Mt. Rushmore of Movies Blogathon '17


I was reading Two Dollar Cinema, arguably the funniest blog out there, when I saw m. brown was hosting a blogathon, the Mount Rushmore of Movies. It's in honour of President's Day, or as anyone outside the United States (or more than 225 countries that now hate you), including myself, calls it, the third Monday in February, like he pointed out. Frankly, I didn't even know there was a President's Day. 

Cat People (1942)

Genres

Fantasy | Horror

Director

Jacques Tourneur

Country

USA

Cast

Simone Simon, Kent Smith, Tom Conway, Jane Randolph, Jack Holt, Elizabeth Russell, Alan Napier, Theresa Harris

Storyline

Irena Dubrovna (Simone Simon), a beautiful Serbian artist, falls in love with American Oliver Reed (Kent Smith) and they get married. But complications arise because Irena believes she is the victim of an ancient Serbian curse that causes her to turn into a panther if a man tries to make love to her.

Opinion

I have a problem with old movies, sometimes I find them incredibly boring. If it's a horror we are talking about, chances are they aren't even going to scare me. Thank god "Cat People" wasn't one of those. Although it isn't the scariest of the films I've seen in my short life, it sure is an interesting horror film with a terrific atmosphere.

There isn't much of a story and it's pretty much the tale of a jealous wife and a husband with a lady friend that features an old Serbian curse, but overall is well crafted and very well told, and engages the audience because of its horror side.

Actually, it isn't the supernatural element itself that frightens, scares the viewer but it's the outstanding direction by Jacques Tourneur. Through a quite beautiful black and white cinematography and a gloomy, haunting atmosphere of horror, he was able to deliver some pretty intense, suspenseful and memorable scenes.

As shown years later by many others among which Alfred Hitchcock stands out, less is more, and Tourneur proves that without showing the demonic panther, but building up tension and making sense the disturbing, upsetting presence of the animal.

Like any horror worth of respect, "Cat People" also features an effective musical score. But it doesn't have only the good things about the genre, but the awful ones as well. Like the tremendously wooden acting.

Rocky V (1990)

Genre

Drama | Sport

Director

John G. Avildsen

Country

USA

Cast

Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Sage Stallone, Richard Gant, Tommy Morrison, Burgess Meredith, Tony Burton, Paul J. Micale, Michael Williams

Storyline

Broke because of Paulie (Burt Young), Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) begins to coach a up-and-coming fighter (Tommy Morrison) who eventually betrays him.

Opinion

There's a book by The Bloggess also know as Jenny Lawson called "Let's Pretend This Never Happened" and that's exactly what I'm trying to do right now because "Rocky V" is some serious garbage, to say the least.

Right when I thought the story couldn't get any worse, here it is Stallone's comeback, with an even more terrible storyline. Other than terribly lacking in originality - because seeing a penny-less Rocky once wasn't enough -, the plot to this film is dull, dull and dull. This time around Stallone tried to increase the family drama which only made the film look like a soap opera because he clearly doesn't know how to handle that.

Remember when I complained about some of the entries being just sport movies? Well, "Rocky V" is more of a movie about a teenage boy that wants his father to love him and be proud of him so badly, where the boxing's only purpose is to deliver that drama.

Speaking of which, how is that possible that when Rocky left for Russia his son was just a kid, 9 to the precise, he stayed away for a couple of months and when he went back home the son was already 12-13? How did the filmmakers not notice that?

And now let's talk about the boxing. Simply awful. Those scenes that were supposed to be exciting are nothing but plain boring. And what about that beating at the end of the film? I thought it was a sport movie, not a gang related one.

Also, all those archive footages are getting boring. Couldn't they find anything better to fill the time? Something like a tense boxing scene, maybe? Or is it too much of a crazy idea?

Oscars 2017


Boy, it was a long night, but I did it again, for the third year in a row I managed to watch the whole thing. First of all, I want to thank my beloved tea for giving me strength with his caffeine. But let's not forget chair, whose uncomfortability - I'm not even sure that's a word - prevented me from falling asleep.

