Child of God (2013)

Genre

Drama | Thriller

Director

James Franco

Country

USA

Cast

Scott Haze, Tim Blake Nelson, James Franco Jim Parrack, Jeremy Ambler, Fallon Goodson, Vince Jolivette, Brian Lally, Nina Ljeti, Boyd Smith, Terrance Huff, Nathan Mohebbi

Storyline

A dispossessed, violent man's life is a disastrous attempt to exist outside the social order. Successively deprived of parents and homes and with few other ties, Ballard (Scott Haze) descends literally and figuratively to the level of a cave dweller as he falls deeper into crime and degradation.

Opinion

Recently James Franco has been acting like he is some kind of god, great at anything. I'm his fan, but I can't see all that genius.

Slow-like-a-sloth paced, Child of God is an ambitious but failed attempt to bring Cormac McCarthy's novel to the screen, that fails in being engaging, but succeeds in being an embarrassing adaptation. Essentially, The Coen Bros only should bring to the screen McCarthy's novels.

James Franco's direction is terrible. If I didn't know it, I'd say this was his directorial debut, given the poorly handheld shots, particularly at the beginning of the film. The editing also is not that good, with too many scenes fading into black.

The writing is awful. Franco had some big troubles with bringing the source material to the big screen, and he ended up destroying it. Not much happens in here besides from necrophilia, and glorification of taking lives - and the biggest problem is that the film didn't manage to convey horror, and disgust, at least for me. Ballard, the lead character is not engaging, and we don't empathize with him, because we don't get his backstory, or any reason to care about him. The end leaves a lot to the imagination, and as the screen eventually turns black, you will only fell sorry for the tiger and the teddy bear.

Along all that black yin, there is also a little white spot of yang. The musical score is lovely, the font's choice for the titles is great, and Scott Haze is absolutely brilliant as Ballard. He delivers a hell of a performance, visceral, raw, and disturbing.

Watch this only if you are interested in anything McCarthy related, or you really love Franco.

Lords of Dogtown (2005)

Genre

Biography | Drama | Sport

Director

Catherine Hardwicke

Country

USA

Cast

Heath Ledger, Emile Hirsch, John Robinson, Victor Rasuk, Michael Angarano, Nikki Reed, Rebecca De Mornay, William Mapother, Vincent Laresca, Elden Henson, Mitch Hedberg, Stephanie Limb, Mike Ogas, Don Nguyen, Melonie Diaz, Eddie Cahill, Laura Ramsey, Steve Badillo, Pablo Schreiber, America Ferrera, Sofia Vergara, Johnny Knoxville, Jay Adams, Ned Bellamy, Tony Alva, Charles Napier, Skip Engblom, Stacy Peralta, Tony Hawk, Joel McHale, Bai Ling, Shea Whigham, Alexis Arquette, Jeremy Renner, Lance Mountain

Storyline

The Z-Boys, as they come to be known, perfect their craft in the empty swimming pools of unsuspecting suburban homeowners, pioneering a thrilling new sport and eventually moving into legend.

Opinion

I had good expectation about this film, but as soon as I saw Catherine Hardwicke's name appear in the opening credits, my expectations dropped down like a bomb, because it's common knowledge Hardwicke is the female Michael Bay, aka she can't do her job.

I am not really into skateboarding, but I was interested in seeing how it developed, and I really wanted to like it. Unfortunately, Lords of Dogtown tries to be deep, sad and entertaining, but at the end it's just boring.

The story was a great idea for a film, but the storytelling is not compelling, the events happen without much of an explanation or background, and there is lack of dialogue.

The "documentary-style" is really annoying. First, Stacey Peralta, one of the skaters, has already made a documentary about his/the story named "Dogtown and Z-Boys", so there was no point in making a film about the same story, and giving it the documentary look. Second, documentary filmmakers don't go around shaking the camera at things like they have Parkinson's disease. And Catherine Hardwicke should stop calling it a style, because it's not.

However, the great soundtrack really adds a lot to the film. And I must compliment Hardwicke for choosing Heath Ledger as Skip. He did a wonderful job, but unfortunately he didn't have a lot of screen time.

Quotes

Skip: You gotta approach every day as if it's your last!

Up In the Air (2009)

Genre

Drama | Romance

Director

Jason Reitman

Country

USA

Cast

George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman, Amy Morton, Melanie Lynskey, Danny McBride, Zach Galifianakis, J. K. Simmons, Sam Elliott, Tamala Jones

Storyline

Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) flies around the US firing people. Also, he is an accumulator of frequent flyer miles and has a goal: he wants to get to 10 million miles. When his boss (Jason Bateman) hires Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick), she comes up with the idea to fire through videoconferencing in order to save money, threatening Ryan's existence. Determined to prove the girl wrong, Ryan takes her on one of his firing expeditions, and his life will change forever. 

Opinion

After the brilliant Thank You For Smoking and Juno, Jason Reitman tried again and... he stroke back. On the one hand, Up In the Air is a sentimental drama, on the other hand is a brilliant, and bitter contemplation of life.

