Tag: Casey Affleck

Geekscape Movie Reviews: A Ghost Story

by MCDave

David Lowery’s filmmaking career has been all over the map. He first stepped onto the scene with his uber-artsy Bonnie & Clyde-esque Sundance selected drama, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, in 2013, only to follow it up with last year’s successful re-imagining of Pete’s Dragon. Lowery’s upward trajectory following his well-received summer-film reboot would normally send a director in search of his or her next big venture, but Lowery went in a completely different direction. He returns to his artistic prowess in the ambitious festival darling, A Ghost Story.

Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara stars as a loving couple who experience an unforeseen tragedy following a car accident  that results in Affleck’s character’s death. As the saddened widow confirms his passing at the morgue, Affleck’s spirit emerges from the bed as a sheet-covered ghost who transports back to his home where he watches his wife grieve the loss. But as she moves on with her life and leaves a secret note in the crack of a doorway as she sells and leaves the home, the ghost stays in the dwelling desperate to uncover the note’s contents.

A Ghost Story is a beautifully poetic expression of love, loss and countless other emotions. Lowery’s bold endeavor both captivates and mesmerizes throughout a loosely coherent storyline that becomes more and more muddled as it progresses. Nonetheless, uniqueness and originality effectively guide the audience through an existentially-crafted plot and mildly ambiguous resolve. Mara’s soulful turn and Affleck’s surprising depth, even cloaked behind a sheet for the majority of the film, are transcending enough to keep the effort afloat.

“Polarizing” would be an apt descriptor for Lowery’s latest critically-adored work. The filmmaker begins by utilizing excessively long takes that the audience is forced to muscle through. Thankfully, nearly all of these shots include a purposeful conclusion that help alleviate the frustration. Furthermore, A Ghost Story possesses a misleading title. The film is strictly a drama and fantasy, so don’t expect any horror whatsoever. In fact, the scariest moment in the film is a nearly five-minute shot of Mara sorrowfully spoon-feeding an entire pie down her throat following the loss of her husband. Symbolic of the film’s painfully slow demeanor, but also its poignant capturing of human emotion, A Ghost Story is a sluggish 90-minute indie that certainly pays off from a creative and artistic perspective.

GRADE: 3.5/5

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Geekscape Movie Reviews: Manchester by the Sea

by MCDave

After the bitter back and forth battle between Kenneth Lonergan and Fox Searchlight Pictures over the final cut of his last film, no one would blame the director from stepping away from the film industry all together. Yet, Lonergan’s powerful storytelling and vision are far too impressive to keep him sidelined for too long as he returns with the heavy-hitting Oscar-bound drama, Manchester by the Sea. Whispers of awards season recognition continue to follow this Sundance Film Festival selection and they don’t appear to be dying down anytime soon as Manchester by the Sea prepares for the long road to the Academy Awards.

Lee Chandler (Affleck) is an embittered apartment complex handyman living in the Boston area. But after receiving word that his brother has passed away from heart complications, Lee travels back to his hometown of Manchester and soon learns that he’s been willed as the new legal guardian to his teenage nephew (Lucas Hedges). While the teen wishes to remain in Manchester, Lee struggles to come to grips with past events that prompted him to uproot his entire life in the first place.

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Manchester by the Sea‘s emotionally-draining and somber story is masterfully complemented with subtle humor that adds a much-needed element of levity. In fact, two of the film’s strongest attributes are writer and director Kenneth Lonergan’s bold script and its collection of extraordinary performances. Casey Affleck’s gut-wrenching turn is an absolute tour-de-force that possesses a quiet sadness which mirrors his character’s scarred past. Understanding the complexities of Lee Chandler clearly takes time to develop but, after all of the pieces are finally in place, there’s no doubt that Affleck’s performance is one of the year’s finest, if not the best. Co-star Michelle Williams isn’t quite given the same attention or screen time as her counterpart, however her deeply emotional work doesn’t go unnoticed. Although it’s safe to anticipate strong runs to the Academy Awards for the aforementioned performers, newcomer Lucas Hedges also impresses with an eye-opening supporting role. All in all, Manchester by the Sea captures its audience with a tender screenplay brought to life by an outstanding ensemble.

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Despite its many shining qualities, Lonergan’s effort struggles to sufficiently engage the audience. Manchester feels every bit of its over two hour and fifteen minute running time. The film presents countless lulls that occasionally benefit this character-driven effort, but often stand out as gaps in an otherwise well-crafted story. Furthermore, Kenneth Lonergan’s name is constantly being tossed around the Best Director discussion. To the contrary, Manchester feels like a safely shot and executed feature. Lonergan doesn’t take many risks and, while he should be lauded for piecing together a strong final product, this directorial effort fails to stand out as something spectacular.

Manchester by the Sea deserves to be savored for its wonderful performances and a story that goes surprisingly deep. Yet, the film isn’t always an enjoyable watch. There’s a grim undertone at work and poor pacing doesn’t necessarily make it any easier to sit through. However, when the dust settles, Manchester by the Sea stands apart as a bitter drama that effectively captures a wide array of emotions.

