N Movie Reviews

I review movies from the past and present.

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New account

Hello everyone. Sorry for the inactivity. I will be beginning a new account for both movie and music starting at the beginning of 2017. Check it out @doublemreviews thanks!

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Insomnia (2002) Review

Insomnia (2002) Stars: Al Pacino, Robin Williams, and Hilary Swank Directed by: Christopher Nolan Written by: Hillary Seitz (screenplay), Nikolaj Frobenius, and Erik Skjoldjærg Genres: Drama, Mystery, Thriller Entertainment Value 30/30 + From the instant the film starts, Insomnia remains tense and mysterious and never lets that feeling go + The unpredictability of the movie keeps the viewer on their toes and keeps them guessing what will happen next + Each of the three “acts” of the film are equally interesting and none of the parts feel weaker than the others Story 12/15 + Detective movies are nothing new but Insomnia puts a very interesting twist on the genre by implementing atypical shady acts and a particularly good villain + Although the movie begins as a simple detective case, it quickly devolves in many different side plots / The end of the film seems slightly abrupt and more could have been desired Characters 10/10 + Al Pacino’s character is horribly flawed while still having maintained a very prestigious role in the LA police system, providing for an interesting character development throughout the movie + Robin Williams’ character is incredibly complex and even after the movie finishes, it is difficult to wrap your head around his morals and intentions Writing 10/10 + The dialogue between characters is very interesting, especially when it is apparent that characters aren’t being honest + The side stories that are told about events prior to the movie’s events are very compelling and interesting Acting 10/10 + As the lead, Al Pacino gives a incredibly good performance and his unraveling due to his insomnia is portrayed incredibly well + Both Hilary Swank and Robin Williams are very good supporting actors and they support Al Pacino perfectly Directing 10/10 + Christopher Nolan delivers once again by using a combination of very wide camera angles and very claustrophobic ones that really keep the movie tense + The repetition in imagery that appears through excellent editing is not only important to the story but also very interesting in general Visual Appeal 5/5 + The sunny, Summer Alaskan wilderness is not only beautiful to look at but it also plays a central role to the story Score/Soundtrack 5/5 + The music is very subtle but it adds to the darkness that the movie tries to create Total 97/100

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The Lovely Bones (2009) Movie Review

The Lovely Bones (2009) Stars: Saoirse Ronan, Stanley Tucci, Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon, and Rose McIver Directed by: Peter Jackson Written by: Fran Walsh (screenplay), Philippa Boyens (screenplay), Peter Jackson (screenplay), and Alice Sebold (novel) Genres: Drama, Fantasy Entertainment Value 10/30 + The film does a great job of keeping your attention during the parts of the movie that are crucial to the plot - Sadly, there are many parts of the movie that feel extraneous ans therefore it’s hard to care about them - In classic Peter Jackson fashion, The Lovely Bones is incredibly long. Unfortunately, there is nothing that warrants the extends runtime Story 8/15 + The premise of a dead girl looking down at the world from purgatory is incredibly original and interesting / The side love story is cute but is ultimately irrelevant - Many cliches involving the family dynamic after a child dies are very present in this film and much of the backbone of the plot builds on these cliches Characters 5/10 + Most of the characters are well developed and interesting, especially Tucci’s villainous character - However, Sarandon’s and McIver’s characters don’t make much sense at all their character arcs are really kind of nonsensical Writing 5/10 + For the most part, the dialogue works well, dispute a few hiccups - The tone of The Lovely Bones is one of the most muddled I have ever seen in any movie Acting 8/10 + Tucci steals the show with his Oscar nominated performance as the murderer / The rest of the cast does pretty good, but Mark Wahlberg feels like an awkward casting choice Directing 8/10 + Jackson’s directing, as usual, is incredible and is probably the best part of the film / Some camera work cliches start to pop up when the audience is first shown that the main character is dead Visual Appeal 5/5 + The cinematography is really nice, especially combined with the early 70s aesthetic Special Effects 0/5 - For a movie from 2009, there is absolutely no excuse for CGI as bad as the CGI seen in this movie Score/Soundtrack 5/5 + The music never tries to be anything more than background noise and it works well in the context of the film Total 52/100

