Trevor's Top Ten Films of 2013

by Trevor Kirkendall

I think the last time I had this much difficulty putting together a Top Ten List was probably about ten years ago. Seriously, how great of a year was 2013? Sure, there were plenty of bad movies that we don't even want to mention again, but that's the case every year. This year especially, there were so many great films that if I was to write out a Best Twenty List, I would still have a hard time narrowing down the final films to include. But alas, this is a Best Ten List so I will only mention ten movies. There were so many great technological advances in film this year, and it also seemed like the studios took an active interest in returning to the basics of designing a great story. There were so many great scripts turned into great movies this year. Some big name movies will probably be missing from my list. It's not that I didn't like them; it's just there was an abundance of greatness this year, especially from the studios. Here are my picks for the ten best films of 2013, followed by my individual awards.

10. Upstream Color

Shane Carruth comforts Amy Seimetz in UPSTREAM COLOR

Shane Carruth’s sophomore feature is a visually stunning and sonically engaging story of a man and a woman brought together through bizarre circumstances. The story is designed to confuse the audience just like its characters. One part romance, one part science fiction, “Upstream Color” is reminiscent of the early films of David Lynch. To a degree, it even looks a little like some of the more recent work of Terrence Malick but with much less whispered voice over narration. It contains some of the best uses of sound I've ever heard in a low budget independent film. Amy Seimetz puts on a powerful performance as Kris, a woman struggling to make sense of the strange circumstances that caused her to lose valuable parts of her memory. The film is cerebral and almost dream-like in its presentation. It’s masterfully done.

9. The Wolf of Wall Street

Leonardo DiCaprio in THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

Leonardo DiCaprio puts on one of his best performances to date in one of Martin Scorsese’s best films to date. It’s no “Goodfellas” and it’s no “Mean Streets” but the chaotic nature of “The Wolf of Wall Street” fits perfectly into Scorsese’s already illustrious career. The film does not glorify the overindulgent lifestyle of its main characters, but rather illustrates the dark world that surrounds an unlimited supply of wealth. Money changes people, sometimes for the worse which is what is being displayed here. This film is all about excess, from the mammoth three-hour run time to the fierce performance by DiCaprio. We’ll be talking about this film for years to come.

8. Mud

Tye Sheridan and Matthew McConaughy in MUD

While Matthew McConaughey has received endless recognition for his role in “Dallas Buyers Club” (and rightfully so), it was “Mud” that got my attention. This was the first of many coming-of-age stories I saw this year, and until “Mud” I thought the genre was overdone and washed up. But there were so many great stories this year that tackled the coming-of-age subject, and “Mud” was one of the best. While McConaughey is great, the movie really belongs to the young star Tye Sheridan. Writer-director Jeff Nichols is proving himself to be one of the best up-and-comers in the business following 2011’s “Take Shelter”. And with “Mud”, Nichols has once again turned out one of the year’s finest films.

7. Gravity

Sanda Bullock holds on for dear life in GRAVITY

What’s left to say about “Gravity” that hasn’t already been said? Alfonso Cuarón’s epic space thriller was far and away the most visually stunning film of the year. It could even make a case for most visually stunning film ever, but let’s not start that debate. Cuarón has single handily revolutionized the way audiences will want to see their movies. The cinematography and visual effects are years ahead of anything else currently in production. Once other filmmakers figure it out, we could be looking at the dawn of a new age of cinema. Sandra Bullock’s task in this film was challenging but she turns in the best performance of her career. “Gravity” is just a marvel of technical achievement. The screenplay may be a little bland, but this film is all about its visuals and propelling the future of big budget filmmaking.

6. 12 Years a Slave

Michael Fassbender and Chiwetel Ejiofor in one of the most
powerful scenes in 12 YEARS A SLAVE

There have been a handful of movies made about slavery in the United States, but none quite like this. “12 Years a Slave” is a powerful film about the horrors of slavery. The film is based on an actual account from Solomon Northup, a black man born free but kidnapped and sold into slavery for 12 long and grueling years. Director Steve McQueen holds nothing back by showing all the atrocities this man had to endure. The screenplay from John Ridley is one of the best adaptations of a book I’ve ever seen. It’s filled with many contrasting types of emotions, all portrayed on screen with such proficiency by McQueen. Chiwetel Ejiofor, as Northup, is absolutely sensational. And his costars, Michael Fassbender and newcomer Lupita Nyong’o, turn in two of the year’s absolute best performances. This is truly a great film, one that will be shown to make sure the memories of this dark time are never forgotten.

