The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

5/10

Starring

Leonardo DiCaprio

Jonah Hill

Directed by Martin Scorsese

The Wolf of Wall Street—I didn’t get what the whole hype was about. The movie isn’t bad, but it’s just not great either. It received positive reviews from critics, although its moral standing is kind of lost on me. It feels like the repercussions Jordan Belfort faced are portrayed in a way that makes it seem like everything he went through was worth it.

The comic style of the movie was also too raw for me to enjoy it that much. I just found myself straight-faced, not laughing as much as I was told I would.

The movie is based on Jordan Belfort's memoir The Wolf of Wall Street, where Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a small-time stockbroker who lands a job at an established brokering firm run by Mark Hanna (Matthew McConaughey). Mark advises Jordan to adopt the same lifestyle he lives—having casual sex, masturbating, and using cocaine to stay on top of his game.

Jordan has barely settled into his new job when the firm fails after Black Monday.

Jordan then gets a job at another brokering firm that sells penny stocks, and from there, Jordan blows up. He takes over the way things are run in the firm and launches out big by creating his own brokering firm, Stratton Oakmont.

After that, things go into the fast lane for Jordan and his friends. The money they were making was too much for them to spend, and they started doing shady deals to make more money, essentially robbing the poor masses.

This movie has been nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Martin Scorsese.
The film is historically significant as the first major movie to be distributed entirely digitally. It’s also noted for being the drama film with the word "fuck" said the most in cinematic history. (Courtesy: Wikipedia)

I feel that many will find this raw comedy and lack of moral standing fun, given how movies have shifted to a new level where they use sexual references, sex, and vulgar language to keep the "vulgar world" happy.

I’ve been wondering when the world turned to such a place, where a line like, “Soon you’ll be jerking off thinking about money,” is considered funny.

As I said, The Wolf of Wall Street isn’t for me, but it might be for you, as many people do like it, so give it a try, you may like it too.

Captain Philips (2013)

Captain Phillips (2013)

7/10

Starring

Tom Hanks

Barkhad Abdi

Directed by Paul Greengrass

Captain Phillips and his trip via the Indian Ocean is a movie that surprised me—I actually enjoyed it, and I enjoyed every moment of it. This action thriller is based on a real-life event where Captain Richard Phillips was taken hostage by pirates led by Abduwali Muse.

In the movie, Tom Hanks plays Captain Phillips, and Barkhad Abdi plays Abduwali Muse. Although I don’t know who Barkhad Abdi is, I believe his role in the movie was exquisite. He was on point when he delivered his lines, and the precision in his acting made him the man to watch for the entire run of the movie. I actually enjoyed his portrayal more than that of veteran actor Tom Hanks.
For his role in this movie, he earned himself a nomination as Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards.

The captivating thing about Captain Phillips is the pace—it keeps you glued. The way the events unfold makes you feel like a boat in the middle of a storm, not knowing which way the waves are taking you. That intense suspense kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the movie.

As mentioned earlier, the movie is about how Captain Phillips was taken hostage as he tried to save his crew from harm, putting himself in the hands of the pirates, some very noble levels.

There are more reasons to see this movie than what I’m saying. Just go online and check out the audience and critics' ratings. Not only is it well-liked, but it’s also a financial success. Captain Phillips made the best use of its scenery, as it was shot off the coast of Malta in the Mediterranean Sea. They did their best to make all the events seem true and real, as the movie is based on Richard Phillips's 2010 memoir, A Captain's Duty.

As much as I enjoyed the movie, the plot does start to feel repetitive in the middle, which slows things down. There’s also not much character development for Hanks' character, which could’ve made his performance even stronger.

Another thing to cheer about is the casting. The people cast to play the Somali pirates were just on point. They were the ones who made the film what it is, and I can bet they’re the reason this film got an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.

Enough said—go see this movie, it delivers the needed thrill for the day. Although it’s nowhere near as good as Her (2013), which I believe is the best movie released in 2013.

Her (2013)

Her (2013)

9/10

Starring

Joaquin Phoenix

Amy Adams

Rooney Mara

Olivia Wilde

Scarlett Johansson

Directed by Spike Jonze

You need to stop what you’re doing right now and go see this film.

This sci-fi movie is centered on two characters, and then it evolves like a black hole, sucking you, the viewer, in. Throughout the process, you keep telling yourself not to blink because you don’t want to miss a thing.

Joaquin Phoenix is an actor I’ve come to respect for his acting skills and his choice of movies. Her is a choice I know he’ll forever thank his agent and Spike Jonze for.
The screenplay in this movie is what drives me nuts—what class! And the thing is, it’s the first solo screenplay that director Spike Jonze has done, and it’s just classic. I’d put the screenplay on par with Before Midnight (2013). As a matter of fact, if you liked Before Midnight, you’ll love this.

