Change Your Image
Kareninysimba
Reviews
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
Painful to watch
I can't believe this was directed by the same person who did the 1st one, which was very decent and well done. Definitely the rest of the team should have been different. Otherwise, it's unexplainable. This was painful to sit through, and fairly pathetic. Lame and ridiculous characters, interactions and conversations. Even Gal Gadot's hairdo was terrible. Chris Pine was the only exception and deserves 8/10.
Jack and Jill (2011)
A slam dunk sweep at next Razzie Awards!
I'm still dizzy from seeing this movie 2 days ago, in which I haven't been able to do too much, barely eating and sleeping.
This doesn't even deserve to be called a movie. This is a really terrible piece of shame. I was always hesitant to watch Adam Sandler's movies until I saw Punch Drunk Love, when I reconciled with him and gave it a chance. After that nothing seem to be too bad, definitely nothing was too good, but it came to this "movie", because I was letting girlfriend decide what movie we would see. I didn't even see the poster, nothing, didn't read reviews (WRONG), just went in the theater. My hipothesis is that Maybe some tech-head approached Adam Sandler and went "Hey, look this new program, how easy and good a scene with the same actor in two characters can be done"... and in some way, after some drinks and a winding road, this "movie" came to light. Low, cheap, tasteless, gross and disgusting humor are all together here along with the worst acting I have seen in years. Then the bold commercial endorsement, it's just disgusting. I just paid $10 for watching a freaking 2 hour long Dunkin Donut commercial.
I think the worst of all is the load of famous and respectable people making cameos here. They will regret this appearance for the rest of their life, and the worst of all, Al Pacino boldly lending himself for this... the horror... the horror.
And Katie Holmes... she will get a divorce after hubbie watches this.
Splice (2009)
It's what I was expecting, and worse
From viewing the trailers I knew I was far from interested in this movie but, as many of us, I was dragged to it by girlfriend... and then I saw it, and I have to express my opinion.
My only potential redemption to barely like it after watching the trailers was them delivering a strong reason and explanation justifying the creation of new things by combining the And of several animals. Well, it didn't comply with that to me, by unconvincing, vague supposed benefits from it, and then the rest is just plain ridiculous. Still hurts to see Adrien Brodie making these movies and acting like this in the aftermath of his sweeping sensational Pianist performance.
POTENTIAL Spoiler: What was with the change of sex in the middle of their development??? give me a break. And when turning male, they are just the meanest thing ever? Well, more absurdity added to a non-sense tedious and ridiculous movie. If you want to see freaks having sex with humans, go to the internet that is plagued with them. So this movie is strongly recommended to Zoofilia enthusiasts.
Very creepy, but I actually laughed my ass off, as most of the moviegoers. Kind of disturbing how this one has more that 5 stars average rating in the IMDb... oh well, life is much more than one's opinion, THANKFULLY.
Brothers (2009)
Unexpectedly good, very good
The way they decided to launch the trailer definitely made me stay away from the idea of stepping inside to see this movie. The soup opera love-tormented-triangle induced by it wasn't attractive to me, but thanks to my girlfriend, who was definitely attracted to the plot, we gave it a shot.
The directorial style, the heavy war-trauma subject, Tobey Maguire's acting, was something I was not expecting. The tension and suspense are masterfully crafted, the use of several camera angles in a small steady situation with the help of elaborate edition and montage, was a key plus of my admiration. The soup opera style suggested by the trailers/posters, in my humble opinion, is not the real spinal cord of the story, thankfully.
The has in my opinion a couple of memorable milestone scenes that really created a difficult to produce tension in me, out of relatively simple, every day situations as a dinner or as "trashing the place over", many times seen in movies but crafted here in a artful way and an style arguably never before seen.
Tobey Maguire clearly delivers his best performance ever as a war-seduced veteran who undergoes bad enough war trauma to find out more tormenting haunting issues when is back home. His acting, and his physical transformation are both a combination playing for a sure winning bet for an Academy Award nod this year.
Seeing Natalie Portman as an accomplished dedicated young housewife mother of two for the first time felt a bit awkward, initially, but thanks to her superb talent and solid performance makes the new role grow in you and helps digesting it slowly as the movie passes by.
