Hacksaw Ridge

            Mel Gibson: an action star, turned director, turned controversial Hollywood figure. Yeah, after the past decade, it’s hard to forgive him for the things he’s said and done in the past. Despite this, he has been trying to bring himself back into a better lime light again, and you can see that in films like “Edge of Darkness” and “The Beaver.” Whether he has or not, it’s up to the public to decide. But one thing that I think people can agree with is that he is a solid director, and this year, Gibson reminds us of that with his newest film, “Hacksaw Ridge.”

            The film is based on the true story of Desmond Doss, the combat medic during World War 2 who was known for not wanting to use a weapon during his time enlisted, and it depicts his early life up to his time at the battle of Hacksaw Ridge.

            When it comes to Mel Gibson being a part of war films, whether he’s directing or acting in it, I will admit it turns out really damn well. “Hacksaw Ridge” is no exception. I was absolutely impressed with how this film turned out, from the way it was shot, right down to the cast giving it their all. The way it showcases these events as they unfold is handled in a very graceful manner, and always keeps its audience invested, with just about every frame shown.

            Andrew Garfield as Desmond Doss not only delivers the best performance of his career, he delivers one of the best performances of this entire year. Throughout the film, you get a proper understanding on where he stands, when it comes to violence, and he always sticks by his word of never wanting to bring harm to other people, regardless who or what they are. The kind of heroics that he brings to representing Doss is truly outstanding, and I’m guaranteeing that if this film came out while Doss was still alive, he would have been proud of it. I’ve always been a fan of Andrew Garfield, but this is the first time I’d say he deserves to be nominated for an Oscar. Whether it’d be for this film or “Silence,” will all depend. I especially love the scenes that feature him and Teresa Palmer as his love interest. While the meet-cute they have might be a little awkward, the chemistry they share throughout afterwards is absolutely hypnotic. You grow attached to the two, enjoy their little quirks, and want to see them end up happily together by the end.

            The supporting cast featured is also outstanding. Sam Worthington as Captain Glover, Nathaniel Buzolic as Doss’s brother, Ryan Corr as the Lieutenant, Richard Roxburgh as the Colonel, and Goran D. Kleut, John Batziolas, Charles Jacobs, Luke Pegler, Richard Pyros, Ben Mingay, and Firass Dirani as the other Privates really deliver stellar performances. However, out of all of the supporting cast, there were two big standouts: Hugo Weaving and Vince Vaughn. Weaving plays Doss’s dad, a surviving soldier turned alcoholic that lost his friends on the battlefield. You get an understand that his losses have affected him greatly, to where he’s become such a harsh person to deal with, hoping in vain that neither of his sons go through the same kind of hell that he suffered through. It’s his abuse that also gave part to Desmond’s pacifist beliefs, and give him reason as to why he hates violence so much, because it destroys people. Then we have Vince Vaughn as Doss’s Drill SGT. All I have to say is, Vaughn delivers his best performance to date. Remember back in the 90’s when Vaughn was doing more serious roles, instead of playing the same fast talking con that he always typecast as nowadays? Well, he reminds us of those days. While he does have some quick funny lines in the film, he shows just how brutal he can truly be. When he gets harsh, he really goes in for it, and it was so refreshing to see him play a different character type.

            Now, a lot of the criticism that people have said about the film was that it was religious pandering with glorified violence. Not true. The religious aspect is not what the focus of the film is; it’s the moral choices that a human being has, and how much he sticks to it. While it is religiously influenced, it’s representation is something that can apply to anybody. As for violence, while it is shot really damn nicely, I saw it as showcased more as anyone else would witness it, as horrifying, in the same way it was presented in “Saving Private Ryan.” But who am I to judge?

            Overall, I’m proud to say that “Hacksaw Ridge” is worth checking out. The production value is gritty, the cinematography is stellar, and the performances all around are phenomenal. If you get a chance, definitely give this film a watch. It’s one of my favorite films of the year, and I’m looking forward to seeing it get some Oscar recognition.

Rating: 10/10

Christine (2016)

            The story of Christine Chubbuck has been considered one of the darkest times in daytime television history. For those who don’t know, Chubbuck was known for her work as a daytime news reporter in Florida, that ended up taking her own life on air at the age of 29, suffering from years of depression and health issues. Reading up on the events that transpired, it feels eerie to try and believe that an event such as this truly happened. Earlier this year, the Sundance Film Festival had featured two films that were about Christine Chubbuck’s story. One of them was a documentary about an actress preparing herself to play Christine, and the other was a bio-pic, simple titled “Christine.”

            All I’ve got to say is this film is easily one of the most haunting experiences I’ve ever had. For one, I had to drive up a few miles just to get to a theater that was playing the film, only to find out I’m one of only three people in the auditorium. That, and the film itself was incredibly grim, not once letting its unsettling atmosphere drop for a second, even in the more touching moments. The dull color schemes used, the darkness that looms within scenes, the way the music switches from stressful to hauntingly morbid, how the pace slows down in parts, and with it being a true story, it gives the film this nightmarish tone that’s kind of hard to explain. For the first film that I’ve seen of the director, Antonio Campos, he truly captured quite the uncomfortable mood.

            The cast really sells it in these performances, but the one that obviously shines through is Rebecca Hall as Christine Chubbuck. Much like Jake Gyllenhaal in “Nightcrawler,” Rebecca Hall completely disappears in this film, and all we’re left seeing is Christine Chubbuck: a reporter desperate to have something good happen in her life, but because of her lack of confidence is left helpless at every given turn. Whether it’s from the stress of work, her family, or even her health, you feel the kind of weight she goes through. Hall easily delivers the best performance that I’ve seen this year, and I’m hoping she gets nominated for Best Actress. Although, considering how limited its release has been, it will be a bit of a long shot, but I’m hoping for it to happen.

