Pitch Perfect (2012)

Genre

Comedy | Music | Romance

Director

Jason Moore

Country

USA

Cast

Anna Kendrick, Anna Camp, Brittany Snow, Rebel Wilson, Ester Dean, Alexis Knapp, Hana Mae Lee, Kelley Alice Jakle, Shelley Regner, Wanetah Walmsley, Skylar Astin, Ben Platt, Adam DeVine, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Michael Viruet, David Del Rio, Gregory Gorenc, Wes Lagarde, Steven Bailey, Brian Silver, Michael Anaya, Nicole Lovince, Caroline Fourmy, Freddie Stroma, Jinhee Joung, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, John Michael Higgins, Elizabeth Banks, John Benjamin Hickey

Storyline

After a disastrous failing at last year’s finals, the Barden Bellas, an all-girls a cappella singing group, are forced to regroup. Among the new recruits is freshman Beca (Anna Kendrick), an independent, aspiring DJ with no interest in the college life. Injecting some much needed energy into their repertoire, The Bellas take on their male rivals in a campus competition.

Opinion

Did you know that in Italian “cappella” also means making a huge mistake? Probably the people who made this film knew it, because it’s aca-awful. Anything but perfect, Pitch Perfect is just another teen movie that seems made out of weaker Glee episodes.

The storyline can be summarized in a word: predictable. Everything goes exactly as somebody with a functioning brain would think. The jokes, revolving around Jewish, menstrual cycle, penetration, and eating a twin in the womb – creepy, right? -, are not funny at all. 

The characters aren’t that good themselves. Beca is an arrogant brat that hates to go to college and be with people. Perfect setup for character development, right? No! After apologizing for being herself, she a social butterfly. Jesse is the clichéd love interest of every single teen rom-com. The other secondary characters are unlikable and annoying, with the exception of Fat Amy because she is funny. Pardon, she will slightly make you chuckle.

More shamefully is that the film constantly offended people, being racist, anti-Semitic, and homophobic. It is disrespectful towards Asians. The two Asian character are simply awful. One is a racist, rude bitch; the other is a crazy pyromaniac who enjoys rolling in vomit. It literally gives no shit about the black girl. After the moment of confession, when she opens up, and talks about her gambling problem, everyone is still concerned about her sexuality. To be honest, the attitude to her isn't better during the rest of the film.

Anna Kendrick is too sweet for the lead role of Beca, but she knows how to lead, and her solo with the coffee mug is the brightest spot in the film. The rest of the cast does not deserve a mention.

Men in Black 3 (2012)

Genre

Action | Comedy | Sci-Fi

Director

Barry Sonnenfeld

Country

USA

Cast

Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Jemaine Clement, Emma Thompson, Alice Eve, Michael Stuhlbarg, Mike Colter, Nicole Scherzinger, Michael Chernus, David Rasche, Will Arnett, Keone Young, Bill Hader, Lady Gaga, Tim Burton, Anthony J. Gallo, Lenny Venito, Rick Baker, David Pittu, Lanny Flaherty, Cayen Martin

Storyline

When Agent K's life (Tommy Lee Jones) and the fate of the planet are put at stake, Agent J (Will Smith) will have to travel back in time to put things right.

Opinion

Fifthteen years later, with the help of Josh Brolin, they've finally managed to make a proper sequel to Men in Black. 

Funny and entertaining, Men in Black 3 is a great improvement over the disappointing and poor second installment.

Once again we'll find ourselves spending some time with Agent J and Agent K - and their younger selves -, but this time the story is more intelligent and well-designed. The writing is very good overall. 

The film deals with the spatiotemporal theme in a clean, and cheerful way, without becoming too heavy. The dialogue is mostly funny with sparks of deepness. The villain, Boris the Animal, is by far better than Serleena, the previous film's villain. And the introduction of Giffin, the clairvoyant alien, is just brilliant.

The acting is good. Will Smith does his job pretty good, he makes us laugh, and has a great chemistry both with Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin. Jones has a more marginal role this time but still does a good job. What can I say about Brolin, let me see... He does a perfect Tommy Lee Jones. If time travelling was an actual thing, I would think Jones and Brolin were the same person. Jemaine Clement does a really good job as Boris the Animal. Alice Even does not bear comparison with Emma Thompson, and Nicole Scherzinger does nothing more than looking like a cheap hooker. 

