godsnames's Reviews

The Game (1997)

9/10

This is David Fincher's best feature film by a long distance

30 October 2023

He had a strong entry to film making with Se7en, which too gruesome for my taste, but this follow up took my breath away in every way. Wow. Just wow.

What an extraordinary story combined with impeccable direction. He brought out the very best of his actors and creative staff, all the camerawork, lighting and score a slight level above superb. It is a movie you can't get your eyes off for a second. It is not that it is 'beautiful', no. It is the story that draws you in from the very beginning and simply don't let you go from then on. Twists and turns are aplenty just enough to confuse you to wonder what the hell is going on.

DF later films never reached this high in my opinion, Zodiac being his low point, over-elaborated to a certain extent.

This movie, however, is a true triumph of film making, up there with the very best. Jaw-dropping. Once you have seen it, you will revisit it time to time.

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First Man (2018)

6/10

Would have been an excellent movie if not for the frantic editing and home video style camerawork in many parts

23 October 2023

What a missed opportunity to make it a proper, thoroughly enjoyable watch. The use of photography ruins badly the whole experience with senseless shaky pictures adding nothing to the story. Unfortunately, the editing follows suit. People, in real life, do not shake their heads when they look at something that's why our inner ears balance (vestibular system) was invented in the first place by evolution (or God, depending on your view). It is a pity because it takes so much away from the film. The leads are very good, especially Claire Foy who is by far the most realistic figure in the story. I also think that the death of the three astronauts in 1967 was brutally ignored in the film and the repercussions it might had on the leads.

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The Irrational (2023– )

3/10

Poor

4 October 2023

It is hard to comprehend how a major channel put out this kind of really low quality show to everyone to see. It is an insult for the viewers not to mention to the channel itself. Why? I guess it's a corporate business arrangement, executives know each other, everyone is someone's pal, "my relative has an idea guys, let's give it a try, I gave it to your relative before" kind of staff. The result is baffling. A totally unoriginal idea, "the special one", - made hundreds of times before with way better execution - turns turkey almost immediately by a limping script and incredibly lame acting (to say the least). This show will be forgotten well before it has been recognized. Rightly so.

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Oppenheimer (I) (2023)

3/10

Arguably Christopher Nolan worst project to date

7 August 2023

What a drag! Jesus. Three hours, really? I almost fell asleep two times during its span, my partner shook me up. Long, long, long, just boring. Goodness me, just how boring it is. If it was cut by half, it wouldn't be short enough even then. I understand the need of character development, but this? A horrible waste of time by moaning, whimpering and regret forever. Those feelings were there for sure, you just shouldn't watch them for three hours as an entertainment. The story is sublime of course, but the screenplay is bad and so is the execution. This movie, with all the hype around it, is a big let down. I am severely disappointed.

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Lioness (2023– )

3/10

One word: bad

7 August 2023

On and on, and on. It's a drag. It tests you to the limit and way, way beyond - to say the least. The story is weak, we all know that nations (even the not so powerful) do that. So what. And the casting... really bad. Two or three women with tremendously hairy men who are all but a footnote. It's like trying the female power balance with testosterone. Doesn't work. The lead is as detached as anyone in this failure (sorry: series). Barely any character development. Mostly none. The executives probably paid a handful of money to the lead actress - to not avail. She will probably forget (or want to) this BS, as we will all do. Brrrrr.

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North by Northwest (1959)

6/10

Alfred Hitchcock may have invented the silly yet totally entertaining action genre

31 July 2023

Warning: Spoilers

This movie is bleeding from a certain plot that makes little-to-no sense in the real world, most notably how on earth a business executive goes along with a mistaken identity. Apart from that, there are some really stupid scenes, for example the one at the UN when the protagonist stupidly grabs the knife out of a just killed person (supposedly the villain Mr. Townsend). /It is fascinating that that fool formula went on to become a household Hollywood cliché for decades to come./

The acting is too much, especially by Cary Grant, which, I think wasn't his fault but rather the script's and Hitchcock's. He played him as a ultimate charmer in a situation that wasn't. The female lead, Eva Marie Saint, is better but she also overdoes herself (for the same reason). James Mason, however, is as cool as cucumber in his role: never too much, just about.

What makes this movie exceptional is its action, scenery, the way it was photographed, edited and scored.

Every cinema lovers - even if they didn't see the whole movie itself - know the scenes when Grant is pursued by a biplane in the biggest nowhere that is (America's northwest), when the two leads tumble down on America's forefathers on Mount Rushmore. Spectacular would be an understatement.

