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Reviews
The Favourite (2018)
Nothing really happens, ever!
I think this is a general critic i have for Lanthimos. Most of his films feel like an "absurd" scene from a Luis Bunuel film. Yes the production is luxurius, the scenes, the camera work are beautiful, money is never the issue, especially with his latest work but there is zero evolution. The premises are set, the characters, if you can call them that, never develop and after the first 20-30 minutes in the film, we just have to wait for it to end. Also he doesn't seem to have any ability to evoke emotion with his films, either on screen with his character's acting or with his writting, adaptation. His characters are more like empty shirts, moving in front of the camera not unlike Zombies would. Most of the time i feel i am watching a practical joke stretched in length. Initially i get hooked by the premise but it always end up in boredom. I believe his films sound better when you describe them than what when they "play out'. That is a big weakness for a director. Anyway visually the favorite feels like a mix between Kubrick's odysssey and Barry Lyndon. This is not the first time i've noticed Kubrick's "presense" in Lanthimos films. The sacred deer was also very Kubrick-esque and really i am ok with that, had it been an interesting film to watch. The rating is more for the production values, than the essense of it. I still need to watch Poor things (i've watched all of his other work) but i am not expecting much. Once someone "tells" you who he is, there are not many suprises. A cold joke told baddly whilst having an expensive dinner.
I balada tis trypias kardias (2020)
Soap opera acting transfered in the big screen!
Ok so for the first hour of the film, nothing really happens, unless you call "something" an expose of the worst acting ever printed on film.
People in various settings, cafe's, sofa's, bar's taking in turns in shouting and swearing at each other or on some situation. I've seen soap operas with better tempo than this thing. It is really like watching paint dry. So much time is wasted on silences between the dialogue, close up on faces, etc I honestly don't get what the director had in mind with that. The second half of the film improves, there is some action and some questionable story lines, but it works like a film of that genre. Overall, the story is fine, as is the photography and many production elements. However, there are too many fillers imo (music scenes where nothing really happens, but the killing of our time) and the film seems to be separated by a rather ambitious "taking of pelham" kind of film music theme in two parts. (the music is pretty nice, although perhaps the composer wasn't informed that this is a bad comedy, not an adventurous film).
The Old Man (2022)
Next level stuff
This takes the spy, undercover, political drama genre into a different level. The dialogue gets almost philosophical, the music is excellent, not of the "canned" type Hollywood and most series rely to. Everything production element feels discreet in its presence, in order to allow for the superb acting to shine. I think it is briliant but if i were forced to pick up a flaw, it has to do with a revelation in the final episode of the series, which truth be told was a bit evident a couple of episodes earlier.
Silent Hours (2021)
The back and forth
Between suspects in the story, and the many subplots made it tiring. Tbh the only good thing about this film were the music and the "sex" scenes. If you don't see it, you haven't lost anything.
Papillon (2017)
Unnecessary remake
Of a brilliant film. There is noting wrong with it as a film but having seen the old one with Dustin Hoffman, there was need for it. I don't understand why studios fall in this trap. There is no question Rami Malek is a very good actor but he is not going to surpass Hoffman any time soon. And the story is a given, so why the remake?
Tron: Legacy (2010)
I saw it in the cinema
And really enjoyed it. Everything clicked from the visuals to the acting to the soundtrack. Clearly Mr. Robot draws its references if not its existence from this.
Twee zomers (2022)
A very interesting drama
Clearly this is a very difficult bunch of people, i'd dare say they are very difficult to sympathize with, as the story progresses with. Somewhere in the end Peter says, "we know each other from scouts, we always played games, this time it went to far" and it is kind of the gist of the story. No one in this series feels sorry about anything, not really. Anyway, i also found the casting to be superb, the young with the older selves were very well selected, and even having to "work" a bit for a couple of characters is part of the positives for me. Btw in each episode title scene they were pretty much highlighting one of the characters.
