This movie starts out really solid, the first 20 minutes feel like a really good short film. The movie should've just ended there. Basically after that the conversation and conflict between characters just go in circles for another hour and a half. It's basically pointless. Movie is also very pretentious, with this black-and-white filter making it look all artsy but it's really just trying to act cool. The acting is pretty good, but nothing can save this movie from it's terrible pacing. It is very dull and feels like we are hearing words directly out of the directors mouth. It's more like an autobiography or a blog post than a movie.
Reviews
52 Reviews
Midsommar
(2019)
Just Ok, A Little Bit Much
29 January 2021
Midsommar is a solid movie, it has an interesting story, good scenery, creepy tone, disturbing images, good acting. Ari Aster is very talented, though I do prefer Hereditary. I thought that this movie had a lot going on, and because of that it doesn't quite explain everything. See, there's a difference between leaving the audience with pieces to put together, and just leaving them totally confused. There are parts that just make no sense, and it also gets a little silly. Midsommar has a long runtime, but in my opinion, it's not a slow movie. It's pretty intense and well done, but a lot of the things are forced. For example, this whole argument going on between the friends in the middle is just so dumb. It ends up leaving you confused and underwhelmed.
Antebellum
(2020)
Ridiculous and Stupid
26 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This movie starts out interesting, with a story set on a plantation. It looks like a slave movie, with horrifying abuse and events that no one wants to see again. You think "well, we've seen a million slave movies so maybe this is a bit redundant" but at least it's somewhat interesting? However, even in the beginning 40 minutes there's still barely any plot or character, or dialogue, or empathy, or anything that looks like it will keep the story going.
Suddenly we're in present day with annoying characters, bad acting and chunky dialogue. There is obvious racism that doesn't try to be subtle at all, as well as the whole assuming every white person is probably racist. Also, there's this dinner party where they don't show anyone's face besides the 3 at dinner...like, what's the point of that? Characters don't come back and this feels like it should have been the beginning of the movie. And then we're back to the slave plantation where we see ridiculous BS again. The movie ends with such a cringey scene you can't even watch it without laughing.
The whole plot of this movie is pretty stupid. Like, a plantation in the 21st century, with racists kidnapping people and making them slaves...? How has no one noticed this or went looking for these people? And how has no one come across the plantation? All the shots with the plantation and the cell phones look incredibly stupid. It just goes way over the top, it's cringey and stupid, and overall just dumb. They flip the whole story around for no reason, it would have been a bit better if maybe you actually told this story in a linear way?
The directors are just trying to be different. It's a shame because this movie was marketed in a sort of "Get Out" style. Nothing like "Get Out." I'm curious to see what Bush and Renz do next because they obviously know stuff about filmmaking, but they need a better story.
Suddenly we're in present day with annoying characters, bad acting and chunky dialogue. There is obvious racism that doesn't try to be subtle at all, as well as the whole assuming every white person is probably racist. Also, there's this dinner party where they don't show anyone's face besides the 3 at dinner...like, what's the point of that? Characters don't come back and this feels like it should have been the beginning of the movie. And then we're back to the slave plantation where we see ridiculous BS again. The movie ends with such a cringey scene you can't even watch it without laughing.
The whole plot of this movie is pretty stupid. Like, a plantation in the 21st century, with racists kidnapping people and making them slaves...? How has no one noticed this or went looking for these people? And how has no one come across the plantation? All the shots with the plantation and the cell phones look incredibly stupid. It just goes way over the top, it's cringey and stupid, and overall just dumb. They flip the whole story around for no reason, it would have been a bit better if maybe you actually told this story in a linear way?
The directors are just trying to be different. It's a shame because this movie was marketed in a sort of "Get Out" style. Nothing like "Get Out." I'm curious to see what Bush and Renz do next because they obviously know stuff about filmmaking, but they need a better story.
Interesting
24 January 2021
It's interesting, not much happens but it takes its time to let things unfold. It keeps you interested and has unique parts of singing, dancing and partying. You feel like you're at the party. However, it just doesn't do very much to the viewer and leaves you feeling empty, because it just feels a little shallow. There's not much to this.
