Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2016)

Starring Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Lupita Nyong'o, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, Kelly Marie Tran, Laura Dern, and Benicio del Toro

Directed by Rian Johnson

Written by Rian Johnson

Summary (in 500 words or less):  The Star Wars saga continues in this eighth installment of the original series.  Here, Rey (Daisy Ridley) trains with a forlorn and unpleasant Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) on a secluded island where she tries to learn how to utilize the Force for good.  Meanwhile, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) is becoming more powerful among his ranks, utilizing his commanding of the Force to communicate with Rey to try and convince her that the Resistance headed by General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) is a group she should want no part in.  

• I'm a relative newbie to the Star Wars films and I've yet to see Episodes I-III, but I wholeheartedly enjoyed Episode VII upon its release a few years ago.  The Last Jedi doesn't fare quite as well, but it still adds pieces to the overarching story that I found believable (even if several of the long-time fans were extremely disappointed).
• That disappointment stems from a development with Luke that many found antithetical to his character, but I found a welcome character trait that adds legitimate depth to his character.  Some found this plot twist casting quite a pall over this heretofore "flawlessy" good character, but I thought it worked quite well.
• Unfortunately, several other aspects of the film didn't work quite as well.  A ridiculous "space scene" involving Leia was laughable even for this Star Wars newbie.  Several characters introduced in the last film -- Finn (John Boyega) and Poe (Oscar Isaac) -- are given very little worthwhile to do and their subplots just unnecessarily pad the runtime.
• The final battle sequence is a powerful visual experience and ends things on an up note, but this film -- much like my apparently sacrilegious opinion of the original trilogy's middle film The Empire Strikes Back -- takes a downturn.

The RyMickey Rating:  C+

Movie Review - Looper

Looper (2012)

Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Piper Perabo, Paul Dano, Pierce Gagnon, and Jeff Daniels

Directed by Rian Johnson

Why did I wait so long to see Looper?  Everyone raved about it.  It's directed and written by a guy whose last film I greatly admired specifically for its direction and story.  It stars the guy who was in my favorite scene in one of my favorite movies of 2011.  And yet, I waited.  And the buzz built.  And the movie could never live up to the hype.

But it did...and now I wished I had seen it sooner as it may have gotten me excited and interested about seeing movies again in theaters.  One great movie can do that you -- pique your interest enough to make you realize that not all movies are schlock.  Don't get me wrong.  Looper isn't without its faults (it's first act drags on a bit too long, but it has a second and third act that more than make up for it), but it's an original piece of cinema that is directed with a keen eye and acted with precision from the youngest member of the cast to the oldest.

By 2074, time travel has been invented, but the concept is controlled by someone who has never been seen and is known only as The Rainmaker -- the head of a crime syndicate.  When The Rainmaker wants to get rid of someone, he sends them back thirty years and has them killed by "a looper."  Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a looper in 2044 and he gets paid well for his job, but like all loopers, The Rainmaker will eventually decide to "close his loop" and eliminate Joe's job, allowing him to live a good life for 30 years before he's forced to "close the loop" by killing his future "older Joe" self.  [This sounds confusing, but it really isn't in the slightest when you see it acted out.]  However, when Old Joe (Bruce Willis) is sent back in time to be killed, he refuses to let it happen which puts Young Joe in a bit of a predicament for if he doesn't kill Old Joe, the future will irreversibly change perhaps to great effect.

That summary involves only Act I and the remainder of the film really should be left to simply let unfold before you.  It's not that it contains surprises, but it's a film that only knowing the science fiction basics really allows the rest of the "human" story to flesh out naturally.  Rian Johnson has two tales layered together here -- one would fit perfectly into a Star Trek or Twilight Zone episode involving time travel while the other pushes all of sci-fi to the side and allows a romance to blossom between Joe and a tough farmhand named Sara (Emily Blunt, oddly unrecognizable at first and talking without a hint of her British accent) who comes with some baggage in tow with her young son Cid (the fantastic Pierce Gagnon).  Neither side of the story is given the short shrift and because of that and Johnson's intricate way of melding the two, one finds oneself rapt the whole time with the proceedings.

Although set in the future and certainly peppered with inventions to which we are not yet privy, Looper almost feels retro (much like the tone set in Johnson's former work The Brothers Bloom).  Gordon-Levitt plays Joe as a 1950s James Dean-type guy and, in fact, he's even called out on his old-fashioned stylings by his boss (Jeff Daniels), the head of The Rainmaker's loopers in 2044.  I will admit that it took me a little bit to warm up to Gordon-Levitt's Joe -- I felt he was "playing a character" more than "embodying one" -- but I later grew to appreciate his approach.  As mentioned above, Emily Blunt is quite good here, un-prettying herself and getting a bit grittier than we usually see her.  I love the fact that she can usually elevate comedic fluff to something better, but in Looper she shows that she's also quite a talented dramatic actress.  And her young son, played by five year-old Pierce Gagnon is wonderful.  His role is an interesting one and he manages to be both child-like and adult with such ease that he helps elevate the film's second half to something quite special.

I wasn't a fan at all of Rian Johnson's first film Brick (but then again I'm kind of snob when it comes to good film noir), but I found The Brothers Bloom a pretty fun piece of work.  With Looper, he proves that he wasn't a one-trick pony.  Hopefully, he can continue this upward momentum and we don't have to wait another four years before his next work comes around.

