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Reviews
Foundation (2021)
Not bad, and visually stunning, if seen as independent of Asimov's novel
Hard to rate a series that is something else than it pretends to be. As a film adaptation of Isaac Asimov's novel the movie deserves a zero and it doesn't deserve to be described as such.
As a science-fiction series independent of Asimov's "Foundation" the series is passable towards good, with a big compliment for the visual treatment of the scenes. Of course the script could be a bit shorter, less muddled (I cannot keep from thinking of Dylan's "Death is not the end", so applicable to some of the characters) but after some time the movie becomes enjoyable.
The authors used any contemporary cliche in their casting: a young African-American female as the main character, a male gay relationship; only the Asian girl as a lesbian (so present in other series) was missing.
I liked most of the actors (with a special mention for Lee Pace and Kulvinder Ghir) but I think Brother Clement was totally miscast, or had to have the implausible sex scene deleted from the script.
Succession (2018)
Boring, poorly filmed, highly acclaimed ... but for me a fiasco
I had read the superlative reviews of "Succession" in a couple of British newspapers and thought I'd give it try. My wife stopped after the first episode, considering it unengaging and rather boring but I struggled up to the 9th episode of the first season. I was trying to rationalise why I didn't like it and it's not because of the antipathetic characters (as other reviewers have explained). It's a combination of uninspired directorship, poor scriptwriting and general lack of pace. For a movie that's described as a comedy/drama there's neither comedy nor drama in it. I can imagine that readers of my review would like to ask me: "If you didn't like this series, which one you'd say is brilliant?"
Try "Exit", a series about a quartet of rich Norwegians for a different feel. Pace, script, filming, acting, all top of the top!
John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)
Watchable if reduced to half its present length
When people give an Indian movie nine and ten stars I know in advance there is local patriotism involved. When Western spectators give John Wick: Chapter 4 nine and ten stars I assume they're teenagers enjoying protracted action scenes. Not my cup of tea. The ten-minute (or more) long fights are extremely boring and ridiculous (John Wick falling on the stairs several times or the knife and gun, mano a mano Paris square fights are particularly bad), even when applying a high dose of suspension of disbelief. If the Hollywood directors want some inspiration (which they're in dire need of) they could take a look at the fight scenes in Carter, a Korean movie. The high-speed chase with the bad guys attacking from cars and motorcycles through the missing doors of a van is one of the best I've seen in decades.
Keanu Reeves is sporting some oily hair, has bad diction and his contribution, according to the poor script, is limited to several "yeahs".
The Swedish impersonator of the Marquis is far from being a worthy villain.
Is there anything good I can say about this movie? Visually it is sometimes excellent (Japanese screens, palace interiors) and from an acting point of view the dog had the best scene when peeing on a dead bad guy!
Let John Wick rest in peace and never be resurrected!
The Fourth Musketeer (2022)
Even one star is too much for this cock-up
Alexandre Dumas's "The three musketeers" is a perennial classic with an amazing story, adapted for the screen in different countries and languages. I've never seen a bad version and couldn't imagine a British production not doing it justice. And how wrong I was!
The idiots (it must be a whole bunch of people, not only the director) turned Monsieur de Tréville into Trévillé, i.e., pronounced "trevileh". Then the actors are totally miscast: Milady was given an annoying Spanish accent, fast talking and impossible to believe in a seduction scene. Among the musketeers the worst miscast is Porthos, who was supposed to be extremely strong. Instead the actor impersonating him is smaller than the other two musketeers and with bad teeth. Rochefort is given a lisp (or is this specific to the actor?). D'Artagnan's father is meeting his son after not seeing him for two years in the same position - at the table - as when he was giving him a speech before he left for Paris. There is no single view of a Paris street, all scenes are filmed inside (with the exception of the duel which is placed in a nondescript backyard) in exactly the same setting (meeting with Treville, father-son discussion, etc). Done on the very cheap.
The action reaches up to one tenth of the novel (the duel with the Cardinal's guards) and then stops brusquely, making me for a moment believe the movie was actually part of a series.
So bad ... I cannot believe some investors put their money in this film. The director should be banned at least for ten years ...
PS What I cannot understand is how the movie can have an overall rating of over 4 when there is no individual rating over 3? The real rating, taking into account the reviews, should be slightly above 2.
The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)
Good acting but bizarre and unfulfilling script
I saw the movie yesterday and my premonition made upon watching the trailer was right. It was far from "masterful and profound", as described by one of the critics quoted in the trailer. I'd say more like "bizarre and unfulfilling". There is no profound philosophy to be found in the incomprehensible behaviour of Colm Doherty and his extreme self-mutilation (wishing to leave something - music in his case - for the posterity cannot justify maiming himself as a punishment of his former friend Padraic). There is no explanation of Colm's depression (maybe the book provided it but it's not explored in the movie). The small island microcosm is nothing admirable: a nasty policeman abusing his son, or the gossiping vendor. I'm also at a loss to understand why the movie is described by critics as a comedy, since especially at the end you're left with a sad feeling after having witnessed self-mutilation and suicide.
