Inferno

Mystery films are a usual staple genre that Hollywood has graced us with for a long time now. We have seen a plethora of them, and every time they are viewed, the audience becomes more intrigued with them than ever. "Inferno" is actually the third installment of the Robert Langdon series based on Dan Brown's novels--the other two being "The Da Vinci Code" '06 and "Angels & Demons" '09. Again, being mysteries themselves, audiences have become enamored with these.

 

This story finds the famous symbologist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) on a trail of clues tied to the great Dante himself. When Langdon wakes up in an Italian hospital with amnesia, he inadvertently teams up with Dr. Sienna Brooks (Felicity Jones), a doctor he hopes will help him recover his memories. Together, they race across Europe and against the clock to stop a madman, Bertrand Zobrist (Ben Foster) from unleashing a global virus that could wipe out half of the world's population. When Langdon finally finds a copy of the drawing of Dante's Inferno, he comes to realize that this global virus is linked to the ideals of Dante's view of hell. Can Langdon, Brooks and others including Elizabeth Sinskey (Sidse Babett Knudsen) and others have the time to stop this unfathomable genocide from happening?

 

Others to round out the cast are Omar Sy as Christoph Bouchard, Irrfan Khan as Harry Sims, Ana Ularu as Vayentha, Ida Darvish as Marta Alvarez and Poalo Antonio Simioni as Dr. Marconi.

 

This was directed by the incomparable Ron Howard ("Grand Theft Auto" '77, "Night Shift" '82, "Gung Ho" '86, "Parenthood" '89, "Apollo 13" '95, "A Beautiful Mind" '01, "Frost/Nixon" '08, "Rush" '13, "In the Heart of the Sea" '15) plus many others and TV. You know the film will be a well crafted film when it teams, once again, Howard and Hanks--which many have been teamed by them. They obviously work well together so the outcome typically is of high caliber. Howard has directed all the Robert Langdon series plus "Apollo 13",and "Splash", which stars Hanks. Similar cases are with director, Martin Scorsese working in several films with both Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio and director, Tim Burton working in several films with Johnny Depp. It makes it so easy when director and actor can work together well and produce a great film all the while entertaining us and making a ton of money. It is truly the best of all worlds. It was effectively written by David Koepp ("Death Becomes Her" '92, "Jurassic Park" '93, "The Paper" '94, "Stir of Echoes" '99, "Panic Room" '02, "War of the Worlds" '05, "Angels & Demons" '09, "Premium Rush" '12, "Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit" '14) plus many others. As with Howard's directing, Koepp certainly is a seasoned, established screenwriter-- his resume reveals this. Although this and "Angels & Demons" were far better written by Koepp as opposed to "The Da Vinci Code" being written by another writer, this still had some flaws. It started out very exciting with Langdon waking up in a strange place only to end up being chased. Then as the film reached the mid point, it started to meander a bit and got bogged down in some slow places in script. As it was frustrating me, it, all of a sudden, picked up and became the film I believe the audience was actually looking for. For Koepp-- a bad day at the laptop? Not sure, but this writer can be a hit and miss type of writer. Of course every writer has his or her bad or mediocre work, so to call this a total wash? Absolutely not, although it's not a great film either. Both Hanks and Jones were effective in their roles, but even they couldn't save this from being the film we were hoping it would be.

 

As I've stated above, a bad film? No, but not a great one either. The beginning and end of the storyline was probably the best this screenplay had to offer. It was solid in places but certainly needed to be a bit tighter in its conveyance to its audience. You be the judge.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 2.5                                Rated: PG-13                                 121mins.

 

Desierto

With all that is going on politically today, specifically surrounding the U.S.-Mexican border immigration issues, it's no wonder that a film like "Desierto" was created. There is so much great fodder in which to write upon, that the storylines that could be created, is limitless. What interests me is why is there not much news indicating that many people are going to see this film, if for no other reason than out of morbid curiosity considering how much we all have been exposed so much about the immigration problems?

A hopeful journey to seek a better life becomes a harrowing fight for survival when a deranged, malicious rifle-toting vigilante, Sam (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) chases a group of unarmed men and women Mexican illegal immigrants through the U.S.- Mexican border to kill for fun. In the harsh, unforgiving desert terrain, the odds are stacked firmly against them as they continuously discover there's nowhere to hide from the unrelenting, merciless killer. The group's leader, Moises (Gael Garcia Bernal) attempts to formulate a plan to escape his wrath and turn the tables, but as he experiences the difficulty in that, especially suffering the intense heat, his perseverance and determination keeps him trudging on.

