Raul's Film Thoughts

My mom recommended this to me like 6 months ago and her DVD has been sitting next to my TV since then. I've been meaning to watch it, but somehow never seem to get to it. I'm a little concerned about what I'll think of it. My mom and I rarely agree on film and you and I don't either.

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I think you would get something out of it, at minimum you would respect Cotillards performance.

So glad you liked Annihilation as much as you did. Looks like we're on the same boat. I didn't mention it in my review by the sound was indeed awesome.

Also:
I laughed so hard sksksdkdkdk

Thanks for the recommendation @Raulc14!

Definitely plan on seeing this one in cinema soon.

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That was insanely brutal to watch for me. I think I closed my eyes for a bit.

The gore itself didn't bother me that much, but the weirdness of what came after "the thing" terrified me. And is it just me, or was the music too loud during that scene?

American Sniper



A little bit of a mixed bag for me. There's certainly things to like in it, as with all Eastwood films I really enjoy the camerawork of the film. I'm just not sure how much I like the actual execution of the story and the portrayal of Chris Kyle. I feel like Bradley Cooper did a pretty decent job with what he was given but I'm not sure Eastwood went the right route in telling the story. Still, a pretty decent watch but it's lower on my Eastwood scale as he is one of my favorite directors ever. I know it's a sensitive ending but I wish it would have been told better instead of ending so abruptly, but I guess I can understand why.

Don't think i'll ever watch American Sniper. It looks so bad.

I held off for a long time. Eastwood is my favorite director though so I had to see it. I really wish he would have been done at Gran Torino.

Now 15:17 to Paris is something I may never see.

Black Panther



Finally got around to seeing it. It was a decent breath of new fresh air for Marvel, and there were some scenes that looked magnificent. Technically speaking, the film looks and sounds great. I like the surprise of not knowing who the main villain would be (figured Andy Serkis would be the main one as I never read into it, not Michael B. Jordan). I really liked Michael B. Jordan's character. Chadwick Boseman was decent I guess if unspectacular. I think the story was decent but it didn't really have the action that I usually look for in these films. I think maybe it tried to be a good film, instead of a fun marvel film. Nothing wrong in that, but I do put other Marvel higher and I probably put this on the same pedestal as a Dr. Strange or Ant-Man.

+

Game Night



A pretty cool film that goes under the fun watch category. I really liked the beginning set up of the film before we meet the main leads brother. Lots of spots with some good chuckles too. Obviously Rachel McAdams was the pure highlight of the film with her presence alone. I also liked Jason Bateman in this too. The two of them worked really well off each other. Also liked the little "Denzel" scene. Got a nice chuckle out of that and the scene with the dog and the blood was pretty solid as well. Some parts came off a bit cheesy but this isn't a film intended to be critiqued with a fine tooth comb.

+

Have heard enough good things that I will definitely see Game Night at some point. I quite liked Horrible Bosses.

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Fruitvale Station



Finally got around to seeing this one after seeing Cooglers Black Panther. It's a pretty well told and devastating story. I liked the performance of Michael B. Jordan and liked Melonie Diaz and Octavia Spencer as well. Although they did a bit it would have been nice to see more of the father daughter connection and the bond that grew between them two. Also don't know how accurate the story is but they kind of seemed to brush Sophina to the side when the tragedy happened and you would hope that wasn't the real case. Not much else to say about it though. Just solid across the board.

Lots of quick hitters here:

Nightmare on Elm Street 2



Not even close to be a piece of what the first one was. This was pretty bad but I hear the third is better.



Forgetting Sarah Marshall



Was actually admittedly funny, albeit rather ridiculous. Kristen Bell and Mila Kunis we're good choices for casting. My jury is still out on Jason Segal though.



The Killers (rewatch)



Such a cool noir. Maybe not as great as I originally rated, but it oozes a lot of greatness. The script is marvelous and the acting even grander. The opening twenty minutes to the film is excellent.



Don't Breathe (rewatch)



Funny and interesting concept for a horror/thriller. It's originality is what makes it a fun watch for me.



Apollo 13



Pretty good film but I reserve to call it great as there are stressed of lulls. Still, really like the acting and some of the visuals are pretty awesome.

The Breadwinner



Was hoping to like it a bit more than I did but it is a pretty good film. It's got an interesting animation style and an interesting enough story to tell.

Blowup



There's just something about Antonioni's films that drag me in. I like the mystery side to his films and how he peaks his audiences interests. He's also great with his camerawork and his settings. Not as awesome as L'Avventura but still was quite a treat to watch.



42nd Street



Perhaps the curator of the musical genre. I was quite surprised with how much I was engaged in the story. Simple, but well told. The song and dance scenes were really well done. A guarantee to my 30s list for sure.

Wow, very cool you liked this. I thought I was the only MoFo who did. 42nd Street was in my Top 10 for the longest time and I only removed it to replace it with it's twin, Golddiggers of 1933. Ruby Keeler is such a dear in this film. And 42nd Street has one of my all time favorite musical numbers, Shuffle Off to Buffalo. Love that number, both the song and the set up on the train with Ginger Rogers and Una Merkle singing a verse. The number Young and Healthy, is favorite of mine too, mostly for Toby Wing, the platinum blonde who just sparkles in the close ups. I've seen her in a couple of short films, and it's really too bad she couldn't act for beans, as she really had the right looks for the 30s. I always liked Dick Powell too, thanks to this movie.

I was quite surprised by how effective it was for me @Citizen Rules

Great acting in it for me too.

Aladdin



Obviously not as good as the original but I'd be joking if I said I didn't enjoy it.

You can't compare Will Smith's genie to Robin Williams but I never had the intention to anyways. He did fairly well.

Mena Moussad was ok as Aladdin I guess. There were times were you felt like he could shine but it didn't ever peak all the way through.

The actor would played Jafar has gotten a lot of criticism it seems. He seemed to have a weak beginning to the film but grew a bit as the film went along.

The absolute highlight of the film was Naomi Scott, a great performance as Jasmine, including a great job with the musical numbers. She certainly needs more roles and I would assume this would help her case for them.

Her father was the letdown of the film for me. He was pretty weak.

The film looked pretty cool overall although I did wish The Cave of Wonders had a bit more wonder to it.

Would the film have been better directed by someone else? I think so. Some of the technical things Ritchie does leaves me scratching my head here, especially some of the scenes that seem to be in slow no for no apparent reason.

But it's still fairly magical and makes me want to watch the animation version again soon. I'd give it a 3 star plus here.

I'm so hesitant to see this movie, but I'm hearing the usual "Better than expected" line.

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"A laugh can be a very powerful thing. Why, sometimes in life, it's the only weapon we have."

Suspect's Reviews

I'd keep the expectations low, but it's worth a watch in my opinion just for Scott alone.

I'm still not sure how I feel about The Lion King remake though.