Movie Reviews 2013

The Great Gatsby

There is a lot of controversy over this film right now, and to be honest, I can see and respect both sides. I really enjoyed the movie. That being said, it is extremely flashy, stylized and exaggerated, which is one of the factors that turned many audience members away. One of the common complaints is that the film isn't an accurate portrayal of the story as it took place in the 1920's. That's true- this movie is very modernized. However, I found it extremely compelling from a cinemagraphic point of view. Especially since The Great Gatsby has been adapted into a film before, I appreciated the attempt at telling the same story in a very different, more romanticized way. I think the heightened drama of it reflects themes that were portrayed of the book, and perhaps people just aren't seeing that. The movie is a work of art in and of itself, and you have to watch it with an open mind in order to appreciate it. Sure, it's unusual to hear modern music thumping through the speakers as flappers perform, but that's the beauty of it! Anyone can recreate something to fit a factual mold. I respect the ambition of the film- and I thought that is was relatively successful in reinterpreting of the past in a way that people today could enjoy. That being said, I think the beginning of the movie was the weakest. I admit was not instantly hooked. In fact, I was doubtful at first. However, somewhere in the middle was a turning and I found myself completely immersed. DiCaprio and Maguire both gave amazing performances. 

Monsters University

I have to say, this is one of my least favorite PIXAR movies. That being said, it was by no means a horrible film. It's definitely worth a watch- just probably not worth spending the money to see it in theaters. I thoroughly enjoyed the humor poking at the lives of college students. It definitely strives to engage a wide audience, but falls short in comparison to other PIXAR films. 



Star Trek: Into Darkness

This movie was an unexpected gem. I enjoyed the first film, but didn't think the sequel would amount to much. I was proven wrong. First off, the cast is impeccable! Every character is portrayed perfectly which makes the story easy to engage with, even if you aren't familiar with Star Trek. That being said, the movie is nothing more than an action flick if you haven't seen the first one. It's a very emotion-driven storyline, so it is important to be connected to the characters beforehand. Benedict Cumberbatch gave an excellent and intriguing performance as the villain. However it's always Spock's storyline that grabs me. Overall there was a great balance of action, subtle humor and intense emotion. Definitely worth your time and money. I saw it twice and enjoyed it even more the second time around.

Words to Live By

"You're braver than you believe

stronger than you seem

and smarter than you think"

-Christopher Robin

Time and Tide

Somewhere along the perimeter of a continent, where

water caresses the land, two worlds collide. The beach

extends beyond sight, unbounded and free, showcasing

a familiar range of rocky slopes, lush grasses, and sandy

dunes descending into an unknown world. Waves

explode upon contact with the sand, creeping up the

shore, swiping souvenirs from the land. A rhythm

is set by the continuous tide as it pounds the Earth,

erasing all evidence of life.

The sharp cries of children and the

squawking of gulls resonate in the air, though

nothing so prominent as the steady pulse of the sea

from the inside of a shell. A breathtaking landscape

of soft sea foam lingering along the edges of the open

ocean, a world where God’s creatures swim free, where

dorsal fins peek through the surface of the water and

then vanish, where white sails dance across a giant

blue canvas.

Reality builds momentum over time, only to come

toppling down, like the sea upon the shore, sometimes

in a series of gentle ripples, sometimes in a single blow,

a devastating tsunami. A sea of love holds fragile dreams

that break with every crashing wave, leaving shards of

glass within the soft sediment as remains. In time, the

pain recedes, recycled in an endless current of emotion.

The sandy coastline stretches onward eternally,

undisturbed but for an occasional shell, piece of

driftwood, dismembered bit of seaweed. The sky is

coated with patchy clouds, a monotonous haze,

purple and gray, heavy with moisture, teasing the

Earth with small increments, thin streams of sunlight,

disappearing as quickly as they came.

The tears of humanity accumulate into an ocean of

bitter saltwater, and the heart pulses on in rhythm with

the tide. There is comfort to be found in the warm

grains of sand beneath anxious toes, and the salty air,

nature’s morphine, absorbs the unbearable pains of

life. The world continues turning slowly and as

the tide rolls in, icy water enveloping its prey with a

startling chill, humanity must move on else be

consumed by the sea, forever underwater. 

Crystal Richardson (2010)

Doctor What?

          Over the course of the past six months or so, I've become rather infatuated with the renowned British television series known as Doctor Who. The show is gradually gaining popularity here in America, but the majority of the population has still never even heard of it- and they don't know what they're missing! When I tell someone that I watch Doctor Who, the first question out of their mouth is always "what is it about?" and that, my friends, is an impossible question to answer.
          Doctor Who is one of those unique phenomena that cannot be adequately explained without sounding like a lunatic; instead, it must be experienced. But how do you convince someone to get in on the experience without first providing some context? Well, that's what I am trying to figure out. 
          For starters, Doctor Who is no ordinary TV series. In fact, the show is celebrating it's 50th anniversary this November. Yes, I'm serious- it's been running for quite awhile. But how does that work? How could a show last that long and maintain the favor of an ever-evolving audience? Well, that's where the genius of it really comes into play! The premise of the show, boiled down to the simplest and most degrading level, is about time travel, which means that no storyline or character is too far out of bounds. That being said, the show caters to a massive audience of all genders, ages and cultures. I truly believe there's something in it for everyone.
          Doctor Who is often introduced as a science-fiction show, which only just begins to scratch the surface of its essence, and probably turns away many perspective viewers with the mention of the genre alone. It's is so much more than that. Sure, it's a "sci-fi" series, but it's also history and comedy and life and death and love and loss and friendship and everything in-between. If the aliens don't grab you, the storyline might. If the special effects aren't your cup of tea, you'll still find yourself picking up bits of British culture and slang, and if nothing else, the witty dialogue will make your day. I could go on and on about how fantastic the it is, but the truth is, there is really only ONE reason that anybody watches it, and that reason is the main character: the Doctor. 
          The Doctor is a thousand year-old alien man known as a Time Lord. He has two hearts and travels through time and space in a machine called the TARDIS which stands for Time And Relative Dimension In Space. His home planet was destroyed in the great Time War, and as the last of his race, he ventures through space doing everything he can to make the universe a better place.
          The Doctor may be an alien, but he is also everything that we strive to be as human beings. What makes the show so rich is the emotional investment of the audience in this supreme caricature. The Doctor is as close to perfection as any living being could possibly be. His wit will put a ridiculous smile on your face, his awkwardness will have you giggling in understanding, his optimism will inspire you and his cleverness will blow your mind, but at the end of the day, his selflessness will break your heart. And that's what I love about the show. It's a roller coaster of emotion that will pain and delight you simultaneously- a lot like life. 
          I should probably address the fact that there have been eleven different actors to portray the Doctor over the past fifty years. That might sound a bit weird, but it's worked seamlessly into the storyline. As a Time Lord, the Doctor is almost immortal. When he's dying, he "regenerates" and takes on a new form, which is when a new actor steps into the role and brings his own quirky personality to the existing character. The Doctors are often referred to by the number of their incarnation, the eleventh being the current. Whether they are willing to admit it or not, everybody has a favorite Doctor. Mine is the tenth. That being said, most people don't watch the show from it's beginning because that would take an eternity. The series was revamped in 2005 with the ninth Doctor, and that's typically where people jump in.
          The phenomenon that is Doctor Who is truly all-encompassing. With fifty years of complex history, it's nearly impossible to summarize it without writing a novel. Rather than rambling on and on, I will leave you with some video clips that will hopefully further spark your interest.

Doctor Who?

Time Crash (The Doctor Bumps into an Earlier Version of Himself)

What IS Doctor Who?