j-madej Reviews

Challengers (2024)

'Challengers' although uses tennis as a narrative platform of the expression, in reality explores much more in depth emotional relationship.

[8/10 · 29 April 2024]

In sport nothing screams privilege like a game of tennis...well perhaps game of Polo...:) But when you combine movie 'Dangerous Liaisons' if both characters of Michelle Pfeiffer and Glenn Close are melted together in to a female tennis player played by Zendaya, you get a modern take on sexuality and intimacy between 3 people, which compete with one another in ongoing power struggle.

On surface we could categorize 'Challengers' as just another sport romantic-drama and yet this simplification would not do this film justice, because although tennis as a game is a backdrop the core of a story is competition in love and intimacy.

"Tashi, a former tennis prodigy turned coach, turned her husband into a champion. But to overcome a losing streak, he needs to face his ex-best friend and Tashi's ex-boyfriend."

As the plot develops we see different moments in lead characters life's from teenagers to middle age adults, showing their life choices and different character arc's. Director Luca Guadagnino and script writer Justin Kuritzkes did fantastic job adding additional depth in the story beyond the obvious plot points. The addition of psychological depth in romantic, emotional and sexual relationships of the characters, might resonate with the audiences bringing potential box office rewards.

I do not want to reveal too many plot points, but although on surface this film might have been rather narratively basic, it actually full of depth which lead actors are able to bring to the screen.

Apparently they had intimacy coach on set, which shows on screen as they ooze chemistry in their performances.

And to be honest as weird as it might sound this film has potential for Oscar nominations next year for the Best Director and the Best Editing, which uses plenty of cinematic slow frame rate keeping the audience emotionally engaged during the tennis matches. Minor criticism can be mentioned that if director put as much attention to sound mix as he has put to visual editing then 'Challengers' would have been even technically more impacable.

In terms of performances as Hollywood loves to promote the bisexual agenda the intimacy of all lead characters might be potentially rewarded as well, although lacking that dramatic defining scene, which would elevate them, closing the deal on potential nominations, considering that their performance depends heavily on great editing.

For Zendaya 'Challengers' it's the opportunity to shred her previous image of a former Nickelodeon/Disney teenage star and step in to sexually empowered femme fatale avatar.

In conclusion 'Challengers' although uses tennis as a narrative platform of the expression, in reality explores much more in depth emotional relationships, between what woman and man think they want and what they actually.

The Peasants (2023)

Sometimes you can appreciate the artistry involved in process of filmmaking, but not fully enjoy the experience of watching the actual movie.

[8/10 · 30 December 2023]

Sometimes you can appreciate the artistry involved in process of filmmaking, but not fully enjoy the experience of watching the actual movie.

This is precisely how I feel after watching the official submission of Poland for the 'Best International Feature Film' category of the 96th Academy Awards in 2024 titled: 'THE PEASANTS' ('Chlopi').

Synopsis: "Jagna is a young woman determined to forge her own path in a late 19th century Polish village - a hotbed of gossip and on-going feuds, held together, rich and poor, by adherence to colorful traditions and deep-rooted patriarchy."

Back in 2017 another Dutch -Polish production 'Loving Vincent' (story of Vincent Van Gogh) was made, with similar painting technique, roughly by the same Polish team. Which encouraged them to create Polish based story. 'Loving Vincent' received a huge amount of good critiques and was admired for its artistry. With this type of technique comes tremendous amount of paint work as each film frame (in PAL system 24 frames per second) needed to be painted over film footage. The reason why this technique worked in this Dutch production is that the subject of the film was about famous, tragic painter, so stylistically and subject wise there was a artistic coherence.

After watching'THE PEASANTS' I was wondering if this painting technique was not too much of a distraction and couldn't help to wonder if without it this film wasn't better off just having a standard color correction.

To be fully immersed in the story and appreciate the actual acting performances, we watch micro body expressions of the actors, judging quality of their characterization by how well the non verbal cues mix with what they say, so that every micro expression specially on their face and eyes, tells us subconsciously what actor in character things.

In 'THE PEASANTS' as camera moves around the whole picture constantly vibrates, just as it happens during psychedelic trip the colors morph and vibrate. The beauty of psychedelic trip is that they are relatively short and intense. 'THE PEASANTS' feels like a almost 2 hour psychedelic trip, which might leave the audience little nauseated. Constant movement in the frame, can potentially create an uneasy feeling in the viewer.

As much as I wanted to love this film, by the end I was happy I lasted till the end, having moments where I felt disconnected from the experience.

To be fair, It must be said all the performances are very solid and again this film is full of masterful work and yet the technique used feels little gimmicky and to be honest in the day and age of phone apps, which add cartoon or painting correction to the video footage, it isn't anymore that unique

To conclude 'THE PEASANTS' is a truly potentially tragic and emotional story, which in my opinion, due to painting technique looses what makes this story interesting. The emotionality is getting lost, which is such a pity.

I do however salute all the filmmakers for the amount of ground breaking work they have done, it's just for my taste, as well as the Academy (sadly 'THE PEASANTS' wasn't chosen to be nominated) seems to agree with my assessment.

I still do highly recommend it due to its artistic value.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023)

There is so much going on here in the frame, that the audience sometimes is unable to absorb all the visual stimuli...

[6/10 · 29 December 2023]

First, I need to stress that I am not a huge fan of DC or Marvel Comics and as such I have no means of judging quality of their film adaptation, by how frightful the movies based on them are made. I am admirer however of director James Wan creative journey through hollywood ladder. He has proven in the past that he is capable of creating successful franchises, which continue to this day.

It's without a doubt tall task working on this type of big blockbusters full of visual effects and unlike Martin Scorsese I do appreciate the artistry and hard work involved in working on this time of visual extravaganza. However, the risk that comes with CGI based movies is that it might become, excuse my comparison...a visual diarrhea... There is so much going on here in the frame, that the audience sometimes is unable to absorb all the visual stimuli and worse yet when the physics of the visual effects feels wrong, lacking weight to be fully believable we can easily feel overwhelmed.

As larger portion of the 'Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom' happens under water, we as the audience can be distracted from actors performance by looking at their floating hair.

There are many moments where scenes look like PlayStation 5 gaming scenes lacking reality in how characters move, looking more like cartoon avatars with only heads put in for narrative performance value.

The plot is rather simple: 'Black Manta seeks revenge on Aquaman for his father's death. Wielding the Black Trident's power, he becomes a formidable foe. To defend Atlantis, Aquaman forges an alliance with his imprisoned brother. They must protect the kingdom.'

Honestly with everything that happens on screen there is a tendency to actually get bored and not really follow the storyline. Perhaps it's a pacing issue as often there is too much action going on, instead of character development. The thing is after a while we tend to not really care about well being of any of the characters, which in essence is the main key for viewer engagement. The performances are full of stereotypical Hollywood mannerisms. The comical moments don't land as often as they should and in general there is potential of boardroom setting in, which is strange considering all the visual depth on screen.

This type of movies need to be foremost entertaining and if your mind starts to make shopping list during screening, then something is not right. I am sure that there will be viewers, which will be semi entertained, but sadly I was not one of them. Again the performances are descent specially from charismatic Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and playful Jason Momoa as well as aging Patrick Wilson, but as a complete entertainment product 'Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom' feels narratively lacking, as too much emphasis is put on visual action and not enough on solid character development. If you decide to check this film out in the cinema, make sure to choose seats further from the screen so you have enough distance to absorb all the visual extravaganza without feeling overwhelmed.

The Champion (2020)

The Champion of Auschwitz' ('MISTRZ') is worth recommending, especially if you find beauty in boxing as sport.

[8/10 · 26 December 2023]

Being currently in Poland I came across a good quality, war drama 'MISTRZ' (eng title: 'The Champion of Auschwitz') written and directed by Maciej Barczewski.

Synopsis: "True story of the pre war boxing champion Tadeusz "Teddy" Pietrzykowski, who in 1940 arrives with the first transport of prisoners to the newly created Auschwitz concentration camp. There, camp officers force him to fight for his and other prisoners' lives. However, with every win, he strengthens the hope that Nazis are not invincible. The camp authorities subject Teddy to a final fight, the stake of which is not only his life and freedom, but also the dignity and hope for the survival of the prisoners."

I am a huge boxing fanatic, so when I see films with boxing as a subject I am very judgmental and yet I am very impressed with the work done by Polish filmmakers telling the story of a boxer intertwined in to war time atrocities at Auschwitz concentration camp. Things like cinematography and lighting, as well as the technical aspects of filmmaking craft are always on the highest level in Polish cinema. 'The Champion...' does not disappoint in visual department, but also the fight choreographies are well filmed being both rather realistically dynamic and obtain descent believability factor.

I am also very pleasantly surprised by the lead performance by Piotr Glowacki, which previously I only saw in rather comedic roles. Here he excels at stoicism and emotional honesty, but also sense of physicality, which haven't bees seen in his previous film work.

Minor setback in terms of criticism can be mentioned that the score of the film is not only inspired by Hans Zimmer style from movie 'INTERSTELLAR'', but at times it seems directly copied. Now, being inspired by someone's work is one thing (as it can be the highest form of flattery) but when you copy musical motives it can leave a little unpleasant taste in all around very good quality movie. Then again some more casual viewers will not hear the commonality of both scores, as the score in 'The Champion...' works dramatically very well, it's just for my taste it's clearly copied from Zimmer style.

All and all 'The Champion of Auschwitz' ('MISTRZ') is worth recommending, especially if like me you find beauty in boxing as sport.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023)

How are villains made...? Is it the nature or nurture?

[8/10 · 20 November 2023]

How are villains made...? Is it the nature or nurture?

Are they born evil, or it's the environment that shapes their psychopathy...?

It's can be quite difficult to root for a character, which we as the audience already know will grow up being personification of darkness, having been innocently named Snow. And yet the intriguing aspect of well made prequel is sense of anticipation of us wanting to know how things actually began.