Canadian director Jason Reitman delights us with another masterpiece, and gives us, for the third time, a clear gaze on reality, venturing in the context of crisis, not only economic, but also relational. His choice of mixing actors and people who have actually lost their jobs made the film more realistic, and the impact those scenes have on the audience is stronger.

The writing is very strong, the storyline is smart and well put together, and a lot of the dialogue is memorable. All of the lead characters are wonderful, we get to know them, we like to watch them doing their thing, and at the end we want to see more, and more.

The soundtrack is spectacular, from the opening "This Land Is Your Land" to the closing "Up In the Air", written specifically for the film by Kevin Renick, a guy who recently had lost his job.

The acting is top-notch. George Clooney gives the performance of his career, even better than Michael Clayton's, if you ask me. I think no other actor could have pulled off the role better than he did. He plays Ryan Bingham with that confidence of him, yet this time that confidence is challenged, and he ends up showing vulnerability. Anna Kendrick is delightful as naive Natalie, Ryan's young colleague. Vera Farmiga gives an outstanding performance as Clooney's love interest. Even other actors who spend a few scenes in the film - Jason Bateman, J. K. Simmons, Zach Galifianakis, and Danny McBride - give very good performances.

Quotes

Ryan Bingham: You know that moment when you look into somebody's eyes and you can feel them staring into your soul and the whole world goes quiet just for a second?

Natalie Keener: Yes.

Ryan Bingham: Right. Well, I don't.

2 Guns (2013)

Genre

Action | Comedy

Director

Baltasar Kormákur

Country

USA

Cast

Denzel Washington, Mark Wahlberg, Paula Patton, Bill Paxton, James Marsden, Fred Ward, Edward James Olmos, Robert John Burke

Storyline

Two crooked undercover officers - one from the DEA (Denzel Washington) and the other from the Navy (Mark Wahlberg) - get into trouble when stealing money from the wrong person.

Opinion

Who does not remember Robert De Niro as Al Capone saying, "You're nothing but a lot of talk and a badge."? Well, this two guys here, Bobby and Stig, are exactly the opposite, and to be honest the result is quite entertaining. 

Based on the comic book series of the same name, 2 Guns is a good combination of adrenaline, action, thrills, and comedy.

The film doesn't have much new to show us, the plot is very predictable, the often comical dialogue isn't the wittiest ever written, and the characters are cardboard, still the film has a pretty good structure, it's well put together, and manages to surprise you.

The shooting sequences are a bit unrealistic, but overall the action scenes, and the fisticuffs are good, and entertaining, and there are not too many explosions. Also, who doesn't enjoy seeing a car full of money blowing up? It kind of hurts, but it's awesome!

The acting surely adds points to the film. Known for his dramatic roles, Denzel Washington never fails to surprise. He proves to be able to step into any role and situation, and he gets along pretty well with comedy. Mark Wahlberg had already proven to handle humour in Ted, and he does nothing but confirm that. Also, the two leads have a great chemistry. Good performances also from Bill Paxton, Edward James Olmos, and James Marsden. Besides showing her tits, and being both Washington and Marsden's love interest, Paula Patton doesn't have much to do in here. 

In a nutshell: if you are a Denzel Washington's fan like me, it's a must-watch; if you want to spend a relaxing evening and shut down your brain, this action flick is right for you.

Quotes

Admiral Tuwey: Blind loyalty is not loyalty.

Elektra (2005)

Genre

Action | Drama | Fantasy

Director

Rob Bowman

Country

Canada | USA

Cast

Jennifer Garner, Terence Stamp, Goran Visnjic, Kirsten Prout, Will Yun Lee, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Colin Cunningham, Hiro Kanagawa, Natassia Malthe, Bob Sapp, Chris Ackerman, Editon T. Ribeiro, Laura Ward, Jana Mitsoula, Kurt Max Runte, Jason Isaacs

Storyline

Brought back to life, Elektra (Jennifer Garner) becomes a hitwoman. Sent on a mission to kill Mark Miller (Goran Visnjic) and his daughter Abby (Kirsten Prout), she becomes friendly with the Millers, and tries to protect them from the group of assassins.

Opinion

It's Monday, and I'm back with another Marvel cinematic adaptation. And, as happened for the past three weeks or so, this one is another awful film.

Unarguably the kind of spin off a terrible film as Daredevil deserves, Elektra brings the audience in a one way trip to the kingdom of boredom. 

I can hardly imagine somebody liking this film. The "story" is fuzzy and shallow. There are so many plot holes, that, if like me you haven't read the comic books, you won't have a clue of what's going on. Lot of things are taken for granted, and for this reason this film raises endlessly questions. Who is the Hand? Why did they killed Elektra's mother? And I could go on until dawn. 

There is lack of character development; the characters aren't interesting at all, and you won't care about any of them, you won't even care if the girl and her father die or not - at some point you'll hope Elektra killed them in the first place though. The Hand is not menacing enough, and the ninjas are way too weak. The Elektra's love story with Mark Miller, the father, is just pointless. Also, I was expecting her to still be in love with Matt Murdock. 

However, there is some good in everything. The action scenes are unlikely, but well made, and the special effect are okay. 

