Jigsaw (2017)

Director: Spierig Brothers

Cast:

Matt Passmore – Logan

Tobin Bell – Jigsaw

Callum Keith Rennie – Det. Halloran

Hannah Emily Anderson – Eleanor

Laura Vandervoort – Anna

Paul Braunstein – Ryan

Summary:

“Jigsaw” is the eighth installment in the “Saw” franchise and is the first film in the franchise to come out in seven years. After the series ended in 2010 with the “Final Chapter”, Sony took a break from the franchise and now, 7 years later “Jigsaw” has come out and is a reboot sequel. The “Saw” films were never really serious horror films, but torture films that hacked limbs and showed gore. “Jigsaw” reluctantly deduces the gore for a more psychological approach. The film stars a whole new cast and takes place after Jigsaw’s death, then bodies start turning up and they all point to Jigsaw. The Spierig brothers brought crisp and clean direction to this film with nice wide shots and the editing tightly wounds to a whole. Where the movie falters is it’s cliché as hell. The cast is fine but the movie for whatever reason recaps the entire film at the end and that was just irritating. This became the deciding factor as the story itself was uneven with some fine performances but ultimately “Jigsaw” is just another attempt in the “Saw” franchise that falls short.

Score: 2.75/5

Only the Brave (2017)

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Cast:

Josh Brolin – Eric Marsh

Miles Teller – Brendan McDonough

Jeff Bridges – Duane Steinbrink

Jennifer Connelly – Amanda Marsh

James Badge Dale – Jesse Steed

Taylor Kitsch – Christopher MacKenzie

Summary:

“Only the Brave” is the true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots who fought gave their lives fighting forest fires in Arizona. Based in Prescott, Arizona the film follows their leader, Eric Marsh (Brolin) from the start of the Hotshots and to the eventual tragedy that befell them. Also in the film is Miles Teller, Taylor Kitsch, Jeff Bridges and Jennifer Connelly. Teller plays an addict who joins the Hotshots and he gave one of the best performances in the film. He comes off as an unlikeable character that with time grows into a remarkable person. Taylor Kitsch plays an against type character but it may just be his best role. He is extremely funny and although he is an asshole, you feel sympathy to his character. Jeff Bridges has a brief appearance in the film but left an impression as he always does. Jennifer Connelly does a great job portraying Brolin’s wife and their chemistry together was heated and passionate. The camaraderie between the crew was the brightest spot in the film as the growing love for one another kept the film at its monumental height. This is a film to see on the biggest screen possible for its epic wide shots that show off the ferocity and force of these massive wildfires. Joseph Kosinski’s direction was tight and firm as it captures the harshness of these forest fires. The visuals in the film are spectacular and so is the soundtrack that consists of many hit rock songs from the 80s. “Only the Brave” is a sweeping film about the Granite Mountain Hotshots and the bravery and courage they had to protect people from wildfires.

Score: 4.25/5

Happy Death Day (2017)

Summary:

“Happy Death Day” is the newest Blumhouse production and this film takes the concept of “Groundhog Day” and adds a slasher twist to it. Jessica Rothe plays Tree, a sorority student who dies and relives the same day over and over again. With each continuous death, Tree begins to uncover her mysterious killer in hope to end her nightmare. Rothe plays her character with such enthusiasm. She is depicted in the beginning as this snobby sorority student but with each death, she begins to show layers of herself that become appealing to the audience. She gave a great performance and her chemistry with Israel Broussard was just as impressive. Their presence on screen was truthful and heartfelt. The film is heavily inspired by “Groundhog Day” and that in turn takes away the horror aspect of the film as it focuses more on the comedic side. Landon utilizes a creative directing style for certain death sequences and it added to the film. “Happy Death Day” is a silly slasher film that takes the concept of “Groundhog Day” and delivers a killing outcome.

Score: 3/5

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Director: Denis Villenueve

Cast:

Ryan Gosling – K

Robin Wright – Lieutenant Joshi

Ana de Armas – Joi

Sylvia Hoeks – Luv

Jared Leto – Niander Wallace

Harrison Ford – Rick Deckard

Summary:

“Blade Runner 2049” is out now and continues the legacy of the original that starred Harrison Ford and this time it poses new questions. “2049” takes place 30 years after the original and stars Ryan Gosling as K, a new blade runner who is tasked with eliminating the older replicant models when he comes across a clue that could lead to the discovery of the existence of replicant life. Harrison Ford returns as Rick Deckard and he was great for the amount of screen time he had and played well off of Gosling. Gosling was fantastic as K, pulling off the frailness of his replicant character while still teasing glimpses of raw emotion that click whenever he’s with Joi. Played by Ana de Armas, Joi is a replicant that is displayed as an hologram who is K’s “FaceTime” connection. These two had great on screen chemistry that grew throughout the film. Their blossoming romance becomes enlivened when she finally has sex with him but in a creative way. Leto plays the new replicant engineer Niander Wallace, and he displayed an eerie performance that was unforgettable. Sylvia Hoeks was the bright spot in the film as Luv, Wallace’s personal assistant that posed a tremendous threat in the film. Denis Villenueve has once again made a brilliant film that challenges the mind while also delivering a cohesive story. This may be his best film. I’m a huge fan of “Sicario” and that film was just about as perfect a film as it can be. The big thing is that this film had more pressure on it because it is tied to an existing film that fans of it love. “2049” is an spectacle to watch from its performances to the incredible cinematography as well as an explosive score that’ll leave you shocked and awed. Villenueve has created a sequel that expands upon the original while adding freshness to the universe.

Score: 5/5

American Made (2017)

Director: Doug Liman

Cast:

Tom Cruise – Barry Seal

Domhnall Gleeson – Monty “Schafer”

Sarah Wright – Lucy Seal

Verdict:

“American Made” is the newest Tom Cruise film as he portrays Barry Seal, an airline pilot who became a gun runner for the CIA and a drug smuggler for the Cartel. The craziness ensues in this true life story with great performances from Cruise and Domhnall Gleeson. Gleeson plays Seal’s handler Schafer who takes Seal under his wing and establishes him in the CIA as a gun runner. Seal meets Pablo Escobar and the future Medellion Cartel as they propose to him being one of their drug runner’s. Doug Liman created a fast and loose film with energetic direction that never slows down. The film is told through a series of VHS tapes with narration from Cruise’s Seal. This helped to clear up any confusion with events in there placed time periods. Just like “Wolf of Wall Street”, the film portrays its protagonist in a light-hearted and comedic way. Liman injects comedy from his lead actor and he pulls it off with great force. There is a fantastic plane chase that happens to Seal where Cruise shows off his flight ability as well as another dose of comedic charm. Sarah Wright plays Seal’s wife and she had great chemistry with Cruise to the point that you look past the 20 year age difference. As for flaws, Seal never seems to be in any real danger even as the level of insanity continues to spike. “American Made” takes a true life story of one ordinary man’s crazy life and elevates it sky high with another good performance from Cruise.

Score: 4.25/5