Point Break

First Hit:  A couple great visuals do not make a film worth watching.

The two major surfing scenes were great (the waves not the acting in and around them being found and surfed) as was the wingsuit flight the actors take in the alps. Outside of these scenes, this film is poorly constructed with a dull tired script and tries to entice people with action.

But as George Lucas stated in a recent interview with Charlie Rose; you cannot make a good film by doing cool things and build a story around it.

A good film has a great story as its underpinnings and the cool things are only there to help tell the story. This film is full of cool things these guys do while attempting to complete the Osaki 8 which is suppose to be a way to reach enlightenment. Through this back ass wards way we are supposed to be tempted into being interested in a story about fighting crime.

The other part of the Osaki 8 is to create balance with the earth by giving back to it what was taken from it. What makes it even worse is that the latter part (balance) is a stupid premise because to do what they do, they will (and do) hurt others in the process, which cannot create balance.

The film tries to convince you that balance will be achieved by spilling a billion dollars floating down to earth in the Mexican jungle. If this last sentence is confusing – then go waste your time and see this film to understand what I mean. But don’t tell me I didn’t warn you. The Osaki 8 are challenges like: Emerging Force, Birth of Sky, Awakening Earth, etc.. These innocuous terms have been interpreted by the group to mean do something with enlightenment.

Like Birth of Sky was jumping from a plane and diving into the deepest hole in the earth while the balance comes from pushing a billion dollars out of the same plane they jumped from and letting all the money flutter to the ground. Johnny Utah (Luke Bracey) once a renegade risk taker knows about this legend of the 8. But because of a risk he took with his best friend years before, he ends up working for the FBI. He’s given a mission to find out who robbed a slew of diamonds and gave them away and who dumped all the money from the plane.

The way the events take place leads Utah to believe it is being done by a group of guys trying to complete the Osaki 8. He infiltrates the group by risking a ride on 60 foot waves (Life of Water). The group thinks he may be up doing the 8 with them to it so they indoctrinate him into the group.

Through the group’s leader Bodhi (Edgar Ramirez), Utah meets Samsara (Teresa Palmer) Osaki’s widowed partner. If you haven’t noticed the references to spirituality; the writers used character names that are spiritual based. “Samsara” and “Bodhi” are both Sanskrit. Samsara is Sanskrit for the struggle and cycle of life and death (reincarnation) while Bodhi means understanding and enlightenment.

Then the writers used "Osaka 8” which is very analogous to Buddha’s 8-fold path to enlightenment term. Give me a break – this was a waste of time.

Bracey is a good looking young man and in this film that is about all he brought. Ramirez overacted as someone who drank too much of the Osaki Kool-Aid. Palmer was cute and flighty enough to be an embodiment of Samsara. Kurt Wimmer wrote a mindless screenplay and Ericson Core gets some kudos for some great action shots but that’s all.

Overall:  It is very sad that this film got made, except that the waves were really cool.

Concussion

First Hit:  Granted, the NFL did not know what was happening at first, but when they learned and refused to do something about it by letting their greed for money persevere, I wasn’t shocked.

Fact: Multiple hits on the head, like what happens on a football field, can cause CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy), a neurodegenerative disease. This brain damage has directly led to the deaths of many football players and more will needlessly die because of this.

This film tells the story through the eyes of an immigrant who came from Nigeria because he believed that America was the greatest of all countries. Bennet Omalu M.D. (Will Smith) came to the US with more doctorate and master’s degrees than probably any two or three of the most educated people you may know.

Despite being brilliant, people tried to denounce his discovery of CTE because he wasn’t born in this country, was black, and didn’t watch football.

The script was very strong from the get go and when it has him explaining why human brains are more susceptible to this type of injury than a woodpecker or a bighorn sheep you know that he's been careful and pragmatic in his work.

At first he believed that he was helping the NFL when he shared his research with them, but all they saw was economic ruin if the story got out.

The film uses the story of Mike Webster (AKA “Iron Mike”) an NFL center who was considered one of the greatest centers of all time. His untimely death at age 50 from apparent suicide was questioned by Omalu because, nothing in his body said he should have this sort of ending.

