DISCLAIMER: I did not see this movie in its original language(English), but in a dubbed version(Italian). I may have missed some nuances.
This is how you do a blockbuster! Top Gun: Maverick does everything a fan of the original would expect from a sequel. I was a bit worried it would be a delusion (like many sequels tend to be lately), but it exceeded almost all of my expectations.
The flight scenes were amazing, the fact that the CGI was kept at a minimum really shows; it enhances the feeling of being in that aircraft. I thought the whole movie looked great, from the scenes in the desert to the tundra finale. Really pretty.
On a personal note, the F/A18 doesn’t have the same charm the F14 had in the original and I was hoping we’d get to see the F-35, but I understand why they went with this choice (even though the explanation they gave in-movie was so dumb).
The cast did a good job. Excluding for a second Tom Cruise, the rest of the cast had a tough job ahead of them, having few scenes to portray their characters. But, credit to them and the script, they all managed to do great. And of course Tom Cruise was the unchallenged star of the movie; nobody can deny his great acting as well as his dedication to the stunt world.
I liked the story. Before seeing the movie, I feared they would make up some convoluted plot, with twists and turns everywhere. Instead, they kept it nice and simple. A mission to do, how to do it, training. Same formula of the original, still works.
In the end, I loved every second of this movie. It knew what it had to do, and it delivered. It had the right amount of fanservice that the fans of the original expected/demanded, but it didn’t abuse that. Highly recommended to anyone, a must-see for fans of Top Gun.
9/10
DISCLAIMER: I did not see this movie in its original language(English), but in a dubbed version(Italian). I may have missed some nuances.
I found The Professor and The Madman to be an entertaining movie to watch. Nothing groundbreaking, but it had an interesting, novel (at least for me) story and good acting.
I never thought that the making of the Oxford English Dictionary could be entertaining and not something that puts me to sleep right away, but I was wrong. This movie manages to be very interesting throughout; furthermore, the parts of the movie about the dictionary are by far the most engaging for me, while the rest is a bit drab.
Both Mel Gibson and Sean Penn did a good job portraying their respective characters, while I felt Natalie Dormer’s performance to be a bit of a letdown.
While visually it is nothing special, it is still interesting enough to keep you watching. A shorter runtime would have been really good for this movie, there was much unnecessary stuff. I think a good 20 minutes could have been cut without losing anything. Still, I can recommend it. It won’t blow your mind, but you will be entertained.
6/10
I have mixed feelings about this movie. On one hand, it is beautifully shot (in an artsy, borderline pretentious kinda way), the actors did a great job and I can somewhat relate to the emotions the main character goes through. On the other hand, I’ve found it to be an absolute snooze-fest. I pushed through because it was recommended to me by a dear friend, but had it been any other situation, I probably would have dropped it half way through.
It’s a romance movie. It’s a summer love romance movie, in particular. Those are often fast and fleeting (unlike the slowness of this movie), but Elio, the main character, is a young boy and doesn’t know it yet. This is the story of him discovering that and his attraction to the same sex.
That said, I felt like the movie spent a lot of time on the landscapes and the overall background, without developing the main characters. I know “love at first sight” exists, but they seemingly fell deeply in love from just a couple interactions.
In the end, I think this movie had some potential, but squandered it. The premise of the story was interesting, I wish it was done differently. I can totally see why people like or even love this movie, but it isn’t for me.
5/10
Also, what was up with the peach scene? That’s just weird. I was a horny teenager myself, and I’ve never even thought of fucking a peach.
What a nice, simple movie this was. It was nothing elaborate, but it had a lot of charm to it. Tom Hanks carries the whole movie brilliantly, I thought he was really good in this one.
The plot is linear, but entertaining. After an apocalypse, Finch is a lonely survivor. His only companion is Goodyear, his beloved dog. Feeling his time draw near, Finch builds a robot to protect it after his demise. The movie follows the growth of said robot, as he learns skills and emotions.
Overall, it’s not special, but it is a nice way to spend an evening. You won’t regret watching it, but you probably won’t want to watch it again.
6/10
Memphis Belle turned out to be a much more gripping and entertaining movie than I thought it would. I didn’t expect it, but I was on the edge of my seat worried about the crew, wondering if they could make it.
The story is pretty simple: the crew of the american B-17 bomber “Memphis Belle” have done 24 successful bombing runs over Germany. One more and they can go home, first to do such a feat. So the stakes are high, both personally for each member of the crew, but also for the army, who is already planning how to harvest the PR and publicity it would generate.
The cinematography is really good, especially if you consider that this movie is more than thirty years old. The aerial fight scenes are amazing, I really liked them. The flak from the german anti-air guns in particular made it so tense. Great job.
The cast was good too, though I will have to say that there were a bit too many characters to keep track of in such a short runtime. After a while they started to melt together, to me.
In the end, I can recommend Memphis Belle to anyone who likes war movies. But even if those aren’t your cup of tea, give this one a shot: it might surprise you.
