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Freelance (2023)
One of Cena's best, a very good take on stg you saw so many times
Buddy-mercenary comedy with jungle survival is probably one of the oldest clichés, Freelance make it a brilliant and refreshing take on the genre.
Never been a big fan of Cena, but this movie suits him so well, and comes together just right. The storytelling is spot on (e.g. The intro that explains the whole life and character of the main character), the refined details that make the supporting cast much more three dimensional, even if the story seems predictable at first glance.
And then it all get mixed up so well, the friends are no longer that friendly, the bad guys get to show some depth and even badder guys show up, and you find yourself on a really enjoyable rollercoaster.
Napoleon (2023)
From the director of Covenant and Hannibal not of Gladiator and Last Duel
This was one of the worst of Ridley Scott's recent movies. Don't get me wrong, he still knows how to direct, and there are some signs of that talent in the movie. But it's even more frustrating that this proven director wasted the incredible ingredients of this movie.
Phenix is a talented and proven actor, yet he feels like being on sleeping pills, and some of his acts were bordering on Razzie worthy performance. His was not at all credible for a historical figure who galvanised an entire nation. Instead, he turned this legendary Corsican-born self-made emperor into a sex maniac with an Asperger syndrome.
Vanessa Kirby was the only one from the main cast who outperformed the movie, though she was struggling with both bad directing and an even worse hairdresser.
The story is patchy, like half the movie was edited out, missing historical moments that are of common knowledge. Code Napoleon is still the basis of modern European law, and his administration also institutionalised the Metric system. At the same time, the movie throws on us numbers that would not make sense even after watching this movie. Like blaming the total death toll of a battle of Waterloo that was arranged by Wellington (even according to the movie) is unfair, unjust and even inconsistent with the plot.
This ruins any credibility.
The movie is long but too short for such an incredible life and period of history. It tries to cover all, but the pace is uneven. At moments you face the brilliance of Scott (like the battle of Austerlitz), but then I missed a lot from of Waterloo and almost all of Borodino (including the illustration of its significance).
If you want good British movies about Napoleonic wars, I recommend to revisit the Sharp series. It is still biased but enjoyable (and credible) for non-British viewers.
The Black Demon (2023)
Performed well over my expectations
This movie is not a Hollywood blockbuster, but punches well above its weight. It was never intended to be a summer blockbuster, but the
Among the positive things, I really liked the morale of the story and the character developments.
Acting was fairly good though not great. Josh Lucas will not outgrow his shadow, but some of the cast really did shine.
The movie's weakest link was the CGI, something that removed some of the spell. The filmmakers tried to balance it out with the use of artificial "smoke", but it only clarified that they know they wont cut it.
But the movie was still a positive experience, I never felt that I wasted my time on it.
He Never Died (2015)
He never went full retard...
He never died is a compelling low budget supernatural movie. I did not expect anything, and I hate slow burners, but this one nailed me to the couch to the very end.
And a few months later, I watched it again till the end without leaving the show halfway.
Henry Rollins plays an introvert weirdo with bad habits when it comes to fresh meat. He tries to stay out of trouble and regularly practices not giving a single damn.
Things get way too complicated for his taste when he gets visited by a daughter he never knew she existed and his pusher (of fresh food) gets into trouble.
This movie is surely no blockbuster flick, but the makers conjured a decent combination of mystery and intriguing storytelling.
Boss Level (2020)
Romlow's groundhog day - it totally worked on me
This move was one of the best surprises of the year. From the posters you might judge this as a typical B genre movie, with a B grade action star and some ailing former A listers.
I was so wrong.
This movie works on all levels, Grillo commands the screen as main character, a bit like Tom Cruise in Edge of Tomorrow.
Grillo might not be a great actor, but he manages to adapt his Romlow act into a very funny sci fi script. His anti hero style is gradually transforming, and he brings new layers into Roy's one dimensional character (mainly along the fatherhood duties).
And I enjoyed every new aspect new information of the plot that was flawlessly integrated into a script that works. Even questions that popped up at a given moment we saw answered with new developments.
This movie was a real gem, and I certainly did not understand how it was let slip even before the pandemic broke out.
Rosso Mille Miglia (2015)
Surprisingly entertaining European classic movie
The movie is surprisingly entertaining, when you fall for the nostalgia factor. It is a very nicely made European movie, with a lot of love for details.
At the same time, don't expect too much, this not the European Fast and the Furious, or Ford Vs Ferrari.
I am not a maniac of old European movies, but I love classic cars, and I have a nostalgia to the slow storytelling of European TV series from the 80s (see e.g, Schwarzwaldklinik). The movie offers that spirit without being slow or old. Its pace is entertaining by modern standards, as long as you accept that the family story takes over the podium from action scenes.
The movie brings back (really old) classic cars and actors, like Remo Girone (from the Iconic TV series La Piovra), who stands out of the cast. The main actors are quintessential Italian characters, something that I never liked, but in this movie I could somehow relate to them.
So there are lovely cars, family drama and a strange mixture of elements that might work surprisingly well.
Left Behind (2014)
Won't save the world but refreshingly different
The movie was not great, but there was nothing major wrong with it.
At first watch, it nailed me to the screen. Despite the noticeably low budget and the rather lukewarm acting, it was a movie worth watching 'til the end.
It wont restart anybody's career but its a good choice to see something instead of repeating another blockbuster.