Badlands (1973)

Genres

Crime, Drama, Romance

Director

Terrence Malick

Country

USA

Cast

Martin Sheen, Sissy Spacek, Warren Oates, Ramon Bieri, Alan Vint, Charley Fitzpatrick, Gary Littlejohn, John Carter, Bryan Montgomery, Terrence Malick, Charlie Sheen, Emilio Estevez

Storyline

Impressionable fifteen-year-old Holly Sargis (Sissy Spacek) and her boyfriend Kit Carruthers (Martin Sheen), a twenty-five-year-old garbage collector, embark on a killing spree in the South Dakota badlands.

CHiPs (2017)

Genres

Action, Comedy, Crime

Director

Dax Shepard

Country

USA

Cast

Michael Peña, Dax Shepard, Vincent D'Onofrio, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Adam Brody, Rosa Salazar, Kristen Bell, Jessica McNamee, Vida Guerra, Jane Kaczmarek, Justin Chatwin, Ryan Hansen, Ben Falcone, Adam Rodriguez

Storyline

A rookie officer (Dax Shepard) is teamed with a pro (Michael Peña) at the California Highway Patrol only to find that he's a Fed investigating a heist involving some crooked cops.

Victoria (2015)

Genres

Crime, Drama, Romance

Director

Sebastian Schipper

Country

Germany

Cast

Laia Costa, Frederick Lau, Franz Rogowski, Max Mauff, Burak Yigit, André Hennicke

Storyline

The life of Victoria (Laia Costa), a young Spanish woman living in Berlin, takes an unexpected turn as she meets Sonne (Frederick Lau) and his friends.

Thursday Movie Picks: Television Edition: Family

Welcome to another Thursday Movie Picks, the weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves that consists of picking three films to fit the week's theme.

We are back with another television edition; it's the last Thursday of the month, after all. And this week's magic word is family and here are my picks.

Malcolm in the Middle (2000-2006)

The middle of the two brothers who still live at home, teenage Malcolm tries to survive in his bizarre, dysfunctional family. I loved this show so much, it was probably the only reason I couldn't wait to come home from school. There are so many weird and messed up things those brothers did, I just cannot think about it and not chuckle.

The Middle (2009- )

Frankie and Mike try to survive life while watching their three crazy (it's probably the most appropriate word) children grow up into young adults. I stumbled across this show several years ago while having breakfast (the good old days when I still watched TV while having breakfast) and it was pretty awesome. The comedy was spot on but what I liked the most about it was the way the family dealt with life and its problems.

Transparent (2014- )

The Pfeffermans are a family with serious boundary issues and everybody's secrets start to spill out when Mort tells his daughters and son he was to become a woman. This is one of my favourite show at the moment. It has the right balance of comedy and drama and the cast is phenomenal, especially Jeffrey Tambor as Mort/Maura. I still haven't seen the new season, but I'm sure it's great. 

Beautiful Girls (1996)

Genres

Comedy, Drama, Romance

Director

Ted Demme

Country

USA

Cast

Timothy Hutton, Matt Dillon, Noah Emmerich, Max Perlich, Michael Rapaport, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Annabeth Gish, Lauren Holly, Rosie O'Donnell, Martha Plimpton, Natalie Portman, Uma Thurman, Mira Sorvino, Anne Bobby, Richard Bright, David Arquette, Sam Robards, John Carroll Lynch

Storyline

A group of friends reunite for their high school reunion in the small town where they grew up and they find themselves evaluating their lives and their relationships and forced to deal with reality.

The Vault (2017)

Genres

Horror, Thriller

Director

Dan Bush

Country

USA

Cast

Francesca Eastwood, Taryn Manning, Scott Haze, Q'orianka Kilcher, Clifton Collins Jr., James Franco, Keith Loneker, Jeff Gum, Jill Jane Clements, Michael Milford, Aleksander Bayshelboym, Debbie Sherman, Lee Broda, Anthony DiRocco, Dmitry Paniotto

Storyline

In order to save their brother Micheal (Scott Haze), two estranged sisters, Leah (Francesca Eastwood) and Vee (Taryn Manning), are forced to rob a bank. But it turns out to be no ordinary bank.

