Escape from Tomorrow Review

On paper, the film Escape from Tomorrow is too fascinating to ignore. The debut work from writer-director Randy Moore, the story of the film revolves around a family, the father being the focal point, on vacation at Disney World. After learning that he was losing his job, the man begins a descent into madness, encountering disturbing experiences and visions all the while trying to spend the day with his wife and children. The psychosis is not the only thing that serves as a distraction for the man as he catches a glimpse of two teenage French girls and he simply cannot look away. His attraction to these underage girls and his desire to follow them throughout the park is far more unsettling than the imagery portrayed throughout.

However, the controversy surrounding the film, not the content, is what placed it on a must see list for me. Escape from Tomorrow was created using guerrilla filmmaking techniques because while the entire work was created on location in Disney World, the required request for permission to do so was never obtained by Moore, as he instead decided to keep the scripts on the iPhones of those involved in the production and he filmed using a standard handheld camera no different from what a regular guest of the park might bring to capture memories. On this level, and this level only, the film is an achievement, as I expected a far more amateurish feel to the feature and I admire the ability to craft a competent film given the situation presented and the resources available.

As I mentioned at the start of the review, on paper the film demands to be seen. As someone who often finds value in an original concept or the challenge of getting a film made and released on a limited budget, I found myself endlessly excited to experience a film like Escape from Tomorrow. Unfortunately, while my excitement was derived from what was on paper, it all died once I was able to actually see it on screen. In the process of reading up about the film, I encountered a few comments comparing not just the surrealist approach but the actual finished product to the visionary auteur David Lynch. Personally, I find such comparisons to be misguided and even disgraceful, on a similar level to a comparison between myself and LeBron James because I once scored 30 points in a game when I was 11 years old. Nothing that actually took place on screen worked as I found every attempt to disturb the viewer via tone and imagery to be laughable, but even those laughs fueled by derision were short lived. Roughly halfway through the 90 minute slog of a film I found myself checking the clock and wishing it would move faster so I could go to sleep and concoct a dream world far more fascinating than what was realized by Moore.

I recall back when I first learned of this film, everyone was anticipating legal action from Disney for using their name, their iconic images and their locations without permission, and much to my surprise Disney chose to ignore it. The internet was filled with comments regarding how cool it was of Disney to look the other way and allow an independent filmmaker to profit off of their copyrighted property, but I couldn't help but wonder if, in reality, it was simply a brilliant business decision by Disney to scoff at the tiny little film and move along. Ironically, the only way Escape from Tomorrow flourishes as a film and becomes a cult sensation with somewhat broad appeal is if Disney makes headlines through lawsuits and statements and lengthy court battles. If the film is asked to stand on its own merit, it will fall fast and be quickly forgotten.

With about 15 minutes of the film remaining early this morning, my Blu-ray player froze. In retrospect, this was likely the cinematic gods providing me a chance to shut the damn thing off and declare the film a failure, but I took the time to get the machine working again so I could absorb every second of it, maintaining that glimmer of hope that a terrific ending would slightly redeem every terrible moment that I had endured thus far. I should have listened to the gods and got out when I had the opportunity.

Escape from Tomorrow? More like escape from bland filmmaking and phony, uninspired surrealism.



1/5

Laurence Anyways Review

For a number of years I have had an interest in the Cannes film festival, but nothing more than a desire to read an article or two after all the films had be screened and the awards handed out, read up on a few highly regarded works (and the ones that are viciously booed, I tend to enjoy those as well) so I could mark my calendar of their eventual wide release date. 2014 was a new year and with it a far more intense passion for seeing as many films as possible, for discovering new auteurs and learning what made their particular styles unique and exciting, and for not limiting myself to the releases that are given massive marketing pushes with the goal of hitting a billion at the box office.

