The Way, Way Back

Duncan is a shy, quiet, awkward 14-year-old boy who has yet to find his niche. When his mother Pam forces him to go on a family vacation with her controlling boyfriend Trent (Steve Carell), Duncan finds himself stuck. He has a hard time fitting in with the kids in the small Cape Cod town they travel to. In addition, Duncan is constantly harassed by Trent. He emotionally abuses him on a daily basis and his mother does nothing to stop him. Finally, on another lonely morning, Duncan discovers a bike and decides to go on a long ride. He eventually finds a water park and slyly enters through the staff gate. He runs into a familiar face, Owen, who invites him in and offers him a job at the Water Wizz water park. Owen treats Duncan like a son throughout the film.  Eventually Duncan becomes comfortable in his skin with the help of the Water Wizz staff. With his new found confidence, Duncan finally attacks the problems in his life. He confronts Trent's obnoxious menacing behavior despite the potential consequences. Duncan is reborn.  

The most surprising and intriguing aspect of this film is Steve Carell's performance. We know Carell from The Office, Anchorman, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Get Smart, Dinner for Schmucks, and many other productions. Carell is a master of comedy. He has perfected every comedic technique throughout his many career opportunities. In each film or show he has successfully brought viewers to tears of laughter without hesitation. Although Carell is known for his brilliance in comedy, his performance in The Way, Way Back is far from funny. He plays a controlling, intimidating, impolite, malevolent character who attempts to tear a family apart. This performance proves how incredibly diverse Carell's acting abilities are. I would recommend The Way, Way Back to anyone who enjoys Steve Carrell. Although this film is far from a traditional comedy, any fan would genuinely appreciate Carell's performance. An actor's talent is defined by how diverse he or she can be throughout a myriad of performances. Steve Carell is an example of a truly talented actor. 

50/50

What would you do if you had a 50% chance of surviving an illness? Would you change your way of living? Would you make impulsive decisions? Would you give up? Adam Learner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a vigilant 27-year-old journalist that strains to live a clean lifestyle. He exercises often, avoids alcohol, and never smokes in order to be as healthy as possible. In addition, he refuses to drive a car because of the potential threat of getting into an accident. Although Adam does everything in his power to stay safe, he is diagnosed with a rare cancer that gives him only a 50% chance of living. His life is slowly torn apart because of his illness. His girlfriend Rachael (Bryce Dallas Howard) becomes distant, his best friend Kyle (Seth Rogen) does not know how to handle the situation, and his therapist (Anna Kendrick) is inexperienced. As he deals with chemo and constant stress, Adam’s initial morals and lifestyle are tested. He is forced to make vital decisions that will change his life forever.

On the surface this film seems to be overwhelmingly depressing with no possible outlet. Although cancer is no joke, this film uses humor to tell Adams's story. As Seth Rogen’s character attempts to help  Learner, he makes mistakes, says the wrong things, and provides the audience with some comic relief. For instance, Kyle makes Adam use his cancer as a mechanism to get girls. It is done in such a playful harmless way that the audience immediately falls in love with the two friends. The script is well thought out and forces viewers to experience a constant roller coaster of emotions. In addition, Joseph Gordon-Levitt never fails to impress. His performance is absolutely mesmerizing. I would call this film a truly brilliant comedic drama. 

Beasts of the Southern Wild

The Oscar for best film of the year went to Argo in 2012. Although Argo is a highly respectable production, I truly believe it was not the best film of the year. After watching all the films nominated, I came to the conclusion that Beasts of the Southern Wild was truly the best film in the running. After watching the movie,  I was very impressed by the storyline, acting, and cinematography done by all who was involved. To this day, it is one of my favorite films.

Beasts of the Southern Wild is an American fantasy drama film directed by Benh Aeitlin. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards including, Best Picture, Best Director (Benh Zeitlin), Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Actress (Quvenzhané Wallis). At age 9, Wallis became the youngest Best Actress nominee in history. The film  is magnificent because of the incredible performance done by Wallis. Viewers did more than watch her performance, they felt it.