5. The Spectacular Now

Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley in the spectacular film
THE SPECTACULAR NOW

Yet another coming-of-age film from 2013, “The Spectacular Now” is a small but emotionally rich movie that follows one of the most popular kids in high school and his attraction to someone not so popular. Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley play two of the most realistic characters I’ve ever seen on film. Director James Ponsoldt has such a keen eye for the depths of human emotion found within this wonderful screenplay (from Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber). The dialogue is subtle and never becomes monotonous or boring. Teller and Woodley are revelations and are definitely the rising stars of tomorrow. Every single frame of this film is beautiful and deserves to be seen by all. 

4. Nebraska

Will Forte, Bruce Dern and Stacy Keach in NEBRASKA

Alexander Payne’s “Nebraska” is about as damn near perfect of any movie you’ll see in this year or any year. Bruce Dern’s portrayal of an aging alcoholic is the best and most perfect performance of any actor or actress this year. SNL alum Will Forte is perfectly cast has his estranged son. June Squibb’s performance steals the scene whenever she’s on camera. Screenwriter Bob Nelson has taken us into the lives of people in middle America as opposed to New York or Los Angeles, the cities which dominate so many of the contemporary movies these days. The film is shot in perfect black-and-white which helps paint the Nebraska landscape in a much different light than other settings we usually see. And director Payne couldn’t have handled this simple story with any more care. This is a film about the relationships we share with our families and there’s no one else in Hollywood today who is better equipped to handle that subject matter than Payne. This is about as close to perfection as you’ll see. 

3. Blue is the Warmest Color

Adele Exarchopolous and Lea Seydoux were mesmerizing in
BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR

No other film in 2013 gripped me quite like Abdellatif Kechiche’s French masterpiece “Blue is the Warmest Color”. The story follows a young teenage girl, Adele, over the course of several years. The highlight of the film is the relationship she shares with a blue haired art student, Emma, who is a few years older than her. We are a fly on the wall as we observe their relationship from the start to the bitter end. We see just how their lives affect one another. We easily empathize with every emotional high and low they experience in their romantic relationship. Both stars, Adèle Exarchopoulos and Léa Seydoux, are electrifying in their roles but it’s Exarchopoulos who turns in one of the most memorable performances I have ever seen. A lot of controversy surrounds this film, but throw all that aside. There wasn’t much better in 2013 than “Blue is the Warmest Color”.

2. Her

Joaquin Phoenix in his spellbinding role in HER

In a year full of rich storytelling, Spike Jonze's "Her" might have been the richest. Joaquin Phoenix stars as a lonely man who forms a extremely strong and ultimately romantic relationship with the voice of his new smart operating system. The computer is voiced by Scarlett Johansson who is so spectacular in her delivery, you almost forget she's never on camera. Jonze's love story may be a bit unorthodox, but everything about the relationship Phoenix has with his "girlfriend" is completely organic. Jonze handles the human (and computer) emotions brilliantly while concurrently painting a bleak picture about our future. Technology controls every aspect of his futuristic world that people don't know how to make new connections. There's so much subtext here that it would take another calendar year just to sort it all out. Suffice to say, this is a brilliantly executed love story full of heart and - most importantly - originality.

1. Short Term 12

Brie Larson and Kaitlyn Dever in the best film of 2013,
SHORT TERM 12

The best picture of 2013 is Destin Cretton's "Short Term 12", a small film very few had the opportunity to see. Brie Larson plays Grace, the supervisor of a state run institution for at risk teens. We meet her at a time in her life when she's romantically involved with her co-worker Mason (John Gallagher, Jr.), whose child she's carrying. Of course, she doesn't tell this to Mason because she's not certain motherhood is right for her. She's also trying to welcome in a new resident, Jayden (Kaitlyn Dever) who has been bounced around from institution to institution for several years. There are no words to describe the ferocity of Larson's performance. She holds a strong exterior, but inside she's completely broken and damaged. She wears all the emotions of this character on her sleeves. Never before have I seen such an emotionally powerful acting from someone of her age. No other actress this year comes close to touching Larson in this performance. Dever is also sensational in her role. Larson owns this film, but Dever holds her own against her co-star. Writer-director Cretton's screenplay is short but packs an enormous emotional punch. "Short Term 12" is a mesmerizing motion picture, completely unmatched by anything else in one of the best year's at the cinema I can remember. I was completely zeroed in on this film from the moment it began and couldn't divert my attention for a second. This is a beautiful and subtle masterpiece, and is my pick for best picture of the year.

_______________________________________________________________________________

My Individual Awards: (personal choices, not Oscar predictions)

Best Picture of the Year: Short Term 12

Best Director: Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity)

Best Actress in a Leading Role: Brie Larson (Short Term 12)
Best Actor in a Leading Role: Bruce Dern (Nebraska)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave)

Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Michael Fassbender (12 Years a Slave)

Best Original Screenplay: Spike Jonze (Her)

Best Adapted Screenplay: John Ridley (12 Years a Slave)


We can only hope that 2014 will be half as great as 2013. This year definitely has a very tough act to follow. Sure, we may be seeing a surge in the number of sequels, remakes and reboots coming out of Hollywood, but those are such a small percentage of what we actually see! The good movies are out there, folks. You might just have to look a little harder to find them. I'm very excited to see how the technical achievements of the films of 2013 and how a seemingly new found appreciation for the art of story within the studios will affect the movies of 2014 and beyond. You can continue to save me a seat in the dead center of the theaters.

