Movie Review: 1917

I usually give myself some time after watching a film to let it to process before I review it. 1917 just couldn’t wait. This movie’s wide-release has started the new decade off as strongly as possible. Sam Mendes has created and executed one of the most technically proficient and emotionally provocative masterpieces I have ever seen. This film’s seamless one-shot stylization had me captivated for its entire runtime, and I left feeling a wide array of emotions due to its powerful messaging. Let’s get into why this film is as successful as it is.

As previously stated, this film is a cinematic achievement. From beginning to end, barring the intentional passage of time toward the middle of the film, this really does feel like one continuous sequence. The coordination, camera work, and direction needed to pull this off is absolutely staggering and deserves all of the critical acclaim it will inevitably continue to receive. Richard Deakins’ cinematography is impeccable and adds significantly to an already emotionally compelling screenplay.

The simplicity of the story also helps the format of this film. The two protagonists are given a mission to deliver a message in a certain amount of time, and that’s really all there is to the direct plot of this movie. The depth comes in small (and big) character moments, revealing dialogue, and unspoken visual allusions of the complexity of the characters on screen. Not a line is wasted, and no plot element introduced is irrelevant later on. The performances from the two leads in this film, George MacKay’s specifically, are very well executed, but are certainly carried along by the astounding filmmaking here.

The messaging behind this film speaks volumes, too, and adds another impressive layer to this masterwork. While focusing so much on the details of two soldiers’ stories, this film also brings awareness to the atrocities and desensitization of war in our society through its occasional use of gore and brutality. This film is a proficient war movie which, at the end of the day, actually ends up driving home a poignant anti-war message. A very timely one at that.

1917 was everything I had hoped for and more. The emotional heaviness of a film as intense and at times sad as this one would usually make me avoid wanting a re-watch, but in this case, I wouldn’t mind seeing it again. And again. And again. I’m now glad, from what I’ve seen so far, that this film won Best Motion Picture - Drama at the Golden Globes, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it take home best picture at the Academy Awards next month (I still need to see Parasite). All in all: Go see this accomplishment of a film. It’s masterful.

Score: 10/10

NFL Wild Card Predictions

The NFL playoffs have arrived, which means two consecutive days of nonstop football action and intense head-to-head matchups. In this post, I’m going to predict and explain the teams I think will be advancing to next week’s games. Let’s get into it.

Game 1: Bills @ Texans - The Buffalo Bills have surprised me this year. Josh Allen led his squad to a respectable 10-6 record and secured a spot in wildcard weekend against the 4 seed Houston Texans with the same record. While DeShaun Watson has shown his explosiveness at the QB position, the Texans are one of the weaker and more inconsistent teams in the playoffs this year, in my opinion. JJ Watt’s return isn’t enough to stop the Buffalo Bills from rolling into town and taking this one.

Game 2: Titans @ Patriots - As much as I want to, I can’t bet against Tom Brady and Bill Belichick quite yet. I just can’t. After starting the season strong, the Patriots offense has struggled, as highlighted by their shocking loss to Miami last week in Foxboro. At the same time, Ryan Tannehill, Derrick Henry, and company have been rolling over their competition to the point of securing the 6 seed in the AFC. That being said, I just don’t see Brady’s last game as a Patriot coming in the wild card round of the playoffs at home. NE wins here.

Game 3: Vikings @ Saints - It’s time for New Orleans to redeem themselves. After back-to-back heartbreaking playoff losses in 2018 and 2019, this squad is hungry and has a lot to prove as a 13-3 3rd seed in the competitive NFC Conference. Kirk Cousins is beginning to show that he shrinks in primetime, and barring a miracle or officiating disaster, I see Drew Brees getting the job in New Orleans.

Game 4: Eagles @ Seahawks - This feels like the most obvious pick of the week for me. I don’t see this game being competitive. The Seahawk’s 12th man fanbase will be out in full force in Seattle, and the 9-7 Eagles who scraped by just to make it to the wildcard, don’t have enough talent on their roster to steal one against Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll. It would be nice to see Beast Mode go off, too, in another Seahawks playoff W.

It’s entirely possible that these predictions are totally off-base. I’m pretty sure that if they hold up, next week’s predictions for the Divisional round of the playoffs will be more entertaining, as I won’t choose every clear favorite to get the win. What do you think will happen this week? I’m just rooting for some entertaining, competitive NFL Playoff football.

