Reviews by kgbelliveau

Capturing an era on film can be tough. It needs to feel right, the look, the dress code, the mannerisms all need to be accurate or it will crumble on the spot. One of the things The Great Gatsby did fantastically was capture the essence of the thirties.

Nick Carraway a Midwesterner moves next door to the mysterious Gatsby, who on weekends throws lavish parties featuring some of the wealthiest people in New York. Carraway is invited and soon finds himself learning more about this mysterious Gatsby and why he does what he does. The man seems to have it all, but underneath that exterior is a vulnerable Gatsby and Carraway soon discovers his true identity.

Full of extravagant set pieces and amazing party shots, The Great Gatsby becomes too focused on the redundant and not enough on the development of some great characters. Baz Luhrmann is known for his own unique style and it has served him well in the past and even did for the first part of this film, but then it just feel apart when the film was supposed to transcend the visuals and start delivering a character driven plot. Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby develops it’s eccentricities at the expense of it’s great source material and that is never the best course of action.

Not at all surprising the acting was the best thing about this movie. DiCaprio was probably one of few actors capable of portraying such a layered character in Gatsby. As the film progresses, DiCaprio’s Gatsby becomes more and more susceptible to the world that is crumbling around him. Tobey Maguire is fantastic as well, adding a well rounded supporting character in Carraway that provides an often bleak and depressing narration to the film. However, it was DiCaprio’s chemistry with leading lady Carrey Mulligan that carried the film. At times the two seemed perfect for their respective roles, carrying just the right amount of emotions even when the scene was supposed to be happy. There was a lot for these characters to go through, but Lurhmaan decided the visuals were more important then a real human journey, filled with spirituality and acceptance.

Much of the Great Gatsby is in fact entertaining, the music, the grandeur, the vibrant sets and the acting are all fantastic, it just lacks a compelling narrative, characters that are dependable later in the film, and most of all it lacks an ending. It ends abruptly, making you question the visual splendour that had just been displayed for the past two hours. The contrast of the upper and lower classes of New York was well done, but very seldom touched upon until the final climactic scene that changes the course of the entire plot. It just becomes a damaged film, with too many colors on display and not enough life in its characters.

Definitely worth a viewing if you have read the novel, or a fan of DiCaprio’s body of work. Beyond that, The Great Gatsby could be saved for a rainy day weekend when you’ve seen all the other big movies. I’m not saying don’t see it; just view it at your own leisure, because it may not be the film you thought it would be.

The last Iron Man film was severely lacking a great villainous feeling, the action seemed like it went nowhere, and even the wittiness we have come to expect from Tony Stark just fell flat. All of that was back for Iron Man 3, making it perhaps the most engaging and entertaining of the series so far.

America is under attack from a terrorist known as The Mandarin, and when Tony Stark’s good friend Happy Hogan is left in a coma, Stark issues a threat to the Mandarin starting a war that this time Stark may not be able to win.

All of the key players are back, including Robert Downey Junior, Gwyneth Paltrow and Don Cheadle, this time under the direction of Shane Black instead of Jon Favreau( who reprised his role as Hogan). Not only was the film directed by Black, but the screenplay was written by Black and Drew Pearce, and probably featured the best one liners in the series thus far. Tony Stark is known for his sarcastic attitude, his ego and his confidence and even though he has struggling a bit since the events of the Avengers all the classic Stark personality traits were present.

Robert Downey Junior is flawless when portraying Tony Stark. He fits into the role so easily and it has been fun to watch him develop this character from an egotistical billionaire playboy to someone who struggles and battles anxiety. It was that aspect of the film that really sold the character development, it was a new side of Tony, a more vulnerable side of himself that opened up the film to new potentials and Shane Black was able to capitalize on them.

Newcomers to the series Guy Pearce, Ben Kingsley and Rebecca Hall all had key contributions to the end result, most notably Pearce. Half way through the film the plot takes a turn, one that was completely unexpected and is drawing heavy criticism, but one that worked for film purposes. Kingsley and Pearce nailed their villainous roles, adding a little fun to it thanks to Black’s cheeky screenplay. Hall’s character tied the story together, playing a huge part in Tony’s past and now the present. Rebecca Hall is a fantastic actress and she proved that once again here. Another solid role for her.

