AlbertCinefilu Reviews

The Zone of Interest (2023)

A seemingly shining yet horrific illustration of the "Schein vs Sein" concept

[8/10 · 23 February 2024]

In German, the verb "scheinen" can mean either "to shine" or "to seem". And from the outside the beautiful light-colored house, the garden abunding in greens and flowers and the life the commander and his family made for themselves all "shine" to be idealistic. But one just cannot dettach this little haven from the hellish environment beyond the walls and the director along with the sound team make sure that we understand that all of this is a facade. The constant gun shooting, the yelling of people begging and crying for their life, the violently bloodish sky at night or a sudden fade from a pleasingly aesthetic red flower to a screen soaked in a bright red that is burning our eyes are just some of the methods used to tell the audience, more or less subtly, that attrocities are happening. The sound is in my opinion one of the main elements that breeds this "horror movie trying to masquerade as family-friendly film atmosphere" but the darkness of the inside of the house at night is also visually re-inforcing this mood. In the end, the abject character of the vital background just grows and grows until it is literally "spitted" and then it becomes the foreground (a little time travel happens), only to return for a short scene in which a character descends into the darkness of a stairway, down into the pitch black of history.

Scarlet Street (1945)

Enraptured By The Noir

[9/10 · 19 February 2024]

Fritz Lang's "Scarlet Street" is a black jewel glowing in its darkness and it just made me realise how underrepresented film noir is in my wanna-be cinephile's repertoire. Why don't I watch movies like this more often?

The answer is I don't know why I didn't but I surely know why I will, for this movie has got pretty much everything a great noir contains: a dark, somber vision reminding of the horror specific to German Expresionism and even transcending its inspiration source by bringing those gruelling elements into a more grounded reality; a saddening yet plausible, irreversible and unavoidable corruption of one's soul that reminds of great tragedies. I do not have much experience with the genre as of right now but I think something less common is the fact that Chris has a call, a vocation that is being exploited mercilessly. Another thing that stands out is one cruel scene towards the end which is breaking my heart by depicting one of the worst rejections any human being that has been in love could get . One can clearly notice Chris' meekness, adolescentine naivete, artistic sensibility and powerlessness, something that makes him a rather sympathetic human being but also an easy prey of another character who, from a psychological perspective, is also suffering due to another character but more than that she falls victim to her own attraction to cruelty and lack of respect. I'd really be interested in seeing a psychologist analyse this character, I'm pretty sure it is not a unique type in movies but it would still worth it, especially since there are some women in reality who do not differ much.

All That Heaven Allows (1955)

''I don't think that Ron has ever read it. He just lives it.''

[9/10 · 16 February 2024]

The quote from the title is a hint towards one crucial aspect of Ron's (Rock Hudson's character) life philosophy, a reference to a passage from David Thoreau's ''Walden'' that the beautiful widow Carry (Jane Wyman) reads: ''If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it's because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.'' These insights about following the music that is your own inner self and conscience are still as valuable today as they were in the 50's, despite the fact that society has become overall more tolerant (or indifferent) when it comes to class/age differences between couples (well, not in my grandma's village, but I'm a college student in the capital of a great European City; and if the mentality change weren't as real, here, at least, the anonymity generated by being just a little individual in a sea of millions helps my point).

I adored almost everything about this movie, its weltanschauung, its boldness and vision that is being ahead of its times, the mix of lusciously, beautiful blues and reds, Carry's sensitive nature, doubtful yet developing strength, the screenplay which offers you various viewpoints and roles, Ron's deep conviction about ,,being true to thine self'' and oh yeah, it was the first movie I saw involving Rock Hudson, I will be certainly looking forward to his movies in the future.

