The Accountant

Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick, 

J.K Simmons

"Calculate your Choices"

Ben Affleck stars as Christian Wolff, a freelance accountant with a complex past but it is his present affiliations with certain shady companies whose books he was hired to audit which will make his life much more complicated than ever.

During his childhood, Christian had autism in a period when the disease was still in its early stages of diagnosis so his parents didn't really know to deal with him. The adult Christian is a loner but seems to have done good for himself and manages to keep his illness pretty much under control (thanks to his strict training by his military dad) although there are certain circumstances which trigger his 'outbursts'.

The film is an action thriller with a smart narrative which tends to lose its way once certain side plots overlap. Yet at the same time, it is these side plots which add an emotional element both to its central character as well as to the movie ... so I guess it is not a bad thing as far as "The Accountant" is concerned.  The story unfolds in present day with certain flashback scenes intertwined to give the audience more backgrounder on how Christian evolved throughout the years. 

The supporting cast led by J.K Simmons (as a relentless Treasury Department agent) and Anna Kendrick (in a short yet significant role) among other equally talented actors deliver credible performances.  

But it is truly a Ben Affleck movie as he is in almost every single frame and he does well in this meaty role of a complex character who barely speaks yet his action speaks louder than words. They say that Ben Affleck is a far better director than an actor and I agree but I like to add that he just lacks range and is not necessarily a bad actor, per se.  There I said it. On that note, I believe he does fairly well in "The Accountant". 

Fences

Denzel Washington, Viola Davis,

Stephen Henderson, Mykelti Williamson,

Jovan Adepo, Russell Hornsby

In "Fences" Viola Davis and Denzel Washington play Rose and Troy Maxson, a blue collar married couple in Pittsburgh in the 1950s. Roles they are really familiar with as they enacted them in 2010 in their Broadway revival of August Wilson's 1983 play. She even won a Tony award for her stage rendition.

Well developed and complex characters which give credence to the travails of a working class African American family during an era and in a society where the patriarch always had the last word, no matter if he was right or wrong. Troy Maxson likes to harp on how he was a good baseball player but the color of his skin and his age prevented him from achieving glory. Troy had a very difficult life since childhood and at 53 still labors as a garbage collector trying to make ends meet to provide for his wife, his mentally challenged older brother and two grown sons. 

During that turbulent era, men tend to have a very pessimistic view about the world, their lives and well just about anything and everything. And he is best exemplified through the complex and flawed character of Troy Maxson. Washington is in his elements from his swaggering walk to his eloquently delivered monologues and his depiction made us understand, pity as well as dislike the persona of a man with so much pent up rage, frustration and despair brewing within his egotistical mind.

He is ably matched by Viola Davis as his long suffering yet adoring wife Rose. Her devotion to both Troy and their son Cory is admirable in one sense and also painfully pitiful. She has had a difficult life too and dare I say mostly as a life partner to such an insufferable husband. Yet she still strives and is the glue which keeps that family from self destruction as if their lives is not miserable enough at that stage. Her powerful "What about me? What about my life" soliloquy somewhere towards the end of the film hits you like a ton of brick and pulls really hard at our already broken heartstrings. 

All these praises for the excellent acting of Davis and Washington (as well as the credible performances of the supporting cast) does not make this film, perfect. Denzel's 3rd directed film still has quite a stage play vibe, limiting most of its scenes to the house and backyard area where Troy likes to spew his rants. The last 25 or so minutes of the film felt rushed, cramming in some side plots which were only mentioned in passing during the first half. Perhaps wanting to give more 'air time' to August Wilson's loquacious and dialogue driven script through Troy Maxson's 'outbursts'. 

I can safely say that Viola Davis and Denzel Washington are actors' actor(s) so to watch them act together and opposite each other in a highly moving film is mesmerizing and worth every single penny and minute of our precious time.

La La Land

Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone,

John Legend

"Here's to the Fools who Dream"

There was a lot of hype over this Damien Chazelle directed musical. Justifiably so because rarely do we get to enjoy a musical amidst all those action filled films of Marvel super heroes out to save our planet from some form of extinction.

I could also see how Hollywood can easily relate to the narrative as most of them did go through numerous auditions while working as a bartender/barista in the hopes of becoming a celebrity in the flashiest of businesses - show business.

Mia (Emma Stone) and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) are both struggling artists with their own mapped out plans on how to reach for the stars. They cross paths, fall in love without losing sight of their dreams - that is the stuff that good romantic comedies are made of - never mind that they had to swing, swirl and vocalize their intentions through catchy songs and choreographed steps inside elaborately attractive set designs. 