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The Shallows (2016) Review

The Shallows (2016) Stars: Blake Lively Directed by: Jaume Collet-Serra Written by: Anthony Jaswinski Genres: Drama, Horror, Thriller Entertainment Value 20/30 + The scenes of people surfing in the beginning of the movie are pretty cool to watch + The last twenty minutes or so of the movie are very action packed and thrilling - The middle of the movie is insanely slow and nothing really happens Story 0/15 - The backstory is essentially 100% irrelevant - The secrecy of this mysterious beach is really kind of stupid - The story of surfer vs shark is really unoriginal Characters 10/10 + Blake Lively’s character is strong but also human and fun to root for + Although there are practically no side characters, they all do their jobs well Writing 0/10 - The exchanges between Lively’s character and the Mexican natives are incredibly dumb due to Lively’s characters small Spanish vocabulary - The conversation between Lively’s character and her sister and father is written very poorly Acting 10/10 + Lively does a really good job at making her performance feel grounded in reality + The side characters do a good enough job at acting Visual Appeal 5/5 + The beach on which the entire movie takes place is absolutely beautiful Special Effects 0/5 - All CGI that is used in this movie is cringe worthy Score/soundtrack 2/5 / the soundtrack is decent but it really makes the tone of the movie feel awkward Total 47/100

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Winter's Bone (2010) Review

Winter’s Bone (2010) Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes, and Dale Dickey Directed by: Debra Granik Written by: Debra Granik (screenplay), Anne Rosellini (screenplay), and Daniel Woodrell (novel) Genres: Drama Entertainment Value 30/30 + the realism of the movie causes you to feel like you’re actually there + the overall grittiness of the film always makes you tense, in a good way + the pacing is absolutely perfect and nothing ever drags too long are seems to quick Story 15/15 + the totally feasible situation allows for a plot that can easily be grasped + nothing ever feels unrealistic, despite how intense many of the events seem to be + the end of the movie is satisfying without feeling necessary Characters 10/10 + Jennifer Lawrence as Ree is a true femme fatale and it’s incredibly easy to root for her + there isn’t a single character in the entire movie that feels unnecessary or out of place Writing 8/10 + hardly any of the dialogue feels scripted and most of it seems truly real / there are instances when the central theme of family seems to be pushed a little too far in conversation Acting 10/10 + at the age of 19, Jennifer Lawrence still gives one of the best performances of the decade + John Hawkes ability to portray so many different emotions with such ease is outstanding Visual Appeal 5/5 + the stark Ozark mountains make for a beautiful yet gritty setting Special effects 3/5 / there are a few instances where there are notable lighting issues Score/soundtrack 5/5 + the use of “mountain music” throughout the movie is obviously fitting and used well Total 96/100

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Sling Blade (1996) Review

Sling Blade (1996) Stars: Billy Bob Thornton, Lucas Black, Dwight Yoakam, and John Ritter Directed by: Billy Bob Thornton Written by: Billy Bob Thornton Genres: Drama Entertainment Value 30/30 + Although nothing too exciting ever happens in the film, it still manages to hold your attention + The dynamic between Thornton and Black’s characters is mood lifting and interesting + The tense moments work very well and you feel uncomfortable when the characters do Story 10/15 + The overall plot is quite intriguing and is something that is completely original / Some developments are never really fleshed out and you kind of feel like you’re missing something once the movie finishes / The ending isn’t bad, but it is very predictable Characters 10/10 + Thornton’s mentally challenged character is very interesting to watch experiencing the real world + Black’s character is a very troubled child and his maturity is refreshing to see in a movie like this Writing 7/10 + A lot of the dialogue is very emotionally powerful / The movie can get a bit preachy at times Acting 10/10 + Thornton’s Oscar nominated performance was extremely deserving + For being only a child, Black gives a very powerful performance Directing 8/10 + The long shots work very well to draw out the tense atmosphere of the scenes / Some of the more experimental shots used in scenes don’t work so well Visual Appeal 3/5 / Nothing really stands out, it’s average Special Effects 3/5 / There are some notable problems with the lighting effects at times Score/Soundtrack 3/5 / Although it works well most of the time, the music seems really out of place in a very important scene near the end of the film Total 84/100

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There Will Be Blood (2007) Review

