The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Grand Budapest Hotel - review by Camilo Arenivar

The Skinny:

Quirky and odd paced at times, "The Grand Budapest Hotel" is a caper movie that takes a while to get going, but once it does, you find yourself charmed by the storytelling. Not for those who like formulaic movies, this is a little more indie-centric.

The Fat:

"The Grand Budapest Hotel" is the latest offering from prolific filmmaker Wes Anderson (Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums). I have never been one who was on board the "Wes Anderson is great" bandwagon, so my review is more as an average moviegoer, not a critic knowledgeable in the writer/director's style.

The movie starts off somewhat slowly, and eventually we realize it is a story that is being told by one man who has been told of the story by another man. It takes place in a non-existent country that appears to be somewhere in Europe and the time seems to be World War II-ish but it never really goes into specific detail about that. The story focuses on Gustave H, a concierge of a high end hotel and the friendship he develops with a "Lobby Boy". It also goes into the various events that happen that lead to the more interesting parts of the film.

Ultimately the movie is a quirky caper which grows on you as it goes along. As I was watching this movie, just under half way through I was kind of still not sure what I thought about it but by the time it ended I realized that I did indeed enjoy it, and I liked the way that the story unfolded.

Stars include Raph Fiennes as Gustave, newcomer Tony Revolori as Zero Moustafa the lobby boy, Saoirse Ronan as Agatha, Zero's love interest, Willem Dafoe as the henchman of a family, and Jude Law as the young writer documenting the story. There are multiple appearances by Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, F. Murray Abraham, Owen Wilson, and Jason Schwartzman and others who have apparently appeared in Wes Anderson films of the past.

Overall, the movie is entertaining, mostly based on the quirky characters and the delivery of the story. This still somewhat odd film is not for your regular megaplex moviegoer but more for those who like independent type films, in my opinion.  

Sabotage - A review by Camilo Arenivar

The Skinny:
I did not expect to like this movie but surprise, I did! "Sabotage" is brought to you from the man who brought you "End of Watch", "Training Day", and "The Fast and the Furious" and that may be what gives the movie the gritty edge and twisty story. A very graphically violent action thriller, it will not leave you bored. Basically, I enjoyed it. But if you can wait, you can also enjoy it on DVD! Not for the squeamish. Oh yeah, and it has Arnold Scharzenegger in it and strangely, that was not a bad thing.


The Fat:

"Sabotage" is an action thriller that opens with quite an explosive and sexually charged bang. The movie centers around a tighly knit elite DEA task force whose leader is Breacher, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger. After a series of events (which I will not reveal as I think the movie works better if you are in the dark about things, as I was), things begin to happen that end up involving the Atlanta PD investigating murder.

OK first let's address the elephant in the room: Arnold Schwarzenegger. Let's not kid anyone, he's never been known for his acting. However, this role has him a little less robotic than in the past, and he is a pained man, and he conveys that pain in a very dark deep way that comes off, successful. The cool thing is, at no time to me did this come across as a Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle. Which leads me to the writing and direction.

The movie has a surprisingly decent story and is really well directed. Maybe the fact that it came from David Ayer, who wrote and directed the critically acclaimed "End of Watch" has a little something to do with that. Ayers writing credits also include "Training Day", "S.W.A.T.", and "The Fast and the Furious". One of the cool things about the direction are several scenes when Breacher and Atlanta PD Murder investigator Caroline (Olivia Williams) approach a place, the scene suddenly shifts to what happened before they got there, and you see things play out and then you see them as they arrive after these things have happened. It's a nice effect.

There are some cheesy parts of the movie and when the characters are not under pressure, that is when things really lag. Dialogue and acting will not make this movie. One person who shined throughout the movie was Mireille Enos, who played the somewhat drugged out feisty DEA agent Lizzy. As far as acting (not one of the movie's strong points) goes, she stole the show in that area.

The movie is very graphically violent. I mean, people nailed to the ceiling with their intestines hanging out, bullets knocking peoples brains to the back wall or people hit by cars splattering blood all over the windshield. It is almost Tarantino-esque. You have GOT to be prepared for that if you are going to see this movie.

Because I enjoy movies with graphic violence that have a story I cannot predict in the first 45 minutes of the movie, I found it to be entertaining and enjoyable. It won't win any Oscars, and there is no compelling reason to run out and see it in a theater, but it is worth seeing if these kinds of films interest you. 

Divergent - A review by Camilo Arenivar

Divergent is a movie based on the debut novel of the Divergent trilogy. I want to say that I have not read ANY of the books, and that my commentary about this film is solely based on the entertainment value delivered as a film, not a film adaptation of a book. So no, I won't be able to shed any light on if it does the book any justice. That being said, I can say that Divergent was highly entertaining despite being a little too long.

