On the Day That Carrie Fisher Passed Away

I woke up early today. On most days, if I am given the choice, I will stay up late and sleep late, living in the night for all it is worth then regaining the hours lost. Today was an exception, though. I was awoken by nothing in particular but the early opening of my eyes at around five in the morning, then after some unsuccessful attempts to sleep again, I entertained myself with an early morning, beginning my day at seven, and, unusual of me, I spent this morning, aside from a Instagram photo, an article from Relevant magazine and an episode of the Match Game, distanced from technology, choosing to spend my time in literature, specifically the Bible and Shusaku Endo's classic novel Silence.

After my wholesome morning, I spent the better part of the day exploring St. Petersburg, Florida, with my good friend and a former-teacher-now-friend. Until shortly around 6pm today, well after our explorations had ceased, I was unaware that Carrie Fisher had passed away.

I chose to absolve myself yet again from my phone, save to snap a few photos, during the St. Pete expedition, allowing myself to fully embrace the world I have lived so close to but never appreciated for what it is. But unbeknownst to me, shortly after my day had begun, Carrie Fisher had died.

I was completely aware of her major heart attack on December 23rd--it was the big talking point before the night's church service as headlines came pouring in on Twitter and the rest of the Web. I kept vigilant watch through Christmas, checking to see how her condition had shifted from her inability to breathe on the plane to her stay in the ICU and CCU. I even said a prayer for her during the Christmas Eve service when I tuned out Pastor for a moment, and not out of selfish ambition for the future of the Star Wars saga. When her family made public mention that she had stabilized, I had hope that she would make it through. I even thought that "the universe" had given up George Michael so that Carrie Fisher would live instead, but just the thought of that is terribly foolish now. It was not to be.

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My first memory of Star Wars is Carrie Fisher. Not the scene where she gives R2-D2 the Death Star plans in the seige of the Tantive IV, but the scene where she consoles Luke after Obi-Wan Kenobi sacrifices himself at the hands of Darth Vader aboard the Death Star. It shouldn't have been my first taste of the galaxy far, far away--it should have been the blaring yellow text and 20th Century Fox fanfare--but when I was having my mom preview the film before I watched it when I was but a wee lad, I stuck my head into her room out of curiosity and this was the first frame I ever saw of the film:

The only significance it ever held for me then was that it was my first experience with Star Wars...and the memory of my mom warning me that I would spoil the film if I kept peeking. Now, it's almost poetic: my first time seeing her on screen being her consoling Luke (Mark Hamill) after his mentor's untimely death; now, many of us seek a similar consolation in the wake of hers.

I never reviewed last year's The Force Awakens; I could never crack the prose, though I greatly enjoyed the film. It's a very special film for me, too, as it was my very first theatrical Star Wars film. Sure, I saw The Clone Wars pilot in theaters in 2008, but The Force Awakens was my first real Star Wars movie. I started tearing up when the fanfare blared and the giant STAR WARS logo came in 3D, and I shook in excitement as I was actually reading an opening crawl in theaters. And there, almost an hour into the movie, comes Princess Leia--nay, General Leia Organa--herself. I suppose Carrie Fisher is linked to many "firsts" when it comes to Star Wars for me. It saddens me, though, that when I see Episode VIII on opening weekend next December, it will be, instead, the last new performance of hers that I will ever see.

She meant a great deal to many people in different ways. She was and is the poster girl for strong female characters. She was a voice for those with mental illness. She was a fighter against substance abuse. She was a woman who proudly spoke her mind. She inspired young writers to pursue their calling later in life. Truly, she was an incredible human being. I feel like her death has moved me more than some of the other recent celebrity deaths because while I was familiar with her work, I never really bothered to explore it, especially some of the movies she wrote even though I'm sure I would enjoy them, while she was still alive. Robin Williams's passing was sad, but I got to spend my childhood watching him in many movies, and then come to appreciate his stand-up comedy on Pandora Radio in my adult life. So while it's sad he's gone, it's almost like he never left because of how much more I'm discovering of him. Maybe, in time, the same will be the case with Carrie Fisher.

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Towards the end of our adventure in St. Pete, we observed and admired some of the murals around the city, including the famous "Before I Die..." wall where passersby can leave their life goal on the wall where it stays until "it fades with the rains of time," as my former teacher described it. Some were funny, like "See the aliens;" some were pitifully vulgar, like "F*** your b****;" some were of love; some were philosophical, like "I WANT TO LIVE;" some were short-term goals, and others were long-term. Many of them, though, had to do with leaving some kind of legacy, mine included.

