Masterminds Review

Masterminds Review

The funniest part of Masterminds was when one of the two people with me in the theater walked out in the middle of the movie and never came back. That should tell you something right there. Masterminds is an incredibly stupid film that doesn't really do many things right. It’s not funny, insightful, romantic, or entertaining. It is just a giant waste of time which is a shame because of all the talent involved with the film. However, sometimes it takes some truly talented people to make a truly terrible movie.

Our story is loosely base on the real life Loomis Fargo Robbery in North Carolina, 1997. It focuses on David Scott Ghantt (Zach Galifianakis) who is one of the best employees in Loomis Fargo. However one day Kelly Campbell (Kristen Wiig), who David has a crush on, asks David for help to rob from Loomis Fargo because he works there. He says yes after she seduces him. Lead by Steve Chambers (Owen Wilson), David and the gang steal 17 million dollars and after that crazy hijinks issues. 

What is really disappointing is the waste of talent. Every character in this movie is either annoying or incomprehensibly stupid. I like Zach Galifianakis but in this movie he has maybe the worst southern accent I have ever heard and for some reason he has the haircut of Benny Andersson from ABBA. Also, David is really hard to root for because he stupidly follows the robbery plan and for one second doesn't think about how this might not end up badly for him. I understand that he was blinded by love but it was pretty obvious that he was being manipulated and anyone could have figured that out. Kelly is pretty unlikable because she is manipulating David’s emotions so she and Steve can get some money. I might have been able to understand her better if we could understand why she is manipulating David but I don't think she has a very good reason. Kate McKinnon plays David’s fiancé and acts in a very mellow and creepy way like she is about to kill someone. It honestly comes across more unsettling than funny or entertaining. Leslie Jones plays a police officer and is barely is in the film. I will say that Owen Wilson is pretty decent as Steve Chambers and I even like Jason Sudeikis as the bounty hunger Mike McKinney. However like many of the characters in the movie they make unbelievably stupid decisions. There is even a twist about Mike McKinney that will make you want to facepalm yourself.

Throughout the film we see a romance developing between David and Kelly. However, it seems that this romance is based on the fact that David thinks Kelly is hot and rebellious. I also think the filmmakers want us to want these two to get together based on the fact that David’s fiancé is a creep. So when there were dramatic scenes between the two characters I really did not care. 

All of this would be acceptable if the movie was funny but it wasn’t. We get fart jokes, sex jokes, poop jokes, pop culture jokes, genitalia jokes, hair jokes, and Mexican stereotype jokes and none of them are funny. Most of the jokes are lazy, easy, and bottom of the barrel gags. There are even long stretches in the film in which there isn't a joke and you just sit there and get bored.

I get the feeling that the filmmakers were trying to make a film sorta in the vein of something like the Wolf of Wall Street. A film in which we watch greedy and manipulative people get money and success, and laugh at their shenanigans. However, that film works because it naturally showed us how greed and the American way made the characters power-hungry and insane, which would lead to some drama and some comedy. In Masterminds, I think it’s trying to do the same thing except that this movie would throw in unfunny gags which feel unnatural and forced.

I did like some things in this movie. Like I said earlier, I like Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis. There are even some scenes in which I chucked in, like a scene with Jason Sudeikis and a gun. However, overall Masterminds is a terrible film with really stupid and annoying character that we don't care about and mostly unfunny jokes. Humor is subjective and if you think this is your kind of movie then I guess I can’t stop you. Even though there are much better things to do than see this movie. All I can say is that even though the movie is called Mastermind, it definitely was not made by masterminds.

Grade: D-

The Beatles: Eight Days A Week Review

The Beatles: Eight Days A Week Review 

What can be said about the Beatles that hasn't been said already? They are the greatest and most influential artist of all time and have sold more albums than anybody else. Artists from U2, to Wu Tang Clan, to Ed Sheeran have all claimed that the Beatles were a huge influence on them. Songs like All You Need is Love and Hey Jude are still as popular now as they were when they first came out. They are one of the only bands in which most people can name each of the four members: John, Paul, George, and Ringo. To many and to me The Beatles are bigger than music, they are a part of our lives. So as a huge Beatles fan myself I was excited to see this film. However what this documentary does is focus on an aspect of the Beatles that is really hard to capture, the perspective of the Beatles as a whole. Being a Beatle sounds like a dream come true but after you watch this you see what being a member of the Beatles is truly like. The film is enlightening, exciting, and is a must watch for Beatles fans and even for people who have never heard of the Beatles.

