The Way Way Back

Do you want to see a movie with a main character that never makes a decision for himself until the very end? Do you want to see a movie that dives into the subject of teenage angst and then sits there forever without ever offering any way out? Then this movie is for you.

“The Way Way Back” tells the story of Duncan (Liam James), a very shy 14 year-old boy who is about to spend his entire summer vacation with his mother, her oppressive boyfriend, and her boyfriend’s daughter. As he sits in the reversed seat in the back of the car on the way to the lake, the entire movie is presented to you within the first five minutes. Trent (Steve Carell), the boyfriend, tells Duncan that he would rate him as a three out of ten. Duncan shrugs. That’s basically the rest of the movie. 

Duncan is someone who’s only reaction to something is to shrug and walk away. I can understand teenagers are sad, troubled, and misunderstood little human beings, and that can make an interesting character, but only if they choose to fight, survive and learn something.

Duncan spends his time riding his bike around the lake, until eventually he finds a small water park and ventures inside. As he walks around, he bumps into a couple people and they automatically want to become his friend, for no reason other than he’s currently standing in front of them. He forms relationships with the founder of the park, Owen (Sam Rockwell), Caitlin (Maya Rudolph), Roddy (Nat Faxon), and a couple other do-gooders who happen to work there. Owen in particular guides him through the park, and the rest of the summer, as he tries to instill some confidence and passion in the young man. He gives him a job at the park, encourages him to take risks, stand up for himself, and become the man he wants to be. Duncan just gives half smiles, and shrugs.

Besides Duncan, most of the characters in this movie are actually well thought out. I enjoyed watching Owen fight for his interests as living as a grown man-child, and yet wrestle with the necessity to handle issues as an adult. It was refreshing to see Steve Carell play the “bad guy” instead of the goofy hero.  A lot of this movie could have been so good if only the main character actually made a decision for himself. Liam James absolutely nailed that sad and depressed teenager look, but it’s just so boring to watch for almost two hours.  There are a couple characters in here that are actually worth telling a story about, but an introverted, sulky, teenager isn’t one of them.

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Mud

“Mud” proves, once again, that a great story has so much more value than a big budget. This movie is simply, all about love. Love can be deceptive, challenging, courageous, and it can bring out the best, or worst in people. At the core of this movie, it portrays a realistic version of love in many forms as we follow Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and his friend, Neckbone (Jacob Lofland), cross the line between boyhood and manhood.

Ellis and Neckbone discover the hideout of their dreams on an island in the middle of a river when they find a small boat stuck in a tree. Little did they know that an outlaw, Mud, (Matthew McConaughey) is currently residing in said boat, as he waits for the love of his life to run away with him. They quickly make a deal that if they help Mud get the boat seaworthy, down from the tree and into the water, the boys will get Mud’s gun. It doesn’t sound like a fair trade, but to two thirteen year-old boys, a gun of their own isn’t something they can say no to. As Mud begins to use Ellis and Neckbone to communicate with his love, Juniper (Reese Witherspoon), Ellis soon hears all about how madly in love they are, and from there, every decision for Ellis is based on the fact that he knows Mud and Juniper are in love and they deserve the love that lasts. 

As they gather materials, and run around town for Mud, Ellis begins to see Mud as a leader as his own personal life begins to unravel. His parents are talking about divorce, and his new girlfriend isn’t shaping up to be as great as he hoped for. Mud is willing to give him the guidance he has been looking for in love.  Everyone else in his life is struggling with love in some way, so Ellis begins to cling to this stranger and fight for the idea of perfect love. At the same time, Juniper doesn’t look to be as faithful or trustworthy as Mud made her out to be. Are they really in love or not? Questions begin to surface, lies begin to unfold, and Ellis discovers that the love he envisioned may not exist. Love doesn’t always conquer all. 

