Holy shit. That's all I have to say. To think that 'only' eleven people were killed when the Deepwater Horizon essentially exploded probably sounds callous, but honestly, the fact that so many people did escape and survive is unbelievable. Peter Berg's film starts off with ominous foreboding, with the crew who is supposed to do some concrete testing leaving before that happens, and BP executives complaining about being over budget and behind schedule. You might think you were watching something like Towering Inferno or Earthquake, a fictionalized disaster film with a few heroes saving the day...except, it was true and it happened. Mark Wahlberg as Mike Williams and Kurt Russell as James Harrell, called Mr. Jimmy by his crew are the good guys and John Malkovich as Donald Vidrine and Brad Leland as Robert Kaluza from British Petroleum are cast very clearly as the bad guys. Vidrine is pushing to get the rig ready to drill, and Mr. Jimmy (and most of his crew) are not sure everything is safe. They run a few tests, but don't get the anticipated red flags, and begin the process. Things go badly almost immediately, and even though I knew the outcome, it was mind-blowing to watch as events unfolded (I'm sure there was some dramatization, but I have no doubt there was extreme chaos and havoc being wreaked), and unreal how these guys (almost all guys except for Andrea Fleytas (Gina Rodriguez)) still tried to stop the pumps, help each other, get the lifeboats, etc. etc. From an action movie standpoint, I was on the edge of my seat. Mark Wahlberg plays certain roles very well, the action guy with a big heart, and he does that here. That's not a knock or anything, I was certainly rooting for him. I love Kurt Russell (most specifically his hair, but that's for another time) and he does not disappoint here as Mr. Jimmy, who knows his crew, knows the task at hand and totally understands that BP's managers are motivated by the money and not the safety of the crew on the rig; he does everything he can to forestall the operation to guarantee the well-being of everyone. Fleytas stands out as the only woman (that we see) on the rig, but she is entrusted as the rig navigation officer (I don't know how those rigs work, but this one seemed HUGE and full of so many moving parts and components). On more than one occasion, I wanted to punch John Malkovich's character in the mouth, which may have been the reaction he wanted. There is a domestic component with Kate Hudson playing Felicia Williams, Mike's wife; Mike and Felicia are Skyping when the explosions start. It may have happened in real life, but I think it interrupted the flow of the movie and wasn't entirely necessary. The Deepwater Horizon disaster happened in 2010, but the effects are still being felt in the Gulf. The movie is definitely worth your time.
2/3/17 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, nominated Best Sound Mixing, 2016
This is another historical event that played out in front of my eyes; I remember watching the television in the lunchroom at work and not wanting to believe it, and also remembering there was so much confusion and unreliable news reports. Similar to Deepwater Horizon, we see the events behind the news stories. In 2012, Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens visited a diplomatic compound (not an official embassy) in Benghazi, Libya, on the anniversary of 9/11. Meanwhile, a controversial film was released on the Internet which inflamed already tense and aggressive feelings towards Americans. These aggressions were taken out on the compound and a 'hidden' CIA outpost. There are conflicting reports on what happened and what was said, and I have no concrete information, and because these events had repercussive effects on the most recent election, I'm not qualified to comment. As a movie/story, it was a look into the men (mostly men?) who served in the US military and then return to the Middle East as contractors, with all of the risk, but none of the benefits or recognition. As in Deepwater Horizon, we have a 'villain' in the guise of the CIA chief at the outpost, who is adamant the group not reveal themselves to the locals, even if their assistance is needed urgently by the ambassador's team at the diplomatic compound. I'm not a huge fan of director Michael Bay; I'm not sure he would know restraint if it tapped him on the shoulder, but he does give the viewer a sense of being under siege with the soldiers.
2/4/17 The Jungle Book, nominated for Best Visual Effects, 2016
I loved this movie. It surprises me to say that considering I wasn't even going to watch it until it turned up on the list. Jon Favreau did a tremendous job with this live action/CGI take on Rudyard Kipling's stories and obviously the Walt Disney film of The Jungle Book. It combines action, humor, and some music (although honestly, I hardly noticed the music) with some very well-known voices including Bill Murray as Baloo the Bea; Ben Kingsley as Bagheera, a black panther; Lupita Nyong'o as Raksha, a wolf; Idris Elba as Shere Khan the tiger, Mowgli's nemesis; Scarlett Johansson as Kaa, the hypnotic python; Christopher Walken as King Louie, a giant ape (which would have been extinct); and Giancarlo Esposito as Akela, the leader of the wolf pack. The big unknown is the young actor who plays Mowgli, Neel Seethi. This has everything that the classic animated film (and practically every classic Disney film) has, which is anthropomorphic animals that interact with each other, speak with one another, and in this case, speak to the young human among them. Mowgli was found by Bagheera when he was a baby and brought him to Akela and Raksha. Mowgli grows up along with his wolf brothers and sisters and learns the wolf ways, and the ways of the jungle from Bagheera. Things are fine until Shere Khan comes to the community watering hole and threatens Mowgli and his wolf family. This sets Mowgli on his journey as he leaves his wolf family to go back to the human world; as he travels, he meets Kaa the python, and narrowly escapes her clutches, as well as Baloo who is played so perfectly by Bill Murray; and eventually King Louie, king of the monkeys. The screen time with Baloo and Mowgli is hilarious, as Baloo tricks Mowgli into getting his honey from some very angry bees. As much as I loved the visual aspects of the movie, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the characters and the story and dialog. The voice actors were perfectly cast (well, I did struggle a little with Walken's East Coast accent); Elba was suitably menacing, while Kingsley was almost like Obi-Wan Kenobi; I didn't recognize Nyong'o as the voice sounded like a much older actress, but she was wonderfully strong in the face of Shere Khan. Neel Seethi is really amazing for such a young actor, acting with puppet figures and making it very believable. I would say the movie is child friendly, but with many Disney films, there are a few dark elements that might be scary for really young children, but I think kids will enjoy Mowgli's adventures with the animals.
