The 2015 RyMickey Awards - Best Ensemble

While I don't think Best Ensemble is a category the Oscars can honor, I appreciate the Screen Actors Guild for having this be their top award every year.  While they have some silly rules determining who makes up "the ensemble" (the person has to be billed on their own title card on the screen), the RyMickey Awards do no such thing.  The point of an ensemble is honoring some of those "lesser known" folks whose agents may not have the pull to get them their own singular title card, but who nevertheless add to the overall story and aesthetic of the film.  Now, I'm not saying my awards are more prestigious than a SAG award, but they sometimes make a lot more sense.

The biggest difficulty I faced this year in this category (which is one of my favorites) was the fact that there were several fantastic films with relatively small casts that excelled in the acting department.  I had to draw the line somewhere and I will admit to giving a little more credence to films with bigger casts when it comes to this award.

Best Ensembles of 2015

(SoN = Streaming on Netflix // SoA = Streaming on Amazon // SoH = Streaming on HBO)

The Magnificent Duos

Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong - Jamie Chung and Bryan Greenberg (SoN)

The Last Five Years - Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan (SoN)

Wanted to give a quick shout-out to the two films mentioned above.  Seeing as how there were essentially only two speaking roles in each film, I couldn't quite give them spots in the Ensemble category.  That said, the two duos excelled as they played off each other and created believable relationships.

Runners-Up

(in alphabetical order)

Everest (SoH)

McFarland, USA 

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (SoH)

Honorable Mentions

#10 - Spotlight (SoN)

Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, Brian d'Arcy James, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery, Stanley Tucci, Jamey Sheridan, Billy Crudup, Len Cariou, and Michael Cyril Creighton

#9 - Danny Collins (SoA)

Al Pacino, Annette Bening, Jennifer Garner, Bobby Cannavale, Christopher Plummer, Nick Offerman, Josh Peck, Melisa Benoist, and Giselle Eisenberg

#8 - Straight Outta Compton (SoH)

O'Shea Jackson, Jr., Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, Neil Brown, Jr., Aldis Hodge, and Paul Giamatti

#7 - The Big Short (SoN)

Steve Carell, Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, John Magaro, Finn Witrock, Hamish Linklater, Rafe Spall, Jeremy Strong, Adepero Oduye, Marisa Tomei, Melissa Leo, and Brad Pitt

#6 - The Stanford Prison Experiment

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 

And the Top Five...

#5 - Circle

Fifty relatively unknown actors -- the epitome of an ensemble -- full list found here

While Circle may not be the best film on this list and, quite frankly, may not have the cast that moved me emotionally in any way, it's pretty difficult to not include it on this list.  A cast of relatively unknown actors -- some character actors you may have seen before, some bit actors presumably struggling to make a living, some making their debut -- stand around a circle and talk for ninety minutes as one by one they are killed by a mysterious entity.  Despite a heavy premise, this low budget film is all about the talking and, naturally, actors must carry the burden of the script and these folks do a great job of communicating the terror of their story. (SoN)

#4 - About Elly

Golshifteh Farahani, Shahab Hosseini, Taraneh Alidoosti, Mani Haghighi, Merila Zarei, Peyman Moaadi, Ahmad Mehranfar, Rana Azadivar, and Saber Abar

A talented cast with a script that gives characters individualization while being inherently steeped in its Iranian culture, About Elly isn't so much about the mystery that drives its story, but rather the characters' reactions to said mystery.  (SoN)

#3 - Ex Machina

Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, Oscar Issac, and Sonoya Mizuno

Ex Machina would perhaps have inched its way to the #2 spot (maybe) had there been more than the only three major characters that drive the story.  Still, Gleeson, Vikander, and Isaac keep this incredibly talky piece compelling while adding layers to their characters that are rather unexpected in science fiction films such as this. (SoA)

#2 - Steve Jobs

Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Seth Rogen, Jeff Daniels, Michael Stuhlbarg, Katherine Waterston, Perla Haney-Jardine, Ripley Sobo, and Mackenzie Moss

Masterfully executing screenwriter Aaron Sorkin's incredibly quick dialog is a difficult task and the entire ensemble of Steve Jobs excels in this area.  Not only that, but none of them come off as being overly loquacious, instead using the dialog to further their characters' emotional drives.  (SoH Sept. 24)

#1 - Brooklyn

Saoirse Ronan, Emory Cohen, Domhnall Gleeson, Jim Broadbent, Julie Walters, Jane Brennan, Fiona Glascott, Jessica Paré, Eva Birthistle, Eileen O'Higgins, Eve Macklin, Emily Bett Rickards, Nora-Jane Noone, Jenn Murray, Brid Brennan, Mary O'Driscoll, and James DiGiacomo

The dinner table scenes in Brooklyn are pitch perfect examples of how an ensemble should be created by a casting director.  Some of these folks aren't even in any other scenes in the movie, but they've created characters in their short time onscreen that feel lived-in, real, and relatable.  Even beyond the dinner table sequences, the entire acting ensemble (from an Irish-American who speaks a few lines in a courthouse to a co-worker at the department store who has one scene opposite the main character) is so finely assembled that it's impossible not to fall in love with everything you're seeing onscreen.  Add to that, a fantastic leading cast with nary a bad apple in the bunch and you've got a film that you must see. (SoH)

Previous RyMickey Award Winners

2014   ---   2013   ---   2012

2011   ---   2010   ---   2009

The 2015 RyMickey Awards - Best Younger Actor/Actress

For the purposes of this category, nominees must be under 21 years of age at the time of the film's release.  Placing in this category does not preclude placing in other acting categories.

Because of that stipulation above, I'm going to remove the fantastic Saoirse Ronan from Brooklyn from the equation.  She was likely 20 when filming Brooklyn, but the film was released over six months after her 21st birthday, so I drew the line.  Needless to say, she'll show up in a future list so I don't feel so bad.

