Movie Review: Inside Out

Inside Out/Rated PG/94 min./Pixar Animation Studios/Dir. by Pete Doctor and Ronaldo Del Carmen

"Silly grown-ups, animation's for kids!"  This antiquated, wrong-headed, unsupported notion is alive and well and there was a time, perhaps, that there was a sliver of truth to it.  After all, the original Disney animated classics, while filled with unquestionable and complex artistry, were also clearly aimed at the tykes.  Snow White, Dumbo, Pinocchio....they all had very simply constructed plots designed to support one or two clearly laid-out morals:  Kindness will always win, believe in yourself, smoking and drinking will turn you into a jackass, literally.

However, at the same time that Uncle Walt was making these carefully crafted morality tales, he also spearheaded Fantasia and Bambi.  Fantasia being a film that still challenges and enthralls adults of all ages, and Bambi, one of the most lyrical visual tone poems ever conceived.

There have been 80 years worth of films proving that animation is an art form, pure and simple.  It's a means of telling a story, not a genre unto itself, which is to say that a film being animated shouldn't indicated it's target audience anymore than a film being in 3D or in color should.  In the past 20 years, makers of animated films have created more complex narratives that work on multiple levels to enlighten and entertain regardless of age.  Often this has been done by creating plot and action for the kids and jokes for the adults.

Well, right now there is a masterpiece playing at your local movieplex that flips that formula on its head.  The film, Inside Out, is a film that is really aimed at adults, but it has action, color, and humor that will keep young 'uns engaged.  There is such artistic nuance on display in every frame, such thoughtful detail in the plot construct, such profound truth laying at its core, that dismissing it as a kid's movie is a huge disservice.  Yes, it's definitely kid appropriate (it really should be rated G) and children will love it, but it is, quite simply, one of the greatest examples of film art of this decade.

As the film begins, we not only witness the birth of a little girl named Riley, but we see the emergence of her emotions, personified by Day-Glo colored characters that live in her brain and guide her through the use of a control panel.  When she needs to be careful, they let Fear (Bill Hader) take the wheel.  When they're unsure of a new food, they send in Disgust (Mindy Kaling).  Anger (Lewis Black) makes sure that things stay fair and Sadness (Phyllis Smith)....well, no one's really sure why Sadness is necessary at all.  The defacto leader of the group is Joy (Amy Poehler), a yellow colored sprite in a breezy summer dress who keeps things running smoothly.

As Riley creates memories, little glass balls are created as a holding case for the memory and the important core memories, the experiences that had the most profound effect on Riley's personality are placed near the control center as core memories.  Joy feels no small amount of pride that all of the core memories are bright yellow because of her influence.

To go any more into the construct of the wonderland inside Riley's head would ruin the surprises of this film, and there are many.   Suffice it to say that after Riley moves to a new city, Joy and Sadness accidentally get separated from the control center, leaving the pre-teen girl at the mercy of Fear, Anger, and Disgust.  I have a feeling that there are many times that pre-teens know exactly how that feels.

One of the most amazing things about Inside Out is the plethora of lessons to be learned.  I recently read a review in which someone said this is one of the rare films that could actually make you a better person and I couldn't agree more.  The plot is carefully constructed with many themes, all designed to pounce on your mind and your heart depending on where you are in your own life.  I have no doubt that I'll be learning new things from watching this film in years to come.

The voice casting could not be more perfect.  Poehler and Smith become the main protagonists and the two actresses interact superbly.  Poehler brings the same almost manic energy to the role that she did on Parks and Recreation, but as she slowly begins to understand the importance of all emotions, especially Sadness, she switches gears delivering a tender and heart-breaking performance that sticks with you as much as Ellen Degeneres did as Dory in Finding Nemo.   Initially, Smith portrays Sadness as an animated Debby Downer, but through a soft and subtle performance, she creates a fully realized, three-dimensional character and will be treasured for years.  Kaling, Hader, and Black mostly supply the comic relief, but they interact with each other with a gonzo comic energy that lights up every one of their scenes.

