SAVAGE SCORECARD 2015-PART TWO: NUMBER 11

For Part Two of my Savage Scorecard series, I now turn to a collection of films that received my highest rating of four stars but unfortunately, did not reach my final Top Ten Favorites Films Of 2015 list. Additionally, there are a couple of films in this section that did receive my three and a half star rating but were so strong that I felt the need to include them here. So, in those cases, why not just think of those films as having received three and three quarter star ratings if you must.

Just as before, these are only my opinions, they are listed in alphabetical order and I will indicate where you can find the full reviews.

1. "Ant-Man" Directed by Peyton Reed

For a film that I was not at all terribly interested in seeing due to lack of interest as well as superhero movie fatigue, I was happily stunned with "Ant-Man," the most entertaining film from the Marvel Comics canon in years. Director Peyton Reed, taking over for Writer/Director Edgar Wright who departed the project due to those pesky "creative differences," delivered the latest Marvel film that was refreshingly light upon its feet, conceptually as well as with its overall execution. Relieved of the increasingly darker and ponderous tone of most superhero films as of late, Reed, with his terrific leading man Paul Rudd in the titular role plus a hilariously scene stealing Michael Pena, presented a deceptively unassuming story where the storytelling, clever word play and consistently inventive and playful visual gags congealed beautifully.Fleet of foot and smaller scaled, Peyton Reed's "Ant-Man" yielded great results and even rejuvenated my interest in the next wave of Marvel feature films,  

(Originally reviewed July 2015)

2. "Creed" Directed by Ryan Coogler

Outstanding!! I've said it before...after 40 years, there really is not any reason to have another "Rocky" anything in the world but clearly if the cinematic series felt any need to continue, it just needed a fresh pair of eyes to approach the material. With "Creed," Director Ryan Coogler and actor Michael B. Jordan, who last collaborated with the searing drama "Fruitvale Station" (2013), have accomplished a spectacular feat, a "Rocky" spin-off feature focusing upon boxing upstart Adonis Creed, the illegitimate child of the deceased Apollo Creed. Under Coogler's authentic and simultaneously gritty and graceful direction, "Creed" is a perceptive, primal, kinetic, poignant, enormously entertaining and undeniably moving motion picture that proves itself to be the finest entry in the "Rocky" series since 1979. Sylvester Stallone, who reprises his most beloved character, turns in his most relaxed, genuine and heartfelt performance in over thirty years and he was more than deserving of receiving an Oscar nomination. But, "Creed" firmly belongs to Michael B. Jordan, whose imposing physicality and coiled force houses a palpable vulnerability in this story of a young man attempting to claim his own name and place within boxing and the world at large.   

(Originally reviewed December 2015)

3. "Dope" Directed by Rick Famuyiwa

One of 2015's sharpest and most original comedies, Writer/Director Rick Famuyiwa's "Dope" is a social satire that effortlessly merges the coming of age film, a screwball comedy of errors, a caper comedy, and a celebration of hip-hop's golden age with a provocative exploration of racial identity and perceptions, congealing into a fast paced and exceedingly well acted summertime romp. Shameik Moore, in a terrific leading performance, stars as Inglewood, California resident Malcolm, an A student, '90s hip-hop obsessed, self described geek who also fronts a punk rock band with his geeky best friends and houses aspiration to attend Harvard University. When Malcolm inadvertently ends up in possession of a back pack containing the gun and drug supply of a local drug dealer, he makes a feverish attempt to rid himself of the contraband while dodging neighborhood gang bangers, and a duplicitous college admissions director and also dealing with SAT exams, a viral rock concert and maybe even a date to the prom. While "Dope" is often outrageous, Famuyiwa ensures the film maintains its serious core regarding racial identity, either accurate or perceived, plus the violence and pain of the inner city. How refreshing and even radical it was to see a young Black male trying desperately to think his way out of this pretzel like predicament while also trying to circumvent any and all ghetto cliches.  

(Originally reviewed June 2015) 

4. "The End Of The Tour" Directed by James Ponsoldt

Fueled by an excellent leading performance by Jesse Eisenberg and a game changing dramatic performance by Jason Segel as the late celebrated author David Foster Wallace, Director James Ponsoldt's "The End Of The Tour" is a compelling, engrossing and captivating interior drama that crystallizes a specific place and time (small town Illinois in the Winter) while also existing as a film about ideas as much as it is about the film's two leading characters. For as much as the film's characters discuss and debate each other about topics as varied as dogs, women, high art vs. low art, loneliness, jealousy, adoration, isolation, self-identity vs. the perception others have of you, and the pressures of fame and celebrity, we are splendidly drawn into the film's conversation: the one between the characters and the one the film is having with us in the audience. 

(Originally reviewed September 2015)

5. "Mission: Impossible-Rogue Nation" Directed by Christopher McQuarrie

By this point, this franchise's fifth film, we should be experiencing more than a bit of fatigue with the entire enterprise. Astoundingly, Tom Cruise's signature series, this time helmed by Christopher McQuarrie, has only improved with each new entry, making "Mission: Impossible-Rogue Nation" the finest entry to date. With a series of sensational, beautifully choreographed and executed action set pieces and all at the service of a crisp, clean plot and a wonderful performance by Rebecca Ferguson (who is truly this film's driving engine), McQuarrie's installment in the on-going globe trotting adventures of superspy Ethan Hunt is intelligent, wildly visceral and filled with an emotional realism that leaves both 007 and Jason Bourne far away in the dust!  

(Originally reviewed August 2015)

6. "Room" Directed by Lenny Abrahamson

This one really hurts to leave off of the final Top Ten list but I just needed to make some room. If you have read the original Emma Donoghue novel from which this wrenching film is based or haven't seen the aforementioned wrenching film itself, this one will indeed knock you sideways as its quiet power packs a tremendous punch, especially during its excruciating first half. A sensational Brie Larson and the beautifully naturalistic Jacob Tremblay, portray a Mother and son who undergo an unspeakable ordeal that often exists within a living nightmare but becomes a story of survival, healing, the protection and cultivation of innocence, and the resiliency of the human spirit, especially the spirit contained within a child. Director Lenny Abrahamson had made this emotionally grueling experience so wisely poetic as we in the audience are indeed forced to view the world through the severely compromised vision of the film's child's point of view, therefore again forcing us to philosophically take in the seemingly mundane sights of the world around us to view it fully anew.