Chico & Rita (2010)

Genres

Animation | Drama | Music | Romance

Directors

Fernando Trueba | Javier Mariscal | Tono Errando

Countries

Spain | UK

Voice Cast

Limara Meneses, Eman Xor Oña, Mario Guerra, Bebo Valdés, Idania Valdés, Estrella Morente, Freddie Cole, Jimmy Heath, Pedrito Martinez, Michael Philip Mossman, Amadito Valdés, German Velazco, Yaroldi Abreu

Storyline

Now old and retired, Cuban pianist Chico (Eman Xor Oña) remembers his turbulent love story with jazz singer Rita (Limara Meneses) and his rise and fall as a musician.

Opinion

I didn't care much for "Chico & Rita" when it came out; nor did I when it was nominated for Best Animated Picture at the Oscars. Month ago, though, I saw a few frames and I was immediately seduced by the different animation and I added to my watchlist. I have to say that it took me a while to check it out but it was totally worth it. The film was indeed an excellent, artistic and charming animated film. Don't let your kids watch it, it's meant for adults.

That being said, let's talk about the story, a simple yet believable, fascinating and involving story dealing with racism, prostitution, murder, regret, hope, music and love. The latter two are the main focus of the film and the film's greatest strengths.

There isn't only one kind of love involved. There's love of music, love of country, love of fame, and then the love of someone else. There's a good balance among them, but the turbulent love story between Chico and Rita is definitely the one standing out. It is both outdated and refreshing; it isn't anything new and quite clichéd but it's beautifully told.

There isn't much character development - the characters are actually barely a sketch -, still you're going to care for them because you can feel they are meant for each other.

As I mentioned before, the music plays a very important role in the film. It is beautifully blended into the story and it adds passion to it. So the beautiful soundtrack isn't only a tribute to Cuban music but really adds to the movie.

One of the most astonishing aspects of "Chico & Rita" is the animation, the reason I watched the film. Forget about 3D animation and CGI, there's none of that here. Instead, the animation - I should probably say draws - is hand-drawn and quite simple, yet beautiful. The characters are old school, made of areas of uniform colours with darker sections for the shades. The backgrounds are incredibly detailed. The colours are so vivid. And all together they portray Cuba in a stunning, stylish way.

Girlfriend's Day (2017)

Genres

Comedy | Drama

Director

Michael Stephenson

Country

USA

Cast

Bob Odenkirk, Amber Tamblyn, Rich Sommer, Toby Huss, David Sullivan, Hannah Nordberg, June Diane Raphael, Stacey Keach, Andy Richter, Larry Fessenden, Natasha Lyonne, Alex Karpovsky

Storyline

Trying to recapture the feelings that once made him the greatest greeting card writer, Ray (Bob Odenkirk) gets entangled in a web of murder and deceit as writers vie to create the perfect card for a new holiday: Girlfriend's Day.

Opinion

I watched "Girlfriend's Day" knowing nothing about it. And I did that only because it was a Netflix production - I usually love the stuff they do - and Bob Odenkirk was the lead. I haven't seen much of his work, but he totally conquered me with Saul Goodman, and he wasn't half bad in "Nebraska". That kind of built up some expectations which eventually resulted in a total let down.

This film is indeed a mess from start to finish, and the main problem is the story. It is simple and confusing at the same time, predictable and silly and it has no substance whatsoever. Moreover, it is stretched into an hour and ten minutes long film when it could have easily been told in five or ten minutes in such a less messy way.

And it could have made for a good short film too. Because, if it wasn't for the running time that seems more like it's taking a slow walk and all the useless nonsense going on, the film kind of delivers a message: we simply spend too much time and effort to find (write in this case) the perfect greeting card for a certain occasion, but we actually forget to say how we feel as if a piece of paper was more important. Which is exactly why the main's character marriage failed.

Other than that message delivered in the worst way possible, the film is blessed with Bob Odenkirk's presence. While he did a truly awful job co-writing the film, his performance as the main character is actually quite good and serious. Almost introspective I'd say.

But that's it. "Girlfriend's Day" really hasn't anything else to offer. Ultimately it is just a boring, neither funny nor dramatic film.

Fences (2016)

Genre

Drama

Director

Denzel Washington

Country

USA

Cast

Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Stephen Henderson, Jovan Adepo, Russell Hornsby, Mykelti Williamson, Saniyya Sidney

Storyline

Unable to fulfil his dream of becoming a professional baseball player, older and bitter sanitation worker Troy Maxson (Denzel Washington) tries to raise his family and comes to terms with the events of his life. 

