Sicario (2015)

Nominated for Best Cinematography, Best Original Score and Best Sound Editing    I don't think Denis Villeneuve even knows how to make a happy movie.  All his shit is depressing.  Beautifully executed, but depressing.

Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) is slogging along in the Kidnap Recovery Team of the FBI when she is recruited to a black bag operation targeting high-level Mexican cartel leaders.  The task force is led by shady consultant Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) and his equally murky companion, Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro).  The further they delve, the more Kate realizes that the rules of engagement are not as cut-and-dry as she had previously imagined.

This was a good, taut thriller but man was it heavy to watch.  You do not get a sense of catharsis here.  I'm not going to say you shouldn't watch it, because it is gripping all the way through, but I want you to be forewarned.  Roger Deacons brings his artist's eye to the camera and there are some shots that are just stunning.  The best part is that they don't feel jarringly out of place like in a Terence Malick film.  It's just like my brain sent up little flares every once in a while to tell the rest of me that the input from my eyes was top-notch.  Emily Blunt is also excellent here.

I would not own this film and I don't think I'll have to buy it.  I think this is going to be one of those movies that just sticks in my head whether I want it to or not.

Next (2007)

  Another day, another shitty Nicolas Cage movie on the server.  I don't know what Rob's fascination with them was but I am not under the same delusions.

Las Vegas stage magician Cris Johnson (Nicolas Cage) has a secret.  He really can see the future up to two minutes ahead.  An FBI agent (Julianne Moore) wants to use that gift to have Cris locate a stolen nuclear device before it detonates but Cris just wants to find the girl (Jessica Biel) that's been haunting his visions.

Where to even begin with this movie?  Hopefully the key words "Nicolas Cage" and "clairvoyant" are enough to make you run screaming in the opposite direction.  It's just dumb from start to finish, not even good for a hate watch.  Avoid like you would a fire ant enema.

What Happened, Miss Simone? (2015)

Nominated for Best Documentary    Now this is a music documentary. 

Nina Simone trained to be a classical pianist since the age of four, but after being rejected from a prestigious music school because of her race, she took odd jobs as a nightclub singer in Atlantic City. Her career as a jazz singer flourished but she didn't really feel fulfilled until she got heavily involved with the Civil Rights movement.  Her increasing militancy strained her personal relationships and also damaged her mainstream career.

This is a poignant inside look at a life damaged by mental illness.  Nina Simone wasn't diagnosed with bipolar disorder until the late 1980's but the mood swings, fits of violence, and instability were prevalent long before.  This added up to a very volatile performer, capable of rendering soaring notes or stony silences during concerts.

I've never had the ear for jazz.  Of all the music styles, it may be the most cerebral with its deconstructions and improvisations.  I'm not musical and can't fully appreciate all the intricacies but even I can recognize that Nina Simone was an incredible talent.  But more, she really tried to leverage her fame to make a difference in the lives of others.  It's admirable and even more sad to see her intentions ruined by her personal demons.

Amy (2015)

Nominated for Best Documentary    I hate to say it but I don't think Amy Winehouse has been dead long enough to warrant a full-length documentary.  It's only been five years. 

Told completely through personal footage, this documentary stitches together a patchwork of privately shot film and voiceover interviews of friends and family of singer Amy Winehouse from her early successes through her disastrous dependency on drugs and alcohol to her untimely death in 2011.

What it gets right:  conveying the joie de vivre of young Amy, as well as her alarming prescience about the dangers of fame.

What it gets wrong:  conveying any sense of a structure or narrative.

This basically functions as a public eulogy from her friends and family, which makes it sad but not Oscar-worthy.  That probably sounds super-harsh but when I think of all the timely, informative docs released this year that didn't get a shot at wider recognition because this took a nomination billet, I can't help but be critical.