This film could stand as the conclusion to the solo Iron Man films. It was a fitting story, one that tested Stark and his loyalties. It has become clear that Robert Downey Junior is Iron Man, and replacing him now for the Avengers 2 would be a terrible mistake. He has created something special with Tony Stark/Iron Man and it is a must that he see it through to Marvel’s ultimate conclusion (whether that be Civil War, or something else). Tony Stark has always been a great character, and having an actor with the talent that RDJ has play him is just a delight and something fans deserve to see for many years to come. On the flip side, if this does happen to be the last we see of RDJ as Iron Man, it’s been a lot of fun and I have been thoroughly entertained by the stories.

Based on the 2008 novel by Stephanie Meyer (the Twilight Saga), The Host stumbles right out of the gate, with a terribly paced opening action scene right into a terribly woven script, and it never gets a chance at redemption and it becomes quite possibly the worst films in recent memory

Melanie Stryder is one of few humans remaining on the planet earth after a parasitic life form known as the souls have been taking over human bodies. After Melanie is captured and an alien life form is poised to take over her body, she resists, creating a bond with her suitor known simply as “Wanderer” and later known as “Wanda”. As Melanie begins to search for Jared and her brother Jamie, the struggle between the two continues as Wanda develops into her own being capable of making choices.

There is just nothing redeeming about this film whatsoever, after it turns into an alien romance flick. The opening scene may have been short and misguided, but it had merit. It was an action scene, suffice to say the only one worth noting, but still an action scene none the less. After it turns into a teenage romance flick with lines like “Kiss me like you want to get slapped.” It loses all credibility, not that it really gained any during the first half hour.

It’s just messy, that is one example of dialogue that for lack of a better term is atrocious. It is a simple movie, designed for simple minds with little pay-off. The plot is a one-way street type plot, everything moves at a very pace, creating no reason to want to see what happens or even care about the fact that things are happening. It’s an easy film to grab a few laughs out of and that is not intentional. It was supposed to be a dramatic tale about the acceptance of one’s body and how body image shouldn’t matter and we should accept people for who they are, whatever shape, size and ethnicity they are. Good themes, but only in a good movie. Acceptance is the key, and I accept The Host as another movie that failed miserably in getting teen romance right, but it’s based off Stephanie Meyers novel so there wasn’t high hopes to begin with.

It’s a romance between three people, much the way twilight was except two of them are trapped in Saoirse Ronan’s body for two hours, exploring their developing sexuality in a world that has become a hell whole. Does that sound entertaining to you? Because it was tumultuous ride of teenage aggression, cheesy rain make-out scenes and awkward proclamations of an alien developing it’s sexual feelings for a human.

Part of me wants to give the film some credit and say with a better script it could possibly have been a better movie, but that would just be wrong of me. So I’ll state the truth, a very harsh one, but the truth none the less, and that is there was never a chance that this film could have been good because Meyer only writes for her own self-righteousness and not to raise valid points or try and bring about social changes. So to be completely truthful the Host was doomed to be a terrible movie because it was coming from terrible source material.

I’m not saying don’t see the Host, because plenty of fangirls will be in line loving this movie, but just try and not view it as a serious form of entertainment. It was more comedic then it was dramatic, so hey atleast you might score a few laughs from the appalling screenplay.

The Place Beyond the Pine becomes two films, and does so quite simply by creating a story that reaches an appropriate point to make the shift, setting up two very different halves to one film.

Luke Glanton is a struggling stunt rider, who after finding out he has a son tries to settle down and provide a life. Struggling to do so, Luke turns to robbing banks in order to give his son a better life. As Luke grows more and more daring, his life is inevitably put at risk changing the lives of everyone involved.

