Nosferatu (1922)

Original Title

Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens

Genre

Fantasy | Horror

Director

F. W. Murnau

Country

Germany

Cast

Max Schreck, Gustav von Wangenheim, Greta Schröder, Alexander Granach, Georg H. Schnell, Ruth Landshoff, John Gottowt, Gustav Botz, Max Nemetz, Wolfgang Heinz, Heinrich Witte, Guido Herzfeld, Karl Etlinger, Hardy von Francois, Fanny Schreck

Storyline

A young, German real estate agent (Gustav von Wangenheim) is sent to Transylvania as the Count (Max Schreck) wants to purchase an house in Germany and soon realises the evil he is dealing with.

Opinion

Almost a century ago, before vampires were portrayed as the cool kids, Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau brought to the screen Bram Stoker's legendary vampire, Dracula, for the very first time with "Nosferatu", a brilliant and quite disturbing masterpiece of silent cinema.

As mentioned above, the film is based on Stoker's novel, but, due to some copyright problems, the names of the characters and places were changed which is definitely not a big deal because the story remains the same, that story we all know by heart.

The story is well told, well, most of it is. Some parts look a little confusing because the titles don't really explain what is going on. Also I have to admit that at some point the story turns into something really weird that is nothing like "Dracula". 

Other than that, I have nothing to complain about. The sets, environments and photography are perfect and give the film a fantastic, unique and unforgettable atmosphere that is terrific and creepy, still nowadays. Some of the special effects are laughable, but they still deserve respect because this film was made before computers were even a thing.

And yes, this film is actually scary and Max Schreck has to be thanked for that. He plays the part of Count Orlok/Nosferatu to perfection, and with his long fingernails and gaunt appearance he delivers the best vampire performance ever, bringing such a presence to the role that cannot be equaled. 

I would have never imagined a silent film to still be this powerful nowadays, but I get why some people may find it too slow or boring. 

Step Up 3D (2010)

Genre

Drama | Dance | Romance

Director

Jon M. Chu

Country

USA

Cast

Rick Malambri, Adam G. Sevani, Sharni Vinson, Alyson Stoner, Kathy Najimy, Joe Slaughter, Keith Stallworth, Kendra Andrews, Stephen Boss, Jonathan Perez, Martin Lombard, Facundo Lombard, Oren Michaeli, Chadd Smith, Daniel Campos, Shirley Henriquez, Alberto Collado Aracena

Storyline

A tight-knit group of New York City street dancers find themselves pitted against the world's best hip hop dancers in a high-stakes showdown.

Opinion

I remember this film making a pretty big deal about being in 3D when it came out. Frankly, I don't even get the point of making a 3D dance film. Maybe, since "Step Up 3D" is a really bad film, the purpose was to make it look nicer, but I wouldn't know because I've seen it twice in 2D. And my opinion hasn't changed, it only got worse.

The plot wasn't either the previous installments' strong suit, but at least the final products were quite pleasant. But this is a whole different story. The non-existent plot is filled with clichés of the genre, gigantic plot holes and as if that wasn't enough it doesn't make a lot of sense and most important it manages to be boring.

I know what you are thinking, how can a dance film be boring, right? Ask the filmmakers, that apparently they were so caught up in the idea of making the first 3D dance film that they didn't even think about writing. In fact, other than the dreadful story, the script also features so horrible that is painful to hear dialogue - it can pretty much be summarized with "We have to win" and "We still can do it" - and characters there are the least interesting of the franchise. And not only.

And now the dancing. When it comes to a film like this one, there's nothing worse than average choreographies, and that's exactly what the film provides from start to finish. I usually feel excited when watching those scenes, but here I felt nothing. Besides boredom, of course.

In this hell, one character and actor steps out from the crowd, that being Adam G. Sevani in the role of Moose. I've already mentioned how much I like the character in "Step Up 2: The Streets", and in this film he is pretty much the only good thing. And he does start with a good opening dance scene.

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)

Genre

Animation | Comedy | Fantasy

Directors

Steve Box | Nick Park

Country

UK

Voice Cast

Peter Sallis, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Peter Kay, Nicholas Smith, Dicken Ashworth, Edward Kelsey

Storyline

Wallace (Peter Sallis) and his loyal dog, Gromit, set out to discover the mystery behind the garden sabotage that plagues their village and threatens the annual giant vegetable growing contest.

Opinion

I've never seen the the television series this is based on, but I remember that I wanted to see the film very badly when it came out, pretty much because I was 11 and obsessed with bunnies. Now, 11 year later, I've finally watched it, and it blew me away!

"Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" is an amusing, creative and colourful animated flick that is entertaining from start to finish.

And it is well written as well. Even though it is simple - but easy for kids to follow - and not very original, the story is funny and engaging and also reserves some surprises along the way, turns that may seem bizarre, but that totally makes sense and seems normal in this world. And the subplots are interesting as well.

The film is also filled with British humour - if you love it, you'll love the film - that suits both kids and adults. Sure, there are some jokes that target more adults - like in the scenes between Wallace and Lady Tottingham - but overall everyone can laugh at it.

I've found the characters quite eccentric and memorable, not to mention how hilarious they are. But since I've never seen the series, I believe the filmmakers should have taken some time to properly introduce Wallace and Gromit for those not familiar with the series. In spite of that, it was still exciting to follow the two friends in their adventure.

The best and most striking aspect of this film is indeed the clay animation, that is what makes this film so unique. The meticulous attention to details, the beautifully expressive faces of characters that seem more human than those computer generated. It's really amazing what can be hand-crafted.

Bastille Day (2016)

Genre

Action | Thriller

Director

James Watkins

Country

UK | France | USA

Cast

Idris Elba, Richard Madden, Charlotte Le Bon, Kelly Reilly José Garcia, Anatol Yusef, Eriq Ebouaney

Storyline

A young con artist (Richard Madden) and a former CIA agent (Idris Elba) embark on an anti-terrorist mission in France.

Opinion

Not really advertised - at least in my country -, I decided to watch this film because of its leads, Idris Elba and Richard Madden, and they were not a total disappointment. And "Bastille Day"? Well, it's another story. While it is a decent action thriller, it doesn't bring anything new to the genre. 

First up is the plot which couldn't have been more thin, predictable or implausible, stretching credulity to its limits. And it's quite annoying, because it starts off quite well and with a good concept, but then the twists that seems so well planned aren't that wow, and the whole thing is a bit of a disappointment.

The characters are another flaw. Just like the plot, they are thinly written, shallow, lack personality and the buddy feeling between the main characters, the CIA agent and the young delinquent, never really develops. "Central Intelligence" did a great job there. 

On the other side of the coin there's the action. The sequences are well done and the fast pace is perfect to make the experience a little bit more entertaining and exciting. But, in my opinion, there is too much unnecessary violence that make no sense at all.

As for the cast, the charismatic Idris Elba is simply awesome in the role of the CIA agent and shows people why he could/should be the next James Bond. Anyway, if they think he is too street, whatever that means, it's better if they cast someone else, Elba does need James Bond. Richard Madden, however, was a bit of a let down. I was really interested in seeing him outside of "Game of Thrones" but he never manages to shine. But probably I should blame the writers, not him.