Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs, founder of Apple, owner of Pixar when it became Pixar and overall technological innovator, had a captivating life story. That explains why everyone, it seems, wants to tell it. We already had Jobs in 2013, which had Joshua Michael Stern direct Ashton Kutcher. This time, Danny Boyle directs Michael Fassbender in Steve Jobs.

Aaron Sorkin reworks Walter Isaacson's biography of Jobs into a clearly three-act screenplay. Each act centers around Jobs introducing one of his new products (the Macintosh, the NeXT computer and the iMac) to the public. Backstage, we see his strive for perfectionism alienate those around him.

Steve's associates Steve Wozniak (Seth Rogen), Joanna Hoffman (Kate Winslet), and Apple CEO John Sculley (Jeff Daniels) both try to help him and put up with him. His former girlfriend Chrisann Brennan (Katherine Waterston) and their daughter, Lisa, want him to acknowledge them. Steve could at least say a friendly "hello," like his innovative Macintosh, to them. So why can't he?

Fassbender perfectly renders Jobs as a flawed, innovative man. He talks about giving computers to underprivileged kids, yet won't notice the underprivileged kid (Lisa) right behind him. His innovations don't leave room for others to innovate, which lead to a few failures. Him learning to connect to the World Wide Web of people is his character arc. While others have criticized Fassbender for barely resembling Jobs, the iMac act and 1970's flashbacks show him as a good match.

Editor Elliot Graham makes Sorkin's screenstory come alive. There was never a dull moment in its 122 minutes. Each act had a clear point to tell and its supporting characters provided the recurring plot-points (and a running gag). Even if it jumped around, the story was coherent. The archive footage had a good selection of clips, especially a clip from The Simpsons.

What else to say about the movie? The supporting cast is great, as is Daniel Pemberton's electronic score. Overall, Steve Jobs is a captivating biopic. It maybe a lot of talk, but that talk will go by fast.

The Second Mother

And now for a Jethro first.

This is my first review of a foreign language film. The Second Mother, or Que Horas Ela Volta? (What time will she return?) in its native Portuguese, is Brazil's contestant for the Foreign Language Film Oscar. Will it make the final five? Will it make the semi-final nine? It should.

Val (Regina Casé) is the live-in housekeeper for a São Paulo family. Her employers are rich fashionista Barbara (Karine Teles) and rich layabout Carlos (Lourenço Mutarelli). Val is practically the second mother to son Fabinho (Michel Joelsas). She knows what to do and what not to do after years of working for "Dona" Barbara and co.

One night, Val is called by her daughter, Jessica (Camila Márdila). She needs a place to stay so she can study for her college entrance exam. So she moves in with her mother and employers. Jessica proves herself more a free spirit than her mother. Barbara doesn't like that, but Carlos does. Val reins in Jessica to save face with Barbara. That just irritates Jessica. Mother and daughter will have to fix their relationship somehow.

Writer/Director Anna Muylaert made an involving film about class and worker-family relationships. A rich person lets a poor person work and live with them, but not let them live with them. Don't act like you're family. That's what "Dona" Barbara's rules for Val amount to. We realize, as Jessica knows, that it's unfair for Val to be treated this way. On the other hand, Val's relationship with Fabinho is much more positive. She was there when his parents weren't and he's not messed up. It's sure to remind us of our own good housekeepers.

There's a good view of São Paulo thanks to cinematographer Barbara Alvarez. However, the camera kept running for a few seconds before some scene changes; kept thinking something was gonna happen (sometimes it did). That aside, the night views of the city were good. The interior of "Dona" Barbara and co.'s home looked pretty good too.

Don't let the fact that you have to read subtitles dissuade you. The Second Mother is a universal story of work and family. Its main characters' situations are so universal that anyone can read the subtitles. I'm looking forward to it advancing; Brazil hasn't had an entry in the race since 1998's Central Station!

Crimson Peak

And here it is.

Guillermo del Toro follows robots and monsters with ghosts in Crimson Peak. It's equally spooky, violent and romantic - a rare combination these days. It's got a ghost of a chance at the Best Picture Oscar (ha!), but its technical achievements deserve some acknowledgement.

In the turn of the 20th century, Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska) lives with her businessman father, Carter (Jim Beaver). Edith wants to write ghost stories for a living. She has the experience, for gruesome ghosts haunt her nights. One of them is her mother (Doug Jones), who warns her "Beware of Crimson Peak" (whatever that means).

Edith meets the dashing English aristocrat Sir Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston) and his sister, Lucille (Jessica Chastain). Sir Thomas proposes marriage to Edith over Carter and Lucille's objections. But after Carter's face meets a bathroom sink, it's down the altar for Sir Thomas and Edith.