The production design takes you on a nostalgic ride with its vibrant cinematography. You can't be faulted for thinking that the story unfolds in the 1960s where Emma Stone regales us wearing lovely pastel colored dresses. Then a smartphone tone rings and you are suddenly brought back to the current times with its pressing problems. Setbacks like money concerns which begs the question: "What would you prioritize ... love or career?" Is it too much to ask for both? In essence, I believe Mia and Sebastian both made the correct decision regardless of whether it was right or wrong.

Damien Chazelle impresses with his fertile and creative mind to present a much welcomed form of escapism from our hasty lives. The same director who amazed with "Whiplash" once again make us appreciate jazz as a music form that is slowly fading. The combined acting (signing and dancing) efforts of both Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling was a delight to watch. They melted our hearts with their sparkling performances. 

Manchester by the Sea

Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams,

Lucas Hedges, Kyle Chandler

Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) is a quiet loner with no social life who works as a janitor/handyman in an apartment block. One day, he is informed his elder brother Joe has died and appointed him as legal guardian of his 16 year old nephew, Patrick.  

Reluctantly, he is forced to return to his hometown Manchester to make funeral arrangements and reconnect with Patrick (Lucas Hedges), a popular high school student.  As he sorts through things in his brother's house, certain aspects of his painful past are revealed through flashbacks. Happy bonding times with Joe and a much younger Patrick as well as a very heartbreaking personal tragedy which explains the withdrawn, sad nature of Lee. A life altering incident which marred Lee's demeanor forever.

Filmed in a quiet New England town where fishing is the main source of livelihood for its inhabitants, the setting provides an appropriate backdrop for a film that tackles grief, depression and the state of moving on with a firm silent resolute. The somber, morose music though, in my opinion was too loud and dramatic for an already desolate story. 

An original script which was written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan (Margaret), the germ of the idea was pitched to him by his close friends actors Matt Damon and John Krasinski. Matt Damon was supposed to star and direct it but due to a conflict in his busy schedule (he was filming The Martian), he offered the role to Casey Affleck, the younger brother of his best friend, Ben. 

A good choice as Casey Affleck was able to dig deep into his character to deliver a moving and touching performance as Lee. Struggling to suddenly cope with being a 'parent' to a teenager with big plans as well as resettling in a town that reminds him of his painful past, his nuanced depiction is on point.

He has good rapport with Lucas Hedges, the actor who plays Patrick. Although I admit there were times I felt like slapping him for being a petulant and insolent teenager, it just shows how effective Hedges was in his role. I'm surprised that Michelle Williams was nominated as best supporting actress. Her role as Randi, Lee's ex wife was really brief and she had this exaggerated Boston accent which was irritating.

Manchester by the Sea is one of the poignantly sorrowful movies I've seen in a long time. It has just the right amount of drama, a bit of humor and a sound coping mechanism for its main characters. Highly recommended, just keep the tissues close by, you'd need it.

Hidden Figures

Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, 

Janelle Monae, Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst,

Jim Parsons, Mahershala Ali

"Meet the Women you Don't know,

behind the Mission you Do."

If it wasn't for this truly inspirational movie, we would not have known about these brilliant women who not only were instrumental in sending the first American astronaut to orbit around Earth but also laid the ground work to the numerous successful space missions for NASA.

This is the true story of three pioneering African American women who were part of the 'human computers' pool in the 1960s during the early stages of the space agency. A period of racial segregation amidst the fierce space program race between the US and the USSR, they proved that anything was possible despite the challenges (racism, gender inequality) they faced not only at work, in school but also in their own community. 

Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn, Mary Jackson are very good role models not only for African Americans but for the human race. Geniuses who were skilled in mathematical calculations, deciphering the IBM computer code, achieving feats in engineering  - they represent the triumph of the human spirit.

The elaborate set design is reminiscent of the 1960s from the wardrobe, the cars, the NASA office complex to the music through the collaborative efforts of Pharrell Williams and Hans Zimmer.  The nicely compiled bounchy soundtrack gave the film its light and glossy tone.  

Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae thoroughly took center stage with the credible depiction of their multi-dimensional real life characters. They were funny and lively when happiness abound and also disappointed, sad and crestfallen when faced with adversities. Great performances.

I do have misgivings about how the 'white characters' were portrayed as being racists and misogynists. So while it is good to celebrate and recognize the efforts of these 'human computers' and their contribution to the space program, doing it at the expense of the other equally qualified employees who just happen to be white and portrayed as 'villains' is not fair, at all.

So although, these hidden figures were 'unmasked' and their long overdue story is well narrated through this movie, I believe NASA owes its success to the collective efforts of  all these hard-working people, regardless of their position, race and gender.

