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Rashômon (1950)
See it with the right mindset
It's true that some movies are so good that they become timeless, however there are also amazing movies that stand the test of time in some aspects but in others you have to make the effort of looking to it through the lens and the perspective of the year that they were made.
I feel that Rashomon sits on that second category I mentioned above; in a way it's for sure ahead of its time, the amazing cinematography techniques, the way the story is told and the fact that this is not a simple plot with a basic outcome but rather a study of the fact that truth is sometimes nothing more than your own perspective - however it also has times where you do have to make the effort of reminding yourself that this was made 70+ years ago, for example, several scenes depicting mundane actions over extend for too long and it took me a bit out of the moment.
Aside from those moments I also felt that the acting can feel a bit over the top and distracting but that's of course my own personal perception.
Given this is Kurosawa's work it for sure shows how impactful he was in the movie industry, the fact that so many filming techniques, themes and story telling methods he created are either inspired or used to this day it's mind blowing and again this is 70 years old... the fact that you tell a deep story about perspective and truth it would have a big impact in today's industry let alone in the 1950's where the tendency was for mainstream media to be a bit shallow.
I can't lie it's not necessarily an easy watch, for old films it never is, but it's important to be aware of the people who had such impact on this huge industry we all appreciate today.
Haikyû!! (2014)
Fly High
I never stop being amazed on how powerful a movie or series can be, in the sense of the positive impact it can have in someone's life. Anime series in particular, the good ones, have this way of balancing the real with the dramatic just enough to get you hyped, happy, inspired, in a way that not all media can do. Haikyu is one of those anime's...
A story of will power, dedication and friendship told through the sport of volleyball. In my country and I assume in many others as well, it is one of those sports you get to try in school and then forget it exists, it's simply impressive how this show managed to not only get me interested in volleyball but realizing all the complex tactics and hard techniques it requires.
The story itself is amazingly done, it starts to follow a short guy that has this eager to play volleyball, a sport that gives advantage to tall people, and gets inspired by a former player in his school about the same height as him who was regarded as one of the best.
As mentioned we start the story with him but it expands rather quickly and once he crosses paths with another player his age who has an amazing gift for volleyball but refuses to be a team player, the magic begins.
We get to see the evolution of these characters and all the dynamics between the entire team of the Karasuno school. There are many details that makes this anime standout, aside from the most obvious one of the underdogs becoming great touching in themes of camaraderie, will power, positive thinking, mental strength, it also makes a realistic approach. We get to see backstories of all the players, we learn the motivations and personalities not only of the main characters but also their team and their opponents.
There are no exaggerated or unrealistic villains there are just people and everyone wants to win equally.
The pace is great, the most important games take more episodes but they never extend them too much, they found a great balance in their way of telling he story. It's a great story, told in a really great way, amazing character development, great animation and soundtrack, I did thought that some moments would be more epic but again it's a realistic approach so in that sense it does the job amazingly well. Can't wait for the movies to wrap up the show!
Star Wars: Tales of the Empire (2024)
Entertaining but no that relevant
This one had a great potential, seeing the background of dark characters is always a treat since general rule it is about exploring their humanity and how they lost it at some point, with that being said I feel they could've explored many other characters rather than these two...
The animation is fantastic, the pace is great and the stories are fine, the only thing is, the characters are not that interesting... they both have appeared before in animation and Morgan has even appeared in live action in Ahsoka, but not every character is worth exploring...
There are so many "villains" or characters with a questionable morale that could've made it to this series that I feel that it was a missed opportunity.
If you choose to explore irrelevant or blend characters you need to make it more interesting with maybe a glimpse of a pivotal moment that they affected or the cameos of well known characters and how their journeys crossed...
Other than that it's a fine show fans will enjoy it I guess but it's not memorable.
Conan O'Brien Must Go (2024)
Not what I expected, but still worth it
I've been a Conan fan for quite some time, I do feel that he goes a bit far on the cringe jokes here and there but then again that's his style and both the sketches with Jordan as well as the Conan Without Borders remotes were some of his best work!
Naturally I was highly expectant of this show, it didn't start great, a mix of the Nordic cold and blend culture and humor on the Norway episode with strange editing and the lack of a live audience that somehow validates the jokes made for a whole strange and cringe first episode.