Others to round out the cast are Alondra Hidalgo as Adela, Diego Catano as Mechas, Marco Perez as Lobo, Oscar Flores as Ramiro and David Lorenzo as Ulises.

This was suspenseful and gritty which is what the director Jonas Cuaron ("Year of the Nail" '07) plus shorts, is known for. He really gets himself into the character's head so as to relate the right emotion to his actors. This filmmaker is relatively new, but I feel he is a filmmaker to contend with. It was written very well by Cuaron ("Year of the Nail" '07, "Gravity" '13) and Mateo Garcia ("Domingo" (short) '13). What truly makes this an interesting psyche study is the character of Sam. While we're faced with this angry, malicious vigilante on one hand, we also see the side of him of compassion he has for his dog, Tracker. It's a perplexing dynamic. Certainly the Moises role is fairly transparent, however, his evolution of going from one of the group to having to strategize his every move, not only for himself, but for others, was compelling for sure. Again, these writers, specifically Cuaron is some one who will be writing more screenplays as time goes on.

If the suspense doesn't grab you in this film, the lesson learned will. Lesson? Just because a people come to this country thinking it is going to be better, do not assume that. Our world, a lot of times, is not where you are, but rather is what you make of the situation at hand, and the people you're around.

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                Rated: PG-13                                   94mins.

Boo! A Madea Halloween

In this day and age, there are a plethora of different comedies-- pratfall, powder dry, and Madea comedies. For the better part of the last 15 years, we have been laughing at the hijinks Madea pulls in these comedies and out of them all we come away smiling and learning a lesson about life that only Madea can dole out to us, the audience. So, when "Boo! A Madea Halloween" came along, I simply had to get my Madea 'fix' so as to escape into something funny and lighthearted.

 

Tyler Perry returns as Madea to set the neighborhood straight on Halloween night. While trying to keep an eye on a few misbehaving teens including her niece,Tiffany (Diamond White) and Aday (Liz Koshy) who are planning to go to a wild Halloween night party, Madea and friends, Aunt Bam (Cassi Davis) and Hattie (Patrice Lovely) are spooked by ghosts, killers, paranormal poltergeists, zombies and frightening spirits. Giving them all a piece of her mind and fists, Madea must maintain order and sanity as she spends this hilarious, haunted Halloween night fighting off goons and goblins.

 

Others to round out the cast are Bella Thorne as Rain, Yousef Erakat as Jonathan, Lexy Panterra as Leah, Andre Hall as Quinton, Brock O'Hurn as Horse, Kian Lawley as Bean Boy, J.C. Caylen as Mikey and Jimmy Tatro as Sean.

 

This was directed with the same flair as with the other comedies by Tyler Perry ("Diary of a Mad Black Woman" '02, "Madea's Family Reunion" '06, "Meet the Browns" '08, "Madea Goes to Jail" '09, Madea's Big Happy Family" '11, "Good Deeds" '12, "A Madea Christmas" '13, "The Single Moms Club" '14) plus others and TV. This filmmaker certainly brings wit, humor, and a definite character to the actors he's leading, especially Madea. But since he plays Madea, Joe and Brian, it's no wonder they come across as real. Perry also wrote this as he has with his other films he's directed. While most of his films have been written with aplomb, especially his Madea films, this installment was certainly not at his caliber of writing. It definitely had his usual one-liners and zingers as he's known for, but it just didn't have the sharpness and banter that was as delineated as with his past films. There were places where Madea just didn't seem like she was 'in control' as she usually is. There also were a few places of choppiness that was a bit disturbing. But it wasn't a wash: Madea still reigns, because she is someone who says and does what all of us would like to say and do toward others, but don't have the guts to follow through with.

 

This is certainly funny and, as with the others, has a very good lesson in which to learn from which is why this isn't a total comedy-- it has drama in it as well. So when you come to the multiplex, sit back and laugh, because Madea's here to touch your funny bone once again.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 2.5                                   Rated: PG-13                                  103mins.

 

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back

Military/espionage films are something we all have seen time and again, especially in these tumultuous years when global security is at risk whether it is coming from other countries or from our own. The trust factor is more tenuous today than ever before, which makes a film like "Jack Reacher: Never Go Back" an even more popular fare for today's audience. The original film aptly titled, "Jack Reacher" was so popular, it spawned a sequel. But who can resist a film about a strong individual fighting--quite literally, wrongs to make right?

