Dear White People - Not the Revolution; More like the First Step

There has been a lot of news buzzing about this movie and I've heard both good and bad reviews. I thought I'd throw my two cents in.

Written and directed by Justin Simien, Dear White People follows four black college students through their trials as, just like the poster says, "a black face in a white place," challenging conventional notions of what it means to be black. Sam White (Tessa Thompson), a biracial woman, talks on her radio show "Dear White People" about different aggressions against Black people she sees around campus in hopes of educating the White students of Winchester University, but she struggles with her identity in choosing between her "blackness" and her "whiteness." Lionel Higgins (Tyler James Williams), a gay man, tries to find his place at Winchester, for he feels that he is either not "gay" enough for the gay community and not "Black" enough for the the Black community. Troy Fairbanks (Brandon P Bell), a Winchester legacy and the Dean's (Dennis Haysbert) son, suffers from the expectations set by his father to be successful and to prove they are not the stereotype, so that he can compete with his father's rival's children. Colandrea "Coco" Connors (Teyonah Parris) has come to prestigious Winchester to escape her "ghetto" roots, but seems to be pulled back into the stereotype as she strives for fame.

Now, if you were expecting some revolutionary, progressive, epiphany-causing movie, you will sadly be disappointed. The  small "shift" is the lesson that there is diversity within the Black community, contrary to popular stereotypical belief. It shines light on the many microagressions students of color face on predominantly white campuses and how they cope, by either ignoring these insults or striving to be different than their peers' preconceived ideas of what "blackness" is. This movie is the first step. This is a type of movie, that in and of itself, has not been shown on mainstream movie theaters previously. Many movies that are deemed "Black" movies only show stories of how they relate to Black communities, not how Black stories interrelate with White ones. As a Sociology major and an avid learner of race issues, yes, many of the things discussed in the movie, I have already learned about. The lessons in this movie were not made for me, nor other people of color who are very aware of the discrimination around them. The lessons were made for White people who are completely oblivious to the struggles faced by people different than them. This movie is like their "Race 101," so to speak. But let's be real, those who need to watch this movie, most likely won't watch this movie, and those who know about these issues are the ones who will most likely see this movie. In the theater I watched it in, my room was full of people of people of color, and I saw three White people. But for the fact that this type of movie has been shown in mainstream theaters is the first step to allow for normalization that will eventually break down the current stereotype.

I fully enjoyed this movie. I laughed. I cried. And I became extremely uncomfortable that I was forced to cringe in my seat. A movie has definitely done it's job if it can connect with its audience to make them feel a plethora of emotions. If you are passionate about issues of race, go watch this movie. If you know nothing about race issues, go watch this movie. If you like satirical comedy, go watch this movie.

Big Hero 6 - All Systems Go for an Emotional Ride

Science has made a comeback with a bang! Disney's Big Hero 6 entertains and inspires anyone (and I mean, anyone) to be a scientist, an inventor, a pioneer techie. 

Big Hero 6 stars Hiro Hamada (Ryan Potter) in a futuristic, hilariously awkward coming-of-age story. Hiro is a tech genius but spends his time in illegal robot fighting. When his older brother Tadashi (Daniel Henney) convinces him to apply to the sci-tech school he goes to, Hiro turns his attention to a new invention. Trouble begins when Hiro loses his invention in a tragedy.  But he gains a friendship with his brother's invention named BayMax (Scott Adsit). That is about as much as I can tell you without spoiling too much. 

The film brilliantly pulls you into the story. I laughed and cried (both for sad and happy reasons). The emotions felt in this film resonated with the whole audience--an impressive feat from any film. When the lights came back on after the film, I was still shamelessly wiping a tear from my cheek. 

Big Hero 6 also delivers a strong, clear message: science is cool and anyone can do it. That is clear with diverse group of Hiro's friends at the school. From a hippie, lanky blonde named Honey Lemon to muscular African-American who screams a lot named Wasabi, each character has a scientific mind and creative spirit. Not only did I wish I could invent the things in the film but also learn the science behind each thing. Let's see if  that message reaches the kids, too, because America could definitely use more young scientists. 

