MCU Catch-Up: Ant-Man and Ant-Man and the Wasp

In preparation for the release of the third film in the series, I finally watched “Ant-Man” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp.” I reviewed both films for The Film Experience - head over there to read my review.

Movie with Abe: Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom

Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom
Directed by Evgeny Afineevsky
Released October 9, 2015

With advances in technology over the past decade, public protest and revolution against oppressive regimes have transformed into something wholly different in nature than they used to be. Oscar-nominated documentaries such as “The Square” and “Burma VJ” have painted pictures of citizen urgencies that have put social media to terrific use to spread the word about their causes. One of this year’s Oscar nominees, “Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom,” details another modern revolution, one spearheaded by efficient communication and defined by old-fashioned nationality and community determination.

Ukraine has not earned the best reputation since the establishment of its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. In July 2014, a passenger airliner was mistakenly shot down during a war between Russia and the Ukraine for control of territory, and that event took place after most of what this film chronicles. Early on, this film establishes Ukraine as an independent state that always felt a tie to Russia that its people sought to break but its government insisted on keeping. President Viktor Yanukovych’s failure to move forward with an official agreement with the European Union was the catalytic event that triggered a protest in Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) lasting ninety-three days and igniting a true spirit of change in its people.

“Winter on Fire” presents an extremely strong case for Ukraine defining itself as its own place, showcasing tremendous commitment to the cause across a broad spectrum of populations, all brought together by a passion for the Ukraine that they believe in. The energy of its people is conveyed in a fierce and unwavering way, as many protesters, ranging from a twelve-year-old boy with a hardened attitude and retired military personnel eager to help the cause, are interviewed about their allegiance to what they consider to the country they grew up in and want to continue to live in.

This documentary is one that partially advocates for change but does a more commendable job getting into the trenches and understanding what really defines its people. Parts of the film are immensely disturbing and unsettling, as violence escalates and people are hurt and killed. Like other such documentaries, the solution to one crisis inevitably leads to another, so this cannot be considered a closed or resolved case. Yet this film does a masterful job of getting to the heart of what it meant to be part of a fight for freedom that united everyday people all across one particularly temperamental country.

B+

Movie with Abe: Cartel Land

Cartel Land
Directed by Matthew Heineman
Released July 3, 2015

Borders between countries tend to have very poor reputations, and the United States-Mexico border is particularly known for being volatile and prone to the illegal crossings of people, drugs, and guns. Tensions are high on both sides, and often just a few miles can mean a vastly different quality of life. In some cases, on both sides there are those who feel that the government and official law is not doing enough to keep the peace, resulting in the formation of citizen brigades and militias. “Cartel Land” explores vigilante groups in Michoacán, Mexico and Arizona that chooses to deal with their situations in a proactive manner.

The point for paramilitary organizations is well made by this film’s American subjects, who highlight the risks of Mexican drug cartels bleeding in over the border and compare the situation to two animals in a cage fighting, which all but dooms two races to not get along. In Mexico, the prevalence of the cartels and the way that they ruin so many lives is conveyed by heartfelt testimony from locals about how they or family members were kidnapped and killed, all simply because they were employees of someone who couldn’t pay a debt to the cartel. The autodefensas and its leader, José Manuel Mireles, are introduced, an armed group that has taken it upon itself to go after the cartel and keep its citizens safe.

There is little hope to be found in this portrait of attempts at citizen peacekeeping, as armed power inevitably corrupts. Even more disturbingly, the line between the autodefensas and the people they seek to take down took little time to blur, simply transforming the monster from one menace to another. The level of access attained by filmmaker Matthew Heineman and his crew is impressive, and the testimonials from victims, perpetrators, and those who say plenty to suggest that they might be both are immensely informative and eye-opening. What this film shows more than anything is that there exists a severe problem that neither the Mexican government nor the United States government is equipped to handle or interested in addressing, and the solutions that have sprung up in place of any official action are equally troubling. This Oscar nominee for Best Documentary is an important and disturbing look at the root of the problem, and though it doesn’t offer explicit answers, it at least begins the conversation.

Movie with Abe: When Marnie Was There

When Marnie Was There
Directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi
Released May 22, 2015

In 2001, the Academy Awards established a separate category to honor outstanding achievement in animation each year. In the fifteen years since then, it has served as a vehicle to recognize animated films mostly produced by Pixar, Disney, and other American companies that are fun for children and sometimes for all ages. Occasionally, however, the category also honors films from around the world that are most definitely not just for children. One country that has been cited numerous times is Japan, and this year the country is represented by “When Marnie Was There,” an exploration of one girl’s loneliness and the immediate mystical connection she finds when she is transplanted to a magical world.

Anna, a young girl living in Japan, begins narrating her story by explaining that there is an invisible circle where everyone is on the inside and she is on the inside. She has no friends, partially because her peers find her weird, but also because she is a loner with few social skills. Attributing her unhappiness to her asthma, her kindly foster parents send her to live with relatives, where she discovers a whole new and wonderful place that only appears when the tide is right and meets another lonely girl who will forever change her life: Marnie.

