Sing Street

John Carney, 2016

IMDB

4/5

I have to confess that Sing Street was one of those movies that I watched the trailer for the first time and felt a little annoyed. It was clearly the headspace that I was in at the time. Because the movie surfaced one night through a brief Netflix browsing session with my wife who was looking for something with some heart and not blood. Sing Street would prove to be one of the better 2016 films to watch with my wife.

One of the redeeming qualities about Sing Street is the fact that when the group of high school strangers assemble, their first attempts of making music don't actually suck much. In fact even their first tune that they make is actually pretty catchy. By doing this it eliminates a lot of technical build up like in School of Rock where students literally have to learn from the ground up in terms of form. A device used is to sort of skip over the rudimentary obstacles is to plug in character Eamon (Mark McKenna) who not only is a multi-instrumentalist but he is even able to provide practice space because his father is in a cover band. School of Rock is a fitting movie to bring into this conversation because there are obvious parallels. Young school kids making music together, all bringing their own life experiences and using music as a form of expression. But the differences between the two are stark. Admittedly a lot of it is cultural. With Sing Street being an Irish production, the story is set in the rigid and strict confines of the UK educational system in the 1980's. The landscape is gloomy. There is an obvious sense of authoritarian rule. Bullying is rampant. School of Rock was more about a wild teacher finding a way to connect with a classroom. Sing Street is more about a young man dealing with all of the normal angst-ridden things that teenagers have to deal with and finding a way to deal with it. While a lot of what lead character Conor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) are common teenage problems, they are all illustrated in a way that makes it compelling on screen.

Perhaps the only negative that exists with Sing Street is the fact that its filled with the conventional teenage movie tropes. Frustration toward your parents. Not having a lot of friends. Not liking your teachers. The crush on the unattainable girl. Escape through music. But Carney finds a way to put blend these elements on screen that make it feel fresh and charming. This is likely to do with it with being an Irish production and having fresh faces on screen. It speaks well for international film, telling stories that might not be completely unique but telling the story in a place that doesn't get as much attention as it probably should. Its obvious that Sing Street would be a much different movie if it were set in New York City with American actors. But it wasn't. Instead it's a sweet little Irish film that will have "Drive it like you stole it" in your head for a few days after viewing.

A Scout's Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse

Christopher Landon, 2015

IMDB

3/5

The zombie comedy / zomedy genre is a growing one and thats a good thing. If it weren't for these variations on the genre we would just have a stale template with slightly different tones in six new cinematic installments every year. Edgar Wright's 2004 Shaun of the Dead could easily be regarded as the harbinger of this new generation of zomedy films and is the reigning jewel. Romero's decades of contributions certainly had comedic elements in it, but they were all still rooted in serious tone where people feared what was going on around them. One of the distinctive attributes with the Zomedy genre is the oblivious nature to it. The people aren't distracted by the collapse of civilization. There's more of a silly video game fun-ness involved.

Scouts Guide is more like Zombieland than some of the other Zomedies in it's sandbox model and conspicuous stylism. But it's much sloppier than Zombieland. In fact, it's quite the mess. But there is one thing that saves Scout's Guide from pure spoil. It's the unique scenarios that it creates. These scenarios excuse the movie to a certain degree. Cat zombies, Zombies on trampolines, stripper zombies, zombie Britney Spears fan. Absolutely ridiculous, yes. But absolutely entertaining and undeniably funny. If someone can sit there and watch a zombie mumbling Britney Spears lyrics and not at least chuckle, I'm not sure what will make them laugh. These scenarios make you laugh and make you laugh a little again the next day just thinking about them. You will want your friends to see them too so you can laugh together. Scout's Guide isn't breaking any ground by any means but it's a junk-food Zomedy delight.

