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Donnie Brasco (1997)
All About Characters
Donnie Brasco is a good gangster movie. Its not very different from other gangster films like people say in my opinion. But that doesnt take away the fact that its a very good movie. What makes it great is its focus on the characters. They're very well developed and there are many interresting interactions between them. Johnny Depp and Al Pacino give each great performances. I find there is a lot of subtleties in the way these two act. They manage to make entertaining conversations without having to overact like most actors do in hollywood. So yes, this is not an incredible movie but its good enough.
Predator (1987)
A Classic
This movie is an absolute classic. The guns, the muscles, the jungle, the jokes and of course, the predator: Pure testosterone. Even though thats great, my favourite part of this film is just how intense the sheer paranoia and the mystery is. Each scene you get the sense that an invisible force is present. Even on the first watch, you KNOW the predator is THERE. The hatmosphere is immaculate during the entire film. That is mainly due to suble details in the cinematography, music and acting. Speaking of which, the camera is so well handled. The cuts are smart and efficient, all to inspire fear. Just like the actors' facial expression. Every actor gives a great performance here. Another thing I want to point out is how good John McTiernan is at showing us the landscape in which the scenes take place. That makes the viewers ten times more paranoid. I think its interresting because how paranoia usually works in horror movies is that you dont know where the creature is and you fear its going to come. But in this movie, you KNOW the predator is likely super close but you dont know when its going to attack. This is not necessarily a better method but its certainly original. Anyway, this movie is a classic, I think extremely good for a tone of reasons so I recommend watching it.
Groundhog Day (1993)
Its Good But...
Ok, so yes I think its good. Its pethaps the best rom-com. But I also think its a bit boring. The romance elements are great but very hard to like if your not a romance lover in the first place. The comedy is good also but not all of it made me laugh. So to say it frankly, I dont think this movie has aged very well. Its considered a classic by many but I have to disagree. For me, a classic is a movie that ages well and that is still enjoyable a long time after its release. I find the cinematography, acting, script, music, ect, really feel old. Ive seen plenty of movies a lot older that have aged better than this one. So its a good movie but I would not recommend it unless you're a huge rom-com fan.
Knives Out (2019)
Cute
Before I watched this movie my friend told me it was cute. I didnt really understand what he meant, now I do. Its at least the best way I can describe the movie. Its like a back to basics type of thing. The filming techniques are good but not very special either. And its kind of the same thing with the script, the acting, ect. The thing that differences this movie from an average hollywood movie is the directing. I think it is what made the difference here. About it being cute, its because this movie is simple, funny and fun to watch. Having watched the sequel "Glass Onion", I think that Knives Out is far superior in therms of quality and its a lot more enjoyable. So yes, I'd recommend this movie, Im sure you will have a great time watching it.
Heat (1995)
Insane
EPIC is what this movie is. Its really just that awesome. Its like so overwhelmingly filled with great elements you dont even notice them. So lets break it down:
The script. Its very good all around. The story is extremely compelling and super dramatic. There are many excellent parts to it and they're merged so well together. The ending is extremely satisfying and memorable. The dialogue is also great. The diner scene has perhaps the best dialogue in the entire movie. I think that scene was genius, everything about it. About the plot, I find it impressive that they took the usual "cop and robber" story and made it 10 times better. Having seen it a couple times, I feel like there is such a balance between the different subgenres within this film that you can enjoy different parts each time you watch it.
The actors/characters. The characters are freaking insane! Each and one of them has a very distinct thing about them that makes them awesome for every second they're on screen. And the actors are just as good. The casting choice is spot, on. Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Val Kilmer, Jon Voight, ect... Oh and whoever the heck Ashley Judd is but she's like Charlize Theron but cooler! I mean, such a killer lineup. Everyone here is like the freaking GOAT everytime they talk. Definitely one of the greatest actors chemistry I've seen.
The sound design/music. When the main character just drives on a highway and it becomes one of the most iconic scene of the movie you know you have a banger soundtrack. And its not just the songs, the sound desing is excellent too.
