MehdiTaba Reviews

Spotlight (I) (2015)

If you live on this planet, watch this!

[8/10 · 13 April 2024]

Surely, the best film of the year. Great screenplay, surely deserved an Oscar and won it after all. It actually won the Best Picture at the Academy Awards and was nominated for other categories.

Such stories are essential to be told, as films, documentaries and other forms. We shouldn't bury them and look the other way. It is wrong as heck. This is the main message of this film.

This docudrama film is about an investigation into cases of widespread and systemic child sex abuse in the Boston area by numerous Catholic priests. It has a correct tone about the incidents which is rare for an American film. Its screenplay is very well-written and promising. It could just have a stronger stand against religion, which is the main reason that such horrible acts are happening throughout the world.

Tom McCarthy did a great job as a director, only if he could set the tone a bit more balanced and a bit lighter, it could have been better. Some sequences were too legal and kind of too much stuck in the office. I can understand the point but it made the film as a very good film and not a perfect film.

Masanobu Takayanagi did a subtle cinematography here which was good. Howard Shore's work on this film was minimal but good and to the point.

We had an ensemble cast here and they were all great. Especially Mark Ruffalo.

Some meticulous edits were done by Tom McArdle which added to the story and the mood.

Let's be clear. All religions are poison. Most people who read the so-called holy books and preach them are at the best some lunatics or naïve people. A lot of religious people are taking advantage of us in varies forms and shapes. It is not just sexual abuse. But this film delved into this issue in a professional way.

This film is a professional work of art from top to the bottom.

Catholic church, Vatican and religious leaders must be stopped. We, as the people must stop supporting them for good.

These child sexual abuse cases are a few examples that religion and religious people have nothing to do with being ethical.

This film is one of the best examples that proves the power of journalism and not being silent.

8/10.

Radical (2023)

One of my top 10 films of 2023!

[8/10 · 3 February 2024]

Such a great film. One of my top 10 films of 2023!

This is a film that reminds us how much useless and inefficient our educational system is, especially in undeveloped countries like Mexico.

But it's not the whole picture that this film is trying to paint. It's about kids' future, progress, human conditions, poverty, neglect, corruption, different approaches to modern education, and many more very important issues that every one of us must try not to overlook.

Christopher Zalla did a very good job on this film.

Christopher Zalla wrote this screenplay based on the 2013 Wired article, "A Radical Way of Unleashing a Generation of Geniuses" by Joshua Davis. And this story is based on a real story.

To me the real weak point of this film was its cinematography, additional to that, there were some scenes and plot points that weren't excellently well done and cooked.

Our rusty educational system needs a sheer update that it may can be seen as "Radical" to some reactionary and traditional people. And it's the reason that they named the film as such.

Such films can help building a better future, a robust, sustainable and progressive future.

Eugenio Derbez put a lot of himself on this film, I suppose he had a firm belief in the film's message.

It also ends with a powerful quote from Albert Einstein which sums the whole story up, stunningly.

7.7/10.

The Last Repair Shop (2023)

Touching and humanistic

[9/10 · 24 January 2024]

It's a powerful and emotional short documentary from Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers.

They nailed it. The emotional and humanistic impact of this documentary is beyond words. It's absolutely touching and humanistic.

There are so many elements to its core values. The Last Repair Shop is about music, broken musical instruments and the way that they can be easily fixed and have an impact on someone's life, the people who work on that shop and fix the instruments for years and how this friendly shop helped them without any segregation and inequality.

Through the stories they share, we can find so many different layers to the United States issues and the way the people are trying to cope with situation, mostly with the help of music or a job that provides them some security and stability.

Musically, Katya Richardson and Kris Bowers done a superb job. Every note was written with a lot of care and passion. The ending credits was just mind-blowing and was emotionally like something that you rarely experience.

I don't think that I saw anything as strong as The Last Repair Shop in 2023!

8.5/10.

Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

Don't let the runtime make you blind from seeing it correctly.

[8/10 · 5 December 2023]

A powerful and insightful look at systematic corruption that happened a hundred years ago in United States towards indigenous people (Native Americans) to steal their money and land.