Opinion

I have never seen the trailer for "Fences", but I was very interested in it because it was directed by leading actor Denzel Washington and Viola Davis was on his side. A film featuring those two fantastic artists has to be great. Well, "Fences" was more than that. It was an astonishing, complex and powerful film about life.

The simple yet deep story, based on August Wilson's play, is an intimate account of Troy's life and those around him, from his family to his friends. It is very interesting, well developed and told in such a beautiful way it makes time fly by.

With this film, Denzel Washington explores the issues that affected a lot of African American families in the 50's, especially the frustration resulting from race. I am not going to act like I know what it was like because I didn't grow up in the 50's and I'm not black, but I feel like the film was able to convey all of that. 

The fences between white and black people aren't the only fences in the film. And not even the most important. That role goes to the only material fence in the film that is an excellent metaphor of how hard it is to isolate yourself, and to the immaterial ones, those Troy has erected between himself and his sons.

What I liked the most about "Fences" was its theatrical structure. The feeling one has while watching the film is the same of a play, when words are at the center of the stage with non-stop dialogue scenes that are probably too long but not boring and that engage you in spite of the topic; when actions aren't shown but told; when a great staging is able to overshadow any special effects.

But most important, when acting overshadows everything else. Denzel Washington completely inhabits Troy's character to the point it's hard to imagine him being a different person in real life. He truly gives all of himself with an emotional performance raging from joy to despair, and he is able to make you feel compassion for his character. Equally powerful and superb is Viola Davis's performance as Troy's wife. The best moment of the film belongs to her as her character finally explodes conveying all of her feelings. 

Thursday Movie Picks: Television Edition: Superheroes


It's Thursday again which only means it's time for another episode of Thursday Movie Picks, the weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves where you share three movies to fit the theme of the week each Thursday.

And this is another television edition week, and the topic is superheroes. Believe it or not, it was very challenging for me. Not for the reason you're thinking, though. The problem is that I watch so many superhero tv series - I basically watch them all - I didn't know which to pick. So I decided to go all Netflix & Chill Marvel, my favourite pair. And the best thing is that they all are tied together. 

Daredevil (2015- )

As a child Matt Murdock was blinded by a chemical spill which gave him superhuman senses. He a fully grown man now, an attorney at day, and a vigilante at night that uses his special abilities to take down the most powerful men and women in Hell's Kitchen. After the terrible film with Ben Affleck, the Daredevil finally got the treatment he deserved in this excellent adaptation of the comic books. And the villains are fantastic as well. Fisk is played by Vincent D'Onofrio after all. 


Jessica Jones (2015- )

Jessica Jones is a retired superhero who fills her time drinking and trying to help people as a private investigator. But then a man from her past returns to New York, and she has to use her extraordinary abilities to get rid of him. I always loved the complexity of this character and this show was able to capture the suffering, pain and strength of her beautifully. As above, the villain is spectacular and David Tennant really shines as that sociopath. I meant Killgrave. 

Luke Cage (2016- )

Given super strength and durability by an experiment, the wrongly accused Luke Cage escapes from prison and becomes a superhero for hire. I have to admit this one was a bit confused and unfocused, and it does take a while to take off, but it eventually improves. The villains though are not enough for Cage. They are just too weak. That's probably because there were all those villains. It's still worth the watch though. 

A Man Called Ove (2015)

Original Title

En man som heter Ove

Genres

Comedy | Drama

Director

Hannes Holm

Country

Sweden

Cast

Rolf Lassgård, Viktor Baagoe, Filip Berg, Bahar Pars, Zozan Akgun, Tobias Almborg, Ida Engvoll, Borje Lundberg

Storyline

Just when he has finally given up on life, 59-year-old grumpy Ove (Rolf Lassgard) develops an unlikely friendship with his new neighbour (Bahar Pars).

Opinion

Just a few days away from the Oscar night I was able to catch up with "A Man Called Ove", the Swedish entry for Best Foreign Language Picture. I was expecting to like it as I usually enjoy Swedish films, but it wasn't quite the case. I did love it.