The Descent (2005)

A visual treat with a dark aura

[8/10 · 11 February 2024]

I do not know why, but from all years beginning with 1995, 2005 is the year with the least movies I have seen so far, 9, compared to 35 movies in 2019 for example or 12 in 1997 (I am still 21 and I have only managed to watch around 700 movies so far). Well, I have made an excellent choice by picking this 2005 horror movie: ''The Descent'' is - visually speaking - one of the most interesting horror movies I have seen (the reds and the greens and especially one scene with a reddish fog in the first chamber of the cave system left me in awe and pleasant surprise); without spoiling anything, I just want to hint towards a realistic reaction of one of the characters in front of danger, a particular behavior variation that is rarely seen in today's movies where killing a monster just leads to silence and then jump-scares and then killing another monsters and so on, too much slaughter all of a sudden. What I try to say is that this movie sort of lets you breathe while also keeping yourself on the edge of your seat, it really builds and towers tension up and it is worth it. Of course, there are some common tropes about which the audience has become blasé (fake jump scares, the first one to die, turning back indicates a jump scare etc) and the unstoppable cycle of copying elements does not contribute to the aging process of this movie. But, overall, it is a good horror movie. I liked it.

The Keep (1983)

There were some things I did like about this movie

[5/10 · 5 February 2024]

Despite the failure of the storytelling part, some weird music choices, a rushed romantic relantionship and the not so exciting climax of "The Keep", there were some elements of this feature film that I did enjoy. One of them was a conversation between two Nazi officers about greed and the inceasant thirst for power of "the men in black" (Nazi officers, especially the main one), a dialogue I suppose was taken directly from the novel the movie was based on, though I may be wrong, since I didn't read the novel (but I'm a tad curios about it tbh). The second one was some of Michael Mann's cinematography. A scene with a forest in dark and green and a boat at sunrise/sunset really made me realize the director's potential, a potential that I hope he will confirm in the next of his movies that I am going to watch, namely Manhunter, The Last of the Mohicans and Heat.

Brief Encounter (1945)

Good classic movie with some technical aspects that really stood out for me

[8/10 · 4 February 2024]

I admit that it's been a couple of years since my interest in any sort of Romantic movie has started to wane, hence my lack of emotional intensity, an intensity one would be expected to feel while watching this romantic and charming ''bad dream'' (to quote one of the characters). And while it may be that my adolescent heart has suffered ugly mutations over time, as a wanna-be cinephile I cannot help but praise Celia Johnson's acting and recognize David Lean's inventiveness: The close-up of a mouth to induce the nuisance of a garrulous, unwelcome acquaintance; a partial dissolve to a flashback (a moment of superimposition), where a woman is standing on an armchair, as if she were the director of a movie that represents her life; a skewed angle combined with a push in just before a possible ,,life-changing'' moment; There are a lot of things young filmmakers could learn from David Lean's directing style, particularly camera movement and transitions, and I hope that one day people will come back to other visual strategies that truly enhance the story, besides CGI and a cacophony of special effects.

Thief (1981)

"Thief" has got style and it is quite entertaining

[8/10 · 2 February 2024]

This is the first of Michael Mann's feature that I watch (and his second feature after the TV Movie The Jericho Mile) in my recent challenge to watch every single movie from this director. I have to say that I really enjoy James Caan's performance and I can't believe I didn't recognise him from Misery, he has a rather unique physiognomy that is difficult to get out of your mind. I wasn't really impressed with the movie but I was pleasantly surprised because I only saw the poster and from that I expected something rather bizarre yet mindless. In the end was nowhere near mindless. Even if I didn't feel an instant attraction to Frank I understood his reasons and motivations and everything felt genuine. Also, this movie is also inspiring a certain patience of the craft in the viewer, I do not know any movie nowadays which would show you in such detail the process of melting and cutting and the work needed to break into a safe, at least not without some sort of dramatic music or some visual "bursting popcorn" to make it feel thrilling for every single second. I am really curios if certain patterns will start to emerge in Mann's future movies.

In the Name of the Father (1993)

,,I would caution you not to be swayed by emotions''

[9/10 · 30 January 2024]

Well, I have to admit that I was certainly swayed by emotions, but not the kind of uncontrollable hatred the British state attorney was trying to arouse in the general population. What was ignited inside me were feelings of anger in front of such a corrupt system, resentment, disappointment, powerlessness, resignation, and then gradually a spark of hope, a sort of skewed belief in some sort of justice (or rather a satisfaction due to the just course of action being taken, given the tragic of the story), jubilation and in the end curiosity to find out more about this McCarthy Communist Witch Hunt with British and Irish terrorists instead of Americans and communists. This resurrection of a man on screen, even though a little bit hurried in parts, is quite memorable and I can hardly find a fault with the movie, excepting maybe a couple of historical inadequacies, but I am not a historian so I won't be a harsh on the movie because of that. Maybe I will re-watch it in a couple of years, I feel there are some hidden symbols and gems here that await to be found again.

