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Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Light of My Life (2019) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
Not Revolutionary But Decent
A father and daughter try to survive in a post-apocalyptic world where a virus has taken out nearly all of the female population. Light of My Life isn’t going to revolutionize post-apocalyptic movies, but I would say it’s a worthy addition. It makes you care and, more importantly, it makes you think.
Acting: 10
Casey Afleck is sensational in his role as Dad. You can feel the love he has for his daughter Rag (Anna Pniowsky) and see how torn he is between trying to be strong for her while trying not to break down himself. Pniowsky is solid as well playing the daughter. She reads the role with a defiant attitude, as a girl having to quickly grow up in a crazy world. They work perfectly together onscreen.
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 6
Conflict: 6
Casey Afleck, also the director, effectively builds tension throughout the journey. However, there are a number of times where you expect something to happen and it doesn’t. Ultimately, the conflict wasn’t quite so strong as I would have hoped.
Entertainment Value: 5
Because not as much action is happening in a movie that’s almost two hours, my level of being entertained was up and down. I did find myself checking out quite a few times especially when it’s the rinse and repeat of finding a campground, scouting, and laying down for the night. I just wish there were a few more close scrapes to keep me guessing.
Memorability: 3
This type of movie has been done before on the big screen and in video games. Unfortunately there’s not quite enough here to make it stand out. Don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely not a bad movie. It just lacks the necessary oompf to be much more than “just ok”.
Pace: 6
Attempts to move steadily before it slows down to a crawl again and again. There is no sense of urgency in the film and it drove me mad at times. Would have been much happier with the pace had the runtime been shorter.
Plot: 10
Resolution: 6
Decent ending, but…just decent. I question the decision of closure. Like a lot of the other facets of the movie, I was hoping for more.
Overall: 72
Light of My Life made me smile at times, but infuriated me at times when I knew I was watching something that could be better. It’s a decent movie and a few tweaks would have really done the trick for me. Now that I’ve seen it once, it’s not one I need to check out again.
Acting: 10
Casey Afleck is sensational in his role as Dad. You can feel the love he has for his daughter Rag (Anna Pniowsky) and see how torn he is between trying to be strong for her while trying not to break down himself. Pniowsky is solid as well playing the daughter. She reads the role with a defiant attitude, as a girl having to quickly grow up in a crazy world. They work perfectly together onscreen.
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 6
Conflict: 6
Casey Afleck, also the director, effectively builds tension throughout the journey. However, there are a number of times where you expect something to happen and it doesn’t. Ultimately, the conflict wasn’t quite so strong as I would have hoped.
Entertainment Value: 5
Because not as much action is happening in a movie that’s almost two hours, my level of being entertained was up and down. I did find myself checking out quite a few times especially when it’s the rinse and repeat of finding a campground, scouting, and laying down for the night. I just wish there were a few more close scrapes to keep me guessing.
Memorability: 3
This type of movie has been done before on the big screen and in video games. Unfortunately there’s not quite enough here to make it stand out. Don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely not a bad movie. It just lacks the necessary oompf to be much more than “just ok”.
Pace: 6
Attempts to move steadily before it slows down to a crawl again and again. There is no sense of urgency in the film and it drove me mad at times. Would have been much happier with the pace had the runtime been shorter.
Plot: 10
Resolution: 6
Decent ending, but…just decent. I question the decision of closure. Like a lot of the other facets of the movie, I was hoping for more.
Overall: 72
Light of My Life made me smile at times, but infuriated me at times when I knew I was watching something that could be better. It’s a decent movie and a few tweaks would have really done the trick for me. Now that I’ve seen it once, it’s not one I need to check out again.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated The Invisible Man (2020) in Movies
Mar 11, 2020
I've always found the premise of The Invisible Man damn scary. Someone watching you, stood next to you, whilst you carry on obliviously. It's the kind of scariness that gets under the skin, honestly, just like this movie does. For the first time in a while, I felt truly uncomfortable and genuinely scared throughout a fair chunk of the run time.
The movie starts with leading lady Cecilia (Elisabeth Moss) quietly and frantically leaving her house in the dead of night, to get away from her abusive relationship with partner Adrian (Oliver Jackson-Cohen).
