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josephinemallorys
Reviews
The Last Boy (2019)
Surprising
Caught this at the Boston Sci fi fest last week. I liked the poster and intrigued by the premise. Had heard of Luke Goss and kind of associated him with below par action movies and wondered what he was doing in this. Later discovered he'd collaborated with the same director on interview with a hitman a film I'd heard of but not seen but more on that later.
Anyway settled in not knowing what to expect and was well very pleasantly surprised. First of all Goss. I mean who knew he was such a class act, I mean top drawer stuff. He's definitely easy on the eye and it's not too hard to see how easy it would have been to get to A list status if he'd chosen his past movies better.
As for the rest of the cast I loved their performances, esp Peter Guiness and the little girl Matilda. I've read some of the short sharp critiques by some on here and whilst not usually one to comment it kinda sucks and I think anyone reading this should just ignore most of that trash talk.
The story's been compared to other other recent narratives but it stands on its own. The whole set up is fresh simple and believable. Religion plays a big part, focused mainly on christianity - the priest and the Goss. I thought that contrasted nicely with the Rumi mysticism I was very impressed with the 'wind' effects..
The ending is what makes or breaks a movie and the director goes all out and pulls it off in my opinion. Felt a tug on my heart strings.
I wanted to watch Interview with a Hitman before commenting to see if this was fluke of some kind. Surprise surprise that was pretty damn good too.
Not sure what Bhandal's up to next but if he can pull off two films which are so wildly different then he's got my attention.
A well deserved 9//10
Interview with a Hitman (2012)
Seriously underrrated
So I came at this the wrong way round. I'd heard about it but only looked it up after watching the directors latest film The Last Boy which was suprisingly good.
Wasn't expecting this at all, to be fair i'd avoided it mostly down to the movies posters which are terrible and don't give any indication of the class of movie underneath. One of the most original and thought provoking hitman movies ever in my opinion. It's hung together a bit like Interview with a Vampire with a interview forming the backbone on top of which he film is built. How this film didn't win awards and get big cinema releases in beyond me. Whoever put this film out obviously had no idea what they had. Anyway my newly found top leading man Goss doesn't disappoint, cold hearted, ruthless and sympathetic and the same time. Bhandal knocked it out the park with this one and that ending - wow just wow - I did not see that coming.
Bhandal is definitely a fan of endings that no-one can see coming. 10/10
Black Swan (2010)
Liked it
I'm not normally keen on melodramas, and this was definitely one of those... but, to be fair, the ending tied together the more over-the-top moments pretty well.
Ultimately I enjoyed it, but I definitely wouldn't herald it as some kind of masterful psychological drama. The big scenes spin too frequently into hysteria to be effectively chilling, for me. It's hardly subtle, but it does work well if high-camp and grandiosity is what you're after.
What it does do is confirm that Aronofsky is always willing to take risks and do interesting things with the projects he chooses to make. Like the film itself, he's never dull, but he's not always classy, either. At least he can't be easily pigeonholed (beyond his consistent work in the independent sector, that is)
Gravity (2013)
Felt a little hollow
Visually, Gravity is unlike what we have seen on a cinema screen before and arguably it has one of the best uses of 3D in a movie. The setting is spectacular and the premise is inventive.
On every other front,the movie falters badly. Once you get over the initial wonderment surrounding the beautiful visuals, the chinks start showing up. Overall the script is very weak. Apparently the Russians bomb their own satellite by mistake and the debris is flying around at bullet speed, smashing everything in its way. Now upon hearing an emergency evacuation request, Kowalski (who has been wasting his precious thrusters all this while, floating around, spouting inane dialogs) orders Ryan (Bullock) to disengage from whatever she is repairing. Apparently Ryan has six months of training (only) and fails to be responsive and then the trouble starts.
We come to know that Ryan has some head issues surrounding the death of her daughter as the writer felt a dire need to give Ryan some sort of existential problem in her head to make her character feel more human. Apart from this minor bit, nothing is presented in terms of character development for any other protagonists. Who is Kowalski? Who are the people who died in their space pods? No idea.
Then the whole manufactured sense of suspense. Every time Ryan gets anywhere near the Air Lock (she does it three times), the debris presents itself like on cue every single time. Then a fire in a space station, then running out of Oxygen, then something then something. It's fine that they used some standard tricks but it all seems so manufactured and mechanical by the numbers suspense.
