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Reviews
Sanctuary (2022)
Two Can play this twisted love game
Wherever I will meet Christopher Abbott, I will automatically join to watch. Add Margaret Qualley, which is some kind of fresh breeze of air in Hollywood and a diverse actress and you get of the chart chemistry and really great and all-over-the-place movie and plot. They are both going wild, Qualley especially.
It starts like a normal movie, but gets out of control very quickly until you cannot understand what is real and when are those two actors arrive to the plot itself or whether both still play a game for their own crazy purposes. Its like "Inception" of two characters that get a script in a script, within a script.
Both are very good at what they do and both are burning the screen on their own, separately and together. Its all about domination in relationships, in a fresh way of telling a story about couples and about any relationship type, when each takes the control and dictate the rules from his side, according to his strengths.
One cannot say too much, in order not to burn the plot details and spoil for others, but this specific one has enjoyed a focused movie with two main and only actors, that light up the screen with their energies and way of presenting each of both sides, at this endless game of man meets woman.
Fantastic and surprising, until it getting a little tiring. It had its good moments and it had moments when I though it wasn't an hour and a half movie, but longer. It was a small, unusual and rare jam, that is doing what it came to do and even does it quickly. Don't miss two brilliant actors go for it.
Un sac de billes (2017)
Another amazing survival story that should be kept forever in our minds
I wandered between the channels and there it was, an emotional movie with another amazing holocaust survival story. Especially in these days we must remember how human beings can become animals and treat other humans with an un-human treatment. Remember and never forget that history is starting to repeat itself and do what ever we can not to get there once again.
It is a story that is based on true events, which occurred to Joseph Joffo, the writer and main character in this movie. It is a family story and especially brothers' special bond and connection between young Jo and his brother - Maurice. They are both finding themselves running from the Nazis rising in France and trying, time to time, to unite with the rest of their family.
The story is written and performed with "lite" way of telling it. A lot of funny bits, that makes the horrific era to get a little bit softer, then it is remembered through out history pages. As Roberto Benigni tried to make a comedy out of his story, Christian Duguay tries his luck also and makes a big drama with a lot of thrilling moments and most important, funny moments that would let the plot go smoother in the viewers throat.
Sometimes it feels that Duguay is trying to avoid the monstrosities, in order to stay at reasonable limits of drama, but the movie illustrates properly the difficulties and the horror the Jewish community was, at those times, that mustn't even show any way of returning back to us. Excellent movie that doesn't stand out at its genre, but does the job and keeps the viewer involve and fascinated through all of its runtime.
Shôgun (2024)
After watching this one, we all need to perform Seppuku...
For me, and before reading a lot of material about this series, this show was a way of reaching out (at the second time in a small period of time, after the end of "Blue Eye Samurai") to Japanese audience and a way to narrow the gaps with the rest of the world. From side, as a viewer - it's a big success. Without even starting to talk about the rest.
Exactly as "Anjin" Blackthorne discovers and understand, finally, the beauty and meaning of Japanese tradition - so do we, as an audience and as a fly in the woods. All of the viewers reacted with a big shock to each and every suggestion of performing self-suicide, that is named: Seppuku or Harakiri (which is not used or mentioned at all in the series), but as the time passes by, it didn't seem so weird or unreasonable, just frustrating, in a way we've managed to contain.
So many characters and such amazing and accurate development arcs for all the meaningful part of the cast. The main characters got us attached to them, like flies to crap, despite cultural differences. The main plot was branched into two main and major storylines, which built themselves from each and every side. Every episode and every detail were made with a strict eye, great care and notification for each and every small detail you can possibly imagine.
As I haven't read the book or seen any content that is related to it, from years before, this experience was pretty new and fresh. I understand that the series is minimizing the view of Blackthorne and the western point of view and gives the stage to the Japanese culture and customs, so it was much more appreciated for its authenticity and almost 80% of the occurrence in this series is in the Japanese Language.
Each and every custom gets magnified ten times then can be expected and the drill down to this unique and different culture gets its chunk of the series' runtime. It was an experience that got us to think and adapt to customs we are not familiar to, as was Blackthorne, with his stages of learning that he is not that smart, at the end of all things and the last episodes twists were silent and not bombastic, but surprising and sneaky - exactly as Yoshii Toranaga planned them to role.
This series revealed some not very familiar actors and actresses to the world. Names like Cosmo Jarvis, Anna Sawai and especially Tadanobu Asano will never be able to get back to anonymity, as their performances were delightful. Hiroyuki Sanada was one of the little few that was recognized, but his performance enhanced his popularity and everything we've ever thought about him, as an actor for small and forgettable roles.
One can hope that this series will not continue to a second season, though the ending was pretty demanding a sequel. Good things need to know when to end, before they get to spoil due to fans service, as we've seen at other TV shows that didn't know when it is the time to wrap things up. It was one season almost perfect experience and one of the better things' TV medium has given to its audience.
The Idea of You (2024)
Amazon's Surprising Rom-Com
Every fiber and muscle told me not to, but Anne Hathaway and my wife's fond to her told otherwise. Good thing I didn't listen to my instinct. Though we are talking of a movie that is not renewing anything, conceptually, it is still fresh and made with so much love and feelings, that you cannot treat it with cold manners.
