American Sniper

Last summer, Clint Eastwood's generally fun-less musical Jersey Boys made its mark. This time, he's got the true life story American Sniper to tell. It's quite better than Jersey Boys but is it a masterpiece?

The American Sniper was Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper), a rodeo star turned Navy Seal. He accumulated 160 confirmed kills on his four tour of duties which made him the deadliest shot in US military history. He wrote a memoir that writer Jason Hall adapted into this film's screenplay.

And he was killed by an unstable fellow veteran.

Oh yes, there's more to this movie.

See Chris meet and marry Taya (Sienna Miller). See their family grow. See Chris deploy to Iraq in service of his country. See Chris do battle against Al-Qaeda's own deadliest shot Mustafa (Sammy Sheik). See Chris struggle a bit against PTSD.

The film neither condemns nor praises Kyle or the Iraq war. It just shows events in Kyle's life. And then it abruptly ends. Some might say it has no thesis, but I think "sense of duty" suits it well. Kyle eventually admits to a psychologist he wishes he saved more servicemen. In other words, "If I don't do it, who will?" It's a compelling theme but the film's distant tone keeps it from resonating.

Three of its six Oscar nominations went to the film's editors and sound designers. And with good reason. Their work is inseparable in portraying the dangers of war. It does especially well in portraying the misery of PTSD.

American Sniper focuses mainly on the "Legend" and not enough on the man behind the "Legend." I'm sure it's possible to do that without offending anyone on the right or left. I found it an OK war film overall. But at least it was the best of the three war films 2014 unveiled.

Foxcatcher

The dark wrestling drama Foxcatcher is another real life story told by director Bennett Miller. Don't be surprised if I allude to the endgame.

In 1984, brothers Mark (Channing Tatum) and Dave Schultz (Mark Ruffalo) both won Olympic gold for wrestling in Los Angeles. Three years later, Mark is an aimless young man while Dave is a successful high school coach and family man. They've been close since childhood but Mark feels overshadowed by Dave's success. Mark gets a phone call from a representative of a certain John E. Du Pont.

Du Pont (Steve Carrell) is the reclusive heir of his family's chemical company. He invites Mark over to his family's Pennsylvania estate Foxcatcher Farm. Du Pont is a huge wrestling fan and wants to sponsor the next U.S. Olympic wrestling team. Mark accepts the offer and joins Du Pont at Foxcatcher. Dave eventually joins the team as well. Meanwhile, the initially affable Du Pont devolves into an unstable control freak.

Steve Carrell certainly acts like a creepy old man. He's generous to his would-be protege at first. But that disappears when things don't go his way. His agitation is so subdued that you'd think he'd kill someone before the moment he does. The now Oscar-nominated makeup work lets Carrell look creepy as well.

Mark Ruffalo is even more unrecognizable as the bearded, balding Dave. He's also a likable family man and a good voice of reason. That makes the ending more painful to watch.

Channing Tatum perfectly plays Mark as the deconstructed idealist. All he wants is to do the best he can for himself and country. In one scene, he argues with his sister-in-law Nancy (Sienna Miller) when she doesn't greet Du Pont like royalty. It also leads him to trust in Du Pont's increasingly poor judgement. We might want Mark to succeed but not at a terrible cost.

The dark outcome of Foxcatcher might put off casual viewers. I found it an interesting morality play of the dangers of greed and idealism. So while tragic, the ending gives you a lot to think about.

Paddington

Paddington, the most famous literary immigrant bear, has a movie to call his own. Movie audiences now have the first great family film of the year.

The movie opens with a newsreel of sorts by explorer Montgomery Clyde. Clyde tells about his time in "darkest Peru." There, he met a family of talking bears who just love some marmalade. He tells them that they're always welcome to visit London.

Years later, the bears Lucy (Imelda Staunton) and Pastuzo (Michael Gambon) live out their golden years together. Their nephew (Ben Whishaw, who replaced Colin Firth last summer) also lives with them. An Earthquake strikes their home and kills Pastuzo. Aunt Lucy heads off to a retirement home for bears. Her nephew stows away on the first freighter to London.

He winds up in Paddington Station. The Brown family gives him a new home and name. Mrs. Brown (Sally Hawkins) loves Paddington's company but Mr. Brown (Hugh Bonneville) wants him out. Paddington proves a good companion to the Brown children, Judy and Jonathan. The wicked museum taxidermist Millicent (Nicole Kidman) wants Paddington for her collection.

