arabnikita Reviews

The First Omen (2024)

This is how you compliment a legacy movie!

[8/10 · 20 April 2024]

The First Omen (2024)

A respected horror film from the 70s has been unearthed for a prequel? Sounds like a bad idea based on previous experiences.... however, I did find Nell Tiger Free to be great in a TV series called Servant, her presence created some sense of anticipation before entering the cinema. To my surprise, the entire film turned out to be an enjoyable experience and if you are looking for a solid horror movie, make sure to check it out.

The story takes place in 1971 Rome where a young American woman named Margaret travels to an orphanage to take care of the local children, become a proper nun and fully devote herself to God. After a short while, Margaret begins to notice a number of peculiarities and suddenly, she gets approached by a mysterious bishop who claims to know what is really going on under the facade of this seemingly pious establishment.

The First Omen is not big on the traditional jump scares we have got accustomed to; instead, it relies on creating an atmospheric horror through the use of chilling music, good acting, immersive decorations and excellent visuals. The interesting narrative kept me engaged the entire time and simultaneously allowed the fear to gradually creep in. The only distracting element was the English writing in an Italian orphanage, but that didn't ruin the experience.

I am a big enjoyer of religious choirs and here, they worked exceptionally well in combination with the film's horror aspects to elevate the overall experience. I even sat through the credits to hear every bit of the soundtrack that the movie had to offer. By the end of the film, I was filled with excitement to rewatch the original Omen and I certainly wouldn't mind seeing The Second Omen because of how everything ended.

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Road House (2024)

McGreggor and Gyllenhaal at least put some effort into this mess

[4/10 · 23 March 2024]

Road House (2024)

With the amount of Jake Gyllenhaal UFC "footage" and his workout results that have been released for the promotion of this movie, I thought this was going to be at least as good as Southpaw if not better. Unfortunately, the entirety of the UFC story arc last about 2 minutes and the rest of it felt more like a cheesy 80s-90s action movie but without a gram of spirit, emotion or bravado. Jake is probably the only reason why people know about this film and even though he carries the whole thing on his charisma, it never feels enough to make the film consistently enjoyable.

Road House is about an ex UFC fighter who gets hired as a bouncer in a bar by the oceanside. He soon realizes that this establishment is a target for a local crime family who will stop at nothing to obtain it. The whole experience feels like a third tier western but instead of guns, we have punches. Jake tries his best to use his lightheadedness and fighting moves to propell this film forward but sadly, the rest of the cast and the writers don't seem to be interested in helping him.

The only other reason why people might want to watch Road House is Conor McGregor and say what you want about his peculiar acting or badly written speeches, at least this man tries to bring some energy and villainess to the otherwise dull affair. One of the key problems is that on top of feeling like a B movie, the story never shows us why should we care about the bar or any of the characters. There are absolutely no emotions in this 2 hour paper thin story and the cringe dialogue along with the half-baked action can only do so much.

The Gentlemen (2024)

A lot better than expected

[8/10 · 14 March 2024]

The Gentlemen: Season 1 (2024)

Gentlemen was one of my favorite films of the past 5 years and when I heard that Netflix was going to turn it into a TV show, I couldn't help but feel bewildered. Years have passed and it has finally come out but strangely enough, it wasn't a waste-of-time cheap cash grab that I thought it would be. While it's way below the criminal bar that Guy Ritchie is known for, it was quite an enjoyable evening past time and I wouldn't mind watching a second season.

The story is about Eddie Horniman, who inherits his family estate after succeeding his father as the Duke. Pretty soon he discovers that his father wasn't a simple aristocrat and over the years, he established a partnership with a drug cartel that built a weed farm underneath the vast estate. While he wants to be out of this business; unfortunately, the current circumstances he finds himself in, make the exit strategy slightly complicated. The first episode hooked me right away and as the story progressed the criminal web became a lot more tangled.

Naturally, this web is filled with a number of interesting spiders from various nationalities and backgrounds played by a nice cast of actors. Everyone was very stylish and overall the series looked quite polished. While the narrative was interesting, it lacked that zesty electric feel that we all loved in the film. The overall experience sometimes felt like a set of quests because the story needed to be stretched out over 10 episodes instead of a quick 100 minute movie.

The dialogue was well put together but it lacked Guy Ritchie's iconic razor sharp wittiness. Consequently, despite occasional hilarious moments, the humor also felt quite tame as it was a Netflix series and Guy was obviously restricted in terms of what the characters could say. Nevertheless, the series kept me engaged the entire time and delivered an enjoyable ending making me curious to see where the story goes from there.

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Monster (2023)

Masterul use of different perspectives

[9/10 · 25 January 2024]

Monster (2023)

After Shoplifters, Kore-eda's every single film has been added to my watchlist so naturally I was highly excited to see his latest work Monster. While watching, I constantly wondered what the title meant and who was the actual monster in the story because of how well it was written. I wouldn't say the plot is something mind-blowing because at the end of the day, it can be classified as an everyday human story. However, the way in which the narrative unfolded while constantly altering my perception of the characters and the story itself, made it an engaging experience.

