Quick Movie Review: 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

2008's Cloverfield was an entertaining movie, but 10 Cloverfield Lane brings entertainment to a whole other level.

Brilliantly written and coaxially directed, you know very early on that it's not going to be a bad film. When the audience has that kind of trust in the filmmakers, it's a very pleasurable experience. Driven by Bear McCreary's very deliberate score, every moment of this film is calculated and poised.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays Michelle, a young woman running away from something--a relationship, we conclude. Then, not even 5 minutes into the film, something abrupt happens while she's driving. She gets hit by another car, sending her violently spinning off the road.

In the next scene she wakes up to a prison-like room with no windows. She's chained to the wall. In walks a man named Howard, played by John Goodman. Goodman plays this role how you wish he'd play every role. He's mysterious and crazy and infernal. You're never sure if you should trust him or not. Sometimes you feel like he's okay, but other times he does things that make you reconsider.

It turns out they're in a bomb shelter. There is one other person down there with them--a younger guy, about Michelle's age, named Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.). Howard claims, to Michelle and Emmett's ignorance, that the Earth's air is now chemically contaminated and unbreathable. Michelle and Emmett aren't sure what to believe, but they stick together and have no choice but to trust Howard.

It's like two movies in one. On the first hand, you have a guy who's insane and may be actually kidnapping you, and on the other hand, there could be a possible post-apocalyptic scenario above ground. But it might not matter either way. Just because a crazy guy has a bomb shelter, doesn't mean he's not still a crazy guy.

Director Dan Trachtenberg does a fantastic job in his feature film debut. The movie is almost entirely set in this cramped underground bunker, yet he finds a way to fill all 1 hour and 43 minutes of film without it ever feeling repetitive or boring. We're constantly on the edge of our seats. It's one of the best suspense films in years. Hitchcock would be proud.

Twizard Rating: 100

Quick Movie Review: Trumbo (2015)

Dalton Trumbo, known for penning such classic films as Roman Holiday and Spartacus, had a knack for drama--in both writing it and living it. He was a quirky character who always spoke his mind in spontaneous phrases--a feature that is satirized a few times in this film.

Trumbo stars Bryan Cranston in the title role and details his career starting in 1947 as a successful screenwriter, and then subsequently a blacklisted one for his support of the Communist party.

This film comes from all sides of the situation. It shows how Trumbo has it easy compared to his actor counterparts, as they can't hide under another name like he can. It also doesn't directly blame any anti-communist believers' fears, since they're just a product of American propaganda, but it does show them as being porous in logic.

It also shows the struggle Trumbo begins having with his own ego and how his political stances get fewer and far between. His family life with his wife and kids takes a toll as well. But the film reveals an amazing glimpse of a great man who means well, but simply loses his way and his intent due to his attempt at proving himself to the ignorance that surrounds him--an understandable evolution. Cranston details this development seamlessly throughout the film in a way that makes you not realize it happens after the fact.

For the most part, the pacing is pretty consistent. It starts quickly and doesn't waste much time with setup. Throughout we get so many scenes that it almost feels rushed, but retains its sanity enough so that it only comes off as paralleling the turbulence of the era. Every scene jumps to the next so briskly. However, there is one point in the film, about 3/4 of the way through, where Trumbo develops a relationship with director Otto Preminger. Not that this portion of Trumbo's life isn't important, but most other scenarios are shown to us as if through a slide projector, while this particular instance is given so much screen time that it becomes a distraction. It slows down the film so much for such a minimally significant part in the story. But once again, it's only noticeable because of the juxtaposition of it to every other portion of the film. Just a minor hiccup.

Diane Lane plays Dalton's wife, Cleo, the rock that Trumbo leans against for support and who makes him see his actions. Louis C.K. does a great job as the fictional character Arlen, Trumbo's contemporary, who is also blacklisted and imprisoned for his beliefs. He provides a great straight man to Trumbo's eccentricity, making the audience realize his actions. Actor Edward G. Robinson is played by Michael Stuhlbarg, who works well physically, but lacks every bit of Robinson's timbre and trademark voice inflections.

The film isn't ridiculously long, but rightfully feels like it is. You don't feel like anything is left out of the story, but also don't feel as though you are told too much.

Trumbo does well to shine a refreshingly positive light on communism at its purist form, educating a brand new audience, making them think about its ideals in reference to our world today.
 

Twizard Rating: 97

Quick Movie Review: The Gambler (2014)

I can always use a good gambling movie. Unfortunately, this isn't a gambling movie. The title may throw you off, but Mark Wahlberg's character, Jim, even says so himself; "I'm not a gambler." As disappointing as that is, I have to look past it. I have to take this movie for what it is--a story about a cynical realist who has a gloomy outlook on humanity and is struggling to rediscover his purpose. But he's not actively looking for a reason to live, until a couple of them fall into his lap. He didn't think he wanted a reason, but realized that sometimes you don't have a choice. You can try to control every aspect of life, but you have no control over your heart.

And while the messages of The Gambler may be well intended, the execution is a different story. The dialogue, although smart and often funny, just sounds like every character is speaking directly from the writer's mouth so that all of them are having the same supercilious conversation with themselves. Each character seems like an arrogant, vulgar Woody Allen.

Under the direction of Rupert Wyatt, the drama and suspense work outside of the actual gambling itself is impressive. But together with the DP, Wyatt seems to not understand the world of blackjack or basketball enough as a spectator. I typically become resilient when watching basketball movies because I understand the game too much that the slightest error annoys me. It's laughable, but I let it slide a little here. But the movie is about gambling--blackjack to be specific--and the filmmakers continue to show us 1st person perspective while NOT giving us enough glimpses of the dealer's hands. How can we adequately feel the suspense if we can't see what Jim is seeing--or the rest of the table for that matter?

What works is Wahlberg's interpretation of Jim. You can see in his eyes that he understands him, and that he and Jim are one in the same. You're convinced.

The rest of the cast is great as well. Brie Larson, who always delivers her lines with such fluidity, and John Goodman, who is as intimidating as ever, are joys to watch on screen.

But regardless of how entertained you are, you might be disappointed, like me, that The Gambler isn't really about gambling at all.

I heard the 1974 original is better anyway.

Twizard Rating: 74

Quick Movie Review: Born Yesterday (1993)

Melanie Griffith, as Billie Dawn, executes the role with such integrity. So convincing as she makes the film hers. But as a film, it just doesn't fit in well with the era. It feels as though they lifted a 1950 film and forced it to fit into 1993. They tried making a non-90s film but didn't pull out all the stops--or any stops, really. It just felt unexplainably awkward during most scenes.

However, the film wasn't intrinsically bad. It was actually quite enjoyable. The characters are likable, the themes are sincere, and the dialogue is snappy. 

A lot of the time it even overcomes its sloppy direction and confused narrative, but those faults are never forgotten about and a few times distracting. The setup is on the border of boring and the tone is intermittent. It also never fully commits to any of its antagonists, and even slips up a couple of times with Don Johnson's character, Paul. 

Born Yesterday is one of those films that is enjoyable and possibly forgettable at the same time. It means well, but could have been a better remake. And although I wouldn't necessarily recommend it, I wouldn't be against watching it again.

Twizard Rating: 73