(Originally reviewed November 2015) 

7. "The Walk" Directed by Robert Zemeckis

This one also hurt very much to leave off of the final list and even moreso, I cannot think of any reason why audiences did not flock in droves to see what is one of Director Robert Zemeckis' most magical, and supremely filmed efforts in his lengthy, legendary career. Joseph Gordon-Leavitt, in a thrilling, agile performance stars in the real life story of French high-wire artist Philippe Petit as he prepares for what he feels to be his destiny: to perform his now historical (and illegal) walk on a tightrope between the twin towers of the World Trade Center in 1974 New York City--rapturously depicted in an awesome, dazzling, virtuoso 20 minute sequence. "The Walk" is unquestionably a feast for the eyes, with the special effects blending so seamlessly within the real world surroundings and actors that you will believe the sights that you are viewing so breathlessly and completely. But beyond the visual spectacle, Zemeckis has fashioned "The Walk" to not only serve as a celebration of human collaboration and cooperation but also as a metaphor to the life experience with all of its unpredictability and the need to take risks in order to experience the life force to the fullest. This is a deliriously entertaining, exciting, wonderful film.

(Originally reviewed October 2015)

8. "While We're Young" Directed by Noah Baumbach

After a lengthy period of less than stellar efforts, Writer/Director Noah Baumbach bounced back triumphantly with his acerbic, perceptive, uncharacteristically warm and rightfully bitter "While We're Young," his finest feature in 10 years. Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts star as a fortysomething couple caught in a rut who become friends with Adam Driver and Amanda Seyfried, a charming, open and endlessly eager twentysomething couple. Baumbach presents a film that is so in tune with both generations by not falling into the cliches but by actually upending them. He displays the similarities and deep differences that inspires an especially challenging conflict between the generations that ultimately makes for a decidedly pointed social commentary while also being engrossing and entertaining while questioning what indeed are the ideals and morals that ultimately shape who we become as adults.
(Originally reviewed April 2015)

STAY TUNED for PART THREE where I give one last bashing to the disappointments and especially the films I hated in 2015!

SAVAGE SCORECARD 2015-PART ONE: THE HONOR ROLL

For me, 2015 was kind of an odd movie year, and therefore, I would suppose, one that was a little more unpredictable. As I have previously stated upon this site, while there were many films that received very high to my highest ratings throughout the year, there were also several films that others highly celebrated that I was rather soft upon in comparison and there were also many films released during the year that I chose not to see at all!

For this, the first installment of my annual four part Savage Scorecard series, I bring you the Honor Roll, a collection of films that received the three and a half star rating from me, the films that I felt to be strong entries released in the year and more than worthy of your time. As always, these are just my opinions and should just be taken as such as I did not see every film released in '15. All films are listed in alphabetical order and I will also direct you to where you can find the original, full reviews upon this site as well.

Let's get rolling!

1. "AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON" Directed by Joss Whedon

Probing psychologically deeper and becoming more intimate and surprisingly humane while simultaneously delivering the bombastic comic book goods and the some, Joss Whedon's sequel comes just this close to matching the spectacular heights of his first "Avengers" feature in 2012. But this adventure is a decidedly darker affair as Tony Stark's (now Robert Downey Jr's signature role) deepest fears and unquestionable hubris give rise to the film's titular villain, malevolently played by James Spader (sort of making this film a "Less Than Zero" reunion/rematch--ha ha). With greater emotional stakes, multiple storylines and an ever expanding cast of costumed characters, you can feel Whedon beginning to buckle under the strain of trying to keep so many plates spinning in mid air. Even so, "Avengers: Age Of Ultron" remained mighty enough to keep me engaged for the upcoming changes and conflicts within the Marvel cinematic universe.

(Originally reviewed May 2015) 

2. "THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY-PART 2" Directed by Francis Lawrence

After a wheel-spinning third installment, "The Hunger Games" series draws to a rightfully grim and bleak close with our heroine Katniss Everdeen engulfed in the grueling war in Panem inch-by-treacherous-inch. Jennifer Lawrence again elicits a performance of depth and command within a film that is much more thoughtful and reverential than it has any need to be. Director Francis Lawrence (no relation) could have easily made the series and this film in particular a mindless thrill ride. But, wisely, he adheres closely to the dark themes of Suzanne Collins' original novels as entrusts us to think seriously about the concepts and consequences of war, totalitarianism, rebellion, revolution, fascism and even the costs necessary to obtain any sense of peace. The tragedy contains potent weight and the end result is powerfully sobering.

(Originally reviewed January 2016)

3. "JOY" Directed by David O. Russell

Re-teaming with Director David O. Russell for the third time, Jennifer Lawrence again commands the screen in this sprawling comedy-drama loosely based upon the life of Miracle Mop inventor/entrepreneur Joy Mangano. While there are stretches that perhaps meander and drag more than necessary, "Joy" does ultimately deliver a well earned emotional payoff as we regard the titular character on her road to independence and empowerment via an odyssey that packs in twists, pitfalls and struggles as if she is trapped inside of a personal soap opera.

(Originally reviewed January 2016)

4. "THE MARTIAN" Directed by Ridley Scott

This was one of the films I saw this year that I admired more than I liked or loved. In fact, I do think the film is a tad over-rated. That being said, Director Ridley Scott has created one of the most entertaining films of his long career and additionally, for a film that contains so much isolation, it is also surprisingly inclusive as it embraced a poignant display of humanity and what can be achieved by working together. Matt Damon delivered an excellent leading performance as the astronaut trapped and possibly doomed to die on Mars unless he is able to "Science" his way out of his dire predicament. And that is where I felt that Scott's film succeeded best, as this was a film that emphatically exclaimed that "Science Is Real!" and the drama of the piece did to arrive from how many items were demolished but through the process of thinking, problem solving and collaborating in order to achieve a common goal.

(Originally reviewed October 2015)

5. "SPOTLIGHT" Directed by Tom McCarthy

This was another film that I felt to be a highly noble effort but one that I admired and appreciated more than I liked. I also felt this film to be more than a tad over-rated as well. but that being said, Director Tom McCarthy has made a strong, smart adult film, with across the board solid performances, that exists as a solemn ode to journalism as well as a lament for the victims of systematic abuse within the Catholic church. Yes, this film exists as more of a procedural where we are allowed a glimpse into a time when the importance of investigative journalism involved getting all of the details right as opposed to releasing the information first. And I did also greatly appreciate that McCarthy never allowed his film to fall into any sense of histrionics or false melodrama. Even so, the entire film felt to be a bit dry to me and it lacked a sense of palpable urgency that I felt was inherent to the overall subject matter, therefore undercutting the film's overall power and weight. Otherwise, a solid effort.