One of the names I noticed being mentioned a lot this year was Xavier Dolan, with bouquets being tossed from every direction at his newest film titled Mommy, and I will be totally honest that I had never even heard of him. I couldn't help but notice an image of him and what caught my eye was how young he appeared to be, and after a quick search my jaw literally dropped for a split second. Xavier Dolan is currently 25 years old, and the 2014 release Mommy is his fifth feature length film thus far. Even more impressive than the idea of merely pumping out films when you are young is the fact that each one has received far more cheers than jeers critically, with the word wunderkind littered all over the results of a Google search of his name. I was floored and humbled by this alone, the mere idea of someone five years younger than me already achieving such amazing things behind the camera, but I needed to see the results for myself, match up the actual craft with the hype. I began this journey last night. 

Laurence Anyways was released in 2012, the third film released by Dolan despite being only 23 years old, and it is a wonderful, mature beyond his years work. The film follows a couple very much in love, a man named Laurence and a woman named Fred (short for Frederique), but things get obviously complicated when Laurence comes clean after reaching his breaking point and unleashes a major secret that had been weighing him down his entire life. Laurence is a man who has never felt quite right in his own skin because he has always believed he was meant to be a woman, and he asks his long time female love to stick by him and continue their relationship while he goes through the transformation.

If I had seen Laurence Anyways first and then discovered the age of Xavier Dolan after, I never would have believed it. This is a film oozing with confidence, proof positive that the year one was born does not indicate maturity as I have seen men twice his age craft silly, amateurish works where as Dolan here handles the material with endless class and wisdom. Even more so than his directorial handle on the film, I am floored by the fact that he also wrote Laurence Anyways, a screenplay filled with authenticity and emotion and patience that made these characters and their relationships feel fully developed and nuanced.

What also must be addressed in this Dolan lovefest of a review are the performances, as no one felt out of place and the words were delivered with ease in a totally natural way. While every single actor did excellent work here, the one who stole the show for me throughout was Suzanne Clement as Fred. I couldn't take my eyes off of her as she dealt with strong conflicted feelings stemming from being totally in love and never wanting to let go of it, yet also searching for normalcy when faced with a life that would forever be viewed as abnormal by the rest of the world. She made me smile, made me laugh, and also broke my heart, and she deserves a ton of credit for making this film as powerful and compelling as it was.

If I had to pick out a flaw of Laurence Anyways it would be with the running time, but even that I criticize with hesitation. On paper it feels as if the story doesn't deserve the nearly three hours dedicated to delivering it, but it actually did move along quite nicely a majority of the time and I appreciated the fact that sequences were executed with patience and the emotional weight of the moment was given a chance to resonate rather than quickly wiped away. Later in the film I did sort of feel the drag though, not enough to really harm the experience but it was slightly noticeable, but that isn't meant to take anything away from the achievement this film is from such a bright young mind.

Perhaps Dolan still has plenty to learn, and films like Laurence Anyways are his raw early point of his career where he is fleshing stuff out and mastering the craft. If that's the case, holy shit watch out. The sky is the limit with this kid.

4.5/5

The Fault in Our Stars Review

I am a 30 year old man. My daughter is approaching 7, which means that she is closer to the target audience of this film than I am. According to the standard "chick flick" narrative, I am not supposed to enjoy this film, and honestly I noticed a few looks from various teenage girls that seemed to imply that I must have been dragged to the cinema against my will, as if I was begging to make a run for a different theater in search of some explosions and shit, but what people don't seem to realize is this: I just love watching good films, plain and simple. To label The Fault in Our Stars as some sort of lesser work because it was adapted from a novel beloved by girls half my age is a shame, because it means that such strong, confident storytelling and filmmaking isn't getting the respect it deserves.

The Fault in Our Stars is a love story, but not solely one of a young, romantic connection. The truly beautiful thing about this film and the source material by author John Green that it is adapted from is the fact that it has such a huge heart for not just the young lovers that serve as the focal point for the works, but all relationships that suffer from heartbreak when someone so young is faced with such an ugly disease, with long odds stacked against them. As a parent it destroys me to think of my daughter leaving this earth before I do, and the film illustrates this pain without ever being manipulative. It is a story filled with genuine authenticity and real emotions, a story that touches on thought provoking themes like the battle between logic and hope in regards to an afterlife, the concept of not seeking out friendship and love because your death would only bring those people sadness.

