Movie Review: "The Great Gatsby"

Things aren’t looking good for American Literature fans who have awaited the arrival of Director Baz Luhrmann’s interpretation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, “The Great Gatsby.” The story is narrated through the personal accounts of Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire, Spider Man) as he unravels the details of his experiences from living in New York amidst the glitz and glamour of a scandalous affair involving his cousin Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan, Drive) and the mystery man himself, Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio, Titanic, Inception).While the film is set in the early days of the Flapper Girl, it’s fairly easy to forget the actual timeline since the filmmakers have integrated a soundtrack much more conducive to a current Pop/R&B/Rap variety. Surely enough in the attempt to make the story relatable to today’s younger audience (the same mistake Luhrmann makes in his 1996 rendition of Romeo & Juliet [also starring DiCaprio]) remains a gigantic mistake that affords a huge disservice to the integrity of the film as it is supposed to take place in the 1920’s.

(c) 2013 | Warner Bros. Pictures and Bazmark Films

The movie’s cinematography is fairly stunning with respectable camera movement, stellar angles and sufficient lighting. But with only mediocre acting and poorly delivered New Yorker accents, the film will surely annoy anyone with the redundant use of the term “old sport” which is said every couple minutes throughout the entirety of the movie. As important as it is in every movie, the pace of The Great Gatsby drags along slowly like an attack of influenza. What was produced in over 2 hours could have fit the standard 90 minute movie mold. The only award deserving element would be to DiCaprio who flawlessly puts on the façade of living a lie. Too little too late however, the overall acting improves only in the final 30 minutes through to the indignant ending that is sure to leave anyone with sour taste in their mouth. The Great Gatsby could easily be identified as an end-product you’d receive when you mix the promiscuity and booze soaked deceptions of Mad Men with the ludicrous beaches and drama from Jersey Shore.

I rate this film 3 out of 5 stars for the basis that it can still be enjoyed only if you try extremely hard enough.

Movie Review: "Iron Man 3"

When the product of a successful icon such as Iron Man gears up to claim revenge on his newly acquired nemesis The Mandarin, moviegoers flock theaters with highly set expectations to relish in the badassary that is Tony Stark. Tony (Robert Downey Jr, The Avengers, Sherlock Holmes) is back again to save the world and particularly The United States from evil and destruction. That’s about as thick as the story really gets, however that’s all the audience really hopes for in a movie from the seemingly desperate for approval Marvel Comics empire in this “let’s make a quick dollar” sequel to the very solid original Iron Man. With stellar co-stars Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow, Shallow Hal) and Colonel Rhodes (Don Cheadle, Crash) a trio of fine artists helps maintain the film’s longstanding reputation with high regards and bring the movie to an affective yet endearing closure.

(c) 2013 | Marvel Studios and Paramount Pictures

An entirely too slow start to the movie finally takes wind 45 minutes in, leaving potentially disappointed viewers out in the freezing cold during what is supposed to be the most crucial part of any film in order to earn attention. With impressive cinematography intact, the film reels in the audience with its shiny new ‘marks’ [models] of Iron Man via a little too much overutilization of special effects which compromises the clarity of its ambitious intentions to the point of a “look Mom, watch what I can do”-esque fault. The stunning high-definition sound takes what could have been a bunch of loud explosions and crashing noises to new extremes, allowing me to appreciate the hard editing work that glued everything together with a thematic balance. Featuring the same witty screenwriting that Iron Man fans have grown to love, the movie keeps an action packed vision while dishing a humorous tone all throughout. Lastly but certainly not least, there’s the ending (which I’m not at total liberty to divulge) that will leave viewers blindsided with the only question of “Why?”

I give this Iron Man sequel 4 out of 5 stars. In total, the movie deserves to be enjoyed by anyone willing to stick it out through a slow first act because it does engage an audience through its thrilling second and third acts. Go see it and enjoy. Buy it if you wish support the cast and crew for all their hard work and devotion.

Movie Review: "Act Naturally"

Life seemed to be going well for Leah Collins (Katie L. Hall) a tightly wound Business Systems Analyst, before she receives a call one day from a sister she never knew existed. Charlie Tillerman (Liz Lytle), calls with tragic news of their father passing away and informs Leah that it is up to the two of them to go down to Arizona to collect his personal belongings and handle necessary arrangements. Putting a kink in Leah’s busy routine, she agrees to road trip with Charlie in the hopes of making their visit as short but respectful as possible. But we all know that life never pans out in the way we wish and Director JP Riley delivers a true-to-life film about just that—dealing with life’s unexpected pleasures or as for some visiting Bear Lake, living life with simplicity. Arriving at their destination with the address the attorney left them, Leah and Charlie quickly catch on to what the fuss is all about.

(c) 2011 | Letter Blue Productions

But in order to find out what hides behind door number two, they have to succumb to the rules of Bear Lake [a clothes free naturist resort] and strip down before they can get down to business. The sisters quickly learn that their father owned the resort and will inherit something beyond anything they ever would have imagined. In time they learn that they’ll have to broaden their minds and think outside the box in order to come to a mutual decision that affects the fate of not only Bear Lake Resort itself but also the individuals who run it.

(c) 2011 | Letter Blue Productions

This Comedy/Drama brings a new light to a different choice in lifestyle and Mr. Riley does so very tastefully by furnishing an obliging message to viewers that sometimes you have to get completely rid of everything in order to find your self-worth. This is proven through each of the supporting characters’ different backstories that stand testimonial in overcoming low self-esteem and breaking through the barriers of a covetous society. Unlike a standard independent film that does not attempt any sort of challenge, the crew responsible for this movie deserve high accolade for their ingenuity by contrasting their indie counterparts to a gig with a much higher budget. Act Naturally features a supporting cast including Susan May Pratt, Alan Cox, Josh McVaney, Courtney Abbott and Rob Roy Fitzgerald among the other praise worthy performances. It isn’t your average indie with subpar acting, each member of the cast eagerly pulls their own weight in order to establish a well directed production that stands to prove their prodigious skill. The movie contains frequent nudity only intended for a mature adult audience, but I’d also recommend anyone with a delicate ear to steer clear due to recurrent profanity (although commonly used with a humorous inflection) that could possibly make for an uncomfortable viewing experience for some. Its plotline doesn’t stray away from its objectives and affords anyone who watches it with some invaluable lessons on relationships and personal fulfillment.

You can buy or rent Act Naturally on the Apple iTunes store by clicking here. 

I rate this film 5 out of 5 stars for its sheer brilliance by dispensing a serious-yet- optimistic message in a highly comical demeanor. Perhaps if I weren’t autistic, I’d go visit a nudist resort in my region and learn to see the world in a different light.