Change Your Image
yoshbuck
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Lists
An error has ocurred. Please try againReviews
A Long Way Down (2014)
Mid 6/10
A very dark yet mostly funny premise where four strangers attempt to commit suicide on the same building rooftop on new year's Eve. The four people are Martin Sharp, J. J., Maureen, and Jesse Crichton. After their strange encounter, they decide to give themselves precisely six weeks to find a reason not to kill themselves. This movie is an excellent setup to show the different perspectives and how people will find a reason to die and maybe live. But sadly, the film rushes most of our main character's stories or doesn't expand on them except one. It's just very abrupt for the most part and sucks cause this movie had great potential.
I will keep my review concise without exposing too much, so I will focus on each of our four main characters. Martin Sharp was a popular and successful morning tv show host until he slept with an underage girl, unbeknownst to him. This leads to him being divorced and unemployed. But despite this, his character needs depth. It's a shame cause Pierce Brosnan is a phenomenal actor, but the script makes Martin think he's okay with his position in life. Only when he tries to jump off the building and mentions how he misses his job are signs of sadness he has. But for the most part, he seems alright.
The next character, who is my second favorite character, is Jesse. She is the youngest in the group, the most free-spirited, and always speaks her mind. Imogen Poots is a very charming actress and plays the character well. Here the main arc deals with sadness by herself due to her sister disappearing. The problem with the film is that movie only explores her brief briefly within the second quarter of the movie (the movie is divided into four parts, focusing on one character.) But most 3/4 of the parts of the film are very lacking or miss the mark of the character they are trying to highlight. This is because they must balance the story of the four of them and the focus character. And for Jesse and Martin, we didn't get enough of them.
For Jesse and Martin, their arcs ended when their movie acts ended. But not J. J. He is an essential character for different reasons, and his arc is throughout the film. But his character is good. J. J's story issue is this one doesn't have a central focus which does resemble his central conflict. Not knowing what to do in life, the film fails to explore this complex theme. It tries to throughout the film but fails to hit home. And his love interest arc was unnecessary, felt too forced, and didn't fit the story well. But the best act was the last one focusing on Maureen and the conclusion.
Toni Colette is already one of my favorite actresses of all time. She sells every role she takes and encapsulates Maureen. Maureen is a very introverted single mom who is quite skittish and has trouble speaking her mind, but she is a very kind woman. She lives with her son, who is disabled, and her entire life centers around his son. But she was up to the building because she wasn't good enough for anybody. She has no friends and bets that others could care for her son better than she does. Among the group, she is the most heart-warming character. Despite being exposed to specific toxicity that Jesse and Martin showcase, she remains kind. And despite that, she highly appreciates them cause they were her first real friends in a long time. And her arc ends with her realizing that some people hold high value for her as I hold high value for her being the best character in the film.
Overall the film is quite decent and is quite wholesome. The performances are adequate, with Imogen Poots and Toni Collete always stealing the show and Toni's character being the best highlight. The film explores how vastly different people can oddly relate to one another and form a strong friendships. Where many people care for you despite different life experiences, and you might find them in the most unlikely places. Excellent movie to watch, but I wish it did justice for all the main characters. Many of their arcs could be more abrupt or expressed throughout the film.
Lucy (2014)
7/10
This movie is relatively simple. It is an introduction to the ideas philosophy holds. Although it could be more profound with its themes, its runtime is too short, and the core theme needs to be more specific to non-existent. Many direct philosophical movies like Transcendence and White Noise don't explore their ideas visually. White Noise is a beautiful film with many high-contrast colors to signify the 80s and VFX elements Transcendance is commendable but doesn't connect with what the movie is saying. But Lucy shines with its visual presentation of the mind reaching a higher usage capacity. Where to the point it is believable, this is what a person using 40% of their brain sees. And not only the flashy digital effects, the practical scene where she is shaking to the walls and ceiling is integral to the film, signifying what's happening to her isn't human, or at least the average standard of humans.
And what I like about this movie is that it has no emotional weight for 2/3 of the film. There may be several emotional high-hats, like Lucy's calling her mom and the French Detective. But the movie only spends a little bit of time on them cause this movie is just a rollercoaster of ideas. At the same time, the film aims to show the possible cool things the human mind can do. Just expect this movie to be a cool teaser of themes for you to expound upon yourself, or else you will end up disappointed. But I said 2/3 cause the first third of the movie sucks. Three things the intro of Lucy with Lucy and Richard is a waste. The villain is utterly useless besides the fact he was the one who 'gave' Lucy the powers, and the exposition lecture of Professor Norman is too cheap (It did spur a meme, so that's a good thing).
This movie is decent to watch if you have the time and interest in a teaser of philosophical ponderings. It could be a better movie cause it is very lacking. The acting performance from everyone is palatable. Scarlet Johansen's performance is just a downgrade version of her performance from Under the Skin. But I enjoyed it cause I just wanted to entertain the idea of how far the human mind can go. A more engaging story can beat this movie and expounds a specific theme that humans can connect to cause this movie is an advanced class presentation that Professor Norman will showcase to his class.
127 Hours (2010)
High 8/10
127 Hours is the movie that depicts the real-life story of Aron Ralston. When he travels to Utah's Canyonlands National Park, upon traveling in Bluejohn's canyon, he feels due to an unstable boulder to the point, the boulder lands on his hand to the side of the wall, making him stuck. And this film retells his experience within those 127 hours. The movie is relatively simple, but Danny Boyle made additions to the film to hype Aron's story with elements that aren't real to the actual event but elevate Aron's intense situation. That can be either through flashbacks or moments of sanity not being present but never straying away from the tone and story, but also depicting these things creatively from either quick cuts or slowed-down scenes.
But what sells this movie is the music and James Franco-the score by A. R. Rahman is perfect. The guitar riffs excellently depict the location of a desert-like canyon to symbolize the head and claustrophobia. And important moments, especially when Aron cut's off his arm, the music shows not fear or pain but pure desperation. And that is accompanied by James Franco's performance. James brings this optimistic persona, suddenly shifting to a hopeless one flawlessly. He also conveys a lot of moments of joy, sadness, and anger. Easily one of his best scenes is when Aron is bored; he shoots himself with his camera and does a little skit about his situation in a talk show format.
Overall, this is a great film that excellently depicts Aron's struggles, but it isn't a simple foretelling of events. Some creative liberty was created to make the film more unique. And the movie with such creative decisions is still respective. After all, real-life Aron Ralston was present when they created this film. The score, soundtrack, and James's single-hand performance are excellent. There is the little length you can go in depicting an event that happened in 127 hours, but Danny somehow made a film where every second matters until it's a satisfying ending. Great movie and such an easy watch, except when he chops his arm.
Courage Under Fire (1996)
Low 9/10
Released in 1996, Courage Under Fire is a War/Drama film that explores the idea of integrity and how different people uphold or neglect it. It is essential to challenge our soldiers even in the heat of battle, whatever that may be. They are true to themselves. This movie has a stellar cast that helps deliver a poignant film. Each of them provides a stunning performance to help enrich the film's plot and drama. But what makes Courage Under Fire a great movie is it's a very humane film. Showing people make mistakes and can sometimes be overwhelmed by their thoughts and emotions. And no matter how you bury your past or feelings, human morality will release the truth.
The film starts with a battle in the Gulf War. Lieutenant Colonel Serling is leading a tank assault. Everything goes smoothly until their position is compromised when a tank from the other side infiltrates their ranks and starts firing at them. Since the battle was at night, identifying the hostile tank was difficult and sadly led to Serling friendly firing on his close friend Captain Boylar. Some time has passed, and Serling is now a Colonel but is currently working on a desk job and contemplating the fact the Army covered what happened to Boyler. Nevertheless, he handles the new task he received at hand, creating the report if Medivac Huey commander, Captain Holden deserves the Medal of Honor, posthumously for her actions in the Gulf War where she was trying to rescue a shot-down Black Hawk-successfully eliminating the enemy T-54 tank but in the cost of her chopper going down.
But they survived the crash and bunkered for the night and waited for rescuers in the morning. Everyone survived the Medivac Huey except Captain Holden. The information Serling was receiving at this moment was from the survivors of the Black Hawk. With the information provided, Serling decides to go to each Holden crew member. He starts with Rady, the co-pilot, but he was injured when the Huey crashed and was unconscious until he was in the hospital. Next is Specialist Andrew Ilario, who was the medic. His claim praises Holden and says she died a hero. But then the story gets conflicted when Staff Sergeant Monfriez gets pissed when he hears one of the sides of the story claims he considered surrender. And his perspective claimed Holden was a coward and scared.
