Most of the fairy tale start with Once Upon a Time... The name of the movie alone suggests us that we are going to watch a tale, not a fairy one for sure, but a tale that takes place in Hollywood in 1969. This tale is told by Quentin Tarantino, whose one of the best skills is to alter the history for the tastes of people who wish, some certain events would have ended differently. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is not a movie that follows some events and create action and reaction situations. It simply focuses on the lives of an actor and his stuntman and their ordinary but extremely funny and natural adventures that takes place in Hollywood. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is both an action and character-based movie. The comedy parts mostly come from the performances, gestures, thoughts, conversations and looks of the actor Rick Dalton performed by Leonardo DiCaprio, and his stuntman, Cliff Booth, performed by Brad Pitt. They both share the leading and supporting roles of the movie in my opinion, while they carry the movie further, average performances of Margot Robbie, as Sharon Tate, and Al Pacino, as Schwarz, adds an extra flavor to the movie. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is a compact movie. There is a bit of everything. For more than two hours you just watch the ordinary lives of people in Hollywood and towards the end, the movie takes a direction towards a real event that happened in 1969 by "Charles Manson Family" which resulted in the murder of 5 people in the house of director Roman Polanski, including his wife Sharon Tate. Quentin Tarantino takes this event, changes it, adds his story and actors in it and serves the justice to the murderers by altering the real event which provides a sensational final to his movie. He did exactly the same alteration of course in his Inglorious Basterds. Those alterations are extremely bloody and satisfying. If you are familiar with the director, you will not be surprised watching violent, gore and bloody scenes in his productions. This is his signature and this is how he serves justice. This is what puts him in a different place than the other directors and this is what he is criticized the most. This is why, once again in my opinion, he is not going to win the Best Directing Award but this is also why he is considered one of the most talented directors of all times. He knows how to write a story, how to put it in practice and how to get the best out of actors playing it and harmonizing everything he has in an artistic way. His love for Western is visible also in this movie and the unity between Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio are impeccable. When you watch the movie, you will realize that it is artistic and very well made from A to Z. You understand it is different, you agree that this is how a movie should be made. It has something to offer each and every audience. 10 Academy Award Nominations prove my point as well.
Reviews
44 Reviews
Pet Sematary
(2019)
Sometimes Dead is Indeed Better
17 April 2019
Even tough I have read quite a lot of books from Stephen King, Pet Sematary isn't one of them. At least for now. Therefore, I will strictly write this review based on what happens in the movie because I tend to be very harsh when it comes to the movies based on the books I have read. Compared to the 1989 version of the movie with the same name, this one is quite different and some scary elements have been added in the story and I am pretty sure these elements don't exist in the book either. Story wise, Pet Sematary is quite unique and powerful but either because of the director or something else, no one manages to master this exceptional horror story. It always feels underrated and unappreciated. A story like this could have been turned into a great show with necessary elements but the directors Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer fail to bring those elements together. First of all, the story itself is quite creepy that's why there shouldn't be any scene where directors try to scare you with stupid screams or sound or things that happen too suddenly in the dark. Scaring with sound is a well-known element in horror movies with that story that has nothing to give to the audience. Pet Sematary, story wise, isn't one of them but it seems like the directors do not believe in their own movie. Atmosphere was dark enough to give you chills and it was absolutely necessary for the movie's credibility. Acting was fine but nothing exceptional. What I found quite illogical was the decisions of those characters in the movie. They are presented us to be smart people but they took every wrong decision possible. Pet Sematary also shows us that sometimes dead is indeed better, much better. After I got out of the cinema saloon, I understand the value of letting go. Sometimes you just need to let go because when you are trying to save something very little you may destroy everything else around you. It was pretty sad to witness the destruction of such a nice family. As I have written above, with a little bit of touch, this story could have been turned into a masterpiece, but as the way it is, Pet Sematary is still watchable and enjoyable.
A Fistful of Dollars
(1964)
This is the man with no name. Danger fits him like a glove.
4 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
"A Fistful of Dollars" is about a lone cowboy who plays double between two rival gangs for his own benefits. What a smart and talented gunman can do in the deserts of the west, is also one of the subjects Sergio Leone wants to show us in his film. "A Fistful of Dollars" is not purely about a bunch of cowboys killing each other for no good reason. The story is not very deep and everything happens directly in front of the audience. It doesn't have any hidden messages, it doesn't have any U-turns or plot twists. The story of "A Fistful of Dollars" is direct and easy to understand. What is beautiful in the film, beside its casting and story, are the landscapes, soundtracks, that follow the story almost all the time, and Sergio Leone's style of visual direction. His direction techniques show us all the facial expressions of the people with extreme close-ups, and this technique helps audience understand what is going on in that particular scene without the need of a conversation. "A Fistful of Dollars" shows us the technical beauty of cinema. This style of Sergio Leone is inherited from the Japanese director Akira Kurosawa, and "A Fistful of Dollars" was inspired by one of his films, Yojimbo (1961). "A Fistful of Dollars" also introduces us the rising star of Western films, Clint Eastwood, in the absence of Wayne and Honda. Back in 1964, when this film was made, Henry Fonda was already 59 years old and John Wayne 57. They were still making films back then, but by casting Clint Eastwood for his film, Sergio Leone has introduced an alternative star for this genre.
"A Fistful of Dollars" is a Spaghetti Western. It is a subgenre of Western and also called as Italian Western. This genre was born in the mid-60s because of the distinctive film making style of the Italian director Sergio Leone. American critics were using the name, Spaghetti Western, to describe the Western films made by Italians. "A Fistful of Dollars" is an International co-production between Italy, West Germany and Spain. When it was being made, no one was guessing it is going to be successful. Back then, Sergio Leone was thinking that Italians still react positively to American Western films. So, he took the idea and developed it in Italy. Sergio Leone was not a well-known director back then. This created risk for the production companies to produce this film, not only because of an unknown director but also because of its genre. After all, Europeans particularly Italians were not very familiar with the idea of American Western films. Eventually, the film was released on September 1964 in Italy. Its original release is in Italian. Because of its vast success, both financially and critically in Italy, it was released in the United States in 1967 with its English dubbed version.
"A Fistful of Dollars" is the first film of the Dollars Trilogy which is also known as The Man with No Name trilogy. The story in these films are not related. The stage names of Clint Eastwood are different in all three films, and they can be watched as standalones. The reason why they are considered a trilogy is because all three films are directed by the same director and the leading actor, even though he is a different character, wears the same clothes, talks and smokes the same in all the films. In order to understand Spaghetti Westerns, you must watch this trilogy. All three films were later released in sequence in the United States which led Clint Eastwood to stardom. The film techniques of Sergio Leone can be easily spotted in the films directed by Clint Eastwood later on. Sergio Leone highly influenced Clint Eastwood as a director, therefore in order to understand the directing style of Clint Eastwood, you need to familiarize yourself with these unique examples of Sergio Leone.
"A Fistful of Dollars", influenced a lot other films that follows it. Today it is still popular and considered a masterpiece. With its 100 minutes of runtime, it is the shortest film of the trilogy. It was made with a budget of $200.000-$250.000 and grossed up to $14.5 Million which is considered a huge amount for a European western film. This encouraged the trilogy to be born, and from this point of view, "A Fistful of Dollars" is a significant film. Until it has reached to fame, it went through very challenging times. Despite the communication problems in the set, bad release dates and extremely negative reviews from Italian critics, this film managed to find its way to become a historical film.
"A Fistful of Dollars" is a Spaghetti Western. It is a subgenre of Western and also called as Italian Western. This genre was born in the mid-60s because of the distinctive film making style of the Italian director Sergio Leone. American critics were using the name, Spaghetti Western, to describe the Western films made by Italians. "A Fistful of Dollars" is an International co-production between Italy, West Germany and Spain. When it was being made, no one was guessing it is going to be successful. Back then, Sergio Leone was thinking that Italians still react positively to American Western films. So, he took the idea and developed it in Italy. Sergio Leone was not a well-known director back then. This created risk for the production companies to produce this film, not only because of an unknown director but also because of its genre. After all, Europeans particularly Italians were not very familiar with the idea of American Western films. Eventually, the film was released on September 1964 in Italy. Its original release is in Italian. Because of its vast success, both financially and critically in Italy, it was released in the United States in 1967 with its English dubbed version.
"A Fistful of Dollars" is the first film of the Dollars Trilogy which is also known as The Man with No Name trilogy. The story in these films are not related. The stage names of Clint Eastwood are different in all three films, and they can be watched as standalones. The reason why they are considered a trilogy is because all three films are directed by the same director and the leading actor, even though he is a different character, wears the same clothes, talks and smokes the same in all the films. In order to understand Spaghetti Westerns, you must watch this trilogy. All three films were later released in sequence in the United States which led Clint Eastwood to stardom. The film techniques of Sergio Leone can be easily spotted in the films directed by Clint Eastwood later on. Sergio Leone highly influenced Clint Eastwood as a director, therefore in order to understand the directing style of Clint Eastwood, you need to familiarize yourself with these unique examples of Sergio Leone.
"A Fistful of Dollars", influenced a lot other films that follows it. Today it is still popular and considered a masterpiece. With its 100 minutes of runtime, it is the shortest film of the trilogy. It was made with a budget of $200.000-$250.000 and grossed up to $14.5 Million which is considered a huge amount for a European western film. This encouraged the trilogy to be born, and from this point of view, "A Fistful of Dollars" is a significant film. Until it has reached to fame, it went through very challenging times. Despite the communication problems in the set, bad release dates and extremely negative reviews from Italian critics, this film managed to find its way to become a historical film.
Arrival
(II) (2016)
Why are they here?
4 August 2018
There are some films that tell you a story, and there are some films that impose an idea. "Arrival" enters in the list of films that share and impose an idea. Before talking about its idea, I have to say that even though "Arrival" is a science fiction drama film, it has nothing to do with classic science fiction examples. Its atmosphere is calm and very much focused on the message it shares. In my opinion "Arrival" is one of the best films of 2016 and one of the best science fiction films of all times. It brings an enormous difference to the sci-fi genre. "Arrival" chooses communication over action, and this brought the film eight Academy Awards nominations including, Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Achievement in Directing, Best Achievement in Cinematography. It won only one of them which is Best Achievement in Sound Editing. I don't know the criteria about sound editing or sound mixing but now, when I think about the soundtracks, it makes a perfect sense to me what they mean by sound editing and sound mixing. I have enjoyed the performance of Amy Adams, as a talented linguist, and even though this performance goes unrecognized by the Academy, she manages to get herself a nomination in the Golden Globes for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Drama. "Arrival" is based on 1998 short story "Story of Your Life" by Ted Chiang. It is directed by Denis Villeneuve, who is known to be also the director of Incendies, Prisoners and Blade Runner 2049. All these films are in the list of IMDB's top 250 films. Starting with Interstellar and continuing with "Arrival," the change in sci-fi genre has begun and in the near future we can expect more films like this.
What would have happened if one day visitors from other planets would come to Earth? How would we communicate with them? Would we attack them, or would we try to talk with them? How would we understand their purpose? What if they are sharing a friendly message and big capitalist countries ignore it? Basically, this is the idea and exit point of "Arrival." One day, twelve extraterrestrial spacecrafts land in twelve locations across the earth. No one knows why they are there and what they want. So, US Army recruits a bunch of people including Louise (Amy Adams) and physicist Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner), trying to find out one important answer, "why they have come to earth" With different attempts, Louise and Ian manage to communicate with the seven-limbed aliens and find out why they came. They came to help humanity by sharing a language which helps perceive the future and the past for those who can master that language. Louise understands the message when she cracks the code and finds out that each twelve spacecrafts share a part of the message, and in order for the message to be perceived, each country must collaborate and share their piece of message. Eventually world unites and when the message is understood, spacecrafts disappear.
After writing the story a bit detailed, I would like to share the famous idea of the film. It tells us to unite and gather around one civilization in order to go forward as one. This is of course a utopia, but it still makes you think about its benefits. Using the power of past and future, Louise manages to convince Chinese military general not to attack the aliens. With little efforts the world can unite around a language. "Arrival" shows us the probability of this. Some people criticized the film for sharing Neo-Liberal propaganda, but in my opinion, the last thing "Arrival" wants to do is propaganda. It is using an interesting subject to share a valuable message. It focuses on the importance of time, communication, language and life. It criticizes globalism which creates the biggest problems on Earth.
From performances to the story, from soundtracks to camera angles, "Arrival" is a very well-made film. Due to its story, it progresses very slowly, but this is very much expected from a film like this, because it chooses communication over action. If we would learn to communicate before fighting, the world would have been a much better place. This is the most important message that "Arrival" shares.
What would have happened if one day visitors from other planets would come to Earth? How would we communicate with them? Would we attack them, or would we try to talk with them? How would we understand their purpose? What if they are sharing a friendly message and big capitalist countries ignore it? Basically, this is the idea and exit point of "Arrival." One day, twelve extraterrestrial spacecrafts land in twelve locations across the earth. No one knows why they are there and what they want. So, US Army recruits a bunch of people including Louise (Amy Adams) and physicist Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner), trying to find out one important answer, "why they have come to earth" With different attempts, Louise and Ian manage to communicate with the seven-limbed aliens and find out why they came. They came to help humanity by sharing a language which helps perceive the future and the past for those who can master that language. Louise understands the message when she cracks the code and finds out that each twelve spacecrafts share a part of the message, and in order for the message to be perceived, each country must collaborate and share their piece of message. Eventually world unites and when the message is understood, spacecrafts disappear.
After writing the story a bit detailed, I would like to share the famous idea of the film. It tells us to unite and gather around one civilization in order to go forward as one. This is of course a utopia, but it still makes you think about its benefits. Using the power of past and future, Louise manages to convince Chinese military general not to attack the aliens. With little efforts the world can unite around a language. "Arrival" shows us the probability of this. Some people criticized the film for sharing Neo-Liberal propaganda, but in my opinion, the last thing "Arrival" wants to do is propaganda. It is using an interesting subject to share a valuable message. It focuses on the importance of time, communication, language and life. It criticizes globalism which creates the biggest problems on Earth.
From performances to the story, from soundtracks to camera angles, "Arrival" is a very well-made film. Due to its story, it progresses very slowly, but this is very much expected from a film like this, because it chooses communication over action. If we would learn to communicate before fighting, the world would have been a much better place. This is the most important message that "Arrival" shares.
Coco
(I) (2017)
The celebration of a lifetime
4 August 2018
I am a huge fan of animation films. Whenever I feel bad or in the need of a friend, I choose an animation film and watch. After I finish it, I feel recharged and energetic. "Coco" has been on my list for a very long time, and finally I have decided to watch it last night. This was one of the best decisions I have taken for some time. This morning I woke up smiling and, so far, I am having a very good day. This is all because of this beautiful animation film. "Coco" is produced by Pixar. When you see this name, you should probably think about; Toy Story series, Cars series, Ratatouille, The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc, Monsters University, Inside Out, Up and WALL-E. All these films have a classic story wrapped around an emotional content. In my opinion, this emotional content is the trademark of Pixar made films. In these animations, almost all the time, you hear beautiful music, witness unbelievably creative visual effects, bright colors and powerful voice cast stars, but the story is almost always a classic one and the weakest point of the chain. This, however, doesn't apply for "Coco". "Coco" has an original story as well as all the other features I have counted above. This is the reason why it has won two Academy Awards, Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Picture (Original Song: Remember Me) and Best Animated Feature Film, and while I am writing this review, it is the 63th best film on IMDB's top 250 films. "Coco" is directed by Lee Unkrich and co-directed by Adrian Molina. Lee Unkrich is also known as the main director of Toy Story 3 and co-director of Toy Story 2, Finding Nemo and Monsters, Inc. "Coco's" beautiful story is also written by him. "Coco" has a runtime of 105 minutes and grossed up to $807 Million against a budget of $175-200 Million. Just by looking at this huge budget, you can understand the importance of animation films for the cinema industry.
"Coco" is born out of the original idea of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the dead). This day is celebrated in Mexico between October 31, and November 2, every year. The idea is to remember the dead in the family. People go to cemeteries, they build private altars containing their favorite foods and beverages. In the film, during this period, deceased watch their relatives while enjoying the foods and drinks. It is also believed that when a deceased person is forgotten by everyone, only then he truly dies. So, the true meaning of death is when you are forgotten by your family, friends and loved ones. The film opens with Imelda's husband leaving Imelda and his 4-year-old-daugter "Coco" to make a career in music. Since then, this man is the most hated person in the family and music is forever forbidden. To survive, Imelda starts making shoes and this becomes the family's official business throughout the generations. After many years, great-great grandson of Imelda, Miguel, at the age of 12, secretly dreams of being a musician finds out that his great-great grandfather managed to become a worldwide famous musician. When this family secret is revealed to him, he goes to the mausoleum of his great-great grandfather to borrow his guitar to perform in the talent show; there he accidentally enters in the land of the dead and starts to seek for his great-great grandfather to get his blessing to become a musician. As an additional note for the film, dead are shown as skeletons and they have colorful drawings on their faces. I enjoyed the depiction of the dead people very much. They seem to go on living their lives in pretty much the same way.
