Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015)

Summary :
Seventeen-year-old Greg has managed to become part of every social group at his Pittsburgh high school without having any friends, but his life changes when his mother forces him to befriend Rachel, a girl he once knew in Hebrew school who has leukemia.

Genre : Comedy/Drama
Country : USA

Cast :
Thomas Mann : Greg
Olivia Cooke : Rachel
RJ Cyler : Earl

Director : Alfonso Gomez-Rejon

My opinion    

“I don't need your stupid pity. It's fine, you can just go.
No, no. You got it all wrong. I'm not here 'cause I pity you.
I'm actually here because my mom is making me.
That's actually worse.”

There are movies I really could dwell on in a lyrical way. Because it's put together cleverly and cunningly. Or because I could empathize with the characters. Or because the humorous content was taken up throughout the story in a professional way. Call me oversensitive or sentimental. But "Me and Earl and The Dying Girl" is a movie that I'm extremely lyrical about. Firstly, because they tackled such an emotional subject in a very clever and witty way. Without significant effort they could have made a major tearjerker out of it, so Kleenex would suddenly see a miraculous growth of its quarterly earnings and cinemas should install additional emergency generators so they could handle the tsunami of tears. However, the end result is the opposite of that. Never before a smile and a tear were so close together.

This movie is original, sad and funny at the same time. A "coming of age" film avant la lettre. Although the theme isn't new. Teenage girl Rachel (Olivia "The Signal" Cooke) is diagnosed with leukemia. But the course of this deadly disease has been depicted in a serene way. And this with the mandatory involvement of Greg (Thomas Mann) whose mother (Connie Britton) asked him in a rather authoritative way to spend some time with Rachel. What follows is an impossible friendship that grows out into an intimate relationship with understanding, support and hope as important key values. Greg is someone I could relate to because I was basically the same person at that age. A bit of an insecure individual who's trying to make himself invisible and blend in with the crowd. The message is : make sure noone notices you and use humor, sarcasm and funny one-liners as a defense. Actually, he's the opposite of someone like Scott Mayhew. This screwed up, freaky goth uses his eccentric appearance to demarcate a territory. Greg's way of demarcation is to avoid everyone or to maintain superficial contacts.

 

The only person Greg usually has contact with is Earl (RJ Cyler). Earl is not really a friend in the strict sense of the word (according to Greg) but rather a "co-worker". A like-minded with whom he shares a passion for the classics among films. Together they spend their free time making parodies of these classics. These extreme bad films are shown sporadically and made sure I had a few spontaneous laughs. Not because of their probably ridiculous content, but because of the quirky fictional titles such as "Raging Bullshit", "A sockwork Orange" or "Vere'd He Go?". It's fair to say that Earl is a friend for life.

The Holy Trinity is completed by Rachel. A lovable young girl facing a deadly disease and still she retains a clear look at the whole situation. Clearly someone who doesn't want or needs pity. Despite the deadly disease, she manages to keep her character alive. She transforms from the closed, dismissive girl who resigned to her fate into a frivolous, blossoming fighter thanks to Greg's carefree, somewhat clumsy but humorous way. This transformation is completed with one of the most moving and impressing closing scenes ever.

Each one of these are charming, irresistible interpretations, realized in a highly professional and open-minded way by three unknown young actors. This wonderful cast raise "Me and Earl and the dying girl" to an outstanding level. The end result is a poignant and touching film about friendship and at the same time an homage to classic films. It's a relief to discover something like this among all the other commercial crap and the umpteenth exploited sequel. Finally once again a fresh, intelligent and original film. And this thanks to the wonderful acting and the willful use of non obvious film techniques (I should mention that as well). A successful end result, perfectly bypassing all the obvious clichés from the genre so it didn't end up as a common melodrama. Masterly !

My rating 10/10
Links : IMDB

The Drownsman (2014)

Summary :

After almost drowning in a lake, Madison finds herself bound to a life of fear. Unable to describe what happened to her during the moments she was underwater, she begins to develop hydrophobia: an abnormal fear of water. Crippled by her post trauma, Madison attempts to shut out the world but her fear intensifies and she is faced with the vision of a dark figure that haunts her day and night.

Genre : Horror/Fantasy/Thriller
Country : Canada

Cast :
Michelle Mylett : Madison
Caroline Palmer : Hannah
Gemma Bird Matheson : Kobie

Director : Chad Archibald

My opinion    

“Dabrowsky. During his speech. He called you the 'afraid of honor.'
It sort of became the running joke of the night.
Hannah did not find it funny.”