Child's Play 3 (1991)

Genre

Action, Horror, Thriller

Director

Jack Bender

Country

USA

Cast

Justin Whalin, Brad Dourif, Perrey Reeves, Jeremy Sylvers, Andrew Robinson, Travis Fine, Darking Matthews, Donna Eskra, Burke Byrnes, Matthew Walker, Dean Jacobson, Peter Haskell, Alex Vincent

Storyline

Andy (Justin Whalin) is now a teenager who has been enrolled in a military school but little he knows that Chucky (Brad Dourif) is back for revenge.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013)

Genres

Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Sci-Fi

Directors

Cody Cameron, Kris Pearn

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan, Will Forte, Neil Patrick Harris, Benjamin Bratt, Terry Crews, Kristen Schaal, Khamani Griffin, Al Roker, Cody Cameron, Bridget Hoffman

Storyline

After the disastrous food storm, Flint (Bill Hader) left his town and started working at The Live Corp Company for his hero, Chester V (Will Forte). But he's forced to leave his post when he learns that his machine is still operational and it's creating living food.

Murder by Death (1976)

Genres

Comedy, Mystery

Director

Robert Moore

Country

USA

Cast

Peter Sellers, David Niven, Maggie Smith, James Coco, Alex Guinness, Peter Falk, Elsa Lanchester, Truman Capote, Nancy Walker, Richard Narita, James Cromwell, Eileen Brennan, Estelle Winwood

Storyline

Millionaire Lionel Twain (Truman Capote) has invited the five greatest detectives, Sidney Wang (Peter Sellers) from China, Dick Charleston (David Niven) from New York, Jessica Marbles (Elsa Lanchester) from England, Milo Perrier (James Coco) from Belgium and Sam Diamond (Peter Falk) from San Francisco, to a dinner and murder, and promises a million dollars to the one who will solve the murder.

Baby Driver (2017)

Genres

Action, Crime

Director

Edgar Wright

Country

USA

Cast

Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Lily James, Jon Hamm, Eiza Gonzalez, Jamie Foxx, Jon Bernthal, Flea, Lanny Joon, CJ Jones, Sky Ferreira, Lance Palmer, Big Boi, Killer Mike, Paul Williams, Jon Spencer

Storyline

When he thinks he is finally free to have his own life with his new girlfriend Deborah (Lily James), young getaway driver Baby (Ansel Elgort) is coerced back for another job by his former boss Doc (Kevin Spacey). Only this time he's saddled with a too violent and unstable crew of thugs and Baby finds himself and everything he cares for in danger. 

The Brand New Testament (2015)

Original Title

Le Tout Nouveau Testament

Genres

Comedy, Fantasy

Director

Jaco Van Dormael

Countries

Belgium, France, Luxembourg

Cast

Benoit Poelvoorde, Pili Groyne, Catherine Deneuve, François Damiens, Yolande Moreau, Laura Verlinden, Serge Larivière, David Murgia, Johan Leysen, Pascal Duquenne, Viviane De Muynck, Johan Heldenbergh, Gaspard Pauwels, Didier De Neck, Kody, Romain Gelin, Marco Lorenzini

Storyline

God (Benoit Poelvoorde) lives in human form as a cynical writer who is bored to death and the only thing that makes him feel better is creating meaningless but mean laws to destroy people's days, so his very opinionated daughter Ea (Pili Groyne) decides to descend to earth in search of her own 6 disciples to write a brand new testament and so rewrite the world.

Opinion

The Brand New Testament is a satirical dark comedy about religion. I'm an atheist. In other words, I just couldn't miss this one. Only I did. But I finally got back to it and it was awesome. It's been a while since I last saw such an humourous film that manages to be also touching but most of all thought-provoking. 

Only second to the catchy title (God exists and he lives in Bruxelles in Italian), the storyline is the reason I decided to watch it expecting a fun film. What I wasn't expecting, however, was the depth the plot would get as soon as the story progresses. Because the story really isn't about religion, it is about life. 

By simply letting people know how much to live they have left, the film explores the pursuit of happiness and what it means to break free from the everyday-life chains that oppress us so to become who we truly are. But it also shows some heart-breaking realities, like the devastation of a mother as she finds that her disabled son is going to die a month after her. That was a hard to watch, to be honest.

