Philomena (2013) Movie Review

Judi Dench and Steve Coogan in Philomena

How far would you go to find a child you had to give up? Would you just bottle up the pain, or try to do something about it? If you did ever become reunited, how would you treat those who separated you in the first place? These are the questions that Philomena, a film by Stephen Frears, asks you as it takes you on a journey of hope, forgiveness, and love. The film puts you into the real world of these people, and reminds you that, despite being in even Bond movie since I've been alive, Judi Dench is a truly remarkable actress, and Steve Coogan is equally as good.

"It allows both characters moments of levity, and also moments of brutal honesty and warmth"

The film centers around Martin Sixsmith (Coogan), a former BBC political reporter who is fired and disgraced despite being misquoted and, ultimately, apparently wrongfully terminated. He's down in the dumps about himself, and figures he'll write about Russian History, because he enjoys it. And everyone tells him that is a shit idea. He then comes across Philomena Lee (Dench) a woman who was a part of the Catholic Church, but became pregnant very young from a fling at the local carnival, breaking her oath of celibacy, and forced to work off the debt of birth for the church, while rarely seeing her child. Much to her, and our, horror, the church allows for the child to be adopted by rich Americans, and taken back with them. After hearing this, Martin decides to help Philomena reunite with her son, who she has not seen in 50 years.

The film does wonders traversing the line between drama and comedy, and this is in large part because of the script written by Coogan. It allows both characters moments of levity, and also moments of brutal honesty and warmth. These characters are actually real people, and the script does a good job of transferring their heart into this story, giving us characters to care about and root for. Along with a stellar job on the script, Coogan puts in the best dramatic performance of his career, and is given moments to really stretch his acting range, which he gamely knocks out of the park. It's the type of performance that reminds you how fucking talented everyone in Britain is. Strong work is also done by Sophie Kennedy Clark, who plays a young Philomena in flashbacks, and Michelle Fairley as Martin's cold blooded editor.

"She will make you laugh, smile, sigh and cry in equal measure, all while you keep hoping for her."

But of course, the star of the show is Dench, who is truly wonderful as Philomena. She is the anchor and heart of the film, and Dench (with a lovely old lady Irish accent), gives her best performance in years. Philomena is a woman of God, and despite all the hardship and pain and sadness life throws at her, she does not let her faith waiver, and believes that everything happens for a reason. She conveys so much torment and anguish over the fact that she was torn away from her son, and whether or not he ever thought about her again. She will make you laugh, smile, sigh and cry in equal measure, all while you keep hoping for her.

Overall, the film is really one of my favourite films of the year, and I wish I had seen it before I made my top ten. It is a movie I was hesitant to see, but one I instantly fell in love with. 

Grade: A-

Nebraska (2013) Movie Review

Bruce Dern and Will Forte in Nebraska

Alexander Payne is a filmmaker of great prestige. He's made some of the best dramatic comedies or comedic dramas of the last 15 years. Whether it was the high energy Election, the ascension of aging in About Schmidt, a journey of self discovery and wine tasting in Sideways, or the melancholy heartache of loss in The Descendants, he's been able to traverse the human condition masterfully at every turn. This is what makes Nebraska a fine addition to this stable of films, and also, somewhat, of a disappointment.

Now let me preface this by saying that Nebraska is a wonderful film. It is superbly made, brilliantly acted, and hits all the right notes. But because of his past films, Nebraska comes across, to me, like a retread of past work. It centers on David (Will Forte) who works in an electronics department, and is just living his life one day at a time. His brother Ross (Bob Odenkirk) is a head anchor on the local news, and his mother Kate (June Squibb) is growing tired of the antics of her husband Woody (Bruce Dern), and wants to put him in a home. You see, Woody thinks he's won one million dollars, because he got a letter from a magazine in Nebraska that he might have. So now he wants to go to Nebraska to get that money, with or without his families help. You could have also called this movie "Man, Old People Are Frustrating".

"Dern has some truly wonderful moments with the character, showing why he's a beloved elder statesman in film"

The film centers on David and Woody going to Nebraska, and the details of their relationship that come about because of it. This is where the movie works wonders, because the relationships between all the characters feel authentic and real, never attempting to give you that big Hollywood moment, because those don't actually happen in real life. Forte gives a strong performance as David, a regular guy who loves his father, but clearly harbors some resentment deep down. It's a massive departure from anything he's done previously, and really shows he could have a good acting career. There are misbeats along the way, and part of me wonders if those would have been rectified by Bryan Cranston, who actively sought the part. Dern puts in a brilliant performance as Woody, a man who doesn't realize how much of a pain he is at times, but not why you would think. Woody is a kind, giving soul hidden behind the mask of a weary alcoholic, and Dern has some truly wonderful moments with the character, showing why he's a beloved elder statesman in film.

