Elysium

Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga

Directed by Neill Blomkamp

Rating: B

In the distant future of 2154, Earth has been so overpopulated that the wealthy have moved off the planet to Elysium, a space station that is reachable by shuttles in nineteen minutes.

It's no secret that even today, the income gap between the rich and the poor keeps increasing (Face the Facts USA) and that the world's population today is climbing up to 7.1 billion people (US census). "Elysium" takes a real-world concern and puts a theatrical spin to it. By 2154, there is no middle class. Blomkamp's Los Angeles is a run-down city where no decent homes are left standing. On Elysium, the wealthy can live forever by using medical machines that can cure cancer in less than five minutes.

"Elysium" follows Max's (Damon) story. As a kid, he learns about Elysium and promises himself and his friend he will get them there. Grown up, Max has a criminal record (auto-theft, resisting arrest) and works at a low-level job working with machinery. When a complication arises at work, Max gets a death sentence after being exposed to a high dosage of radiation. With only five days left to live, his only hope to survive is by getting to Elysium.

Desperate, Max will do anything to keep living and that includes a dangerous job extracting important information from a billionaire's mind. This billionaire is the CEO of the company he worked for and also has the reboot information for Elysium in his head. This information was written for Delacourt (Foster), a government official with a better idea of how Elysium should be run under a new president who will give her more power.

I liked how "Elysium" had a realistic view on the future. While I'm not too sure how realistic technology will get by the year 2154 (machines that can cure cancer?), "Elysium" is a good sci-fi thriller. It's as gory as "District 9" and the camera does not shy away from exploding people. It's violent and is rated "R" for good reason, but fans of action, post-apocalyptic worlds, and Matt Damon will not be disappointed.

The World's End

Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Martin Freeman, Rosamund Pike

Directed by Edgar Wright

Rating: B

The comedic duo Pegg and Frost continue their community themed films in this pub-crawl, apocalyptic fest. 

As in "Shaun of the Dead", "Hot Fuzz" and now "The World's End", the main characters end up in a village where it's "them" against the community. Be it elderly people, or as the villains are called in the newest movie "the network", the recurring theme is a utopian community. The town has finally rid the wrongdoers and almost everyone is peaceful. The wrong are put right and there are no worries, until Pegg and Frost come along.

"The World's End" is another buddy movie with Gary King (Pegg) and Andy Knightley (Frost) who start the film at odd ends but by the end have patched up their best friendship. Gary is facing his mid-life crisis in rehab when he realizes his life never got better after one legendary night. His solution? Call up the gang to finish the golden mile pub crawl in their hometown. It takes some convincing for his grown up friends with wives and successful jobs to join him when they all hold grudges against Gary.

After the first of twelve pubs, the gang runs into mayhem in the bathroom when they discover the townspeople aren't human. They bleed blue ink when Gary pops the head off of a robot (which they insist they are not). Using Gary's own logic, it would only make sense for the group to march on to the last pub, The World's End. They just have to make it to the end without tipping off the townspeople they know their secret.

The movie sticks to the same humor as in "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz", so past fans shouldn't be disappointed in the latest product of Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg. Lines are sprinkled with pop culture references like Legoland, and Starbucks. The film also makes a statement on franchising and updating the old with the new. Their old town has modern art, the pubs look more like family restaurants, and crime has gone down.

Overall, "The World's End" does not disappoint and for those looking for a good British comedy, this is the one to spend a movie ticket on.

Take This Waltz

Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen, Luke Kirby

Directed by Sarah Polley

Rating: C+

Margot (Williams) has a  restless nature. She obviously wants something more to happen in her life than the one she is living with her tame but loving husband, Lou (Rogen). They have fun together, but five years of marriage later and Margot is bored with the relationship. Lou writes cookbooks and is constantly making some chicken recipe in the kitchen. From what we see of their relationship, they love each other but there's no passion.

