MCM From Another World Celluloid- Jeremy Renner in Arrival (2016)

The alien vessels appeared across the globe. It created panic and terror without the visitors materializing.

The militaries of Earth were uncertain about communication with them.
Dr. Louise Banks, a linguistics professor, was invited by Col. Weber to assist the United States military in this Top Secret mission.

She would be assisted by Ian Donnelly, a physics professor.
What did the aliens want? Would we stay lost in translation? Will the Earth be destroyed?

Arrival was based on Ted Chiang’s story, “Story of Your Life”.   The film was masterfully crafted by Dennis Villeneuve. He found the right balance with mind bending visuals and raw emotion.

Amy Adams was terrific as Louise. Jeremy Renner was great as Ian. The two share some of what will be 2016’s most talked about cinematic moments.

Forest Whitaker provided subtle leadership as Col. Weber.

The film has 2016’s best and most unexpected surprise ending. It is a great balance of Contact & Close Encounters of the Third Kind.  The adaptation was written by Eric Heisserer (Lights Out).  He tapped into the current geopolitical struggles and fear mongering by the media.

We would like to think that an alien race would ease the global uncertainty. However, his plot structuring and dialogue suggested otherwise.  The realism of martial law seemed eerie and more unsettling than the visiting Heptapods.  The monsters in this film have mostly human faces.   The international military leaders are fearful of the unknown visitors for the most part.

However, the exceptions included Dr. Banks, Col. Weber, and Ian Donnelly.   Dr. Banks & Ian Donnelly nicknamed their Heptapods, “Abbott and Costello”.  It seems fitting that the two scientists would’ve brought that type of positive spin to an impending crisis.

They showed the same optimism of Richard Dreyfuss’ Roy Meary in Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Jodie Foster’s Dr. “Ellie” Arroway in Contact.

The film has the Best Surprise Ending of 2016.  The complex characters, exotic cinematography, and atypical visitors make it One of 2016’s Ten Best Films.

Viewers will be hearing more about this film when the 2017 Oscar Nominations are revealed.  The nominations should include Best Actress (Amy Adams), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Visual Effects, Best Original Score, Best Director, & Best Picture to name a few categories.

Don’t miss this sci-fi epic. The film will leave you talking long after the end credits.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Renner

WCW True One of a Kind Celluloid- Amy Adams in Big Eyes (2014)

Big Eyes is the true story of pop artist Margaret Keane.  The film follows her after she left Frank Ulbrich, her first husband, because of marital troubles.  She fled to San Francisco and made a living doing paintings and sketches with big eyes.

Her art and person fetched the attention and affection of Walter Keane.  After her divorce, she married Walter Keane. The marriage seems great at first. However, art is nothing like it appears to be.

Tim Burton, lifelong fan of Margaret Keane, directs and produces a brilliant tribute to her artistry.  Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski (Ed Wood and The People vs. Larry Flynt) have captured this amazing story with great detail.

Amy Adams shines as Margaret Keane.  Christoph Waltz is menacing as Walter Keane. This movie appeals to artists and art lovers alike. Big Eyes will leave viewers gazing in awe long after the credits roll.

(This review was originally written on May 20, 2015)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amy_Adams

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Keane

Super Hero Celluloid- Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

Batman V Superman:  Dawn of Justice begins with the recollections of Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) on Metropolis’ destruction by Superman (Henry Cavill). Wayne recalls Superman’s battle against Zod as carnage.  The carnage resulted in the destruction of Wayne Enterprises’ building and the death of numerous employees.  Also, he reflects on the traumatic loss of Thomas and Martha Wayne, his parents, at a young age.  It still haunts him to this day and his saving grace is Alfred (Jeremy Irons).  Alfred is also Batman’s tech guru, armory/weapons cache manager, and gentlemen’s gentleman.

Meanwhile, we find Lois Lane (Amy Adams) on assignment in Africa.  She is tracking down a warlord for a Daily Planet scoop.  However, the scoop isn’t what it seems.  She is placed in danger and Superman comes to her rescue.  Yet, people (including Bruce Wayne) are up in arms over him.  A vast majority see him as a God but others see him as a devil or monster.   He’s a God (to an extent) because he came mysteriously from the sky and possesses extraordinary powers.  Superman is a monster because he takes innocent lives (assumptively without remorse) during his heroic actions.

