A Film A Day: 2019

2020 Blind Spot Series

As you may know, I finally got a job this year and, while it did wonders for my mental health and bank account, it prevented me not only from reviewing a film every day as I've been doing for the past four years but from watching films in general. What I'm trying to say is that I sucked at being a movie blogger in 2019, reason why I decided to join the Blind Spot series in 2020, so that I'll have some sort of obligation to watch those classics, must-see, and cult movies that I've been meaning to watch since the dawn of times but that, for one reason or another, I keep putting off.

A weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves

As 2019 is packing its bags, I'm joining for the last time (this year) Wandering Through the Shelves's Thursday Movie Picks. And this being also the last Thursday of the month, it's a television themed week. It's tackling rivalries and since I had quite an emotional day yesterday I'm going with sitcoms. Hopefully it will cheer you up too if you have a not so good day :)

A weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves

Hasn't it ever happened to you that you're thinking about a film but just can't come up with its title? Maybe it's even a word, an easy-to-remember one and yet you just don't remember it. Well, it sure doesn't happen with film with very long titles as that's probably the thing that sticks with you them more, regardless of how good or bad the film is. That's the theme for this week's Thursday Movie Picks and since there's plenty of bad in the world already, I'm going with some awesome films.

While many directors, actors and producers blame streaming services for slowly killing cinema as we know it, it's yet again a Netflix original most people are praising these days. The film in question is Noah Baumbach's latest, Marriage Story, which is a realistic, raw, emotionally poignant and draining essay on divorce — a heart-wrenching film that left me in pieces.

Every year, a new Christmas animated film sees the light of the day. And every year, although the story is different, the substance doesn’t really change and hence it feels like opening the same present only with a different wrapping paper. Netflix’s first original animated feature, Klaus, shies away from it as it is as refreshing and unique as it is heartwarming and emotional — arguably 2019’s best animated film.

A weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves

(Not so) funny story. My days, minus Mondays, all are the same and therefore I hadn't realized it was Thursday until I started seeing other bloggers' Thursday Movie Picks posts. At which point I told my lazy and tired ass, "Oh, shoot! I'll join next week". But then I thought, "Damn, I have to work tonight. How about doing a least a fun thing today?". So here I am, with three films adapted from novels I loved.

As a closing post to Dell's blogathon, I decided to homage some of the women of the film industry whose birthdays fell on this closing week. As I haven't seen all of their works to write one or more individual posts, I'm going to pick the best I've seen from them. But before getting into it, I'd like to thank Dell for yet again hosting this wonderful series.

Can you believe than a month from now will be 2020? Neither can I. Damn this year flew by. And yes, I'm rambling because I have no idea how to fill this monthly recap because there's really nothing to tell.

Although the running time genuinely intimidated me — two hours are a lot for me so you can imagine my feelings toward a three hour and a half long film —, Martin Scorsese's The Irishman was on the top of my 2019 watch-list as I appreciate most of the director's work and I was really interested in seeing what he could do with all the freedom Netflix would grant him. And, there's no other way to put it, Scorsese's latest film didn't meet my expectations, it blew them as it is a tremendously enthralling, fascinating, charming, surprisingly funny and yet serious gangster film and easily Scorsese's most involving, engaging film on an emotional level.

A weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves

First of all, happy Thanksgiving my American friends! And remember, don't eat too much or you'll get sick. I'm Italian so I know what I'm talking about. And now, let's talk about some dystopian TV series, shall we? Because that's what I'm picking for this week's Thursday Movie Picks. And since I wanted to integrate Dell's Girl Week 2019 into this, I kind of cheated as I picked one show and two episodes.

As promised, I'm back with another entry for Girl Week 2019, the amazing blogathon hosted by Dell @ Dell on Movies that celebrates women in films. As you probably know if you are a steady follower, I'm not a big fan of lists. Actually, I hate making lists because I kinda feel bad about rating one more than another. I did make an exception today as I decided to rate my top 10 female performances of the 21st Century and, although they all are great, the first spot is the greatest performance of all-times in my book (forgive me if I missed some major performances, I procrastinated and didn’t have a lot of time to make this). Without further ado...

Female directors have been really leaving a mark in recent years with films like Wonder Woman, Lady Bird, Mudbound, and others; widely-known films that are both critically acclaimed and loved by the audience. These, however, are not the films I’m going to tackle in my first post for Dell’s Girl Week 2019, the wonderful yearly blogathon that celebrates women in films, as I’m focusing on foreign gems directed by women that touch important themes.

