Best Supporting Actor - 2016

Honorable Mention - Hugh Grant in Florence Foster Jenkins

05. Jeff Bridges in Hell or High Water - Bridges could probably play a grumpy Texas ranger in his sleep, but that doesn't actually make his performance of a grumpy Texas ranger any less impressive. He is the witty heart of the first half of the movie and the emotional backbone of the second half.

04. Michael Shannon in Nocturnal Animals - There is something about great performances as Texas rangers going around this year, because Shannon knocks it out of the park as the morally questionable detective investigating a kidnapping in this bizarre, wonderful film.

03. Ben Foster in Hell or High Water - I have loved Foster's scene stealing work for as long as I can remember. I still vividly remember his eerie work as a Renfield-esque character in 30 Days of Night. But Hell or High Water, as an ex-con bank robbing troublemaker, might be his best work yet.

02. Aaron Taylor-Johnson in Nocturnal Animals - While everyone on the internet couldn't stop buzzing about Shannon, I couldn't stop buzzing about Taylor-Johnson, whose performance as a kidnapping, murdering mad man is like a live wire, so tense and so explosive, it elevates every moment he is on film.

01. Ralph Fiennes in A Bigger Splash - I didn't LOVE this movie (I did like it though), but I still think Fiennes work as the ex lover of a rock star is the best performance I saw in all of 2016. From his subtle manipulations to his bravura lip syncing performance, he steals every scene and elevates this movie from MEH to MUST WATCH.

Godzilla

My expectations for Godzilla were high. I thought if they movie was half as good as the marketing campaign, then it would be pretty great. I've been trying to stay away from reviews because I really like to go in to movies open minded, without someone else's opinion in my head. I did notice a few friends on Facebook say they didn't like it although they didn't say why. I imagine a lot of the criticism has to do with - NOT ENOUGH GODZILLA / NOT ENOUGH BRYAN CRANSTON. And those arguments are valid. However, director Gareth Edwards has directed the hell out of this movie. It is extraordinarily beautiful and visually stunning, so this movie looks so much better than it has any right to look. And if that doesn't counterbalance the negative aspects of this movie, then I don't know what does.

Godzilla opens in 1999 with Bryan Cranston's Joe working as an engineer in Japan. A seemingly nuclear explosion happens, plunging parts of Japan into Quarantine and killing hundreds. The company tries to cover it up as an accident, but fifteen years later, Joe is sure they are covering up something. He doesn't quite know how right he is. Scientists Ken Watanabe and Sally Hawkins know that the nuclear accident had awoken a MUTO (massive unidentified terrestrial organism, read: NOT Godzilla), and they are working furiously to keep the MUTO underground where it's lived for decades. That doesn't quite work out, however, and see the Japanese MUTO is trying to find his long lost love MUTO in the deserts outside of Las Vegas, so they can mate. MUTO's - They just wanna get laid; they are just like us.

And the first third of the film is pretty solid. Cranston is pretty much playing a variation of Walter White, except he isn't making Meth. But he has the same searing intensity, the same "I'm the smartest guy in the room and I'm exasperated by your stupidity" attitude. And it's great to watch him on the big screen. But, then the movie decides to follow his bratty Navy son (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) as he jet sets around the globe, trying to get home to his wife (Elizabeth Olsen) and son in San Francisco, which, SURPRISE!, is where the MUTO's want to mate. This is the entire middle of the movie and it suffers mostly because Taylor-Johnson, who I like as an actor, he was great in Kick-Ass, has about 5% of the charisma that Cranston has. Also, as a viewer, we honestly don't care about any of these characters. None of them are very fleshed out - Watanabe and Hawkins are merely playing scientists, and we know nothing about them. Elizabeth Olsen, who I adore!, is playing the Concerned Wife, and besides crying and looking worried, she has nothing to do. I know this is a monster movie, and we should be less concerned with the characters than the action, but if you aren't going to really, truly introduce Godzilla until Act 3, then you better have some good character development to tide us over. And this movie doesn't have that, save for Cranston.

