Favorites of 2014- Birdman

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Starring: Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Emma Stone
Directed by:  Alejandro González Iñárritu


Plot Summary: Riggan Thompson is an actor struggling to break free from his early roles in the Birdman superhero films decades earlier. Trying to reinvent himself, Riggan has spent time writing, directing, and starring in a Broadway adaptation of Raymond Carver's short story "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love," but the play has been plagued by issues. Among the issues has been the antics of method actor Mike Shiner, a biased critic who plans to kill the play with her review, Riggan's dysfunctional relationship with his recovering addict daughter and assistant Sam, and Riggan's deteriorating mental health, as he is constantly mocked by the voice of Birdman and believes he has the power of telekinesis and levitation. With so much adversity, Riggan knows he needs to really impress the critics and skeptics on opening night and would do anything to prove he is a serious actor and not just a former superhero.


In early 2015, I achieved a landmark never done before in my years of movie reviewing: I saw all the films that were nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. That's a grand total of 8 films, which I tracked down to my local movie theaters and dragged my poor fiancee in terrible snowy weather to see all of them (you'd think she would've left me for that). All of these were done in about 2 or 3 weeks of each other, and I really have one film to thank for inspiring me: Birdman. I remember my experience VERY vividly. I very rarely embark on seeing the arthouse, independent movies that cinefiles love to chat about, but this one felt different. The reviews and press this movie was getting was phenomenal. Add a phenomenal cast and a concept that speaks to both my inner theatre kid and my love of superhero movies, and I felt I needed to see it as soon as possible. I watched it, I loved it, and I was excited to see it nominated for Best Picture. I was then inspired to watch the other 7 nominees, and I kept going back to how much I was wowed by Birdman. Only ONE of those other 7 movies spoke to me with the same magnitude, which I'll talk about next time. But for now, let's look at the film that started my cinematic odyssey and eventually won the Oscar for Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Picture.

Michael Keaton stars as Riggan Thompson in the performance of his career. I'll say it right now: Keaton was ROBBED at the Oscars. He put his heart and soul into Riggan, with a lot of his character development reflecting how Keaton must've struggled being taken seriously after playing Batman. That really helped him feel at home when he's playing Riggan. My absolute favorite scenes of his are when he's by himself, struggling with the voices in his head. He has to act against himself and creates two different personalities clashing (kind of like a human version of Gollum). Keaton's always been one of my favorite actors, ever since I saw Batman and Beetlejuice, and this role absolutely seals that fact. I hope to see great things from Keaton now that he's bounced back with the success of Birdman.

Keaton's not the only actor to bring it in this film. With an amazing supporting cast, it's easy to say that Birdman was one of the best acted movies of the year. There are so many memorable performances, starting with Edward Norton as method actor Mike Shiner. Shiner is the epitome of a diva in the world of theatre. He's confident in his abilities, but takes it too far. He cares about the performance so much, but potentially sabotages the shows with his antics. Norton really fits this role well, and a lot of that's probably fueled by his reputation in Hollywood of being difficult to work with. Another great performance is Emma Stone as Riggan's daughter Sam. Sam's a very unique character in having two important relationships with the main characters. She has to have a dysfunctional father/daughter relationship with Riggan, while also having a flirty relationship with Shiner. Emma's given a lot to do with the role and makes the most out of her scenes, usually being the one to put certain characters in their place. Naomi Watts also does a great job playing Lesley, an actress struggling with the pressure of being on Broadway for the first time. Her biggest relationship is with Shiner, with them constantly bickering behind the scenes. Even Zach Galifianakis does a good job at playing Riggan's friend Jake. He curses up a storm which is actually pretty hilarious if you've seen him avoid cussing in most of his movie roles.

Looking at this movie at a glance, you may be surprised to know it won Best Cinematography. But look very closely at HOW this film looks. There's something special about it. Figured it out yet? Well, let me ask you this: How long did it take you to realize the film is shot to look like one long take? For me, about 10 minutes in the theater. And when I realized it, my mind was blown and I continued to follow the camera waiting to see if it would cut to anything else. The way the scenes transition and the ways the camera moves throughout the theater, following different plot points and characters is very creative. The camera movement actually helps the pacing of the movie (making two hours go by really quickly) and actually feels like it could be an extra character in all the chaos.

