Change Your Image
ahsawesa
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Lists
An error has ocurred. Please try againThis list is not in any specific order
Reviews
Nope (2022)
Absolute Spectacle
The third Jordan Peele film is certainly his grandest one in terms of production scale because it was shot with IMAX, which helps capture the feel of watching something of a "spectacle" which is the main theme here.
The genre of this film is definitely an odd one because it's a Western Sci-Fi Horror film and the main premise of the movie is the myth of UFO's which has been done to death in Hollywood but Jordan Peele as always, brings a unique take on this idea with some interesting twists and turns that you will definitely not see coming.
All the "horror scenes" especially with the flying object in this movie are so well directed, credit to Jordan Peele's masterful ability to build tension and keep you on the edge. He knows when to show you just enough to make you anticipate and arouse your curiosity.
The structure of the movie is not what you'd expect from a typical "alien invasion" movie. However, at times you're not sure what exactly going on and while I appreciate the movie's efforts to be subtle, it could have been edited slightly better. I also wish they would have spent a bit more time adding more depth to the main characters and their character motivations in order to get us just a bit more invested, although Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer do an amazing job with their performances given what they had.
While it's not perfect, this is a worthy addition to Jordan Peele's streak of creative horror films. It's ingenious, thought provoking, scary and an absolute thrill ride.
Dark (2017)
The Greatest Puzzle Ever Created
Not much can be said about DARK that hasn't already been said. Mind-bending, confusing and masterpiece are some of the terms that have been thrown around while discussing the show but I promise that no amount of warnings can prepare one for the journey this show takes them on if they have not already seen it.
As someone who has watched many films and/or shows that feel familiar to DARK, it still managed to impress me in the mature way it tackles it's themes and ideas with a sense of grandness, particularly focusing on the existential implications of the concepts of life, death, predestination and freewill through time travel while the intense biblical imagery and allegory seep in the narrative with unmatched brilliance. Beautiful use of symmetry in it's story structure and the ability of the show-runners to put together something as complicated as this while still making sense is nothing short of genius. (as a wannabe writer, I wish I could have whatever they were smoking when they wrote this)
There's so much to admire about this show - it's jaw dropping cinematography, touching performances, beautiful soundtrack and score but the most important thing is that it rewards the patience of smart viewers who pay attention. It takes it's time to build it's story and while the build up can drag a tad bit too long in certain parts, the ultimate pay off is well worth the wait with some really satisfying answers to all the burning questions.
It tells an epic tale skipping the boundaries of any one particular genre and in doing so, it makes you fall in love with it's characters, the atmosphere, the world within the story and most importantly, it gives you some perspective on your existence.
More than anything else, DARK is haunting and beautiful at the same time and I will forever hate it for making me cry manly tears at the end.
9/10.
Peace out.
Mortal Kombat (2021)
Maybe A Fatal Blow To MK Franchise
The much anticipated live-action reboot of Mortal Kombat is finally here and it fails to deliver much aside from showing you some untapped potential.
This film was badly edited which completely ruined the thrills of somewhat decent fight choreography. The story was extremely rushed and while the plot was paper thin like it usually is in a supposed franchise-building film, I did not find myself caring about any of the characters. Viewers would find themselves enjoying a fight scene here or there and would enjoy comedic moments but aside from that, there's not much here except for an extremely predictable film with bad costume designs, bad acting and big plotholes.
It focuses too much on the least interesting characters although pretty much all characters were uninteresting here except for the highlights of the film Sub-Zero by Joe Taslim and Scorpion played by Hiroyuki Sanada who were the best incarnations of these characters you can possibly ask for but what's frustrating is that they are BARELY in the film.
Throughout the runtime, I kept lowering my expectations and this film failed to meet them for the most part. You can tell that they put in a decent effort to make it work but their vision just wasn't good enough in the first place.
Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)
Expectations Fulfilled
Anticipated as the epic monster battle, the film does it's job well providing you some intense unpredictable fight scenes sprinkled throughout a predictable story you have seen hundreds of time.
It does falter in pacing as it rushes things and crams in a whole lot of plot and world-building into a 2 hour film which obviously should have been a bit longer. Another gripe viewers would have with this film is how it treats science fiction aspects which are incredibly dumbed down and might be bit too unrealistic for some viewers.
The acting is non-existent as the film focuses mainly on the monster elements and while the CGI is good, the film should have taken itself a bit more seriously than it did considering how long they have been planning this big crossover instead of going the somewhat acceptable cookie cutter route.
You would have a fun time with this film if you want to know the answer to the question who bows to who and who wins this much anticipated battle because it delivers on the premise but that's all it does so don't expect too much of anything else.
The Last Dance (2020)
Turned Me Into A Basketball Fan
I have never really connected with any sport in my life so it says a lot that someone like me who knew next to nothing about basketball finally realized what it means to be a sports fan after watching this documentary.
This 10 episode docu-series follows the team of Chicago Bulls and centers around the career of the legendary Michael Jordan who is considered the greatest of all time in NBA and the Bulls coach Phil Jackson as their story is told through a combination of interviews and incredible real life footage that was captured in real time behind the scenes and during the games by a camera crew.
Documentaries can be boring but this one tells the story with a bit of suspense and drama as it tracks supposedly the dramatic last stages of Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan's career with the Bulls when certain conflict of interests happened within their franchise as they pursued a championship so their future was in doubt. That story is told in bits and pieces as it also chronologically tracks the amazing origin story of Jordan and his team from early 80's to late 90's so it transitions back and forth between past and present leading up to the supposed Last Dance. It is also incredibly informative and includes crazy back stories about how particular events in NBA and Michael Jordan's career transpired while also providing closures on certain topics for NBA fans.
The footage is beautifully edited together with the score and soundtrack as the story of Bulls' hardships and triumphs on and off the basketball court tug at your heartstrings. It's a once in a lifetime story that will emotionally touch you in ways you never imagine a documentary could. You will laugh, you will cry but ultimately it will leave you motivated to achieve greatness like Michael Jordan and Chicago Bulls in that time period, aspired to.
If you're looking for the next great series to watch, THIS IS IT.
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
It's A Wonderful Life Indeed
I just saw what is perhaps, the second greatest movie I have ever seen in my entire life.
It's A Wonderful Life is a movie about a man who is contemplating suicide on the eve of Christmas but through prayers, God gives an angel a chance to see if he can help this man change his mind.
Words cannot describe this film but I'm going to try to do it justice with my review because this is a life changing experience that makes you think about life, appreciate it, and have faith in yourselves because the lesson it teaches is very important which is that, YOU MATTER.
No matter how insignificant you think you are in this world, your existence and your actions affect yours' and other people's lives both positively and negatively to a degree you cannot imagine and while it's easy to try and end your suffering in hard times through suicide or to wish you could just go away forever, it's not a good solution because life is too wonderful to just throw away.
This film is an excellent example of these ideas and themes with it's great blend of humor, a romance between two actors with great chemistry and a tragedy that send you on an emotional rollercoaster ride that you won't forget. The production design and set designs for the town called Bedford Falls in the movie are so outstanding and immersive that you can't help but get lost into this beautiful world.
