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Reviews
Kaibutsu (2023)
Japanese poetry
This film merges as a poetic masterpiece in the realm of cinema, particularly in its portrayal of childhood. This film artfully navigates the complex tapestry of a child's emotional landscape, capturing both the innocence and the trials of youth with a grace that transcends typical cinematic narratives. Through its subtle storytelling and nuanced visual language, "Monster" offers a profound reflection on the formative years, making it one of the most elegantly crafted films about children ever created.
The film exemplifies the exceptional ability of Japanese directors to delve into the joys and anguishes of a child's psyche with expert precision. The performances in "Monster" are remarkably understated, steering clear of the overt theatrical mannerisms often prevalent in Japanese cinema. This restraint allows the authenticity of the characters' emotions to resonate deeply with a diverse audience, marking a significant departure from traditional portrayals that might not universally translate across cultural boundaries. "Monster" not only captivates but also provides a resonant, cross-cultural insight into childhood, making it a significant work in both Japanese and global cinema.
Heart of Stone (2023)
OMG, it's every spy movie in one. But done terribly.
Once you've seen the first 15 minutes, which are supposed to be the things that will fire you up for things to come, you know what awaits: cliche after cliche. You know exactly where we're going in every turn. It's like she's back at the Wonder Woman post, so magical and unbelievable are her situations / ability to save the world.
Plus the technology is out of this world. In a bad way. CGI is acceptable, but nothing they are using in terms of tech remotely exists. And there's always a "chance of success now for the whole mission sits at X%". Not even all the AI in the world could calculate that. I thought it was going to be a comedy, but it's serious.
Black Adam (2022)
By far the worst superhero movie
I came to see the movie with average hopes. I can't believe my eyes when every single seen in every single dialogue turned out to be a pile of lukewarm cliches. I felt almost embarrassed. Tu é special effects are ok. But everything else is ridiculous. Almost left the theatre. And I haven't left the theatre since Evita 20 years ago. I can take a lot of terrible superhero movies but tu is was beyond your ever age bad writing. It's too bad because the character is interesting. Hope they fix the is on the second film. If you come with zero expectation, and you're blind and deaf, I think it may be enjoyable.
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
The usual tropes. Plus amazing action scenes.
If you're longing for another shot at the same story, go ahead. The same tropes, the same cliches, the same music even. Expected. But the action scenes were extraordinary.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
What about the cringe "musical notes" thing?
The movie leans a little too heavily of the pyrotechnics and special effects and the usual sentimental babble that we've grown accustomed to when MARVEL movies want to sound deeper than they can possibly be. All good. THEN that scene where Dr. Strange is fighting with musical notes, a pentagram and chords being played in the background. That was so corny... I had to protest. Couldn't this be a little more elegant?
The Gilded Age (2022)
Very enjoyable. Just stop comparing to Downton Abbey.
This is a very enjoyable, soap-opera-like drama about the anachronistic ways of different social classes (new money X old money X their service entourage, etc) in NY at the end of the 19th century. It's much more "Hollywood" than Downton Abbey, meaning the writing and acting is less refined, but also the pace is fasted and it can be quite fun. I would just take it as the fun story is it, because there are enough twists and turns to keep you immersed until the last chapter. I can't wait for Season 2!
Euphoria (2019)
The story everyone is too shocked to hear
Don't believe the bad reviews. The show is excellent, with unique cinematography. The complaints around it seem to be twofold: (1) there's no plot and (2) gratuitous profanity and sex.
Let's get to those.
(1) there are plots galore. Every character is developed fully to the point of blurring the lines between good and evil, which humanizes them. And people don't like when they can't immediately spot and hate the "bad guy"
(2) there's tons of sex and vulgar language. JUST LIKE IT HAPPENS IN REAL LIFE. Prudes and religious zealots don't want to see it happening before their eyes but it does happen. And quite like that. So there you go - a dose of the real world.
Great series. Go watch it!
Arcane: League of Legends (2021)
Breathtaking
I am not a big anime / animation fan. Just Ghibli would do for me. Neither do I care about video games. But then I got to this. It actually makes Game of Thrones look amateurish. Brilliantly written. The visuals are out of this world.
El buen patrón (2021)
Javier Bardem is a genius.
The perfect mix of an incredible script, breathtaking skilled and relatable actors and roles and the flair for the best of Spanish dark-humour. Couldn't stop watching. It's such a breath of fresh air to watch something that doesn't feel contrived in any way. Smart as a whip. Hope this movie wins everything there is to win in 2022.
Doraibu mai kâ (2021)
Unless you LOVE Japanese culture, you'll be really bored
Very slow-moving film. 3h-long. Not a lot happens. There's a cathartic moment at the end but it wasn't worth the build up. If you understand Japanese culture you'll kind of understand the characters - otherwise you'll feel like the actors are acting way too stiffly, fake, theatrical, unbelievable.
Red Notice (2021)
Aside from Reynold's usual semi-witty remarks, it's terrible
Almost feels like it would save itself if it didn't take itself so seriously. But it does. And it's hard to watch. The only saving grace in this is Ryan Reynolds clever dialogues which he kept all to himself.