Visually, Inside Out is a stunner.  From the vast caverns of long-term memory to the surreal room of abstract thought, the filmmakers back this movie with images to tickle the brain and dazzle the eye.  It is, quite simply, beautiful to look at.

Basically, just go see this movie.  See it multiple times.  It has spurred more thoughtful conversations over the last three days since I watched it than has any film over the last decade.  After a few films ranging from frustrating to disappointing, Pixar is back with an insta-classic that will stand proudly next to their best.  If the Academy didn't have a clear bias against animated (a.k.a. kid's) films, this would be a sinch for a Best Picture nomination.  

Grade:  A very enthusiastic A+

Movie Review - Home

Home/DreamWorks Animation/Dir. by Tim Johnson/94 min./Rated PG (for mild action and some rude humor)

It's been a rocky few years for DreamWorks animation.  On one hand, they've been on a great creative streak.  While still nurturing proven franchises, they've also provided some terrific films that are patently non-DreamWorks-ian.  Rise of the Guardians, How to Train Your Dragon, and Kung Fu Panda were all films that set aside the DreamWorks model of constant juvenile humor coupled with unending pop culture references and instead crafted character based stories that brought the funny while bringing an almost Pixar-like dedication to story and heart.

On the other hand, their movies haven't been making as much money as they used to.  Personally, I think it might be because they've spread their franchises a little thin with their television division.  How to Train Your Dragon 2 and Kung Fu Panda 2 were both outstanding films that under-performed domestically.  Perhaps non-coincidentally, both films had t.v. series based on their characters airing concurrently with their releases.  This could also be a contributing factor to the dismal box office of Penguins of Madagascar, a highly amusing film that was based more on the television series of the same name than it was the hugely successful Madagascar films.  These box office missteps have led to big layoffs at the studio and a sharp decline in annual product.  Typically, DreamWorks had released two to three films a year, however, this year there is only one.

Long story short, DreamWorks needs a win.  It seems that they have found it with this year's release, Home, a genially amusing movie that just surprised a lot of people with a huge box office win this weekend.

Home begins with perhaps the most benign alien invasion in the history of film as an alien race named the Boov, lead by Captain Smeck (voiced by Steve Martin) kidnap all the humans and put them in brightly colored compounds in Australia.  Believing the humans to be a simple species, the Boov provide them with shelter, food, and easily accessible amusement parks.

Among the ant-like followers of the charismatic Captain is Oh (perfectly voiced by Jim Parsons).  Oh, is the only Boov that doesn't seem to belong.  He makes mistakes and is so enthusiastic about life in general that his fellow Boov find him horribly off-putting.  When he accidentally sends a party invite to the entire universe, alerting the enemies of the Boov to their location, he finds himself on the run, joining forces with a human teenage girl named Tip (Rihanna) who escaped the forced relocation of the humans, but wants to find her mother (a very under-utilized Jennifer Lopez).

Needless to say, high-jinks ensue, and really, that's the entire point of Home.  While it is a very entertaining movie, it never reaches the height of DreamWorks' best.  Plot becomes incidental and, occasionally noticeably hap-hazard, but that allows the movie to  become more of a character comedy, juxtaposing the sassy, sad/mad, Tip with the optomistic, accident-prone Oh.  Not to say this is an animated My Dinner With Andre, but the movie is at its best when it focuses on these characters.

Parsons is particularly fantastic as Oh.  The commercials make it look like it's just Parsons doing his Sheldon Cooper shtick from The Big Bang Theory.  In actuality, he adds a level of innocence and sincerity to the character that was surprising.  Rihanna does a fine job in emoting the troubled Tip, however, she was tremendously miscast considering the fact that no one is going to mistake the voice of a raspy-voiced 27 year-old woman for a 12 year-old girl.