America needs more and more films like this that depicts the atrocities that lots of white people do to indigenous people in the history.

We should see and examine such horrific acts to be able to act and judge better about contemporary conflicts that are going on. Learning from history is absolutely important.

It's a Martin Scorsese film so you can pretty much be sure that it's a very professional film. Professionalism is something that you can see in every single minute of this film. Everything is so crafted, worked and beautifully done.

Production values are extraordinary. Art direction and colour grading was fantastic.

Rodrigo Prieto did a great job. He's a great cinematographer.

Robbie Robertson's score was exceptional and made the film more appealing. There were just a few moments that I did't quiet agree with that particular piece.

Casting was flawless and everyone did their positions very good, maybe not perfect. Leonardo DiCaprio put a lot of energy on this role to make it happen.

Screenplay was rich and insightful, it was based on David Grann's book and adapted by Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese. Eric Roth is great.

If you ask me about the runtime, I would say, yeah I think it's a bit longer than it should be and I could cut some of the scenes out of the final version without harming the plot but it shouldn't cause us to completely deny the power of the film and its values.

8/10.

The Holdovers (2023)

Finally a strong film from 2023!

[8/10 · 4 December 2023]

It's a great film. Don't miss it. There are a lot of very important humanistic layered stories in this film.

The acting was great, all three main ones were strong and into their role. Dominic Sessa's work was exceptional as a debut! I think Paul Giamatti did his best work on this one.

Such "simple" stories can tell a lot if you pay attention enough.

Technically, it was a great film. Art direction, production design...

Song choices for the soundtrack was almost perfect.

Wish it has a more elaborate screenplay that was richer and deeper.

There's a scene in the film in the first third of the film which you find yourself confused that how it's going to continue after that, that's the real beauty of this film.

Parenthood and negligence, being a teacher, boarding school, getting lost in the routine and work and forgetting about your dreams, coming-of-age... these are the main elements of this great film.

7.7/10.

Oppenheimer (I) (2023)

Professional, but not the one that it could be!

[7/10 · 10 November 2023]

This film is so serious and professional. I'm sure some of the very high ratings are because of these reasons. I guess, some of the people who consider this as a perfect film, can't even elaborate about all the things that were going on.

Christopher Nolan is a great filmmaker and he did a good job on this film but its screenplay wasn't even good. When I first heard about a film about J. Robert Oppenheimer and atomic bomb development I was so looking forward to it and was picturing a lot of things on my mind that this film could depict but it didn't. The humanistic aspect, logical aspects, psychological aspects, the destructive effects of Oppenheimer's "invention" and many more things.

But it still has a lot to offer that I can't say that it's a bad film or a mediocre one.

The other aspect that I didn't like about this film was its editing which was done by Jennifer Lame. I call such editing approaches as "ADHD editing" or "Rabbit on coffee editing" for Instagram generation that can't stomach a video for more than twenty seconds. Her editing methods made the whole experience and story less appealing and a bit chaotic.

Hoyte van Hoytema, the cinematographer, did a great job. Lots of the scenes were excellently shot and were beautiful and helped the unnecessary nonlinear narrative to convey the message better.

I liked Ludwig Göransson's score. It was very well written and emotionally helped the film a lot.

Cillian Murphy and almost every other actors'/"actresses" works were flawless and they put a lot of time and emotion into this historical piece. Cillian Murphy's performance was something special and unique.

I'm not completely convinced about the choice of "black-and-white" for Lewis Strauss's perspective but I may be wrong about it, and maybe it was done to make things easier to follow.

After all, there were a lot of things that they could cover on such topic but they didn't. But I'm glad that it wasn't historically inaccurate.

It's one of those films that I find hard to rate. I try not to be so fixed on my taste and be fair towards every art form so I give this a seven out of ten rating.

7/10.

Flora and Son (2023)

John Carney craft

[8/10 · 14 October 2023]

Don't hesitate and watch this. John Carney is so good at making such films.

It's not a masterpiece or something but it's very good. I enjoyed it all.