8/10
Kingsman: The Golden Circle is not as good as the first one, but that’s not too surprising, sequels rarely are. But it still manages to be a very entertaining movie and a great way to pass an evening.
The cast all did very well in my opinion. Egerton was great as Eggsy and I can say the same as the other actors from the original Kingsman. Loved Colin Firth, even though he had a smaller part this time around. The new entries were good too; I liked Julianne Moore’s villain and Pedro Pascal as Whiskey. The Elton John’s cameo was fun at first, but a tad overdone by the end, I feel like.
The story was not as fun as the first one. Still quite entertaining, but a bit weaker and sillier overall. Thankfully the fight scenes were as good as the ones in the original Kingsman; very well choreographed and extremely fun to watch.
I read some criticism regarding the love story between Eggsy and Princess Tilde, but I have to say that I enjoyed that part of the movie. It was a nice subversion of the classical Bond trope where he gets the girl and then she’s gone the next movie. One thing I didn’t like is how they got rid of Roxy so fast. I wish she had more of a part in this one.
If you enjoyed the first one, I think you’ll like Kingsman: The Golden Circle. It is a “more of the same” but it’s still very well done and fun to watch.
7/10
I went into this movie with high expectations and boy, did it live up to the hype!
The story is nothing really special, a run-off-the-mill spy story with the training of the new recruit. But yet it doesn’t bore during its runtime, it flows extremely well. It definitely echoes the James Bond movies in many ways, but it never takes itself too seriously; it’s half citation, half parody for me. In any case, the whole ordeal works incredibly well, bringing something new to the spy genre.
The cast was stellar. Colin Firth absolutely dominated each scene he was in, and I think he is a big reason for this movie’s success. Samuel L. Jackson played the villain in such a charming way, with a mix of foolishness and cruelty, I really liked his performance. I also really liked Taron Egerton, I might have to check out more movies with him in it. Great job by Mark Strong too.
The style of this movie was the most striking aspect for me. Throughout the film, there’s a certain vibe that I really enjoyed. It’s that mix of snobby, well dressed British upper class and absolutely Hollywood violent fighting. It worked so well.
The fight scenes are the highlight of Kingsman: The Secret Service. Beautifully choreographed, complex yet easy to follow. Honestly the most fun fighting scenes I’ve seen in a long time.
I can recommend this one to basically everyone. The two hours of runtime will feel like nothing!
8/10
DISCLAIMER: I did not see this movie in its original language(Japanese), but in a dubbed version(Italian). I may have missed some nuances.
After watching two or three other Studio Ghibli movies, I was very curious to see My Neighbor Totoro, having seen the titular character at the start of those movies, in the studio's logo. I had also heard very good praise about it, which only piqued my curiosity even more!
And I can say it did not disappoint. I loved every second of this movie; I didn't want it to end!
The brilliance with which it captures the innocence and magic nature of childhood is extraordinary. It's such a sweet and fun tale, told in a beautiful and whimsical way. I liked the pace of the plot, it wasn't rushed but yet it wasn't too slow, it was just right, moving exactly at the right speed. The fact that it interlaced some heavy themes (a sick parent) and the fairy tale like adventures of the two sisters made it more enjoyable for me. There's no real villain either, it's just two children exploring like only they can do, seeing the world with innocent eyes. I also enjoyed how the movie is purposely vague on whether Totoro and his friends are real or a product of Mei and Satsuko's imagination.
The animation is, no need to say it, beautiful. The character design is well thought out; the humans are all unique and realistic. But the real stars are Totoro and his little companions. So adorably cute! I even liked the peculiar sound design for Totoro's voice. I just wished it was more present in the movie.
I wish I had a neighbor Totoro; maybe I need to look better!
In the end, this is a wonderful movie that I can recommend without reservation to anyone, of any age. Maybe it doesn't have the depth of other Studio Ghibli's movies, but there is always space for a fairy tale, whether you're a little kid or a grown adult.
8.5/10
I did not enjoy Ad Astra as much as I thought I would. There were some good things, but overall the movie did not impress me.
Let's start with the visuals, which were by far my favorite part of the whole movie. They looked absolutely stunning all the way through, but I especially liked the scenes on the moon. Very realistic, I wish I had seen them on the big screen of a movie theater instead of my laptop. I think they will hold up well in the coming years.
Same for the musical score and the sound effects. Very well done, they added a lot to the movie's atmosphere.
I also liked the whole "look" of the movie. It's set in the near future and while the tech they use is clearly a long way away from what we have today, it's not absurdly unrealistic to imagine. It's not sparkly starships like in Star Wars or Star Trek. The bases as well; they're cramped and spartan looking, very utilitarian.
They didn't go with realistic physics though, which I think was a mistake. At least, the first half was half believable, but in the ending scenes all realism went out the door.
The plot was okay-ish. I mean, it's not too original and not that surprising. I'd say that for the first half of the movie it manages to somewhat grip to viewer. But after that, it becomes really hard to push through. I wasn't particularly impressed with the ending either, saw it coming a mile away.
