Bryan Caron's Blog, page 35

Movie Mayhem – Horrible Bosses 2

In a perfect world, other than films that are already part of a planned series, sequels wouldn’t exist. Production studios, producers and writers wouldn’t rely so heavily on title recognition and consistently churn out original material. Alas, perfection doesn’t exist, and so we are left to wallow in constant sequels, prequels, spinoffs and rehashes, most of which could never capture the magic of the original film, and for the most part feel lame, ordinary or repetitive (see The Hangover, Part II). Yet with any rule, there are always exceptions (such as Terminator 2: Judgement Day and The Godfather: Part II), but they are few and far between, mostly because producers are only hoping to capitalize on the popularity rather than doing so because of artistic integrity. So when a film like Horrible Bosses (a decent comedy, but not one a whole lot of people were begging to see more of) makes just enough money to warrant an unnecessary sequel, I was a bit shocked to find that Horrible Bosses 2 not only doubles down on everything the first film had to deliver, but ends up creating a winning piece of entertainment.

All three working stiffs from the original are back, but this time, they’ve teamed up to create their own business based around the production of a product known as the shower buddy. All three actors are in fine form, building on the spotty chemistry from the first film to create a relationship that feels genuine. The first scene, in which the boys appear on a morning talk show, reintroduces us to the team by delivering the necessary exposition in a fun, clever and natural way, while at the same time making sure we remember why these guys were so fun to watch to begin with. Jason Sudeikis remains affably clueless as Kurt Buckman; Charlie Day is as loyal as ever as manic family man Dale Arbus; and as Nick Hendricks, Jason Bateman continues to be the logical center of this team of quirky misfits. With his laid-back, thoughtful approach, Bateman remains the heart that keeps the film’s insanity grounded. The sequence, with its rapid-fire wit and nonchalant filth, also sets the tone for the remainder of the film with tremendous accuracy.

Joining the core group this time around is Chris Pine as Rex Hanson, an entitled, arrogant rich-kid who reaches out to the boys to buy them out of their company. Pine, adding smarm and charm to a group of otherwise likable losers, compliments the group by pumping in just the right amount of extra juice to keep the film from feeling like a carbon copy of the original. He’s intelligent and cocky with a flair for manipulative practices, so it’s quite easy to see why our trio would team up with him to extort five million dollars in ransom money from Rex’s father, Bert Hanson (Christoph Waltz), after he nearly bankrupts the company in an underhanded attempt to steal their product.

Of course, the kidnapping wasn’t Rex’s idea. It was Kurt’s idea, and as it goes with these three characters, nothing ever goes as planned. But that’s where the humor is mined and nurtured. It relishes in the fact that these guys are bumbling idiots who want to believe they’re mischievous, conniving and capable of being criminals, but who in the end are just regular guys living regular lives and occasionally make a mistake or two that get a little out of hand, especially when they enlist the help of others like Motherf***** Jones (Jaime Foxx, returning with just as much odd flair), who pretends to know what they’re talking about simply to feel important (and perhaps using the guys incompetence against them).

Foxx isn’t the only returning co-star. Writers Sean Anders (who also directed) and John Morris find clever ways to bring both of the original (surviving) bosses back. Kevin Spacey makes a delicious cameo appearance as Nick’s old boss, Dave Harken, bringing along his steely gaze to continue to intimidate, ridicule and downsize his former employee. After being arrested for the murder of Colin Farrell’s character in the first film, Nick seeks out Harken in prison for advice at getting back at Bert for the underhanded business deal. Watching Bateman react to Spacey’s vindictiveness is terrific. Tack on a great moment at the end of the movie and Spacey nearly steals the entire film while sitting behind a giant pane of glass in an orange jumpsuit.

Bringing back Jennifer Aniston’s overtly sexual Dr. Julia Harris was a little trickier, but because it was done so smoothly, her return ends up making perfect sense. The initial idea the boys have for getting the money to save the company is to break into Rex’s home and keep him knocked out with Nitrous oxide. Why? Because Dale still has the pass code to Dr. Harris’s dental office. As they are in the process of stealing said Nitrous, Julia arrives unexpectedly with a group of sex addicts, leading to one of the more awkwardly weird group discussions involving Nick’s accidental admission and Julia’s persistence to have sex with him, a set-up of which leads to some extremely funny moments later on in the film — especially the layers of innuendo at the very end.

In the first film, the characters (with the exception of Bateman) leaned more heavily toward outrageous caricatures than real people, but here, that outrageousness, though still flying high, is subdued just enough to make them feel authentic. In one inspired scene right out of The Simpsons playbook, MF Jones helps the guys by drawing the police into a chase through the city (and for the sake of spoilers, I won’t go into the details of why). At one point, forgetting that they want the cops to follow them, MF Jones jumps the train tracks just as an oncoming train flies by, so the boys are forced to wait for the monster of a train. The entire moment is so absurd it’s fascinating… and is a great example of where the humor sits for the majority of the film.

As would be expected, not all of the jokes hit their mark, but in a film that keeps an amazingly steady stream of laughs humming from start to finish, the hits far outweigh the misses. Some are funnier than others and some are a bit recycled (including one that’s pulled almost directly from the first film, but which the script makes fun off in a nice meta twist — which is also noted in the series of outtakes during the credits), but with a spin on the concept that feels more practical than the first film’s Strangers On a Train  conceit (even while maintaining the tongue-in-cheek absurdity of it all), Horrible Bosses 2 stands as a strong follow-up to a film that didn’t really even need a sequel.

My Grade: A

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Next week, new movies include The Pyramid, Wild and Dying of the Light. If you would like to see a review of one of these, or any other film out next week, please respond in the comments below.

Write A Novel With Me – Chapter 5

Welcome back to our continuing saga. Voting for Chapter 4’s best answer ended in a tie, so instead of choosing between them, I decided to combine elements from both answers to create the narrative for Chapter 5! Before you begin, if you’d like to see the answers for Chapter 4’s question, “Where did the shadow take Rick?”, you can find them here.

And in case you haven’t read them yet, here are the previous chapters: Chapter 1, Chapter 2 Chapter 3 & Chapter 4.

With that said, please enjoy Chapter 5 of our story where we find out where the shadow took Rick.

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CHAPTER 5

Rick felt like vomiting several times as he tumbled through the spin of the otherworldly tunnel to nowhere, but his nausea was as numb as his mind. If it weren’t for the beat in his chest, he would have thought he was dreaming. Maybe he was.

Dreams are as real as you make them, his father once said. And life is the only dream worth having.

Of course, those words of wisdom came after his diagnosis, so how much he really believed them was still a mystery. But they somehow comforted Rick now as a bevy of bright colored lights that would frighten even Willy Wonka flashed all around him. He tried to close his eyes, but it was hard to tell if they were already closed or if they were being involuntarily kept open. Either way, the flashes weren’t ever going to stop, not until he reached his destination — assuming he hadn’t already, which was a thought he did not want to have, but found hard to ignore. What if being part of this hellish lightshow was punishment for not being heartfelt in his acquiescence?