A fantastic cast of memorable characters portrayed with some really heartful performances, especially the legendary James Stewart in particular, with great character dynamics and thus every character interaction feels genuine and matters. The film builds upon it's central conflict between the protagonist George Bailey, one of the most likable characters ever written in my opinion, and the antagonist, a conspiring rival businessman, very well and it pays off with difficult situations our hero finds himself in. You will find yourself rooting for him every step of the way, feel his moral dilemmas and feel his hopelessness in tough times.
This is a story of a lifetime spanning years and you will by the end, feel as if you're a part of the Bedford community that is teeming with life.
This film will, without doubt, become my regular viewing because it reminded me why I love movies. If any of you who haven't seen it and can use some positivity in their lives, this movie is for you.
Watch it and hold onto your lives, your family, your friends, everything you have and appreciate it a little bit more because it's indeed a Wonderful Life. :)
9.4/10 easily.
American Crime Story (2016)
Season 1 - An American Tragedy
This is the shocking true crime story that follows the double murder case of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, that had the black American football star and the ex husband of female victim, Orenthal James Simpson at it's center as the main suspect. He was prosecuted by the state and what followed was what was dubbed THE TRIAL OF THE CENTURY
American Crime Story Season 1 did a fantastic job of walking me through everything important that did and might have happened during this case. It made me feel like I was witnessing the case firsthand and that is credit to how well they captured the mood of 90's Los Angeles and the racial tensions during that time especially in the aftermath of the riots that happened a few years before this trial.
The show is less of a "whodunit" murder mystery and focuses more on highlighting the inner workings of a courtroom, how a case is a fought and in this particular case, how a hopeless case was salvaged by an all star team of lawyers defending O.J Simpson and eventually how the case ended up being a long circus that was actually televised in real life for the whole of America to witness live. Race card was played, mistakes were made, officials involved were personally targeted, and the case was fairly and sometimes unfairly manipulated behind the scenes in so many ways that I was just in awe at the realization that what I was watching actually took place.
People involved in the case were brought to lives in this show with top notch acting by a stellar cast especially Sarah Paulson who gives the performance of a lifetime. That is also credit to the showrunners and the direction they took with the show in their approach to tell this story, portraying the case like a game of chess. Just when you think one side has the upper hand, the other side throws them a curveball and you are left wondering what's going to happen next.
As I finished my 2 day long binge of this show, the open ended nature of the case and how it's portrayed really made me question the different angles that may have been missed or disregarded but most importantly how this case had both negative and positive implications on America in a never ending fight against racism, the impact it had on the lives of people involved and how O.J. Simpson, once a heroic figure, fell from grace, which is what makes it such a significant American Tragedy.
Solid 8.4/10
The Grudge (2019)
What do you do when you're bored? Close your eyes and wait for the movie to be over.
Never have I ever watched a bad film that drags as much as this did at the run time of 1 hour and 30 mins. This film is a great example of terrible pacing and piss poor storytelling. It's nothing but a cash grab marketed as a new vision for the original Grudge series because trust me, there's nothing new here.
It's like they forgot what made the original ones so scary in the first place. It feels like this was a horror film that was made for someone who has never watched a horror film in their life and I bet even those people will not find this amusing.
The best part of this franchise - Kayako's ghost from original Grudge series is missing from this movie save for one scene? And the ghosts that are present in this movie's cheap jump scares and horribly edited "scary scenes" have extremely generic designs that you would see in any low budget horror film. I literally laughed out loud at times because of how ridiculous some of those scenes were.
There are no character arcs here and the film is trying to be much smarter than it actually is and the director is just exercising in how good of a shot he can take with perfect lighting and composition but there's nothing of actual substance in this movie. It literally gives away the whole story in it's opening credits and then pretends you don't know anything and tells you the same predictable story at a turtle's pace.
It's a snoozefest. I was just waiting for it to be over so I can give it a 2/10 rating. Easily one of the worst horror films I have ever seen and maybe even one of the worst films I have ever seen?
TRUST ME, DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME ON THIS FILM.
Watchmen: This Extraordinary Being (2019)
This Is An Extraordinary Episode
Episode 6 of HBO's @watchmen TV Show is one of the best episodes I have ever seen of anything.
Told in a 40's film noir fashion, this is a master class in cinematography, editing, writing and acting. Damon Lindelof has conceived one of the best origin stories to ever grace the screen. This episode elevates this show to a whole new level by beautifully bringing together all the vague story elements and subplots that were introduced earlier in the show.
If you are not watching this then do yourself a favor, either read the original Watchmen graphic novel and then watch this or just take a quick recap of it from YouTube and start watching this show because trust me you do not want to miss this.
I rarely give a 9/10 but this was a 9/10 episode.
Joker (2019)
Tread Carefully.. You May Be Disappointed
Oh boy, I'm going to get crucified for this but I have to be honest..
I did not "love" it. I am not falling "heels over head" in love with it. And for good reasons. Even the most praised aspects of it, the top being Joaquin Phoenix's acting, did not quite impress me the way it impressed most people..
The predictability of the story and the possible reasons they give to explain Joker's madness and why he is the way he is do not justify the existence of this film. They're quite cliche and explained in too much detail with too much justification for their own good.
At times, he came off not as a mentally ill guy but as a whiny loser. A crazy person could be both obviously but Joker was never supposed to be that. I wouldn't mind if this film wasn't about The Joker but taking The Joker and reducing him to that does not do anything good for his reputation as this great character.
Some of our awaam is even rooting for this version of the character and is talking about him like some kind of hero? I mean what the hell. This movie focuses too much on showing us Arthur's point of view and justifying it. And for that reason, it becomes dangerous. I was getting genuinely concerned about how this movie was portraying Arthur's mental illness and how it could inspire people to do something horrible and use this film as the basis ..
People will tell me "you didn't understand this, you didn't understand that". Look I know all about the theories and I know you can interpret this film in different ways but the way I saw it, the film was trying to sell a particular vision and I saw it as an .. okay film that felt disturbing at times because it felt too real in some of the more violent scenes and for that I am concerned about the influence of this film on people's mindset.. I really hope it doesn't trigger anyone into committing anything heinous ..
Otherwise, it has competent cinematography and how the film was structured wasn't bad but the material was lacking. I feel like there didn't need to be a Joker origin film but here it is and I don't know what to do with it..
I tried really hard to love it but I just didn't.. And that's not my fault.. I would give it a 7.0/10 :/ could've been a 6.8/10 but some of the better parts saved it from falling down to a 6
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Endgame Is A True "Marvel"
Took a while to process my thoughts and gather words. Still haven't recovered from the existential crisis this film caused because I don't feel like wanting anything anymore because I feel like it gave me everything I needed. Nothing feels exciting anymore maybe because I won't be anticipating anything as much as I anticipated this for a very long time. So I am just sitting here questioning life, hope I snap out of it soon (no pun intended)
When a film is a culmination of 21 films and about 11 years of hard work, it becomes immune to criticism because then it's more than just a film. This is just an attempt to put my thoughts down in words, show gratitude and say goodbye.
Endgame subverted expectations and got everything it needed to address from the ending of Infinity War right out of the way to kick off the actual story of this movie, which made it quite unpredictable because there was still over two hours left.