Review: Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

by Trevor Kirkendall

★★½

“Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit” is a reboot of the famous Tom Clancy character who has already appeared on the silver screen four other times. While I generally balk at the idea of reboots because they demonstrate a complete lack of originality or willingness to take a risk from the Hollywood studios, this is one I was actually kind of interested in seeing. The result? It’s quite enjoyable despite it’s boring script.

Since this is an origin story, “Shadow Recruit” opens with Jack Ryan (Chris Pine) back in college working on his PhD in England in 2001. He watches the horror of the 9/11 terror attacks unfold and decides to abandon his studies and join the Marines. Sometime later, Lieutenant Ryan is serving in Afghanistan when a helicopter he’s in is hit with a missile. He survives, but spends a great deal of time learning to walk again at Walter Reed. He’s being helped by a medical student, Cathy Muller (Keira Knightley). Ryan likes her, but she won’t date a patient; famous last words during a typical meet-cute like this.

Keeping a close eye on Ryan’s recovery is CIA operative Thomas Harper (Kevin Costner). He’s read Ryan’s college essays and thinks he’s smart enough to assist the CIA in counter terrorist measures. He asks Ryan to return to school and complete his PhD, after which time they’ll covertly place him into a Wall Street firm where he will monitor foreign accounts to see who is funding terrorist cells.  This brings us to the present, ten years later. Ryan works for a firm in New York. He lives with Cathy, who is now a doctor. They’re engaged to be married but she’s not ready to commit (since when is it the woman who isn’t ready to commit in movies?). And since they’re not married, Ryan can’t tell her he secretly works for the CIA.

One day, Ryan notices an abnormality with some holdings from a Russian firm they oversee. The firm is run by Viktor Cherevin (Kenneth Branagh). His suspicions are correct because it turns out Viktor hates America and wants to destroy it by selling off trillions of dollars in holdings which would plunge the United States into a second Great Depression. This would be timed perfectly to follow a massive terror strike on the US by a Russian sleeper cell. Ryan raises his concern with the CIA who tells him to go to Moscow himself for an audit. Once he gets there, things get ugly. Cherevin’s company suspects his reason for coming to Moscow rather than doing this over the phone and takes all the necessary measures to eliminate the threat they think Ryan poses.

The Jack Ryan character is certainly an interesting one and Tom Clancy left behind a wealth of material for Hollywood to draw on, but “Shadow Recruit” comes from none of those stories. Instead, writers Adam Cozad and David Koepp take the characteristics Clancy gave Ryan in the novels, updated it for 2014 and created a brand new story line. They’ve also given Ryan a little bit of the Jason Bourne DNA by making him more of an action hero instead of a pencil pusher.

We’ve seen the character already in four other movies, all based on Clancy novels: “The Hunt for Red October” in 1990 with Alec Baldwin as Ryan, “Patriot Games” in 1992 and “Clear and Present Danger” in 1994 with Harrison Ford, and “The Sum of All Fears” in 2002 with Ben Affleck taking over the role. I personally think Baldwin played it best and “Red October” is the best of all the Ryan films, including “Shadow Recruit”. In each of these films, Ryan isn’t an action hero. He’s just an analyst dropped into difficult situations. That all changes here.

And it’s not necessarily a bad thing either. The story is a bit thick and a maybe a little too complex. Focusing the primary conflict on economics isn’t exactly the easiest way to win over your audience. The story tries to make the stakes incredibly high for Ryan and the CIA, but half the audience might be lost in the processes. It’s not until about halfway through the second act when things start to pick up. Once they do, the whole economic destruction premise is tossed out the window in favor of high octane action sequences and other suspenseful moments.

Director Branagh is a competent action director, already evident from his work on “Thor”. He doesn’t really improve on anything with “Shadow Recruit” but he does maintain his consistency as a big budget studio director. These types of films are obviously slightly more involved than the Shakespeare adaptations we’re used to seeing from him. Even the best directors out there show their inexperience with filming big action sequences for the first time (see Christopher Nolan’s hand-to-hand combat scenes in “Batman Begins” and compare them to “The Dark Knight” – vast improvements). Branagh shows no learning curve.

