kawtharffathalla Reviews

Voy! Voy! Voy! (2023)

A directional debut worth the praise

[8/10 · 1 October 2023]

Inspired by true events, Voy Voy Voy presents itself full of comedic realism. A directional debut worth the praise.

Omar Hilal's narrative style strongly depended on dark comedy, which added an interestingly engaging layer to the storytelling while maintaining the balance of the classic Egyptian movie style. As a result, you will find yourself laughing out loud while still being emotionally focused at the same time through many scenes.

The movie followed a cohesive structure and development of the story with strong writing focused on details and smart revelations, character building led by realistic performances from an incredible ensemble cast, and the right mix of dramatic emotional beats that I feel were utilized properly a bit later in the runtime but nonetheless left their impact by the end.

The examination of real-life events and the depth of tackling crucially fateful societal issues from a relevant approach to the viewer created a sense of connection to the story and a sort of moral sympathy for the character's challenges despite the acts of fraud, which leaves your thoughts provoked in the grey areas of right and wrong. And from this perspective, I loved the efforts to leave the audience's interpretation of the character's images (whether as heroes or villains) open to varying personal perceptions.

A Haunting in Venice (2023)

Enjoyable entertainment watch if you're bored.

[6/10 · 1 October 2023]

Aside from beautiful visuals, this installment of Kenneth Branagh's murder mystery in Venice doesn't exceed any limits from the previous parts and feels quite bland. Enjoyable entertainment watch if you're bored.

In terms of the mystery and suspense, it was decently maintained throughout the plot before the final reveal and tried to give you the chance to guess. Though the ending was abruptly wrapped up, I feel I needed a more dramatic build-up to wow me with the ending or a stronger plot twist. Also, the director's effort to mix in "horror" is a good try to set it apart from the previous parts but lacks in leaving a significant mark.

What stood out most in the movie for me and was probably the highlight was the cinematography, beautifully presented frames with stylistic choices, great mixing of color profiles narratively, and the use of angles to stimulate oddness (sometimes weird ones) which worked for the most part except for a few shots that felt out of place or maybe pushed too much.

Insidious: The Red Door (2023)

"It doesn't mean anything if it doesn't come from the inside"

[3/10 · 1 August 2023]

Some of my recent horror watches have not been very giving, this joins that list!

Compared to the previous Insidious movies this was defiantly the weakest storyline, I couldn't find anything special about it all, it left me very unimpressed.

The plot lacked coherence connecting to the previous events of the franchise in a way to makes sense and introduces a new angle, some storylines felt random, unexplained, and unnecessary!! Even with the flashbacks by the end, it just doesn't add much to move the narrative forward for this part in the needed direction with an underdeveloped ending. It somewhat left me questioning the purpose of making this part given the franchise has been successful previously!!

The jump scares were fine, to me personally it felt a little quirky and not quite engaging in terms of proper horror.

Oppenheimer (I) (2023)

"Amateurs stay in the sun they get eaten, Power stays in the shadows"

[10/10 · 1 August 2023]

This is so far the best movie I've seen this year, I'm intrigued to see where it will stand on the list by end of the year!!

(Directing / Story) Oppenheimer is cinema at its finest. Christopher Nolan's versatile directorial abilities leave us in awe with a monumental cinematic masterpiece of a harrowing powerful story.

Nolan's dialogue-heavy and dense science narrative is captivating with its focused details, the movie is built with such an intricate structure that allows every piece of the complex historical drama to unfold at a combination of fast and steady pace while building extreme ongoing tension and uneasiness over the long runtime that profoundly shakes you. Also big props for that is on the editing, the jumps between events and their timelines were seamless.

I love the directorial choice to communicate through J. Robert Oppenheimer's point of view, allowing the viewer to explore a glimpse inside of his full of abstract ideas mind, and along that playing with the objective v.s subjective narrative shifts projecting the other perspectives that capture the storylines from different directions which bring up a lot of curious questions to the viewer's mind trying to understand choices and motives!

The story is not just about historical events instead it's Nolan's thought-provoking showcase diving us deep into the radicality of mass destruction from a sequence of events led by the seek for greatness, the exploration of the minds behind the actions, their frightening obsessive ambition with power and blindness of its catastrophic consequences on humanity on the long run, and haunting internalized battles of moral dilemmas. (There were 2 specific breathtaking scenes where it entirely left me intrigued on the edge of my seat!!!)

