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Jim_Screechy
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Ain't Them Bodies Saints (2013)
Both very good and very boring
I've just watched this is 2024 having never seen or heard of his one before, but since I like Ben Foster, this one came up on my hit list.
Much of what is wrong and right with the movie has already been said, and most of the revies listing it both highly and lowly are correct. The problem is really the movie is both good and bad. Mara is fantastic as the lead, Foster and Afleck bring up the rear nicely with the whole cast doing a thorough job. The cinematography is great and there are some great moments which are not lost on a project which has some severe shortcomings.
I can't count how many times I had to crank up the volume because of the mumbled lines primarily from Afleck and Foster, but doing so ruins the score and during normal moments makes the sound too loud. When you watch a movie in your own language and you find yourself looking fo subtitles, it's an issue.
There backstory to the life that leads to Aflecks incarceration is non-existent and leaves a palpable void in a movie which trust me, has plenty of opportunity to entertain this missing aspect by shelving some of the dragged out, meaningless scenes that should have ended up on the cutting room floor. The movie really drags after the fist twenty minutes and there are a lot of scenes with little dialogue or exposition that add nothing ot the production. True, mood is established well, but it's excessive and detracts significantly from an otherwise intriguin story.
The plot is simple, the script is good for whats on offer, but there needs to be so much more to bring it to the fore. It's really just "A guy goes to prison, escapes and tries to reunite with his sweetheart and child type story" but sadly much of this plays out as an undertone to this situation rather than the main event. Things just seem to meander along like sunday stroll in the park.
If you have mixed feellings about my review, then I've done well to explain just how you'll feel about this movie. I can't say watch it or don't. You may love it or hate it as I did, because the simple fact is there is a lot to both like and dislike here. Ultimately the problem is with the production which simply falls short on delivering a comprehensive experience.. 4/10 from me.
The Killer (2024)
Fell asleep for 20 minutes and missed nothing.
Let me beging by saying I love John Woo, Omar Sy, and Nathalie emmanuel, but this movie doesn't go anywhere, do anything, or offer up anything in the way of real entertainment aside from the good action sequences that stitch the diolgue sections together. In fact were it not for these three actors the movie would be immeasurably worse. I'll try to be conciese here.
The plot is simply ridiculous. Who decided to make a movie on a story so preposterous? Just imagine how good this movie might have been if the person creating and detailing the plot had an imagination, a lick of common sense, or a brain to create a proper conept. I'll not go into detail but suffice to say the story isn't worthy of any of the talent enlisted in the movie, nor does it conjure up the slightest modicum of interest, intrigue or investment in emotion.
The actors do a good job with the meterial... such as it is, but nothing can rescue this plot from the underhand vice of creativity that is lacking. Sam worthington is a very capable actor; I like him, and in spite of his relegation to mostly lower profile movie categories in the past few years, his talent nevertheless persists. Here he's cast as an Irishman, and I'm not even sure if he's supposed to be Northern or Southern but not only is his accent is terrible, but the requirement to have him play an Irish national at all is mind boggling. It has no relevance to the preceedings and only makes sense if confusing the audience with what his actually saying is by design. In his first scene I wondered if he was speaking turkish, I kid you not! I could not understand a word he was saying.
Woo does a good job with the action sequences and to be fair, as an action flick and in dipicting excitement and intensity in general, especially the relevant places, it does well. The shots are great, the actors do well with the sequences, and movie comes alive considerably, but there isn't anything pinning this together except a stupid story that lulls atrociously outside these spaces where Woo's influence isn't primarily on display. "Between the panels" It's just rubbish.
Shame really as I had high hopes for this one. Yes they should have had a better plot, writers etc, but this is where we are and unfortunately as I've said, as an entertainment piece there is little on offer.
There are some good points though, Emmanuel is delectable in much of the attire she dons and indeed there are some nice shots in the movie which can be appreciated outside of the project as a whole, hence my 5/10
Still, that said, watching it is a not much more than a waste of time.
The Union (2024)
Escalating foolishness paraded as entertainment
Good God this is rubbish. I can't understand how they can have so many A list actors featured in a film so appalling.
Ok the film has good production quality, location, the cast is obviously quite acomplished and they pretty much do what has been asked of them, the promblem is the the screenplay, it's just a load of rubbish. It's stupid plot with all the cliches and trapes of a Pink Panther Movie in fancy dress as James bond. The script isn't bad but the story and direction is just rubbish. I was bored, dissapointed and frustrated after thirty minutes, and only made it to the end because I'd over-eaten and was too full and lazy to get up of the sofa.
I'm not writing anything lengthy because the film doest warrant anything more than a brief review. Forget this one.
A generous 4/10.