It's the same old love story with age limitation and this time with a familiar twist of celebrity and common human being. It started pretty bad but squeezed some surprising laughter sighs from my side, that even my wife looked directly into my face to see if I'm not chocking.
The big and massive advantage of this movie, it is its heart and rhythm. The plot is predictable; non-surprises at the script side, even though it gets the chance for a salvation point, very near its exit point, story wise, but it totally misses it. So...not taking any chance to make a change, from the script side, what is this movie actually gives its viewers?
Anne Hathaway's charm is a maximum winner and the surprise, even big one; comes from the side of Nicholas Galitzine. Great and catchy tunes, heart warming performances and such a cute development, that sticks for almost straight two hours. There are several surprises from each and every side of the movie, that says somethings about several issues, but stays simple and likeable at each and every way.
The movie dives inside issues like Class differences, age differences and of course social media influence on everything that involves reaction that isn't requested or needed sometimes. Its moving, exciting and even pretty sexy. Did the job and proves, once again, that Anne Hathaway still got Midas's golden touch.
Sleeping Dogs (2024)
Don't mess with the Crowe
Didn't sleep at all. Well...almost, but it wasn't Crowe's fault. Somehow, I don't know how, he keeps me focused with a movie that its end is almost too easy to predict and it is kind of a mashup between cheep version of "Memento" with a "whodunit" genre film and a sprinkle of Neo Noir above - you get Crowe and a fine cast keeping you hanging on.
A man with Alzheimer, which can't remember dick about his life or what to do in the morning, finds the strength and mind clearness in order that he will be able to run an old case from his past as a detective. A lot of the movie's logic doesn't add up, but somehow, this old school thriller gets you. Well he got me.
Russell Crowe is not making appearances on big caliber movies, but somehow, he is not crashing and burning in his mediocre movies and almost also gives a solid performance, like this one; this time he is wrapped with great actors, that gives him good support, though the script isn't consistent at its level.
Adam Cooper isn't a Hollywood big director name, but he manages to survive the scene and collaborate once again with Crowe (their previous time was at "Exodus: Gods and Kings") and almost justify the work with big names like: Crowe, Karen Gillan, Tommy Flanagan and even Marton Csokas.
The final result is a mystery thriller that keeps the viewers engaged, though at most of the time it seems that the end is pretty predictable and Cooper copy-pasted a lot of pf the plot development from larger scale movies, somehow he makes it all work in a pretty forgettable solid movie.
Asphalt City (2023)
Rough on the edges
I've seen the grade, then saw Sean Penn, then Tye Sheridan and then it was a done deal. Also read an interview with Sheridan, that talked about this film, how was it made and how was it to work with a massive actor as Penn. All got me and with this load I got started to watch this movie.
The beginning of it is characterized by many explorations and trying to reach the viewer and to insert him into the day-to-day life of two paramedics. One is young, the other had his mile and they are both struggling to save lives. Sometimes also with their environment.
The struggle is not just with the high pressure to arrive to the scene of action, the struggle is also to absorb what you see on a daily basis, regarding the impact of the cases has on the paramedics and sometimes the impact manifested by trying to be invulnerable to what the surrounding of the people that are getting the treatment and how they are treating their guardian angels.
It is a movie with a high pulse reaction of the viewer. It is speaking about a transparent people, that don't get their recognition. They say it multiple times, that they don't get a single "thank you", but a lot of other "wishes" and offensive words and behavior are flowing down the drain.
The movie Zigs and Zags between hard field cases and private area of the scarred people that live on each and every day with another, hard to watch of talk about, cases. At the final act the Zig and Zag will collide, in order to give the movie its meaning, but it seems that Sheridan and his company made a great job of learning the material from top to bottom.
The cast is top notch - except Sheridan and Penn, we've got a cameo performances of Mike Tyson and rising star - Kali Reis ["True Detective 4"] and a superb short supporting performance of Michael Pitt, that sometimes felt like Brad Pitt's Tyler Durden.
At last; Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire's work is absolutely fantastic with a cold and rough dive into the very hard parts of New York City, from a different angle and perspective. It is well crafted director's work, that takes his camera man through the various angles of the city and emphasize its colors and especially those that he is treating them well through the whole movie.
Fantastic movie and it is great to sometimes not to believe the first grade you see to a movie - you might like it in the end, like me and a lot of others. Don't miss another Huge performance from Tye Sheridan and his deputy - Sean Penn. It's a powerful piece of work.
Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
No matter when, it is still one of the best
Thanks Netflix... you still have some things to offer. Not an original piece, but a nostalgic one that makes my day (and night) so much better. I have seen this movie so many times as a kid, and now it was the time to pass it on to...my wife. Yeah... I know. It's probably never too late.
This laughter is just captivating. You cannot be indifferent to Eddie Murphy's performance; he has the magic that few actors had or has now, even he has lost it so many times during his long career. It is not the same for many years, but later on this year we will get another taste of that same magic. Hopefully it didn't get so old, as the actor that sprinkles it on his viewers.
It's a story of an investigation - a regular one with twist and turns, though the end is quite predicted. But it has the magic that not a lot of detective movies has - it got Eddie Murphy at his finest years and at his peak. Just charming and makes you laugh from the bottom of your heart.
His "partners" are perfectly written and performed ant it seems that each and every part and concept of this movie works so well. Probably wont work for the fourth time, but hell...we are going to totally work with it and even just to get a small taste of this eighties magic, Murphy brought us at his youth.