Animated films often deal with magic and imagined realities, and it remains unclear for most of “When Marnie Was There” whether what Anna is experiencing with Marnie is actually happening or not. It is not explicitly defined, and there are no mystical creatures that appear to signal that this is clearly all in her head. Ultimately, that is not important, since Anna becomes a different person when she is able to see someone else’s life and understand her own from a new perspective. It is a transformative and endearing journey, and the friendship that develops between Anna and Marnie is clearly beneficial to both of them.

There are few characters that appear in “When Marnie Was There,” with clear distinctions of different types of people existing in this world. There are the innocent children, like Anna and Marnie, who struggle to fit in. There are the generous adults who care for them as best they can, and those who ignore or abuse them, as well as other children too vain to live truly rich lives. The lessons here are heartwarming and genuine, and, as a film, this animated entry is a generally affirming and enjoyable exploration of friendship that does not reach incredible heights but succeeds well enough.

B

Oscar Documentary with Abe: The Look of Silence

The Look of Silence
Directed by Joshua Oppenheimer
Released July 17, 2015

While sequels and remakes seem to be more prevalent than ever nowadays, it’s rare that documentary subjects are revisited a second time by the same filmmaker. In 2013, American director Joshua Oppenheimer released the haunting “The Act of Killing,” in which he traveled to Indonesia and invited those involved in the brutal murders of alleged communists decades earlier to reenact their crimes, which they gleefully and unapologetically did. Now, two years later, Oppenheimer has released a follow-up that centers on an Indonesian man whose brother was one of those killed and gives him the incredible opportunity to speak directly to those responsible.

“The Act of Killing” was a horrifying film that achieved that effect most notably by the way its interview subjects glorified their killings as they retold them, unashamed and unafraid to admit what they had done. An early scene in “The Look of Silence” finds Adi Rukun in shock that the education his children receive paints the time of his brother’s murder as one of legitimate and documented revolution against the communists. What Oppenheimer allows Adi to do here is to go further and ask questions that deeply trouble those still in power, and immediately bring them to end the interview and accuse Adi of talking politics.

The film’s poignant poster image features one of the older commanders being fitted for glasses. Adi travels from house to house with Oppenheimer and his camera and begins every conversation by checking each person’s eyes. That those he visits are so old and soft-spoken might serve to make them seem less threatening or more easily forgiven, but the way that they boast about the killings and the brutal manner in which they were carried out negates that effect. The words of the interviewees’ adult children speak even louder, as they liken it to the water under the bridge and profess that they couldn’t have known what their parents had done.

This documentary’s title gets to the unshakeable nature of the subject it probes. Multiple times throughout the film, Adi is seen watching footage from Oppenheimer’s previous film, including scenes in which the way his brother was killed is described in boastful detail. The look of silence on Adi’s face says it all, and every interview he conducts is filled with quiet passion and disbelief that none of the guilty men will take responsibility for the evil of what they have done. By pushing further than “The Act of Killing,” Oppenheimer’s Oscar-nominated follow-up is a strong, unshakeable piece that shines a light on something that no one seems to want to admit was an awful chapter in recent Indonesian history.

B+

Oscar Documentaries with Abe: Amy and What Happened, Miss Simone?

Amy
Directed by Asif Kapadia
Released July 3, 2015

What Happened, Miss Simone?
Directed by Liz Garbus
Released June 24, 2015

It’s almost inevitable that, when the Oscar nominees for Best Documentary are unveiled each year, a few of the five films cited will have a good deal in common. Often, it’s the topic of war, genocide, or environmentalism that unites the choices. This year, it’s music, specifically two female icons who led very colorful and memorable lives. Their music made an impact, but the way in which they saw the world and chose to use their celebrity was just as powerful. These two documentaries offer informative, eye-opening portraits of two unforgettable singers.

These two stories start from a similar vantage point, showing the artists bringing down the house in different venues and the adoration they commanded from many with their stage presence and commitment to their work. Both films waste little time in getting to the root of what created these two women and defined them, and how they stood out from the pack. Obviously, Amy Winehouse’s career was considerably briefer and more recent that Nina Simone’s, but both have certainly been thrust back into the spotlight by these award-winning features.

These films shouldn’t necessarily be taken together since Amy and Miss Simone both have very divergent stories and entirely different experiences. Amy came up in a more current era, and her fame was defined by erratic behavior and intense drug addiction which ultimately led to her death. Nina Simone was a beacon of the civil rights movement, even pushing further than many of her colleagues, choosing her own path in life that included a move to Liberia to get away from the poisonous nature of America, precipitated by mental illness. Neither icon is alive today, and so the impressive amount of footage amassed of both must serve as their only testimony and defense of their particular behaviors.

