Ace's High: Review of Molly's Game

Molly's Game

Director: Aaron Sorkin

By Alex Watson

Aaron Sorkin's first time behind the lens is certainly an entertaining one. Molly's Game has plenty of visual and narrative trickery to make it a slick and engaging drama. Although Sorkin shows promise, this movie doesn't quite have the winning hand needed. There is great tension and intrigue in the gambling world that Molly Bloom immersed herself in and a typically strong Jessica Chastain gives this tale a boost.

Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain) is a former skier who has recently moved to Los Angeles. Quickly she finds a job working for a douchey Hollywood executive who asks her to organize a weekly poker night. Immediately she discovers a knack for running game night's and soon she attains a big celebrity clientele. However, her ascent to becoming a 'poker princess' will lead to her eventually crossing into illegal territory.

Molly's Game is a movie that clearly respects and admires its subject. In a breathless and enrapturing opening, we meet Molly as a member of the U.S Ski Team attempting to qualify for the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics. When she is injured, she has to rethink her career path and this is what leads her towards the poker world. Bloom soon emerges as a contender with both the savvy and smarts to build an empire. At first, she lives by a tight moral code as she refuses to accept payment and stays away from gambling herself. The early heyday is where the movie is at its strongest and Sorkin builds a great interest in not only how the game functions but the methods Molly uses to stay ahead. The movie moves back and forth between past and present to when Molly is being charged for her alleged involvement with the Russian mafia. Attorney Charlie Jaffrey (Idris Elba) is now faced with a near-impossible task of keeping her out of prison.

To keep her out of the big house, Molly must reveal what she knows to the US government. Keeping her cards close, she refuses to fold under pressure. This leads to verbal jousting between her and Charlie as her attorney mentally digests her decision to keep silent. There are some interesting aspects to Molly's backstory such as her fractured relationship with her psychologist father (An underused Kevin Costner). Her rise in the gambling world is what keeps this movie at the table and although she becomes vastly wealthy, she often rubs others the wrong way. Falling foul of high rolling celebrity Player X (Michael Cera) forces her to relocate to New York which is where her downfall begins. The problem that Sorkin faces midway is sustaining interesting and upping the already high stakes. Unfortunately, despite some unpredictable storytelling, this movie is unable to lift itself to where it needs to be.

The third act of Molly's Game is where the game beings to fold. Sorkin is keen to point out that Molly is very much a victim of having her success abused by wealthy men. What Molly Bloom achieved is nothing short of remarkable, but Sorkin seems to be unclear in what sort of reaction he wants from his audience? Because of this indecision, the wanted fireworks are never released during the film's finale. The scenes between Molly and Charlie are often enthralling but seem to lack a special something to make them memorable. Sorkin's movie desperately wants to be a classic poker movie and so far, it is definitely the best modern movie about playing cards. As much as we want it to be an award's contender it cannot bluff like a pro.

Jessica Chastain proves she is one of the Hollywood's elite talents with yet another powerhouse turn. As Molly Bloom, she is strong, smart and has plenty of moxie to boot. Showing this character as one weary from her time riding high, Chastain peals away the layers of this character to reveal who deep her conflict runs. Already an award's favourite, you can expect Chastain's name to appear constantly come Oscar time. Idris Elba, unfortunately, is stuck in a less weighty role as Charlie. Reduced to just shouting constantly, his presence does inspire some great scenes with Chastain. Sadly, this character is drastically underwritten so any potential effects are lost.

Molly's Game shows that Aaron Sorkin can walk the walk behind the lens as well as on paper. With time, our favourite writer could be something special!

The Final Frontier: Review of Star Trek Beyond

Star Trek Beyond

Director: Justin Lin

By Alex Watson

Star Trek Beyond is a fun and entertaining ride, but nonetheless, there are bumps during this voyage. After the backlash of Into Darkness, new director Justin Lin along with co-writers Simon Pegg and Doug Jung have paid close attention to fans criticisms. Confining the action mainly to the Enterprise crew being stranded on an uncharted planet stays true to the origins of Roddenberry. Director Lin has been a fine replacement for the departing Abrams and shows his flair for the exciting during the fine set pieces. The Enterprise may stray off course in places, but such mistakes can be forgiven.

