Pi (1998) Review

PI (1998)
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Writers: Darren Aronofsky, Sean Gullette, and Eric Watson
Producers: Randy Simon, Tyler Brodie, Jonah Smith, David Godbout, and Eric Watson
Editor: Oren Sarch
Cinematography: Matthew Libatique
Music: Clint Mansell
Starring: Sean Gullette, Mark Margolis, Ben Shenkman, and Pamela Hart
Best Credit: Stanley B. Herman as "Moustacheless Man"
Runtime: 1 hour 24 minutes
Rating: R (languange & some disturbing images)
Genre: Suspense, Sci-Fi
Release Date: July 10, 1998

Before Watching the Movie: If I were you, I'd read a quick article on the Fibonacci Sequence if you are not already familiar with it OR just look at the picture down the review a bit on the right side.

Intro: This is one I've heard about for a while, and as someone who loves mind-benders and psychological thrillers, I was interested. I was not disappointed. Pi is a great movie, especially considering its tiny budget. It's very original and the directing and editing are top-notch, even if the story is somewhat hard to follow.

Things Some May Find "Objectionable:" There's one scene where there's several f-bombs, but otherwise it's light on the swearing. Also, some of Max's hallucinations might be disturbing to some, as there's some blood involved, but not a lot.

Plot: A young and brilliant mathematician named Max Cohen (Gullette) believes that everything in nature, including the stock market, can be simplified down into numbers. With the help of his supercomputer, Euclid, he pursues a number he believes can explain existence. As he does, corporate bankers and a Jewish sect become interested as his headaches and paranoia increase.

What was Good:
     -Directing/Cinematography: The directing, in my opinion, is what made the film so engaging and watchable. I think it was absolutely brilliant. The shots are all so interesting and, along with the editing, help convey a sense of Max's paranoia. I think the directing is the reason the filmmakers were able to pull off Pi, as it could have been a really stupid movie in somebody else's hands.
     -Editing: The editing was nothing short of brilliant. I think it is really what makes the movie so suspenseful. The cuts come in short, paranoid progression and help show the type of insanity that is plaguing Max.

This is a Fibonacci Spiral. This plays a key role in the movie,
so I thought I'd include it. It's found in lots of places in nature.

     -Music/Score: The music is usually pretty simple and repetitive beats, but it works so effectively to help create the feeling of suspense and paranoia that Max is experiencing. One thing the filmmakers did a great job is creating something great out of very limited materials, and the music is an example of this.

     -Story: This is another thing I really liked. The movie was very original. Hardly ever do we see math-centric movies, but Pi pulls it off very well. I've never heard of anything like this plot of a guy chasing a "god number," if you will. In my opinion, originality is better 95% of the time (see Godmonster of Indian Flats for a glimpse of the other 5%).
     -Action/Suspense: Not much action, but a ton of suspense. The movie, as I've mentioned before, plays into Max's paranoia and makes you almost as paranoid as he is, thus creating the suspense of, A). not being completely aware of what is going on, and B). fearing that everyone is out to get Max. Anyway, if you want suspense, Pi is a good movie to watch.

     -Acting: Though I've never heard of Sean Gullette before watching the movie, I think he does a great job as Max. The other actors are good in their roles, but Max is kind of the only main character and he has far and away the most screen time and lines.
     -Intelligence: There's no two ways around it: Pi is a total mind-bender. It's one of those movies that really forces you to think, especially at the end. This is a movie that would probably fly over most people's heads just because it's hard to wrap your brain around some of the concepts. However, this is a main reason I really liked it. I guess I'm just drawn towards mind-benders.

What Could Have Been Better:
     -Storytelling: For the most part, it is told well, but it does get confusing at times. I think this is somewhat intentional to portray the paranoia and confusion Max is experiencing, but this does make it a little hard to follow towards the end. In its trippiness, sometimes viewer comprehension is lost.
     -Characters/Emotional Involvement: Not really the focus of the movie. The backstories of the characters really aren't given and the plot is far more psychological than it is emotional. Still, the depictions of Max's paranoia and its progression are well-done.

The Verdict: Pi is a really good movie. It's totally original, has incredible directing and editing, and it builds suspense very well. It is mind-bending and trippy, and this may lose some viewers, but if you can keep up or deal with it, I highly recommend this one. If you're a science, math and/or number person, I would recommend this even more.

