stefan_busse Reviews

American Fiction (2023)

Best black satire. It's American and sadly no fiction.

[9/10 · 7 January 2024]

What a great, entertaining effort to describe how the African American elite wishes to overcome 300 years of division, discrimination and racial prejudice by showing an intellectual black man who wants nothing more than to overcome the dark history of America by eliminating political correctness and racial stigmatism. The product placement of UDG's best selling scotch is genius and so is the acting, casting and writing. Incredibly funny and full of witty social observation. The ending might disappoint some, but it is the best reference the film could deliver regarding recent events in the US and the subject of police brutality against innocent African Americans. American Fiction is a brilliant piece of art to take a comedic look at American reality. Bravo!

The Menu (2022)

Good social satire. Had potential to be great.

[7/10 · 7 December 2022]

We are finally seeing some noteworthy attempts at grasping what has happened over the last 40-or-so years. Social divide and inequality can best be portrayed by showing how the lives of servants are impacted by the behavior of the elites. First there was 'Triangle Of Sadness' and now we have 'The Menu'.

The Menu pokes fun at the recent excesses in food culture which serves as a metaphor for a growing divide between the elites and those who try to climb the social ladder by serving them.

The movie ultimately will fail to convince audiences as the last act falls short. Also, it is set in the present and thus will be unsettling to the mind of the viewer.

Great acting performances by Ralph Fiennes. Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult.

Set designs and are gorgeous and the first two acts are well written and very entertaining.

Worth the price of admission!

Ticket to Paradise (2022)

Deeper than you think.

[8/10 · 21 October 2022]

A romantic comedy retro style full.of clichees and stars who made sure to be photographed the right way with perfect styling. The jokes are cute but not lol and the story is predictable. What makes the watching experience memorable is the question it asks.: What is the meaning of life. It does ask the question in a very entertaining and sweet way. As a result you will leave the theater happy and with a desire to find your little measure of peace and happiness in life. Our heros in 'Ticket To Paradise' all seem capable of finding it. I guess it helps if you experience these existential issue in Bali. This movie will not win any awards, but it will are you feel good and encourages you to think about your approach to life. Not a bad thing to do, is it?

The Woman King (2022)

Great adventure movie. Not accurate historically though

[9/10 · 26 September 2022]

Love the story telling and epic adventure unfolding. This movie has everything you want from a big screen drama. Yet it is highly controversial due to the inaccurate depiction of Dahomey and its female Agoji warriors. It glosses over their brutal and profitable involvement in the African slave trade. It makes up for that with a pleasing and immensely entertaining story. Great acting and set pieces. A thrill ride in any respect for 2 h 15 m. Yet one wonders if creative licence for the purpose of entertainment should be granted. It's like the make a movie in 2100 about a noble SS officer who perfects the art of war in the eastern front in 1942.

The Lincoln Lawyer (2022– )

Awesome entertainment

[9/10 · 23 September 2022]

This show has potential to entertain us for years to come. Likeable main characters, great writing and well-paced story telling. Mickey Haller and his crew have a suave elegance about them, when they roam the streets of LA in search of justice for their wide range of interesting clients. The cinematography is gorgeous and the soundtrack adds a cool swagger to the story telling. It's a love letter to California and LA in its best reincarnation. Since we all know this to be a fairy tale, it makes for great escapism for the viewer. And who doesn't need to leave reality every now and then to feel better about the world?

Looking forward to season 2!

Keep Breathing (2022)

Snoozefest - Netflix Quality Control?

[4/10 · 3 August 2022]

Very average show. Yet what makes matters worse, is the fact that we are not given any likeable characters. When you don't care for anyone, how is a survival show supposed to engage the viewer. Netflix should vet these sort of projects a little more carefully. It damages the brand to be associated with products like 'Keep Breathing'.

No Time to Die (2021)

Great finale!

[9/10 · 15 October 2021]

What started with 'Casino Royale" brilliantly now ends with "No Time To Die" in very satisfying fashion. Tense, gripping drama and mind boggling action move the story forward to a climatic and rather emotional conclusion of Daniel Craig's tenure as 007. Fabulous movie. Go and watch it on a big screen. Felt a lot shorter than 2 3/4 hours.

Ranking:

Casino Royale No Time To Die Skyfall Spectre Quantum Of. Solace.

The Midnight Sky (2020)

Visually appealing. Falling short on drama, tension, surprise...lame plot.

[4/10 · 25 February 2021]

Rather than snoozing, while having to endure this rather dull sci fi drama, I'd recommend having it on the in the background with an epic soundscape of jazz playing on your stereo. It will provide some eye candy for your party, event while not boring your guests with a lame story. $ 100 m budget....one could shoot about 50 good indie movies with that money...just a thought.

Mata Hari (2016–2017)

With the right people this could have been fun

[5/10 · 31 December 2020]

Dull, dragged out and unconvincing. These are the ingredients of Mata Hari. I think her life deserved a more uptempo passionate treatment. Maybe a two hour movie with better actors and writers had served her legacy better.

The Outpost (2019)

Excellent war movie

[8/10 · 29 December 2020]

The Outpost strikes the right balance between emotion, reality and true grit of war. It is relatable and makes you understand why war should always be the last resort to solving conflict. Well done.

Tesla (I) (2020)

Tesla deserves better

[4/10 · 22 December 2020]

The movie is boring and confusing. It fails to convey the brilliance of Tesla. He deserves better as one of the greatest minds who ever lived. Sad to see money and acting talent wasted on this piece of mediocre entertainment.

7500 (2019)

Claustrophobic, tense hijacking drama. Awesome!