"It gives you perspective," he said.

I think about it often, my legacy. I wrestle with how I will--how I can--leave a lasting mark on this Earth for posterity. I pondered it when my Grandpa died in October. I pondered it when I listened to Hamilton. I think about it every time I write unfinished drafts of books and screenplays as I judge whether I want that to represent me after I'm gone. I heard a story in the wake of her passing about how, in an interview, Fisher said she was so glad she did The Force Awakens because it reminded her that she was still so beloved by people after she lived a relatively quiet career after the 80s, at least compared to her two co-stars Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford. She got to see her legacy personified.

For me, it feels wrong to say that "She is one with the Force," or similar allusions, since the Force is not real and does not do her career justice. I am, however, grateful for the work she has left on this Earth so that more people now may be impacted in the ways people were while she was still living. I'm grateful, too, that I learned of it later in the day so that I was able to experience an introspective adventure on the day that Carrie Fisher passed away.

Rest in peace. You will be missed, and your family is in our prayers.

Carrie Fisher (1956-2016)

What to Stream

While there were plenty of theatrical films released this year, the current market and advances in the internet has opened up a new part of the film industry. For a couple of years now, Amazon and Netflix have led the charge in bringing original content to their streaming platforms, ranging from television shows to films, while also introducing their audiences to lesser-known indies. This year, they brought a noticeable and rich amount of them. Because you, dear reader, are likely to come across one of these or want to see one of these during your late-night binges or "Netflix and Chill" sessions, let's talk about some of them, shall we?

The Fundamentals of Caring (Netflix) (TV-MA for language and sex references)

The Fundamentals of Caring stars Paul Rudd (Ant-Man) as Ben Benjamin, a newly-employed caregiver, and Craig Roberts (Kill Your Friends) as his patient Trevor, an impish teen afflicted with Duchenne muscular dystrophy whose aspirations in life are watching hot women on TV, eating waffles for every meal, and perhaps peeing standing up, if he could. Eventually, the two go on an impossible road trip, coming across rebel without a cause, Dot (Selena Gomez, Wizards of Waverly Place, Spring Breakers), and the quirky and pregnant Army wife Peaches (Megan Ferguson, The Comedians). Occasionally predictable but never terribly sentimental, Caring runs at a relaxed pace that lets its actors shine. All four actors have terrific chemistry, especially Rudd and Roberts. It's a lighthearted comedy-drama with plenty of laughs and emotional moments, emphasizing that true caring is very much putting someone else's needs above your own. A lovely surprise, I highly recommend it. 4/5 Stars


Elvis & Nixon (Amazon) (Rated R for language)

Elvis & Nixon is a hilarious concept stretched way too thin. Based on the famous photograph from the National Archives, the film concocts a story about Elvis Presley (Michael Shannon, Nocturnal Animals) wanting to meet President Nixon (Kevin Spacey, House of Cards) in order to fulfill his patriotic duty to save the youth and stop communism as an "undercover federal agent at large." It's a fascinating idea, but the movie is pretty uninteresting until the much-anticipated meeting at the end. Until then, we get a lot of Shannon doing a questionable Elvis impression, playing up the "Elvis is crazy" schtick, development and backstory for his friend Jerry (Alex Pettyfer, Beastly) which we really don't care about despite the film's best efforts, and not nearly enough of Spacey's immensely satisfying take as Richard Nixon. This is a film that would have worked best as a half-hour short, what we're left with, though, is a visually-good, mostly well-acted movie that's too dull for its absurd premise. 2/5 Stars

True Memoirs of an International Assassin (Netflix) (TV-14 for action violence and language)

Kevin James (Paul Blart: Mall Cop) hopes to make a return to grace with Netflix's original action-comedy, and ultimately it comes up as passable. Director Jeff Wadlow (Kick-Ass 2) directs the action surprisingly well but unexceptionally, but the script hopes the farcical concept of a writer unwittingly getting involved in the schemes of the "Kings of Caracas," with each one of the Venezuelan villains wanting James to assassinate the other--all because a false publishing tactic and too close of an allusion to real life paint him as a real assassin instead of the lowly accountant that he is. It's silly stupidity but extremely cliched. Even though there are some creative transitions, especially in the opening scene, it doesn't make up for the fact that the rogue DEA agent (Zulay Henao) is embarrassingly underdeveloped, dull, and frankly incompetent. I wish the movie was more of a Get Smart than a Zookeeper, but at least it's better than Paul Blart 2! If Netflix puts it out on TV, you won't regret life watching it; but there's better things to watch if you have the choice. 1.5/5 Stars