Reflecting On 2019

As 2019 comes to a close and the new year / decade approaches, it’s time to reflect on what all has happened in the last 365 days. This past year was packed full of ups and downs, personal growth, and fun new experiences. In this post, I’m going to be breaking down what 2019 had to offer, what the year taught me, and why I’m excited for 2020.

This year started with me completing my sophomore year of college. Because I was still acquainting myself with what it takes to be a successful college student, I wasn’t able to live up to the high academic standard I’ve now set for myself, but things still went generally well. My relationship with my beautiful girlfriend continued to thrive as we navigated living life on our own in the big city throughout the winter and spring, and our interest in going to concerts grew as we saw more and more good shows such as James Blake and Travis Scott in Atlanta.

Summer always presents itself as a challenge for me as a college student because there is less of a direct schedule to follow. This summer, I occupied myself by taking various beach vacations with my girlfriend, finding time to relax with family which involved getting into our local trivia night scene, and starting this very blog which I’m happy to still be posting consistently on. The beach and relaxation were nice, but by the time the fall semester started, I knew I was ready to commit myself to my studies more than I ever had before.

Fall / winter 2019 was successful on pretty much all cylinders. My relationship with my family and girlfriend were very healthy, my family found new successes that we had been hoping for for a long time, and school went as well as it ever has for me. I was able to make time to go see movies and concerts, go on dates with my girlfriend, hangout with friends, check out local museums, and generally relax while still living up to the high standards I set for myself. I was able to finish the most recent college semester with a 4.15 GPA. The year then wrapped up with an amazing holiday season including a trip to Chicago, Illinois with my loved ones. We will bring in the new year and decade celebrating my girlfriend’s 21st birthday tomorrow, which we’re very much looking forward to.

2019 taught me a lot. I learned to persevere through difficult times, hold myself to a higher standard than I had thought imaginable, and to maintain a healthy work / life balance that keeps everyone around me feeling fulfilled. In 2020, instead of making resolutions I’ll never live up to, I’m going to try to continue the formula I’ve been following and trying to understand and deal with my anxiety, which is something that will likely be a long-term challenge for me. Luckily, it isn’t stopping me from doing fun things. 2020 will likely present new challenges, and by the end of the year I will be starting as a senior in college, but I know I’ll be ready. I look forward to continuing to share my thoughts and writings on this blog for the next decade, and I wish you the best moving forward. Keep the good ones close.

My Top 5 Films of 2019

Just like it was a great year for music, 2019 was a fantastic year for film. Whether referencing supermassive blockbuster smash hits or strong independent showings, there was an abundance of quality movies over the past year. While I haven’t yet been able to view all of the movies I would have liked to from the past year (Parasite, Knives Out, etc.), today I will be listing and explaining my top 5 films of 2019. Let’s get into it.

Honorable mentions: Avengers: Endgame, Once Upon A Time In… Hollywood, Spider-Man: Far From Home

5. Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker: This was easily my most anticipated film of the year, and luckily for me, it lived up to my expectations. While this film is some receiving negative critical feedback, audiences across the world seem to find it a fitting and appropriate endings to one of the most beloved sagas of all time. Without spoiling anything, I was happy with how J.J. Abrams was able to pull story components from both the OG and prequel trilogies to put a bow on the final, feel-good episode. Fantastic performances and amazing visual effects landed this film at the #5 spot on my list.

4. Us: The follow up to one of my favorite films of all time, Jordan Peele’s Get Out, was just as captivating and artistically expressive as its predecessor but in different ways. This film functions as both an entertaining horror / slasher movie and a poignant social commentary about wealth inequality and oppression. I have seen this movie at least four times at this point, and every view is just as enjoyable as the last. Fingers crossed that Lupita Nyong’o isn’t snubbed during awards season after her incredible double performance here.

3. The Irishman: Martin Scorsese assembled the ideal mob movie cast for this outstanding film. It stars Robert de Niro, Joe Pesci, and Al Pacino… what more could you ask for? This is authentic cinema at its finest, which feels appropriate after Scorsese’s recent harsh criticisms about eye-candy films such as Marvel’s Avengers series, yet ironic as it was released on Netflix. This film gives a different perspective on mob life than the one offered from films like The Godfather or Goodfellas, and in doing so, differentiates itself as one of the more unique films released in recent years. I highly recommend this movie.

