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Reviews
Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood (2019)
Leo and Brad Pitt!!!!!!
A love letter to Hollywood and probably a personal therapy session for QT. I think Leo's character might represent the voice in Tarantino's head. An aging actor, questioning his own relevance and ability to make an impact at this point in his career. Leo is great as always, but Brad Pitt unsheathes his coolness and likability in ways that he is rarely allowed to. Both of them are perfect in their roles, and are so enjoyable to watch. My only complaint is that the first act, in my opinion, felt a little slow, early scenes where Leo was alone, I thought were kinda boring, and the whole playboy mansion section felt completely useless. Besides that I thought it was fantastic, It was well acted with an amazing cast, both leads should be nominated for BEST actor, the soundtrack was great, the recreation of Hollywood was insane, if you are familiar with the area, it's probably even more awe inspiring. The ending was the best part, it was violent and over the top and hilarious in a way that only Tarantino could pull off.
It was also just a nice message from Tarantino to lower tier actors. Actors who just aren't quite talented enough or who maybe didn't get their shot, that their work matters, it matters to him and to others, even if it's just playing a bad guy for a week on a cowboy show, or nowadays a criminal on a police procedural.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Pure Art
A visual and audio masterpiece, every single scene is a piece of literal artwork and the soundtrack rivals anything you can find in my opinion. It's a nice story with a lot of heart and humor, 2 very enjoyable hours for sure.
Law Abiding Citizen (2009)
It tries, it fails, and it's still enjoyable
I believe this started out as an attempt at critiquing are criminal justice system, but that message was quickly overshadowed by the absurd plot and violence. I always appreciate movies that try and make a statement, this one just fails at it. All that being said, this movie is thoroughly enjoyable and I will watch it every time I see it on tv.
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019)
Such a beautiful and powerful film
Chiwetel Ejiofor knew exactly what he was going for with this film. You knew there was a happy ending to this and it still beats you into an emotional pulp by the end. Terrific performances across the board, with an absolute gem from young Maxwell Simba. There are so many scenes in this that are powerful, heartbreaking, beautiful, and in one case, terrifying, that by the end you will be so invested and a little saddened that you can't help but be overjoyed when the predictable happiness finally arrives.
Captain Marvel (2019)
A fun super hero movie
The two stars have great chemistry and are incredibly fun to watch share the screen, they really make the movie. The CGI was excellent as usual. There is a ton of fan service, which usually I don't like, but I didn't mind it in this for some reason. It doesn't have the complex villain or the thought provoking subject matter that made Black Panther and Winter Soldier so great, but it's an above average marvel movie and that's fine, it's a really enjoyable 2 hours, similar to Doctor Strange and Thor: Ragnarok
You Were Never Really Here (2017)
A Disturbing Work of Art
A fantastic, beautiful, and disturbing look into the mind of a deeply traumatized man. If you haven't experienced or studied the effects of ptsd and depression some of this movie will probably confuse you. The film is an incredibly accurate and powerful representation of what it like to live with that suffering. The silent pain that you live with every second of every day that is unrecognizable to even those closest to you, the suicidal thoughts that come into your mind constantly throughout the day to the point you don't even think about them anymore, the struggle to find a reason to keep going. All of these are feelings are presented to you unfiltered and unexplained, so if you don't know what you're looking at then you'll probably end up thinking this movie sucks. Trust me, it doesn't.
In the early parts of the film we are shown quick little slices of what made Joe this way, they aren't flashbacks though, they are his thoughts at any given moment. He is constantly tormented by the traumatic experiences he has endured. The quick subway platform scene in particular really stood out to me, here Joe is just going to work basically, a normal every day task and the thought of ending his life just pops into his head, it doesn't even faze him, he almost joking plays with the idea and then moves on.
The best and also most beautiful scene in the movie was the scene in which Joe lays his mother to rest in the river with the intention of dying beside her, but then he remembers the girl and changes his mind. In that moment Joe has lost his reason living, he had to be alive to take care of his mother and if he killed himself, it would end his suffering but it would be the cause of hers. Also, he nought only lost his reason, he failed at it, he was supposed to take care of his mother, instead she was murdered because of him. He had nothing left and was ready to die when he remembered the girl, he latched onto that thought and found a new reason.
Then we get to the end of the story and Joe finds that the girl has saved herself and doesn't need him to protect her, that thought completely breaks him. He takes the girl to a diner for breakfast and he fantasizes about shooting himself and no one even noticing but the girl asks if he is alright and it snaps him out of it and makes him realize someone does care about him and he still has a reason to live.
The Standoff at Sparrow Creek (2018)
Perfectly Slightly Above Average
The tense conversations between characters are where this film shines, the dialogue is tense and gripping. James Badge Dale and Robert Aramayo standout in a film full of excellent performances by a cast of lesser known actors. My only complaint is the relationship and quick backstory of two characters that lead to a ending that felt incredibly far fetched in an otherwise grounded film that has a lot to say about relevant and timely subjects.