            As someone who has been suffering from depression for years, I have to applaud Craig Shilowich for writing and producing this film, as he really showed us the key features depressed people have: the anti-social attitude, the uncomfortable interactions with our crush, moments where it feels like the world is against you, constantly feeling like a burden and everything you try to do to fix it is hopeless...all of that is perfectly represented here in this film. It almost feels like this film was made to show people, who think very little about mental illness, that it should be taken seriously, by showing us how it affected people like Christine Chubbuck. For decades, we've had people who have sadly been driven to this point of madness, or even treading near the lines of it, and it still exists today. Whether they're newscasters, celebrities, or even your own relative, it isn't something to look at and think "oh it's just a phase," or anything like that.

            I’m not going to give this film my usual rating, mostly because I’m not exactly sure how to properly recommend “Christine.” The best way I can put it is this: if you are in anyway fascinated by the story of Christine Chubbuck, and you want to see a theatrical presentation of it, give it a watch, whatever way possible. It is a rough sit, no doubt about it, but it is worth seeing.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

         Well, Halloween has come and gone, once again. However, our thirst for the holiday hasn’t been quite drained yet and filled with the spirit of Christmas yet. I mean, aside from Thanksgiving being in between, there’s a necessary ritual that is needed to be had when it comes to the transition from the dark and spooky to the jolly and festive. And we all know that little transition is a film called, “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”

         Now, you might be wondering “why am I talking about a film that practically everyone has talked about?” Well, simply because it is a film worth talking about, if you ask me. I mean, it’s pretty much cemented as a film classic, with the amount of praise and exposure that rivals up there with “Frozen” and “The Lion King,” despite not being that much of a box office juggernaut; and this film predates those movies. Hell, I’d honestly say this was the Disney film that I watched the most as a kid, and after revisiting it again as an adult in theaters, I wanted to see if it still holds up. And yes, I am going to call it a Disney film, because Touchstone is a part of Disney, so it counts. Plus, they’ve embraced the film as one of their own, so even they’ve accepted it.

         But where to start? It all began in the early 80’s, when a young ambitious film maker by the name of Tim Burton was working at Disney, and had written a three page poem, which he had thought about adapting into a 30-minute tv special. However, Burton ended up being fired, while the film rights stuck with Disney. It wasn’t until Burton had become such a big name draw to audiences that Disney was reluctant to give him a chance to make his project come to life. However, due to being swamped with work on shooting “Batman Returns” and doing preproduction on “Ed Wood,” the director’s position was given to Henry Selick, who Burton consulted with on the idea in the past. Soon after, Danny Elfman was brought on board to write the music, Michael McDowell was hired to flesh out the story, with Joe Ranft as his supervisor, Carline Thompson was brought about to write the script, and Denise Di Novi was tasked with being co-producer with Burton. After all the work, in 1993, the world was introduced to the majesty that was “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” the film that first comes to mind when people bring up Tim Burton.

         The plot is as follows: Jack Skellington is the master of horror and leader of Halloween Town. However, after doing the holiday for so many long and tedious years, he’s become severely bored with it, and pines for something new. He comes across Christmas Town, and overjoyed by it, tries to share it with everybody, but they don’t understand exactly what makes it so wonderful. Of course, we all know the scenario that unfolds, so I’ll spare you the rest.

            The one aspect about Tim Burton is that he’s developed a style and look to his films, that people can easily identify from one single frame. It’s heavily influenced by the German expressionist films of the early 20^th century, like “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,” where you have warped, twisted, and jagged scenery, something that gives it a very otherworldly feel to it. And combined with Henry Selick’s stop-motion skills, it further adds to that, especially with it being one of the two key things that people remember about “Nightmare” the most. Each of the characters and sets have a distinct and unique look to them, from an undead jazz band in the streets, to crippled scientist with a hinged cranium in his tower-dome lab. As an adult, I was also quick to notice little bits that weren’t exactly stop-motion, like the fog rising from the well and bugs falling into the pit of lava.

            The cast that they assembled for it really does a solid job. While it may feature onscreen actors, especially ones who collaborated with Burton before and after, they manage to really let the character take control of the voice, as opposed to just letting the audience imagine an actor in a recording booth. They further emphasis their skills when it comes to the music. Danny Elfman has stood his ground as being one of Tim Burton’s longest frequent collaborators, and when it comes to “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” I’d easily say it’s his magnum opus. Every tune from “This is Halloween” to “Kidnap the Sandy Claws” all have such catchy melodies and lyrics, that I’ve still got memorized to this day. It’s one of those types of musicals where you could simply listen to the songs alone, and you’d practically see the movie. Elfman truly made the film into his own, especially when taking over the singing voice of Jack Skellington. Sure, it was because Chris Sarandon wasn’t able to get lessons before recording, but even so.

            The one aspect that people criticize about it, is that it’s very simple. And to their credit…they are right. It is a very simple story with not much deeper meaning behind it, other than what you really see. Hell, the film is only 72 minutes, so it is a fairly easy sit. But at the same time, I feel like that’s probably why everyone else loves it. It was intended to be like a fairy tale from the very beginning, and sometimes simplicity can be a good thing, if done right. And as far as I’m concerned, the film does it right.

After over twenty years, it’s still loved by fans to this day, developing as both a holiday classic and gaining one of the strongest cult followings that Disney has ever developed, and even they have embraced it. From re-releases in theaters, to 3D conversions, decorating Disneyland in its style during Halloween and Christmas, and even leading to future stop-motions films to follow in its footsteps, like “Coraline,” “Corpse Bride,” and “ParaNorman.” It’s left one incredible impact on cinema, and it’s most likely going to stay that way.

Rating: 10/10