A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Genre

Horror

Director

Wes Craven

Country

USA

Cast

Heather Langenkamp, Robert Englund, Johnny Depp, John Saxon, Ronee Blakley, Leslie Hoffman, Amanda Wyss, Nick Corri, Joe Unger, Charles Fleischer, Joseph Whipp, Lin Shaye

Storyline

Nancy (Heather Langenkamp) and her friends are hunted by Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), a cruel serial killer who kills his victims in their dreams.

Opinion

After last year's disappointment with "Friday the 13th" - both the original film and the entire franchise -, I've finally found a horror classic that not only lives up to its reputation but that is still effective. In fact, "A Nightmare on Elm Street" is far from being a dumb slasher flick like the one I've mentioned above, rather it is a creepy, scary and amusing horror.

Why is it so good? Well, first of all the story. It is very original (and such a brilliant idea) - Wes Craven said he was inspired by true events -, interesting and features a lot of suspense and a terrific atmosphere. It sure isn't the most intelligent story you'll ever see, and there are definitely some parts of the plot that don't make a lot of sense, but still it is way better than other films of the same genre. 

Then of course there is the iconic villain, Freddy Krueger, which is arguably one of the terrifying and menacing villains of all time. He also does have a believable backstory - that would be frightening in real life as well - and as soon as his past is revealed, he gets ever more terrifying.

And then there are the characters. They are not the brightest characters ever, to be honest they are the typical slasher, one-dimensional characters characterized by the lack of any good performances, but at least you'll care for them. And finally there's a main character who fights back. And she's good too.

The acting is also slasher-standards. Heather Langenkamp does a decent job as Nancy, the girl kicking Freddy's ass, but doesn't really stand out. A young Johnny Depp shows his potential in his very first role, but the script isn't strong enough to make him shine. On the other hand there's Robert Englund, who is flawless in the role of Freddy Krueger.

Leopardi (2014)

Original Title

Il giovane favoloso

Genre

Biography | Drama | History

Director

Mario Martone

Country

Italy

Cast

Elio Germano, Isabella Ragonese, Anna Mouglalis, Michele Riondino, Massimo Popolizio, Valerio Binasco, Paolo Graziosi, Iaia Forte, Sandro Lombardi, Raffaella Giordano, Edoardo Natoli, Federica De Cola

Storyline

The film tells the short but fruitful life of the great Italian poet and philosopher Giacomo Leopardi (Elio Germano).

Opinion

I won't waste time saying how much I love Giacomo Leopardi's work. Just shame on me for catching "Leopardi" up only now because it truly is a stunning, emotional film that wonderfully portrays the life of one of the greatest Italian poets ever lived.

The problem with biopics is that they tend to be quite tedious if not handled properly, especially if you already are familiar with the biography of the portrayed figure, but this film is quite the opposite to that. Rather it is a surprisingly smooth film, without a single dull moment, that tells the tormented life of a man. And I'd like to point out that the writers - Mario Martone and Ippolita Di Majo - decided to tell the story of Leopardi's life chronologically.

In addition, staying true to the poet - or at least it was for me -, director Mario Martone didn't make use of the melancholy of the poet, and the way he saw the world, but he decided to focus on the poetry, and let it speak by itself. And it is through those beautiful poems that we see the real Leopardi: a restless mind, a tormented man, a wandering child.

The screenplay and the direction are not the only great things about the film. In fact, the scenery plays a very important role, as it manages to capture the essence of Leopardi. The costumes are also beautiful, so are the cinematography and the musical score.

At last but not least, the acting, or should I say the leading actor, Elio Germano. He was given a character that is definitely not easy to work with, but he nailed it. Basically he became Leopardi and his portrayal was so astonishing it almost felt like he was Leopardi. Easily one of the best performances of recent years.

Thursday Movie Picks: Cults/Secret Societies

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 picks have to involve cults or secret societies. Cool, isn't it? Cults are a bit dark, bad thing happening, and great films I've already picked, so I decided to focus on secret societies. And it didn't even have me thinking a lot because these 3 films popped into my mind immediately.

