mattmav45

The ideas let me down in a big way here. The film has a good set-up and gets off to a pretty strong start. The idea of an undercover operative infiltrating an activist group like this has potential. In fact the film is quite engaging initially as there is a unique vibe to the proceedings. In particular the film does a good job in establishing and drawing out the inherent mystery surrounding said group. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to know where to go with it. There reached a point in the film where I began to have trouble getting the tone. I couldn't quite tell if there was a concerted effort to draw out a comical angle or if we were supposed to take it all seriously. I will admit the messiness here was initially somewhat appealing but it didn't take long for the film to lose favor with me after this. At a certain point the message of the film breaks through and let's just say it's pretty damn heavy-handed. I wouldn't argue if one made the statement that the message on display was simply preachy as fuck. I'm not usually a fan of handling viewpoints like this, but can deal with it if they are handled in an intelligent manner. There just wasn't that much depth to what the film was trying to say here. These arguments did not tend to provoke much (if any) kind of intellectual thought. They were presented in such an all-knowing way that it was quite frankly off-putting. If you are going to make a film in this kind of vein there needs to be a driving character arc. The problem with Sarah in this film is we never get to know her before she goes undercover. There is no change for us to witness. It all just feels way to easy and convenient. I will be a bit blunt and say at times her transition here tends to be a bit laughable in nature. Simply put........it's an issue-driven intellectual film in theory only.

I haven't seen this yet, but this is the type of film that on its surface would seem to be more rewarding with wisdom/age. I can't wait to see it, but sadly I'm still waiting on the damn thing to make it to my area.

"I'll see you soon." "Yeah, I'll see you soon." It is rare when an exchange such as above as such a lasting and deep impact, and yet such is very much the case here. The idea of coming across your identical living a separate life is not an entirely new one. There are typically one of two trains of thought pertaining to this idea. There is the inherent creepiness that comes with the idea of crossing paths with your identical self. More specifically is the enhanced creepiness of actually meeting your identical half and all that would entail with that chance encounter. On the flip side there is always a tingle of psychological warfare that comes with this idea. The idea of a man's inner psyches pitting themselves against one another and conversing in an all-out war of sorts. Thankfully, for the viewer, we get treated to a little bit of both of these aspects. Denis Villeneuve proved himself in Prisoners to be a master at not only creating atmosphere, but catering that atmosphere to fit the mood and tone of his film. In Prisoners we witnessed an oppressive and murky atmosphere catered to the mindset of the characters. As a viewer we are witness to something entirely different here. As far as architectural atmosphere goes, this has to be considered a masterpiece. Sure, you may never hear those two words uttered in succession again, but the point stands. Disorienting, dizzying, and downright surreal shots are used to spectacular effect here. Perhaps most importantly is the fact that this atmosphere is complemented by a focus on the human brain. In effect it is the atmosphere of the urban sprawl interacting with the human brain that is ultimately a treat here. Villenueve proves a master to all at provoking those dark thoughts and moods inherent in a mind at constant battle with itself. At times this is nothing short of a haunting experience into a man's inner psyche. A showcase of how atmosphere can be used as substance in a film, plain and simple. This is ultimately one of those films that creeps under your skin. There is a distinct style here that only really shows itself after some time is spent with the Adam/Anthony. As more is deciphered the style becomes deeper and carries greater impact. Close-ups of our main character's face are a perfect example of this. As with all great psychological films, it is those things that a left unsaid that carry the most weight. Blank stares and confused expressions here are ultimately the stuff of legend. As a viewer I was propelled into this man's brain and felt his inner anguish. What a fantastic viewing this ultimately was. Simply put..........a superior atmospheric mind-bender.