Quotes

Agent K: Don't ask questions you don't want to know the answer to.

Mud (2012)

Genre

Drama

Director

Jeff Nichols

Country

USA

Cast

Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland, Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Sam Shepard, Ray McKinnon, Sarah Paulson, Michael Shannon, Joe Don Baker, Paul Sparks, Stuart Greer, Michael Abbott Jr., Bonnie Sturdivant

Storyline

14-year-old Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and his friend Neckbone (Jacob Lofland) find a motorboat stranded on the top of a tree in an island on the Mississippi River since a flood, and they plan to fix it for them. One day, they climb the tree and they find fresh meal inside the boat meaning that someone is living in "their" boat. That somebody is Mud (Matthew McConaughey), a man who killed the man that has beaten up his girlfriend Juniper (Reese Witherspoon) and is now hunted down by the father (Joe Don Baker) and the brother (Paul Sparks) of the dead man.

Opinion

As I've already pointed out, I am not a fan of Matthew McConaughey. Actually, I can't stand him. But here I am, reviewing another of his works, because lately he has really proved to be a great actor. And I don't regret spending more than two hours watching this. 

Well directed, and lead by strong performances, Mud is a compelling, moving, well-done Southern drama-coming of age, that digs deep in the meaning of love. 

I never read plots, so I had no idea of what this film was about. I immediately had a flashback to Stand By Me, but then the story turned out to be fresher than ever. The terrific story retraces the footsteps of other works, telling about the tipping point in the life of a teenager. There is a long going on in the story, and the several storylines perfectly fit together. 

I completely disagree with the complaints about the slow pacing and length. To me, it's just perfect. The extreme length gives you time to fully know the characters, and sympathize for them. After all, it's a film about people, real people, not explosions or car chases as somebody may expected.

The settings are magnificent, and the wonderful cinematography by ** captured the beauty of the Mississippi River exceptionally.

The acting is certainly the best part. Tye Sheridan gives an outstanding, and strong performance as Ellis. He manages to deliver all the pain of his character and the effort it costs to deal with the adult world. Jacob Lofland is also great as Neckbone. Matthew McConaughey delivers one of his best performances ever as Mud. The chemistry between Sheridan, Lofland and McConaughey is impressive. Great performances also from the supporting cast.

If you are looking for a Reese Witherspoon's chick flick, you'll probably be let down by this one. Otherwise, I highly recommend this film.

Quotes

Mud: There are fierce powers at work in the world, boys. Good, evil, poor luck, best luck. As men, we've got to take advantage where we can.

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2012)

Genre

Action | Fantasy

Directors

Mark Neveldine | Brian Taylor

Country

USA | United Arab Emirates

Cast

Nicolas Cage, Johnny Whitworth, Fergus Riordan, Ciarán Hinds, Violante Placido, Idris Elba, Christopher Lambert, Anthony Head, Jacek Koman, Vincent Regan, Spencer Wilding

Storyline

Johnny Blaze (Nicolas Cage) is on the run trying to make sure no one is harmed by his alter ego, the Ghost Rider. When in Eastern Europe, he is approached by a monk named Moreau (Idris Elba) who tells him that he can help be him free of the Rider, but first, he needs Johnny's help to protect a boy (Fergus Riordan).

Opinion

While I'm still trying to figure out if this is a sequel or a reboot to the 2007 disaster starring Nicolas Cage, my mind is pervaded with a question: why on earth did Idris Elba accept to work in this mess? Why? The only reason why I watched the whole film is because I couldn't write a truthful review without seeing the whole thing - and there is always a slightly chance of it getting better, isn't there? Anyway, I should mention that I got lost several times: it's impossible to focus on something when the only emotion you feel is boredom. 

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance attempts at showing the dark side of the Rider, but instead delivers a dull story, poorly told, acted, and shot. 

Here's what gave me the doubt about the sequel/reboot matter. This film completely ignores the first one, showing Johnny signing the contract through a flashback, in a very different way compared to the one shown in the first film.

I'd like to say the writing is the worst thing about the film, but everything is so bad, it's hard to say what's worst. The plot is sadly stupid, and the cheesy dialogue will make you either laugh or cry for its awfulness. Not to mention the characters, the awful villain in particular, who doesn't even gets his superpowers until halfway through the film. 