The Sharpes' home is Allerdale Hall, a decaying mansion that literally bleeds red clay. Allerdale has its own ghosts, who all try to scare Edith away. Once winter rolls along, the clay dyes the snow red, giving the mansion the name Crimson Peak (oh). That's when Edith and her father's physician, Dr. McMichael (Charlie Hunnam), discover that the Sharpes aren't so nice.

The visual achievements are the film's greatest strengths, by far. Costume designer Kate Hawley and production designer Thomas E. Sanders combine to create an extravagant period piece. The titular house is a wreck, and its "blood" is creepy, but it's a fascinating wreck. You won't forget the costumes once you've seen them. The motion capture ghosts work because they're that otherworldly. And Dan Laustsen's cinematography turns winter utterly pitch white. It's unlike most period films that come out this time of year, that's for sure.

Let's not forget the sound achievements. Sound designer Randy Thom is who to thank for such sounds as the creepiness in the ghosts' voices and the utterly sickening bone crunches. I'm not kidding on that last part. Meanwhile, composer Fernando Velázquez gives the film some spooky compositions and a romantic main theme. Of course, when it's time to get spooky, the sound sometimes goes away...

BOO!

That dummy...

BONK!

(MUFFLE)

...won't be bothering me any longer.

The actors aren't dwarfed by their sets or wardrobes. They all do great with their character types. Chastain, in particular, goes from simply antagonistic to downright frightening by the end. I only wish her motivations were a lot clearer.

As for the motivations? The film turns out to be a reworking of Bluebeard and Notorious, so it was kind of easy to see where it was going. At least Edith is more proactive than the leads of those stories. As for revelations, Carter Cushing's killer would have been a surprise if del Toro shot them completely from the head down. Their hairstyle gave it away!

Crimson Peak isn't for those who tense up easily. But you might like it if you enjoy artful, romantic and tragic stories. The film has all that and it has ghosts and blood too. Its unique artistic world and its off-kilter villains make it another memorable film in Guillermo del Toro's filmography.

Goosebumps

R.L. Stine's Goosebumps books started in 1992 and are still spooking kids today. A big-screen treatment was inevitable. Of course, they'd have to solve the problem of which story out of many to work with. The final result is their way of doing them all. It's not perfect, but it's not terrible either.

Zach Cooper (Dylan Minnette) and his mother Gale (Amy Ryan) move to Madison, Delaware. Zach is the new kid in town and Gale is the new vice-principal in Zach's school. Next door is local curmudgeon Mr. Shivers (Jack Black) and his daughter Hannah (Odeya Rush). Mr. Shivers warns Zach to stay away from Hannah or else. Zach wants to find out why.

Zach and his new friend Champ break into Mr. Shivers' house. They discover that Mr. Shivers is Stine himself, and that he has all his Goosebumps manuscripts under lock and key. Inside the manuscripts are all of Stine's spooky creations and Zach's meddling releases them all. Now Zach, Champ, Hannah and Stine have to save Madison from a host of fiendish ghouls, especially Slappy (also Black), the dummy...

BZZZT.

Excuse me while I take over the review. First of all, I'm not a dummy, I'm a puppet...

That just makes it sound worse.

What're ya, shock-proof?!

Yeah. Now let's get to the review-type stuff.

Just as Stine wrote his horror stories for kids, director Rob Letterman and his screenwriters made their horror movie for kids. The monsters chase our heroes and they can't be killed. Fortunately, the monsters never get to kill our heroes (the closest they get is use a freeze-ray). It's as spooky as it gets for a PG-rating. The film's goofy humor lightens the mood and it's not annoying.

What about me?

Not dignifying that with a response.

Anyway, the film requires some familiarity with the Goosebumps series. This will help you win a game of "spot the monster" and "name that cover;" the latter refers to the end credits' animated rendering of the books' original cover art. Other than that, you don't need to know them inside and out.

I wanna know ya, pal!

The film's problem goes back to the script. It's 103 minutes and it goes by pretty quickly. Some details get lost in the process. It goes from one monster encounter to another. The script is running on cursed shoes. It's still a minor complaint in the grand scheme of things. At least it gives the real Stine an amusing walk-on cameo as a teacher named Mr. Black.

Come on, pal. I know ya wanna-

Vance, duct tape and rubber ball.

(muffle!)

Danny Elfman's score is good as are the monster designs. A lot of them are CGI, but Slappy over-here is a real puppet (Avery Jones played him on-set). Other monsters were done with makeup and they're also good. The technical department did their job well on this flick.