Disney successfully produced a timely movie that hopefully brings about the renewed love for math and science. If you don't want to go for the heartfelt message, then go for the hilarious moments between Hiro and BayMax (and the Baymax subtle/not-so-subtle drunk scene). Now on to the future!

Chef - A Foodie's Dream Come True

Confession: I love food almost as much as I love movies. So when I saw Chef, I was thrilled to watch my two loves come together on screen. Be sure to eat something before you watch it because I guarantee you will be starving by the credits. 

Written, directed, and starring Jon Favreau -- you may recognize him from Swingers or the Iron Man series-- this indie film follows a sort of mid life crisis of acclaimed chef Carl Casper. Casper initially seems to be losing his passion for everything from his job to his family. Tired of serving the same food over and over at a  stuffy restaurant, he loses his top chef job after a nasty twitter war erupts between him and a food critic. Add a bit of aggression towards his narrow minded boss (Dustin Hoffman) and you got a guy looking to rekindle his passion for cooking and life in general.

Out of the many reasons to see this film, the main one is this: FOOD PORN SHOTS! Heed my previous warning because the scenes of Casper cooking are so well done (haha, get it?) that I caught myself drooling or my stomach rumbling multiple times. Whether its cubano sandwiches or a simple grilled cheese, the food looks divine.

You also can't miss wonderful performances by Scarlett Johansson, Sofia Vergara, Dustin Hoffman, and John Leguizamo. Each one inadvertently teaches Casper an important life lesson about distinguishing success from happiness. The relationships with each one is what drives this cute story of re-self discovery.

But Percy (Emjay Anthony), Casper's 10 year old, son was my favorite character amongst all the big names. Not only did he teach his dad the biggest lesson of all about life, he also was a very realistic modern kid: so adept to social media and technology. It was adorable watching him bring his dad into the digital age.

For the film nerds out there, the score of the film and the cinematography mesh so well together to create a Latin flare. The dialogue was clever and funny at just the right moments. The story was neither rushed nor dragged out. All in all, it was a good example of deceptively simple film.

Chef will definitely leave you with craving for something delicious as well as a need to rethink the priorities in your life. So enjoy the food porn and wonderful story about Casper the chef/dad/food truck guy. Bon Appétit!

Watch the trailer here: 

Neighbors - Hilarious Movie with a Surprising Lesson

If you haven’t seen Neighbors yet, GO SEE IT! You’ve got a few weeks left! Directed by Nicholas Stoller, a new couple, Mac and Kelly Radner (played by Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne), with their newborn baby are forced to deal with fraternity shenanigans from the fraternity that moves in next door, lead by Teddy and Pete (played by Zac Efron and Dave Franco respectively). Because of noise complaints and broken promises, Mac and Kelly try to sell their house so they can move, but are told no one will want to move in next to a fraternity. So they make it their mission to get the fraternity evicted, putting both sides in a huge “turf” war. They go through rounds pulling pranks on one another, such as stealing the car air bags or flooding their neighbor’s basement.

Besides the fact of how hilarious this movie is, it actually takes on some pretty deep and mature theme of the grass is always greener on the other side. Mac and Kelly have become a new family with a new baby. The miss what it was like to not have a baby, where they could party all the time, smoking weed, just like their college years, like Teddy and Pete. They later realize that that part of their life is over and they actually enjoy staying at home playing with their baby.  Teddy, in his senior of college, lives the perpetual frat boy life, never going to class and partying all the time. He wants to throw the ultimate party of the year to put him on the board of legends. After watching his fraternity brothers go to job fairs and preparing for their future, he slowly starts to realize there’s more to life after college, but he’s not ready yet. He later takes on responsibility for his actions, gets his life together and gets a job to put him through night school so he can get his degree, so he can have a future, like Mac.

I think my favorite scene of this movie is when Mac and Teddy have a discussion on Batman. By revealing who each character’s favorite Batman is, the audience discovers the age gaps between the two when Mac prefers Michael Keaton’s Batman to Christian Bale’s Batman. They thus continue to talk like Bale’s Batman for a good 5 minutes.

