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Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated Gemini Man (2019) in Movies
Jul 7, 2020
Innovative and Intriguing, Double The Will Smith Fails To Push The Movie From Good To Great
Contains spoilers, click to show
So before I saw this movie I actually saw Will Smith on The Stephen Colbert Show. They rolled a clip from the motorcycle fight scene from the movie and I was taken aback by how fake some of it looked. And not the action of it but the movements of the younger Will Smith clone. On the show Will Smith said that this is the first film where the entire character of the young clone was completely digital and there was no MOCAP or digital de-aging. I'm not sure if it was this new way of having the character there that caused the movement to look so fake but some of the scenes had parts that were downright laughable. Since I knew this already I tried not to go into the movie with too high of expectations. And because of this and really giving it a chance I think I was more able to enjoy it then others who will definitely be turned off by it. I hate that for some people it will hurt there ability to suspend belief because that's one reason we all go to the theater. To get sucked into another world where anything is possible and forget about the real world for an hour or two. This really was a good movie besides that being it's greatest fault. There are even some scenes where it looks totally fine and really good. Most scenes like that are zoomed into his face during dialogue and the amount of detail they did was really fantastic. I mean Will Smith did a great job as this disillusioned assassin, Mary Elizabeth Winstead did a good job as a rookie agent meant to be surveiling him, and Benedict Wong was cool as Baron his friend and ex-colleague. Even Clive Owen did good as Clay Varris, head of a top-secret black ops unit codenamed "Gemini". The plot wasn't very complicated, Will retires and starts learning that people he killed were innocent and then people start trying to kill him before he can learn the truth. He finds out that a younger clone of himself is trying to kill him and he tries not to kill him as he tries to take down the man responsible for this. Nothing remarkable but there were some pretty good action scenes especially the finale where they fight in the town. As I said I give this movie a 6/10.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Follow Me Back in Books
Oct 15, 2020
This is the sixth book in my #atozchallenge! I'm challenging myself to read a book from my shelves that starts with each letter of the alphabet.
Tessa Hart spends most (okay all) of her days in her bedroom. After an incident that causes her intense anxiety and agoraphobia, her one outlet and escape is the online world of pop star Eric Thorn. She can lose herself in his music, as well as the digital chatter of Twitter. For Eric, though, online is a scary place, where he fears his fans' obsessive behavior. He's even more scared in real life, especially after one of his fellow stars is murdered by a crazed fan. But online media is key to his success, according to his PR team. So Eric decides to ruin his image via a trolling Twitter account--of his own making. But his plan derails quickly and he finds himself involved in his deepest and most meaningful relationship to date, albeit a virtual one. But when he and his Twitter friend agree to meet, everything goes wrong.
This is one of those books that you know will probably be incredibly silly and cheesy, and it was definitely both of those things. But I still read it in one day, because, well, sometimes you just need silly and cheesy in your life. I was all for something related to Twitter that didn't involve politics and the world ending.
Honestly, Follow Me Back was quite addictive and easy-to-read, even if I wanted to shake Tessa and Eric sometimes for their bad decisions. Some early honesty would have avoided a lot of angst. It's told via the point-of-view of both characters, along with excerpts from police interrogations. Through the police pieces, we know something bad has happened--then we back up to the events that lead up to it. The book delves into the pressures of stardom, along with anxiety, assault, and mental illness. It's a little all over the place, at times--perhaps trying to throw us off course, but I appreciated that it did try to cover Tessa's issues respectfully. There's Eric and Tessa's relationship, as well as a bit of a mystery element.
Overall, this was just an escapist novel for me, and it did its job fairly well. My only problem was that it ended with a cliffhanger ending, so while I did move this book off my shelf, I am going to have to track down book #2 to see how it all ends. Darn it! Still, 3 stars for a fun and crazy ride.
