War Horse (2011) - Film Review

The critically acclaimed West End and now Broadway play War Horse is brought to life on the big screen in this adaptation by Steven Spielberg.

Based on the novel and play of the same name, War Horse follows a young boy named Albert(Jeremy Irvine) and his unlikely friendship with a horse, Joey. After taking Joey home as a child, Albert ultimately forms an unbreakable bond with the creature, a bond that is ultimately broken when his family is forced to give up the horse to make ends meet. At the outbreak of World War I, Joey is then enlisted to be a war horse on the battlefield, while back at home Albert vows to find his horse.

Steven Spielberg has created an epic masterpiece here. The film itself is an emotional journey filled with a lot of heart. Though the plot itself is simple, it is the emotional depth and relationships between characters that bring out the best in this film. In his first big feature film, actor Jeremy Irvine is able to create the innocence in Albert while delivering a strong, sensitive and sometimes heartbreaking relationship with his character's horse Joey. Every moment that is shared between the boy and his horse ignites waterworks, and add what may be this year's best original score by John Williams to it and you have an outstanding cinematic work. Spielberg has managed to capture the magnificent beauty of the English countryside as well as the terrors of the First World War excellently, and in many ways this feels like a throwback to more traditional films in the past.

The horses who played Joey were phenomenal and almost worthy of an acting nomination, that is if it were an actual person. Besides the acting animals, the film's other strength was the superb musical score. John Williams, whose previous most recognizable film scores include Jaws, Star Wars, and E.T. has composed another hit here, and it will be shocking to not see the War Horse score win an award come Oscar season next year.

If there was any doubt before that using real horses rather than the acclaimed puppets in the play would make this movie less of a success, all of that can now be dispelled. A family feature that is powerful, moving, and magnificent, it is safe to say that War Horse is easily the best film of the year.

The Descendants (2011) - Film Review

George Clooney gives a powerful moving performance in the Alexander Payne directed movie The Descendants.

Set in the exotic Kaua'i, The Descendants follows lawyer Matt King(George Clooney) who reconnects with his family after a tragic boating accident leaves his wife Elizabeth(Patricia Hastie) living on life support. Forced to reconcile and come to terms with his past mistakes, Matt must take care of his two daughters, 10-year-old Scottie(Amara Miller) and her rebellious older sister Alex(Shailene Woodley). Things take a turn for the worst when Matt is notified by the doctors that Elizabeth was going to be taken off of life support, meaning her life has now be reduced to a few weeks, and also when Alex enlightens him to the fact that his wife was cheating on him and was planning on getting a divorce. What ensues is a heartbreaking tale about a family as they come together to deal with the many issues that they have been stuck with.

While The Descendants sounds like a "been there, done that" story that is simple, the film is in actuality anything but boring or redundant. What director Alexander Payne has created here is a immensely touching film that is then further perfected thanks to George Clooney's portrayal of the protagonist Matt King. Clooney delivers in every department of acting here, making the audience so emotionally invested in the lives of his character and family, that at times you might even forget that you are simply just watching a movie on the big screen. Further, Secret Life's Shailene Woodley proves that she has acting capabilities beyond that of a ABC Family series, as her character, the troubled Alex also adds another level of emotional depth to the family's ongoing issues.

The Descendants is bound to stir up your emotions, as this George Clooney fronted film is compelling, poignant and enthralling.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) - Film Review

The Social Network team is back with David Fincher directing and Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross orchestrating the score in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, an adaptation of the best-selling novel of the same name by Stieg Larsson. The dramatic thriller, which stars Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara is also the second adaptation of the book with the first being the Swedish film starring Noomi Rapace.

Mikael Blomkvist(Daniel Craig) is a publisher of Millenium magazine who receives a job offer Henrik Vanger(Christopher Plummer) to solve a mystery regarding a missing family member, Harriet. As Blomkvist digs deeper into the case, he also learns that Vanger ran a background check prior to him being hired. His check was done by a emotionally insane and edgy computer genius, Lisbeth Salander(Rooney Mara). Together the pair dig deep into Henrik Vanger's family's past, as twists and turns come along the way in this movie adaptation which stays rather closely to its source material.

The whole movie itself had a look and feel that is very much identical to that of The Social Network, as Fincher's style is scattered throughout the entire film. The score by Reznor and Ross also holds many similarities to Social Network, though the Network score is much more suited and well-put together than the Dragon Tattoo one. For those who have neither seen the Swedish films nor read the critically acclaimed novels will have no problem following the film's plot however, as Fincher manages to cut down on the novel's rather lengthy parts yet still making the movie comprehensible and enjoyable for the audience.