His heart was black, and so was he…

That’s when it occurred to him. This wasn’t a punishment; it was a test to see if he could truly accept the shadow’s gift. It already felt as if he’d been trapped here for years. If he couldn’t get over the fact that he missed his family, he’d more than likely be stuck in limbo for eternity. But if he could come to terms with the possibility the shadow was telling the truth — that he was meant for more than simply scoring a touchdown (a maybe a cheerleader or two) — he’d not only find solace in himself, but in his future as well.

The moment he started to believe every word the shadow said, and embraced the idea that he could be some kind of Han Solo hotshot, roaming the galaxy like Indiana Jones and crushing the universe like Rick Deckard, the flashes slowed, revealing subtle images within them. The more excited he got about destroying replicants and hopping worlds (and universes — how cool would that be to get to see some alternate world where Lauren wasn’t his aunt and his mother never died) on a giant saucer, the clearer the images became. They floated through him before fading into new images, each one representing comfort, love, redemption and honor. Whether it was a woman being rescued from the raging waters of a river, the smile on a child’s face when he opened that most coveted of presents on Christmas, or a soldier sacrificing himself for another, Rick felt gratified — and extremely hopeful.

It wasn’t long before the images became those of memory — snapshots of moments that had never been recorded by any device, pictures of him and his obnoxious brother, his healthy father….

His loving mother and the warmth of her body as he lay on her lap, chilled with the flu. She was the rock of love that fueled his growth. Thinking of her would always ultimately bring up thoughts of her premature demise, but here, those thoughts were non-existent. His mother was alive and well, somewhere… and that was enough. Her death is what led to him being the man he was — a better man, someone she would always respect. But her life… oh, her life would have proven to be much more powerful, and it was in this idea that turned his heart to ride the wave back into her waiting arms and give her the hug he’d been so longing to give her.

But as he wrapped his arms around —

Lauren? Don’t knock up my sister!

— a thick smoke poured around him. He coughed violently and sat up.

When he opened his eyes, he saw a flash of his mother’s crystal blue eyes (or was it Lauren’s hazel beauties) and then finally got to see the reality of his surroundings.

He was in some type of super-sized hospital room that was nearly the size of an auditorium. Twelve beds evenly lined the main walls, each with a set of medical equipment (though oddly without any monitors). A large computer spanned the entire wall to the right of the room and on the left was a massive pair of doors with a double set of lion gargoyles flanking them.

Finally, Rick thought. Maybe now I’ll get some damn answers. With every word, the computer sung with activity, as it did with every small movement. Tossing the bed covers away, sliding his legs over the edge, waving hi — they all led to the machine running new lines of code across its monitors. What was really weird about the whole thing was how it was reading his vitals (and his mind!) without even being attached to him. Rick figured the shadow had implanted him with some type of device, but after inspecting what he could of his body, he couldn’t find any possible entry point. (There weren’t any mirrors in the room, so for all he knew, he had a giant mechanical bug attached to his spine; unlikely, but not impossible.) The shadow could have some type of liquid or moisturizer to help the healing process… and then again, how long had Rick actually been there?

It didn’t matter. Rick needed to get out of there; at the very least, find the shadow and get some answers. He slid off the bed, taking one last glance at that irritating computer, and hurried to the doors. As he got close, he swore he saw the gargoyles watching him. He eyed them carefully as he walked past them and noticed that straight on, they were just statues, but in his peripheral vision, they moved (at least in an illusionary way). It kind of freaked him out. But he had to get answers; he had to get through the doors.

They better not be locked.

To his surprise, the doors opened quite easily, almost as if something was helping him from the other side, pushing him back a bit — with a slight roar? — and almost blinding him with the electric white light that blasted through the gateway. He tried to see what was on the other side, but not even squinting could disperse the light source.

Suddenly, he felt something pulling him into the light. No amount of struggle could keep his feet from sliding forward. He decided it was better if he didn’t resist. Once he passed the threshold, the doors slammed shut behind him. At that moment, he was no longer being pulled and the bright orange behind his eyelids had turned to quiet darkness.

And he couldn’t breathe.

He opened his eyes and found himself standing at the bottom of a giant fishbowl full of water. He grabbed his chest, the compression in his lungs forcing him to his knees. All he could do was look frantically for any bastion of safety — an air pocket or a bubble of oxygen one might see in a video game. Nothing. He thought for a moment that the water might end prior to the very top of the globe, but he was stuck to the floor as if his pants had been weighed down. It was his nightmare come true —

That is until he caught sight of something odd. A few yards away, two men (who looked like clones of each other) sparred with wooden staffs that seemed utterly dry and without friction. Just behind them was an old looking woman dangling by her feet from a rope, doing what looked like some type of yoga routine. A second woman — a little on the heavy side but still cute — jogged along the edge of the globe, her hair bouncing side-to-side. At the far end of the globe was a large boulder where a young woman, who from this distance looked oddly like Lauren, sat. She stared in Rick’s direction, occasionally looking away and shaking her head as if disappointed in something — in him.

And she should have been. Unless all of these people were some type of amphibian hybrids with no respect for physics (or it was all a trick due to lack of oxygen to his brain), there was absolutely no water in this room. It was all in his head; it had to be. He had to take a chance and breathe.

*     *     *

“Wait a second,” Jaden said. “You expect me to believe everyone in the room was human?”

“No,” Rick said, so aggravated he rubbed his eyes and wiped his mouth with extreme force. “You haven’t been paying attention to a damn thing I’ve been saying.”

“What’s to know?”

Rick rolled his eyes and then sat forward to try and make his point stick. “None of these other people were human at all. Each of them were from different worlds — different galaxies — brought to this place to train to become a Galaxy Gifted. I only saw and heard them as human because my mind wouldn’t allow me to see their true forms until I was ready.”

“Fine. Whatever. What does any of this have to do with Sawyer?”

“May I continue?”

Jaden leaned back and tried to relax. This was going to take a while.

*     *     *

The air was cool and refreshing as he brought it into his lungs. Rick coughed several times but that sensation, too, was a delight. There was still a bowl full of water surrounding him, but there wasn’t any — not really. He couldn’t feel it, he couldn’t taste it; it was a thick, blue air that almost killed him because of his own psyche.

As he brought his breathing under control, Rick heard someone clapping. The woman from the boulder was walking toward him. Strangely, every few steps she would either duck under or step over some invisible something.

“Neat trick, huh?” the jogger said with a wink as she passed by. Rick wanted to reply but didn’t know what to say. So he returned his focus to the woman who reminded him of what his young aunt might look like in ten years.

“Where am I?” he finally choked out.

