Thursday, 31 January 2019
Zombieland (2009)
A shy student trying to reach his family in Ohio, a gun-toting tough guy trying to find the last Twinkie, and a pair of sisters trying to get to an amusement park join forces to travel across a zombie-filled America.
Fairly entertaining zombie spoof surprises with its cast of top stars; Bill Murray#s stint is worth the watch.
Maltin**1/2: "Murray is amusing in an off-kilter cameo as himself, but it's Harrelson's gung-ho performance that propels this likable if silly film."
Bron/Broen, Season 1 (2011)
When a body is found on the bridge between Denmark and Sweden, right on the border, Danish inspector Martin Rohde and Swedish Saga Norén have to share jurisdiction and work together to find the killer.
Extremely well-produced TV crime drama with some excellent bleak cinematography; however, the plot comes up with too many red herrings, and the ending is a disappointment explaining meticulously executed terrorist attacks and multiple fatalities with a personal vendetta.
Tuesday, 29 January 2019
For All Mankind (1989)
An in-depth look at various NASA moon landing missions, starting with Apollo 8.
Excellent and extensive documentary with lots of rarely seen footage and - despite being an "official" rendition by NASA itself - full of insight and even humor.
Maltin***: "Excellent documentary...Impressive, if a bit on the cold side..."
Monday, 28 January 2019
And So It Goes (2014)
A self-absorbed realtor enlists the help of his neighbor when he's suddenly left in charge of the granddaughter he never knew existed until his estranged son drops her off at his home.
Very light, feelgood family comedy is mainly watchable for the two lead stars' performances.
Sunday, 27 January 2019
Paddington 2 (2017)
Paddington, now happily settled with the Brown family and a popular member of the local community, picks up a series of odd jobs to buy the perfect present for his Aunt Lucy's 100th birthday, only for the gift to be stolen.
A sequel equally likeable and entertaining as the original, lively and suspenseful and Hugh Grant perfectly cast as the sneaky villain.
Saturday, 26 January 2019
L'Odyssée (2016)
Highly influential and a fearlessly ambitious pioneer, innovator, filmmaker, researcher and conservationist, Jacques-Yves Cousteau's aquatic adventure covers roughly thirty years of an inarguably rich in achievements life.
Well-produced biopic with some great nature and underwater cinematography and a competent cast never quite captures Jacques-Yves Cousteau's love and enthusiasm for oceans and nature.
Dead of Night (1945)
An architect senses impending doom as his half-remembered recurring dream turns into reality, when the guests at the country house encourage him to stay as they take turns telling supernatural tales.
Magnificently conceived anthology movie, four directors pull it all together, with memorable and some frightening moments and a great cast.
Halliwell****: "Chillingly successful and influential compendium of the macabre, especially effective in its low-key handling of the linking sequence with its circular ending."
Maltin****: "Classic thriller...final sequence with Redgrave as a schizophrenic ventriloquist is a knockout."
Thursday, 24 January 2019
Hush (1998)
A young bride becomes the emotional pawn of her controlling mother-in-law.
A standard and fully predictable plot with an unconvincing ending is hardly redeemed by good performances.
Not really worth the second viewing...
Halliwell (no star): ""Dire, risible domestic melodrama with action and sex asides, from a rock bottom bestseller. It long outstays its welcome even for unintentinal hilarity."
Maltin *1/2: "Viewers could read a novel watching this "thriller" and still not miss anything. Lange appears to believe doing Blanche Dubois all over again."
Eloise (2017)
Four friends break into an abandoned insane asylum in search of a death certificate which will grant one of them a large inheritance. However, finding it soon becomes the least of their worries in a place haunted by dark memories.
Highly illogical horror drama manages some cheap thrills, but not much atmosphere or mystery.
Tuesday, 22 January 2019
The Remaining (2014)
Friends gather at a wedding, but the celebration is shattered by terrifying apocalyptic events forcing them to examine life, love and faith as they must choose between redemption and survival.
Lacklustre and illogical doomsday yarn is especially annoying by abusing Biblical motives to explain its content.
Jaws 2 (1978)
Police chief Brody must protect the citizens of Amity after a second monstrous shark begins terrorizing the waters.
A sequel in full B movie quality in all departments; a far cry from the original.
Halliwell (no star): "Repetitive and feeble sequel aimed directly at the popcorn market."
Maltin**1/2: "...here comes another gratuitous sequel."
Sunday, 20 January 2019
Testament of Youth (2014)
A British woman recalls coming of age during World War I - a story of young love, the futility of war, and how to make sense of the darkest times.
Based on writer, feminist, and pacifist Vera Brittain's autobiography, this well-produced and well-cast movie is more melodrama than an illustration of the development of Brittain's convictions.
A Ghost Story (2017)
In this singular exploration of legacy, love, loss, and the enormity of existence, a recently deceased, white-sheeted ghost returns to his suburban home to try to reconnect with his bereft wife.
A seemingly ridiculous, but bold premise (presenting a ghost in a cloth) is masterfully pulled off in an intense, touching and thought-provoking tale with great performances and some excellent cinematography; a minor masterpiece.
Saturday, 19 January 2019
The Words (2012)
A writer at the peak of his literary success discovers the steep price he must pay for stealing another man's work.
Although based on a good premise and although the three stories are skillfully intertwined, and there are some good performances, the tale becomes sentimental and finally botched by the disappointing background story rendering everything else meaningless.
Maltin**: "At the core of this wildly illogical tale is a good idea that flowers in one key scene, when Irons (in a terrific performance) confronts Cooper...The rest is drivel, made worse by a superfluous framing story..."
Friday, 18 January 2019
Roma (2018)
A story that chronicles a year in the life of a middle-class family's maid in Mexico City in the early 1970s.
Autobiographical drama is intense, heatfelt (but never sentimental) and exacting in wonderfully composed black & white sequences; brilliantly scripted and directed with all around excellent performances.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)