The Mother of All Aronosfky Feature Films. A Masterpiece Worth Celebrating.

Once again I was rewarded of not googling anything about this movie, this includes plot and cast but I saw the trailer, which I can say frankly, was misleading and does not the movie any justice. 

You’re gonna be needing a lot of focus and imagination on this one, and I was at the edge of my sit from the beginning ’till the end. It was gripping, complex, smart and visually dazzling. 

Jennifer Lawrence proves once again how masterful she can be with the right story and direction. What really impressed me was Javier Bardem’s performance, which was absolutely exhilarating. Splendid acting. 

Though Noah was so-so, I was afraid mother! will be a little disastrous. This film is one of the best movies I have ever since. Brilliant and masterful. It is indeed a masterpiece and god bless Darren Aronofsky. 

Mother!’s imagery is at the top of its game. It’s a front runner for this award season and we can all expect recognition with everyone’s performance specially with Aronofsky’s spectular direction. It’s not for everybody. The movie is not a mess, it has a straight forward plot and once you get it, you’ll be blown away. 

Grade: 5/5 stars

Home is Where Your Heart Is.

A lot of people didn’t like this film, and after watching it I understood why. It’s an obvious cash grab; putting Jennifer Lawrence, a legend on her own, and the incomparable Chris Pratt. What could go wrong? 

The story is nothing special. Humans migrate to another planet just to start again, and its a 120-year journey, no one can survive that, so people were put into hibernation and will wake up 4 months before landing. Everything was doing great until Chris Pratt woke up by mistake, and it was pretty much a series of unfortunate events after. The twist is when you wake up, you can’t go back to sleep so go figure. 

It’s a story about destiny, choosing your fate, finding love despite the universe’s objections. The chemistry between Pratt and Lawrence is just crazy. There were like 4 actors here only and even though the story is trash, their chemistry was enough to save the whole thing from being a complete disaster. 

Although the premise would’ve been a great one if it was pursued, the entire film will be different, and that’s okay. Visually exciting and elegantly acted by the two charming leads, Passengers is a decent intergalactic romance movie for those hopeless romantics. 

Grade: 2/5 stars

This Is David O Russel At His Most Intimate. Joy is Joyful and Jennifer Lawrence is Just Amazing.

This will be the 3rd collaboration between acclaimed director David O Russel and his prize pony Jennifer Lawrence. The same director who brought her her first Oscar, and rightly so, she’s nominated again for this movie and we’ll see if she takes her 2nd Oscar next week. 

  
Joy is a film about Joy, an aspiring single mother, who had one idea, just one, and that changed her world, along with the people around her. It’s the miracle mop and it really was miraculous because the mops we use today are all inspired by her invention. 
It is always an experience to watch Jennifer Lawrence on screen, as she becomes exponentially better after each films, and in Joy, her character is just simple. Didn’t require method acting or heavy make up. It only required perseverance and dedication. Her performance relies on stares, pauses and simple dialogue, either with Robert De Niro or with Bradley Cooper, or with just anything really. It’s hard to decide now who I’d want to win on next week’s award ceremony. She has a chance against the performance of Brie Larson in Room, but in all honesty, it doesn’t really matter. No award can justify you as an actress anyway and Lawrence have proven time and time again that she’s a top-calibre hell of an actress. 

Joy said when she was young that she didn’t need a prince, and she didn’t need one, she managed to achieve her dreams without the romantic drama, and that makes this movie not a feminist one, but a realist one. In achieving one’s goal, you just need yourself and yourself alone, and no one can justify your success by someone beside you. You do it with them not for them. 

This is the most intimate out of all David O Russel’s work, and for the first time, I forgot that this is about Hollywood’s battle of egos, but simple a film trying to tell a story which is after all, what movies are about. 
Inspiring and deeply personal, Joy shines with the splendid performance from Jennifer Lawrence and its supporting cast. 

Grade: 4/5 Stars

Much Explosions, Much Wow. The War Movie You Need Right Now. Mockingjay Part 2 Movie Review

The Hunger Games is a pretty important movie series to me. It is somehow a mirror of what was happening to me in real life. The first movie came out at a time where I had a taste of how it was like to live away from the place you call home. Then I moved out, and the rest of the series was released wherein I identified myself with Katniss in the level of her struggles in a place she wasn’t comfortable with, but she knew she had to fight and move on. “The train doesn’t end” is what Haymitch said. 
  
The movie began where Part 1 left of. Katniss was hurt by the most important person she trusts: Peeta. And from that point it became her mission to exact revenge; to kill President Snow. And like any war movie, people started to drop like flies. People around her dies up until the point where she faced Snow, point blank, and then she released her arrow. 

Many people didn’t like how the series ended, book-wise. And I was somehow confused upon finishing Mockingjay, helmed by Suzanne Collins. The thing was so depressing, and it ended quietly, and the ending was not something I wanted, but it made sense. You’d all be pleased to know that there were no deviations on the movie version. Katniss didn’t know what she wanted anymore, she just wanted it all to end. To stop the war, stop the bleeding, so her pain would stop. Alas, she got her peace at the end. 

