kaseyeowens-blog - Tumblr blog

[kaseyeowens-blog]

“La La Land” Movie Review: Classic Hollywood Magic

There has been a lot of hype around this movie as of late; most notably, it has racked up a total of 14 Academy Award nominations, bringing it to the same level of recognition as “Titanic” (which we all know is a classic, don’t try to deny it). When I first saw a brief trailer for the movie, I was intrigued; Ryan Gosling singing? This I gotta see. But as it came into theaters and reviews began to surface, I became a bit skeptical; could a movie like this (and a musical, no less) really be as good as everyone says? Due to my skepticism, I avoided the film for a while. But today I came to terms with it; it’s nominated for a multitude of Oscars, so I knew I had to see for myself if it was a movie worthy of such acknowledgement. After being out of the theater for under half an hour, here are my unfiltered thoughts. 

It’s long. Not in a bad way, but it’s an intricate story that can’t be so quickly unraveled. It’s an impeccable combination of classic Hollywood and modern day; one minute you see characters talking on their iPhones, and the next they’re waltzing among the stars. It’s magical and intimate. It’s everything you want in a romance movie. We have the meet-cute, the rough patch, the resolution-- all the things we typically get from these kinds of films. However, it’s not just that formula (aka what you need when watching a film like this), but it has everything you want as well. You want Mia to leave the table (and her beau at the time) to meet Sebastian, and you want them to hold hands in the movie theater while watching “Rebel Without A Cause”. You want her to like jazz because he loves jazz, or you want him to love her in spite of her not liking his favorite form of music and passion. You want them to succeed. You want them to be together. Now, I’m not saying you get everything you want, but even still, it all feels so satisfying. 

As for the plot, I’ll sum it up like this: Modern day LA, we have a girl who wants to be an actress and a boy who wants to own his own jazz club. (Side note: Emma Stone absolutely shines in this film. It is a wonder to look at her career after beginning with movies like “Superbad”. She has truly come into her own.) Their paths cross, and fate takes its course. Obviously, I’m not going to reveal what happens, and trust me when I say you don’t want me to. 

It’s beautiful in its agonizing moments, in its triumphs, in the mystical what if’s, and the brutal honesty. It’s simple. It’s pure. We’re still here, but it feels like we’re going back to something that hasn’t been touched in a long time, and it’s refreshing in that sense. There were moments when I felt like the whole movie could have been shot in polaroid film. It’s inspiring. It’s fun! (And funny; I’ll reference the opening musical number here.) It stuffs the arts into one neat bundle: film, music, and dance all in one place. 

I completely understand now why this movie has been so widely recognized. It’s ambitious. It’s painful. It’s freeing, and it’s a difficult sensation to try to describe it to those who have not witnessed it for themselves. So I implore you, make the effort to go see it. I highly doubt it will be a waste of your time. And even if it is, you’ll still have one hell of a soundtrack to download. (Just try getting Gosling’s “City of Stars” out of your head once you hear it. You can’t, and you won’t want to.)

It’s an instant classic, which to me feels both unexpected and utterly gratifying. All I can say in response is this: Bravo.

[kaseyeowens-blog]

“Passengers” Movie Review: Why did you give up your life on earth?

It’s a strange thing. What I mean is, it’s strange how two well-loved actors can come together to be part of a movie that appears to be one interesting space film and have the latter end up to be essentially false. Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt are two stars that are very popular; Chris Pratt is attractive and funny, exuding wit and charm no matter what role. Jennifer Lawrence has proven herself to be a powerhouse, portraying many different characters with depth and honesty. So, it is strange that in this movie, though it should be a solid hit for both of them, is a flop. Let me explain what I mean. 

The movie starts, and it’s simple enough. A group of 5,000 passengers from Earth are traveling on a 120 year voyage to a new planet named Homestead II. We assume this planet is similar to Earth, as it looks about the same, but we never learn any details other than there have been many voyages that have successfully landed there. As the spaceship is traveling, it passes through a meteor shower, which is where our story (and, of course, all our problems) begins. One meteor manages to break through the ship’s shield, causing internal damage to the inter mechanisms of the ship, starting with waking Jim Preston (Chris Pratt) from his hibernation pod. Of course, Jim is the only one awake--about 90 years ahead of schedule. With no way to go back to sleep, he goes through typical emotional stages: panic, anger, and grief until he shifts into numbness after a year of being alone with only an android bartender named Arthur as company. One day, as he walks around other hibernation pods, he spots Aurora Lane (Jennifer Lawrence), a beautiful journalist. After that, he can’t keep his mind off of her. He listens to her voice on recordings, laughs at her jokes, and reads all her literary works. He falls in love with her, and since he is a mechanic, he struggles with the idea of tinkering with Aurora’s pod and waking her up. He wouldn’t be alone anymore, but he would be condemning her to death upon the spaceship with him. But it wouldn’t be nearly as interesting if he made the morally right and selfless choice, right? He wakes Aurora up, acting as if it was an accident, and she struggles with the realization of their fate for a few weeks. Over time, the two fall in love, and for a year they are happy together. During this time, we see the ship start to malfunction more frequently. On the night Jim is preparing to propose to Aurora, Arthur lets it slip (almost maliciously) to Aurora that she had been woken up intentionally by Jim, who was out of the room but returns to Aurora looking shocked, stricken, and furious. After that, the two act like a divorced couple; Aurora leaves any room Jim enters and dismisses his attempts to explain or apologize. Only when the ship begins to malfunction more noticeably and one of the crew members, Gus, is awakened, do Aurora and Jim start to realize they have to do something to fix the ship if they are going to survive and keep all the other passengers on board safe. 