(Cinematography) Nolan's long-run collaboration with Hoyte van Hoytema is one of the most rewarding things from this experience as a viewer who admires his work. He goes all out and he always delivers highly.

I loved loved loved the cinematography, although the visuals were crafted on the simple and not spectacular stylized side yet it was highly effective and achieved the exact emotional depth and realism portrayed it needed to.

The sense of intimacy with the characters was so well done with the astonishing close-ups that reflected proximity and somewhat removes the barrier of a screen. The immersiveness of the camera language takes you as a viewer into the rooms as if you're part of the conversations and enables you to observe and focus on details of the environment and crucial moments of history, this is exactly what they wanted to achieve and they nailed it!

Also utilizing the visuals to play with perspectives through shifting between color and black-and-white sequences was a beautiful nuanced touch that was transformative in the storytelling and also added up creatively.

On a technical level, the way they seek after new inventions of film stocks and use first-time black and white color specs customized for shooting on that grandest scale of IMAX film cameras with a focus to deliver to the viewer's realistic perception is an unmatched level of dedication to the craft from both Hoyte van Hoytema and Nolan, it is a study on pushing boundaries.

(Performances / Characters) The character development is a masterclass, the depths of exploring the character's psychology and indulging the audience in their emotional journeys are palpably felt through the screen.

The cast was on their A game, no matter the length of their screen presence, it's going to be a tight race for the upcoming awards season!

Cillian Murphy owned the screen, his embodiment of the character was flawless and intensely mesmerizing, the way he portrayed complexity, especially with the internalized burden of the ethical intellectuality that was something!!

Followed by Robert Downey Jr's remarkable versatile performance that easily stands him out with a powerful role!! Outstanding work from Emily Blunt she nailed that one specific scene big time. So did Matt Dameon with another great hit for the year, and Florence Pugh which I wished to see more of her but understandable why not but regardless I always love her acting.

(Score / Sound Design) The cherry on top of powerful storytelling and astonishing visuals is breathtaking score and sound design. The soundscape in this movie uplifts the experience to another level with its ability to suck your emotions in, and the way it's delicately crafted to indulge you with the visual dynamics builds successfully on the whole cinematic experience.

Hot take: I like that it was Ludwig Göransson on this score instead of Zimmer, obviously Zimmer is phenomenal but Ludwig added the right spice to this movie specifically.

The Deepest Breath (2023)

"How can one person touch so many?"

[8/10 · 1 August 2023]

I often find myself deeply fascinated by people's passions, at the same time it sometimes frightens me the idea of how the obsession with passion can possibly be the end of you literally and figuratively. What does it really take to go after your passion? And how willing are you to sacrifice for it?

I watched this documentary without any knowledge of freediving or the story and it immediately grabbed my attention right from the opening scene, that itself kept me on the edge

It's such an interesting element of the story structure how stunning they capture the concept to be as an extreme sport, yet how dangerous of an endeavor it actually is. It shows you both sides of the athlete's obsession about it and the lengths they go for it, which leaves you questioning wanting to understand the depths of satisfaction beyond passion given their lives are at dangerous risks knowingly.

The cinematography was stunning, incredible archival footage! It takes you through the diver's journeys from top to underwater beautifully it's sometimes scary. The interviews were heartfelt and informative enough for you to understand a bit of the extreme sport, while at the same time, it maintained sensations and delivered emotionally making you feel for the tragedy and how their story intertwined in destiny.

Elvis (2022)

This movie easily gets you up on your feet and jazzes you up from the first few minutes.

[7/10 · 24 May 2023]

(Directing / Editing / Story) Baz Luhrmann did a great job maintaining the exciting energy of the movie. The style he followed was interesting and different doing his own thing with impactful absurdity which resulted in an enjoyable cinema experience!

The visual story styles take a fast pace route which I feel is either a like or a dislike for some and it does take a minute to get your focus on and can feel overwhelming at first, I personally thought I might not like it but the transitions through all the storylines and visuals were done somewhat smoothly that it blends well and I ended up not minding it.

When it comes to the story, I wish I saw more of the downside or had more elaboration on it than the way it was placed in the narrative.

(Performance) Austin Butler, a phenomenal performance!!! An Oscar nomination is coming his way for the role! The way he portrays the character is highly remarkable and his performances are astonishing, from being on stage to reflecting the emotional struggles of the character!! He delivered!!

