THE OPTIMIST - MOVIE REVIEWS

   The golden age of Hollywood was chalked full of actors and actresses that personified the term "movie star". Like their films, they were larger than life. The elegance, the mystery, the swagger, the talent, all led to a feeling that these individuals were more than just people. The way the film industry has evolved today, not only is the acting work force significantly larger, it has become so versatile and diversified that the term "movie star" has become less meaningful...in the golden age sense. For my hard-earned dollar, I will venture to say that Tom Cruise is one of the last few that would be considered a bonified movie star. He has become, not only a well-known actor, but a high-end producer. His latest film Jack Reacher: Never Go Back even as an opening "A Tom Cruise Movie" credit. The man is larger than life with enough swagger you can laugh at. Whether his movies are good or bad, he always seems to bring people to the cinema. I get though

    The Accountant is an action-packed thriller that is equal parts funny, heart-warming, tense, and thrilling at the same time. From Gavin O'Connor, the director of Warrior , Pride and Glory , and the recent underrated western Jane Got a Gun , comes a tale about a high-functioning autistic accountant that is more than just a pencil-pusher. Ben Affleck shines in his portrayal of Christian Wolff, a CPA who does business cooking the books for heightened criminals. When low level accountant Dana (Anna Kendrick) stumbles on a mistake in her company's books, Christian is brought in to sort out the issue, only to uncover an elaborate scheme that leads to hostile consequences. It's as if Jason Bourne and Good Will Hunting had a love child. (Yeah, I'm gonna roll with that).    This film has a very unique narrative style, in that it forgoes the conventional linear approach and gives you pieces here and there that don't get explained until much later. I really dug that

           Nate Parker's directorial debut The Birth of a Nation  is one of the toughest films I have tried to review. I watched it last night and I have been pondering about it ever since. Slave movies are difficult to review, because the social aspect is just as important as the production aspect of the film, and you never want to come off as a bigot when all you want to do is share an honest opinion about a piece of entertainment. In the end, despite the political or social ramifications this highly controversial film garnishes, I'm going to approach this from a standpoint more focused on the entertainment value and less about my own political mind frame.    The film portrays the story of Nat Turner (Nate Parker), a literate slave and preacher, whose financially-strained owner, Samuel Turner (Armie Hammer), accepts an offer to use Nat's preaching to subdue unruly slaves while making a profit off of his preaching. As he witnesses countless atrocities - against hims