Nikita (1990)

Genre

Action | Thriller

Director

Luc Besson

Country

France | Italy

Cast

Anne Parillaud, Tchéky Karyo, Marc Duret, Patrick Fontana, Rolande Blanche, Alain Lathière, Jeanne Moreau, Philippe Leroy, Jean-Hugues Anglade, Jean Reno

Plot

Nikita (Anne Parillaud) is a teenage junkie who participates in the robbery of a pharmacy owned by a friend's parents. The robbery goes awry, and she kills several policemen.
Sentenced to life in prison, Nikita is given a new identity and trained as a top secret assassin.

Opinion

Nikita wasn't up to my expectations. The story, with a promising beginning, is way too flat, and lacks of tension required by an action/thriller film.
Luc Besson uses the cinecamera masterfully, and the first scenes of the film are really beautiful and strong.
Anne Parillaud, sweet yet ruthless, delivers an incredible performance loaded with charm. Jeanne Moreau as Amande and Jean Reno as Victor leave a mark, even though they have a small part.

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Quotes

Amande: There are two things that are infinite: femininity and means to take advantage of it.

Rating

7.0/10

Eden Lake (2008)

Genre

Horror | Thriller

Director

James Watkins

Country

United Kingdom

Cast

Kelly Reilly, Michael Fassbender, Jack O'Connell, James Gandhi, Thomas Turgoose, Bronson Webb, Shaun Dooley, Finn Atkins, Thomas Gill, James Burrows

Plot

Jenny (Kelley Reilly) and her boyfriend, Steve (Michael Fassbender), escape their everyday life to a remote lake in the green English countryside.

Their quiet weekend falls apart when a gang of kids, which have fun in provoking adults, first insult them and then steal their car. The situation gets worse when Steve decides to face them.

Opinion

Eden Lake is a dark and bloody horror/thriller film, somewhat realistic. In his directorial debut, James Watkins has managed to create real suspense and some real horror. The cynical ending proves the like father like son proverb.
The young actors do a fantastic job for their age, with a special mention for Jack O'Connell, the gang leader. The two leading actors, Kelley Reilly and Michael Fassbender, are brilliant.
I highly recommend it, but if you are a weak-hearted you better not watch it, mainly because of the detailed sadistic sequences. 

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Quotes

No quotes

Rating

8.0/10

Blue Is the Warmest Colour (2013)

Original Title

La Vie d'Adèle - Chapitres 1 & 2

Genre

Drama | Romance

Director

Abdellatif Kechiche

Country

Belgium | France | Spain

Cast

Léa Seydoux, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Salim Kechiouche, Aurélien Recoing, Catherine Salée, Benjamin Siksou, Mona Walravens, Alma Jodorowsky, Jérémie Laheurte, Anne Loiret, Benoît Pilot, Sandor Funtek, Fanny Maurin, Maelys Cabezon, Stéphane Mercoyrol, Aurelie Lemanceau

Plot

Adèle (Adèle Exarchopoulos) is an introverted high-school student whose classmates gossip constantly about boys. While crossing the street one day, she passes by a woman with short blue hair (Léa Seydoux) and is instantly attracted. She dates a boy (Jérémie Laheurte)at her school for a short while and they have sex, but she is ultimately dissatisfied and breaks off their relationship. After having vivid fantasies about the woman she saw on the street and having one of her female friends behave flirtatiously towards her, she becomes troubled about her sexual identity.

Opinion

Blue Is the Warmest Colour is a wonderful and emotional film about life, love and sexuality. This film has made quite a stir for the lesbian sex scene lasted 10 minutes, on the edge of eroticism, but also the most powerful and sweet in the entire history of cinema.
Both Adèle Exarchopoulos and Léa Seydoux were sensational, and the film deserves to be watched only for their performances.
I am really disappointed this film wasn't nominated for best foreign film, and Adèle Exarchopoulos wasn't nominated for best actress in a leading role at the Academy Awards.