The cast is filled with many recognizable faces, with Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgard, Robin Wright and Joely Richardson playing important supporting roles. Daniel Craig is suitable in the role of trouble publisher Michael Blomkvist, though it seems as if he did not put an ounce of effort into trying to channel a Swedish accent. Following the first line, he simply resorted to speaking with his English accent, a factor that is made more noticeable than it should be thanks to all the other characters speaking with Swedish accents. The real highlight of the film comes in the award worthy performance by Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander. Mara should indeed be honored as the "breakout star of the year" as she manages to bring multiple levels of complexity and emotional vulnerability to the role. Lisbeth Salander's trouble upbringing and sheer technological talent is brilliantly translated on the screen thanks to Mara's impeccable performance.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has Rooney Mara to thank as she carries this film from beginning to end, as this edge-of-your-seat thriller would have been just average without the actress in it.

Hugo (2011) - Film Review

Magical, adventurous, and a heart-felt family feature for the Holiday season.


Directed by Martin Scorsese, Hugo is a 3-D live action feature film based on the children's book by Brian Selznick and starring Chloe Moretz, Sasha Baron Cohen, Asa Butterfield and Jude Law. The movie takes place in 1931 Paris and follows a young boy named Hugo Cabret(Asa Butterfield) who after the death of his father(Jude Law) is left to maintain the clocks at the railway station while trying to finish his father's project of fixing an automaton.

The film starts at a sluggishly slow pace, and contains to stay at that rate, but the end result of the narrative redeems what the beginning lacks. The cast is also top-notch, with the two child leads, Butterfield and Moretz both suiting in their respective roles. Sasha Baron Cohen also brings light humor in the role of the train station inspector, and Ben Kingsley perfects the role of former acclaimed filmmaker Georges Méliès.

Being unfamiliar with the work of Georges Méliès, the film worked as a adventure mystery for me. I went into the film with not idea what to expect but "an adventure", and was surprised to find such an immensely touching tale unravel before my eyes. The direction by Scorsese is wondrous, and the cinematography a visual feast. Those who despise 3-D movies should make this one an exception, as the 3-D magically weaves itself into the plot so well that it only enhances the overall experience.

While the plot itself could have moved along quicker at parts of the film, it is no doubt that Hugo is a work of cinematic art. And with a talented cast and top-notch director behind it, this movie is well worth a trip with your family to the movie theatres.

Matilda the Musical (2011) - Theatre Review

Magical, heart-warming, and exciting. Matilda the Musical features a cast of talented children that is the most invigorating group of kids I've seen since Billy Elliot.

Featuring music by Tim Minchin and a book by Dennis Kelly, Matilda the Musical is West End's newest musical based on the popular Roald Dahl novel of the same name. Like Billy Elliot, the cast features a group of young children who sing and dance their asses off like no other.

While I didn't LOVE Tim Minchin's score like many others have, there were a few songs that I thought were memorable, namely "When I Grow Up" and "Miracle". Another number that raise the show's quality bar is "Revolting Children". The choreography, acting and children in this production is top-notch, and one can't help but smile at what a beautiful piece of theatre Matilda is.

The lighting and set design are also very well done, with very intricately designed moments here and there throughout the 2 1/2 hours of the production. All in all, Matilda the Musical is a fun piece of family theatre fare. The show is no doubt bound to be a new hit in the West End, and most definitely a must see!

Moneyball (2011) - Film Review

Aaron Sorkin hits another home-run with his latest film, Moneyball, which delves into the politics and business behind the popular American sport.

Directed by Bennett Miller, the film is based on 2003 book of the same name by Michael Lewis. Coming off of his Oscar nominated hit The Social Network last year, I was highly enthusiastic to see Sorkin back with another film. However, besides a wildly witty and well-written screenplay, and superb acting talent by Brad Pitt, I found this movie to be mostly of a bore.

Moneyball follows Billy Beane(Brad Pitt), the Oakland Athletics general manager as he tries to assemble a top-notch team after the team lost to the New York Yankees previously. With the help of Peter Brand(Jonah Hill), a college graduate Beane and Brand work together to assemble an all-star team that includes pitcher Chad Bradford(Casey Bond) and first baseman Scott Hatteberg(Chris Pratt).

The artistically inter-cut scenes of baseball players in action throughout the film was very well inputed and done. And as previously stated, Pitt gives an Academy Award worthy performance in his portrayal of Billy Beane. The film moves at an unbearably slow pace during its 133 minutes duration, and this is especially noticeable for people who aren't baseball fanatics like myself. However, it is undeniable that the screenplay by Sorkin and Pitt's portrayal of Billy Beane is what makes this movie worth watching at least once through.