Director: Wes Ball
Writers: Noah Oppenheim (screenplay), Grant Pierce Myers (screenplay)
Stars: Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Will Poulter

Synopsis: Thomas is deposited in a community of boys after his memory is erased, soon learning they’re all trapped in a maze that will require him to join forces with fellow “runners” for a shot at escape.

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The Maze Runner was much better than expected and will be discussed further on Episode 83 of the InSession Film Podcast. For more video reviews, subscribe on YouTube!

DIRECTION – B+

SCRIPT – B-

PERFORMANCES – B

SCORE/MUSIC – B

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OVERALL GRADE: B

Director: Scott Frank
Writers: Scott Frank (screenplay), Lawrence Block (novel)
Stars: Liam Neeson, Dan Stevens, David Harbour

Synopsis: Private investigator Matthew Scudder is hired by a drug kingpin to find out who kidnapped and murdered his wife.

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INTRO
I usually want actors/actresses to branch out and do different genres of film to enhance their resume. Liam Neeson is one of the few exceptions as he is a tremendous action star. A Walk Among the Tombstones has Neeson again yielding a gun and kicking ass. Taken is still my favorite Neeson film, and his latest venture is a slow-moving thriller that is relentlessly savage and sadistic towards woman.

SCRIPT/DIRECTION
A Walk Among the Tombstones is based on a novel by Lawrence Block of the same name. The film begins in a 1991 prologue we’re introduced to Detective Matt Scudder (Neeson). Scudder is a drunken cop who on this faithful day makes a huge mistake that we find out later caused him to quit the force, sober up and attend AA meetings. Come 1999, Scudder is now an unlicensed P.I. who is introduced to Brooklyn drug trafficker Kenny Kristo (Dan Stevens), who hires him to locate the two men who abducted his wife.

Scott Frank does a solid job with the script that makes sure that we cannot outguess or outpace the film. The film starts off really well as we just hear the voices of the ruthless killers and we travel with Neeson as he begins to crack the case. Along he meets a young Street Kid names TJ, a brilliant performance by Brian “Astro” Bradley. The way Neeson searches for clues is very slow-moving but I think that makes the buildup worth it. There is one great written scene with Scudder scoops out the local cemetery groundskeeper.

The script loses points with me in how every female character is either stalked, mutilated, raped or murdered. The brutal violence of the woman at the hands of the killers is never really explained neither is their motivation for such brutality.
The killers were handled very poorly, as we first see them as shadowy boogeymen, only to be formally introduced as an apparent gay couple reading the morning paper over breakfast (really?) The breakfast scene ruined what good this film had going for it as from here on out the film hinges solely on Neeson’s abilities.

The biggest letdown in this film is where we have a slow- motion shot of the killers stalking a 14 year old girl. I know Aaliyah said Age ain’t nothing but a number but damn a girl’s age needs to be greater than or equal to the age of 18.

Grade: C

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RELATED: This is Where I Leave You Movie Review

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PERFORMANCES
Brian Bradley surprised the hell out of it. Imagine you see a poodle about to be attacked by a pit-bull and the poodle takes down the pit, that surprised look on your face is how I was watching this kids performance. Bradley is not your typical movie kid, as he actually has some key moments in this film. Liam Neeson again proves why he is someone that you never want to have a phone conversation with because he will own you if you try to negotiate with him.

Grade: A

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SCORE
Donovan’s Atlantis is the only song I recognize from the film, but as for Carlos Rafael Rivera score, it’s just the typical score you get for an action film like this.

Grade: B

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FINAL THOUGHTS
A Walk Among the Tombstones is one of Neeson’s better works and I just wished the villains were written better as it overshadowed the brilliant acting by Neeson and Bradley.

Overall Grade: B

Director: Kevin Smith
Writers: Kevin Smith
Stars: Justin Long, Michael Parks, Haley Joel Osment

Synopsis: When podcaster Wallace Bryton goes missing in the backwoods of Manitoba while interviewing a mysterious seafarer named Howard Howe, his best friend Teddy and girlfriend Allison team with an ex-cop to look for him.

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INTRO
Tusk is the result of fans pledging on Twitter than they wanted this film made after Kevin Smith talked about a hypothetical story on his podcast. I think it’s a great idea to have Hollywood listen to us and make movies we want to see. Tusk is a weird, entertaining, and ridiculous at the time, but that is not enough to compensate for it’s stretched out story and weak central characters.