He’s also solid on the other side of the camera too. Again, this is no surprise. The man is a natural talent. I had no concerns about him as an actor in this film. I did have reservations about Chris Pine though. I was worried he might play this role similar to that of James Tiberius Kirk, but he does not. He’s an acceptable action star, although I would have never guessed that a few years ago when he was doing things like “Just My Luck” and “Blind Dating”. He’s comfortable here, but he’s not given much to work with in the way of actual dramatic acting. If sequels follow, I wonder if they’ll continue to make Ryan a Bourne-like action hero, or if they’ll play into his back story and relationships more the way the early films and (presumably) the novels show.

There’s nothing groundbreaking being done in “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit”. It’s just a relatively enjoyable action film with a mediocre screenplay. That’s pretty typical of just about every action film we’re given each year. The screening I saw for this film was on an IMAX screen which added very little to movie. Knowing that, this is probably very doable on your own TV; you won’t miss much seeing it on a smaller screen. Furthermore, I’m not sure audiences are going to leave this film clamoring for any kind of follow up. If they give us one, I’m sure it’ll be enjoyable, but I’m not going to be hoping for one. And I’m sure I’m not going to be alone with that thought either. 

Oscarology: Volume 5 - Predictions for the 86th Annual Academy Awards

Welcome to Oscarology, the study of the Hollywood awards season culminating with the presentation of the Academy Awards in March 2014. I am Trevor Kirkendall, your resident Oscarologist. I’ve been studying the tendencies of the Oscars since 1993 and have since earned my PhD in this study. The following series of articles will cover the landscape of the upcoming awards season from now until the nominations are announced on January 16, 2014.

The nominations for the 86th Annual Academy Awards will be announced tomorrow morning at around 8:30am EST. When the nominations are unveiled, I believe the list will look something like this. Remember, the Best Picture category will contain at least five nominee but no more than 10. Therefore, the first five films listed are the guaranteed nominations. The next five are listed in order of confidence. Also note that the Visual Effects category and the Original Song category may or may not contain five nominees each. It's possible fewer than five will be nominated, but I've listed five on each. I have also not made any predictions on the three short film categories (Animated Short, Documentary Short and Live Action Short).

Best Picture of the Year
12 Years a Slave
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Gravity
The Wolf of Wall Street
6. Her
7. Nebraska
8. Saving Mr. Banks
9. Dallas Buyers Club
10. Inside Llewyn Davis

Best Director
12 Years a Slave - Steve McQueen
American Hustle - David O. Russell
Captain Phillips - Paul Greengrass
Gravity - Alfonso Cuarón
The Wolf of Wall Street - Martin Scorsese

Best Actor
Bruce Dern - Nebraska
Chiwetel Ejiofor - 12 Years a Slave
Tom Hanks - Captain Phillips
Matthew McConaughey - Dallas Buyers Club
Robert Redford - All is Lost

Best Actress
Cate Blanchett - Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock - Gravity
Judi Dench - Philomena
Meryl Streep - August: Osage County
Emma Thompson - Saving Mr. Banks

Best Supporting Actor
Barkhad Abdi - Captain Phillips
Daniel Brühl - Rush
Bradley Cooper - American Hustle
Michael Fassbender - 12 Years a Slave
Jared Leto - Dallas Buyers Club

Best Supporting Actress
Jennifer Lawrence - American Hustle
Lupita Nyong'o - 12 Years a Slave
Julia Roberts - August: Osage County
June Squibb - Nebraska
Oprah Winfrey - Lee Daniels' The Butler

Best Adapted Screenplay
12 Years a Slave - John Ridley
Before Midnight - Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke
Captain Phillips - Billy Ray
Philomena - Steve Coogan, Jeff Pope
The Wolf of Wall Street - Terence Winter

Best Original Screenplay
American Hustle - Eric Warren Singer, David O. Russell
Blue Jasmine - Woody Allen
Dallas Buyers Club - Craig Borten, Melisa Wallack
Her - Spike Jonze
Nebraska - Bob Nelson

Best Animated Feature
Despicable Me 2 - Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud
Ernest & Celestine - Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar, Benjamin Renner
Frozen - Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee
Monsters University - Dan Scanlon
The Wind Rises - Hayao Miyazaki

Best Documentary Feature
20 Feet from Stardom - Morgan Neville
The Act of Killing - Christine Cynn, Joshua Oppenheimer
The Armstrong Lie - Alex Gibney
Blackfish - Gabriela Cowperthwaite
Stories We Tell - Sarah Polley

Best Foreign Language Film
The Broken Circle Breakdown - Belgium
The Great Beauty - Italy
The Hunt - Denmark
The Missing Picture - Germany
Two Lives - Cambodia

Best Cinematography
12 Years a Slave - Sean Bobbitt
American Hustle - Linus Sandgren
Gravity - Emmanuel Lubezki
Inside Llewyn Davis - Bruno Delbonnel
Nebraska - Phedon Papamichael

