Film Review: Bridge of Spies (2015)

Copyright: 20th Century Fox

30 years ago, when Steven Spielberg and the Coen Brothers were younger and a lot hungrier for recognition, I could imagine the Bridge of Spy becoming an interesting film. Back then, aside from the supposed mindset of these men, this film about Cold War spies would have had an additional advantage: the USSR would have still existed.

Today, however, spies are mostly people who sit behind a computer and fly a drone over some country where beards are very popular or who force their way into the enemy�s (and more than often allies) databases. The age of the agent 007 is so gone that even the last film from this series desires to put the notion of the gentleman spy to its eternal resting place.

But, Spielberg-Coen production decided that the world of the spy genre had too much technology, YouTube head chopping videos, and radical Islamism villains.

Instead, they took us to a much simple time, when the world was facing total nuclear annihilation, but you could hop on a train and be pretty certain that no one would try to blow it up using their mom�s pressure cooker. Here, a New York lawyer by the name of James B. Donovan (played by Tom Hanks) gets to defend Rudolf Abel, an almost-certainly Russian spy.

On the other side of the world, a newly recruited CIA �driver� or U2 spy pilot sets off from Peshawar airbase in Pakistan (which is also Islamism-free back then) to snap some photos of the USSR secret facilities. The Americans are assured that the U2 cannot be brought down, forgetting that age-old wisdom that you never-ever go off to invade Russia, even using a single funny-looking airplane.

In rapid succession, both US and USSR have got themselves valuable spies in custody. But, Donovan, being a sharp mind used to tough negotiation, finds himself in the middle of the trade-off deal involving his country, the Russians but also the German Democratic Republic. The complex web of interests and lies is soon spun from all corners, but Donovan plows through it, determined to save his countrymen.

The Bridge of Spies is so vanilla that you can taste it in every scene and with every character. Everyone is human and logical and every person Donovan meets makes sense from their own vantage point. There are no stereotypes, not even on the Russian side, where they are usually found in other US films. Instead, the Coen Brothers� script plays out like a really expansive documentary film about human determination to be rational when all the global mindset in every country calls for blood. But it is still very vanilla in its realization, from the cinematography to the constantly worried, I�m-not-a-hero hero Tom Hanks. Like with Captain Phillips, this gig that Hanks does is getting a bit bothersome.

I imagine that the main reason for making this film was to show the world who James B. Donovan was. While he apparently was a great guy who wanted to talk with his enemies instead of exclusively hate them and trying to kill them, the Bridge of Spies is still a masterfully made TV movie.

Film Review: Flying To Disney World (2016)

For a film that literally uses one piece of paper (a winning lottery ticket) and a hot dog (a magical-scientific means of travel) Flying to Disney World really makes the most use of its limited resources. Its director and writer Jonathan Vargas takes his barren production potential in terms of locations and props to create an elaborate joke which is both funny and laden with subtle references to the popular culture. While not perfect in execution, this short film clearly shows that the ability to restrain one�s aspirations and ambitions for any one project is the key to its success.

Flying to Disney World presents its story as a one-line joke, opening with Sam, who is ecstatic to find out that he just won a ticket to Disney World. Being a grown man, he still takes the news as the most excited 12-year-old in the world, but only unit he finds out that he can claim it in Disney World itself. However, his car was recently destroyed by his roommate Roxy. But, just as all seems lost, Roxy enters the film and she comes with the perfect bang.

Part Dexter�s sister Dee Dee, part lunatic, Roxy is first distraught by the news that Sam won�t be able to get his prize because of her, but then, being that she is some kind of home-based insane scientist, she offers to resolve his problem using her invention. When the invention turns out to be a hot dog (a real, eatable hot dog) the film kicks into higher gear.

Here, the real jokes begin to fly and it seems that Vargas rightly recognized that this is the part where his actors really got into their roles. Both Amanda Ortega and Christopher Michael do great as Roxy and Sam, but once the "invention" enters the fold, Ortega takes it to a whole new level. Even though the film was up to that point intriguing because of its simple setup, the appearance of the hot dog is the glue that ties all elements of the film together and makes it work.