The cinematography. When I think of blue, I think of Heat. When I think of a city at night, I think of Heat. When I think of a diner, I think of Heat. When I think of an industrial park, of a highway, Los Angeles, a bank, robberies, hotels, cooking breakfast, Heat! These images have staid in my head. Its like every goddamn scene in this movie is iconic! Jokes aside, the visuals are sooooo good. The blueish color gives emotion to every frame. The camera is so well handled. Scenes are filmed differently depending on what it should make you feel. A thing that not a lot of directors realize in this decade. Now, I have to talk about how well the action is filmed. I think this is the pinnacle of action in cinema. Its simply the best action movie of all time. There is literally not a single flaw when it comes to the action. Having so many, I still think that there is one in perticular that rises above the rest. That is the bank robbery. Man, every second of it is exhilarating. From the way it begins to the way it ends, its flawless. These images are burned in my mind, Val Kilmer dropping the bag of money and immidiately shooting at the police. Then the driver getting shot, the shoutout, the hostage... Its awesome! And thats just one scene. As if I havent talked about actors yet, Val Kilmer is freaking BADASS! And Michael Mann films him so well. For example, when there's a drug deal and hes doing the sniper. Oh boy. The way he rolls, pivots, aims and shoots... Its very simple when you think about it but in execution its a totally different thing and here its pulled off perfectly. One thing I noticed about the cinematography is that the director knew when to cut. He uses quick cuts in action scenes but he does so 100 times better than every movie nowadays. Because it is true that movies cut way to often now. Wether you make quick cuts or long cuts only depends of the scene your filming. And Michael Mann knows exactly which one to use for every scene.
So like I already said, everything in this movie is undoubtedly awesome and its one of my favourite of all time so I very strongly recommend to watch it.
Inside Man (2006)
I Dont Understand...
Ill be honest, Im not sure I understand this movie. I dont know why a lot of people think its extremely good. They say the plot twist at the end is brilliant but unless there is something huge that I did not catch, there is nothing to go on about with movie. Like, the dialogue isnt special, the acting is slightly above average, the music... what music? Also, without going into details, nothing at all feels even slightly smart or entertaining about it. And to come back to that ending, what was the point?! Like how is this a plot twist and why should anyone think of writing this in a movie script? Although its not horrible, this movie is extremely useless. Like there is absolutely no point in watching this in my opinion.
Predators (2010)
They Failed That One...
Im just gonna say it, its very bad. Its not necessarily easy to see why its bad but it is. I think it mostly have to do with the fact that deep down, this movie is not original at all. It kinda feels like a reheated dish. Sure, the plot is different, but only on the surface. In this movie its them "lost" on a planet and trying to survive. They added a few not-so-good plot elements such as the fact that this is essentially the hunger games but with humans and predators. Now, although they talk about this, what you see for the entire movie is them walking around the jungle trying not to get killed by a predator. Doesnt that sound a bit similar to the first movie? I feel like what they did here was taking the core structure of the first predator movie and just added all the extra hollywood stereotypes and storyline cores that we see in every movie nowadays. By doing that, they threw away everything that was specical about predator 1 and 2 for me. Being in the same universe, I got no choice but to compare it to the 1 and 2. Thats why I think its a very bad movie in most areas. So, for me, this is a very disapointing movie and I wish theyd never made it.
Carnage (2011)
A Great Easy Watch
When I think of movies that are easy to watch, I usually think of comedies. And it is the best genre for that in my opinion, but there is a huge problem in how comedies were made in the last 20 years or so compared to the comedies back in the 90s. The problem is that they lowered the quality of the content to make it "easier" to watch. And by easier I mean that you dont need to think, you dont need to understand jokes, instead they tell you when to laugh. With that out of the way, I want to say that this movie has what others dont: its funny, it has great acting, its kinda smart, its simple AND its easy to watch. Its the kind of film you decide to watch randomly because it has the label "comedy", only its better than the others. Chtistoph Waltz is hilarious and everything also but not as much as he is. Anyway, this movie is fun and pretty good so maybe just go check it out?
