The Revenant Review

That was a very tense, exhausting trip into the Frontiers of the West in Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s latest film to come out for the holidays during awards season called The Revenant.  This is the anticipated follow up from the director’s previous work Birdman: And The Virtues of Ignorance and it is most likely the most beautifully shot cinematography that encapsulates the cold, harsh environment of this time period as well as Leonardo Dicaprio’s journey as the fictionalized real life person Hugh Glass’ journey to attain vengeance towards the man who left him for death and killed his son.  It is also a tortuously brutal, unforgiving revenge tale that is both emotionally and physically harrowing to sit through that it is more about the emotions of the actions rather than the story itself that drives the film forward.  This is not an easy film to watch as well as being a slow burner of a journey for a film that is more technically impressive than from a narrative perspective. There are some truly inspiring qualities to it from the phenomenal performances from the leads and supporting cast as well as the camera work, art direction, and musical score that really creates an experience that is unlike anything we have seen in quite some time.  So why is this a film that is both beautifully composed yet frustratingly brutal in its content and pacing? Let’s get into it! 

The story takes place during the times of lawlessness in the Frontiers of the West with the guide/hunter Hugh Glass (Leo) and his son Hawk (Forrest Goodluck) working with the hunting party lead by Captain Andrew Henry (Domhnall Gleeson) with his group of armed mercenaries working to get hide skins and leather for trade as well as profit.  One day, an attack occurs that nearly wipes out the majority of the group, leaving the survivors on their own.  Glass eventually gets wounded by the brutality of a bear attack and is left for death by John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) while he kills his son in the heat of the moment to silence him.  After some time has passed, Glass awakens from his near death state and crawls, runs, and commits himself to this long journey through the wilderness in search for vengeance against the man who took way his son, the one last thing that made him human.  He becomes an embodiment of a Revenant (an undead spirit risen from the dead) in search of justice and atonement within the Frontiers of the west.

It is a rather simple tale of revenge and survival in the wilderness of old America that is stretched out to an extremely long length that could make or break this film for those that see it in theaters.  Most of the character development comes from the subtle, sometimes harsh actions that each one does to survive in this environment, leading to much of the story being told visually rather than through dialogue (which is surprisingly sparse throughout the runtime).  It does lack any sense of structure seen in other films and it is driven more by emotions and the journey itself rather than engaging the viewer to the struggles of Glass seeking vengeance.  There needed to be some more time spent to really understand emotionally the needs of Glass seeking justice towards his son's murderer and forgiveness for the blood he spilled to protect his family. This is still a harrowing survival story of Glass braving the wilderness of the frontiers and it is most effective when it is about the adventure rather than the motivations or resolution to this dark, grimy tale of revenge.

This is supplemented by stellar performances from the leads themselves particularly Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy.  DiCaprio brings in a truly revelatory performance, conveying the hardship, sorrow, desperation, and anger with his looks and silence.  He brings his best to this role and it shows as he truly makes you feel sympathy and empathy for the actions he commits for revenge.  Tom Hardy is also fantastic as the pragmatic opportunist John Fitzgerald, with his reasons to leave Glass behind to avoid the dangerous elements of the frontiers catching up to them.  Even Domhnall Gleeson provides a very stern, tense performances for a character that is perhaps the only moral/honourable one in the cast of characters.  The entire cast’s absolute dedication and fiery performances elevate the rather simple, thin story and narrative structure to magnificent heights to create a sense of survival that has not be portrayed this way in quite some time in cinema.

Where the film truly shines and falters at times is in the technical aspects of the film with cinematography, editing, score, and set/costume design exhibiting a level of detail in quality worth exploring.  The camera movements and shots are expertly choreographed along with exuding the tense, frantic action beats that make each of the set pieces truly exhilarating to watch.  Each of the action set pieces are exciting, brutal, and mesmerizing to watch as they rely a lot on one takes and barely cut away from the action beats.  

It must also be mentioned that the bear attack is quite frankly one of the most astounding horrifying, masterfully crafted sequence of suspense and terror.  Its use of CGI and practical choreography really makes it one of the most painful, impressively tense action set piece that truly grabs your attention and never lets you go until the end.

However, there are times when it does get a bit too indulgent with its own cinematography as it can linger on landscape shots for long periods of times which hurts the pacing of the film by slowing it down from getting to the next moment in the story.  It is still truly amazing cinematography at work here, capturing the cold and desolate look of the frontiers beautifully as well as some truly awe-inspiring action set pieces from start to finish but it needed to be tighten up and benefit the story rather than detract from it.

Even though the set designs for this film are mostly on location, it is still worth mentioning as well as the costume and makeup utilized for this film.  Most of this film is set outdoors in the wilderness of forests, snowy wastelands, and different woodland settlements built to the details of that time period.  Each location is truly distinctive and the use of natural lights allows for a bleak, consistent look for the overall film.  This is a testament to on location shooting at its finest along with set dressing to make the overall look be specific and consistent throughout especially since this was shot in about 3-4 countries on about 2-3 continents alone.  This world truly feels alive and dangerous through the meticulous craftsmanship of the location through set dressing, costume designs (with the ragged look of the leather clothes and Indians are quite evocative of that time period through fiction and actual accounts through literature), and the way it was framed in its cinematography as well as the way it was edited to linger on the locations for a period of time.