The screenplay doesn't bring anything new and flashy to the table because it is essentially lifted right off the pages and onto the screen, using mostly verbatim material from the Green novel, but while that sometimes may seem like lazy writing could instead be looked at with admiration. Anyone could take an already established piece of fiction and hack it to pieces to put their own spin on the material, to make their name and their ego rise above the rest, but it takes balls to admit that the original words are already pretty damn fantastic on their own and don't need much tweaking. What little that was cut from the novel on its journey to the screen was the appropriate fat to trim, as the film doesn't lose anything at all in comparison. I was a tad worried that some of the sections of dialogue featured in the book wouldn't translate well to film, coming off as a little too clean and "pretentious" (the most overused word in film criticism), and some may feel exactly that way, especially in regards to certain plot points like the metaphor Augustus literally puts between his teeth, but I never once felt a falter and I never once felt the urge to cringe.

Of course, this could also be due to the fact that the actors chosen to fill these roles were extraordinary, especially the astonishing and inspiring turn by Shailene Woodley as Hazel Grace Lancaster, the lead of the film. I understand that the finer months of cinema are still yet to come this year, as Oscar season isn't truly rolled out until early October and beyond, but as of today Woodley is my personal front runner for award consideration in early 2015. Nothing ever felt phony or forced, and never once did she appear as an actress being paid to play a role. Woodley was the character, she felt the joyous nature of love, she feared the inevitable death and what it would do to her family, and she suffered the literal pain that was associated with something most people (including myself) take for granted like the ability to breathe. Shailene Woodley was absolutely magnificent here, the perfect choice for The Fault in Our Stars and the official moment that I opened my eyes and realized we were now witnesses to the rise of a truly special career. I felt the emotional power of cinema sitting in that theater yesterday because of the grace and sublime talents of Woodley, as she brought me to tears not solely through her words but also her mannerisms and the deep rooted anguish she expertly portrayed. I am humbled by how incredible she was.

That isn't to dismiss the other fine performances on display here, with Ansel Elgort bringing a clever confidence and charm to the role of Augustus, a character that seems adorably witty to the point of nearly being unrealistic, but his abilities as an actor kept him grounded and believable. The chemistry shared with Woodley throughout this film is undeniable. In the role of their best friend Isaac, Nat Wolff may have been given limited screen time but his presence was felt whenever the opportunity to shine was given. Isaac is a young man suffering from a cancer that has taken his sight, but he continues to make the most out of his life as he seems to recognize that his situation is shitty, but it amazingly could still always be worse. His ailments are awful, but a life without his best friend who stays by his side through it all is a far more scary proposal than what he physically faces. Laura Dern and Sam Trammell were cast in the roles of the parents of Hazel, and it was the moments shared between loving parents and the daughter they never wanted to let go of that truly broke my heart. Their pain as they face the strong possibility of having to bury their only child really resonated with me.

I am a 30 year old man and I openly cried at the cinema during The Fault in Our Stars, and I don't give a shit who knows it. It was a wonderful experience, and the best part was that the emotion wasn't cheaply extracted from me from a mediocre but manipulative film. I cried because the material deserved my emotional response, because the idea of losing someone that means that much to you, the idea of having to say goodbye to a friend, a lover, or a child is almost too much for me to handle. I cried because these fictional characters felt so damn real.

As I exited the theater, the experience almost felt therapeutic, the ability to release so much emotion while watching a film I had fallen in love with. I cried and I cried and I cried, and fuck did it feel good.



4.5/5

Edge of Tomorrow Review

If I have a film on my radar prior to its release, the critical reception and early viewer reactions to it would never deter me from seeing it and forming my own opinion. When I was younger, I would go pick up a copy of the Chicago Sun-Times and read every word of each Roger Ebert review, his opinion being one I trusted and appreciated but I would never let it sway me one way or the other. Now such a concept seems absurd, turning to a newspaper for a single critical voice when the seemingly unlimited wealth of information and reactions are constantly at our fingertips. For obvious reasons the capabilities of our modern world are a blessing, but its hard to not sometimes consider it a curse as well, with people tracking every movement of a Rottentomatoes score rather than simply heading to the cinema, absorbing the work and drawing their own conclusions.