The film takes place in the Louisiana bayou community, the "Bathtub",  that is cut off from the rest of the world by a levee. Without healthy living conditions and technology, this town is completely different from a typical present day community. Rather than living a life that is run by technology, processed foods, and unnatural medicine, the citizens of the Bathtub thrive off of nature. Each individual residing in the establishment worships the  land and the resources it produces.  The story focuses  a six-year-old, Hushpuppy (Quvenzhané Wallis),  and her unhealthy abusive father, Wink (Dwight Henry) who both happily live in the Bathtub. Although they live under terrible living conditions, Hushpuppy and Wink are hopeful and truly inspiring as nature tests their capabilities.

Due to Wink's serious health condition,  he attempts to prepare his daughter for survival after he is gone. Unfortunately, he uses abuse and abandonment to help her develop these skills.  Little Hushpuppy  is basically forced to live on her own as Wink constantly disappears and separates himself from her. In addition to her father's illness and constant angry episodes, Hushpuppy is also faced with countless life threatening obstacles. This six year old girl must overcome many trials in order to find her mother, save "The Bathtub", and defeat the prehistoric beasts that have been unleashed by the melting ice caps. Quvenzhané Wallis brings this character to life. Although Wallis was only six when the film was shot, she carries herself like a full grown professional throughout the entire movie.  This film is simply phenomenal and I would highly recommend it to anyone. 

Twelve Years a Slave

Twelve Years a Slave is an emotional film that has the power to change an audience's way of thinking. Americans, particularly, have the tendency to take their freedoms for granted. After viewing this film, one can only focus on the fact that freedom was not always given to all people. Twelve Years a Slave is a heart wrenching film that reveals the true story of Soloman Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor).  Soloman was born a free man in Minerva, New York, in 1808. Although Soloman was an African American during a time of active slavery, his freedom allowed him to become an extremely talented, literate, well respected man in his town. Soloman lived in New York with his family who were all legally free. Soloman, his wife, and his children almost seemed out of place to various people in passing because they roamed the streets freely while countless African Americans were enslaved around them. Soloman faces an appalling obstacle when he leaves his neighborhood for a business trip. During this time he is captured, brutally beaten, and sold as a slave. The film essentially focuses on Soloman's horrifying experiences as he battles the vile hardships of slavery and attempts to break free.

Twelve Years a Slave displays various aspects that make it a highly likeable choice for an Oscar nominee. The acting is fierce to the point where almost every emotion is transferred into the audience. In addition, the cinematography is breathtaking and accurately captures the horrors of slavery with creativity. The story also reveals the truths of slavery and institutionalized injustice in America at the time. Although the violence and harsh brutality is hard to watch, this film tells an unforgettable story. Twelve Years a Slave is an undeniably incredible masterpiece of 2013. 

Enough Said
James Gandolfini was a magnificent actor that is sorely missed by his countless dedicated fans. Throughout his acting career he won three Screen Actors Guild Awards, three Emmy Awards, two Golden Globes for Best Actor in a Drama Series, and two more SAG Awards as a member of a series' ensemble. Most of us know Gandolfini from the award winning HBO series The Sopranos. He starred as the protagonist, Tony Soprano: a mobster who faces many obstacles when trying to balance his typical home life with his demanding work situation. In addition, Gandolfini starred in many films throughout his career. His outstanding performances in each complex role show how incredibly dynamic Gandolfini was as an actor.Tragically, on  June 19, 2013 James Gandolfini died from a sudden heart attack. He was only 51 years old. One of the last films he took part in was Enough Said.  

Enough Said is a cute, hopeful film that reveals the struggles of single parents. Eva (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is a quirky, silly, lovable single mom who is sadly awaiting the day she has to send her daughter off to college. When she meets Albert (James Gandolfini) she slowly falls in love with his sense of humor and kind heart, despite his imperfect facade. The couple faces a major road block when Eva's newfound friend, Marianne (Catherine Keener) turns out to be Albert's ex wife. Marianne reveals a myriad of Albert's imperfections without knowing Eva is dating him. Eva begins to doubt her relationship with Albert after she hears everything that could possibly go wrong. Eva is left with a choice to listen to Marianne's indirect warnings or to judge Albert on her own.