The film was directed by Ron Howard who has directed films like Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind. This is his second music documentary as he previously directed the documentary Jay-Z: Made in America. While Ron Howard isn’t considered to be documentary filmmaker he does a wonderful job and seems to really understand the Beatles. 

In my opinion, the best aspect of the documentary is how we get the perspective of the Beatles: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. The film mainly focuses on the Beatles from 1963 to 1966 which is considered the height of Beatles popularity or Beatlemania. Throughout the film, we get video footage, pictures, and audio of each of the Beatles that gives the audience the feeling of chaos and pressure that the Beatles must have felt. We see the Beatles going through a quick cycle of doing TV appearances, concerts, clubs, and writing songs as the Beatles are becoming more popular. At one point they are doing 25 concerts in 30 days and have to go through the cycle in a single day. Ron Howard gives us this perspective visually by making most of the frames of the Beatles and audiences at a close up shot to show how confined the Beatles were to the cycle. We also see the audiences grow and get crazier throughout the film to level that nobody had ever seen. In one scene we learn that 7,000 concert-goers rushed the stage during of the Beatle’s concerts and many people had to go to the hospital. We see plenty of girls screaming and fainting throughout the film. Then we find out that the Beatles have to perform in stadiums with the humongous and uncontrollable crowds the Beatles are getting. It results in the concerts being so loud that the Beatles can’t even hear themselves. I think a lot of credit has to go to sound mixer who is able to let us hear the loudness and insanity of fans while also letting us hear the music. This all leads up to the climax of the film at Shea Stadium in which the Beatles perform in front of 55,600 people which is the biggest and loudest concert the Beatles have ever performed. Ringo even said he had to look at John Lennon’s butt to keep in rhythm. This would eventually lead to the Beatles, especially George, to get sick of touring.  

We also see the Beatles grow and develop as a band. At the beginning, we see the Beatles as a scrappy band from Liverpool, England. Then we introduced to two important figure in the Beatles story, Brian Epstein and George Martin. Brian Epstein was the one who visioned the Beatles as a classy band and George Martin was the one who disciplined them in the studio while also letting them be themselves. We also see this evolution through the Beatles music. As Beatlemania is happening we see the band start writing songs with more simple lyric as they would have less time to write songs. We also get audio of them performing in the studio which was their escape from their tours. Then we see the Beatles experiment with drugs and make more personal songs like Help. Near the end, as the Beatles get sick of doing the same music over and over again, we see the Beatles mix with different sounds and even change their look with Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Near the end of the movie see the Beatles escape their clean image by making an album cover of what looks like dead babies and of course John Lennon’s famous “we’re more popular than Jesus” statement. We also see that the Beatles got closer touring because they could related and stick with each other. In fact, I think once they stopped touring, the band began to drift apart. 

Then we also have context from fans of the Beatles who were there at the time through interviews. We get interviews from people like Sigourney Weaver and Elvis Costello who were fans of the Beatles. There are also shots that Ron Howard shows from the fans perspective to make you feel like you are watching the Beatles live. 

There is even some historical context put into this movie as well. Near the beginning of the film we are shown that it was a somber time with John F. Kennedy shot in 1963 and with the Vietnam War going on. This gives the viewer context into why people gravitated towards the Beatles cheerful music. We also get context into the Civil Rights Movement of the 60s. What made the Beatles unique for the time is they believed that their concerts should not be segregated. That and their humorous personalities made them universally loved. This is best shown in the interviews with Whoopi Goldberg who say she saw the Beatles as colorless and people who she would want to be friends with. Some people even said they were a menace to society in the film.

If I had a problem with the movie it would be that I would have liked to have explored more about the background of each of the individual Beatles more and what drove them. We get some scenes that do that. There is a scene in which we learn that both John and Pauls mom's died which lead to their strong bond and I would have like more scenes like that. 

Other than that I think this is a great documentary that explores the touring days of the Beatles. I think the title Eight Days a Week is perfect because it shows how the Beatles felt while going on tour. They felt like there were eight days a week for them. This is a much see for any Beatles fan or any fan of movies. Now excuse me while I relax after A Hard Days Night and listen to the Beatles Eight Days A Week.