[9/10 · 20 October 2020]

An old theme reduced to the intimate space of an A319 cockpit. It felt like being there. You will be kept on the edge of your seat for 90 minutes. Solid hijacking thriller. Excellent entertainment.

Borgen (2010–2022)

Better than 'House of Cards'

[10/10 · 3 October 2020]

The human side of politics and price of power. So well written, directed and acted. Yes, the subplots are not genius, but the show is outstanding as it shows how well-meaning, responsible people can be corrupted and consumed by power. Unbelievably well made!

Warrior (2011)

The essence of men and mankind

[10/10 · 3 September 2020]

An unassuming little film with a cast of has beens and wanna bees. Thanks to superior writing, understanding of the human spirit and unbelievably good acting, this will go down the history books as one of the greatest sports dramas of all time.

I felt so thoroughly entertained. Thank you guys!

Human Capital (2019)

Well made nothingness

[2/10 · 22 July 2020]

Who approved the script? Who approved the budget? This is a movie which should have never been made. No direction, no engaging drama and heck no thrills. Well, I hope the crew and cast had at least some fun on set, while making meaningless art.

The Last Dance (2020)

For the love of sports in these challenging times

[10/10 · 21 April 2020]

When you watch this amazing and maybe best-ever sports documentary, you will understand that nothing will ever beat the excitement of competitive sports at the highest level. Yet, MJ and all other athletes thrive when they play in front of an audience. This series will help us to bridge the gap to the fall of 2021....amazing stuff and yet our reality makes us feel deeply sentimental while watching these greats from the 1990s.

Like a Boss (2020)

Save your money

[1/10 · 11 January 2020]

Just ended watching this lovely movie by accident.I love the cast and title. Everything is should be shelved and remembered for a waste of resources, talent ant time. Go and watch something worth your time like ...PARASITE. Seriously, where is quality control when you need it to protect a well-meaning audience?

The Hustle (I) (2019)

Lame remake

[2/10 · 10 May 2019]

The original 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' is one of the funniest movies of the 1980s. I was keen and ready to be entertained, when I entered the cinema. I felt robbed of my precious time after leaving the theater. The lead actresses have no comedic timing and lack the necessary range of facial expressions to appear comical.

Only failure at the box office can assure such products will be omitted from theaters in the future.

Can anyone write a funny comedy for the 2020s please!

.

Apollo 11 (I) (2019)

An epic journey

[28 March 2019]

Nothing can come close to capturing the thrill and joy of mankind's greatest achievement than watching this extremely well-put together documentary. Relive the 11 magical days of the Apollo 11 mission and be in awe about a real-life adventure with real super heroes and very happy ending. It does not get any better than this on the big screen.

Vice (I) (2018)

Dick deserved better comedy

[5/10 · 10 January 2019]

Tough to make a successful movie about a successful beauraucrat who is bland, boring and... dangerous to peace. Kudos for trying but the only way to pull the rabbit out of the hat, is to script and play it as a grotesque comedy. The only character that met this high bar was Steven Carell's version of quirky dangerous Donald Rumsfeld.

Mr. Cheney will be remembered as a virus to democracy and as someone who accelerated the demise of America. The movie does not show that.... missed opportunity.

The Man in the High Castle (2015–2019)

Visually appealing alternate history sci fi which lacks grit and a captivating or likable hero

[5/10 · 12 November 2015]

As much as I wanted to get into the show, it clearly lacks a likable hero and a story-telling format that can draw you into this scary world as described in the novel.

The first two episodes have excellent art direction and the feel is expensive. However I do not see any main character who is particularly captivating. Smith should have been cast differently as only a Brit with German background could do this character justice.

In any case, Amazon invested a serious amount in this show. If they want to salvage their investment, the writers better create a character like Frank Underwood or Walter White and implant such figure into the scary world of America under Nazi and Imperial Japanese rule.

Pixels (2015)

Rather lame

[4/10 · 26 July 2015]

Not many decent reviews on this one. It is a lazy money grab by all major parties involved. I watch movies for a living and work on many commercially viable productions. This one had promise but fails to entertain due to flawed casting and writing. I would be saddened to see this lame excuse of a feature make break even. Save your dollars and stay clear of Pixels. Most of us saw the trailers and were intrigued by using 21st century cgi to bring back to life our old arcade favorites from the 80s. Yet, it takes more to entertain. You need a plausible story and good casting choices. Besides, you need decent chemistry among lead actors. Everything about this film felt disconnected and awkward. I wanted to like Sam Brenner and his side kicks, but could not help myself but feel indifferent. Could someone please write a decent script for the next Adam Sander comedy? This man is talented and deserves better, if he still has the hunger to be out there and pursue his craft. Good night and good luck from Vancouver.

Captain Phillips (2013)

Edge-of-your-seat reality thriller

[8/10 · 5 October 2013]

Remember the news about Somali pirates? This thrill ride of a movie Introduces us to the main players of 21st century piracy. While we learn a little more about the similar job motivation of pirates and merchant ship seamen during the 133 minutes of this excellent film, the main focus is the intense drama during the hostage taking and stand off with US navy. I was on the edge of my seat from the first attack on the US merchant ship to the end credits. The film flew by me thanks to the intensity and documentary-style story telling. Still, I felt the fate of Somali people and their economic misfortune deserved a few more minutes of screen time to shed some light on the pirates desperate situation.

Watch it if you can handle a film where there is no opportunity to feel good or at ease, not even to mention laugh, until the very end. The happy ending for one individual saves it and makes you leave the theater OK. Will not be a blockbuster, but it is worth watching it!