It was okay but far from the highly amusing episodes in foreign lands that Conan got us used to.
Once I've seen the remaining episodes my opinion changed, Thailand, Argentina and specially Irish people made for a way better chemistry and the jokes landed way better since the people seemed more eager to go along with Conan foolishness.
The last episode was almost emotional to an extent, seeing Conan acknowledge his past relatives who migrated to the US years ago.
The fact that we got to see Jordan and Conan again together in Argentina, seeing Jordan breaking character again made up for the initial impact.
It seemed forced at times and with some strange editing but it still managed to be fun thanks to the people on the last three episodes of this first season!
Gekijouban Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (2021)
An engaging prequel
I started to watch Jujutsu Kaisen recently after the incredible praise the series has gotten, I am still not fully onboard with it but this was a surprisingly good movie!
I just recently started season 2, the story so far doesn't strike me as ground breaking, sure it has some good characters and somehow original content but the overall plot is nothing new..
Adding to this, its very convoluted - the rules of the world seem arbitrary at some points, they try to provide several explanations in regards to the abilities, the limits and the overall lore but I am not convinced, it seems kind of a free for all when it comes to the cursing energy, the curses themselves and the special grades.
The story moves fast, which in most cases is a good thing but when you are not fully involved on the plotline it makes things a bit superficial.
This is where this movie shines for me, at least it provides a bit more context and sense to the series as a whole.
We get to know the past of some of the protagonists and a new character that is briefly mentioned in season 1, and the way it was introduced was actually spot on!
Another great thing about this film speaking from a general perspective is that its actually canon to the story and most importantly is not a repetition of the already existing episodes.
I don't get why other anime's don't do exactly as Jujutsu Kaisen did with this film, it makes way more sense to develop the story instead of just placing existing episodes into the big screen!
Looking forward to season 2.
The Marvels (2023)
What in the actual...?
I think I need to make the same promise to myself as I did with DC movies... It's time to move on and stop watching these... the absurdity is out of control.
I wasn't actually going to see this last movie from Marvel given the poor reviews, but I've seen all Marvel cinematic Universe content so far, so I gave in... the question is, why did I do this...?
First let me share this in the hopes Marvel creators see it, any dramatic charge you try to add to these movies will not work if you mix these attempts at comedy that serve only to ridicularize whatever is taking place in a film that's already poorly written.
It's not the fact that the jokes are always the same boring type, it's they make the movie superficial and any suspense or sense of danger goes out the window.
The characters are so one dimensional it hurts, I admit that I kind of enjoyed Captain Marvel's first movie but she is an under explored character, she is constantly somewhere doing something and we never get to really know her motivations..
They don't even bother now to give any sort of explanation to anyone's power, it's a free for all, there are more people with some sort of super ability than regular people, and they get these powers in such random and nonsensical fashion it's laughable.
And what on Earth was that musical scene, it was so cringe I almost had to fast forward... I know it's hard to produce good content after the success of the last avengers movies but are the people working at Marvel just keep pushing bad movies with bad CGI and the same old story to earn some bucks in the hopes another multi super hero saga catches on again...? People need to send a message and stop supporting this content, at least the ones who feel the same way.
Busanhaeng (2016)
Nothing new but the execution does it!
If there's a list of over used themes in Hollywood movies, zombies make the top of the list.
I was afraid that even though this is an entirely South Korean production that the movie wouldn't bring anything new to the table, fortunately I was wrong.
Sure the plot itself is not groundbreaking but this movie proves that a great execution does make the difference while telling a story.
Train to Busan is a low budget film that does a phenomenal job in terms of the realism of its scenes, most of the footage and the special effects, a mix of practical and CGI, are incredibly believable, it makes for a highly engaging experience.
The characters are also interesting and in the short time the movie has we can see quite the development on the main ones.
It's actually more than an action zombie movie, you can almost think of it as a cautionary tail, not in terms of the pandemic itself but how we should cherish our relationships and pay attention to the people we truly care and are alive with us today.
Surprisingly good and the trend of non-American productions gaining relevance on the movie industry always makes me happy.