Quotes

Emma: But I have infinite tenderness for you. I always will. My whole life.

Adèle: I miss you. I miss not touching each other. Not seeing each other, not breathing in each other. I want you. All the time. No one else.

Rating

9.0/10

Winter's Tale (2014)

Genre

Drama | Fantasy | Romance

Director

Akiva Goldsman

Country

United States

Cast

Colin Farrell, Jessica Brown Findlay, Jennifer Connelly, Russell Crowe, William Hurt, Mckayla Twiggs, Eva Marie Saint, Will Smith, Ripley Sobo, Matt Bomer, Lucy Griffiths, Finn Wittrock, Kevin Corrigan, Kevin Durand

Plot

Peter Lake (Colin Farrell) is a thief a thief raised by a supernatural demon posing as the gangster Pearly Soames (Russell Crowe).
After disappointing his mentor, on the run, Peter encounters a white horse that points him in the direction of the Penn mansion. Initially looking to steal something, he changes his mind when he meets and falls in love with Beverly (Jessica Brown Findlay), the beautiful daughter of the homeowner.

Opinion

Many critics said this film was a huge fail, so I wasn't expecting a lot for it. But you know what? I loved it. Based on the 1983 novel of the same name by Mark Helprin, Winter's Tale is a good film of its genre, and moved me. The story is lightly told, and its 118 minutes slip away like a bird in flight.
Colin Farrell is wonderful: he is perfect in the role of the thief who falls in love. You can clearly see he puts himself entirely in the characters he plays; Russell Crowe's character Pearly Soames, obsessed with Farrell's, reminds me a bit of Javert (Les Misérables), the evil version of course. He didn't impress me though.

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Quotes

Peter Lake: Don't know who's more foolish; The horse who won't listen to his master or the master who listens to his horse.

Peter Lake: Is it possible to love someone so completely, they simply can't die?

Rating

7.8/10

Life Is Beautiful (1997)

Original Title

La vita è bella

Genre

Comedy | Drama

Director

Roberto Benigni

Country

Italy

Cast

Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, Giorgio Cantarini, Giustino Durano, Horst Buchholz, Amerigo Fontani, Raffaella Lebbroni, Sergio Bustric, Lydia Alfonsi, Pietro De Silva, Marisa Paredes, Claudio Alfonsi, Alessandro Nardi, Giuliana Lojodice, Francesco Guzzo, Gina Rovere, Gil Baroni, Franco Mescolini

Plot

1930's in Fascist Italy. Guido Orefice (Roberto Benigni), a Jewish Italian bookshop owner, courts and marries Dora (Nicoletta Braschi), a woman from a nearby city. They have a son, Giosuè (Giorgio Cantarini) and live happily together until the German occupation of Italy.
In attempt to help his son survive the horrors of the Concentration Camp, Guido tells his son that the Holocaust is a game and the winner takes a tank.

Opinion

Never before I've seen a film that symbolizes its name and its message so good. Life Is Beautiful is an unforgettable film, not about the Holocaust, but about love, optimism and inner strength. It is about seeing the other side of things, the surreal and funny side.
Roberto Benigni, which in my opinion is the best Italian director, is capable of bringing to the screen a dramatic story, that not only makes you cry but also makes you laugh. It is amazing the way he talks with the child, and the peace and pain message he transmits is wonderful.
If you haven't already, I highly recommend you to watch this movie. If you have and you liked it, I may suggest you another great Benigni's film, The Tiger and the Snow.

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Quotes

Guido: Buongiorno, Principessa! 

Adult Giosuè: This is my story. This is the sacrifice my father made. This was his gift to me.

Guido: What kind of place is this? It's beautiful: Pigeons fly, women fall from the sky! I'm moving here!