Grade: A

Sing Street Review

Sing Street Review

Sing Street is a absolutely wonderful film that perfectly captures the spirit and joy of self discovery and the power of music. The movie perfectly is a perfect combination of coming of age, teenage angst, and romance while our main character are discovering how to make music. The film is also a really enjoyable throw back to the 80s. It’s sincere, funny, heartwarming, sad, and profound at the same time. I can’t think of the last movie that I connected with so much. I smiled and laughed throughout the film. When I saw this movie I felt like the main character was me. I usually don't like to throw around the phrase timeless classic but for this movie I think it is appropriate. 

The story is about a boy named Conor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) who live in Dublin in 1985. He is going through a rough time since his parents fighting all the time and he has to go to a Catholic School named Synge Street CBS, where he is picked on and the principle is a humongous jerk. Then Conor meets a girl named Ralphina (Lucy Boynton) who he falls for. To impress her he tells her that he is a part of a band and that he wants her to be in one of their videos. Because of this Conor forms a band with Eamon (Mark McKenna), who Conor writes the songs with, and some other young musicians. He also gets his friend Darren (Ben Carolan) to become the band’s manager. They name the band Sing Street, which is pretty obvious. With the advice of Conor’s older brother Brendan (Jack Reynor) we see throughout the movie Conor and Sing Street evolve as a band. 

The strongest part of the movie is the writing. The movie is written and directed by John Carney who was in a band and understands the perspective of musicians which is shown in his other movies Once and Begin Again. We see this in Sing Street as we see Conor evolve musically and as a character. At the beginning of the movie Conor is a quiet kid who has no identity and lives in a trashy neighborhood. He also is going to school with bullies and an authoritative Principle. He starts a band mainly to impress Ralphina but he can’t sing and can’t write songs. However throughout the movie we see Conor find an identity through the music that his brother Brendan gives him which includes 80’s bands like Duran Duran and the Cure. We also see Sing Street from a band that can't write songs to a band that can write songs in a heartbeat. John Carney also perfectly shows Conor’s creative process as we see him writing lyrics that reflect his life and we see him figuring out the melodies and rhythms with Eamon. My favorite scene in the movie is when Sing Street are performing and Conor imagines them performing in the prom scene from Back to the Future and it perfectly shows Conor’s creativity. That moment perfectly encapsulates how music is a powerful outlet for an artist. 

Another great aspect of Sing Street is the romance. Conor forms Sings Street because of Ralphina and most of the songs he writes are inspired by her. What makes the romance interesting is that they both learn more about each other by being with each other. At the beginning of the movie Conor doesn't know what he is going to do with his life but Ralphina is planning to be a model and go to London with he boyfriend. Then as Conor grows as a musician Ralphina starts to question what she wants.

Each of the actors do a great job at playing their characters. Ferdia Walsh-Peelo does a great job at playing a kid that discovers himself and so does Lucy Boynton as Ralphina. Both have amazing chemistry together. Jack Reynor also does a great job playing Conor’s slacker brother who was once an aspiring musician but now lives his dream through Conor. Aidan Gillen, who is Petyr Baelish from Game of Thrones, plays Conor’s dad and Maria Doyle Kennedy, who is also an Irish Singer, plays Conor’s mom and they both do a great job. The supporting actors do a great job from Don Wycherley as the principal to Mark McKenna as Eamon. 

The most shocking element of the movie is the fact that the songs are really good. Usually in movies like this the band would do cover songs or generic songs. However Sing Street mostly do original songs and they are all really catchy. Some songs will make you dance like Drive It Like You Stole It, some will make you cry like To Find You, and some will make you smile like Up. 

There are also some really funny moments throughout the movie. In one scene Conor is talking to his brother Brendan about Ralphina’s boyfriend. Then Brendan asks Conor what he was listening to and Conor says Phil Collins. Brendan then say he will not be a problem and says “No woman can truly love a man who listens to Phil Collins”. I laughed so hard when I heard this.

I honestly cannot think of any issues with the movie. I think it is a perfect movie. On the surface it looks like a generic coming of age story but with some great acting, writing, directing, and music it becomes something more. The best way to describe this movie is it is a much better version of The Commitments. To me this movie isn't just about the journey of someone who wanted to form a band but a story about someone fulfilling their dream and discovering themselves. I know that sounds cheesy but I think it is something everyone can relate to. I would recommend this movie to anyone, even to people who don't like musicals. Overall I think Sing Street is charming, mesmerizing, and heartwarming movie and it is by far my favorite movie of the year. If you haven't seen it see it right now. Who knows, the movie might make you want to start a band or want to fulfill your dreams. That’s how I felt after seeing this movie.

Grade: A+