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

The owner of the Grand Budapest Hotel tells a writer the tale of how he took ownership of the hotel and why he doesn't want to close it. Even though it doesn't scream "secret society" there's one involved, and it's the Society of Golden Keys and pretty much the reason the hotel works so well. Oh, and the movie is a colorful masterpiece starring a brilliant Ralph Fiennes that was robbed of an Oscar nomination.

Fight Club (1999)

An insomniac office worker crosses paths with a man that is exactly who he wants to be and with his new friend he creates a fight club. I should have never picked this film because I'm breaking the first and second rule, do not talk about fight club, but this film is too good to not be picked. This movie is simply perfect.

Men in Black (1997)

Agent K and Agent J, two members of an organization that keeps track of extraterrestrial aliens on Earth, investigate a newcomer who isn't bringing good news. This is probably the coolest secret society ever. They deal with aliens and are armed with spectacular technology, impossible to top that. Sure, it's not a serious film, but it's fun. 

Olympus Has Fallen (2013)

Genre

Action | Thriller

Director

Antoine Fuqua

Country

USA

Cast

Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett, Rick Yune, Dylan McDermott, Finley Jacobsen, Melissa Leo, Robert Forster, Ashley Judd, Cole Hauser, Radha Mitchell, Sean O'Bryan, Lance Broadway, Tory Kittles, Keong Sim, Phil Austin, James Ingersoll, Freddy Bosche, Kevin Moon, Malana Lea, Sam Medina

Storyline

When the White House is captured by a terrorist mastermind (Rick Yune) and the President (Aaron Eckhart) is kidnapped, former Presidential Secret Agent Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) finds himself trapped inside the building, and using his inside knowledge, he will try to rescue the President.

Opinion

Like I said time ago, 2013 was the year of films about terrorist attacks at the White House. The weird thing is that two films came out that year with the same plot, this being the first of the two. But only because it was the first one, it doesn't necessarily means it's better. If anything "Olympus Has Fallen" is even worse than "White House Down", which definitely wasn't a great film.

In fact, this film is pretty much nothing but a poor imitation of Die Hard. Even though the beginning was somehow promising, it is not exciting, and it is definitely not fun to watch.

Just like in "White House Down", the plot completely lacks in originality, it is quite unbelievable and filled with the usual clichés, not to mention the gigantic plot holes. There's so much nonsense going on, you'll get dumber by watching the film - like why on earth would the villain ask for the Cerberus code only after the hero has killed half of his men? It doesn't make any sense. The icing on the cake? The villain and his motivations are not that convincing.

So are the screenwriters to be blamed? Yes, they are, but only in part, because director Antoine Fuqua certainly didn't do anything to fix the script. He didn't even try. The film in fact is flat as a board, accomplices also are the action sequences that lack both imagination and tension, and that seem taken out straight from a video game.

And now the cast. Gerald Butler is not a likable hero, Aaron Eckhart is just whimpering the whole time - and certainly does not have Jamie Foxx's charm -, Morgan Freeman is so poor he recalls Jason Statham, and Rick Yune is not a very threatening villain. Then there is Ashley Judd that's only in the movie because they needed a pretty face, and Angela Bassett that is completely wasted in this film.

Stranger Than Fiction (2006)

Genre

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy

Director

Marc Forster

Country

USA

Cast

Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman, Queen Latifah, Tony Hale, Tom Hulce, Linda Unt, Kristin Chenoweth

Storyline

Harold (Will Ferrell) suddenly finds himself the subject of narration only he can hear; a narration that begins to affect his entire life, from his work, to his love-interest, to his death.

Opinion

Before this, I've never thought it would have been possible to actually love a film starring Will Ferrell. But what can I tell you? "Stranger Than Fiction" simply is not your average comedy, rather it is a brilliant, complex, and clever dark comedy that everyone should see.

The most intriguing thing about the film is arguably the story. Very original - maybe someone would argue on that because of "The Truman Show", and if you ask me they are not the same thing - it is incredibly engaging to follow Harold's life once he realises that he is the character of someone else's novel, and it's amazing to witness the awakening of the character as he learns that he is going to die soon.

The great thing about this story is not even the story itself, or the (un)expected ending, but what the film shows: everyone is the creator of their own destiny, if doesn't matter if someone else is writing the plot for you, if you want to, you can change that. And I don't know about you, but that really spoke to me.