Sergeant Altamayer, another crew member who saw the event, had stomach cancer after the event. He can't communicate properly but shows high signs of regret-upping his dosage of morphine so he may sleep. While investigating, Serling is pressured by his superior, General Hershberg, to finish the report cause the White House is eager to give this award to Holden for being the first female receiver of the Medal of Honor. But Serling is determined to get the truth, especially when Ilario goes AWOL. But during this, he is haunted by his guilt from giving the order to shoot Boylar. But in the end, he can clear his head and take a step toward healing by apologizing to Boylar's parents and revealing the truth. At the same time, able to remove Captain Holden from any doubt about receiving the Medal.
This movie shows that hard choices must be made in the military, and not everyone will agree. But sometimes, you need to respect leadership but, at the same time, challenge it when necessary. And there is a time to obey and disobey specific commands, but you must be according in preserving the integrity of yourself or other people. And make sure you can sleep at night for the decision you made. In the film, we see Serling filling himself with loath and regret, but when provided with a new perspective, he learns to forgive himself and let go of the pain. Sadly cannot be said for Holden's crew besides Rady. As revealed, the three men leave Holden on the ground claiming she died. They said this to avoid being court martial for mutiny. Despite working for some time, their guilt eventually revealed the truth of what happened. Decisions are crucial in the military, and making the right one isn't easy.
The film also highlights the daily struggle of soldiers dealing with their past. The most common being Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD for short. PTSD surely can infect almost any soldier who had a rough encounter. Even if what they did was right or wrong, the film shows we must help these people. Despite Colonel Serling being hard and adamant about knowing the truth, he offers some sides of humanity, especially with his second meeting with Monfriez, who was emotionally unstable for those few minutes. We see the things people do during their struggles. Serling becomes an alcoholic, Ilario becomes a drug addict, and Altamayer lays in a hospital bed, constantly giving himself a lot of morphine not only to mitigate the pain in his stomach but to put himself in a state close to death, sleep. But unlike Serling, who was able to find peace by accepting what happened. Holden's crew couldn't come to terms. Despite what they did, they deserve a second chance to live the rest of their lives in peace.
All of these elements fit together in the script. Every character has a role and relevance to the plot and theme. Many pieces are presented at the film's beginning, and all come together in the movie's final act. Edward Zwick does phenomenal work in this film, easily one of his best films alongside Blood Diamond and Glory. This movie is technically a mystery film, but his direction heavily focuses on the remarkable characters and themes. Compared to the Sherlock Holmes movie, where the crutch of the appeal is how Sherlock will figure out the mystery. It's in reverse, where mystery movies' weight is the satisfaction of everything being revealed. But Courage Under Fire is about the people coming to terms with it after everything is revealed. Look at the Illario's somber scene near the cabin or Serling in the General's office in the third act. Those are the highest peaks of the film.
The film had perfect casting. Meg Ryan is the main highlight for not only acting one scene but the same scene with different expressions depending on the different perspectives Serling receives. We had multiple versions of Holden, ranging from a bold soldier to a cowardly girl and a cold leader. Denzel Washington does what he does best, fully encapsulating the character on screen. He shows a man who has his demons but has stuck to his morals that even though he is pressured not only by external factors but internal problems, he is uncompromising in getting Holden's full story. Among Holden's crew, Lou Diamond, who plays Monfriez, plays an excellent role as a flawed soldier. Despite his passion for the military can make stupid decisions when the stress is upon him. But a young Matt Damon, who plays Ilario, presents him as a man who has been dead on the inside after what has happened. The man starved himself to look like an addict and almost died. My man was dedicated to showing a man who is completely torn.
Overall, the tight script, for the most part, consistently keeps you engaged. A few things felt out of place, like the character Gartner. He is alright and isn't unessential for the story. But his character could be better integrated than the other side characters. And Serling's minor engagements with his family weren't as rich for Serling's arc but highly passable nevertheless if you enjoy films about conflicts within military values like A Few Good Men. Courage Under Fire is highly recommended for you. Courage Under Fire is a film that explores the human condition that is constantly tested in the heat of battle. And how much do people gain or lose their sense of humanity? Also, Sean Astin is briefly in this movie, so that's a plus. Seeing Samwise Gamgee in a different film is always a pleasant thing to see.
M3GAN (2022)
High 6/10
M3GAN is one of the most surprising films to start the year. A sci-fi horror flick about a friendship of an animatronic doll and a little girl. It sounds basic and nothing exciting, but the most significant upside of this film is its plot. The appeal wasn't the doll but why the doll was created in the first place. And for that, we need to start at the beginning of this film's plot. A girl name Cady suffers a tragic car accident in the snow. She survived, but her parents were killed in the collision. Cady's aunt Gemma, the sister of Cady's mom, decides to be her leading guardian.
Gemma is an intelligent robotics engineer working for the toy company Funki. Alongside her co-workers Cole and Tess. They should focus on updating their furby-like toy but instead concentrate on making a life-sized doll called the Model 3 Generative Android, or M3GAN for short. Gemma is a workaholic, seems to have no leisures of any kind, and not a single love interest. And with Cady in the mix, she struggles to find an adamant connection until Cady gets interested in one of her robots, Bruce. Noticing Cady taking a liking to the metallic android, she decides to finish M3GAN to help her focus more on her work and advertise M3GAN to her superiors.
And it works with M3GAN, equipped with advanced self-learning M3GAN became the perfect companion for Cady, especially with a droid dedicated to only one child. But with Cady spending more time with the robot, the distance is widened between her and Gemma. To the point where M3GAN is her outlet to suppress her negative emotions about the trauma she experienced. But all is not well, as M3GAN gets smarter with the time she spends with Cady, the more she is dedicated to protecting her physically and emotionally. As far as being Cady's mother figure, her worse offense is taking drastic measures to eliminate any threat or murder. As this escalates, Gemma has to figure out how to pull Cady's trust back and stop M3GAN.
The movie's theme heavily relates to parents struggling to find a connection with their children in the modern technology age. As children have more access to knowledge and self-leisures, this limits any human relationship. And the movie shows parenting isn't easy, and technology can help us, but it shouldn't be a replacement. This theme is, of course, most apparent with Cady and M3GAN, mirroring a child addicted to their phone. The film makes it more profound, where Cady makes M3GAN the only thing she can approach. Of course, this isn't the first mother robot film. I Am Mother has a similar approach but more on the side of the robot. As for M3GAN, it's on the humane side. But the movie's setting isn't far from today's modern age, so don't expect a hyper-futuristic film, but its being adequate with our timeline makes the plot entirely plausible.
This movie's stars are M3GAN, but more on her later, But Violet McGraw plays Cady well and is the MVP of the film, showing the unexpected emotional swings she shows in the movie. For an 11-year-old, she has such promising talent. Her performance and script realistically depict children. Sometimes they're active and annoying, then hate entirely or love you. Her line delivery accurately has the right emotions, which is ironic since M3GAN can read people's faces. Although I enjoyed Gemma's arc, there needs to be more about her performance-wise. And Allison Williams can act. She plays her role in Get Out as Rose Armitage with a deceiving part. But here, she does okay, but everything is within the script. And a lot of these characters could be more enjoyable.
But two characters that are different from the main ones I enjoyed were Celia and David. You expect David to be the typical misogynist jerk of a boss, but his rude attitude doesn't come as unbearable. He's just an eccentric boss, not the best, but he knows what he's doing and has a clear goal: business. And Celia may be the annoying neighbor, but you sense her loneliness deeply, her only companion being a dog. Both characters stood out in the film. But M3GAN actors knocked it out of the park with Amie Donald playing the robot and Jenna Davis voicing the characters. Amie Donald plays a lot of M3GAN's creepy movements and dances and does an excellent job. And Jenna's vocal performances match the lifelike doll, an innocent girl's voice with a tin of subtle maliciousness.
Now Gemma and Cady are the characters that hold the film's emotional weight. People may complain they don't have much chemistry together, although I want more connection. This is a crucial film to signify the gap between them throughout the film. At the film's end, Gemma makes her first step in taking Cady and being really involved. But the movie doesn't develop their relationship between, movie the times when she tries to connect with Cady aren't exactly impactful. The main focus of such scenes prioritizes the imposing danger M3GAN poses, and they're good scenes but focus on the gap caused by M3GAN and not Gemma's lack of engagement with Cady.
