The Girl on the Train (2016)

Genre

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Director

Tate Taylor

Country

USA

Cast

Emily Blunt, Rebecca Ferguson, Haley Bennett, Justin Theroux, Luke Evans, Allison Janney, Edgar Ramirez, Lisa Kudrow, Laura Prepon, Darren Goldstein

Storyline

Divorcee Rachel Watson (Emily Blunt) takes the train in to work in New York every day, and as the train passes by her old house, she starts watching the couple, Megan (Haley Bennett) and Scott Hipwell (Luke Evans), living a few houses down  and creates a dream life from them. Then one day Megan goes missing, and Rachel becomes invested in the case and tries to find out what happened.

Opinion

Just like I said I would, I bought Paula Hawkins's novel and read it. So then, just like I said I would, I watched "The Girl on the Train", not expecting a lot from it because of the reviews I had read. Somehow this film managed to be even worse than I thought it could as it turned out to be a boring and depressing mess.

I should probably mention that I loved the novel, but I'm still having a hard time believing there's people who enjoyed this film. It is a practical joke. The tense, interesting, gripping story that made Paul Hawkins famous worldwide just isn't here. The story delivered by Tate Taylor is a complete mess, dragged on and on, with no tension whatsoever and plot twists that are so confused and almost incomprehensible.

Some changes have been made from the book that frankly I didn't understand. For example, the film rushes to get Megan into therapy to discuss her problems, but her mysterious past only emerges in the final part. Why did they need to rush it then? And why is Dr. Kamal Abdic hispanic instead of Bosniac? If you want to change the nationality it's okay with me, but at least have the decency to change the name.

And that brings me to the next point, the characters. They are truly awful. They have no characterization, no backstory. They are basically as flat as a table. Rachel is hardly the portrait of alcoholism, Anna isn't even a character and so is Tom - and considering the role he has into the story, the screenwriter should have focused a bit more on him.

On one thing, however, the film exceeds the book. While failing on every other front, Tate Taylor was able to shift between the characters in a quite graceful manner, definitely better than how Hawkins handled it in the book.

Unfortunately that's it with the good things about this film. Okay, maybe Emily Blunt does a fine job as Rachel, but she is left alone to save this film. The rest of the cast is useless. And I wonder if Haley Bennett's direction was to look as much as possible like Jennifer Lawrence in "Silver Linings Playbook", she practically looks like her twin. 

Rocky (1976)

Genre

Drama | Sport

Director

John G. Avildsen

Country

USA

Cast

Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, Burgess Meredith, Thayer David, Joe Spinell, Tony Burton, Pedro Lovell

Storyline

When he is chosen to take on Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), the reigning world heavyweight champion, small-time boxer Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) starts training as hard as he can in order to earn his own self-respect while beginning a relationship with Adrian (Talia Shire).

Opinion

Just like "Rambo", "Rocky" is one of those Stallone movies to see at least once in a lifetime, that's why I decided to take advantage of my brother's collection and watch this film, that turned out to be more than just an underdog sport film, but a great character study.

Like the typical underdog story, this film tells about a man who exceeds past all expectations and does the best he can. It is a story of hope and dreams coming true. It is basically a fairytale that because of its different setting feels real. It is a simple yet touching story of a man, and will keep you on the edge of your seat. Its major subplot is a romance that works well and it's actually one of the film's greatest strengths. 

But the story, although interesting, isn't the important part, the characters are. I must admit I wasn't expecting such deep and complex characters considering they were written by Stallone. I don't judge a book by its cover, I just judge Stallone by the films he makes which aren't exactly bright. Actually are quite the opposite. That being said, other than a strong leading character that is portrayed in a very human yet not pathetic way, the film features a few, but memorable characters, the manipulative Paulie, the sweet Adrian and the sneaky Apollo Creed.

Another great thing about "Rocky" is the phenomenal musical score by Bill Conti that transforms the film and it will probably give you goosebumps.

Also strong are the performances. Sylvester Stallone gives an excellent performance as Rocky Balboa as he's able to deliver pain, frustration but also a lot of strength of will. Talia Shire does a good job as well as Adrian, and she does have a nice chemistry with Stallone. Burt Young is impressive as the desperate Paulie, and Burgess Meredith also does a good job as the wistful trainer Mickey.