The baddies are totally bad (who didn't recognize the classic good-bad guy of "breaking Bad" as a young criminal?) and the good guys are just classic. The captain and commander of Axel Folly is mile stone for all others to come and Folly himself is an iconic character.
Martin Brest made a name for himself at the eighties and nineties with epic movies and vanished completely until killing his career finally with "Gigli". This movie, right here, was his big break and one of the most iconic ones, after that he made some more dreamy films and just disappeared into the oblivion.
Don't miss the chance Netflix gave you and just start watching this iconic Eddie Murphy's trilogy, just before it will crash down and burn with the revival experiment, that is doomed into maximum failure. We will delete it, once it will fail (as we did with fourth "Matrix" movie) and remember only the good experience. The first one is a good change to start.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
Moving forward, toward the last parts, at the same great quality
Another Harry potter chapter, that was divided into several watching episodes with my kids and wife.
It is marked as PG 14 and it is the scariest one until now. It has horror elements and the adventures jumps a level of maturity.
This one has one of the most hated characters of harry potter's movies - Dolores Umbridge. The plot is sometime weird and sometime not very coherent, but the final outcome remains the same.
A well-crafted growing up movie, for the main characters and their audience. Now it is much faster to binge grow up with harry potter's movies, but then it was so precise.
The cast remains full with enormous actors and actresses and the movie hangs on still with great music, action sequences and respected visual effects.
Moving forward to the next one and enjoying each one of them separately.
Dune (2021)
Back for the third time
The first time I have seen this movie was when the movie debuted - world wide and on the biggest movie screen I found. The second time was when the second movie went out - to refresh. Now it was the third time, with my kid. I don't think that I remember a lot of movies that I watched more than once since I am (some kind of) a grown up.
This is one of those few movies that are instant classics. Epic and so well crafted, especially after all odds were against this movie. Lynch failed at the eighties, but Denis Villeneuve has succeed in every aspect. The soundtrack is legendary, most of the scenes are visually amazing and the movie stand so good, though its main theme is so worn down.
I bough the book and started to read it, while picturing scenes from the movie and it is still so good. Denis Villeneuve gets into such small details and builds each and every character with a promising and respected arc, that stays so close to the origin that it is just amazing to see, on this era and those terms, to be able to sweep and harvest such a success, for each and every kind of audience.
It is a world-wide global phenomenon. No less. Timothée Chalamet will be remembered for ever as Paul Atreides and it is a role that puts a lock of him being one of the greatest and most advanced young actors in field. He really made a lot in such a short time, that one can only see and applaud.
This movie's scenes are iconic and every one of them stands perfect for itself. Yeah...its too long, sometime you want to take a break to wake yourself up, but at the end of all, it is one part that made history, as a book - in the past and now, finally, as a deserving work of art in the medium of the big screen.
Now the legends begin to build itself as an epic movie master piece that fully respects the origin; book series and off course the 80's failure, that tried at first, made a name for itself but didn't made it with the test of time and also then, didn't make it as a successful try to build a legacy of movies.
Villeneuve's both movies are the real deal and the reason to get our asses out of the small screen and make the extra mile into the largest screen available, and then...take the second and third time to reflect about it in several extra views, to get excited from this movie phenomenal wonder. Don't miss it, for the next few times you can watch and be prepared to get addicted.
Damsel (2024)
The Damsel Ain't in distress no more...or is she?
Until minute 35 (give or take) I was sure we are going for an adventure princess story and my wife was totally on board. Once the Dragon came and along side came the horror genre elements, the movie changed completely and my damsel got distressed and baled on me... leaving me alone, in order to complete the mission on my own.
Well...challenge accepted...or not completely. The day after she came back, learned that she is a cowered and completed almost all the rest of the film, that was...pretty stupid. Straight forward and almost shoved into each and every viewer's thought. Nothing new from this one or its genre.
An almost classis case, for PC era, of roles Reversal, that takes out men almost completely out of order and leaves women to take charge on all of leading roles of influence in the movie. We've got an evil queen mother, the damsel that got distressed and prevails, a female dragon and a whole bunch of men that are doing wrong or doing nothing to prevent all wrong stuff.
As I started to say, the first half of hour is kind of an exposition and it completes all genre rules to get the show started. After this time, it's a girl fleeing from a dragoness for each and every direction possible, just to get a second round with it / her. Nothing to be excited about or loose anyone's sleep over it (especially not my wife's).
Millie Bobby Brown never proved to be anything else but a pretty growing face in Hollywood and she does it(?) again this time also. We got several has been actors that just watching their name as part of the cast makes me goosebumps.
Ray Winstone, Angela Bassett and Robin Wright are absolutely wasted here, but did the job for an 80's kid like me, that will not settle for young Millie Bobby Brown only, in order to check out another collaboration, that she is marking with streaming faltering giant.
Knor (2022)
Okja did it bigger and better
It was a sunny Saturday and nothing to watch with the kids, so we went to the movie theatre for a short date with a pig. And a girl and a grandfather. On the way to the movie the kids have already started complaining about the type of movies we go in the specific movie theatre and the weirdness of them.
I listened and waited for the actual response during and after the movie. Most of the reactions were expected (including my wife's), but some were not what I have expected and it did kind of changed my way of thinking about this particular stop-motion creation.