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)

One of my first DVD movies and why in some regards this movie feels so actual

[9/10 · 26 January 2024]

I want to introduce some personal context on how I came across this movie: A couple of days ago I have unexpectedly received a DVD player from my father-in-law and since then I've been in a nearly constant state of childlike bliss. Being born in 2002, I've always associated DVDs with cartoons and The Three Musketeers and other similar stuff my aunt was showing to my cousins and I. But with this gift it occured to me that I have never seen anything besides cartoons and out of anemoia (a feeling similar to nostalgia, but pertaining things that you never experienced yourself) I bought myself 24 DVDs on the internet. Only 2 out of these 24 that I managed to buy at a reasonable price were older than the 80's, and one of those was "Guess who's coming to Dinner?".

The main focus of the movie is, of course, the interracial marriage and whether the parents will allow it or not. But something that people often fail to mention is the relevance of the final conversation between Sidney Poitier's character and his father. The archetype of the parent who knows better and the child's who's theoretically been a grown man for a long time but just now through his words and behavior assumes his newfound role. As a 21 year old young man I was astonished to see that a screenwriter in the 60's could phrase the problem with much of modern parenting in such a concise, yet profound way, the same way my therapist does in 2024 (but in his case I pay him a fair amount to help me organise my impressions and feelings!). Life and relationships flourish when our folks finally understand that they have to let us make our own decisions and a joy that is shared is a joy that multiplies and unite people over time. Oh, and by the way, great acting from Spencer Tracy, from what I've understood he died only a mere 15 days after the shooting of the film ended.

Waltz with Bashir (2008)

Speechless. I'm speechless.

[10/10 · 17 January 2024]

''Waltz with Bashir'' is by far the best movie I have seen in a long, long time, and a new classic on my film enthusiast repertory. I have watched well over 600 movies in the past decade (I wish it were more) but there is nothing to which I could compare the experience that this movie represents. I couldn't say I enjoy it because the word "enjoy" is not quite appropriate given the film's heavy war and trauma theme, but even when I got a phone call or had to pause for a couple of seconds I was never out of it, it felt as if the screen got stuck in my mind without being in front of my eyes!

I do not know what is there NOT to be praised about this movie (maybe in the first 5 to 10 minutes I had the impression of some hand/body movements being a little stiff, but that didn't spoil the movie experience for me at all and I rapidly got used to the animation style due to some incredible shots): the soundtrack has a haunting, yet harrowing, yet sidereal beauty, especially that of one particular scene you're not going to miss; war and trauma are being approached from so many different angles you could hire a sociologist, historian and psychologist to analyze this movie and they still wouldn't express everything there is to be said about "Waltz with Bashir"; the animation is simply top notch, there are two scenes that made my eyes wet, something I haven't experience at a war movie/documentary since I was maybe 15 and I was just getting into the genre; Pain feels so real, the thick layer of desensitization to violence in which I have involuntarily wrapped myself over the course of many years thaws and I am left speechless in front of the realization of the psychological and physical destruction of war. The only part where I have to admit I cannot quite have an in-depth opinion is the documentary part, I am not really that well-informed when it comes to the history of the region.

Never Weaken (1921)

A visceral experience

[9/10 · 15 January 2024]

Yesterday evening I told myself ,,why not watch a free, short movie on Youtube?" Since streaming platforms have failed to meet my expectations in recent time and I'm trying to keep a piracy-free diet, the answer was ,,sure, let's do that". The previous day I had found this short film by means of a 9-hour length movie by Alex Day, a movie which includes short clips from almost 2000 films. A scene with a man on an iron beam, almost floating near what seemed a construction site in the clouds, caught my attention. And man, was I impressed with this film. There is a perfect blend between suspense and comedy, sprinkled with a little touch of tragedy incomong here and there. It is the first film I see that includes Harold Lloyd and I know he played in a well-known movie called Safety Last. Given those circumstances I'm really baffled at the fact he didn't become as popular as Oliver Hardy or Charles Chaplin over time, there is so much brilliance and comedic effect in his acting.