(Originally reviewed November 2015)

6. "TRAINWRECK" Directed by Judd Apatow

While I am not entirely sold on the comedy of Amy Schumer, her talent and cultural reach is undeniable. "Trainwreck," her feature film debut, which she also wrote, was a definite winner. Director Judd Apatow, helming the first screenplay that he did not write himself, has created what I felt to be essentially an emotionally turbulent drama that just happened to have very funny sections. I deeply appreciated how he and Schumer were unafraid to make their leading heroine fly in the face of the standard leading romantic comedy heroine as Schumer portrays an extremely difficult, often unlikable, selfish, rude, acerbic, and wholly narcissistic individual while also being hilarious, intelligent and certainly possessing a certain sexual allure. While she is someone I would think many of us would try to avoid, Schumer and Apatow transform what could have been a standard romantic comedy into a perceptive character study of a not-so-young woman who exists as a promiscuous alcoholic and feels destined to essentially become a new version of her promiscuous, alcoholic and now ailing Father (played wonderfully by Colin Quinn). This is where "Trainwreck" succeeded greatly for me, by creating a leading character who firmly exists as the film's title describes, finds herself at an existential crossroads and begins to discover her own sense of self-worth and even true empowerment for the first time in her life.
(Originally reviewed July 2015)

STAY TUNED FOR PART TWO: "NUMBER 11"!!

SAVAGE CINEMA'S COMING ATTRACTIONS FOR FEBRUARY 2016

Savage Cinema is going to receive an especially rigorous workout this month!

It is indeed that time again, dear readers. With the Academy Awards scheduled to be broadcast on Sunday, February 28th, I need to get my official four part Savage Scorecard series, where I compile all of the films that I saw in 2015, underway and completed. And then, there are also the Oscar predictions and wrap-up as well to contend with. Good gracious!!!

And then, there are two new 2016 films that just may hit town that I am ready to see as well.

1. "Hail, Caesar!" Anytime the fraternal filmmaking team of Joel and Ethan Coen return with a new film, ti is time to pay attention.  What else can I say than I'll be there opening weekend!

2. Controversial filmmaking provocateur Michael Moore returns to the screen with his latest socio/political/satirical excursion this month and he always captures my attention as well.

And with that, the month of Savage Cinema is more than FULL! Wish me luck and as always...

...I'll see you when the house lights go down!!!

MUNDANE MELANCHOLIA: a review of "Anomalisa"

"ANOMALISA"
Screenplay Written by Charlie Kaufman
Produced and Directed by Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson
**1/2 (two and a half stars)
RATED R

Many years ago, while making one of my frequent trips to the now defunct local video rental store Bongo Video, I was happily engaged in one of my also frequent conversations with one of the movie enthusiast clerks on duty. On this one particular day, this clerk and I were intensely discussing Writer/Director Charlie Kaufman's "Synecdoche, New York" (2008), a film that I have placed highly upon my personal listings of the very best films of the decade between 2000-2009.

The clerk in question agreed with my feelings towards that film and truth be told, I  think he even went many steps further than myself. At one point, he passionately exclaimed that he hoped that Kaufman would never again make another film simply because he felt that "Synecdoche, New York" was not only so perfect, but so conceptually, philosophically, spiritually and artistically complete that there really was nothing else that could be said about the subject matter which revolved around nothing less than the concepts of how we live and most specifically, how we die. I, on the other hand, could not go that far personally, because for me, I felt that a creative talent as singular as Kaufman's demanded to be heard as often as he wished to voice it and I anxiously awaited whatever would arrive next...even though, I did also wonder what other subject could he even possibly tackle considering the completeness of what I feel to be his masterpiece.

And now, seven years on from the release of "Synecdoche, New York," Charlie Kaufman has, at long last, returned with a new film and in some ways, it feels fitting that he would accomplish this feat within a completely different medium. "Anomalisa," Kaufman's collaborative project with Co-Director Duke Johnson and based upon his original play, is a deep and lushly presented delve into the world of animated films, and yet it is no less provocative or furthermore, any less adult than any of Kaufman's past work, which includes his groundbreaking, peerless screenplays for Director Spike Jonze's "Being John Malkovich" (1999) and "Adaptation" (2002) as well as Director Michel Gondry's "Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind" (2004). And yet, something this time felt, well...off. While Kaufman explores and mines some very difficult emotional, psychological and existential territory once again, the overall results felt akin to a dispassionate shoulder shrug, a quality I never expected to feel from an artist as daring, probing, and as deliriously inventive as Charlie Kaufman. So much so, that I am beginning to wonder if that Bongo Video clerk had been correct all along.

"Anomalisa" tells the tale of lonely, depressed and increasingly emotionally isolated self help author Michael Stone (voiced perfectly by David Thewlis) en route to Cincinnati, Ohio to promote his latest book at a hotel customer service convention. While on his flight, in the cab ride to the hotel, checking into his room at the front desk and being aided by a bell boy and the room service attendant, Michael endures one banal, soul sucking non-conversation after another, during which every single voice he hears, regardless of age, race and gender, all sound exactly the same (and are all voiced brilliantly by Tom Noonan).

Michael Stone is consumed with loneliness, an increasing feeling of disconnect from his wife and young son and is haunted by the memories of Bella, an old flame with whom he disastrously reconnects in the hotel bar (again, all characters aside from Michael are voiced by Noonan).

But suddenly, Michael hears a female voice in the hallway just outside of his hotel room. Racing to find the source of the voice, Michael soon meets Lisa (voiced by Jennifer Jason Leigh), a painfully shy woman attending the convention who happens to be a fan of Stone's. The twosome share drinks together and return to Michael's hotel room for a long night of conversation and intimacy. Where Lisa does not find herself to be remotely special or interesting, Michael is captivated.

Now, that he has found a true individual, completely unique to everyone else in the world around him, will Michael finally be able to find true love and a sense of tranquility?