Drive
(I) (2011)
Lovely
21 January 2021
It's ironic to call this movie "lovely" but it kinda is. "Drive" has great performances, Ryan Gosling has very tender and caring expressions on his face, and we can still see his potential to be a violent character. There is chemistry between Gosling and Mulligan and because of that we see some really beautiful and heartfelt scenes between the two. It's surprisingly violent, however the violence is not off-putting, it kind of makes this movie darker in a good way. This is cinema, something about this movie is just kind of beautiful.
What's Eating Gilbert Grape
(1993)
Meh
20 January 2021
Leo is amazing, but there isn't much else to this movie. The performances are just "alright" and the girl, Becky, is boring and a weird character. It's almost like the director said "ok be different and weird just because." This is a slow movie, which I usually don't mind but there isn't much to keep you interested in here. There is Leo (Arnie Grape) to be interested by but they kind of just use him as a way to show how miserable Gilbert's life is. Leo saves this movie from being a pointless and corny disaster. It's just not very good or special.
Taxi Driver
(1976)
Brutally Well Done
16 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
"Taxi Driver" is a nightmarish depiction of New York City's darker parts, crime, prostitution, violence, and corrupt people. It's never boring and very well done, the transformation of Robert De Niro's character is impressive, and from the start he is already a sort of eerie and unsettling character. Ironically, there are many beautiful shots of New York, even in all the mayhem being shown. I think a big problem of "Taxi Driver" is the writing, not necessarily the dialogue but the structure. I didn't really understand why Travis would care so much about Iris, maybe he's had rough experiences as a child, or relatives? Some exposition should have been included to why Travis felt such an urge to save Iris, plus she should have been introduced way earlier in the story. We see her once before the last 25 minutes, and by then Travis is becoming a madman. Why would a mentally unstable veteran go out of his way to save a young prostitute?
"Taxi Driver" is a very good movie and the score is phenomenal.
"Taxi Driver" is a very good movie and the score is phenomenal.
The Hunt
(2012)
Brilliantly Made, Intense, Disturbing, Heartbreaking
16 January 2021
"The Hunt" from Thomas Vinterberg is an extremely intense movie about how lies and gossip can turn into a major crisis. It also shows how in a situation like this people always believe the victim, and try to manipulate them. Mads Mikkelsen is brilliant in this movie. Overall, this movie is super intense, and there isn't even any music most of the time. It is beautifully shot and perfectly put together. This is a masterpiece, and one of the best movies I have ever seen.
The Bullocks
(1953)
Feels Modern
15 January 2021
One of Fellini's earlier films, I Vitelloni is a simple and well made movie. I say simple because the story is pretty simple, it's really just a bunch of guys who are basically scraps. It feels a lot like Barry Levinson's "Diner". This movie captured me right from the beginning, it has a great score, great camerawork and overall really relatable characters that we see both sides of. You can see that Fellini was developing his style, because there are a few Fellini moments in the movie. Overall one of his best.
8½
(1963)
Fellini's Masterpiece
12 January 2021
"8 1/2" is never boring, and it's always interesting. You can see the influence and inspiration it gave David Lynch, especially on "Mulholland Drive." This movie has an interesting story, exquisite camera work, great scenes and wonderful acting. There is a lot of "confusion" or "randomness" that Fellini does intentionally, to capture what is going on inside Guido's mind. This movie is really really good and is worth seeing.
Promising Young Woman
(2020)
A Dark Movie with Solid Acting
11 January 2021
I saw "Promising Young Woman" with no idea of what it was, only that Carey Mulligan was in it. It is a sort of crime/thriller movie that becomes a horror type of thing. It has the female empowerment and messages of sexual assault, and being a bystander. Carey Mulligan does a very good job playing a twisted, creepy character, along with the charming Bo Burnham. I thought this movie was well done, it looks well put together despite it being sort of "indie" and had nice colors. The movie has a lot of twists and turns, and because of that it does go a little bit overboard. Structurally, it has a few problems, and could have easily been rewritten to become more of a drama/thriller instead of feeling like a horror movie at the end. When I say it went overboard, I mean that some of the choices made by our characters don't really make sense, especially in the third act. The third act has the most problems, it wraps up "nicely" and doesn't make a lot of sense. It gets pretty unrealistic in the last 30-45 minutes. Despite these flaws, "Promising Young Woman" is an entertaining and quite intense movie that is worth seeing.