The compositional score for this film is quite subdued and strikingly in sync with the journey of Glass as well as the haunting beauty of the frontiers.  It is unlike the more traditional, bombastic themes of other Western films where it utilizes more of the electronic/synth instruments to create a cold, alienating feel to the music throughout out with only a few of the pieces in the score feeling traditional to the genre.  The score was composed by Ryuichi Sakamoto in collaboration with Bryce Dessner and Alva Noto, allowing for certain parts of the film to convey the different emotional arcs of this story quite efficiently to express the moments involving vengeance or spiritual conflict within each of the characters.     

So, we get to the harsh but straightforward truth about this film regarding what it does magnificently and falters as a grand, brutal revenge survival story.  The Revenant is a very tense, brutal, and slow burner of a film that is carried along by its fantastic performances from the entire cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, and the rest of the supporting cast players.  This is an adventure that truly immerses you into the terrifying lands Glass treks through to survive and get vengeance at all cost.  The cinematography is magnificent throughout the film as it captures the desolate landscape with such a loving eye to bringing out a certain haunting beauty to it even if it tends to get in the way of the pacing of the story by slowing it down for lingering shots that add nothing to the film other than to the atmosphere.  It is also not a rewatchable film as its themes and grim dark tone can be very exhausting as well as frustrating to contend with at its runtime of 2 hours and 39 minutes.  The story is purely driven on emotions involving rage, loss, and revenge which the film portrays admirably through the strong visuals and performances but it is narratively thin and its focus on the other plotlines involving the supporting characters tends to slow it down considerably other than Fitzgerald’s story arc.  This is a truly gorgeous film that should be recognized for its technical achievements in making this simple tale of survival and revenge mesmerizing to watch but deep down, it says a lot of supposedly deep themes of the loss of humanity through vengeance and finding a cathartic closure through violence without really saying anything of substance or giving a motivation for this story to be told.

Score **** out of *****

Despite the relative score for a good film, The Revenant is quite a technical marvel of visual accomplishment in cinematography, hard hitting action set pieces, and fantastic performances from the entire cast involved especially from Leonardo DiCaprio who gives it his all and deserves all the praise for really embodying the strength and hardships of a man who is living on sheer will to survive the wilds of the frontiers to achieve revenge.  However, the film lacks a narratively, substantive point for this story to be this long drawn and quite the slow burner in a relatively length film.  It is also not an easy watch the second time around as it is rather grim dark in its tone and relies more on the emotional journey it takes its viewers on to truly understand as well as empathize with Glass’ and Fitzgerald’s actions within this story.  This is still worth at least a view for the stunning visuals and a rather unique, if simplistic Western revenge on the big screen.   

Chi-Raq Review

After a string of forgettable, dreadfully panned films of recent years from the black filmmaker that defined a generation of social/political films of the 80’s and 90’s, Spike Lee has finally gone back to familiar grounds and presented a rather creative, vibrantly realized modern day adaptation of a Greek play by Aristophanes called ‘Lysistrata’ with the film titled Chi-Raq.  This well intentioned, passionate effort from Lee is a return to form as him and his team create a uniquely energized, satirical to parodic style of storytelling and performances for this semi-cartoonish and powerfully dramatic film.  It is also a genre hybrid that combines comedy, musical, and drama to create a fusion of different narrative tones and storylines that instill an amazing personality but can be a bit messy at times.  The other technical aspects from the soundtrack to cinematography to finally editing are handled with such strong convictions and memorizing style that it really does make this fictionalized world of Chi-Raq (Chicago) into a fully realized character itself.  Let’s look into how this film is quite the underrated gem that deserves to be discovered and discussed for years to come.

We follow the ensemble cast of characters living in the gun-happy city Chicago, that has more deaths of innocent people than that of Special Forces units in Iraq and Afghanistan combined.  One day, the violence between the Spartans lead by Chi-Raq (Nick Cannon) and Trojan lead by Cyclops (Wesley Snipes) erupts and a young boy is murdered by a stray bullet with the mother (Jennifer Hudson) calling out for justice over this murder along with the Reverend (John Cusack).  This grabs the attention of the beautiful, idealist woman Lysistrata (Teyonah Parris) as she is motivated by this violent act to come up with a solution to the gun violence that has gotten out of control since this war between the gangs began.  The answer, is to withhold sex from the men to eventually have them drop their weapons and find peace from within as well as with each other as a community.  Throughout this film, we see the trials, tribulations, and conflict each character deals with in addressing the violent, cyclic nature of the gun violence in America as well as gender role and the power it has over all of us for both men and female.

