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An error has ocurred. Please try againMovies that I would watch in few years time, the few that are good or/and special enough to be notable in the sea of movies released every year. Notable omissions: Legend: Hardy show, which while very good film isn't that groundbreaking or different.
Reviews
Reminiscence (2021)
A perfect Netflix-type film
This movie is of a dying breed - movie that doesn't have overwhelming ambition to do something different, to conform to trends or try to make some grand statement. It just wants to tell a story. It's much like most Netflix SF movies these days.
But unlike those films this one is actually competently directed, with coherent script and great acting. You already know what you're gonna get with Hugh Jackman, Rebecca Ferguson is a treat whatever she appears in and here her classical beauty, presence and acting comes trough more than anywhere else I've seen her in but the standout here is Thandiwe Newton.
You've seen most of the elements of this movie before, but it packages it in its own thing and manages to create a compelling world and tells a nice story within it.
I want to see more projects like this, enjoyable films that you see author behind it and where you see material is approached with love and care.
Una mujer fantástica (2017)
Totally unconvincing
Think about this: every scene except the one in sauna would work even if she was just a regular prostitute. In fact, it could even work even if it was just about age gap. What does that say about the way this movie tackles its theme?
I went into this movie not knowing anything about it other than it won an oscar. I didn't know who Vega is or what it's about. I just wanted to see a good movie.
First of all, Vega doesn't look transgender to me. She looks like average woman, so the whole first part of the movie everything seemed off. I wasn't surprised when it became obvious that she is transgender (which most people probably know from the get go), but the reactions to her were completely unconvincing (especially the doctor). After that, film never reclaimed any ground for me. Acting was pretty poor, Vega being the biggest problem. There are a couple of scenes that felt like watching soap opera. Every scene where she saw his ghost (ok, I kind of liked film dabbling in supernatural, that at least was unexpected) fell totally flat, because the illusion wasn't there.
And that leads me to directing. Some scenes I could see working with competent director, but every try to give this movie some visual flair just felt awkward. As for the story, it's just on the nose. Most of the movie is just some new character reacting to her.
It all boils down to this: movie doesn't work on any level if you don't know the backstory. That makes it a bad movie, no matter the theme.
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Auto generated by SW Movie Generator 0.1
I mean, it must be a very early build of this generator as I doubt this result will please any fan. But it tries. It takes everything fans loved form Star Wars, replaces old characters with new ones and stitches it together very badly.
How else to explain that there's no rhyme or reason to any of it. It's just plot points without any explanation as to how or why. Half of the things that happen are super obvious mostly because we've seen it already in SW films, and the others surprising mostly because they don't make any sense. As Leia proclaims very early in the film: Anything is possible, and that seems to be writers telling audience: we have the force as convenient plot device so whenever you ask yourself how or why, the answer is the force. I consider that in itself the biggest offense against Star Wars universe.
There's no real dialogue either, just simple sentences that amount to *insert banter here* before moving all the characters to the next plot point. Shame.
Rey is so underdeveloped but still Ridleys charm comes across through all that, and all the actors really don't have much to go on. Sets are beautiful, but a waste since they aren't really used as anything but eye candy. That's everything positive I can say about this mess.
Even if you love Star Wars, you'll most likely find this a waste of your time. Even worse, this retroactively ruined the previous two movies for me. Star Wars universe never seemed so small.
Snowpiercer (2013)
Mad korean director, bonkers concept - what's not to like?
I discovered Korean movies by chance, as I got Oldboy DVD with a Sin City DVD I bought. For years it just laid there, but when I finally decided to give it a go it opened a whole new world for me. It was mindblowing and mad, and the same could be said for most of the korean cinematography. In 2013,2014 madness of Korean directors finally started making their way to Hollywood, so we got Park's Stoker, Jee-woon Kim's The Last Stand and Joon-ho Bong's Snowpiercer.