Here, the first few chuckles can mutate into full laughter as Roxy presents her idea to the bewildered Sam who doesn�t have any alternative. As a comedy, here the film shows its multiple sources of inspiration, from goofy slapstick to bizarre domains of things like Wonder Showzen. In fact, the film could have even better if an even bigger number of jokes came in even faster.

Cleverly, Vargas presents all of this in neat and tidy shots, where the camera doesn�t get used or abused in any way. He also uses sound editing to a degree that is above regular independent short films, which is also a great means of introducing humor, like the �sounds� that follow the unseen creation process of the powerful hot dog. This allows the film to focus on the characters, especially Ortega, who clearly finds her mark around this time and drives it home.

Flying to Disney World cannot be called a masterpiece of short filmmaking, mainly because of the fact that the visual domain was mostly used to present the dialogues, but doesn�t venture further (a safe bet, but not enough for greatness). However, it can be seen as a miniature sitcom which really is funny and entertaining. Independent short films regularly fail at both of the previous, which is why Flying to Disney World can be called a really good short comedy. Vargas possesses a big potential for a possible move to TV production because he has all that is needed for making short-form TV shows, especially if he could push his weird type of humor even further.

Find out more about Jonathan Vargas on his YouTube channel and Facebook fan page and watch the full Flying to Disney World below.

Film Review: Spectre (2015)

Copyright: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Everyone seems to be impressed by the fact that Dark Star is David Bowie�s eulogy, but Spectre offered people a lot less usual content on its farewell to the Daniel Craig�s James Bond. In it, Sam Mendes apparently decided to end his 007 run not with a bang, but with a very impressive whimper. This time, the plot does not include testicle-beating, M-stabbing villains, but an organization that encompasses them all.

The same organization is run by a mysterious figure that apparently, died many decades before and now wants to see the world burn not through a single grandiose deed, but through the human savagery and gradual exploitation of the range and anger that is already in all of us.

Mendes is a master of an elegant cinematic eye which could have worked equally well 50 years ago as it does today. Steering clear of any and (almost) all modern tricks, the director of Spectre uses his natural ability to set up a shot in a menacing way, where the protagonist is almost surrounded by other things in it, both human and inanimate.

This silky smooth trick is applied several times, but most effectively on the site of a burial in an ancient cemetery in Rome, where the use of white and gray pylons goes brilliantly with mourners wearing black. As they slide away from the scene, Mendes demonstrates his uncanny talent where the narrative is spoken and presented by the environment itself almost more than the actors and their lines � remember the Scottish moors in Skyfall?

At the same time, this scene, like many others, focuses on the notion of things passing away and stopping to exist, while latently, it also provides a counterpoint by showing how this passing, no matter how tragic or undesirable, will not stop the world from spinning.

As Bond fights and investigates his way to the heart of Specter, Daniel Craig is on board with Mendes� last goodbye to the series. He, like his character, presents a determined but shallow man who knows it has all ended a long time ago and now he is simply fighting for remembrance and their legacy, nothing more. Even when he sees his name written in paint onto the memorial placket of the old MI6 HQ, Bond simply recognizes the word but does not react. The character and Craig both recognize that their time has passed and they are fine with that.

While I watched the film with its regular location A, location B, location C setup of the plot, I was surprised that the film is so toned down. But, just like Christoph Waltz, there is no need for extravaganza when you have that deep-rooted quality about you, presented in all the things you do no. Like Sicario, another recent and impressive action film, it is very cool about being cool. I�m certain that many of those who enjoyed Quantum of Solace will not like this film, but they shouldn�t go hard on it: after all, Spectre is a kind of a funeral.

Web Series Review: Jacob (2015)

In many regards, the online format is ideal for the horror genre, and Kristopher Stoltz, the writer and director behind this web series completely gets this idea. Jacob web series opens up as a story about an ambitious and somewhat distraught young filmmaker leaving his parent�s home to live on his own. As he settles in his new apparent and starts to prepare for a career as a police video editor, he chooses to document his experiences in a vlog form.

