BLACKHAT (2015)

Genre: Thriller

Running Length: 2:15

Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Viola Davis, Tang Wei, Wang Leehom, Holt McCallany

Director: Michael Mann

Screenplay: Morgan Davis Foehl

I have been struggling to review BLACKHAT. I really wanted to like this movie because it features some Asian stars and it would be a good cross over opportunity for them to break into Hollywood. But the script is so dated (like something out of the 80s) it's actually embarrassing and to a certain extent, offensive to women. It seems that the main actress' (Tang Wei) existence in this film was just an excuse for Chris Hemsworth to remove his clothes. Come to think of it, Hemsworth does that in almost all his movies. Anyway, the premise of hacking and cybercrime is very real especially with the recent Sony hacking, but somehow this movie failed to capture the danger of it. Maybe it will never be fully conceptualized on the big screen because in actuality, there is nothing cinematic about cybercriminals punching away at a keyboard. And taking the viewers through the wires and cables ala CSI style does not count, that's just...lame. As this is a Michael Mann production, expect all his usual stylistic signatures to be present; mix of low grade hand-held sequences, lots of neon green and realistic shoutouts. The plot is pretty straight forward where 3/4 through, things become personal and suddenly our hulking Hemsworth's character just happen to know how to shoot a handgun and a natural at close-combat (The Raid style) with a screwdriver (oh, he's also a brilliant hacker, good looking and has incredible abs). That said, despite being overlong, Blackhat is generally engaging and Tang Wei does a good job in delivering her English dialogue. 

Rating: 4.5/10

A MOST VIOLENT YEAR (2015)

 
Genre: Drama/Thriller
Running Length: 2:05

Cast: Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, David Oyelowo, Albert Brooks, Elyes Gabel

Director: J.C. Chandor

Screenplay: J.C. Chandor

Although it moves a little too slow at times to my liking, A MOST VIOLENT YEAR is still an absorbing adult crime drama set in turbulent 1981, New York. Those expecting shootouts and car chase scenes will be sorely disappointed as there is so very little of it. But the movie surely knows how to lay on the tension, for the writer director J.C. Chandor is an expert in setting up the scenes where almost every frame is soaked in real danger (just like what he did in the underrated Margin Call). The pressure that our protagonist faced from everyone that surrounds him feels grounded and real. Oscar Isaac's performance here is compelling as he tries his level best to go against the grain to ethically build a fuel based business and being the man of the family, while everyone around him including his hardened wife (Jessica Chaistain) is doubting his leadership. Elyes Gabel turns out a phenomenal performance as a young driver who looks up to Oscar Isaac's character as a model to the American Dream. And I must say the art direction of this film is first rate too. Although it didn't moved me emotionally, A Most Violent Year is a smartly written and executed film with a strong focus on character and storytelling. (Trivia: Jessica Chastain, David Oyelowo and Elyes Gabel starred in Interstellar)

Rating: 7.5/10

INTO THE WOODS (2015)

Genre: Musical 

Running Length: 2:05

Cast: Meryl Streep, Anna Kendrick, Emily Blunt, Chris Pine, Johnny Depp, James Corden, Lilla Crawford, Mackenzie Mauzy, Daniel Huttlestone

Director: Rob Marshall

Screenplay: James Lapine, based on the musical by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine 

"Was that me? Yes it was. Was that him? No it wasn't. Just a trick of the woods!" sings The Baker's wife from INTO THE WOODS. 

The "woods", however, is not devious. In fact, it's neither good nor bad - it is directly influenced by those that are in it. The "woods" can also represent a reflection of sorts for those in it - it brings either the best or the worst out of a person. The movie starts out as a straight forward fairy tale movie but along the way, the smart screenplay reveals the brokenness of its characters and the "grey" world they are living in. Although positioned as a Disney musical featuring a mash up of popular fairy tale characters (from the tales of The Brothers Grimm's), the premise is actually pretty dark as it's filled with adult themes such as; sexual innuendos, infidelity and death. This stuff is not for kids. Probably there lies the problem of the movie. The adult elements are noticeably muted. A large portion of the movie is spent establishing the characters and the choices they make, while the more challenging and interesting content which deals with the consequences are rushed through. Also, the production value of this film feels cheap as most of the scenes look stage bound (yes, it's based on a Broadway musical but...). I just wonder if it would have been a more satisfying experience if it was made into a TV mini series instead, thus giving its characters more space to develop. The songs are somewhat forgettable except for one number, "Agony" sung by Chris Pine (in smug handsome scumbag mode). 

Rating: 6.5/10