Two imprisoned men bond over a number of years,
finding solace and eventual redemption through acts of common decency.
Director:
Frank Darabont
Writers:
Stephen King (short story "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption"), Frank Darabont (screenplay)
Stars:
Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton
Storyline
Chronicles the experiences of a formerly successful banker as a prisoner
in the gloomy jailhouse of Shawshank after being found guilty of a
crime he did not commit. The film portrays the man's unique way of
dealing with his new, torturous life; along the way he befriends a
number of fellow prisoners, most notably a wise long-term inmate named
Red.
User Reviews
The Shawshank Redemption
One of the finest
films made in recent years. It's a poignant story about hope. Hope gets
me. That's what makes a film like this more than a movie. It tells a
lesson about life. Those are the films people talk about 50 or even 100
years from you. It's also a story for freedom. Freedom from isolation,
from rule, from bigotry and hate. Freeman and Robbins are majestic in
their performances. Each learns from the other. Their relationship is
strong and you feel that from the first moment they make contact with
one another. There is also a wonderful performance from legend James
Whitmore as Brooks.
He shines when it is his time to go back into
the world, only to find that the world grew up so fast he never even
got a chance to blink. Stephen King's story is brought to the screen
with great elegance and excitement. It is an extraordinary motion that
people "will" be talking about in 50 or 100 years.
Trailer
A secret government agency recruits a group of imprisoned supervillains to execute dangerous black ops missions in exchange for clemency, which inevitably leads to chaos.
Director:
David Ayer
Writer:
David Ayer
Stars:
Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie
Storyline
It feels good to be bad...Assemble a team of the world's most dangerous, incarcerated Super Villains, provide them with the most powerful arsenal at the government's disposal, and send them off on a mission to defeat an enigmatic, insuperable entity. U.S. intelligence officer Amanda Waller has determined only a secretly convened group of disparate, despicable individuals with next to nothing to lose will do. However, once they realize they weren't picked to succeed but chosen for their patent culpability when they inevitably fail, will the Suicide Squad resolve to die trying, or decide it's every man for himself?
Did You Know?
Goofs
In a scene where a car arrives at a building, Waller's bodyguards are egregiously deficient. As she exits her vehicle a guard armed with an automatic rifle allows her to cross in front of him, blocking his view and putting his primary in a potential crossfire. Moments later she approaches a door flanked by two similarly armed guards, both of whom turn their back on the threat zone to open the door for Waller--who is perfectly capable of opening a door for herself. These are both major breaches of bodyguard protocol.
User Reviews
On a comic book movie level, this is pretty typical but as a straight out fun summer movie, this more than worth your time.
Suicide Squad has been the long gestating DC Comics film that every single fan on the planet has been waiting for. From the controversial casting of Jared Leto as the Joker to the rumored reshoots, this is a film that has been on everyone's minds for the past two years since it was announced. So, how does it hold up? Well, let's start off with the great. The greatness in the film sits on many shoulders. Jared Leto as The Joker is probably the most interesting part of the film. Leto does not even try to top Ledger or Nicholson, he simply does his own thing. He's devilishly charming but extremely psychotic. I compare him mostly to Mark Hammil's Joker from the animated series in the 90s. It is unlike anything we've seen before so, for that, I give it kudos. It is pretty cool seeing this type of Joker but I will admit, I would have loved to have seen more of him. What is a good actually is a bit of a bad. Leto is in it for merely 25 minutes tops which is a bit disappointing considering his performance is absolutely mesmerizing. On to the rest of the Squad, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn is exceptional. She delivers a performance that is straight out of Girl, Interrupted. She is extremely unpredictable on screen and it is a pure delight watching her relish in exactly what makes Harley Quinn memorable: her sultry psychotic demeanor. Will Smith as Deadshot is just Will Smith. There is no real boundary breaking performance here. He is the lead actor of the film and the film plays out like such. Not saying that Deadshot isn't a cool, badass character but it is just Will Smith in costume. The rest of the cast including Jai Courtney, Joel Kinneman, Viola Davis, Scott Eastwood and Adam Beach, all give great performances and there isn't one false beat. There is a true chemistry on the screen that is palpable and David Ayer deserves high praise for that. The film is good but the performances are great. There is a clear intention on building up these characters over building the film which is another good quality turned bad. The film itself is a typical comic book movie of the 21st century. It is heavy on the characters and extremely light on plot and a villain. The first twenty minutes are spent introducing these characters, not a plot, just these characters. This is cool at first but once you realize most of the important plot points are in the trailers, it becomes a bit disappointing that there isn't a villain to rally against just anti-heroes to rally behind. By many standard traditions, this is a film very close to The Dirty Dozen or The Magnificent Seven. It is not about what is going on, it is about what is going on inside these character's minds that really push the movie forward. It is an ensemble character piece above all else. While much of the spoilers have been spoiled long ago, there are still a couple things that will bring smiles to fan's faces. So, overall... Does it break new ground? No. Is it badass? Yes. Is it fun? Absolutely. Should you see it? Without a doubt.