Best Younger Actor/Actress of 2015
(SoN = Streaming on Netflix // SoA = Streaming on Amazon // SoH = Streaming on HBO)

Honorable Mentions
(in alphabetical order)
Asa Butterfield - A Brilliant Young Mind
Perla Haney-Jardine - Steve Jobs (SoH...starting Sept 24)
Jacob Lofland - Little Accidents (SoA)

And the Top Five Are...

#5 - Elias and Lucas Schwarz - Goodnight Mommy

Essentially a three-person film with twins Elias and Lucas Schwarz taking two of the spots, Goodnight Mommy is an ever-increasing tension-filled horror flick.  While the film itself has a few faults, none of them are due to Elias and Lucas in their first film who carry on the movie tradition of creepy blonde-haired kids wreaking havoc started way back when with The Bad Seed. (SoA)

#4 - Shameik Moore - Dope

The intriguing thing about all the nominees in this category this year is that they all were leads and, considering their age, they more than held their own against the perhaps more experienced actors around them.  Shameik Moore only appeared in one other film prior to Dope and that was as "Choir Master" in Joyful Noise so for him to take charge of this clever and engaging flick was perhaps not an easy task, but he does so imbuing his character with charisma and intelligence.  (SoN)

#3 - Taissa Farmiga - 6 Years

While not as famous as her older sister Vera, it's obvious that acting talent runs in the Farmiga family.  While I was familiar with the young Taissa from American Horror Story (I watched the two seasons she was in and have given up on all the rest, actually), 6 Years is her first starring role.  The film certainly doesn't have any bells and whistles, but rather anchors itself with its performances from Farmiga and co-star Ben Rosenfield who create a believable romantic relationship between a young couple attending college and the difficulties facing them when "adult life" begins to shift their plans.  Of all the people in the Top Five, Taissa is the only one I knew prior to 2015 and I look forward to seeing more of her in the future.  (Note:  Slight cheat with this one.  Taissa turned 21 the day after this film was released...I'm letting her eke her way in...) (SoN)

#2 - Abraham Attah - Beasts of No Nation

Already seen as one of the top Breakthrough Performers in this year's awards, Abraham Attah would've easily taken this award in any other year, but he was in the midst of some tough competition this year from the #1 seed.  Needless to say, second place indicates compelling greatness from Attah who captivates as he takes us on his character's difficult journey.  Attah's character often doesn't speak much, but so much is told through the young man's eyes -- eyes that have seen horrors that no one, let alone a child, should see. (SoN)

#1 - Jacob Tremblay - Room

How Jacob Tremblay didn't get nominated for an Oscar last year (and, quite frankly, win) is beyond me.  Creating a compelling character, Tremblay's youthful zest for curiosity is ever-present in his character of Jack from whose perspective Room is largely told.  I'd talk more of Tremblay's talent and his fantastic take on this role, but I'll hold off for now...this young guy's bound to show up in a future list...right? (SoA)

Previous RyMickey Award Winners
2014   ---   2013   ---   2012
2011   ---   2010   ---   2009

The 2015 RyMickey Awards - Best Breakthrough

Who broke onto the scene in a big way in 2015?  For the first time last year, I rewarded the Best Breakthrough to someone other than an actor -- writer-director Damian Chazelle took the top spot.  Will a non-actor win this year as well?  Read on to find out.  Remember that placement in this category doesn't necessarily mean these folks were complete unknowns prior to 2015 -- it's simply that they made a significant impact for the first time in their careers.

Best Breakthrough of 2015

Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order)

Jamie Chung - Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong

Lily James - Cinderella
Shameik Moore - Dope

And the Top Five...

#5 - Abraham Attah
Beasts of No Nation

In his first film role, Abraham Attah captivated in Beasts of No Nation, appearing in nearly every scene as a carefree boy sent into the hellish world of becoming a child mercenary.  He achieved the emotion needed for his character and really carries the heavy film on his shoulders.  Attah recently booked a role in the upcoming Spider-Man movie (featuring RyMickey Award 2012 Breakthrough fourth-place finisher Tom Holland) so I'm pleased to see he's moving on to exciting opportunities.

#4 - Alex Garland
writer/director - Ex Machina

Although he'd already written a few films (some of which I wasn't a huge fan), Ex Machina was Alex Garland's first trip behind the camera and he came up gangbusters.  Not only did he write an incredibly intelligent film, he knew how to shoot it so that it created an overwhelming sense of building tension and dread not only for the characters, but for our society at large.  Hopefully he can continue this success with his next feature which I'll eagerly await.

#3 - Dakota Johnson
Black Mass, Cymbeline, 50 Shades of Grey

I fully recognize that 50 Shades of Grey was not a good film, but Dakota Johnson is surprisingly watchable in the great amount of dreck that surrounds her in terms of a "story."  She certainly didn't embarrass herself -- which is one of the reasons no one wanted to take this part.  Although I had never heard of her before, Johnson had a decent resumé prior to the role that really put her on the map, but now she'll likely see a lot more opportunities come her way.

#2 - Jacob Tremblay
Room

In his first live-action film role, Jacob Tremblay fascinates in Room.  Although I'd like to say a lot more about the young man here, (spoiler alert) his name is going to be popping up quite a few other categories so I'll restrain myself from effusively praising him at the moment.  Needless to say, I'm greatly hoping that his parents can help him keep a good head on his shoulders as he continues down his Hollywood path.

#1 - Alicia Vikander
Burnt, The Danish Girl, Ex Machina, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

Although Alicia Vikander had many roles in her native Sweden, 2015 was the year she really made her mark on the US film scene.  Winning an Academy Award for The Danish Girl (a film that I despised, though found Vikander fantastic), she also starred in the fascinating Ex Machina.  2016 has already seen her take the big screen in Jason Bourne and The Light Between Oceans (the latter of which already places her in contention for next year's RyMickey Awards) so she's not going anywhere anytime soon...and that's a good thing, for sure.

