Andrew's Cinematic Adventures: Jaws Movie Review

I don't know why I'm calling this a movie review. Literally everyone on the planet has seen Jaws, the classic Steven Spielberg movie about a hella big shark eating really stupid people. Regardless, it was number 1 on the list of the movies that self-proclaimed movie buff Andrew (that's me) had never seen. Yes, I know. How can I claim to be a movie buff and enjoy reviewing movies if I had never seen one of the biggest cult classic films of all-time? I'm embarrassed to say that I saw the film for the first time a week ago.

But it doesn't really matter. I'm reviewing the shark flick anyways. The following words shall be my initial thoughts and feels about the movie that everybody already loves.

I went into this movie fully believing that it was going to be one of those terrible movies that people love. Maybe I was mixing it up with Sharknado? Perhaps I just remember how fake the shark looked on that Studio Tour ride at Universal Studios? (It really did look fake and I was only like 13 years old). I mean look, don't you just wanna hug that adorable mechanical shark? ---->

Because of that experience, I was expecting the shark in Jaws to look incredibly fake and completely unconvincing. I am pleased to say that I was very wrong. The mere fact that this film was released in 1975 and the effects still hold up today is a huge testament to the abilities of Steven Spielberg as a filmmaker. I was convinced Jurassic Park was his only convincing film that doesn't use CGI, but we can go ahead and add Jaws to that list. Consider me impressed. I felt real bouts of tension, fear, and dread at times during the movie when you knew that shark was about to reveal his dorsal fin and chow down on some poor chap/chapette.

Despite that, there are times you can clearly tell that the shark is fake. But for some odd reason, that doesn't take away from the film. If anything, it makes the whole thing even more enjoyable. Jaws is the reason people watch movies. It's pure entertainment value.

The movie is also filled with interesting, hilarious, and well-done characters. It stars Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, and Richard Dreyfuss as the three men who take it upon themselves to rid the waters of Amity of the shark that has been terrorizing the community. It centers around their efforts at catching the shark in a comically small fishing boat. Eventually they acknowledge this fact themselves with the famous line, "We're gonna need a bigger boat." I can't lie. I giggled audibly hearing that famous line for the first time. Bahahahaha. Idiots.

The clear winner of the entire movie, besides the big-ass shark, is the character Quint, played by Robert Shaw. He plays the gruff fisherman that claims to know how to kill Jaws (I'm not sure if they ever refer to the shark as Jaws in the movie...if they did I would have freaked). Quint has many one-liners throughout the movie that are really only funny because you can't understand a damn thing the guy says. Don't believe me? Watch for yourself.

There's not much else to say about the movie that hasn't already been said. The shark is convincing and terrifying, the characters are hilarious and interesting, the movie stands the test of time, it's memorable...blah blah blah. I was incredibly impressed and plan on adding Jaws to my library and recommending it to friends for years to come.

If you haven't already, watch Jaws. It'll make you never want to go into the ocean again.

Andrew's Cinematic Adventures: Whiplash Movie Review

This past week I finally hit the last of the Oscar movies. Whiplash was the remaining movie on my list of movies that I HAD to see from 2014. If you hadn’t already heard of it, it’s that movie that has Miles Teller playing drums and getting screamed at by a very intimidating JK Simmons. It was a limited release movie and I wasn't able to find it in theaters when it first came out. So I had to find it on my Xbox Video Store and rent it. I was definitely not disappointed in that decision.

If I could be so bold, I would say this was the best movie of 2014. I know I've said that after every movie I have reviewed the past couple weeks, but I actually mean it this time (I’m sure I said that after the other ones as well). I put it in a notch above The Imitation Game, Birdman, the Theory of Everything, and even The Boxtrolls (how dare I tear down such a precious film…).

Now this could be because I grew up playing drums and I've experienced my fair share of tense moments attempting to play a song while a teacher screamed at me (not to the extent of this movie, but still), so this movie may have hit me on a more personal level. Regardless, the style, the music, the acting, all of it was just plain superb.