Another fun aspect of Birdman is analyzing all the social commentaries it addresses. Whether its commentaries about summer blockbusters, superhero films, moviegoers, critics, theatre, or anything else, the film is always saying something with a purpose. It's not to be mean, though. It's to say it like it is. I particularly loved listening to the commentaries on how moviegoers hate to see movies about deep conversations and would prefer a film with special effects and explosions. Again, not being mean, just stating the facts. But the irony of it is that the commentary is being expressed DURING a film with deep conversations, featuring a scene with special effects and explosions. To even further the irony of the statement, people DID care about the film with deep conversations since people flocked to the movie theater to see Birdman after hearing about the universal critical acclaim.

So then the big question with Birdman is did it deserve to win Best Picture? My response to that is that it absolutely DESERVED to win Best Picture. It had an excellent screenplay, fantastic directing, a terrific ensemble cast, and a unique framing device for its cinematography. It has all the combined facets that a Best Picture winner should have. However, when looking at my favorite films of 2014, Birdman is my second favorite. It's a close battle for me, but one other film from 2014 was just as enjoyable as Birdman, and is my personal favorite of the year. I'll get to that one next time, but don't let that discourage my thoughts on Birdman. The two films are apples and oranges types of movies, both are instant favorites and worthy of perfect scores from yours truly, but in a life or death (hypothetical) situation, and I had to pick one over the other, then Birdman would ever so politely be put to the side.


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I LOVE this movie. Birdman was a film that threw so many things to me at once and everything just clicked together. The plot, the commentaries, the cast, the cinematography, all of it is phenomenal. Every moviegoer should add this film to their collection immediately to see what everyone's been talking about. This is a film you'll be revisiting over and over again.

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)  and movie images are copyrighted by Fox Searchlight Pictures

Favorites of 2014- Gone Girl

Gone Girl (2014)
Starring: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris
Directed by: David Fincher


Plot Summary: On the day of his fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne returns home to find his wife Amy missing. Being the inspiration for the popular Amazing Amy children's books, Amy's disappearance receives heavy media coverage. Nick begins to display strange behavior that has many suspecting that he murdered Amy. Evidence continues to turn up that make Nick look even more guilty, including proof of financial troubles, a journal that discusses domestic disputes and Amy's constant fear of Nick, and a medical report concluding that Amy was pregnant when she went missing. With Nick also having an affair with one of his students for over a year and planning to divorce Amy on the morning she went missing, things could not look worse for him as the investigations continue. As the clues begin to unravel, Nick must prove his innocence and solve what happened to Amy.


I very vividly remember not knowing much about Gone Girl when it first came out, but being excited to see it all the same. For starters, it's directed by David Fincher, who has provided three instant favorites of mine (Se7en, Fight Club, and The Social Network). Plus, it stars the likes of Ben Affleck (whom I would've been complaining about 10 years ago like everyone else would, but he's since redeemed himself to be a credible actor and filmmaker) and Neil Patrick Harris (who was one of my favorite characters on one of my all-time favorite shows, How I Met Your Mother). The trailers that I had seen painted a compelling mystery that I needed to have solved, a perfect marketing strategy to get people into the theater. While it was based on a bestselling book, I hadn't read it, nor did my research, so I was going into this movie on opening day having no idea what was coming. And boy have I never been happier to walk into a movie with complete ignorance. Gone Girl was an absolutely mind-blowing movie for me to watch. The twists and turns it takes had my questioning the truth and sanity of all its main characters, and I knew when it was over that I had a modern favorite on my hands. So, then fast forward to Oscar season, and this film only had ONE nomination. I felt like there was a great injustice dealt to this film, and it deserved the praise of being nominated for many more awards, including Best Picture. So what do I have to say about the film's strengths that the Academy wouldn't acknowledge?

Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike star as Nick and Amy Dunne. Honestly, it's really hard to talk about these two characters without discussing the major twists that happen in their character development. I won't spoil for anyone who hasn't seen the movie, but trust me when I say they both go through some things that will have you changing your perceptions about them. They both start out as a charming couple, and depending on whose point of view you are watching the film through, you can see different problems for both of them. Nick's development is all through current time in the wake of Amy's disappearance, and a lot of Amy's are through flashbacks and journal entries. Each paints a different perspective that doesn't match up with their spouse's, creating a debate on the viewer to choose which side they believe. But at the end of the day, BOTH of these people are messed up, and they technically "deserve" each other after all they've said and been through.

As if the two leading actors didn't give strong enough performances, Gone Girl has a tremendous supporting cast. This film did two things I never thought I could see: it made me creeped out by Neil Patrick Harris, and it made me interested in something done by Tyler Perry. Harris plays Desi Collings, one of Amy's ex-boyfriends who has a history of being obsessed with Amy. He becomes an easy prime suspect for anyone watching, and the way he looms in the scenery feels something completely unexpected for the man behind the beloved Barney Stinson to do. Although, he still knows how to wear nice suits. As for Perry, he plays the charismatic attorney Tanner Bolt. The man has a great eye for representing his clients, and knows what can make or break Nick's public image. He serves as the much needed dose of logic and reality that Nick could've used at the beginning of the investigation, while his zingers also help bring some much needed humor to this overall dark and twisted narrative.

But the great performances don't end there. There's also Carrie Coon, who plays Nick's twin sister Margo. Margo also adds humor, but in the more sarcastic and serious manner you would expect a sibling to display in this type of situation. And leading out the cast is Kim Dickens as Detective Rhonda Boney, the lead investigator on Amy's disappearance. She's a fascinating character who is both an ally and enemy of Nick's depending on how the investigation unfolds. Her main loyalty is justice, so she will go at any lengths to find Amy and prove whether Nick is innocent or guilty.

Like many great plot twists, Gone Girl has one I could never spoil for anybody. I made a vow the day I saw it that I wouldn't spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it, because I experienced something magical in that theater as the plot unfolded. Movies that are able to have that effect on you are special, and that's what this film was for me. You could hear tons of gasps from people watching, as they were completely shocked by every plot twist and really didn't know what was going to happen next. I wish there was more I could say, but trust me when I say this is a mystery worth watching for the actual experience of it.

The fact that Gone Girl didn't do so well during Oscar season is an absolute crime. From the strengths of the two leads, to the memorable supporting performances, to the decisions director David Fincher is known for, to the shocking plot developments occurring throughout the movie, this film deserved MUCH more than what it was nominated for at the Oscars. While Pike deserved the nomination for Best Actress, there is so many other categories Gone Girl should've qualified for. Just to name a few: Original Screenplay, Production Design, Original Score, Best Supporting Actor (from either Harris or Perry), Best Supporting Actress (from either Dickens or Coon), and Best Picture. In a year where I saw tons of memorable movies, this is the one that I would consider the most underrated. It came and people were excited, but when other films came out, it was easily placed aside. However, I wouldn't be surprised if this became a film that survives and grows a stronger following over time.


Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Like some of my other favorites from David Fincher, Gone Girl is a film that commands all of my attention and begs repeated viewings for years to come. The performances from the cast, and the insane twists and turns the film takes makes it one that should be watched at least twice, just maybe not with the family or on the first date.

Gone Girl and movie images are copyrighted by 20th Century Fox

Favorites of 2014- Big Hero 6

Big Hero 6 (2014)

Starring: Ryan Potter, Scott Adsit, Daniel Henney

Directed by: Don Hall and Chris Williams

Plot Summary: 14-year-old robotics genius Hiro Hamada is encouraged by his older brother Tadashi to apply at the robotics lab in his university. In order to get in, Hiro presents his microbots invention at the school's science fair. Hiro's invention impresses many and he is accepted into the university. Later that night, a fire breaks out at the university, and Tadashi is killed in the fire trying to help clear people out of the building. Several weeks later, Hiro accidentally activates Baymax, a healthcare robot invented by Tadashi before his death. Following Hiro's last microbot, Baymax leads Hiro to an abandoned warehouse full of microbots and are attacked by a man in a Kabuki mask controlling the microbots. Suspicious that the masked man started the fire to steal the microbots, Hiro plans to give him, Baymax, and their friends superhero upgrades in order to catch the masked man, retrieve the microbots, and avenge Tadashi's death.

