Wild: Movie Review

A simple and beautiful journey through the wilds of California and the mind.

Wild is an apt title for the film and Cheryl Strayed's memoirs that it is based on about her journey from depression through drug addiction to an actual physical 1,100-mile journey along the Pacific Coast Trail to find herself. The title applies to both Cheryl's wild past including drugs, alcohol, more drugs, and even more men, and the unforgiving wild terrain from the deserts of southern California to the snow-covered mountains of northern California and the hippies in Oregon.		2014 Directed by: Jean-Marc Vallée Screenplay by: Nick Hornby Based on the memoir by Cheryl Strayed Starring: Reese Witherspoon

Foxcatcher: Movie Review

A cold atmosphere for a heartless act.

Murder is a dark and cold act, so the story that leads up to it might as well be as dark and cold as you can make it. Such seems to be the thought that goes into the crafting of Foxcatcher. It is meticulously crafted, but also as austere and void of warmth that most films would dare to be. This one goes further. It presents the true story of ornithologist, philatelist and philanthropist John E. du Pont (Steve Carell) who persuades wrestling champion Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) and brother David (Mark Ruffalo) to join his team.		2014 Directed by: Bennett Miller Screenplay by: E. Max Frye, Dan Futterman Starring: Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, and Mark Ruffalo

Take Care: Movie Review

Taking their sweet time to get to a charming romantic comedy.

Leslie Bibb stars as Frannie, a young woman immobilized by a car accident and finds that independent living is significantly more difficult without the ability to walk around. Her friends and family abandon her in her time of need, so Frannie decides to turn to her ex-boyfriend Devon (Thomas Sadoski) for help. Take Care is indeed a romantic comedy; sometimes light on the comedy, sometimes light on the romance, but it all comes together in the end.		2014 Directed by: Liz Tuccillo Screenplay by: Liz Tuccillo Starring: Leslie Bibb, Thomas Sadoski

The Imitation Game: Movie Review

Codes, war and homosexuality in an interesting balancing act.

A bio-pic of English Mathematician Alan Turing (played here by Benedict Cumberbatch),  The Imitation Game  has to juggle his extreme ego (probably played up for the purposes of entertainment), his achievements of solving the Enigma code and winning World War II for the Allies, and his homosexuality – a crucial element that makes the interesting film engaging and emotionally-affecting. Focusing on the war years, the film achieved the critical balance.		2014 Directed by: Morten Tyldum Screenplay by: Graham Moore Based on the book by Andrew Hodges Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley and Matthew Goode

Murder of a Cat: Movie Review

A deceptively clever and very funny murder mystery.

Fran Kranz is Clinton - a young man who lives in his mother's basement, wears a robe all day long, has his mother drive him around town, laughs at  Who's the Boss re-runs, and refers to his cat Mouser as his best friend. The comedy angle is clear and it works. Kranz's ability to portray a comedic every-man lends Clinton a perfect amount of familiarity but mixed with an over-the-top ridiculousness that allows the film to take us wherever it wants to go.		2014 Directed by: Gillian Greene Screenplay by: Christian Magalhaes, Robert Snow Starring: Fran Kranz, J.K. Simmons, Greg Kinnear and Nikki Reed

Laggies: Movie Review

Comedy and romance and adults growing up.

Megan (Keira Knightley) is approaching 30, but doesn't seem to have her life figured out the way her friends do – but that's because her friends are naming their baby girl Juppiter and her boyfriend think it's okay to propose at her friend's wedding. In addition, her father's having an affair, and everybody's encouraging her to attend a career seminar where the most important part of professional success is figuring out what animal you are.		2014 Directed by: Lynn Shelton Screenplay by: Andrea Seigel Starring: Keira Knightley, Sam Rocwell, and Chloe Grace Moretz

Horrible Bosses 2: Movie Review

The same funny employees plus more horrible bosses.

