Passengers

Ill-timed, but well-intentioned is the first thing I have to say about the long-awaited sci-fi film, “Passengers”. Featuring two of Hollywood’s most bankable stars, and a sizzling black list script that has been hotly pursued since first being written back in 2007. I say ill-timed because opening a week after “Star Wars” is a bold move for any big budget flick, but one in the same genre? That’s not the best timing. Well-intentioned? Well, on paper, everything about this film screams “awesome!”. But paper is paper, and a movie-going experience is something entirely different.

Sometime in the unspecified future, the colonial spaceship Avalon is making a one hundred and twenty-year journey to the Homestead 2. Carrying five thousand passengers and three hundred crewmembers in hyper sleep, Jim Preston (Chris Pratt) wakes up alone after just thirty years. A series of semi-humorous events, malfunctions, and shenanigans leads to the awakening of Aurora Lane (Jennifer Lawrence), and the two of them embark on the unlikeliest of whirlwind romances. Then things start to go wrong, and it is a scramble for survival, and protection of the fifty-three hundred unwitting humans on board.

The plot provides opportunity for some interesting suspense and twists, but shies away from capitalizing on any of them, instead, spoiling the film after a mere twenty minutes or so. The story arc is simple and predictable with little payoff at the end. There is also little peril, as there just isn’t much of an emotional investment in the characters, and the five thousand sleeping individuals are nameless and faceless, so their identities get lost due to the film’s time constraints. Instead, we are treated to cutesy technological advancements like a hologram dance game, automatic food dispensers, an autonomous android bartender (Michael Sheen, who actually shines as the best acting portion of the entire film), and a ship that can correct its own malfunctions without any human intervention. Pretty convenient if you ask me.

Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence have zero chemistry here. In a nutshell, he’s boring and she’s helpless. Their personalities are cute, but not really likable beyond the attractive facades, and their attraction to each other is just transparently disingenuous and contrived. To put it in perspective, the third wheel on the ship, Michael Sheen’s android Arthur, has better chemistry with each of them than they do with each other, and that is just sad.

Norwegian Director Morten Tyldum (“The Imitation Game”) is given the keys to his dad’s sports car on this one. A reported $110 million budget can go a long way, but sci-fi is notoriously expensive. There are a few notable action sequences that make the film mildly enjoyable, mostly playing with gravity. But most of what he shows is a tour of an interstellar Carnival cruise line and its many amenities.

Writer Jon Spaihts (“Prometheus”, “Doctor Strange”) is quickly becoming a hot commodity in the genre, but this film won’t do him any favors. It’s not his fault though, the idea is fun and could have been executed stronger if there were more energy put into the thriller or suspense aspects. The romance wasn’t designed to be the focal point of the story, and perhaps if there were lesser known actors, the plot might have emerged more victorious.

I was really looking forward to this one. I’m a huge fan of sci-fi, and I even wrote a fiction book on the subject, but endings are so challenging to do adequately, and I wasn’t impressed by this one in the slightest. “Passengers” isn’t a bad film, just very underwhelming and disappointing. 6/10.

La La Land

"La La Land" is a throwback to films of yesteryear. Carefree, musically absurd, joyful, and most importantly, inspiring. It's been called a love letter to Hollywood, but I would dare say it's more of a seduction. Laid on thick, it feeds the ego-maniacal Hollywood beast with brilliant sequences of glitz and glamour with famous landmarks getting cameos all along the way. Two attractive, young leads doesn't hurt this portrayal of cinematic beauty.

Mia (Emma Stone) and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) reignite the chemistry that was started in 2011's "Crazy, Stupid, Love". Her big doe eyes, and his "couldn't care less" affect make them the perfect pairing for a film taking us back to the golden age of Hollywood. But it's set in the present, so don't get too caught up in nostalgia. They effortlessly make it look easy and breezy. She is an aspiring actress who has been beaten down by failure. He's a jazz pianist with a dream, but he's reluctant to sell out to get what he needs. They form an immediate bond that is punctuated by various interpretive rounds of song and dance, and at the end, they send out good-looking smoldering vibes to the audience, and it works.