The story is based in a post-apocalyptic Chicago, where civilization appears to be organized. And my how organized it is, everyone must fit into five distinct factions. Those who do not are considered "factionless" and gee, strike a stunning resemblance to transient homeless people. Teenagers take a test at age 16 to see which faction they belong in. Those who do not conform to the test, do not fit in any one faction or fit in multiple factions are considered a threat to the establishment and are called "divergent". Their existence in this society is not desired.

The movie focuses on Beatrice (later named Tris), played quite well by Shailene Woodley, who most recently played for 5 years on the tv show "The Secret Life of the American Teenager". Beatrice tests divergent, and the movie focuses on her having to hide this and the challenges she faces afterward. Of course, there is a conspiracy and violence and excitement.

I would not categorize the film as a thriller or suspenseful, it is a low degree of sci fi, with a good amount of adventure and action genres. The story feels a little unoriginal (isn't "The Hunger Games" kind of like this?) and the movie seems to have dragged out certain parts, namely the time that Tris spends in training as the faction she has chosen to join. Part of that time also serves to show a budding romance with "Four", one of her trainers. All of it is important, but I think some of the training and fighting scenes could have been decreased for the movie but then I am sure the fans of the book would have balked.

Overall it is an entertaining movie. The visuals of post-apocalyptic Chicago are neat to see (except the parts when you see it is L.A. and not Chicago). The fighting during training serves as some decent action but things do not get really interesting to well over an hour into the film when you start finding out more about the plot, which I really won't get into here but the conspiracy and evil plans are what made the film really pick up for me. If you like these kinds of movies, go see it. It was good, but not outstanding. I am interested in seeing the sequel, which will be called "Insurgent" though and is obviously based on the second book of the trilogy. Something tells me it will be more of what interested me most in this film, which has a running time of two hours and twenty minutes. 

Bad Words - a review by Camilo Arenivar

Jason Bateman directs and stars in this dark comedy about revenge gone to a very far extreme. He plays Guy Trilby, a 40 year old who has found a loophole in the esteemed Golden Quill spelling bee that allows him to enter.  He does so to the resentment and anger of everyone from 10 year olds to a multitude of parents and annoyed Spelling Bee officials.  At the same time, he is being sponsored by a journalist who is trying to find out more about him and why he is doing this.

This movie is not horrible or even terribly bad, it just does not have any qualities that make me able to say, "oh yeah, you should go see it".  Unless you are a big Jason Bateman fan or like dark comedies or raunchy humor mostly made at the expense of kids or their parents. Is it funny? At times. Is it cute? Definitely. Is it filthy and totally wrong? At times, and in a way that is when it excels. When it is being irreverent and hilarious. Maybe it's because I don't have kids I can find these really crazy scenes funny.  Those sensitive to "bad words" and inappropriate things for kids to be doing (like drinking alcohol and looking at hooker breasts) may definitely want to steer clear of this movie. You've got to have a really naughty sense of humor to enjoy this. Nowhere near as hilarious as last year's "Were The Millers", it is still pretty damn funny at times despite an off and on again pace.  Fortunately it is only an hour and a half.

My suggestion is it might be best to wait for DVD...but if anything I've written strikes your fancy, you should definitely check it out then. Rated R for language and sex. And it has kids in it! You can either find it funny or be appalled. Only you know you.

Non-Stop - A capsule review by Camilo Arenivar

Non-Stop is the name of the movie but it can also be said about the pace and suspense in this movie. Clearly formulaic, it's like every drama on a plane with a murder mystery happening on board with twists. Um, yeah. Aside from a somewhat implausible script, it is a thrill ride you won't want to miss. There is a reason movie critics mostly pooh pooh this movie and movie fans love it. It's fun and exciting. It's a whodunnit who is doing it on a plane and it is done well. As far as these types of movies, it is definitely at the top of it's game. If you're looking for well-written and superb acting, wait til Oscar season. This is suspense, excitement, thrills, and a little action!

2014 Oscar Predictions by Camilo Arenivar

Many years I have done my Oscar predictions, sometimes I have not. This is a more rare year in which I think I have seen more of the nominated films than I have not. And that is in a theater (with maybe one exception), the way you should! In this post I will post who I think WILL win, and who I personally think SHOULD win. If I did not see a movie or performance, I will put an asterisk next to it, as this may impact my opinion. I only am making predicitions on 10 of the top categories, so no Shorts or Documentaries and no, I am not a Foreign Film kind of guy. So, here goes!

