The Place Beyond the Pines

After seeing the trailer I was sure The Place Beyond the Pines would be an action-packed Ryan Gosling film. To my surprise, this short clip was quite deceiving. This movie is not solely based on the story of Ryan Gosling's character. Although this was disappointing, I did enjoy the film. The foundation of this production is based on a motorcycle stunt rider, Luke Glanton (Ryan Gosling) who decides to rob banks in order to support his family. Although he has a bad temper and fights often, he truly cares about the wellbeing of his child. After successfully robbing a number of banks, the cops start to closely follow his case. Without much trouble, a new cop, Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper), defeats Gosling. The majority of the film then focuses on the corruption within Avery's police force and the lives of both Luke and Avery's sons. To go further would spoil the film.

 

My favorite aspect of this film is the cinematography. Nature is exemplified with the help of camera shots throughout this film. Wide shots are used to really examine the land in which the characters thrive in. They are constantly hanging out, traveling, or riding deep in the woods. We are able to catch various shots that focus on the nature surrounding each character. Wide shots of the forest capture the true beauty of the film. The nature also represents a great deal of symbolism in this film. As total corruption disturbs the local towns, many character's discover the truth while in the forest. Nature is a place where they can escape from the lies and find truth within themselves and others. This theme stays strong throughout the entire movie. The music is very powerful throughout the film as well. It is utilized very specifically in order to enhance the emotions throughout the film. In addition, Bradley Cooper does an exceptional job portraying his character. At first he is a rookie cop who is mistreated at the bottom. As time goes on he becomes a hero and makes his way to the top. His image and personality constantly changes and grows throughout the film. Bradley is able to really capture each chapter of Avery's life. Although The Place Beyond the Pines is a tad eccentric, I thought it was shot beautifully and had a few exceptional features.

  

The Breakfast Club

The Breakfast Club is my absolute favorite movie. The film was directed by John Hughes in 1985 and is still viewed as one of the greatest high school films today. The most captivating aspect of this production is the acting. The five main characters, also known as the "Brat Pack", embody five different stereotypes that are commonly seen within the walls of a high school. Each character is dramatic, emotional, and is under a lot of stress either at school or home. When they are forced to endure a Saturday morning detention together they dance, do drugs, and talk to pass the time. Eventually they start building relationships that would be considered unorthodox on a regular school day. Normally the "cool" kids never want to talk to the "geeks" or the "freaks" and vise versa. These boundaries constantly halt the students  from ever becoming friends; however,  as time passes, secrets are revealed, bonds are made, and boundaries are torn down. This film is truly powerful and exposes the reality that, with an open mind, anything is possible.

Although each performance in The Breakfast Club is phenomenal, Judd Nelson is, hands down, the most impressive. Nelson took on the role of John Bender, the rebel or "the criminal" who has serious family issues and is constantly in trouble. He portrays a bitter, angry, self loathing teenager who is lost in the cloud that makes up his thoughts. He takes his anger out on other people and refuses to be controlled by any outside force. This is almost directly caused by his abusive father's behavior. The miraculous thing about John Bender is that, above all, he is smart. In result, his defense mechanisms are always clever, strong, and cut deep. I enjoy watching Nelson perform because his feelings are so powerful. His various monologues throughout the film could instantly silence a room. With controlled body language and speech, Nelson was able to make every line come to life. The Breakfast Club will forever be considered a classic because it has a good story that is heightened by the actors portraying each dynamic role.

The Sessions

The Sessions is an independent film based on the article "On seeing a Sex Surrogate" by Mark O'Brien. In my opinion, this was the most inspiring film of 2012. John Hawkes stars as Mark O'Brien, a man suffering from the effects of polio. Mark is paralyzed from the neck down and is confined to an iron lung for the majority of each day. He is unable to do anything for himself and is often left lonely and unsatisfied with the life he was born into. After Mark realizes that he may be near death, he decides that he wants to lose his virginity. After talking to his priest and giving it much thought, Mark hires a sex surrogate. He contacts Cheryl Cohen-Greene (Helen Hunt), a professional sex surrogate, to help him. Mark naturally develops feelings for Cheryl after the first few times they meet. Surprisingly, Cheryl starts to form a significant bond with her client as well. To go further would spoil the film.

 This film is smart, funny, touching, and extremely powerful. I think the script is what reflects the inner brilliance of The Sessions. Somehow, it smoothly incorporates humor into a very serious, uncomfortable situation. Although hiring a sex surrogate is clearly uncomfortable, humor is used to help the audience look past the depressing  aspects of Mark's situation. This leads viewers to the core of the film, Mark's bravery. He refuses to let his illness stop him from living. He takes a leap of faith and gets an experience that will affect his life forever. At first, we are introduced to the trials and heartache that Mark painfully experiences every day. Although he has everything working against him, he is still kind, loving, and silly. As the film progresses, Marks physical handicaps fade away and his personality gets stronger. Eventually the audience only sees a courageous, loving, and relatable man. I recommend this film because it has the power to make us understand what hope really means. 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is based on a novel written by Stephen Chbosky. Unlike the Hunger Games, I read this book before I saw the movie. Apart from a few minor scenes, the film essentially follows the novel. The movie is about a freshman in high school, Charlie (Logan Lerman), who is guided through the halls by two seniors: Sam (Emma Watson) and Patrick (Ezra Miller). Charlie is an nervous, awkward, eccentric teenager with poor social skills. With Sam and Patrick's help, Charlie is embraced by a new group of friends for the first time and is introduced to typical senior partying. As the year goes by, he quickly falls in love with Sam and grows closer to Patrick. Although his social life expands, Charlie is still haunted by an incident of the past. When he was seven years old his Aunt Eileen died in a car accident. When times get difficult with his friends, his mind is clouded by vivid flashbacks of his Aunt. Eventually  Charlie's flashbacks turn into nervous breakdowns. He now has to control his mental state while dealing with the drama of his friends. This all happens as the secrets of his family unfold.