Catharsis through music is the centre of the film and the motherhood is the vein of the screenplay.

The idea about the online music teacher and this approach was so fun and fresh.

Visually this film was pleasing. Cinematography and colour grading was something that they did work on them.

The songs could be better and some narrative parts.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt was just fine and he could put more into it. I know he can do much better but he didn't on this one.

I think Eve Hewson will be on the map after this.

7.8/10.

I, Daniel Blake (2016)

One of the best British films ever

[8/10 · 16 September 2023]

I, Daniel Blake is one of the most important films which depicts a lot of social issues not like any other films, issues like bureaucracy and the way different countries misuse that in their own favour, oldness, poverty, prostitution, humanity, and many more.

I love this film, it's actually to me, one of the best British films ever.

A man that loves his job but is ill and not able to carry on with his work anymore and needs an Employment and Support Allowance but...

Ken Loach and Paul Laverty did an extraordinary work here. Both Hayley Squires and Dave Johns were magnificent, Hayley Squires was perfect.

There is a scene in a food bank. That scene completely broken me from inside emotionally, especially the second time I watched it.

One of the things that made this film so special is, it was showing how much easy it is to care about humanity even in a very cold and problematic bureaucratic situation.

I, Daniel Blake deserved more awards and recognition, not that it wasn't a success but it should be more applauded.

Social realism drama is the best style of filmmaking to me, it was like Asghar Farhadi's works.

I'm sure it did irritate the Conservative Party and right-wingers. The same ones who caused such issues in the world.

Facing Mirrors (2011)

A transsexual in Iran!

[8/10 · 25 January 2023]

Iran, under the Mullahs' regime is a horrible place to live, I can't even think for a second how hard it can be for someone from LGBTQ+ community living in Iran. It must be a nightmare.

Negar Azarbayjani and Fereshteh Taerpoor along with the other team of this great film were able to capture some of those aspects.

The approach that this film has on the character development and the way those characters were representing a bulk of the society was absolutely unique.

It's one of the best LGBTQ+-related films ever. Don't forget that it's a Persian film, produced in Iran under those restrictions and a debut.

Shayesteh Irani did a great job again here as she did on Offside back in 2006.

The Fabelmans (2022)

Inspired by Spielberg's family beautifully

[9/10 · 24 December 2022]

Another great film by Steven Spielberg. I always admire his works, he did it again and proves that he's a wonderful filmmaker, better than anyone else, the best, wish more filmmakers had the touch that he has.

This is a semi-autobiography by Steven Spielberg. It's so deep, beautiful and well-made.

It's a coming-of-age drama and mainly focused on him and his family back in the old days.

The influence of family on each other and the influence and power of cinema are the two most dominant themes in this great film.

This film, to me, is the best film of the year so far and his best film in years.

Then acting was something really special from all the cast especially Michelle Williams.

John Williams and the classical pieces were fantastic and gave the film unity, depth, dimension, emotion and dazzle.

Janusz Kaminski did a wonderful job as always, he sees every second of actions going on through his camera with attention, care and art, and picks everything meticulously.

Steven Spielberg with the help of his editors managed to balanced everything greatly, you could find every scene interesting and balanced.

I'm sure Tony Kushner's contribution must be indicated, he's a great screenplay writer.

We can somewhat witness how Spielberg was shaped personally and see a great love story and dysfunctional family sort out things the best that they could.

8.5/10.

Dio: Dreamers Never Die (2022)

A magnificent tribute to Ronnie James Dio

[9/10 · 11 December 2022]

It's a magnificent tribute to Ronnie James Dio. To me, he is the best metal vocalist ever!

Don Argott & Demian Fenton did it again.

It was so well-directed and greatly balanced. I recommend this to every fan of his or anyone else!

To me, it's among the top 5 music documentaries ever.

His career was examined almost excellently. Even me that I have everything that he had released, has some tips to learn.

Wish there was some talks about his come back era in Black Sabbath which leads to "Dehumanizer" release, his previous wife and his agnosticism.

Wish there were more metal musicians behaving like him.

8.5/10.

