the disaster artist

Full disclosure first, I have not read the book that this movie is based on, and I also have not seen the movie; "The Room," that the book is based on. I am familiar with the cult status in regards to that movie, and I am familiar with it's notoriety of being arguably the worst movie ever made. With that in mind, you absolutely do not need to have seen "The Room," or read the book "The Disaster Artist," to enjoy this movie.

Of course there are easter eggs or call-backs that it's fanbase will understand that the uninitiated would not get. The die-hard fans will likely enjoy this movie more than those unfamiliar with it's own mythology, but either way, you do not need to have prior knowledge when seeing this movie. What "The Disaster Artist" is turns out to be a relatively straightforward story about two individuals who want to be in the movies, and opts to make their own instead. As it goes, one of those two individuals seems to be off his rocker. The plot progression is as expected, and you're essentially watching a character study here, more than a full on behind-the-scenes account of the making of the film. 

James Franco does a phenomenal job as Tommy Wiseau, which is quite the unusual and provocative character; in this movie and in real life. That long hair. That accent. That arrogance. That confidence. Wiseau is definitely a character that will either annoy and anger you, or fascinate and entertain you. His strange behavior and mysteriousness should keep you glued to the screen in anticipation of what bizarro thing he will do next. Much to the chagrin of everybody around him, but to our amusement of laughing at him. Along with the idea of ridiculing Wiseau though, you might just admire his tenacity as well. 

Besides the strong performance by James Franco, I would say that his brother Dave Franco has an equally strong performance as our true protagonist of this story; Greg Sestero. This story is through Greg's point-of-view after all. Greg is our surrogate character that becomes involve with the craziness of Tommy Wiseau. Through the ups and downs, we walk along Greg's journey in the film making of "The Room." Dave Franco really brings us a sympathetic character with his take on Greg Sestero, and understand why he is even associated with Wiseau. 

From the all star cast of supporting characters that can be distracting when watching "The Disaster Artist," and the oddball nature of Tommy Wiseau, I found this movie to be rather entertaining to watch. It could have been more ambitious by going even further into the character and the film making process, and there are some questionable scenes that could have been handled better, however it's still a good movie that's worth checking out. After wards, you might just be encourage to hunt down a copy of "The Room" and see the failed masterpiece yourself. 

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the breadwinner

*sorry, the full non-spoilers review still needs to be written* 

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the square

*sorry, the full non-spoilers review still needs to be written* 

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last flag flying

*sorry, the full non-spoilers review still needs to be written* 

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roman j israel esq

*sorry, the full non-spoilers review still needs to be written* 

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coco

*sorry, the full non-spoilers review still needs to be written* 

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three billboards outside ebbing missouri

Very early in the movie, three billboards were set up to provoke a community. That leads to a series of events that does not shy away from vulgarity or violence. A lot of those scenes can get pretty dark and disconcerting, but somehow I was having an absolute blast watching it all play out anyway. Maybe it's because of the wicked and clever sense of humor that sometimes takes you off guard with how blunt and biting they can be. A lot of insults are thrown. Things get physical. All of it gets personal. Fun times. 

Written and Directed by Martin McDonagh, we've got ourselves here a fantastic piece of story telling with some very remarkable characters. The plot moves along as expected at first, but there are curve balls that are thrown our way to keep us on our toes. Some scenes are as expected as can be, while others subvert our expectations. Considering there is a crime that needs to be solved, we are also sorta playing along by guessing as to how it will all conclude. As it goes with these kinds of films, some people will be satisfied with how it goes down, while others may not. 

As I suggested earlier, the dialogue in this movie is spectacular. I was honestly laughing out loud with some of the exchanges between certain characters. Two in particular stand out the most. Frances McDormand as Mildred, and Sam Rockwell as Dixon. Woo! Absolutely stand out performances by both of them! McDormand is amazing as the tough as nails, says what she wants, angry Mother who wants justice. It's hard not to root for her here, but as it goes, things get complicated. Rockwell is also amazing as the slow witted, says what he wants, reprehensible police officer who just happens to be racist. It's easy to hate on him here, but as it goes, things get complicated. 

The rest of the characters played by Woody Harrelson, Lucas Hedges, Caleb Landry Jones, Sandy Martin, Peter Dinklage, John Hawkes, Samara Weaving, Abbie Cornish, Zeljko Ivanek, and Clarke Peters, are all excellent in their roles. Quite excellent! Each one of them get good scenes and great lines, to make them stand out. McDormand and Rockwell can't have all the spotlight now. 

By the end of the movie, there is an obvious primary theme that "Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri" is trying to tell us. I'd rather not say what it is here, because it's like a learning lesson that needs to be experienced in person. Along with the sharp writing, fantastic characters, and the overall entertainment factor, it's that particular theme that really takes this movie over the top as being an instant classic in my eyes. 

