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All Ratings and Reviews are my opinion.
NOTE: I have seen lots of movies before I made this account on August 2020.
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Reviews
I Saw the TV Glow (2024)
The Weirdness and Solace of Media Consumption and Youth
This is a bizarre, yet, surreal, heartfelt, and sad coming-of-age tale about media consumption, gender conformity, connections, and identities. While I thought "We're All Going to the World's Fair" was fine, I'm happy to see Jane Schoenbrun being able to shine with an very weird, yet, impressive work of a movie with some great narrative concepts, interesting characters, and colorful atmospheres throughout.
It's exploration within the characters are genuine which are provided with great performances from the cast members alongside with a good score, camerawork, dialogue, and style presentations. The feeling of loneliness, solace, and the society surrounding the characters felt genuine. Many of the dialogue points might be considered awkward or dull but it's setting and atmosphere helps to blend it's realism with surrealist natures. Obviously, this isn't the traditional horror movie and more of a dark depressing coming-of-age tale.
Undeniably, Schoenbrun has potential to become a masterful filmmaker in the near future.
IF (2024)
Mom: We Have at Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends Home at Home
A nice looking children's movie with some good character designs and effects, thus, an uneven story with messages that feel disorganized.
Clearly John Krasinski and the rest of the cast seems to be passionate about this project and while there are some good designs and production, the majority of the movie was pretty boring with uninteresting characters and predictable writing. The writing has the same concept as Foster's Home but unlike the show, it lacks fun characters, charm and humor as this one contains boring characters, uninteresting dynamics, humor, and chemistry, and has pretty poor dialogue.
The performances from the cast members are solid as there are some good live-action and voice performances from the cast but mixed with some pretty bad performances as well. The score is solid but honestly, uninspiring. Because of the performances, it didn't help make any characters interesting and I found myself being a bit annoyed rather than entertained. Overall, seeing this movie makes me just want to watch Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends again.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)
A good new continuation of the Planet of the Apes reboot franchise
While at times clunky with it's writing and dialogue, it's stunning visual effects, thrills, direction, and emotional weight of it's core helps maintain an fun, thrilling, and engaging fest of a movie for the Planet of the Apes reboot franchise. Wes Ball's direction on handling the narrative's setting, characters, and themes are solid and many of the special effects, motion capture, sound designs, and costumes are colorful, vibrant, and stunning. Each of the movements and VFX designs are genuinely impressive with their movements and realistic style.
All of the performances are great, especially Owen Teague and Kevin Durand as they perfectly captured their characters personalities and arches. Alongside with the musical score, action sequences, and camerawork. On characters, many of the ape characters were interesting to explore but meantime, the human characters, while have some moments, felt a bit distance to fully connect with.
Despite some of the clunky dialogue, narrative faults, and certain uninteresting characters, its emotional weight, atmosphere, and thrills have surpassed the negatives and ultimately provides a fun flick.
Aku wa sonzai shinai (2023)
Good slow-burn story about nature vs. people
Ryusuke Hamaguchi has made some interesting movies in his career like Drive My Car, Happy Hour, and Asako I & II. While I haven't been wowed by his works, I appreciate many aspects of his style and approach.
Throughout, this movie has some wonderful colorful productions, camerawork, sound designs and atmosphere which helped add layers of the nature landscapes and environment. The narrative provides some interesting themes of nature, conflict of interest, humans and humans vs. Nature issues and explores some interesting aspects that are strong. The performances are all pretty good as well.
However, I am a bit underwhelmed with certain aspects as I found some of the themes feeling a little uneven to work Hamaguchi is wanting to express. Especially when it comes to the characters as while I did found some of the characters interesting, I didn't feel too emotionally connected with their personalities and purpose which made it a bit difficult to fully invest at times.
The soundtrack is wonderful and the dialogue is solid. The film does suffer some pacing issues and with an ending that leaves to many interpretations which may be frustrating for some. Overall, despite it's flaws, it's mediative and nature experience made this movie pretty good.
Xiao bai chuan (2023)
Good Queer Romance from China
Rarely, queer works come out from China due to their traditions and culture and while A Song Sung Blue isn't amazing, it's beautiful atmosphere, soft tone, characters, and direction creates a melancholy and interesting romance story.