This is quite an interesting one to write about as this juggles with a myriad of genres of story genres from Musical to Drama and Comedy.  There are quite a few compelling scenes to fit each style of genre but it also leads to an uneven, inconsistent tone and pacing, leading to some frustrations when the film goes from being compellingly dramatic to over the top, farcical comedy.  However, the smaller character moments from Fr. Mike Corridan (John Cusack), Irene (Jennifer Hudson), Chi-Raq, and Dolmedes (Samuel L. Jackson), the story’s narrator are truly marvelous and powerfully written and performed in really conveying the Shakespearean comedy/tragedy adapted here as well as making for some truly engaging socially driven drama to be seen here.  This will not click with everyone including those who have a problem with the aggressive nature of the story’s themes and executions of those ideas along with the preachy, numerous monologues that convey the message of peace and gun violence in America in a not so subtle way.  However, this is perhaps one of the few creative films that truly has an engaging, discussion worthy social/political commentary through satire that is rare to see today as well as a truly enjoyable, clever Hip-Hop adaptation of a Greek comedy play which is quite an accomplishment to see a film like this get made.

The film also houses some of the finest performances I have seen from a Black driven cast whether it be of the older and/or newer generation of diverse actors portraying characters that are both three dimensional humans to some funny if a bit over the top caricatures of social types in racially made genre films.  Teyonah Parris is absolutely stunning both in beauty and charisma as Lysistrata, the woman who leads a sexual revolt to stop the gun violence on the streets from denying the men “the booty”. Nick Cannon turns in a surprisingly layered, emotionally satisfying performance as the title character with a director that truly brings out the best in him within this role.  You also have great performances from the older cast whether it be Angela Bassett as Miss Helen in a small but memorable performance as well as Samuel L. Jackson, providing a comedic/energized turn as the narrator of this story and John Cusack as the Reverend Mike Corridan, making some of the most passionate monologues in the film.  Wesley Snipes provides a capable, funny performance but can be a bit goofy at times with his slang at times as well as having cartoonishly written characters mixed with the human, layered characters throughout this film.  There are plenty of great turns from character actors that perform their monologues and solo scene with such impeccable comedic/dramatic timing as well as being quite memorable with the short time they have in the film.

On a technical level, the camera work/art design, editing, and music really elevate the material to great heights in positive ways.  The cinematography is truly inspired in quite a few places especially in showcasing the place of Chicago.  Each set really looks massive in the scale and design which is quite impressive in displaying the environment’s character.  There are some truly inspired shots that truly draw you into the drama of each scenes and it moves at a brisk, fast pace that keeps the energy going, rather than make it too frantic or confusing for the viewers to follow.  With the mix of shots that showcase the chaotic life of Chicago as well as the industrialized side mixing with the poverishly poor neighborhood, there is a clear understanding of the city itself visually that few directors take advantage of when really conveying the place the characters’ stories take place in.

Where the film also shines is the soundtrack/score utilized in this film which is both diverse and fitting in all the right places, adding to the dramatic and comedic moments throughout the film.  You have the main compositional work from Terence Blanchard as well as a group of R&B / Hip-Hop Artists such as Nick Cannon, Sam Dew, R. Kelly with Tink, Kevon Carter, Kymm Lewis, Mali Music, Sophia Byrd, and many more throughout the film here and there.  Each song fits smoothly into the tone of each scene especially for the musical numbers featured in the film.  There was great care and thought put into making the music instill the message of the film against the gun violence / racial divide within America, adding to the aggressive but forthcoming style of the director’s narrative abilities.

It was touch and go regarding Spike Lee’s ability to make another good film after the last few films he has done that have been lukewarm or unmitigated disasters.  However, Chi-Raq is a return to form for Lee as he creates an aggressively creative and thought provoking adaptation of a Greek play with some of the sharpest writing to instill the emotions and themes of gun violence within America.  This was reminiscent of his earlier works in a good way but it does juggle with so many genres that it never truly meshes together as a whole, with an inconsistent tone that shifts to comedy, drama, and musical all at once on an occasion.  This is one of his better made films and it is quite hard hitting and funny throughout the film even if it is uneven as a whole.

Score: *** out of *****
Chi-Raq is a return to familiar grounds for Spike Lee and it is quite an inventive, inspirationally made film that oozes in energetic fun and care for the themes of gun violence and gender roles within America and today’s culture.  It is Lee coming back to his very aggressive approach to the material that can be heavy handed and little too much for people to withstand to get to the clever and dramatically effective moments in this film.  The performances are truly astounding from a mostly Black cast of young and old actors giving it their all in each roles as well as a truly strong female lead in Teyonah Parris as well as truly surprisingly subdued, tragic performances from Jennifer Hudson and Nick Cannon.  It is a rather uneven mess at times, contending with a multitude of genres of storytelling and they don’t gel as well as they could have been if handled by someone else.  It can also be a bit slow in the pacing as it can go from monologue to a scene driven by action and visuals which slows the film down instead of letting it clip along at a reasonable pace for film.  This is still a worthwhile effort to watch from Spike Lee and will remind you that this director still has what it takes to make a good film.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Review

(There are minor spoilers particularly with giving background to where the story takes place in but no major elements of the plot including character specific developments will be discussed or mentioned here. I will only talk about my reaction to these characters story arcs and how it works or doesn’t work for me in general).

