Review: "First Man" is an Intense Ride to the Moon

Ryan Gosling in First Man

There is a power that director Damien Chazelle brings to the opening scene of his Neil Armstrong biopic First Man. Before the audience has had a chance to become acquainted with the world, he is already thrusting them out of it. Armstrong, played by Ryan Gosling, is pushing the limits of plane travel, throwing himself almost out of Earth's orbit. It is a claustrophobic moment, and one that features a strong intensity as Armstrong is left to wonder how he will survive. Will he even make it back to Earth? While the audience should know the answer, it's all perfectly unclear in the moment, capturing an early stage of space travel that is primitive and dangerous. There are no barriers. In just this opening scene, Chazelle has redefined the NASA film as a story about safety risks, all while pushing in on Armstrong's face - forcing the perspective to be the same as his, floating inside a man-made machine. It's the technique that makes First Man at times a powerful example of Chazelle's transition to big studio director. However, it also symbolizes the distance that Chazelle has at times from his supporting cast, who never get as much effort placed into them as Armstrong. It's not a terrible thing, but it keeps the film from feeling spectacular.

Review: "Mudbound" is a Powerful Look Into America's Uncomfortable Past

Scene from Mudbound

With one perfect opening, director Dee Rees encapsulates the themes that Mubound will explore over the next two hours. The image of diggers coming across the resting grounds of a slave. This film may be set during World War II, but Rees is clearly interested in digging up a painful aspect of American history, and one that has arguably not gone away. This is a sweeping film about two soldiers who return from war only to discover that what separates them is ethnicity. While there have been countless period pieces on race relations, few have managed to capture an intensity and emotional understanding quite like Rees, who finds power in symbolism and in the tragic moments that connect and isolate us from one another. It's a beautiful period piece, and one that is likely to resonate as one of the first major Netflix movies worth taking seriously. 

The First "Mudbound" Trailer is a Timely Look Into a Tumultuous Past

Scene from Mudbound

Over the past few years, Netflix has done their best to get into the Oscar race with various high end titles. Following the highly acclaimed Okja from earlier this year, the streaming service has another high profile gig for people to consider. From director Dee Rees comes Mudbound, a tale looking at American history and race relations: both themes prominent to the 2017 cultural conversation. With an even more impressive cast, the film at least has a strong chance of breaking the curse by becoming a film that grabs the audience and throws Netflix into the Best Picture race. If the results are anything like the trailer, it looks like it may be their big break finally.

Theory Thursday: "Zero Dark Thirty" is the Best Movie About 9/11

Scene from Zero Dark Thirty

Welcome to a weekly column called Theory Thursdays, which will be released every Thursday and discuss my "controversial opinion" related to something relative to the week of release. Sometimes it will be birthdays while others is current events or a new film release. Whatever the case may be, this is a personal defense for why I disagree with the general opinion and hope to convince you of the same. While I don't expect you to be on my side, I do hope for a rational argument. After all, film is a subjective medium and this is merely just a theory that can be proven either way. 

Review: "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" is the Most Impressive, Ambitious Blockbuster of the Summer

In 2011, Rise of the Planet of the Apes came out like an unforeseen force as it destroyed notions of the Apes franchise as being campy. As it climbed over the Golden Gate Bridge to sanctuary, there were glimpses of not only a violent uprising to follow, but of how impressively it mixed storytelling with cutting edge visual effects. It tore apart any pretension that man didn't influence environment (in this case negatively) and provided plenty to fear. The new Apes movies wouldn't chew scenery. It would commentate on society via a more slick, dark, and inspiring model that destroys all of its blockbuster counterparts with sheer energy. For those thinking that Rise of the Planet of the Apes felt slight at all, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is an adrenaline shot pushing morals and commentary even further with an all out war between apes and man. More-so than nihilistic counterpart Godzilla, this film packs one of the most amazing punches in a blockbuster with nonstop action that is used effectively for commentary. To sum it up, the Apes franchise is one of the most unexpectedly relevant.

Review: "The Great Gatsby" is a Great Looking Luhrmann Film but a Decent Fitzgerald Adaptation

Leonardo DiCaprio

One of the most iconic tales in American literature is F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby." Symbolizing the American dream and the right to throw lavish parties, the story has withstood the test of time, many adaptations, and has even entered the lexicon of high standards for the medium. Yet, there seems to be little in the way of producing a top notch adaptation, which may be to the book's credit, though also can be seen as a challenge. Still, is it possible that director Baz Luhrmann has found the formula and made the ultimate adaptation with a star-studded cast?

Review: "Zero Dark Thirty" is the Great War on Terror Epic We Deserve

Upon initial release, director Kathryn Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty looked like a clear front runner for Best Picture. After winning big with the  New York Film Critics Awards, the film has dispersed a little. After a not-so-stellar performance at the Golden Globes, it has fallen behind titles such as director Ben Affleck's Argo, a film which many cannot help but compare vaguely. Maybe it was the violent subject matter of torture and endless disputes brought forth by former CIA agents criticizing the realism. Then again, what stopped director Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained from losing steam for being a more hyper-violent (and frankly, a little shoddy) story? However, say what you will, but what Bigelow has produced is a masterpiece in the War on Terror genre of film making.