BradWesley123's Movie Journal- February 2016

Though it is a bit too mundane at times, Junebug is deftly told story about the lingering issues in a family that simply can't go away. The script is probably the film's MVP; little moments create the narrative, crafting a deeply felt film knows that some problems never go away, but also knows that others can lead to understanding a change, if only slightly. The cast is superb too, though it's Amy Adams who steals every scene; this was her big breakout, and you can tell why from the second she pops on screen. Not necessarily the easiest film to watch, but its certainly rewarding.

Monthly Wesley AwardBest Supporting Actress- Amy Adams

The impact has been diluted in previous years; a certain president's tendencies would fall in line with "bulworthing". Nevertheless, Bulworth, merely as a film, is a solid, pointed effort that swings big and hits a couple of major targets (though misses a couple too). Beatty gives one of his more memorable performances as the title character, hitting the character's collapse, rise, and stabilization with an energy that is magnetic.

Restrained to a fault, the problem with several Eastwood flicks, Flags of Our Fathers offers a stirring story about the sacrifice of WWII soldiers, but does so in the most dull and forgettable ways. The cast is strong, Adam Beach in particular deserves a stand-alone story for this character, but their largely wasted in a surface view of the events. The film's visual output is where the movie doesn't disappoint, with the costumes, production design and cinematography (which helps the war sequence reach a state of pure queesiness) pop off the screen. There are several strong moments, but as I said it just doesn't ever really come together. Pales in comparison to its sibling Letters from Iwo Jima; if you got the choice, watch it instead.

Monthly Wesley AwardBest Visual Effects

Iris feels like the standard-issue British Oscar-bait, and it never really shakes that feeling. The cast does their best; Broadbent, Bonneville, Dench and Winslet are all superb, but they're really the only thing to really recommend. Sure, the structure changes things up a bit, but only the cast makes things watchable.

The Good Shepard is film that's hard to separate from it's ambition; it wants to show us that the CIA life is sprawling, but isolating, meandering, and mundane. In regard to showing that play out, De Niro does an excellent job; as a piece of cinema though, it's about a 50/50 effort. At nearly three hours in length, the meandering, episodic storytelling occasionally flashes with brilliance, but is often just too dull to ignite much. The cast, varying with what their given, is solid; Damon anchors the film the kind of passive performance that this storytelling demands, and he does his best. It's a respectable film, but not a particularly successful one.

Hitchcock's only Best Picture winner is masterclass in mood and tone. Rebecca excels in every department, though Olivier does ham a bit too much, and creates an effectively mysterious gothic-drama.

Monthly Wesley AwardsBest Actress- Joan Fontaine
Best Adapted Screenplay- Joan Harrison and Robert E. Sherwood

Going My Way is a relatively charming effort, with decent work from the cast (Barry Fitzgerald steals every scene he's in) and the music department, but it's poorly paced and never really resonates emotionally. It's simply a mildly diverting film that doesn't hold up necessarily well.

I really don't know how to review a movie like this, like pretty much every classic I watch. Of course it's magnificent, with every shot representing an advancement in technology and storytelling. I don't know what else I could say that hasn't already been said.

Monthly Wesley AwardsBest Picture
Best Director- Orson Welles
Best Actor- Orson Welles
Best Original Screenplay- Herman J. Mankiewicz and Orson Welles
Best Editing- Robert Wise
Best Makeup

With some of the finest songs, dances, camerawork, and sound that cinema has ever been graced with, along with a story that holds a quasi-mirror to society, West Side Story is a decidedly American motion picture. Pick any element, and you're likely to see some of the best in film history. It is also, surprisingly, one of the most fun films to watch ever; the 2-and-a-half-hour runtime flies by.

Monthly Wesley AwardsBest Supporting Actor- George Chakiris
Best Cinematography- Daniel L. Fapp
Best Score- Leonard Bernstein and Irwin Kostal
Best Production Design
Best Sound

It's okay, but Trumbo mostly comes across as a glossy TV movie instead of a full-blooded biopic. Cranston is strong in the lead role, and the costume and production designs are quite good, but the script is just a boring hodgepodge of major events and hero-worship. A better team behind the camera likely would've yielded finer results in front of the camera.

Of course, The Sound of Music is easily one of the most recognizable musicals ever, and that familiarity helps lend the film a certain amount of fun. It's superb in every technical department, as well as in it's casting (Andrews in outstanding). The biggest problem that the film has is it's bloated storyline, which could've been trimmed by probably 20 minutes and made better (it just keeps going). Still, its a strong film with several earworm songs.

Monthly Wesley AwardBest Costume Design- Dorothy Jeakins

It has a couple of solid action sequences, but Hitman: Agent 47 is a stupid movie that has a pretty atrocious plot and horribly rendered characters. There is some fun here, but not enough to really make me recommend it as a "so good it's bad" flick.

Monthly Wesley AwardWorst Picture