The animation in Home is beautiful and extremely colorful, with the physicality of the Boov one of the highlights of the film.  The aliens are the human equivalent of mood rings, changing colors depending on their moods.  They also have the physical flexibility of a balloon, which makes them a delight to watch in action.

In terms of quality, Home falls dead center among the pantheon of DreamWorks animated films.  It fails to reach the high quality of the How to Train Your Dragon series, but it also is better than company missteps like Shark Tale and Bee Movie.  It's light, funny, colorful, and a perfectly cromulent way to spend some time with the family.

Grade: B

Goodbye 2014, Hello 2015: Year-End/Year-Beginning Blog

I have to be honest.  I have debated about doing a year-end blog so soon.  The fact of the matter is that I haven't seen most of the big Oscar-y movies that are released at the end of the year and often held in super-limited release until January.  It's usually around February that I finally catch up on all the "bests."

So, I've decided to do a "favorites" list, rather than a "best" list.  These films are wonderful films and would certainly be at home on any critic's top ten list for the year.  In fact, many of them have repeatedly appeared on these lists.  However, none of them will win the best picture Oscar.  These are not the movies that will be heralded in film art text books thirty years from now, but they are the movies that will be embraced by generations thirty years from now.  They are the films that will be remembered in the hearts of millions long after the more "legitimate" films have faded from memory.  Not because the "legitimate" films are unworthy, but because these films are aware that movies can be layered, passionate, excellent, AND fun and inspiring.  I'll probably do a "best" list after I've had a chance to see some titles that I'm itching to see, like The Theory of Everything, Selma, The Imitation Game, and Big Eyes, but for now, I present the list of the movies that I know I'll be watching over and over for years to come.  To be difficult, I'm doing a top 12 list.  My apologies to those of you with the compulsive need for round numbers.

12. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - Andy Serkis continues to show that the most important part of a motion capture performance is the performance.  Inhabiting Caesar, the leader of the intelligent apes, as a full-blooded character, Serkis manages to rise above the digital make-up to deliver one of the most mesmerizing feats of acting in any movie this year.  Plus, the script provides some of the most thrilling and shocking moments in the franchise history.

11. The Hundred-Food Journey - This is not a challenging movie, however it is a smart one.  Filled with warmth and nuanced performances, this movie is the equivalent of a big smile-inducing hug.  Just don't watch it when you're hungry.  The soft-filtered images of French and Indian cuisine guarantee an increase in appetite.

10. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies - The Hobbit movies are simply not as good as the Lord of the Rings films.  They suffer from over-stuffed plotting and glacial pacing, problems that are bound to happen when you decide to turn a single children's book (and, compared to LOTR, that's what The Hobbit is) into a 9 hour epic.  However, they are not the cinematic missteps that some have made them out to be.  Yes, they're poor adaptations, but they're pretty darn thrilling films and the finale does everything that it should have.  Wrapping plot points together in a massive battle and manages to recall elements of the Pelennor Fields battle in Return of the King, while still distinguishing itself with far different characters and motivations.

9.  Edge of Tomorrow - I so did not see this movie coming.  Even the commercials did little to raise my expectations.  However, this is a gem of sci-fi tale.  The easy explanation is "It's Groundhog Day with aliens", but that doesn't convey how rich, engaging, and simultaneously dark and funny this epic is.  A confusing title and a dwindling fan base for Tom Cruise may have kept you from seeing it in the theaters, but there's no real excuse.  It's one of the finest sci-fi films of the decade.

8. Interstellar - Yes, it's flawed.  However, it's beautiful, it's ambitious in a way that few other films dare, and it serves as an allegory to convey wonderful truths.

7. X-Men: Days of Future Past - As close to an "Avengers" film as the X-Men franchise is likely to get, DoFP hits all the heights that you would want from a great X-Men film, plus is has one of the best scenes of any movie of the year.  If you've seen it, you know exactly which scene I'm talking about.  If you haven't, well, let's just say you won't hear Jim Croce sing "Time in a Bottle" again without thinking of a certain kitchen in the Pentagon.