(Cinematography) The visuals looked beautiful!! Cinematographer Mandy Walker did an amazing job, the style she followed was unique and helped reflect the glamour, feels, and transitions of Elvis's life.

The camera language was built on movements, it was choreographed amazingly with the performances and events, it transforms you into his world but also it does slow it down for you to feel when needed.

The dreamy textures and framing choices helped deliver the needed emotions and felt intimate and nostalgic.

Also loved the changes in the visual styles through different stages of the character's journey, it was incredibly done. The camera department went the extra mile👏🏼 looking forward to Mandy's next movie!

Nope (2022)

Why do we look for what's beyond in the unknown and try to make something out of it?

[8/10 · 24 May 2023]

Post watch thoughts: Why do we look for what's beyond in the unknown and try to make something out of it?

(Directing / Story) This movie is an immersive cinematic experience. I know many people might not be all in for it as I was overhearing comments in the cinema, but honestly that just depends on how you perceive the experience Jordan Peele is trying to deliver with his unique style. He is a great kinda crazy.

The story is layered, the premise could be what you actually see it as but there is also a whole depth beyond it filled with symbolism that can twist your thoughts in another direction, both ways it had its impact to provoke on many different levels.

I loved the environment build and its revelation, the eeriness of the actions as the plot twists itself between the vagueness, the thrill, and the haunting elements, to the direct social commentary that was spot on.

(Cinematography) Hoyte van Hoytema is a master of his craft! I'm a big fan of his cinematography and as usual his visual storytelling was mastered into mesmerizing frames that were highly immersive and full of feelings.

The lighting got me amazed at parts, working with night sequences in general is challenging but Hoytema's way around it was bold (from a technical point of view it's so interesting I'm geeking about it!!)

The tones and textures he created with lighting and formats choices conveyed a naturalistic reflection that worked wonderfully to uplift the visuals richness.

The camera work was smoothly transformative! The use of scale, angles, and shifting points of view was incredible, it naturally keeps you engaged feeling all the intensity of the action while being intimately close to the characters.

(Score / Sound Design) All the different elements of the movie complemented with the music score and the sound design amplified the experience to another level of engagement that keeps you thrilled for the whole run time.

(Performances) The character development and build-up were another great strength of the movie, the way Peele empowers his characters and their expressions in contrast between the fear and courage and all the complexity within them.

Both Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer had outstanding performances and completed each other with their differences leading them to own the screen. Especially the way Daniel just simply uses his expressions, great emotional delivery.

The Woman King (2022)

"Vision is seeing what other do not."

[7/10 · 24 May 2023]

"Vision is seeing what other do not."

(Directing / Story) Gina Prince-Bythewood you did goood!! 👏🏼 The narrative was perfectly engaging with a balanced pace, the climax succeeded to fully emerge you in and the calmer scenes bring you down to intimately connect with the story, not a boring moment though out!

I love how they went all out with the fight scenes it was bloody and epic, reminded me of The Northman it's like the female version of it!

There was few predictable storylines but it didn't really bother me very much.

The structure was well developed, from the story to the characters to the environment buildup, it all worked great together.

I wish there was more dramatic development in one aspect of the story towards the end (won't mention not to spoil it) still works though!

(Cinematography) Polly Morgan did an absolute amazing job with the visuals!

I loved her composition choices, stunning visuals. The lighting was glorious and the effort to reflect the natural dark skin tones was impressively mastered, it's such a small detail but makes a difference! The earthy tones and hues of the environment created a complementing contrast! The camera work was seamless specially in the action scenes it was so immersive as if you're in the battles!

(Performances) Viola Davis's performance was superb and outstanding! Her screen presence is powerful and the way she embodied the character was amazing both on the emotional delivery and the body language strength.

The rest of the cast was phenomenal as well! I see upcoming raising actresses in these performances! I loved the variety of personalities with their strengths and weakness, characters build up was👌🏼

Costa Brava, Lebanon (2021)

Heartily felt movie

[9/10 · 24 May 2023]

I felt this film with all my heart!!! It was nothing short of what I expected and it's defiantly going in my favorites list of the year. A remarkable watch I highly recommend.

(Directing / Writing / Story) Mounia Akl is a name to look out for in the region! Ever since I watched her short Submarine there was something about it I really loved and made me look forward to watching her feature debut and I'm excited for what she has coming next!