I guess I can get the whole message the movie is trying to push, but it sure is a long way to deliver something so simple.
The cast was very good. Of course Pitt is the protagonist and I really enjoyed is performance. He really managed to portray a wound up character in a realistic way.
In the end, there's nothing really bad about this movie, but yet I didn't like it that much. It definitely went for a somewhat artsy route (not that it's a bad thing in and of itself) but I felt like it was too slow and not that compelling. I would only recommend it for the visuals.
6/10
The Tinder Swindler is a very interesting documentary, following the story of different women who fell for a scam by an Israeli conman.
While the scam in itself is nothing particularly new - it's nothing more than a Ponzi scheme- I found it interesting how this man managed to apply it on Tinder, adding emotions and sentiments in the mix of everything.
The documentary itself is very well shot and it could easily be an Hollywood movie. They managed to tell the story very well, without letting it get too boring.
It's certainly a cautionary tale about online dating (more like about trusting people, really). Worth a watch.
7/10
I enjoyed Blade Runner 2049 a lot more than I did the original one, but it is clear to me that this recent movie is not as impactful in its contributions to the genre.
The story was very nice and interesting. It gripped me right away and I found it a lot more straightforward than the 1982 Blade Runner. I've got very little complaints about the story, except that it did have a lot of painfully slow scenes. In that, it really mirrored its predecessor; I didn't like it there and I did not like it here, but I appreciate the movie maintaining a similar style.
The plot had a right mix of mystery and action. It flowed very well from one scene to the other and it made me curious until the end, while posing interesting philosophical questions.
The cast was phenomenal, and that should be no surprise. Ryan Gosling did great, I really loved his portrayal of K. Ana de Armas as well did a great job portraying an AI. And of course, Harrison Ford reprised his role as a now old Deckard; I've seen discordant opinions about his performance, but I personally think he killed it. Great job.
The cinematography was were this movie really improved upon its predecessor, in my opinion. Los Angeles still had that brutalist and claustrophobic feel, but I enjoyed the choice of colors much more. It really was a treat to the eyes.
The CGI was really good as well, from the overall scenery to the cloned Rachel. I really liked the effects on the holographic Joi, especially in the sex scene. Really, really well done.
I enjoyed the sounds of the original Blade Runner and this one didn't disappoint either. It was in line with the 1982 movie and I really liked that.
In the end, I think Blade Runner 2049 is a better movie than Blade Runner. Though, it can only be so thanks to its ability to build on what the previous one explored. I can recommend this movie to anyone who loved the original without worry. And if you were intrigued but not impressed by Blade Runner, give this one a shot, it might surprise you.
8/10
P.S.: I'm glad they didn't confirm whether Deckard is a replicant or not. I don't think he is, but it's much more fun speculating than knowing
Barely above mediocrity, that's what it is. I had higher hopes for this movie.
Let's start with what I think is the most important thing in a movie like this: the story. As far as I know, they got most of the stuff right and that really pleased me. I'm not a huge history buff, but Midway has long been an interesting battle for me. What puzzled me is the way they decided to tell the story. Did we really need to see the attack on Pearl Harbor? Everybody knows how the Pacific War started, it could have (and should have, in my opinion) been simply mentioned in a couple of lines of dialogue. Same for the Doolittle raid; while interesting in and of itself, it had literally nothing to do with the titular naval battle. I guess the Shangai studio involved needed to show the good chinese versus the evil japanese.
For crying out loud, it takes 75 minutes of runtime before the start of Midway! I'm not saying I wanted to jump straight in, as a bit of introduction is needed, especially for the lesser known aspects like the intelligence gathering. But it was so drawn out. And to make it worse, when it came to the actual battle, they rushed over some things, like Yorktown surviving two attacks and actually baiting the japanese forces.
I don't know what to say about Best's horizontal bombing, that's just a travesty. I understand needing to embellish stuff for a movie, but dive bombing through a cloud of anti-air is already pretty cool, without ruining it with a super cheesy line.
I'm just glad they didn't push too much with some love story or anything like that.
The visuals were ok. Some scenes looked very good, others not so much. There was definitely inconsistency in the CGI quality, I guess the budget was limited. One thing that bugged me was the planes; they looked great, but they didn't feel real. Almost like they were "slow".
As for the cast, I enjoyed Harrelson and Wilson's performances, nothing special but solid acting. The others were very forgettable.
In the end, it's an ok movie, but hard to recommend.
6/10
DISCLAIMER: I did not see this movie in its original language(Korean), but in a dubbed version(Italian). I may have missed some nuances.
I've seen this movie recommended everywhere and, now that I've seen it, I can definitely see why. What an incredible movie! It really captivated me and I think I may be Park Chan-wook newest fan. I will certainly check out his other movies!
But let's talk about Oldboy. Let's start with discussing the plot. The movie doesn't waste any time at all, it goes straight into it. Five minutes in and I was already captivated and invested in Dae-su's story.
