Enough just can't be said about this movie. Heat is nothing short of a masterpiece. It's a nearly three hour crime epic that simultaneously leaves you wanting more and makes you feel completely satisfied. There is really nothing about this film that isn't perfection. The story unfolds beautifully, never dragging. The characters all feel fleshed out, and the actions of every character effect the stories of every other character. On top of this the performances are all as great as you'd expect from a cast like this one. The dialogue is cool, fast, and entertaining without falling into the trap of needing constant one-liners or jokes to keep the audience engaged. It'd be a sin not to mention the score which features everything from rock, to electronic, to classical, to choir. All of it beautiful and minimalistic. As far as the technical aspects go, well, it's a Michael Mann crime thriller. Every scene is shot and lit to perfection. Mann's style is so distinct because of how his films manage to be incredibly stylized and realistic at the same time. No eccentric camera movements, no cool editing tricks, and no cute transitions. Just perfectly executed storytelling. Heat is an absolutely timeless film.
Reviews
10 Reviews
The Silence of the Sea
(1949)
A Good Start to a Great Career
9 March 2017
And so Jean-Pierre Melville's career began with this very impressive feature debut. While not quite the same kind of film from him as I'm used to (keep in mind the only other Melville films I've seen are Le Deuxième Soufflé and Le Samouraï), it delivers every bit of quiet tension and restrained filmmaking I've come to love from this director. The vast majority of the film is either narration directly out of the book on which the film was adapted, or Howard Vernon delivering hauntingly beautiful monologues. Vernon's performance is flawless and never fails to draw you in. All of this great stuff aside,Le Silence de la Mer has some room to grow. Biggest issue being that it's basically a stage play. The medium is hardly utilized and it makes for a semi- dull viewing. This isn't the fault of Melville or anybody else, that's just what the source material calls for. As perfectly executed as Vernon's monologues were, I just can't help but feel that the story could have had so much more to offer. But this, again, is the fault of the author of the book, not Melville. All in all, Le Silence de la Mer is a very good start to Melville's career and definitely one not to let pass you by.
Logan
(2017)
A Terrific Finale
8 March 2017
Being a movie pessimist has its perks. Logan is the most pleasant surprise I've had with a movie in a very long time. Everybody and their mother has been grinding their teeth in anticipation for this movie. The expectations were absurd. Me? I saw absolutely no reason to be excited for this movie. Not even the "R" rating could get me excited, no matter how many times I heard someone claim that the "R" rating was what they needed to tell a Wolverine story that is "true to the character". All I knew were two things. Thing 1: We all know how the previous two solo Wolverine movies went. Thing 2: This was from the director of The Wolverine which was, in my opinion, painfully boring and dull. So I walked into the theater ready to tell all my friends how bad it was and not to get their hopes up.
Logan is absolutely beautiful. As bleak and emotionally draining as it is, it's beautiful. It's the first superhero movie in a very long time that treats itself as a movie as well as a superhero movie. It's a drama and a character study of Logan. A man who's spent his entire life pushing people away and watching as all the people he ever loved or cared about die one by one. From the beginning, Logan is a very sober experience. Along with the knowledge that almost all the other mutants are dead (including all of the X-Men apart from Logan and Charles Xavier), it's also weirdly sad to see how Logan and Charles have aged. Logan's hair is all gray, Charles is senile. Maybe it's only because of the fact that there are eight other X-Men movies behind it, but another thing this movie seems to have down very well is a world that feels very alive and lived in. Like things have happened. And on top of all of this grim but wonderful detail, Logan even goes to the effort to have a good plot. It would have been so easy to have some throwaway mustache-twiddling villain who's out to end all mutants and blah blah blah and Logan has to stop him (yes, I know it's based on a comic and the story existed beforehand), but this movie really outdid itself with a plot that's engaging and extremely compelling. And to top it all off, Logan is in no hurry to set up another X-Men movie and thus it tells a much more complete story. I only wish the other two solo Wolverine movies could've been this good. Logan is an absolutely wonderful finale.