The boys are back and they're gonna be in trouble. Nick (Jason Bateman), Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) and Dale (Charlie Day) have decided to go into business for themselves and live the American dream. But their idealism goes up against a spoiled billionaire (Chris Pine) and a pompous multibillionaire (Christoph Waltz), father to the spoiled billionaire, and the results are hilarious. Horrible Bosses 2  has a hard task: make it just as funny without copying the original. For the most part, it succeeds.		2014 Directed by: Sean Anders Screenplay by: Sean Anders, John Morris Starring: Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day, Chris Pine

The Theory of Everything: Movie Review

The dramatic and turbulent life of Stephen Hawking.

Celebrated scientist Stephen Hawking is the subject of the weepy romantic drama biopic The Theory of Everything. In what is presumably a good choice for the film, as it attempts to appeal to everyone, it focuses on his personal life as opposed to his scientific life. Allowing Jane Hawking (Felicity Jones) to be just as important a character as Stephen Hawking (Eddie Redmayne). The two young Brits give star-making performances as husband and wife.		2014 Directed by: James Marsh Screenplay by: Anthony McCarten Based on the book by Jane Hawking Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones

Horns: Movie Review

Original blending of genres wears too thin.

The story of a young man determined to get to the truth behind his girlfriend's murder, Horns adds elements of fantasy, comedy and horror to the mystery. Daniel Radcliffe stars as Ig Parrish. Ig was hopelessly in love until the death of girlfriend Merrin (Juno Temple). And then he was instantly pegged as the prime suspect, thrust into the media spotlight and banished into the hells of reality as an evil-doer.		2013 Directed by: Alexandre Aja Screenplay by: Keith Bunin Based on the novel by Joe Hill Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Max Minghella

Whiplash: Movie Review

Each drum beat raises the intensity and the stakes of achieving greatness.

Whiplash stars Miles Teller as Andrew Nieman, a promising young drummer attending a prestigious music school in New York City. He's an earnest, hard-working guy determined to achieve greatness. And that's exactly where the film first shows how unique and different this is going to be. While Andrew appears to be a sweet but shy guy deserving of our sympathies, his drive for greatness is going to drive the audience to edge of their seat and the edge of sanity.		2014 Directed by: Damien Chazelle Screenplay by: Damien Chazelle Starring: Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons

Pride: Movie Review

Cheering along with a film full of passion.

Set in the 1980s when gays and lesbians struggled to gain acceptance and equality in society, Pride manages to find another segment of society undergoing similar hostility from the police, Margaret Thatcher and the government. Book-ended by the 1984 and 1985 gay pride parades in London, the time in between was marked by the major miner’s strike – causing massive turmoil for everyone involved.		2014 Directed by: Matthew Warcus Screenplay by: Stephen Beresford Starring: Ben Schnetzer, Dominic West, Jessica Gunning, Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton

Birdman: Movie Review

Flying away from the weight of ego, success and celebrity with humour, intelligence and ambition.

Birdman the incredibly ambitious film about celebrity, fame, popularity, acting, creating, fatherhood, relationships, death, media and the overwhelming weight of ego is indeed about all of that. Micheal Keaton as Riggan Thomson is the titular Birdman, a popular fictional superhero in the vain of Batman, Spiderman or Iron Man, but that was decades ago and now Riggan is a washed up former superhero hanging onto to the last vestiges of celebrity and who he knows himself as.		2014 Directed by: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu Screenplay by: Alejandro Gonzales Inarrituo, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Armando Bo Starring: Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Zach Galifianakis and Emma Stone

Nightcrawler: Movie Review

Immorality drives this tale of crime journalism to the end.