6. Big Hero 6 - Sure, Big Hero 6 gives the world one of the most instantly lovable characters of the year in Baymax, the health care providing robot, but even an infinitely lovable character can't completely save a weak movie (Scrat from the Ice Age movies proves that).  Therefore, how delightful is it that Big Hero 6 is bright, smart, and enthralling even when Baymax isn't on screen.  Further proof that the Disney animation slump is officially over.

5. The LEGO Movie - When I first heard about this movie, I let out a very disgruntled groan.  Seriously?  How could this possibly be a good idea.  Wow, was I wrong.  Not only is The LEGO Movie one of the flat-out funniest movies of the year, but it's nothing short of an all-out tribute to the joy of imagination and creation.  Many pundits see this as the front runner for the Best Animated Film Oscar, and while I don't think it's the best animated film of the year, it's certainly a more than worthy contender.

4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Since the summer of 2011, I have maintained that the brilliance of the Marvel Cinematic Universe isn't just in it's intertwining story lines, but the fact that none of these films are "just" superhero movies.  Each movie takes on different genres, not only distinguishing it from films featuring other characters, but distinguishing it from other films in its own franchise.  No film better illustrates this than Winter Soldier.  With the first Captain America firmly in WWII action mode, The Winter Soldier veers masterfully into the territory of a modern spy thriller.  That alone would be a nifty gimmick, but what raises the film above gimmick is its sharp writing, sincere performances, and truly fantastic direction.  So great was the direction from the Russo Brothers (previously best known for being creative forces on "Community" and "Arrested Development") that Marvel has handed them the keys to Avengers: Infinity War, the film that the MCU has been building towards ever since Thor first entered the Asgard vault.

3. Into the Woods - For the life of me, I can't see why this movie isn't getting more Oscar talk.  Sure, Meryl Streep will get her 1,243-ish nomination, and it'll be well represented in costumes, sound mixing, and production design, but this is such a deeply profound film.  The magic of Into the Woods, both the stage play and the film is it's ability to not only layer character upon character, but genre upon genre, and theme upon theme.  It's the type of movie that you think you have a full handle on when you see it the first time, but discover more and more upon each subsequent viewing.  Plus, Steven Sondheim is one of the great living artists of any art form and he was in top form with this, both when he wrote the stage version in the 80's and when he adapted it for film.  Yes, it's divisive, but it's also rich and inspiring.

2.  How to Train Your Dragon 2 - I stand by my original assertion that this is the best animated film since Toy Story 3.  Discontent to simply churn out a run of the mill sequel, the filmmakers have taken the elements of the first movie and expanded them in such a fluid and surprisingly emotional way that it feels less like a sequel and more like the second act in an epic story, a feat that it manages with far more success than The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug did.

1. Guardians of the Galaxy - Simply the most surprising movie of the year.  Yes, in hindsight its success seems to simply be part of the MCU juggernaut, but don't forget what a risk this movie was and how delightful it was to see it unfold on the big screen.  I can't remember feeling that level of discovery and wonder since, I don't know, maybe Jurassic Park.  I can't wait to see what the future holds for this disparate group of heroes.


3 Biggest Disappointments of the Year:

3. Annie - If you've ever thought, "Annie would be a good story if it had more swearing and traded out the memorable music for bland pop songs and if Miss Hannigan wasn't funny, but just whiny and annoying," I have a movie for you.

2. Heaven is for Real - I didn't see this sleeper hit until it was released on video.  I was looking forward to it because I would love to see a movie represent matters of faith in a realistic and inspiring way.  However, instead of that, we get a movie that tries to create tension by portraying most people of faith with the same level of anger and lack of love that one would expect from an anti-religious film.  The characters are trite and the performances are shallow, with the exception of young Connor Corum, who manages to be the sole bright spot in a film that should have been nothing but bright spots.