Don't worry though, that's one of just a few sad and dark moments in The Brand New Testament. The film has plenty of humour, mostly brought out of everyday life, and it's delivered beautifully by the cast.

Which brings me to what's easily my favourite thing about the film, the six disciples. They were not chosen because of their moral values or anything, they are just six people who have the courage to be who they truly are. They all are different from each other; they simply are common people. There's the beautiful yet lonely young woman, the boy who wants to be a girl, a killer, a lonely man who hasn't done anything but work his entire life, a sex addict and an unhappy married woman. 

Thursday Movie Picks: Just Not Funny Comedies

Welcome to another Thursday Movie Picks, the weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves that consists of picking three films to fit the week's theme.

This week we deal with those comedies that fail to do what a comedy is supposed to do aka make the audience laugh. My three picks? Well, I don't think I laughed even once while watching them.ù

Bad Moms (2016)

Three overworked mothers ditch their responsibilities to just have fun aka a story with some potential that was wasted because the writers did not know how to develop a story without filling it with clichés and predictable plot turns. Nor did they know how to do comedy because all the joke fell flat. Kathryn Hahn was able to make me chuckle a couple of times but only because she is amazing. 

Baywatch (2017)

A lifeguard does some undercover work to find out who is selling a new synthetic drug on his beach. Based on the famous TV series, this film is ridiculous, to say the least. The story is terrible, the characters even worse, and the humour, well, if dick jokes is your kind of humour, you'll love this. It'll basically all you get. 

CHiPs (2017)

It's about a rooker cop who is teamed with a California Highway Patrol pro who actually is an undercover FBI agent that investigates a heist involving crooked cops. Just like Baywatch, it's a remake of a TV series and it's just as bad, if not even worse. It sucks on every single level, especially on the humour which is pretty much all homophobic jokes.

Salt (2010)

Genres

Action, Thriller

Director

Phillip Noyce

Country

USA

Cast

Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Daniel Olbrychski, August Diehl, Daniel Pearce, Hunt Block, Andre Braugher, Olek Krupa, Cassidy Hinkle, Corey Stoll, Vladislav Koulikov, Olya Zueva, Kevin O'Donnell, Gaius Charles, Mike Colter

Storyline

CIA agent Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie) goes on the run after a Russian defector accuses her of being a Russian spy.

Opinion

I don't know why but I thought Salt would be an exciting spy movie with just the right balance between action and thrills. Probably I just wanted a film with a female spy as the lead to success. Anyway, the film wasn't was I thought. Instead, it was more like a bland action sci-fi flick. Why sci-fi? Because there's so much nonsense going on, it's even too non-sense for an action flick. I know action movies are not realistic, but this one defies the definition of unrealistic.

The story starts off pretty well, it has a nice pace and it's interesting to follow. Then it all starts to become a little too much chaotic. A mess, basically. It is incredibly stupid, too ridiculous, there are too many plot holes, and too many twists - one second Salt isn't a Russian spy, the second after that she is a Russian spy, and then again she isn't. I'm not even sure that's what happened, it's all so damn confused in this movie and it ended up being quite boring. 

What's even worst about Salt is the characters. First, Evelyn Salt isn't a bit credible. She is out of everyone's league and I know I shouldn't be judging a book by its cover, but she is just too small to have such a strength. I mean, she is basically the Hulk with Tony Stark's brain in Angelina Jolie's body.  The other characters are even worst, especially the Russians who are nothing more than just your typical Russian stereotype who only does two things, drink tons of vodka and shoot for no reason whatsoever. I'd get in a movie from the 80s but in one from 2010? Hell, no.

And just like everything else, the action is terrible too. The whole film is basically nothing more than nonsense and non-stop mediocre action. It isn't exciting, if anything it's boring because overdone.

Pan (2015)

Genres

Adventure, Fantasy

Director

Joe Wright

Country

USA

Cast

Levi Miller, Hugh Jackman, Garret Hedlund, Rooney Mara, Adeel Akhtar, Nonso Anozie, Amanda Seyfried, Kathy Burke, Lewis MacDougall, Jack Charles, Cara Delevigne, Na Tae-joo, Bronson Webb, Kurt Egyiawan, Paul Kaye, Emerald Fennell

Storyline

12-year-old Peter (Levi Miller) is spirited away to the magical world of Neverland where he must face pirate leader Blackbeard (Hugh Jackman) in order to become the hero that will always be known as Peter Pan.

