Action Moses; Exodus: Gods and Kings.

You can watch my youtube review HERE!!!

The story of Moses is a well known story and has been told many times in many different ways, including animation; Cedil B. Demille himself adapted the story twice. The latest interpretation of the story comes from master filmmaker Ridley Scott and stars Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, Ben Kingsley, John Turturro, Sigourney Weaver, Aaron Paul and Ben Mendelsohn. Now this is a story that most people know so I won't give a synopsis and will get right into my review.

Exodus: Gods and Kings attempts to tell the story of two brothers; raised together but ultimately drawn apart by lineage and by faith. Ridley Scott is no stranger to sword and sandal epics with Gladiator and Kingdom of Heaven (the director's cuts is a masterpiece) under his belt so a story like Moses' felt like a no-brainer. A even though Ridley Scott tackles the film with as much visual grandeur as expected Exodus plays it rather safe by being very by the numbers though it does bring up some rather interesting ideas that could have been explored further.

With a strong cast and technical expertise the film lives and dies with its screenplay and that is where we find its problems. No matter how grand a scope Ridley Scott paints the film with it all doesn't matter if the film doesn't have compelling characters or a compelling story. The script barely gives any depth to the characters and is more focused on getting from A to B without really getting into why. We don't really get to know the Israelites or their plight and though Moses is a reluctant leader he isn't are fully formed as the Moses from the bible. If anything we get to know more about Rhamses mindset though he is still written rather thinly.

With all book adaptations we must talk about the faithfulness to the source material; Exodus in no way deviates from the source to the extent that Darren Aronofsky's Noah did but that are several major changes that actually weaken the film. In the source we get to know the various Israelite characters with much more depth though Rhamses is even more thinly written; this weakens the the stakes of film and why we should be invested. Of course not all of these changes are negatives; the drama between Moses and Rhames is rather interesting but not nearly explored deep enough and Ridley Scott's depiction of the plagues via natural causes was also very interesting and you felt every fly, every frog and boil.

Unfortunately it is a rather dull affair for a epic film and contains rather disjointed pacing. But it does contain striking cinematography, a lovely score and strong performances from a cast who do their best with the little they are given. Ridley Scott handles the action well though the reasoning behind some of it is rather contrived but the film manages to be rather decent even with its thin script and tonal inconsistencies. A very well made film but an averagely thrilling experience that lacks the ambition that would have made it more worthwhile.

3 out of 5 stars.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Why Can't People Just Talk? Men, Women & Children.

Watch my youtube review HERE!!!

No matter what, no matter when, no matter who there has always been a lack of clear communication between people; whether married, family, dating or just friends. Based on the Chad Kultgen of the same name, Jason Reitman's latest film examines the secret pains and desires of a group of people in a wholesome American town and how even though the world is more connected through technology everyone is still as lonely as before. The film stars an all star ensemble which includes Jennifer Garner, Adam Sandler, Judy Greer, Dean Norris, Rosemarie DeWitt Ansel Elgort, Kaitlyn Dever, J.K. Simmons, Olivia Crocicchia, Travis Tope and the voice of Emma Thompson.

Now Jason Reitman is well known for his witty yet honest view of the world but since Labor Day his wit has changed to earnestness and most critics have seen this as a misstep. I on the other hand enjoyed Labor Day immensely even with all its flaws and though Men, Women & Children finds itself being just as earnest I found myself connecting with it too. Most critics have viewed this film as an attack on technology but I think that is the completely wrong way to view this film; its really about the emotional struggle of many people, struggles we can all relate to on some kind of level.

This is helped by an absolutely fantastic cast and though the film is an ensemble piece Ansel Elgort and Kaitlyn Dever are the stand outs of the film. Adam Sandler also gives his first real performance since Funny People (or Hotel Transylvania if you count animation). With Reitman's strong gift for working with actors he's able create incredibly strong and honest emotions which ring true no matter how earnest or how contrived the situations are. The film is beautifully shot and has a great score/soundtrack but that's a given with Reitman's eye for compositions and ear for music.

Where the film does falter is in its script co-written by Reitman and Erin Cressida Wilson. Though Reitman is able to create honest emotions through his actors the situations to create these moments are taken to the extreme in order to prove the point of the film but it often comes off as contrived  especially because they have to connect the large cast of characters (though not to the extent of Babel or 21 Grams). These contrivances will definitely rub people the wrong way and if you look at the critical response it already has.

But in the end I still really liked Men, Women & Children; though it definitely has its flaws to me an strong emotional experience is more important than flawless film (mostly because I don't believe there's such a thing). Jason Reitman's latest my be overly earnest and rather contrived but there's a real honesty to the emotions it displays and the performances the actors give. Add to that Reitman's strong handle of visuals and music and you have a film that is very emotionally affecting even though it is rather flawed.

4 out of 5 stars.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Jake Gyllenhaal Doesn't Teleport: Nightcrawler.

Watch my youtube review HERE!!!

The world is full of sociopaths; some go unnoticed, other repress their tendencies and a handful fulfil their urges. Jake Gyllenhaal plays Lou Bloom, one of these sociopaths and has his mind set on fulfilling his hearts desires. Nightcrawler is the directorial début of Dan Gilroy brother of Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton), Dan Gilroy also wrote the screnplay while his brother co-produced. The cast includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo (Dan Gilroy's wife), Riz Ahmed and Bill Paxton.

The film follows Lou Bloom (Gyllenhaal) an unemployed petty thief who discovers the darker side of  TV News; Lou Bloom decides to join the business by filming crash and crime footage and does whatever it takes not matter how unethical it may be. Jake Gyllenhaal delivers a powerhouse performance and goes to great lengths just like his character. Apparently Gyllenhaal also learnt the entire script off by heart in order to deal with the responsibility of co-producing the film as well.
Rene Russo and Riz Ahmed (who is British believe it or not) also give strong performances.

What really makes the film is Gilroy's fantastic script which is full of brains, thrills, black comedy and underlying terror. Gilroy's script crafts a fascinating character and story rich in ideas and compelling drama while also managing to get under your skin to the point of creeping you the hell out. It's also a great look at tabloid journalism (the TV version of it) and how it really is there to either fill us the viewer with fear or feed our repressed sociopathic tendencies. The film touches at satire but never goes all the way with it which I think is a bit of a missed opportunity but doesn't weaken the film at all.

Gilroy directs well for his first feature and keeps the film escalating until the end but I feel that his lack of experience stops the film from fully reaching its potential. There's a disconnect between the film and the audience that stopped me from being fully immersed in the film and it's not just because of the sociopathic character at its core. I believe that if the film was more stylised it could have gotten around that and drawn the audience in even more.

The film still is very strong but I felt it could pushed things further and a more seasoned director would have had the courage to do that. Robert Elswit's fantastic cinematography helps a little but the score counters that by feeling rather out of place though I feel that may have been the point. But in the end this is really just nitpicking in an otherwise great film that is bound to start conversations and create the need to shower after spending two hours with such a shady character.

4 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.