To the person who said this was Past Lives with robots, that's the most accurate review for this movie. The world had it out for these two.
An art house remake of Big Daddy.
Everything about this movie excelled, from the acting to the cinematography to the directing, but the banality of the story kept me from appreciating any of those things enough.
Dev Patel really said I'm gonna outdo the bathroom fight scene (MI:6) and the kitchen fight scene (Tenet) and the elevator fight scene (Winter Soldier) while also addressing social and political themes and call it "Monkey Man"
This movie is already good on its own, but it becomes 10x better when you know what Patel went through to get it made.
The movie has already cemented itself as a classic of the vengeance subgenre, with echoes of Woo and Park Chan-wook, while bursting with enough originality for it to avoid feeling like a carbon copy.
It's a primal yell of a directorial debut from Dev Patel, already an underrated actor, who uses his unique experiences with religion and his own Indian heritage to bring the story of the film to life.
You can smell the blood and sweat wafting through the screen
A film that just misses greatness can be more disappointing than a film that doesn't come close. Dream Scenario is outstanding until the last 20 minutes. It feels as though Kristoffer Borgli just couldn't figure out how to end it and ran out of time. Too bad. #BestNicolasCagePerformanceEver
What a delight. Flipping genres on a dime and with a cautionary tale of modern virality and the destruction it brings to those hunted by it, Dream Scenario is a fantastic smorgasbord of ideas that really shouldn't come together as well as it does. Not many films can be funny, tragic and scary in equal measure and still come out feeling as complete as this movie does. Excellence, I can't wait to watch it again.
“I must go punch that baby.”
The first film of the Leeds International Film Festival 2023 (LIFF), and what a strong start!
Poor Things is a humorous, sexy, and Gothic tale that can be philosophically but in the most bizarre ways. There is something so wonderful about the weird, especially in art.
Emma Stone's performance as Bella Baxter was just glorious. It’s also a very “risky” performance because when we first meet her, she is a child in an adult body after being reanimated, with her vocabulary being on the same level as a three-year-old, and her uneven body posture/moments, as if she’s still learning how to move. There is A famous movie saying, “Never go full stupid”, but Stone finds the right balance that prevents it from being embarrassing to watch, which other actors failed at. However, that section is only at the beginning, and as the film progresses through her journey of becoming herself, we see her understanding of language and walking improve significantly.
Bella is a fantastic main character, and she’s easy to care about. We want to see her succeed, and Emma Stone was terrific.
This is the best performance I have seen from Mark Ruffalo, as every time he was on screen, the audience and I were laughing. His character is a loudmouth parody of the ladykiller, who takes Bella under his wing and has her for himself. He chewed up the scenery, and it was astounding. There is a scene in this movie where both Bella and he have a chaotic dance, but the little dance he does on his way to the dance floor, I can't stop thinking about it. It was so funny.
William Dafoe, which should come as no surprise, delivers a superb performance as the monster-looking scientist Godwin Baxter. He is often referred to as 'God' at times, with his patchwork flesh of a face having a distant cross on the right side of his face. He very much plays the role of God, as he does the impossible and gives new life to unfortunate lost souls.
I’m just saying this right now, but the Best Supporting Actor race next year might be the best if nothing ruins it. I hope not. Imagine this: Robert Downey Jr. for Oppenheimer, Ryan Gosling for Barbie, Robert De Niro for Killers of the Flower Moon, and Ruffalo & Dafoe for Poor Things.
Everything on a technical level, such as cinematography, the score, costumes, and the production design - all extraordinary and benefited in bringing this world alive. The whole movie feels otherworldly and timeless.
What I find compelling about director Yorgos Lanthimos is that if you examine his movies, the stories in his movies are simple. The Lobster is about fulfilling societal norms we feel we need to follow, such as getting a job, applying to a college and university, being with a romantic partner, having kids, having interests, and eventually dying. The Killing of a Sacred Deer is a horror revenge tale where a family gets cursed after the fathers' wrongdoings. The Favourite is a period piece drama/comedy about two reveals who try to win the love of a bipolar queen.
Poor Things is a fresh re-imaging of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (also based on a novel by Scottish author Alasdair Gray), remodeled as a coming-of-age story told through a female perspective. The needs, the wants, the issues, and losing our inner child in this demanding world. Unique and isn't afraid to approach sexuality so openly.
At the start, the character of Bella has the mind of a child while having an adult body but is not restricted and not insecure about things. She can be loud, messy, playful, and expressive in emotions. Especially when it comes to sexuality, hence the openness to it. Like, there's nothing wrong with something that everyone does, but we don't talk about it. As we get older and more exposed to the world, we get quieter, speak less, get insecure about things, care too much about what others may say/think, and become closeted. That is one angle of the film that I found incredibly compelling.