The storytelling in the film is incredibly sensational, very impressive writing!! The way it succeeds to portray so many layers of social realism and political commentary into one film without it ever feeling too much is smooth and smartly done....

I really liked how all the storylines are in someway intertwined with each other and projected on their own in what feels like different transformative chapters although it does not directly show that but rather done through great editing that allows the story and underlying emotions to touch your soul and provoke your thoughts on them.

And like with most Lebanese films (which I love that) the film speaks more than its simple premise. It's a beautifully complex portrait of a family's dynamic in a phase of their lives, a love letter to Lebanon perhaps, a political statement, an environmental reflection, and above all of that it is a societal commentary at its core.

I also liked the calmness of the atmosphere and the way the narrative softly unfolds itself in a critical and complex crisis, which was also reflected highly in the visuals which profounds the cinematic experience.

(Characters / Performances) A strong story backed by strong acting creates magic!! Every actor did an amazing job delivering a high performance with contrasting emotions.

Nadine Labaki has unbeatable magic as always, her chemistry with Saleh Bakri worked nicely!! And the little girl (actually twins) had a wonderful charm to them, I wished to see more of Yumna Marwan though.

The character development was rich and beautifully done! Each character had their own depth that you sense from their screen presence on its own which I love! It is also interesting how they are all in the same living experience together yet it's shaping each one of them differently. The focus on the vulnerability and how the director managed to make them live it was an important aspect allowing us to engage and connect with them.

I also liked the use of surrealism symbols to convey internal thoughts, especially the night scene of Nadine Labaki's character, which was one of the most beautiful scenes!!!

(Cinematography) I loved the cinematography by Joe Saade👏🏼👏🏼 it was beautifully powerful and felt so serene wherein you feel it's not supposed to and that's where it just really works!

The realism in the visuals was very immersive, atmospheric, and portrayed the needed complex simplicity.

The camera language was paced calmly with the narrative resulting in stunning imagery that isn't just beautiful but helps to paint a bigger picture for the audience. The shifts in the tones were nicely implied to convey the two extremes of the story.

She Said (2022)

Subtle deep dive..

[7/10 · 24 May 2023]

(Directing / Story) This movie tells a very important story that needs to be heard. It subtly dives deep into the horrendous acts of Harvey Weinstein with a strong focus on the victim's side unrevealing their hurtful behind-closed-doors traumatic experiences.

An intense reflective storytelling with a calm pacing that uncovers each storyline individually but collectively at the same time in thoughtful portrayals. The movie succeeds to take us into the investigative process of the reveal with all its ups and downs and I think this exploration of investigative journalism was important to strengthen the audience's connection to the story and contribute to understating and being more compassionate with the victims. I highly appreciated the directorial choice to not paint Harvey in any other picture than what of a monster he actually was...

In general I liked the realism presented, structure-wise though I think the first act was a bit messy in its establishment, a bit too fast, and not as smooth in transitioning and tying elements together and fell into a repetitive loop at a point.

Though it nicely picked up towards the second and third acts where it started to deliver a more solid buildup, the storytelling became a bit stronger, and I started to connect with the story more and feel the emotional provocation of it.

(Cinematography) Stunning visuals and camera work, the way the cinematography was integrated into the telling bits of stories was very well executed with powerful full of sensation camera movement.

(Performances) Strong performances by both Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan! Really loved how both leads embodied the characters so naturally and delivered an intriguing emotional arc. The rest were good too.

The Menu (2022)

"What happens to an artist when he loses his passion?"

[8/10 · 24 May 2023]

"What happens to an artist when he loses his passion?"

To say the least a "delicious" watch! One of the flavourful movies of the year! Note you will definitely leave the theater hungry!

(Directing / Story) A very entertaining societal satire with a smart and twisted script balanced in its humor and darkness, and topping it off with great performances!!

I like how the narrative had a bit of unpredictably in it at some points which kept the engagement level high throughout.

Nice use of metaphoric symbols in a theatrical way, adding layers to it beyond the premise of food, deep down it felt like it's a portrayal of passion, social consumerism, and a commentary of the luxurious pretentious.

Great vision from the director Mark Mylod, great mood setting, smart blocking of the cast, and the camera which helped in unfolding the story smoothly without distracting the viewer with the different storylines.

I wish there was more to the ending, but it makes sense by the end of it and you somewhat leave fulfilled.