 

In this installment of the original film, Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise) works to exonerate Maj. Susan Turner (Cobie Smulders) after she is accused of treason. Subsequently, Reacher is charged with murder for killing those that are attempting to terminate Turner because of political reasons. So the two end up on the lamb, and their quest leads them to conspiracy involving the murder of soldiers by their own soldiers. As they dig deeper in the situation, they only end up removing more and more layers like a onion with so many people involved which causes a huge cover up that mushrooms to the point that both Reacher and Turner find it expressly difficult to believe or trust anyone that comes their way.

 

Others to round out the cast are Aldis Hodge as Espin, Danika Yarosh as Samantha, Patrick Heusinger as The Hunter, Holt McCallany as Col. Morgan, Robert Catrini Col. Moorcroft, Maralyn Horcher as Sgt. Leach, Jason Douglas as Sheriff and Judd Lormand as Local Deputy.

 

This was intensely directed by veteran Edward Zwick ("Glory" '89, "Legends of the Fall" '94, "Courage Under Fire" '96, "The Siege" '98, "The Last Samurai" '03, "Blood Diamond" '06, "Defiance" '08, "Love & Other Drugs" '10, "Pawn Sacrifice" '14) plus others and TV. I believe  what makes this character, Reacher so popular with audiences today is that he doesn't go by the rules as much as he does what he does to right wrongs. If that means he's not necessarily PC about it, he doesn't care, and this rings so true with people since we live in such an incredibly PC world where it is suffocating individuals, and this is clearly the product of effective directing which Zwick succeeded in spades. It was effectively written by Richard Wenk, Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz. These are seasoned writers as the script can purport, and with that, this storyline flowed well. Of course, there were a couple of places of disunity and just a bit of slow in places, but al in all, this script rocked! Cruise was born to play the role of Reacher, as his steely character where he has played in other films simply rang true and played out well.

 

This is great escape fare that is total action fluff and one where, in this day and age of going through tough times as people do, people need this kind of escapism to, not only get them through the day, but also to get through life in general. Grab the popcorn and enjoy!

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                    Rated: PG-13                                   118mins.

 

The Birth of a Nation

Films about the evils of slavery always give me a sense of humbleness and a disgust for a society that was severely bent back in those days. Every time I see one of these films, I almost feel a sense of guilt for being a white man, which is where the humbleness comes into play. Recently, we've seen certain films that address this topic: "12 Years a Slave" '13, "The Butler" '13, "Selma" '14 and others. So when "The Birth of a Nation" came my way, I simply had to visit my nearest multiplex to catch, what I've concluded, this gem.

This historical drama recounts a real-life slave revolt that occurred in 1831 South Hampton, Virginia, led by a black preacher and slave Nat Turner (Nate Parker). Turner is ordered by his master, Samuel (Armie Hammer) to tour a number of plantations, delivering sermons to the other slaves that will urge them against violence and especially any thoughts of rebellion. This idea was pressed upon Samuel by the area's Reverend Zalthall (Mark Boone Jr.) which, of course, supported the white plantation owners. However, Nat is so appalled and sickened by the horrors he sees during his travels that he is eventually moved to fight back against the evils of slavery. This depiction of Turner's life also included his courtship and subsequent marriage to Cherry (Aja Naomi King), a slave woman.

Others to round out the cast are Penelope Ann Miller as Elizabeth Turner, Samuel's sister, Jackie Earle Haley as Raymond Cobb, a slave owner, Colman Domingo as Hark, Esther Scott as Bridget, an older slave woman, Roger Guenveur Smith as Isaiah, Dwight Henry as Isaac Turner, a slave, Aunjanue Ellis as Nancy, Gabrielle Union as Esther, Tony Espinosa as Young Nat Turner, Jayson Warner Smith as Earl Fowler and Jason Stuart as Joseph Randall.

Considering this was his first feature film in the director's chair, Nate Parker (2 shorts) is undoubtedly a natural in this field. The intensity, pathos, fear, and the deprecation these slaves were experiencing was caught on screen in an incredible way that one would think they were living a history book, and this has everything to do with the directing. This actor that is now a director will receive a ton of work is the not-so-distant future. This was also written by Parker (shorts), based on a story by Parker and Jean McGianni Celestin. Again, this being this writer's first feature film to pen this screenplay, he is a natural. There is only a couple of very small areas of slowness, but certainly not enough to detract from this incredible story. This apparently is a remake of the 1915 version of the same name, however there isn't a direct connection between the two--they are definitely their own films. Let me explain: whereas the original was basically about two families (one from the South and the other from the North), and surrounded around the Civil War with each family on opposite sides, but retained friendships through the war, this new version was about the uprising by Nat Turner out of total frustration of how these slaves were horrifically treated. Another difference was that in the original, because of the South losing the war, out sprang the starting of the Ku Klux Klan and this was based on a novel which was based on a fictional story, whereas this new version was based on a true story of a real person (Turner) and, obviously a real situation. Parker's ability to write a meaty screenplay is amazing whether this is his first feature film or his fiftieth, and with that, could easily garner a number of Oscar nods come that time.