Nevertheless, you root for her toward the end. And there isn't much to be said about the film. My only negative thought is a lot of characters only add a little to the story, like the policeman and Gemma's workmates. There is even a hint of a subplot of Kurt, David's assistant, stealing business secrets, but it turns out he wants to prank David. And Bryan's job is basically to die, his death was already revealed in the trailers, but he doesn't do anything much in the film but be a jerk. And the movie's horror isn't a standout with the film. It's tongue and cheek, but its PG-13 rating made the director play many kills in the film, and it's highly predictable. But overall, it's a good family horror movie that you can enjoy. Not a standout in horror and sci-fi but on using those genres to make a film you can watch with your kids and parents. Good job, M3GAN.
Bluey (2018)
10/10
Indeed the GOAT of all kids' shows where not only kids as young as four could watch it, but anyone the age above that could enjoy the show. That is because Bluey is grounded chiefly in reality, where many episodes can be relatable to many audiences. People may be hesitant to watch the show, with its bright art style and the characters being anthropomorphic dogs. But trust me when I say this show is far more immersive than most shows excellent streaming services are providing. And if you plan to watch this, I highly recommend watching the original/Australian version instead of Disney Plus cause the platform censored a lot of great moments from the show.
What makes Bluey this immersive and relatable show everyone is gawking about? Well, Bluey follows the Heller family. Bandit is the father; Chili is the mother; Bingo is the younger daughter; and Bluey is the main character and older daughter. The movie sees their everyday daily escapades, and that's it. Bluey implements its morals to children through face-value presentation of daily life activities. Usually, shows will create a unique situation that fits the mold of the valuable lesson. Bluey takes a completely simplified route.
Take an example, the first episode titled Magic Xylophone. Where it's Bingo, Bluey, and Bandit playing a freeze-and-unfreeze game but with a xylophone. But the lesson is learning to share, especially in turns of who will control the xylophone. And instead of telling us right in our faces like it's a kindergarten classroom. It tells us by the characters we know Bingo is upset that Bluey is hogging the xylophone not because we are directly told, but because we see Bingo trying to get a turn and gets visibly upset when Bluey refuses. Usually, the lessons are said to us by an adult without any future action. But in Bluey, there is a concept moral, and the animators execute how it will be applied. The show dealt with heavy, serious topics a few times, which I won't mention. But how they portray it is either in a subliminal way, scenes that seem out of context, or implemented well to the plot so people can easily digest it.
Of course, not every episode has to teach morals. Some are just plain fun. In the episode, Grannies is just Bluey and Bingo dressed up as older women and starts terrorizing their home. No profound lesson, but what makes up for it is the level of belief that this is how people act. Not only the children who are sometimes annoying and sometimes a bit spoiled but adults as well. We see them trying their best to care for their children, even though they are visibly exhausted. And when they are making mistakes, they try to make amends. The dialogue is perfect. Usually, a show like this would do toddler talk, but most of the dialogue is just ordinary people speaking. (Although it's hard to believe none of the Australians are swearing, their "swear" word is basically "biscuits")
The animation is perfect. Of course, there are animation mishaps. But those are entirely insignificant to the show's level of detail and movement. The details from character designs are unique. They completely match the voice actors and actresses (which are top-tier since they use actual children to voice children). The room designs and backdrops are second to none. They feel like they are alive. These rooms and environments are real, and if you see one of the backdrops at first, you may think it's from a dumb show. It may be heavily saturated, but it ultimately catches your eye, giving you a blissful experience. And you wouldn't mind the animation liberties they take in the show since the story and character completely entrances you. It not only merges but compliments the animation.
The only nitpick is that they sometimes make the children a bit too smart; basically, they need to act more like Muffin, one of the show's most genuine characters. But even though this would happen, it wouldn't improve the show at an exceptional rate. The show is already at a very high bar where whatever decision they make will bring them up. And there is still a lot to unpack in this show, from the style of parenting of Bandit, the comedy, the emotional highlights, and even the musical score of the show. Let me summarize all those. They are perfect.
That said, Bluey is the greatest kid's show of all time. Nobody even comes close. You may say this is due to its target audience being four. It wouldn't receive much praise if targeted at a much older audience. And I beg to differ. If it were targeted to an older audience, many people would still love it and see it as suitable for their little ones. Bluey is the best thing that has come out from Australia since Steve Irwin. Overall, a perfect show.
Knives Out (2019)
High 8/10
The best part of knives out is that this movie took extreme creative liberty in the murder mystery genre. Instead of asking a question of "whodunnit," it is making the audience demand the whole picture, showing what happened in the eyes of our main character Marta Cabrera, who first saw Harlan's suicide. Before I go in-depth with the movie's plot, characters, and themes, let me address the giant elephant in the room, Rian Johnson. Before Knives Out, he was in hot water due to The Last Jedi. My issues with that film completely correspond with Rian himself. He has excellent vision and ensures everything is connected to his specific idea. Still, what fails him, sometimes he pushes the wrong component of that idea, where the flaws within his writing cannot be fixed through minor tweaks but through entire rewrites.
Thankfully he finds a balance of idea and execution in Knives Out. And this movie shows that he had the chops to write good movies. Granted not perfect, but the man knows how to express his clear vision on screen with this movie. So how did he achieve this? He achieved this with one crucial factor, the theme. The theme of the film is that a good heart that exists will always win. Even though this doesn't seem evident in the real world, But Knives Out shows how goodness wins when it doesn't go unnoticed. The movie focuses on this revelation that Marta Cabrera is directly connected to Harlan's death and has to cover any suspicion that she committed foul play (which she didn't). And later, the pressure builds up when Harlan Thrombey leaves everything to Marta cause he finds her worthy of inheriting everything he gained with his works.
And she stays true to herself where she stands firm to her convictions despite money and situation. Unlike Harlan's family, they are willing to backstab and leech from others. And this is a great transition to talk about the cast and characters. Also the subliminal political themes with immigrants are quite integrated nicely with the film. Ana de Armas kills the role of Marta, instead of being the typical sexy woman figure where strength is her looks like in some films she made. Ana plays Marta as a simple, kind-hearted woman with a solid sense of willpower. Daniel Craig has too much fun playing Benoit Blanc, a southern pose detective. And it isn't his first time doing a southern accent. He played one in Logan Lucky. But these movies it's much more profound and has one of the best and most hilarious sets of lines.
Among the Thrombey's, Chris Evans plays an excellent role as the villain of the story Ransom. And a spoiled brat in the family and one of the smartest. While Ransom's mother, Linda, played by Jamie Lee Curtis, plays a terrific role as the only character that shows genuine sadness in the family with Harlan's death. The rest of the cast did pretty well, Michael Shannon and Toni Collette are phenomenal actors, but I would be lying if I said they brought their endgame, which isn't their fault. The script doesn't explore much depth within them. But all these characters are well integrated into the plot, and to summarize my thoughts on the story. It's a High 8/10, especially when everything gets wrapped up by Benoit in the end. Excellent setups and twists all around.
The issues of the movie are pretty, like Fran going alone without the cops, Ransom clearly being the villain, and Donna, who's Donna? Nobody in the film. But this movie has a lot of style of goofiness mixed with a lot of serious motifs in the film. Help create Knives out this murder mystery for teens seem like a family movie. Overall I say this movie was able to redeem a Rian Johnson to show of his chops as a writer. Where he brings a lot of charm and clear vision in his scripts. A surprise for sure, but a welcoming one, especially a lovely twist on the murder mystery genre.
White Noise (2022)
High 4/10
I only knew about this movie cause I was an LCD Soundsystem fan, and they haven't released any new music since 2018. And the fact this was a Noah Baumbach film, I had pretty good expectations for this film. Sadly New Rhumba Body is the best thing that comes out of this movie. White Noise is a heavy philosophical movie but implements the mundane everyday lives of our characters. And exciting premise and the film had terrific built-up but never really surmounted into anything in the end. This is a shame cause a lot of talent is present in the movie. They had an excellent launch but failed to stick to the landing.
The movie follows a Hitler Studies Professor, Jack Gladney. He is married to Babette, and they have four children, but the first three children came from Babette's previous relationships. They lived in a lovely suburban town living their primarily everyday lives until they were forced to evacuate from their home due to a toxic spill from a train accident. So we follow them before, during, and after the incident. Multiple philosophy lessons are sprinkled throughout the dialogue, and Noah nicely implements them within the script. From knowledge, violence, love, and even if the synthesized products we consume are healthy for us. It mostly doesn't feel forced, like telling to the audience, but it invites us to explore this conversation. Also, this is supported by the cast's performances being very natural.
