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-

Director: Adam Wingard (V/H/S, The ABCs of Death)
Writer: Simon Barrett (V/H/S, Dead Birds, The ABCs of Death)
Stars: Sharni Vinson (Step Up 3D, Bait), Joe Swanberg (V/H/S, Drinking Buddies, LOL),  AJ Bowen (The Signal, The House of the Devil), Simon Barrett

Synopsis: When the Davison family comes under attack during their wedding anniversary getaway, the gang of mysterious killers soon learns that one of victims harbors a secret talent for fighting back.

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DIRECTION

Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett have worked together before in the V/H/S series, and with Barrett writing the screenplay here as well as acting in a minor role, the two seem to have chemistry together. In this slasher movie, an insufferable and quite wealthy family arrives for a getaway at a remote location in a wooded area. They are attacked by masked murderers and everything seems quite predictable for for the first act of the movie. However, the film gets interesting by implementing some twists which certainly aren’t game-changing to the horror genre, but make the film quite enjoyable by the time the credits roll. The direction was very typical for a director who hasn’t had a ton of experience yet, but has certain ideas and brushstrokes which make him quite unique and intriguing.  One scene in particular involving a camera in the latter half of the movie was exceptionally astounding, and rivals my favorite scene of the year (the opening scene from The Place Beyond The Pines).  Such innovation behind the camera makes Wingard someone to keep our eye on in the future. The problem with the direction here is that scenes are sometimes 10-20 seconds too long and nothing is happening at all to progress the story.  This has nothing to do with the screenplay and everything to do with how Wingard oversaw the film’s completion in post-production. The first act was just so horribly bland that it’s hard to recommend this film to non-horror fans.

Grade: C+

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SCRIPT

The ideas and twists in this movie are actually quite clever, and by the end it really is quite a smart movie that treats the viewer with respect. It’s just hard to tell that in the first 30 minutes or so. There isn’t a lot to critique with the script and I felt it seemed tight and creative. I think with more time and possibly a better editor, the movie could have been much better based on what Barrett came up with. This kind of movie reminds me of something I’ve read of Quentin Tarantino.  He has always known that he is creative in the writing and directing process, but he fully entrusts other talented people to edit his films (mostly the late Sally Menke of course). A strong screenplay with strong performances don’t always result in equally good finished products.

Grade: A

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PERFORMANCES

Much like the crew on this film, the actors are fresh faces to general audiences. This is sometimes a risky move, but it seems fairly common in horror nowadays.  Sharni Vinson (Home & Away, Step Up 3D) plays Erin, for all intents & purposes the lead actress, and does quite a job of giving us a unique performance that spans quite a lot of space. She is asked to do a lot in the film and I felt that she was extremely solid. The rest of the cast put in nice performances too, and I felt like all of them did a good job of being fairly realistic to what people of their status tend to behave like.  Aside from Vinson, though, I felt like no one else did any exceptional work.

Grade: C+

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SCORE

I actually remember wondering why there were so many moments with dead air in the movie as I was watching it, and I really didn’t care for that too much. Sometimes a minimal score works for me, and sometimes it doesn’t. This film tend to rely on more sound effects-related sound to alert the viewer of moods or feelings the director wanted you to have. All in all, nothing too special.

Grade: C-

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Overall Grade: B

Director: Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris, Annie Hall, Match Point, Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
Writer: Woody Allen
Stars: Cate Blanchette (Lord of the Rings, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) , Alec Baldwin (30 Rock, The Departed), Peter Sarsgaard (Jarhead, Green Lantern, Orphan)

Synopsis: A life crisis causes a vapid and narcissistic socialite (Blanchette) to head to San Francisco, where she tries to reconnect with her sister.

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DIRECTION
If you’re familiar with Woody Allen films, you’ll know exactly what to expect.  If not, you’ll be in for a treat.  That is not to say that all of Allen’s films are the same, but that they are all presented with the careful selection of camera angles and character moments that will stir the senses.  As you might already know, Allen is known for showcasing cities from all over the world.  From his early black-and-white film Manhattan (1970) to more recent offerings such as Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) and Midnight in Paris (2011), Allen might be the only director in the medium’s history to be able to capture spectacular views of the world’s most magnificent locations while also integrating an interesting storyline with star-studded casts which result in high praise and reward for the actors involved.  The level of respect that actors have for Allen surely do have something to do with the results.

