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CherryBlossomSamurai
Reviews
Ferrari (2023)
Take away the Ferrari name and it's pure tawdriness
Don't think I've ever seen a movie so lacking in perspective. The director made Ferrari's footnotes the story and the Ferrari story a footnote.
Ferrari's pre-war experience was much more than being a simple racer as the film alludes to. He ran a team under Alfa Romeo and when his headstrong ways didn't work out he vowed to make a name for himself at all costs after the war.
What drove Ferrari was never addressed by the film.
Also, the film failed to properly delineate between Formula 1 and sport car racing in its clips. And throwing out legendary names like Fangio, Moss, and Behra means something to me as a racing nut but here are not defined as such. The racing comes as an afterthought.
The main focus is Ferrari's personal life and singing opera over tedious melodrama is as boring as it sounds. His wife is angry in literally every one of her scenes. I was expecting her to develop health problems before the end. As a viewer, I was simply expected to care because of the famous name and not because the film gave me a reason.
I was reluctant to watch Mann's "The Insider" because as a film it could easily get bogged down. Instead, Mann took a tedious story and soared with it, getting underneath the situation and making it come alive. But here he takes a soaring story and makes it tedious. What a shame.
Napoleon (2023)
Emotionally Stunted
Napoleon is like GREATEST FILM EVER
There's this director Diddly Squat who is like MORAL LEADER OF THE UNIVERSE who takes Napoleon DOWN!
So this French guy you think is somebody is really NOBODY! Who knew??
And when he does Josephine from behind, thought I was gonna cry! I was like, "This is so REAL!"
Turns out this Napoleon nobody was really BAD GUY cause if he not born there be no war and NO ONE get killed!
I worships at feet of this great director man for being GUIDING LIGHT of our time!
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Above is literally the mindset of the filmmakers. This is the message they sent. Worst part is they actually thought they were being clever in creating this sort of drivel. This is a film that will not age well as it rings so hollow and its true intent will become even more obvious.
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
JJ Abrams Is A Pimp
JJ is Hollywood's go-to guy for whoring out and regurgitating films. The fact he actually thinks he's a filmmaker is hilarious. While many would describe him as a crowd-pleaser, it's more accurate to say he has a certain vindictiveness towards the audience, and an antipathy for making creative movies. He hates the entire process and obviously takes a joyful glee in despoiling it.
But if you can't beat 'em, might as well join them. Hey, Disney, why not have JJ wore out the Godfather trilogy next?? Recreate all the iconic scenes for a new generation. This time Michael shoots them with an uzi! No need to make sense, just be really "nostalgic"! All I want is a small percentage of the proceeds for my genius idea. Just don't forget to include the line: "JJ Tattaglia is a pimp."
Gisaengchung (2019)
A Textbook Film Of Pretentiousness
The opposite of a singer who sings with soul is a singer who sings *as if* they have soul. This movie was done *as if* it were a satire, *as if* it were making a statement, *as if* it has a deeper meaning. Instead, it's hollow at its core, mean-spirited, and pointless. It's a film for those like the idea of making a point but not having to suffer any uncomfortable truths.
The only good effect of this film is that it exposes the vacuity of those who praise it and their self-delusion. It's a barometer of the public's appetite for garbage. See this film only in the context of a sociology experiment and be shocked at how far we've fallen in our gullibility and how desperate we are not to face ourselves.
Khesht va Ayeneh (1966)
Tortuous Experience
If you like LOTS of baby screaming, this is the film for you. If you like Godard films where if someone asks what time it is and you get a ten minute head-rattling dissertation on the meaning of time, this is the film for you. It's not bad film-making but it's truly horrible film content.
I understand those who want to intellectualize this film into being something it is not but for those grounded in reality be prepared for boredom on an epic scale - with LOTS of baby screaming for a soundtrack. I have nothing against anti-plot films and I like films that have something to say. But an endless string of characters spouting high school philosophy in the guise of being profound is mind numbing. What an ordeal.
Cavite (2005)
An independent film for independent minds
This is not a film for those who think movies should be completely literal. This is not a film for those who want to be told what to think. This is not a film for those who want a nice neat ending resolving all the issues of the world. It is a film for those who seek out truth and are willing to face it regardless of what it may be.
This is a journey into the mind of a terrorist. It's a chance to ask yourself, "How would I act were I forced to live in that world?" I can imagine this movie will get many violent responses in the negative as it forces you to look in the mirror. The movie is not meant to represent Manilla per se, but all places of unbearable poverty and the harsh attitudes such cruel reality breeds. The goal of this movie is to make you think and in that it works wonderfully and brilliantly, changing your perspective and leaving you with questions you never knew needed to be answered.
The closest film I can think of to this one is "Men with guns", another piece of brilliant film-making that paints a point of view. Commentary films will never have mass appeal but there is a fine meal to devour here if you have an appetite for the truth.