Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)

Starring Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Zoë Kravitz, Callum Turner, Claudia Kim, William Nadylam, Jude Law, and Johnny Depp

Directed by David Yates

Written by J.K. Rowling

Summary (in 500 words or less):  The evil Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) escapes from custody while being transported from the USA back to Europe.  He settles down in Paris and prepares his evil wizards to stand up to the rules set forth by the wizarding world while also attempting to track down the young Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller) whose powers are some of the strongest known to wizards.  Meanwhile, Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) and Tina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston) try and track him down.

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating: C-

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)

Starring Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Samantha Morton, Jon Voight, Carmen Ejogo, and Colin Farrell

Directed by David Yates

Written by J.K. Rowling

Summary (in 500 words or less):  In 1926 New York City, wizard/British author/magical creature zoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) finds himself caught up in a city under siege by some mystical entity that seems to be a beast that he may be able to catch.  Can the magical wizards keep their secrets from the Muggles of the USA?

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating: C

Justice League

Justice League (2017)

Starring Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, J.K. Simmons, and Ciarán Hinds

Directed by Zack Snyder
Written by Chris Terrio and Joss Whedon

Summary (in 500 words or less):  Indulge me for a moment, as I copy the first paragraph of the Wikipedia summary for Justice League -- 

"Thousands of years ago, Steppenwolf and his legions of Parademons attempt to take over Earth with the combined energies of three Mother Boxes.  They are foiled by a unified army that includes the Olympian Gods, Amazons, Atlanteans, mankind, and the Green Lantern Corps.  After repelling Steppenwolf's army, the Mother Boxes are separated and hidden in locations on the planet.  In the present, mankind is in mourning over Superman, whose death triggers the Mother Boxes to reactivate and Steppenwolf's return to Earth an effort to regain favor with his master, Darkseid.  Steppenwolf aims to gather the artifacts to form "The Unity," which will destroy Earth's ecology and terraform it in the image of Steppenwolf's homeworld."

• Granted, there's a whole lot more to Justice League than that summary above, but just reading that gives you an idea of how ludicrous the overarching story of how this movie is.  Justice League is supposed to be DC Comics' equivalent of Marvel's Avengers, bringing together the best of DC's superheroes, and yet director Zach Snyder and his two screenwriters squander the appeal of bringing together Batman (Ben Affleck), Superman (Henry Cavill), Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), the Flash (Ezra Miller), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), and Cyborg (Ray Fisher).
• It's obvious that screenwriter Joss Whedon was brought on to add lightness and humor to the decidedly heavy aesthetic that always permeates the DC Universe films.  While some jokes land, most just feel like they were added on in reshoots.
• Ben Affleck has talked about leaving the franchise and I think that's best.  Granted, it isn't all his fault as Zack Snyder's choice of direction cause the character to lose any modicum of charisma, but Affleck just never seems like he's having fun with this iconic figure in the slightest.
• The Flash is certainly the standout here to me with Ezra Miller getting the bulk of Whedon's jokes and thereby showing the most charisma.  Perhaps his standalone film will be the first DC flick to actually win me over completely because thus far, they've been incredibly disappointing.

The RyMickey Rating:  C-

Movie Review - The Stanford Prison Experiment

The Stanford Prison Experiment (2015)

Starring Billy Crudup, Michael Angarano, Moises Arias, Nicholas Braun, Gaius Charles, Nelsan Ellis Keir Gilchrist, Ki Hong Lee, Thomas Mann, Ezra Miller, Logan Miller, Chris Sheffield, Tye Sheridan, Johnny Simmons, James Wolk, and Olivia Thirlby

Directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez

Absolutely fascinating.  That was my reaction all throughout The Stanford Prison Experiment which is one of the year's most riveting edge-of-your-seat films.  While not a horror movie, director Kyle Patrick Alvarez's film plays like one as twenty-four young college students are recruited to portray either prisoners or guards and, over the course of what was supposed to be a fourteen-day mock prison experiment, form reactions and attitudes that these men had no idea were inside them.

What exactly are the psychological effects of being a prisoner or prison guard?  That's the question that psychologist Dr. Philip Zimbardo (Billy Crudup) wanted to explore in August 1971.  After placing an ad in the local paper looking for young male college students, two dozen kids were selected and randomly chosen to be either guards or prisoners by Zimbardo and his student colleagues.  On the relatively empty Stanford campus (thanks to summer break), Zimbardo took over a whole floor of his psychology building, creating cells and a variety of areas for the prisoners and guards to inhabit.  While things start out pleasant enough between the two groups of students, the prisoners begin to insist on certain considerations to which Zimbardo tells his guards to "take control" which they vigorously embrace leading to some horrifically chilling moments of psychological torture.