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Skyfall (2012) Review

SKYFALL (2012)
Director: Sam Mendes

Writers: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, and John Logan

Producers: Anthony Waye, Callum McDougall, Barbra Broccoli, and Michael G. Wilson

Editor: Stuart Baird

Cinematography: Roger Deakins

Music: Thomas Newman

Starring: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Ben Whishaw, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, and Albert Finney

Runtime: 2 hours 23 minutes

Rating: PG-13 (intense violence, some sexuality, language)

Genre: Action, Adventure, Suspense, Thriller

Release Date: November 9, 2012

Intro: Well, I knew from the start that this was a movie I wanted to see. I have only seen two other James Bond movies before this (Casino Royale and From Russia with Love), but I know the franchise as a whole always puts out entertaining movies. Anyway, it was one I wanted to see, but wasn't expecting a lot out of. It turns out I was wrong. Skyfall is really well-made thrilling movie with great directing, a great score, and a surprising amount of emotion and intelligence.

Plot: A computer drive containing a list of MI6 British agents from around the world has fallen into the wrong hands, and it is James Bond's mission to get them back. While fighting a bad guy on top of a train, M (Dench),  the head of MI6, has another agent (Harris) nearby who is ordered to take a shot at the bad guy and missed and hits Bond (Craig) instead. Bond is believed to be dead until he shows up months later after MI6 has been blown up due to some cyberterrorism. He returns in bad shape to MI6 and to a point where M's job is on the line. Bond follows a man and through visits to Shanghai and Macao and it leads him to an encounter with the real man named Silva (Bardem) behind the plots against MI6 and especially M. Bond must work to protect M at all costs and to control Silva before he gets revenge and sabotages MI6 and England.

Things people may find “objectionable”: The main thing here is violence. The movie, as with all action movies, is very violent, and fighting is a central part of the story. There is also quite a bit of blood, but only one scene where you see it actually dripping as opposed to stained on someone's shirt. Finally, there is some mild swearing, but it isn't too bad.

Ratings:

     -Directing/Cinematography: 10/10. I am big on the visuals of a movie, and this one did an exceedingly good job. The whole movie was full of striking imagery and interesting shots and lighting. My favorite scene visually was Bond fighting Patrice in the building in Shanghai, where it was dark except for the flashing advertisements, and the whole area was covered with glass windows, which perfectly distorted the light and made for engaging action. I also like the attention to detail. Since 2012 is the 50th anniversary of the release of the first Bond movie, Dr. No, there were numerous references to the number 50 or to 1962, which was a cool touch.

     -Acting: 9/10. Seriously, Javier Bardem needs to play the crazed villain in every movie. He's great at it between his role as Silva here and the bad guy in No Country for Old Men. Everyone else did a good job of acting, though I don't see anyone getting nominated for Best Actor or Best Actress, maybe except for Javier Bardem. Also, I like Daniel Craig as James Bond. I think he does well in the role.

     -Writing: 8.5/10.

          -Story: 9/10. Very well-done. The story was interesting and exciting as well as suspenseful throughout. I liked it also in that it did not follow the typical Bond formula, as the "Bond Girl" plays a minor role and the attacks mostly come from within MI6 instead of from the outside. It also pointed out some of Bond's weaknesses and portrayed him as more human, which I much prefer to him being almost an invincible superhero.

          -Script: 8/10. Good, just didn't stand out. I doubt any memorable lines will come from the movie, except for the "Bond. James Bond." line that isn't specific to Skyfall at all.

     -Special Effects: 9/10. Not much CGI, but very good special effects as far as the explosions and guns are concerned. Everything looked pretty realistic and they really added to the visuals in some scenes.

All the actors who have played James Bond. From
left to right: Daniel Craig, Timothy Dalton, Pierce
Brosnan, Roger Moore, and Sean Connery.

     -Music/Score: 10/10. The score was great. It was fast-paced and really added to the suspense of the movie. I'd be willing to bet the score will at least be nominated for an Oscar.

     -Power/Emotion: 8/10. I do like the recent trend in Bond movies (at least in this and Casino Royale. I didn't see Quantum of Solace) of making 007 more human. It really makes you feel for him, and in Skyfall you feel bad for both him and M, as both their careers are on the line as some deem them unfit.

