Director: David M. Rosenthal
Writers: Matthew F. Jones (novel), Matthew F. Jones (screenplay)
Stars: Sam Rockwell, William H. Macy, Ted Levine, Kelly Reilly

Synopsis: The tragic death of a beautiful young girl starts a tense and atmospheric game of cat and mouse between hunter John Moon and the hardened backwater criminals out for his blood.

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DIRECTION
David Rosenthal’s A Single Shot is a pretty typical cat and mouse chase thriller but there are several elements that do stand out well. For one, he gets really great performances which I’ll get into in a minute. The aesthetic he creates is also very fitting as well. As John Moon (Sam Rockwell) is hunting in the woods, you feel the rawness of the nature landscape and the camera explores them well. The pace is really slow but given the nature of the story it’s actually what the movie calls for. You can say the same for how Rosenthal uses the score too. The movie is a little dirty and raw but keeps you on the edge.

Grade: B+

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SCRIPT
The script here isn’t anything we haven’t seen before but as I argue, it’s not the originality that’s the issue but how we get to the end The story centers around John Moon who is struggling to keep his family but can barely take care of himself. He goes hunting in the woods, which he knows well, to kill some deer for food when he accident shoots and kills a young girl. When he traces her whereabouts, he finds a big stack of cash, which of course he takes which leads to our fun cat and mouse game. The beginning is set up well and we learn a lot about Moon and how much he loves his family despite his lack of future security. Some of the “bad guys” subplots are unnecessary and draw away from the film but it does lead to a really great ending sequence. Moon is put in a position where he has to make some critical decisions and the resolutions finds its’ way back to Moon’s beginnings which was really incredible. While on the surface, the story isn’t new, there are elements that make the story thrilling and give it depth thus making the journey engaging even if you’ve seen some of this before.

Grade: A-

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PERFORMANCES
Sam Rockwell is incredible. He’s on fire this year and brings a lot to his character of John Moon. He’s a country boy with emotional baggage that has to deal with the age ole drama of finding a big money back and should he give it back. But his character is much deeper than that and you see that in Rockwell’s performance. In my opinion, he’s a big reason the character is likable and you root for him. William H. Macy is a bigger name here but a lesser role and he’s fine but not outstanding. Kelly Reilly, Melissa Leo and Ophelia Lovibond are strong here and give great performances as well.

Grade: A

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SCORE
Atli Örvarsson, one of my favorite composers, does the score it and it’s anything but exciting. The score is grim and dark but is exactly what this movie calls for. It’s slow, stringy but adds a good element to the thrilling moments of the film. While I’d rathers see Örvarsson do a fun themed score this is still good for what this movie is.

Grade: B+

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Overall Grade: B+

Director: David Twohy
Writers: David Twohy, Jim Wheat
Stars: Vin Diesel, Katee Sackhoff, Matt Nable, Jordi Mollà

Synopsis: Left for dead on a sun-scorched planet, Riddick finds himself up against an alien race of predators. Activating an emergency beacon alerts two ships: one carrying a new breed of mercenary, the other captained by a man from Riddick’s past.

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DIRECTION
I’m not sure where to begin, but I’d say the best part of Riddick was the RoboCop trailer at the beginning which was a nice surprise. This is B-Movie material from front to back and it’s one of the worst movies of the whole year. The planet visuals aren’t very good and the CGI isn’t the best and if not for Vin Diesel, there’s nothing here to see. The best character isn’t even human and the action and dialogue is the cheesiest thing I’ve ever seen. There’s not much to like or root for unless you’re a big Riddick fan. It’s pretty graphic with some of the violence and some of it was even unnecessary. Some of the camera work is nice and David Twohy uses slow motion well in some places that were nice. Overall though, forget about it.

Grade: D

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SCRIPT
The story starts with Riddick on a deserted planet all by himself but with voiceovers and flashbacks we see how it came to be and how he got there. He encounters some alien creatures, learns their habits and knows how devastating they are. His best friend is some sort of dog/dingo that was actually pretty fun. After sending out a beacon a few ships show up to capture him since his bounty is doubled if he’s brought back dead but it’s just the thing he needed to get home. From here it’s the typical action-fare, kill everybody and get home B-movie. The dialogue is ridiculous and cheesy at every turn, especially with Katee Sackhoff and Jordi Mollà characters. Dave Bautista’s character has story arc that takes a really bizarre and strange turn that comes out of left field. Some of the lines are pretty funny though and the dog was great so that keeps it from being a complete disaster. This movie has zero depth and is all surface-level action that is not fun at all.