Damien Chazelle's sophomore effort suffers no slump in the slightest. His 2014 gem, "Whiplash" was on top of my personal list for Best Picture, but was ultimately beaten out by "Birdman" for the big prize. Emma Stone gained her first Oscar nomination for her performance in "Birdman" and is a sure thing for a nomination this year, although I think it's entirely possible that she wins a statue if she pulls of the Golden Globe. The direction is outstanding and the thing about the film that stood out most to me. There is clearly some art imitating life with the jazz theme after "Whiplash", and it is very cool. He clearly models Gosling's Sebastian after some sort of fantastical incarnation of himself, but I get it. Ryan Gosling is pretty dapper.

Make no mistake. The real star of the show is Tinseltown herself. She gets the film's titular role, and shows it off proudly. She exposes the realities of the busy bodies behind the ostentation. The night life for artists looking to meet someone who can help them move up the ladder. The debasing day jobs worked to fuel nothing more than the dream of a better tomorrow. You can see that the film has even made me a bit whimsical. there is something nostalgic about the setting. Everyone who's seen a movie in their life has been there, even if they haven't physically set foot on the Walk of Fame or witnessed a film premiere at Grumman's Chinese Theatre. Even if they haven't taken a stroll down the Sunset Strip and looked up at the Chateau Marmont and wondered who might be staying there right that instant.

The irony is that Chazelle will likely win Best Picture for a film that is more publicized, star-studded, and buzzed about than the film that should win ("Manchester by the Sea"). At least Chazelle deserves it, as did Inarritu back in 2014. It goes to show that Hollywood is one narcissistic vixen. A film that romanticizes her charms and devilish guile is sure to find a soft spot in the Academy's armor. Not too serious, lots of well-choreographed original song and dance numbers, romance mixed with a dash of realism and humor? I think he may have struck gold.

"La La Land" is something different when lined up beside the biopics, adapted screenplays, and big budget formulaic fare. It stands out as the film that might find a home with many different audiences, and will likely strike chords close to the hearts of those who make awards decisions. For me, it wasn't the best film of the year, but it was superbly entertaining, and absolutely top five. 8/10.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

The highly anticipated stand-alone to the beloved franchise has arrived. Brilliantly planned, this film is the second in a six-year sequence of Christmas openings, with Episode VIII in 2017, the Han Solo origin in 2018, Episode IX in 2019, and a yet undetermined film in 2020. I’m no seer, but I don’t think that will be the end of the SWEU (Star Wars Extended Universe).

“Rogue One” follows a briefly mentioned band of rebels from episode IV, who daringly risk life and limb to save the entire republic from the evil empire by stealing the schematics for the Death Star. Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) plays the heroine who surrounds herself with a band of eclectic characters on a quest for humanity. The line of good versus evil has never been more clear, and the stakes never higher.

The film has a familiar tone, but deviates from some of the trademark “Star Wars” staples, much to the delight of this critic. It has a freshness and is a bit darker, more action-packed, and carries the torch for the next generation, which is a certainty considering the global popularity. The nostalgia is preserved remarkably, while opening the doors of film making technology and new characters that will captivate a new generation as well as satiate the old.

Jyn is an orphan who has a special link to the Death Star, and the fate of humanity hangs in the balance of her choices. I was underwhelmed by her performance, as it seemed wooden and unmotivated. There was little emotional range, and lots of confident quips that attempt to highlight her rebellious nature, but she is really quite dry. It was an opportunity to introduce a new and exciting iconic character, but Jyn Erso will be lost in the mediocrity of memorable but uninspiring players.

Orson Krennick (Ben Mendelsohn) marvelously plays the officer in charge of the Death Star, and he is joined by the CGI presence of Grand Moff Tarkin, played in the original by Peter Cushing. The effects are valiant, but severely noticeable and a bit distracting. With a nearly forty-year gap, his inclusion was vital to the story, so he gets a pass. We get to see the resurrection of Darth Vader as well, though his screen time is adeptly limited to just a few savory minutes.