     -Adrenaline: 10/10. As an action movie, Skyfall definitely succeeded. This is the one aspect you should get out of Bond movies, as it's kind of the point.

     -Intelligence: 7/10. Actually pretty thought-provoking, considering it's an action flick.

     -Humor: 3/10. Definitely not the point of the movie, but there were some funny moments and lines, mostly used as comic relief for the very intense rest of the movie.

     -Best Credit: Peter Boyer as an Orchestrator (For a friend. You know who you are if you're reading this. And there was no best credit anywhere else).

     -Final Score: Skyfall greatly exceeded my expectations. It is very well made and well-rounded as well as thrilling. Will it have a lasting legacy or win many awards? Probably not, but it's worth watching. I'd recommend this movie to any Bond fans or action movie fans. I think it is a movie that can be enjoyed by people with all tastes.

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Argo (2012) Review

ARGO (2012)
Director: Ben Affleck

Writer: Chris Terrio

Producers: Ben Affleck, Chris Brigham, Chay Carter, George Clooney, Tim Headington, Graham King, David Klawans, and Nina Wolarsky

Editor: William Goldenberg

Music: Alexandre Desplat

Cinematography: Rodrigo Prieto

Starring: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Tate Donavan, Victor Garber, Clea DuVull, and Christopher Denham

Runtime: 2 hours

Rating: R (language, some violent images)

Genre: Biopic, Drama, Thriller

Release Date: October 12, 2012

Before Watching the Movie: You may want to briefly read up on the Iranian Revolution and the hostage crisis beforehand, but it isn't necessary, as they explain a lot of it in the movie.

Intro: This is a movie I have wanted to see ever since I heard about it. I think I heard about it when I saw the trailer for either Prometheus, Ted, or The Dark Knight Rises. The trailer piqued my interest, and later I saw Ben Affleck on The Daily Show, which wanted to make me see it even more. Finally, when it came out in theaters, I heard the rave reviews it got, and that was the clincher for me. Finally, after waiting almost a month (my schedule has been crazy), I saw it last night, and I was not at all disappointed. Argo is a fantastic movie all around and is especially strong in directing and acting, as it is thrilling to the end and very accurately captures the mission and the time period.

Plot: In early 1979, during the Iranian Revolution, angry Iranians and supporters of Ayatollah Khomeini storm the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and capture all but 6 Americans and take them hostage. Six manage to escape out the back entrance and find refuge in the Canadian Embassy. They have no way of leaving at risk of being taken hostage and/or being publicly executed by the revolting Iranians. Back in America, the CIA is frantically thinking of ways to sneak the six out, and they call up on Tony Mendez (Affleck) and after much thinking, Tony comes up with a crazy idea to get them all out in which he would set up a fake movie production for a science fiction movie called "Argo" and then pretend to do location scouting in Iran along with his Canadian film crew, who the six trapped ambassadors have to pose as. The plan is approved since they have no better ideas and the operation is on as Tony enlists the help of a couple real Hollywood people (Arkin, Goodman). Tony must gain the ambassadors' trusts while trying to get them safely out of Iran as the government painstakingly reconstructs the shredded identifications of the missing ambassadors in hopes of capturing and killing them.

Things people may find “objectionable”: The first half of the movie has much more swearing and violence than the second, so even though there is swearing and violence, it mostly occurs in the first half. The violence stems from the shots of the Iranian revolution and the protesting, and again almost all of it is contained in the first half of the movie. There is also a lot of swearing, so if you see the movie, be prepared for that if you are uncomfortable with it.

Ratings:

     -Directing/Cinematography: 10/10. Affleck does a fantastic job with the direction. A couple things in particular caught my eye. At the end of the movie, they show pictures of the actual people involved in the operation side-by-side with shots from the movie, and it's stunning how accurate everything looked compared to how they looked in real life. The movie was also full of interesting shots and visuals. The one that stuck out to me the most was when Tony is waiting in the Iranian building in Turkey and he looks to the side and a portrait of Ayatollah Khomeini was staring down at him, as if Ayatollah were watching him. While this was far from the only great shot in the movie, this is the one that stuck out to me the most.

     -Acting: 10/10. Everyone did a great job in acting. The whole cast did a great job, though my favorite performances were from Ben Affleck, Alan Arkin, and John Goodman. Goodman and Arkin are hilarious as the two actual Hollywood people, and Affleck does a great job all around, with directing and acting.