Eternals (2021)
Finally action meets story and character development
Marvel for adults. To start off: INCREDIBLE CGI. Stylish, beautiful. The script is not heavy handed like all Marvel movies, laden with clichés and superhero tropes. This is a movie that merges sensibility with loads of mind-boggling action. Don't believe the critics - go see it.
Calls (2021)
Well... it's an audio show / podcast
The visuals add nothing to the experience. The first few episodes are quite exciting. As it develops and try to tie the lose ends and explain the whole shebang, it gets cornier and more convoluted, with worse and less believable acting. It's a pity. Started well. But should be a podcast, regardless.
Black Widow (2021)
The least super of heroes get a thoroughly fun backstory
Loved it much more than I expected. It's hard to hold attention with characters that aren't really "super", but this film did it quite well on smart dialogue and wits alone. Bravo.
Sausage Party (2016)
Finally: humor that's not wrapped in Hollywood puritanism
I'm impressed by the negative reviews.
Yes, it's got more curse words than you can shake a stick at but it's bloody HILARIOUS! Incredibly well-written, past-paced, ultra-smart and quite novel. It questions the existence of God, talks about sex and more - all of the tabus that American society doesn't want to listen to. I can only assume that the bad reviews where from religious zealots or sex prudes. If you're none of those, go watch it - it's incredible.
False Positive (2021)
Not bad at all. Pretty interesting until the end.
If you're sensitive to pregnancy issues, it's not for you. If you're not, it's actually very interesting. The suspense builds up until the final act, where things fall apart. Not for the reasons people are mentioning (gore, none sense...) - those are great! But rather because it could have Ben so much more! Still quite enjoyable.
The Rental (2020)
Pretty true to a scary real-life threat
Reading the reviews here because people want depth, motives, closure... I thought the wonderful thing here was that this was far from the usual Hollywood script. Characters that are selfish and boring, like like a lot of people. Horrible things happening to them and it's just an unsolved mystery. Like many others around the world. Have we become so fixated on the formulas that we no longer accept a depiction of life without them?
Promising Young Woman (2020)
Average. Important issues with a strange mix of comedy and pretense seriousness
Threw me off a bit. Wanted to like it but I thought it was poor. Strange casting decisions.
Call Me by Your Name (2017)
Touched me more than words can say
The kind of love that you probably only live once, if you're truly lucky. And watching someone live in in front of you it feel it fully is the highest achievement of all times. Incredible performances. Natural script. Poetic. The best movie of the decade.
Ava (2020)
The first 5 minutes are enough to give up. Give it a try.
You'll think "surely it'll get better than this" - but then it doesn't. But indeed the first 5 minutes do tell it all. Unbelievable characters, overacting villains, ridiculous fight scenes, some sappy semi-love scenes in betweed to add depth (they don't) and you'll wish you'd give up in the first 5 minutes. Try!
Archive (2020)
Other than the twisty ending, the film is eye-rolling bad.
Bad acting, dubious special effects, plot holes and a sense of a B ex-machina abound. Mildly entertaining, except for the last minute, which I bet no one saw coming.
Minha Vida em Marte (2018)
It's quite funny... If you get Brazilian culture and speak Portuguese.
I'm a bit of a movie snob and came across this film on a plane ride and decided to give it 2 minutes and ended up watching the whole thing. Is quite funny, but you have to be adjusted to Brazilian culture and preferably speak Portuguese to thoroughly enjoy it. The dialogs feel a bit improv and are quite fast. The role played by the gay friend is where the movie shines. Give it a go!
Lost in Space (2018)
Super special effects and gripping tension throughout
Why the terrible reviews? Every single episode gets us to the edge of our chairs - 100 things go wrong in order to get solved intelligently with a certain degree of scientific accuracy. On top of that, set design and special effects are superb. Can't get enough. Season 2 is better than 1.
Terrace House: Tokyo 2019-2020 (2019)
Like a delicious bowl or ramen eaten slow. Gives me faith in humanity.
A welcome break from reality shows where people are purposely pitted against each other for the enhanced drama that sells so well in the West. Here, ultra-polite Japanese kids try to find a way to live with each other, obeying the many gentle social norms so common in Japan and so bizarre in the West. Since there is no script, you're left to focus on the little intricacies of everyday living and a look, a word, a sigh acquires much deeper meaning.
They are all, in a way, trying to find love, or at least a little bit of TV limelight. The dating connections are so painfully sloooooow, but that's that makes them interesting to watch.
Also, there is a panel of the funniest hosts who comment on the going ons once or twice every episode. They bring in a needed break from the meditative pace cracking the craziest jokes, directly lambasting the unfavourited participants.
All in all, a brilliant way to get acquainted a bit more with Japanese culture and what makes it so fascinating.
Frozen II (2019)
For adults, WAY better than the first.
I suppose a lot of people are writing reviews taking the point of view of a child. Yes, there are scenes that are a little stronger and have much more depth to it (loss, death, sarcasm, etc) but that's exactly what gives the franchise the extra energy it needs to survive one more episode. The whole magic visual effects are stunning, and there are a LOT of them. I really enjoyed the more mature tone of the movie. The songs are pretty amazing too. For me, this is a 10/10.