This opening scene sets the tone nicely. It's dimly lit, it's mostly silent, it's tense, and climaxes frantically with a swelling of orchestral score (the original score by Benjamin Wallfisch is fantastic throughout).
Finally free and living with friends, Cecilia is somewhat comforted by the news that Adrian has subsequently committed suicide, and is no longer a threat to her.
Before long though, she is being stalked by an unseen presence, and she quickly becomes convinced that Adrian as alive and well, and has perfected his work in the optics field to turn himself invisible, and systematically ruin her life.
Once it becomes apparent that Cecilia is not alone is where the movie really shines. We're subjected to wide shot after wide shot of her going about her daily routines, with plenty of empty camera space, where we as the audience are prompted to search the shot for clues, to see if we can see where The Invisible Man is in the moment. It's a simple and hugely effective tactic that had me squirming. The constant under current of dread is really quite horrible.
Elisabeth Moss is great from start to finish. The torment that she is out through is portrayed really well, and it doesn't take a lot to sympathise with her, and the yearning for everyone else to see she isn't crazy is strong.
Towards the final act, the tension predictably takes a bit of a backseat for a more fast faced finale, which mostly works, but it's hard to ignore a few glaring plot holes, and a late twist that feels like it was thrown in just for the sake of it. It's not enough to ruin what is undoubtedly a pretty solid edge-of-your-seat thriller though.
If Universal had perhaps approached The Mummy with a similar style, then we could be in the midst of a great Dark Universe franchise, but if all the seperate entries end up being as strong as The Invisible Man, then it's no loss.
The movie starts with leading lady Cecilia (Elisabeth Moss) quietly and frantically leaving her house in the dead of night, to get away from her abusive relationship with partner Adrian (Oliver Jackson-Cohen).
This opening scene sets the tone nicely. It's dimly lit, it's mostly silent, it's tense, and climaxes frantically with a swelling of orchestral score (the original score by Benjamin Wallfisch is fantastic throughout).
Finally free and living with friends, Cecilia is somewhat comforted by the news that Adrian has subsequently committed suicide, and is no longer a threat to her.
Before long though, she is being stalked by an unseen presence, and she quickly becomes convinced that Adrian as alive and well, and has perfected his work in the optics field to turn himself invisible, and systematically ruin her life.
Once it becomes apparent that Cecilia is not alone is where the movie really shines. We're subjected to wide shot after wide shot of her going about her daily routines, with plenty of empty camera space, where we as the audience are prompted to search the shot for clues, to see if we can see where The Invisible Man is in the moment. It's a simple and hugely effective tactic that had me squirming. The constant under current of dread is really quite horrible.
Elisabeth Moss is great from start to finish. The torment that she is out through is portrayed really well, and it doesn't take a lot to sympathise with her, and the yearning for everyone else to see she isn't crazy is strong.
Towards the final act, the tension predictably takes a bit of a backseat for a more fast faced finale, which mostly works, but it's hard to ignore a few glaring plot holes, and a late twist that feels like it was thrown in just for the sake of it. It's not enough to ruin what is undoubtedly a pretty solid edge-of-your-seat thriller though.
If Universal had perhaps approached The Mummy with a similar style, then we could be in the midst of a great Dark Universe franchise, but if all the seperate entries end up being as strong as The Invisible Man, then it's no loss.
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019) in Movies
Aug 5, 2019 (Updated Aug 6, 2019)
Genocide, Shmenocide.