DIRECTION
Kevin Smith directed this abomination of a film and the best way to describe the direction is looking at a baby’s diaper after explosive diarrhea. Tusk is longer than it should be and I had no idea that this film is supposed to be a horror film. I have seen scarier things in the toilet after eating Taco Bell. The biggest issue with how Smith handles the film is the terrible use of a few flashbacks that try to get us to care about the new Wallace and I cared as much about Wallace as Tyler Perry has Oscars. The interactions between the characters are boring and the way Johnny Depp’s character was written was downright atrocious. I am usually a fan of Smith’s work (Chasing Amy, huge favorite) and that was the only reason I went to see this film.

Grade: F

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SCRIPT
Wallace Bryton (Justin Long) is a successful podcaster who made over 100 grand last year. Wallace along with his NOT SEE PARTY cohost Teddy Craft (Haley Joel Osment) discuss a viral video entitled “The Kill Bill Kid”. Wallace decides to head to Canada to interview the little internet sensation. The kid learned the definition of YOLO and Wallace is left without a story. Eventually Wallace meets Howard Howe, a mysterious seafarer. Howe has an odd obsession with Walrus and he kidnaps Wallace in hopes to turn him into a Walrus.

Bizarre story that was written by Smith himself and as the film went on, I could not help but wonder what kind of effing drugs were involved in the development of this script because the idea is there but the execution in horrendous. The story telling from Howe is bad and slow moving and the stupid look Wallace has on his face during the interaction just didn’t work.

Grade: C

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RELATED: This is Where I Leave You Movie Review

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PERFORMANCES
Justin Long did a commendable job as Wallace but I am afraid it’s too little too late. The last movie I seen Long in was Dodgeball. Long was the main character in Tusk and he did the best he could with what he was given. Michael Parks as Howard Howe was standout as the “villainous” Howe and Parks made the silly character believable. Johnny Depp is the best at playing quirky characters and was great as Guy Lapointe, although I found his accent extremely annoying- good job nonetheless.

Grade: C

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SCORE
Christopher Drake’s score was the lone bright spot in this film. Drake uses a nice balance of slow and fast repetitions to keep although the pacing of the film and help that horror element that I never saw.

Grade: A

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FINAL THOUGHTS
Tusk is simply a film that does not work and I hope the spin-off that is slated for next year is miles better than this film. Kevin Smith is solely to blame for this bomb of a movie. The only way you will enjoy this film is if you are under the influence of either marijuana or intoxicated.

Overall Grade: D

Director: Shawn Levy
Writers: Jonathan Tropper (screenplay), Jonathan Tropper (novel)
Stars: Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Jane Fonda

Synopsis: When their father passes away, four grown siblings are forced to return to their childhood home and live under the same roof together for a week, along with their over-sharing mother and an assortment of spouses, exes and might-have-beens.

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INTRO
The ensemble dramedy is often like trying to find love on one of those sites like Plenty Of Fish. There is so many fish to choose from and it becomes challenging to weed out the genuine people from the self-observed. You spend countless hours reading over profiles making sure to avoid the Courtney’s and the Jennifers of the sea.

This is Where I Leave You is the successful chance you take with the POF date as this movie gets it down right. This is Where I Leave You is a successful film that manages to handle a top-notch cast and blend it with meaningful characters and dialogue.

DIRECTION
Shawn Levy was giving a great script and cast and as a result he redeemed himself from that god awful Internship. Levy was able to keep the focus primarily on our antagonist Judd while relating his brothers and sisters issues into the story. I cannot stress enough how filling it was to actually watch good human interactions in a film. I am over all the explosives and special effects. Levy makes this film very relatable because it shows that not everyone is perfect and no matter what or where we are in our lives, family is always there for you.

Grade: A

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SCRIPT
The script was written by Jonathan Tropper, who also wrote the novel of the same name. The story much like Judd is very simple. Four siblings (Bateman, Fey, Driver, and Stoll) reunite at their childhood home after their father dies. Hilary demands they all sit for Shiva for their dad father. Tropper is able to spilt the story amongst our parties equally enough so we as an audience know enough of the characters, so no empty space is wasted. The film overall is risqué movie that deals with very real adult topics such as marriage, jobs, children and of course family.