It seems like only yesterday when a Star Wars film would come out every once in a while and would seemingly land with a thud (the prequels specifically) that to have a new film come out about a decade after the last one, it is amazing how it has become the most hyped and anticipated film of 2015.  The reason for this is quite simple, with a new creative team behind it, new cast, the old characters coming back for another adventure, and jumping off from Disney’s acquisition of the property, you have the signs for a major comeback in motion.  That is what we got with the seventh film in the beloved sci-fi/fantasy film series Star Wars with the new entry called The Force Awakens jumpstarting a new trilogy to follow a new/old cast of characters changing, growing, and fighting in a galaxy that has changed over the past 30 years since the last film, Return of The Jedi.  J.J Abrams brings his skills as an action director and makes one of the most vibrantly, energetic and exciting entries akin to the original films as well as bringing back the importance of character development and capable, emotional performances that were sorely lacking in the previous entries.  Let’s dive into a story that has happened a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away and examine how this film shines and falters as the official film follow up from about a decade ago.

The story takes place approximately 30 years after the events from Return of The Jedi with the Empire vanished into the shadows as the Republic is now formed again to slowly reconstitute its democratic power over the different systems again.  However, a new army has emerged from the ruins of the Empire called The First Order as they systematically invade planets, destroy them with fear and intimidation, and kidnap young kids to indoctrinate them into their army at an early age.  To combat this new threat, a deterrent force was formed in secret by the Republic called The Resistance is set up to fight against The First Order’s reign of terror.  While the conflict rages on for years, all of the characters from the previous films have moved on or simply vanished without a trace such is the case with Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). 

We enter this story as the conflict reaches its critical moment as a young, headstrong Stormtrooper named Finn (John Boyega) and the adventurous, skillful scavenger Rey (Daisy Ridley) come to a crossroads in their lives that may very well set them on a path to turn the tide of this shadowy war as well as themselves.  They are being hunted down by cold, ambitious General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson) and the mysterious, ill-tempered Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) throughout the galaxy as Finn and Rey come across strange new worlds, aliens, allies, enemies, and familiar faces that come out of hiding to guide our protagonists through a galaxy that has truly changed since the defeat of the Empire all those years ago. To sum it up in general, this plays out like the first entry in the film series A New Hope redux with a modern update and changes to the formula.

That is the general gist of the story without really going into the specifics, but there is plenty of fan service to the original trilogy of films as well as story ideas and threads from the now defunct   expanded universe of books, comics, and so on to be probably introduced in this film trilogy differently.  While it can be a bit overbearing at times with its nostalgia trip down memory lane, it is quite effective in reminding us of the old films but allowing for the new storylines to be developed throughout the film.  The story is fast paced, exciting, and feels like a galaxy expanding adventure that the prequel films failed to embody all those years ago.  All of the new characters have compelling, well-thought out character arcs that makes it easy to root for and against them, creating a new cast to follow easily while paying respect to the older, returning cast members as they weave in and out of Rey and Finn’s journey.  If there is a notable flaw to mention, the worlds and lore surrounding this storyline was not as refined or developed as it was in previous films including the prequels, making it hard to really grasp how the story beats on each world relate to each other.  However, it is a fun, entertaining, and emotionally satisfying entry in the series that truly brings back the fun and grandiose scales of the original films in a unified, organic way in regards to the character stories despite the little details and narrative structure not really connecting as well as it did in previous adventures.  

The last discussion that can be made regarding the story is the tone of the entire story as it happens to be quite different from the original and prequel trilogies altogether.  While the original films were rather grimy, dangerous, and grounded in its dramatic beats with a dash of dark humor thrown in there and the prequel tends to be unintentionally funny at times as well as suffering from tonal shifts between brutally dark to lightly comedic, this film finds a happy balance between being genuinely funny and dramatic when the moments call for one or the other.  This is also due in part to the great, character driven direction given to the exceptional cast to really flesh out the characters even if the plot/storylines aren’t cohesive.  Does it get a bit heavy handed with self-referential jokes to the previous films akin to a Marvel film? Yes, but it is done with a well meaning, respectful attitude to the material that makes it work.  While the plot/story riffs on the past glories of the previous films, it is the character moments, arcs, and relationship chemistry that truly shines above a well-intention, if familiar retread of the very first film of this series. 