Previous RyMickey Award Winners

2014    ----    2013    ----    2012

2011    ----    2010    ----    2009    

The 2015 RyMickey Awards - Most Overrated Film

Tomorrow we move on to the more positive awards, but we'll wallow in the disappointment for one more day.  It should be noted that I didn't necessarily dislike the films below.  This category highlights either critically-praised or audience-beloved flicks that just didn't live up to their hype.

Most Overrated Films of 2015

Other Contenders (in alphabetical order)

50 Shades of Grey (C-)    ----    Clouds of Sils Maria (D+)

The Danish Girl (D+)    ----    Inside Out (B+)    ----    Southpaw (D+)

Trumbo (C-)    ----    Youth (C-)

#5 - The Revenant - C+

I recognize the quality filmmaking and there are some captivatingly stellar scenes.  However, this one was overpraised by the critics last year and the fact that this long, boring movie made so much money in the US and was in a very tight race for Best Picture is astounding to me.  I must succumb to the fact that I must not be a fan of director Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu anymore despite liking a lot of his earlier English-language work.

#4 - The Big Short - B-

Well-made, well-written, and well-acted, The Big Short just didn't connect with me on a story level.  With personally no attachment to the financial crisis depicted, the film needed to reel me in and it didn't quite do that.

#3 - It Follows - C

Highly praised as being one of the best horror films in years, It Follows simply wasn't scary to me which is inherently necessary for me for a film in this genre to succeed.

#2 - Carol - C-

The critics loved this one, but I found it incredibly dull.  The performances by Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara were both fine, but they were overpraised.  The lifelessness of everything onscreen failed to draw me in and capture my attention.

#1 - Mad Max: Fury Road - C-

The most rewarded film at last year's Academy Awards, Mad Max: Fury Road has some fine technical aspects going for it -- awesome special effects, costumes, and production design -- but when you get down to the crux of its story, it's really just one extended chase sequence for two hours.  Character development is attempted but unsuccessful.  Director and co-writer George Miller seems to have had the attitude of "Let's throw everything at the wall and see what sticks."  And then he proceeded to think that everything stuck because as his camera zigs and zags crazily through the insanity he's created onscreen, he seems to hope that the audience can't see all the nuttiness he's left scattered throughout.

Previous Most Overrated "Winners"

2014    ----    2013    ----    2012

The 2015 RyMickey Awards - Worst Performance

There are some big names on this list this year unfortunately -- one of whom was even Oscar-nominated for the very performance you'll find listed below which should be a reminder that your humble reviewer isn't simply a sheep following the critical flock.

Worst Performances of 2015

(SoN = Streaming on Netflix / SoA = Streaming on Amazon / SoH = Streaming on HBO)
(Underlined films will link to original reviews)

(Dis)Honorable Mentions

(in alphabetical order)

Jessica Chastain - Crimson Peak

Johnny Depp - Mortdecai

Wentworth Miller - The Loft (SoN)

And the Bottom Five Are...

#5 - Isabel Lucas - The Loft

Making a repeat visit to the RyMickey Worst Performances list, the picture above is probably the moment in which her character looked the most alive because when her eyes are opened, there's nothing there.  (SoN)

#4 - Keanu Reeves - Knock Knock

Dumbfounded looks and dry line readings land Reeves on the list.

#3 - Natalie Martinez - Self/less

A model-turned-actress who I'm convinced can't effectively emote onscreen.  Furrowing your eyebrows doesn't equal emotion.

#2 - Eddie Redmayne - The Danish Girl

Eddie Redmayne came "oh so close" to winning my 2014 Best Actor Award for his gripping performance in The Theory of Everything so I was excited to see how he'd follow up that film.  2014 brought us the one-two punch of Jupiter Ascending (for which he won the Razzie) and The Danish Girl (for which he was nominated for an Academy Award).  So you may be asking if I placed the wrong film title next to his name above.  No, I have not.  To me, rather than dig into the role of a man medically transitioning to become a woman, Redmayne gives an overly mannered paint-by-numbers performance.  Every moment of Redmayne's performance feels as if he is "acting" as opposed to "inhabiting" -- he's like a soft-spoken audio-animatronic rather than a real person.  Everything about the role screamed, "Give me another Oscar," as opposed to forming a true character.    (SoH)

#1 - Rebel Wilson - Pitch Perfect 2

One can see in the images above from a single scene from Pitch Perfect 2 that Rebel Wilson's acting skills are anything but subtle.  Her shtick as gotten tiresome and her interpretation of Fat Amy in this film series adds nothing to the film other than initiating eye rolls of frustration from viewers.  She really is becoming gradually unwatchable and needs to find a way to curb back the in-your-face bluntness of her one-note humor. (SoH)

Previous Worst Acting "Winners"

2014   ----   2013

2012   ----   2011

2010   ----   2009

The 2015 RyMickey Awards - Worst Film

I think I've grown nicer in my old age.  Either that or I've just grown less likely to stick it out when it comes to really bad movies.  While I can't vouch for the veracity of the former, the latter is most definitely true.  Particularly in these final months of my 2015 movie watching, I was not keen on making myself sit through something that I knew was going to be truly awful.  So, in that regard, the movies listed below were at a disadvantage as most of them I watched during the first half of my 2015 viewing year.  Films partly watched during the second half -- including the critically dismissed Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse, Walt Before Mickey (which was truly heinous for the fifteen minutes I watched), Rock the Kasbah and the critically praised White God and Son of Saul to name just a few -- were just outright stopped by me if I knew I wasn't going to get into it.

With that said, the movies listed below deserve your utter and complete consternation.  Watching them is a risky proposition that I wouldn't undertake were I you.