Elle

Isabelle Huppert, Laurent Lafitte,

Anna Consigny, Jonas Bloquet

Dutch born director Paul Verhoeven (Robocop, Basic Instinct, Total Recall) presents a revenge dark comedy (in French with English subtitles) starring French actress Isabelle Huppert. Her performance as Michele Leblanc, a successful business owner who refuses to be a victim (in every sense of the word) after she is violently raped by a masked intruder in her own home is very powerful.

The first few minutes of the film is pitch black with grunts and groans. Then it shocks our senses as we are shown the brutality of the assault which is witnessed by Michele's black cat. Then the attacker leaves, she picks herself up, cleans the broken shards of glass, takes a long shower and simply goes to bed. The next day she goes to her video gaming company like nothing happened.

She only 'opens' up during an intimate dinner with her close friends. Her friends are shocked but they are more stunned that Michele adopts a stoic, nonchalant demeanor, being quite dismissive about the entire disturbing incident.

Michele is surrounded by an odd mixture of colorful people like her good for nothing son, his controlling pregnant girlfriend, her theatrical mother, her small group of close friends and her business associates. Although she barely talks about the incident, it dangles over her head like a little cloud that refuses to fade away. She arms herself with a gun, goes to bed with a hammer under her pillow. A certain horrific and traumatic chapter in her childhood also resurfaces from the deepest and darkest folds of her past as if she didn't have enough on her very full plate. 

The identity of her attacker is revealed well before the gripping finale. The tone of the film then takes on a cat and mouse game between them handled with dark humor, dangerous flirtation and defiant subjection. That it ends with a shocking yet triumphant twist clearly justifies everything that elle (she) stands for. 

Kudos to Isabelle Huppert for accepting this daring and risque role. Director Paul Verhoeven remarked in one interview "No American actress would take on such an amoral movie."  She is one of France's greatest actresses playing women of a certain age who are not afraid to take risks and does it so well. Her personification of Michele as this strong woman who empowers herself with stoicism, wit and a wicked sense of humor to get through her life's many challenges was admittedly a bit difficult to fathom. Even if we cannot really understand how and why she is that way ..,. we still admire her for her tenacious spirit.

Inferno

Tom Hanks, Felicity Jones, Ben Foster, 

Omar Sy, Irrfan Khan, Sidse Babett Knudsen

"His greatest Challenge.
Humanity's last Hope."

I read Dan Brown's novel "Inferno" when it first came out and even though the details are a bit sketchy, I still remember the main premise. A Dante obsessed billionaire named Bertrand Zobrist overly concerned about the growing population plans a biological attack that is guaranteed to claim many casualties to achieve his insane quest to protect and save the planet's dwindling resources. 

I also remember that Robert Langdon wakes up with amnesia in a hospital in Florence then travels with a perfect stranger, a certain Dr. Sienna Brooks all over the world finding clues to prevent this horrific attack. The book was very details oriented with numerous colorful characters, symbolical/ historical references and set in exotic locales. I was curious if they could successfully translate this engrossing novel into a worthy film. 

Tom Hanks reprises his role as symbologist/professor Robert Langdon and as usual he can really do no wrong even if he was presented with a really lame script. The film suffered from editing problems as most, if not all of the vital materials from the book were turned into a confused mixture of short yet fast paced sequences which lost its coherence. 

It had Professor Langdon and Sienna Brooks (Felicity Jones) literally running all over the world looking for clues which no one could relate to. I also found Felicity Jones's thick British accent quite distracting, I don't know why it bothered me so much. 

Most of the supporting cast played one dimensional characters, not properly fleshed out, so you have a tendency to forget their names. The exotic locales all molded together like clay, barely giving you enough time to admire the beautiful scenery and its symbolic relevance in the grand scheme of the lunatic billionaire.

Tom Hanks had barely enough material to work on in "Sully" and still gave a heartfelt performance which really says a lot about his thespian skills. On the other hand, "Inferno" had an overload of materials to absorb that having amnesia would be a welcome relief.

I liked the novel but this Ron Howard directed movie adaptation was quite a disappointment! Perhaps it is time that Tom Hanks hang up Langdon's Mickey Mouse wristwatch for good. He should think twice before he revives the symbologist for Dan Brown's 4th novel The Lost Symbol or demand a much better and well crafted script, next time.

Sully

Tom Hanks, Aaron Eckhart

"The untold Story behind

the Miracle on the Hudson"

This film is based on actual events which occurred on January 15, 2009 when Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger safely landed US Airways flight 1549 on the Hudson River without any casualties among the 155 passengers + crew on board.

It was considered a miracle as the plane was still intact and all souls were saved. It was a quick decision on Capt. Sully's part as he felt the plane could not make it back to La Guardia airport in time. A calm demeanor amidst a crisis and armed with a confidence that can only come from years of experience as a seasoned pilot, his bold move affirms that Sully made the correct judgment call.