As for the actors, Jennifer Garner may be hot in her red leather suit, and she may have the perfect body for the role, but she can't act. She has this kind of grumpy look on her face the whole time, and it's really annoying. Also, chemistry doesn't seem to be her strength, since between her and Goran Visnjic, who plays Mark Miller, there is none. And as for Terrence Stamp, I wonder what the hell he was thinking when he decided to do this crap.

Quotes

Stick: Some lessons can't be taught, Elektra. They must be lived to be understood.

Best Night Ever (2013)

Genre

Comedy

Directors

Jason Friedberg | Aaron Seltzer

Country

USA

Cast

Desiree Hall, Eddie Ritchard, Samantha Colburn, Crista Flanagan, Andy Favreau, Nick Steele, Lynette DuPree, Jason Beaubien, Patrick Quinlan, Steve West, James Jordan, Natalie Padilla, Skyler STone, David Grammer

Storyline

Claire (Desiree Hall) is about to get married and she goes to Las Vegas with her sister and two friends for her bachelorette party. Things quickly spiral out of control.

Opinion

Best Night Ever? Mostly like Worst Film Ever. Pretending to be the female version of The Hangover, Best Night Ever is actually a cruel, sadistic cinematic joke that makes films like The Hangover Part II, or Spring Breakers look like masterpieces. Awful from start to finish, words can't describe how annoying, stupid, ridiculous this film is. At no point did I laugh, smile, or chuckle, and the only way to have a grin on my face was to call the Joker. 

Known for their demential parodies - Date Movie, Epic Movie, Disaster Movie, Meet the Spartans, Vampires Suck, and The Starving Games -, writer-directors Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer opted for a more original project this time. The problem is that there is nothing original here, and if you have seen films like The Hangover, or Bridesmaid, it's basically like you have already seen this one, you just have to picture it in a very, very unfunny way.

The editing is awful, and I really don't understand why some nudities have been censured while others haven't. The handy-camera was definitely the wrong choice for this one, and all it does is giving the feelings that you are watching an awful homemade video that is supposed to be funny for how embarrassing it is.

Also, I'd really like to know how the four women manage not to end up killed or arrested for the felonies they committed - the cops are not even after them -, and they somehow manage to have perfect hair, perfect makeup, and barely dirty clothes.

The actresses featured seems to have a good rapport, but that's it: they try too hard to be funny, and their acting is awful as everything else.

If you got through this film with a smile on your face, you really deserve an award for your performance. 

Spring (2014)

Genre

Horror | Romance | Fantasy

Director

Justin Benson | Aaron Moorhead

Country

USA

Cast

Lou Taylor Pucci, Nadia Hilker, Grazia Daddario, Vanessa Bednar, Shane Brady, Francesco Carnelutti, Holly Hawkins, Chris Palko, Vinny Curran, Jeremy Gardner, Nick Nevern, Jonathan Silvestri

Storyline

Young Californian Evan (Lou Taylor Pucci) flees the US to Italy, where he sparks up a romance with Louise (Nadia Hilker) a woman harboring a dark, primordial secret.

Opinion

Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise meets a Lovecraftian tale in this romantic, unique, horror flick from filmmakers Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead.

Slow paced but definitely not boring, Spring is a dramatic, engaging, intriguing, different film that greatly combines horror, comedy, romance, and a trip to bellissima Italia. 

Spring is my favourite season, because it is the time of change, rebirth, blossoming, and the directing tandem of Benson and Moorhead does a wonderful job exploring and digging into those meanings.

The writing by Justin Benson is impressive. While the contents are not new, they are handled in a different way, and that is what makes the film interesting, and appealing. The so so dialogue becomes marvelously fascinating when the two leads are introduced to each other. And the character development between Evan and Louise is great. Also, the characters feel very real for this genre. 

Polignano a Mare, the Italian coastal town, is the perfect setting, the beautiful cinematography by Moorhead is enriched with some great aerial drone shots, and the effects are great too.

The leads are remarkable and the chemistry between them is great. Very convincing as Evan, Lou Taylor Pucci gives a charming, and sweet performance. Nadia Hilker is excellent as Louise, and it's basically impossible not to fall in love with her. Nick Nevern and Jonathan Silvestri deserve a mention because they well play their characters and they deliver some laughs. 

Quotes

Louise: Tell me more about the finite.
Evan: Let's see, uh... When you're sick, it makes you feel lucky for all the times when you were healthy. Uh, sunrises and sunsets... some things are just beautiful no matter what, and a constant reminder that you only get so many. So you better fucking enjoy 'em. Some pizza and a bottle of wine with the right person that can make the shittiest day better. Coffee dates take up a pretty good chunk of your time, but... but they're worth it. I don't know, you can choose to work yourself to death, but you could also throw all that work away without regrets for the right person. Maybe that's chemical, but it's also magic. Uh, love comes around a couple of time, if you're lucky. Life probably seems short no matter what, but...