1. Noah - Ugh.  Just ugh.  Is there a filmmaker in Hollywood with a more over-inflated ego than Darren Aronofsky?  The word "pretentious" doesn't begin to cover it.  Yes, he's very talented, but so is George Lucas and they both need to demonstrate a little restraint.  As a fantasy film, it's barely watchable, but as a telling of the biblical story, it's a ludicrous mess.  Jennifer Connolly and Emma Watson are beyond fantastic in it though, but they really are the only people that remain unscathed from this monstrosity.


Finally, the ten movies I'm most looking forward to in 2015.  I'm going to attempt to contain my explanations as to why I'm excited for them to one or two words.  We'll see how that works....

10. Minions - Cute/Funny!
9. Spectre - Bond!
8. The Good Dinosaur - Pixar!
7. Ant-Man - Marvel+Rudd!
6. Untitled Steven Spielberg cold war thriller - Steven Spielberg!
5. Tomorrowland - Brad Bird!
4. Jurassic World - Trained Velociraptors!
3. Inside Out - Conceptual Pixar!
2. Avengers: Age of Ultron - Duh, Avengers!
1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Abrams!  Practical Effects!  Beach-Ball Droid!  Star Wars!  STAR WARS!

OK, there are my thoughts.  There are many like them, but these are mine.  Have a wonderful 2015!

Movie Review: Into the Woods

Into the Woods/Rated PG/Dir. by Rob Marshall/Walt Disney 

The concept of different fairy tale characters mixing together is not only unoriginal anymore, it's almost cliche.  Thanks to the Shrek's and the Once Upon a Time's of the world, we've seen so many variations of the fairy tale tropes that it's hard to remember where the real fairy tales end and the revisionist versions begin.  However, for all the skewering and mixing, these versions still fall into the same old platitudes that they claim to be dissecting.  For all it's bawdy humor, Shrek is still peddling the same message found in most every other children's entertainment:  "Be yourself!"  For all it's cross-story pollination, Once Upon a Time is still all about happy endings.

Well, long before either of these cultural touchstones, Stephen Sondheim threw several common fairy tales into a surprisingly tart melting pot called Into the Woods.  Unlike the newer fairy tale spoofs, Into the Woods brings the characters together to serve a greater purpose in theme and plot.  It took 27 years since it's Broadway debut, but the story has finally made it to the silver screen and, I'm happy to report, the movie version keeps the complexity, wit, and lightness/darkness of the seemingly unfilmable stage version.

The story centers around a childless Baker (James Corden) and his wife (Emily Blunt), a somewhat slow-witted boy named Jack (Daniel Huttlestone), a precocious little girl in a red hood (Lilla Crawford), a put upon young woman named Cinderella (Anna Kendrick) and a wicked witch (Meryl Streep).  Their stories intertwine throughout the first half of the film, with each so focused on their own happy ending that they fail to notice how their actions influence those with whom they interact.  However, the story turns dark when the cost of their endings become more apparent.

When it was first announced that Disney was moving forward with a film version, there were many worried that the adult themes of the stage musical would be "Disneyfied".  While there are some minor changes that were clearly made to make the movie more family friendly, the film version retains all of the depth and complexity that makes this one of the great artistic efforts of my lifetime.  In the end, Sondheim and the writer of the book for the play, James Lapine, (who both were responsible for the screenplay for the movie) have crafted a work that bridges many wonderful and meaningful themes....and one highly questionable one (I'm looking at you Baker's Wife).

The movie is zippy and cinematic without losing the intimacy of the stage version and it is filled with surprisingly fantastic performances.  When I initially heard which actors had been hired for the film version, I was worried.  Sure, Meryl Streep is an amazing actress, but I had never heard anything from her to indicate she could pull off one of the biggest show-stoppers of the last 30 years ("The Last Midnight").  The Cups song from Pitch Perfect is fun, but I had never heard anything to indicate that Anna Kendrick could handle the lighter than air melodies written for Cinderella.  I most certainly had never heard anything to indicate that Chris Pine (playing Cinderella's Prince Charming) could even sing, let alone pull of the pompous masterpiece that is "Agony".  My worries were incredibly off base.  Into the Woods may be the only Hollywood musical adaptation in recent memory without a single glaring weak link in the cast (*cough, cough* Russell Crowe...Pierce Brosnan...*cough, cough*).

