Step Inside an Old House That Holds Deadly Secrets

Tom Hiddleston and Mia Wasikowska in "Crimson Peak"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com 

Guillermo del Toro is a director whose visionary eye has brought us films that revel in resplendent imagery that can be either fantastical, disturbing, or both.  With a laudable filmography that includes “Pan’s Labyrinth,” “The Devil’s Backbone,” “Hellboy,” “Hellboy 2: The Golden Army,” “Pacific Rim,” and “Blade 2,” he has shown himself to be a true master of crafting stories that focus on a coexistence of humans and monsters.

In his gothic romance/haunted-house chiller, “Crimson Peak,” del Toro succeeds, once again, in creating a world that invites us in with its beautiful designs.  While the story itself doesn’t quite reach the greatness we have seen in some of del Toro’s other films, it still succeeds in showing him as a director of true artistic ambition.

At the turn of the 20th century, Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska) is an aspiring author living in Buffalo, New York.  After meeting Sir Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston), an English aristocrat, the two fall in love and marry.  Following the marriage, Edith moves to England with Thomas and his sister, Lucille (Jessica Chastain), and begins her new life in the siblings’ isolated mansion, Allerdale Hall.  Not too long into her marriage, Edith soon realizes the house carries dark secrets, ones that quickly put her life in grave danger.

Mia Wasikowska and Tom Hiddleston have plenty of chemistry and are perfectly serviceable in their roles, but it’s Jessica Chastain who provides the most memorable performance.  Although she has largely played benevolent characters in her films, Chastain completely dives into Lucille’s strange behavior, supplying the film with a considerable portion of its terror.  Whenever she’s on screen, you can’t help but tense up because you always know there’s something lurking beneath her character’s facade of serenity.

Guillermo del Toro’s films succeed in fully capturing the worlds his characters inhabit.  With the help of Dan Laustsen’s cinematography, Allerdale Hall is gorgeously framed.  From the extensive snow-covered ground to the dark hallways, Laustsen shows us the decaying mansion that recalls a past elegance that seems to be far from reclamation.  His camerawork provides us with a strong sense of our surroundings as we become familiar with the dark depths of the house that hold its darker secrets.

The screenplay by del Toro and Matthew Robbins takes a classic ghost story approach to its narrative, while also including some influences to Alfred Hitchcock’s films “Rebecca” and “Notorious.”  The narrative is a well-paced story, taking its time to establish the dynamic between Edith and Thomas before bringing us to Allerdale Hall.  However, the film becomes rather predictable as it progresses.  Del Toro is one of the most creative filmmakers working today, so it was a bit of letdown that the story didn’t have as many interesting ideas as some of his other films.

Although “Crimson Peak” could have had a stronger screenplay, you can still sense the love for filmmaking Guillermo del Toro puts into his movies.  Much like his other films, the atmosphere he establishes instantly draws you in, and his ability to produce intoxicating visuals is still as strong as ever.  With that, it’ll be worth your time to visit del Toro’s house of horrors.

Final grade: B

Enforcing the Law While Being Kept in the Dark

From left: Daniel Kaluuya, Hank Rogerson,
Victor Garber, and Emily Blunt in "Sicario"

Recently, director Denis Villeneuve has brought moviegoers highly effective and thought-provoking thrillers: “Prisoners” and “Enemy.”  With these films, he has shown his wonderful ability to instantly draw us in with the deep sense of mystery he presents.  

He does this once again with his crime thriller, “Sicario.”  Equipped with an impressive cast, intriguing story, and tense direction, Villeneuve uses his latest film to bring the audience into a murky world of drug cartels and the law enforcement officials trying to stop them.

While raiding a home suspected of involvement in drug-cartel activity, Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) and her FBI Special Weapons and Tactics team lose two officers.  Soon after, she is recruited by CIA Special Activities Division officer Matt Graver (Josh Brolin), who tells Kate that they intend to go after the cartel that is responsible for the deaths, including finding the boss of the cartel.  They are joined by Matt’s mysterious partner, Alejandro Gillick (Benicio del Toro), and although Kate agrees to join, Matt refuses to disclose too many details about their mission.  Not too long into the job, Kate begins to question the nature of what she has signed up for.

Similar to her work in 2014’s sci-fi thriller “Edge of Tomorrow,” Emily Blunt brings a fighter sensibility to her performance.  Although you might not learn much about her character’s background, there’s an effectiveness to that mystery because we eventually get to know who Katie is as a person by how she responds to being part of a job that’s shrouded in secrecy.

Benicio del Toro’s character seems to be a man of a few words, but his performance still holds terrific power.  We’re not entirely sure what his character’s deal is, but his enigmatic demeanor constantly has us guessing what role he plays in the mission of bringing down the cartel.  With his stern face and soft, yet commanding voice, del Toro achieves in making sure audiences keep a sharp eye on him.

