Thursday Movie Picks: High School Reunion

Welcome to Thursday Movie Picks, a weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves where each Thursday you have to pick three films to match the week's topic.

And this week we got high school reunions, that terrible moment in life when people do their best to look like their lives are perfect and that turned out exactly how they planned. God, I'm so not looking forward to that. 

The Best Man (1999)

Harper's doing great in life: his first novel is soon to be published and he's been asked to be the best man at this friends' wedding. Unfortunately, most of his book has been drawn from real life, and when he reunites with his old buddies, shit happens. This isn't much of a high school reunion flick, but it kinda is. Anyway, I love it, it is real pleasure to watch and there a spectacular cast.

American Reunion (2012)

The gang return to East Great Fall for their high school reunion and reconnect with each other. This time around there is no virginity to lose, true love to be found, or a great wedding to be organized, it's all about the guys dealing with their individual issues. Not my favourite of the series, but I'm impressed that after all these years they still managed to make it funny.

Grown Ups (2010)

After their coach passes away, a group of five friends reunite for a 4th of July holiday weekend at a house where they used to party. What follows is a weird composition of family moments and dumb jokes. Seriously, what did you expect? It's an Adam Sandler movie, it can't be good. I only picked it because I was in the mood for an awful film this week. 

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Genre

Drama | Thriller

Director

Jonathan Demme

Country

USA

Cast

Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine, Anthony Heald, Brooke Smith, Diane Baker, Kasi Lemmons, Frankie Faison, Tracey Walter, Charles Napier, Danny Darst, Alex Coleman, Dan Butler, Paul Lazar, Ron Vawter, Roger Corman, Chris Isaak, Harry Northup, Don Brockett, Masha Skorobogatov

Storyline

Young FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) must confide in an incarcerated and manipulative killer (Anthony Hopkins) to receive his help to catch another serial killer (Ted Levine) known as Buffalo Bill.

Opinion

I saw this film for the first time something like five years ago. I remembered the story and that I liked it, but I didn't remember it was this good. Actually good isn't enough. "The Silence of the Lambs" is the ultimate psychological thriller.

The plot could simply be told as police on the hunt for a serial killer, because that's exactly what's going on in the film - and in tons of other films of the same genre. The difference is the pacing. It is slow which is totally unusual in thriller, and it's mixed with some very tense scenes, therefore creating an incredible suspense.

Jonathan Demme crafted a flawless film featuring musics that create dark and gloomy atmospheres, cool colours, a detached photography and tons of close-ups that spectacularly convey to the viewer the characters' feelings.

Just like Michael Mann's "Manhunter", "The Silence of the Lambs" also is a profound character study of a brutal, revolting killer that is also an intelligent and charming man. A manipulative psychopath that messes with people's minds like nobody else.

And then there is the acting. Oh boy it is good. Jodie Foster is fantastic as Clarice Starling, and manages to successfully portray the young FBI trainee both as a fragile woman and a woman of steel. Anthony Hopkins is so disturbing as Lecter. Nobody else could have been cast for the role, and nobody else could have killed it like he did - just to make sure we are on the same page, that last part isn't literal. Moving on, his performance is so good, it's almost impossible to keep your eyes off him. And Ted Levine delivers a fantastic performance as the sick, twisted Buffalo Bill.

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Genre

Drama | Romance

Director

Danny Boyle

Country

UK

Cast

Dev Patel, Ayush Mahesh Khedekar, Tanay Chheda, Freida Pinto, Rubina Ali, Tanvi Ganesh Lonkar, Madhur Mittal, Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail, Ashutosh Lobo Gajiwala, Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan, Saurabh Shukla, Mahesh Manjrekar, ANkur Vikal, Rajendranath Zutshi, Sanchita Choudhary, Mia Drake Inderbitzin, Siddhesh Patil, Arfi Lamba, Shruti Seth

Storyline

Eighteen year old Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) reflects on his upbringing in the slums when he is accused of cheating on the Indian version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?".

Opinion

I am not the Bollywood films kind of person, but this one was highly acclaimed and it's Danny Boyle's so after almost 10 years I eventually watched it. And I'm so glad I did.

"Slumdog Millionaire" is far from a Bollywood tragic love story filled with singing and dancing like I was expecting, it instead is an energetic, engaging and bittersweet drama that has a lot to say.

The story isn't one that has been told and retold over and over again. It is very fresh and engaging. It is moving, romantic, violent, desperate and fantastic all at once. And it's so well put together than even the predictable, clichéd end is pleasing to watch.

