Tag: Josh Brolin

Jake’s Transcribed Review of Sicario

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SICARIO. THE MOVIE TRAILERS OFTEN TOLD US THAT IN MEXICO, THE WORD MEANS HITMAN. BUT I HAVE A FEELING THAT FOR AMERICA, IT’S GOING TO MEAN SOMETHING MUCH DEEPER. THE MOVIE FOLLOWS KATE MACER (EMILY BLUNT) ON HER MISSION TO WORK FOR THE HIGHER UPS AND HELP END THE WAR ON DRUGS IN AMERICA. SPECIFICALLY BETWEEN THE U.S. MEXICO BORDER. BUT WHEN OUR LEAD CHARACTER IS LEFT IN THE DARK ON A LOT OF THE ASSIGNMENTS, IT SOON BECOMES CLEAR THAT NOT ONLY IS SHE IN OVER HER HEAD, THERE MAY BE AN OVERLYING REASON. THE MOVIE IS VERY DARK, VERY ATMOSPHERIC, AND HAS MANY COMPONENTS TO ITS HEAVY PREMISE.

DIRECTOR DENIS VILLENEUVE IS SLOWLY BECOMING ONE OF THOSE TRADEMARK DIRECTORS. TARANTINO HAS GREAT DIALOGUE, TRUNK OF A CAT SHOTS, AND A FOOT FETISH. SCORSESE LIKES VOICEOVERS FREEZE FRAMES AND TRACKING SHOTS, AND FINCHER LIKES TO TRACK THROUGH OBJECTS LIKE WALLS, PLAY WITH THE LIGHTING AND DARKNESS OF A SCENE, AND UNHAPPY ENDINGS. VILLENEUVE IS QUICKLY BECOMING A MASTER OF INTENSITY AND PLAYING WITH A STORY’S MISDIRECTION. HIS OPENING TEN MINUTES MADE ME ACCOMPLISH THE NEAR IMPOSSIBLE FEAT OF PUTTING MY CANDY DOWN, AND HIS LAST TWENTY FIVE MINUTES WERE SOME OF THE MOST HEART POUNDING, ARM REST CLENCHING MINUTES I’VE RECALLED IN A LONG TIME. HERE’S A BRIEF CLIP OF SOME OF THE INTENSE ACTION. AND WE CAN’T FORGET TO MENTION THE CINEMATOGRAPHY OF TWELVE TIME OSCAR NOMINEE ROGER DEAKINS. LETS JUST SAY IT WOULDN’T EXACTLY BE AN UPSET IF HE GOT THAT LONG TIME AWAITED OSCAR FOR THIS FILM. ONE STAND OUT SCENE THAT GOES UNDERGROUND CAN’T GO WITHOUT MENTION. I WAS VISIBLY HUNCHED OVER IN MY CHAIR DUE TO THE FRAMING OF AN UNBELIEVABLY WELL SHOT CLAUSTROPHOBIC SCENE.

NEWCOMER TO THE SCREENPLAY SCENE IS ACTOR TAYLOR SHERIDAN. HIS WRITING FOR OUR THREE LEADS IS EXTREMELY WELL CRAFTED, AND HIS CAPABILITY TO QUESTION OUR MORALS AND HANDLING OF CERTAIN SITUATIONS IS, BY THE END, OUTSTANDING. THE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT IS PURPOSELY AND MASTERFULLY FILLED WITH THE USE OF MISDIRECTION TO SHOW US WHAT TRULY MEANS SOMETHING IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS, AND WHAT DOESN’T. HE SUCCESSFULLY ALLOWS US TO CARE ABOUT THE CORE CHARACTERS, AND REITERATE THEIR MOTIVES SO THEY’RE LOGICAL AND MEANINGFUL.