(Cinematography) Loved the cinematography, such a deliverable camera language that was smartly executed and presented the elements full of flavor through the screen!

The framing and movement were so engaging and navigated the audience's focus on certain elements at a time.

(Performances) A big element of the movie is the performances, especially from Anya Taylor-Joy who keeps proving herself further with every character she plays, great combo with the chef's sophisticated character played amazingly by Ralph Fiennes, both delivered brilliantly, so did Nicholas Hoult who stood out among the rest of the average supporting cast.

Triangle of Sadness (2022)

You either love this or hate it!

[8/10 · 24 May 2023]

This was an insane watch!! It's the type of movie where you either like or hate it, and to my surprise I really liked it! Another one that goes in my best 2022 watches.

(Directing / Story) Ruben Östlund is brilliant, he pulled to give us an amazing satire of the privileged wealthy elites that is by no means new or untackled but rather he has his own twist on it.

I loved how the movie goes into serious societal topics with a very casual humorous approach, and the high attention to detail that elevates the engagement and evokes your attention.

The way the director plays with shifting powers of the hierarchy and behavioral dynamics was amazingly done. The lack of social intelligence portrayed in the characters and situations created a rich storyline for the karmic circle moments and also tying all these different perspectives and their correlations together under one plot of a high social class, while keeping the audience engaged and guessing in which direction the movie is heading.

And with all the social commentaries reflected, the movie presents itself with high levels of sarcasm, it was absolutely hilarious and so entertaining, I didn't stop laughing the whole time which that on its own an experience.

The structure of the chapters was nice but at a point in the third chapter it started to get redundant without moving the story forward which affected the pacing and led to an anticlimactic ending, It left me wanting more, maybe a richer ending with further dramatic treatment or like wow factor to be the cherry on top but it unfortunately didn't get there at all and that took a bit away from the overall cinematic experience.

I enjoyed almost every bit of this movie except for the VERY disgusting scenes *you know what I'm talking about once you watch* it was extremely nauseating and very unnecessary I think we could have been spared on them for sure.

(Cinematography) Beautiful visuals 👌🏼 I loved the uneasiness that was reflected visually, the camera static placement and the movements were amazingly done, and I like how the cinematographer used stylistic camera language to create an engaging dynamic between the action, characters, and audience. Also the use of angles to convey specific emotions in some scenes delivered, it is subtle but visually impactful.

(Performances) The performances were excellent, I think the casting choices made so much of the movie work, each character was irritating in their own way and their characteristics really helped to get the story through.

Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)

"The way of water has no beginning or end"

[9/10 · 24 May 2023]

"The way of water has no beginning or end" 3 very enjoyable hours of a mind-blowing masterpiece.

(Directing / Story) First to start, having the ability to come back with a successful sequel almost 13 years later has its own challenges, and James Cameron successfully created yet another spectacle!! He successfully delivered what may be an even better part than the previous.

It amazes me how can someone envision and create such out of this world visual based movie, like what goes through his mind to be able to do all of this? His attention to details is insane!!

This sequel expanded with more focus on character building introducing a new family dynamics that hold a big part of the narrative. I really liked that, it added a new spin to the actual simple story.

But I think dramatically the first part was more compelling, as the new introductions a bit overtook the further or new dramatic treatment, not that it lacked any drama but the basic premise of it was a very similar continuation of the first part happening in a different setting.

Though that wasn't a bad thing necessarily and for me it didn't affect my experience as I was highly invested in the other aspects of the movie overall. It still highly succeeded in delivering a spectacle cinematic experience filled with sensational emotional beats, incredibly choreographed action scenes, and beautifully captured sceneries which all of that allowed the narrative to unfold itself richly exploring the new world development and getting the audience fully immersed through all of it with not even a minute of dullness.

It also still managed to continue creating a connection with nature, amplified in this part by introducing a whole new world including new creatures and exploring the perspectives of the human-made environmental destructions and the consequences of that which is an important topic in the movie.

Along with approaching the family's connection more in-depth with multiple layered storylines on its importance and significance in the journey, I think this was a highlighted aspect that created empathy and connection with the Sully family.

(Visuals) Mind-blowing, fascinating, mesmerizing.. what else can I add!! This movie is visually legendary!!! It easily beats being one of the tops within the past decade probably.

