View Full Version : The late jal90's 2014 Movie Diary Thread
Like, too late.
I have been watching stuff since January so I will have to update the list. Given my previous experience with lists tied to my extreme laziness (I'll end my favorite animation's, someday), I didn't consider making this thread at the time, but the fact is I'm trying a "365 movies in a year" challenge, so there's a lot of stuff to comment on this thread.
I know I have a review thread (one I don't use either :)) out there, but this will be more of a diary with brief notes and the occasional longer commentary.
jiraffejustin
03-10-14, 06:38 AM
Next time try not to pick a thread title that makes me think you died. :p
Watched on 01/01/2014
http://i.imgur.com/V3ziArf.jpg
The Physician - Der medicus (Philip Stözl, 2013) 4
Not having read the book I don't know how it does as an adaptation -and apparently it was unsatisfactory- but as a standard story, and with the occasional corny writing (specially on the Sha character), it is a really entertaining classic-styled adventure with some wonderful locations, very well-paced through its 150 minutes.
Next time try not to pick a thread title that makes me think you died. :p
:D I tried to make it sound dramatic!
Watched on 01/03/2014
http://i.imgur.com/o1XHDBr.jpg
Night of the living dead (George A. Romero, 1968) 4
A horror film classic I hadn't watched yet due to my lack of general interest on the genre. It was surprising, as a genuinely tense and thrilling movie, despite its erratic beginning and some minor pacing issues. I guess what I ended up liking the most is that, while the zombie menace was there and it was prominent, in the house there was a lot of character tension that made the mood stifling. The ending as well, is fantastic.
http://i.imgur.com/VRQjamC.jpg
The cat who walked by herself - Koshka, kuturaya gulyala sama po sebe (Ideya Garanina, 1988) 4.5
A Soviet animation I ended up watching randomly. It is a fable narration about the Prehistory of humanity, through the viewpoint of a cat who sees each of their acts. This narrative simplicity is tied to an experimental set of animation styles that make it a real joy to watch.
http://i.imgur.com/tbnWDI0.jpg
Man of the West (Anthony Mann, 1958) 4.5
A Western classic that surprised me as well with its very effective sense of narrative pacing. Gary Cooper brings a great performance as the main character and the whole movie is devoted to him and his identity, making a very entertaining and thrilling storytelling. My only issue was with the two companions and specially the girl. I felt that the story could have been told rather perfectly without their presence.
Watched on 01/04/2014
http://i.imgur.com/JWU6hD8.jpg
Belle de Jour (Luis Buñuel, 1967) 3.5
My first disappointment with Buñuel. I guess I am more used to his psychological/surreal melodrama narrative in his Mexican period so this one, that feels more tied to the New Wave narrative, fell flat in comparison. But the fact is that I didn't find a huge emotional resonance in it, and to a point, I found the metaphors too easy, repetitive and obvious. It still has some points of brilliance out there (the ending is one of them), but in the end it was an irregular experience.
Watched on 01/05/2014
http://i.imgur.com/f1Y1EwP.jpg
My beautiful girl, Mari - Mari iyagi (Lee Seong-kang, 2002) 3
Good intentions but overall a rather weak animation movie. Though technically is very limited, it still manages to bring a solid style. But in terms of narration it is too erratic. The idea is mixing a slice-of-life narrative with growing fantastic elements that drive the characters' actions but the fantasy is too sporadic over the whole story, so that development feels a little fake; and the slice-of-life, too unfocused as well and underdeveloped.
http://i.imgur.com/8eY7hy9.jpg
Manic Pixie Dream Girl (Pablo Maqueda, 2013) 5
This fable on Internet, vlogs and social networks in general is part of an Internet initiative among some Spanish directors to stream their movies for free and following some rules (the most restrictive of them, limiting the filming time to less than 24 hours). This one has the additional issue of relying on a single actress who plays six different roles through the movie. The result, as you can see by my rating, is breathtaking. The story while simple ends up being surprisingly visceral, and the narrative editing is very original. It has been blamed for being too catastrophist but I see a point of irony in there that makes it work.
Watched on 01/06/2014
http://i.imgur.com/2HQIW2c.jpg
Brave (Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman & Steve Purcell, 2012) 3.5
Overall I wasn't very impressed with this Pixar, but it still was enjoyable. The first half is brilliant and very stimulating, it sets a very effective emotional portrayal of the relationship between Merida and her mother, but on the contrary the second half seems too rushed at developing/closing conflicts, very irregular and in the end makes the whole movie look like a wasted effort. It has been blamed in the context of other Pixar works for being "too Disney" but I'd rather link it to Ghibli, specially due to the portrayal of the main character and the focus on nature and folklore.
http://i.imgur.com/OiYFmTM.jpg
Belle Toujours (Manoel de Oliveira, 2006) 2
I watched it just out of curiosity after Belle de Jour, and I found an unofficial sequel that felt totally unnecessary, lacking proper emotional effectiveness and too affected; in the end completely unable to transmit naturalness. I barely felt anything through the whole experience, it was worthless in that sense. Not even as an alternative exploration of the Buñuel movie, because it feels like it doesn't have anything interesting or exciting to tell apart from the homage.
Watched on 01/08/2014
http://i.imgur.com/3J4AD5t.jpg
Il Posto (Ermanno Olmi, 1961) 5
This Italian Neorrealist film reminds me in many ways of The apartment, and while it is not as brilliant as the Wilder classic (among my very top favorites), it comes very close. The writing again is fantastic in the two major themes, the satire on the way the company works and the side romance that brings the humanist side to the story. The main actor, though not professional, makes an outstanding and subtle work. And the sober narration makes the whole movie feel very natural, getting a huge focus on everyday details, gestures and expressions of the characters.
Watched on 01/10/2014
http://i.imgur.com/R2dIrjq.jpg
Conspirators of pleasure - Spiklenci slasti (Jan Svankmajer, 1996) 4
Despite the beginning is quite slow, once it gets started the movie becomes fascinating. Svankmajer's aesthetic focus on grotesque forms works very well on this exploration of various forms to represent the search for sexual pleasure through different methods. It is difficult to recommend precisely due to its grotesque tone and the themes it deals with (zoophilia, extreme sadism, fetish), but in the end I think it's worth the effort. The mix of animation and live action is great and reinforces the creepy tones of the film.
christine
03-10-14, 08:59 AM
Interesting films Jal90, I'm going to see if I can find that Manic Pixie Dream Girl , thanks for the recommendation :)
Watched on 01/12/2014
http://i.imgur.com/qcK9JAt.jpg
The little girl who conquered time - Toki o kakeru shôjo (Nobuhiko Obayashi, 1983) 3.5
A prequel to the most well-known The girl who leapt through time, focused on the character of Kazuko. The aesthetic effort to depict the time travelling ends up being quite curious and interesting, but the narration is rather irregular and above all due to the excessively long time it takes on setting the conflict. The dialogues are too simple as well and they don't help. But once it's set it is easy to enjoy a story that, with its flaws, ends up being quite charming.
http://i.imgur.com/41gzWAz.jpg
Where is the friend's home? -Khane-ye doust kodjast? (Abbas Kiarostami, 1987) 4
This one is very difficult to approach for me because as an experience it isn't easy, the slow and sober narration and the lack of budget make it rather tiresome throughout, but in the end it leaves a very good impression, the movie has a huge merit given its lack of resources and manages to transmit its fable narrative pretty well. Its naturalism is easy to relate to and the kid's acting is superb.
Interesting films Jal90, I'm going to see if I can find that Manic Pixie Dream Girl , thanks for the recommendation :)
I hope you are able to, because it's worth. But I don't know if there is a subbed version. The movie just aired last year and its distribution was quite limited. Thanks for your comment!
Watched on 01/15/2014
http://i.imgur.com/LV66FwO.jpg
Kirikou and the sorceress - Kirikou et la sorcière (Michel Ocelot, 1998) 4
Though in the end it didn't manage to be really memorable to me, maybe due to its compressed narration, it ends up being quite entertaining throughout. A little charming fable story that takes advantage of its fairytale structure and to a point ends up twisting it. The small and quick-witted Kirikou is adorable.
Watched on 01/17/2014
http://i.imgur.com/IedW8vi.jpg
Final Cut: Ladies and gentlemen - Final Cut: Hölgyeim és uraim (György Pálfi, 2012) 4.5
An experimental film consisting of a collage of clips from 500 movies to narrate a common romance story with its typical film clichés. I found it quite amazing, specially since at one point I stopped focusing on the purely experimental side of it and started to see it as a solid character narration. As an homage to cinema, it's one of the best and most effective I have seen. The structure admittedly is a little tiring and overloaded in some instances, but it tends to work well.
Watched on 01/19/2014
http://i.imgur.com/w7qv0Tr.jpg
The Lady and the Duke - L'anglaise et le duc (Éric Rohmer, 2001) 3.5
My first experience with a Rohmer film... It is really well-acted and well-contextualized, and despite its lack of stimulating traits for me, it is surprisingly agile in its narration. But I don't manage to get used to its staging, it surely has merit but it feels fake for me and manages to effectively take me out of the mood at times. And in the end the movie doesn't bring anything memorable. Solid and correct but that's all.