Worst Film of the Year

SoN = Streaming on Netflix / SoA = Streaming on Amazon / SoH = Streaming on HBO

(Dis)Honorable Mentions

(all films ranked 'D' or below)

(underlined titles link to original reviews)

Fantastic Four (SoH)  --  Macbeth 

#15 - Little Boy - D  (SoN)

#14 - The Danish Girl - D  (SoH)

#13 - Adult Beginners - D  (SoN)

#12 - The Loft - D  (SoN)

#11 - Ride - D   (SoN)

And the Bottom Ten Are...

#10 - Aloha - D
Unable to balance an abundance of storylines, Aloha is a film that is unsure of where it's going evident by the fact that an hour into the flick, I had no clue what the main plot point was.

#9 - Tomorrowland - D-
Yes, even this self-proclaimed Disney lover is able to place one of their films in his bottom ten.  So ambitious, yet so painfully lacking in the story department.

#8 - The Boy Next Door - D- 
A low budget tv movie that made it to the screen because of its "star" in J. Lo and the fact that it showed male buttocks.  (SoH)

#7 - Out of the Dark - D- 
A horror film that so literally dark -- meaning lit so poorly -- that I couldn't tell what was happening onscreen. (SoN)

#6 - Blackhat - D-
One of the blandest films I've seen in a long time that tries to morph into an action film in its final act, but it's much too little too late. (SoH)

#5 - The Lazarus Effect - D-
Its eighty minute runtime feels interminable with no scares whatsoever as it brings out every horror cliché in the book. (SoN)

#4 - Hot Pursuit - D-
A heinously unfunny comedy in which two actresses are forced to try and act their way through one of the most poorly-written scripts I've seen in a long time. (SoA)

#3 - Jupiter Ascending - D-
I really enjoyed the Wachowski's Cloud Atlas, but Jupiter Ascending was a mess with a script that barely makes sense and a group of actors that are typically good floundering about in some of their worst roles to date.  (SoH)

#2 - Unfinished Business - F
Perhaps the worst directed film on this list, I turned this one off forty minutes in only to finish it because I knew it would end up near the top of this ignominious list.  (SoH)

#1 - Mortdecai - F
A purported comedy, not only did I not laugh once, but a smile never even came across my face.  A jumbled mess of tone and style, this film never finds its footing.  Attempts at being a sex comedy come across as childish.  Action sequences are out of place and poorly staged.  Everything about Johnny Depp's performance as a bumbling art dealer is so over the top and heinously misguided by the director with Depp feeling as if he were taking part in a completely different film.  

Previous Worst Film "Winners"

2014 -- 2013 -- 2012

The 2015 RyMickey Awards

As is always the case, your trusty blogger waits until well after the typical awards season is over before he reveals his winners.  In an attempt to see as many movies as possible, this year's 2015 awards finally roll around nine months into 2016.

That said, I hope they were worth the wait.  2015 brought some fantastic films to the scene featuring some excellent performances from several fresh faces that I hope to see well into the future.  Of course, it wasn't without its failures, too, as the first awards I'll dole out will show you.

However, it should be noted, I'm thinking of scaling back my 2016 movie watching.  Whereas past years yielded upwards of 175 movies passing over my eyes, I'm going to take great strides to not watch unmitigated crap this upcoming year.  What does that mean?  It means that if I know I'm not going to like something - take 2015's Fantastic Four as an example - I'm not even going to waste my time just so it can land on my "Worst of the Year" list.  That doesn't mean the blog is coming to end -- it simply means that I'm attempting to scale back my movie watching by maybe a fourth or a fifth of what I usually intake.

Nevertheless, with over 175 movies watched in 2015, the next fourteen days will look back on some of the best (and some of the worst).  Join me and feel free to comment on how right (or wrong) you think I am.

Movie Review - Far from the Madding Crowd

Far from the Madding Crowd (2015)

Starring Carey Mulligan, Matthias Schoenaerts, Michael Sheen, Tom Sturridge, Juno Temple, and Jessica Barden

Directed by Thomas Vinterberg 

Far from the Madding Crowd is a lushly-lensed romance reminiscent of films shot decades earlier when sweeping Victorian love stories adapted from famous novels were commonplace occurrences in cinemas.  Sometimes these types of films can feel stuffy, slow-moving, and ostentatious, but thanks to a winning performance from Carey Mulligan as a liberated and independent English woman, Far from the Madding Crowd doesn't fall into any of those disappointing stereotypes, instead proving to be surprisingly captivating.

Two hundred miles outside of London in Dorset, Bathsheba Everdene (Mulligan) is living with and working on her aunt's farm.  While there, her aunt's neighbor and sheep farmer Gabriel Oak (Matthias Schoenaerts) falls for the stunning Bathsheba, but she does not accept his advances and turns down his offer of marriage.  Bathsheba soon hears that she has inherited a large estate from her uncle following his death, while at the same time Gabriel loses his flock after a new sheep dog leads all of his sheep off a steep cliff into the ocean.  Both Bathsheba and Gabriel leave Dorset thinking they'll never see each other again, but fate works in mysterious ways.  One evening, the barn at Bathsheba's estate catches fire and Gabriel just happened to be walking by at the time, completely unaware that the estate belonged to Bathsheba.  He saves her barn and Bathsheba offers him a job on the estate which he reluctantly accepts seeing as how he still harbors feelings for the young woman.

Against all odds, Bathsheba is making it on her own which doesn't sit well with all the men in her town.  However, her neighbor William Boldwood (Michael Sheen) is immediately taken with her strength and falls for her.  At the same time, English soldier Frank Troy (Tom Sturridge) wanders onto her estate and also finds himself taken with Bathsheba.  With three suitors and independence always a goal in her life, Bathsheba faces the difficult question of whether to give herself to love or remain untethered to a man.