Best Costume Design
12 Years a Slave - Patricia Norris
American Hustle - Michael Wilkinson
Dallas Buyers Club - Kurt & Bart
The Great Gatsby - Catherine Martin
Saving Mr. Banks - Daniel Orlandi

Best Film Editing
12 Years a Slave - Joe Walker
American Hustle - Alan Baumgarten, Jay Cassiby, Crispin Struthers
Captain Phillips - Christopher Rouse
Gravity - Alfonso Cuarón, Mark Sanger
The Wolf of Wall Street - Thelma Schoonmaker

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
American Hustle
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
The Lone Ranger

Best Production Design
12 Years a Slave - Adam Stockhausen
American Hustle - Judy Becker
Gravity - Andy Nicholson
The Great Gatsby - Catherine Martin, Karen Murphy
Saving Mr. Banks - Michael Corenblith

Best Original Score
12 Years a Slave - Hans Zimmer
All is Lost - Alex Ebert
The Book Thief - John Williams
Gravity - Steven Price
Saving Mr. Banks - Thomas Newman

Best Original Song
Despicable Me 2 - "Happy" by Pharrell Williams
Frozen - "Let it Go" by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez
The Great Gatsby - "Young and Beautiful" by Lana Del Rey
Her - "The Moon Song" by Karen O
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom - "Ordinary Love" by U2

Best Sound Editing
12 Years a Slave
All is Lost
Captain Phillips
Gravity
Rush

Best Sound Mixing
12 Years a Slave
All is Lost
Captain Phillips
Gravity
Inside Llewyn Davis

Best Visual Effects
Elysium
Gravity
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Pacific Rim
World War Z

Review: Lone Survivor

by Joe Moss
★★★

Explosive. Emotional. Unnerving. Even though the war efforts in the Middle East and Afghanistan have now been stretching upwards of 13 years, most people cannot turn away from a great action movie based in reality. Peter Berg's latest film, "Lone Survivor", is a harrowing snapshot of a three day mission gone awry. This mission centers around one Navy SEAL team sent to extract a Taliban leader, Shah, from the depths of the mountains in Northern Afghanistan.

Marcus Lutrell (Mark Walhberg) is part of an elite Navy SEAL team that is based out of Bagram Air Base. His 'band of brothers' includes Micheal Murphy (Taylor Kitsch), Danny Dietz (Emile Hirsch) and Matt "Axe" Axelson (Ben Foster)--all lead by the dynamic Commander Kristensen (Eric Bana).The playful camaraderie from this group is evident from the onset of the film as Danny and Mike wake early to have a race through the Air Base simply for bragging rights...and to see who's head will be shaved.

The team is activated for Operation Redwing earlier than expected, when Commander Kristensen receives intel pointing toward a desired Taliban leader in the region--one who is responsible for the recent death of 20 Marines. The guys are pre-oped in the early morning hours, and dropped in a remote location 4 hours from "Schlitz Malt Liquor"--aka the reconnaissance point nearest the insurgent. Once the team arrives at the final waypoint, communications with the command post are lost due to the rough terrain. As the SEALs lay low waiting for night to fall, a heard of goats and their herders stumbles across the team, and the quiet "grab op" turns into the proverbial 'Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.'

Based on the best-selling book of the same name by the 'lone survivor' himself, Marcus Luttrell, the screenplay is a perfect adaptation of the book. Luttrell worked with Peter Berg (who wrote the screenplay as well as directed the film) to ensure that the film was as accurate as possible to honor the memory of his fallen brothers--to whom the film is dedicated. The screenplay is filled with such a wide range of emotions that is it impossible for the audience not to feel every bullet, every detonation, and every ounce of blood lost. Even though everyone knows what is to happen (the the title alludes), you will easily finding yourself rooting for the underdogs in the battle.

Mark Wahlberg does not disappoint as the lead character of the film. His cool demeanor and level-headedness play off of the brashness of Ben Foster's portrayal of Axe. It is obvious that Mike and Marcus have a deep connection and understanding of how the other thinks during times of high stress operations, and Mark Wahlberg and Taylor Kitsch have the same on-screen chemistry. They maintain and follow the military code of conduct expected of all domestic militia. As they film progresses, each of the team members strengths are shown; as well, each of their memories are honored.

The cinematography by Tobias Schliessler ("Battleship", "Dreamgirls") is absolutely fantastic. Even through the numerous battle sequences, the audience is able to appreciate the beauty of the local countryside--a nice reminder of WHY the war on terror continues. A reminder WHY these brave soldiers continue to risk their lives. Democracy and conservation of the freedoms that we take for granted. As well, the sound technicians and the sound mixing departments we phenomenal. This allowed the editing of the film by Colby Parker ("Battleship", "The Kingdom") to perform his job flawlessly.

