American Sniper (2014)

Nominee

The mental and physical tolls of war are not a new topic in film. On the contrary, it is one of the oldest and has been engaged with again and again as our many wars and our perceptions of them have evolved. Where American Sniper seeks to find its own voice among the many is by exploring the story through the lens of the individual, namely Chris Kyle, America's deadliest sniper of all time. How does it ultimately fair in contributing something original? It does alright. Kyle's story is morally dynamic which provides a viable launching point for a cinematic work, but a number of flaws in the narrative make me hesitate to sing it's praises.

Basically it comes down to this: when the story was focusing on the moral complexities of his position as a sniper it soared, but in dealing with his strained family life it became generic and rather unbelievable. For instance, Kyle is often depicted in between his tours of duty at home and, as to be expected, is completely emotionally unavailable to his wife and children.  But suddenly when he is back in Iraq he calls his wife not once, but twice when he is in the line of duty. Both times she is left sobbing on the other end fearing for his safety. The repetition of this scenario I found rather unrealistic and pandering especially when it robs us of other vital story elements. Specifically, later in the film they seem to have run out of time for Kyle's character development. One minute he is struggling with his final reentry into society and the next he is the perfect happy family man. Why weren't we allowed to witness this transformation?  Yet, the moments he was staring down the barrel of his rifle trying to decide whether he must kill a woman or a child for the good of some greater cause, that's when this film really said something never heard before. 

Bradley Cooper's Kyle is a classic macho man that he fully dedicated himself to; a commendable performance. It fit right in with Eastwood's old western gritty sense of atmosphere. While, Sienna Miller's performance provides a solid foil to Cooper's stoicism.

Overall: Kyle's life was unjustly ripped from this world after his valiant service to this country, and therefore his story should be told. I just feel at times there were wasted opportunities, and a lack of specificity. They should have highlighted more of what made him special, instead the film mostly blends in with the war film dialogue that already exists. Not a bad film, just not an exceptional one either. But I am certainly honored to live in the country that Chris Kyle fought for.

Whiplash (2014)

Nominee

Not every film is able to pulsate; to rhythmically ebb and flow through a narrative propelling the viewer forward. However, if there is a story where this pulse becomes not only a whim but a necessity it is the story about a drummer. Specifically, a drummer being driven toward his breaking point. Whiplash not only marches to its own systematic counting carrying the viewer along, it surges recklessly into psychological exploration, and with brilliant performances and perceptive editing it becomes one of the year's greatest films.

The story at its core is simple. It tells of a young aspiring drummer, Andrew (Teller) as he is mentored by a conservatory legend, Fletcher (Simmons). Yet, Fletcher's classroom environment is not one rooted in nurturing but rather terror-driven pressure. J.K. Simmons' execution of this abuse is most disturbing due to how natural it seems while Teller's transformation as Andrew is surprising and very strong. 

Yet, what drew me to this film the most is the seamless collaboration between editing and cinematography. This visual ode to music they create with compelling footage of instruments dances on and off the screen with expert cutting. The result is absolutely mesmerizing. These same tight angles produce the pressure being put on Andrew throughout. The viewer experiences the same claustrophobia, and it's almost suffocating.  Damien Chazelle must have had an incredible vision to find such cohesion of every aspect.

I will say, I almost feel guilty for enjoying this film, because Fletcher's tactics are successful, but also abhorrent. And I do not wish to condone his methods in anyway.

Overall: This film is astoundingly constructed, and well executed. If you are at all knowledgeable about music this is a must see. But even if you are not, every person can watch as a man is pushed to his formative precipice. That vital moment where you either prevail or you cease to exist because someone has pushed you to that point. It is then that anything is possible. Happy Watching!

Boyhood (2014)

Nominee

A person in the context of time is such a small thing, and the moments that mold us, the ones that make us specifically who we are, are only important because of us. They will be gone once we are gone, and perhaps even before as their size and shape disappear from our own memory. Boyhood is a testament to these stories, it tells of the early years of a boy named Mason Evans and although the story is linear it is not complete because only certain moments stay with you, the ones that continue to mold your present.

I can only imagine how truly daunting this task actually was, in some ways its unbelievably simple; tell the story of a boy growing up, but when you are given twelve years to create this film there must be total dedication to your craft. Every aspect must be focused and honed toward one goal with terrifying perfection, and I must say, I believe Linklater delivered. From cinematography to narrative structure this piece was strong because all components were in agreement: This story is worth telling.