Far from the Madding Crowd embraces old school aesthetics and storytelling, yet somehow feels modern and fresh without ever feeling out of place.  Adapted from an 1874 Thomas Hardy novel, part of the "modernness" stems from the fact that Bathsheba is such a headstrong and independent woman.  Not knowing the story at all, I was quite taken by the character of Bathsheba, finding her a refreshing change to female characters we're used to seeing from novels of this one's era.  Carey Mulligan embraces the confidence of the character without ever coming across as overly feminist or off-putting.  The intelligence that radiates from Mulligan's persona is key to the film's plot and she successfully conveys it in what I think is her best role to date.

Next to Mulligan's Bathsheba, the men in the film are written with a little less depth, and as the film tries to give all of them their fair share of time attempting to woo her, it falters a bit towards its conclusion.  However, Far from the Madding Crowd was a wonderful surprise to me.  I expected to be bored silly, but I was anything but that.  Director Thomas Vinterberg has not only crafted a lovely film to look upon, but manages to create a bit of a romantic epic that doesn't feel the least bit tired or stale.

The RyMickey Rating:  B+

Movie Review - Secret in Their Eyes

Secret in Their Eyes (2015)

Starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, Dean Norris, Alfred Molina, Michael Kelly, Joe Cole, and Zoe Graham

Directed by Billy Ray

In 2002 in the months following the September 11 attacks, a group of Los Angeles investigators find themselves keeping a close eye on a mosque for any signs of terrorist activity.  One afternoon, they are called to a parking garage adjacent to the mosque to investigate a girl's body found in a dumpster.  Upon arrival, Ray (Chiwetel Ejiofor) discovers that dead girl is Carolyn (Zoe Graham), the daughter of Jess (Julia Roberts), a fellow investigator in his office.  Devastated, Ray sets out to find out who committed this heinous act, but he's met with resistance within his office as his prime suspect - Marzin, a young Russian man (Joe Cole) - is a mole within the mosque.  With his boss (Alfred Molina) and the new district attorney Claire (Nicole Kidman), Ray seeks out justice on his own, but unfortunately doesn't succeed.  Thirteen years later, Ray, now an independent investigator, has never stopped looking for Marzin, whom he believes is Carolyn's murderer, and he may have discovered his current location.

Thus is the story of Secret in Their Eyes, a remake of a well-regarded Argentinean film from 2009.  Spanning more than a decade and told in two parallel-running time frames, director-writer Billy Ray's film doesn't achieve the emotional resonance that a revenge-driven story should innately contain.  The heaviness accompanying the piece is understandable - I mean, we're dealing with the murder of a teenager - but the film never converts the hefty drama to palpable emotional connections with the characters.  We're given three talented actors in Ejiofor, Kidman, and Roberts, yet their scenes together lack oomph.  Something just doesn't quite click here which is unfortunate because this is the kind of movie - steeped in tones of film noir - that I'm inherently drawn to appreciate.  Perhaps I should watch the original...but I'll wait a few years to get the memory of this disappointing flick out of my mind.

The RyMickey Rating:  C-

Movie Review - Beasts of No Nation

Beasts of No Nation (2015)

Starring Abraham Attah, Idris Elba, Kurt Egyiawan, Jude Akuwudike, and Emmanuel "King Kong" Nii Adom Quaye

Directed by Cory Joji Fukunaga

***This film is currently streaming on Netflix***

"I saw terrible things...and I did terrible things...and if I tell you about these things, you'll think I'm some sort of beast, a devil.  But I also had a mother once, and a father, and a brother and sister...and they loved me."

So says young Agu (Abraham Attah) in a gut-wrenching moment in Beasts of No Nation, a terrifying film about the horrors of a territorial war in an unnamed country in Africa.  Agu and his family were living in in a buffer zone in the war, supposedly free of involvement from the fighting factions, but when the buffer zone is invaded, Agu goes on the run after his father and brother are killed.  In the jungle, Agu is captured by a group involved with the NDF - a rising rebel army.  The head of this faction of the NDF is the Commandant (Idris Elba) who decides instead of killing Agu to bring him in to his army which is largely formed of young pre-teen children.  Although allowed to live, Agu's life takes a terrible turn as he's forced to commit heinous acts that he never thought he'd be capable of doing.

Beasts of No Nation is not an easy sit.  Director Cory Joji Fukunaga does a fantastic job of creating an atmosphere that is oppressing and harrowing.  Agu's progression from a boy with a bright disposition to one whose weathered face shows no concern when asked to kill someone is brilliantly captured in both story (also written by Fukunaga) and acting by first timer Abraham Attah.  Attah is surprisingly captivating considering this is his first role ever and he more than carries the emotional heft of the film on his shoulders.

While shot nicely and acted well, Beasts of No Nation begins to fall apart a bit near its conclusion.  Building so much tension and story around Agu, the film shifts its attention in the final act towards the Commandant and despite a fantastic no-nonsense and strong performance from Idris Elba, the film isn't about him.  While the flick eventually moves back to Agu (and gives us a fantastic scene to end things on), this misguided emphasis on the Commandant knocks the film down a notch.  However, Beasts of No Nation is still a powerful film that just loses its way a little bit.

The RyMickey Rating:  B

Movie Review - Pawn Sacrifice

Pawn Sacrifice (2015)

Starring Tobey Maguire, Michael Stuhlbarg, Peter Sarsgaard, Liev Schrieber, Lily Rabe, and Robin Weigart

Directed by Edward Zwick

***This film is currently streaming via Amazon Prime***

As a young boy growing up in 1950s America, Bobby Fischer lived with his mother (Robin Weigart) whose Communist beliefs didn't sit well with the population at large.  One particularly resonant moment in his life occurred when the young Bobby looks out the door at a party his mother is throwing and sees a man in a vehicle spying on their residence, taking pictures of the party's attendees.  As Bobby grows up (now played by Tobey Maguire), he becomes an incredibly well-known chess prodigy who places the game of chess squarely on the American map, particularly when he agrees to compete in a head-to-head battle against reigning Chess Master Boris Spassky (Live Schrieber) at the 1972 World Chess Championship.  However, moments from Bobby's difficult childhood -- including that moment from his mother's party -- have shaped the chess master into an extremely paranoid man who believes that he is being spied upon by everyone everywhere.  Bobby's personal inner demons stemming in part from his Communist-sympathizer mother are just as much a battle for him as it is going up against Spassky.