This Hunger Games movie is by far, the most violent one. You wouldn’t expect anything less in a theme of open warfare, where the oppressed are fighting for freedom and redemption, and this was clearly translated in this film. They made no short in making sure that in war, people die and there’s nothing we can do about it. 

Jennifer Lawrence carried the entire film on her back. It was her, from the very beginning up until the very end, that pulled us through every scene. She will always have that charisma that is quite rare on movies. No matter what she does on whatever role, she pulls you in. It is amazing though that in this film you really focus on her. Everybody else, and that includes Peeta and Gale, were put on the background. That is what I’m really happy about this, yes there’s the love story, but it didn’t drown everything that we’re supposed to be focused on. The love story settled in nicely and it was shown at the right time, with the right execution. 

Now Julian Moore really handled Alma Coin really well. She was able to depict the sinister character of the leader of the rebels. The cruelest of all intentions. She was able to show the hunger for power in her every word and in her eyes, particularly at the final scene in the middle of the capitol. 

Mr. Donald Sutherland was amazing as President Snow. I’m not sure if this is just me or my predisposition for cruelty, that you can see his evil, but you know it is with a purpose. He’s not pure evil, he was protecting something and he did whatever it took to do just that up until his dying breath. 

I was recently introduced to Dolby Atmos and ever since I watched in this ear-gasmic cinema, I think the mixing and the sound is quite impressive. That’s probably the Atmos doing his thing but the sound, specially the drums, made my heart pound in not a good way. 

We deserve this ending, and it was crafted really well. The ultimate war/popcorn/fandom film of the year, Mockingjay Part 2 ended the series with splendid acting from Jennifer Lawrence and a solid one from the supporting cast. Moving and satisfying, this film delivered. 
Grade: 4.5 stars
P.S.  I have to accept at this point that there will no soundtrack. 

The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1 Movie Review

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 Movie Review

Let me begin that over the years writing about this movie franchise, the title gets ridiculously long. I was editing tags for the soundtrack and oh boy, there’s The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (and score!) James Newton Howard and Lorde made it difficult for me.

Watching the very first Hunger Games was a very special moment for me. It was the first movie that I ever watched after I moved out from my home, where I am completely on my own and away from my family. It was hard; and I watched this film looking at Katniss, completely identifying with what she’s going through. I was thrown into an arena where I need to survive or else I’ll die, figuratively anyway, but every moment of that movie is a jolt in my gut. The second one was even more intense for me. Katniss was sent back and stakes were high. We know that on Mockingjay the rebellion against the capitol goes full throttle. Katniss is sent to District 13 and should work her way to the capitol in a full-pledged action and adventure. For the third installment, I’m afraid I didn’t feel anything strong. I felt like I was just watching the movie and it is just for entertainment. Mockingjay Part 1 did not have any power over me.

In the tradition of movie franchises that split their finales into two parts, The Hunger Games joined the fray. Pioneered by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, we know that part 1’s fall short it’s predecessors but usually, the part 2’s are exponentially superior from the rest. This is my hope; that Mockingjay Part 2 will be epic and will redeem Part 1.

We all miss Philipp Seymour-Hoffman. A real talented actor that was gone to soon. It is worth noting that this movie was dedicated for him.

The movie revolves around Katniss. Confused and traumatized, she is forced to be the face of the rebellion against the Capitol. Peeta was left under the clutches of President Snow, maimed and tortured, he is used as the weapon against the Mockingjay.

Acting is better here, starting from the radiant Julianne Moore as District 13’s President Alma Coin. Her acting is so subtle that is almost barely there but is strong in presence. It’s something that is hard to describe but only a seasoned actor can do. Jennifer Lawrence, though I adore so much, gave the weakest acting of her career. It’s not that all she did is too look confused and close to tears, but I feel she did not do much, that there was minimal effort. One thing I love though is her singing. The Hanging Tree moment I believe is the strongest part of the movie. Although set at the middle, for me it served as the climax and a major turning point for the entire strory.
The pacing is slow. There are moments you feel like energy is turning up then it goes down again. James Newton Howard’s music from the 1st and 2nd movie is all over the 3rd. This is not a good thing since you want the 3rd movie to stand on its own. Music wise Mockingjay Part1 failed, but somehow saved by the hanging tree.

Like any 2 part finales, you get angry that we need to wait for another year for the next one. It s very apparent that for The Hunger Games saga that splitting of the finale is a business decision. We cannot do anything but wait. The deed is done. Mocking Part 2 will be same time next year.

Mockingjay Part 1 takes it time, relaxes and makes you feel all the horrors of war. The penultimate chapter feels like it can be compressed into 30 minutes, but as we cannot do anything but wait, Mockingjay Part 1 is a political movie that questions our morals and societal structure. Although nicely done and gives strong performances, Mockingjay Part 1 falls short in thrills.

Grade: 7/10