The issue is the presentation of the film's final message: Babette and Jack are anxious about death. Death is everywhere in this film. Either it's dead characters or an expression of their not wanting to receive an end. When Babette takes an experimental drug to quiet them, Jack's anxiety worsens when he is told some of his years were taken away due to him being too exposed to the toxic cloud. The film wanted to conclude where to not pressure ourselves with unanswered questions and the time of our death. And instead, focus on spending with those with you right now. And this is the only time in the movie where the philosophy isn't trying to invite, but it just tells us directly in our faces, thru a nun. And that's it. It felt forced, unplanned, and completely anti-climatic.
And that's the entire movie, so much build, but it seems they had no excellent third act in the end. We had this useless plot line of Babette sleeping with this guy named Mr. Gray, and that was it. It never really brought any real tension between the couple. And the children's relationship is heavily underdeveloped, the closest being Denise, but she's more of a plot pusher. Back to the philosophy of the film, even though death was the center of White Noise because that was the center of the two main characters. Nothing else connects, even though putting philosophical ideas in most everyday situations sounds fun, but if it is tied to a single plot, there has to be something to connect with it all.
Overall, not a good movie. It had no proper ending-such a waste for a good cast like Adam Driver, Greta Gerwig, and Don Cheadle. The visuals were pretty nice. And this movie's genres are very confusing. It said horror and comedy, but only there is only one scene that corresponds with them. What made me happy was that there was a small indirect reunion of the Gorillaz track "Do Ya Thing," where James Murphy made New Rhumba Body which is a 10/10 song, in my opinion, and Andre 3000 played a minimal role as a teacher, where both Andre and James were featured in the track. So don't watch White Noise but listen to "Do Ya Thing," the full 13-minute version.
Glass Onion (2022)
High 5/10
Glass Onion is a very weak sequel. The movie isn't all bad, but it is too pretentious for what it tries to be. The symbolism, meta setting, and characters can lead to a terrific story that is not only a great mystery film but also a thought-provoking one. Before I focus on the movie itself, let me compare one thing from Knives Out, and that is the main character. Benoit Blanc may be an enjoyable character and fun to watch, but he wasn't the core. It was Marta Cabera. The movie's emotional weight, the crux of the subtle message about the best person to receive wealth, and the plot's primary focus. Benoit's job is to unravel the onion, donut, or mystery. Glass Onion doesn't have a focus character, which already damages the movie.
And I know some of you are saying this movie is just fun. Not meant to be taken seriously, it explores the idea of stupidity and simple-mindedness. Ok, but a film like this still needs a character we can focus on, so we can connect all of it. Benoit was the focal point in the first half, then shifted to Helen, which can work, but here is the film's most significant offense. The 3rd and 4th quart of the film is a considerable drag. The 3rd-quart wastes too much time rewinding the movie from the beginning. And a lot of the explanations are too simple-minded and far too convenient. Usually, we stretch our disbelief at the convenience of mystery films. But Glass Onion takes it too far. With the twin and the diary.
Even the climax is so dull, long, unnecessary, and stupid, from the red letter intact, too much time wasted in the glass wrecking scene, and the Mona Lisa being burned. You may say this is to highlight the message of stupidity and oblivious things. And I agree it does stress it, but it doesn't mean it makes the movie any better. The film drags, has too many mind-numbing moments, and no central character to tie everything together. The movie is a Glass Onion cause at the center of it is nothing but stupidity. But it ended up dumbing itself to a point where the film became a dumb, dull, thumb-down film.
The only thing that saved this movie was the cast and characters. Granted, they are nothing special and a significant downgrade from knives out, but they aren't a bore to watch. We see excellent performances from Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Kate Hudson, and the Star of the movie (despite my grievances with the twin sister plot line). Janelle Monae killed the role of Helen and Andi. And some of the meta things in the movie were a nice touch in some scenes. Glass Onion's characters were far better than the plot. Overall not exactly a disappointment since I didn't have any expectations for the film. But the movie is so intentional. There is no way I can see this film fixing its flaws. It built up within the first half but crumbled throughout the second half. It is a very mid-movie.
Road to Perdition (2002)
High 8/10
Road to Perdition - High 8/10
Road to Perdition is better than the original comic that the film adapted. Both stories are an allegory of the de-glorifying idea of violence set in the depression era, where the mafia led by Al Capone was most prevalent. The movie follows Michael Sullivan junior as he recounts his life and his father, Michael Sullivan senior. Michael senior was fathered at a young age by John Rooney, a notorious crime boss. But despite John being part of the mafia, he took a liking to Michael senior. Michael senior is his top guy, follows orders, is very smart, and is a hardcore killer. But he doesn't act out of spite but through necessity. Michael junior is aware of his father's work but never really saw it firsthand. Michael junior love violence or action, at the very least, prevalent to his interest in western action novels.
But one day, Micahel Junior snuck into his father's car and witnessed his father doing his work alongside Connor Rooney, John's son. Michael senior tells his son not to say a word, and junior promises, but Connor decides to take matters into his hand. One evening he breaks into Sullivan's home and murders Michael's wife and his youngest son, Peter. With this, Michael junior is in shock and blames himself, while Michael senior feels the same for choosing this life and then swears vengeance. John Rooney, appalled, lashes out at conner, but Connor being his only son, vows to protect him. With this Michael, Sullivan does anything in his path to kill his wife's and son's murderer, alongside his son.
The movie is better than the comic because the film presents the message better. The violence of Road to Perdition is very restrained, most of the deaths are either through offscreen kills or bloodless kills, and the camera focuses more on a dead body than the action of them being killed. The light action highlights the theme of the horrors of violence. In contrast, the original comic is very graphic, even though it's black and white. The comic makes him kill some people for no reason, unlike in the movie it's calculated and necessary. Also, the comic is like an action comic where most characters are comically evil, and all feel human in the film. Connor Rooney is a maniacal man in the comic, but he is just a pampered man in the movie and is a critical disappointment to his father. And in the movie, Connor is solely responsible for the murder of Michael's wife and son, but in the comic, his father is the mastermind.
With that, let us go to the cast and characters. Tom Hanks was perfect for the role of Michael Sullivan. The comic described him as the Angel of Death; he had a face of a good man but always gave a stern look. And when he kills, it's not out of pleasure but necessity, unlike Jude Law's character, who is entranced with the idea of death. Paul Newman plays an excellent role as John Rooney by showing feelings of conflict with his real son and his son figure, Michael senior. John Connor's character and Michael Sullivan senior are similar in their actions. They are calculated and necessary. The way they react to things is controlled, and when they lash out or get too emotional, they are either intentional or at a breaking point.
This movie highlights the father and son dynamic, and John is protecting his son even though he is more of a burden than a reliable successor. At the same time, Michael's love for him is different and unique. Due to the fact he sees too much in his firstborn son as a reflection of himself. The only thing he can give isn't what could be but what he shouldn't be. In their predicament, the two bond and appreciate one another. In the end, Michael junior learns to love his father and accept his father's wishes to take the wheel of his life and decide where he wants to be.
The cinematography is astonishing. As we have calculated characters, the movie shots are calculated. The movie's color grading is perfect. Instead of bright sunny America, we see a mostly gray and devoid-of-color setting. To signify the nation's current status and set the tone of being a straightforward movie where people do things because it doesn't make them happy but must be done. It gives a noir-esque vibe. This movie also has one of the best long shots in the cinema. You feel every second of the tension the film presents. Strategic jump cuts are in the movie, but most of the highest moments are slow steps toward the plunge of the scene. To support these scenes, the score is melancholic, signifying that nobody wants to do what they are doing. But they force themselves to do it.
The only things I had an issue with were the core character of the film and Jude Law's character, Harlen Maguire. I'll start with Harlen; he is vital in the film's conclusion and connected with the film's message. But set those things aside, he doesn't play a significant role. He helps prolong the movie when Michael figures out they know about Perdition. His character could've been more integrated into the plot, and he's a face-value secondary antagonist. In the end, he doesn't leave a mark on the film and doesn't justify his face being in the main poster. But my main issue is the underdevelopment of Michael Junior. He is primarily a boring character. I don't blame the actor; it's the script that heavily constrained him to show more of his personality through his personal feelings towards himself and his dad and his evolution from admiring violence to finding it appalling.
But overall, this is a unique movie within the genre of gangster movies. The film implements themes of fathers and sons, the rejection of the glorification of violence, and the importance of choosing your path in life. The film had terrific performances from Tom Hanks, Stanley Tucci, Paul Newman, Daniel Craig, and Tyler Houchin. Stunning visuals and an emotional score. Road to Perdition is one of the best gangster movies that the whole family can enjoy. Instead of being cool like Goodfellas, it shows the reality of crime and the consequences people make for their reasons.