Jake Gyllenhaal delivers his usual introspective rather too laid back character in a certainly convincing credible fashion as the rebel brother who has always being the black sheep of the family coming forward for a formidable redemption.
A great, well created wake up call on the current war veteran issues. An excellent movie, higher than expected. 8 out 10.
Cold Creek Manor (2003)
Is Mike Figgis going down the devil's throat?
Let me let this out very quickly: this movie is very very very bad. I just rented it based on the actors which I like, and I was deeply disappointed. But the major upset of all, was when it ends, I got in sheer shock when I read "Directed by Mike Figgis"!.. I had to rewind and see that again since I didn't believe my eyes!! but it was the sad true, which I didn't knew before or during the movie. I think Mike Figgis has been loosing it steady for a while ever since Leaving Las Vegas, which I liked, so I did One Night Stand, but.. give me a break. I have (once again) wasted 2 hours (and BTW, WHY two hours??) of my precious time. He tried to explore the horror/thriller genre and failed terribly. There are few moments of good suspense that are not handled properly at the end and I was left off waiting for a big scare, or the scene turns comical instead (i.e. the scene where the family screams all together in panic for the snakes). They try to explain his approach to the genre in the DVD extras, and it sounds very nice and convincing, but it din't work at the end. I got lost in the trial. If you liked previous work by Figgis, please don't attempt to watch this one.
Without a very convincing base and reasoning, Dennis Quaid's family decides to move to the country, away from the big city, and there the problems begin. The introduction to the facts are carried away so poorly, then everything is as we suppose is going to be since the beginning. The acting feels very very unassisted, very uninspired. The lousy villain it's so lousy and incompetent you feel you can scare him away by just yelling a loud BOOH! This is a major waste of great talent. I guess that being invited to make a movie under Figgis direction was attracting, but I think it's not anymore, or at least I hope so.
Among the many awkward details are the ages of the disappeared family who previously lived there, it seem so inconsistent, also the house seem to be abandoned for ages. There is a regular sized horse that everybody calls a pony? I had understood a pony was a miniature horse 3 feet tall. There is a noticeable disregard for the story, for following a consistent, sensible plot.
This movie seriously upset me. Bad decision from Dennis Quaid, promising and beautiful Kristen Stewart. Sharon Stone has some dubious choices in the past though. And definitely has promised, under penalty of the law, not to watch a Mike Figgis movie any more, for ever and ever.
The Forgotten (2004)
To be forgotten
In her long lasting mourning because of her lost son, Mrs. Paretta (particular selection for a name, huh?) keeps her son memories very much alive after more that a year of his disappearance. One not special day, all of her material memories start changing: pictures disappear or modified, all of the sudden nobody remembers anything of her son, not even her husband, the very robotic Anthony Edwards. Although she keeps recalling her son very vividly, there are no clues of why she does it and everybody else don't. I guess there are interesting clues developed about this fact later on during the movie. Unfortunately, I particularly didn't catch them if there is any. She joins efforts with the father of another disappeared kid along with her son. Aliens start to be major suspects here without a plausible or natural reason and spectacular abductions occur during these people search for the truth. Unlike major special effects movies, here the abduction where major part of the trailers, being the top spectacular scenes in the movie itself, so the reaction is "Oh yeah.. that was in the trailer..." In the search of "her son". Mrs Paretta (Julianne Moore) says "I want my son back" and "Where is my son" so many times that at some point I wished her son never showed up, and now I've been waking up in the middle of the night shouting "I WANT MY SON BACK!". The dialog is mediocre all the way, excessively naive and repetitive, many time falls in the ridicule and absurd (see the "Memorable Quotes" page and you'll understand). Repited scenes of her son, recalled by her, coming once and again, and over and over again is actually tiring! The phrase "my son" I believe is approximately 90% of the script. I think the director had no clear idea on how to establish the actions among the characters, I got the sensation that their movements, actions and reactions were many times random and loose. There's a particular scene almost at the end, with broken windows, that totally spontaneously produced a strong loud laugh in me, I couldn't help it. There is too an annoying noise when aliens are near or influencing the scene that sounds like worms and termites fighting inside a decomposing body.