Watched on 02/02/2014
http://i.imgur.com/mZpWomW.jpg
The naked kiss (Samuel Fuller, 1964) 4.5
So, my first Fuller film. The writing may be slightly irregular due to its structure filled with elypsis, but this wasn't a problem to enjoy the story on a purely visceral level. I was surprised at the depiction of violence (both physical and verbal) through and over the main character, very crude and strangely appealing, but overall quite classy.
http://i.imgur.com/k9zjZUp.jpg
Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo (Hideaki Anno, 2012) 3
This only confirms that the Rebuilds were an unnecessary addition in the Evangelion franchise. While I appreciate the effort to deliver an alternative narration, it ends up being disjointed, badly-placed in the context of the characters, and it doesn't add anything of interest nor explores any point further than the series did. At least this time the purpose is clear and the movie ends up fulfilling it, unlike the second one which felt like a mess in intentions and result.
Watched on 02/03/2014
http://i.imgur.com/dFJdayv.jpg
A letter to Momo - Momo e no tegami (Hiroyuki Okiura, 2011) 4.5
A rather simple and costumbrist storyline about a teen girl who moves to a coastal village with her mother. Despite its fantastic tones, it is in the end a family and character drama that is focused on the personal growth of Momo through an environment that is strange to her. Momo, as a character, is very likeable and easy to follow, which helps on the effectiveness of the introspective side of this story. My only issue was the setting of the main elements, which is probably too slow and takes too much time.
http://i.imgur.com/mE5ebzl.jpg
The age of consent (Gregory La Cava, 1932) 3.5
A pre-code film that, though not really memorable overall, is interesting in context due to its relatively explicit treatment of sexuality and other taboo topics in a classic movie. But aside from that, it is quite solid, well-narrated and considerably well-acted. Probably too schematic and short, and the ending comes off as rushed, though.
Watched on 02/04/2014
http://i.imgur.com/McjJV7a.jpg
Angel face (Otto Preminger, 1952) 4
I didn't watch it in the best conditions (missed some dialogues), which affected my overall involvement on this film, but I ended up enjoying it a lot, regardless of that. Mitchum brings a great performance as the suffering main character and Jean Simmons on the other hand is a really memorable and to a point scary femme fatale. There are some outstanding scenes out there, the abrupt ending or the visual depiction of Diane's guilt and descent to madness in special are extraordinary.
Watched on 02/05/2014
http://i.imgur.com/azGssXP.jpg
To be or not to be (Ernst Lubitsch, 1942) 4.5
A comedy about the Second World War and nazism that is still fresh today, the jokes and dialogues are effective in both content and structure; and while some little bits of the comedy fall flat, they are a minority in an otherwise very solid work, enough to make the film look slightly irregular, though. I haven't explored Lubitsch's movies too much but it seems I'm quite into his style.
http://i.imgur.com/lRdhHbC.jpg
Metropolis (Fritz Lang, 1927) 5
The ending is rather weak and some parts of it are slightly tiresome, but even with those flaws the experience is still fascinating. The depiction of the metropolis alone is some of the highest cinematographical achievements I've ever found. The storyline, while rather simple (in contrast with the immensity of the setting) is an effective humanist tale that remains solid till its conclusion. The special effects and experimental shots are as well impressive. There are some scenes in there that I won't forget easily.
http://i.imgur.com/SQ9r9ZM.png
The shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980) 4.5
I don't see it as a standard horror movie because rather than fear or pure horror I felt tension through it. The idea that anything could appear at every corner of that house, even if it doesn't actually happen, is what drives my emotional tie to this film, as well as its ghoulish atmosphere and imagery. Overall it is great, and I feel that I could have enjoyed it more if I didn't have so many references and spoilers accumulated from this movie that I took too long to watch.
Watched on 02/07/2014
http://i.imgur.com/n5ms7ci.jpg
Cairo Station - Bab el Hadid (Youssef Chahine, 1958) 4
A surprising experience, a very light and easy to follow narration and an effective depiction of the main character, his obsession and his mental disturbance. It is also noteworthy how eventful and falsely simplistic this narration is, so it ends up bringing a lot of stuff in a rather short amount of time. This however ends up being a double edged-sword that determines the only serious issue I can find, which is that it is too short for its own good; the narrative is too comprised and this makes the development of the events feel rushed.
Watched on 02/08/2014
http://i.imgur.com/fSMH0vd.png
Princess Arete - Arîte hime (Sunao Katabuchi, 2001) 3.5
A fairytale that takes advantage from a main character who is very easily likeable and able to sympathize with, with some great sequences and an overall beautiful message. The development is more erratic, though, specially through the middle and second half of the story where the events and reactions to them feel rushed and poorly explored. This doesn't disallow the movie from reaching a great and remarkable conclusion that leaves a very good impression at the end.
http://i.imgur.com/wFHh5ND.jpg
Birdsong - El cant dels ocells (Albert Serra, 2008) 1.5
A very alternative and experimental version of the traditional Bible tale of the Magi and their travel to Betlehem. I think it is probably the most disjointed and difficult to follow movie I have seen, there isn't a proper sense of continuity in either the style or the content between scenes, they seem like random vague ideas all put together and poorly connected to an overarching plot. The acting is very limited and the decision to use natural lighting is more of a problem than an achievement. It seems that the author tried to focus on improvisation, his objective was to transmit a mystic feel through his individual scenes and not as much in a sense of whole. But at least on me, it didn't work.
Watched on 02/09/2014
http://i.imgur.com/oSjVOPY.jpg
A bee in the rain - Uma abelha na chuva (Fernando Lopes, 1972) 3
Being from Spain, I have always been surprised at how exotic and unexplored the Portuguese filmography looks to me. What I have seen (just four movies so far) has been really curious in that sense, even if I haven't fully enjoyed any yet. This one for instance works very well as a Neorrealist piece narrating the weariness of a married couple, and visually it is quite outstanding, but the insertion of another plot, while to a point thrilling, feels out of place; and the sporadic experimental tones and weird reactions are more of a burden than anything.
http://i.imgur.com/YeSZaws.jpg
Bunny Drop - Usagi Drop (Sabu AKA Hiroyuki Tanaka, 2011) 4.5
I was skeptical with this alternative adaptation because I'm a huge fan of the anime version and was afraid that this one wouldn't hold up well in comparison. While it's not as good, it definitely does and is great as well in its own way. Its biggest issue is the depiction of the first events, specially the family reunion at the beginning, which was one of the best parts in the series and here falls flat; but after that it gets much better and on the other hand I think that the meeting with Rin's mother is handled better. The little girl offers a really solid acting and Matsuyama as Daikichi starts erratic and overacted but ends up making as well a solid and surprisingly subtle performance. But my favorite part comes at the end, in a very specific sequence where this movie shines. Overall it ends up being a really cute and emotional take on parenthood.
The Gunslinger45
03-10-14, 02:20 PM
Watched on 02/05/2014
http://i.imgur.com/azGssXP.jpg
To be or not to be (Ernst Lubitsch, 1942) 4.5
A comedy about the Second World War and nazism that is still fresh today, the jokes and dialogues are effective in both content and structure; and while some little bits of the comedy fall flat, they are a minority in an otherwise very solid work, enough to make the film look slightly irregular, though. I haven't explored his movies but it seems I'm quite into his style.
http://i.imgur.com/lRdhHbC.jpg
Metropolis (Fritz Lang, 1927) 5
The ending is rather weak and some parts of it are slightly tiresome, but even with those flaws the experience is still fascinating. The depiction of the metropolis alone is some of the highest cinematographical achievements I've ever found. The storyline, while rather simple (in contrast with the immensity of the setting) is an effective humanist tale that remains solid till its conclusion. The special effects and experimental shots are as well impressive. There are some scenes in there that I won't forget easily.
http://i.imgur.com/SQ9r9ZM.png
The shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980) 4.5
I don't see it as a standard horror movie because rather than fear or pure horror I felt tension through it. The idea that anything could appear at every corner of that house, even if it doesn't actually happen, is what drives my emotional tie to this film, as well as its ghoulish atmosphere and imagery. Overall it is great, and I feel that I could have enjoyed it more if I didn't have so many references and spoilers accumulated from this movie that I took too long to watch.
Three films I approve of greatly! Excellent choices!
Nostromo87
03-10-14, 03:09 PM
Watched on 02/05/2014
Metropolis (Fritz Lang, 1927) 5
The ending is rather weak and some parts of it are slightly tiresome, but even with those flaws the experience is still fascinating. The depiction of the metropolis alone is some of the highest cinematographical achievements I've ever found. The storyline, while rather simple (in contrast with the immensity of the setting) is an effective humanist tale that remains solid till its conclusion. The special effects and experimental shots are as well impressive. There are some scenes in there that I won't forget easily.
The shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980) 4.5
I don't see it as a standard horror movie because rather than fear or pure horror I felt tension through it. The idea that anything could appear at every corner of that house, even if it doesn't actually happen, is what drives my emotional tie to this film, as well as its ghoulish atmosphere and imagery. Overall it is great, and I feel that I could have enjoyed it more if I didn't have so many references and spoilers accumulated from this movie that I took too long to watch.
Metropolis was my first silent movie, & i loved it
http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lg62q1K4Ik1qf7gtv.gif
http://themoscownews.com/images/18904/89/189048911.jpg
as for the Shining, well, i was in the same boat as you.. didn't see it until several months ago. on first viewing, it blew me away. and bc of its many layers, it's got a sensational quality of rewatchability (for me). glad you liked it
Watched on 02/10/2014
http://i.imgur.com/3umIeZr.png
Skeleton of Mrs. Morales - El esqueleto de la señora Morales (Rogelio A. González, 1959) 5
A great mix of psychological melodrama and dark satire about the religious values that reminds me of Buñuel a lot. It even has the same main actor (Arturo de Córdova) from Él, through this time he interprets the other side of the coin, as the cynical suffering husband who has to deal with the possessive, extremist and suffocating personality of his wife. His acting is what makes the movie so outstanding and effective, and the counterpart is equally good.