The use of flashback to tell Jamal's life, and thus the lives of many, many children in the Indian slums, is brilliant and works perfectly to fully engage the viewer and make one care about the film's main character. 

Danny Boyle uses that fictitious story and those flashbacks to show the world the lives of those who live in misery and poverty, regardless of where they are geographically located, whether is India, like in the film, or Africa, or South America.

The editing, the cinematography and Danny Boyle's direction - all three righteously awarded with an Academy Award - create a fascinating look that suits the story perfectly.

The acting is quite impressive, especially from the younger cast, especially from the three actors that portray Jamal, Dev Patel, Ayush Mahesh Khedekar and Tanay Chheda.

Legend (2015)

Genre

Biography | Crime | Drama

Director

Brian Helgeland

Country

UK | France | USA

Cast

Tom Hardy, Emily Browning, Christopher Eccleston, David Thewlis, Taron Egerton, Chazz Palminteri, Paul Bettany, Colin Morgan, Tara Fitzgerald, Aneurin Barnard, Paul Anderson, Duffy, Kevin McNally, John Sessions, Alex Giannini, Sam Spruell

Storyline

The true story of London's most notorious gangsters, twins Reggie and Ronnie Kray (Tom Hardy). As the brothers rise through the criminal underworld, Ronnie advances the family business with violence and intimidation while Reggie struggles to go legitimate for local girl Frances Shea (Emily Browning).

Opinion

The story of the Kray twins is very fascinating, but Brian Helgeland doesn't manage to do it justice with "Legend", this mediocre film that would have been unwatchable if it wasn't for Tom Hardy's performances.

While the trailers were great and made me had quite high expectation for it, the film mainly fails because instead of telling the story of the Kray twins like one would have expected - let's be honest here, I, and I bet everyone else, was expecting a gangster film - it tells a story whose central character is Frances Shea, Reggie's girl, and the entire story is told from her point of view.

Director Brian Helgeland seems to focus more on the relationship between Reggie and Shea, than the actual criminal life, thus resulting in some things Reggie says and does that doesn't make a lot of sense. And Reggie and Ronnie's stories are never really told.

Another disappointing thing is that "Legend", even though the pacing is quite slow yet the film is never boring, builds tension towards a climatic end that does never really happen.

I will give Helgeland credits though for recreating this noir-looking London, and for trying to bring gangster movies back.

As I mentioned above, the best part of the film is Tom Hardy's performances. Like he has done before, he completely disappears into the characters, delivering a more humorous performance as Reggie Kray and a more powerful and quite intimidating one as Ronnie Kray.

Ultimately "Legend" may not be a great film, but it's definitely worth checking out because of two of Hardy's best performances.

Batman & Robin (1997)

Genre

Action | Fantasy

Director

Joel Schumacher

Country

USA

Cast

George Clooney, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chris O'Donnell, Uma Thurman, Alicia Silverstone, Michael Gough, Pat Hingle, John Glover, Elle Macpherson, Vivica A. Fox, Robert "Jeep" Swenson, Vendela Kirsebom, Elizabeth Sanders, Jesse Ventura, Patrick Leahy, Jack Ingle, Eric Lloyd

Storyline

Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger) plans on taking Gotham City hostage by freezing the town into a permanent winter. In the meantime, a new seductive villainous, Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman), has appeared to cause a rift in the partnership of Batman (George Clooney) and Robin (Chris O'Donnell). While all this is happening, faithful butler Alfred is dying.

Opinion

Right when I thought no film could be worse than "Batman Forever" here's something to prove me wrong. I know I might have said this several times before but "Batman & Robin" is the worst comic book film ever made.

There is no real plot, it's just a little of this and a little of that, and the pitiful "story" a, is too family friendly - this is Batman, the Dark Knight, not the Colorful, Funny Knight - and b, drowns completely with all those characters poorly used. The writers basically threw in every single character that came into their minds, ripped their origins, and used them for some nonsense.

Let's have a look at Bane, for example. When I saw that kind of dumb bodybuilder whose only purpose in the movie was to be Poison Ivy's bodyguard I was shocked. Tom Hardy's Bane came back to my mind, and after that I felt sorry for comparing Nolan's film with this thing.

The screenplay is basically nonsense over nonsense, filled with utterly stupid dialogue and action scenes that makes no sense. Also, it delights us with a tremendously awful opening sequence where Batman & Robin suit up - I won't spoil it because it's hilarious to watch.