True Detective (2014)
Season 1 will be unforgettable, newer seasons can cause damage
Traveling back in time, this was one of the first series I started to follow... and what a time it was... To this day the first series has a huge impact on me, it's without a doubt a triumph in television history.
Everything about it was perfect, the dark tone, the philosophical themes, the mystery, the chemistry between the protagonists, the acting, the plot and the way the story is told in different timelines... I mean it's one of those situations where the creator made one of the best TV shows ever to be created on the first season... so it was predictable that any follow ups would be hard to make given the expectations.
It was a remarkable achievement and a true TV phenomenon.
When season 2 came along it was as expected a slight let down, but I didn't think it was bad, it just wasn't brilliant. I truly feel that this should've been a mini serie and should've ended with the first season but I was also curious with the anthology approach.
The years went by and I think maybe the creator, the network or both had a hard time deciding what to do... capitalize on its success or end it for good? They gave it another go with a third season, some of the mystique of the first was indeed captured, great actors and decent narrative, slightly better than the second but a mere shadow of the first.
Then another huge gap went by and again by now they should've learned that this should just be wrapped up...
Now season 4, a great opportunity to part ways with the original and be considered a spin off like Narcos Mexico for example, but they consider it a 4th season.
I don't think this last season is as bad as the critics claim, it doesn't capture the same mood and tone of the original 3 previous seasons that's a fact, it feels like a more normal murder mystery show, but it's still interesting specially given its setting as well as the main leads' charisma.
I had some trouble with the supernatural elements however, while in previous season the supernatural was a clear symbolism for many of the events during the show as well as an exploration of the character's psychology, in here the creator gives as a more open interpretation, the supernatural elements seem to have an impact on the narrative and one might argue that they are a present force which I didn't like because historically True Detective at the end of the day, didn't have any supernatural element that physically impacted the crimes.
Season 1 was a masterpiece so I have trouble given it less than 10 for that alone.. but I guess it comes down to how much more seasons they will insist on making since at some point season 1 will be forgotten if they don't bring a season that is at least closer to its level.
Dune: Part Two (2024)
Visual masterpiece, questionable narrative
I have to start by saying that I absolutely loved the first movie. I wasn't familiar with the story and I went with zero expectations, only to be completely stunned by the masterful artwork that was Dune Part 1.
The music, the sound, the visuals, the entire world and its atmosphere, the characters even the plot, I found everything beautifully crafted and a breath of fresh air for the Sci-Fi genre.
I am not familiar with the source material so this is considering only the movies and while I had a deep desire to love this second part specially considering the reviews it has been getting and how much I loved the first one, I couldn't help but feel a slight disappointment...
Let's start with the positives - the cinematography is consistently out of this world, it is a visual wonder, a mix of practical effects with CGI that blends in perfectly. The intense and dramatic sound effects associated with a thrilling and daunting soundtrack delivers! And of course the acting is consistently good, this time around it was great to see Javier Barden's character being developed and bringing some great topics to the table.
What makes me wonder the most to be honest is how different both the first movie and the second are being reviewed by the general public..
For once its running time is considerable (almost 3 hours) and somehow it feels strangely rushed... It's a bit odd to explain but in other words, we get so many scenes that feel that don't contribute at all to the narrative and out of the blue we transition to a scene where the main character changes the demeanor entirely without much build up leading to it..
The movie spends so much time trying to connect Paul to the Fremens, yet it fails to explore his own inner motivations, the moment we see his character changing, it gives you the feeling that you missed something.
Paul's betrayal to Chani also feels a bit irrelevant since the chemistry built on the first movie seems to just dissipate...
The relationship with his mother is also very odd and inconsistent, her character becomes dark fairly early in the movie, in one moment she is her beloved mother and without much shared screen time he then seems to almost despise her by the end of the film without the audience having a deeper understanding of their relationship dynamic.
The newly introduced villains are one dimensional and having Austin Butler's character seemed pointless... there was no goal for him, he gets killed off almost instantly alongside with the Baron who got so much build from the first movie...
An A list of actors like Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken and Léa Seydoux, all of them could've been amazing characters but get zero chance of showing that.