Watching him imprisoned as life goes on outside, with the TV as his only company, you can really empathize with him. You totally get his furious need for revenge and explanations. I won't discuss the plot any longer here, I don't want to make any spoiler. But I will say that it is a very interesting story throughout the whole 2 hours runtime, which not many movie can do. It does have some pacing issue in the last half, in my opinion, but nothing too bad.
A thing I had always heard good praise about Oldboy is the fight scenes. And I have to say that the movie delivered in that aspect as well. The corridor fight scene is one of the greatest ever, but in general every fight felt real. Obviously there was some exaggeration in the ability of the characters to just tank hits after hits, but that is to be expected. After all, a totally realistic fight would be quite boring in a movie.
You could tell that all the fight scenes in Oldboy were well rehearsed and the choreography was marvelously done. Every hit looked like it actually made contact and inflicted damage. There was no excessive use of jump cuts. Just awesome!
The actors were equally good. Choi Min-sik was incredible as the protagonist, truly an amazing performance. I also loved Yoo Ji-tae, what a great villain he portrayed. I'll look for more movies with them.
The aspect that most surprised me about this movie was the music, though. An absolutely beautiful score. Go listen to The Last Waltz (Mido's theme) on Youtube. So full of emotion.
I can suggest Oldboy to anyone. It is excellent and it could be a great entry into Korean movies. It's thrilling and it keeps you on your toes, with great fights sprinkled in. What more do you want?
Awesome movie about revenge, I will definitely watch the other two of the Vengeance Trilogy by this director.
9/10
Encanto is a lovely movie that fails just a bit short on the way to being an instant classic.
The animation is top notch. That surely doesn't surprise anyone, but I really got the feeling the animators were flexing their skills with this movie. Many characters, but especially the protagonist, Mirabel, are dressed with big, floofy, flowing dresses that are just mesmerizing to look at. And Mirabel's hair! Incredibly well done. Since Tangled, Disney has nailed the animation aspect of hair. Honestly, they got everything right, from the fur of the animals to the light blonde hair on the characters' skin.
The whole scenery is also amazing to look at. I'm not Colombian myself (or Latino for that matter), but I've been told from someone who is that it really looks like a place in Colombia, from the way the mountains around look, to the style of the houses of the town.
The characters are honestly where this movie fails a bit short for me. They're all lovely, but since there is so many of them, they're not really that fleshed out. They feel shallow and one-dimensional, like they're there just to fill a bit of screentime instead of being functional to the story.
Speaking of the story, I really liked the premise of it. It started strong and it gripped me right away, but after a while I felt like it was missing a purpose a bit. Every time there was a conflict, it was almost immediately resolved, almost rushed. I liked that they did a movie without an obvious villain, though. It is a breath of fresh air. No evil character out for world domination, just the struggle of a family.
Of course, I have to say something about the songs. I enjoyed them a lot! Especially the introductory one and We don't talk about Bruno have been stuck in my head since I finished watching the movie. But they are all pretty catchy, though I have to say I didn't enjoy the choreography of all of them.
In conclusion, Encanto is a very enjoyable movie that I can recommend to any Disney fan. It has its funny moments and the more serious ones as well, like you would expect for Disney.
7/10
What a wonderful movie this is!
Pixar delivers, as always. Luca is a fun movie that I've really enjoyed watching and one I will probably rewatch in the future.
But let's go in order.
Let's start with the visuals. It should surprise no one that Pixar can make beautifully stunning animations, but they really did a great work in this one. The character's animation is flawless, a joy for the eyes; their faces convey emotions as good as a real actor could and they have somewhat realistic movements, while maintaining a characteristic cartoony bounce. The town in which the story takes place is marvelous and charming, and, having been in Liguria a few times, I can say it really does capture the spirit of a small seaside town in that part of Italy. The surrounding scenery as well, it looks so mediterranean, really a wonderful job.
Finally, the water: wow! It must be the best looking water I've seen in an animated movie. The sea could almost pass for photorealistic at times. They really nailed the colors and different shades of blue, as well as the waves which look great and fluid (ok, that pun was a bit of a reach).
The story itself was nothing crazy, no incredible epic. Yet, because of its somewhat low stakes, it felt quite relatable. Really, all the characters were like that, from Luca's desire to explore to Alberto's fear of losing someone dear, I think most of us have experienced those emotions.
I also liked that the villain didn't have some kind of sad backstory to explain his evil. He was just a dick for the sake of being one. That's way more true to life than any seemingly evil person having an explanation for their evilness.
There was a good mix of emotional moments and funny gags. And while the pacing of the whole thing was kind of slow, it didn't bore me once, because every scene had a lot to look at.
I can definitely recommend Luca to anyone! It's not too long, only 90 minutes, and trust me, that runtime is going to fly by. This movie is like if Studio Ghibli made a Pixar's movie. And I love it!
8.5/10
DISCLAIMER: I did not see this movie in its original language(English), but in a dubbed version(Italian). I may have missed some nuances (I doubt this movie had nuances though).