Rating

10/10

Iron Man 2 (2010)

Genre

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Director

Jon Favreau

Country

United States

Cast

Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Mickey Rourke, Samuel L. Jackson, Jon Favreau, Clark Gregg, Leslie Bibb, John Slattery, Garry Shandling, Paul Bettany, Olivia Munn, Stan Lee

Plot

With the world now aware of his identity as Iron Man, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) faces pressure from the government, the press, and the public to share his technology with the military.
Meanwhile, rogue Russian scientist Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) has developed the same technology and built weapons of his own in order to pursue a vendetta against the Stark family, in the process joining forces with Stark's business rival, Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell).

Opinion

Iron Man 2 is not as much fun as its predecessor. The previous four screenwriters, Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum and Matt Holloway, have been replaced by Justin Theroux, and the result is not good: many subplots are not brilliant, many dialogues are not great and there is lack of action.
There are multiple villains: in addition to Vanko, Stark-Inventor's arch nemesis, there is Justin Hammer, Stark-Entrepreneur's arch nemesis.
The cast is good - Mickey Rourke as Ivan Vanko is brilliant - for the exception of Scarlett Johansson.

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Quotes

It's not the armor that makes the hero, but the man inside.

Rating

7.0/10

American Sniper (2014)

Genre

Biography | Drama | War

Director

Clint Eastwood

Country

United States

Cast

Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Max Charles, Luke Grimes, Kyle Gallner, Sam Jaeger, Jake McDorman, Cory Hardrict, Navid Negahban, Eric Close, Eric Ladin, Joel Lambert, Rey Gallegos, Kevin Lacz, Brian Hallisay, Jonathan Groff, Ben Reed, Billy Miller, Elise Robertson, Keir O'Donnell, Marnette Patterson, Jason Hall, Leonard Roberts, Sammy Sheik

Plot

Growing up in Texas, Chris Kyle's father (Ben Reed) teaches him how to hunt deer and shoot a rifle. Years later, Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper) is nothing more than a rodeo cowboy, when he sees news coverage of the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings and enlists in the U.S. Navy, where he is eventually accepted for SEAL training, becoming a U.S. Navy SEAL sniper.

After marrying, Kyle and the other members of the team are called for their first tour of Iraq. Kyle's struggle isn't with his missions, but about his relationship with the reality of the war and, once returned at home, how he manages to handle it with his urban life, his wife and kids.

Opinion

American Sniper is a story about war, death, violence, fear, hope and love; and it well describes the moral dilemma that undergoes a sniper in war, and how it does affect a man spending 3 years of his life so. 

While Clint Eastwood, once again, proved to be a major director - the reason why he wasn't nominated as best director is a mystery -, the real story of Chris Kyle is far more complex than shown in the film; because Chris Kyle didn't solve all his problems in a session with a psychiatrist; and he wasn't only scared of sudden noises: while sleeping one night, Kyle almost broke his wife's arm; not to mention his alcohol problems and his several arrests - full story at The New Yorker.

Kyle killing Mustafa is the best scene, photography talking: I loved the way the scene was edited.
Multiple Academy Award nominee Bradley Cooper wonderfully portraits Chris Kyle. 

Quotes

Taya: You're my husband, you're the father of my children. Even when you're here, you're not here. I see you, I feel you, but you're not here.

Taya: I need you... to be human again. I need you here.

Rating

9.0/10

All the President's Men (1976)

Genre

History | Thriller

Director

Alan J. Pakula

Country

United States

Cast

Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford, Jack Warden, Martin Balsam, Hal Holbrook, Jason Robards, Jane Alexander, Meredith Baxter, Ned Beatty, Stephen Collins, Penny Fuller, Robert Walden, Frank Wills, F. Murray Abraham, David Arkin, Henry Calvert, Dominic Chianese, Ron Hale, Polly Holliday, James Karen, Basil Hoffman

Plot

In June 1972, a security guard (Frank Wills, playing himself) at the Watergate complex finds a door kept unlocked with tape. He calls the police, who find and arrest five burglars in the Democratic National Committee headquarters within the complex. The Washington Post assigns reporters Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) and Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) to cover the story. They uncover the details of the Watergate scandal that leads to President Nixon's resignation.