It is right in the first episode that Stoltz sets the pace of a hybrid horror genre that combines the found footage approach with �hell-editing� that simultaneously presents Jacob�s vantage point, but also the perspective of an entity called Ben, which stalks him and edits his films with its own cryptic messages and disturbing montages. As the story unfolds, Jacob�s life begins to unravel as he wakes up in unknown locations, suffers from attacks that are neither real nor imaginary and desperately tries to figure out who or what is Ben.

Like most horror tales without a huge budget, Jacob web series suffers from an imbalance between ambition and realization. As a concept, the story is full of potential and manages to build its lore in a very elegant fashion, using items like the mysterious book that arrives at Jacob�s house. On the other hand, the presentation of the story is often very lacking in quality and tempo, which is mostly seen in the main actors who plays Jacob.

The actor presenting Jacob (credited only as Pappas) often provides a flat performance in which he is clearly focused on delivering his lines, not emotions. When he does present some feelings, it mostly comes off as a mild sense of irritation, which is usually completely off in regards to the tormented character of Jacob. It is completely natural that this type of production cannot easily hire professional actors, but it should still try to compensate with smaller talking parts and a more compact range of emotional states that the actors need to convey.

The same notion shows up in cinematography and editing as well. The series fails to realize which shots are good and worth focusing on, and which shots are not so great. This provides a chopped viewing experience, where the Ben�s perspective often ends up being just irritating, especially because of the sound effects. Here, Stoltz went overboard and disrupted the story with the horror interruptions which come off as a film student�s fascination with different recording settings on his family�s vacation camcorder.

However, in spite of these things, Jacob web series still has something really interesting deep down inside of its story. In some ways, it reminds me of the horror gem Banshee Chapter, which, like the character of the Fisherman, uses the right bait. In the last, 7th episode, this notion has its strongest showing, where better production standards (an introduction of an HD camera, if I�m not mistaken), combined with a simple setup of a menacing dialogue between Ben and the Fisherman, provide the best episode so far.

From here, Jacob web series has a chance of developing a really engaging horror tale, especially if it plans on introducing new characters and explaining what happened to Jacob and Ben over the course of previous episodes. With a more measured approach to the hallucinogenic horror sequences and a bit more traditional cinematography, Jacob web series could be a really interesting series for any horror fan.

Film Review: Tangerine (2015)

Copyright: Magnolia Pictures

A lot of times, you really need very little to make a decent movie. Tangerine is a type of film that has even less than very little when it comes to the cinematic gear, sets, and props, but it has more than enough in the terms of actors and performances.

Following two transgender prostitutes and an Armenian taxi driver on the streets of LA on Christmas eve, it explores the nature of relationships in a place where desire and utter loneliness go so well together.

As Sin-Dee works tirelessly on finding her pimp/boyfriend, her friend Alexandra tries to provide her with some common sense while she calls on mutual acquaintances to visit her gig taking place on the same evening. As they go about their business, the city remains indifferent to their hopes, fears, and aspirations.

But, in spite of this, the film, just like Dope, manages to be an homage to LA, even when it comes to the parts that are not on the tourist maps.

In a matter of several hours, the two converge, diverge and converge again, trying to stay afloat and stay happy in a world of Los Angeles that is only seen in gangster films that feature drive-by shootings. The film�s director Sean Baker created this comedy drama on less than a shoestring budget. With the absolute minimum of investment, he still managed to pull off some impressive cinematography, accompanied by a perfectly crafted electronic soundtrack.

Here, Sin-Dee and Alexandra work the streets and at the same time, their counterpoint in the form of Razmik, the taxi driver who apparently has all figured out, but is also cursing the same streets looking for compassion and love. In Tangerine, Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor, and Karren Karagulian perform brilliantly, precisely measuring their acting to suit every situation just right. At a first glance, a film like Tangerine might appear all flash and no bang, but the first 15 minutes are enough to put an end to that theory.

Additionally, Baker managed to infuse it with the right amount of humor, making it in equal measure a dark comedy and an optimistic drama movie. But, it�s this optimism that really pushes the film even when there apparently is not much to be hopeful about. Thanks to it, Tangerine remains upbeat and full of energy even in its dark moments, saying a lot about life in general.