So, now we come to the film that won Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards last year: Big Hero 6. Based on a Marvel Comics property, the film was riding the coattails of the success of Frozen (don't get me started on that film....I'll tackle that overrated tripe someday) and was Disney's first animated superhero film since The Incredibles, so there was a LOT to live up to. Considering its Oscar win this previous year, you would think that it was able to live up to the hype. In many ways, it did. But, fast forward a few months, and people kind of forgot about it. People were still talking about how The Lego Movie was snubbed at the Oscars. People were still going crazy over Frozen. Big Hero 6 wowed people for a couple of weeks, but then it kind of became an afterthought. And I'm here to say that the film does not deserve that kind of treatment. Big Hero 6 was a fantastic film, had some amazing characters, had breathtaking animation, and deserves to be remembered as one of the better animated movies Disney has put out in quite some time.

The main protagonist of Big Hero 6 is Hiro Hamada, voiced by Ryan Potter. Hiro's biggest strength in the film is his mind. Being sort of a young Tony Stark, Hiro has all the skills necessary to be the next great inventor, yet he's still a kid who wants to do childish things like scam and hustle people for cash (kids want to do that right?). His older brother Tadashi, voiced by Daniel Henney, serves as a role model and conscience for Hiro to look up to. Like nearly EVERY Disney film out there, they don't have the traditional family upbringing. While they live with their Aunt Cass, voiced by Maya Rudolph, Tadashi takes it upon himself to be looking out for Hiro to make sure he doesn't get into trouble. It is because of Tadashi that Hiro wants to apply to the university, so he really is a great brother character that this film did correctly.

Hiro forms an amazing friendship with Baymax, voiced by Scott Adsit. Baymax is AWESOME! He is awkward. He is hilarious. He is huggable. He will make you cry. WHO DOESN'T WANT A BAYMAX!?!?! He has easily become the iconic image of the film, and rightfully so. He is one of the most unique robot designs we have seen in film thus far, because there isn't much complexity with it. He is a large, white robot with blank, black eyes. He isn't very fast, and really gets in the way for the first act of the film. When Hiro gives him an upgrade, he is much more functional and becomes an action hero we would love to have on our side. Adsit's voice is so soothing as Baymax, and you will be quoting him for weeks after seeing this film.

Hiro and Baymax receive some help from their friends to save the day, including GoGo Tomago, voiced by Jamie Chung. GoGo has all the rebellious attitude that a loner would have, but is still able to pal and joke around with the rest of the group. Honey Lemon, voiced by Génesis Rodríguez, is a very energetic and bubbly character in the group. Yes, she can get very annoying from time to time (did anyone else hate hearing her say Hiro's name?), but she makes up for it with her brilliant and inventive mind. Damon Wayans Jr. voices Wasabi, a character who despite his intimidating size, is actually very timid and obsessive compulsive. Often quick to panic about the chaos around them, Wasabi is hilarious because many would probably be like him in that situation. A great comedic foil for him is in the character of Fred, voiced by T.J. Miller. Fred's a comic-book fan (and possible stoner?) and absolutely jumps at the chance to be a real-life superhero (even if his methods are not scientifically possible). That's the other side of the coin for an audience member in this situation like this. Many would LOVE the chance to save the world as a superhero, and that's why Fred's one of the more popular characters in this film.