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

Genres

Comedy, Drama

Director

Wes Anderson

Country

USA

Cast

Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow, Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Danny Glover, Bill Murray, Stephen Lea Sheppard, Kumar Pallana, Seymour Cassel, Andrew Wilson, Alec Baldwin, Aram Aslanian-Persico, Irene Gorovaia, Amedeo Turturro, James Fitzgerald

Storyline

Royal (Gene Hackman) and his wife Etheline Tenenbaum (Anjelica Huston) had three children, Chas (Ben Stiller, adult - Aram Aslanian, young), Richie (Luke Wilson, adult - Amedeo Turturro, young), and Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow, adult - Irene Gorovaia, young). They were a family of geniuses but then they separated. After two decades of betrayal, failure and disaster the family reunites when the father announces he is terminally ill.

Opinion

After watching "The Grand Budapest Hotel" and loving it, I told myself I had to know better Wes Anderson. I'm just disappointed with myself because it took me so long to watch another of his masterpieces.

My second Anderson, but Anderson's third, The Royal Tenenbaums is a brilliant, appealing, funny, quirky, sarcastic, sentimental and poignant dramedy, perfectly balancing drama and comedy, whose strength lies in its eccentric characters.

Wes Anderson's direction is absolutely magnificent, and he manages to make interesting the daily life of a dysfunctional American family, and, through the irony of the characters, he manages to talk about feelings in a odd, soft way. The camera angles goes from right to left, top to down - or the other way around -, not never forward. 

The Anderson/Wilson writing is definitely unique, and witty, the storyline is bizarre, and the characters are quirky. I did love the chapters structuring, and the loquace narration by Alec Baldwin, which gives the same sensation of reading a book. The characters are all memorable, starting from the childish, dandy father, passing through the former infant prodigies in need of love, arriving at the loyal servant.

The scenography is lit up with bright, garish colours, and the looking-oldish cinematography is absolutely stunning. The soundtrack is sublime and appropriate, and among the songs definitely pops out The Beatles "Hey Jude" performed by the Mutato Muzika Orchestra.

The acting is top-notch. Gene Hackman plays the role of Royal with confidence, and delivers an intense performance. Gwyneth Paltrow is wonderful as the depressed Margot. Bill Murray also gives a great performance as Paltrow's cuckold husband. Ben Stiller and the Wilsons' brothers really surprised me: I ain't gonna lie, I was afraid they were going to ruin the film.

Royal: He saved my life, you know. Thirty years ago. I was knifed at a bazaar in Calcutta, and he carried me to the hospital on his back.

Ari: Who stabbed you?

Royal: He did. There was a price on my head, and he was a hired assassin. Stuck me in the gut with a shiv.

Tomorrow, When the War Began (2010)

Genre

Action | Adventure | Drama

Director

Stuart Beattie

Country

Australia

Cast

Caitlin Stasey, Rachel Hurd-Wood, Lincoln Lewis, Deniz Akdeniz, Phoebe Tonkin, Chris Pang, Ashleigh Cummings, Andrew Ryan, Colin Friels, Don Harbert, Olivia Pigeot, Stephen Bourke, Kelly Butler, Julia Yon, Dane Carson, Matthew Dale, Gary Quay, Michael Camilleri

Storyline

Seven Australian teenage friends, Ellie (Caitlin Stasey), Corrie (Rachel Hurd-Wood), Kevin (Lincoln Lewis), Homer (Deniz Akdeniz), Fi (Phoebe Tonkin), Lee (Chris Pang), and Robyn (Ashleigh Cummings), decide to go camping to an isolate, deep in the woods camp site named "Hell". Returning home after a few days, they discover that their country has been overrun by a mysterious, invading army. When the hostile armed forces become alerted to the presence of them, the seven friends, along with a new recruit (Andrew Ryan), band together to fight the enemy.

Opinion

Based on the "Tomorrow" book series by John Marsden, Tomorrow, When the War Began might be a bit clichéd at times but the right balance of action, and suspense makes it a quite entertaining ride.

Leaving out the fact that none of the characters look like real high school students, the character development is admirable. They spent a lot of time setting up the characters with voice overs, and even though films are supposed to show not tell, you'll get to know them, you'll care about them, and you'll root for them. While some of the characters doesn't grow much, Ellie and Homer's growth is impressive, and they could carry the film alone. 

With a very similar story to Red Dawn, the film manages to maintain suspense even outside the action scenes - generally exciting -, but, unfortunately, it focuses way too much on the teen-romance aspects instead of the survival aspect. 

There are some stupid and unrealistic things going on in here, like sneaking in quietly and then use a brick to smash a window, or switching off the radio in the most dangerous moment to talk about boys, or a group of teens actually able to steal a fuel track, and blow up the most important bridge - I mean, they could have sent an helicopter to kill them -, or the kind of explosion caused by the truck.

Anyway, the scenery is amazing, and the camera does a good job. I won't deny that better acting could have improved the quality of the film. While Caitlin Stasey is quite believable, delivering some fear, and emotion, the rest of the cast isn't brilliant, and Chris Pang, who plays Lee, is definitely the weakest here: he is a bit wooden.  

