Review of "Admission"

In Admission, the life of Princeton admissions officer Portia Nathan is drug into disarray. Her live-in boyfriend dumps her for a Virginia Wolf scholar; meanwhile she might have just met the child whom she gave up for adoption 18 years ago. The child, named Jeremiah, wants to go to Princeton. Portia soon finds herself in the shoes of all parents with Princeton hopeful children, risking all she has left for her own blood.

Admission
Starring: Tina Fey, Paul Rudd, Lily Tomlin
Directed by Paul Weitz
My Opinion: Really liked it,
but I can't speak for all.

In all honesty, I am quite possibly the worst person to review a movie starring Tina Fey because I'm in love with her. Exhibit A: I'm on my fourth go-around of Bossypants. Indeed, I squealed like Honey Boo Boo eating a stick of butter every time Fey came onto screen. But all obsessions aside, Tina Fey's performance is thoroughly emotional while maintaining her trademark comic bumbling. Surely drawing inspiration from her own maternal experiences, Fey illustrates Portia's shocked but stout motherly instincts. Though throughout my own life I have had a stronger maternal connection to grilled cheese sandwiches than the thought of having children, through Portia's reactions to the sudden existence of motherhood, I was able to develop a new understanding of this bond. The sacrifices she makes for Jeremiah are heart-wrenching and depict a raw, human urge to be needed. Though critics' opinions of the film vary greatly, most agree with me: Tina Fey delivers.

As a whole, Admission requires a more discerning eye. Many have criticized the film for its flat story line. I didn't really notice this while I was watching (probably because I was on the brink of crying from over excitement the whole time, but I do understand the flack). The entire plot focuses solely on Portia, but I enjoyed this "slice of life" style. There is something very humanizing about her experience and I felt myself becoming very invested: her relationship falls to pieces, her connection with her own mother is strained, her biological son might be back in her life, she's up for a large promotion - in short, her previously grounded life is spiraling out of her control. I've criticized films that don't have enough happening in them (Tiny Furniture), but Admission is different because it still has quite a bit of charm.

Although I will admit that Paul Rudd and Tina Fey lack chemistry, I think it actually works this way. Portia is in a desperate place, to which she's reacting. John (Paul Rudd's philanthropic character) is not the love of her life, but an option that makes sense in a certain time and place. Also, his son adores her. The typically movie-style romance is sacrificed for a grimmer but more realistic portrayal. I found it both refreshing and humanizing.

Admission is what it is and not everybody is going to like it. However, I did. I found Portia's ex-live-in-boyfriend and his new wife to be a very funny motif with great comedic timing. Furthermore, Portia's feminist bad-ass mother, Susannah, is hilarious. Don't go into this one expecting a fun romantic comedy, but rather a darker dramedy with ample laughs.

"Pitch Perfect" Review

Who would ever think that a bunch of music nerds singing a capella would be this much fun? Written by Second City alum Kay Cannon,  Pitch Perfect is a hoopla of girl power, catchy tunes and hilarity rolled up into a Pillsbury crescent roll. The oh-so lovable Anna Kendrick plays an angst-ridden DJ longing to move to California to produce music. Her father, a professor and divorcee, has offered to help her with this transition under the condition that she attempts one year in college. Beca quickly adapts with an internship at the school's radio station, but the social aspect proves trickier. That is, until Beca finds herself auditioning for the school's all-girl a capella group, the Barden Bellas.

Pitch Perfect
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Elizabeth Banks
Directed by Jason Moore
My Opinion: Remarkably entertaining.

Pitch is a joyful ride from beginning to end. The songs are remarkably catchy and the performances are ri-donk, and I mean that in every sense of the word. I want to be clear that I am generally not a fan of musicals; that said, Pitch is a film with amazing musical performances. The female bonding is sweet and the rivalry between the Bellas and The Treble Makers intriguing. Consistant entertainment lies at this film's core.

I have heard some say that the comedy was a little "bro-y," but I appreciated the humor, which often involves bodily fluids. However, I did find some jokes a bit dated. Cynthia Rose (Ester Dean), a punky African American lesbian, is often making stereotypically butch remarks that don't quite tap the funny bone. Rather, the tolken gay character made me somehow uncomfortable, as if I were afraid for her next attempt at a generic joke. Each of her lines fall flat, but her voice is pretty stellar. The majority of the comedy packs a little more intellect.

Much like Reduced Guilt Macaroni and Cheese from Trader Joes, Pitch Perfect is a satisfying meal that's OK to enjoy. Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson are fantastic to watch (though you could probably play a dangerous drinking game taking a shot every time Beca says "seriously?"). Wilson has incredible timing and delivery, and I'm also looking forward to seeing more of Hana Mae Lee in the near future. Playing a corny announcer opposite John Michael Higgins, Elizabeth Banks is a little plastic but charming as usual. Overall, the casting is superb.

