"Spectre" (2015) - "You are a kite dancing in a hurricane, Mr. Bond"

I went and saw this film yesterday with a friend of mine, and I was so excited to see this! There's nothing like seeing a Bond film at the movies to make you love the cinema!

Marking the 24th Bond film in the franchise, Daniel Craig ("Skyfall", "Casino Royale") returns as the infamous James Bond, this time taking on the mysterious criminal organization, Spectre, with the help of the beautiful Lea Seydoux ("Blue Is the Warmest Color", "Inglourious Basterds") as Dr. Madeleine Swann.

Acting: Out of the all the Bonds, Daniel Craig has always been one of my favorites. He truly has an amazing appeal to him. He's not a typical Bond where he's utterly flawless. We've seen his darker sides, and seen what happens when he's let his emotions get the better of him. This paired with Lea Seydoux and Crisoph Waltz ("Inglourious Basterds", "Django Unchained") sharing the screen, I was completely enthralled. Characters were detailed and well-made, with plenty of backstory.

Editing/Cinematography: Lee Smith ("Inception", "The Dark Knight") was a welcome addition to this film as he brought a nice flair that was unique to the styles shown in "Skyfall" and "Casino Royale" with equally amazing Stuart Baird ("Die Hard 2", "47 Ronin"). Smith paired with director Sam Mendes ("American Beauty", "Skyfall") was a match made in heaven. They truly were able to put together amazing shots of the actors and the scenery was cut straight from an artistic mind.

Music/Sound Editing: Thomas Newman ("Skyfall", "The Iron Lady") returns to work with Sam Mendes on yet another wonderful piece together. Newman was able to produce an amazing feeling throughout the film, which was intense and powerful to soft and sweet. I truly felt the power of his work when we see Seydoux enter the dining car of the train in a gorgeous pale blue evening dress.

Production: Honestly, if you were able to find any product commercials that DIDN'T feature a link to this movie, I applaud you. With endorsement from Belvedere Vodka, Heineken Beer, and the Aston Martin DB10, there was no doubt in my mind that this film was going to get lots of recognition. The quality of the piece was amazing, especially with the reputation it has already leading to it. Costuming was impeccable as always, gorgeous locales, and breathtaking composition of sets.

Writing: Story and dialogue were very interesting. Not going to lie, some parts of the story felt a little fatty, and could have been cut, but overall the ultimate product was well done. 

Final Grade: By far one of my favorite Bond films thus far! Absolutely loved the return to a more understated comedic Bond, and not so much of a Bourne series spin off. Wonderful movie that had kept me engaged and was a thrill!

FINAL GRADE= A

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Flashback Friday: "The Women" (1939) - "I've had two years to grow claws, mother. Jungle Red."

It's a woman's world, us men are just living in it! With it being Friday, it's time for a look back on a classic movie, fresh from 1939.

George Cukor ("Gone with the Wind", "My Fair Lady") brings together a ensemble of elegant, beautiful, and classy ladies...or so we think! Peaking behind the curtain into the life of Mary Haines(Norma Shearer) and her journey through the change of a lifetime.

Acting: "Women: can't live with them, can't live without them!" Well, that's how the saying goes, but in my case, I CAN live with them, and I can't live without them! A cast of talented women, and only women, and this movie couldn't look any better if it tried. Each actress from Joan Crawford's character of the seductive Crystal Allen to Rosalind Russell as Sylvia Fowler, the witty and passionate friend. This cast was full of talent, and I couldn't have seen a better choice for these roles.
Fun Fact: not only were all the actresses in the film female, but the animals used in the scenes were female as well. Consistency!

Editing/Cinematography: The first thing I think of when I think of the editing and the cinematography of this film is the fashion show. By far, one of the most beautiful displays of fashion and color in a movie. Throughout this film, it's black and white, but during the fashion show, we see vibrant reds, cool blues, vicious greens, and then gowns upon gowns of amazing taste. Robert Kern, the editor made wonderful choices on the entire film, wonderful close ups of emotion, and a long shot of an army of women surrounding Mary Haines (Shearer) as she faces the harsh truth of her marriage.

Musics/Sound Editing: The sound editing was well done. I appreciated that the editor was able to save the music for very crucial moments in the film, such as moments of realization and other times of absolute panic. The piece featured some very lovely music, nothing that would truly stand out to me, but I did appreciate the effect it had on a particular set of lines. But it was also the lack of music that drew attention to the lines. As the saying goes, "Less is more."

Production: In addition to putting together a cast of beautiful and talented actresses, the sets were impeccable dressed, but the costuming was phenomenal. According to sources, the costume designer Adrian ("The Wizard of Oz") in addition to making the costumes for the main cast, had to make additional gowns and costumes for a Techincolor fashion show, totaling at 200 gowns! Wonderfully put together pieces that made everything expensive and made me want to be a rich housewife too!