Tessa Hart spends most (okay all) of her days in her bedroom. After an incident that causes her intense anxiety and agoraphobia, her one outlet and escape is the online world of pop star Eric Thorn. She can lose herself in his music, as well as the digital chatter of Twitter. For Eric, though, online is a scary place, where he fears his fans' obsessive behavior. He's even more scared in real life, especially after one of his fellow stars is murdered by a crazed fan. But online media is key to his success, according to his PR team. So Eric decides to ruin his image via a trolling Twitter account--of his own making. But his plan derails quickly and he finds himself involved in his deepest and most meaningful relationship to date, albeit a virtual one. But when he and his Twitter friend agree to meet, everything goes wrong.
This is one of those books that you know will probably be incredibly silly and cheesy, and it was definitely both of those things. But I still read it in one day, because, well, sometimes you just need silly and cheesy in your life. I was all for something related to Twitter that didn't involve politics and the world ending.
Honestly, Follow Me Back was quite addictive and easy-to-read, even if I wanted to shake Tessa and Eric sometimes for their bad decisions. Some early honesty would have avoided a lot of angst. It's told via the point-of-view of both characters, along with excerpts from police interrogations. Through the police pieces, we know something bad has happened--then we back up to the events that lead up to it. The book delves into the pressures of stardom, along with anxiety, assault, and mental illness. It's a little all over the place, at times--perhaps trying to throw us off course, but I appreciated that it did try to cover Tessa's issues respectfully. There's Eric and Tessa's relationship, as well as a bit of a mystery element.
Overall, this was just an escapist novel for me, and it did its job fairly well. My only problem was that it ended with a cliffhanger ending, so while I did move this book off my shelf, I am going to have to track down book #2 to see how it all ends. Darn it! Still, 3 stars for a fun and crazy ride.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Collateral Beauty (2016) in Movies
Jul 12, 2019
Loss is something that all of us must face at one time or another. It affects each person differently. While some seem unfazed, others cannot adjust to life after the death of a loved one.
In Collateral Beauty, Will Smith portrays Howard Arnett, a father and advertising executive who has shut off the world after the loss of his daughter to cancer.
He disconnects from work, friends, and family. He is a shell of himself, not knowing how to find his place in the world now that a major piece of him is missing.
In an attempt to bring normalcy back to his life and save their company, his friends and colleagues band together to devise a plan to hire actors to play the roles of abstract beings that Howard contacts in his distress, hoping that it forces him to confront his feelings about his loss.
Collateral Beauty is more than just your run of the mill Holiday films. The movie is touching, heart-wrenching, and layered. The film is not limited to the growth of Howard.
We witness how each of his friends has a challenge that they must face that they have been putting off, just as their friend has for the past two years. An ensemble cast of Dame Hellen Mirren, Edward Norton, Kate Winslet, Michael Pena, Kiera Knigthley, and Naomie Harris would normally have audiences or critics worried that the film itself may be light on content, plot, or depth. This is not the case.
The film’s cast is outshined by the story that develops as audiences watch and wait for Howard to become unbroken. The film does not overshoot with respect to their expectations or even offer up conflated ideas and developments. Collateral Beauty gives audiences a chance to watch a man deal with loss and reflect on how we all deal with loss in our own ways.
The film is tough to watch in some moments due to its approach to love and death in not simplifying the significance of one’s life. It demonstrates that each person matters and their lives have a lasting impact. Collateral Beauty will leave audiences reflecting on their own circumstances and those of people they know.
At times, the feelings are too real and a deep connection is made between the characters and the audience that will leave many wishing that they had brought boxes of tissue with them as they will find themselves being touched and heavily impacted.
In Collateral Beauty, Will Smith portrays Howard Arnett, a father and advertising executive who has shut off the world after the loss of his daughter to cancer.
He disconnects from work, friends, and family. He is a shell of himself, not knowing how to find his place in the world now that a major piece of him is missing.
In an attempt to bring normalcy back to his life and save their company, his friends and colleagues band together to devise a plan to hire actors to play the roles of abstract beings that Howard contacts in his distress, hoping that it forces him to confront his feelings about his loss.