"The only real problem I have with most of the movie is that it feels like a greatest hits of Payne movies, as opposed to something new and fresh"

The supporting cast is excellent too, particularly Squibb who reminded me so much of the women in my family and gives a lot of heart to the movie, as well as Bob Odenkirk, who is fresh off Breaking Bad, giving a subdued performance, and showing that Saul Goodman isn't a flash in the pan dramatic role. Stacy Keach also does strong work as Ed Pegram, an old friend of Woody's, who knows a little too much about him, and is all too willing to take advantage. Turns out everyone in Woody's life feels they deserve a piece of the pie, and Woody is just oblivious enough to not turn them down. This is where the film lost me at times, as it felt shoehorned in to create conflict among the family. The only real problem I have with most of the movie is that it feels like a greatest hits of Payne movies, as opposed to something new and fresh.

Ultimately, the film is strong, and among the years best. Shot in black and white, it looks gorgeous, and helps the film establish a look of dreariness at the same time. I would like Payne to perhaps step a little outside his comfort zone though, like David O. Russell or Ang Lee. All in all, Nebraska is still a movie you should take the time to see and enjoy.

Grade: B+ 

I heard you like games

By Justin Moore

It's February, you say to yourself "boy, I wish there were some fancy new games to play right now." Well you dear reader are in luck ! I have a list of recently released games that I think are worth checking out.

The Banner Saga: A turn-based strategy game with some Oregon Trail elements and dialogue trees. Plus the art style makes my eyeballs have little teeny tiny orgasms.

Platforms: PC

Price: $24.99

Steam Link

Broken Age: It's a traditional point-and-click adventure game with a star studded cast which includes (but is not limited to) Elijah Wood, Jack Black, and Wil Wheaton. The characters and story are interesting and funny without seeming to try too hard, plus who doesn't want to play as Elijah Wood in space. No really Elijah Wood is in this game. 

Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux

Price: $24:99

Steam Link

Don't Starve: Its a rougelike which basically means that the levels are randomly generated levels and it's kinda hard. The goal of the game is to well... not starve. This game was free for PlayStation Plus members but I think its just regular price now. It is how ever on sale on steam.

Platform: PC

Price:  Currently $5.99

Steam Link

Platform: PS4

Price: $14.99

PlayStation Link

Octodad: Dadliest Catch: You play an octopus pretending to be man. You have a wife and two kids, you perform mundane tasks. These mundane tasks are extremely difficult because you are a damn octopus. Have you played Octodad yet? You should.

Platform: PC, PS4

Price: Currently $11.99

Steam Link

Why Jesse Eisenberg Could be a Great Lex Luthor

By Hamza Zain

Lex Luthor in the New 52

If you were wondering why the internet suddenly broke yesterday, it's probably because Jesse Eisenberg was cast as Lex Luthor in the upcoming sequel to Man of Steel. Nerds everywhere lost their minds and proceeded to comment how this casting was "worse than Hitler". Why, you ask? Because the internet. But despite all the instant outrage, and sadness over the fact that Joaquin Phoenix passed on the role and that everyone wanted Bryan Cranston because he's great at being a bald villain, Eisenberg is an inspired, original choice that could be great.

He will be ridiculed above all else, because everyone loves a good villain. That's why people are about to overlook problems in films such as The Dark Knight and The Avengers, because Heath Ledger and Tom Hiddleston are fantastic. But when they were cast, there was a sense of "Really? That guy?" to that announcement. The same reaction that people feel right now with Eisenberg. So I figured to help put the nerd community at ease (a community I am unabashedly a member of), we could take a look at why Jesse Eisenberg could be a great Lex. Here's a quick bio on Lex Luthor:

"Lex Luthor typically appears in comic books and other media as a bald business magnate with immense wealth and corporate power. However, Luthor was originally depicted as a mad scientist who, in the vein of pulp novels, wreaks havoc on the world with his futuristic weaponry. The character was later remodeled as a magnate and industrialist. In his earliest appearances, Luthor is shown with a full head of red hair. Despite this, the character later became hairless as the result of an artist's mistake. A 1960 story by Jerry Siegel expanded upon Luthor's origin and motivations, revealing him to be a childhood friend of Superman's who lost his hair when a fire destroyed his laboratory, a fire which Luthor blamed on Superboy, who was attempting to save Luthor from a lifeform Luthor had created in vitro that was threatening to kill Luthor."

His Body of Work

The Social Network

If you decide to base your opinion of Eisenberg solely on how he looks, they you'll easily be disappointed at the fact that he's Lex. But the beauty is that Lex doesn't need to be a physical specimen. He's a cocky genius, who believes that superheroes hinder the progress of humanity, and that he is the savior of mankind. Who better to do that than the guy who played Mark Zuckerberg? Having Eisenberg opposite the physically imposing Henry Cavill will be a nice contrast, because it will show how intelligent Luthor is; he is able to figure out Superman's weakness without the need to fight him. Having Lex be an egotistical CEO of Lexcorp, who is set on proving he is superior is right in Eisenberg's wheelhouse.