This heartwarming, feel-good, funny and moving dramedy is a fantastic journey from beginning to end, and it truly deserves its place at the Oscars.

Based on Fredrik Backman's novel of the same name, the film features what at first may seem like a very simple story about a grumpy, old-ish man but that eventually grows into something much bigger as the main character's backstory is gradually revealed in an excellent way that will explain the rude behaviour of the character and will probably change your opinion of him.

Unlike another entry *coughs*Moonligh*coughs*, "A Man Called Ove" touches many topics like (and especially) friendship, love and moral values and it's able to develop them properly. Also, it delivers plenty of messages. First, before judging someone's behaviour we should get to know them, or at least try. Second, life is so much better when shared with others.

While delivering interesting story, characters and messages, the film also delivers some funny moments well balanced with some tragic moments.

No less important is the cast. Rolf Lassgård's performance as Ove is excellent; he delivers the sadness and melancholy of the character through his eyes and body language and he is able to bring some humanity and warmth into such a grumpy character. Also, kudos to the makeup artist because Lassgård looks much older than he actually is. And he is provided with a great support from the others.

Moonlight (2016)

Genre

Drama

Director

Barry Jenkins

Country

USA

Cast

Trevante Rhodes, Ashton Sander, Alex Hibbert, André Holland, Jharrel Jerome, Jaden Piner, Naomie Harris, Mahershala Ali, Janelle Monae, Patrick Decile

Storyline

It follows the life of a young black man from childhood to adulthood as he struggles to find his place in the world while growing up in a rough neighbourhood of Miami.

Opinion

The hype about "Moonlight" was so high, I went to the movies expecting nothing short of an astonishing film. Unfortunately, that's not the film I saw. I instead found myself watching a tedious coming-of-age film with great acting.

The story, which sounded very compelling and relatable to a lot of people as it is about a gay boy with a messed up mother, dealing with bullying, ended up being truly awful simply because it was told horrendously. It never seems to take off and doesn't go anywhere - at some point though the plot got a bit better and got me believe it was going to be interesting. That, of course, didn't happen.

The story is also quite unoriginal, predictable and clichéd. I wouldn't have had a problem with that if Barry Jenkins was able to say something new or different. It wasn't so. The film deals with so many issues, from being gay to bullying to dysfunctional mother/son relationships, but it just doesn't seem to convey anything. I'm not even sure what the director was trying to say.

There's still some good in "Moonlight". The cinematography by James Laxton is stunning, the colours are so rich and vibrant, and the music suits the film perfectly.

Another great thing about this film is the acting. I first saw Mahershala Ali in "House of Cards" and immediately liked him. I liked him even more in "Luke Cage" where his magnetic presence made him one of the most interesting things about the series. And now here he is, giving a sublime performance as a drug dealer. Naomie Harris also gives a brilliant performance as the mother, and the three actors (Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders and Trevante Rhodes) playing the central character are all wonderful, delivering the character's emotion through their eyes and body.

Notorious (1946)

Genres

Drama | Noir | Romance

Director

Alfred Hitchcock

Country

USA

Cast

Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains, LEopoldine Konstantin, Louis Calhern, Moroni Olsen, Ricardo Costa, Reinhold Schünzel, Ivan Triesault, Eberhard Krumschmidt, Alexis Minotis, Wally Brown, Fay Baker

Storyline

After her father is convicted for treason, Alicia Huberman (Ingrid Bergman) is approached by Government agent T.R. Devlin (Cary Grant) who asks her to spy on a group of her father's Nazi friends in South America.

Opinion

It has been more than a year since I last saw an Alfred Hitchcock film and it was the rather disappointing "Mr. & Mrs. Smith", a film I would have never expected from the master of suspense. Undoubtedly recovered from that shock I watched "Notorious", and while it isn't one of Hitchcock's greatest films it still is an intriguing and quite tense spy film.

At first, I have to say I wasn't very happy with the plot; I was simply worried it was going to be as silly as it usually gets in spy films - and that kind of happened because there's some nonsense about uranium ore in wine bottles I didn't (and still don't) get quite well - but Hitchcock makes the difference. He is able to transform a ridiculous, absurd plot into a plausible one and he does that by delivering some good suspense and thrills. The storytelling is so good, the story moves slow but you won't even notice it.