The woman ended her applause as she stopped several feet in front of Rick. She eyeballed him for a moment. “Welcome to the hellfire club,” she said.

“The what?”

The woman ignored him. “Where are you?”

Rick looked confused.

“The room?” the woman barked, frustrated as hell. “Where are you?”

“A fishbowl?” Rick said, still unsure.

“Of course you are,” the woman said with a roll in her eyes. She started walking back toward the boulder (again avoiding objects that weren’t there). Rick wasn’t sure what to do, but he needed answers, and unless he wanted to get some cardio work done, she was his best hope.

“Wait.” It was rough trying to catch up to her through the thick friction of the water, but he eventually caught up to her, still a little out of breath. Keeping up with her was even more difficult. “Are we not all in a tank full of water?”

“The room is different for everyone, fish.”

“Really? How?”

“Beats me. My best guess is it taps into the person’s worst fear.”

“Your best guess? Doesn’t anyone know? Where’s the shadow?”

“The shadow could care less about us right now.”

Rick felt a cold dread rush through his veins. “What do you mean? Where is he?”

The woman stopped. “Look, I’m in the same boat as you right now, fish. I don’t have all of the answers. None of us do. All I know for sure is that we have to keep passing these damn tests before we’re finally granted an appearance in front of the bastard.”

The woman resumed her trek through her imaginary playground. Rick followed closely behind. “What’s your name?” he said.

The woman paused briefly before saying, “Sameer.”

“Where are you at right now, Sameer?”

“The jungles of my home.”

“What’s so frightening about that?”

“What’s so frightening about a fishbowl?” Sameer smirked knowingly. “You don’t want to know. Let’s just say, it’s alive and ready to feast at a moment’s notice.”

“Because of wild animals?”

“No,” Sameer said before stopping next to the boulder to look directly into Rick’s eyes. “The jungle.”

Rick was taken aback. Imagining such a thing almost made him laugh, but he held himself in check so as not to offend her. The last thing he needed right now was to get Sameer on his bad side — if he hadn’t already for simply breathing.

“How did you get here?” he asked.

“The shadow snuck into my bedroom the night before I was set to leave for basic training,” Sameer said.

“Did he threaten your family, too?”

“No,” she said with a slight laugh. “He just offered me something better. Little did I know…” She lowered her head and took in a deep breath. Rick stayed silent, unsure of what to say. Seeing his awkwardness, Sameer hit the boulder with the tips of her fingers. “Wake up and say hi to the fish.”

Rick was stunned to find out the boulder wasn’t a boulder at all, but a man that looked like the Hulk on steroids. He rose, standing nearly four feet taller than he was, a cigar dangling from off his upper lip.

“My god,” Rick said.

The beast looked down upon Rick as if he were a bug on a windshield.

“Be nice,” Sameer said to the behemoth. Apparently nice was standing as firm as a mountainside.

“Don’t worry about Johson,” the jogger said as she came to a stop next to Sameer and bent over to catch her breath. “He may not say much, like, ever. But he’s a sweetie-pie.” She held out her hand. “I’m Frensessa.”

Rick shook her hand in appreciation. “Rick,” he said.

“Thank goodness, cause, like, I’d hate to have to call you Roger. Dude was, like, nothing but dead weight in the tank…. Like, literally dead weight.”

“The tank?”

“It’s what we like to call this place, you know. What was up with you earlier, anyway? Were you, like, drowning or something?”

“Yeah.”

“Thought so. At least you passed. A lot of new recruits don’t even get past, like, the fist test.”

“What are these tests?” Rick finally asked, even though the question had been on his mind the entire time.

“As best as we can make out, the first is, like, what the twins dubbed the hall of horror. Most recruits can’t truly accept the mission and end up going, like, completely mad. I remember when I first passed. There was, like, another recruit who ended up killing himself by, like, clawing at his wrists with his fingernails. Not a pretty sight. Like, not at all.”

“I had no problem with it,” Sameer said.

“Yeah, we know,” Frensessa said, a bit annoyed. “Sameer, the great and powerful, scared of nothing but her own shadow.”

“I am not scared of my shadow,” Sameer yelled.

“Right, yeah, sure,” Frensessa muttered. “Then why haven’t you, like, gone through?”

“What are you talking about?” Rick said, hoping to diffuse the tension.

“Perrin,” Frensessa said, pointing to the older woman, “that’s what she likes to call, like, the third test. ‘The Shadow.’” The last two words were said in a playfully ominous tone.

“Why would she call it that?”

“Because you have to, like, return through the portal.” Her smile was bright and warming. Rick couldn’t get enough of it. “So, not only does the light from the other side, like, cast a shadow as you enter, but, like, you’re supposedly returning to somewhere you already were to, like, complete the final test.”

“That will lead us back to the shadow,” Rick completed.

Frensessa slapped him on the arm. “Now you’re starting to catch on, there, Rick. It took Johson, like, a month to finally get it.”

“A month? How long have you been here?”

“Me, I’d say anywhere between, like, six and eight months, maybe. That’s nothing compared to Sameer. She’s been here for, like, forever.”

“Would you shut your damn mouth,” Sameer said irritably.

Frensessa repeated Sameer’s words back to her with a mumbled joy of teasing.

“But wait,” Rick said. “If we step back through the doors, wouldn’t we just be back in the hospital room?”

“Is that what you saw?” Frensessa said. “Damn, I wish I was in a nice hospital room.”

“I don’t want to know. My point is, wouldn’t we just go back to where we were?”

“Nobody knows. When you step through those doors, it’s, like, anybody’s guess where you might end up.”

“No one’s ever returned?”

Sameer lowered her head, seemingly trying to avoid the conversation. Frensessa simply shook her head.

“So, what do you think is behind the door?”

“Well, think about it. The first test was, like, acceptance, taking the mission into your heart. The second test was, like, realizing you weren’t, like, where you think you are.”

“A test of the mind,” Rick said. “So you think the third test is one of courage?”

“You are a quick one, I’ll give you that.”

Rick thought about it for a moment and then said, “I’m ready.” He started back toward the double doors at the other end of the bowl.

Frensessa stopped him. “Wait. Are you sure? You haven’t even, like, done any training yet?”

“Who said we needed training? For all we know, the test is simply finding the courage to walk through it?”

Frensessa looked deathly afraid, as if she wasn’t telling him something. She nodded slightly and let go. Rick waited a moment, examining the looks on both of their faces before flashing a quick, unsure smile. He walked to the doors and could feel everyone’s eyes on him as he took hold of the door handles. With one last, long, leering breath, he pulled the doors open.

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What is the test of courage?

Be as creative as you can, as outrageous as you want, and as detailed as possible. The best answer will determine where the story goes next.