The Instigators (2024)
Entertaining
There isn't too much to say about this one, so I won't go on too much. I think theres a lot to like and not much that you won't, though in fairness its certainly no blockbuster. Most of the good bits are given away in the trailer and said trailer unfortunately paints a picture of a movie far funnier than it actually is, but then trailers do tend to exaggerate don't they.
The film is more humerous than funny. I did get a couple of laugh out loud moments, but only a couple. Most were moments that made me chuckle and appreciate the humour but not really laugh. There is good chemistry between the accomplished cast which works very well, and though I'd not say there were any stellar performances, the whole cast handled their roles competently. I think there really needed to be more for the cast to work with to give this one the 'Umph' it needed to raise the bar. Its ok but, for film that promises so much with such an accomplised cast, it needed a lot more.
Its a heist film of course, and it is very much like 'Tower Heist' which also features Casey Affleck as well as Ben Stiller, Eddy Murphy, Matthew Broderick, and Alan Alder.
The instigators takes a similarly light-hearted approach to the genre though, the back story is s little more sinsiter with Damon and Afflecks backstory being somewhat more grim. Still, this movie doesn't deliver or fulfill in the way Tower Heist does, and I think that may be because Affleck is really the only character with lines good enough to deliver the humerous aspect with any merit. The stoicism of Damons character does parry well with Affleck's but something is missing to completely deliver the experience I think they production is going for. I think the script probably needed a re-write, possibly with a fresh set of eyes to enhance the ideas on offer.
The screen play is decent, nothing too complicated, and for the most part it works quite well. The meat of this movie is really coming from the characters and just falls a little short, even outside the humour.
I will also say that I think the direction may have been a contributing factor to how this one played out negatively. The minimalist manner that seems to underscore much of the lines lacks the emphasis that was often needed... but thats just my opinion.
Ok I said I wasn't going to go on and I've already done so more than intended. In a nutshell the film underdelivers, but is still a decent watch... which kinda goes to show what could have been, which is even more unfortunate.
6/10 from me.
Spaceman (2024)
hmmm mostly rubbish really
As has been pointed out by many or the reviewers, this one doesn't do what it says on the tin and in fact the description on the tin isn't even close to what is actually inside.
Even though Sandler does a good job with the role, I don't think this one particularly suited him. Althought he's really come into his own in recent years, revealling that he has for more depth and ability than just as a comedy actor, this move doesn't really require the abilities of anyone particularly skillfull in the delivery of the role. It's not really about space or even science fiction. It's more of an extended psychiartric session where the venue, the office being subject to refurbishment, has been switched to a craft in outerspace, and where the counselor has donned an elaborate spider suit.
As you can imagine, what unfolds for the most part is a series of discussions between patient and professional about the choices that have been made, the wisdom, emotion and consequences behind these decisions, and some sort of resolution for the individual on the couch.
For the most part its a snore fest and though the exchange itself isn't without intrigue, it isn't enough to hang a movie on, even when the venue is switch to an interstellar one. The plot simply doesn't posses or induce the depth interest that would warrant such a level of existential debate. Possibly if there were more facets to the story, then maybe. Were this woven into the plot in a more relevant and interesting or meaningful way, then perhaps. But as is? Absolutely not.
The movie isn't terrible, or even bad per se, its just... well boring, uneventful, and pretty dire. Ten minutes on the phone with Frasier Crane is what this astronaut needs, not a feature length movie with novel location and a psychiatrist dressed as a spider for novelty.
Defintely not worth the watch.
MaXXXine (2024)
A stylised mess of a movie
Christ where to begin.
The performances from the cast were pretty spectacular. Its not often I rate a movie so badly when the deliveries from the cast are so comprehensively good. Mia Goth is of course excellent, but she isn't the only standout character here. With such a great performances redendered it only goes to show how things can go so badly wrong when attention to all the important aspects of a movie is not given.
Direction cinematography are all very good, the script for is pretty good for what's on offer but the screenplay is attrocious. I mean this story, the plot, is a mess. It's stylised nonsense that seems to have been made for people who think vinyl can camp detective movies are still cool in the modern era. Fortunately things falls out of shape pretty early on, so after ten or fifteen minutes in, you know what your in for and it never gets any better. My advise is if you don't like it having sat this long, and I don't think many will, then bail out.
It's a house of cards story without a foundation, frame or any semblance or real structure to hold it together. Its almost as though they made a patchwork of plot possibilities, sticky taped them together and hoped the cast and production quality would be strong enough to bind them together, which of course they can't. It falls apart in the worst way possible with a poor rendition of thriller horror and intrigue with overtones of sexual allure thrown in for good measure. At no point was I ever invested in this movie and given the performances I was quite suprised by the lack of tension and emotion that the movie was able to illicit. It's a mess quite simply.
Ok enough said, give it a miss, its rubbish.
M3GAN (2022)
Pretty annoying... on account of all the characters being morons.