I went into this movie thinking it would just be a simple, action packed movie. Not much to think about, just men versus aliens. In a sense, that's what The Tomorrow war is, but it's not a good simple movie.
But let's start with the positives first.
The CGI was absolutely marvelous. I loved it! The design of the aliens was great, very scary. The cinematography in general felt very pleasant to me, definitely a movie that's not hard on the eyes. I enjoyed the overrun buildings of the future, very well done.
The cast did an ok job, though I feel like none of them was irreplaceable. You could have substituted Chris Pratt with any other fit actor and it wouldn't have changed a thing. I liked Strahovski's performance, I'll keep an eye on her future movies.
Now, for the bad. The premise of the script wasn't terribly awful (nor terribly good, mind you), it was intriguing. But soon a myriad of plot holes start appearing and it's impossible to gloss over all of them. Why send untrained men to die in the future? Where does the money for all the deceased' family comes from (it's a lot money, given how many die every time)? And many more.
Already messing with time travel opens you up for a bunch of plot holes and loose ends, but it can be done well, or at least decently. But not here. It just gets dumber and dumber.
The enemies are also incredibly inconsistent, sometimes absorbing thousand of bullets with ease, while other times an axe is more than sufficient to take care of them. I get what they were going for, an unbeatable, unending horde, but I feel like such a powerful enemy makes the fight less entertaining for me.
All these things considered, it would have still been an ok movie. Not great, but ok. But then, the final act of the movie comes around. Why on Earth is the solution to send 5 untrained guys to the mothership, instead of a whole army group? Why does a 15 yo figures it all out? So dumb.
In the end, it could have been much better. Edge of Tomorrow did this whole theme much, much better. Go watch that if you want something with "tomorrow" in the title. This movie is only barely saved by the aliens design and the cool CGI of the action scenes.
5/10
I've watched this movie in the original language (French) as a way to improve my skills and proficiency in it. But while I understood a lot (thanks, subtitles!), I'm not a native speaker and some jokes clearly flew over my head, so it may affect my feeling towards the movie as a whole.
OSS117 is back with another mission. This time in Brazil!
I don't have much to say about this movie. If you have liked the previous OSS117 movie, chances are that you'll enjoy this one as well. It has that some 60s Bond movie feel, though I have to say the pacing is not as good as OSS 117: Cairo, Le Caire d'espions.
Nevertheless, an enjoyable movie to pass an evening.
7/10
Really, a missed opportunity. I liked the concept of it, but many things irked me. What was the reason to Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber on this reunion? No offense to them, but they have no relationship with the show. They should have got some of the other people that starred on Friends instead, like Paul Rudd or Cole Sprouse.
Seeing the six protagonists reminisce about the days of the show was very nice and I enjoyed that a lot, even though I didn't particularly like James Corden's contribution to the whole affair. I also really really liked hearing the producers and creators of Friends talk about the behind the scenes, the casting and all that, that was lovely.
But beside those positive aspects, I felt like this reunion was full of filler and unnecessary content. Which is truly a shame, because I'm sure both the actors and the producers would have had enough stories to easily fill a 2 hour runtime or more.
Expected more, but the nostalgia factor barely saves it.
5.5/10
I've watched this movie in the original language (French) as a way to improve my skills and proficiency in it. But while I understood a lot (thanks, subtitles!), I'm not a native speaker and some jokes clearly flew over my head, so it may affect my feeling towards the movie as a whole.
OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies is very clearly a spoof of the James Bond movies, especially the first ones from the 60s and 70s. The protagonist has the characteristic of a Bond-like character: he's handsome, physically fit, adept in combat and charming with the ladies. But he's also incredibly tone-deaf in things like race and religion. He's extremely cocky and full of himself, which makes him really fun to watch as he gets involved in these complex plots while he himself seems more interested in love making than resolving the situation.
I liked the cinematography of the movie, it really did capture that early Bond movie feel. Especially in the car scenes!
Overall, it's a very enjoyable parody with good and funny gags (the chicken one was hilarious to me). It really flows well and it's not too long. Worth a watch!
7/10
DISCLAIMER: I did not see this movie in its original language(Japanese), but in a dubbed version(Italian). I may have missed some nuances.
What attracted me to Howl's Moving Castle is without a doubt the steampunk-ish vibe of the castle itself. It looked very interesting from every picture I saw online and it seemed like it could be a great setting for a story.
But when it actually come down to the movie itself, it was a bit of a letdown. For starters, the castle itself doesn't feature nearly as much as I'd hoped, but I won't hold that against the movie. Let's go in order.
First, the good stuff.
The animation is top notch, as it's norm for a Studio Ghibli movie. Everything feels "alive", in a way. Not only that, but the drawings are absolutely beautiful. You could take a still from any point of the movie and it would probably look great hung on a wall.
I enjoy the score as well, but I don't have much else to say.
Now for the not-so-good aspects.
The story was full of holes. That's inexcusable. It barely made sense overall. If you've ever played with children, it's like when they start making up a story. At first it makes sense then, as it goes on longer, weird things start popping up with little relation to the story or an explanation. If that is acceptable from a kid, it absolutely isn't from a studio such as this.