Also at times I couldn't shrug off the feeling that what they are showing on screen is not actually factual. Do the controls on various international space stations have their national languages on them? Really? Maybe they do but seems hard to believe when 20$ phones are built with custom User interfaces with changeable languages, why have your billion dollar space stations with Russian or Chinese characters on your buttons totally beats me. Oh manufactured suspense owing to the whole can't-understand-this-thing machinery.
The the dialogs when they come are nothing to write home about. Ryan has a hallucinatory moment when she talks to herself following some Mandarin Chatter on the radio which is cringe worthy. I wont even mention the in-your-face allegory about rebirth which is there for to make the movie seem deeper than it is.
But it's not. Not a bad watch but nothing to rave about either.
Avatar (2009)
Speechless
First, he gave us slimy "Aliens" that Sigourney Weaver battled hard as Ripley. Then the cult hit "Terminator" that created a new benchmark for science fiction and followed it up with the smash hit sequel "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" which initiated many in my generation to Sci-Fi and admiration of Hollywood. "Titanic" mesmerized fans of both SFX and Romance genres while it pushed the envelope for elaborate production design.
More than 12 years after "Titanic" comes the most awaited movie of the recent years "Avatar" in which James Cameron has created a whole new Planet Pandora replete with new creatures, predators and humanoid aliens that in every way are beautiful! Well, it did cost him more than 300 million USD to make it and another 100 spent on promotion, but the spectacle that you see on the gigantic IMAX screen in 3D is beyond words!!
Set in 2154 and 4 light years away, humans are now exploiting 'Pandora' an earth-like moon orbiting a gas giant in Alpha Centauri for an expensive and rare mineral appropriately called 'unobtanium'. Coming in their way are the indigenous Na'vi who need to be relocated from their 'home-tree' that sits on a deposit of unobtainium.
RDA, the company has already tried its best to convince the Na'vi to move. They have taught them English and tried offering infrastructure. But, being content in their natural settings, the Na'vi have no interest in what the humans have to offer. English plus business: doesn't this remind you of European colonization in some sort?
The air on Pandora is toxic to humans necessitating the wearing of gas masks outdoors. To get around this, the researchers led by Dr Grace Augustine played by good old Sigourney Weaver have developed an alien-human hybrid 'Avatar' that can be mentally controlled by the brain of the person whose DNA was used to build it. Here, the idea of jacking into a computer generated digital-self will surely remind you of "The Matrix"!
The death of his researcher brother in the Avatar program leads to his paraplegic ex-Marine brother Jake Sully joining up the Avatar program. Played by Sam Worthington of Terminator Salvation fame, Jake is happy using his Avatar that gets him to use his legs. Soon, he befriends the tree living Na'vi and its huntress princess Neytiri. Learning their ways during the day, Jake returns to debrief his trigger-happy boss, Colonel Quaritch.
Soon Jake begins to appreciate the harmony and spiritual connection the Na'vi have with nature and falls in love with Neytiri, much to the dismay of Quaritch who attacks the home-tree. Though the script was written a decade ago, I believe Cameron has subtly hit out at the recent American battles for oil that the administration justified in dubious ways. For those who say the script is poor, take this quote from Jake Sully "When people are sitting on stuff you want, you make them your enemy". Thought provoking indeed!
Visual effects are Avatar's forte as it creates a new world before you. Filmed in blank sets with motion capture, the actors had to act out without ever knowing what it would look like on screen. Sensors on the Actors' body and spots on their faces picked up moves and emotions bringing the CGI characters to life. To bring his actors up to speed, Cameron took them to jungles in Hawaii to bring them up to speed on jungle life. 60% of Avatar is CGI with only 40% being real footage. What you're left with is a WOW!
While you may not see Zoe Saldana as Neytiri anywhere in its 162 minutes, the nimble ballet trained actor worked hard to make her character so endearing and realistic. The scenes where she trains Jake in the art of war are its best, be it bonding with the Ikran that seems like a flyer straight from 'Jurassic Park' or riding Pa'li the hairless horse.
The biggest blame that Avatar can take is that its story is too predictable. Man recruited to fight, falls for the local culture and turns his guns around; just as you saw in "The Last Samurai". But, making Avatar cool are its special effects that seem so real in IMAX 3D.
