MOVIE REVIEW: Moonlight

Moonlight is a unique coming-of-age film divided into three chapters as Chiron, who is the maincharacter evolves as  years go by and discovers his true self.

Set in a world that most of us have seen only here in the film, in a rough area of Miami to be exact. Chiron has a life that is not good. He lives with his single mother (Naomie Harris, in a knockout performance) who's a crackhead, gets bullied all the time and is confused about his true identity when his mother called him a "faggot". 

He finds solace and a father figure with a drug dealer (Mahershala Ali in an Oscar worthy performance) and together with his girl Teresa (Janelle Monae), he is loved the way that his mom couldn't give. Years go by and he questions his sexuality as he falls in love with his best friend.

In the hands of it's director Barry Jenkins, what could had been a depressing film turned out to be a showcase of raw great acting, wonderful cinematography and an intelligent script. One of 2016's best.

MOVIE REVIEW: Allied

Allied is Robert Zemeckis' most beautiful film to date. Headlined by two of the biggest and good looking actors in the world: Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard, the two Oscar winners complimented its beautiful cinematography by frequent Zemeckis' collaborator Dan Burgess, art direction and costumes. Unfortunately, the film gets bogged down by its uneven storytelling.

Allied starts when intelligence officer Max Vatan (Pitt) lands in 1942 North Africa to aid a French resistance fighter Marianne Beausejour (Cotillard) in assassinating a Nazi official. There's some old Hollywood glamour infused in the film and it's a pleasure to watch it on the big screen. 

Once the two fall in love and move to London, it goes downhill from there. It's hard to believe that Vatan and Beausejour wanted to start a family in the middle of the war. With their jobs, it's just not possible. When his superiors say that Vatan's wife might be a German spy, some people can easily predict the outcome.

Allied has it's moments and both Pitt and Cotillard rise above the mediocre script to give commendable performances. This is Zemeckis' love letter to the golden age of Hollywood but I wished that it was better written.

MOVIE REVIEW: Moana

Disney's latest animated heroine ain't new. We saw Moana 18 years ago in Mulan - a daughter who must prove her worth to her father and the village that they live, in a world dominated by men and they stood out by circumstances not to their choosing.

Moana though, is a musical and a fine one at that. Disney scored a grand slam when they got the services of the biggest composer on Broadway right now, multiple Tony Award Winner Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton) and the songs and musical score by Mark Mancina are quite catchy, memorable and the film's ballad "How Far I'll Go" is a sure bet to be the next "Let It Go" from Frozen.

The animation is gorgeous and the colors of the islands and the sea fully come to life that is best appreciated on the big screen. It's good to know that they cast Auli'i Cravalho, in her film debut to voice Moana. Born and raised in Hawaii, she knows the feel of the island life just by listening to her lovely voice.

Dwayne Johnson voicing the demigod Maui is the icing on the cake for the film. He was born to give life to the role and arguably it can be compared to Robin Williams' now iconic genie role in Aladdin. We always knew that The Rock had a flair for comedy but he can also sing!! He is truly a jack of all trades.

Moana is another success story for Disney.

MOVIE REVIEW: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

J.K. Rowling again does brilliant magic this time in Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, an entertaining new series in the Harry Potter film universe. From one of the wizarding books that was used in the series, the film introduces us to its author Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne perfectly cast) and his trip to New York City in 1926 with a mission to save the beasts and put them into their rightful place and purpose.

As one among those who followed the series, I find it refreshing that the setting was moved to America and director David Yates truly created the Big Apple with it's own distinct character as similar in earlier Potter films. The writing is also spot on with an emphasis of using the word nomaj as the American term in the wizarding world for a regular human as opposed to the now popular muggle in the UK.

 The film is best seen on the big screen (I saw it on IMAX). It also boasts of an outstanding supporting cast led by Collin Farrell, Katherine Waterston, Ezra Miller, Samantha Morton, Dan Fogler and Carmen Ejogo among others. There is also a big surprise in the film that sets it up for the next ones that is planned. I'm looking forward to that and I'm pretty sure you will too.