As for the characters, well there isn't a lot of originality. As you probably guessed, Harold is the typical (pretty much) likeable guy that discovers how meaningless his life is and that eventually transforms into a new, interesting person, Is it clichéd? Yes, but the film goes on so smoothly it doesn't matter that much.

The biggest surprise, however, was Will Ferrell. I am not a fan of him, at all. Sure, he can be a funny guy but he usually doesn't deliver performances that are worth to be remembered - at least, he didn't in the films I've watched so far. But here he took a role with more substance and he owned it. The supporting cast also does a good job, especially Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman and Queen Latifah.

Planet of the Apes (2001)

Genre

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Director

Tim Burton

Country

USA

Cast

Mark Wahlberg, Tim Roth, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Clarke Duncan, Paul Giamatti, Estella Warren, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Kris Kristofferson

Storyline

Air Force astronaut Leo Davidson (Mark Wahlberg) crash lands on a mysterious planet where evolved, talking apes dominate a race of primitive humans.

Opinion

Thirty-three year after Pierre Boulle's masterpiece, "Planet of the Apes", they thought it made sense to remake a film that absolutely needed no remake. But how do you even attempt to remake a classic? Idea, you hire a great director, Tim Burton, he's definitely going to make a great film. Well, I hate to say this, but it doesn't work like that, and this new "Planet of the Apes" is the very proof of that.

Obviously not even close to the original, this film is also pretty much atrocious from start to finish, and the main reason is the dreadful script.

The writer decided to abandon the original story - which is okay so they won't ruin it - for a lame, simple story that has more holes than a strainer, made of cliché after cliché, only to end in the worst possible ways, with a silly finale that makes no sense whatsoever. And it can be summarized in three words: running, hiding, battling. That's all that happens after all.

But what kind of awful story would it be without awful characters? Don't worry, that's another feature of this film. Character development is completely lacking - okay, maybe Ari, the ape played by Helena Bonham Carter, is slightly developed, but that' all - and there are plenty of useless human characters. The astronaut would have been enough, even though he's quite a character. One minute he says to apes that on his planet apes are kept in zoos, and regarded with nuts; a moment after that, he says that on his planet humans and apes live in peace. That's a weird conception of peace.

However, that's not what annoyed me the most, that place belongs to Tim Burton. He is completely missing. There's nothing in this film that would make you think he made it. Nothing at all. Somehow he also failed to make any kind of social commentary, and he handled the theme of being different in a very childish way.

Even the action sequences, special effects and score are awful. And the cast, of course. Estella Warren deserves a special mention because she is the worst of them all. She is basically a very good looking piece of wood. I wonder how she even gets acting jobs. Please, don't answer that.

The Boxtrolls (2014)

Genre

Adventure | Animation | Comedy

Directors

Graham Annable | Anthony Stacchi

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Isaac Hempstead-Wright, Elle Fanning, Ben Kingsley, Toni Collette, Jared Harris, Nick Frost, Richard Ayoade, Tracy Morgan, Simon Pegg, Dee Bradley Baker, Steve Blum

Storyline

A young orphaned boy (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) raised by underground cave-dwelling trash collectors tries to save his friends from an evil exterminator (Ben Kingsley).

Opinion

In a world where animation basically means Pixar, Disney or DreamWorks, this film, Laika's third film, captured my attention with its being different. Having not seen neither "Coraline" nor "Paranorman", I didn't know exactly what to expect, other than the film to be good because of the nominations it got, but I really liked what I saw. "The Boxtrolls" indeed is maybe dark, but very fun, charming and entertaining animation flick.

Based on the children's book "Here Be Monsters" of which I've never heard of, the story is simple yet quirky, smart and original. Sure, it does have some plot holes and some things don't make a lot of sense, but it's still above-average, and the storytelling is beautiful.

Along with the original story go original characters, the Boxtrolls. They were developed in a different, unique way because of their limited form of communication but they are just adorable, and even though they are just a bunch of indistinguible characters, it comes natural to pick their side.

However, the over-the-top villains are the most interesting and fun, maybe because they are lead by Ben Kingsley's Snatcher, a hideous, diabolic man who wants to exterminate the Boxtrolls.

