Beasts of no Nation Review (2015)

Beasts of no Nation

  Better late than never, right? Today I review Beasts of No Nation which I actually saw several weeks ago. As usual, I'll talk about my expectations going in. I knew this movie was set in Africa, that it starred Idris Elba, and that it had something to do with wars against tribes. Boy, was there a lot more to it than that.

  One name: Abraham Attah. This kid needs to be put in several movies after this. Debuting in his first feature film, this actor absolutely blew me away. There was never a single second where I doubted that he was this character and, in my opinion, he even out shined Idris Elba. Everyone in this film did brilliant.

  What I really loved about this film is the way it really brings out the humanity of people from Third World countries who are considered barbaric or uncivilized in our Western eyes. 

  The story is incredibly gruesome, violent, and hard to watch most of the time. Never does it define any of the character's morally, but it instead treats them as real complex humans. 

  At times, Beats of no Nation feels very long-winded, which isn't surprising considering it took the screenwriter so long to perfect. Condensing the film would've given it an even bigger impact. 

  From a regular child, to a captive, to a killer, we are taken along with our main character on a introspective, emotional journey for those with the stomach to handle it. 7 out of 10 stars (Very Good)

Room Review (2015)

Room

  Now that I've finally stopped crying, I can write this review. 

  Room stars Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay. It is the story of a woman held captive in a shed for over seven years with her son Jack, their escape, and how they learn to rediscover the outside world. 

  I didn't know too much about the film before watching, except that it had loads of Oscar buzz and that it was going to make me cry. After seeing it, I can understand why it had been hyped so much. And yes I did cry. Several times.

  Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay are both incredible in this movie. They break your heart with their subtle, but powerful performances. I've said it before, but I'll say it again, rarely do young actors impress me. Tremblay, however, managed to really nail all of his emotional scenes without overacting. I foresee big things for this kid.

  Room is a relentlessly heavy film, not for your casual Saturday night lounge. It makes you see the world through the eyes of an innocent child in a vigorously dark circumstance, yet embraces a strong theme of hope. 

  It's hard hitting, but completely worth the watch. 10 out of 10 stars. (A Must See!)

The Finest Hours Review (2016)

The Finest Hours

  This true story of a rescue mission at sea, takes place in 1952. A storm splits the SS Pendleton in two, trapping 30 sailors in the stern of the boat. Now Chris Pine must now go out into the storm and rescue them. Sounds exciting, huh? Well, it's not. 

  We are introduced to the main characters, Bernie Webber and his soon to be wife Miriam. From the beginning I never really cared about the characters, and if anything I found Miriam (played by Holliday Grainger) quite irritating. It's not that the acting is bad, it's that all of the characters are one-dimensional. This means, that when they're sent out on their dangerous mission, I could care less who makes it back. 

  It is a big problem for a movie like this to have flat characters, because it takes all of the tension out of the story. 

  In the end, the movie is safe, by the numbers, and ultimately lifeless. I wanted to like it, but instead I left the theater unmoved by anything but the cool CGI. 3 out of 10 stars. (Not Very Good)