So, yes, we don't REALLY see Godzilla until the final act. We see glimpses of him. We hear stories about him. The Atomic Bomb testings in the 50s? They were just trying to kill Godzilla. He's been sleeping in the ocean for decades but our Scientists think he can restore order in the world. They want to let him fight the MUTO's and save San Francisco. Godzilla - He just wants to go back to bed; he's just like us. (He's also very similar to my cat, in-so-much-as they both cause massive destruction and then go back to sleep like it's no big deal). When Godzilla finally shows up and does battle with the MUTO's, this movie becomes a pretty bad ass monster movie with epic action sequences. But is it too little, too late?

Not for me. Sure, the middle section is boring and almost none of the characters are developed in the least, but I can't get over how amazing this movie looks. It's stunning and beautiful to watch. Edwards has somehow managed to make an art house monster movie. There are so many shots that are just simply perfect. (To name a few for when you see this movie: The helicopter in the side view mirror of the bus, the shot of the crashed airplane, the destruction of Las Vegas from the torn out side of a hotel, Godzilla's tail sweeping through the Chinese lanterns, and ESPECIALLY, the parachuting scene where they are all holding red flares - that shot, in particular, is perfection). Other big budget directors should be taking notes, because Edwards really nailed this movie. It's easily the best directed movie of the year, so far.

So, of course, Godzilla is flawed, but it's also a lot of fun. The rest of the summer movies have a lot to live up to - they have to be as all around awesome as Captain America, and they have to look as good as Godzilla. Good luck, guys.

Grade: B

Kick Ass 2

The sequel to Kick Ass is completely and utterly unnecessary. Need proof? Well, it didn't even crack the top 3 at the box office this weekend, so I am seemingly not the only person who feels this way. The original Kick Ass was like catching lightning in a bottle. That movie and it's success was a freak of nature. There was absolutely no way that was happening again and the closest this movie came to capturing anything like that, was Jim Carrey's unhinged performance (and this from the actor who disavowed the film due to its violent nature).

Kick Ass 2 picks up three years after the original film. Dave (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) has put his Kick Ass uniform away and is living the life of a boring teenage boy, but when he begins to see all the real life super heroes that he has inspired, he gets the itch to return to his crime fighting ways. Mindy (Chloe Grace Moretz) is still struggling with the death of her dad (Nicolas Cage, in the first film) and is living with his former police partner (Morris Chestnut) while struggling to fit in the world of high school where she definitely doesn't belong. She takes an extended absence from her Hit Girl ways to play the popular game with a bunch of high school mean girls and Dave is forced to team up with a rag tag group of vigilantes who call themselves Justice Forever. They are led by Colonel Stars and Stripes (Carrey). Meanwhile, Chris / Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) is suddenly an orphan / the richest teenager in New York City, so he decides to become the world's first super villain and get his revenge on Kick Ass. He renames himself The MotherF**ker and decides to form an evil army. Fighting and violence ensues, obviously.

The thing about the first Kick Ass is that it felt fresh. Kick Ass 2 just feels like a retread of the same script but with different, lamer jokes. The other thing about the original Kick Ass was that it felt taboo. It featured a then 12 year old Moretz as a potty mouth crime fighter who was totally bad ass and cursing up a storm... and it was shocking. Now she is just another fifteen year old cursing on camera. None of this is shocking anymore and this time it's not even fun. The other major problem is Mintz-Plasse. I like him just fine. I thought he was sort of a revelation after seeing him in Superbad, but he most certainly does not have the acting prowess to deliver the sort of performance that his character's arc requires of him.

Sure, the movie was violent. I'm not going to sit here and attack it on those merits. Violence in movies doesn't bother me. It's just a movie. But the difference between Kick Ass and Kick Ass 2 is that the original was, at the very, very least, FUN. That is something this movie is lacking BIG TIME. It's just the same old thing again. And while it worked three years ago, it just isn't doing it for me this time around. With the exception of Carrey's great performance and Taylor-Johnson's KILLER abs, Kick Ass 2 was completely unnecessary and sort of a disaster.