First of all, Miles Teller was the perfect selection as the protagonist in this movie. I’m sure they were looking for an actor who could portray vulnerability while at the same time withholding a deep bad-assery within him… they found him in Miles Teller. Miles takes his role and completely owns it. I believed every moment of it. He plays Andrew (yes, I’m serious) Neimann, a young and very talented drummer who is attending a prestigious music academy. In the beginning, he is toiling away in beginning music classes, but somehow he catches the eye of the most respected professor at the school (Terrance Fletcher played incredibly by JK Simmons) and ends up being recruited to back-up the current drummer in Fletcher’s advanced Jazz band class. That’s essentially the synopsis of the movie. The rest of the film depicts the intense struggle between Andrew and Fletcher as Fletcher tries to get the most out of Andrew’s obvious drumming skills.

I’m not going to lie to you…this film is uncomfortable. It’s uncomfortable to an almost extreme sense. The moments where Teller’s character is striving to do exactly what JK Simmons’ is attempting to get out of him are some of the most tense and nauseating moments I've ever seen depicted on film. Simmons doesn't hold back any punches. He completely tears into Miles Teller in an almost over-the-top and extremely personal way. Through blood and sweat and tears, Andrew is trying.You can tell what he’s trying to do; he obviously sees something special in Andrew and is trying to tap into it. But at the same time, you can’t help but wonder whether or not his methods are not…well…unnecessary and cruel. Yet, somehow, you still can’t find a reason to hate Simmons’ character…even after everything he does to Andrew in this movie.

They took the guy who did this in Spiderman:

And turned him into this:

And if you remember correctly, JK Simmons was nominated AND won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Fletcher in Whiplash. That Oscar was deserved more than perhaps any Oscar that was won this past year. I've never seen such an incredibly perfect role for an actor. It’s almost like JK Simmons was born to play this role. I couldn't imagine anyone else playing it and not coming across as a complete douche-bag. You have to tow a very fine line playing an ambitious, jack-ass, over-the-top teacher and still be able to maintain a sense of audience understanding. Anyone else would’ve essentially made you hate the character and not understand the motivations behind his teaching methods. Not Simmons. He takes the role, embraces it, makes you hate him, makes you love him, makes you root for him…etc. I just can’t even figure out how he was able to do that. This could be one of the most incredible acting performances I've seen since Heath Ledger as the Joker (is that blasphemy…perhaps). Keep an eye on JK Simmons…we will be seeing a lot more of him because of Whiplash.

Now, I've said enough about the acting. Let’s go over a few over things that made this movie so incredibly genius. The music in Whiplash is also superb and fits the setting and tone of the movie perfectly. It’s so well done that I've even found myself listening to the soundtrack a work numerous times. As you could imagine, it’s a very jazzy style of music. One of the main numbers is actually called Whiplash, a song that Andrew spends most of the movie trying to perfect and yes, the name of the movie (OMG THEY SAID THE NAME OF THE MOVIE IN THE MOVIE…4^th WALL…HOW METTA…OMG).

On the topic of music, I’m fairly certain they used actual musicians for the roles in this movie. I know for a fact that Miles Teller plays the drums and plays most of the music in the movie. And may I say…THAT IS INCREDIBLE. The sheer difficulty of some of the songs he is attempting…as a drummer I can truly respect. I was in awe.

OK, I’m going to take a breath now.

Can you tell I loved this movie? I truly did. I want to marry it. Please see it. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE SEE IT. You’ll not have a more incredible movie experience for a long-time, I guarantee it. 

Andrew's Cinematic Adventures: Kingsman: The Secret Service Movie Review

I wasn't even planning on seeing Kingsman: The Secret Service. The only reason Abby and I saw it was because it was the only movie that looked halfway-decent in theaters that we hadn't already seen. Our other options were Seventh Son, Jupiter Ascending, and Fifty Shades of Grey. Nahh. Nope. And HARD PASS on Fifty Shades of Grey. So we went into Kingsman:The Secret Service hoping to be at least moderately entertained for an hour or so.

I was very, VERY surprised at the quality of this movie.