If anything there's no discounting the unique watch this one provides. It likely goes without saying that the strong point here lies in the atmosphere and overall look of the film. The impressive thing is how the atmosphere is established here. There is a very minimalist approach on display. It is refreshing to see a film that understands atmosphere need not be overbearing in nature. Instead there are ample shots of the open road complemented with the surrounding vegetation here that work to great effect. It doesn't take very long (or much) for a dystopian landscape to emerge. Very much a showcase of primal atmosphere on display. Unfortunately the story itself is a bit more hit or miss. For the most part the story centers around a motorcycle gang that is wreaking havoc on the asphalt. The gang is used to great effect here. They are out for revenge after fellow outlaw Nightrider was killed. As a result they are ruthless but have this tinge of insanity that gives them an extra edge. This is used to create ample suspense, particularly during the second half of the film. I hate to get a little pun'ed as fuck, but the film kind of stays in neutral when it veers off the road. The story here is very much driven by the highways and the cars. The narrative itself took off on the road and very much stalled in absence of said road. Perhaps the problem here is the tone and mood is never really established outside the highway realm. There are so many conflicting moods here that one is not able to stand out from the rest. Another issue is the fact that Max is never developed as a character. I'm not talking development pertaining to depth, but development that allows us to look at this guy like a proper badass. The film over-extends itself before the inevitable bloody conclusion. I can't help but feel its potential is wasted in this respect. It's a good action film that's a few small developments away from being great.

Saw the third last night. Subjectively, this is easily one of the more overrated trilogies out there. I simply don't connect to the story or characters in any manner. It all feels very orchestrated and scripted to me. People don't talk or behave in the way these people do. Burn me at the stake if you must.

Got House'ed as fuck last night and lived to tell about it. If anything one can never accuse Emmerich of holdng back. His filmography speaks for itself in this regard. That being said I'll be damned if I didn't find some restraint on display in this one. It is that restraint that I believe was the film's undoing. Let's be honest here, this was never going to be a good film. It's only real hope was to let Emmerich go wild and it would seem to follow that the viewer would bask in the complete and utter ridiculousness. Unfortunately this is not allowed to happen. I don't want to say that the material is played too straight, but perhaps it's best to state it was played too straight for my tastes. In effect you pretty much know what you're in for during the first half hour. There seems to be an attempt to provide character development and back-story. Unfortunately in reality the film just kind of treads water aimlessly during this period. It is never a good thing when as a viewer you are divested in the initial minutes. Such was the case here. Once the ball gets rolling the film pretty much stays a pretty lukewarm affair. The action is surprisingly pedestrian. Perhaps more telling is the fact that the film lacks any real distinct personality. There's simply not enough good action for it to succeed in that regard, and there sure as hell isn't good enough human drama to complement it. The end result is yet another action film that fails to really make one care one way or another. I'd rather be pissed off than be bored watching an action flick. The one scene I enjoyed was the car chase and subsequent flip into the pool on the White House lawn. It is this kind of mood and tone that could have worked. In my opinion, of course. I'm of the opinion that perhaps it's time the action genre as a whole got a swift kick in the ass.

There are films that can be aptly described as being dependent on a central performance, and then there's Locke. I love films where a simple premise on its surface carries a great deal of depth. A man gets in his car after a seemingly normal day at work. Such an innocent event that in this instance carries a great deal of consequence. It is through the ensuing drive that we are able to get to know this man. Unfortunately it is also through this drive that we witness how this man's life inevitably changes forever. It goes without saying that how Tom Hardy goes here, the film will follow. Thankfully Hardy is one of the finest actors working today. This is the perfect kind of performance for this role. Minute by minute we are able to witness this man breaking down. We are able to see the inner anguish on his face. It is often the unspoken moments in which Ivan is just looking out the window that have the greatest impact. It is one thing to be able to act, but it is the ability to convey that acting as genuine emotion that separates the very best. I am of the opinion that Tom Hardy is among the very best. Nothing less than a powerhouse performance here. It is quite amazing how a film solely focused on a car drive can be so damn riveting. As already stated, Hardy is a big reason for this, but commendation needs to go out to the director as well. What a fantastic use of lighting. Light in particular that transgresses across Ivan's face is particularly interesting in bringing out hidden emotions and anguish. The score is perfectly in tune with the proceedings. It has a knack of bringing out more hidden emotion emotion and anguish. Steven Knight uses his talents as a director to enhance and bring out the talents of Hardy. In my opinion, a better compliment cannot be given to a director. This is the kind of film that sneaks up on you. About midway through the film I was hit with the realization that this man started the day with no expectations other than going home to watch a soccer match with his family. Of course, chance had other plans. There are nuances here that will only be magnified upon re-watch. I look forward to getting to know Ivan Locke a little more and taking that car trip with him once again. A damn good film that in my opinion will become better and better with each watch.

