Reviews

Quite a frustrating watch to be honest. Being a big fan of biopics, history, war, science, and Nolan, this film was going to be one to remember fondly. But it is not the case. As the film ends, I'm only thinking how it leaves much more to be desired.

Oppenheimer - a character study interspersed with events surrounding the Manhattan Project which feels more like a minor secondary plot. Unemotional and rather jarring to the point where one might be tempted to use the word boring were the political and courtroom plots. By trying to blend in two stories, one being the Manhattan Project and the other being the political/courtroom drama, it fails to deliver on both sides. Can't help but think it would do much much better just focusing on one or the other. Deliver 100% on one story rather than 50% on two mushed in ones. Personally, I feel much more excited whenever the story progresses on the Manhattan Project-side - the building of the bomb, the work differences of the scientists/military/politicians, the morals, the ethical dilemmas, the politics of the project. The film builds on those aspects then, deflates into the courtroom-like scenes, taking steam off any real weight, emotions, and connections.

However, it's not all bad. Nolan delivers on the technical filmmaking and the cast delivers on the acting. Film and filmmaking lovers will have much to enjoy and awards are almost guaranteed I dare say. The acting was the best part of the whole film. Needless to say, Cillian Murphy delivers as Oppenheimer himself and as many, many others mentioned, Robert Downey Jr. Also stands out.

All in all, it still is a Christopher Nolan film and it shows. Though, it leaves much to be desired for as it aspired to be much more but can't. Just like my life.

This is one of those films that is more like a piece of art, an experience, an escape from reality; one of those that makes you appreciate the creation of films and movies in the first place.

It is warm, delicate, quiet, poignant, beautiful, light yet heavy, adorable, mature, emotional. It is a wonderful fantasy, a thoughtful and thought-provoking escapade.

In a lot of ways, it is minimalistic. Yet at the very same time, it has a few things going on. It is masterfully crafted and directed, articulate and restrained, a very mature film in a lot of aspects such as the directing, acting, and themes.

I have given it a personal score of 9 just because of one scene that felt so unbecoming and out-of-place. Not quite sure what was intended there but it felt so jarring and gives off a feeling that it was just added as time-padding. If only it was handled better (not sure how) or just removed completely, I would've happily given this a 10. But as it stands, maybe a 9.5 is more appropriate as the rest of the film was exquisite.

Would recommend to everyone.

Simply put, it was a pretty disappointing experience. Scares were not scary, creeps were not creepy, emotions were not evoked. The acting, dialogue, direction and plot were all pretty flat. Not much to talk about other than one final redeeming act. Would've rated it a 5 but added 1 more just for the last act.

Knowing it was Flanagan's work only after finish watching it, I certainly felt his similarity in Haunting of Hill House, which was undoubtedly way matured and superior. In fact, I would recommend one to actually spend their time on Hill House rather than Ouija.

Would not recommend.

I was browsing through my ratings and saw that I've watched and rated this. However, I have no recollection of it. That being said, my memories were recollected and I can say that this was a solid thriller but frankly speaking, and evidently, nothing worth remembering.

It started out quite dull and boring and I almost lost faith in it but then it got better and better and by the end, I was thoroughly entertained.. and disturbed to some degree. It certainly affected quite heavily on an emotional level.

One thing that must be commended wholly was the mood that the film carried. Scene after scene, everything felt in place and served the movie as a whole. Well, save for a couple of frames but that was like a few seconds of the 2-hour runtime which was pretty efficiently done. Well-directed, paced, and written/scripted.

Another thing that I find executed really well was the juxtaposition of a carefree vacation-like location with the heavy emotional weight of the characters. Taking place on a travellers-esque Greek beachside, it was heavily contrasted with the psychological torment of Leda.

Initially, I thought the ending was a little unsatisfying but giving it more thought, I'm going to say that it was perfect as it is. Written and executed well.

Would recommend.

And also, Jessie Buckley.

Frankly put, if you're looking for good Korean cinema, you won't find it in this. It's far too weak and pretentious. When you combine a loose script with very questionable plot points and pretentious directing, this is what you'll get. It tries to be something that is out of its reach yet it tirelessly strains itself. It was such a labouring watch. There are multiple scenes or frames that are quite cool or stylish but nevertheless, it doesn't make up for a good time.

Would not recommend.

In short, though it is expectedly an undeniably confident and very artistic and stylish film, it felt a little hollow and not cohesive enough. Story was interesting enough to keep my attention but not enough to rate it higher. What plays really well were the acting, dialogues, and just the overall quirky light-heartedness vibe that Anderson brings. But by the end, it felt more like an art piece or image with not much overall film or story feel to it.

Slightly underwhelmed.

It's dark, pretty, engaging, and has a constant ominousity overarching throughout the almost 3 hour runtime. It's very well made and executed such that the runtime feels warranted and compulsory. Were it to be shorter with cut scenes/plots, it would felt subpar. Story is good in its span and keeps the attention on screen and wanting to see more and more. However, though minutely minor, it helplessly has some cheap or cringey lines and ideas or scenes.