This version of Goosebumps is spooky-fun for kids and parents alike. If you're disappointed that this wasn't scary, then my next review should satisfy your need.

Bridge of Spies

I'm sure Lincoln left many waiting for Steven Spielberg's follow-up. Now we have it in Bridge of Spies, which once again makes history thrilling.

In 1957, James Donovan (Tom Hanks) was an insurance lawyer in Brooklyn. He's called upon to defend Rudolph Abel (Mark Rylance), a spy for the Soviet Union. The public and even the Judge want to convict him yesterday, but Donovan wants to give Abel a fair trial per the Constitution. He wants the US to set an example for the Soviets should they capture a US agent or two.

In 1960, pilot Francis Gary Powers (Austin Stowell) is shot down and taken prisoner by the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union is willing to swap Powers for Abel. Donovan is called upon to be the mediator for the exchange. His mission takes him to East Germany, where a host of unhelpful Soviet and US bureaucrats await him. It all leads them to Glienicke Bridge.

The screenplay by Matt Charman and the Coen Brothers shares its name with a 2010 non-fiction book, but it's not based on that. This screenplay raises ideas that are relevant today, like the constitution and what it stands for. Its deliberate pace means that it doesn't beat you with these ideas. Instead, they illustrate good points about proper diplomatic etiquette. It might make you wonder why certain political people don't subscribe to the film's ideals anymore. 

Tom Hanks as James Donovan adds another great character to his filmography. He's the Good Cop when everyone wants him to be the Bad Cop. He keeps standing whenever someone knocks him down, something Abel himself points out. This is a character we want to win.

Mark Rylance makes for a sympathetic spy as Abel. He's vilified by the US and ignored by the Soviet Union. So much for dying for his adopted country. His predicament is a valid deconstruction of the classic double-agent. Still, his stoicism makes for a funny running gag.

As longtime collaborator John Williams was unavailable, Spielberg brought on Thomas Newman for the score. It's a good score that doesn't kick in until a half-hour in, when Abel is about to be convicted. It sounds like a Williams score, which I don't know is a good thing or not.

Spielberg's other frequent collaborators, editor Michael Kahn and cinematographer Janusz Kamiński, made it for the spy games. Their work is reliable as always. The production and costume design are a great recreation of the Cold War.

Bridge of Spies isn't an action-oriented movie. But if you can withstand the film's pace, the 141 minutes will drive on by. It's another great film in Spielberg's long career.

Pan

Peter Pan is still a spring chicken after 113 years. He's always ready to entertain the next generation with his stories of ticking crocs and pirates and fairies. Director Joe Wright is here to tell the story of Peter's first adventures in their first 3D film, Pan.

Peter (Levi Miller) was left at a Lambeth orphanage by his mother, Mary (Amanda Seyfried). Years later, Peter and the orphans try to survive both the Blitz and nasty Sister Barnabas (Kathy Burke). Peter and his best friend Nibs discover a letter meant for Peter from Mary, one that promises she'll meet him "in this world or another." Before long, Peter and some orphans are snatched by bungee-jumping clown pirates from a flying ship!

The ship takes them to that other world, Neverland. The evil captain Blackbeard (Hugh Jackman) has the orphans mine for Pixum crystals, the source of Pixie Dust. Peter discovers he can fly. That's bad news for Blackbeard, because there's a foretold flying messiah scheduled to beat him. Peter escapes with his new friends James Hook (Garrett Hedlund) and Smee (Adeel Akhtar) into the forest of the "Whatchamacallit tribe" (real name, again, not said). The tribe somewhat welcomes him as the Messiah they've been waiting for.

Pan makes odd choices from the moment they arrive at Neverland. Hugh Jackman makes for a hammy Pirate, but his casting would've been perfect for Hook in a straight version of Barrie's play. The actual Hook is Han Solo with an odd accent and in no ways hinted to be Peter's future nemesis. I'm sure his descent into villainy is saved for a sequel that will never be. The "Whatchamacallit tribe" believe Peter's their Messiah the second they see his flute necklace, but doubt him a few minutes later. The audience might question why a film set during the Blitz has Blackbeard lead his slaves to "Smells Like Teen Spirit," but John Powell's orchestration of that 90's tune was awesome.

The technical aspects keep this film hovering. The work of cinematographers John Mathieson and Seamus McGarvey make this worth seeing on the big screen. The first scenes in Neverland show off Blackbeard's mines and exquisitely demonstrate their size and scope. The environments designed by Aline Bonetto are imaginative creations which use both CGI and practical sets. The costume design by Jacqueline Durran is memorable, even if the "Whatchamacallit tribe's" wardrobe clashes with itself. The weakest effects, though, were the too-obvious CGI skeletal Neverbirds,

Pan's story is all too-familiar if you know anything influenced by Joseph Campbell. You'll know exactly what'll happen even if you don't get closer to the story it's a prequel to. I'm forgiving it for it's storytelling flaws because its visual design isn't a complete eyesore. At worst it's weird.

