The Fugitive (1993, dir. Andrew Davis)

Some movies we wish would never end, that we could continue to inhabit the lives of their characters indefinitely.  Andrew Davis' "The Fugitive" was that kind of film for me.  Probably the most taut, finely-crafted film I saw in the 90's and one of my favourite movies of all time, "The Fugitive" grabs you at the beginning and continues to hold your riveted attention for its entire length.

Based on a television series of the same name, the film opens with its main character, Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford) being questioned by authorities for the apparent murder of his wife Helen (Sela Ward).  All signs point to Richard's guilt and we very quickly see the interrogation, trial and imprisonment of Kimble in a series of montages that suggest the dizzying, hasty nature of his trajectory.

Kimble, always maintaining his innocence and that the murder of his wife was conducted by a mysterious "one-armed man", goes to prison and, on a prisoner transfer bus-ride finds the means by which he will become the fugitive of the title.  The bus crash/train wreck sequence is one of the many beautiful, breathtaking and painstakingly-choreographed scenes in the film.  Richard escapes and we are consequently introduced to the bloodhound on Kimble's trail, the incomparable, driven and intense U.S. Marshall Samuel Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones).

The performances are so great in this film that they thrust it from a good film into the realm of masterpiece.  Jones won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor and the film itself was nominated for Best Picture.  It takes place in Chicago and the city itself is another character in the film:  you get a real sense of the soul of the city as the cat and mouse game evolves on its streets over the course of the film.

I will always remember "The Fugitive" as a formative film in my film-watching history, the film that started me on the road to becoming a cinephile and lover of the shear possibility of cinema.  It is films like this that have the ability to take you to another emotional, intellectual and spiritual place.

Inside Out (2015, dir. Pete Docter)

Pete Docter's "Inside Out", the lastest release from Pixar, continues that animation company's tradition of imaginative, engaging entertainment that both children and adults will enjoy.  Where it differs from its predecessors is in its delving into the concepts of psychology, emotion, and memory to a degree no other film, both animated and live action, has done before.

According to the film, as soon as we are born we are ingrained with a host of characters in our brain that embody the emotions Joy, Fear, Sadness, Disgust, and Anger.  We learn in the film that everyone possesses these characters in slight variations in his or her mind, including animals. They are at constant battle with one another over what kind of memories are created and how the outside world is processed internally. 

With Riley, the central female character of "Inside Out", Joy is in control throughout the majority of her first eleven years on earth.  It is only when she and her family must move from Minnesota to San Francisco that things start to go awry and the other emotions start to play a more prominent role.  Suddenly Riley finds herself in strange, unwelcoming territory: she leaves behind her beloved home, friends and hockey team.

This film does a beautiful job of portraying in a concrete, imaginative way, the workings of one's brain in how it stores memories, creates new ones, and recalls them.  The film paints a portrait of a huge computer system with a control panel that each emotion can control, sometimes cooperatively, sometimes in disagreement and tension.  Balls of memory are constantly rolling, each coloured with the hue of its respective emotion and each being sent to its destination in the vast psyche of its host human being. 

Aside from the concepts of psychology, memory and emotion, the plot in this film is fairly conventional and certainly panders to the short attention span of the average young viewer.  But it is in the aforementioned concepts that the true joy and originality of "Inside Out" is found and where the adult viewer will get the most satisfaction.

This is another original film from Pixar and will thrill audiences of all ages.

Blackhat (2015, dir. Michael Mann)

I love Michael Mann films.  Movies like "Heat" and "The Insider" are impeccably-directed, exciting cinema.  I missed "Blackhat" in theatres but decided to rent it last weekend.  Let me say this:  if you are not a fan of his film's you will probably not be won over by Mann's latest cyber-crime thriller.  But devotees of his cinematic canon will not be disappointed.

There are action scenes in "Blackhat" which rival "Heat" for their directorial complexity and intensity.  Some viewers may at times be confused by the verbose techno-jargon.  But, overall, the cohesiveness and complexity of this film are never opposed and Mann achieves an operatic allusion, an early 21st century paean to transnational cyber crime.