Having billable stars like Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper is an asset to any film, especially a film that knows to present them both as the top star when necessary. Cooper and Gosling play vastly different characters, on opposite sides of the law and opposite sides of the film. The first half being about Gosling and his descent into chaos and robbery and how that affected the life of his son, the life of the people around. The second half being about Cooper’s character and how one traumatic event can change a cop’s life, whether it be at home or at work. Ultimately The Place Beyond the Pines becomes a film about loss and gain and how one get both from a particular situation depending on what side we are on.

It is at times a messy film; some of the action is blurry and almost gives you a headache. Those scenes are a total misfire for a film that was so dependent on ramping up the intensity for the characters involved. It also became messy during the third act, when it became a generational piece about one person struggles can span generations and have an effect on their children without even really realizing it does. It becomes sloppy in its transition from bank heist film, to hero cop film, to lonely teenager film. The bad part is, it never needed to be sloppy, clocking in at 140 minutes it had enough time to transition well and place all the meaningful scenes where they needed to be. Yes, there were meaningful scenes in all three acts, but most of them came in the first two, which made the third a tad tedious and too ambitious to drive home the overall point of the film.

This is not to say the film is bad, Dane DeHaan is great in the third act. His desperation, lack of ambition and eventual self destruction were well executed by the young actor but they came during a too little too late period of the film, when all the potential poignancy this film had to offer had already been delivered. We understood the struggles the family went through, the struggles Cooper’s character went through and so when DeHaan got his chance to shine it was all just second-hand and merely identical to the same struggles and emotions that were dealt with in the first act.

It is still a very enjoyable and real film, which is very emotional at times. It just never sacrifices it’s overzealous ambition to tell a better story, or to simply refine what was already a story worth telling.

We are all faced with challenges, life is full of them. It is how we choose to face those challenges that ultimately make us who we are. Every now and then, a film gets growing up right. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is one of those film that not only gets it right, but does with integrity.

Charlie is facing his first day of highschool, he doesn’t have any friends and is counting the days until he is done. His life changes when he meets Patrick and Sam, who start showing him the true value of friendship. A long the way Charlie must deal with growing up, the problems he has faced in the past and what lies ahead in his future.

This film is captivating on so many levels, first of all starting with story. Right away, anyone who has ever battled depression or anxiety feels comfortable with Charlie as a protagonist for this story. Charlie is the centre piece of a film that capitalizes on real world issues, from abuse, to tragedy, to depression and guilt. Charlie struggles with many of these, while watching his friends struggle with the rest. All they are looking for is acceptance and to be happy and free. As the film progresses we get glimpses into their past, their mistakes, their plans to make it right and we get a set of characters that is unlike any film in the past. This is the truest coming of age story I have had the pleasure of viewing.

Charlie: So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how could that be.

Sitting here now that the film is done, it completely blows my mind that a film can be that good at getting life right. Usually it is some over exaggeration of how people cope with things, or a misrepresentation of being a teenager, showing the glorious side of life but not the darker side of that time period. Lead by Emma Watson, Logan Lerman and Ezra Miller, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a film that needs to be seen by everyone. It tackles so many issues, and it gets them all right.

As the film progresses and things begin to unravel for Charlie, Sam and Patrick you find yourself almost too afraid to watch these real life stories unfold, that perhaps if you wish for a better outcome for these characters it will happen. Very few films make you feel like it’s characters are your own best friends, or that you are in fact the main character of the film taking place on the big screen. During this film, it made me sad to see them struggle, to deal with real world situations, and I wanted to hug the people that have helped me through difficult times because that is how real this film felt.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a beautiful film about friendship, about love and about conquering your fears and learning to live for the moment. If you haven’t already seen this film, which I’m hoping you have, I highly recommend watching it. It will be a tough film to watch at times without getting emotional or feeling your own situations come roaring back, but it is certainly worth the watch on an emotional level, as well as on a technical level for film fans, because the cinematography was wonderful. Instantly one of my favourites and I hope people enjoy it as much as I have.