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Mid 9/10
Top Gun: Maverick - Mid 9/10
This movie takes a simple idea of mentorship to the max. This film deserves all the praise for being an excellent movie and an incredible sequel. In the art of filmmaking, execution is critical in keeping the audience hooked, and Maverick successfully did it from start to finish. There are three things the movie successfully executed, its visuals, characters, and nostalgia.
First, the visuals; Maverick made sure to make this one of the coolest movies ever. They ensured all their jet scenes were top-of-the-line, from actual footage of real-life jets to excellent compositing of digital planes. The movie makes you believe you are watching a real-life mission. This movie is stunning, even the shots without the aircraft. The scenes on the beach can signify good times, like when the pilots play football, or uncertainty and sadness when Maverick tells Penny he's going on a mission. Props to the director for keeping the visuals consistent throughout the film's entire runtime.
Second, the characters; this movie makes sure to highlight essential characters but give secondary characters their distinct characterization, signifying their justification for being part of the movie. I'll mention one example, the pilots. The first film only characterizes the important pilots, while the rest are just not doing anything. But Maverick makes all the pilots important by first showing them their nicknames and the goal of picking the best of the best. Although the pool scene shows the main pilots that the film will highlight, the rest of the pilots aren't just useless bags of nobody. They play a role in the story, and although minor, they mark themselves as actual characters in the story.
Last but not least is nostalgia; this entire film is built upon one factor of the previous movie. That Maverick's old partner, Goose, died; in this movie, he's dealing with the conflict he has with Goose's only son, Rooster. This idea is the core conflict of the film. There may be an evil army, but the movie is more about the conflict of a family that isn't by blood. The movie also builds up legacy characters. In the first movie, we see Maverick as the cockiest pilot, but in this movie, we see him still cocky, but time has made him wiser and more meticulous. Even Iceman was essential for Maverick's arc and the arc of the audience that people may come and go, but what's important is what they left behind.
And in that sense, Maverick has left behind a symbol where sequels of old franchises can work if it is built upon execution. My only issue with this movie is the lack of expounding of the pilots finally being as a team and Hangman's arc. This movie may not be perfect as a solo film, but it's an excellent sequel. Where audiences old and new can connect and embrace movies that can bring out the youth of everyone by being awesome and profound at the same time. It shows Hollywood can make good blockbusters if the right people are placed.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022)
Mid 4/10
Rings of Power (Season 1) - Mid 4/10
Rings of power is one of the most mediocre series ever. Before I go to that, let's talk about the positives. Amazon didn't waste money in finding the look of Middle-Earth. Many scenes are just beautiful and make you feel in Tolkien's world without feeling like a copy-paste from the LOTR trilogy. To accompany beautiful scenery, the score is something else. From the underground tone of Khaza-dum's themes to the pitiful music of the Southlands, the music theme of the show is plain magical. The best character goes to Princess Disa. She provides so much gentleness and hospitality in every scene she is present.
Now to the wrong things of Rings of Power. There is so much, but the worst part it's stuck in the level of mediocrity. Why mediocrity feels worse than a terrible film cause bad films have no redeeming qualities (mostly), or their effort was there, but the fundamentals of the film/series didn't work. At the same time, mediocre projects show that the writers didn't try to expound the script and build the characters deeply. Of course, there are better episodes than others. They have better pacing and characters' moments and help push the story properly. But with so much to talk about, I want to focus on two things in my review: lore-breaking moments and the show's theme.
The show's lore-breaking moments aren't a big thing for me to determine the show's quality. It does infuriate me on a critical level, like the look of Numenor, the forging of the Elven Rings, and the alteration of Galadriel. But the entire show is completely altered, causing it to feel so distant from the source material that comparing it is unnecessary for the most part. So most of the criticisms I have are about the technical levels of what the showrunners tried to make, and there is a lot they did wrong. But the first thing is the show's core theme, and there isn't any.
With that, the show is a mess of random events. They may be connected "storywise," but that's how far the show's events are linked. Lord of The Rings had many storylines but fell under the theme of fighting evil with the strength we possess in any shape or form. Rings of Power is loosely connected to the point it can be labeled as an anthology series. Sadly, this is one of the most expensive shows, and it used its money for the VFX and costumes but didn't bring the high-quality writing we expected. For every Invincible or The Boys, we have a Rings of Power. There's still a lot that went wrong with this series, but I don't want to waste my time. And don't waste yours by watching 8 hours of mediocrity.
Overcomer (2019)
Mid 4/10
Overcomer - Mid 4/10
Another movie by Alex Kendrick, and I'm a fan of his work. Films like Courageous, Fireproof, and Facing the Giants. What I like about those films is that they were good Christian movies-finding a striking balance of filmaking and Biblical application. Sadly this film fails at one of those aspects. And that aspect is filmmaking. Where the three movies I mentioned were able to develop their characters, expound on their situation, and show moments where our Christian faith is being tested, Overcomer fails. Not saying such things didn't appear in the film, but they weren't fleshed out that much. But before I go to the things that failed, let me start with the positives of this film.
The movie's central theme is very excellent. Where the most significant thing to overcome is ourselves, it's even in the movie poster where it says, "What Do You Allow To Define You." We see all our main characters trying to improve/build upon themselves. Whether from completely changing your entire identity like Thomas Hill, finding one like Hannah Scott, or even if you found who you are like John Harrison, he can still make improvements. As Christians, we must constantly acknowledge that we are a work in progress, despite our status and age. The film shows we get better not because of what we give to ourselves but what God gives. And the Lord gives us opportunities and strength to help us from our struggles. Those may be external issues like Hannah's asthma or internal issues like Barbara Scott's grudge towards Thomas.
So there's nothing wrong with the movie's message, but the execution is where Overcomer stumbles. Let's start with the core character of the film, Hannah Scott. The actress did okay, but the script doesn't offer her anything special. She steals stuff, but without rhyme or reason, the writers must have connected her theft impulses to her lacking parents or insecurity. I said insecurity cause the movie should've explored her questioning her identity as an athlete, where she is one of the last people to win the first race, not because she's weak but because of the belief of not being good enough to compete.
The lack of exploring the central conflict could have been much better. The movie should've expounded that connecting with Thomas Hill can either heal an old wound or make them worse. Hannah having a lack of identity was significant. She could explore setting her identity in the way of the Lord by forgiving and being soft-hearted or the way of hatred and pain towards her father and seeing herself as a pathetic woman. But the movie doesn't do that, even with the conflict with her grandmother mainly being underplayed. Besides one scene, the issue resolves itself. The lack of conflict development applies to the brief conflict between Amy and John. It's essential to the story and characters but needs to be integrated better into the film for it to stand out and be profound to the audience.
The acting isn't anything egregious, but it made me feel bored most of the time. But there are times that they are trying too much to the point it feels forced and not natural. But you can still relate to the film on a surface level. Overall this movie lacked the exploration of its characters, causing the film to be stale. This Christian movie doesn't fall under the unbiblical/garbage movie category or a film that casual enjoyers can watch. Overcomer is within the category of watching it with family or for Bible studies.
The Fall (2006)
10/10
The Fall 10/10
The Fall explores the importance of the innocence of a child. The story follows two main characters, Roy Walker, a stuntman from Hollywood, and Alexandria, a Romanian-born girl. They both meet in a hospital; Alexandria walks around with a cast on her right arm and encounters Roy. Roy is paralyzed for attempting a dangerous stunt for the film. Bed-ridden, Alexandria meets up with him after she tries to find a letter she dropped from the window. They become close after Roy starts making a story to entertain Alexandria, a tale of adventure and heroes. As Alexandria visits, hoping for the continuation of the tale. But Roy has an alternative motive. He wishes to gain the trust of Alexandria to retrieve a bottle of morphine so he may kill himself.
The central conflict is the mind of an adult and a child. In this sense, Roy thinks he doesn't have any hope or anything to live for at the moment. At the same time, Alexandria sees mostly everything at face value. The film wants us to underestimate the ability of the child. Roy believes he can continue to keep his charade, thinking she will never know his ultimate plan. But eventually, Alexandria figures out what's happening to him. Roy finally adds elements of his natural life story in the made-up story. Elements leading to Roy's desire to end his life, thinking he's forever paralyzed and lost the love of his life, he sees no hope. But the beauty of the innocence of a child is that they can set their minds on one thing at a time. And looking at the life of Roy, Alexandria sees him as a good person and friend. Believing good things will come.