Where both films take the step from informative to truly passionate and transformative is when they showcase their respective subjects performing. Amy’s love for music comes out when she has the opportunity to sing with a legend from a different genre. Nina’s enthusiasm comes through when she pours her heart and soul into her singing, utilizing lyrics that speak volumes and delivering them with gusto. Neither film is perfect or fully engaging, but both tell enlightening tales of influential artists who might have had the chance to do so much more had their careers not been cut short by factors out of their control.

Both: B

Oscar Movie with Abe: Cinderella

Cinderella
Directed by Kenneth Branagh
Released March 13, 2015

Usually, the unveiling of the Oscar nominees offers up a handful of films to see that wouldn’t otherwise be on this reviewer’s screening list. Yet this year, there’s just one film that doesn’t fall into the category of animated, foreign, or documentary that was honored with an Oscar bid, and that’s this, the umpteenth retelling of a familiar fable that ranks as a new adaptation no one was asking for. Unsurprisingly, it’s the costumes that were cited by Oscar voters, and it turns out that the movie, while unnecessary, isn’t all that bad either.

It’s important to start with an endearing Cinderella, and her origin story always varies a bit. In this case, her father came back from his travels with a new wife and two stepdaughters, and died soon after, leaving poor Ella to tend for her abusive new family members. Lily James, who plays Rose on “Downton Abbey,” is a fitting choice to play the very likeable and sweet Cinderella, and Cate Blanchett, who had a very busy year, is more than ready to chew scenery as the unapologetically evil stepmother who delights at treating her stepdaughter horribly.

Not much of this story is new, but there are still elements that work better than others. Helena Bonham Carter is a standout as the fairy godmother who doesn’t have an excellent handle on what she’s doing or on her sanity, and her few scenes are very entertaining. Richard Madden’s prince is charming as can be expected, and the chemistry he shares with James is definitely felt. Interestingly, this version of the story feels rather truncated, as not much happens between Cinderella’s first and only trip to the ball and the subsequent search for the wearer of the glass slipper who is nearly not found due to collusion between the stepmother and Stellan Skarsgard’s Grand Duke. But, of course, in the end, all works out well as it does with every fairy tale.

The costumes by Sandy Powell are, naturally, the main reason to see the film. Given the minimal plot involved, the visuals represent a large portion of the content of the film, and they are certainly dazzling. Ultimately, the appeal of this film should come down to whether this is an enticing story, since this version contains no musical numbers or grand effects. It’s a perfectly adequate and passable retelling with decent performances that makes for good if unmemorable entertainment.

B

Movie with Abe: Creed

Creed
Directed by Ryan Coogler
Released November 25, 2015

Some franchises never die, and it’s inevitable that they’ll be rebooted again and again. The first “Rocky” film won came out in 1976 and took home the Best Picture Oscar, launching Sylvester Stallone’s career and creating a number of iconic moments that are still referenced by film fans and Philadelphia visitors on a regular basis. That film spawned four sequels, which earned increasingly poor reviews, and a new film, “Rocky Balboa,” directed by Stallone, was released in 2006 to more positive reception. Now, Rocky is back for what may well be one last time in “Creed,” which puts a new boxer at the center of its story and gets him started on his career.

Adonis “Donnie” Johnson is introduced as a young boy in juvenile detention with a penchant for getting into fights. The arrival of Mary Anne Creed (Phylicia Rashad) changes Donnie’s future, as the widow of Rocky’s top opponent and friend Apollo Creed decides to adopt his illegitimate child and raise him as if he was her own. In the present day, Donnie (Michael B. Jordan) treks back from Mexico in the morning to hone his boxing skills and works in a corporate setting in the afternoon. Having grown up in luxury thanks to Mary Anne, Donnie has not forgotten his past, and he can’t help but be pulled into the life his father led, which brings him to Philadelphia, where he pressures Rocky (Stallone) to begin training him.

This reviewer was not particularly excited about this film, having received the original 1976 film tepidly when I watched it and steering clear of all the sequels, sitting down for this one only because of Stallone’s Golden Globe nomination, his first bid in thirty-nine years. I am pleased to report that the film was much better than expected, even if its plot took a predictable course and didn’t offer many surprises. Jordan, who was terrific in “Fruitvale Station,” brings a relatability to Donnie, who is initially wary of taking on the last name of the father who died before he was born because he wants to make his own mark. Stallone, to his credit, also delivers a fine performance, one that shows Rocky’s age and the choices he has made in his life. Tessa Thompson adds to the cast as Donnie’s neighbor and girlfriend Bianca, an aspiring singer with gradually worsening hearing loss. By the time it reaches its inevitable and admittedly exciting epic fight, this film has already proven itself more than capable. Stallone has successfully passed the franchise on to Jordan while paying tribute to Rocky’s legacy, and it can’t be a surprise that “Creed 2” is already in development. It’s very possible that this reviewer might even go see it.