Charlie: I know who you are, Sam. I know I'm quiet... and, and I should speak more. But if you knew the things that were in my head most of the time, you'd know what I really meant. How, how much we're alike and, and how we've been through things... and you're not small. You're beautiful.

When you think about zombies two things that pop into your mind is flesh eating monsters and George A Romero. At least that was the way it was for an entire generation of people who grew up believing zombies tore the flesh from bones and were rotting decaying shells of the human being the used to be.

Going into Warm Bodies I was sceptical about a zombie film that had emotions on display, and coming out of it I am still sceptical about the execution, the idea that an entire mystical, unearthly creatures decades long lore has been thrown out the window for a film that is essentially about how love conquers all.

How can this not be called the Twilight of Zombie films? It’s not an insult to call it that, because in many ways it does to the zombie genre what Twilight did to vampires. It neglected to follow the lore, the written code of the creature on display, it portrayed a vastly ineffective romance bit that was all too cheesy and rushed. It featured a natural handsome leading man, in films about true love. First off, original vampires are essentially described as freaks, and modern zombies, thanks to George A Romero are rotting decaying, people hungry emotionless dead creatures.

Which is not to say this movie was bad for choosing to be different, but in the end I wouldn’t call it a zombie film because the main crew of zombies eat one or two poor souls through-out the film, then begin talking, loving, breathing and bleeding. It’s as if they awoke from a terrible nightmare, from a state of hypnosis. Good play on the original definition of zombie Isaac Marion and Jonathan Levine, while still trying to incorporate touches of the modern definition. Speaking of classic’s what was with the Zombie Romeo and Juliet moment?

On many levels it seemed rushed for film purposes, one minute R is munching on poor Dave Franco, the next he is forming sentences and learning to drive like a normal human being, albeit for a normal human being there is a large time gap between their first sentence and their first drive, but I digress. This film seemed to have a harder time defining what genre it really wanted to be a part of, a love drama, a romantic comedy, an action flick or a parody comedy. For a film that is barely over 90 minutes in length that is a lot of different films to take in.

This is again not to say it was bad, just terrible on being decisive. It seemed like when writing the screenplay Levine would write dramatic bits, laugh a little with friends want to start a whole new parody but because we was lazy he made it all into one poorly written screenplay. The actors did all the could, unlike Twilight at least Teresa Palmer proved that opening the box of emotions is good, and displaying them on your face is the mark of an even better actress. Hoult proved he could stumble through words, act awkward as a zombie and learn to love again, but that was better then being a pale faced 108 year old still attending the local high school. Analeigh Tipton and Anna Kendrick played almost identical roles, so no judgement there.

I’m not saying don’t see it, I’m just saying if you just came off watching The Walking Dead season finale, and have seen George A Romero’s classics, this may not be the zombie substitute you were hoping for or that you should even consider. It is what it is, honestly you can take it or leave it, I’m just saying it wasn’t something I would label as a zombie film. More like Romeo and Juliet meets Frankenstein meets When Harry Met Sally, meets 30 Days of Night. Weird right?

Some movies are exactly what they appear to be, and others have deeper more thought out layers that attempt to give some deeper meaning to the plot. Olympus Has Fallen is just another movie, with action, explosions, gunfire and violence.

After a meeting with the South Korean Prime Minister turns into a violent attack on the White House, former Secret Service Agent Mike Banning is the one and only hope for America after he enters the White House, which has been over taken.

When people sit down to watch movies, they usually hope for that twist or turn that slightly makes the film less predictable. Olympus Has Fallen never took that turn, it simply remained a lone wolf action movie from the opening scene to the final credits. There were other people involved in the movie, attempting to give Banning tactical advantage, but ultimately he was the hero of the film and it was built to be that way right from the very start.