What Omalu discovered through detailed unprecedented research was that repetitive head hitting caused CTE. The result gave a reason as to why Webster was hallucinating and not be able to take care of himself. He lost his home, family, and lived in a pickup truck for years before dying.

Supporting Dr. Omalu on this path was his boss Dr. Cyril Wecht (Albert Brooks), former NFL physician Dr. Julian Bailes (Alec Baldwin) and Dr. Steven DeKosky. Together they wrote a paper for a scientific journal that when published scared the hell out of the NFL. The film also balances his fight to get the NFL to acknowledge his findings, with his meeting and falling in love with his wife, Prema Mutiso (Gugu Mbatha-Raw). She was amazing in her support of his work.

The film effectively used, hard to watch, scenes of football players hitting each other helmet to helmet and their heads hitting the ground after being tackled. The pacing of the film is perfect and there isn’t a minute wasted on fluff.

Smith was sublime and perfect in this role. He embodied a man who only wanted the truth to be told and would do anything to have it be heard. Brooks was amazing as Omalu’s boss. One got the sense that he admired Omalu as a man and a fellow physician. He wanted to be there to support him because he knew Omalu’s brilliance would reveal the truth. Baldwin was very strong as the former NFL physician who knew that Omalu’s science was correct and was willing to go against his old bosses and friends for the truth to be unveiled. David Morse as Mike Webster was scary great. He held the audience and his fellow actors with the tension he created in this role. Mbatha-Raw was wonderful in her supportive role as Omalu's wife. She provided a grounded sense throughout the film. Peter Landesman wrote and directed this film. His interpretation of the story and use of the actors make this a film to consider at awards time.

Overall:  This film has a lot to say to anyone who lets their sons play football: Do you want to risk the possibility of brain damages?

Creed

First Hit:  This 133 minute film flew by because it was engaging and well done.

I enjoyed the first 4 Rocky films. I didn’t see the 5th because they were deteriorating as the series went on. Of course, like many others, I thought the first Rocky film was wonderful and a great story.

This film feeds off of Rocky IV where Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) is killed by a Russian fighter. One of Apollo’s out of wedlock children, Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan), never met his father before he died and now carries resentment towards the Creed name and his roots.

He grows up going from foster home to foster home and getting into fights over everything and anything. He likes fighting. Apollo’s wife finds him in juvy and takes Adonis in to raise him, puts him through school and helps him get a great job. But even with a great job, he loves fighting and quits everything to become a professional boxer.

He goes to live in Philadelphia looking for Rock Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) to ask him to become his trainer. When we meet Rocky, he’s a little tired, isn’t engaged with boxing any longer, and runs Adrien’s, his deceased wife’s namesake restaurant. When he discovers that Adonis is Apollo’s son he begrudgingly helps him.

This film is about both Adonis and Rocky growing through their relationship to become better people - together. The boxing scenes are well done, not as violent as the scenes in “Southpaw” or a couple of the earlier “Rocky” films, but they are effective.

This script has Rocky talking to Paulie and Adrian's headstones was vintage Rocky and very touching. Having Adonis meet Bianca (Tessa Thompson) was a throwback to Rocky and Adrian’s budding and then lasting relationship.

Jordan was very good in this part and his ability to be touchy and touching are a wonderful strong point. Stallone was magnificent. I wouldn’t doubt he will receive award nominations for this performance. Subtle, true to the character, and very engaging. Thompson was a great conduit for and in this film. She rounded out the testosterone nature of this film. Phylicia Rashad was perfect as Apollo’s widowed wife and Adonis’s stepmom. Ryan Coogler and Aaron Covington wrote a wonderfully insightful script that brought together wonderful historical aspects of the old Rocky films. Coogler did a great job of putting the script and actors together to make this film really work.

Overall:  This was a thoroughly enjoyable film.

Southpaw

First Hit:  Although at times hard to watch, this is an extremely well-crafted and acted film.

It is hard to see someone get hit in the face. It is even harder when they mug and beg the person to hit them.