I have seen a lot of movies in the past year...most of them in theaters. And in all honesty, I don't think I enjoyed myself as much in any movie this year as I did while watching Kingsman. The film is absolutely fantastic from start to finish. Essentially about a secret British secret service filled with gentlemen who refer to themselves as the Kingsmen, it tackles it's subject matter with plenty of wit, the perfect amount of action...etc. Honestly, it's so much better than anything James Bond has attempted to do that I don't even know where to begin. Let's talk about why it worked so well.

1. For starters, the Kingsman doesn't take itself too seriously. It has iffy CGI, laughable dialogue, and an insane/unbelievable plot. But somehow it embraces those qualities and hits it out of the park. The movie has a distinct Quentin Tarantino feel...incredibly violent, very stylistic cinematography, and Samuel L. Jackson. Yes. Samuel L. Jackson. He's in the movie as the hilarious lisped villain. I loved his character because he takes the whole idea of villains having weird voices and completely mocks it to it's very core. Samuel L. Jackson with a lisp is about as funny as you could imagine.

2. The movie boasts a star-studded cast with Michael Caine, Samuel J., Mark Strong, Colin Firth, and Mark Hamill (yes, the original Luke Skyewalker is in this movie...I was shocked as well). I don't know if people understand how much I adore Colin Firth. He is up there in my top 5 favorite actors, mainly due to his incredible performance in the Kings Speech. This movie takes Colin Firth and turns him into a bonafide bad-ass action star. I'm avoiding spoilers, but there's a church fight scene in this movie that had me glued to the screen for the full 15 or so minutes it lasted. Holy frick it was incredible. This movie is the reason you go the movies. Simply pure entertainment at its finest. Walking out of the theater my face looked a lot like this:

3. Kingsman also gets the most out of it's newbie actors. The main protagonist is played by newcomer Taron Egerton. I have never seen him in anything else, but I'm pretty certain we'll be seeing a lot more of him in the future, whether it be in more movies or more Kingsman movies. Taron plays Eggsy, the main boy recruited to join the Kingsmen and fight off Samuel L. Jackson's character. After seeing him in this role, I can't imagine anyone else doing a better job.

4. I'll just leave this picture here for you. Not much description is necessary. I don't think any spy movie has ever had a cooler bad guy/gal.

Was there anything about this film that I didn't like? The only gripe I can find is that there were a few underdeveloped characters. Kingsman did a great job showcasing Colin Firth, Taran Egerton, and Samuel L. Jackson but didn't do a good job making me care about Michael Caine's character or the main chick who's trying to join the Kingsmen. I would've enjoyed getting to know those characters a little bit more.

If you couldn't tell, I adored this movie. It's vaulted its way to the top of my 2015 movie list (I haven't seen many yet haha).I expect it to last till the end of the year in the top 10. I WILL buy it on BluRay and I already have recommended to numerous friends. Heck, I may even go watch it for a second time in theaters. I never do that.

Andrew's Cinematic Adventures: Birdman Movie Review

BIRDMAN. The movie everyone was talking about but no one knew anything about. It's that random movie that shows up around Oscar time and steals the show...that movie that no one even knew was being made. Not only that, but it's that movie that strangely includes most people's preferred actors and actresses (Emma Stone, Edward Norton).

Essentially, Birdman is that movie that is tailor-made to receive ALL THE OSCARS.

And it will, for good reason.

I was wanting to see this movie since like early November and I FINALLY was able to catch a showtime a couple weeks ago, late at night.

What an incredible/weird/awkward/strange/amazing experience it was.

The movie follows the struggles of a washed-up actor named Riggan (played by Michael Keaton) who is having a hard time breaking away from his past success as a superhero named Birdman. The entire film depicts him trying to successfully re-launch his career via a Broadway play, while battling his fellow actors, his own personal ego, and the ever-present pressure of moving past the Birdman persona that has defined his life as an actor.