This is not to say it was a horrible movie, because it was entertaining but when you limit yourself to a handful of potential action scenes with very violent endings, eventually seeing one man continually kick the crap out of everyone else does grow tedious and repetitive. Especially when your lead actor happens to be Gerard Butler. He tends to play those cocky, self confident melodramatic characters who praise themselves up and down, and watching one over confident, arrogant individual strut his stuff for 2hrs is just aggravating when all is said and done. Whatever happened to heroes’ being humble? Sorry Gerard Butler, your action sequences and fighting ability may be insanely fun and fast, but your acting chops need to broaden because you sir have been type cast to either do romantic comedies or violent action flicks. There is so much in between that you have yet to explore, and probably won’t because the fat pay checks keep rolling in from these movies.

When all is said and done, the explosions stop happening, the dust settles and Gerard Butler fans have seen the movie, this will be just another action movie. And that is the biggest shame of all. A plot like this had potential, these type of movies always do, yet the resort back to mindless violence and destruction as a tool to keep the audience engaged. Use intelligence, plus action and your appeal will be even broader, just a thought anyway.

When the plotline for a film has been used numerous times, it is a rather bold move to take a crack at it once again. Dead Man Down does just that, using the same old recycled plot lines, while using enough darkness, some good dialogue and well paced dramatics in order to still be entertaining.

Victor his working for the mob, under his new name while trying to find justice for his wife and daughter that were killed. After, he meets Beatrice and helps her get revenge on the man that left her face scarred after a car accident during which he was driving drunk, Victor begins to fall for her. As things grow tense, Victor puts a plan into action that will finally bring justice for his wife and daughter.

Lead by Colin Farrell, Noomi Rapace and Terrence Howard, Dead Man Down begins as a typical crime film. It transcends that after the entrance of Beatrice and her struggles, which brought a human aspect to the film. Here was a pretty girl, who had her life ruined by a single event, and she wanted revenge at any cost. The mafia men were expected to be hardened criminals, but Beatrice was well portrayed because of how her life had changed. Farrell does a good job as Victor, but the intentions of the overall film were all too clear too fast even through they were kept mysterious for the first half of the film.

Dead Man Down could have easily been a better film, it was too predictable and the scenes were too jumpy. Less clumping together of randomly cut scenes and more progressive plot driven scenes would have been the key to Dead Man Down being shorter and more concise overall. Driven by the mood of the overall scene, Dead Man Down benefited from darker, dreary action scenes that were heavy handed and meaningful. Not to say the plot was meaningless, because it had a lot of meaning and justice is as great a motive as any, but like mentioned earlier it has been down countless time before.

Still a very entertaining film, Farrell and Rapace share great scenes together, their sorrow commands the screen through-out the film, making them easy characters to get behind. A lot of the time that can be enough and with Dead Man Down it did help carry the film through some rough patches. Solid crime film, with three dynamic performances to help carry the film even when you feel like it could have been much better.

Yann Martels novel Life of Pi was such an engaging read, it seemed almost impossible to turn it into a film. The images that were left upon the impressionable readers of the novel seemed so grand and having a film depict them would just ruin that wonderful imagination. Boy, was that the wrong idea now that I have witnessed Ang Lee’s adaptation of the fantastic novel.

Pi Patel’s family has packed up all their stuff and are heading for Canada, when the freight ship they are sailing on sinks in the pacific ocean, leaving Pi stranded on a lifeboat with a zebra, a hyena, an Orangutan and a 450 pound Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. Pi must adapt to the forces of nature, and become the dominant figure amidst the animals in order to survive this harrowing journey across the pacific.

Ang Lee’s vision of Yann Martel’s novel is a visual spectacle, built to be a journey of faith, acceptance and self discovery. Lee creates a film that leans heavily on visuals, the CG affects that are used to create the animals on the boat. A lot of this film is about instincts, natural survival that is hindered by the wreckage that can be caused by nature itself. It becomes a journey of one young man, who must find the courage to survive through these troubling times.

Some of the descriptions and imagination of the novel of course were lost which is inevitable. The narration of Pi Patel was crucial to the novel, and the film, but at points felt lost upon the visual capabilities of the film. What was great about the novel was the ability to imagine how Pi Patel told the story, how the words on the page seemed to build his character, which seemed to be lost in the film. The words from the novel only translated to the screen on a superficial level, but not a spiritual and idealistic level like in the novel.