Grade: D+

Catching Up on Summer Movies

So, I sort of temporarily abandoned blogger but it was only because, for some reason, it wasn't allowing me to update. It looks like that might be fixed now so I have returned. In my absence, I was trying to keep up with things over on tumblr. If you want to read my recent full reviews go here: http://thiscinephile.tumblr.com/. For now, however, I will just post little quickies to get up to date.

Rock of Ages - Very similar to Burlesque but without the awesome performances courtesy of Cher and Stanley Tucci. The story of a young girl who tries to make it in Hollywood in the 80s, Rock of Ages was a huge success on Broadway. Julianne Hough has potential. She can dance and sing and act (her level of talent goes in that order too) but lacks any sort of chemistry with Diego Boneta, who also has absolutely no charisma whatsoever. Catherine Zeta-Jones is a titan of the musical world (Chicago) and takes a one-dimensional, slightly annoying role and proves why she is a superstar. Russell Brand and Alec Baldwain are forgettable at best. Paul Giamatti manages to give a great performance in the role of an unlikeable jackass. Then there is Tom Cruise. If you are going to see Rock of Ages, go see it for Tom Cruise. I'm not his biggest fan. But as Axl Rose clone Stacee Jaxx, Cruise, who makes his entrance in assless chaps, is all in. His dedication to this character is ridiculous and he parades around this movie like a peacock, so showy and vain and just damn good. The music in the movie is super fun (and there's a lot of it), but ultimately it's just a Tom Cruise vehicle. Somehow, this movie just didn't jive for me. Something was lacking and missing. Grade: C+

Magic Mike - Under the direction of Steven Soderbergh, Magic Mike becomes so much more than a movie about male strippers. The dialogue is rich and flows realistically. It's also genuinely funny and has a lot of heart. The filmmaking is just great and I especially loved the way the film seemed so vivid at night, but was sort of muted and washed out during the day, looking how you feel with a hangover. The performances are great, as well. Channing Tatum, this is story is based on his life, is clearly the best dancer and is so charming and charasmatic that he just keeps begging his haters to find faults with his seriously improved acting. Cody Horn is a great find and has great chemistry with both Tatum and Alex Pettyfer. Saepking of Pettyfer, this is his finest performance to date (especially during his second half unraveling) and proves he is much more than a pretty face. Then there is McConaughey, so dirty and grimy and slimy and hilarious as the perverse father figure of this group of lost boys. All in all, I loved Magic Mike. Soderbergh and this talented cast created a film that is downright good. Grade: B+

Ted - It seemed everyone in the audience with me loved this movie. I did not. Ted wasn't completely without laughs but mostly I found it boarish and just plain boring. I don't feel like rehasing a negative review so head over to Tumblr to read the whole thing if you want. Grade: D-

The Amazing Spider-Man - The film wastes a lot of time with the first act that doesn't necessarily go anywhere. The movie isn't really all that long (compared to other summer comic book movies) but it sure as hell feels like it. The best thing about this movie is Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker. He just completely nails it and you almost don't want the original trilogy to exist because this movie will always be compared to those movies and Garfield doesn't deserve that. He is extraordinary. The Amazing Spider-man is at its best when it's this cute indie love story inside this epic film. When it's at its best, I'm so glad they decided to reboot it. The 3D aspect of the film also ratchets up the fun quotient. I'm not a big fan of 3D but if there was ever a superhero who begged to be in 3D, then it's Spider-man! The other downside is that I felt cheated out of a villain. Horror movies are only as good as their villains and it takes the Lizard nearly two thirds of the movie to arrive, and then he's more misunderstood then villainous. Emma Stone is sassy and witty and adorable as Gwen Stacy. The Amazing Spider-man is, indeed, amazing. It's ultimately a fun, exciting and sweet summer movie. Grade: B