Film Review: The Hateful Eight (2015)

Copyright: The Weinstein Company

With The Hateful Eight, the movie that Quentin Tarantino delivered is for me similar in quality to Django Unchained, which makes it a contender for the worst films he created in his career. Of course, Tarantino�s worse is a lot better than most directors� best, but still, the fact remains. As with the previous western, there are several things which really grind my gears and where the film failed to maintain a connection to both my emotions and attention span.

First and most serious of these is the film�s chapter that rewinds from the cabin fewer atmospheres to a period that took place a few hours earlier, taking the plot into the recent past to explain the protagonists� current predicament.

This big revelation reveals nothing of value and just sabotages the big finale that can only be expected from a neo-western where a bunch of killers ends up spending a night in isolated, blizzard-stricken house miles away from anywhere.

At this unnecessary rewind moment, the flaw of the film is exposed like poorly hidden acne under a white neon light � Hateful Eight uses the well-known fuel of the Tarantino thought processes, but this time, it burns weakly. While one of the many punches of the Inglorious Basterds was the moment when Aldo�s commandos kill Hitler, here, the only punch is the appearance of Channing Tatum�s character which is an undersell of an epic proportion.

The clickety-clack of the endless dialogue is here as well, but just like the many racial insults, it all falls flat and lifeless, at least when compared to the director�s previous films. Other issues are also present in the film's 150-minute runtime, including a few jokes which apparently somebody found hilarious, like the two pieces of wood, nailed to the door, but for me at least, the humor kept on eluding me.

Naturally, all of this is a disappointment coming from a man who expected greatness, but got only a fun and somewhat rambling thriller. The Hateful 8 experience is not particularly bad and the film keeps the viewer interested for 80% of its duration. The rewind segment is its weakest link; however, the rest is good, mainly thanks to the cast and the raw cinematography, to almost completely compensate this fact.

The Hateful 8 is like a film created by an exceedingly gifted ghost director (as in ghost writer) who got the task of making a movie just like Quentin Tarantino does. The result is fine, but I still expected someone to kill Hitler if you know what I mean. At the same time, others are making neo-westerns like the fantastic Bone Tomahawk, which makes The Hateful Eight look like a runner-up.

MFM's Best Movies of 2015

2015 will most likely be remembered as the year when the new Star Wars came out and made more money than any other film before it. But, besides the big toy franchises, the previous year had some nice surprises as well when it comes to movies. In 2015, huge action franchises like the Mission Impossible and Jurassic Park/World showed that they can make fun, unpretentious films, while the documentary domain for feature length pieces seems stronger and more vibrant than ever. Of course, some movies just came out bad, even though all pointed that they should be at least interesting. But, out of all those movies that came out in the last 12 months, here's my pick of the best films of 2015:

The Visit - M. Night Shyamalan triumphant return to small, fun and creepy films provided a comeback story worthy of Hollywood. Let's all hope he keeps it up, at least for a while.

Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief - easily the best documentary of 2015, it took A-grade investigative journalism and placed it in the hands of filmmakers. The result is a terrifying story about an organization straight out of James Bond films that somehow became a religion.

Sicario - best classic thriller of 2015, it showed that Denis Villeneuve should and could direct any genre in the world.

Bone Tomahawk - both have Kurt Russel in it and are neo-westerns, but Hateful 8 can only dream of being as good as this excellent debut. 

Dope - an action comedy that moved the same adventure genre from the 1990's right into the 21st century, adding class divide and institutional racism to some weird nostalgia for an equally bad period. In an alternative world, Spike Lee is making films like Dope.

Love & Mercy - a touching tale about a man from the Beach Boys band and family who only wanted to bring beautiful music to the world, told in a mild but moving manner.

The Film of the Year

Mad Max: Fury Road - a film that provided a virtual reality experience without the VR headset. Sharp and uncompromising, George Miller managed to reinvent a Hollywood blockbuster outside of the large studio mentality and everyone loved it for all the right reason. Maybe, on some level, it is a critique of the entire film industry and us as a dim-witted audience that keeps it alive, but it's still a magnificent film.