"Having Eisenberg opposite the physically imposing Henry Cavill will be a nice contrast, because it will show how intelligent Luthor is; he is able to figure out Superman's weakness without the need to fight him."

His performance in The Social Network is, obviously, going to be referenced the most in conjunction with this role, because why wouldn't it? The parallels between Mark Zuckerberg and where DC could go with Lex are obvious. What people seem to forget when discussing this, however, is just how good Eisenberg was. The fact that you were able to like, empathize, understand, and despise him all at once, is a testament to a multi-layered performance that seems to lay the groundwork for exactly what is needed for Lex. And I know you're gonna say that it was a lot of fast talking and his typical style, but you watch some of those deposition scenes and tell me he doesn't give a great performance. It also doesn't hurt that he's an Oscar nominated actor. They don't just hand out those nominations. Well, they do, but only if your last name is Streep.

But there are other performances that help to enforce my belief that Eisenberg could be the right choice. Films such as The Squid and The Whale, The Hunting Party and Now You See Me showcase a range of performances that really show you that Eisenberg is way more than just that guy you sometimes confuse with Michael Cera. In The Squid and The Whale, Eisenberg plays the son of a self-centered writer (played by the always amazing Jeff Daniels), who develops the same ego and tendencies as his father. It's a supporting performance that shows a level of perversion in his own triumphs, and a seething anger that lies right below the surface. In The Hunting Party, he holds his own opposite Richard Gere and Terrence Howard, as translates his frantic nature to a strong dramatic performance, and is the heart of the film. And in Now You See Me, despite the quality of the film, he plays against type and is believable in his egocentric manner.

The Squid and The Whale

Sometimes Big Names Aren't The Best

Michael Shannon as General Zod in Man of Steel

It seems like a lot of people are torn up about the fact that they think Bryan Cranston would have been the perfect Lex. And you know what? He probably could have been pretty damn good. But even Cranston has said that the only reason people are even talking about him is because of Breaking Bad, and it's something he seems like he doesn't want to get typecast into. Sometimes the most obvious choice isn't the best.

This brings me to the casting of my favourite villains. Characters such as The Joker, Loki, Ras Al Ghul, Scarecrow, and Two-Face have all succeeded because of the actors playing them, and the way they were written. Before Batman Begins, Liam Neeson was not considered an action star, and was certainly considered a surprising choice for Batman's mentor. But then we saw the movie, and he was perfect. The same goes for the Scarecrow, who is a difficult villain to ground into reality. An actor such as Aaron Eckhart is one that would probably make people cringe, as he was typically considered a rom-com lead or average supporting actor, but found the pathos and humanity within Harvey Dent and his fall. 

"The thing that kept Iron Man from being truly great, to me, was the fact that Jeff Bridges just wasn't right for the role. Same with Micky Rourke and Michael Shannon for theirs. Not a knock against the actors, but the fact that they felt miscast, despite being prominent actors, speaks to smartness of picking someone nobody expects."

Then you come to the The Joker and Loki, who are two of the best villains around, but because the casting worked. When you allow an actor to have his or her way with a character, they can do amazing things. There's a reason that guys like Heath Ledger and Tom Hiddleston will be remembered as amazing villains, whereas the obvious and big named choices such as Jeff Bridges, Mickey Rourke, Michael Shannon, Hugo Weaving and Guy Pierce didn't seem to work. Yeah, we can chalk it upto the script not working, since some of the actors were good in their roles, but it's also their job to captivate us, which a lot didn't. Anyone remember, or give a shit, why Red Skull or Whiplash were doing whatever they were doing? No?

The thing that kept Iron Man from being truly great, to me, was the fact that Jeff Bridges just wasn't right for the role. Same with Micky Rourke and Michael Shannon for theirs. Not a knock against the actors, but the fact that they felt miscast, despite being prominent actors, speaks to smartness of picking someone nobody expects. Whether that will work for Ben Affleck as Batman is yet to be seen, but at least let him try. If it isn't good, then so what? You're still gonna pay to see the movie, and the quality of the film doesn't directly or indirectly affect how you continue to live your life. And if it does, please contact a health care professional.

Heath Ledger as The Joker in The Dark Knight

We Don't Know Anything About the Script

The Hunting Party

"The reason I'm giving this a chance is because, despite how many comics I've read and how big a fan I am, thing casting is exciting."