The film begins with a building engulfed in flames. We aren't told the cause behind the fire and all we see is a young boy named Minato overlooking the blazes. A couple of days later, Minato comes home with some injuries and the mother becomes concerned about his wellbeing. When she goes to confront the school, she notices everyone behaving in a peculiar manner, particularly her son's teacher who becomes the main suspect. Eventually, we get to see the same tale told from the perspective of that teacher as well as Minato's friend Yori.

In essence, it is a story of friendship which shows how complicated life can be for school children. It also shows how challenging it is to be a school teacher when it comes to dealing with little Monsters. One particular element that stood out to me was Yori's perpetual optimism no matter what situation he found himself in. While the story slightly meandered at the beginning, it became more interesting with each passing moment. Kore-eda directed the film in a smooth way relying well selected backgrounds and decorations to create an "everyday" atmosphere while using a beautiful soundtrack. It's a film that made me feel a lot of things and as I spent time thinking about it, I grew to appreciate it even more.

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The Promised Land (2023)

Fans of Mads will be pleased

[8/10 · 3 January 2024]

The Promised Land (2023)

Mads Mikkelsen is an actor who needs no praise and yet every time I see him in a film, my level of admiration grows even more. The sense of honor and dignity are so profound in this man as he commands a powerful on-screen presence in every scene. Asides from knowing that this was a historical drama, I didn't even bother to read the synopsis as I had faith in the lead actor. Oh and if you love potatoes, you are going to enjoy this even more.

The Promised Land is a true story of Ludvig Kahlen, a man determined on building a settlement in the Danish wilderness in order to attain wealth and honor. Being an ex-soldier he will use his meager savings in an attempt to make this dream a reality but before long, he will encounter more than a handful of obstacles imposed by a wealthy landowner who is determined to prevent Ludvig from achieving his goal. Despite taking place in Denmark, this film can somewhat be classified as a Historical-Western due to it's use of wide shots, beautiful nature, a respectable stoic protagonist and a sense of perpetual struggle against oppressors.

When you think about it, the historical event in question is quite insignificant on a large scale and if not for Mads Mikkelsen, this film wouldn't have existed. Thankfully it was made and asides from Mads' captivating performance, the rest of the cast came to put in a collective effort that made me genuinely care about the struggle. The cinematography is simple yet beautiful and the well used score manages to both accentuate a rural setting and pull on the emotional strings. Overall, a well made film that leaves a pleasant aftertaste and if you are a fellow fan of Mads, you won't be disappointed.

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Napoleon (2023)

Epic battles, weak narrative not worthy of Napoleon

[5/10 · 26 November 2023]

Napoleon (2023)

When Ridley Scott, one of my favorite directors, announced that he would be making a movie about one of history's most influential individuals, I was beyond excited. Despite seeing some negative reviews I marched into the cinema full of positivity but in the end, I walked out with a heavy degree of disappointment. I can understand a film having historical inaccuracies but here, it takes a back seat compared to the poor portrayal of the titular character and the choppy crash course nature this film decided to take.

Napoleon was an educated military genius who has done monumental things in his life after rapidly advancing through military ranks. The first 40 minutes of the film felt like a poorly made PowerPoint presentation that skipped from one year to the next dedicating a couple of minutes to each life episode. By the time he got to Russia, the movie sort of stabilized its haphazard pacing by relying on excellent battle sequences to carry the weight.

Josephine was an important part of his life and certainly deserved some screen time but was the film called Bonaparte family affairs? For some reason it was decided to cram Napoleon's entire life into 2.5 hours. However, instead of developing his personality or dedicating time to actually important events, it wasted time on dreary dialogues in gloomy French mansions and oinking under the table.

Ironically, it's Vanessa Kirby who delivered an enjoyable performance and not Joaquin Phoenix who looked too slow and too old to play the Napoleon. He remained unchanged for decades of his life while having a constantly depressed look. Moreover, he was often made to look weak, stupid and out-of-touch instead of someone who set up order in France while garnering admiration and respect.

Cinematography, costumes and battles were exceptional, as expected of Ridley Scott. Nevertheless, instead of displaying strategical prowess, it often felt like Napoleon was simply attending battles instead of passionately commanding them. It's as if 1 hour of the film was forcibly cut out by the studio interference... much like The Kingdom of Heaven, so I will be expecting the director's cut to fix some problems.

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Dumb Money (2023)

Informative, fun and exciting ...to the moon!!!

[8/10 · 18 November 2023]

Dumb Money (2023)

The GameStop short squeeze is one of the most unique things to happen to the stock market and I remember how it has taken the financial world by storm back in 2021. This film could have easily gone wrong in so many ways by becoming too focused on the financial details. Thankfully, that wasn't the case and I applaud the creators for managing to make Dumb Money informative, exciting and most importantly enjoyable during every single minute of its runtime.