The fact that this happened in real life -- oh, I hadn't mentioned that tidbit yet -- is insane and it makes what unfolds all the more intriguing.  The cast of young men (and one woman) form one of the best ensembles put onto film in 2015.  Tye Sheridan gives his best performance yet as he gradually comes undone as Prisoner 819.  Similarly, Johnny Simmons has a heartbreaking scene as his Prisoner 1037 faces the parole board (yes, this experiment went so far as to have a parole board) and Thomas Mann also captivates as a prisoner brought in towards the end of the experiment who immediately realizes that something isn't quite right.  Kudos also to heretofore unknown actor Chris Sheffield as Prisoner 2093 who has an incredibly moving moment near the film's conclusion that makes Dr. Zimbardo question the ethics of his experiment.

Speaking of Zimbardo, Billy Crudup doesn't have the flashiest role in the film, but he's certainly the glue that holds things together and does a great job of conveying his initially innocent character's insistence of the importance of the mock prison and his slide into the frightening puppeteer who controls everything.  As the lead guard, Michael Angarano gives one of the scariest performances of the year.  His character's ease into strict authoritarianism depicts a frightening side to human emotions that we all may have inside us.  With the exception of Ezra Miller who I thought was playing his character similar to every other character I've ever seen the young actor play, the entire cast of knowns and unknowns kept my eyes glued to the screen.

The Stanford Prison Experiment is a film I didn't want to end.  I'm not a psychology buff in the slightest - I tend to think it's mostly a load of hooey - so for me to be riveted by this film was a complete surprise.  The talented ensemble should take a lot of the credit, but director Kyle Patrick Alvarez deserves much praise as well.  His film doesn't play like an educational documentary.  Instead, this is a tense discomforting two hour journey into human behavior with his camera allowing us to witness both the emotional trauma of the prisoners and the sadistic glee of the guards.  My words at the beginning of this review really sum up my thoughts about the movie as a whole -- absolutely fascinating.

The RyMickey Rating:  A-

Movie Review - Trainwreck

Trainwreck (2015)

Starring Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, Brie Larson, Tilda Swinton, Colin Quinn, John Cena, Vanessa Bayer, Mike Birbiglia, Ezra Miller, Dave Attell, and LeBron James

Directed by Judd Apatow

I don't know anything except some peripheral info about Amy Schumer.  I've never seen her Comedy Central show or watched one of her stand-up routines.  I know she's somewhat abrasive and very sexually forward in her comedy, but beyond that, I simply didn't really care to get to know her because (a) I can't tell you the last time I've turned on Comedy Central, (b) I've never really been a stand-up comedy kind of guy, and (c) I didn't think I'd enjoy her sarcastically self-deprecating raw humor.  Trainwreck just may very well have made me a fan.

Written and conceived by Schumer herself and taking on some autobiographical aspects, Trainwreck tells the story of Amy (played by Schumer, naturally), a writer for an edgy men's magazine, who much to her surprise trades in her sexually adventurous, partying lifestyle for a more traditional relationship with orthopedic surgeon Dr. Aaron Conners (Bill Hader) after being sent to interview him by her boss (Tilda Swinton).  This newfound happiness doesn't sit well with Amy who's given her sister Kim (Brie Larson) a hard time for settling down with her husband (Mike Birbiglia) and his son.  Trying to find a balance between her fun recklessness and her toned down persona sends Amy into a bit of a whirlwind as she tries to discover the woman she's most comfortable being.

Schumer may not be the best actress -- there are moments where you feel she's less acting than doing stand-up -- but there are certainly times where you see layers peaking out wherein a little more experience could shape her into a more solid actress.  Schumer is surrounded by a great cast led by Bill Hader who is both the straight man to Schumer's craziness, but also gets a chance to show off his comedic chops as well.  We also get Tilda Swinton as Amy's snooty (and very funny) editor and the lovely Brie Larson as Amy's "normal" sister.  Surrounding Schumer with such a talented cast elevates her rather than making her "stand out" in a negative way.

