rum2550 Reviews

Society of the Snow (2023)

Achieves what 1993's "Alive" could not

[8/10 · 7 January 2024]

This is without doubt one of the best stories of human courage, determination and their ability to survive under unimaginable circumstances. As someone who read quite a lot and watched a few documentaries on this incident, I found 1993 movie "Alive", which is based on the same incident, lacking in many aspects. Actors speaking English should be the least of them. In contrast, "The society of snow" is a more realistic and engaging presentation of the events. You can feel their pain, suffering and moral dilemmas. Cinematography, dialogs and acting all are truly excellent. One of the biggest deficits in "Alive" was the lukeworm depiction of the events around survivors' coming to contact with the civilization, the rescue operation and the aftermath. This movie has clearly beaten "Alive" in all those fascinating bits of this extraordinary story.

Oppenheimer (I) (2023)

Not what I expected. Definitely not IMAX worthy .

[6/10 · 13 August 2023]

From the trailer and marketing of this movie, I was led to believe this was going to be a visual spectacle and a movie made for cinema. A lots of technical details of its making was promoted, including the fact it was shot on film using an expensive imax camera rather than digitally. As a result, I decided to see it in an IMAX cinema paying about 60% more than the regular ticket price. However, it turned out to be more of a political drama discussing Oppenheimer's political views and his clashes with bureaucrats. I was wrong to believe it was about the exciting story of Manhattan project. Although some people said this is a movie made to save cinemas from streaming services (like Tom Cruise's Mission Impossible - which is definitely a movie made for cinemas), I do not think you should necessarily go to the cinema to enjoy it. It is not a bad movie but watching it on TV should suffice given the fact it is more of a drama and there is not many visually stunning scenes you would expect from the trailer.

The Thief Collector (2022)

Stranger than fiction

[8/10 · 8 April 2023]

Extremely fascinating and gripping documentary about an eccentric couple that departed this world leaving so many unanswered questions. It revolves around an art theft happened in 1985. The stolen painting (estimated to worth 160 million dollars presently) is found by a small town art dealer who has been asked to assess the collectibles left by a diseased elderly couple.

This is definitely one of the best crime related documentaries I have ever watched. This could easily make a blockbuster movie like "Catch me if you can". This story is thought provoking and surprises you with the double lives some people seem to enjoy.

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Too slow. Too long.

[6/10 · 27 October 2022]

Despite the huge recognition by both fans and critics, I did not enjoy the first Blade Runner movie. I found it confusing and too slow. To me, there was nothing enjoyable in that movie. Blade Runner 2019 is a bit of an improvement as the storyline is a bit more clear. It is visually stunning with good performances from the actors. Visual effects and action scenes are extremely well done. However, its sluggishness is a big issue. In fact, they could have easily made this into a 2 hour movie if they cut down the first half in which nothing really happenes. It is disappointing to see that they have not been able to correct mistakes that led to poor box office performance of the first movie.

The Rhythm Section (2020)

Bland movie about a half-boiled assassin

[5/10 · 21 August 2022]

Protagonist - She is a former junkie and a prostitute who gets manipulated by a former MI6 agent. She just gets a crash course on how to be an assassin from the agent. Probably because she has not received proper training, she is not mentally or physically fit enough to fight seasoned terrorists she has been asked to deal with. Not surprisingly, she keeps on messing up her jobs. Although she is portrayed as a victim who chooses to fight the people who made her life miserable, I did not feel for her throughout the movie. She kept on making me annoyed.

Script - overview of the script is more like a B movie but it tries to have a serious undertones by being slow, dark and by using more advanced cinematography and editing. This discrepancy between the script and the pace makes this movie really uninteresting.

The Lost Boys (1987)

Cannot understand why this is considered a classic

[5/10 · 14 August 2022]

I started watching this movie with high hopes because of its reputation as some sort of a landmark movie. However, what I saw was a movie with bad acting and a primitive script. Most of the supposed jokes are unfunny. I've seen many teen movies from 80s which are much more enjoyable and written well. I can see many reviews here have given 9-10 ratings but honestly, I do not think this is a good movie at all.

Valley of the Dead (2020)

Excellent adventure movie

[7/10 · 17 July 2022]

This movie reminded me of Brandon Fraser's first "Mummy"movie. It is basically about a bunch of people from rival parties in a war getting together to fight zombies. It is a really fast-paced movie with lots of action and funny moments. It was great to watch an old fashioned adventure movie in a while. Highly recommended to anyone loving zombie movies and action adventures.