Nightcrawler is what Jake Gyllenhaal’s Lou Bloom is. He’s a thief, a beggar, a student of life, a journalist, a wannabe business man, and a man driven for work. He’s lured into the business of nighttime crime journalism and learns how to make a quick buck, and more importantly to him, respect. The fact that he’s making money off of other people’s death and misery (and in essence undermining the police) doesn’t faze him in the slightest.		2014 Directed by: Dan Gilroy Screenplay by: Dan Gilroy Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo

Maps to the Stars: Movie Review

Lost in a world of fame, tragedy, celebrity and incest.

Maps to the Stars Or: How To Turn Personal Tragedy Into Fame, Money and Celebrity is how I would title this thoroughly disturbing tale about the Hollywood lifestyle by director David Cronenberg and writer Bruce Wagner. Agatha (Mia Wasikowska) is new in LA, ready for a tour of stars’ homes, chasing the celebrity dream and determined to cash in on her twitter friendship with Carrie Fisher. Oh, and she might have ulterior motives.		2014 Directed by: David Cronenberg Screenplay by: Bruce Wagner Starring: Julianne Moore, Mia Wasikowska, John Cusack, Evan Bird and Robert Pattinson

The Heart Machine: Movie Review

Romantic drama that's running on empty.

The Heart Machine is a romantic drama thriller. One that is entirely driven by one thought; one part of a plot where characters are minimal and supporting characters and storylines are nonexistent. Cody (John Gallagher Jr.) is an awkward love-struck man in Brooklyn who’s in a long-distance relationship. Virginia (Kate Lyn Sheil) is his Skype girlfriend living in Berlin. Or so she says. She might be lying and Cody’s starting to suspect that she’s actually in New York.		2014 Directed by: Zachary Wigon Screenplay by: Zachary Wigon Starring: John Gallagher Jr., Kate Lyn Sheil

St. Vincent: Movie Review

Predictability outweighs the comedy and drama of “St. Vincent”.

St. Vincent stars Bill Murray as Vincent, a man who on the surface appears to be anything but a saint. He spends his days drinking and gambling and grumbling throughout life. But it’s fair to say that there’s more to him than meets the eye and the son of his next door neighbor starts to see Vincent as a real-life, everyday saint. It’s an uplifting story with plenty of humour and drama alike, and it’s also tediously predictable.		2014 Directed by: Theodore Melfi Screenplay by: Theodore Melfi Starring: Bill Murray, Jaeden Lieberher and Melissa McCarthy

#Stuck: Movie Review

Stuck with characters, dialogue and comedy that all work.

#Stuck starts the morning after a one night stand for Guy (Joel David Moore) and Holly (Madeline Zima), and as one of the lines in the film points out, it’s called the morning after for a reason. Holly is stuck without a car, Guy graciously agrees to drive her back to the bar where they met, and on the way there they get stuck in traffic. The film is about their non-relationship as they are forced to spend approximately one hour in Guy’s car in LA traffic.		2014 Directed by: Stuart Acher Screenplay by: Stuart Acher Starring: Madeline Zima, Joel David Moore

The Best of Me: Movie Review

The worst of Nicholas Sparks.

Ten years ago, Nicholas Sparks’ The Notebook (2004) was released. Its long simmering success has made “the Nicholas Sparks romantic drama” its own brand, helped launch the careers of Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling, and it’s a frequent punch-line in popular movies and shows. It also starred James Marsden in a small role as the man McAdams’ was supposed to marry. This year’s The Best of Me owes a lot to its predecessor, and not just its leading man.		2014 Directed by: Michael Hoffman Screenplay by: J. Mills Goodloe, Will Fetters Based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks Starring: James Marsden, Luke Bracey, Michelle Monaghan and Liana Liberato

Stretch: Movie Review

A wild ride but couldn't put a story together.

Stretch starts with a drunk, coked-out gambling addict getting launched through a car window and then before he lands on the pavement, meets a girl and falls in love. And then the movie just gets crazier after that. The lead character, who calls himself Stretch, gets a job as a limo driver after hitting what he perceives as rock bottom, and then getting clean, getting sober and intending to pay back gambling debts.		2014 Directed by: Joe Carnahan Screenplay by: Joe Carnahan Starring: Patrick Wilson, Jessica Alba

The Judge: Movie Review

A stoic drama about fathers, sons and murder.