Maybe "The Boxtrolls" is a little too dark for kids, but it deals with some themes quite well. It teaches not to be afraid of what we don't know or understand, but, more important, not to judge someone or something based on what other people say. The film in fact shows how easily people are manipulated, and how they choose not to think for themselves. That's our society in other words.

Having not seen the previous films from Laika, it took me a while to get used to it, but eventually I've fallen in love with this film's stop-motion animation which is simply amazing. 

Fading Gigolo (2013)

Genre

Comedy

Director

John Turturro

Country

USA

Cast

John Turturro, Woody Allen, Sharon Stone, Sofia Vergara, Vanessa Paradis, Liev Schreiber, Tonya Pinkins, Max Casella, Aida Turturro, Bob Balaban, Michael Badalucco, David Margulies, Aurélie Claudel, Loan Chabanol

Storyline

With his friend Murray (Woody Allen) acting as his pimp, Fioravante (John Turturro) starts a male prostitution business.

Opinion

Woody Allen is no actor, he just happens to act. Most of the time he does so in films written and directed by him. Sometimes he allows someone else to direct him, like in the brilliant "Play It Again, Sam". So, I thought, if he picks a film, he gotta see some potential in it, and that's why I decided to watch this film.

Unfortunately "Fading Gigolo" is a comedy that is not funny. Or maybe it was supposed to be a drama, but we would still be having a problem here because drama is another of those things the film lacks. 

The film features a story that may seem interesting at first - Turturro basically stole from Allen - but eventually ends up being unengaging, not so bright, flat, and tedious.

And it's a shame because a part of the story actually works quite well: the relationship/chemistry between Allen and Turturro. When focused on them, the film is slightly interesting and seems a little witty as well. When focused on the other characters, all of Turturro's women, the film just doesn't work.

It does something good though, like making a satire on the religious fanatics and showing how hard it is to live in a society full of moral or cultural rules and where one is supposed to do what one is supposed to do - am I making any sense?

Anyway, just like I mentioned before, the chemistry between Allen and Turturro is great, and even though neither of them is able to make you laugh it's still quite nice to see them. As for the female cast, while Sharon Stone and Sofia Vergara are obviously in the film to attract a bigger audience, the one shining is Vanessa Paradis who plays the widow of an orthodox rabbi.

Dirty Grandpa (2016)

Genre

Comedy

Director

Dan Mazer

Country

USA

Cast

Robert De Niro, Zac Efron, Zoey Deutch, Aubrey Plaza, Dermot Mulroney, Julianne Hough, Jason Mantzoukas, Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, Adam Pally, Michael Hudson, Danny Glover, Mo Collins, Henry Zebrowski

Storyline

After his grandmother passed away and right before his wedding, Jason (Zac Efron) is tricked into driving his grandfather (Robert De Niro) to Florida for spring break.

Opinion

I'm starting to think that 2016 is the year of disappointments, comedy speaking. It's not like I was expecting anything great from this, but at least I thought it would have been funny. But no. Instead "Dirty Grandpa" is just another unfunny comedy as well as a waste of time and money.

What I was expecting was the typical American comedy that uses gross, sexual, childish and quite stupid humour, and drugs and alcohol related gags to make people laugh. Something like "The Hangover" basically. Maybe it's the casting, maybe it's the direction, the thing is I haven't laughed a single time during the film, except one moment in the middle of the closing credits. Instead, it ends up just being offensive. Making fun of Jews with a swastika made of penises? Seriously?

However, the major reason this film doesn't work probably is the plot. Paper thin and not engaging at all, it is obvious from the very beginning where the story is going. There is really nothing that gives you a reason to keep watching the film. And it's quite a shame because, even though, the storyline sounds pretty dumb, something good could have come out of it.

Is there anything good? Of course there is. If you are a straight guy, you'll probably love - maybe too much - Aubrey Plaza's nymphomaniac character. If you are a woman or a gay man, you will definitely enjoy those scenes with an almost naked Zac Efron. Eye-candy at its best. And the music isn't bad. But that's it.

To top the awful script there is the cast, the leading duo actually, Robert De Niro and Zac Efron, both casted only to appeal a large audience. I'm wondering what on earth was De Niro thinking when he agreed to do this thing. I admit that his films haven't been great lately, but this one tops them all. And this is probably Efron's worst film as well. He pretty much has the same expression throughout the whole film, the same expression only someone feeling completely uncomfortable would have. 