But the execution is wild. I do not buy for one second that it’s strange for the sake of it. It leans more into steampunk absurdism. Yorgos Lanthimos presents the events as they are without questioning them, as the surface level normality peeled back, and focuses on the strange happenings in life and people. He's one of the most unique voices in cinema, not only for what he has to say but what he must show and how to show it.
The only issue I had with the film was towards the end when it started to get a bit preachy, going as far as hitting you on the head with it, and I was thinking, "Alright, I get it."
Other than that, the film was excellent and one of the most unique and memorable experiences I had this year. Even if this is Yorgos Lanthimos's most accessible film so far, it may still be too much for some, but even with its peculiar nature, you will find it impossible to take your eyes off the screen.
With 'Poor Things', director Yorgos Lanthimos has created a film that has quite a few similarities with the box office hit 'Barbie'. Both are about women who start out as objects without any self-determination and, in the course of a journey, find themselves and discover their freedom. Both films also impress with fantastic costumes, good performances, and, most importantly, a phenomenal production design.
But, while I enjoyed 'Barbie', this Frankenstein story is in a completely different league. Lead actress Emma Stone delivers perhaps the best performance of her career, and Mark Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe are also great here. The absurd humor worked perfectly for me. I haven't laughed more in a movie all year than I did in this one. And ultimately, the world that Lanthimos creates is one that has never been seen before. It's really difficult to create something "new" in film in the 21st century, but that's definitely the case here.
All in all, I not only give "Poor Things" my highest recommendation, but it is also my favorite film of 2023.
This will probably become more beloved than Dune for being a bigger, more action driven film. Personally I prefer the first film by a long shot, but there's a lot to like here. I loved Paul's new journey for this installment as it doesn't develop in the way you'd expect based on the ending of the first film. The themes of colonialism, false prophecies and religion reach a level of depth that cannot be found in other sci-fi/fantasy contemporaries like Lord of the Rings or Star Wars; this film certainly made me understand why this story is taken so seriously as a piece of literature. Despite the source material being so old, there's still something new and refreshing about it. You don't often see major Hollywood productions calling out religion as a manipulative force helping the people in power. On top of that this brilliantly subverts the concept of the hero's journey we've become accustomed to by everything that was in one way or another inspired by Dune. The acting is pretty great, Timothée does a great job at playing the transition Paul goes through. Despite his boyish looks I was sold on his performance as the leader of the Fremen. Rebecca Ferguson and Javier Bardem are also scene stealers. The visuals are once again mindblowing, in terms of set/costume design, cinematography and CGI this is as close to perfection as you could get to right now. The vision and scope of this movie are truly unmatched, which leads to some breathtaking sequences that I'll remember for a while (sandworm ride; the black/white arena fight; knife fight during the third act).
However, for all the praise I have for Dune: Part 2, I think Denis is being uncharacteristically sloppy with this film. First of all, Bautista and Butler feel like they're ripped from a different franchise altogether. Their over the top, cartoonish performances are more suited for something like Mad Max than the nuanced world of Dune. The bigger cracks start to appear when you look at the writing. The brief moments where the movie pokes fun at religious zealots through Javier Bardem's character, while funny, probably won't age very well. Like the first movie, it has a tendency to rely too much on exposition and handholding, a problem which might be worse here. I feel like a lot of the subtlety is lost in order to make the movie more normie proof, and that's quite annoying for a movie with artistic ambitions like this one. For example, there's this scene where Léa Seydoux seduces Austin Butler's character, and everything you need to know as a viewer is communicated through Butler's performance. Cut to the next scene, where Seydoux is all but looking at the camera saying "he's a psychopath, he's violent, he wants power, etc.". I just feel like compared to Villeneuve's precise work on Blade Runner 2049, he's consciously dumbing it down here. It's understandable and somewhat excusable for a complex story like Dune, but he occasionally takes it too far for my liking. Then there's the love story subplot between Chani and Paul, which almost entirely misses the mark for me. It feels rushed, there's no chemistry between the actors and some of the lines are painfully cheesy. Because of that, the emotional gutpunch their story eventually reaches during the third act did little for me. Finally, I'm a little dissatisfied with the use of sound. I loved the otherworldly score Zimmer came up with for the first Dune, however this film is so ridiculously bombastic and low-end heavy that it starts to feel like a parody of his work with Christopher Nolan. For the final action beat of the film Villeneuve cuts out the film's score, and it becomes all the more satisfying for it.
Overall, I recommend this film, however maybe temper those expectations if you're expecting a masterpiece. There's a lot to admire, but it's flawed.
