The Rest of 2016, Part 5
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 with its caper-oriented plot, and the dialogue is fairly witty as well. This is a near-perfect animated film. Grade: 94
Cafe Society - Not a waste of time.
What Cafe Society lacks in substance, it makes up for in spades with style. The production design, costuming, and the incredibly warm cinematography all do wonders and make the film very inviting and charming. The performances are generally decent, with Eisenberg and (surprisingly) Kristen Stewart being my favorites. The characters, however, can seem a bit flat at times, as they all fill somewhat typical stereotypes. The ending does make the film more satisfying, but it still has its problems. Grade: 59
Hell or High Water - Buy it.
This is the best Western I have seen in quite some time. Hell or High Water has an incredibly gripping story and a well-crafted, clever script with plenty of deep character development and exciting action to boot. Chris Pine and Jeff Bridges do fantastic work as a bank robber and a Texas Ranger, respectively, especially in the film's final scene. The action is incredibly well-directed, and I especially liked the film's depiction of the robbers and their incredibly clever methods. Grade: 97
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 with its caper-oriented plot, and the dialogue is fairly witty as well. This is a near-perfect animated film. Grade: 94
What Cafe Society lacks in substance, it makes up for in spades with style. The production design, costuming, and the incredibly warm cinematography all do wonders and make the film very inviting and charming. The performances are generally decent, with Eisenberg and (surprisingly) Kristen Stewart being my favorites. The characters, however, can seem a bit flat at times, as they all fill somewhat typical stereotypes. The ending does make the film more satisfying, but it still has its problems. Grade: 59
This is the best Western I have seen in quite some time. Hell or High Water has an incredibly gripping story and a well-crafted, clever script with plenty of deep character development and exciting action to boot. Chris Pine and Jeff Bridges do fantastic work as a bank robber and a Texas Ranger, respectively, especially in the film's final scene. The action is incredibly well-directed, and I especially liked the film's depiction of the robbers and their incredibly clever methods. Grade: 97
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