Coincidence seems to happen a lot when Margot meets Daniel (Kirby) in Nova Scotia. They happen to sit next to each other on the plane ride home. They share a taxi because after getting comfortable with each other up in the air, they find out they live near one another. Daniel says he can just walk home from Margot's house, only to get out of the taxi, point across the street and say "I live there". It's only inevitable the two should meet again, and with each encounter Margot is allowing herself to develop feelings for her neighbor.

It's hard to understand what Margot says sometimes when she decides to talk in a baby voice. Her character is scared of taking chances. Daniel is a big risk to take but he encourages her flirtations and makes her feel bold enough to ask "What would you do to me now?" when they're alone together. Margot tries seducing her husband at the wrong moment, like when he's cooking, and his rejection makes her feel embarrassed. So she flees to Daniel who won't rebuff her advances.

"Take This Waltz" changes the "unhappily married woman has an affair" plot. Instead, the married woman is in love with her husband. She was happy with what she had until she met Daniel, who she couldn't stay away from. There's not enough character development to understand why Margot has these fears, and there's that feeling that Daniel could be a stalker, even if it's just coincidence how Margot and Daniel meet. There's a likability to the movie. It's nice to see Seth Rogen in a role where he's not crude, but kind of genuinely sweet.

Man of Steel

Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Russell Crowe

Directed by Zack Snyder

Rating: B+

Don't be fooled by the blue spandex and red cape, this Superman reboot is actually worth watching. With a little help from producer Christopher Nolan, "Man of Steel" feels like another "Dark Knight" movie but is far from it.

In this new Superman film, the audience gets a little more background on the planet Krypton, where Kal-El (aka Clark Kent) (Cavill)  is from. The movie starts out with Jor-El (Crowe) warning the higher authority of Krypton that the planet is about to be destroyed, and that he can save their race by sending his natural born son to a safe place. Jor-El's confrontation with General Zod (Shannon) is fatal, but he has at least saved his son from the same fate the planet will soon suffer.

Skipping ahead to his adulthood, Clark briefly flashbacks to important events during his childhood, mostly where his adoptive father warns Clark not to use his powers in public. The world isn't ready for someone like Clark, until danger from outside the planet threatens human existence. General Zod's appearance picks up the pace for the film, but it's not just Zod who takes the spotlight. Faora-Ul (Antje Traue) was one of Zod's soldiers trapped in a black hole as punishment for treason on Krypton. Faora is one of Zod's only soldiers to go out and kick butt. Lois Lane (Adams) is another female role that isn't primarily a damsel in distress. Lane isn't a soldier, in combat she needs saving. Her attitude isn't helpless, she goes back to the action rather than avoid it, but Lane is the one to help Clark defeat Zod.

At two-and-a-half hours, this movie is either going to drag on for some viewers or the time will fly by as fast as Superman can. It's hard to accomplish Clark Kent's background and get to the villain soon without rushing a few of the story lines. Snyder could have eased on the heavy-action packed scenes towards the end to focus more on Clark's childhood discovering his powers, or the treason committed by Zod in the first place. During Superman and Zod's up-in-the-air battle, they smash each other into city buildings and ruin the parts of Metropolis that hadn't been damaged by Zod's gravity machine.

Not quite a masterpiece, "Man of Steel" is still a better reboot compared to DC's previous try with "Superman Returns" in 2006. It's the most realistic of Superman movies. This film leads to a potential sequel either with Superman himself or the "Justice League" that isn't due for a release until 2015. It's hard to ignore the Nolan influence integrated in "Man of Steel" from Hans Zimmer's soundtrack to the stunning cinematography. Also using Zod as the main villain was the perfect set-up for a potential sequel, where Metropolis lies in ruins and Lex Luthor could be the next candidate as villain while he helps rebuild the city.

So unsure of whether to go see "Man of Steel"? Ask yourself this: if you liked the tone of Nolan's Batman trilogy, you will probably enjoy this reboot.