It's not as stupid as the advertisements suggest. Paddington's heavily-advertised bathroom trouble is one scene out of many. The rest of it is delightfully deadpan (Mr. Brown's long but unpleasing euphemism for an orphanage) and punny (a gag with a Chihuahua). Julie Walters provides great comic relief as the eccentric Mrs. Bird. It gets serious when it needs to be and it's honest when it does.

Writer/Director Paul King shows what $55 million can create. Paddington is a well-animated CGI creation. He feels real even if you can tell he isn't. There's an inventive flashback scene set aboard a miniature train. The best effect depicts the Brown household as a dollhouse. The film's colorful production design brings out the best in London.

Paddington is a film kids and adults are sure to love together. Though be warned that some of it can upset the youngest of filmgoers. Still, its good humor makes it a fine introduction to Michael Bond's most famous creation.

Big Eyes

Big Eyes is, without a doubt, director Tim Burton's most subdued film in years. Yes, subdued. It's got bright primaries but his gothic stylings aren't there. It's all the more impressive for it.

In 1958, housewife Margaret Ulbrich (Amy Adams) leaves her husband Frank and begins life anew in San Francisco. She has no job experience but a lot of paintings. These paintings are of children and animals with big puppy dog eyes. One day, Margaret sells her work at an outdoor art gallery. That's when fellow artist Walter Keane (Christoph Waltz) shows up. They fall for each other right away.

Walter sells Margaret's paintings at a nightclub. Walter takes advantage of a few misunderstandings and starts taking credit for Margaret's work. He convinces her to go along with it despite her misgivings. Eventually, copies of Walter-but-really-Margaret's work is mass produced. Margaret feels powerless to stop Walter's misdeeds. She'll have to act as Walter's ego grows out of control.

As I said, the film emphasizes bright primaries. It has the brightest shades of red, green and blue possible. It easily evokes the suburbs of Burton's Edward Scissorhands. It also looked like a living painting at times.

The film is about Margaret learning to assert herself in life and art. As portrayed by Amy Adams, her arc is a compelling story. As Walter, Waltz is slick and charming as if to say "obvious con artist alert." He's scary once he drops the nice act. He's amusing again once we understand him as a pathetic loser. Among the supporting cast, James Saito stands out as the Judge of the Keanes' climactic trial who won't tolerate the family circus.

The music also scores good points here. Danny Elfman's emotive score is another memorable score. Singer-Songwriter Lana Del Ray has two songs which include a mesmerizing title track. It's also a great lyrical description of the story. Listen to it and you'll hear what I mean.

Those who can't stand Burton's usual styling may find Big Eyes more to their liking. Its true-life story isn't drowned out by the production design. It's a story you'll be invested in from beginning to end. When you look into the story, you're sure to find many interesting overlaps.

The Imitation Game

The Imitation Game opens with an effective fourth-wall breaking narration. It's addressed to a police officer, but it may as well address the moviegoers in the audience. "Are you paying attention?" the narrator asks. "If you are not listening carefully, you will miss things. Important things. If you cannot commit to this, then please leave the room."

Writer Graham Moore's foresight works. The screenplay might throw off people as it goes between three different time periods. But if you heed the advice and pay attention, you'll be amazed as the relevance of certain plot points is clarified.

Now I have to get to the movie.

1939-1945. War is declared. Prof. Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) is summoned to Bletchley Park for a secret mission. The British Army has an Enigma code machine in its possession. Alan's mission is to lead a team to crack the Nazi's code so the Army can get the drop on them. Alan works to create a machine to do the work, the ancestor of the modern Computer.

One of the team is Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley), who Turing likes but not in that way...

1920's. Young Alan is picked on by the older boys at Sherbone School. Christopher Morcrom is Alan's only friend and secret crush. But his fondness for Christopher was cut short...

1953. Alan is arrested for the crime of homosexuality (termed "Gross indecency" by the court). The government he dutifully served gives him a dreadful choice...

As Turing, Cumberbatch convincingly plays a repressed genius. He might seem arrogant, but he's someone who can't properly express himself. His inner torment is easily understandable. He'll surely have the audience's support as Cdr. Denniston (Charles Dance) threatens him with unemployment.