Post your answers to Facebook, Twitter (using #WriteANovelWithMe and @phoenixmoirai) or in the comments section below by 5 p.m. PST on Thursday, December 4, 2014. You can give as many different answers as you want. The top 5 will be posted on Friday.

I can’t wait to see where your imaginations soar.

This Week’s Movie Mayhem Review Delayed

If you’ve been waiting on pins and needles for my next full movie review, I can relate! However, because of a couple of other obligations over the holiday weekend, I was unable to complete my Movie Mayhem review on time. But don’t fret — my full review of Horrible Bosses 2 will be posted on Tuesday morning. In the meantime, here’s a short preview…

“[Jason] Bateman, with his laid-back, thoughtful approach, continues to be both the logical center to a team of quirky misfits and the heart that keeps all of the film’s insanity grounded.”

Write A Novel With Me Takes A Holiday

For those hoping for to read chapter 5 of my Write A Novel With Me saga, I’m afraid I must be the bearer of some (minor) bad news. Because of the Thanksgiving holiday this Thursday, I’ve decided to postpone the release of chapter 5 (in which we get to find out where the shadow took Rick) until next Monday, December 1. In the meantime, now’s the chance to get caught up on previous chapters or invite a friend to get involved with the experiment.

Here are links to all of the previous chapters:

Chapter 1: The Proposal (Question: What happened to Sawyer?)

Chapter 2: Sorrow’s Lament (Question: Who is at the Door?)

Chapter 3: A Brother Returns (Question: What happened to Rick and Lauren at the park?)

Chapter 4: The Ultimatum (Question: Where did the shadow take Rick?)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Movie Mayhem – The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1

By splitting up one novel into two movies, it’s inevitable for “Part 1″ to be nothing more than a set-up for a major battle that will occur in “Part 2.” In order to make the first part into a justifiable film, the filmmakers must focus their attention on one aspect that can stand on its own two feet, but doesn’t preclude the final film. In The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1, the focus was on Bella and Edward’s marriage and dealing with the birth of their daughter, Renesmee; in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, it was all about securing the horcruxes. In both instances, the films were simply gearing up fans for what they really want — the final act. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 doesn’t veer away from this formula, making the film weaker than it could have been had the Mockingjay novel been condensed into one tremendous two and a half to three hour film (as opposed to two two-hour films for no other reason than to make more money).

That doesn’t mean the film fails; quite the opposite. Focusing all of his attention on rescuing Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), director Francis Lawrence (who also gave the franchise a new pulse with The Hunger Games: Catching Fire) pulls at all the heartstrings available to him while laying the sturdiest of foundations for what’s to come in the final film, ending it pretty much where I thought they might when I first heard they were going to split the novel into two distinct parts and methodically enticing us back for more.

Lawrence continues to prove that he understands the franchise a lot better than Gary Ross, whose The Hunger Games feels almost juvenile in comparison. From the direction and the acting to the cinematography, special effects and camerawork, everything is so much more mature; the films, in a way, have evolved nicely along with a plot that moves the franchise away from the sadistic games and into a political chess game for Panem’s freedom from President Snow (Donald Sutherland) and The Capitol.

The public isn’t simply complaining about the depravity of the Hunger Games anymore; they are rising up against a corrupt government, and in so doing, each side must play their pieces as precisely as possible. Peeta, mugging for The Capitol, is used as a pawn by Snow to illicit contempt in the rebels in an attempt to quash the ability of Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) to become the powerful symbol he knows she has the potential to be. On the other side, former games designer, Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman) uses Katniss as a pawn in creating propaganda to help remind the rest of Panem why they should unite. Lawrence does a good job balancing this aspect of the film with the rest so as to keep the film from being bogged down in the heaviness of the political machine, which, as many have complained about Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace, could cause what’s supposed to be an intense film into something as dry as a desert.

Every emotional beat is right on point, and unlike the first adaptation, wherein the heart of a lot of the relationships were sorely overlooked in favor of shaky action and artsy haughtiness, Lawrence takes his time to nurture those relationships, investing in the characters that drive the narrative forward in a pure, natural way. Every decision Katniss makes is out of love for Peeta (and to a lesser extent, her disdain for District 13′s President, Alma Coin (Julianne Moore), who decided not to return for Peeta after the destruction of the Quarter Quell). On the other side of the convoluted love triangle is Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth), whose decisions are all made to protect Katniss, including his choice to volunteer on a rescue mission that could very well end any possible romantic future he may have had with the love of his life. It’s all very calculated and all very heartbreaking, accentuated by the scene where Katniss goes to visit a makeshift hospital in District 8, only to watch it be destroyed. There is no denying her power to influence the masses to rise up against President Snow as she declares war on The Capitol for the first time. As Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson) says, Katniss can’t be forced to be a symbol; it must come naturally.

The relationship that doesn’t get enough attention is that between Katniss and President Snow. There is a very intricate subtext behind the mental games the two play with each other that gets lost a little under the overall influence of Katniss’s desires. Even though Snow isn’t shown much in the novels (due to it being in Katniss’s point of view the entire time), his presence haunts the background, taunting Katniss to fight. As evidenced by the first two films, Sutherland and Lawrence work well off of each other, but when all is said and done, this underlying game they play ends up hidden underneath the glamor of the love story and limited action sequences. When Snow drops hundreds of white roses over the remnants of a battlefield, the message sent to Katniss (which itself feels a bit forced and out of left field) should have been much more powerful than it actually turned out to be because the moments that lead up to this sequence we’re given enough time or weight to make it matter.

Even if the terrific moments of comic relief from Harrelson and Elizabeth Banks (as District 12′s games liaison, Effie Trinket) are too few and far between, the entire returning players help the newcomers (which also includes a film making team that hope to capture every perfectly raw moment from Katniss) fit in quite nicely. And though it may be a “filler” for what is more than likely going to be a killer finale, Mockingjay – Part 1 is well constructed and delivers the goods on almost every level, priming me for the ultimate battle between the Mockingjay and President Snow.

Extra points for finally doing right by Buttercup!

My Grade: A

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Next week, new movies include Horrible Bosses 2 and Penguins of Madagascar. If you would like to see a review of one of these, or any other film out next week, please respond in the comments below.

Movie Mayhem – Whiplash

If you want to be the best, you have to expend enormous amounts of time and energy to develop the talents God gave you. The problem is, everyone has a limit and only those who are willing to go beyond those limits can rise above everyone else clawing to the top of the proverbial heap and become great. Usually, the ones who find true greatness have someone (whether a mentor, a friend or a colleague) who sees their potential and nurtures their talent by pushing them to fight the odds and exceed beyond what they believe they can do. But where do you draw the very fine line between pushing someone beyond their limits and killing them from the inside out? When developing your talent becomes less about the love of working on your craft and more about the fear of failing, it only leads to heavy amounts of stress and anxiety that goes well beyond what the mind and body can take. That is the quandary writer/director Damien Chazelle explores in his beautifully executed film, Whiplash.