Logan is absolutely beautiful. As bleak and emotionally draining as it is, it's beautiful. It's the first superhero movie in a very long time that treats itself as a movie as well as a superhero movie. It's a drama and a character study of Logan. A man who's spent his entire life pushing people away and watching as all the people he ever loved or cared about die one by one. From the beginning, Logan is a very sober experience. Along with the knowledge that almost all the other mutants are dead (including all of the X-Men apart from Logan and Charles Xavier), it's also weirdly sad to see how Logan and Charles have aged. Logan's hair is all gray, Charles is senile. Maybe it's only because of the fact that there are eight other X-Men movies behind it, but another thing this movie seems to have down very well is a world that feels very alive and lived in. Like things have happened. And on top of all of this grim but wonderful detail, Logan even goes to the effort to have a good plot. It would have been so easy to have some throwaway mustache-twiddling villain who's out to end all mutants and blah blah blah and Logan has to stop him (yes, I know it's based on a comic and the story existed beforehand), but this movie really outdid itself with a plot that's engaging and extremely compelling. And to top it all off, Logan is in no hurry to set up another X-Men movie and thus it tells a much more complete story. I only wish the other two solo Wolverine movies could've been this good. Logan is an absolutely wonderful finale.
The Neon Demon
(2016)
Refn just has a way with movies.
24 June 2016
Most movies serve as entertainment. Many serve as stories. Others serve as messages. And some serve as works of art. The ones that serve as art sometimes, but not always, receive negative reviews and feedback from critics and audiences alike. These are movies like Only God Forgives (2013) and The Tree of Life (2011). And The Neon Demon (2016) is, without a single doubt, a work of art.
I gave this the same score I gave Only God Forgives (2013), but really, this kicks that movie's ass. I was slightly worried that this was gonna be a knock off of Only God Forgives (2013). The trailers made it look like it could be. But this movie is something else. Something different from anything from Nicolas Winding Refn. Something different from any other movie I've ever seen. And something beautiful.
This review is purposefully short and vague because I think this movie is best experienced when you know nothing about it. This was a one-of-a-kind experience that you absolutely need to experience in theaters. Just don't take mom.
I gave this the same score I gave Only God Forgives (2013), but really, this kicks that movie's ass. I was slightly worried that this was gonna be a knock off of Only God Forgives (2013). The trailers made it look like it could be. But this movie is something else. Something different from anything from Nicolas Winding Refn. Something different from any other movie I've ever seen. And something beautiful.
This review is purposefully short and vague because I think this movie is best experienced when you know nothing about it. This was a one-of-a-kind experience that you absolutely need to experience in theaters. Just don't take mom.
Repulsion
(1965)
A psychological thriller without much of... anything.
8 June 2016
This is my third film by Roman Polanski, the others being Chinatown (1974) and Rosemary's Baby (1968) (I barely count Rosemary's Baby (1968) because I remember almost nothing from it). I still have only a very vague idea of his style but thus far, his directing has not disappointed me.
The issues that Repulsion (1965) has are not in the directing, although the pacing could've been better. For me, it's in the screenplay itself. I expected this movie to explore themes like sex, sexism, and other things of this nature. But after seeing it, I don't think this movie actually explored anything. Perhaps it was trying to say something about human nature. Perhaps it was sending a message about men. But I can't help but to think about Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire (1987). My biggest complaint in my review of that film was that it had an interesting concept, but it didn't seem to have anything else. No themes, ideas, or things of that nature. And I think the exact same applies here.
This aside, Repulsion (1987) is a fairly good movie. The acting is good for the most part, the cinematography is great, and the execution of psychological horror is incredible for any decade, let alone the 60's. Very few classic horror films have ever managed to disturb me like they did to the people who saw them in theaters, but this one actually had some good and original scares.
Overall, I'm glad I saw it and I would recommend. I wouldn't, however, consider it a great film.
The issues that Repulsion (1965) has are not in the directing, although the pacing could've been better. For me, it's in the screenplay itself. I expected this movie to explore themes like sex, sexism, and other things of this nature. But after seeing it, I don't think this movie actually explored anything. Perhaps it was trying to say something about human nature. Perhaps it was sending a message about men. But I can't help but to think about Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire (1987). My biggest complaint in my review of that film was that it had an interesting concept, but it didn't seem to have anything else. No themes, ideas, or things of that nature. And I think the exact same applies here.
This aside, Repulsion (1987) is a fairly good movie. The acting is good for the most part, the cinematography is great, and the execution of psychological horror is incredible for any decade, let alone the 60's. Very few classic horror films have ever managed to disturb me like they did to the people who saw them in theaters, but this one actually had some good and original scares.
Overall, I'm glad I saw it and I would recommend. I wouldn't, however, consider it a great film.
10 Cloverfield Lane
(2016)
Couldn't Be Better
11 March 2016
If you saw the first "Cloverfield (2008)" and are expecting this to be a sequel, think again. There were times when me and my family were watching this when I actually questioned whether or not this film was even related to "Cloverfield (2008)". But it is. As J.J. Abrahams said, 10 "Cloverfield Lane (2015)" is very much "... a blood relative to Cloverfield".