I won’t give away the final scenes or how the movie ends. I’ll simply impart a few thoughts about the movie as a whole. Overall, it’s just a love story. Sure, we have some action sequences, but it’s a typical love story formula: the meet-cute  (even if it’s based on a lie), the relationship that goes well for a while, the truth that eventually comes out, the breakup, and finally the forgiveness and reunion of our two lovers. The only thing different about this film is that it takes place on a spaceship (which is still not anything new). Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt proved that they have chemistry together; however, the story was too busy, the dialogue was weak, we don’t get enough back story on either character or Homestead II or why people are leaving Earth to begin with, and in the end, it was just too cliche. It’s predictable, apart from a few minor details. 

Would I watch this movie again on DVD? Sure, why not? It’s fun, the concept is interesting, and our two stars work well together; after all, it’s easy to enjoy a film when you appreciate the actors involved. But don’t look too closely, or else you’ll see even more meteor-sized holes that cause problems and flaws to what could have been an incredible film. 

[kaseyeowens-blog]

Monday.

[kaseyeowens-blog]

[kaseyeowens-blog]

[kaseyeowens-blog]

“Suicide Squad “ Review: Actually Quite Vexing (I’m Just Forewarning You)

I think we can all agree that the hype for “Suicide Squad” was crazy (pun intended). That being said, I don’t necessarily think the movie lived up to everyone’s expectations; however, I do personally think that it came pretty close. 

Basic plot: Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) is rounding up a team of bad guys. In the beginning, there’s no explicit mission they’re being rounded up for, but Waller takes no chances. With “meta-humans” like Superman around, we need some serious protection, and she gathers a motley crew of SOBs from the nuthouse just in case the need arises. And since it’s a movie, the need arises almost instantaneously. In fact, it’s pretty much Rick Flag’s fault; Flag is Waller’s right-hand-man, and is romantically involved with Dr. June Moone, aka Enchantress, aka the villain of the movie. Enchantress, originally enlisted as a crucial member of the squad, breaks loose and decides that since people stopped worshipping her, she’s going to destroy all mankind (with the help of her brother, another ancient spirit). So, it’s up to the team to get Flag’s girlfriend back (ideally, alive). Oh, and also stop the world from being obliterated. 

Will Smith leads the team as Deadshot, and although he doesn’t stray from his wheelhouse of portraying characters of action into anything new, it feels classic, familiar, and fun. Jay Hernandez simmers as El Diablo, a villain who feels cursed by his past sins and just wants redemption. Unfortunately, many characters seemed unnecessary, or at least not used to their full potential (Captain Boomerang, Katana, Killer Croc, and Scott Eastwood to name a few). Still, the crew was interesting with tons of banter, threats, and snide remarks. 

Now, let’s talk about The Joker and Harley Quinn. I’m sure a lot of people are trying to compare this movie’s with Heath Ledger’s portrayal of The Joker in “The Dark Knight,” but the more I’ve thought about it, the more I’m convinced that, regardless of who demonstrates their version of the classic villain, they just can’t be compared. They’re not meant to be, and they shouldn’t be. Heath Ledger was incredible, and I don’t want people to hear me say that his performance wasn’t monumental. Still, if I had to pick one representation of The Joker that I would gladly watch forever, it would most certainly be Jared Leto’s. His Joker was fun, charismatic, manipulative, backhanded, and twisted. He was whimsical in a slightly off-kilter way, unapologetically dominating every space he inhabited and  every person he encountered. I’ll put it this way: to me, Jared Leto was the classic Joker, fun to watch, even though not always as realistic, while also having a modern-day gangster vibe. I also thought Margot Robbie’s portrayal of Harley Quinn was, for the most part, totally spot on. All the things I wanted Harley to be, she mostly was; I don’t like for a character like hers to get over-sentimitized, but I understand why they did it at times. The Joker and Harley Quinn were a force to be reckoned with, amidst their ridiculous antics and magnetic romance; their relationship was definitely a highlight of the film (though The Joker definitely does not get enough screen time, and that is truly lamentable). 

