Spoiler Review: Gravity

Spoiler Review is a new series where I will review movies that require many spoilers in order to review them properly. This is my review of "Gravity." This goes without saying: SPOILER ALERT.

Every time a movie comes out that uses 3D really well, like really really well, I never hesitate to call it the second coming of cinema. "Avatar." "Hugo." "Life of Pi." Yes, I do strongly regret giving "Avatar" that much credit.

I don't want to say "Gravity" has changed the game. It's just responded to the tools of our time so well and it has done what many others only wished they could accomplish. More importantly, if you ever doubted that the wonder of the movies has been stolen by TV, then look at "Gravity," and you'll understand that it never went anywhere.

Movie Review: Gravity

"In space, no one can hear you scream."

This is now the famous tagline from "Alien," and the basis for "Gravity." "Gravity" hasn't been advertised as a horror film, but it captures the fear of being alone in space better than most others that have tried way too hard to do so.

"Gravity" marks the long awaited return of Alfonso Cuaron who last directed "Children of Men," which is still one of my favorite films of all time. Like "Children of Men," there is no indication of when the camera starts and stops rolling. Cuaron is one for relentless action. Immersive might not even be a strong enough word to describe "Gravity." I get the feeling that Cuaron just wanted us to float in space with him forever. There were multiple times where I felt short of breath. Apparently, you don't need any dimensions beyond 3D to get all your senses this invested in a movie.

Oscars 2012 Wrap Up: Let the Dog Speak

And now, I conclude my incessant takeover of your Social Media newsfeeds with my very last blog post of awards season. As predicted, "The Artist" took home the top prize and a few more. Most surprisingly, Meryl Streep beat out Viola Davis for Best Actress, because apparently people were outraged that she only won two. Most disappointingly, George Clooney lost Best Actor to Jean Dujardin. I have respect for Mr. Dujardin and he gave a great performance, but his transformation was nothing like Clooney's.

For now, Clooney will just have to live with the fact that he's George Clooney.

The Oscars: The Drinking Game

Given my age, I cannot officially endorse any drinking of any sort. So I will say that this game is for the 21+ readers out there (or if you are overseas, 12+ most likely). If you're underage, then I guess you'll just have to have a fun night with grape juice or something. Use your imagination. Many people have made Oscar drinking games in the past, but I would like to think that mine is at least slightly original. Here are the cues to drink. Feel free to add in any of your own: 

• Billy Crystal makes a joke about how old Christopher Plummer is. 
• Sean Penn addresses a humanitarian crisis.
• A montage honoring old movies.
• A montage honoring a bunch of movies that came out in the past year that nobody liked but still get a mention at the Oscars anyway. 
• In their acceptance speech, an award winner tells their kids watching at home to "go to bed." 
• Someone makes a joke about George Clooney.
• George Clooney says something really funny and charming.
• George Clooney makes a reference to a humanitarian crisis or a political cause in his acceptance speech.
• Someone makes a joke about Meryl Streep.
• Someone appears on stage in a "War Horse" costume.
• A dance number dedicated to silent movies.
• Someone makes a joke about how many movies Ryan Gosling has been in this year.
• Sean Penn goes on stage saying the previous joke about Ryan Gosling wasn't funny, and that he is a talented and valued actor.
• A nominee mouths something at the camera, or makes a Jim Halpert face. 
• Two talented actors get on stage and perform a terrible bit of scripted publicity for their upcoming movie.
• Someone makes a joke about the amount of Jews in the room. 
• Someone makes a joke about Republicans, to which the entire audience cheers.
• Fox News runs a new story about liberal bias in Hollywood the next day (this one is for the morning after). 

The Oscars: Who Will Win

Best Picture: The Artist

            Thanks to a strange new voting system, there are nine Best Picture nominees this year. “War Horse” might have won in a different year, and “Hugo” merits much consideration for transforming 3D into a viable art form. This year, the nostalgia of “The Artist” has been contagious in various awards ceremonies. Look for it to be the second silent movie ever to win Best Picture.              

Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist)

            With just a few rare exceptions, the Best Picture and Best Director choices go to the same movie. Hazanavicius will be victorious along with his movie for bringing the art of silence to typically noisy 21^st century movie theaters. Plus, he already picked up the Directors Guild of America Award. So far, only 6 directors who have this honor have not gone on to win the Oscar. Hazanavicius will not be a part of this statistic.

Movie Review: The Descendants

Seven years ago, Alexander Payne dispensed a masterful romantic comedy called "Sideways" on us. Then, he all but disappeared, meaning that for seven long years theaters lacked the likes of Jack and Miles and Tracy Flick. Finally, Payne's fifth feature as a director, "The Descendants" has hit theaters, and it's the kind of film Payne must have been working toward his whole career to make.

Payne's early Omaha-centric films lent themselves perfectly to dark comedies, thanks to the always cloudy midwestern location. After checking out Napa Valley in "Sideways," Payne jumps across the Pacific to Hawaii for "The Descendants." This is Payne's darkest film. Despite it taking place in Hawaii, George Clooney's Matt King makes it clear from the very beginning that just because they live in paradise, Hawaiians are not "immune to life." This is not the sequel to "50 First Dates."

King is a lawyer, a land baron, and an absent father. Like most of the people around him, he wears a tropical shirt every day. However, rather than conveying relaxation, wearing these shirts just seem to convey stress. King comes home one day to find his wife, whom was always fond of extreme sports, to be in a coma after a boating accident. Not only must he care for someone who is on their deathbed, but also his daughters whom he barely knows.

His youngest daughter Scottie (Amara Miller) turns out to be a precocious mess without the guidance of her father. The oldest King daughter, Alexandra (Shailene Woodley), is a so-called problem child who surprisingly steps up to the plate once her mother isn't around. Matt's attempts to rekindle his relationship with his daughters is rough at first, but every minute of the film is a representation of him making a step in the right direction and becoming a better father.

Along the way, Matt finds out the nasty little secret that his wife was having an affair with a real estate mogul (Matthew Lillard), something that Matt's ineptitude as a husband might have forced her into doing. This all leads Matt to explore one big question: can you forgive somebody who is in a vegetative state?

Just as the eldest daughter must step up to the plate, so does Clooney in this challenging performance, and he definitely delivers, in one of the best roles of his career. Payne has a habit of getting his actors to go against character, and Matt King is the equivalent of Jim McAllister years after he decided to flee Omaha and Warren Schmidt before reaching old age. Clooney is best at playing characters who go through a crisis but this time, he gets a happier, or more accurately, uplifting, ending.

Clooney is an actor who usually gives very commanding performances. His performance in "The Descendants" is a different kind of commanding, the more quiet kind, the kind that could win him an Oscar. His character doesn't speak in monologues in front of a crowd but rather in long monologues inside of his head. Perhaps he is trying to reach out to someone that won't listen, or rather justify his own actions in the comfort of his thoughts. Either way, it sends the message that his neglect never came from lack of love. Perhaps a lack of understanding might be a better way to describe it.

"The Descendants" moves at a leisurely pace, making the good times better, and the tragic times more painful. Here is a film that wants its audience to wallow in both joy and sorrow. The audience is given ample time to get to know the characters, and soak in the fantastically convincing screenplay by Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash (yes, this guy).

"The Descendants" uses its Hawaiian locales to their full potential. While this film dispels the myth that Hawaii is a paradise, it doesn't shy away from the images of sandy beaches and towering green mountains from the Hawaiian stock photo factory. And why not? While Hawaii is a place filled with hardships like any other state in America, it is still a damn beautiful place to live.

At the core of "The Descendants" is a tragedy that causes many other tragedies. What this film does so interestingly is disconnect its audience from the tragedy. We never do witness the tragic accident that put Mrs. King into a coma, nor do we get to witness her being alive at all (there aren't even any flashbacks of her provided). It is this disconnect that ultimately makes "The Descendants" such an uplifting film, because in the aftermath of a tragedy, there is a certain unpredictable nature, as if there is nowhere to go but up. And that is exactly what the King family needs. And as an audience member, it'll make you love this film even more than you thought you could.