Oh, the camera. It was awful. Shaky, with bad angles, it made me feel sick. The special effects don't get any better. However, what people look for in an action film is action itself, am I right? Too bad, it is awful like everything else. What's the point of using tons of slow motion in an action movie? Seriously Hollywood stop, because that's not cool. Nobody likes that. Also, the fights are so not believable. In real life, nobody is going to wait to be shot or punched.

Overall the acting is so poor, kids from middle school could win an Oscar if compared to this cast. Nicolas Cage is painful to watch. He still looks excited for playing a comic book character, but his facial expressions are so dumb. Ciarán Hinds did the best he could with his awful villain. Violante Placido is only eye-candy. The only good reason to watch this crap is Idris Elba. Even though his character has nothing to do, he steals every scene he is in, giving a great performance as alcoholic monk Monroe.

About Cherry (2012)

Genre

Drama

Director

Stephen Elliott

County

USA

Cast

Ashley Hinshaw, James Franco, Dev Patel, Heather Graham, Lili Taylor, Diane Farr, Megan Boone, Vincent Palo, Jonny Weston, Ernest Waddell, Sensi Pearl, Maya Raines, Michael Manuel Torres

Storyline

With an alcoholic mother (Lili Taylor) and a violent father (Michael Manuel Torres), 18-year-old Angelina (Ashely Hinshaw) runs off with her best friend (Dev Patel) to San Francisco. There, while cocktailing in a strip club, she meets Frances (James Franco), a lawyer who offers to introdice her to a different kind of world. At the same time she, using the moniker Cherry, has begun exploring the porn industry ynder the direction of Margaret (Heather Graham). 

Opinion

I still don't understand why I keep on watching James Franco's new films, since he got involved in pretty bad movies lately, this one making no exception.

Shallow and without focus, About Cherry is one of those films that shouldn't have been shot in the first place. 

Everything is awful in this film. Stephen Elliott's directorial debut is so bad, you'd rather die than watch his next feature. The shaking camera is hella annoying, and the editing is so bad, it makes the film painful to watch.

The worst part is the screenplay, since Elliott co-wrote it with real-life porn star Lorelei Lee. Isn't she supposed to know how to write a damn script about porn? 

The plot is basically non-existent. The dialogue is horrible. And the film is completely unable to maintain focus on something, or somebody. Lots of secondary characters are in the film, but at the same time they are not there - what's the point of bringing out Paco's sexual orientation if it's not explored at all?

Angelina's transition isn't much believable. It's kinda off topic, but in Transamerica - you have seen it, right? - Felicity Huffman's son dreams to work in the porn industry since always. Here, Angelina goes from being a good girl who feels uncomfortable when doing a nude photo shoot, to porn star without any inhibitions nor sexual preferences, proud of her job - not to mention the change of sexual orientation - so fast you won't even have time to winkle. Also, in her rise in the porn industry, she does meet with no obstacle, everybody loves her - and I don't really think everyone's so friendly in real life. Furthermore, why does she do it? For the money like Isabelle in Young & Beautiful? Maybe at first. Then it's more than clear that she loves doing it, but unfortunately there is no inner character development that could lead us into thinking that. 

The acting doesn't get better. Ashley Hinshaw delivers an hollow and emotionless performance. James Franco is so not believable, and when he says, "Your job is disgusting. What you do is disgusting. You are disgusting." looks like an old pervert offerings "candies" to a kid. Heather Graham is pretty decent as Margaret, a porn director. Dev Patel badly plays his clichéd character.

The Five-Year Engagement (2012)

Genre

Comedy | Romance

Director

Nicholas Stoller

Country

USA

Cast

Jason Segel, Emily Blunt, Chris Pratt, Alison Brie, Mimi Kennedy, David Paymer, Jacki Weaver, Jim Piddock, Rhys Ifans, Mindy Kaling, Kevin Hart, Randall Park, Brian Posehn, Chris Parnell, Lauren Weedman, Tracee Chimo, Dakota Johnson, Tim Heidecker, Molly Shannon, Tiffany Liu, Da'Vone McDonald

Storyline

Exactly one year after meeting, Tom Solomon (Jason Segel) proposes to his girlfriend Violet Barnes (Emily Blunt), but unexpected events keep tripping them up as they look to walk down the aisle together.