Suicide Squad is definitely going to put some nerves at ease since Batman V Superman. But DC has a long way to go in terms of churning out undeniably great comic book films outside of The Dark Knight trilogy and Suicide Squad is most certainly a great start.
Trailer
When a Roman general is betrayed and his family murdered by an emperor's
corrupt son, he comes to Rome as a gladiator to seek revenge.
Director: Ridley Scott
Writers: David Franzoni (story), David Franzoni (screenplay)
Storyline
Maximus is a powerful Roman general, loved by the people and the aging
Emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Before his death, the Emperor chooses Maximus
to be his heir over his own son, Commodus, and a power struggle leaves
Maximus and his family condemned to death. The powerful general is
unable to save his family, and his loss of will allows him to get
captured and put into the Gladiator games until he dies. The only desire
that fuels him now is the chance to rise to the top so that he will be
able to look into the eyes of the man who will feel his revenge.
Did You Know?
Trivia
The blur effect that appears halfway through the war scene between
Maximus' army and the Germanic tribes was not originally intended. The
scene was shot in the early evening, but continued too long and the
light was drastically diminished. In order to keep the continuity of the
scene's lighting and avoid shooting another day on the location, the DP
chose instead to shoot the scenes with a very low frame rate. To
compensate for the loss of frames, the frames that were shot were
duplicated several times in post, and edited into the film in a way that
made the switch look natural.
Trailer
User Reviews
Is Crowe the 'next action hero?'
Germania, 150 AD, the
setting of Gladiator's opening scene. Far from the blazing sun and
dazzlingly beauty of ancient Rome, Ridley Scott shoots the opening
sequence in a subdued light. The Roman legions are nonetheless
impeccably turned out as they face the comparatively disorganised rabble
that inhabits this miserable environment. Caesar's soldiers seem
somewhat misplaced here. However, Russell Crowe is at home in this
environment of knee-deep mud and merciless snow. He commands the screen
with all the virtues of his motto: ‘Strength and Honour.'
The
plot, with its hero-to-zero-to-hero nature, runs through Gladiator's
every vein. As General Maximus, Russell Crowe is welcomed by Marcus
Aurelius Caesar (Richard Harris) to take the Roman throne as Emperor of a
new Republic. All does not run smoothly however as mislead heir to the
throne Commodus (Phoenix) takes over Rome with ill-gotten domination,
having dispatched his own Father. Maximus is cast out to find his family
murdered and his Spanish farm burnt to the ground. Taken in as a slave
by Proximo (Reed), Maximus becomes a Gladiator and starts his journey to
the Coliseum and revenge against Commodus.
Scott's cast is
powerful and he is not left wanting as powerful performances are
delivered by all. Due to his untimely mid-production death, Oliver Reed
is created in some scenes by the grace of computer graphics, which are
as convincing as they come; sometimes making it difficult to
differentiate between Reed himself and his computerised counterpart.
It is, however, the supporting actors who create many of Gladiator's
best dialogue-based scenes. In an accomplished demonstration of her
acting ability as Lucilla, Connie Nielsen saves the occasional scene as
Joaquim Phoenix shows us that he can ‘do evil', but is less convincing
when it comes to the more emotional qualities of his role.