I'm not going to spend too much time on the animation because it's Disney, and they won an Oscar. Of course the animation is going to be top notch. The animation and creativity put in this film is amazing. It was like watching a comic book or Japanese anime come to life through Disney animation. Just look at the effects used to bring San Fransokyo to life. Look at how polished the fluid the animation is in the actions scenes. If we are looking PURELY at the animation quality, it's easy to see how Big Hero 6 could have won Best Animated Feature.

It's been about 7 months since Big Hero 6 came out, and the question remains what kind of legacy this film will have on the history of animation. The film definitely dealt with some dark stuff, while also providing a fun, family film, but that's what people would expect from Disney. Baymax and Hiro are memorable and well-marketed characters, but other than that, there's a lot of people that have moved on from the film. Yet, people are still talking about The Lego Movie for what new things it brought to the table in animation. Even worse, people are STILL talking about Frozen over this film (Grrrr.....). Hopefully, this film can find its footing in animation history, because it certainly deserves the recognition.


Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Big Hero 6 was a very entertaining film to watch. The characters were all memorable and relatable, and the animation was superb in delivering action-packed scenes and beautiful scenery. I recommend this film for all families and fans of comics and anime to own in their collection. And with that, I can gladly say that I am satisfied with my care.

Big Hero 6 and movie images are copyrighted by Walt Disney Pictures

Favorites of 2014- The Lego Movie

The Lego Movie (2014)
Starring: Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks
Directed by: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller


Plot Summary: In a universe made entirely of Legos, the wizard Vitruvius guards a weapon called the "Kragle," until it is taken by the evil Lord Business. Vitruvius tells Lord Business of a prophecy about a person called "the Special," who will find the Piece of Resistance capable of stopping the "Kragle." 8 1/2 years later, construction worker Emmet Brickowski finds a mysterious woman in his construction site. When he tries to follow her, he falls down a hole and finds the Piece of Resistance. After waking from having weird visions, Emmet is under arrest with the Piece of Resistance stuck to his back. He is rescued by the mysterious woman named Wyldstyle, as she takes him to meet Vitruvius, under the assumption that he is "the Special."


Those last two reviews in my Marvel Mania month really got me thinking about films that I enjoyed from 2014. Last year was probably the year that I went to the movie theater the most, and a lot of that I owe to my movie column in the school newspaper. In October 2013, my college's newspaper printed the very first edition of Fowler's Films. Can you believe it? My own movie column in a newspaper! Of course, with that comes the responsibility of getting to the movie theater every week to see the most current movies and talk about them. I've decided to share some of my favorite movies that I saw in the last year. Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy both definitely fit in that category, and there will be the opportunity to talk about other franchise films down the road. But for now, let's start by talking about some standalone films, including what I considered to be one of the biggest surprises for me last year and my favorite animated film of 2014: The Lego Movie.

Our main hero in The Lego Movie is Emmet Brickowski, voiced by Chris Pratt. Leave it to Pratt to leave me entertained with TWO great characters in the same year. Emmet is the everyman wanting to be someone special. So when others put him down, we really feel for the character. It's ironic how a generic character like Emmet is fighting to be more than just a generic character, when our empathy for a character like him is the most generic possible. Still, we root for the little yellow guy and really admire how determined he is to save the day. A hero is only as good as his villain (in most cases), and this film's villain is Lord Business, voiced by Will Ferrell. What else is there to say? It's Will Ferrell voicing an idiotic dictator. We've seen shades of this before with his role in Megamind, but here, he's absolutely ruthless. The best part of Lord Business is something I can't give away, but trust me when I say there is a method to his madness. And it's a method he's not even in control of.

Along the way, Emmet is joined by some hilarious companions, including Wyldstyle, voiced by Elizabeth Banks. Wyldstyle is a great fighter and has some attitude to her, but you know she's there to be a character for Emmet to crush on. One of the best running gags with her is whenever it seems like Emmet is even remotely close to hitting on her, she overcompensates her feelings by saying she has a boyfriend and it's "super serious." Later on, we find out she actually DID have a boyfriend, and it's freaking Batman, voiced by Will Arnett. I actually think Arnett did a great job at voicing Batman, but I did have one minor gripe about Batman in this film. Now, coming from the mindset of a Batman fanboy, I can't help but notice that Batman is a COMPLETE TOOL! I understand that he's being fed tons of stereotypes about Batman, and so it's definitely a parody of the character. But imagine how the little kids who love Batman must've felt going into the movie and seeing Batman not only get in the way of a relationship between Emmet and Wyldstyle, but also take credit for Emmet's ideas, be a TERRIBLE boyfriend to Wyldstyle, and just sound lazy and inconsiderate towards all the other characters. He's kind of a bully in this film, and that's just not what Batman is.