2/4/17 The Jungle Book, nominated for Best Visual Effects, 2016
I loved this movie. It surprises me to say that considering I wasn't even going to watch it until it turned up on the list. Jon Favreau did a tremendous job with this live action/CGI take on Rudyard Kipling's stories and obviously the Walt Disney film of The Jungle Book. It combines action, humor, and some music (although honestly, I hardly noticed the music) with some very well-known voices including Bill Murray as Baloo the Bea; Ben Kingsley as Bagheera, a black panther; Lupita Nyong'o as Raksha, a wolf; Idris Elba as Shere Khan the tiger, Mowgli's nemesis; Scarlett Johansson as Kaa, the hypnotic python; Christopher Walken as King Louie, a giant ape (which would have been extinct); and Giancarlo Esposito as Akela, the leader of the wolf pack. The big unknown is the young actor who plays Mowgli, Neel Seethi. This has everything that the classic animated film (and practically every classic Disney film) has, which is anthropomorphic animals that interact with each other, speak with one another, and in this case, speak to the young human among them. Mowgli was found by Bagheera when he was a baby and brought him to Akela and Raksha. Mowgli grows up along with his wolf brothers and sisters and learns the wolf ways, and the ways of the jungle from Bagheera. Things are fine until Shere Khan comes to the community watering hole and threatens Mowgli and his wolf family. This sets Mowgli on his journey as he leaves his wolf family to go back to the human world; as he travels, he meets Kaa the python, and narrowly escapes her clutches, as well as Baloo who is played so perfectly by Bill Murray; and eventually King Louie, king of the monkeys. The screen time with Baloo and Mowgli is hilarious, as Baloo tricks Mowgli into getting his honey from some very angry bees. As much as I loved the visual aspects of the movie, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the characters and the story and dialog. The voice actors were perfectly cast (well, I did struggle a little with Walken's East Coast accent); Elba was suitably menacing, while Kingsley was almost like Obi-Wan Kenobi; I didn't recognize Nyong'o as the voice sounded like a much older actress, but she was wonderfully strong in the face of Shere Khan. Neel Seethi is really amazing for such a young actor, acting with puppet figures and making it very believable. I would say the movie is child friendly, but with many Disney films, there are a few dark elements that might be scary for really young children, but I think kids will enjoy Mowgli's adventures with the animals.
2/5/17 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, nominated Best Sound Mixing, Best Visual Effects, 2016
You know that feeling you get when you realize the movie you're watching isn't as bad as you thought it was going to be, and even better, that it's actually pretty good and you're enjoying it? Yeah, that feeling. That's how I felt about Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Rogue One can be viewed as a standalone movie, but it has definite ties to the Star Wars saga. Felicity Jones is Jyn Erso, daughter of Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen) a research scientist and a key player in developing the Death Star. Diego Luna is Cassian Andor a captain in the Rebel Alliance. There are no Wookies, but there is a wise-cracking droid, K-2S0, who was reprogrammed by the Rebel Alliance; his exchanges with Jyn and Cassian were some of my favorite moments onscreen. Forest Whitaker is Saw Gerrera, a radical in the Rebel movement and guardian of Jyn when she was a young girl. I honestly think this whole story line could have been eliminated and no harm would have been done to the rest of the plot. I like Whitaker, but he seemed a bit over the top in this role. Boiled down to the most basic plot: the Rebel Alliance is fighting the Imperial Forces and are under threat of an incredible world destroying weapon; Jyn, Cassian and a small cadre of Rebel soldiers take on the job of trying to find the plans of the Death Star. Lord Vader makes a few appearances and is more menacing than I remember. We also get brief glimpses of the beloved C3P0 and R2D2. Once the movie passed the point of Saw Gerrera, I felt the pace picked up and we could get down to brass tacks. My favorite two characters (after K-2S0) were Chirrut Imwe, a blind warrior who seemed a lot like a Jedi to me, and his friend and foil, Baze Malbus; their bickering could not hide their deep friendship and loyalty to one another. The action and effects were spectacular; and I enjoyed the nod to the past films, and trying to figure out how it would all tie together. Even the score tipped its hat to John Williams, while using original music created for this film. I'm glad I saw this on the big screen; I might have even liked it in 3D. This is the front-runner (in my mind) to win the Best Visual Effects Oscar, right up there with Dr. Strange. I'm not sure where it will fall with the Sound Mixing award.