MOVIE REVIEW: The Edge of Seventeen

The Edge of Seventeen is coming of age teenage film for anyone who used to be an outcast at one point of their life. 

With a sharp script that echoes the Oscar winning Juno but more grounded and realistic. Hailee Steinfeld gives a marvelous performance as Nadine, a teenager faced with insecurities so typical with her age group but burdened by a not-so great family life.

Nadine's father passed away when she was only 13. She considers him as her number fan and his death leaves a void in her life that she must face with her overbearing mother (Kyra Sedgwick) and her older brother Darian  (Blake Jenner) who's the more outgoing one. What made it worse to her is that he hooked up with only friend since childhood Krista (Haley Lu Richardson) and that made Nadine feel so alone by herself.

She finds solace with her teacher Mr. Bruner (Woody Harrelson) who becomes her confidante. The best parts of the film are the scenes when this two Oscar nominated actors are together.

Writer-director Kelly Fremon Craig in her directorial debut gave the film a vibe that's similar to early John Hughes films. The Edge of Seventeen will hit both parents and their children alike and by watching this movie together, may help

their family relationship strengthen by finding ground with each other in the age of social media (which played a vital part in the film).

MOVIE REVIEW: Almost Christmas

Almost Christmas is like good old comfort food. You had it too many times and yet it feels so good. The typical dysfunctional family during the holidays movie. The film rises above the genre with an outstanding cast led by Danny Glover as Walter, the patriarch of the Meyers family who is celebrating their first Christmas after the death of his wife.

It's nice to see Academy Award winner Mo"Nique (Precious) back in films and doing what she does best - comedy. She plays Walter's sister in law Aunt May a back-up singer to famous musical acts who comes and joins her sister's family for the holidays. The scene where she shows her unique dishes with her relatives are a riot.

Two of the most beautiful African-American actresses in my book: Gabrielle Union and Kimberly Elise play the warring sisters whose conflict run the course of the film. It gets predictable at times but they have great chemistry in those tension yet funny scenes. 

Also starring Omar Epps, Jessie T. Usher and Nicole Ari Parker, Almost Christmas isn't groundbreaking filmmaking but it sure put a smile as sweet as the Sweet Potato Pie the matriarch of the film's signature dessert makes.

MOVIE REVIEW: Arrival

In a time and year when our world is at a standstill due to political beliefs and differences among nations, Arrival comes as a breath of fresh air that offers solid entertainment yet it enriches our mind and questions us on how we can unite despite our differences.

This ain't your typical science-fiction/alien invasion film that relies too much on visuals and testosterone to hype us up, the moment the aliens show up, you know that they came here on earth with a purpose. Aside from Montana which is the film's main setting, the alien pods also landed and stationed in 11 different and random locations around the world. Each government had a different approach in dealing with the visitors and Arrival's focus is in the US when linguist Dr. Louise Banks (Amy Adams) is recruited by Colonel Weber (Forest Whitaker) to use her skills in communicating with the aliens. Together with physicist Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner) and a small team, they go inside the pod when it opens for a certain time to talk to the visitors.

Director Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners & Sicario) had done it again. He successfully made a sci fi film (his first) that's based on the short story Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang, that does not rely too much on visual effects and now because of this I'm looking forward to his film the Blade Runner sequel. Anchored by the outstanding performance of Amy Adams who is the films heart and soul, she now joins Jodie Foster in Contact and Sandra Bullock in Gravity in outstanding female performances in the genre and it's an impressive group. Renner and Whitaker offer ample support but it's Adams who clearly dominates. It's one of the best female lead roles in years. Arrival seems like a mashup of Contact and Christopher Nolan's Interstellar but it stands on its own to be called one of 2016's best films.