Boxer Billy Hope (Jake Gyllenhaal) does this time and time again as a way to get angry enough to beat his opponent. As the Light Heavyweight Champion he uses this tactic to win all his fights. Outside the ring he has one focus, his family. When he looks over the ropes, face looking like beaten hamburger, his wife Maureen (Rachel McAdams) gives him the look – the look that says “I love you and let’s go home”.

When he finishes the job, she takes him home, and he goes to his daughter’s Leila’s (Oona Laurence) room and becomes a heart filled father. Maureen and Billy have a single focus around their love and interdependence; recoup from the battering Billy takes and ready himself for the next one.

Maureen and Billy were both brought up by the State of New York and share a deep bond and connection that works perfectly for this film. Maureen makes all the decisions for their family; when to fight and when to rest is the primary focus. She is his rock and life, while he is the spirit and strength. A tragic shooting sets Billy’s life spinning out of control and everything falls apart. Billy becomes lost and he’s left to find his way back home.

This is when Tick Willis (Forest Whitaker), who owns a boxing gym becomes a trusted guide for Billy’s salvation. All the fight scenes are extremely well choreographed. The settings and feel of the locker rooms, boxing arenas, charity gatherings, and the 300 square foot apartment Billy finds himself living in are spot on. 

The dialogue (of which Billy has little) between everyone; Jordan (Curtis Jackson 50 Cent) the fight promoter, Willis, Leila, Maureen, Hoppy (Skylan Brooks) the kid who’s looking for guidance, and all the characters is well timed, has the right flavor and are perfect for the roles.

Gyllenhaal is jaw-dropping amazing. By far and away, performance of the year. He does so much with his eyes, face, posture, that one doesn’t notice that he doesn’t steal the film with dialogue. McAdams is wonderfully centered and perfect for the role of a beautiful woman brought up in a tough life and who loves her man. Jackson (50 Cent) was a very good opportunistic promoter who’s only thinking of himself despite his words. Whitaker, as usual, steals every scene he’s in – you just can’t take your eyes off him (he seem always on the edge of bursting). Laurence was sublime and if this young person’s performance is any indication of her future – we’ll be seeing a lot more of her. I won’t list them all here and everyone’s performance in this film was very well done. Kurt Sutter wrote an amazing script that captured the tenderness and bravado of the people in the sport of boxing. Antoine Fuqua got everything and more from the script and actors – not sure this film could have been done any better by anyone.

Overall:  This film is filled with the highest level of craftsmanship imaginable by everyone who had a hand in creating it.

MacFarland USA

First Hit:  Predictable yet an engaging and inspirational film.

Jim White (Kevin Costner) is a coach that has strong beliefs and he wants all the kids he coaches to have the determination, dedication, and drive to excel in high school sports. When they don’t, he gets upset and is reactionary.

He lost his previous three jobs through his reactionary ways and now the only job he can get is in MacFarland, CA. MacFarland is a farming community in central California and inhabited by Latinos who survive by picking produce in the fields. Most the kids are picking next to their family members before and after school - it's a family affair.

White, his wife Cheryl (Maria Bello), and his daughters Julie and Jamie (Morgan Saylor and Elsie Fisher respectively) are out of place in this community. Initially they hate it but, as you know, they begin to love it as they learn the culture and people. White decides that these high school kids can run after watching them run to and from work. He then challenges them  and attempts to recruit them for his newly formed cross-country team.

As you might expect he gets laughed at by the kids and the adults, but after recruiting the minimum 7 kids, this story becomes all inspiration. The story line is written in the history of MacFarland High School Cougars 9 all state titles in 14 years.

Costner is good as the guy who has lessons to learn and makes the right choices. Bello is very good as the supportive loving wife. Saylor and Fisher are both wonderful and effective as kids who learn to see the love in their community. Ramiro Rodriguez, Carlos Pratts, Johnny Ortiz, Rafael Martinez, Hector Duran, Sergio Avelar, and Michael Aguero were all outstanding as the Cougars Cross-Country team. I loved their distinct personalities. Christopher Cleveland wrote this predictable and inspired script. Niki Caro captured the feel of the community effectively with her direction.

Overall:  This is a feel good movie and it works for that reason.