Blockbuster

Reviews on some of the films I’ve seen since July 2020

May 31, 2022 — Leave a comment



Morbius 2022 ★
Watched May 28, 2022

This probably would have been a blockbuster hit in the late 90s early 2000s.

Very bad movie. Not even worth watching for memes.

Toy Story 4 2019 ★★½
Watched May 26, 2022

Maybe not completely necessary but still pretty much a solid pixar quality production. Watching this just made me want to watch 3.

Top Gun 1986 ★★★
Watched May 23, 2022

Top class film making. Exciting and fun to watch.

Editorial use only. No book cover usage. Mandatory Credit: Photo by Paramount/Kobal/Shutterstock (5886113be) Rick Rossovich, Val Kilmer, Tom Cruise Top Gun – 1986 Director: Tony Scott Paramount USA Scene Still Top Gun

Frontline: Poor Kids 2012 ★★★½
Watched May 18, 2022

Faced with poverty and a bleak and uncertain future these kids hold on to hope where they can find it. They are the future, and this is really a shame. Watching them growing up too fast and being so cynical at such an early point in their lives really is heart breaking.

Ambulance 2022 ★★★
Watched May 18, 2022

Action packed and super fun. I only wish the ending was more fleshed out.

Licorice Pizza 2021 ★★★
Watched May 15, 2022

That feel good feel? Yes.
Expertly crafted PTA film? Yes.
Worth your time? Probably not.

The Northman 2022 ★★★
Watched May 14, 2022

Bloody and engrossing. Missing something though not sure what. More Dafoe?

Rio, Zona Norte 1957 ★★★★
Watched May 08, 2022

Music for the soul.

Uncharted 2022 ★★★★
Watched May 01, 2022

Very fun family blockbuster with good special effects. Definitely feels like it has potential to be a huge franchise.

The Sadness 2021 ★★★★
Watched Apr 19, 2022

Even a highly desensitized bastard like me thinks this shit is extreme. This film is a damn blast.

Spider-Man: No Way Home 2021 ★★★★½
Watched Apr 18, 2022

NWH is Light, hearty, and really fun. I really enjoyed this overt nostalgia ride.

Aparajito 1956 ★★★★½
Watched Apr 03, 2022

|Honour thy father and thy mother, that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest live long on the good land, which the Lord thy God gives to thee.|

Life is too short.

Stalker 1979 ★★★★½
Watched Apr 02, 2022

Stalker is a cerebral and philosophical triumph. Matched with a thoroughly engaging screen play, jaw dropping dystopian visuals/cinematography, and a tense atmosphere of despair; Stalker is a near masterpiece. Be prepared to lose yourself, as you wind in and out of the labyrinth of the zone and explore the nature of humanity’s inner desires and demons.

King Richard 2021 ★★★
Watched Mar 24, 2022

Pre-Oscar Slap:
A standout performance by Aunjanue Ellis is matched by Smith’s return to drama. King Richard is a good film that sputters out 2/3s in. Regardless, Will Smith needs to grab more roles like this.

Steve Jobs 2015 ★★½
Watched Mar 20, 2022

Steve Jobs is greatly written but plagued by a sense of self importance and what feels like unnecessary dramatization.

Filme Demência 1986 ★★★½
Watched Mar 18, 2022

A film of mythos carried by great performances, engaging screenplay, and visual metaphors.

Tampopo 1985 ★★★★
Watched Mar 13, 2022

Endearing and absolutely brimming with charm.
I probably smiled half the film. I only wish the satire of western and Japanese culture/themes were more naturally woven into the narrative arc of the movie. With the exception of some questionable eroticism, I think this film really is something special and uniquely Japanese. I definitely recommend.

Kin 2018 ★
Watched Mar 13, 2022

Garbage water.

Jacob’s Ladder 1990 ★★★★½
Watched Mar 11, 2022

Jacob’s Ladder is a hellish dive into madness, despair, and disillusionment that will fill you with anxiety. This film has that dream-like sense of dread and foreboding, similar to Mullholand Drive’s diner scene but for 2 straight hours. Whether Jacob’s ladder is a simple anti-war story or an allegory for death, purgatory, and regret; I’m unsure. In the big picture, it doesn’t really matter because it delivers, full stop. This film made me uncomfortable and I genuinely enjoyed putting the pieces together of this horror/thriller.

Pather Panchali 1955 ★★★★★
Watched Feb 25, 2022

A beautiful tale of innocence and hardship that shouldn’t be missed.