The world building was another aspect were they missed the mark, in my opinion. It started out great, I was very intrigued about the mix of technology we see at the start (which had a steampunk/dieselpunk vibe) and the magic of Howl and of the Witch. But then it started becoming messier and messier. You couldn't tell what the rules where in that world and so the whole thing started to crumble for me.
In the end, Howl's Moving Castle is neither a bad or a good movie. It's a missed occasion for something much greater that could have been. I would only recommend it to fans of Studio Ghibli and even then with some reservations.
6/10
P.S.: Calcifer is the shining star of the whole thing
Speaking as a person who enjoys engineering feats and especially those related to aviation, I was sure I was going to love The Wind Rises. After loving the planes in Porco Rosso, my first Studio Ghibli's movie and my favorite so far, I had confidence in Miyazaki ability to portray what goes in designing a plane. And he even exceeded my expectations! You can truly tell that the japanese director is an aviation nerd and lover.
The movie goes back and forth from reality and dreaming, almost seamlessly and with such graceful transitions that it really feels like the whole thing is a dream inside Jiro's head. In the best possible way.
The plot itself isn't particularly rigid and it flow very well from one thing to another, from reality to dream, from Jiro's work to his personal life. It's not a story that grips you because you want to know what happens next. It's more like cloud watching; you're just there, watching which shape will come next, with no expectations about it, without worrying how it ties with the previous shape.
Even though it's set during the years of World War Two, the movie doesn't endorse Japan's actions during it. Really the war is basically a footnote of the whole thing. It's more like a plot point to bring the viewer to what really matter: the design of the plane and what it means for the protagonist.
I don't have much to say about the visuals. They are very on brand for Studio Ghibli. Perfectly done, with their unique style. Much like in Porco Rosso, the planes and the engines that power them, feel alive. It's not a photorealistic style, but it's absolutely gorgeous, vivid and full of life.
I loved the sound design. A lot of them were made by a human mouth, I feel like. Especially in the dream sequences, it really added to the feeling of being in fantasyland.
Overall, a great movie, which I would recommend to anyone, but especially to those that like aviation and/or are fans of Studio Ghibli's style of animation. A wonderful mix of gorgeous visuals and poetry.
8/10
I'll preface this by saying that I've never read the book that this movie is based on. So I won't say anything about how faithful of an adaptation this is, but rather on the movie itself.
Leonardo Di Caprio is, as always, marvelous. That's certainly no news, but I really enjoyed his performance. He was so good that I felt he basically obscured everyone else, except maybe Edgerton.
That's one of my first critic of the movie, the cast was not on par with DiCaprio and it showed.
I liked the cinematography, especially during the parties at Gatsby's manor. They really felt like the roaring twenties. Great work by the costume team, they really captured the esthetic of the 1920's upper society.
I felt that the movie was directed well, but the CGI was mediocre at best. I really got a fake feeling; I don't know if that was the intention, but it didn't work for me.
As for the story, I found it quite predictable and to be honest, rather boring. This is obviously a personal preference, but I wish they had dived deeper in the obsession of Gatsby, instead of romanticizing it. As it stands, I found it really hard to care about the story of any one of the characters. Again, I don't know if it's by choice, maybe it's the same in the original work, but for me it rendered the movie boring.
One thing that I liked was the approach to the narration, with Nick (portrayed by Maguire) narrating the story, with lines, I assume, taken from the book by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
The soundtrack was a bit of a hit and miss. Using modern, rearranged music and songs was a bold move, which only paid off about half the time. Other times it just felt jarring and out of place.
In the end, this is a movie worth seeing because of DiCaprio's performance, in my opinion. If you're a fan of his, you'll definitely enjoy The Great Gatsby. Otherwise, I'd say skip it.
6/10
I went into this movie with high expectations but knowing little to nothing about the movie itself (I hadn't even seen the trailer). A Nolan movie, packed with action, a touch of sci-fi and time travel: that's all I knew. And to be honest, it was more than enough. I went into Tenet sure that I would love it.
The reality, though, is not as pretty.
But let's start with the positives.
The soundtrack was great. Even though I feel that Zimmer would have elevated this movie to another level, Göransson did an excellent job. The music was appropriate, underlining every single moment of the movie.
The cast did really well. Especially Pattinson, which I really appreciated in this. Also pleasantly surprised by John David Washington, whom I didn't know before. He did really well as The Protagonist. Good job also by Debicki. Really, considering their characters, they all did the best they could.
The cinematography, as expected by Nolan, was top notch. Great CGI as well. The action sequences were done really well, I truly enjoyed them. Same for the car chase. I don't know how they managed to film/edit the inverted scenes, but they were amazing!
Now for the not so positives.
The sound mixing was really poor. Often the music completely covered the dialogue, making it really hard to understand what was going on. Thank God for subtitles.