Dumb Money is a story of how the common people decided to stand up to the big hedge funds by joining together and simultaneously investing into a company called GameStop. At the center of it all, we have Keith Gill, A. K. A. Roaring Kitty, who not only flipped the script on Wall Street, but also helped many people make a lot of money in the process while creating an internet revolution.

The film doesn't waste much time exploring the hidden motivations of its numerous characters, not does it try to be too savvy and educational. Instead, it squeezes 100 minutes of its run-time to create an exciting atmosphere of the internet craze filled with memes, GIFs and humor. Still, in a very subtle way, it does show the dangers of investing and not knowing when to quit.

In a way, Keith Gill can be considered as a hero of the people, who used the power of internet to inspire like minded individuals to stick it to the system and create massive shockwaves. The movie boasts a good cast of actors who are enjoyable to watch, impressive editing and lots of humor. I believe that the people who know about the events will enjoy this one slightly more. However, if you haven't heard about the GameStop squeeze and enjoy movies like Wolf Of Wall Street or the Big Short, then do check this out.

P. S. You might need to pause to search a few definitions but asides from that, it's a non stop ride.

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The Killer (2023)

Not a bad one but you won't miss anything by skipping it

[6/10 · 15 November 2023]

The Killer (2023)

After the disappointment of Mank, the only way for Fincher to go was upwards and seeing him return to the thriller genre with Michael Fassbender in the lead role got me intrigued. The Killer is minimalistic in every sense of the way whether it's the cast, dialogue, the protagonist or plot development. It also got great cinematography with an enjoyable neo noir style and the overall atmosphere made it feel like The Bourne Identity. Sadly though, the atmosphere was where the Bourne parallels ended as it felt rather dull, restrained and simplistic, considering it was a Fincher movie.

The Killer begins with our protagonist messing up an assassination attempt in Paris. He then proceeds to move across different countries as he eliminates people from his industry. I wish there was something else but thats about it. The whole experience is voiced over by the main character and as much as I like Michael Fassbender, it gets annoying pretty fast. When the narration was combined with the sluggish pacing, the first 40 minutes ended up being rather lethargic and I was almost put off from continuing. However, it did get considerably more interesting during the second half because things actually happened.

Throughout the movie, I got to hear a LOT of statistics which made the protagonist feel like a Dexter wannabe. Nevertheless, writing aside, Fassbender was terrific in his calculated demeanor and precise actions. As expected, Tilda Swinton was also impressive in her limited screentime. Visually, the film was pleasant to look at and the direction itself was solid despite everything feeling underdeveloped. I can't say I regret watching The Killer but if you skip it, you absolutely won't miss out on anything. Bottom 3 Fincher for me.

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Past Lives (2023)

Wish they developed the characters a little more

[7/10 · 26 August 2023]

Past Lives (2023)

Romance is certainly one of my least watched genres, but this movie received so much attention from my fellow cinephiles that I absolutely had to see what's all the excitement about. I gotta say that it is quite different from most romance films in it's realism factor without the usual Hollywood fluff. It's a "what could have been" story that never quite explores this aspect and yet manages to make the audience feel the characters' emotions and the sense of longing.

Past Lives begins with Nora and Hae Sung, two 12 year old Korean kids who are in love. Nora's family decides to move to Canada and Hae Sung stays back in Seoul. 20 years later, Hae Sung decides to travel to New York to see Nora who is now married. Essentially, this feels like a theatre play because the film has only 3 major characters and all of them put on terrific performances.

The film's magic is in it's little poetic moments where the characters' gestures, glances and small phrases allow the audience to understand what each one is going through whether it's Hae Sung, Nora or her husband Arthur. I can't say I liked Nora's character as she felt rather unsympathetic but Hae Sung and Arthur did make a positive impression. I also enjoyed learning about the "In-Yun" concept.

What the film doesn't do though, is develop these characters besides their feelings for each other. In a way, we know nothing about their lives and that prevented me from being able to fully connect with them. The atmosphere is melancholic, allowing you to get absorbed in the slow pace of the story as there are many beautiful moments with silence saying more than the characters themselves. In a way, the film tries to show you the "That's life" feeling but, it doesn't really hit the mark. I guess those who went through a similar experience will like it a lot more.

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Gran Turismo (2023)

Didn't expect it to be this good

[8/10 · 18 August 2023]

Gran Turismo (2023)

Racing games are probably my least favorite because I get enough road rage in real life. However I do enjoy an occasional well made racing film like Ford vs Ferrari or Rush. Even though Gran Turismo is a highly popular video game, or racing simulator, this film is NOT a video game adaptation because quite frankly there isn't much to adapt. Instead, it's simply an underdog story that involves a video game and the impact that it had on real life events, kind of like what the film Tetris was. However, this one is quite an unreal story and the entire time I couldn't believe that these events actually occurred.