The film is ok, the premise is a good one if not anything close to original. For the most part it's been done quite well, the screenplay is quite well structured, paced, and thought out. Though not exactly horror, it comes fairly close with a grusome twisted narrative that threatens from the start but fully emerges about half way in.
The movie is let down fairly comprehensively by the script and the acting. The best performance comes from Lori Dungey who plays Gemma's problematic neighbour, and is the only really believable character in the whole production. The remaining cast are a poor substitue for competence with abilities ranging from attrocious - Ronnie Chieng who plays David, to acceptable with Jen Van Epps who plays Tess. It's unfortuate that the main cast were so inept as this really hampers the believability of the plot. The hammy deliveries are just too grueling to get past. I suspect the direction has a hand to play with this given there is such a comprehensive failing with the performances, but... meh, whatever the reason, the problems exist.
Ok the good is that in spite of the shortcomings the movie is still pretty watchable if not exactly enjoyable, which sort of outlines the potential it had. Given the target audiece (teens I suspect) with an entertainment palette unlikely to be quite so demanding, it should be ok. Though not exactly horror, it is a thriller with enough of a dark edge to fullfill the requirement it sets out with.
For me it was just ok.
Snow White and the Seven Samurai (2024)
Action movie for the mentally challenged
I kid you not with the heading for my review. It has been a while since I have encountered a movie so comprehensively bad that in almost no aspect of the creative process could they have done it any worse. I actually think this is a deliberate attempt to make a bad movie, with all the cliche's, shortcomings and well established nuances executed to perfection.
There is absolutely no point in examining any paritcular aspect of the movie; script, direction etc at all, because suffice to say, its on a level so convincingly bad that finding a baseline for comparison would be almost impossible. This film is the baseline for bad.. and yet, it isn't without charm in some weird and wonderful way, which is why I firmly belive this was a deliberate attempt to produce a piece almost as a mockery or monument (take your pick) to bad film making... and if you don't believe me just remember Eric Roberts has a 'cameo' so that should be all the convincing you need.
Anyway if your prepared to go in for the wild ride and have some fun, this could be the movie for you. I'm deadly serious with the score. It's a piece of movie magic no one should miss.
Hightly recommend.
A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)
Misleading
I'm not going to rehash many of the already valid critcisms of this movie; more just give my opinion on why its not worth watching.
The main reason is its been done in the first and second releases and not only is there absolutely nothing new on offer here, but the premise of it being "day one" is completely misleading.
"Day One" suggests a general discription of the events that unfold from a global perspective and by 'global' I don't mean they can't come from an individual, but they should at least address a more comprehensive aspect of the events with respect to humanity and it's existence as a whole as they unfold. Goverment, Military, infrastructure, national and international, social and domestic... take your pick. None of that is done here, instead what we have is the same narrative employed from a personal perspective that was done in the first two movies and its... well pretty boring really, even though it wasn't necessarily done badly. In fact had I not seen the first two movies I'd say as a stand alone installement, this one was pretty good, but given the existing renditions, its redundant.
This is particularly troublesome given the fact that the second movie was already a thinly veiled reproduction of the first, even ignoring the fact of the discovery in the first movie that the creatures had a vulnerability that could be exploited. Its fairly clear there are some financial induced incentives at play in making and remaking what is essentially the same story.
My recommendation is simply to pick any one of the trio and watch because you'll get not just a pretty good idea of what the story is about, but 90% of what the other two have on offer. Personally i'd go with the fist one and forget the others.
Can't really recommend this one since as I've said, there is nothing new on offer here.
Alice (2022)
Frustrating
I'd never even heard of this film, so you can imagine int 2024 after 40 mins when Alice escapes the plantation, runs onto a freeway and nearly gets run over by a truck! WTF! I wouldn't have been more surprised if you'd hit me over the head with a brick.
Unfortunately this is pretty much where the movie begins to take a nose dive. The movie is really too short to flesh out the story that has been employed and the screenplay suffers from the lack of developement that endures as a result.
The bigger problems is the what I tend to call the "movie narrative" that is generally employed to prevent the normal revelation of information that usually occurs in real life throug discussion and dialogue. This is usually done to prolong an established feeling of mystery and suspense, or to prevent an otherwise obviuos and premature conclusion to series of unforlding events
In this case it just led to my frustration since it leads to atypical human behaviour which is difficult to accept given the circumstances at play. For example, the truck driver on finding a confused woman in the middle of a highway, who clearly displays behaviour which is out of place, never questions her or displays any curiousity about her circumstances whatsover, even before he concludes she may be suffering from amesia. Instead what follows is a moronic echange of events and coversation as the characters dance around the elephant in the room. In fact, the way things unfold is a little ridicuous as this whole fiasco seems to unfold in some sort of microcosm as Alice finds her way through self discovery and media research.
