Good Will Hunting – Review

To me, Good Will Hunting is an example of an almost perfect movie. Almost every aspect of this piece of work fits wonderfully into place to create a moving, personal, yet funny coming of age story. The cast is excellent and the dialogue is superbly written. There are a few plot devices that keep it from reaching new filmic heights, and that’s very unfortunate concerning the rest of the movie.

 

Will Hunting (Matt Damon) is a janitor at MIT who is housing a very special talent that is discovered by Professor Gerald Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgård). Will is proficient in all kinds of math and has a vast amount of knowledge on history, literature, and art. Pretty much the whole intellectual package. The problem with Will is that he lacks the motivation to use it, a problem that seems to be deeper than Will originally thought. Lambeau recruits help in the form of  Sean Maguire (Robin Williams), his old college room mate who has had problems getting ahead himself. Together, the two men will dig deeper into Will’s subconscious, guarded better than Helm’s Deep, to find out what is really holding him back.

Saying this movie has a definite point A to point B plot wouldn’t be giving the film any justice. Damon and Ben Affleck have crafted an excellent screenplay that isn’t only about Will’s hidden potential. It’s about Will and everyone else that is affected by Will’s ability. This mainly is a coming of age story, but it’s also a story of how one person can have such an affect on someone’s life, even if they aren’t in it for very long. It’s an age old story that is perfected by Damon, Affleck, and director Gus van Sant.

 

When I say that this is an age old story, I really mean that it fits a very specific formula. Right when the movie started, I pretty much knew exactly what was going to happen. I could call how and when the low points were going to happen, and when the solutions to these problems came along, I was not surprised. I’m not trying to say that all movies should be shocking or bring something new to the table, but I think following a dramatic formula to a T should be avoided.

I will say that Good Will Hunting takes this formula and through its exceptional performances and writing makes it something special. This movie set a new standard for how these kinds of movies should be made. What makes a film like Mallrats so special? It’s pretty conventional when it comes to its plot, but its characters and dialogue are what makes the movie great. Good Will Hunting does the same thing. Matt Damon and Robin Williams’ chemistry are excellent and you can forget you’re watching two actors playing a part. Stellan Skarsgård and Minnie Driver also give excellent performances. Casey Affleck may have a small part, but definitely outshines his brother, Ben.

 

Good Will Hunting may not be perfect, but it certainly is better than the average drama. The characters and their chemistry burn greatly and their dialogue is whip smart. Thankfully, the movie never gets overdramatic, and there is always some comedy to give us a breath of fresh air after an intense scene. This has become a modern day classic since it was released in 1997, and it has aged very well. If, by some chance, you haven’t seen this movie, definitely give it a watch. It’s inspiring on many different levels.

Limitless – Review

We all wish that we could be better versions of ourselves, no matter how much you are happy with your place in society. Who wouldn’t want to be the perfect person? Well, in the film, Limitless, that gets to happen to someone, and even though it appears to be great there are terrible consequences. This is a very well made movie that is a lot deeper than I anticipated.

 

Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) is a writer who is struggling with even getting the first word written for his new book. His life seems to be in the ultimate rut when his girlfriend, Lindy (Abbie Cornish), walks out on him. A strange meeting with someone from his past changes his life forever when he is offered a pill called NZT-48 that will allow him to access 100% off his brain. Using this pill, he not only finishes his book, but also learns how to beat the stock market and is soon hired by Carl Van Loon (Robert De Niro), who soon begins to suspect that Morra isn’t quite what he appears to be.

Let me just begin with saying that this movie was technically a masterpiece. The dizzying effect when Morra is way too deep in the grasp of the drug is something I’ve never seen anything like before. It reminded me of the dolly zoom that was first seen in Vertigo, but on a much larger scale. The color correction, gelling, and light work that is used to show when Morra is on the drug and off is perfect. When he has his brain working at full potential, everything is bright as opposed to the normal cold blue and gray look.

 

The whole idea of this is just really cool, if not scientifically inaccurate. It’s true that the hypothesis that only 20% of your brain is used has been debunked, but don’t let that stop you from enjoying Limitless. Think of it as a pill that unlocks your true potential and your subconscious thoughts, which in turn unlocks your smallest memories that have been stored in the deepest recesses of your mind. Who wouldn’t want to try that? It sounds like the greatest thing since sliced bread. How would you use it, though?

I enjoyed seeing how Eddie Morra flaunt his newfound intelligence and make enemies. I feel like this is a message the movie is trying to express. Although you may have a vast amount of knowledge, being braggadocios and obnoxious will only hurt you. I did want to see Morra succeed in the end, but it was still difficult to like him at times.This feeling of dislike made his character more real and deep.

 

While Requiem for a Dream scares the audience away from drugs, Limitless more of a warning then a condemnation. By the end of the movie, the viewer understands the danger of the drug, and how to relate it to daily life. What I’m trying to say is the movie warns more against the dangers of over usage and abuse in a very interesting and original way.

Limitless is a fantastic movie that is artistic, intelligent, inaccurate, but fun. There’s a lot of unexpected intrigue and murder concerning the business aspect of the movie and the drug abuse aspect. The greatest victory of this movie is its ability to make the audience feel like what Morra might feel. This is not a film you want to miss.