywhere, The Promise was featured/advertised as a love triangle involving a medical student, an American journalist and an Armenian women raised in France.  However, more than a love triangle, it’s a story of Genocide against the Armenians in the 1900’s just as World War I was getting started. 
NOTE:  The film was a box office bomb, grossing just $8 million against its $90 million budget.  According to the studio, The Promise was made to bring attention to the events of the Genocide as oppose to making money.

Mikael, (Oscar Isaac) an apothecary is an Armenian whose life dream is to be a medical doctor.  Living in the small village of Sirun with not enough money to afford medical school, he promised his hand in marriage to the daughter, Marta (Shohreh Aghdashloo), of an affluent neighbor, in exchange for 400 gold coins as her dowry, which would more than pay for his education.  Mikael was sincere in his proposal and was determined to fall in love with Marta upon his return from Constantinople’s Medical Academy as a doctor.  Upon arrival in Constantinople, Mikael was to contact a wealthy uncle and family friend, Mesrob (Yigal Naor) for his boarding, food and any other help he may need.  While there, Mikael meets and falls in love with Ana, (Charlotte Le Bon) who is already romantically involved with Chris Myers, (Christian Bale) an American reporter for the Associated Press, as well as befriends Emre Ogan, (Marwan Kenzari) who is also in training to be a doctor and is the son of a high level Turkish official but is only doing so for his father, as he has no interest in the medical profession.

World War I as started and Mikael temporarily manages to avoid conscription in the Ottoman army through a medical student exemption with the help of Emre.  But when he tries to save his uncle from imprisonment during the roundups of April 24, 1915, he is detained and sent to a prison labor camp himself.  There he is put to hard labor where many Armenians were brutalized and died of exhaustion and starvation.

The events of The promise are graphic and sad.  An estimated 1.5 million people were murdered, including innocent women and children, for no reason.  The love story was insignificant but felt necessary to keep relations between the nations at a tolerable acceptance.  I for one, feel horrible that anyone should get away with such atrocities but it has happened many times in many places with no repercussions.  At any rate, this movie was well put together and was very informative.  It’s due to be released on July 18th to DVD.  Check it out if just for the history lesson!

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X-MEN: APOCALYPSE (2016) – My rating: 9/10

X-Men: Apocalypse may very well be the best of the X-men series I’ve seen.  What made it so good was the clear, simple story that was still full of action, adventure and special effects galore.  I loved that the story wasn’t over the top, full of a million sub plots and tons of flash backs that you couldn’t put together until the end.  Instead, the story flowed and was kept simple and focused mostly on the current issues.  Of course that makes the film a little more predictable but you won’t have a king size headache when you leave the theater.  The plot is nothing I haven’t heard before.  Between Heroes (the TV series) and Marvel’s, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV series) it seems the “Mutants” are in the same boat all over the universe.  They’re considered dangerous and a threat to society, so they must be stopped by any means necessary.  In Apocalypse, the plan is to take control of them and use them to help rule the new world, headed up by an ancient “god” named En Sabah Nur / Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac) who was resurrected in 1983 after being entombed by worshipers who betrayed him in 3600 BC.  Claiming to be the first all powerful and immortal mutant born in ancient times, this god is able to give and take powers from other mutants at random.  Some of his powers include telekinesis, telepathy, technopathy, superhuman strength, and size-control.  His philosophy is to kill off backward civilizations. In other words, if you’re not modern, you’re history. He feels the world has lost its way without his leadership and wants to rebuild after destroying the present one. Apocalypse meets, recruits and upgrades the power of a pickpocket named Ororo Munroe / Storm (Alexandra Shipp – who can control the weather)  as one of  his 4 lieutenants. In the meanwhile,  Raven Darkhölme / Mystique, (Jennifer Lawrence – a shape-shifter) who is on her own, helping rescue mutants who are oppressed or enslaved, investigates an underground fight club and discovers Warren Worthington III / Angel / Archangel (Ben Hardy – A mutant with bird-like feathered wings on his back and is a champion fighter)  and Kurt Wagner / Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee – a teleporting mutant). Raven rescues Kurt and employs the services of Caliban (Tómas Lemarquis – a  black marketeer and transporter) to safely transport him to the United States. En Sabah Nur discovers Elizabeth Braddock / Psylocke, (Olivia Munn – Caliban’s enforcer who is a mutant with telepathic and telekinetic abilities). He recruits her as the second of Apocalypse’s horsemen, known as Pestilence.  She leads him to Angel who he also recruits, upgrading his wings to metal.  He now needs one more recruit to complete his 4 horsemen.  He encounters a disgruntled  Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto (Michael Fassbender – a mutant with the ability to control magnetic fields and manipulate metal, who becomes the last of Apocalypse’s horsemen, known as War.)