EMILY BLUNT IS QUICKLY BECOMING A HOUSEHOLD NAME AFTER HER WORK LAST YEARS INTO THE WOODS AS WELL AS EDGE OF TOMORROW, AND HER PERFORMANCE IN SICARIO IS CERTAINLY A CAREER BEST. DEFINITELY IN THE RUNNING FOR AN OSCAR SO FAR. HER BACKGROUND IS BROUGHT UP HERE AND THERE, BUT IT’S REALLY HER MOTIVES AND MORALS THAT ARE SO WELL PUSHED TIME AND TIME AGAIN THAT MAKE YOU REALLY GET ATTACHED TO HER CHARACTER. SHES PROVEN SHE CAN HANDLE THE ACTION SCENES BEFORE, BUT HER BEST WORK COMES IN THE MOST EMOTIONAL SCENES WHICH SHE ABSOLUTELY NAILS, ONLY DRIVING HOME YOUR CARE FOR HER. HERE’S A CLIP OF ONE OF THE MANY WELL DIRECTED ACTION SCENES. AS GREAT AS BLUNT IS, IT IS EVIDENTLY BENICIO DEL TORO WHO STEALS THE SHOW HERE. ESPECIALLY IN THE FILMS THIRD ACT. DEL TORO PLAYS ALEJANDRO, AN FBI WORKER, WHO REALLY DABBLES IN ALL KINDS OF AREAS. WHEN BLUNTS CHARACTER ASKS HIM WHO HE WORKS FOR, HE SIMPLY REPLIES, WITH A BIT OF AN ATTEMPT TO ELUDE THE QUESTION, “I GO WHERE I’M SENT” WHICH ONLY ADDS TO THE MYSTERY OF THE MOVIE. DEL TORO IS MORE THAN SUCCESSFUL WITH HIS CAPABILITY TO WORK WITH SO MUCH WHILE SAYING SO LITTLE, AND COMMANDS THE SCREEN IN EVERY SCENE HE’S IN FOR THE LAST HALF HOUR. HE MAKES A SOLID CASE FOR THE MOVIE CENTERING MORE AROUND HIM THEN IT DOES BLUNT. ONLY CREDITING VILLENEUVE WITH THE INTENSITY BUILDING WOULD BE A CRIME, BECAUSE DEL TORO PUTS AS MUCH FEAR INTO YOU AS VILLENEUVE DOES SUSPENSE.BROLIN IS BETTER THAN AVERAGE, BUT A LITTLE OVER SHADOWED BY THE PREVIOUS TWO. NOT TO BE MISTAKEN HOWEVER, BECAUSE HE DOES GREAT IN HIS COMIC RELIEF SCENES, AS WELL AS HIS HIGH DEAD SERIOUS SCENES.

VILLENEUVE ACCOMPLISHES A GREAT ACHIEVEMENT HERE WITH SICARIO. IT’S POWERFUL, ITS HEAVY, ALMOST A WEIGHT ON YOUR SHOULDERS, AND I CAN’T EMPHASIZE ENOUGH HOW INTENSE IT’S BEST SCENES ARE. THERE IS STILL SO MUCH I’D LOVE TO TOUCH ON, BUT BECAUSE I’M A FIRM BELIEVER IN A SPOILER FREE WORLD, I’LL LEAVE YOU WITH A FEW FINAL WORDS. SICARIO IS DEFINITELY ONE OF THE YEARS BEST FILMS, DESPITE BEING A LITTLE OVERLY TEDIOUS WITH LEAVING THE AUDIENCE IN QUESTION OF WHATS GOING ON, THE PAYOFF IS WORTH IT AND THE FINAL SCENES AS WELL AS THE UNDERLYING MESSAGE ARE EXTREMELY POWERFUL AND WON’T BE EASILY FORGOTTEN.

