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All Quiet on the Western Front (1979)
Classic anti-war movie
I don't believe "All Quiet on The Western Front" can ever be adequately adapted into film form without either making the movie look overly poetic or simply an action (anti-)war film. The book is in "memory" form. It is about Paul's recollections and reflections on the war. Those reflections had to be presented as dialogue or monologue in scenes that didn't quite match them in emotion or chronology. Alternatively, it can be delivered in the form of a series of flashes back while a narrator tells stories.
I acknowledge that selecting parts to display and parts to leave out must have been a challenge. Some parts inevitably had to be left out. But I could still feel their necessity. For example, Paul's observations of nature and the earth were missing. I think those were momentous in the book. (I believe "1917" did a good job about "nature".) I also found the hospital praying scene in the book symbolic and of special focus. The same with Behm's story. But these were either dismissed or altered.
Some other minor things bothered me with the film besides the fact that I was hoping for the characters to speak German! (Too high of an expectation?) The portrayal of some characters was not faithful to the book. For instance, the book merely mentioned that Leer was the first among the group to have intercourse. At one point, Paul says that Leer was a good mathematician in school but the film simply portrayed him as a lover-boy. There are more examples like this all of which are less significant. So to avoid being fussy and spoilers, I shall stop here.
I could not withstand comparing this film with the 1930 version which is rated higher. (I have only watched a few scenes of the 1930's and am to edit this review when I fully watch it.) I find the acting in the latter a bit over-the-top and kind of melodramatic. Maybe that's just how movies were made back then but it didn't quite sit well with me. The 1979 version certainly looked more realistic.
Nonetheless, believe that anybody who enjoys historical films should watch "All Quiet on The Western Front". It is different in character than most war films. It's truly a classic when it comes to anti-war literature. However, these characteristics are inherited from the book so I would put the book 1st.
1917 (2019)
War is ridiculous.
This movie convinced me that the star rating system doesn't really work. I've seen richer war movies that I would rate higher but I liked the particular approach to "1917". I think the central theme of this film was mocking war.
There were no portrayals of "epic war heroes" or "noble objectives". The soldiers weren't even motivated enough to push the vehicle when it got stuck in mud. There was no philosophical/deep dialogue that would get you thinking either. Just the shallow talk of the soldiers. I believe this was done on purpose. There were multiple scenes of nature, showing just how much the world cares when humans wage wars. Furthermore, unlike other world war movies I've seen, the Germans weren't depicted as evil. This movie had no villains.
Other war movies have done a brilliant job portraying the violence of war, what it takes to be a survivor, the sagas of war heroes, and thousands of other storylines that war gives birth to. This movie wasn't a marvel of cinematography. (In fact, I found some scenes unnecessary and fictional. Though I particularly relished the long trench scenes and the main running scene.) It didn't want to jerk your tears with an epic soundtrack either. "1917" wanted to tell you that war is ludicrous, and family is what matters. After all, I think Scho was only motivated to complete the mission because of Blake and his sentiment of brotherhood. The film didn't display the end of the war; neither the "losing" side like "Downfall" nor the "winning" side (notice the quotations) like "The Imitation Game" or "The Pianist". (I know these are all WWII movies!) This movie ended with the scene of Scho looking at photos of his family; "Come back to us."
Nerve (2016)
Simply lousy
The main idea was interesting but the way it was implemented was terrible. This movie was simply a neon cyberpunk aesthetic. The characters only fit in very obvious unoriginal archetypes. The naive girl, the popular girl who is gonna lose her popularity, prince charming, bad guys who are secretly good, and the genius hackerman. The only decent thing about it was how how the main character Vee eased into this whole dangerous life. Like she was clearly much more uncomfortable in the beginning.
The plot didn't really go by smoothly. It was shifted from stage to stage very sloppily. Especially in the final plot points.
The cybersecurity/tech side of the movie was also very inaccurate. But then of course, the majority of the audience aren't familiar with cybersecurity on a technical level but the concepts weren't simplified well at all. They were simply wrong and inaccurate. Another example of misusing science in movies. (Just like quantum in other movies.)
Long story short, the only reason I fully watched this movie was because I was watching it with friends. And if you've seen the trailer, you don't even need to watch the movie.
I Origins (2014)
Unique. Definitely Worth the Watch
I watched this movie with my father who happens to be an ophthalmologist. He discovered a few bugs here and there, but he also found nice references. Anyways, this is my opinion.
I really loved the aesthetic filming and the suitable setting. The ways the mood of the movie changed after "plot points" were interesting to watch. The love scenes were also dazzling and delicate. Each of them was unique, and real at the same time.
The contrast between Ian and Sofi's "beliefs" was very intriguing. There were some nice punchlines and metaphors, but at the same time, some of them were rather vague and/or cliché. (I'm not gonna complain because this whole issue is pretty vague!) Overall, I dig the dialogues!
You could easily identify the character archetypes. But at the same time, the way each incident, discovery, and phenomenon helped each person's development was tangible and amusing. Sofi's death for example. And the way it impacted Ian's life. It was a huge turning point. The "lab day" was the day that Ian "won" and "lost".
In my opinion, the finest aspect about this movie was the state of turmoil and bewilderment. It was thoroughly implemented in the film.
So many people disliked the movie because of the controversial closure. I believe that you shouldn't watch this movie looking for an "epic plot twist" or for your "beliefs" to be approved. The point about this movie is not the ending or the "conclusion". There will never be an answer. That's why I was low-key disappointed with how spirituality hit the final strike. But honestly, I couldn't really think of a better ending, since "religion and spirituality" wasn't even utterly approved. I believe that this film was about the thought-process of the characters and their pragmatic and tangible feelings, thoughts, and reactions. Note that evolution was approved and so was spirituality.
My favorite scenes were Sofi's passing AND the final elevator scene! Salomina was afraid of elevators. MAN
Note: There's a scene after the credits! WATCH IT! I LOVED IT!