In Pixar films, you get to receive a lot of meaningful messages. Those messages are generally universally known. This rule doesn't change when it comes to "Coco" either. It hides the message of self-trust. It reminds you to keep going after your dreams no matter what. There will always be people who will try to bring you down, but if you keep believing in yourself, you will always get what you want. Thanks to these motivational messages, Pixar films always hides extra boost for the audience, in them. When Miguel enters in the land of the dead, everywhere is as colorful as a rainbow. This contra belief creates and amazing ambience and atmosphere for the film. Death is believed to be a sad thing, but those bright and colorful and happy cities of the dead, prove this concept wrong. "Coco" is also praised for respecting the original traditions of Mexico. The film shares its knowledge about this culture. Just like any decent film, "Coco" follows a story with beginning, developing and ending. There is absolutely no difference between animated and non-animated films in the means of story anymore. For all these reasons I have mentioned above, "Coco" is one of the most beautiful animation films I have ever seen.
"Coco" is born out of the original idea of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the dead). This day is celebrated in Mexico between October 31, and November 2, every year. The idea is to remember the dead in the family. People go to cemeteries, they build private altars containing their favorite foods and beverages. In the film, during this period, deceased watch their relatives while enjoying the foods and drinks. It is also believed that when a deceased person is forgotten by everyone, only then he truly dies. So, the true meaning of death is when you are forgotten by your family, friends and loved ones. The film opens with Imelda's husband leaving Imelda and his 4-year-old-daugter "Coco" to make a career in music. Since then, this man is the most hated person in the family and music is forever forbidden. To survive, Imelda starts making shoes and this becomes the family's official business throughout the generations. After many years, great-great grandson of Imelda, Miguel, at the age of 12, secretly dreams of being a musician finds out that his great-great grandfather managed to become a worldwide famous musician. When this family secret is revealed to him, he goes to the mausoleum of his great-great grandfather to borrow his guitar to perform in the talent show; there he accidentally enters in the land of the dead and starts to seek for his great-great grandfather to get his blessing to become a musician. As an additional note for the film, dead are shown as skeletons and they have colorful drawings on their faces. I enjoyed the depiction of the dead people very much. They seem to go on living their lives in pretty much the same way.
In Pixar films, you get to receive a lot of meaningful messages. Those messages are generally universally known. This rule doesn't change when it comes to "Coco" either. It hides the message of self-trust. It reminds you to keep going after your dreams no matter what. There will always be people who will try to bring you down, but if you keep believing in yourself, you will always get what you want. Thanks to these motivational messages, Pixar films always hides extra boost for the audience, in them. When Miguel enters in the land of the dead, everywhere is as colorful as a rainbow. This contra belief creates and amazing ambience and atmosphere for the film. Death is believed to be a sad thing, but those bright and colorful and happy cities of the dead, prove this concept wrong. "Coco" is also praised for respecting the original traditions of Mexico. The film shares its knowledge about this culture. Just like any decent film, "Coco" follows a story with beginning, developing and ending. There is absolutely no difference between animated and non-animated films in the means of story anymore. For all these reasons I have mentioned above, "Coco" is one of the most beautiful animation films I have ever seen.
For a Few Dollars More
(1965)
Alive or dead? It's your choice.
4 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
"For a Few Dollars More" is a highly enjoyable spaghetti western film. Situations and the plot are designed specifically for the fans of this genre. It is the 2nd film of the Dollars trilogy, which is also known as The Man with No Name. The films in the trilogy have nothing to do with each other in the means of story, but after seeing the 2nd film, it starts to make sense to me why they are called a trilogy. Even though the stories are completely unrelated, these films are gathered more or less around a similar plot. Soundtracks are equally beautiful, the leading actor, Clint Eastwood, stars in all three films. Even the names of the first two films are completing each other. "For a Few Dollars More" is more serious and complex compared to the first film of the trilogy, A Fistful of Dollars. From the point of view of action and story, I find this one more satisfying. You can feel that, in "For a Few Dollars More," director Sergio Leone has more trust in himself because of the success of the first film. He is more focused and his distinctive directing style is more visible in this one. The leading actors Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef are completing each other. The villain El Indio, played by Gian Maria Volonte, seems to be the evilest character of the Western films I have ever seen. Besides the performances, soundtracks and the western atmosphere are the strongest points of the film. Even though there is well-structured story, you get the feeling that, things are happening based on the situations. It seems like the characters don't follow a plan, but react to incidents. This makes the film more complex and hard to anticipate.
Lee Van Cleef, as Colonel Douglas Mortimer, is added to the second film as an experienced bounty hunter. This gives Sergio Leone a strong hand to play with, he is not limited in the means of characters. This liberty makes him create a better, a more independent story. Clint Eastwood, as Manco, is the other bounty hunter. His role is more or less the same as the first film. He wears the same clothes, talks the same, acts the same and even the way he smokes his tobacco is the same. He is a complete icon for western films. He shares the leading role with Lee Van Cleef, and this removes the responsibility from his shoulders to carry the film on his own. Sergio Leone uses Eastwood in the roles that are more suitable for him, which creates a more reliable character.
Both Colonel Douglas Mortimer and Manco are highly talented gunmen, who make living out of the prize money issued for capturing or killing outlaws on the loose. We get to know Colonel Mortimer, Manco and the psychopath outlaw El Indio in the first scenes of the film. These scenes create a credibility for the future references. We are highly aware of what these men are capable of doing. After El Indio is taken out from the jail by his gang, a prize money of 10k USD is issued on his head. Mortimer and Manco decide to go after this guy, for different reasons, which are revealed in the end of the film. When they find out about each other, they decide to team up against El Indio and his gang.
The film plays host for the iconic scenes where Mortimer and Manco shoot each other's hats, or the old man talking about the train company who wanted to buy his house to make a railway for the train and how he didn't sell it. "For a Few Dollars More" is a film where English-speaking guys are leading the roles made by Italian speaking people. Like the first film, this one is also a co-production of Italy, West Germany and Spain. Clint Eastwood's presence was critical for the second film, and it was not easy to convince him to star in it because he hasn't seen the first film and didn't know what to expect from it. So, the production company sent a copy of the film to him, which was Italian back then, and Eastwood gathered his friends and watched it. Based on his friends' positive feedbacks he accepted the role for a total sum of 50K USD which is 3 times more than his salary for the previous film. "For a Few Dollars More" has everything in it about western genre. It is action packed, highly enjoyable and satisfying. Because of the reasons I have counted above, "For a Few Dollars More" is one of the best films of its genre.
Lee Van Cleef, as Colonel Douglas Mortimer, is added to the second film as an experienced bounty hunter. This gives Sergio Leone a strong hand to play with, he is not limited in the means of characters. This liberty makes him create a better, a more independent story. Clint Eastwood, as Manco, is the other bounty hunter. His role is more or less the same as the first film. He wears the same clothes, talks the same, acts the same and even the way he smokes his tobacco is the same. He is a complete icon for western films. He shares the leading role with Lee Van Cleef, and this removes the responsibility from his shoulders to carry the film on his own. Sergio Leone uses Eastwood in the roles that are more suitable for him, which creates a more reliable character.
Both Colonel Douglas Mortimer and Manco are highly talented gunmen, who make living out of the prize money issued for capturing or killing outlaws on the loose. We get to know Colonel Mortimer, Manco and the psychopath outlaw El Indio in the first scenes of the film. These scenes create a credibility for the future references. We are highly aware of what these men are capable of doing. After El Indio is taken out from the jail by his gang, a prize money of 10k USD is issued on his head. Mortimer and Manco decide to go after this guy, for different reasons, which are revealed in the end of the film. When they find out about each other, they decide to team up against El Indio and his gang.
The film plays host for the iconic scenes where Mortimer and Manco shoot each other's hats, or the old man talking about the train company who wanted to buy his house to make a railway for the train and how he didn't sell it. "For a Few Dollars More" is a film where English-speaking guys are leading the roles made by Italian speaking people. Like the first film, this one is also a co-production of Italy, West Germany and Spain. Clint Eastwood's presence was critical for the second film, and it was not easy to convince him to star in it because he hasn't seen the first film and didn't know what to expect from it. So, the production company sent a copy of the film to him, which was Italian back then, and Eastwood gathered his friends and watched it. Based on his friends' positive feedbacks he accepted the role for a total sum of 50K USD which is 3 times more than his salary for the previous film. "For a Few Dollars More" has everything in it about western genre. It is action packed, highly enjoyable and satisfying. Because of the reasons I have counted above, "For a Few Dollars More" is one of the best films of its genre.
He's going to need a vacation after this vacation.
4 August 2018
When "Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation" ended I was very curious about one thing; who wrote its screenplay? They proudly present themselves as Michael Mc Cullers and Genndy Tartakovsky. It took two people to write this stupid story, seriously? In the means of plot, there is absolutely nothing catchy. "Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation" is one the worst animation films I have ever seen. I am so sorry for the money and time spent on this film. Atmosphere is as bad as the conversations. In some scenes two characters were looking at each other and just saying incomprehensible words. These conversations must have been so funny that they repeat a couple of times during the film. This piece of script was written by two people. This is truly amazing. Such a talent. The same guy, Genndy Tartakovsky, is also the director of the film. He is the director of Hotel Transylvania 1 and 2 as well. Those films were relatively better than the final film of the series. This film is using all the credits of the first two films and aims only to make some more money. Once again voice stars are Adam Sandler, as Dracula, Andy Samberg, as Jonathan, Selena Gomez, as Mavis, Kevin James, as Frankenstein and Steve Buscemi, as Wayne. Most probably those voices are the only good point of the film, but I have seen it with my son in Romanian dubbed so I can't comment about the voices either. Based on my experience with these actors in the previous two films, I thought if there is something good in this film, voices must be it. "Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation," was released in July 13, 2018 in the United States and it has 97 minutes of runtime. It was made with a budget of $80 Million and 16 days after it's released, it grossed around $284 Million, which is a huge success for a film like this. The only reason of this financial success is the good memories of the first two films, nothing else.
"Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation" opens with scenes where Abraham Van Helsing (Jim Gaffigan) is after Dracula, trying to kill him. These scenes are important because the progression of the film is based on these fights between Van Helsing and Dracula. When we get back to the present day, the family and their friends are at the famous Hotel Transylvania. Mavis thinks his father is very stressed, so she buys a summer vacation in a cruise ship for her family and friends. After an interesting air travel, they reach the ship where Dracula falls in love with the captain of the ship Ericka (Kathryn Hahn) who turns out to be granddaughter of Van Helsing, who greatly hates Dracula for no real reason. Eventually the power of love wins over hate and Dracula gets married with Ericka. As usual there is a happy ending in "Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation." I think I haven't seen an animation film without a happy ending. This is the purpose of animations. To make people feel good and happy. "Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation" serves the same purpose as well.
Just like in the other films of the series, this one also has a lot of references from Bram Stoker's Dracula. The general story of the series gets funnier if you have read the original book, but those references can't save the third film of the Hotel Transylvania franchise. In 97 minutes of runtime, there are only 5 minutes of two scenes that take place in the hotel, yet again the name of the film is Hotel Transylvania, but an additional Summer Vacation is added to the original name of the film. In some countries it is also known as the A Monster Vacation. I failed to feel the darker atmosphere that was obvious in the first two films. I hope this is the final chapter of the franchise, because the quality starts to drop drastically, and I really don't want to remember this animation series with a bad taste. For the sake of the first two films, I was indeed looking forward to seeing the final film. Last year when it was announced I was very much excited for another film of this beautiful universe and after all this waiting, normally, my expectations were high, and therefore, my disappointment was greater than the usual. It is not a film I would see one more time. In the cinema saloon there were mostly families with kids. I was one of them and my son seemed to laugh at some scenes, but overall picture was bad, very bad.
"Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation" opens with scenes where Abraham Van Helsing (Jim Gaffigan) is after Dracula, trying to kill him. These scenes are important because the progression of the film is based on these fights between Van Helsing and Dracula. When we get back to the present day, the family and their friends are at the famous Hotel Transylvania. Mavis thinks his father is very stressed, so she buys a summer vacation in a cruise ship for her family and friends. After an interesting air travel, they reach the ship where Dracula falls in love with the captain of the ship Ericka (Kathryn Hahn) who turns out to be granddaughter of Van Helsing, who greatly hates Dracula for no real reason. Eventually the power of love wins over hate and Dracula gets married with Ericka. As usual there is a happy ending in "Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation." I think I haven't seen an animation film without a happy ending. This is the purpose of animations. To make people feel good and happy. "Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation" serves the same purpose as well.
Just like in the other films of the series, this one also has a lot of references from Bram Stoker's Dracula. The general story of the series gets funnier if you have read the original book, but those references can't save the third film of the Hotel Transylvania franchise. In 97 minutes of runtime, there are only 5 minutes of two scenes that take place in the hotel, yet again the name of the film is Hotel Transylvania, but an additional Summer Vacation is added to the original name of the film. In some countries it is also known as the A Monster Vacation. I failed to feel the darker atmosphere that was obvious in the first two films. I hope this is the final chapter of the franchise, because the quality starts to drop drastically, and I really don't want to remember this animation series with a bad taste. For the sake of the first two films, I was indeed looking forward to seeing the final film. Last year when it was announced I was very much excited for another film of this beautiful universe and after all this waiting, normally, my expectations were high, and therefore, my disappointment was greater than the usual. It is not a film I would see one more time. In the cinema saloon there were mostly families with kids. I was one of them and my son seemed to laugh at some scenes, but overall picture was bad, very bad.
Love, Simon
(2018)
He's done keeping his story straight.
4 August 2018
If I need to use three words to explain "Love, Simon," I would say beautiful, beautiful and beautiful. It is such a simple, easy and inspiring story. Just for the sake of making a point, you don't need to complicate things. Make it simple with a powerful message. This film shows us, simple things can be excessively nice. "Love, Simon" seems to be a film about a gay teenager who struggles with his secret because of the pressure of the society, but the film is actually much more than that. It is about all the people who are different than the society, who struggle to fit in, who fail to understand its rules and who have tough time to obey. Most of the time, once again because of the rotten society, its people and its rules, different people think something is wrong with them, and when they don't have the necessary support from their friends and society, they commit suicide or develop self-hate. Films like "Love, Simon" encourages this kind of people, who are not accepted by the society, or who think they will not be accepted by the society, to think there is absolutely nothing wrong with them. "Love, Simon" shows the power of cinema over people. While delivering a powerful message, it also uses an incredibly simple story and language. This film is for everyone. It is for friends, family, people, young or old. It is sharing a universal message. If there is one negative thing to say about "Love, Simon," it is the fact that in real life these struggles may not be solved that easy. Thanks to Simon's awesome friends and family, he gets over the fact that he is gay easily, but imagine a contra-scenario where his family wouldn't accept such a thing, or if he wasn't welcomed by his family, then what do you think would have happened? World is not about America, there are societies who are socially and culturally way behind them, and in those countries, there are people with secrets too. I'm pretty sure that "Love, Simon" is banned in some countries.
"Love, Simon" is eligible for competing in the 91st Academy Awards. In my opinion it will have nominations for at least two categories. Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, Nick Robinson, and Best Motion Picture of the Year. I have always wanted to watch critically-acclaimed films in advance, and guess about their nominations, this way I am able to test my knowledge about cinema. Anyway, getting back to the film, "Love, Simon" shows the entire world that a teenager film doesn't need to be stupid and meaningless and only about sex and getting laid. I like the facial expressional and overall performance of Nick Robinson. His performance makes all the difference when combined with this delightful story. Director of the film Greg Berlanti is a very experienced producer but it is not easy to say the same thing when it comes to directing. Before "Love, Simon" he was the director of The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy and Life as We Know It. However, you might have heard his name as the producer of TV series The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow and Arrow if you are interested in Superhero TV Series. I am not, that's why I haven't heard of him until now, but I must say that, as a director of "Love, Simon," he did a very good job. Conversations are up to date and relevant, he doesn't interfere in the story too much and manages to harmonize all the positive components of the film, like the story, performances, situations, reactions and atmosphere. He knows how to get the very best out of an actor.