This Clint Eastwood directed film takes a look at the behind the scenes during the grueling hours that Capt. Sully and First Officer Jeff Skiles (Aaron Eckhart) endured during the fact finding investigation which followed after the emergency landing on the Hudson. While Sully was feted by the mainstream media as a hero for his actions, his decision was being scrutinized and analyzed by several agencies tasked to investigate the crash.  It is during these interrogations that we are shown flash back scenes of the suspenseful minutes before, during and after the emergency landing.

Sully is ably portrayed by THE Tom Hanks who can be relied upon to play any role, brilliantly. But the fact remains that the direction/angle that Eastwood concentrated on does not really reveal the true persona of Sully. So this won't qualify as a biopic but merely an interesting chapter in Sully's life. 

Even Sully's family wasn't portrayed effectively as we only see Laura Linney in a brief role as his patient wife who waits by the phone to hear any updates about her heroic husband. The passengers too are just nameless individuals not thoroughly fleshed out and they just happened to be on the ill-fated plane which was struck by birds upon take-off thus causing both engines to fail.

There is no doubt that Tom Hanks was the main draw of the film and he did a good job. So even if the story deserved to be told, it didn't quite take off as expected and it needed a miracle to succeed as an effective chronicle of a heroic incident.

Bridget Jones' s Baby

Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth,

Patrick Dempsey, Gemma Jones,

Jim Broadbent

"Old Flame. New Fling. Big Problem."

After almost 2 decades, beloved Bridget Jones is back. She is now 43 years old, less chubby yet still her goofy adorable self. Now working as a TV producer, her career is thriving even though she is still very much single.

Renee Zellweger reprises her role as the charming Bridget complete with the British accent and dry humor without missing a single beat. Bridget is in a dilemma when she finds out she is pregnant and is not sure who her baby daddy is. The two 'culprits' are either Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), her ex-flame with whom she hooks up at a friend's wedding and Jack Qwant (Patrick Dempsey), an American billionaire she meets at a music festival. 

The film goes through great lengths to keep the audience guessing who is the father of Bridget Jones's baby. We are kept entertained with the corny (for want of a better word) and funny (mis)adventures of dear Bridget. She does her best to keep the two men in her lives separate from each other but we all know that eventually they are bound to cross paths and understandably, chaos ensues. 

All the lead characters (Colin Firth, Renee Zellweger and Patrick Dempsey) are older both physically and mentally yet they still retain the charming qualities which endeared them to us their avid fans from way back when the franchise first started. The movie and the novels on which it was based inspired many single chubby (or otherwise) ladies to never lose hope.  

It was refreshing to see these characters again even though the story veered towards the absurd and sometimes ridiculous scenarios which Bridget always finds herself in. The feel-good predictable conclusion is a fitting happily-ever-after ending for this much loved character.  

The Girl on The Train

Emily Blunt, Luke Evans,

Haley Bennett, Edgar Ramirez,

Justin Theroux, Rebecca Ferguson

"What you can See can Hurt you"

This film adaptation of Paula Hawkins' novel stars Emily Blunt as Rachel Watson, a divorced alcoholic whose shattered life makes her prone to daydreaming. During her daily commute, she likes to imagine about the lives of the people whose houses she passes by while sitting on her usual seat in a train. 

It doesn't really do her any good (it evokes painful memories) as she also happens to pass by her old house where her ex husband Tom (Justin Theroux) now lives with his wife Anna (Rebecca Ferguson) the woman with whom he had an affair during their marriage and their young child. 

Rachel has specifically developed a fixation on Megan (Haley Bennett) and Scott (Luke Evans), whose home is a few houses away from her former residence. They seem like a 'perfect couple' until Megan suddenly goes missing and Rachel may or may not be involved in her disappearance.

I read the novel in its e-book version so it was mostly absorbed during bed time on a laptop in a dimly lit bedroom as I didn't want to disturb the hubby's much needed sleep. The novel was divided into chapters with each one focused on the three very different female characters namely Rachel, Megan and Anna.

Their different perspectives as the story tackled on the testy subjects of abuse, alcoholism and the portrayal of women as weak and needy characters was interesting but truth be told, it was messy and the writing wasn't good, at all. Yet it also held enough weight to convey its point across to the readers.

Emily Blunt as Rachel was the glue that held the entire film together. Her characterization of Rachel was visceral and her nuanced  emotions were as varied as the numerous mood swings of Rachel. Sure the film had its share of tension filled moments and enough suspense to keep you focused on the story, yet at the same time it lacked substance and depth to make it a well crafted form of narrative. 

This begs the question; why did it fail? I believe the novel itself was poorly written so the film didn't really have much to work on. But the movie remained loyal to the structure of the book. In that regard, the movie exceeded its expectations and it is just rather unfortunate it failed to be a riveting drama.