Office Christmas Party (**)

Office Christmas Party is a dumb movie that will blend into obscurity within a few months. It's a story that we don't expect much from and only seek out to deliver some much-needed humor in a season when movies are dreadfully serious and dramatic. I will admit that I laughed at several moments throughout the movie. The sad part is that each funny part was already mentioned in the trailer. What a bore.

Set in Chicago, the movie is about a failing firm led by a silly boss named Clay (TJ Miller) and an even-sillier CEO named Carol Vanstone (Jennifer Aniston). With business failing and the threats of shutdown imminent in the new year, Vanstone says that they can keep their job only if they manage to close a deal and get the business of Walter Davis (Courtney B Vance). If he says yes, they are safe. If not, they are done for. After a first meeting goes sour, the office team comes up with the next-best scenario: asking the man if he likes to party.

So begins the festivities, with thousands of pounds of ice and gallons of liquor delivered to the office high rise in Chicago's Loop. Josh Parker (the stoic Jason Bateman) helps organize the event all the while coming to terms with his recent divorce and loss of assets in the process. He has a thing for his assisstant Tracey (Olivia Munn) and that helps to fuel a plot in between scenes of eggnog chugging, dance sequences, and the threat of a prostitute and her pimp only looking to be paid.

Kate McKinnon is the highlight of the movie, playing an HR Manager with silly sweaters and a minivan covered in bird poop. Outside of her moments on screen, the movie flows through the expected ups and downs, has a high-speed chase finale, and ends with the company staying in business (can you believe it?!). Jennifer Aniston reprises the role she had in 'Horrible Bosses' playing the straight-man in a crowd of goofballs trying to one-up each other. There are some funny lines and some accurate depictions of coworkers and their odd interactions (Vanessa Bayer, another SNL cast member, has some hilarious scenes where she tries to make out with a coworker with a baby fetish).

The movie isn't one that necessarily fell short of the mark, although I would argue that this is a movie that was ruined by a trailer that left nothing to mystery. Watch the trailer a couple times and enjoy the chuckles you get from it. I promise you that spending $12 on a movie ticket won't add to the festivities.

Christine (***)

On July 15th, 1974, Christine Chubbuck committed suicide on live television. On the evening news on a local Florida television station, Chubuck calmly informed her viewers that "In keeping with Channel 40's policy of bringing you the latest in 'blood and guts', and in living color, you are going to see another first—attempted suicide." She raised a gun to her head and fired. This was a woman who battled depression and paranoia, and the thought of exploring such a sad story in a feature film feels at times misguided and yet often transcendent. While I don't necessarily understand the merit of underpinning such a dark and trivial moment in history for the purposes of a film, I can't help but admire the art.

Antonio Campos directs this smaller indie film that was released on the film festival circuit earlier this fall. To be honest I am surprised this movie hasn't generated more buzz this season, but I suppose topic matter and budgets oftentimes prohibit such things. Whether or not you have heard of Chubbuck's sad story, Campos nonetheless works to analyze the torment that was behind this woman's struggle and the boiling points of the human psyche.

Rebecca Hall is our star, and when I say that this is a remarkable bit of acting, believe me. Unrecognizable behind dark eyebrows and a center-part of long hair, I think that this is quite easily one of the year's strongest performances and one I hope is not forgotten come Oscar time. We meet Christine as a driven reporter, oftentimes staying late or editing her segments down to the last few moments before air. She exists on the cusp of the modern news era; when stories began transitioning from human interest to violence, shock. The station manager sees a decline in ratings and asks his reporters to seek out more controversial news. "If it bleeds, it leads." A few years ago the movie "Nightcrawler" worked to figure out the public's fascination with gore. Christine could easily be it's origin story.

Not only has Christine focused her news stories on things like local chickens and the building of freeways, but the owner of the company (an aloof John Cullom) visits the station in hopes of recruiting anchors for a new station in Baltimore. Faced with the possibility of becoming a legitimate reporter, Christine has no choice but to succumb. She buys a police scanner and stays up late nights, searching for breaking news. At one point she hears about a house fire and rushes to the scene with a camera in hand. She interviews the resident in tight closeup and fails to even get a shot of the flames. Even in peril, she can't make the transition.

Hall portrays Christine as a lonely woman with glimmers of hope. During the day she volunteers at a children's hospital and puts on puppet shows to the joy of kids. She seems to enjoy it, too. Her mother is much too interested in finding a new date than to remember to meet her daughter for a lunch date. Oftentimes she plays out scenes alone, meditative, working on keeping her positive facade in prime condition. Just below the surface we see a growing menace and distance that ultimately leads to the chilling finale.

If you are to see Christine, see it for Rebecca Hall. What a wonderful morning it would be to hear her name called out as an Oscar nominee. She's that good. The film overall sways in and out of interest, trekking through a story that seems constructed only to justify an end when a woman kills herself on live TV. What do we learn from the story? Where is the deeper understanding of depression and mental illness? Rebecca Hall keeps our interest with absolute hypnotism but in doing so allows us to sidestep the fact that this is a flawed movie at it's core.