B+

Movie with Abe: Anomalisa

Anomalisa
Directed by Duke Johnson and Charlie Kaufman
Released December 30, 2015

Some animated films are not for children, and in those cases, there’s usually a good and interesting reason that the filmmakers chose to use animation to tell their stories. Past examples such as “A Scanner Darkly” and “Waltz with Bashir” come to mind, and it should strike no one as a surprise that master auteur Charlie Kaufman, known for “Being John Malkovich,” “Adaptation,” and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” would turn to a new medium for his latest effort behind the camera, another mind-boggling, intriguing look at life that raises many questions and answers few of them.

“Anomalisa” tells its story using computer-animated puppets. Michael Stone (David Thewlis) lands in Cincinnati, in town for just a night so that he can deliver a speech to a convention of customer service employees the next day. As he takes a cab to his hotel and interacts with the concierge and the bellboy, it becomes obvious that Michael is hearing the same voice (provided by Tom Noonan) whenever anyone talks to him. His wife and his son at home and an old flame who comes to meet him at the hotel all sound the same too. But when he meets Lisa (Jennifer Jason Leigh), an eager woman in town to hear him speak, she sounds different, and his whole world is changed by the opportunity to experience something unique and original with this magical new person.

To say that “Anomalisa” is not a film for children is an understatement, as there is just as much, if not more, nudity in this film as there was in “Team America: World Police.” Yet things are much more serious here, and utilizing animation to showcase a transformative one-night stand is enormously powerful and effective. At first, it’s uncomfortable, but not having real people in the scene makes it all the more emphatic. It’s just as strange an experience as can be expected from Kaufman, who stepped behind the camera for the first time to direct “Synecdoche, New York,” with the existence of its universe relatively unexplained and certain hints at it not being real dropped over the course of the film without any true resolution. Noonan and Leigh do a marvelous job of voicing their characters, so lively and monotone, respectively, contrasting with Thewlis’ British accent as the protagonist of the film. For much of its ninety minutes, “Anomalisa” is a magnificently captivating film, and it ends on an uncertain, unfulfilling note that is sure to haunt its audience but fails to provide a firm and proper finish, even for Kaufman.

B

Movie with Abe: Grandma

Grandma
Directed by Paul Weitz
Released September 18, 2015

Every family has some crazy or eccentric relative who is well-known as such by all its other members. Sometimes it’s a zany grandparent who listens to no one and lives life by his or her own rules regardless of what others say or suggest. Often, such characters are born of old age, and an already crotchety or single-minded personality is only enhanced as faculties begin to weaken. Other times, someone is just like that his or her whole life. “Grandma” checks in with the singular Elle (Lily Tomlin) when the title hints at her age, but it’s clear from the start that Elle has never been one to conform to anything she didn’t personally feel like adopting.

Elle makes a rough impression in the film’s first scene, as her much younger girlfriend Olivia (Judy Greer) tries to have an open conversation with her about the difficulties of their relationship and ends up being called a footnote by her enraged partner who tells her to leave her key on the way out. Shortly after that wonderful interaction, Elle’s granddaughter Sage (Julia Garner) shows up, asking for Elle’s help in putting funds together for the abortion she has scheduled that afternoon and is too afraid to fund with money from her condescending mother. Because the free spirit cut up her credit cards and made a work of art with them, an in-town road trip ensues, with stops along the way at all the people that Elle has wronged and spat on over the years.

In some ways, it’s hard to believe that a person such as Elle actually exists, since the poet does have substance and isn’t defined by something as small as racism, rather an argument that she doesn’t have an anger problem, just an asshole problem that causes her to get angry. Her language is coarse and she has no patience for anyone trying to call her out on the way she lives her life. Seeing her come to the staunch defense of her granddaughter while still pointing out her flaws is exceptionally interesting, and this short-distance road trip is an entertaining delight to behold.

Tomlin has received a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in the same year as she is honored for her flightier if still humorous role on Netflix’s “Grace and Frankie.” She is a strong, incomparable centerpiece in this film, and it would be nice if the film itself was honored along with its equally deserving lead actress. Garner and Marcia Gay Harden contribute positively to the film as well opposite Tomlin, but it’s Greer who steals all of her scenes and does a spectacular job of holding her own against Tomlin. This independent film is a great comedy and one that doesn’t try to accomplish much and manages to succeed with flying colors with what it does cover.

B+

Movie with Abe: The Good Dinosaur

The Good Dinosaur
Directed by Peter Sohn
Released November 25, 2015

There is a familiar theme to Disney and Pixar films, especially in recent years. A misfit with a good heart is usually the subject, and it is just a matter of time before someone no one ever expected anything from surprises them all and manages to astound with an act of true bravery. That formula works and is ready to go in the second and less talked-about production from Disney and Pixar this year, as one dinosaur who can’t even get out a proper roar has an uphill journey to travel in order to be able to make his literal and figurative mark.