Grade: A

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RELATED: Frank Movie Review

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PERFORMANCES
The strength of this film is the acting and everyone involved gets an A for their performances. The performances by Jason Bateman, Adam Driver, Tina Fey, Jane Fonda and Rose Byrne are the most impressive to me. Bateman plays Judd Altman, a simple guy that does not do complicated. Judd is the quiet one that does not like to indulge about his personal matters. Bateman proves again that he can balance the serious with the comedy and after seeing his performance in this and Disconnect I am convinced that Bateman is a top-tier actor.

Adam Driver plays the youngest sibling, Phillip Altman. Phillip is the typical younger sibling that seems to be screwing up his life and his relationships. Driver is great in the role providing most of the laughs, which usually are reserved for Fey and Bateman. Tina Fey plays Wendy, the only female sibling. Wendy is stuck in an Apple type relationship (boring and loveless) and is struggling dealing with her feelings for an old beau. Fey as usual is great onscreen and I think this is her best role yet because we see her in a very serious role especially her characters interaction with Judd. Fey also has one of the best scenes in this film where she delivers a punch so bad that even Ray Rice and Chris Brown would run.

Rose Byrne has a very limited role as Penny. Despite the limited screen time Bryne like always shines in every moment she is on film. Since her character does not do small talk I will stop her. Finally the queen of the show is Jane Fonda. Fonda plays Hilary, an author that is not afraid to let it all hang out (literally). Hilary is a very fun character and it’s very clear that Fonda enjoyed the role very much.

Grade: A+

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SCORE
When you can successfully make Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper a song that gets you laid than how can I argue against that one.

Grade: B

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FINAL THOUGHTS
Just because I gave this film a high rating, doesn’t mean it’s something you have to see in the theatres. If you are a fan of cinema than you will probably enjoy spending the cash for this. It’s a well done movie but it is not something I would pay for, especially with Tusk and A Walk among the Tombstones playing.

Overall Grade: B

Director: Terry Gilliam
Writers: Pat Rushin (screenplay)
Stars: Christoph Waltz, Lucas Hedges, Mélanie Thierry

Synopsis: A computer hacker whose goal is to discover the reason for human existence continually finds his work interrupted thanks to the Management; namely, they send a teenager and lusty love interest to distract him.

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DIRECTION
Terry Gilliam’s The Zero Theorem is a bit familiar with a Brazil-like aesthetic, a character working at a job with a “big brother” figure watching over him and technology once again at the forefront. The world Gilliam creates is still compelling as ever with intriguing settings and bright colors that give environment a lot of life. However, at the same time, it’s dark and constricted, which plays into the Qohen character well and sets the tone of the film. The film does become a little dull in the middle and even a bit self-indulgent, but for the most part, Gilliam offers another serviceable film featuring some fascinating themes that he explores in a way only Gilliam can.

Grade: B+

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SCRIPT
Qohen is working at a mundane job, is looking for something more and is just wanting to be wanted. After a conversation with “Management”, he does get a new task of trying to break “The Zero Theorem”, which is something that seems impossible that no one has been able to accomplish. Admist trying to break the Zero Theorem, we see that Qohen struggles with loneliness and becomes distracted by fantasy, as well as frustration and seclusion. The story overall is a bit slow but builds within it’s themes while packing an emotional element that plays into those themes really well and allows for the characters to shine. The Zero Theorem itself is harrowing task for anyone and how Qohen deals with it is something that’s certainly relatable and compelling.

Grade: B+

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RELATED: Frank Movie Review

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PERFORMANCES
Christoph Waltz doesn’t give the performance of his career, but he’s still really good here. His character of Qohen is someone who struggles with isolation and social situations, which Waltz plays wonderfully. His visual aesthetic is also interesting, as he has no hair on him, which adds to the emptiness of his character. The supporting characters are mostly minor and brief, but we get some interesting performances from Tilda Swinton, Matt Damon and Mélanie Thierry.

Grade: A-

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SCORE
George Fenton’s score is uniquely gorgeous. It ranges from harrowing to rock n roll to orchestral in a way that’s never distracting and actually works for the film in some really beautiful ways. Fenton’s score can easily be overlooked in a Gilliam world, where the bizarre characters and aesthetic takes the lead, but here it’s just as prominent in all the best ways.

Grade: A

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FINAL THOUGHTS
The Zero Theorem raises some interesting questions and explores them in a way that’s fascinating, tough to watch at times and also emotional. The world is unique, the characters are bizarre and the story hits on a lot of the same themes we’ve seen from Gilliam before. This may not be his best work, but it’s still engaging and raises some provocative themes that easily carries this film as a good watch.

Overall Grade: B+