Savages - Savages was a strange kind of movie for me. It's a really well done film, both dark and gritty and kind of funny. There's sex, drugs, violence and it has an actual plot, which is pretty for a summer movie. Plus, the cast is universally pretty great. Still, I was expecting more. Aaron Johnson and Taylor Kitsch are pot growers who are in love with the same woman (Blake Lively) and get involved with a Mexican drug cartel headed by Salma Hayek and her sociopathic goon Benicio Del Toro. The plot and script is mostly great, engaging, interesting, thrilling and intense. Some of the dialogue, however, is a bit cheesy / corny / dumb (mostly Lively's voice overs). The cinematagraphy is great as well. The major problem for me was the terrible / preposterous / ridiculous / stupid ending. Seriously, there had to be a better ending out there somewhere!! Hayek, Del Toro and John Travolta are all hammy great. Johnson is sensitive and endearing. Lively is the weak spot, of course. But Kitsch finally put his summer blunders behind him. This the kind of intense, dark, gritty work the actor should be doing, not fluff like Battleship. Grade: B-


The Dark Knight Rises - The best movie of the year, so far, for sure. It might not be as good as The Dark Knight but it's pretty damn close. There are flaws in the movie, sure, but sometimes you just have to look at the bigger picture and appreciate a movie for being so epic and entertaining. And all the good stuff, no BRILLIANT stuff, more than makes up for any nitpicky flaws you might find with the movie. My review over on Tumblr is longer and more detailed but the gist is this: Christopher Nolan has crafted a trilogy that will stand that test of tie and be revered as, probably and hopefully, the greatest superhero trilogy of all time. The Dark Knight Rises is the perfect ending to that trilogy. Grade: A-

The Greatest (DVD)

What a hidden gem of a movie! Totally unexpected and with so much heart and emotion, The Greatest (which had a limited theatrical run back in April) is most definitely one of the best movies of the year! Right out of the gate, the cast is fantastic for such a small movie. Susan Sarandon, Pierce Brosnan, Aaron Johnson, Carey Mulligan, Johnny Simmons (!!), Michael Shannon (!!!), and Zoe Kravitz appear in the indie film.
Sarandon and Brosnan star as a couple dealing with the death of their eldest son, Bennett, (Johnson) in a car crash. They had marital problems before the death and their grief, and the different ways they choose to deal with it, is only pushing them further and further apart. In fact, Sarandon becomes closer to the man responsible for the crash (Shannon) who just so happens to be in a comma. Meanwhile, Brosnan becomes close to Rose (Mulligan), who shows up at their door one day, pregnant with their dead sons baby after only one night together. Then there is their youngest son Ryan (Simmons) who is dealing with the grief his own way, doing drugs and falling for a girl in his grief meetings (Kravitz).
It sounds like a typical melodramatic film but it isn't at all. The script by Shana Feste, who also directed, is so clever and interesting, jumping around to different moments, that the movie never fails to be interesting. In fact, most of the relationship between Rose and Bennett plays out entirely in flashbacks. (The title comes from a particularly intimate well-done moment in the film when Bennett says his one night with Rose was the greatest).
The performances are all top-notch and, really, what else would you expect from such an amazing cast? Sarandon is phenomenal as the mother in mourning, unable to let her son go and unable to accept Rose into their lives. Brosnan, whose character chooses to deal with the loss in entirely different way, is impressive as well. Mulligan continutes to show promise. She's not just a once and done actress who made a great movie (An Education) and will wither away and disappear. She's hear to stay and she's formidable, with her porcelain looks and mixture of vulnerability and toughness (she might have made a better Lisbeth Salander than Rooney Mara but I'll save that rant for another time). Then there's Johnny Simmons, who I adore beyond words. Mostly, my love for him has to do with the fact that he is super adorable. But he is truly impressive in this film. He's one part comic relief, one part ticking time bomb. There is a scene in one of his grief counseling meetings where he is devastating to watch.
It's a depressing movie to watch, for sure, but it is most definitely worth it.
Grade: A-