There is often little explanation for how things are as they are in animated family productions, and here the existence of a family of talking dinosaurs is supported by the opening shot of the dinosaur-destroying asteroid that struck the Earth 65 million years ago missing the planet and allowing the prehistoric species to continue to thrive. As is usually the case, other animals talk too, but in an interesting twist, it’s the human whose words sound like gibberish and who has to communicate non-verbally. Though Apatosaurus Arlo hatched from a giant egg, the youngest of three dinosaur siblings has always been the runt of the litter, scared of his own shadow and unable to do anything of his own. Chasing after a peculiar human child one day leads Arlo on an incredible adventure that will surely transform him into what he was always meant to be.

Much of “The Good Dinosaur” feels like it could come from any Disney movie, and the way that the plot resolves itself can be predicted almost from the very start of the film. Yet there’s still something affirming about joining Arlo on his transformation from sheepish farmer to unintended explorer. This film definitely earns its PG rating, as this reviewer, who attended a 5:10pm screening with several talkative children reassuring each other about characters’ fates after destructive weather incidents, can attest to its intense thematic elements that put it on the more severe side of family entertainment.

This film’s title is fitting, though it isn’t to suggest that the other dinosaurs in the film aren’t good. In fact, dinosaurs are the best allies that Arlo can find out in the wild save for his mischievous human friend Spot, and it’s the other animals, particularly pterodactyls, who are villainous and frightening. What defines Arlo more than anything is that he is good, and this film has plenty of strong family and friendship values to impart to its viewers of all ages. It’s not the most resounding or original family film, but it’s a crowdpleasing, enjoyable movie that’s good for some sweet-natured entertainment.

B+

Movie with Abe: The Revenant

The Revenant
Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
Released December 25, 2015

When a director wins an Oscar, it’s always worth keeping an eye on what he or she chooses as a follow-up project. Prior to taking home the Best Director trophy for “Birdman,” Inarritu first contended for an Oscar in the Best Foreign Film category for “Amores Perros” before helming “21 Grams” (a personal favorite of this viewer), “Babel,” and “Biutiful,” all of which were defined by a powerful heaviness that “Birdman” departed from in its lighter style. Make no mistake – “The Revenant” is a formidable return to seriousness that hits just as hard and brutally as some of Inarritu’s previous films.

After featuring a large and talented ensemble in his last film, Inarritu pares back the focus of the adaptation of the 2003 novel by Michael Punke, honing in one central character with just a few important players surrounding him at the start of the film. Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) is introduced as his camp is attacked by Native Americans while he is hunting with his son, and the group of trappers and hunters on a government-sponsored pelt expedition is pared down from over forty to just ten. Most devastatingly, Glass is horribly injured and nearly killed in a bear attack. Aware that the company must move on, Captain Andrew Henry (Domnhall Gleeson) leaves behind three men to care for Glass and transport him once he has healed, including Glass’ Native American son (Forrest Goodluck) and the self-motivated John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy), who is more than prepared to leave Glass for dead.

The ensuing plot, which takes the films to over two hours and thirty minutes, is the incredible story of Glass’ persistence and ability to survive, facing much more than just bears and murderous people. The grittiness of “The Revenant” feels remarkably real, as demonstrated by the extensive wounds on Glass’ body and such pleasant instances as him grabbing a live fish out of the water and eating it immediately. The snow that blankets Wyoming and the uncharted Louisiana Purchase area in the 1820s gives the film a sedated, endless feel that only increases its impact. The cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki, who has won the Oscar the past two years for “Birdman” and “Gravity,” is exceptional, and Lubezki is deserving of a third trophy. DiCaprio delivers a harrowing and strong performance, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if his name was called on Oscar night too. Hardy continues to demonstrate his range and his ability to be despicable, and the seemingly omnipresent Gleeson contributes a quality performance too. This film is unapologetically brutal and long, but that’s part of what goes into a fine epic such as this.

B+

Movie with Abe: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Directed by J.J. Abrams
Released December 18, 2015

It’s one of the best known facts in the history of cinema that the Star Wars prequels were a monumental disaster. Sure, they grossed hundreds of millions of dollars, and this reviewer actually enjoyed the first two, but fans worldwide were epically disappointed in their quality and their failure to capture the same feeling as the first three films did from 1977 to 1983. Based on those results, it’s bold to say the least for the franchise to be rebooted just one decade after the prequel trilogy concluded, but based on the returns so far, revisiting a galaxy far, far away is a much more welcome trip this time around.