A short check about Mascha Halberstad, the director of this movie, shows that she was in charge (directed) the Prodigy's "Wild Frontier" music video clip, so kudos for that. The animation this time and generally, is not my cup of tea (and also the rest of my family members') but it is highly appreciated.
The movie is talking about vegan nine-year-old kid, that gets to know her grandfather from scratch, while she doesn't know anything about his past. Must say that that I've expected a different ending to the movie and a much more anticipated, but the small surprise was really fine by me.
The general message of the movie went pretty clear, but the way was pretty boring, though the movie wasn't so long. It was too much graphic with all the poop and farts and I think it just disrespected the kids' intelligence and even stopped being funny after too much from the same stuff, but hey...kids laughed, so OK.
You can see that the director is a "she". All male characters are lousy. Looser dad, cruel and unreliable grandfather and other man were also ridiculous. The boy got an important job with a view for a better future, but all the rest of important and good characters were the girl and women around her.
On the other hand, just a little bit and before the end of it, several kids were traumatized (including my youngest) and went out crying, so all of the sudden, it treated them as adults. The final verdict was it was OK, they didn't appreciate the animation style and were bored for some time, but somehow enjoyed a bit and not sure they will eat sausages anytime soon.
Drive-Away Dolls (2024)
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Probably if this movie was not shown as a movie that is directed by one half of the Cohen brothers, but by the two of them, viewers and critics' reactions were less Grilly. Because its Ethan Coen, by himself (+ his wife - Tricia Cooke, as a co-writer) the knives are out sooner and the heat is on, from the first moment of the movie.
It's a lesbian body-crime movie. It seems that Coen patched several ideas, gave the opportunity for some big-scale actors to perform as Cameos (and give his movie a better chance to draw crowd). Other the name dropping and short performances, the rest of the movie is a big and fun mess.
The plot line seems like a lot of other crime-body-road trip movie, the characters are almost one dimensional except maybe one of the leading characters and it seem the Coen did his best to shock his audience with an exaggerated number of scenes that imitate scenes from bigger movies, from his and others filmography.
The cartoonish characters are a feel good ones, but almost in a lot of critical stages of the film it feels too much and the audience has difficulty to really relate with them - I am talking mainly about Margaret Qualley's Jamie - the potty mouth lesbian that sleeps with everyone she comes across with.
Geraldine Viswanathan as Marian is a fish out of the water and tries to find herself as a part of a world of Imbeciles. The psychedelic transitions scenes (with another cameo) are so unclear, until they are almost clear; in the end but feel stupid and unrelated to the movie. Like an artistic statement that doesn't work.
Its not a bad movie, like its grade and its not a good or rememberable one that will stick for years to come. Its another proof that Coen is not done yet and has a lot to offer to the world of cinema, but probably will be better if he will do it, in the future, with his brother...once again.
The Beautiful Game (2024)
A Sucker for Soccer (just because it goes well, but its football)
Though it's a Netflix feature and something that looks like a mediocre and small-time movie, I was curious. I've noticed that Bill Nighy as one of the leads and a story about the homeless world cup and I was already all in.
I almost thought that maybe they will tell the story of Bebe - the homeless that made it to Fergie's united, but it was like they took his story and many other stories of such as like him and stuffed them into one movie. This is an accurate description of this piece. The plot is predictable, the end and twists and turns also and the best thing about it - football and a lot of heart.
It's the same old story of an outsider that uses his talent to get in, but doesn't let himself to actually get in. It's a beautiful story about this beautiful sport and its almost gets you excited, but not actually. Its funny, to stupid sometimes and it has a lot of heart, but it doesn't align with greater football movies.
Bill Nighy is good, as always. Valeria Golino gets a small cut in this movie and Michael Word (which I've discovered at the first time in "Empire of Light") with an un-even acting display, gets his chance to lead a small-time movie and doesn't gives us a reason to remember him (last time, when he collaborated with Olivia Colman he was much better).
Bob Marley: One Love (2024)
It's another version of the Rhapsody and still fun
Well...it was pretty obvious that we are getting a movie that takes his inspiration from the legendary "Bohemian Rhapsody". That means that it shouldn't fully lean on the total and honest truth and mustn't spill the nasty and dirty stuff, but to be likeable and mainly play iconic music.
This story doesn't tell Marley's from the beginning, but tells a story of several few and Limited years, when the iconic Bob Marley was gunned down by several and un-fully explained factors. He tried to bring peace to Jamaica and didn't do so well. His relationship with his wife gets it ups and downs and his breakthrough to the entire world gets a shining spotlight.
The storyline is so lazy built, that it feels like Copy-Paste from several points in his life without knowing what needs to be told and what can be Roughly added as side stories. But Kingsley Ben-Adir's Marley is dancing and singing so well (probably lip synching) so nothing actually bothers the audience that came to see another biopic, that should answer several criteria, in order to be an instant hit.
This movie has a lot of soul and good music and acting, but it doesn't have true concept or any storyline anchors, that could have made it jump to the next level or levels. It will make you go and read about this iconic singer, to hear each and every playlist of his, that is available in any music application and always will make the obsessive to the Rastafari movement and its meanings.
It is a movie that actually almost corresponds with the Mercury movie; How songs were written, composed and got rolling in the recording rooms and studios. You get the performances sequences and get Kingsley Ben-Adir as stage Marley - mimicking him, almost exactly, to try and leave his impact, along other enormous acting performances, that are part of this genre.