Opinion

Months ago, maybe a year ago, I tried to watch this film, but I switched off after about thirty minutes, because I literally couldn't deal with another minute of it. The other day I decided to give it a second try, and I've managed to watch the whole thing, but I struggled. A lot.

Sold like a comedy, The Five-Year Engagement is more like an overlong, tedious and unengaging drama with some comedic elements, that aren't even that funny.

With a great cast and beautiful locations, Nicholas Stoller couldn't fail, but he did somehow. The film could have been a great portrait of modern day conflict of a couple with two careers, questioning about how willing would be one of them to accept the compromise. Unfortunately something went wrong in the writing process. 

As said before, the story is unengaging. At first you are going to wonder if they will eventually get married, but after thirty minutes you will completely lose interest, and you won't know if you are willing to make a huge sacrifice and get to the end, or turn it off. I feel like the film would have been so much more interesting if it was focused on Chris Pratt and Alison Brie characters.

Also, it is predictable since the several - too many - funerals and sad moments are emphasized with rain, and it is pretty obvious something is going to happen. The sexual, religious humour barely works here, and I found it offensive using vulgar language in presence of children.

The cast is completely wasted. I don't like Jason Segel, still I thought he couldn't fail, but even he couldn't pull off those bad jokes. Emily Blunt is generally a great actress, but apparently comedy is not her thing. And there is no chemistry between the two of them, they don't even look like a real couple. The supporting cast is decent, with Chris Pratt, and a brilliant Rhys Ifans.

Quotes

George Barnes: The first important thing to remember about marriage is that it requires commitment. The second important thing to remember about marriage is that so does insanity.

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

Genre

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Director

Marc Webb

Country

USA

Cast

Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Martin Sheen, Sally Field, Irrfan Khan, Chris Zylka, Campbell Scott, Embeth Davidtz, Leif Gantvoort, Hannah Marks, Kelsey Chow, C. Thomas Howell, Stan Lee, Michael Massee, Michael Papajohn, Max Charles, Jake Keiffer

Storyline

Like most teenagers, Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents' disappearance, leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), his father's former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors' alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.

Opinion

The Sam Raimi's trilogy, though the awful ending chapter, will always stand out among the superhero films, and definitely did not need to be rebooted. Still Marc Webb succeeded in making a quite amazing interpretation of Spider-Man's origins - and a more loyal film towards the comic books.

The Amazing Spider-Man is surprisingly engaging, plenty of action, thrill, and genuine emotions, with a more effective drama than ever.

Marc Webb faithfully manages to bring to the screen Peter Parker's humanity, creating a more credible superhero, that must defeat a villain, and on the other hand take care of his worried aunt.
In this new film, Parker isn't accidentally bitten by the spider but he is kinda looking forward to, and there's a new way his powers work. He now needs a device to shoot a web perfectly, and still causing lot of damage, he looks more credible. Some parts - like when Peter is working on his costume - are way too rushed though. The villain is good, but Connors becoming evil because he became Lizard is a little forced.

Andrew Garfield is indeed the best choice to play Peter Parker, giving him that humour - and better look - Maguire's didn't have. Emma Stone is amazing as Gwen Stacy, way better than Dunst, and her character as well is better than MJ, being more than just a love interest. The chemistry between Garfield and Stone is amazing.

Quotes

Ben Parker: Peter? I know things have been difficult lately and I'm sorry about that. I think I know what you're feeling. Ever since you were a little boy, you've been living with so many unresolved things. Well, take it from an old man. Those things send us down a road... they make us who we are. And if anyone's destined for greatness, it's you, son. You owe the world your gifts. You just have to figure out how to use them and know that wherever they take you, we'll always be here. So, come on home, Peter. You're my hero... and I love you!

Twice Born (2012)

Original Title

Venuto al mondo

Genre

Drama | Romance | War

Director

Sergio Castellitto

Country

Italy | Spain

Cast

Penélope Cruz, Emile Hirsch, Adnan Haskovic, Saadet Aksoy, Pietro Castellitto, Luca De Filippo, Mira Furlan, Jane Birkin, Sergio Castellitto, Branko Djuric, Isabelle Adriani, Jovan Divjak, Sanja Vejnovic, Emina Muftic

Plot

Oft-married Gemma (Penélope Cruz) brings her teenage son Pietro (Pietro Castellitto) to Sarajevo, where his father (Emile Hirsch) died in the Bosnian conflict years ago.