Hercules (1997)

Genres

Animation | Comedy | Fantasy | Musical

Directors

John Musker | Ron Clements

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Tate Donovan, Josh Keaton, Danny DeVito, James Woods, Susan Egan, Frank Welker, Rip Torn, Lillias White, Bobcat Goldthwait, Matt Frewer, Patrick Pinney, Hal Holbrook, Amanda Plummer, Carole Shelley, Paddi Edwards, Paul Shaffer, Jim Cummings, Charlton Heston

Storyline

Newborn Hercules (Tate Donovan), the son of Zeus (Rip Torn), is turned into a half-god, half-mortal by Hades (James Woods), the God of the Underworld, and he's raised by mortals. Years later, he has become a strong young man who is confused about where he belongs when he finds out he is the son of a God and must become a true hero to reclaim his immortality. 

Opinion

Growing up I was one of those kids really into mythology, not any mythology, but Greek mythology, and rewatching "Hercules" made me realise it is the reason for that. I mean, this film is so fun and enjoyable it's impossible not to fall in love with mythology after watching it.

The story is pretty much like any other Disney film - therefore it's predictable - with its main character looking for his place in life and stuff like that, but the dysfunctional Olympian family makes it work. Of course it is not mythologically accurate, but it's definitely a different, and fun way to arouse children's interest towards this subject.

Just like any other Disney movie, this film's strength lays in its characters. Maybe scholars were offended by it - and frankly I don't care -, but this naive and parodic version of Hercules integrates seamlessly with the humour and immediately inspires sympathy. But he is not by far the most interesting character, that role goes to Phil who is simply hilarious, Hades who makes for a great villain, and Megara, a sassy, cynical and sexy woman who provides the film with an independent heroine.

The other important aspect of the film is obviously the music. It is mainly Gospel. Now, I know it doesn't exactly fit into this film, but it's still amazing and catchy, and those five Muses singing and dancing were actually my favourite thing about this movie when I was a kid. And they still kinda are.

On the other hand there's the colourful animation that fits the film beautifully because it's done like Greek art.

Silence (2016)

Genre

Drama | History

Director

Martin Scorsese

Country

USA | Taiwan | Mexico

Cast

Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Liam Neeson, Tadanobu Asano, Ciaran Hinds, Issey Ogata, Shinya Tsukamoto, Yoshi Oida, Yosuke Kubozuka, Nana Komatsu, Ryo Kase, Béla Baptiste

Storyline

Two Catholic missionaries (Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver) travel to Japan in attempt to locate their missing mentor (Liam Neeson) at a time when Catholics was outlawed.

Opinion

Martin Scorsese is a fantastic director, but I didn't really like his latest works - I'm specifically talking about "The Wolf of Wall Street", a movie I couldn't bear. Still I was interested in seeing "Silence", a movie that took Scorsese two decades to make and that I was expecting to be good. And it was good. Very difficult to sit through but good.

Based on Shusaku Endo's novel of the same name, the story is rich and complex, and deals with torture and executions all in the name of a God that is supposed to care about his followers. It is about the struggle to reconcile faith with pain, about accepting torture and death for a better afterlife, but most of all it shows what it means to have faith.

To show that brutality people went through for believing in something they were not supposed to believe in, Martin Scorsese uses a lot of silence and nearly three hours of the audience's time, still he manages to deliver suspense and climaxes.

However, "Silence" has one big problem: it focuses too much on Christianity and how it was not welcome and doesn't seem to care at all about Japan's religion(s). For the Japanese to have such a strong opinion against Christians, I was expecting to see a little of Buddhism or Shintoism.

Anyway, visually the film is a feast. From the costumes to the cinematography, the film truly is beautiful to look at. Which feels a bit strange to say because there's really nothing beautiful about those kind of things happening.

What really makes this film work is the cast, especially Andrew Garfield in the role of a young priest determined to find his mentor. He delivers fear, anger, despair and pain. This is by far his best performance of his I've seen (and he should have been nominated at the Oscars). The supporting cast also does a great job, and worth of a mention is Issey Ogata whose performance is simply remarkable.

La La Land (2016)

Genre

Comedy | Drama | Musical | Romance

Director

Damien Chazelle

Country

USA

Cast

Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, John Legend, Rosemarie DeWitt, Finn Wittrock, Jessica Rothe, Sonoya Mizuno, Callie Hernandez, J.K. Simmons, Tom Everett Scott, Meagen Fay, Damon Gupton, Jason Fuchs, Josh Pence

Storyline

Mia (Emma Stone), an aspiring actress, and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a dedicated jazz musician, meet while pursuing their dreams in a city known for destroying hopes. 