Are you afraid of water or have another phobia when it comes to liquid substances, then perhaps it's wisely to ignore this film because this a rather soggy affair. Unfortunately, the whole spectacle largely fails. It ended up to be a disappointing slasher film (however it's only water that's splashing around instead of human blood). Most average, unoriginal horrors follow the well-known golden rules of this genre. Firstly, the main character always has ties to the menacing entity who makes the protagonists lives miserable. Secondly, there is of course no one who believes the main character. And third such a mainstream film is never fully resolved at the end. Believe me, "The drownsman" nicely obeys these rules. 

 
Nevertheless, the opening scene looked promising and was imaged brilliantly in a certain way. The moment a young woman throws her head backwards while sitting in a tub and her long hair swishes water in the air with a perfect synchronous movement, was a moment that seemed to come straight out of a commercial for shampoo. Unfortunately, this highly aesthetically designed excerpt wasn't repeated during the rest of the film. It all looked extremely banal and ordinary. It wasn't really threatening or frightening. The way the victims kick the bucket, is downright lousy. Are you getting sick at the sight of blood, I can reassure you. There's not a spatter of blood to be seen here in this film. In fact the weapon used to vanquish the demon is something what actually isn't resistant to water. I thought a mop would be an appropriate weapon, so you could mop the villain away.

What bothered me the most, were Madison's (Michelle Mylett) three best friends. Three pedantic stupid chicks who, despite that they are furious about the fact that Madison has missed the wedding of her best friend, still are so kindhearted to help their friend with her nasty phobia. They ask Kobie (Gemma Bird Matheson), a medium, to help them out. She already has some experience with similar cases and according to her expertise it could be that they are dealing with a "haunting" ("Let's not call them hauntings."). Eventually they use a fairly sadistic and extreme method to help Madison. They just immerse her in a bath. I think it would have been wiser to seek professional help.

As always I try to find something positive in a movie. The cause that created this wet demon, was a highly original idea. Also, the way it uses the medium water to move around, was not ill-conceived. And of course, the acting of Michelle Mylett was admirable. The way she portrayed the fear that came over her, during the appearances, was certainly praiseworthy. And the moments when "The drownsman" suddenly popped up, was reasonably successful but far from chilling. Unfortunately, these are also the only positive points I could come up with. The rest is just a storm in a teacup.

My rating 3/10
Links : IMDB

Tomorrowland (2015)

Summary :
Bound by a shared destiny, a bright, optimistic teen bursting with scientific curiosity and a former boy-genius inventor jaded by disillusionment embark on a danger-filled mission to unearth the secrets of an enigmatic place somewhere in time and space that exists in their collective memory as "Tomorrowland."

Genre : Action/Adventure/Family
Country : USA/Spain

Cast :
George Clooney : Frank Walker
Britt Robertson : Casey Newton
Raffey Cassidy : Athena

Director : Brad Bird

My opinion    

"If I was walking down the street and I saw some kid with a jetpack fly over me...
I'd believe anything's possible. I'd be inspired.
Doesn't that make the world a better place?”

Worldwide, there should be an obligation for doomsayers, negativists and pessimists to watch this film. I'm sure it won't make them happier, because most of them are hopelessly lost and trapped in their negative spiral. But maybe there will be a few individuals who'll understand the message of this action packed futuristic Disney movie. The message that positivism and optimism are better features to make a better world out of the present world. Perseverance and self belief will make you reach your goal. Such optimism luxuriated in the sixties. Because of that optimism progress was possible and the future looked brighter. In today's world, the future looks frightening and menacing.

 
And that's how we get to know Frank Walker. An eager young inventor who firmly believes that his jetpack could be useful. Even if it doesn't work flawlessly. We meet him during the World Expo at Flushing Meadows in 1964. With the aid of the lovable girl Athena (Raffey Cassidy) he discovers a futuristic world called "Tomorrowland". A safe world situated in a parallel dimension where technological progress hasn't stopped and serving as a shelter for visionaries and geniuses. However, they couldn't avoid one particular fact. The world we're living in, is heading towards a devastating catastrophe. And that's when Casey Newton (Britt Robertson) comes up. Together with the older Frank Walker (George Clooney), who's banned from Tomorrowland, and Athena, she tries to turn the tide.

 
You'll easily see this is a Disney product throughout the entire film. It's all beautifully visualized with breathtaking images and unparalleled special effects. It certainly would fit nicely as an attraction at a Disney theme park. Tomorrowland looks extremely futuristic and you won't be able to take it all in. It reminded me of futuristic cities from comic strips and went from one surprise to the next. You'll be awestruck by the dazzlingly spectacular images of flying vehicles driven by an unknown traction, floating pools and curved landscapes (same as in "Interstellar" and "Elysium") full of strangely shaped buildings. The "Eiffel Tower" moment is fantastic and grotesque at the same time.