Of course, every so often a film comes along of which I have little to no interest in, and the only thing that could possibly force me to reconsider my initial pessimism would be a wave of surprisingly strong reviews. Edge of Tomorrow was the first 2014 release to fit this bill, with the various trailers and clips I had seen doing basically nothing to garner my attention and anticipate anything more than a mediocre, forgettable science fiction effort. Perhaps I was still a bit turned off by the 2013 film Oblivion, a work worthy of comparison because of the genre and the fact that Tom Cruise performed as the lead. I didn't hate that film, but my enjoyment mostly came from the appealing visuals and amazing musical score while the concept felt recycled and the screenplay left much to be desired. Edge of Tomorrow is guilty in a similar way in regards to the concept, as you may notice that every single write up invokes the blatant comparison to Groundhog Day, but something about this work felt far more inspired and fresh than Oblivion.

After the nearly universally positive reviews began to pour in for this film, I knew I had to give it a look, and I walked away from it totally surprised by how smart and entertaining it is. Doug Liman may not be a household name director, and his track record doesn't guarantee success, but he has provided me cinematic joy in the past in the form of films like Swingers and The Bourne Identity. Now I can add Edge of Tomorrow to that list, because for the most part it is an absolute blast of a film, one that I never saw coming. Say what you want about Tom Cruise the man, but as a performer he always brings it regardless of the quality of the material. He does his job and he shows a lot of passion for his work, and I admire him for that. This is one of the better Cruise performances in some time, and he is joined on screen by the lovely and amazingly talented Emily Blunt, a duo that did their best to keep me enthralled even during the moments that could have derailed the film in which some convoluted explanations were given in regards to the aliens abilities and them being transferred to others and so on. The only real flaw of some of these dialogue driven sequences was that they occasionally hampered the otherwise smooth as silk pacing of the film, but the ship would quickly get back on course soon after.

When compared to some of the best films released thus far in 2014, Edge of Tomorrow didn't floor me in quite the same fashion, but in terms of expectations versus reality this has to be near the top of the list of pleasant surprises, right there along with The Lego Movie. I entered this experience expecting an uninspired, recycled, 3D cash grab, but its a rather intelligent piece of filmmaking, a work that knows how to kick our asses with action but not so much as to desensitize. I look forward to adding Edge of Tomorrow to my blu ray collection in the future.



4/5

Singin' in the Rain Review

After a freak finger in car door accident involving my daughter on Tuesday that doesn't sound nearly as bad as it actually was (she literally could have almost answered nine to the question "how many fingers do you have?"), I just haven't been in much of a film mood for a couple nights there. The focus has been more on getting rest and just making it through with some normalcy as she dealt with the pain and a few nightmares that come from a young mind experiencing unrest after such trauma. Last night I felt the cinematic urges again, but it had to be a very specific type of film, a joyous work that my soul needed at the moment to give me a bounce in my step and a smile on my face.

Singin' in the Rain was practically crafted for moments like this.

When I was younger, I would have never given a film like this the time of day. Musicals? Lame. Dancing? Not interested.

Younger version of me was a fool.

It wasn't until I got a little older and my appreciation for cinema matured that I realized that the concept of writing off a genre as a whole without even giving a film a chance is absurd. There is no such thing as a bad genre, only bad films that occupy every single one. I assume there are plenty of musicals out there that would absolutely bore me to tears, erroneously reinforcing my belief that an entire faction of film would elude my tastes forever. Singin' in the Rain isn't merely a wonderful genre film, it is one of the finest releases since the medium took shape.

The songs are iconic. The performances are dazzling. The dialogue is sharp and clever throughout. The choreography is simply perfect. 64 years after its release, Singin' in the Rain is still remarkably relevant and holds up in every possible way. Prior to my first viewing of this gem last year, I had incorrectly assumed that the picture would be an over the top extravaganza of song and dance when in reality this is anything but. When such aspects are utilized, they are done so with intelligence and class, knowing exactly how to also balance a wonderful story about the history of cinema and the challenges faced by a silent star when the dawn of the age of talkies arrived.

