Trance

Trance may very well be the best art heist film I have ever seen. Better than The Thomas Crown Affair, and....... Well, let's face it, there may not be that many "art heist" films. However, as far as films focused on stealing high priced merchandise, this one still has to be near the top of the list. It not only succeeds as a heist film, but also fall into my personal favorite genre, "Thriller". Throughout the film, we as the audience are never quite sure who are actually telling the truth? Who stole what? Who is playing who, and ultimately, who will win? James McAvoy plays an art museum curator guy who knows the protocol when a robbery may occur. When he is knocked senseless during a robbery and loses his memory, he knows he saved the day, or did he... At this point the plot twists and turns endlessly for the duration. When the bad guys kidnap the good guy to get information that his brain can't remember is when it gets out of hand. He goes to a therapist to "unlock" suppressed memories in order to find the painting the film goes all over the place. I have watched Trance a few times and every time it is enjoyable. Vincent Cassel is brilliant as the villain, but Rosario Dawson playing the psychiatrist and the sexy love interest is the reason to watch this movie...if you are a man that is. As I said, Trance is one of the most clever, twisted films that caught me completely of guard when I first watched it. Most enjoyable and extremely smart. Enjoy it for what it is and relish in the fact that you are watching something semi original.

NBM rates Trance 4 out 5 stars

Trouble With the Curve

What's not to like? Clint Eastwood, John Goodman, and the always lovely and extremely talented Amy Adams star together in a baseball movie. It also stars Justin Timberlake, who in my opinion, could be an Oscar caliber actor if he would just give up his miserable and very unsuccessful music career and focus on doing films, but that is none of my business. This film is less about baseball and more about family ties, or lack there of. It does have the baseball element, but to me, it is sub plot. It focuses on the Father / Daughter relationship between Gus and Mickey (Eastwood and Adams). They have a checkered past, but when dear old Dad needs help due to health issues, Mickey shows up to try and help. It is the typical film about redemption from past choices and opening up dialogue to build a future together. It is beautifully acted and I still have no idea why Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB gave this film such a poor shake. I have seen it at least 5 times and it has easily become a film I can not scroll past if it is on. That should tell you just how good it is. I was surprised at how emotional a film it is. It has one of, if not the saddest scenes I have ever seen. I get teary eyed each and every time I watch said scene. Give this one a try if you have missed it because you believed those other critics. I am telling you it is great. 

4 out of 5 stars from NBM

Jurassic World

Let's face it. You either wanna see this or you don't. It is absolutely the epitome of a popcorn summer blockbuster. It is awe inspiring, clever, scary, and sexy. It is not better than Jurassic Park, but is better than the second and third film. I loved every minute of it. Chris Pratt is phenomenal and the dinosaurs look awesome. Lots of death with some gore. Not for young kids, but every adult will enjoy this film. I also enjoyed all the nuances put on screen that referenced the first film. It was quite awesome and it needs to be seen on the big screen. 

NBM rates Jurassic World - Phenomenal

Inside Out

I had less desire to see this film than most other PIXAR movies, but when it rains and nothing better to do, may as well. It absolutely blew me away. I cannot believe the range of emotions these emotions gave me. It was sad, funny, thought provoking and honest. I highly recommend this movie as kids will love it, but for parents, it will absolutely change your perspective on a couple things. Cartoons are good at the theater or at home. This is one that if you want to see, go now. If you don't care either way, then wait for redbox, but if you have been wishy washy about whether or not you should go, because you may not enjoy it, then go. You absolutely will find Joy in this film. See what I did there?

NBM rates Inside Out  -Phenomenal

Mad Max : FURY ROAD

Having never seen any of the previous 3 films until right before I saw Fury Road, my perspective was much different from those of you who LOVE the originals. I enjoyed the original films quite a bit, but I enjoyed FURY ROAD a little bit more. Lets be honest, its a 2 hour car chase filled with mayhem. I am glad I saw this spectacle in the theater. The scope was grand and needed to be seen this way. It was wonderful and Hardy was too. 