Beyond everything else though, i feel i should comment on the music. It stands out, creating an beautiful earie atmosphere, exceptionally crafted. It really is above the usual uninspired music found in even the most popular series. I don't think i'd like the series as much without it.
The Black Phone (2021)
A nice entertaining film
It has a lot of loose ends but ok, not everything needs to be connected. Overall i had fun in the cinema, ,not a scary movie per se, and perhaps on purpose (the role of the brother makes no other sense)
I am surprised though how overstated is Hawkes role in this. Before going to the cinema i thought i was going to watch Hopkins Hanibal lecter, , James macAvoy from Split or Heath Ledger as joker. 90 percent of that performance is the mask and of course he is good at the role but nothing to write home about. Had someone told me On the other hand the protagonist Kid is excellent.
Ares (2020)
Better than the sum of its parts
I can't help but feel that this films works on a higher structure, meaning it is a bit more intellectual, at least in its conception. You have a very truthful portrayal of the Dutch cityscape (usually depicted a lot more idyllic), the almost b-movie quality of the Ares society and everything involving that and the honest self criticism and reminder of how a supposedly egalitarian society, like the Netherlands one, stands on the exploitation of Africa. It is a convoluted way to reach the "comment", but at the same time kind of a novel one (especially in speaking out clearly its intention). Oh and the title scene is honestly brilliant!
Toscana (2022)
The grimace of the tomato tasting
Sous-chef distills all the quality and imagination put in this film. Honestly there is little merit into getting the details. Had it not been for the character limit, my review would have stopped with the first phrase.
The Lincoln Lawyer (2022)
A pleasant watch
..a deep enough story line to feel that you didn't watch this only for the mannerisms and pretty standard troubled but exceptional at something lead actor. I felt the daughter storyline was very week and probably unnecessary. Also i notice a trend of having lead actor couples with star like qualities (visually) to have very down to earth, next door neighbor (again visually) offsprings. Btw cisco's character belongs to another story and his relation with Mickey's second wife makes only sense if at some point he saved her life.
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
An hour earlier would have been a great choice.
A visual overload experience for a popular storyline that neither goes deep, nor is it original in any shape or form. The visuals were great and some of the findings were very clever but the repetitiveness of the same jokes over and over and over again was tiresome. I honestly felt that they didn't know how to finish the film. An hour earlier would have been a great choice.
Ozark (2017)
Nice atmosphere, too much melodrama.
Especially the effort to find something redeeming about Wendy's character and the back and forth between an evil woman and a loving mother, was very tiresome and annoying.
Grenseland (2017)
Terrible story line
The story line was so bad, i felt uneasy following it to the end. It starts ok, with the classic atmosphere of these things, and to a point you get the point of view of the hero. Sound after though the "detective" side of the story gets unbearable to watch unfold. So many loose ends, and so little logic behind all of this, its a shame.
Anatomy of a Scandal (2022)
Nice direction, but the story was very weak
I enjoyed the directorial hyperboles, which reminded a lot Korean tv series but the story line was stretched very thin. I don't know how it relates to the book, but the improbable "coincidence" it is founded is problematic. We are facing two crimes, the one is supposed, never founded, and dismissed in court the other happens in front of our eyes and gets celebrated. So we end up with some kind of a vigilante prosecutor in the making. So unless this is part one of a marvel series, this is problematic.
Manifest (2018)
Interesting idea but unbearable execution
So the premise of the story is intriguing and so far (just started season 2) the direction it unfolds towards is clever but the characters are badly written (especially Ben, there are no words...) and the way they discover things is blatantly outrageous. The scene where they discover the 2nd of June of 2024 date has to be a top 3 idiotic tv moment. I felt insulted watching it.
StartUp (2016)
It feels like Seinfeld..
All the characters are complete @ssh@les, and totally unredeemable.
The situations of them coming together feel quite random, if not completely improbable but somehow the show manages to entertain and be kind of gripping on the end.
Izzy and Ronald steal the show and probably the director feels as well, filling us with footage of their closeups.
I don't believe it needs another season.