James T Kirk (Chris Pine) is still debating his place in the world and his lengthy time in space makes him wonder if he still wants to be captain? When the Enterprise receives a distress call from deep space, the crew are suddenly ambushed by the vengeful Krall (Idris Elba), a creature who is out for Federation blood. Stranded on a foreign planet in the Nebula, Kirk and crew must navigate carefully to ensure their safety.

Star Trek Beyond is just a slice of good fun, it doesn't concern itself with overthinking its sometimes sloppy plot and just seeks to entertain. One major plus is that Lin gives the adequate screen to time to Spock (Zachary Quinto), Bones (Karl Urban) and Scotty (Simon Pegg) who each have given this franchise its humour and heart. Reduced to being little more than cameos in Into Darkness, in this installment, they show just how vital they are to this ship. Spock and Bones, in particular, make a fine double act when facing unstable odds together. Facing certain death together, Spock suddenly is teleported cue the doctor grumbling "Well that's just typical!" To a degree, this picture is all about characters wrestling with their demons, Kirk is still haunted by the memory of his late father and is pondering his next move. Spock is considering abandoning Star Fleet due to the death of someone particularly close to him- his loyalty conflicts with his determination to serve his fallen Vulcan's.

However, despite this being a thrilling outing this picture loses points due to a rather flat and underwritten villain. Krall looks the part and his cold-blooded and ruthlessness does excite during his daring first attack. Watching the Enterprise trying every manoeuvre in the manual to try and get away is vintage Lin and the resigned look on Kirk's face as he watches his beloved ships plunge into the depths is heartbreaking. Before long, the inconsistencies in Krall's character show through and this is the one place where Pegg and Jung's script becomes unstuck. We get that he hates the Federation, but for what reason exactly? When the big reveal happens our reaction is more one of confusion that shock. Also, this will lead to a series of questions about how precisely does he keep changing his look? Krall might have some fine monologues, but he lacks any plausible threat.

The action taking place in Star Trek: Beyond makes this worth the price of admission. One sequence guaranteed to thrill is during Krall daring attack on Star Fleet base Yorktown. Without giving too much away- Sabotage by the Beastie Boys is guaranteed to be featuring on many iPods on the way home. The addition of Nebula native Jaylah (Sofia Boutella) works wonders during the movie's middle sequence as her tech wizardry gives us the movies stand out sequence. Seeing Kirk riding an old style bike gives us a Great Escape style nostalgia as through Jaylah's clever device they execute a bold rescue on Krall's camp. Lin's picture might not be perfect, but he has recaptured the wit and the joyful feel that made the 2009 reboot so memorable. Kirk is firmly back in the captain's chair again and hopefully, any kinks will be fixed for the next installment.

Chris Pine once again is the standout and he has come to be the perfect choice as the conflicted Kirk. Showing us a cocky boy who has grown into a tough and assertive man, Kirk may still be a restless soul, but Pine gives him so much charm it is hard to notice. Zachary Quinto again show us just what depth he can add to Spock, here we see his more human side coming through as he feels regrets coming through and begins to wonder if his future lies with his friends? As Krall, Idris Elba is utterly wasted in a flat bad guy role. An actor able to conjure up menace at the drop of a hat (his voice alone in Jungle Book was terrifying), Elba is given little to do other than giving threatening speeches. Krall should have been a more physical and clever monster, instead, we are given a creature whose intentions make no sense.

Star Trek Beyond picks this franchise right back up, hopefully, Justin Lin will be there for any future outings because this is one commander Enterprise desperately needed.

Keep Swimming: Review of Finding Dory

Finding Dory

Director: Andrew Stanton

By Alex Watson

You always forget what emotional experiences Pixar movies can be and how often they seem to always triumph with sequels. Finding Dory is no exception and wonderfully conjures up what was so magic about the first experience and also adds a new poignant emotion that new animated studios offer. Once more dazzling our eyes, this whole adventure feels like a fresh and new swim through the ocean. All the while director Andrew Stanton also makes us think hard about the notion of family and longing to be reunited.