Matthew McConaughey is perfect in this movie. I never really was a big fan of his, but just respected his work. Recently though, he has made a conscious decision to star in smaller movies that will challenge him as an actor and that has definitely paid off. In “Mud,” he plays a dreamer, a hopeless romantic, searching for the love and connection he once had when he was young. I believed every moment, every sentence, and every emotion that he had. I believe the same of Tye Sheridan. He is such a gifted young actor, I am so excited to see where he goes in his career. He first arrived on screen in “The Tree of Life,” and ever since then has had a steady stream of roles. Tye is the one of the most gifted young actors I have ever seen, and this movie is worth a watch just because of him. 

Another one of my favorite things about this movie is how realistic they depict love. Just to name a few, they interpret love that once was and now forgotten, teenage love, love between friends, brotherly love, second chance love, and sacrificial love. At the same time, they handled the dialogue, sets/locations, cinematography, characters, in a beautiful and respectful way. They stay true to the story they wanted to tell and didn’t find themselves getting sidetracked on useless exposition or backstory. This movie is long, but it is well worth the time. With an exciting ending that left me literally on the edge of my seat, very strong characters, and a unique love story, I would strongly suggest seeing this movie.  

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Sherlock

After persistent demands from my little sister that I watch this show, I finally gave in, and five minutes into the first episode I knew I had stumbled onto something special. Special enough to elicit my attention for the next nine hours (two seasons). After those nine hours, I decided, or deduced, that "Sherlock" was the best television show that I have ever seen. To be honest, the BBC has never ever interested me in the least bit. I just don't get British humor. I never did. I have plenty of friends that watch their shows, and I have given them a fair shot. Some shows are okay, but most of them, I can't stand. "Sherlock," on the other hand, is a brilliantly crafted show that I can't get enough of. Maybe there's more to the BBC than misunderstood humor after all. Way to go BBC. You win.

My favorite part of this show has to be the casting. Benedict Cumberbatch completely owns this character. He successfully creates his own sense of who Sherlock is, and births an incredibly intelligent, observant, socially inept character. Martin Freeman doesn't play the classic John Watson that we are used to seeing as "Sherlock's sidekick," but instead plays John, Sherlock's only friend. He actually rarely offers insight into the cases that Sherlock can't already deduce himself, but is there instead for Sherlock himself. He keeps Sherlock on task by guiding him through the social norms, and sometimes interpreting his brilliance for others around. Both of these characters and names are so familiar to the audience already that we have grown accustomed to how they should speak, and act, but Benedict and Martin surely did not get that memo. They have, without a doubt, created something entirely unique, within this series. I loved watching the two of them grow together. In the beginning, like any relationship, there is miscommunication, frustration, second guessing, and mystery. John and Sherlock are not immune to this. They mature as a couple, not like that (they ensure you), of friends who depend on each other. Many times in life or death scenarios. Throughout the two seasons, these two fight again and again, but are always drawn back together as their relationship goes through the ebb and flow of life.

Normally television shows have an overall lower standard of production they set themselves at compared to that of most feature films. They don't have the budget, or the time to create something as complex as a feature film. "Sherlock," again, side steps this normality and holds itself at the highest level possible. They respected themselves and the audience with being able to handle complex issues and information. Everything was specifically designed to be something that Sherlock himself would be entertained by.

Much of the success of "Sherlock" has to go to the writers. Without the flawless modernization of the books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, this show would not be as entertaining. They have seamlessly taken the characters out of their original time period and placed them in a world filled with computers, cell phones, televisions, etc. While being in the modern world helps Sherlock at times, he still relies, just as he should, on using the science of deduction. He uses his greatest strength above everything else: his wit. With this mentality, the writers have respected, and protected, the soul of the characters. One of the reasons I love this show so much is because it uses wit and intelligence as its driving force. It's not the sex, or violence, or special effects, it's the intelligent story.

The success of this program shows for itself the work of artistry it took to create this production. It pulls you in and won't let you go until you are dying for more. To everyone who worked on this in any capacity, job well done. This is truly a work of art.

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