Go watch the movie! If you loved, This is the End, you'll love this movie! It’s imbued with Rogen’s humor with a a fresh twist from Efron. And for the ladies who want to see Efron shirtless, he has numerous shirtless scenes.

             

Blended – A Modern Family Love Story

Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore are back again in the new summer movie Blended, directed by Fran Coraci. When I first went to go watch this movie, I still didn’t really understand what the movie was about, even after watching the trailers. So let me fill you in just in case you were in the same boat. Barrymore and Sandler bring the same chemistry they had from 50 First Dates to Blended. Jim Friedman (Adam Sandler), single dad with three daughters, and Lauren Reynolds (Drew Barrymore), single mom with two sons, first meet on a bad blind date, but end up stuck together at an African romantic resort for families. Their relationship starts to grow as they begin to realize that their families complete each other. Lauren becomes the mom that Jim’s daughters needs and vice versa for her sons. You learn that loving families come in all shapes and sizes, just like blended families.

This is another classic Sandler movie. It is hilarious with all-star odd actors and characters, such as Kevin Nealon, Terry Crews, and Wendi McLendon-Covey, not to mention the actors playing the kids themselves. 10-second Tom (Allen Covert) from 50 First Dates even makes a cameo in the movie! There were less sexual jokes than I had initially expected for Adam Sandler movies, which is a plus, especially since this is definitely a family movie. It takes on themes of what it takes to be a good parent, to always be there for your kid, 99% of the time, with 1% for the parent’s needs or how a parent can play a key role in a child’s life. For example, Jim’s daughter Hillary “Lary” Friedman (Bella Thorne), constantly being confused for a boy, wishes to show her girly side when she meets Jake (Zak Henri), the teen heartthrob of the movie. Lauren helps her bring out her more feminine side.

This is a hilarious, lovely family movie. Take your family to go see this movie! You won’t regret it!

Maleficent – A Feminist Take on a Non-Feminist Classic

 Disney takes their old classic Sleeping Beauty and gives it a welcomed twist to the original story. Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) takes on the role of both hero and villain. [But I mean who didn’t see that coming since the title of the movie is Maleficent.] Directed by Robert Stromberg, the movie follows her story of first living a life of curiosity and love to a life of hatred and scorn after a man, Stefan (Sharito Copley), she loved broke her heart so he could become king of the mankind kingdom. For revenge, she curses his first-born child, Aurora (Ellie Fanning), to fall into a deep sleep on her 16^th birthday but could only be awaken by true love’s kiss. She created this stipulation with the belief that true love doesn’t exist. However, watching Aurora grow, love returned to heart once again. I was ecstatic that they kept the lines of the classic curse scene from the original cartoon movie! Jolie even copied some of her the cartoon Maleficent’s gestures!

First off, the visuals of this movie were AMAZING!!! I would even go so far as saying the visuals and special effects where Oscar worthy! All the creatures were amazing! Maleficent’s makeup and wardrobe was amazing! The prosthetics were applied so cleanly. They gave Maleficent a sort of couture look, but it kept with her classic style. The special effects of this movie were seamlessly blended into the movie. Because in some movies with special effects, you can clearly define where the filmed portion of the scene is and the special effects are. Aurora’s guardian fairies, Flittle (Lesley Manville), Knotgrass (Imelda Staunton), and Thistleetwit (Juno Temple), were all CGI characters. The special effects artists were able to perfectly recreate the actresses’ faces to put on their small characters’ bodies. However, my one critique is that the sizing of the heads didn’t always match the bodies.

Disney movies lately have been revamping the damsel in distress stories with Tangled, Frozen, and now Maleficent. Prince Phillip (Brenton Thwaites) really has no role in this movie. I believe he shows up just so that the audience doesn’t question why he never showed up to wake up Aurora. This definitely was more a heroine-driven movie, or as my brother states, a feminist movie. It gives a more humane approach to villains showing that villains aren’t always evil. Sometimes there’s a reason their heart turns cold. It brought on themes of motherly love and, of course, true love, but what qualifies as true love.

