valentinvolland Reviews

Paper Man (2009)

Beautiful movie

[9/10 · 5 June 2018]

This is a movie with a stellar cast, who have some of their best performances of their careers (espacially Jeff Daniels and Emma Stone). Though is it pretty funny at times, it's definitely no comedy. It's mainly a drama, with a stong indie feel to it, where the plot isn't that important. It really touched me and I had to let the movie sink in for a while. The soundtrack is absolutely wonderful and complements the film very well. I absolutely fail to see why this move has such a low rating, I guess it's because people expectet a comedy or a romcom, which it really isn't. I just think it best to watch this movie without expectations and emerse yourself in it.

A Taxi Driver (2017)

Good but long dramatised version of a crucial point in South Korean history

[7/10 · 15 May 2018]

This South Korean film is a fictionalised view into the experiences of german reporter Jürgen Hinzpeter (who died in 2016) and driver Kim Sa-bok (unkown to the public) at the Gwangju uprising in 1980. The filmmakers tried to identify Kim Sa-bok prior to the production, but only after the films release it has surfaced that the man had died of cancer in 1984, four years after the events in the film. Knowing nearly nothing about the driver, the filmmaker tried their best to create an intruiging character, that fit the movie. The actor Song Kang-ho as well as his german counterpart Thomas Kretschmann both did great jobs and I liked their performances. The screenplay/plot is not too bad, it does a good job being both entertaining and sometimes even light-hearted, as well as handling the though and serious topic of the gwangju uprising very well. However the pacing of the movie isn't absolutely great, with the rythm of the film sometimes a bit off, so it could have also been a little shorter than 135 min. Another problem was, that although I know about the history, for me personally this tragedy hasn't been translated well enough onto the movie. Objectively they handeled the tragedy well, but I was left a little bit cold. That being said I did enjoy the film and would rate it 7.5 if i could.

The Hunt (2012)

Great film

[9/10 · 14 May 2018]

This Danish film is superb. The soundtrack is great and not too intrusive. The acting is fascinating (what else do you expect form Mads Mikkelsen?). I really liked the cinematography, though there were a little to many close-ups and too little wide-angles for my taste. The plot and the themes of the film are very well constructed and make for a suspenceful and thoughtful movie. I would definately recommend to watch this film, though you shouldn't expect a light movie.

What We Do in the Shadows (2014)

Great new zealand mockumentary

[9/10 · 14 May 2018]

This film is hilarious. Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement did a superb job both directing and acting in this mockumentary about vampires in Wellington. The other actors, especially Jonny Brugh were also great. The music is really good aswell. What can I say other than I highly enjoyed this movie?

The Beach (I) (2000)

Pretty bad but not horrible either

[5/10 · 14 May 2018]

I think this film is rather poor. I didn't like the soundtrack, it wasn't suitable and far too noticeable. I found the plot to be mediocre at best, but by far the worst part of the movie is the total lack of likeable characters. Except for the French guy I guess, all characters are utterly despicable with near to no redeeming qualities and they haven't been fleshed out that well. I can handle a film with unlikable characters and even love it sometimes, however in this film the other elements (plot, themes, fun) didn't counter this lack in well-developed or likeable characters. The cinematography was ok I guess and the acting was actually really good, as can be expected from Leonardo di Caprio and Tilda Swinton. But they couldn't save the film in my opinion.

No Country for Old Men (2007)

A western noir with a few flaws (very minor spoilers)

[7/10 · 1 May 2018]

This western noir film from the Coen brothers is not that bad. The cinematography is great, as is usual with Roger Deakins who has cooperated once more with the Coen Brothers. I also like the minimalist score, which created a suspencefull atmosphere and is nice for a change as many films have a very noticable score, diverting at least some attention from the film itself and giving cues to the viewer as to what is happening (which sometimes is too comfortable). The actors do a very good job, even Josh Brolin who I normally dislike. Javier Bardem does an especially good job as the figurative 'angel of death'. The main problems mainly lie in the actual story. While I personally do appreciate and like the unusual story strucutre and the anticlimactic ending, many people don't and see it as a flaw. However I do see quite some flaws in the plot and in the characters. Besides a few plotholes (as I see them) I just don't see the point of certain characters (especially Woody Harrelson) in terms of their contribution to the story and the themes of the film. They are basically pure decoration to the story and could have been excludes without effect on the story. Furthermore while I find the themes of the film to be intriguing their depiction could have been better and have not been deeply explored. I have seen better films tackling such themes as coincidence, chance, morality and nihilism. On a side note, I find the depiction of Mexico to be rather stereotypical (and not in an ironic way). Some people have metioned this film has a (stong) comedic side which I can't confirm, I only laughed two or three timed throughout the film. For anyone who can't see blood, this may not be your type of film. Having said all this, I did enjoy watching this movie and I wasn't bored.