Singin' in the Rain was, as expected, the perfect pill to cure some of my blues. If you still maintain some sort of resistance towards it because of the idea of a musical, just find a way to see it and allow yourself to experience true cinematic joy. It truly is one of the finest films ever made.


5/5

The Grand Budapest Hotel Review

I have lived in the same general area my entire life, relocating from suburb to suburb outside of Chicago but always within a 15 minute drive of the place I call home today, a fine town called Downers Grove. Despite this, I had somehow managed to never step foot inside a wonderful old fashioned cinema that resides in downtown Downers, a place that still captures the magic I feared had been lost thanks to the dominant position held by bigger, corporate owned theaters. The reason a visit to the glorious Tivoli cinema had eluded me for so long was a combination of the fact that they usually featured films I had already seen by the time they screened there, and also just plain strange luck, with any number of planned first time trips called off for a number of reasons. As I walked in last night and reveled in the majestic size of their single screen theater, I felt as if I had taken a time machine back to when such unique venues more commonly existed. I wanted to soak in every little piece of what made the atmosphere so special.

Speaking of a time machine, prior to the start of the film as I sat in my chair admiring the gorgeous architecture that surrounded me, I started thinking about my history with the work of the auteur Wes Anderson. I went back to the late 90's when I, a fat teenager with a strange sense of humor, discovered the films Bottle Rocket and Rushmore and I fell in love with the intoxicating and unique brand of comedy. My friends and I would quote those works endlessly, constantly revisiting them when we couldn't think of anything to do, always willing to dive back in to the worlds Wes created and search for more reasons to fall deeper in love. 

Despite this, as I prepared for my journey to The Grand Budapest Hotel last night, I was wondering if it would be the first time I would be willing to give full marks to an Anderson film, as even the ones I love most never seemed to deserve such accolades. I could practically bathe in the style of his films and yet still I had been unable to fully embrace one and toss around a word like masterpiece without immediately shooting down the notion. I cleared my mind as the cinema went dark and the show began, and fate would have it that such a marvelous feature would be my first experience in this setting. I knew immediately that I was in store for a special experience, and finally I can use the word with full confidence as Anderson has delivered his finest work to date: masterpiece.

Often times it seems a filmmaker will be criticized for not working outside of his comfort zone, for not attempting to delve into a differing genre and dipping their toes into a new pool from time to time, yet I admire Anderson for staying the course and instead of going off the tracks trying to refresh his image, he has managed to absolutely perfect what he does best. If you don't get off on the quirky side of Wes, don't bother with The Grand Budapest Hotel, as he pulls out all the stops here by crafting something that even for him was unlike anything I have ever seen. The set pieces are equal parts drab and lavish, featuring a color palette that doesn't scream of beauty and yet the imagery danced in my eyes and delighted my senses. The costume design perfectly suited the material, the setting and the era in which the events take place, but not in a way that actually felt genuine. I never once felt like I was witnessing the 1930's, but instead I was always aware that it was Wes Anderson doing his best impression of such a time, which sounds like a bad thing but in reality it added to the magic of the picture.

I have always kept an eye on the way Anderson frames his films, but something about The Grand Budapest Hotel seemed to be particularly brilliant in this regard. The subjects of each frame and their surroundings were so ideally realized that constantly throughout what was actually a motion picture felt like a series of paintings that I would hang up in my living room. The camera was often times in motion yet it did so with such grace and ease, always staying perfectly level and keeping the focus of each frame centered. I kept thinking that I couldn't wait to own this film so I could pause it and take a second to appreciate every inch of what is portrayed, because my eyes both wanted to follow the performers and understand their placement yet I also wished to pick apart everything Anderson put into the film, all the way to the slightest touches off in the distance.

