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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Tag: Elle Fanning

Live by Night (2016)

Title: Live by Night
Rating: R
Directed by: Ben Affleck
Written by: Ben Affleck
Based on the novel by: Dennis Lehane
Starring: Ben Affleck, Elle Fanning, Chris Messina, Sienna Miller, Zoe Saldana and Chris Cooper
Release Date: 1/13/2017
Running Time: 128 minutes

Official Site
IMDb

What did you think of this film?
What you put out into this world will always come back to you, but it never comes back how you predict. Taking fatherly advice is not in Joe Coughlin’s nature. Instead, the WWI vet is a self-proclaimed anti-establishment outlaw, despite being the son of the Boston Police Deputy Superintendent. Joe’s not all bad, though; in fact, he’s not really bad enough for the life he’s chosen. Unlike the gangsters he refuses to work for, he has a sense of justice and an open heart, and both work against him, leaving him vulnerable time and again—in business and in love. Driven by a need to right the wrongs committed against him and those close to him, Joe heads down a risky path that goes against his upbringing and his own moral code. Leaving the cold Boston winter behind, he and his reckless crew turn up the heat in Tampa. And while revenge may taste sweeter than the molasses that infuses every drop of illegal rum he runs, Joe will learn that it comes at a price.


Are There Any Extras During The Credits? No

Are There Any Extras After The Credits? No

Special thanks to Kristo for this submission


20th Century Women (2016)

Title: 20th Century Women
Rating: R
Directed by: Mike Mills
Written by: Mike Mills
Starring: Annette Bening, Elle Fanning, Greta Gerwig, Lucas Jade Zumann and Billy Crudup.
Release Date: 1/20/2017
Running Time: 118 minutes

Official Site
IMDb

What did you think of this film?
Set in Santa Barbara, the film follows Dorothea Fields (Annette Bening), a determined single mother in her mid-50s who is raising her adolescent son, Jamie (newcomer Lucas Jade Zumann, in a breakout performance) at a moment brimming with cultural change and rebellion. Dorothea enlists the help of two younger women in Jamie’s upbringing – via Abbie (Greta Gerwig), a free-spirited punk artist living as a boarder in the Fields’ home, and Julie (Elle Fanning), a savvy and provocative teenage neighbor.


Are There Any Extras During The Credits? No

Are There Any Extras After The Credits? No

Note: at the very end of the credits we see the text “J.M. + K.M. + M.A. + M.J. + H.M.”.


Neon Demon, The (2016)

TheNeonDemonPoster

Title: The Neon Demon
Rating: R
Directed by: Nicolas Winding Refn
Written by: Nicolas Winding Refn, Mary Laws and Polly Stenham
Starring: Elle Fanning, Christina Hendricks, Keanu Reeves, Abbey Lee and Jena Malone
Release Date: 6/24/2016
Running Time: 117 minutes

Official Site
IMDb

It’s the only thing.

Synopsis

When aspiring model Jesse moves to Los Angeles, her youth and vitality are devoured by a group of beauty-obsessed women who will use any means necessary to get what she has in The Neon Demon.


What did you think of this film?

During Credits? No

After Credits? No

Note: We see some nice desert shots during the credits, including one with Jesse walking in slow motion. There are also some stylish shots of sparks and glitter flying past a model’s head.

Dedication: For Liv


Low Down (2014)

LowDownPoster

Title: Low Down
Rating: R
Director: Jeff Preiss
Writer: Topper Lilien and Amy Albany
Based on the memoir “Low Down: Junk, Jazz, and Other Fairy Tales from Childhood
” by: Amy Albany
Stars: John Hawkes, Elle Fanning and Glenn Close
Release Date: 1/27/2015
Running Time: 114 minutes

IMDb

A look at the life of pianist Joe Albany from the perspective of his young daughter, as she watches him contend with his drug addiction during the 1960s and ’70s jazz scene.


What did you think of this film?

During Credits? No

After Credits? No

Special thanks to Frank S. for this submission


The Boxtrolls Review – 4 out of 5 Stars

TheBoxtrollsPoster
This isn’t the first time I’ve given high amounts of praise to the animation studio Laika Entertainment. In my first year of reviewing, I named ParaNorman the fifth best movie of 2012, a feat that is especially impressive considering what a competitive year for film that was. It took on ambitious, challenging topics in a way that was original, bold and poignant and between the art style, the characters and the moving messages, it wasn’t just an example of everything animation or kid’s movies should be, it was an example of everything cinema should be. With The Boxtrolls, I don’t believe Laika captures something that is as good as ParaNorman, but I do think this movie is still great enough to signify that Laika isn’t just a flash in the pan and they are possibly the boldest group working in animation today.

In the town of Cheesebridge, a group of trolls that wear cardboard boxes live beneath the city while the upper class eat tons of cheeses and look down on everyone. After a baby is “stolen” by the boxtrolls, the town hires a madman to do the dirty work of capturing and exterminating them. However, the boxtrolls are really, very nice and the boy grows up like them and goes out into the world of above to prove to everyone with the help of an imaginative girl that the boxtrolls are not evil.

