pedroquintaoo
Joined Mar 2009
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I love Samara Weaving, and I'm happy to see Alba Baptista gaining space in an international production, but not even that saved Borderline from being a frustrating experience. For 90 minutes, all I could think was: "what the hell is this?"
The film tries to be an eccentric thriller with touches of dark humor, but it completely fails to balance the genres. There's no tension, no coherence, not even a solid script. It's a mess of scenes crashing into each other, as if the story is always on the verge of making sense but then refuses to follow a logical path.
The biggest problem is this lack of focus. Borderline seems to want to be everything at once but never commits to anything. Some moments suggest an intense thriller, while others try to lean into absurd comedy, but nothing really works. The humor falls flat because it lacks timing and impact, and the suspense never actually builds up, making it hard to feel engaged in the story. When it finally seems to find its direction, it quickly loses itself again, as if it's afraid of taking itself too seriously.
That said, I can't deny that Samara Weaving and Ray Nicholson carry the film on their backs. She continues to showcase impressive versatility in her roles, and he delivers a fantastic performance that makes me believe he'll become a major force in the industry in the coming years.
Another positive is the soundtrack, which, while not enough to save the film, adds a few moments of atmosphere. But overall, Borderline is an experience that won't appeal to everyone. It had all the ingredients to be a fun and unpredictable thriller, but instead, it's an exercise in patience, kind of stupid and never quite sure of what it wants to be.
The film tries to be an eccentric thriller with touches of dark humor, but it completely fails to balance the genres. There's no tension, no coherence, not even a solid script. It's a mess of scenes crashing into each other, as if the story is always on the verge of making sense but then refuses to follow a logical path.
The biggest problem is this lack of focus. Borderline seems to want to be everything at once but never commits to anything. Some moments suggest an intense thriller, while others try to lean into absurd comedy, but nothing really works. The humor falls flat because it lacks timing and impact, and the suspense never actually builds up, making it hard to feel engaged in the story. When it finally seems to find its direction, it quickly loses itself again, as if it's afraid of taking itself too seriously.
That said, I can't deny that Samara Weaving and Ray Nicholson carry the film on their backs. She continues to showcase impressive versatility in her roles, and he delivers a fantastic performance that makes me believe he'll become a major force in the industry in the coming years.
Another positive is the soundtrack, which, while not enough to save the film, adds a few moments of atmosphere. But overall, Borderline is an experience that won't appeal to everyone. It had all the ingredients to be a fun and unpredictable thriller, but instead, it's an exercise in patience, kind of stupid and never quite sure of what it wants to be.
I went into Mickey 17 with high expectations. Bong Joon-ho gave us Parasite, a masterpiece that had me glued to the screen, so I was hoping for something of the same caliber. And while I did enjoy the film, I left the cinema feeling like something was missing, as if the story didn't go as far as it could have.
The social commentary is there, and it's one of the film's strongest aspects. The idea that we are disposable, replaceable, just cogs in a system that exploits us to exhaustion without any regard for individuality, is unsettling-because we already live in a society that operates this way. Then there's the theme of neocolonization, which the film explores in a sharp way: if we ever discover a new, inhabited planet, we'll probably behave just as cruelly and disgracefully as we did centuries ago during the Age of Exploration, because, let's be honest, it's in the DNA of too many of us to be unscrupulous bastards.
However, Mickey 17 struggles with an inconsistent tone. It feels torn between being an existential sci-fi film and a comedy, but it never quite finds the right balance. Some of the humor works, but other times it completely undermines the impact of the film's deeper ideas.
And then there are the villains. Mark Ruffalo and Toni Collette are fantastic actors, but their characters here are so cartoonish that they lose any sense of menace. Instead of being intimidating or manipulative figures of power, they just come across as ridiculous. This weakens the narrative, turning the central conflict into a joke and stripping away the potential for a much stronger ideological clash.
That being said, there are things to appreciate. Robert Pattinson continues to make bold choices, and his performance effectively conveys the character's existential crisis. Visually, the film is also captivating, with production design that creates an authentic sense of a dystopian reality within a spaceship setting.
In the end, Mickey 17 isn't a bad film, but it falls short of what it could have been. The ideas are there, the social critique is relevant, but the execution falters in key moments. Is it worth watching? Yes, especially for the thought-provoking themes. But anyone expecting something on the level of Parasite might walk away feeling a little disappointed.