Opinion
Based on the 1974 non-fiction book of the same name by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, All the President's Men is a fantastic political thriller and a good reconstruction of the journalistic investigation on the Watergate that caused quite a stir in the United States.
Conspiracy film specialist Alan J. Pakula's direction is flawless. Supported by the charming and charismatic Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman shows off his great acting skills.

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Quotes

Ben Bradlee: All non-denial denials. They doubt our ancestry, but they don't say the story isn't accurate.

Harry Rosenfeld: When you've got 'em by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow.

Ben Bradlee: You know the results of the latest Gallup Poll? Half the country never even heard of the word Watergate. Nobody gives a shit. You guys are probably pretty tired, right? Well, you should be. Go on home, get a nice hot bath. Rest up... 15 minutes. Then get your asses back in gear. We're under a lot of pressure, you know, and you put us there. Nothing's riding on this except the, uh, first amendment to the Constitution, freedom of the press, and maybe the future of the country. Not that any of that matters, but if you guys fuck up again, I'm going to get mad. Goodnight.

Rating

9.0/10

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.

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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

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

Genre

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Director

Irvin Kershner

Country

United States

Cast

Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, David Prowse, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, Frank Oz, Kathryn Mullen, David Barclay, Wendy Froud, Deep Roy, Jeremy Bulloch, Alec Guinness, Denis Lawson, Clive Revill

Plot

Three years after the destruction of the Death Star, the Rebels abandon their new base in a assault with the Imperial AT-AT Walkers.

Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) escape in the Millennium Falcon. Meanwhile, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and R2-D2 (Kenny Baker) follow Obi-Wan Kenobi's (Alec Guinness) command, and Luke receives Jedi training from Master Yoda (Frank Oz, voice). 

Opinion

The Empire Strikes Back or Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is a worthy sequel. It is sinister but even more involving than the first film of the trilogy, A New Hope: Luke finds out the truth about his father, and we hear the Imperial March for the first time. Fuelled by action, the film is capable of creating such a tension that keeps viewers on the edge of their seat.
The visual effects are really improved. The score is unforgettable. Darth Vader is amazingly played by David Prowse. 

Quotes

Luke: I can't. It's too big.
Yoda: Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? Hmm. And well you should not. For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you; here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere, yes. Even between the land and the ship.

Rating

9.2/10

The Imitation Game (2014)

Genre

Biography | Drama | History | Thriller | War

Director

Morten Tyldum

Country

United Kingdom | United States

Cast

Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Mark Strong, Charles Dance, Allen Leech, Matthew Beard, Rory Kinnear, Alex Lawther, Jack Bannon, Victoria Wicks, David Charkham, Tuppence Middleton, James Northcote, Steven Waddington

Plot

The film shows Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) and his team of code-breakers in Hut 8 racing against time as they attempt to break Nazi Germany's Enigma code at Britain's top-secret Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park during the Second World War. 

Opinion

Alan Turing, not a man, a genius. If I am able to write this and you are able to read it, it is because of him. But let's return to the film, shall we? The Imitation Game is a wonderful film, and, if you haven't already, I highly recommend you to watch it. It gets emotional at some point, and I will not deny that I cried.

Don't be fooled by the plot, because the essence of this movie is not breaking the Enigma's code, but the diversity: the protagonist's behavioural diversities and homosexuality; but also being a woman in a man's world.

I read somewhere on the Internet that Benedict Cumberbatch's performance was not that good after all. Well, may I dissent? Benedict Cumberbatch was almost perfect. I don't think there are many actors that could have portrayed with such sensitivity this forgotten genius.