Hacksaw Ridge (***1/2)

Mel Gibson is certainly a director of considerable talent, and excusing his brushes with scandal, he is still a man who knows his craft and exudes a confidence on screen. "Hacksaw Ridge" is his first directorial effort in 10 years, and although at times the films fails to reach it's full potential, it's still a reminder that Gibson isn't someone we want banished from Hollywood.

In a time when it feels like World War II movies have been tired out, here comes another one that tells the true story of Desmond Doss. Unlike most soldiers, Doss is a Seventh Day Adventist who refuses to go against the 10 Commandments, particularly the one against killing. Enlisting to serve his country, his only slight is that he will not touch a gun. At first he is told that this will be acceptable. Boot camp certainly proves him wrong.

This is a movie that is told in two very distinct parts: the blossoming romance on the eve of enlistment, and the hellfire of battle itself. When you think of a war movie you must introduce the characters as everyday people. Doss is raised in Virginia, son to a drunk and lover to a nurse at a nearby hospital. On their first date he can't help but stare at her in the dark, ignoring the newsreel footage of battle. In another film that black and white image would be enough to spark Doss to enlist. Instead, he just smiles and smiles and wonders whether he should kiss her or not.

We see the fragments of why he is so against violence. His father (Hugo Weaving) who at one time lost his friends in World War I, is now a raging alcoholic who takes out his anger on both wife and kids. His only solace is the cemetery where his friends are now buried. Guns are expected in war, but in life, Doss sees them as a tool to only incite destruction. When so many people arm themselves to fight, he decides to work as a medic to try and save people instead.

Boot camp sees all the typical scenes one might expect, including peer bullying, obstacle courses, and a barrage of insults from the drill instructor (Vince Vaughn in a curiously non-comedic role. His performance and delivery of lines is astonishingly bad in an otherwise fine cast. This is the first true time I can honestly say that an actor was absolutely miscast). As he continues to refuse weapons training, Doss is thrown in a military prison and threatened to be locked up the duration of the war. We know he won't be, but it's still required in the film to establish the drama of the scenario.

As I said, the film is very clearly two stories, and part two hits the audience like a freight train as the nightmare of battle manifests on screen. Gibson, the director whose battle scenes in "Braveheart" are still considered some of the best of their kind, knows how to film action. The left-to-right path of the allies move across screen at Hacksaw Ridge; a precipice of mud and trenches on the shores of Okinawa. Taking this fortress means changing the tides of war. The battle which is filmed in extended sequences that truly are horrific, show blood and gore the likes of which we haven't seen in a war film in quite some time. Steven Spielberg didn't necessarily revolutionize war films with "Saving Private Ryan," but the intensity certainly harkens back to it.

Doss is remembered as having saved nearly 100 wounded soldiers from the battlefield when all other troops retreated. Through the night and into the next day, he worked to slowly drag men from the mud and lower them down a 50-foot cliff to their salvation. It's almost too fantastic to be a true story, and yet Mel Gibson himself said he was drawn to this story because it was about "a real life superhero without the spandex." After the war Doss even became the first conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor.

The film (nearly 2.5 hours) wraps up so quickly that it felt like a 3-hour movie that was missing the final reel. A quick montage shows the final moments of the battle and show some incredible real-life footage of the elderly men who actually knew Doss. Aside from some moments of cliche (how can a war film ever seek to be original when so much has been seen) and that brisk wrap-up to such an unbelievable story, I still would recommend the movie. Andrew Garfield in the leading role is at times a bit too hammy to demonstrate the depth a character like this would have, although such selflessness is maybe 100% accurate. I was happy to learn a bit more about one of America's unknown heroes.

Nocturnal Animals (*1/2)

I wanted to love "Nocturnal Animals," Tom Ford's long-awaited return to the director's chair following his artistic achievement with 2009's "A Single Man." The beauty is here, and Animals is certainly a gorgeous film to watch. The look is right, and the score is lush. It's a shame that for all the individual accomplishments such efforts add up to become such a thorough snoozefest.

I would describe the plot, introduce the characters, etc., although for the most part all I can gather is that the movie is about Amy Adams reading a book with great intensity. The book itself, of course titled "Nocturnal Animals," is a murder mystery written by her estranged ex-husband (Jake Gyllenhaal). Written as a manuscript on the verge of publication, Adams (her character is named Susan) reads the book in the bathtub, on the couch, in front of a fire, in her bed, etc. The emotions it draws out of her cause many reactions of shock, of horror, as she continually has to pause mid-sentence to let out a sigh and remove her glasses. This continues for the majority of the film. What a chore it is to be a wealthy woman reading a book. When she isn't reading, she is a failing artist whose most recent gallery featured life-like statues of obese women in the nude. Speaking of which, the opening credits to this film are quite an eyeful.