NBM rates Mad Max: FURY ROAD - Phenomenal, if you are a man / Mediocre, if you are a woman

(Great Big Screen Movie)

NEW FORMAT

I'm Going to start a new format for my review process. Why overload you with information of my experience with movies I watch? I will now write down my opinion on whether or not this film should be seen ASAP in the theatre, or if it can wait. Slight comparisons may be made, but the point is "Short and Sweet". This will allow me to at least put an opinion out there on movies I have seen recently. Thanks and Watch on.

Chef

This was a film I had all intentions on watching as soon as I began reading about it long before its limited theatre release came and went and I missed it altogether. Little gems like Chef are becoming more and more rare. Jon Favreau wrote, directed, and starred in this little indie film about one man's quest for happiness and in turn, he has given me happiness. He is Chef Casper and he sucks at social media. The End. Actually the social media aspect is what gives this drama its comedy. He is a brilliant chef, or at least he was ten years earlier. The film takes place on the morning a top food blogger is coming in to review his current skills. He is ready to go, but the eternal power struggle between an artist and the boss not letting creativity take hold ends up poorly. Chef Casper thinks he has it all figured out. He is divorced with one kid he constantly lets down, and he is okay with this. This is his life. The only thing he is great at is cooking and he does not want to lose that. Where the story goes from here is utterly sad, but in a good way. Woe is me attitude is going to get the best of Casper, but luckily his ex wife and his son find a way to present him with a choice at happiness. An all star cast for which I had no knowledge of prior to viewing round out this beautiful film about family and food. I am not going to spoil some of the great actors that appear in this film. It is a pleasant surprise and fun to watch. This is by far Favreau's best film. Not only the script, but his passion on the screen is untouchable. He is insanely good, and I hope anyone who gets a chance to watch this (currently streaming on Netflix) does so. Like I said, I wanted to see it a long time ago, but this week 2 different people threw it right out in front of me and I am glad they did. I look forward to watching it again. 

NBN rates Chef - Phenomenal

American Sniper

I have been considering to write about this for 5 days now but had no idea how to convey my thoughts on the film. Do I write is from the perspective of the film itself? As in, the writing, directing, story, acting etc....or do I write it based on the man himself and what he did for our country? There has been so much press both positive and negative. I cannot remember the last time a film that was not strictly a documentary became such a hot button topic. "The Interview" maybe, but that was a completely different can of worms. I don't think they compare in the same realm of the controversy they birthed. Apples and Oranges. I have read so much about what people think about what Chris Kyle was to America and of course I have my own opinion, so I am going to try and stay on point with a review of the film itself. Anyone who watched Lone Survivor knows how powerful and nerve racking a movie can feel. This film is not nearly as nerve racking as Lone Survivor, but I enjoyed it more. Lone Survivor is great, but it is 100% a war film. American Sniper is a Life film. It follows Chief Kyle into war, but that is only half the film. The other half is his home life. I did not know the sequence of events that the film was going to cover. I read the book beforehand (which if you know me, you will know how rare it is that I read) and the film follows it very well. Chris Kyle was not the perfect man, perfect soldier, perfect husband. He was not even the perfect sniper according to him, but he was the best he could be. The film follows his life from an early age rodeo cowboy through his enlistment and SEAL training, marriage, kids, and most of all, his missions. The way Eastwood puts the timelines together is such a perfect way to keep the film moving forward through the years. I rather enjoyed that the film showed his first tour, along with his first kill, key missions on that tour, and then he would go home for a bit till his next tour. This happens four times and like I said, this is less of a war movie and more about the human condition. Chief Kyle seemed to be on a different plain than most other humans. He felt more at home on the battlefield than he did in bed with his wife. He did not know how to shut off, and this caused him major problems when he was back stateside. When the Oscar nominations came out and Bradley Cooper made the cut for Best Actor, and Jake Gyllenhaal was snubbed for his fantastic work on Nightcrawler I was confused. That was until I saw Cooper embody Chris Kyle in every aspect. He deserves that nomination and at times I was watching this broken man, and I became emotional for Chris Kyle though I was watching an actor. That is a performance second to none. As for the debate of this film glorifying war, or being propaganda, or Kyle being a "serial killer" which is absurb, I would like to quote a man that wrote it down better than I could have. 