First of all, Michael Keaton puts in a slam-dunk performance. I was scarcely able to look away from the screen as Keaton struggled with his inner-Birdman-demon. It's tragic, it's hilarious, it's incredibly thought-provoking. The thing that struck me most about his performance is that it seemed to come from real-life experiences that Keaton may have had in his aftermath of playing Batman in real life. There was definitely a subtle layer of realism with Keaton playing Riggan. You can feel that Keaton understood this character he was playing on a much more deeper and real level than you even realize. This performance puts Keaton back on the map in Hollywood, which is weirdly the same thing that happens to Keaton's character in the actual movie. Ahhhhh. SOOO MANY LAYERS.

The supporting actors also put in some fantastic performances. I loved Edward Norton as the dooshy actor alongside Keaton in the Broadway play. Seriously, Norton was an actor handmade by God for Indie movies like this (or anything directed by Wes Anderson). He was one of the better parts of the movie, playing a stuck-up actor that also conveys a lost-boy vibe at the same time. He hits his performance out of the park.

At the same time, you can't forget about Emma Stone, Naomi Watts, and Zach Galifanakis. Each was a perfect choice for their respective roles in the movie.

I also can't end this blog without mentioning the cinematography and camera-work of Birdman. It is absolutely one-of-a-kind. Since I'm not very smart with film stuff like that, I won't try to explain it in vivid detail. Essentially, the movie appears to be shot in one long extended camera shot. It's incredible how the director pulls it off. It sounds weird if you haven't seen it, but honestly it works. Just go see it. I can't imagine this movie being filmed any other way.

BIRDMAN. OR THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE (That's the tagline with the title that nobody realizes is there). Go see it.  I give it a 10 out of 10. The best movie of the year, one that will become a cult classic, and will be studied in film classes for decades to come.

Andrew's Cinematic Adventures: The Imitation Game Movie Review

2014 has been an incredible year for movies. I know it's 2015 and technically I've seen both Theory of Everything AND The Imitation Game this month, but I still consider them movies from 2014. The Academy must think so as well, since both movies are being nominated for a bunch of different Oscars.

The Imitation Game is the latest addition to the short and impressive filmography of one handsome, slightly-anonymous Brit named Benedict Cumberbatch. The man picks his roles well and has yet to disappoint me in any movie he's been in. We can go ahead and count the Imitation Game up there with some of his best work as well as one of the best movies that 2014 had to offer.

The movie takes place in the early 1940s and World War II is all the rage. Cumberbatch plays the role of Alan Turing, a brilliant man with slight problems connecting with his fellow humans. That doesn't stop the British government from recruiting him to help crack the Enigma machine, which was the machine used to send and receive Nazi messages during WWII. Alan Turing is tasked with heading a team of the most brilliant minds in the world to crack the code and bring the war to a quick end.

Fascinating plot, right? Absolutely but not the only story this movie successfully tells. On its surface, yes, it is about the Engima machine and WWII, Beneath the surface, this film portrays the story of a complex (another one, I know) man living during a time when people like him weren't necessarily welcomed into society with open arms. I'm not going to reveal the exact basis behind what I'm talking about (no spoilers), but Benedict takes the role of Alan Turing and hits an epic home run with the material. The entire portrayal is tragic, fascinating, and thought-provoking, one of his best roles, and a complete masterpiece in the world of character study. Seriously. Go see it because there's not much more I could say about the performance without spoiling major plot points.

Conversely, I HAVE noticed that Cumberbatch seems to play the same type of character in most everything I've seen him in (not including Smaug, come on guys obviously I'm not talking about that). He may realize this himself and is banking on what he knows he's good at doing. Regardless, I would be interested in seeing him play a non-Sherlock type character. Every time I've watched, he's played some form of the genius...the guy who struggles connecting with those around him...that guy who has little patience with any lowly peon who just happens to be less smart than he is. We know he can play that role. He's been doing it for years on BBC's Sherlock. Come on Benedict. Try on a different outfit.*

*PS. I'm not saying he's not a good character. I'm not saying he's bad at any of these roles. I'm merely saying that I would love to see him in a different role...something completely opposite of what we are all accustomed to. Here's a flattering picture of Cumberbatch as proof that I adore the guy.... ;)

A couple of other points on this movie:

1. Keira Knightley....goddess much?

2. Every time they mentioned MI6 in this movie, I turned to Abby and whispered something about James Bond. Seriously, I was half-expecting 007 himself to show up and help with their top-secret mission saying something like, "Miss Moneypenny sent me. I got this."