Opinion

I am one of those people who were super excited about "La La Land" even before knowing what it was about. Damien Chazelle, the director of "Whiplash", a movie I deeply love, and the leading duo, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, two talented actors with a wonderful chemistry, were enough for me. Then the movie turned out to be a musical, and I don't do musicals, but I still had faith in it. Then it was tremendously acclaimed both from critics and audiences and that only increased my expectations. And after so much waiting, I can finally say that it did leave up to the hype.

"La La Land" is not just a musical. It is not just a film. It is a spectacular cinematic experience. It is an extraordinary and moving love letter to Hollywood. It is a charming and inspiring work of art.

With this film, Damien Chazelle proves yet again what a great filmmaker he is, triumphing in both direction and writing. His brilliant script features a fantastic, unique and inspiring story that focuses on the two main characters, leaving the side plots to the sides, like they are supposed to, and that looks like the typical romance but evolves into something larger than life.

Chazelle tells yet again a story about following your dreams that unfortunately cannot be shared with anyone, not even with that person that supported us while pursuing our dreams. He says yet again to never give up on your dreams, but he also shows the downsides to that.

And he makes a remarkable use of the camera, giving meaning to every single shot, and making each one of them incredibly stimulating, not only for the eyes, but for all the senses. He takes a modern and dirty Los Angeles, and makes it feel retro using a stunning, abstract cinematography by Linus Sandgren that evokes Woody Allen's "Manhattan".

And just like any great film, "La La Land" also features a score that is simply perfect. It doesn't just accompany the film, but it's actually an integral part in transforming a simple night at the movie theater into an astonishing experience. Same goes with the musical numbers. Chazelle and his talented creative team delivered stunning numbers from the very beginning, with a opening sequence set on a Los Angeles freeway that took my breath away and put a huge smile on my face.

Then of course there's the cast. I don't think words are enough to describe the magnificence both of Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling's performances and their talents. They act, they sing, they dance, and they excel in all of them. Neither of them has a fantastic singing voice, but that's what makes their performances even more enchanting. And the chemistry these two have, well it is simply perfect.

I don't know when it's the last time I was this invested into a film. Or when I felt the need to rewatch a film as soon as the credits ended. 

Thursday Movie Picks: Television Edition: Science Fiction

Hello and welcome back to Thursday Movie Picks, the weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves where you share three movies to fit the theme of the week each Thursday.

And this year, for the first time ever, we have television editions. Isn't that great? I love TV series, and I can't wait to find more interesting series thank to the others picks, maybe yours as well. But enough with the intro, the theme for this week is science fiction, and I'm going with three picks I love so much I binge-watched two of them. So let's get started

Black Mirror (2011- )

This is an anthology series the shows the dark side of life because of technology. A guy on Twitter kept telling me to watch this show, and I watched it so he'd eventually shut up. Well, we even talked about the episodes afterwards. I loved all of them, and I'm buzzing because Robert Downey Jr. optioned my favourite episode, The Entire History of You, to potentially make it into a film.

Futurama (1999-2013)

Fry is a 25-year-old pizza delivery boy whose life is going nowhere. On New Year's Eve 1999 he accidentally freezer himself and wakes up 1,000 years in the future and has the chance to make a fresh start. Does this qualify as a TV series? I think so. Anyway, I love this show, it's fun and the characters, they are so awesome! Especially Bender. And how cute is Nibbler?

Stranger Things (2016- )

When young Will goes missing, we are taken on a supernatural journey of 3 stories as his mother, his brother, his friends and the police chief start searching for him. I don't usually do supernatural, but Netflix's shows are usually great and there's Winona Ryder in it and I gave it a shot. Well, I watched 8 episodes in 2 days. And that's because I was busy. 

Divines (2016)

Genre

Drama

Director

Uda Benyamina

Country

France | Qatar

Cast

Oulaya Amamra, Déborah Lukumuena, Kévin Mischel, Jisca Kalvanda, Yasin Houicha, Majdouline Idrissi, Mounir Margoum, Farid Larbi

Storyline

Grown up in a Roma camp and with a mother (Majdouline Idrissi) that is nothing sort of embarrassing, Dounia (Oulaya Amamra) pursues her dream to make big money as she starts dealing drugs.

Opinion

Nominated this year at the Golden Globes for Best Foreign Film, "Divines" immediately captured my attention. I don't know why, I just felt the need to see it. And my gut was right, I didn't just watch a movie, but I experienced a wide range of emotions. Laughs, tears and anger.

