radamanthe Reviews

The X-Files: Babylon (2016) Season 10, Episode 5

Embarrassing...what was CC thinking?

[1/10 · 22 February 2016]

This is by far the worst X-Files episode i have seen. It tries, as is obvious from the ending, to pass a message of understanding and reconciliation among different peoples and cultures, but fails miserably, since it uses every anti-Muslim stereotype currently available. The Muslims we see are all terrorists on a mission to destroy America, with the sole exception of a woman-the mother of a suicide bomber-that gives a humanistic speech at her son's deathbed. Of course Chris Carter doesn't bother analyzing the motivations behind Islamic fundamentalism, which are political, but instead rests on the lazy explanation that their religion tells them to go blow themselves up. Also featured in the episode is a pair of FBI agents who are basically the younger versions of Mulder and Scully but their storyline doesn't go anywhere and by the end of the episode nobody cares about them. The ending dialogue of Mulder and Scully was particularly cringeworthy as it balanced between stereotyping and ignorance about the roots of Muslim "hatred" and lovey-dovey ideas of love and peace among peoples, animals and plants. Chris Carter please have mercy on us!!! Only Anderson and Duchovny know how they managed not to crack up when uttering such nonsense. The only memorable thing from the episode is Mulder's silly dancing while tripping on placebo pills, maybe this can be seen as a metaphor for this whole inane episode. P.S. How come the torso of a suicide bomber isn't torn to pieces and he is instead in a hospital bed with head injuries??

The X-Files: Founder's Mutation (2016) Season 10, Episode 2

Blast from the past

[9/10 · 27 January 2016]

Excellent episode reminiscent of old times. Mulder and Scully investigate a case of genetic abnormalities in children and the revelations are incorporated competently to the main story of the rebooted series. The dialogue is improved compared to the first episode and there is palpable chemistry once again between the two actors. The writers don't bother explaining how the X-Files are reopened and Mulder and Scully work together again, i guess this is something fans of the show might have to take for granted in order to enjoy the remaining episodes. Nevertheless, what i found interesting in this episode are the two separate daydreams of Mulder and Scully concerning their son William and life with him. It was a nice way of showing the differences of their personalities and their common anxiety and concern for their adopted son. My vote is nine.

Sicario (2015)

Gripping

[8/10 · 27 January 2016]

Excellent thriller that tries to throw light at the consequences of the war on drugs. Emily Blunt's character is involved in a barely legal military operation at the US-Mexican border, in order to bring down a brutal Mexican drug cartel, only to discover that the rationale for the operation was altogether different. I know that quite a few people here complain about the selection of Emily Blunt for the main role, but i believe she has done a great job together with the rest of the cast. Her natural fragility provides a nice contrast to the male dominated world she inhabits and highlights the compromises she eventually has to make. The movie's direction and cinematography are great providing some beautiful and dramatic landscapes and the music is also very good. Overall, one of the best movies of 2015.

The X-Files: My Struggle (2015) Season 10, Episode 1

Looking forward to the next episode

[7/10 · 25 January 2016]

Well the actors may have aged, but when you hear after so many years that eerie theme music again you are transported back in time to your adolescence. This reboot doesn't offer anything original, it uses the same old tropes all X-Files fans know by now, and incorporates new elements of contemporary conspiracy mongers.I am eager to see the direction they will go with this. Even though the dialogue feels a little too predictable and stilted, the story line provides enough to pique one's interest, especially since an old acquaintance makes an appearance during the final scene of the episode. This episode provided an adequate introduction to the rebooted show by trying to give some background to our old main characters and introducing new ones. My vote is seven.

Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011)

Ups the ante of idiocy

[3/10 · 21 January 2016]

I had higher expectations of this movie based on the actors involved. The first part is not that bad, but it goes downhill after Steve Carell's character stops playing the miserable and cheated on husband and becomes a womanizer. This movie offers an extremely moronic view of human relationships, since Gosling's character eventually decides to stop chasing skirts after he meets Mrs. right of course and Julianne Moore's character all of a sudden wants her husband back after cheating on him (the reason for this is never spelled out, the same with why she felt the need to have sex with another guy in the first place). The icing on the cake of stupidity is the relationship between the son of the family and the nanny, that concludes with the latter offering some photos of her posing naked to the former as a means of compensating (???) for the fact that he is still very young and she is not into him. In a nutshell this movie manages to offer some of the silliest romantic clichés about adult relationships, while it piles up on the creepy factor about the teenage ones. Not a mean feat by any means!!

Steve Jobs (2015)

Interesting but not gripping

[7/10 · 21 January 2016]

Good attempt at portraying the man behind Apple. The movie doesn't provide a time-line of Jobs at Apple, it instead offers an examination of his personality through his interactions with people that played an important part in his life, such as Steve Wozniak and his daughter who he initially refused to acknowledge. It definitely isn't a hagiography, and i understand that a lot of people may not like that fact, nevertheless it provides an insightful view at his controversial personality. The script is typical Sorkin, intelligent and staccato-paced and the acting is also very good. Fassbender and Winslet are standouts as expected and their Oscar nominations are well-deserved. Nevertheless i found that this movie failed to convey the emotional impact that Jobs' personality and tumultuous relationships deserved. The result is that the movie eventually fizzles instead of soaring.

Drive (I) (2011)

All style, no substance

[5/10 · 17 January 2016]

Drive is a movie that immerses you into its world through cinematography, directing and music. The plot is pretty basic:an unnamed guy extracts revenge from a gang of criminals so the girl he is in love with and her son can escape their clutches. The relationship of the protagonist with the woman and the boy is conveyed with little dialogue,instead stares and body language is stressed but still i found the acting not great just satisfactory. Films of this type generally don't bother much with character development, so i didn't mind much the fact that the characters were two-dimensional, they represented archetypes after all such as the brooding silent type who kills the bad guys, the former criminal who wants to escape his past but fails, and the fragile woman waiting for the silent type to save her and her son. This film is generally nothing more than a stylistic exercise, investing in Gosling's star power, Mulligan's fragility, a lot of gory violence, 80s music and great cinematography. If you want a film that has a beautiful exterior but little substance i am sure you will appreciate Drive.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Garbage...

[1/10 · 13 January 2016]

If one expects that this movie is worth seeing after the praise heaped upon it by critics, sorry but try something else. The plot is silly, the characters are paper-thin and the premise ludicrous. The main actors don't even have to act, as the only thing they do during most of the time is grunt. I understand that one of the reasons this joke of a film has gained support is because it allegedly presents a feminist angle to a traditionally masculine franchise, i guess the definition of feminism for the director and writers of this atrocity is some scantily-clad and extremely beautiful women being saved by a female g.i Joe. The whole movie has the aesthetics of a music video with many explosions, motorcycle stunts and the aforementioned scantily-clad women, which shows that its main target audience are idiots with short attention spans and voyeurs.