The movie is about an expert Gran Turismo player named Jann. He is considered to be the failure of the family as all he does is play video games but one day, he receives an invitation to participate in an online race. The winner of the race will get chance to compete for a spot to become an actual racer for team Nissan. Sitting with a controller is quite different from being behind an actual wheel of a 300 km/h car and soon enough Jann and other competitors will realize what they signed up for.

I know some people have been criticizing the start of the film but for me, it was one enjoyable experience that kept getting progressively better. Yes, it doesn't reinvent the sports drama genre but it takes on an intriguing true story and executes it well. The video game inserts looked good and the actual racing scenes very exciting to watch. David Harbour put on an impactful performance of an inspiring aged mentor who gradually passed down his wisdom to the young and inexperienced protagonist.

From the negatives, the editing looked slightly weird at times but it didn't take away from the experience as the action and drama scenes hit home. The fast paced story kept me excited the entire time and I remember holding my breath more than once. Whether you enjoy good underdog stories, play racing games or like cars in general, you are going to have a good time in the cinema.

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Talk to Me (I) (2022)

Would have been 10/10 if there were more actual scares

[9/10 · 7 August 2023]

Possession horror is one of the most popular subgenres with countless good and bad films. As a fan of anything supernatural this is certainly one of my favorite categories but to find an actual creative film that looks good, has an interesting story and a decent amount of fear factor is a true rarity. This directorial debut from the Philippou brothers has managed to do just that! The film instantly creates a sense of mystery and pins your attention until the very end through a highly interesting plot that has an idea to get your head working and your heart pumping as you are enjoying the experience.

Talk To Me is about a group of friends who begin summoning spirits using an embalmed hand. Each possession is uploaded to social media and before long, teenagers all around become anxious to try it themselves because of the feeling of ecstasy that comes with the experience. Eventually, one of the sessions goes wrong and no one understands how to fix it because nobody actually knew the nature of this mysterious hand.

What stands out about Talk To Me is that there is no exposition or any digestion throughout the film as it lets the audience come up with their own ideas. Instead it uses the intrigue to grab your hand and pull you into the mystery through the effective use of suspense and solid cinematography. The limited scares are well made and the hospital vision in particular has got to be one of my favorite and most terrifying scenes in years. Genuine stuff of nightmares.

The idea of social media and how kids will do anything for the trend as well as the concept of constantly chasing the high and how it can doom you are well captured. However, the movie never tries to teach you like bloody elevated horror and instead prioritizes the actual escapism horror experience. The movie is never stale and constantly hands you something interesting to keep the heart pumping and the brain ticking. I do recommend seeing it in the cinema as it's an atmospheric and creative Indie horror that remains fascinating over the course of its short time.

P. S. The real horror of this movie is how everyone kept putting shoes on beds and furniture.

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Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

And this was just part 1!!

[9/10 · 12 July 2023]

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning (2023)

Mission Impossible: Fallout is undoubtedly my favorite entry and while this one didn't reach those heights, it managed to stand well enough as it's own film while dedicating a big portion of the narrative for setting up Part 2. What I find most incredible about this entry is how they managed to land the film smack in the middle of all the A. I. craze. They began filming back in 2020, when there wasn't a whiff of Chat GPT and now as the whole world is obsessed with A. I. taking over humanity, we get this action packed adventure with world ending stakes.

In this Mission Impossible, Ethan Hunt and his team must recover a set of specific advanced keys that hold the secret to a highly sophisticated Artificial Intelligence. All the powerful countries and criminal organizations are eager to get thier hands on this super-tech, making the mission all the more deadly.

It was very easy to mess up this story and to make it convoluted but the creators managed to strike a good balance between building the narrative and energizing the experience with fantastic action. Everyone is anxious about the motorcycle "trick" but best believe that after the jump, there is an equally heart pounding action sequence. What's more, the action here is actually realistic and unpolished in terms of fighting, driving and choreography.

At this point we are familiar with the cast that got natural chemistry and works as a solid unit. Fortunately, the newcomer Haley Atwell is delightfully charismatic in her supporting role and manges to flawlessly fit into the team. What surprised me about the film is it's use of on point casual humor where it didn't feel overbearing and actually felt funny.

From the weaknesses, the film does feel stretched out at times in terms of explaining things. Also the two agent characters felt like a nuisance instead of adding tension or value to the story. Asides from that, the movie looks beautiful, the action is well filmed and as always, the music is spot on. Special props for Tom Cruise to be doing all this at the age of 60. Cinematic experience is highly recommended!

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Insidious: The Red Door (2023)

Lack of fear element fails to save a weak story

[5/10 · 8 July 2023]

Insidious: The Red Door (2023)

Insidious 1 is one of my favorite horror movies because of it's fear factor which effectively managed to not just scare me while watching, but also gave it's fair share of elevated heartbeats for many nights whenever I was trying to go to sleep. The sequels ranged from good (Chapter 2) to mediocre (Chapter 3) to just bad (Last Key) and now, 5 years later we get another installment. Got to say, seeing the main cast back did give me some hope and the film certainly had potential but as it progressed, it failed to capitalize on it.