But the best part of this film was seeing serious actors have a blast playing some of the most comedic characters in the film. The first was Liam Neeson as Good Cop/Bad Cop. Knowing he voiced BOTH is absolutely hilarious (can you imagine how that voiceover session went?), but it's his portrayal of Good Cop that shines brightest in his performance. It's easy to see his other gruff action roles formulate a lot of Bad Cop's mannerisms, but where does Good Cop's come from? It's stuff like that that makes a viewer go "THAT'S Liam Neeson!?!?" But my favorite character of the film was Vitruvius, voiced by Morgan Freeman. Vitruvius was already a funny character with a lot of his jokes and quirks, but it's Freeman's voice that absolutely makes it comedic gold. We don't expect Morgan Freeman to deliver jokes that are this childish and almost seem out of his league, and we he does them spot on, it's absolutely hilarious to see him go there. He has the voice for the wise mentor figure that Vitruvius SHOULD be, but he also brings a lot of humor to the role for a character that always leaves me in stitches.

I didn't even get an opportunity to talk about some of the other hilarious characters, but trust me when I say this film has an all-star roster of supporting talent who bring great characters to life. Some of them may be great generic characters, like Princess Unikitty (voiced by Alison Brie) and Benny the Astronaut (voiced by Charlie Day), and others are well-recognized heroes like Superman and Green Lantern (voiced by Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill). This film assembles a roster of Master Builders that encapsulates all the great Lego creations into one room. In that room, we have representations from DC superheroes, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Simpsons, Abraham Lincoln, William Shakespeare, and even Shaquille O'Neal (voiced by himself). And with all the beautiful landscapes and innovative action scenes, it's absolutely incredible to see how much thought and creativity went into making this film possible. I, like many people who first heard of the plans to make a film about Legos, threw my head back and scoffed at the idea. Boy, was I glad to be proven wrong on this one. I should've known with Phil Lord and Christopher Miller directing (the two men who showed the world how funny their Meta humor was with 21 Jump Street films), that the film was in capable hands to deliver the goods.

By the end of the year, there were 3 animated films I was very impressed with: Big Hero 6, How to Train Your Dragon 2, and The Lego Movie. It was a really close race for me, as all the films did something a little different to stand out, but I had the most fun with The Lego Movie. It was a film that reached out to audiences of all ages, created a fun and meaningful story, gave us memorable and lovable characters, and delivered some of the best jokes of the year for a movie period. So, when it came time to announce the nominees for the Academy Awards and this film was NOT nominated for Best Animated Feature, people everywhere lost their minds. It was declared the biggest snub at the Oscars (and trust me, there were a lot of those this year), and many felt had it been nominated, it would have won. I'll throw my two cents in there and say it had a great chance of winning. When I gave my Oscar predictions for Fowler's Films this year, I worked alongside a fellow movie buff (shout out to TB!), and when it came time to choose Animated Feature, we both noted that we would have chosen The Lego Movie if it had been nominated. Instead, he chose How to Train Your Dragon 2, and I ended up choosing Big Hero 6, the film that ended up winning Best Animated Feature...


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Everything is awesome when it comes to this movie. The Lego Movie was a film that absolutely surprised me the first time I saw it. I was expecting something completely stupid and unimportant, and got one of my favorite animated films of the decade instead. Thanks to its comedy, its cast, and its creativity, I strongly recommend every moviegoer check this film out at least once, as it is sure to bring out your inner child.

The Lego Movie and movie images are copyrighted by Warner Bros.