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Professor123
Reviews
Cardboard Gangsters (2017)
Dark and violent look at Dublin's drug underworld
Be under no illusion, this is a really gritty, in your face, warts and all movie about drugs, drug dealing and the people involved.
It is set in Darndale, a somewhat socially problematic suburb of Dublin, Ireland. The movie highlights the social lifestyle and difficulties experienced by some of the characters and it charts their story from childhood to present day.
The opening scene and introduction to the characters is a fantastic opening to this movie as it shows the viewer the beauty and innocence of childhood friendships. It is a very clever and strong way to establish a relationship between the audience and the characters from the outset, a connection that you share until the very end.
The movie has a balance between experienced professional actors and new talent and they blend well and offer a sense of realism to their roles.
This a dark movie with real and believable insight in to how circumstances can lead people to make life changing decisions, for better or for worse? It is most definitely a 'no holds barred' depiction of how lives can change in an instant, where there is no rewind button. The stark language is a realistic endorsement of what life is like growing up in a housing estate such as Darndale, and it gives the movie a true sense of credibility.
The violence in the movie reflects the lifestyle choices that you face when you buy into the drug dealing world where reputations and respect come with a price tag. Where you may question or challenge someone's reputation, be prepared to pay a high price.
This is a movie that is worth seeing for sure and just allow yourself to immerse into the lives of the characters from the outset and travel with them on the journey through the story.
Umi yori mo mada fukaku (2016)
Very Slow Moving
I had high hopes for this movie but found it very lackluster and slow.
While the promotional information about the movie sets out the background for the story, it never really got off the ground. The start and bulk of the storytelling is focused on the Ryôta, the Father at the center of the story. The pace of the story telling is very slow and really goes in to a lot of minuscule and non-necessary detail and scenes that are not really relevant to the overall story.
While there were some humorous dialogue and lines, the delivery of these and the timing from the actors was not that great.
I really struggled to find something positive to say about this movie but I kept being let down as the movie progressed. While I understood the story that was trying to be told, I just felt it left you wanting and empty.
De Loods (2015)
The main characters reminiscing about the past
This is a Dutch movie about two old childhood friends who meet up years later where they find themselves having to discuss and face up to their responsibilities of times gone by. From the outset there is a real sense of tension and intrigue that captures your attention as the tale starts to be told. As the memories of the past begin to emerge, the story of what happened years before become a reality that they now have to deal with. This is a primarily a story about growing up and how teens spent a day of their summer holidays and the implications that they now face. The content and story is not all sweetness and light and has an undercurrent of a very dark subject matter and may not be suitable for all. It's very well created and as it flows between the present and past, is very easy to understand and follow.
I Used to Live Here (2014)
Great acting and a sense of realism
I have just seen this movie and I must admit, it was very good. Although the main subject matter is in relation to suicide and how it impacts on both individuals and the community alike, there are a number of equally as important social issues portrayed in the movie. It is a telescopic view of a short period of time and how the environment, family and friends all have an influence in the lives of the young people at the centre of the story. The dialogue is harsh, but delivered with a real sense of meaning and the reality of the impact it has on the young characters. The writer & director, Frank Berry, has really taken the time to incorporate a number of social taboo subjects in to this one movie but in a very subtle and non-invasive way. It tends to allow the viewer to fill in the gaps in their own head and this tends to make the message that much more real in a sense. Unlike other movies with story lines and content similar to this, this movie is more about what you don't see on the screen that makes it so real and life like. Anybody that knows the area where the movie is filmed (and I do), they will see and understand the realism of the actors and dialogue and how the environment plays a huge part in their lives. The father of the main young female lead character of the movie, really allows the viewer come on a journey of many emotions with him. His interactions and conversations with his daughter are totally believable, yet awkward and uncomfortable to watch and hear. The girl herself is played excellently by the young actor and she has allowed the viewer to seriously connect with her and the dilemmas and feelings she is experiencing on screen. Her innocence, immaturity and naivety is strikingly played to the extent that you want to reach out and be able to protect her from what you know is taking place in the story line. The main lead young boy in the movie really intensively draws you in to like him. His quiet and tacit manner makes people question the way he behaves yet outwardly he behaves in a charming and caring way towards others. He also provided me with the best quote of the movie when he was being challenged about his quietness, 'It's better to be quiet than to say something stupid' he proudly stated. A lesson in there for everybody who feels they need to talk to be heard. Overall, I really enjoyed this movie and I have great hope that the cast of young people, who were all local young people from the locality in the movie, go on to achieve great things in their acting careers and life in general.