I thought Deadpool was just another typical Marvel superhero film

You know the drill: man is faced with a personal crisis where some arch nemesis is to blame, so in order to get the girl and his life back, he goes on a quest to destroy this enemy - all while saving the world. I do like a good old fashion superhero story, but was blown away by Deadpool’s twisted version of it.  

Some critics called Ryan Reynolds antics in the movie raunchy and it was in some parts. But, for the most part it was actually full of clever fourth wall breaking, awesomely awkward point of view camera angles, and great cinematography action scenes. It reminded me a little of the film Guardians of the Galaxy, but way more awesome and edgy with sarcasm. I also think Reynolds deserves a special shout out for superb comedic acting. He was so good I forgive him for making Green Lantern which he even pokes fun at the flop in this film.

What I liked most about Deadpool was when the typical cheesy parts in a superhero movie were happening they found way to make it more enjoyable with humour. The best example is when Deadpool’s love interest Vanessa takes off his mask to see his deformed faced for the first time and instead she sees a picture of Huge Jackman’s Wolverine stapled to his face. This moment cuts the awkward cheesy tension and allows the audience to giggle at Reynolds' twisted sense of humour.

Thanks to the Farris Buller parody scene during the end credits there is hope for a sequel. I'm sure it will be even more bizarre and twisted than the first - I can't wait.

Deadpool trailer

The End of the Tour is a Work of Art

I saw on social media a posting listing the must see films of 2015 that were snubbed by the Oscars. The End of the Tour was one of them starring Jason Segel and Jesse Eisenberg.

Totally blown away at how amazing this film was and the superb acting by its lead, Jason Segel. He is the master at creating the perfect disastrous image of a man and I mean that as a compliment. 

I'll admit I never heard of David Foster Wallace or David Lipsky until I saw this film, but I don't think that matters. For me the film was about two writers trying to express themselves: one seems like he succeeds while the other envies him for it. A line from the film sums up this concept for me.

“He wants more for himself and I want what he has” – David Lipsky

What consumed me about this film was the conversations between the two main characters. I found myself wishing I was sitting in the back seat of the car, so I could chime in with a "Ya but" or "Don't you think". Instead I sat quietly on my couch listening tentatively with awe. 

David Foster Wallace in the film and I’m assuming in real life displayed the typical characteristics of all great writers like Hemmingway and Fitzgerald- tortured souls who wrote to release the demons that haunted them. Mr. Wallace seemed to be in a constant struggle between wanting to succeed with his writing, but fearlessly protecting himself from the letting the world in.  

Writing like all art is a vulnerable form of expression of one’s emotions. I can relate to Mr. Wallace’s struggle to find balance, because to truly express yourself means to expose yourself to the good, the bad and the ugly of the world. It reminds of a war and in a battle, some people thrive in chaos while others retreat to safety. To triumph completely is rare. 

If David Foster Wallace was still alive today, I would write him a fan letter thanking him for giving the interview to David Lipsky. Instead I’ll do him the honor of reading his works of art. 

Matt Damon turned my beat around

Christmas is a time for me to catch up on seeing movies from the year before award season begins. I was busy, so instead of writing a post for each one that I saw I have condensed my personal reviews into this one post. Below you will see my brief thoughts of each film and I also ranked them from worst to best.

The Lobster

Weird…I usually like weird, but this was over the top and pointless.

Sicario

Awesome action scenes with lots of suspense. Where it went wrong was Emily Blunt’s lack of character development which was a shame because her character at first seemed complex and interesting, but the ending fell flat as a result and she came across as weak.

Burnt

Bradley Cooper's performance did a great job at keeping my attention for the full 1h 41m. It was a good film that was full of heartache, romance and triumph. It also made me hungry.

Spotlight

Fantastic story with an all-star cast, so I was expecting more than what I saw. Don’t get me wrong it was good, but I was hoping for more of a connection to the characters. I will give props to Mark Ruffalo’s stellar performance, great character acting.

Star Wars: the Force Awakens

Finally a Star Wars movie that I can connect with. I’m a 80s child so it was nice to see this film. It reminded me of all the reasons why I love the franchise.

The Martian

Hands down the best film I saw all Christmas. Which was surprising since I had no desire to see it after viewing the trailer. I thought it would be another Gravity, but I was mistaken. Matt Damon was awesome and hilarious. He definitely deserved the Golden Globe for his performance. This film had all the things I love humor, superb acting and a great plot.

After watching the Golden Globes this past Sunday, I realized I still have a lot of catching up to do. My top priorities are the Revenant, the Big Short and Creed. Stay-tuned.