Loving (2016) Review

Loving is an historical drama about the lives of the interracial couple who were the cause of the 'Loving V. Virginia' supreme court case that invalidated state laws prohibiting Interracial Marriage. It stars Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga who is nominated for the Academy award for best actress.
The film I'd say is pretty solid but far from great. Its intentions and message are clear and well executed and the performances are good (didn't scream oscar-worthy to me though). the problem is the film just seems to be going through the motions, we jump forward from scene to scene in a brisk manner that just tells the story, but lacks a good amount of drama and emotional weight. Don't get me wrong there are a couple of strong scenes here and the fill certainly isn't devoid of emotion. But the understated approach just didn't connect with me that much. Of course they wanted to be as true to their lives as possible, so it is understandable and like I said the film is definitely solid and well made and is sure to connect with many people in different ways. Its also a story I didn't know anything about, so at the very least I learned something, so it certainly serves its purpose well. ***

Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

Bursting in with as much subtlety as an Independence Day parade, comes Mel Gibson's Hacksaw ridge. A war movie that is Brutal, Excessive but definitely powerful.
Based on a true story the film follows a really interesting  real life character played by Andrew Garfield who does a really great performance in a somewhat similar role to what he plays in Silence. The drama is also strong and the films emotional moments hit quite hard, one of the things that really makes the film standout though are it's incredible sequences on the battlefield. The way it thrusts us into the heat of war creates a harsh, chaotic and intense experience. It's chock full of gory moments and action in excess that are shocking but also somewhat perversely satisfies those of us that enjoy a bit of bloody action even with its real life context. These sequences are ripe with tension and backed up by some great camerawork, editing and sound.
The rest of the movie is also very good and there are strong performances from all the rest of the cast. It is all very on the nose and there is a strong sense of patriotism running through it, but it never detracts from the viewing experience and overall this is just a really great war movie. ****

Lion (2016)

So here's another one of this years Oscar contenders, It is a rather safe and conventional film but one that executes it's touching true story exceedingly well, making it a very solid drama.
For starters the acting is strong, the emotional moments hit well and both Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman definitely deserve their acting award nominations, though the rest of the cast are also very good and I'd particularly like to mention Sunny Pawar who plays a young Saroo and who is probably on screen more than anyone else and also deserves praise for his performance.
The film is also really nicely shot with the cinematography being very beautiful at times making it clear to see why its also got award nominations with lots of wonderful wide shots which is what I like to see.
I do think the first half is a little stronger and more consistent than the second half which I think unfolded a tad slower than it should have but overall this is a really good drama that runs exactly how you'd expect but it gets its message across clearly and is really well made and enjoyable. There's nothing there that would personally make me want to re-watch it, but I still have a strong appreciation for its execution. ***1/2

La La Land (2016)

What a an absolute wonderful film this is, a jazz musical full of charm and heart that is thoroughly engaging throughout. It takes inspiration from classic Hollywood musicals and blends that influence  into a more modern, real life setting. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone play the lead roles and their performances are great, with Emma Stone being a particular stand out especially during her one solo song towards the end.
Speaking of music the score is fantastic and works perfectly with the film and considering this is a musical it actually has quite a minimal amount of sung songs and the ones that there are have great purpose and never less than good.
The film also also beautifully shot with some great cinematography and set design that brings the films world to life incredibly well.
This was a project that Damien Chazelle had been wanting to make for a good few years and thanks to the success of his previous film Whiplash, he was able to and you can really see the passion and love that has been poured into making this, translating into a film that is truly wonderful film. A magnificent musical that is worthy of its awards buzz. ****

Manchester By The Sea (2016)

So here's one of the films currently riding the awards trail leading up to the Oscars. It's a little drama starring Casey Affleck, Lucas Hedges, Michelle Williams and a few others, and its pretty darn great. The drama itself is very strong a mixture of Sadness and hope laying at its foundation, though it is the melancholy that is most prevalent and it is quite the emotional experience but it's certainly no heavy-handed tearjerker, its approach is a little more subtle and genuine and handled exceedingly well.
What really makes this film though is it's characters and performances, the characters are well fleshed out and interesting and are backed up by great performances by its entire cast. I give particular praise to Casey Affleck who is outstanding in the lead role and deserves all the nominations and awards he's been getting. He plays the most interesting character in film who on the surface it may not seem like he is but there's alot of depth going on beneath which we get because of the way Affleck embodies the role.
the film is also well shot with alot of nice static camera work being used particularly in the films first 10/15 minutes which I thought was done in an intriguing way. I also like the classical music that was used throughout which fit in very nicely with the films atmosphere and tone.
The film does run at 137 minutes so it's a little long, but it's certainly not boring and stays engaging thanks to the characters, performances and certain story elements. Overall this is a great piece of drama that is full of strong acting and characters and I'd definitely recommend it. ****

Spotlight (2015)

Spotlight is a dialogue heavy drama directed by Tom McCarthy about The Boston Globe's 'Spotlight' team as they investigate child sex abuse cases involving Roman Catholic Priests in the Boston area. Based on stories by the real 'Spotlight' team, Spotlight is a rather fascinating movie that is constantly engaging and intriguing (something that can be hard for a movie that's mainly just people talking). It's dark and corrupt subject matter is one that is able to rile up your emotions and it's well written dialogue and strong acting really helps achieve this. I've not really got much more to say other than, it may not be the most 'cinematic' of films but it is a great piece of drama worth checking out.
****

The Revenant (2015)

Iñárritu delivers another great film for the second year in a row. Featuring more of Emmanuelle Lubezki's fantastic cinematography, The Revenant is a beautifully shot, harsh and brutal visceral period epic lead by a great central performance from DiCaprio (the film could even be seen as a metaphor for Leo's Oscar quest) as well as a strong supporting cast (Tom Hardy is top notch as usual). It's plot is very straight forward and simple but that is certainly not a detractor as the film is more about it's execution in depicting it's characters' struggles and it certainly does that with pure excellence. I may not have loved it as much as Birdman but it's still one of 2015's best movies. ****1/2

Room (2015)

One of this year's Oscar contenders, Room is a strong emotional drama filled with tense moments, sad moments, dark moments and happy touching moments. It's solid emotional core made possible through strong central performances from Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay, though the rest of the cast also do a good job, with some of it's side characters having very interesting traits that adds to the films overall depth. It also some interesting cinematography especially when trying to show Jacobs point of view on things.
Admittedly some of it's dialogue is a little hokey and it arguably tries a little too hard to pull at your heartstrings but film works and is a genuinely great drama with a big heart. Just remember if a stranger asks you to help with his sick dog...you should probably say no. ****