As with many movies he works on, the cinematography by Roger Deakins (who worked with Villeneuve on “Prisoners”) is a highlight.  The best of the film’s photography includes the smooth camera movements as we follow Matt’s team when they drive through Juárez, Mexico on one of their missions, as well as the night-vision cinematography during the climactic drug-tunnel scene.  With these shots, we’re absorbed into the film and its pulse-quickening scenarios.

The screenplay by Taylor Sheridan makes this Kate’s story every bit as much as Alejandro’s, but withdraws the details concerning him until the final half hour where we learn the truth about his work.  Keeping these secrets places us in the same position as Kate as we constantly attempt to figure out what exactly Matt and Alejandro’s intentions are for bringing down the cartel.  Although the story may seem like a typical drug-cartel movie, there is more to it lurking beneath the surface, particularly in what we see during the final half hour, which is what really makes you think as soon as the credits roll.

Denis Villeneuve has quickly become a top director of modern thrillers, with “Prisoners,” “Enemy,” and now “Sicario,” all because of his ability to create a tense atmosphere throughout each of his movies.  He has a tremendous talent in keeping the viewer hooked while watching his films, always having us asking ourselves where exactly we will end up.  For these three films, you feel like sitting in your seat for a few minutes after the end so you can begin to think about what you just saw.  For any filmmaker, that’s a true gift.

Final grade: A 

A Mission on Mars Becomes a Mission of Survival

Matt Damon in "The Martian"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

Over the past couple of years, films such as “Interstellar” and “Gravity” have displayed the excitement and peril of space exploration.  Through stunning visual effects, they transported audiences into the far reaches of outer space and continued to prove that Earth does not have to be a boundary for adventure.

Director Ridley Scott brings that spirit of adventure to life in the sci-fi drama, “The Martian,” based on the best-selling novel by Andy Weir, which was first published in 2011.  Like many book-to-film adaptions, the book proves to be superior to the film, but Scott has made a movie that is still hugely enjoyable and thrilling.

During NASA’s “Ares III” mission on Mars, Mark Watney (Matt Damon) and his crew (Jessica Chastain, Michael Peña, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, and Aksel Hennie) are hit by an intense sandstorm, forcing them to end their mission early and evacuate.  While doing so, Mark is lost and believed to be dead, causing the rest of the crew to leave him behind.  Following the storm, Mark finds he is all alone.

After some time, NASA realizes Mark is alive and soon begins to formulate a plan to save him.  Meanwhile, Mark, who is equipped with limited supplies, but unlimited resourcefulness, must figure out a way to stay alive until he can be rescued.

Matt Damon is the perfect choice for the lead role, expertly displaying the character’s sense of humor, survivalist ingenuity, and the emotional toll that comes with isolation.  Although he is backed up by a supporting cast full of talented actors and actresses, such as Jessica Chastain, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Jeff Daniels, it’s Damon who carries the film.  He is endlessly entertaining to watch as his character uses his wit to get him through the rough patches, and also as he contemplates his situation with a more emotional side to his character.

The screenplay by Drew Goddard maintains the spirit of the novel, despite some of the changes he made for the movie.  Those who have read the novel will know that a significant factor that makes the source material so interesting is how in-depth the science is presented, providing us with an insight into Mark’s vast intellect.  Most of the novel is told through Mark’s point-of-view as he offers very detailed explanations about the scientific processes he performs, but it wouldn’t have translated well to a screenplay to have the character provide endless exposition through voiceover narration, so it makes sense that Goddard trimmed down most of the scientific explanations.  Despite this, he successfully manages to keep the intrigue of Mark’s science in tact as the character goes from one task to another.

Just like in the novel, the secondary characters of Mark’s crew and at NASA aren’t written with much depth, but given the time sensitivity of Mark’s situation, it makes sense for these supporting characters to perform their given tasks, instead of getting caught up in scenes that are more dramatic.

Just as Ridley Scott did with “Alien” and “Prometheus,” he manages to capture the combined beauty and danger of distant planets and outer space, and this is all with the help of the grandiose cinematography by Dariusz Wolski, which offers shots of space and Mars that look glorious on the big screen.  Scott also goes in a different direction with the subject of space exploration, because while “Alien” and “Prometheus” present a darker approach to space exploration, Scott uses “The Martian” as an opportunity to present a more hopeful approach to this topic, using a story about humans doing everything they can to bring one of their own back home.

Benefitting from Damon’s charismatic performance, a fast-paced story, and marvelous visuals, “The Martian” is a movie that you should find time to experience in a theater.  Just buy a ticket, find a seat, and get ready to blast off.

Final grade: A-