Oci ciornie
(1987)
Beautiful
7 January 2021
Dark Eyes is beautiful. His beautifully shot, beautifully acted, beautifully directed, and the whole movie is visually and emotionally pleasing. You're able to learn this whole guys life in two hours, and see where he ends up. I was a little confused in the middle, maybe it's just because I'm slow but I was a little confused. The ending is superb.
Another Round
(2020)
Beautiful. A Movie About True Friendship
2 January 2021
Mads Mikkelsen is incredible in this movie. Another Round (Druk) is a movie about 4 friends, who are also teachers, that decide to use alcohol to fix their boring lives. With emotional elements, drama and tension, Another Round does not drag once. It is also superbly written, great dialogue, as well as great character changes and ways to sympathize. From the beginning, we already empathize with Mads Mikkelsen. This movie is beautiful, sad, and about friendship. Your friends will be there for you, and you will be there for them. Director Thomas Vinterberg did an amazing job with this movie. A must see.
First Cow
(2019)
Slow to start, but becomes very exciting
31 December 2020
First Cow is a western drama that takes place in the 1800s on the Oregon Trail. Two friends disband from their clans and decide to sell food in order to survive. It becomes a nice story about friendship and then turns into a thriller sort of movie. With good performances and pretty cinematography, First Cow is a very good movie. Though it is slow in the first hour, it picks up and has the audience on the edge of their seats until the end of the movie.
The Father
(I) (2020)
Superb Acting
31 December 2020
The Father is carried by Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman. This movie is told from Hopkins' perspective, as he ages his memory fades and things get more confusing. This movie was emotionally powerful, beautiful, and sad. While the point of this movie was to confuse us, and put us in Hopkins' shoes, I still got a little lost. I felt like there should have been a little more explanation or at least a little bit more of a sense of what was really going on. Nevertheless, the performances are fantastic. Anthony Hopkins is amazing, best I've seen him in years.
Sad and Depressing but Well Acted
31 December 2020
Never Rarely Sometimes Always is a film by Eliza Hittman. It's a story about teen pregnancy and abortion. The performances are really good, especially from the two lead girls. It really captures the hardships of being a pregnant teen and the pressure/intimidation. What bothered me is the how this movie ends. The movie doesn't really have a message besides "abortion is hard" and there is not really any character arc in either of the two leads. Besides that, I would show this to any teenager, and anyone really.
Nomadland
(2020)
Beautifully shot and well acted by Frances McDormand
30 December 2020
Chloe Zhao's Nomadland is a very artistic film. It is beautifully shot, Frances McDormand gives a unique performance. I was never bored in this movie. It also has that documentary feel. The thing is, with a story like this, a story so thin, you anticipate something to happen and nothing really does. The story does "go places" at some point, but there is not really any major drama. I thought there would be some drama, I was disappointed, and that was 1 hour and 10 minutes in to the movie. Another thing is that I feel like Chloe Zhao might be too in love with this beautiful cinematography because she uses a lot of clips that look beautiful but there are so many of them, it becomes overused. She does a good job showing the lives of these people and their everyday routines. Nomadland will probably win many awards.
Soul
(2020)
Beautifully Animated with a Deep and Moving Message
30 December 2020
Soul is the latest Pixar movie from director Pete Docter (Up, Inside Out). Once again, Pixar brings a moving and deep story with beautiful animation. The story is really about a jazz pianist who feels like he's lost in his life after being sent to this weird alternate life thing. Even if there is a little too much going on in this movie, and it goes on for a bit too long, Soul is still another great movie from Pixar. Worth watching with the family, Jamie Foxx and Tina Fey do great jobs with voiceover acting.