Three films I approve of greatly! Excellent choices!
Yeah, it was a very worthy day. Three films I had been willing to watch for years and all of them turned out to be great.
Watched on 02/13/2014
http://i.imgur.com/dS4aMBn.jpg
Grindhouse: Death Proof (Quentin Tarantino, 2007) 2.5
So far my only serious disappointment with Tarantino, but a major one. It's not that I don't recognize his style in there but rather the contrary, it is too busy inserting and celebrating the typical tropes of his cinema and it forgets to add dynamism to the narration and actual charisma to the characters. The mundane conversations are fine when they are creative and funny, or when they are specifically placed in the story, in this movie they just seem to work through mere accumulation effect. Stuntman Mike seems like a forced attempt to make a charismatic and memorable character and ends up falling flat to me, as well.
The Gunslinger45
03-10-14, 04:20 PM
Yeah, it was a very worthy day. Three films I had been willing to watch for years and all of them turned out to be great.
It's an awesome feeling isn't it? :)
I saw Mrs. Morales last year and gave it 3. Besides reminding me of Buñuel, it's reminiscent of Roger Corman's A Bucket of Blood. Good movie! :)
bluedeed
03-10-14, 04:28 PM
Good films so far, Jal. I'd certainly suggest that you see some more Rohmer and Kiarostami, since you saw and liked two of their weaker pictures.
Watched on 02/14/2014
http://i.imgur.com/Az43YbD.png
After School Midnighters - Hôkago Midnighters (Hitoshi Takekiyo, 2012) 3.5
Just a standard horror comedy that in the context of anime looks rare due to its heavily Westernized traits in character design and animation. The use of CGI is fine though not spectacular and the writing is solid enough to provide an enjoyable and consistantly funny, though ultimately forgettable, experience.
http://i.imgur.com/VAaLxYP.jpg
Journey to the beginning of time - Cesta do praveku (Karel Zeman, 1955) 4
An adventure through the different periods of Prehistory where four kids travel backwards in time to reach the Silurian period and find a Trilobite. The premise is quite original (the kids view their travel as a scientific expedition, they take notes and document their discoveries), the way of travelling amazingly simplistic, and the scientific accuracy really surprising for the time. It is a little too irregular and some instances are better delivered than others, but I think it captures the fascination for Prehistoric beings very well while having an excellent didactic value.
It's an awesome feeling isn't it? :)
Haha, indeed!
I saw Mrs. Morales last year and gave it 3. Besides reminding me of Buñuel, it's reminiscent of Roger Corman's A Bucket of Blood. Good movie! :)
Well, it seems I'm a little more enthusiastic with this one, but am glad that you enjoyed it as well :). It has two themes I generally enjoy a lot, psychological despair and melodrama, so I guess it wasn't a surprise that it worked so well on me. I'll check A bucket of blood, thanks for the recommendation!
Good films so far, Jal. I'd certainly suggest that you see some more Rohmer and Kiarostami, since you saw and like two of their weaker pictures.
I will watch more for sure (I'm actually more interested on the 60s-80s works of Rohmer, this one was just due to a movie tournament in another forum, so it wasn't probably the best choice), on Kiarostami though I watched Taste of cherry before, which was fine but didn't leave me impressed to be honest.
Watched on 02/15/2014
http://i.imgur.com/bfITAEf.jpg
Benny's video (Michael Haneke, 1992) 3.5
Not my favorite Haneke because towards the last third it stretches something that I feel is unnecessary to develop the point of the story, but other than that it is a quite compelling movie with a cold depiction of violence and a scary sense of naturalness. It is structured and developed as a filmic essay but it manages to stay in a recognizable reality, being a great character study. My rating is relatively low due to the impression of the last third, but I actually liked it a lot.
bluedeed
03-10-14, 04:54 PM
I will watch more for sure (I'm actually more interested on the 60s-80s works of Rohmer, this one was just due to a movie tournament in another forum, so it wasn't probably the best choice), on Kiarostami though I watched Taste of cherry before, which was fine but didn't leave me impressed to be honest.
I think Taste of Cherry is certainly Kiarostami's weakest film of the 1990s, but I thought it was a better film after having seen his other films of the period and understood his stylistic evolution. I'd recommend you continue with his Koker films, And Life Goes on..., and Through the Olive Trees.
I thought The Lady and the Duke was a strange starting place for Rohmer. Most people start with The Six Moral Tales (specifically, My Night at Maud's) which I personally think are a bit overrated in comparison to the undervalued Comedies and Proverbs. If you're interested, I think his best three films are The Green Ray, Boyfriends and Girlfriends, and Claire's Knee.
Watched on 02/16/2014
http://i.imgur.com/il9w223.png
Code unknown - Code inconnu (Michael Haneke, 2000) 4.5
Very enjoyable and dynamic while still keeping a strong and difficult to digest set of social problems, inequalities, prejudgements, contradictions and the latent violence as a result. I guess this is due to the narrative structure in several character stories, that allows to get into various characters and their specific contexts to understand where they come from when they interact. This even allows the director to play with meta-cinematography on the character of Binoche, adding another point of interest while keeping the structure and message of the movie. Among the best of the director, in the discourse level it is probably not that good, but the delivery is worth it.
http://i.imgur.com/3dgnMAN.jpg
71 fragments of a chronology of chance - 71 fragmente einer chronologie des zufalls (Michael Haneke, 1994) 3.5
The third part of Haneke's glaciation trilogy; it is the one I've liked the least, but overall it is solid and I can't make effective complaints. In fact my issue with this film comes with its structure, I don't manage to get used to it. I appreciate the idea but it decreases my emotional involvement on the overall story. Because when it comes to specific scenes, it is as good as always, the characters look like real people and their reactions are easy to understand. The instances of physical violence are, as well, fascinating in their coldness. It reminds me of Elephant and I think it handles a similar story much more effectively.
http://i.imgur.com/NCnEzHM.jpg
Angels with dirty faces (Michael Curtiz, 1938) 3.5
The charismatic character of Rocky (James Cagney) is what makes this movie. Other than that it suffers from a lack of proper antagonists. The fact that they act so stupid and useless through the whole movie is, I guess, supposed to be amazing when Rocky stands out in intelligence and ability in comparison, but it only manages to decrease the interest because there is not a proper sense of menace from them. Still it works very well on individual scenes (that basketball match), but doesn't come off with a proper sense of whole.
http://i.imgur.com/DxHzMsR.jpg
The Jar: A tale from the East (Ammar al Sharbaji, 2001) 2
I am being generous with this movie and taking into account the effort it probably took to be made, because technically speaking it is really bad, a static animation that at times inserts cheap CGI in a very sloppy way. Narratively it is a bit better but still flawed and too simplistic, the characters are poorly explored and uninteresting, the comedic bits of the main villain in special are unbearable and his personality quite dull and boring. It has a couple inspired scenes out there that are fine but not really more.
http://i.imgur.com/4KHOtJ5.jpg
Grindhouse: Planet Terror (Robert Rodríguez, 2007) 5
After the Death Proof disappointment I didn't expect to enjoy this one too much, but the fact is it worked very well. It is over-the-top and in the end very simplistic, but its comedy gets me, it is very effective and makes the whole experience endlessly hilarious. From the beginning till the end there is not a single instance of irregularity, it keeps bringing the same fun. In that sense it is probably one of the most effective comedies I've seen, the style is not my favorite but this one works so I'm fine with it.
By the way, thanks for you recommendations, bluedeed. I'll take your advice :)
Watched on 02/18/2014
http://i.imgur.com/p73Q5jM.jpg
Angel on the right - Fararishtay kifti rost (Jamshed Usmonov, 2002) 3.5
I guess that the most interesting detail about this one is the fact it's a Tajik movie... other than that it's a rather simple story with some slightly fabulistic/surreal tones that is focused on the moral redemption of the main character. Effective enough, its problem is that the side characters are not quite as explored and they fall flat in comparison, specially the son who is supposed to play a key role in his change yet the development of their relationship is quite discontinuous.
http://i.imgur.com/WRWkbTP.jpg
Lessons at the end of spring - Uroki v kontse vesny (Oleg Kavun, 1988) 4
It is very good, but too short. The topic it deals with is harsh and the perspective it takes is one I find interesting, it has several scenes that are even difficult to watch and it transmits its message pretty well (the last scene is brilliant), but it ends up being more forgettable than it should because the events are compressed in a 75-minute narration where the whole story doesn't fit. This movie with further and slower development could be a masterpiece.
http://i.imgur.com/NqKfNDG.jpg
Sword of the stranger - Stranger: Mukoh Hadan (Masahiro Andô, 2007) 3.5
The narration is effective, it doesn't leave holes in the characters and their actions are justified and contextualized. The animation is impressive, and the fight choreography among the best. The soundtrack is very good. But it lacks, to me, a general interest on the story. It relies too much on tropes I've seen many times and it doesn't add anything to them, it is predictable and in that sense, not very dynamic. So in the end and while it is correct enough in any of its aspects, I can't get involved with it.
Guaporense
03-10-14, 07:01 PM
http://i.imgur.com/NqKfNDG.jpg
Sword of the stranger - Stranger: Mukoh Hadan (Masahiro Andô, 2007) 3.5
The narration is effective, it doesn't leave holes in the characters and their actions are justified and contextualized. The animation is impressive, and the fight choreography among the best. The soundtrack is very good. But it lacks, to me, a general interest on the story. It relies too much on tropes I've seen many times and it doesn't add anything to them, it is predictable and in that sense, not very dynamic. So in the end and while it is correct enough in any of its aspects, I can't get involved with it.