BEST PICTURE
“American Hustle”
“Captain Phillips”
“Dallas Buyers Club”
“Gravity”
“Her”
“Nebraska”*
“Philomena”*
“12 Years a Slave”
“The Wolf of Wall Street”

WILL WIN: “12 Years a Slave”

SHOULD WIN: “12 Years a Slave”



DIRECTOR

Alfonso Cuarón, “Gravity”
Steve McQueen, “12 Years a Slave”
Alexander Payne, “Nebraska”*
David O. Russell, “American Hustle”
Martin Scorsese, “The Wolf of Wall Street”

WILL WIN: Alfonso Cuarón, “Gravity”

SHOULD WIN: Alfonso Cuarón, “Gravity”

Yes, it is going to be one of those rare years when there is a split. This last happened in the 73rd Academy Awards when Stephen Soderbergh won for "Traffic" but "Gladiator" won for best film. It DOES Happen. We will see if I am right or not.



ACTOR

Christian Bale, “American Hustle”
Bruce Dern, “Nebraska”*
Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Wolf of Wall Street”
Chiwetel Ejiofor, “12 Years a Slave”
Matthew McConaughey, “Dallas Buyers Club”

WILL WIN: Matthew McConaughey, “Dallas Buyers Club”

SHOULD WIN: Matthew McConaughey, “Dallas Buyers Club” or Chiwetel Ejiofor, “12 Years a Slave” - both amazing performances



ACTRESS

Amy Adams, “American Hustle”
Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine”
Sandra Bullock, “Gravity”
Judi Dench, “Philomena”*
Meryl Streep, “August: Osage County”*

WILL WIN: Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine”

SHOULD WIN: Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine”

Now I know I did not see Judi Dench but it's Judi Dench. Same as Meryl Streep. Both great actresses who shine in everything they do. I still pick Cate even though I did not see these other two.





SUPPORTING ACTOR

Barkhad Abdi, “Captain Phillips”
Bradley Cooper, “American Hustle”
Michael Fassbender, “12 Years a Slave”
Jonah Hill, “The Wolf of Wall Street”
Jared Leto, “Dallas Buyers Club”

WILL WIN: Jared Leto, “Dallas Buyers Club”

SHOULD WIN: Jared Leto, “Dallas Buyers Club”

One of the few categories in which I saw every movie. Hands down Jared Leto, but Michael Fassbender and Barkhad Abdi also were really good.




SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Sally Hawkins, “Blue Jasmine”
Jennifer Lawrence, “American Hustle”
Lupita Nyong’o, “12 Years a Slave”
Julia Roberts, “August: Osage County”*
June Squibb, “Nebraska”*

WILL WIN: Lupita Nyong’o, “12 Years a Slave”

SHOULD WIN: Lupita Nyong’o, “12 Years a Slave” or Sally Hawkins, “Blue Jasmine”

I really liked "Blue Jasmine". Great acting and story, but nothing compares to Lupita.




ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

“Before Midnight,” Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke*
“Captain Phillips,” Billy Ray
“Philomena,” Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope*
“12 Years a Slave,” John Ridley
“The Wolf of Wall Street,” Terence Winter

WILL WIN: ”12 Years a Slave,” John Ridley

SHOULD WIN: ”12 Years a Slave,” John Ridley

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

“American Hustle,” Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell
“Blue Jasmine,” Woody Allen
“Dallas Buyers Club,” Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack
“Her,” Spike Jonze; “Nebraska,” Bob Nelson

WILL WIN: “Her,” Spike Jonze

SHOULD WIN: “American Hustle,” Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell

I am not one of the people who get "Her". I think the hipsters and the melancholic arty people have overrated this. I MUCH prefer American Hustle. Better story, better writing. But I think the Academy will still give it to "Her".




BEST ORIGINAL SONG

“Happy” from “Despicable Me 2” - Music and Lyric by Pharrell Williams
“Let It Go” from “Frozen” - Music and Lyric by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
“The Moon Song” from “Her” - Music by Karen O; Lyric by Karen O and Spike Jonze
“Ordinary Love” from “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” - Music by Paul Hewson, Dave Evans, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen; Lyric by Paul Hewson

WILL WIN: “Let It Go” from “Frozen” -Music and Lyric by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez

SHOULD WIN: “Ordinary Love” from “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” - Music by Paul Hewson, Dave Evans, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen (U2); Lyric by Paul Hewson

I am biased. I want U2!



BEST ANIMATED FEATURE:

WILL WIN: "Frozen"

SHOULD WIN: No opinion, I don't see animated movies.

Pompeii - A capsule review by Camilo Arenivar

Pompeii is not sure what it wants to be...is it a love story? A disaster movie? Gladiator action movie? Oh wait, it is all of the above! Is it entertaining? Yes. Are the volcanic special effects and fighting good? Yes. Is the love story contrived and lame? Yes! Do we care about the characters? Not at all. If you know anything about the history of Pompeii, you may find yourself very content with how it all ends.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit - A capsule review by Camilo Arenivar

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is an entertaining formulaic action film with few surprises. If you like this genre, you will like the movie. Actor Chris Pine does well stepping into the shoes of a young Jack Ryan at the beginning of his career at the CIA.