The Imitation Game

Written by Clam Sepulveda

(Note:  Clam's thoughts on the film do not necessarily reflect Nolan's thoughts on the film)

Clams' Grade:  A

Let me say that this is the strangest love story I have seen in a while. At first, on the outside, this film is about WWII and the breaking of the Nazi Enigma code. But the subtext goes far beyond the straight up history books we read in school. Now, I am not saying that subtext is a bad thing - seeing that this is based on a true story, I actually feel a little more informed, surprised and knowledgeable about history. Benedict Cumberbatch jumps from fire breathing dragon into a character with multiple layers and does it with great talent. Being the kind of reviewer that does not do a great deal of research into the plot of a movie - never reading another reviewers paragraphs and paragraphs of plot spoilers - I was pleasantly surprised that this movie was not completely what I expected. The Imitation Game should definitely be on the list for any movie lover this year.

About the Author

Clam writes for The Outlook, a local paper in Newton, NC. He is an actor live theater, film, and television and has been reviewing movies for nearly fifteen years. Some day he hopes to get his big break, and maybe make it to Broadway. Please feel free to e-mail you questions or comments to him HERE.

American Sniper

My Grade:  A-

Let me start my review of this Oscar contender by saying that I am not a big fan of war movies. I don’t know why I’m not and I know that there are a lot of really solid war movies out there. They just aren’t my speed. But, I like Clint Eastwood as a director (Gran Torino is one of my favorites) and I have become a big Bradley Cooper fan since he shed his Hangover persona and has proven himself as one of the more versatile actors in the business today. Then there was the super intense trailer which had me intrigued. But, when American Sniper racked up six Oscar nominations this year, my fate was sealed - I was going to see American Sniper.

If you don’t know, Sniper follows the story of real life Navy Seal sniper Chris Kyle as he racks up kills and saves lives throughout four tours of duty in Iraq. Thankfully, the film also explores his family life during his time in the service and even his psyche after he returns home from the war. These aspects are what add the real emotional meat to the film. Without those parts, this would be just like any other run-of-the-mill war flick. Albeit a very intense and gritty war flick.

Three things make this film a standout. First, the production design is spectacular. Especially during the war scenes, it looks outstanding. You feel like you are watching a real war take place; it’s that convincing. Secondly, the intensity stays amped up to the utmost levels throughout the entire film. Every scene that takes place in Iraq has you on the edge of your seat. Thirdly, and most importantly, Bradley Cooper gives the best performance of his already impressive career. They say acting is about transforming... well, Cooper transformed into Kyle. He also portrays Kyle’s inner struggles (the conundrum of whether to shoot a child or not, being there for his family versus protecting his country, etc.) with a realistic subtlety that breaks your heart at times but always makes you want him to succeed.

This film is not without its problems, though. The biggest being that every other character (besides Kyle) is paper thin. Kyle’s brother seems like a big factor in the story at the beginning, then disappears until he pops up once more for a scene that doesn’t really help the story or the emotional development. He could have been used in a much more powerful way. All of Kyle’s military colleagues serve singular purposes and have weakly crafted backstories that are usually brought up right before they die or get hurt in a thinly veiled attempt to make us care a little more for them before they are ripped from Kyle’s life. Even Kyle’s wife is one dimensional! If there was ever a character that should have some effort put into her backstory, it’s the woman closest to Kyle. She only has one motivation:  keep her husband home with the kids. This singular motivation makes her come off very selfish and even belittling toward her husband (whom she claims to love) at times. The acting, though, is great. The supporting cast doesn’t have much to work with but they all are very believable in their respective roles.

Apart from the weak supporting characters, the film takes a few leaps in time which were a bit jarring for me. It could be because I don’t really know how long a tour of duty is or how long you get between tours but they were off-putting to the extent that once I wasn’t sure the kid Kyle was with was his son. I do, however love the enemy sniper character. He serves as a great foil for Kyle and doesn’t have to say a word to be a powerful character... he speaks with actions (most of those actions being killing folks from ridiculously long distances).

Overall, American Sniper is a solid entry into the war drama canon and deserves much of the praise it has received from critics and the Academy. It really is a shame that the supporting characters aren’t more well-developed, though, because this could be one of the all-time greats if it didn’t suffer from these weak characters. It’s not a film for the feint of heart, though. It portrays graphic violence and even shows a shocking amount of this violence toward children. It’s not just for shock value, though, it works in the film and just makes it that much more powerful.

Zero Dark Thirty

My Grade:  A

It might be hard, but forget all the controversy and debate circling Zero Dark Thirty and it’s still easy to see why it has garnered positive reviews, box office success, and award season buzz. Kathryn Bigelow has been directing little known shorts and features since the late 70s but she really burst into the public eye when she became the first woman to win the highly sought after Best Director Oscar in 2010 for The Hurt Locker. Zero Dark Thirty, her second foray into the portrayal of war in the middle east, solidifies her as a force... in that genre. If her next film branches out of the middle east (which I really hope it does), then we will see if she just has a niche, or if she can handle various kinds of subject matter. Whether she can handle other subject matter or not, though, Zero Dark Thirty is just short of a masterpiece. 