Child's Play 2 (1990)

Genres

Horror, Thriller

Director

John Lafia

Country

USA

Cast

Alex Vincent, Brad Dourif, Christine Elise, Jenny Agutter, Gerrit Graham, Grace Zabriskie, Peter Haskell, Beth Grant, Greg Germann, Raymond Singer, Charles Meshack, Adam Wylie

Storyline

When his mother is admitted to a psychiatric hospital, Andy (Alex Vincent) is placed in foster care. But he won't be safe because Chucky is onto him and he's determined to claim Andy's soul.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)

Genres

Animation, Comedy, Sci-Fi

Directors

Phil Lord, Christopher Miller

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan, Neil Patrick Harris, Bruce Campbell, Andy Samberg, Mr. T, Bobb'e J. Thompson, Benjamin Bratt, Al Roker, Lauren Graham, Will Forte

Storyline

Clumpsy inventor Flint Lockwood (Bill Hader) creates a machine that can turn water into food and soon food starts falling from the sky. But it eventually gets out of control as the people of the town ask for more and more food.

Opinion

The first time I saw Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs I didn't enjoy it at all. I found it so boring, I almost fell asleep. Then, months ago (maybe even more), some TMP entries made me realise that I was probably the only one who felt that way so I decided to give it a second chance and I enjoyed it. Probably not as much as everybody else, but definitely more than the first time.

The reason I watched it in the first place was the storyline and it ended up being my favourite part of the film. And it still is. It is original and yet clichéed (there are both the
typical romantic subplot and the father-and-son relationship) but, although it feels dragged at some points, it's quite enjoyable and fun to watch.

However, what I really liked back then and what I really like now is not the story itself but its meaning and how much it has to teach us. Without being too complicated or heavy, the film delivers its message. And it's not that American is fat (okay, maybe that too) but it is about the inability of human beings to contain themselves - we are never satisfied, we always want more and more - but most of all, it shows how we are treating our planet.

My biggest problem with this film is the characters. They are pretty shallow, childish and annoying as well. The lead is barely likeable but you root for him anyway because there isn't a strong villain. The cop and the monkey were kind of nice though. The animation isn't that bright either, but at least the actors did a fairly good job bringing to life the characters.

The Mummy (2017)

Genres

Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Thriller

Director

Alex Kurtzman

Country

USA

Cast

Tom Cruise, Annabelle Wallis, Sofia Boutella, Jack Johnson, Courtney B. Vance, Russell Crowe, Marwan Kenzari, Javier Botet, Selva Rasalingam

Storyline

An ancient Egyptian princess (Sofia Boutella) is awakened from her crypt and she is determined to take back all that should have been hers bringing terrors that defy human comprehension.

Opinion

I never cared much about The Mummy. I haven't seen the original and I've only seen bits and pieces of the remake with Brendan Fraser. I just couldn't care less. But then this movie's trailer was released and I have to admit that it looks pretty cool. Which only meant a thing, it would suck. And guess what, this movie sucks. 

Let's see... where do I begin? Oh, I know, the plot, although it's going to be quite tough because the film barely has one. It's paper-thin, too simple and stupid to even care. It doesn't make any sense. It doesn't have an interesting plot point/twist. On the other hand, it is filled with larger-than-life holes. Have I mentioned how predictable it is? So predictable that the mummy hasn't awakened yet and you already know how it's going to end. And how about that super contrived Tom Cruise plot where he tries to reverse the curse? Absolute trash.

And what a disappointment Tom Cruise was! I get it, the script is basically toilet paper, but I don't think I've ever seen him so uninterested and bored. He is the first one who doesn't care about what's going on, so why on earth should we care? He was great in the Mission: Impossible series, but here he's like a ghost, and it's quite embarrassing since he's the lead. 

On the other hand, we have Russell Crowe who actually took this thing seriously and tries to do good, but there's really nothing he can do to save this since his character, Dr Jekyl/Mr. Hyde, is terrible. Can you believe that him turning out to be a bad guy is the film's best twist?

And I feel tremendously sorry for Sofia Boutella who found herself in the shoes of this incredibly strong and independent woman who basically spends all of her time chasing her lover. For once that they have a great female character, the filmmakers do stupid things like that. 