With an engaging, gripping story very similar to that of "Girlhood" - the story of a girl growing up in the ghetto - this film feels more real and raw than the above mentioned, and it's probably because its director, Uda Benyamina, unlike Céline Sciamma, came from those places and instead of telling the story in a moralistic way, she simply shows how for someone like Dounia drug dealing is the quickest way to achieve her goals.

Not only she does that without judging the (immoral) choices Dounia makes, but she is able to make you empathize with the character, to make you care for her, and eventually to think like her. Well, at least that's what happened to me.

In addition to the story and Benyamina's solid director, "Divines" also features an intense, rich main character that is wonderfully portrayed by Oulaya Amamra. She does really have a bright future ahead. The other characters are also well written and well delivered.

And that brings me to the next point, a wonderful friendship between Dounia and Maimouna - it is truly beautiful to watch these two girls together mostly because of the chemistry between Amamra and Déborah Lukumuena -, and a nice romance that isn't a huge part of the film, but that definitely plays a role in the story as it shows that the film really isn't about the suburbs, but it's about friendship.

Lastly, there's a nice cinematography, beautiful music and some (maybe overlong) dancing scenes that makes you forget everything else.

Arrival (2016)

Genre

Drama | Sci-Fi

Director

Denis Villeneuve

Country

USA

Cast

Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, Michael Stuhlbarg, Tzi Ma, Mark O'Brien

Storyline

When twelve mysterious spacecrafts appear around the world, linguistic expert Louise Banks (Amy Adams) is tasked with interpreting the language of the alien visitors.

Opinion

After that poor excuse of a science-fiction movie "Passengers" was, I was really looking forward to "Arrival" as everyone said how good it was. And they were right, "Arrival" is indeed a thrilling sci-fi masterpiece and an extraordinary thought-provoking film.

Based on Ted Chiang's book, the well paced and engaging story isn't the typical alien invasion we get with blockbusters, but it's something completely different. The encounter with the aliens indeed is a confrontation between two cultures. This is the focus of the film, the struggle to communicate, which unfortunately is an issues still nowadays.

It also deals with the fear of the unknown, but the most important part - at least it was to me - is the intimate human side of the story whose incredible emotional power makes the film for a fantastic experience. How is that? Because it teaches to accept the finitude beauty of life. To enjoy every single moment. And I say no more. I don't want to spoil it for you.

However, the real reason this film works is the characters. They are not the typical clichéd plot devices very common in films of this genre, but they feel like actual people I was able to connect with almost immediately. And it's probably because the main character is a woman, a strong woman that uses her knowledge and skills to change the world. And it's properly developed. And wonderfully portrayed by Amy Adams who gives a superb, moving and vulnerable performance (only to be robbed of an Oscar nomination).

The greatness of "Arrival" doesn't stop there. The film in fact features a cinematography by Bradford Young that is not nothing short of breathtaking, and a wonderful musical score composed by Johann Johannsson. Not to mention the production design. Simply mind blowing.

The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)

Genre

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Director

Bard Furman

Country

USA

Cast

Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe, Josh Lucas, John Leguizamo, Michael Pena, Bob Gunton, Frances Fisher, Bryan Cranston, William H. Macy, Trace Adkins, Laurence Mason, Margarita Levieva, Pell James, Shea Whigham, Katherine Moennig, Michael Paré, Michaela Conlin, Mackenzie Aladjem

Storyline

When a wealthy Realtor (Ryan Phillippe) is accused of assaulting a prostitute (Margarita Levieva), Mick Haller (Matthew McConaughey) is asked to defend him. The guy claims he didn't do it, but Haller soon learns that the case might be linked to an old case of his. 

Opinion

I'll never get tired of saying I am no fan of Matthew McConaughey. I read good things about this film and I love legal thrillers, so I still decided to give it a shot and I'm glad I did as "The Lincoln Lawyer" is an intriguing and entertaining courtroom film.

Based on Michael Connelly's novel of the same name, the solid, well-paced story keeps you engaged from start to finish as it gradually builds tension and provides a lot of surprising twists along the way.

However, while the case was obviously the main focus and that part was well done, the subplots aren't even considered. They are in the film, like the whole family thing - why did Haller and his wife broke up? -, but they don't add enough to be relevant.

"The Lincoln Lawyer" features an interesting main character that unfortunately goes from being a cynical smug to a man who questions his moral, life and career while drinking straight from the bottle way too fast. But there's McConaughey to make things better (No, I'm not being sarcastic). I'd be lying if I said he carried the whole film because the film is solid enough to carry itself, but McConaughey really gives a great performance and entertains without taking his shirt off.