The weird thing about "Notorious" is that it is a middle way between an espionage thriller and a romantic drama, but it's all so well blended it actually works. For this very reason, the film is able to capture and hold the attention of a wider audience without letting anyone down.

To make the romance memorable there's Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman, both charming, both playing their characters beautifully and sharing a fantastic chemistry.

However, the film does have some flaws. I did really miss Hitchcock's witty and sharp dialogue - no kidding, there are no great, memorable lines here -, and the musical score wasn't that striking either.

Rocky IV (1985)

Genres

Drama | Sport

Director

Sylvester Stallone

Country

USA

Cast

Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, Dolph Lundgren, Brigitte Nielsen, Tony Burton, Michael Pataki, LeRoy Neiman

Storyline

After Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) is killed during a match by Soviet boxer Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) goes to Russia to fight the new champion and avenge his friend.

Opinion

Know that Tina Turner song that goes like "you're simply the best, better than all the rest"? Well, it doesn't apply to the fourth instalment of the Rocky series, the worst entry so far.

Stallone tells the same damn story for the fourth time, only this time he doesn't really bother to add anything new. Just like in "Rocky III", the story is fuelled by the death of one of the main characters by the hands of the villain with only one difference: while Clubber Lang didn't kill Mickey with his own hands but died because of him, Ivan Drago kills Apollo Creed, intentionally I'd say, so to make another film about revenge. Have I mentioned that the plot is also utterly unbelievable and makes no sense whatsoever?

Anyway, what makes "Rocky IV" worse than his predecessor is that the filmmakers decided to involve politics, probably to attract the audience. Worst decision ever, especially if you are going to do an unoriginal thing such as portraying Russians and Russia as the bad guys. Also, they make Russians look so ridiculous.

The characters aren't any better. The old ones are only shadows of the people they used to be and the new ones are terrible. Ivan Drago is supposed to be menacing, and he is a bit, but most of all he looks like some mentally challenged guy. But at least he is an unlikable character, so unlikable even the crowd in Russia starts supporting Rocky.

Even the boxing is getting boring because Rocky fights as he always does, he gets hit a lot in the face and head, and he obviously wins, even against a much stronger opponent.

The Red Turtle (2016)

Original Titles

La Tourte Rouge レッドタートル ある島の物語

Genres

Animation | Fantasy

Director

Michaël Dudok de Wit

Countries

France | Belgium | Japan

Storyline

A nameless castaway attempts to leave a desert island but a red turtle stops him.

Opinion

In times when 3D animation is a must - or at least that's why Hollywood is trying to say -, Studio Ghibli yet again amazes the entire world with "The Red Turtle", a spectacular 2D animated film that touches more serious, mature themes than usual and therefore ends up being more of an adult film than one for kids.

With a dialogue-less story - because this is the kind of story that doesn't need words - about nature and human beings being part of it, the film magically blends reality and fantasy and beautifully captures the life stages of a castaway - he could be each one of us, though. And the ending, oh my, it is so poetic and moving; it also gives the film so much more meaning - showing that humans always look for a reason to do something - and it's the reason why everyone should give this film a try.

The other (obviously) outstanding aspect of the film is the animation. Some may argue it is too minimalist, too repetitive and lacking in action; I saw a great mixture between European and Japanese styles. Dodok de Wit does not fill his film dazzling special effects and that's why the film works so well. The animation, especially the character movements and settings, are so realistic it will blow you away. The colours are also wonderful.

However, "The Red Turtle" isn't perfect. The director is known for his short animations and maybe he should have kept doing that. What I'm trying to say is that the story doesn't feel written for a feature film, and sitting through the film for 80 minutes feels a bit tedious at times. 

Anyway, if you are a fan of Studio Ghibli, or survival movies, this makes for a great watch.

Manchester by the Sea (2016)

Genre

Drama

Director

Kenneth Lonergan

Country

USA

Cast

Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Lucas Hedges, Gretchen Mol, C.J. Wilson, Tate Donovan, Kara Hayward Anna Baryshnikov, Heather Burns, Erica McDermott, Matthew Broderick, Kyle Chandler

Storyline

When his brother passes away (Kyle Chandler), Lee (Casey Affleck) is obliged to return home to take care of his teenage nephew (Lucas Hedges) and this return to the past reopens an unspeakable tragedy. 