Double Indemnity (1944)
A Masterpiece
This is one of the best film-noir I've ever watched. The vibe was there, the plot, the dialogue, the cinematography... Here's how to make a flim-noir pretty much. Being a dying genre, the best you'll find are mainly from 1940 to 1950. It was pretty much the pinnacle years for film-noirs and this movie is one of its best. Though I have to say that this movie is not just representing the genre very well, its more than that. Its a masterpiece. And Billy Wilder is such a master at using the camera and building up an atmosphere. The actors were also a critical element to the success of the movie and they played very well each of their roles. I think this is definitely one of the best film-noirs/dramas ever made and it deserves even more recognition than it already has.
Primal Fear (1996)
Simply Great
Without a doubt this film is great. The case's elements are excellent. There is a lot of suspense and twists. The cinematography isn't anything special but its not too bad either. Being a court case, its kind of normal to have less music and/or any focus on the cinematography. That said the actors gave very good performances. Edward Norton and Richard Gere had a very realistic chemistry. The story of the film is intriguing in many ways. It doesn't try to shoot for the moon so it doesn't fail anywhere and delivers everywhere it promises to. I think this is a great courtroom drama if you want to get started in the genre in my opinion.
Sicario (2015)
Not A Second To Breathe
My review title isnt at all exaggerated. This movie is breathtaking. But not the way we usually mean it. This movie is as dark as it gets. Everything about it is despisable. I find there isnt one thing about this movie that can make you feel good. Its in fact so well made your gonna hate it. That said, the actors were phenomenal. They played their role extremely well to the point this whole movie becomes reality rather than a fiction. The cinematography, the direction and the score were absolutely astounding. Every part of this movie is incredible. Even if its hard to notice. One thing I must add is this, if you are a fragile person, do not ever even come close to this movie because from the very first second untill the end its truly a horrific experience.
Paprika (2006)
Chaos Used To Its Full Potential
Yeah, crazy. Yet again Satoshi Kon proves that he is an incredible director. He has made a couple of extremely good movies and he sadly he doesnt get as much recognition as he deserves. All that said, Paprika is a mind bending experience. It explores complex concepts and it does so at a hyperactive paste. This makes it so much more rewatchable since you cant understand everything on the first watch. Every minute that passes by, you are introduced to a new view of the story and just as you think you know what is going on, the movie does yet another drastic turn and you are lost again. This happens throughout the whole runtime and it never lets go. As portrayal of chaos, I think this is as good as it gets. Saying this film is good would be an understatement. Everything about this movie is so inovative and original that it just might be a lot more important to the cinema industry than anyone gives it credit for.
Asteroid City (2023)
A Visual Story
Wes Anderson, like always, explores the visual realm in a rather inconventional way. And I think it works very well with everything he writes. This movie mainly tells its story through its visuals. Which, if you are wondering, is pretty much everything it has to offer. It doesnt have much of any "story" or a realistic portayal of characters. Instead, Wes Anderson tells a story by using mainly three things in my opinion: camera mouvements, colors and set design. Of course there is so much more to it, but these elements are what I noticed first. Now, the way he uses these elements can be resumed in a word: Unexpected. He moves the camera in such an unexpected way that its visually stimulating because he constantly surprises us by making a cut or not making a cut. For example, there is a scene where he only moves the camera laterraly and makes 90 degree cuts untill he's made a complete 360 degree turn. Each time he moves the camera in this scene, it always feels like he's gonna break his pattern, yet he doesnt. These types of choices is what keeps the movie alive, it's what makes it entertaining and ultimately, it's what tells the story. Simply put, I think this film strives at being original and it definitly feels fresh.
Ping Pong the Animation: The Wind Makes It Too Hard to Hear (2014)
So Far Im Impressed
I find the first episode of this show is very interesting. It has a very unique animation style that isnt the most eye pleasing. But it uses everything it has to create very special feelings that I havent seen before in anime. I think sound has a big thing to do with it. There is a scene in particular where the sound design makes it clear what this show realy is about. And I think it does so in a very creative way. I highly recommend trying this out because this is a very interrest perspective on the sport itself but also on certain techniques of filmmaking and animation in general.
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The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
Bad, Just so bad.