The play has always been pretty divisive, with faithful superfans and those that find the 2nd act a total downer, and the movie will be no different.  There is a sharp change in tone that you'll either go with or hate.  However, if you focus on the messages and realize that the story has been a supremely and complexly constructed life-lesson delivery system, there is so much to glean from this glossy cinematic treat.  

As a fan of the original Broadway production (which can be purchased here), I can honestly say that this is as faithful and as enjoyable film version as could be expected from such a labyrinthine masterwork.  Long story short, I left the theater humming the tunes with a big smile on my face.  Into the Woods is one of the best film musicals of the last decade and one of my very favorite movies of the year.

Grade: A

Movie Review: Big Hero 6

Big Hero 6/Walt Disney Animation/Rated PG/Dir. by Don Hall and Chris Williams/108 min.

I have written before about Disney animation's identity crisis.  During the 90's, you knew exactly what you were getting in a Disney film:  A brightly animated musical with a song score destined for Oscar-gold and inclusion in every family's c.d. collection.  However, the computer animated success of Pixar and DreamWorks made Disney question itself and we got a series of films that reflected the desire to change.  Some were successful (the utterly delightful Lilo and Stitch), some were not (Home on the Range and Chicken Little anyone?).  Now that John Lasseter is in charge of Disney animation, there still isn't a clear definition of what a "Disney" animated film is, but this is actually a good thing.  There's no formula other than strong writing and beautiful visuals.  The studio hasn't released a less than great film in quite a while and their latest, Big Hero 6, continues their winning streak.  Sharp, hilarious, and introducing the most instantly lovable Disney character in over a decade, this is just what the doctor ordered, regardless of whether you're seeing it with kids.  Child or adult, this is a film to be thoroughly enjoyed.

Very loosely based on the Marvel comic of the same name, Big Hero 6 centers around Hiro (voiced by Ryan Potter), a brilliant 14-year old who is having a difficult time finding his place in the world.  His problems are only amplified after a disaster leaves him mourning his older brother and mentor.  However, when he accidentally activates his brother's invention, a huggable health-care robot named Baymax (delightfully voiced by 30 Rock's Scott Adsit), he is set on a path to stop a villain and solve the mystery of the circumstances surrounding his brother's death.

Of course, the movie is not called "Big Hero 2", so his brother's school friends are brought in to help him out, each with their own distinct personalities and quirks.  Once the titular team is assembled, they set out to stop a mysterious man who has stolen Hiro's revolutionary science project for an unknown purpose.

As I mentioned previously, Big Hero 6 gives us one of the most memorable characters ever in a Disney film in the form of Baymax.  With a warm and simple character design and a fantastic vocal performance by Adsit, Baymax is at the center of almost every hilarious joke and emotional hit.  Not since Stitch has Disney delivered a character so unique.  There will be many Baymax toys under Christmas trees this year (including, hopefully, mine.  wink, wink).

There's not much more to say other than Big Hero 6 is an utter joy from beginning to end, including the wonderful short called Feast that precedes it.  The stereotypical "Disney" film may be a thing of the past, but with a string of hits including Tangled, Wreck-It Ralph, Frozen, and now, Big Hero 6, who cares.

Grade: A

Movie Review: Insterstellar

Interstellar/Paramount, Warner Bros./Rated PG-13/169 min./Dir. by Christopher Nolan

Science fiction has long been a breeding ground for BIG IDEAS.  With a background canvas as vast as the universe itself, it is natural to be drawn to exploring concepts that span and unite the worlds of science, religion, psychology, and mathematics.  However, for me, this style of sci-fi has always piqued and provoked.  I love movies that ask questions that stimulate deep thought.  I always have.  However, I also love movies that acknowledge that humanity is, at it's core, a holistic species, longing to not merely think about ideas, but to feel a deeper connection with them.  This is why I find some of the grandest sci-fi films, for example 2001: A Space Odyssey, easier to admire than to love.