As Good as It Gets (1997)

Another kind of romance

[9/10 · 26 December 2023]

Although it is more or less an exaggeration in the context of the character arc, this movie made me recall the ending of a famous quote by Carl Jung: ,,within every beast, a saint". And even if Mr. Udall (Jack Nicholson's character) is never really getting that close to the threshold of holiness, the change that happens in his character across the movie is surreal. I would even classify it as a tad unrealistic, but all in all ''As Good as It Gets'' is undoubtedly a depiction of the protagonist's tumultuous way to a romance in relationship to himself.

Apart from the main character, I would also like to praise Helen Hunt's acting. Her character is simply the quintessence of enchantment. I watched this chef d'oeuvre on Christmas and it was a decision I will never regret.

The Conversation (1974)

The eerie dystopian world of a self-isolated bugger.

[9/10 · 23 March 2023]

40-and-something years old Harry Caul (Gene Heckman) is a cop specialized in ''eavesdropping'' by means of bugging - using electronic listening devices to record conversations in exchange for a generous ''fee'' from the man who needs to hear that particular conversation (in this case, the ''Director'', played by Robert Duvall). At first, he seems to be content with his job. But things seem to change after Amy (Teri Garr), a compassionate mistress (virtually one of his only friends), tries and fails to make Harry open up a bit and not be so paranoic about being surveilled, at least on the occasion of his birthday. Afraid, always on guard, Harry cannot bring himself to answer even basic, general question about his life. This behavior determines Amy to cut off any contact to him, thus creating a vulnerability in Harry, which will later be exploited mercilessly by another woman, in a slow, dark scene brimming with erotic tension and even a certain cathartic type of discomfort (you will understand what I mean).

The aspects I found the most interesting in ''The Conversation'' were the outstanding cinematography (the use of shadows, light, lines and camera-like rotations to enhance the storytelling), the cryptic, melancholic soundtrack by David Shire, that produced a real unease inside me, and the nearly unceasing suspense, even horror, of some of the scenes taking place in a hotel (I was feeling the tension of the scene and was bent toward the screen, but a sudden take made me pull myself back violently, almost jump - the screen hasn't felt so real in ages). I think I will re-watch the movie and maybe next time I will be tempted to give it a 10, because I believe Coppola's film mostly works even if you already know how the mystery is going to be solved, because of it's primary focus on character, atmosphere, and a ever growing fear that reigns over today's digital era, that reminds me of Orwell's 1984.

The Mist (2007)

Sci-fi as a nightmare, what I hate about religious fanatics and the peril of losing one's faith

[9/10 · 22 March 2023]

There is one instance in this movie where a lady who's a religious fanatic points the finger to a soldier, whom she accuses of the sin of having pointed the finger to the scientists that might have caused the main catastrophe in ''The Mist''. I believe this is the perfect example of something called cognitive dissonance - a state where there is a difference between your behavior and your beliefs about what is right (you preach that it's not right to blame others, but you keep putting the blame on others, and you also think this makes you seem virtuous, so now we also have a sort of virtue signalling) . In other words, hypocritical behavior (have I just pointed the finger to one who points the finger to another one who... ? This is so paradoxical, it also makes me a bit of a hypocrite but I assume responsibility for my petty sin and think I've got my point through at least).

Leaving the realist portrayal of human flaws aside, I like the fact that, right from the beginning of the movie, there is a certain tension that suggests the imminence of a great peril (especially through one arc shot that seemed rather bizarre at first glance). Two old trees have fallen in an almost biblical kind of storm, destroying Drayton's (Thomas Jane's) workshop and boathouse. The father must now go with his son, Billy (Nathan Gamble), to the shop in the town, to fetch some supplies... and they will not come back from the shop that day, for a mysterious monster-laden mist descending from the mountains over their home's lake lays siege to their fragile glass shelter. And glass is not the only fragile thing in there. As tragedy befalls the overwrought, panic-stricken inhabitants stuck in the shop, they start to gradually turn their hopes towards the only person who can instantly (but not necessary for good) bring a light to their endangered existence: Mrs. Carmody, the religious fanatic which I have mentioned in the beginning of this review. However, there might be some hope left for the Drayton's and the ones who chose not to fall prey to the doom-day-is-coming kind of preaching. I will nevertheless choose not to spoil their escape plan. You'll have to see for yourself.