The filmmakers couldn't even decide whether they wanted to make an action-adventure thriller, an action horror, or a romantic horror. The action sequences are pretty lazy and tedious. And it's a mess visually as well. The editing isn't good - there are some scenes placed here and there that don't make a lot of sense - and the effects, actually some of them, are pretty awful. They look like they came for the '90s. 

Danny Collins (2015)

Genres

Comedy, Drama, Music

Director

Dan Fogelman

Country

USA

Cast

Al Pacino, Annette Bening, Jennifer Garner, Bobby Cannavale, Christopher Plummer, Nick Offerman, Cesar Evora, Josh Peck, Fernando Colunga, Michelle Vieth, Katarina Cas, Melissa Benoist, Giselle Eisenberg, Eric Michael Roy

Storyline

Agings folk singer Danny Collins (Al Pacino) decides to change his life and rediscover his family when he finds a 40-year-old undelivered letter written to him by John Lennon. 

Opinion

Danny Collins came to my attention because there's Al Pacino who doesn't play neither a gangster nor a criminal and I gave it a change. And he was impressive. Way more impressive than the film itself. 

Why? Because there simply isn't a lot new in this film. It basically tells a story that has already been told a million times before. Actually, it manages to tells two stories that have already been told a million times before, that of an ageing musician who decides to turn his life around and that of an ageing and absent parent who feels guilty about that and decides to be part of his son's life. I would have loved the writers to go with the John Lennon letter and focus more on that but instead they decided to go on the tedious road of clichés. 

The title character isn't anything special either. He's just another man who has lived a life made of excesses, wants to change it but keeps fucking it up. He isn't a very interesting character either to be honest, but with a strong performance, Al Pacino manages to make you root for him while he charms his way into his son's life and flirts with hotel manager Mary, delightfully portrayed by Annette Bening. However, the courting between Pacino and Bening gets a little repetitive and boring after a while.

So for the most, the script isn't the film's strongest suit, but the dialogue is actually pretty clever. Also, Folgelman's director (Crazy, Stupid, Love.) is good and the film ends up being a little emotional and humorous dramedy. 

A Wednesday (2008)

Genre

Thriller

Director

Neeraj Pandev

Country

India

Cast

Anupam Kher, Naseeruddin Shah, Jimmy Shergill, Aamir Bashir, Deepal Shaw, Alok Narula, Rohitash Gaud, Kali Prasad Mukherjee, Mukesh Batt, Vijay Bhatia, Chetan Pandit, Rajendra Chawla, Seema Malik

Storyline

On the verge of retiring, Commissioner of Mumbai police Prakash Rathod (Anupam Kher) reminisces about one day of his career, the Wednesday a man (Naseeruddin Shah) called and told him he had placed five different bombs in the city, all set to go off in some time if the police officer didn't meet his demands. 

Opinion

It's probably because of the whole dancing and singing thing Bollywood is known for, but I usually overlook Indian movies. So if it wasn't for a suggestion from a Twitter friend, I would have never A Wednesday and it'd be a shame because it really is a nice thriller.

The story is pretty average and not very believable, and it's a little dragged at the beginning, but overall, it has a nice pace and some interesting and unexpected plot twists that will keep you engaged throughout the film.

It is pretty simple and by that, I mean that the film remains focused on the main plot without having any pointless romantic subplot or anything like that. Also, I liked how the film goes from action thriller to a more dramatic thriller once the "terrorist" reveals his motives.

Still, the movie isn't perfect. Although the director did a good job building and delivering suspense and tension - which is impressive considering this is his directorial debut -, everything else is just not so great. The actors aren't that good and give their worst in the fighting scenes, probably the worst I've ever seen; the sound effects are weird, especially in the fighting scenes where they were comical to say the least; the editing is terrible and there are a lot of incoherent shots. 

Thursday Movie Picks: Financial World

Welcome to another Thursday Movie Picks, the weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves that consists of picking three films to fit the week's theme. 

This week was tough. Probably because I'm not rich and I don't give a damn about this kind of movies. But here's my three picks anyway

Limitless (2011)

With the help of a magic pill that allows him to use 100 percent of his brain abilities, a struggling writer becomes a financial wizard. With that, however, comes danger. It's basically the original Lucy. And by far the best version. I haven't seen it in a while but I remember it being tense and very engaging. 