Writing: The story and the dialogue has got to be one of my favorite parts of this piece. The lines were some of the best parts, especially considering the cleverness of the play on words used. Paired with the delivery from the actresses, and it makes for a fantastic web of gossip and intrigue, love and passion. I particularly love the look at how love is treated, especially from the female perspective. Women have always been seen as kind, gentle creatures. But "The Women" shows that they hurt too, and when you mess with the bull you get the horns! Amazingly put together dialogue with fantastic story and passionate deliveries.

Final Grade: This film always makes me giddy and happy. The gossip, the fashion, the pure unadulterated image of women in an exaggerated, but true to real life depiction. It's a jungle out there, Jungle Red.

FINAL GRADE= A

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"The Man From U.N.C.L.E." (2015) - "America teaming up with Russia. That doesn't sound very friendly."

This movie, not knowing of it's origin from the popular 70's television series, was a risk for me to see, at risk for losing interest. Little did I know, I'd find one of my favorite films of this year!

Director Guy Ritchie ("Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows", "Snatch") gives us look back into the 1960's espionage: we have an American CIA Agent, Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) and KGB operative Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer) teaming up to take down the threat of a nuclear weapon, while still protecting the beautiful chop-shop girl, Gaby Teller (Alicia Vikander).

Acting: I read on the internet a lovely synopsis of the actors and their characters in the film: "a Brit playing an American, an American playing a Russian, a Swede playing a German, and an Australian playing an Italian." If that doesn't impress you, then I don't know what does. The tension between Hammer and Cavill was both intense, and comical at the same time. In addition, the attraction between Vikander and Hammer's characters was sweet and playful. Basically, what I have to say is there was top acting within this piece. Every character had me hooked, and had me rooting for the CIA and KGB! ...wait...

Editing/Cinematography: I have to say, the editing style in this movie is one of my favorite parts! The editor for this film, James Herbert, paid important detail to what this film was about. The use of the quick close ups and zoom outs was very quintessential for the 60's. This mixed with the montage of shots in one frame were amazing! I felt as though I were watching Sunday evening action shows about to eat some Ruffles and drink Diet Pepsi! (Read about it: http://www.bonappetit.com/restaurants-travel/article/a-history-of-american-snack-foods-from-waffle-cones-to-doritos)

Music/Sound Editing: The music choice was one of my favorite parts of the film. Going with the classic 60's trope would have been too easy. Instead, our ears are treated with some fantastic over the top, inspired pieces that really take the fun, happy 60's and puts it in the modern 2010's! I thoroughly enjoyed this piece. Kudos to Daniel Pemberton, the composer for the film.

Production: Any good filmmaker knows that creating something that has props, sets, and clothes from a different time period is going to cost you a pretty penny. And the later you go, the more expensive it gets. The car that drove Gaby Teller (Vikander) to her important lunch was a Jaguar MK9, with a price of around $50k, alone. Impeccable attention to detail and an exquisite choice in fashion, this piece was as if it were pulled through a time machine, and given a hint of modern flair.

Writing: Story, I'll be honest was a little hinky to me. While I enjoyed the dialogue and the lines, especially when presented by the actors, the story was not my favorite. The whole idea of the threat of nuclear war was a little too easy for me to take. It's hard to describe, but in all honesty, what I wrote down in my notebook was the word "convoluted."

Final Grade: Even though this piece had amazing actors and fantastic costumes and scenery, I feel that that was all that was holding it up. Story wasn't amazing, but it was a feast for the eyes and has made me want to be a spy in the 60's more than ever (and I never thought I'd actually say that)!

FINAL GRADE= A-

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"Avengers: Age of Ultron" (2015) - "I've got no strings on me"

Get ready, nerds! Cause the Avengers are about to fucking assemble! (Language!) (Get the reference???)

Anyway, now that I'm done trying to be popular, here's my review of "Avengers: Age of Ultron."

"Avengers: Age of Ultron", the sequel to "The Avengers" (2012), with the return of the director Joss Whedon, and all your favorite characters: Captain America (Chris Evans), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Bruce Banner a.k.a. Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). This time, the team is up against a new foe, one that will truly test their bonds and work together.

Acting: With the return of our beloved heroes, I see no problem in them adopting their characters and their personas. I mean really, is Robert Downey Jr. even pretending to be Tony Stark anymore, or are they just the same person at this point? That being said, we are introduced to a few new characters, primarily the actors Elizabeth Olsen ("Silent House") as Wanda Maximoff a.k.a. Scarlet Witch and Aaron Taylor-Johnson ("Kick-Ass") as Pietro Maximoff a.k.a. Quicksilver. However, this isn't your regular Evan Peters ("American Horror Story") Quicksilver, this time he's RUSSIAN around! ...Get it? Russian? Rushin'? On a more serious note, the two actors were great additions to the roster, and both gave very good performances as their characters. Congrats you two! You're now part of the MCU! You're canon.

Editing/Cinematography: The editing style for this film, I think while very well done, was extensive. Jeffrey Ford and Lisa Lassek both did amazing work, especially considering the grandeur of the project. The only thing I would have to say is that certain scenes could stand to have been a bit shorter. At almost 2 and 1/2 hours, this film could have moved a little faster. But, I will admit, the color choices for shots, as well as the composition for these images really engages the audience and wraps them up in the drama of the film.