The novel itself follows a man (again portrayed by Gyllenhaal) who gets pulled over on a lonely Texas highway by a group of men who are anything but friendly. In a scene of building tension, they are kidnapped and unspeakable circumstances befall the man, who gets involved with the law in attempts to track down the criminals. He works with a sheriff, played so aptly by Michael Shannon, who works outside of the law to save the day in the end. If it weren't such a travesty of a movie I would bet money that Shannon had a likely chance of receiving a Supporting Actor nomination at the upcoming Oscars. He's that good.

At the conclusion of the novel, after Adams has run out of breath to sigh and warm baths to take, she contacts her ex in hopes of meeting him to discuss the book. So leads to an ending that is just as contrived as the rest of the film. It's a level of pretentiousness that I could sense with "A Single Man" and still admired for it's boldness. Here, in a story that precariously balances 2 or 3 stories simultaneously, it's a traffic jam of tone and theme. I can understand how there are interpretations to be made about the book, it's metaphors in regards to murder and abortion (there's a lot of plot I have failed to cover), revenge and healing. I don't blame Tom Ford entirely for the film being so convoluted, however when you see that he wrote, produced, and directed the picture, we have to draw the line somewhere, don't we?

Manchester By The Sea (*****)

One of my all-time favorite movie scenes is in 1980's "Ordinary People." The story follows Conrad, a high school student who is dealing with the sudden death of his brother and living with two parents who have no idea how to cope. Behind a picturesque middle-class facade, things are slowly unraveling. The final moments of the film, after we learn that Conrad's parents have decided to separate, shows him and his father in a quiet and cold backyard. Even though these two have rarely seen eye-to-eye, and in a conclusion where everything seems hopeless, Conrad simply tells his father "I love you," and in response his father breaks down and says the same. I think the reason I love this scene so much is because it offers a movie so full of darkness the slightest suggestion of hope. It suggests that the love of family is still stronger and cannot be overcome.

I only mention this scene and "Ordinary People" in particular because almost 40 years later here is a movie that is a spiritual equal. "Manchester By The Sea" is a massive undertaking that deals with loss in such an intimate way that it would be hard to call it anything but profound. There is something entirely universal everyone can grasp and yet watching this movie feels like a peek into a very real life of a family.

Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) is a man whose life is stagnant. He works as a handyman in a series of apartment buildings, fixing leaking pipes and whatnot. He lives in a basement studio apartment that is sparsely decorated and lifeless. He drinks by himself, and he is rude to those around him. In the first half of this film, Lee is not a character we understand or even like. In fact, he is oftentimes despicable. He gets into bar fights and swears at women. When he takes a phone call to learn of his brother's sudden death, he calmly says he will get there within the hour.

Manchester-by-the-Sea (the town's actual name) is where Lee seemingly grew up, raised a family, as evidence by many flashbacks that pepper the film with glimpses into his memory. We recall the moment when his brother, Joe (Kyle Chandler) was first diagnosed with congenital heart disease, or when he took his nephew Patrick on a fishing boat. Now in the present time, Patrick is a high school student with no mother and only Lee as his seeming guardian.

The movie becomes an evaluation of the stages of grief and we focus on the relationship between uncle and nephew. Lee, who remains shut off from the community, and Patrick, who invites friends over for pizza and stories on the very day his father died. No one is to say which way is the preferred method for mourning, and of course the emotions begin a series of highs and lows as the two men begin the process of moving on with life. Lee, who is adamant about living in Boston, faces pushback from Patrick who is adamant about finishing high school in Manchester among friends. Here, he has a boat, friends, a band, and two girlfriends (I know). In Boston, all Lee has is a sad apartment. There's no arguing there.

What is surprising about the film (where can I start) is the stark humor that comes amidst moments of such melancholy. This is easily a story that could have sunk into our hearts and left us feeling cold, but there is a joy that comes from the way these characters talk to each other and interact. There is an established history that is evidence in the writing. What else is mesmerizing is a score that incorporates classical pieces as opposed to an original soundtrack. There is something so powerful about the contrast between the New England setting and such complex music. Maybe more impressive still is the tight structure of the script, which weaves back and forth through time and gives us such a sense of depth and backstory. Kenneth Lonergan (the director and screenwriter) has surely written the favorite for an Oscar nomination.

Casey Affleck, an actor of considerable talent, seems to have finally become his own person outside the shadow of his brother. His performance is quite simply jaw-dropping. Closed in and reclusive and yet with hints of a broken heart, there are glances and gestures that are so nuanced that you can't help but think that this could be the best performance of the year. As with Michelle Williams playing his wife, this could very easily be her best role to date. Her brief screen time in all but 4 or 5 scenes encompasses the themes of the film and reveal the deeper heartbreak just below the surface of their relationship. The same can be said of Lucas Hedges playing Patrick, a young actor full of promise and grace.

There were several scenes when I found myself genuinely moved, mouth agape at how honest this movie actually was. When Patrick finally comes to term with his father's loss while looking for a snack... When Lee and his wife exchange a hug at the funeral and a surge of emotion sweeps through both of them... A scene where Lee picks up a gun... These are candid moments that are so real, so perfect, I can't help but think that "Manchester by the Sea" is the year's best film.