This is one of the very few anime titles that made me sleep. Still I think it is a very solid movie, just not one that's very creative and interesting. I rate it about the same as you do.
Guaporense
03-10-14, 07:02 PM
http://i.imgur.com/4KHOtJ5.jpg
Grindhouse: Planet Terror (Robert Rodríguez, 2007) 5
After the Death Proof disappointment I didn't expect to enjoy this one too much, but the fact is it worked very well. It is over-the-top and in the end very simplistic, but its comedy gets me, it is very effective and makes the whole experience endlessly hilarious. From the beginning till the end there is not a single instance of irregularity, it keeps bringing the same fun. In that sense it is probably one of the most effective comedies I've seen, the style is not my favorite but this one works so I'm fine with it.
Yeah, this is one very funny movie. Though I wouldn't give it a full rating yet.
I admit and all that my full rating on Planet Terror is probably excessive, but it was really that funny to me. I guess my neurons were vulnerable after watching two Hanekes, a film noir and a weird Syrian animation that same day :D
Guaporense
03-10-14, 07:10 PM
http://i.imgur.com/k9zjZUp.jpg
Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo (Hideaki Anno, 2012) 3
This only confirms that the Rebuilds were an unnecessary addition in the Evangelion franchise. While I appreciate the effort to deliver an alternative narration, it ends up being disjointed, badly-placed in the context of the characters, and it doesn't add anything of interest nor explores any point further than the series did. At least this time the purpose is clear and the movie ends up fulfilling it, unlike the second one which felt like a mess in intentions and result.
I personally find that the The Rebuild movies, however, have a very distinct and intense atmosphere that's significantly different from the original TV series. Anno's became a different man in these ca. 15 years and so these films reflect his change, the original series was much more aggressive, much more juvenile and experimental, the new movies are more conventional, accessible and emotionally moderate/mature (still inferior to the original series, though, since those characteristics that make it the masterpiece it is were eliminated from the rebuilt movies still eva 2.0 is my favorite movie of 2009).
Read these reviews: http://www.isugoi.com/evangelion-3-0-you-can-not-redo-review/, http://www.isugoi.com/evangelion-2-0-you-can-not-advance-review/, they give a pretty good idea of these movies.
Guaporense
03-10-14, 07:22 PM
http://i.imgur.com/41gzWAz.jpg
Where is the friend's home? -Khane-ye doust kodjast? (Abbas Kiarostami, 1987) 4
This one is very difficult to approach for me because as an experience it isn't easy, the slow and sober narration and the lack of budget make it rather tiresome throughout, but in the end it leaves a very good impression, the movie has a huge merit given its lack of resources and manages to transmit its fable narrative pretty well. Its naturalism is easy to relate to and the kid's acting is superb.
I hope you are able to, because it's worth. But I don't know if there is a subbed version. The movie just aired last year and its distribution was quite limited. Thanks for your comment!
Interestingly, while Kiarostami is the most famous Iranian director in the west, he is not among the most influential Iranian directors from an Iranian perspective, this is a top 10 list compiled from Iranian film critics in 2008:
1
The Deer (1976) Masud Kimiai
2
Bashu, the Little Stranger (1989) Bahram Beizai
3
Desiderium (1978) Ali Hatami
4
About Elly (2009) Asghar Farhadi
5
Hamoun (1990) Dariush Mehrjui
6
Strait (1973) Amir Naderi
7
The Cow (1969) Dariush Mehrjui
8
Captain Khorshid (1987) Naser Taghvai
9
Once Upon a Time, Cinema (1992) Mohsen Makhmalbaf
10
Tranquility in the Presence of Others (1973) Naser Taghvai
Kandu (1975) Fereydun Gole
Makes me wonder how these movies are though since I haven't watched any. I expect them to be more conventional (i.e. similar to Hollywood movies) than Kiarostami's movies, since relative to Japanese cinema, for instance, Mizoguchi is more famous in the west than in Japan, Sancho the Bailiff did not make the top 200 Japanese films in either pools compiled from film critics and film buffs, more conventional movies, with faster pacing, more akin to Hollywood movies, showed up very high, such as 24 Eyes.
I personally find that the The Rebuild movies, however, have a very distinct and intense atmosphere that's significantly different from the original TV series. Anno's became a different man in these ca. 15 years and so these films reflect his change, the original series was much more aggressive, much more juvenile and experimental, the new movies are more conventional, accessible and emotionally moderate/mature (still inferior to the original series, though, since those characteristics that make it the masterpiece it is were eliminated from the rebuilt movies still eva 2.0 is my favorite movie of 2009).
Read these reviews: http://www.isugoi.com/evangelion-3-0-you-can-not-redo-review/, http://www.isugoi.com/evangelion-2-0-you-can-not-advance-review/, they give a pretty good idea of these movies.
Thanks for those links! They are some interesting positive thoughts. I don't really agree with them but it's good to take them into account. 2.0 for instance gave me the impression that it was trying to transmit the exact same thing about the characters, the same state of mind than the series and the same problems; this review assumes that it takes a totally different mindset and maybe in that sense it works better as a standalone work. But my issue with that movie was, mainly and precisely, that it depended too much on the original series to understand the steps the characters made and their motivations. The character of Mari didn't have any worthwhile quality to me, she was just an addition that could have been ignored (and I keep saying it after the 3.0).
3.0 on the other hand is more clearly focused on Shinji's psychological state of mind and depression but I think the whole timeskip thing was an unnecessary complication. Then again I am judging the Rebuilds based on a series I love and that I unconsciously want to be reflected as loyally as possible in the narrations, so I guess I'm just not accepting of change and that makes my perception on their narration biased. I don't fully reject the idea of rewatching them later and trying to understand them better as standalone works.
bluedeed
03-10-14, 07:57 PM
Interestingly, while Kiarostami is the most famous Iranian director in the west, he is not among the most influential Iranian directors from an Iranian perspective, this is a top 10 list compiled from Iranian film critics in 2008
Asghar Farhadi is probably more famous in the US currently with his recent Academy Award success, not Kiarostami. Kiarostami is heavily influenced by European art cinema of Rossellini, Bresson, Tarkovsky etc. while being also highly Iranian. Most of his films were government funded projects until he gained festival popularity, so it wouldn't seem likely that he's especially popular over there. This isn't too surprising, Kiarostami is among the most difficult directors working today. I'm interested in where you find all of these lists, Guaporense.
Watched on 02/20/2014
http://i.imgur.com/r4i4HIN.jpg
Batman (Tim Burton, 1989) 4
The first Batman movie by Tim Burton. I have never been into the comics so I can't judge it as an adaptation, but I can say that the setting is quite amazing, and so is the Joker played by Jack Nicholson, one that is quirky, excessive, absurd, and delightfully funny. The only thing that really bugs me in here is how blatantly uninteresting the main hero, Batman, is. I didn't care for either his backstory, his perspective or his personality. In the end the villain steals the show easily.
http://i.imgur.com/1jHBKXq.jpg
Audition (Takashi Miike, 1999) 3
I went to view that movie without clear expectations and for that reason I think the structure didn't bother me. I ended up enjoying the first half in a completely different way. When the horror tones are set, however, and I change my overall impression towards the story, I find that it only works in part; that is, it feels uneasy, but nowhere as absorbing as a good horror story should be. The last part is arguably the best, and that is due to the the crudeness of the events rather than an actual feeling of fear.
http://i.imgur.com/cVW2DfP.jpg
Colorful (Keiichi Hara, 2010) 3.5
This time I'm just going to quote what I commented on the MyAnimeList forums, which is probably better than trying to rephrase it:
It is sort of difficult because there are some points of this story that I really felt through; the late family conversation on Makoto's next high school was very liberating, and emotional, for something I barely got myself involved into till that point. The scenes with Saotome were a huge joy to watch. And the scene where Makoto and Hiroka end up in a tunnel impressed me in its awkwardness... but these are all individual scenes. What this movie lacks is a proper sense of whole, a psychological portrayal of its main character that feels consistant.
This movie has some very good intentions and there is nothing I openly hate about it. Well, maybe Purapura's antics but they are digestible or at least easy to ignore after a while. The problem is that the main character has reactions that I can't understand, let alone feel or share in the intended way. The way he treats his mother comes off as deliriously cruel no matter how I think of it. I end up just getting frustrated, but not due to his conflict, rather, because I can't understand where does he really come from.
This inconsistant character portrayal is tied to a conclusion that feels sprout out of nowhere, where Makoto makes random motivational discourses and suddenly knows how to deal with every situation, resulting in a fake process of development. Not to mention how sudden and oddly placed the reveal seems. I appreciate the message, which is very valuable, but the way it is told is unpolished to say the least. It is sort of frustrating that an introspective character drama like this one seems so careless in, precisely, its character development. I think I ended up understanding Makoto's mother, or Hiroka, or the brother, or even Saotome, better than Makoto.
Watched on 02/22/2014
http://i.imgur.com/R11CCvn.jpg
Amour (Michael Haneke, 2012) 4
This is a movie that manages to be really harsh in the topic it deals with, the relationship of the main couple and how the event of her progressive loss of autonomy affects the lives of both. With some awesome acting from both actors and a very effective tone overall it could have been the best Haneke or among the best but unfortunately it leaves room for some irregularity and specially in something that I find shocking in this director: dialogues, expressions and reactions that are not natural, they feel like they belong to a play. The character played by Huppert is specially guilty of this, but so are some of the conversations the old couple has. This plays a contrast with a more crude, sober and immediate emotional delivery and it ruins the mood of some moments. I don't like the epilogue either, which I find unnecessary and exploitative.