Even though Bong is my least favorite director out of 3, this is easily the best movie. Ridiculous concept screams Korea, but is actually based on a french graphic novel. And although you expect all chaos and mayhem the movie often surprises with a change of pace and some real poignant dialogues. Casting is spot on, though it must be said - Tilda Swinton steals the show.
Then there's the sets. This movie wouldn't work without believable locations and making you believe this whole movie is taking place inside of a train and this was handled perfectly. It all has a lived in steampunky vibe to it that i absolutely adore.
In any case, fine movie for back entrance into korean cinema.
Penny Dreadful (2014)
It's a monster mash!
But fear not! In contrast to the popular song this show is very serious. Popular characters from 19th century horror literature coupled with macabre atmosphere and accented by very theater like production and absolutely stunning cinematography will mesmerize anyone who loves that kind of atmospheric and chilling stories.
But what pushes this show from really cool to work of art is script, especially dialogues that are very poetic and meaningful throughout as well as outstanding cast led by Green who seems like she was born to play this role. All this means show is very approachable even for people who wouldn't even consider watching "horror" show. There's plenty blood and gore, but always done right.
It's not perfect, however. Well, nothing is except Braking Bad. There are couple of moments where story hangs a bit and there's no way around the fact that ending, although fitting, feels a bit rushed.
Nevertheless, do not hesitate to seek your teeth deep into this. There's plenty of sweet juice in it.
The Terror (2018)
Man Proposes, God Disposes
Slow and brooding yet relentless, uncompromising and absolutely savage. It takes it's time to painstakingly build an atmosphere of fear, claustrophobia and despair, but even in those quiet moments it wastes no time building it's characters and their relationships and in the best way possible. Quality of the cast and attention to details while recreating characters and locations effortlessly transport you directly to that era if you allow it. This is not your average horror story, so don't go into it expecting quick thrills. This is story about human condition that's bolstered by real life mystery and historical context that's absolutely perfectly chosen for what it's trying to say and it will take you in directions you never would have imagined. And seriously, it cannot be overstated how fantastic the set design is, it never feels fake or off. Absolutely perfect candidate for a binge on some rainy weekend.
Mortal Engines (2018)
Warning: movie actually contains original content
Here is the deal. This movie is far from perfect. It has some weaker moments in terms of dialogue and stumbles upon a cliche or two. But even those weaker moments aren't outright bad, which already makes it far better than most blockbusters these days. But when it hits that high, it really hits it hard. This is the most pure unadulterated fun I had at cinema since... Well, probably Mad Max. That isn't to say this movie is as close to perfection as Mad Max is.
So why the perfect score? Well, for the first time in my IMDb voting history I'm not trying to be as rational as I can be, but just vote from the heart. And then came here to vote and saw its treated as your usual auto-generated fantasy blockbuster. I loved this movie, enjoyed every second of it. You can tell that there was a lot of work and passion put into making this movie look as cool as it can be. Set design and costumes add up to that unique steampunk look and feel that constantly made me go 'wow' , scene after scene. World buliding and even action at times reminded me of the first Star Wars trilogy. This is old school of filmmaking as it can be these days, and we need more of that.
And to top it off,some really solid to great performances all around. I really carred for the main cast, and there wasn't a second where they dropped the ball. That hasn't happened in awhile for something that's completely new. Story can get a bit predictable at times but again, it always keeps you invested. It's solid by any standard.
The whole world is just amazing, original and I really hope they make another one to see more of it. Also : before our show there was the Aquaman trailer (they should call it spoilers at this point) that went on for 5 and half minutes and you get to see most plot points, scenes and a better and more original movie after it.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)
Finally, a bit of magic!
As someone who isn't that impressed with Potter movies in general, Azkaban being one exception, I went in with no expectation. I find Yates output really safe and lacking real magic in directorial sense. First Fantastic Beasts was more of the same, and when first reviews started dripping in it seemed that on top of that this movie has that modern "let's cram everything we come up with" blockbuster syndrome.