An entire plot with Paul's sister goes out the drain as well... messing with time started to become promising but it leads nowhere... I mean I could go on, in short the movie had many plot gaps, didn't develop the characters properly, poorly introduced the newcomers and relied heavily on its outstanding cinematography and sound.
It's a shame because I can't tell you how excited I was to write a praising review, but this was my honest opinion which apparently doesn't seem to align with the majority.
A lot of scenes drag without much substance to it, the highlight of the film was Javier Barden's character and the messages behind the dangerous of the concept of a Messia.
I am of course hopeful for the third movie, maybe with my expectations now lowered it becomes a great experience all over again.
Kimetsu no Yaiba: Katanakaji no Sato-hen (2023)
Similar to the other Demon Slayer movies
I've already made reviews to the other Demon Slayer films so this a bit of a repetition.
I don't quite get why you make movie with the exact same content and I am aware that contrary to Mugen Train both this and the third Demon Slayer movies decided to use half the already aired content, whereas in Mugen the movie came out before the episodes.
So for me there wasn't any major difference since I only started to watch Demon Slayer recently I could enjoy the movies as part of the story without watching the episodes.
So my major criticism goes to why making a movie that will end up having the same scenes as the anime instead of a new canon arc... but I don't agree with the criticism that claims that they reuse content, ALL of them do it its just a matter of timing.
In similar fashion to the anime, the movie has an amazing animation, soundtrack and action scenes. These elements alongside some of the humor and the characters are the core of the show.
The plot itself is nothing too complex, in fact is quite the opposite, but nonetheless with all the positive elements including the heavily depicted Japanese folklore makes it an international success, and it is deserved!
The Zone of Interest (2023)
The mandatory WW2 Oscar movie
There are specific settings and types of movies that we've seen countless times, specially coming from Hollywood, World War 2 flicks for sure make it to the top of the list.
There are so many movies about this dark period of Humanity, ranging from amazing, unbelievably cruel, inspiring stories, all the way to repetitive narratives.
I am aware this was one of the most impactful, if not the most, event in recent human history and that are many relevant and important lessons to take from it, however it's just an overused topic, no matter how different stories and different approaches film makers have to it, there's a threshold up to which you are just telling the same story over and over.
This Academy fixation of having a war movie goes back many years... actually last year there was a great one (All Quit on the Western Front), but again with so many being done there's a point where it just gets more of the same.
Now getting into The Zone of Interest, there is really nothing to say. A lot are claiming this to be a masterpiece in subtility, that showcases the normalization of cruelty.. Well I get that was what the movie was trying to convey, but for me it failed miserably.
The entire runtime of the movie is a depiction of mundane boring daily routine of the German family living right next to a concentration camp. Nothing really happens, we see them doing daily chores, walking around, going for a swim break and then we get the occasionally Nazi meeting and very few glimpses of the actual camp, and that's it...
The background sound is suppose to be one of the core elements to make people uncomfortable but again there's no impact, it's just a boring movie, the message seems obvious how can a family with kids live such ordinary lives right next to one of the most horrific things you can think of being done to fellow humans, but the movie doesn't make justice to that, it is one of those occasions were the easy critique is real, it is drawn out and flat out tedious!
Poor Things (2023)
It's not the meaning behind, it's the execution
I have a difficult relationship with Yorgos Lanthimos, I know he is an unconventional director with a very specific style which is of course great no one can take originality from him, I did really enjoy his previous work in the Favorite the "oddity" that he has made us use to makes sense in that movie but in Poor Things it just didn't work for me.
The meaning behind it and the women empowerment messages are somewhat clear but they are depicted in such an odd, unfamiliar and flat out weird setting that almost takes your mind of the topics at hand.
Everything about the movie is odd, starting with the premises but its not so much about the concept being odd its just that there are so many scenes that are just weird I had a hard time trying to understand what was the purpose of them in the first place? They don't seem to add anything to the plot or to the themes...hybrid animals roaming around, the always unnecessary killing of an animal, the macabre lab setting I mean... I didn't get it at all why those elements are needed.
It is of course the director style at the end of the day you either like it or not, that's the wonderful subjective element of the arts, for me it didn't work.
