Boyhood - Movie review

Welcome to another fun filled adventure with Baatezuu Reviews stuff, typically movies. Tonight is yet another movie review. The movie is Boyhood.

Believe it or not, I actually saw the movie at an honest to goodness movie theater, namely the Alamo Drafthouse. I know that this is a shameless plug, but they are quickly becoming my favorite movie theater. I love the Alamo because they obviously love movies, and they make going to the movies fun again. With good movie prices, and amazing food and drink choices, they are a great location for movie enjoyment. Sorry, I got sidetracked there, on with the movie review.

Boyhood is a movie about exactly what the title says, boyhood. This movie is actually quite unique as it follows the same actors through 12 years of life. When I say follows them, I truly mean follows the same actors as they age. It is truly a marvel to watch the children grow into adults on screen. Mason, the main character of the film, is only 5 at the beginning and 18 at the end.

Life is up on the big screen in all its glory, and horror. There are scenes in the film that are very uncomfortable, just like in real life. As an example, late in the film Mason's biological father is talking to his older sister Samantha about birth control. It is so honest, and difficult to watch, because it brings to mind experiences that I had in my own life. This is the true beauty of this film, that everyone can relate to aspects of it in one way or another.

The acting is actually quite natural and seemingly honest.  Given that the main character of Mason is played by a relative newcomer Ellar Coltrane. Ellar portrays some very intense emotions for someone so young. His facial expressions are perfect for each emotional state the character finds himself in.  There are a couple of seasoned actors in this film as well. Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke, give amazing performances as Mason's biological parents. Patricia is as powerful as ever in this role of a mother just trying to provide what is best for her two children.  Patricia is no stranger to the role of the strong, powerful heroin having played Allison Dubois in the TV show Medium.  Ethan Hawke does a great job playing the father to Mason and Samantha.  He actually makes you fall in love with his seemingly deadbeat dad character. Kudos to you sir for pulling that off as well as you did.

Costumes play a pretty big part in this film as in other film since it is filmed over such a large span of time.  The actors are always growing and new costumes would have to be found for each section of time being portrayed. I could only imagine the effort that went into choosing the right wardrobe for every time change. Having assisted a wardrobe supervisor on a film, I know how much work can go into picking out costumes for such things. So, I always make sure to give credit to the people who work so hard to get other people dressed.

The music in this film is really spot on. There are many great indie tracks in the film such as "Do you realize" by the Flaming Lips, and "Deep Blue" by Arcade Fire. Music can really set the tone for the emotions that we are feeling in life; such is the soundtrack of this film. Each song seems to add the perfect emotion to the moment. This is not an easy feat as I am sure you can imagine.

If you have read any of my other reviews you know that I am a sucker for personal growth and indie films in general, so it is no wonder that I loved this movie. This would be a great date movie if you do not mind the long run time. This film is three hours and fifteen minutes long, so perhaps it is best that you see it at the Alamo, since you can get food while watching the film. On the plus side you do not have to worry about your date seeing you stuff your face since you would be eating in the dark.

I rate this film five out of five smiley Mike heads. The deep characters, with all their flaws are compelling, and amazing to watch on screen. Definitely not a film for the easily bored, but you should find the characters entertaining enough to hold your interest throughout the entirety of the film.

Adult World - Movie Review

Those of you who have read my past reviews are aware that I do not always review the most popular movies, and this film certainly is no exception to that rule.  The film is Adult World.

It feels like someone should shine some light on the smaller budget indie films.  Come with me if you will as I cast my light upon this film of life, personal growth, and an adult video store.

This film really captures what it feels like to graduate high school and head out into the world.  You are so full of hope, promises, and ambition, but have no real idea where to apply it.  Such is the case with Amy (Emma Roberts) who is desperately trying to become the next Sylvia Plath.  Amy is confident that she is the greatest new poet that the world has seen in the years.  Her path leads her to two unexpected turns in her life.  The first is a job at an adult video store, which is rather amusing since she is a very naive young woman.    The second turn comes in the form of Rat Billings (John Cusack).

With her parents pressuring her to get a job, Amy, rejected by several other places sees a help wanted sign on a building and walks in to enquirer about the position.  When she walks in she finds out rather quickly that it is an adult video/toy store.  Amy's initial reaction to the store is quite entertaining to say the least.  Rat is a published poet which Amy becomes enamored with.  She ends up meeting him at a book signing and eventually follows him home.  Amy becomes a bit of a stalker until Rat agrees to let her become his assistant.  Rat is quite tactless when it comes to delivering advice.