The pacing was off. It felt really rushed, in a movie that should have left the viewer some time to understand the situation. Almost like a magician that doesn't want you to fixate your eyes too long or else you might discover his trick, the movie is always rushing you from scene to scene. I get what they were going for, but it was not executed properly.
The dialogue was also not as good as I expected. Very hand-wavy if that makes sense. Coupled with very one-dimensional characters, it really put me off. With the exception of Pattison's (and even then, not that much better), every character felt so flat.
And finally, the plot.
While it starts from an interesting and, at least for me, unheard idea, it quickly devolves into a generic spy/bond movie. I'm not personally a fan of the "it's always been this way" time travel solution, but I won't hold that against the movie. What I didn't like is that there was no sense of empathy for the characters. I didn't give a damn about their actions, because they felt more like automatons than human beings. Same thing for the time travel gimmick: it was really intriguing, but I soon didn't care for it because the movie couldn't be bothered to keep it consistent and to play by its own rules it had set up
In the end, I still think that Tenet is an interesting movie. Just not perfectly executed. Maybe a longer runtime would have given time to sort some of the issues by slowing down the pace a bit. But the interesting time travel mechanic, the fact that the movie will have you think about what was going on (in a good way!) even after it's over, the great score and the gorgeous looking cinematography make me recommend it. Especially to fan of the director or those who liked Inception (which is a superior movie, IMO).
7.5/10
This is a bit of a nitpick, but in the fight at the airport it was obvious that they were fighting another version of The Protagonist. I mean, Pattison unmasked him and looked surprised, while the camera didn't show who it was. Who the hell could have been?
DISCLAIMER: I did not see this movie in its original language(English), but in a dubbed version(Italian). I may have missed some nuances.
The Aeronauts intrigued me straight from the moment I saw its poster. I had never seen a movie revolving around a hot air balloon.
Visually, the movie is absolutely stunning. There are great scenes, with the balloon high up over the clouds, that gave me the chills. They really managed to convey the altitude, the loneliness and the cold that I always imagined are common up there. Superb job on the visuals part.
The story left me a bit disappointed. First off, the Amelia is a completely invented character, which, considering how central to the story she is and how the movie said to be inspired by a true story, I find a bit irritating. Especially considering that the real person who accompanied Glaisher on his flight is quite interesting on its own. That aside, I found the use of flashbacks excessive. They didn't add much to the movie, giving information that the viewer could have easily picked up themselves, and they distracted from the ascent.
The cast did a wonderful job; from the main leads to the supporting actors, I found them all very good. Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones have great chemistry on screen.
In the end, it's quite a forgettable movie, but an enjoyable one. With a short runtime of one hour and forty minutes, it is a nice way to spend an evening.
6/10
I’ve read about this movie a lot and heard it recommended countless times on the internet. So maybe I had too high expectations going in. Not a bad movie at all, but nothing as exciting as I was hoping.
The problem lies in the plot. While it starts from a very interesting prospective, it quickly gets itself tangled in a series of twists that are complicated just to be complicated. It seems like they tried to put a plot twist after the other, but the only effect, at least for me, was to make the whole plot predictable.
That aside, the director did a very good job. I appreciated the way the movie looked and felt. Considering there’s a lot of talking, the whole thing felt quite dynamic and upbeat.
Great job by the cast as well, especially Sarah Snook, who delivered the most solid performance of the movie.
In conclusion, I hoped for more. I would still recommend this one to fans of the time travel genre. The cast is great and does a fine job. That plus a short runtime makes Predestination a quite entertaining movie night choice.
6.5/10
I was very interested in the premise of this movie. After having seen (and appreciated) The Guilty some time ago, the idea of another one-man film intrigued me a lot. But at the end, I felt Locke was a bit of a letdown.
The cast was great. Tom Hardy gave a solid performance. It’s not an easy feat to act alone throughout the whole movie with very little to act against. But he did a great job, conveying all the emotions his character wet through. Even the rest of the cast did a good job, even if only their voices were heard.
The music was completely absent so I can’t really say much about it, except that in some occasion it would have been nice.
The cinematography was nice, but repetitive, at least for me. About half way through, I got tired of reflections, lights and mirrors. I get that the set was quite limited, but maybe something more could have been done.
The story was the real letdown for me. What started interesting and mysterious, turned out to be quite boring and dull about halfway through the movie. Then ending was also a delusion for me, without any real conclusion or answers. I get the moral angle the movie was going for, but it was not enough for ninety minutes of runtime. As a side note, the scenes where Locke “talks” to his deceased father got boring fast. The first was great, it almost felt like House of Cards, like he was talking directly to the viewer. But then it turned into Locke insulting his father every time.
In the end, Locke had much potential but squandered it with a quite frankly boring story. It’s not a total snooze fest only thanks to a solid performance from Hardy. I would recommend it only to fans of the actor, and even then with some reservations. If you are looking for a one man only movie, I’d instead suggest the previously mentioned The Guilty.
4.5/10
DISCLAIMER: I did not see this movie in its original language(Korean), but in a dubbed version(Italian). I may have missed some nuances.