The conflict is prevalent within the story itself, where Roy's story may have fun, love, and awesomeness, but he tries to overshadow them with the harshness of the world, like death and unfair events, making the story dark. But Alexandria adds more light tone elements to the story. Even though the narrative doesn't make sense, she adds them due to her optimistic nature. The conflict concludes when Alexandria hurts herself in trying one final time to get Roy the pills. Roy gets reprimanded, so he makes one last effort to drive Alexandria away. He tries to finish his story by trying to kill everyone in the story, portraying himself as a hopeless man who doesn't deserve kindness. But Alexandria doesn't see Roy as hopeless and doesn't accept how Roy is describing the story and himself. But in the end, Alexandria prevails by showing unrelenting hope and optimism. Thanks to her naive nature, it gives Roy a second chance towards himself.
The Fall appreciates the simple-mindedness and naive nature of children. Although they're curious, they wouldn't get the full scope of certain things, but it doesn't mean they can't form an opinion. And sometimes, we need simple views and not hush them away. Alexandria isn't a girl that hasn't experienced hardships, and she lost her home and father in Romania. And she isn't unbiased either, for she sees Roy as a close father figure, meaning she may be trying to preserve what she has lost before.
But most importantly, her broad optimism toward Roy. As we grow up, the reality of many things comes right to our faces. And usually stick to the "reality" of things, either positive or mostly negative. But children will seek the best things that are good.
With such an excellent and basic message, the film compliments it with one of the most beautiful films ever created. Thanks to the incredible vision of Tarsem Singh and cinematogrpher Colin Watkinson. The best part of the visuals, it fits the narraqtive. Exotic locations across the world signify how vast someone's imagination can be. Color pallettes/schemes to represent parts of Roy's imagination and Alexandria's. This movie showed almost every color you know from the top of your head. This movie is primarily practical effects, but even the cgi perfectly blends with the scene. The level of detail is also astonishing, from it being a semi-period piece, in 1915. Elements of the natural world inspired some aspects of Roy's story and the vast cultures shown shining individually. The Fall is a perfect example of visual storytelling.
Overall, there is a lot more to praise about this film. The stunning performances of Lee Pace as Roy, Catinca Untaru as Alexandria, and everyone else were able to complement the movie. The same goes for the primary six main heroes of Roy's story, where they have their personalities and presence. The script is very well fleshed out, the dialogue is fluid, and no single line of dialogue is misplaced. The director wasted only a second on the writing, visuals, and emotional motifs. For me, this is a perfect movie, Hands Down. There is nothing wrong I find about this movie, so watch it.
Ghostbusters (1984)
High 8/10
Ghostbusters Mid 8/10
A movie that feels outdated is surprisingly enjoyable. It's really by the books, and the movie isn't the most fleshed-out movie. We jump towards the plot and stay there for the ride. The story is straightforward to follow. But its simplicity provides a more laid-back approach for the audience. The film is a real "show don't tell" with their characters. The characters are very distinct, even none of them have any growth or storyline. You see them as individuals through their mannerisms and the things they say. The characters find a balance of comical to somehow realistic. From Egon being the most comical but serious, Ray is the most realistic but nervous guy, and Dr. Peter is the balance between being smug and a bit of a loveable a**hole.
The mixture of the story and characters is enjoyable to watch. Thanks to its simplicity, the dialogue keeps itself from cringing by leaning towards realism. By making it feel genuine, the performances aren't Oscar-worthy but are simple enough to make people enjoy the movie. This is thanks to the excellent improvisations of Bill Murray and many of the cast. Rick Moranis' character is a great punching bag for the film. And the best character to punch is Walter Peck. They are not perfect, especially since the rapey nature of Dr. Peter is very wrong at times, but he isn't like this throughout the movie.
The VFX used in this movie is phenomenal and iconic. The effects of their ghosts, from Slimmer to the Marshmallow Man and their proton guns, make the piece memorable. There is a reason why a lot heavily remember this movie of people. It's very distinct with its props and its monsters. The negative of this movie is that some scenes feel dull like they don't care or don't make it exciting. But the cast performances make up for it. The movie doesn't explore many things, like their personal relationships, especially Janine's crush on Egon. This is because this film aims to entertain audiences. And usually, films for the sake of being made are fun, but this movie had a goal of being entertaining in their way, so that was able to lead the film to be a success. Oh, and the film wastes Winston.
Overall, Ghostbusters is a good movie that gives a great time for everyone. This movie is quite challenging to analyze due to the film being basic. There isn't much to deconstruct. What you see is what you get. And you get a GGM (Good Ghost Movie.)
Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
Mid 4/10
Before I go to why this movie is horrible, I like the story and fundamentally didn't ruin Thor's character. I was scared they made him the ultimate loser, like in the comics. Luckily they didn't do that. I fancy he is a leader for the next generation. He cares for others, especially children. I like how Jane foster got the hammer and her storyline in general. There are lovely visuals like the Gorr planet and some jokes I wanted, like the dumpling god. Initially, Gorr was such a delight; you felt sorry for him and understood his motivations. Now let's get to why this movie sucks.
The execution is terrible; it doesn't take itself seriously most of the time. There are too many jokes for the audience to care about what's happening on screen. It failed to make us feel anybody was in danger. The Bluetooth speaker joke ruined a Jane scene. And Korg was just the most annoying character on screen. He spews so many jokes, and most of them suck. The movie's jokes butchered the characters, showing that the writers and director didn't care about them. There is no joke about Gorr, but he wasn't further developed.
A lot of things feel wasted in this movie. The appearance of the Guardians is utterly useless. Christian Bale and Russel Crowe are phenomenal actors but underutilized, one ****holded and the other turned into a clown. The re-introduction of Valkyrie was exciting but immediately ruined due to the lack of care. Overall this movie is a waste of time. It's not the worst movie to watch, thanks to being consistently mid. This movie is one of the biggest disappointments of the MCU. Just goes to show the MCU is having issues with keeping consistent good film-making.
The Interview (2014)
Mid 8/10
The Interview is a comedy movie that explores the idea of giving an interview with North Korea's dictator Kim Jong Un. Where James Franco plays Dave Skylark, a prominent entertainment news celebrity. While he provides the charisma for his quests, he is aided by his producer Aaron Rapaport, played by Seth Rogen. It turns out Kim Jong-Un is a show fan, and soon Aaron and Dave found themselves in Kim's home. Of course, the US government will take this chance to take him down, especially since his nuclear war threats have become more apparent to the world. It may seem easy enough, but the issue is quite bizarre. Seems like Dave took a liking to Kim and thinks he is just a confused, sad man.
The film explores ideas like the power of media and how much it presents real news. Especially the idea of how to kill a prominent leader was killing them might make it worse with the possibility of portraying them as a martyr. So the best way is to humiliate them. The show may raise severe topics and themes, but the movie focuses on being a comedy. The plot is quite ridiculous and just aims to entertain you. Because of that, the film doesn't feel like pushing a message down your throat. It's dedicated to mocking Kim Jong-Un and being a funny movie.
Overall, it's a good comedy movie. The movie is really well paced. Profound moments are really supported by comedy, but the humor doesn't always land, though. This movie just really provides a fun time, thanks to the performances. Generally, the cast did alright, but the best goes to James Franco. A mixture of a good friend and a bro douchebag. This movie is probably one of the best political movies without being pushy.
Demolition (2015)
Low 9/10
Demolition is a beautiful movie that explores the idea of grief. The idea is, what if someone doesn't feel sad after a tragedy happens? This movie focuses on Davis after a tragic accident that took his wife. He relatively seems alright after the event. As everyone gives him the time and space to grieve, he instead uses that to explore himself by deconstructing his personal psyche. He takes down his adult professional persona and takes a more child-like approach to life. He still does responsible things, but most of the time, he is doing the things just for pure enjoyment but none of them to the point of being morally wrong.
I don't want to spoil this movie; spoiling one bit will ruin your experience. Unfortunately, that happened to me, which kinda died down. And really lacks high replay value, you basically see what you get. But still, Demolition is a perfect film that explores grief, where it takes time to understand your emotions. Overall, even though I ruined my experience a bit, this movie is the pure perfection of a laid-back emotional rollercoaster ride. And one of the most one-of-a-kind films of all time. Also, the Jake Gyllenhal dancing meme originated here.