Since spoilers aren't allowed, I would say the underlying logic behind certain science fiction elements this film involves might be questionable to some degree but the way they handled it by embracing the light hearted side of MCU and cleverly poked fun at it in hilarious ways which somehow worked, you had no option but to go along anyway especially once the tension filled second act goes into some crazy unexpected directions that kept me on the edge of my seat.
Some may argue the first half is slow or that it's not as inventive as some of the previous great MCU films but they were in a corner after what happened at the end of Infinity War which was nothing short of perfect. This film had to follow through on that and it delivered and that's all I needed.
It also somehow managed to pay tribute to all three first phases and almost every single important character without compromising the story and by weaving all the homages and references brilliantly in exactly the right places. It provided closure to everything they have been setting up slowly over the years and I tip my hat to Marvel Studios for being able to pull that off.
The entire last act of this movie is just COMIC BOOK MOVIE HISTORY and MOVIE HISTORY. I COULD NOT BELIEVING WHAT I WAS WITNESSING. That's all I can say to describe how absolutely insane and balls to the walls crazy it was. I can't come up with words for the things this movie and this universe made feel throughout the years. I honestly feel like my life's over, like I've gotten everything I ever wanted.
And for that, Thank you Kevin Feige, Thank you to the trinity of MCU - Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth and Robert Downey Jr who brought their characters to life and a standing ovation to Russo Brothers who not only made such a massive event work but exceeded my expectations regarding what MCU could be. This universe is an achievement that will go down as one of the most influential achievements in film history.
To everyone involved with the MCU, Love you all 3000. I don't think I'll ever be able to thank everyone involved for how much they have influenced my life and those who will continue to do so going forward. And I can never be too grateful to the man himself, Stan Lee. Excelsior.
I can't rate this because no matter what rating I give, some will say I'm overrating while some will say I'm underrating it. Though I may add a placeholder rating for IMDB.
I hate to say goodbye to this era of MCU but this is goodbye. I honestly can't believe it's been more than 11 years since I first watched RDJ suiting up as Iron Man in the first MCU film. I used to watch that film in wonder and amazement and now we are here with such a massive universe with these iconic characters. MCU will go on but man, I'll miss everything about this era of MCU. Farewell (for now)
Shazam! (2019)
Joyful and Wholesome Even Though Quite Cliche
Shazam! was fun :D Didn't quite love it but I did enjoy it
6.8/10. By no means a bad rating, my process of rating is quite strict so this is actually pretty good. I gave Man of Steel the same rating.
If I had to pick out cons to justify my rating I'd say it has way too much exposition thrown at us with on the nose dialogue, unnecessary humor, too much flashbacks even when they're not needed, over the top acting here and there and a last act that really drags. Also, it gets too silly at times and suffers from the usual MCU problem where they don't focus on the consequences.
But Zach Levi is awesome as this character. The kids had great chemistry with each other. The film does a good job of handling the family theme and packs a good emotional punch at times. Also, when the humor was on spot, jokes were hilarious.
I'd say it's worth seeing if you are generally into superhero movies and even if you are an MCU fan because this is a different direction from DC's dark and gritty style but I was able to digest that because Shazam is supposed to be a fun and lighthearted character :)
Andhadhun (2018)
Bollywood Thriller Done Right
I don't think I've ever properly reviewed a Bollywood film and these are definitely odd times to review one but I like to separate art from politics and simply celebrate the craft of storytelling put on display and this film excels at every single thing from acting to writing to music. This is the kind of movies that Bollywood SHOULD be making where the emphasis is on telling an interesting story instead of on item numbers, cheesy dance sequences, Salman Khan's biceps or visual effects.
This is a Hitchcockian thriller about a blind pianist aspiring to become a star who gets into some serious trouble but things aren't quite how they seem. I won't say anything else.
It spends the entire first act by making you like the protagonist. He isn't overly interesting or complex though he is quite charming (in fact this whole movie is). What makes him interesting is the circumstances around him. The inciting incident throws him into a corner and puts him in situations which turns his moral flaw from which he benefits but harms others, against him and challenges him.
I breezed through the super fast paced first act, and somehow the second act outdid the first act as the conflict and tension kept building throughout the second act and since I really cared about the protagonist, there were some pretty nail biting sequences where I could cut the tension with a knife. There was a lot of spot on dark humor that had me in laughing my heart out. This is credit to a fantastic concept which I heard is inspired by a foreign short film but a lot of credit goes to the team of this film as well since it's not a direct adaptation.
The story kept twisting onto itself and then .. it sort of deflated at the start of a third act which I felt like went in directions it didn't need to and became a typical Bollywood film until that ending where everything went CLICK and the film redeemed it's entire third act. The protagonist's character arc suddenly started to make sense because for a while I thought the film had lost it's steam in the final act and was becoming messy but I didn't know it was a setup for a fantastic reveal.
The performances were all great too. Ayushman Khurana is a one man show here. The actors knew what they were doing and they were just having fun with the roles instead of taking themselves way too seriously. The music was great too, from all the piano covers to the original soundtrack of the film, was pretty catchy and instantly hooked me.
Though this film follows simple beats of a story, it understands what makes a story good. It pits the main character against his biggest fears and challenges him in order to send him on a journey of change. It creates tension with conflict. These are simple things Indian filmmakers often overlook and this is why some of the blockbusters fail to work. It's not rocket science, they are simple things about storytelling.
Props to siriram raghavan for this film, I had a lot of fun with it and it proved bollywood can make genuinely good films and that they SHOULD.
Final Rating: 7.8/10. The third act could have been a little graceful but it was a little messy and over the top despite the ending which made up for it. This is still a solid rating and the highest rating I've given to any movie of 2018 that I've watched so far.
Glass (2019)
A Flawed But Heartfelt End To The Eastrail 177 Trilogy
Was the wait worth it? Everyone has a different opinion but for me personally?
Long answer short, yes it was. But I would like to give the long answer too because that's why I'm here.
Glass is the final chapter in East Rail 177 trilogy (preceded by Split and Unbreakable) and it's about Elijah Price, David Dunn and Kevin Crumb being held in a mental institution where a doctor is trying to convince them that they are not like comic book characters with superhuman abilities.
This film has received mostly mixed and negatives reviews and that baffles me because the technical mastery alone, put on display by M Night and especially his cinematographer Mike Gioulakis had me in awe. The use of color, the shot composition, the choice of shots alone just take this film to a level above mediocre. M. Night knows how to tell a story on screen. I felt like I was watching a comic book in film format. I was just sad that I'll never witness this gorgeous film again on a big screen. You do not get this kind of cinematography in most comic book movies so I appreciated it.
Whenever Beast and David Dunn threw down, it was awesome. You felt the weight of their powers and M Night beautifully highlighted that with the impact each blow made whenever it happened. No clean punches and dramatic wrestling moves, no beams or lasers, just two individuals with raw strength and brute force going toe to toe.
But this isn't an action film. It is very much like Unbreakable in terms of how it behaves. It takes it's time and even when it gets going, it's a slow burn that raises questions. It creates doubt and makes you rethink what you have seen over the previous few films in this trilogy. It explores the mindset of it's characters and messes with your head as it messes with theirs.