Where the film truly excels is in the performances from everyone in the main cast as well as some cool yet underutilized supporting characters.  Rey played by Daisy Ridley is absolutely magnetic in her role as the hopeful, adventurous scavenger looking to discover her true place in the galaxy which she handles with finesse despite feeling like her character might have been rushed writing-wise in her development and arc to get from point A to B in the storyline.  John Boyega as Finn has a fun, energetic presence and charisma to him that makes his character interesting and relatable, having to find a purpose and reason to fight in this war even though his character suffers the same rushed approach for his character development as well.  Another standout that does grow on you despite being a bit timid and anguished at times is Adam Driver as Kylo Ren who really embodies the emotional struggles and turmoil of a fallen Jedi that is consumed with anger and confusion over his true purpose in this war.  

Now, the last truly memorable performance to come out of this film is Harrison Ford as Han Solo who truly brings not only credibility to this story but embodies the character with confidence and reverent fun that seem to be absent in his other performances.  He is a blast to watch as this character again and really serves the character stories well both in the action and dramatic beats of the film.  

Poe Dameron, played by Oscar Issac is another memorable new character who steals the scene comedically and action wise from everyone when he is present.  Despite having a very limited role in the film, he makes this character into his own and exciting to watch which we can only hope will be expanded upon in future installments.  Everyone else from the original cast to the new supporting cast were in top form as they made their bit roles truly memorable and fit into this over-arching storyline that will be developed over the next 2 films.

It is time to get to the technical aspects of this film from the action set pieces, effects work and designs of the world/costumes/aliens, and the musical compositions from the famous composer himself, John Williams.  We start with the action choreography and set pieces themselves where the editing is fast, sharp, and effectively tense for each sequence.  Anytime the ships were flying around in combat or in a chase sequence, it was riveting and exuded a sense of energy and excitement that is enhanced immensely by the likeability of the lead characters.  As for the lightsaber battles that take place, they are quite engaging and exhibit a sense of weight and purpose to the story, harking back to the way the original films handled these lightsabers duels.  Overall, despite one ship sequence drawing heavily on the first film’s climax a little too heavily that makes it a bit ridiculous and way on the nose, each action set piece was exciting and quite spectacular in their scale and execution.

There is a reason some time has to be dedicated to the work that was put into the effects for this film from make-up, costumes, and aliens to the overall look for the galaxy portrayed in this film as it is a marriage of both old and new methods of creating effects coming together here.  Each world seems to be another visual nod to the original trilogy as well with a desert, forest, and ice created planet all there for the nostalgic reasons above.  All of the aliens were really amazing in their look and design along with the fact that a good chunk of them other than 3 of them (2 supporting characters/villain and an obvious monster is CGI) are practically made and look quite believable.  It does make the CGI apparent when you combine the methodology for those characters but it works magnificently with the action sequences and seeing the pilots communicate as the kinetic, intense dogfights happen.  It is good to see filmmakers utilize the strength of both styles of visual effects and create a unique, exciting feeling of suspense and adventure for this new trilogy of films that I hope continues in the next 2 major episodes as well.

Every Star Wars film has had compositional work done by none other than John Williams himself and it was quite a surprise to hear that he was composing this film which is both a compliment and criticism I have for the overall musical score for this film.  He utilizes every familiar, memorable theme from previous films (both the original and prequel trilogy) and does variants of them with only at least 1 or 2 new themes for the character of Rey and a truly remarkably effective theme for the end of this film.  Unfortunately, his work suffers the same issue that is prevalent in most big, action driven blockbusters (an issue that is present in Marvel films as well) and that it is mostly background music at times which means it works to the visuals but not on its own.  It lacks any real standout themes and the new ones do fit in relations to the character Rey but it really doesn’t impart any memorable melody that the other entries were able to have in their films.

Does this seventh entry in the series truly live up to its subtitle The Force Awakens? Yes, it certainly does despite some growing pains in certain parts of this film that I can only hope will be corrected and improved upon in future installments.  The performances are fantastic from everyone in the cast as well as some truly exciting, dramatically engaging character story arcs to really carry the film forward despite the narrative structure and plot feeling thin, disjointed, and relies too much on the same overall story beats of the very first film, A New Hope.  Each character from old to new were quite memorable and were developed wonderfully to the story being told here despite a few other great/cool looking characters relegated to the side or even as a glorified cameo to hopefully have a bigger role in the next film.  The action is fast, intense, and eye popping amazing, bringing in a sense of fun and adventure to the film series again.  It is technically proficient and phenomenal to see both styles of effects in work together quite well despite one or two CGI effects looking a bit out of place in this return to the grounded, grit feel to the world.   While the score is not the most memorable aspect of this film, it does the job sufficiently to keep the action going without feeling too slow paced despite lacking a truly memorable theme to call its own.  This is Star Wars in all of its amazing qualities and its flaws, coming back with confidence and a renewed energy that makes looking forward to the next episode exciting again.