Unfortunately the Disney input ensures that it sometimes feels rather childish. Towards the end, the message sounds quite moralistic. It gave me that 60s feeling full of values and standards which were applicable at that time. In our case we have to take care of the current environment and try to bend our egocentric thinking into a sense of solidarity. Of course in the end we got an obligatory emotional moment. Fortunately we could also admire some excellent performances. Clooney has omitted his pose as Nespresso charmer and appears as a capricious genius. But especially young Cassidy steals the show, both in the action-packed as the sentimental moments.

"Tomorrow Land" (or "Project T" as it's known here because the original title is a registered name of an eponymous music festival) for once isn't a book-based movie, prequel, sequel or reboot. It's a unique project targeting the whole family. It was pleasantly entertaining and exciting enough. Besides the corny, predictable end it was actually all right and I don't really understand all the negative criticism.

My rating 6/10
Links : IMDB

The mourning (2015)

Summary :
20 years after going MIA in Desert Storm, Aaron returns home under mysterious conditions, not having aged since his disappearance, and must reestablish relationships with loved ones before an imminent return to an ambiguous other-worldly existence.

Genre : Drama/Mystery/Thriller
Country : USA

Cast :
Louis Mandylor : David
Michael Rene Walton : Aaron
Sally McDonald : Lucey

Director : Khalil Sullins

My opinion    

Once and a while, you come across movies where you don't have a clue what's going to occur in it from the start. And finally, the end credits run over the screen and you're still staring at it, wondering what you've just seen and what the hell it was about anyway. "The mourning" is such a film. A SF (I guess) about a Marine who pops up again after he disappeared on a mission in Operation Desert Storm 20 years ago. And as naked as a newborn suckling. "So what", you say uninterested, "That's what Schwarzenegger already did before in Terminator II". Maybe he came back on foot and walked for 20 years all the way from the desert back to his hometown. Well, that's a possibility, except that he still looks as young as when he disappeared. And now you think perhaps the beneficent effects of the sun has something to do with that or maybe he only consumed biologically healthy food which is good for the skin. But then there's also the astonishing fact that he can't speak a single word. Yeah, now I got your attention ... uhm ... or not ?

And so you have a summary of the first hour of this slow and boring movie. Aaron (Michael Rene Walton) awakens in his birthday suit somewhere in the middle of a forest (a bit similar to "Almost Human"), not knowing how he ended up there. The first thing I noticed when he went to his home town, was the complete desolation. There's no living soul in the vicinity of the city or in the city center itself. It seems like everyone is abducted. You need not to be clairvoyant to realize that almost everyone's mouth drops open from amazement when seeing this long-lost war hero. And then it's time for the tedious Question Time.

 

I stopped counting after a while so I really don't know how many times people asked that same question over and over again : "Aaron, where have you been been all that time ?". It's understandable that he can't explain it the first half hour, since he produces as much sound as a broken radio. But the moment he starts speaking again, the guy still refuses to give a sensible explanation. Believe me, that started to get on my nerves severely.

Of course you can work out different scenarios as an explanation for the peculiar behavior of Aaron. It could be that he suffers from PTSD and therefore lost his speaking skills because of the traumas. Or perhaps the entire movie was just a dream for him. Or maybe (drumroll) he was kidnapped by Martians and he peacefully lived for 20 long years in a Martian colony. Or worse, in all those years he was subjected to sadistic alien experiments. The cause of his silence would be due to the fact that he no longer knows how to speak, because he communicated during that period telepathically. There's also someone else convinced of that. An annoying woman with a ridiculous haircut who suddenly appears out of nowhere, so she can cross-examine Aaron all the time about that last possibility.

Ultimately, it's all guesswork in the end. You'll sit there in front of your television without any explanation or clearance. I like a profound movie from time to time. A movie with things not that clear and obvious. But this was absurd. So if you have some spare time and you want to spend it in a meaningless and purposeless way, I recommend you watch this empty creation. At least it was still of some use. And hopefully I haven't stepped on an alien creature's green long toes, so they come and abduct me!

My rating 1/10
Links : IMDB

Listening (2014)

Summary :
A team of genius-but-broke grad students invent mind-reading technology that destroys their lives and threatens the future of free-will itself.

