PIECES OF A WOMAN (2020)

 

Directed By: Kornel Mundruczo Written By: Kata Weber Cinematography: Benjamin Loeb Editor: David Jancso

Cast: Vanessa Kirby, Shia Lebouf, Molly Parker, Ellen Burstyn, Iliza Shlesinger, Benny Safdie, Sarah Snook, Jimmie Fails 

When a young mother's home birth ends in unfathomable tragedy, she begins a year-long odyssey of mourning that fractures relationships with loved ones in this deeply personal story of a woman learning to live alongside her loss.

THE TAX COLLECTOR (2020)

Written & Directed by: David Ayer 

Cinematography: Salvatore Totino

Editor: Geoffrey O’Brien

Cast: Bobby Soto, Shia Lebouf, George Lopez, Cynthia Cardona, Jose Conejo Martin, Cheyenne Rae Hernandez, Cle Sloan, Elpida Carrillo, Lana Parilla, Neomi Gonzalez, Gabriela Flores

David Cuevas is a family man who works as a gangland tax collector for high ranking Los Angeles gang members. He makes collections across the city with his partner Creeper making sure people pay up or will see retaliation. An old threat returns to Los Angeles that puts everything David loves in harm's way.

DISTURBIA (2007)

Directed By: D.J. Caruso 
Written By: Christopher Landon & Carl Ellsworth 
Story By: Christopher Landon 
Cinematography By: Rogier Stoffers 
Editor: Jim Page 


Cast: Shai LeBouf, Sarah Roemer, Aaron Yoo, David Morse, Carrie-Anne Moss, Viola Davis, Matt Craven, Jose Pablo Cantillo 


After his father is killed in a car accident, things unravel for Kale Brecht and he is placed under house-arrest for punching his Spanish teacher. Having nothing better to do, Kale occupies himself by spying on his neighbors. But one night, he witnesses what appears to be a murder going on in Mr. Turner's house. Kale becomes obsessed with uncovering the truth behind these murders but, after a few unsettling run-ins with Mr. Turner, it becomes a matter of life and death. And the ominous question: Who is watching whom?

AMERICAN HONEY (2016)

Written & Directed By: Andrea Arnold 
Cinematography By: Robbie Ryan 
Editor: Joe Bini 

Cast: Sasha Lane, Shia LeBouf, Riley Keough, Arielle Holmes, McCaul Lombardi, Will Patton 


Star, a teenage girl with nothing to lose, joins a traveling magazine sales crew, and gets caught up in a whirlwind of hard partying, law bending and young love as she criss-crosses the Midwest with a band of misfits

LAWLESS (2012)

Directed By: John Hillcoat 
Written By: Nick Drake 
Based On the Book “The Wettest County in the world” by: Matt Bondurant 
Cinematography By: Benoit Delhomme 
Editor: Dylan Tichenor 

Cast: Shia LeBouf, Tom Hardy, Jason Clarke, Jessica Chastain, Guy Pearce, Mia Wasikowska, Dale DeHann, Gary Oldman, Lew Temple, Noah Taylor,

WALL STREET: MONEY NEVER SLEEPS (2010)

Directed By: Oliver Stone Written By: Allen Loeb & Stephen Schiff Based on Characters by: Stanley Meiser & Oliver Stone Cinematography By: Rodrigo Prieto Editor: David Brenner & Julie Monroe Cast: Shia LeBouf, Michael Douglas, Josh Brolin, Carey Mulligan, Suasn Sarandon, Austin Pendleton, Vanessa Ferlito, Frank Langella, Jason Clarke, Eli Wallach

TRANSFORMERS (2007)

Directed By: Michael Bay
Written By: Alex Kurtzman & Ronerto Orci
Story By: Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman & John Rogers
Cinematography By: Mitchell Amundsen
Editor: Tom Muldoon & Paul Rubell & Glen Scantlebury


CAST: Shia Lebouf, Megan Fox, Kevin Dunn, Julie White, John Turturro, Jon Voight, Anthony Anderson, Josh Dummel, Tyrese Gibson, Zack ward, Amaury Nolasco, Bernie Mac, Rick Gomez, Tom Lenk

At this point I have to recognize Michael Bay as a auteur. He has 2 films in the Criterion Collection ARMAGEDDON and THE ROCK. When he makes a film you know it is his he puts his own signature on his films, That at first were produced by Jerry Bruckheimer the perfect producer for his style of filmmaking. Which seems to have rubbed off on the director as there films usually employ, Loud sound, Light plots, plenty of action, inventive shots, quick cuts and attractive actors who are more or less like mice in a maze ping ponging and running from one explosion to the next. The man has a certain filmmaking style that I’m not sure anyone else could make or would really want to but he will certainly be around for a long time because his films make money and audiences love them.

This film has all usual touches but for this type of film it actually fits. There is no way you can tell the story of the transformers in any realistic way based on the cartoon series of the 80’s which mainly consists of the battle of the Autobots (The good guys) VS. The Decepticons (The bad guys) The Subject is ripe for bay’s bombastic style of movie making. This time produced by the one and only legend Steven Spielberg.

There is no subltlety in this film everything is ham fisted with a good cast that strangley makes this popcorn movie watchable. The action sequences and effects are both excellent. The only problem is towards the end of the film when the transformers are fighting the bad guys it’s hard to tell who is who because they all look the same, like hunks of metal.

Another staple of Michael Bay is to install stale awkward jokes or bad comedic scenes into his action oriented films. Though it is usually a macabre humor like the BAD BOYS films but in those films it at least fir the criteria. In this film there are full on scenes of physical comedy. There are also important characters who are more comedic invention and act that way then being serious characters. For the comic relief they cast Anthony Anderson which also is nice to have the black guy be the smartest guy in the film which I haven’t seen in a sci-fi movie since VIRUS.

I will give Bay some credit he Is a good technical director. He is just lacking in the aspects of making a film though he does bring the goddess that is Megan Fox to the big screen in a substantial role her role as a love interest for Shia Lebouf. It’s a role that is unbelievable. She is so gorgeous like a Angelina Jolie Clone that she doesn’t seem real. I don’t know what role she could ever be cast in and be believable or look natural.

This film is so big it actually goes global bringing together the members of the cast who have survived numerous attacks from the Decepticons to face them in a building destroying fight in Los Angeles to save the world.

In the end this is a entertaining Perfect popcorn movie for a rental. If yo like his previous films you will like this one.

GRADE: C