Score: **** out of *****

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is an exciting film revival of the long running series that needed this new jumping point in cinema for a very long time.  With truly charismatic, energized performances from everyone involved as well as some truly effective character drama and story arcs to them that will keep even the most jaded fans entertained and on the edge of their seats.  While it does create compelling new characters and their own stories to follow in the next outings, it is unfortunately tied to the major call backs and plot threads to the original films specifically A New Hope.  This means that the film is not too friendly with new comers as it relies on nostalgic respect and knowledge of the original films to really understand the importance of fan service moments and some truly important character arcs that utilized those moments to drive the story forward.  This means it is relying on the other films to lay the groundwork for the more interesting sequels to come by over the next four years.  It does not allow for some of the new characters to truly be introduced or developed for this world other than the lead characters Finn, Rey, and Kylo Ren.  Despite the narrative structure and plot feeling muddled and disjointed, it is the superb character writing and performances that carries the film through and elevated the material immensely thanks to J.J Abrams ability to really bring out the best in every one of the actors.  The action set pieces are magnificent in their design and creativity with only one ship based sequence near the end that was a bit lackluster overall and was not as exciting as the character driven moments that dominated the last act of the film.  Despite all of these issues, it was still a fun, exciting, and engaging Star Wars film to grace the cinema a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

Creed Review

With some time passing after Rocky decided to bow out of the lime light, it was only a matter of time before someone would give the old reboot method a shot for such a long running sports drama film series.  However, with new creative forces helming this along with a younger cast of new characters and a different approach to a familiar formula, we have here the seventh entry in the series that not only revitalizes the aging film series but makes it relevant and uplifting in the veins of the original film back in the late 70’s.  The sharp, energized writing from director Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station) and Aaron Covington along with the skillful direction of the film from acting to cinematography makes this unique and memorable enough to be separated from the cartoonish but dumb fun entries that came before it.  Every actor has fully realized arcs and personality come to life by their confident yet expertly delivered performances with standouts being the leads and supporting cast.  It is also the most hard-hitting, brutal film in the series with its exceptionally crafted fight scenes and the big, bombastically memorable score that give the film such vibrant energy and strong identity to be a formation of both Rocky and this new character’s story.  Let see how this film surprisingly came out to be a knockout winner.

During the 90’s (and Rocky dealing with that fifth entry that no one likes to talk about), a young black boy gets into fights and Juvenile centers until Apollo Creed’s wife Mary Anne (Phylicia Rashad) takes him in as her surrogate son.  Many years have passed, Adonis "Donnie" Johnson Creed (Michael B. Jordan) is a young man now drifting through life to fight in underground clubs in Mexico and working a 9-5 job in the office in California.  However, the desire to fight still resides in his very being which motivates him to seek out Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) in Philadelphia to train him to be a boxer as good as his father and to become his own man despite others looking down on him as being the illegitimate son of a boxing champion that lost his life in the ring.  This time, Creed has more to prove by becoming a fighter that would honor both the old and new traditions of boxing, allowing him to forge his own path in the face of adversity.

It is essentially a soft reboot of the series by taking the plot structure of the first film and rearranging events as well as giving a much needed update to fit with this present day tale of the underdog rising above the odds despite being seen as a mere shadow of his father’s days as a boxer.  It would be easy to make something as silly as the other entries but this film opts to be as real and grounded as the first and sixth film in the series by making it about the characters themselves rather than how ridiculously campy and fun the fights can be.  There is a uniquely balanced tone of both sentimental and exciting here that even the original films never could do as we see the characters change gradually into who they end up becoming such as Jordan as the brash yet determined Creed and the old, familiar character traits we love to see from Stallone as Rocky.  While it does have some slow bits regarding the repeats of familiar beats near the end of the film, it is still a winner and will absorb you into the drama and struggles of a character that is both relatable and charismatic, thanks to the powerful performances from everyone involved.

Michael B. Jordan continues to surprise audiences with his fantastic performance in the lead as Adonis Creed, a young prideful man trying to prove to himself that he can be a great boxer without relying on a name that shadows his very existence in this world.  Then, you have Sylvester Stallone returning again as Rocky Balboa and he provides the most vulnerable, humane performance we haven’t seen in a long time.  They are developed in a mentor/father and son pairing that not only provides the emotional arc of the story but their character arc as well, allowing for the story to have a purpose to be told.  Everyone else fit their roles accordingly whether it be villainous, roguish, or the prerequisite love interest for this story.  With the great, capable actors and inspired, emotionally charged script, the performances with the writing bring a relatively simple story to grand, epic heights that a good sports drama is able to do with the right creative force behind it, as is the case with this film.

Now for the main event, the boxing/action set pieces with about a total of 4 of them throughout the film.  It is worth examining since this film handles the boxing matches differently from the other entries in the series with an emphasis on the brutality and effective sound design to make each punch, hook, and uppercut feel raw in their delivery to a face.  The most effective use of these elements is the one shot, one take boxing match in the middle of the film where they never stop the scene with one visible cut (there may have been digital manipulation for certain cuts in the veins of the film Birdman) and the fighters get progressively wounded and weary from each round.  It was clear to see and absolutely harrowing to watch which is why the last fight might not be as technically impressive but it still combines the emotional arcs, great and meaty sound design, and the powerfully made orchestra/synth score that makes each fight feel as painful and exciting as you would expect a boxing match to be in this series. This is all enhanced even more by the cinematography for the film.

