As I previously mentioned in my Ticket Stub Archaeology posts, I save the ticket stub from every movie I see. As much as I try to shame myself into getting my act together every time I see a movie in theaters to sut down and write a review of it, even just for my own reference, some movies, for various reasons, slip through the cracks. So, at the end of the year, here, very very briefly, are some of the films I forgot to review:
Boyhood
How could I not review the movie everyone was talking about this year? The answer: laziness. Boyhood: It’s as good as everyone says, and surprisingly actually a little bit better. It’s a story about growing up, but what you don’t expect is the detail to character that’s put into the protagonist. He’s not just a boy, he’s a unique boy, and by the end of the film you really feel like you know him as a real person. Certainly worth watching, even if it does feel really long.
Top Five
Meh. I laughed a bit, but even though I’m usually a fan of Chris Rock, this one didn’t really hit the mark for me. The few places where it tries to go deeper than just its jokes are interesting, and I liked the characters, but it needed a bit more of something to really enjoy it. If you’re a Chris Rock fan, or just want to watch a comedy, I say go for it, but I’d wait for it to hit Redbox.
The President
The President is a Georgian (country, not state) film that won the top prize, the Golden Hugo, at the Chicago International Film Festival. It tells the story of a dictator of an unnamed country and his grandson as they attempt to flee the nation they once ruled after it is taken over by revolutionaries. Timely, powerful, and visually amazing. My only problem was that, in the second half, the events of the story lose some of their impact and become rather repetitive, but it ends on a strong note with one of the most striking and affecting final scenes I’ve ever seen. Simply fantastic.
Evolution of a Criminal
Ten years after being arrested for and serving time in prison for robbing a Bank of America, filmmaker Darius Monroe returns to his hometown to examine the impact of the event on the victims, his accomplices, and his family. It’s completely unique, in that it tells the story of a teenage boy falling into crime, rehabilitation, and the impact it’s had on his life from the perspective of the criminal himself. It’s a great portrait of not only Darius, who I was lucky enough to see speak after the screening, but how criminality is created in our country. Go watch it if you get the chance.
Guardians of the Galaxy
What’s wrong with me? Seriously, am I broken? I think I’m the only person I know who didn’t like this movie. I fully understand that, when it comes to superhero movies, the plot usually is the weakest element, but in this movie the plot was so weak it managed to completely lose me on everything else. Of course I liked the characters, because who wouldn’t like the characters, but the movie didn’t add up to anything more than them, and just left me unable to enjoy it. Maybe the sequel will be better, but until I was going through my ticket stubs I had completely forgotten I even saw this movie.
TOP HAT ROBOT 