Robert Duvall is the titular judge. He’s a hardened man who has worked 42 years as a judge in the small town of Carlinville, Indiana. Robert Downey Jr. plays the cynical and successful lawyer son who left for the big city of Chicago, Illinois. The Judge focuses on their relationship when the prodigal son returns home for the funeral of his mother. The movie then steps up its game when it also becomes a murder mystery.		2014 Directed by: David Dobkin Screenplay by: Nick Schenk, Bill Dubuque Starring: Robert Duvall, Robert Downey Jr.

Men, Women & Children: Movie Review

A drama about the dangers of modern life failed to create engaging characters.

Men, Women & Children is Jason Reitman’s newest film and yet he has descended even further from the heights of Thank You for Smoking, Juno and Up in the Air. In this drama, he explores the effects the online world has on human relationships and sex in modern times. It’s a concept that has been covered and will be covered countless more times. But it’s a lackluster affair despite the star-studded cast because the characters are all so unappealing.		2014 Directed by: Jason Reitman Screenplay by: Jason Reitman, Erin Cressida Wilson; Based on the novel by Chad Kultgen Starring: Adam Sandler, Jennifer Garner, Judy Greer and Ansel Elgort

Gone Girl: Movie Review

Implores you to not take appearances at face value as the characters cut a dark tale of marriage.

The titular gone girl is Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike), wife of Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) and he’s the prime suspect in his wife’s disappearance. Not just because it’s always the husband, but also because their marriage is failing, she’s kept a diary detailing all the horrible things he’s done and all clues lead back to him. The great thing about Gone Girl the thriller is that these clues aren’t meant to deceive but to lead the audience. It’s simply a story of what happened, but with twists aplenty.		2014 Directed by: David Fincher Screenplay by: Gillian Flynn Based on novel by Gillian Flynn Starring: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike

The Skeleton Twins: Movie Review

Establishing selfishness before their more interesting layers, the despondent skeleton twins are more lifeless than they should be.

In a movie marketed as a comedy, stars Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig should have no problem carrying it no matter what kind of difficulties the film may have. But The Skeleton Twins is not a comedy. It’s a very sullen drama that throws in a few scenes of comedy either because Hader and Wiig deserve the chance to make the audience laugh, or because the film wanted to prove how edgy they can be.		2014 Directed by: Craig Johnson Screenplay by: Mark Heyman, and Craig Johnson Starring: Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig

That Burning Feeling: Movie Review

Familiar romantic comedy clichés drag down the fresh and funny start.

A romantic comedy about sexually transmitted diseases sounds off-beat enough that it just might work, and it almost does. That Burning Feeling starts off funny enough. Adam Murphy (Paulo Costanzo) is the right-hand man for an unscrupulous real estate mogul, played by John Cho. Their complete lack of ethics coupled with the belief that who they are and what they do is so important is funny.		2013 Directed by: Jason James Screenplay by: Nick Citton Starring: Paulo Costanzo, John Cho

Night Moves: Movie Review

Dark and gripping atmosphere filled with guilt and paranoia permeate this tale of activism.

Josh (Jesse Eisenberg) and Dena (Dakota Fanning) are two young environmentalists. They’re activists who want to change the world with one big plan. But Night Moves presents that big plan in a small way, focusing entirely on the characters and their actions and becomes so much bigger than an “environmental movie.” This is more universal than being about eco-terrorists. This is about anybody who commits a crime and thinks they’re righteous.		2013 Directed by: Kelly Reichardt Screenplay by: Jon Raymond, Kelly Reichardt Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Dakota Fanning and Peter Sarsgaard

Life After Beth: Movie Review

Life, death, Beth and funny zombies.