It has its ups and downs with the people around him and it is fantastically performed by Kingsley Ben-Adir, as mentioned above and the phenomenal performance by Lashana Lynch. It's a warm, likeable and feel-good movie, that doesn't touches deep and roughed edges situations, but for the broad audience and Marley's fans - its fantastic as it is.
One Life (2023)
A simple story. An honest story and a touching one
I must admit that I fell asleep a few times when I watched the movie and then got back to re-watch what I've missed. At first it felt like the movie wasn't so powerful to hold me as it was not satisfying with its rhythm and its drama. A movie about holocaust survivors should make his impact on me, but it seemed that this one goes with another tune.
The director of this movie - James Hawes said that he didn't wanted to create a movie that will draw emotional reaction by force, but it did anyway. It almost doesn't touch the monstrosities, that this era contains and it avoids, almost intentionally, from producing reaction that will be based on horrors, that was a main character of world war II.
The movie bypasses all the difficult bumps and stands by itself, while heavily leaning on the true story of one of the best that our kind produced out of itself. The story of rescuing Jews in the 2nd world war has been told many times and each time is thrilling and exciting all over again.
This story is telling, most of the times, how the rescue operations were conducted behind the stages, as a main theme and about the journey that the rescuers has experienced during tough and rough times. All of those are flashbacks and fragments of memoires, from the individual that came up with the idea to begin with - Nicky Winton.
At some parts of the movie; young Nicky is embodied by
Johnny Flynn, at other and major parts, he is played by Sir Anthony Hopkins with another phenomenal piece of acting that would not leave any dry eye by the end of the movie.
This movie should not be spoiled with plot elaboration, but with a small hint that talks mainly about the fact that though it is not very long, it worth the wait, while it sometimes lends to rest to become a slow burner and behind of the curtains plot, it makes all up at its third act and tells a remarkable and truly moving and touching story.
American Fiction (2023)
Brilliant and fun-to-watch Satire
If you can start watching this movie without knowing any detail about it, it will be better and a great and big surprise for you. Jeffrey Wright and five Oscar nominations (including one win - for adapted screenplay for Cord Jefferson) were more then enough for me to pick this movie for late watching.
It's a brilliant satire that choke the woke and it is more than sufficient for me, to fall in love in this movie, after the first iconic scene. The rest of the movie was not on the same level, vibe or even the same intensity. Later on, this movie takes the artistic liberty and even split itself into two different plots entirely, but remains with high level.
It's a classic story about a man that cannot hear another word of pity about him or his people. Cannot be framed or defined by his color from another people that are bigots in a disguise of freedom and PC fighters. There are so many issues that Cord Jefferson addressed within his film ideas and millstones and all are just brilliant, fun and funny to watch.
He inserts another story, that is so different from the base line of the film. The story is a story of a dysfunctional and super intellectual family of doctors, that are black colored. The movie's protagonist is always grumpy - it seems to be the only line of two plots that touches the other one, but other the grumpiness, seem that both lines mustn't intervein within one and the other.
The actors are absolutely fantastic and Jeffrey Wright totally deserved the prize that went to Nolan's cast because its...Nolan. The directing is great also and the amazing thing that it is Jefferson's first movie. There are several scenes and sentences that will become iconic in few years, that this movie produces, but it is just a good, sarcastic and even emotional movie.
Could have taken a lot more if Nolan didn't get his regular Buzz, but still one of the most interesting movies of last year and a damn good and smart one.
All of Us Strangers (2023)
Somewhere between reality and fiction; lies this gentle and exciting movie
It wasn't a smooth watch. It's not just a romantic gay movie, but the fact that the lead character is gay is part of the main theme of this movie. I see a lot of attachments to this movie, from all over the place and I can relate to it. I was sure that I will also be strongly connected to it, but I kept the distance because of its slow pacing and gloomy atmosphere. We didn't connect in the level I expected.
It has a special tone and a plot that maybe don't need to be revealed, for possible spoiler risks, but I will do my best to describe the feelings that got into me, while watching this film. "All of Us Strangers" speaks about loss and about the will to patch things from the past. It wonders between the real world and fantasy world to a stage you can't tell which one Is which.
It has Magnificat cast of actors and director (which delivered a sobbing drama movie before, like "45 years", as an example). Its symbolic for a lot of its stages and it mixes well with the fact that both worlds collide and it is difficult to decide where the main characters stand. It is shot beautifully and the use of colors and music are absolutely marvelous.
I still found myself backing up, though some of the dramatic scenes where absolutely aimed for the audience to cry, but where so well handled that it didn't feel Andrew Haigh is pointing that direction. Can't explain why this movie didn't swept me of my feet, but I didn't care about it the way I supposed to be or the way I planned to get myself involved.
Maybe no all images, hints and symbolism fully landed with this guy, but as I said - all the conditions where there for an exciting and sweeping masterpiece. Probably the way it slowly burns, maybe the confusion between realities or something else - it was excited, but deep down I have expected a better connection for myself, personally, with this wonderful film.
Dogman (2023)
Caleb Landry Jones? where do I sign in?
Caleb Landry Jones probably didn't meant to do anything else in life but act. He doesn't pass for anything but a brilliant actor that can play with every role he will get. One I saw his name as the leading actor in this movie, it wasn't even a question. Luc Besson made me to suspect, but I was already invested in the leading actor, so it was a deal breaker.
