It’s an interesting week: the long-awaited Dawn of Planet of the Apes, a movie about Boyhood that took twelve years to make, and Ron Howard’s first documentary, Made in America, about the wonders of all kinds of music. Something new and surprising for everyone! —Angela Ortíz
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is the much-anticipated follow-up to Rise of the Planet of the Apes from 2011, and a basically silly as the idea is, the whole saga of The Planet of the Apes is very dear to those of us of a certain age. We can be quite protective and critical with remakes, reboots, etc., but I have to admit: I really enjoyed Dawn. The humans are interesting and likable (It’s always great to see Kirk Acevedo do his bad boy role), and of course Andy Serkis is brilliant as Caesar. So, if the Apes are part of your DNA, check this one out. Also starring Jason Clarke, Enrique Murciano, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Karin Konoval, and Lombardo Boyar.
Boyhood, written and directed by Richard Linklater and starringPatricia Arquette, Ellar Coltrane, Lorelei Linklater, and Ethan Hawke, is an amazing project. It’s fiction, not a documentary, but Linklater got the actors to sign on twelve years ago, to make a groundbreaking movie about growing up as seen through the eyes of a child named Mason (Ellar Coltrane), as he grows up. Through the course of the movie, you can see the boy and the rest of the cast grow up and grow old–no age make-up, no special effects. Talk about devotion to a project—especially between adults and children. No wonder it’s been called “a nostalgic time capsule of the recent past and an ode to growing up and parenting.” Out in limited release.
Made in America is Ron Howard’s first documentary–a collaboration between the Academy Award® winner and musician/producer Jay Z. Given Jay Z’s involvement, you’d think the movie would focus on hip-hop only but no: it’s actually a celebration of both the unifying power of music and the pursuit of the American dream. Howard has created an all-access backstage pass to a one-of-a-kind festival, with remarkable performances and backstage interviews with many of today’s biggest music stars. And ultimately, Made in America shows how one giant celebration of music can change people’s lives. Some of the performers include D’Angelo, Dirty Projectors, The Hives, Janelle Monáe, Odd Future, Rita Ora, Pearl Jam, Run-D.M.C., Santigold, Jill Scott, and of course Jay Z himself.