Collateral Beauty is more than just your run of the mill Holiday films. The movie is touching, heart-wrenching, and layered. The film is not limited to the growth of Howard.
We witness how each of his friends has a challenge that they must face that they have been putting off, just as their friend has for the past two years. An ensemble cast of Dame Hellen Mirren, Edward Norton, Kate Winslet, Michael Pena, Kiera Knigthley, and Naomie Harris would normally have audiences or critics worried that the film itself may be light on content, plot, or depth. This is not the case.
The film’s cast is outshined by the story that develops as audiences watch and wait for Howard to become unbroken. The film does not overshoot with respect to their expectations or even offer up conflated ideas and developments. Collateral Beauty gives audiences a chance to watch a man deal with loss and reflect on how we all deal with loss in our own ways.
The film is tough to watch in some moments due to its approach to love and death in not simplifying the significance of one’s life. It demonstrates that each person matters and their lives have a lasting impact. Collateral Beauty will leave audiences reflecting on their own circumstances and those of people they know.
At times, the feelings are too real and a deep connection is made between the characters and the audience that will leave many wishing that they had brought boxes of tissue with them as they will find themselves being touched and heavily impacted.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Seeds (2018) in Movies
Sep 13, 2019
Characters – Marcus has a dark past that he is running from, he returns to his childhood home to escape everything that could cause him problems, this sees him needing to look after his niece and nephew, one of which he has feelings for, but has always pushed away from ever giving into them. He believes his house is haunted which sees him needing to figure out what is real or not. Lily is the 17-year-old niece that has a past close relationship with her uncle, now she has grown up she gets caught in the middle of wanting a new one that does cross the line however wrong she sees it being. Spencer is the younger nephew that needs taking care off, Lily does it most of the time, with his fascination with insects keeping him entertained.
Performances – Trevor Long does give us a disturbing performance, where we see just how conflicted he is through the events of the film, Andrea Chen shines too which is important for her role in the film. Garr Long and the rest of the cast have all done well through the film without taking over from the two leads.
Story – The story follows a man dealing with his past while looking after his niece and nephew, believing there is a creature living in his home. This story can be broken down into dealing with temptation and letting the evil in the world manifesting into a thing of nightmares. If we dive deeper, we will end up going full spoilers. The tone of story is unsettling and disturbing throughout, it almost feels like you want to turn away, but you want to know just what is happening at the same time.
Horror – The horror comes from the visits from the long legged creature in the shadows, it only strikes at night, when Marcus is most vulnerable.
Settings – The film is set in one location, a beach house which shows us just where one man will go for time away from the world to fix his mind.
Special Effects – The effects used to create the creature are creepy and feel like they could come for the people being haunted by them.
Scene of the Movie – The first creature appearance.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It does get too deep in places.
Final Thoughts – This is a horror that is looking at life and how it decisions can have different results for the people involved.
Overall: Deep horror.
Performances – Trevor Long does give us a disturbing performance, where we see just how conflicted he is through the events of the film, Andrea Chen shines too which is important for her role in the film. Garr Long and the rest of the cast have all done well through the film without taking over from the two leads.
Story – The story follows a man dealing with his past while looking after his niece and nephew, believing there is a creature living in his home. This story can be broken down into dealing with temptation and letting the evil in the world manifesting into a thing of nightmares. If we dive deeper, we will end up going full spoilers. The tone of story is unsettling and disturbing throughout, it almost feels like you want to turn away, but you want to know just what is happening at the same time.
Horror – The horror comes from the visits from the long legged creature in the shadows, it only strikes at night, when Marcus is most vulnerable.
Settings – The film is set in one location, a beach house which shows us just where one man will go for time away from the world to fix his mind.
Special Effects – The effects used to create the creature are creepy and feel like they could come for the people being haunted by them.
Scene of the Movie – The first creature appearance.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It does get too deep in places.
Final Thoughts – This is a horror that is looking at life and how it decisions can have different results for the people involved.