The rest of the cast is truly the heart of the film, salvaging Jones’ shortcomings. The band of rebels are the most multi-cultural representation we’ve seen yet and we get glimpses of creatures that would make George Lucas proud (and ashamed of episodes I-III). The comic relief, however, is what injects the necessary frivolity and the timing is perfect. Alan Tudyk voices K-2SO, the C-3PO of the group. There is an Eeyore quality that is eerily similar to the golden android we all know and love, but K-2S0 is snarkier and a bit less annoying.

Director Gareth Edwards (“Godzilla”, “Monsters”) fills the chair like a pro, and although surrounded by masters of the universe, has shown that he is capable of greatness and proves to be the right choice. He paces the film brilliantly so there are no lulls in the action. The story isn’t anything original or even very interesting in the grand scheme of things, but his collection of characters, dazzling action scenes, and noticeable homage to the original trilogy makes this film powerful and satisfying. Additionally, after the climax, he uses movie magic to adrenalize the film one last time, leaving the audience in a familiar and excited state.

The Star Wars universe is in good hands. If the continuity progresses to this standard, the stand-alone films won’t be a threat to the integrity of the legacy or the enduring fondness that most superfans (or regular fans) hold toward the original trilogy. Disney is nailing the rebirth of a beloved franchise, and with no fewer than four more films in the pipeline, they have mirrored the success of Marvel in creating an entire universe and are reaping the benefits. I for one will have a standing appointment every December to see these films for as long as they are made. Those familiar with “Star Wars” will love the nostalgia, those who aren’t will definitely enjoy the action. 8/10.

Manchester by the Sea

Once in a while a film comes along that reminds you just why you go to the movies in the first place. None too often does something this utterly heart wrenching and beautiful unfold in front of your eyes. It’s an immersive tale so simply done, but so complex in emotional range.

Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) is a handyman with a damaged past, contently living in Boston in squalor. His world is turned upside down and past demons unleashed when his brother, Joe (Kyle Chandler) dies and names Lee as guardian to his sixteen-year-old son, Patrick (Lucas Hedges). We see how a working class family struggles with life’s challenges, and as Lee’s past is revealed through a series of flashbacks, we as an audience begin to wonder, are there some things in life that can’t be fixed?

Writer/director Kenneth Lonergan (2011’s “Margaret”) paints a masterful portrait of working class New England daily life. The subtlety by which he establishes the setting and the character relationships harkens “Good Will Hunting” in equal parts heartbreak and hope. Sweeping shots of the fishing towns and the appeal of a simple life working on the water punctuates the drama effectively with whimsical sentimentality. What tugs at the heart strings more than the direction, which does have some shaky moments when the camera is moving, is the pure realism of the story.

Affleck’s acting is a thing of genius. His resume is quietly becoming more impressive than his better-known brother, Ben (see his unnoticed performance in 2013’s “Out of the Furnace” to see more). His natural and effortless façade is one of the most authentic performances I’ve seen in a long time. His character has buried his pain deep, and we see moments of it bubbling to the surface, but he maintains his composure perfectly. The professionalism is easy to miss if you aren’t paying close attention, but it’s a clinic on acting if you are. He can next be seen as Meriwether Lewis in an upcoming TV mini-series.

The supporting cast of Michelle Williams, Lucas Hedges, Kyle Chandler, and Gretchen Mol do a fantastic job surrounding Affleck and elevating him to what will certainly be the performance for which he will be remembered years from now. Williams delivers a typical Oscar-worthy performance, but her screen time is limited, which upon reflection, is a good move by Lonergan to avoid overshadowing the point of the story. Hedges is a rising star who holds his own opposite the veterans, and he adds some much-needed levity that often gets left out of emotional powerhouses.

“Manchester by the Sea” is a rare cinematic achievement that is completely satisfying, captivating, and raw. Amazon Studios is emerging with some serious competition to the heavyweight contenders, which further proves my theory about the corporate behemoth’s impending global dominance.

As awards season officially begins, I guarantee that “Manchester by the Sea” will receive its share of Oscar nominations, and at this point, I predict it will take home its share of wins, including Best Picture. It sets a nearly unachievable cinematic bar of artistry and emotion that will leave you teary-eyed, and it’s certainly an experience worth the price of admission and then some. 10/10.