The action of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes takes place 64 years before the original trilogy (its trilogy even though the last part was split in to two movies) and shows the origin of Coriolanus Snow the character played in the original movies by Donald Sutherland, known as President Snow, Having antihero as your protagonist can add a feeling of moral ambiguity and yet the makers of this film make it work in to its strength rather then failure.

The story of Coriolanus Snow, years before he would become the tyrannical President of Panem. He is handsome and charming, and though the Snow family has fallen on hard times, Coriolanus sees a chance for a change in his fortunes when he is chosen to be a mentor for the 10th Hunger Games only to have his elation dashed when he is assigned to mentor a girl tribute named Lucy Gray Baird from the impoverished District 12.

The plot is set in the 3 chapter structure. The first 2 are rather well paced showcasing the origins of Hunger Games, how they were created being full of mostly well executed suspense and action scenes as well as character development.

The 3rd and the final chapter feels a little anticlimactic and somewhat rushed...

The performances are rather strong leading with multi talented, young yet charismatic Rachel Zegler, which plays the character of Lucy Gray Baird a singer chosen from district 12 as a tribute.

She becomes assigned to Snow as her win guaranties his success in social ladder claim.

I must say I feel sad for Zegler that she has been blacklisted in Hollywood after her silly remarks about the new version of Snow White adaptation.

At age 22 she had her whole career in front of her and now going the arthouse career route might be difficult to say the least. Very talented singer in her own right, she actually sang life all the songs, which are performed in the movie. She has that endearing quality and yet also possesses some strength, which makes her very watchable. I hope the Hollywood power players will grant her a comeback after her ego find humility, as she hugged the proverbial cactus long enough...;).

Tom Blyth as young Snow displays duality clearly having daddy issues,which create deep need to fulfill his ambitions no matter what costs.

Viola Davis as Dr. Gaul conjures an inner witch within, opting to dive in towards theatricality over ultra realism. In supporting cast Peter Dinklage stylized on to morphine addicted Jesuits-priest teacher, brings depth in his choices.

The production and costume design works very well stylized on rather analogue technology, as digitized electronics perished in war due to presumed Electro Magnetic Pulse weapons, brings the Hungar Games back to basics.

The insignia of Panem looks to have Freemasonry symbology, as the new world order post Apocalyptic reality is without religious connotations.

The costumes of the elites specially male are wearing both pants and dresses symbolizing unity of sexes are all well throughout.

The peace keeping units having United Nations clear inspiration are adding additional believability specially in act 3.

All in all this prequel is rather entertaining, apart from somewhat misstep in pacing in act 3.

When chapter 2 finished with finally of Hunger Games, which keeps the audience quite engaged, going toward character driven chapter 3 feels little anticlimactic, but specifically the fans of the original source material should be satisfied, considering that this film adaptation apparently follows the book adaptation faithfully.

Recommend!

May December (2023)

Subject of this sort could have been easily sensationalized by lesser director and yet Todd doesn't cross the line of bad taste.

[8/10 · 16 November 2023]

Some movies creep in to our subconscious, not because they are shocking or graphic in their depiction of violence, but sometimes subjects morally ambiguous might linger, as our conscious mind tries to make a moral judgement on subject we witnessed.

This type of latent reflection might show up after watching 'May December' (2023) directed by Todd Haynes, movie of which the subject might make us feel a little uneasy.

"Twenty years after their notorious tabloid romance gripped the nation, a married couple buckles under pressure when an actress arrives to do research for a film about their past."

The short synopsis sounds quite innocent until we realize is that the married couple is a union between 13th years old boy and his adult female teacher, which seduced one another... The unique aspect is that this film is presented from the perispective of what happened with this couple 25 years later. The young boy is now 36 years of age (played by Charles Melton) having his own kids with the discraised teacher (Julianne Moore) who after lengthy prison sentence ,now as a married couple together is raising a family.

This potentially normalized relationship is being investigated by actress (Natalie Portman) who is supposed to play the character of the teacher in biopic.

Subject of this sort could have been easily sensationalized by lesser director and yet Todd doesn't cross the line of bad taste, letting the characters internalize their trauma individually.

All the performances are very strong, specially Portman and Moore, as we learn the inner workings of what motivates their characters.

The cinematography is rather simple using usually two camera setups for each scene, focusing rather on performances of the actors to install narrative depth. Some nice symbology is used, with shots of caterpillar becoming a butterfly, which nicely showcases what is happening with the characters as the plot develops.

The music reminded me the main theme from Kiesowski's 'Three Colors: BLUE' a movie which deals with sense of grief, which ties in to subject of 'May December' very well, as all the the characters here are dealing with trying to function in relationship with moral stigma attached to.

Even the title MAY DECEMBER has a nice esoteric depth and could be translated as LOVE, TIME. (In astrology month of May is ruled by Taurus and Taurus is ruled by planet Venus, associated with LOVE, December on the other hand is ruled by Capricorn which in turn is ruled by planet Saturn which in Greek mythology was known as Cronus associated with TIME).

Very intellectually sharp symbolism indeed!

After it's premiere at Cannes Film Festival 2023 'May December' was sold to Netflix for $11 million and on December 1st it will have its official premiere on this streaming service, however right now it has a limited cinema release and it's good enough to justify trip to your local arthouse cinema.

!!

Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

An ambitious artistic collaboration, which again adds to the iconic status of Martin Scorsese filmography.

[9/10 · 22 October 2023]

Sometimes a master director, due to his previous filmmaking legacy, achieves an iconic status. By doing so he becomes such a powerful directorial voice, that any project they are interested in making, gets an immediate resounding attention from producers and audiences alike.

Martin Scorsese is with a doubt one of the greatest directors in cinema history and it seems his latest masterpiece 'Killers of the Flower Moon' might be what 'Schindler's List' was for Steven Spielberg a form of deep internal healing, through diving in to very sensitive subject, which needs to be treated with upmost respect.

It also happens due to Marty's status as a director that he can bend a rules a little of standards set forth by film industry and set a lengthy running time of 3h and 26 minutes.

On a budget of $200 million the highest budget for biopic in history, this slow paced drama, might appeal to movie goers, which want to experience extremely well crafted filmmaking experience.

Apparently in the early script draft Leonardo DiCaprio was originally supposed to play a different role, of an FBI agent investigating murders of native Indians, which had more crime thriller undertone to this project, making it have more commercialized appeal.

Thankfully due to change of the interest in playing much more challenging character, with its moral ambiguity, he might have secured for himself an Oscar nomination, to say the least. You can see that he listens as a character letting the information effect him and not only waits for his turn to say his lines.

In his portrayal of Ernest Burkhart DiCaprio gave up on his vanity, which Academy of Motion Pictures really likes and wears this front teeth dentals, which misshapes his mouth in to an unpleasant grim simular to Robert De Niro's character William Hale 32 degree Mason, which on one hand seems to be a moral backbone of his community, on the other might be the manipulative antagonist, which everyone should fear, as he creates '"Order out of Chaos",...;) Although less flashy DeNiro's performance is one of the best in years.

The premise of the film is simple:

"When oil is discovered in 1920s Oklahoma under Osage Nation land, the Osage people are murdered one by one - until the FBI steps in to unravel the mystery. "

As it is with period films attention to detail in terms of costume and production design is a must and I suspect nominations for Oscars will be given in both categories in March next year.

Cinematography although lacking the usual 'bells and whistle's', so to speak is still beautiful in terms of composition and color correction making this film fit the period of 1920's to perfection. The dolly moves are less dynamic here then let's say in 'The Departed', but stylistically we still get the typical Scorsese signature camera moves, like the steady cam movements around the house, which introduces the environment ending on a actress, which plays the mother of the lead character. I did loved some off focus shots of fire, which esthetically look absolutely stunning. But considering the subject the picture coverage feels more reserved.

You can see that Scorsese displays implacable respect for the subject letting the drama of the plot unfold, without over sensationalizing events, which less tasteful director might have gone towards a crime elements, turning towards thriller vs drama.

As a minor criticism what can be mentioned is the fact that the running time of close to 3.5 hours the editor could have been more assertive in cutting some scenes down, considering that this film lacks a solid score and sound design, which often helps to engage audience and helps with pacing. It's not that there is no score, it just that it is put in the background opting for realism over emotional symphonies.

As it is most scenes are dialog based, in todays world the audiences are use to being emotionally led by music or sound design. Without it it is very difficult to maintain viewers attention. I suspect however that the choice of minimizing impact of auditory stimulation, was done on purpose to enhance the overall respect for the subject, as well as believability to the period and sense of realism Scorsese wanted to achieve. Never the less better sound mix could have helped maintain audiences attention even better.

As I decided to leave the best for last the minimalistic performance of Lily Gladstone might earn her Oscar nomination if not the Oscar itself.

This struggling actress , finally got an opportunity to showcase very emotional yet internally subdued performance, which becomes a moral compass of the story.

As the cinema screening was totally sold out this film is destined for awards and hopefully reasonable box office success.

Is it a little too long? Perhaps, but judging by expression of the audience as they were leaving the screening room, we all knew we saw something very special.

An ambitious artistic collaboration, which again adds to the iconic status of Martin Scorsese filmography as a one of the greatest filmmakers of all time.

Anatomy of a Fall (2023)

... viewers over 40 years of age will connect with this story better then younger generation...

[8/10 · 12 October 2023]

I always try to keep my eye on what's going on not only in mainstream Hollywood movies, but I also find important to see which arthouse movies are bringing some new voices and artistic expression, specially from a female filmmakers.

'ANATOMY OF THE FALL' is a Golden Palm Winner at the Cannes Film Festival is co-written and directed by Justine Triet.

This well received drama, although too long (2h30min) due to its ultra realistic performances is definitely worth checking out.

Large part of the movie happens in courtroom where the primal language is French, so audiences which don't speak French might drift off a little.

But what makes this film unique is ultra realistic performances, specially by Sandra Hüller, which delivers truly star making performance.

She doesn't indicate her emotions keeping audiences in suspense not knowing if she indeed killed her husband or she herself is a victim.

To be honest viewers over 40 years of age will connect with this story better then younger generation, based on the subject and due to its slow tempo, some audiences might be disappointed.

