ArchonCinemaReviews

Based on a true story, Spotlight tells the story of the reporters behind the breaking news report of child molestation and the Catholic Church's cover up in Boston.

Prior to awards season, Spotlight flew under the radar. Sure it has a killer cast and was well reviewed, but it was little known and littler seen. The Boston Globe is at a pivotal point in its existence in the early 2000s. Bought by The Times, staff cuts and uncertainty cause waves of concern for its journalists. A new Editor, an outsider to Boston, is brought in to hopefully lead to positive change for the Globe. His first order of business is to pursue a story left dormant and uninvestigated: that of a priest who allegedly molested boys and the Cardinal and church that knew about it. This story centers on the small staff that write for the Spotlight section of the paper who are assigned the case.

Most of us should be old enough to remember when this article broke and the ripple effect and later ramifications it had on the Catholic Church. The intriguing part of the film Spotlight is that it truly helps you understand the barriers these journalists faced just to get to the truth. This is a city where the Catholic Church has the greatest power and influence of any American city, permeating its reach into the political system. The lengths these individuals went to prevent the story ever being researched, let alone published, were against them.

Spotlight manages to showcase journalistic quandaries, ethical dilemmas, legal exploitations, and dense information regarding a complicated investigation into this systemic broach of trust all while doing so in an engaging way. Spotlight is coherent and approachable without ever being flat or verbose, a testament to a phenomenal script by Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer. Furthermore, Signer and McCarthy are able to tell a story that spans across decades without using schticky flashbacks or overly stylized crutches and instead tell a simple chronological but gripping story.

Part of the reason Spotlight feels so real is that, well, it is. Based on a true story, it is beyond evident that the actors (Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton and Brian d'Arcy James) took the assignment of playing real life individuals seriously. Rather than exaggerating characteristics for effect which ultimately is detrimental to a film, the atmosphere of the staff of Spotlight reels like a group that has been together for years. Each character is unique but honest, well formed and have believably consistent actions and relationships with one another.

At its core, Spotlight succeeds in its simplicity of storytelling. With a narrative laid out from real life events, it had all the makings of a great film. Of course, that has been true of other films which have failed miserably so it's nice to see a movie such as Spotlight to live up to its potential and rise to the occasion.

7.5/10

Please check out the Archon Cinema Reviews website for full reviews of all the Academy Award nominees.

Based on the true story of the '08 mortgage crisis that eventually led to the downturn of the global economy, The Big Short crafts a thrilling and infuriating tale of complicit capitalistic deception.

By the time the whole housing bubble popped, leaving devastation in its path, I was a college junior studying economics. Under the guidance of a passionate and dedicated professor aware of the historical importance of those events, I learned the ins and outs that led to the financial crisis – so going into the film I understood better than most. Despite this, even I was drawn into and maddened by the chain of events laid out by The Big Short.

We all remember the largest financial collapse in modern times erupting in mid 2008 thanks to sub-prime mortgage crisis, but few recognized the grander impact it would have on the economy with even fewer understanding what happened. Years in advance, four players in the world of finance predict the 2008 financial crisis, revealing an intricate web of duplicity on the part of big banks, whose only focus is greed induced monetary gain regardless of the long term consequences. The Big Short not only attempts to explain what caused the crash but with the approach-ability that could only be crafted from Hollywood flair.

After watching the film, you may still not truly understand what caused the housing crisis and how its reach reverberated tenfold in the form of a global recession. I spoke with several people who were still puzzled even after watching the film. In a way that is a flaw that speaks of the film in due to its levity regarding the technicalities of the events leading up to the recession, but it isn't lack of trying on behalf of Adam McKay.

The fact that McKay and Charles Randolph even take on this material and yielded this result is a testament to their creativity. McKay utilizes all the stops to make the material entertaining without dumbing it down completely in both his direction and writing. There are metaphors, allegories and even tangible symbolism in the form of Jenga and Vegas blackjack to try and help you comprehend. Not to mention the celebrity cameos to keep your attention during the technical explanations of jargon that would otherwise lead your brain to wander. It is that same stylization that may not be suitable for some people, especially those that loathe when a story is bastardized beyond recognition by the Hollywood machine.

In other hands, Michael Lewis's novel could have been a dreary and dense drama that no one would have seen. Instead The Big Short is lively and easily digestible for the masses. Its characters are each simplified to be voices the film needed represented: Brad Pitt is the moral conscience, Steve Carell is the retributive rage, Christian Bale is the informative foundation, and Ryan Gosling is the narrator. There isn't a doubt in my mind that the characters in the film have real life individuals from which they are based, but are assuredly so far removed they no longer resemble their counterparts. The film even openly admits of the liberties it takes in changing the facts to make the story more streamlined for adaptation. While watchable, it does detract from the sobering reality of the financial industry.

Another gripe with the film is the hair and make-up, and I'm looking at you Adruitha Lee. While this may sound superficial it has a huge impact on the movie viewing experience. We go to the theater to get away, to be drawn into entertainment and away from the burdens of our lives. This is impossible with the blaringly cheap and cheesy fake hair pieces the actors are forced to wear. This minor detail leads you to never forget you are watching a recreation, that the actors are basically playing 'dress up,' and personally I find it to be inexcusable.

A good film will make you feel something while you watch it, a great film will make you feel something after it is over. The Big Short is a great film, making you feel tense and frustrated by your impotency as you watch and furiously dejected once it is over by the impunity of Big Banks. Watching, knowing there was knowledge and hindsight, you will be incensed and that is what the filmmakers behind The Big Short were hoping.

Please check out Archon Cinema Reviews site for full reviews of all the Oscar nominated films and recent releases.

Certainly a surprise film of the year, Sicario delves into the sensitive subject of the escalating war against drugs that have become a daily occurrence for those near the border between the U.S. and Mexico.

A member of the kidnapping division in Arizona, Kate (Emily Blunt) is brought onto a special operations unit funded by the Department of Defense after a devastating and jarring blow to her team. Immediately whisked away on a mission; Kate observes with an outsider's eyes the happenings of this covert unit, the sole woman amongst men. Thrust into the deadly and brutal world of the drug cartels of Juarez Mexico, Kate realizes that her idealism has no place as her new assigned unveils itself as far from ethical. With fresh eyes and a purist's motivation, Kate must make her own judgments of trust if she wants to stay alive during this dangerous operation.

Sicario is a film I wasn't expecting. The military oriented subject matter is not normally my forte and the trailer for the film felt generic. Alas, quickly the praising whispers for the film grew too loud to ignore and right they were. Sicario is a film that commands your attention with its barbaric violence, brutally realistic point of view and its astonishing cinematography.

Directed by Denis Villeneuve and written by Taylor Sheridan, the film decisively sets the tone within seconds of opening, readying the audience for what they are about to see. Sicario is a film that jolts you with unease, telling you to forget whatever expectations you may have. It is about far more than the mission Kate embarks upon with the DoD, and its ability to harmoniously tell its complexly layered story is a testament to its success.

The best word to describe Sicario is 'intense.' It is jarring, disorienting, and raw. Sicario easily could have been a basic thriller with a military shoot 'em up component. In having Villeneuve direct, the films subtler points are brought to the forefront. Each character is multidimensional and each moment a scene to be watched, within it the plot nuances that lesser films so often forget. The protagonist Kate especially has a marvelous arc throughout the film that matches the audience member's own experience and grounds you further to be completely engaged with the film.

May you remember the film years from now? Perhaps not, but for those looking for a worthy film to entertain with a little bit for everyone to enjoy, Sicario is certainly it.

Please check out the website for Archon Cinema Reviews for reviews of all the awards season contenders.