Thursday Movie Picks: Teen Angst

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 is teen angst week. Really? I mean, like isn't my life already too messed up and awful? I'm sorry for the role playing but I really couldn't think of a better way to explain this topic to you. But I'm sure everyone already knows what teen angst is because seriously who hasn't gone through it? And they also make so many films about it, it almost seems like they miss being angry and depressed all the time. Yes, I'm done complaining, I leave you with my three picks.

Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

After decided to try not to get into trouble anymore, teenager Jim Stark somehow gets mixed up with some tough guys who talk him into participating in car racing. Words can't do this film justice. It is simply one of the best films ever made, and there's no other film that can sum-up teen angst like this one. 

The Breakfast Club (1985)

Five high school students, all different stereotypes, meet in detention, where they discover they have a lot more in common than they thought. This John Hughes comedy is probably the most iconic teen film ever made, and one of my favourites as well. It does have some clichés but it's a great portrait of teen life and it sure entertains.

Heathers (1988)

Veronica tries to survive the social jungle of high school by hanging out with the most popular girls. She eventually meets a sociopath and things changes. This film is strange and funny and dark at the same time. It is the anti-John Hughes comedy where popular kids finally get what they deserve.

Infernal Affairs (2002)

Original Title

無間道 Mou gaan dou

Genre

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Director

Andrew Lau

Country

Hong Kong

Cast

Andy Lau, Tony Leung, Anthony Wong, Eric Tsang, Chapman To, Gordon Lam, Kelly Chen, Sammi Cheng, Berg Ng, Wan Chi-keung, Dion Lam, Elva Hsiao, Edison Chen, Shawn Yue

Storyline

Chan Wing Yan (Shawn Yue), a young police officer, has been sent undercover as a mole in the local mafia. Lau Kin Ming (Edison Chen), a young mafia member, infiltrates the police force. Years later, their older counterparts, Chen Wing Yan (Tony Leung) and Inspector Lau Kin Ming (Andy Lau), respectively, race against time to expose the mole within their midst.

Opinion

In the past months I've talked about this film a couple of times. It was always in relation to Martin Scorsese's "The Departed" which, in case you didn't know, is the American remake and one of the few times a remake is better than the original.

But that doesn't necessarily mean that "Infernal Affairs" is not a good film. Indeed it is a quite gripping and tense crime film that hasn't a lot to envy to its American copy.

First of all, the story is absolutely amazing. Even though the opening scenes where the characters start to settle down are a little confusing - using different actors for the same characters just to show time passing does not help -, the film features a gripping, simple yet smart story from the beginning, that not only is well written but also well told.

The main topic of the film is the contrast between good and evil, and is portrayed with its two main characters, their similarities and their moral obstacles. These two characters, Yan and Ming, are all you need to great a good film, and they have very well developed.

The reason why I do prefer Scorsese's to this one basically comes down to the supporting characters. Unfortunately "Infernal Affairs" doesn't feature any strong supporting character, and the female characters don't have a real purpose in the film other than being just the girlfriends.

The other reason is the dialogue. Even though Scorsese's was filled with cursing and profanities - and it's not only limited to the language -, it was more brilliant. This film indeed has quite simple dialogue.

As for the acting, the two leading actors, Tony Leung as the undercover cop and Andy Lau as the corrupted cop, both do a good job. A little side note on Leung though, his lack of charm makes it hard for you to root for his character.

The Wizard (1989)

Genre

Adventure | Comedy | Drama

Director

Todd Holland

Country

USA

Cast

Fred Savage, Luke Edwards, Jenny Lewis, Christian Slater, Beau Bridges, Will Seltzer, Jackey Vinson, Wendy Phillips, Sam McMurray, Frank McRae, Vincent Leah, Beth Grant, Lee Arenberg, Tobey Maguire

Storyline

Corey (Fred Savage) and his autistic brother Jimmy (Luke Edwards) run away from home and hitch cross country to compete in the ultimate video game championship.

Opinion

Last year's "Pixel" showed how bad video games turned into films can be. And according to some of the reviews I've read, "Warcraft" did the same thing this year. "The Wizard" preceded them all in 1989 as it is more of a very long commercial for Nintendo that will hardly engage and interest you, unless you are a kid obsessed with video games.