     -Writing: 9.5/10.

          -Story: 10/10. Well, like they say, the truth is stranger than fiction, and the story is both truthful and extremely interesting.

This was the fake poster used for Argo in real life.

          -Script: 9/10. Really a great script. The lines were good and it was able to mix grave drama with witty comedy. There didn't seem to be any cheesy lines, and all the lines they had worked well with the movie.

     -Special Effects: n/a. Special effects were really not used that much in the movie. In fact, I'm not sure if they're used at all really, since there's no blood and guns are used only in two scenes. Still, the movie works extremely well without them.

     -Music/Score: 8/10. The score was very good and it added to the tension of the movie at points. While it doesn't always stand out, it definitely adds an element of tension to the movie.

     -Power/Emotion: 7/10. The movie does a pretty good job at making the audience care for the characters at least to the point where you don't want to see any of them die. You also feel especially for those from the embassy as they have to step out in public and trust a total stranger in Tony when they know they are public enemies to the Iranians.

     -Adrenaline: 10/10. The movie is very tense all the way through, as it starts off with the US Embassy being stormed. There is not a lot of action or chase scenes, but there is constant tension throughout. It will definitely have you on the edge of your seat by the end, knowing how slim the chances are of the mission succeeding and how perfectly everything needs to go in order to work and in order for all the characters not to die at the hands of the revolutionary Iranians.

     -Intelligence: 6/10. This is now the new name for the "mind-bendingness" section, as I think intelligence is a better word to describe the original intent of this section, which was to rate how much the movie makes you think and/or engages you mentally. In other words, a superficial movie like Transformers would rank low, while something mind-bending and intellectual like Inception would rank high. While the movie is smartly written and directed, it doesn't make you think as much as some movies do. The big thing that makes you think is the display of how much the U.S. is hated in this movie and the kind of things we did to Iran before Ayatollah Khomeini came to power. Still, this does not take away from the movie at all.

     -Humor: 6/10. The movie nicely blended humor and drama. There were some really funny moments and lines in the movie, especially coming from John Goodman and Alan Arkin's characters. The writer did a great job of working in good humor with such a serious story. Kudos to him.

     -Best Credit: Dorianne Pahlavan as "Airport Hysterical Wife."

     -Final Score:  Argo is one of the best movies I have seen in theaters this year. It is good all across the board and Ben Affleck is great both behind and in front of the camera. It's most likely going to take home some awards at the Oscars in February. If you can stand swearing, you should see this movie. I think it would be very hard to be disappointed.

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The Game (1997) Review

THE GAME (1997)
Director: David Fincher

Writers: John Brancato and Michael Ferris

Producers: Jonathon Mostow, Steve Golin, Ceán Chaffin, Michael Ferris, and John Brancato

Editor: James Haygood

Cinematography: Harris Savides

Music: Howard Shore

Starring: Michael Douglas, Deborah Kara Unger, Sean Penn, and James Rebhorn

Runtime: 2 hours 9 minutes

Rating: R (language, some violence and sexuality)

Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Drama

Release Date: September 12, 1997

Intro: Twas a rainy day a couple weeks ago in the Southland (Southern California for those of you who don't live here) and I had the day off school. I also had Netflix at my disposal and wanted to watch a mystery/suspense or film noir-esque movie. I chose to do a double feature of The Game and Drive. I chose the game because it's a David Fincher movie, and I am a fan of his. I also read the synopsis and it sounded really interesting. The Game is like a football team at the one-yard line on 4th down with only a few seconds left on the clock. It is about to score a crucial touchdown if only it can pull off the last play right, but somehow it ends up failing to score, despite all the options it has to do so. The Game is gripping and suspenseful to the end, but it fails to execute the ending in a manner that satisfyingly wraps up a movie with great acting, a good script, and lots of potential, thus leaving the viewer extremely frustrated.