GRADE: 4 out of 5

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Geekscape Movie Reviews: Out of the Furnace

by MCDave

For a large portion of 2013, Scott Cooper’s Out of the Furnace was one of the year’s most anticipated releases. It’s taken 4 years for Cooper to return from his successful writing/directing debut, Crazy Heart, one that earned Jeff Bridges an Academy Award for Best Actor. This time around he brings an army of reinforcements with an all-star cast of past Oscar Winners and Nominees including Christian Bale, Casey Affleck, Woody Harrelson, Forest Whitaker, Sam Shepard and Willem Dafoe. And although early reviews have been extremely mixed with many critics openly speaking out against Cooper’s sophomore effort, I’m here to stand up and say that Out of the Furnace is by no means a bad movie. However, it fails to mask many of its sub-par elements.

Christian Bale stars as Russell Baze, a blue collar mill worker who’s struggling to make ends meet in the economically depressed steel town of Braddock, PA. His brother Rodney (Affleck) is a troubled soldier who bears the psychological scars from multiple tours in Iraq. But as Rodney refuses to give in to the steel-worker lifestyle, he finds himself caught up in a dangerous underworld of organized bare-knuckle fighting run by a ruthless criminal named Harlan DeGroat (Harrelson). When Rodney leaves one day and never returns, Russell must desperately take matters into his own hands and confront the ring-leader, DeGroat.

Film Title: Out of the Furnace

The backbone of Scott Cooper’s Out of the Furnace is the director’s remarkable capacity to develop strong central characters. It was evident in his first film, where Jeff Bridges stole the show. But here, Cooper has more pieces to work with and, for the most part, he does an excellent job of giving each character a purpose and a voice throughout the movie. Another productive aspect is the manner in which the feature begins. Out of the Furnace is an unmistakably dark and saddening film, a tone that Cooper embraces from the opening scene and never looks back. And as the feature progresses, its story is both captivating and deep, impressively developing in a rather unforeseeable fashion that helps hook the audience. With Bale, Affleck and Harrelson all in premier form, Out of the Furnace is a supremely acted and gripping tale of despair.

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Despite an alluring appeal, Cooper’s second effort is tainted by many shortcomings. The Baze brothers are both wonderfully developed characters that resonate with the audience, it’s Cooper’s specialty. Yet, the writer/director leaves plenty to be desired with Willem Dafoe’s massively unfulfilled sleazy character, John Petty. Furthermore, the feature is haunted by second rate dialogue, unnecessary inclusions (i.e. Rodney’s letter to his brother) and unrealistic sequences that become impossible to overlook. The scene where Russell searches out DeGroat by organizing a drug deal is so off the mark, it’s unforgivable. Clearly, Out of the Furnace is bogged down by blatant errors. However, its intriguing subject matter and strong performances are enough to sustain the film.

While many hoped that Cooper’s follow-up to Crazy Heart would shape the awards season outlook, the truth is it won’t. In fact, Out of the Furnace will ultimately stand as nothing more than an entertaining film with a fair share of miscues. There are elements to enjoy and reasons to watch, but keep your expectations in check.

GRADE: 3.5/5

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Geekscape Movie Reviews: ‘Ain’t Them Bodies Saints’

by MCDave

The Sundance Institute’s Writing Lab has become one of the most instrumental stepping stones for amateur screenwriters to bring their stories to the big screen. Earlier this year we witnessed the shining example, Fruitvale Station. Well, another Sundance Institute’s selection comes in the form of David Lowery’s much talked about feature, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints. Nontraditional and undoubtedly unique, Lowery’s work has opened up many eyes within the industry.

Bob (played by Casey Affleck) and Ruth (Rooney Mara) are young lovers from Texas expecting a child and desperate for a better life. But when their aspirations turn them into outlaws, the couple finds itself in the midst of a shootout with local authorities. Bob claims responsibility for their actions and is sentenced to 25 years in jail, while Ruth plays naive and merely walks away with a slap on the wrist. As a few years pass and Ruth raises their young daughter, Bob escapes from prison with hopes of reuniting with his family.

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Budding filmmaker David Lowery’s Ain’t Them Bodies Saints delivers profound aesthetics and very little more. Ambiguous to a fault, the feature claws its way to the finish line by offering a minimal amount of substance. Although the love story is sincere and the characters have a reasonable amount of depth to them, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints would rather focus on its pristine cinematography than crafting a fluid and crowd-pleasing story. Make no mistake about it, Lowery’s breakthrough film is flat out boring and uninformative. While I understand the director’s intention by omitting various details, the plan ultimately backfires and fails to enhance what Lowery feels are the more important aspects of the story. Therefore, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints is a polarizing feature that will be lauded by some and alienated by others.

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No matter how you may feel about the movie, one thing is certain. Director David Lowery deserves to be recognized for his daring attempt at straying from the standard love story. There’s something dark and ominous about their fiery relationship, and Ain’t Them Bodies Saints refuses to shy away from that significant fact. However, the film generates a vibe that never wavers and, as a result, the conclusion lacks bravado. Conversely, another commendable facet of the film is its talented cast. Rooney Mara clearly gives the most impressive turn, yet Casey Affleck and Ben Foster are both exceptional as well. But despite these towering performances, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints drowns in its tragic strive for artistic beauty.

David Lowery molds together a genuinely poetic feature, one that’s intended to move the audience. Ironically, for as branched out as Ain’t Them Bodies Saints feels on an artistic level, the film’s story remains trapped inside of its shell. Breaking from the norm is always challenging. And although I praise director David Lowery for his efforts, his feature never successfully withstands the test.

GRADE: 2/5

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