Music: The music choice in this film, as well as the compositions by Brian Tyler and Danny Elfman, the music was really well done. It felt right to bring in Danny Elfman to collaborate on this piece, as this was a good opportunity to increase the "creepy" factor. With Scarlet Witch instilling fear in the Avengers, as well as shots of surreal and bizarre dreams, this was a great chance to pump up the creepy factor. Which works even better in the end, to make the movie's high moments, even more positive and uplifting.

Production: With Marvel Studios being partnered with Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, do we really even have to discuss the quality of production? Disney and Marvel, after becoming partner have now become the Beyonce and Jay-Z of the film industry: everyone knows about them, and in the public eye, they can't do any wrong. Really though, the production was great, I'm not being rude about it either, I'm just saying that what they are achieving in these films is actually quality stuff. Keep up the good work, guys!

Writing: I'll be honest here, the story for this film was a little copy & paste for me. I will say that the story was good, but I'm not going to be looking for it on the list of Academy Award nominees for Screenwriting. Overall, the lines were entertaining, the dialogue was engaging, and the story was fine. The only problem I see is that I've seen these before: bits of "Iron Man 2" (2010) here, parts of "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" (2014) there, and a dash of "Thor: The Dark World" (2013) to top it off. Really, I'm not expecting them to create anything groundbreaking, and I can't expect them to think of amazingly unique plots, especially since these are all being released so close together, so I can't help but notice the similarities. You can go ahead and start hating me now.

Final Grade: Overall, this film was a blast! I had so much fun watching this movie and seeing all my favorite characters come together once again for my awesome fights and hilarious shenanigans. Way to go, Joss Whedon! Bravo!

 FINAL GRADE=A

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All About Eve (1950)- "Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy ride."

I see no better to get the ball rolling than to start with one of my all-time favorite films.

"All About Eve" is a 1950 film written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz ("Guys and Dolls", "Cleopatra") and produced by Darryl F. Zanuck. The piece stars Bette Davis ("Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?", "Hush Hush...Sweet Charlotte") as Margo Channing, an aging actress of the theater taking on a young protege, Anne Baxter ("The Razor's Edge") as Eve Harrington. The film nominated for 14 Academy Awards, winning 6, including Best Picture in 1951.

Acting: Bette Davis and Anne Baxter were phenomenal actresses and both gave thrilling performances in their roles. Supporting actors George Sanders ("The Picture of Dorian Gray") as Addison Dewitt and Gary Merrill ("A Blueprint for Murder") were two of my favorite male actors in the film. The talent in this film was one that, I have to say, is rare nowadays. Wonderful. Fun Fact: Marilyn Monroe made one of her debut performances as Miss Cazwell, and she looked phenomenal.

Editing/Cinematography: The editing and choice of cinematography, I think has set a motion for films to follow. One of the things I noticed was how they played to the camera as much as possible. As any theater-goer knows, playing your body to the audience is key, to show the actors' emotions and to give a sense of interaction with the audience. The use of this technique, while keeping in the theme of the idea of theater performers was a very good choice. The lighting, also, I felt was very well done, it always seemed as though the actors had a fine silhouette around them, which helped draw attention to their body language, as well as their emoting.

Music: The film's compositions were done by Alfred Newman, which I have to say was very well done. The music choices were very well to carry the emotions, espcially in tender moments, such as when Margo (Davis) and Karen (Celeste Holm) sit in the car during Margo's release of emotions. As Ms. Channing says, "I detest cheap sentiment." There is nothing but the finest in this piece.

Production: The film had a marvelous production. The clothing was breath-taking and truly was tailored to their characters. The sets and pieces used were of a wide variety, and had good use of space. Again, following in the theme of the theater, everything seemed to played to the camera and was all put to where the audience was truly immersed.

Writing: This was one of my favorite parts of the entire film. Mankiewicz was able to create a script that could make you chuckle as well as shed a tear. The interactions between characters, one of my most near and dear qualities of films, was impeccable. Clever, witty dialogue paired with deep, penetrating stories gave the film amazing life, and kept me hooked throughout the entire piece. And who can forget that amazing line from Ms. Bette Davis's character, "Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy ride."

Final Grade: This film, again, is one of my favorites. Pairing well-bred actors with fantastic dialogue and wonderful story creates a fantastic piece. Every time I experience this film, it takes me to a time when life was beautiful and classic and people were all of a different breed.
GRADE= A+

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Hi

"It does seem true that a lot of people will do anything, however humiliating, for fame." -Roger Ebert

On an unrelated note, here's my blog. 

My name is Harrison, I live in the beautiful San Francisco as an aspiring filmmaker and artist. This blog is for me to see movies and get the opportunity to voice my position on my own films. So this blog is going to consist of me bitching and moaning about movies all the time, so strap in. I love movies, I see them truly as an art form, and I think that we can all appreciate the fact that they can tell stories that some of us could never experience in our lives.

I hope you enjoy!

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