MOVIE REVIEW: The Invitation (2016)

The Invitation (2016)

Thriller

Directed By: Karyn Kusama

The art of crafting a successful thriller is something that doesn't get enough recognition. Though we see plenty of people make attempts at it, it seems we rarely see a film succeed wholly in what it was trying to do. Joel Edgerton's 2015 film The Gift was one of the first successful thrillers we have seen in a while and with it there seems to have been new life breathed into the genre. 10 Cloverfield Lane surprised all of us in March and now Karyn Kusama's newest film The Invitation has come to turn the dials up to eleven. Though her story doesn't stray too far from the beaten path the execution is flawless and the final product will have you clutching the edge of your seat throughout. 

As with all the best thrillers, this film keeps its plot as simple as can be. The movie opens on our main character Will (Logan Marshall-Green) and his girlfriend (Emayatzy Corinealdi) in the car on their way to a fancy dinner party. We quickly find out that the party is being held by his ex-wife (Tammy Blanchard) who hasn't been seen or heard from in two years. Now out of the blue he, and the rest of their old time friends have been asked to this mysterious dinner in what they think is an attempt at capturing old feelings. This is hardly the case and it doesn't take much for Will to realize that this dinner party might not be as innocent as they once thought. By the time the party is over all of their lives will be changed forever.

Kusama's film operates best when the audience knows as little as possible, and as a moviegoer I suggest not trying to pick the movie apart as you watch. Not because it is an easy mystery to crack but because you may miss something great while your feebly trying to figure out the film. Like I said, this movie doesn't try to be something new or different, it just wants to succeed at keeping you glued to the screen and wondering whats coming next. She has crafted a neat little backstory for these characters and knowing the details allows the film to hit you even harder. This is literally a thrill ride so just lock yourself in for 100 minutes and enjoy the journey. 

I am always impressed when a filmmaker is able to fit so much character development into a story that jumps right into the thick of it. It takes 5 minutes of screen time before we are already inside the house of the dinner party and meeting our entire main cast of the flick. Yet, by the time the credits roll you have learned so much about each one of them that you feel you've know these characters for far longer than just this little party. We as an audience understand the motives behind each persons actions and why they have all ended up at this dinner.

Unlike many of the thrillers we see make it to the big screen, The Invitation doesn't rely on big name actors to bring in an audience or make the story work. The Most notable name in the cast is John Caroll Lynch (Shutter Island, Zodiac) and his role is fairly minimal. The performances Kusama pulled from a team of lesser known talent is quite impressive, there was never a moment where the acting detracted from the quality of the film.

I'd be lying if I tried to tell you that the ending isn't the most important part of any thriller, because it is. No matter how strong the first two acts of the film are, if a thriller doesn't stick its landing the entire thing can feel like a total waste. Good news for us though because The Invitation totally nails its finale, the final fifteen or so minutes of this film are intense to say the least and when the credits roll you'll feel about as exhausted as the characters you just watched.  

This may not go down in history as one of the greatest, or game changing thrillers ever made but it will certainly live on as a near perfect one. Karyn Kusama took the traditional steps at making this kind of film and did whatever she could to succeed at every level. Rather than try to change the game she went and showed us all what bowling a perfect 300 looks like, and its pretty incredible. Check out The Invitation now on VOD, you don't even have to leave your house.

As always, thanks for reading and I am Zach Who Watches Movies. You can find me anytime on twitter @ZachWWMovies, smell ya later!

MOVIE REVIEW: Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Directed By: Anthony & Joe Russo

This weekend the thirteenth Marvel Cinematic Universe film hits theaters, you read that right, their THIRTEENTH film. What started back in 2008 with Iron Man has quickly become one of the most successful movie franchises of all-time and by now they are just a well oiled machine that keeps churning out gold. What separates Marvel from most of its competition however is how they run that machine, bringing in all sorts of unique filmmakers to shape each film into its own unique story. At the head of that pack is Anthony & Joe Russo, the pair responsible for bringing us one of the best Marvel films to date, The Winter Soldier. As some of the only directors to do so in the MCU, The Russo brothers have returned to bring us the third installment in the Captain America story, Civil War.

Although it's not specifically in the title, the words "civil war" say it all, this is Marvel's "vs." movie. Unlike with all of their other stories this isn't just the struggle of good vs. evil, this is the story of what happens when the lines between good and evil become blurred. The Avengers have been operating without any oversight since their inception, and in that time multiple cities and towns have been leveled, leaving countless dead. The governments of the world have decided enough is enough and call on the super team to give up a piece of their freedom of choice in order to ease the minds of the people.