The Lambert family returns 9 years after the conclusion of Insidious 2. The parents have divorced and now their eldest son Dalton is going to college to study art. Both Dalton and his father Josh have been hypnotized to forget all the events that happened to them but now, something has lifted the veil and they begin to experience the pull of The Further. There are some interesting elements with a couple of cool scares but the more the movie went on, the more tedious it became. Nevertheless, it did unearth some of the memories from the first 2 films and for the past couple of days, I have tried not to stare at my room while falling asleep.

What I loved about the original Insidious was that it merely gave glimpses of the creatures which allowed the imagination to do the work and made the whole experience scarier. This time though, they were shown for quite extended periods making it easy to see their ridiculous appearance which ultimately spoiled the terror experience. Potential reason for that is the writer of Halloween Kills but this time, instead of Evil dying, it was the fear element. Whether you are a fan of the franchise or not, I wouldn't recommend wasting your time on this.

P. S. As if MRI scans weren't unsettling on their own, now I will keep thinking about a demon popping out to grab me.

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Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

Didn't feel like an Indiana Jones movie

[5/10 · 1 July 2023]

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

When I watch Indiana Jones movies, I expect adventure, fun and a larger than life protagonist who drives the story with passion and charisma. This film began in this exact fashion with Indy escaping the Näzis in the 40s while trying to steal an artefact. The deaging technology actually looked great and it didn't make him feel like a 200 year dinosaur that De Niro was in The Irishman. The sequence did look rather dark but besides that, the first 20 minutes had the making of a good Indiana Jones movie. Unfortunately, that didn't last.

The story takes place in the 60s where Indy is retiring from his teaching career. As he is about to hang a hat, he is approached by his goddaughter Helena who needs his help to crack the mysterious Dial of Destiny. On the other side, there is Dr. Voller Schmidt, an undercover Näzi who plans to use the Dial to travel back in time and alter the outcome of WWII. Besides Harrison Ford putting his best effort and Williams' score, Mads Mikkelsen is the only other good factor with his calculated demeanor and actual presence.

Disney loves money but if they want to use a popular IP with a beloved character who is 80 years old, they must put effort into writing a coherent story with the protagonist as a center piece. Here, it doesn't feel like Indy is in charge of his own film. Instead, there is Helena who is painful to watch due to lack of charisma, positivity or chemistry with Harrison Ford. She manages to be annoying, amoral and unfunny in a franchise that is known for great female companions and pleasant humor. The kid, unlike Ke Huy Quan, fails to create any connection by acting like an annoying know-it-all.

Dial of Destiny might pass as a decent film on its own but it feels like a bad Indiana Jones movie. It lacks the happy-go-lucky adventurous atmosphere with bright colors, smiles and loose dynamism; instead it's more brooding, dark and exhausting. While some level of nonsense is acceptable, a couple of scenes really stretched it in a bad way. I keep wondering how did this cost 300 million and I wish Disney would learn when enough is enough.

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Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. (2023)

One of the best in 2023 so far

[9/10 · 24 June 2023]

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret (2023)

When was the last time you have actually seen a proper feel-good film that didn't just make you happy while watching, but also created a pleasant aura that stayed with you for days after the experience? It's been two weeks since I saw this film and every time I think about it, a smile stretches across my face and a warm feeling envelops my heart. The whole movie feels like a child is telling the story because of it's sincerity and kindness. When you read the synopsis, you might think that you aren't the target audience for the film just as I did. However, the endless positive reviews from the filmstagram community motivated me to watch this movie and what a lovely experience it has been.

This is a coming of age story about an 11 year old girl named Margaret who is forced to move to a new suburban town. She has a loving family and life is as good as it can be. Margaret makes some new friends and together they become obsessed with growing up and even create various childish competitions. In an attempt to get ahead, she is constantly praying to God and asking for little things that are important to her at the time. What makes it interesting is that she is not sure which religion she belongs to and this film explores her journey of finding God by trying different fates to see which one speaks to her soul. Oh, I almost forgot to mention the endless amount of hilarious moments.

While all of this is going on, we are treated to wonderful acting from the entire cast and a beautiful score by Hans Zimmer to make it all even more wholesome. The little conflicts here and there add meaning to the story and the seemingly basic narrative manages to hit all the right notes. The sheer amount of kindness and positivity will make you want to recommend this film to those you know so that they could laugh and experience the same warm feelings. To those who watched, We Must, We Must spread this movie to the larger audience because this one deserves it.

P. S. As I watched, Don't Look Back In Anger by Oasis kept playing my head. Has that happened to anyone?

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BlackBerry (2023)

In depth story about why Blackberry collapsed

[8/10 · 14 June 2023]

Blackberry (2023)

I remember the days when everyone in school was using Blackberries with the cool keyboards and their BBM service. The company was ruling the market and no one could have imagined that one day not only will they lose its leadership position, but it will cease to exist altogether. The general consensus is that Blackberry became obsolete because the company failed to catch up to the smartphones and evolve in a correct way. This film tells a more complete version of the story in terms of what happened behind closed doors and the reason why everything came crashing down.