And at last but not least the cast. Every single actor manages to be dreadful and unwatchable. No matter how good some of those people usually are, they all manage to give absolute shit performances.

The Nut Job (2014)

Genre

Adventure | Animation | Comedy

Director

Peter Lepeniotis

Country

Canada | South Korea | USA

Voice Cast

Will Arnett, Brendan Fraser, Gabriel Iglesias, Jeff Dunham, Liam Neeson, Katherine Heigl, Stephen Lang, Maya Rudolph, Sarah Gadon, James Rankin, Scott Yaphe, Joe Pingue, Annick Obonsawin, Julie Lemieux, Robert Tinkler, James Kee, Scott McCord, Katie Griffin

Storyline

A self serving exiled squirrel (Will Arnett) finds himself helping his former park brethren raid a nut store to survive, that is also the front for a human gang's bank robbery.

Opinion

I love heist films, and  since this one is listed as a heist film on Wikipedia I decided to give it a try, even though people weren't exactly enthusiastic about it. I guess there was a reason for that because "The Nut Job" is a horrible animation flick that will bore you to death.

I wasn't expecting Disney-Pixar or DreamWorks quality, but I can hardly imagine kids enjoying this one. The plot is a confused mess, definitely not complex but extremely hard to follow. The pacing of the story is bloody awful, and leaves you constantly expecting some kind of climax that never really happen.

Other than the tedious, dreadful, unengaging plot, the film also features terrible characters. Utterly unlikable, they are extremely clichéd. There is the cute love interest. The narcissist macho. The sidekick. Oh, and the bad rats. How original.

To add more nonsense, there are completely out of place scenes with the characters dancing to PSY's "Gangnam Style" for no reason whatsoever.

At least the animation is quite good. Sure it isn't spectacular, nor very realistic but is the best part of the film. Even though, to be honest, one would expect a lot better from a 2014 film. It is two-year-old but it looks way older.

What a way to waste money. 

Small Time Crooks (2000)

Genre

Comedy | Crime

Director

Woody Allen

Country

USA

Cast

Woody Allen, Tracey Ullman, Elaine May, Kristie Nielsen, Hugh Grant, Michael Rapaport, Tony Darrow, Jon Lovitz, George Grizzard, Larry Pine

Storyline

A loser of a crook (Woody Allen) and his wife (Tracey Ullman) strike it rich when a botched bank job's cover business becomes a spectacular success.

Opinion

Woody Allen opens the new millennium with "Small Time Crooks", an engaging and hilarious comedy that is very close to to his earlier films.

The film's plot is somehow similiar to "Take the Money and Run" - one of my favourite Allen's -, and at first takes some surprising turns. Eventually the plot twists will become quite predictable but the film moves forward in a humorous way.

It's not like I didn't like his serious stuff, but once in awhile it's nice to enjoy something that doesn't involve neurotic, upper-class New Yorkers dealing with a relationship crisis. "Small Time Crooks" still is the typical Allen story with long monologues of insecure men trapped in a labyrinth that they have created themselves, but the characters makes it different. Ray Winkler is the kind of person who comes up with maniac ideas that never turns out in the way their are supposed to, but that's what makes him a good character for some laughs.

I do have a problem with the other crooks though. They are such nice characters and they are a great addition to the story so I don't understand why they vanish after a while. It feels like Allen got lost.

Anyway, the cast is good as always, especially Tracey Ullman as Ray Winkler's wife. But I would have loved to see more of Michael Rapaport and Jon Lovitz who sadly have a small part as they play the other crooks.

It may not be as good as "Take the Money and Run", but it sure is a entertaining and funny.

Pelé: Birth of a Legend (2016)

Genre

Biography | Drama | Sport

Directors

Jeff Zimbalist | Michael Zimbalist

Country

USA

Cast

Kevin de Paula, Leonardo Lima Carvalho, Vincent D'Onofrio, Rodrigo Santoro, Diego Boneta, Colm Meaney, Vivi Devereaux

Storyline

The chronicle of Pele's (Kevin de Paula, Leonardo Lima Carvalho) meteoric rise from the slums of Sao Paulo to leading Brazil to its first World Cup victory at the age of 17.

Opinion

Pelé is a football legend, I am a huge football fan so I could not miss this film. For sure reason I wasn't sure what to expect from it, yet it managed to leave me feeling tremendously disappointed by it.