Quotes

Alan Turing: Are you paying attention? Good. If you are not listening carefully, you will miss things. Important things. I will not pause, I will not repeat myself, and you will not interrupt me. You think that because you're sitting where you are, and I am sitting where I am, that you are in control of what is about to happen. You're mistaken. I am in control, because I know things that you do not know.[pause] What I will need from you now is a commitment. You will listen closely, and you will not judge me until I am finished. If you cannot commit to this, then please leave the room. But if you choose to stay, remember you chose to be here. What happens from this moment forward is not my responsibility. It's yours. Pay attention.

Alan Turing: Do you know why people like violence? It is because it feels good. Humans find violence deeply satisfying. But remove the satisfaction, and the act becomes... hollow.

Joan Clarke: Do you know, this morning I was on a train that went through a city that wouldn't exist if it wasn't for you. I bought a ticket from a man who would likely be dead if it wasn't for you. I read up, on my work, a whole field of scientific inquiry that only exists because of you. Now, if you wish you could have been normal... I can promise you I do not. The world is an infinitely better place precisely because you weren't.

Joan Clarke: Sometimes it is the people who no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine.

Rating

9.5/10

Sex Tape (2014)

Genre

Comedy

Director

Jake Kasdan

Country

United States

Cast

Cameron Diaz, Jason Segel, Rob Corddry, Ellie Kemper, Rob Lowe, Nat Faxon, Nancy Lenehan, Randall Park, Dave "Gruber" Allen, Jack Black

Plot

Jay (Jason Segel) and Annie (Cameron Diaz) are a couple who have sex at every chance they can get. After having two children, they have fewer opportunities to have sex. While the children are away one night, they try to reignite their sex life. After Jay struggles to get an erection, Annie suggests making a sex tape. They film themselves having sex in every position listed in The Joy of Sex. After Annie asks Jay to delete the tape, he ends up instead inadvertently synchronizing the video to several iPads the couple had given away over time. After failing to get it out of the cloud, they set out to get back all of the gifted iPads, leading to a series of awkward encounters and close calls.

Opinion

Sex Tape is one of the worst films I've ever seen. I wanted it to end after 10 minutes. The writing was poor, boring and absolutely not funny. I really couldn't expect better since Jake Kasdan's first film, Bad Teacher, was the same. He even chose the same protagonists, Jason Segel and Cameron Diaz; and, although the two actors look very comfortable together, I really can't see Cameron Diaz's face once more. I've never liked her, she can't act but apparently someone thinks she can, or at least someone likes her. 

Quotes

No quotes

Rating

2.0/10

The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Genre

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Director

Louis Leterrier

Country

United States

Cast

Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt, Tim Blake Nelson, Ty Burrell, Christina Cabot, Peter Mensah, Lou Ferrigno, Robert Downey Jr., Stan Lee

Plot

After the gamma radiation, scientist Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) seeks a cure to his unique condition, which causes him to turn into a giant green monster, the Hulk, under emotional stress.
Whilst on the run from military which seeks his capture, Banner comes close to a cure. But all is lost when a new creature emerges: The Abomination (Tim Roth).

Opinion

In Hulk, Ang Lee abused of visual effects, portraying a cartoon look alike Hulk, too fake and therefore ridiculous. The Incredible Hulk, its reboot, gave people a more realistic Hulk - as far as realistic a superhero can be - and provided the action to please comic book fans.
The cast also is better than the previous. Edward Norton is great as Bruce Banner/Hulk, giving him inner strength and being able to express his feelings with his eyes only. Liv Tyler is good as Betty Ross, and Tim Roth is a beast - literally - and an amazing villain as Blonsky.

Quotes

Bruce Banner: Don't make me hungry. You wouldn't like me when I'm hungry.

Emil Blonsky: I've had missions go wrong, and seen good people go down, all because someone didn't tell them what they were walking into. I moved on because that's the job, and that's what we do. But this... this is a whole new level of weird, and I don't think I want to step away from it. Sir, if you're going to take another crack at him, I want in. And with respect, sir, you'll need a team that's prepared and ready to fight, because if that thing shows up again... you're going to have a lot of professional tough guys pissing in their pants, sir.