The other characters could have been built better. I haven't read the book, but I'm sure there was a better characterization there, that's typical of hollywood. Anyway, the cast does a fine job, although Marisa Tomei and Bryan Cranston are completely wasted in the film, the first because of an undeveloped and not properly used character, the second because he basically doesn't have a character.

Jurassic Park III (2001)

Genre

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Director

Joe Johnston

Country

USA

Cast

Sam Neill, William H. Macy, Téa Leoni, Alessandro Nivola, Trevor Morgan, Michael Jeter, John Diehl, Bruce A. Young, Laura Dern, Taylor Nichols, Mark Harelik, Julio Oscar Mechoso, Blake Michael Bryan

Storyline

Eight years after the InGen incident, Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) is persuaded into going to Isla Sorna by Paul Kirby (William H. Macy) and his wife (Téa Leoni), who hope Grant will help them find their son (Trevor Morgan) who crash-landed on the island.

Opinion

After siding with "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" for unfairly getting so much hate - sure, it wasn't as good as the first one, but it still was a solid film -, this time around I won't spare any criticism to "Jurassic Park III", a truly awful addition to the series.

With no ideas whatsoever, still with the need to make a money-making film, the filmmakers basically "delivered" a film that has no plot - and that little of it doesn't even make any sense -, no Jeff Goldblum, no character development, and where basically most of the characters are nothing but food for dinosaurs. And not even interesting food, but boring tofu. The characters are so one-dimensional, it's even impossible to find them annoying.

Now one would say, okay, the script is crap, but there's still the dinosaurs, right? Nope. Well, there are some dinosaurs but they are awful, just like the rest of the film. Also, there isn't enough of them and they are not even scary.

Which brings me to the next point, the special effects. I cannot believe how bad the effects look in this film. It's as if technology took several steps back since the previous film, and the dinosaurs would make for a great evidence: they look like puppets.

And of course the films lacks that tension Spielberg was able to create in the first film and kinda replicate in the second. And there isn't even a lot of science involved.

However, if you are the kind of person who likes their movies with a lot of action and nothing else, you might enjoy this film as the action is almost non-stop.

Happy Feet (2006)

Genre

Animation | Comedy | Musical | Romance

Director

George Miller

Country

USA | Australia

Voice Cast

Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Brittany Murphy, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Hugo Weaving, Fat Joe, E.G. Daily, Alyssa Shafer, Cesar Flores, Anthony LaPaglia, Magda Szubanski, Miriam Margolyes, Steve Irwin, Carlos Alazraqui, Lombardo Boyar, Jeffrey Garcia, Johnny Sanchez, Roger Rose

Storyline

Like other emperor penguins, young Mumble (Elijah Wood) needs to be able to sing to attract a female, but he has a terrible voice. Instead, he's got a dancing talent.

Opinion

I remember being pretty excited about this film when it came out, so excited that I begged my parents to take me to the movies. It never happened, but I was able to catch up with it months later when the DVD came out, and I thought it was okay. Now, as an adult, I decided to rewatch it, and in spite of winning an Oscar for Best Animated Feature, "Happy Feet" isn't great but it still is a quite enjoyable kids movie that delivers several messages.

The story isn't completely original. Although this is the first time a penguin can't sing but dances instead, the story is in fact pretty much like Andersen's "The Ugly Duckling". It is fun to watch though and it delivers the importance of being different, not an original theme still very important in a world that continuously pressures us to conform.

Other than teaching to accept people who are different, the film also delivers important environmental messages - the negative effects of pollution and over-fishing - in a way that is easy for kids to understand. It may look like a stupid way to some, but remember, this film targets kids.

Because of that, the film is maybe a little too heavy and serious for kids, but there is enough humour to make children laugh, and the characters are quite funny and lovable as well, especially the hispanic penguins.

And lastly, the music plays an important role in the film as it shows how powerful both music and dance can be, and how helpful they both can be to cross cultural barriers. Also, the score is great.

American Gangster (2007)

Genre

Biography | Crime | Drama

Director

Ridley Scott

Country

USA

Cast

Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Cuba Gooding Jr., Josh Brolin, Ted Levin, Armand Assante, John Ortiz, John Hawkes, RZA, Lymari Nadal, Yul Vazquez, Ruby Dee, Idris Elba, Carla Gugino, Joe Morton, Ritchie Coster, Jon Polito, Kevin Corrigan, Norman Reedus

Storyline

Incorruptible detective Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe) works to bring down the drug empire of Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington), a heroin kingpin from Manhattan, who is smuggling the drug into the country from the South East Asia.