There Will Be Blood (2007) Stars: Daniel Day-Lewis and Paul Dano Directed by: Paul Thomas Anderson Written by: Paul Thomas Anderson (screenplay) and Upton Sinclair (“Oil!”) Genres: Drama Entertainment Value 20/30 + The last two thirds of the movie get very exciting + The progression of Day-Lewis’ character is fascinating to watch - The first hour of the movie is quite boring Story 15/15 + The story itself isn’t necessarily brand new, but the setting it’s told in and time period make it unique + The themes of madness, power, and religion are really interesting to see unfold + The conclusion is really fitting Characters 8/10 + Day-Lewis’ character is incredibly interesting and his progression of values is very entertaining / The only characters don’t really get enough screen time for you to know them Writing 8/10 + The dialogue in the movie is often very shady and fun to watch unfold / The pacing seems off at times Acting 10/10 + Day-Lewis’ Oscar winning performance is spectacular + Dano’s performance as a pastor is incredibly powerful and his religious fervor is intense Visual Appeal 5/5 + Every set piece perfectly conveys the grittiness of the film Special Effects 5/5 + Every special effect looks really good, especially the fire effects Score/Soundtrack 5/5 + Music is used to really build on the overall tone of the movie Total 86/100

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The Shawshank Redemption (1994) Review

The Shawshank Redemption (1994) Stars: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, and Bob Gunton Directed by: Frank Darabont Written by: Stephen King (short story “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption”) and Frank Darabont (screenplay) Genres: Crime, Drama Entertainment Value 30/30 + Shawshank never seems to slow down, even though there really isn’t much excitement + Lasting over 2 hours long, Shawshank still leaves the viewer wanting more (in a good way) + The prison setting provides for some varied encounters between characters Story 15/15 + The viewer never really knows what’s going to happen next + The ambiguity of the first half of the film leads to a lot of suspense and questions from the audience + The ending is amazing and the last thirty minutes contain some of the best story telling seen on screen Characters 5/10 + Robbins and Freeman’s characters are both incredibly interesting people, especially Robbins’ character - Gunton’s villain never really seems more than the stereotypical evil prison warden Writing 10/10 + Although the dialogue can come off as cheesy sometimes, the ultimate message told throughout Shawshank is powerful + The dialogue between Robbins and Freeman is always interesting and much of the movie’s story is portrayed through dialogue Acting 10/10 + Robbins gives an amazing performace, and possibly one of the most underrated performances of all time + Every other character does a great job, even the ones who only appear for a few minutes Directing 10/10 + The quick succession of shots is used masterfully in multiple situations in the film + The claustrophobic nature of the prison is used with great purpose in the direction of Shawshank Visual Appeal 5/5 + The prison was created perfectly for the movie and most of the scenes are great to look at, especially ones that use the lighting in a meaningful way Special Effects 2/5 / The lighting effects are mediocre at best, and those are essentially the only special effects Score/Soundtrack 5/5 + Both the original music and the use of outside music in the film are used with great purpose Total 92/100

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The Forest (2016) Review

The Forest (2016) Stars: Natalie Dormer, Taylor Kinney, and Yukiyoshi Ozawa Directed by: Jason Zada Written by: Nick Antosca, Sarah Cornwell, and Ben Ketai Genres: Horror Entertainment Value 10/30 + Although it wasn’t meant to be, it’s very funny at points - Feels much longer than it is because of how boring it is - Not scary at all, despite it being a horror movie Story 2/15 / The concept of the suicide forest is there, but the execution is not - Totally unrealistic in an irritating way - The ending is so predictable Characters 5/10 + Kinney’s character is nice and like-able for the most part - Dormer’s character (Sara) is stupid and annoying Writing 0/10 - Horrible pacing - It almost feels like it goes in circles Acting 0/10 - It feels like Dormer half assed the entire movie - Every other character is pretty horribly acted Directing 3/10 / Some good shots of the forest, but some seem out of place - Shaky cam and horrible jump scares Visual Appeal 2/5 / The forest looks great but the lighting is atrocious Special Effects 0/5 - All uses of special effects are horrible Score/Soundtrack 0/5 - Music is used in parts of the movie where it makes no sense to have music Total 22/100

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The Hateful Eight (2015) Review