Is it too much by acting? Sure. Does it have many faults? Sure. Does it have a long-lasting legacy for action movies? Oh man, I am definitely sure.

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To Catch a Killer (2023)

7/10

Well made thriller with strong performances by the leads

23 July 2023

Good direction, good original story, good camerawork and a very good supportive score for the leads. Shailene Woodley is excellent in her role as a troubled law enforcement officer but boy, how fantastic Ben Mendelsohn is. I truly believe he is one of the best character actor of his generation, taking the lead here superbly without any fuss. They are both a joy to watch and their chemistry as investigator partners is profound. This movie may not shock you with its twists and turns like 'Seven', but it is definitely gives you a deep ride until the very end. Its character building is excellent. Just be patient and follow the flow.

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Asteroid City (2023)

2/10

Goodness me, what a total BS this is. Unbelievable

13 July 2023

Pointless, unnecessary, and a visual insult throughout, it is really hard to comprehend why this movie has ever been made. With colors ranging from ultra pale to extremely vivid mismatched all the way, conversations and monologues entirely hollow and basically meaningless, and characters light-years away from any reality, wow, this is really, really bad even for an attempted satire. The "high point" is that the production value is there, which makes it even more staggering how people with any sense of business, or just simple common sense, thought that this was worth financing. This total and utter BS is an insult to the human mind. Brrrr.

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Hot Fuzz (2007)

8/10

A thousand miles better than Shaun of the Dead, this is when its makers really arrived to me

5 July 2023

I was never a fan of the zombie nonsense so Shaun of the Dead was too silly to me, even though it had its moments, Simon Pegg an Nick Frost arriving in that movie as really good character actors.

However, Hot Fuzz is a different project all-together, way much better than its predecessor (by the same team of creators). It has a much higher intensity, upgraded acting, and most notably superior directing by Edgar Wright, who (rightly) stole some superb short-cut methods from Guy Richie, connecting scenes. The result is spectacular with barely any CGI (if any), holding the whole film together by directing, acting, editing, thanks-for-God steady camerawork, and a reasonable score. It is obviously a satire up there with the best.

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Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

8/10

Superb

2 July 2023

What an entertainment this is. Everything is there what they must be: good script, sharp dialogues, lovable characters, good villain, and non-stop action. All the actors are on top of their game, the cinematography is breathtaking, the editing is fantastic, and the score, well, you know. For the casting department, Phoebe Waller-Bridge was a good choice as was Ethann Isidore.

They both performed very well. However, Mads Mikkelsen was a bit soft to his usual self (as a villain), until he put on his Nazi persona. He is best when he is ice cold.

All in all, this 5th installment of the franchise well worth the watch, unlike its close challengers at the box-office 'Flash' and 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' being utter nonsense.

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Drop Zone (1994)

7/10

Althuogh you can guess the outcome from the very start, it is still a thoroughly entertaining ride with some spectacular in-air action in the process

30 June 2023

Kathryn Bigelow made a milestone action flick three years previously with Point Break, introducing extreme sports into the action genre. This is - in my opinion - the best follow-up in the 90s, a full-blooded, all action project that is not too dumb, according to professional sky-divers. The script is not polished, but it is good enough to give its characters some background and depth. The tension between them is well-made with small flips, a wry smile, a look, and an unexpected move. The score is really good, well above average, and the camerawork is fantastic except some moments when it is made in a green-box.

If you want to cool off after a hard week "at the office", this is not a bad choice.

If you want to cool off after a hard week "at the office", this is not a bad choice.

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Master Gardener (2022)

7/10

A slow burner that after 10 minutes you just forget to check your phone

23 June 2023

I had just watched 'You Hurt My Feelings' before this one, a very poor effort at trying to make some emotions for its story, but then I stumbled upon this movie accidentally. Wow. What a difference it makes. Not only had it top-class acting in every department, but also a story so well told, I was constantly wondering where it was going. Will it be bloody as hell (what I expected), or something completely different? Real emotions ran deep in this movie, never over-explained any of them at all. The direction is spot-on, obviously, as so the score and editing. It has been simply the best effort about human emotions since I saw 'Fathers and Daughters' back in 2015.

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You Hurt My Feelings (2023)

4/10

Long, mostly tedious and barely lukewarm, it is a fine example how to lose your viewers during one and a half hours

22 June 2023

By the time this picture was finished, I scarcely remembered how it had started. Although it had a good premise, it barely made anything out of it, flowing all the way like a tepid stream. There was no real drama here, not to mention comedy (none); instead, it washed away the only point the movie attempted to make. At the end, the whole story emptied into "we all love each other anyway because that's the way it is" BS. What a waste of talent! Both main characters were making an acceptable but totally forgettable appearance, which is painful. To mention the highs, they are the supporting cast, most notably Michaela Watkins as the protagonist's sister and Owen Teague as her son. Other than that, pfff. I won't say "avoid," but you wouldn't miss anything if you didn't watch this one.