Blue tang fish Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) has begun to recover memories of her old life with her mother Jenny (Diane Keaton) and her father Charlie (Eugene Levy). She was separated from her family as a child and has been searching ever since. When suddenly it hits her that her family lives in California she along with her long-suffering friend Marlin (Albert Brooks) and his son Nemo (Hayden Rolance) set out on another across ocean adventure. Along the way, they will become acquainted with slippery Squid Hank (Ed O'Neill).

Breathe easy (without gills) Pixar fans, Finding Dory lays fresh new ground and doesn't make any of your fond Finding Nemo memories feel trodden on. Starting with a poignant and gut wrench introduction to Dory's early life and her separation from her parents, the hardest heart will melt into a pool of water. Happily settled into her over and over again routine with Marlin where she literally tries his patience, one day her mind reawakens an old memory that makes her world change. Remember she has a family makes her set out to find them but more than that she needs to discover the hows and whys that left her lost and stranded. This is more of a movie of self-discovery than about recovering the past.

Across the ocean (aided by old Nemo favourite Crush the turtle) Dory's adventures takes to the Marine Institute of California (complete with Sigourney Weaver voiceover). While quarantined, she crosses paths with Squid Hank, who is desperate to be sent to a Cleveland aquarium rather than be released into the ocean. The trip through the park is like a mini odyssey in itself as the duo cross paths with a struggling beluga whale Bailey (Ty Burrell) and a near-sighted whale shark (Kaitlin Olson). Best of all are a pair of boisterous sea lions (Idris Elba and Dominic West) who aide Marlin in his quest to find his lost friend. Although the road is bumpy and wet, Dory and Hank strike up and unusually close friendship and it appears the trickster may have more heart than we think (three hearts in fact).

What really scores Finding Dory big points is Stanton's expert handling of the emotional content. Our hearts go through the grinder as each little bit of hope both whithers and dies. Dory is desperate to find her way home but there is a firm lack of closure throughout and a part of us wonders will a happy ending be in store? While it may not elevate itself above Up or Inside Out in terms of storytelling, this picture is a realistic depiction of the horrors children and adults experience someone goes missing. The main element to this tale is about Dory's finding herself again, part of her feels guilty for losing herself in the first place due to her short term memory loss and she is determined to retrace her steps. Her constant in and out memory is smartly not made the butt the films jokes and instead it is a firm message about a child feeling stranded and alone in this world.

Ellen DeGeneres has proven the perfect choice and her chatterbox persona has suited this blue tang like a glove. Impressively she is at ease with the heavier side of this character and effortlessly convinces during the movies sadder content. Albert Brooks reminds us just what a fine voice actor he is (Just watch his Simpsons appearances) and Marlin is the type of overly cautious yet big-hearted character he was born to play. As Hank, Ed O'Neill threatens to steal the picture out from under the two leads with a confident yet neurotic turn. Hank desires to live in a tank for the rest of his life, but Dory might just help him overcome his fear of the ocean.

Finding Dory might just prove to be the big summer competition for Captain America: Civil War and offers the first glorious family offering the year. No one does magic like Pixar and unless animation stops entirely they are unbeatable!

Jungle Boogie: Review of The Jungle Book

The Jungle Book

Director: Jon Favreau

By Alex Watson

While it might be as iconic as its predecessor, Jon Favreau's adaptation of The Jungle Book is still a beautiful filmed and fun ride. Getting the casting spot on for this tale was essential and through the talents of Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, and a ferocious Idris Elba, Rudyard Kipling's creatures are brought to life in spectacular fashion. Alongside having the entertainment element clamped down, Favreau also adds a more emotional core to this ride that stays with you.