Cosmopolis (2012)

The simple task of getting a haircut soon develops into an odyssey for 28-year-old billionaire Eric Packer as he meets people who start to tear his world apart. This is probably one of the worst things Cronenberg has made. It's dreadful. Robert Pattinson is quite good though. 

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

It follows the rise and fall of real-life stockbroker Jordan Belfort who lives the high life involving crimes and more. I hated this movie. Truly hated it. I really don't get all the praise. I only saw 3 hours of cursing, sex, drugs and Jonah Hill's penis. 

Elysium (2013)

Genres

Action, Drama, Sci-Fi

Director

Neill Blomkamp

Country

USA

Cast

Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Alice Braga, Sharlto Copley, Diego Luna, Wagner Moura, William Fichtner, Brandon Auret, Josh Blacker, Maxwell Perry Cotton, Valentina Giros, Faran Tahir, Emma Tremblay, Jose Pablo Cantillo, Adrian Holmes, Michael Mando, Carly Pope, Ona Grauer, Michael Shanks

Storyline

In 2154, the population is divided into two social classes: the wealthy and powerful living in Elysium, a space station; the poor people living on the polluted Earth. People of Earth continuously try to get in Elysium, failing, but Max (Matt Damon) is more determined than anyone, and he takes on a mission to bring equality to the worlds. 

Opinion

I haven't read a lot of good things about Elysium. To be honest, I've only read bad things about it and now that I've seen it, I totally get that. Other than having gorgeous visuals, this film doesn't have anything to offer.

I have a soft spot for dystopian stories, but this one, although is a too much real vision of the future, isn't good. At all. It is rushed and paper-thin, it is filled with clichés of the genre and there are so many plot holes it's impossible to keep count.

In addition, it's made completely uninteresting, unappealing and unengaging by characters. Just like the story, they are paper-thin, they have no development and it's impossible to care for them. The main villain is just as bad. He is a joke and he's so annoying, I ended up hating him. And usually I don't hate villans, I love them. He doesn't have neither a motive nor a background. The cast, as "big" as it is, just can't do anything to fix that. The performances as well are pretty lazy, especially Sharlto Copley's villain who overdid his accent and was incomprehensible most of the time.

Add some pretty terrible directorial choices and a final fight, the predictable good vs. evil, that is arguably the most disappointing part of the film and you get Elysium, a film where nobody bothered spending time writing an exciting story filled with interesting characters to care for but instead focused all their energies on special effects.

Cosmopolis (2012)

Genre

Drama

Director

David Cronenberg

Country

USA

Cast

Robert Pattinson, Sarah Gadon, Paul Giamatti, Samantha Morton, Matthieu Amalric, Juliette Binoche, Jay Barucel, Kevin Durand, Philip Nozuka, K'naan, Emily Hampshire, Patricia McKenzie

Storyline

28-year-old billionaire Eric Packer (Robert Pattinson) is riding across Manhattan in a limo just to get a haircut. This simple quest, however, develops into an odyssey as the people he meets start to tear his world apart.

Opinion

Although I wasn't very fond of A Dangerous Method (I had to watch it in multiple sittings, and I did that only because of Michael Fassbender), I usually like Cronenberg's films. They are both fascinating and terrifying. And thought-provoking. And hard to sit through. Well, Cosmopolis as well was pretty hard to sit through, the reason being it was dreadfully tedious. Pretty much like A Dangerous Method.

There isn't much of a plot - the poor (so to speak) guy only wanted to get a freaking haircut, he only picked the wrong day. And by the way, who, in a day of protest, would go to a dangerous neighbourhood on the other side of the city only to get a haircut? -, there are just a lot of things happening at random that don't make a lot of sense.

I would have gladly passed over it if the script had more to offer. But unfortunately, that isn't the case. Although the dialogue is interesting, weird, quite complex, makes sense, way more sense of the events taking place, and alone manages to handle plenty of contemporary issues such as solitude, alienation, capitalism, technology, power, sex and many others, the characters are shallow, to say the least. They can't even be called characters since they are just some famous actors appeared out of nowhere to have a deep and meaningful conversation with Robert Pattinson. I would have probably enjoyed more a Robert Pattinson's monologue, also because there wasn't much of a debate between him and the people.

