Change Your Image
donrinsang
I have also imagined stories from a very early age. Stories are contained and allow to immerse the visitor in all sorts of places. They can be very different experiences with a safe way out label. I have lived and worked in the worlds of stories for a long time. But still never get bored to find out which film, books, or latest tv series is intriguing to explore. So IMDb is a useful data bank to discover what storytelling has produced at any given time. I have watched or read so many stories that sometime is difficult to remember them all. But stories are important because they can change things and people. So as long as there are schools and teachers the world of stories will never end. Hoping to discover more on IMDb and the latest productions.
Ratings
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Reviews
Babylon (2022)
The roaring 20's
Many viewers will be surprised to discover how permissive the American film industry was in the 20's. Although most was in the making, almost anything seemed to be possible. To set the tone, there is a wild scene of a party with loud music and anything which goes. The audience is immediately drown into the story. And to be such a long feature, it is impressive how time flies following the dramas and successes of the protagonists. Something mainly to be attributed to the incredibly high standard of acting. The characters and what happens to them take the audience into the plot and not the other way around. There are elements and facts which have never been exposed so openly on the screen and even if the pace is fast with action there are amazingly funny scenes like the endless number of takes of a story which is so cleverly scripted, acted and directed that the audience couldn't stop laughing.
Perhaps some elements don't merge so well with the times like the dancing moves of the parties attendees which seem to be incredibly modern or the ending which is a bit too long.
But without any doubt the most impressive characteristic of Babylon is to have presented a story on cinema which most people don't really know about.
The Fabelmans (2022)
Where there is a will there is a way
The journey of the passion of a kid who stops at nothing to follow his dream. This story is a hope for all those people who pursue an interest and often a profession since they are very young. And in the case of the most fortunate ones, families are happy to support. This honest visual account is not shy of showing very personal problems. The young protagonist is confronted by the dilemma created by his talented mother and a school environment which makes antisemitism an issue which prevents any other consideration. There are very engaging scenes and what emerges at any moment of this story is how driven the young protagonist is. Nothing seems to stop him. And most of all, it shows that at times you need to loose a few battles to win the war.
Beautifully acted and directed, this is a story from real events which will fascinate even those who are not so charmed by the power of cinema.
Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
Unmissable
In most of adventure/action stories there is always an element which either doesn't get enough exposure or doesn't quite gel with the setting.
What is most remarkable about Avatar, The Way of Water is how seamlessly this story evolves. Everything is tuned to become a quite complex thread where story lines, acting, photography, special effects, sound and music all have the same importance and exposure.
Considering the length it took to produce a much improved follow up to the initial Avatar, it is incredible how everyone involved has managed to keep so alert to avoid any mistake. A recurrent problem when working for a very long time to the same project.
Presumably the project vision of the Director must have provided always the right direction.
It is well worth going to watch the 3D version although in some screenings a 4 Extreme show is offered and I guess that it is not going to disappoint.
I enjoyed every moment of the fully immersive experience of Avatar, The Way of Water and although there are stories on a much smaller scale which will be able to transport you in fantastic worlds, if there is a title which will stay in the story of cinema as what such experience is , a journey in a story which will make you forget about everything else in a theatre with strangers, it will be Avatar, The Way of Water.
The Traitors UK (2022)
A start for improvement?
The location of this show is well chosen and there are some spectacular moments, mainly shots of helicopter challenges or scenics locks. All professionally merged by the famous Claudia.
But I wish the production would have avoided those long series of apologies whenever somebody had to be chosen at the round table to be killed. "Sorry, it's not you but I put your name down' what does it mean? If there are suspicious elements which lead to somebody having reasons to be a traitor and the game is about bumping participants, apologies aren't needed. Which takes to the main problem of the game. Why showing recurrent team spirit when the game is about winning as individuals? In essence it is each to their own. Then tricks and spying and creating unexpected alliance or help, all would come natural. Even killing.
So if there is going to be another series, please get rid of all those sorry and tears or choose participants which don't have problems with the ethos of the game.
It's called the Traitors, right?
The Essex Serpent (2022)
Period setting, modern dialogue
Not all of the Essex has such an harsh landscape but the area where this story is located is very realistic. Surprisingly it isn't the Serpent which takes centre stage of this drama but rather the beautiful description of the main characters. Played all by big actors, it is their rather modern exchange of dialogue which is the star of this story. Period dramas can be very similar but one of the most entertaining character of this unpredictable short series is the doctor/innovative sergeant Luke. There are moments when his dialogue resonates in such a current way that you doubt if you are really watching a period drama. And again it will be all down to the characters to spin the audience away from the rather heavy setting. So don't be put off by gloomy landscapes and heavy period interiors. It is the story delivered by the characters the real star of this mini series.