I personally strongly wish the aliens come, abduct me and erase this movie from my mind, make me forget I watched it, and thus it become a forgotten movie in my life.
The Dish (2000)
Simply delightful fun
A glorious blend of the history of these unheard heroes and the very ingenious Australian humor, one of the most authentic hilarious and at the same time emotional movies I have ever seen.
The little town of Parkes becomes a major focal point for the Apollo 11 mission, in their own country, Australia. The radio antenna ("the dish") nearby is assigned for nothing less that transmitting the moon walk of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. A very particular team working in the dish is in charge of carrying out the mission. All the unusual events surrounding the mission, the untold story in Parkes is told brilliantly in this movie, with added traces of sympathetic local characters. Strangely, heavily funny, it's a joy of magnificent movie-making and a fresh breeze of originality and wit. I was particularly attached to the story for I've worked in telescopes where the environment is similar and you never guess what the next problem can be and when and how it can occur. Why aren't there more movies like this, that you can laugh out loud with no vulgarity, without appalling and abundant sex references, but simply "home made" jokes and teasing? This is the kind that elevates the human spirit with good will, hope, optimism and a lot of laughs! I felt 100% better (although I was not down) after watching it. The Major, the Mayor's daughter's pretender, the technicians and the guard on duty at the dish, all combined to provide us with this marvelous piece of art that you shouldn't miss!
Full Frontal (2002)
Grow fame and...
In Spanish there's a saying that translates: "Grow fame and go to sleep". I think this happened with S. Soderbergh, where he took advantage of his surprising win at the Oscars Best Director competition and the success of his movie Erin Brockovich along with his pal Julia Roberts and her high peak in the moment he made this movie. Without those 2 mega successes he wouldn't convince many studios to make this movie, and none of us would ever seen it. The box office barely went over the movie budget.
A mix of troubled characters related all to the movie business create a confused and complicated web of feelings, relationships, weird behaviors and "rendevouz" that are let to almost pure improvisation by the director, and in retrospective it sounds very interesting but we haven't seen many movies with such a proposal maybe not because nobody has thought about it but because it's very hard to make it successful and achieve a fine piece of work. In this case I don't think that the weight of Oscars and fresh success help that much in accomplishing that nice piece of work. A very good and daring idea where all the actors were abandon to their own choices in make up, dressing and craft supplies. Niece piece of work... for the actors and crew who make it, in their own private screening or party, not for us who felt it was a waste of time and my $1 that cost renting it. There is some arrogant smell in the air that I felt heavily since I saw for the first time Mr. Soderbergh old fashion sort of feminine style glasses frames and it was strongly confirmed by watching this movie.
I don't remember in recent years a movie where I start watching the running time as early as I started with this movie: when it ran for 15 min I was already impatient, and for a good 1 hour or so I felt uncomfortable for not knowing anything of what was happening and not connecting but a couple of dots in the whole plot. Maybe that was the precise goal of Soderbergh, don't know. I felt bored watching a huge bunch of nonsense which might have make sense but at the end it didn't. Brad Pitt was quite right at the end: I don't know who did it. We strongly hope there's better to come from Soderbergh.
The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
How he does it?
GOOD POINTS: The reference to the current political dynamic duo on top of the Government was briefly enjoyable, and the Mexico issue was a direct hard throw to the nature of treatment and relationship between U.S. and Latin America.
