Hello MFR Fans!
Just screened (theatrically) the following flix:
THE NIGHT BEFORE (3.5/5-stars): Amusing stoner-holiday comedy is cliched and reminiscent of that other stoner-holiday flick A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (2011). Still, buoyed by leads Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Anthony Mackie–along with a game Michael Shannon and some funny cameos by the usual suspects–this Christmas Eve gives the gift of chuckles all the way.
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THE 33 (3.5/5-stars): Based on the incredible true-life near-tragedy of the Chilean miners who were trapped underground for 69 harrowing days. Strong performances (especially by Antonio Banderas, Rodrigo Santoro, Gabriel Byrne, Lou Diamond Phillips and Juliette Binoche) and straight-forward storytelling by the filmmakers give this claustrophobic tale some air to breathe. The only downside? An artificiality in casting that reeks of Studio-era Hollywood. But still, a rousing movie that earns its cheers.
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CREED (4/5-stars): Honoring all of the Rocky Balboa movies that came before, this telling (written & directed by Ryan Cooler of Fruitvale Station fame) takes a new perspective in the Rocky Balboa mythos. Of course, having Sly Stallone himself co-star (and produce) keeps this one real. Main actor Michael B. Jordan carries the movie with naturalistic confidence while the lovely Tessa Thompson is a breath of fresh air. All that was needed was a more charismatic opponent for the big fight–like Mr. T’s Clubber Lang!
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SPOTLIGHT (4/5-stars): Based on the 2001 Catholic Priest Molestation scandals that rocked Boston (and the world)–and bought to light by The Boston Globe journalists who pursued the scoop, the latest by Oscar®-winning filmmaker Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech), the movie is stately, well-acted (the entire cast rocks!) and rather austere. The downsides are stagey-compositions and a somewhat drab digital cinematography schema by the skilled Masanobu Takayanagi (Out Of The Furnace, State Of Play) keep this one out of the pantheon of elite journalistic films. Update: Winner, Best Picture of 2015.
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THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2 (3.5/5-stars): After 3 books and 3 movies, the last chapter in Suzanne Collins’ megahit tales of the future comes to an end in what should have been a rousing fashion. Handsomely -produced, with a cast that we have grown to love, the technical aspects, led by returning director Francis Lawrence, are top-notch. What suffers here is an underwhelming sense in its denoument.
Youssef
MoonStar Film Reviews 