Spectral

Nic Mathieu, 2016

IMDB

3/5

At first glance Spectral looks as if it's another one of the many 2016 Netflix original offerings that may just slip between the cracks, because of the dozens of films queued up that you feel you will never get through. But actually it was originally produced by Universal Pictures and was pulled from schedule presumably due to fears that it wouldn't perform well at the box office. Netflix stepped in and purchased the distribution rights, giving them the ability to release it in their system. Which is a nice save, because it could have been just another film that sat and collected dust and never saw the light of day. It's more than that, and worth a look if you are a fan of the sci-fi genre. If you are a fan of the sci-fi genre, it means that you are also willing to go into a movie like this with a grain of salt. Because Spectral, while pretty entertaining, definitely fits into a formulaic molding. You need to go into this knowing that you aren't getting a Blade Runner. Hell, you aren't even getting a Starship Troopers which is a better version of a Sci-Fi action movie where soldiers attempt to overcome a seemingly undefeatable enemy force. I read somewhere that it was to be marketed as a "supernatural Black Hawk Down". Which is actually a pretty accurate quick description to throw on it. Black Hawk Down had a group of soldiers attempting to rescue two lieutenants in a completely explosive landscape. The landscape is similar here, as well-trained soldiers attempt to reveal what is behind this mysterious enemy that is taking down scores of their men in the battlefield. Early speculation has them believing it's some kind of enemy cloaking device.

While the production design doesn't feel cheap, there are elements of the story that certainly do. Spectral falls victim to some of the typical action-genre tropes. One glaring annoyance is when engineer Clyne (James Badge Dale) determines that the creatures must be made from Bose-Einstein concentrate because of their chemical properties. Well, they need to fight them with plasma cannons and it just so happens that they have everything they need to equip themselves with these weapons right in the bunker that they have hunkered down in. There are a lot of convienent things that are done with the various forms of technology they have. Because of this, at first the enemy force seems undefeatable but that quickly changes in the second half of the film when it seems like Clyne just needs to sit down and stare into space for about 30 seconds and then he can figure everything out.

The Guest

Adam Wingard, 2014

IMDB

3/5

 

Grieving the loss of their soldier son who died in combat, the Peterson family is surprised to find a mysterious visitor at their door named David, a fellow soldier who says he served with their son overseas.

There is a lot to like about The Guest. Gorgeous cinematography (done by Robby Baumgartner), a sometimes menacing sometimes dreamy synth-wave soundtrack, fresh story, and impressive direction by Adam Wingard. When David (Dan Stevens) knocks on the door of the Peterson home, it sets forth a chain of events that is rather engaging. Who is this guy? Is he a robot? Is he under some kind of mind control like in The Manchurian Candidate? Part of it has to do with the fact that David himself is at first glance a rather unassuming person. Charming even. He manages to quickly extract the problems plague each individual Peterson family member. This is because they establish trust in the guy pretty quickly. As the whole peeling of the onion process unfolds with David’s character, the pacing is laid out well. 

The Guest has a good cast, particularly with Maika Monroe as daughter Anna and Leland Orser who plays father Spencer Peterson. Orser seems to be a really good character actor, he displays a layered character within the first few minutes we see him on screen. Dan Stevens is definitely a good fit for the David role. His empty smiles and monotone demeanor creates a level of discomfort that you really need in the story. Often the best performances are the ones that are restrained. 

There is a lot of human elements to the Peterson family. Grief, heartbreak, work stress, high school bullying. All very real problems that the average American family endures on a regular basis. When David knocks on the door he is immediately preying on the weak. The tears are still wet on mother Laura’s face, and she would probably let anyone into their home who had any kind of connection to their deceased son. The stylistic elements of the film are certainly the most memorable. But if Hanna or Drive taught us anything, sometimes that’s all you need.

Restrepo

Sebastian Junger & Tim Hetherington, 2010

GoWatchIt

4/5

Filmmakers Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington follow the 2nd Platoon of Battle Company through the Korengal Valley of Afghanistan in 2010, at that time regarded as the deadliest place on Earth.