Watched on 02/25/2014
http://i.imgur.com/5g4JH7Q.jpg
Alois Nebel (Tomáš Lunák, 2011) 3.5
A fascinating first half hour that serves as an introduction to the daily life of the main character, his memories and quirks, is followed by a storytelling that becomes disjointed more or less at that point. Specially with a major narrative elypsis that happens towards the second half and that makes me lose a huge part of my connection to the character. In the end it feels like a wasted opportunity, due to the topic it deals with and its artistic representation. The animation and the atmosphere created through it are in the end the best and most outstanding things in here, I have grown as well some emotional ties with certain scenes of this movie (I lived in Prague as an Erasmus student). But on the narrative part and the depiction of the main character, it ends up irregular and unsatisfactory.
Watched on 02/26/2014
http://i.imgur.com/0clLmxp.jpg
Drive (Nicolas Winding Refn, 2011) 5
Refn is a director I'm not specially fond of. I can't say that I find his style specially interesting, after four movies. However, while I didn't care or even got annoyed at it in two instances (Bronson and Only God forgives), I ended up loving what he offered in the other two (Valhalla Rising and Drive). This one is so far my favorite and it has worked rather perfectly on me. I believe that, in terms of depiction of violence, it is among the best and most authentic films I have seen; but it is also helped by a wonderful soundtrack that is able to set the mood through the whole story. I am not a fan of Gosling's (lack of) acting and it ruins a couple scenes but I admit that Refn manages to create an effective figure around him, and that his presence is a lot more impressive and consistant than in Only God forgives, for instance.
christine
03-11-14, 01:39 PM
Watched on 02/22/2014
This is a movie that manages to be really harsh in the topic it deals with, the relationship of the main couple and how the event of her progressive loss of autonomy affects the lives of both. With some awesome acting from both actors and a very effective tone overall it could have been the best Haneke or among the best but unfortunately it leaves room for some irregularity and specially in something that I find shocking in this director: dialogues, expressions and reactions that are not natural, they feel like they belong to a play. The character played by Huppert is specially guilty of this, but so are some of the conversations the old couple has. This plays a contrast with a more crude, sober and immediate emotional delivery and it ruins the mood of some moments. I don't like the epilogue either, which I find unnecessary and exploitative.
At the time I thought it was cold and dispassionate, but in the days following it played on my mind and now think it's pretty good. I thought the whole film could've actually done without the daughter character, she was jarring and not all that well done. I liked the apartment in particular, it was like a womb, making the last days of Anne shrink into a smaller and smaller dark world.
christine
03-11-14, 02:51 PM
http://i.imgur.com/VRQjamC.jpg
[B]The cat who walked by herself - Koshka, kuturaya gulyala sama po sebe (Ideya Garanina, 1988) 4.5
A Soviet animation I ended up watching randomly. It is a fable narration about the Prehistory of humanity, through the viewpoint of a cat who sees each of their acts. This narrative simplicity is tied to an experimental set of animation styles that make it a real joy to watch.
Watched this one your recommendation and the fact that I thought it was probably based on Rudyard Kipling's story The Cat That Walked by Himself. That's my favourite of his Just So stories, a really good take on the independence and cleverness of cats! Lovely animation, dark, and like all good childrens stories, a little scary :)
http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/79/just-so-stories/1296/the-cat-that-walked-by-himself/
Watched on 02/27/2014
http://i.imgur.com/xubkpuX.jpg
Valley of the bees - Údolí vcel (Frantisek Vlácil, 1968) 4
This film reminds me of Bergman in both the metaphysical themes and the narrative pace, as well as the use of characters to represent ideas. The conflict here is displayed between Christian faith, with a character who tries to conserve his spiritual integrity (Armin) and paganism, in a character who decides to live according to his impulses (Ondzej). While it doesn't work that well to me, in the end it manages to transmit the idea pretty nicely. It is inevitable that I end up siding with Ondzej, because he is the most immediate, but the position of Armin becomes understandable as well in his context, as he uses his faith to survive in a world that he isn't ready for.
http://i.imgur.com/wauWnmx.jpg
Ghostbusters (Ivan Reitman, 1984) 3.5
I think that it would need a more nostalgic perspective to fully enjoy this movie, but either way I ended up liking it. Surely, the plot is fairly weak and disjointed, rather poorly developed and odd-paced (things get solved quite easily at the end), and the romance element quite anticlimactic so I didn't really care for it, but I was surprised at how well its comedy worked and specially on the quirks of Bill Murray or Rick Moranis.
At the time I thought it was cold and dispassionate, but in the days following it played on my mind and now think it's pretty good. I thought the whole film could've actually done without the daughter character, she was jarring and not all that well done. I liked the apartment in particular, it was like a womb, making the last days of Anne shrink into a smaller and smaller dark world.
To be fair I had the contrary development on this one. It worked in a very immediate way and some hours later it still had emotional resonance, but I haven't been able to keep my emotional ties with the film throughout. I guess in a rewatch I'll be able to keep my memories of this movie for longer, as it is probably just a matter if my current mood. Still, the experience is there, and it provided some really crude scenes that I still have in my mind.
Totally agreed about the daughter character, she just didn't feel in tone with the rest of the movie. When the story asked for sobriety and intimism, she came off as melodramatic and an unnecessary addition. The idea of representing her emotional disorientation was fine but not that well inserted into the story. I felt that she was invading the scenario.
Watched this one your recommendation and the fact that I thought it was probably based on Rudyard Kipling's story The Cat That Walked by Himself. That's my favourite of his Just So stories, a really good take on the independence and cleverness of cats! Lovely animation, dark, and like all good childrens stories, a little scary :)
http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/79/just-so-stories/1296/the-cat-that-walked-by-himself/
I'll check that, thanks. I read about that story being mentioned (didn't know it) and associated it as well to the movie, but I didn't know for sure. Glad to see that you liked the movie :)
Watched on 02/28/2014
http://i.imgur.com/G9bi3va.jpg
Dersu Uzala (Akira Kurosawa, 1975) 5
The best film I have watched this year so far, and I wouldn't be surprised if this ends up being the best overall. Dersu is a hell of a character. I ended up admiring his lifestyle, his confidence and his sense of freedom, and the later events were very emotionally devastating to me, though filled with a strange intimist feel. The friendship that grows between him and the Captain is one that feels authentic and precious, just about every scene of them two alone, talking or just hanging around is a joy to watch. The nature acts as another actor in this movie, it is wild, arid and harsh, and it embraces very well the sense of adventure and discovery this movie has as well throughout, and that only helps to make this whole experience fascinating, mesmerizing and unforgettable.
Watched on 03/05/2014
http://i.imgur.com/790j6DT.jpg
The joke - Zert (Jaromil Jires, 1969) 4
An overall solid though slightly irregular (some scenes just don't work as well) movie about a Czechoslovak man who tries to have a little revenge after being unjustly condemned by the regime and society just for making a joke. When he comes back, the resentment he feels towards those around them has grown a cynical side in him. Through this movie we see how this process happened with the use of flashbacks, which are the most interesting part of the movie due to their structure and their subjective presentation, along with the main's acting, very solid throughout.
Watched on 03/07/2014
http://i.imgur.com/936KPZI.jpg
Red Beard - Akahige (Akira Kurosawa, 1965) 5
While it doesn't reach the level of Dersu Uzala (which would be my favorite of the director so far), this one surprised me as well and ended up very highly. Maybe the most interesting quality to me was how, in a 3-hour-movie, everything was so well-paced and dynamic. The storytelling is slow, but it is consistantly slow and flows naturally. Other than that it is just one memorable sequence after another, let's say for example the scene where Dr. Yasuoto is left alone in a room with an dying patient, the scenography of that part is fascinating alone, and the claustrophobic feel that invades the scene... But what drives this movie is the character played by Mifune (avatar worthy indeed), Red Beard. Such an admirable personality in fiction, and an incredibly solid work by the actor who gives soundness and strength to the presence of his character. The side stories are all great in their way, and the acting of every character involved convincing enough, with Kyoko Kagawa as the crazy woman being specially fascinating. My only issue and it's a very minor one is that it tends to make its discourse too explicit in the dialogues of the characters, in a couple scenes.
Watched on 03/09/2014
http://i.imgur.com/cIB0a7i.jpg
Throne of blood - Kumonosu-jô (Akira Kurosawa, 1957) 4.5
So, my third Kurosawa in a row. This one wasn't as fully convincing as the others due to its theatrical structure, which was a little difficult to get into at the beginning and specially through the character of Mifune, who is, I guess purposely, exaggerated in his expressions, though a little too simplistic in them. I ended up growing fond of his acting though, and either way, watching this after Red Beard is impressive. The storyline is short, schematic and emphasizes on its point a lot, but this rather than being an issue makes it work pretty well as a moral tale. Overall I was, again, surprised with its pacing, very agile, I didn't end up bored or uninterested in any instance of the plot and till the end. Like in the other two, there are also some memorable sequences out there, not as many, but some of them are really great.
And well, this is my last update. The next one will be the movie I just watched today (a couple hours ago in fact), I'll come with it in a while.
The Gunslinger45
03-11-14, 07:29 PM
Oh I love me some Kurosawa and that is one of Toshiro's best performances if ya ask me! Certainly one of his most physically dynamic.
