Change Your Image
marianneczka
Lists
An error has ocurred. Please try againReviews
Dream Scenario (2023)
Eternal Sunshine meets Being John Malkovich
Love that the early 2000s so heavily inspired this film. The director is a millennial himself which shines through in the references, atmosphere, musical choices and graininess of this delicious movie.
Being a fan of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Lost in Translation, Being John Malkovich, but also Inception, I found this film to be heartfelt, creative, and the concept unique and very ingrained in today's life. Nicolas Cage delivers a very honest and human performance, one of his best in recent years.
The references to fame, tiktok, and even modern day influencer agencies are spot on. There's a lot of funny moments, some heartfelt human encounters, and beautiful interiors and shooting locations.
All in all an unexpected discovery at the dawn of 2023. Next to Past Lives, Anatomy of a Fall this film doesn't fall short and keeps entertained and glued to the screen throughout. Big like.
The Deepest Breath (2023)
Interesting
Really good documentary. Gripping, interesting visuals, good tension, intriguing topic that isn't much explored etc. But plays a little bit too much on human emotion. The interviews with family members are a bit too emotional in my opinion.
I also disliked the fact that even though the main protagonist (the male diver) loses his life to save the girl, she still goes onto establishing more diving records. I find it simply disrespectful towards him.
This should've been an eye opener for her and she should value her life more. I agree with another reviewer, I just cannot comprehend them wanting to lose their lives for a medal/ the beat a record.
Maybe it's in human nature to be this competitive, but how does an extreme sport include a person fainting or "blacking out" a lot of the times still considered normal and something to continue pursuing.
I feel bad for the families and close ones, that they have to suffer just because of the stubborn nature of the divers.
Fresh (2022)
Gripping, niche, cool and FRESH if you can bare the gruesome topic
This movie took me by surprise, I haven't expected much in the beginning.
If you like an easy rom-com, horror and a good true crime mixed in this will definitely something for you! The biggest plus here is excellent acting! The script is also very creative and fascinating.
There's not much gore shown, more hints, which is good imo.
If you liked "Promising young woman", "Don't F with cats", but also Sofia Coppola movies, this is a good mix of all, plus very current, an ode to today's dating scene and how to be careful and watch your step.
Excellent soundtrack too! All in all, decent, fresh weekend flick that will keep you on your toes. Big thumbs up.
False Positive (2021)
Enjoyable - if you like Van Trier or Guadagnino's Suspiria
I don't agree with the low ratings of this movie at all. C'mon, there are many silly American comedies reviewed higher than this.
True, it's an art house horror, but I found it inventive and creative. The main female lead was realistic and strong, guys she must not always be the typical hot movie star. Ilana was real and authentic, she kind of made me think of female leads in Sofia Coppola movies.
Also, if you liked the new Suspiria, which was also a "bad movie" but still inventive and artistically stunning, you will like this.
It was bland at times, and obviously heavily inspired by Rosemary's Baby but who cares? It was an enjoyable watch, that will keep you interested.
Also it was beautifully shot.
The "strong imagery" that everyone is talking about, shouldn't be shocking to us, if we agree to see cut off limbs and dead bodies in every horror slasher.
Killings, and graphic sex is fine, but showing placenta's and a miscarriage isn't? That definitely should be normalized. Triggering, yes, but a lot of things are, especially in the horror genre.
This movie definitely didn't deserve all the low reviews.
Malcolm & Marie (2021)
Trying too hard to reference Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut
Very annoying movie with no plot line and cringe-y cast overacting in every scene. You don't care for them and feel no sympathy whatsoever.
The most annoying part is that Sam Levinson seems to think is the only one who has seen movies by Kieslowski, or Kubrick's Eyes wide Shut, and endlessly references them and steals ideas, but in the end serving no point and no climax.
Zandaya dressed the same way as Nicole Kidman in Eyes wide Shut, (a brilliant movie I have seen 20 times, with easter eggs hidden along the way, unlike this piece of garbage). Levinson referencing the idea of deep conversations and fights in EWS, but unfortunately to no result, no creative meaning, no point. Zendaya peeing in an evening gown in the first scene (hello?! Again Eyes wide shut). But why??? Makes no sense, in the nineties this was groundbreaking to show this in cinemas, but now?? Nothing interesting, nothing new.
