Dallas Buyers Club (2013, dir. Jean-Marc Vallee) ****/****

“Dallas Buyers Club” is a gritty, performance-driven film from director Jean-Marc Vallee.  It features Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto in their Oscar-winning performances that are the real reason for seeing this film.  They are truly awesome in their roles and were well-deserving of the awards. 

McConaughey plays Ron Woodruff, a man diagnosed with HIV who after a brief period of denial, resorts to trafficking in medications that help prolong his life and the lives of hundreds of others afflicted with the disease.  Leto plays Rayon, a transexual who befriends Woodruff despite their differences. 

We do learn that though they are polar opposites in character, their HIV diagnosis is not the only thing that separates the two men at the heart of this story.  They both share a fierce disregard for authority and the status quo.  They are deeply passionate about life and continuing to live it and they both go through a character trajectory and arc that reveals more of their personalities to themselves and the viewers of the film.

Their relationship is complex because Ron starts off as a homophobic individual and Rayon threatens this disposition.  Gradually, Ron begins to see that, despite his “queerness”, Rayon is a sympathetic human being, sharing a lot of traits with himself.  Ron, as a result, becomes more open-minded and compassionate towards all of humanity.

The performances are so raw and realistic that you may question the nature of the film’s reality.  Both leads lost a ton of weight to bring their characters to life and lend more credence to their circumstances.  

This is truly one of the best films of 2013.  It might have been a different story, however, with different leads.  It tells the story of time in history when AIDs was a new thing and is  about the individuals who did what they could to cope with it.

The Monuments Men (2014, dir. George Clooney) ***/****

George Clooney’s “The Monuments Men” tells the story of seven individuals who, during World War Two, are given the task of retrieving important works of art that were stolen by the Germans and returning them to their rightful owners.  The film has an all-star cast:  Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Cate Blanchett, Bob Balaban, and Jean Dujardin round out the impressive list of people who populate the screen throughout the two-hour romp.  

Clooney has done well in the past at directing and he has done it again:  he turns out an engaging and eye-opening film that draws attention to an aspect of history that has been untold or perhaps forgotten.  There are light-hearted moments that are humourous and others that are deadly serious.  This contrast in tone lends to the overall charm of the picture which keeps the viewer entertained and also draws him or her into the world of the film and the characterizations.

Part of the humour is garnered from the fact that the Monuments Men are men who do not fit into the typical notion of a war soldier.  These are middle-aged men who are out-of-shape and are not all that prepared for the duty before them.  Still, this adds a bit of suspense to the film and there are moments of suspense in it that will have you on the edge of your seat.

The performances are strong and memorable.  Jean Dujardin is a welcome presence after his Oscar win for “The Artist”.  Cate Blanchett proves to be extremely capable of embodying people with accents foreign to her own and creating sympathetic characters.  Bill Murray and John Goodman demonstrate a great blend of their typical comedic persona with a more serious air.  Damon and Clooney are believable as always.  I enjoyed the ensemble cast and the way that they interacted on-screen.

There is no doubt that the accomplishments of the Monuments Men were of huge importance in the protection of some of our civilization’s most treasured works of art.  This film is a testament to their work and bravery.

Son of God (2014, dir. Christopher Spencer) ***/****

"Son of God" is a retelling of the Gospels from the New Testament.  This obviously, is not a new thing to do for a Hollywood film.  It has been done countless times before, most recently in Mel Gibson's "The Passion" which was criticized for it blood-soaked depiction of the crucifixion and it anti-Semitism and also, controversially in Martin Scorsese's "The Last Temptation of Christ".  So, given the lack of necessity for a new retelling, how does "Son of God" stand up?  and how does it compare to its predecessors?  and thirdly, how will this film appeal to both the religious community and the non-religious viewers who may attend?

First of all, it should be noted that this film was previously a mini-series on television and that some scenes are the same and some have been added to the feature-film version.  Gone is a depiction of an encounter between Jesus and Satan which was eliminated because of the uproar over the similarity in appearance between Satan and Barack Obama.  With this information, it is quite apparent that this "feels" a lot like a made-for-television spectacle.

Overall, it is quite conventional and doesn't risk any diversion from a straightforward retelling of the Gospels.  Still, it can be quite compelling at times and revealing in its depiction of the various miracles that Jesus performed in his brief ministry.

Diogo Morgado plays Jesus as a charismatic, spiritually-embodied Son of God in a manner that doesn't pander to your emotions but leads the viewer to believe in the reason for his popularity among his followers.  Still, there isn't the same emotional fragility and self-doubt displayed in "The Last Temptation"'s Willem Defoe that seemed to be more human-oriented and realistic despite all its controversy.

I think religious viewers will like this film a lot because it doesn't take many risks and is an literal rehash.  Other viewers may be turned off if they aren't spiritually inclined or at least agnostic.  But, why would an atheist see this film anyway?  This film has appeal in its story of the Spirit and will inspire many.  It is an honest, straightforward account of the last few weeks of probably the most popular and closely-followed person in history.  It may not have been necessary but it is an uplifting experience despite its lack of risk and originality.

The Lego Movie (2014, dir. Phil Lord, Christopher Miller) ***/****

Every kid of almost every generation is familiar with Lego toys.   Many a fine, future architect has honed his childhood ambitions and skills through the use of these versatile and creativity-inducing building blocks.  Over the past few years there's been an influx of video games that incorporate the toy into their story-lines and gaming environments.  There's been Lego Indiana Jones and Lego Star Wars to name a few.  But could such a culture as that created by Lego be translated into a full length animated feature film?  The answer is a resounding and simplistic "yes".

There is, in fact, a lot that can be done with this toy in the creation of vast, beautiful worlds that transcend anything that can be achieved with live action.  The environments and worlds depicted in "The Lego Movie" are a thing to behold and as this film demonstrates, can be the object of scathing cultural and sociological critique.

The nature of conformism and maintaining the status quo are fiercely explored in "The Lego Movie" with its depiction of a world where, as a popular tune in this land iterates, "Everything is Awesome" and people go about their daily tasks without questioning what they do or why they're doing it.  Emmet Brickowski is one such person (or Lego figure), and as he goes about his daily habits of waking up, getting an over-priced cup of joe, and going to work each day, the viewer is ingrained with the expectation that something will happen to shake up this oh-so-perfect and straightforward existence.

As it turns out, he comes across a trespasser at his construction site job, who has ventured on-site after working hours.  This intruder is a female Lego figure named Wyldstyle and she's searching for something called "The Piece of Resistance".  The story has also previously revealed that it is this piece that can counter the powers of the evil Lord Business (voiced by Will Ferrell) who wants to destroy this Lego land by gluing everything together so that all is set in stone with his "Kragle".

Vitruvius (voiced by Morgan Freeman) is a wizard who reveals to Emmet and Wyldstyle that they are "Master Builders" capable of building anything without the use of instructions.  It is only they that can save the planet from the evil Lord Business.

This film will entertain adults and children alike.  There is something for everyone.  The blending of different universes (Batman, Star Wars, etc) with that of the everyday one is ingenious and adds layers of complexity and hilarity to the story.

Underneath it all there are important messages for kids about the importance of creativity, individualism, originality and non-conformism.   The visuals are astounding and are absolute eye-candy.  This is a fantastic animated feature.