What “The Force Awakens” has brilliantly done to restart a franchise that may well be the world’s most popular and known movie series is to make the events of its original films legend. The new characters introduced in the seventh installment have heard names like Luke Skywalker and Han Solo and stories of the Jedi and the Force, but, to them, it’s a relic of the past that, especially with the emergence of the First Order, the latest incarnation of the Empire, seems destined to be remembered only as a myth. This film, therefore, serves as a fantastic callback to those original films, fully inviting nostalgia as fresh faces like defecting Stormtrooper Finn (John Boyega) and desert scavenger Rey (Daisy Ridley) experience the excitement and the rebirth of this saga right along with audiences.

I was impressed that I knew next to nothing about this film’s specific plot even after waiting a full two and a half weeks after its release to see it, so don’t expect any plot summary here. It’s enough to say that this film finds great and believable ways to incorporate familiar faces like Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) while handing over this film’s legacy to the likes of Boyega, Ridley, Oscar Isaac as Resistance pilot Poe, and Adam Driver as masked enemy Kylo Ren. They’re all more than capable, and it’s fun to think that this film has now launched the careers of those less known and amplified those with preexisting work. This film has everything that “Star Wars” fans should expect and will enjoy, including action, humor, and hints of romance, and the best part is that the next installment is due out as soon as May 2017. Priming its audiences for a sequel is far from a bad thing in this case – instead it’s a sure sign that this franchise is ready for many new chapters.

B+

Movie with Abe: Shaun the Sheep Movie (Capsule Review)

Shaun the Sheep Movie
Directed by Mark Burton and Richard Starzak
Released August 5, 2015

One of this year’s Golden Globe nominees for Best Animated Feature and a probable Oscar contender for the same prize is this rather random film whose title seems extremely foreign until it becomes clear that Shaun the Sheep is a character born from the “Wallace and Gromit” universe who also exists in stop-motion form. This fully entertaining 85-minute adventure contains no discernable dialogue and manages to remain enthralling and enjoyable for the whole of its runtime as it follows Shaun on a quest to right his wrongs and rescue his amnesiac farmer after his antics get him, his flock, and most crucially his farmer into trouble far from the farm they all knew so well. It may not have the universal appeal of “Inside Out,” but this animated film is a strong presentation of animation and a cool, great-looking way to tell a story that’s remarkably simple yet manages to captivate without a single understandable word.

B+

Movie with Abe: Danny Collins

Danny Collins
Directed by Dan Fogelman
Released March 20, 2015

There were a number of films about the sordid lives of musicians in 2015, and most of them were based on real people. This film, “Danny Collins,” is based on a true story, but the musician in question wasn’t named Danny Collins. What Collins (Pacino) has in common with real-life folk singer Steve Tilston is that he found out, forty years after the fact, about a letter written to him by John Lennon praising both his music and his outlook on life. In Collins’ fictional story, discovering this letter prompts him to take a look at how he lives his life and change things in a big way.

In his seventies, Collins is still a success, singing hit tunes like “Hey Baby Doll” (which is eligible for the Oscar for Best Original Song) and living a comfortable lifestyle. His manager Frank (Christopher Plummer) has been with him for decades, and still looks after him even though he knows he doesn’t have much influence over what Collins will ultimately do. Getting this fateful letter inspires Collins to approach his son, Tom (Bobby Cannavale), whose reception is considerably icier than the lukewarm, tentative greeting he gets from Tom’s pregnant wife Samantha (Jennifer Garner) and the much warmer embrace of their daughter Hope (Giselle Eisenberg). To begin a relationship with them, Collins check into a Hilton where he also sets his eyes on the manager, Mary (Annette Bening), who seems determined not to be won over by this cocky rock star.

At no point in this film do the stakes feel particularly high, as Collins has little trouble finding his way into his son’s family life despite the fact that he hates him, and the success of his courtship effort with Mary has minimal bearing on his overall happiness. It’s all just about watching Collins talk and try to make things right in his mostly pleasant and fulfilling life. Fortunately, Pacino does put considerable effort into making Collins an endearing yet not fully likeable protagonist, and he is deserving of the Golden Globe nomination he received for his performance. In the supporting cast, the standouts are actually two actors currently appearing on freshmen series on television – Melissa Benoist from “Supergirl” and Josh Peck from “Grandfathered” as eager young hotel employees who treat Collins with respect and receive humor, smiles, and good tips from him. That’s the best way to describe this film: harmless and affirming.

B

Movie with Abe: Joy

Joy
Directed by David O. Russell
Released December 25, 2015

When a director continues to use the same actors over and over, at a certain point his or her films start to look alike. David O. Russell’s last two films garnered Oscar nominations for actress Jennifer Lawrence and actor Bradley Cooper. Robert De Niro appeared in “Silver Linings Playbook,” and now he, Lawrence, and Cooper are back together in Russell’s latest effort, which includes a handful of other talented performers in the ensemble. Fortunately, these collaborations are clearly worth it, since “Joy” is Russell’s best film yet, an impressive compliment given the generally agreed-upon quality of his work.