Up (2009)

One of my favourite animations of all time

[9/10 · 3 November 2022]

This is one of my favourite animations of all time. It's so mature and deep that you can't find any one like this.

There are a lot of different themes which are depicted beautifully such as, adventure, oldness, boyhood, true love, idolization, escapism, nature, endangered animals, ... wrapped in a funny and adventurous piece of work with lavish beauty.

Michael Giacchino did a wonderful job here. The way the theme was rearranged for different scenes was extraordinary.

Its pace, edits and direction was excellent. So smooth and smart.

Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer and Jordan Nagai were great choices and matched so naturally.

8.5/10.

Not Without My Daughter (1991)

The wicked moments of Islamic fundamentalism in post-revolution of Iran

[8/10 · 22 October 2022]

You have no idea how much I'm thankful of this team of filmmakers who captured the wicked moments of Islamic fundamentalism in post-revolution of Iran.

Forget about all the negative reviews. If anyone thinks this film is showing Muslim Iranians who are on the side of Islamic Republic of Iran badly, they should come and live here for sometime. They simply haven't got a clue how Iran is and how living under this regime is. Iran is running by an Islamic fundamentalist totalitarian regime.

I'm sure nowadays if people and critics watch this film again will react to it extremely different. These days almost everyone knows about us. On 1991 lots of people didn't even know where Iran was on the map so they couldn't judge this film precisely.

For example, Argo which was released in 2012 was received very positively and had a similar story and I think Argo was even a bit weaker than this in terms of showing the horrors of living under Islamic regimes. Maybe not to cause Islamophobia which is a total fallacy that these days people use to justify their actions and stay center.

Don't get me wrong, it's not a perfect film and it has its own flaws. But its strength are many. The way it portraits the face of Islam in the family, those lies, hypocrisy, domestic violence, akhondism, kid soldiers for throwing on mines... these are unique to this film and history. We are living them everyday.

Betty Lover ''Mahmoody'' tried to capture the things she witnessed on her book. I haven't read it but I think they could adapt it in a good way. Because things that we are seeing on this film are true.

Iran after the revolution was and is a very dark country esp. In 1984-1986, in the middle of Iran-Iraq war.

7.5/10.

The Ledge (2011)

A good atheist-friendly film

[7/10 · 19 October 2022]

As an atheist, I suggest everyone to watch this and tickle their beliefs.

It's not a perfect film and it has its own flaws but it's one of the examples that makes me think that some critics may accept money from religious authorities to pan films like this with shallow and stupid reasons and criticism, which is scary.

It's the first or one of the pro-atheist feature film ever to be released in America. American people need such films a lot, so do other nations.

Matthew Chapman, an atheist who is a distant relative of Charles Darwin did a good job esp. As a screenwriter but I understand that some people can't still face the facts and love to hug their own imaginary friends.

The acting aren't that good or in some scenes even weak. But we can get the idea and educate ourselves from it. There are a lot of high budget and extravagantly high polished films with little to offer but this film can broaden some narrowed minds and enlighten some of the people.

7.3/10.

WALL·E (2008)

One of my favourite animations of all time

[8/10 · 18 October 2022]

It's full of life and passion.

"The film incorporates various topics including consumerism, corporatocracy, nostalgia, waste management, human environmental impact and concerns, obesity/sedentary lifestyles, and global catastrophic risk."

Andrew Stanton is trying to remind us about the wonders of the earth and its delicacy.

This animation is filled with beautiful and memorable moments, if you miss it, you will miss something really special.

First third is nearly perfect but there are some tiny parts on the rest of the animation that could be better like choosing live-action scenes for old time footage which was completely wrong and nonsense.

8.3/10.

Kabul, City in the Wind (2018)

A mediocre documentary

[6/10 · 9 September 2022]

It's a mediocre documentary, there's almost nothing special in this.

As a debut and for an Afghan documentary, I should be lenient and rate it 6/10

There was a lot of potential about Afghanistan and its people. But it wasn't put to work.

It is mainly a portrait of some Afghan people, and it could be way better and more interesting and deeper. The lack of depth was the main problem and the other one was the cinematography, so pale and grayish. Every scene, no matter where or what time, was in low contrast and dull.