Opinion

I haven't seen any of Kenneth Lonergan's films but my gut told me "Manchester by the Sea" was going to be a great film. Maybe it's because of Michelle Williams - the lady sure knows how to pick her films - or the depressing nature of it - yes, I'm attracted to depressing things. However it is, I trusted my gut, like Olivia Pope would do, and I kneel before Lonergan because this film truly is one of the best films of the year.

This film doesn't have much of a plot, but that's what I enjoyed the most about it. It is one of those films where not much happens, that are slow paced but in spite of that, it still manages to engage you and keep you interested. I'd say that's mainly because of the non-linear storytelling. 

Anyway, the most surprising aspect of this film is that while handling very depressing and tough themes such as redemption and guilt, Kenneth Lonergan still manages to deliver some humour. And it isn't at random, it is indeed well balanced with the drama and the director makes use of it just at the right moment.

In addition to being filled with sharp and smart dialogue, the screenplay also features great characters starting from Lee, the main character. At first, we see a drunk who is rude with everyone around him. The kind of guy you can't understand and won't ever like. As the story unfolds, though, and his past emerges we come to know a broken man worn out by guilt and that guy is spectacularly portrayed by Casey Affleck. Without being melodramatic or overacting, he delivers the anger, the sadness and the depression of Lee beautifully and arguably gives the performance of a lifetime.

The supporting characters are also quite well written, developed and well acted, especially by Michelle Williams who manages to give an emotional performance filled with the pain of the character despite having a small amount of screen time. The same can be said of Lucas Hedges playing Lee's nephew. The young actor has a bright future ahead.

Jackie (2016)

Genres

Biography | Drama

Director

Pablo Larrain

Countries

USA | Chile | France

Cast

Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, Greta Gerwig, John Hurt, Max Casella, Billy Crudup, Beth Grant, Richard E. Grant, John Carroll Lynch, Sunnie Pelant, Caspar Phillipson

Storyline

After the assassination of President John F. Kennedy (Caspar Phillipson), First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy (Natalie Portman) fights to establish her husband's legacy and the world of "Camelot" that she created and loved so well.

Opinion

I've been waiting for "Jackie" for a long time because of Natalie Portman. Then people said it was great and I wanted to see it even more. However, in my country, it has been advertised as one of the best films of the year which I knew wasn't going to be true and it ended up lowering my expectations. Well, at least I wasn't disappointed. This film is far away from what I read it would be. It didn't amaze me, it just bored me.

The main reason is probably because there wasn't a plot. The film only shows Jackie Kennedy trying to pull herself together and planning her husband's funeral which clearly isn't' (interesting) enough to make a film about it. Also, the pace is terribly slow.

I wouldn't care for the plot if the film was able to provide a solid character study. Unfortunately, this is not the case. I am not very familiar with Jackie Kennedy but I walked into the movie knowing she was a beautiful, intelligent and rich woman married to the most famous leader of the free world. I walked out knowing something else: she acted as if she was the only woman in the entire world whose husband died and as if she was the only one who has lost a family member. I don't know what the goal of Pablo Larrain was, but I sure didn't feel any compassion for her, if anything I despised her a little.

However, "Jackie" isn't a complete mess. Visually it's wonderful. The editing, cinematography, set design, costumes and makeup are indeed spectacular.

Natalie Portman is great. There wasn't much she could do with that script but she managed to deliver an astonishing and emotional performance as Jackie Kennedy. She wasn't as good as in "Black Swan" though. Peter Sarsgaard also does an excellent job portraying a broken Bobby Kennedy.

Thursday Movie Picks: Shakespeare Adaptations


Hello and welcome back to Thursday Movie Picks, the weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves where you share three movies to fit the theme of the week each Thursday.

Yay! It's Shakespeare's week! Actually, I am not that happy the reason being I haven't seen a lot of movies based on his plays. Let me rephrase that, I haven't seen a lot of good films based on his plays; therefore today I'm going with three films with great actors.