Some scenes are funny I give you that, not hilarious but funny, the performances are good, not amazing, and the concept is interesting it just didn't execute well for me.
Also, and I know this is a somewhat controversial topic, I don't have anything against violent or sexual scenes but I do try to find purpose in the director's introduction of them, while its clear that the sexual awakening of the main protagonist is one of the main topics I do question if it was necessary for so many exposing scenes, there's a fine line between art and gratuitous... Some movies make it obvious that having these scenes adds to the dramatic or shock effect but in here, it's at least debatable.
Kimetsu no Yaiba (2019)
Master animation drives the show
Demon Slayer needs no introduction since it has become one of the most popular anime's in recent years, so sooner or later I had to see what the fuss was all about.
It's clearly one of the best animation works I've seen in any anime, visually its just stunning, the fight scenes are beautifully made and the overall design of the animation mixed with soundtrack that will give you chills, it is the core that makes this show so good.
It has some light funny moments and the characters grow on you for sure.
The plot however, while somehow interesting and most of all a homage to a lot of Japanese cultural elements, it doesn't have much complexity, the story is straight forward and we've seen it before in the anime realm.
All the positive elements that I outlined make up for all this however, as all great shows the characters do start to grow on you, and while from a macro perspective the plot has simplicity to it, the path that is outlined all the way to its completion is very satisfying and it has some unexpected twists here and there.
It moves fast which is for the most part great since it doesn't stall like a lot of anime's out there but sometimes you do feel like it skips too fast in specific sections, specially when you see a character doing something unexpected you wonder, are the other characters aware of this? You just have to assume as the series progress that they do.
I am looking forward to see how the story pans out in the end!
Kimetsu no Yaiba Kizuna no Kiseki, Soshite Hashira Geiko e (2024)
Worth seeing it in a theater room
In all honesty I feel it is odd when anime movies have the same footage as the series, why not make the movie canon and unique rather reusing material?
With that being said however I disagree with the low score people are giving the movie, it is exactly like the previous, it is the exact same images as the original series the only difference being TIMING.
I just recently watched the entire series so all 3 movies had already came out, while I understand that the Mugen train movie came before the second season, that's the only difference, again ALL MOVIES show the same footage as the series so the only reason people are complaining about this is because half it is the same as the series finale...
Since I previously knew that I skipped the last episode and went to the cinema and I have to say I really loved the experience! It's not common at least in Portugal to have theater releases of anime, fortunately it is becoming more frequent and I am here for it!
I loved the finale of the third season and I really enjoyed the set up for what is to come and what is most likely the first episode of season 4!
I feel that overall Demon Slayer doesn't have the most original plot but it has stunning animation, amazing soundtrack, funny moments and great characters as well as voice acting. It is an overall great anime series and I am looking forward to the next season!
The Color Purple (2023)
Musical doesn't seem to fit the tone of the movie
I wasn't aware that this was a remake, the story is powerful but I just felt that as a musical it takes away the dramatic charge that would be important given the topics it conveys.
After having watched "American Fiction", for those who had the chance to watch that great movie, I have to admit that going into the Color Purple might not have been the best idea, nonetheless the story, the plot and the empowering messages are great it's just that as most musicals, it seems to give some paradoxical feelings; being a somewhat dark film with harsh moments that are almost disregarded by the light tone the music conveys.
Remakes are difficult to make as it is without being perceived as cash grabbing movies, doing that by changing the tone of the film makes the job even harder to get right and I don't think it benefited this movie.
I do have to praise the performances though, amazing job all around specially Dannielle Brooks, I mean what a powerful role and so amazingly well played, for me it was the best female supporting role this year, no questions about it. Coleman Domingo also stands out in a year that seems to have placed him on the map.
It's not a bad movie it just seems the execution as a musical might not be the best idea.
American Fiction (2023)
A smart movie with a great message delivery
Yet another solid movie from this Oscar season, a satirical drama that portrays the stereotypical use of African American stories in the entertainment industry.
It's a great movie that shares an insightful perspective with an humorous approach. It conveys its message in a balanced fashion and even goes as far as introducing some interesting "counter arguments" with Issa Rae's character.
