ethansales Reviews

Precious (II) (2009)

Something truly beautiful/10

[9/10 · 7 March 2021]

Our main girl provides one of the best performances a woman in a leading role has ever provided. Watching at his character go through such a horrific experience and surviving and spreading her wings and exceeding and coping was a privilege. All held together by a central performance that doesn't need Oscar bait theatrics but instead is a masterclass in acting because she feels she isn't part of a role, she just exists. Daniel Day Lewis is still Daniel when he plays Mr. Woodcock or Mr Plainview. this felt different. Monique is also good and although she does indulge in some of the Oscar bait feeling theatrics that our main girl avoided she is great too. Deserved her Oscar.

The writing is pretty brilliant too on a macro and micro level. The good pacing is helped by the editing able to subtlety (most of the time it's subtle anyway) love the story along. Good dialogue provided also by a great supporting cast.

Decent direction, only w the occasional over stylisation, that allows the film to flow perfectly without being overwhelming showy.

Just amazing, joint best or the best film of its year for sure.

Hellraiser (1987)

Clive is an absolute G/10

[8/10 · 3 January 2021]

As a directorial debut in horror, I am willing to compare Clive Barker's brilliant way to begin a horror career to Ari Aster and Robert Eggers and Jennifer Kent. Although not perfect, for a film made in 1987 the technical control is very impressive especially when found within what can be such a tacky genre.

The performances and the scripts reliance on human interactions and not alien worlds or body horror grounds the film in realism, our 3 leads all delivering grounded and realistic enough performances. Clive cleverly created a domestic thriller centred around an affair to also be a brilliant horror film exploring sexuality, pain and pleasure.

Although the film does, like almost every horror film, spend the last 5 minutes taking a step slightly too far, the bizarre end doesn't rip any meaning out of the film it just dates the experience a bit. The fact the script hardly features any particularly overt exposition and yet it is an entirely comprehendible viewing although leaving some room for ambiguity is a marvel in a horror film.

This films quality greatly surprised me and of the classic 6 horror icons of the screen, I think with the exception of Halloween (1977) you'll be hard pressed to find a film part of the Chucky, Freddy, Jason, Pinhead, Leather-face and Ghost face of greater quality than this.

To include such body horror and unique, sadistic and sexualised designs for creatures in a horror film and for it to not feel wrong but instead be a crucial element to the themes of the film is another surprise.

A Horror classic for a reason.

Flatliners (1990)

Camp and interesting and pretentious yet good/10

[6/10 · 7 December 2020]

Joel takes his material a bit too seriously at times and this can lead to things that feel camp despite at the heart of the matter coming from a serious place.

The script of the film does create some good characters surrounding an interesting enough central theme, turning these well acted characters into drug addicts of death almost - their chemistry and relationships being the highlight of the film.

The presentation of the film is probably its biggest problem, the Vittoro style lighting doesn't feel experimental but slightly amateur although it does at an I test sing element to the film visually even if not entirely successful. This problem is most or level any in the dream sequences.

James Newton Howard provides a perfectly fine score but the instance of the music perfectly mirroring the feelings on screen lead to little excitement to be felt in the music from the film.

The Direction of Joel is definitely interesting, the various lighting techniques of wildly different styles and colours do work really well at times. The man also perfected the 'death scenes' of the film as although we see it 5 times, it never bores the audience.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

Finally people will appreciate Sacha/10

[7/10 · 17 October 2020]

A great film based off some harrowing facts and realities and sees Aaron better himself in his second courtroom drama film although this time he's directing too.

His script is perfectly sound and perfectly paced to make a 2hr 10 film feel a perfect length although every now and then keeping up with his characters can be hard in some scenes.

The cast is vast, featuring all great performers even if Eddie has a slightly meandering accent. However the two stars and stand out performers of the film aren't Eddie, who one could probably perceive as the main character although the argument could be made for our friend Mr Cohen that he is in fact the lead performer since he gets to narrate the film as it goes along and as such gets great amounts of screen time, in fact the films best performers by far are Mark Rylance and Ali G himself. Sucha Baron Cohen performs brilliantly amongst the presence of actors who are more used to a typical dramatic film experience being both funny, devoted and loud whilst we the audience have to suffer like Mark Rylance's character in becoming more and more and more frustrated with the State - the state in this film being expressed the the also great performance of Frank Mangello. Yabdul Manteen II and Jospeh Gordon Levitt also give good performances, being memorable despite having less screen time, especially Manteen.