The Walk

His story was already documented by James Marsh in Man on Wire, but wire-walker Philippe Petit still got dramatized by Robert Zemeckis in The Walk. But who would blame them for doing it again?

It's 1973, Philippe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a street performer in Paris. He wants to execute the biggest, grandest stunt of his life and finds the venue for said stunt in a magazine article about the World Trade Center. Over the next year, Philippe recruits a string of accomplices to execute "the artistic crime of the century." His accomplices are drawn to his bravado, but doubt the sanity of the stunt. Even Philippe has his doubts.

Zemeckis co-wrote the screenplay with Christopher Browne from Petit's memoir To Reach the Clouds. The film has Philippe relate his story to the audience from the Statue of Liberty. The constant voice-overs are useful, but sometimes they're a bit too intrusive. The mysterious visitor who meets Philippe before he partakes in "le coup" needed some context. But the clouds parting to reveal the path between the Twin Towers could have spoke for themselves.

Our protagonist is a delightfully bold man. Philippe is so bold that he can declare, in all honesty, what he plans to do on the Twin Towers to an Airport customs agent and get away with it. All he wants is the ultimate artistic experience. His character arc, and that of his accomplices, is kind of rushed towards the end. But the screenplay at least tries.

The film is surprisingly hit and miss with its visual effects. There were a few effects that were so distractingly obvious. At least the recreation of the Twin Towers was flawless. The wire-walking scenes are what the movie is about and they don't disappoint. When they're paired with Alan Silvestri's score, the results are magical. The Grand Finale makes it worth seeing on the big screen.

The Walk is about an illegal, dangerous event that occurred at a place that no longer exists. Its likely message is to appreciate every moment for it may never come again. It's not perfect, but The Walk means well. And it's good enough to stay on the wire.

Sicario

You think it's easy dealing with drug cartels? Leave it to director Denis Villeneuve and screenwriter Taylor Sheridan to prove you wrong with Sicario. Their collaboration is one of the darkest crime films you might ever see.

The film opens with FBI Agent Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) and her team raiding a cartel house. There are bodies stuffed inside the walls, one of which is attached to an explosive booby-trap. The trap leaves two officers dead and Kate with a score to settle. Her boss, Mr. Jennings (Victor Garber), transfers her to a DOD team in El Paso headed by Agent Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) and Colombian Operative Alejandro (Benicio del Toro).

Their mission, which they chose to accept, is to track down Cartel Kingpin Manuel Diaz (Bernardo P. Saracino) and his boss, Fausto Alarcon (Julio Cedillo). Their journey takes them across the border to Juarez, Mexico and back again. Kate assumes the operation will be simply by-the-book. Naturally, she's unnerved by Matt and Alejandro's unethical tactics. They say it's for a good cause, but Kate's not sure, especially after she hears what cause it is.

The film hits the ground-running with Jóhann Jóhannsson's creepy, booming score playing over studio logos. Jóhannsson, and editor Joe Walker, build up the uneasiness when the film begins proper, up to when the FBI comes knocking. Their work continues when the agents fight the cartel henchmen. The sound designers and cinematographer Roger Deakins add to the film's tense atmosphere.

What about the people in the story? The highlight of Sicario is Benicio del Toro as Alejandro. He barely speaks, but his brutal interrogation tactics get to the point. His calm demeanor barely wavers. He might be an awesome character in another movie, but here, he's unpredictable and frightening. The cartel crooks let their brutality speak for them. The Federal higher-ups, including Matt, aren't that nice. And Kate just keeps getting stonewalled at every turn.

Sicario is a film some people might want to see just once, while others won't want to see at all. I'd be fine with seeing it again under different circumstances. That is, if I'm in the mood for a pitch black, tense crime thriller where the lawful break the law to uphold it. And that's the kind of mood you'll have to be in to withstand this movie, or even its first scene.

The Martian

Andy Weir's self-published novel, The Martian, was a hit in both online and physical formats. Its film version, realized by director Ridley Scott, perfectly explains why that was. It's a simple survival story with a guy the audience comes to love.

Botanist and Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is part of the Ares III mission to Mars. But a giant sandstorm hits the planet and messes up the mission. Mark gets lost in the chaos, so the other astronauts leave Mars without him. Mark wakes up alone on the Red Planet. The first thing on his mind is to science his way out of this mess until the next Ares mission arrives. It's a lot easier when he gets in touch with NASA. But a mistake on either end could screw him up big time.