The comma between Love and Simon makes a huge difference. Because in the story, protagonist falls in love with another gay colleague with whom he exchanges mails, and he always signs the mail by saying Love, Jacques, which means Simon in French. Without the comma the name turns out to be Love Simon, but Simon doesn't need anybody's love because he is strong enough by himself. This film is said to be the first film by a major Hollywood studio to focus on a gay teenage romance, but I have to say that "Love, Simon" is not a gay romance. It is a film of self-struggle and standing up for yourself. There is no romance between gay people in the film, I mean this is not the purpose of "Love, Simon" to be understood as a production about gay people. Because it is not. "Love, Simon" is one of the best films of 2018 and a very useful one too, in the means of creating public awareness. I had a lot of fun watching it.
"Love, Simon" is eligible for competing in the 91st Academy Awards. In my opinion it will have nominations for at least two categories. Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, Nick Robinson, and Best Motion Picture of the Year. I have always wanted to watch critically-acclaimed films in advance, and guess about their nominations, this way I am able to test my knowledge about cinema. Anyway, getting back to the film, "Love, Simon" shows the entire world that a teenager film doesn't need to be stupid and meaningless and only about sex and getting laid. I like the facial expressional and overall performance of Nick Robinson. His performance makes all the difference when combined with this delightful story. Director of the film Greg Berlanti is a very experienced producer but it is not easy to say the same thing when it comes to directing. Before "Love, Simon" he was the director of The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy and Life as We Know It. However, you might have heard his name as the producer of TV series The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow and Arrow if you are interested in Superhero TV Series. I am not, that's why I haven't heard of him until now, but I must say that, as a director of "Love, Simon," he did a very good job. Conversations are up to date and relevant, he doesn't interfere in the story too much and manages to harmonize all the positive components of the film, like the story, performances, situations, reactions and atmosphere. He knows how to get the very best out of an actor.
The comma between Love and Simon makes a huge difference. Because in the story, protagonist falls in love with another gay colleague with whom he exchanges mails, and he always signs the mail by saying Love, Jacques, which means Simon in French. Without the comma the name turns out to be Love Simon, but Simon doesn't need anybody's love because he is strong enough by himself. This film is said to be the first film by a major Hollywood studio to focus on a gay teenage romance, but I have to say that "Love, Simon" is not a gay romance. It is a film of self-struggle and standing up for yourself. There is no romance between gay people in the film, I mean this is not the purpose of "Love, Simon" to be understood as a production about gay people. Because it is not. "Love, Simon" is one of the best films of 2018 and a very useful one too, in the means of creating public awareness. I had a lot of fun watching it.
Manchester by the Sea
(2016)
Uncle Lee, are you fundamentally unsound?
4 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
"Manchester by the Sea" is a sensational drama that was nominated for 6 Academy Awards including the Best Motion Picture of the Year, and won two of them; Best Original Screenplay, Kenneth Lonergan, and Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, Casey Affleck. When I start watching the film, I had no information about it, I didn't know what the story is about, I didn't even know there is a place called "Manchester by the Sea," in Massachusetts. After a couple of scenes, there was one thing I was sure of, Casey Affleck has won the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his exceptional role as Lee Chandler. His performance is one of the best performances of the 21th Century, and "Manchester by the Sea" is one of the best films of the year 2016. It is so annoying that I came across this beautiful film accidentally. I haven't seen any commercials about it, I haven't heard anyone talking about it. I was making a list of Oscar Nominated films, and there I found it. "Manchester by the Sea" was written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan. It has 137 minutes of runtime and grossed over $77 Million against a budget of $8 Million. This film is a slap in the face for the critics who claim cinema can't produce any more original stories. It is also a strong proof of the fact that you don't need big budgets to make beautiful films.
In the first 10 minutes, the director helps you sympathize with the main character of the film, Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck). You get the feeling that even you meet him in real life, he is not going to be your friend. He doesn't care anything else other than his business. You can see the constant sorrow in his eyes, and sadness is all over him. Immediately you get to think that, there is something wrong with this man, something has happened in his past. This intense description of the protagonist in the early scenes of the film indicates that his emotional self is going to set the limits for the "Manchester by the Sea." The more you understand, the more you relate to the story. That's why director pays special attention to the character details. After this intense visual description, director starts to reveal the mystery over Lee, by showing us flashbacks from his past. After this point, story evolves with two directions, present and past. Everything starts to make sense about Lee's inner self. This storytelling technique is one of the reasons why "Manchester by the Sea" is nominated for The Best Motion Picture of the Year. A similar storytelling technique is used in Christopher Nolan's Memento.
Lee works as a janitor and a handyman in a different part of Massachusetts. He receives a phone call about his brother who has a heart condition. When he reaches the hospital, which is 90 minutes away from where Lee lives, he finds out that his brother has passed away. In his will, he assigns Lee as the legal guardian for his teenage son Patrick (Lucas Hedges). Through the flashbacks, we understand the relations and life of Lee. He used to be married with three kids. One evening, after intense drinking with his friends in his place, he goes out to buy more beer and forgets to put the screen protection for the fire place which he just lighted up to heat the house for his kids. House burns down and all his three kids die. During this scene, there is almost no talking and if I am not mistaken, in the background Bach's Air is playing. Such a tragedy was shown with a relaxing and equally emotional classical music. Throughout the film, there are other scenes accompanied by classical music.
Imagine yourself as Lee, your life is destroyed. You kill your three kids by burning the house by mistake. Your brother dies, your wife divorces you, when you can barely take care of yourself, you are asked to take care of another human being. No one wants you in the town you used to live and, under these circumstances, Lee manages to survive. His soul is damaged, he doesn't feel humane feelings anymore, but he manages to survive. This is one of the most realistic films about people who survive through such tragedies in life. It is a beautifully made true drama. With exceptional performances and cold atmosphere that suits the progression of the story, "Manchester by the Sea" is one of the best films of 2016 and it is not going to be easily forgotten once watched.
In the first 10 minutes, the director helps you sympathize with the main character of the film, Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck). You get the feeling that even you meet him in real life, he is not going to be your friend. He doesn't care anything else other than his business. You can see the constant sorrow in his eyes, and sadness is all over him. Immediately you get to think that, there is something wrong with this man, something has happened in his past. This intense description of the protagonist in the early scenes of the film indicates that his emotional self is going to set the limits for the "Manchester by the Sea." The more you understand, the more you relate to the story. That's why director pays special attention to the character details. After this intense visual description, director starts to reveal the mystery over Lee, by showing us flashbacks from his past. After this point, story evolves with two directions, present and past. Everything starts to make sense about Lee's inner self. This storytelling technique is one of the reasons why "Manchester by the Sea" is nominated for The Best Motion Picture of the Year. A similar storytelling technique is used in Christopher Nolan's Memento.
Lee works as a janitor and a handyman in a different part of Massachusetts. He receives a phone call about his brother who has a heart condition. When he reaches the hospital, which is 90 minutes away from where Lee lives, he finds out that his brother has passed away. In his will, he assigns Lee as the legal guardian for his teenage son Patrick (Lucas Hedges). Through the flashbacks, we understand the relations and life of Lee. He used to be married with three kids. One evening, after intense drinking with his friends in his place, he goes out to buy more beer and forgets to put the screen protection for the fire place which he just lighted up to heat the house for his kids. House burns down and all his three kids die. During this scene, there is almost no talking and if I am not mistaken, in the background Bach's Air is playing. Such a tragedy was shown with a relaxing and equally emotional classical music. Throughout the film, there are other scenes accompanied by classical music.
Imagine yourself as Lee, your life is destroyed. You kill your three kids by burning the house by mistake. Your brother dies, your wife divorces you, when you can barely take care of yourself, you are asked to take care of another human being. No one wants you in the town you used to live and, under these circumstances, Lee manages to survive. His soul is damaged, he doesn't feel humane feelings anymore, but he manages to survive. This is one of the most realistic films about people who survive through such tragedies in life. It is a beautifully made true drama. With exceptional performances and cold atmosphere that suits the progression of the story, "Manchester by the Sea" is one of the best films of 2016 and it is not going to be easily forgotten once watched.
Memoirs of a Geisha
(2005)
The heart dies a slow death. Shedding each hope like leaves, until one day there are none. No hopes. Nothing remains.
4 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Before starting my review, I would like to write a little bit about the term Geisha, who are they, and what they do. So, a Geisha is woman who is trained to entertain men with conversations, dances, songs and musical instruments. Even maybe under different names, Geisha were an important part of Japanese culture. Even though it is mentioned a lot times in the film, Geisha are not prostitutes, but highly trained and educated, beautiful women that exist for nothing but the pleasures of men. Similar women with similar purposes can also be seen in the Ottoman culture. They are taken from their homelands at the early age, sold to the palace, or for Japanese, to the pleasure house, and trained to entertain men. For Ottomans, they were trained in Harem only for the Sultan. This is one of the similarities between Turkish and Japanese cultures. Geisha wear the best traditional Japanese clothes, Kimono, and they are invited to special occasions and events to entertain special guests. They also sell their virginity to the highest bidder and become a real Geisha, I am not sure about accuracy of the last information, but this is how it was in the film. Based on the novel with the same name by Arthur Golden, "Memoirs of a Geisha" was released on December 9, 2005 in the United States. It is directed by Rob Marshall who is also known to be the director of 13 Oscar-Nominated film Chicago (won 6 of them). "Memoirs of a Geisha" was produced by Steven Spielberg, nominated for six Academy Awards and won three of them, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design. When you look at the categories in which "Memoirs of a Geisha" has won the awards, you can relate to its mystic story, artistic setup, foggy atmosphere and diverse camera angles.
I have mixed feeling when it comes to this film. I am not really sure if I like it or not. There are good points and bad points in the means of story, atmosphere, casting and performances. The biggest mistake of the film is casting a Chinese Actress for the role of the Geisha, who is in the leading role of the film. She wears blue lenses just to create an impression of a blue-eyed Japanese woman, but everyone can see that those are not her real eyes. I wish they would have casted a Japanese woman with a natural beauty.
I am not going to get into details, but I didn't like how Japanese men and women are presented in the film and how Japan is represented as a nation. I asked myself the question; Geisha are trained all their life, and choose this as a life style for this kind of men? This also shows the social status of Japanese women. Even today, when you look at the Japanese culture, you can barely see women in higher positions in the society. All this comes down to their history and traditions. In this point of view, "Memoirs of a Geisha" is a very good example to understand modern Japan. Also, don't forget the fact that this is film is made by the Americans, and we know how they are willing to mislead the truth for their own benefits. Here, however, this is not the case because I have studied Japanese language and culture and I can vouch for the reality of this film.
Getting back to film, I have enjoyed the environment very much. The atmosphere makes you live in that era. Houses that are very close to each other, Sakura trees, narrow roads and transportation harmonize you with the mood of the film. "Memoirs of a Geisha" is a very realistic drama film. I mean, you really find yourself involved in the story. Two little girls are sold to a pleasure house and separated from each other. The one, whose memoirs we are watching, slowly reveals the real meaning of Geisha and its sacrifices. How she is used as a tool for the benefits of the men she used to entertain and love. After all, no matter how it is told in the film, Geisha are not really what they are presented to be. Soundtracks have a great influence in the story and its atmosphere. I have always found Japanese culture, traditions and history very peaceful, but this film made me question this a little bit. Even though what is told in the story may not be true, this is what I expect from a film. I would recommend this film for the people who are interested in Japanese life style. Also, this is a good source to see and feel the different, the sad face of Japan.
I have mixed feeling when it comes to this film. I am not really sure if I like it or not. There are good points and bad points in the means of story, atmosphere, casting and performances. The biggest mistake of the film is casting a Chinese Actress for the role of the Geisha, who is in the leading role of the film. She wears blue lenses just to create an impression of a blue-eyed Japanese woman, but everyone can see that those are not her real eyes. I wish they would have casted a Japanese woman with a natural beauty.
I am not going to get into details, but I didn't like how Japanese men and women are presented in the film and how Japan is represented as a nation. I asked myself the question; Geisha are trained all their life, and choose this as a life style for this kind of men? This also shows the social status of Japanese women. Even today, when you look at the Japanese culture, you can barely see women in higher positions in the society. All this comes down to their history and traditions. In this point of view, "Memoirs of a Geisha" is a very good example to understand modern Japan. Also, don't forget the fact that this is film is made by the Americans, and we know how they are willing to mislead the truth for their own benefits. Here, however, this is not the case because I have studied Japanese language and culture and I can vouch for the reality of this film.
Getting back to film, I have enjoyed the environment very much. The atmosphere makes you live in that era. Houses that are very close to each other, Sakura trees, narrow roads and transportation harmonize you with the mood of the film. "Memoirs of a Geisha" is a very realistic drama film. I mean, you really find yourself involved in the story. Two little girls are sold to a pleasure house and separated from each other. The one, whose memoirs we are watching, slowly reveals the real meaning of Geisha and its sacrifices. How she is used as a tool for the benefits of the men she used to entertain and love. After all, no matter how it is told in the film, Geisha are not really what they are presented to be. Soundtracks have a great influence in the story and its atmosphere. I have always found Japanese culture, traditions and history very peaceful, but this film made me question this a little bit. Even though what is told in the story may not be true, this is what I expect from a film. I would recommend this film for the people who are interested in Japanese life style. Also, this is a good source to see and feel the different, the sad face of Japan.
Once Upon a Time in the West
(1968)
There were three men in her life. One to take her... one to love her... and one to kill her.
4 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I always get anxious when I write about my favorite films because I am scared not to be able to be objective. "Once Upon a Time in the West" is one of those films where I talk only about strong points because this film has no mistakes. It is beautifully made and became one of the top films in the cinema industry. Right now, "Once Upon a Time in the West" stays on 36th place in IMDB's top 250 films and has a total point of 8.5. Just like the other films of Sergio Leone, like The Good, The Bad and The Ugly or Once Upon a Time in America; "Once Upon a Time in the West" is also a masterpiece. This is one of the films where you can easily guess the director if you have seen his previous films. He uses all his known techniques to their limits. I have mentioned those techniques of Sergio Leone while writing about his other films but it is no harm to mention them also here. He uses extreme close up shots to express the feelings of the characters whenever it is possible. All of those scenes are silent and much more expressive. He never fails to use beautiful soundtracks in those scenes. In Sergio Leone's films soundtracks are as important as any other component, therefore his collaboration with the composer Ennio Morricone was very important. Before, they have collaborated in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly as well, and if you have seen that film, you will understand the importance of his soundtracks.
The story, atmosphere, casting, performances and the set are very strong from all points of views. When I think about it, there is absolutely nothing bad in this film. The story focuses mostly on six main characters. Henry Fonda, as Frank, Claudia Cardinale, as Jill Mc Bain, Jason Robards, as Manuel 'Cheyenne' Gutierrez, Charles Bronson, as Harmonica and Gabriele Ferzetti, as the railroad Baron Morton. The story turns around these characters. They all have different backgrounds but their stories are connected with at least one of the other characters. These relations build a complex progress in the story. Most of the time nothing makes sense, you don't know the answer for a particular move. You don't know why they did that. But, the revelation of these mysteries is explained in such ways that you get to understand why this film is considered a masterpiece and why it was selected for the preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant." Such a complex story could not be told in a better way. After seeing all Sergio Leone's films, in my opinion this one is the best of all.
There is a piece of land in the middle of the desert. This place holds some water reserves that are essential for trains to continue on their journey. A guy buys this land, thinking to build a station there and get rich. However, railroad Baron Morton hires Frank to scare that man and his family to move out from there. Frank kills this guy and his three children in disguise as the bandits of Cheyenne. A couple of days later, Jill arrives in town as the dead guy's married wife and claims this land. In the meantime, Cheyenne tries to find out about the murder and who frame it on him. He meets a stranger in a bar who calls himself as Harmonica. He is also after Frank for a completely different reason. The story evolves and reveals everything towards the end. Morton, the railroad Baron, lives in a luxury train designed for him. He is a disabled man and hires people to do things for him. His death is the most iconic and the saddest part of the film. While his ultimate goal was to go on a cruise ship and see the ocean, he dies near a little muddy water. His constant sadness on his face during the film is one of the best examples of how reflection of feelings are the most important thing in Leone's films. The similar expressions are visible also on the faces of Henri Fonda and Charles Bronson. Henri Fonda is one of the most experienced actors when it comes to western. In this film his character is the bad guy. He has chosen this role of a bad guy in order to escape from his typical image. This is called casting against type. This is how Sergio Leone convinced Henry Fonda to star in his film. His cold blue eyes gave an amazing image for the character of Frank. The role of Harmonica was offered previously to Clint Eastwood but he rejected it. I don't think Clint Eastwood would have fitted for the role of Harmonica. It is nearly impossible to make a film like "Once Upon a Time in the West." You have a story in your head, but in order to reflect this story, you need to find the right casting who have the right amount of expressiveness in their faces and you need to create the right atmosphere for them and for the story and match them in harmony. You need to find the right soundtracks and use them in the right moments. Even if you have all of these components at your disposal, it is very hard to master them. Sergio Leone manages to do that, and this is the reason why his film is considered as one of the best films that was ever made. I have seen a lot of great stories that are wasted in the hands of untalented directors. Sergio Leone's complex style of storytelling must be shown to each and every director that wants to take place in the cinema industry.