It is a story about an outsider that suffered a massive childhood trauma which made him to be something else. At night he goes out and dresses with a costume, that makes him unrecognized and he also act as a local robin hood. His name is: "Dogman". He can't fly, shoot webs or even stand or walk, for this matter. And no, he isn't a superhero, not even close, but I almost had you thinking.
The childhood father related trauma made him put his trust on canines, so he treats them as his babies and they give them one hundred times the love he even considers of giving. Story-wise, this movie is telling a flashback story, from the point of view of the main character as a narrator and narrative defining.
The story is sad for most of it and then it takes some nasty turns that are sometimes unreliable, but not in the way that makes you want to leave this movie, because it did a solid job to get you invested in it. Caleb Landry Jones is doing what he does best and it is to be amazing as an actor and he got me thinking about several Joker characters over the years. He definitely could be one of them, in the future.
It could have been better, much better, but Besson doesn't want it to be deeper, he wants to take a cripple drug queen and make her shoot a shotgun. No, its not a Robert Rodrigues movie, but its defiantly Besson, that doesn't want to neglect his adventures character and its movie leading role characters himself.
It's a good movie, that makes the audience to, sometimes, get lost in it, because it spreads for several areas, plot-lines and also stuffing inside several genres, but it is a solid movie, that doesn't let you any crack or hatch to get out - you just want to keep going with this twisted story and cross the finish line, smiling and thanking Caleb for the ride.
The Holdovers (2023)
The one that probably had to win the Oscars
Almost twenty years since Paul Giamatti was nominated for the Oscar. Then for supporting role at "Cinderella Man". Then he lost to George Clooney with his role at "Syriana", which was a bad movie that got a little bit too much love. Now he lost to another one that got way too much - Cillian Murphy and his performance in "Oppenheimer".
The way overrated movie of Nolan got (almost) it all and Alexander Payne's Holdovers almost got nothing, except the wonderful and most deserving supporting role for the divine Da'Vine Joy Randolph that kind of got from nowhere, in order to take the prize for her first nominee, for her first series role in a big and series movie.
But enough of talking about prizes. This movie just got all the love a movie can get and not just because, but because it deserves each and every ounce of sympathy and appreciation it could have get. Its not a complicated slow burner that takes you to a lot of concepts and terms you try and stay awake and alert, just to understand what's happening.
It is straight forward and very blunt and well understood. It draws a lot of empathy to both leading characters, although they should get a lot of credit, due to the annoying behavior they demonstrate during the two weeks they stay locked up together. Both characters are not very popular at their environment, both feel that they were abandoned by the world and its representatives and both don't want to spend the Christmas with each other.
They insult one another like a couple in his first ugly steps and become best friends as one can expect, but the way to achieve this friendship is just touching and so well directed and performed when both are opening up in such a special way. Two personas that the world seem to find a way to keep them on the bench - for a very long time, find themselves defying and rebelling against the system and its representatives.
Young Dominic Sessa in a unique debut; sometimes annoys (as his jib description demands him to be) and sometimes makes you want to cry. Brilliant casting for a promising young prospect. Carrie Preston, that was so familiar through the whole runtime (Arlene from "True Blood"...there it is) was also great for the few moments she was in it.
It's so good that both audience and critics fell in love. No doubt it must have received much more because it is a movie that you can't avoid falling in love with. One trophy is just too little, but the love it got from each and every crowd type shows easily the real value of it - one of the greatest in the passing year.
Dune: Part Two (2024)
Almost six hours and sand and still amazing
The expectations where so high, they've scraped the sealing from the floor. No matter how much time it has grown, as for the first movie runtime, I was sure it will hold well. Denis Villeneuve's work is always amazing and there was no reason for this time to be less spectacular from all his latest jobs.
I went to the cinema and paid money after over a decade of getting free tickets to all the premiers, so it was an internal sign for me, and for others, regarding how I felt about the movie, before watching it, how anticipated it was and how much this movie was important to me.
Lately I completed the first movie, at a second viewing, in order to remember it and be prepared. I've also started to read the book and with the distance memory of Lynch's first movie (which I watched twice and didn't like them) I was equipped properly to see the biggest event in cinemas for this calendric year.
It sends out for numerous reasons - it is a movie that you must watch at the big screen. It is a cinematic event and one of few that gets the audience really exited and it live through the expectations.
But...and its a big but... its doesn't live up to every expectation and it is not perfect and not deserving the mega hype it got. Not a 9, but a solid 7.5 - 8. Its perfect with all regarding the directing and cinematography. Special effects are of the chart, and you cannot expect to get what you get; vocally, if you will wait to see it indoor.
Go see it on the biggest screen you can. And them the "But" is snicking. Because after cleaning all the background noise and how it affects the viewers, after filtering the visual impact on the viewers and after understanding the significant of this movie to the cinema as a savior and a sample of spice out of all the generic sand we get in movies lately, after all of those, we still got several important issues and problems.
The characters...there are a lot of them. Not all of the characters get the appropriate treatment and though it is a very (Very!) long movie, it seems that some of them are kept as a decoration and maybe as a preparation for next chapter. Paul, Chani, Jessica and even stilgar get their fair share, but others don't evolve as much as expected.