Not only Zombieland is one of my favourite films, it is also my favourite Zombie film — it is dumb and all but at least doesn't make the mistake of trying to be smart and it's a lot of fun. It comes without saying that, ten years later, I was very looking forward to seeing its sequel, Zombieland: Double Tap. I was so hyped I even skipped reviews to avoid negative energy. Thankfully, Ruben Fleischer's film turned out to be a funny and entertaining zombie flick; in other words, a worthy sequel.

A weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves

I know, I know, I’ve been a shitty Thursday Movie Picks participant lately — barely commenting on others’ posts and not posing at all on here — but did you seriously think I was going to miss this food-themed week?

Two years after successfully adapting Stephen King's Gerald' Game, Mike Flanagan has taken upon the task both to adapt another King novel, Doctor Sleep, and to follow up Stanley Kubrick's so-called horror masterpiece The Shining. While I can't say whether Flanagan's Doctor Sleep is a good adaptation or not as I'm yet to read the novel, I can say that he did an excellent job at making a sequel that, in my opinion, overshadows the original as it's a very (in)tense and rather creepy horror film from start to finish.

Mexicans are celebrating Día de Muertos, the beautiful, vibrant holiday to remember and celebrate their loved ones. I, on the other side of the Atlantic ocean, am struggling to write this monthly recap because, you guessed it, October was just another month.

There is one film that popped out very often on my feeds this October, Robert Eggers's The Witch. All the praises aroused my interest in a movie I had never heard of before, so I decided to spend my Sunday morning watching it; and I'm glad I did because the film turned out to be not a clichéd, gory horror but a creepy and atmospheric one.

A weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves

As much as I love Halloween-themed Thursday Movie Picks, I was not able to join the past two weeks because I simply couldn’t come up with anything. Or if I could I was too lazy to actually put in the effort to write. I’m not sure. Anyways, I’m back on track with this week’s theme because I simply could not miss horror movies featuring rituals. Without further ado, I leave you with my picks.

We live in an era of remakes and reboots, so it was only a matter of time before we'd get a new movie about the creepy, red-haired doll. The only remake I was looking forward to seeing this year and yet missed, mainly because of my job but also because of the low expectations I had about it. You can imagine my surprise when Lars Klevberg's Child's Plays turned out to be a fun, entertaining and gory comedy horror.

Breaking Bad is without a doubt one of the, if not the, best TV series of all time. I loved every single moment of it, even when it broke me and its characters. It comes without saying that I was really looking forward to seeing its epilogue, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, but since I started my rewatch too late, I was able to catch up only on Wednesday, only to be left with a bitter taste in my mouth because, while it works as a farewell to the beloved character of Jesse Pinkman and Aaron Paul is as intense as ever, it feels like a 45-minute episode stretched to two hours, an overlong episode that we didn't really need.

It was around this time last year when I finally decided to watch Ari Aster's first feature, Hereditary, and, there really is no other way to put it, my mind was blown by the brilliancy of it and Aster's masterful use of the horror genre to portray a family dealing with grief and loss. Needless to say Aster's second feature, Midsommar, was one of my most anticipated films of 2019. Thankfully, the filmmaker yet again delivers as Midsommar is a terrific cult film that manages to be creepy and horrifying but also funny and very entertaining throughout.

A weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves

It's finally October which only means one thing in the Thursday Movie Picks series, it's time for the Halloween edition. Starting off this year are period drama horrors, a genre I'm not particularly fond of — mainly because I'm not a fan of period movies. Despite this, I still was able to find three films that not only fit the theme but that I didn't mind watching.

There went another month, yet another month spent doing not much, both in terms of life and films/blogging.

Watching/binging TV series is something I've always loved, even as a kid, when TV series were considered junk as they weren't' as deep as films. Today it's completely different. It's actually easier to find deep, interesting series with well-written characters than it is finding a film with the same qualities. Which is both the reason why Getter over Mettel Ray decided to host this amazing TV Alphabet blogathon and why I decided to join the party.

A weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves

You know what's harder than getting over a break-up? Getting over a break-up between two characters you love and want to see together. Needless to say, these are the movies I'm focusing on for this week's Thursday Movie Picks, films whose break-ups break my heart every time.

A weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves

I've been internet-less since September 2 — not one but two lightings struck my phone wire, the phone company guy showed up only yesterday to fix it and turns out it fried the modem too — which translated in no Netflix. Which forced me to watch stuff I own. Which ended up with me rewatching Linklater's brilliant Before trilogy. And since yesterday I saw Before Sunset not long before working on this, and it's set in Paris, for this week's Thursday Movie Picks I went double theme within a theme with three films in French set in Paris.

There are many rotten aspects in modern-day Italy and I consider the cinematic art to be one of them as the majority of Italian films hitting the screen nowadays are pure trash, reason why this is the one category I tend to avoid (the most). There are, however, some exceptions now and then, that one film that, either because of its cast — usually Alessandro Gassmann — or its trailer, I'm interested in seeing. Paolo Genovese's Perfect Strangers (Italian: Perfetti sconosciuti) falls into the latter category as the trailer was very funny. Imagine my surprise when I found myself watching a funny, entertaining but also very clever and thought-provoking comedy-drama.

A weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves

When it comes to the hostage genre, I'm the first whose mind goes to action flicks because, let's be honest, nothing says "hostage movie" like an action movie. But there's so much more to the genre and that's the way I decided to go with two of my picks.

They say time flies when you're busy but I didn't do much in August other than working and yet here we are, a blink of an eye later and it's September already and I'm struggling to write something because, as I just said, I didn't do anything in August.

A weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves

What's better than a great performance from an actor? Two great performances from the same actor. In the same movie. Which is exactly this week's theme. Okay, maybe we are not asked to pick great performances but that would be too easy, right? I mean, one could pick Adam Sandler for Jack and Jill and, I don't know, it just feels wrong. So, without further ado, here's my highlighting multiple performances from an actor in a film.

A weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves

How is it Thursday already? Time really flies when you work all the time which applies to me so much since this is the first day off I have since last Tuesday. I mean, last week's Tuesday. Of course, all work and no play left me very little time to work on my Thursday Movie Picks post — I know, again — so I leave you with my picks involving witnesses.

I was around 17 when I was introduced to Elton John's music and it was love at first ~~sight~~ sound. No matter what mood I am in, there's always room for his music in my life because, whether it's a sad song, a happy, joyous one, or something just danceable, he always makes me feel something. It comes without saying that I was very excited about Dexter Fletcher's Rocketman and, having read plenty of positive reviews, I also had very high expectations. Expectations that were met as Fletcher's is a flamboyant and highly entertaining musical fantasy film, an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish.

A weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves

Between my brother’s birthday — which is today —, problems with my car and a fight with a coworker, I completely forgot to work on my Thursday Movie Picks for this week. So without any introduction whatsoever — and probably very little written below —, I leave you with my picks featuring a relationship between an old woman and a young man, aka the Mrs. Robinsons, a theme suggested by Getter over Mettel Ray.

How is it August already? I mean, it feels like yesterday when I almost fell asleep watching John Wick: Chapter 3: Parabellum in theatres — Keanu kept me awake, if you know what I mean — and yet it's been two months already. I guess time flies when you have a job you ~~don't hate~~ like and that gives you the chance to have interesting conversations with interesting people. Job aside, my passion for cooking is back which means I'm blessing my Instagram followers with pretty food photos — you're welcome — and apparently, I have a new crush. Okay, it's not new, but it's definitely a crush. I don't know how he feels about me but I see the potential. Also, my commitment to sleeping more is definitely going somewhere.

A weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves

Although I love nature, I wouldn't exactly say I'man outdoorsy person as I've never been to camping and the only thought of sleeping outdoors where wild animals and all kind of insects and spiders live makes me shiver. Some people love the outdoors though, and some love making films about it, so we could have an outdoor themed Thursday Movie Picks. Just kidding. Seriously though, here are my picks for the week

Hugh Grant often plays such unlikeable characters — Bridget Jones's Diary, Two Weeks Notice, and Paddington, to name a few —, he has over the year become an actor I particularly dislike. His charm is undeniable though and since he's also quite a good actor, I figured I should check out more of his work. About a Boy was my first pick — Netflix has been shoving it on my face for the whole month — and I'm glad I gave it a shot because it is a funny, sweet and heartwarming feel-good film.

Whether she's starring in a comedy or a drama, Sandra Bullock always brings that something that lifts the film — reason why she's the first actress I've fallen in love with and she still is, after countless years, my favourite actress.

A weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves

Whether they happened in real life or it's just fiction, crimes always make for a very compelling subject; when properly executed, of course. Today, for the last Thursday Movie Picks of July 2019, we are asked to pick 3 to 5 crime TV series. Without wasting any more of your time, here are my picks — I went with a season as opposed to the entire series as these are shows I significantly enjoyed one season over the other(s).

My brother lives for blockbusters. Okay, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration but these huge movies are pretty much all he watches. And don't you dare to tell him a film suck if it made tons of money at the box office because, in his logic, if a movie makes money then it's great; if it doesn't make money, then it's not. Now and then, however, there's that one film he hates and, coincidence or not, that film usually bombed. These are the movies I'm focusing on after my hiatus for this week's Thursday Movie Picks, the weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves.

Four years after the brilliant The Hurt Locker, which earned her an Oscar for Best Director, Kathryn Bigelow came back with another war film, Zero Dark Thirty, the film I've been meaning to watch but kept putting off because of its genre and length for the past seven years. Netflix adding it to their catalogue was the push I needed to finally watch the film and I'm glad I spent 157 minutes to watch it as it turned out to be such a gripping thriller all the way through, with great performances from its cast.

Life's been good to me in June. If you take away some work-related stress — that's more than normal, right? Some people are just the worst! — and the power steering in my car that didn't work one Wednesday evening, after 6+ hours of work and with an hunger-aching stomach, and had to call my dad because the wheel was so hard I couldn't even exit the spot where I parked, everything went pretty smoothly. And I even reduced the amount of coffee I drink and I'm somehow managing to sleep a bit more.

Gangsters make for a fascinating topic, you can’t deny it. Reason why I love watching movies about them. It’s not the same when it comes to TV series though as I add these shows on my watchlist but, most of the time, never start them. So, yeah, this week of Wandering Through the Shelves’s Thursday Movie Picks was a tough one for me.

When dealing with a subject as sensitive as rape, films usually go for the unexpected act of extreme violence followed by its devastating and dramatic consequences, and that usually leaves room for little else. Thankfully, that's not the case with Eva Trobisch's Alles ist gut (All good), a restrained debut that provides an interesting, rather unique and compelling perspective on sexual abuse and its psychological effects; a film Netflix can finally be proud of.

I don't know about you but period drama makes me think of drama related to something bloody... anyway, that's the theme for this week's Thursday Movie Picks, the weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves, the movie genre, I mean, not the other thing. And since I'm not the biggest fan of the genre, I decided to go with three films starring actors I love.

From the animated sitcom The Simpsons to Stanley Kubrick's horror The Shining, the world of fiction is filled with bartenders. Some are most iconic and popular than others but they all have a thing in common, they always bring along clichés.

The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) probably being the only exception — I haven't seen his entire filmography —, Adam Sandler movies are usually downright terrible. It's pretty much the same when it comes to Jennifer Aniston; there are some exceptions here and there but most of her films are just not that good. Because of this, it didn't seem like a particularly good idea to spend my free Friday morning to watch Netflix's latest original, Murder Mystery, which stars both. Surprisingly, the film exceeded my expectations as it is a quite enjoyable combination of comedy, mystery and romance.

There are many reasons why people pretend to be someone they are not. Most of them do it for the greater good, or good in general, and those are the people I’m focusing on today for Wandering Through the Shelves’s Thursday Movie Picks as we are asked to pick films where a character, or more than one, goes undercover.

Despite having seen and enjoyed both Sherlock Holmes films — I did see them many years ago so it’s possible my opinion would change if I were to rewatch them —, the dreadful King Arthur: Legend of the Sword was enough to make of Guy Ritchie a filmmaker to stay away from. Reason why, despite having over the years heard nothing but good if not great things about it, I never bothered to watch Snatch. But I should have because those weren’t just rumours, Guy Ritchie’s is the charming, funny and exciting crime comedy everyone says it is.

Despite my aversion for babies, toddlers and all the likes of, there are people who love them and make them. But having a baby is not enough, these people still want to have a life. And for this reason, they hire nannies and babysitters to take care of their children while they are out having fun or working or whatever. Which is great, otherwise we wouldn't have this nannies and babysitters themed week for Wandering Through the Shelves's Thursday Movie Picks.

As you may know — if you bothered reading my returning videotapes post — I’ve finally found a job and, unfortunately, as much as I love movies and talking about them, I got to a point where posting daily was no longer an option for me and my mental health.

Subscribe to: Posts ( Atom )

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);

document.write(ssyby);