There’s always a moment in every actor’s career where he or she goes from being “that guy in that movie” to a household name, and for Miles Teller, Whiplash is that movie. Teller has appeared in (and has been the best part of) several films over the last few years, but up until now, he’s simply been a recognizable face in a sea of struggling actors. As Andrew, a drumming prodigy with no musical background whose life (and future) depends on making a name for himself, art imitates life as Teller pounds his way into the stratosphere of superb performances, proving he’s more than ready to become one of the all-time greats.

Andrew conveys a great deal of dedication, will and perseverance in his pursuit of greatness, occasionally to the detriment of his life. Focusing so much on developing his ability, Andrew misses a lot of what makes life enjoyable, including friendships and love. His best friend (for lack of a better word) is his father (a nearly unrecognizable Paul Reiser), and when he does find the courage to ask the cute girl behind the concession stand (Melissa Benoist) out on a date, he kills the relationship because he fears her involvement in his life will only harm his ability to become the greatest drummer of all time. What he doesn’t understand is that by disavowing all of life’s other pleasures, and holding onto such a narrow view of what he wants out of life, is what will actually hurt him in the long run.

Encouraging this (veiled) destructive behavior is Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), the illustrious professor of music at a prestigious academy who not only has a terrific ear for music and composition, but is a master of intimidation. When no one speaks up for being out of tune during a practice session, Fletcher calls out one of the students, yelling at them for not knowing whether he was or not. When the student finally answers, he’s kicked out of the orchestra for not knowing the difference. He uses the same tactic on Andrew when he tries to get him to stay on beat. Fletcher won’t ease up, even going so far as to slap him, until Andrew understands the difference between being too fast and being too slow.

Fletcher is a rock star at the academy. Every students wish is to be a part of his orchestra because they know if he approves of them, they will most likely have a long, fruitful career. His appreciation of talent, though, is quite fickle; a student has only himself to blame if they are eventually replaced by someone hungrier for excellence than they are. On the flip side, becoming part of Fletcher’s inner circle comes with a price, one that is more than likely paid literally in sweat, blood and tears. In one mesmerizing sequence, Fletcher is looking for a drummer that can match Fletcher’s impossibly fast tempo. The session turns into a merry-go-round marathon between Andrew and two rivals: Carl (Nate Lang), the group’s original core drummer, and Ryan (Austin Stowell), a drummer Fletcher brought in as nothing more than a fear tactic to help Andrew earn his spot behind the drum kit. The three of them spend hours trying to show their commitment, leaving behind layers of blood and sweat before Andrew finally prevails and allows practice for the rest of the orchestra (for whom had to wait until one of them got it right) to finally begin.

Known more for his comedic (and in some cases, his dramedy) turns than pure dramatic performances, it was a little odd at first to watch Simmons be so aggressively controlling (bordering on sadistic) — and not in a sly, over-the-top J. Jonah Jameson kind of way, but in a realistic portrait of someone who believes winning is more powerful to the soul than doing what you love for the love of what you do. At one point he says the two worst words in the English language are “good job,” mostly because it has become so meaningless as to promote laziness. When someone says those words, they simply mean you’ve given up, and what Fletcher wants more than anything is to find that one person he can mold and shape into an unforgettable legacy.

But once again the question arises — how much is too much? When nothing else matters but winning? When the high anxiety of failing (or losing) actually causes that person to fail? When pursuing your goal hurts others just as much as yourself? In a mad pursuit to perform in one competition, Andrew is involved in a serious car accident, but his determination to prove himself has been so ingrained in him by the fear of losing his future, that he leaves the scene of the accident to get to the theater and perform, only to end up failing and ultimately hurting the orchestra’s chances of winning. Would he have been better off taking a step back and for that one moment conceded his pride for health, or is it just one more lesson that helps him understand how much he needs to push himself to find his importance?

Everything about this film matches the message it’s putting out, beginning with the performances. Teller and Simmons stand toe-to-toe with each other, neither one backing down from the other in any way. In fact, the two of them continually help the other raise their games throughout the film, all the way up to the superb finale (executed with such finesse in everything from the performances to the lighting and the direction) that every word, every scene, every act and every question has been leading up to — that moment when we find out what true greatness looks like. It’s one of the best final ten minutes of any movie this year, if not the best.

But a movie like this wouldn’t be complete without great music, and sprinkled throughout are some terrific jazz pieces, including the title composition (the song that eventually wins Andrew his role in the core group… after he accidentally loses Carl’s sheet music during a competition, an incident I’m not convinced was an accident at all, but which the movie never addresses, leaving it up to the audience to decide) and the song that causes so much pain and blood to be spilled. Teller went above and beyond to be trained in such elegance and power behind the drums that it’s hard to believe there was any learning curve to be had.

In a film that asks the question of how far someone should go to create a masterpiece, it delivers in every respect that a film should deliver on, and the emotional power that goes along with the power of determination, the power of love and the power of respect is one that could very well help Whiplash top the list for best movie of the year.

My Grade: A

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Next week, new movies include The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I and The Imitation Game. If you would like to see a review of one of these, or any other film out next week, please respond in the comments below.

WANWM – Answers For Chapter 4

Thanks to those of you who participated in answering the question for Chapter 4 of Write A Novel With Me. There were three great answers this week, which I look forward to diving into. As you consider these two great choices, make sure to take into account the story thus far and where you would like to see it go. Check out Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 if you haven’t yet read them (or would like to reread them before making your decision).

Here was the question:

WHERE DID THE SHADOW TAKE RICK?

Here are the answers up for your vote (in order of submission):

1) Rick fell unconscious when the shadow enveloped him, and when he awoke he was in what appeared to be a hospital room with six other people. They helped him up and they all told of their stories of how they got there.

2) The shadows whisked Rick away to a dark tumultuous red and black forest-like place. The twisted black trees seemed to cry crimson as they flew through as if it was just a visit. But the Black Forest kept crying, yearning for any “human” contact, whispering, “Help us. Help us!” The shadows told Rick, “This is your first test.”

3) The shadows kept a close eye on Rick as they traveled through several wormholes. They didn’t want Rick to find his way back too soon. After the shadows made it to their great castle, they threw Rick into a room. Rick woke up, to him it only felt like 24 hours went by but he had traveled many light years away. Rick looked around at his new home and found out that he was not alone. One shadow told him to prepare himself for his first challenge…

To vote, use the comment section below, comment on the Facebook post, or use #WriteANovelWithMe on Twitter (and tag @phoenixmoirai) to provide the number of the answer you like the best. You have until 5 p.m. PST on Monday, November 17, 2014. The winning answer will be the basis for Chapter 5. In case of a tie, I will be the deciding vote.

I look forward to seeing which direction you’d all like to see the story go, and can’t wait to get started on the next chapter.