6.5/10
Back in 2002 I watched it "by accident" on some random german artsy TV channel. I wasn't into foreign cinema or even profound cinema of any kind at that time. I was only 18 years old. But this movie changed my way of looking at movies. My taste completely changed from that moment on. Everything about this story is so sad, so special. I was obsessed with Maggie after it. I watched all the movies of the director I could find. It literally changed my view of movies, and if you will, my view of love. This kind of romance, you don't find in many movies. It is just so special. It touches me every time I watch it. The music, the colours, the acting. It's just perfect. The best movie about love you'll ever witness. I'm 37 years old now and I still think that's true.
Brilliant. Easily one of the funniest movies I've ever seen.
If you are a German, you have watched it a thousand times. Classic every New Year's Eve. It runs on German TV on every channel.
It was a fun movie. Let's combine Home Alone, Die Hard and some random feel good Christmas movie. It just works.
Is this going to win a bunch of rewards? No. Will it be watched around Christmas by action movie watchers for years to come? Most definitely
If you like crazy action, death and Christmas? Just watch it.
I'd watch it again just for the Home Alone scene. You'll know when you see it
Spectacular movie, but also very sad since it was Paul Reubens's last movie.
Bold and ambitious experiment from writer-director Brian Duffield, who uses almost no dialogue throughout the entire film. The silence creates a haunting and oppressive atmosphere, as well as a challenge for the actors and the audience. Dever delivers a remarkable performance, conveying a range of emotions and motivations with only her facial expressions and body language. She makes us care for her character, even when we don’t know much about her backstory. The movie also succeeds in creating a sense of dread and suspense, as the aliens are unpredictable.
What a treat! No One Will Save You is a dialogue devoid, tension soaked thriller with an understated backstory and a great presentation. Employing my favourite style of storytelling by showing rather than overtly telling, this deeper-meaning alien thriller is decidedly something special comparative to the other streaming movies that get dumped onto their respective services each week. Surprised this one didn't get a run out at the cinema, I think it would have benefitted from the theatre experience. That's to say you should give this one the setting it deserves. Turn off the lights, crank up your sound device of choice and let this one thump and thrill you for 90 minutes. If you're willing to give it your full attention, I think you'll be greatly rewarded.
Much like all of these post/elevated-horrors, many of the elements are metaphor-laden and hold deeper meaning past the usual surface layer. The aliens in this scenario embody the feeling of anxiety, dread and guilt that is currently holding Brynn hostage in her own home. Unlike everyone else in the rest of the world, who let this anxiety and dread wash and takeover them, Brynn has decided after years of solitude and self-hate that's she's going to stand up and fight back. My read on the ending is that Brynn, who we now know killed her best friend in an accidental retaliation during a childhood fight, has now processed that guilt and stopped it from "consuming" her. We see that everyone else has allowed the alien parasite into them and are now living life with the motions, while Brynn actively fights off the possession and kills many of the aliens trying to force it upon her. Now she has faced the guilt head on, she can live her life free and unburdened, as we see her going about her daily tasks and being accepted by the possessed town that once shunned her.
It's amazing to read other reviews where people are completely slamming this movie for "not making sense". I think this movie is a good litmus test for people who actually pay attention and those that have made doomscrolling on socials part of their movie watching experience. Without things being overtly spoken through dialogue, many are missing this movies well conveyed story, and it's pretty depressing. Hope the industry keeps giving movies like this the time of day, they're the kind of movies that really remind me why I love this medium and the places it can take you.
I'm half tempted to give this full marks just for daring to play Radiohead's Everything in Its Right Place during your typical military in dropship scene. Anyway my boy Gareth knocked out another cracking piece of scifi. You really don't mind when a director takes a few years off and comes back with something like this. There's certainly a fair amount of Rogue One, Blade Runner and Terminator in the mix, the latter of which he takes the Judgement Day plot and turns it on its head defying expectations where I assumed it was going just due to the tropes of the genre.
There's also a lot of stuff on screen for 80mill in comparison to other recent effects heavy films. Gets you wondering if budgets elsewhere escalate to $200 mill mark due to talent demands or that something like this has less behind the scenes VFX artists but take longer to bake? I dunno. Either way, check it out. The trailer gives too much away (as always my opinion) however there's plenty more that isn't shown.
NB. Watch out for the Scarif Easter egg
This is a movie I'll be suggesting people see as much as I did Dungeons and Dragons, simply because it's a mid sized budget movie that's not that's not a sequel/spin-off/reboot or some existing IP. If you look at the top grossing movies of 2023 so far, there are only 2 other movies that are original IP out of the top 15.
For a (reported) $80m budget, the special effects/visuals alone put the majority of other big blockbusters ($200m+) to shame. While the main themes of the movie have been done many times before, and if you have seen a decent number of movies the broad strokes will be familiar, the detail and specifics of this movie make it an enjoyable watch.