Much like Robert Zemeckis' Contact, the newly-released Interstellar tries to be both a high thinking and a highly emotional film.  I know some reviewers who thought it failed at the latter.  I am not one of them.  Interstellar is a mammoth motion picture that stays with the viewer long after the credits roll.  Much like Nolan's previous films, especially Inception, the plot is twisty, making it sort of a scientific mystery story that spans galaxies and time.  It is a masterclass in audacious film making.  It's a stunner.

In an undisclosed time in the future, mankind is on the brink of extinction.  Occupations that were once lauded (engineering, astrophysics, computer programming) are obsolete as the world is merely scraping to find food and protect themselves from toxic levels of dirt in the air.  Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), used to be a pilot for NASA, however he is now a widowed corn farmer trying to raise two head-strong children, a son, Tom, who enjoys the simple life of farming, and a daughter named Murphy, who follows in her father's mold, wanting to understand more of the universe beyond the atmosphere.  Her big ideas have started getting her in trouble at school (she starts a fight for saying that the Apollo moon landing was NOT faked, like the new history books say they were) and she is convinced there's a "ghost" in her room.  Cooper worries for her, but can't help but encourage her to be an independent thinker, even if it jeopardizes her place in the rational world, much to the chagrin of his father-in-law (John Lithgow).

A series of seemingly random events lead Cooper to the secret base that contains the remnants of NASA, where scientists, including Coops former mentor Professor Brand (Michael Caine) and the Professor's daughter (Anne Hathaway) are working to find a way to save the human race.  A wormhole near Saturn had been thought to be the answer, so a team of scientists had been sent through to find inhabitable worlds.  Unfortunately, only three of the ten scientists seem to have survived and have been sending messages through the wormhole indicating the three different worlds they found are hospitable to human life.  Now a new team needs to go through, find and rescue the scientists, and employ one of two plans to ensure the continuation of the species.  Brand wants Cooper to lead the team, but the distance and the problems associated with relativity mean that it could be a very long time before he sees his children again, a prospect that does not set well with Murphy.

While the movie delves into a lot of scientific concepts, much of it far beyond my college physics course so for all I know it could be utter poppycock, the two central concepts are gravity and love, and one of the greatest hat-tricks the movie pulls off is marrying a scientific law with an emotion in such a powerful way. 

Some have criticized the film's emotional elements, but those elements are at the core of the film's central conceit, that love itself is a quantifiable scientific fact.  That in studying this most powerful of emotions, it's reasonable to believe there are natural laws that could be applied to love and that it could be a pulling force just as powerful as gravity.  It is an inspiring and beautiful theory and one that elevates the film rather than detracting from it.  In fact, this one aspect of the movie sets it apart from Nolan's other efforts, which have been accused of being so mired in ideas that the emotional characterizations of the films feel like an after-thought.  With Interstellar, he makes emotion the centerpiece and the movie is all the better for it.

All of this techno-jargon and emotional grandstanding could have been intolerable with a lesser cast, but every performance is spot on.  At the center of it all is McConaghey, giving a weighty authenticity to every moment.  Of course, he's done this sort of thing before in the previously mentioned masterpiece Contact, but unlike his side character in that film, this movie rests on his performance, an it's Oscar-worthy through and through.  Plus, he's surrounded with actors who all turn in some of their best performances, one of the most notable being Mackenzie Fox, previously best known for being Bella and Edward's non-creepy version of their daughter in the last Twilight movie.  However, here there is such a great emotional and intellectual heft to her work.  It is truly one of the great child performances of my lifetime.