"We accept the love we think we deserve."

After watching numerous Harry Potter movies, I have grown particularly fond of Emma Watson. This is the first movie I saw where Emma was not playing the part of Hermione Granger. It was different but I really liked watching her in a new environment. She was just as cute and interesting as always. I'm still trying to decide if I liked Logan Lerman's performance. Although he isn't a bad actor, I expected a different performance from Charlie's character after I read the book. This is the problem with reading the book before the movie. I casted the entire film before I even saw a preview. I was bound to be disappointed with at least one of the choices Hollywood made. Nevertheless, I still thought the film was well thought out and extremely nostalgic. The typical high school scene makes viewers miss the past and embrace the naive ways of a young freshman. In addition, one of my favorite aspects of the film was the soundtrack. Each song matched my vision perfectly. I was really happy with the way the music and images tied together to send messages and portray feelings. Overall, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is defiantly a feel-good film with a spontaneous twist.

Silver Linings Playbook

Oscar nominee of 2012, Silver Linings Playbook, is a complex film based on the novel Silver Linings Playbook written by Matthew Quick. Quick, like myself, went to Collingswood High School. His book often references to places in Collingswood that I am clearly familiar with. Viewing this film was truly magical because I could relate to countless details incorporated in the production.

The film is based on Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper), a Philadelphian who is battling bipolar disorder. Pat was put in a mental institution in Maryland after he attacked his wife's lover. Through careful examination, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. After spending time away , he moves back to his parents house and attempts to turn his life around. His biggest goal is to reunite with his ex-wife and fix what he has broken. To cope with his disability, and to stay positive, he exercises often and constantly tries to dodge negativity. After he meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), who is mentally unstable and depressed, he starts to face his problems head on. The two develop an unorthodox bond that ties the story together.    

I think this film captures the true meaning of the novel Silver Linings Playbook, which is not easy to accomplish. It successfully displays various difficulties that one with depression or  bipolar disorder may face. Although we only see the disorders that Pat and Tiffany suffer from, the audience can really feel the strain that a mental illness can put on a person. The role of a family is also analyzed in this film. Pat's parents play major roles in his healing process. The disputes that take place in the Solitano household are vivid, heart wrenching, and essentially enlightening. I really love the way Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence portray their characters as well. In addition, little aspects of my neighborhood were tied into the film. I was highly impressed. 

The Descendants

Matt King (George Clooney) is a father of two difficult children who live on the islands of Hawaii. The youngest, Scottie(Amara Miller) is 10 year old with a bad attitude. The oldest, Alex (Shailene Woodley) is a defiant 17 year old who constantly parties and refuses to follow the rules. Matt has a hard time connecting with his kids and has always left the parenting  to his wife, Elizabeth. This all changes when Elizabeth gets into an accident and falls into a coma. After much time in the hospital, Matt is informed that Elizabeth will never wakeup. When Matt tells Alex, she reveals that her mother was having an affair with another man. Matt's first reaction is to find the man and seek revenge. The film ultimately captures the difficulties of dealing with family issues and death.

The Descendants is raw, real, and heart breaking. George Clooney's performance was extremely interesting. He was able to really depict what a father would go through if put in this complex situation. He is angry, sad, vengeful, and confused all at the same time. He makes the character likeable and particularly relatable. The girls do a fabulous job as well. Woodley and Miller's reaction to their mother's death is devastating. An audience of all ages is capable of  feeling the hardship that each character has to face throughout this film. The movie also incorporates the environment and culture of Hawaii in a creative way. We see incredible shots of Hawaiian land and we realize that Hawaii isn't just a vacation spot. The soundtrack also reflects the culture of Hawaiian people. Ultimately, the experience is very enlightening. The Descendants is an academy award winner because each performance is real. I would highly recommend this film to anyone seeking a movie that is heartfelt and genuine.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire was one of the best action movies I've seen in a very long time. I really didn't like the first Hunger Games movie. I felt like the script and the acting was incredibly dry. Overall I thought the film failed to capture the captivating story of the Hunger Games in general. Naturally, I thought the second movie would be just as bad. I decided to give it try anyway because it got great reviews and had a different director. I was blown away. Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss Everdeen) was fabulous. I was specifically disappointed with her performance in the first movie. She made an amazing comeback.  Josh Hutcherson (Peeta Mellark) also made a great comeback. I had trouble connecting with his character throughout the first movie; however, in Catching Fire I could really relate to him because he had a strong display of emotions. I actually didn't read any of the Hunger Games books but I could still follow the movie very well. Since I had no idea what was going to happen it made the film even more exciting. 

I'm not going to give a long synopsis like usual for anyone who hasn't read the books. Going into the theater without knowing  a lot of background information makes the movie extremely fun to watch.  A quick summary is that Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark are being tracked by the government after they won the first Hunger Games. Katniss Everdeen has become the ultimate target because of her rebellious actions.  The battle for survival by the people of earth has become overwhelming and everyone is seeking a solution. This movie is a must see of 2013. The cinematography is breathtaking, the acting is Oscar worthy, and the film is relatable.