Watched on 03/11/2014
http://i.imgur.com/OkVtxeM.jpg
Shame - Skammen (Ingmar Bergman, 1968) 4.5
This is by far the most violent and the crudest Bergman I've watched so far. The focus on war and its effects is surprising at least for me with this director. It is a genuinely scary and tense film. And not only for the war menace, the gunshots and bombings, but also the moral degradation of the characters the title refers to. I think that the idea of portraying the effects of war in a married couple that is already conflicted is a great idea, and the movie makes a huge effort at emphasizing their change in the eyes of each other, and how difficult it is to assimilate it. Von Sydow and Ullman both offer superb acting, the whole story is told through their perspective and they really do manage to transmit any of their feelings, Ullman in special. What a great actress. My only issue in the end is that I found the story development a little erratic, specially at the middle part where many events happen all of a sudden, and the character development got affected as well, the change on Jan feels too rushed and extreme when it is first shown.
Oh I love me some Kurosawa and that is one of Toshiro's best performances if ya ask me! Certainly one of his most physically dynamic.
I guess having watched Red Beard before is the reason why Throne of blood, at first, caught me out of blue. The approach of the two characters is very different and so is the acting. In the end it was just a temporary burden to appreciate his work, which ended up being great and solid though I prefer him as Red Beard.
The Gunslinger45
03-11-14, 08:39 PM
Watched on 03/11/2014
http://i.imgur.com/OkVtxeM.jpg
Shame - Skammen (Ingmar Bergman, 1968) 4.5
This is by far the most violent and the crudest Bergman I've watched so far. The focus on war and its effects is surprising at least for me with this director. It is a genuinely scary and tense film. And not only for the war menace, the gunshots and bombings, but also the moral degradation of the characters the title refers to. I think that the idea of portraying the effects of war in a married couple that is already conflicted is a great idea, and the movie makes a huge effort at emphasizing their change in the eyes of each other, and how difficult it is to assimilate it. Von Sydow and Ullman both offer superb acting, the whole story is told through their perspective and they really do manage to transmit any of their feelings, Ullman in special. What a great actress. My only issue in the end is that I found the story development a little erratic, specially at the middle part where many events happen all of a sudden, and the character development got affected as well, the change on Jan feels too rushed and extreme when it is first shown.
I guess having watched Red Beard before is the reason why Throne of blood, at first, caught me out of blue. The approach of the two characters is very different and so is the acting. In the end it was just a temporary burden to appreciate his work, which ended up being great and solid though I prefer him as Red Beard.
Oh Red Beard is a fantastic movie too. A former Top 50 for me!
Watched on 03/12/2014
http://i.imgur.com/WddgAqY.jpg
The 400 blows - Les quatre cents coups (François Truffaut, 1959) 4.5
Some irregularities here and there at the first half, but mostly I think it's just me not being in the best mood, because I can't really hold anything solid against this movie. It is really enjoyable and moving, a wonderful tale about the search for freedom and self-vindication in childhood. I guess this could be considered as the spiritual successor to Zéro de conduite, but I personally find this one a lot more effective and immediate. Maybe due to its lack of surreal tones and its more linear narrative, but a huge part of it as well comes from the main character, Antoine. Jean-Pierre Léaud's acting is breathtaking to say the least. He's able to transmit a lot of things with his gestures alone, the frustration he bears through and his inner desires for emotional liberation. The final scene is among the best I have ever seen.
Watched on 03/13/2014
http://i.imgur.com/tyuhy8u.png
Perfect Blue - Yume nara samete (Toshiki Sato, 2002) 2.5
Based on the same novel than Satoshi Kon's Perfect Blue, but a rather different adaptation. It is to a point unavoidable to compare them, but I believe that these two are standalone enough and holding this comparison would be unfair. With that being said, this version is a mediocre movie that doesn't succeed really well at developing a psychothriller scenario. For the most part it is due to the narrative pacing, which is pretty dull and lacking; partly due to the overuse of the tracks and partly because the work isn't very appealing in terms of visuals. The main actress doesn't help here since her acting is quite limited. And the whole transformation process in Horibe, though original and interesting as an idea, looks stupid in execution. Still, with all these problems, the movie relies on ambiguous and misleading narrative and this increases the interest on the later events, ending in a considerably good note.
Woah! I thought this MoFo passed away when I read the thread title!
Whew!!!
Woah! I thought this MoFo passed away when I read the thread title!
Whew!!!
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9c5lgiODO1r23cwbo1_500.gif
I just thought it was a fun title, sorry :p!
Gives a double meaning to the phrase "better late than never". :)
Watched on 03/14/2014
http://i.imgur.com/rDkWbVS.jpg
The American soldier - Der Amerikanische soldat (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1970) 4
Irregular and the narration leaves many things untied, but at times it is a very enthralling experience. The atmosphere is the greatest quality this film has for, it tries to capture the mood of film noirs and to me succeeds. The soundtrack and lighting make a great work on this. Many scenes are good enough to even be memorable. Still, not every one of the ideas work and when they don't they make the movie look much worse than it probably is. The general narration as said is, as well, very lacking; in contrast to the scene specific one which turns out to be very satisfying.
http://i.imgur.com/SK06F2x.jpg
The butcher - Le boucher (Claude Chabrol, 1970) 3.5
This one is probably better than the previous one. It is certainly more consistant and less disjointed. But the fact I knew too much about its storyline made me get focused on the turn of the events that would happen instead of getting fully immersed on the narration and character depiction. That's how I've found the first half to be boring and rather unappealing, like an extended introduction, while the second half flows much better and the last twenty minutes are brilliant.
Guaporense
03-15-14, 12:52 AM
Asghar Farhadi is probably more famous in the US currently with his recent Academy Award success, not Kiarostami. Kiarostami is heavily influenced by European art cinema of Rossellini, Bresson, Tarkovsky etc. while being also highly Iranian. Most of his films were government funded projects until he gained festival popularity, so it wouldn't seem likely that he's especially popular over there. This isn't too surprising, Kiarostami is among the most difficult directors working today.
I see. While I love Tarkovsky and Bresson I didn't like Kiarostami as much, I think I might try watching the more popular Iranian movies to get a sense of mainstream Iranian film since the only Iranian films I have watched are his.
I'm interested in where you find all of these lists, Guaporense.
MUBI is the place where I found those lists (and links). That list I found in a link on MUBI from an Iranian guy who posted this list from an Iranian film magazine in his blog, it's a list made from a poll of 100 Iranian film critics.
That's how I discovered Late Spring, I watched it without knowing anything about it besides being an Japanese film from the 1940's and being in a top films list made by a critics poll.
Guaporense
03-15-14, 01:04 AM
Watched on 02/28/2014
http://i.imgur.com/G9bi3va.jpg
Dersu Uzala (Akira Kurosawa, 1975) 5
The best film I have watched this year so far, and I wouldn't be surprised if this ends up being the best overall. Dersu is a hell of a character. I ended up admiring his lifestyle, his confidence and his sense of freedom, and the later events were very emotionally devastating to me, though filled with a strange intimist feel. The friendship that grows between him and the Captain is one that feels authentic and precious, just about every scene of them two alone, talking or just hanging around is a joy to watch. The nature acts as another actor in this movie, it is wild, arid and harsh, and it embraces very well the sense of adventure and discovery this movie has as well throughout, and that only helps to make this whole experience fascinating, mesmerizing and unforgettable.
Indeed. It's one of the best films of the decade of the 1970's and I rate it as my 4th favorite Kurosawa film. Truly one of the great movies by the greatest artist in the history of film. Very underrated. The pretentious people at MUBI criticized it saying it's simplistic, but that's the point: it's all about poetry in storytelling.
Let's get this bad boy on the top 20 of the 1970's list!
Watched on 03/07/2014
http://i.imgur.com/936KPZI.jpg
Red Beard - Akahige (Akira Kurosawa, 1965) 5
While it doesn't reach the level of Dersu Uzala (which would be my favorite of the director so far), this one surprised me as well and ended up very highly. Maybe the most interesting quality to me was how, in a 3-hour-movie, everything was so well-paced and dynamic. The storytelling is slow, but it is consistantly slow and flows naturally. Other than that it is just one memorable sequence after another, let's say for example the scene where Dr. Yasuoto is left alone in a room with an dying patient, the scenography of that part is fascinating alone, and the claustrophobic feel that invades the scene... But what drives this movie is the character played by Mifune (avatar worthy indeed), Red Beard. Such an admirable personality in fiction, and an incredibly solid work by the actor who gives soundness and strength to the presence of his character. The side stories are all great in their way, and the acting of every character involved convincing enough, with Kyoko Kagawa as the crazy woman being specially fascinating. My only issue and it's a very minor one is that it tends to make its discourse too explicit in the dialogues of the characters, in a couple scenes.
Another one in my top 100. Also underrated (I guess), I need to watch it again sometime since it has been a couple of years since I last watched it. Though I remember very well the conflict between the idealistic views of the doctor and the reality which he faced.
Watched on 03/15/2014
http://i.imgur.com/7lK42As.jpg?1?4762
Investigation of a citizen above suspicion - Indagine su un cittadino al di sopra di ogni sospetto (Elio Petri, 1970) 4.5
A dark satire about a man who commits a crime but due to his fervent faith in authority he can't tolerate being left unpunished. Through the movie the main character moves in an erratic way between his instincts of hiding the crime and his idea that the murder should be punished. Volonté's extreme and contradictory character, through an amazing though at times hard to stomach (too theatrical) performance, is the driving force of this story that manages to become surprisingly intense as well.
