THE OPTIMIST - MOVIE REVIEWS

     2017 has been a pretty great year for film, and although I didn't get to see everything, I was still blessed to be able to see quite a bit. For this list I've tried to compile the top ten films that I thoroughly enjoyed, that were outstanding pieces of art, and that left an impression on me. These movies stuck with me long after watching them, and for that reason it was tough to narrow it down. I couldn't whittle it to ten, but I was ultimately able to finalize the list. Unlike last year, I attempted to list them in order of personal preference. Just note that I love all of these movies and would re-watch them over and over again. But, as I sat back and thought about it, there are ones I would watch more often than others. So, for your viewing pleasure, here is The Optimist's 2017 Top Eleven Films of the Year! 11. Dunkirk     A technical tour de force, this movie confused me, excited me, thrilled me, lifted me out of my seat, and awed me all withi

   It feels like forever since I posted a movie review, and in retrospect it truly has been. Life has a tendency to really mess with the things you want to do by giving you an insurmountable amount of things more important to do instead. But alas, I am here with a review of what was probably the most anticipated movie of the year. In fact, it was the most anticipated movie of MY year. 2015 marked the return of Star Wars in all of its glory with The Force Awakens . Now, just two years later, we finally have the next chapter in this new trilogy. With almost a week under its belt, The Last Jedi has garnished mixed reviews from both critics and fans alike. Writer/director Rian Johnson had a huge task to complete, and his Star Wars film is like nothing we've seen to date. Its unexpected narrative choices, subverted expectations, and epic breadth has given fans of the franchise, and movie-goers alike, reason to debate and discuss. So, before getting into it, let me first just say tha

        So it's been some time since I've actually gone to the cinema, took in a new flick, and sat down to write about it. I guess that will happen when your life is taken up by graduate school. Enough about me though, that stuff's boring. Let's get down to it.    Having not been to the cinema for a handful of weeks (for some that might not seem like a big deal, but for The Optimist, a few weeks is like an eternity. I've been going through withdrawls like crazy!); I had a plethora of choices to choose from. I decided I would stick with something opening this week. So, since it's the Halloween season and all, I chose to check out the latest installment of the franchise that had once championed Halloween for over five years. Jigsaw , the eighth film in the Saw franchise, returns to the world of torturous traps and epic games that has creeped out fans for years. I was a late-comer to the franchise. I gave in one night on a work trip and watched the first fi

    It's been a while since I've reviewed anything! Doesn't mean I haven't made it out to the cinema though! I figured since I had a moment I'd share some thoughts I've had on some of the more recent films that have come out. So, this won't necessarily be a full length review for these films. This fall has had some really interesting films get released and as of the publishing of this post, the Stephen King adaptation of IT is still going strong, beating out the new Tom Cruise flick American Made to take the top spot at the box office, again. So, without further adieu, here are my latest viewings.     There has been a host of criticism for the new Darren Aronofsky picture mother! and boy has it made the rounds! Critics have been polarized by this movie and I had been itching to see it from the moment I first saw the trailer. Well, I finally got to see it and...it's out there. The movie is about a couple's relationship as it is tested when

      One of my most anticipated movies of the year has finally arrived! When I heard that they were doing a movie based on the popular novel "IT" by Stephen King, I was stoked beyond belief. I have vague memories of the TV miniseries from the 90s starring Tim Curry as The Dancing Clown himself, Pennywise, and to be honest that's all I really remember. Curry's performance terrified a generation and introduced the world to one of King's most iconic characters. This new adaptation is NOT a remake. I know that term is and will be thrown around during the movie's run, but to call it a remake would legitimize the TV series as the pinnacle version, which it most certainly is not. Though scary, the miniseries lacked the freedom to really delve into the world King created and is honestly farther from the book by way of adaptation that this new movie. So, first and foremost just know that this movie is not a remake, but a straight-up adaptation...and it is better t

   Movies are my jam. The whole point of this blog was to have a place where I can express my views on movies that I see because I was annoying the heck out of my family with my high-octane, overly-optimistic verbal reviews. I absorb the movie culture like a sponge, from movie news to trailers and commercials for upcoming movies and so on. When I go into a film, I usually know something about it prior to that viewing. That knowledge doesn't really sway my experience because at the end of the day, the cinema is my Fortress of Solitude, and I'll enjoy the experience whether the movie was good or not. Why I'm rambling on and on here will get to a point, I promise. So, last night - as I do just about every Thursday night - I ventured to my local theater and decided to watch a movie I knew nothing about save for who was in it. I've gone into a movie blind before, and I'll tell you, it can be pretty refreshing. I purchased a ticket to see Wind River , knowing only that

  Director Steven Soderbergh returns to the director's chair after a short hiatus to helm the small crime comedy Logan Lucky . Soderbergh has given us some of the coolest caper films with Ocean's 11, 12, and 13 , and with them he's been able to showcase his fine eye for story and visuals. Opening in the same weekend as The Hitman's Bodyguard , Logan Lucky is a comedy that will probably get overlooked, but hopefully won't.    The story is pretty straight-forward. Two brothers attempt to pull off a heist during a NASCAR race in North Carolina. That's it. That's the premise. Where this movie shines is in the cast performances and the cinematography. The Logan brothers, played by Channing Tatum and Adam Driver, are our protagonists. Jimmy (Tatum) loses his job and struggles to maintain his relationship with his daughter in spite of his ex-wife (played by Katie Holmes). He gets the bright idea to rob the motor speed way. Why? To be honest it's kind of u

   When it comes to successful comedies, the ones that make it seem to have a host of things go right. This year has seen its fair share so far of some really great comedies that have been well-written, well-produced, with acting that seems genuine and on point. Adding to that list will be another great comedy from the director of Expendables 3 Patrick Hughes; a film that relies heavily on the comedic dynamic between Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson. The Hitman's Bodyguard is a fun, entertaining, action-packed, hilarious yet straight-forward comedy that is easily one of the more entertaining comedies of the year so far. I think a lot of the buzz will come from wanting to see the interactions between Jackson and Reynolds, and rightfully so. If your leads can't hold it together, well then you're sunk. Luck for us that's not the case here.    The Hitman's Bodyguard tells the story of Michael Bryce (Reynolds), the world's top bodyguard who falls on hard t