Quotes

Ellie Linton: I have blood on my hands. I can't tell if what I did was right or wrong. I'd like to think it was to save my friends, or as part of some noble crusade to save my country. Really it just comes down to the fact that I valued my life over theirs. How many people is it okay to kill in order to keep me alive? At what point do we lose our souls, if we haven't already?

Jurassic World (2015)

Genre

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Director

Colin Trevorrow

Country

USA

Cast

Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vincent D'Onofrio, Ty Simpkins, Nick Robinson, Omar Sy, B. D. Wong, Irrfan Khan, Jake Johnson, Lauren Lapkus, Brian Tee, Katie McGrath, Jady Greer, Andy Buckley, Eric Edelstein, Colby Boothman, Jimmy Fallon, James DuMont, Jimmy Buffett, Colin Trevorrow, Brad Bird 

Storyline

22 years after the Jurassic Park disaster, Jurassic World is functioning as envisioned by John Hammond. Everything is going well until the park's newest attraction, a genetically modified giant dinosaur known as the Indominus Rex, escapes containment and goes on a killing spree.

Opinion

Jurassic Park is the first science fiction film I've seen, and growing up I've watched it so many times I've lost the count. As soon as I saw the trailer for this one, it's useless to say how excited I was; I wasn't sure though if going to the theater or waiting for the DVD release. Last night, screened for the last time in my city, I decided to go. And boy, I'm glad I did!

Great summer movie, Jurassic World is the exciting, fun, tense, nostalgic and perfect sequel to Jurassic Park... twenty-two years later, that we all were waiting for.

Despite Steven Spielberg - director of previous films - leaving the direction at the very beginning of the film, director Colin Trevorrow did a great job.

Unfortunately, the writers are not as smart as the Indominus Rex, because there isn't much wit or originality in here. The story has a lot in common with the first film - there is someone who cares a lot about the park, the kids getting in troubles, and that guy everyone hates and is waiting for some dinosaur to eat him -, still the film manages to keep the audience entertained.

It does brings some interesting questions like, should we be messing with nature? Shouldn't we treat the dinosaurs like animals? Do they have feelings? Can we build a relationship with them? And most of them - if not all - are answered by Chris Pratt's character, apparently the only one who cares about the animals.

When I first saw Jurassic Park, seeing the dinosaurs for the first time amazed me. Of course, in this film there is no element of surprise, and the animals aren't that effective. But I gotta say that the Indominus Rex was impressive, and even though it was supposed to be scary - and it actually was - I loved it, and some sick part of me wanted her to win. It's amazing to see the park completed, probably as Hammond wanted it to be. It is spectacular, very technological, kudos to the designers.

The film has its funny moments - Jimmy Fallon's cameo was kinda funny - and is visually stunning; CGI is well used, and the result is realistic and believable dinosaurs - as I said before I loved the I-Rex, but they were all great, especially the velociraptors, and the pterodactyls. The musical score by Michael Giacchino is also great.

Chris Pratt has the most memorable and the best character, and I did really love him in here. He is not goofy as he used to be in other movie, still he manages to be funny as always. Bryce Dallas Howard isn't much more than eye candy, but at least she has some chemistry with Pratt. Ty Simpkins and Nick Robinson, playing Howard's nephews, are pretty good. Mediocre performances comes from Irrfan Khan (Life of Pi) as the owner of the Park killed by his own ambitions, and Vincent D'Onofrio (Full Metal Jacket's Gomer Pyle), as the clichéd villain. 

Quotes

Masrani: The key to a happy life is to accept you are never actually in control.

Ouija (2014)

Genre

Horror

Director

Stiles White

Country

USA

Cast

Olivia Cooke, Ana Coto, Daren Kagasoff, Douglas Smith, Bianca A. Santos, Matthew Settle, Lin Shaye, Shelley Henning, Vivis Colombetti, Robyn Lively, Sierra Heuermann, Claudia Katz, Afra Sophia, Clair Beale, Izzie Galanti, Sunny May Allison

Storyline

After the death of their friend Debbie (Shelley Henning) that committed suicide, a group of friends, Laine (Olivia Cooke), Sarah (Ana Coto) Trevor (Daren Kagasoff), Isabelle (Bianca A. Santos) and Pete (Douglas Smith), must confront their most terrifying fears when they awaken the dark powers of an ancient spirit board.

Opinion

If by horror you mean a dull, never ending torture for all the five senses, Ouija is one of the best horrors ever made. If not, we are in big troubles. 

Stating that not much can be expected from a supernatural horror film based on a Hasbro child's board game, this film somehow managed to be even worse than expected. The film is tedious, predictable, lifeless, suspenseless, tensionless, slow and not scary, nothing more than another awful teen "scary" movie that will soon fall to the wayside.

Even though I previously said the film is not scary, you may jump a few times: director Stiles White makes that happen by keeping things quiet and then, all of a sudden, making some noise. 

The story is stupid, full of the same old supernatural clichés, such as evil and vengeful spirits. The extremely linear and predictable plot takes the interest away from the viewer since the very beginning. Neither the final turn, typical of these films, manages to raise the level of the film. The dialogue is cheesy and makes you cringe. There is no character development, and as the characters die, the viewer is bored and detached.