Roar (2022)
There is still hope
For those who are resigned to put up with cliches and stereotypes Roar is a breath of fresh air.
This collection of unusual , to say the least , stories delivers entertainment in imaginative ways. The format of every episode is just right. The worlds are all different and no matter how indifferent some audience can be, they will be pulled in situations which might appear crazy, hilarious or even tragic to the extreme , only to be left with some after thoughts about intelligent reflections and truths. A very able cast delivers memorable performances. We just wish there could be more.
Cha Cha Real Smooth (2022)
Indie all over
Any character based story unravels at a slow pace and this one is no exception. But often the absence of spectacular plot twists is compensated by cruel and moving reflections.
The dialogue is one of the best things in this story. It's genuine, direct and unforgiving. A story between two people who haven't really found their place yet and struggle with undesirable baggage. The situations are well represented. There is nothing embellished for the sake of cinematic achievements. The character of Andrew is real in all of his strengths and weaknesses and the character of Domino is perfectly ambiguous. So what is left to accomplish? Nothing in particular, aside from some starking realities which grow from the background of the story into some frightening issues. Domino rejects an instinctive call for the sake of convenience. We were not prepared for that choice. But then other moments of the story show us Andrew rejecting Domino's advances. Perhaps the intent is to create a cat and mouse chase but what emerges in the end isn't pretty: Money doesn't buy you happiness.
Shining Girls (2022)
Puzzling
Any story about shifted realities is complex. In this series apparently some elements have been changed from the original book. Some simple visual changes have been implemented to make some time travelling passages more understandable. But even with a very impressive cast performance I didn't manage to link everything in a comprehensible way. Although in this genre no doubt some mystery helps to create the big picture, at times I felt lost in this story. I also felt that even with the best intention to create self contained episode stories, such complex narrative would have been more organic if dealt in a single feature even if for the TV medium.
Cat People (1942)
Timeless
This black and white 1942 shows how current vintage style can be. You will be pulled immediately in an ordinary setting with a lot of unusual. Essential and using light and shadows but most of all sounds. There is nothing boring about this story which manages to place in the mind of the viewer a slightly unsettling set up which with time will grow into a rather terrifying reality. Stories of horror and fantasy from Eastern Europe find a consistent background in this film. Even audiences which are not fans of retro black and white films will be hooked by this story. No details of the plot can be revealed without turning into a spoiler. But those who are fond of their feline pets will look at the paws of their companions in a total different way after watching this film. Amazing.
The Sky Is Everywhere (2022)
Loss and new beginnings
This very colourful story manages to break some cliches about bereavement and ominous settings in forests or woods. There is everything: phone texting appearing in italic over images, singing, dancing and references to comics. And most of all, what can stop any kind of creative art, in the story's case, writing and playing music. Grief and loss can affect people taking them to very dark places where their talent, whatever it might be, will disappear, swallowed by a sense to be broken inside.
Two sisters who possibly grew up too close to each other are separated when one of them suddenly dies. The survivor cannot find peace and struggles with deep senses of loss. But the family is unconventional leaning strongly towards the hippie days so the audience is often amused even in the tragedy of the story with the funny, quirky attitude of the family members.
Most important of all, the journey of the surviving sister shows that new beginnings might occur regardless of where people happen to be. And what on the surface might seem a romance or significant other unblocking the drama, in reality is just the lost craft impersonated by somebody who happens to have an interest in the left behind sister.
Some cringing realities which apparently often happen after the death of somebody, like the widower boyfriend who is drawn by the sibling of his passed away girlfriend, are explored very successfully.
The original story of the book manages to analyse so clearly the dynamics of personal relationship in tragedy of loss injecting some sort of rebellion in the main character which feels very authentic.
There is no right or wrong in this film but a clear, powerful message: don't ever forget who you are.
Deutschland 89 (2020)
Authentic
There is an unmistakably authentic atmosphere about this story which makes it different from period dramas in general. Characters and plot are organically created. Such a different take on the world of spies. East Germany and terrorism episodes of those days are well mixed in the operations of the government. And there is no doubt that this story resonates more vividly in the minds of europeans. The tension is always present, even in apparently common exchanges of dialogue. Very compelling.
The Split (2018)
The dramas of private and public
The last series of the Split focuses more than the previous ones on the difficult balance between personal and professional choices for most of the main characters involved in this latest instalment of the story. While for the majority of this family and their entourage there is a logical and interesting development, for Hannah, the main character, her choices and resolutions seem to be suspended at a personal level. She applies common sense and her legal knowledge to a challenging personal situation but her choices don't seem to match her matter of fact approach for professional cases. Basically she has all that it takes but hesitates in front of a civilised closure with her husband to embarque in a new relationship that she seemed to be drawn to.