Storywise, it's the standard romance setting with some interesting concepts and ideas from the Chinese perspective. Although some feels repetitive, the performances, camerawork, and atmosphere helps make the movie well-crafted, engaging and at times, a bit emotional to observe. The colors reminds me of Portrait of a Lady on Fire quite a bit.
Overall, it's a good romance movie.
In Flames (2023)
Good slow-burn
While flawed with some of it's writing and pacing issues, no doubt, this movie is pretty ambitious with interesting themes explored within the narrative, good characters, performances, and direction throughout. Oftentimes horror psychological concepts aren't talked in Pakistan culture and it was pretty nice to see something different from countries I am not familiar with.
Many of the direction choices, camerawork, style and atmosphere was really good and carried alongside with wonderful performances from the cast members. Including some horror elements that, while some didn't fully work, did have some creative moments to add together. The characters and their journeys having to deal with the scenarios involved were interesting and helped to add some emotional layers to their developments.
Overall, while it isn't perfect, it's ambitious enough to show it is a good movie.
Blazh (2023)
Good Art-House Road Movie
Russian cinema is amazing as in the past Russia has provided some great works of art and while "Grace" isn't perfect, it's magical colorful presentation, interesting narrative structure, character conversations, and sound designs make this movie an experience to observe.
The filmmaker clearly if influenced from many art-house style and works and many of the camerawork and observation atmosphere approaches help create a vibrate, engaging, and interesting slow-burn study of the characters, setting, and concepts explored. Many of the performances felt nature and realistic, the dialogue is a bit clunky but mostly pretty good, and I love the atmosphere the movie was going through.
It isn't for everyone but someone who enjoys art-house movies, I enjoyed this one.
Shashvi shashvi maq'vali (2023)
Berries and Berries
I like stories where characters are living with a specific situation and being able to discover new things around life and Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry does a good character study drama with sweet atmospheres, good camerawork, wry humor, and good performance from Eka Chavleishvili.
Throughout, the camerawork is purposeful with colorful production and settings. The direction from the filmmaker was solid on capturing the tone, narrative structure, and concepts throughout as well. All in all it's a good sweet movie. Georgian cinema isn't something I talk much from but it was nice to see a movie from Georgia.
Agra (2023)
Probably the most messed up Indian movie I have seen?
When it comes to Indian cinema, shock value or really dark stories tend to not be often explored but with Agra, the movie carries some really interesting, yet, disturbing and pretty messed up concepts with strong direction from the filmmaker, flawed, yet, interesting characters, and strong performances from the cast members.
Following a character who is sexually repressed and an incel, the main character is well-explored in a slow burn study on examining his behavior as the movie does a good job on exploring his descent into madness, violent, and sex. With good camerawork, production, and sound designs, many of the performances are terrific and memorable to date.
Due to it being a slow-burn, there were some pacing issues that could have been improved and certain character decisions were questionable but not in a good way. Including some poor dialogue choices. But overall, it's messed up narrative yet interesting character studies helped to maintain it's structure.
Retratos Fantasmas (2023)
Good nostalgic presentation about old cinema and the history of film
Brazilian filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho once again strikes with another good joint as this being a documentary, it's concept about the nostalgia of old cinema, especially Brazilian cinema, and from an personal lens, provides a strong sense of realism and nostalgic vibe throughout the setting.
It is a beautiful movie. Using archival footages and modern footage of today's time, the direction and concepts explored were well-explored and provides some unique facts, information, and feels about old cinema and how it resonate with Filho. While not everything worked for me, I found myself continuing to enjoy more works from Filho.
Firebrand (2023)
Slay Queen, I mean literally, Slay
Honestly, I am a bit surprised with the low reception this movie has been getting because while I can understand some of the writing faults and direction choices being strange, I still thought it was an good ambitious tale of Katherine Parr with strong direction from Karim Aïnouz, gorgeous costumes, and strong performances from the entire cast.
Karim Aïnouz's direction remains powerful and vibrate and with this being his first English movie outside of Brazil, while some choices were odd, his direction remained well. The costumes, colorful presentation, musical soundtrack, designs, and the structures are all great. All of the performances are good as Alicia Vikander and Jude Law have great chemistry both volatile, smart, and love. The writing has some interesting concepts, themes, and atmospheres explored which I enjoyed, although some being predictable. The camerawork, unfortunately, is the worst aspect because the camerawork felt flat and usually Aïnouz approach on the camerawork is pretty good but here, it feels too flat which made certain moments feel lifeless.