Stand by Me

Rob Reiner, 1986

IMDB

4/5

Stand by Me is not just a movie about a group of boys searching for a rumored dead body. That's all secondary. It doesn't really even matter if there even is a body at the end of their journey. Stand by Me is just an honest coming-of-age piece that will force any man watching to revisit their youth. The rapport between the four boys is identifiable to any grown man. Their world was a world that existed long before bullying was considered a punishable crime. They were living in a world where spankings were expected, getting picked on was the norm. When cold cuts cost $1 and the older men were slicking back their hair and driving fast cars.

Very much like Gordie recalls his youth after seeing a newspaper article, this film conjures up memories of your own youth. That group of friends that you would spend the summers running through the neighborhood with. Back then, they seemed like they would be life-long companions. Little did you know they were just those people who were there at that particular point in time. Those friends come and go. But for that little blip in time, they are your guides... your mentors, your support.

The film goes down as another one of Stephen King's masterpieces that made the successful transition to the big screen. King has a way of capturing the essence of relationships between people. He has also displayed the ability to see things through the eyes of children as he did in his 1986 novel It. There is a lot more to this movie than a fat Jerry O'Connell "sincerely" drinking game. It's a portal to your own past, when you had your whole life in front of you and the companionship.

Boyhood

Richard Linklater, 2014

Can I Stream it?

5/5

Filmed over 12 years with the same cast, Boyhood focuses mostly on Mason (Ellar Coltrane) from age 5 to age 18 as he endures some of the most formative years of his young life in Texas.

Linklater has a really interesting voice when it comes to looking at the world. It's evident in virtually all of his films; a sort of rebellious, looking at the clouds, lost in the music abstractism. When it's channeled through the eyes of a young boy, it continues to be engaging and visceral. Boyhood is his boldest work.  The dedication and ambition to create a movie that spans 12 years is astonishing. The production has to run on the cast's good faith due to the fact that they can't secure contracts for that length of time. All during such a critical and sensitive time in young Ellar Coltrane and Lorelai Linklater's (his real life daughter) life. Time when they are distracted by so many other things. People their age are playing football one moment and in the school band the next. Constantly running on impulses. The 12 year production even involved having a backup plan in the event that Linklater suddenly died; Ethan Hawke would step in and complete the film.

Boyhood is a beautiful, heartfelt masterpiece. It's a complete coming of age tale combined with a turbulent family drama, and the scale of it is much bigger than some of the spotty acting that may be present at times. It plays out like a rock record with some goofs that were baked in to the final pressing. After all, Led Zeppelin's "Since I've Been Loving You" wouldn't be the same without John Bonham's squeaky bass pedal. Not only are you seeing young Coltrane actually age through the story but you are actually seeing the wrinkles on the faces of Hawke and Arquette appear over time, and with them the memories of their comprehensive characters develop. The chapters of their life unfold and you are there on the journey. The ebbs and flows, ups and downs. The more bountiful days, the more desperate ones. It's captivating, exhaustive, and just real. 

The Spectacular Now

James Ponsoldt, 2013

Can I Stream It?

4/5

Sutter (Miles Teller) is a high school senior who decides to get drunk after a break-up with his girlfriend Cassidy (Brie Larson). Suddenly awoken on a stranger's lawn by paper girl Aimee (Shailene Woodley), he helps with her deliveries while he attempts to locate his car. Love blossoms between the two and Sutter attempts to live in the moment while also at the same time is constantly reminded of the approaching future.