The movie’s plot revolves around this couple: Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) and Samantha (Scarlett Johansson). The twist? Theodore is human, while Samantha is an OS—an A.I. software created to evolve and learn as it interacts with its human counterparts.

Theodore and Samantha’s relationship starts on a companionship level, with Theodore needing someone to talk to, to take away the loneliness. But as their time together grows, a form of attachment starts to form. Theodore begins to grow fond of Samantha, and she (yes, she) grows fond of him too. Over time, their relationship deepens to the point where Theodore tells everyone that Samantha is his girlfriend (note: Samantha is a software with only a voice—no body). Samantha, in turn, helps Theodore get over his divorce and even kick-starts his career as a writer.

Their whole relationship is rosy until both Theodore and Samantha start to mature mentally, realizing that a relationship between a software and a person is complicated to maintain. How they resolve that… well, you’ll have to watch to find out.

The movie does have its drawbacks, like it struggles with pacing, especially in the middle, where the relationship between Theodore and Samantha starts to feel repetitive, which can start to bore the audience. While the concept is intriguing, the plot doesn’t fully dive into the complexities of an A.I. and human relationship, which leaves a sense of missed potential.

Make it a date to see this movie this week, it is worth your time. You’ll be glad you did.

47 Ronin (2013)

47 Ronin (2013)

3/10

Starring

Keanu Reeves

Hiroyuki Sanada

Directed by Carl Rinsch

47 Ronin. Read about it, watch the trailer, and then wait for the DVD to come out. Borrow it and watch the last 20 minutes—if you absolutely must see this film. If it’s also been a while since you’ve seen something truly awful, here’s one for you—a total load of nonsense.

Contains Spoiler
The movie boasts some of the best Japanese actors and even throws in The Matrix (1999) star Keanu Reeves. You’d expect an explosive movie, but to be honest, I had to struggle to keep my eyes open while watching this. The buildup to the final showdown was way too long, and when we finally got to meet the demons, I was expecting more than what I saw. These were the guys who trained the hero, but all they did was talk. Talk is cheap, men—do some moves! Free the whole illusion, paparazzi!

And when Keanu’s character had to take on the dragon lady, he sliced and diced her over and over, but the dragon kept coming at him. I began to wonder if the dragon was immune to pain or if her skin couldn’t be pierced.
But then, the dragon lady attacked the princess, and Keanu had to save her—isn’t that what heroes do? Since the days of Mario Bros., they’ve been saving princesses from evil villains, one of which was this dragon lady. By the way, throughout the entire movie, I never fully grasped her agenda. But let’s get back to what I was saying—when she went after the princess, all of a sudden, the sword pierced her skin. In fact, Keanu’s character had some hidden powers that we only got to see once in the whole 100 minutes of this movie.

WHAT A LOAD OF RUBBISH.

I’ve never seen a more boring face-off than this. When the main bad guy was taken on by the supporting hero, I was expecting a well-crafted fight, but again, I was disappointed.

The only good thing in the movie was the acting. And the only reason you should see this movie would be… well, to be honest, there’s no good enough reason to see this movie. I heard it’s also going to be a financial disaster. That’s not good news for any studio, but I’m not surprised.

Before I forget about the plot, here’s a summary: The bad guy wants to marry the daughter of another clan’s leader, who happens to like a half-breed named Kai (Keanu Reeves). The bad guy’s henchwoman is a witch who causes the death of the girl’s father and the exile of his protective guards—who happen to be samurai. Kai and the samurai are exiled from the village, then they reunite and seek revenge. (Something like that.)

Lone Survivor (2013)

Lone Survivor (2013)

7/10

Starring

Mark Wahlberg

Taylor Kitsch

Emile Hirsch

Ben Foster

Eric Bana

Directed by Peter Berg

Lone Survivor is the name of the movie, and from the title, you can guess that in the end, there’s only one lone survivor. From the posters, you can also tell it’s Mark Wahlberg, so no surprises there.

Well, I guess a movie about soldiers dying for their country will always earn the audience’s respect, but that’s not what made Lone Survivor cool—it was the screenplay. The movie started with the regular intro of all the cast members, then it showed us the situation at hand, and then there was a huge bang. From that point on, the movie stayed on a high right up to the very end. That’s what makes Lone Survivor cool—the high. I’m not a drug user, but I can bet the high this movie delivers is equal to what a user might get from drugs, just saying.

The acting isn’t something you’d even want to criticize—it was first-class. The intensity was engaging, and at every turn, there’s something that makes you not want to miss a thing. The movie starts, by trying to make you feel in just a few minutes of the intro, the pain of the dead soldiers’ families. I do not know if that worked for everyone. Now, while the intense battle scenes keep the adrenaline high, the lack of emotional depth for the secondary characters holds the movie back.
Peter Berg did a great job with the screenplay adaptation of the book Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell and Patrick Robinson, which is based on a true story.