Grade: D+

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PERFORMANCES
Wow, the performances are bad. I will say though it’s mostly because of an awful, awful script and the dialogue makes it laughable, but not it a good way. Vin Diesel is good and the same character we all know but the lines he’s forced to say are sometimes ridiculous. Sackhoff is pretty bad and is over acting in almost every scene. Nothing about her performance seems natural or real. For an actress that’s been in this realm before, it’s like she’s never seen sci-fi before. Mollà and his gang of thugs are better and even funny at times, but overall it’s all forgettable.

Grade: C-

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SCORE
Graeme Revell is pretty good here comparatively to the rest of the film. His score isn’t something you’ll remember but it does have some nice touches to the action scenes that are otherwise forgettable, boring and nothing new. The music itself’ isn’t new either but it is a nice aesthetic for what this film is.

Grade: B-

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Overall Grade: D+

Director: Wong Kar-wai (In The Mood For Love, Chungking Express)
Writer:Wong Kar-wai, Zou Jingzhi, Xu Haofeng
Stars: Tony Leung Chiu-Wai (Hero, In The Mood For Love) as Ip Man, Zhang Ziyi (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, House of the Flying Daggers, Rush Hour 2, Memoirs of a Geisha) as Gong Er

Synopsis: The story of martial-arts master Ip Man, the man who trained Bruce Lee.
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DIRECTION

With all due respect to Wong Kar-wai, this film felt incoherent at times on the whole. Bits and pieces of story strung together by incredible cinematic sequences is the overall opinion I have after sitting through such a film. I wanted to like it (I loved Ip Man and I love the idea of exposing mainstream audiences to this great true slice of Chinese history as we are rarely subjected to it here in America). I almost fell asleep from the boredom I had during the first 30 minutes or so, but after that it did stay interesting. It almost feels like Kar-wai didn’t know how to tell this story and wanted to make something different from other interpretations of the history at hand, so he gave us a remix of everything out there already. The opening and closing credits are the most beautiful I’ve seen this year, and some shots in the film are right there with anything I’ve seen this year too. That said, this is just a beautiful painting with a very confusing caption.

Grade: B-

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SCRIPT

The script was a disaster in my opinion. It felt like they were trying to ram a lot of history down the audience’s throat, jumping from one period to another with an overflow of characters and names to try and remember. Dialogue seemed contrived with lines that sought profundity but landed in a sea of the same type of lines which cancelled most out for me. I did enjoy storylines involving Ziyi Zhang’s character Gong Er quite a bit, and it did inform me on some history of the Ip Man timeline that I wasn’t familiar with. However, with a film like Ip Man already out there for audiences to learn from, there’s no reason to recommend something like this.

Grade: D

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PERFORMANCES

The performances were all incredibly done here, and the casting felt spot-on. I’d love to see Ziyi Zhang in more Hollywood films, as she was the highlight for me. Tony Leung is just not as effective as Donnie Yen and seems like a very one-dimensional actor, although he is not given a lot here to really impress with. All the supporting cast did a good enough job, and I especially enjoyed the monkey. It’s a shame the other elements of the movie were so bad.

Grade: A-

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SCORE

A lovely score that made me want to sit in my seat until the credits were done rolling just to hear every bit of it. This is one of my favorites of the year.

Grade: A+

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Overall Grade: C-

Director: James Ponsoldt (Smashed, Off The Black)
Writer:  Scott Neustadter (500 Days of Summer) & Michael H. Weber (500 Days of Summer), Tim Tharp (novel)
Stars: Miles Teller (Project X, Rabbit Hole, 21 & Over, Footloose), Shailene Woodley (The Descendants, The Secret Life of the American Teenager), Brie Larson (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, 21 Jump Street), Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights, Argo), Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Machinist, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Road to Perdition)

Synopsis: A hard-partying high school senior’s philosophy on life changes when he meets the not-so-typical “nice girl.”