What I loved was M Night treated a lot of it with patience and respect. He knows the concept of set up and pay off. Also, there's plenty of suspenseful scenes and that's expected because M Night has mastered those over his career. He also makes you wait instead of just giving you what you want right off the bat and I guess that worked because it kept me in anticipation.
There was plenty of fan service just for the sake of getting a pop from the fans of the franchise but it never felt distracting. But one of the things that held this film back was that it was asking the same questions Unbreakable did, exploring the themes of delusion and purpose. I really hoped it would have been about something different and fresh but it wasnt. Thus it wasn't groundbreaking like Unbreakable which was way ahead of it's time. Glass feels like we have been here before but never like this because it does add a new spin on a superhero story by putting them in an asylum which is different from just another Marvel or DC film.
I can see where some of the negativity is coming from. It has some small plot holes which is strange because this film presents itself as the most smart and grounded superhero film. The dialogue can be a bit too simple and downright childish at times. It preaches a lot and over explains plot points. The delivery of certain lines was also weak in certain scenes and at times some actors over acted or might I say under acted. Sam L Jackson was also out of character in a lot of it which was disappointing considering how he was so into the character in Unbreakable
James McAvoy gave it all to his role. That man is national treasure. He added so much heart in this film. It wouldn't be the same without him. He also has the best character arc in the film and a lot of the emotional punch of this film came from him. Bruce Willis contributed to that too. 😍
Speaking of heart, I understand that this was a passion project for M Night and it shows. He really did try to do something special and while he didn't make the same impact he did with last two films of this trilogy, he did a decent job because this was a difficult film to make. The concept of a third part was juicy but if you really thought about it, where could this franchise have gone after Split? I'm not gonna criticize the places it went too much because I understand the burden of making such a risky film. I understand certain safe choices he made for certain plot elements. Some things may have underwhelmed me but I did enjoy most of it.
People have been saying things about the third act of this film and how it broke the film with questionable choices. Well, it did do things that didn't need to happen and it brought back stuff that was obvious but it made sense with the ending it was going for and was it the best ending it could have had? Maybe not but it gave me closure and that's what I was looking for in the final entry of this series. It was heart felt and it got me emotional so I'd say it did it's job, I mean I teared up at one moment so there's that.
Even though I saw the ending coming, there are plenty of twists and even mini surprises in the film and while they may not be as shocking as the twists from some of his other films, they are okay.
I liked the message of the film even though it was a little cliched. M Night speaks about representation and the place of comic book culture and superhero mythology in the modern world through this film. It also had a lot of silly moments of self awareness regarding superhero movies and moments where it needed to be serious but wasn't but it did take it's message seriously where it needed to.
Final Rating: 6.8/10. This was hard to rate but my rating of previous entries helped my hand. I had given Split a 7.0 and Unbreakable an 8.0. Most of good films I watch end up in range of 7 or above. So 6.8 seemed adequate for Glass.
I found myself invested for most of it. It kept me intrigued about where it was going. I was really happy to see these characters back especially David Dunn and his son's character. And while I didn't quite love the place it ended up in, I didn't hate it either. It was just satisfactory.
By no means is it a bad film. I feel like anything that diverts from the Marvel formula these days is received with extreme reactions from critics because MCU has created this framework for superhero films that critics feel like every film that is about superheroes must follow. I'm not gonna say critics are wrong hurr Durr but I would say I disagree with them here.
It may have had a relatively weaker script compared to previous two entries, and it had moments where the quality dipped down, but it was too well made to be considered a bad or a mediocre film.
If you were waiting for this movie, definitely go see it. Trust me, do not miss this just because it has a low rotten tomato score. Im so glad I didn't. 😀
Suspiria (2018)
A Remake That Outdoes The Original
I don't usually start my reviews like this because it doesn't sound so professional but this movie blew my damn mind. I loved it.
To call it a remake would be discrediting it because this film does so much more than just remake and use the elements from the original, it expands upon the original and it outdoes it!
I can't spoil exactly what Suspiria (both remake and the original) is about because even though this film treats the spoilers of the original Suspiria as an open secret with the viewers, it's better if you don't know beforehand. Also, this film introduces more perspectives. The original was just about the American dancer uncovering mystery behind the nature of the academy teachers but this time, the story is also being told from the perspective of the head mistresses and teachers as well.
Dr Josef is a new major addition. His presence adds an outside world aspect into the story because while the original was simply about what's happening inside the academy, this one has some political commentary on war and terrorism as the back drop. I don't know exactly why that is present in this movie but it does contribute to the arc of Dr. Josef who barely has an arc but is somehow a very sympathetic character.
It broke the rules of the film making because it's missing some basic elements of storytelling. There's no character arcs here. This film consists of six acts and an epilogue which is rare because most contain only three acts or five acts. Then why does it work? I'm still trying to think why it works so well (at least for me) and I found one major reason that kept me glued to the screen
It treats it's antagonist(s) as really powerful which makes the struggle for our protagonists hard. You are constantly hoping for the safety of your favorite characters but the sense of impending doom is always there and keeps you on the edge of your seat. It also does a great job of maintaining intrigue. The mythology this film presents is so fascinating and interesting to uncover. Also, there are a lot more themes/subjects than the original. It explores leadership, gender, art, motherhood, the concept of evil but it doesn't preach. These themes are very subtle but they are there.
This is an incredibly complex film with so much going on that it may require multiple viewings to fully digest and even though I understood the core of it, I will definitely re-watch this as soon as possible. Also, pay attention when you watch the film because it's the kind of movie that requires you to think.
Tilda Swinton plays two entirely different characters in this movie and she nails both of them! She killed it! She fully gave herself to these roles, to the extent that she became those characters. I did not see Tilda Swinton, instead I saw Madam Blanc and Dr Josef. Dakota Johnson surprised me too. I didn't know she had this kind of performance in her because she was so bland in 50 shades of grey. She also did a really good job with the dance sequences. All other actors and dancers did a fantastic job as well.
The dance sequences also make this film stand out in contrast to the original which didn't focus as much on the dance. It is true that certain dance moves looked as if actors were having a seizure but the dance scenes in this movie have that strange pull. They are so enchanting and spellbinding. But at the same time, they feel unholy and evil, which is one of the main elements of the film.
This is definitely more of a supernatural horror film than a giallo or a slasher like the original. The scary scenes work because this film does a good job of keeping restraint and showing you exactly how much you need to see to be scared instead of showing you everything (which takes away from the scare factor)
The visual aesthetic is bleak, gritty and completely goes opposite to the colorful visuals that you would expect from Suspiria's remake. However, There are questionable editing choices though because it tries to be surreal at times and utilizes this strange editing technique with a lot of fast cuts. Also, at times it just cuts to another scene, entering very late so it's hard to tell how the characters got there in the first place and you are left scratching your head.
When I reached the final act, I began to doubt it a little. I thought it is gonna go completely off the rails and for a second it did and I got worried that the ending might disappoint, that it will be something pretentious and it will be very ambiguous. But then the rest of the last act happened and wow, there were things I did not see coming. If you have seen the original and you think you know where it's going, you ain't seen nothing yet my friend.
