Reviewed by A.D. Beal
Blade Runner 2049
Thirty years after the original film, Officer K (Ryan Gosling) searches for the long missing Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford).
Director Denis Villeneuve “Arrival, Sicario” has asked critics to be as spoiler free as possible when talking about this so I will be respectful of his wish. What I can say is that Blade Runner 2049 is another fantastic work by Villeneuve and Co. His recurring DOP Roger Deakins makes even the simplest scenes look breathtaking, with the combination of colors and lighting in the scenery. The score by Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch is memorable, and gives the feeling of the series while standing on its own. And of course, there’s the cast, with Ana de Armas and Harrison Ford being my personal favorites.
Only The Brave
This film tells the true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots from 2012-2013, leading up to the Yarnell Hill fire in Arizona.
Joseph Kosinski’s previous two films (Tron: Legacy and Oblivion) were beautiful to look at, but I felt lacked in the character department. I feel Only The Brave switches that around, in that the visuals are nothing to write home about, but the ensemble cast are great. Miles Teller and Jennifer Connelly in particular steal the film. It’s also impressive how real the film feels, all the way to the small details of the real story. It’s one of the better “true story” films in a while and a beautiful tribute to these men and their families.
Happy Death Day
On her birthday, Tree Gelbman constantly relives her murder and needs to find out who her killer is.
The film’s main character is incredibly unlikeable, This combined with the obnoxious editing (note: a combination slow-mo and a rock scene does not always equal humor), a completely out of left field villain, and ridiculous motivation…good lord, the motivation…. does not help the movie. I had very low expectations going in the film, but it couldn’t even live up to those.
It’s a rare stain on Blumhouse’s winning streak of great horror films.
The Snowman
In Norway, a detective investigates murders that are similar to ones that occurred nearly a decade before.
I’m amazed at how disastrous this film came out. You have Tomas Alfredson, who directed the great Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and the fantastic Let The Right One In, at the helm, and a top notch cast to boot. And somehow, we get a film that feels disjointed. It’s editing is very rapid and often feels like we’ve missed a scene or two. With the exception of Michael Fasssbender and Rebecca Ferguson, the cast feels wasted, giving very disappointing performances. And I know this is not a film where CGI matters, but the very little that is used is terrible, looking fake even for a film reportedly costing only $35mil.