The film has some spectacular acting.  John Cusack is perfect in the roll of Rat Billings.  His intensity as an actor lends itself to the roll.  Any lesser actor would not be able to accurately portray the depth of this particular character.  Emma Roberts is a surprise to me, as I have never seen her in other movies before this one.  At twenty two she was able to portray emotions that elude older actors.  Armando Riesco as Rubia, was very kind and funny, and Chris Riggi as Josh was both gentle and stern.

The sets were well planned out, and always felt natural to the environment they were portraying.  The costumes were well thought out for each character.  The script was well written, and it has character progression, which is one of my favorites in a film.

Overall it was a solid indie film with lots of heart and heartache.  This would be a great film to see with a date.  It should generate lots of great conversation after the film is over.  While I have seen better indie films this one certainly has a lot to offer the viewers. 

I rate this film four out of five smiley Mike heads.

I hope you enjoyed this review, feel free to leave comments below. 

Warm Bodies - Movie Review

Who knew that a zombie movie could be profound, but this one was.  The movie is Warm Bodies.

It starts out rather awkwardly, following R.  Why is his name is R, because that is all he can remember of his name.  This is the perfect back story for lead character.  Video games have been using the amnesia thing for years.  If you are an role-playing game fan you will know exactly what I am talking about.  At any rate during an average food run in the city R comes across Julie.  There is something about Julie that changes R's life forever.

I find it extremely interesting that the film makers choose to tell the story from the viewpoint of the zombie.  It is something I have never seen done in a movie like this before.  The scary thing however, is how much I can identify with R's way of thinking at the beginning of the film.  There is a moment in the first 15 minutes of the film where they do something brilliant.  R thinks back to how it must have been when people were all alive, and could easily communicate with each other.  Then a flash back shows us the airport R lives in full of living people walking around staring into their smart devices not interacting with each other at all.  Almost like they were themselves zombies, huh, imagine that.

Social commentary aside, this film is truly exceptional.  The sets, are well done, and typical post apocalyptic fashion.  You have burned-out, smashed, and destroyed cars, dilapidated houses and building, pretty much everything you would expect from this type of movie.  Although in other scenes you find abandoned houses that look like the people just left one day.  The scenery really does a great job setting the mood for this film.

The costumes in this movie were also well thought out.  The zombies were all dressed in filthy tattered clothing, while the humans were dressed casually with function in mind.  After all the humans are busy fighting the zombie apocalypse.  You will look chic in these fancy designer jeans while you are smashing in zombie brains.  In all seriousness the costumes were correctly designed for each character.  Although, I can imagine the room full of people rubbing rocks and dirt over clothing to create the look for the zombies.  It is an amazing effect and makes for the perfect looking zombies.

The special effects in this film do not disappoint.  Perhaps the best piece of special effects wizardry is the Bonies.  The Boneies are things of nightmares brought to life by CGI magic.  These are the zombies who have completely given up hope on life and shed their skin to become nothing more than twisted black walking skeletons that eats the living.  Every piece of CGI is used to help tell the story.  It never feels like they are just trying to use up their graphics budget.

Speaking of the story, I will say that the writers did a good job conveying their message.  For me personally, this story was a touching tale of being kind to each other and accepting of our differences.  While this is not a unique message, it is certainly told in a pretty unique way.


For the first time ever, I have consulted with someone else to determine my rating for this film.  While my initial reaction had me rating the film much higher, speaking with my consultant made me see some of the cracks in the shiny exterior of the film.  The biggest issue is the amount of weight put on the love story.  Although some may not find issue with this you will understand what I'm talking about after you watch the film.

As my consultant stated, it is a date night zombie film.  There is something for everyone to love.  If you love hardcore gritty zombie films there is something there to keep you entertained, but it is not action from beginning to end like some others I've seen.  If you hate zombie movies this one might just change your mind.  OK, that may be a bit overstated.  I can say you will at least enjoy this film.  How about this, it has a love story, but it is not so sweet you want to vomit it back out and then burn the vomitous mass into a charred lump, and then bury that lump in your neighbors back yard.  Perhaps that was a bit much too.  I think you will like it.

I rate this film four out of five smiley Mike heads.  I was initially teetering between four and a half or five smiley Mike heads, but as stated I reassessed this rating when talking with my consultant.