Life Itself (2014)

An excellent documentary centered on Roger's life, and one which makes me think about my own existence.

[9/10 · 20 March 2023]

When Roger Ebert died, I was 10 and a half. I came across his reviews half a decade after his death, so I am not one of those who grew up watching him, but almost every single time I want to have a conversation about a movie I have just watched or receive a recommendation I go to his website and imagine he is the brilliant movie partner I've never got to know. Somehow like my grandpa, who also died of cancer at the age of 70. But my grandpa was a simpler man, a countryside man in a poor Eastern European country, so he has hardly seen a couple of movies during his lifetime. Roger was also the first film critic I have read and I have learnt many about stories and life from him. And this documentary certainly does him justice, revealing sides of his personality I hadn't heard about before, even though I should have, like him participating in an AA meeting. For now, I must shamefully admit that I lack the praise words necessary to laud Roger Ebert's contribution to this world, to countless movie lovers and to me personally. Maybe I will have the right words one day, although I think some experiences are so vast it's almost impossible to comprise them into words.

The Double (2013)

An interesting addition to/reinterpretation of the Dostoyevskian novel

[7/10 · 13 March 2023]

I am currently studying Russian Literature at the University of Bucharest and one of this semester's assignments involves reading three of Dostoyevsky's novels: Crime & Punishment, The Double and The Brothers Karamazov. Having finished the second book today, my memories in regard to the source material are still clear & well-defined, so I will try to pinpoint some things I've liked and some things I didn't about Richard Ayoade's 2013 film.

What I didn't like.

• I understand that the movie doesn't aim to be the most accurate adaptation, hence it's modern setting, but the truth is, the movie is just loosely based on the novel. I say that because it only makes use of some plot devices that are to be found in the book, but mostly fails in capturing the inner emotional turmoil, dilemmas, paranoia and mental dizziness of Simon, elements that make Dostoevsky's Golyadkin an interesting case for me. Here the character of Simon is simplified a bit. For example when Simon meets his double, instead of the sheer dread that makes me feel the horror of this unspeakable resemblance, one can see a sudden cut to a Simon that has just faint - an easy gateway for the screenwriters and the director. Or the very first encounter with the double, when James takes the photos of the Colonel and other employees, that seemed a bit too abrupt and in a certain sense - rushed.

• an unnecessary comedic tone, with tasteless jokes for a rather profound story.

• The mild Chinese racism - did the screenwriter try to copy Dostoyevsky's sense of mocking towards the ethnic Germans?

Things I did like

• the color grading, the tones, the hues, the sick greenish of the office; Better that I'd have imagined.

• Jesse Eisenberg's (The Social Network) and Mia Wasikowska's performances.

• ''a person can get really sick by just floating by''

• also the speech about Pinocchio and feeling like you're not real. And the subway scenes especially.

Reefer Madness (1936)

At times so ludicrous it becomes funny

[4/10 · 10 March 2023]

I came across this movie while scrolling through a Wikipedia page about exploitation films, cautionary tales of the 30's and 40's such as Reefer Madness being listed as a subgenre of this wider exploitation genre. And one can be sure that the perils of marijuana are exploited to the fullest in this feature, even up to the point in which a teacher informs us about how a reefer "killed his entire family with an ax" (because of the effects of the drug, of course).

The film is dogmatic, overtly preachy, the perfect example of telling instead of showing & the director/ screenwriter has some dubious understanding about how one can access FBI information about drug addicts/convicts. Its only merits are that the movie's stupidity ocassionaly turns in its favor, for example when it is crystal clear that a gun is pointed downwards but the bullet ends up completely somewhere else (how could someone conceive such a spatial logic? It's amazing). I also have to confess that I've watched a colorized version of the movie and the marijuana smoke had different colors, from green to red to even pink, something that I've really found amusing, besides some maniacal laughs that gave Reefer Madness the impression that, just for a moment, it was intended to be a parody and not a serious movie about the real social and emotional consequences of marijuana consume.