If I were able to solely rate a film over ambition and execution, then Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson's "Anomalisa" would be the very best film of 2015 without question. It is a gorgeously conceived and presented film with the stop motion puppet animation proving itself to be compulsively watchable as it's warm visual palate and rich, meticulous details keep your eyes riveted to the screen. The presentation of the film's humans is also conceptually startling as the faces all appear to have these subtle lines, as if the faces could detach at any moment. This is not necessarily a disturbing feature but one that plays beautifully into Kaufman's primary themes.

For an animated film, "Anomalisa" is indeed a very R rated adult film filled with mature themes alongside appropriately effective profanity and yes, there is even a sex scene of surprising intimacy. Even further, are the themes of feeling existentially displaced in the only world one can even exist within, which makes the technique of animation especially effective as we int he audience are able to view ourselves in a distinctly different fashion. The "mask-esque" quality to the faces speaks directly to Kaufman's themes of the masks that we all wear when navigating the world and how they play into the perceptions others make of us as well as the perceptions we have of ourselves, all of which may be correct or deceptive or even exist in a simultaneous or symbiotic state. There are points within the film where Michael sees people gradually beginning to appear as being completely identical to each other, something which flies in the face of his self help presentation speeches (a very sly, satirical touch) that compassionately praises the notion of the individual and the inherent quality of every single person's life. And the fact that these statements arrive from a character who is so sadly, and almost insufferably, misanthropic injects a powerful inner conflict that turns Michael inside out.

David Thewlis and Jenifer Jason Leigh turn in performances that are indeed marvelous, and multi-layered. As Lisa, Leigh is especially tender as she beautifully creates a character who is just dazzled that anyone in the world would take even one moment to pay attention to her. Her sense of self discovery over the course of the film is undeniably warming as well as humorously awkward. Lisa's penchant for Cyndi Lauper makes for one particularly delightful moment while also filled with a certain eggshell tension between herself and Michael.

It is here where Kaufman and Johnson's "Anomalisa" begins to exist within the same cinematic universe as both Writer/Director Paul Thomas Anderson's off-kilter romantic delirium of "Punch-Drunk Love" (2002) and Writer/Director Sofia Coppola's "Lost In Translation" (2003), as this film also features two lost souls who almost magically find each other and begin to forge a soulful connection. Kaufman's script is very perceptive in the ways that people do tend to throw caution to the wind and completely reveal themselves when existing in situations where the possibility of seeing the other individual again is unlikely. Watching the spirits of Michael and Lisa begin to bloom was indeed as captivating as the visuals.

But remember, this is a Charlie Kaufman experience so everything is certainly not all candy and roses. And here is where the brilliance of Tom Noonan enters the proceedings. Having Noonan voice every other character in the film was a conceptual masterstroke. I should note that Noonan does not alter his voice to reflect gender, age or race, as he always utilizes that flat, monotone, Midwestern voice for everyone. Where Noonan does alter his voice is through the actual performances, giving every character, from Michael's wife, child, ex-lover and so on, a distinct personality even though Michael is unable to discern from one individual to the next.

Certainly, this tactic perfectly illustrates a quality of life I am certain that we all experience to varying degrees as we move day-to-day through the world. Days where we are just not able to deal with any other human beings. Days where the repetitiveness is numbing. Days where everyone we encounter actually does begin to sound exactly like everyone else. Days where we feel a disconnect from anything substantive or meaningful. Yet, for Michael Stone, he is essentially falling into an existential crisis, fearing that he will never differentiate between people again but also fearing that he is also losing sight of himself (as depicted in one nightmare sequence). Tom Noonan's performances, despite the apparent sameness, is truly one of startling diversity and tremendous empathy and alongside his co-stars, it is a shame that all three of them were not recognized during this current awards season.

Now, for all of this high praise, "Anomalisa" just didn't quite hit the mark as I am unable to award the film my personal highest rating solely based upon all that I have just described to you. Again, ambition and intent plus its gorgeous visual presentation is just not enough. I guess my issue with the film is that one it began reaching its end and definitely by the time it had concluded, the entire enterprise just gave me a feeling of...well..."meh." Ever since I have seen the film,  have been questioning as to what it was that I felt to be missing. At first, I wondered if I felt that I needed to have a stronger sense of resolution. But that being said, Kaufman and Johnson were bold enough to not wrap up the film into a tidy bow because sometimes, there is no resolution, there are no lessons learned, there is no growth and we just continue to spiral downwards. Even so, it all felt to be for naught, a middling exercise in navel-gazing, like the film was just misanthropic for the sake of being misanthropic, a quality which diffused the potency of its poignancy. To paraphrase that great song by Peggy Lee, by the end of watching "Anomalisa," I wondered to myself, "Is that all there is to a psychological breakdown?"  

Perhaps what I was looking for was a sense of emotional resolution or that feeling that I have received from past Kaufman works as he has turned a concept so fully inside-out, resulting in a sense of completeness, a feeling that he has truly exhausted every single conceptual, philosophical and spiritual element. I think of the unfiltered abandon with which Kaufman's screenplays for both "Being John Malkovich" and Spike Jonze's "Adaptation" (2002) circumvented every conceivable Hollywood cliche while rapturously diving deep inside the rabbit hole yet always following the story to its most logical conclusions. But, it was with "Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind," where Kaufman's exploration of the elusive and at times, unreliable qualities of memories and perceptions of self and others fueled what still just may be the most effective cinematic love story I have seen in over 10 years.

Yet what remains most powerfully is "Synecdoche, New York." Even nearly eight years after its release, its power and pull continues to be darkly profound and it possesses a certain chill that resurfaces anytime I happen to think about it. For his directorial debut, Kaufman created an experience that was triumphant and devastating. Anchored by a revelatory performance by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman (man, do I miss him), "Synecdoche, New York" is a film that is almost impossible to describe. But utilizing the creative and inner life of an artist, with all of its inventiveness and failures and the psychological turbulence that ensues, Kaufman's "Synecdoche, New York" became an uncompromising, polarizing, demanding, labyrinthine and almost impenetrable film. It was essentially looking at a box inside of a box inside of a box and so on. And yet, it was still warmly enveloping with shattering empathy and grace.