Rating

7.5/10

Speed (1994)

Genre

Action | Crime | Thriller

Director

Jan de Bont

Country

United States

Cast

Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hopper, Sandra Bullock, Joe Morton, Jeff Daniels, Alan Ruck, Glenn Plummer, Richard Lineback, Beth Grant, Hawthorne James, Richard Schiff, Carlos Carrasco, David Kriegel, Natsuko Ohama, Daniel Villarreal

Plot

Following the attempt of blowing up an elevator full of hostages, foiled by Los Angeles SWAT, bomber terrorist Howard Payne (Dennis Hopper) rigs a bomb to a LA city bus. The stipulation is: once armed, the bus must stay about 50 mph to keep from exploding. Also if LAPD Officer Jack Traven (Keanu Reeves) tries to unload any passengers off, Payne will detonate it.

Jack's superior, Lt. McMahon (Joe Morton), and Jack's partner, Harry Temple (Jeff Daniels), supports Jack helping him try to defuse the bomb. 

Opinion

I thought this film got so much love because it is when the male audience first meet Sandra Bullock. Now I see the other reasons. Speed is a terrific, tense and energetic action/thriller film. Even better than the Die Hard series, with the overrated Bruce Willis. Debutant director Jan de Bont, former director of photography, did a great job.

Good performances from Keanu Reeves as Jack Traven and Dennis Hopper as Howard Payne. The performance from Sandra Bullock as Annie stands out.

Quotes

Howard Payne: Pop quiz, hotshot. There's a bomb on a bus. Once the bus goes 50 miles an hour, the bomb is armed. If it drops below 50, it blows up. What do you do? What do you do?

Rating

8.0/10

Pride (2014)

Genre

Comedy | Drama | History

Director

Matthew Warchus

Country

United Kingdom

Cast

Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Dominic West, Paddy Considine, Andrew Scott, George MacKay, Joe Gilgun, Ben Schnetzer, Freddie Fox, Monica Dolan, Liz White, Faye Marsay, Karina Fernandez, Jessie Cave, Jessica Gunning, Rhodri Meilir, Russell Tovey, Lisa Palfrey, Menna Trussler, Jack Baggs, Kyle Rees, Chris Overton, Joshua Hill, Feargal Quinn

Plot

The films tells the story of a group of lesbian and gay activists who raised money to help families affected by the British miners' strike in 1984, at the outset of what would become the LGSM, Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners, campaign. The National Union of Mineworkers was reluctant to accept the group's support due to the union's public relations' worries about being openly associated with a gay group, so the activists instead decided to take their donations directly to Onllwyn, a small mining village in Wales, resulting in an alliance between the two communities. The alliance was unlike any seen before but was successful.

Opinion

Based on a true story, Pride is a wonderful film about pride, friendship and solidarity. This film completely shares my opinion: discriminated minorities must help each other, whether they are gay and lesbian, workers, women or people with a different background.

The story, which could have been too tragic or too politically charged, is perfectly balanced. There is no shortage of laughs, though sometimes it gets a bit emotional.

Pride is my on my opinion one of the best films of 2014. Watch it and I promise you won't be disappointed. 

Quotes

Dai: What I'd really like to say to you tonight is thank you. If you're one of the people that's put money in these buckets, if you've supported LGSM, then thank you, because what you've given us is more than money. It's friendship. When you're in a battle against an enemy so much bigger, so much stronger than you, well, to find out you had a friend you never knew existed, well, that's the best feeling in the world. So thank you. 