2013 was an interesting and great year for movies. It brought us several apocalyptic (and post-apoc) films (Oblivion, After Earth, The World's End, This is the End) but it also delivered a handful of coming-of-age films (The Way Way Back, The Kings of Summer) including The Spectacular Now. Directed by James Ponsoldt (Off the Black, Smashed) and written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber (500 Days of Summer), Spectacular stands out from the others because of one discernible difference: they were able to effectively capture young love in it's purest form from synthesis to progression. That point in a teenager's life where it's an all-consuming thing. When it appears during strange coincidences, with surprising people, and sometimes to the surprise of peers. They are able to capture the innocence and vulnerability of it with much help from the two stars Teller (Project X, Footloose (the remake) and Woodley (The Descendants). Sutter's character is conflicting at times but that may be because he's identifiable. He has this pseudo-alpha never-take-anything-too-seriously approach to everything but at the end of the day he's terrified about the future, unsure of who is going to become while feeling pressured by the people around him. Terrified of repeating the same mistakes of his parents. When he opens his eyes and sees Aimee standing over him, the new chapter is immediately opened. And while parts of his past may linger, things have already changed and will continue changing. Sutter has to live through some of the defining moments of his life. He needs to have his heart broken, needs to meet his estranged father, needs to question the deficiencies in his mother's parenting. The camera is there to capture it. Shailene Woodley nails it with her outstanding performance as the insecure bookworm, surprised to find herself in the eyes of the popular Sutter. You buy into their connection immediately and the rest of the film plays out really well with the necessary ebbs and flows of a romantic drama with some sudden and difficult turns along the way. 

Y Tu Mama Tambien

Alfonso Cuaron, 2001


4/5

Set in Mexico, privileged teens Julio (Gael Garcia Bernal) and Tenoch (Diego Luna) encounter a beautiful older woman named Luisa (Maribel Vernu) at a prominent family wedding. They attempt to impress her by telling her their plans to travel to a faraway beach. When she surprises them by showing interest in tagging along with them, they scramble to put the trip together. Little do they realize the impact this road trip will have on the rest of their lives.

Alfonso Cuaron's coming-of-age, hormone-driven road-trip film runs on a much traveled road (no pun intended) but certainly takes its own original path. At times very raw and offensive, but also very authentic and honest. To simply call it a road trip film would be unfair. It's about life experience. Growth. Love. Being young. Living in the moment. Indulgence. Change. Consequences of past actions. The barren, destitute Mexican towns and villages give way to serene coastal views. The abandoned road-sides give way to sand-floor Cantinas. The run down motels give way to a welcoming tent on the white beach. Julio and Tenoch, moderately wide eyed and innocent, give way to experience and life lessons. Their relentless sex-drive is quite evident early on. In a way it could be the most exaggerated feature of the film, but its clear that it reinforces the overall theme. At times they come off as selfish and lazy, but there are snippets of generosity and kindness here and there (they never turn away a beggar or anyone holding a cup out). They are loyal friends, for the most part. They are young, thrill-seeking, and unaccountable. And then enters Luisa. They ascend on her at the family wedding like hungry wolves. When she jumps at the idea of going to the ocean with them, they are surprised. Little do they know she has her own agenda. But regardless, she becomes instrumental in changing them forever. Maribel Verdu brings a lot of vulnerability and experience to her performance.

The film has a memorable visual elements but also has a fitting score along with interesting narration peppered in throughout. Although there are hints of danger and political unrest in the film, Cuaron's Mexico appears to be actually quite kind. When there's a breakdown on the side of the road, there are helpful hands that will help tow via tractor. When the group sit down for a meal during their travels, there's less of an emphasis on monetizing and more of an emphasis on community and enjoyment. There's an obvious disparity of wealth, but there's no judgement present. The film has a story that grows and goes. And who knows, by the end of the trip maybe you'll be changed too.

The Way Way Back

Nat Faxon & Jim Rash, 2013

4/5

Duncan (Liam Jones) is a fourteen year old loner forced to tag along with his mother Pam (Toni Collette) and her boyfriend Trent (Steve Carrell) on a trip to his beach house. Eager to escape the boredom of his mother and Trent's dinner parties, he leaves the beach house in search of some excitement. He finds it at a local water park where he meets immature park worker Owen (Sam Rockwell). Owen takes him under his wing and tries to pull Duncan out of his shell.