I still contend that the film it not necessarily depressing but Kaufman defiantly forces viewers of that film to think about the very nature or existence and mortality in ways we would rather not. I have seen the film perhaps three times, and while I do have the film within my personal collection, it is indeed one that I have not watched in years because I know that doing so will again wrap me within its distinctly formidable cloak and refuse to relinquish its hold for quite some time after viewing it. The first time I saw it, I vividly remember not being able to really move from my theater seat even after the house lights went back up. I mention all of this because while "Anomalisa" did possess that similar uncompromising ambition and vision, the end result was slight by comparison. I am able to recall the feelings I had when I saw "Synecdoche, New York" easily, even after all of these years. "Anomalisa," on the other hand, I have barely given another thought in the few days since having seen it.

In fact, now that I ponder, I think Spike Jonze's "Her" (2013), a film that was incidentally not written by Kaufman but by Jonze himself, is exactly the film that "Anomalisa" wishes it could have been as both films cover similar territory but Jonze's film probes so much deeper to truly make a sobering statement about our collective emotional health in the 21st century. "Her" is the film that cuts to the bone, much like the bulk of Kaufman's past work. where "Anomalisa" really is only skin deep.

And now, perhaps, I understand what that clerk from Bongo Video was talking about. Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson's "Anomalisa" is nothing resembling a bad film but it almost feel like leftovers from past and better material. "Anomalisa" essentially doesn't really say anything new about Kaufman's familiar subject matter therefore leaving me with something that's really just grumpy and sad. I would hate to think that Kaufman has already expressed everything he has felt the need to express in the past as I still wish for him to have a fruitful creative future. But for now, and as I said before, with "Anomalisa," is that all there is?

HEART OF DARKNESS: a review of "The Revenant"

"THE REVENANT"
Based in part upon  the novel by Michael Punke
Screenplay Written by Mark L. Smith &  Alejandro G. Inarritu
Directed by Alejandro G. Inarritu
**** (four stars)
RATED R

If Leo doesn't win an Oscar for this, he ain't never gettin' an Oscar!

Dear readers, "The Revenant," Writer/Director Alejandro G. Inarritu's muscular, majestic follow up to his Best Picture Oscar wining "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance)" (2014), is a beast of a film. Certainly not resting upon any of his creative laurels and definitely not coasting upon his most recent grand success, Inarritu has pushed his energies even dangerously further out onto the edge and the result is a pummeling, powerfully haunting, beautifully brutal experience that demands to be seen upon the big screen. Yes, the film is garnering that awards season heat and deservedly so, for it is a fearless, uncompromising, multi-layered work that proves without any doubts that Alejandro G. Inarritu is one of our cinematic masters.

Set in the early 1820's, "The Revenant" stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Hugh Glass, a frontiersman aiding a collective of military hunting party members as they hunt and trap for pelts in the unsettled American wilderness. After most of the hunting party is slaughtered by a surprise ambush by the Arikara Indian tribe, Glass and the survivors--which includes his half Native American son Hawk (Forrest Goodluck) and the belligerent, cunning and racist hunter John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy)-- escape by raft and continue to attempt to evade both the Arikara and Pawnee tribes.

While scouting ahead to determine the best route for advancement, Glass stumbles upon a den of bear cubs and is soon brutally attacked by the protective Mother bear. Although Glass kills the bear, he is mortally wounded, leaving the hunters without their guide as they now have to carry him upon a makeshift stretcher. With their progress dangerously slowing down, Captain Andrew Henry (Domhnall Gleeson) offers payment to any of his men who offer to remain behind with Glass as well as the promise to give him a proper burial once he dies. In addition to Hawk, young hunter Jim Bridger (Will Poulter) and the selfish Fitzgerald all volunteer, allowing Captain Henry and his group to depart for safety.

Once all alone and consumed with mounting fear over being discovered and killed by the Native American tribes, Fitzgerald attempts to murder Glass, who is unable to speak due to his wounds from the bear. As Hawk arrives right at the attempted murder and defends his Father, Fitzgerald kills Hawk and forces Bridger to partially bury Glass alive before making their getaway.

From here, Glass, haunted by the memory of his dead Native American wife, mortally wounded and consumed with revenge against Fitzgerald over the murder of his son, begins his odyssey to track down and kill John Fitzgerald.

Alejandro G. Inarritu's "The Revenant" is every inch as much of a high wire work of cinematic artistry as "Birdman," and perhaps even moreso. Much has already been written about the film's extremely challenging and arduous production, which involved a most intensive, and in-sequence filming schedule in remote (and frigid) locations solely with natural lightning, meaning that filming could only be accomplished during a few short hours during each day and making the urgency of completion that much more paramount.

Whatever the risks taken, every single one of those risks paid off in spades as Inarritu has presented a film that is nothing less than absolutely stunning to regard. Tremendous credit must be delivered to veteran Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki who makes every shot in the film glisten with piercing sharpness and clarity. From the film's spectacular opening long take ambush sequence, which unfolds in flowing fury to all of the images of the landscapes, the trees, the snow, the skies, the sun and especially, the water, Inarritu and Lubezki's crystalline display of the environment is shattering in its beauty. Perfectly augmented the visuals is the evocative, glacial score by collaborating Composers Ryuichi Sakamoto, Alva Noto and The National's Bryce Dessner. As with the imagery, the sound of "The Revenant" superbly envelops.

With the effective simplicity and ferocious directness of its plot supplemented by the visual and aural display, Inarritu's "The Revenant" is a work that exists within the same punishing yet hallucinogenic universe as Francis Ford Coppola's "Apocalypse Now" (19790 and for a more recent example, even George Miller's "Mad Max: Fury Road." In all of those films, the simplicity of the story sets the stage for us to explore an entire world via a certain geographical landscape where the environment functions as a full character alongside the human protagonists. Just as Coppola's Captain Willard is tasked with travelling upriver during the height of the Vietnam war to assassinate the insane Col. Kurtz, and Miller's Max Rockatansky aides Imperator Furiosa in her redemptive quest to emancipate the imprisoned women of a ruthless dictator in the post-apocalyptic wastelands, Alejandro G. Inarritu's "The Revenant" takes Hugh Glass and the audience upon a merciless journey through the wilderness of 19th century America straight into the heart of darkness for its characters, the audience and our country as a whole.

