Mike Goes To Movies

4. The Matrix (1999) I would say that The Matrix is hands-down one of the coolest films of recent time, however, the fact that it spawned a fashion movement that is, at best, unsettling to witness may slightly detract from the awesome impact of the film and its reception after release. In truth though, The Matrix inspired all action films and VFX that came after it in ways that cannot be understated. The revelation of the techno-mix of VFX kung-fu with bullet-dodging, gravity-warping fight scenes, was like nothing that had been seen on-screen before and a certain game changer for the sci-fi action genre. The plot itself, though dystopian like many other science fiction stories, subverts the usual tropes of its genre. Though it technically does take place in the future, it relates back to our own present time (then-1999). The film throws the audience for a complete spin by innovatively calling into question the complete reality that Neo (and, as a result, we, the audience) live ...

5. The Shining (1980) My first introduction to the The Shining wasn't through the film or the original novel, but in fact through the standout segment of  The Simpson's  season six Treehouse of Horror, The Shinning - a true testament to the hand that the Simpsons had in raising my generation. From then it would still be another number of years before I finally saw Stanley Kubrick's coveted film that the show based their segment upon (and it was only recently that I finally got around to reading King's original novel). It is now quite notoriously known that Stephen King did not particularly like Kubrick's film, as it changed a number of significant aspects and plot-points of the novel - the novel is more supernatural, as well, Jack's descent/motivations differ greatly between film and novel. Many fans took issue with King's position, arguing that the film was only an adaptation and not a literal translation; it was its own standalone entity, and a phen...

7. Ex Machina (2014) The genre of science fiction is at its finest when the story acts as a reflection of our world, the direction it is (believed to be) headed in and the moral questions that arise from there. One particular sci-fi theme that is endlessly written about is humankind's continuous thirst for scientific discovery and power and where we draw the line stating that humans have gone too far. Often in these stories, the line is posited based on some kind of eventual ramification from the innovation. For example, the effect of the discovery may tangibly lead to death/harm to people, the environment and/or the planet. To the audience, the question is then asked - have we gone too far? Where the scientific discovery concerns matters of 'life' the question is sometimes posited in a more existential or, even, religious way such as - have humans gone beyond the bounds of what God intended for us? This is a theme that I personally find fascinating and you will see that...

8. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) The Royal Tenenbaums was the first Wes Anderson film I saw. This film was foundational in showing me that a movie can have its own distinctive style and voice. As most will probably agree, you can know you're watching a Wes Anderson film by watching it for only a scene or two. It's that clear. And, that, in my opinion, is pretty cool. There are those out there who are a bit 'over' or tired of Anderson's films, partially due to the fact that they are 'all similar' or evoke a similar style or feel. I don't agree with this and believe that most of his film's have a unique enough story to stand well on their own. The Royal Tenenbaums, in particular, has a character-depth and a darkness to it that many of his others do not possess. The Grand Budapest Hotel and Fantastic Mr. Fox I also hold in very high regard but Tenenbaums I still hold as my favourite. As with many of the best comedy-dramas, The Royal Tenenbaums...

9. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) It's time that Charlie Kaufman and Michel Gondry work together again. It's as simple as that. It our unfortunate world, that will likely not happen as Kaufman seems to have obtained the confidence, and also the skill, to direct his own manic narratives since this film came out. And so, we will have to hold tightly onto their only child, Eternal Sunshine, and take it for all its got. There is no doubt that Eternal Sunshine remains an example of two of cinema's most idiosyncratic voices working in some kind of symbiotic / synergistic relationship to create a  film that is wholly unique and fun, absurdly creative, heart-wrenching and heart-warming and, above all else, memorable. As with many of Kaufman's scripts, this movie plays with the audience's expectations, subverting what we think is happening or where we think things are heading, based on our collective film-going experiences. The film is a story about a ma...

Today is the big day! For now, I am going to keep this post more positive and optimistic and simply talk about this year's nominations and my predictions and hopes. In another post I may discuss some of my disappointments with this past year's general output of quality films. I have now officially seen all of the Best Picture nominees as well as a healthy dose of other general nominees. Generally, I am going to predict all of the categories, even though, for some of the categories, I have not seen any of the nominations at all. Therefore, for a category such as Best Documentary Short, my thoughts will likely be quite arbitrary and possibly based on something as trivial as the name or subject of the piece... Jump further down the list for the 'bigger' awards. Short Film (Animated) Prediction - Bao Hope - Bao Short Film (Live) Prediction - Skin Hope - Fauve Production Design Prediction - First Man Hope - The Favourite Makeup and Hairstyling Predictio...

Green Book (2018) My first proper review! Last night, I finally got the chance to see the past year's hottest ticket, Green Book, ahead of its probable multiple winnings this coming Sunday. Expectations for the film have been fairly cemented in my mind since its premiere at TIFF this past fall where it won the festival's acclaimed People's Choice Award and, since its wide release, it has gone on to garner quite unanimously positive reviews. It's in these instances that my often pessimistic self likes to buck the trend and endeavour to find fault where most have been unable to, especially with a 'wholesome' type of film such that Green Book has been categorized as. It's for these reasons that, upon finishing Green Book, I was pleased to find that I had enjoyed the film and that it had met the high expectations I had for it. Yes, the movie is, in fact, quite the wholesome story and one who's plot does not contain much surprise. However, when a film ...

10. There Will Be Blood (2007) and No Country For Old Men (2007) Yes, right off the bat I am going to go ahead and cheat on my list... (hey, it's my list anyways, so lay off!). I place both of these films together because they resonate in similar ways for me, on top of the fact that they also do bear a number of factual similarities. Both were filmed in 2006 in the same vicinity of western Texas, released in 2007 and widely competed with each other for the highest accolades at the awards ceremonies that year. Both films take place in an arid, beautifully-shot, desert landscape, each following the machinations of a violent and unfailingly driven man. One is motivated by wealth and success, the other... well, it's not entirely known. In both, the filmmakers involved are without a doubt at the height of their crafts. Direction, writing, cinematography, editing, score and acting, among others, are all at their finest levels within these two films. It is unsurprising then t...

Mike's All-Time Top 10 To ease into things a bit, I thought I would be self-indulgent and list off some of my favourite films. This list may not be entirely accurate... Numbers 1 and 2 have been clear in my head for a long time in those respective positions. The rest of the list, however, I just thought up now, and so, they may be somewhat interchangeable with one another, and also, had I thought longer about this list, other films may actually more deservedly hold those spots. A few thoughts about this list: 1) Yes, I am still fairly childish; many of these films are genre films: horror/sci-fi/fantasy, they are simply ones that I grew up with, 2) I do not have any comedies here because I find that where I place them frequently changes over time (maybe I'll do a separate comedy list at some point), and 3) in some of these cases, I simply wanted to do service to a particular director and so I chose one that I thought represented them well. This list is of my favourite fil...

Welcome to the inaugural post of Mike Goes to Movies. A blog set up by me - the titular 'Mike' - a filmgoer / cinephile like many of you. In fact, I enjoy film so much that I decided to divert my career as a lawyer (much to the dismay of all rational thinkers in my life) and enroll in film school this past Fall! Where that leads to I do not have the faintest idea - perhaps I will keep you apprised of that as we continue onward, or... maybe not (if what many of my professors say about the futility of entering the industry is true...). In tandem with this formal education route, I thought it might be fun to also go the more-informal route, and start a blog/page where I can share my thoughts and opinions on film, television and other related topics onto the world, and hopefully start some engaging conversations about what film means to all of us. I am creating this page with an aim of being expansive and also inclusive. Here, we will talk about film and also television (a...