The story, atmosphere, casting, performances and the set are very strong from all points of views. When I think about it, there is absolutely nothing bad in this film. The story focuses mostly on six main characters. Henry Fonda, as Frank, Claudia Cardinale, as Jill Mc Bain, Jason Robards, as Manuel 'Cheyenne' Gutierrez, Charles Bronson, as Harmonica and Gabriele Ferzetti, as the railroad Baron Morton. The story turns around these characters. They all have different backgrounds but their stories are connected with at least one of the other characters. These relations build a complex progress in the story. Most of the time nothing makes sense, you don't know the answer for a particular move. You don't know why they did that. But, the revelation of these mysteries is explained in such ways that you get to understand why this film is considered a masterpiece and why it was selected for the preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant." Such a complex story could not be told in a better way. After seeing all Sergio Leone's films, in my opinion this one is the best of all.
There is a piece of land in the middle of the desert. This place holds some water reserves that are essential for trains to continue on their journey. A guy buys this land, thinking to build a station there and get rich. However, railroad Baron Morton hires Frank to scare that man and his family to move out from there. Frank kills this guy and his three children in disguise as the bandits of Cheyenne. A couple of days later, Jill arrives in town as the dead guy's married wife and claims this land. In the meantime, Cheyenne tries to find out about the murder and who frame it on him. He meets a stranger in a bar who calls himself as Harmonica. He is also after Frank for a completely different reason. The story evolves and reveals everything towards the end. Morton, the railroad Baron, lives in a luxury train designed for him. He is a disabled man and hires people to do things for him. His death is the most iconic and the saddest part of the film. While his ultimate goal was to go on a cruise ship and see the ocean, he dies near a little muddy water. His constant sadness on his face during the film is one of the best examples of how reflection of feelings are the most important thing in Leone's films. The similar expressions are visible also on the faces of Henri Fonda and Charles Bronson. Henri Fonda is one of the most experienced actors when it comes to western. In this film his character is the bad guy. He has chosen this role of a bad guy in order to escape from his typical image. This is called casting against type. This is how Sergio Leone convinced Henry Fonda to star in his film. His cold blue eyes gave an amazing image for the character of Frank. The role of Harmonica was offered previously to Clint Eastwood but he rejected it. I don't think Clint Eastwood would have fitted for the role of Harmonica. It is nearly impossible to make a film like "Once Upon a Time in the West." You have a story in your head, but in order to reflect this story, you need to find the right casting who have the right amount of expressiveness in their faces and you need to create the right atmosphere for them and for the story and match them in harmony. You need to find the right soundtracks and use them in the right moments. Even if you have all of these components at your disposal, it is very hard to master them. Sergio Leone manages to do that, and this is the reason why his film is considered as one of the best films that was ever made. I have seen a lot of great stories that are wasted in the hands of untalented directors. Sergio Leone's complex style of storytelling must be shown to each and every director that wants to take place in the cinema industry.
Places in the Heart
(1984)
Peace, love and life don't have colors.
4 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Most films that are made in the 80's have special places in my heart. This is one of those films. Watching and getting familiarized with them tells a lot about the modern cinema. You can track the progress of great actors and actresses as well as the directors. I just finished watching "Places in the Heart," but it took me a lot of time to find this film. It is getting harder and harder to watch older films. Since this review will be the only source of this beautiful drama, I will try to write it good, so it will be a future reference for me. "Places in the Heart" is written and directed by Robert Benton, who is also known as the director and the screenplay writer of the five Oscar-winning film Kramer vs Kramer. "Places in the Heart" stars Sally Field, Ed Harris, John Malkovich, Lindsay Crouse and Danny Glover. Each and every performance is awesome in the film, but there must be a special note for Sally Field, as Edna Spalding, who plays the role of a widowed woman, left alone with her two kids in debt after her husband is shot. Her gestures and mimics help the atmosphere of the film a lot. There is a constant sorrow in her eyes and she really makes you forget the fact that she is actually acting. This performance got her an Academy Award for The Best Actress in a Leading Role, but it is not very easy to say that "Places in the Heart" is only about her. The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards including The Best Picture, Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, John Malkovich, which as a blind guy, really deserved to win this award, Best Director, Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Lindsay Crouse and Best Costume Design. The reason why I counted all the nominations was to show you that three out of seven nominations were for the individual performances. That being said, performances are one of the strongest points of the film, as well as the story. As I was saying, "Places in the Heart" doesn't focus on one story. What makes this film complete, is the fact that there are a lot of little pieces gathered together. Film focuses on Edna Spalding and her kids after her husband dies, how she tries to get the hold of things around her life and her house. In the meantime, Moses (Danny Glover) shows us the real struggles of black people in Texas, USA in 1930s while working for Mrs. Spalding, and, in my opinion, because of this reality, "Places in the Heart" was critically acclaimed. On the other hand, there is a story of a blind guy, Mr. Will (John Malkovich) who moves into Edna's house and help her with almost everything. Unrelated to the main story among these three, we witness some other side stories in the town of Waxahachie, Texas, and these seemingly unrelated stories, focus on the reality of the lives that were lived around that era of 1930s.
The harmony of side stories with the main story creates the strongest point of the film. As a drama and the atmosphere, "Places in the Heart" reminds me of Tender Mercies minus the songs. Soundtracks are not the strong points of this film, because it focuses on something directly related to the lives of white and black people once upon a time. The last scene of the film was in the church, where everyone, including the dead ones, gathered together drinking the wine and eating the bread. This somehow reveals the real purpose of the film. All the good and bad people are there together gathered around the god. "Places in the Heart" opens with a similar scene in the church. This film is a drama, it is a piece from real life, but in some scenes, I found myself unwillingly smiling. This is what happens to me when I watch a really good film. I always say for films like this, where nothing really happens, we just witness a period of time of some people's lives. "Places in the Heart" is a good example for this statement. Dresses and manners of people of that era are brilliant and real in the film, which made me ask, how we have arrived to the age of clowns from that era of gentlemen. To prove my statement, just go out sometime and observe people. The way they dress, the way they act and the way they talk will impress you. This is the beauty of old films. They help you make comparisons between eras, and make you understand and see towards where humanity is going. I know this has nothing to do with the film, but I had to mention this as well.
The harmony of side stories with the main story creates the strongest point of the film. As a drama and the atmosphere, "Places in the Heart" reminds me of Tender Mercies minus the songs. Soundtracks are not the strong points of this film, because it focuses on something directly related to the lives of white and black people once upon a time. The last scene of the film was in the church, where everyone, including the dead ones, gathered together drinking the wine and eating the bread. This somehow reveals the real purpose of the film. All the good and bad people are there together gathered around the god. "Places in the Heart" opens with a similar scene in the church. This film is a drama, it is a piece from real life, but in some scenes, I found myself unwillingly smiling. This is what happens to me when I watch a really good film. I always say for films like this, where nothing really happens, we just witness a period of time of some people's lives. "Places in the Heart" is a good example for this statement. Dresses and manners of people of that era are brilliant and real in the film, which made me ask, how we have arrived to the age of clowns from that era of gentlemen. To prove my statement, just go out sometime and observe people. The way they dress, the way they act and the way they talk will impress you. This is the beauty of old films. They help you make comparisons between eras, and make you understand and see towards where humanity is going. I know this has nothing to do with the film, but I had to mention this as well.
Ready Player One
(2018)
Accept your reality... or fight for a better one.
4 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I have seen "Ready Player One" last night after waiting for months and the film managed to respond to my expectations. "Ready Player One" is more of a pop-culture quiz where you test your knowledge about great films and references of the 70s and 80s. In every scene there is a reference to a film or an icon from Jurassic Park to Back to the Future, from Citizen Kane to Chucky. There are more than 300 references in the film to the pop culture and the more you catch these references, the more you trust your cinema knowledge. I felt pretty good about myself after I have seen this film. My favorite reference in the film was the Zemeckis Cube, which turns time 60 seconds back when used. If you can remember the fact that Back to the Future Trilogy was directed by Robert Zemeckis, that scene, were the cube is used, will make a huge sense. I had a lot of fun watching "Ready Player One." Directed and produced by Steven Spielberg, "Ready Player One" is based on the novel with the same name by Ernest Cline. Unfortunately, I have not read the book, but I heard that there are some certain differences between the book and the film. If you are a reader, this fact shouldn't surprise you because there is hardly a film that can catch up with the quality details of a book.
"Ready Player One" opens in the year 2045. World looks like a post-apocalyptic place. Even big cities look like slums. Everything is unorganized, and everyone seems unhappy. People live their lives in virtual environments and avoid reality. This visual challenge is supported by the narrator's explanations in the beginning of the film. OASIS is the most popular game where everyone seems to play. You wear your high-tech gaming glasses and enter in the universe of OASIS where you can do anything you want or be anyone you want. There are no limits. You collect coins and upgrade your life standards in the game. When the creator of this universe, James "Anorak" Halliday (Mark Rylance) dies, he puts an Easter Egg, somewhere in this universe and challenge players to find it. The first person to find this egg will be the owner of the game. In order to find this egg, you need to collect three keys by solving different puzzles. Protagonist Parzival (Tye Sheridan) and his friends start this journey, but in the end, they realize they are up against a much bigger challenge.
The story seems to be classic one. I would like to call it a fairytale of modern times. I liked the combination of real life characters with their virtual duplicates. "Ready Player One" is progressing mostly in the virtual environment supported by computer animations, and sometimes it goes back to real life with real people. It is quite a fact that, people are getting attached to technology more and more each day. Due to the advanced technology and lack of trust among people, we start to enjoy solitude. I am one of those guys. I prefer my books and films to human interactions. Because there are expectations in the real life, but to be honest, I also envied the friendship in the film. In his film, Steven Spielberg promotes the idea of "living in the real life because it is real". "Ready Player One" shares this message out loud. This is the purpose of the film. He is using a highly advanced computer game to warn people against it, however this change is unavoidable because everyone is aware of this, and even so, they get more attached to it each day. People are happy indoors, they feel safe in the unsafe world. This is the main purpose of this change towards solitude.
Computer generated images and scenes are the strongest points of the film. There is a constant action, which will satisfy the fans of the action genre. The idea of the film is unique and equally amazing. While Spielberg follows a path in his film, he takes a lot of detours and shares pop culture references to aim for a less serious and more entertaining film. "Ready Player One" is one of the best films where you can see where the cinema technology is today. My favorite part of the film was, when the group enters in the Overlook Hotel in The Shining Universe, because The Shining is one of my favorite books. Strange enough, I find an unexplainable peace in that ghost hotel. With its atmosphere, message and soundtracks, as well as everything I have counted above, "Ready Player One" is a visual example of what is going to happen within the next 30 years. If I will be alive I can't wait to compare the film with the reality of 2045.
"Ready Player One" opens in the year 2045. World looks like a post-apocalyptic place. Even big cities look like slums. Everything is unorganized, and everyone seems unhappy. People live their lives in virtual environments and avoid reality. This visual challenge is supported by the narrator's explanations in the beginning of the film. OASIS is the most popular game where everyone seems to play. You wear your high-tech gaming glasses and enter in the universe of OASIS where you can do anything you want or be anyone you want. There are no limits. You collect coins and upgrade your life standards in the game. When the creator of this universe, James "Anorak" Halliday (Mark Rylance) dies, he puts an Easter Egg, somewhere in this universe and challenge players to find it. The first person to find this egg will be the owner of the game. In order to find this egg, you need to collect three keys by solving different puzzles. Protagonist Parzival (Tye Sheridan) and his friends start this journey, but in the end, they realize they are up against a much bigger challenge.
The story seems to be classic one. I would like to call it a fairytale of modern times. I liked the combination of real life characters with their virtual duplicates. "Ready Player One" is progressing mostly in the virtual environment supported by computer animations, and sometimes it goes back to real life with real people. It is quite a fact that, people are getting attached to technology more and more each day. Due to the advanced technology and lack of trust among people, we start to enjoy solitude. I am one of those guys. I prefer my books and films to human interactions. Because there are expectations in the real life, but to be honest, I also envied the friendship in the film. In his film, Steven Spielberg promotes the idea of "living in the real life because it is real". "Ready Player One" shares this message out loud. This is the purpose of the film. He is using a highly advanced computer game to warn people against it, however this change is unavoidable because everyone is aware of this, and even so, they get more attached to it each day. People are happy indoors, they feel safe in the unsafe world. This is the main purpose of this change towards solitude.
Computer generated images and scenes are the strongest points of the film. There is a constant action, which will satisfy the fans of the action genre. The idea of the film is unique and equally amazing. While Spielberg follows a path in his film, he takes a lot of detours and shares pop culture references to aim for a less serious and more entertaining film. "Ready Player One" is one of the best films where you can see where the cinema technology is today. My favorite part of the film was, when the group enters in the Overlook Hotel in The Shining Universe, because The Shining is one of my favorite books. Strange enough, I find an unexplainable peace in that ghost hotel. With its atmosphere, message and soundtracks, as well as everything I have counted above, "Ready Player One" is a visual example of what is going to happen within the next 30 years. If I will be alive I can't wait to compare the film with the reality of 2045.
Serendipity
(2001)
Destiny ... With A Sense of Humor.
4 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
"Serendipity" was not in my mind until a friend of mine recommended it last night. So, tonight I have seen it. It has 91 minutes of runtime, but it took more than two hours for me to finish it because almost each scene reminded me of something, therefore, I constantly needed to stop the film and take notes. So, in this review I am going to write mostly about those notes and thoughts.
I had a couple of interactions with John Cusack in films like, 2012, 1403 and Hot Tub Time Machine, and decided that I don't really like his way of acting. He always seems cold and distant. I always failed to have a connection with him. "Serendipity" is the film where I made peace with him. Even though it is not a performance oriented film, I have enjoyed the chemistry between him and Kate Beckinsale. "Serendipity" is directed by Peter Chelsom. It was made with a budget of $28 Million and grossed around $77.5 Million. Even though it was made in the beginning of the 21st century, 2001, it still has the clear and relaxing atmosphere of the 90s romantic and comedies. "Serendipity" is a spiritually beautiful film just like its name. I didn't know the meaning of Serendipity, and after the film, I checked and found the following description; "the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way." Now the name makes perfect sense compared with its story.
As I have mentioned above, "Serendipity" was made in 2001. Back then, English actress Kate Beckinsale was 28 years old. In one of the scenes Jonathan's (John Cusack) best friend tells him that "British women do not age well." Today, in the year 2018, Kate Beckinsale is 45 years old and still incredibly beautiful. Jonathan's best friend's statement is probably the only thing that is wrong about this film. Because of the high-level predictability, I found the story a bit boring. But, extremely romantic scenes, in the most unexpected times, made it up to me. It is a well-balanced film, and intended to be made with good and happy thoughts. I am one of those people who believe nothing really bad happens during the Christmas time. "Serendipity" starts in one of those peaceful moments in Christmas where everyone shops for their loved ones. So, based on my early theory, this film is going to be calm, good and peaceful. At the end of the film, I was proud to see that my theory turned out to be true. It was indeed calm, good and peaceful. In one of the scenes Sara (Kate Beckinsale) explains what a soul mate really means. She says that "I honestly think it's dangerous to use term "soul mate". It implies there's some magical element that we have no control over like fate or destiny. I think holding onto beliefs like that stops us doing the real work." She agrees for the fact that this is a special term and must be used only about someone really special. She tries to protect this special term from turning out to be like "I Love You" which, unfortunately, lost all its meaning long time ago and became a meaningless, empty statement. Sara is a woman who still believes in special things like love, fate, destiny and soul mate. This is the inner beauty of Sara, this is the beauty of "Serendipity."
Both Jonathan and Sara have ideal partners who love and adore them, but when something doesn't supposed to happen, it is not going to happen. No matter how perfect things may seem, if those things are not in your destiny, they are not going to happen, or on the contrary, if something is meant to happen, it will happen no matter what. You may agree on this or not, but this is the only message "Serendipity" believes in, and shares with you. That being said, when you are making a film based on destiny, then you really need a character like Sara. In this point of view, character profiles are one of the strongest point of the film, as well as the beautiful soundtracks which are mandatory for a film like this.