I'm not sure if I will be putting Pitch Perfect on the top shelf with my favorite flicks about chicks, but I have watched it three times in four days. I've also been singing all of the songs pretty much nonstop. Although there are little hiccups in the storyline and script, the lovable aspects strongly outweigh the negative. I for one feel quite gratified.

"Safety Not Guaranteed" Review

Darius (Aubrey Plaza), an incurable outsider and intern for a Seattle periodical, joins with a stereotypical virgin-nerd intern (Karan Soni) and their lazy supervisor (Jake Johnson)  in the pursuit of a man who seeks a partner for time traveling (Mark Duplass). Although the risk is the first appealing aspect for Darius, there may be more in the adventure for her and her pals. 

Cue a trending topic in cinema and an another inappropriate age difference, Safety seems like a Hollywood film disguised as an offbeat indie romance and it didn't quite appeal to my taste buds. The film drags itself towards the predictable conclusion with occasional wise-cracks and a plot line that falls flat. The characters aren't much more compelling either, especially the stereotypical virgin nerd. I mean, how often do we have to see that? At least provide something for the tamed flick outside of a bro makeover.

Safety Not Guranteed
Starting: Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson
Directed by Colin Trevorrow
My Opinion: Eh.

To the film's credit, I can safely say that it's not the worst film I've seen this year. I mean, I made it the whole way through, so they did something right.  Darius's obsession with a possible psychotic was strange, but a little intriguing. The more interesting story line belongs to Darius's scumbag boss, Jeff. He only picks up the assignment in order to see a girl from his past. When he realizes that the girl has (logically) become a middle-aged woman, he second guesses his devotion and flees. Later in the film, he receives a chance for redemption. He also initiates the nerd-to-bro transformation, which allows the sucker to find a girl that is just slutty enough to deflower a man with shades and a popped collar. Yeah, it's nothing special but it could absolutely be worse. I wouldn't recommend it though.

"The Perks of Being a Wall Flower"

Warning: the following review contains angst.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower chronicles the freshman year of high school for the introverted Charlie. Despite his angst about fitting in, he is quickly welcomed by a couple of seasoned seniors Patrick (Ezra Miller) and Sam (Emma Watson) who show him just how to be an outsider.

I will go ahead and rename this flick The Perks of Being a White Person. I'm not sure what makes Charlie an outsider. Is it his lovable puppy-dog good looks? Is it his wounded and mysterious writer persona? Is it his innocence? I don't know what it is because the film didn't tell me. All we know is that he lost his best friend and that he should probably be in a more advanced English course. The film never really shows the perils of being one of the invisible kids in high school, rather it delves into the perfection that is absorbing all of the "perks" of white suburbia. They party, they dance, they smoke weed.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Starring: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller
Directed by Stephen Chbosky
My Opinion: Rubbish. 

Once upon a time, I was a lonely little loser trolling the halls with my head hung low, and it sucked. There were no perks for me. Unlike Charlie, I never went to a hipster party after homecoming. I went home, binged on the second season of The Office with my closeted best friend and stuffed my face with Oreo's soggy not from milk but my tears.

I don't really know what Charlie is bitching about. Yes, your first year in high school is scary, but not when you have sexy friends with an independent spirit and a don't-give-a-fuck attitude. Shoving your way to the middle of the dance floor to dance like nobody is watching is not being a wallflower. Crying in your car because nobody asked you to senior prom is a little closer. My perks were found in a glass pipe halfway through my senior year. A film that chronicled my experience in high school would be a miserable bastard of a flick that no one would want to watch with valid reason. But let's call a shoe a shoe: Charlie is a hipster comfortably lounging with his quirky group of friends.

I will admit that I didn't read the book, so loyalty is not a factor in this review. For that matter, I didn't even finish this movie nor will I pretend otherwise like I have in other reviews (Take Shelter).  Unfortunately for first-time directer and original author Stephen Chbosky, the film is clumsy and arc-less. There is a strange lack of conflict, even when Patrick (Ezra Miller) is gay-ing it up Rocky Horror-style in front of his secret jock lover. You'd think that the closeted man would express some disapproval, but he takes it all in good gay fun. Yawn. Furthermore, Emma Watson did a rather significant disservice to herself by not checking on her lighting. She is an intensely beautiful woman, but in the majority of the film she looks like a slutty troll guarding a bridge. The only reason why I've generously given an entire eyeball to this film is because neither Emma Watson nor Ezra Miller were awful.

In conclusion, I'd gladly choose watching a video of a constipated elephant over this sad excuse for a coming-of-age film. Unless you're a high school looking for a film to pretend to watch while actually finger-banging, don't waste your time.

"Seven Psychopaths" Review

Seven Psychopaths
Starring: Colin Farrell, Christopher Walken,
Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson
Directed by Martin McDonagh
My Opinon: An all around good time,
unless you actually read the screenplay.