So, with that said, what you get here is very similar.  This time though, we get two locales: New York & San Francisco.  The New York scenes center around life of the 1%; mansions, yachts, huge parties, and luxury-style everything.  The scenes in San Francisco, however, are quite the opposite.  Jasmine moves in with her sister, a grocery store clerk living in the Mission District of San Francisco with her two sons.   Having visited this area in 2011, I remembered visiting a lot of the areas they shot in.  A memorable wall mural featured in one of the early scenes fully captures the aesthetic of the neighborhood, inasmuch as a filmmaker can.  The actors all put in marvelous performances and create characters which are somewhat caricatures, but still very interesting and some even magnetic.  Woody continues to show that he can create a film as well as anyone in the world, and he has the skill-set and taste to know what will come across best on the silver screen.

Grade: A

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SCRIPT

Much like other characters that Allen has written in the past, Cate Blanchette’s Jasmine is very hard to love on a surface level.  Seeming to have everything that she ever wanted, viewers are positioned in a way that captures the extreme insecurity and neediness of this seemingly empty woman.  Her story seems frighteningly familiar: A beautiful young woman marries a rich man and creates a family, only to end up years later to realize her naivete.  Alec Baldwin plays Hal, the center of Jasmine’s world.  He is a smooth-talking, charismatic businessman that has climbed to the top of the mountain, and we are shown the extremely luxurious life he continues to provide for his family.  The movie effectively shifts between timelines giving us two stories that gradually connect (Jasmine’s NY and SF lives) the pieces of the story together.  The story is a great unfolding dramedy and will certainly be lauded as one of the year’s better films.

Grade: A-

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PERFORMANCES
Cate Blanchette puts in a performance here which is unmatched by any of her previous performances that I have seen.  Her timing in delivering lines is incredible, and the focus of the viewer is consistently on her at any moment she is in the frame.  Her control, versatility, and adaptability of different moods or faces she must get across are all excellent and the film would not work nearly as well without her effort.  Note that this is a testament to Blanchette, and not a knock to the rest of the cast or film, which makes her performance even that much more impressive.  This is a must-see performance.

The rest of the cast plays a much smaller role in the film, but all hit their marks and were able to convey what I’d imagine Allen intended each role to be.  From Alec Baldwin’s natural slickness in delivering lines to Bobby Cannavale’s rugged portrayal of Chili (the boyfriend of Jasmine’s sister Ginger), the performances are all spectacular.  The ability to convey personality in short amounts of time is something that is done so well in this film, and that is both from great direction and performance.  Peter Sarsgaard, Louis C.K., Andrew Dice Clay, and Sally Hawkins (Ginger) all are solid as well.  As you can tell, there’s no shortage of great acting here.

Grade: A+

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SCORE
The score was excellent and much like other Allen films, this incorporates an old bluesy sound as you hear things from Louis Armstrong to Lizzie Miles to King Oliver which sets the mood from scene-to-scene.  There are drifts away from this too, however, including more modern tracks from such unknowns as DJ Aljaro.  Overall, I felt it very appropriate and it kept me involved with the film in moments of transition and feeling.

Grade: A

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Overall Grade: A

Director: Scott Walker
Writers: Scott Walker
Stars: Vanessa Hudgens, Nicolas Cage, Dean Norris, John Cusack

Synopsis: An Alaska State Trooper partners with a young woman who escaped the clutches of serial killer Robert Hansen to bring the murderer to justice. Based on actual events.

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DIRECTION
Scott Walker in his full-length feature debut does a pretty good job bring a crime-drama thriller that is pretty engaging. While it’s a little monotone and slow-paced at times, other times are full of thrills and exciting moments. His camera captures the Alaskan aesthetic really well and sets up the environment well. Critics are often way too harsh on “originality, which is mostly dead, and criticize films for bringing nothing new to the table. While that plays a small role, it’s the journey to the end that critics, and fans a like, should focus on. In The Frozen Ground, there isn’t anything ground breaking about the genre, but Walker takes an interesting and tragic story and turns it into something very watchable. His biggest achievement though, getting the best performances from Nicholas Cage and John Cusack in quite some time.