Sing Street (Netflix) (Rated PG-13 for thematic elements including strong language and some bullying behavior, a suggestive image, drug material and teen smoking)

Sing Street is another music film from director John Carney, who brought us Once and Begin Again, although this film, unlike the previous two, treats music less as a character and more as a plot device. While I love the way Carney deals with music in those films, I didn't mind at all that music took a backseat this time around for the story that is Sing Street. Sing Street is about young Irish student Conor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, who seems to be channeling Ed Helms's Andy Bernard on more than a single ocassion) who has an awful home life, and how he starts a band with various members of the school in order to win the heart of the enigmatic yet enchanting Raphina (Lucy Boynton, Life in Squares).

This has been a critical darling ever since it premiered, and I admit that this is a most enjoyable film. The best way to describe it is as the best 80s movie to never have been released in the 80s. Throughout the entire film, I was smiling, whether it be the 80s period style or the songs or the relationships between the characters, and most importantly, I was invested. Honestly, this may be my favorite of Carney's films. It isn't as transcendent as Once or as much about the power of music as Begin Again, but it takes the best elements of both and translates it into a real crowd-pleaser with an unbelievably talented young cast. There's an element of innocence to it, too, with these students really not knowing who they are at all--Conor changes his look with every new band his older brother Brendan (Jack Reynor, Macbeth) introduces him to--but they're still ready to take on the world and treat is as their oyster. So if you love great films or music or the 80s, watch Sing Street. Truly, this is the year of the musical film! 5/5 Stars

For now, this will do. I will likely do another one of these before the year is out, because there's still so many to talk about! So tell me: have you seen any of these? Are there any you're looking forward to seeing now? What are some of the best "little" films you've caught on Netflix. Whatever you have to say about me and the movies, comment below!

NEW MOVIE: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

When The Walt Disney Company purchased Lucasfilm in 2012, it was soon announced that, besides the release of the sequel trilogy beginning with Star Wars: The Force Awakens, we would be getting biennial "Anthology" films that deal with stories outside the main "Skywalker Saga" episodes. On December 16, 2016, we received the first of these Anthology films: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Rated PG-13 for extended sequences of sci-fi violence and action

Rogue One acts as a direct prequel to the original 1977 film, Star Wars: A New Hope, detailing the theft of the Death Star plans which Princess Leia delivers to Obi-Wan Kenobi. As a result, we experience new characters, a Rebellion at the brink of defeat, an Empire struggling to meet deadlines, and the harrowing moments before Episode IV's opening crawl. Our heroine for this adventure is Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything) as she reluctantly becomes involved in a Rebel plot to halt the finalization of the Death Star since her father, Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelson, Hannibal), is (reluctantly) one of the Imperial scientists spearheading the project.

Director Gareth Edwards (Godzilla) promised that this film would be darker and grittier than the main films, and that morals would reside in a mostly grey area; in this respect, he delivered. Even though the Empire is still the major villain, the blurred lines are on every side. The Rebel Alliance seeks to defeat both the Empire as well as anti-Empire extremists. The Empire still does power plays among its ranks and often treats its own as expendable. There are moles that the Empire wants done away with and the Rebels want killed because there's some part of them that neither like. Heck, I found Rebel General Draven (Alistair Petrie, The Night Manager) more unlikable than the film's villain Director Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn, The Place Beyond the Pines)! It's interesting to see a more grounded Star Wars movie, for sure, and it reminds me of some of the better episodes from the two recent animated series. At times, the only reminder that this is a Star Wars film are the appearances of Stormtroopers and mentions of the Force. It's a distinctly less Romantic view of the sci-fi universe, so major props are due to Edwards for the successful execution.

There are some great action moments in this film, most of which are in the second half. The much-advertised "Beach Scene" climax on the planet Scarif is well-worth the price of admission, and the final scene is one of the best moments in the entire series. The third act reminded me of some of the best moments when playing the Star Wars Battlefront video games. Donnie Yen (Ip Man) as the blind Force warrior, a Guardian of the Whills if you will, also provides some of the film's best action moments while also expanding the lore and extent of the Force beyond just the Jedi and Sith. The space dogfights, too, reminded me of the Death Star Run from the climax of A New Hope--and it was great! How it all ties into Episode IV, though, is easily the film's greatest strength, personifying the stakes set up in the opening crawl of said episode.

Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) prepares for battle.

With brand new characters comes necessary build-up and development, which the film does okay at, but not as great as it could have. Galen Erso may be one of the most critical characters in the film, but his reluctance of working with the Empire is only briefly established in the opening scene and touched upon throughout. Other than that, we don't get as much time with him as I would have liked, with an exposition-heavy (but necessary) sequence being the most we get to know about him...unless you read Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel. I've enjoyed Disney's two Star Wars movies thus far, but a lot of the development holes are being filled not by the script but by novelizations and related novels. I felt nothing when the New Republic was destroyed in its first appearance in The Force Awakens because I had no connection to it--because all of the connective threads were in the books. While I still liked the character of Galen Erso, it was evident that his character arc was in its last act when we learn about him--because the first two were in Catalyst. On the other hand, Krennic was introduced and characterized well as the antagonist and we got to satisfyingly see multiple levels to him. Clone Wars hero Saw Gerrara (Forrest Whitaker, Lee Daniels' The Butler) may just be the best developed character, even outside of his animated series appearances--I never saw his episodes or scenes before--and Whitaker brings a really strong performance for the morally ambiguous Gerrara. That said, the main Rogue One crew is nowhere near as well-developed as they should have been. We know enough about them to care about them in the final hour, but I feel like most of that is based on the performances that suggest more about them than the script. There's a Imperial deserter (Riz Ahmed, Nightcrawler) whose characterization is limited to...well, that--and the fact that he might know Galen Erso. Captain Andor (Diego Luna, Casa de Mi Padre) could've been fleshed out more--I didn't quite connect to his character until a monologue late in the movie--and even Jyn could have had some more beef to her. They're developed enough that we care for them in the intense Battle of Scarif, but they're not as memorable as they could have been. K-2S0 (Alan Tudyk, Firefly), though, has some good moments and he does well as a more agressive C-3P0 type.

While most of the special effects look really impressive, there are some surprise appearances from certain characters from the original films, one of which has a substantial role. However, due to their age or being deceased, they could not fulfill their appropriate duties in this prequel. In order to be more visually similar to their A New Hope counterparts, Edwards and his team elected to not recast them (like they did with Genevieve O'Reilly as Mon Mothma) but bring them back as CG performance capture characters a la The Polar Express. The less we see of them, the more impressive the effect. Also worth noting, composer Michael Giacchino, even though his scores are usually awesome--from The Incredibles to Tomorrowland, and Up to Jurassic World and Inside Out--just doesn't quite deliver this time around, which isn't entirely his fault since he was only given 3.5 weeks to do it since Alexandre Desplat (The Grand Budapest Hotel) left the project after reshoots. There aren't any notable or memorable themes like the rest of the Star Wars films and the main Star Wars theme is constantly and ridiculously teased and subverted. It's not a terrible score, but it wasn't as great as I hoped it would be.

All in all, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story a good addition to the Star Wars saga and a strong enough freshman effort for the Anthology films, reminiscent of the best of the animated TV shows and with plenty of fun fan-service cameos. It serves as a powerful prologue to A New Hope, even with its flaws. Then again, this film may grow on me with repeat viewings, as The Empire Strikes Back did, and the musical score may get better over time, like Episode II and VII's for me. Just seeing it once, though, I'll give it 3.5 out of 5 stars. If you're not a die-hard Star Wars fan or you're boycotting the Disney films, you'll be forgiven for skipping this one. If you do go out and see it, though, you're in for some of the franchise's best moments, even if it is nowhere near its best offering.

Have you seen Rogue One? What did you think about it? Have you been a fan of Disney's latest Star Wars movies? Whatever you have to say about me and the movies, comment below!

NEW MOVIE: Patriots Day

Before getting into the review, I would like to thank Allied Tampa, Gofobo, and the Regal at Citrus Park Mall for making the advance screening of Patriots Day possible. It was a great experience to see a film in a cinema in a completely different context.