Overall: Deep horror.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Joker (2019) in Movies
Oct 8, 2019 (Updated Oct 23, 2019)
Believe the hype
Contains spoilers, click to show
Full disclaimer - I have not been a massive fan of any movies DC related since the Dark Knight trilogy. There have been highlights here and there, but it's a been a rough few years to say the least.
I went to see Joker under a pretty neutral assumption - I had heard the good reviews, the bad reviews, and seen the incredibly well put together trailers - but I was still worried that I wouldn't like it.
What I was presented with was quite possibly the film of the year (I can't realistically see anything beating it at this point)
Make no mistake - Joker is a character driven think piece, light on action, and at times difficult to watch.
Jaoquin Phoenix is absolutely phenomenal as Arthur Fleck, and as we watch his descent into madness (or mental freedom depending on which way you look at it), it's hard not to sympathise with him - I felt myself welling up on more than one occasion.
Frances Conroy deserves a round of applause as well, carving out a fading and sad character failing to realise just how low Arthur is spiralling.
The film itself is bleak, painting a realistic Gotham City, on the brink of anarchy, not too dissimilar to how our world is IRL. All it takes is someone ballsy enough to pull the trigger to set it all off.
The film is draped with tense scene after tense scene as the plot builds up to its climax.
The films depiction of mental health issues rings louder than ever, showing us an all too real world that dismisses and laughs at those who suffer with such issues. It's haunting.
The final act is breathtaking - watching Arthur/Joker on Murray Franklin's talk show - when he's underneath the make up, he's a completely different person, threatening, but with a point that makes sense, and that what makes him so sinister.
The much discussed violence is seldom, but impactful, and most importantly, has a purpose as it builds character growth. Everything just seems so wonderfully crafted - hats off to Todd Phillips.
The score is pretty much flawless, hitting all the right notes, as is the cinematography, showcasing fantastic shots continuously throughout.
Joker feels like a true stand-alone, and is concrete evidence why DC should maybe concentrate on one off efforts rather than building an underwhelming connected universe...
It's a fantastic film through and through, and Phoenix deserves an Oscar, at the very least a nomination.
I went to see Joker under a pretty neutral assumption - I had heard the good reviews, the bad reviews, and seen the incredibly well put together trailers - but I was still worried that I wouldn't like it.
What I was presented with was quite possibly the film of the year (I can't realistically see anything beating it at this point)
Make no mistake - Joker is a character driven think piece, light on action, and at times difficult to watch.
Jaoquin Phoenix is absolutely phenomenal as Arthur Fleck, and as we watch his descent into madness (or mental freedom depending on which way you look at it), it's hard not to sympathise with him - I felt myself welling up on more than one occasion.
Frances Conroy deserves a round of applause as well, carving out a fading and sad character failing to realise just how low Arthur is spiralling.
The film itself is bleak, painting a realistic Gotham City, on the brink of anarchy, not too dissimilar to how our world is IRL. All it takes is someone ballsy enough to pull the trigger to set it all off.
The film is draped with tense scene after tense scene as the plot builds up to its climax.
The films depiction of mental health issues rings louder than ever, showing us an all too real world that dismisses and laughs at those who suffer with such issues. It's haunting.
The final act is breathtaking - watching Arthur/Joker on Murray Franklin's talk show - when he's underneath the make up, he's a completely different person, threatening, but with a point that makes sense, and that what makes him so sinister.
The much discussed violence is seldom, but impactful, and most importantly, has a purpose as it builds character growth. Everything just seems so wonderfully crafted - hats off to Todd Phillips.
The score is pretty much flawless, hitting all the right notes, as is the cinematography, showcasing fantastic shots continuously throughout.
Joker feels like a true stand-alone, and is concrete evidence why DC should maybe concentrate on one off efforts rather than building an underwhelming connected universe...
It's a fantastic film through and through, and Phoenix deserves an Oscar, at the very least a nomination.
Clear Day® - Weather HD Free
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Enjoy the most unique and beautiful weather app. Clear Day® is the only weather app that provides...