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Black Mirror (2011– )

2/10

This screwed up series tell you how you can go and f@ck yourself: be little, give up, and basically kill yourself because everything is bad

21 June 2023

What a shame this series is. Always bad. Always negative. Doom and gloom all the time. It's like a constant coverage of war, any war, sucking out of the very last drop of energy from its viewers. I've only watched about 4 episodes during its span, the last one being S06E03, which is just as dark as the rest: no satisfaction but a bad taste and a bad feeling in the end. Why people are following this is beyond me. Thankfully, I have a very supportive family and friends I can count on no matter what. This episode (s06e03), for example, turned human kindness into a horror show, saying that's what we are. It may be true, but I also know the opposite can be just as true.

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Drops of God (2023)

8/10

A uniqe stroy, excellent characters, and high production value make this series well worthwhile

21 June 2023

I was reluctant to watch this series because I thought it would be just another soapy BS from the thousands out there, but man! How wrong I was. This is well above average. The script is excellent, as is the direction, not to mention the characters, who are well-acted all around. The considerably high production value makes the show easy on the eye, and the score takes you wherever it wants to take you. High points are how cultures collide yet merge in our modern world, and characters that are different yet human all the way. In my opinion, it is a perfect show for those who just want to wind down after a stressful day. Have a sip, lay back, and enjoy.

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Extraction II (2023)

8/10

Considerably better than the first one which is quite rare

17 June 2023

A deeper story, more emotions, and even more spectacular action make this sequel way better than the original, contrary to Peter Bradshaw from The Guardian who gave 1 star out of 5 to this spectacular and rather entertaining project. He accused Chris Hemsworth of wanting more money for his troubles from Netflix, which may be true, but missed the point entirely by devaluing a modern action movie as money hungry crap. By all means, it is not. The story is much better because it humanizes its characters in a good sense, showing just enough - and not more - emotions to give it more layers than bang-bang. Golshifteh Farahani and Adam Bessa are both bullseye casting as so is Tornike Gogrichiani as the villain. The acting, camerawork, editing and most notably the score all shows unquestionable high production values of a Hollywood blockbuster. It is a modern action flick that leaves behind the past couple of decades' attempts, elevating it to the heights of the best James Bond and Mission Impossible efforts.

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Kandahar (2023)

7/10

Another example when an original score elevates a movie well above its weight

16 June 2023

It might feel strange that some movies come out with almost identical stories at the same time, but that's not the case (in my opinion). It is not like the studios are stealing each other scripts, rather what is in the air. I worked as a television reporter for quite some time and experienced the same: without any knowledge that somebody else was working on an identical story as I did, we came out with them with a couple of days difference. Carl Gustav Jung, one of the best minds in psychology, called it synchronicity, when things happen seemingly by chance, but no. He said, it is because in this cases the collective human unconscious experiences the same. So, I don't think that 'The Covenant' and 'Kandahar' stole from each other. I reckon the story itself was in the air. (In our subconscious). 'The Covenant' may be better with the depiction of emotions (imo) but 'Kandahar' produced a score that is so spot on, so moody, so deepen the action that takes the breath away. I guess both films are very good on their own right. They are different yet they are both quite good. I strongly recommend both of them.

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Prehistoric Planet (2022–2023)

5/10

Spectacular yet utterly ridiculous

22 May 2023

It is hard to comprehend that Sir David Attenborough gave his name to this. It tells you a story how 66 millions years ago living creatures went about their business. How on Earth do they know? You can study 66 million years of anything, that can be anything. What put me off is that they flash back the same behavior of animals they do today. Really? 66 million years of evolution yet small fish still cleaning a giant fish? It is not good. All of today's knowledge about our natural world right now is taken back trying to look like 66 million years ago. So where is the evolution then? Everything happened the same way juts not with mammals but dinosaurs? Ridiculous.

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Barton Fink (1991)

5/10

Unbilievable unlikeliness and stupidity of some characters (most notably the protagonist) let down this movie

16 May 2023

I watched this movie first in the theater 32 years ago when it was released because a good friend of mine strongly recommended it. I recall that I was amused by many things of it yet somehow confused and robbed of the story and its characters.

From a technical point of view, it is almost perfect: the camerawork, the pictures, the mood they capture are outstanding (along with the score).