Since the main goal of the film was probably to promote the famous Korean company, the filmmakers didn't even think about proving the film with a solid plot and they eventually ended up with a story that is quite hard to summarize because of all of its subplots, most of which are completely useless, boring and sappy.

But it does get worst. Even though that's what the film is supposed to be about, it isn't even about the video games nor the competition. That's just something that eventually happens to, once again, advertise and advertise. In fact, when the two brothers run away from home, they have no intention to compete in that championship, they just want to go to California. And also they are running away for a mysterious reason. But then they meet this new character that suggests they go to this video game competition that takes place in California. How convenient is that?

On top of that atrocious script, there are also bland, uninteresting characters that are more one-dimensional than a piece of paper. And with that comes awful acting from all the cast. Maybe with the exception of Will Seltzer who kind of does a good job playing the villain. Yes, there is a villain, and it's the man who tries to capture the autistic brother to bring him back to the institution. And he's also the only slightly developed character.

American Ultra (2015)

Genre

Action | Comedy | Sci-Fi

Director

Nima Nourizadeh

Country

USA

Cast

Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Topher Grace, Connie Britton, Walton Goggins, John Leguizamo, Bill Pullman, Tony Hale, Monique Ganderton, Stuart Greer, Lavell Crawford, Michael Papajohn, Nash Edgerton

Storyline

Small-town pothead Mike Howell (Jesse Eisenberg) is marked as a liability and targeted for extermination by the CIA.

Opinion

A film starring both Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart can either be bad or be bad, so I don't really know why I even had some expectations. Maybe I'm a masochist and I like being disappointed, which is exactly what happened here because "American Ultra" is quite a mess.

The reason? Very simple, it tries too hard to be something between "The Bourne Identity" and "Pineapple Express" with a hint of romance - that's what Stewart does best after all. The result is a quite unengaging story with a stoned Jason Bourne played by Jesse Eisenberg. Now it seems fair to add annoying.

But being honest, the story isn't the real problem here. The storytelling is. It is so messed-up and confused, it's actually hard to follow the story and understand what's going on, and the end is not that interesting, not even with the plot twist.

However, that's not what disappointed me. The problem is the kind of film I was expecting, a stoner comedy, which is exactly how the trailers and interviews have portrayed the film. Instead, "American Ultra" is more of a dramedy, or dark comedy. Only without the humor. Or any kind of entertainment as the jokes fall flat all the time and the action scenes aren't nothing special - which is another shame because the film is supposed to be an action flick as well. And don't let me started on the science fiction part. Not good, that's how it is.

Not even the acting is good. Even though he plays a kid of different role, Jesse Eisenberg is still utterly annoying. Kristen Stewart is "Twilight" awful - it feels like she's reading straight from the script. Topher Grace overacts most of the time. John Leguizamo is terrible. On the other hand we have Connie Britton and Walton Goggins, both wasted in this film.

Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)

Genre

Action | Sci-Fi

Director

J. Lee Thompson

Country

USA

Cast

Roddy McDowall, Claude Akins, Natalie Trundy, Severn Darden, Lew Ayres, Paul Williams, Austin Stoker, Noah Keen, Richard Eastham, France Nuyen, Paul Stevens, John Huston

Storyline

After conquering the Earth, Caesar (Roddy McDowall) wants the ruling apes and enslaved humans to live in peace. But warring factions of apes led by a militant gorilla general (Claude Akins) as well as various human groups threaten the stability.

Opinion

After a few not so good entries, the original Ape series has finally come to an end with "Battle for the Planet of the Apes", a terrible film that easily classifies as the worst film in the series.

Once again the filmmakers decided to continue the storyline of the previous film. But unlike the previous film though, this one actually has a plot. Sure, it isn't great, and doesn't add anything to the series, but after all it is a decent story with a little potential.

I bet you're wondering why I told you this is the worst entry, well, simply because the way the story is told is awful. It doesn't meet the standards of the previous films - even though I wasn't enthusiastic about those films, at least they knew how to tell a story -, rather it feels like a cheap television film that doesn't make a lot of sense.

