Rate The Last Movie You Saw

Captain Phillips
(Paul Greengrass, 2013)

Incredibly intense. Emotionally captivating. Excellent performances. Superb direction. Great writing. Easily one of the best movies I've seen from last year. I was on the edge of my seat during the entire runtime. Tom Hanks gives one of the strongest performances of his career. With magnificent poise and confidence, he balances being a leader and a relatable everyman, running the gamut of emotions from beginning to end. He deserved an Oscar nomination for his performance. Rookie Barkhad Abdi is equally excellent--- no matter what he goes on to accomplish in his acting career, this will be the performance to which he'll forever be linked. Greengrass made the right decision to cast actual Somalians instead of familiar faces. If Don Cheadle or someone had been cast instead, the film would've lost much of its authenticity and realism. Surprisingly, I empathized with the pirates and their increasing sense of desperation, which is a testament to the strong writing and performances. Greengrass directs in a way that makes the audience feel as if we're right there with the characters. We feel what the characters feel, whether it's panic or adrenaline or claustrophobia. By the time the credits rolled, I felt as emotionally exhausted as Captain Phillips himself. Powerful stuff. Highly recommended.

Slap Shot
(George Roy Hill, 1977)

Hockey, with its fistfights and missing teeth, its constant momentum and its slams against the glass, is a tough, violent, blue-collar sport, and I think Slap Shot captures that spirit better than any other hockey film I've seen. (Not that I've seen too many. Miracle, Goon, and The Mighty Ducks movies are the only ones that come to mind.) Paul Newman is as effortlessly cool as always, and the movie contains some great scenes. It's very much a "guy's movie,"--- you can practically smell the farts and beer and jock straps--- and I enjoyed the camaraderie and the locker-room language. Overall, it's a solid, entertaining sports flick, but not quite as funny as some people make it out to be.


The Stepford Wives
(Bryan Forbes, 1975)

Back in 2004, when I watched the remake, I remember liking the concept even though the film itself kind of sucked. Unlike the remake, however, which tried to be a comedy, the original is much darker, more satirical, and overall just a much better movie. Small things, like a repeated phrase or a man sketching a woman, carry sinister undertones. The dread slowly builds until the big reveal and the ending is especially haunting. If I didn't already know the twist, then I'm sure it would've made more of an impact, but it's still creepy. The movie may no longer be as timely as it was in 1975, but I think there's still quite a few chauvinistic men out there who would gladly swap their real wife for a Stepford wife. My only complaint of the film is the overly languid pace. Ten-to-fifteen minutes could've easily been shaved from the runtime, resulting in a stronger viewing experience.