Certain things happened and while I didn't grasp them right away, it eventually started to make sense as the film ended and I felt like kicking myself for doubting the film. Everything came to a full circle magnificently and there was that "Aha!" moment when I grasped what the entire thing was about. A lot of people say that the final act makes or breaks a film and I don't necessarily believe that but I do think the final act has a major impact on the overall quality so I'm glad this film ended on a really good note. I went to bed thinking about this movie and the more I thought about it, the more it made sense.
The score and the soundtrack by Thom Yorke is oscar worthy. Nominate that man right now. The score is so beautiful. This entire movie is a piece of art. Every single aspect of it went together so well. I can't stop listening to the song "SUSPIRIUM" which is one of the main tracks.
Final Rating 7.8/10. It is a work of art that may be missing some essential elements like characters arcs and etc that would've made it a solid 8 or above but I was just into this movie throughout the entire run time. Some may call it too long, some may call my review too long lol and well that's understandable but I was awestruck by this film. It had so much to offer (and as a result, I had so much to discuss) and it could have been a mess but it tied up everything so well. This is easily one of my favorite films of 2018. It's better if you see the original first in order to truly appreciate what this film achieves as a remake because remakes are hard but this film does an excellent job of capturing the spirit of the original while also bringing a lot of new stuff to the table. This is a rare instance of remaking outdoing the original
Unbreakable (2000)
An Important Film For The Superhero Genre
Why am I reviewing a 19 year old film? Because it's one of my all time favorites and because I believe it stands out as something special among all the comic book and superhero films out there
Unbreakable is a meta take (as in self aware) on comic book genre that was way ahead of it's time. I saw it for the first time maybe 6 years ago. Over the years as my knowledge of film and storytelling expanded, Unbreakable became special to me because it's a superhero story told in one of the most unique ways I've ever seen. We don't have big CGI monsters battling it out with a big beam in the sky in the background.
It's a slow burn drama of a super hero on a journey of self discovery. M. Night presents a question and then takes his characters on a journey where they figure out the answers to those questions. The question here is that is David Dunn, the protagonist who is the only survivor of a train wreck, a real life superhero?
And as Elijah, a crippled supporting character who has a rare condition that causes his bones to break easily and who has spent most of his life in hospital doing nothing but reading comics, presents these questions to David, we the audience also go on a journey with David as M. Night continually builds on the major question that is being asked here. Whether David has ever been injured, if David has a weakness like superheroes do and so on. The whole film is a back and forth between the beliefs of David and Elijah as they have totally opposite beliefs about this possibility.
Unbreakable is not only a drama but it's a puzzle that's why you can also classify it as a mystery thriller because whether David is a superhero or not is a mystery and figuring out the truth and lengths characters go to to figure it out is the real thrill of the film here.
Another thing that makes Unbreakable so special is it's grounded nature. Rarely do you see a superhero film that is so close to reality and that adds a lot of weight to the story because there's this sense of awe and wonder from both the audience and the characters when M Night begins to play the possibility of David being a real life superhero.
The cinematography in this is some of the best I've ever seen in a superhero film. It pays homage to wide frames and panels of comic books as most scenes take place in a single take and that is just remarkable because they're all done seamlessly. There are also only a handful amount of cuts as in most scenes, instead of cutting to another shot, M Night pans back or across the frame to reveal certain things. The cinematography plays a huge part in telling this story because even though M. Night uses a lot of vivid colors and foreshadowing, he follows the rule of show don't tell as much as possible which is exactly what film making is about - show don't tell.
The score in this film? My god, one of the most moving scores I've ever heard. I can't praise James Newton Howard enough for making this masterpiece. It evokes a sense of grandness that is needed to accompany the seriousness of the story because the questions the film is asking is indeed very serious - are there real life superheroes among us?
Even though this film is old, I feel like I'd be doing it a disservice by spoiling it for anyone who hasn't seen it but there are certain things I'd like to say without spoiling the third act.
Ultimately, Unbreakable is about purpose, discovering our purpose and at times, how far we're willing to go to prove that purpose is indeed real and not fabricated to make ourselves feel important. So in a way it's about desperation too. It's also about emotional damage and how sometimes certain events in our life can shape us into something and lead us to believe something that may not be true. Those who have seen the film and have spent time thinking about it will understand exactly what I'm saying here. The emotional punch of the last 10 minutes of this film is so immense that it makes me tear up sometimes because of the subtext behind THAT ending.
My final rating is 8.0/10. It is one of the most important superhero films ever made and if you haven't seen it yet, do yourself a favor and see it!
Aquaman (2018)
Flawed But Entertaining
Film Review: Aquaman (NO SPOILERS)
Indiana Jones style adventure mixed with Black Panther style of tussle between two contenders for the throne. I was expecting the story to take a different route but it didn't. Also, it's fast paced and that can be a bit jarring because at times the way it abruptly cuts to a scene that explores another subplot.
It feel like it's just another superhero film with just another okay pair of villains. But it's an entertaining one.
Why was I entertained and engaged regardless of cliches? I cared about the characters of Aquaman and Mera. I was rooting for them and was invested in their adventures. They learned from each other and what they went through. This is how a character arc works and while it is a pretty simple form of character arc, it works.
There are some really awe inspiring visuals in underwater scenes especially near the third act. The use of bright and vivid colors in some of those underwater moments is so good that the same cheesy Aquaman moments in some of the old comics pre-New 52 that you would've thought will never work in live action somehow look great. Action scenes are fantastic as well.
While it is beautiful at times, at other times, it looks very very cheesy and artificial. This is one of the negatives that I'm going to discuss in detail. Maybe it's a personal preference but at times the comic book-esque costumes don't mesh well with the world they're inhabiting. This is one of the reasons I don't like visual aesthetic of some of the MCU films. Their worlds look too plain and the costumes end up looking silly.
And talking about silly, I have to say that Aquaman should've taken itself a bit more seriously than it did. Jason Momoa is constantly trying to make you laugh, villains are making cheesy entries in slow motion like Bollywood films. It feels DCEU is giving in to MCU's approach in order to please the critics.. I'm not saying MCU films are bad but DC needs it's own signature style. But Aquaman does not feel like it belongs in the same universe as MoS, BvS or WW.
I preferred Zack Snyder's dark and gritty style. Snyder knew how to balance realism with comic book visuals. Zack Snyder also brought that sense of "gods among humans" to these heroes. In his films, you felt the weight of their powers. How the world reacted to them also added to that but in Aquaman it seems like they have kind of nerfed these powers and brought him down to earth in order to make him more human. Yes Aquaman does a better job at making you care for it's hero than Man of Steel did but it doesn't quite treat it's hero like the godlike being he's supposed to be. I preferred the latter approach (with good writing of course)
Back to the pros. Surprisingly, Amber Heard is pretty good in this, I was skeptical about her but she was very charismatic and charming in the role. Jason Momoa did a decent job of carrying the film as well considering he has never really led such a big blockbuster all by himself. Nicole Kidman put on probably one of the best performances in the film. Patrick Wilson was just okay.
My verdict is that Aquaman is a flawed but decent ride for film goers. I will not say that it's a step in the right direction for DC because I want them to at least tone down the humor just a little bit especially with characters that are not entirely comedy based.