Movie Review: The Ides of March

I remember when I first started getting interested in politics. I was a junior in high school, and Barack Obama and John McCain were running for president. For the first time ever, I actually felt invested in the idea that someone might become president and change things for the better. Then I waited a few years and realized that nothing changes.

"The Ides of March," the fourth film directed by George Clooney, is the perfect film for all of us cynics out there. Some might be turned off by the film's dark tone, but it is the touch of realism that Hollywood fairy tales about politics so desperately needed.

At the beginning, the optimist will feel like Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling), the young and ambitious junior campaign manager for presidential candidate Mike Morris (Clooney). Meyers is highly admired and sought after for his skills. It may be less because it is talented and more because he is clueless.

Morris, an obvious allusion to our current president, runs on a campaign of hope and change. His speaking ability and intelligence seem too good to be true. No candidate is good without a loyal team behind them.

Things are going well for the Morris campaign as they make their way through the Ohio primary. Morris looks like the candidate to beat, and Meyers get more and more acclaim from his peers. But after Stephen is approached by the rival candidate's campaign manager (Paul Giamatti) things go down hill. This, topped with the discovery of a shocking scandal, throws the whole campaign into chaos.

"The Ides of March" made me think back to a quote from one of cinema's shadiest politicians, Harvey Dent, in which he claims, "you either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain." The dehumanizing process of politics has been touched upon in movies time and time again, but in "The Ides of March," there is no white knight, only a bunch that are stuck in the gray areas of life. As a viewer, you grow to like every character, and then you grow to hate them. By the end, none of them even look like good guys or bad guys anymore. This is a tale of the most twisted morality possible.

While Morris is the film's central character, his physical presence is sparse throughout. He is like this film's Gatsby, as our view on him is shaped more by the perceptions of others than by his actual presence. And when we do see him, Clooney plays him more as a blank slate who can easily be swayed in either direction. His views are called idealistic for a reason. By the time a campaign ends and an election starts, a candidate is no longer a reflection of their views but rather of everything they need to win.

Despite the importance of the candidate, Gosling ends up stealing the show as the naive Stephen Meyers. Gosling has been getting better by the movie, and this role should earn him his second Oscar nomination. He has developed a talent for playing characters with a kind and almost innocent outer shell, but with very dangerous tendencies. Here, the danger he holds is in in the naivety of his actions, including his fling with an intern (Evan Rachel Wood). By the end, when he his own voice has been reduced by the endless political commentary running through his headphones, he has officially become a victim of politics. That final expression is stoic yet screaming in inescapable pain.

Watching "The Ides of March," I was reminded of the recent, equally pessimistic films such as "Michael Clayton" and "The Ghost Writer." Something that "The Ides of March" has is the ability to make the trivial thrilling. A scene in which Morris's senior campaign manager (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) steps into a car is so thrilling even though the camera remains stationary. We know something bad is going to happen, but we are denied seeing what exactly it will be. Clooney can make a situation go on for longer than it should, and make us want to keep watching it. Much of the movie is like a ticking time bomb that takes its time to go off, just to mess with its victims.

Clooney shows improvement as a director and unlike many actor-directors, he is not just directing for good performances and writing, but rather for the movie as a whole. He really cares about the consequences of where a camera is placed. The lighting emphasizes shadows. One of the most memorable shots in the movie is of Gosling, in silhouette, standing in front of a giant American flag. Behind this flag, a symbol of freedom, what keeps this country free and democratic is a shadowy, corrupt underworld of lies and false intentions.

In trying to make the small things meaningful, the writing turns dull, political jargon into a fast-paced function of the thriller itself. In "The Ides of March," ideas and meetings are more action-packed than shootouts and car chases.

Republicans may swoon over the movie's treatment of the Democratic Party, while Democrats will balk. But the great part about this movie is that it is an allegory not on political beliefs but rather on political corruption. At face value, this is a movie about the disappointments of Barack Obama. Deeper down, Morris is a politician who is more like John Edwards; on the outside, he is a friend of the people but truthfully, he is just fending for himself.