We all know that Hollywood and the entertainment industry is, as most things in current society, a business, so money always speaks louder - so its refreshing to see a movie that brings these topics to a wider discussion while being an engaging story.
It has some sub-plots that go into the main's character life, touching in other relevant topics as well, at the end of the day it's a funny, intelligent and engaging story, with some amazing actors and performances specially from Sterling K. Brown and Jeffrey Wright.
While its not the best of the year I do hope it gets the recognition it deserves in the award season!
Maestro (2023)
Yet another boring, generic Oscar biography.
I don't know what's with Hollywood's obsession with artist biographies for the past years, there has been so many Oscar nominated movies surrounding biographies from several public figures in the entertainment industry, almost always American figures, that has gone to the point of exhaustion..
I get that artists, specially the great ones, have the propensity of dealing with tough lives, the highly creative brain is often incompatible with the norms our society has created and while of course not all artists have this struggle we've seen many that have and this has been retold many times...
I am not at all placing individual artists in the same "basket" but I am doing this with a lot of this biographies who pretty much tell the same story over and over again.
The problem with this formula is that it detaches audiences, everyone in the world has personal issues that they deal with, some way harsher than the ones depicted in this movie some have it better, but when I watch these biographies I can't help but feeling that we are suppose to feel empathy for these rich figures of the entertainment world... These people who by all means have it all but we place them in a pedestal when the truth is obvious, they are human... but that should be common sense...
I am going a bit of topic I know, the movie as a whole is your average husband and wife drama, I went in not familiar at all with Leonard Bernstein who I read has been one of the most influential figures in music of his generation and I leave the film knowing exactly the same.
I left it with a not so great impression of him since the movie focus on the personal life in which his moral compass clearly doesn't do him any favors, there's no mention to his works, to his creative process, to why was he so influential... nothing, audiences are expected to know the man before watching his own biopic.
The acting is great for sure, the reason why I don't rate it lower, but watching interviews of the real life Leonard, I am not convincing that Bradley got him right, specially the voice, felt very theatrical and threw me off.
Doesn't deserve the Best Picture nominations or the Screenplay at all...
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations (2017)
Sentimental value
As probably like many others, Naruto holds a special place in my memory.
I started to watch it in my teen years and little did I know that not only I would make such a strong connection to the series and the characters, but that also would ignite my passion to watch anime, like the masterpiece of Attack on Titan years later.
So I have mostly hugely positive things to say about Naruto, it has an intriguing and engaging story that expands into this world of lore, it has amazing universal inspirational messages, great characters, there's no doubt that it deserves the phenomenon status it has.
Of course it's not without its flaws, for once its major weakness was by far the fillers, the amount of them and their quality. I became slightly frustrated with the war arc (the last part of the show) so when the story wrapped up I was sad that it ended but at the same time highly relieved as too many years have gone by a lot of those years were basically fillers so once I heard Boruto was a new shows based on their kids I said "no, I loved my time with Naruto but its time we part ways".
Now fast forward many years and I found myself a bit nostalgic about the good old days of Naruto and I saw all of this hype around some of the episodes from Boruto with fights involving Sasuke and Naruto, so as I was reminiscing about the great time I had watching Naruto I decided to jump in and give Boruto a try.
Finally I am getting into the show, right of the batch I enjoyed it, mainly because I was expecting Boruto to be targeted to a younger audience so I set my expectations accordingly and I wasn't disappointed.
It starts right away with some intriguing plot lines, we get to see the old folks all grown up, I genuinely had a great time watching the earlier episodes.
The new Ootsusuki story line is a bit far fetched but interesting enough, I give them that, but then of course the filler fest slowly starts to catch up.
I am glad I've waited all this years because most likely I would've given up watching, the fillers are even worse here in Boruto, they seem to be way more of them and their quality is awful, the tone of the show is completely different between main arc and fillers, the main show is actually a bit dark, I would dare saying maybe even darker sometimes than Naruto or at least it feels that way because the fillers are so childish that it doesn't seem to belong to the same series.