Even with the flaws, it pleased me with heroes that I could root for, certain moments of sheer badassery and nicely tied up character arcs. I hope they improve upon the flaws in the sequel.
I give it a 6.8/10
Halloween (2018)
An Interesting Revival Of The Franchise Despite The Issues
I'm not a huge fan of the original. I mean it's okay, I guess. I like Michael Myers though. I haven't seen the previous sequels that followed the original.
The set up is that Michael Myers has been in captivity for 40 years since the 1978 murders and Laurie Strode now is a paranoid old woman who has been preparing to fight Michael in case he escapes.. and he does and we have a Halloween movie.
The story is pretty formulaic. It acts very much like a typical slasher film. But it's made with more class than some recent slasher films. It has good production value, everything looks and feels great. I mean atmosphere-wise.
There's only little exploration. The film tries to raise questions that we been asking about Michael Myers but it seems very pretentious. Characters are very paper thin and some are even annoying except for Laurie and Michael who are good as always.
Some people may call this sequel unnecessary. The film does not add much to the story of the original although provides a better sequel than the sequels and reboots that followed the original Halloween. I think it is warranted considering that all the previous sequels were badly received and this one is receiving praise.
The acting is also just meh. Jamie Lee Curtis is good I guess but everyone else was just meh.
I think what makes this film kind of work is that it turns the tropes of the Halloween franchise on their heads, it is self aware. It is the SCREAM 4 of the Halloween Franchise.
There are certain plot holes or illogical things but it betrays the logic within the limits of the franchise. It doesn't break any rule that the previous Halloween films haven't.
The score by Carpenter and his sons' is fantastic though.My god, that intro <3 . Nostalgia hit me like a sack of bricks even though I only saw Halloween 1978 not too many years ago.
Despite the movie being just "okayish" , The portrayal of Michael Myers in this film is pretty damn good. He seems super pissed. The kills are very, very brutal, unforgiving and satisfying.
I kind of enjoyed this more than the original because it moves at a faster pace. I was also caught off guard by the ending. I really liked the ending.
Final Rating: 6.8/10. Laurie and Michael are the saving grace. It perfectly replicated the atmosphere of the original so nostalgia will work to it's advantage but this film should have been more original and better. Regardless, I still enjoyed it. If you are a fan of original Halloween, chances are you will probably like it. Even if you are a new fan, this is an okay fun slasher film.
The Haunting of Hill House (2018)
This Show Won My Heart
There was so much buzz for this show by both critics and fans and since it's directed by Mike Flanagan who has had an impressive horror streak, I was super curious.
It's basically about a bunch of brothers and sisters who are now living separate lives, recounting the events of their childhood life in a possibly haunted house while also trying to figure out why they are feeling haunted once again in present day.
When someone praises something so much, my expectations go up. I was not sure whether I would "love" it or not.
But I'm glad I checked it out because THIS SHOW WON MY HEART
What makes this show is it's characters. Especially the brothers and sisters. They all have depth and weight in the story. Nobody is a throw away. This is credit to good writing as well as some pretty solid performances by pretty much an unknown cast except a few recognizable faces including the child actors who had great chemistry with each other.
Carla Gugino, though, is insanely good in this like WOW (she was great in Gerald's Game too)
The story and the characters are just magical. The theme and the score is beautiful. This show has that, I can't put my finger on it, but it has that CHARM, you know?
I haven't read the book upon which this show is based but this is a really good modern re imagining since the book is old.
The overall direction is solid. Each episode is helmed masterfully (those scene transitions were lit) and there are certain scenes and even whole episodes that are shot using some really good techniques that make it look like everything's happening in a single take even though it probably isn't.
Clearly Mike Flanagan understands horror. He knows how to build tension through creepy imagery that lingers. Also, there's this sense of dread and awfulness like Hereditary. There's a sense of something being very wrong and off about the place characters are inhabiting especially the Hill House.
The show switches perspectives as it progresses which is a very clever technique because it maintains intrigue. You wait to experience the whole narrative through the eyes of different characters to get all the burning It is rare that a show gives you character development for so many characters and makes you care about them within 10 episodes but this one made me fall in love with them.
If you didn't like Haunting of Hill House because it didn't "scare you that much", that's okay but for me, horror films/shows aren't just about "being scary". I know the horror genre is supposed to scare you but nothing scares me to the point where I want to stop watching and that's probably true for the most of you horror fans.
Which is why the number one priority for any kind of fictional piece of whatever genre (incl. horror) is GOOD STORYTELLING. And this show delivered on that. In my opinion, it had adequate amount of creepiness to call itself a horror show even if it didn't make us cover our eyes.
I personally thought that the drama and the mystery is what makes this show so great instead of the horror. The conflict and tension between the characters, the build up to certain confrontations, the raised questions and their pay offs. All of that worked.
Although one of the minor negatives is that sometimes certain actors were overacting and weren't up to par with the rest of the actors but every actor gets their moment, trust me. Episode 6 though? THE PERFORMANCES WERE THROUGH THE ROOF! <3
Final Rating: 8.2/10. It's not a masterpiece but I still absolutely LOVED this show. It made me smile, it made me nearly tear up, it kept me on the edge of my seat. It did everything I wanted and more.
If you are a horror fan who likes horror but isn't hell bent on just being scared by jump scares or scary stuff in EVERY SINGLE SCENE, I highly recommend this show.
This is probably the best horror-related thing this year.
Venom (2018)
Not Worth Your Money
Film Review: Venom (NO SPOILERS)
I'll skip going over the premise because everyone knows what it's about
This movie was really that bad. I mean it's not a Batman and Robin kinda bad but it is just a passable unnecessary film.
I heard a lot of people were saying this film isn't as bad as critics said it is but I ended up agreeing with what the critics said.
I didn't find any redeeming quality in it. This film wastes too much time to establish what it needs to. They spend nearly an hour going over stuff that could have been over with in the opening fifteen to twenty minutes.
There's too much of Eddie Brock and too less of Venom. I found Eddie Brock to be a very one dimensional paper thin protagonist. Tom Hardy was just OKAY in terms of acting. I don't know why people are praising him so much.
Michelle Williams and Riz Ahmed are totally miscast in their roles. Not only that, their characters are very one dimensional too. All characters in this film are one dimensional except for the Venom symbiote itself which was intriguing and had a few funny lines.
There are lot of unnecessary cringe-y attempts at comedy in this film. The only time it was kinda working was when Eddie and Venom had a conversation. The comedic tone clashed with the supposed dark tone of the film. Tonally, this was a mess. What is this film trying to be? A nicolas cage style comedy? A dark and gritty monster film?. It just ended up being a generic #1000 blockbuster action film you'd usually see The Rock in minus Rock's charisma.
A generic story is no problem if you can find new ways of telling your story. Venom follows the same pattern you'd see in any origin story except it takes too long before anything interesting happens and when something remotely interesting occurs, you realize the film is about to end
The action scenes felt incoherent and hard to follow at times. And if you have seen the clips and the trailers, you have seen pretty much all the decent sequences.
By the time I got near the end, I realized at least there's at least a CGI filled finale which is always cool to see but who gives the damn when the rest of the film does a piss poor job of building up to it. And the ending was very quick and abrupt.