Overall, it's not one of Karim Aïnouz best works but I thought it was ambitious and still engaging throughout.
Banel e Adama (2023)
Colorful, ambitious, and full of fables
First, I appreciate the filmmaker crafting an poetic narrative about love, culture, and it's honesty deception of Senegalese culture with some of the most gorgeous camerawork, color presentation, and musical soundtrack. The characters of Banel and Adama are explored pretty good that understand their actions, traditions, feelings, and the issues they are facing within their community and home that helped developed their arches and keep them engaged throughout.
With good performances, many atmospheres and themes are good and the magical realism, romance, and warm style choices are wonderful. It's narrative conveys a emotional development to it's character pretty well but I did wish the writing is able to be better because there are some aspects that were uneven and felt too thin. Including some cultural moments and traditions that I personally thought could have been explored a bit more.
But I applaud director Ramata-Toulaye Sy being able to craft something unique and I am interested to see what else she offers in the future.
Ayeh haye zamini (2023)
Amazing masterful exploration of the conflicts of individual's lives in Iran
Iran cinema has continued to impress me with their ambitious atmospheres, stories, writing, and concepts and this movie is another masterful work.
Presented using interesting setting structures and direction approaches, many of the themes of authority over people and gender problems are well-explored with being mixed of both serious and satirical tones that are strong and appropriate. Many of the dialogue between the characters are amazing and nature, the performances from the cast are great, and the writing and camerawork is honestly great. The filmmaker succeeds on presenting the issues woman and people face in Iran with it's ambitious themes and the style choices and sound designs felt purposeful.
For a short run-time, it succeeds with many moments. Another Iranian masterpiece to add.
Wadaean Julia (2023)
Harrowing and tough watch on the modern issues, politics, and problems faced in Sudan
What "Goodbye Julia" succeeds is that it accomplishes with crafting a narrative about the harrowing issues and politics in Sudan with great sense of humanizing writing, flawed, yet, interesting characters, gorgeous direction and camerawork, and strong performances within the entire cast members. It's raw deception of the country, the conflicts, tension, and issues the characters are facing are genuinely investing as the saga of human emotions going through the divide is well-explored with gorgeous colors, wonderful music, dialogue conversations, and atmospheres throughout.
Exploration of woman and the problems are wonderful themes the filmmaker is able to fully explore well enough. Including the structure and style presentation. Although I wished the third act was a bit stronger since it felt a bit too rushed, the overall engagement and rawness made this movie great.
First time seeing a flick from Sudan. Wonderful!
Baavgai Bolohson (2023)
Wonderful slice of life movie about brotherhood and Mongolian lifestyle
From someone who loves Asian cinema, I have never seen a movie from Mongolia before and it was really nice to get to see a film from a country I haven't heard discussed much. Director Zoljargal Purevdash debut feature is a powerful, emotional and heart-wrenching tale about siblings doing their best to help one another with beautiful camerawork, realistic characters, and strong performances from the entire cast members.
Many of the interactions, dialogues and chemistry between the characters were heartwarming and they felt realistic due to the direction, atmosphere, and tone explored. Many of the themes, colorful camerawork, sound designs, and emotional depth between the characters and setting helps to relate to the characters and it genuinely made me feel for the children and wanting them to see them do better in life.
The conflicts the characters face were engaging to observe and even the side characters, despite being minimal on screen, are memorable as well. While there are some pacing that could improve and the ending did feel a little abrupt, Purevdash does an excellent job on capturing the life of people in Mongolia and I am excited to see what she offers next.
A Flor do Buriti (2023)
Strange, yet, fascinating hybrid doc-fiction exploration of the Krahô tribe
Brazil has an interesting history when it comes to the discussions about the tribal communities and their culture, lifestyles, and history. The filmmakers has an interesting but strange approach on exploring the stories about the Kraho communities but with colorful camerawork, good sound designs, observations, and interesting themes being explored, it creates a really good meditative and informed story about the cultures, communities, and the conflicts happening at the same time.