Hobbs and Shaw had an easy job, we have these two great characters that have already been set up for us in other movies so all they needed to do was let them loose in an over the top action spectacle that knows exactly what it is. So why does what we actually got feel like an overlong, overstuffed film with characters (the reason why we are here) that aren't likeable anymore?. Is it the banter thats either worn thin or feels like its trying to hard, the scenes full of characters constantly explaining the plot or whats going to happen, the paint by numbers villain with generic motives or the many random nods to pop culture and other popular things that people like that didnt do anything but make me feel like a carrot is being dangled in front of us the entire time or im watching a peter kay stand up. Answer is im not sure but i know one thing, for every part of this movie i found cool or fun two more things popped up and dragged my enjoyment down. Action set pieces are really cool and well very well filmed with great scale/destruction and the movie overall has a 90s/commando action movie style i really enjoyed which might of worked at an hour and a half but just when you think its over another useless 40 minutes are then tagged on the end and the film becomes basically a big Dwayne Johnson advertisement. Yes i get it he has roots and the tribe thing going on, he has big muscles, he was a wrestler and he has a big tribal tattoo but why does that have to be an integral part of every films plot that he's in nowadays?. I'm just bored of seeing it now and id rather they cut the movie shorter and had a tighter film overall or explored the villain a bit more to be honest. I really did say find some enjoyment in Hobbs and Shaw (especially the action) but it was let down to often elsewhere. Statham steals the show here and clearly tries to have fun with his character but Idris Elba feels wasted as a villain and theres no tension or threat at all when your two leads seem invincible. Ryan Reynolds and Kevin Heart were also totaly unnecessary as was that Italian Job connection. Id say see it for the action scene at about 1h 40m in but other than that is sadly very veru forgettable and a little boring.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Bridesmaids (2011) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
Everyone has a best friend during each stage of life but only a few have the same one since childhood. In this case we have Annie (Kristen Wiig) who is asked by her very best friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph) to be her maid of honor. Although Annie doesn’t think she can handle the stresses and responsibilities of being a maid of honor, she reluctantly agrees.
A failed baker now working in a jewelry shop, Annie is facing a crisis. She is in her thirties and no longer satisfied with “booty calls.” Rooming with two bizarre Brits, Annie also has to put up with a mother who is addicted to speaking at AA meetings yet has never had an alcoholic beverage. However Annie did get the job working in a jewelry store as a favor provided by an AA member that her mother sponsors. Will this wedding be the end of the mess she’s made of her life, or will she continue down this pathetic path?
Meanwhile, Lillian, who is marrying a very wealthy man, has become close friends with Helen (Rose Byrne), the wife of her fiance’s boss. When Annie and Helen meet at the engagement party, tension arises and a battle ensues over the microphone to see who can give the bride the best speech. Annie feels threatened by Lillian’s new “best friend” and declares war against Helen. Her first move is a bridesmaids’ brunch at a sketchy Brazilian restaurant with highly uncomfortable results. Unfortunately the results don’t reveal themselves until Lillian, Hellen, Annie and bridesmaids Megan, Rita and Becca (Melissa McCarthy,Wendi McLendon-Covey and Elli Kemper) are in the middle of trying on bridesmaids dresses in a very swanky high-end bridal shop.
This and other unfortunate bridal mishaps that drive “Bridesmaids” are the products of the writing collaboration of Kristen Wigg and Annie Mumolo (who can be seen in a plane scene as the nervous neighbor). Directed by Paul Feig, “Bridesmaids” is this year’s “Hangover” for women. It is great to finally see a raunchy rom-com that does not leave any room for a dull moment. Some of the funny dialogue was drowned out by the audience who, including myself, were still recovering from the prior funny lines. Kristen Wigg, along with all the actresses in this film, bring a hilarious and seemingly improvised story to the big screen in grand style. This is one of those comedies you don’t want to miss. I give this a 4 out of 5 star rating and will be back in the theater to see it again.
A failed baker now working in a jewelry shop, Annie is facing a crisis. She is in her thirties and no longer satisfied with “booty calls.” Rooming with two bizarre Brits, Annie also has to put up with a mother who is addicted to speaking at AA meetings yet has never had an alcoholic beverage. However Annie did get the job working in a jewelry store as a favor provided by an AA member that her mother sponsors. Will this wedding be the end of the mess she’s made of her life, or will she continue down this pathetic path?
Meanwhile, Lillian, who is marrying a very wealthy man, has become close friends with Helen (Rose Byrne), the wife of her fiance’s boss. When Annie and Helen meet at the engagement party, tension arises and a battle ensues over the microphone to see who can give the bride the best speech. Annie feels threatened by Lillian’s new “best friend” and declares war against Helen. Her first move is a bridesmaids’ brunch at a sketchy Brazilian restaurant with highly uncomfortable results. Unfortunately the results don’t reveal themselves until Lillian, Hellen, Annie and bridesmaids Megan, Rita and Becca (Melissa McCarthy,Wendi McLendon-Covey and Elli Kemper) are in the middle of trying on bridesmaids dresses in a very swanky high-end bridal shop.