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DIRECTION

The Spectacular Now is the first film I’ve seen involving James Ponsoldt, but definitely will not be the last. With rising stars leading the way and a supporting cast of proven talent as well as a great story adapted from print for the screen by the duo who co-wrote (500) Days of Summer, this director had all the tools one would need to put together a great film. At the end of the day, Ponsoldt (like all directors) did succeed in making a somewhat familiar story feel fresh and new. Utilizing the talents of his cast and crew, the director creates a vision of a realistic high school drama featuring characters that are complex and memorable. Adding to that complexity is the fact that the film never seems to judge anyone too harshly, and lets both good and bad character traits be exposed in each character, letting the viewer decide where to fall on character judgments. This not only adds a level of intelligence to the movie, but respects the audience’s observational skills. The main thing I took away from this is that Ponsoldt needs to be added to the list of directors to keep an eye on. He definitely possesses a great talent for directing.

Grade:  A

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SCRIPT

Although there are a few problematic lines of dialogue that I felt detracts from the overall tone of the film (especially in the first 20 minutes or so), the script was very solid. There were many lines being delivered that must have been cut straight from the book, which I felt came off strongly. The way that the story is told feels appropriate and none of the minor story arcs ever feel like they drag on too long or are being pushed upon us. The time we spend with characters and locations is just right, and that’s something that I feel the writers delivered on. The bookends of the story reminded me of “The Girl Next Door”, a similar story of a boy leaving high school and reflecting on what has happened in his life. Certainly there are times where you can recognize the writing style of Neustadter and Weber, but because of the adaptation from a novel it wasn’t entirely familiar.

Grade: A-

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PERFORMANCES

Miles Teller seems to be one of these guys who audiences will either love or hate.  He has a certain aura surrounding him that feels somewhere between the personalities of a Justin Bieber and a Seth Rogen. On the one hand, he seems like a young guy who’s having a lot of success and his ego shows it, but on the other he seems to be self-aware of what his strengths and weaknesses are and delivers performances with confidence. I like him, and think he’ll develop into more of the Rogen type of guy in the long run. Still, he may not be everyone’s cup of tea. I suspect that is why some reviews of Spectacular are not as gracious as others. Shailene Woodley puts in one of the greatest performances I’ve seen in the last few years from a young lady, and rivals Emma Watson as possibly the “next big thing” in the same vein of a Jennifer Lawrence or Natalie Portman. She seems to be selective of her roles and studies them quite well.  Her laughs, smiles, and delivery methods are wildly impressive at times, and I can’t wait to see what’s in her future. Kyle Chandler and Jennifer Jason Leigh add veteran leadership and identity to the film, and are perfectly cast for their respective parts. A small part which added a great layer of reality to the film was that of the timid best friend of Teller’s character played by Masam Holden. I really enjoyed watching him, and alongside Woodley’s character, these two seemed like people I actually know and could identify with very quickly. Such a solid cast.

Grade: A+

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SCORE

Rob Simonsen, composer of original music for Life of Pi, Moneyball, Little Miss Sunshine, and of course (500) Days of Summer was on board for this film too, adding to the familiar collaboration existing between the crew already. It was never anything that took my breath away, but it never disappeared either. I had no complaints, and felt the music was placed accordingly and helped the movie overall.

Grade:  B

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Overall Grade: A

Director: Liz W. Garcia
Writers: Liz W. Garcia
Stars: Kristen Bell, Mamie Gummer, Martin Starr

Synopsis: A former valedictorian quits her reporter job in New York and returns to the place she last felt happy: her childhood home in Connecticut. She gets work as a lifeguard and starts a dangerous relationship with a troubled teenager.

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DIRECTION
The Lifeguard suffers in many areas and for Liz W. Garcia it starts with her script and her execution. The camera work is simple and a missed opportunity when shooting in the beautiful landscape of Connecticut. It’s sexy and misguided tone is painful and you’re hoping that the film ends way before it actually does. The main themes explored are well-intentioned but mostly leave you feeling empty and dull, much like the main character. For Garcia’s first feature length film, it’s mostly a drowning in the deep end.