Rating: 9/10 

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Jake’s Transcribed Review of Everest

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AS HUMANS, WE ARE DEVELOPING A SENSE OF FULFILLMENT. OF ACCOMPLISHMENT. A SENSE OF OVERCOMING THE ODDS. AND WE ESPECIALLY DON’T WANT TO BACK OUT OF SOMETHING THAT COST US MONEY BECAUSE THAT STUFF’S TOO IMPORTANT TO WASTE. AS A COLLEGE STUDENT, I DROPPED OVER A HUNDRED DOLLARS ON SKYDIVING. YOU CAN’T JUST BACK OUT OF SOMETHING WHEN THAT MUCH MONEY IS ON THE LINE. I ALSO THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO AN INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE AND SOMETHING I WAS GOING TO BE HAPPY THAT I DID (AND IT WAS). IT JUST SO HAPPENS THAT THESE ARE SOME OF THE BEST THINGS THE EVEREST SCRIPT DOES, BECAUSE PREVIOUSLY LISTED ARE CHARACTER MOTIVES FOR CLIMBING THE HIGHEST PEAK IN THE WORLD AND IT MAKES THEM PRETTY RELATABLE. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT IS ONE OF THE ONLY POSITIVE POINTS THIS SLOPPY SCRIPT HAS TO OFFER.

WILLIAM NICHOLSON AND SIMON BEAUFOY’S WRITING HERE IS CONSISTENTLY ALL OVER THE PLACEM WHICH IS KIND OF SHOCKING CONSIDERING THEY’VE BOTH WORKED ON GLADIATOR, LES MISERABLES, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE, AND 127 HOURS. DESPITE BOTH OF THEIR NOTEWORTHY CREDENTIALS, IT SEEMS AS IF THE DUO JUST COULDN’T QUITE PUT IT TOGETHER FOR THIS EXPEDITION DISASTER DRAMA. FOR STARTERS, THERE ARE WAY TOO MANY MOVING PARTS AT THIS SEEMINGLY BEGINNINGLESS MOVIE. IT HONESTLY FEELS LIKE TWO LONG MIDDLE PARTS, AND THE AUDIENCE IS THROWN RIGHT INTO IT. IMMEDIATELY STARTS OFF WITH TRAVELING TO THE VENUE, SMALL TALK AMONG CHARACTERS TO ESTABLISH BACKGROUNDS, WHICH LATER LEAD TO TALKING ABOUT MOTIVES AND THE RISKS, BUT INDEFINITELY SUFFERS FROM A TOO MANY CHARACTERS SYNDROME. EACH CHARACTER IS GIVEN A MOTIVE FOR MAKING THE CLIMB, BUT WE ONLY END UP TRULY CARING FOR A HANDFUL OF THEM DUE TO LACK OF WRITING, SCREENTIME, OR BOTH. IT ESSENTIALLY COMES DOWN TO THROUGHLY ENJOYING JASON CLARKE AS ROB HALL WHO IS ULTIMATELY THE LEAD, ALTHOUGH THAT ISN’T CERTAIN UNTIL LATE INTO THE FILM, IF AT ALL. AND JAKE GYLLENHALL’S CHARACTER SCOTT FISCHER IF NOT FOR ANYTHING BUT GOOD ACTING IN A LIKABLE PORTRAYAL OF A COOL CHARACTER WHO’S KIND OF LIKE EVERYONE’S FAVORITE HIGH ENERGY FUN SPIRITED CAMP COUNSELOR. OTHER THAN THAT, YOU FEEL FOR SOME, FORGET ABOUT OTHERS, AND COME TO TERMS WITH WATCHING A HIKING EXPEDITION GONE WRONG DUE TO WEATHER AND FLAT OUT STUBBORN PERSONALITIES.

