World War Z

It's 10 pm on a Thursday night. For an unknown reason to me 10 pm is now the new midnight release showing of movies. I never read Max Brooks' World War Z, but I sure heard all the hype and was excited to give the movie a try. After all, Brad Pitt was in it with his luscious, blonde locks. Pitt's wife is played by Mireille Enos, who is absolutely stunning but when Pitt stands next to her, you think Why is that beautiful man standing next to Sloth from The Goonies? As a major Walking Dead fan, I went into the film hoping for two high standards. 1) That the film would be completely different than the Walking Dead, not just a Xeroxed copy with Brad Pitt in it, and 2) It would be just as exciting and a good story as the critically acclaimed TV show. Well, one of those standards was met. The story was generally different, but really not much more exciting than watching Kim Kardashian get her teeth cleaned.

However, the movie did have its pluses. Brad Pitt is an amazing actor, no matter what anyone says. I figured that out when I first saw him in Thelma & Louise. Also, seeing the movie in 3-D was a good idea. The first zombie popped up in the audiences' faces, inciting many screams. It scared the shit out of people, literally. Believe me, there was no way my fellow movie-goers' pants were dry - I smelled it. Other than that, I thought the story was a bit confusing and boring. It seemed to end just 20 minutes too early - with no clear ending. Brad Pitt had an intense monologue at the end, maybe trying to clear up the movie. Well, it didn't. I felt like WWZ was trying to tell the audience a message about our lifestyle. (Also, with Brad Pitt as the star, I wondered if he had a goodwill statement to make with the film.) However, I found no clear message or statement. All I found in WWZ was a suitable for children version of the Walking Dead.

 

Cry Meter: 0.5 out of 5 - There were tears of oddly placed laughter when a weird zombie (meant to scare) seemed to be a little cold and started chomping his teeth, causing the whole theater to erupt in laughter.

Now You See Me

There's a twist, then a turn, then another twist, then yet another turn. Am I starting to sound repetitive? As I am sure you would like to come through the computer screen and slap me, you would probably be equally annoyed with a movie that employed so many twists and turns. Actually, you would be wrong. Now You See Me has a new and mind-blowing change every few minutes in the movie, but it does so in a fresh and exciting way. The film makes you keep guessing with every

scene, it feels like your brain just ran a marathon. The random shifts in plot are actually done in an intelligent way and once you believe you've figured out the next move, you were completely wrong, and also dazzled in the process. The film can be a bit confusing. For example, as much as I tried to hold it in, I had to tinkle. I used the restroom faster than Olympic Medalist Usain Bolt could have, but yet when I came back, the movie I left seemed completely different. After a quick re-enactment of the scene from my mother, I was soon caught up. All of the puzzling scenes do eventually add up in a concise way during the end of the film - perhaps too concise for my liking. The cast is led by Mark Ruffalo, who is an excellent salt and pepper bearded magic trick in himself. There is no shocker there. Also featured is Jesse Eisenberg, who takes on the role of the conceited magician. Despite normally enjoying Eisenberg as an actor, all I saw was a sassy Mark Zuckerberg doing magic tricks. Other members of the cast include the always wonderful, Woody Harrelson and Isla Fisher, the latter who is showing to be a superb talent. Both in Gatsby and this magical film, she doesn't get the screen time that she deserves. The film is unique, however confusing at times, it is one that leaves a viewer satisfied and happy.

Cry Meter- 1 out of 5 tears. No tears were spent, except those of hormone-ridden teenage girls(like myself) that were threatened with the loss of Dave Franco's character and his beautiful face,

The Great Gatsby review

The only way to go on living after watching the Great Gatsby is to write a review about it. At least, then I could put my 20's Gatsby dream at bay and go on living a semi-normal life as a 19 year old girl in the present. Gatsby is a classic tale modernized by Baz Luhrmann with an exquisite cast and a fresh, contemporary soundtrack (That will soon be installed permanently in my car stereo). The hopeful and heartbreaking plot of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel visually comes to the screen in a momentous way. I sat there feeling something special. I felt I now had a special bond with the acquaintances that had joined me for the 7:15 pm showing. Our bond was now a Gatsby bond, a bond that tied us together to remind us of carelessness, love and hope. Leonardo DiCaprio's portrayal of the title character was phenomenal. Even days after seeing the movie, I almost forget that Gatsby is the one who is fictional and DiCaprio is real. He seemed tangible, bringing out similarities to Gatsby that the viewers might not have ever known existed. Tobey Maguire was an excellent Nick, making the audience feel at home within the tortured mess of his mind. Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton and Isla Fisher also played their roles with a fierce yet vulnerable confidence that made the story seem so real. Luhrmann's direction was like a beautiful cake; it was visually stunning and had layer upon layer of unique storytelling to captivate the audience until the very last scene. At times, I was so excited or devastated or angry I found it hard to control my bodily functions ranging with each mood that struck me. With unexpected song choices, the movie flourished, almost feeling like an exact mix of 1920's New York and a backyard concert at Jay-Z's house. There is no doubt that the movie was a risk, taking on an American literary classic. In a way, Luhrmann was "trying to repeat the past", just as  Gatsby does in the film. Gatsby is a top-notch example of a movie that contemporarily, movingly, beautifully and most importantly - successfully - repeats the past.

 

Cry Meter: 4.5 out of 5 - This bad boy will make you cry if you have the slightest bit of a soul. There might be happy tears, sad tears, or frustrated tears - however, there will definitely be tears.