I am no chess player -- I know very rudimentary aspects of the game, but I was a checkers person growing up as no one in my family played chess -- and Pawn Sacrifice doesn't place the rules of the game front and center.  Instead, it tries to delve into the mind of Bobby Fischer, but this true story falls a little flat in achieving the dramatic moments I think it so desperately desires.  Part of the problem is its repetition of Fischer's psychological problems.  While the hammering home of his paranoia certainly paints a vivid picture of his psychosis, chess match met with paranoia followed by chess match met with paranoia is the film's only storytelling impetus.  Tobey Maguire has very little arc for his character to grow from and progress towards as his Fischer is played in a rather one note fashion because of the way the script unfolds.  There are some nice supporting performances from Michael Stuhlbarg and Peter Sarsgaard (Liev Schreiber has very little to do), but their characters similarly do very repetitive things over and over again as they try and get Fischer psychologically prepared for his various chess matches.

It's not that Pawn Sacrifice is particularly boring despite this repetition, but in the end the film lacks excitement (even for those of us like me who aren't familiar with the outcome of the 1972 World Chess Championship).  Director Edward Zwick's film can't overcome a script that lacks in depth character development and progression.

The RyMickey Rating:  C

Movie Review - The Tribe

The Tribe (Plemya) (2015)

Starring Grigoriy Fesenko, Yana Novikova, and Rosa Babiy

Directed by Myroslav Slaboshpytskyi

"This film is in sign language.  There are no translations, no subtitles, no voice-over."

And that is how The Tribe begins - a unique film told completely in Ukranian sign language.  While this conceit certainly isn't played as a "gimmick," I was a bit worried that the concept would wear thin to those of us who are hearing, but it surprisingly doesn't across its rather lengthy 130-minute runtime.  That isn't to say that the film isn't without its faults, but it's not due to the language barrier, but rather story issues that oftentimes seem too absurd to believe.

High schooler Sergei (Grigoriy Fesenko) has just started at a Ukranian school for the deaf.  Immediately upon arrival, however, he discovers that within the school, a large group of students (and several teachers) have created a criminal gang that earns much of its money from sending out two willing female deaf students Anya and Svetka (Yana Novikova and Rosa Babiy) to prostitute themselves on a nearly nightly basis.  Sergei's timid nature soon shifts as he discovers that in order to survive at the school, he needs to toughen up and take part in the gang's activities, but when he begins to feel a romantic connection to Anya, things get complicated.

As I mentioned, the sign language isn't a barrier here.  The actors - all deaf in "real life" -  do a decent job of conveying what their characters are feeling, although there were admittedly many moments where their lack of acting experience led to overuse of facial reactions to get across things.  For this I blame the director Myroslav Slaboshpytskyi perhaps more than the actors as I imagine he felt the need to make sure the audience understood the characters' intentions and emotions and almost coached the actors to overact.  The problem with the film is in the lack of believability within the story itself.  How in the world do the teachers and the administration of the school not see what is going on within their walls?  How is it possible that these students are able to leave every night to rob innocent people on the street or hook for extra cash?  While I guess it's possible a school like this could exist, I couldn't wrap my head around it and it harmed the film pretty much from the get go for me.

Told all in long takes that oftentimes make the horrors facing these kids even more difficult to endure (one scene involving Anya heading to a rundown apartment for a medical treatment is particularly stomach-turning), The Tribe is visually appealing and undoubtedly will be something the likes of which you'll never have seen before.  Because of its uniqueness, however, I wish the story could've lived up to its conceit.  As it stands, The Tribe just comes off as okay as opposed to something truly special.

The RyMickey Rating:  C+

Movie Review - Time Out of Mind

Time Out of Mind (2015)

Starring Richard Gere, Ben Vereen, Jena Malone, and Kyra Sedgwick

Directed by Oren Moverman

***This film is currently streaming on Netflix***

Voyeuristically filmed at times, writer-director Oren Moverman's Time Out of Mind follows the life of George (Richard Gere), a homeless and possibly mentally ill man who roams New York City looking for food and shelter (along with the more than occasional consumption of alcohol).  Finding it difficult to sleep on the street, George decides to move into a homeless shelter where he meets the rambling and often nonsensical Dixon (Ben Vereen) and they strike up an odd, oftentimes contentious friendship.  Growing desperate to earn money, George reaches out to his estranged daughter Maggie (Jena Malone), a bartender who wants nothing to do with her father after he abandoned her for reasons revealed late in the film.

Moverman's camera plants itself far away from his main figures at times, causing the audience to feel as if they're peering in on George's life, creating a distance between the viewer and the characters that actually works surprisingly well.  As the film progresses, the camera gradually moves in a bit closer.  The concept is reminiscent of how most of us would feel around a homeless man -- keeping him at a distance, but, should we get to know him, we may welcome him into our circle with a bit less reticence.

Time Out of Mind is a very slow burn -- too slow at times.  The film's first half hour contains very little dialog, simply trying to paint a picture of George's difficult life on the street.  While it does a good job of getting across the trials facing the homeless (although it doesn't present solutions or espouse preachiness), the flick grows a bit wearisome at several moments throughout its runtime.  A condensing of certain aspects would've done wonders here, but the other Oren Moverman film I've seen -- The Messenger -- carries that same cinematic mindset of moving at a slower pace.  The film picks up particularly at the end as George attempts to reconcile his relationship with Maggie, but it's a bit too little too late.

