Category: Stu’s Reviews

Genre: Film

Grade: A-
Notable People: Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern. Directed by Jean- Marc Valee
Title: Wild

Review –Moving and dramatic film about a young woman hiking the entire Pacific Crest Trail (Arizona to Oregon) to unwind her demons. Pretty reminiscent of “The Way” with Emilio Estevez from a few years ago- but not any less for it. The cinematography is spectacular- will make you want to go do the Trial. Witherspoon is wonderful in this role, Dern is her usual appealing self, and a nice supporting cast of cameo payers. A pretty emotional story- well told.

Genre: Film

Grade: B
Notable People: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry, Directed by David Fincher
Title: Gone Girl

Review –I think this movie has been made before…probably better. Pretty suspenseful take on marriage and betrayal…and sociopathy…but way long and ran on with a bit too many twists. Pike is pretty disturbed and diabolical- but it just became kind of not believable after a while. I had seen some really good reviews of this film- so was pretty disappointed. Not bad for at home but not worth a trip to the movies. Better to rent a copy of Fatal Attraction and get the idea presented the way it should be.

Genre: Film

Grade: A-
Notable People: Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, Albert Brooks, David Oyelowo, Directed by J.C. Chandor
Title: A Most Violent Year

Review – I really liked this film. Gritty is the word. Set in NYC in 1981 (the year of Son of Sam) it’s an unusual story about one of the city’s underbellies- the home heating oil industry- which lies somewhere between mom and pop and mob influenced operations. Good vs. evil pervades the story and relative ethics abound. Isaac is wonderful in a very understated role (channeling Micheal Corleone throughout). Albert Brooks is unrecognizable and revelatory and Jessica Chastain goes way outside her bounds to portray a Brooklyn mob guy’s daughter married to a guy ostensibly trying to build the American Dream- while she cooks the books with his blind consent. She surpasses Amy Adams in this role from American Hustle and approaches Lorraine Bracco level from Good Fellas-which is saying something. The movie has Hassidic gangsters too- what’s not to like?

Genre: Film

Grade: B+
Notable People: Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Cate Blanchet, Orlando Bloom and Sherlock. Directed by Peter Jackson
Title: The Hobbit- Battle of the Five Armies

Review –It’s hard not to appreciate the visual spectacular of these movies. Jackson is brilliant in his staging of the epic and the cast is always quite worthy. Freeman has really grown into the main character and how about his TV partner , Sherlock, as Smaug? All that said, I’ve probably had enough- got bored with the endless head rolling and black Orc blood. . I miss the days of the warm group aesthetic and camaraderie amongst thieves that permeated the books and early films . I’d say you should go and see this on the big screen, but enough is enough. .

Genre: Film

Grade: A
Notable People: Benedict Cumberbatch, Kiera Knightly, Matthew Goode, Martin Freeman, Directed by Morten Tyldem
Title: The Imitation Game

Review –Go, Sherlock, go. Cumberbatch is a wonder at the inventor of the first computer- done is response to the need to break Nazi code during the War. There have been a lot of movie and books about Bletchley Circle and the code breakers in recent years- but this one tells a pretty amazing story of courage, perseverance and the incredible difficulty of living in a world where you are different– in that era. Splendidly shot, perfectly acted and really well put together, this film is a coming out party for Cumberbatch; a tough and painful role that he masters as his own. It is also my favorite Knightly role- she is luminous. This film has some cliché to it- but it is so well done, who cares. Well worth the view as Sherlock and smug becomes a brilliant and tortured human being.