Some films blur the lines between good and evil, right and wrong, or friends and lovers. Life After Beth blurs the line between life and death. Even Beth herself explains that there’s alive and then there’s dead, and you can’t be both. If you could be both, things would get pretty bad, and weird. Especially weird.		2014 Directed by: Jeff Baena Screenplay by: Jeff Baena Starring: Dane DeHaan, Aubrey Plaza

The Captive: Movie Review

Not captivating enough for a crime thriller.

Atom Egoyan’s second thriller this year and another one about crimes against children. The Captive starts with the kidnapped Cassandra being held captive by the perpetrator himself. It’s an odd way to start the film with the audience knowing who did it. The why he did it is pretty clear too, he’s a creep. It’s hard to create suspense when the audience knows who the authorities are trying to catch.		2014 Directed by: Atom Egoyan Screenplay by: Atom Egoyan, David Fraser Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Scott Speedman, and Rosario Dawson

Calvary: Movie Review

The dark past of the Catholic Church turned into a darkly comedic tale of morality.

Calvary starts dark and never lightens up, but gives you plenty of humour and food for thought along the way. Father James (Brendan Gleeson) is a Catholic priest in a small village in Ireland. The opening confessional has one of his parishioners telling him they’re going to kill him in exchange for the molestation that he experienced at the hands of a priest when he was a young boy. Father James is innocent, but does that make him a good person?		2014 Directed by: John Michael McDonagh Screenplay by: John Michael McDonagh Starring: Brendan Gleeson

Obvious Child: Movie Review

Surpassing the romantic comedy genre with hilarity.

Obvious Child stars Jenny Slate as Donna Stern. She’s an aspiring stand-up comedian, and night after night she bares her soul for everybody to see who she is, to relate to her, to laugh at her, and to laugh with her. Her material is certainly risqué but it’s also just life. She challenges everybody with acknowledging the facts of life and then just laughing at the absurdities of it all.		2014 Directed by: Gillian Robespierre Screenplay by: Gillian Robespierre Starring: Jenny Slate, Jake Lacy and Gaby Hoffman

The One I Love: Movie Review

One part reality, one part mystery, one part love.

The One I Love stars Mark Duplass and Elisabeth Moss as a married couple desperately trying to recapture the spark, magic and love of their marriage. Their therapist suggests a weekend away is all they need. A house, a gardened backyard, a pool and a guest house is theirs to make use of as they will. While both are willing to try, I would venture that both are looking too far outside themselves.		2014 Directed by: Charlie McDowell Screenplay by: Justin Lader Starring: Mark Duplass, Elisabeth Moss

Very Good Girls: Movie Review

Very dull girls make for a dull movie.

Very Good Girls opens with Lilly (Dakota Fanning) and Gerri (Elizabeth Olsen) skinny dipping at a public beach in the middle of the day and with that the girls shed their good girl exteriors. It’s the summer before college and they’re struggling with that coming of age time. They’re virgins, their happiness and their confidence is fragile, and they’re both determined to change who they are, or how they are perceived.		2013 Directed by: Naomi Foner Screenplay by: Naomi Foner Starring: Dakota Fanning, Elizabeth Olsen

Camp Takota: Movie Review

Going back to camp with three funny and entertaining women.

Camp Takota starts in the city where Elise (Grace Helbig) has a handsome fiancée and is dutifully working in the publishing industry before she finds success as a writer. Then that all comes crashing down and through a series of drunken phone calls, finds herself returning to work at the all-girls camp she used to attend as a kid. The opening is surprisingly very funny and Elise’s flaws are front-and-center, making her likable and entertaining.		2014 Directed by: Chris Riedell, Nick Riedell Screenplay by: Lydia Genner, Mamrie Hart and Michael Goldfine Starring: Grace Helbig, Hannah Hart and Mamrie Hart

Are You Here: Movie Review

Here, there, life is everywhere.