Watched on 03/16/2014
http://i.imgur.com/GMzg8R1.jpg?1?9465
Saraband (Ingmar Bergman, 2003) 5
The sequel to Scenes from a marriage; while it's not strictly necessary, watching the 1973 film first helps to put in context the characters of Ullman and Josephson. But anyway this one has enough individuality to be enjoyed alone. And like its prequel, it's one of my favorite Bergmans so far. It has been blamed for being too theatrical in structure and excessively based on dialogue interaction, but I actually think that it is a smart choice; it gives the movie a sense of intimism that is very powerful. On the other hand, being very dialogue-based, it helps as well that the acting is superb for the four main actors, they bare the feelings of their characters in a really eloquent way. While the movie by itself is not very dynamic, due to the lack of wider scenarios, I find it absorbing, and to a point I think that it was the best choice to narrate this story. We miss a lot of context among the characters, but the movie actively encourages interpretation through their gestures and acts and in the end this actually makes it more satisfying.
Watched on 03/18/2014
http://i.imgur.com/BTmUhrC.jpg
Ariel (Aki Kaurismäki, 1988) 4.5
A piece of undeceived dark comedy about a man who is wrongly accused of a crime and ends up being dragged to committing crimes to survive. The characters are not very heavily explored, the narration in fact is concise and schematic, but that actually benefits the overall feeling of the movie and adds a surreal and dreamy tone that fits very well. Another thing I love about it is how it takes advantage of the environment, the arid climate of Helsinki helps on evoking a feeling of dryness in the interactions.
http://i.imgur.com/DuSKze2.jpg
Snow White - Blancanieves (Pablo Berger, 2012) 3
Interesting though flawed version of the Snow White tale. In fact, I actually enjoy it better in the first half, where the story reminds more of Cinderella with a little girl being mistreated by her stepmother, than the second half, where the homage/version of Snow White is made explicit. Visually it manages to be stunning at times, with its black and white photography and its focus on typical silent film language. But the Snow White theme itself is poorly inserted and associated to the context of bullfighting. The dwarves thing for instance is rather absurd and conveniently inserted, and so is the scene where Carmen is given her new pen name. On the other hand and for cultural/ideological reasons this focus doesn't fully work on me, because as I can see the aesthetical effort put on describing bullfighting with its climax moments, it doesn't manage to catch my attention in that sense. I think the only way this works on me in the movie is as an extension of the relationship the main character has with her father, which is by far the best point of this story. The villain is very interesting though and the late climax with her is very good, followed by an ambiguous ending that I found very satisfying.
Watched on 03/19/2014
http://i.imgur.com/6yMwSWV.jpg?1?2838
El topo (Alejandro Jodorowsky, 1970) 3.5
A surreal and imaginative film that manages to be quite haunting and in its way fascinating. I think I haven't understood a huge part of it, many metaphors for instance and I didn't get too much of a general idea of the story. But it's not that it matters because it is open for interpretation and I hope to be able to extract more in rewatch. On the other hand, it is slow and sometimes I lose my interest, and in general the first half of the story looks more dynamic to me, the second half is overall less interesting.
Watched on 03/20/2014
http://i.imgur.com/UHyI6gf.jpg?1?7703
300: Rise of an Empire (Noam Murro, 2014) 3
In the end the best part of this sequel is the character played by Eva Green, a very nice addition. But it being a sequel, its ability to surprise with the tricks and visuals is gone, because in that sense it looks very similar to the first 300. This alone shouldn't be a huge problem but additionally I find the storyline to be more repetitive (battle after battle with motivational discourses in between) and less appealing. It seems to me that this movie is done more lazily than it should, it isn't really inspired.... With all these problems, it manages to provide a solid entertainment throughout, so it's worth the viewing.
http://i.imgur.com/pJFwYjt.jpg
Hancock (Peter Berg, 2008) 3.5
I have enjoyed it, but contrarily to many comments, I don't find the first and second half to be that different in terms of quality. The change of tone was expected and foreshadowed; the explanation to me doesn't look satisfactory but on the other hand some scenes that are extracted from this whole process are; it is true that the movie becomes more irregular and inconsistant, but it's not that the first half was perfectly regular anyway. In general this movie works through flashes, inspired moments in the whole. This in part is the reason why it doesn't manage to be really memorable to me despite its very interesting take on superheroes, but one way or the other it still is, overall, satisfying.
Watched on 03/21/2014
http://i.imgur.com/ctAXfLG.jpg
Before midnight (Richard Linklater, 2013) 4.5
Out of the trilogy this is the best, and in the case of Before sunset, by a considerably wide margin. It displays a rather different version of the relationship between Jesse and Celine, at this point they have spent years together and the routine has affected them; in contrast with the other two, this is more bitter and disenchanted. This is probably, as well, the one where the trivial conversations have a bigger meaning in the overall picture, as a way to elude the topics that have turned into points of conflict for the couple and are made explicited later. Though its biggest advantage in my opinion compared to the rest of the trilogy is that in this case the spontaneity that I could point as forced in the answers and overall dialectic agility of the characters is fully understood though the 9 year gap they have spent together.
http://i.imgur.com/XoLQfpS.jpg
Tarzan (Chris Buck & Kevin Lima, 1999) 3.5
Technically it is superb, and in terms of characters and story it delivers well enough; Tarzan is a good enough lead, the secondaries are funny and they are well used, Jane is a cute and funny "princess"... but the final result is simply not memorable. Maybe due to the change of narrative tone between the first and more contemplative half, and the second and more rushed, action-packed half. In the end I just didn't care that much for either the characters and the environment, at least compared with other Disneys. I'm not really fond of the songs either so maybe that's another reason.
Watched on 03/23/2014
http://i.imgur.com/DWVn8im.jpg
The Particle - Zerre (Erdem Tepegoz, 2012) 2.5
A great lead acting by Jale Arikan playing a suffering mother in search of a job, an equally outstanding work in the setting... but really, nothing else. The writing is mediocre if not plain bad, it doesn't put enough emphasis on the situations and the final result is rather disjointed and to a point difficult to follow. On the other hand, sometimes it goes to the other extreme and offers overdone reactions and dialogues that are totally out of the tone of the story (with the landlord being the main offender at this). In the end, and specially at the second half, it doesn't manage to make me care about anything that is shown in the screen.
Watched on 03/25/2014
http://i.imgur.com/pEv3NuK.jpg
Tristana (Luis Buñuel, 1970) 4.5
It is not the best Buñuel, specially due to the rather incoherent use of ellipsis that makes me feel that I'm always two steps behind through the development of the story, but its amount of satire and symbolism in every scene is fascinating. I guess that, due to my liking of the director and complicity with his work, I find this display of typical Buñuel patterns and tropes specially enjoyable; and that in turn makes me believe that I wouldn't have liked it that much if this was my first experience with the director. Whatever. Aside from this, where this movie stands out is in the acting of the main couple; Fernando Rey as the seducer with great ideals but a very hypocritical background, and Catherine Deneuve with her cold and stern beauty.
Watched on 03/26/2014
http://i.imgur.com/kKTfVjK.jpg
Snowpiercer (Bong Joon-ho, 2013) 4
A blockbuster sci-fi storytelling through the absurdist view of Joon-ho. The final result is a movie that is always veering from one extreme to another, standard drama with eccentric comedy, and that overall it is very difficult to take seriously. This mix of elements is more subtle than in, say, The Host, but it is still there; on the other hand what it lacks in relation with that one, properly dynamic and memorable characters, is in the end the biggest issue I have because this ends up being totally event-based to me and in that sense, rather forgettable in the overall picture. It seems that the last part gets a lot of criticism due to its sentimentalism, but I can't help but see it as a dark and frustrated taunt, specially in that ending, which brings a
hopeful scenario with the polar bear...while the only two humans left are a drug addict teenager and a 5-year-old kid, and those who spent 18 years believing that they could never survive outside of the train are now all dead.
Watched on 03/27/2014
http://i.imgur.com/p3beFEF.jpg
Gravity (Alfonso Cuarón, 2013) rating_4_5
The narration on this storyline is so simple and devoid of plot content that it would seem worthless if it hadn't decided to take advantage of this simplicity and emphasize it to the point it contains a wonderful emotional ride focused on the fear to death and loneliness. Technically, this is as superb as it can get, it manages to effectively transmit the feeling of anti-gravity, and Bullock carries on a performance that I believe is quite difficult with enough consistancy to make her ride memorable. My favorite scene is the odd radio conversation Ryan has on the verge of her despair, and it is probably one of the best scenes I've seen in a long while. In addition to this, I find it specially fascinating how, in the ending
the mere presence of water, life, a beach, is astounding and relieving.
My only issue is in the character of Clooney. His monologues and reactions don't feel natural, and I guess it's a necessary evil to emphasize on the loneliness of Ryan, but the movie gets much better when he's not around.
http://i.imgur.com/xVTQmRD.jpg
The black cauldron (Ted Berman & Richard Rich, 1985) 3
Well, it is surely a funny little Disney and I certainly agree that its history in the studio gives it a sort of additional charm, together with its cruder imagery and macabre setting. But in terms of writing, it's a seriously huge mess. Some relevant characters just appear from nowhere or disappear, there is not an effective sense of climax with the villain, the plot elements are disjointed and the development is erratic and rushed. But with all those things taken into account, it still keeps a fabulistic and easy-going tone that benefits it, specially on an ending that, while narrative-wise seems to be as inconsistant as the rest, is just really nice to see.