The men of this movie were characterized by stupidity, greed, or blind ambition. Prince Phillip, as stated before, is not given a chance to think or play a huge role in the story’s progression. He just played the placeholder of Prince. King Stefan takes on the classic Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein theme of blind ambition, and how it affects you and everyone around you. He chooses power over love and friendship, and becomes consumed by paranoia that his power will be taken away.

In terms of casting, I’m glad that 16-year-old Aurora was played by an actress who was quite similar in age to the character. Many teenage roles are played by 20 year old actors, convincing teenagers, this is what teenagers should look like at that age. Standing next to Jolie, emphasized Fanning’s youth and naivety. Jolie was wonderful in the role of Maleficent. She played a strong woman who defended those she loved. Her daughter, Vivienne, was even able to make a cameo as young Aurora. Although, in the movie, there is a point in the story where Maleficent and Stefan are around their 20s, but they are played by Jolie and Copley. Jolie and Copley are obviously not in their 20s. They are both wonderful beautiful people, but they are obviously not in their 20s. I think they should have casted one more actor pair to play this age group and then bring in Jolie and Copley. This is my one gripe about the movie.

So if you love Disney movies, go watch this movie! If you love the Disney Princess movies, go watch this movie! If you’re pro-Girl Power, go watch this movie! Bottom line, go watch this movie!!!

Divergent - NOT the next Hunger Games

Disclaimer: I did not read the book beforehand. I like to watch the movie first, that way I can still enjoy both the movie and the book rather than reading the book first and being disappointed by the movie later. However, both my brothers read the book and gave me some of their thoughts from the perspective of someone reading the book beforehand.

Divergent, directed by Neil Burger, is based on the bestseller book series Divergent written by Veronica Roth. Divergent is just the first of the trilogy. It takes place in post-apocalyptic Chicago where they try to survive within the fenced city and their faction system. The faction system consists of five factions that are chosen or assigned based on a person's qualities: Abengation (selfless), Amity (peaceful), Candor (truthful), Erudite (intelligent), and Dauntless (brave). It follows Tris, originally Beatrice, played by Shailene Woodley, on her journey. When one reaches the age of 16 (a detail I needed from my brothers), they take a test to discover who they are and how they fit within the faction system. Tris, originally from Abnegation, takes the test and is told she is considered Divergent where she does not have one of these qualities, she has three. The test administer, fearing for Tris's life, records in the computer that her test revealed Abnegation and lets her out the back door. No matter what the test reveals, they are allowed to choose which faction they desire at the choosing ceremony. Tris chooses Dauntless because she's always favored how free they seemed. During initiation and training, she befriends Christina (Zoe Kravitz), Will (Ben Lloyd-Hughes), and Al (Christian Madsen). She also meets her trainer, Four (Theo James). He presents himself at first as a stoic learner who just likes fighting, especially since he was the top in combat during his initiation class. He slowly starts to take interest in Tris, helping her pass through each training stage, for if she fails, she is kicked out of the faction and becomes factionless. The lovers fight against the Erudites who wish to control society to get rid of human nature, so that the faction system is perfect.

Honestly, without reading the book, I could tell it didn't follow the book very well at all. It could also be that I was sitting between my brothers and they kept telling each other what was missing. However, my issues with it were there was no development of characters or relationships. As soon as Tris discovered Four was Divergent as well, they instantly fell for each other and just started making out. I mean you knew they had a thing for each other, but there wasn't much conversation between the two and instantly there was kissing and in the next scene they were already in love with each other! Or Christina and Will's relationship was subtly shown through actions rather than actually developing that relationship. According to my brothers, the movie did not do a good job of explaining many important parts to the story, like what the factions were, the testing process, and what being Divergent really means. You are not born Divergent, you become Divergent because you have an open mind and do not conform. And I guess there's a few characters missing as well. I also don't get the importance of the tattoos.