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wonder

Adapting the best-selling novel by RJ Palacio, I thought this movie was simply wonderful. Pun intended. Full of charm, melancholy, with tons of heartwarming and emotional moments. By the end of the story, it would be hard not to feel emotionally moved by it. If that isn't your reaction, then maybe this movie isn't what you were looking for? A movie that has the central message of always trying to choose to do the kind thing. I get that it's easy to gravitate towards pessimism, but an optimistic theme can also be very welcome when done well. This movie does that well. 

Tackling subjects about bullying, insecurities, lonelinest, and prejudice, should obviously be expected when the premise involves a young kid with a cranial facial difference. As it usually goes, themes about family and friendship, also has to enter the picture here. If there is a flaw in this story, it's that there is a lot here that really isn't anything you haven't already seen before. The plot progression may seem very predictable, but Co-writer/Director Stephen Chbosky was able to make the narrative not feel too derivative in many respects. In fact, there were definitely some plot points that subverted some expectations. Like i said earlier, despite the familiarity of the movie, it's still executed really well. 

While the adult characters like Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, Mandy Patinkin, and Daveed Diggs, are all good in this, it's the young cast that captures your attention. Young actors like Noah Jupe as Jack Will, and Izabela Vidovic as Via, who both were able to display these subtle expressions that really brought their characters to life. Of course the incredibly talented Jacob Tremblay deserves all the praises he should get for his amazing portrayal of Auggie. Working behind the makeup; and an Astronaut helmet, Tremblay easily grabs your attention with all the emotions he is able to put on the screen. All of the characters of this movie for that matter were able to add something significant to the overall theme of the story. 

I suppose it's easy to call "Wonder" an idealistic after-school special, but that sounds like it's downplaying the film. Movies are meant to be entertaining and still manage to let the audience get something out of the experience. This film does that in an incredible way, and encourages people to be kind. How can that be a bad thing? 

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*fuzzy spark* 

justice league

I feel like I'm just going to be regurgitating what a lot of other people are already saying about this movie. It's got some really cool action sequences, but the plot is not much to talk about. That is this film in a nut shell. Yes it's very cool seeing all these DC Comics super heroes join forces to fight a common foe, but it somehow didn't feel as exciting as it probably should have been. It's still cool though, but it wasn't exactly successful in giving my inner 8 year old goosebumps from seeing Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg, together on screen in live-action. It should have. 

Yes the story is as simple as it can be. That basic simplicity to the story does work in favor of the movie though, but on the flip side it also manages to work against it. The straightforward nature of the plot does keep the movie from feeling too over-bloated in juggling all these characters into a sensible story line. Now with that said, due to the lack of some much needed exposition, the movie also feels like it's just a series of separate scenes that are loosely stitched together through a rough edit. The story should have flowed more naturally, but it didn't. 

Those scenes in question however were pretty cool for the most part. In fact, some of those cool scenes actually did give me some of those "wow" moments I was looking forward to. Wonder Woman was responsible for a lot of that, and so was the Flash. Everybody else were good too, but some of the things they did just looked cool on the basic comic book superhero level, and not necessarily on the "this is making my comic book geek self glee with joy" level. Still the same, overall the superhero moments delivered more positives than negatives, so I'll give it credit for that. 

Is it possible for me to like "Justice League" based simply on visuals and those cool action sequences? Is it possible for me to like it purely on a superficial level, and ignore the substantial problems of the narrative? The answer to both questions is yes. With that said, I can't say the movie was terrible. It just wasn't as great as it probably should have been though. 

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lady bird

As far as teenage girl coming of age stories goes, this one is arguably going to be an instant classic. Sure there's the typical plot tropes about teen romance, dysfunctional families, BFFs, general hijinx, social anxieties, and what not, so it's not entirely a completely unique film. However the integration to the story of having it be set in a Catholic High School, plus the city of Sacramento overall, adds that extra bit of layer for it to really stand out. 

It's the many different moments that helps makes this movie endearing. From the comedy bits to the more emotionally dramatic ones. There are funny gags involving communion wafers, pranking a nun, to the most unbelievable way of getting out of an argument in a moving vehicle. Then there's the serious scenes involving a depressed Priest, discourse among friends, and the many arguments between a daughter and her Mother. Actually those Mother-Daughter arguments can be pretty funny too. 

The cast overall is great in this. From Tracy Letts, Beanie Feldstein, to Lucas Hedges. But speaking of the Mother and Daughter... Laurie Metcalf is excellent in this, and helps with the emotional core of the story. Her relationship, constant bickering, and chemistry with Saoirse Ronan is top notch! That leaves us with Ronan herself as Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson, who is simply amazing in this movie. Playing the neurotic, very outspoken, and impulsive, teenage girl who is frustrated with living in the city of Sacramento, Saoirse Ronan is like a force of nature here, balancing a spectacular act in effortlessly doing bits of comedy, to the more heartbreaking moments. 

I've always liked Greta Gerwig as an actress, but now I also really like her as the Writer-Director of this movie. All the little quirks and personalities that she is able to bring out from the characters and of the locations in this movie is simply wonderful. Charming, fascinating, and insightful, “Lady Bird” definitely deserves to be up there in the pantheon of teenage girl coming of age movies. 

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