"10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)" is the directorial debut of Dan Trachtenberg and stars Marry Winstead, John Goodman, and John Gallagher Jr. Normally, it would be at this point in the review that I would give a brief synopsis of the plot of the movie, but I'm a huge fan of the ad campaign in that is kept the movie an utter mystery. It is best experienced when you know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
This movie grips the audience by the throat and doesn't let go. With incredible performances from its cast, and, in my opinion, the best performance of John Goodman's career. I'm keeping this review short because I really don't want you to know anything else, just watch it for yourself. It's a hell of a ride.
"10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)" is the directorial debut of Dan Trachtenberg and stars Marry Winstead, John Goodman, and John Gallagher Jr. Normally, it would be at this point in the review that I would give a brief synopsis of the plot of the movie, but I'm a huge fan of the ad campaign in that is kept the movie an utter mystery. It is best experienced when you know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
This movie grips the audience by the throat and doesn't let go. With incredible performances from its cast, and, in my opinion, the best performance of John Goodman's career. I'm keeping this review short because I really don't want you to know anything else, just watch it for yourself. It's a hell of a ride.
Brooklyn
(2015)
A Cliché Ridden Mess
3 March 2016
I went to see this film with high hopes. Despite being a male I have always enjoyed romance in movies. When it's done well (see "Her", "The Titanic", "Silver Linings Playbook", "Punch-Drunk Love"). When I say "well", I mean that it is not a by-the- numbers, cliché filled, boy-meets-girl story in which you know how it will end the second the movie begins. This, unfortunately, is exactly that.
I will not spoil anything, but even if I did, I wouldn't be spoiling anything you couldn't have already figured out ten minutes into the movie. The movie follows an Irish immigrant to Brooklyn, New York, in search of money and opportunity. It is here that she meets a boyishly handsome Italian man at a dance. You already know how this movie ends, don't you?
My issue with this film is not even in its clichéd premise or story, although there's a lot to complain about there. My main issue is its execution. There is not a single example of interesting directing or cinematography. There is not a single example of an interesting and well written character. There is nothing special about this movie in any way.
To sum it up, Brooklyn is a movie you've seen a thousand times before, with no defining features or surprises. It is an extremely generic film, and I will never fully understand how it came to be nominated for best picture.
I will not spoil anything, but even if I did, I wouldn't be spoiling anything you couldn't have already figured out ten minutes into the movie. The movie follows an Irish immigrant to Brooklyn, New York, in search of money and opportunity. It is here that she meets a boyishly handsome Italian man at a dance. You already know how this movie ends, don't you?
My issue with this film is not even in its clichéd premise or story, although there's a lot to complain about there. My main issue is its execution. There is not a single example of interesting directing or cinematography. There is not a single example of an interesting and well written character. There is nothing special about this movie in any way.
To sum it up, Brooklyn is a movie you've seen a thousand times before, with no defining features or surprises. It is an extremely generic film, and I will never fully understand how it came to be nominated for best picture.
Boogie Nights
(1997)
A Near Perfect Film by a Near Perfect Filmmaker
3 March 2016
Boogie Nights is one of those films that people say will be a "classic" in about twenty years or so. It is one of the most highly regarded films of the 90's as well as being, arguably, Mark Wahlberg's best film. So what, exactly, is so great about this 1997 film set in the 1970's and 1980's porn industry?
Well, for one thing, it is beautifully written and directed. Paul Thomas Anderson's writing is perfect because it hits just the right note at just the right time. Every character has an equal amount of depth (although the film focuses on just one), and it is interesting to watch them interact with each other. The film is practically unequaled in how it makes the audience become invested in its characters. And Anderson's long takes and tracking shots help each actor to truly step into their roles, making for a truly personal film.
Boogie Nights is an essential film for anyone who loves the art form or is interested in the art of film directing or writing, and I would recommend it to anyone. That is; as long as they don't mind a little vulgar dialogue and content. It is the porn industry, after all.
Well, for one thing, it is beautifully written and directed. Paul Thomas Anderson's writing is perfect because it hits just the right note at just the right time. Every character has an equal amount of depth (although the film focuses on just one), and it is interesting to watch them interact with each other. The film is practically unequaled in how it makes the audience become invested in its characters. And Anderson's long takes and tracking shots help each actor to truly step into their roles, making for a truly personal film.