Yes, it is tragic that a talented musician died so young.  People will always lament what might have been.  But it's not like she was murdered by a crazed fan or killed fighting against oppression in some way.  At this stage, we don't even know for sure if she'll leave a permanent legacy like Kurt Cobain or simply be a footnote in music history.

National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)

I finally got through 220 episodes of Naruto.  I know it's considered a beloved staple of anime but fuck, what a slog.  Then, as if that weren't enough, I subjected my poor brain to the following film.    I was pretty sure I had seen it before but I couldn't remember a single thing about it.  That should tell you all you need to know about this sequel.

Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) is after another historical mystery, this time trying to prove that his ancestor was not part of the plot to assassinate Lincoln.  To clear his hundred+ years dead family member's good name, Gates attempts to unlock an encrypted message on a page from John Wilkes Booth's (Christian Camargo) diary.  This leads him to the Statue of Liberty, Buckingham Palace, and Mt. Rushmore where the clues add up to indicate the location of a fabled City of Gold, sought after by Spanish explorers in the 16th century.

Okay.  I know this is supposed to be fun and cute and family-friendly, but I shudder at the thought that the writers cheerfully lumped Zuni, Olmec, and Lakota traditions together as if they were not separate indigenous tribes from completely different geographical regions and eras.  It's lazy as well as culturally insensitive.  At least make your blatant grab for cash plausible.

Cartel Land (2015)

Nominated for Best Documentary    I was underwhelmed by this documentary.  I think it lacked a clear focus and a definitive message other than "cartels are dangerous".

Two extralegal groups, one made of Americans in Arizona and one made of Mexicans in Michoacan, fight to limit the power of cartels in drug and human trafficking.  They are self-funded and exist primarily because they believe that their respective governments are incompetent and corrupt in dealing with this matter.  It does not go well.

On the one hand, I am always gladdened to see people standing up for what they believe.  On the other, there is a reason we have historically stamped out mob justice.  The leader of the Arizona Border Recon, Tim "Nailer" Foley, talks about how it's the Wild West around the border, with government patrols stretched too thin and hampered by too much bureaucracy to be effective.  Dr. Jose Mireles of the Autodefensas sees his work more like the ultimate expression of patriotism, striking back for the common man.  What both groups fail to realize is that they are not starring in The Magnificent Seven and these are not disparate groups of bandits but a highly organized, well-funded, ruthless assembly.

If showing the inherent futility of these efforts was the goal of this documentary, then I take back my statement about lacking a clear focus.  Otherwise, I think this lost the plot about halfway through.

Straight Outta Compton (2015)

Nominated for Best Original Screenplay     I am shocked this did not get more nominations.  It is easily one of the best movies I saw from last year and definitely one of the best in this crop of nominees.

In 1986, five young men got together to express their thoughts on what growing up black in Compton, California really meant.  And the world exploded.  Eazy-E (Jason Mitchell) brings the street cred and the money, Ice Cube (O'Shea Jackson Jr.) brings powerfully resonant lyrics and Dr. Dre (Corey Hawkins) handles the musical arrangement and production.  After the success of their first independent album, Eazy-E is approached by music manager Jerry Heller (Paul Giamatti) and a deal is formed.  The group N.W.A. creates the classic rap album Straight Outta Compton and the real success starts to come.  Unfortunately, it is accompanied by suspicion, double-dealing, and betrayal.

I didn't hear of N.W.A until I was well into my 20's.  It may be a shock to some of you, but rap music wasn't often played in rural Alabama in the 1990's.  Plus, I was like six-years-old when this album dropped.  That being said, there was a lot about this movie and its accompanying soundtrack that resonated with me.  No, I don't know what it's like to be harassed by cops just for standing on a street.  But I do know what it is like to stare down an institution intent on crushing your will, to be a lone voice protesting, and the rage of feeling powerless.  Honestly, I can't praise this movie highly enough.

I know it's taken me all damn day just to get one post up but I'm going to try to counter my tardiness with volume.  Bear with me.