The Prom
(2020)
Entertaining
26 December 2020
The prom is a very entertaining movie, with great musical numbers, funny performances, and a very dazzling look. Sure, it's cliché and a little cheesy, as well as over done. If you just forget all about the cheesiness in the silliness of this movie, it's actually really fun. Ryan Murphy did a very good job and the prom is entertaining from start to finish, it's a little long but still very enjoyable.
Tenet
(2020)
Not Nolan at his best, but still pretty good
23 December 2020
Tenet is Nolan's newest movie, and it sure feels like Nolan. The story is hard to explain and hard to understand. The action is pretty good and there are some really good scenes. You will hear complaints about the audio, how it is hard to hear the dialogue, that is very true. While this movie should be viewed twice, I feel like that a movie should not have to be viewed a second time just to understand the basic plot. While I understood who the characters were, and what they were doing (for the most part) I still did not understand everything. Another issue is the lack of character or character development, these characters don't show much emotion and are pretty bland. There is hardly any development. Some twists were good and cool, but overall this movie was just too much.
Pulp Fiction
(1994)
One of the best written-films I have ever seen
23 December 2020
Tarantino (and Avary) put these stories together and created Pulp Fiction, which is the movie that shocked the world in 1994. It is hilarious, and brilliant writing. John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson deliver two hilarious performances. The soundtrack is killer, and the directing is slick. It is a very quotable movie, and very memorable. The only "criticism" is that like all Tarantino movies, it goes on for a little too long, so it does get a little muddled in the middle. Overall, this movie is a blast.
The Thing
(1982)
John Carpenter's Masterpiece
23 December 2020
John Carpenter is a genius. Halloween and The Thing are like my two favorite horror movies, and I prefer The Thing. This movie does what a lot of modern horror movies try to do, which is to have distinct characters and have us care for all of them. In The Thing, Carpenter (with the help of the screenwriter) has us get to know every single character, without it being redundant or boring. We know every character so when one doesn't make it, we know who it was. The practical effects are remarkable, and it is a creepy movie. It's creepier than most horror movies today. It is a highly underrated movie, and it did not get that much appraise during the time. Kurt Russel has a strong performance and Ennio Morricone's haunting score and theme really helps.
The Silence of the Lambs
(1991)
A Great Thriller
23 December 2020
Silence of the Lambs is well directed, well written, well acted and well shot. It is very intense and Dr. Lecter is a really creepy character. I can see why everyone loves this movie so much, it is violent and disturbing, but overall a remarkable achievement. The fact this movie won best picture shocks me, not because it is bad, but because the Academy awarded best picture to a movie like this. Jodie Foster is great, Anthony Hopkins is also great. The only thing I would criticize it for was in the third act, we kind of forget about Lecter until the very last scene. Only thing.
Little Miss Sunshine
(2006)
Very Heartwarming and Clever
23 December 2020
Little Miss Sunshine saw the film debut of the directors and the writer. It is very heartwarming and has positive messages of family. All the performances are great, and they all have their unique personalities. They all change for the better, the little one Abigail Breslin is fantastic. The story is really clever and there are a lot of funny scenes. There are also many emotional scenes, like with Paul Dano's character. Steve Carell surprised me with a somewhat emotional character. I highly recommend.
Reservoir Dogs
(1992)
Not Tarantino's Best, but still Impressive
23 December 2020
Reservoir Dogs is dark and dramatic, it's far from Pulp Fiction or Django Unchained, but for a young filmmaker like Tarantino at the time, it's pretty good. The movie is dark and brutal on its own, he didn't really discover the funny violence yet, the movie is just kind of... disturbing. Sort of. The plot acts like a play and there are twists, however it just falls a little flat. The finale is a little anticlimactic, but maybe he was trying to show how humans react in these sorts of situations.
If you like Tarantino, then you should watch it.
If you like Tarantino, then you should watch it.
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