I also thought the casting was a bit off. I know there's been talk that Shailene Woodley was on the pathway to be the next Jennifer Lawrence. I don't see it. Granted, the only other thing I've seen her in was Secrets of an American Teenager, but I do not think she does action roles well. When Tris was training, I could not believe she could beat someone up. Her hits to the punching bag did not look like someone who was trained. Rather, they looked like a little girl fending off one of those blow-up clowns that when you hit it, it just bounces back. I would have rather had Jennifer Lawrence play Tris, but obviously she's already playing a heroine in a post-apocalyptic survival movie. My next choice would be Saoirse Ronan, who's movie portfolio is full of action movies. Also, according to my brothers, Tris is supposed to be a skinny, flat-chested, short to average height girl, rather than the curvy tall Shailene Woodley. Furthermore, Tris is supposed to be 16, and Four is supposed to be 18. Now movies cast their actors older so that they do not age too fast within the series, as seen through the Harry Potter series. However, Theo James is 28, a 7 year difference that is quite apparent in the movie. I just thought it seemed he was a little too old for the role.

I can't honestly say you should go see the movie, unless you just want to see the gorgeous Theo James take his shirt off, then I say go for it! LOL. Also, it might be too close to the release of Hunger Games, especially since the story of a heroine's survival in a post-apocalyptic world is similar. Although, I do like the theme of the movie of identity with conformity vs individuality. The testing process advocates finding who you truly are, yet society wants that identity to be within the parameters of the faction system rather than just finding your own individuality. This movie does, however, inspire me to read the book, especially with the themes of identity. I mean the book series must be a bestseller for a reason right? So maybe I'm advertising the book rather than the movie lol.

Mr. Peabody & Sherman - A Modern Twist to an Old Classic

I have to admit. I was EXTREMELY excited for the release of this movie. Mr. Peabody & Sherman was based off the classic 60s cartoon Peabody's Improbable History. This was one of the cartoons I loved as a child. (No I'm not that old. I just really like old cartoons. That's what the Boomerang Channel is for lol). Compared to the original cartoon, Mr. Peabody and Sherman got a modern makeover, especially with Sherman's new hairstyle. Sherman is also more of a son to Mr. Peabody rather than a pet or assistant. However, Peabody does keep his witty puns that we all enjoy.

Mr. Peabody & Sherman, directed by Rob Minkoff, opens where Mr. Peabody (voiced by Ty Burrell) introduces himself, as he's done in some of his old episodes, listing his many accomplishments including inventing inventing autotune and planking, the reveal that Mr. Peabody now lives in the 21st century rather than the 1960s. He explains that throughout all his accomplishments, the one thing he was missing was the love from a boy, so he decided to adopt one, Sherman (voiced by Max Charles). Peabody teaches him all subjects, but using the WABAC (pronounced way-back). The WABAC is a time machine that allowing them to experience history first hand.

The story begins where it's the first day of school for Sherman, ever, and his first day is a bit rough. Through his experiences using the WABAC, he's learned a lot about history, more than the average kid should know, and Penny (voiced by Ariel Winter), an added main character compared to the original, takes notice. Penny has been the top student until Sherman, and feels threatened by him, so she tries to make his life a living hell. This leads to Sherman biting her and a visit to the principal's office and a visit from Ms. Grunion, a child and family services agent who threatens to take Sherman away from Peabody. In an attempt to clear the air, Mr. Peabody invites Penny's family over to clear up any issues, and for Penny and Sherman to settle their differences. In an attempt to show why he knows so much about history, he shows Penny the WABAC machine, and he loses her in ancient Egypt expecting to marry Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Mr. Peabody and Sherman go back to rescue her, and face many issues on the way back. Now they race to get back to present time before Ms. Grunion arrives for her evaluation. So Mr. Peabody fights to keep his son, making this a story about how important family is and how Mr. Peabody will do anything for Sherman.
   
