10 Cloverfield Lane

Dan Trachtenberg, 2016

IMDB

4/5

Everyone has probably at some point imagined what their emergency plan would be if some catastrophic event were to occur. Perhaps there's a bomb shelter in town. Or perhaps you have that rural family member that is as close to off the grid as it gets.

There is this whole sub-culture of doomsday preppers. They are meticulously building emergency shelters, often underground. It's part of our whole post 9/11 zombie-obsessed culture. Planning for the worst. Some would say it's overcautious, even paranoid. There's a stigma associated with the prepper type. Far right wing, reclusive, lacking certain social skills. What's interesting is that while we often let our imagination run wild when it comes to what we would do in an emergency situation, we probably don't envision ourselves buddying up to the doomsday prepper in order to survive.

Howard (John Goodman) is exactly this type of person. Building his underground bunker for years leading up to this "chemical attack", his efforts finally feel justified when something finally occurs. A doomsday preppers wet dream. And Howard is exactly the socially awkward type of person that you would picture a prepper type to be. Paranoid, controlling, impatient, unpredictable. When Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) awakens from her state of unconsciousness after a car accident, Howard doesn't exactly help her feel comfortable. She is chained to the wall, so she might as well assume she's being held captive.

It's a limited storytelling movie for sure. Most of the film takes place in Howard's underground bunker. There is impressive production design here too. Every little nook and cranny of the shelter is decorated. The wallpaper makes it feel kind of homey, and the back-lit glass behind the kitchen sink almost makes you feel like you aren't 20' below grade. And although you don't see the threat above ground, you know it's there from the constant loud noises that suddenly erupt.

It's a satisfying film for sure. You spend a good portion of the film wondering yourself if Howard is a good guy or not. You feel locked in there with Michelle, dealing with that same uncomfortable uncertainty. But of course there's all these things going on above you as well, so it makes you wonder even if Howard is a bad guy you have to weight it out. It's probably still better putting up with the bad guy if it means you aren't falling victim to the chemical attack above you or whatever it is.

A lot of people probably go into this movie having seen Cloverfield (2008) and assuming that it's connected to this film. But it's not really. Producer JJ Abrams has said that it exists in the same universe. But it's probably better to just disregard any connection, because they are really just two completely different films. The only similarity is the extra-terrestrial presence. But that's all. And don't worry, that's no spoiler. 

Argo

Ben Affleck, 2012

4/5

Past Oscar-winner Ben Affleck directs this Period piece about the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis. After the United States grants asylum to cancer stricken leader Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the streets of Iran erupt in chaos. Demonstrators storm the U.S. embassy demanding the U.S. return the Shah. Most of the State Department workers are held hostage but 6 manage to escape to the Canadian Ambassador's secured home. Without a lot options, they decide to send Tony Mendez (Affleck) into Iran as a Canadian filmmaker who will be scouting locations with his 6 cast-mates for a Sci-Fi film titled Argo. This will give him an opportunity to get the hostages out of the country with fake Canadian passports.

Affleck's film-making abilities really shine in this taut Thriller, with a lot of help from Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto (Babel, 21 Grams, Brokeback Mountain). It's a very nice looking film that plays on tension and shifting viewpoints to keep things moving along. Remarkable Cinematography combined with a Time-appropriate soundtrack, the transitional shots with the 70's rock (such as Van Halen's "Dance the Night Away" playing as actors in costume prepare for a table read) are well-placed and give you a break from the tensity.

I've always said that Affleck is better behind the camera than in front of it, but he is effective as Tony Mendez because its a character naturally calm and collected that really doesn't call for a lot of range. Some of the tense moments are reminiscent of fellow political thriller Zero Dark Thirty, but Argo ultimately stands out on its own. Those who may be skeptical that the story itself may feel dull will be surprised. Ample time spent on the protests, to the State Department contemplating their next move, to the Hollywood prep, and then ultimately putting the mission into action. The multiple perspectives only add to the detail. You're seeing things through the eyes of the Iranians, hostages, Argo production staff, State Department, and the American citizens. All of which come well-placed with adequate time spent with each.

Probably my favorite scene in the film is the scene with the VW bus moving through the crowd. It's so tense and well shot; you are literally sitting in the vehicle with them with your heart beating in unison as the Iranian hands pound on the glass windows in a symphony of anger. Some of the comedic elements also give you a nice break as well. Alan Arkin as Lester Siegel, the vocal foul-mouthed producer, and John Goodman as John Chambers, the talented Hollywood make-up artist. The clouds of cigarette smoke and bad eyeglass frames only add to the authenticity. Keep your eyes peeled at the end credits for photographs of the actual people involved with their Hollywood counterparts which was very interesting to see. "Argo f$%# yourself"!

Flight

Robert Zemeckis, 2012

3/5

Flight is a good film. You get a sense of familiarity with Zemeckis at the helm. I forgot how good of actor Denzel Washington is, he deserves more credit than I typically give him - especially in this film. His character Whip Whitaker is a conflicted, yet sympathetic man who is struggling with his alcoholism throughout the film. It is clearly a character study on Whip Whitaker, who is a man of many layers. You get a sense of the unpredictable nature of an alcoholic, someone whose disease has spread to every facet of their life but still remains heavily charismatic. You have to sympathize with Whip's character, because if you don't the film is going to lose its power.

The first half of the film was fantastic. Great pacing, gritty imagery, compelling story-line  The plane scene rivaled the scene in "Cast Away" which was probably the most terrifying plane crash scene I have ever seen before on film (even more than "Alive"). The second half for me seemed to have veered off course a bit. I enjoyed John Goodman's character but I would have been satisfied with the first appearance early on in the film. I found the scene with him later in the film distracting and I didn't think the moment was ripe for a comedic tone.

One scene that really stood out to me was when the three characters are in the stairwell of the hospital. Walt Whitaker, Nicole and the cancer patient (Mark Mellon) are smoking when the subject of death comes up. Mark says something along the lines of "anyone who doesn't believe in God is stupid. As soon as you start to see that all of the random events that happen in your life are actually God, the world gets a whole lot easier". I love how this tackles the subject of death and the concept surrounding yourself to the world. You have three people who are in a hospital under completely separate circumstances. Of course the psychology of that comes into play. These traumatic events have just happened, and you're left with a great deal of uncertainty. Why did this happen to me? Perhaps if you believed that it was pre-destined, it softens the blow a bit.