My Own Little World

Generally, I go into some elaborate introduction about how I go into a film and what I expect from the people in front and behind the camera. However, I don't really have a whole lot of thoughts of that variety, so I'm just going to give you my thoughts in a nutshell. Hidden Figures is a perfectly fine film. It's not perfect, it's not incredibly artistic, and it's not an instant classic. But if there's one thing you can be sure of, it's that you will enjoy Hidden Figures  more likely than not. Most of this is due to the film's tone. Hidden Figures  has a very positive, uplifting, inspirational tone that instantly attracts and allows the viewer to very easily buy into the story the film is trying to tell. This is a rarity among good films these days, with the majority of audiences seeing darker tone as emotional complexity and depth. I actually completely disagree with this, despite my preference for darker films, so I greatly appreciate Hidden Fi...

In closing the door on 2016, I realize that there are a lot of films that I have seen that unfortunately I was unable to review for one reason or another. That doesn't mean, however, that I don't want you guys to know what I think of most of these films, so just like the last couple of years I will be doing a few posts over the next month or so wrapping up all of the films I got a chance to see from this past year. This time, I've got one of this year's most prominent sci-fi releases and a non-Transformers Michael Bay film... Arrival  - Buy it.  Arrival is one of the most thought-provoking sci-fi films I've ever seen. The direction from Denis Villeneuve is ridiculously visually rich and very artistic with its long takes and steady shots. Amy Adams turns in the best performance of her career, and the way the film reveals her character's true nature in the third act is stellar. The design of the aliens and their language is beautiful, and I love the film...

In closing the door on 2016, I realize that there are a lot of films that I have seen that unfortunately I was unable to review for one reason or another. That doesn't mean, however, that I don't want you guys to know what I think of most of these films, so just like the last couple of years I will be doing a few posts over the next month or so wrapping up all of the films I got a chance to see from this past year. This time, I've got an animated Disney film that packs a punch, Woody Allen's latest film, and a Western featuring Chris Pine and Jeff Bridges... Zootopia  - Buy it.  This is one of the most insightful and timely animated movies ever made. Zootopia is a little too on-the-nose about its contemporary themes at times (and there might be too many moral lessons to keep track of), but otherwise their execution is perfect. The voice acting is top notch, and the animation of the animals is incredibly detailed and lush. The story is different for a Disney film ...