Lawrence stars as title character Joy, who, at a young age was told by her grandmother that she was destined for great things. Years later, her life is hardly organized, and every gain comes with some corresponding loss. Her nice but unmotivated ex-husband Tony (Edgar Ramirez) lives in her basement, while her bedbound mother Terry (Virginia Madsen) spends each day watching a soap opera on television. Her two children are traumatized by the occasional appearance of their grandfather Rudy (De Niro), whose temper is excessive and who obsesses over finding the right woman with whom to share his life, including by using a dating service for widows and widowers. Joy singlehandedly supports her family and never seems to manage to catch a break.

Trailers for the film, which have been playing in theaters for months, did a commendable job of not revealing much of the film’s plot beyond the above summary. Without revealing too much, Joy has an idea for a household invention that she resolves to bring to market, and the battle to get it made is not an easy one. “Joy” excels at capturing the intensity of the highs and lows in its protagonist’s life, gloriously celebrating her victories and wallowing with her in the utter devastation of her failures, making this so-called comedy often feel like something completely different.

Lawrence, who has already amassed three Oscar nominations in just five years, is certainly deserving of another shot at gold for this performance, one that is far from showy, creating a character who works hard and rarely sees the fruits of her labor yet still persists. De Niro, Madsen, Ramirez, and other members of the cast, including Cooper as a “friend in commerce,” Isabella Rossellini as Rudy’s new flame, Elisabeth Rohm as Joy’s spiteful half-sister, and Dascha Polano as Joy’s best friend Jackie, fit the rhythm of this film perfectly and complement each other wonderfully. The script is sharp and entertaining, and Russell’s direction helps his already enticing characters come alive even more in this involving, compelling portrait of one woman determined to get through the drudgery and make something of her life.

A-

Movie with Abe: Straight Outta Compton

Straight Outta Compton
Directed by F. Gary Gray
Released August 14, 2015

It is often said and written that artists in all fields have the chance to change the world through their chosen form of expression. Music has a certain power that can allow a song, a singer, or a group the opportunity to define a generation. When music speaks for a particular community or subset of the population, its effect is exponentially amplified. “Straight Outta Compton,” which tells the story of hip hop group N.W.A. and the type of music the group made popular, definitely makes a case for gangsta rap and its impact during the formative years of the group that made it popular.

“Straight Outta Compton” begins before the formation of N.W.A., charting the individual careers of Dr. Dre (Corey Hawkins), Ice Cube (O’Shea Jackson, Jr.), and Eazy-E (Jason Mitchell) as they took different paths and came together to record their debut album that helped to launch their futures. One theme is clear above any other, and that is how much their music was shaped by their life experiences. In an early scene, Dr. Dre is told explicitly not to play rap, and Ice Cube appears on stage moments later to yell his profanity-laced lyrics at an eager audience. These rappers’ interactions with the police especially, and law enforcement’s understandable attempts to stifle them, form a major part of who they are and why they do what they do.

The events of “Straight Outta Compton” happened recently enough that much of them are still well-known, and the surviving players still have relatively thriving careers that have pushed them over the edge in terms of achieving inarguably meteoric success. This is very much a reenactment of their early days, one that feels authentic in many ways, a major factor of which may be that the actor portraying Ice Cue is the actor-musician’s real life son. That casting surely adds meaning to the film, and the entire ensemble was recognized with a SAG Award nomination for their work. The film is a solid recreation of events and an engaging depiction of people and music. Clocking in at a lengthy 147 minutes, it covers a long period of time and is fueled by the fury of its music and the renewed relevance of its content, pushing back to question whether where you come from or what you look like should dictate what you can accomplish in life.

B

Movie with Abe: Spy

Spy
Directed by Paul Feig
Released June 5, 2015

Anyone making a spy movie wouldn’t think of Melissa McCarthy as the first choice to be the star. On the other hand, headlining a comedy about an unlikely spy who spent her entire career behind a desk going into the field with an absurd cover is a much more fitting role for the comedienne. McCarthy is only the main star vehicle for this relatively absurd and occasionally on-point Golden Globe-nominated action comedy filled with other strong, funny turns in an overall silly experience.

“Spy” begins by firmly establishing the circumstances and roles in which its characters exist. Bradley Fine (Jude Law) is the impossibly charming spy who spends his days in the field infiltrating terrorist networks and taking down bad guys, and McCarthy’s Susan Cooper is the voice in his ear who helps him pull off daring feats and stunning takedowns. Fine’s untimely demise at the hands of the villainous Rayna Boyanov (Rose Byrne) prompts the CIA to send Susan in undercover, disguised as what can most accurately be called a cat lady, to find her and stop the sale of a deadly weapon to an even more evil party. In her transition to full-fledged field agent, Susan is assisted by Nancy (Miranda Hart), filling in for her former duties behind the desk and the microphone, and derailed constantly by the overconfident, inept agent Rick Ford (Jason Statham).