As you can imagine this immediately forms a divide within the team, despite his patriotic name Captain America has no intentions of giving the government the power of telling them where and when they are allowed to help. On the flip side of it Tony Stark has been battling the PTSD of everything that has happened since N.Y. and believes it is time for them to be put in check. It is this philosophical dilemma that allows Civil War operate as one of the most intelligent and thought provoking stories the MCU has produced.

I am sure by now plenty of you have heard critics and film nerds calling this movie "Avengers 3" and while that is fair in some respects, I hardly agree with this statement. With it being a "vs." movie the story is shared by two parties, Captain America and Iron Man. This is their movie, despite only Caps name being in the title. They share the bulk of the story and it is their decisions that drive the rest of the team to pick sides, the only reason they are all there is because the two have disagreed. They are clearly the parental figures of the team and their divide is like a divorce with all of the little kiddies scrambling to pick a side.

Being this far along in the franchise all of the major characters have been clearly defined by the actors playing them, so its no surprise that all of the big name characters are as good as ever. What is exciting about this film though is the introduction of a few new heroes that will be huge players in the near future. The first is Black Panther played by Chadwick Boseman, who I believe steals the show. The handful of scenes he has in this film are spectacular and I cannot wait to see more from this hero I know so little about. Then there is Spidey played by Tom Holland, that's pretty much all I will say as his scenes speak for them self and are sure to have you psyched for next summer.

This film isn't just a platform for introducing new characters though, far from it actually as this to me is one of the best written and best executed film they have made to date. This is in large part due to the fact that the action sequences put forth in this movie are the best we have seen from the MCU yet. With the help of stunt geniuses Chad Stahelski and David Leitch (John Wick, The Matrix) they crafted some of the most memorable and unique fights we have seen in super hero cinema. From the opening sequence to the airport fight you are all hearing about there is so much to feast your eyes upon.

This is the second film in the MCU the Russo's have directed and statistically speaking that hasn't been the best for directors in this universe. Both John Favreau and Joss Whedon came back for a second movie that failed to reach the greatness of their first ultimately leading to them exiting the franchise. The Russo's seem to have cracked the code however as, after just one viewing, I think they have brought forth one of the best comic book movies ever made and knowing they are heading up the final two Avengers movies I couldn't be more excited.

With this already being the third superhero movie released just this year, and with another handful or so to come before the year is out, there are sure to be those crying "superhero fatigue!", don't listen to those people. When two of the three comic book movies released this year have already made their way to the tops of everyone's "best superhero movies ever" list, you can hardly make that claim. Captain America: Civil War is everything we as fans want out of these movies, it has a phenomenal story, the acting is great, and the action even better. Be ready to have some of the most fun you'll have in a theater all year.

As always, thanks for reading and I am Zach Who Watches Movies. You can find me anytime on twitter @ZachWWMovies, smell ya later!

MOVIE REVIEW: Keanu (2016)

Keanu (2016)

Action, Comedy

Directed by: Peter Atencio

If you haven't already watched the five seasons of Key & Peele, a brilliant sketch comedy show that aired on Comedy Central until its completion last year, then you are missing out on some of the best comedy of the modern age. What at first looked like a rip-off of Chapelle's Show quickly blossomed into the most ground breaking comedic show on T.V. Its two stars, Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, being the entire reason for that have since left the show behind to move on to greener pastures, and by that I mean movies. 

Anyone who watched their show knew from the start that these two guys love movies, plain and simple. From simple sketches like the valet parking guys who love to go on about their favorite action stars to the way the show was actually made you could tell these guys had film on the mind. So when they announced the show would end last year so they could focus more on that side of their career, no one was that surprised. That brings us to today, when their first feature flick has hit theaters, a wacky action comedy by the name of Keanu.

When I first heard they were making the leap to the big screen I knew whatever they came out with was going to be something cool and original, and in those respects this film succeeds perfectly. Keanu is what Jordan Peele calls their "dream action comedy" and you can see that right from the opening frames. The movie focuses on two cousins, played by Key & Peele, the latter of which has just gone through a tough break-up. His spirits are only lifted when a mysterious kitten shows up on his front door. Peele's character instantly embraces the small animal, naming it Keanu and letting it engulf his entire life.

He's had the kitten for just two weeks when his apartment is broken into and the cat goes missing. With it being the one thing that is keeping him holding on the two cousins immediately set out to find the lost animal. What they thought would be a simple task turns them onto a path of destruction the two never thought they'd find themselves on. 

Much like last years Spy, this film is everything we want out of a summer action comedy. These two guys understand comedy as good, if not better than anyone around right now and their unique style allows them to break taboo and address all of the crazy nonsense going on in our society today. From start to finish these two guys have you laughing hysterically and you are never without a smile on your face. 