Even though Pelé is the executive producer of it, "Pelé: Birth of a Legend" isn't the tribute such a legend deserves.

Sure the intentions of the Zimbalist brothers are quite noble, I mean, bringing to the big screen a coming-of-age story about Pelé. But the task was quite hard because of the subject and they didn't handled it properly.

The story is what it is, but the film brings it to the screen with no personality whatsoever, and completely forgets that it isn't just a victory for a man, but for all the Brazilian people as well. The film drowns in bland and predictable dialogue - and it did really bother me the fact that the film was in English. I would have prefered it to be in Portuguese with subtitles.

The cinematography is quite beautiful, but there are some scenes - like the young Pelé using fruits to play football because he couldn't afford a ball - looks more like an advertising campaign than sequences from a movie.

Noteworthy is the insistence of the filmmakers on some values such as tenacity in pursuing goals and never giving up, and staying true of oneself and to one's traditions.

In spite of all of its flaws, "Pelé: Birth of a Legend" still manages to be watchable. 

Manhunter (1986)

Genre

Crime | Thriller

Director

Michael Mann

Country

USA

Cast

William Petersen, Tom Noonan, Dennis Farina, Kim Greist, Brian Cox, Joan Allen, Stephen Lang

Storyline

Former FBI profiler Will Graham (William Petersen) returns to service to pursue a deranged serial murderer (Tom Hoonan) named "the Tooth Fairy" by the media.

Opinion

I haven't read the book, I didn't know the plot to the film, and I watched it because it is Hannibal Lecter's first time on the screen. And I was disappointed because Hannibal Lector is only a minor character, but at the same time I wasn't disappointed because "Manhunter" is a very absorbing, engaging and suspenseful thriller. Pretty much how every thriller should be.

Based on Thomas Harris's novel "Red Dragon", the plot is tremendously appealing and puts in comparison a witty and sharp FBI agent and a devious, psychopathic serial killer. And by "comparison" I mean for real. The first half of the film focuses on Will Graham, the FBI agent, his inner demons, and his quest to catch the killer. The second half is the story of Francis Dolarhyde, the serial killer, who isn't a complete monster.

That's when you can see Michael Mann's ability, because he brilliantly goes from one story to the other. The transition is extremely smooth and you almost don't even notice it. Also Mann managed to make a film that shocks and disgusts the audience but at the same time develops the character carefully so that the climax is even better.

And then there is the cast. William Petersen does a wonderful job as Will Graham, and he finds the right balance between seeming haunted and detached. Joan Allen does a great job as always as the blind woman who falls in love with Dolarhyde. But the star of the film is arguably Tom Noonan who delivers a fascinating and frightening performances as the serial killer.

Thursday Movie Picks: School Competitions

Welcome to Thursday Movie Picks, a weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves where each Thursday you have to pick three films to match the week's topic.

This week's theme is school competitions. Easy, right? I've seen so many school competition movies I don't know which to pick. But wait, there is a restriction, it can't be a sport competition, and the job got a lot harder. This week had me thinking a lot, but I eventually managed to pick three film.

Whiplash (2014)

Andrew is a kid with a dream: he wants to becomes one of the greatest jazz drummers of his generations. In order to do that, not only he has to be better than his fellow students, but he has to impress his instructor. Hands down on the best film of 2014. This is such a powerful and inspirational film - at least it was to me - that teaches you to never give up. It has beautiful music, a good performance from Miles Teller and a tremendous J.K. Simmons. And I almost didn't pick it. 

Monsters University (2013)

Since he was a kid, Mike wanted to come a scary monster, but when his dream is about to come true, James P. Sullivan steps in, and it's war as they both want to join a fraternity. Not as good as the original still it is a good animation film, and it was great to see all the main characters of the original meet for the first time, and how their relationship was at first. 

Pitch Perfect (2012)

Beca wants to become a DJ but she ends up in an all-girls a cappella singing group that eventually take on their male rivals in a campus competition. In a few words, this is like a very weak Glee episode. With a lot of unfunny jokes, it constantly offends people - it is racist, anti-semitic, homophobic, disrespectful towards Asians. And just out of curiosity, do fat girls have all that fun? 

