Change Your Image
johnugomessina
Reviews
Ip Man (2008)
The best of the IP Man's franchise
This is one of my favorite martial arts film. Great fight scenes, good actors (Donnie Yen) excellent direction. Great production design and photography. I've greatly appreciated Yip's narrative and aesthetics that enhance Yen's awe-inspiring skills (choreographed by the owesome Sammo Hung). It's the best of the IP Man's franchise.
American Beauty (1999)
Masterpiece
This film is wonderful. I saw it again after so many years. Too bad that Kevin Spacey can't act anymore because of the metoo things. It is second to none with his character interwining in a beautiful way.
Pandemiocracy (2021)
Very interesting
It's given that this is a very emotive topic. And as always, emotive topics give birth to controversial opinions, feelings and point of view. I think that this documentary either you love it or you hate it. It all depends on how you lived (and survived) this awful pandemic. The quality of this documentary, beyond the inexpensive way it was done, is pretty decent. I am not talking about the production value, but about the way it is presented, and how the director proposes his arguments (in a pretty methodic and clear way I would say). I personally agree with the conclusions of this work: 1- keep a healthy lifestyle since the casualties due to Covid-19 were higher among people with underlying conditions. 2- The lockdowns did indeed harm people in many ways (and I would say lockdowns by age would have been more appropriate) and their effects are far from being over. 3- Treasure what matters the most because you'll never know what the future brings you (and this is particularly true in this period). This is a film worth watching.
The Silent Killer (2020)
INTERESTING
Interesting because talks about various aspects of Covid 19 pandemic, even those the media are not talking about. I think, though, that it's forceful to turn into a silent film a documentary that has a lot of interviews since turning those parts silent has as outcome some kind of boredom in watching them. I appreciate the effort of the director and his commitment to let people know that a healthy lifestyle can give hard time to the virus do to us harm.
6 Underground (2019)
Awful direction
Too fast, too ads style. Too music video style. Tons of advertising. Yes I know Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Lamborghini, Lavazza Coffee, Maserati, Chopard gave a lot of money but there are subtle way to advertise a brand. And, GOD, you cannot enjoy a single framing because it's the hell too fast. Come on it's supposed to be a movie not a music video or piece of advertising. Slapstick dialogues. Superficial characters. I was thinking to give it 4 but it deserves 3. Amen.
Entrapped: A Day of Terror (2019)
Little Jewel
This film is a little jewel. A thriller entirely shot in two tiny locations: an elevator and a cellar. Six people in the elevator and one inside a cellar. And the result was astonishing. It makes you feel the claustrophobia of the small elevator, the lack of oxygen, the hopelessness of those trapped inside. The film unfold in a way you won't guess, using just a few objects to carry out its incredible twists. The extraordinary thing is that the film is based on a tragic true event that is a sad chapter of the terrorist season in Italy. You gotta watch this.
The Spiders' Man (2019)
I WISH I COULD LIKE IT MORE
Yes. I wanted, I hoped to give this film more than 6 but I cannot. Sincerely I can't. I was hoping from a better work from this director I like but this film had a great potential that the director, somehow, did not take advantage of. The acting is really good but there are some problems in the story. It feels like they run out of money and they cut it short, without exploring further, without trying to find a better ending. it's still enjoyable somehow but I was hoping for something better, for a deeper exploration of the characters. The actor who played Mike, the trouble minded guy, gave a great and deep performance and make me believe in his character. The others not so much.
A Perfect Family (2017)
HARD TO FIND IT
I had hard time to find this title. But I was finally able to watch it. The only place streaming this is the micro streaming platform iwatchmore that I found to be owned by the company run by the director of this film. Of course, being a silent film, a modern silent film no wonder no major platform wants it.
How to start? WELL. IT'S INDEED EXPERIMENTAL. I guess the director shot this just for fun as he used his wife and as lead. It's oniric, dreamy, surprising. It's a crazy film that only film lovers with no prejudice can totally appreciate. It must be highly autobiographic. Something coming from the unconscious of the director. Somebody dies, then undies because you find out that the killer at the end is the real victim. Or not. Maybe it's just the kid's imagination while playing with his LEGO. Hard to tell this film. You've got to watch it....better...watch it and read it.
Sexocracy: The man of Bunga Bunga (2012)
Somehow Controversial with a Countercurrent Thesis
As I said in my other reviews of this director's film, I got interested, somehow, in his work. I couldn't find this documentary free no where but since in iTunes the rental was so cheap I decided to throw some dime into the box.
Well it's a 2011 year documentary about Italian chronicles that now are just history, but what is interesting in this doc is that it's like a still frame of an era. The era of former Italian prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (that has much in common with Trump) and his extravagant way of leading his country between funny jokes and Bunga Bunga orgies. It's engaging and somehow controversial mostly now after the Weinstein scandal. Yes because one of the thesis of this work is: "Women are not victims of men. They are the real masters of many games". Not from the narrator, nor the director, but from the mouth of the agent that used to supply escorts to the Prime Minister. "There are people who would do anything just to have a few seconds of celebrity". says Lele Mora. And having been a top agent I guess we can give him some credit.
Of Sinners and Saints (2015)
Finally an engaging film from the Philippines
Yes. Finally. After watching Brillante's Mendoza films ( I liked a couple of them though) and the tedious work of Lav Diaz i bumped into this little gem on TubiTv. It was free and I gave it a try. After the first 15 minutes I was tempted to pass but I told myself to just wait 10 minutes more. And I did the right thing. It turned out to be, in my opinion, a well crafted and well directed film with good acting and a great interpretation of the lead actor which is also the director of this film. I can say that he has a great eye and can frame the scenes in a very engaging way. It's a religious film. I don't really watch that sort of film but I was attracted by the art work. A priest with a gun? Let's check it out. It's a surprising film with a surprising end, something you don't really expect and makes your blood freeze. I watch a few more film from this director Soriquez but this, is by far, his best work. Great musical score. If you are interested in the dilemma between human and celestial, this is a film not to be missed.
The Hangover (2009)
Not to be missed
I laughed a lot. Very enjoyable.
Really Great. It's funny, there's some good acting, the story is not predictable and fast paced and keeps you really engaged.
I expected a movie that is funny, and fresh and it really was. A lot. Not to be missed.