Tag Archives: Jennifer Jason Leigh

All Movie Reviews, Horror, Like It, Long Reviews (>400 Words), Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Annihilation (2018) Movie Review

February 24, 2018 Alex Brannan Leave a comment

There is a scene midway through Annihilation, the latest science fiction expedition from Ex Machina writer-director Alex Garland, where a woman gets yanked off of the ground and rag-dolled by what appears to be a half-bear, half-warthog creature. It’s all right, though. We already knew this was coming.

The woman is one of five tasked with venturing into the “Shimmer,” an enclosed, alien space that crash landed on Earth near a lighthouse and began slowly expanding. Inside the Shimmer, the Continue reading Annihilation (2018) Movie Review →

All Movie Reviews, Drama, Leave it, Long Reviews (>400 Words)

LBJ (2017) Movie Review

November 4, 2017 Alex Brannan Leave a comment

If you ever wanted to hear Lyndon Johnson (portrayed here by Woody Harrelson) discuss the hang of his testes, Rob Reiner’s LBJ is the film for you. The subject comes up twice, showing up again near the end as if it is a brilliant comedic callback meant to elicit hoots and hollers.

I was surprised to hear, two days before the film’s release, that there was a Continue reading LBJ (2017) Movie Review →

All Movie Reviews, Halloween Horror, Horror, Leave it, Long Reviews (>400 Words)

Amityville: The Awakening (2017) Movie Review

October 24, 2017 Alex Brannan Leave a comment

40 years after a brutal murder took place at a house in Amityville, New York, a family moves in. The mother (Jennifer Jason Leigh) wants things to be normal for her two daughters (Bella Thorne and Mckenna Grace) in spite of the medical condition of her son (Cameron Monaghan).

Given this condition, it makes little sense that he would be in a house and not a hospital, but we can let it slide. It is the reason why the family moves to the house in the first place, and it is an excuse for Continue reading Amityville: The Awakening (2017) Movie Review →

All Movie Reviews, Drama, Indie Films, Like It, Long Reviews (>400 Words)

Good Time (2017) Movie Review

August 25, 2017 Alex Brannan Leave a comment

Good Time opens on a brutal scene in which the mentally handicapped Nick (Benny Safdie, who also co-directs) free associates with a psychiatrist. It is a scene told entirely in tight closeups. Nick stares on at the therapist, at first emptily as he struggles to answer the questions in abstract ways. Then, his still blank face breaks into tears. It is a truly engaging scene that effectively draws you into the film.

In this scene, it is not immediately clear where Nick is or why he is there. All we have is the claustrophobic moment of Continue reading Good Time (2017) Movie Review →

All Movie Reviews, Animation, Like It, Long Reviews (>400 Words), Romance

Anomalisa (2015) Movie Review

January 23, 2016 Alex Brannan Leave a comment

Anomalisa begins on chatter over a black screen. This chatter is clearly multiple people, but the voices are distinctly similar to each other. This fades in on a lush cloudscape with an airplane emerging out of the grey. Inside the plane is Michael Stone (David Thewlis), a man famous for writing a book about good customer service.

Michael lives in a world of isolation. On a trip to give a self-help speech, he is completely Continue reading Anomalisa (2015) Movie Review →

2016 Academy Awards, Award Ceremonies

2016 Academy Award Predictions – Best Supporting Actress

January 16, 2016 Alex Brannan 1 Comment

It seems that I am the only person in the world who didn’t enjoy Kate Winslet’s performance in Steve Jobs. Perhaps I need to re-watch the film, considering my lukewarm response to it as a whole. Regardless of my favor, Winslet appears to be the category favorite. Winning the Golden Globe only helped her chances.

The rest of the category is up in the air. If it isn’t Winslet, it could be anybody. It is nice to see Continue reading 2016 Academy Award Predictions – Best Supporting Actress →

All Movie Reviews, Long Reviews (>400 Words), Love It, Western

The Hateful Eight (2015) Movie Review

December 31, 2015 Alex Brannan Leave a comment

The “Roadshow” 70mm exhibition of Quentin Tarantino’s eighth film, The Hateful Eight, begins with a three minute overture. It is a haunting piano, string, and xylophone melody that plays over a red splash screen. This overture, and the films full score, are handled by master film composer Ennio Morricone.

Morricone’s career spans decades, and his work has included iconic scores in Sergio Leone Westerns. It is thus apropos that he tackles this films soundtrack, which is at times the dominant attraction, crescendoing into Hellish tremolos from thunderous strings. It is a brilliant score that mixes Western and Gothic motifs.

Tarantino begins The Hateful Eight by Continue reading The Hateful Eight (2015) Movie Review →