"Serendipity" is going to shake some things up in your soul. It is a great film for a cold and rainy evening, and even a perfect one for the Christmas time. I had a lot of fun watching it. It is going to make you believe in something. After all, maybe I was destined to watch this film tonight. Who knows?
I had a couple of interactions with John Cusack in films like, 2012, 1403 and Hot Tub Time Machine, and decided that I don't really like his way of acting. He always seems cold and distant. I always failed to have a connection with him. "Serendipity" is the film where I made peace with him. Even though it is not a performance oriented film, I have enjoyed the chemistry between him and Kate Beckinsale. "Serendipity" is directed by Peter Chelsom. It was made with a budget of $28 Million and grossed around $77.5 Million. Even though it was made in the beginning of the 21st century, 2001, it still has the clear and relaxing atmosphere of the 90s romantic and comedies. "Serendipity" is a spiritually beautiful film just like its name. I didn't know the meaning of Serendipity, and after the film, I checked and found the following description; "the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way." Now the name makes perfect sense compared with its story.
As I have mentioned above, "Serendipity" was made in 2001. Back then, English actress Kate Beckinsale was 28 years old. In one of the scenes Jonathan's (John Cusack) best friend tells him that "British women do not age well." Today, in the year 2018, Kate Beckinsale is 45 years old and still incredibly beautiful. Jonathan's best friend's statement is probably the only thing that is wrong about this film. Because of the high-level predictability, I found the story a bit boring. But, extremely romantic scenes, in the most unexpected times, made it up to me. It is a well-balanced film, and intended to be made with good and happy thoughts. I am one of those people who believe nothing really bad happens during the Christmas time. "Serendipity" starts in one of those peaceful moments in Christmas where everyone shops for their loved ones. So, based on my early theory, this film is going to be calm, good and peaceful. At the end of the film, I was proud to see that my theory turned out to be true. It was indeed calm, good and peaceful. In one of the scenes Sara (Kate Beckinsale) explains what a soul mate really means. She says that "I honestly think it's dangerous to use term "soul mate". It implies there's some magical element that we have no control over like fate or destiny. I think holding onto beliefs like that stops us doing the real work." She agrees for the fact that this is a special term and must be used only about someone really special. She tries to protect this special term from turning out to be like "I Love You" which, unfortunately, lost all its meaning long time ago and became a meaningless, empty statement. Sara is a woman who still believes in special things like love, fate, destiny and soul mate. This is the inner beauty of Sara, this is the beauty of "Serendipity."
Both Jonathan and Sara have ideal partners who love and adore them, but when something doesn't supposed to happen, it is not going to happen. No matter how perfect things may seem, if those things are not in your destiny, they are not going to happen, or on the contrary, if something is meant to happen, it will happen no matter what. You may agree on this or not, but this is the only message "Serendipity" believes in, and shares with you. That being said, when you are making a film based on destiny, then you really need a character like Sara. In this point of view, character profiles are one of the strongest point of the film, as well as the beautiful soundtracks which are mandatory for a film like this.
"Serendipity" is going to shake some things up in your soul. It is a great film for a cold and rainy evening, and even a perfect one for the Christmas time. I had a lot of fun watching it. It is going to make you believe in something. After all, maybe I was destined to watch this film tonight. Who knows?
Tender Mercies
(1983)
Robert Duvall is Mac Sledge, His fight for respect was just beginning.
4 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
"Tender Mercies" is the story of a recovering alcoholic country singer who used to be famous once upon a time. He looks for a way to get his life back, and the story focuses on a certain period of his life. "Tender Mercies" is a drama film directed by Bruce Beresford and nominated for five Academy Awards including the Best Picture, and won 2 of them, Best Original Screenplay, Horton Foote, and Best Actor in a Leading Role, Robert Duvall. There are some films that focus only on one person. "Tender Mercies" is a splendid example of films like that. Robert Duvall's performance determines the success of the film. "Tender Mercies" has a very calm atmosphere. Nothing extreme or illogical happens. It is one of the films where you really believe in the story and the people in it. You accept the leading actor as one of your own. Sometimes you even get to ask yourself "why I watched this story?" "Tender Mercies" is like that. Maybe the story has nothing to do with you but it has everything to do with life. This is the main reason why it was nominated for five Academy Awards. The director is very much focused on the main character and ignores everything else. This creates a smooth and flowing progression for the story. The runtime of 92 minutes is very well calculated. This film is like the life itself. It is a part of life. You feel like nothing really happens, but eventually realize that a lot has changed around you. I think I can't describe "Tender Mercies" in a better way. Even though it is a drama, since it tells the story of a singer, you are going to hear a lot of beautiful country songs.
Mac Sledge (Robert Duvall) was, once upon a time, famous country singer and song writer. He lost his family and career to alcohol. The film opens with a scene where he fights with a guy, in a remote hotel room, over a bottle of alcohol. Next day when he wakes up, he finds out that he doesn't have money to pay for his room. The owner of the motel, Rosa Lee, (Tess Harper) is a young widow who lost her husband in the Vietnam War and remained with her son Sonny (Allan Hubbard). Mac offers help for the motel to pay for his room. Rosa Lee agrees and he starts working there. After a couple of months, Mac recovers from alcohol and gets married to Rosa Lee.
In a lot of scenes, we witness the inner screams of Mac. Rosa Lee and Sonny help him get back to his real self, and Mac proves to have a strong character. He starts to write music, he starts to sing again. He makes up with his daughter who dies in a car crash later on. There are a lot of scenes where he shows exceptional performances, but there is one particular scene which, I think, brings him the Oscar. This scene explains the unfairness of life and inner pains of Mac as well. I want to write a bit about this scene. Mac finds out about his daughter's death, he is in the garden, caring for vegetables and he tells his wife these exact words; "I don't know why I wandered out this part of Texas drunk, and you took me in and pitied me and helped me to straighten out, marry me. Why? Why did that happen? Is there a reason that happened? And Sonny's daddy died in the war, my daughter killed in an automobile accident. Why? See, I don't trust happiness. I never did; I never will." This scene is the whole summary of the film. This is exactly what I meant when I said; "Tender Mercies" is a part of real life. How many times I have asked related questions to myself. The justice has an unusual way of working, and it will never be truly understood. Mac has seen everything in his life, that's why he doesn't trust happiness. When you live long enough, survive long enough, you learn not to trust happiness. Because no one can hurt you anymore when you have no expectations. These feeling are the best examples of the reality of "Tender Mercies."
"Tender Mercies" was made with a humble budget of $4.5 Million and grossed around $8.4 Million. These kinds of films don't have financial targets, they don't have big marketing campaigns. They are as silent as the characters in it. This is the beauty of "Tender Mercies." It is a notable example of the fact that you don't need a lot of money to make a good film. As for similarity, Randy Robinson, played by Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler, and, Bad Blake played by Jeff Bridges in the Crazy Heart, have similar inner struggles. Since these stories are directly about people, they will always have a respectful place in cinema.
Mac Sledge (Robert Duvall) was, once upon a time, famous country singer and song writer. He lost his family and career to alcohol. The film opens with a scene where he fights with a guy, in a remote hotel room, over a bottle of alcohol. Next day when he wakes up, he finds out that he doesn't have money to pay for his room. The owner of the motel, Rosa Lee, (Tess Harper) is a young widow who lost her husband in the Vietnam War and remained with her son Sonny (Allan Hubbard). Mac offers help for the motel to pay for his room. Rosa Lee agrees and he starts working there. After a couple of months, Mac recovers from alcohol and gets married to Rosa Lee.
In a lot of scenes, we witness the inner screams of Mac. Rosa Lee and Sonny help him get back to his real self, and Mac proves to have a strong character. He starts to write music, he starts to sing again. He makes up with his daughter who dies in a car crash later on. There are a lot of scenes where he shows exceptional performances, but there is one particular scene which, I think, brings him the Oscar. This scene explains the unfairness of life and inner pains of Mac as well. I want to write a bit about this scene. Mac finds out about his daughter's death, he is in the garden, caring for vegetables and he tells his wife these exact words; "I don't know why I wandered out this part of Texas drunk, and you took me in and pitied me and helped me to straighten out, marry me. Why? Why did that happen? Is there a reason that happened? And Sonny's daddy died in the war, my daughter killed in an automobile accident. Why? See, I don't trust happiness. I never did; I never will." This scene is the whole summary of the film. This is exactly what I meant when I said; "Tender Mercies" is a part of real life. How many times I have asked related questions to myself. The justice has an unusual way of working, and it will never be truly understood. Mac has seen everything in his life, that's why he doesn't trust happiness. When you live long enough, survive long enough, you learn not to trust happiness. Because no one can hurt you anymore when you have no expectations. These feeling are the best examples of the reality of "Tender Mercies."
"Tender Mercies" was made with a humble budget of $4.5 Million and grossed around $8.4 Million. These kinds of films don't have financial targets, they don't have big marketing campaigns. They are as silent as the characters in it. This is the beauty of "Tender Mercies." It is a notable example of the fact that you don't need a lot of money to make a good film. As for similarity, Randy Robinson, played by Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler, and, Bad Blake played by Jeff Bridges in the Crazy Heart, have similar inner struggles. Since these stories are directly about people, they will always have a respectful place in cinema.
The Equalizer 2
(2018)
I'm your father. You mama forgot to tell you about me.
4 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
There is a huge debate going on among the critics about when to write a film review. Some say it is best to wait for a couple of days for your feelings to settle so that you can write an objective review, where others claim it is best to write the review right after you have seen the film. I prefer to write the review within the next 24 hours after seeing the film, because my feelings and observations don't change in time. I have seen "The Equalizer 2" in the late-night viewing last night. For the first time, I have been to the cinema to watch Hereditary by myself and loved the experience and decided to do it again with "The Equalizer 2." Late-night cinema experience was equally beautiful, but I can't say the same thing for the film. Despite my high expectations, "The Equalizer 2" turned out to be a film I would not see for the second time. In the first film, the story and the character that the story was built on, was strong. In "The Equalizer 2," I constantly had the feeling that the main character is a totally different person. I can agree on the fact that the story is going to be different, even unrelated to the first film, but the main character must build some kind of connection with the first film's main character if you are making a sequel. They are the same people, with the same personality, same thoughts and feelings. I failed to catch this connection, and this is the main reason why I didn't like "The Equalizer 2."
This time we see Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) as a Lyft driver. He has this job to help people in need, without a particular purpose, with the help of his dear friend Susan (Melissa Leo). He is like the modern Robin Hood. Robert is bored and he doesn't value his life. He is the guardian angel of the people in need. Film opens with a scene on a train in Turkey where he kills several men and saves the daughter of an American from his Turkish father who kidnaps her and brings her to Turkey. In the film there are no police who investigate all the killings done by Robert. As far as I know, Robert doesn't belong to any organization anymore, and I wonder how he gets away from all these killings. He delivers justice, but the rest is not taken into consideration. Everyone needs a hero like this, but this hero has nothing to do with the reality. We know that he is a professional killer who can speak a lot of languages, and for some reason, everything happens in the exact moments that fits him. He makes a plan and everything goes smoothly. The materials he uses to kill all those people, and the people who he kills are exactly where they are supposed to be at all times. All these actions and situations pull the reality of the film down. "The Equalizer 2" is a superhero film which has nothing to do with the real life, just like other superhero films. It is intended to be a serious action film, but if you take this film serious, a lot of things I have mentioned above are not going to make any sense. If you can manage to treat "The Equalizer 2" as an ordinary action/thriller film, you may get satisfied, but this is pretty much it.
There are a lot of similarities between Taken and "The Equalizer 2." I have mentioned this while I was writing for the first film as well, but the similarities are even more obvious in this one. In the first film, Russians were the bad guys, here, American secret agents are the bad guys. First film was criticized for being too violent, but "The Equalizer 2" is even more violent than the first one. In "The Equalizer 2," we get to familiarize ourselves with Robert, deeper. We get to understand who he truly is and what is his purpose in life. He is more than just a random retired secret agent with a set of skills, who helps random people in need. He is more than that, he is empty and doesn't expect anything from life anymore. His random deeds are the biggest examples of my thesis about him. This is also the main reason why I find differences between his characters in both film. He was still the same empty guy who was helping people, but in this one, he really doesn't care about anything anymore. He is just a killer with an empty soul.
"The Equalizer 2" is the fourth collaboration between Denzel Washington and Antoine Fuqua, after The Equalizer, Training Day and The Magnificent Seven. "The Equalizer 2" is still watchable, it is still entertaining, and it is still action packed, but it fails to create a credibility and fails to establish a balance with the first film. It wasn't a waste of time, but I wouldn't lose anything if I wouldn't have watched it either.
This time we see Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) as a Lyft driver. He has this job to help people in need, without a particular purpose, with the help of his dear friend Susan (Melissa Leo). He is like the modern Robin Hood. Robert is bored and he doesn't value his life. He is the guardian angel of the people in need. Film opens with a scene on a train in Turkey where he kills several men and saves the daughter of an American from his Turkish father who kidnaps her and brings her to Turkey. In the film there are no police who investigate all the killings done by Robert. As far as I know, Robert doesn't belong to any organization anymore, and I wonder how he gets away from all these killings. He delivers justice, but the rest is not taken into consideration. Everyone needs a hero like this, but this hero has nothing to do with the reality. We know that he is a professional killer who can speak a lot of languages, and for some reason, everything happens in the exact moments that fits him. He makes a plan and everything goes smoothly. The materials he uses to kill all those people, and the people who he kills are exactly where they are supposed to be at all times. All these actions and situations pull the reality of the film down. "The Equalizer 2" is a superhero film which has nothing to do with the real life, just like other superhero films. It is intended to be a serious action film, but if you take this film serious, a lot of things I have mentioned above are not going to make any sense. If you can manage to treat "The Equalizer 2" as an ordinary action/thriller film, you may get satisfied, but this is pretty much it.
There are a lot of similarities between Taken and "The Equalizer 2." I have mentioned this while I was writing for the first film as well, but the similarities are even more obvious in this one. In the first film, Russians were the bad guys, here, American secret agents are the bad guys. First film was criticized for being too violent, but "The Equalizer 2" is even more violent than the first one. In "The Equalizer 2," we get to familiarize ourselves with Robert, deeper. We get to understand who he truly is and what is his purpose in life. He is more than just a random retired secret agent with a set of skills, who helps random people in need. He is more than that, he is empty and doesn't expect anything from life anymore. His random deeds are the biggest examples of my thesis about him. This is also the main reason why I find differences between his characters in both film. He was still the same empty guy who was helping people, but in this one, he really doesn't care about anything anymore. He is just a killer with an empty soul.
"The Equalizer 2" is the fourth collaboration between Denzel Washington and Antoine Fuqua, after The Equalizer, Training Day and The Magnificent Seven. "The Equalizer 2" is still watchable, it is still entertaining, and it is still action packed, but it fails to create a credibility and fails to establish a balance with the first film. It wasn't a waste of time, but I wouldn't lose anything if I wouldn't have watched it either.
The Equalizer
(2014)
What do you see when you look at me?
4 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Mark Twain once said; "The two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why." "The Equalizer" opens with this quote. This quote reveals the purpose of the film and what to expect from it. In the first 10 minutes of the story, we get an intense character depiction of Robert "Bob" McCall (Denzel Washington). This description is very important for the development and progression of the film. Robert is a perfectionist and overly organized. He lives alone and works at a construction store. He has insomnia and when he can't sleep, he goes down to a 24/7 diner where he drinks tea and reads. In the beginning of the film he reads The Old Man and The Sea from Ernest Hemingway. If you know this book, you can easily relate the old man to him. His inner thoughts and dilemmas are similar to the old man's. Actually, in the first 10 minutes of the film, director Antoine Fuqua tells you more or less everything you need to know about Robert. After this point, nothing surprises you in the means of his life and actions. During his visits to the diner, he creates a special bond with a young Russian hooker Alina (Chloe Grace Moretz). They mostly discuss about the book and its effects on the real life. One night when Alina is beaten up and sent to hospital, he visits the Russian Mafia, who are selling her, and offer them $9800 to let her go. They refuse the money and after a little talk he kills all the five men in the room brutally in 19 seconds. The film actually starts after this point. This scene proofs that Robert is not an ordinary man, but a professional killer.