This is a film that will undoubtedly be studied in film schools due to the incredible realism entailed in this storyline. The fact that this film won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival speaks volumes of its quality. This isn't a film that will entertain or give you that warm and fuzzy feeling as much as to inform, teach and put us in a humble situation where, when seeing this, let's us realize how fortunate we really are.

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                   Rated: R                                   120mins.

The Accountant

Films about quirky, fidgety, problematic people are great fodder for a meaty storyline which is why Hollywood has concentrated so much to convey these characters to the screen. No matter whether the film is based on an actual person or fictional, people are intrigued which this concept which is why "The Accountant" is in the offing.

Being a high-functioning autistic, Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) is a math savant with more affinity with numbers than people. Behind the cover up a small town CPA office, he works as a freelance accountant for some of the world's most dangerous criminal organizations. With the Treasury Department's Crime Enforcement Division headed up by Ray King (J.K. Simmons) and his associate, Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) starting to close in, Christian takes on a legitimate client: a state-of-the-art robotics company headed up by Lamar Black (John Lithgow) where an accounting clerk, Dana Cummings (Anna Kendrick) has discovered a discrepancy involving millions of dollars. But as Christian uncooks the books and gets closer to the truth, it is the body count that starts to rise.

Others to round out the cast are Jon Bernthal as Brax, Jeffrey Tambor as Francis Silverberg, Jean Smart as Rita Blackburn, Andy Umberger as Ed Chilton, Alison Wright as Justine, Jason Davis as Neurologist, Robert C. Treveiler as Young Chris's Father, Mary Kraft as Young Chris's Mother and Jake Presley as Little Brother.

This was directed with an eeriness within its characters by Gavin O'Connor ("Comfortably Numb" '95, "Tumbleweeds" '99, "Miracle" '04, "Pride and Glory" '08, "Warrior" '11, "Jane Got a Gun" '16) plus TV and TV movies. I say eerie because the character of Christian, although is autistic, still comes across as someone with severe OCD issues which is conveyed to its audience in a way that comes across as a problematic individual, but in which he has no control over his condition. It was sharply written by Jim Dubuque ("The Judge" '14, "The Headhunter's Calling" '16) plus TV. As O'Connor was aptly able to convey the actions of how Christian was able to live and conduct his life, Dubuque was able to write a screenplay depicting these strange and somewhat eerie characteristics that was played out in the storyline. This writer in not a seasoned writer, hence his resume, however he definitely has written interesting work as has potential of becoming a great writer. This had a few slow areas in script and as the script evolved, there were a couple of small areas of lack of continuity. But even with this to take in, it was still an intriguing storyline which has a couple of surprises along the way. This screenwriter is definitely someone to contend with as he builds his body of work.

Affleck definitely gives a stunning performance of this autistic savant in the most interestingly of ways. This is not the same type of character as in "Rain Man". These two films are like 'apples and oranges'. So not only will you be entertained by the suspense of the film, but also of the character study of this very complex, disturbed, autistic man as well, with a vengeance of completing his job to the utmost degree.

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                 Rated: R                                  128mins.

The Girl on the Train

Intense films about murder involving love, revenge, blackmail and lust are always great fodder for an intensely written screenplay. Look at 2014's "Gone Girl" written by Gillian Flynn, and you'll be able to see that "The Girl on the Train" certainly has a similar flavor. I believe what makes these types of films so increasingly addictive to audiences is the voyeuristic approach in which these are conveyed and the ultimate revenge that occurs after an intense situation eventually goes awry and all hell breaks loose.

This is the story of Rachel Watson's life, post-divorce. Every day, Rachel (Emily Blunt) takes the train in to work in New York, and every day the train passes by her old house, the house she lived in with her husband, Tom (Justin Theroux) who still lives there with his new wife, Anna (Rebecca Ferguson) and child. As she attempts to not focus on her pain, she starts watching a couple who live a few houses down-- Megan (Haley Bennett) and Scott Hipwell (Luke Evans). She creates a wonderful dream life for them in her head, about how they are a perfect happy family. And then one day, as the train passes, she sees something shocking, filling her with rage. The next day, she wakes up with a horrible hangover, various wounds and bruises, and no memory of the night before. She has only a feeling: something bad happened. Then come the TV reports: Megan Hipwell is missing. Through being interrogated by Detective Riley (Allison Janney), Rachel becomes invested in the case and trying to find out what happened to Megan, where she is, and what exactly she herself was up to that same night Megan went missing.