I didn't really enjoy the second half of the movie even though the cast was quite exceptional in dealing with the script and circumstances detailed... such as they are presented. There were no real surprises on how the movie unfolded once the intent of the screenplay became clear, and at best I'd say it was an average experience. It's a shame really because I was quite enjoying the movie till the big reveletion, as I said previously.
I can't really recommend this one since as an overall entertainment piece it doesnt really deliver, Its not bad, it just falls significantly short of whats initially on offer.
Supacell (2024)
Good but not without issues
Overall I liked this one, it's quite engaging and the story line is a pretty good one. It looks at the super hero genre from an entirely different perspective, much the way "The Boys" from Amazon did.
Though this is decidedly different from "The Boys" in many aspects, it does bare one similarity in that most of the super powered individuals have very few redeeming character qualities.
Though its quite well written for the most part, with well fleshed out characters that develop well throughout the six episode series, I did at times find it dragging in places with too much emphasis on aspects of the story or at least, aspects of the characters personal lives that caused the show to lose some momentum. The time alloted one of the characters and his girlfriend was particularly mind numbing and should have been brutally slashed in favour of more conducive and relevant threads.
The direction is OK but somewhat inconsistent. Certainly lacking in places, whilst at other times quite reasonable. Special effects though not Hollywood standard are quite impressive and really give a good sci-fi feel to the proceedings.
I found some of the writing a little stilted in at times, and the actors just didn't seem to be able to deliver the characters convincingly enough. On that point there is a noticable difference in ability of the cast here. Some are clearly competent with the roles they play while others are just not up to the task, and this gives a particularly warped sense of immersion with the events as they unfold.
I think one of the main issues with the story is the lack of scope the characters have with the developements in their powers as they become aware of their capabilites and the possibilites. They seem trapped in a microcosm of existence that feels a bit restrictive, and that's quite problemataic. I get that most people think within the scope of experiences with which they are familiar, but if for example you gain super powers that can turn water into wine, and the only thing you think to do is use it to save money for your Sunday dinner or weekend BBQ then you have some very serious mental shortcomings. This series pretty much does this with every character with none of them being able to see past the mundane existence of their daily grind. It's a bit of a let down.
Ok so that's pretty much it. In spite of the shortcomings I mentioned, I still enjoyhed it enough to give it a generous 7/10. I'm giving it some considerable lattitude given its a new series with some kinks needing to be worked out, but it's defintely worth watching. Lets hope season gives a more comprehensive delivery.
The Old Way (2023)
Meh
Its ok I guess, but left me feeling somewhat underwhelmed by the end and even though I saw it coming, it was nevertheless a letdown given what was on offer in the first twenty minutes was a promising western with a long held favorite actor of mine, Nick Cage.
Don't get me wrong, Cage is good. Truth be told, though I've found some of his later works questionable, it's never been because of his performances. Here he delivers a fairly convincing performance of and old west gunslinger turned homesteader. He suffers from Urbach-Wiethe's disease or some similarly restrictive disorder that prevents him from feeling fear, though since his daughter also appears to have the conditioin, it at least suggests some hereditary issue. At any rate so our tale begins and unfortunately this initiates some of the movies issues. The first being characterisation, or at least that and consistency.
His daughter doesn't bat an eyelid when her mother dies, but when her father Colton Briggs goes down from a GSW to the chest she becomes a blubbering mess. This is a particularly difficult pill to swallow particularly when her peformance thus far has her on par with Wednesday from the adams family as far as stoicism is concerned.
Its a similar situation with the Character Jimmy McCallister played by Noah Le Gros. What is this guy a stand up comic? At no point during the movie does he ever appear serious or even anything other than light-hearted or jovial. Yet this whole drama is a quest to avenge his fathers death and take down Colton Briggs his fathers killer! A man who he saw put a bullet in his fathers forehead! Oh please. At the end when he finally achieves his goal, he's shouting "I did it! I did it!" Like some high school kid whos just made the fist team. Ridiculous.
Not sure who it to blame but I'm going for the director. The screen play is OK but on the whole it really needs another dimension to bring it to the fore, as it has a distinctly paint by numbers feel to it.. The script really isn't hard core enough and has all the characters acting like second stringers for the real production happening over at Studio A.
Its not that the performances are bad. Quite the contrary, given what they have to work with most do a pretty damn good job. Clint Howard is fantastica, as is Ryan Kiera Armstrong who plays Briggs' daughter. The rest are fairly well portrayed, but as I said, the script is poor and doesn't really have the edge this movie needed.
Look, its ok, but its so far from Oscar territory a dot on the horizon could be closer.
Cage goes doeThere were some big problems with the characterisation
the girl
the antagonist.
What You Wish For (2023)
Not bad but falls a little short
I came across this one by accident whilst searching Nick Stahl, and was both presently surprised to find myself enjoying it, whilst somewhat frustrated at the obvious shortcomings and oversights.