Movie Review - The Oranges

Hello again, just in time for the holiday season I bring you my review of The Oranges.

The Oranges is an off-beat comedy about two families living in the suburbs of New Jersey.  It follows the families through a major changing point in their lives.

We start the film by introducing the two fathers Terry (Oliver Platt) and David (Hugh Laurie).  They are best friends that live across the street from each other.  Their families have grown up together and they are as close as any neighbours could be.  Terry and his wife Paige (Catherine Keener) are in a rough patch in their relationship, when Terry's 24 year old daughter Nina comes home for Thanksgiving.

Nina's meddling mother Cathy (Allison Janney) is busy trying to set her up with David's son Toby (Adam Brody).  When Nina goes over to hang out with Toby, he ends up passing out on the couch.  Since Toby is asleep, Nina wanders through the house and finds David.  They soon realize there is chemistry between them, and when they act on that chemistry the film gets quite interesting.

The rest of the movie has David and Nina trying to work things out between them, her parents, and David's other two children.  It is a funny, yet moving film about how quickly lives can be changed forever.  The film always manages to feels quite real, and it is never boring.

Things don't go as you might expect they would in this film.  There were a few of time where I expected the film would go a certain direction, but I was pleasantly surprised when it did not.  As you would expect, there are a few uncomfortable moments, but overall I found the film quite entertaining.

The acting in this film is top notch, which is good considering in a film like this the acting is the center point of the whole movie.  Since there are no special effects or CGI it stands to reason that the acting becomes key.  The actors really make the characters come to life.  You feel like you are living in the neighborhood with these people watching their lives unfold.

Since I am married to a costumer I need to point out the costumes in the film.  While nothing spectacular, when compared to a period piece (Lord of the Rings, Titanic, Labyrinth) they are still quite well thought out.  Every character has on clothing that seems appropriate.  The costumes always match the scenes in which they are being worn as well.  Formal clothing for formal situations and casual for casual situations.

If you are looking for a film that will make you think, and feel then this is certainly a great choice for you.  If you like comedies that are a touch uncomfortable to watch then you should pick this one up right now.  No, really got out and rent a copy because this is comic gold.

As everyone knows I am a huge stickler for how a movie ends.  If you have not read any of my previous reviews then I will restate this fact.  The ending of a movie is perhaps the most important part of the film for me.  The ending can make a crappy movie good, or make an amazing movie into a steaming pile of dung.  This film had a very realistic ending, which suits this movie quite well.  Having given it some though it really seems like the most logical ending I could imagine.

I would rate this film four smiley Mike heads, but when you add in the great acting and interesting subject matter I have to rate this film four and a half out of five smiley Mike heads.

Movie Review - Beginners

This film is an amazingly human film.  It has odd uncomfortable scenes, but there is also happiness, love and compassion.  The film is Beginners staring Ewan McGregor and Mélanie Laurent.

When I picked it up I knew it was not your average Hollywood movie, but it truly surprised me with its depth.  The film follows the events surrounding the life and death of Hal Fields (Christopher Plummer) as see from the eyes of his adult son Oliver Fields (Ewan McGregor).

There are no fancy special effects, explosions, car chases, or expensive costumes.  This film really is all about the story, the actors, and their emotions.  The film time shifts quite a bit between the past and the present, but the flow between time shifts is really well mapped out, so it is easy to follow the story.  It really is quite interesting to follow the path of the story to get to the end of the film.  This film has heart, and it shows in every scene.

Because the characters drive the story the acting is really critical to the success of the film.  The actors certainly did not disappoint you with their performances.  One must really give credit to the casting department for finding such great actors to fit the parts.  The characters are so well thought out, they are complete with character flaws and quirks to boot.  It makes you think that you might very well know some of the people in the film in your everyday life.

I really enjoyed this film, occasional uncomfortable scene aside, it really is worth watching.  I like films that make me stop and think, feel, and appreciate the life we live.  Yes there is loss, and heartache, but there is also happiness and joy.  There is also a sense of wonder, and just being happy with what you have and who you have in your life right now.  I rarely feel that sense of wonder when watching a film, so I try to give credit to the ones that can do that for me.

If you like movies that make you feel something, and take you on a journey, then I highly recommend this film for you to watch.  Plus it would make a good date night movie.  Who doesn't want a sobbing date leaning on your shoulder by the end of the movie.

I rate this film four and a half out of five smiley Mike heads.