A great film that reminds all of us to thank our Military for the hard work they perform for often low compensation. Go see "Lone Survivor" if you wish to be transported to the same frame of mind as was seen in other outstanding Hollywood productions of late--"The Hurt Locker", "Zero Dark Thirty" and "Jarhead."

Review: Her

by Trevor Kirkendall
★★★★

As a society, we’ve become completely dependent on technology to keep us connected to the world. Some would even suggest that we’ve become too dependent on it to the point that we’re missing out on life and everything that comes with it. Reading social networking sites when we should be enjoying the company of others around us. Taking pictures of things we’ll never look at again rather than just enjoying the moment as it happens. We all know we do it, and we all continue to do it. If it’s not socially acceptable at this moment in time, it will probably become that way one day. And every year, we’re given new enhancements to technology that could catch up to our level of intelligence at some point. This is what Spike Jonze looks at in his latest film “Her”.

“Her” is set sometime in the future when technology has completely taken over our daily lives. Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) is a slightly introverted man who works for a company that writes beautiful handwritten letters for people who can’t put their own expressions and emotions into words. He’s separated from his wife Catherine (Rooney Mara) but has not signed the divorce papers yet. It’s not a divorce he really wants either; it’s more her idea.

He’s not a total introvert, however. He has decent people skills, just not very good at handling relationships. He’s got a great friend at his work, receptionist Paul (Chris Pratt). His oldest friend is Amy (Amy Adams) who he sees quite often. She’s married to Charles (Matt Letscher) and all three get along well. That’s about it for everyone in this futuristic world. Everyone has become so dependent on technology that no one communicates face-to-face with people when they’re out in public. If you think it’s bad now, the vision that’s displayed here is almost unthinkable. People talk to themselves while they walk around during the day, but what they’re talking to is a much more polished version of Siri.

That is until one tech company comes out with a piece of software called OS One. This operating system uses artificial intelligence that’s so powerful and intuitive, it will almost seem like you’re talking with another human being. Theodore decides to try it out, not because he’s lonely and needs a new friend, but because he’s curious. The computer creates a female voice for him that calls itself Samantha (Scarlett Johansson). She’s smart, funny and has a very sensuous and fun loving voice. She learns all she can about Theodore from the contents of his computer and just listening to everything he says. Eventually, Theodore begins to develop feelings for her. Samantha even develops artificial emotions for him as well, and the two seemingly begin to fall in love with one another.

“Her” is definitely a unique take on the romance drama genre. Why would anyone expect anything less than unique given director Spike Jonze’s involvement? The man has built his enormously successful career on making things different than anyone else. “Being John Malkovich” was one of the most memorable films of the 1990s. Its follow up “Adaptation” was just as great. And who could ever forget Christopher Walken dancing around the lobby of the formerly known Marriott Hotel in the music video for Fatboy Slim’s “Weapon of Choice”? Yes, Spike Jonze has done many memorable and unique works in his career, but “Her” is his masterpiece.

This is one of the most polished and perfectly crafted screenplays of the year. Even with the little bizarre antics and strange scenes that occur throughout the movie, this film is a full on romance story. It shouldn’t matter that one doesn’t really exist in a human form. The voice on the other end is very real and the emotional bond that’s formed is genuine. Jonze has crafted one of the most real film relationships of the year with “Her” and you only ever see one person in that relationship.

Furthermore, the social subtext he explores is worth noting. We can walk around any public venue these days and constantly watch people walk around with their heads down staring into the screen of their smartphones. We can sit at a restaurant and watch a group of friends hang out or a couple on a date. What are they doing? Heads down, phones out. This is becoming prevalent in the highly connected society in which we live. Jonze explores the idea of this turning into a social norm at some point in the not-so-distant future. He doesn’t render judgment on whether or not this is acceptable; he’s just there to show you the vision he sees taking place.

Jonze’s vision includes people communicating to their smartphone devices via a Bluetooth-like ear piece. They communicate with a much more polished and much more helpful version of Siri. Theodore walks through the city listening to his emails. “Next. Next. Reply later,” he says. He stands on the subway as his phone reads the day’s news headlines. “Next. Next,” he continues until he hears one they piques his interest. And he’s not the only one. Everyone else is doing the exact same thing. No one is capable of having a human interaction in public.

Joaquin Phoenix is sensational in this role. He is one of the best actors working today and receives very little recognition (thanks to his little actor-turned-bearded-rapper gag a few years ago). Once again, he completely embodies this role and truly losses himself in it. He’s fascinating to watch. And since almost all of us have been in a relationship at one point or another, the stages are easily identifiable and relatable (even if you never dated your computer, which some of you reading this review probably do and don’t realize it).