Mowgli (Neel Sethi) is a boy-cub who has been raised by a pack of wolves since birth. His panther friend Bagheera (Ben Kingsley) worries for his safety and his Wolf father Akela (Giancarlo Esposito) is frustrated with his inability to run with the pack. The boy cub's life becomes endangered when the man-eating tiger, Shere Khan comes lusting for his flesh. Trying to escape his world and find a home where he belongs will take him into the path of fun-loving bear Baloo (Bill Murray).

Returning to Kipling's world was sneered upon at first when The Jungle Book reboot was announced. Well, it appears the doubters were wrong because Favreau creates an animal world so real you'll believe animals really can talk. Mowgli is seen scrambling across rocks, climbing cliffs to steal honeycombs and in one breathtaking sequence, falling down a cliff with water buffalo. The lurking menace of Shere Khan is cranked up to the max to the extent where he becomes the main attraction. During the Water Truce segment at the Peace Rock (a chapter missing from the 1967 film), you can almost taste the blood on his lips and fury bubbling beneath that scarred face. Khan means not only harm to this boy but he will kill anyone who stands in his way consume him. The sense of belonging gives the film a needed heart as Mowgli struggles to understand is place in the world

Thankfully Favreau says true to the spirit of the movie and gives us what we loved about the characters of old. Bagheera is very much the wise yet overly cautious Panther torn between giving Mowgli over the man world or playing protector to him. Baloo is a mellow and laid back soul who uses Mowgli as both friend and unpaid worker in his quest to get fed. Kaa (Scarlett Johansson) is a slippery and entrancing nemesis whose soft and gentle voice fools even the best of us. Christopher Walken almost steals the show as we get an impressive new spin on King Louie. In this piece he the last of the Gigantopithecus, who sits on a throne with a sizeable amount of treasure and fruit either side. In this, he is a large and slightly unsettling presence who you might think twice about when he says "I wanna make a deal with you!"

Yes "I Wanna Be Like You" and "Bare Necessities" make an appearance but in this picture they feel a little unnecessary. Through the vocals of Walken and Murray, we want to feel transported back to that old magical Disney era but here they feel just added on for old time sake.  The dangers of the jungle, in particular, the nerving Kaa sequence make this a more frightening journey than was needed. When the journey like this is very entertaining such issues are minor ones and Favreau gives us a visually arresting world that it more than we could have expected. Doing this tale as a live action film could have backfired, but it has sufficient charm and love poured into it that it is unthinkable to imagine it any other way.

The cast for this movie is perfectly done and it is impossible to imagine anyone else but Bill Murray as Baloo. Listening to his easy-going charm, you can almost see Murray on a lazy afternoon lying in the jungle with you. Ben Kingsley is also excellent as the authoritative Bagheera who becomes Mowgli's surrogate father throughout, A real presence on screen, Kingsley's voice alone has a commanding feel. Lupita Nyong'o has the most heartfelt role as adoptive Wolf mother Raksha and you can feel the motherly love wherever you look in this film. The real star turn belongs to Idris Elba as the cunning and dangerous Shere Khan. Inject a subtle menace along with a mad obsession, the Luther star is simply electric. There should be Oscars for voice acting alone after this performance.

Forget about your worries fans, The Jungle Book is as fun a ride as you can remember. Jon Favreau has recaptured our love for this old tale and few reboots can wish to be as success as this one. It seems you can teach an old jungle new tricks.

Animal Farm: Review of Zootopia

Zootopia

Directors: Brian Howard and Rich Moore

By Alex Watson

A story that only Disney could have brought to life, Zootopia is a the kind of fun experience we only get once a year. Setting the story in a world where animals reign supreme free of human interaction is more than just a novelty effect. Directors Howard and Moore have the cute factor pinned down easily, but it is a thoughtful piece about problems that can arise from having predator and prey co-existing. This is a Disney movie with a big heart and an animal instinct.

Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) is a small town rabbit who dreams of becoming a police officer. Overcoming the pessimism about her dreams, Judy does achieve her goals and becomes the first ever rabbit police officer. When she reaches the city she realizes that things will be tougher than she could ever imagine. 14 animals have been captured in recent weeks and Chief Bogo (Idris Elba) is keen to have them solved. When Judy begins to investigate, she gets the help of con artist fox Nick Wild (Jason Bateman) who she has previously encountered.