The movie begins in the 90s with a Canadian company named Research in Motion trying to reinvent the mobile phone business. Their two leaders Mike and Doug have a bright vision and the scientific know-how but lack the business acumen to make their idea a reality. During one of their pitches, a man named Jim gets intrigued by their idea and decides to come on board and help get the company off the ground. As the movie progresses, we get to see both the human and the business elements of the story and how closely they come together to both build Blackberry and destroy it.

This is clearly a low budget movie but it never feels second rate because of the clean and efficient way in which it tells this large story. The actors and director are rather unknown and because of that, more focus is put towards the narrative and its execution. With that being said, everyone involved puts in the effort to bring drama, humor and tension to their roles. The quick, sharp and witty nature makes it feel like a mix between Social Network and Succession as the film doesn't waste a single minute and ends when it's supposed to. Blackberry might be gone but hopefully this film will shed some light and teach a couple of lessons to those who watch it.

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Fast X (2023)

Stupidity without coolness

[3/10 · 20 May 2023]

Fast X (2023)

The Fast and Furious franchise has become the topic of endless jokes whether it's the nonsensical plots, Bollywood rivalling action or the obsession with FaMiLy. While they did have their moments, after part 5, the reason why I watched these films was to roast the stupidity with my friends and hopefully to get some enjoyment out of it. Everytime I wondered what science defying spectacle they were going to shock me with but sadly this time, everything was rather normal by the standards of the franchise.

In Fast X, the family of racers turned secret agents goes up against a new omnipotent villain named Dante who is a hybrid of Mugatu From Zoolander, Tom Hardy's Charles Bronson and Jared Leto's Joker. Dante is on a mission to make Dom suffer but over the course of the movie, it's the audience who ends up suffering the most. Unlike the predecessors, there weren't any cool elements, enjoyable fight sequences or laughable moments to make the experience worth suffering through. Considering that cars are a superpower of the franchise, there weren't enough car related sequences either.

Even though there is an action sequence with blasting music every 5 minutes, I actually felt bored most of the time. On one side it's the general cacophony of the events and poor VFX while on the other, it's the lack of this logic defying craziness that I have come to expect. When I wasn't bored, I was cringing from the dialogue and painful head splitting humor. Oh, and when did John Cena go from a cold blooded murderer to a fun loving uncle?

Fast X is a pure set up for the sequels as the story dashes between geographical locations while shoving too many characters and giving some of them around 3 minutes of screen time. I have obliterated the past 4 movies in my reviews but I have never been bored while watching them. It's neitehr grounded like the first four movies nor is it over-the-top like the next five. Better than Fast Nine but still hazardous to the human brain.

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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

Loved the drama but the idiotic humor killed the experience

[6/10 · 7 May 2023]

Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 3 (2023)

When Guardians of the Galaxy came out in 2014, I didn't bother watching it for 1 month because honestly.... a superhero movie about a squirrel and a tree. Now it's in my MCU top 5 because of how different, fresh and funny it felt at the time thanks to James Gunn's vision. After endless failures, Guardians Vol 3 was easily the most anticipated MCU film in years and yet, while watching I simply couldn't feel as good as I did during Vol 1 and 2.

The story puts Rocket in the central focus as we get to see numerous flashbacks of his youth which are the most outstanding element of this movie. It genuinely felt like a lot of effort was put into developing his arc while creating emotion, attachment and care from the audience. Bradley Cooper nailed the voice acting and the arc came full circle with a proper payoff. Unfortunately, the unleashed version of James Gunn who wanted to have emotions, action, drama, comedy, morals and music all the same time which ended up becoming a huge mess.

One moment I was sympathizing with Rocket and the next I was holding my head from the cringe of Drax or Mantis. The same old screaming banter was inserted every other scene and because of the repetitiveness it wasn't just unfunny, but it also broke the emotional impact. Sometimes, I wonder if James Gunn is a person who thinks his jokes are way funnier than they actually are since he keeps repeating the same thing without knowing when to stop. Also, this Adam Warlock fella was so hyped but he ended up being a damp firecracker who felt weak, pointless and shoved into the story.

The main villain clearly cared about his mission and there is quite a bit to think about; however, the fact that he kept screaming the entire time made him feel like the diet version of Kang. The corridor scene was extremely well made as the music actually fit the moment and made it impactful. The best part though is that Vol 3 was a standalone adventure without any ties to the rest of the MCU which allowed it to flow according to it's own rules. Even though I was disappointed, this was the best one since No Way Home and until Fantastic 4 comes around, I bid farewell to the MCU.

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Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

Better than 90% of phase 4

[9/10 · 18 February 2023]

Ant-Man 3 (2023)

The main reason why I went to see Ant-Man 3 is because of the mesmerizing soundtrack by Elton John from the trailer and to my great disappointment, it wasn't in the actual movie!! Now that the mess of stage 4 is finally behind us, I thought maybe a fresh start with a new villain and a "direction" of some sorts would be aight. While it definitely had plenty of problems all around, it was still better than 90% of what we have been subjected to in the past few years.