Of course, with a movie like this, there will always be some pretty big plot holes.  The violence is obviously necessary, but sometimes goes a little long. Cara Delevingne, though legitimately creepy as the opening version of Enchantress, drowns in her role as the main villain; she lacks the ferocity, condescension, and intimidation a character like Enchantress requires. We never fully understand what “machine” Enchantress is making to destroy the world, only that she gyrates in front of materials swirling in midair until flashes of light burst forth and slice random things apart like a laser. As the team runs through the city to retrieve Waller and find Enchantress’s lair, I couldn’t help but wonder: where are all the people? I knew some were turned into soldiers for the witch’s evil cause, but every single person? At times, it felt like I was watching “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2″ with a tactical group running through abandoned city streets and taking down each obstacle in their way. 

Fortunately for “Suicide Squad,” half the time you don’t really care. You don’t care about plot holes or crappy dialogue or unnecessary details. Most likely, you’ll leave the theater thinking the characters were cool and mostly accurate portrayals, the soundtrack was awesome (legitimately, it was so awesome), and that you had a really good time. I’m already pumped for the sequel. And here’s a hint: stay until after the credits; they don’t give you glimpses of Batman and The Flash for nothing (aka shameless “Justice League” plug). 

Stay evil, doll face. 

[kaseyeowens-blog]

[kaseyeowens-blog]

Legitimately one of the funniest parts of this movie.

[kaseyeowens-blog]

[kaseyeowens-blog]

“Nerve” Review: A Fun and Sobering Experience

Are you a watcher? Or a player? 

Ideally, your answer is neither (and yes, that is a real option). Regardless, our protagonist Venus (or Vee) is done with her “boring” sidekick lifestyle, and decides to kick it up a notch by getting involved in Nerve, an online game, and becoming a player. But being a part of the game has a price (literally). Maybe I’m getting a little bit ahead of myself; I’ll explain. 

Welcome to 2016, where Millennials rule the world (or at least think they do). Enter Vee, an artsy Senior with big ambitions to leave Staten Island forever. Unfortunately, Vee doesn’t have much nerve; she can’t confess to here financially-struggling mother that she wants to move clear across the country and attend an expensive art school. We grasp that Vee is a timid people-pleaser, unwilling (or unable) to unabashedly go after what she really wants in life. And, of course, her metamorphosis all starts with a boy. Vee, though discontent with her situation in life, accepts her fate: an affordable college and continuing to live at home with her mother, who is still grieving the loss of Vee’s older brother. However, when her popular friend Sydney asks Vee’s crush, JP, if he’s interested in Vee and he softly rejects her, she returns home furious and signs up for the online game, Nerve. It’s like Truth or Dare, without the Truth. Basically watchers create dares for the players; the longer the player is in the game, the more intense and dangerous the challenges become. Vee meets Ian, a fellow player with a mysterious past, and they set off through the night to complete dares and collect their winnings (that’s right, you get paid for successfully completing challenges. And I mean a lot of money.) But soon the game becomes more malicious, and Vee finds herself in the final round of a life-or-death challenge. As a dark and illegal online game, Nerve gets access to each players information: bank accounts, Facebook pages, Spotify playlists, anything accessible online. In the end, Vee must figure out some way to defeat Nerve or live the rest of her life as a prisoner of the game.

Aesthetically, the movie was pretty good; technology is a big part of this film, and it was interesting to get the view from an iPhone screen or through social media platforms. The music was consistently good throughout, although if Alternative-Hipster is supposed to be all my generation listens to, think again (I also will never believe any character Emma Roberts plays could actually like rap music, let alone Wu-Tang). Dialogue left something to be desired and the acting was mostly subpar, but Emma Roberts and Dave Franco made a surprisingly well-balanced couple (Ian brought out Vee’s wild side, while Vee gave Ian a little more depth). Of course, the movie is predictable (though there was a minor twist I didn’t see coming). From the trailer you can discern that no one important is going to die or get seriously hurt, they’re going to defeat the game, Emma and Dave’s characters are going to fall in love (over a 24-hour time period, no less), and Vee will get to go to her dream school. It’s all going to work out in the end. And Vee will have finally embraced her true self: the strong girl inside who has opinions and passions and doesn’t need to play sidekick to anyone. So, it’s a feel-good film. 

Except for one aspect. I won’t give away the ending, but I will say that I felt myself getting a little depressed over the depravity of mankind as we neared the conclusion. At one point, Nerve takes a poll of the watchers to see who wants Vee to get killed...and the overwhelming vote is “Yes”. I guess the fact that people are “strong” or at least more brash when they have the protection of a technological screen was immensely sobering for me. People in this movie did not take responsibility for their actions. No one was held to a standard of moral uprightness. In fact, people involved with the game only quit once they realized they were going to be punished and held accountable for their part in it. It made me realize that there is something very wrong inside us humans (not to mention that we are way to connected to our mobile devices and the online world). But, all that’s not very much fun, is it? 