Closely Watched Trains (1966)

The scene with the stamp left a stamp on my mind

[8/10 · 8 March 2023]

There is a unique eroticism in this Czech movie that doesn't fail to delight me. I could watch it over and over again and it's sensuality would not fade away. And that eroticism can be easily felt in one particular scene where a train dispatcher conducts a seductive, playful experiment on a woman smitten by him: the woman lies on the table, while the dispatcher takes a stamp and gently blows on it (stamps were not self-adhesive back then, and they had to be moistened before being affixed to an envelope). Then, he gently stamps her on the thigh, puts the stamp back, slowly takes another one, repeats the same gentle blowing, and stamps the lady a bit higher on the thigh this time. For the last stamping, he also requires the woman to gently blow the stamp with her lips and... I won't spoil this very last move but most of you might have already guessed the location of the last stamp. The consequences of this game will generate a certain dramatic tension and comedic opportunities for a great part of the rest of the movie. My favorite scene, among the one where Milos starts to run after Masha's train, trying to metaphorically diminish the distance between them and ,,catch up'' with her on a romantic level.

District 9 (2009)

This alien movie is one of a kind. It belongs undoubtedly to the best of its genre.

[9/10 · 24 February 2023]

''District 9'' is a unique South African movie consisting of a mix between mockumentary, action-alien movie and social commentary/allegory. The thing that impressed me the most here, (I wouldn't have really thought about that, being used to associate non-earthlings with spaceships), is: aliens in a slum/ghetto. I think it's a truly original element, or maybe the first successful story involving such a setting.

The film is both really entertaining & funny in a dark way (or even atrocious when there is a baby alien scene towards the beginning) and at the same time the movie subtly encourages you to think, not only about the relations between people in South Africa, but generally about those who we consider different, ''alien'' from us and thus imposing a threat on us. It also possesses a certain dramatic aspect that arises from the humanity of Cristopher and his son (two characters who are ''prawns'' - a slur given by humans).

I wonder if ''District 9'' was influenced by David Cronenberg's ''The Fly'', because there is one aspect of the movie that slightly resembles something else from the classic '86 movie, but I'm not going to spoil it here.

In the end, the film gets a 9 out of 10 from me.

Woman in the Dunes (1964)

A movie whose spirit is hard to be put into words

[9/10 · 21 February 2023]

On a surface level, it might seem that "Woman in the Dunes" is a story about a man who initially wants to escape his prison but comes to find meaning and appreciation in his little hole between the dunes. And why one cannot deny this basic interpretation, I don't think it captures the profundity of the film. This is also a work of art that centers around certain subjects like loneliness and it's effects on human mind, urban versus rural life, finding meaning in what seems meaningless, madness, survival, hope and acceptance of one's limitations, to name just a few topics. The sand also plays a vital role in the film, it's almost as a character of its own/narrator and sometimes there is an interesting paralell between sand and different fluids that is worth noticing. I also really loved the tenderness of some intimate scenes, not necessarily love-making scenes. Those you really have to see for yourself. I think I'll stop here with my short review, if you haven't seen "Woman in the Dunes" find a way to see it as fast as possible cause it's a must watch for any aspiring cinephile.

A 9 out of 10 from me.

To Catch a Thief (1955)

Suspenseful, great acting and a feast for my eyes

[8/10 · 20 February 2023]

Many people have probably heard or seen a certain scene from Hitchcock's ''Vertigo'' that was permeated with a green fog, a very alluring and seductive scene of the two lovers that I'm not going to describe in detail here. What I don't understand here is why one certain scene involving fireworks and a dark, intimate atmosphere between Cary Grant's and Grace Kelly's characters, Robie and Francie, didn't become as famous as the aforementioned one. It has all it needs to strike a chord in the viewer, yet if one looks for ''To catch a thief scene'' the scene doesn't even appear in the first 20 or so clips. You need to explicitly state ''fireworks'' in order to find it.

Leaving this aspect aside, I enjoyed most of this movie, I felt it dragged just a bit in the middle but towards the end everything paid off. The shadows and the colors here were of course just exquisite, there's something about some of the late Technicolor movies that just enraptures me, the hues are different from reality in such a pleasant way, that if I had the chance I'd choose to see the world in Technicolor all day long (well, maybe that's a slight exaggeration but you get my point). Something I don't seem to get used to in some of the 40's and 50's movies are the way the background looks when the car is moving, or maybe the car itself, I don't know for sure, but something seems off, this time unrealistic in a non-pleasant way. But that's never going to spoil my appreciation for any movie, if it just touches my heart and keeps me in suspense like ''To catch a Thief'' does.

