The_Film_Auditor

I have always been a fan of space exploration, so when I heard this film's premise, I was sold on going to the theatre opening weekend. With that being said, I had high expectations. The trailers made the movie look so unique, and after watching it, it surpassed my expectations. Ad Astra tells the fully original, thrilling, emotional, and thought provoking story of a man who has to face himself, his father, and the galaxy as he travels to the outer depths of the solar system to confront his father and save the earth. Through Roy McBride's journey, the film explores themes of isolation, determination, and being grateful for what one has. The film also portrays a wide variety of moods throughout. There are many great scenes that are full of tension and suspense, and there are others that are emotionally powerful and memorizing. Despite the variety of themes and tones, it still feels like a very cohesive narrative with a thought-provoking message.

On a technical level, two aspects that stood out were the cinematography and score. Each shot in the film seemed to have a great deal of thought and effort put into its composition. The use of reflections was a tool often used to create some really beautiful and interesting looking shots. Along with the reflections, the color choices really elevated the mood in some of the scenes. As for the score, I thought it was simple, but appropriately used to help evoke an emotional response from the audience. Both of these technical aspects were used to construct a beautiful viewing experience.

All praise aside, there were a few things I did not care for in this film. Some of the scenes felt a bit out of place and did not really add to the overall story. These felt like things the studio insisted on being in the film to make it more accessible. Some of the science jargon could have been turned down a bit as well. I think it would have been more mysterious if they didn't try and explain a few things in a rather silly manner.

Regardless of a few faults, I think this was one of the best movies of 2019 thus far. I had a lot of fun watching the film and felt absorbed by it the entire runtime. I would not have predicted this, but I think Brad Pitt has starred in my two favorite movies this year thus far. I really hope people go out and take a chance on this film because it desires some attention.

Quentin Tarantino's 9th film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood has a much different feel compared to his previous filmography. Instead of tense scenes and thrilling action, Tarantino takes a more unique unconventional way of telling a story (which is, of course, what make him famous in the first place). Rather than having a clear narrative, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood feels like a collage of scenes that are connected by overarching characters, themes, and location. Some might think this is a negative of the film, but I thought it was one of the best parts of the film. Instead of having a straightforward narrative about the Manson Family, this film lets that idea bubble under the surface while exploring the ideas of changing times, the rise and fall of one's career, and a relationship between an actor and his stunt double. This story structure allowed each of the three main characters (Sharon Tate, Cliff Booth, and Rick Dalton) to shine in their own scenes and really explore their character. Yet, all three characters storylines have common themes, which hold the film together.

On a technical level, this film is far above most Hollywood blockbusters. You can feel the artistry behind the camera. Instead of green screen sets and backgrounds, the sets are actually constructed, which give a much dirtier and lived in feel to the location. The best sets are the streets of Hollywood. I think I could watch Brad Pitt drive around those streets for hours. The amount of detail that went into all of the sets is astonishing and I'd hope to see this film be nominated for best set design. Not only was the set design great, but the shot composition, acting, and costume design was all top notch. Margot Robbie was perfectly cast as Sharon Tate, and Brad Pitt and Leo's chemistry was excellent.

Overall, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this. It had some great moments of comedy, suspense, and drama. The characters are wonderfully crafted, and the film culminates to an exciting 3rd act. I think I have to rewatch a few of Tarantino's other movies, but this might be one of my favorites. I plan on seeing this one again very soon.

No spoilers!!

Being a sceptic of Marvel movies for a long time, I had low expectations going into Endgame. I didn't love Infinity War, but I wanted to see this film opening weekend to avoid spoilers and see how the 10-year culmination of the MCU concluded. Well, I was pleasantly surprised with the film. It's not without its issues, but Endgame felt like one of the most unique and captivating Marvel films to date. I was very surprised at how easily I was engaged throughout the 3-hour runtime. The film breaks down into three parts, each part having its pros and cons. Personally, I thought the first act was the weakest and overstayed its welcome. Despite that, there were still some interesting parts that helped flesh out the aftermath of Infinity War. The second and third act felt very original and had many surprising moments that kept me guessing what would happen next. However, there were parts that felt VERY fan servicey. Of course, some of the fan service was fine, but at other points it felt like a little much.

One of the great things about this movie was that it broke from the simple MCU formula. It has a much different story than any of the other MCU films and utilizes much different plot mechanisms to make it feel more original. The emotional range of the film was another thing that felt different to me compared to many other MCU films. I thought the humor in this film was handled much better, causing me to laugh multiple times. Not only was the film funny at points, but it also had some sad, depressing, exciting, and thrilling sequences. This film, unlike some other MCU films, was able to have some very serious moments and did not have to cut the emotional tension by inserting a cheesy one-liner.

Despite it being a much more original and emotionally driven film compared to other MCU films, it did have some shortcomings. I think that some of the fan service took me out of the film because it felt either overdramatic or forced. There were times were I caught myself rolling my eyes at how overdramatic or socially 'woke' the movie was being. One scene in particular felt like a blatant advertisement in the middle of the film, which was jarring and cringe worthy. There were also many moments of the film that could have been explained to help bring more tension, but instead were brushed over in order to fit everything into a reasonably lengthed film. I think there were parts that should have been cut or shorted and other parts that should have been extended. Lastly, I thought that Thanos was misused in this film. I was excited to see his role in this film but was left disappointed by his role as the villain.

As someone who wouldn't consider themselves a Marvel fan, I had fun watching this movie regardless of it having some issues. I would definitely recommend it if you have been following the MCU at all recently, but I probably don't need to do that because everyone and there mother is going to see this. Overall, I thought it was enjoyable and quite possibly my favorite Marvel film.

P.S. It feels satisfying to have this chapter of superhero movies come to a close. I hope that it will make way for more innovative and interesting films, whether they are superhero related or not.