The Weekly Movie Watch Volume 31

This week I watched Rebel Without a Cause, Get On Up.

I watch movies every week and then write down my thoughts. Read my previous reviews!
My rating is simple, Watch It, It Depends, Skip it.

Rebel Without a Cause - James Dean is even cooler than expected.

Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
Watch Rebel Without a Cause
Written by: Stewart Stern (screenplay), Irving Shulman (adaptation), Nicholas Ray (story by) 
Directed by: Nicholas Ray
Starring: James Dean, Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo
Rated: PG-13

Plot:
Three frustrated, middle class teens struggle to fit in.

Review:
Though the acting feels over the top and never quite real, the underlying theme is teens who want to fit in. The story is good, depicting teens who want to feel a connection, who want to be loved. The characters feel abandoned, and they act out. It's surprisingly deep, commenting on American youth, parenting styles, and the generation divide.
Watch it.

Get On Up - Watch Chadwick Boseman impersonate James Brown.

Get on Up (2014)
Watch Get on Up
Written by: Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth (screenplay), Steen Baigelman and Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth (story)
Directed by: Tate Taylor
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Dan Aykroyd
Rated: PG-13

Plot:
Follow James Brown, one of the most influential musicians of the twentieth century, from poverty to triumph and all the demons in between.

Review:
The movie takes a surprising number of liberties with the source material. It's not detrimental, but don't use this film to write a report on James Brown. Boseman does a nice job, but unfortunately, never seems more than an impersonator. The production values are very good, the time periods seem authentic. The editing is chaotic, before it settles. Maybe it's trying to build energy, but with scenes from different time periods that lack context, it comes off messy. A few times, it gets it right with a good lead when it breaks chronological order. The directing could have been tighter, some scenes delve into indulgence. What's here isn't bad, it just needs to be re-cut. Better editing could make this a better movie. 
Skip it.