A Minute's Silence (2016 TV Movie)

A beautiful movie

[7/10 · 16 May 2022]

This movie is about a taboo affair. This kind of stories might have been told in movies numerous times but I really enjoyed this one due to a few reasons. Mesmerizing cinematography is a main strong point. Picture-postcard-like scenaries were ample and was a pleasure to watch. I also liked the chemistry between the two leads. Period backdrop is another attractive aspect.

The Mess You Leave Behind (2020)

Disoriented

[5/10 · 12 May 2022]

I stopped watching this series after two episodes. It does not have any likable characters. Every character looks either depressed or annoying. It is too slow and I could not understand where it was heading. This looked more like a drama than a thriller.

The Girl in the Spider's Web (2018)

Very different from the first movie but a decent action thriller.

[7/10 · 1 May 2022]

Compared to "Girl with a dragon tattoo", this movie is faster with more action scenes. Characters are more cardboard-like with no much depth. However, I really enjoyed this movie as an action movie. It is more like a Bond movie.

The Rental (2020)

Much better than the IMDB rating suggests

[7/10 · 23 April 2022]

This is a really entertaining horror/thriller. It is set in a scenic background with pretty good cast. It managed to keep me on edge from the beginning to the end. I thought this was a well done movie overall which does what is expected of it.

Rebecca (I) (2020)

Wonderfully done movie

[7/10 · 16 April 2022]

First of all, I have not seen the original movie. Therefore, I think I could enjoy this version in an unbiased way. However, looking at the reviews here, I don't think that was the case for most reviewers who have made comparisons with the original. For someone who knew nothing about the Hitchcock's original, all I can say is that I thoroughly enjoyed this movie from the beginning to the end on a Saturday night. Especially, the cinematography was impressive and it managed to keep me intrigued throughout its runtime. I am planning to watch the original at some point and I know I might change my opinion on this on then. However, I'd say if you have not seen the original, just ignore the negative reviews here. I am pretty sure you will enjoy this one.

Intrusion (II) (2021)

Not as bad as some reviews suggest

[7/10 · 9 April 2022]

I had opted not to watch this movie for many months mostly because of the negative reviews on IMDB. Finally, I watched it. A good number of people have complained of this movie being so easy to figue out who the culprit is pretty early. I believe they have mistaken this for a whodunit movie. I don't think that is the case here. You don't get several possible suspects to work out. You are directed to focus on only one person from the beginning and you get the sense he should be involved someway in what's going on in the house. This movie is all about building up tension coupled with some elements of a horror genre. Yes, it comes with several weaknesses in the story but it managed to fulfill my expectations for a decent weekend thriller.

Only the Animals (2019)

Underrated gem.

[8/10 · 13 February 2022]

This is certainly one of the best movies I watched this year. This movie follows the perspectives of several characters making the full picture visible to the viewer a bit by bit. If you have watched movies like "Babel", "21 grames", or "Vantage Point", you might be familiar with this type of presentation. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this well-written movie which kept me guessing and surprising me many times. This movie definitely deserves more recognition.

The Investigation (2020)

Too slow, too long and one-sided

[6/10 · 11 November 2021]

This is based on a true criminal investigation happened in Denmark. Although the premise is pretty interesting, creators have opted to show only the investigators' perspective. We do not see anything from the crime, victim or the culprit. This approach makes the show a bit dulled down and viewers might get detached emotionally from the plight of victim. This could have easily shorten to four episodes instead of six. Especially the divers' attempts to locate body parts of the victim ran through several episodes unnecessarily.

The Killing: Six Minutes (2013) Season 3, Episode 10

Simply magnificent.

[9/10 · 30 August 2021]

I don't think I've ever written a review for an episode of a TV show until this. I could not help dropping a few lines for this tremendous episode. Peter Sarsgaard's performance is truely amazing. Although this is not the finale, this felt more like the culmination of the season.

Revenge (II) (2017)

Visually stunning!!

[7/10 · 24 August 2021]

This is a movie that would keep you on edge from the first scene. The aspect that I enjoyed the most was the quality of cinematography and the beauty of visuals. Every scene appeared to have been wonderfully planned with eye catching colors and camera angles. Whole movie seemed like a one long TV commercial. Although there were a few moments where you have to suspend your disbelief, this could be highly recommended as an extremely well-done thriller.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Biggest hoax in the history of cinema?