The social commentary is there, and it's one of the film's strongest aspects. The idea that we are disposable, replaceable, just cogs in a system that exploits us to exhaustion without any regard for individuality, is unsettling-because we already live in a society that operates this way. Then there's the theme of neocolonization, which the film explores in a sharp way: if we ever discover a new, inhabited planet, we'll probably behave just as cruelly and disgracefully as we did centuries ago during the Age of Exploration, because, let's be honest, it's in the DNA of too many of us to be unscrupulous bastards.
However, Mickey 17 struggles with an inconsistent tone. It feels torn between being an existential sci-fi film and a comedy, but it never quite finds the right balance. Some of the humor works, but other times it completely undermines the impact of the film's deeper ideas.
And then there are the villains. Mark Ruffalo and Toni Collette are fantastic actors, but their characters here are so cartoonish that they lose any sense of menace. Instead of being intimidating or manipulative figures of power, they just come across as ridiculous. This weakens the narrative, turning the central conflict into a joke and stripping away the potential for a much stronger ideological clash.
That being said, there are things to appreciate. Robert Pattinson continues to make bold choices, and his performance effectively conveys the character's existential crisis. Visually, the film is also captivating, with production design that creates an authentic sense of a dystopian reality within a spaceship setting.
In the end, Mickey 17 isn't a bad film, but it falls short of what it could have been. The ideas are there, the social critique is relevant, but the execution falters in key moments. Is it worth watching? Yes, especially for the thought-provoking themes. But anyone expecting something on the level of Parasite might walk away feeling a little disappointed.
I won't lie, I approached this new Bridget Jones chapter with a mix of excitement and apprehension. On one hand, I was eager to see her again, to find out how life had treated her after all the ups and downs. On the other, I was afraid this sequel might not have the heart of the previous films. Fortunately, Mad About the Boy managed to move me.
The biggest shock comes right at the beginning: Colin Firth's character is gone. I won't deny it upset me. After three films of watching Mark and Bridget fight for their love, he dies, and it almost feels like everything was for nothing. It was hard to accept. But as the story unfolded, I realized this narrative choice allowed for a different, and in a way, brave approach. Life doesn't stop, and just like us, Bridget had to move forward.
This film is more melancholic than the previous ones. It still has the signature humo, the awkward moments and Renée Zellweger's unique charm, but now, the weight of time is more present. There's something bittersweet about watching Bridget navigate this new stage of life. It made me reflect on how time flies, how life can take unexpected turns, and how important it is to cherish people and moments while we have them. It's rare for a romantic comedy to make me think this much.
It's not a perfect film. It doesn't quite match the original, and some comedic situations now feel a bit repetitive. But overall, it remains entertaining and true to Bridget Jones' essence, she is still one of the most genuine characters in the genre. And honestly, revisiting this universe and seeing familiar faces again felt comforting.
Mad About the Boy isn't just a story about love and new beginnings, it's also about acceptance and growth. And in the end, despite everything, I felt like Bridget was going to be okay. And that, to me, made it all worth it.
The biggest shock comes right at the beginning: Colin Firth's character is gone. I won't deny it upset me. After three films of watching Mark and Bridget fight for their love, he dies, and it almost feels like everything was for nothing. It was hard to accept. But as the story unfolded, I realized this narrative choice allowed for a different, and in a way, brave approach. Life doesn't stop, and just like us, Bridget had to move forward.
This film is more melancholic than the previous ones. It still has the signature humo, the awkward moments and Renée Zellweger's unique charm, but now, the weight of time is more present. There's something bittersweet about watching Bridget navigate this new stage of life. It made me reflect on how time flies, how life can take unexpected turns, and how important it is to cherish people and moments while we have them. It's rare for a romantic comedy to make me think this much.
It's not a perfect film. It doesn't quite match the original, and some comedic situations now feel a bit repetitive. But overall, it remains entertaining and true to Bridget Jones' essence, she is still one of the most genuine characters in the genre. And honestly, revisiting this universe and seeing familiar faces again felt comforting.
Mad About the Boy isn't just a story about love and new beginnings, it's also about acceptance and growth. And in the end, despite everything, I felt like Bridget was going to be okay. And that, to me, made it all worth it.