This film’s premise is that Susan is not at all fit for field duty and that, naturally, the only option for her to pose as in order to fool anyone would be a friendless mess. That’s how it’s set up from the start, and while both Rayna and Rick insist on continuing to look at Susan that way, everything changes once she actually gets into the field. It turns out that Susan is full of vicious and lewd insults, and such comments are hurled back and forth for the majority of the film’s second half, with most of them first coming from Susan. McCarthy is fun though this isn’t her best performance, and Byrne and Statham are the comedic standouts, showing that they might want to think about sticking to this genre more in their regular film work. This film is entertaining to be sure but hardly the resounding comedy classic it thinks it is.

B-

Movie with Abe: Love and Mercy

Love and Mercy
Directed by Bill Pohlad
Released June 19, 2015

There is almost always a story behind most of the greatest songs ever written. Musicians in general have a reputation for leading wild, unhinged lives that are reflected in some way through their art. The groups and the songs are remembered, but their crazy and unexpected origins are often forgotten. In “Love and Mercy,” which gets its title from a famous 1988 song, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys takes the spotlight, as his life is charted in two separate time periods, one of early eccentric success and another of a much later low point that threatened to undo all his accomplishments.

Brian is first introduced in the 1980s, played by John Cusack, sitting in a model car and flirting with saleswoman Melinda Ledbetter (Elizabeth Banks). Brian is alluring and mysterious, and brushes off the fame he has amassed as unimportant and inconsequential, slowly becoming closer with Melinda. As she sees more and more of him, she notices the disconcerting and overbearing presence of his therapist Dr. Eugene Landy (Paul Giamatti) which has put him into a permanent medicated state. Twenty years earlier, a young Brian (Paul Dano) writes some of his most well-known songs as signs of his eventual condition begin to emerge.

Telling Brian’s story by showing him at two very starkly different points in his life helps to illustrate the decline he experienced as a result of an illness that was never properly diagnosed, with a jump to schizophrenia permitting Landy to treat Brian however he saw fit. The two Brians seem like completely separate people, and it is almost as if they are two individual characters. As with many stories of decline, this film sags with its protagonist’s ups and downs, never achieving the dramatic potential it desires. The film’s strongest moments are when Brian makes a musical discovery and pens one of the many classic tunes best remembered by society today.

Cusack portrays Brian at a low point in his life, and he definitely seems like a broken man. The much more compelling performance comes from Golden Globe nominee Dano, who captures Brian’s brilliance and fuses it with his growingly insecure grasp on the world and reality. Banks is a standout in the cast as Melinda, the one true light in an older Brian’s life who helps ensure that he gets back on track. This film tells an intriguing story but hardly in the most compelling way, a decent ode to a great misunderstood man but not a true salute to his legacy.

C+

Movie with Abe: Beasts of No Nation

Beasts of No Nation
Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga
Released October 16, 2015

Netflix has revolutionized the TV landscape with a number of hit shows designed for binge-watching and earning many accolades in the process. “Beasts of No Nation,” which was released simultaneously in theaters and on Netflix back in October, marks the first non-documentary film originally produced by Netflix. It may also make history by managing to score an Oscar nomination for Best Picture, which would start to redefine what movies can look like. Regardless of whether it ends up being honored by Oscar voters, this film is a strong and immensely watchable look at the horrors of life in a purposely anonymous third-world country at war.

The film starts with playful, hand-drawn titles and introduces its eager young narrator, Agu (Abraham Attah). Agu and his friends do what they can to keep life interesting while war devastates their unnamed African country, including blocking the road with tree branches and charging passing drivers to remove it, and entirely harmless fun like selling an “imagination TV,” an empty television set with live performances from Agu’s friends as entertainment. Agu describes his life, touching on his relationship with his older brother and the father who also serves as his teacher. All that tranquility is cut short when government forces mistake Agu, his family, and members of his village for rebels, and Agu escapes only to be recruited by a rebel unit led by the Commandant (Idris Elba) and consisting almost entirely of child soldiers.

Watching Agu’s transformation from happy-go-lucky kid making the most of his life to fully engaged child soldier is an intense and frightening experience. Filmed in Ghana, the actual setting of this story is inconsequential to the idea it conveys. Watching children excitedly execute random people they meet who might be as innocent as Agu’s family was and cheer when they see violence on the horizon is disturbing, and as told in this film with Agu at its center, magnetically interesting.

Elba, who was been working in British and American cinema and television for a number of years, is attracting a lot of awards attention for his part as the uncompromising commander who indoctrinates and leads the young boys from their former lives into something entirely unrecognizable. The real breakthrough comes from Attah, a native of Ghana who delivers a revelatory performance as Agu, tackling subjects way beyond his age and maturity that capture the impossible existence of child soldiers. Cary Joji Fukunaga pulls triple duty as director, writer, and cinematographer to tell this important and powerful story, one that is beyond unsettling but also immensely well-crafted.

B+