This was a very unnecessary quick cash grab by Sony. Venom is a cool bad ass character and his dynamic with Eddie is interesting but Eddie himself is very dull.
It sets up a sequel and I kinda want to see the sequel instead of this film. I honestly think they should have avoided doing an origin story when it's this simple. We didn't need this film. It was totally unnecessary and forgettable. They should have followed whatever they are gonna do in the sequel for part one instead of making this film.
If you were looking forward to this film, maybe you should see it instead of letting my review ruin your anticipation but this is my opinion on the film. But I don't think this film is worth your money. You deserve better. I don't know what people saw in this film that made some people say "It is really good" but if you liked it, good for you.
Suicide Squad had some redeeming quality and BvS was quite good compared to this. Most mediocre films like Kong Skull Island etc etc do. This film? there's barely any redeeming quality about it.
Final Rating: 4.4
Mandy (2018)
Nicolas Cage Going Crazy In A Good Movie? What More Could You Ask For?
This film is like a drug trip. It has strange imagery with symbolism, trippy visuals and the way it is edited really makes you feel as if you're watching a film on drugs and that actually works in this film's favor
Don't confuse this film with an action film. Some people may think it is gonna be action packed movie with a chainsaw wielding Nic Cage.
You get that though. You get some really amazing "classic nic cage" freak out and crazy moments with cool bursts of action and fights but the film requires you to be patient because it takes it's time to build towards an awesome third act. It's a slow burn.
Also, this film has a great BLACK COMEDY element to it so it did make me laugh where it was supposed to
It has some really good cinematography, great use of color especially neon blue and red color which reminded me of Only God Forgives and the Neon Demon. The film is also beautifully edited with fade transitions.
The score by Johan Johansson R.I.P is amazing. It perfectly serves the sense of surrealism and all of the badassery that follows in the third act
The review can't be complete without talking about Nic Cage. Under a right director and a good script, he is a really good actor and here he proves that. He has some scenes where he has to go crazy and act over the top but I think that's intentional but it works well because who doesn't love a crazy and pissed off Nic cage throwing tantrums? but here he also showed a lot of emotional range in emotional scenes
Other actors, Andrea Riseborough and the actors who play the villains were also quite good.
A critique of mine is that the first two acts could've been cut a little short, just a little bit so the film moved faster because at certain scenes, it was getting too slow, especially in the first act which was about making you care about Nic cage and his wife and the second act. Also I wish they did a better job of making you care but they did do a great job of making you hate the villains
Final Rating 7.0/10.
While the story is just okay and moves at a slow pace in first two acts, it stands out as a new spin on revenge-action grind house film because it sets up and pays off it's set up really really well in that balls to the walls, crazy, twisted and satisfying third act. Be patient, you will like it.
Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)
Formulaic But It Will Get Adrenaline Pumping Through You
First of all, the pros
Hats off to Tom Cruise. This guy is nearly a senior citizen and he's still performing some of the most mind blowing and difficult stunts in the Hollywood by his own self.
This is only Chris McQuarrie third DIRECTED film but he's proven himself to be capable. Especially with action sequences.
This film has several long action sequences, chases, gunfights, fist fights and they're all FREAKING AWESOME. The action scenes are coherent and they look plus feel very real. Especially THE BATHROOM FIGHT scene. The fight choreography in that scene was fantastic. It had me salivating for more hand to hand fights.
What I love the most is that there weren't any boring parts. Chris McQuarrie knows very well how to incorporate amazing action scenes with the plot so that they won't feel forced and the story will flow well without feeling like action filled fan service.
The theme is amazing as always. Had me humming it after I finished the film. Really well used in the scenes where it's supposed to play and get the adrenaline flowing through you.
The theme is amazing as always. Had me humming it after I finished the film. Really well used in the scenes where it's supposed to play and get the ADRENALINE flowing through you.
for the cons
The whole film does feel "Been there and done that"
Lack of risk taking makes it feel same old same old
This film had plenty of opportunities to explore the character of Ethan Hunt in depth but instead it trades the opportunities for the same old "Ethan Hunt is charming.
My biggest issue? EXPOSITION. It took a very SPOON FEEDING approach. It was constantly reminding plot points. Over explaining stuff too directly instead of being subtle. Characters blatantly asking other characters what certain things mean so they would get a chance to explain it to us. The audience.
The comedy didn't work in this one. Mission Impossible 4 had some great comedy with Benji And Ethan. This one? Awkward jokes and quips that don't really hit the spot. Please, don't become Joss Whedon. This film should be above cringe comedy.
Another major issue. The story itself. It goes from A to B to C to D just the way we have known. It follows the FORMULAIC approach, the pattern of its previous films without really trying anything new.
It makes up for that with amazing action sequences but over abundance of action sequences may burn some audience members out. I think LESS is MORE. MI 4 had only a handful of big stunts like the Burj Khalifa scene yet each one of them counted.
Henry Cavill is intimidating. He LOOKS great. But I feel like he suits kind, innocent, straight forward and clean cut roles more. His acting here could have been better. He didn't come off as clever, experienced side kick he was supposed to feel like.
Fall Out is an unnecessary addition to the franchise. It didn't add much to the over arching story. It was entertaining. Don't get me wrong but it didn't go into UNCHARTED TERRITORY and explore new ideas or character dynamics.
It was AWESOME and THRILLING as heck BUT it was quite CLICHED and didn't bring anything really new to the table
If you like action films and MI series, you will love it.
I liked it and it had me pumped but I'd say Ghost Protocol and even Rogue Nation were better than this one.
I'd say go watch it because there aren't a lot of decent action films out there these days and this is a pretty decent one
Once again, props to the cast and all of the stunt people too.
Final Rating 7.2/10
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
A Once In A Lifetime Experience
This film may not be an oscar contender or even that good but it was a historical event that will be remembered by generations after generations
So let's get into it
The biggest and most anticipated blockbuster film is finally here and I saw it two days ago on 28th. How well does it hold up?
First I want to give my thoughts on my initial experience. The audience was amazing, they were already familiar with the characters, which really added to the experience as the crowd popped on some pretty applaud worthy moments, which are present in an overwhelming amount in this movie. That being said, this was a roller coaster of emotions too. So many moments that made us laugh, gasp and hold our breathe. We were on the edge of our seats. I mean, this was not a film, this was a SAGA, a big EVENT that I am very proud to witness in my life time. This may be the most fun I've ever had in the theater.
Now that I've gotten my initial thoughts out of the way, let's dissect the movie and go under the surface
This film has sort of a negative which usually wouldn't work for a film that stands on it's own. It doesn't take time to set up or make you care about all the core characters which is a bit problematic for anyone who is seeing this movie and isn't familiar with previous installments. I have been following MCU since the start so thankfully I was fine. But this negative sort of turns into a positive for this movie because the film didn't need to set the characters up. Instead they were able to go one action scene to another, and they were able to go the pay offs a bit more quickly than they otherwise would in a standalone film. However important scene after another can be a bit exhausting and considering the runtime of this movie, some may feel exhausted AFTER watching it because this movie has so much you need to take in and process.
