La La Land

A jazz pianist falls for an aspiring actress in Los Angeles.

La La Land was a brilliant musical with much sparkle that hollywood is known for. It really impressed me with it's great music,beautiful cinematography and  outstanding choreography.

Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone really made great work of this one and added to the experience, overall this was fantastic watching.

  

Your Name

Two high school kids who've never met - city boy Taki and country girl Mitsuha - are united through their dreams.

I don't really watch many Japanese films but I always love them. This was no different, the story and art were both beautiful and moving. The contrast of country and city life was really close to home for me. The love shared between the main characters felt so real.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Rogue one was a very standout Star Wars film, a brilliant take on the Franchise's reputation for stellar movies.

Sing

A koala named Buster Moon has one final chance to restore his theater to its former glory by producing the world's greatest singing competition.

Sing was a brilliant story of aspiring talent shining through with many different personalities.An absolutely brilliant musically and vocally driven film which really highlights the lengths people are willing to go to to reach their dreams. Illumination's Sing really is a masterfully told story of singers everywhere both the beautiful, the bold and the brilliant.

Office Christmas Party

When his uptight CEO sister threatens to shut down his branch, the branch manager throws an epic Christmas party in order to land a big client and save the day, but the party gets way out of hand...

I have always been a fan of Jason Bateman and Jennifer Aniston so this movie was a must watch for me and I was pleasantly surprised. It has great moments of humor touching very well on the modern christmas spirit. It also tells some slightly more touching moments of love and reminds everyone that Christmas is all about kindness, giving and having fun.

Arrival

An interesting take on an alien invasion with a rather peaceful and mysterious feel to it. Some tense moments and a very interesting exploration of language and communication between both people on earth and people and aliens. Arrival really was a different kind of alien invasion story but very intriguing to witness.

Bad Santa 2

Fueled by cheap whiskey, greed and hatred, Willie teams up once again with his angry little sidekick, Marcus, to knock off a Chicago charity on Christmas Eve.


Bad Santa 2 was a great comedic experience with some quality christmas humour, Billy Bob Thornton really gives the holiday season a funny festive spirit in this classic christmas comedy.

The Founder

A true entrepreneur tale of one mans view of success and his path to get there. Ray Croc played by Michael Keaton is brilliantly driven to succeed at franchising McDonald's at any personal and professional cost. His drive and resilience is paramount to the success of the current McDonalds brand and franchise. The heartfelt tale of two brothers restaurant and one man's dream to make it bigger is told spectacularly with classic america made beautiful and the harsh truth of a small business and the sacrifices it took to become the McDonald's we know now.

Hacksaw Ridge

Hacksaw Ridge was a telling tale of a back country american boy who fought for his beliefs to serve without carrying a firearm and carried countless bodies to safety. Based on a true story the film highlights the will of the american people to serve their country and the frivolousness of lives thrown away in battles. A film well worth watching but not for those shy of seeing the reality of war.

Allied

In 1942, an intelligence officer in North Africa encounters a female French Resistance fighter on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. When they reunite in London, their relationship is tested by the pressures of war.


A very moving tale of love and espionage, any WWII fan would love the history pieces. Outstanding leads and equally brilliant costumes and sets make for a wonderful experience. Brad Pitt brilliantly plays a betrayed father, husband and serviceman, This really was a classic WWII film with a beautiful plot among the tragedy of war all told in a romantic elegant fashion.

Don't Breathe

Hoping to walk away with a massive fortune, a trio of thieves break into the house of a blind man who isn't as helpless as he seems.

There wasn't much left to ask for after seeing this movie. It was a truly unique thriller/horror with a suspense plot leaving you asking who the real bad guys are. Once the drama started to unfold the edge of your seat is where you will remain. Unique style shots for the blindness and creative cinematography around that theme really helped to sell the suspense.

The Secret Life of Pets

The quiet life of a terrier named Max is upended when his owner takes in Duke, a stray whom Max instantly dislikes.

Directors:

 Yarrow Cheney, Chris Renaud

Writers:

 Cinco Paul, Ken Daurio

Stars:

 Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet, Kevin Hart

This was a brilliantly laughable story and as an animator and animated film lover it was such a pleasant surprise to have so many laughs thrown into one movie. The range of characters and personalities really added something unique to the film.