Wonderfully both Howard and Moore don't allow Zootopia to completely revolve around its central concept and focus mainly on the central duo of Judy and Nick. Funny and smart from the very beginning and its animation is a glorious experience. Having the animals walk and talk like humans is a neat touch, as well is have the city is divided into different sectors such as tiny Little Rodentia.  There is also a wonderfully silly feel and co-writes Jared Bush and Phil Johnson have a ball with creating a variety of zany moments. From a painfully realistic DMW run entirely by sloths to a rodent mafia boss, there are laughs to be found everywhere.

Ever since childhood, Judy's less than enthusiastic have trodden on her dreams and encourage like her parents to farm carrots. Through some sheer pluckiness, Judy manages to prove the doubters wrong. When she arrives in Zootopia, Judy is immediately by grumpy buffalo Chief Bogo. The reality of her struggle sets in and she begins to lose hope. Meeting Nick is, at first, a heartbreaking experience for her because due to his trickster nature he turns what a kind act into something horrific. Constantly mocking and second guessing Judy, enlisting his help is a risk as foxes are mistrusted heavily. Together this unlikely pair works likes a charm and as they begin to work together a genuinely sweet and trusting friendship is born.

What is smart about Zootopia is the issues it tackles underneath such as racism and stereotyping. Predators and prey have existed peacefully for a long period of time but there is still an air of mistrust hanging in the air. Nick himself has become a con man due to some horrific prejudice growing up while Judy is pigeonholed as the typical 'cute bunny' by her co-workers. These heavy tones are handled with care and by subtly sliding them into the plot it makes the central mystery all the more stronger. Without giving too much away, the big reveal close to the end is thought provoking one and makes us think twice about this animal kingdom Disney has created.

The voice pairing of Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman is a dream and together they are movies core. Goodwin makes good use of the saccharine likeability of Judy but also gives her a hard shell that protects her from the blows of the world. Bateman makes good use of Nick and makes him into the most slippery friend/nemesis you could wish to have. The perfect flavor of sugar and spice, the pair makes this journey through this amazing world even more memorable. Idris Elba also raises a laugh as the continually soured faced Bogo, especially when secretly playing the app created by singer Gazelle (voiced by Shakira).

One of 2016's most worthwhile experiences and Disney has created something truly special. Sporting some stunning CGI and address some important points, few animated movies this year will match this.

3 March Movie Picks

Chappie

District 9 maestro Neill Blomkamp returns with another compelling piece which looks to not only continue his great visual eye, but could well capture out hearts! Chappie (voiced by Sharlto Copley) is a robot designed by Deon Wilson (Dev Patel) and is designed to evolve and feel human emotions. But not everyone is thrilled by this concept, including Vincent (Hugh Jackman) and soon Chappie is fighting back against the forces that want to see him destroyed! Knowing Blomkamp this will be another experience to remember!

Release Date: March 6th

The Gunman 

Sean Penn is a man with a grudge this month in Pierre Morel's movie and from the action on display, this could mean lethal results! Martin Terrier (Penn) is an renowned operative who wants nothing more than to quit the game and settle down with his lover. But his organization appears to have other ideas and force him to go on the run! With a supporting cast including Javier Bardem, Idris Elba and Ray Winstone, the quality in this movie is high! Penn isn't known for this sort of role and love or hate the man, he sure has that presence.

Release Date: March 20th 

A Little Chaos

Alan Rickman makes a rare venture behind the camera for his French Renaissance drama piece. Set during the time of King Louis XIV (Alan Rickman), lady gardener Sabine (Kate Winslet) is hired to design a fountain for his majesty. But finds herself roughing feathers when she catches the eye of married socialite Andre La Note (Matthias Schoenaerts) to which society takes an all too close eye to! After wowing audiences at TIFF 2014, it appears this movie has hyped to be believed.

Release Date: March 27th