One of the most indelible images contained within "The Revenant" actually arrives near the very end of the film. Without going into any story or plot details, I will describe to you that all we see is a sustained shot of the brilliant wintry landscape with falling snow covering the trees and mountains with crystal clear river waters flowing into infinity, yet the snow covered ground at the forefront of the screen is profusely soiled with spilled blood and gore. Visual poetry that is especially violent. I have seen some reviews of the film that have bristled with the overall brutality contained within the film as if what we are watching is not too far removed from the "torture porn" aspect of horror films but something more like "pain porn," as we witness Leonardo DiCaprio as Glass endure one back-breaking extremity after another, including the disemboweling of a dead horse in order to sleep inside of its carcass to remain warm for the night. And to that, I reject those notions because this film is decidedly not "Dances With Wolves" (1990).

Despite its often dream-state presentation, Inarritu has delivered a film that feels to be of a more authentic tone of what life in the rural environment of 19th century America may have been like. Essentially, Inarritu has reconstructed the Western by taking any and all sense of romanticism and fantasies of frontier justice and games of "cowboys and Indians" out of the mix. For Inarritu, he is allowing "The Revenant" to help us explore our own violent past, how it has informed and influenced our present and how prevalent our inner conflicts remains in the 21st century. Returning to that piercing image from the film I described earlier, I think that what Inarritu is asking us to acknowledge and explore is how symbiotic everything in existence happens to be, whether person to person or person to the environment.

Within "The Revenant," we see how unforgiving humans are to each other as well as how unforgiving the environment is to humans. Perhaps, it is only through a sense of mutual respect and adherence to those forces more powerful than oneself can there be any sense of harmony or resolution. This may sound to be a bit more New-Ageish for some of you. Yet, with how bleak and grim "The Revenant" actually is, Inarritu is holding up a mirror to ourselves, suggesting overall that the ways we do tend to treat each other and the world in which we live has not served us well to date, so is it time for an alternative or should we just continue onwards, forever ensconced in conflict?

Just as with Quentin Tarantino's "The Hateful Eight," Inarritu has emerged with a story that cuts appropriately and uncomfortably to the viscious core of how America as we know it was founded and built upwards, with the seeds of racism, subjugation and genocide planted deeply and forever growing. With the two characters of Glass and Fitzgerald, we are witnessing two sides of a certain coin where one White figure has attempted to try and assimilate himself within an indigenous culture while the other White figure exists to exterminate it.

One scene early in the film, in which Glass protectively admonishes his biracial son for being confrontational to the members of the hunting party, most notably John Fitzgerald, provides a perfect echo to the world children of color must face against White authority figures, regardless if the content of their character is deserving of respect or not. Glass fiercely tells Hawk to remain silent no matter what is said by Fitzgerald, a repellent, greedy, self-serving figure who makes horrific statements, often referring to Native Americans as "tree niggers," and who feels himself simultaneously superior, entitled and yet somehow victimized, therefore justifying his bottomless anger. I think the connections to our current socio/political landscape are as apparent as they are poetically delivered.

Additionally, and most pointedly is the character of Elk Dog (Duane Howard), a Pawnee leader searching for his captured daughter Powaqa (Melaw Nakehk'o). Within one of the film's earliest scenes, we see how the taking of Powaqa exists as just one more atrocity committed against the indigenous peoples of this nation as land, animals, resources and now family has been stolen. Again, Inarritu leaves the connections for us to make but I do think that his agenda and provocations are clearly weaved into the narrative, which makes "The Revenant" exist as far more than an extended revenge yarn.  

Leonardo DiCapiro's performance is magnificently towering and grueling. What is especially remarkable this time around is how the character of Glass, due to his injuries from the grizzly bear, is essentially a silent figure...save for the grunts, moans, and screams of course. Therefore, DiCaprio is delivering a performance that is essentially wordless for much of the running time, making the expert usage of all aspects of his physicality that much more incredible to regard. For an actor who never "phones it in," and always seems to twist himself inside out for every role he has chosen to play, DiCaprio's work in "The Revenant" is especially intense to say the least, making all of the accolades bound to arrive for him all more than well deserved.

As the film's antagonist, Tom Hardy is absolutely formidable. While Hardy's performance is completely representative of the cowardly yet unrepentantly cruel nature of John Fitzgerald, he is also compulsively watchable, threatening to steal the screen from DiCaprio every time they share the space. This sense of healthy competition and partnership between DiCaprio and Hardy only serves the film as a whole for the better, as Fitzgerald's fear and racism based rage (note how Fitzgerald has already been partially scalped by the film's opening) works as a counterpoint to Glass' grief fueled rage, resulting in a constantly revolving cycle of violence.

Alejandro G. Inarritu's "The Revenant" illustrates the work of an artist unwilling to take the easy route as this filmmaker continuously searches for ways to keep himself inventive and challenged and we, in the audience, are fully able to reap the rewards of his efforts. Inarritu has helmed an outstanding film that far transcends the boundaries of its genre, and unearths a stirring experience of remarkable profundity while dazzling the senses with white-knuckle fury.

"The Revenant" is one of 2015's highest successes.

REACTIONS TO THE OSCAR NOMINATIONS-A SAVAGE CINEMA EXCLUSIVE

Well, at least they didn't nominate Meryl Streep for anything this year. Thank goodness for small favors.

I have to say, dear readers, that this year Oscar nominations have snuck up on me as I didn't realize that they were going to be announced this week until perhaps the day before. Now that the nominations have been revealed, I almost would have preferred that they had completely passed me by altogether.

The nominations for the 2016 Academy Awards were revealed this part Thursday morning and I have to express to you that I have not been this disappointed in the nominations in an extremely long time. I fairness, I did feel that 2015 was kind of a strange year for the movies. If you randomly scroll through my reviews, you will see that I awarded quite a number of films my highest rating. That being said, there were so many films that I either completely avoided throughout the year or there were some films that major critics completely fawned over that left me feeling less than celebratory. So, I figured that some of the nominees were more than predictable from "The Big Short," "The Martian" and "Spotlight." Yet, I was surprised that Steven Spielberg's Bridge Of Spies" received top honors by being nominated in the Best Picture category--something that felt to be more of a legacy nomination as for me, that film is good Spielberg, not GREAT Spielberg. Perhaps that is a reason for not including him in the eternally problematic Best Director category (more on that later...)

I was also very surprised to see Bryan Cranston nominated for "Trumbo," a film that was not showered with critical praise or box office but of course, Hollywood loved to celebrate itself and since this is a film about the famed blacklisted screenwriter, then why not, I suppose. But to insert Cranston over...well, I'm getting to that.