Write A Novel With Me – Chapter 4

It took a little more time to really find my voice in this week’s chapter, but it all came together quite nicely.

Here are the previous chapters in case you haven’t read them yet: Chapter 1, Chapter 2 & Chapter 3. Before you begin, if you’d like to see the answers for Chapter 3’s question, “What happened to Rick and Lauren at the park?”, you can find them here.

And now, without further adieu, please enjoy Chapter 4 of our story where we find out what happened to Rick and Lauren based on your votes.

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CHAPTER 4

He was seventeen. She was sixteen. It was a relationship that some might consider taboo.

Rick didn’t care.

He spent a lot of time with Lauren growing up as kids. The were roughly the same age, their families lived within walking distance of each other, and they shared a lot of the same friends. But because they were related, they had a special bond that went beyond friendship.

Don’t you go and get your aunt knocked up, Rick’s father used to say. I don’t want to have to chain up some three-legged mutant in our attic. Rick was only ten at the time, so he really didn’t understand why his dad would say such things. No way was he going to kiss his aunt (much less any other girl he knew) — what? And get infected with sensitivity overload?

That was until the day he first took notice of the effects of puberty. Not only had she developed a nice curvature to her chest, but in the rest of her body as well, not to mention the breathtaking beatification of her face. His own adolescent developments sent him to bed thinking of her almost every night. It didn’t stop him from hanging out with her and their friends as they always did, and nothing much changed beyond having to sometimes hide his waist when he accidentally got a glimpse down her blouse or spied her lying next to the pool. If only he could find some excuse to get her alone in a more romantic situation.

It took five years, but the timing was finally right.

Wanting to do something special for her sweet sixteen, Rick planned a special late-night picnic for Lauren. He knew she’d at least consider it, since she took great pleasure in astronomy and was almost always hanging out at the park whenever she wanted to be alone. Imagine his excitement when she actually agreed without so much as a hesitation. For Rick, that meant, whether subconscious or not, she had some shared feelings for him and he couldn’t wait to explore them.

As they walked along the path that led into the park, the brisk night air hitting their skin, Rick was itching to hold her hand but was afraid it might be too uncomfortable (at least this early in the night) for her to handle. The last thing he wanted right now was for Lauren to ask him to take her back home. The night was meant to reveal all of the hidden feelings they might have for one another and cultivate a much deeper relationship.

Don’t you go and get your aunt knocked up!

He set the blanket out near the tree she liked to read under in the summer afternoons, where the breeze was absolutely perfect and the sun shown just off to the edges, never causing glare across her eyes. Sometimes she’d sit and watch the kids play, or the dogs run around (occasionally getting tackled by one or two — she loved it) and it was where she took Rick to help him study Calculus — the day he started planning his attempt at a first kiss. He finally got his chance to take her hand as he helped her sit.

“Such chivalry,” she said as she rested her fingertips against his palm. The urge to kiss her knuckles and complete the picture nearly buckled his knees, but he stopped short, once again afraid it might send the wrong message too early.

For the next hour, Rick and Lauren enjoyed vegetarian sandwiches, fresh apple pie and a conversation that included a lot of laughs and a lot of playful teasing. Occasionally (as women do), Lauren would rest her hand on his arm just gently enough to urge Rick’s little friend to join the party (as little friends do). Good thing the picnic basket was there to hide it.

A half hour after finishing the meal, the two lay next to each other regaling over some stories about Rick’s football team (Rick never being the one to shy away from a good sports story) and Lauren’s art classes (who knew there could be so much drama in art?). During one such story about some Renaissance painter (what did he care what was coming out of those luscious lips of hers), Rick read all of the wrong signals and leaned in —

*   *   *

“Wait,” Jaden said, trying to wrap his head around what was being said. “You kissed aunt Lauren? With tongue?”

“It may have come out to play a little, yeah.”

Jaden wanted to say so much. “That’s just… no.”

“Oh come on. Are you trying to tell me you never thought about it?”

“No!” Jaden yelled a little too quickly, and he knew it.

“Not even once?” Rick smiled as Jaden admitted his own fantasies, however minor, through his uncomfortable bodily ticks. Jaden kept his mouth shut from then on.

*   *   *

Lauren didn’t instantly pull away, but when she did, her face was nearly the color of Santa’s suit. “What are you doing?” she said, covering her mouth, her eyes huge glass saucers.

“I’m sorry,” Rick said, sitting up. “I just… no. I’m not sorry. Lauren, I like you —”

“I like you too, Rick,” Lauren said. It felt as if she didn’t even realize what she said. “You’re a great guy, handsome and sweet… but you’re my nephew.”

“I don’t care.”

“No, Rick. We can’t do this. We just…” It took her much longer than it should have to finally say, “… can’t.”

Rick took Lauren’s hand. He tried to calm her trepidation by completely covering it. “Lauren…”

“Rick, please.” She wanted to pull her hand away, but felt a tenderness she didn’t want to let go of. In fact looking at the softness of sincerity in his eyes helped her accept the feelings she had been suppressing for so long. She pursed her lips, looked away for the briefest of moments and then said all she needed to with a kiss — a kiss that would last for the next five minutes.

DON’T KNOCK UP YOUR AUNT!

When Lauren finally pulled away to catch her breath, they both knew it was wrong — and so incredibly right. They smiled and giggled and held their hands together, unsure of what to say, or what to do next… or how to explain this to their family and friends, and whether they even should.

That’s when Lauren saw the puppy bounce out from behind the tree.

“Oh, how cute,” she said. She slid up to her feet so gracefully it was as if she was on a cloud. “Where did you come from, little guy?” she said as she knelt next to the puppy, a little shocked that it allowed her to pet it.  She looked to Rick. “Get over here —”

Rick bounded to his feet and backed a few steps away from Lauren until he was frightened by his inability to help her. She hovered four feet off the ground, her mouth covered by the smoke of a shadow (if that’s even what he was seeing).

I sense your fear and confusion, young tertian. But rest assured, we mean no harm.

The voice was deep and dark like a rolling thunder and seemingly came out of nothing. Rick was so focused on Lauren and the shadow’s fingers wrapping around her waist like a family of snakes, he didn’t notice two other shadow creatures flanking him from behind.

“Stop,” he tried to say, though it was more airy than vocal. It was no matter; there was no chance to stop the shadow from fully consuming Lauren. “You bastard,” he screamed. That was more like it.

Calm yourself, Richard, the shadow said as it wafted toward him.

“What did you do to her?” Rick said. He wanted to charge the monster, tackle it and rip Lauren from its dastardly, oily grasp, but his feet were frozen to the ground.

The shadow stopped a foot in front of Rick, who could now see the creature’s eyes — deep yellow orbs hidden under the smoke. Your female counterpart will be fine, the creature said, as long as you do as we ask.

“I’m not gonna do shit for you.”