Opinion

I don't mind gangster movies yet I don't watch a lot of them because I'm sick and tired of those stereotyped Italian gangsters and those shootout scenes that last an eternity. Ridley Scott's "American Gangster" is different though. With a rather limited action, this film is an intense crime film as well a great biopic elevated by its performances.

Based on real life gangster Frank Lucas's life, the story never feels new as it reminds of that of other crime films, but it still is engaging and very interesting because it's the story of a black man who came from nothing and that was more influential than the Italian mob.

What I liked the most is that Scott did not try to mask Lucas's violent life, he did not glorify Lucas's lifestyle like most films of this genre do, but he portrayed him for the man he was. I don't know however how accurate he was since I don't know the story of Lucas.

Another point in favour is the (almost) lack of action and violence. Usually drug-related films are plenty of pointless shooting sequences and are extremely violent as well. Scott was able to tell the story without all of that.

What really makes the film memorable though is the acting. First off Denzel Washington who is - in my opinion and against that of others - the perfect fit to play Frank Lucas, and delivers a great performance as the ambitious, calm and fearless Frank Lucas was. No less important is Russell Crowe who also delivers a good performance in the role of the detective trying to bring down Lucas' empire, a character that was interesting at times, but unfortunately nothing more than a womanizer most of the time.

The BFG (2016)

Genre

Adventure | Fantasy

Director

Steven Spielberg

Country

USA

Cast

Mark Rylance, Ruby Barnhill, Penelope Wilton, Jemaine Clement, Rebecca Hall, Rafe Spall, Bill Hader, Michael Adamthwaite, Daniel BAcon, Chris Gibbs, Adam Godley, Paul Moniz, Jonathan Holmes, Olafur Darri Olafsson, Marilyn Norry, Chris Shields, Matt Frewer, Geoffrey Wade

Storyline

A girl named Sophie (Ruby Barnhill) encounters the Big Friendly Giant (Mark Rylance) who, despite his intimidating appearance, turns out to be a kind-hearted soul who is considered an outcast by the other giants because, unlike them, he refuses to eat children.

Opinion

Roald Dahl's "The BFG" is just another of those books I didn't read as a kid, still I was very interested in seeing this film because of Steven Spielberg and Mark Rylance. However, because of the reviews I've read, I didn't have great expectations so it really surprised me.

Although it is nothing like the typical Spielberg's movie, "The BFG" is a quite charming and engaging family film.

According to many of the reviews I read the problem with this film is the plot. There is none. Well, actually there's one, but it's very simple, not so exciting and it is pretty flawed. Also, two hours are a lot of time to tell that little story. But frankly I didn't care (I would have loved seeing stronger villains though).

"The BFG" is not one of those movies you watch for the plot, but one of those you just watch to escape from our world, and as such it works just fine. I'd say it's a magical film from dreamers, and if you are one of those, you're going to enjoy it. 

And it's all about the interactions between Sophie, a 10-year-old orphan, and her unlikely friend, the Big Friendly Giant, that make the film quite funny as well - some of the jokes are very childish though. Also the chemistry between Ruby Barnhill and Mark Rylance is quite good.  

The CGI could have been better. Occasionally stunning and with some shots that seem very real, sometimes is unfortunately mediocre, just like when the Big Friendly Giant carries Sophie in his palm.

Thursday Movie Picks: Movies Featuring an Actor/Actress that Passed Away in 2016

Welcome back to Thursday Movie Picks, the weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves where you share three movies to fit the theme of the week each Thursday.

Like I mentioned in my 2016 in Review post, a lot of actors and actresses have left us in the past year, and as suggested by Birgit, we are today picking films featuring them. It has been snowing a lot here so at first I decided to go with three movies with snow. Then I realised that the scene I was thinking about was in the first Star Trek, not the one I picked, so screw that. 

Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban (2004)

Alan Rickman as Severus Snape

Harry Potter's life is in danger again as convicted murderer Sirius Black escapes from Azkaban Prison and everyone believes he's after Harry to finish what Voldemort ordered him 13 years earlier, kill him. This film is truly amazing, and my personal favourite because for me it's the first film that really captured the magic of the book.

Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013)

Anton Yelchin as Anton Chekov
On their way back home, the crew of the Enterprise is interrupted by a new threat, that of an unstoppable one-man terror cell. Not the best one of the new trilogy, and the script is kinda weak but it still is a quite a solid entry. Also Benedict Cumberbatch is the villain so it's definitely worth watching.

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia
3 years after the destruction of the Death Star, the Imperial Walkers assault the Rebel base, so Leia, Han, Chewbacca and C-3PO escape in the Millennium Falcon, while Luke follow Kenobi's command, and starts his Jedi training. Star Wars just can't get better than this one. It is spectacular from start to finish, we hear the Imperial March for the first time and we find out the truth about Luke's father. 

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (2009)

Original Title

Luftslottet som sprängdes

Genre

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Director

Daniel Alfredson

Country

Sweden

Cast

Noomi Rapace, Michael Nyqvist, Lena Endre, Annika Hallin, Sofia Ledarp, Jacob Ericksson, Georgi Staykov, Aksel Morisse, Niklas Hjulström, Micke Spreitz, Anders Ahlbom, Hans Alfredson, Lennart Hjulström, Carl-Åke Eriksson, Peter Oscarsson, Michalis Koutsogiannakis, Mirja Turestedt, Johan Kylén. Tehilla Blad

Storyline

After taking a bullet to the head, Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) is under close supervision in a hospital and is set to face trial for attempting to murder his father (Georgi Staykov).

Opinion

The good, the bad and the ugly. Those are the words that come to my mind when I think about the trilogy this film closed. A trilogy that started off beautifully with "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", but that ended awfully with "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest", not only the weakest of the three, but a film that doesn't even work as a crime thriller.

This time around Stieg Larsson's novel - my favourite of the trilogy - has been tore apart. I don't know what the filmmakers were thinking, but clearly they weren't thinking straight. This film is indeed a complete mess.

Actually, I should be blaming Ulf Rydberg for writing a terrible screenplay that only "focuses" on the main storyline, leaving out events and details essential to understand the story. There was an interesting subplot regarding death threats sent to one of Blomkvist's coworker that is just left to die. And the fight between Lisbeth and Niedermann was basically a cat and mouse game.

But that's not all. The reason why this was my favourite book is the final part, a gripping legal thriller. In the film there is no such a thing, and the trial scenes are too rushed and boring. The highly engaging, interesting and passionate debate between Teleborian and Annika Giannini is so pathetic.

The characters weren't treated any better. There isn't much characterization, and some characters, especially Monica Figuerola, are nothing. And because of it, the acting is awful. Some members of the cast, like Noomi Rapace, still manage to do a decent job, but most of them give poor performances because they have nothing to work with.

Knight of Cups (2015)

Genre

Drama | Romance

Director

Terrence Malick

Country

USA

Cast

Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Natalie Portman, Brian Dennehy, Antonio Banderas, Wes Bentley, Isabel Lucas, Teresa Palmer, Imogen Poots, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Freida Pinto, Cherry Jones, Nick Offerman, Dane DeHaan, Thomas Lennon, Joel Kinnaman, Jason Clarke, Katia Winter, Shea Whigham, Joe Manganiello, Ben Kingsley

Storyline

A writer (Christian Bale) indulging in all that Los Angeles and Las Vegas has to offer undertakes a search for love and self via a series of adventures with six different women.

Opinion

Although I am not very familiar with Terrence Malick's work - I've only seen "The Thin Red Line" which I loved - I still wanted to see this film. The storyline sounded interesting, but most of all, I was interested in the cast. There's Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett and Natalie Portman. What else could I ask for? Well, a decent film maybe.

Other than being beautifully shot - seriously, that gorgeous photography is a waste - "Knight of Cups" has nothing to offer.

The film feels like a tremendously long commercial for a perfume or something like that because nothing really happens. There isn't a story, it's just a collection of acts in which we follow the main character, a writer that feels empty inside, changing woman in each act and doing random things because why not.

With this experiment of his, Terrence Malick perfectly represented boredom, but not in a way that is exciting and make the viewer interested, but in a way that makes the viewer incredibly bored. If I wasn't sitting on a quite uncomfortable chair, I would have fallen asleep. In the middle of the day. It's quite an experience I'd say.

Like I mentioned before the photography is fantastic, but Malick overdid there too. I love those artsy shot of the ocean, waves, sand, sunsets and sunrises, but there are too many of those images. Maybe he realised those images were the only good thing about the film and used them that much.