But the most fascinating performance in this film comes from Scarlett Johansson. She was a late addition to this film and didn’t take part in any of the actual filming. Her role is never delivered in physical form, only in voice. Using only her voice, she is able to convey so much emotion and give this character a vast amount of depth that it’s easy to forget she’s never physically with Phoenix in this film. Even though you never see her, she delivers one of the finest performances of the year.

“Her” is nothing short of a masterpiece. It’s a creative gem delivered from one of the most visionary thinkers in Hollywood. Jonze delivers this film to us with a powerful story full of emotional depth, and is able to make an entertaining futuristic science-fiction film without hitting the overkill button on the visual effects. This is about as solid as filmmaking gets from all aspects. It’s films like this that should serve as a reminder to what movies used to be before technology killed the human interactions between the story and the audience.

Review: August: Osage County

by. Joe Moss
★★★½

Gritty, powerful, heartfelt, dysfunctional, otherwise known as a trip through most family gatherings. John Wells' "August: Osage County--" based off of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize winning play of the same name, by Tracy Letts--is sure to pack a punch with most audience members who are not afraid to stare transfixedly into the dark realities that hide behind most homestead walls. Working through their short-comings, their past indiscretions, and many family secrets, the Weston family must decide how to move forward as a group, and as individuals.

Beverly "Bev" Weston (Sam Shepard) was once a truly famous award winning poet. He and his wife, Violet (Meryl Streep) placed roots in Osage County Oklahoma when Bev accepted his final teaching position at a local university. As the film opens, Bev is interviewing Johnna (Misty Upham) as a housekeeper/assistant to help take care of Violet who he says has mouth cancer. We find out that Violet has a widespread prescription drug addiction as a counterbalance to his alcoholism.

Suddenly, we are thrust forward a few days, and discover through a phone conversation between the Weston's middle daughter, Ivy (Julianne Nicholson) and the oldest daughter, Barbara (Julia Roberts) that Bev has gone missing. To aid Violet, who is severely distraught in her drug-induced dementia, Barbara decides to make the trip home. She brings with her, Bill Fordham (her estranged husband played by Ewan McGregor) and her daughter, Jean (Abigail Breslin). They meet Ivy, Violet's sister Matty Fae (Margo Martindale) and brother-in-law, Charlie (Chris Cooper) at the Weston homestead. Within minutes of arriving, the family is shocked by another knock at the door.  It's the Sheriff who bears the news that Bev has been found, and the body must be identified.

With the arrival of the remaining Weston daughter, Karen (Juliette Lewis) and her beau, Steve Huberbrecht (Dermot Mulroney), all HELL breaks loose in the household as the dirty laundry of all is finally aired out to dry.

My hats of to the producers of the film for allowing Tracy Letts to re-write and translate her play into the actual movie script. It is obvious that she took the time to do her award-winning play justice. Of course the personification provided by the cast is amazing. Meryl Streep is at her best in this movie as she channels the insanity of Elizabeth Taylor's title character from "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" (1966). She steals every scene with biting sarcasm followed by inhaling cigarettes--mind the mouth cancer now!!

Julia Roberts is a mirror image of Meryl Streep's character. As her oldest daughter, Barbara had to put up with Violet's tantrums the most...and this is how Julia plays the role. As s woman on the edge who takes no prisoners. Of course, she learned that from her mother--minus the extreme drug addiction. Julia's ability to hold screen time with Meryl (and even one-up her on occasion) speak volumes for her ability as an actress. They were both perfectly cast in their roles by Kerry Barden ("Good Will Hunting") and Paul Schnee ("Prisoners", 2013).

While the other supporting characters generally perform well, and serve their purpose toward plot development within the film, Juliette Lewis is one who stands out--but in a bad way. Her characterization as Karen falls flat. It just seems as more of Juliette Lewis' classic airhead characters. She doesn't seem to add anything to the plot of the film other than bringing her fiance, Steve, to the fray. His character is slimy and is played perfectly by Dermot Mulroney. Additonally, Benedict Cumberbatch's character, Little Charles, is forgettable. This is probably a good thing as he is only present in the film for about 10 minutes.

I heartily enjoyed this movie and fully recommend to anyone who enjoys the occasional glance into the dysfunctional goings-on of another household.

Review: Inside Llewyn Davis

by Trevor Kirkendall

★★★½

The latest from Joel and Ethan Coen is “Inside Llewyn Davis”, a look at the folk music scene in New York City in 1961, right before a certain young man began singing about how the answers, my friend, are blowin’ in the wind. The Coens film is a visually striking film, complete with memorable songs from industry legend T Bone Burnett and Mumford and Sons frontman Marcus Mumford. It also showcases the Brothers on the top of their game.

Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) is a folk singer. He called Greenwich Village his home, even though he just lives on other people’s couches on a rotating basis. And if you ask his friend Jean (Carey Mulligan), Llewyn Davis is an asshole. That’s because she’s pregnant and it might be his. Of course, it might be Jim’s (Justin Timberlake), her boyfriend and musical collaborator (they’re a singing duo themselves, and quite popular). She wants Jim’s baby but not Llewyn’s. So she needs to terminate it just in case it isn’t Llewyn’s. Which is why he’s an asshole.

Llewyn’s songs are good. He has representation with a very small manager, Mel (Jerry Grayson), but doesn’t earn enough money from him. Llewyn was in a folk duo earlier in his career, but his counterpart committed suicide, leaving Llewyn alone to continue on as a solo artist. Llewyn has asked Mel to send his new solo record to a manager in Chicago named Bud Grossman (F. Murray Abraham) who also runs his own club. He’s sure Bud will love his music and agree to manage him. He’s already set up Jim and Jean’s dorky friend Troy Nelson (Stark Sands) so how could he not like Llewyn?

After a recording session for an awful yet insanely catchy song that Jim wrote with Al Cody (Adam Driver), Llewyn decides to forgo the royalties and just take a lump sum check for the session right now. He ends up using the money to help pay for gas to ride along with one of Al’s friends, jazz musician Roland Turner (John Goodman) and his valet Johnny Five (Garrett Hedlund) to Chicago. There, he hopes to catch the attention of Bud Grossman and become the biggest thing in folk music.

This is vintage Coen Brothers material, from the story to its structure to the well-crafted handling of the filmmaking itself. And it’s as close to a musical as we’ve seen from them, so of course the music is phenomenal as well. The Brothers have made a career making films about gritty people that don’t just despise one another, but they hate themselves too. Llewyn Davis is this kind of character. “Inside Llewyn Davis” closely remebles the tone of their earlier film “A Serious Man”. One centralized character that isn’t very likeable. You would think that formula would make for a chaotic film, and left to any other filmmaker, it probably would be. But the Coen Brothers are right at home with this type of subject.

Are you supposed to love him or hate him? The Brothers don’t really give us anything to love about him, except maybe his music. He’s rude to just about everyone he meets. He doesn’t really care about the feelings of Jean, who he may or may not have put in a troubling situation. Although he feels she’s partially to blame, but who says that in this situation? According to Jean, an asshole would. Which is what Llewyn is.

The Brothers take another snapshot of life with this story. Only this time, they focus entirely on one individual. Isaac is on screen for every scene of this film, and he’s only missing from a select few frames. He performs all the music as well. Isaac succeeds in brilliant fashion by playing a character no one likes, yet is still trying to gain some of your emotion in process. There are a few moments when I found myself empathizing with him only to be slapped back into reality by a brash comment in the following scene.

The rest of the cast is filled out with people who attempt to balance out Llewyn, but to little success. Mulligan is fantastic in her role as Jean, a woman with a sweet folky singing voice and a smile to make men’s hearts melt when she’s on stage singing. Off state, she’s an angry woman cursing like a sailor whenever she’s around Llewyn. Timberlake as Jim is also wonderful in the role (which is becoming somewhat of a consistent critique of Timberlake; the man can act). He’s nice and loveable like Jean is on stage, but off stage he carries the same mannerisms. He’s hopefully and optimistic about life in general, something not usually seen in characters from films about 1960s America.

Some of the best moments in the film come during Llewyn’s drive from New York to Chicago with Goodman and Hedlund. Goodman is a Coen staple appearing in well over a handful of their films. He’s just as loud and boisterous as ever. It’s almost as if the Coens write these roles specifically for him (which they probably do). He’s as memorable as his previous Coen characters like Gale Snoats, Charlie Meadows, Walter Sobchak and Big Dan Teague. Only this time, he clocks very little screen time. I wish he would have had a larger presence in this film, but it’s not his movie. This is all about Llewyn and how he interacts with the people who enter in and out of his life. Roland Turner is just another blip on the overall life of Llewyn Davis.

“Inside Llewyn Davis” might not be the Coen Brothers masterpiece, but it is certainly a fascinating looks at the folk music scene of the early 1960s and the people involved in it right before it became a hugely popular genre of music. To me, the story is meant to be a reflective look on everyone in the audience to see how you may or may stack up next to the ambitions of Llewyn Davis.

He’s not a nice guy, but he’s got a dream. He wants to make that dream come true. He’ll use people, abuse people and step on anyone who gets in his way. Every one of us has a dream. Llewyn’s just chasing after his. What’s so wrong with that? The issue is not what your dream is, but how you go about attaining it. Many people get to where they’re going without being rude. Llewyn doesn’t understand that. In the end, he gets exactly what he deserves: an actual and at the same time metaphorical kick in the gut. This is the appropriate and perfect ending for Llewyn, and the Coens give it to him in a very smart way.