What truly elevates this film is a scene midway through the movie of an argument between main characters, which starts as a audio evidence recording in courtroom and continues as an actual flashback, which becomes a window to understand the relationship dynamic, as they both resentment one another for different reasons.

This scene alone is worth admission ticket price as both husband and wife blame one another for their life failures. Brilliant acting and directing work right here. Then again it's very welll written and although I don't like movies, which relay primarily on dialog as a main source of narrative means in this case I appreciate it.

This film isn't pure entertainment, it's a work so to speak, but after it's conclusion you might appreciate it's depth and specially ultra realistic acting performances.

Recommended especially for arthouse cinema concours!

The Creator (2023)

THE CREATOR' although packed with visual FX feels more like a character driven arthouse film than bombastic visual experience

[9/10 · 1 October 2023]

Truly original stories are hard to find, but as film critic Roger Ebert like to say ..."it's not what the movie is about, it's how is about it." In the last few years it's difficult to find truly original Sci-Fi movies which are not part of a franchise, Marvel or DC universe, or being a remake of something that worked in the past.

With 'THE CREATOR' writer director Gareth Edwards (Godzilla (2014) , Star Wars: Rogue One (2016), uses an inspiration from past movies to craft surprisingly compelling and emotionally deep Sci-Fi spectacle.

On a budget of 80 mil Gareth is able to utilize production value, which on screen looks 3 times more expensive with incorporation of fantastic looking CGi, as well as practical fx, which make this somewhat arthouse story visually pop.

Coming from VFX background the way he utilize CGi here is truly remarkable. 'The Creator' was shot on the Sony FX3, an entry-level full-frame cinema camera and used Kowa Cine Prominar and Atlas Mercury Lenses, which gives that little bit dirty unpolished look to the frame totally fitting the subject of the story.

As the plot unfolds the chapter structure brigs to mind clear indication of inspiration from other films like 'District 9', 'Platoon', 'Apocalypse Now, and 'BladeRunner' to just to name a few and yet the execution of how Gareth incorporated the familiar story points, sets this film apart as one of the best Sci-Fi movies of the last few years.

In terms of performances the true revelation is 9 years old Madeleine Yuna Voyles as Alphie ,which delivers her first ever acting performance and possibly might receive Oscar nomination for her emotional depiction of the AI weapon. She has that natural gift that can't be thought, stealing every scene she is in.

Must be said I am not a huge fan of John David Washington and as the film begins some of his choices are not well executed (specially the first scene of attack, which he is being revealed as a undercover agent) feel forced and not subtle, although as the film progresses he gets better. Other supporting cast including Gemma Chan the love interest and charismatic rebel leader, fantastically casted Allison Janney as a villain and Ken Watanabe as a wise android sworn to protect the Ai messiah deliver deep and colorful characterizations.

'THE CREATOR' although packed with visual FX feels more like a character driven arthouse film than bombastic visual experience and so audiences, which look for less intellectual, easily consumed visual extravaganza approach might drift away from time to time.

Could we call 'The CREATOR' a masterpiece?

There is so much quality here that I've seen it twice already. I myself wouldn't call it a masterpiece but then again this film might be one of the best Sci -Fi movies of the last few years.

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

This installment of MI7 is everything we love about this franchise.

[10/10 · 10 July 2023]

The fact is human kind needs a boogyman to release their anxiety on. If that boogeymen doesn't exist usually people have a tendency to despise the other, of a different skin color, different religion or different nationality. However there is a new "boogyman", which of recent times receives more and more publicity and that is collective fear of AI (Artificial Intelligence).

Suddenly the anxiety can be directed to non human entity, which is not sentient in its origin at least not in the organic-classical sense.

This concept in film isn't anything new considering films like 'Termination' has been offering its own interpretation, however of late this subject has been very popular topic, as in our modern times AI has been subject which is more and more debated.

Often Hollywood blockbusters are being used as a indoctrination tools, to program the collective subconscious of viewing public, as it is with excellent'MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 7' otherwise know as 'DEAD RECKONING'.

No matter how unpopularTom Cruise is being painted by mainstream press, he is still one of a very few true movie stars of the old generation.

For Gods sake dude is 60 years old, looks 40, still does his own stunts and constantly delivers very high value entertainment, from TOP GUN sequel to now arguably the best action film of the year.

This installment of MI7 is everything we love about this franchise. As stylistically director and producers seemed to get back to the style of the first Brian de Palma 'Mission Impossible' (plenty of Dutch angles is being used) this new installment has breath taking action set pieces, which are realistically shot, without reliance on CGI.

The performances are very good as most actors in every scene want to build the intensity by delivering their lines in that deep voice that triggers the subconscious mind of the viewer, being hypnotized by actors delivery. The score perfectly builds the tension with editing and directions creates perfect tempo for each scene, so the audience feel entertained at all times.

Acting wise the stand out is a Hayley Atwell, which becomes the center character, which the story is build around. She also becomes a female character, which becomes in some way romantic interest of Tom Cruises character, although as with most Tom's movies this aspect is underplayed.

Esai Morales becomes formidable charismatic human antagonist, which is in servitude to the AI, otherwise known as 'Entity' giving its almost demonic characteristic, as our heroes try to stop the inevitable using a key shaped like a Catholic cross. (Pretty straightforward symbology here ;))

Bottom line it's always hopeful as it is with MI7 to know that this is part 1, so at least you know that at the end of this film you will not get the full conclusion to the story. I for one am very looking forward to part 2 and judging by breath taking action scenes with fantastic stunts, acting and immersive sound design, this franchise is defiantly in safe hands as Tom Cruise haven't lost his star power.

Highly recommend!👍

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

'Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny' is far from being perfect movie ,but it also not as bad as the early reviews make you want to believe.

[7/10 · 4 July 2023]

We living an an age of outrage... From different type of social fractions battling it out online and in mainstream media, to internet trolls, which can destroy a movie reception, without actually knowing if the film is good or bad.

I suppose everything is matter of taste, but when I heard early reviews of 'Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny' was suggesting that it's pretty bat movie, I took that a little personal.

Some of my dearest filmmaking experiences was watching Indiana Jones first 3 installments.

I still feel 'Raiders of the lost Ark' might be one of the best adventure movies ever made.

And when you hear that the last installment is poorly made and that the legacy of Harrison Ford as Indy is being tarnished, deep sadness and frustration can transpire.

However I must say I am actually pleasantly surprised by this 5th film.

Yes, It does feel a little too long being 142 minutes long and the ending might feel too much of a stretch, there still is enough quality to feel like legacy of I Indiana Jones has been wrapped up conclusively.

The biggest problem I've got with this film it is use of the CGI.

The original ' Riders of the lost Ark' was captured all in camera. All the stunts were performed by real stunt performers and there was sense of reality, which took our breath away as we watched action sequences. In modern times CGi makes things look fake and specially the first 20 minutes of the movie, although has that Indy advanture vibe, it gets uneven due to poor visual FX.

Specially the de-aging as Harrison moves his head can't maintain the actual realistic look. Moments like that takes you out of the movie. You can try to de age the face but the body posture is of a 78 year old, so it simply doesn't work.

But as film progresses it actually gets entertaining thanks to Phoebe Waller-Bridge,, which plays Helena, sort of female version of young Indie.

The antagonist Mads Mikkelsen as former Nazi stylized on Wernher von Braun (former Nazi first director of NASA) becomes formidable opponent for our duo. On the way we get introduced to Marilyn boy played by Ethann Isidore l, which is clearly stylized on Short Round, a character from the second movie ,which becomes integral part of the narration. Some old characters from original movies come back although only episodically.

'Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny' is far from being perfect movie ,but it also not as bad as the early reviews make you want to believe.

There 'a still a lot to like here. As it is usually with American-cinema of late, it's formulaic as you can clearly recognize elements of moments stolen from previous Indiana Jones movies, but in its totality it's definitely better then part 4, which was pretty bad.

So, don't listen to internet trolls and check out this final installment of Indian Jones.

It is not perfect, but entertaining enough, specially for the fans of this great adventure saga.

The Flash (I) (2023)

It's very hard to emphasize with characters when we clearly see that they are computer generated renditions of the actors.

[6/10 · 18 June 2023]

Long before the premiere of 'THE FLASH' apparently there were rumors that DC producers were not happy with visual effects (CGI) on this rather mildly anticipated coming book adaptation. The audiences however heard that 71 years old Michael Keaton might be rephrasing his role as Batman, which made older generation very excited.

Both rumors came true to fruition.

Keaton indeed is a supporting character and CGI is as awful as early rumors anticipated.

It's very hard to emphasize with characters when we clearly see that they are computer generated renditions of the actors. At this moment in development of filmmaking art there is clear distinction between video gaming and genuine film experience.

This is why first 'MATRIX' is still considered one of the best movie of the genre, not only because of great concept and performances, but because visual fx created for the film (epecially "bullet time") are still being used to this day by other filmmakers. Then again we don't go to the cinema to see special fx. We normally want to escape in to the world of make believe and switch off our awareness of our own daily struggles and experience characters through medium of silver screen.

But want if the lead actor isn't very convincing and although he has to perform two roles in the movie, should we be hard on him, or more understanding that perhaps having dual performance might simply be too difficult task for him/her. I feel Ezra Miller who reprised his role as Flash, tried to do his best, but simply behind the lines he speaks, there needs to be clear inner objectives, which actor attaches real inner emotions to, which in turn audience will feel on the emotional level.

Sadly Ezra's dual performance (he also played a younger version of himself) lacks in this department.

To be a 'Method' actor you don't have to be Daniel Day-Lewis and live for 6 months in the forest hunting, to be able to portray an Indian with conviction. It is about attaching some real inner objectives behind the dialog which actor is saying. And there are different approaches to internal method acting, some like Lee Strasberg will use emotional intelligence, other acting teachers like Stellar Adler will opt for imaginary stimulus, which triggers real emotional responses from the actor. Some external actors due to their thespian stage technique, might come very close to believability, however should we be hard on Ezra that the dual performances he given as the Flash feel forced and simply not real? I would say no...the technical task of performing two characters is simply very difficult technically and so even truly exceptional actors would have difficulty with this task.