Are You Here is a light-hearted drama about some of life’s heavier themes – death, love, friendship, moving on and what it all means, and then offers some interesting laughs at the strangest times. Whatever you thought this film was supposed to be, it’s not that. It is a comedy, but hardly the road trip comedy it's advertised as. It's funny and clever, and it most certainly is a very odd look at life after loss.		2013 Directed by: Matthew Weiner Screenplay by: Matthew Weiner Starring: Zach Galifianakis, Owen Wilson

What If: Movie Review (AKA The F Word)

A romantic comedy with romance and comedy.

What If asks questions like, “what if your best friend is also the love of your life?” Alternate title The F Word stands for friendship, but it also wants to make sure you know how fun, fresh and explicit the dialogue is. Like a modern take on When Harry Met Sally, but one of the best things about the movie is that it’s a pure romantic comedy — plenty of romance and comedy and never veering away from that.		2013 Directed by: Michael Dowse Screenplay by: Elan Mastai Based on play by TJ Dawe, Michael Rinaldi Starring: Daniel Radcliffe and Zoe Kazan

About Alex: Movie Review

About an ensemble that gives a new generation a film to call their own.

About Alex is advertised as The Big Chill (1984) for Millennials or Gen Yers, but in an effort to not sell this film short, it’s for anybody who was too young to be able to call The Big Chill their own. The main actors are all over 30 and the social media references weren’t over-done. It also boasts an indie cast to die for. I’m a big fan of pretty much all of them and they are cast perfectly for their skills.		2014 Directed by: Jesse Zwick Screenplay by: Jesse Zwick Starring: Jason Ritter, Nate Parker, Aubrey Plaza, Max Greenfield and Maggie Grace

If I Stay: Movie Review

Come for the tears, stay for the romance.

If I Stay builds up the characters and their relationships long before it really presents the title dilemma, but that’s probably best for your tear ducts. Only a fraction of the movie is set in present day but the car accident that places 17-year-old Mia Hall (Chloe Grace Moretz) in a coma is at the beginning and then we get flashbacks to her childhood, musical education and especially to her boyfriend Adam. It’s just as much a romantic drama as it is a tear-jerker.		2014 Directed by: R.J. Cutler Screenplay by: Shauna Cross Based on novel by Gayle Forman Starring: Chloe Grace Moretz, and Jamie Blackley

Magic in the Moonlight: Movie Review

A whimsical air of love and magic.

There are two movies within Magic in the Moonlight. One is a plot-driven, thematically-heavy comedy about a realist magician desperate to unmask the secrets of a spiritualist. The second is like a romantic drama asking if opposites can attract. The former is much better but knowing that Woody Allen isn’t going to include unconnected ideas, the film can be quite good for his die hard fans.		2014 Directed by: Woody Allen Screenplay by: Woody Allen Starring: Colin Firth, Emma Stone

Into the Storm: Movie Review

Into a whirlwind of intense stupidity.

“Let’s get outta here!” There’s a storm coming, so this means every character must scream that sentence every 20 minutes. Audiences should also heed their warning and just run aimlessly wherever you feel like it. The tornadoes (yes, that is plural, not just one tornado) in Into the Storm are far greater than anything ever recorded and not even storm shelters can save you.		2014 Directed by: Steven Quale Screenplay by: John Swetnam Starring: Richard Armitage, Sarah Wayne Callies

Boyhood: Movie Review

An epic slice of Texas life.

Boyhood literally examines all the points that make up a boy’s formative years. While viewers are free to extrapolate it to any boy, this movie is about one boy. Writer and director Richard Linklater first cast Ellar Coltrane as Mason at age 6 and filmed him and his movie family for the next 12 years. It is a flawless, moving piece of life in general that encapsulates all major moments and emotions.		2014 Directed by: Richard Linklater Screenplay by: Richard Linklater Starring: Ellar Coltrane, Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke and Lorelei Linklater