I went into this movie without knowing anything about it, aside from the Oscar win and the praise it got from everyone. I didn’t know what to expect, what kind of movie it would be. I hadn’t even ever seen a Korean movie.
Before talking about the plot and the visuals, I have to say that the cast was all great. While I watched a dubbed version, the performance of each actor and actress was very convincing and entertaining.
I really enjoyed the plot of Parasite. It managed to subvert my expectations at every turn. The movie was able to shapeshift easily and seamlessly between a comedy, a thriller, even almost an horror (the scene were the ex housekeeper’s husband comes up the stairs and scares the child is super creepy; that shot with only the eyes peeking above the stairs gave me shivers). It changed so many genres that I wouldn’t know what to pick to describe it. But that, in my opinion, is one of its best features.
The visuals and photography were very well done. The shot were the family is fleeing in the rain is absolutely stunning and perfectly executed. Good job to the director.
In the end, I would recommend this movie to anyone, without any reservations. It reminded me of a theatrical play, in a good way. It’s absolutely entertaining, it keeps you glued to the screen for the whole runtime. It’s the perfect length, it doesn’t feel neither too long or too short. I honestly can’t find a negative.
10/10
DISCLAIMER: I did not see this movie in its original language(English), but in a dubbed version(Italian). I may have missed some nuances.
I was quite little when the events this movie is based on happened. Furthermore, the news coverage was very low, so I went into this movie knowing very little about the actual fact and the lives it took.
The movie is very thrilling and riveting. It doesn’t waste a lot of time presenting the characters, it almost goes straight to the attack and the subsequent events. Also, for the most part, it doesn’t over dramatize. Every person on screen could be the next victim. There’s no
plot armor. No one is safe and that keeps the viewer glued to the screen.
Great job by the cast, especially Dev Patel. His character was so interesting and well portrayed. Isaacs was also convincing (between Hotel Mumbai and The death of Stalin I’m starting to think he likes to play Russians). Well done to Kher as well, really charismatic as the head chef (which is a real person, as I’ve learned later).
The cinematography is excellent. Throughout the movie, the tension is palpable. When Sally was hiding with the baby is probably one of the tensest scenes I’ve ever seen. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. Great job
In conclusion, whether you know the events or not, I would recommend Hotel Mumbai to about anyone.
8/10
This movie was an uninspired ending to this new trilogy. It tried to do many things but couldn't finish them.
If Rey accidentally killed Chewie, it would have been an incredibly powerful scene; but no, it was just to get a reaction from the audience.
If Rey and Ben got together, we could have explored something like grey jedi; but no, he dies right after
Also, in the previous movies (and in the start of this one) we are shown how Rey is better at fighting with her staff rather than the lightsaber. Why, why not give her a dual lightsaber (Darth Maul inspired) instead of the classic (even if iconic) one?
The first thing I really disliked was the opening crawl text. I really felt like I had missed a movie. Too many facts are just narrated in a few lines of text at the start without showing them happening.
The plot felt all over the place for me. It wasn't that coherent, it's like they had a series of checkboxes to tick. Also way too many deus ex machina. There's a point in which saying "the force" isn't enough.
The visuals though, were amazing. Probably the best one of the new trilogy. Great scenery and really well done visual effects. Top notch.
Same thing for the actors. While the script wasn't amazing IMO (but it's Star Wars, dialogue was never its strong suit), the cast acted really well. I really liked Adam Driver in particular.
In the end, I wish it could have been done better. It opened with many interesting plots, but wasn't able to tie them together properly. Maybe a trilogy as big as this one should have been planned better?
6/10
Solo: A Star Wars Story does a lot of things right. The backstory of Han Solo has always been one of the most interesting things in the Star Wars universe for me. This movie manages to provide a nice origin story for one of the most beloved characters of movie history.
Let's start with the cast. Great performances all around, but especially to Ehrenreich, who really captured the essence of the character. I had no problem believing he was a young Han Solo, he really got the mannerism and cockiness of the original trilogy down to a T.
I also really liked Emilia Clarke's character and I hope we will see her again in this universe. Same for Glover and his portrayal of Lando Carlissian.
The visuals were, as you would expect, stunning. Especially the scenes in the Maw or the train heist. Absolutely marvelous.
The story was a bit of a hit and miss. While we got to see a lot of important moments of Han life, such as how he gets the Millenium Falcon or how he meets Chewie, at times I felt the story was dragging itself a bit too much. Certain scenes felt too much like fan service and were kinda ham-fisted and out of place. Plus the ending could leave many people that only watched the movies confused. Having never seen the animated series, seeing Darth Maul alive really threw my understanding of the timeline for a spin. I had to look on the Internet to clear things up. I would have liked more backstory for Chewbacca and less L3-37. That droid was annoying and I was kinda glad when the movie threw it away halfway through.
In conclusion, Solo is a really nice look to the origin of one of the most iconic characters of the Star Wars saga. It's not a perfect movie, but it is an easy watch with great visuals and CGI.
7/10