Perhaps the strongest aspect of this otherwise forgetful visual extravaganza is Sasha Calle who plays the SUPER-GIRL.

With the background in her character she displays wonderful mixture of suppressed emotions, which are joy to observe. And of course having wonderful Micheal Keaton as supportive character brings depth and nostalgia to some who remember him in his prime.

He still got it though in every sense of the word. THE FLASH' isn't awful, but specifically by the end it becomes very narratively messy indeed. And considering that the main plot evolves around son trying to safe his deceased mother, as someone with experience in this matter I was hoping to connect with material, sadly I felt like Ezra instead of feeling the actual emotions of grief, only pretended and technically let the tears follow on cue...and trust me, we know as the audience when you as the actor are honest in your emotions and when you technically force it, as it is in this case.

I would love to recommend this one, but make sure you don't expect too much, especially by the end it resembles video game, which makes us switch of from drama which unfoldsf.

Asteroid City (2023)

There is a lot of quality here, but I am afraid 'ASTEROID CITY' might not be everyone's taste,

[7/10 · 17 June 2023]

I saw 'ASTEROID CITY' yesterday...and I have a mixed feelings about it.... As usual, stylistically very impressive, with strong emphasis on ensemble work of actors, as it's usually happens in Wes Anderson's movies.

When movie is considered ensemble piece the pressure of a film success falls on the shoulders of the director. In a normal narrative film the protagonist and antagonist often take the burden of film success on themselves, hoping that the audience will emphasize with our lead characters and their character arc, to be immersed in the story during the full running time.

There is a risk however if the audience doesn't connect with performances the status of leading man or a woman is in jeopardy, with producers in the future not wanting to green light another film with actors, which were unable to handle the "weight" of the movie.

This is why plenty of actors like to work on movies which offer ensemble feel. They don't have to spend many months on filmset, instead they come for few days, shoot their scenes and can move on to the next project. If their performance didn't work they are always supported by other quality actors, so it doesn't ruin the whole film. In ether way Wes Anderson's style always comes on top, as actors who work with him understand the particular speed of lines delivery, as well as dryness of the dialog.

Stylistically it's very much what we expect from Anderson. Cinematography is more interesting then usual with a strong emphasis on production and costumes design. The camera movement feel bit more free then usual and yet the composition is always full of symmetry, which is the calling card of Wes. He even included few inserts (close ups of objects, which normally make thinks appear more cinematic) which for his filmmaking style is rather unusual. As well as few "Dutch angles", which make the audience feel sense of distorted reality in moments of surrealism.

The color correction ranging from black and white to colorful over saturation is rather visually interesting.

There is a lot of quality here, but I am afraid 'ASTEROID CITY' might not be everyone's taste, although fans of Anderson know what to expect and should have a good time.

More casual viewers might feel like this film is a little stylistically disjointed.

For me I appreciate what Wes was trying to accomplish and always admire his stylistic consistency, which has its benefits (you know what to expect), but also it's throwbacks, when Wes just like in this case is trying to explore a new filmmaking narrative techniques.

Recommend! 👍

The Batman (2022)

This depiction of cape crusader is more darker, grounded and almost have a feel of character driven crime thriller.

[10/10 · 3 March 2022]

It must be said that the new Batman movie titled 'THE BATMAN' is...quite excellent!!!

Some say the movie is as good as the taste of its director. You might have wonderful group of filmmakers collaborating in their respective fields, but if director doesn't have a vision behind his concept, the film might feel disjointed and fragmented.

Matt Reeves created magically complex version of Gotham City resembling modern day New York.

The production design and props have this fantastic analog feel to it, which adds to all around gloomy atmosphere. It must be said that this version of a Dark Crusader is very much inspired by movie 'SEVEN' with flashes of 'FIGHT CLUB' looming in act 3. In a way 'THE BATMAN' is a movie of 2 half's. First part is very character driven, where characters are shot in close up and medium close up, which enhances the drama they go through.

Also the coverage of the action scenes is often shot up close which makes us feel like you are in the middle of the carnage. The cinematography is beautiful shot with fantastic anamorphic lenses often putting things in foreground with background all defused with wonderful bocca effect.

All the performances are very good and the chemistry between very endearing Zoë Kravitz (CATWOMAN) and Robert Pattinson (BATMAN) is very intense. The finale doesn't disappoint with a large scale of filmmaking. There can be parallel made between Nolan's 'DARK KNIGHT' where Joker and Batman although are two separate polarities of light and dark forces in reality work together to clean up Gotham City from crime syndicates. Joker does it covertly by infiltration of crime families and in the end taking over the dark side (some say Nolan's depiction of Joker as a PTSD army veteran, which wants to get rid of corruption in the city by being the agent of chaos) has clear commonality with relationship between Ridder and Batman.

In the end THE BATMAN a 2:55 minute blockbuster is everything we tend to love about big budget Hollywood movies, although more character driven then most productions coming from tinsel town.

This depiction of cape crusader is more darker, grounded and almost have a feel of character driven crime thriller, which just happens to include epic scope, which leaves the viewer wanting more. Judging by the ending, there are more movies planed.

Highly recommended! 👌

The Mauritanian (2021)

The Mauritanian is an imperfect movie helped by nearly perfect performance by Tahar Rahim

[7/10 · 27 June 2021]

Sometimes the performance of the lead actor can be so captivating, that it not only outshines the other cast members, but it also casts shadow over film in itself. Filmmaking as an art form is a combination of many parts and the best movies work in tandem, with all the filmmaking departments. If one or more departments isn't fully working, we might notice that something in the film structure feels uneven. More so then not, the problem is narrative, where you feel that some characters have a paper thin objectives, and we don't fully buy their motivation, or how they express it. It isn't quite what you would call a bad acting, its perhaps their performance feels little forced, next to someone that basically steals every scene they are part of.

As an actor it is even bigger challenge for your performance, to act as a real life character, if it happens that the story you are trying to tell is actually based on true story.

How do you approach this type of role? Are you trying to externalize the characters behavior and pick up their mannerisms, or you are focusing on the internal understanding of who that person truly is and what motivates them.

If you are approaching performance externally, you are running a risk of building a caricature of the actual person and you will miss the most vital component, which pulls the audience in, as they are watching your performance evolve. I am not bashing different approaches to acting, internal vs external. I am only postulating, that if you need to play a real life person, try to understand what is the inner make up of that individual, so you yourself can build a performance, that has a clear inner depth behind it, which will propel your performance. Basically, if you have done your homework right, your subconscious mind will eventually take over and you will cross the line between acting and being the character.

The subject of 'The Mauritanian' is rather controversial one and it deals with infamous real life story of Mohamedou Ould Slahi, the Mauritanian national who was accused of helping 9/11 terrorist. He was healed in "Guantánamo Bay" for almost 15 years. Half of that time without a trial.

The film is loosely based on the book "Guantánamo Diary" which are compilation of his letters to his attorney Nancy Hollander played by Judie Foster. As he fights for freedom, after being detained and imprisoned without charge. With the help of Hollander and her right hand Teri Duncan played by Shailene Woodley, both ladies try to find truth, in an otherwise convoluted Top Secret investigation, which leads them to sue the government of the United States for unlawful detainment, torture and all around treatment of the detainees at the infamous Guantanamo Base in Cuba.

Fosters performance feels solid, but as funny as it might sound we might feel little distracted by the wig she is wearing and once you start paying attention to this type of external nuances, it can take you out of the movie.

Benedict Cumberbatch as Stuart Couch is a high ranked Marine, who is being groomed to lead an investigation in the prosecution of Ould Slahi. He has a clear motivation having close friend who was killed on 9/11, to make sure that at least someone will pay for the death of around 3000 people on that frightful day. His character starts from the position of confirmation bias, but slowly starts to understand that the evidence presented to him about the guilt of Ould Slahi, are circumstantial at best and as the film progresses, we find out that are obtained through means of torture, which changes his view point on the whole situation.

There is an old saying 'One persons terrorist is another persons freedom fighter" I will not get here too deep in to the plot, focusing more on the actual performances of the principals.

In many ways 'The Mauritanian' is an imperfect movie, saved by very good performance by Tahar Rahim, who's talent previously has already been noticed in 'A Prophet' and Netflix's 'The Serpent' among other roles. He has a fantastic ability to bring duality in to his performances and is able to build report with the audience, where we tend to feel sympathy for the characters he portraits. You could call it charisma, but there is more to it then that. In his performance as Mohamedou Ould Slahi he is leaving us not hundred percent sure if he is indeed guilty, or just a victim of circumstance. He knows how to press sympathy buttons for us the audience, as well as his lawyers which start caring for his well being. This is the best part of his performance which divides him from the rest of the cast, which seems to be bit more cookie cutter, play by numbers, sort of performances.

Specially Cumberbatch which I usually really like, his performance feels like is relaying too much on external subconscious voice technique (making it abnormally deep in it's pitch) and next to Rahim feels little too one dimensional .

Rahim knows how to create chemistry not only with his fellow actors, but with the audience, which makes him very endearing.

If you watch this film very closely you will find nuggets of messages which director is sending our way, like the number 760 (7+6=13 😉 ) which was given to Ould Slahi as an indication of sacrificial nature of Mohamedou Ould Slahi, as well as he might not have been fully innocent. Those anchors are subtle and often shine through the performance itself.

I am very interested what else Hollywood has in store for the bilingual Tahar Rahim,. Hopefully he will not be just another talented actor who passes through Hollywood, but with his emotional and charismatic personality, will be one of performers which we will be able to watch evolving in future projects.

The Mauritanian is an imperfect movie helped by nearly perfect performance by Tahar Rahim. Normally I postulate to see movies in cinema but this one due to it's intimate nature might be also suitable for home stream.

Land (I) (2021)

Subtle moments like this one elevates 'LAND' beyond it's faults and show what a wonderful actress Robin Wright truly is.