Gere is very good here -- he's in every scene and there's a subtlety he brings to the character that never screams "Pity Me" which I very much appreciated.  Malone also makes the most of her two small scenes with Gere and it had me wishing the film would've explored her character in greater detail.  She really delivers in her moments and the film brightens in terms of story when she takes the stage.  It's these personal moments and connections Gere has with others that bring Time Out of Mind to life and while I appreciate Moverman's attempt here at creating something different, it doesn't work all the time, but it's certainly not a complete disappointment either.

The RyMickey Rating:  C+

Movie Review - The 33

The 33 (2015)

Starring Antonio Banderas, Rodrigo Santoro, Juliette Binoche, James Brolin, Lou Diamond Phillips, Mario Casas, Jacob Vargas, Juan Pablo Raba, Oscar Nuñez, Tenoch Huerta, Macro Treviño, Adriana Barraza, Kate del Castillo, Cote de Pablo, Elizabeth De Razzo, Naomi Scott, Gustavo Angarita, Alejandro Goic, Bob Gunton, and Gabriel Byrne

Directed by Patricia Riggen

**This film is currently available via HBO Now***

While I was mostly captivated while watching The 33 - the true story of a group of 33 Chilean miners trapped for 69 days 2300 feet underground -- I was more entranced by the story as opposed to the film itself which feels too constrained by stereotypical movie tropes to really allow an emotional connection to the characters.  Director Patricia Riggen's film is admittedly hindered by a large cast of characters, but perhaps because of the abundance of possible stories, the movie never creates a visceral impact that I expected a film of this ilk to have.

The lead of the film is certainly Antonio Banderas as Mario Sepúlveda, a husband and father whose steadfast belief that they would be saved placed him in a leadership position with his trapped group.  Banderas does fine work here, but the film doesn't allow us to really connect with him in any way.  Sure, we get the requisite opening act in which we get a cursory overview and understanding of many of the lives of the miners before the fateful day, but these moments don't create a bond between the viewer and the characters.  Perhaps there's just too many people in play to really make this film work, or perhaps it would've fared better in the hands of different writers.

In addition to the darkness and oppressive heat 200 stories underground, The 33 also allows us to glimpse the troubles facing the rescuers and family members above ground.  Once again, there are too many pieces to the puzzle here for things to really click.  Riggen does a decent job of balancing both sides, but part of me wonders if the film would've succeeded if we'd never left the constricting confines of the miners' temporary habitat.  The 33 is undoubtedly an intriguing story and one that deserved to be told...I simply wish it was in a little better film.  It's not that what's presented is particularly bad, it's just a bit too generic for its own good.

The RyMickey Rating:  C

Movie Review - Youth

Youth (2015)

Starring Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel, Rachel Weisz, Paul Dano, Alex Macqueen, and Jane Fonda

Directed by Paolo Sorrentino

***This film is currently available via HBO Now***

Oh, the potential of Youth.  A talented ensemble cast.  A sometimes touching story (with hints of humor) about two older men trying to remember their engaging past while dealing with their tediously dull present.  A stunningly beautiful nude woman portraying an intelligent Miss Universe winner.  This had a bunch of things going for it.  And then director Paolo Sorrentino goes and screws things up with some of the oddest direction I've seen in a 2015 movie.  Youth certainly looks beautiful, there's no denying that, but the images Sorrentino places up on the screen feel too esoteric to really push the film's plot along, and while I'm sure his visuals meant something to the director, they just befuddle the viewer with a "can't we just get on with the plot" mentality.

At the film's center is Fred Ballinger (Michael Caine), a famous classical composer and conductor who has left his profession behind after his wife fell ill.  Fred retreats at a luxurious spa catering to the incredibly wealthy in the Alps.  There with him is his daughter-cum-manager Lena (Rachel Weisz) who is always pushing him to reconnect with his sick wife (and her mother) whom he hasn't seen in a decade as well as his best friend Mick Boyle (Harvey Keitel), a movie director prepping for what he believes to be his last film.  As Fred and Mick rest and relax, they reminisce and often have quite a lot to say about growing old and the effects it can have on one's life.  (Frankly, some of the dialog they spout is actually quite profound and oddly intellectually stimulating, so Sorrentino -- who also wrote the picture -- succeeds in that respect.)

The conflict in the picture arises from the arrival at the spa of a person into each of these men's lives.  For Fred, it's the Queen of England's emissary (Alex Macqueen) sent on a mission to coax the composer into one last outing to play his celebrated "Simple Songs" collection for Prince Philip's birthday.  For Mick, it's Brenda Morel (Jane Fonda), an aging actress who has starred in several of his films and whom Mick wants to appear in his final picture.  Both the emissary and Brenda cause the two men to question their current way of life, impacting them in surprising ways.

For the most part, the acting raises the bar for Youth with the ensemble impressing (including an understated Paul Dano playing a young actor also at the spa).  Michael Caine in particular captivates as his Fred copes with living with a bit of repressed guilt for past indiscretions.  Unfortunately, scenes that forward along the story are oftentimes broken up by tiny visual vignettes of other spa-goers that fall tremendously flat after Sorrentino decides to repetitively return to them throughout the film.  As I've said, I'm sure they mean something metaphorically, but this isn't a film that I particularly feel is "study worthy" to have to delve into and investigate what they really signify.  These throwaway scenes bog down the film's running time and take away from the heart of the story which lies in Fred's relationship with his daughter, his friend, and his estranged wife.

Youth is a weird beast because there are things I really liked about it (even the throwaway vignette-like scenes were shot well despite being frivolous).  In the end, however, it's too choppy and lacks a cohesion that I feel would've strengthened the picture.

The RyMickey Rating:  C-

Movie Review - Hitchcock/Truffaut

Hitchcock/Truffaut (2015)

Directed by Kent Jones

***This films currently streaming on HBO Now***

A few years ago, I embarked on a month long Hitchcock Fest delving into all of the great director's talking pictures and it was my favorite thing I've ever done on this blog.  (Seriously, check it out -- easy access via the sidebar.)  Of course, with my fascination with Hitch, it was inevitable that I'd check out Kent Jones' documentary Hitchcock/Truffaut which details the week-long interview French director François Truffaut had with his idol back in 1962.