[1/10 · 21 August 2021]

I saw this movie 22 years after its release. For me, this looked like an amateur's attempt to do a movie. Although this is regarded as a horror movie, it did not give me any scares. Most of movie is made up of characters getting lost in a forest, arguing with each other and wandering helplessly. People have done excellent movies with a minimal budget. Only reason I can think of why this created a sensation back when it came out is the then novel concept of found footage.

Palm Springs (2020)

Overrated below average movie.

[5/10 · 21 June 2021]

I have enjoyed many movies based on time loops, many rom-coms, many comedies but this one is none of them. It does not explore its Sci-Fi angle. Characters are not likable and no character development is seen at all I cannot understand why most reviewers have rated this between 8 and 10 since in my opinion this is a below average movie trying so hard to be funny. Although I realized this was not going to be a good movie within first 15 minutes, I kept on watching because I expected it to turn better at some point based on overwhelmingly positive reviews but this never happened.

Patient Zero (I) (2018)

A decent movie

[6/10 · 6 June 2021]

I cannot understand the IMDB rating for this movie. This one is definitely better than that. This is more of a B movie but pretty entertaining. Good choice for a movie night.

Underwater (2020)

Same old story with a dull execution

[5/10 · 31 May 2021]

This is a monster movie set in an intriguing backdrop with a decent cast and production values. Movie starts off in an exciting manner raising the hopes of an enjoyable ride. However, movie does not offer much. The script is shockingly rudimentary. Most of movie is dedicated for showing people walking in the dark while a monterous sea creature attacking them every now and then. Visibility is quite poor. Some reviewers have labeled this as a B movie but this one is too boring and dull to call even a B movie. Such a waste of opportunity.

Nobel (2016)

Does not do the full justice to what it appears to deliver

[6/10 · 1 March 2021]

I do agree with many of the reviewera regarding the realism, the depth of characters and the quality of acting. In the initial couple of episodes, they build up a remarkable tension which appears to be heading towards an equally meaningful end. However, I felt a bit disappointed towards the end of the series mainly because the gripping nature seemed to have dulled down and the end looked like a failure. Although I am used anticlimatic endings, this felt like incomplete and unsatisfying. Perhaps, they wanted things to be too realistic. Other main issue with this series is the shaky camera work which makes you feel dizzy especially if you are watching it on a bigger screen.

Chernobyl (2019)

Amazing recreation of extraordinary series of events

[9/10 · 12 January 2021]

As someone who has read quite a lot about the chernobyl disaster, I was a bit hesitant on watching this. I thought it could be just a waste of time watching this as I knew what was going to happen. However, I realized that I was totally wrong within first few minutes of the show. I was blown away by the gripping nature of the show from the very first moment to the last minute. It kept me on edge in unbelievable way. It has been able capture the eerie atmosphere in the aftermath of the incident brilliantly. I was so impressed by the creators' efforts to recreate the Soviet Union in a very authentic manner.

Edit: After doing a little research online, I realized many events and characters in this show were either fictional or exaggerated to the extent that it cannot be considered as a real account of what happened. It has also been reported to depict the life in the Soviet Union and its administration from the typically biased and stereotyped Western perspective. Although getting to know these facts ruined my appreciation of the show to a certain degree, I still consider this as a masterful work of art. However, it may not be a good idea to use this as a source of information on the disaster.

The Vast of Night (2019)

Something fishy going on with IMDB reviews

[2/10 · 31 December 2020]

I decided to watch this movie based on overwhelming 9-10 rated reviews. However, this should be one of the most uninteresting movies I have watched (at least partially). I could bear with it only for 17 minutes and then I gave up. In the very first scene, the viewer is bombarded with constant talking by a confusing number of characters. This is followed by a long scene in which a girl and a man walking through a town talking very fast and constantly which I found really boring. For the 17 minutes I watched nothing really happened that could hook me into the movie. When I went through the reviews more closely again I could see I was not alone at all. Someone had even suggested that all positive reviews could have been written by a PR company and I am not surprised if that's the case.

The Woods (2020)

Excellent Thriller

[8/10 · 4 August 2020]

Story resolves around an incident happened in a summer camp in 1994, this TV show filled all the tick boxes I usually look for. Stunning backdrop, interesting characters, decent storyline, good music, wonderful photography plus an element of nostalgia. I really enjoyed every moment of this show.