Everyone knows that Zero Dark Thirty is about the epic, lengthy manhunt for the most hated terrorist in recent history:  Osama Bin Laden. It follows Maya (a stoic but intense Jessica Chastain), a CIA operative, and her colleagues as they gather intelligence and risk their lives to take down the big bad Bin Laden. What it’s really about, though, is obsession. It’s a look at a woman who takes on a goal and is so driven to get it done that it almost drives her insane. On second thought, Maya travels far beyond mere obsession.

It’s clear that a lot of research went into making this movie and, whether it’s realistic or not, it certainly feels realistic which is ultimately all that matters to the audience. Nobody knows what really happened when S.E.A.L. Team 6 raided Bin Laden’s stronghold and I don’t think we need to know exactly... but the way Kathryn Bigelow brings it to the screen is possibly the most tense 20 or so minutes that you will experience in a film. “Gripping” and “riveting” are good words to describe the raid scene, but the entire film will keep you on the metaphoric edge of your seat. Nail biters, beware, because this film won’t help if you’re trying to stop.

Jessica Chastain kills it in Zero Dark Thirty. She doesn’t show a ton of emotion throughout the film, but that works for her character and when she does... holy crap, it’s chilling. Especially in a key scene where she gets in her boss’s (Kyle Chandler) face, she will take your breath away. The other standout is Jason Clarke who plays Dan and is called an “animal” by a terrorist captive. That’s a pretty apt description of him at first, until he gets burnt out, but he has some extremely intense scenes and plays with with a detached calm that makes him even more menacing.

In this kind of film, it can be hard to keep tensions high because everyone pretty much knows how it ends (unless you think Bigelow will rewrite history like Tarantino did with Inglorious Basterds), but Zero Dark Thirty does a great job of keeping the stakes high, building up to an intense climax, then closing with a very satisfying, albeit abrupt, ending. The only reason I can’t give this film an A+ is because it’s so heavy that I wouldn’t want to watch it over and over. When the film was over at my screening, the entire audience left in complete silence. That has some to do with the final image (which is perfect, but heavy), and a lot to do with the nature of the film itself. It’s great to watch once, but I’m not sure a lot of people will want to watch it over and over.

Forrest Gump

My Grade:  A-

"Life is like a box of chocolates... you never know what you're gonna get."  "Run Forrest, run!"  These are just two of the classic lines that everyone knows from Robert Zemeckis' landmark film, Forrest Gump (1994).  It stands as one of the most awarded films of all time as the winner of six Academy Awards including Best Actor (Tom Hanks), Best Director (Robert Zemeckis), Best Visual Effects, Best Film Editing, Best Adapted Screenplay (Eric Roth), and Best Picture.  It was also nominated in seven other categories at the Academy Awards, but didn't take those home.  Forrest Gump is also a film which some people find to be amazing while others hate it.  It seems like most highly awarded films are like that, though.

On the surface, Forrest Gump is about its title character and his involvement in many major historic events.  Gump is a simple man with a huge heart... who loves to run.  Throughout the story, he changes peoples lives, saves lives, makes friends, makes enemies, etc. 

The real story, though, has nothing to do with American history.  It has to do with the only thing he loves more than running... Jenny (Robin Wright).  She is the only person that treats Gump decently when he is a child with braces on his legs.  Then they become best friends and Gump falls in love with her.  Throughout his story, Jenny comes and goes, but is always there in his mind.  He loves her so much that he sticks with her through an abusive father, drug addiction, pornographic modeling, suicidal thoughts, etc.  That is the deepest love you may ever see in film.  She claims he doesn't know what love is... she's wrong.

Being nominated for thirteen Academy Awards and winning six of them doesn't mean that a film is great... but it's certainly a start.  Those awards tend to demonstrate how well a movie is made, not necessarily how engaging and entertaining it is.  Forrest Gump, though, is both well-made and entertaining.

The writing is absolutely incredible.  The story has comedy, romance, action, and loads of heart.  This is not only a testament to Eric Roth (screenwriter), but also to Winston Groom who wrote the novel on which the film is based.  The most impressive thing about the writing is how rich the characters are.  As you watch the film, you feel like you have known these characters for years and years (but, you do actually see years and years of their lives... go figure).

Any review of this film would not be complete without mentioning Tom Hanks' stellar performance as Forrest Gump.  He does it all in this film.  He makes you laugh, makes you cry, gets you pumped up, warms your heart... he's great.  He wouldn't have been able to be so great, though, if it weren't for depth of the character he was given.  That goes back to the writing.

This film is not without its problems, though.  There are a few minor characters that don't work all that well, it is a bit too long, and it even gets a little too sentimental at times which fools some people into thinking it is better than it really is.  Overall, it is a wonderful, feel good film that ultimately doesn't take a lot of chances but works very well.