nachoberggren Reviews

A Time to Kill (1996)

Tense

[7/10 · 15 June 2022]

Tense watch. It really had me on the edge of the seat the whole time.

It did feel they had to cram in a lot of setpieces for a 150 min watch. The editing sometimes felt very fast paced as it cut from moments you'd expect to hold on. I wonder if leaving some stuff out would've helped that.

Regardless it's a fantastic film that makes you feel a lot. It's tragic and frustrating, with some moments making you feel incredibly uncomfortable. It made you just feel disgust in a way I've never felt before.

The cast is so good. So many A-listers that did a brilliant job. I enjoyed the chemistry the actors had with eachother.

I think the film portrayed the divide of America during the 1980s, even continuing until today. The cancer of racism is so apparent in this film, but it also brings up the subconscious side of it. How we're raised, what we're taught, how our eyes can't see past things that's been embedded within us, projecting that as prejudices and hatred. The ending sequence was the nail on the head.

Pelé (2021)

Great watch yet shallow

[7/10 · 4 June 2022]

A really captivating watch. Great mix of archive footage and interview material to create one of the best football documentaries I've seen.

I liked it was not only about football, it was about politics and the importance of football in Brazil. It's a great way to create conflict but also tension in the story.

I learnt a lot about Pelé but I wish there was more to learn about him as a person. I feel the documentary did not take a inside view of Pelé, but rather looking from the outside. It was more about the impact of Pelé in most cases which of course needs to be included.

I've seen some other football documentaries and this one is by far the best one I've seen.

Boiling Point (I) (2021)

Who needs editors eh

[9/10 · 4 June 2022]

So impressive. The one-shot technique is such a well utilised tool to keep you on your edge. The format is perfect for this type of high-intensity pace making no scene feel empty or without motive. The camera follows characters with their own seperate storyline detailing commonalities of how it is in the service industry. Some customers wanted me to pull my hair out. The camera somehow links back to the main storyline so seamlessly you miss it. What's impressed me is the story structure it was still able to lead. There were many ebbs and flows creating such a dynamic film that never feels like a drag.

Somehow the film held that suspension of disbelief throughout it's runtime when there could have been so many mistakes.

Acting is phenomenal. Everyone is spot on. Vinette Robinson is incredibly captivating, and Stephen Graham plays the talented flawed head-chef brilliantly. All other actors still got to show what they can do somehow despite the restrictions.

Lighting was very naturalistic and obviously imperfect which only supplemented the story. It all felt real, very real which was crucial to sell this type of story.

One-shot films are incredible achievements, nonetheless a "true" one-shot but this film truly pushed its limits.

The Great Gatsby (2013)

Cut cut cut

[6/10 · 26 May 2022]

It's a grand spectacle and it delivers the famous story of Jay Gatsby fairly well. It withholds some of the key parts but the depth of it falls short. I did get an emotional reaction to some parts of this film, that I feel like I should've. Those moments I did, was not very impactful.

Cinematography looked very expensive and it was stunning at times. The money shot is of course Gatsby's first appearance. Brilliant moment from the visual and story side. Art direction and set design was incredible as well.

The editing I think ruined most of my experience with this film. I understand the decision of making it fast paced to shorten the runtime and perhaps display the craziness of these characters life, but it was sooo messy. It cut all the time like Mad Max but didn't have any sense of coherency. Personally the film would've benefitted massively if they slowed the pace and let the actors deliver on their own.

O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)

Bona Fide Traysure

[9/10 · 26 May 2022]

So much fun with this film. The cast work great together in a ragtag adventure that never has a boring moment.

It's a bona fide comedy I keep coming back to so much. Revolutionary cinematography with Deakins' pioneering with the DI creating a great sepia tone giving it a true vintage look. The music is just so good eventhough I'm no country enthusiast. How long is this film gonna hold up?

Brilliant. Timeless.

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Chef's kiss

[9/10 · 7 May 2022]

When true masterclass filmmaking is done, it makes it look sooo easy and simple. The story, directing, cinematography, sound, editing, performance, production design plus everything else, is so seamless. A film where every department got to shine and display what they're capable of. Everyone was on top of their game!

It's such a shame I didn't get to see this in the cinema. This was my second rewatch and I enjoyed it more this time around.

The story is simple really yet it includes many moving parts. I love the journey we take with K. The linear setup and story makes it easy to follow, making you take in the spectacle of it all. The twist along the end got me again somehow. I think this is also credited to not only the screenwriters and Villenueve, but also Joe Walker.

His editing makes it seem so easy. He's very selective I feel with the shots used and how long they go for. I see Villenueve and Walker have a great collaboration since they both understand the tone well. The CPM was probably really high since the shots were able to breath, even meaning something bigger as it goes along.