And that brings me to one of the few things I was able to appreciate about Cosmopolis, Robert Pattinson (thank God, I'd add, because he's the reason I decided to watch it in the first place). He carries the role beautifully, delivering each line of dialogue to perfection and some humour as well. Among the other famous people, Sarah Gadon deserves a mention for playing Pattinson's wife Elise. The character is pretty shallow but she gives a solid performance and their sexual tension is up to the roof.

At last, the visuals. The film is simply gorgeous to look at. The dream-like photography is stunning, the limousine setting is very claustrophobic.

Child's Play (1988)

Genres

Horror, Thriller

Director

Tom Holland

Country

USA

Cast

Alex Vincent, Catherine Hicks, Chris Sarandon, Brad Dourif, Brock Winkles, Dinah Manoff, Tommy Swerdlow, Jack Colvin, Raymond Oliver, Neil Giuntoli, Alan Wilder, Aaron Osborne, Juan Ramizer

Storyline

To escape from a cop (Chris Sarandon), a serial killer (Brad Dourif) transfer his soul into good guy doll Chucky, a doll that a single mother (Catherine Hicks) eventually gives to her son (Alex Vincent), clueless of it being possessed. And soon the doll starts killing people.

Opinion

Since I've already tortured myself with some of the most famous horror franchises, I thought it'd be fair to watch Chucky's franchise too, because who wants to be the target of a murderous doll? I sure don't. That, however, didn't prevent me from expecting Child's Play to be a terrible movie. Thank God it wasn't the case because I'd be pretty scared to write that review for the reason I mentioned earlier. I'm kidding of course. I'm not scared of a doll. The movie though, it was better than expected.

The story is pretty lame, clichéed and predictable but I have to admit that the whole doll possessed by serial killer thing is quite an original idea and it moves very well and it's overall enjoyable.

But the reason why Child's Play exceeded my expectations is the direction. The way Tom Holland set up the story and the creepy atmosphere he was able to build are the things that will engage you and keep you on the edge of your seat. The story itself (and the murders) isn't that scary, but the atmosphere is so good and the music fits so well, they easily make up for it.

Also quite impressive is the doll. There are some pretty good puppet effects, and the special effects are overall pretty good, especially for this time period. And Chucky's voice, although I was expecting it to be way creepier, fits the looks of the doll.

Peter Pan (1953)

Genres

Adventure, Animation, Comedy

Directors

Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Bobby Driscoll, Margaret Kerry, Kathryn Beaumont, Paul Collins, Tommy Luske, Hans Conried, Heather Angel, Bill Thompson, Robert Ellis, Jeffrey Silver, Johnny McGovern, Stuffy Singer, Tony Butala, Tom Conway

Storyline

Wendy (Margaret Kerry) and her two young brothers John (Paul Collins) and Michael (Tommy Luske) receive a visit from Peter Pan (Bobby Driscoll) who takes them to the magical world of Neverland. 

Opinion

Peter Pan is another of those Disney movies I loved as a kid and I decided to rewatch to find how I'd feel about it today. The answer is, pretty much the same, because after all those years (both from my childhood and from the movie's release) this still is an animated gem.

As a kid, I was very fascinated and enchanted by the story. What kid wouldn't love to fly away and go to a magical land where you never grow up? As an adult, I'm still fascinated by that story. Unlike Barrie's play, this film's story is pretty simple and isn't too deep, but it's a delight to watch.

And the characters play a huge role in that. Although the development and characterization aren't excellent, the characters are nice, funny, likeable and it's easy to side with them. Some (the Indians) are nothing more than stereotypes, I know that, but they still are a nice addition to the film. Also, there's one of Disney's most famous characters (and one of my favourite as well), Tinker Bell. She is so sassy and fun, it's impossible not to love her.

The actors all do a good job with their characters, but it's the animation that truly brings them to life. It's aged and you can tell, especially from the characters' goofy facial expressions, but it's still is pretty impressive.

Also, it has some good humour and the songs are fun and entertaining.