Seven Psychopaths is a semi-nonsensical story with a lot of blood and one adorable shih tzu. Marty (Colin Farrell), a writer struggling to write a screenplay entitled Seven Psychopaths, finds himself caught up in his own tale. His best friend Billy (Sam Rockwell) is an out-of-work actor desperate to provide Marty with some much-needed inspiration. Whilst dog-thieving with his partner and crime and reformed psycho Hans (Christopher Walken), Billy steals a tiny shih tzu. The dog just so happens to belong to the incredible deadly Charlie (Woody Harrelson). The other psychopaths are woven into the seams of the movie.

Seven Psychopaths is an ultimate escapist's film: littered with exploding guns, splattered blood, fast-paced wit and sunny Californian locations. Although the plot is muddied with inconsistency, the film works rather seamlessly and that little shih tzu is adorable. Where is his cameo at this year's Oscar ceremony? I can't tell you that, but I can tell you that if you are in the mood to turn off your mind and enjoy yourself, travel to your local redbox and pick up this simple rhinestone of cinematic pleasure.

"Zeitgeist" Review

I've always considered myself a cynical person and I've also always been fascinated by conspiracy theory. So, I upon first watching I absolutely adored Zeitgeist. I recently found out, mere moments after publishing my first review which I found beautifully written, that this documentary has been "debunked" on the internet for years. However, I still found this film enjoyable.

Zeitgeist breaks down the world you live in a painfully eye opening way. The documentary starts by exposing religion in a similar way to Bill Maher's Religulous, which I also found well worth the watch. It then continues to expose inconsistencies surrounding 9/11, our countries economical system and even foreign affairs. The stomach-churning argument of the film relies on the fact that all of these elements are linked. Zeitgeist exposes a dreadful lie which has been delivered unto the people for centuries.

Zeitgeist
Directed by Peter Joseph
My Opinion: Enlightening, exhausting, defeating

With a matter-of-fact diction, Zeitgeist lays down the data with a powerful fist that leaves the viewer utterly convinced. Throughout the film's 123 minutes, my jaw stuck fast to the floor and my eyelids to my brow. The documentary delivers each element of its argument in a clean, organized fashion. Despite the overwhelming overload of questionable information, one remains quite a distance from confusion. Unfortunately for my straining eyes,this film relies too heavily on text on the screen. I have a pretty decently sized screen at my disposal, but I was forced to pause the film for to lean over my coffee table, squinting at the screen. Perhaps there is just too much to tell in one little documentary, but I for one absorbed.

Watching Zeitgeist is a bit like being reborn into a new age of knowledge. Although it has been successfully disproven, Zeitgeist makes you question things you've never questioned before even itself. All in all, Zeitgeist exposes the world as a dark place poisoned by power and manipulation. In the end, it encourages us to become strong and undivided, to reconnect with nature, to know and share the truth. Unfortunately for the mission of Zeitgeist, the majority of the population will choose to remain in blissful ignorance.

"Zero Dark Thirty" Review

Strong ladies in a predominantly male world tend to appeal to my breed (aka. young feminists), even though I'm a stereotypical woman who gets sleepy-eyed during three hour war movies. No fear, unlike most of this year's Oscar noms, Kathryn Bigelow's narrative telling of the hunt for Osama bin Laden warrants every minute.

Zero Dark Thirty
Starring: Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Chris Pratt
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow
My Opinion: An excellant telling.

The film opens with a sensational and candid relic of the 9/11 attacks. A montage of haunting recordings from victims' cell phones pierces against a comfortless pitch black screen. This introduction, though harrowing, sets up the rest of the film perfectly. Although it evokes an emotional response, Bigelow's introduction is not empty sensationalism. It actually does an appropriate job of setting up the graphic torture scene that quickly follows.

The film quickly sidles along with the protagonist, Maya (Jessica Chastain), a fresh-faced CIA agent who takes it upon herself to locate Osama bin Laden. Of course, the media has centered its focus on the torture element and I'm not going to waste my time being political. I will say that in my opinion, the torture scenes are very tasteful. She could have gone way farther with Hostel-style violence, which may have been more accurate. The torture victims are not demonized nor victimized, rather situation is depicted with a raw reality. The film isn't about torture techniques, it's about finding Osama bin Laden. The controversy, that has been obnoxiously over-examined thanks to The Huffington Post, isn't much. The film doesn't examine the aspect of torture, it just depicts it as a tool for gathering information. It will probably make people uncomfortable, just like any images of actual torture. However, it's absolutely mindless to discredit this film based on such a small element. It certainly deserves more than that.

Bigelow takes us on a thorough journey that ends with the SWAT team entering the secretive mansion in Pakistan. The film was a bit of an information overload for me, due to my ignorance of the details leading up to bin Laden's capture. However, everything is presented in a clean and organized way without sensationalism. Bigelow guides the audience along Maya's journey without adding any extra fluff. The acting is sharp and intense across the board and the cinematography is stunning and coarse. This film is fantastic.