Boogie Nights is an essential film for anyone who loves the art form or is interested in the art of film directing or writing, and I would recommend it to anyone. That is; as long as they don't mind a little vulgar dialogue and content. It is the porn industry, after all.
A Severely Underrated Film
30 April 2015
David Fincher is truly the master of book-to-movie adaptations. And with such a successful and dark book as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo to work with, you'd think that this would be a recipe for success. So what did this movie lack to be so ignored and not talked about by the general public?
Nothing. This movie lacked nothing. It is a beautiful display of acting, musical score, cinematography, and directing. The reason that this film is is unfairly underrated is because the wrong audience came to see it.
The audience that came to see this movie had never seen a film like this before from David Fincher (because he had never done anything like this before). They came with the wrong expectations and as a result, they were unsatisfied. So what is the "right" audience?
If you are one who likes extremely dark, demented movies that are driven purely by dialogue, disturbing imagery, and great directing and not by action or horror movie scares, then this movie will most certainly not disappoint.
Nothing. This movie lacked nothing. It is a beautiful display of acting, musical score, cinematography, and directing. The reason that this film is is unfairly underrated is because the wrong audience came to see it.
The audience that came to see this movie had never seen a film like this before from David Fincher (because he had never done anything like this before). They came with the wrong expectations and as a result, they were unsatisfied. So what is the "right" audience?
If you are one who likes extremely dark, demented movies that are driven purely by dialogue, disturbing imagery, and great directing and not by action or horror movie scares, then this movie will most certainly not disappoint.
Fight Club
(1999)
The Perfect Movie
19 March 2015
Movies absolutely do not get any better than this. This is one of the best book-to-movie adaptations of all time, to the point where the author of the novel that it is based off of says that it is an improvement on his book.
Fight Club is a uniquely dark (but no tat all depressing) film that immediately pulls you into its world with well written narration that shows you an interesting perspective on the world as we know it. This perspective comes from the main character (no, I'm not going to say his name) who happens to be a narcoleptic, insomniac, middle class man with an OK desk job at a car company. The story takes a turn for the interesting when he befriends a strange yet interesting man names Tyler Durden. The two become great friends and later form "Fight Club"; a club made up of men who feel enslaved by consumerism and just want a good outlet. And for the sake of spoilers, that is all I can tell you about the story.
As far as movie quality, it is spectacular. The movie has extremely well written and well acted characters, with a spectacular cast that fits perfectly into their roles. The dialogue is amazingly well written and it manages to be funny, witty, and non-cliché at the same time. The story is interesting throughout, without a single dull moment (thanks to David Fincher's directing). The musical score is one of the best musical scores ever written, setting the mood perfectly in every scene and making every moment intense- feeling. And even the little details re noticeably good, like the cinematography, special effects, and even the lighting.
But of course, what this movie has become most known for is its ending. I will not spoil anything, but this movie has the most beautiful and satisfying ending that, to this day, I have ever seen in a movie.
Overall, I would say that if you enjoy good acting, directing, story, dialogue, and etc, DEFINITELY see this film (as long as you aren't a stuck-up b**** who has no taste in movies like Rosie O'Donnell)
Fight Club is a uniquely dark (but no tat all depressing) film that immediately pulls you into its world with well written narration that shows you an interesting perspective on the world as we know it. This perspective comes from the main character (no, I'm not going to say his name) who happens to be a narcoleptic, insomniac, middle class man with an OK desk job at a car company. The story takes a turn for the interesting when he befriends a strange yet interesting man names Tyler Durden. The two become great friends and later form "Fight Club"; a club made up of men who feel enslaved by consumerism and just want a good outlet. And for the sake of spoilers, that is all I can tell you about the story.
As far as movie quality, it is spectacular. The movie has extremely well written and well acted characters, with a spectacular cast that fits perfectly into their roles. The dialogue is amazingly well written and it manages to be funny, witty, and non-cliché at the same time. The story is interesting throughout, without a single dull moment (thanks to David Fincher's directing). The musical score is one of the best musical scores ever written, setting the mood perfectly in every scene and making every moment intense- feeling. And even the little details re noticeably good, like the cinematography, special effects, and even the lighting.
But of course, what this movie has become most known for is its ending. I will not spoil anything, but this movie has the most beautiful and satisfying ending that, to this day, I have ever seen in a movie.
Overall, I would say that if you enjoy good acting, directing, story, dialogue, and etc, DEFINITELY see this film (as long as you aren't a stuck-up b**** who has no taste in movies like Rosie O'Donnell)
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