New to the school of mutants, is  Scott Summers / Cyclops (Tye Sheridan – a mutant that fires uncontrollable, destructive optic beams and wears a visor or sunglasses to stabilize and contain them).  He is also the younger brother of  Alex Summers / Havok (Lucas Till – a mutant who has the ability to absorb energy and release it with destructive force from his body).

For you “Game of Thrones” fans, (Sophie Turner) plays Jean Grey a mutant who is scared of her telepathic and telekinetic power, and one of Charles Xavier’s most prized students.  Sophie gives a powerful performance in X-men and lends an aura of innocence missing from everyone else.  She is perfect in this role.

Logan / Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) makes an appearance in the movie that is unique and adds a bit of comic relief at just the right time.  Peter Maximoff / Quicksilver (Evan Peters – a mutant who can move, think, and perceive at supersonic speeds).  Quicksilver also has a secret everyone is going to want to know about.

As the fate of the Earth hangs in the balance, Raven with the help of Professor Charles Xavier / Professor X,  (James McAvoy) must lead a team of young X-Men to stop their greatest nemesis and save mankind from complete destruction.  I urge you to see this sequel as it is loaded with surprises, twist and turns and is just down right good.   There are many more mutants and much more to this story.  I know I’ve given you lots of spoilers but it’s a needle in a hay stack compared to the what’s left to see.

 

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS (2015) – My rating: 9/10

This Star Wars is a good one. I loved seeing some of the old gang and I loved that there will be more Star Wars on the horizon, scheduled for 2017. As much as I liked The Force Awakens, I didn’t like it as much as some of the past Star Wars episodes. About 30 years after the second Death Star was destroyed in Return of the Jedi, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) who didn’t make an appearance until the very end of this movie and is also the last Jedi, has disappeared. The “First Order” is looking to eliminate Luke and the Republic but Luke’s twin sister, Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) is opposing the First Order while searching for Luke to get his help before they are destroyed. Resistance’s X-wing fighter pilot Poe Damerson (Oscar Isaac) has a partial map of Luke’s location stored in his Droid BB-8. Poe is captured by Stormtroopers but his Droid gets away where it meets a scavenger named Rey (Daisy Ridley) who helps to conceal BB-8. In the meanwhile, the Stormtroopers torture Poe for information leading to the map, finding out the map is hidden in the Droid. Poe tries to escape when he gets help from a First Order Stormtrooper called FN-2187 who later renames himself Finn (John Boyega). Unable to continue to kill or function as a Stormtropper for the First Order, Finn joins the Resistance and escapes with Poe. Finn and Poe find BB-8 on planet Jakku where they meet Scavenger Rey. The planet is attacked by Stormtroopers, and Poe disappears, presumed dead, while Rey, Finn and BB-8 meet Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew). Together they team up to continue this worthy Star Wars adventure that has more twist and turns than any other production I’ve recently seen. There are many villains leading the First Order. The dark warrior, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) who is the son of Hans Solo and Leia Organa and Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis), plus the ruthless commander of the First Order, General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson). Lupita Nyong’o plays Maz Kanata, a wise and perceptive operator of a shady cantina on a planet called Takodana. Maz tries to help Han and his new team, giving the lightsaber that belonged to Luke and his father to Finn for safekeeping.

I opened this review stating it didn’t quite stand up to some of the former Star Wars episodes. The reason is too many scenes reminded me of too many movies I’ve recently seen. I actually found myself making a comparison right there on the spot between the scene I was watching and Maze Runners: The Scorch Trials, District 9 and Hunger Games: Mockingjay 1 & 2.  As most of you know, Disney has taken possession of the Star Wars series buying out the entire franchise from George Lucas for $4.05 billion dollars.  Not bad — So Far, Star Wars: The Force Awakens has taken in $540,058,914 in 2 weeks.  Perhaps Disney isn’t as unique in their story telling as George but there seems to be 540+ million reasons to keep trying.

[STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS is nominated for Film Editing, Original Score, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing and Visual Effects]
 

EX MACHINA (2015) – My rating: 8/10

Ex Machina is not for everyone.  It’s strictly dedicated to Artificial Intelligence, genius level minds and the art of manipulation.  I found the movie a little slow but brilliant.  Up until a point, I was able to predict a lot of it but when that point arrived, I was just as surprised as the next person to discover what the writer had in mind.  A genius software developer and CEO of the biggest internet company on the planet also lives on a several hundred acre private mountain retreat/home.  Caleb Smith (Domhall Glesson), a young computer programmer has won the company lottery to spend a week at the CEO’s private mountain retreat/home.  Access to the above ground portion of the retreat was only granted within a designated area by helicopter, then you are instructed to walk the rest of the way to the only set of units that would allow you entry via key card and facial recognition, if invited.  Once inside, Caleb’s adventure would begin.  Eventually, he ends up at a huge underground research facility which appears to only have one employer, Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac) who plays the eccentric CEO of the company, and also houses his invention(s),  Artificial Intelligent Androids, awaiting final testing. This testing is called “turing test” which will determine if the AI is ready for prime time.  Nathan decides to ask Caleb to take part in this test and be a part of history.  He introduces Caleb to Ava (Alicia Vikander) who is his latest, beautiful humanoid and tells him all he needs to know to finalize her existence.  It wasn’t long before Caleb finds that this is turning out to be more than he anticipated.  It’s hard to establish trust or truth, thereby making it impossible to contribute accurate data to the project.  Things were not as they appear, or were they?  The head games are plentiful and the movie went to a very weird and dark place.  As I said, Ex Machina is not for everyone, however, the ending justified all.  I liked it but warn you not to see it if you’re not into this kind of high tech, scientific, geeky stuff. BTW:  The special effects are fantastic.

[EX MACHINA is nominated for Visual effects and Original Screenplay]
 

A MOST VIOLENT YEAR (2014) – My rating: 7.5/10

A thought provoking, old argument comes to mind when talking about A Most Violent Year.  Can a moderate sized business prosper if that business is not willing to get into bed with the crooks and wrong doers of the business world?  This film tells the story of an immigrant who owns Standard Oil Company and wants to have a piece of the American dream.   The year is 1981, the most violent year recorded in the history of New York City.  Abel (Oscar Isaac) is interested in protecting his family, business and integrity while walking the straight and narrow, thus taking a more righteous route.   Abel Morales and his wife Anna Morales (Jessica Chastain) are being accused of tax evasion, price fixing and other wrong doing that could land them in jail, thus dissolving their company.  The district attorney, Lawrence (David Oyelowo) is watching and harassing Abel because he believes there is corruption there.  Suddenly trucks of the Standard Oil Company are being hijacked causing thousands of gallons of oil lost to Abel.  A Most Violent Year is pretty slow getting started and doesn’t really pick up too much throughout the movie.  While it’s not boring, it’s not action packed either.  It’s sort of a thriller because the audience is trying to figure out who’s behind the hijackings and what illegal part is Abel playing in the running of his company.  Oscar Isaac plays a convincing, believable role as does Jessica Chastain and David Oyelowo.  Albert Brooks brilliantly plays Andrew Walsh, the company lawyer.  Even though I liked A Most Violent Year, I recommend waiting for the DVD as there are no special effects or action sequences that rate seeing it on the big screen.

INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS (2013) – My rating: 7/10

I can’t say I liked Inside Llewyn Davis.  I found it a little weird.  I understand the movie was about a young folk singer who had no where to live in 1961 and that he slept on anyone’s couch, and that he was unsuccessful at being discovered, and of course, he had little to no money but, because the film only spanned over 1 week of Llewyn’s (played by Oscar Isaac) life, I didn’t really get a since of consistency or relevance.  The cast was awesome but the story, for me, was not.  I’m not sure why this movie received high ratings (I looked it up in IMDB and found it received a rating of 7.8) and 2 Oscar nods.  Maybe I’m missing something.  I found it boring, discombobulated, slow and dreary.  I might add Justin Timberlake played Jim, another singer and friend to Llewyn.  John Goodman also starred in the film as another homeless person (Roland Turner).  The movie took place mostly in Greenwich Village in New York.  Apparently, Llewyn had a singing partner who committed suicide by throwing himself off the George Washington Bridge.  Like I said, this movie was all over the place.  It’s probably worth seeing if you’re into folk music and a bit of Greenwich Village history.  Other than that, I would skip this one.

[INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS is nominated for Achievement in Cinematography and Achievement in Sound Mixing]