Macbeth (2015)

After receiving a prophecy that one day he will become king of Scotland, Macbeth is consumed by ambition and murders his king to take the throne. I really wanted to love this film but it was too flawed. But Michael Fassbender and Mario Cotillard give such great performances, I'd watch it again for them.

Gnomeo & Juliet (2011)

While two neighbouring gardens are at war, gnomes Gnomeo and Juliet fall in love. I must say the idea of recreating the play with garden gnomes wasn't that bad, but it turned out terrible. The main reason is because the writers had no idea where to focus. The story changes direction too many times. On the other hand, the cast is great. And for great I mean those actors are usually good; however, the script is so poor they can't save the film.

Hamlet (1990)

When the ghost of his father appears and tells him that he was murdered by his brother Claudius, Hamel starts planning revenge. I've seen this one a lot of years ago at English class so I don't remember much. It wasn't that bad, though. And I remember liking Mel Gibson as Hamlet. 

Italian Race (2016)

Original Title

Veloce come il vento

Genres

Drama | Sport

Director

Matteo Rovere

Country

Italy

Cast

Stefano Accorsi, Matilda De Angelis, Paolo Graziosi, Lorenzo Gioielli, Roberta Mattei, Giulio Pugnaghi, Cristina Spina, Rinat Khismatouline, Tatiana Luter

Storyline

After her life falls apart, the only hope of young promise of GT racing Giulia Di Martino (Matilda De Angelis) is her bigger brother Loris (Stefano Accorsi), a drug addict and former champion.

Opinion

I'm Italian and I'm also the first to say Italian cinema has been terrible lately. Month after month, year after year, with only a few exceptions, the theatres are filled with terrible made in Italy movies. When "Italian Race" came out I had the feeling it would be different. And I was also thrilled to see an Italian action film so I gave it a go; I'm really glad I did because Matteo Rovere's film is a light in the darkness as it finds a good balance between drama, action and emotions.

Loosely based on the true story of an Italian rally racer, it is very likely to guess how the story will progress as soon as one of the main characters is introduced, nevertheless, it still is gripping and that basically because of how the story is structured; not only it is a fast paced racing story, but a family drama as well, and it's all well-tied together.

The action is great. I've been a fan of car racing - especially Formula 1 - since I can remember. I grew up watching them with my father and brother; I still watch them and this film was able to deliver that same adrenaline and to engage me just like a real race does.

At last but not least there's the acting, especially Stefano Accorsi's performance; he simply blew me away. His portrayal of a drug addict is pretty much flawless. Also worth of a mention is newcomer Matilda De Angelis who keeps up with Accorsi.

The score is a disgrace, though. Truly awful.

Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

Genres

Biography | Drama | War

Director

Mel Gibson

Countries

USA | Australia

Cast

Andrew Garfield, Vince Vaughn, Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey, Hugo Weaving, Ryan Corr, Teresa Palmer, Rachel Griffiths, Richard Roxburgh, Luke Pegler, Richard Pyros, Ben Mingay, Firass Dirani, Damien Thomlinson, Matt Nable, Robert Morgan, Nathaniel Buzolic

Storyline

It tells the story of Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield), the conscientious objector who served at the Battle of Okinawa refusing to kill people and that eventually receive the Medal of Honour for his bravery.

Opinion

I am no fan of war movies and I don't particularly like Mel Gibson either. "Hacksaw Ridge" though was acclaimed both by critics and public, so I made the sacrifice to sit through this two hours and twenty minutes long war film. And it paid off.

To my big surprise, Mel Gibson not only delivered a solid war film but one of the best I've seen in a long time. A raw, violent, real and emotional war movie that manages to stand out from the genre because of its story.

It isn't just another fictional story like it usually happens. Instead, it is based on the true story of a remarkable man, Desmond Doss, who volunteered during World War II not to kill the enemies but to save lives. In order to do that, he refused to even carry a rifle. So this is not only a story of war, but a story of bravery that shows how much a determined individual can do.

What I liked the most about "Hacksaw Ridge" is that it can be divided into two parts. The first one is slow paced and deep and takes all the time not only to introduce the main character and to explore his motivations but to develop the supporting characters as well. The second part is fast paced, it is about the Battle of Okinawa and that's when Gibson does a wonderful job portraying war as it is through blood, corpses, destruction, explosions and more. And he does it in a quite detached manner which gives the film a documentary vibe, and the use of a realistic cinematography and spectacular sets really help to capture the brutality of war.