Those who have frequented this blog know that I think Judd Apatow is one of the most overrated directors and screenwriters around, but I must give him kudos here for helping to shape Schumer's debut screenplay into something that plays both charming and disarming onscreen.  Although Apatow tries to imbue heart into his films, I find them often empty and emotionless -- that isn't the case here as Schumer herself creates a surprisingly balanced film that feels both modern in terms of its raunchy humor and classic when it comes to romantic comedy tropes.  Apatow keeps things moving (which is a rarity in his films) and while there were still minor thoughts of "could they have trimmed this" that ran through my head, Trainwreck is an all around amusing venture.

The RyMickey Rating:  B+

Movie Review - The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

Starring Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Mae Whitman, Kate Walsh, Dylan McDermott, Nina Dobrev, Johnny Simmons, Melanie Lynskey, Joan Cusack, and Paul Rudd

Directed by Stephen Chbosky

There's an aire of pretentiousness that runs throughout the novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower and I found it a book that kept me at a distance because none of the characters were embraceable, nor were they nasty enough to be characters you loved to hate.  I was hoping that the movie might change my tune, but my overall reaction stayed pretty much the same.  Overall, the book's author Stephen Chbosky does a nice job in his first directorial gig in nearly two decades and he adapts his novel quite adequately to the screen, but this is simply a tale I never quite found winning.

The problem with The Perks of Being a Wallflower never lies with the storyline of the main character Charlie (Logan Lerman) who, as the film begins, is starting ninth grade after having a difficult summer in which he lost his best friend to suicide.  For most of his life, Charlie has always been battling psychological demons, but he hopes he's pushed them to the side as he begins the angst-filled four years of high school.  Charlie ends up befriending two seniors, step-siblings Patrick and Sam (Ezra Miller and Emma Watson) and it's in these two characters and their surroundings that the film (and the book) disappoint.  It's not that Patrick and Sam prove to be unrealistic, it's just that I couldn't care less about their problems and dreams for the future.  Patrick is an incredibly quirky gay teen who is seemingly the class clown and Sam is lovable with a pixie cut that indicates a slightly rough edge.  Everything with these two just feels overly angsty with a vibe of "aren't we unique/no teenager has ever done this before" thrown in when, in fact, their shenanigans are quite commonplace.

However, the character of Charlie makes the film work better than it probably should and Logan Lerman is a standout.  Lerman's fairly new to the acting scene and while I can't say I've ever been disappointed by the kid, I don't think I ever would've said I've been impressed.  That has changed.  Here, the now twenty year-old Lerman perfectly captures the fear of the initial days of high school, the insecurity of being one's true self even if it doesn't make you popular, and the tentativeness of one's first forays into romance, alcohol, and the other difficulties that come with one's teen years.  Also nice was Paul Rudd's turn as Charlie's English teacher, a friend/mentor who helps shape Charlie into a young man who can be proud of himself.

While there's part of me that can understand the effusive praise The Perks of Being a Wallflower received upon its release -- the film looks good, the acting is decent -- I've never been a fan of Mr. Chbosky's novel so its transition to film was going to be difficult to reel me in.  Still, thanks to a great performance from Logan Lerman, this one definitely lands in the "you should see this" category.

The RyMickey Rating: B-

Movie Review - We Need to Talk About Kevin

We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)

Starring Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Jasper Newell, and Ezra Miller

Directed by Lynne Ramsay

A woman loving life in her late twenties/early thirties perhaps reluctantly decides to settle down with someone with whom she's fallen in love.  She gets pregnant, but finds herself not feeling the maternal instinct kick in like other moms-to-be.  In the back of her mind, though, she thinks that maybe when she finally gives birth, she'll finally experience what she's "supposed to feel."  However, that innate propensity to love your offspring never kicks in for her and although she attempts to bond, it's obvious to her and obvious to her child as he grows older that this young being was never wanted.

While this all sounds like an impossibility, I'd have to imagine that it occurs more often than we'd think and We Need to Talk About Kevin explores this seldom discussed psychological phenomenon which, in this story's case, comes with great and horrific ramifications.  For Eva (Tilda Swinton), she could have never imagined that her difficult relationship with her son Kevin (Ezra Miller as a teenager and Jasper Newell as a young boy) would result in him committing the unthinkable act of going on a murderous school rampage days before his sixteenth birthday, but their tumultuous relationship appears to have been the impetus for just that.  