The Mis en Scene, score and camera work aren't outstanding in the film however they do not need to be, ensuring that only the flow of Sorkin's script and the performers get to take centre stage within the good uses of editing which aid the story along in increasing pace with a constant use of overlapping scene dialogue.

Match Point (2005)

Remove the lead actor/10

[7/10 · 14 October 2020]

A great Woody Allen film.

Features a great script and a great ensemble cast to go with it as well, so many great british actors.

It might show that woody's best films don't cast himself as the lead. However this film's lead is pretty poor and brings the film down.

Great uses of music too when dramatic stuffs is happening as well.

Queen & Slim (2019)

Black bonnie and Clyde/10

[7/10 · 10 October 2020]

Looks beautiful

Great and different score

Daniel and Jodie are both great but Dan is absolutely amazing despite the efforts of Jodie to show how well she can act too

Some annoying chord as there were too many endings and the constant usage of dialogue being said from an unknown time in the film whilst all the characters mouths were closed although I celebrate the fighting if the norm

North by Northwest (1959)

The script is okay

[4/10 · 8 October 2020]

A bizarre and obsessive use front and rear projection, in massive number of scenes in the film when it doesn't need to be used and as such is brilliantly distracting.

There is also some very clunky editing especially in relation to any scene involving action.

Hitchcock did work well however every now and again for some more interesting camera angles and movements.

The actual practicality of the first act is also nonsense, a not a very well crafted way to make a man be on the run.

Grants acting whilst picking up the knife is a absolutely hilariously awful. The deaths also features zero blood somehow.

James Mason should be on screen way more.

Lots of the scenes feel not needed and drawn out. The comedy doesn't hold up but I don't judge the film for that.

Decent direction but there's a lot of the film to get through it feels. The script is okay but way way too long and drawn out despite featuring the occasional fun one liner inside the premises.

Great score and opening credits however.

Ending better than the rest of the film.

Freddy vs. Jason (2003)

Horrific in the wrong way/10

[2/10 · 1 October 2020]

The whole film is just below average however one scene in which our black female 'lead' taunts Freddy is beyond terrible and is my least favourite scene in possibly film history.

The music used is average although the rock used for Jason felt wrong. The cinematography was bland and the script was very poor leaving just the average direction to do far from salvage the flick even if there were some nice shots along the way.

My least favourite of the Freddy series.

Never again please :)

Muriel's Wedding (1994)

A harrowing great film/10

[7/10 · 26 September 2020]

A great film full of both fun and absolutely harrowing scenes. Including the suicide of a mother figure who has such a terrible time she ends it, these said scenes are actually the most harrowing scenes I've ever seen in a film.

Rachel Griffith and Toni Colette are both great in the film. All the performances are great, working off the very good script as best they can.

A great film.

Halloween (I) (2018)

Surprisingly good/10

[7/10 · 26 September 2020]

A surprisingly good film, able to use some of the scenes of the original but with a new circumstance. Even in the case of some characters such as the 'new Loomis' actually being in love with Micheal.

The new Carpenter Soundtrack is actually as good as the first one, and for sure is more varied as a minimum.

The film also adds a better presentation generally although an inclusion of more long shots would be nice.

The addition of so many characters would be my main issue with the film, especially since how good Jamie is in the film and how the best parts of the film are her relationships with her family.

I also commend David for shooting so much during the day.

Angel Heart (1987)

Dark thriller then suddenly/10

[6/10 · 25 September 2020]

Slightly sexist since all the women of the film want to sleep with our Micky

The writing for the most part is good although gets rather silly towards the end in my opinion. Solid direction also holds the film together.

Jazz score is good however the real star of the film is the great editing and Micky. Dinero is pretty wasted and rather weird however.