Emotion seekers and script blamers can't really deny the story's soft side when you see the Na'vi suffer human attack and they die fighting for nature we have scant respect for. For one, Na'vi lived for everything we don't. Politically too, the battle takes a dig on the suffering the Native Red Indians went through in the country that Hollywood comes from.
On Music, James Horner's score doesn't really stand out and has his 'Troy'-esque feel. Probably, a score that doesn't stick out as a sore thumb is good enough in a movie that's all about special effects. As for Cameron and Horner, this is their third venture together after 'Aliens' and 'Titanic' with the latter giving him his first and only Oscar honors.
As a director, James Cameron doesn't need a critic's recommendation. He dropped out of college and drove trucks, but Cameron is the super benchmark movie maker with truly gifted imagination and commitment to translate his dreams to the screen. You simply can't ask for more from a sci-fi movie at least for a few more years to come!
The least I can do with my review is to give it a 10/10.
Life of Pi (2012)
Beautiful
Ang Lee's incredible tale of Pi Patel (Suraj Sharma), a teenage Indian boy who survives a ship sinking that kills everyone on board except for himself and a tiger. Soon the two are on board a lifeboat not knowing what their future holds. I couldn't believe anyone would try and make a movie about a boy, a tiger and a lifeboat but the joke is on me because Lee has created one of the more memorable, magical and uplifting films of the year. I was really shocked to see how tremendous the picture was but what makes it so special would have me giving away countless spoilers, which is something I'm certainly not going to do. I think it would be best for viewers to go into the picture knowing as little as possible but I can say that Lee has created one of the most beautiful pictures you're likely to see. The beautiful images are just so remarkable to look at that it's impossible not to get caught up in the scenery. Be it the early stuff in India or the breathtaking moments at sea, everything in this picture just lights up the screen. I'm really not a fan of CGI unless it's used properly. Too many times I think it's just used to be lazy and save money but that's not the case here as Lee perfectly mixes in the CGI with the live action stuff. The two coming together are practically flawless and that certainly helps bring one closer to the story and characters. Sharma does a terrific job and especially when you consider he'd never acted before and was basically having to carry the entire film. I was a little mixed on the 3D effects. While some where brilliant, for the most part I think the film would be viewed just fine in 2D as it would give one better colors. Still, no matter which version you see, the heart of the picture is in its soul, its character and the lessons he learns while being stuck out at sea for over two hundred days. LIFE OF PI is a really remarkable film.
Goodfellas (1990)
Perfect
This has everything a movie should have. A great story, acting, cinematography, direction, (I will never understand how Scorsese did not win his 1st Oscar!) production values, I can go on and on. There is nothing that isn't done perfectly on this film. If this were to come out in any given year it would be considered a classic. I understand that there are the hardcore devotee's to The 1st two Godfather films, but to me (and many others) this is the quintessential gangster film. I used to watch this film over and over and I usually try and nitpick even some of of the all time great films, but there is nothing I can pick on in this film! If you haven't seen this film and consider your self a serious film afficionado you need to see this.
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Dialog, dialog, dialog
The absolute most fantastic thing about "Reservoir Dogs" is the brilliant dialog. The movie is one big memorable quote and it alone makes the movie more then worth to watch.
Another wonderful thing about the movie are the characters. Rarely has there ever been so many great, cool and memorable characters in one movie. Maybe it's because of the amazing cast, everyone is perfect in their role I'm not going to especially mention a few because I feel I then won't do enough credit to the others and credit they deserve!
The story is told in an unique way by using flashbacks from how they all got the assignment for the mission and flashbacks from after the robbery, not shown in the right order. And it works wonderful! It's a shear pleasure to watch from beginning till end.
The hand held camera work gives the movie an extra cool feeling, it might look a bit unprofessional but it's nothing more then a brilliant addition to an already brilliant movie. The nice and cool "Super sounds of the 70's" soundtrack also adds to this, especially the now world famous thanks to the movie "Little Green Bag" from the George Baker Selection.
The movie is full with memorable moments such as the fantastic opening, the cop torture sequence and the Mexican stand-off at the end. But between all those scene's there are lot's of other moments which you will never forget.