It kind of feels and sounds like outtakes of another strong documentary. Some leftovers from another material.

Whiplash (2014)

The most intense film ever

[9/10 · 8 September 2022]

The Level of intensity is absolutely high in this film and it's balanced beautifully.

It's an another masterpiece from Damien Chazelle. I actually consider him as a great filmmaker just by this and La La Land. He's a genius.

The way that he's trying to live up the jazz music is gorgeous and fascinating.

I, personally respect and love him for bringing jazz to the masses in 21st century.

He directed and written Whiplash as a great filmmaker. Almost flawless.

Justin Hurwitz and the standard numbers were gorgeous and splendid.

J. K. Simmons and Miles Teller were great. J. K. Simmons acting was perfect. From down to top, everything was played perfectly. He's awesome. Miles Teller played his parts like he's a drummer for years, which is unbelievable.

It's really about someone abusive in power and someone thirsty to thrive and how sometimes this combination can lead to disaster.

This could act as an allegorical psychological story to almost every situation, like for example, an abusive dad who wants to have successful son, no matter what or what cost.

There were some very tiny flaws in things that I could change from this bombastic film, like, excessive bleeding, which is not entirely realistic.

8.5/10.

The Great Dictator (1940)

A manifesto for all humanity

[9/10 · 6 September 2022]

This film is not just a great film but a manifesto for all humanity.

Charles Chaplin fearlessly spoke to the world leaders especially Hitler and Mussolini in the height of the WWII as no one else would and dare.

Lots of people sold themselves and changed their minds to be able to adapt to Nazism and Fascism to just live and continue their greedy way of life but not Charles Chaplin.

This is the best Charles Chaplin film ever.

It's just unbelievable to see how much he was aware and informed about atrocities of German Nazi in 1938-1940- pre-production and post-production era - and what Nazism mean and what they're after.

Some parts of the acting done by Chaplin in this masterpiece is just beyond excellent, like German gibberish speeches and that perfect monologue, oh, what can I say about that.

Maybe, as some say, "Perhaps the greatest monologue in film history, and possibly the most poignant recorded speech of the 20th century."

Cinematography is something great about this film which was a collaborating work of Karl Struss and Roland Totheroh.

The Great Dictator was directed, written, produced, scored and starred by Charles Chaplin. Beautifully and strongly.

It was a shout for help to the whole world. Some heard and some didn't and turned to ashes.

It's just extraordinary that how much lots of political references in this film are still relevant and meaningful.

8.5/10.

Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

One of my top 10 animations of all time

[9/10 · 5 September 2022]

This animation is a masterpiece from Studio Ghibli. Actually the best, as far as I've seen from them.

It's really emotional and beautiful, filled with lots of references and symbolicism.

Hotaru no Haka, the original title, tried to show the world the real face of the war from the youngster perspective and their suffering and pain.

Most of the scenes were absolutely beautiful and could help the message to be digested even by the worst right-wingers.

Michio Mamiya did a great job. Film score is something deep in this animation.

The way they meticulously picked every scene with delicacy was something rare.

The chemistry between this brother and sister is splendid to watch.

It's just sad that some people are still after war...

8.7/10.

La La Land (2016)

The surreal world behind love

[9/10 · 3 September 2022]

I love this film. After the second watch, I'm again convinced that this masterpiece is the best film of 2016.

It deserves all the awards that had won, even more.

This film is about love and its surrealistic nature of it and it's not a cliche fairy tale film. It's surreal but really realistic about what happens in real world.

Characters will go in la-la land numerous times, which is so beautiful, emotional and artistically well-chosen.

If you want to completely understand this film, you have to focus more on the title of this film and what does it mean.

It's all about being out of touch and reality when you are in love. And its story is being told through absolutely gorgeous jazz music.

It's actually a love letter to old school, vintage, jazz music and Los Angeles.

Everything about this film is enjoyable and its flaws are very tiny and scarce.

Justin Hurwitz and the rest of the musicians did a great job.