Also, while "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes" made you root for apes killing humans - I know, it's crazy -, this one is so uninteresting you couldn't care less about what happens to those characters that lives in the City of the Apes, or maybe I should say Village of the Apes. And since I mentioned them, now I have to talk about the villain. The name's Aldo, he is a gorilla general, and the worst part is that he is labeled as the bad guy since the first scene.

And it does get worse. The makeup and visual effect look stupid and cheap, the music is just terrible, and the acting is just painful. Nobody seems to be making some effort to give decent performance, with the exception of Roddy McDowall, he does a good job as Caesar.

Finding Dory (2016)

Genre

Adventure | Animation | Comedy

Directors

Andrew Stanton | Angus MacLane

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Hayden Rolence, Ed O'Neil, Diane Keaton, Eugene Levy, Kaitlin Olson, Ty Burrell, Idris Elba, Dominic West, Bob Peterson, Andrew Stanton, Bill Hader, Kate McKinnon, Sigourney Weaver, Alexander Gould, John Ratzenberger, Robin Xan Bullock, Sloane Murray, Lucia Geddes

Storyline

Not long after finding Nemo (Hayden Rolence), Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) begins to remember bits and pieces of her past as she embarks on an adventure with her two friends to find her parents.

Opinion

Last night I've finally been able to watch arguably the most anticipated animated film of the year - and probably in years too -, and I'm happy to say that Andrew Stanton did it again. Even though many say it was a disappointment and nothing like "Finding Nemo", for me "Finding Dory" was a funny, beautiful and touching tale that celebrates being different.

Maybe the reason why so many were disappointed is because of the plot. If you have seen "Finding Nemo" it will be quite familiar to you, as a matter of fact the two films basically share the same plot. Only this time is Dory, the adorable blue tang fish suffering from short-memory loss, that tries to reunite with her loves ones.

However, while it's nothing new, the story is still excellent, engaging, funny, inspiring and very, very meaningful. In fact, the (back)story of Dory not only is touching and will probably have you (almost) in tears, but it delivers a great message to kids by showing that people with disabilities, of the mental kind in this case, can do as much as normal people and that their qualities should also be admired - as pointed out by Nemo in the film.

The film also features tons of funny moments for all ages and funny characters, like Gerald the sea lion. He is quite dumb but also so funny and lovable. But in a film about disabilities, it's not great to have an autistic character being bullied.

Anyway, among the characters, we have Dory, of course, which I enjoyed even more because I feel like Ellen DeGeneres did an even better job, not only giving the voice to the fish but by adding some extra personality; there's Marlin and Nemo, and a wonderful new entry, Hank, a grumpy octopus that will eventually establish a friendship with Dory. And the character development is simply impressive.

At last but not least the animation. I'll never get sick of saying how gorgeous Pixar's animation is. Every detail of the underwater world is spot on, the characters all look stunning, and the scenery is simply breathtaking.

Ultimately it is not as good as last year "Inside Out", but it's still worth the time and money.

Irrational Man (2015)

Genre

Comedy | Drama

Director

Woody Allen

Country

USA

Cast

Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Parker Posey, Jamie Blackley, Betsey Aidem, Ethan Phillips, Sophie Von Haselberg, Ben Rosenfield, Susan Pourfar

Storyline

A tormented philosophy professor (Joaquin Phoenix) finds a will to live when he commits an existential act.

Opinion

After the disappointing but still pretty good "Magic in the Moonlight", Woody Allen goes crime again, but the result isn't as good as the London trilogy was. In fact "Irrational Man" never quite takes off, and is basically nothing more than a wasted opportunity.

Why a wasted opportunity? Because of the story. Very appealing and interesting, it starts very promising, and it has a very interesting main character - Abe, a tormented philosopher with a distorted view of reality that will eventually find a meaning to his existence after a despicable act. And the first part is tremendously well done. It provides a background on the characters and shows how why a judge suddenly becomes Abe's target (and how the murder was carried out).

But something quickly goes wrong, and soon becomes a disaster. The psychological aspects of the plot evaporate, a potential plot twist is wasted, and the plot eventually becomes so surreal it will confuse you and so predictable it will make you lose any interest in the film.

Allen's direction isn't that good either. Unlike any other of his films, it is hard if not impossible to place the story in a specific period of time; the soundtrack, even though it's quite beautiful, is misplaced and most of the time it kills the drama; some scenes are beautifully shot and vibrant, some others are just poky; the pace is uneven; the dialogue not so smart.

