Movie Review: 12 YEARS A SLAVE

12 YEARS A SLAVE
Director: Steve McQueen
Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Alfre Woodard, Lupita Nyong'o, Paul Dano, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Giamatti, Brad Pitt

Not since Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List has a film so vividly captured a horrifying chapter in history. Steve McQueen’s (Shame, Hunger) latest film is an adaptation of the memoir of the same name by Solomon Northup. In 1841, Solomon (Ejiofor) was a free black man with a wife and two children. Being an accomplished violinist, he is targeted by two men (Scoot McNairy and Taran Killam) posing as artists offering him a chance to be a part of a touring music gig. He is bound and kidnapped after he passes out after a night of heavy libations.

He is sold into slavery and given the new name “Platt”. For twelve years, he is sold off to various plantations. His first owner, William Ford (Cumberbatch) is a preacher and seems to treat him a bit better than future owner Edwin Epps (Fassbender). Solomon and fellow slave Patsey (Nyong’o) spend the majority of their time under the cruel and vicious hands of Epps and his mistress (Paulson). He holds onto enough hope that someday he will be rescued.

The film is getting a lot of buzz about how brutal the depiction of slavery is. I have even read some articles stating that movies goers, even members of the Academy, are walking out or cannot take too much of it due to the violence and graphic nature. I would like to know what these people were expecting. A light walk in the park? This is a tragic period of American history and I applaud director Steve McQueen for going all in by depicting the violence, hatred, and brutality that went into it. I do not feel like we see enough directors that are willing to tackle such dark and horrific moments in history. If they do, they end up sugar coating the truth or adding in some sort of love story or fictitious subplot to lighten the tone.

The story gets right into the nitty gritty early on as Solomon is sold into slavery within the first fifteen minutes. For the next two hours, you may feel a tight wad of anxiety and intensity inside of you as it never lets up. It compels you to watch Solomon’s journey that hopefully challenges you as an individual and demands your attention. There are numerous moments where I could hear the others around me squirm and writhe in their seats.

McQueen has assembled a big cast of heavy hitters, many of whom have very small parts. Pitt and Cumberbatch appear for about fifteen minutes or so. Paul Giamatti, Alfre Woodard, and Bryan Batt are all on screen for about five minutes each. Paul Dano gives another strong performance this year after his turn in Prisoners. Fassbender’s character is truly heinous in every possible way. There are very few redeeming qualities about him. At times I wanted more out of him than just a monster. As Patsey, Nyong’o is a revelation who is vulnerable and heartbreaking in every way. I expect an Oscar nomination to come her way. We now come to Chiwetel Ejiofor who is the heart and core of this film. He carries so much weight and determination in his eyes the whole film. You just look into his eyes and see layers behind them. You never see Solomon give up. Ejiofor conveys so much emotion and range without it being a flashy or showy performance. The simple yet effective cinematography by frequent McQueen collaborator Sean Bobbitt oftentimes is a still shot focusing on Ejiofor hoping, praying, and waiting for help to come his way. In so many movies these days, the camera is zipping by so fast that it can be hard to keep up. The exact opposite is happening here it where keeping the camera still gets these images and actions ingrained in your head.

How do you walk away saying this is great film when it is about such horrific events? You are not left with that feel good type feeling like you do after say The Way Way Back. Instead, you are left with this pit in your stomach. You have to go back and judge it off how well did McQueen do his job as a storyteller. Did it affect you in another way? Did it teach you something? Does it leave you in deep discussion afterwards? Did it shake something inside of you? McQueen has created a film that is sure to be talked about for quite some time. There are certain scenes and images that I cannot stop thinking about that I would love to discuss here, but it is better to just experience them firsthand without me spoiling them.

RATING: ***** (5 out of 5 stars)

Movie Review: PRISONERS

PRISONERS
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Hugh Jackman, Terrence Howard, Viola Davis, Maria Bello, Paul Dano, Melissa Leo

This twisty ethical child abduction mystery thriller will have people pretty divided. I can tell you that I was engrossed from the very first frame and did not check the watch in the entire two and a half hour run-time. No, this is not even my Jake Gyllenhaal bias showing through. Thanksgiving should be this joyful day spent with family and friends stuffing your face and having a peaceful time. For the Dover and Birch families, it will go down as the Thanksgiving they will never forget.