2. Marriage Story: What a heart-wrenching masterpiece. Noah Baumbach clearly had a vision of what this film’s purpose was from beginning to end, and its execution is masterful. Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson both give career performances as they depict a marriage falling apart, and a family trying to stay together. This movie is intensely intimate, heartfelt, honest, and captivating, all while remaining jovial enough to avoid becoming downright depressing. I think in most years this would likely take the #1 spot, but thanks to the next film on this list, Marriage Story will have to stay the runner-up for 2019.

1. Joker: All I can say is “wow”. Still. This film completely redefines what a comic book origin story can look like. The hype before this movie had me wondering what would differentiate Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal of the infamous Batman villain from the late Heath Ledger’s masterclass performance, and I was pleasantly surprised by the direction Todd Philips took this movie. Joker is a complete reinvention of Arthur’s character, while simultaneously critiquing the way we view mental illness as a society in an incredibly poignant and tasteful manner. This film deserves all of the praise, recognition, and awards that it gets. This is a must-see and my favorite movie of 2019.

Assembling this list was quite a challenge, and I’m sure it would have been even more difficult if I have been able to see all the films on my watchlist from this year. I’m just grateful that there are so many creative individuals coming together to tell such incredible stories. Which films did you enjoy most this year and why?

02/13/2020 Revision: This has changed a lot since then. The current top five is 5) Marriage Story, 4) Joker, 3) Portrait of a Lady on Fire, 2) 1917, 1) Parasite.

My Top 5 Albums Of 2019

2019 was great for music. As it comes to a close, it’s time to reflect on some of the best projects that were released throughout the past year. Today, I will be ranking and explaining my top 5 favorite albums released in the past year. Let’s get down to business.

Honorable mentions: thank u, next by Ariana Grande, Charli by Charli XCX, All My Heroes Are Cornballs by JPEGMAFIA, MAGDALENE by FKA twigs, Norman Fucking Rockwell! by Lana Del Rey

5. WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? by Billie Eilish: A breakout star whose popularity spread so rampantly that many thought of her as an industry plant, Billie Eilish is starting to cement herself as one of the best alternative pop artists making music today. The blood, sweat, and tears that she and her brother put into creating this wonderfully creative, dark, and revealing album becomes quickly apparent upon listening, and the replay-ability of this project is undeniable. I cannot wait to see which direction Billie takes musically moving forward, because her debut album was one of the best of 2019.

4. The Highwomen by The Highwomen: I never thought I would like a “country” album as much as I enjoyed this one. The four delightfully talented women who have assembled this blues supergroup released one of the most compelling albums of the year in their self-titled debut project. I found myself humming the choruses to these songs repeatedly and constantly reflecting on the heartfelt lyricism offered here. That lyricism is supported by astounding vocal performances throughout, and this album is jam-packed with very uplifting and positive themes while still heart-wrenching at times. Great stuff here.

3. Assume Form by James Blake: This album was one of my most-listened-to in 2019, and for good reason. James Blake is realizing his full potential as an artist, and the refined nature of Assume Form proves that he’s ready to take the next step in his musical career. Relatable themes, tasteful features, and incredible vocals make this project an incredibly enjoyable listen. Plus, he was great live when my girlfriend saw him locally in February.

2. GINGER by BROCKHAMPTON: While not as explosively braggadocios as the group’s SATURATION trilogy or their uniquely aggressive IRIDESCENCE, GINGER is just of compelling of a project for me as their others, if not more so. This project finally unpacks the departure of former member Ameer Vann, not holding back from sharing the emotional impact that his removal had on the rest of the group. This is as introspective as the boy band has gotten yet, and I’m here for it. Plus, this project is still full of the classic bangers that put these guys on the map in the first place. Again, they are great live and I highly suggest checking them out.

1. IGOR by Tyler, The Creator: They grow up so fast. All jokes aside, Tyler’s evolution as an artist and a person over the past few years is nothing short of awe-inspiring. He prefaced this album making sure his fans knew that this project would be nothing like any of his previous work, which was entirely accurate to say the least. This project is experimental yet immediately familiar, and Tyler’s unabashed emotional vulnerability and honesty adds to this album’s narrative beautifully and compellingly. He put on an incredible show when I was able to see him in October, and the production accompanied by the wonderful story-telling of this project makes it difficult to not call it a 10/10. It’s definitively my favorite album of the year.

The subjectivity of music and of art in general is what makes it so appealing to me. Virtually everyone’s opinions and tastes are different at least slightly, which is why I like to hear the rationale behind others’ favorite pieces of music, art, film, or any other medium. What were your top 5 albums of the year? Do you agree with my reasoning? Let me know. More coming soon.