The Deakinizer (not the lens) shows that he's the most versatile DP out there. The level of consistency within every scene with it's use of colour, movement and lighting is incredible. I love how simplistic his approach is but it creates this grand spectacle. Preem example is Wallace office with the water reflection and the above-head sphere which is a complicated setup yet blends so well with the story. It's so otherwordly I love it.

Sound is also so damn good. Including the mix and score it's so atmospheric I wish I was in the middle of a dolby atmos cinema. The sound design has so much texture, blending analogue and digital. This is also true for the score with its use of synthesizers nodding back to the previous era.

Everyone actor is great in this film too. Gosling is usually very drawn back in his performances but when he's not, it's so powerful. Hate to say it but Leto was great too. Don't necessarily agree with the guy's "method" acting habits of treating cast and crew poorly because he's "in character", but he's fantastic here.

Production Design is insanely good too. Never an aspect I think of retrospectively but the world is so real with it's markets, houses, props, machines, vehicles etc.

The film is emotional but it doesn't pack the biggest punch. Perhaps it's because I haven't seen the original yet (whoops) but it doesn't get you that hard. Maybe every film doesn't need you to make you cry but I feel it could've made me feel a bit more. Perhaps it's a dumb opinion since it might change from day to day, but today I feel that's true.

Regardless, god damn this film is good.

Speed (1994)

Speed indeed

[7/10 · 2 May 2022]

Great fun action film that's been renouned as the classic action-film for so long.

Great cast with Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock, Jeff Daniels and Dennis Hopper. Reeves and Bullock had fantastic chemistry which ultimately carried the film. Hopper's character was great since he was just a normal guy that had enough. No supervillian with a facial abnormality.

The concept is fantastic and I was sceptical as to how I was going to be excited for the whole second act, since it takes place only in a bus. Thanks to the directing, acting and editing it really packed a lot in there to keep you hooked.

I can see why this became an action film blueprint since it still witholds today. It doesn't challenge anything really or say anything new, but you don't always need that. It gives you what you came for, a great fun experience.

Taxi Driver (1976)

My thoughts organizized

[9/10 · 1 May 2022]

Love, love, love the atmosphere, themes, tone, music and style of this film.

The films' theme is such a fascinating study of loneliness and isolation. It's a deep look in to the human psyche as Travis Bickle slowly falls into the hands of his decaying mind in a decaying city.

It's amazingly directed by Scorcese, arguably his best. It's highly stylised from the direction of Scorcese with the colourful New York city lights being a integral part of the look. The slow zooms and movement shows his mind in sleep deprivation in a great way as it's also supported by fantastic acting by Robert De Niro.

He completely sold me as the character, which is crazy since he's the most recognisable actor on this planet today. Young Jodie foster was also fantastic, even at only 12 years old. The subject matter of prostitution with under-aged women is extremely risky to approach. It's incredibly uncomfortable to watch those scenes but I think it was handled well. It's truly edgy, but I hope she was comfortable and briefed properly.

The music is so god damn good. I want it on vinyl so bad. It's a fantastic atmosphere that lies as a musicbed along the whole film. It makes want to walk in New York at night with it on, maybe even during the 70s. Scratch that, actually no.

Some of the scenes looked completely different. It might be older scans for certain scenes since the colours were wildly different and the contrast was stronger. They did shoot 16mm for certain scenes apparently which might be the reason but I did not see the purpose. I also watched it on Netflix which should be taken into account.

This film really set the tone for Scorcese's next works and it's clear what a master of his craft he is. Highly stylised to the point it inspired me and many films after. So damn cool.

The Northman (2022)

So much testosterone my god

[7/10 · 19 April 2022]

Went in not looking at any of the trailers so I was not sure what I was going into. Also the first Eggers film I've watched, I loved the tone and mood set from the beginning. It's dark and rough which was needed for this story.

The story is simple but it withholds lots of references and deep research of the Viking era and Norse mythology. Being from Sweden, it helped understanding those references which added to the experience, compared to my friend who was just confused by it.

Alexander was great and had to work HARD for this movie. The amount of testosterone through his veins must've made them pop. Claes Bang and Anya were great too.

The younger Amleth I was not impressed by. Undrrstanding he's a younger actor, still learning, he detached me completely with his overplaying. Same with Nicole Kidman, I felt some of it was very over the top which just kinda maked me cringe. I appreciate they hired a lot of Scandinavian actors across the board. It's funny being Scandinavian hearing the different dialects flying around. Nicole looks Scandinavian in this film, but I honestly think someone else could've done it too, if not better.