Then, of course, the film wouldn't be the same without its lead. Andrew Garfield gives a terrific performance as Desmond Doss as he brings to the character so much heart to make him feel believable. No less important is the supporting cast among which Vince Vaughn stands out giving an unexpectedly excellent performance as Doss's sergeant. Who knew he could play such a deep role in a war film? I sure didn't. 

Dear White People (2014)

Genres

Comedy | Drama

Director

Justin Simien

Country

USA

Cast

Tessa Thompson, Tyler James Williams, Kyle Gallner, Teyonah Parris, Brandon Bell, Malcolm Barrett, Brittany Curran, Marque Richardson, Peter Syvertsen, Justin Dobies, Brandon Alter, Keith Myers, Naomi Ko

Storyline

At an Ivy League college, a controversy over a popular but offensive black-face party thrown by white students breaks out.

Opinion

I've heard so many good things about "Dear White People", I absolutely needed to watch it. It took me several years to do it - and just to be clear, the fact that Netflix is basing a series on it doesn't have anything to do with that. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. It is a quite smart satirical film, but it isn't that funny and at times it can be quite tedious.

There isn't much of a plot still the story does have the basis to be interesting and engaging, and that's essentially because of the film's black characters. Instead of being stupid stereotypes, they are archetypes of today's college people, with their own personalities whose only common thing is the colour of the skin. On the other hand, there are the white characters. They are quite stereotyped, and they kind of kill the film's message about racism.

Anyway, the film still addresses the important issue of racism (in college campuses) decently, but most important, it goes deep into its characters and ends up being a movie about finding one's identity and accepting oneself in a world where issues about race, sexual orientation and more still exist. I particularly enjoyed the inner conflict of Sam, the mulatto leading lady who feels the need to prove she's black just because her father is white.

As for Justin Simien, he did a good job as a writer, but I can't' say the same as a director. At times it almost feels like he doesn't know how to deal with the film's themes, the pace is slow which only made some potentially humorous situations not work, and there also was some weird, awkward staging at times.

On the positive side, there's the cast who carry the film gracefully and gives the film's matters the care they deserve. Tessa Thompson doesn't always express through the face the same emotions she delivers through the voice, but overall she does a good job as she portrays Sam with wit. Tyler James Williams is adorable and very likeable as awkward Lionel, my favourite character because he doesn't try to change who he is.

Rocky III (1982)

Genres

Drama | Sport

Director

Sylvester Stallone

Country

USA

Cast

Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, Burgess Meredith, Tony Burton, Mr. T, Ian Fried, Hulk Hogan

Storyline

After three years of defending his world championship, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) is considering retirement. But then Clubber Lang (Mr. T) challenges him, and lost the title, he teams up with former enemy Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) to win the title back.

Opinion

I knew it eventually was going to happen. I'm talking about a drop in quality in the franchise, and that's exactly the role of "Rocky III". It's still an entertaining film, but it isn't much more of a sport film.

Just like for the previous instalment, the story didn't need to be continued, but that's what Stallone did. Unfortunately, it's still the same story told slightly differently for the third time, and, although it is still interesting to follow despite knowing the outcome, it transforms the character study of the previous entries in nothing more than a story about boxing.

Boxing, boxing, and boxing. That's all this film is about. Although it sees the "development" and growth of the relationship between Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed - the whole idea of Apollo helping Rocky just doesn't seem right to me, though -, the film is pretty shallow.

The character development kind of took a backseat in this one. There isn't much of a development for Rocky, nor for Apollo who plays a more important role as Rocky's trainer. Adrien is barely a character, other than a scene in where she confronts Rocky about his fears, she doesn't have a point to be in the film. Paulie somehow manages to be even more annoying. The villain, Clubber Lang, on the other hand, is the definition of unlikable, and the performance from Mr. T is truly entertaining.

The perks of "Rocky III" being just a film about boxing is the boxing itself. That's where the film gives its best, with great, well-paced action and a fight whose outcome is predictable but by no means less exciting. And at last but not least, the film features a fantastic song, Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger", and a good score overall.