Search

Search only in certain items:

Anna (2019)
Anna (2019)
2019 | Action, Thriller
Contains spoilers, click to show
Familiar territory from Luc Besson but a rather fun little ride all the same . A glossy globe trotting tale of a beautiful blonde assassin (she certainly wasn't hired for her acting ability) with plenty of twists and double crosses to keep you guessing. Besson can do this sort of film in his sleep now and this is a huge drop in quality from the heady heights of the mighty 'Leon'and I would like to seem him getting back to doing something with a bit more substance than the crowd pleasing action movies he has been churning out these days. Still I was largely entertained here even if I probably wouldn't go out of my way to watch it again.
  
40x40

Jack Reynor recommended Ugetsu (1953) in Movies (curated)

 
Ugetsu (1953)
Ugetsu (1953)
1953 | Drama, Fantasy, Romance
(0 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"Generally accepted as Mizoguchi’s greatest work, Ugetsu is based on supernatural Japanese folk tales by the celebrated eighteenth-century author Ueda Akinari. Mizoguchi is most concerned with a compassionate telling of human sorrow, and he finds plenty of substance in Akinari’s short stories. Infamously uncompromising, Mizoguchi was a perfectionist when it came to all aspects of the process. His visual compositions, the production design, the special effects, the lighting, the performances by the actors (especially Machiko Kyo, who adheres in this case to a more traditionally Japanese theatrical style of performance), and the sound design are all so finely tuned and executed, it’s as though Mizoguchi had the ability to be in multiple places at once."

Source
  
40x40

Lee (2222 KP) rated Murder on the Orient Express (2017) in Movies

Nov 6, 2017 (Updated Nov 9, 2017)  
Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
2017 | Drama, Mystery
Kenneth Branagh (1 more)
Stunning cinematography
Wasted all-star cast (1 more)
Not very interesting
All style, no substance
This review is possibly a little unfair, as I actually managed to fall asleep watching Murder On The Orient Express. In a busy cinema, early evening on a Sunday. I've only ever managed to do this a couple of times previously - once, while watching a midnight screening of Star Wars: The Force Awakens (I'm an old man, it was way past my bedtime). Another occasion was during the last Alvin and the Chipmunks movie while watching with my daughter (and I quite rightly got a dig in the ribs from her when she caught me out).

Unfortunately for me though, Kenneth Branaghs lavish retelling of this classic murder mystery is all style and no substance. Branagh himself is actually very good, and hugely entertaining as the worlds greatest detective, Hercule Poirot. However, most of the remaining all star cast just seem wasted in their roles and I just felt like I was watching a big, glossy BBC detective drama on a Sunday evening rather than a thrilling cinematic experience.

I made it through the setup and the murder itself. I also made it through some of the questioning of the many suspects too. But I think that's where my body gave up. I don't think I missed much though, and I was awake again in time for the ridiculous reveal and the explanation as to why whodunit actually dunit, but overall this was just a pretty big disappointment for me.
  
Honey Boy (2019)
Honey Boy (2019)
2019 | Biography, Drama
Disclaimer: I'm a huge Shia fan, and I couldn't wait to see this.

Honey Boy is a fictionalized (?) account, written by Shia LeBeouf about his father, and substance issues. The film bounces back and forth between Otis (Shia) as a child, then as an adult in a rehabilitation facility. It always makes for an interesting film, IF it's well done. In this case, it worked. Shia plays his own father (or a fictionalized version), and it was a great performance. I can imagine playing his father was a cathartic experience.

It's also worth mention FKA Twigs, who played a minor character. While she wasn't in it much, I thought she did well, and I wouldn't mind seeing her in more films.