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




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.


John Wick 3: Parabellum: Review

John Wick returns for another action packed and fun sequel. The gun-fu series now sees John Wick on the outs from his previous masters. The film hosts some very beautiful aesthetics as we see John evading harm on the gritty streets of New York. The fight scenes and shootouts are still a blast to watch. Well choreographed and filmed martial arts is hard to come by and continues to be a front and center staple for this entry. John Wick’s mastery of close quarters combat is a delight to watch and I don’t see myself ever growing tired of. New notable characters played by Halle Berry and the Asia Kate Dillon (Billions) are a welcome addition.

Yet one of my favorite entries had to be from the introduction of a tag team duo of killer dogs being commanded by Sofia(Berry). Bringing into the fold a genre I didn’t even think was possible– Dog-fu? The series itself seems to have begun developing an ever expanding lore of its own. The John Wick series never seems to rest on it laurels. A growing number of antagonists and allies continue to give myself and audiences a reason to cheer. With the impressive ability to make me root for foes just as easily as friends; John Wick still has a lot of gas in its tanks.

9/10 – Good old fun.

Fallen Angels(1995): Review

Just when I’d gotten somewhat bored with movies , a deep dive into my backlog of forgotten films brought me across Fallen Angels. Fallen Angels is movie that has to be seen to understand its magic. The story runs the gambit from a coming of age tale all the way to a burnt out hit-man looking to get out. One of the most surprisingly impactful thread is in the romantic elements of this film. Pessimism and cynicism somewhat pervade all throughout the story and these characters as we follow them in the film. This sense of dread seemingly even bleeds visually into almost every frame. The relationships contained in the film are as broken as they come but through them we also get hope and genuine optimism that really ties it all together.

You wouldn’t think you would get such touching moments from the characters in the film. One such character in the film is a complete mute who hijacks businesses at night while they are closed and physically forces pedestrians to pay him. Another is an assassin who is torn and divided on the idea of real human companionship. These two main actors are accompanied by a truly authentic couple of convincing and polar opposite supporting actresses that compliment the cast greatly. However the real standout is Takeshi Kaneshiro who plays the role of the mute He Zhiwu. A pure performance piece for him as he never utters a line of dialogue. The overall arching narrative in Fallen Angels never stretches itself too thin and leads to a fantastic climax and very satisfying wrap up resolution. Character arcs don’t lead to complete transformations or existential epiphanies . Instead we get a more developed and subtle character progression but it is more potent. In all the chaos of their lives it is the smaller human things that spoke the most to me in this film, such as He Zhiwu’s relationship to his father.

Fallen Angels is a hyper stylized film that is truly a visual feast. Scene by scene we are dazzled and treated to masterclass cinematography through some of the best camera work I’ve seen in a very long time. On a technical perspective I don’t think any Asian film has ever impressed me as much as this. I’m unsure what element of the cinematography impressed me the most. Was it the unorthodox angles, film distortion, or bombardment of color frame by frame? It could have also been the downright nostalgic and superior look of non digital film in the 90s with all it’s “flaws”. I’ll be sure to take a look at Christopher Doyles other works.

Fallen AngelsImage result for fallen angels 1995

Image result for fallen angels 1995

I can’t recommend this film more for movie buffs out there. Fallen Angels has an effective musical score, unforgettable visuals, and truly authentic ensemble of convincing and supporting actors.

Although my romantic relationship with cinema can even lead me to becoming altogether estranged from the medium once in awhile, all it takes is that one special film to show me that i’m always In The Mood For Love. This is that film. Go watch it folks.