Chris Hemsworth is believable and compelling as an ex-con who is released from prison to aid U.S. and Chinese authorities in tracking down a cyber criminal.  The acting is great in this film and the multi-ethnic ensemble does a terrific job of transforming a nearly unintelligible crime thriller into a lyrical movie with the Mannerisms typical of the auteur.

Wild (2014, dir. Jean-Marc Vallee)

I was reminded of a couple other films while watching Jean-Marc Vallee's "Wild".  One was Sean Penn's 2007 film "Into the Wild".  Another was Agnes Varda's 1985 offering "Vagabond".  Unlike the latter film however, Cheryl, the central protagonist of "Wild" played by Reese Witherspoon is "not a hobo".  She makes this clear to a journalist who stops her along her voyage across the Pacific Coast Trail who has the intention of interviewing vagabonds for an expose.

Watching "Wild", like those other two films I mentioned, is a visceral, engaging experience.  It neatly delves into Cheryl's past with a series of flashbacks that are interspersed with her cross country journey.  In fact, the structure of the film is interesting and highly original.  There is cross-cutting to a variety of different moments in Cheryl's life:  her childhood, her adolescence, her recent past and the present.  It all has a cumulative effect, orientating the viewer to a place of understanding of how Cheryl got to where she is today.

The performances of this film are mesmerizing.  Reese Witherspoon is phenomenal.  This is probably her best performance.  She is able to give the viewer a clear understanding of just how difficult her physical, emotional and spiritual journey is and we feel the literal and figurative weight she must carry on her shoulders. Also strong is Laura Dern as Cheryl's mother whose descent into illness and death is painstakingly portrayed through the flashback vignettes that allude to the fleeting, ever-changing moments of memory of Cheryl as she hikes.

There are moments of sheer suspense and terror on the journey.  Cheryl meets potentially threatening individuals who may or may not have sinister motives.  She must be constantly on guard and defensive.

This is a film that packs an emotional wallop with brave performances.  It is told in a partially non-sequential method that will challenge you as a viewer and leave you riveted to the screen.

Nightingale (2015, dir. Elliot Lester)

This is a miniscule budget, one-character film designed to showcase David Oyelowo's acting chops.  He received accolades for embodying Martin Luther King Jr. in 2014's "Selma".  Here he plays a psychologically-troubled man who's madness rapidly escalates over the course of the one and half hour HBO film. The film takes place entirely in his home which he has shared with his recently deceased mother.  The film alludes to the fact that he played a hand in her death though we never learn the exact circumstances.

Were it not for the energized, impressive performance by Oyelowo, this would be an instantly forgettable character study.  But somehow the lead actor puts forth an incredible, visceral show.  Oyelowo captures the downward spiral of madness in a astute, precise manner and makes the viewer truly sympathize with his plight despite his supposed transgressions.

This is an example of a film that is elevated by the performances contained within it.

John Wick (2014, dir. Chad Stahelski)

"John Wick" is a dark, stylish tale of revenge from director Chad Stahelski.  It stars Keanu Reeves as the title character.  It is one of his most charismatic, fierce performances.

The plot is fairly simplistic though it is engaging.  John Wick has recently lost his wife.  Her final gift to him is a puppy which is delivered to his doorstep.  Some sinister men eye his Mustang at a gas station and would like to own it.  Wick says it's not for sale.  Later, these men break into Wick's house, kill the puppy and steal his car.  This is the setup for the ass-kicking scenes of vengeance that will follow.

Never before has the viewer felt such an aching desire for the revenge that Wick seeks out in this film.  When you kill a puppy, that is crossing a line that few films dare to cross and the only solution to this turn of events is to go for balls-out vengeance on a medieval scale.  John Wick does this and it is hugely satisfying catharsis.

The film is shot in a dark, greyish tone that adds to the sombre atmosphere of the film.  There is a fitting soundtrack with tracks by Marilyn Manson and others which also lend to the overall, visceral quality.  The action sequences are brilliantly choreographed, suspenseful and uniquely staged.

In the end, the viewer is witness to a breathless comeuppance that is transcending and invigorating.  I liked "John Wick" for its audacity and ferocity.