It really makes sense why this was in the making for so years, the imagery wasn't just beautiful it also reflected depth. The visual effects were beyond astonishing, the techniques used for the world's elements and overall technical buildup were unreal, at a point you kind of can't figure out what's real and what's not as the CGI was so smoothly executed especially with the Na'vi characters, the way they are fully transformed yet their body language was maintained authentically and their emotions reflection through it was fantastic.

I highly appreciate the director for inverting new technologies and not settling for less technically than what he gave, this probably going to change the future of VFX moving forward.

(Performances) The acting was impressive. Zoe Saldaña stood out she did amazing especially in her character's emotional arc delivery despite performing through motion capture you can feel her emotions through the screen. And so did Sam Worthington aa his character was more developed since his previous performance which is a great improvement to see. The newcomers also did great.

Though some of the characters didn't get as much screen time as they deserved and needed further development, but it's a good setup for the future given there are more parts coming, so I hope we get more focus on the different characters in the future.

Aftersun (II) (2022)

Complex simplicity that strikes to the core!

[10/10 · 24 May 2023]

Aftersun has it all with its complex simplicity. A very remarkable directorial debut for Charlotte Wells 👏🏼 i think this is my only 5/5 rating for a 2022 release so far.

Such a heartfelt and emotionally provocative watch. I loved how it's simple yet very deep and full of feelings in its narrative, with long takes that evoke your thoughts and make you look recall your own memories, and the minimal dialogue where it makes you feel and connect with the character's chemistry and their state of mind beyond expressive words, and the atmospheric scenes that transform you in the buildup of the story, and the unfolding of the last 30 minutes that leaves you emotionally touched.

Aftersun is the kind of movie that stays with you for a while, it didn't leave my mind for days. I love how it engaged me while watching, yet after finishing it I kept going back recalling and processing some scenes in a different way.

Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths (2022)

Such an "afternoon nap dreams" kind of movie

[7/10 · 24 May 2023]

This was such an "afternoon nap dreams" kind of movie, I have mixed feelings about it.

I loved how it is poetic and fearlessly full of symbolism, it passionately goes all out on that. I also loved how it provokes you to get lost in the surreal storytelling trying to make sense of it, it twisted my mind in a good way and it gives you a full circle moment in the end.

Though there was something about it that didn't quite hit it right for me. Some parts got a bit too messy where It kind of lost its chaotic beauty, and maybe that is intended but circulating many ideas at the same time could go either way and when you actually look at some sequences on their own they work amazingly.

Also, the runtime was long and you feel that, it got a bit too much to keep up with as the narrative is wild, I think it requires a clarity of mind fully engage with it.

Visually very stunning, Darius Khondji's cinematography uplifts the experience to an engaging level of captivation. One of the best visuals of the year.

Daughters of Abdul-Rahman (2021)

Relatable premises

[7/10 · 24 May 2023]

"What will people say.." A premise that makes this movie very relatable in the Arab region. In another reality, a concept of living that either makes you or breaks you and "Daughter of Abdulrahman" doesn't fear to show it all.

This movie takes you through a journey of its own dynamics, with heartfelt relatable stories, a rollercoaster of touching emotional buildups, in tackling important societal taboos of the traditional and patriarchal systems/roles, and portraying sisterhood through complex characters development each reflecting their own twisted identity into the dynamic with incredible performances from a strong cast.

Loved how the cinematography complemented the natural narrative of the story and was immersive to let you feel through the scenes. Shot by one of my all-time favorite Arab cinematographers Ahmad Jalboush, once again he delivered visuals beautifully.

Fire of Love (2022)

"When you could die at any moment, what do you leave behind?"

[8/10 · 24 May 2023]

"When you could die at any moment, what do you leave behind?"

This documentary is a poetic exploration of curiosity, heated love, and what's left to be shared/told legacy of scientific devotion and a fatal passion/ obsession, and I'm here for it all.

Never thought a documentary about volcanos and love could be this fascinating.

It's the 4:3 for me, The archive footage is very astonishingly impressive!! The Kraffts were incredible storytellers on their own. And building a documentary using the majority of that real archival imagery amplified the watching experience, as it makes you enter a fascinating mental state viewing the Kraffts journey with a sense of proximity given the truthful reflection of their charismatic identities and romance, passionate career-centered lifestyle, and their obsessive important scientific studies.

Athena (2022)

Powerful, and brilliantly full of cinematic visual energy.

[7/10 · 24 May 2023]

Powerful, and brilliantly full of cinematic visual energy.