[8/10 · 24 June 2021]

It's sometimes unfair to judge all around quality of a movie based on other films in a similar category. However it unavoidable... This unfair judgment is even more unpleasant when your film is directly compared to a movie made by your former ex husband, which in it's day, received all around critical acclaim. The unfairness intensifies even further, when the movie you are being compare with was your ex husband 5tth feature film.

When you are already successful Hollywood actress, why would you put yourself in the position scrutiny with your first feature film debut? Perhaps you feel there is more to you then just acting talent and a pretty face. Deep down inside you want to prove to yourself and perhaps on a subconscious level your ex, that you can also direct a movie which has a strong emotional core. By ex husband, I am referring to Sean Penn of course, and the movie which was beloved by critics is 'In to the wild'. Directing just like other components of the filmmaking production, is an artistic endeavor as well as a craft, which has technical requirements to it. It takes time for directors to find their style and enough filmmaking knowledge on the other side of the camera, to be able to express their creativity without feeling self indulgent. It's even more difficult when you act and direct at the same time, as it happens in the arthouse emotional drama 'LAND' directed by beautiful Robin Wright.

I saw 'LAND' twice. First time in comfort of my own home and today in the cinema.

Both times I did enjoy the experience yet for different reasons. With me, the first time viewing I use to switch of my analytical film/acting brain and I just want to be taken on the ride by the filmmaker, which often is great as a form of escapism. Second time screening, I know the plot so I focus on dissecting the performances as well as technical and narrative nuances, which sometimes might escape the attention first time around.

First thing that needs to be pointed here is that acting and directing is very hard thing to do, especially when you are performing the lead role, which with your performance as an actor tend to carry the weight of the whole movie. Interestingly as you are watching the 'LAND' you can clearly see that Robin right gets better as the movie develops, as if she is learning on the job how to swap heads between director and actor. There are moments in act 1 where she sometimes is verbalizing her inner thought, saying to the audience what her character thinking, rather then employ body language or other tools without being too obvious. If you truly want to make an arthouse style movie, you must understand that the audience you are making film for are intelligent enough to pick up on the nuances in your performance, without you verbally having to inform them what you are feeling. Yes it is true that people in solitude can start talking to themselves, which often brings to them feeling of contact with someone else, however in film this type of narrative shortcuts lowers the quality of otherwise solid emotional performance. Perhaps what truly makes the acting shine in 'LAND' are the supporting cast. There are many scenes which are short in length and yet very impactful, where supporting cast is truly enhancing the value of the all around narrative experience.

Movies about emotional healing after loss of loved ones are sometimes hard to stomach, because they make us feel vulnerable, but when they are done right, they can be used as a healing tool in our own lives. 'LAND' is one of these movies which might leave an impact after viewing. The premiss of the film is simple: "Edee (Robin Wright), in the aftermath of an unfathomable event, finds herself unable to stay connected to the world she once knew and in the face of that uncertainty, retreats to the magnificent, but unforgiving, wilds of the Rockies. After a local hunter brings her back from the brink of death, she must find a way to live again." The 'LAND' truly stars to work in act 2 with the arrival of Miguel played wonderfully by Demián Bichir who bring the subtleness to his performance.

Thanks to his support Robin Wright elevates her performance as an actor.

She finally can express the pain and transition her character is going through.

There is a beautiful scene where both of them are sitting and talking about Star Wars as she is comparing him to Yoda. As they are joking around she finally decides to ask him if he has a family. Split second before she asks him, her internal dialog through her eyes seems to be shocked and even disbelieve that perhaps she despite of her trauma and unresolved feeling, she has for her previous family, she might be interested in him in a romantic way, which frightens her.

Subtle moments like this one elevates 'LAND' beyond it's faults and show what a wonderful actress Robin Wright truly is.

Just like good wine she is aging with grace and is showing not only to us, but her ex Sean Penn that with time she might become, the female force to be recon with on the Hollywood directorial firmament.

As it often happens with this type of stories the cinematography shouldn't be overlooked, Bobby Bukowski lends an experienced helping hand in crafting the visual feel of the 'LAND'.

They both worked previously on 'Rampart' and you can see that although they worked for the first time in a capacity of director/actor vs director of photography they seems to develop form of trust and creative chemistry, which should produce some interesting future collaborations.

'LAND' is not always easy to digest, but when you look at it as a healing experience from your own personal trauma it might be cathartic.

A Quiet Place Part II (2020)

There is so much high end filmmaking quality here, that my short descriptions of experience will not do it justice.

[10/10 · 22 June 2021]

My review of 'A Quiet Place Part II' by Janusz Madej I was looking forward to this sequel from the moment the trailer premiered, but due to the COVID pandemic lockdowns and restrictions, we had to wait for it. Instead of seeing it in comfort of our own home, sitting in front of flat screen TV, finally we can experience it as it was originally intended, on the largest possible screen with Dolby Surround sound.

What must be said first is that a large credit must go to the writer/director John Krasinski, who has made very successful transition, from highly capable comedic actor, to an excellent writer/director, capable of crafting very cinematic world.

As squeals go 'A Quiet Place II' doesn't disappoint and to be honest perhaps surpasses the original, which is mostly unheard of.

Yes I really liked this film and was fortuned to see it on very large screen with 360'o DOLBY ATMOS, which enhanced the experience even more. Oh, how I missed this sort of cinematic experience and since the cinemas reopened I've been looking to feel the excitement, only great cinema screened, immersive movies can deliver.

There is so much high end filmmaking quality here, that my short descriptions of experience will not do it justice. Through fantastic action filled introduction, which partly we can see in the trailer, that leaves you breathless, you know that you are witnessing something very special. The point which often most action Hollywood directors miss is that its not the actual CGI action that is exhilarating, although sometimes if done right, it can be, but the suspense of what you don't show, that truly keeps us hooked.

Due to the fact that most of the movie the characters can not use normal conversation, as a form of exposition, (as with the first installment the alien predatory species hunts using their sense of hearing), its the sound design and body language of the actors, as well as sign language and how they react to the danger on their path, that creates constant state of tension, which the viewer feels. In essence you are experiencing the action together with the characters and perhaps that is what elevates this film beyond my expectation. It almost feels like you are actually there with them trying to survive.

I will not write much about the plot, because the less you know about it, the better experience you will have. As the lead characters split up, the editing brilliantly jumps from one suspenseful scene on to another, not letting us breathe. Because all characters are well defined in the script, they have a very clear objectives in their motivations for their actions. Due to that fact we truly sympathize with their struggle.

The performances are very strong. From brilliant Emily Blunt who tries to save her children and have a few emotional, potentially film stealing scenes, to Cillian Murphy who you can always depend on, whenever you look for characters which are torn between cowardliness and heroism. Although it seems Millicent Simmonds character, who plays the Emily Blunt's daughter, due to her disability of being deaf, might be the narrative spine of the movie. There are moments where we are transferred in to the world of silence in her head, as she is experiencing the action around her which adds to suspense even more.

To some extent I see a parallel between Danny Boyle's zombie classic '28 Days Later' and 'A Quiet Place II'. Not just because Cillian Murphy is acting in both movies, but perhaps both films offer similar type of tension and challenge questions of what makes us human and how far would we go to endanger ourself for others safety.

I am very impressed with this film and perhaps more so then its predecessor. As horror master William Friedkin wrote on Twiter after watching 'A Quiet Place II' 'CINEMA is BACK'.

Oh, how I missed you... There is a clear indication of Part III its being on the way and judging by this installment, this franchise is shaping up to be something very special.

Specially in highly capable heads of John Krasinski, who might be elevating himself, as one of the very best suspenseful writer/directors working in Hollywood today. I am pretty sure Alfred Hitchcock would have been proud to see what Krasinski accomplished here.

Highly recommended to see on the biggest screen with the best surround sound.

Censor (2021)

Retro slasher style in mold of old horror masters of 60's, 70's and 80's.

[8/10 · 22 June 2021]

My Review of 'CENSOR' by JANUSZ MADEJ As with all art forms it's often hard to come up with something truly original in filmmaking. Most artists tend to be inspired by works of other creators, locked in perpetual cycle of recreation. Because as human beings we like to categorize things, put things in their respectful boxes, so to speak, we try to make sense out of what we see by comparing it with what we feel they associate themselves within our memory.

The problem starts whenever we are unable to put things in clear context, we often feel uneasy, because we are not sure if we like particular art piece or not.

However once in a while you get a movie, as it's in this case, which flips our perception of what to expect upside down.

'CENSOR' co-written and directed by first time feature filmmaker Prano Bailey-Bonds is one of those movies which pushes boundaries of filmmaking canon, we all are so familiar with. Stylistically this surreal horror gem brings us back to 80's retro slasher style in mold of old horror masters video nasty's of 60's, 70's and 80's. The fact that this film is directed by a woman brings interesting spin to this type of explicit genera.

In terms of storyline it's a story of Enid Baines played by talented Irish actress Niamh Algar, who plays the titled censor, responsible for overview of some of the most bloodiest slasher horror movies, during the golden age of torture horror, trying to protect the public from seeing truly despicable scenes of valiance. After viewing a strangely familiar video Enid, sets out to solve the past mystery of her sister's disappearance, embarking on a quest that dissolves the line between fiction and reality.

From the beginning we feel that this type of work, watching people being murdered on film in horrific circumstances, will have a subsequent effect on your emotional well being. As it happens here, our protagonist feels that in one of the slasher movies of particular notorious film director, she recognizes her long lost sister, which went missing when they were kids. As she is trying to get to the bottom of the fact that the actress in the film might indeed be her sister, she is falling deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole where reality mixes with fantasy.

As I already mentioned 'CENSOR' has been made with clear stylistic choices.