Well, color me surprised! I had real fun and was really in awe with some moments. The film just looks beautiful, and adding to that is 3D. Yes, 3D is great in this one, all the way through. It adds noticeable depth to even most static scenes. Story is solid and it doesn't feel over busy as reviews suggested and it's easy enough to follow even if you're not that into Potter lore.
Solid performances all around, but the real standout is Zoe Kravitz. She's really compelling sand actually stole the show for me. Hope to see her soon in lead role. Also, Depp in a role that doesn't suck. It's been a while.
If I have one serious gripe with it, it's why call the whole serial Fantastic Beasts if the actual beasts take a back seat for most of the movie. They're fun and everything, but serve almost no real purpose at all in the story. Almost as if they put them in just because the title demands it. Strange.
Alien: Covenant (2017)
Worst of both worlds
I have a confession to make. I really liked Prometheus. It is flawed movie, sure, but I'm certain that with relatively few script tweaks it would have been a masterpiece. It tried something new, it had a fresh take on the story and it deepened the mythology of Alien universe while asking some really interesting questions. Then it not only failed to answer them but left a lot of plot points hanging in the air. Oh yeah, and it had some really stupid scientist characters. We were left hanging with a lot of question marks over our heads. The next movie in the trilogy had a great foundation to further deepen the mythology and answer at least few burning questions.
Well, I'm afraid to say that they decided to kick all of it to the background and go with the plot that wasn't as interesting in the first place, and then made a mess of it in the process. It seems as the whole plot of this movie is made just to bring it to the first Alien movie. If there's no story at least action should be classic Alien(s), right? No... the action is rehash of what we got in all of the earlier movies, with nothing new brought to the table, but it is still the best part of the movie. OK, but at least the single biggest complaint about Prometheus, dumb characters is remedied. Yeah, they evolved. They are not just stupid this time around, but incredibly clumsy too! Acting is also incredibly inconsistent, and really bad at times.
The only important question left to ask after the movie has ended is why it is called Alien? It is direct sequel to Prometheus, and there's not nearly enough aliens in it to warrant that title. They are almost sidekicks in this.
The prologue "The Crossing" seems as a teaser for a movie that we should have got, direct sequel exploring the themes of Prometheus with stupid characters out of the way. Unfortunately, we are left just with stupid characters and a lame excuse for a plot. There is still hope that the last in the trilogy will steer it towards some new interesting themes, but after this pointless mess it's hard to see how.
Hercules (2014)
Big book of clichés
Hercules, the mythical hero we all know and love. Except here he is replaced by a pretty strong regular human that needs help of his friends to get the job done. What we are left with is a movie about mercenaries set in ancient times, and it's hard to fault the audiences for expecting something more epic because myth of Hercules has so many great scenes that Hollywood is so good at depicting. It just seemed like a perfect opportunity. Instead here we have a wasted opportunity in a movie based not on the myth but graphic novel that questions Hercules divine heritage. That would be fine if they built a movie around this and actually toyed with idea and tried to confuse audiences with the question is he demigod or not, but it's clear from the get-go that he is not, and not only to us but to the people of ancient Greece in the movie. Wasted opportunity this is indeed because filmmakers had an ideal Hercules of this generations of actors - The Rock, and one of the rare heaps of muscles that can actually do some acting. Both he and the supporting cast are solid throughout, but they are given just a bunch of clichés that should pass for dialogue, and often it's to the point that you could quote exactly what they will say before they say it. All this could be corrected with some beautiful scenery, photography and great battles. Battles are the only thing passable but nothing to write home about, and special effects and photography feels second grade. So what we have here is a movie called Hercules that isn't about Hercules but some mercenary, and which goes through all the regular hoops for this type of movie, that has all the potential in the actors but fails to utilize it and ultimately the movie that you'll probably forget about in a month. Cmon Hollywood, give us the real Hercules!