Matt Damon as Mark Watney is what the movie is all about. He's a strong-willed man with a good sense of humor and amazing survival skills. The first thing he does when he realizes his situation is to treat his wounds. He also loves to criticize the numerous disco tracks left with him at every opportunity. Only when things go south or stupid does Mark loose his cool. Still, he's a very relatable protagonist throughout the film's 2 1/2 hours. 

Everyone else on the cast is good too. The Ares crew consists of Jessica Chastain, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, Michael Pena and Aksel Hennie. They're a well-rounded crew of characters; only wish I'd see them more with Mark before the storm hit. That could've explained the stakes more. On Earth, Jeff Daniels as NASA director Sanders is more of a person than a hate sink like most movie bureaucrats. Donald Glover, as a scientist who helps makes the ending possible, was good comic relief.

The film is a visual showcase as well. Whether it's the red planet or space, cinematographer Dariusz Wolski and the visual effects team make them look good. Special notice goes to the Ares III's spaceship, the Hermes. It's a rotating spaceship realized with both live-action and CGI elements into one seamless machine. The visual effects department's finest moment is the climactic scene when Mark is saved. 

The Martian is about a guy surviving impossible odds. It doesn't need to get any more complicated than that. It's by far the most optimistic sci-fi film Ridley Scott has ever made. It's both technically and emotionally proficient, and for that, it's one of Scott's best films ever.

Grandma

Grandma is a movie which proves you don't need massive run-times to make a point. It's only 78 minutes and it doesn't waste a minute.

Elle Reid (Lily Tomlin) is an acclaimed poet with less-acclaimed personal skills. She's estranged from her daughter, Judy (Marcia Gay Harden), while Violet, her long time life partner, has recently passed on. The film opens with her and her current girlfriend, Olivia (Judy Greer), bitterly breaking up. And then her granddaughter, Sage (Julia Garner), shows up at her front door. Sage is pregnant and due for an abortion in eight hours. Sage is broke and needs money for the procedure. Elle is broke and needs money so Sage can have money for the procedure. And thus begins the most awkward drive around Los Angeles of their lives.

Writer/Director Paul Weitz divides the plot into six chapters. Each chapter has Elle and Sage go to one stop, do their thing, and move on. These chapters allow stars such as John Cho, Laverne Cox, Sam Elliott, and Elizabeth Pena to appear in memorable cameo roles. They make the most in the short screen time they have.

Tomlin makes the most of her screen time. Elle's bluntness makes her more popular with the audience than with her acquaintances. Her losing her temper can become black comedy gold in the right circumstances. Elliott's scene, though, is where we start to see her at her most dramatic. That's when we start to sympathize with the acid tongued misanthrope.

Grandma is a bittersweet movie. But the ending leaves the movie on a more hopeful note. It's a movie about coming to terms with the past and embracing the future. It makes that point quickly and the results are unforgettable.

Everest

Everest is the safest you'll get to the titular mountain without the hypothermia and cliff-falling. You'll just have to see some other folks experience that.

In March 1996, Rob Hall (Jason Clarke) and Scott Fischer (Jake Gyllenhall) lead joint expeditions to Mt. Everest "because it's there." Their clients pay through the nose to scale the summit. And Hall's expedition has Jon Krakauer (Michael Kelly), author and journalist, to document their trek. If only Jon had a happier tale to tell.

When they finally scale the summit on May 10th, a monstrous blizzard joins them. They're out in the open when the storm hits and supplies are pretty much zip. Only blind luck and miracles can save them now. Or at least some of them.

The film has an all-star cast, but I failed to recognize a lot of them. I knew it was Josh Brolin as client Beck Weathers, but not Robin Wright as his wife, Peach. Or Keira Knightley as Hall's wife Jan. It does help acknowledge them as people, rather than actors as people. But the thin story makes it hard to tell which character was which. So it was hard to get invested in their fates. While one character's death, I thought, was painfully avoidable, another's survival was a complete surprise.

It does a lot better in the technical aspects. Cinematographer Salvatore Totino captures magnificent scenery from everywhere except atop the actual mountain. Those scenes were filmed mainly on a CGI-enhanced set and as far as you know, you're there. The makeup team also deserves mention for its ghastly depiction of frostbite and exposure. So does Dario Marianelli, who once again delivers an epic cinematic score.

Everest is available on Flatscreen, 3D and IMAX formats. You'll get the same gigantic scenery no matter which format you choose. The narrative might fall short, but the scenery props it back up. You might pay a lot, depending on where you live, but at least you won't risk your life by doing so.