While this development might provide an epilogue which tries to please most of the parties involved, we are watching once again another woman which doesn't spare the truth to opponents who jeopardise the rights of her clients but that she takes a step back or at least hesitates in front of new personal opportunities.
Maybe others won't agree but for a series that has made so much noise about the unforgiving attitude of professional women at work, it would have been more logical to conclude with a bang.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Refreshing twists
There is a lot of humour in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Certainly a larger dosage than in the previous Spider Man stories. Without spoiling the elements of this particular sequel, the superhero is confronted with more human realities and aside from the necessary drama, he plays along at exploring ludicrous situations and taking the Mickey out of himself.
There is a phenomenal cast of actors who give top marks performances and also a very classy use of special effects and CGI.
So what is so different about this Spiderman story? The conclusion or ending which is neither of them or better a vehicle to open new possibilities. This is the moment when the screenplay acts one of the best pieces of visual storytelling.
WeCrashed (2022)
Realistic
Adapting real stories to the screen is never easy, but We Crashed contains all elements to be reliable about its events in a dramatic form. The setting mirrors the concept of this format of business and offices and gives a somehow strange claustrophobic sense simply making the entrance of the main office similar to the access of an ancient structure in the style of the Aztecs or Mayan buildings. The performances are so in characters that you forget the identity of the actors.
Exteriors look very authentic, in particular all the scenes showing potential commercial shell buildings. The journey of this couple with grand ideas is detailed in all the successes and failures.
But behind the ethos of this enterprise there is a fundamental truth. Nobody, no matter how daring and ambitious in personal dreams, survives without tangible business experience. Any Board with all the inevitable dramas, is made of specialists who soon or later will put any business plan in front of a necessity: sustainable growth. And that's where the reality of this story made everything fade away. So is the message: don't dream big?
More don't gamble big without experience.
As for the unusual personal and business chemistry between this couple, it is remarkable how even in front of differences, this partnership seems to survive it all.
The story manages to create genuine entertainment and confirms once again that no matter if things in the end don't go that well, the American dream is still alive and unlike elsewhere offers chances, opportunities and a start to follow a personal dream.
The Favourite (2018)
Revealing
I cannot recall any other film where a Monarch is shown so bare and vulnerable. Beyond the grandeur of the Royal Residence and the haute couture of the attires, this story reveals the little autonomy of a Queen who is told most of the time what to do, think and feel. Her Court is a dangerous entity who seem very happy to find any kind of dangerous liaisons to assert its intent. Constraint by Her health and state duties, this Queen is forced to live as a recluse, surrounded by people with their own agendas. But it's only when a war between Her two personal assistants establishes that the audience can witness the extent of Her fragility. A moment of desperation that once has reached its lowest rebels and gives the Queen strength to reorder things Her way. The cast is very impressive and in particular Olivia Colman, Emma Stone and Rachael Weisz give an outstanding performance.
This is also a story about ambition, dreams and greed of all those people infatuated with the privileges of the aristocracy. A journey that for the character of Emma Stone ends in an haunting way.
Be careful what you wish for has never been proved so true.
Killing Eve (2018)
Ending or closure?
The latest series of Killing Eve will become known in addition to the amazing performances of all the actors for the sumptuous interiors and the garments design worn by the characters. I would be surprised if they don't win any award. But what created an arrested development in the enjoyment of this latest instalment of the story is the increased ingredient of black comedy. Perhaps the intention is to soften the violent, gory scenes but a murder executed in a tent surrounded by other nearby campers with horrific screaming and nobody paying any attention kills any suspension of disbelief. That's when I suddenly found myself catapulted out of the story behind a glass looking at TV sets. And it was really difficult to regain trust to go back into a fully immersive state. Also, the unpredictable behaviour of Eva in connection with women with strong personalities and blurry sexual orientations spoiled the main line story. Wasn't it all only in connection with Villanelle?
I was confused.
There is no doubt however that Killing Eve is anything but dull. And although the journey of all the characters is full of momentum, Villanelle and Eva manage to come to an ending. But is it really a closure? Perhaps we are meant to be left with a doubt.
Suspicion (2022)
Puzzling
I couldn't get into this story. Good cast, some captivating action scenes, interesting locations. But the pace slowed in any interior scene without action.
Also, the journey of the main characters start with a bang but then got lost in translation.
It is always very difficult to merge stories between different cultures and locations no matter what great twist the narrative implements. Maybe to have so many writers for a relatively short series complicated things.
Clearly the budget allowed for multiple locations and big actors but the main storyline remained unconvincing.
Are we getting too used to the extraordinary in any story? Possibly. But even the editing room could not manage to turn this story into an unmissable one.
Maybe others will disagree. Who knows.