Jane Eyre (2011)

Genre

Drama | Romance

Director

Cary Joji Fukunaga

Country

UK | USA

Cast

Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender, Jamie Bell, Judi Dench, Sally Hawkins, Holliday Grainger, Tamzin Merchant, Simon McBurney, Imogen Poots, Sophie Ward, Su Elliot, Jayne Wisener, Amelia Clarkson, Romy Settbon, Freya Parks, Harry Lloyd, Valentina Cervi, Craig Roberts

Storyline

After a bleak childhood, Jane Eyre (Mia Wasikowska) goes out into the world to become a governess. As she lives happily in her new position at Thornfield Hall, she meets the dark, cold, and abrupt master of the house, Mr. Rochester (Michael Fassbender). Jane and her employer grow close in friendship and she soon finds herself falling in love with him.

Opinion

Even though I am not an avid fan, I quite like Charlotte Brontë's novel and I've seen a few of its tons of adaptations. The one I remember the most is Zeffirelli's because I've seen it several times in my school days, but it'll now be replaced by Fukunaga's "Jane Eyre", a quite good adaptation that amazes mostly because of its leading actors, Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender.

Everyone knows the plot to this - the orphan girl who falls in love with her master - and it's always fascinating to watch or read, and this adaptation makes no difference. However, the film moves along too quick - at least some parts do -, and with such a complex and compelling story an extra half-hour would have definitely granted the viewer a better experience as the characters would have had the time to develop authentic connections.

Other than that, director Cary Fukunaga does a quite good job, even because it's not easy to fit such a novel in a two-hour film. He makes terrific use of the locations, his decision to use natural light for most of the film creates the right dark and gloomy atmospheres that matches Mr. Rochester's temperament, and he makes a pretty good use of hand-held camera.

Visually, the film is quite stunning. The cinematography is beautiful so are the costumes. And the score is also quite good.

The most important element though are the actors that really makes the film worth watching. Mia Wasikowska gives a compelling performance as Jane Eyre, and her subtle expressions of love and despair are spot on. Michael Fassbender does a wonderful job as always, and even with a quite short screen time, he is able to make us care for Rochester. The chemistry between Wasikowska and Fassbender is also quite beautiful. Worth of a mention is Judi Dench's performance as Mrs. Fairfax. She doesn't even need to speak, her expressions say it all.

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Genre

Drama | Romance

Director

Ang Lee

Country

USA | Canada

Cast

Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Randy Quaid, Michelle Williams, Anne Hathaway, Linda Cardellini, Anna Faris, David Harbour, Roberta Maxwell, Peter McRobbie, Kate Mara, Scott Michael Campbell, Graham Beckel

Storyline

The story of two young men - a ranch-hand (Heath Ledger) and a rodeo cowboy (Jake Gyllenhaal) - who meet in the summer of 1963 and unexpectedly forge a lifelong connection, one whose complications, joys and tragedies provide a testament to the endurance and power of love.

Opinion

Eleven years later its release I finally watched the film that is supposed to portray one of the best romances ever, and finally it was a film that is really as good as people say.

"Brokeback Mountain" is a powerful, unforgettable, stunning, beautiful yet sad and heartbreaking piece of art.

The simple yet profound story of two people who meet, fall in love, but are unable to fulfill their love is utterly absorbing, and doesn't quite leave with when the film is over. It is the love story between two men that goes on for 30 years and does have a fair share of hitches, from suffering to helplessness, but the story goes beyond genres. Straight or gay doesn't really matter: it all is about simple and pure love.

I did like a lot the meaning of Brokeback Mountain. It is not just the movie title or the place where the two lovers meet, it is more of a state of mind, a place we all are looking for, where one can break free from inhibitions and truly be oneself. 

Kudos to director Ang Lee for the way he has dealt with such a delicate subject, and for showing how hard it was to be yourself in a place like that in times like those with such a tenderness and rawness, and unfortunately in such a realistic way.

Then there is the unforgettable score that suits the film perfectly and that, along with the imagery of the Wyoming landscape, conveys the loneliness of these two men.

And finally there's the cast, an extremely talented cast. Heath Ledger arguably gives his best performance as the leading character Ennis Del Mar, he inhabits the role with such a depth and manages to bring an amazing emotional charge to it without saying or doing much. Jake Gyllenhaal does a good job as well, but it's nothing compared to Ledger. Then there is the spectacular female supporting cast, Michelle Williams, Anne Hathaway and Linda Cardellini. Especially Williams, whose performance as Ennis's wife is truly heartbreaking.

