Memento (2000)

Genre

Neo-noir | Thriller

Director

Christopher Nolan

Country

United States

Cast

Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, Mark Boone Junior, Stephen Tobolowsky, Harriet Sansom Harris, Callum Keith Rennie, Larry Holden, Jorja Fox, Thomas Lennon

Plot

Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce) is a man who is struggling to put his life back together after the brutal rape and murder of his wife. But Leonard's problems are different from those of most people in his situation; he was beaten severely by the same man who killed his wife and his short-term memory has been destroyed.

Incapable of retaining any new information, Leonard resort to copious note-taking and Polaroid photographs in order to keep track of what happens to him over the course of a day (he's even tattooed himself with a few crucial bits of information he can't get along without): he wants to find and kill the man who raped and murdered his wife.

Opinion

The complicated, twisted and involving plot makes of Memento a really interesting film. Director Christopher Nolan did a great job, although the ending was kinda rushed. 

The film editing is a mix of genius and spectacularity: the reverse chronological order makes us, viewers, feel lost as Leonard, since  we have no idea of what happened before. The main topic - the need of having a purpose in life - is common to almost all men, and, as seen on the film, often happiness is not in achieving it but in the steps you take to achieve the purpose.

Guy Pearce gives a brilliant and incredible performance, indelible as much as the tattoo ink covering his body.

Buy on Amazon.com

Quotes

Leonard Shelby: I have to believe in a world outside my own mind. I have to believe that my actions still have meaning, even if I can't remember them. I have to believe that when my eyes are closed, the world's still there. Do I believe the world's still there? Is it still out there?... Yeah. We all need mirrors to remind ourselves who we are. I'm no different.

Leonard Shelby: Memory can change the shape of a room; it can change the color of a car. And memories can be distorted. They're just an interpretation, they're not a record, and they're irrelevant if you have the facts.

Leonard Shelby: We all need mirrors to remind ourselves who we are. I'm no different.

Leonard Shelby: We all lie to ourselves to be happy.

Rating

9.5/10

Only God Forgives (2013)

Genre
Art house | Crime | Neo-noir | Thriller

Director
Nicolas Winding Refn

Country
Denmark | France | Sweden | United States

Cast
Ryan Gosling, Kristin Scott Thomas, Vithaya Pansringarm, Tom Burke, Rhatha Phongam, Gordon Brown, Byron Gibson, Sahajak Boonthanakit, Charlie Ruedpokanon, Joe Cummings, Oak Keerati, Kovit Wattanakul, Danai Thiendgham, Nophand Boonyai, Teerawat Mulvilai, Wittchutta Watjanarat

Plot
Julian (Ryan Gosling) is an American expatriate who runs, along with his brother, a muay thai club in Bangkok, Thailand, that is front for a drug smuggling operation.

After his brother Billy (Tom Burke) raped and killed an under-age prostitute, Lieutenant Chang (Vithaya Pansringarm) allows the girl's father, Choi Yan Lee (Kovit Wattanakul), to beat Billy, but he Chois goes too far and ends up killing him.

Julian's mother, Crystal (Kristin Scott Thomas) moves to Bangkok determined to do justice in her way.

Opinion
Refn said, "I find it thrilling to do things that make people either love or hate you". I am one of those who love him. Only God Forgives is a brilliant artistic work, every single frame is needed, as in Drive. 

The scenography is spectacular, from the furniture through clothes and lights. Everything is added to perfection.

The music of Cliff Martinez is hypnotic and perfectly blends with the movements of the camera.

I'm glad Ryan Gosling starring in this film. He's great in Julian's role, and I believe this could be the start of a brilliant bromance - I can say it, right? - between Gosling and Refn.

Quotes
Remember, girls, no matter what happens... keep your eyes closed. And you men... take a good look.

Rating
8.0/10

Drive (2011)

Genre

Art house | Crime | Neo-noir | Thriller

Director

Nicolas Winding Refn

Country

United States

Cast
Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks, Oscar Isaac, Ron Perlman, Christina Hendricks, Kaden Leos, James Biberi, Jeff Wolfe, Russ Tamblyn, Andy San Dimas

Plot
The driver (Ryan Gosling), who lives in Los Angeles, works repairing cars and as a part-time movie double.
Managed in both jobs by auto shop owner Shannon (Bryan Cranston), the duo also provides a getaway driver service.
Thank to Shannon, the driver has a new job opportunity: race in professional circuits. However, things go quite different.
The driver meets and falls in love with his neighbor, Irene (Carey Mulligan), and becomes friend of her son, Benicio (Kaden Leos). When Irene's husband, Standard Gabriel (Oscar Isaac) is released from prison, everything goes wrong.

Opinion
From the title and the plot it would seem to be a film in Fast & Furious style, with car chases, explosions, robberies and revenge, but actually tells the story of a man who identifies himself in what he does.
Drive is an original and ruthless film, surprising in many ways, from its first act through its violent and unexpected ending. Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn is excellent in his Hollywood debut.
Great screenplay by Hossein Amini, where each conversation plays a role. Loved the cast, Ryan Gosling was incredible. Fantastic music.
The best scene of the film is the definitely the elevator scene, where love and death meet giving birth to the most romantic and at the same time violent scenes of cinema.

Quotes
You give me a time and a place, I give you a five minute window. Anything happens in that five minutes and I'm yours. No matter what. Anything happens a minute either side of that and you're on your own.

Rating

8.0/10

Seven (1995)

Genre

Neo-noir | Thriller

Director

David Fincher

Country

United States

Cast
Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey, Gwyneth Paltrow, R. Lee Ermey, John C. McGinley, Richard Roundtree, Richard Schiff, Martin Serene, Michael Massee, Richard Portnow, Leland Orser, Pamala Tyson, Richmond Arquette, Tudor Sherrard

Plot
Soon-to-be-retiring Detective William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) is partnered with short-tempered-but-idealistic Detective David Mills (Brad Pitt), who recently transferred to the department.

They discover an obese man who was forced to feed himself to death, and the next day investigate a fatal bloodletting of a rich attorney. The detectives find clues that lead them to believe they are chasing a serial killer relating to the seven deadly sins. Two day later the fingerprints found on the second crime scene lead them to an apartment where they find an emaciated man strapped to a bed. Using library records, Somerset and Mills track down a man named John Doe (Kevin Spacey), who opens fire on the detectives when he finds them approaching his apartment. On Sunday they investigate the death of a young model whose face had been mutilated. After that, at the police station, John Doe offers himself for arrest, with the blood of the model and of an unidentified victim on his hands. Through his lawyer, Doe claims he will lead the two detectives to the last two bodies and confess to the crimes, or otherwise will plead insanity. Despite Somerset's concern, Mills agrees to the demand. Doe directs the two detectives to a remote desert area and...

Opinion
A masterpiece! The film is poetic and spectacular. The direction of David Fincher is not far behind: it's amazing. Good credits to Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt. Kevin Spacey is brilliant (as usual); his performance is comparable to Anthony Hopkins in The Silent of the Lambs and so the film. I'm surprised that this film did not win any Academy Award.

Quotes
People don't want a hero, they want to eat cheeseburgers, play the lotto and watch television.

Nothing wrong with a man taking pleasure in his work. I won't deny my own personal desire to turn each sin against the sinner.

Wanting people to listen, you can't just tap them on the shoulder anymore. You have to hit them with a sledgehammer, and then you'll notice you've got their strict attention.

Rating
9.5/10