bigmystery23

The moment the audience saw the first shot of Billy Lynn reaching for his phone, the audience gasped. Ang Lee's ambitious choice of filming at a frame rate of 120fps in a 4K and 3D format is beyond words. We become immersed into Billy Lynn's world, seeing the little details that we normally would not see in a film (imagine what Emmanuel Lubezki did in 'The Revenant' and times it by 5). The person I went with to see the film described it best, it was a very sensual experience not just from the cinematography, but also the interesting soundscape and phenomenal editing. There are small moments when what would be a mundane action becomes a trigger for Billy Lynn and his squad. Lee does not hold back in making the audience feel the PTSD of those soldiers which at times is beautiful done as well as a bit too much for those of us who have never experienced it. Now I could go on about how brilliant the film is technically and it's sure to get some Oscar recognition in that aspect, but all films revolve around a story.

What could have been an amazing film merely becomes an OK film because of the story's weakness. I read an article where the critic trashed Ang Lee, but to be honest it's not Lee who's to blame but whoever wrote the script. The script is so dull and because of that the audience never got the full immersion we were hoping to get. The only person we connect to by the end of the film is Kristen Stewart's character, yet that isn't even delved into. The relationships between the characters aren't developed very much except for one relationship that is developed WAY too fast and in the most unrealistic way possible. You can get a sense of a strong bond between Lynn and his squad, but just barely.

As for the acting, Kristen Stewart was definitely the standout. Joe Alwyn did a great job, too, but not the memorable debut performance I was hoping to see. Vin Diesel and Steve Martin are truly miscast (this may just be me being picky, but every time they came on screen I felt very uncomfortable).

To sum this up, I'm giving this movie a 7 out of 10 because of the technical brilliance and the experience of watching a film in this frame rate, though be warned that the story is very weak. Some people are going to find the 120fps very strange, but for the cinephiles who have an open mind, you'll be blown away.

This is a movie that deserves to be seen without knowing too much about it. I want to be brief about my reaction to this film, but what I really want is for you to know that this is a must-see film because it showcases a story from characters not seen enough in film. It's an important film not because it draws attention to race, but because it reminds the audience that skin color shouldn't be a factor in filmmaking (though there are exceptions, particularly with historical accuracy).

First, I must applaud Berry Jenkins on his firm direction. He is not afraid to be poetic, to guide his film away from conventional storytelling and offers the audience to connect to the film in their own way. The film is not about a black man figuring out his sexuality, but about how identity takes time to discover, something almost (if not) everyone can relate to.

The performances, ranging from the children to the adults, are so raw and powerful. Naomie Harris and Mahershala Ali are the standouts, both on the verge of receiving awards recognition. A standing ovation to the casting director!

The soundscape is particularly impressive. It knows when to draw in sound and when to take it away, what type of music is necessary in the particular scene (bravo to composer Nicholas Britell), when to bring the volume and bass up or down, and so on.

There is so much more to say about this film, but I want to leave it up to you to decide. And I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

I'm not one to fall for movie trailers after growing up being deceived by them, so I only expected this movie to be a comedy because of critic reviews. Now I definitely don't trust critics. I walked out of this movie feeling terrified at the world economy and disgusted by the people who touch our hard earning money. Perhaps this is out of ignorance of not knowing, but The Big Short does a superb job at giving us the back story of the 2008 collapse. I am very impressed with Adam McKay's approach to this movie (an example of how directors can change for the better). The editing is frenetic, going beyond viewer expectations and making you feel annoyed by the numerous freeze frames, the sudden faults with the sound, and so on. The acting is impeccable (particularly from Steve Carrel and Christian Bale). The script is intelligent, riotous, slick, and brutally honest. There are creative ways to explain how this industry works to people like me who do not know a lot about banking and Wall Street. People are going to try to compare this to Wolf of Wall Street, but it's very different. To be 100% honest, though, this is going to be a half and half for people. Some people will love it, others will find it irritating or just satisfying. I loved it, but that's my personal feeling.