The Voyeurs 2021 ★½
Watched Sep 11, 2021

Mind ya damn business
-a film by Michael Mohan

Gattaca 1997 ★★★★★
Rewatched Aug 24, 2021

Superb.

The Green Knight 2021 ★★★★★
Watched Aug 22, 2021

The Green Knight is drop dead gorgeous, full of style, and a properly intriguing vision. I loved the journey and witnessing the highs and lows of Sir Gawain. Characters felt true to themselves and the mystery and enigma of the world that was created had me invested 100 percent. A very good example of “don’t try to understand, just feel it” done right. In all seriousness this movie was awesome.

Good Morning 1959 ★★★★★
Watched Jul 10, 2021

Perfectly encapsulates everything I love about Ozu. Good Morning is a film full of love, laughter, and a sense of nostalgia that touches you. I just envy first timers who will have the warm homely feeling I get while watching this. Such a beautiful film that I can’t recommend enough.

Tommaso 2019 ★★★★
Watched Jul 09, 2021

Thoroughly engaging, arousing, full of emotion and self refection. Dafoe is brilliant. Will be jumping on to the director’s other work asap.

A Quiet Place Part II 2020 ★½
Watched Jul 07, 2021

Boring and predictable formula from first film rehashed.

Minari 2020 ★★★★★
Watched Feb 26, 2021

Brilliantly simple and profound with a tremendous soundtrack. Cant ask for more from a movie.

Céline and Julie Go Boating 1974 ★
Watched Feb 19, 2021

Had to pause this twice to finish. (Very long)

Columbus 2017 ★
Watched Jan 16, 2021

Boring intellectual babble with a side dish of staring at buildings.

Lilya 4-ever 2002 ★★★★★
Watched Jan 16, 2021

Simply devastating.

Wonder Woman 1984 2020 ★★★
Watched Dec 27, 2020

A fun and at times extremely campy film. 2 stars deducted for Gal Gadot’s awkward roadrunner like running motions.

Sound of Metal 2019 ★★★
Watched Dec 23, 2020

Thoughtful but ultimately lacks a big punch. The film also feels like it is missing an act in which the protagonist “learns to be deaf”. I still enjoyed this film a lot despite its shortcomings.

Harakiri 1962 ★★★★★
Watched Dec 16, 2020

One of the best Japanese stories ever told. In many ways more powerful than Seven Samurai. I can’t believe I took so long to watch this gem. At least something good is coming out of being stuck at home. Can’t recommend this enough.

Wind 2019 ★★★½
Watched Oct 31, 2020

Interesting Disney/Pixar production with nice foundation but just doesn’t work for some reason. Probably could have used 5 more minutes.

Personal Shopper 2016 ★★★
Watched Oct 30, 2020

An engaging supernatural thriller with a contemplative conclusion.

Krisha 2015 ★★★
Watched Oct 28, 2020

Full of drama, beautifully shot, and distressingly claustrophobic. One hell of a family gathering. Would not attend.

Coherence 2013 ★★★½
Watched Oct 27, 2020

This film actually surprised me how good it was because I heard it was similar to Primer. However, this manages to not be boring. Does the film coherently pull off its sci-fi premise? For the most part. Hard to fully suspend belief when it feels so low budget though. I’ll forgive it because it is low budget.

Central Station 1998 ★★★★★
Watched Oct 25, 2020

Simply brilliant and full of heart. An amazing Brazilian film that will likely bring you to tears at some point.

An Autumn Afternoon 1962 ★★★★★
Watched Oct 25, 2020

What is there really to say? Ozu’s final film and overall legacy is magnificent. This film, like many of his other achievements, show how a movie should make you feel. Ozu’s crafted stories are filled with subtle dialog, impactful/meaningful photography, and a sense of comfort that probably will never be replicated.

A sandwich of tenderness, love, sadness, and drizzled with a healthy dosage of optimism; An Autumn Afternoon will have you yearning and longing for family you never knew you wanted. I love Ozu and will never grow tired of his everlasting and timeless filmography.

The Big City 1963 ★★★★★
Watched Oct 18, 2020

After watching this film, The Big City rocketed up my list of favorite foreign/Indian movies. It examines one family’s struggles to survive in a reluctant patriarchal Indian society and their day-to-day struggles, while attempting to provide for their family. Even backdropped with such heavy socio-economic overtones; The Big City wowed with me with its underlying hopeful story of attaining self-worth and the love of husband and wife that would get them through anything.