Acting-wise; needless to say, Pattinson was good - a collected performance and nothing over-the-top. The overall Catwoman character and story didn't quite do anything for me but it serves its purpose well and there are some moments that Kravitz elevated. But if there was to be a favourite, it would definitely be Dano as the Riddler. Great character played by a great actor.

All in all, a good addition in the line of Batman films. How it compares to Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy is still too early to say but if Reeves were to continue this universe, I would wholeheartedly be looking forward with excitement. Would recommend.

Basically, a sort of coming-of-age story with some family drama told from the perspective of a little boy. It was decent albeit quite simplistic and straight forward. There was an act towards the end that I felt didn't live up to anywhere near what it should or could've been. If one were to say there were 5 major acts in the film, the 5th act is what I'm talking about. It just came and went and felt so lackluster.

I certainly did not 100% enjoy this and even thought to myself whether it was worth it to finish it. The tantrums of the boy were just pure annoying and despite of the slight character development, it felt like it wasn't enough to take it through and finish the film on a high note. It just felt mediocre.

Nonetheless, it was portrayed rather grounded, save for the fantasy parts. Artwork was decent, nothing jarring. Some frames were quite impressive. Though some that should be impressive, didn't quite hit the mark. Story has a good meaning/lesson behind it although it made it feel quite like reading a kids' story book.

All in all, a decent film but I'm sure there are many more that are better and much more enjoyable. Wouldn't recommend.

While it is discussing a highly interesting and important subject and piece of history, it was presented quite dull, mundane, and frankly, boringly. Moments that stood out though were some odd choices of filmmaking that made the documentary as a whole felt like it was an amateur production at times. It did not command any serious attention and it did not have a sense of gravitas I was expecting.

However, despite my non-enjoyment, I did learn and gained quite a bit on the subject. The effort and work put into this was evident. The second or third half of the documentary was better produced and had a better sense of maturity to it.

If you're looking for a captivating and commanding documentary, I would direct you elsewhere. However, if you're looking for one about this specific topic, then go for it.

What a film this was. A hearty concoction of jovial, sentimental, heart-wrenching, and comfortness in one tightly-woven and well-executed and realised film. And that was a mouthful.

The thought, care, respect, and love that went into the script and story really shows and shines through with every frame and act of the film. It is one full of homage, honour, nostalgia, tenderness, and warmness. All of the main characters bring a sense of cohesiveness and convincingly tells the story that is basically a family drama revolving around a tumultuous period in the Irish city. One standout for me was of Pop, played by the ever great Ciaran Hinds. Though not exactly the main main character, everytime he is on screen, he brings about a quiet sense of utter presence and warmth that demands attention. Probably my favourite character in the film. That is not to say less of all the others as they all carried their roles without much or any fault.

One aspect of the film that I must point out and bring praise to is of the music. The use and placement of the soundtracks throughout the film ties and elevates the film as whole.

All in all, a well-written and realised film that is basically a warm tribute and homage to the everyday people affected in the city of Belfast during the Troubles. Would recommend.

The main thing that stood out for me in this film wasn't the good acting, dialogues, cinematography, appropriate music, or set and costume design but the almost 4 hours runtime. It's undeniable that all the acts played their part in setting and telling the story but it still is a 4-hour commitment. If only it's written down and paced to say 2.5 hours, it would've definitely been more concise and less tedious. Everything felt watered down and then filled to max capacity. I'd rather something half capacity but not watered down.

Well, that is my biggest gripe and if you're okay with the runtime, then it is a well-executed film. Might not recommend.

One of the best biopics out there. Starts off stylishly and right off the bat, and progresses at just the right pace, reaching its final act in a climax. Acting was superb. Performed so well accompanied by the equally well-written dialogues. Needless to say, all the awards and praise for this film was very deserving.

All in all, a very charismatic film on two very interesting persons. Would recommend.

I watched it just yesterday and I can't even remember anything to write about today. I guess this summarises the movie as a whole. It wasn't bad but it wasn't anything worth remembering. Just a movie that came and went. Nothing impactful be it positively or negatively. There you go. Take this review however you want.

I tried to stick with it and find value be it in terms of meaning, entertainment, theme, plot or just simply filmmaking in general but this was a tough one. I wanted to enjoy it but I did not. Although there are a few positive facets to this, the negatives outweigh it.

First of all, there is just too much lingering shots and frames to the point that it feels meaningless even in terms of film art. I appreciate good stretching scenes to build atmosphere, ambience, and feel of a film but it was overdone in this. I had to skip quite a portion of my watching due to this. Also, there are multiple scenes where it was so dark and poorly-lit that I'm literally just watching a black screen with a dark blue tint corner or just a dimly-lit candle flame with nothing else. I gave it the benefit of a doubt that it was just my poor display setup but reading other reviews, it seems that the lighting issue is not confined to only me. Other than that, the plot was very straight, predictable, and uninspiring. The film explores themes such as greed, friendship, society, class and such which are interesting topics to dive into but unfortunately, they're presented here a bit dull and boring.