I think the thing that I found to be terribly upsetting this year were the omissions, and I mean some very obvious omissions. First, and for all of the extremely deserved nominations that George Miller's "Mad Max: Fury Road" received, I find it wholly inexcusable that Charlize Theron was not nominated for Best Actress for her thunderous performance, and honestly, the entire reason that film even exists as far as the film's storyline is concerned. Theron is the greatest engine driving that film and to leave her out is well...beyond stupid.

Additionally, where were both Aaron Sorkin and Quentin Tarantino in the Best Adapted and Original Screenplay categories as these two figures did indeed write two of the very best scripts of the year with both "Steve Jobs" and "The Hateful Eight," respectively??? And especially with Tarantino, who redefines "original" every time he releases a new film. In fact, as far as I'm concerned both "Steve Jobs" and "The Hateful Eight" more than deserve to be placed within the Best Picture category, as they were each so incredibly, bold, brazen works that demanded the fullest of attention...but hey, what do I know?

And again there is that terrible Best Director category which always has the knack of omitting Directors of films nominated within the Best Picture category. Since we have eight Best Picture nominees and five Best Director nominees, that means someone is bound to get left out, also inexcusable and beyond stupid. So, Ridley Scott, for his universally praised and box office smash "The Martian," you're out of luck. Spielberg, you as well. And for John Crowley who directed "Brooklyn," I guess your film directed itself.  Look Oscar, this is an easy fix. If you nominate 5 films or 8 or 10, just re-adjust the Best Director category accordingly. This isn't brain surgery.

It just broke my heart to see Director Bill Pohlad "Love And Mercy," his beautiful, stunning, impressionistic musical biopic of The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson completely ignored, as I felt that it could have been nominated in the categories of Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original  Screenplay and even Best Sound Design. Most notably, where were both John Cusack, who delivered the performance of his career as 1980's Brian Wilson, as well as the completely transformative work of Paul Dano as 1960's Brian Wilson? The omission of this film is nothing less than a cinematic crime to me.

And now, for the elephant in the room...

Last year, Oscar received some vehement and rightful criticism of the fact that no actors of color were nominated in any of the acting categories. Now, last year, I felt that the criticism should not be laid at the feet of Oscar necessarily but moreso at the feet of the Hollywood studio system that does not have any studio heads of color in the position to greenlight projects made by and starring filmmakers and actors of color. I still think that the blame should be laid at Hollywood's feet but this year, I am piling it on at Oscar's feet as well. Talk about being inexcusable and beyond stupid.

2015 was the year of the universally praised "Beasts Of No Nation" starring Idris Elba. Where was he in the Best Actor category? Nowhere to be found. No Will Smith for "Concussion"? What of "Creed"? Yes, Sylvester Stallone was rightfully nominated for his wonderful performance but dear readers, he would not have had that performance to deliver without the film's Co-Writer/Director Ryan Coogler and leading actors Michael B. Jordan and Tessa Thompson--all of whom are Black. Their omissions were insulting to say the least.

What of "Straight Outta Compton," also universally praised and incidentally the highest grossing musical biopic of all time plus being the highest grossing film made by a Black Director, was fully shut out save for one sole nod in the Best Original Screenplay category. There is just no conceivable way to justify how the film itself, plus Director F.  Gary Gray and actors Corey Hawkins (as Dr. Dre) and especially, the wonderful Jason Mitchell (as Eazy-E) were left out entirely. Hollywood essentially said "Bye, Felicia!" to the entire enterprise, which was indeed one of 2015's finest films by a mile.

What of the sharp, sly and hugely entertaining indie satire "Dope" from Writer/Director Rick Famuyiwa and starring Shameik Moore, Kiersey Clemons and Zoe Kravitz? Not even one mention.

And while Spike Lee's "Chi-Raq" would never have stood a chance in Oscar's eyes, that film did make it's arrival in 2015 and aside from being Lee's best film in 15 years, it was an audacious, pulverizing feature loaded end to end with Black talent in front of and behind the camera and again, to ignore absolutely ALL of that talent just makes me angry. Like the old joke about how films concerning the Holocaust will automatically receive nominations, I am wondering if films about Black people--but ones that are relegated to the past and involving our subjugation and enslavement rather than our present, which involves tales of empowerment--will be the only ones that Oscar will take notice of. People may complain about Hollywood's supposed liberalism. But trust me, they ain't that liberal.

This batch of nominations and omissions almost makes me not want to watch the show this year...almost....

SCREAM: a review of "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2"

"THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY-PART 2"
Based upon the novel Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Screenplay Written by Peter Craig and Danny Strong
Directed by Francis Lawrence
***1/2 (three and a half stars)
RATED PG 13

I have to say that I really wasn't exactly holding my breath to see this film.

Dear readers, you have heard me go on more than enough about my personal fatigue with the excess amount of sequels, prequels, reboots, remakes and re-imaginings that have permeated our theaters. And to add to that list would be the extended, multi-chapter "final" installments of serialized films, which began admirably with the "Harry Potter" film series but, as these things go, have been abused for solely financial gains as we have seen with the "Twilight" series, and most egregiously with Peter Jackson's downright unnecessary and mercenary three film series of the one novel known as The Hobbit.

With the cinematic adaptations of Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games trilogy, I felt that these films began at a high point with Director Gary Ross' initial installment from 2012 and even ascended to greater heights with Director Francis Lawrence's "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" (2013). Yet, by the time we reached the third and final book in the series to adapt for the silver screen, here we went again to a more financially driven decision to cleave one volume into two parts, which by most accounts of those who have read the original novel, have all informed me that this could have easily worked as one film (By the way, I have read the first two novels but not the final one as I just did not respond well to Collins' prose style.)

When I did see Lawrence's "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 1" (2014), I did feel severely let down by the proceedings. While it was overall a film of value with challenging, thought provoking content and it did indeed improve over the course of its running time, the entire enterprise did feel to be nothing more than a place holder, the wheel-spinning preamble for the inevitable war film to come. And that is where I found myself at my most disheartened, because if there as anything that I just didn't need to see even one more time was yet another "chosen one" mythology storyline leading up to a war driven finale filled with soulless, bombastic CGI effects from end to end and all signifying absolutely nothing. Frankly, I've seen it all before and better and what was really the point of going through it all over again?