This and other unfortunate bridal mishaps that drive “Bridesmaids” are the products of the writing collaboration of Kristen Wigg and Annie Mumolo (who can be seen in a plane scene as the nervous neighbor). Directed by Paul Feig, “Bridesmaids” is this year’s “Hangover” for women. It is great to finally see a raunchy rom-com that does not leave any room for a dull moment. Some of the funny dialogue was drowned out by the audience who, including myself, were still recovering from the prior funny lines. Kristen Wigg, along with all the actresses in this film, bring a hilarious and seemingly improvised story to the big screen in grand style. This is one of those comedies you don’t want to miss. I give this a 4 out of 5 star rating and will be back in the theater to see it again.
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Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated The Kitchen (2019) in Movies
Jul 7, 2020
A Very Messy Kitchen: Good Ingredients But No Flavor
The Kitchen is a 2019 action crime movie written and directed by Andrea Berloff and producers Michael Dell Luca and Marcus Viscidi. It's based on the Vertigo comic created by Ollie Masters and Ming Doyle and produced by New Line Cinema, Bron Creative, D.C. Vertigo and Michael Dell Luca Productions with distribution by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film stars Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, Elisabeth Moss and Common.
In 1978 Hell's Kitchen, 3 women married to husbands in the Irish mob face hardship as all 3 of their husbands are arrested and sentenced to 3 years in prison. The new head of the mob ensures that they will be taken care of financially but gives them each a tiny pittance. When they go to ask him for more they are aggressively refused. At a loss for what to do next the women seize an opportunity when they are told that despite local businesses paying protection fees, the mob has done little to help them. They themselves begin collecting protection fees and helping the neighborhood becoming beloved and making a huge profit as well as lots of enemies.
This movie was not what I expected. I was really let down, especially for it having a great cast of actors. I don't think it was over hyped either, I felt like it was false advertising. From the trailer it looked like it was supposed to be a gritty female led mob movie but didn't deliver. From the beginning and throughout the movie it felt really lackluster and didn't have enough going for it to remain interesting. I honestly don't know how I made it through the movie, I guess I just kept waiting for it to get better and it never really did. I did like certain things, Melissa McCarthy's acting was good for being a drama and Tiffany Haddish did a decent job, also Elisabeth Moss's character was probably the one that had the most character development, but even then, you'll see what I'm talking about if you ever decide to watch this movie. It also didn't have a very compelling plot, and with the girl's situation and what they were dealing with, you would think it would be more gripping but there was not enough tension for a movie dealing with the mob and the dangers of being killed. I would have to give this movie a 4/10 because I felt it was really below average.
In 1978 Hell's Kitchen, 3 women married to husbands in the Irish mob face hardship as all 3 of their husbands are arrested and sentenced to 3 years in prison. The new head of the mob ensures that they will be taken care of financially but gives them each a tiny pittance. When they go to ask him for more they are aggressively refused. At a loss for what to do next the women seize an opportunity when they are told that despite local businesses paying protection fees, the mob has done little to help them. They themselves begin collecting protection fees and helping the neighborhood becoming beloved and making a huge profit as well as lots of enemies.
This movie was not what I expected. I was really let down, especially for it having a great cast of actors. I don't think it was over hyped either, I felt like it was false advertising. From the trailer it looked like it was supposed to be a gritty female led mob movie but didn't deliver. From the beginning and throughout the movie it felt really lackluster and didn't have enough going for it to remain interesting. I honestly don't know how I made it through the movie, I guess I just kept waiting for it to get better and it never really did. I did like certain things, Melissa McCarthy's acting was good for being a drama and Tiffany Haddish did a decent job, also Elisabeth Moss's character was probably the one that had the most character development, but even then, you'll see what I'm talking about if you ever decide to watch this movie. It also didn't have a very compelling plot, and with the girl's situation and what they were dealing with, you would think it would be more gripping but there was not enough tension for a movie dealing with the mob and the dangers of being killed. I would have to give this movie a 4/10 because I felt it was really below average.