Being a truly funny movie is a tough enough task these days as is, but to go the extra mile and work legitimate action into it as well is even more difficult. If you have watched their show you know they have done this in numerous sketches, some of which looking better than half of the movies you see each summer so this wasn't too big of a stretch for these guys. Keanu opens and closes with two wonderful action sequences that aren't just impressive for a comedy but are exactly what we look for from R rated carnage.

It's no secret that Key & Peele have some of the best chemistry around and it is apparent throughout the entirety of this movie, but you cant carry a ninety minute film on just chemistry alone. This is where Peter Atencio comes in, the guy responsible for directing this wonderfully charming movie as well as most of your favorite Key & Peele episodes. He has seamlessly made the transfer from T.V. to movies and I can only hope he continues to work with these two in the future.The script was also co-written by Alex Rubens who is a veteran writer of the show, his writing partner being Jordan Peele himself and the two did a great job writing a tight script that rarely drags.

Despite how much I have mentioned their sketch show, and the numerous jokes within the film that call back to fan favorite sketches, this movie is totally accessible for someone who has never even heard of these two guys. If you have a taste for absurd comedy there is no reason you cant enjoy this flick with the rest of us. They also populate the rest of the cast with familiar faces like Method Man, Will Forte, Luis Guzman, and Jason Mitchell (Who you may remember form last years fantastic film Straight Outta Compton).

When you go into a summer action/comedy like this there are a few things to look for to decide if it has done its job. First and foremost the jokes have to land and the action has to be impressive, both of which this movie nails. Secondly the film needs to have a solid story and characters the audience can relate to and care about. Not only is this script wonderful and heartfelt but by the end of the film you are right there with the two main characters, you care about what happens to them. To put it simply, they succeeded with this film to the point where I didn't have to spend most of this review talking about how damn cute that kitten is, because it is the cutest animal you have ever seen.

As always, thanks for reading and I am Zach Who Watches Movies. You can find me anytime on twitter @ZachWWMovies, smell ya later!

MOVIE REVIEW: Green Room (2016)

Green Room (2016)

Crime, Horror, Thriller

Directed By: Jeremy Saulnier

When Blue Ruin was released back in 2013 I was immediately blown away by the film making that was presented to me. Writer/director Jeremy Saulnier crafted one of the best modern American revenge films I have seen so I knew I was going to be following his career closely going forward. When word got around that his newest picture, Green Room, was winning over every festival audience it played for, anticipation for it grew to be massive. I went in expecting a lot after hearing nothing but praise for months and still I left the theater wildly impressed by the talents of Mr. Saulnier.

Unlike most movies these days, Green Room managed to keep most of its plot a mystery before its release. All the trailers told us was that a small punk band runs into trouble after taking a gig at a sketchy venue run by skinheads. In truth, that's all you need to know and the less knowledge you have going into this film, the better. What matters is that when things go wrong, it gets wonderfully brutal. The movie is hardly non-stop violence but when it does get messy the flick makes the audience feel it and when you finally see where the story is heading it never fails to payoff. 

Due to his success with his first two movies, Jeremy was given a larger talent pool to pick from this time around but it didn't stop him from keeping his veteran actor Macon Blair in the picture, who has now appeared in a major role in all three of his films. In addition to that he has also brought in major talents like Anton Yelchin,Imogen Poots and Alia Shawkat who are all wonderful in their roles. The real treat though is in the films big baddie played by the one and only Sir Patrick Stewart, who shows a side of his acting we don't get to see too often. 

Watching this young directors films I find myself constantly impressed by how real of an atmosphere he creates. While many other filmmakers in this genre often try to stylize the action and world in which they take place, he succeeds by creating a film that feels totally real in both setting and characters. Instead of trying to make the movie come off as a piece of Hollywood magic he relishes in showing us it's cryptic reality, violence and all. 

The film doesn't waste any time getting started, we get a quick intro to the characters giving us a simple idea of who each of them are and before you know it they are playing the club that would set the scene for the rest of the story. Staying mainly in one location and featuring only a handful of relevant characters the movie is a self contained thriller that never lets up. Without any backstory or much of any set up at all he manages to flesh out who each character is and the setting around them so by the end of the movie you have a clear picture of why each person made the decisions they did. 

Green Room is further proof that there is still plenty of original content out there to be seen and supported. We are lucky enough to have been given a wide release for this insane film so make sure to get out and support it. Jeremy Saulnier's third movie has solidified the fact that he is a first class filmmaker with a wholly unique style that is unlike anything else we are seeing today. If it is playing in a theater near you be sure to get out to see it and if you haven't seen either of his previous films (Murder Party, Blue Ruin) be sure to check those out as well. 

As always, thanks for reading and I am Zach Who Watches Movies. You can find me anytime on twitter @ZachWWMovies, smell ya later!