As much as I love Hitch, this documentary serves more as a commercial for Truffaut's book detailing the aforementioned interview which carries the same title as this film.  Sure, here we get some fascinating interviews with directors like David Fincher and Martin Scorsese who wax eloquently over Vertigo and Psycho, but in the end, all I really want to do is snag a copy of Hitchcock/Truffaut -- which I will be doing ever so soon.  (How I don't have a copy of this already is astounding to me.)  As a documentary, I'm admittedly not quite sure of its purpose and although I enjoyed watching it, I wouldn't particularly tell anyone who isn't a huge Hitchcock fan to give it a go.

The RyMickey Rating:  B-

Movie Review - Body

Body (2015)

Starring Helen Rogers, Alexandra Turshen, Lauren Molina, and Larry Fessenden

Directed by Dan Berk and Robert Olsen

Bored one evening after they've returned home for Christmas, twentysomething Cali (Alexandra Turshen) convinces her friends Holly and Mel (Helen Rogers and Lauren Molina) to visit the mansion of her rich uncle who is away with his family for the holidays.  Reluctantly obliging, the trio ends up having a blast at the huge house, but Holly soon discovers that Cali isn't in fact related to the home's inhabitants.  However, before they can leave, a man (Larry Fessenden) enters the house and, after a tussle, falls down a stairway, and is seemingly killed.  Body deals with the moral question faced by the three girls -- what do they do with the body?

Not exactly a horror film, Body gets its thrills from the ever-changing dynamics between the film's three young actresses.  The film does a nice job of making the emotional shifts of all the characters relevant, believable, and critical to the plot.  While the plot works, the three actresses themselves leave a little to be desired.  None of them are particularly disappointing, but I couldn't help but think that in the hands of slightly more adept directors, the performances and the lensing of the film itself would've been a bit more crisp and clean.  Even at a quick seventy minutes, the film takes a bit to get rolling which had me wondering if it would've fared a bit better as part of a horror anthology or something of the like.  However, Body is still an enjoyable, fun romp, but I can't help but think it had the potential for something more.

The RyMickey Rating:  B-

Movie Review - Victoria

Victoria (2015)

Starring Laia Costa, Frederick Lau, Franz Rogowski, Burak Yigit, Max Mauff, and André M. Hennicke

Directed by Sebastian Schipper

***This film is currently streaming on Netflix***

Told in one continuous 132 minute-long shot, Victoria is undoubtedly an ambitious filmmaking experiment.  Credit is most certainly due to director Sebastian Schipper and his whole behind-the-camera team for making this film visually work.  That said, while the long running time adds to the impressiveness of the cinematic feat, it also hampers a story that lingers too long on particular moments, lacking a momentum at times that feels crucial for a film that contains this plot.

And what is that plot?  The film centers around Victoria (Laia Costa), a young Spanish girl currently living in Berlin.  When the camera first captures her, Victoria is dancing alone in a rave-type club.  As she leaves onto the streets at night, she meets a young German man named Sonne (Frederick Lau) who has certainly had one too many drinks.  He and his three buddies convince Victoria to walk through the streets of Berlin as they drink and smoke and essentially act like a quartet of douchebags. Eventually Victoria and Sonne break away from the group and head to Victoria's work at a little coffee shop.  With it still being night, the shop is closed, but Victoria begins to open up to Sonne about the reasons she left Madrid and Sonne grows infatuated with her innocence and intelligence.  Unfortunately, their conversation comes to an abrupt end when Sonne receives a phone call from one of his buddies...and Victoria's night takes a turn she never could have expected.

I'm in a bit of a conundrum with Victoria because in some ways, I think that the slow build the film takes us on in the first hour paints a picture of our title character that the audience needs during the film's second hour.  Director Schipper does a fantastic job of placing the viewer in the shoes of Victoria, panning his camera around for us to see things from both her point of view and as that of the omniscient onlooker.  However, it just takes too long for things to get going here.  Quite frankly, Sonne's friends are so obnoxiously arrogant that I couldn't comprehend why anyone would want to spend time with them and for us to have to spend so much time with them grows tediously boring.  (Yes, I do think the character of Victoria may have wanted to have spent time with them, but as an audience member, I had no desire.)

There was a moment in that first hour where I almost hit the stop button.  I'm happy I didn't, though, because Victoria turns into a suspenseful thriller with a fantastic performance at its center from Laia Costa.  Costa's Victoria is in search of something -- Madrid signified her past and Berlin is perhaps her future and that is why this seemingly smart girl decided to hang out with a group of unintelligent frat boy-type guys for the evening.  At first, I couldn't comprehend why she would do such a thing, but as the film progressed, Ms. Costa really keyed me in as to why her character does what she does.  There's a moment in the first hour in which Victoria sits a piano and begins to break down -- it tells us everything we need to know about the character through very little dialog or action.  It's a rather beautiful scene because in its simplicity, so much is revealed.  And from that point on, the film hooked me with Costa carrying the piece on her shoulders and taking me along for the ride.

Victoria isn't an easy watch in that it's too long by about forty-five minutes and it just takes too long to get the ball rolling.  Also, I admittedly found myself pondering more than once about how dumb the majority of these characters were.  (That said, their idiocy as characters is mirrored in the plot as the film progresses and feels inherently believable -- I just couldn't get over their stupidity at times.)  However, if you stick it out, you're in for a fun thriller with a great performance at its center.  Plus, you'll get to see an impressive cinematic feat unfold in real time.  (As an added note, most of the film is in English!  Although there are some subtitles throughout, the film was actually unable to compete at the Oscars in the foreign film category because English is its dominant language.  So don't let the fear of subtitles scare you away.)

The RyMickey Rating:  B