Hmmm, where to start? There is almost nothing good about this film. Nothing feels like the originals. For example, the camera work and lighting was extremely badly handled. In the first films, the frames could be dirty or it had a grim look to it, now it looks way to... "perfect". We dont want to see everything perfectly in a frame, we want the feels that the originals provided through dark and mysterious looking visuals. This clearly did not hit the spot. And we havent even talked about the characters, the plot, and the failed comedy... In short this movie is a giant mess! Its a big waste of time, so dont watch it.
Dune: Part Two (2024)
New Boundaries
I think there are so many things to talk about this movie so let's keep it "simple". This film is absolutely incredible, it's a masterpiece, a work of art. Besides that I think this is also one of the most important films ever made. It accomplishes so much on so many levels. For example, when was the last time we saw a science-fiction movie with masterclass acting, deep characters, perfect cinematography, immaculate sound design (the list could go on...) and that is adapted from a novel?! But more specifically, I believe this film showed us the true power of CGI and how to use it properly. It was nearly invisible and it blended perfectly with the rest of the footage. Denis Villeneuve just took us somewhere no one had never been and it truly is an undescribable experience. He made a perfect use of wide shots, lenses and filters. Adding to that is the immaculate sound design. Hans Zimmer yet again makes an incredible original score and Villeneuve compliments it with the perfect background noises. One thing is for sure though, this is a movie to see in theatre. For me, this was the best theatre experience ever. So if you can go see it I highly recommend to go see it before it leaves to go into streaming.
The Walking Dead: Too Far Gone (2013)
A Great Episode
The Walking Dead is certainly a good tv show but I find that season 4 is lacking a bit of intrigue compared to the three previous seasons. And to be completely honest, I was starting to lose interest. Untill... this episode. I think this is really what makes the whole season worth watching. This is the biggest event of the season, it has some of the show's most memorable moments, some of them are tragic and some are super satisfying. All around, they did a very good job in closing that storyline (finally...) in such an epic way and Its really one of those episodes where you remember why you watch this show.
Ocean's Eight (2018)
Miss
Sequel are a big problems nowadays. Even with great intentions (only sometimes, because its usually just for money), making a sequel is hard. Just like here, I could see somewhat of an idea but nothing really connected. Even with a bunch of hollywood icons like Sandra Bullock or Anne Hathaway, this film tries everything but got nothing. What made the original trilogy great was surely not present. Its simple, the acting, the directing, the dialogue, the plot, the camera work, everything down to the smallest details was extremely inferior to its predecessor. I certainly don't think this movie should ever have been made and I don't recommend to watch it either. So instead, if you haven't watched them already, go watch the original movies and your guaranteed to have a great time.
Deep Blue Sea (1999)
Watch it for that one scene...
To be honest this is a pretty average film. It doesnt mean its bad, but its not great either. The acting is what you expect from a movie in the 90s, and by that I mean to say that the average for movies in the 90's was a level up what most movies are today. So of course, the only reason I remember this film is that one scene... I'm of course reffering to when Samuel L Jackson's character gets eaten by a shark. Its not even that great, but its funny has hell! No one, and I mean, no one could predict that was gonna happen. Not only did we all think he was the main character, but we also did not expect him to die there (if we even thought he would die). So, yeah I wouldnt say its a worth watch but seeing Samuel L Jackson getting eaten by sharks was damn funny.
I, Claudius (1976)
Wonderful Script!
The first thing I notice with this series is how well the script is written. There is a lot of characters, a great plot developement and good dialogue. But thinking back, this show's biggest weakness is the fact that this story/script was originally a book. Now, there have been tones of great book adaptations. The reason I feel like its a probelm here is because 90% of the show is dialogue. And the dialogue happens in all the same locations. Therefore most of the scenes are visually extremely similar. And to top it off, because its old and because it seems like there was a very limited budget, the image quality wasnt so great. Thats why I think (even though I haven't read the original novel) that this would work better has a book than a tv show adaptation. But don't get me wrong though, this is still a very good show and a gem for historical politic lovers.
Singin' in the Rain (1952)
Its a good musical, I guess...