Batman Forever (1995)

Genre

Action | Fantasy

Director

Joel Schumacher

Country

USA

Cast

Val Kilmer, Tommy Lee Jones, Jim Carrey, Nicole Kidman, Chris O'Donnell, Michael Cough, Pat Hingle, Drew Barrymore, Debi Mazar, Elizabeth Sanders, René Auberjonois, Joe Grifasi, Ofer Samra, Ed Begley Jr.

Storyline

Batman (Val Kilmer) must battle Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones) and The Riddler (Jim Carrey) with help from an amourous psychologist (Nicole Kidman) and a young circus acrobat who becomes his sidekick, Robin (Chris O'Donnell).

Opinion

Seeing Tim Burton's name in the opening credits tricked me into thinking this film would have been good. But like I just said, tricked me, because the utterly ridiculous "Batman Forever" is a disgrace to the Batman franchise.

I'm not even sure the film has a plot. Every single thing that happens is dull and extremely predictable, and nothing does really happen other than villains teaming up to fight Batman and Robin. There's also a pointless romantic subplot whose only purpose is to have a beautiful woman in the film.

But the plot isn't the only problem, no sir. The characters are a complete disaster as well. The villains, Two-Face and the Riddler, are both terrible, and instead of being menacing and threatening like villains are supposed to be, they are always trying to be funny, which would have been totally fine if the film was a comic book movies parody. But it's not.

Among the good guys, the Dark Knight's character is a complete disaster as well, but Robin's is definitely standing out. An orphaned acrobat turned crimefighter that never quite convinces of his struggle between darkness and light, and that ninja stuff he pulls off, absolutely stupid.

The film also feature a bloody awful Gotham City made of neons, psychedelic and flashy lights that are nothing like Burton's gothic atmosphere of the previous films, and awful costumes.

But if you're thinking it can't get any worse, you're wrong, there is the cast. Who even cast these people? Val Kilmer isn't convincing at all as Batman as he looks like a piece of driftwood the waves drag to the beach, Tommy Lee Jones frankly sucks as Two-Face, Jim Carrey is unwatchable as the Riddler, and Nicole Kidman, just like her character, is just a pretty face.

Toy Story 3 (2010)

Genre

Adventure | Animation | Comedy

Director

Lee Unkrich

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty, John Morris, Don Rickles, Blake Clark, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Estelle Harris, Michael Keaton, Jodi Benson, Emily Hahn, Jeff Pidgeon, Timothy Dalton, Kristen Schaal, Jeff Garlin Bonnie Hunt, Whoopi Goldberg

Storyline

Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen) and the other toys are mistakenly delivered to a day-care center instead of the attic right before Andy leaves for college, and it's up to Woody to convince the other toys that they weren't abandoned and to return home.

Opinion

It rarely happens that the third film of a trilogy manages to not be a failure and to live up to the previous installments, especially if those films are spectacular. But this is Disney-Pixar and they barely know how to let people down, and "Toy Story 3" is a magnificent proof of that.

Structed like in the previous films, the storyline still is about the fear of being discarded and unwanted, and the obsession of being forgotten, but it doesn't get boring, not even for a second.

The screenwriters delights us with an emotional plot that will make cry even the most hard-hearted, and the characters have never been like this before; they are more courageous, sweet and the human characters are more involved into the story.

And that leads to the themes addressed by the film. Because of that, the film has the opportunity to portray the transition to adult life, necessitated with the departure for college and eventually to decide what to do with all those things, toys, that have been a huge part of a person's life.

But they didn't forget to keep it fun. Cast aside all the messages the film conveys, the film is a wonderful, entertaining ride whose interesting plot and cute, cuddly villain will make you keep your eyes glued to the screen.

Basically needless to say is how fantastic the animation is, but I'll still spend some words on it anyway. Whether 3D at the movie theater or 2D at home, the animation is better than ever, and the moves of the characters more than anything else are simply perfect.

Can't wait for "Toy Story 4". 

Sweet and Lowdown (1999)

Genre

Comedy | Drama | Music

Director

Woody Allen

Country

USA

Cast

Sean Penn, Samantha Morton, Anthony LaPaglia, Uma Thurman, James Urbaniak, John Waters, Gretchen Mol, Denis O'Hare, Molly Price, Brian Markinson, Tony Darrow, Daniel Okrent, Brad Garrett, Woody Allen, Ben Duncan, Nat Hentoff, Douglas McGrath

Storyline

In the 1930s, jazz guitarist Emmet Ray (Sean Penn) idolizes Django Reinhardt, faces gangsters and falls in love with a mute woman (Samantha Morton).