The movie takes its title from the day in which Julius Caesar, who's power was increasing, was assassinated at the heads of the members of the Roman Senate. This accurately describe the heated relationship between Morris and Meyers, as well as the morally hazy intentions of every character in the movie. Nowadays, few people ask the right questions about our political system. "The Ides of March" is provocative enough to do just that.

Movie Review: Up in the Air

I won't go as far as to say that "Up in the Air" is the best film of our time. However, should a future alien life form want to learn about our time and culture through film, they should look no further.

"Up in the Air" is the kind of film we need right now; it's one that allows the life of one man to mirror our very own existence.

"Up in the Air" is based on a 2002 novel of the same name. The film version is given a 2009 financial crisis twist. Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) is a corporate downsizer, going from city to city firing people for corporations too afraid to confront their own employees. While some might face a guilty conscious doing this job, Bingham has developed an addiction to his life on the open road. In fact, he's spent 322 days of the past year flying from city to city.

Bingham's air-bound life leaves him isolated from the rest of humanity, but he wouldn't have it any other way. Soon enough, Bingham's livelihood is at stake as his company moves toward computerized communication. Only another frequent flyer (Vera Farmiga) and a new employee (Anna Kendrick) could possibly help him get used to a life on the ground.

"Up in the Air" is a rarity; it's a film that takes a delicate subject and brings both drama and humor into it while keeping neither emotion from becoming overbearing. The film is led with a commanding performance by George Clooney, who shows a whole range of emotion with just one mournful stare. This works well as he portrays a character who must fire people without remorse, and therefore every emotion he might ever have is trapped inside of him.

While Clooney's acting is nothing short of fantastic here (as are the rest of the ensemble's), this is really director Jason Reitman's show. This is Reitman's third feature. After "Thank You for Smoking," "Juno," and now "Up in the Air," Reitman has gone three for three and proves himself as something of a force to be reckoned with. He is probably Hollywood's most versatile young director, as he can pull off a dark social satire in just about any setting. Whether that be the halls of Congress, a suburban high school, or the corporate world, Reitman just seems to know where and when to point a camera.

Like "Thank you for Smoking" and "Juno" before it, "Up in the Air" provides the in-and-out narrator bringing the audience through the painful processes of their lives. However, "Up in the Air" lacks much of the snark of his first two films and is by far his most serious one to date.

In addition, this film shows off Reitman's talent not only as a director, but as a writer as well. No situation feels contrived, and no dialogue goes to waste. Every line feels insightful into either the experience of Bingham, or life as a whole. The ability to be both a great writer and director ultimately shapes you into a great storyteller. Nowhere is that more apparent than in this film, especially in one of the film's final, game-changing twists which you'll just have to see for yourself.

Quite possibly part of the reason why I think "Up in the Air" is so great is because I viewed it as a throwback to the greatest era in American cinema: the 1970s. Like a film out of the 70s, "Up in the Air" sets its story in a socially aware context, without hammering the viewer with politicized themes.

Of everything from the 70s I can think of, "Up in the Air" feels most like a film by Hal Ashby ("The Last Detail," "Harold & Maude"), as it contains many scenes that one could find extraneous, but which do so much to develop character. One instance I can't get out of my head is Bingham taking pictures of a cardboard cutout of his sister and her fiance in front of famous American monuments. This serves as one of the film's funniest running jokes, and Reitman's ability to utilize quirky characters.

"Up in the Air" also immediately made me think of "Taxi Driver," mainly in how similar Ryan Bingham is to Travis Bickle. One might think both characters are forced into isolation by society, but it is instead their very nature to remain isolated. Clooney does the impossible in nearly channeling De Niro's performance, minus the murderous rampages.

What could best make "Up in the Air" perfect 70s cinema is its open-ended ending. While some just want films to give them an answer, the best ones, the ones we never forget, are those that let the viewer do the thinking. This is why we go to the movies: not just to be entertained, but to be challenged. Some movies are an escape from reality, while others mirror it. "Up in the Air" certainly falls into that latter category. Its a cinematic gem; the kind of film that brings you to terms with reality but manages to impress with impeccably good writing, directing, music, camerawork, and acting. "Up in the Air" works so well because its so satisfying in basically everything it sets out to do.