I believe otherwise.

Rick finally caught a glimpse of the shadows behind him while keeping his focus on the leader.

As long as you do what we ask of you, your family will remain safe.

“And if I don’t?”

Then everyone you love will join Lauren in the netherworld of nothing.

“The nothing?” Rick said, exasperated. “The nothing? What the hell is that?”

It is a place between the plains of existence where nothing truly exists.

“You bastard,” Rick repeated, unable to come up with anything more creative. “What do you want with us?”

This isn’t about anyone else, young squire. This is about you and you alone. You have been chosen.

“Chosen? For what?”

You will help bring peace to the realms as one of the Galaxy Gifted.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

What you believe to be the universe is only one of millions of realms that co-exist together.

“You mean, like, dimensions?”

If that helps you understand, then yes. These dimensions are balanced by the power of the Galaxy Gifted, twelve unique entities that when bound together, keep the realms from melting into one another. If the Galaxy Gifted fail to stop the shape-shifters and secure the balance, all existence will be in peril.

“What kind of peril?” Rick said, unsure of why he was even humoring this monster.

Everything will be revealed as soon as you agree to come with us.

“Why me? What’s so special about me?”

In terms you will understand — you have the heart of a lion, the mind of a fighter and the bravery of a robot. With those elements, you can and will do anything to keep the heart of existence beating into forever.

Rick thought carefully about his options, trying hard to comprehend what was being said. “And if I don’t agree, everyone I love will be taken away from me?”

And we will take you with us anyway.

“What happens if these shape shifters win?”

Then everyone and everything that has ever lived will witness what absolute pain means.

Rick didn’t know what to make of any of this. All he could think about was Lauren, Jaden and his father’s safety. On the surface, it may have seemed he had been presented with an option, but there was really only one.

“If I go with you,” he said, “I want you to return Lauren and heal my father.”

We will return Lauren to this realm, but unfortunately, we cannot interfere in the daily dealings of life or rips may occur in the thread of existence.

Rick clenched his teeth. He could feel the cold rush of the other shadows swimming through his blood. “Can I at least say goodbye?”

I am afraid not.

Rick didn’t like that answer one bit, but what other choice did he have? “Fine,” he said. “Fine, I’ll go. Just bring Lauren back.”

He couldn’t be certain, but he thought he heard the shadow laugh as if the deal he just made was a fool’s contract. It was only when Lauren flew from the shadow’s chest and landed a few yards away from him that he thought otherwise.

Apparently love was stronger than anything else, as Rick was finally able to escape his bonds and run to Lauren. She was unconscious (which was probably a good thing) and wasn’t visibly hurt. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, and with a tear landing on the temple of her forehead, Rick kissed her cheek. “Goodbye.”

The shadow wrapped itself around Rick’s chest. He kept his hands on Lauren’s arm as long as he could.

“Where are we going?” he asked sullenly.

The shadow refused to answer Rick as it enveloped him, leaving Lauren alone under the stars.

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Where did the shadow take Rick?

Be as creative as you can, as outrageous as you want, and as detailed as possible. The best answer will determine where the story goes next.

Post your answers to Facebook, Twitter (using #WriteANovelWithMe and @phoenixmoirai) or in the comments section below by 5 p.m. PST on Thursday, November 13, 2014. You can give as many different answers as you want. The top 5 will be posted on Friday.

I can’t wait to see where your imaginations soar.

Movie Mayhem – Big Hero 6

When The Incredibles was released back in 2004, superheroes weren’t yet “a thing.” Yes, the X-Men and Spider-Man franchises were flourishing and Clark Kent spent his days fighting crime and puberty on television, but there just wasn’t the same appeal for superheroes as there is today. For all intents and purposes, Pixar was ahead of its time when it gave the world a family of retired superheroes trying to make it in the world as regular Joes. Disney Animation Studios must have recognized that and have taken it upon themselves (with the help their very own sister company, Marvel) to create a brand new franchise with the high-flying adventures of Big Hero 6, an animated superhero flick that tries to recreate the wonderment of The Incredibles but comes up just short in terms of both animated supremacy and superhero greatness.

Based on Marvel’s comic book series (created by Duncan Rouleau and Steven T. Seagle) of the same name, Big Hero 6 follows Hiro Hamada (voiced by Ryan Potter) and his ragtag group of genius friends (and one honest, heartfelt robot) as they seek revenge for the untimely death of Hiro’s older brother, Tadashi (Daniel Henney) and protect the city of San Fransokyo from destruction at the hands of a villain who is looking for vengeance all his own.

First and foremost, I like how they developed the character of Hiro. As a thirteen-year-old high school graduate, Hiro is in a place of both physical and mental puberty. He wants to have fun (what kid doesn’t?), using his talent in robotics to hustle players in illegal robot fights, but he also knows he has a responsibility to his family and his future. So when Tadashi takes him to his college (or nerd school, as the kids like to call it) to show him the benefits of learning, Hiro finds a place where he can be responsible (by using his talent to become a leader in the technology field) and have a whole lot of fun doing it (by challenging himself and spending more time with his brother).

After Hiro wins the robotic competition for entry into the school’s technology program with a new nanotech that can be used in various ways (and which the villain eventually takes advantage of for his own nefarious purposes), a fire erupts and Tadashi makes the decision to rescue his beloved professor, Robert Callaghan (James Cromwell) — a decision that kills them both and leaves Hiro grief stricken with nothing left to look forward to. Hiro’s emotional roller coaster of regret, pain, depression, sadness, excitement, inspiration and need for revenge are handled beautifully throughout the movie as he tries to come to terms with his loss and move forward without going against his or his brother’s ethical principles.

One thing that helps Hiro cope and find some semblance of solace is Baymax (Scott Adsit), an inflatable medical robot trained in thousands of medical practices and programmed to take care of all of his patients needs. Because Baymax is a nurse, all of his actions are based on whether or not they will help “cure” what ails Hiro. There is a fun scene when Baymax learns that being around friends and the simple act of giving someone a hug are all good things when dealing with loss. It’s a sweet moment that ignites what will become a terrific humanistic friendship between man and machine, wherein Baymax becomes a surrogate for Tadashi.

I can’t say quite as much for the rest of Hiro’s friends, who I felt were all slightly underdeveloped. There is a lot of time spent on developing Hiro’s back story and his individual journey, which inadvertently hurts the group dynamic by relegating the rest of the superhero team to background status. There are some fantastic things that happen with and between the characters, but the strength in those moments is lost in the fact that we don’t know them well enough to be excited for them when they learn to work as a team and really find their niche, thus hurting the dynamics that could have solidified the film as great.

