Her (2013)

Genre: Science-fiction / Romance / Drama
Directed by: Spike Jonze
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams
Time: 126 minutes

 

In a Los Angeles of a not-so-distant future, Theodore Twombly is a lonely man working for a company where he writes personal letters for people who cannot express themselves to their loved ones. Still reeling from his divorce from his high school sweetheart, Theodore purchases an operating system as a virtual personal assistant. He chooses a female voice for his OS, who then chose the name Samantha for herself. Theodore ends up falling in love and starting a relationship with his operating system.

The science-fiction element of this story is very light. A little over ten years later, this film is more actual than ever, with technology and AI taking more and more space in our daily lives. This film offers a compelling look at the complexity of human relationships in a modern era.

The acting here was solid from everyone. I was pulled into this story and was hooked all the way through. Loved it.

Rating: «««««

R.I.P.D. (2013)

Genre: Action / Comedy
Directed by: Robert Schwentke
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Ryan Reynolds, Kevin Bacon
Time: 96 minutes

 

Nick Walker is a Boston police officer who gets shot down by his partner in a dispute over what to do with gold found on a drug bust. As he goes in the afterlife, Nick is recruited to join the R.I.P.D. (Rest in Peace Department), a supernatural police force that works at catching dead souls that are roaming around after escaping judgement. Nick is teamed up with Roicephus Pulsipher, a lawman from the Old West. Together, they will try bringing down the man who shot Nick, a crooked cop who seems to be involved in an elaborate plan to set a pathway for the dead back on Earth.

This comic book adaptation has its moments, but they are few and far between. The story is silly, and the acting performances are uninspired. A few scenes made me smile or laugh mildly, but the rest is quite forgettable.

Rating: ««

Oblivion (2013)

Genre: Science-fiction
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Cast: Ton Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Olga Kurylenko
Time: 124 minutes

 

In 2077, Earth has long been destroyed by an alien war. Jack Harper has had his memory erased and given a mission, in a life set up for him, as a repair technician. When someone from his past appears again in his life, it starts jogging his memory and forces him to question the truth about the war.

While Tom Cruise offers a good performance here and the film is visually impressive, the story feels so thinly scripted that it was hard to get emotionally involved in it. Business picked up somewhat close to the end, but it faded fast. In the end, a very disappointing movie.

Rating: ««

Between Us (2012)

Genre: Drama
Directed by: Dan Mirvish
Cast: Julia Stiles, Melissa George, Taye Diggs, David Harbour
Time: 90 minutes

 

Two couples who were longtime friends meet each other again for one fiery evening of discussions, a couple of years after having a falling out over the course of another eventful evening. On this reunion, they find each other in very different places in the terms of marriage, love, family and money.

This film is based on a play, and it shows. The atmosphere is very tight, as if confined to a very small areas, and it helps to set the tone for the story being told on screen. All four actors do a solid job in their respective roles. I was pulled into this one. Well done.

Rating: ««««

Dolphin Tale (2011)

Genre: Drama
Directed by: Charles Martin Smith
Cast: Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd, Nathan Gamble, Kris Kristofferson
Time: 112 minutes

 

Sawyer Nelson is an 11-year-old boy who has been having a hard time with his life ever since his father left his family. Now, his only friend, his college-age cousin, leaves for the army, also leaving him behind. On his way to summer school, to make up for his failing grades, Sawyer comes upon a bottlenose dolphin stuck in a crab cage on a Florida shore. The young boy slowly gets more and more involved in the care of that dolphin, by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, and in the development of a prosthetic tail for the crippled mammal.

This film is based on a book and on the true story of a dolphin called Winter, who was rescued in Florida. Usually, I find these movies sappy, but the good acting by the ensemble cast and the compelling story touched me. I might be getting old, but the cuteness touched my heart. I really enjoyed this film.

Rating: ««««

The Conjuring (2013)

Genre: Horror
Directed by: James Wan
Cast: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Ron Livingston, Lili Taylor
Time: 112 minutes

 

Ed and Lorraine Warren are a couple who together as paranormal investigators. As part of their work, they come to the assistance to the Perron family, who just bought a farmhouse in rural New Hampshire and who are experiencing increasingly frightening bizarre events inside their new home.

This film is inspired by events that supposedly happened to real people. I remain skeptical of paranormal activities, but, as a horror film, this is really well done. The acting is very good, and the storytelling on screen is solid. Many psychologic horror devices are effectively used here, keeping the viewer on the edge of his seat. I enjoyed this one very much.

Rating: ««««

Pacific Rim Uprising

Genre: Science-fiction
Directed by: Steven S. DeKnight
Cast: John Boyega, Scott Eastwood, Cailee Spaeny
Time: 111 minutes

 

Ten years after the events of the original film, Jake Pentecost is given one more chance to give up his life of crime and to live up to his father’s heroic legacy by joining the fight against another Kaiju attack aimed at the destroying the world.

In this second installment, the characters were not as strong, and the story felt a little too convoluted for my tastes. While it is impressive visually speaking, Pacific Rim Uprising felt very much inferior to its predecessor.

Rating: ««