Enola Holmes (2020)

So meh/10

[4/10 · 24 September 2020]

So much CGI, pointless

Cast is wasted but good to see them all there like Burn, Helena, Henry and Fiona

Milly is very good and holds the film togther while the script is full of cliches - although it's mean to hope for a masterpiece

Child's Play 2 (1990)

7/10

[6/10 · 22 September 2020]

A surprisingly great film

The performances for the most part stay apart from the typical shíte that we see In horror flicks which is nice

The three main characters are all good and fun to watch interact

Isn't truly scary but is surely entertaining and creepy at times

Shame that parts of the final act, as with most typical horror films, goes a tad silly but oh well

Good camera work, as great as NoES' 4th entry

Competent script

Backdraft (1991)

8/10

[8/10 · 16 September 2020]

Ron Howard's masterpiece

He gets to utilise a great ensemble in which all these great actors get lots to do although the presence of Dinero and Russell do dominate their scenes with other cast members.

The film is also a technical marvel as without seemingly any CG the picture captures an intense feeling of a burning building.

The widescreen aspect ratio also complements the fact the film is Rons Epic. The scale of the film impressed me as it feels like a war film snuck inside the life of a fireman.

The script and directing are both above average, the writing able to manage a sprawling narrative with many distinctive characters and the directing adds to it including a refreshing amount of longer takes than your typical film provides.

The flick also features a younger Hans Zimmer showing how good he can be even when a director is under using him. You can hear the dark knight and the lion king in the work, sounds he will later refine. As the score transitions into melodrama one isn't distracted as the character work previously built up supports any slight silliness.

The only problem would be the bizarre and dated song choices in the film that distract you from what's going.

Harry Brown (2009)

9/10

[9/10 · 16 September 2020]

Just amazing

Beautiful score

Would be a 10 but some a sub plot is sub par and detracts from how good Micheal is and there is also a usage of cgi blood instead of practical blood

A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child (1989)

4/10

[4/10 · 16 September 2020]

Good ideas as normal but awful execution and acting

Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)

3/10

[3/10 · 16 September 2020]

Promising ideas but bad acting as normal

You get to see some of the benefits of a female director

Breaks the universes rules again

A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child (1989)

4/10

[4/10 · 16 September 2020]

Good way of approaching teenage pregnancy.

Too bonkers

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)

6/10

[6/10 · 16 September 2020]

Nearly as good as the first.

Best performances of the series with Patricia and Lawrence doing very well.

Very inventive and fun.

Room (I) (2015)

6/10

[6/10 · 16 September 2020]

Your typical drama.

Good performance from Brie Larson and our child actor which both deserve just Oscar nominations.

Decent script and it uses good ideas from Platos cave theory.

Some good uses of typical music.

Some great emotional moments.

By the numbers Drama but now I respect Brie Larson now.

A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)

Funny/10

[4/10 · 11 September 2020]

Best camera work of the whole series

Worst character work of the series

Shouldn't have recast Mrs Arquette

Freddy is alright

They always change these rules

I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020)

Highs and lows/10

[6/10 · 9 September 2020]

Jessie Buckley is one of my new favourite actresses ever, giving a truly truly brilliant performance no matter how weird or sad or confusing or happy the film is.

The rest of the cast do good too in a bizarre script that does confuse but also breaks away from very vey long talks scenes into moments of random beautifulness and ideas.

I can't believe also how beautiful the cinematography was, staying locked down yet still being so distinct that the 'Ida' and 'White Ribbon' style feel refreshing and different and lovely.

Might have been a better experience with a different director but the film makes me feel a mixture of feelings so I also feel bad giving it a grade of out 10.

Who knows

A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985)

4/10

[4/10 · 9 September 2020]

Well that was a waste of a great potential to see a horror film built around the body horror of Freddy being able to literally crawl inside the skin of one half of a loving couple.

Shame the acting was worse than originals and the creativity is lost along with the more sound writing and directing.

Ghost World (2001)

5/10

[5/10 · 9 September 2020]

We follow the lives of 3 great characters set in well crafted qwerky film world it's just a shame their relationships aren't properly fleshed out enough.

The film also features a good score randomly.

Steve doesn't give his best performance but is still good

Man on Fire (2004)

6/10

[6/10 · 30 August 2020]

Why does it need all those annoying little stylish parts, speeding up and slowly down footage for no reason except to confuse things. It detracts from a decent performance by Denzel.

High point of the film is the perfect relationship between the great child acting of Dakota Fanning and our main character. The fact we care so much about this relationship means when we watch him cut fingers off those in his way, Denzel feels justified.

A good story just featuring pointless style at points, although rare this style does occasionally help in the storytelling although mainly distracts from it.