Restrepo, named after a fallen platoon medic, is basically the equivalent of strapping a GoPro camera to a filmmaker’s helmet and sending him into intense action with actual American soldiers in Afghanistan. The most surprising element is the sense of accessibility that you have with this movie. It doesn’t give you images of the conflict from a distance. You are literally crouched behind the sandbags. You are sitting in the plywood bunkers. You are running alongside the troops through the rough and uninviting terrain. You see what they see. Suspicious figures running out of the seemingly ancient dwellings. The bullets that land a little too close for comfort. There is a sense of relaxation with the 2nd Platoon of Battle company, as they appear to be quite loose in front of the camera. During their shifts in the field, they are locked in to their mission. But after, when are reflecting, they discuss the impact that the war has had on them quite openly. They are candid about the losses they have suffered. They discuss their upbringing. And they also bust on each other. During periods of downtime they take advantage of opportunities to listen or play to music. It’s always interesting to see bits of our Western culture seap into the battlefield, like when the soldiers put on a cheesy pop song and dance to it. There was some of this in HBO’s Generation Kill. Sort of like if Britney Spears was playing in the opening credits of Apocalypse Now. An odd contrasting effect. There is also something about it that feels identifiable. Probably because they are all young men and it humanizes them, portraying them more naturally instead of robotic mercenaries like some media outlets incorrectly portray them to be. You get a clear sense of the pride that they have in their work. They are undeniably doing hard work. When they manage to gain an advance and set up The Restrepo outpost in the highly contested zone, it’s a big accomplishment and they don’t hesitate to acknowledge it. Unfortunately death is a part of war, and is a part of this documentary. When it occurs it hits hard and you feel the weight of it. The loss of Doc Restrepo is felt by all, and his legacy lives on through the rest of the film and of course beyond. But one of the most inspiring elements is how they are able to acknowledge the loss, fight through the grief, and put one foot in front of the other and move on to the next mission. 

Zero Dark Thirty

Kathryn Bigelow, 2012


4/5

The C.I.A. is working tirelessly to track down the world's biggest fugitive, Osama bin Laden. Intelligence is pulled from anywhere and everywhere, and Maya (Jessica Chastain) is at the forefront of the pursuit. This film is a reunion of director Kathryn Bigelow and writer Mark Boal, who won 6 Oscars for their work on The Hurt Locker in 2008. Very much like The Hurt Locker, this film is set in the Post-9/11 Middle East.

Jessica Chastain is introduced immediately, and you really witness the progression of an innocent bright eyed intelligence agent to one who becomes affected, sleep-deprived, and unwilling to regress. A woman who will stop at nothing to track down the #1 target. Maya is the movie version of Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) from Homeland. Shes a type A personality who similarly wouldn't be able to maintain a romantic relationship because she is so heavily committed to her occupation. Chastain bears a resemblance to Bryce Dallas Howard, but she separates herself from her beautiful red-headed counterpart with her distinct acting chops.

The camera work in Zero Dark is near-perfect. A lot of impressive shots behind things, camera sitting on a desk, shots with corner of building in the right frame, birds-eyes of daylight marketplaces. Some of the cinematography early in the film reminded me of Soderburgh's style of clean shots in narrow spaces. These clean shots are constantly juxtaposed with some gritty images of torture huts, back-room offices. Some of the most impressive work came at the climax. While film-making is usually dependent on adequate lighting I have no idea how they were able to work with such an absence of it. When they descend upon the Pakistani Compound, you feel like you are there with them. I was literally standing up watching these events unfold. You obviously know whats going to happen, but knowing almost creates this noticeably pronounced anticipatory feeling. The brilliant application of tension in Zero Dark is very reminiscent to the techniques used in The Hurt Locker.

While I believe some of the elements in the film are fit for criticism (the intelligence gathering in the middle of the film seemed to get a bit monotonous), it still returns to form quickly. The story of killing Bin Laden is so compelling that it deserves the cinematic treatment. It's a story we'll be telling our grandchildren we witnessed. The assault on Bin Laden's compound is the modern-day equivalent to Hitler's Eagles Nest.