Others to round the cast are Edgar Ramirez as Dr. Kamal Abdic, Laura Prepon as Cathy, friend of Rachel's, Lisa Kudrow as Martha and Darren Goldstein as Man in the Suit.

This was grittily directed by Tate Taylor ("Pretty Ugly People" '08, "The Help" '11, "Get on Up" '14) plus TV and a short. Certainly where this filmmaker lacks in experience, he more than makes up for in quality. By his very resume, his expertise as a director has been delineated carefully in everything he's helmed. He is able to capture a certain character that his actors will portray in a believable, tangible way so as to convey to his audience the richness of the individual characters. It was tightly written by Erin Cressida Wilson based on the novel by Paula Hawkins. As stated in the preface of this, even though this script has a similar flavor of the film, "Gone Girl", the premise was certainly different and the outcome as equally diverse. What is interesting is, like with so many other screenwriters in this biz, they typically cast and writes psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors, and the like as ineffective, predatory 'professionals' with, somehow, another agenda given their particular character, which certainly sends a message that these people are not legitimate. It's a sad commentary in our society when this alludes a common element. Otherwise, with the exception of a couple of small choppy areas of storyline, this script was cohesive, tight all the while keeping you on the edge of your proverbial seat.

Was this film shocking? Probably not. Surprising? This is certainly a more descript adjective. Intensity, fraught with creepy overtones is more to the point, and if the storyline doesn't grab you, Blunt's character as Rachel will in spades.

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                 Rated: R                                111mins.

Deepwater Horizon

As we've embarked on the film 'dead season', we have gotten to a week that certainly has promise--"Miss Peregrine's School for Peculiar Children" and now in the offing we have "Deepwater Horizon", both in the same week. Docudramas, or films based on a true story are really getting to be chic these days what with "Sully", "Lone Survivor", "Snowden", even with "Patriots Day" releasing in 1-2017. They certainly have a lot to say, and this film is no exception.

This docudrama is about the Deepwater Horizon disaster, the April 20, 2010 oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico 41 miles off the coast of Louisiana that resulted in the largest offshore oil spill (210 million gallons) in U.S. history. The film depicts the intense challenges that Mike Williams (Mark Wahlberg) and the rest of the crew including Jimmy Harrell (Kurt Russell) Andrea Fleytas (Gina Rodriguez), Vidrine (John Malkovich), Caleb Holloway (Dylan O'Brien), Jason Anderson (Ethan Suplee) and others faced as they fought for survival. Being the mammoth size the rig was, many of the crew had no idea there was even a problem. It was only after a series of leakages and explosions that it became crystal clear that this was a mayday situation.

This was intensely and grittily directed by Peter Berg ("Very Bad Things" '98, "The Rundown" '03, "Friday Night Lights" '04, "The Kingdom" '07, "Hancock" '08, "Virtuality" (TV movie) '09, "Battleship" '12, "Bloodline" (TV movie) '13, "Lone Survivor" '13) plus TV. This filmmaker, being an actor himself, knows how to get his actors to do what they do, especially in difficult situations. If you like his directing and you're a Wahlberg fan, "Patriots Day" with Wahlberg and directed by Berg is in post production now, and is looking at a January 2017 release. It was as intensely written by Matthew Michael Carnahan and Matthew Sand based on a screen story by Sand which is based on an article by David Rohde and Stephanie Saul. Even though Carnahan has the brunt of the writing experience, the screen story was based on Sand's idea which he came up with from the article it was based. It was a slickly, taught, cohesive screenplay without getting into all the politics that this incident brought out. This is not why this was made. It was to bring out the different heroes that survived this debacle and, in the process, saved many others. Wahlberg and Malkovich gave stunning performances as the characters they portrayed. And last but certainly not least, the visual effects predominantly created by ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic) were absolutely seamless, not to mention the sound effects predominantly designed by Wylie Stateman were equally amazing. These left my mouth drop more than once.

Look, if you have any plans on seeing this film, make sure you watch it on the large screen-- I even saw it in its IMAX format which gave you feeling that you were right there on the oil rig. Lesson learned? We must believe that we are not in charge of nature and if we do not respect nature, it will come back and bite you in the ass.

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                       Rated: PG-13                                    107mins.