The Hateful Eight (2015)
High 9/10
The Hateful Eight - High 9/10
This is one of the tightest scripts I have ever seen in a film, and it should be. This movie is basically a possible murder mystery film, so it needs to keep the tension. Quentin Tarantino is excellent at maintaining pressure, from the intro of Inglourious Basterds to Jules' "what" scene in Pulp Fiction. He basically made a horror film without the horror aspect. And the most fantastic thing is this movie keeps its tension in one location, a cabin. The benefit of just one area is that the audience memorizes the entire layout of the set, so it will have impact when something surprising happens.
But with a tight script, it needs an excellent cast to project the script. And everyone fits right in. The cast steals the show in their own way, but Kurt Russel and Samuel L. Jackson steal the moment every time. They both show power; Kurt's character John Ruth shows a more aggressive approach. Wherever he goes, he makes sure he is no one to mess with. While Samuel's character, Major Warren Marquis, is more meticulous and calculated. The other characters are terrific; Daisy is an unhinged, unpredictable woman, Chris seems like a happy-go-lucky fellow, Oswaldo the proper Englishman, and many more. Their performances are top-tier, fitting for a top-tier script. The dialogue is flawless; not a single word feels out of place, either telling a story or insulting one another. Just goes to show the intense details between the script and cast.
This movie has an excellent western presence, better than Django Unchained cause that movie is more a period piece. While Hateful Eight is a full-on western. The tension of not trusting anybody, set pieces are well detailed, and of course, Ennio Morricone. The legendary composer himself scored this movie, and the score is just perfect. And, of course, this movie has that infamous Tarantino gore, so squibs galore are present in this film. This movie has a lot of excellent themes that relate to a lot of westerns. Every man for himself, lies, violence, and frontier justice.
Overall, this is one of Tarantino's best, showing his ability to make a tight film that captures the pure attention of the audience. This movie's themes are worth exploring and deep but are presented entertainingly. My issue is once the secret is revealed in the film, the tension highly dissipates. But enough pressure is still present to keep you invested in the movie. Trust me when I say this, you would love The Hateful Eight.
Oblivion (2013)
High 8/10
One of the most grounded sci-fi of all time. This movie feels natural and entirely plausible thanks to its set design and tone of the film. Most sci-fi films go above and beyond to form unbelievable set scenes and entrance us into worlds beyond. But Oblivion takes a more minimalist and clean approach. It makes the landscapes feel believable, and the science stuff seems not so far from our current technology.
The story has a fantastic theme of the human psyche from the main character Jack, where we see his passion of curiosity contrary to his workmate Victoria who just wants to get the job done. I don't want to spoil much of this film, but the film may have this resounding theme. The story is by the books and mostly predictable. But it doesn't degrade the movie, thanks to the film's strong ability to fully immerse you with the world.
Overall, one of the best minimalist sci-fi movies of the 2010s. It's VFX never miss. The star-power isn't really a highlight of this film, none of their performances is really oscar worthy, but they did a good job. This movie is worth watching from start to finish. There is never an unnecessary moment, a moment of action, terror, or bliss. This film is a by-the-books great film.
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
High 8/10
Everything Everywhere All at Once - High 8/10
This movie deserves all the praise it receives. The most notable thing this movie exceeds is its uniqueness due to its amalgam of genres and visuals. From the writing, cast performance, and visuals, these components, under the guidance of the writers and director, created one of the freshest and over-the-top films of the year. Reviewing this movie in detail seems like an impossible task, for many factors contribute to this movie's level of success. So this review will dissect the thing that stood out the most.
The movie has incredible diversity, not only a variety of people but also visions. The movie focuses on the theme of life, people's dreams and choices in life, as well as the theme of family. A film that explores the idea of the multiverse is truly represented when the filmmakers make us see the different universes, where it seems like we are watching another movie. The visuals are amazing, from its practical effects mixed with VFX, in most scenes and its action scenes. This movie blends a lot elements from it's various set pieces, costumes, and even character design. However, despite all the other elements, the film revolves around a single lesson: everybody always has a choice every day.
The film grasps many themes like passions in life, optimism, family relations, and the idea of nihilism. However, all of them are connected with the idea of the choices we make. On the side of passion, Evelyn is shown countless universes where she is succeeding in life and not working on a laundry mat. Furthermore, she feels she wasted her life and has certain regrets. Her daughter Joy has her struggles, thinking her life is meaningless and wants it to be over. However, not for her sake, but for bringing burdens to her family. Both Evelyn and Joy are burdened by the weight of family expectations. But thankfully, there is Waymond. Let's say his answer in the vast universe is being optimistic in life. Where life can bring you down, you smile up above.
Overall, this movie has a lot of things that can be explored. But one thing I love about this movie this feels like a love letter to cinema with pure maximalism. By handling different tones and settings, this movie is one of a kind. Although part 1 of the movie is rough, everything else is near-perfect. Everything, Everywhere, All At Once invites the audience to have an overwhelming experience of emotions with its artistic endeavors but never strays away from the message of choice. And the people who made this movie made many right decisions, and hopefully, you will choose to watch it.
The Boxtrolls (2014)
High 8/10
The Boxtrolls - High 8/10
Laika's third movie continues the streak of their status in the movie industry. Laika has been the lead stop-motion animated studio in the film industry. Two of their previous films were critically acclaimed and loved by the general audience. These films are Coraline and Paranorman. The Boxtrolls continue their horror movie trend, dating since their collaboration with Tim Burton on the Corpse Bride. The Boxtrolls is more horror adjacent, though, with the movie about monsters. While previous films have moments that can genuinely scare you, The Boxtrolls is more lighthearted in tone, style, story, and characters. But it still contains Laika's excellent storytelling and animation that, although it doesn't come on par with their two previous movies, The Boxtrolls is still a highlight in their career.
The movie is adapted from Alan Snow's novel, Here Be Monsters, where both the book and film tell the story of the Boxtrolls. I haven't read the novel, but what I've heard the movie isn't at all like the novel. But the film can provide a nice spin on the story. Into the plot, on the town of Cheesebridge, Norvenia, where their underground caverns are the home of the Boxtrolls. The people of Cheesebridge fear these creatures, claiming they snatch children and eat them up. And the only one who is willing to fight them up is Snatcher. Many years went by, and the fear of the Boxtrolls was high, but so was the number of Boxtrolls captured. And soon, the idea is challenged when the daughter of the Lord of Cheesebridge, Winnie, discovers that a human named Eggs lives among the Boxtrolls.
With this, she discovers that the Boxtrolls aren't all savages. And the story of the Trubshaw baby that the Snatcher made was all fake cause the Trubshaw baby was Eggs. Winnie's and Eggs' attempt to convince the town is quite tricky. With Snatcher finally coming close with his endgame, our heroes need to fight against the odds against Snatcher and the masses. The story plays around two major themes the theme of mob mentality and identity of self. The mob mentality is very obvious. Through the power of fear, Snatcher convinced the entire town to hate the boxtrolls, where the mentality is even passed to the next generation, as shown through Winnie. They changed their opinion of the Boxtrolls in the end, wasn't because of good faith towards creatures. They just shifted their mentality to Snatcher.
And the other theme is identity; besides the significant example of following the crowd identity, the mob mentality in the film. The movie also pokes fun at the strict identity the wealthy inherit where the rich accept a specific fixed identity because of their status in life. And we see how people seek that identity and receive that through any means necessary. Snatcher shows the opposing sides of forcing an identity with yourself. Even though his will is strong, his actions range from mean person to actual monstrosity towards humanity. Snatcher doesn't care about hurting others. So with Snatcher having an identity crisis, Eggs also suffered a similar problem. With his duality from humans and boxtrolls, Eggs struggles to find a balance but finds it by helping others and standing up for what's right. With that, he doesn't center his identity on a specific idealogy but on his own. Similar characters are Winnie's father taking the father role, the two goons questioning their purpose if it's for the greater good, and the boxtrolls coming out of their shell.
Identity is the movie's true heart and is most sincere regarding that field. This movie presents exciting subjects such as class disparity, toxic masculinity, and women being objectified and silenced simultaneously. But the film doesn't take these subjects seriously; instead, it is covered with gags to soften the topic. Of course, they softened it for children, but it also wanted to push the theme of identity that even in the errors of man and society, you know where you stand to cause you to have principles that raise. And you live by such regulations, hence making your identity. As a Christian, my identity is with Jesus. Wherever I go, and in my situation, I know who I am and where I stand.