I've gotten already pretty annoyed by Levinson using the soundtrack from Kieslowski's Double life of Vernonique in Euphoria, like it was completely new, his idea, without any references. But this movie beats the cake, because it's fake, boring and pointless, at least Euphoria had a story to tell. Perhaps Levinson thinks the only people seeing Malcolm and Marie will be teenies from Euphoria, treating all his "borrowed" ideas as new...
Not to mention that the interior and the wide shots from outside the house with Malcolm dancing in the beginning of the movie are a straight copy of Mia dancing to "Girl, you'll be a woman soon" in Pulp Fiction....
Most cringe-y scenes: Malcolm eating mac & cheese (this scene will hunt you with its annoyance), Zendaya making weird cringe-y faces, making her look like a teenager and not like an intelligent, wise adult, she's supposed to portray.
Sorry to say, but as much as I enjoyed Tenet, in this role Washington is also just plainly annoying, full of himself and not a likeable character...
Such a shame.
PEN15 (2019)
Such a gem!!! Must watch
LOVE LOVE LOVE this show!!! Made me relive long forgotten memories from over 20 years ago!!!
Just like the actresses playing the 13 year olds, I was also born in 87. I could relate to so so many memories depicted in this show, even though I grew up in Poland.
The idea for it is pure genius!! Acting, the script, all the 7th grade drama, the rawness of being a teen and the chemistry of Anna and Maya...So brilliant.
It's difficult to find words for how honest, heartwarming and human this show is...
I laughed, I cried, I felt my 13teen year old self alive again.
The casting is brilliant, and 30 year olds playing 13 year olds strangely works perfectly!
I highly recommend it, it changed my life and I wish I'd discovered it sooner!!! Watching again right now.
Thank you Anna and Maya for creating this gem!!
On the Rocks (2020)
A wonderful sequel to Lost in Translation
Lost in Translation is my favorite movie of al time, I have re-watched it over and over countless times and basically grown up with it. (I was 17 when I first watched it). Nothing quite hit this hard from Coppola's repertoire since this wonderful gem from 2003.
On the Rocks is not as polarizing of course, not as deep or emotional. But it is some sort of a continuation, at least as long as Bill Murray's character goes, plus Rashida Jones as his wonderful heart-felt realistic partner in crime. You can feel a similarity in Charlotte's character from LIT to Laura, but It's much more grown up this time around, maybe the problems seem also more trivial, but that's life I guess, as it goes on your dreams are not as big anymore. Or maybe that's just Sofia's experience?
I liked the movie, I enjoyed it thoroughly, as one of my film director friend's put it "Sofia can do no wrong". I agree with that - in On the Rocks you can feel the atmosphere of the city Sofia lives in - she seems to have had a similar life in NYC, although her kids are already older that the one depicted in the movie (also 2 daughters btw!). A similar (real life) situation was illustrated in Lost in Translation, a sequel to Sofia's frequent travels to Japan. Drawn by her feelings and observations of certain moments in life, her new movie isn't to be liked by everyone, but it is, dare I say it? Honest.
Honest about the long lost melancholy a the time long gone, of NYC social clubs, rich gentlemen, hanging out at the Carlyle and driving around in convertibles. For me the highlight of the movie is the slow-mo martini glass moment with "I get along without you very well" playing softly in the background. A true Sofia Coppola moment.
I watched this movie several times, once with a more critical and cynical attitude, with my bf, and for a second time with my mother, which sparked a lively conversation around the topic, if men CAN actually be faithful. Never expected such afterthoughts after such a seemingly, simple-scripted movie.
All in all, this movie isn't for everyone, a certain love for NYC and Sofia's peculiar style might be needed here and there to enjoy it.
Murray is wonderfully himself, not always ultra funny, but truly him, I love him singing like in LIT, and spying on Laura's husband like in Broken Flowers. (one of my favs too)
To me, all in all, On the Rocks is a beautifully paced slow burner reminding me of how quickly time passes and that Sofia's style is truly one of a kind.