I did not watch a lot of musicals in my life and to be honest, I don't really like musicals. But even with my small experience in watching musicals, I feel like this one is special. Its in part due to the fact that the camera was very well handled throughout the whole movie. I think the director had a lot of guts with certain camera shots, but he made it work (for example: the casino light sign shot). The songs are catchy and there is a descent mini story with a good message that comes with it. I also want to say that the artistic desing is immaculate. Both the sets and costumes are very colorful and eye catching. Overall I feel like this movie is one that really captures the spirit of musicals. Recommended for those who want to explore the base of the art.
Men in Black: International (2019)
A Big Miss
Hollywood is in a time where it takes classics and tries to remake them or make a sequel to them, I am not a fan of these but there has been some that worked. Its usually a hit or miss (mostly misses). And this was a big, big miss in my opinion. The original MIB trilogy had a load of charisma, descent comedy and a good rewatch value. This film has absolutely nothing a person looks for in a movie in my opinion. Everything was average or bad: the camera work, the plot, the characters, the acting, the story, the dialogue and even the music. Now, the thing that's worst about it is the fact that this is SUPPOSED TO BE A SEQUEL. But don't be fooled, this has nothing of the original movies and I surely don't think it was ever worth to watch.
Majo no takkyûbin (1989)
Positive Vibes, Loved It!
This film is without a doubt the work of a master. The reason I'm saying this is that is that only a master like Miyazaki can make a film with such a simple plot into a masterful experience like it is. Like any other Ghibli film this movie has beautiful animation. It is specially impressive considering it was all handrawn. The music, voice acting and sound design are also excellent. What catched my eye the most in this film is the overall positive vibe its giving. From the colour scheming to the story's structure and moral, this film has a wonderful and almost innocent view on life's difficulties. This is a very family friendly watch and I highly recommend this to just about anybody.
A Plague Tale: Innocence (2019)
A Bit Underwhelming
First of all, this game has good moments but its not as good as people let it out to be. Its not a "bad" game but I don't see a reason to be playing it really. The graphics are good but the art style aren't as good as they gcould have been. Also, I think the gameplay isn't good at all. Its extremely linear, but to a ridiculous degree. Not that there is anything wrong with linear but this is just way too much. Now, the only thing that remains is the story, and it isn't really any good in my opinion. I think many of the elements that the writters were trying to portay just did not hit as much as it could have if it was designed differently.
Overall, its not a bad game but I don't really see any reason to play it.
Life (2017)
Underwhelming
Knowing a couple of good actors played in this movie, I started thinking it might be good even though the IMDb rating isn't really good. What I found was that this film is really average. And after the 2000's, average films were not very good, unlike the 1990's where even an average film could still be entertaining and to a certain degree, good. But this movie did not work for me. There are things I like about it but most it is really just way too average in my opinion. There was hardly anything of value throughout the entirety of its run time. Even though there are great actors like Jake Gyllenhaal Rebecca Ferguson that star in it, it feels as like they were completely absent. Actors who have demonstrated that they can give spectacular performances (like Jake Gyllenhaal in Prisoners) gave perfromances that just felt unimportant to them. It felt like they weren't the same actors, as if they'd lost their acting skills. I am a huge fan of Jake Gyllenhaal and I like Rebecca Ferguson, but I have to say these weren't good performances. Now, the performances was not really the main reason why this film is so average, the writting is. And its to be expected because the writters are the same who wrote Deadpool and Zombieland. Im gonna be honest, I haven't watched Deadpool, but I have watched Zombieland, and let me just say that the script is ridiculously stupid. Yes, its funny but its by no means good, never was and never will be. These two writters have not given me any reason to believe they have talent. And its not any different in Life. You have a wierd and unreallistic creature (which is not the problem), practically unexistant characters, a plot that misses finesse and an average direction. I think there was only one good thing about this movie and that is its ending. It wasn't smart or anything but it fitted pretty well the movie and it was the perfect thing to make everybody ignore all the other bad details. Knowing what happens, I think this is one of those movies where someone had an idea and the whole reason he makes this movie is that idea. And I think that its the case here with the ending. It was cool and it broke a bit from the usual ending in a creature feature and I personally liked it. But looking back at this, there was litterally nothing else in this movie other than this. There was no quality anywhere else prior to that, even though the ending was good its not enough for me to think of this movie as any good.