The RyMickey Rating:  A-

Movie Review - The Brothers Bloom (2009)

New Thoughts: 12/9/09 -

I took another look at The Brothers Bloom this evening and I'm quite happy to say that it held up incredibly well. In fact, although I wouldn't say it increased its grade, I do think it's going to move up the ranks a spot or two. My same criticism still stands in that the final act seems a little drawn out...however, I appreciated the last 30 minutes a bit more than I did the first time around. That final act is really where the emotional oomph comes into play. Also, of note, while I still adore Rinko Kikuchi's Bang Bang character, I also came away much more appreciative of Rachel Weisz's Penelope. Expect to see her in the next Academy Awards Wishlist in the incredibly weak Supporting Actress category.

Originally Posted 6/5/09

Starring Rachel Weisz, Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo, and Rinko Kikuchi
Written and Directed by Rian Johnson

After the debacle of The Limits of Control, heading up north to Pennsylvania to see a movie was not something I thought I'd rush to do again. But, for some reason or another, I really wanted to see this flick despite the fact that its release was delayed for quite a long time -- and that's usually never a good sign. Fortunately, this movie proved to be quite winning.

Ever since they were little, brothers Stephen and Bloom were con men. From what I can tell, they never really harmed anyone, but they definitely were smart guys who were able to pull off (more than once) a great con, resulting in big paydays. Younger brother Bloom (Brody), however, wants to call it quits. He's tired of the life and wants to settle down. Stephen (Ruffalo) along with the brothers' assistant, Bang Bang (Kikucki), convince Bloom to help them in one last con -- stealing money from the incredibly wealthy New Jersey heiress Penelope Stamp (Weisz). Little do they know that Weisz is cuckoo and will be a much harder con than they ever suspected.

It rarely happens in movies that are so strongly character-driven, but every single one of the actors mentioned above is stellar. This is Mark Ruffalo's best role that I've ever seen him in [there I go, ending in prepositions again...]. For once, he actually brings some vitality to the screen, rather than simply moping around. Adrien Brody (who hasn't impressed me at all since his amazing Oscar-winning turn in The Pianist) was subtle, but, as the emotional center of the film, absolutely able to pull the audience in and have us root for him to get out of this double crossing life. Rachel Weisz is cute as a button (what does that even mean?) and was incredibly funny -- something I've never seen her attempt before. The final lead, Rinko Kikuchi, played Bang Bang with gusto, creating the funniest character in the film despite the fact that she only spoke three words.

Absurdity abounds in this flick -- whether it be a camel walking by in the background of a scene or Bang Bang shooting down a palm tree -- but it works wonderfully. While the comedy is certainly "out there," it's never too zany that it becomes unbelievable. That's a credit to writer-director Rian Johnson who, at least during the flick's first hour, is incredibly adept at directing comedy. His timing and his direction of his stars is spot-on during the first sixty minutes. However, during the film's last hour, the flick goes through one too many "emotional ups and downs"...the movie's over -- fooled ya...no it isn't -- that kind of thing (I must credit the "up and down" comment to one of my fellow moviegoers). It's not that the way the film ended wasn't "the right way" -- in fact, I thought the ending was exactly what it needed to be -- it's just that Johnson had already taken us to that emotional denouement (or at least what we, the audience, thinks is the emotional plateau) thirty minutes prior to the actual ending. Still, Johnson is quite an adept and talented guy and I absolutely need to check out his other directorial venture, Brick.

Another note here about Johnson: I love the fact that this movie was rated PG-13. He easily could've thrown in multiple "fucks" throughout and gotten this movie the 'R' rating that most directors would've. However, he keeps the film almost storybook-like. I didn't even think about this until I saw the PG-13 on the poster above, but this makes me love the movie even more.

I'll be honest here -- I'm jumping back and forth between a B and B+ on this one. The acting was top-notch. Absolutely the best cast in any film I've watched this year (and I honestly think it'll be tough for any cast to match the talent here in the upcoming months). But as I mentioned above, the film is not without a flaw. I need to give the flick a little more time to settle down, but for now, I'm gonna go with the rating below. In all likelihood, the rating below is gonna stick.

Definitely go check this out if it comes to your area. It boggles my mind that they didn't give this one a semi-wide release (why not 500 screens?). It's not too "indie" to appeal to the masses. People are unfairly (in my opinion) comparing this to Wes Anderson's work in terms of its quirkiness and comedic style (The Royal Tenenbaums, Rushmore). While I liked those two aforementioned films, I never laughed out loud in them as I did in Brothers Bloom. By far, the funniest movie released this year.

The RyMickey Rating: B+

Movie Review - Brick (2005)

Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emilie de Ravin, and Lukas Haas
Directed by Rian Johnson

I love a good film noir (see Double Indemnity). I'm also a big fan of screenwriter-director Rian Johnson's latest endeavor The Brothers Bloom. Mixing those two up -- film noir and Rian Johnson -- just didn't work for me in the slightest. This flick which transplants the film noir (complete with the corny dialogue and femme fatales) into a modern-day high school setting just feels utterly pretentious and laughable.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is Brendan, a young guy whose ex-girlfriend turns up dead. He attempts to find her killer, but, if I'm being completely honest, I really didn't give a damn.

Gordon-Levitt is the only one here who comes out looking alright. If it weren't for him, I would've stopped this flick about 20 minutes in. Everything about this movie -- the direction, the writing, the acting -- felt heavy-handed and exaggerated.

Not a fan of this one, for sure.

The RyMickey Rating: D-