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ungratefulwhelp
Reviews
Security (2017)
Someone should call security to evict this flick from Netflix
One of the worst movies I've ever seen, and I don't say that lightly. The premise is thus: the bad guys want to kill a witness for a drug gang, so they wipe out a team of escorting US Marshals and she legs it to a mall.
Then Banderas and his heroic band of geeks pick them off one by one til at last the cavalry arrive.
It is not remotely in the same league as Die Hard or anything else. It is an appallingly stupid, moronic film which would insult the intelligence of the average cocker spaniel. Granted, Banderas was never a Hollywood A-lister, but it must kill him deep inside to participate in such rubbish given some of the decent movies he has made in his native Spain. Save yourself, it's already too late for me.
What Happened to Monday (2017)
Highly original, very well-acted
As is often said elsewhere, I am entirely baffled by some of the negative reviews of this movie. Genuinely great flicks are few and far between - the Godfather, Unforgiven, etc - which makes you appreciate the quite good ones more.
And this is quite good. I'd go as far as saying it's the most impressive dystopian movie I've seen since the Matrix. Perhaps it's because I'm a writer that I appreciate the originality of this story, with enough twists and turns to keep the viewer hooked to the end. But it's also hard not to be impressed by the strong acting of Rapace.
In the era of endless superhero Marvel borefests, this deserves more. Much more.
Börü (2018)
Cliché-ridden nonsense
This started off so promisingly. The opening terror attack was really well shot and the protagonist arriving at the siege scene with his luggage was a nice touch. But after that, it quickly went downhill. Other reviews have called this series anti-Kurdish and I can see why. The baddies are the usual one-dimensional killers out to spoil everyone's fun and no attempt is made to explain their motives.
I don't know if this was made as a gung-ho tub thumper for a Turkish audience, but that's what it feels like. Think SWAT with Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx, complete with "killer bantz" between the members of the team as they close in on their targets (even when one gunman is hiding behind a nearby wall).
There is no depth of character here, no attempt to do what Fauda did and tell things from the other side. Instead, you've seen it all before in similar American productions and there is nothing worth your time here.
Whiplash (2014)
Utterly mystified by the high rating for what is a terrible film
The only thing I can find to recommend this is the acting of both principles and possibly the drumming skills of Teller.
Firstly, the idea that drumming can be made into the fine art Fletcher is pretending it can is ludicrous. While the director is to be commended on avoiding the usual Hollywood happy ending, the way it does culminate just leaves the viewer feeling entirely nonplussed.
Even some of Andrew's reactions to Fletcher's behaviour are not realistic. It is similarly hard to credit that such an individual could be allowed keep his job in today's ultra-litigious world.
A complete waste of time. Avoid.
O Som ao Redor (2012)
Utterly pointless
Any work, be it cinema, book or play, should be 'about' something. There should be some discernible central theme, a thread that is to be followed, a point that is being made. Otherwise, it is no different to standing in the street and watching life pass by at random.
This film is 'about' nothing. I watched it with my Brazilian wife, having read that it had received a good review in the New York Times. From start to finish, it was a confusing mess of non sequiturs that simply make no sense whatsoever. It is, not to put to fine a point on it, a cinematic turd.
Don't waste your time, there are far better Brazilian films out there than this.