David Brent: Life on the Road

A camera crew catches up with David Brent, the former star of the fictional British TV series The Office (2001), as he now fancies himself a rock star on the road.

Director:

 Ricky Gervais

Writer:

 Ricky Gervais

Stars:

 Ricky Gervais, Rob Jarvis, Abbie Murphy

This was a good mix of humour very in line with "The Office" and a story about the troubles of going for broke attempts to make it big in the music world.

Nerve

A high school senior finds herself immersed in an online game of truth or dare, where her every move starts to become manipulated by an anonymous community of "watchers."

Directors:

 Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman

Writers:

 Jeanne Ryan (novel), Jessica Sharzer (screenplay)

Stars:

 Emma Roberts, Dave Franco, Emily Meade

This was a very new idea for a thriller and the ethical questions raised were a real tell tale sign of the present online anonymous life many people like to hide behind. I really enjoyed the style and colours used to alter the look of the film combined with the HUD interface to include you in the game everyone is playing.

Money Monster

Financial TV host Lee Gates and his producer Patty are put in an extreme situation when an irate investor takes over their studio.

The classic inner city thriller, it reminded me of phone booth taken up a notch, this was an excellent dramatic tale of desperation, money and corporate lies. I really enjoyed this movie, it really gives some perspective on what financial disparity can lead people to do in extreme situations.

War Dogs

Based on the true story of two young men, David Packouz and Efraim Diveroli, who won a $300 million contract from the Pentagon to arm America's allies in Afghanistan.

I was very happy with my decision to watch this film, I felt the story was well thought out and told very well. Good bits of humour mixed in really made for an enjoyable story on what could be a very serious theme.

Lights Out

When her little brother, Martin, experiences the same events that once tested her sanity, Rebecca works to unlock the truth behind the terror, which brings her face to face with an entity that has an attachment to their mother, Sophie.

I went in knowing very little about this film and found it to be a little all over the place jumping between family disputes and the entity hunting Sophie. Overall though I found it to be good at keeping me on edge and excited for what happens next.The use of colour and light in this film was very good too with so many mono-colour shots.

Suicide Squad

A secret government agency recruits imprisoned supervillains to execute dangerous black ops missions in exchange for clemency.

I really liked this movie, beautful cinamatography and very colourful, a very nice change from many other action movies. Characters were very interesting and thought provoking as was the story.

Jason Bourne 2016

The most dangerous former operative of the CIA is drawn out of hiding to uncover hidden truths about his past.

Matt Damon, Tommy Lee Jones, Alicia Vikander 

I have always been a fan of the Bourne series and this film goes in line with the others with the trademark fast cut fight scenes and action centered story. 

Star Trek Beyond

I helped direct this film both on set and from my bedroom, like the two before it and I absolutely love getting contacted to be a part of blockbuster feature films.It's truly beautiful to see how even the silliest ideas can be savored into something amazing.

Toy Story

A cowboy doll is profoundly threatened and jealous when a new spaceman figure supplants him as top toy in a boy's room.

Director:

 John Lasseter

Stars:

 Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles

This is a movie that helped shape my life, the chance to have a big part in something so groundbreaking really made me see the grind of creating the cutting edge animation Walt Disney Pictures is so famous for. Coupling this with NASA and PIXAR level engineering often sourced from corners of the globe completely ignored makes for something truly spectacular.Toy Story wasn't without it's problems, much like any business arguments over finance and responsibility and work plague the world but also serve to remind us that it can all be good fun to create something together even with a big group of people who like to work alone.

Ratatouille

A rat who can cook makes an unusual alliance with a young kitchen worker at a famous restaurant.

Sometimes I am so focused on looking at every little effect and beautiful thing going on in the movie I forget all about the story. I often see films of this scale before others and that at first seems really unfair but there are also millions of people who could read my reviews if I put them on my website but I refuse to clutter it except on rare occasions. I really care a lot for keeping the perfection Disney is famous for going whatever film studio I am working for. I started so many and abandoned them so they are not really mine. I was only trying to do what I do best which is form positive and competitive companies. Sometimes they are large scale tech companies with brilliant salaries other times they are small cafes where the cash in the till is pretty much backing someones life.