Visually it's unbelievable. Shot on 35mm film in Iceland you know it's gonna be good. The colour is very naturalistic, yet has b+w scenes and completely desaturated colours except fire during the night. Loved that approach. The psychadelic scenes and flashbacks were great using messed up lenses with immense falloff to give that vibe. Though Valhalla did not need to be so spectacular personally, full of CGI. It felt missplaced somehow cause I feel everything else was so grounded. Also think they switched aspect ratio twice from 1:85:1 to 2:35:1 but failed to see the purpose. Probably just missed it.

Music was fantastic. Reminded me of the Witcher games which used similar instruments, probably also inspired my the middle age. Throat singing worked, but I've no clue if that's actually something they did. It worked as a device to set the tone though so who cares.

This film is not for everyone since it's quite gruesome and is filled with manly mans fighting other manly mans while grunting. For example In the end, it went very over the top somehow which kind of took me away a little bit from the satisfaction. While the scene setting is spectacular, scaling it down to just these two men fighting, could've been more powerful.

Like Zak Snyder's "300" it has it's audience I think. This though is less "American" and still stayed true to the world of vikings.

Definitely watching more of Rober Eggers stuff, seems to be in total control of his craft.

Death on the Nile (2022)

Armie Hammer Yikers

[4/10 · 2 April 2022]

Death on the Nile is really just a re-skin of the first one. Bit of a different plot but suffers from the same issues as the first one. It is just not as compelling.

We get 1 hour of set up plot leaving 1 more hour for the actual film. It takes nearly exactly 1 hour until the first murder happens. Then it all happens so quick, leaving no time for reflection.

While the film is truly beautiful, it doesn't hold up as well. We get 1 hour of set up plot leaving 1 more hour for the actual film. It takes nearly exactly 1 hour until the first murder happens. Then it all happens so quick, leaving no time for reflection.

I think it's shot well with 65mm film and warm colours. The symmetry of the shots represents Poirot's OCD and it's sterile white look to represent wealth. The only room with actual colour is Poirot's with desaturated blues to get his loneliness across. Great storytelling.

It's fun I suppose, but I can't say I cared for any of the characters really. Maybe I'm as sad as Poirot.

Also, Armie Hammer. Yikes.

Murder on the Orient Express (2017)

Actor Avalanche

[5/10 · 1 April 2022]

It's an intriguing watch but with nothing to actually hook you.

I think my issue is I don't understand the tone they were going for here. While the acting from Kenneth Branagh is a bit camp with his over-the-top mustache, they tried making a serious mystery detective film. It doesn't meld.

Super-fun cast but not much was given to them to actually play with. There is totally a thing of too much of a good thing.

I enjoyed the cinematography though. The mixed medium with 65mm film and Digital was well incorporated. Some shots were amazing like the top-down angles that were held for a long time. I applaud that confidence. Lot's of dolly shots too and glass-refraction stuff to emphasise the two-face lying that was happening on screen. Lovely storytelling.

I love detective films, but I've seen better. Let's hope Lumet's version is better.

The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021)

Sparkly Tammy

[6/10 · 25 March 2022]

I knew nothing prior about this story nor people involved.

Crazy age of showbiz where this was standard TV. It's fascinating to see how time's have changed.

I love the beginning of the film. I think that specific scene set the tone and put prejudices on the table (atleast for me) and turned it around. It's a true rise and fall of Tammy Faye Bakker and it was an brilliant editing choice.

Acting was subliminal with Jessica Chastain smashing it. Would not be shocked if she wins the Oscar. She literally was Tammy Faye. Garfield was also amazing as per usual.

The progression of the story was great to see. Especially with the make-up as a tool. It was important to the story but also to Tammy which is why it's so prominent.

The cinematography I enjoyed, especially inserts of the old 80s TV look. The sparkly end-song gave it a nice knot tying that tone up.

I thought the film lacked in pace. Eventhough it's not terribly long it felt really long. There was something about it that made be disconnect from it. I think I personally struggle with bio-pics since they can feel so one-dimensional when you're following one perspective.

I think it's just not entirely my cup of tea, but it's a true acting masterclass.

Escape from Pretoria (2020)

Radcliffe in cupboards and glasses... again

[6/10 · 23 March 2022]

This was a great jail break thriller. It has some shortcomings but really interesting stuff too.

This is first and foremost a jail-break film. It includes clever and satisfying breakthroughs as they their escape. The tension you feel up and down is great.

However, some parts feel very fabricated because of this. I have not read the book, but the parts of ex-machina misdirection, terrible guards, cover-it-up-just-in-time bits etc. Makes it feel a bit tropey.

The apartheid sub-plot/message kind of takes a backseat. Mostly delivered in VO and on-screen texts. I think it could be more incorporated here but that also includes character development. There was so little dialogue about the characters. They could've achieved bigger catharsis if you knew more about them personally. I think the shorter run-time had an effect on this.