The production and costume design is highly believable in terms of evoking 80's retro vibe. But also everything to do with showcase of particular horror style, as there are scenes of actual filmmaking, which creates very hypnotic like sensation in viewer. Although gory in parts, this film never crosses a boundary of good taste, which is important, when you are dealing with this type of subject. As the audience we are often not sure what is real and what is our protagonists fantasy, leaving us sort of on the edge, but also busy trying to figure out what is actually happening. Although very original, watching 'CENSOR' brought to mind another psychedelic arthouse horror 'MANDY' and there were moments I though it might be going towards snuff film territory in style of '8 MM', even comparison with Cronenberg's 'VIDEODROME' is not far off, specially as a social commentary on effects of violence in movies on society. Some might go as far as bring 'VHS' horror franchise as a good example of this type retro style of filmmaking, although in 'VHS' the collection of stories is fragmented by their individual subjects.

In 'CENSOR' It seems because such an emphasis has been put on a visual style, this first time feature filmmaker achieved something still very original.

The performances of all the actors are very strong and perhaps the reason why 'CENSOR' works is because the performance of Niamh Algar pulls you in to her world of madness.

This is not a mainstream horror by any means, so the average film goer, even a horror fan, might not fully appreciate this film for what it is. I however salut director Prano Bailey-Bonds for crafting something very unique, in times where we are bombarded with films full of cliches, specially in horror genera.

Definitely check 'CENSOR' out, if you like me, enjoy originally stylistic and narrative storytelling.

Tenet (2020)

Perhaps 'T E N E T" is Nolan's audition for the next Bond movie.

[8/10 · 30 August 2020]

T E N E T review by Janusz Madej One cryptic sentence seemed to be used constantly in marketing of the latest blockbuster the 'T E N E T" written and directed by Christopher Nolan which has been shown it trailers: "All I have for you is a word: Tenet. It'll open the right doors, some of the wrong ones too." When last year first teasers were relisted the audience were privy to a few scenes shrouded in mystery. The plot was largely unknown and all we knew is that Nolan is working on a film which will center on the world of international espionage.The veil of mystery and ongoing rumors about the plot drove the anticipation of the audience to the limit and in times of pandemic T E N E T was touted as the potential savior of the film industry. When expectations are so high it is easy to get disappointed... I really wanted to like this film, in fact ever since the filming started I felt that this was the most anticipated movie of the year for me. Lensed by current frequent collaborator Hoyte van Hoytema with depthful Nolan script writing I knew we are looking for a treat. The plot is hard to communicate without trying to explain too much: "Armed with only one word, Tenet, and fighting for the survival of the entire world, a Protagonist journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real time." Let me start by saying that the T E N E T is not Nolan's best work. In essence the premise for it is more enchanting then its execution. As with Nolan's previous movies this one feels a bit overindulgent. When director maintains full creative power over film making process he is running a risk of disconnection from the audience. Chris always makes movies for intellectual audience and expects them to do their part by being as smart as he. Sadly that is the problem with most of Nolan's cinematography. It seems that he makes movies for himself first, "I want to make a movie I would like to see" type thing. By trying to communicate very confusing story line we get plenty of expositions through the dialog. Basically characters are sitting around and explain to the audience the plot. Nolan removed plenty of the over emotionality which he used in "INTERSTELLAR" and kept it very emotionally dry. Considering that this is espionage story we get very little background stories about the characters which limits our emotional attachments as the plot thickens. The protagonist of the story John David Washington (son of Denzel Washington) is credited as exactly the 'Protagonist". After his success in the "BlackKlansmen" Washington seems to be on the row securing lead role in this action blockbuster. Although not as charismatic and physically imposing as his father, John David does a good job of trying to connect with the audience. However to some extant I find his presence not strong enough to carry the movie. The action fight scenes work, but the height difference between him and his potential love interest Elizabeth Debicki is very noticeable and creates romantic disparity which audience can feel. In general all the scenes which forward plot through dialog don't seemed to work very well. That has been a key criticism of Nolan's movies, that he uses too much dialog based exposition and just like in 'INCEPTION" it can get very confusing specially with the sound mix which puts music and sound FX in foreground making dialog almost inaudible. By keeping the backstory of the main characters to minimum 'T E N E T" offers type of emotional dryness. Although the stakes are high we don't seem to care much about our characters, because we are not emotionally invested in their struggle. For this type of movie to work you need powerful antagonist and Kenneth Branagh does not disappoint. Every scene he is in he is "chewing" the scenery but to be 100% honest as Russian impressions go his is good but not great. Russians have this masculine heaviness which is hard to duplicate and I don't talk about the accent because Branagh did well implementing it. It just that for a man who has nothing to live for he haven't fully inhabit the mafia boss avatar. Other performances seems solid specially Robert Pattinson although he still lacks bravado and charisma. Groundbreaking in its concept of time reversal it feels like T E N E T has been a concept movie. "Would it be cinematic to revers things in the scene and make things visually impressive? " Yes, lets based the whole film on that premise and so Nolan did. By replacing frequent score collaborator Hans Zimmerman with Ludwig Göransson, Nolan took the emotionality away from the movie and brought a sense of dryness. Perhaps 'T E N E T" is Nolan's audition for the next Bond movie. Considering actions scenes they are done very well and with epic scope without use of green screen mostly captured in camera. But the action finally of the movie felt disappointing for me, staged as a sort of large scale confusing 'paintball match" with building and explosions detonating and being reversed in time. All of that looks visually impressive but somehow not truly fulfilling. T E N E T was shoot using 70mm IMAX camera and I would suggest to see it in IMAX as Nolan intended. I avoided writing about the key plot spoilers, specially by the end as we are nearing conclusion we are confronted with twists and turns which feels a little forced and confusing. Due to that fact I see the audience having to come for multiple viewings which should enhance the box office. Perhaps another line from the film is fitting here. "Try to not understand it, feel it" Bottom line T E N E T is one of these movies which might gain more acclaim as time passes and who knows perhaps 5 years from now we will truly understand an impact T E N E T had on post pandemic film industry.

1917 (2019)

It's the way the story is told, that truly permits the audience to immerse themselves in this WWI epic.

[10/10 · 12 January 2020]

My review of "1917". There are very few movies which successfully pull off illusion of being shot in one continues take. Alfred Hitchcock's 'ROPE' (1948) comes to mind, as well as the opening shot of Orson Wellse's 'Touch of Evil' (1958). More recently "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" (2014) directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu earned the best Picture and best Director among other categories back in 2015, which shows how much the Academy appreciates this stylistic yet technically difficult choice of story exposition. By now everyone knows that Sam Mendes's "1917" has yearned the Golden Globe for best film and before seeing it I was bit unsure of this choice leaning towards 'JOKER' as the best movie of the year. Potentially Mende's movie has all the ingredients to be special. First, an acclaimed director in Sam Mendes, second arguably the best director of photography who paints with light in Roger Deakins, the budget of close to 100mil, so what could go wrong? Well perhaps setting a challenge of trying to convey movies full story in real time using what appears to be one continues take. Magician does not explains how he achieved particular trick same as filmmaker usually doesn't show how he created film sequence. By doing so, he is demystifying the process which should only be known to the initiated. However there are widely available online behind the scenes footage, where both director as well as DP explain the challenges of creating whole movie using continues tracking shoot, which follows two protagonists who are Lance Corporal Blake played by Dean-Charles Chapman and George MacKay playing Lance Corpal Schofied. Both young army man during the First World War are given an impossible mission to deliver a message deep in enemy territory that will stop 1,600 men, and one of the soldiers' brothers, from walking straight into a deadly trap. As the story unfolds we are following them through the trenches and obstacles trying to fiulfil their mission. At first when I though that this movie will be shown in real time using continues take with edits hidden in wipes (movement of the camera which lingers on wall or other objects permitting seamlessly to connect two scenes together in editing making it look as one continues take) I was unsure. When I first heard that "1917" employed this technique I feared that it might be used as gimmick, however when I find out that Roger Deakens is involved in the project I knew Sam Medes's picture was in good hands. Most people will not understand how much work it takes to create movie this way. The control of focus and the light alone is a very difficult task. However if one take tracking shot technique isn't used for the narrative purpose, then whole film potentially could fail. That's where Sam Mendes directing comes in to play, who also co-wrote the screenplay which he based on a very personal story of his grandfather's experiences in WWI titled"The Autobiography of Alfred H. Mendes 1897-1991". Sam Mendes is a special director, we could point to many movies which prove this argument. From "American Beauty" to my favourite Bond to date in "Skyfall". He is a director who is able to convey emotion, without being overly dramatic. There is a subtleness within which he is able to covey inner emotions of the character by using not only actors performance, but utilising blocking (movement of actors in relation to camera) in a landscape scope of the composition. Film of this sort only works if the audience truly feels like they are on a journey together with our protagonists and big credit for doing so needs to be given to musical score which is used to convey danger, emotionality and melancholy when needed. The reason why this film works is because all of the above mentioned techniques are utilised to tell the story and forward the narration to an emotional impact on the viewer. Yes, the performances are strong, with cameos from Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch and charismatic as always Mark Strong, not to mention both leads, but it's the way the story is told, that truly permits the audience to immerse themselves in this WWI epic. After watching "1917" I can honestly say, I strongly believe this picture will receive an OSCAR's for the best film and cinematography (in any other year I would pick the "JOKER" for the best film and cinematography, but this year Roger Deakens should not be denied) and possibly Sam Mendes for having an overview over all these elements, to create arguably best movie of the year, which up to that point this distinction belong in my humble opinion to the "JOKER". I strongly feel Sam Mendes has made his grandfather very proud, in his attempt to bring all the creative pieces together, creating in it's entirety a masterpiece of a movie, which film students will study for years to come.

The Lighthouse (I) (2019)

'The Lighthouse' belongs in the top 5 best films of the year and should be rewarded, for venturing in highly stylised world, which makes t

[9/10 · 2 January 2020]

Can loneliness and solitude bring the man to madness? Absolutely. Is there a possibility that you watch a movie that stylistically you appreciate, due to the quality of the filmmaking craft, but due to its surreal nature you might not enjoy it? That is indeed possibility.

