The Möbius strip- ‘Hidden Figures’ edges out ‘Rogue One,’ Golden Globes a political fiasco

Posted on January 10, 2017 by reelentropy

Image courtesy 20th Century Fox.

In a photo finish, new release Hidden Figures has barely edged out Rogue One: A Star Wars Story for no. 1 by less than $1 million, despite playing in 1,500 fewer theaters. The movie was projected to lose by about $200,000, but outperformed expectations on Sunday. Fellow new release Underworld: Blood Wars opened at no. 4 with $11.3 million. Expanding outside awards favorite A Monster Calls generated little-to-no interest from filmgoers and finished outside the top 10 with just $2 million- Box Office Mojo

More on how the real-life space story outperformed the popular fantasy one- Indiewire

2016 movies will end up bringing in a record-breaking $11.4 billion when everything is counted up, despite several of the most reliable blockbuster franchises sitting the year out- Variety

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Ingenious visuals, catastrophic emotions weave through ‘A Monster Calls’

Posted on January 6, 2017 by reelentropy

Images courtesy Focus Features.

With inventive animation sequences and thoughtful shots in support of a potent story, A Monster Calls is what moviemaking is all about.

The film opens with young Conor O’Malley (Lewis MacDougall) having a nightmare, and it’s easy to see why he’s losing sleep. His mother (Felicity Jones) is dying of cancer, and he can’t escape his creepy school bully, Harry (James Melville). Further, he must suffer through his tense relationships with his up-tight grandmother (Sigourney Weaver) and absentee father (Toby Kebbell), who are drawn out to deal with his mother’s deteriorating condition. One night, he animates the centuries-old yew tree he can see from his bedroom window into a monster (Liam Neeson). The monster tells O’Malley that he will return every night and tell three stories, and on the fourth night, O’Malley must tell him his nightmare.

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‘Moonlight’ unexpected and strange, make time to see it

Posted on January 5, 2017 by reelentropy

Images courtesy A24.

Steven James
@StevenLeeJames

I had different things going through my head during Moonlight, ranging from sadness to sympathy to “What the fuck?” I’m guessing the filmmakers wanted me to feel that way, but if you go in without knowing anything about the plot, you will probably have a similar experience.

Moonlight is about Chiron (pronounced “Shyrone”), a disturbed and sexually confused young man who tries to find his identity in an environment full of people who hate him for existing. Chiron (played by Alex Hibbert as a child, Ashton Sanders as a teen and Trevante Rhodes as an adult) suppresses everything about himself he dislikes for fear of increased chastisement. The film takes place during three stages of Chiron’s life, named “Little,” “Chiron” and “Black,” respectively. At the beginning of the movie, Chiron is a small, sad child who has trouble opening up with people. The problem worsens as he ages. His mother, Paula (Naomie Harris), is a drug addict, he is constantly bullied at school and he discovers he is gay.

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The Open Bar Review — 2016 in review

Posted on January 4, 2017 by reelentropy

Paul and I discuss the movies we couldn’t publish videos on over the past year.

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‘Fences’ a disturbing, honest family drama

Posted on January 3, 2017 by reelentropy

Images courtesy Paramount Pictures.

Steven James
@StevenLeeJames

Fences is a disturbing movie about a dysfunctional family that, in some ways, probably acts a lot like your family. You cringe while these characters argue and feel thrilled when they resolve their issues.

When Troy Maxson (Denzel Washington, who also directs and produces) was a teenager, he killed a man. While in prison, Troy learned he was talented at baseball, and became a top player in the professional Negro Leagues. He failed to earn a spot in the Major League at the age of 40 — he blames this failure on race, but it’s clear no MLB team would want a 40-year-old rookie regardless of that. Maxson’s need to blame everything on race affects his relationship with his wife, Rose (Viola Davis), and his sons, Lyons (Russell Hornsby) and Cory (Jovan Adepo), especially when he tries to lecture them about responsibility. Rose struggles to keep the family together, and Lyons and Cory fight to form their own identities, but can’t because of Troy’s dominance.

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