Visually, Interstellar is a must-see, especially on the big screen.  I didn't see it in an IMAX theater, but even on a regular old screen, it was spectacular.  For some time, CGI has made it more and more difficult for films to deliver things we've never seen before, but man does this movie deliver.  There are images and sequences that as nothing short of astonishing.

In addition, Interstellar represents one of the best efforts in composer Hans Zimmer's formidable career.  Subtle when it needs to be and downright Strauss-ian in its bigger moments, it's nothing short of fantastic.

With all that having been said, Interstellar isn't perfect.  At 169 minutes, it's at least 20 minutes too long, a problem not unfamiliar to Nolan's oeuvre, however in this case there are many elements that could have been excised.  There is a character that arrives later in the film that feels unnecessary, all the more so because it's played by an A-list celebrity who has been intentionally left out of the film's publicity.  His arrival is a bit distracting and his character is the only one to come off as shallowly written.

These are minor complaints though.  Interstellar is an amazing film and one of the best of the year.  If you're in the mood for a movie that's a feast for the eyes, mind, and heart, it's a very easy recommendation.

Grade: A

A Labor Day Weekend Guide to Summer Movies

I decided that I would post my summer wrap-up before Labor Day, just in case any of my readers were wondering what they should check out at the multiplex during the last weekend of the season.  While it was quite a disappointing summer for box-office, with only really one straight up blockbuster phenomenon (Guardians of the Galaxy), it was actually a pretty great season for film quality.  There were a handful of terrifically entertaining popcorn movies, Indie movies that ran the gamut from provoking to warm and homey, and everything in between with plenty of options for all tastes.

Which is why it’s hard to figure out why so many movies under-performed.  It could be that with so many “must-see” movies coming earlier in the year (the continued reign of Frozen, The Lego Movie, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier) that people were just movied out.  It could have been that the general populace was more in the mood to play in the heat of the summer than wait it out in an air-conditioned theater.  However, whatever the reason, far fewer people went to the theaters this summer, so if you were among the millions that avoided your local multiplex, let me fill you in on what you missed and what you might want to seek out on this final weekend of the summer movie season.

Instead of giving you a “best of” list, I’m going to share wish you some groups of movies to consider as you decide whether to spend some of your Labor Day weekend in an air-conditioned theater.

First the must-see movies:  Guardians of the Galaxy (exciting, hilarious, and surprisingly heartfelt), How to Train Your Dragon 2 (in my opinion, the best animated film in four years), X-Men: Days of Future Past (if X-Men were the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this would be their Avengers), Edge of Tomorrow (one of Tom Cruise’s best movies and an excellent example of intelligent sci-fi), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (if it didn’t involve apes, this would be recognized as one of the great modern war films).

If you’ve seen these, move to the following:  Belle (currently on DVD, if Jane Austen were to write a civil rights story, it would look just like this.  Not wholly accurate historically, but a beautifully written and acted film), The Hundred-Foot Journey (light and charming entertainment for grown-ups), Get On Up (if you’re a fan of modern music biopics, this is an easy recommendation with another star making performance from 42’s Chadwick Boseman, this time as musical legend James Brown),  The Fault in Our Stars (a thoughtful story that gives teenagers credit for being able to care about more than sparkly vampires), Million Dollar Arm (a sports film that isn’t among the best, but still provides the high points you’d hope for), Maleficent (easily the best of the Disney revisionist fairy-tales, which isn’t saying much, but it has a stellar central performance from Angelina Jolie), Godzilla (It’s the best Godzilla movie, but it is still unquestionably a movie about a giant monster stepping on buildings).

There are movies that were positively reviewed that I didn’t see.  This list includes: Magic in the Moonlight, Neighbors, Chef,  22 Jump Street, and the universally acclaimed Boyhood.

So, for this weekend, my hard and fast recommendations are Guardians of the Galaxy and/or How to Train Your Dragon 2.  Both are thrilling, beautiful, funny, entertaining, and heartfelt movies.  In other words, they’re pretty much perfect summer films.