THE WALK
Director Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump, Cast Away) harnesses the full power of IMAX 3D with The Walk, a true story about Philippe Petit who crossed a high wire between the towers of the World Trade Center in 1974. The movie itself is good, but it would've been better as a French foreign language film. Joseph Gordon-Levitt just didn't quite cut it for me this time. The Walk feels too mainstream and suffers from that sappy, Disney "you can achieve all your impossible dreams" diatribe despite being a Sony release. However, the visual and 3D effects are a sight to behold. I nearly cried seeing the World Trade Center so vividly realized at the beginning of the film. I've heard that the documentary about this same exact subject, Man on Wire, is better, so I think I'll give that a shot before I ever revisit The Walk.
SICARIO
Sicario is a fascinating exercise in morality that asks us to contemplate which lengths we would go in order to find truth. Much of the film plays like your standard police procedural; thus it may drag for those expecting nonstop action. However, performances from Emily Blunt and Benicio Del Toro are particularly excellent, and Roger Deakins' cinematography is gorgeous. There are also plenty of narrative twists and turns to set this one apart from your usual "law & order" fare. I enjoyed catching The Walking Dead's Jon Bernthal and The Avengers's Maximiliano Hernandez in substantial bit parts. Sicario is what the second season of True Detective wants to be when it grows up. Highly recommended.
THE MARTIAN
I'll be honest. The Martian was much better than I expected. It doesn't reach the lofty philosophical or artistic heights of, say, Gravity, but I found this to be the most wholly accessible and satisfying outer space movie I've seen since probably Apollo 13. Matt Damon leads a terrific ensemble cast in director Ridley Scott's best movie in years. That said, the film editing proves to be a major chink in the hull. Several sequences play out as if important actions/reactions are cut off too soon. Keep in mind also that Drew Goddard's script is loaded with quips for Watney (Damon) to spout off even at times of heightened drama. Personally I appreciate the fact that Watney recognizes the humor in his grave situation, but I can see how his making light of the circumstances may upset some viewers looking for dense character drama. This isn't Cast Away or Gravity, but it paints a broader picture with lots of wonderful supporting characters. Recommended.
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