The camera work in this film is nothing short of amazing that it is inspiring to see upcoming talent utilizing the camera in ways that set this apart from the other entries in this series.  The use of that long take is absolutely stunning to watch despite that fact that it does lessen the technical qualities of the final bout but the use of wide angle lens and natural grit of the place really makes this world come to life.  The use of set dressing and design for certain places (Rocky’s home for one and the Gyms Adonis trains in) are all distinctive and matches the character’s journey into becoming a fighter that will instill the values of his father and his friend in his boxing.  This also allows for the pacing to be pretty brisk for the most part other than the downtime that occurs in the middle for character development.  This film is astounding on a technically level and deserves some recognition for making this different from the Rocky films especially in its musical score and style for this spinoff.

There is a fusion of the grand, classical orchestra with a mish-mash of synth based hip hop music instilled into both the score and the use of the licensed music to project a different identity and theme for this character in particular.  It is quite successful, thanks to the efforts of composer Ludwig Göransson as well as the emphasis on portraying a different yet familiar view of Philadelphia from a new character’s perspective musically.  It is catchy, bombastic, and quite effective in being inspiring and exciting to listen especially during the fights and Adonis’ training.  It is also effective on its own to listen to as that should speak volumes to the quality of music writing and composition to make it stand out from the Rocky films and other sports dramas.

This was quite possibly one of the bigger surprises to come out of cinema as Creed not only breathes new life into the long running series but it works on its own as an effective reboot to the entire series with a new, relatable character to root for as well as the old guard passing the touch in a dignified way for a new generation of stories to be told.  This handles the development of a bitter, angry character smoother and engaging than other boxing films that came before (Southpaw).  This is a reboot handled quite well in the hands of a creative team that respects and evolves the original premise and film for a new audience.  CREED is a truly amazing, exciting return of a beloved, fun sports film series that bring backs the familiar underdog story and uses the ideas of old and new to create a memorable film that will be looked upon with love and respect for the film that inspired it to be made, Rocky.

Score: ****1/2 out of *****
CREED is a resounding winner of a film with wonderful performances from the leads, a fantastic musical direction from Ludwig Göransson as well as hard hitting sound design, exciting boxing scenes (that one take boxing match and the final bout being a satisfying yet less grand way of ending the story), and the film being able to inspire and entertain at the same time, makes this one of a boxing film.  It’s good to have a good boxing film again that can stand on its own without having to be a part of an established series but it ties into the other films with Rocky so well that it feels like a natural evolution/sequel to move the story forward.  Despite some pacing issues in the middle and the final battle being a bit anticlimactic as well as being a bit campy/cliché at times with the character arcs/development, this is still a crowd-pleasing film that will surely win over anyone who has doubts about this film’s quality.

The Stanford Prison Experiment Review

What would happen if you were thrown into a prison for 2 weeks and how would you change to survive an environment of ridicule and fear? This is what Stanford Professor Philip Zimbardo, Ph.D. (Billy Crudup) had done in conducting an experiment back in 1971 that changed young boys/men and showed their true characters in shocking, horrifying ways.  The film The Stanford Prison Experiment is a dramatization directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez of an actual experiment that took place but has inspired other films that have utilized this psychology study for other fictional/exaggerated story.  The young cast of indie actors really showcase their ability to morph into their characters exceptionally well as they become the roles they are told to become as the film progresses.  This is emphasized even more by the claustrophobic, hypnotically dull looking cinematography along with a script that provides the actors with tons of dramatic heft to the event and a synth based, haunting score that creates this enclosed world of power and fear that envelopes the viewer gracefully into the story and never lets up for its brisk, absorbing 2 hour run-time. Let’s get into what made this study compelling enough for a film to be made and where the line does get blurry with its flaws.

We follow Professor Zimbardo as he conducts a 2 week long experiment of a prison environment and how it can have an impact on their behavior be it as a guard or prisoner of their made up quarters within the halls of Stanford’s Psychology department.  A group of young men are drawn to the experiment for financial reasons and believe that what they have do is worth the $15 dollars a day they would receive by the end of this experiment.   What they didn’t anticipate was what this experiment would bring them into and so for the next few days, they would become something far worse than average human beings…but animals encaged by fear, power, and control.

While the story is presented in a matter of fact tone, it is the tense, slow burning editing with the antiquated look of the film coupled with the powerful performances from the ensemble cast that makes this film such an astounding realization of an event that truly exposed the weakness present in human nature when it is given or devoid of power in various degrees.  The power plays that are exhibited throughout between the guards and prisoners are handled with palpable tension that would have made these moments cliché but it comes across as terrifying from the assured, skillful direction from Alvarez.  It does seem slow on the buildup because of the huge size of the cast to establish and develop for the majority of the film but as soon as the experiment is fully underway, it grabs a hold of your attention and it never ceases to be boring from the terrific, harrowing performances from many of the young, promising actors in this film.  The story follows the familiar beats you expect in a biography film but it adheres to the genre troupes of thrillers it pays homage to with an actual story that invokes those emotions in real life but at times are exaggerated in certain plot elements as you would expect for this kind of film.