While I saw claims that it's up in the leagues of Blade Runner and the like, I'd not put it up in that bucket. I would more put it alongside movies like Elysium and instead of one of the best sci-fi movies ever. I'd go with more of a "The best sci-fi since Dune in 2021", so best Sci-fi in the last few years is still something well worth a watch if that's your jam. Really solid sci-fi, looks great, some solid performances and cinematography.
Special shoutout for Madeleine Voyles who plays the kid Alphie, for a first time performance it was legit amazing. No "Kid acting" here. really top shelf performance for someone so new to the industry.
This film does an incredible job showing life integrated with AI and robotics, and it does it emotionally and beautifully. While there’s certainly influences from many Sci-fi stories we already know, this movie depicts very real emotions caused and felt by the AI characters. The sound design was superb as well - with many of the impactful moments being completely silent instead of tormented with a soundtrack to tell you how to feel.
I don't care if it isn't a real one shot, THAT scene was absolutely insane.
Good action, nice actors, ok story.
Some really intense scenes that seem like a one shot and keep going forever. Really immersive!
If you liked the first one and want nice action sequences give this one a go. It kept me entertained the whole 2 hours!
Hopefully there will be a next one...
If there was a dead body instead of a crater and a narrator throughout the film, this could easily be a forward looking update on Stand By Me. Where it was written by someone like Heinlein writing science fiction for young people.
It's solid, it's hopeful without being syrupy or cliche.
Thankfully it does NOT take a dystopian turn at the end where we find out that Omega is an alien world where the residents e the people sent there. There are things that go unexplained because they don't matter like the half built city, the strange holo-deck, etc. They're just settings for the story, and don't need to take up time.
Sadly, Disney seems to have decided to bury this one for unknown reasons, matey. Arrrrr... if only there be a way to see it.
The Chinese Bud Spencer does not pummel much here. Is a sort of career self-tribute, inside a light Chinese-style family drama. Quite pleasant and honest for what it wants to say.
Brilliantly edited between standard doc style re-enactments mixed with Michael J. Fox film and tv footage while giving real insight to the day to day faced by the person behind it all.
I didn't really inform myself what I was gonna watch so my first thought was "oh. shit.. a Chinese kids movie... that's probably going to suck" but I don't think this has to hide to the big Western players in the field. Most noteable (to me) was certainly the 3d animation. Besides the odd face designs and some scenes involving water this not only looks really good but is damn near photo realistic in the lion dance scenes (I really would love to see a behind the scenes of that).
While the movie is certainly goofy at times it surprisingly doesn't shy away from pointing towards the poor working conditions in the country (in whatever form that is allowed anyways). The conclusion offered is certainly a spectacle with the visuals but also makes good use of music so yeah, my bias was very wrong.
It always bothered me a bit that the Chinese animation studios are eating away at the Japanese anime market already (which is relying on Korea, etc. too) but if this is the level of 3DCG they can offer then that bundled with good stories certainly makes them a force to be reckoned with even more.
Not sure what other people were expecting... I thought it was the perfect blend of humor, action, gore and even some heart.
At 93 minutes, it was a lot of fun and didn't drag at all.
Like me in a relationship: pretty entertaining if you don't ask too much of it.
After Searching, Missing is the second in the anthology of multimedia found footage films, where the entire film is set only on smartphones, tablets and other electronic devices.
While there's nothing terribly new in this outing, the formula still holds up really well and there's enough excitement to move the movie along at a good pace.
My only issue is, Sev Ohanian (co-writer and producer of both this film and Searching), loved my review of Searching so much (honestly, it's so thorough I freaked out the editor--Google "123wtf searching review" if you don't believe me) that he reached out to me early last December and promised he was going to drop an Easter egg reference to me in the film. Well, I watched this as closely as I could and I didn't see anything so... Sev? :sweat_smile::wink:
Legend has it, that the script took forever to finish. Every time they finished a line, it disappeared
I was fairly surprised by the brave ending... which had no backpedalling to status quo. That is truly unlike Disney. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier I'm looking at you
Plot and themes of parenthood and cost of gas/oil for the environment were a bit too easy, but at the same time were worked in really well. I enjoyed all the family characters. For greater impression cartoon lacks... plotholes and one or two big mistakes in world building or character's screentime distribution. Surprisingly, lack of mistakes leaves behind more plain impression than with let say Onward that wasn't polished as well as this one.
I guess, I was already heavily indoctrinated into basic human rights support so I only expected to find complaints about two things:
- too much PDA for conservative folks;
- cheap sympathy with the dog;
Nevermind.
What a great movie! What movies should be like. This needs to be viewed in theaters! Highly recommend.