It's a solid premise, but aspects of the delivery are overly simplified and too exaggerated for a cringe free viewing. The Australian girls return to the venue, the police detectives insistance on questioning along with our protagonists inability to string a sentence togethe under pressure are just a couple of examples. Was this our cooks first rodeo or not? There are just too many particulars that were inconsistent but just allowed to stand for the story to work, and this is a classic characteristic of lazy writing and/or a rushed production.
That said, the movie isn't without it's charm (and unsettling content) and though it does deliver... more or less, it should have been a more comprehensive submission.
Anyway, I'm not going to pick this one to bits as its not really one of those movies that warrants such close scrutiny. It is what it is. I'd say watch it casually and you'll be fine, its ok for a less immersive movie experience as long as your prepared to be a little forgiving.
I think 6/10 is a fair score,
Atlas (2024)
Really Enjoyed it, J-Lo rocks it
I had not expectations about this having barely heard much and never seen the trailers, but as an AI fan immediately set an evening aside to watch on Neflix.
I really like this one; it does what it says on the tin and doesn't really attempt to be anything other than what it promises without apology. Its a decent story, that has been thrashed out fairly well, and given what it offer I think it more than delivers.
To be fair its a well worn theme spun with new thread, but what isn't these days. Its all in the delivery and this delivers without question. Lots of action, explosions, a bit of intrigue and a half decent tale woven into an action movie about the looming pitfalls for humanity given our arrogance regarding technological development... sound familiar? As yet another of the 'humanity doomed due to AI' renditions, it ranks amoung the top tier in being engaing and entertaining.
Its a better script than I'd expect for somethig this hackneyed, with very good direction and great CGI. The cast is very capable and J-Lo is on point in the leading role.
J-Lo plays an an agitated, highly driven woman with an axe to grind against the institutions handling AI being somewhat of an SME in the field whose mother was instrumental in Ai research and neural interface. That... and later come combat soldier. She certainly delivers. She gives an excellently well developed performance of a character driven account of the person she's representing, and for the most part this is not a well liked character at all. Too many novice reviewers misinterpret characters they con't like as bad actors, which is obviously misconceived, but also misleading and somewhat disengenuous.
Anyway I'm not going to pic this one to bits save that its worth watching. I think, the average veiwer with find it entertaining but sci-fi enthusiasts will like it considerably more. I've just watched Gozilla x Kong, and like that too, but this is better... though not as good as Gozilla-1.0 (thats Godzilla one point zero, and not Gozilla minus one as the Western world seems to have interpreted the title)
Monkey Man (2024)
Taken by surprise with oddly titled move I thoroughly enjoyed.
Well! I just finished watching this and was completely taken by surprise by something I didn't think I would enjoy at all.
I'd never heard of this movie, not seen trailers and had no preconceptions about it. It unfolded into one of my favourite films of 2024. Having watched Gozilla 1.0 yesterday I think I'm on a roll.
Dev Patal really does a great job with his debut direction and as a action star I was blown away by his ability. There has been some great work on the fight choreography, but physically he's quite dynamic and the on-screen presence he's displayed in the past really comes to the fore.
The screenplay doesn't really offer anything new, but it does deliver it with a slice of fresh lemon, an unfamiliar and intriguing backdrop, and in a powerfully effective manner. That is not to say there are not some issue with the how things are potrayed. I found his personal journey and that of the political and corporate exploitation the movie portrays lacking cohesion, particually in through first and second parts of the movie. There really needed some tightening up here as it makes the story somewhat irratic and even a little difficult to digest. I found myself replaying parts in my head whiles things unfolded as my brain searched for anchors of consistency to hold the story-line together, and this is never a good thing. There needed to be a more substatial bond between the various aspects of the story to bind the theme together more effectively.
Additionally though Patels Character has a mamoth awakening and progression through the timeline, the other characters much less so. Even though we are on a couple of occasions lead to believe they might, it never happens at all. Certainly there was ample opportunity to have more substance and development with at least a few of the lesser roles, but sadly this didn't materialise. What we have is a very one dimensional film in relation to the players on the chessboard. Having said this, it wasn't so much of a distraction that it interfered with my enjoyment of the movie, but in reflection and in writing this. It does stand out as quite a significant shortcoming.
The movie is a little long and I if I had to guess I'd wager some of what wasn't cut, was done in favour of some of what should have been cut, which may very well be why the lack of character development is noticable.
All that said the movie was still very enjoyable and is certainly one I'll watch again, which is always a good sign. I can imagine there will be some John Wick comparisons and this is a tribute to how well the movie does some of the fight scenes, but there is a lot more going on here.