Class is what this movie delivers, and the sound is just epic. The sound of the gunfire caught my attention after I watched a clip about how guns really sound—the clip was trying to debunk some Hollywood myths. I was impressed by how this movie made good use of sound.

The film is based on SEAL Team 10's failed mission: Operation Red Wings on June 28, 2005. The mission aimed to capture and kill a notorious Taliban leader during the War in Afghanistan. (Source: Wikipedia) 

At the end of the movie—before the credits roll—we’re shown the real soldiers who took part in this failed mission. I highly recommend this movie for everyone to see. It’s one that I believe will stand tall when you’re rating the best of the best in war movies.

Now I do not know how true the plot is, in comparison to what happened but, it was fun to watch.

Grudge Match (2013)

Grudge Match (2013)

5/10

Starring

Robert De Niro

Sylvester Stallone

Directed by Peter Segal

Here’s a half-and-half movie—one half being funny at every turn and the other being clichés all the way. But I laughed all the way through it.

Grudge Match is as stupid as it sounds: two old guys in their 60s decide to go one final round in the ring to put an end to an old feud. They’d met twice before, with each winning one bout.

As I said, it’s as stupid as it sounds. Well, there’s more to the plot than the summary above, but that’s the main thing the movie is about. The movie boasts two popular actors who’ve previously played boxers in critically acclaimed movies—Robert De Niro in Raging Bull (1980) and Sylvester Stallone in Rocky (1976).

So, like most people who went to see this movie, I only watched it because of what both of them represent to boxing movies. But regardless of the negative reviews, I really did enjoy this movie—it was funny and silly.

The final bout, when both took each other on, was very annoying. It just didn’t work for me, and I was more curious to see the fight end than to watch these old, out-of-shape dudes go at each other.
For me, both of these guys should take a step back and let the younger ones try out boxing movies because it seems like there are no boxing movies that can stand toe-to-toe with Raging Bull and Rocky.

Will Smith’s Ali (2001) wasn’t it at all for me, so let’s not even go there.

The screenplay in Grudge Match was, as I said, silly, and Kevin Hart brought his A-game. He was fun to watch and made me laugh every time he was the focus of a scene, which is something that does not happen often.

Grudge Match is a nice movie to loan and return because it’s not a masterpiece. Stallone didn’t really bring his A-game to this one—it seems like De Niro stole the show from the very beginning.

You can tell that the whole idea was to make money off the lovers of boxing movies.
The other sad thing about this movie is that Stallone has been nominated for a Razzie Award for Worst Actor for his role here, along with his roles in Bullet to the Head (2013) and Escape Plan (2013).
Bullet to the Head wasn’t it at all, but Escape Plan was a lot better, in my opinion.

Ender’s Game (2013)

Ender’s Game (2013)

5/10

Starring

Asa Butterfield

Harrison Ford

Hailee Steinfeld

Viola Davis

Directed by Gavin Hood

Ender’s Game was just a waste of my time, but I will give the movie one thing… it had my attention all the way through. It kept me glued as the movie unfolded, and I was expectant of something grand to happen. In the end, it did (well, in one way), but it wasn’t as grand as I expected.

Ender’s Game is a sci-fi action thriller based on the novel of the same name by Orson Scott Card. Hollywood had been waiting to adapt this movie since the book was published in 1985, but due to Scott Card’s reluctance to let go of artistic privileges, Hollywood had to wait. Finally, Card wrote a script, which was then developed by screenwriter and director Gavin Hood. The screenplay here is a fusion between the books Ender’s Game and Ender’s Shadow.

All this build-up I’m writing is just to let you know that after about 28 years of work and waiting, the result, to me, was just pointless. I guess that’s to say I won’t like the book either, since it’s an adaptation. If this is how things went in the book, then I most definitely won’t be buying it in the near future to see how it really happened.

As far as acting goes, Ender’s Game made the best use of Harrison Ford. I was drawn to see the movie because he was in it, and I enjoyed his role in the movie more than I did the movie itself. The directing was also something to pat Hood on the back for, and I did enjoy the battles and the way Ender came up with strategies to face the opponent.

In the end, the idea that Ender was a deep thinker who could understand his opponents well enough to take them down wasn’t well conveyed. I just saw him as a curious kid, which is basically how every kid turns out.

The movie is set in the future, where a young Ender is recruited by the international military to help fight against an alien race, the Formics, who attacked Earth in a previous invasion and lost. It’s believed that the Formics will launch another attack, so Earth is training the best of the best to defend itself.

In conclusion, I think the movie is good for the eyes, but the story wasn’t as deep as it should have been, making the ending a bit of a letdown.