This fact effects the attachment of the viewer to the characters and to the movie as a whole. We get thrown from one character to another, without building care or affection and it is hard to develop any concern to most of the characters that get one or two sentences per half an hour.
The general atmosphere of the movie is very heavy and seems as if we are not allowed to get attached to most living creatures, but need to get attached to the intoxicating elements that divides this movie from others. It causes some detachment and makes a will to appreciate the movie from a far and not get to attached to it, emotionally.
And finally - the length.... almost three hours that seem to be just too much. I leave the concept of the movie as a religious conversation and other subtext and deep topics to the book to deal with. All of those are not an ideas by Villeneuve but are Frank Herbert's.
I thought about the matrix so much, and how this movie is reminding the matrix, but remember that Herbert was here first and probably invented all of the rough lines for every matrix original thought. It was a lot to digest and probably will wait a little bit to see is as a mini-series, at home. A masterpiece and one that should be debated heavily for years to come.
Poor Things (2023)
Not so poor Emma
When the first trailer got in and Yorgos Lanthimos's name was attached to it, I immediately knew what will happen later on. I was well aware that it is a movie I must see and also knew that I would probably won't have a partner to watch it with. So, I began watching it with my wife and after sleeping for fifteen minutes, I continued by myself. It was exactly what I have expected from the mash up of Emma stone and Yorgos Lanthimos.
The directing of this master for bizarre was absolutely astonishing. He knows his way around with colors, fish eye camera view and a lot of more visual aids and effects, that are pouring subtext and content that is another strong layer for this multiple layer cake of a movie.
This is a simple story about a Frankenstein female version that is going to explore the world, that is ruled by men. She discovers herself through a lot of physical experiences and discovers how the world is ticking, in a semi futuristic and semi ancient Victorian type of world.
Her creator tries to keep her from all she doesn't know - whether he likes to control or protect her, but she is determined to explore and learn and thus she throughs all the defending mechanisms from herself and wanders on to an exciting and unknown experience, which she wouldn't have a clue about how will it start and how or where will it end.
It is a masterpiece of colors, dressing, makeup, acting and directing. It is not a movie for the average joe, but Lanthimos prove that he can adapt his style and genre to make his film to an amazing trip, which is coherent, efficient and still remain a product that is easy and fun to consume, with a lot of humor, almost slapstick, that rules the tone and still doesn't take the movie to lows that it will not be able to get up from.
Emma stone has won the Oscar for he role and it was clear to me now, after watching the movie - why it happened. She is stunning with her role as half an infant and half-grown woman. She takes her acting to the next levels and rules every physical aspect of her body and of her acting. A lot of guts and a lot of talent gave her the glory.
Willem Dafoe is absolutely amazing at his role and part of the movie and most important was the director - Yorgos Lanthimos that sets another stone by his name and becoming one of the greatest that works today and one that invents himself and his creativity every single movie in a fresh and genius ways.
The Iron Claw (2023)
And what an Iron claw it actually was
One of my personal most anticipated movies of last year. I wasn't an actual fan of the Von Erichs family. They where just a little bit ahead of my time, but as a child with no cables access and occasionally glimpses at my best friends TV, I heard and bought an action figure of Texas Tornado and over heard about his personal tragedy as a child. That was that.
I read here and there about the family tragedy but never I have ever got into it so deep, so now was the time to watch and then read; read the reviews and get in touch with the actual facts and how the heroes of this movie used to look like. It was the time to see if the story of the movie and the facts behind it stands as a whole and complete unit - well...they stand proudly and sadly.
At the down side and scraping from my personal memory - Kerry Von Erich wasn't that skinny - as Harris Dickinson is in this movie. Also, and after reviewing some of the pictures (and reviews with actual facts about this family), I understand that Zac Efron over buffed himself, as Kerry. I think that maybe his main purpose was to show his Determination, resilience and perseverance as an actor. This job of his, as the main character and weight carrier for this film, was one of the finest he ever did.
So...on the down side, there are numerous facts that are not even close to the reality, as the physical structure of the main characters - height, body pump and such things. There are several actual people that have been omitted from this movie, that you learn of, after reading some actual facts, but the base is solid as a rock.
Most of the characters don't get any actual weight in this movie and even wrestling, as a sport, doesn't get included as something other then background. The story leaps from one tragic peak to the other, without making any sounds of emotion and it feels that this movie could have been doubled and still didn't have the chance to capture the full scale of the tragedy, but.........
After talking about all missing things and downsides, we still get one of the biggest sports and mainly family dramas of last years. Even without all the above it is a satisfying and moving film, that doesn't get scared to tell the story about parents and especially a father that his metaphoric iron claw was the actual iron claw in those brothers lives.
And on of the main successes of this movie is the allegory, symbolism and metaphoric way of it to look beyond the regular world and genre of this feature. To see how one father locked such powerful and physical impressive humans, by just looking at them. He prepared them to take on the world, but none of it taught them how to digest and take on their own poisonous teacher and head of the family that was driven out of pure egoistic purposes, to revive his achievements and to harvest new successes, through his own unprotected sons.
There is so much to say about this film, that it could have been easily translated to a Mini Tv series, but instead we get a packed and wonderfully exciting family drams, that happened to be on of the most famous families in the history of professional wrestling. Marvelously performed and crafted and a movie you can stand aside and not be effected by its impact.