"The Equalizer" is a one man show. It is one man against the Russian mafia. This time, an American hero saves a Russian girl from the Russians. I normally hate this kind of stories where Americans are the good guys and Russians are the bad. Cold war is over and they keep making films like this. However, this one time, I will pass on this fact because the story is much more complex than just the Americans and Russians. Also, the main actor is one of my favorite actors of all time. I know this approach is not professional but I am not a professional critic anyway. As I said Robert is a highly trained killer. Through the story, we find out that he is a retired CIA black ops operative. He tries to live a quiet life, but this kind of guys can never be left alone. The more they try to stay away from trouble, the more trouble finds them. "The Equalizer" is a story of a guy like that.
The story of "The Equalizer" is like a chess game. Both sides are trying very hard to win. They both think before they act and there is a constant attempt for anticipation of the opponent's move. This is the strongest point of the story. "The Equalizer" has the same idea as in John Wick or Taken series. There is one man against everyone else. The film is action packed and highly entertaining. It is maybe a little brutal but this doesn't change the course of the film. The soundtracks are equally beautiful. "The Equalizer" was loosely based on the 80s TV series of the same name. A couple of days ago, "The Equalizer" 2 was released, and tonight I am going to see it. This was the main reason why I have seen "The Equalizer" for the third time. After tonight, I am going to write also about the second film. No matter how cheesy they can get, I like stories like this. People like Robert are revengeful. No matter how good and fair they are, once you do something bad to them or to their loved ones, they never hesitate to go until the end.
Denzel Washington's performance is outstanding and it sets the limits for the film. In films like "The Equalizer," leading role performance is as important as the story itself, because everything is based on this performance. To be honest, I don't recall a bad film from Denzel Washington. I find a lot of similarities between him and Morgan Freeman. Washington's performance is not the only outstanding performance in the film. Marton Csokas, as Teddy Rensen/Nicolai Itchenko, puts an amazing performance as the villain of the film as well. He plays a highly trained sociopath. His performance makes an enormous difference. When both the good and the bad guy's performances are harmonized with a good story, you get to see a film like "The Equalizer."
"The Equalizer" is a one man show. It is one man against the Russian mafia. This time, an American hero saves a Russian girl from the Russians. I normally hate this kind of stories where Americans are the good guys and Russians are the bad. Cold war is over and they keep making films like this. However, this one time, I will pass on this fact because the story is much more complex than just the Americans and Russians. Also, the main actor is one of my favorite actors of all time. I know this approach is not professional but I am not a professional critic anyway. As I said Robert is a highly trained killer. Through the story, we find out that he is a retired CIA black ops operative. He tries to live a quiet life, but this kind of guys can never be left alone. The more they try to stay away from trouble, the more trouble finds them. "The Equalizer" is a story of a guy like that.
The story of "The Equalizer" is like a chess game. Both sides are trying very hard to win. They both think before they act and there is a constant attempt for anticipation of the opponent's move. This is the strongest point of the story. "The Equalizer" has the same idea as in John Wick or Taken series. There is one man against everyone else. The film is action packed and highly entertaining. It is maybe a little brutal but this doesn't change the course of the film. The soundtracks are equally beautiful. "The Equalizer" was loosely based on the 80s TV series of the same name. A couple of days ago, "The Equalizer" 2 was released, and tonight I am going to see it. This was the main reason why I have seen "The Equalizer" for the third time. After tonight, I am going to write also about the second film. No matter how cheesy they can get, I like stories like this. People like Robert are revengeful. No matter how good and fair they are, once you do something bad to them or to their loved ones, they never hesitate to go until the end.
Denzel Washington's performance is outstanding and it sets the limits for the film. In films like "The Equalizer," leading role performance is as important as the story itself, because everything is based on this performance. To be honest, I don't recall a bad film from Denzel Washington. I find a lot of similarities between him and Morgan Freeman. Washington's performance is not the only outstanding performance in the film. Marton Csokas, as Teddy Rensen/Nicolai Itchenko, puts an amazing performance as the villain of the film as well. He plays a highly trained sociopath. His performance makes an enormous difference. When both the good and the bad guy's performances are harmonized with a good story, you get to see a film like "The Equalizer."
They formed an alliance of hate to steal a fortune in dead man's gold.
4 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
"The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" is the 3rd and the last film of Sergio Leone's Dollars trilogy which is also known as The Man with No Name. It is one of the best western films of all time, in my opinion the best. After this film, Clint Eastwood began to be recognized as an International film star. The film opens with a very familiar theme song composed by Ennio Morricone. I have heard this soundtrack a lot of times in other films, commercials and games. This instrumental soundtrack is one of the most iconic scores in the film history. When this theme song is combined with the presence of Clint Eastwood, as Blondie, it is even more meaningful. After the two films of the trilogy, I became familiar with Sergio Leone and his directing style. He uses extreme facial close-ups to express the feelings of a person without using conversations. He also uses long shots for the same purpose. Just by looking at the face of the actor from up close, you get to understand how he feels. In his films you get to see a lot of silent but expressive scenes. Take the last scene in the cemetery as an example. Before shooting starts, camera moves from one face to another, from one pistol to another. This scene starts with full long body shots and ends with extreme close ups to the eyes. This takes more than 4 minutes, and creates one of the most iconic scene of the film.
When I watch a film, I don't pay much attention to the technical details. I like to write about how a film makes me feel and why. But here, it was impossible not to talk about his directing style, which changes the course of the film completely. Once again, the soundtracks including not only the theme song, are all over the story, which makes the audience feel the tense of a particular scene. Sergio Leone is one of the directors who uses soundtracks as a power over the story. With all the struggles during the filming of the trilogy, after "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly," he managed to put his name as one of the best directors of all times. The film was made with a budget of $1.2 Million and grossed over $25 Million. While I am writing this review, "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" stands on the 9th place in IMDB's top 250 films of all times. The story is intense, the performances are amazing and the atmosphere is real. This film has everything that a film must have in order to be considered a masterpiece
"The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" opens with three different scenes, where we get to meet The Ugly, The Bad and The Good respectively. All three scenes take around 30 minutes, and if I haven't counted wrong, a total of 9 people die, three per character. Sergio Leone uses first scenes of his films to introduce us the main characters of his story. He uses this storytelling technique in all his three films. By doing this, he prepares us to the real plot, and creates a credibility over his main characters. The role of The Ugly, Tuco, is played by Eli Wallach. At first, I found this choice surprising, and if I wouldn't have seen the actors, I would have named Gian Maria Volonte, as The Bad, Clint Eastwood as The Good and Lee Van Cleef as The Ugly. But, in the end of the film, I have seen that the casting choices are exactly how they are supposed to be. Tuco is the most distinctive character of the film and Lee Van Cleef couldn't have performed well in this role. In the first two films, Gian Maria Volonte was the main villain of the story. When you look at "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly," there is actually no villain in it, therefore it makes sense why he was left out.
"The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" has an easy plot. It is about three gunmen who go after 200K Dollars buried in a cemetery. The story takes place during the Civil War in America. Even though the main characters have nothing to do with it, the story of "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly," evolves around the Civil War. The adventures of these gunmen, on their journey to the cemetery, are interrupted a lot of times because of the war. In these scenes, Sergio Leone shows us the real effects of the war on people. Destroyed towns, lost lives and killed people are focus points of the story. It is fascinating, how you get to see the realities of the American Civil War, in an Italian made film. From all points of views, "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" is a masterpiece which all cinema fans must see.
When I watch a film, I don't pay much attention to the technical details. I like to write about how a film makes me feel and why. But here, it was impossible not to talk about his directing style, which changes the course of the film completely. Once again, the soundtracks including not only the theme song, are all over the story, which makes the audience feel the tense of a particular scene. Sergio Leone is one of the directors who uses soundtracks as a power over the story. With all the struggles during the filming of the trilogy, after "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly," he managed to put his name as one of the best directors of all times. The film was made with a budget of $1.2 Million and grossed over $25 Million. While I am writing this review, "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" stands on the 9th place in IMDB's top 250 films of all times. The story is intense, the performances are amazing and the atmosphere is real. This film has everything that a film must have in order to be considered a masterpiece
"The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" opens with three different scenes, where we get to meet The Ugly, The Bad and The Good respectively. All three scenes take around 30 minutes, and if I haven't counted wrong, a total of 9 people die, three per character. Sergio Leone uses first scenes of his films to introduce us the main characters of his story. He uses this storytelling technique in all his three films. By doing this, he prepares us to the real plot, and creates a credibility over his main characters. The role of The Ugly, Tuco, is played by Eli Wallach. At first, I found this choice surprising, and if I wouldn't have seen the actors, I would have named Gian Maria Volonte, as The Bad, Clint Eastwood as The Good and Lee Van Cleef as The Ugly. But, in the end of the film, I have seen that the casting choices are exactly how they are supposed to be. Tuco is the most distinctive character of the film and Lee Van Cleef couldn't have performed well in this role. In the first two films, Gian Maria Volonte was the main villain of the story. When you look at "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly," there is actually no villain in it, therefore it makes sense why he was left out.
"The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" has an easy plot. It is about three gunmen who go after 200K Dollars buried in a cemetery. The story takes place during the Civil War in America. Even though the main characters have nothing to do with it, the story of "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly," evolves around the Civil War. The adventures of these gunmen, on their journey to the cemetery, are interrupted a lot of times because of the war. In these scenes, Sergio Leone shows us the real effects of the war on people. Destroyed towns, lost lives and killed people are focus points of the story. It is fascinating, how you get to see the realities of the American Civil War, in an Italian made film. From all points of views, "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" is a masterpiece which all cinema fans must see.
The Outlaw Josey Wales
(1976)
... an army of one
4 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I have never seen a film where everything begins so fast. When 4th minute was over, Josey's wife and son had already been killed and buried. In these moments, "The Outlaw Josey Wales," fails to focus on the feelings of a father who just lost his family to the Union Soldiers. In almost all the Eastwood films, feelings are very well hidden. They are always there, but buried deep inside of him. I understand that is the image Clint Eastwood tries to develop in his films, especially after Dollars Trilogy, but neglecting to show the real feelings of a father and a husband, who just lost his family, is not something acceptable, especially when you make a film about revenge. After this scene, he joins the Confederate Guerillas and intro of the film starts. Even from the very beginning, Clint Eastwood, as a director, makes clear that his film is not about mourning but revenge, and Josey Wales is there to make this happen.
"The Outlaw Josey Wales" is a Western road trip film. After Josey's comrades surrender to Northern troops and are murdered violently, he becomes a fugitive and continues his journey by himself, as an outlaw. He heads out to the west, refusing to be a part of a (non-existing) civilization, and on the road, he meets Native Americans and other people from different backgrounds and becomes their leader. "The Outlaw Josey Wales" takes place in a period where the civil war has recently finished but the echoes can still be heard. Country is in complete mess, no one knows what they are doing. On the roads people kill each other without problem. As I said Josey Wales, is an outlaw who refuses to surrender. During the film, he is constantly followed by troops and bounty hunters because of the price for his head. It seems like he is one of the most dangerous people in the United States of America at that time. He has no problem killing dozens of people in the same time. He is a talented gunman and a natural born leader.
Josey Wales has the same level of masculinity and coolness like most of Eastwood characters. He hides his face in the shadows, he spits tobacco on his victims and animals, he talks very little and creates a continuous mystery. These signs are the trademarks of the Clint Eastwood characters. These days I am focusing mostly on Clint Eastwood-made films, and I have the feeling that films change, but main character remains the same. "The Outlaw Josey Wales" is also directed by him and we can see his development in the means of story and directing style in this film. There is a constant progress in his stories which I like. Different people with different backgrounds cross their paths with him during his journey west. Each character has a story to tell, and from these stories we understand that, no matter from which side you are, you suffer from the disastrous results of war. "The Outlaw Josey Wales" is a Western film with a great deal of drama in it. How lives were destroyed overnight, how civilization turns its back to Native Americans and how they were kicked out of their homelands are some side subjects of the story.
"The Outlaw Josey Wales" is one of the most realistic films that shows the consequences of the American Civil War. That's why in 1996, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry of the Library Congress, for being deemed culturally and historically significant. I have particularly like the photography of Bruce Surtees. It manages to show real life struggles of post war environment and beauty of the western life and I think this is very important for a film like this, which focuses on certain points of the life in the United States during and after civil war. The film was adapted from the book called The Rebel Outlaw: Josey Wales written by Forrest Carter in 1972. The film is considered a financial success with its box office of $31 Million against its budget of $3.7 Million. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Original in Music Score. This is one of the films, where a certain background knowledge is required to fully enjoy it. As a non-American, I am fascinated to be able to understand their struggles on their way to becoming a great nation. From this point of view, I am thankful for the cinema and its educating power over people.
"The Outlaw Josey Wales" is a Western road trip film. After Josey's comrades surrender to Northern troops and are murdered violently, he becomes a fugitive and continues his journey by himself, as an outlaw. He heads out to the west, refusing to be a part of a (non-existing) civilization, and on the road, he meets Native Americans and other people from different backgrounds and becomes their leader. "The Outlaw Josey Wales" takes place in a period where the civil war has recently finished but the echoes can still be heard. Country is in complete mess, no one knows what they are doing. On the roads people kill each other without problem. As I said Josey Wales, is an outlaw who refuses to surrender. During the film, he is constantly followed by troops and bounty hunters because of the price for his head. It seems like he is one of the most dangerous people in the United States of America at that time. He has no problem killing dozens of people in the same time. He is a talented gunman and a natural born leader.
Josey Wales has the same level of masculinity and coolness like most of Eastwood characters. He hides his face in the shadows, he spits tobacco on his victims and animals, he talks very little and creates a continuous mystery. These signs are the trademarks of the Clint Eastwood characters. These days I am focusing mostly on Clint Eastwood-made films, and I have the feeling that films change, but main character remains the same. "The Outlaw Josey Wales" is also directed by him and we can see his development in the means of story and directing style in this film. There is a constant progress in his stories which I like. Different people with different backgrounds cross their paths with him during his journey west. Each character has a story to tell, and from these stories we understand that, no matter from which side you are, you suffer from the disastrous results of war. "The Outlaw Josey Wales" is a Western film with a great deal of drama in it. How lives were destroyed overnight, how civilization turns its back to Native Americans and how they were kicked out of their homelands are some side subjects of the story.
"The Outlaw Josey Wales" is one of the most realistic films that shows the consequences of the American Civil War. That's why in 1996, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry of the Library Congress, for being deemed culturally and historically significant. I have particularly like the photography of Bruce Surtees. It manages to show real life struggles of post war environment and beauty of the western life and I think this is very important for a film like this, which focuses on certain points of the life in the United States during and after civil war. The film was adapted from the book called The Rebel Outlaw: Josey Wales written by Forrest Carter in 1972. The film is considered a financial success with its box office of $31 Million against its budget of $3.7 Million. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Original in Music Score. This is one of the films, where a certain background knowledge is required to fully enjoy it. As a non-American, I am fascinated to be able to understand their struggles on their way to becoming a great nation. From this point of view, I am thankful for the cinema and its educating power over people.
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
(2018)
Waste of time and money
24 July 2018
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again fails to bring anything new to the table. It is made purely based on the success of the first film. Hollywood tend to do that a lot. When a film becomes successful, they make a 2nd film out of it, which lacks pretty much everything. First of all, if you want to go to see this film because Meryl Streep is in, don't bother, because she has a scene of 5 minutes in the end. She just sings two songs and that's pretty much it. She is in the front row of the film poster, she is the main image of the final trailer, because production company uses her image to attract audience. These kinds of tricks can be seen a lot, while advertising substandard quality films. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again has one purpose, and that is to make more money by using the fame of the first film. I failed to understand why they even bothered making a sequel when everything was wrapped beautifully in the first film. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is written and directed by Ol Parker. I said written, but I really don't know what he has exactly written, because in the means of story there is nothing.
The people in this film are like from a different planet. They live in a parallel universe or something. There is no one ugly in the film. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is all about beautiful people, their artificially created problems, fake tears, sadness and meaningless joy. They are all very successful, their secret bonds don't have a resource. We don't know why those characters love each other so much, but they do. The film takes place five years after the previous events. Donna is dead. Sophie (Amada Seyfried) takes over the hotel and builds it from zero. While they prepare for the grand opening, we go back to 1979, where everything starts for Donna. She is claimed to be a free soul and an independent woman, but someone must tell the writer of this character that having one night stands with handsome men on your way to Greek Island is not independence. Young Donna (Lily James) is presented to be a very different girl, but when you watch her behaviors, she is pretty much superficial. She falls in love with a man, gets depressed after he leaves, and in the very same day, she has sex with a different guy because she is very sad. Sophie and her problems regarding the hotel in the present day are told in parallel with Donna's youth and her story, how she met Sam (Pierce Brosnan), Harry (Colin Firth) and Bill, (Stellan Skargard) how she moved to the island of Kalokairi and how she built the hotel.