Filmmakers João Salaviza and Renée Nader Messora pay respect to the community by providing interesting conversations with the characters, some emotional and engaging aspects about the conflicts of freedom, the people, and the controls happening, and the beautiful sound designs throughout the woods that helps to add the atmosphere and tone.
Many of the style and presentation choices remains me of Apichatpong Weerasethakul which I say is the biggest fault since it takes a bit too much influence from his style. But as a whole, I found myself being floored and wowed with this movie. Definitely a slow-burn but worth it.
Le retour (2023)
Families & Secrets
For those that are unfamiliar or familiar with, there have been some controversies surrounding the movie which includes undeclared scenes and sexual assault allegations between the cast and production during the filmmaking. I acknowledge the controversies which are pretty bad but I try my best to go with the mindset of separating the art from the artist.
As a whole, stories about families, secrets, discovery, and past aren't stories that are grand and have been explored in the past. Filmmaker Catherine Corsini doesn't offer anything too special with it's narrative and direction, but the colorful camerawork, strong performances and chemistry, and interactions between the characters helped the movie to feel engaging and meaningful.
The colorful camerawork, some interesting themes, and characters interactions felt genuine and engaging to observe with emotions and secrets explored. All of the performances are great and the uses of sound designs are really good. As mentioned, the narrative isn't special as it does full into some cliches and eventually felt a bit lost with what it really wants to be. Including some characters feeling a little underdeveloped.
Overall, if you enjoy watching stories about secrets, families, and past, this would be for you.
Le théorème de Marguerite (2023)
Numbers, Numbers, Numbers
An interesting premise about mathematicians, solutions, experience, and autonomy with a strong lead performance from Ella Rumpf. Concepts about mathematicians and the solutions to solve them aren't something I am very familiar with but the idea of how it process is interesting. Filmmaker Anna Novion does a pretty good job on presenting the direction of the atmosphere, tone, and camerawork as there are some really interesting camera shots and presentations.
With good performances, Rumpf's performance as the main lead is pretty good as she presents an interesting, while at times, noisy, character study that is engaging to observe. Unfortunately, the fault of the movie lies on it's uneven narrative and themes approached. It's narrative explores some interesting concepts about errors and discovery but unfortunately, it lands onto some cliches that are boring and providing some side characters that have little development or engagement to connect with. Creating the movie to lose it's steam.
Nevertheless, for mathematician individuals, this movie will do good for the demographic.
The Garfield Movie (2024)
A not-so-good fuzzball
Look, I loved reading the Garfield comics growing up but unfortunately despite a few good moments, it's a bad hairball.
The animation is solid with cute character designs that reflect perfectly to the Garfield comics, setting and environment with good uses of colors, lighting and background designs. The sound design and the soundtrack is pretty good. But that's about it. Storywise, it's messy I suppose. Garfield and Odie are interesting characters however, the movie doesn't give them enough time to shine and includes new characters that are uninteresting and quite unbearable.
The voice performances were okay but Chris Pratt's voice performance is one of the most dullest and lifeless performances ever. I don't dislike Pratt as he's been in some great movies but as Garfield, he really is miscasted.
Sure, there are some okay humor moments and there are some parts that I thought were pretty interesting. But that's all I can say. I brought a few of my relatives siblings to tag along and they enjoyed it, so there's a plus.
Mark Dindal, you made The Emperor's New Groove and Cat's Don't Dance, you can do better then this! Oh wait, you made Chicken Little, never mind.
Augure (2023)
A fascinating tale about folklore, rituals, culture, family, and failures of reconnection
Baloji Tshiani's approach on it's unconventional narrative structure and style can be a turn off for majority of the views but Tshiani's direction on it's unconventional narrative, atmosphere, and style was an interesting and fascinating outlook on the themes about failures to reconnect, folklore, rituals and cultures with interesting colorful productions, atmospheres, camerawork, musical soundtrack, and character dynamics.
Kinshasa culture is well-explored throughout the narrative, and Tshiani's approach to the characters, themes, and concepts are quite fascinating to explore. With good performances and structures, even with it's short run-time, it treats us with lots of interesting and engaging aspects that I appreciate.