I enjoyed this quite a bit. The story centers around a group of three boys who get fed up with their parents and decided to build and live in a house in the woods. On the surface this is a coming of age story that really shouldn't work all that well. For one, the boys themselves aren't really developed all that much. There is simply not much shown pertaining to their character outside of their surface traits and characteristics. Typically a signal of death, but I can't help but feel the lack of development in and of itself was significant in this case. The boys themselves don't really seem to grow much from their experiences in the woods. At the end of the film as a viewer I wasn't quite sure I had just witnessed three boys transgressing into adulthood. After all, here are boys who bought chicken from Boston Market to feed their appetites. Here are boys who allowed a petty crush over a girl break up their friendship. Temporarily, of course. I have come to believe these are not flaws in the film but instead are essential to what the film ultimately becomes. Instead of a coming of age story this is a celebration of the innocence and adventure found in adolescent boys. More than anything the film feels very honest in its portrayal of the boys. It's easy to sit here during a review and type the characters could have been developed a bit more, but then one is hit with the realization that perhaps in reality all 14-year old boys are as simple as portrayed here. Hell, I wouldn't argue if one made the statement that I was in fact shallow as fuck at that age. It is this honesty that allows the film to feel realistic. This is a film that is more about the growth of adolescent boys rather than truly being a coming of age tale. Here are boys that want desperately to be on their own. This is evident in all the "we're adults now" talk that tends to pop up in the film. It shows a group of boys who are well on their way to adulthood but still need a little time to get there. The climax with the snake is particularly interesting to me. We see that the boys have indeed grown throughout their time in the woods. Joe handles the situation pretty damn brilliantly. And yet, it is only as a result of his Dad showing up that Biaggio is ultimately saved. Despite all their growth we still have a group of boys who were ill-equipped to handle a true emergency. One can only assume an adult would have taken the proper precautions. The play between adulthood and adolescence is what makes this film so damn interesting to me. It feels like an anti-coming of age story, but it is through its honest portrayal of the boys that allows the film to become something else entirely.

"In space no one can hear you scream." Simply a damn cool tagline for a damn cool film. While it may seem quite simple on the surface, there is so much more to it. In effect it is WHAT is making you scream that is legendary here. The fear of the unknown is very much at play here. This is the perfect tagline for a film such as this. Much like the tagline, the set-up itself is pretty simple but it is the execution that solidifies Alien as an all-time classic of cinema. Say what you will about Ridley Scott, but he is a master at creating a world and complementing atmosphere to go along with it. The atmosphere here is put at the forefront right away. The introduction in which the camera is transgressing through the empty ship while the crew is sleeping is such an underrated scene. To me this scene is establishing the playing ground and inevitable battle field that is to come. It establishes the gritty and claustrophobic feel the film will thrive on. It is once again the fear of the unknown that drives the proceedings here. This is one of the few films that uses atmosphere to drive the actual film. The atmosphere here preys on one's fear of the shadows. It preys on one's fear of things that are bigger than we are. It builds the suspense to unbearable limits. Cameras zoom in and zoom out of hallways. The camera angles here are immaculate as you are constantly lurking for something to catch your eye in the shadows. The film itself is very much a slow-burn exercise tension and suspense. What I love about this film is the fact that the atmosphere and ideas have an equal hand in driving the suspense. Once again the fear of the unknown takes main stage here. All of this erupts in the climax that is in my opinion twenty of the best minutes in cinema. All the atmosphere and ideas explode in nothing less than spectacular fashion. It's hard to begin to sum up what makes a film like Alien work. My love for this film comes from the fact that this remains a science fiction film at its core. Sure, there are elements of horror here, but I can't help but think the horror is brought out by the ideas. In many ways this is primal and raw science fiction. Science fiction gone bad, if you will. A crew detoured on a rescue mission in deep space. An alien organism is found. Themes about the never-ending search for life here, but unfortunately sometimes you find life that perhaps was never meant to be found. When one searches for the unknown they may not always like what they find. Thankfully for all of us, such was the case here. It can simultaneously be called one of the best horror and science fiction films ever made. What more could one want?