"Athena" succeeds from the first 10 mins continuous shot in the opening scene to soak you in with its fast pace, and ongoing tension that pushes you on the edge and doesn't fail to blow your mind with its climactic chaotic beauty and changing emotions.

Simple story executed big with great performances. I would've loved to see a bit more depth in the story, It would've strengthened the premise and given it further narrative depth than the stylistic approach, which I didn't mind much.

The cinematography is the strongest element of the movie, the visuals were striking!! It's highly impressive on the technical level, the camera work delivered such an incredible dynamic immersion that transformed you into the action.

Tár (2022)

Powerful simple cinematic language

[9/10 · 24 May 2023]

It is fascinating how a movie structured with simple cinematic language can be this powerful and have many layers of profundity and realism.

The introduction buildup is brilliant, as the opening scene starts with ambiguity and this sets the tone for the rest of the movie with a slow burn that rewards you at the end with putting puzzle pieces together while still making you question further.

Todd Field gave us a brilliantly structured story translating a powerful female dominance in a conclusive contrast between a perfect outer image with stands on a remarkable career print, and an inside glimpse full of moral contradictions and systematic manipulations leading to a fall down from grace in relevance to cancel culture.

As the narrative unfolds with long dialogues, it lets us explore a passionate yet harmful ambition, conflicted choices, moments of spiraling out of control, and how hidden acts of hypocrisy can have major consequential outcomes.

The camera language in the movie is captivating with its simplicity. The staging and blocking of the camera were precisely creating elaborate compositions often in centered or asymmetrical framing giving us beautifully constructed visuals, with powerful long static takes and minimal directional movement that added to the layers of depth and ambiguity.

Cate Blanchett is masterful, her presence on screen is marvelous!!! Her performance is a fascinating character study of a multi-faceted flawed human with inner conflicts portrayed through moving nuance. The psychological progression in the buildup as the narrative unfolds is sophisticated and unmatchable. I don't think anyone else could've portrayed Lydia Tar the way she did.

Saint Omer (2022)

An intriguing observational movie

[6/10 · 24 May 2023]

This was one of those movies which left me questioning how I feel about it.

Saint Omer is an intriguing observational movie that strikes on humanity between touching on sympathy, exploring ethnic and cultural commonalities, and maternal connections in parallel realities through shifting perspectives.

The narrative shapes itself up very slowly with complexity and palpable ambiguity in an interesting way where it doesn't give you the answers you may want instead it makes ask a lot of questions, I would assume it's intentional so smart choice from the director Alice Diop.

The story is heavily layered in long dialogue scenes set in almost one prominent location which allows your curiosity to rise, it could get a bit overwhelming to keep up with it but the slow calm pace helps to get you back In focus.

Strong performances, the calm but deep body language especially through the eyes were gripping and delivered exactly what's needed as the story unfolds.

The Hand of God (2021)

"Reality is lousy, that's why I want to make films"

[6/10 · 24 May 2023]

"Reality is lousy, that's why I want to make films"

Paolo Sorrentino's philosophical coming-of-age story is his surrealist interpretation of the disparity between a phase of happiness and a phase of melancholic emptiness.

Sorrentino is undoubtedly skillful in his writing and having read one of his books recently I got to observe his fragmented storytelling style which is also followed in his directing and I think that might be a divisive factor for the movie, as the narrative could feel a bit unstructured at parts but at the same time it isn't totally incoherent either, he has his way to take you around a surreal journey full of odd and sometimes off-putting events with indirect establishing beats and I think you just have to get on board with his style.

Loved Filippo Scotti's performance, despite the exaggeration of the characters overall, there was a hidden sense of reality felt in their portrayals and performances within the development rooted from an intimate subjective lens. Along with beautiful attention to detail in the richness of the Italian culture his upbringing captured in stunning visuals.

John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)

Might be the best action-packed experience of the year so far

[8/10 · 24 May 2023]

(Directing / Story) John Wick 4 might be the best action-packed experience of the year so far! I think this chapter outdone the franchise with its ultimate action ride, and a runtime of almost 3 hours the adrenaline barely drops through the sequences and the thrill leaves you on the edge of your seat.

The director Chad Stahelski successfully combined an artistic and stylish feel of action with actual tension-based buildup on a big scope pushing beyond limits and presenting a fully engaging experience.