Except for Fred (T.J. Miller), who is simply a mascot who loves the scientific impossibility of shrinking himself or being turned into a giant lizard, all of Hiro’s superhero partners are nerds of science — Honey Lemon (Genesis Rodriguez) is a material chemist, Go Go (Jamie Chung) a mechanical designer, and Wasabi (Damon Wayans Jr.) a laser physicist. All of them are fun characters with specific dispositions that set them apart (and at the same time compliment the team), but it’s all surface. Where Hiro and Baymax enjoy the great depth of characterization, the rest of the team are just along for the ride.

Take for example the first major fight sequence between the team and the villain (whom I can’t reveal for purposes of spoilers). Before they go into action, we are presented the requisite montage of the group receiving their costumes, creating their weapons and learning to use their cool new gadgets, but when they reach that first battle, things couldn’t go more wrong. The team causes more harm than good by failing to find a way to work together. The sequence is terrific in showing that just because they’re friends and geniuses, it doesn’t necessarily correlate to teamwork. The problem is, the idea of finding a way to be a team is almost negated by the time they reach the last battle. No one even speaks about — or fights about — how they need to work together to be successful. As if by miraculous friendship aura, they just somehow suddenly work perfectly together.

And then there’s the villain, who in a Scooby-Doo behind the mask sort a thing, I guessed the identity of when I first met him. I don’t have a problem with this, or the fact that his reasoning behind his actions turns out to be more heartfelt than megalomaniacal, thus connecting him with Hiro in a way that goes much deeper than simple hero versus villain. It’s great to see this type of idea, an underlying relationship that binds the two together in an emotional way, given a chance to breathe, but again, it wasn’t developed as much as I thought it could have been to draw out the separate roads each of the characters takes to deal with basically the same issue. A few more tweaks (and possibly a few lines of dialogue wherein Hiro makes that connection) would have done wonders to the overall message that bleeds through the surface of the story as a whole.

There is a lot to like about Big Hero 6; the action sequences, though a little short in how they come to defeating the villain, are very good visually, the relationship between Hiro and Baymax is terrific, and there are some very good messages sewn subtly throughout. But if you take a second look at The Incredibles, with its high-gloss animation and natural, honest feel, all of what I said about aspects being all surface become much clearer. Big Hero 6 isn’t a bad film by any means; in some ways it’s super. But had it focused more on the team as a whole, it just might have been incredible.

My Grade: A-

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Next week, new movies include Beyond the Lights and Dumb and Dumber To. If you would like to see a review of one of these, or any other film out next week, please respond in the comments below.

Movie Mayhem – Nightcrawler

When I first saw Jake Gyllenhaal in the underrated drama October Sky, I knew right way he’d be an actor to watch. His ability to capture so many emotions at any one time without reveling in any of them showcased subtle maturity and constant wonderment that has carried over into a varying degree of genres, from science fiction and disaster to heartbreaking drama and popcorn blockbusters. Lately, Gyllenhaal has turned his focus to darker, more complex characters that usually have a slight moral ambiguity as they struggle with their inner demons — the type of character that you probably wouldn’t want to hang out with on a daily basis. He continues this anti-hero psychosis as the lead in the new thriller, Nightcrawler, with an amalgamation of everything he’s done in the past trying to compete for his attention.

To be blunt, Louis Bloom, the explosive young man at the heart of the film, is a sociopath. Every time writer/director Dan Gilroy lingers on Louis’s eyes, you can see the gears spinning, making you wonder what the heck is going through the man’s mind as he tries to keep his temper in check, because if we ever did see him explode (a short burst of which is shown as he destroys a medicine cabinet), the consequences would be disastrous, which only adds to Gyllenhaal’s richly layered performance. Louis sees himself as a charismatic, charming young man who has the integrity and the will to do what’s necessary to climb the ladder of success. At the same time, he has an extremely hard time relating to the world around him — a junkyard dog kept from protecting his domain by the short leash of societal conformity. Persistence is his biggest weapon, but that can only get him so far, so when the gatekeepers of his financial success (aka, everyone that says no to him, or gets in his way) suppress his ability to achieve his self-proclaimed true potential, he becomes nothing less than passive-aggressive, trying very hard to be normal, even if it often clashes with his internal desires.

That all changes when he witnesses a team of crime journalists (also known as nightcrawlers) who capture the rescue of a woman from a burning vehicle and then sell the footage to the news organization willing to pay the most for their exclusive shots. Bloom has made money thus far as a petty thief, so stealing footage of crimes, death and other such disasters seems like a perfect fit to entertain his psyche while making the money he deserves. So he buys a cheap camera and a police scanner and hunts for the next big story. His first few tries are horribly executed, as he doesn’t understand how to be discreet, but the more he films (and the more he learns, through physically filming, as well as Internet research), the more he becomes obsessed with becoming the best — and only — nightcrawler in Los Angeles.

Louis’s compulsion to build on this reputation is fueled by Nina Romina (Rene Russo), the managing director of a local news station hungry for sensational footage to help grab the attention of viewers and boost the ratings for a higher share of the market (and renew her contract with the station). When he shows up with some top-caliber footage, she doesn’t hesitate to purchase it, driving him to continually search for bigger, more sensational stories, even if that means going beyond the ethical boundaries of journalism to get the perfect shot (by deliberately altering crime scenes) or withholding evidence that he can use to manipulate a story of his choosing. He goes from capturing the news to manufacturing it, and Nina buys into it hook, line and sinker.

Russo does a great job matching Gyllenhaal’s psychotic rhythm beat-for-beat, and she’s not the only one. Bill Paxton is sadistically hammy as a rival nightcrawler in yet another spot-on supporting role this year (after Edge of Tomorrow and Million Dollar Arm), and Riz Ahmed gives a nuanced performance as Louis’s unwitting employee, a character that balances Gyllenhaal’s confidence by being his direct opposite — a timid, insecure mess who allows himself to be used and manipulated into doing things he otherwise might not have done because he’s unwilling to stand up for his own set of morals in fear of losing his job security.

It turns out, though, that the performances rise far above the actual story. The plot at times limits Gyllenhaal by not allowing him to navigate a more complex story and inhibits the growth of other story lines that on the surface were ripe for some excellent confrontational moments. This includes the conflict between Louis and the station manager (Kevin Rahm), who believes the partnership between Louis and Nina have compromised the integrity of the station, as well as the investigation into some of Louis’s footage that are nearly watered down to the point that the whole thing is nearly pointless. What they do effectively, though, is highlight Louis’s ability to manipulate society to fit his own agenda when he absolutely needs to, no matter how big or small the opposition may be.

There are also a few editing choices and montages that break the rhythm of the film for no other purpose but to shorten it, but because Gyllenhaal is allowed to build his own world with such a mesmerizing performance, Nightcrawler grabs hold of you from the very first moment we meet Louis and keeps you mesmerized to the final frame.

My Grade: A

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Next week, new movies include Big Hero Six and Interstellar. If you would like to see a review of one of these, or any other film out next week, please respond in the comments below.