Perhaps this is too easy but nonetheless.........superficial as fuck. One can see what Sophia Coppola is attempts (and ultimately succeeds) in doing here. Her prior film Somewhere starred Stephen Dorff as an actor sleepwalking through a lifeless existence. The film itself followed suit as it was generally a lifeless affair. This time around she is clearly trying to make a statement about celebrity worship and the inherent superficiality that comes with it. That's all fine and dandy, but there's no excuse for a film about superficiality being superficial itself. I for the most part dug the film's message and themes. It's execution however is simply brutal at times. There are more interesting ways to comment on superficiality without resorting to actual superficiality. Spring Breakers for example deals with similar themes and is able to mask them in a damn good watch by way of some satire. I'm not saying this needed to be a satire, but dear god inject at least a little creativity here every now and then. Even if you are one who respects a superficial film commentating on the superficial aspect of our culture, it is even harder to justify the repetitive nature of the proceedings here. The first hour alone consists of the same group of people going into house after house. Even once the inevitable bust happens the characterrs themselves remain the same. Once again commentating on today's youth and culture, but I can't help but feel an opportunity was missed here. Perhaps I'm speaking subjectively, but seeing these characters true personalities break through in peril would have been interesting. It for one would have been a crack through the superficiality and add some much needed depth. Such was not the case. Simply put............get droned as fuck.

LMAO. You can't possibly believe the world is getting more racist. About 150 years ago something called the Civil War was going on. You think the world is getting more racist from that? The only thing that's happening is the agenda-driven media is out of control. The media uses gullible sheep to get ratings and tries to find racism in any way, shape, or form. It's amusing how people don't correlate the media's rise with all these issues all of a sudden "getting worse."

There is a big difference between people being judged on merit and diversification. To diversify just for the sake of diversifying leads to unequal treatment all in the name of diversity. The problem is.......isn't that what you were trying to cure in the first place? One study like this doesn't really mean much but that won't stop hordes of online personalities to jump up and claim injustice.

If you actually want to go there, I'm 50% Hispanic myself. 25% Mexican and 25% Spanish. My opinion is not stronger or weaker as a result of my race. Period.

Do you guys even know what racism/prejudice is? It is treating someone differently in an arbitrary manner based on some inherent disposition. All you morons spouting off about the "straight white males" in this thread are in fact being racist in a thread supposedly about stopping racism and promoting diversity. So our opinion isn't relevant because of our race and sexual orientation? The absence of racism/prejudice is equality. Dear god, are you really all this dense?

Going in line with this joke study: In MLB there is a substantially higher number of Hispanics and lower number of blacks based on population. Diversify! In the NBA there is a substantially higher number of blacks and lower number of whites based on population. Diversify! Once again, the media manufactures racism/prejudice and there are those who I'm just going to call gullible right here and now.

It's amazing how often the media in this country now tries to manufacture racism and prejudice to make a story relevant in some way. Diversity in film based on population........excuse me while I stop giving a flying fuck right now.