Bruce Wayne is on a quest to find a Russian criminal named Anatoli Knyazev (Callan Mulvey). Anatoli knows the whereabouts of the White Portuguese.  Who or what is that?

In his quest, Mr. Wayne is invited to a party thrown by Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg).  He finally has an opportunity to find out who and where the White Portuguese is.  However, his plan hits a snag.  The snag is a beautiful, mysterious lady with familiar gold jewelry.  Her name is Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) aka Wonder Woman.  She seeks the same intel as Batman.

Lex Luthor has a nefarious plan (as per usual) to have Superman kill Batman or vice versa.  How will he accomplish this?  The battle against Zod left abandoned alien vessels throughout Earth (including the Indian Ocean and Metropolis).  The Indian Ocean craft left pieces containing a mysterious, green gem/element…Kryptonite. Luthor needs to import this to complete his plan.

Will Lex get his Kryptonite?  Will Batman meet his end at the hands of Superman or vice versa?  Will we get to hear Diana Prince’s name spoken?  Time will tell.

Dawn of Justice proves the DC Comics cynics wrong.  Affleck is outstanding as Batman.  He is the only actor to portray Superman (in Hollywoodland) and Batman on screen.  He is the right balance of machismo and emotion for the role.  Cavill just phones it as Superman.  Jesse Eisenberg is kinetic and wicked as Lex Luthor.  Jeremy Irons is great as Alfred.  However, Gal Gadot breakouts as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman.  She is strong, smart, and sexy in the role.  Take that trollers!

Zach Snyder directs his best DC film since Watchmen.  He made us wait in that film for an epic battle and resolution.

Oh, the viewers want easter eggs?  Look out for anti-Superman signs that mirror Westboro Baptist Church during D.C. hearings.  We are treated to a glimpse of The Flash, Cyborg, and Aquaman (Jason Momoa).  Aquaman looks bad ass and not like Vincent Chase from Entourage, thankfully.  Diana Prince’s name is not spoken until two hours into the film.  We also see Bruce Wayne’s nightmare where Superman is an enforcer?  It could be a glimpse Earth 2 or Crisis on Infinite Earths. I’ll leave that up to viewers to interpret.

Overall, drive don’t fly to the theater for this one.

 

Interrupting Fan Loose Trilogy Celluloid- American Hustle (2013)

Remember that time that Bruce Wayne was married to Katniss Everdeen but had a love triangle with Lois Lane.  Oh, he was also in cahoots with Clint Barton on a money laundering scheme.  However, Rocket Raccoon, in human form, was a F.B.I. investigator on their trail.   It is just another day in the Marvel/DC Universe or is it?

American Hustle is the final film in David O’Russell’s Loose Trilogy.  Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) grew up the son of a glass company owner.  He learned from a young age to hustle by breaking windows to increase business.

What does that have to do with being Batman?  He didn’t lose his parents tragically as a young boy?

Years later, he inherited his father’s glass company and franchised his own dry cleaners as well.

BORING!  Get to the Lois Lane and Katniss Love Triangle already, GEES!

Slow down fanboy!  He was not only a dry cleaner but took people to the cleaners. He had a side business of floating checks, making non-existent loans, and selling counterfeit artwork.

Oh, Bruce Wayne was more Lex Luthor than Superman?  Wait, Batman doesn’t have a pot belly and a comb over?  How did Lois come into the picture?

Finally, it is the smartest question you’ve asked.  He was at a Long Island pool party and met a lady who shared interest in Duke Ellington.  Her name was Lady Edith Greensley (Amy Adams).  They became fast friends and lovers especially when she looked into the vault.  He had a vault of Halston and Dianne Von Furstenberg abandoned dresses.

Now, we’re cooking with gas.  So how does Katniss, Hawkeye, and Rocket factor in?

Edith doesn’t know about Rosalyn Rosenfeld (Jennifer Lawrence), Irving’s wife. However, Rosalyn has him by the short hairs.  She knows about all the cons and could just make one phone call.  However, she enjoyed her tanning lamp and Swiss nail polish too much.