Despite all of that, the actors, the leading duo actually, Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone, still manage to do a good job with their characters. That romance though.

The Nice Guys (2016)

Genre

Action | Comedy | Crime

Director

Shane Black

Country

USA

Cast

Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Angourie Rice, Matt Bomer, MArgaret Qualley, Yaya DaCosta, Keith David, Beau Knapp, Lois Smith, Murielle Telio, Kim Basinger, Daisy Tahan, Jack Kilmer, Ty Simpkins, Hannibal Buress

Storyline

In 1977 Los Angeles, mismatched pair of private eyes Jackson Healey (Russell  Crowe) and Holland March (Ryan Gosling) investigate the apparent suicide of a young porn star (Margaret Qualley).

Opinion

Because of the trailer and all the positive reviews I've read everywhere this summer, I watched this film expecting nothing short of a brilliant action comedy. But that isn't even close to what I actually think about the film.

More like a stupid, American comedy, "The Nice Guys" isn't boring but isn't either exciting and ultimately feels like a huge disappointment. At least to me.

There's just something about it that went wrong. I mean, the story is original, well developed, and has everything to make an interesting buddy movie. Unfortunately that suspense that should be in every detective film lacks completely. So the story eventually ends up not being that interesting or exciting. And it's also too long. The film could have been 15 minutes shorter and nothing would have changed. Rather it might have improved.

But while it fails on the detective/storytelling side, it isn't that bad as a stupid action/comedy flick. The action scenes are quite entertaining - no, the violence didn't bother me - and the simple yet catchy and energetic dialogue provides some good jokes.

And eventually there's the reason I wanted to see the film in the first place, the Crowe-Gosling duo. The Italian press have called them the new Bud Spencer and Terence Hill, and I have to agree on that. They really are a great match and have this incredible chemistry you'd watch even shitty films to see them having such a good time.

An Italian Name (2015)

Original Title

Il nome del figlio

Genre

Comedy

Director

Francesca Archibugi

Country

Italy

Cast

Alessandro Gassmann, Valeria Golino, Luigi Lo Cascio, Rocco Papaleo, Micaela Ramazzotti, Manuela Mandracchia, Giulia Salerno, Tommaso Strizzi, Raffaele Vannoli, Daniele Rampello, Carolina Cetroli, Andrea Amato, Domenico Spadafino

Storyline

Father-to-be Paolo (Alessandro Gassman) is invited for dinner by his sister (Valeria Golino) and his brother-in-law (Luigi Lo Cascio). When he announces the scandalous name for his future son, the hosts objects to that, and the situation eventually gets out of hand.

Opinion

I really wanted to watch this film when it came out but then I watched the French version, and I passed on this one because I was sure it was going to be the stupid Italian version of a brilliant comedy. Then a few days ago I decided to give it a try, mainly because it stars Alessandro Gassmann, probably the only modern-day Italian actor I like. And it wasn't half bad. Actually it was a pleasant surprise. Indeed "An Italian Name" is an entertaining and clever comedy.

Just like the French "What's In A Name?", this one is also based on the play "Le Prénom", but it still feels fresh and original because the filmmakers didn't just copy the play straight away. Rather they used the storyline as a guide to make something else.

This film in fact goes beyond the political stereotypes of the original, and it's actually a beautiful portrayal of a group of people that collide with each other, because of memories, misunderstandings, and rancor.

Among all the characters, I enjoyed the contrast between Sandro and Paolo. The first is conceited and convinced of being the only one capable of changing the world, the second is just a fool, but a fool full of life that always manages to get everybody's attention. What I liked even more is the tribute to Vittorio Gassman since the character of Paolo, played by his son Alessandro, recalls Bruno Cadorna in "Il Sorpasso".

And finally there's the cast, from Alessandro Gassmann, who in my opinion is getting better and better, to Valeria Golino, to Rocco Papaleo who finally plays a different and more interesting role, they all do a good job. And what a chemistry they have. There's a scene where they sing and dance to Lucio Dalla's "Telefonami tra vent'anni" that is so natural it feels real. And they are clearly having a good time which means the audience is also going to have a good time.