Linus Sandgren as a cinematographer did his job excellently and I was in a state of euphoria with almost all of the scenes. Anamorphic lenses from Panavision were absolutely perfect choices.

Damien Chazelle creates an environment that everyone felt comfortable and could bring an idea to the table and that adds a superb quality to the film. Damien Chazelle as a director and screenwriter shone as a great filmmaker.

Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone were very good, although, I believe Ryan Gosling could have been better on some scenes. He's sometimes a bit stoic, which is not perfect for all the situations.

8.5/10.

Touch the Sound: A Sound Journey with Evelyn Glennie (2004)

Touch the sound and live it

[9/10 · 2 September 2022]

It's to me, almost the best music and musician-related documentary ever.

If you love music or making sound and love to feel the vibration of the sounds around you, this documentary is just made for you.

I absolute love and have a passion for making different noises and sounds from everything and this is the first time I'm seeing someone with that much passion as me.

For numerous reasons I cried a few times during this, especially the second watch... mainly because of, seeing her success and her approach to make everything happen but I failed mostly, as a hearing person...

It can be extremely inspirational to everyone, especially people with difficulty hearing or deaf people.

Evelyn Glennie is a great musician and she always surprises me of her talent and imagination.

Everything is excellent in this fabulous documentary. From production to cinematography, directing, sound editing, sound mixing, editing...

8.5/10.

Searching (III) (2018)

Best Found Footage film ever.

[8/10 · 29 August 2022]

Found Footage is usually about supernatural stuff and are categorised in the Horror genre but I'm glad that someone recognises that there are more potential about this genre.

It's a very good film, especially as a debut.

The story and its screenplay is very good and uniquely executed.

Visually, this film is beyond imagination and narrow-minded people will reject it and stick to the cliche stuff.

Our lives are filled with technology so I believe films like this are trying to depict some of the aspects of it, which are real and tangible. With a little hope to try poking us about them.

Father and daughter relationship after a traumatising experience can be seen and examined very well throughout the whole film.

It's a ''Found Footage'' Crime mystery thriller but it's way more than that. It's filled with technology and social media but it's very human too at the same level.

7.7/10.

Randy Rhoads: Reflections of a Guitar Icon (2022)

Quiet Riot loaded plus Randy Rhoads!

[7/10 · 23 August 2022]

It's a good documentary about Quiet Riot, Randy Rhoads and Ozzy Osbourne. Nothing more. It could be way more better.

There is just too much focus on Quiet Riot era and its members, completely unnecessarily.

It's a documentary about Randy Rhoads and the focus must be on him.

Footage could be better. They must include some interviews with Zakk Wylde and Yngwie Malmsteen, at least!

I was hungry to here some studio music with better production but it was almost all live footage.

Demonstration parts at the end was a good idea but the demonstrations weren't the best ones, at all.

7.3/10.

Good Will Hunting (1997)

Even the title is inspiring

[9/10 · 20 August 2022]

As I said, even the title is inspiring and meaningful.

It's a masterpiece, I love it. This type of films with this level of quality are so so rare.

Everything about this film is wonderful especially its screenplay which was written by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.

If it wasn't released on 1997 -the year that Titanic was released- it could have won all the Oscars which was nominated for.

The most important aspect of this great film is all those moral messages.

There are a lot of talks that you can find in this film that can be so powerfully and emotionally connected and relevant to you, and inspire and enlighten you.

8.5/10.

Phoenix Rising (2022)

PTSD after being with new "Manson"

[7/10 · 16 August 2022]

I didn't know that Marilyn "Manson" has this much unethical fans like himself and they would come and rate this one out of ten and defend him this blindly!

It's a good documentary. For those who are saying that Evan is lying... you must be blind or something or well-paid to write such reviews and comments.

It's horrible and unbelievable for us as outsiders to even consider walking with someone like Manson! Just imagine being with him in a house, alone. It's horrible. I can't see what's not to believe.

This kind of Manson's lifestyle, attitudes and crimes must be stop.

Not everyone who likes his music is a racist or something like that but lots of them are and they are bragging about it.

7.3/10.