Genre : SF/Thriller
Country : USA/Cambodia

Cast :
Thomas Stroppel : David
Artie Ahr : Ryan
Amber Marie Bollinger : Jordan

Director : Khalil Sullins

My opinion 

“You're trying to read the contents of an entire library by walking through the aisles.
You gotta open the books to know what's really going on inside.”

What if someone else could read your mind? Does that thought scare you off ? Or can you see some perspectives and opportunities in this technology? And how long would it take before a government would order their secret service to focus on it and obtain the required technology ? Before you know it, you're in the middle of a "Big Brother" situation. You're not only monitored visually, but also your personal thoughts are intercepted. Or worse, a certain dictatorial mindset is being penetrated into your consciousness. Every power-hungry nutcase starts drooling after seeing this method. That's the basic idea of "Listening". A technological innovation with far-reaching effects mixed with a personal crisis.

Ultimately, my general feeling about "Listening" is of a disappointed nature. The film had so much potential and opportunities, but because of some faint situations and a fairly implausible denouement, it's reduced to a laudable attempt. Let there be no doubt, the original idea is far from bad. A revolutionary development in the neurological sector, realistically portrayed with an abundance of technical equipment and commented upon in a complicated jargon. Although the latter tends to sound like outright gibberish sometimes. Could this technology be achieved in reality, this clearly would lead to the bankruptcy of the mobile telephony industry.

Most of the scenes take place in a messy garage. However, these are the most compelling fragments in this film. Also they used a remarkable wide range of colors. The various chapters are filmed in a different flashy color. This requires some adjustment and it started me worrying about the color scheme of my television. Everytime a blue, red or yellow fragment appeared, I checked my settings. But in the end this gave the film its own personal touch. The disadvantage of a low-budget film is of course the low budget (how surprising) what leads to a limited use of stunning visual effects. This becomes abundantly clear with the stereoscopic images during a telepathic connection.

 

The only things remaining are the characters and the philosophy behind the story. The core idea behind the story is crucial in order to make a low-budget movie successful. If it doesn't look impressive, the story must be intriguing enough to make it interesting. As I said earlier, the idea was interesting enough and had plenty of material to provoke discussions. I can imagine that this will be debated widely. Unfortunately, the whole is a bit weakened by the poor worked-out personal problems that David (Thomas Stroppel) and Ryan (Artie Ahr) are facing. There are also a few illogical things and there are some unfortunate developments. I thought it was a bit cheap that the first used telepathic thoughts were of an erotic nature. An attempt to substantiate the theory that a man is thinking about that, most of the time ? And the fact that an ancient Buddhist meditation method is able to withstand this high-tech magic, was a bit too easy. And safety precautions during the grand finale were a joke. But besides these tiny flaws, this was a not so unkind cyberpunk movie.

My rating 5/10
Links : IMDB

Closer to God (2014)

Summary :
A genetic scientist successfully clones the first human being, a baby girl named Elizabeth, but his work is soon threatened by a dark secret, a secret that threatens to destroy everything and everyone precious to him.

Genre : SF/Horror
Country : USA

Cast :
Jeremy Childs : Victor
Shelean Newman : Mary
Shannon Hoppe : Claire

Director :Billy Senese

My opinion 

"This is just the beginning, isn’t it ? ….”

This being a kind of modern version of "Frankenstein", is the least you can say. Even the name of the doctor in question is identical with that of Frankenstein. The only difference with the classic movie is that new life isn't created by sewing together human body parts, but by making use of modern day technology. Cloning a human being is the central topic in this low-budget sci-fi horror. Don't expect an alien looking creature as in "Splice". This cloned human being looks perfectly normal and healthy.

It's not extremely creepy and intense at all. It's the aspect of cloning and the controversy arising on this subject which are developed the most. The fuss, the media attention and the protest groups who are opposed to these practices and consider this more as a blasphemy than scientific progress, demand the most attention. The angry mob at the immense gate of Dr. Reed's residence, is more terrifying than the additional secret that Victor is hiding on his domain. The movie fades from hight-tech SF to social drama. And ultimately it ends as a kind of psychopathic slasher. At first this surprises you, but eventually it looks rather routinely and not really innovative.

 
What remains is a not so original low-budget monster story, embellished with high-tech-looking situations. A highly motivated geneticist who puts more energy into his work than in his family life, resulting in a wife who feels abandoned. The secret that painstakingly is separated from the outside world, is hidden from sight for a considerable time or displayed as a hazy shape in the background. It felt like an attempt to keep the suspense alive and postpone the disclosure as long as possible.