That is not to say the film is bad in any way, I was blown away by the chilling visuals that were on display. The ship-wreck, the ocean storm, the island were all very thrilling and kept the film alive, kept it breathing fresh air. Due to the lack of people presence for the last half of the film, the visuals undoubtedly became the backbone of this film. For fans of the novel, these visuals are enough to keep you entertained and engaged. For those who have not read the novel, this film will serve as a great survival story, a visual masterpiece and an epic journey.

Very few romance movies have taken the time to explore the emotional repercussions of romance, especially how failed ones help shape people for the future. The Silver Linings Playbook is about real people coming to terms with real life situations and finding their silver lining in a world that can sometimes be too painful and unforgiving

Pat Solitano JR is released into the care of his parents after spending eight months in a mental care facility for an angry outburst against his wife’s lover .During his stay Pat is diagnosed with Bi-Polar disorder, but he refuses to take his medicine upon his release. With the help of his parents, Pat tries to get his life back on track and get back together with Nikki. However, a long the way he meets Tiffany Maxwell, who is still dealing with her husbands death and breakdown that took her job. The two form an unlikely friendship and must learn to overcome the hardships they have faced so that they can find their own silver linings and finally be happy.

Pat: The world will break your heart ten ways to Sunday, thats guaranteed, and I can't begin to explain that, or the craziness inside myself and everybody else but guess what? Sunday is my favorite day again. I think of everything everyone did for me and I feel like a very lucky guy.

David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook is as close to perfection as a film can get. His stylistic approach to story telling not only helps the film in the early stages by setting a tone that is carried through-out, but helps make sure the audience understands these characters are broken and attempting to put their lives back together. These characters are real world people as mentioned above, facing tough and life changing situations that have driven them to react irrationally. What the film tells is with the right people around us we can find an inner peace and be happy; the hard part is being willing to accept all the things that have happened to us.

When you think about romance duos very few stick out, many people will praise Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams in the Notebook or perhaps even Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in Sleepless in Seattle, but very few are this emotionally and spiritually engaging. The reason this film excels on so many levels is because of the beautiful and heartfelt chemistry felt between leads Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. There is always something tricky about being able to fully pull off two characters that are falling for each other, while still portraying their honest faults. Perhaps it was the introduction of Lawrence’s Tiffany Maxwell that grounded this film in a sense of reality. The first bit of the film was a bit aloof, guided only by the idea of attempting to present one’s self with a second chance by fixing the mistakes others saw in you. When Lawrence’s Tiffany enters the film, it takes a whole new direction about how one person can change your whole plan and render your whole existence completed. When Pat and Tiffany brought forth their baggage it really nailed home the flaws, the intricacies of two people who were struggling to find the right path and with each others help could finally do so.

Seeing Robert Deniro play a role of substance was also pleasing. Very seldom lately has Deniro shown us the range he could once display, but this character makes up for all that. Pat Solitano Sr. has an epiphany of his own during this film, and Deniro is excellent as the volatile and over compulsive father who begins to see his son in a new light. Chris Tucker was fantastic as Danny, a friend of Pat’s from the hospital. All these characters had flaws, but by sticking together they made friends and became a family that could over come anything as long as they had each other.

Silver Linings Playbook is emotional and honest, which is really all that film can aspire to be. Very rarely do films reach the level of sincerity David O. Russell did with this screenplay, because not all films have the acting talents of Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. However respect should not be taken away from the screenplay, because the magic of a film, the emotions held within a film and the candour start with an interesting vision and concept.

There is not enough praise in the world to cover how good Silver Linings Playbook turned out to be, as it developed it became such a great melding of emotions, a budding romance and reminded us to go out in search for own silver lining. Stop what you are doing, and find a way to view this movie. Even people who brush it off and say this film is probably not for me will probably have their minds wholly changed by the time the end credits role. If you don’t believe me, watch the film that is the only way you will ever know.