"I'm not the Zodiac, and if I was I wouldn't tell you."Perhaps the most important line in the whole film. This in fact may be the most important scene in the film. The initial questioning ends up being in many ways the closest we ever get to seeing the Zodiac killer (or so we want to think) up close and in person. This scenes marks the send-off into the labyrinth of twists and turns that was this case. What I love about this film is that it uses the story of the Zodiac killer to bring out the two aspects I love most about this film: the musings regarding both the media and obsession in general.I'll start with the media aspect first as I feel that leads directly into the obsessions. There is so much interesting stuff to be had here. In particular I felt the film showed how the media can create facts in the minds of people. It can direct the path of where a story goes whether such path is warranted or not. In a way the Zodiac killer himself is a bi-product of the media. So much is ultimately unknown and yet the media had no problem jumping to conclusion after conclusion. On the obsession realm the film shows how the Zodiac affected not only his victims but rather the lives of everyone out to get him. There are avenues explored to no end over and over only to come up empty. It is quite frankly a brutal cycle in which there is no escape.The way the film tracks the timeline is brilliant in bringing out the obsessive nature on display. It is in fact quite disorienting with all the constant time lapses and jumps. It makes one realize just how easily it is to get wrapped up in it all. The film ends almost 160 minutes in and as a viewer you are not ready to give in just yet. The obsession has indeed seeped into your being as well.What a great ending scene. The guy picks Leigh out of a line-up and says he's an "8" regarding his confidence level. As much we hate to admit it, that level of doubt remains. We still aren't completely sure. And then the filim ends........brilliant.A delirious trip into the mind of a serial killer and the inevitable collateral damage left in his wake.

In all honesty this did just enough to barely work for me. Perhaps my liking of Winter Soldier jaded me going in here. I dug the more gritty and spy-oriented Winter Soldier as a result of the story that backed it up. This is unfortunately more of the same regarding the Marvel universe. No doubt it will will appease hordes of fans everywhere, but I'll be damned if it didn't leave me wanting more. The one thing that worked (and ultimately made it worth a watch) was the sense of adventure that pervades throughout. If anything it is always entertaining and fun. The problem with that is eventually I want more. A sense of adventure and some good action only goes so far with me. At a certain point there needs to be some depth and involvement in the action. Perhaps the biggest issues here is the story itself. Basically another re-hash of there's some special object that is of great power and the bad guy is in search of it. Once he obtains said object he will use it to destroy planets. Excuse me while I yawn over here. The villain here is a big deterrent (some dude called Ronin). He is basically void of any kind of personality. I wouldn't argue if one made the statement that he is in fact boring as fuck. To make matters worse, he never feels like a threat. That is in fact a problem across the board here as you never get any semblance of danger here. When story is not a film's strong suit, it must attempt to alleviate with ample character on display. Unfortunately I didn't quite feel that here. The characters are developed just enough to make them distinguishable from each other but at the end of the day the depth is done in a shallow manner. All this talk about the fiim's character and personality is being overstated. It is indeed a film of excess but excess does not equal personality. The best representation of the film lies in the scene in which they all rise up in a circle. Such scene was clearly meant to display some kind of camaraderie along with a sense of foreboding danger. I'll put this lightly.......the film doesn't earn this scene. Up to this point you didn't really feel the chemistry between the characters and you sure as hell didn't feel any sense of danger. It felt like some tacked on scene to make sure the audience knew where the stakes were. It didn't work on me. It may sound like I didn't like it, but I had a good enough time. Outside of Winter Soldier, this is par for the course regarding my opinion on Marvel. Full of stimulation but very little underneath it all.

This has always been thought of as the beginning of the summer blockbuster era and that's always made me wonder just what the hell has gone wrong in the last 40 years since this masterpiece was released.The one word that I associate with Jaws in character. It is in fact a showcase of character across the board. It does a masterful job of developing the story. Both the human characters and the shark are the ultimate reasons this film is so special, and once again it's all about character. The film is simply unrivaled in so many aspects and is a one of a kind in so many different ways.The shark itself is developed in such a brilliant way. The first half hour seems to build up the ruthlessness of the creature. It serves to make you fear not only the shark but the water itself. You never see the shark at this stage so your imagination takes control here. The subsequent hour serves as a damn good crescendo of building tension building and suspense before the inevitable showdown. This is done by actually developing the shark and its mystique. It in fact leads to the shark transcending from being a simple animal and becoming a villain with a personality. What a special film this is.Scheider, Shaw, and Dreyfuss serve as the cornerstones of the film here. I felt Shaw was the edge, Dreyfuss was the reason, and Scheider was the rock and heart of the film. What a beautiful combination the mix ultimately was. The character interaction here was just as interesting as the chase of the shark. My favorite scene in this film is when all three break out into song in the boat. Just three guys shooting the shit while chasing a 25-foot great white on the open sea. Fuck yes. Enough said.