So, Katniss is Bruce’s Bae?  However, he feels Lois more than Superman ever has?

Edith and Irving get comfortable and start floating fake loans.  However,  things are going great until an attractive man changes their lives forever.  His name is Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) and he’s an F.B.I. Agent.  However, he unexpectedly needed their help.

Okay, Rocket is a good human?  So, he’s still awake for the money and the action? Get to Agent Barton going rogue and becoming greedy?  Is Loki around?

Yes, some things never change even in the real world.  Back to DiMaso, he is on the case of Carmine Polito (Jeremy Renner).  Polito was the mayor of Camden, New Jersey.  He was yearning to bring big money to the Garden State.  New Jersey was on the verge of resurrecting Atlantic City.  However, he needed huge funding to court casinos.

Okay, Hawkeye’s taking a page from Tony Stark’s industrial playbook.  Interesting!  

So, Did DiMaso get Polito?  Do Greensley and Rosenfeld get off with out going to prison?  Did Rosalyn get her payday after being a kept housewife?

David O’Russell’s directed and co-wrote American Hustle.  He provided unseen twists, turns, and occasional laughs.  It was based on the true story of Ab Scam (Abdul Scam).  It was a FBI sting to catch corrupt politicians and mobsters in extorting contracts.

Amy Adams burned up the screen as Lady Greensley.  Christian Bale stripped down and packed on the pounds as Irving.  Tom Bradford from Eight is Enough would have given up his family for that comb over.  Jeremy Renner has fun in a pompadour and portraying mayor.  Jennifer Lawrence’s hairstyle and fashion made The Real Housewives of New Jersey jealous (not really).  However, Bradley Cooper enjoyed mucking up as a perm, sex obsessed FBI Agent.

They were joined by other notable actors as Elisabeth Rohm, Louis C.K., Michael Pena, and Robert De Niro.  But we didn’t hear that about De Niro, did we?  That’s what I thought.

American Hustle earned 10 2014 Oscar nominations including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay.  Bale, Adams, Cooper, and Lawrence each earned nominations for their performances.

So, Did Katniss, Bruce, and Lois Hook Up?  Did Rocket enjoy his human stint?

No, they didn’t have a three-way.  Rocket looks forward to getting back to Groot, Knowhere, and his Milano.  However, they all enjoyed a break from their comic & sci-fi alter egos.

 

 

 

 

 

Loose Trilogy Celluloid- The Fighter (2010)

The Fighter revolved around half brothers Dicky Ekland (Christian Bale) and Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg).  Ekland had his shot at fame with a bout against Sugar Ray Leonard.  However, he blew it.  Instead of continuing on, he found a new love in crack.  Yet, Micky was interested in boxing and that was a mixed blessing to Dicky.  Ward’s upswing in training and fighting was also helped/hindered by Alice Ward (Melissa Leo),  his mother.  She was his manager and also a wife to George Ward (Jack McGee) and mother to his six other harpies…I meant sisters.

Ward finds a potential saving grace in bartender, Charlene Fleming (Amy Adams).  Will she be the one to help Micky breakthrough?  Will Dicky ever get it together?  Does Alice and those harpies ever back down?

The Fighter was the first in David O’Russell’s Loose Trilogy.  The docudrama style is great and blended actual footage with the scripted drama.  It succeeded with Oscar-winning performances by Christian Bale (Best Supporting Actor-2011 Oscars) and Melissa Leo (Best Supporting Actress-2011 Oscars).  Amy Adams was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress as Charlene.  Jack McGee is great as George and continued his lovable, smart ass persona from Rescue Me.  However, Mark Wahlberg’s performance was the least believable in this film.  Although, Ward is nothing without the dysfunctional love of Ekland, Fleming, and Alice.

Viewers should expect this type of atypical love in O’Russell other Loose Films:  Silver Linings Playbook &  American Hustle.  Fighter is not Rocky but it will sucker punch at random.  Hey, What else would you expect from The Pride of Lowell?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micky_Ward

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dicky_Eklund