That said, and feeling that since I had traveled this far into the story, I once again plunked down my hard earned money for a ticket and to my surprise, the film not only demonstrated a supreme rebound in quality from the turgid third installment, Francis Lawrence's "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2," delivered a finale that was an impassioned, often wrenching and ultimately sobering ode to the nature and consequences of war, especially in a world of "eye for an eye" politics and inhumane grandstanding. Now that we have reached the conclusion, "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2," much like the first two episodes of this series, proved itself to be a better, stronger and more thought provoking series than it had any right to be and the rewards are all ours as a result. This indeed was a grand finale.

"The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2" opens just moments after the conclusion of the third film with the rescue of the captured, tortured and now brainwashed Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) from the Capitol and the clutches of the tyrannical President Snow (Donald Sutherland) as well as the evisceration of District 12, the home of our heroine, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), the former "Girl On Fire" now known as the titular "Mockingjay," the symbol of the revolution against Snow.

After surviving an assassination attempt, and desiring only to kill President Snow herself, Katniss sneaks away from the rebels' underground compound led by President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore) to join the squadron, which includes Gale (Liam Hemsworth), Finnick (Sam Clafin), Cressida (Natalie Dormer) and even a manacled and not fully recovered Peeta (due to his intimate first-hand knowledge of the Capitol) among others on their march through the booby trapped streets to invade the Capitol. Yet, unbeknownst to Katniss and her friends, President Coin has her own duplicitous plans underway to not only usurp power from Snow but doing so in a way that will completely undermine Katniss's mission to end the tyranny of this fascist regime as well as endanger Katniss' life and the future of Panem.

As promised, Francis Lawrence's "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2" is indeed a war film but thankfully, it is not the CGI overload that I was fearing the film would become. After a somewhat sluggish opening (which really is inexcusable considering the slog of the entire third film), Lawrence keeps his film urgently paced with mounting tension and presented with many sequences of furious intensity. I especially loved the sections set just above and within the depths of the Capitols' sewer system, where our heroes are confronted by attacking Peacekeepers, a sea of deadly black tar, an army of mutated creatures called "mutts" and even heated lights that incinerate upon contact. As Katniss and crew encounter one death defying trap after another, there were points when the film recalled for me nothing less than the heights set by Director James Cameron's "Aliens" (1986).

Even with all of that pulse pounding action and even more that follows, I was surprised and pleased by the level of restraint Lawrence offered to the proceedings by having many sequences of quiet, demonstrating that "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2" will be a war film not showered in ear shattering sound, CGI frenzy and hollow fury but a war that is depicted as moving forwards in laborious inches--emotionally and psychologically as well as physically. Really, just regard the sights we witnessed in both Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug" (2013) and even disastrously worse, "The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies" (2014), compare them with what Francis Lawrence has delivered and you will certainly notice a marked difference in quality, intention, and execution. Instead of having Katniss and her crew just running around in circles, Lawrence ensured that his war film will carry a rightful weight making Katniss and the rebels' attempts to overtake the Capitol on foot would exist as a step-by-step siege unto itself, and one where the nature and consequences of war are never disregarded.

Now, at the outset of this review, I mentioned that "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2" was better than it really had any right to be, a sentiment that I have expressed for the first two films in this series as well. This may not make that much sense initially, but hopefully, the following explanation will clear up matters. While watching, I was reminded of a criticism that I had seen in several reviews where there were complaints that the film was relentlessly dark and terribly grim. To that perception, I offer a gobsmacked, "Well...yeah!" because it should be relentlessly dark and terribly grim!

While the entire "Hunger Games" series is set within the realms of dystopian science fiction, what sets it apart from the likes of "Star Wars," "The Lord of The Rings," and the "Harry Potter" series is that where those collections all live within fantasy, "The Hunger Games" is presented as allegory. What else has this series been but an indictment of political fascism and oligarchical society as driven by the big business of war and a fear based power structure designed to keep the masses at bay and entirely subjugated? What else has this series been but a condemnation of the wealthy power structure who recklessly and heartlessly make the decisions to send children to die in war and how the media had been utilized as a tool for propaganda based messages to misinform, confuse and even terrify the public at large? What else is this series saying other than the quotation attributed to Catholic historian, politician and writer Lord Acton: "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men."  

Because of these clear, passionate messages from the source material of Suzanne Collins' novels, it would have been a tremendous mistake to transform her story into edge-of-our-seat popcorn films. These movies have to be relentlessly grim for we are dealing with a story where children are being forced to murder each other on live television at the beginning and now engaged with fighting and dying for their own emancipation at the end. It is a story where we are asked to seriously contemplate what it means when the government is conspiring against you rather than representing the will of its constituents. It is a story that criticized totalitarianism while it also explores the shifting sands of rebellion and revolution, suggesting that we are all pawns in a much larger and more sinister "game," and therefore, no one's hands are clean...not even Katniss' whose own agenda carries deadly consequences, to which she must perform her own soul searching should she retain any sense of humanity within an inhumane world.

Francis Lawrence, his writers, his crew and his entire cast, again led beautifully and brilliantly by Jennifer Lawrence (and even an especially strong Josh Hutcherson), pay strict attention to all of those concepts and ideas, making sure that "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2" never becomes a cinematic thrill ride. This is a sobering, painful film that unleashes profound tragedy, a haunting conclusion and rightfully so, for in this world there is no safe place and any potential for peace arrives at a high cost. In fact, I think the film even questions the concept of peace itself by wondering aloud if it is something that can ever be found in a world that has already been so disastrously compromised and abused. These are not the themes to be found within a straightforward popcorn movie and thankfully, the filmmakers adhered to Collins' original vision and not to any desires of the Hollywood bean counters who are already attempting to find ways to keep those "Hunger Games dollars" flowing even further with potential prequels. And what is this that I have read about some sort of "Hunger Games" theme park, of all things? Clearly those people have no idea whatsoever of the story being told. And none of those ideas are remotely worthy of our time and dollars, so let us not give them any credence.

With "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2," the series has concluded upon a high note. It was a series, due to the mistake of separating the final chapter into two parts, threatened to voyage from a blood curdling scream to a muted whisper but with this final installment, Francis Lawrence ensured that the story, the characters and the literary vision of Suzanne Collins returned to its passionate scream.

And scream it did at full throated volume and also with thought, compassion, and the deepest sense of humanity.