The side characters are not that well written, the woman characters are for sure not well written Kishimoto still has a long way to go in this regard, so I'd say that as a summary, if you loved Naruto, you will like Boruto at least for the sentimental value. It doesn't have the same quality but is decent enough for the Naruto fans. I actually am excited for Blue Vortex, I am just preparing mentally to let some of the major fillers play out so that I can later binge watch - one might argue that the show is a bit made to stretch Naruto's story and take advantage of that I would agree, but in some it kind of works, so again it is very far from a masterpiece but enjoyable.
Gekijô-ban Kimetsu no Yaiba Mugen Ressha-hen (2020)
The animation is at another level
I started to see Demon Slayer recently and after finishing season 1, I decided to watch the film before diving into the next seasons!
Given the ratings I was expecting a masterpiece, I have to say the animation as always is at another level in the series and I feel its a core part of it, alongside the soundtrack it takes a show that could've been ordinary to the amazing level - and the movie is not different in this regard.
The visuals are simply stunning, the fight scenes are amazing and engaging so it's for sure a must.
With that being said I feel the movie suffers a bit from the same that the series does, the story and the plot is nothing new and slightly predictable.
I feel the animation, the visuals, the soundtrack and the characters carry the show and the movie a little bit, as the story falls a bit short.
Still it's a must see for anime fans, it's a masterwork in animation, great moments, great scenes and if you are watching the show I will give it a try since the movie adds a bit of a more dramatic feeling even if the episodes show the exact same plot.
May December (2023)
Intriguing premise, underwhelming execution
The movie does have an interesting and unconventional plot, an actress doing investigation for an independent movie that she will star in, gets to know the real woman that the film will be depicting - a woman in her 30s that had an affair with a 7th grade high school student, both being still together after 30 years have gone by.
While at first the couple does seems "normal" slowly as her past gets uncovered further, we start to see the sickening and odd reality of their relationship. What started as an obvious crime, seems to have been forgotten by the couple, but with the actress now present in their lives things become clearly unhinged and increasingly awkward.
While the story gets interesting during its run, I felt that the third act didn't had a good execution. Not much changes for the characters, we don't get to see any particular evolution on them, there's not really a good or bad closure for that matter, things just stayed the same as they are with a lot of the focus being on the actress story rather than the couple.
I felt potential but with the build up of the story I was expecting a more explosive ending and it was just underwhelming.
Great performances overall, Julian Moore character is just creepy and manipulative, she does an amazing job portraying the damaged character, Natalie Portman as always is also brilliant!
Anatomie d'une chute (2023)
An unexpected masterful piece
I mean, I know it would be good but I wasn't expecting to be that good - if you look at the synopses alone, you suspect it will be interesting but the core if its narrative is way more profound than a simple crime investigation movie.
The premise is simple, a family of three that lives in the middle of the mountains gets turned upside down when the husband is found dead due to what seems to have been a nasty fall right by their house.
Now the wife is the main suspect and their vision impaired kid who will play a critical part as a witness, faces several moral dilemmas as more truths about his family start to come out.
As I mentioned I was expecting the movie to be about the crime and while it does an amazing job portraying all the real life events that would've happen in such a situation, as the plot unravels, the moral questions start to become the center of the movie and trust me it will for sure make you leave the theater with some deep introspective thoughts.
I don't want to give away too much so I can't get a deep dive on how the movie approached the amazing messages it intends to give the audience, let's just say that we all have our own truths, we all have our way of perceiving reality and interpreting it and one's interpretation is not necessarily wrong it's just our individual way to navigate this world.
It's a masterful way of telling the story, a blend of realism, great concepts brought to the table and it goes without saying some of the best acting I've seen this year, Sandra Huller it's simply amazing, I dare to say that she had for sure one of the best performances this pat year.
Rustin (2023)
Stellar performance of an important historical figure
I have to be honest, as someone that is not a US national I have seen plenty movies about the Civil Rights movement but I wasn't aware of Bayard Rustin and the importance he had.
There are some topics in American movie history that keep being told as time goes by, not that they are not important or relevant but given the sheer amount of material already done it starts to become difficult to make something original.
I feel it's good we tell stories about important historical figures that changed the course of events from a very positive perspective, however perhaps a documentary would be better suited for this narrative in particular.
In any case the movie is good, not memorable, but Coleman Domingo has an outstanding performance and manages to carry the entire film with his convincing depiction.