Crazy Heart (2009)

Genres

Drama, Music, Romance

Director

Scott Cooper

Country

USA

Cast

Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Colin Farrell, Robert Duvall, Paul Herman, Jack Nation, Ryan Bingham, Rick Dial

Storyline

Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) is a broken-down country singer with an alcohol addiction who is forced to reassess his life after he meets Jean (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a journalist who will discover the real man behind the musician. 

Opinion

I've been meaning to watch Crazy Heart for quite some time because of Colin Farrell but I eventually ended up watching it because of Jeff Bridges. Isn't it funny? Why am I bringing that up? Because the film itself isn't great, but Bridges' performance sure does elevate it so I'm happy he was the reason I watched this film for (also because Farrell is barely in it).

The main reason is the writing. The film tells the story of a washed up singer trying to overcome his addiction and to save what's left of his career. It isn't the most original of the stories, its outcome is very predictable and the development leaves something to be desired. 

Then there is a decent, slow-paced romance that would have been much better if the writers spent some time developing the characters and provided Jean a little back story to make us understand why she is seduced by this older man and why she is so vulnerable. I know the story isn't about her but since she has a huge impact on it, a deeper character was needed.

The direction isn't great either. There are just too many close-ups, probably Cooper was trying to make up for the characters' lack of deepness with some deep shots. However, the calmness and slow-pacing of the movie work quite well.

At last, we have the performances and they really make the watch worth. Jeff Bridges is spectacular as the decadent singer and captures the sorrows of Blake wonderfully. He doesn't overdo the character, he's pretty much Bad Blake. And he also does his own singing, which is impressive. If you haven't seen the movie, I suggest you go listen to the soundtrack; he really sounds amazing. Same goes with Colin Farrell who also gives a good performance (the fangirl in me wanted more of him though). Maggie Gyllenhaal is impressive considering how poor her character is, but was she Oscar worthy? I'm not sure about that.

A Bronx Tale (1993)

Genres

Crime, Drama

Director

Robert De Niro

Country

USA

Cast

Robert De Niro, Chazz Palminteri, Francis Capra, Lillo Brancato Jr., Kathrine Narducci, Taral Hicks, Jow Pesci, Louis Vanaria, Domenick Lombardozzi

Storyline

After witnessing a shooting in the street involving a local gangster (Chazz Palminteri) and refusing to sell him out to the police, a small boy named Calogero (Francis Capra) befriends him and grows up under his wing with the disapproval of his father (Robert De Niro) becomes worried.

Opinion

I never bothered watching A Bronx Tale because I thought it would be just another film about the Italian mob with Robert De Niro playing a mobster. And the poster convinced me of this even more. That, of course, would have never happened if I bothered reading the storyline. Anyway, De Niro's film is nothing short of an amazing coming-of-age film.

Written by Chazz Palminteri, the story is very simple but it's that kind of simple story that is also very deep and engaging. It's a wonderful coming-of-age of a boy growing up under the influence of two men, his father and a local gangster, that therefore analyses the father-son relationship.

At the same time, De Niro's film touches the important thematic/issues of racism in America by highlighting and "beautifully" delivering the tension between Afro-Americans and Italians.

While addressing this issue, the film also does a quite interesting character study of the two men in Calogero's life. It contraposes the figure of the ruthless gangster capable of killing someone in cold blood to that of the caring and loving father who is doing all he can to keep his son away from that life by teaching him how to be a man. The most fascinating thing, however, is how they react when teenage Calogero talks about dating an Afro-American girl. That's when the father turns out to be nothing more than a short-minded racist, and the gangster ends up being the one guy to listen to as he tells the young man that skin colour is not important, if they are happy together, that's all that counts. At this point, it's really impossible to side with the father.

And kudos to Chazz Palminteri. Not only he did write a brilliant and enchanting screenplay - supposedly based on his childhood -, but he also gave a spectacular performance as the wise gangster that outperformed and overshadowed Robert De Niro who is nothing short of great himself as the straight father. More than solid performances are also delivered by Lillo Brancato and Frank Capra, respectively playing the older and the young Calogero.

Robert De Niro's direction debut is pretty much flawless. He does a wonderful job bringing to life story and characters with some memorable and powerful scenes, like where the boy had to pick the shooter in the lineup, or that final scene with Joe Pesci. He also does a wise use of slow-motion and his musical choices fit the film beautifully and deliver that Bronx atmosphere the film needs. And has.