As for the cast, it is truly amazing, and the reason I wanted to see this film, but there's nothing the actors can do to save the film. Actually with such a poor script, they don't even manage to get the job done right. And my criticism is mostly directed to Christian Bale, who doesn't look bored - that's how he was supposed to look -, but like someone who isn't enjoying what he's doing at all.

Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)

Genre

Action | Comedy | Thriller

Director

Matthew Vaughn

Country

UK | USA

Cast

Taron Egerton, Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson, Mark Strong, Michael Caine, Sophie Cookson, Sofia Boutella, Samantha Womack, Geoff Bell, Edward Holcroft, Mark Hamill, Jack Davenport, Velibor Topic, Tom Prior, Jack Cutmore-Scott, Lily Travers, Richard Brake, Hanna Alström, Andrei Lenart, Corey Johnson

Storyline

An unrefined but promising street kid (Taron Egerton) gets recruited by a spy organization to take part of their ultra-competitive training program, just as a global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius (Samuel L. Jackson).

Opinion

I really wanted to see this film when it came out - I also took part to a contest to create the poster for it - but then I didn't. And I don't even know why. What's important is that I've finally watched it, and I can't believe how much I loved it.

"Kingsman: The Secret Service" easily is one of the best spy films of recent years, and, plenty of fast-paced action, comedy and thrills, will keep you glued to the screen until the very end.

I haven't read the Comics upon which the movie was based, but, in spite of looking like a more violent version of James Bond and basically just like other films of the genre, the story feels rather original maybe because it's not taken seriously. Instead it makes fun of itself, just like "Kick-Ass". Sure it's predictable - although I didn't see one thing coming -, absurd and everything, but it's engaging as hell.

The humour plays an important role in the film. Actually the most important. The film is absolutely hilarious. Some of the comedy though replies on guttural components, so if you are not into that kind of thing, you might not like it.

As someone who watched all the James Bond movies - and loved some of them -, I couldn't not appreciate all the references from the gadgets, to the villain's henchman - or should I say henchwoman? -, to the closing scene.

The characters are fantastic. Don't expect any deep character because that's not what this film has to offer, but there's plenty of cool ones, especially the bad guys. Can we please talk about Samuel L. Jackson's megalomaniac, ego-centric villainous Valentine? He was awesome, both the character and the job Jackson did portraying him. And how about his sidekick? Sofia Boutella's Gazelle is fantastic. On the other side, we have a charming Colin Firth doing great as spy Harry Hart - he's kind of stiff so I'd never expected him to pull off action this good -, and a very likable Taron Egerton that handles both comedy and action pretty well and proves to be an outstanding newcomer.

The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)

Genre

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Director

Steven Spielberg

Country

USA

Cast

Jeff Goldblum, Julianne Moore, Vanessa Lee Chester, Vince Vaughn, Pete Postlethwaite, Arliss Howard, Richard Attenborough, Peter Stormare, Harvey Jason, Richard Schiff, Thomas F. Duffy, Ariana Richards, Joseph Mazzello, Thomas Rosales Jr., Camilla Belle, Robin Sachs, Cyd Strittmatter, Bernard Shaw

Storyline

Four years after the failure of Jurassic Park, John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) reveals to Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) that there was another island on which dinosaurs were bred, and sends a research team to the island to study the dinosaurs while another team approaches with a different agenda.

Opinion

Given the huge success of "Jurassic Park", it was more than obvious that there was going to be at least a sequel, and, although to my understanding it's not a very popular opinion, "The Lost World" is a pretty good one.

Once again based on Michael Crichton's work, although this time it's only loosely based on a novel of his, the film sure lost the originality and freshness of the first entry, but it still manages to deliver an interesting plot with several twists that will keep you engaged throughout the whole film.

Just like in the first film, the characters aren't that deep, but "The Lost World" does better in this field. It indeed gives us a group of more interesting characters that we also get to know better and therefore love and empathize with them.

But that's not the reason this sequel works. The credits for that go to Steven Spielberg, who returned to the director's chair and did a great job not only at building suspense and tension, but at balancing drama and action as well.

Also like its predecessor, this film features fantastic special effects (a lot of very realistic dinosaurs) and a good score, but most important is the cast. Jeff Goldblum reprised his role of Dr. Ian Malcolm and still did a good job, and the new comers did a good job as well, from Julianne Moore, to Vince Vaughn, to Vanessa Lee Chester who does better than the kids in the other film. Also it was very interesting to see Goldblum and Moore work together as they had a nice chemistry.