I was very surprised, I wasn't very familiar with his work but he did in fact a stellar job on this one, in a particular scene where he gets emotional it really hit me, he conveyed that feeling perfectly, amazing stuff!
It was a good movie to become aware of this person and it was a pleasure seeing Coleman, I look forward to seeing more of his work!
Nyad (2023)
A testament to how resistant humans can be
I am always fascinated when someone so psychologically strong and focus, is able to accomplish what is in theory from a medical and scientific standpoint, a very unlikely or almost impossible feat.
We see this in athletes a lot of times, yet it never ceases to impress me, hence my good score for the movie - an unthinkable challenge that put both physical and mental strength to the test and the proof that some humans just seem to be built differ, as is Diana's case, allowing everyone to take inspiration from their example and put their minds into whatever goals they have.
With that being said, speaking only from a movie and narrative perspective I am not sure if this film made justice to the story.
For once it is directed in a very odd an unrealistic fashion, the pace feels a bit off, almost as if they are acting on a play, to me it felt voided of dramatic chare and any emotional build up for that matter.
This is an amazing story, about not only the individual but most important the team behind her who by all means endured quite some rough times to accommodate her, however contrary to some of these sport / inspirational movies I didn't feel the rush or emotion in it.
All actors involved did a great job including of course Annette Bening who very convincingly displays the horrible physical stress Diana went through during her swim attempts and her long time best friend Bonnie played by Jodie Foster.
Aside from the odd direction and some poorly made segments, like the shark one, I also didn't quite connect with the characters, it wasn't clear if the movie intended to only showcase Diana's accomplishment, explore her tough past that would ultimate give some clues on how she is today, her relationship with the people around her (some of these relationships weren't explored at all) - in short it's not the best movie but it tells a great story with some good acting mixed up so that sums it up I guess.
The Holdovers (2023)
Simple yet moving
Another Oscar season starts and with it the prospect of great movies (others no so great) that could've went under the radar if not for the buzz around them.
I went with no expectations to the Holdovers, but I felt happy once it wrapped.
A simple yet moving story - a group of three misfits, each of them with their own form of alienating others and with completely different personalities find themselves forced to be together during Christmas break.
The movie has a nice pace to it, it moves fast, at times almost like a play even, but it never ceases to convey a realistic tone. It manages to also be funny given the quirky personalities of each of the main characters.
Slowly, you get a glimpse of the past of each of this three outcasts, and you slowly realize that all of them have very particular reasons for being the way they are.
Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa and Da'Vine Joy Randolph have a great chemistry on screen and do an amazing job portraying their respective characters, it does feel like a very realistic story that could've easily taken place in the 70s.
Everyone has a dark past and tough issues they had to go through in their life, exercising empathy and not be quick to judge is something we should strive in a dehumanizing society.
For sure a recommendation!
American Nightmare (2024)
Our society is spiraling to madness
How insane did our society become that law enforcement chooses to harass and question a victim of a terrible crime based purely on suspicion, even worse, based on a plot they saw on a Hollywood movie...? What is this?
Where is the "innocent until proven guilty" that every democratic country in world supposedly stands by...? Those words haven't been true for a long time and many innocent people have suffered the consequences throughout the years.
And then there's the whole media circus, instead of doing valuable research and journalistic investigation, we have these absurd TV channels (all over the world this is not a US issue, although the US cases to tend to be the extreme) that care only about rating and go to inhumane lengths to make sure they have juicy material?
Sickening is the only word that comes to mind... And this particularly story, regardless of the traumatic and horrific events that Denise had to endure, somehow had a good ending for her, but how many of these incidents end way worse?
Something needs to change, regardless of the quality of the documentary it is a good piece of material for awareness, police is critical in our societies but we need proper police men and women to be working as such, I know in several countries police suffers from all kinds of lack of funding situations, they do the ultimate sacrifice of risking their life's for others, it's not a job for everyone and we need to respect it, but that is not justification for abuses like this, they need to treat people as people, making innocent lives a living hell to justify catching more actual criminals is not how things should go, if you already had a traumatic experience the last thing you do is being questioned and humiliated...
We can't lose our humanity, it's the only thing preventing the human race from its own extinction!