Grade: D+

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SCRIPT
Ok, where to begin? The film follows Leigh, played by Kristen Bell, who leaves her job working for the Associated Press in New York City to move back home in Connecticut where she hopes to find more happiness. She struggles with insecurity and depression with no direction for her life. At the age of 30 and not knowing what to do, she becomes a lifeguard at the local pool where she meets a 16-year-old boy. They and the boys friends, hang out, smoke pot, drink and become incredibly un-interesting. It’s not the look or the culture that these guys represent, but the dullness of the characters and the choices they make, which apparently reap no repercussion in small town Connecticut. The story is painful, arduous and has little going for it. As Leigh and her 16-year-old boyfriend’s relationship heats up, so do the sex scenes, which are pretty graphic. The dynamics there are anything but alluring and the plot becomes filled with unnecessary subplots and characters who add nothing to the story and makes zero sense. The third act does get better and leaves some room for you to get on board with what’s happening. Once it comes full circle, there’s a little relief but not enough to repair the damage already done.

Grade: D+

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PERFORMANCES
Kristen Bell is fine in her performance but she adds nothing to make this character likable thus taking you out of the film. Her racy sex scenes and rebel-like behavior I think is appropriate to the tone of the film, but it isn’t fun to watch. The performances suffer from terrible characters and a vision that is lacking overall. The biggest disgrace is the misuse of Martin Starr as the gay (non-stereotypical) friend who doesn’t really do much in the movie. There were dynamics there that mostly fizzle and could of added to this film.

Grade: B-

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SCORE
Finally something worth talking about. Fred Avril’s score and the soundtrack here is actually good and fitting to the film. The down-to-earth, alternative music choices make the film way more fun that it actually is and it’s the only thing that will get you to the end. If there’s a takeaway from this movie, it’s that Kristen Bell shouldn’t do this again and the music is pretty good.

Grade: A-

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Overall Grade: D+

Director: Sarah Polley
Writers: Sarah Polley
Stars: Michael Polley, John Buchan, Mark Polley, Sarah Polley

Synopsis: A film that excavates layers of myth and memory to find the elusive truth at the core of a family of storytellers.

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DIRECTION
Sarah Polley’s Stories We Tell is an interesting documentary with a unique approach that is sure to bring some sort of feeling. Polley interviews her family members as she tells her story through the people that lived it and their perspectives on the events that occurred, both good and bad. There are definitely several sides to the story and she explores both of them well going back and forth giving you the look and how these people feel. Her grainy, old-school camera work was effective in re-telling the events on camera as well as old hand held footage. Using her dad to narrate the story was a solid, solid choice. Along with her music choices, she makes Stories We Tell really engaging and easy to watch.

Grade: A

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SCRIPT
The story centers around Sarah Polley and the crazy life she’s filled that is full of perhaps more-than-mundane drama. Her story isn’t the craziest thing you’ve heard or seen but it’s real life which can be a draw and the real emotions these real people have make it compelling and sympathetic. It’s narrated by Sarah’s father who is describing the situation intimately which is an automatic draw. While at the core this is Sarah’s story, the main focus is on her mom, the decisions she made and the side effects that followed. Her mom also, and unfortunately, died of cancer several years back. While her mom was extremely beloved by her family, she was also beloved by the community as she was an actress that would do plays throughout Canada. While traveling on her shows, we find out she had several affairs, one’s the family knew about and perhaps one’s still kept a secret. One of the affairs changes her whole family and the dynamics shift in a competently opposite direction. While Sarah’s position is mostly objective, it’s at this point the viewer gets to make a decision. As the film lifts up Sarah’s mom, her decisions to have an affair are almost glorified which I think is mostly a drawback. You see the effects and the devastation, yet it’s never something that has real consequences. Her “dad” who is narrating becomes the biggest victim, thus forcing you to pick one side or another.

Grade: B+

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PERFORMANCES
There are no performances here. It’s real-life people giving their real-life stories with real-life emotion. That’s always engaging and the people here are interesting and captivating to watch. Michael Polley is great at narrating the story and his arch is incredibly emotional and you feel for him.

Grade: A

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SCORE
The music is arranged by Jonathan Goldsmith and it’s fantastic. Along with the fun camera work by Sarah, the music adds a nice touch to the film making the stories even more heartbreaking and compelling. It’s good stuff.

Grade: A

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Overall Grade: A-