The whole time I couldn't stop thinking about how everything was taking place in a nano-scopic universe that could exist on the back of a flea and yet somehow it kind of made sense in the end. This film introduced the supposedly new big villain and while Jonathan's acting was formidable, he kind of felt like Kylo Ren i.e. Looks powerful at first but then ends up throwing tantrums, crying when his plans don't work and getting beat up, which removed all sense of menace. I mean when they introduced Thanos, he demolished The Hulk in 10 seconds; this guy got beat up by bloody Ant-Man and socialist ants.

The movie was 95% CGI and some of it looked like cheap 90s Sci Fi but there were a couple of nice action scenes that worked purely because of the cinematic experience. Stupidity was of course there, many of the jokes didn't land and the dialogue well...it's MCU. Paul Rudd, Michelle and Michael did try their best to create something amid these green screens. One glaring question mark was his daughter Mary Sue, I mean Cassie who was a flawless activist that built a quantum generator in her room, learnt how to fight in 2 minutes and became an adept at using her suit.

Despite all this negativity, I somehow didn't hate the film. Maybe it's the cast, a few nice scenes or the whole lightheadedness of the experience that made it flow for me. Is this a good start to Phase 5? Certainly not. Is MCU back? Hahaha. However, not counting Spider-Man which was made by Sony, this was the first Marvel movie in a long while that I didn't hate upon exiting the cinema and that is something.

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The Last of Us (2023– )

Episode 5 - Finally something truly great

[7/10 · 12 February 2023]

Finally a good, no a great episode that I properly enjoyed as the fan of the game. Sam and Henry story was always a gut wrenching moment and they executed it perfectly. And the whole additional action sequence was incredible.

For a colossal fan of the games, prior to Episode 5 this show has ranged from alright to rather disappointing. This time they finally didn't mess around with the story and gave the fans a truly incredible experience that utilized the shows strengths, established a fantastic action sequence and most importantly had the iconic emotional damage.

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Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre (2023)

Quite possibly Ritchie's worst work

[4/10 · 24 January 2023]

Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre (2023)

This is how I imagine the pitch for this film went.

Producer: "Hey Guy, we got a bunch of money from some brands and countries and they want us to make a commercial.... I mean a movie."

Guy: "Can we travel around the world, drink non stop and pretend to care about the whole thing?"

Producer: "Say no more!"

I love Guy Ritchie's films and will watch anything this man makes but Operation Fortune didn't even feel like it was made by Guy Ritchie. Frankly speaking, as I watched the first half, I was getting an impression that many of the scenes were filmed on a phone and then were stapled into the film. Second half does change for the better but it can't shake the sensation left by the half baked scenes in terms of visuals, audio and production.

The story is about a mercenary team that is hired to get a briefcase with some stolen weapon. To be honest, the plot felt like listening to a drunk guy telling a story as some scenes got a lot of attention, some didn't make any logical sense and everything was flashy and colorful. The worst part of it all was that there were no trademarks which Guy Ritchie is know for, such as snappy dialogue, sharp humor and interesting storytelling. The actors were likeable and had some level of charisma but most of the time it felt like watching a few buddies having fun instead of a dedicated cast making a film.

The film that kept coming to my mind the entire time was Grown Ups 2 where Adam Sandler took his friends for a nice vacation and accidentally made a movie at the same time. I wouldn't say I was infuriated by any element of Operation Fortune but after enjoying The Gentlemen and Wrath of Man, I expected Guy Ritchie to put in more effort. Action was decent and second half was kind of exciting but that's about it. Whether you like his work or not, I would recommend avoiding this film as there is no logic, no humor and most importantly no Guy Ritchiness whatsoever.

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WeCrashed (2022)

WeNeed more business shows like this one

[8/10 · 21 January 2023]

WeCrashed (2022)

Start-ups seem to be all around us nowadays and every other week we keep hearing of one success story topping the previous one. These success stories either make us jealous or provide motivation to learn new skills or come up with creative ideas to change the world and hopefully make it big. The tricky thing with startups is that we only get to hear about the ones that succeeded while in reality, the majority of them crashed and burnt. WeWork is one of those interesting stories where the company reached the moon only to end up falling back to earth as the title suggests thanks in both cases to it's founder.

The story begins from the end where our protagonists Adam and Rebekah are beginning to feel the ground slipping from under their feet as Adam is summoned to a board meeting. Before we find out what happened, we are taken back in time to the days when Adam is moving between different seminars and trying to pitch his wild start-up ideas to anyone who would listen. Eventually the idea of WeWork appears in his mind and he will use every skill in his repertoire ranging from communication and risk-taking to manipulation and exploitation to turn a dream into a multi billion reality.