After their joint celebration Keller and Grace Dover (Jackman and Bello) and Nancy and Franklin Birch (Davis and Howard) settle down for a little wine and music only to realize their daughters are missing. The girls’ older teenage siblings have not seen them since dinner when they went to play outside. Earlier in the day, the girls came across a mysterious van parked on the street that they wanted to play on. Keller’s son informs them about the van and the search begins for the owner and the girls. Detective Loki (Gyllenhaal) quickly discovers the van outside a gas station and arrests the disturbed driver, Alex Jones (Dano). Alex is a quiet, almost mute, man who seems to have severe mental issues. Detective Loki rules him out as a suspect after discovering he has the IQ of a ten year old and his van is completely clear of prints, blood, and other evidence.

Loki continues on with the case by following various leads and theories. He is not about to let this go away as the girls’ parents grow more and more concerned. Keller is adamant that Alex is guilty and that the police have let the wrong guy go free. He decides to take matters into his own hands. His drastic measures could have severe consequences for his family and for the Birchs. If you have seen the trailers or think I may be giving away too much, just you wait! This all happens within the first thirty minutes or so and the mystery twists and turns as the days pass by and the girls remain missing.

I knew by the opening shots and the distinct care put into capturing the weather, nature, and atmosphere that a master cinematographer was behind the camera. Ten time Oscar nominee Roger Deakins (Skyfall, Fargo, The Shawshank Redemption) works his magic by framing so many of the shots into stunning visuals that tell their own stories as well as shape the story we are watching before us. Can we get this genius an Oscar already? What does it take? It is a shame that these artists are typically left unnoticed and very under appreciated.

The film centers around mazes which play a big part into the investigation and the journey Loki takes to solving the crime and the one Keller takes in dealing with the disappearance of his little girl. When you start adding in twists and turns into any mystery, you will inevitably leave the audience divided. I know some people are giving the film flack for having said twists and debate the logistics and reality of them, but I think they work. They are the roadblocks and walls in this maze Loki and Keller are dealing with throughout the story. The Detective Loki character remains a bit of a mystery as well. He is seen with a fully buttoned shirt, slicked back hair, neck and knuckle tattoos, and remains fairly stoic throughout. He never shows a deep empathy or emotion toward the parents, but you know he is determined to find the girls. Much of his inner thoughts and discoveries are kept bottled up inside. Gyllenhaal excels at keeping much of this character unknown.

Gyllenhaal is just one part of the strong ensemble that make the core of the film work so well. Viola Davis is always touching and strong. I’ll watch her cry her eyes out any day of the week. Maria Bello redeems herself from the lackluster “Prime Suspect” remake that aired two seasons ago. Howard and Jackman are very hit or miss for me. Often times, they are a bit over-the-top and showy, but here they show such restraint and control knowing when to unleash their inner anger. I seem to be in a minority with Jackman in Les Miserables. I thought he just screamed and shouted far too much for the character of Jean Valjean. He does quite a bit of that here, but it is far more appropriate and comes when needed for the character. This is by far the best performance of his career. Then we have Paul Dano. We have seen him in numerous indie hits, but he is absolutely stunning here. His physicality speaks volumes and adds so many complex layers to this mysterious character. He does this all with the very minor dialogue he is given. I would LOVE to see him acknowledged by the Academy or other critics, but will most likely go unnoticed with Jackman and Gyllenhaal doing captivating work in the starring roles.