Opinion

After "Celebrity", which I considered a disappointment, Allen returns with "Sweet and Lowdown", a quite charming, funny and moving film.

Woody Allen is so good at storytelling he can do what the heck he wants. He indeed mixes documentary-style comments with the characters and the story in a very skillful manner. He is so good at that he actually makes you believe Emmet Ray is a real person when he's actually a completely fictitious character. Also, Allen himself is one of the storytellers of this "documentary". How genius is that?

The film is also an excellent character study. Self-proclaimed second best jazz guitarist in the world,  Emmet Ray is both a genius and a fool, because he has a great talent but he doesn't seem to realise its value and takes advantage of his talent in a childish manner. Also, only when alone he will realise how important love is, and that music is nothing if there isn't someone listening to it.

The other mention-worthy character is Hattie, the mute girl Ray falls in love with. She is sweet and adorable and pretty much the film is just like her. At first it seems light and lacking of any drama but it eventually finds its solidity.

The score is great, which is not really a news for a Woody Allen film, and the cinematography is beautiful as well.

Sean Penn gives a wonderful performance as self-centered Emmet Ray and proves he can act. Equally powerful and moving - maybe even more - is Samantha Morton's performance as Hattie. Uma Thurman though was miscast in my opinion: while the character is quite interesting, she is just not the right woman to play it.

Eddie the Eagle (2016)

Genre

Biography | Comedy | Drama | Sport

Director

Dexter Fletcher

Country

UK | USA | Germany

Cast

Taron Egerton, Hugh Jackman, Christopher Walken, Iris Berben, Mark Benton, Keith Allen, Jo Hartley, Tim McInnerny, Edvin Endre, Marc Benjamin, Jim Broadbent, Daniel Ings, Rune Temte, Tom Costello, Jack Costello

Storyline

The story of Eddie Edwards (Taron Egerton), the notoriously tenacious British underdog ski jumper who charmed the world at the 1988 Winter Olympics.

Opinion

Underdog stories are definitely a must in feel-good and motivational sport films, and their execution can either make a film good or bad. If the film is a biopic people are also expecting it to be as close to the source material as possible. Other than that, what I expect is an experience. Whether it's laughing or crying, I want to bond with the character, and that's exactly what I got with "Eddie the Eagle".

While the plot basically drowns in the coach/protégé clichée and the film's structure isn't any different from that of any other film of its genre, and despite the fact that the film emphasizes a lot on the struggles of the protagonist, the film still manages to be very enjoyable, and funny.

Like every single sport film I've seen, "Eddie the Eagle" also has an inspirational message. Unlike most of the time though, it takes a step further, and instead of just stating that no matter the odds, if you really want something, you can achieve it with some hard working - and sometimes luck -, it shows that winning isn't everything. Just like another ski jumper tells Eddie later in the film, it doesn't matter whether you win or lose, what's important is that you give your best, and that you're proud of what you have done despite the competitive outcome.

The key to this film is the main character, Eddie Edwards, also known as Eddie the Eagle. Maybe it's because he is just a normal guy with a dream, but he is incredibly likable, and to see him working up to the challenge, and overcoming this almost impossible challenge with such strength of will and the help of his coach is uplifting.

Then there is Taron Egerton. He doesn't just portray a sympathetic character, he transforms into Eddie the Eagle. That's what an actor is supposed to do. Hugh Jackman also gives a good performance as the coach and manages not to overshadow Egerton's performance - probably because the latter's is a very good one.

Spectre (2015)

Genre

Action | Thriller

Director

Sam Mendes

Country

UK | USA

Cast

Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Léa Seydoux, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Dave Bautista, Andrew Scott, Monica Bellucci, Ralph Fiennes, Rory Kinnear, Jesper Christensen, Alessandro Cremona, Judi Dench

Storyline

While M (Ralph Fiennes) battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond (Daniel Craig) peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind SPECTRE.

Opinion

On his 24th mission James Bond seems to have lost his license to... thrill! "Spectre" indeed is a very boring, long and extremely unexciting action film. In other words, almost two and a half hours wasted, time of your life you'll never get back.

The film starts quite well - the opening sequence is stunning and pays a good tribute to el día de muertos, a Mexican holiday I've already had the chance to let you know how much I love - but after is a complete mess. As soon as the opening credits starts, the film's structure collapses like a house of cards. The credits are so awful they make Sam Smith's "Writing's On the Wall" sound good.