 He would then proceed to completely forget what the exact mission entailed and concern himself with the wooing of Keira Knightley's character. I'd watch that movie.

3. I absolutely loved seeing Allen Leech in this movie. The Irish babes knows knows how to a suit and I can say that openly. Downton Abbey sighting! Seriously, look at this guy in a suit:

He's a suit-wearing fiend.

I haven't yet come up with a rating system for this blog, but I WILL say this. The Imitation Game is one of the best movies of the year and I've decided it's even better than the Theory of Everything. Go see it. Buy it on Blu-Ray. Do whatever you do with movies that you fall in love with. You won't be disappointed.

PS. If any of y'all have any pointers on a rating system for movies...leave a comment. I haven't yet settled on something specific or concrete.

Andrew's Cinematic Adventures: Theory of Everything Movie Review

I'm truly proud of myself this afternoon. Not only did I write a movie review LAST week but I'm updating again today! That's two movie reviews in a row! Without a 5 month pause! I may become a successful blogger yet. Or I may just continue writing my thoughts onto a computer screen with absolutely zero people viewing my thoughts. Regardless, I really enjoy doing this and I shall continue. I truly don't care if this is getting any views or not. The reviews shall proceed forward through 2015.

The movie I saw last week was one that I've been looking forward to for a very long time. I'm sure y'all could tell how much I enjoy a good biopic after my Selma review and my raves on that one movie about Abraham Lincoln a couple years ago. The Theory of Everything fits right up there with the list of top 10 biopics I have seen in my young 26 years. The movie was incredibly touching and, in my honest opinion, truly grasped the daily struggle and genius behind one of the greatest minds of the past century: Stephen Hawking.

The story revolves around the love shared between Jane and Stephen Hawking, which began early on during Stephen Hawking's time at Cambridge. Chemistry is a difficult thing to portray on screen, especially when it comes to a love story that is anything but average. You can't really fake it. It's incredibly important and even more difficult to find two actors that can make the viewers believe that the love they are portraying is real. Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones pulled it off. I was convinced with the beginning and the awkward nerdy courting; I was convinced with the marriage and struggle that began with the discovery of Hawking's ALS. Really, I was just convinced with it all. Felicity Jones, for sure, portrays for the viewers how difficult it would've been to be married to someone you essentially had to give all your energy. It was powerful and it resonated with me long after I left the theater. Redmayne and Jones sold the marriage in every way that they were needed to..the dating, the marriage, the struggle, the loss of love. ALL OF IT. AHHH LOVE.

This brings me to my next point: Eddie Redmayne's performance as Stephen Hawking is the best leading actor performance of any movie (that I've seen) during 2014. I've seen Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler. I haven't yet seen Michael Keaton for Birdman or Mr. Cumberbatch in the Imitation Game (that review will come tomorrow)...but I don't care. Redmayne absolutely should win the Best Actor Oscar for his incredibly difficult and amazingly beautiful grasp of the entire character of Hawking. He pulled it off. Keep in mind how difficult of a character Stephen Hawking would be to portray. Redmayne barely has any lines because Stephen Hawking can barely talk in real life. The whole performance relies on the subtle movements, the look in the eyes, all of that. Redmayne hit a home run here. It gave me chills. For example, take a look at a picture of Stephen Hawking and compare it to a picture of Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking. Pay attention to the subtleties in the facial expressions...the lips...the eyes...all of it is just incredible.

Remember that THIS is the guy that played Marius in the Hollywood version of Les Miserables (not a horrible performance, but also not exactly memorable). What an incredible turnaround and breakout performance for Eddie Redmayne. Let's hope he keeps it up and we continue to see great performances from him. I love seeing new faces burst on to the scene like this. It keeps things fresh.