When it comes to the plot, the sequel follows the same story structure from the previous parts and keeps building on that simple construct by adding new elements to connect us further with the universe which is something I appreciate, I really liked how it still managed to introduce the new characters with a sense of depth to give the story extended development and move the narrative forward, and still show us more of John Wick and his changing inner motifs.

Although I enjoyed every second of it, I would've preferred cutting down the runtime a bit, some scenes could've been shorter.

(Performances) The stunt work and action choreography were impeccable and fascinating!! Blasting with violence that is smoothly executed, especially by the third act it gets 10 times better (The "Arc de Triomphe" scene was insane!!)

Keanu Reeve continues to deliver the best action performance ever, his performance in all these fight sequences is just impressive.

The whole cast had their moment to shine and brought so much to their characters and delivered dynamic performances.

(Cinematography) The camera work in Chapter 4 is beyond and above with astonishingly bold stylish visuals.

The cinematographer Dan Laustsen played masterly with the neo-noir visuals reflecting rich ambiance through all the different settings and locations of the movie with high attention to details in each environment as well as the symbolisms behind it.

The colors were always blasting with vivid lighting choices creating a beautiful contrast.

The camera language was explorative, and Highly immersive as it puts you right in the action when needed and into the character's space for closeness, it played amazingly with various angles and movement styles.

No Bears (2022)

To what extent are you willing to go to tell your story?

[8/10 · 24 May 2023]

The way Jafar Panahi successfully transcends and exceeds all the limits in his filmmaking always leaves me mind-boggled and is fascinatingly masterful. This viewing experience left me with a question "To what extent are you willing to go to tell your story?"

No Bears takes us through a powerful journey of sophisticated simplicity that expands boundaries and defies censorship restrictions both mentally and physically and in a blend of fiction and realism with a story of adaptive determination in creating, fear of crucial decisions, and passion for the story.

His ability to shape the narrative with all these elements is beyond impressive as Panahi sheds his lens on a parallel story between reality and fiction under the premise of hope, while metaphorically introducing a bigger political theme of the fear of modern authority versus the absurdity of the superstition that remains a common element in both narratives including the self-reflexively portrayal of himself as a character, which also introduces an intimate layer.

The storytelling crafts beautifully palpable emotions some of which are felt indirectly, where the sense of fear and threat are always visible and kept translating different feelings so well through an observative lens.

Air (I) (2023)

joyful and energetic entertainment with a profound intimate and inspirational tale

[8/10 · 24 May 2023]

AIR surpassed my expectations with its joyful and energetic entertainment with a profound intimate and inspirational tale storytelling driven by a visionary belief told through personal motifs.

A movie with a simple narrative structure of a success story, where it knows when to hit you with an inward and intimate exploring scene while showing you behind the scenes of a very well-known story from its own lens.

Ben Affleck is brilliant in his crafting and knows how to grip the audience with a strongly driven focus on the writing and suspenseful dynamic pacing. The monologue scene of Mat Damon was beautiful!!

With a standout cast, each added a different layer uplifting the movie's strength and delivering brilliantly engaging performances. The Ben Affleck and Matt Damon duo is unmatchable, their chemistry level is high and felt realistically embodied.

Robert Richardson's cinematography was compelling with the storytelling as it lets you explore proximity with the characters and their stories in a dynamic experience for the most part.

It Must Be Heaven (2019)

Elia Suleiman's amusingly observatory gaze

[9/10 · 24 May 2023]

Elia Suleiman's amusingly observatory gaze in a silent journey rich with reflective surrealism and parallel absurdities while exploring senses of identity and belonging as a Palestinian.

The movie moves in a flow where it allows you to fully observe, pay attention and analyze the smallest details, and explore through Suleiman's eyes and thoughts which activates every bit of curiosity in you. It's fascinating how the scenes are full of imaginative pauses, takings a moment to look at mundane acts in life from a different and more profound perspective.

It's striking how the movie portrays relatability in completely unrelated and structureless scenes but builds a narrative flow to connect between the journey stops in his search for the ordinary. And the way Palestine follows Elia everywhere he goes paints a bigger picture of his identity and level of nationalism, and despite the distance the various chasing hidden authoritative threats remain visible in his sight connecting him back to his homeland.

Every scene carries its load of symbolism spoken through minimal and sarcastic dialogue, with a strong emphasis on repeating common visual, sound, and thematic elements painting breathtaking imagery in powerful frames.