As a
vehicle for the plot, Scott's beautifully created and highly symbolic
(there is an image of fire in nearly every shot of the film) dialogue
scenes are of a certain merit with digitally created backgrounds that
encompass the meticulous nature of the Roman Empire. However, dialogue
alone does not an epic movie make, and it is in the film's spectacular
action sequences that Gladiator come into its own. Shot on location in
Malta, Scott's first arena was built by an army of locals and commanded
some 5000 extras (a large majority of whom were of a cardboard variety).
All of this pales in comparison as we arrive in a digitally created
Rome which makes some scenes in Ben Hur some somewhat small scale. The
Coliseum is immense, both inside and out, and the computerised provides
the electric atmosphere in which Crowe and his feline companions (four
sizeable, and real, Bengal tigers) perform.
The battle sequences
are perfectly choreographed and shot as iconic masks and typically Roman
chariots are abundant in their power and imagery. As swords clash and
heads roll, Ridley Scott is triumphant in the application of special
effects technology and his directorial prowess.
Always one to
embrace technology, Scott's views over Rome's landscape are reminiscent
of the beautifully created cityscape of Blade Runner. This is a film
that fears so little and boasts so much, even a lady archer being sliced
clean in half by a spiked chariot wheel!
All those involved with
Gladiator should be delighted and confident with their creation, for
indeed this is a convincing and enthralling display with epic
proportions to take the wind from James Cameron's titanic sails.
A thief, who steals corporate secrets through use of dream-sharing
technology, is given the inverse task of planting an idea into the mind
of a CEO.
Director: Christopher Nolan
Writer:Christopher Nolan
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page
Storyline
Dom Cobb is a skilled thief, the absolute best in the dangerous art of
extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious
during the dream state, when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb's
rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world
of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international
fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved. Now Cobb is being
offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life
back but only if he can accomplish the impossible - inception. Instead
of the perfect heist, Cobb and his team of specialists have to pull off
the reverse: their task is not to steal an idea but to plant one. If
they succeed, it could be the perfect crime. But no amount of careful
planning or expertise can prepare the team for the dangerous enemy that
seems to predict their every move. An enemy that only Cobb could have
seen coming. Trailer
User Reviews
Surrealism can appear
to be ineffably bizarre, or inquisitively titillating, depending purely
on the viewer's intellect. Though the realm of surrealism is highly
nebulous and complex, but even a slight attempt at improvisation can
sometimes go awry and open a Pandora's Box, making the task highly
improbable and nigh impossible. This facet of reality may pose a
handicap to the most gifted of the directors, but not to the genius of
Christopher Nolan, who not only dabbles with the concept of surrealism,
but also ingeniously blends it with the elements of Science Fiction in
his latest wonder named Inception. Nolan created a niche for himself a
decade back by unleashing a monster of a movie called Memento. He
further substantiated his status by conjuring movies like Insomnia, The
Prestige, Batman Begins, and The Dark Knight. His unremitting desire for
innovation and uncanny craving to foray into the unexplored realms of
imagination deservedly earned him an auteur tag, which gave him the
carte blanche that a story-teller like Nolan desperately needs. It's
highly apparent that Nolan takes every possible advantage of this
liberty while filming Inception. Inception is not only dreamlike, but is
a dream in itself and is superior to any other thing conceived on the
silver screen. With its entwined layers, the movie for the most part
serves as an unfathomable riddle and makes multiple viewing extremely
essential. It incredibly does extremely well on both the humanistic as
well as the technical fronts. In fact, the balance between human
emotions and the elements of Science Fiction is so adequate that it's
impossible to separate them. The movie is about a futuristic
world where the human mind can be intercepted through dream invasion.
Cobb is an expert in the art of extracting information (stealing
valuable secrets) from deep within the subconscious in the dream state.