THE ONLY OTHER PERFORMANCE I WOULD SAY STICKS OUT IS KEIRA KNIGHTLEY’S UNDERUSED CHARACTER. SHE PLAYS A PREGNANT SOON TO BE MARRIED TO JASON CLARKE’S CHARACTER WHO DOESN’T LIKE HIM HIKING IN THE FIRST PLACE. AND THEN THERE’S JOSH BROLIN WHOS A TEXAN TOUGH GUY WHO THREW DOWN SIXTY FIVE THOUSAND BIG ONES TO MAKE THIS EXPEDITION AND HE’LL BE DAMNED IF HE DOESN’T MAKE IT. MAKE NOTE HOWEVER, THAT THERE IS SOME REALLY GREAT VISUALS AND SOLID CAMERAWORK TO BE DONE HERE AS WELL. EVEN IF HE DOES PULL A MICHAEL BAY AND USE THE SAME SHOT TWICE, YOU KIND OF LET IT GO BECAUSE OF HOW BEAUTIFUL IT IS THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE MOVIE. DIRECTOR BALTASAR KORMAKUR AND CINEMATOGRAPHER SALVATORE TOTINO CAPTURE SOME REALLY GREAT MOMENTS ON THE LEGENDARY SUMMIT THAT IS EVEREST. THE VISUALS ARE EYE OPENING, AND DEFINITELY HELP BUILD THE TENSION WHEN YOU REALIZE THE SERIOUSNESS OF STORM APPROACHING.

THERE’S A GREAT QUOTE FROM LAST MAY’S GODZILLA THAT FITS IN HERE. “THE ARROGANCE OF MAN IS THINKING THAT NATURE IS IN OUR CONTROL AND NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.” THAT BECOMES VERY PROMINENT WHEN BLACKENED FROST BITTEN FINGERS COME ONTO SCREEN, AND NO MATTER WHAT THE CHARACTERS DO TO TRY AND MAKE IT BACK TO CAMP, NATURE HAS IT’S OWN AGENDA THAT IS ENTIRELY OUT OF OUR CONTROL. AND FOLLOWING THOSE SCENES ARE SOME PRETTY SOLID WORK FROM A FEW ACTORS THAT MAKE THIS DISASTER MOVIE TOUCHING. ANOTHER CLEVER THING THE MOVIE DID WAS PARALLEL A QUOTE FROM ON SCREEN STAR JASON CLARKE AND WELL CRAFTED CINEMATOGRAPHY. IT GOES ALONG THE LINES OF “IT DOESN’T MATTER, EVEREST MAKES IT’S OWN WEATHER” AND THEN THE SHOTS CAPTURED FOLLOW SUIT IN PRETTY AMAZING WAYS. ALMOST AS IF TO PUT OUR EXISTENCE INTO PERSPECTIVE AND SHOW HOW SMALL WE ARE IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS. ONE IN PARTICULAR SPIRALS DOWN FROM AN EVEREST BIRDS EYE VIEW TO A CLOSE UP OF A CHARACTER NOT ONLY SURROUNDED, BUT BURIED IN A SEEMINGLY NEVER ENDING SEA OF BEAUTIFUL, YET EVIDENTLY DEADLY WHITE POWDER.

I REALLY LIKED THE THEMES OF NATURE IN THE FILM, AS WELL AS THE SHOTS CAPTURED, AND A HANDFUL OF THE PERFORMANCES. IF THERE’S ONE FLAW, ITS A MAJOR ONE AND LIES IN THE SCRIPT. IT’S DISTRACTINGLY MESSY AND UNSTRUCTURED AND AT POINTS MAKES A SIMPLE STORY FEEL A LITTLE COMPLICATED. IT LOSES TRACK OF IT’S CHARACTERS, AND DOESN’T REALLY GIVE US MORE THAN FIVE MINUTES OF A START AND AN END. JUST TWO LARGE MIDDLE PIECES. THERE’S SOME GOOD MEMORABLE WORK DONE HERE, BUT IN THE END FALLS SHORT OF ANYTHING GREAT DUE TO A VITAL PART OF THE FILMMAKING PROCESS THAT IS THE SCREENPLAY. I MEAN, WASN’T IT LIKE FIFTH GRADE WHERE WE WERE TAUGHT TO OUTLINE BEFORE JUMPING STRAIGHT INTO THE ESSAY TO MAKE SURE THERE’S A GOOD SENSE OF FLOW AND AN AVOIDANCE OF SLOPPY WORK?

Rating: 6.5/10 

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