An 8 out of 10 from me.

Zombeavers (2014)

Beaver Hillariocrity is quite entertaining

[6/10 · 16 February 2023]

As I was scrolling through this streaming service called Skyshowtime that has appeared in Romania just a couple of days ago I came across this bad joke of a title called "Zombeavers". I said to myself: "Nothing really worthwile could come out of seeing this movie". But then I remembered laughing with my girlfriend at some ludicrous, over-the-top scenes from Sharknado the evening before so I decided to turn off my brain and was like: "Hey, maybe it's so bad it's going to be funny".

And for the most part it actually is (especially one shot involving a certain mammal that made me replay it just so my girlfriend could confirm that I saw what I thought I saw). When I witness such hillarious attrocities on screen I often wonder if the screenwriter's purpose was to make something so idiotic it will leave us perplexed about how the movie came to exist in the first place or if he really wanted us to buy into what we are seeing. If it's the first one, then I think the movie is a partial success.

Roman Holiday (1953)

Audrey Hepburn steals the show

[9/10 · 14 February 2023]

To be honest, I'd have given this movie a 7 based solely on Audrey Hepburn's performance. I have seen and liked Audrey in ''My fair Lady'' and ''Breakfast at Tiffany's'' but with this movie I have come to grow fond of the actress. That smile she puts on her face feels so genuine, it simply bewitches me. There was a guy who was constantly laughing too annoyingly in the theatre (and sometimes my girlfriend and I exchanged short kisses) but when there was a closeup of Audrey's face hardly anything could have made me take my eyes off the screen.

Such values like liberty and giving free rein to your curiosity are well explored in this classic romantic comedy and I believe Dalton Trumbo (the screenwriter who was not officially recognized as the true screenwriter until many years later) made a good choice to not choose a conventional, all-too-optimistic course for the way the movie concludes. I was also content with the choice of the cast. I wonder if the movie was by any means inspired by Queen Elizabeth's II's coronation, which happened one year before the movie's release, namely in 1952, though I cannot envisage any parallelism whatsoever as of the moment I'm writing this review.

A 9 out of 10 from me.

Watership Down (1978)

A great adventure for older children and adults alike

[9/10 · 7 February 2023]

My girlfriend is pretty crazy about rabbits. I, on the other hand, have always thought that these long-eared animals would be way better on their own, in a field somewhere. But after seeing the chain of bad luck our rabbits go through in this movie, life in a cage suddenly seems idyllic (I know it's fiction but if you think a bit, you realise wild hares don't have an easy time either out there in the fields). That being said, ''Watership Down'' is a great adventurous animation for teenagers and adults alike (I'm not sure if I would advice against letting younger children see it, for while there is a fair degree of violence here, the animation is not that cruel, bearing in mind that children nowadays are exposed to violence at an earlier age than in 1978; so, maybe a 9+).

I really enjoy the voiceovers and the 2D animation, I would watch the movie again just for the beauty of the rural, pastoral landscapes. I just wish some of the characters were given a tad more screen time at the very end of the movie and maybe some white bunnies at a farm would be a bigger part but that's not much of a deal breaker when it comes to the overall story.

A solid 8.5 out of 10 from me.

The Man from Earth (2007)

A unique Sci-fi of a kind I've never before witnessed

[9/10 · 2 February 2023]

It's no exaggeration if I say this is one of the most creative Sci-fi movies to have ever been made (at least from the hundreds of Sci-fi movies I've either heard about or seen; maybe its supremacy will change in a distant future but so far this movie is a real pearl of creativity and excellent screenwriting). The Man from Earth is a really unconventional motion picture, in that its heart does not lie in what happens (most, if not all of the the shots are static), but rather in what is being said, in the allurement of well-done narration. It's philosophical, thoughtful, even daring in its courage to make several statements about religion, a very delicate topic. I need to re-watch some parts of the movies in order to better process some of the dialogue, but overall this film is a real delicacy for the brain, in opposition to so many mainstream Sci-fi flicks these days that just keep you pumped up for the spectacle.