Existential sci-fi noir. It's hard to pinpoint where a review for Blade Runner should begin. It is impressive in so many different ways that it is near impossible to single one specific thing out. It is very much like a machine in that every aspect works together to form the ultimate whole. You simply would not have the same film if you take away any of the work on display here. And what a piece of work it is. It defies categorization, but perhaps the easy way to categorize the film is a mix of heavy noir with heavy sci-fi. I'm going to be blunt here and just say this is a match made in heaven for me. The most impressive aspect to me lies in the fact that is simultaneously contains the style inherent in noir and the philosophical musings found in superior sci-fi. This does not even begin to note just how damn amazing the look is here. As I said, it's hard to know where to begin here. Good noir can be hard to come by, but when found it is much like a buried treasure in its effect. Noir to me is very much a state of mind or even attitude if you will. It is the way the dialogue is delivered. It is the shades of color within the camera angles on the faces. It is cigarette smoke lingering in the air after one has just said a damn cool line. It is the light shining through the blinds. It is a state of being. It does not come and go during a film, but is rather always present. Very much is its own character in the film. As for the sci-fi aspect, I feel like there are two sub-categories here. One of course is the world on display. I just got the Blu-Ray last night and have to admit to being nothing less than blown away. Every camera shot was clearly so meticulous in its execution. One can easily decipher that not a single shot was wasted. It reminds one how film-making would ultimately be in a perfect world. The other aspect on the sci-fi end of course lies in its depth. The depth of the film is of course where its magic ultimately lies. This is a film that has the power to flow you both thematically and visually. There are likely a handful of films that can be called as such. My favorite aspect here is how the depth and philosophical musings evolved in the film's run time. The questions posed were so subtle and yet so intoxicating. So many films have attempted these questions but few have worked them to this effect. The memories the replicants had opened up so many different avenues one's brains could ultimately travel down. These are ponderings that I feel should remain private with the viewer. The film presents these questions in a way that feels very personal and subjective. The music is in a way a perfect way to tie up the noir with the sci-fi. it contained the melordramatic musings with noir along with some hints of techno for sci-fi. So many great visuals to be had here with perfectly suited music to bring out emotion. Perfect. I feel like this is a once in a lifetime film. This is very much a film that was made in the perfect time, place, and by the perfect people. If you had the same people attempt to re-create the magic I have no doubt they would be unable to do so. As with all cinema classics, this is what makes them so special. There are so many unique factors besides talent that contribute to a film. This is cinema magic across so many levels. It's Blade Runner...........enough said.

The wife and I have started Redbox Wednesdays and Blu-Ray Thursdays (we pick up a new Blu-Ray). The writing should be on the wall, but infer from this what you will. IMO.

There are films that can accurately be described as excesses in ambition, and then there's Noah. I've made no bones about the fact that ambition in a film for me can cover up a lot of flaws. Let's be clear here, this is not a blanket statement. Uncontrolled ambition can be pretty messy and off-putting in general. There is very little debate regarding the ambition on display here. I wouldn't argue if one made the statement that the film is simply ambitious as fuck. That being said, it is to the film's deterrent in this case. No matter where you stand on the religious/spiritual realm, there is very little doubt the story of Noah and the ark is simply a damn good story. As such it would seem to make it ripe for good cinema. After all, don't we all love to be told a good story? After this viewing I'm not sure there is a good cinematic story to be had regarding Noah. Of course, time will ultimately tell... One aspect of the film that I really liked was the fact that it didn't really feel like a religious story. Rather, it was very spiritual in nature. There is a "Creator" and Noah never talks to him. I'm more spiritual than anything myself so I related to this aspect of the film. It's unfortunate it's the only aspect I could really sink my teeth into. Perhaps the ultimately problem here is that the film sinks its teeth into multiple areas, and none of them really stand out. At times it feels like a huge fantasy epic while at other times it's more of an introspective look into spirituality and faith. The film is simply very uneven at times and as a result it's hard to really get into the proceedings here. I can't help but feel this would have been more of a success if it had a little more focus. Despite the fact that it's a huge mess and has a plethora of issues, I would nonetheless make the argument that is still a must watch for any cinema fan.