Rating

9.0/10

The Theory of Everything (2014)

Genre

Biography | Drama | Romance

Director

James Marsh

Country

United Kingdom

Cast

Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, Maxine Peake, Charlie Cox, Harry Lloyd, Emily Watson, Guy Oliver-Watts, Simon McBurney, Abigail Cruttenden, Charlotte Hope, Lucy Chappell, David Thewlis, Christian McKay, Enzo Cilenti, Georg Nikoloff, Alice Orr-Ewing, Stephen Hawking

Plot

The film tells the extraordinary story of one of the world's greatest living minds, the renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking (Eddie Redmayne), who falls deeply in love with fellow Cambridge student Jane Wilde (Felicity Jones). Once a healthy, active young man, Hawking received an earth-shattering diagnosis at 21 years of age. With Jane fighting tirelessly by his side, Stephen embarks on his most ambitious scientific work, studying the very thing he now has precious little of - time. Together, they defy impossible odds, breaking new ground in medicine and science, and achieving more than they could ever have dreamed.

Opinion

The Theory of Everything is a heartbreaking masterpiece by James Marsh. Do not expect a mostly scientific film since the human side takes over, through the delicate, difficult and extraordinary love story of Stephen Hawking and his wife Jane.

The score (Golden Globe winner and Academy Award nominee), by Jóhann Jóhannsson, in particular in the last scenes, gave me goose bumps. 

I would have never expected such a performance by Eddie Redmayne: he is extraordinary in portraying a clear mind, brave and hilarious Stephen Hawking. 

After the stunning work in Like Crazy, Felicity Jones delivers an emotional performance as Jane Hawking.

Quotes

Stephen Hawking: There should be no boundaries to human endeavor. We are all different. However bad life may seem, there is always something you can do, and succeed at. While there's life, there is hope.

Rating

9.0/10

Don Jon (2013)

Genre

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Director

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Country

United States

Cast

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore, Tony Danza, Glenne Headly, Brie Larson, Rob Brown, Jeremy Luke, Paul Ben-Victor, Anne Hathaway, Channing Tatum, Meagan Good, Cuba Gooding Jr., Italia Ricci, Lindsey Broad, Amanda Perez, Sarah Dumont, Loanne Bishop

Plot

Jon Martello Jr. (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a modern day Don Juan, with a short list of things he cares about: "my body, my pad, my ride, my family, my church, my boys, my girls, my porn".

Though he has a very active sex life, he is more sexually satisfied by viewing pornography and masturbating, which enables him to lose himself.

Opinion

Don Jon is Joseph Gordon-Levitt's incredible debut as director. As previously said, many of nowadays American comedy films are fuelled by sex, but Don Jon is different.This film goes from porn and having sex, to knowing the difference between just having sex and making love and most important: the ending is not banal. 

The cast is good: Joseph Gordon-Levitt is brilliant as the "serial masturbator", Scarlett Johansson and Julianne Moore do both a good job as Barbara and Esther.

Quotes

Jon Martello Jr.: I don't watch too many movies. I used to watch them a lot when I was a little kid before I could get my hand on any porn. Cause back then, if I wanted to see a really hot girl my best bet was to watch a movie. But now, I don't really see the point. I don't know, I guess I'm missing something. Cause most people eat that shit up. The pretty woman. The pretty man. Love at first sight. The first kiss. The break-up. The make-up. The expensive wedding and they drive off into the sunset. Everybody knows this is fake but they watch it like it's real fucking life.

Rating

7.5/10

We're the Millers (2013)

Genre

Comedy

Director

Rawson Marshall Thurber

Country

United States

Cast

Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Emma Roberts, Will Poulter, Ed Helms, Nick Offerman, Kathryn Hahn, Molly Quinn, Tomer Sisley, Matthew Willig, Luis Guzmán, Thomas Lennon, Mark L. Young, Ken Marino, Laura-Leigh

Plot

Forced to smuggle marijuana from Mexico, David Clark (Jason Sudeikis), a low-level drug dealer, he hires a stripper named Rose (Jennifer Aniston), a runaway and petty thief named Casey (Emma Roberts), and his 18-year-old neighbour Kenny (Will Poulter) to pose as a family: the Millers. 