However, the characters are not. With the exception of John Goodman's, almost all of them are out of our reality we live in, Jon Polito's is being the worst. Not that he is a bad actor, far from it: it is the script that made him unreal, just as it made Barton stupid.

This movie has a feeling of a nightmare, things starting out well then turning into a horror show you want to wake up from. And when you do (rolling end credits), you just shake it off and say: 'Pff. That was bad, unreal, and utterly stupid.'

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White House Plumbers (2023)

2/10

Goodness gracious! What a total BS this is.

9 May 2023

It is hard to take that Woody Harrelson gave his name to it, let alone playing in this ridiculous farce at all. One of the best actors of his generation, especially in comic roles (Zombieland comes to mind), this is a total letdown. Obviously, I don't know how much they paid him for this sh@t, I just wonder how could HBO executives persuaded him to play this nitwitted character after playing in True Detective so convincingly. As of his partner in crime, Justin Theroux, he is vaguely familiar from somewhere but just as bad in his role as he is. The script is awfully bad, with the dialogs barely reaching a five year old's level. Try it if you fancy but you will be severely disappointed.

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The Saint (1997)

8/10

Thoroughly entertaining, the original never ever was better than this

4 May 2023

Wow. What a step up. I mean, I was just a kid when the original series was first broadcasted in my country (back then communist block Hungary) in the late 70's and I fell in love with it immediately. All I can recall from that time is that it was cool, funny and full of action. When some 20 years later the movie came around, I felt like I want to watch this out of nostalgia and curiosity. It did not disappoint at all, far from it. The story is fairly good and modern (even after 26 years), the characters are superb and the acting is top-notch just as the camerawork, editing, and the music score.

It is an excellent watch. Grab your popcorn, soda, beer, sit on your sofa and enjoy the ride.

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The Artifice Girl (2022)

9/10

One word: sublime

30 April 2023

Wow. What a fantastic, unbelievably good no budget sci-fi this is. No action - in the traditional sense -, no CGI, no huff and puff struggle to make it even slightly bigger than it is.

First of all, I have to state that I have no connection to this production whatsoever, I am just a movie freak who have an open mind. Having said that, what you'll get if you watch this is a thoroughly thought provoking movie with a superb screenplay, sharp and well on spot, up to date in every sense. If you like your brain working, this one is for you.

It is staggering to see a mini-mini-mini independent film to be so incredibly good. Well, it's all about ideas, talented people pulling in the same direction.

Let's not forget about the actors, who are great, basically all of them, especially Tatum Matthews with a very bright future if she choose to. The camerawork, editing and music are all basic, however they all make this picture work superbly.

It is a very good film. Well worth the watch.

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The Big Door Prize (2023– )

4/10

Extremely weak, waste of time watching

26 April 2023

Well, the production value is there, I can give you that, but the whole story is so weak and underdeveloped, It's hard to comprehend. The premise is OK - if your life is aimless -, killed off effectively in the first episode which is a drag, you feel like it never ends. The second is even worse, prompting it goes somewhere but it barely does, wanting you to stay with it with nothing meaningful to say. It is painful to see Chris O'Dowd in this project, who made himself quite a good fella for TV viewers with the short lived but rather good Get Shorty series. It is not funny (albeit it tries and fails spectacularly) and leaves the ordinary viewer (me) to say: 'F@ck this.'

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Perry Mason (2020–2023)

9/10

Season 2 is a real peach, so much so it worth a 10/10

25 April 2023

Season 1 was OK, bit slow to start with, it took 3-4 episodes to get into proper gear but then it finished splendidly. However, season 2 is way much better and just about everything about it. The production value was there from the start of the first season as was the acting, the camerawork, editing and most of all, the music, all of which went up a class for the second season. And the story is also better, more straightforward yet somehow more sophisticated, which I give it to the acting rather then the writing. What a fantastic series it turned out to be! To be honest, I don't know anything about the originals but this one, man, is brilliant.

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Ted Lasso: Sunflowers (2023)

Season 3, Episode 6

10/10

Indisputably, the best episode of the series so far

20 April 2023

The spirit it radiates, the feelgood factor is just amazing. It draws a smile on your face whatever you want it or not. Also, the story-line, how it develops out of the blue, is engaging and exciting at the same time.

Many of us, I believe, have the experience when you were just dropped into a situation you didn't even know it was there, and then just went with it like a fluff in the wind, ending up in a life changing moment.

This episode reminds you that and I love it for it. All the characters are well drilled into the story playing their best. I fell in love with Hannah Waddingham and that cheeky b@stard Phil Dunster for sure.

What an episode! 10/10 for the writers.

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