This is a heavy hitter that will not sit well with many moviegoers. It asks those ethical and moral questions of what you would do if you were in the same situation. Would you stop at nothing like Jackman's character when it comes to the safety of your child? The twists and turns will divide the audience and so will the ending. I am obviously not going to spoil that here, but I do not see what the fuss is all about. I think it fits in perfectly with the style and tone of the rest of the film. Director Denis Villeneuve and screenwriter Aaron Guzikowski try to cover quite a bit ground by taking the story on numerous routes much like an investigator would. I was left with some minor questions afterwards, but none that outweighed the emotional punch I was given throughout by this strong ensemble of actors many of which give some of their best performances.

RATING: **** 1/2 (4.5 out of 5 stars)

Movie Review: LOOPER

LOOPER
Director: Rian Johnson
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Jeff Daniels, Piper Perabo, Paul Dano

What is a looper? That may be the question on everyone’s mind as they step in to see the latest film by Rian Johnson, the creative mind behind Brick and The Brothers Bloom. A looper is a trained assassin whose sole job is to kill a person sent back in time from the future. In 2074, time travel will be invented and outlawed. The city is overrun by crime and corruption and humans have trackers in them. For these crime bosses, it has become nearly impossible to dispose of a body without it being found by the tracking device. For each victim, they tie the person up, cover their head, and attach a plate of silver bars to them and send them back to 2044. The looper will shoot the person the moment it arrives before they have a chance to escape. They will then properly dispose of it by dumping it into an incinerator. The silver bars are their payment. A looper’s job is all in the hands of the crime bosses. At any moment the loop can be closed if the crime boss sends the future version of the looper back to the past to be killed.

In 2044, Joe Simmons (Gordon-Levitt) seems to be an expert at his job. He is at the corn field, weapon in one hand, time piece in another, waiting for the moment the body shows up. He spends his spare time at an exotic club and fools around with one of the dancers (Perabo). The future of his job comes into question one night when his best friend Seth (Dano) comes to his apartment in a scared frantic panic. Seth explains to Joe that his future self showed up to close the loop. Seth freaked out and didn’t shoot his future self in time and he escaped. Before he escaped, he revealed that there is a future crime boss known as The Rainmaker that is closing all of the loops. Their boss Abe (Daniels) sends out his hit men to Joe’s apartment looking for Seth.

Things get further complicated for Joe when his next assignment shows up and it is revealed that it is the future version of himself (Willis). Joe panics and Future Joe escapes. They eventually meet again in a diner to discuss what is going on in the future. Future Joe describes his capture by The Rainmaker and how his wife was killed in the process. Now that Future Joe is back in 2044, he is intent at killing The Rainmaker as a child in order to save his wife. Joe traces a map back to a farmhouse where he meets Sara (Blunt) and her son Cid who could potentially be The Rainmaker. Romance becomes another kink in the plot the more time Joe spends with Sara.

Time travel is a tricky genre to get right for the audience. I feel like if it starts to get convoluted, you will lose the audience as they get more and more confused. If it is too simple, the audience will see right passed the story and predict the outcome. It has never really been my favorite genre for these reasons. Looper gets it right by setting its own time travel rules and sticking to them all the while throwing in some curveballs to keep you guessing on what will happen next. Johnson allows the film and story to have some fun at the same time. The idea of the future of technology includes paper thin cell phones and computers, hover craft style motorcycles, and heavy duty ammunition. The violence and gun shots are stylistically over-the-top.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is one fantastic young actor working in Hollywood today. This is his third of four movies released in 2012 following The Dark Knight Rises and Premium Rush. His next, Lincoln, will be released in November. He consistently picks different genres and styles of projects and excels at each one of them. He completely nails the Bruce Willis vocal and physical mannerisms making the connection between the two of them completely believable. The make-up work is fantastic at turning Gordon-Levitt into the younger version of Willis. Emily Blunt goes outside her usual romantic comedy genre and transforms herself into the dowdy look of Sara. It’s a far cry from the elegant and posh Blunt I imagine her to be. Don’t let the time travel concept turn you away. Looper is an original thrill ride in the same way The Terminator was for its time. The concept is stylish and jaw-dropping and will keep you guessing until the end. Plus, it has Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis. Win and Win.

RATING: **** 1/2 ( 4.5 out of 5 stars)