pcqgod
Joined Dec 2002
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'Eye in the Sky' is a timely, tension-filled story of a joint British/US operation to neutralize members of a terrorist cell in Kenya. The mission parameters change from capture to kill when the threat level rises, but things are complicated when a young neighborhood girl sets up her makeshift bread shop directly next to the building the terrorists are holed up in. Pretty much the entirety of the movie involves preparing for and the attempt to authorize the drone strike that the British military leaders (Helen Mirren and Alan Rickman) are determined to carry out. We see the physical, practical details (involving some technology that seems straight out of a James Bond movie) as well as the legal and political protocols that must be adhered to. The movie is so successful in immersing the viewer in the dilemma the military characters face that you feel their frustration at being thwarted by military protocols and indecisive politicians while simultaneously being terrified for the fate of the little girl. 'Eye in the Sky' shares many similarities with 'Sicario' in that it deals with a war, portrayed very graphically, in which the major characters largely travel in the gray areas of legality and morality.
The thing that I found most compelling about 'Nightcrawler' was not that it plays as an evil, Bizarro-world rags-to-riches success story, although that is part of its subversive appeal, certainly. Rather, Jake Gyllenhaal's absolutely riveting performance as the predatory, small-time hood turned news videographer is what sets this movie apart for me. It is a nuanced performance. Little things about his performance, from his mannerisms to odd turns of phrase emphasize that Louis Bloom is a stranger to normal human interaction. The way Bloom laughs at times when nothing is remotely funny is frankly chilling. The fact that one oddly admires Bloom's professionalism and perfectionism in his chosen avocation makes for an unsettling, if unforgettable movie experience.
'Whiplash' is the story of two men. One is a young music conservatory student determined to be as good as his idol, Buddy Rich, on drums. So single-minded is he in this pursuit that he largely ignores other aspects of a normal, well-adjusted life, including personal relationships. The other primary character (J.K. Simmons in a career-defining role) is the most hard-ass music instructor ever. He curses, cajoles, intimidates and physically assaults his students, buffered by the philosophy that if he does not, they will never achieve greatness. Neither lead character will yield, and from that premise and tension flows the drama and some incredible jazz music.