His proficiency in extraction is marred by a turmoil that begins with
his wife's untimely death. He is forced to live the life of a fugitive
away from his children. His only chance for redemption lies with a
Japanese tycoon named Saitu, who wants him to do an inception (planting
information into someone's mind). In order to accomplish this
unprecedented task, Cobb and his team must overcome a labyrinth of
unforeseeable challenges, where even a slight miss could trap them in a
perpetual limbo. Any further revelation would be remissness on my part
as the plot is filled with such intricacies that even expatiation would
be incapable of justifying its profundity. Leonardo Dicaprio
gives a solid performance in the lead role, following his memorable
performance in Shutter Island. He has brilliantly depicted the
complexities and limitations of Cobb's enigmatic character highlighting
his pain and mental trauma. Marion Cotillard is ravishingly
scintillating as Cobb's whimsical wife, Mal. The rest of the cast has
given a thorough performance with special mention of Ken Watanabe, Ellen
Page and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Inception is incredibly brilliant
as a movie and is a breakthrough in contemporary cinema. Nolan's
creativity and his unparalleled execution definitely make it an object
of great cachet, but whether it would become Buñuel's 'Un chien andalou'
or Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey' and serve as a prototype for the
movies to come is for the time to decide. Irrespectively, Inception is
sine qua non not only for an aficionado, but also for the average
viewer, who is willing to delve deep enough to savour the delight.
The USS Enterprise crew explores the furthest
reaches of uncharted space, where they encounter a new ruthless enemy
who puts them and everything the Federation stands for to the test.
Director:
Justin Lin
Writers:
Simon Pegg, Doug Jung
Storyline
The first leg of the USS Enterprise's five year mission takes them into
uncharted territory. There the Enterprise is nearly destroyed and
strands Kirk and his crew on a remote planet with no means of
communication. Kirk must then work with the elements to reunite his crew
and get back to Earth.
Trailer
User Reviews
Gene Roddenberry rolling over in his grave.
Where do I begin? As a
lifelong Star Trek fan I had an uneasy feeling while watching this
movie. I could not shake the sense that I was just looking at another
mediocre summer popcorn flick; an experience that would evaporate from
my brain just hours after I leave the theater.
The most dangerous former operative of the CIA is
drawn out of hiding to uncover hidden truths about his past.
Director:
Paul Greengrass
Writers:
Paul Greengrass, Christopher Rouse
Storyline
Jason Bourne is again being hunted by the CIA. It begins when Nicky
Parson a former CIA operative who helped Bourne who then went under and
now works with a man who's a whistle blower and is out to expose the
CIA's black ops. So Nicky hacks into the CIA and downloads everything on
all their Black Ops including Treadstone which Bourne was a part of.
And Heather Lee, a CIA agent discovers the hack and brings it to the
attention of CIA Director Dewey, the man behind the Black Ops. He then
orders Parsons be found and hopefully Bourne too. Parsons makes contact
with Bourne who told her to remain under but she tells him, she found
out his father was the one who created Treadstone and that they were
interested in him long before he joined. Eventually they find them and
there's a chase. Dewey sends a special operative known as The Asset who
tries to get Bourne but gets Nicky instead. But before she dies she
gives him something which leads him to the file she got and when he
reads it, it ...
Trailar
Box Office
Budget:
$120,000,000
(estimated)
Opening Weekend:
$59,215,365
(USA)
(29 July 2016)
Gross:
$72,202,345
(USA)(2 August 2016)
The adventures of an orphaned boy named Pete and his best friend Elliot, who just so happens to be a dragon.
Director:
David Lowery
Writers:
David Lowery (screenplay), Toby Halbrooks (screenplay)
Storyline
The adventures of an orphaned boy named Pete and his best friend Elliot, who just so happens to be a dragon.
Did You Know?
Trivia
Despite the fact that this a remake of the original 1977
film, director David Lowery
described his version of Pete's Dragon is to be more of a
"re-invention", rather than a straight-up remake. His ambition for the
film was to distinguish itself from the 1977 film as much as possible
and also that he wanted to reinvent the "the core story of a venerable
Disney family film". Lowery even watched the following films: The Black
Stallion (1979), The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness (2013), My Neighbor
Totoro (1988), Spirited Away (2001), and The Witch
(2015), for artistic and visual inspiration. The result is some of the
best and most unabashed family entertainment ever created and seen in
the last few decades.