However, there is something good about it. In fact, the makeup and special effects are very well-made, but if on one hand it gives the film some points, on the other hand it loses them all because they show there was the chance to do much better.

The acting is awful. Remember the dog from The Lazarus Effect? Well, it was a better actor than all these young people put together. Olivia Cooke not only looks a little alike Jessica Alba, but she has also inherited her bad acting. In fact, they have the same, limited range of facial expressions. Douglas Smith also deserves a mention. He gets pushed from behind so hard into a mirror that it shatters, and he is not even shaken up. Now, if that's not awful acting, I don't really know what that is. Also, he should have had some sleep, because he looks more dead than when he actually dies. Ana Coto, Daren Kagasoff, and Bianca A. Santos are also mono-expressive. In the film for about 5 minutes, Lin Shaye is the most convincing. 

The Punisher (2004)

Genre

Action | Crime | Drama

Director

Jonathan Hensleigh

Country

USA | Germany

Cast

Thomas Jane, John Travolta, Will Patton, Roy Scheider, Laura Harring, Ben Foster, Rebecca Romijn, John Pinette, Samantha Mathis, Marcus Johns, Russell Andrews, James Carpinello, Eddie Jemison, Eduardo Yáñez, Omar Avila, Kevin Nash, Mark Collie, Veryl Jones, Tom Nowicki, Hank Stone

Storyline

On his final assignment, FBI agent Frank Castle (Thomas Jane) plays his undercover role perfectly, but the operation spins out of control and a young man, Bobby Saint (James Carpinello), is inadvertently killed. Holding Castle responsible for the death of his son, Howard Saint (John Travolta) butchers Frank's family during a reunion and leaves him for dead. But Castle survives and set out to avenge his family, becomes a judge, jury and executioner known as "The Punisher". 

Opinion

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

What a shock! As a fan of the Punisher I've been completely shocked by how bad they made this film. If Batman Begins is the perfect comic book character adaptation, The Punisher is the perfect example of what not to do, and how to ruin a character. 

Besides from being extremely violent - I won't complain about it since it's what someone would expect from a film about Frank Castle - the film is tedious, and so painful to watch I had to pause several times to recover from its awfulness.

The script is goddamn awful. First let's talk about the back story, shall we? In the comic book, Frank Castle, his wife, and his sons are having a walk in Central Park, New York, when they witness a Mafia settling of score. In the film, the son of a criminal gets killed, and when Castle is on vacation his whole family is murdered. What is the point in changing the story? We don't even get to know all those characters, so we don't feel anything for them when they die - which is actually what happened for Frank as well, since he doesn't look in much pain or suffering.

Two hours and they don't even explain how a criminal found all those information about an FBI agent. And why does he retire? He won't get any pension so he will have to find another job.

The Russian. He is basically a giant in a red and white shirt, who, like regular people, knocks on the door of the person he has to kill. Not to mention the fact that Frank doesn't even look out the peep-hole. 

I thought it was a film about the Punisher, but it turned out to be the Wolverine 2.0. Yes, the Wolverine, because bullets can't stop him, and when wounded, he heals real fast.

Also since when blackmailing someone because they're gay is cool? And what about the singing hitman from Memphis? The best hitman, a professional, sings Frank a song about his death, and the one who actually gets kills is the hitman himself.

And at last, the hot, lonely woman who falls in love with the guy at first sight, and the guy who goes through torture because Frank is part of the family, but they have barely talked.

Oops, I almost forgot the villain. He kills everyone, his wife, his best friend, Castle's whole family, but he fails at killing the only person he was supposed to kill.

The dialogue is terrible, the music is awful, and wasting two hours waiting for a thrilling action scene that will never happen is just not worth it. 

The acting is painful. They are all equally bad, delivering wooden performances a tree would be jealous of. John Travolta isn't convincing at all as the villain, and the only good acting that comes from him is in one of the latest scenes, when he dies.

Roman Holiday (1953)

Genre

Comedy | Romance

Director

William Wyler

Country

USA

Cast

Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, Eddie Albert, Hartley Power, Harcourt Williams, Margaret Rawlings, Tullio Carminati, Paolo Carlini, Claudio Ermelli, Paola Borboni, Laura Solari

Storyline

In Rome, the last stop of a highly publicized tour of European capitals, Princess Ann (Audrey Hepburn) begins to rebel against her restricted schedule, and escapes her confinement. However, a sedative she was forced to take starts to take effect, and the Princess soon falls asleep on a public bench. She is found by Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck), an American newspaper report, who realising who she is, promises his editor an exclusive interview. 

Opinion

Nowadays, when someone says "romantic comedy", one thinks about the kind of films Hollywood has been feeding us within recent years. For this reason, even though it's this film's genre, I will try to avoid those two words.

Charming, sweet and funny, Roman Holiday is a masterpiece of indescribable beauty, that allowed the whole world to know one of the brightest stars of cinema, the stunning Audrey Hepburn.