Rated R for violence, realistically graphic injury images, language throughout and some drug use

Peter Berg's (Lone Survivor, Deepwater Horizon) latest film, Patriots Day, retells the true story of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. We experience the film from the vantage point of the people of Boston, from the victims directly affected, the citizens who unexpectedly become involved, those responsible, and the authorities who tirelessly pursue the attackers in the days that follow. If it weren't for Berg's calculated and creative direction, the film would still be grounded by how the film was cast. Mark Whalberg (Lone Survivor, Transformers: Age of Extinction) plays a police sergeant who is on his way out of suspension; John Goodman (10 Cloverfield Lane, Argo) is Boston Commissioner Ed Davis; Kevin Bacon (Apollo 13), J.K. Simmons (Whiplash), and Michelle Monaghan (Gone Baby Gone) round out the all-star cast of the "higher-ups" in this situation, or those closest to the investigations. Berg and the casting directors wisely decided to have lesser-known but capable actors from television and indie features fill in for the citizens of Boston, such as Melissa Benoist (Supergirl), Alex Wolff (The Naked Brothers Band), and Jake Picking (Goat). The exploitation of our psychological association with well-known actors in roles keeps us engaged in the investigative portions, while having unknown actors play the people of Boston makes them feel like real people and not just actors. It was a smart move, and it truly showcases the talent of these actors.

With a film about terrorism and tragedy, it is important to treat the subject matter carefully and respectfully. With only a three-year gap since the bombing, some may think it too soon to even touch the story. Personally, I felt the event was handled with grace. Even though the film deals with several story threads related to the bombing, Berg and his writers do their best to flesh out the characters and give them full dimensions. Mark Whalberg isn't a cardboard-cutout police sergeant who wants to avenge his city; he's a man who feels regret for letting the bombing happen under his watch, and the carnage clearly takes a toll on him. Even though he looks like fresh Marky-Mark at the top of the film, by the end, he looks haggard and exhausted, physically and emotionally. Kevin Bacon isn't just the FBI Agent in Charge who takes over operations. He has to carefully consider every step revealed to the public and its repercussions, not for his paycheck, but for the lives it will affect. The terrorists aren't just mindless jihadists looking for mayhem. The eldest is portrayed as a man who politically and religiously believes he is doing the right thing, on a crusade to destroy the guilty. The youngest is a college student/drug dealer who wants to impress his brother and get a gun. Despite that character development, the film does not justify their terroristic actions nor make them likeable in any way. Berg understands and reveals to us that caricature is not the only way to realize good and evil. It is, in fact, people--fleshed-out people, like you and me--who harbor good and evil within ourselves and act on such.

The film is effectively tense throughout. Though the film starts out rather happy and mundane with citizens joking with each other and Whalberg and Goodman going about a comical arrest, the dramatic irony of the situation brings the agony of inevitability, knowing the players are all walking into a tragedy they weren't expecting. Seeing the terrorists' side of the story, too, brings an extra layer of tenseness since we see them plant the bombs and begin their (planned) tour of terror. The film never does let up until the murderers are found. It is kind of odd, though, that the film has so much humor. There are comic moments throughout the film where the audience roared with laughter, and not in a bad way--the film wanted to elicit that reaction, and we responded appropriately. I found it strange that the film would want us to laugh like we did since the subject matter was so serious. It didn't really become clear until the end: the humor wasn't to alleviate the tension--because it really didn't--but rather to show love through the hate, unity during destruction, resiliency through the impossible, and the character of Boston. I think, more than anything, this film gives the rest of the nation and the world the personified definition of Boston Strong--a community that stayed together, never lost its attitude in grief, and worked in tandem with each other and its authorities to bring justice and take down those that hurt their home.

Bacon, Whalberg, and Goodman attempt to piece together the narrative.

The only real complaint I have about the film is that J.K. Simmons felt underused as the Watertown Police Sgt. Pugliese. He serves as great comic relief and proves himself again as an extremely capable actor, but for a while his character felt irrelevant since Watertown isn't affected by the terrorist brothers until much later in the film. It goes with the structure of the film, with different character arcs and plot strands unexpectedly being connected to the events surrounding the bombing, some later than others, but it was strange to see him in scenes early in the film with little to do but lighten the mood. It is, though, but a nitpick.

All in all, Patriots Day is an effectively-directed, smartly-edited, tense and powerful film that pays appropriate tribute to the victims and city of Boston. It may seem too soon to do a film like this, but it justifies itself by addressing relevant themes of terrorism, community, resilience, and the possibility of preventing these kinds of attacks. Whalberg and the rest give realistic and strong performances that puts in perspective the events surrounding that fateful Patriots Day. I'll give it 4.5 out of 5 stars. When it plays near you next month, please go see it!

So are you looking forward to Patriots Day? What's the most effective real-life event movie you've seen? Whatever you have to say about me or the movies, comment below!