Grade: A-

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SCRIPT
The story, based on true events, centers around a young female girl named Cindy (Vanessa Hudgens) who was raped and about to be killed when she escaped from her killer (John Cusack). Nicholas Cage’s character, Jack Halcombe who is an Alaskan State Trooper, is on the case of a serial killer when he comes across the account of Cindy, which he think is linked to the case. The story follows how Jack believes in Cindy and does everything he can to protect her and make her feel valuable amongst finding the killer. In the meantime, Robert Hansen (Cusack) is on the hunt for more girls when he realizes that Cindy is alive and can report him, which means he has to track her down before she can reveal him. The story goes back and forth for quite some time before the stories connect but once they do there is something there. The movie is a bit arduous at times with some torture-type scenes and the effects that this situation would have on a young female. Yes, it’s a story we’ve seen and heard before but it’s one worth telling. The ending pace becomes a little quick but in the end it’s still satisfying

Grade: B+

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PERFORMANCES
Yep, I can’t believe it. Nicholas Cage and John Cusack are at their best in quite sometime here. Cage needs to stick to subtle roles like this where he can fit in comfortably. If he’s going to get crazy, go back to The Rock days where it was great and a lot of fun. He plays his character pretty straight forward but you can see the passion and the committment he has here. Cusack in an actor who I never really care for (and is awful in Lee Daniels’ The Butler) but when given the villain role here, he’s actually (and surprisingly) good. Perhaps as someone I can’t stand, he seems to fit better as the bad guy. Hudgens is pretty good here and while she’s not as fun as her role in Spring Breakers, she shows some acting chops and does a good job. Everyone else is pretty good too. Given some of this cast, it’s surprising (good surprise) not distracting at all.

Grade: A-

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SCORE
Perhaps the only thing original about the movie is Lorne Balfe’s score but it’s also the most generic. Think about that for a second. It’s a thriller score if I’ve ever heard one and while it doesn’t sound bad, it’s not great either. However, it is in the background and in a thriller movie, if it’s not distracting then it works. And that’s really all that matters. Don’t expect any Oscar noms here.

Grade: B-

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Overall Grade: B+

Director: Edgar Wright
Writers: Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright
Stars: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Martin Freeman, Paddy Considine, Eddie Marsan

Synopsis: Five friends who reunite in an attempt to top their epic pub crawl from 20 years earlier unwittingly become humankind’s only hope for survival.

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DIRECTION
Edgar Wright and company have ended the Cornetto trilogy in an amazing way with The World’s End. The camera work is very similar to Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead and the style, as you could imagine, is pretty familiar. The formula Wright has perfected is a lot of fun and extremely refreshing. The satire and stereotypes is all here once again but is lifted up higher with a bigger theme. The aesthetic he creates is small town, relatable and by the end you want to create your own pub crawl. The visuals are great, especially toward the end, and the humor played on top of the visuals is even better. There are several fight scenes in this movie too, which honestly, are some of the better fight scenes we’ve seen all year. The music choices are fitting to the satire and the humor Wright is trying to create. If you like the first two in this trilogy, you’ll have no problem falling in love with the third film here. There’s some cameos and little details that are added to the film that make it fun. Wright knows what he’s doing with these films and he kills it once again.

Grade: A+

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SCRIPT
The story is centered around five friends who tried to do a 12-place pub crawl when they were 17 and we’re not able to finish but they had the time of their lives. Well now they are all grown up with families and jobs, except for our main anti-hero, Gary King, played by Simon Pegg. After a stint at rehab, he gets the gang back together to do the pub crawl once again with the end goal of reaching the pub, The World’s End. The script plays on the satire of robot/alien movies, similair to the satire of zombies movies in Shaun of the Dead and buddy cop films in Hot Fuzz, and it’s extremely well done. It’s funny, captivating and really brilliant. King has lost some touch of reality as drugs and alcohol have had their side effects which, of course, they play on that and the dynamics of his friends who are well off. Once the crew finds out the town has been overrun by something non-human, the movie turns a bit more serious, but the comedy never drops off. What separates this film, however, is the turn the third act takes when the film changes to a commentary on technology and humans reliance on it, which was unexpected, but always fitting and just added to the alien movie satire. The main themes were also unexpected and even more incredible. In all of the chaos around them, King and his friends realize that people, especially the one’s they love, are worth fighting for and you do whatever it takes to do that. It’s the way they are able to achieve it, especially in a comedic and fun way, that makes it simply incredible.