Is there anything good to say about the movie? Yes, acting is great and there are a few lines that made me smile (Colm's exchanges with the priest in the confessional) but overall a very overrated movie.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)
A mystery without suspense, a comedy without fun, a waste of 140 minutes
Reading the reviews I found one which I deem brilliant because it encompasses in a short title all that I myself think of the present state of cinema: "The decline of Western filmmaking" (by AJ_McAninch, 2/10).
Glass Onion is a third movie seen in the last week that is meant to include social criticism of the rich. "White Lotus" did it (well) with an excellent script while "Triangle of Silence" did it (poorly) with a disjointed, overlong one. "Glass Onion" does it (also poorly) with a nonsensical screenplay that doesn't involve the viewer, doesn't create any suspense or and, if seen as a comedy, doesn't provide any humor. Hollywood insiders may think references to Jared Leto or Serena Williams are funny or interesting, I don't. I thought "Idiocracy" was great and unfortunately its prophesy is becoming true much sooner. A terrible waste of money ($450 million for "Glass Onion" and the following sequel!).
If there was anything interesting in the movie it's the paintings. Maybe the thought of having a big Matisse in the bathroom managed to bring a smile on my lips ... If one wants to see Edward Norton in a good movie try "Motherless Brooklyn" ... or for an excellent criticism of the rich (in Norway), see "Exit".
On second thoughts there is something extremely funny about this movie: Netflix paid $450 million for making two sequels to "Knives out". It's a tremendous amount who comes from the pockets of very rich investors hoping to become even richer by lampooning the very rich. The laugh is on the viewers paying the bill.
Triangle of Sadness (2022)
Boring, too long movie with a superficial script
Like many contemporary movies "Triangle of sadness" suffers from bad scriptwriting. It is divided into three parts, of which the only interesting (yet also flawed) one is the last one (with an unsatisfactory ending). The way too long first part comprises mostly insipid, irrelevant dialogues between a young male model and his social media influencer girlfriend.
The second one shows the two on a cruise ship in the company of the rich and again a way too long vomiting film portion and some superficial communist/socialist vs capitalist cliche exchange between the new Russian and the captain plus a list of the sins of the US interventions abroad start suggesting us that the movie is supposed to be a satire.
The third part is the most interesting, where a half-dozen passengers get stranded on an island after having been attacked by African pirates. Here the tables are turned by a Filipino toilet cleaner, the only one in possession of survival skills. One of the survivors is black, in shorts and wearing a Jordanian scarf (red instead of black which is Palestinian). He's taken for a pirate and accuses his accuser of racism while confessing later he's a pirate. He says some words in French at a certain moment, which no Somali pirate would know so theoretically the pirates were from the Gulf of Guinea ...
The Filipino toilet cleaner is actually the funniest and most interesting character of the movie and the scriptwriter should've compressed the first two parts in max 30 minutes and rewritten the third one with more meat.
The scene showing the Russian taking the jewels off the wrists and the neck of his deceased wife is most likely taken from French connection 2.
I mostly write reviews only when I'm frustrated that bad movies get much attention and high scores.
American Gigolo (2022)
Moody atmosphere, highly recommendable, would need some flashback pruning
I normally comment only on bad movies that get unjustified high ratings. Here the situation is the opposite: A good movie that gets unjustified low ratings. There is no pace in this thriller but thrillers don't necessarily need pace. Mood can replace speed and make the thriller work, which is the case here. What I found disturbing was the permanent insertion of flashbacks. Some may be needed but a lot of timed they are just repetition of previous flashbacks. I think the movie need some recutting to make it more fluent. I would've preferred a bit more pace but it works also like this. Good plot, good acting, lovely house:)
Bullet Train (2022)
Terrible waste of money
To me it seemed like a movie made for the intellectual/educational level of a teen (with the second digit in the lower range), and especially a Japanese teen, due to the Japanese cultural hints. If I gave it three stars it is for the CGI and the action scenes which involve some creative skills, otherwise the script is a catastrophe. There's nothing funny in the Tarantino-inspired dialogues (not that the much quoted Quarter Pounder with cheese of Kill Bill dialogue had any entertaining merit). Really not worth wasting one's time on.
Several studies have determined that IQ scores have been falling for decades. Sorry to say but the cinema nowadays is in a difficult state, with all the Marvel and Transformer escapism coming out of Hollywood. At least the cowboys and Indians movies typical of the 50's had a coherent story ...
Vikings: Valhalla (2022)
Beautiful cinematography
I only reviewed few movies, and only when I thought the ratings were totally wrong.
Vikings is first of all beautifully filmed, whether we're talking interiors or exteriors/nature. Battle scenes also well done, beautiful costumes and ... beards.
Yes, the half-African was out of place but we're living in a woke period of history rewriting so if you make abstraction of this most of you would certainly enjoy the series.
The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
Simply unwatchable
If your pre-teen and you watch movies in order to see fights then you might give it a try and and even enjoy parts of it. If you're a movie lover it's simply unwatchable, mainly because of the poor script. A total mess and a waste of studio money.