Movie Review - Star Trek Into Darkness

This is quite possibly the best Star Trek movie in recent history.  The film, Star Trek Into Darkness.

The plot of this film is amazingly well written.  There are parallels to previous Star Trek films that are extraordinarily well laid out.  When I saw the previews for this film I thought that it was simply a movie about a war (Star Trek DS9 anyone); however I was pleasantly surprised with the events of this film.  Sure there is fighting, and destruction, but what good Star Trek film does not have these elements.

The acting was spectacular.  We have the same actors from the first film reprising their roles as the most famous crew members.  The casting in these films is a stroke of genius.  With famous actors such as Karl Urban as Bones, Zachary Quinto as Spock, and one of my personal favorites Simon Pegg as Scotty.  Having strong actors playing well established characters makes for a very entertaining film experience.  Heck we even have Leonard Nimoy coming back for a cameo as old Spock in this film.  The fact that both of these new Star Trek films take place in an alternate universe from the original Star Trek Series certainly frees the actors to perform these roles in a more personal way.  It means they don't have to strive to perform the roles just like the actors that made the characters famous.

The special effects are just stellar in this film.  Oh how technology advances, you almost feel like you are getting dirty when they are in the volcano.  You can see every bit of dirt and grime and space debris in the special effects shots now.  These sorts of shots were just not possible even three to five years ago.  I do like how they took some creative liberties with the ships and the weapons to make them fit in with our modern style while still resembling the devices of the original series (TOS).  While we are talking about effects, I have to say the transporter is one of the cooler effects in this film.  Redesigned to be something totally unique when compared to the rest of the Star Trek universe.  The swirly yellowish lights are fantastic to watch as the people get beamed off to a distant location.

The costumes in this new Star Trek universe are excellent.  As many other things in these two new films the costumes resemble the uniforms of TOS while still being fresh and modern.  I cannot imagine the amount of costume people they must have to create and fit all of the people in this film.  The main crew aside there are perhaps upwards of twenty people in just about every scene.  This is an insane amount of costumes for one film.

If you liked the first film you will love this film.  If you have ever seen the original Star Trek films then you are in for a real treat with this film.  I don't want to give anything away, but it is pretty great.  Even as a action film set in space it is pretty darn cool.  I highly recommend this film to anyone who likes a great story and powerful acting.

I rate this film five out of five smiley Mike heads for amazing effects, spectacular acting, and a fantastic script.

Movie Review - Larry Crowne

Hello folks, it's Baatezuu back for another movie review.  This evening's movie was Larry Crowne.  This film was a bit more than your standard romantic comedy.  It was the story of redemption and reinvention. 

We follow Larry Crowne (Tom Hanks), as the title would suggest, as he has a collection of the worst moments in his life.  It is really what Larry does with those downfalls that makes this movie so interesting.  Where some people would think that their lives our over, Larry manages to pick himself up and make things better.

The acting in this movie is really great.  Tom Hanks is a spectacular actor, he does a great job portraying the average guy with a positive attitude.  He brings a upbeat energy to Larry that is necessary to make you like him.  If Larry was a grumpy sad sack this film would be very boring to watch.  Julia Roberts as Mercedes Tainot, was a wonderful bit of casting.  Julia is an amazing actor that brings strength to the character of Mrs. Tainot.  Mercedes is also going through a transformation in this film.  When we meet her she has become stagnant, and has lost her passion for teaching.  By the end of the film you can see a metamorphosis in her character.

Costumes are a very big part of this film, and help portray the changes that are going on in Larry's life.  We start with boring and drab, and we end up with chic and suave.  The costume designer must have had some great fun with this film, since we have many different styles of costume throughout.

There were quite a few interesting locations for this film.  Many of the places he visits in the film look like authentic, real life places.  The locations are just as much a part of the film as the actors themselves.

As for his experiences in community college, they differ greatly from my own.  Perhaps that is because I am going to school in Michigan and not in California.  Or perhaps Larry is just a friendlier guy than I am.  I don't mean to say anything in the story is unrealistic, but it would certainly take the right set of circumstances for everything to fall into place like it did in this film.

If you like character based films where people seem genuine, and the characters learn and grow from their experiences, than this is certainly a film you should not miss.

I rate this film four and a half smiley Mike heads. The characters were amazingly well thought out and it was set in a modern realistic setting.  I almost forgot to mention George Takei as Dr. Ed Matsutani.  As always he is a great actor, I love his evil laugh in this film, it is so well placed.