Grade: A

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PERFORMANCES
All of the performances are fantastic. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, who have carried this trilogy, are incredible and they know how to play off each other. The nostalgia factor that perhaps plays into their chemistry is challenged at the beginning which was a nice touch for these guys too. The characters they play are dramatically different too, to a certain degree anyway, given what we’ve seen from them in Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. You have to love Martin Freeman, who is amazing, as well as Paddy Considine and Eddie Marsan. Rosamund Pike, who isn’t in the film a ton, is good too and her character adds some motivation touches for some of our guys. The rest of the cast is fine and don’t distract or detract from the film at all. It’s what we’d expect from these guys.

Grade: A+

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SCORE
Steven Price does the score here and it’s pretty good. The action scenes are amped up and the pub aesthetic is exactly what they need. There’s even a little humor played into the score at times as well with what they were trying to do. The soundtrack music is also good and make this film a lot of fun. Go listen to the score and soundtrack.

Grade: A-

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Overall Grade: A

Director: Lee Daniels
Writers: Danny Strong, Wil Haygood (article)
Stars: Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, Cuba Gooding Jr., Robin Williams, Terrence Howard

Synopsis: As Cecil Gaines serves eight presidents during his tenure as a butler at the White House, the civil rights movement, Vietnam, and other major events affect this man’s life, family, and American society.

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DIRECTION
Lee Daniels burst onto the scene with 2009’s Oscar-nominated Precious before taking a step back with last year’s The Paperboy. So how does The Butler fare? It’s in the middle somewhere; it’s not a good movie but it’s also not a bad movie. The direction and camerawork are decent, the story is decent and the performances are decent, but everything doesn’t really come together. Daniels turns what’s supposed to be an important look into the Civil Rights Movement into a sappy melodrama and sometimes even a comedy* (the movie has some surprisingly pretty funny moments). He took a little-too-cautious approach to the subject manner and the movie ultimately fails at being anything other than a slightly entertaining two hours at the movies.

* — At two different points throughout the movie, as the characters are about to say a dirty word, Daniels masks it with the clanging of dishes. Really?

Grade: B-

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SCRIPT
The story of The Butler revolves around Cecil Gaines, a butler who eventually serves eight presidents during crucial parts of the Civil Rights Movement. The movie opens with Gaines witnessing the death of his father in the cotton fields (ultimately leading to him moving inside to serve) and ends with Gaines on his way to meet current president Barack Obama. The story squarely focuses on Gaines serving, seemingly breezing over the more important issues of his family, his eldest son (who always happens to be at all the biggest civil rights events), his wife’s alcoholism and everything else that’s going on in the world. Put simply: The story took the easy way out, taking a cheesy, entertaining, almost comedic approach to it. This wasn’t the right way to go.

Grade: C

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PERFORMANCES
The Butler is a showcase of top-notch actors well over the age of 40, giving us large parts or cameos of nearly every single one you can think of. But are they good? No — with a few exceptions. Oscar-winner Forest Whitaker is the standout as the butler, Cecil Gaines, bringing as much range and emotion as he can and really making us sympathize and root for him as he ages throughout the movie. Oscar-winner Cuba Gooding Jr. and Lenny Kravitz are also really good as Whitaker’s fellow butlers, bringing a lot of fun charisma and laughs. And after spending much time away from the screen, Oscar-nominee Oprah Winfrey is back and gives a solid performance as Cecil’s wife, Gloria. Like Whitaker, she probably brings the most range to her character and performance. Now, outside of those few, the performances are pretty shoddy, especially when it comes to the presidents. Robin Williams (Eisenhower), James Marsden (JFK), John Cusack (Nixon) and Alan Rickman (Reagan) all play presidents and none of them look or sound the part (Marsden probably comes the closest), making it pretty comical at times. Overall, nothing outstanding performance-wise.

Grade: B-

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SCORE
Rodrigo Leao’s score for The Butler is fitting, perfectly reflecting the sappy, melodramatic nature of the movie. The main theme is nice, incorporating good use of the piano, but nothing really stands out — just like the movie as a whole.

Grade: B

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Overall Grade: C+