Maybe it's because I was already a big fan of the cartoon that I had very high expectations for this movie, but this movie did not amaze or entertain me as I thought it would, but nonetheless, it was a good movie. It was very funny, and I loved the fatherly love theme throughout the movie. There were some adult jokes slipped in there that little kids would not understand, as seen when my brother and I laughed while the little kids that filled the theater didn't. There were also a lot of pooping jokes that I did not expect. However, I do not exactly agree with the addition of Penny. She didn't really seem like a character that was really needed to push the story along. But all in all, it was a good movie. If you're looking for a warms your soul family type movie, go watch it!

Dallas Buyers Club Empowers and Inspires

I walked into the theater with no knowledge of this film except of its oscar buzz. I had only heard something about Jared Leto and Matthew McConaughey delivering excellent performances. Anyways, it was one of the few times in my life where I had no idea what to expect from a film.

Based on a true story, homophobic electrician and bull rider Ron Woodroof (McConaughey) is diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in Texas amidst the epidemic in the 1980s. During this time when the virus was still associated with the gay community, Woodroof is quickly ostracized by his peers and offered only experimental treatment from the hospital. Given only 30 days to live - according to his doctors - he takes matter into his own hands by befriending a transgender woman and finding and distributing alternative medicines, not approved by the FDA, to other patients.  

The first thing I had to process was McConaughey's weight loss for this role. According to IMDB, he lost 47lbs, and the results are shocking. But it really does make his performance much more powerful because you truly believe this man is fighting for his life.

McConaughey's and Leto's performances were phenomenal. At first, I scoffed at Woodroof for being so intolerant of others. But then he changes from a homophobic drug-addicted cowboy to a god samaritan drug dealer.  He learns to love, tolerate, and stick it to the man (in this case, the FDA). I was won over by the performance and was rooting for Woodroof by the end of the film. Leto was just as amazing with his sass and vulnerability. Both definitely deserve their Oscar nomination this year.

For the film buffs, there are some creative shots in this film, but otherwise I found nothing very innovative. But the story and the acting over compensate for the simplistic style.

Anyone looking for a film to inspire or empower them, Dallas Buyers Club is just the movie to kick your butt into gear.

Not Your Average RomCom: Her

Want more than just the cheesy RomCom/Chick Flick? Her has been receiving some well-deserved acclaim lately, especially during awards season. It was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical, Oscar for Best Picture, Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, Oscar for Best Music, Oscar for best Production Design, and won the Golden Globe for Best Screenplay of a Motion Picture.

Her, written and directed by Spike Jonze, takes place in the not-so-distant future where people hire someone else to write their heartfelt letters to each other rather than writing it themselves or people are more attached to their technology rather than each other. It follows Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix), a lonely man who yearns for company. It’s seen through his letters since he is one of those who is hired to write beautiful letters for couples. He finds it through his new artificial intelligent Operational System (OS) named Samantha, voiced by Scarlett Johansson. They start dating and this relationship is the most legitimate and fulfilling he’s had in a while after his divorce from Catherine, played by Rooney Mara. They go through stereotypical phases in their relationship from the honeymoon phase to arguing to falling deeply in love. They even have sex. (I promise it’s possible in this movie, just think of it as phone sex).

This is a thought a provoking story that is weaved into a love story. It criticizes us as a society as relying on our technology for contact and communication rather than real human contact. People in this time even hire people to write these beautiful written letters with so much emotion and love for their loved ones rather than writing their own emotions. When you see Theodore walking around the city, all the people around are talking to their own OS’s rather than each other. This movie satirizes how our society is leading towards a society deprived of human contact.

On the other hand, it does make one other point that I found quite interesting. Theodore fell in love with Samantha, without her body. I guess it sort of desexualizes women in a way because he truly falls in love with her through their conversation. He loves her for her appetite for learning and just loving life. Their relationship is truly built upon a real connection rather than something carnal. It shows it is possible to love somebody for their personality or her brain rather than her measurements.

My recommendation: YES WATCH THIS MOVIE! It’s thought provoking! It’s loving! It’s sad! It’s funny! It’s a great time! Go watch this movie if you want more than just the love story. Bring a date! You’ll have plenty to talk about afterwards. J