Opinion

Nowadays, most American comedies are fuelled by sex or money. Well, this film has both. 

We're the Millers is a vulgar road movie, that at first mocks family movies, but then ends up doing an advertisement about family and its importance.

The cast is mostly awful: Jennifer Aniston still can't act, Jason Sudeikis is annoying as usual and Will Poulter is awkward in his role. Good choice Emma Roberts: avoiding attempts at comedy was brilliant. 

Quotes

No quotes

Rating

6.0/10

Maps to the Stars (2014)

Genre

Drama

Director

David Cronenberg

Country

Canada | United States

Cast

Julianne Moore, Mia Wasikowska, John Cusack, Robert Pattinson, Olivia Williams, Sarah Gadon, Evan Bird, Carrie Fisher, Jayne Heitmeyer, Jonathan Watton, Amanda Brugel, Justin Kelly, Emilia McCarthy, Kiara Glasco, Ari Cohen, Dawn Greenhalgh, Domenic Ricci, Sean Robertson, Gord Rand

Plot

Meet the Weiss family, who are making their way in Hollywood with money, fame, envy and relentless huntings. Stafford Weiss (John Cusack) is a famed TV self-help therapist. Christina Weiss (Olivia Williams) has her work cut out managing the career of their child-star son, Benjamin (Evan Bird), a fresh graduate of rehab.
Yet unbeknownst to them, another member of the Weiss family has arrived in town - mysteriously scarred and tormented Agatha (Mia Wasikowska), just released from a psych ward and ready to start again. She soon works her way into a friendship with a limo driver (Robert Pattinson) and becomes personal assistant to unraveling actress Havana Segrand (Julianne Moore), who is beset by the ghost of her legendary mother, Clarice (Sarah Gadon). But Agatha is on a quest for redemption - and even in this realm of the artificial, and the unearthly, she's determined to find it, no matter what it takes.

Opinion

If you have seen at least one of David Cronenberg's film you surely know he doesn't give a damn about the public. He has great skills in bringing to the screen characters in which you can not see yourself and stories with situations far away from the daily. Maps to the Stars is a great film, which achieves its goal: a satirical ridiculing of the showbiz and the private lives of celebrities, revealing their shadows.
The cast was brilliant; Julianne Moore's performance is wondrously magnificent.

Quotes

Agatha: On the stairs of Death I write your name, Liberty

Rating

8.0/10

Iron Man (2008)

Genre

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Director

Jon Favreau

Country

United States

Cast

Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, Shaun Toub, Faran Tahir, Sayed Badreya, Leslie Bibb, Clark Gregg, Bill Smitrovich, Jon Favreau, Samuel L. Jackson, Stan Lee, Tim Griffin

Plot

Afghanistan. Genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), who was there to demonstrate the new "Jericho" missile, is captured and imprisoned in a cave by the terrorist group the Ten Rings: their leader, Raza (Faran Tahir), offers Stark freedom in exchange for building a Jericho missile for the group. Tony, with the help of Yinsen (Shaun Toub), builds the Mark I, a weaponized suit of armor. Back in the US, this leads him to conflict within his own company. 

Opinion

Iron Man, from the legendary comics to this terrific film. Director Jon Favreau - also starring as Happy Hogan, Tony's bodyguard and chauffeur - and Robert Downey Jr. made a high impact superhero film, and even non-comics fans can enjoy. Robert Downey Jr. perfectly fits the role, and I couldn't think of a better Tony Stark than him. There are few differences with the comics, but nothing important. The visual effects are amazing.
I end the review with this line: true Marvel fans always wait for the end-credit scene.

Quotes

Yinsen: Don't waste it... don't waste your life, Stark.

Tony Stark: The truth is... I am Iron Man.

Rating

8.0/10