Like Crazy

Anton Yelchin, Felicity Jones, Jennifer Lawrence, Alex Kingston

Directed by Drake Doremus

Rating: B

"Like Crazy" is a love story. Boy and girl date, fall in love, enter complications here that during the course of the film, they try to work out. So what is it that attracts us to watch a movie we've seen told hundreds of different ways?

Anna (Jones) is from England, studying in Los Angeles with a student visa. Here comes Jacob (Yelchin), a local student. They fall in love. Anna's visa expires at the end of the semester, but she chooses to stay with Jacob. It's too hard to leave him. When she briefly goes home to England during the summer and comes back to Jacob in L.A. immigration officials refuse her entry because she violated her visa. The film boils down to their struggle of keeping a relationship.

We see both perspectives of Jacob and Anna. They fall in love fast, and for Anna, hard. The film is intimate, capturing the moments they fall in love, showing the first few months they're together in snapshots and indie music. When it's time for Anna to leave, we don't want her to go as much as she struggles to decide whether she should stay or not. But ultimately, they do get separated, and it's that time apart when Anna is denied entry into the U.S. that Jacob's love is quickly fading. He finds another girlfriend, played by Jennifer Lawrence. Anna tries to let go but she finds herself dialing Jacob's number after a night out with friends. She tells Jacob to come to London, and he goes willingly as soon as can.

It's undeniable that Yelchin and Jones have an on-screen chemistry together. It's needed to portray these characters well, to get across to viewers they're just two young adults fighting to keep themselves together. You want their relationship to thrive because you've invested time into seeing their relationship start. "Like Crazy" may not be the perfect love story but if you like sad romance movies, not a cheesy romantic comedy, this may be one to add to your "must-watch" list.

The Host

Saoirse Ronan, Max Irons, Jake Abel, Diane Kruger

Directed by Andrew Niccol

Based on the book by Stephanie Meyer

Faithfulness to the book: 9/10

Rating of movie: B

In Stephanie Meyer's sci-fi novel, Earth has been taken over by friendly aliens in the form of a silvery floating orb. These orbs are implanted in the spinal cord and take over human bodies. Earth no longer has wars, crime, or rude people. Sounds like Utopia, right? The humans who have managed to escape being taken over don't think so. Melanie (Ronan) fought tooth and nail not to be taken by the Seekers (humans taken over by aliens who search for those still truly human). Melanie's love for her brother and the group of survivors she hides with is what keeps her mind conscious despite having her body taken over.

Though Melanie can't speak for herself, she mentally fights the alien called "Wanderer" who has taken over her body. Wanderer helps the Seekers give up information on where Melanie's group of friends are hidden, but as Wanderer ends up finding the hidden place herself she learns these people are worth fighting to live for too. Only one Seeker (Kruger) won't give up looking and starts to show a little humanity as she grows desperate by firing a gun.

I think it might be a little generous to give "The Host" a "B" rating when the book, and movie adaptation, were both flat. One thing about Meyer's writing not just in the "Twilight" series but in "The Host" as well is that she has a way of making the worlds feel very realistic (despite vampires and aliens not being real). The group Wanderer sticks with are, for a majority of the film, in a cave. They only resort to violence against the Seekers when confronted and even that doesn't happen often. There is no real conflict, while Wanderer figures out a peaceful solution to their troubles and how to get Melanie back to her own body.

Looking at it from from a non-subjective perspective, it was a well-made movie. It leans more towards romance and is a little more mature (like "Breaking Dawn") than her usual audience is used to. I would recommend that anyone who enjoyed "Twilight" or young adult novels to watch and read "The Host". I have to admit that the movie is pretty faithful to the book which is refreshing since most adaptations are as faithful as keeping character names and setting but changing things around.

The Prestige

Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, Michael Caine

Directed by Christopher Nolan

Based on the novel by Christopher Priest

Rating: A

So I might be a little biased because Christopher Nolan is one of my favorite directors, (Memento earned 92 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, The Dark Knight earned 94 percent, Inception earned 86 percent, need I say more?) but "The Prestige" is an overlooked masterpiece that Nolan has crafted.