The crew assembled by director Morten Tyldum is also great. Composer Alexandre Desplat has another fine score to his name. Editor William Goldenberg keeps it moving as the Nazis and strict officials threaten Alan's progress. Cinematographer Oscar Faura provides subdued imagery to suit the thriller mood. And the sets and costumes evoke the time periods in style.

The Imitation Game does a great job telling a story not many have heard. Whatever Oscar cliches it may have, they didn't bother me as the story kept me interested throughout.

And speaking of Oscars, it's a few hours till the nominations announcement. Expect this to show up at least a few times. It earns its praise.

Selma

Selma is about yesterday today. One can't help see this movie without thinking of certain modern mass demonstrations today. I know as I witnessed one such mass demonstration during my latest excursion to San Francisco.

Selma opens with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo) accepting his Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo. Back home, he tries to convince President Johnson (Tom Wilkinson) to pass pivotal legislation guaranteeing the black vote. But Johnson wants to put it off until whenever. So King and his associates set their sights on Selma. From there, they and their supporters will march to Montgomery to demand equality.

The mission isn't easy. Racist cops and citizens will do anything to uphold their values. King's life unravels as spies reveal his secrets. Supporters start to wonder if the cause is worth it. The movement needs a leader and King is that leader. But King needs to persuade President Johnson to act if it's to succeed.

Its creative team is a great one. The names to remember the most are writer Paul Webb, director Ava DuVernay, cinematographer Bradford Young and editor Spencer Averick. Their movie's tone lets the audience understand the cruelty of injustice for themselves. Its depiction of police brutality is sure to provoke moral outrage in any viewer. A certain act in the opening is far too easy to see coming and its depiction is disturbing. The film surely succeeds in depicting a tough time in American history.

Its ensemble is made of great actors. You'll think of them as characters and not as actors on screen. Oywelo, as King, perfectly humanizes the legendary man. Kudos to the makeup team for making Oyewelo into nothing short of a dead-ringer to King. Wilkinson, as Johnson, antagonizes King, but is more exhausted by other matters than stubborn. Carmen Ejogo, as Coretta Scott King, has a test of faith that earns the audience's empathy.

Selma is subdued for an "Oscar movie." And that's a good thing. Its manner of story-telling gets its message across in its 127 minute run-time. That by itself is praise worthy.

Unbroken

Olympic athlete and war survivor Louis Zamperini's long life ended peacefully on July 2nd, 2014. Before then, Laura Hillenbrand documented said epic life in her 2010 book, Unbroken. That book is now the basis of Angelina Jolie's 2nd film as director, also titled Unbroken.

Zampeirini (Jack O'Connell) grew up the son of Italian immigrants. After a childhood of mischief making, his brother Pete (Alex Russell) inspired him to greatness. He successfully tried out for a regional track team and made it to the 1936 Olympics.

Those events above are flashbacks in the film's bigger story. In it, Louis serves his country in World War II as a bombardier. On a routine mission, Louis's Lemon plane goes kaput and crashes into the Ocean. Only two other crew members survive the crash with him. He and his friends survive in lifeboats on shark-infested waters for 47 days. Only one crew member survives with Louis by the time the Japanese navy finds them.

For the next two years, Louis and his other crew member (but mostly Louis) are prisoners of war. Their camp commander is Mutsuhiro Watanabe (Miyavi), a man who will find any excuse to beat up Louis. Louis has to stay tough if he's to survive the ordeal.

Four writers are credited on the film. It's more like three writers considering that two of the four are the always together Joel and Ethan Coen. The other two are Richard LaGravenese and William Nicholson. Their screen story is a juggling act about to collapse.

Let's start with some ending captions. It said how Zamperini had struggled with PTSD for years after his interment and eventually made peace with his captors. Why's that the ending caption? That's a great movie right there! The interment scenes, which make up a bulk of the film, should have been flashbacks. Kind of a missed opportunity.

And why did they give Watanabe a hint of sympathy near the end instead of anytime before then? He kind of wants Zamperini to respect him but the audience can't oblige him. His favorite tactic ("(Don't) Look at me!" *Whack!*) is so protracted it kind of turns into a running gag.

It was not all a loss. Alexandre Desplat has yet another good score, one which I had time to experience as my theater's sound system muffled quite a bit of the dialogue. The art department crafted incredible recreations of the 1940's. Roger Deakins' cinematography was rich and colorful as always.

Jolie personally knew Zamperini, which led her to this project. So while I may fault Unbroken for being a wobbly juggling act, at least it was a well-intentioned one.