Great acting and directional debut from Dev Patal, and in fact the whole cast gives a solid delivery. I think Patel will learn from this one and up-game with coming endevours, but a word in his ear on the notes I've made would have gone a long way to making this an epic production instead of just a really good one.
Still I'm giving it 8/10 because that is how much I enjoyed it when I watched it.
Absolutely Anything (2015)
Starts off bad then declines into idiocy very quickly
I mean, I'm not even sure why Im writing this nearly ten years past the release date, but I'm idle with time on my hands (hence why I experienced the misfortune of finding his on Prime).
The movie has an enticing plot but unfortunately what ends up happening is a ridiculous account of the main characters failings in using his newly found powers. Worse! He does this continually with more calamitous results as the movie progresses, even though he has the power to reset poor choices and return things to how they were originally. In fact he does this early on in the movie a couple of times, though later it's as though he's moronic enough to have forgotten this essential 'Get out of jail free' card.
It's ridiculous and not funny because the situations that arise as a consequence of his poor wording, attention to detail, and little forethought lead to crigeworthy situations instead of humerous circumstances. By the time you get half way through the film its all you can do to stop yourself throwing the remote at the screen in frustration.
Ah well. Peg is good and so is Beckinsale, in fact the whole cast is pretty convincing with the roles they're given. The meterial is just tripe, sadly.
The Underdoggs (2024)
Very typical, but very enjoyable.
There are now new concepts here and no one is winning any Oscars.
It's a plotline so threadbare even the homeless won't wear it, but its fun, lighthearted and entertaining. For the most part it's well written and well acted. Snoop Dogg does a great job with the meterial and delivery and he brings much of the content to life with his character and expression.
Yes, there is a lot of profanity, it's Snoop Dogg for Christ sake! What did you expect. Omar Epps is pretty good too, probably one of his better supporting roles to date. The rest of the cast are pretty forgettable though they all deal with the content sufficently well.
If your sensitive about profanity DON'T WATCH IT! It's not for worse if you can't handle kids dropping MF like an OG.
When You Finish Saving the World (2022)
Unfortuntely, fails to deliver.
Once again the Writer-Director combination fails to deliver a fulfilling production. Bringing a story to life on film, even a well written, interesting one is a whole different skill from concieving and thrashing it out on paper, and yet again I think this is the downfall of 'this' along with so many movies that employ this notion. Jesse Eisenberg or anyone else, for god sake next time get someone else to direct.
The film isn't terrible, it starts out with a pretty interesting premise of a disconnected family; a self absorbed son, a mother similarly obsessed with her work and fairly shallow with anything else, and a husband on the periphery without much of an emontional connection to either.
Problems arise because although aspects of the film whicih develop are interesting, it simply isnt enough to provide any real depth. What you get is 20 minutes of story and 70 minutes of elongated scenes and useless filler that add nothing, and really should have been cut in editing. You could fast forward through 70 minutes and miss absolutely nothing.
I've seen too many reviewers fail to properly appropriae the strengths and weaknesses of movies they rate and critique, and often the actors bare the brunt of criticism due to the reviewers ineptitude, so let me be clear; Julianne Moore really brings her 'A' game here. She's totally convincing in her dipiction of this character, and in fact the whole cast does an exceptional job with the material.
This movie really needed... probably a little adapatation in the screenplay to bring it to life, and an independant director to see the vision the story held and the skill to develop it into what was possible.
The Creator (2023)
Lots of stuff happend then it ended
I watched this from start to finish without being drawn into the story at any point.
I think John Washington is miscast here, I had the same exact experience when i watched Tenet... found myself very disconnected as I he didn't seem to make a proper connection with the role he was portraying.
That is not to say the film isn't without issues. They have been fairly well documented by other reviewers so I'll not labour the points here.
My main issue is with the lack of emotional involvment with the characters. The film measures zero on the emtional richter scale, but more, the screenplay just doesn't manage to get you excited or involved with anything that is unfolding. Additionally, the characters seem to have little connection to each other. In fact it is only at the end of the movie that Joshua and Alphie seem to have any tangible emotional cohesion.
Contrast this with The Golden Child 1986 where Eddie Murphy plays Chandler Jarrell and the connection he makes to The Golden Child played by J. L. Reate. Here you can see what a great connection is established on screen and the massive difference in outcome it produces. Both films have two similar sets of pairings in almost identical scenarios with a stark contrast in outcome.
Additionally Thought the film is incredible to look at, much of what unfolds makes no sense. I'd liken this film to an iconic fashion show where the crowd Oohs and Aahs at the fantastic creations that unfold on the runway, that no one (bar Lady Gaga) would ever be caught dead in at a normal social event.
Anyway, for me the film was a big dissapointment, I can't say John David Washington was the cause of this since the Movie has many other problematic aspects, but the ones I've mentioned were particularly significant for me.
5/10 sadly.