The movie is primarily about two magicians, each trying to outdo one another not just by their tricks but in life. Angier's (Jackman) wife, a magician's assistant, dies in an accident on stage at the hands of Angier's colleague, Borden (Bale). Ever since the incident, the two part ways to go on and create their own stage presence as magicians while at the same time trying to harm the other's reputation. The obsession to become the greatest magician takes hold over Angier and Borden and will not end until one is truly satisfied.

Nolan once again brings together an ensemble cast that works well- Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine are the glue that holds this movie together. Caine's character, Cutter, is the one who worked with Angier and Borden, the one who engineered magic tricks for Angier and understood the kind of magic Borden was coming up with. Yet no matter how much he warned Angier to let go of his obsession to beat Borden, Angier wouldn't listen and the movie ends with the bittersweet recognition that "obsession is a young man's game".

The true masterpiece Nolan puts together in this film is how much these magicians are willing to pay just to be the greatest. Each man is flawed and the film may make audiences lean toward favoring Angier after the death of his wife, but Angier's hatred for Borden takes us back on our sympathies. Just like "Black Swan"'s ending with Natalie Portman whispering "I was perfect", Angier takes his obsession to a dangerous level. Borden's true secret is revealed at the very end, after Angier has been driven mad. It also drives the audience mad with the wonder of it, and still leaves us asking the question, how can it be so?

The best part of watching this movie is Nolan has a way to make the audience part of these magician's audience. We are also watching closely, waiting to catch the secret that makes the trick work, and also being captivated by the trick itself. And like most of Nolan's films, he waits until the very end to give us the question to think about for the next few minutes, hours, however long you really want to wonder. It's said in the beginning of the film. The answer is simple. Knowing the secret takes away the illusion, and Nolan makes us forget about reality in the hopes that maybe we will find real magic in this movie. In watching closely, we allow ourselves to forget. We allow ourselves to be fooled because we want to be.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller

Directed by Stephen Chbosky

Based on the book by Stephen Chbosky

Faithfulness to the book: 8/10

Rating of movie: A

Charlie is about to start his freshman year of high school with no friends. All he has is an address and a name of someone who could have slept with that person at that party that one time but didn't. Charlie begins the school year writing to this "friend" about his life and the observations he makes.

"The Perks of Being a Wallflower" has slowly become a popular sensation in waves of time. As the movie premier date loomed closer in 2012, people started picking this book up to read before seeing the movie. Living on a college campus and seeing this movie at a "movies on the lawn" event, I got to hear the reactions of at least a hundred college student during the movie. There was laughter, there was gasps of shock, and at the end of the movie people picked up their blankets in the freezing night and claimed that they were either going to read the book now or for those who have read it, that the book had changed their life.

The right actors were cast to play the right roles and the author/director Stephen Chbosky got to portray the movie how he envisioned it. The important parts in the book were shown in the movie and the memorable quotes from "We accept the love we think we deserve" to "And in this moment we are infinite" were said.

Logan Lerman is a great "Charlie" and he is able to make the audience fall in love and sympathize with the character. Emma Watson stars in her second role in a movie post "Harry Potter" and while her acting as Charlie's first love "Sam" was flawed, her overall performance is forgivable. Ezra Miller took on the flamboyant role of "Patrick", Charlie's best friend and Sam's brother. Miller does everything right as Patrick should be: funny, sarcastic, sassy. Miller has the character from the book played perfect.

This movie is something that can resonate with almost anyone who has at least gone to high school. Maybe they were a "Charlie" in some ways or maybe "Sam". Charlie see's life in a unique way, he is a wallflower. He sits back and watches life pass him by and as his freshman year comes to a close, he learns to participate more.

The best part is at the end of the movie, you get to see Charlie grow.