Argylle (2024)
The spies that never dies
Here we are with another full stacked cast for a spy comedy, that doesn't work from the beginning. It seems that all the related to this production cannot find any other fresh ideas except spending a lot of money for celeries of the big stars of this cast. And this movie contains a lot of names that appear for almost a cameo performance and the check is being sent in the mail.
Cannot remember when did Bryce Dallas Howard has participated in a big scale movie and actually nailed it. I guess that she did well, in the last decade, mainly as a director and if to be specific - mainly for "The Mandalorian" and "Boba Fett". Other than those, she didn't do well acting or made any impact in Hollywood, except being remembered as the cute red head of the production.
In this movie she starts as Sandra Bullock of "The Lost City" and smears the length and plot all over the place from there. She is writing spy novels, but this movie has the twist that will make her to try out her hand writings for at least one time. The script is full with twist and turns that some are predictable and some less, but also not as interesting as they should be.
When the movie ends you get their exhausted and can't even remember what was the fuss was about. None of the names this movie has brought under its wings cannot help to improve its final and last outcome. It's a lazy writing and weary comedy with superstars that came to punch in and couldn't care less about the film as a whole.
The mega twist of post credits (or is it called mid-credit) is for the ones that payed attention at other Matthew Vaughn's movies. When he wants to rule, he defiantly can, but this time he seemed tired and unwilling to take his game to the next level. Just a wanna be big movie that you won't remember it even fifteen minutes after watching it and is not worth the time or the caliber of stars it went all the trouble to get.
Anatomie d'une chute (2023)
I don't know what you think about it...
English with a German accent and then moving to fluid France. A kid with an eye issue, a dog and a father, which is found dead, after falling from the edict. And 50 Cent; on instrumental. That's what you get for the first part of the movie, that takes about a half an hour. That is what you are getting, as a first taste, before going into deep sleep mode.
You think that the talking scenes are going to bring big time drama, but they're not. They just bring more and more talking scenes. It the court, with the lawyer and with the kid. Everyone is talking and talking and suddenly you realize that this slow burner is really burning very slow. The quality of the conversation is questionable and the movie keeps his distance from the audience.
It is certainly a movie that won the big prize at Cannes for a reason. This festival contains the movie's destination audience. But somewhere along those exhausting and endless conversation and courtroom scenes, this movie evolves and starts turning into something else with a lot of emotions, like the shell is dropping with several stages, while the last stage is so close for wrapping up the whole deal.
A game changer is happening in the movie and to the movie and saves it from being a complete waste of time. This game changer is reminding the big scene of Adam Driver at "Marriage Story", but cannot lift the movie to Baumbach's movie level. This game change pours a lot of heart and soul to the movie that was detached, for most of its stages and though the problems seems distance for the average joe, there are a lot of similarities from this couple's problems and the every day joe and jane problems and issues.
It has 5 nominations to this year's Oscars and its main lead actress is also a big and crucial Oscar runner, that is also a little bit over rated - "The Zone of Interest". Sandra Hüller is magnificent and mesmerizing in this movie also, but she probably cannot compete twice, or else she would probably get two nominations for best actress and for both movies.
Probably could have been less Talkative and arrogant, hens could have been much much shorter, but it is still a well crafter movie with an important main issue and drilling about the marriage institution. Probably not for everybody and it is most likely that a lot of viewers will not survive the whole runtime, but the ones that will, will get the improvement curvature jumping from the middle of this one.
Ferrari (2023)
Adam is a Driver, once again
After watching "House of Gucci" and kinda disappointing, it was the time, two years later, to see Adam Driver do his Italian accent, once again. It was not convincing, as it was at the last time and the movie was a bit disappointing, as it was when Driver drove the lead role for the Gucci's.
This time Pacino and Gaga was not part of the cast and this movie is almost half an hour shorter, but still seem as a waste of good time instead of watching a negligent story and to watch a movie that doesn't know what is his main theme and direction.
Michael Mann seemed as a director that wanted to tell the story about Ferrari's personal life and era of troubles that were piling one on top of the other and the final result is too many directions for one movie that loses his way as the movie progresses.
It got a marriage drama, when Ferrari and his wife shares only business relationship and a tone of frustrations, after losing their only child several years ago and since they are not capable to look at each other's eyes without carrying the load of broken heard and mutual guilt.
Ferrari's business is also stuttering and instead of selling cars he is getting his racing drivers killed in insignificant races, while his business of cars selling (or not selling) slowly collapses. The drivers are almost flat characters without any connection to the viewers, so it leaves Ferrari to rule the film with little interest, as far as it goes to the audience and its connection to the movie.
Something is seriously missing in this movie - is it movie about car races? Not exactly. Is it about Enzo Ferrari? Yes, but about a specific time in his life that could have been even more focused regarding the plot and of course much shorter than the two hours and several minutes it grew to be.
Shailene Woodley has a small and short part in this film, though it should be much larger and much more persuasive. She can be replaced by any other small salary actress and you won't know the difference. Penélope Cruz mainly goes crazy at her part. Yells and through things - not my cup of tea and Adam Drive is not at his best.
Jack O'Connell is seriously underused and Patrick Dempsey is OK regarding the fact that not too much is expected of him. Michael Mann has known better days as a director of Hugh movies over twenty years ago. Now he is trying his best and some even liked this movie. For me it was an icon of mediocracy and not a story that worth telling or watching.