      "I just watched American Sniper. It was a powerful and touching film. The movie was more of an exploration of PTSD and the nature of war than it was a lauding of Chief Kyle. He is no doubt an American hero that saved many lives and deserves respect for that in itself. The movie portrayed Chief Kyle as a fallible man. A man with problems. A man with a heart. A man's man. A man that struggled despite his apparent strength and legend. This was not a pro-war film or a propaganda film. American Sniper is about a subsection of our society that many have no idea even exists and by no means understands the pain and trauma they endure while endeavoring for America. Fighting and dying for their brothers in arms. This was a movie that needed to be made. Not just for Chief Kyle's legacy, but rather for the world to understand who our military people are." - Bryan Seaver

As for NBM, I rate American Sniper - Phenomenal and I urge you all to support this film

Nightcrawler

This is one of those films that come along every once in a while that make you wonder why can't all writers be this original? It is a very small idea turned into a very crazy two hours of entertainment. I do feel that Jake Gyllenhaal may be one of the best working actors today. He rivals the likes of Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender, and Tom Hardy in my opinion. This is one of his best roles and it should earn him Oscar gold, and at the very least, a nomination. All the buzz that surrounded this film had me so intrigued I chose to go see it as soon as I could, only to realize I had no idea what the premise was. I knew Lou (Gyllenhaal) was a freelance video journalist, but other than that, it was kind of set up as a thriller. It was about 70% thriller, but it was mostly him adapting and evolving into the best, not necessarily most ethical, video crime scene journalist working in LA. I will say, there was not a single time Lou was on screen that I felt comfortable. In fact, this may have been the most uncomfortable I have ever been in a theatre. His character is just off a little and the writing was so good, we as an audience, didn't know if he was going to come unhinged and hurt someone or if he really was just an anti social, awkward man who just really enjoyed the career he had become so fond of. Lou has an outlook on life that many won't understand. The word sociopath comes to mind. The first hour of the film is pretty slow, but very intriguing. The second half of the film is fireworks. The direction is beautiful and very reminiscent of Drive with Ryan Gosling. Every aspect of this movie was very solid, yet I don't know many people I would recommend it to. I think people will enjoy it, but I also wonder how many will hate it because of its tone and tempo which I had to get used to during the film's first act. The ultimate goal is to understand how far Lou will go for the big story.

NBM rates Nightcrawler - Phenomenal

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

My desire to see this film declined every single time a new promo or trailer or clip was released. It looked serious and awesome then it began to look cheesy and silly and just plain stupid. However, I have kids who wanted to see it, and I had nothing else to do, so here we go. I cannot remember the last time I left the theater feeling so conflicted on how I felt about what I had just seen. I enjoyed the story, the look of the turtles, the action involving the turtles, and the comedy. I did not enjoy Shredder or Splinter. I will say Megan Fox was very lovely. She did fantastic as April O'Neil. The tempo of the film was its strong suit. It didn't take a half hour to meet the turtles. The action sequences were timed well with the comedic scenes, and the origin of the turtles flashback scenes I actually enjoyed. The dynamic of the turtles was mostly the same that I remember from the old days with the exception of Donatello. In this version he was a tech genius which helps a lot with their missions. Leo is still the leader and though Johnny Knoxville didn't steal the show, he did a good job with that character. Mikey provided 100% of the comedy and I really enjoyed his dialogue and jokes. He cracked us up loads of times. However, they absolutely nailed Raphael as the brooding second fiddle who is generally pissed off. He was awesome and his attitude worked well with the general lightheartedness of his 3 brothers. He had the look and provided the most ass whoopings. As good as the CG was for the turtles, it was equally awful for Splinter. I found myself loathing scenes when he was on screen. It looked like they copy and pasted him from the original movie in 1990. As for Shredder, I liked what they did with the character in the beginning, but what ruined him for me was his ridiculous suit of armor....and lack of cape. He had way too much going on, and it angered me when he was fighting. However, in my personal opinion  the bad does not outweigh the good. I had a fun time watching the turtles back on the big screen, seeing my kids sit completely still and laughing at Michelangelo's antics while quoting the jokes immediately after, so all in all, it's a decent movie experience.

NBM rates TMNT Awesome which relates to 3/5