Young Donna's friends Tanya and Rosie, as well as her lovers, Harry, Bill and Sam, are played by actors and actresses who have nothing to do with the actual characters. They all look very different. The story takes place in a Greek island but the film was shot in Croatia and Shepperton Studios in Surrey England. Set up of the sequel is pretty much similar with the first film. There is a song for every situation. The story was created based on the situations in those songs, and there is a song for every character, problem and situation. That's the reason why I said there is no story. It is time for a sad song, a sad situation is created. It is time for a joyful song, and something happy happens. There are very few scenes that can be compared with real life situations. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is a complete waste of money and time. I had a good taste in my mouth after the first film, but now that is all gone thanks to this useless film that was made just because of financial matters.
The strongest point of the film is its songs. It is satisfying in the means of music. You get to hear songs mostly from ABBA, as usual, and Arrival. After all, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is also a musical, but even so, some songs are really bad for my taste. When I Kissed the Teacher from Arrival is one, for an example. Just to be able to sing this song, they created a graduation scene. This is what I meant when I said, circumstances are created based on the songs in the film. I have never seen such a thing in my life. I haven't seen an acting performance worth mentioning. This film was released on July 16, 2018 in Hammersmith Apollo and on July 20, 2018 in the United Kingdom and United States. It has 114 minutes of runtime and made with a budget of $75 Million. With a forced story and meaningless characters, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is a film that I will never watch again. Having actors and actresses in the film just because they look beautiful shouldn't be a criteria while choosing your characters. This sequel is so hopeless that even the presence of Andy Garcia and Cher couldn't save it.
The people in this film are like from a different planet. They live in a parallel universe or something. There is no one ugly in the film. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is all about beautiful people, their artificially created problems, fake tears, sadness and meaningless joy. They are all very successful, their secret bonds don't have a resource. We don't know why those characters love each other so much, but they do. The film takes place five years after the previous events. Donna is dead. Sophie (Amada Seyfried) takes over the hotel and builds it from zero. While they prepare for the grand opening, we go back to 1979, where everything starts for Donna. She is claimed to be a free soul and an independent woman, but someone must tell the writer of this character that having one night stands with handsome men on your way to Greek Island is not independence. Young Donna (Lily James) is presented to be a very different girl, but when you watch her behaviors, she is pretty much superficial. She falls in love with a man, gets depressed after he leaves, and in the very same day, she has sex with a different guy because she is very sad. Sophie and her problems regarding the hotel in the present day are told in parallel with Donna's youth and her story, how she met Sam (Pierce Brosnan), Harry (Colin Firth) and Bill, (Stellan Skargard) how she moved to the island of Kalokairi and how she built the hotel.
Young Donna's friends Tanya and Rosie, as well as her lovers, Harry, Bill and Sam, are played by actors and actresses who have nothing to do with the actual characters. They all look very different. The story takes place in a Greek island but the film was shot in Croatia and Shepperton Studios in Surrey England. Set up of the sequel is pretty much similar with the first film. There is a song for every situation. The story was created based on the situations in those songs, and there is a song for every character, problem and situation. That's the reason why I said there is no story. It is time for a sad song, a sad situation is created. It is time for a joyful song, and something happy happens. There are very few scenes that can be compared with real life situations. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is a complete waste of money and time. I had a good taste in my mouth after the first film, but now that is all gone thanks to this useless film that was made just because of financial matters.
The strongest point of the film is its songs. It is satisfying in the means of music. You get to hear songs mostly from ABBA, as usual, and Arrival. After all, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is also a musical, but even so, some songs are really bad for my taste. When I Kissed the Teacher from Arrival is one, for an example. Just to be able to sing this song, they created a graduation scene. This is what I meant when I said, circumstances are created based on the songs in the film. I have never seen such a thing in my life. I haven't seen an acting performance worth mentioning. This film was released on July 16, 2018 in Hammersmith Apollo and on July 20, 2018 in the United Kingdom and United States. It has 114 minutes of runtime and made with a budget of $75 Million. With a forced story and meaningless characters, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is a film that I will never watch again. Having actors and actresses in the film just because they look beautiful shouldn't be a criteria while choosing your characters. This sequel is so hopeless that even the presence of Andy Garcia and Cher couldn't save it.
Hereditary
(2018)
Not very good
24 July 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Hereditary is the first film I have ever watched in the cinema all by myself. I have been following its IMDB rating constantly, and finally I have decided to go see it. I was casually asking my friends if they want to go and see it with me, but no one seemed particularly interested so I gave up on the idea. Two days ago, after I came home I decided to go and see it all by myself. I went to the cinema, bought a large cup of coffee, took a seat in the highest row and watched Hereditary in late night viewing. After I have finished the film, I was feeling very good about myself and took the decision to do this activity more often. Hereditary is a conclusive proof of how the final of a film can destroy everything that the director has built. I will never decide to watch a film based on its IMDB's point. I start to believe that there is a certain community who deliberately boost the reputation of a bad film. I think soon enough this will damage the IMDB's reputation. Hereditary is not necessarily a bad film, but it doesn't deserve the point it has. Right now, it has 7.6 points. I wouldn't give this film more than 5. When it ended, everyone in the cinema hall was talking in disappointment.
Some families are not meant to be happy. This is the story of one of those families. Graham family consists of Annie Graham (Toni Collette), Steve Graham (Gabriel Byrne), Peter (Alex Wolff) and Charlie (Milly Shapiro). They live in an isolated house on their own. The film opens with family attending Annie's mother's funeral. In the eulogy, Annie explains her relationship with her mother, mentions about her mother's complete isolation in the last moments of her life. Annie states that during her growing up, her family suffered from a series of mental illnesses which end up in their deaths. At first, Graham family, especially Annie, seems to be normal except for the 13-year-old Charlie. Charlie and her grandmother had a special relationship, and Charlie has a tough time accepting the fact that her grandmother is dead. Raised mostly by her grandmother, looking at the weird behaviors of Charlie, I understand the weird life of the grandmother. Released on January 21, 2018 in Sundance Film Festival, and June 8, 2018 in United States, Hereditary is written and directed by Ari Aster. With its 127 minutes runtime, it is Ari Aster's directorial debut.
Annie meets a woman in a support group. This woman invites Annie to her house to perform a séance to communicate with her death grandson. Up until this point, everything seems to be normal in the Graham family. The strange occurrences happening in the family are relatively logical. Death of Charlie or the robbed grave of the grandmother seem to be extreme things, but not illogical. After the séance, Hereditary slowly dives into supernatural incidents that reveal the secret of the family, but connection of the story with its final destroyed everything the director has built until that point. I can't imagine a worse ending for such an interesting story. Director uses thriller genre to its limits. She manages to keep audience alert and curious. During the film, against the classic expectations of a horror film, nothing happens when they are expected to happen. This film shows us that, the director really knows thriller genre. She uses its power to the limits. She doesn't use sound or special effects to make you jump. She uses the atmosphere as if something will happen soon. This is how thriller genre should be. That's why Hereditary is more of a thriller/horror film.
The atmosphere, camera and music are the strongest points of the film. These components are very important when it comes to horror. Director uses them for her advantage. If the story could have kept up with these components, we would be seeing a really good horror film. I couldn't believe how such an interesting story got destroyed with the most senseless final possible. It fails big time to combine the story with its ending. I get the feeling that she brings the story until the end and gets stuck there. Despite the performance of her career, even Toni Collette couldn't save the film. I believe Ani Aster is going to be a successful director, but in Hereditary I have understood once more, how important experience is when it comes to directing. In my opinion her lack of experience destroyed a promising film.
Some families are not meant to be happy. This is the story of one of those families. Graham family consists of Annie Graham (Toni Collette), Steve Graham (Gabriel Byrne), Peter (Alex Wolff) and Charlie (Milly Shapiro). They live in an isolated house on their own. The film opens with family attending Annie's mother's funeral. In the eulogy, Annie explains her relationship with her mother, mentions about her mother's complete isolation in the last moments of her life. Annie states that during her growing up, her family suffered from a series of mental illnesses which end up in their deaths. At first, Graham family, especially Annie, seems to be normal except for the 13-year-old Charlie. Charlie and her grandmother had a special relationship, and Charlie has a tough time accepting the fact that her grandmother is dead. Raised mostly by her grandmother, looking at the weird behaviors of Charlie, I understand the weird life of the grandmother. Released on January 21, 2018 in Sundance Film Festival, and June 8, 2018 in United States, Hereditary is written and directed by Ari Aster. With its 127 minutes runtime, it is Ari Aster's directorial debut.
Annie meets a woman in a support group. This woman invites Annie to her house to perform a séance to communicate with her death grandson. Up until this point, everything seems to be normal in the Graham family. The strange occurrences happening in the family are relatively logical. Death of Charlie or the robbed grave of the grandmother seem to be extreme things, but not illogical. After the séance, Hereditary slowly dives into supernatural incidents that reveal the secret of the family, but connection of the story with its final destroyed everything the director has built until that point. I can't imagine a worse ending for such an interesting story. Director uses thriller genre to its limits. She manages to keep audience alert and curious. During the film, against the classic expectations of a horror film, nothing happens when they are expected to happen. This film shows us that, the director really knows thriller genre. She uses its power to the limits. She doesn't use sound or special effects to make you jump. She uses the atmosphere as if something will happen soon. This is how thriller genre should be. That's why Hereditary is more of a thriller/horror film.
The atmosphere, camera and music are the strongest points of the film. These components are very important when it comes to horror. Director uses them for her advantage. If the story could have kept up with these components, we would be seeing a really good horror film. I couldn't believe how such an interesting story got destroyed with the most senseless final possible. It fails big time to combine the story with its ending. I get the feeling that she brings the story until the end and gets stuck there. Despite the performance of her career, even Toni Collette couldn't save the film. I believe Ani Aster is going to be a successful director, but in Hereditary I have understood once more, how important experience is when it comes to directing. In my opinion her lack of experience destroyed a promising film.
Hitch
(I) (2005)
The cure for the common man.
11 July 2018
Warning: Spoilers
In the changing world, we come up with different jobs every day. One of these jobs is a professional date doctor. Main duty of this job is to help men get the women they love. Of course, it is based on a lot of truths and facts. For example, a date doctor will never help you get laid with a woman. If you can convince the date doctor that you are in love with that woman, he helps you get her by giving you a bunch of advices, tips and tricks. It is an honest and a discreet job. The main guy in the film, Alex "Hitch" Hitchens (Will Smith) has this job. He is also the narrator of the film. The film has a dynamic start with Hitch explaining us a bunch of statistics regarding human interactions and how women brain functions. He says that 60% of all human communication is non-verbal body language, 30% is your tone and, based on these statistics, 90% of the things you are saying are not coming out of your mouth. He claims that women don't know what they want until they see it, and a date doctor's job is to make them see it. The opening scene is like a corporation training about soft skills.
The dynamic explanations in the beginning reveal the clues about what can be expected from "Hitch." It is a funny romantic comedy and the story is about one of the most valid subjects of human nature, which manages to entertain you most of the time. It is very important to guess what you can expect from a film like this. It has nothing to do with reality. People in the film has no real problems. "Hitch" is one of those films where you get to see the American Dream. The scenes are superficial and conversations are by the book. "Hitch" can be entertaining if you watch it without expecting anything from it. The good thing about it is that, even if you fall asleep in the middle, you will still understand pretty much everything. The only thing that makes difference is the performance of Will Smith. He has certain charisma and trust in himself as Alex Hitch, he is a highly intellectual man with principles. Will Smith has no difficulty in reflecting these traits to the audience. I have always admired him because he has certain talent for overcoming hard roles in the films like Seven Pounds, I am Legend or The Pursuit of Happyness. Actually, when I think about performances I can say that Kevin James, as Albert, has some solid acting, too, and he completes Will Smith.
Even though Hitch helps a lot of single men getting their soul mates, it seems like he fails to believe in love himself. It is more or less like this in real life, too. You get best advices about relationships from single people. His relationship with Sara, who is a gossip columnist, reveals his fears and how he is afraid of something serious. In the beginning, he tries his usual lines and tricks on Sara, they actually work, but when things start to get serious, he understands the fact that what he actually believed in was not true at all. Therefore, despite all the lecture about relationships in the beginning of the film, his last line is; Basic Principle: There are none. This is a good life example under these unrealistic circumstances created by the film. I am not sure if "Hitch" has a message, but if there is one, it is the fact that only through real experiences you get to learn more about yourself.
"Hitch" manages to make you feel good about yourself. It is an easy film. It was made with a budget of $70 Million and Box Office was around $368 Million. This profit makes us understand that, people still need unrealistic films like this. It focuses on some certain things, like love, good life, beautiful women, money, and ignores everything else. Its message is not valid under no circumstances in the world we are living in. "Hitch" was released just a couple of days before Valentines Day, on February 11,2005. Even the release date tells us that "Hitch" targets certain type of audience because what it can share with you is very limited.
In my opinion, forget everything while watching "Hitch" and try to picture yourself as one of these people. The only purpose of the film is to help you feel good, and strictly from this point of view, "Hitch" is a successful romantic comedy.
The dynamic explanations in the beginning reveal the clues about what can be expected from "Hitch." It is a funny romantic comedy and the story is about one of the most valid subjects of human nature, which manages to entertain you most of the time. It is very important to guess what you can expect from a film like this. It has nothing to do with reality. People in the film has no real problems. "Hitch" is one of those films where you get to see the American Dream. The scenes are superficial and conversations are by the book. "Hitch" can be entertaining if you watch it without expecting anything from it. The good thing about it is that, even if you fall asleep in the middle, you will still understand pretty much everything. The only thing that makes difference is the performance of Will Smith. He has certain charisma and trust in himself as Alex Hitch, he is a highly intellectual man with principles. Will Smith has no difficulty in reflecting these traits to the audience. I have always admired him because he has certain talent for overcoming hard roles in the films like Seven Pounds, I am Legend or The Pursuit of Happyness. Actually, when I think about performances I can say that Kevin James, as Albert, has some solid acting, too, and he completes Will Smith.
Even though Hitch helps a lot of single men getting their soul mates, it seems like he fails to believe in love himself. It is more or less like this in real life, too. You get best advices about relationships from single people. His relationship with Sara, who is a gossip columnist, reveals his fears and how he is afraid of something serious. In the beginning, he tries his usual lines and tricks on Sara, they actually work, but when things start to get serious, he understands the fact that what he actually believed in was not true at all. Therefore, despite all the lecture about relationships in the beginning of the film, his last line is; Basic Principle: There are none. This is a good life example under these unrealistic circumstances created by the film. I am not sure if "Hitch" has a message, but if there is one, it is the fact that only through real experiences you get to learn more about yourself.
"Hitch" manages to make you feel good about yourself. It is an easy film. It was made with a budget of $70 Million and Box Office was around $368 Million. This profit makes us understand that, people still need unrealistic films like this. It focuses on some certain things, like love, good life, beautiful women, money, and ignores everything else. Its message is not valid under no circumstances in the world we are living in. "Hitch" was released just a couple of days before Valentines Day, on February 11,2005. Even the release date tells us that "Hitch" targets certain type of audience because what it can share with you is very limited.
In my opinion, forget everything while watching "Hitch" and try to picture yourself as one of these people. The only purpose of the film is to help you feel good, and strictly from this point of view, "Hitch" is a successful romantic comedy.
Crazy, Stupid, Love.
(2011)
This is Crazy, This is Stupid, This is Love.
11 July 2018
Warning: Spoilers
This is Crazy, This is Stupid, This is Love.
With its dynamic mechanism, story, acting and soundtracks, "Crazy, Stupid Love" is one of the best films of romantic, comedy and drama genres. It is a film of good feelings and happy thoughts. It focuses on good, bad, sad and happy parts of relationships and love. From time to time, it takes you by surprise and, from time to time, you have the feeling like you are watching your own life. "Crazy, Stupid Love" is a piece from everyone's life. Each and every character in the film represents a feeling, therefore, interactions of the characters are meaningful, funny and highly entertaining. There are no bad characters in the film. When you think about it, nothing bad actually happens. There are only confused adults who find themselves back after wandering around for some time. Each character wishes only happiness for the other one. The characters are the strongest point of the film. They are not very deep but they are very meaningful and their stories are carefully crafted. Conversations are great and there is not even one character who stays out of the line. When these characters fit in the well-structured design of the film, you get to see a highly entertaining production. From main characters to the supporting roles each actor and actress contribute to the film with all their enthusiasm.