Guaporense
03-30-14, 03:30 AM
Watched on 03/20/2014
http://i.imgur.com/UHyI6gf.jpg?1?7703
300: Rise of an Empire (Noam Murro, 2014) 3
In the end the best part of this sequel is the character played by Eva Green, a very nice addition. But it being a sequel, its ability to surprise with the tricks and visuals is gone, because in that sense it looks very similar to the first 300. This alone shouldn't be a huge problem but additionally I find the storyline to be more repetitive (battle after battle with motivational discourses in between) and less appealing. It seems to me that this movie is done more lazily than it should, it isn't really inspired.... With all these problems, it manages to provide a solid entertainment throughout, so it's worth the viewing.
Been meaning to watch this. I think I will give it a shot tomorrow. Look's fun enough.
http://i.imgur.com/pJFwYjt.jpg
Hancock (Peter Berg, 2008) 3.5
I have enjoyed it, but contrarily to many comments, I don't find the first and second half to be that different in terms of quality. The change of tone was expected and foreshadowed; the explanation to me doesn't look satisfactory but on the other hand some scenes that are extracted from this whole process are; it is true that the movie becomes more irregular and inconsistant, but it's not that the first half was perfectly regular anyway. In general this movie works through flashes, inspired moments in the whole. This in part is the reason why it doesn't manage to be really memorable to me despite its very interesting take on superheroes, but one way or the other it still is, overall, satisfying.
I hated it though. Felt really bad after watching it.
Watched on 03/29/2014
http://i.imgur.com/4sW85FR.jpg
Jaws (Steven Spielberg, 1975) 4.5
A very solid work, it keeps the right amount of tension throughout and the narrative pacing is mostly great. The use of the soundtrack helps a lot to emphasize on the tense moments, and overall the whole movie works very well, with some memorable scenes like that whisky conversation on the ship. My only issue comes at the last part. It has some of the most iconic scenes of the movie but their insertion in the storyline is fast-paced and accumulative, to the point it looks kind of rushed.
http://i.imgur.com/bZh8jVw.jpg
The Others (Alejandro Amenábar, 2001) 4
The best thing it has is the setting, an amazing scenography; the story is rather typical for a haunted house scenario, and the suspense works a little too irregularly to make this a remarkable experience. However, the plot twist at the end changes this point of view and is what in the end makes this movie memorable. It seems that the story relies too much on it and that can be considered a flaw, but its execution is really solid and worthy.
Watched on 03/30/2014
http://i.imgur.com/Z520Tk9.jpg
Anohana the Movie: The flower we saw that day - Ano hi mita hana no namae wo bokutachi wa mada shiranai (Tatsuyuki Nagai, 2013) 3.5
The movie version of the original 2011 series. While it brings some new details, in the end watching it for that alone is not worth, because the movie is actually more of a summary of the series with very few differences. The melodramatic nature of this story makes it necessary to have character exposition to make the drama more effective, and this is where this remake falls short, due to its lesser length and its odd pacing, with some scenes that I consider important and specially intense being severely cut or removed. It is still quite enjoyable and a good reminder for those who loved the series, but it can be overlooked.
Watched on 04/02/2014
http://i.imgur.com/2j28EQA.jpg
Dallas Buyers Club (Jean-Marc Vallée, 2013) 4
It is rather flawed and that is specially noticeable in a narration that seems unable to put emphasis on some of the most intense moments of the story, as well as in the use of stereotypes and the overall exaggerated tone it has, even though it's based on a real story. But the acting is the driving force of this movie and what both McConaughey and Leto do with their characters is nothing short of amazing. They carry the weight of the film with their acting and while the final result is not that memorable due to the writing issues, the journey through these characters is quite powerful.
Watched on 04/04/2014
http://i.imgur.com/zgjbOca.jpg
Cheap Thrills (E.L. Katz, 2013) 4.5
A cruel and dark comedy about how low can people fall just for the sake of getting money, as well as exploiting this ridiculousness and violence as a show. It gets more and more intense as it runs, and the character development by the end is striking. It has some issues, a few abrupt sequences where the characters change in a rather rushed way, but other than that... it is very difficult for me to criticize it. And this is one of those movies that seem easy to find faults on, because the overall portrayal of the character growth, as well as many individual scenes, is exaggerated and looks unrealistic on paper. But the delivery, through its great acting and narrative pacing, is too solid and I can't hold anything serious against it.
Watched on 04/05/2014
http://i.imgur.com/sA5hN86.jpg
Bloodrayne (Uwe Boll, 2005) 1.5
Obviously I didn't watch this expecting a masterpiece, but rather the contrary. It turned out to be less hilarious than expected. The script is terrible and laughable, but the delivery dares to have some good points, specially in terms of pacing, and the use of genre tropes makes it look, at times, even close to being functional. So in the end it is more of an inane movie, that only "works" on isolated bits and not really what a true Boll experience should be.
Watched on 04/07/2014
http://i.imgur.com/oW1zWJJ.jpg
The return - Vozvrashchenie (Andrei Zvyaginstev, 2003) 4.5
This movie at times gets very difficult to watch due to its harsh themes and the crude way they are dealt with; this is basically a story about how the relationship between two kids and their father is deteriorated due to his long absence. Through the whole film this lack of mutual undestanding is fully shown, which brings a tense atmosphere through any of their interactions and some of the strongest child performances I've seen. In addition to this, there seems to be an active search for visual embellishment in every sequence, the scenography is fascinating. Which seems to diverge from the minimalism of the story, but to me they complement each other perfectly.
Watched on 04/10/2014
http://i.imgur.com/YEQlR73.jpg
Open up to me - Kerron sinulle kaiken (Simo Halinen, 2013)
In the end the best thing this movie has is its main acting. Leea Klemola makes a brilliant work and makes her character look immediate and understandable in any gesture or reaction. The story overall is satisfying and I think its point of view is interesting enough in its depiction of a minority group. But to a point this label of "social cinema" damages it because I feel that some of the conflict is brought there in a contrived way, namely the whole police investigation thing which seems underdeveloped and to a point unnecessary, just like an additional situation to reinforce the drama of the character. On the other hand, the script is kind of flawed and irregular; this happens mainly because some events seem to happen too fastly. How the main love relationship develops is my biggest issue in that sense.
Oh yeah, I should update this. It will take a long while...
Watched on 04/12/2014
http://i.imgur.com/5MwYrVx.jpg
Venus in fur - La vénus a la fourrure (Roman Polanski, 2013) 4.5
Maybe the thing I appreciated the most in this movie was recognizing again the tone of Polanski's apartment trilogy in it. Set entirely in a theater, and with only two actors, this is an incredibly intense experience that takes advantage of its limits to offer a claustrophobic psychosexual journey with really powerful dialogues and in general a strong character interaction, which remains fascinating till the very end. An ending that, I admit, looks a bit too over-the-top, but as a mean of surreal daydream, it fits quite well and is a great climax.
http://i.imgur.com/rxYkP8a.png
FernGully: The last rainforest (Bill Kroyer, 1992) 3
Crysta is a very charismatic character; that and the considerably good aesthetic effort are the main qualities of a movie that otherwise can only be an entertaining and forgettable experience because the writing, despite it doesn't completely ruin the mood, is rushed and ineffective in many fronts, so the development of the story doesn't really transmit emotions except for some climax moments. All in all it's just a nice environmentalist fable but with the final result I think it had a lot of potential that ended up being wasted.
Watched on 04/13/2014
http://i.imgur.com/z4H5mAD.jpg
The chaser - Chugyeogja (Na Hong-Jin, 2008) 4
A typical Korean thriller that deals with a complicated story following a crime investigation, and with its most striking quality in the stylized violence it depicts, though this ends up being its double-edged sword because it looks aesthetically overdone in various instances. Other than that it is a solid and impressive effort in every aspect, with a great pacing and acting, but compared to masterpieces of the "genre" (Oldboy, Memories of murder) it lacks the moral and emotional resonance those had.
04/14/2014
http://i.imgur.com/iIM0Mzj.jpg
The secret of NIMH (Don Bluth, 1982) 4.5
The secret of NIMH is a wonderful fairytale, a story that I'd enjoy hearing again and again... narrated by somebody who doesn't really know how to tell it. The writing is at times contrived, it makes rushed decisions and even has deus ex instances, but what it tells is so incredibly enthralling that I think the movie trascends these flaws, even on one of those deus ex moments the scenography and the emotional resonance of what is happening is fascinating. So while a cold analysis should probably mean lowering its rating, its impact as an experience would make this unfair to me. Miss Brisby, by the way, is a hell of a character and one of the best female leads/heroines in an animated movie, just everything about her, from her strong will to her weakness and fears is great.
Sexy Celebrity
07-12-14, 12:52 PM
Are you dead?
04/16/2014
http://i.imgur.com/ERa1r5D.jpg
Mega shark vs giant octopus (Jack Perez, 2009) rating_0_5
This epic masterpiece is the result of putting together two of the greatest themes in film history (sharks and octopusses) in a single story, therefore taking advantage of the best each of them have to offer. The acting is wonderful, the scientists almost look like scientists (they have lab coats!) and the militars look close enough to militars (they have... uh... uniforms). Not to mention the scientific mechanism behind the catastrophe, which totally makes sense and makes you think about the dangers of defrosting prehistoric creatures that will condemn Earth to destruction. It is worth of mention that it never tries to defy the laws of physics despite being such an action-packed story, being totally serious with the scientific part of the narration that makes this a believable, everyday storyline despite the epicness. We should take this as a warning and stop warming up the planet, the next ferocious beasts we defrost could mean the end of life on Earth.
Are you dead?
Like, too late.
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