La La Land(2016)

Director: Damien Chazelle

Cast:

Ryan Gosling – Sebastian

Emma Stone – Mia

John Legend – Keith

J.K. Simmons – Bill

Verdict:

“La La Land” is directed by Damien Chazelle and tells the story of Mia (Stone) an aspiring

actress who meets Sebastian (Gosling) a pianist who has a passion for jazz and the two of

them push each other towards their goals of making it in the world. This movie first and

foremost is a musical and I’m not the biggest fan of musicals but boy was this movie

incredible. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone were glowing every time they were on screen

together. These two had pitch perfect chemistry with one another and they sung and

danced beautifully. The music in this film was very 50s like but it had that updated feel to

it. Aside from the terrific musical numbers and outstanding dance choreography, the

drama side of the film flowed well and it was a compelling part of the movie. Damien

Chazelle’s direction of the film was very fast paced and smooth as you could feel the

passion coming from his camera work. I implore everyone to go see “La La Land” as it has

a little of everything to make your day more enjoyable and it will leave you inspired and

hopeful for your future to come.

Grade: A+

Assassin’s Creed(2016)

Director: Justin Kurzel

Cast:

Michael Fassbender – Cal Lynch/Aguilar

Marion Cotillard – Sofia Rikkin

Jeremy Irons – Alan Rikkin

Brendan Gleeson – Joseph Lynch

Michael K. Williams – Moussa

Ariane Labed – Maria

Verdict:

“Assassin’s Creed” is directed by Justin Kurzel and tells the story of Cal Lynch

(Fassbender), a man who has been sentenced to death for committing violent crimes and

has now been revived by an organization known as Abstergo, as they use the memories of

his ancestor Aguilar in an attempt to find an artifact known as the Apple of Eden. This film

had a lot going into it as its based off a popular videogame franchise and the movie as a

whole fails on many levels. The cast is filled with great actors but the majority of them

phone it in. Michael Fassbender is clearly trying and having a blast playing these dual

roles. Cotillard and Irons however are phoning it in. The movie has a tough time telling

two different stories in a cohesive way. The majority of this movie is spent in present time

and that was a bummer because the characters and story were uninteresting and half-

assed. Everything in the past was great as there was a lot of fan service moments and the

parkour was very good. The downside to it was that the action scenes were quickly cut and

it made the movie feel shaky. Also, there were many intercutting scenes of the Animus in

present day and the past memories that made the film jarring and poor. The ending of the

film was one of the most cliché, cheesiest endings I have ever witnessed. So, besides the

fact that Fassbender gave a committed performance and the past events were

entertaining. “Assassin’s Creed” fails to adapt a great game series into the live-action

realm whilst servicing fans of the game.

Grade: C-

Manchester by the Sea(2016)

Director: Kenneth Lonergan

Cast:

Casey Affleck – Lee Chandler

Kyle Chandler – Joe Chandler

Michelle Williams – Randi

Lucas Hedges – Patrick Chandler

Verdict:

“Manchester by the Sea” is directed by Kenneth Lonergan and stars Casey Affleck as Lee

Chandler, a grieving uncle who has been informed that his brother has passed and is now

being tasked with having to take care of his nephew. The performances in this film were

remarkable as the characters are what carried the film through its entirety. Casey Affleck

was tremendous as he plays this very subtle character that wants nothing to do with

personal connections and we learn why this is through a series of flashbacks. His

character is broken and there is a heartfelt scene between him and Michelle Williams’

character as there is an attempt at reconciliation. Lucas Hedges was also great as he plays

Affleck’s nephew who was very sarcastic and funny. The two of them played well off of

each other. Kyle Chandler was also stellar in the scenes he was in. The movie moves at a

constant slow pace and while that is required of the film, the movie felt like it was three

hours long. “Manchester by the Sea” is a remarkable story about a grief stricken man and

is portrayed spectacularly by Casey Affleck.

Grade: A

Nocturnal Animals(2016)

Director: Tom Ford

Cast:

Amy Adams – Susan Morrow

Jake Gyllenhaal – Tony Hastings/Edward Sheffield

Michael Shannon – Bobby Andes

Aaron Taylor-Johnson – Ray Marcus

Verdict:

“Nocturnal Animals” is directed by Tom Ford and tells three different stories that revolve

around Amy Adams’ character. Amy Adams plays an art gallery owner who receives a book

from her ex-husband played by Jake Gyllenhaal and as she reads the story, events from

her past begin to resurface, and we have our movie. The performances in the film were

good but what surprised me the most was that it was the supporting cast that carried the

film. Jake Gyllenhaal and Amy Adams played their roles well but Michael Shannon and

Aaron Taylor-Johnson were the ones that intrigued me the most. Michael Shannon plays

an investigative cop who is involved with a case concerning Gyllenhaal’s character and the

dialogue that spews from his mouth is genuine and real. Aaron Taylor-Johnson was also

great as he played this creepy Texan who just left a terrifying on-screen presence. Laura

Linney plays Adams’ mom and her one scene really left a mark on the film. Tom Ford

really left his mark as the movie takes jabs at how cynical the public’s perception of gays is

and he also rips on conservatives. The movies ending may leave people empty and with

questions but I looked at it as wrapping up the film full circle. “Nocturnal Animals” is a

film you should watch as it questions our actions and the outcomes that affect the people

we love.

Grade: A+

Incarnate(2016)

Director: Brad Peyton

Cast:

Aaron Eckhart – Dr. Seth Ember

Carice van Houten – Cameron’s Mom

David Mazouz – Cameron

Catalina Sandino Moreno – Camilla

Keir O’ Donnell – Oliver

Verdict:

“Incarnate” is directed by Brad Peyton and tells the story of Dr. Seth Ember played by

Aaron Eckhart, who specializes in being able to travel into the subconscious of possessed

individuals and uses this to eradicate the entities. Ember has now been tasked with diving

into the mind of a possessed boy who he happens to have a past with. Now this sounds like

a cool premise, the fact is the film doesn’t even try to be creative in the realm of the mind.

Kicking off with the positive I have for the film, Aaron Eckhart was good as the character

of Dr. Ember as he tried his hardest to act sensible in this film. Besides Eckhart’s acting,

this film fails everywhere else. The directing is bad, the writing is poor and the film isn’t

even scary. The film relies on jump scares and the jump scares fail on every level. As for

the rest of the cast, they are dull and are just there to collect a paycheck. The film’s ending

is what threw me overboard as it kept jumping over the place as if it wasn’t satisfied with

an ending. Don’t see this film in theaters and if you come across it on TV, skip it entirely.

Grade: F