It doesn't get much better than this. What an unadulterated showcase of creativity this is. I wouldn't argue if one made the statement that the proceedings on display here are simply creative as fuck. What makes the film so damn special is how it uses that creativity to fuel the story. Creativity is one thing, but creative with direction (creative storytelling) is something entirely on its own. Of course at the core of the film is the relationship between a son and his mom. The story is able to co-mingle the unabashed youth with the unconditional love of a mom. To say it has an effect on you as a viewer would be an understatement. This is in fact the relationship that the film lays its hay on. We are shown a loving relationship between a mom and son before they are separated. The majority of the film acts as a coming of age story of sorts as Dumbo learns to live on his own and come to terms with his abnormal body parts. There are some damn good scenes on display that touch on the dark sides of culture and acceptance. The other elephants in particular are simply ruthless in their treatment of poor Dumbo. One cannot help but think of problems that exist to this very day that are exactly like what is portrayed here. There are two scenes here that accurately represent what this film is all about. One is the scene in which Dumbo's mom consoles Dumbo through the bars while in chains. This in my opinion is an all-time scene in cinema and signifies the depth the film conveys. The other scene is one in which Dumbo and the mouse get drunk together. One of the more fun scenes you'll come across in any animated film. These two scenes show how the film is so damn good at having depth and creative fun. The two together synergize to create nothing less than a magical experience. In the end the film makes you believe in and care for an elephant that can fly. What more can one say about the power of cinema than that statement? Not only an animated classic, but a classic of cinema in general.

Emo as fuck. IMO.

This was awful. I get the feeling that what was attempted here was a sprawling meditative epic on the drug trade. Such was not the case. There's nothing worse than a director insulting his audience. I'm just going to be blunt here and say Scott comes across as a complete hack here. It makes sense to start with the acting when you have a cast such as what is on display here. Unfortunately the most impressive aspect of the acting comes with the fact that everyone here is pretty much terrible. Javier Bardem is the one I thought somewhat embraced the somewhat pulpy nature of the material, but perhaps that is simply because the guy looked like a fucking hedgehog in the film. Words cannot even begin to describe just how bad Cameron Diaz is here. Her delivery of the lines was downright pathetic. In a film full of terrible performances she was the undisputed stand-out. Damn impressive. I'm not even sure where to begin regarding the story. I have no problem with idea-driven films. The problem lies in the fact that this not driven by either ideas or story. Instead, it is filled with nonsensical filler to make you think you're watching something important. I can't stand films like this. I'm pretty 15 solid minutes were spent talking about how dangerous drug cartels are. Good thing, because otherwise I wouldn't have any idea. Brutal. Perhaps the best way to convey my opinion of this film would be to simply list random points in the film in which I was reduced to laughter. The moments are as follows: 1. The first occured when Barden was shot and killed. Naturally, the dude was driving around with two cheetahs in the back of his SUV. Upon his death, we have kids rummaging through clothes followed by the cheetahs standing around. 2. Fassbender calls some bartender for help and inevitably there sprouts a random philosophical conversation about death. Enough said. 3. Fassbender breaks down crying. In what is clearly meant to be the emotional climax of the film, I'm sitting there laughing my ass off. Not a good sign. 4. Diaz's last monologue to end the film. The guy at the table responds "I think you've told me more than I need to know." Truer words have never been spoken. The film is akin to someone talking out of their ass for two hours. Simply fucking brutal.