Back to Black (2024)
Amy Winehouse deserves so much Better
Jesus, you can't make this nonsense up can you? Sam Taylor-Johnson "I have no talent but look! I'm able to exploit Amy Winehouse to show I actually can make something and I'm not just a creep", Mitch Winehouse, involved in a dull, yet, generic piece made for naive audiences, to demonstrate that he isn't a greedy sack of garbage and society needs to know he is innocent. Try to make another unnecessary biopic story that really is just disrespectful. After all, we are not just exploiting someone's legacy, we're changing lives and showing the good parts? I guess that's the lesson of this movie?
Bull****
I feel bad for all the actors. Marisa Abela, Jack O'Connell, Eddie Marsan and Lesley Manville deserve so much better. Anyways, ,watch "Amy (2015)", it's a great emotional documentary.
The Fall Guy (2024)
This really is just the most average movie
I'm just going to get this out. Clearly I am not big on David Leitch as a filmmaker but a stuntman, he is excellent with stunt work. Leitch is wonderful with his stunt works but having seen Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Bullet Train, and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, it's clear his direction on the action is great but writing, humor, and chemistry is bad.
Throughout, there are some pretty good action thrills and stunt work used to create tension and excitement. The production costumes and designs look nice and the perofmrnaues from Ryan Gosling and the rest of the cast are pretty good. But that's about it really.
Storywise, it's just the typical average action movie Hollywood make. Something ChatGPT would write honestly. But at least it seemed there was some care and thought put into it. The humor is pretty bad and the characters, surprisingly, I didn't buy into their chemistry. Blunt and Gosling are actors I like but the chemistry between one another felt pretty lacking.
Thus, I find myself feeling bored half of the time.
Challengers (2024)
Luca Guadagnino strikes again
This movie isn't afraid to explore intimate, exotic, and conflicting dynamics in the sports genre and with Luca Guadagnino's wonderful direction, the writing, the performances, the characters, and atmospheres are wonderful and well-executed. The exploration of the characters, their dynamics, and dialogue are great with every single moment feeling tense, engaging, and quite raw. Tennis isn't something I like but man was I invested with this movie.
All of the performances are great including strong chemistry, the soundtrack is wonderful, and many of the sport moments, editing, and style is so gritty, it's wonderful. Stellar camerawork as well! As mentioned, the characters are interesting and while they aren't really relatable, their dynamics and personalities have made them become an interesting character study of a movie. The soundtrack is awesome. I have heard others complaining about the soundtrack but I personally think the soundtrack fits and worked well with the scenes.
It's edging, hot, steamy, tense, and out there. The only issue I have with the movie is that certain sound designs were a little too mute to hear. But otherwise, Guadagnino does it again.
Une nuit (2023)
Watchable French romance that takes way too much influence of Richard Linklater
Previously Alex Lutz created "Guy" which I thought was solid with some good concepts and dialogue. Strangers by Night is a typical romance French story but with some solid moments of good dialogue and direction.
Lutz direction on the dialogue, setting and tone is pretty good as it felt focused. The performances are good, while nothing amazing, they were mainly pretty good on emotions. However, the narrative really isn't special as it was pretty predictable, including a twist that was predictable miles away. Some of the dialogue is a little rough, some pacing could be better, and it's clear Lutz has taken too much influence on Richard Linklater's The Before Trilogy which ends up making it feel stale at the end.
Overall, not bad but it's watchable for one time.
Mambar Pierrette (2023)
A good neorealist tale of a woman's struggle
Filmed in Cameroon, filmmaker Rosine Mbakam presents a neorealist approach on the life of the main character, Pierrette Abohe, and her struggles to care for her family in the poor and troubling environment. With good camerawork and sound designs, Abohe offers an emotional, slow-burn, but sensitive narrative of Abohe's struggles with interesting dynamics, atmosphere, and realistic dialogue and emotions explored within the character.
Using a docudrama approached, the style, sound designs, and character interactions felt real, touching, and depressing to observe as watching a mother trying to do her best despite the hardships was pretty emotional. The conflicts of the country, the environment, and struggles are well-explored throughout and focusing our main lead was interesting.
Some may call this misery porn but I disagree because misery porn would be considered a film that has a messaged that is forced or purposefully depressing to create shock value, rather then telling a message or so forth.
Overall, I really engaged with this movie.