"Crazy, Stupid Love" is about love. It focuses on the problems of the routines of the marriage. It focuses on the struggles about finding true love or keeping it when you find it. It teaches us to fight for your soul mate and never give up on them. We learn this piece of advice from Cal (Steve Carell) and Emily's (Julianne Moore) son Robbie (Jonah Bobo). He is 13 years old and in love with their babysitter Jessica (Analeigh Tipton) who is 17 years old. As I said "Crazy, Stupid Love" is about all kinds of people, love and feelings. "Crazy, Stupid Love" is led by Steve Carell, he is the star of the film. Julianne Moore, as his wife Emily, she is cold and distant most of the time because of the phase she is going through, but as an actress she is successful in reflecting this phase to the audience. Ryan Gosling is a brilliant actor who can play any role without difficulty. He is not only handsome, but also extremely talented. When you look at his filmography, you are going to see that he has played diverse characters. He is not one of those actors who has limited talent and plays only one certain type of role. In "Crazy, Stupid Love" he plays Jacob, who helps Cal find his manhood again. In the meantime, he unexpectedly falls in love with Cal's oldest daughter Hannah (Emma Stone) and things get more complicated for everyone in a very amusing way. With her little role as Kate, Marisa Tomei is playing the role of a recovering alcoholic teacher, who is passionate and sexy. Her presence in the film has a direct effect on the success of the film. I just love the way she smiles, I just love the way she talks. That being said, Kevin Bacon as David Lindhagen, plays the role of the co-worker of Emily, who slept with her. He also has a relatively small part in the film but just like Marisa Tomei, his presence manages to change the course of the film. When you look at these actors, you are going to see that, "Crazy, Stupid Love" is full of well known, famous actors and actresses. Even from this, we get to see that this film is based on characters. Their performances make the difference in the film. When these brilliant performances are accompanied by a delightful story, you get successful film like "Crazy, Stupid Love".
The film opens with Cal and Emily in a restaurant, when they try to decide over a dessert, Emily says she wants a divorce. After that, Cal moves out, he starts to hang out at a bar where he meets Jacob, a highly stylish womanizer, and starts to shape himself up and fights to get his wife and life back. Cal's transformation shows us the fact that even in marriages like his, where the couple love each other, you need to change yourself. You should always renew yourself, because when a relationship falls into routine, it is very hard to recover from it. You can pretty much guess how the story is going to end, but, because of the great techniques used by the directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, you get a lot of surprising turnings in the story, because the directors don't reveal everything from the beginning. We get to know the characters like they are not related and this is the reason why "Crazy, Stupid Love" is a surprising and therefore a funny film.
From soundtracks to the performances, from story to its structure, "Crazy, Stupid Love" is one of the best films of its genres. It is both funny and real. This story can happen to anyone, that's why "Crazy, Stupid Love's" level of credibility is as high as the success of the film.
"Crazy, Stupid Love" is about love. It focuses on the problems of the routines of the marriage. It focuses on the struggles about finding true love or keeping it when you find it. It teaches us to fight for your soul mate and never give up on them. We learn this piece of advice from Cal (Steve Carell) and Emily's (Julianne Moore) son Robbie (Jonah Bobo). He is 13 years old and in love with their babysitter Jessica (Analeigh Tipton) who is 17 years old. As I said "Crazy, Stupid Love" is about all kinds of people, love and feelings. "Crazy, Stupid Love" is led by Steve Carell, he is the star of the film. Julianne Moore, as his wife Emily, she is cold and distant most of the time because of the phase she is going through, but as an actress she is successful in reflecting this phase to the audience. Ryan Gosling is a brilliant actor who can play any role without difficulty. He is not only handsome, but also extremely talented. When you look at his filmography, you are going to see that he has played diverse characters. He is not one of those actors who has limited talent and plays only one certain type of role. In "Crazy, Stupid Love" he plays Jacob, who helps Cal find his manhood again. In the meantime, he unexpectedly falls in love with Cal's oldest daughter Hannah (Emma Stone) and things get more complicated for everyone in a very amusing way. With her little role as Kate, Marisa Tomei is playing the role of a recovering alcoholic teacher, who is passionate and sexy. Her presence in the film has a direct effect on the success of the film. I just love the way she smiles, I just love the way she talks. That being said, Kevin Bacon as David Lindhagen, plays the role of the co-worker of Emily, who slept with her. He also has a relatively small part in the film but just like Marisa Tomei, his presence manages to change the course of the film. When you look at these actors, you are going to see that, "Crazy, Stupid Love" is full of well known, famous actors and actresses. Even from this, we get to see that this film is based on characters. Their performances make the difference in the film. When these brilliant performances are accompanied by a delightful story, you get successful film like "Crazy, Stupid Love".
The film opens with Cal and Emily in a restaurant, when they try to decide over a dessert, Emily says she wants a divorce. After that, Cal moves out, he starts to hang out at a bar where he meets Jacob, a highly stylish womanizer, and starts to shape himself up and fights to get his wife and life back. Cal's transformation shows us the fact that even in marriages like his, where the couple love each other, you need to change yourself. You should always renew yourself, because when a relationship falls into routine, it is very hard to recover from it. You can pretty much guess how the story is going to end, but, because of the great techniques used by the directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, you get a lot of surprising turnings in the story, because the directors don't reveal everything from the beginning. We get to know the characters like they are not related and this is the reason why "Crazy, Stupid Love" is a surprising and therefore a funny film.
From soundtracks to the performances, from story to its structure, "Crazy, Stupid Love" is one of the best films of its genres. It is both funny and real. This story can happen to anyone, that's why "Crazy, Stupid Love's" level of credibility is as high as the success of the film.
High Plains Drifter
(1973)
They'd never forget the day he drifted in town.
11 July 2018
Warning: Spoilers
"High Plains Drifter" is a typical Western revenge film directed by Clint Eastwood. It is one of the earliest examples of Clint Eastwood as a director. He is also in the leading role as The Stranger. From the very beginning of the film, you get to understand the road it is going to follow. The Stranger rides into a sweet mining town near the sea called Lago. There is no talking in the first 6 minutes of the film. When he rides into the town, everybody watches him, and this is when we get to know a little bit the small town and its fearful people. During the first scenes you get to understand why Clint Eastwood has always been the symbol of masculinity in cinema. The character Clint Eastwood plays has a certain style that doesn't fail him. The same coolness of his characters in his other films is still here in the "High Plains Drifter". In Lago, people go on with their usual lives, but this sweet small town holds a terrible secret. Once upon a time, there was a marshal in this town and, when he finds out that the mine belongs to the government, he goes ahead and tries to reveal this secret. Three gunmen, hired by the townspeople, whip the marshal to death and the secret is hidden forever. When the film progresses, we get to understand that The Stranger is somehow related to the murdered marshal, and comes to this small town to take this revenge. Everything signals us that The Stranger is the ghost of the murdered marshal, Jim Duncan.
It is said that "High Plains Drifter" is influenced by the works of film directors like Sergio Leone and Don Siegel. You see a lot of similarities between Eastwood's character in the "High Plains Drifter" and The Dollars Trilogy or in the films he worked with Don Siegel. Made in 1973, "High Plains Drifter" remains popular even today and represents one of the finest examples of the Western genre. This film is one of the best start points if you want to get familiar with Clint Eastwood's directing style. It hides its secret until the very last moment and reveals everything with its last scene. When the film opens with The Stranger killing three men and rapes a woman, I had no idea what was going on, but with the story developing, everything starts to make sense. He gets all the buildings painted in red and changes the name of the town from Lago to Hell for a reason which is held hidden until the very last scene.
In order to understand the story, you need to pay attention to everything, because there are some scenes that reveal the truth about the revenge The Stranger comes to take. It is a very well made iconic film. Maybe the camera angles and the set don't create the necessary credibility, but overall image of the film is brilliant. Soundtracks keep the audience alert at all times and they fit the overall atmosphere of the film. Regarding the set, it is too obvious that it was recently built. In some scenes, camera angles are really bad and fails to focus on the bigger picture. In my opinion if camera was paying a little bit more attention to the reactions of people around, it would have helped to create a more credible atmosphere for the film. Other than the set, filming location is beautiful. Personally, I am sorry to see that this beautiful town of Lago is destroyed in the end of the film for good reason.
"High Plains Drifter" is a one-man film, but I can't say Eastwood's acting alone was enough for this film to be considered as a classic. The story behind justifies his reactions during the film. That's why both acting and the story are equally important and can't be separated. Even though before "High Plains Drifter", Clint Eastwood had this style, with this film he steps up and shows his talent as a director as well. All these years his contributions to cinema both as an actor and as a director can't be denied. Thanks to his early films like this one, he built a reputation and remained active until the present day. "High Plains Drifter" is a highly personalized Clint Eastwood film with a runtime of 105 minutes. Even though you are not a fan of Western, to understand the progression of Clint Eastwood, you need to watch this film.
It is said that "High Plains Drifter" is influenced by the works of film directors like Sergio Leone and Don Siegel. You see a lot of similarities between Eastwood's character in the "High Plains Drifter" and The Dollars Trilogy or in the films he worked with Don Siegel. Made in 1973, "High Plains Drifter" remains popular even today and represents one of the finest examples of the Western genre. This film is one of the best start points if you want to get familiar with Clint Eastwood's directing style. It hides its secret until the very last moment and reveals everything with its last scene. When the film opens with The Stranger killing three men and rapes a woman, I had no idea what was going on, but with the story developing, everything starts to make sense. He gets all the buildings painted in red and changes the name of the town from Lago to Hell for a reason which is held hidden until the very last scene.
In order to understand the story, you need to pay attention to everything, because there are some scenes that reveal the truth about the revenge The Stranger comes to take. It is a very well made iconic film. Maybe the camera angles and the set don't create the necessary credibility, but overall image of the film is brilliant. Soundtracks keep the audience alert at all times and they fit the overall atmosphere of the film. Regarding the set, it is too obvious that it was recently built. In some scenes, camera angles are really bad and fails to focus on the bigger picture. In my opinion if camera was paying a little bit more attention to the reactions of people around, it would have helped to create a more credible atmosphere for the film. Other than the set, filming location is beautiful. Personally, I am sorry to see that this beautiful town of Lago is destroyed in the end of the film for good reason.
"High Plains Drifter" is a one-man film, but I can't say Eastwood's acting alone was enough for this film to be considered as a classic. The story behind justifies his reactions during the film. That's why both acting and the story are equally important and can't be separated. Even though before "High Plains Drifter", Clint Eastwood had this style, with this film he steps up and shows his talent as a director as well. All these years his contributions to cinema both as an actor and as a director can't be denied. Thanks to his early films like this one, he built a reputation and remained active until the present day. "High Plains Drifter" is a highly personalized Clint Eastwood film with a runtime of 105 minutes. Even though you are not a fan of Western, to understand the progression of Clint Eastwood, you need to watch this film.
Soul Kitchen
(2009)
Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans
8 July 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Soul Kitchen is a puzzle. Everything that happens in the film has a correspondence in the story. Nothing happens just for the sake of it, even though some pieces do not fit in the big picture, they are still there to serve the full purpose of the film, and this makes overall image of Soul Kitchen positive. It is a story of a man who is in love with his restaurant. He is in the center of the film and everything else happens around him. His name is Zinos (Adam Bousdoukos) and he owns a restaurant which is completely made by him. He has a brother in jail for robbery who can go outside during the day if he has a place to work. Zinos is in love with Nadine (Pheline Roggan) and Nadine goes to Shanghai with her work as a journalist and Zinos plans to rent his restaurant and move to Shanghai with his girlfriend but funny and tragicomic events don't leave him alone. Every event and person is related to Zinos. This is the reason why I said he is in the center of the film. Soul kitchen is based on his own experiences as the restaurant owner of a Greek Taverna. The director of the film Fatih Akin was a regular customer in that restaurant and this is how Soul Kitchen is born. This story is even more interesting than the film itself.
Soul Kitchen is a typical festival film with its atmosphere and story. It is not carrying a message and it doesn't try to give you anything. As I said, it is the story of a guy who is in love with his restaurant. Soul Kitchen is the rise and fall and rebirth of the restaurant with the same name. It has food, alcohol, music, dance and sex in it. It has good people and bad people in it. In the story point of view, it is not perfect and it has a lot of flaws. Zinos' brother is a thief because sometime during the film they will need to steal something, Nadine's grandmother dies and leaves a lot of money to Nadine because in the end of the film, Zinos will need a lot of money to get his restaurant back. He is having a back injury because he is supposed to fall in love with the therapist. The chief of a restaurant loses his job while Zinos is around, because he is supposed to come and work for Zinos. These pieces are needed in the story to make it a whole. This is the beauty of Soul Kitchen. A piece of random information is used during the film to combine something or to make a point. Soul Kitchen is a bad restaurant with good music. Zinos' restaurant is sued by the authorities of all kinds, and Fatih Akin takes these incidences and uses them to show the corruption of the system as well. Soul Kitchen is not intended to be a comedy, but everything that is happening in the film is comedy. Watching Soul Kitchen is like watching life. You don't force anything to happen, they just happen. These are sometimes good, sometimes bad. They are not exaggerated, that's why you get to think that Soul Kitchen is the life itself. The only difference from the real life is some puzzle pieces are re-shaped to fit in the story. This might be the only bad thing about the film. The film has a large cast of European actors, but there is not even one performance worth mentioning. Everything is simple and natural. That's why I said above that watching Soul Kitchen is like watching the life itself.
There is not much to talk about the film. It is not made for any purpose. Fatih Akin and Adam Bousdoukos' longtime friendship is the only reason of this production. It is like a friend of yours takes a camera in his hand and records your daily life and makes a film out of those shots. Fatih Akin, as a director, is much better than that, but this doesn't apply for Soul Kitchen. In my opinion Soul Kitchen is made purely for fun. This film is a great memory of this friendship. If you want to judge Fatih Akin as a director you should watch, Head On or The Edge of Heaven or In July. Fatih Akin is a talented director, just don't judge him if Soul Kitchen is the first and the only film you have seen made by him.
There are two good points of the film. One is the music, and second is the natural flow of the story. Soul Kitchen is completely in German language and has a runtime of 99 minutes. Every character has their own flaws and this makes the film natural. Released on 2009, Soul Kitchen has even received a special prize in Venice Film Festival.
Soul Kitchen is a typical festival film with its atmosphere and story. It is not carrying a message and it doesn't try to give you anything. As I said, it is the story of a guy who is in love with his restaurant. Soul Kitchen is the rise and fall and rebirth of the restaurant with the same name. It has food, alcohol, music, dance and sex in it. It has good people and bad people in it. In the story point of view, it is not perfect and it has a lot of flaws. Zinos' brother is a thief because sometime during the film they will need to steal something, Nadine's grandmother dies and leaves a lot of money to Nadine because in the end of the film, Zinos will need a lot of money to get his restaurant back. He is having a back injury because he is supposed to fall in love with the therapist. The chief of a restaurant loses his job while Zinos is around, because he is supposed to come and work for Zinos. These pieces are needed in the story to make it a whole. This is the beauty of Soul Kitchen. A piece of random information is used during the film to combine something or to make a point. Soul Kitchen is a bad restaurant with good music. Zinos' restaurant is sued by the authorities of all kinds, and Fatih Akin takes these incidences and uses them to show the corruption of the system as well. Soul Kitchen is not intended to be a comedy, but everything that is happening in the film is comedy. Watching Soul Kitchen is like watching life. You don't force anything to happen, they just happen. These are sometimes good, sometimes bad. They are not exaggerated, that's why you get to think that Soul Kitchen is the life itself. The only difference from the real life is some puzzle pieces are re-shaped to fit in the story. This might be the only bad thing about the film. The film has a large cast of European actors, but there is not even one performance worth mentioning. Everything is simple and natural. That's why I said above that watching Soul Kitchen is like watching the life itself.
There is not much to talk about the film. It is not made for any purpose. Fatih Akin and Adam Bousdoukos' longtime friendship is the only reason of this production. It is like a friend of yours takes a camera in his hand and records your daily life and makes a film out of those shots. Fatih Akin, as a director, is much better than that, but this doesn't apply for Soul Kitchen. In my opinion Soul Kitchen is made purely for fun. This film is a great memory of this friendship. If you want to judge Fatih Akin as a director you should watch, Head On or The Edge of Heaven or In July. Fatih Akin is a talented director, just don't judge him if Soul Kitchen is the first and the only film you have seen made by him.
There are two good points of the film. One is the music, and second is the natural flow of the story. Soul Kitchen is completely in German language and has a runtime of 99 minutes. Every character has their own flaws and this makes the film natural. Released on 2009, Soul Kitchen has even received a special prize in Venice Film Festival.
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