The main thing that people seem to complain about is that Eisenberg isn't right for Luthor because it's not what they think will work. But lest we forget, none of us have actually seen the script, nor know what is in store for the film. For all we know, Lex could play a minor role, and be set up bigger for later, or perhaps it's a one-off. Who knows? The point is that the only people who know what's currently right for the film are the people making the fucking film. Not the internet, because truthfully, people on the internet can be truly moronic. The reason I'm giving this a chance is because, despite how many comics I've read and how big a fan I am, thing casting is exciting. It's not obvious, and that's what makes me curious and excited about the film. I can't judge it because I have no idea what's in store for me, and until I see some pictures or a trailer, I can't tell you what's in store. All I know is the two year wait till this movie comes out is a long one. Oh, and also Eisenberg does kinda need to be bald.

Doesn't look all that bad being bald

Justin Moore's Top 5 games of 2013

Hey guys, I know this is kinda late but I just thought I should post somewhere what my favourite games of 2013 were. So here goes nothing

5.Fire Emblem: Awakening

Fire Emblem was never a franchise I had any interest in, it always looked just too complicated for me. After 2012 though my love for Xcom: Enemy Unknown has made my interest in turn based strategy games sky rocket. I was hungry for anything that had me strategically moving each of my units and thinking out every one of my moves.  So when I got a 3DS it was pretty obvious to me that this was a game I was going to get.

Fire Emblem is a ruthless game, in Xcom sure your units die and you had to replace them with more but it was never as brutal as it is in Fire Emblem. Fire Emblem gives each character dialogue with each other after battles, and even in battles your characters build relationships with each other to a point where they could even have children. So when one of them was killed it was really hard to not turn off my system and just restart the battle (which I did several times). You care about them because they care about each other. The story is good but it tends to be in the background compared to the actual combat and the relationships between characters.

I know this is gonna sound weird, but I was sometimes scared to continue playing. Each battle stressed me out that I would end up sitting for 20 minutes each time I had to make a move. That clearly shows that I am no Fire Emblem expert, but it was just something I had to do to make sure that I wasn’t getting everyone killed. After those 20 minute turns would end though and it turned out I had won the battle the feeling of joy and relief was intense and I think that's why I liked this game so much.

4.Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

Now this is a game I didn't expect to like at all, the art style wasn't really to my liking and the controls looked clunky when I would watch my brother play. When I actually picked up the controller and started playing though it just made sense. Brothers is a dual joystick game in which you control one brother with the left stick and the other with the right stick.

I always seemed to have to have them on their corresponding sides of the screen just to make sure my brain wasn’t freaking out. I think the control scheme in this game is ingenious, they aren’t the tightest or smoothest but I think that the clunkyness serves a purpose. These kids are on a journey to save their father and they are all on their own. They are clearly venturing out into the great wide world for the first time and having to cooperate with each other. So when I would mix up the brothers and messed up the puzzle or something like that, it felt like it was contextual to the brothers like they were fighting or having a disagreement.

The story was kinda by the book, but just the way that I solved the last puzzle in the game was absolutely brilliant, combining the mechanics of the game with story itself was what made this game stand out to me as a top five game of the year. I think everyone should play brothers.

3. The Legend Of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

Well I don’t really know what to say about Zelda other than they put a twist on my favourite Zelda game and they did a damn good job. Fuck this is a good game. I missed how good Zelda could be and this was just fabulous. PLAY ZELDA

2. Bioshock Infinite

Floating America, girl with special powers, vigors. This game was so damn good and I don’t care who disagrees. I loved every moment of it, the shooting the powers and especially the story. I have never ever seen the internet more a buzz about an ending of a game. Booker and Elizabeth took me on a journey through Columbia that I never wanted to end.

I feel like the setting of Columbia was the thing that made this game number two for me. The first time I came across the barber shop quartet singing God Only Knows gave me goose bumps, I wanted to know why and how these men on a floating city in 1912 were singing the beach boys. I wanted to know why Elizabeth could rips holes in space and time and I wanted to know what the fuck happened to Booker.

The combat was also really fun for me, the combinations that I could pull off with the vigors and the guns were just amazing. I found the combat arenas did differ from section to section and Elizabeth handing me health potions and ammo was just super convenient. The combat wasn’t the reason this game was so high for me, it was the story but good combat never hurts.

1. Gone Home

This game is beautiful. It is absolutely touching and magical. Sam’s (your sister in the game) journal entries that you find around the house are basically the only interactive things in the game besides a bunch of notes that you can find. These audio diaries though were so powerful that every time one came upon one I would stop and just listen to what she had to tell me. The notes I would find around the house would give me context to what had been happening around the house while my character (Katie) was away in Europe.

I don’t want to spoil too much about this game because I don’t think that would be fair for the people who have yet to experience it. This game just gave me something that I had never experienced in a game before and I value that, it’s what I look forward to from games is for them to surprise me. To give me experiences that I want to tell people about to have them experience too. So please, go buy Gone Home and play it.

-Justin Moore