Enough on the negatives, there are still aspects of this film that I can appreciate and give credit to. The production has a sense of reserved quality and maturity without being obnoxious and pretentious. I loved the minimal music whenever they're on. Some of the shots were quite beautiful.

All in all, I did not enjoy it. Fell asleep for a bit even before the halfway mark. Personally, I would not recommend.

This is one of those films where it's more of an experience rather than just a fun passing time. Loved the pacing. Loved the theme it poses. The animation style felt appropriate and so does the mountain climbing feel throughout the film.

I enjoyed it.

Now this here's a good solid newer Western film. Good build up, good action, good gunfights, good runtime. Thoroughly enjoyed this. Would've rated this a bit more than a 7 but not enough to reach an 8 for me. It's solid and enjoyable but there's nothing more to it. Take from that however you will.

The Power of the Dog is indisputably well-shot and directed with confidence. Scenes were crafted to convey the script with a slow-burn vibe that is just right. It takes its time creating an ominous and foreboding aura.

However, what falls a little flat for me was in the last act. Where the film crafts and builds all the atmosphere and pushes towards the final act, it didn't quite deliver for me when it eventually came. In the words of another reviewer, the last act felt too oblique. Take that however you would but it didn't do it for me. Also, a minor issue was that although well-shot, a few scenes felt a little too dark to actually enjoy anything. Might just be my display setup though so take that with a grain of salt, if you will.

Overall, this is a well-shot, well-directed, slow-burn, atmosphere-crafting film that drags you to an unknowing ending that felt a bit too questionable when it finally came. Would probably not recommend to the people I know.

Overall, it is badly paced, overtly arthouse, and very much pretentious.

There's three segments to this movie as a whole. The first segment "Dumplings" is still somewhat intelligible and somewhat watchable though it is plagued with issues especially in pacing.

Then, came the second segment "Cut". The acting was very jarring and just unenjoyable. Plot was much more unintelligible compared to the previous segment.

The third segment was "Box". With the poor segments that came before this, I just lost all hope and skimmed through this segment. Plot was quite understable. Pacing is still an issue and at this point, it feels like the whole 3-segmented movie waa directed with "bad pacing" in mind.

To summarise, I would just say this was a bad attempt and just came off too pretentious. Too overly arthouse for me. Might be gold for some but to me, it's closer to trash.

Adeptly filmed, appropriately paced, and well-fleshed out dialogues. It has a sense of old school and retro vibes which blends well with the story and has a sense of X-Files influence to it. An enjoyable watch.

Really enjoyed this. Wished I had watched this on a bigger screen with better sound environment than my earphones on the airplane.

The imagery was eerie, the atmosphere was creepy, and the 'scares' were well done. I put them in quotes because they're not really contemporary scares as in jumpscares but more towards tension building, background creeps, feeling of unease, and good sound production. Would recommend for all horror fans but not if you're only into loud sudden jumpscares.

I quite rarely enjoy horror movies but this is one of the few times I actually liked it!

Good scares, good building of tension and suspense. It feels somewhat reserved but it works so well.

Albeit quite minor, these are my gripes: The first few minutes of the film; I did not care for them one bit. It felt out of place and just didn't set the mood right. The directing/acting of one of the characters feels cheap and could be better and more refined. And also, I disliked the fake glitches. Feels immature.

However, I enjoyed every suspense and scare the movie had to offer and I guess that's the most important part of any horror film and Gonjiam does it really well. Would recommend to any scarefest fans!

Portraying the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust from the perspectives of individuals, families, community, authorities, nation, and simply life and humanity itself; Threads is a distressing look into what could possibly be very real irregardless of whether it's in 1984 or at the time of my watching, 2021.

It might be a hard watch for some as to how the movie crafted the scenes and stories although seemingly fleeting but impactful in it's telling. There are some really haunting scenes that tugs on to your soul.

Threads is an apt presentation of this very real what-if situation and is a good watch although I felt it could do well with a few minutes shaven off. Nevertheless, I'd recommend this to anyone.

Leviathan paints a disheartening picture centered around a family against the backdrop of the family's property seizure by the town mayor.

The acting was good on all parts with main highlights on the realism rather than being overtly dramatic. The story was definitely not perfect but believable for the most part and was portrayed expertly. Cinematic and at times slow, everything felt so real and might pass off as an actual retelling of a true event. In fact, according to IMDB's trivia section, it was inspired by the true events of Marvin Heemeyer.

Overall, it was a good movie. A look into how powerless an everyday person would be when bad situations turn worse.

Nothing new or entirely exciting to say. It's good fun, stylish, and entertaining. Mindlessly enjoyable. Some scenes, lines, and characters are pretty cliché and cheesy but it's nothing too diminishing.

Solid and entertaining but nothing worth remembering.