Along with the plot, Jared Leto's charismatic portrayal of Adam Neumann are the most captivating elements of this series. To put it briefly, he looks like Tommy Wiseau, sounds like Borat and thinks like Mark Zuckerberg. As you watch the show, you will see the kind of determination, creativity and courage it takes to achieve success but most importantly, you will see the bad things that happen during the process. Opposite to him, Anne Hathaway's Rebekah is a highly complex character who goes through her own challenging journey. Production, writing and acting are all neat so if you are interested in Business related shows based on true events that give a couple of life lessons, you will enjoy it.

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The Swimmers (2022)

You won't believe it's based on a true story

[9/10 · 7 January 2023]

The Swimmers (2022)

Last month, I saw a 20 second clip from this film depicting two refugee sisters trying to join a swimming club in Germany with big plans of going to the Olympics. As someone who enjoys sports dramas, specially those about siblings, and as a person who has done quite a bit of competitive swimming I was instantly interested. Yesterday, I finally watched it and now I have to rework my top 10 of the year because this was one special drama full of passion, determination and heart. As I watched I couldn't believe that these events actually happened which elevated the experience even further.

The official synopsis of this movie straight up tells you where this film is going to end up but this is the case where the journey matters more than the destination. Everything begins in Syria in 2011 where two sisters Yusra and Sara are training to be professional swimmers and a few years later because of the ongoing war, they decide to risk it all and try to make it to Germany. We get to see the insurmountably challenging refugee journey full of risks and dangers that takes an incredible amount of strength, courage and motivation.

Like any good inspirational story, this one is not just doom and gloom as there are beautiful glimmers of happiness that will stretch your smile in a grin or will give you an occasional chuckle. It's these moments that round off the story and motivate our heroines by showing that no matter how sorrowful the situation might get, it's important to find some positivity. Despite showing a war and the refugee crisis, there are no politics or sides in this movie; just a story about human spirit and the incredible will to keep going. You will have tears, you will have smiles and most importantly you will have a heart full of optimism for Yusra, Sara and their incredible journey.

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The Apartment (1960)

Add this to your Christmas movie list

[9/10 · 26 December 2022]

The Apartment (1960) - Old is Gold Mondays

When it comes to Christmas movies, there is one little film called Die Hard that gets into the category by simply involving a Christmas party. Yeah, yeah come at me everyone.... Now that I have finally watched The Apartment, I think it can and should benefit from the same treatment. Christmas is generally considered to be a time of joy but some people often end being alone on that day. One of these people is C. C. Baxter who has no family or girlfriend to share the fun of Christmas but this year, he is about to have one crazy holiday.

Baxter is an insurance employee who works in a huge company with the usual goals of career growth, and in his case he got one advantage, or at least he thinks he does. Four top executives in the company like to use Baxter's apartment to meet their mistresses in return for putting a good word with the director. One day, his director calls him into the office and says that he would like to utilize his apartment to meet up with Fran, a girl who Baxter likes. Conflicted between love and desire for promotion, Baxter finds himself in a most peculiar situation full of drama, comedy and excitement.

While the premise sounds like pure comedy, this film is a lot bigger than that as despite having a ton of genuinely funny moments, it carries a lot of food for thought. Both Baxter and Fran are at their individual crossroads where they aren't sure what's best for them and the film's script tackles that topic in an intelligent and soulful way. The Apartment has many good natured moments but despite being from the 60s, it doesn't have this blind idealism like many old movies. It combines the personal drama, pleasant humor, great dialogue, impressive cinematography and the spirit of Christmas into something truly special. This is my second Billy Wilder film after Sunset Blvd and I can't wait to check out more of his work.

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Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022)

Defies all expectations

[9/10 · 26 December 2022]

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022)

I have heard of Pinocchio, his growing nose and naturally, I watched the old Disney cartoon; as I am sure most of you have. So I wondered how good or different can this one actually be and is it worth the 2 hours. I know it's a bit harsh, but I decided to give the film 5 minutes to impress me and at about minute 4, I was hooked. The animation style was just magical and as soon as the voice acting and the music kicked in, I couldn't stop.

While the story carries many core values of the original, it feels different and in a good sort of way. Afterall, it's Guillermo Del Toro and this man wouldn't have bothered himself if he didn't plan on making it good. While it is considered to be a children's story, this version will quickly show you that it has a lot of adult elements making it engaging for audiences of all ages. Of course there is Guillermo's iconic style, that at times threads the line of horror, but because of the joyful voice acting and music, it never completely crosses to the dark side despite portraying some serious themes like death and rise of Fascism.

In addition to looking and sounding good, Pinocchio carries so much meaning on topics like obedience, burden, war and fatherhood which are intricately interwoven into this rich tale. The animation team deserves extraordinary praise as some of the sequences felt incredible considering it was all done in stop motion. I don't think there is any competition to this film in the Oscars animated category and to top it off, it's now one of my favorites from Guillermo. Whether you are familiar with Pinocchio's story or not, give it a bit of time to pull you in and you will end up absolutely loving it.

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