THE REST: How is that this director gets money to keep doing movies? Isn't clear enough he is doing some of the worst movies from the end of the 20th century and early, newly born 21st? or it's probably the 4 years without directing one that erased our memory? or it's just that studios are confident enough that we are stupid enough to keep wasting our money going to see such a bone? I was refusing to rent this movie but at the end I said what the heck, let's give a chance.... and Oh Lord, do I regret! Mr. Emmerich & company seem to insist in convince us of something that can happen, seriously, based on "scientific" basis, and they actually fool quite a lot of people doing it so: there is NO scientific true behind his plot, despite everybody's straight faces all the time. What he pictures here CAN NOT happen in a matter of one month or less, EVER, not even when the Sun start dying. If the core of the plot is cheezy but the facts after that were believable I'd give him a break, but please: the heroic girl going back to rescue a stranded passport? a huge oil vessel cruising on 5th av. & 42 st, a couple of minutes after Manhattan has been flooded (some few feet of water by the way)? The heroic guy attached to the telephone despite there's no more to say waiting to be top off by freezing water? A family of awesomely bad rendered wolves surviving some hundred feet of water, on the loose and on the prowl to attack precisely into the oil vessel? A three man hike expedition from Philadelphia to New York under Himalaya conditions, with purpose of...? what? partial family reunion? and completed in what, 1 night?? When the noise of a huge cruising oil vessel was rumbling over the city, I thought Godzilla was making his entrance all over again! It was like watching that again! I felt a strong lack of basis and credibility, the bottom line of the story it's awfully handled to get the disaster and absurd facts that they want to show no matter how, when or why. If you are going to make a film based on a fantastic story, science fiction or a fable ("I, Robot", "A.I.", "Star Wars", etc, etc.) you can go and do whatever you feel like doing, but manipulate scientific reality to make us believe this can happen and then picture absurd situations on top of that, is not part of what I consider art or even entertainment. The music is too cheezy, almost sounds like the same piece of "tutti virtuoso" with all the orchestra instruments playing loud at the same time EVERY TIME a supposed-exciting scene breaks in. Special effects? The same as in Godzilla 6 years ago, way overcome by a lot of recent magnificent achievements (the Spidermans, the Matrixes, etc.) At least at the end is plausible we didn't see Godzilla stepping over anything in Manhattan or Mel Gibson carrying the U.S. flag all over the place or the U.S. President giving the definite knock out to annihilate a awesomely huge fleet of millions of evil extraterrestrial aliens. I hope I can stand and not watch Mr. Emmerich movies ever again, specially the one coming "One Nation"... we can imagine where it is going to go.
3 out of 10 for one funny political reference and the social content of the U.S.-Latin America reverse of fortune.
Original Sin (2001)
What the original sin might be?
The only thing worst than Antonio Banderas acting is, Antonio Banderas + Angelina Jolie acting together in the same movie and plus, as a couple. In this movie we have to face it (again) and Banderas has to admit it: he's in Hollywood because he's hot according to women (if you see the statistics of the votes for this movie, you'll understand), so they keep (don't know exactly until when) bringing any book. play, old movie, etc. with a Hispanic character to life as a movie just to get the money out of him, and Angelina Jolie performances have been so poor since "Girl Interrupted", when she played probably the most similar role to her real life ever. Well, you can add to the mediocre acting staff that of her partner in crime, who is not clear to me if she loves, hates, cheats, wants or what. I think the screenplay was poor, as well as the direction. The story could've been better developed... with better acting I bet. Probably I was so frustrated with the movie that I didn't get to understand where, when and what was the "original sin" in the whole story. Probably cheating with silly signs while playing cards? Or maybe just the plain fact of doing this movie? who knows?. Steamy scenes? well, yes. I think the steamiest these couple of actors have done in their careers, but... bad movie? well, yes. A waste of money.
Hable con ella (2002)
Almodovar best yet
When we see a new come from Almodovar, due to human nature, something inside us tells us that this one won't be better than the last one... major error! I haven't seen all his production, but I can feel this is his best yet. The witty story and the way facts happen is so original that no other film is alike. Everything is perfect except Darío Grandinetti who I think seems a elementary school play performer... Don't quite understand how Almodovar allow him to be in the movie (somebody suggested to me that may be it was on purpose since the originality that features Almodovar), I guess that his cry scenes were crucial, otherwise don't get to understand how this actor could be featured here and that's the only scratch that ponders a 9 as my vote instead of 10. A 10 goes to Almodovar and the rest of the cast.
Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
Must see!
These times make us lend to think witty and ingenious movie is gone, vanished, dissapeared for ever. Paul Thomas Anderson remind us it is NOT, thanks to this spectacular movie. Adam Sandler simply deserves the Academy Award Nomination for his role, and hopefull will get the Golden Globe for sure. A 'must see' for whoever loves well-done and out-of-series movies. Sensational direction, one the 2002 best, no doubt about it.