The writing is fine. There are convenient plot devices and plot point you would expect from it and how things go from A and B but don't underestimate this movie because it does have surprises and twists you may not see coming. Some of the characters they focus on have a really good arc, I'm not gonna spoil which characters. But one character I would talk about without spoiling is the antagonist Thanos. Wow, he was done right. I mean, he had a reasonable goal and you could see where he was coming from and why he was doing what he was doing. He was imposing, threatening. You could feel the threat he posed right from early on. He brought a sense of hopelessness that is usually missing from MCU. He is a good addition to the list of good MCU villains such as Killmonger, Zemo and etc.
Character interactions between some of our heroes were really good. All these years we were wondering how certain characters would interact with others and the film does not disappoint. Interactions, whichever ones happened, were so satisfying.
The film also balances humor really well. Yeah there's a little bit of forced humor but most of it is on point. Especially Drax, who is one of the funniest characters of MCU. Comedy scenes with Guardians are awesome as always.
The visuals. This movie is an eye candy lover's wet dream. WOW. Everybody and everything looks great. Especially Thanos. The CGI on him is done very well. Except one member of Black Order, all others look good. The costumes of heroes, especially Spider Man looks AMAZING. This movie will give you one nerd gasm after another because of how good it looks and FEELS.
The performances were really good. All actors got their moment to shine, especially Josh brolin. He was the biggest surprise as Thanos. He did so well. I applaud his performance. I did not expect him to be as good as he was in the role.
The scope and scale of this film is something I really appreciated. Unlike many other MCU films, the stakes felt real and the world felt lived in and real and you could sense the danger and worry about it. You could feel the consequences of actions of characters. This was a very tense film. And very dark too. I did not expect this to be THIS dark, which works really well in this film's favor. This movie BRINGS THE WAR. I mean if you were disappointed that Civil War wasn't extreme enough( i don't think so though, I love Civil War) , Infinity War was BRUTAL and HARD HITTING, you will not be disappointed.
There is a very good and intriguing set up for the future of MCU. I mean this one will leave you salivating for more and wondering what happens next. I mean, Marvel Studios has my money for next movie, I will be there to see it next year. And yes, to all those who leave before post credits, don't! THERE IS ONE IMPORTANT POST CREDIT SCENE YOU HAVE TO SEE.
It's mind blowing what MCU has done here. Especially Russo brothers with this film, this was a difficult job but they nailed it. This is a dream come true for anyone who has been reading comics since they were little and at times when superhero films weren't a thing. I am not one of them, I was a marvel fan when I was little but I didn't read any comics. But I have been following MCU since the start and I'm so grateful because they are still doing a good job of keeping us invested in this universe and showing us why we still give a damn about some of the characters. Certain scenes made me teary eyed with happiness knowing I'm part of the audience who has been following this thing for 10 YEARS! This is something i can't wait to tell my grand kids or kids of later generations :')
Congrats to Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige, and all the directors, writers, producers and people who worked in MCU and made it happen. They have done a brilliant job of creating such a cohesive, consistent and expansive universe. I salute them.
Rating 7.8/10
It came close to an 8 which is what I gave Avengers 1. I highly recommend this movie. especially if you are a fan of MCU but even if you're not, you won't be disappointed. In fact, you will be overwhelmed by how good it is.
Call Me by Your Name (2017)
Drags A Lot
For some reason, I feel the need to review this film because it's not a terrible film but I was kind of let down
This film drags so much. One of the biggest issues is it's pace, it drags and goes on and on without much pay off or anything dramatic happening
A root of this problem is from the fact that there's barely any conflict in this film
There aren't much challenges or hurdles, but since this is a self discovery film, that's a bit forgivable but the fact that there's not really any conflict at all or the problem that the film doesn't highlight that conflict until the very third act is problematic
The characters are also lacking something. Even though the film spends so much time developing the relationship between the two main characters and establishing their personalities, I never got the sense of knowing the characters or understanding what they were about
It's really messy and there's a lack of focus/direction and there are way too many distractions
There are positives too. The film doesn't rely on exposition that much and the characters do a good job of expressing their emotion without using on the noise dialogue, and that's credit to some really great performances by Timothy Chalamet and Michel Stuhlberg
The cinematography is also really good. And the soundtrack is amazing, they chose the right songs for the right scenes.
What this film really had it going for itself is that it didn't feel like a film, it felt like a real life experience.
But there are issues that made this film dull and kind of unbearable.
It's not a bad film, I can appreciate it's positives but it didn't quite click with me, it's my least favorite oscar contender.
Split (2016)
A Big Win For M. Night and His Fans!
I wanted to give my thoughts on this film because I recently re-watched it and I thought why not do an IMDB review for it?
First of all, I am a fan of M. Night's works like Sixth Sense, Signs, Unbreakable
I haven't seen some of his later films that got extremely reactions but I do know about them and I could understand where the hate for him was coming from back then when he made films like Happening and Avatar
However, his more recent work on The Visit was considerably better than his terrible films
And then came SPLIT, a film with a really interestingconcept
A man with multiple identities, not just a couple but, 20+ identities kidnaps 3 young girls and he has some plans for them, that's all I'm going to say because I can't dive further without spoilers
From the opening, the film does a decent job of getting your attention, you get hooked into seeing where it goes
The main protagonist played really well by Anya Taylor Joy is one of the young girls who get kidnapped and the way they slowly peel back layers of her character and you get to learn about her, you begin to see where she's coming from and you feel like rooting for her
This review can't be finished without talking about James McAvoy's amazing performance. He was absolutely fantastic in this film, he has shown a lot of range as an actor here, there was a lot of contrast between these personalities and McAvoy did a really good job of playing this character without being over the top. Almost all of his personalities are written and handled very well by Shyamalan and on top of that, they are complimented by McAvoy's performance
There's something about this film; it's the kind of film that needs you to be patient because as it progresses, you will find yourself questioning some things that happen and when all of it is explained, and you "GET" it, you are going to be pretty satisfied and it makes you see the film in an entirely different light
A small negative is that the film plays with the same old cliches of the kidnapping thriller genres while a positive would be that it mixes those cliches with an interesting new take on this kind of thriller story
Another thing is that the film can be slow paced at some parts, that is why I said, you would have to be patient
Some of the dialogue might feel like exposition-ery and a bit clunky, but it's kind of necessary, and the certain things that are resolved maybe could've been handled better
There are a lot of cool subtle details that you will notice if you pay attention and I noticed a lot of them on my second viewing after many months of the first time I watched it and I enjoyed it even more on my second viewing
The writing is very well detailed and quite decent though it isn't perfect or even that good
Let's talk about the twist, there isn't a big twist/turn in the traditional sense of a twist but there is something MAJOR happening here
I'm not gonna spoil it. But here's the weird thing, there's a certain factor that plays into the twist of the film and if you check that box, you will understand the implications of the twist and you will GET what it implies. But if you don't check that box, if you don't understand what it means, you might not like it and I get it, that's fine, that might be a bit unfair to you and you may even dislike the twist but I can see where you are coming from
But for those who do know what it means and what it's implying, you are going to feel rewarded and your jaw will drop with shock and awe
Split isn't a perfect film, but it puts a well executed new spin on the thriller-horror-kidnapping sub genre and it's a must see for Shyamalan fans because he is back with a bang! :)