My last point about this movie...the scene that depicted Eddie Redmayne's diagnosis and when he fell to the ground after tripping at Cambridge...it LITERALLY made me cringe. I'm not a guy that loves hospitals. I have spent my fair share of time in the hospital and every time I enter one I get that nausea feeling that I remember from my early years. I have to struggle to not pass out. The scene in this movie with Hawking in the hospital brought about that same intense inner struggle. I really did have to look away. It was just hard to watch. To me, that's just another way that speaks to how well this movie tells the story of Stephen Hawking.

Anyway, in case you hadn't already guessed it...Theory of Everything was one of my top 3 movies of the year. I was blown away by it and plan on buying it on DVD as seen as it comes out. I don't buy a lot of movies. When I do, you know it's a movie that has stuck with me. Go see it. You won't be disappointed.

Andrew's Cinematic Adventures: Selma Movie Review

I'm back! I went into a bit of a writer's block phase there for a little while. During that time, I was attempting to push through the entirety of the James Bond movie catalog (I only made it through the Sean Connery years before I needed to take a break). I have seen a lot of movies while I've been gone and unfortunately I don't think I'll be able to write a review on every single one of them. So I'm going to start anew with the most recent movie I've seen and make a promise to myself as well as my loyal readers that I will be writing a review for every new movie I see from now on. Obviously, I know how much you all care about what I have to say about every movie I ever encounter.

To start off this review, I should express how much I love a good biopic. One of my favorite movies of all-time (Lincoln) is an incredible biopic about Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln is one of those historical figures that's so beloved and mythical that it seems almost idiotic to try to find an actor that can portray such a larger-than-life character. Daniel Day-Lewis somehow figured it out. He was able to accomplish something few actors are able to do...make viewers forget they are watching a movie and actually believe the character they see is the real thing. Day-Lewis was so powerful in his portrayal of Lincoln that there were times it was hard to believe I wasn't actually watching Honest Abe himself, alive and well.

The most recent biopic I watched was Selma, a movie about the issues surrounding Selma, Alabama and the legendary Martin Luther King, Jr. Much like the movie Lincoln, Selma was able to achieve the same effect while attempting to portray such a complex character as Luther himself. David Oyelowo deserves nothing less than an Oscar for Best Actor for his amazing portrayal of Dr. King. He became the man, which is not an easy task to accomplish with someone as universally beloved as Martin Luther King, Jr. I truly felt like I was watching real footage of Dr. King during the uneasy days surrounding the events of Selma, Alabama. I don't even remeber where else I've seen Oyelowo, but I will definitely remember him after this incredible performance. Oh wait, I remember! He was the douchey boss in Rise of the Planet of the Apes. This guy:

Let's just hope he gets more chances to show his considerable talents after Selma. One of the things I was impressed with most while watching Selma. was that it didn't shy away from the fact that King was a complex man. It's been documented that King was a bit (that's putting it generously) unfaithful to his wife and not necessarily the greatest family man. The movie addresses this and shows that, yes, King was an amazing civil rights leader but he did still have shortcomings. That's always been a pet peeve of mine. Many times, historical figures achieve that level of sainthood or whatever where they become completely godlike and appear to have no discernible flaws or weaknesses. Selma did not shy away from painting the picture of King being a lot more complicated than most would like to admit.

The movie was a great period piece that taught me a lot about King as a man and about the events that happened in Selma, Alabama. Just like 12 Years a Slave and The Help, it made me cringe for the majority of the movie. Could white people in the South really have been that over-the-top terrible to African Americans? Ugh....it's shameful. Selma didn't hide away from the ugly truth and told exactly what happened while King was attempting to do away with the unfair voting restrictions that littered the South during that time.

Overall, the movie was entertaining. It's a movie I would definitely consider adding to my collection and Oyelowo delivers an Oscar-worthy performance as the flawed Dr. King. It's not the most incredible movie I've ever seen, but I enjoyed it merely for the fact that David Oyelowo took a very difficult role and completely owned it. Go see it, you won't be disappointed.