Watching 'The LIGHTHOUSE' I was asking myself what am I actually witnessing. This film is unlike any other in resent memory. Yes, not that long ago there were movies made in black and white as 'IDA', 'COLD WAR' and 'ROMA'. All of them were highly stylised, but non of them can compere to what director Robert Eggers who had already success with brilliant period horror 'THE WITCH' delivered with 'THE LIGHTHOUSE', a surreal, hypnotic and hallucinatory tale of two lighthouse keepers on a remote and mysterious New England island in the 1890s.

Everything about this film is highly unusual. From 1.19:1 very square aspect ratio, to an old fashioned Mono sound mix. There are elements of film noir as well as German impressionism which 'The Lighthouse' borrows heavily from. This is a very strange movie indeed. Alfred Hichcock once famously said; "If it's a good movie, the sound could go off, and audience would have perfectly clear idea of what was going on"

Now, in 'The Lighthouse' the actual sound design is superb and I strongly believe that it might get the nomination for an Oscar early this year. Though 19 people are listed on IMDb in sound department, so it might be difficult to single one person out and reward them for this very immersive sound design. It's the sound which creates the horror atmosphere that caries the viewers till the film climax. The cinematography is heavily stylised looks amazingly believable to the 1890's period full of shadows and textures which being back German Impressionists and film Noir masters from the past to mind. The production design and costumes are brilliantly historically accurate, helping with selling the overall atmosphere of the movie.

However what truly elevates this film to Oscar worthy contention is acting. Considering that this film consists of only 3 actors, it's very special indeed due to their performances we are engaged in their surreal drama till the end. I have to be honest, half way through the movie I wanted the film to end due to heavy assault on our senses. Just like both lighthouse keepers we are pulled in to world of madness which isn't a good feeling at all. It must be said Robert Pattinson moved light years away from his youthful performance in 'Twilight' and became solid leading man. In this film he shows his acting ability using heavy old British dialect which sometimes might be difficult to understand, His characterization is full of depth and will forward him further on to the quest on perfecting his craft. This role has been very heavy on him not only mentally but also physically.

But the real highlight of 'The Lighthouse' is often underrated Willem Dafoe. It would be a huge shame if the Academy wouldn't showcase their good taste and snub Defoe from a rightful nomination for the Best Supporting Actor on this year's Oscar awards. His performance is mesmerizing! He totally inhabits his role, from brilliant accent to intensity and duality that often is rewarded by the Academy. Also in this film he truly physically suffers. There is one scene which starts in a long shot, where he crawls like a dog for close to 30 seconds going through mud and stones only to be buried alive as he delivers one of the movie's most powerful monologs. He does't play the character he simply becomes him and this is what makes him one of the best character actors of his generation, the depth and reality of his choices. Simply brilliant!!

In 'The Lighthouse' director Robert Eggers delivers very original movie in age of cinema dominated by films which often lack originality. Will you enjoy this film is up to personal taste of the movie goer. The one who likes arthouse cinema will definitely appreciate the originality of how the style of the story is being told, but more casual audience which likes more commercial narrative movies might leave cinema disappointed.

I for one, although this film is not for everyone and its open to interpretation considering its surreal style, feel that 'The Lighthouse' belongs in the top 5 best films of the year and should be rewarded, for venturing in highly stylised world, crafted by the whole cast and crew, which makes this film a surreal masterpiece.

Uncut Gems (2019)

Brilliant assault on senses with very high stakes that in the end pay off, big time!

[9/10 · 28 December 2019]

In my life I visited New York twice. Both times I had a different assessment of the town. First time I went to visit a girl I was in love with at the time and stayed in Manhattan hanging out with the group of trendy actors and models, club and bar hopping, having VIP treatment. Going in front of the line in clubs feeling like the whole world belong to me. Second time I came there with my ex girlfriend when I auditioned for the New York City Ballet and the American Ballet Theatre. Yes, I was a professional Ballet dancer back in a day and to safe money me and my ex responded on the advert about accommodation which end up being a squatter house in Brooklyn without windows or doors. Due to the fact that my ex got flu we had to find hotel in short notice and that fact depleted our finances which we were recovering from for months to come. This second visit show us how chaotic, rude and unforgiving the New York can be. It's a town, when you have money you feel like a king, however when you struggle it's one of the most hash environments where only strong survive. When I heard about 'Uncut Gems' directed by brothers Josh and Benny Safdie I wasn't sure what to expect, specially considered that there is a Oscar buzz created around the dramatic performance of Adam Sandler as jeweller who is spiralling down the rabbit hole. He is trying to juggle health concerns, gambling habit, family life, super hot girlfriend on the side, on top of trying to manage jewellery shop which he is the owner, as well as going through a mental crisis, all at the same time. As the protagonist in the movie, we as the audience are being assaulted on our senses, due to the fact that most lines of dialog are overlapping, making it sound like improvisation. This fact creates in viewer sense of stress similar to what protagonist feels. People shout at one another trying to get their point across. In this environment only the strong survive and any sign of weakness is being exploited by your competitors or enemies. Adam Sandler character jeweller Howard Ratner isn't a sympathetic guy. He is cheating on his wife with his co worker Julia (Julia Fox) who is a highlight of the movie and a newcomer to Hollywood A-list scene, considering that before 'Uncut Gems' she only acted in one other short film. Yes, she is super hot, but also brings depth and colour in their complicated relationship. As we follow Sandlers's character through the day, we can't help but hope that the gambling dramas he is intertwining himself will pull it through and finally scores big. That's where the movies succeeds, in the set up of how high the stakes are and as we know in filmmaking the higher the stakes the better the pay off at the end. Few things stood out for me in 'Uncut Gems', this film is a very strong contender to an Oscar for sound design and sound mix. Above mentioned chaos we feel is largely motivated by overlapping dialog as well as sounds of the city and interiors. We almost wish for the film to finish, so we can recuperate emotionally from the assault on the senses. This aspect of the movie is better handled then any other film this year. 'Uncut Gems' highlights are also the performances. Adam Sandler delivers possibly his best dramatic role to date. He was offered this role 10 years ago, but he felt he needed the age to pull it off. He shows in this performance dramatic ability, though as character he is far from perfect he make us care for his fate and due to the course of tribulation we are keeping our fingers crossed for him to succeed in the end. Other supporting cast including above mentioned Julia Fox is very solid indeed. Actor/rapper Lakeith Stanfield has been having a very good run the last few years with his performances in 'Get Out', 'Sorry to Bother You ', 'Knives Out' and now 'Uncut Gems'. Each role gave him possibility to showcase different side to his craft and I am pretty sure we will see him in more movies based on the strength of this supporting performance. Even basketball player Kevin Garnett who is making his acting debut on the big screen delivers believable performance, as a superstitious NBA star who is obsessed with buying an uncut diamond, which in this story becomes so called "Chekhov's Gun". There is a lot to like in this film which in itself is very entertaining through it's lengthy 135 minutes running time. The speed of narration is super fast here and this is exactly what directors intended. We are close to an award season and I strongly feel this Jewish New York story will be rewarded by the Academy next year. How much? Only time will tell.

The Two Popes (2019)

Brilliant character study which uses inserts and cutaways to symbolically tell very intimate story tastefully.

[8/10 · 24 December 2019]

Often films based on religious subjects can have slightly moralizing undertone. Some of them work very well, others feel like an opportunity to evangelize the masses. Rarely you will have a privilege to immerse yourself in truly personal portray, a character study, devoted of vanity that feels almost documental in its construct. After watching over 2 hours long Netfilx special titled 'The Two Popes' you feel that the time you've spend on watching this film did not go in vain. Whether you are catholic or not the honesty in which this film tells the story of historic take over of Papacy by Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio from Pope Benedict is done in very tasteful way. Large credit needs to be given to the director which in his style of narration is able to communicate some hidden messages about both man who became leaders of 1,2 Billion Catholic Church around the world. Back in Communist Poland, Polish filmmakers like Wajda, Zanussi, Kieslowski and many others had to develop way of telling the story visually using colours and narrative ways to effect the subconscious mind of the viewer. By using symbology they were able to instal thoughts in viewers mind which their subconscious would be decoding bypassing the watchful eye of the censor. Filmmakers like Stanley Kubrick openly was saying how much he admires Polish filmmakers for their contribution to world cinema and as a master director he himself perfected this technic summing it up in my favorite quote: "If you really want to communicate something, even if it's just an emotion or an attitude, let alone an idea, the least effective and least enjoyable way is directly. It only goes in about an inch. But if you can get people to the point where they have to think a moment what it is you're getting at, and then discover it, the thrill of discovery goes right through the heart." As I mentioned before whenever you are making a movie with religious subject you need to be very careful and approach the subject with up most respect. This is where director Fernando Meirelles succeeds. He made the film that in a very simple way showcases clash of two philosophies, traditional (fundamentalist) and modern (progressive). The symbology of this two philosophies is showcased in relation to both lead characters. Traditional Pope Benedict and very progressive Cardinal Bergoglio who eventually becomes the new Pope. They start in a way as ideological "enemies" but as the movie develops they forge a bond that feels almost like a platonic love affair or brotherhood. Both actors have tremendous on screen chemistry. The actual movie focuses on the character study of both man but the protagonist of the story is Pope Francis. Coming out of Jesuit order known for their educational background Pope Francis is portrayed as humble human being which is placed in time in history to cleanse the Church from the sins of the past (corruption and sex scandals). Jonathan Price already received Golden Globe nomination and rightfully so. His characterization as a straight man who is being chosen by God to sacrifice longing of intimacy with the woman he loves and becomes a humble Jesuit priest who eventually becomes the Pope is brilliant. He truly creates a small and very thoughtful performance, possibly his best work to date. However I personal think that the hidden gem in this film is Anthony Hopkins performance as Pope Benedict, who is lonely and cut off from progressive minded society. His performance is full of nuances that are very intimate and rich in its simplicity. Both performances are being brilliantly lensed by César Charlone who maintains documentary style of filmmaking using zoom to punctuate the emotional impact of lines or reactions of particular sentences. The symbolic use of inserts and cutaways to showcase the story narratively is done very well indeed. By doing so you can be hinting emotions and ideas without being overly narrative or extrovert. The movie itself is also very well edited by Fernando Stutz who intercuts the documentary materials with real footage as well as documentary like black and white footage which showcases flashbacks of the life of a young Jorge Bergoglio. The question remains can this film be enjoyed by non Catholic audience? Yes, if they focus on quality of the narration. I personally need to give a tone of credit to the director Fernando Meirelles for handling this sensitive subject with dignity and subtellness Stanley Kubrick and Polish master Directors would be proud of. I can comfortably recommend this film and not only to religious viewers.