Life or Something Like It (2002)
Boring or something like it!
I think this was a waste of time for both young and talented actors (Angelina Jolie and Edwards Burns, who I think will be a featured blockbuster action hero very soon, he's good elsewhere!). Boring, sloooooow, tasteless and despite the final message, I think it was basically pointless during all the movie. I never knew if they want me to cry, to laugh or to run out of the room. Nothing relevant but I feel curious about it: the fact of making up such an intentional horrifying hair style on Angelina Jolie (and on Stockard Channing, briefly) was what?
Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995)
Garcia is tough!
The strong performance and presence on the screen by Garcia, joint to the always cold blood Walken, makes the movie a exciting thriller. It's a magnificent assembled cast: Buscemi, Lloyd, Forsythe, Williams, Nunn, and the charm and breath-taking beauty of always sensual Grabielle Anwar give the movie a strong romantic weight.
The Loss of Sexual Innocence (1998)
Loss of movie making essence
A set of confusing and never settled situations, some connected, some don't. The unpleasant long lasting black screen that I actually hate, are as often as never before in Mike Figgis movies. The editing of unrelated images/situations I never understood at all. I have loved some Mike Figgis movies ("One Night Stand", "Leaving Las Vegas", "Internal Affairs") but I think that in this one there was a loss of movie making essence, or at least I didn't get it AT ALL.
Changing Lanes (2002)
Probably the best movie started this year.
I didn't expect what I saw... It turned to be the best movie I have seen this year on the big screen and since a long time ago as well. 8 stars for a witty, very entertaining and exiting picture where ingeniously interwove characters arose from a fortuitous incident. The plot embrace so many masterly interconnected and so different scenes and aspects of life, of everyday people, that you can get to feel you know somebody for every single character in the movie. A sure candidate for editing in next year Academy Awards, hopefully for screenplay and music as well. All of my thumbs UP!
Resident Evil (2002)
Zombies in the 21st century?
I never thought I'd see another zombie-drama movie after the 70's or after Michael Jackson's "Thriller". I think it's cheap, non-sense gross bloody scenes. Weak story basis. Funny when it shouldn't: why is Milla Jovovich covering her private parts when she's totally alone in her bathroom? I think that making a horror thriller is one the most difficult task to do for film makers, but I'm sorry, I think that walking-hungry zombies are far from what people wants to see since the 80's zombies. Without the beauty and charm of Milla it had been a flop.
Meet the Parents (2000)
Disappointing
De Niro, my favorite actor of all time, finally disappointed me here. I don't see the real point of all the movie. Make you laugh? Maybe it's not one the Ben Stiller performance that we would like to remember. Nevertheless, the fun made about airport check in & boarding made me laugh really loud. Anywhere else it was not clear where to laugh.
Lola rennt (1998)
Exciting!
Probably one of the most exciting movies I have seen in a very long time. Spectacular score and awesome editing work. Three ways of witty twists of fate. You can think about Memento, but with uninterrupted and exciting action. Don't miss it!
Memento (2000)
Sheer wit
It has been the movie where I have said "Waoh!" faster than in any other one. Once the main character tells you about his "condition", you just feel it's almost sure you're starting to see a gripping, entertaining and (for me) the most original and witty story since The Usual Suspects. Great story, with such twists and turns that will make you feel that watching it again is mandatory. Moreover, you will feel like watching it again, but backwards!
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
A thrilling joyride
For me is a shame that my favorite movie maker since I was a child (Steven Spielberg) has said that this has been the movie he directed that he likes the less of all. When I see it today, I still got the same feeling that I had when I was a kid and watched it the first time: an almost uninterrupted action sequence all the way, from the start to the end, with thrilling and ingenious shocks, music and effects that makes me feel I was in a roller coaster car all the two hours. Sorry but, still one of my all-time favorites.
The Black Stallion (1979)
Visual pleasure
Besides being one of the most visually delightful and beautiful movies I have ever seen, is light, fresh, wisely produced and you get the feeling your watching a master piece despite the box office and the history weren't just about it.