Which leads to the overall theme and ideas the story explores regarding power and the inherent authority and abuse it comes with it.  It seems like a joke at first but as it goes along, it becomes astoundingly frightening to see how given the chance, we can become just as cruel and mentally far out there with a god complex as to the hold we have over people with no means to resist.  This had to be mention as the way it is portray is quite disturbing and really comes through from the fine skills of the director shaping the performances gracefully without feeling disingenuous.  This is also accompanied by a tightly woven, sharp screenplay that makes all of the lessons, morals, and dialogue feel earned in expressing the awful, chaotic nature of this experiment through the claustrophobic visual direction of the story to go with it.  It always feels appropriate to what those people went through even if there are some exaggerations done for dramatic purposes (there were no physical abuse but the verbal abuse and degradation did happen if slightly different from the actual archival footage).

This brings up the main reason for this film being as profound as it was in making this real life event believable and intense, the cast of actors themselves. The standout of the young cast members were Ezra Miller and Michael Angarano for their respective roles of Daniel Culp/Prisoner 8612 and the leader of the guards called “John Wayne”/Christopher Archer.  Miller really displays his fragility with confidence and pain that you start to really become haunted by his agony as he becomes the most rebellious of the prisoners only for him to start a chain reaction that showcases his ability to make viewers care about his plight despite only being in half of the film.  As for Angarano, he really is a revelation in the entire youthful cast that plays his part with such glee and vibrant energy that it is a surprise to see him truly shine in this film despite being in some forgettable roles in previous years before this.  Another standout of the cast is Billy Crudup as Professor Zimbardo who really gives a truly understated, emotionally driven performance that makes him really empathetic in what he is trying to achieve despite the actions he takes to push these students to their limits.  These were the standouts of the cast in a sea of really outstanding mix of actors giving their best in this film.

It should be worth mention the other standouts in the supporting cast before we get to the technical elements of the film starting with Nelsan Ellis as Jesse Fletcher, yet again showcasing how versatile he is in playing different roles with him being a former prisoner that gives the experiment a certain kind of authenticity to it.  The mix of unknown/character actors from Tye Sheridan to Johnny Simmons give tremendously memorable performances in the scenes they were featured prominently. There wasn’t really a performances in this cast that really was lackluster other than the ones that were glanced over since it focused on only a few of the subjects that were to be the anchors that carried the story through to its inevitable, real life conclusion.  Despite some of the actors being underutilized for a decent chunk of this film, they gave their finest performances so far in their careers within this film.

The technical elements also shine bright and clear in this film on top of the stellar cast for this film with the cinematography, editing, and musical score with each adding to the strength of the film’s emotionally tense journey.  For the cinematography, there are extensive use of close ups throughout on a number of the shots to establish the claustrophobic nature of the prison from the student’s living and guarding it.  It had only a handful of wide shots and that was near the beginning, a few in the middle, and at the very end of the film.  The compositions of these shots really created this enclosed quarter that made the viewer feel entrapped by this world the professor created.  This is made even more uncomfortable by kinetic, shifting editing in both energy and structure as well as a synth based score by Andrew Hewitt that really creates this unnerving ambient vibe to the setting that feels like a throwback to 1970’s thrillers.  Its use of the bland, generic office setting only further emphasize the despair these characters undergo through during the days the experiment really took place.  It is the careful use of the shot compositions and lighting of that location which adds to the dreary, harsh nature of the story being told.

David Patrick Alvarez’s biography film drama The Stanford Prison Experiment is quite a tense, riveting tale of what power and authority can do to people and reveal what they are capable of in terrifying ways.  The performances from the entire cast is fantastic all around thanks to the intelligently crafted screenplay from Tim Talbott with the help of 2 other writers (Christopher McQuarrie and P.W. Hopsidor) as well as the confident, hard hitting direction for both the acting and visual style for this film.  This is not only a modern, relatable adaptation of a true story but one that really invokes a certain truth about human nature that can be applied in regards to how we perceive power and authority as well as its abuse of it today in our culture.  Despite some slow plodding issues in the middle act along with some exaggerations given to certain aspects of the story (the physical abuse being the major one that was done for the film only but it does work well enough to forgive this dramatic choice), this intense drama will sure to linger with you after the credits roll.

Score: ****1/2 out of *****
This is a film driven by the engaging performances and the skillful direction present throughout this entire production.  It serves as a great showcase for young talents in the industry to tell a story that happens to still resonant and inspire conversations about the human nature with power and authority.  There are some issues of pacing particularly with its middle act as well as some exaggerations made to the actual story that might be considered inaccurate but at least they are only minor when the acting as well as the visual choices made through the effective direction/editing.  This is one drama that will grab you and hopefully inspire some conversations about the abuse of power and authority among humanity.