Category: Thriller/Suspense

Mr. Right

So, this was one of those finds that really show me that I like the odd stuff and I might be just a little crazy. This movie is off-the-wall love between two extreme personalities (dare I say, psychos in a very loose term). But I loved it. I thought that the story and characters were fantastic; the plot was fluid and fun. It’s definitely violent, but I mean, seriously, it’s a movie about an assassin, it’s somewhat expected. The tone of the movie is also very laid back. It’s clear that it wasn’t made to be some blockbuster, but I think that’s what I like about it. In one portion of the movie they are just talking about each other’s lives (her more then him, obviously) and it’s just so simple, natural. I like the awkwardness, because it really showcases reality and humanity. Not the Hollywood version of what they think ‘life’ is. I also want to point out that it shows that people may not have everything together and they may suffer from mental illnesses that make them seem like they are crazy, but in the end they are just humans. Messed up, sure, but who isn’t? There’s no line of ‘normal’ and ‘crazy’; and everyone deserves to find love and be happy.

I’m not going to go on too much about the plot, because with movies there’s not a lot I can say without giving too much away. It’s about a woman who falls in love with an assassin who has developed a moral code and has been killing the people who hire him. So, yeah, in essence, that’s the ‘main’ idea of the plot. Of course, there is so much to it than that. Most interesting to me is Sam Rockwell who plays the male lead. Now, I have nothing against Rockwell, honestly, I think he did an awesome job in this. I really like when these actors/actresses who have been type-casted into side characters for so long get back into the lime light. The female, Anna Kendrick, was also very good. Her scope as an actress was fantastic for this. She really was able to express the eccentric personality in this so well (now, only if she could have played Bella in Twilight, maybe there would have been hope in the shiny vampire future).

Nerve (2016)

 

So, I’m not going to lie, I became a little obsessed with this movie. I don’t know if it just hit a particular nerve for me (no pun intended), but I really thought this movie was fantastic. I read one review where someone said the characters were stereotypical and flat, but I agree only as far as they are the everyman. The characters were people we know all too well: the smart girl who gets overshadowed by the more flamboyant friend, the flamboyant friend who pushes to be liked too hard, people like that. The story was a large, progressing journey that kept the watcher (again no pun intended) interested and engrossed as it shifted and changed into different dynamics.

The story is about Vee, a senior in high school who has lived a reserved and safe life thus far. With her adult life at her doorstep she finds her teetering on the edge of what she wants to do and what is expected by her mom, but finds herself lacking in the courage to face her fears and tell the truth about her dreams. A new game online called Nerve (a Truth and Dare – high risk game – without the truth) is the furthest thing from her mind, but one last push from an embaressing encounter in front of her friends and her crush sends her headlong into the questionable game. Her first dare to kiss a stranger lets her meet Ian, another player. The Watchers push them to team up and, at first, Vee starts seeing a different side of herself. But things start shifting in the game and it soon becomes clear that this game has a much darker side to it.

So, for most people the first thing that comes to mind is the comparison to the new Pokemon Go app. It’s not hard to see how a game like this could actually happen; in fact, many of the responses I saw in the theatre were the same as the Watchers in the movie. The message is clear and laid-out: be careful of getting obsessed with the digital world and the dangers it can pose. Besides that I thought that the chemistry between the two leads was exemplary. The film itself was pure art; the play between camera shifts (from ‘hand-held’ first person to normal) and then the interactive graphics that let the audience feel like they were one of the Watchers in the movie at times. It really made for a fun film. I’d highly suggest this movie.

Perfect Sense

 

I always find it hard to resist a post-apocalyptic movie, even more so when it has Ewan McGregor in it. Anyway, this movie was very simple, thus my review will be fairly simple as well.

It’s hard to describe this movie, but simply it’s about two people falling in love during a mysterious plague that is taking people’s senses (sight, tough, taste, etc). It’s very reminiscent of “Seeking a Friend for the End of the World”, but with the usual droll British acting that makes them so distinctive.

I have to say that while I did enjoy this movie the confusion of what was going on took away a little from it. Such as, right before they lose a sense they experience a certain emotional reaction; which certainly increased the intensity of the movie, but didn’t completely make sense, logically speaking. Besides that, though, I enjoyed it. It was an easy watch and the acting was very well-done. The imagery and how they explained the progression was good.