If The Sandlot and Adventureland had a baby, it would be The Way Way Back. It's a coming of age tale that does cross some similar themes with some of the other films in it's category, but also contains some raw honesty and emotional value that add some distinction. Duncan's character immediately draws sympathy as Trent asks him what number out of 10 he thinks he is, only to answer his own question by callously saying he believes he's a "3". This not only makes you feel for Duncan, but also shows you that Trent's character is going to be a true departure from Carrell's typical work. Liam Jones does a great job of playing a character that may not necessarily talk your ear off, but his body language and facial expressions paint a detailed picture. Clearly never equipped with proper social skills, his mother partly to blame - at least in the short term. She is so preoccupied with making her relationship work with Trent that she doesn't have time to spend with Duncan. Instead, she leaves a few dollars on the table with a quick note and (ironically) urges him to go out and make some friends. While his mother is clearly settling on a relationship, Owen has settled on his job at the water-park. He clearly sees something early on in Duncan, likely within himself, and generously offers him a job at the park with no former background check. Owen soon serves as an exorcist to Duncan's reserved demeanor, urging him to come out of his shell. To do this, he needs to respect Duncan and treat him as an equal.

Faxon and Rash made some decisions that really added some originality. The scene where Duncan is forced to take the cardboard from the street-dancers could have gone in a different direction. The dancers could have put him on the spot and completely humiliated him, setting him way back from the progress he had already made. Instead, they encouraged him to give the dancing a shot. While it may be a more Disney-esque route, it was refreshing. Even the casting of Duncan proves to be a bold move. Instead of casting a good looking young guy who pretends to be the dork (seen that before), they go with Liam Jones who really seems to live the part. Instead of the filmmakers mailing it in when it comes to the interpersonal relationships involved, they do the opposite. They are challenged. When Duncan gets to a breaking point with his frustration over his mothers complete lack of confidence in her relationship - he is vocal about it. You feel the disappointment, you feel the frustration. You feel the sympathy. And you feel proud of him. In the end it's a film really designed to see the story through the eyes of Duncan. And in ninety minutes, it is transformative. At that age, when working at a place like The Water Whiz, the older people you work for seem almost god-like at times. You can't wait to get to their age, so you can be exactly like them. Little do you know, you'll grow up to have a completely different perspective and what you should have done is just appreciated that moment in time to it's fullest. Owen knows this, and realizes that Duncan just doesn't know it yet - but he'll move on to bigger things. But until then, the best seat in the house will be the one in the way, way back.

The Kings of Summer

Jordan Vogt-Roberts, 2013


4/5

In an effort to escape the constraints of their overbearing parents, buddies Joe (Nick Robinson) and Patrick (Gabriel Basso) decide to build a house in the middle of the woods with the help of oddball friend Biaggo (Moises Arias). When they complete their project they realize they have created something that will have a long lasting impact on them.

It's a coming-of-age tale that is really nice looking, but also possesses an inviting quality that is both endearing and comedic that generates memories of Stand By Me. It examines the ever constant painful embarrassment of growing up in your parents house and not having the means to escape. The cast is full of personality, with Nick Offerman perfectly cast as the bitter father who is still grieving over the loss of his wife and taking it out on everyone around him. His sister Heather (Alison Brie) is at an age that she was able to escape to freedom but left Joe to endure the angst. Patrick has his overbearing parents (played by the very talented Megan Mullally and Marc Evan Jackson), who have a difficult time letting Patrick leave their sight. When they do have him in their grasp, they spend the entire time picking apart every facet of his existence. The addition of Biaggio to the group adds a lot of levity. Certainly (and hopefully) not the last we'll see of Moises Arias.

The kids are just looking for some air to breathe, and they find it in their Thoreauian fortress. The sound of their parents voice is enough to annoy them, and the young boys likely see their elders as reflections of their future selves - and that's a scary thing to them. They want their niche. They also want a sense of purpose. They establish principles, and try to stick to them. A very present soundtrack really amplifies the film with a repetitive melody scored by Ryan Miller combined with several other Indie staples. The punched up script delivers the laughs and feels fresh. The film does get a bit overindulgent with the slow-motion shots, some of the awkward humor feels a bit forced at times, and the building of their house feels quite painless... but that's okay. It succeeds in its message. It's a very relatable film to anyone who grew up looking for some independence, and we all attempted to construct shacks that were likely far less detailed than the house in Kings.