Country Crush: Movie Review

Finding its own country musical niche in a generic, uninspiring way.

It should be made very clear that Country Crush is a musical. There’s a big difference between a drama about a singer, and a musical-musical. While lead character Nancy (Madeline Merlo) is a singer and a third of the plot is her musical aspirations, this movie is pure musical. But more specifically, it’s a country musical. Similar, at least in part, to High School Musical, but make it country, very country. That description alone should turn off many viewers, but for those that are left, it does make this film unique.		2016 Directed by: Andrew Cymek Screenplay by: Andrew Cymek, Jake Helgren Starring: Munro Chambers, Madeline Merlo

La La Land: Movie Review

A movie of love, music and soul.

La La Land couldn’t have a more fitting title. An homage to LA, but more than that, an homage to the dreamers of LA and the life-as-a-musical that they could have. La La Land sells itself strictly as a romantic musical. The characters sing and dance as they fall in love – and even if that’s all it is, it would still be a pretty good movie. It's a movie that survives on the pure cinematic experience, but also provides a bit of soul.		2016 Directed by: Damien Chazelle Screenplay by: Damien Chazelle Starring: Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling

XOXO: Movie Review

Boring characters wander around at a music festival.

XOXO is an electronic dance music festival out in the desert. A rave, drugs, black lights, and an opportunity for DJs to make a name for themselves. And if all of our main characters can get there, then their lives will “collide in one frenetic, dream-chasing, hopelessly romantic night.” Or at least that’s what the plotline insists will happen. The frenetic nature, or dream-like, romantic atmosphere is never really conveyed.		2016 Directed by: Christopher Louie Screenplay by: Dylan Meyer, Christopher Louie Starring: Graham Phillips, Sarah Hyland

We Are Your Friends: Movie Review

An overly dramatic, mostly uninteresting story of a DJ.

There are three (well, actually, four) things that We Are Your Friends wants you to know: Zac Efron is really hot; electronic music is really cool; and Emily Ratajkowski has really nice boobs. Presumably you already know and/or don't care about points one and three which leaves you with the music. Thankfully, it didn't give me a headache and when Efron was actually creating his tracks, it was even interesting; just not enough to carry the entire movie.		2015 Directed by: Max Joseph Screenplay by: Max Joseph and Meaghan Oppenheimer Starring: Zac Efron

Ricki and the Flash: Movie Review

The family drama and comedy end up playing back-up to Ricki and her songs.

Meryl Streep is Ricki. I think it has already been determined that she can play whatever she wants and an aging rock star who still glams it up as if it's the 1980s and as if she's still in her thirties, doesn't even seem like a stretch anymore. For the movie itself, Ricki and the Flash is stretching and contorting itself into whichever genre it feels like being in the moment.		2015 Directed by: Jonathan Demme Screenplay by: Diablo Cody Starring: Meryl Streep

Love & Mercy: Movie Review

A tragic but admirable tribute to Brian Wilson.

As the tagline says, Love & Mercy is the life, love and genius of Brian Wilson. Jumping from the early hits of the Beach Boys, to the lonely and fragile life of adulthood and back to the dramatic transition period of Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys, the film is a very stark, intricate and achronological examination of mental illness and musical genius. It stars Paul Dano as the young popular Beach Boy Brian Wilson and John Cusack as the older, former Beach Boy, the damaged and tragic Brian Wilson.		2014 Directed by: Bill Pohlad Screenplay by: Oren Moverman and Michael Alan Lerner Starring: John Cusack, Paul Dano, Elizabeth Banks and Paul Giamatti

Pitch Perfect 2: Movie Review

A fitting follow-up to the original and the girl power that got them here.

Three years later, the Barden Bellas are a huge success. Three straight national championships, the toast of Barden University, now performing for President Obama. Pitch Perfect 2 opens with a cheesy but funny performance editing in real shots of the president. Fat Amy's grand entrance doesn't go as planned and late night comics are using her in their opening monologue puns. They've been stripped of their country-wide tour and have one last shot at the world championships otherwise the Barden Bellas will no longer exist.		2015 Directed by: Elizabeth Banks Screenplay by: Kay Cannon Based on the book by Mickey Rapkin Starring: Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow and Hailee Steinfeld

The Last Five Years: Movie Review

The musical version of a dramatic love story.

The Last Five Years is the five years in a relationship, the deconstruction of a marriage, but still romantic in its own way. Based on the musical of the same name, the movie is entirely sung. Each song verbalizes where each character is at in their life and in the story of their love, and then transitions into the next song which gets us into the next chapter of their relationship.		2014 Directed by: Richard LaGravenese Screenplay by: Richard LaGravenese Based on the musical by Jason Robert Brown Starring: Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan

If I Stay: Movie Review

Come for the tears, stay for the romance.

If I Stay builds up the characters and their relationships long before it really presents the title dilemma, but that’s probably best for your tear ducts. Only a fraction of the movie is set in present day but the car accident that places 17-year-old Mia Hall (Chloe Grace Moretz) in a coma is at the beginning and then we get flashbacks to her childhood, musical education and especially to her boyfriend Adam. It’s just as much a romantic drama as it is a tear-jerker.		2014 Directed by: R.J. Cutler Screenplay by: Shauna Cross Based on novel by Gayle Forman Starring: Chloe Grace Moretz, and Jamie Blackley

Begin Again: Movie Review

Straddles the line between indie and Hollywood well; delivering a feel-good, enjoyable story.

Begin Again features a young, formerly idealistic singer-songwriter ready to abandon her dream in New York City and an older, completely cynical indie music exec ready to abandon the abandonment of his dream. Keira Knightley plays singer-songwriter Greta, alone in New York City after her boyfriend made it big and abandoned her. Mark Ruffalo plays Dan, in the midst of drinking his life and career away just for the fun of it.		2013 Directed by: John Carney Screenplay by: John Carney Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Keira Knightley

Jersey Boys: Movie Review

Get out of Jersey, get ready for some feel-good fun.

“Jersey Boys” is the rise and fall of The Four Seasons based on the true story and the stage musical. Director Clint Eastwood incorporated the feel of the stage musical in a subtle manner and it gave the film some great framing. They’re New Jersey boys torn between crime and anything other than crime in the early days. Tommy DeVito (Vincent Piazza) knew Frankie Valli (John Lloyd Young) could sing and putting him in the center, they might find their way out of jail.		2014 Directed by: Clint Eastwood Screenplay by: Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice Starring: John Lloyd Young, Vincent Piazza, Erich Bergen, Michael Lomenda