Casino (1995)
Underrated by a mile
Most people I know haven't seen the true-story brutality that is Casino. Taking place in the early 1980s, two mob friends, Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, are put in charge of a Las Vegas casino. Their job? To make certain everything runs smooth and to make sure that the bosses get their black bag of money. What happens? To put it into a short context: things start to fall apart. The dysfunction represented in this movie is amazing, every little thing leads to something worse. The beginning shows the rise of the Mafia's empire in Las Vegas: from the towering casinos to the floors of the casino, you get a little taste of everything in here. What's really interesting is that if you played by the rules, they treated you like gold, but if you double crossed them things could get pretty ugly (see the hammer scene). Casino, put simply, is a great movie. The only problem I experienced was that there were parts that seemed to drag out. The movie weighs in at a hefty 2hrs and 59min so don't expect to go anywhere soon. If you haven't see this yet then give it a chance, it really is a great movie.
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Masterpiece
Every Quentin Tarantino (QT) fan must see Inglorious Basterds, like every QT movie a person's unable to assign one drama, this movie is a perfect blend of war, comedy, action, thriller, drama, and romance. I was unable to take my eyes off of Christopher Waltz's performance as Colon Hans Landa or 'The Jew Hunter.' The story is a masterpiece, but I can tell that this movie, like most QT movies are going to be underrated and will lack in awards it deserves. I think Christopher Waltz should easily be a nominee. I think this movie should also win Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. But even if this incredible film doesn't get recognized in awards I can tell that it will go down as one of the best war movies ever made in history. I think its amazingly creative of QT not to follow the criteria that history gave him, he changes the actual history of the war with his characters. Pure Genius.
Full Metal Jacket (1987)
The madness of war
Unlike many other (Vietnam)war movies, the movie focuses in my opinion on the madness of man instead of the madness of war.
The first half shows how the soldiers are being dehumanized during their military training by Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, a legendary and already classic role by R. Lee Ermey. The second half shows the madness of man in a war situation. Both of the halves are good and in a way can be seen as a movie alone but for some reason the two halves don't really flow into each other, which is my only real complaint I have about this fantastic and most certainly unique movie. Then the eternal question of which half is the better one? I'm one of the few who actually like the second half more as the first but that is just only personal and different for everyone.
It's strange that the Vietnam battlefield looks more like a WWII European battlefield but I'm sure Kubrick had his reasons for it. Kubrick also manages to put many other weird and unique situations in the movie, which makes this movie truly an unusual viewing experience that shall leave quite an impression on you. Only a brilliant man such as Stanley Kubrick can come up with these kind of scene's.
Despite the oddness level of the movie, the movie still manages to also impress the more casual viewer. The battle sequences are made with lot's of profession and with some beautiful cinematography and great use of music.
The characters are good and typical Kubrick like. Many of the actors give the performance of their lives.
Not the best Vietnam movie but certainly the most unique one. You'll love it long time.
Taxi Driver (1976)
Phenomenal
What can you say about "Taxi Driver" that hasn't been said already? It's phenomenal. I'm not a fan of Scorsese's other directorial efforts, really--nor am I a big DeNiro fan--but everything about this film is absolutely, unquestionably RIGHT. So many people seem to be confused when they watch this movie: they either root for Travis Bickle when he finally loses his marbles, or they feel that "Taxi Driver" tries to justify racism and misogyny. I don't think there's any need to go to such extremes. Yes, there are elements of racism and misogyny here, but the film doesn't promote those attitudes. And as for Travis being the nominal "hero" of the film, I don't believe that this was Paul Schrader's intention, either. There ARE no heroes; ultimately, this is just the very grim story of a marginalized man who loses what little control he had to begin with. This is why "Taxi Driver" appeals to people, I believe, but it's also why the film is routinely misinterpreted. As Schrader has said, this is a film about alienation. "Taxi Driver" tells an interesting, engaging human story and that's what makes it great--not the social commentary, or what's viewed as such.
Scarface (1983)
Timeless Classic
Whilst a little long, "Scarface" produced a movie well worth the old perusal. Al Pacino was his regular solid self, and Michelle Pfeiffer fairly ordinary which is to be expected. The degree of violence and swearing in the movie was an indication of the direction these kind of movies were taking as the eighties rolled into the nineties.
This is another movie you can't help but admire the wardrobe on. The sheer arrogance of the manner the leads wear their clothes allows them to pull off a look that is laughable, yet amazingly stylish. One must applaud such a show. On top of all this, a well directed and written script allows the audience into what is quite likely an accurate portrayal of the Miami underworld.