Zootopia

In a city of anthropomorphic animals, a rookie bunny cop and a cynical con artist fox must work together to uncover a conspiracy.

Some are saying it's all about racism which it is. I'd be lying to say I want to write about that. It's a topic often avoided in some vague effort to let the issue which lives on go away. Turns out Disney just made the biggest joke ever about Racism maybe a generation will take something away from it. I know I learnt plenty of lessons from the Disney classics all of which are easily ignored in the heat of the moment when someone, anyone does something stupid.

The Jungle Book (2016)

After a threat from the tiger Shere Khan forces him to flee the jungle, a man-cub named Mowgli embarks on a journey of self discovery with the help of panther, Bagheera, and free spirited bear, Baloo.

Director:

 Jon Favreau

Stars:

 Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley

As a artist making a living of VFX sometimes I am impressed by the sheer beauty the large teams can create. The process is so complex it goes well beyond money. I still try to understand the company and shareholder process but someone once taught me about empirical ownership so the owner is the one who buys the DVD. Modern distribution methods are almost just another last ditch effort to save an industry built on art or art built on an industry. I have always tried to see them co-exist like asking someone to dance for you may be viewed as wrong but sometimes dancing is what they love.

Gravity (2013)

A medical engineer and an astronaut work together to survive after an accident leaves them adrift in space.

Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Ed Harris 

Designed carefully to strike fear into the heart of aspiring astronauts while simultaneously 
inspiring them to take bigger risks in life and ask for help to achieve their dreams.

Sing Street

A boy growing up in Dublin during the 1980s escapes his strained family life by starting a band to impress the mysterious girl he likes.


 Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Aidan Gillen, Maria Doyle Kennedy

Very good film that highlights the gritty reality of the depression in Ireland with barely a mention of potatoes. The story is made to look like a few kids could make an award winning level music video but the amount of talent that is hidden from the audiences view has been so prominent in my life for years.

Mr. Right

A girl falls for the "perfect" guy, who happens to have a very fatal flaw: he's a hitman on the run from the crime cartels who employ him.

 Anna Kendrick, Sam Rockwell, Tim Roth

I really enjoyed this movie, I thought the cold killer no remorse mixed with the pleasant kindness of the two leads really made for an interesting view into how humans feel.

Photo by Steve Dietl

Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)

Two decades after the first Independence Day invasion, Earth is faced with a new extra-Solar threat. But will mankind's new space defenses be enough?

 Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman

I wasn't setting my expectations super high going to see this movie, but I really enjoyed the film. A real American symbol of fighting for humanities freedom.

Criminal

In a last-ditch effort to stop a diabolical plot, a dead CIA operative's memories, secrets, and skills are implanted into a death-row inmate in hopes that he will complete the operative's mission.

Kevin Costner, Ryan Reynolds, Gal Gadot |

The Impossibilities

Episode 1 of 8 (Willa) from The Impossibilities on Vimeo.

More like a well filmed documentary about a little bigotry and a lovely couple in New York or whatever part of America it was in.Also a trainee magician who is realizing the struggle of making it big in Vegas which he will hopefully one day do.

Now you see me 2

Plot:

The Four Horsemen resurface and are forcibly recruited by a tech genius to pull off their most impossible heist yet.

Cast:

 Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson

The Do Over

The Do Over:
Plot
Two down-on-their-luck guys decide to fake their own deaths and start over with new identities, only to find the people they're pretending to be are in even deeper trouble.
Cast

Adam Sandler...
David Spade
Paula Patton

Sleeping with other people

Plot

A good-natured womanizer and a serial cheater
form a platonic relationship that helps reform them in ways
, while a mutual attraction sets in.

Cast

Alison Brie:...Lainey
Jason Sudeikis:...Jake
Jordan Carlos:...R.A.
Margarita Levieva:...Hannah
Charles Cain:...Helmet Kid
Adam Brody:...Sam
Michael Cyril Creighton:...Attentive Waiter
Billy Eichner:...SLAA Speaker
Jason Mantzoukas:...Xander