So, what I take from this movie is that it’s okay to be a watcher, or a player, or neither. That’s not the point; the point is to be true to yourself, to push yourself to take risks, don’t succumb to peer pressure, and make real connections with people. It’s a fun movie, and I’d definitely watch it again; I just think we shouldn’t take for granted all a culturally-relevant film like this can teach us about ourselves and the society we live in. 

So, in the words of Sydney: “You need to take a few risks every once in a while. Do you accept your dare?”

[kaseyeowens-blog]

[kaseyeowens-blog]

Psychological Thriller Recommendation: “The Invitation”

Everyone’s got a traumatic past, and anyone can make the choice to eradicate that pain from their lives permanently. This is the running theme of “The Invitation,” a slow-burning thriller that escalates in the final minutes of the film. Will and new girlfriend Kira attend a dinner party put on by Will’s ex-wife, Eden, and her new partner, David. While the evening starts out a little awkward (after all, they haven’t all been together in about two years), it quickly turns from suspicious into sinister. There might not be anything particularly new here, but if you’re a fan of “Shutter Island,” then this might be up your alley. Also, the paranoia, grief, and violence are all pretty realistic. “The Invitation” is not overly-complicated or busy, but it does evoke questions and possibilities to ponder after the movie ends. 

Plus, it’s on Netflix, so why not? 

[kaseyeowens-blog]

In honor of Shannara Chronicles coming to Netflix, here's a photo edit of the two leading ladies.

[kaseyeowens-blog]

[kaseyeowens-blog]

😍😍😍

oh hey season 2

[kaseyeowens-blog]

[kaseyeowens-blog]

“The Legend of Tarzan” Movie Review: Not so Disney Anymore

I’ll go ahead and confess; I’ve never read any of the “Tarzan” book series by Edgar Rice Burroughs. I’ll also confess that I have, like the majority of my peers, seen the Disney film “Tarzan” multiple times...and love it. That being said, I had high hopes walking into the theater to catch a showing of “The Legend of Tarzan”. 

(Note of advice: If you’re going to see this movie, you first need to completely separate it in your mind from the Disney version; some details do overlap, but a lot is different. For example, in the live-action film, Tarzan is John Clayton, while in the animated feature, Clayton is the main antagonist and of no relation to Tarzan.)

John (or Tarzan) and Jane travel from England to return to the Congo, a place they both consider home. Jane grew up there while her father taught English to a village of natives, and John, of course, grew up among the gorillas under the watch of his ape mother, Kala. We find out through flashbacks about John and Jane’s individual and collective past: the fate of Mr. and Mrs. Clayton, John’s difficult childhood among the apes, the first time Jane saw John and how he went on to save her from being attacked by gorillas, sparking their relationship. They, along with George Washington Williams (Samuel L. Jackson), are warmly welcomed back into the village, and everything seems to be going well until John, Jane, and a portion of the tribe get kidnapped by Rom (played by Christoph Waltz in a stereotypical villain role). Rom, King Leopold’s envoy, plans to trade Tarzan to another native tribe for diamonds, which will clear the King’s debt. In the end, John escapes Rom’s clutches with George, and they race off to save Jane and the captured tribe members, with an end goal of stopping slavery in the Congo. So, “The Legend of Tarzan” is basically a rescue mission. It’s a plot that, at it’s foundation, feels very familiar, and we all have similar suspicions of how it has to end. But in “The Legend of Tarzan,” Waltz feels less like the villain when compared with time. The movie is a fast-paced adventure, racing against the clock until the final moments. 

Though some dialogue was sub-par and typical, some scenes were (more or less) a little awkward, and there was an undeniably noticeable amount of CGI, the movie wasn’t bad. Jane and John’s relationship is sweet and passionate, and Margot Robbie brings a ferocity to the role of Jane. John, unlike Disney’s “Tarzan,” loses fights and takes a real beating, showing his human vulnerabilities and limitations. Sure, Alexander Skarsgard is a little too beautiful to be the ape-man, but he plays the brooding, emotionally-charged, verbally subdued main character pretty well. Samuel L. Jackson is the perfect right-hand-man, delivering the appropriate amount of humor to Skarsgard’s stern Tarzan.

It’s a fun adventure, particularly watching John’s discomfort melt away as he re-enters his true home in the jungle and his communication with the various animals. It’s more realistic, harsh, and more human than Disney portrayed it in 1999, and I really appreciated that; nevertheless, we still get the swinging from vines and classic Tarzan yell. It’s different, but strangely satisfying.