Plot: Nicholas Van Orton (Douglas) is a wealthy banker in San Francisco without any real friends. It's his 48th birthday and this has an impact on him because that was the age his father committed suicide. After spending most of his birthday alone, his formerly troubled brother Conrad who he has not seen in years (Penn) invites him to dinner. Conrad brings him a present of a card to try out a new type of entertainment called CRS or Consumer Recreation Services, since Conrad did it and loved it. Intrigued, Nicholas goes to CRS and signs up for their real life "game."Suddenly, weird things begin happening to Nicholas that only get worse and worse as he and a girl he meets (Unger) are sure CRS is up to something. The only thing to do now is for Nicholas to find out what exactly CRS is doing by piecing together what scraps of information he can find while trying to keep his sanity.

Things people may find “objectionable”: The big thing here is swearing. The f-word is used occasionally, along with some milder ones. There is also one scene where there sexual pictures laying around a room, but it is impossible to see any nudity since they are flashed at you quickly or are too far away to make out anything.

Ratings:

     -Directing/Cinematography: 10/10. It had the stylized and interesting direction of David Fincher that I've come to like. I really like Fincher because he picks really interesting shots and adds a smooth, yet suspenseful directing style to the movie. Part of the reason I chose to watch this movie is that I knew if nothing else, it would have good directing.

     -Acting: 9/10. This was definitely a strength. Michael Douglas does a great job as Nicholas and the supporting actors all give solid performances as well. Even though he has a minor role, I liked Sean Penn as Nicholas' brother. He seems to me to play the part well.

     -Writing: 6.5.

          -Story: 6/10. The story is good and well-told for quite a while with several plot twists, albeit there are a few plot holes. The only problem is that the ending seemed underwhelming and unsatisfying, as if it almost didn't fit in with the rest of the movie. There are a million different ways the writers could've ended the movie that would've made it immensely more satisfying than the way they chose to do it. To be honest, the ending ruined the movie for me. It was confusing and extremely unsatisfying. I like the message and meaning behind the ending, but it just seemed out of place, considering the tone and general direction of the movie beforehand. It almost seemed like the screenwriters got stuck when trying to write an ending, so they just went with this one because they couldn't think of anything better. It reminds me quite a bit of the ending of Huckleberry Finn, on which Twain got stuck and settled for a lesser ending after carrying the story spectacularly up until then. Anyway, the plot was good except for the infuriating ending.

          -Script: 7/10. Pretty good script. While it wasn't the best ever written, it was definitely solid. If nothing else, it served its purpose well.

     -Special Effects: 8/10. Not used much, and when used, used subtly, but they work nicely. The best one was the guy on the TV phasing in and out telling Nicholas about his game. It was pretty subtle, but it was creepy and fitting.

Expressing my frustration with how the end of the movie
was written.

     -Music/Score: 9/10. The music is quiet, creepy, and suspenseful and accurately reflects the tone of the movie. I though the score, though it wasn't meant to stick out, did a very good job at adding that extra something to make several scenes more suspenseful.

     -Power/Emotion: 5/10. I can't really pretend that the characters have a ton of depth in this movie. They really don't. The screenwriters try to give them some, but it is fairly obvious that all the time and effort was put in to the story and not the characters (and yet they couldn't manage to come up with a good ending). Still, you manage to feel for Nicholas, especially as he begins to fall lower and lower.

     -Adrenaline: 9/10. This movie is the definition of a potboiler. It does a good job at keeping you thrilled from beginning to the bad ending. Just when you think you know where the movie is going, it pulls the rug out from under you with another plot twist and it always keeps you guessing. I think this involvement in the plot the movie creates makes the ending just more disappointing. Like I said, there are so many other ways in which the movie could have ended that would have blown the audience's minds and capitalized on the immense suspense it had been building up, but this is sadly not the case.

     -Mind-Bendingness: 8/10. The one thing I loved about this movie is how many plot twists it had, as it always kept you thinking and wondering what exactly is going on. It's almost like you're playing the game along with Nicholas, as you never know more about his situation than he does. I definitely love movies that engage you mentally, and this is one of them.

     -Humor: 1/10. Not very much humor in the movie, but the writers weren't really putting much effort into it.

     -Best Credit: Jason Kristofer as "Teen Thug."

     -Final Score: The Game is a really good mystery/suspense movie that always leaves you guessing what's next, but its ending kills all the momentum and tension the movie had been building up. If there had been a different ending of pretty much any kind, The Game would be a great, memorable, and exciting mystery/suspense, but for me, the ending ruined everything. If you don't mind getting disappointed by the ending, you should watch the movie, as it's a great ride to get there.

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