Marriage Story (2019)

Adam Driver will get Oscar nomination and perhaps Scarlett might steal one two.

[8/10 · 14 December 2019]

REVIEW of the "Marriage Story" To fully grasp the meaning and the quality of "Marriage Story" some essential relationship issues need to be explained. Relationship changes over the years. What starts as lustful need to sexually connect with another human being, transforms over the years to more of a partnership relation. Our relations with our children permit us to exercise the demons of our childhood and being parent, this time in power position, it helps us heal the wounds our parent did to us. Using Freudian logic and his "penis envy" theory it points that woman on a subconscious level envy man, because of their strength and resilience associating masculinity with stability and femininity with being weak and unstable. However from another view point, its the feminine sensibility is what brings nourishment and ability to raise a child in environment that is being protective over the offspring. Children come out of female womb therefor on subconscious level are part of mother's body. Once woman give birth, there is often change in their character. By fulfilling their motherhood duties, as they age woman cut their hair short which gives them more masculine feeling. They might start to resent their male partner for not paying the same amount of attention and start to look for proverbial plan "B". Man as they age loose testosterone and eventually want to prove to themselves that they still got it and invest their interest in trivial things like fast cars and even faster younger woman. Both parties start to resent one another for sacrifices they had to make for their families and eventually grow apart searching for that other person that would bring back that feeling of being worshiped once again. I was unsure If I will like "Marriage Story". Over 2 hour long story of an actress and theatre director intertwined in custody battle over their son might not be for everyones linking, specially if any of you went through an actual divorce this film might be little bit too close to home, so to speak. Also this movie is very dialog heavy and often feels like a theatre play with actors regurgitating long amounts of text, which is used as the main source of exposition. At one point I felt like I am watching Woody Allen movie minus the neuroses and sarcasm. But as you are investing your time in getting to know your protagonists you start to understand them on a deeper level. Its the performances that hold this film together. Both Driver and Johnsson deliver deep heartfelt performances rooted in something real. But even supporting cast works very well as an unusable.

In terms of filmmaking this film will not win any major awards. The cinematography is not "Marriage Story" strongest point, in fact it lacks imagination making it look like a theatre play, but this film shouldn't be seen for an eye candy that isn't, but for acting performances alone. There is an Oscar buzz around Driver's performance and I was curious if its justified. And indeed it is. There is specially one scene in the apartment where Scarlett comes to try to mediate with Adam to find peaceful solution to their costly divorce, which takes turn in to blaming game of why their life turned out the way it did. They both are mesmerizing here but Driver connects his rage to something real from his personal past which makes audience feel like they are the fly on the wall and are witnessing something very intimate they were not suppose to see. Confrontation between two people who underneath love one another.

Scarlett's character wanted to be individual, not part of overbearing somewhat narcissistic personality of her husband. Actors are like children, they want to play, deep down inside looking for an approval from their parent figure - director, who is there to help them conceive their performance. But in her performance Scarlett resents him for loosing interest in her although as they have opportunities to be with other people they are still connected in sense of belonging to one another. Bottom line "Marriage Story" isn't a perfect movie by any means, but thanks to very good cast and smart writing as well as brilliant performances it elevates it beyond my expectation. And yes Adam Driver will get Oscar nomination and perhaps Scarlett might steal one two. ***1/2 out of 5

The Irishman (2019)

Scorsese's work will be studied for decades to come and 'The Irishman' becomes one of the chapters of life of this magnificent, insightful director.

[9/10 · 2 December 2019]

By now plenty has been written about how the CGI de aging effects ruined the new movie of master director Martin Scorsese titled 'The Irishman'. Dear Reader, if thats all you focused on, then you have missed the point of this movie. Now, If you are Scorsese do you wait another 5 or 10 years for the CGI technology to develop more and risk possibly loosing one or more lead actors due to old age, or you go for it and finally make a passion project that has been brewing in your mind for over a decade. Just like with government organized crime syndicate popularly called the Mafia, has its own code of ethics and loyalty. You never share information with law reinforcements agents and you make sure that code of silence is maintained under the penalty of death. All differences are always sort out internally without reliance on outside forces. Film as the art form is a wonderful tool that permits the filmmaker under vail of artistic exploration to make films that can try to explore some historical unsolved mysteries and yet protects the filmmaker from breaking the code of silence. Oliver Stone did that successfully in his 3 hour long assassination biopic JFK and now Martin Scorsese with 'The Irishman' is trying to do the same by exploring the unsolved mystery of what happened to Jimmy Hoffa. 'The Irishman' is 3 and a half hours long which for attention span of a modern viewing audience can be bit beyond their grasp. Now, without generalizing this film will be experienced by you depending on your age and intellectual capacity. That doesn't mean that the younger audience will not enjoy 'The Irishman' as more mature movie goer does, its just means that based on the technological advancement in style of narration like, TV channel Mtv with its fast editing the younger audience has grown in maintaining their attention span for shorter periods and get easily board with style of narration which Scorsese explores in 'The Irishman'. Again this is not a statement but more of a observation. And now lets get to the movie itself and let me tell you what I think works in this film. By the end I will be honest with what did not workout. As most of you know by now 'The Irishman' indirectly tells the story of disappearance of influential Track Union President Jimmy Hoffa in 1975 played wonderfully by Al Pacino but Hoffa's story seems to be only a part of the plot that is being told in span of 60 years. Pacino enters the movie after 47 minutes is passed which means he isn't the protagonist of the story, Robert DeNiro's character Frank Sheeran is. As the titled 'The Irishman' we follow his story as a ex military, husband and the father who is trying to provide for his family. He encounters by a chance unassuming yet powerful gentleman Russell Bufalino brilliantly underplayed by Joe Pesci who happens to be affiliated with Italian Mob. Both man become close life long friends and we see their relationship evolving during act one of the movie. Act two seems to be introduction of Jimmy Hoffa's character which eventually will lead, without giving away too much, to loyalty test put forth by Bufalino to our protagonist. Both Sheeran and Hoffa grow fond of each other as well as their families which enhances the emotional stakes of whats happens in climax of the movie. There is a lot to like in 'The Irishman'. Stylistically Scorsese delivers movie we would expect from him that looks beautiful in terms of coverage. Long dolly shots that are used as moving masters to set up the geography of locations punctuated by close up inserts and cutaways of objects the characters touch in the scene which enhances the cinematic style of Scorsese. Of course this wouldn't have been Scorsese movie if the characters would not share their thought with the audience using voiceover. In film schools instructors insist on not using VO claiming and probably rightfully so that it is a lazy way of exposition. In film we show, we don't tell. However Scorsese broke this rule and made voiceover exposition his stylistic calling card. Personally I didn't mind the CGI de aging effects specially considered that they are used primarily in act one. Did they looked perfect? No, however they were not bad enough to take me out of the movie. What I mind was the body language, Its extremely hard to make 75 year old man move like he is 45. The scene that comes to mind is when DeNiro comes to the store to confront a man that manhandled of of his daughters. Scorsese decides to keep the whole sequence in long shot showing the whole incident from far which doesn't work, becouse DeNiro's body looks old and not energetic enough to "sell'" the beating of the shop clerk to the audience. Scenes like this one took me out of the film more so then the problems with CGI. I think the hidden Oscar worthy jam in 'The Irishman' is Joe Pesci. Where most will gravitate towards Pacino and DeNiro charismatic character performances, I loved what Pesci did with his character. There is duality in his performance which is often rewarded by the Academy members. Small characteristic works very well in medium of film and Pesci in his performance explorers little nuances that lended him an Oscar back in a day. I am very happy we had a chance to see his talent again and hopefully we see more of him in other projects. The cinematography and lighting is beautiful. Blocking (the movement of actors in relation to the camera) is very well choreographed, but its not as good as lets say 'Goodfellas' where famous bar scene comes to mind, when lead couple enter the nightclub through the kitchen, with camera tracking them all the way to their table inside the nightclub. This type of scenes are technically very difficult to shoot not only coz of the technical-light challenges, but also in terms of choreography of extras and actors. Everything has to aline perfectly, because there is no way to fix it in post-production being one consecutive take. With long tracking shots like above mentioned one from 'Goodfellas" Scorsese showcases his mastery of the filmmaking medium. And now on to what doesn't quite work. Apart what I already mentioned (CGI and old body language) this film is simply too long. Honestly it could have ended being 3 hours long. The last 30 minutes becomes meditation on aging and perhaps to some extent an intimate glimpse to Scorsese, who perhaps feels as a aging director is part of cinema style which with time is becoming a dying art. As I was watching DeNiro's character preparing his funeral arrangement I couldn't help to think in the back of my mind that Scorsese kept that last 30 minutes to show something important which he is perhaps dealing with on a personal level. Is 'The Irishman' a masterpiece? History will show. I think the problem most viewers will deal with is that in this film the protagonist of the story (DeNiro) is a antihero. He is a hitmen who murders people for mafia bosses. That last 30 minutes of the film he has a chance for redemption which he is looking for specially in the eyes of his kids completing the character arc. And in essence just like his daughter we are watching him trying not to judge his actions, but we just simply cant forgive him because even in confession scene he doesn't shows his true self ultimately missing out on redemption. This is the ultimate fault of 'The Irishman'. No clear character ark in his protagonist. I am very pleased that after many financing problems (originally 'The Irishman' was suppose to be produced by Paramount which eventually back out) ending on estimated 159 mil budget from Netflix we were fortunate to have 'The Irishman' written in to filmography history books. Scorsese's work will be studied for decades to come and 'The Irishman' becomes one of the chapters of life of this magnificent, insightful director.