My only issue with this film is that its tonal shift moments aren't as seamless as I wished they were. The scene when they start tossing the white hat around felt very loose in the film, especially when many serious things happen before that scene. And when Winnie has finally encountered the Boxtrolls firsthand, the scene is underplayed with Winnie convincing Eggs that he's human. Thankfully, the voice acting is terrific, so in some locations, you may not like the film's plot, the actors/actresses' performances might save it. I always underestimate Elle Fanning, but she can act and voice act. She is more than the peachy girl. Isaac Wright, who plays Eggs, is perfect, and the excellent star power in this film is truly notable. Like Jarred Harries, Benkingsly and cornetto trilogy duo Nick Frost and Simon Pegg are phenomenal with their roles.
But overall, this film may not top its predecessors; it's still a unique stop-motion film that is enjoyable to everyone and provides a lovely adventure from start to finish. For a movie that is aiming for that dirty England look, this movie is polished. Laika proved to be the front-runner of stop-motion animated films. Where they not only polish their animation skills but writing skills as well. Lastly, the post-credits song is fire. To Monty Python fans, you would love the music.
Sully (2016)
8/10
8/10
Sully tells the story of the emergency plane landing on the Hudson River, performed by Captain Sullenberger. The movie is relatively simple, and it follows the questioning of Sully and his co-pilot Jeff Skiles if they made the right decision. The film jumps back in forth from the case of the plane crash to the actual incident itself. The movie provides an excellent level of detail in the two main storylines. In this case, the film shows no real enemy but the questioning of a man's decision and that man taking personal offense. The movie excellently shows that Sully knows his actions are correct, and the audience agrees. But we also share the perspective of those skeptical, whose reasons are entirely valid. The portrayal of the incident itself is fantastic cause it doesn't leave anything out from what happened from the perspective of the pilot, the passengers, the men from the watch tower, and even the rescuers. The VFX is excellent enough to immerse you to the point of believability. This film makes us witness what truly happened on January 15, 2009.
There isn't much to talk about in this movie. The characters are relatively simple, but they successfully made Sully the highlight by making the central perspective through him. And Sully in this movie is an absolute chad. He cares for passengers and stands his ground, but also shows his humane side by letting him have nightmares of what happened. It may not be profound, but it shows the movie's central theme, the power of human instinct. From Sully's heroism, the instinctual actions of random people moving to act, and of course, the imperfections of humanity are highlighted in the central climax of the film in the end. Overall, great movie, such an enjoyable watch for everyone. And a testament to where miracles can happen, especially for the passengers of US Airways flight 1549. Good work from Clint Eastwood in directing a simple movie with great inspiration for the audience.
The Imitation Game (2014)
Mid 8/10
Mid 8/10
The Imitation Game highlights the importance of intelligence and code-breaking in warfare. Following the life of Alan Turing, one of the leading players in decoding the Enigma code. We follow his childhood in school, his struggle working for the military, and the tragic last years of his life. Where he lost his life after the energy when it was revealed he was a homosexual and received not much help cause his military record was purged. To keep the enigma secret until it was revealed 50 years later. The story is strong and has a motif of respecting our hidden heroes. Before praising the movie, I have to discuss the film's biggest issue. It is historically inaccurate in a lot of ways.
A historical film can be not so authentic but must maintain respect for those before. But this is all subjective, but Imitation Game's most significant issue is sudden character changes in almost everyone in the story. As the movie shows, nearly everyone is mean to Alan Turing. But in reality, they had mutual respect for one another. And Alan Turing was a pretty sociable person, but the film makes him a character we must pity cause he's awkward and even autistic. The movie also wants to portray that Alan Turing solely built Christopher and decoded the enigma. But there were hundreds of factors and people that led to the enigma being solved, but Alan Turing is a main one. So because of that, it lowers the standards of the film a bit.
The best part of this film though it keeps you invested. Every scene has tension and suspense. And no scene is useless to the story or character. The movie takes a lot of creative liberty from historical accuracy to emphasize more drama. But the drama is well impactful for the audience. Either it shows the dramatic aftermath of a battle, from seeing the masses solve a crossword puzzle. The climaxes stand out thanks to the film's cast, including Benedict Cumberbatch. He plays the awkward version of Alan Turing to perfection, to Kiera Knightly always plays the more heartfelt character excellently. Matthew Goode plays the person who first misjudges Alan, then becomes one of his strongest allies. And Mark Strong plays Menzies, focusing on the job of winning the war fellow. And many more, Rory Kinnear isn't a film highlight but represents the audience on our reaction to Alan being neglected even though he is a hero. Rory, as Detective Nock, shows us the absolute shock and disappointment of Alan's downfall by society.
Overall the film excellently emphasizes the unsung heroes of WW2. Whether they were a prominent general on the battlefield or a simple foot soldier, these unnamed men will never know the sacrifice they made. Where we cannot verbally commend them for their actions, so we must take care of the lives and opportunities they provided for us. They may not be perfect, and they may not be likable or different. But the fact they were involved in the mission to win wars and save lives is enough to be honored. An overall great film, even though it did some little injustice to history, the film was able to pay respect to Alan Turing.
Frank (2014)
High 8/10
High 8/10
Frank is a very odd movie that explores the desperation of the search for relevance through music artistry. The story has a very cool, weird, and mysterious aesthetic. This movie paints a fantastic picture of weird indie bands. It may not be realistic, but it entertains our thoughts on such odd artists. The vessel of such views is through Jon. A striving artist who wants to be a successful artist, although he seems keen on his ambition Jon lacks vision. Struggling to find inspiration in song making, suddenly he encounters a band called the Soronprfbs. He witnesses their pianist try to drown himself and yells out he can play piano, so the band asks him to play with him. So at night, he enters a bar where the band is playing, but the last one who comes on stage is their leader, Frank. Frank is an odd person cause he comes wearing a giant fake head, which later we figure out he never takes off the head. The phony head took inspiration from Jon Ronson. He wore a similar head in his performances. Long story short, Jon is immediately amazed by Frank and the band and decides to dedicate his life as their keyboarder. But Jon realizes it's not easy. Not only does he spend most of his money on the band with little progress, but he primarily focuses on doing weird stuff by Frank. And some rough strides occurred in their journey, but some people invited them to play in South by Southwest. Jon was ecstatic to announce this to the band, hoping this would be their big break, but it all ended in disaster. Jon messes up a lot, leading the band to disband and Frank to run away.
I'm not going to spoil the ending, by the way. There are two highlight characters in the film. Let's start with Jon. Jon is a person who wants to exceed in his life through music. He's very dedicated that you may consider him stubborn. It started as him being innocent and wanting to play to progress to a complete man-child. Jon wants to use the band for his selfish gain, thinking he can make his big break through them. This pettiness led the band to break. It's similar to the movie Whiplash, a story about a striving artist. But we see Jon as a complete child instead of a desperate man. He's naive, highly insecure, and just simply pathetic. He isn't wholly unlikeable, but you have that slight disdain towards children running around a restaurant. And unlike Whiplash, there is a mentor that can help him, Frank. Domhall Gleeson is perfect for this role. He provides Jon's selfishness and pettiness but can make the audience pity him. Frank is the most likable character in the movie. He is mentally scarred, but he is a visionary when making music. But in Whiplash, Fletcher teaches through trauma and abuse. At the same time, Frank teaches in moving along with such issues. The movie excellently destroys the idea where trauma and mistakes make you a better artist. The film shows that those things slow you down, notably in Frank and Don. Where Jon tries to find inspiration in his pain or hardship, but Frank finds it through everything. Even though Frank has a covered head, his eyes are more open. And we don't know why, and that's it. There is no specific reason he is just a human being with a unique talent. Michael Fassbender plays the role excellently, giving us a gentle soul of a person who wants to make music. And like what's best for everyone, to explore themselves.
The other band members are outstanding. They may be side characters but are unique from each other-Don, who seems like the homie of the group but is struggling the most with his issues. And Clara, the craziest of all, is furious and can be very hostile. But she seems to be the one who understands Frank the most. Jon makes her his enemy cause he assumes she is jealous that Frank likes him more than Clara, but we see Clara unphased cause she knows better. The implementation of Social Media could have been better. Jon is very active in presenting the band's work online. And the purpose of it the story is more character-focused cause it primarily focuses on his tweets. There was a subtle reference that the band could've been mocked or been a joke. The idea of what you see is what you get, where they may take the outlandish things the band does as just for humor or entertainment. Or a standard showcase of a band of freaks, but the movie doesn't correctly set that up. It's fine but could be better. But the film is still great with its tight script, unique shots, and perfect characterizations. The band's music also slaps; if they made an entire album, I would bop to it. I love You All; the film's original song is peak indie. The performances are spot-on, and the story encapsulates you fully. Overall, a hidden gem of 2014.