The story is too slow, predictable and uninteresting, and it is so flawed not even a 5-year-old kid could have written something this bad. From a building exploding and James Bond walking away like nothing happened, to a complete ridiculous mission in the desert, there sure is a lot of nonsense going on. Not to mention how dumb they managed to make the S.P.E.C.T.R.E. organization look. How believable is that every member of such an organization meet in the same place? And that an outsider like Bond can go to the meeting like if it was a cocktail party?

But let's move onto the villain(s), shall we? If you have seen the BBC's "Sherlock", you definitely know who Andrew Scott is, he is Moriarty, Sherlock's arch-nemesis. When I saw his name in the opening credits, I was positive he was going to play a bad guy, a backstabber maybe. Yes, he is good, especially when he plays villains, but you just can't cast someone like him for a character that is supposed to be a plot twist. Then there's Christoph Waltz. I was pretty excited to see him, and I knew he would have played the villain. But once again, he is incredibly good at that, so I wouldn't have complained about it if it wasn't for the name of the villain he was cast for, Ernst Stavro Blofeld. He doesn't look like Blofeld at all, neither physically nor psychologically.

I won't spend a lot of time to talk about the Bond girls, because there clearly isn't anything to say about them. Monica Bellucci shows up for 5 minute to have sex with James Bond. Léa Seydoux is too good of an actress to be wasted on such an awful role.

And then there is the action. Oh man. Aside from the opening sequence, which is basically the trailer, the action is pretty bad, loaded with CGI and completely unrealistic. But most important, it gets boring. How do you even manage to make action look boring? I'm speechless.

Thursday Movie Picks: Store/Supermarket/Mall Movies

Welcome to Thursday Movie Picks, a weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves where each Thursday you have to pick three films to match the week's topic.

So this week's topic is movies related to stores, supermarkets and malls. At first I wanted to pick one for each category, but then I was like "nah, I'm going with these three", so here they are:

Notting Hill (1999)

This romantic comedy follows William, an unsuccessful Notting Hill bookstore owner, whose life changes completely when he meets the world's most beautiful and famous actress. I know, another rom-com in my picks, and it isn't even that great but it has British charm and humour and that is enough to win me over.

Bad Santa (2003)

Two conmen posing as Santa and his Little Helper to rob department stores on Christmas Eve? That's exactly what this dark comedy is about. Pretty much. It is incredibly funny, crude, rude yet touching and one of my favourite Christmas movies ever. And did I mention it stars Billy Bob Thornton? 

The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)

When Andy's colleagues find out that he is 40 and still a virgin, his life becomes a series of attempts to get laid, but along the way he meets a nice mom and they fall in love. This is not a rom-com, okay? Sure, it is a hilarious comedy and there also happens to be some romance, but that doesn't make of it a rom-com. Oh, Andy works in a store, that's how this is related to the topic. 

Shadow Dancer (2012)

Genre

Drama | Thriller

Director

James Marsh

Country

UK | Ireland

Cast

Andrea Riseborough, Clive Owen, Gillian Anderson, Aidan Gillen, Domhnall Gleeson, Brid Brennan, David Wilmot, Michael McElhatton, Stuart Graham, Martin McCann

Storyline

Set in 1990s Belfast, an active member of the IRA (Andrea Riseborough) becomes an informant for MI5 in order to protect her son's welfare.

Opinion

With films like "In the Name of the Father", and "Hunger", it is very hard for a film about the IRA to get people's attention. In order to do so, it has to be a great film. I've been meaning to watch "Shadow Dancer" for a couple years, and even though I don't know why it captured my attention, I kind of had high expectations. And you know, with high expectations usually come huge disappointments.

"Shadow Dancer" isn't neither a particularly interesting drama nor a successful thriller but at least it's slightly improved by the cast.

First things first, I don't know who labeled the film as a thriller, because it clearly isn't. The film indeed lacks any surprises and suspense and the story - which could have been very interesting - is remarkably predictable.

James Marsh's approach to the story was just wrong, and makes it boring, bland and emotionally sterile. The pace is also too slow for the film, and the characters are a real mess. The IRA characters are too clichéd, it's impossible to connected to any of them, therefore you won't even care about their outcome in the story.

But like I said before, the cast does a good job. Andrea Riseborough and Clive Owen both give great performances as Colette, the member of the IRA, and Agent Mac, the MI5 agent. And the supporting cast does a fine job too.

I clearly was expecting too much from the director of "The Theory of Everything".