Old Dads (2023)
too Annoying to be enjoyable
The movie primarily explores the comedy aspects that exist between the dichotomy of traditional and contemporary attitudes in society. The trio are continually placed in situations where they are out of sync with modern attitudes and social inclinations. This leads to some interesting developments that leaves them exposed and despised.
The writing uses this discrepancy as an easy target for a focal point of the screenplay, but in truth it doesn't really work well, which is a shame because the three leads really have some great on-screen chemistry. There are some good laughs and well written lines delivered expertly, but the move doesn't fit together well.
Bill Burr's character 'Jack' as the main lead experiences the brunt of this backlash and its painful to watch some of the developments that unfold because of adherences to established attitudes which seem to grate against every other character drowning in the Koolaid of modern platitudes. He succombs to much of the pressue from his wife and her contemporaries, and eventually bows to the social flux of woke inductance... something I imagine fans of his (of which I am one) WILL NOT LIKE! As a bastion of resistance to much of this modern day socio-political postering, the film depicts a brutal demolision of what many regard as an icon to the resistance of woke madness... RIP
That said, the film is pretty funny in places, but I felt oppressed by the theme of the film and unable to relax into a zone comfortable enough to enjoy it. Shame really as it's quite well written, acted and directed.
This isn't one of those films where your hero wins, he's beaten into submission by modern attitudes and matromonial pressure, so be wanrned.
Anyway just my two cents, though personally I would recommend you see it since it's quite possible you may enjoy it more than I did.
Muzzle (2023)
Not very good.
Aaron Eckhart is good and given the material at hand, delivers a performance difficult to criticise.
The rest of the cast ranges from bad to atrocious with many over acted deliveries and poor interpretation. I suspect the direction is at fault much of the time here, but the result is a hammy production that never has you anything more than superficially engaged.
There isn't anything interesting or exciting enough to grip you, and the film falls well short and anything remotely entertaining.
The plot is a simple premise but poorly done with overly long sequences, poor script and bad editing.
As usual there are the influenced reviews giving it high scores that can be largely ignored, but my honest advice is to simply miss this one. Chances are you won't enjoy it much (if at all) and if you do make it to the end, you'll probably realise it wasn't worth the investment in time.
The Mandela Effect (2019)
Pretty intriguing actually
This was an intersting film which starts of slowly and builds some interesting scientific and emitional momentum as the screenplay progressess. I'm a little late on the review delivery only having heard of, and seen this movie today, but it intrigued me enough to write this review regardless.
Overall it delivers, but as many have said (ive subsequently read a couple dozen reviews) it does fall short and leave you a little wanting, whilst lacking any real depth and fulfilment.
I found the main reason for this is its lack of focus. The film delves into the topic of the Mandela effect its consequences and particulars, then begins to vere off into parallel universe theory, multiverse theory, the universe is a simulation and a bunch of other hyperthetical possibilites. I think this is a mistake because whilst jugling these concepts and trying link them into some cohesive hypothesis and blend them into the story line, the prime phenomenon of the movie title is lost in this noise.
I think the film would have been better served, dealing more distinctly with the Mandela effect, tying that into the storyline plotwise, and emotionally developing the screenplay from that perspective. Since the possibilities for the cause of the Mandela effect (if indeed there really is such a pheonomenon) are probably endless, whats the point in listing them and dealing with them here anyway. Just focus on the story your trying to tell and forget the particulars that, here anyway, are not really relevant.
Aside from this, I found our protagonists wife 'Claire' immensely annoying and particularly unsupportive, a totally unlikeable character. In one scene after their daughters death, she pleads and demands that her husband share his the topic of his considerations, since clearly he's deeply pensive about something. When he does, she becomes hysterical and berrates him, whinning and moaning about his inability to deal with reality etc. Well! She demanded he tell her, then she has a meltdown when he does, its rediculous. She does this throughout the film and it really becomes tiresome as you progress through the movie.
Yes the movie does lack somewhat in its delivery, but overall I still found it an enjoyable watch. This is one of those movies I'd say isn't for everyone, and you'll probably find out within the first twenty minutes which category your in.
Kaleidoscope (2023)
Gave up at Episode 5 - Orange
The trailer for this was intriguing, and I like Jai Courtney and Giancarlo Esposito so gave it a tentative shot. It wasn't for me, and though some people with less discerning requirements for stories to make sense and the books of acceptability to balance nicely against reality, I'd had my fill at just half way through.
In fairness the story drags a lot, and as many have mentioned, there is a lot of padding which really detracts from the tightness and impact of the story in general, but additionally there is a lot of stupid stuff that happens, which points to lazy or incompetent writing. For me this was far more off putting. 'Plot holes' if you like, but a phenomenon I like to coin casually as 'the banana skin effect' is in serious play here. That is, If you need to slow someone up in a chase or have someone stumble for some reason, don't bother going through the trouble of creating a believable scenario, just stick a banana skin on the floor.