The wonderful story written by Dalton Trumbo never loses a beat, and is a romantic love story, but what stands out the most is the attention given to freedom. This message is delivered to perfection by Audrey Hepburn, who not only runs away to take a break from dissimulation and forced smiles, but to escape from her daily obligations. While that may be common to normal people as well, when it comes to those who always are in the spotlight, the desire for freedom can become an obsession.

William Wyler's direction is flawless, the script is the perfect mix of humour and grace, the settings are absolutely stunning, the cinematography is wonderful, and the musical score by Georges Auric and Victor Young is sublime.

Besides from being charming, elegant, intelligent, and beautiful, Audrey Hepburn delivers a flawless performance as Princess Ann - unarguably her best performance -, and has made the character so touching, and realistic not only she 100% deserved the Academy Award, but she is also the reason why the film had - and still has - a tremendous success. Gregory Peck is wonderful as the reporter Ann falls in love with. Eddie Albert gives a delightful performance - maybe a little painful for himself - as photographer Irving Radovich. 

Quotes

Princess Ann: Your Excellency, I trust you will not find it necessary to use that word again. Were I not completely aware of my duty to my family and to my country, I would not have come back tonight or indeed ever again!

Gallipoli (1981)

Genre

Adventure | Drama | History

Director

Peter Weir

Country

Australia

Cast

Mark Lee, Mel Gibson, David Argue, Bill Kerr, Robert Grubb, Tim McKenzie, Harold Hopkins, Charles Lathalu Yupingli, Heath Harris, Bill Hunter

Storyline

Australian sprinters Archy Hamilton (Mark Lee) and Frank Dunne (Mel Gibson) face the brutal realities of war when they join the Australian army and they are sent to fight in the Gallipoli campaign in Turkey during World War I.

Opinion

Slow paced, Gallipoli is a brilliant, impressive, powerful, deep, moving and underrated film about friendship between two young men, that highlights the foolishness, unfairness and uselessness of war.

Peter Weir directed and wrote a piece of art, and even though there is not much of a story, and barely something happens, the film perfectly manages to engage the audience. I do really appreciate his choice of taking most of the time to develop the characters, establishing a strong, and solid friendship between the main characters, and not losing time with pointless explosions or special effects as other directors would have.

The film immerses us in human loss more deeply than recent films like "Saving Private Ryan", and it is stunning from beginning to end, opening with the wonderful repartee between Archy and his uncle Jack, and closing with Archy repeating those same lines, as he is aware of his fate. The ending is one of the best in cinema history: as the drama occurs, Weir ends the film right there, leaving us with a stunning, yet heartbreaking final shot.

The stunning cinematography by Russell Boyd, and the musical score contribute to the creation of this Australian gem as well.

The very young Mel Gibson is very convincing as Frank Dunne, and gives a beautiful performance. Mark Lee does a great job as Archy Hamilton and the chemistry between Gibson and him is amazing. Great performances also come from supporting actors Bill Hunter and Bill Kerr.

Apollo 13 (1995)

Genre

Adventure | Drama | History

Director

Ron Howard

Country

USA

Cast

Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris, Kathleen Quinlan, Chris Ellis, Joe Spano, Marc McClure, Clint Howard, Ray McKinnon, Todd Louiso, Loren Dean, Xander Berkeley, David Andrews, Christian Clemenson, Ben Marley, Brett Cullen, Ned Vaughn, Tracy Reiner, Mary Kate Schellhardt, Max Elliott Slade, Emily Ann Lloyd, Miko Hughes, Thom Barry, Rance Howard, Jean Speegle Howard

Storyline

Based on the true story of the 13th Apollo mission, astronaut Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks) leads command module pilot Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) and lunar module driver Fred Haise (Bill Paxton) on what is slated as NASA's third lunar landing mission. All goes smoothly until the craft is halfway through its mission, when an exploding oxygen tank threatens the crew's oxygen and power supplies. 

Opinion

Houston, I have a problem. I did not like this film as much as I would have. I'd like to start by saying that I did not know what happened back in 1970 in the space, and while a part of me was feeling ashamed for being such an ignorant, the other part was happy because in this way the film would have been way more exciting. But I guess there is no worst way to kill tension than opening the film saying, "Based on Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger's book 'Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13'" when it's pretty clear Jim Lovell is going to be the main character - unless he wrote the book while he was exhausted on the Apollo 13, and he somehow managed to send it back to the earth, the result is pretty obvious.

Unfortunately this is not my only complain. Apollo 13 is extremely dull for the first 30 minutes of the film - revolving around Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landing on the moon, and our astronauts preparing for their mission -, and even though it gets back on track after that, and it minimally manages to engage the audience and make them feel some empathy for the astronauts, it is overfilled with sentimentality.

Ron Howard does a pretty good job, and tells the story in a very accurate way, but, as I pointed out before, he linger on emotional scenes with the astronaut's family members and friends, that seems shallow, unnecessary and put there just to fill some time.

However, the editing is brilliant and perfectly manages to show at the same time both the difficulty encountered by the astronauts and their will to survive, and the efforts made by the base of the NASA to bring the guys back home. The musical score by James Horner is spectacular, and so are the visual effects.