As we follow Mason through his life with his single mother, sister, and semi-available father we witness abusive stepfathers, strained monetary circumstances, first loves, and first heart breaks. And while all of these things already make the character empathetic what makes him even more accessible is the cinematography. As he grows so does the camera. Like our own memories, as Mason gets older the more detailed the world around him becomes creating some of the best realism achieved on camera. He begins the film as an observer staring at clouds, and watching his father and mother fight through a window not knowing what they are even saying. The camera expertly echoes this with point of view shots, but by the end he has come to know his own world and the camera is no longer an isolated observer but rather an active participant.  The frame finds this same abandon and ends the film by being in the thick of the action as Mason begins his first days of college.

This attention to Mason's context is also seen in the narrative structure. Just as the camera finds his current role within the time frame, the story only tells the parts of his life that really influenced him, the horrific realities and the simple moments as if ripped from Mason's own memory. And as we skip forward from one moment to another we have the privilege of watching all of the characters transform.

This would not be possible without the incredible cast that took the time to create a piece as risky as this, and their labors certainly paid off. Patrica Arquette expertly fluctuates through confidence and uncertainty as the mother, which is well complimented by Ethan Hawkes rather linear trajectory from fair weather young father to responsible adult. I must also commend Ellar Coltrane for growing up in front of the world on film. He gives a subtle perforamce and I am curious to see what else he will do.

If I have any qualms I could have done without Linklater's daughters performance as Mason's sister. I found it rather grating, but nepotism is hard to combat. Also the film does push three hours which does become rather tedious towards the end.

Overall: The reality of this story is what makes it so substantial, and yet it is influential without being blatantly weighty. I congratulate Linklater for this twelve year labor of love. I also thank his producers for supporting a risky but important project. They cultivated unconventional creativity. This film shows that every person has a story worth hearing, even if its small in the scheme of things. Happy Watching!

Into the Woods (2014)

Ladies, Gents, and all those in between and beyond, I have a confession to make: I am a theater person. Yes, one of those local neighborhood eccentrics who enjoys a good musical romp, or perhaps an early evening Shakespeare indulgence. I am telling you this because try as I might I cannot be fully objective when it comes to Into the Woods. It is one of the most celebrated American musicals written by one of Broadways greatest legends: the one and only, Stephen Sondheim. So adapting this musical for the screen is no small feat, and I certainly had fairly high expectations. I wanted to LOVE this film, and well, instead I really enjoyed it. Which is still a great film watching experience just not the one I was expecting.

I believe my hang ups on the film come down to one simple thing, Into the Woods is such a self aware piece about storytelling. Specifically taking familiar stories and turning them on their head to make a point to a modern audience. So when the musical is staged this idea is well complimented by the medium of live theater, where anything can happen at a moments notice. Even the actors after months of rehearsal are not entirely in control of their surroundings on the stage. Where as film is an entirely different approach. Every frame, angle, and edit is carefully tailored which creates a much more controlled and very intentional environment. Ultimately, it felt rather like it had lost a certain energy in the new medium.  And while I was okay with a majority of the cuts they made I did feel they should have kept Rapunzel's death and the Mysterious Man (Okay he is sorta there...but I mean the character as a whole) in the film because both of these components were important emotional plot points for other characters. However, these complaints aside the film is still worth the watch.  

The singing across the board was well executed and beautifully matched the orchestrations. Honestly, hearing the songs set to a full orchestra is what I look forward to the most in film adaptions, and this one delivered. In addition, I felt this ensemble performed these more realistic fairytale characters quite well. Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine, James Corden, Emily Blunt, Tracy Ullman all gave solid performances just to name a few. Now, just to be clear, I love Meryl Streep, and it's because I love her that I gotta say her first act Witch was a little overstated for me, I found myself being removed from the fiction because I was very aware of her acting. But her post-transformation witch was much more naturalistic and she truly disappeared into the part. So all is right with the world, and Meryl reigns supreme.

Another laudable aspect was the production design. The atmosphere was extremely well developed throughout with the lighting and costuming providing cohesion to this fairytale world. I liked how the film was dark but not too shadowy, matching the film's thematic purpose. It's message is clear and it's not pretty but its also true: You cannot let your individual longings blind you from the needs of others, because in the end you may not even know what you truly want.  Which is a message that could not be more relevant to a modern audience. 

Overall: This is a great story, I do feel that the stage version is stronger than this film, but the intent was there and execution is successful. And perhaps it was for the best that the film was not entirely what I anticipated. After all, be careful what you wish for. Happy Watching!