Persona 1966 ★★★★
Watched Oct 02, 2020

On top of having some beautiful and haunting imagery; this film can be endlessly pulled apart for its meaning and debated for the multitude of metaphors and feminist themes. I really like the way the film handled the dynamic nature of the two women’s relationship, their personal adversities, and highly recommend it.

Corpus Christi 2019 ★★★★½
Watched Sep 30, 2020

As anyone can clearly see, this juvenile is no imposter. He was chosen by God for this role. The struggle displayed in this film as the protagonist is being painfully torn between his past and his present life resonated strongly with me. All the elements from the cast to the acting and photography really culminates in a powerful film that shouldn’t be missed whether you like religion themed films or not.

The Second Mother 2015 ★★★★½
Watched Sep 29, 2020

A heartwarming film about family and values. There is something special here in the small moments and everyday life events that really draws me to this film. Seeing the mother splashing in the pool is just delightful.

Bacurau 2019 ★★★
Watched Sep 29, 2020

An interesting movie bringing in elements of horror and action that concludes in a fun and battle royale styled western standoff.

Le Trou 1960 ★★★★★
Watched Sep 28, 2020

Thoroughly engrossing and what I love about cinema. This is an all time classic. Friendship, hope, betrayal, and despair all combine for the perfect black and white prison escape journey.

Sleeping with Other People 2015 ★★★
Watched Jul 14, 2020

Not the greatest in the genre but pretty serviceable. I only wish the movie ended on a more realistic note. Was actually surprised when the movie carried on after what I thought was the ending. Sunshine and rainbows is the name of the game here but that’s okay because I still ended up liking the film regardless.

Elysium: Review

August 13, 2013 — 2 Comments

The last summer blockbuster has arrived in Elysium. District 9 director and writer, Neill Blomkamp ‘s continued run in the sci-fi genre provides an enjoyable experience. The setting of the story, is 2154 on a severely over-populated and diseased world. The rich and powerful abandon earth for an man-made utopia named Elysium. Elysium entertains with visceral action sequences and a futuristic and unique story that keeps you on your toes.

Matt Damon who portrays the main character of the film, delivers another good performance in his role as Max Da Costa; a man with nothing to lose. Matt Damon is no rookie to action films. He is widely known for his tough bad boy persona in his roles in the Bourne films. He trained four hours a day to get physically and aesthetically equipped for the film. He certainly shows that he isn’t out of practice in the art of asskickery. The weakest performance in the film came from Wagner Moura who played Spyder; a human smuggler who takes people to Elysium. It wasn’t that he had bad acting necessarily but there was an apparent and jarring language barrier. Just seemed sort of forced and a better option probably would have been to to have him speak his native portuguese/spanish tongue especially considering that Max actually had an Hispanic ethnicity.

The highlight of the film came from Sharlto Copley who plays the vicious and psychotic character C.M Kruger. Copley gives a powerful performance and steals the spotlight from the rest of the veteran cast. Even the cold and calculating Jodie Foster, who plays the secretary of defense of Elysium, doesn’t stand a chance to his ruthless and unhinged personality. He takes command of his role and puts a choke-hold on every scene he is in. Even though he is a mercenary who gets paid for his job he he takes pleasure in it all. Neill Blomkamp might be one of the only people in the film industry to acknowledge his talent so far, but that’s sure to change.

The dense over populated and dirty sprawls of Earth are visually stunning. Wide angle shots of the swarming city of Los Angeles on Earth offer a stark contrast to the perfect and clean-cut nature of Elysium. The use of handycam is present in the film but it doesn’t distract me as much as it did in District 9 . The security/surveillance drones are masterfully crafted and have a sense of realism to them. Their design balances just the right amount of finesse, stiffness, and weight to be believable. The highlight from the cinematography and VFX team had to come from the combat and weaponry of the film. It was a truly a blast to watch the way some of the guns and gadgets worked.

The plot and setting of story takes a look at the hardships of a possible future without proper medical care. This system only affords the wealthy and those with influence. Neill Blomkamp was quoted saying that this story was not an alternate future but it was actually a look at the present. Though the story was probably a bit more action oriented then District 9 its still offers some room for thought even if isn’t as deep as his previous work. All in all it was thoroughly entertaining. It’s the one of the best sci-fi films of the year and I recommend it.