The acting is great. Tom Hanks does a job, even though he is not much believable as an astronaut. Ed Harris excels as Gene Kranz. Great performances also come from Gary Sinise, an actor I like, Kevin Bacon, and Bill Paxton respectively as Ken Mattingly, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise. Kathleen Quinlan is also very good as Jim Lovell's wife.

Quotes

Gene Kranz: I don't care about what anything was designed to do, I care about what it can do.

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Genre

Action | Drama | Thriller

Director

Christopher Nolan

Country

USA | UK

Cast

Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson, Cillian Murphy, Joey King, Josh Pence, Nestor Carbonell, Alon Abutbul, Juno Temple, Matthew Modine, Ben Mendelsohn, Brett Cullen, Chris Ellis, Aidan Gillen, Burn Gorman, Rob Brown, Desmond Harrington, Josh Stewart, Tom Conti, William Devane, Aaron Eckhart

Storyline

8 years after the Batman (Christian Bale) taking the fall for murders committed by Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), the Dark Knight is forced to return to save Gotham City from Bane (Tony Hardy), a terrorist, and former member of the League of Shadows.

Opinion

As I finished the Dark Knight trilogy, I'm assailed by melancholy and sadness, and the following quote comes to my mind, "Don't cry because it's over, but smile because it happened", because for not liking neither DC Comics nor Batman, I loved Nolan's franchise.

The Dark Knight Rises is a brilliant, intense, emotional, brutal, potent final chapter that concludes the best superhero series ever.

Christopher Nolan incredibly managed to maintain the high level of the previous two films, and crafted a two hours and 44 minutes long film that not only is never dragged or dull, but it is so spectacular, and entertaining you'll demand for more, because you will never get enough.

The screenplay, written by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer, is brilliant, and dialogue is smart as Lucius Fox, and the characters are amazing. As also happened in "The Dark Knight" Batman is a little left behind, and more space it's given to other characters, in particular to the villain, Bane. He might not come too close to the greatness of The Joker, but this time Batman has to face a physical, and not psychical enemy. Still, I think removing Alfred was a mistake, because he took away much of the humour and humanity.

The several acting sequences are spectacular, thrilling and jaw-dropping. The musical score by Hans Zimmer is terrific and enhances the film.

Christian Bale has been brilliant throughout the whole franchise as Batman, and this time adds lot of emotional depth to the character - the only thought of Ben Affleck playing Batman in the future makes me cringe. Tom Hardy is terrifying, intimidating as Bale, and he manages to do that only with his eyes. Some people from the US have been saying they couldn't understand much of what he was saying, but I don't really see how that's possible since I understood every single word he said; and English is not even my mothertongue. Anne Hathaway is the perfect casting for Catwoman. Marion Cotillard does a pretty good job, even though her character isn't well developed. Michael Caine gives a heartfelt performance as Alfred. Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman do great as Jim Gordon and Lucius Fox. Joseph Gordon-Levitt perfectly fits Robin, and gives a great performance.

Quotes

Jim Gordon: [reading from Charles Dickens's "A Tale of Two Cities"] I see a beautiful city and a brilliant people rising from this abyss. I see the lives for which I lay down my life, peaceful, useful, prosperous and happy. I see that I hold a sanctuary in their hearts, and in the hearts of their descendants, generations hence. It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known.

Just Before I Go (2014)

Genre

Comedy | Drama

Director

Courteney Cox

Country

USA

Cast

Seann William Scott, Olivia Thirlby, Garret Dillahunt, Kate Walsh, Kyle Gallner, Rob Riggle, Evan Ross, Cleo King, Missi Pyle, Elisha Cuthbert, Mackenzie Marsh, Connie Stevens, David Arquette

Storyline

On the verge of giving up on life, Ted Morgan (Seann William Scott) decides to go back to his hometown and face the people he feels are responsible for crafting the person he has become.

Opinion

A huge misfire according to the majority of critics, Just Before I Go is actually a quite entertaining, funny, touching and twisted dramedy, even though the overly sentimental and clichéd ending kind of lower the level of the film.

Best known for her role of Monica in the 90's-00's TV Series "Friends", in her directorial debut, Courteney Cox does a pretty good job pulling different elements in the film, well-balancing the amount of emotions and laughing-out-loud moments, and capturing the everyday complications of life, marriage, and sexuality.

The writing is good, the several stories are well told, and it is plenty of humour - not for those who gets easily offended -, and funny characters. Also, through Ted's journey, the film delivers an important message: whatever problem you think you have, there are people out there going through worst situations, so stop complaining, live your life, and appreciate what you have. Also, I really loved the soundtrack.

Seann William Scott really surprised me. Since he played Stifler on the American Pie series he has aged and grown, both personally and as an actor, and he delivers a stunning and emotional performance, unarguably his best so far. I really hope to see him in such roles again soon. Great acting comes from the supporting cast as well. Garret Dillahunt gives a funny performance as Scott's brother. Olivia Thirlby and Kyle Gallner both give a great performance.

Quotes

Ted Morgan: When it's darkest we can see the stars. They're always there. You just gotta remember to tip your head back and look up.