“Can we have a movie with characters instead of stereotypes?” Echoing a question posed by his protagonist, director Justin Simien challenges the American public — and himself — to answer this question with his film “Dear White People,” released Oct. 17. It’s a worthy attempt, but I’m not sure he succeeds.
Amy Dunne is gone before we ever meet her in “Gone Girl,” initiating a frenzied witch-hunt where all fingers point at her husband, Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck). The film, directed by David Fincher, is a faithful adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s 2012 novel of the same name. It’s told from the perspective of our supposed wife-killer in the days after Amy (Rosamund Pike) goes missing, as well as from the perspective of Amy Dunne herself as she reminisces about a joyful marriage gone awry via the chapters in her diary during the years and weeks leading up to her disappearance.
“The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby” is about a man who loves a woman, and a woman who loves a man — so says the trailer. What sets this film apart from other dramas is that it’s a three-film drama told from three different perspectives: Eleanor Rigby (Jessica Chastain), Conor Ludlow (James McAvoy) and the objective omniscient. “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them,” was first released Sept.
I had two initial thoughts during the closing credits of Richard Linklater’s 2014 film, “Boyhood.” First, I reveled in the originality of the film, both in its lengthy 12-year production and in its superb execution. Secondly, I found myself disappointed with Mason, the protagonist of the film, who ends up as an annoying maladjusted hipster teenager by the end of the film. After reading glowing reviews for “Boyhood” prior to seeing it myself, I did not want to write the typical “best film of the year!” kind of review.
James Marsh’s “The Theory of Everything” is part love story and part biopic, but sadly doesn’t highlight enough of either. Having bawled at the trailer twice, I went into this movie with high hopes, but felt like I was being led too quickly through a man’s life, peering into each formative chapter and craning my neck to see more before being jerked on to the next. However, brilliant acting on the part of Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking and Felicity Jones as Jane Wilde, as well as Marsh’s sleek direction, make up for the film’s often scattered, surface-level aspects.