The Hateful Eight (2015) Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Demian Bichir, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern, and James Parks Directed by: Quentin Tarantino Written by: Quentin Tarantino Genres: Comedy, Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Western Entertainment Value 25/30 + Gratuitous violence in typical Tarantino fashion + Hilarious throughout / First half might seem boring to some Story 13/15 + The way in which the story is told makes it much more of a mysterious + All of the characters have different backstories that all seem to mix together / Ending might leave some people wanting more Characters 8/10 + Basically every character is unique and fully fleshed out / That being said, Madsen’s character isn’t nearly as developed as the rest of the cast Writing 10/10 + Incredibly intriguing dialogue + Tarantino’s order in which the story is written makes it much more interesting Acting 10/10 + Possibly the best cast of a Tarantino movie + Russell, Jackson, and Roth are exceptionally great Directing 10/10 + Long shots are used at the perfect times + Wide shots of the outdoors are really nice Visual Appeal 5/5 + Snowy Wyoming is beautiful Special Effects 5/5 + No special effects Score/Soundtrack 5/5 + One of the best original scores in recent memory Total 91/100

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Concussion (2015) Review

Concussion (2015) Stars: Will Smith, Alec Baldwin, and Albert Brooks Directed by: Peter Landesman Written by: Peter Landesman and Jeanne Marie Laskas (GQ article “Game Brain”) Genres: Drama, Sport Entertainment Value 30/30 + Movie never slows down + Tension filled + Dissection scenes are possibly the most invigorating Story 10/15 + Totally relevant plot + Some twists and turns - Romance side plot seems unnecessary Characters 5/10 + Smith’s character is easy to love and support - Many characters are underdeveloped Writing 8/10 + Great dialogue / Overuse of religion in a movie that doesn’t regard religion Acting 10/10 + Smith gives his best performance in years + The supporting cast is all great Directing 5/10 / Nothing notable Visual Appeal 5/5 + Beautiful shots of the city Special Effects 5/5 + Although rarely used, they are good when utilized Score/Soundtrack 3/5 / Works well in the first half of the movie, but not really the second Total 81/100

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Joy (2015) Review

Joy (2015) Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Édgar Ramírez, and Bradley Cooper Directed by: David O. Russell Written by: David O. Russell (screenplay and story) and Annie Mumolo (story) Genres: Biography, Comedy, Drama, History Entertainment Value 20/30 + Never really seems boring / Annoying narration, but doesn’t really affect much of the movie / Incredibly annoying first fifteen minutes Story 10/15 + The fact that it’s a true story makes it more intriguing + Very interesting story - Some plot points feel glossed over Characters 5/10 + Lawrence’s character is very easy to support - The majority of the characters are incredibly annoying Writing 3/10 / Without spoiling anything, certain things don’t make much sense - Horrible pacing Acting 7/10 + De Niro and Cooper are great as always / Lawrence almost feels like she’s overacting at times Directing 10/10 + Excellent use of zoom throughout the movie + Style of direction really allows you to see the character’s emotions Visual Appeal 5/5 + Some cool imagery Special Effects 5/5 + No special effects Score/Soundtrack 3/5 / Use of money seems appropriate only at certain times Total 68/100

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Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) Spoiler Free Review

Stars: John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Harrison Ford, and Adam Driver Directed by: J.J. Abrams Written by: Lawrence Kasdan, J.J. Abrams, Michael Arndt, and George Lucas (characters) Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi Entertainment Value 30/30 Story 10/15 Characters 8/10 Writing 3/10 Acting 8/10 Directing 10/10 Visual Appeal 5/5 Special Effects 3/5 Score/Soundtrack 5/5 Total 82/100

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Silver Linings Playbook (2012) Review

Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

Stars: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver, Chris Tucker, and John Ortiz

Directed by: David O. Russell 

Written by: David O. Russell (screenplay), Matthew quick (novel)

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Entertainment Value 30/30

+ Every scene is important in some way and easily holds your attention

+ Laugh-out-loud funny

+ Cooper’s character’s interactions with other characters are captivating

Story 15/15

+ Completely original story

+ Believable and even relatable themes

+ The split story between Cooper’s relations with his family and his relations with Lawrence’s character are both intriguing

Characters 10/10

+ Cooper and Lawrence’s mentally unstable characters are incredibly deep and fascinating

+ Every single side character is incredibly relevant to the story

 Writing 10/10

+ The dialogue is perfect in every situation

+ The transition between comedy based writing and romance based writing is amazingly smooth