 

Perhaps there should be restrictions and guidelines when it comes to cloning, so that we don't end up with an uncontrollable process where superior specimen are being created. Or an illegal trade is being initiated, producing organs on demand. That a religious aspect also comes with it, is quite evident. Though it's more of a dogmatic religious plea that no one should acquire the authority to create something. God has the exclusive rights for that, so they say. But then one must be able to admit that there are also advantages. Improving the quality of human life and removing those terrible diseases from the world. And there are also disadvantages. What to do with the failures ? And who's going to pass judgment on that matter ? This diversity of views is the heart and essence of this rather modest SF horror story.

 
The whole movie feels like a creation out of the 70's. The décor and presentation, the style of interactions, the overall atmosphere and the meager horror elements. Eventually, it's just like a typical movie that you can see on Syfy. In the 80s it would fit in between "The Entity" and "Critters" during a VHS marathon at the weekend. The only similarity between Jeremy Childs and the Frankenstein monster, is his imposing stature. A walking wardrobe with a facial expression that shows no emotion. Not even while handling the cloned baby. It's all done on automatic pilot without much feelings. The subject of this movie and the reaction of the community comes across as being weighty. However, the film on itself, is nothing but a lightweight.

My rating 4/10
Links : IMDB

X+Y (2014)

Summary :
In a world difficult to comprehend, Nathan struggles to connect with those around him - most of all his loving mother - but finds comfort in numbers. When Nathan is taken under the wing of unconventional and anarchic teacher, Mr. Humphreys, the pair forge an unusual friendship and Nathan's talents win him a place on the UK team at the International Mathematics Olympiad. From suburban England to bustling Taipei and back again, Nathan builds complex relationships as he is confronted by the irrational nature of love.

Genre : Drama
Country : UK

Cast :
Asa Butterfield : Nathan Ellis
Rafe Spall : Martin Humphreys
Sally Hawkins : Julie Ellis

Director :Morgan Matthews

My opinion  

My father died.
I'm sorry, Nathan.
It's not your fault.
I mean, I feel sad for you. 

"X + Y" is a fascinating film about how an autistic boy experiences life and how his environment must deal with him daily. A very sensitive film. They've succeeded in avoiding all the pitfalls so that it wouldn't result in a spectacle full of eccentric traits. The end result is a subtle and tactful sketch of the complicated life Nathan leads. A complex existence in which physical contact is prohibited, affection is unknown and the most logical things seem illogical for someone like Nathan.

Everyday actions result in seemingly impossible tasks because of a compulsive personality disorder. Eating noodles is only possible when the number of pieces is always a prime number for example. Because of the fact that Nathan is also highly intelligent in the field of mathematics, he's regarded even more as a misfit. Until he's selected for the UK team that competes in a mathematical olympiad. He goes to Taipei to attend a training camp. For once he's not the only outsider. He's astonished after realizing that he's not the strange,unworldly weirdo.

I can hear the skeptical critics already, suggesting that this is simply yet another "Rain Man", but without Cruise and Hoffman. Indeed it's about an autistic person who has certain exceptional characteristics. Yet the moral of the film is something completely different. It focuses on the trauma that Nathan has suffered in the past because of a serious traffic accident with his father and the flourishing of this introverted personality.

   

The most compelling in this film was the colorful mixture of characters. Each of them are gems of performances. First Asa "The boy in the striped pajamas" Butterfield who succeeded in playing the difficult character of Nathan in an admirable way. A brilliant mind without feelings and whose selfishness really irritates. Nathan's mother is played by Sally Hawkins. A role that isn't in the limelight all the time, but nonetheless it isn't an obvious part. Rafe Spall is the brilliant mathematics teacher Martin who suffers from multiple sclerosis. He once was part of a math team, but now he's no more than a suicidal sarcast who wants to make the best out of his life. But the most I enjoyed the group of youngsters. An endearing bunch of diverse characters with particularly Jake Davies who excels as the ever-pedantic Luke. He's a complicated, intelligent boy who always comes up with complicated theories. Eventually he uses this to cover up his lonely, sad life.
 

The story could be made melodramatic. But despite it tended to become a valley of tears and the mandatory values of perseverance and triumph are present, it's all handled in an honest and tactful manner, so it's not getting too corny. The most impressive pieces dealt with unrequited affection, rediscovered affection and budding affection by an insensitive person. The whole revolves around support, understanding and relationships. Perhaps the presented mathematical problems were way over my head, but the emotional puzzles were obvious. "X + Y" graduated cum laude for me..

My rating 8/10
Links : IMDB