The acting was pretty good. Radcliffe can have some hot or misses but I liked him in this. Same goes for the other cast, I just wish there was more time to get to know them all better.

The cinematography I really liked. The colours were immaculate. They hade some overexposed images when they were outside which added to the story. Some shots hade dual focus planes done in post which was interesting. I don't know if they were the first but it was incorporated well. It's not as fine-tuned like in "The Queen's Gambit" (2020) but I still love the creativity.

If you want to see a good jail-breaker, you have one. Just don't expect a Shawshank.

CODA (2021)

Overlook the clichés and it's beautiful

[8/10 · 22 March 2022]

This film made me happy. It's like a warm hopeful hug that I think people need right now.

CODA brought many things to the table. Hiring real deaf actors truly brought authenticity to this film. The subtle moments we take for granted was encapsulated so well. It makes you realise you have it pretty good. You can clearly see the level of careful research Siân Heder took.

I've never seen Emilia Jones in anything else (apart from "One Day" lol) but she was fantastic. I love films this way since she was a blank page that she started to paint. She took responsibility of this role and delivered to great effect.

I thought some story beats, acting and locations were very formulaic, even cliché. It became fairly predictable which made me lose the story a bit. You've seen this story a good amount of times but it still felt fresh.

The cinematography was nice but I wish there was something else to it. It was very clean with sharp lenses making it feel very digital. Unless they wanted that look, I feel it could've perhaps lended itself to some imperfections in the image like using filmstock or vintage lenses. I feel it would fit the story really well but perhaps that's just my own taste.

This film has great beautiful moments that I'll remember. Some of the clichés can definitely be looked past, because some scenes (especially in the third act) were beautiful. A clash of love, perspective and meaning, CODA brought it all. Fun to see films like this get awards praise.

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Amaizeing

[8/10 · 21 March 2022]

Nostalgic, wholesome and cute. Personally not Wes Anderson's best, but I did thoroughly enjoy it.

The whole tone and beautiful theme of the film I will remember. It's incredibly stylised like all Wes's films but this one makes me want to leave everything and camp on a pebble beach.

The use of colour in this film is fantastic. Many yellows and greens contrasting the blue hour and popping reds. Shooting 16mm worked brilliantly with a warm look/filmstock to achieve this nostalgic summer feel. Many compositions and shots are going to stick in my mind. Might contend as top 10 cinematography wise.

The performances are of course different in Wes's films. I always enjoy it, however I think the pacing in the end made it not feel as tight.

The music is subtle here, but like everything Desplat does, it's intentional. It doesn't really stick out, but it truly fit the film that you don't notice it, which I think is a good thing.

If you like Wes, you'll like this. It's fun with a great cast as per usual with a stylistic edge you will find from noone else.

The Batman (2022)

Brutal Bat

[9/10 · 21 March 2022]

Yikes. This film went out punching from the get go. I can still hear the sound of the punches in my ears.

Psychological thriller with noir and horror touches in Gotham is a mix of heaven. The superhero Batman gets new life with this tone that makes me so excited for more superhero films like this.

Going into it I was already intriuged by the Cast of Pattinson, Kravitz, Serkis, Dano and Wright. Pattinson smashed it which I wasn't entirerly shocked by. Emo-Bruce definitely works within this gothic world and it made him more vulnerable and intriguing. Kravitz killed it as Cat-woman and I hope she returns to perhaps bring something new to their dynamic. I wasn't sure about Serkis as Alfred at first. I truly love him as an actor but I thought he'd be "too cool" which I was wrong about. Wright was fantastic but the amount of grunty whispering was a bit ridiculous. The cool-guy voice felt a bit overdone. The rest of the cast were amazing and completely disappeared behind their roles especially Farrell.

The cinematography was jaw-dropping. So many money-shots that I lost count. The dirty, dark, tungsten lighting with fantastic angles and movement. I was so happy they didn't shaky-cam the action and just let the choreography shine, which was the best I've seen to date. Greig Frasier proves he's the best DP working right now.

Watching it at Odeon Luxe West End was a great decision in terms of visuals but also sound. Man, the punches and the vehicles made the cinema shake. You'd feel the power and the impacts to a degree I've never felt. The massive and sometimes scary score made this an unforgettable soundscape.

I loved the Riddler take, especially Dano. He was truly terrifying at times but I've gotten a bit tired of all the livestream/broadcast elements in films. I understand the message in here with social media danger and delusional radicalists but it's become fairly trope.

All in all it's difficult to weigh it up against Nolan's "The Dark Knight". They are completely different balls in different ballparks. However, imagine seeing Heath Ledger as the Joker in this setting? I think more superheroes should grow up from their boyhood phase because Batman succeeds with this. More stuff like this please.