 Acting 10/10

+ Cooper and Lawrence both give Oscar worthy performances

+ De Niro as Cooper’s character’s father is great in his role

 Directing 10/10

+ The tense atmosphere of the scenes with Lawrence and Cooper is created by masterful direction

+ The use of zoom is great, especially in the final shot

 Visual Appeal 5/5

+ The suburbs of Philadelphia provided for a beautiful setting

 Special Effects 5/5

+ No special effects

 Score/Soundtrack 5/5

+ Music truly contributes to the mood of the scenes, and one song is actually influential in the story

Total 100/100

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Creed (2015) Review

Creed (2015) Stars: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, and Tessa Thompson Directed by: Ryan Coogler Written by: Ryan Coogler (screenplay and story), Aaron Covington (screenplay), Sylvester Stallone (characters) Genres: Drama, Sport Entertainment Value 30/30 + Never slows down, and seems much shorter than it actually is + Fight scenes are incredibly gripping + The interwoven stories are all intriguing Story 15/15 + Apollo Creed’s son training with Rocky Balboa is a great concept + Handles the subject in a very modest, not over the top, way + As stated before, all of the interwoven stories are intriguing Writing 7/10 / Pacing doesn’t feel right at some points + Dialogue all feels heart felt and important Characters 8/10 + Jordan, Stallone, and Thompson all play surprisingly deep characters / Some characters seem undeveloped, especially Apollo’s wife Acting 10/10 + Jordan and Stallone give amazing performances, making their characters feel like real people + The side characters don’t even feel like their being played by actors Directing 10/10 + The long shots are used flawlessly + Great shots of Philadelphia Visual Appeal 5/5 + Beautiful set pieces, even though the location has a drab connotation Special Effects 5/5 + No special effects Score/Soundtrack 5/5 + Amazing score, and perfect soundtrack Total 95/10

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The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014) Review

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014) Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Julianne Moore, Mahershala Ali, and Philip Seymour Hoffman Directed by: Francis Lawrence Written by: Peter Craig (screenplay), Danny Strong (screenplay), and Suzanne Collins (adaption) Stars: Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller Entertainment Value 7 /30 -The premise is incredibly boring, with practically none of the great Hunger Games action -The only entertaining part is the last thirty minutes / There are only some parts of the movie where you look forward to what happens next Story 8/15 -All of the story is Katniss making propaganda commercials + Situations involving President Snow are generally good, though there aren’t enough / Some dramatic situations are predictable, and others are frustrating Writing 10/10 + The Hanging Tree song has powerful lyrics + The political dialogue is well written and sometimes entertaining Characters 10/10 -There are too many characters without any development + Katniss and Peeta’s relationship is still as interesting as ever Acting 7/10 + Lawrence does an excellent job, as usual / The rest of the cast doesn’t do anything special, only average Directing 3 /10 / Lots of cool shots, but they are overused -The few action sequence have shaky cam Visual Appeal 0/5 -The drab landscape is almost too drab, and just comes off as boring Special Effects 5/5 + The special effects are what you would expect from a big name company Score/Soundtrack 5/5 + The score is great and the Hanging Tree song is good too Total 55/100

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Good Will Hunting (1997) Review

Good Will Hunting (1997) Stars: Matt Damon, Robin Williams, Stellan Skarsgård, Ben Affleck, and Minnie Driver Directed by: Gus Van Sant Written by: Matt Damon and Ben Affleck Genre: Drama Entertainment Value 30/30 + Always feels interesting, without being over-the-top + Filled with heart-felt comedy in appropriate situations that is very funny + Every scene feels important, making for an incredibly entertaining movie Story 13/15 + Simple concept delves into something much deeper + The many coinciding stories all fit in very well together / Ending can be seen as unsatisfactory Writing 10/10 + Incredibly well crafted dialogue + Very heart-felt throughout and genuine Characters 10/10 + Robin Williams’ character is impossible not to love + Every character is very complex, and sometimes you don’t know who to root for Acting 10/10 + Robin Williams and Matt Damon steal the show + Side characters, especially Ben Affleck, are incredibly well acted Directing 7/10 + Some very good camera work to make certain scenes more tense / Majority of the movie has only average direction Visual Appeal 5/5 + Setting of Boston has some very diverse set pieces Special Effects 5/5 • No special effects Score/Soundtrack 5/5 + Indie soundtrack works well with the overall vibe of the film Total 95/100