Enough Said is funny and entertaining but the true magic lies within James Gandolfini's performance. One can only compare Albert's warm, loving, adorable nature to Tony Sopranos fierce, intimidating, and authoritarian personality. I highly recommend this film to anyone who enjoys James Gandolfini. Apparently, Albert's character  is comparable to who Gandolfini was in real life, which is extremely interesting to watch. This film is lovely because it gives fans a way to say goodbye to one of the most dynamic actors in history, James Gandolfini. 

Fruitvale Station           

Ryan Coogler's Fruitvale Station is a heart wrenching film based on the true story of Oscar Grant. The film takes its audience through Grant's last day of life before he is irrationally murdered by BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) police at the "Fruitvale Station" in Oakland, California.

 Due to the known history of Grant, the audience fully relies on the film's depth to portray a man whose fate is already known. This puts an immense amount of pressure on Coogler to interpret this man's character, and his last few hours, correctly. I would only recommend this film to an individual who truly appreciates symbolism within a film. Coogler beautifully depicts Grant's loving, caring, and protective personality through symbolism. Grant's experience with a stray dog and his young daughter are prime examples of his compassionate heart and devotion to his family. Although Grant is far from perfect, one can only love him as his troubles unravel. Coogler also uses flashbacks to tell Grant's story. This method gives the audience background information that is useful when analyzing Grant's anger issues and complex history.  

 Michael B. Jordan's performance in this film is absolutely spectacular. His raw acting illustrates Oscar Grant's character to the last detail. Without a top notch performance of Grant's character, the film would not have come together so brilliantly. The meticulous work that was put into Fruitvale Station makes the film worthwhile. The fierce acting and complex cinematography successfully gives Oscar Grant the tribute that he deserves.  

Ruby Sparks

The brilliant, quirky, highly original comedy-drama Ruby Sparks is a production that is hard to forget. This film makes a ludicrous act of magic seem absolutely possible.  As a young successful novelist Calvin Weir-Fields (Paul Dano) is struggling to write a meaningful story. His therapist, Dr. Rosenthal (Elliot Gould), gives Calvin a writing assignment to help motivate him. The simple assignment is to write a page about someone who likes his vapid ordinary dog, Scotty. That night Calvin has a dream in which he meets a stunning unique woman who, to his surprise, finds positive qualities in Scotty. Calvin wakes up and is inspired to write about the magical girl. After writing pages and pages about the messy yet lovable Ruby Sparks (Zoe Kazan), Calvin admits he is falling in love with the character he is creating.  Calvin's brother Harry (Chris Messina) and sister-in-law Susie (Toni Trucks) come to visit and find mysterious articles of women's clothing around the house. The next day, Calvin wakes up to find a girl eating in his kitchen. The young girl acts as if she's known Calvin for a very long time. After hearing the girl speak about strangely familiar topics, Calvin realizes that the living person in his house is in fact, his character, Ruby Sparks. Startled, Calvin hides from what seems to be a figment of his imagination. With the help of Harry, Calvin does a series of small tests to prove that Ruby is actually alive. After Ruby interacts with a myriad of other human beings, Calvin realizes that his ultimate dream came true. Although Calvin is finally living in bliss, he cannot ignore the fact that he has full control over Ruby's entire being. Can Calvin ignore the temptation? Ruby's personality, and thoughts are on the line. Calvin is left to face various heart wrenching obstacles while attempting to make sense of an inconceivable miracle.

Ruby Sparks smoothly incorporates magic into a realistic story with ease. This incredible idea pulls the audience in while the script never fails to impress. Although it is a truly fictional story, the unbelievably genuine characters, especially Ruby, compel the audience to believe anything is possible.