This happens throughout the series but culminated in my departure when the FBI agent Abassi - a prior drug user who has been in rehab and still attends addiction meetings (seriously) gets taken down by cops and found in possession of drugs, cocaine. Yep that's right! She loses the rights for child visitation she was seeking but there are no consequences to her FBI career; not fired, no reprimand, not even mentioned let alone an investigation. Anyway, as I've said, this sort of thing happens throughout the series, so you catch my drift.
As a consequence of this poor screenplay it makes the characters and seem somewhat cartoonish and the actors in the series, some of whom have some considerable capability and reputation, look a inept. To be fair, they do a good job with the material, such as it is, but its hard to portray a convincing account of a character that's written by morons.
The experience was ultimately more frustrating for me than fulfilling. Perhaps it if was shorter, 4 or 5 episodes would have been sufficient, I may have made it to the end, but in fairness I'm uncertain that without tackling the ineptitude of the writers this would have possible. 4\10 is the fairest score I can give it.
Dark (2017)
Couldn't make it past the first episode... Twice
Looking for something new to watch in Netflix - as you do, I came across this in my 'Continue watching' stream. Odd I thought, I don't remember this, but hit the replay from beginning since a refresher made more sense that continuing from something I don't remember watching.
Well, it all slowly came back to me and I realised why I dumped it the first time round. The only thing more surprising than the high ratings are the lower ratings where it took people several episodes or god forbid seasons to figure out this is rubbish. Too much stupidity in the story for me to deal with. Example - the middle aged husband having an affair is doing it like a novice but acting like Casanova. In one scene, they are having a town meeting in the local school; he texts his 'Side-chick' that he'll be out in five minutes. She skulks off and meets him not even outside the school grounds just around the corner of the front entrance of the building! The same place where his son was earlier smoking a joint. They just get straight into it like its the most private place in the world! What! In another scene the kids get spooked in the forest and all of them bolt, but the big brother leaves his much younger brother behind to fend for himself, but then askes the his friend (who's father recently died) 'where's my brother, *facepalm. Seriously this happens.
This big brother is constantly slapping his little sibling around the head even in the presence of his parents... repeatedly! The parents say nothing. Difficult for me to swallow that level of bad parenting when having it paraded as normal family interaction.
Anyway stuff like this happens constantly throughout the show. Its like its been written by someone who doesn't really understand human interaction and behaviour or is too lazy to flesh out a decent plot, I don't know which.
Still the biggest issue is that it is ultimately boring. The screenplay meanders along with mostly irrelevancies only occasionally really capturing anything of interest.
I got the distinct impression this is a show made for teenagers, since it isn't really adult digestible. It's not terrible but if you're over twenty five, give it a miss.
Sweet Virginia (2017)
A Good film, but an unsatiated experience.
A Good film, but an unsatiated experience.
18 November 2017 - 29 out of 35 users found this review helpful.
This is one of those films which goes round in your head for hours or days after you've watched it. I wouldn't at all be surprised if it achieves cult status with debates on its merits and shortfalls continuing endlessly among fans.
I often felt like it was on the brink of something exceptional, but that never quite manages to break through to that accolade and even though it certainly swept me away in places, I came away not fully satisfied.
Without question it is a very powerful film and there is much to love here. It's great work. The cast is superb. Jon Bernthal who plays Sam 'slam dunks' this role like he does every one, and really was a perfect choice for this part. Actually, the whole cast is superb. Christopher Abbott does a similarly excellent portrayal with the chillingly edgy and psychotic Elwood.
Its a deep and rich story, well constructed and thick with the intricacies of real life and complex relationships. There's no glossing over the plot with thin filmed convenience or casual coincidence, it as detailed story that unfolds well and delivers how a good thriller should.
The characters all have well constructed identities that give the film excellent realism. Bernthal's character has more meat on its bones than an Angus steak. Great care has been taken to give him a fully laden persona with all the dimension of real life, and I think actually this may be one of the films failings. There's so much meat on the carcass the film never really gets round to addressing all the choice cuts available. At the end your left wondering about delicious untasted morsels left as carrion for the mystical Hollywood scavengers.
The film is well directed well and well structured, but the pacing is slow, and consistently so. I think this is another of its failings, a small one, but still noticable. I say this because with a film with so much to depict, accelerating the pace in places would serve to heighten excitement in areas that could have been more engaging while more comprehensively enhancing certain aspects of the story. Having said that, what the film does expertly is create a suspense filled ambiance throughout, and that goes a long way to compensating for the issues I have picked at.
I liked it a lot but didn't love it. It was just too consistently low key, and everything somehow felt mildly underdone. I will definitely watch it again though, and actually think I will enjoy it more the second time.
I do recommend it, as it is still a pretty good film.