Opinion

I haven't read the novel by Margaret Mazzantini, but the person who recommended me this film did, and enjoyed both, so I gave the film a try.

Twice Born is an ambitious and complex film that deals with love, motherhood at any cost, and horrors of war.

The film is certainly well built, and the direction from Sergio Castellitto - the novelist's husband - is great and manages to show love and war in the same moment, often leaving room for glances and music. Moving forward and backwards in time is certainly not new, but it always fascinates me. 

Penélope Cruz gives a magnificent and intense performance as Gemma. Needless to say is that Emile Hirsch's performance as Diego is wonderful. Adnan Haskovic as Gojco and Saadet Aksoy as Aska are outstanding. 

Having said that, I can't see how it is even possible for this film to have a 17% rating at Rotten Tomatoes, because if those people have actually seen this film, there is no way they could have give all those negative reviews.

Just a little note for whoever translated the title in English: why 'Twice Born'? It doesn't really make sense, it should have been 'Came to the world' or something like that.

Quotes

Diego: The weirdest love stories are always the best.

Gojco: Love only comes once. It moves like the sea. But it's always the same.

What's in a Name? (2012)

Original Title

Le Prénom

Genre

Comedy | Drama

Directors

Alexandre de La Patellière | Matthieu Delaporte

Country

France | Belgium

Cast

Patrick Bruel, Valérie Benguigui, Charles Berling, Guillaume de Tonquédec, Judith El Zein, Françoise Fabian, Yaniss Lespert, Miren Pradier, Alexis Leprise, Juliette Levant, Bernard Murat

Plot

Father-to-be Vincent (Patrick Bruel) is invited for dinner by his sister Élisabeth (Valérie Benguigui) and his brother-in-law Pierre (Charles Berling). When he announces the scandalous name for his future son, the hosts objects to that, and the situation eventually gets out of hand.

Opinion

Being a big fan of French films, I couldn't help but love this one. What's in a Name? is a wonderful and hilarious comedy/drama.

The film, entirely set in a upper-middle class Parisian living room, is semi-realistic, and neither vulgar nor banal. The first hilarious part is followed by a more dramatic second part, which is still enjoyable.

The brilliant script, the delightful and sharp dialogue and the continuous twists help the viewer not to feel bored.

However, the most important role is played by the actors: they did a fantastic job and the chemistry between the five of them is remarkable. Guillaume de Tonquédec is the one who impressed me the most, considering he has convinced everybody - audience included - he is gay.

Quotes

Pierre: What's first? Cheval Blanch or Fontaines de Provence?

Vincent: To drink or wash our hands?

Rating

8.0/10

The Iceman (2012)

Genre

Biography | Crime | Drama

Director

Ariel Vromen

Country

United States

Cast

Michael Shannon, Winona Ryder, Chris Evans, Ray Liotta, James Franco, David Schwimmer, Stephen Dorff, Erin Cummings, Robert Davi, Weronika Rosati, John Ventimiglia, Christa Campbell, Jay Giannone, Vincent Fuentes, Ashlynn Ross

Plot

Appearing to be living the American dream as a devoted husband and father in reality Richard Kuklinski (Michael Shannon) is a ruthless contract killer. When finally arrested in 1986, neither his wife nor daughters have any clue about his real profession.

Opinion

I had to wait almost 2 years - it was released last Thursday in Italy - to watch this film and was it worth it? Hard to say. Based on Philip Carlo's biography of Richard Kuklinski "The Ice Man: Confessions of a Mafia Contract Killer", The Iceman is an average mob film. It is dark and bold but there is not enough excitement or tension. Ariel Vromen wasted the potential of the book and gave birth to a shallow film.
Michael Shannon , who plays Kuklinski, does such a good job, delivering a performance filled with emotions, and uplifts the film a bit. 

Buy on Amazon.com | Buy/Rent on Amazon Instant Video

Quotes

Mr. Freezy: I only feel alone around other people. Couldn't be truer.

Rating

7.5/10