The one aspect I could always count on from an Anderson film is the quality level of the screenplay and his casting choices to give it life, and I certainly was not disappointed with these aspects of The Grand Budapest Hotel. In fact, I strongly believe what was created here is the most brilliant and inspired efforts of his long and important career, a film so impeccably written that I was constantly laughing out loud even at the most subtle moments. Even something as simple as a facial expression or the reaction of a character that was relegated to the background in the frame had me smiling from ear to ear, and the cast was expertly assembled, a combination of his usual players in surprisingly minor roles, faces that were unknown to me prior to this film, and also recognizable, astonishing talent like Ralph Fiennes, Jeff Goldblum, Harvey Keitel Adrien Brody, F. Murray Abraham,  Jude Law, Saoirse Ronan, Willem Dafoe, and Tilda Swinton that defined perfection for the roles they played. In fact, Fiennes gives what is probably the single best comedic performance that I have witnessed in some time, delivering every single line with passion and conviction and displayed a genius for timing that is necessary to make material like this work.

As you can tell, I could go on and on about this film, but I don't want the words to be rendered meaningless via overkill. All I can say is, this is the finest film thus far of 2014 and the greatest thing Wes Anderson has ever accomplished. I loved it as I exited the beautiful Tivoli theater, wanting to head right back in and do it again, but after I went home the admiration grew even stronger. If this is the best we will ever see from Wes, at the very least I can finally say he crafted a perfect film. 

5/5 

Take Shelter Review

My wife of 8 years is currently working on her master's degree, having the courage to go back and change the course of her life by pursuing a career in something she cares deeply about. Words can hardly describe how much I admire this, as I sit at a job each day that doesn't elicit even the slightest bit of passion from me, merely a countdown of hours, minutes, seconds until I can exit the building and pretend it doesn't exist. Her goal is to enter the world of social work, a focus on mental health, a fascination with trying to understand it and also the desire to show compassion for those suffering through such internal devastation.

The other day, she mentioned that an upcoming paper would be regarding the portrayal of mental health in a film, and a modern masterpiece immediately came to mind as the perfect subject matter for such an assignment. Take Shelter, the 2011 independent drama by the young auteur Jeff Nichols, is a work of extraordinary power and spellbinding performances, a tour de force master class in filmmaking that was even more stunning during this, my second viewing. The film follows a young family of three living a seemingly normal life in rural America, with one of the finest actors working today playing the role of Curtis, a hard working husband and father doing what he can to support a beautiful wife and daughter, the latter unfortunately having lost her ability to hear. Samantha, the wife and mother, is played by the amazing Jessica Chastain with strength and grace, an astonishing resiliency through tough times, a life of calm happiness shattered by the dreaded approaching storm.

Curtis begins experiencing nightmares littered with apocalyptic visions and moments of shocking violence involving the people he loves most, and the effects of these dreams carry over into his conscious reality. The striking thing about the unstable mind of Curtis is that he is aware enough to recognize the timing of this unfortunate progression, the realization that his mother began fighting a similar battle at the same age yet he can't stop himself from fearing the destructive storm that he believes is headed their way. Curtis risks everything, his job, his financial well being and worst of all his family as he becomes obsessed with building an elaborate storm shelter to ensure their safety.

I am an optimistic film enthusiast, as I enter every single work hoping to find aspects to embrace and often times I do, but what I feel is most often missing from our current cinematic world that revolves around massive budgets and box office receipts is the importance of storytelling. It seems so simple, the concept that a film is meant to deliver a compelling story to the audience, yet far too often a film will lack any semblance of this. Jeff Nichols understands what it truly means to take an audience on a journey, to form a deep connection with setting and atmosphere and characters, and his ability to deliver a narrative with patience and maturity without ever bringing us across the line into boredom is humbling and inspiring. What he delivered here with Take Shelter is flawless, a film that has all the makings of a true classic to be cherished for decades to come.

Plenty of films have been centered around mental illness, but rarely are they this emotionally draining and this expertly crafted. Nichols fabulously showcases the fact that Curtis may be suffering from the disease, but he is not the only victim of such a tragedy. The journey Samantha goes on during these perfectly paced two hours is one filled with heartbreak, with certain sequences being so emotionally draining that I wished I could crawl through the screen and just give her a damn hug, tell her everything would be alright even if I didn't believe the words myself. The loyalty she shows her husband at a time when running the opposite way would be so easy is beyond admirable. She accepts the unavoidable reality of what her family is facing and just when Curtis needs support the most, she is there to take his hand and show him that he won't be left to survive the storm alone.


5/5