Fret not, I'm not spoiling anything with this important "reveal" above.  Director and co-screenwriter Lynne Ramsay pieces together Eva's life like a puzzle jumping around and sometimes staying with scenes for mere seconds before jumping to another.  Admittedly, this technique, while interesting, is off-putting at first if only because as the film progresses, Ramsay decides to stay with moments longer, trying to tell a story rather than trying to showcase a "directorial flourish."  The opening act, unfortunately, starts things off as more of a director's showcase instead of placing the story center stage which is pivotal in a film that is incredibly reliant on shaping complicatedly distraught and disturbed characters in order to progress the tale.  Couple this quick-cutting, jump-editing technique with Ramsay's near-incessant and blatantly obvious use of "red" to foreshadow Kevin's inevitable attack and I couldn't help but think the director brought this flick down a couple of notches from where it could have ended up.

Tilda Swinton is, as is the case most of the time, truly wonderful.  She can convey an incredible amount of emotion with nary a word.  Her eyes oftentimes appear blank and lifeless, yet on a second glance reveal more of the inner workings of her character than words ever could.  She's coupled onscreen by John C. Reilly as her husband Franklin, the more affable and parental of the two.  Reilly is quite good playing the most dramatic role I've seen him attempt and he manages very well.

The character of Kevin, however, is a bit of an anomaly to me.  I understand that the script wanted to present him as a "problem child" of sorts from the very beginning -- a kid who never received the love he so desperately needed from his mother -- but I couldn't help but think I was watching a modern-day reincarnation of Damien from The Omen.  He does some really whacked-out things (particularly as he grows older) and I just couldn't help but think that these parents wouldn't have been on the same page that something was dreadfully psychologically wrong with him.  Then again, the film is called We Need to Talk About Kevin and there's a difference between "needing to talk about" and actually "talking about" Kevin which I guess explains why their communication is next to nil.  The two young actors who portray Kevin do an admirable job, but I feel like they just weren't given a whole lot to work with beyond "You're a bad kid...don't show any emotions other than pent-up anger."

I'm sure the anticipation of this film may have built up something that couldn't be reached -- and, in fact, I was waiting to see this before starting the annual RyMickey Awards -- but I can't help but think another film released in 2011 about this exact same topic -- Beautiful Boy -- told a better and more realistic story.  Granted, that film dealt entirely with the aftermath of a school shooting whereas We Need to Talk About Kevin deals almost entirely with what comes before such an attack, but the little seen Maria Bello-starring picture deserves a bit more respect than Lynne Ramsay's pic which garnered more acclaim when awards season came around.

The RyMickey Rating:  C+

Movie Review - City Island

City Island (2010)

Starring Andy Garcia, Juliana Marguiles, Emily Mortimer, Steven Strait, Domink García-Lorido, Ezra Miller, and Alan Arkin

Directed by Raymond De Felitta
***This film is currently streaming on Netflix***

City Island is one of those movies that on the surface I enjoyed greatly.  I wasn't the least bit bored during its 100-minute running time.  I laughed often.  However, there were way too many moments amidst the ha-ha's that had me ridiculing the silly dialog and over-the-top acting.  In the end, City Island is a flawed film, but a pleasant one.

The Rizzos of City Island, New York (an island "suburb" of New York City) are a completely stereotypical Italian family.  Loud, boisterous, and replete with dinner table fights.  Between father Vince (Andy Garcia), mother Joyce (Juliana Marguiles), daughter Vivian (Domink García-Lorido), and son Vince, Jr. (Ezra Miller), there are more soap opera-level secrets the quartet is hiding from each other than the Desperate Housewives (how's that for a out-of-date pop culture reference?).  It's those very secrets (particularly those of the son and daughter) that pull this film completely out of any reality that director Raymond De Felitta created.  However, it's De Felitta's own fault considering that he wrote the screenplay as well, so he has no one to blame for the film's failures but himself.

Despite some of the silliness that De Felitta throws his actors' ways, they all do a pretty admirable job wallowing through the muck.  Andy Garcia is certainly just the usual hard-edged New York Italian, but he's actually quite pleasant and brings a nice easygoing charm to the screen.  Juliana Marguiles is the saucy wife, taking a cue from the Carmela Soprano playbook (on a much smaller scale, mind you) and does nice job.  Even somewhat newcomer Ezra Miller who is forced to be a much-too-wise-beyond-his years wisecracking smartass teen is able to rise above the truly awful storyline his character is given.

In the end, City Island is a movie that could have been a whole heckuva lot better if the whole story didn't seem so childish.  Yes, there's humor to be had and there's good acting on display, but the script bogs the whole thing down.  Still, if you're searching for something moderately entertaining, the flick fits the bill.

The RyMickey Rating:  C