Friday, October 30, 2015

Drama is Back & Fall Oscar Track



MAZE RUNNER: SCORCH TRIALS
ACTION/SCI-FI

PLOT:  The sequel to Maze Runner.

                Thomas (Dylan O Brien) and others survive the endless, dirty labyrinth in the first movie now they are in more danger by the mysterious organization WCKD.  At first they seem friendly but soon the gang finds out their true intentions and they escape on the run again.  The film is very exciting.   Read the book because there isn’t much character development because of the all the action.


THE MARTIAN
SCI-FI/DRAMA

PLOT:  Astronaut is left by accident on Mars and has to survive.

                Based on the novel by Andy Weir in 2011 the story is about Mark Watney (Mark Damon) is all alone on Mars and he has to think of ingenious ways to stay alive until he gets help.  He has a good sense of humor, intelligence and sheer willpower.  It has some scary moments but it is not action packed so don’t expect it.  If you like Gravity and I am stretching it- Castaway in outer space you will like this movie.  The cast is fantastic which includes Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig (Saturday Night Live), Michael Pena, Sean Bean, Kate Mara (Fantastic Four), Sebastian Stan (The Winter Solider) and Chiwetel Ejiofor.


BLACK MASS
CRIME DRAMA

PLOT:  True story about gangster James “Whitey” Bulger who lived in Boston.

                Johnny Depp (Captain Jack, Lone Ranger) is a grim, intense, controlling criminal.  He has no redeeming qualities except he cares for his brother played by Benedict Cumberbatch (Star Trek into Darkness), his mom and his son.  Dakota Johnson (Fifty Shades of Grey) is convincing as his wife.  He transformed himself into this horrible human being but really are there any nice mobsters out there?  It is very violent and you don’t know are the cops are just as bad as the criminals!  The cinematography by Masanobu Takayanagi is amazing and the music by Tom Holkenborg is haunting.  The film is good but Depp is great.
         
      
SICARIO
CRIME DRAMA

PLOT:  An FBI agent joins a military task force to take out a major cartel in Mexico.

                Kate (Emily Blunt, Edge of Tomorrow) is a woman who joins an elite group to destroy a cartel in Mexico.  Her team is Josh Brolin, Daniel Kaluuya and Benicio Del Toro but she realizes she can’t tell the good guys from the bad guys!  Sicario means ‘hitman’ in Mexican and you won’t believe who that is.  It is well made, very violent and very terrifying.  It is not action packed but when it comes it is intense! 


THE PERFECT GUY
SUSPENSE DRAMA

PLOT:  Attractive black woman dates a stalker.

                Leah (Sanaa Lathan, the Best Man, Best Man Holiday) is an attractive, smart woman who wants a family but Dave (Morris Chestnut, TV show Rosewood) is not ready for commitment.  She breaks up with him and after two months she likes Carter (Michael Ealy, About Last Night) who is the perfect guy for awhile.  Okay, this movie could easily be a Lifetime movie but what makes it so different is that black actors and actress are in the lead parts.  Ealy who was also in For Color Girls played crazy before and did such a great job he might be typecast.  It was a hit in theaters and if you like women in jeopardy films you will enjoy this.


BRIDGE OF SPIES
DRAMA/THRILLER

PLOT:  Lawyer in the cold war era exchanges a Soviet spy.

                Let me say this is not a James Bond movie even though it has spies in the title.  It is a talky, intense film.  James B. Donovan ( Tom Hanks) who is a lawyer who defends a spy Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance) in the US in the 50’s.  Most of America wanted the death penalty but he only receives years in jail. The CIA wants Donovan to go under the radar to negotiate to get Abel back to his country for exchange for a US soldier and a student studying economics in Soviet Union.  Hanks is good as usual playing the average guy in extraordinary circumstances and the rest of the cast is amazing.

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