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The animation by Laika continues to be as incredible and brilliant as ever. The world they create for this movie is incredible; the absolute detail of every character, every house, and every sequence is an amazing work of art. Laika designs a place of storybook wonder that is easy to become taken into to. The 3D is beautiful and every second I was engaged because of how inventive and original the creation was. I can’t fathom the amount of work that went into the animation style and the hours spent on the movement and design of everything. Laika raises up how a picture can tell a thousand words, every moment of the film was bursting with the detail, emotion and ambition. There are large segments where they don’t talk and it truly works because the artists are so good at what they do that they can get across a lot of emotion and passion even while saying very little. And it’s not just incredible animation; the movie has an adventurous score by Dario Marianelli and the movie is extremely well paced, I was never bored but it also never felt rushed like The Lego Movie where it’s hard to get invested in what’s going on. This is one of my favorite forms of animation and The Boxtrolls might be one of the most stunning versions of this art form to date.

There is not a single voice actor who was bad. Ben Kingsley does a perfectly, creepy job of portraying Archibald, the villain of the story, a man who is willing to brutally murder a child to become a part of the higher ups. His character would rather die than not become accepted into the fancy, upper class he fantasizes over. For his first lead role, Isaac Hempstead Wright gives a very natural and impressive vocal performance as Eggs, the child protagonist of our story. I don’t think Eggs is a good a character as Norman but he is still a very likable person who you want to see succeed and his revelation of who he is in the final act serves as a great conclusion to a story arc. Richard Ayoade and Nick Frost are hilarious as Archibald’s two henchman and they do a really good job with some of the best lines of the whole movie. They got together a great cast to perform a set of very interesting and unique characters.

In some ways, I think The Boxtrolls has a really good screenplay. The movie is often hilarious in that sort of British humor way. There are a lot of cheese puns, a lot of wit and a surprisingly successful amount of satire. As I have stated above, the characters are all memorable in their own ways and they all has interesting, sympathetic story arcs.

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My main problem with the movie was pinpointing what it was trying to get across. I don’t ever feel as though any of what it was doing was done poorly and it wasn’t that it was rushed rather it was saying so much that it felt less like a clear, strong message and more like a lot of strong bits and pieces that don’t resemble much at the end. The movie never really seems to cling on to some meaning that resonates in a powerful way and it’s because of that sloppiness that I can’t say the movie lives up the expectations I had for it due to ParaNorman. That being said, the movies screenplay and art style feels so good that it still feels as though it’s very genuine despite. The Boxtrolls isn’t a train wreck so much as a well written and beautiful looking movie that never seems to fully figure out what is trying to accomplish. Even if the movie is a mess, it still feels very impressive to watch because of how creative and expressive everything is.

Regardless of message, this is the movie that they wanted to make and I feel like I just watched the full product of the artist’s imagination and in a world run by studios running the creative process, that’s very impressive and exciting to see. The Boxtrolls much like the other two Laika movies don’t speak down to its audience despite technically being kids’ movies; the movie trusts the intelligence of its audience and gives them something exciting and sometimes a little bit profound. It’s weird that this kid’s movie actually has more respect for its audience than some R rated movies I’ve seen. I think that’s the magic of The Boxtrolls and Laika itself, it’s a creative, meaningful world that transcends age. I can now confidently believe that Laika is replacing Pixar as the top tier of US animation.

It’s a little messy, but it’s more than worth it for the incredible animation, sharp humor, bold characters and pure ambition. The Boxtrolls is an exciting experience that will attach itself to everyone for different reasons. Something would have to go horrible for me to not at least respect the ways Laika is innovating animation.

Rating:(4/5)

Review by: Ryan M.

Release Date: 9/26/2014

Rating: PG

Cast: Ben Kingsley, Jared Harris, Nick Frost, Isaac Hempstead Wright and Elle Fanning

Directed by: Graham Annable and Anthony Stacchi

Screenplay by: Irena Brignull and Adam Pava

Based on the novel “Here Be Monsters!” by: Alan Snow

Maleficent (2014)

MaleficentPoster

TITLE: Maleficent (aka. Maleficent 3D)

RELEASE DATE: 5/30/2014

RATING: PG

A vindictive fairy is driven to curse an infant princess only to realize the child may be the only one who can restore peace.

What did you think of this film?


[wpolling id=”5″ ]


Official Site

Amazon

IMDb


During Credits? No

After Credits? No

Special thanks to Frank S. for this submission

Ginger & Rosa (2012)

GingerAndRosaPoster

TITLE: Ginger & Rosa

RELEASE DATE: 10/19/2012

RATING: PG-13

A look at the lives of two teenage girls – inseparable friends Ginger and Rosa — growing up in 1960s London, and the pivotal event the comes to redefine their relationship as the Cuban Missile Crisis looms.

What did you think of this film?


Amazon

IMDb


During Credits? No

After Credits? No

NOTE: In loving memory of Caroline Potter 1930 – 2010.


Somewhere (2010)

TITLE: Somewhere

RELEASE DATE: 9/3/2010

RATING: R

What did you think of this film?


Official Site

Amazon

IMDb


During Credits? No

After Credits? No


Super 8 (2011)*

TITLE: Super 8

RELEASE DATE: 6/10/2011

RATING: PG-13

What did you think of this film?


Amazon

IMDb


During Credits? Yes

Click to see whats: during the credits

 

After Credits? No

Is this stinger worth waiting around for? Vote DownVote Up (No Ratings Yet)

Special thanks to Kyle for this submission


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