dwolf77 Reviews

A Serious Man (2009)

It Makes You Think

[10/10 · 1 September 2018]

A Serious Man is one of the Coen brothers' best films. It is centered on a middle aged Jewish physics professor (Larry Gopnik), one that unfortunately begins to see his life fall apart at the seems. The filmmaking on display here is superb. The writing and directing at the helm of the Coen brothers is perfect. The two capture the truly depressing story of Larry Gopnik, yet also make the entire film hilarious. The camera work by the always fantastic Roger Deakins is just as great as usual, and the lack of music adds to the bleak world these characters live in. The preformance by Michael Stuhlbarg on display can't be overstated. Stuhlbarg doesn't play a melancholy, depressed shmuck, nor does he play a blind and ignorant fool. Stuhlbarg manages to find a perfect middle ground for his preformance; he is just a man trying to find answers to why his life is falling apart. As he searches for the answer from various different rabbis it just seems to continue to evade him. He constantly asks "Why?" all of these bad things are happening to him, and maybe the answer is as simple as, there is no reason. As the Book of Job so elegantly puts it, even decent men are often subject to suffering. The film provides a fair criticism of religion, in this case Judaism, as often being unhelpful with real life problems. The end of the film is hard to interpret, probably done on purpose by the filmmakers. As Professor Gopnik recieves a harrowing call about a recent x-ray taken at the doctor's office, a tornado simultaneously approaches Danny's (Gopnik's son) school, and all hope seems to be lost. This could be viewed as an apocalyptic related ending, tying into one of the major themes of the film, religion. All in all, I would consider this film perfect. Every aspect of the entire movie is done superbly, and it leaves you with a lot to think about. It truly is a must-see film.

Good Time (2017)

Great Filmmaking

[10/10 · 25 August 2018]

This film is a borderline masterpiece. The Safdie brothers, who directed this movie, have showed their potential to be some of the best directors working today. The film presents a grimy and filthy universe in the Queens area of New York, and all of it feels real. The film simply follows our main character on a mission to get his mentally deficient brother out of jail. All the preformances are spectacular, especially from Robert Pattinson, who gives by far the best preformance of his life. The score is superb, made up of mostly synthesizers and experimental noises. The cinematogrophy is full of close-up shots on characters' heads, highlighting the Safdie brothers' style, and enhancing the dark and grimy tone of the film. There is truly no time to breathe as the entire movie is action-packed, all happening in real time. The pure cruelty and brutality on display throughout the film adds to the realism and shock value recieved as you watch the film. I consider Good Time to basically be a perfect movie, as I truly can't think of any single problem I had with it. It's a must watch.

Hereditary (2018)

Unsettling

[7/10 · 10 June 2018]

This film is very well done. The cinemotography was done exquisitely, as every shot is well composed and very pleasing to look at. The acting, especially from Alex Wolff, Toni Collette, and Milly Shapiro are all fantastic. For a directorial debut, the film knocks it out of the park. I would consider the majority of this film to play out like a psychological thriller, as most of it is suspense being built up. Near the end of the third act is when things truly get scary. There are a lot of memorable and unsettling scenes throughout the film, and I thoroughly enjoyed every part of it right up until the ending. I won't spoil it for you, as I feel you should go into this film knowing as little as possible, but it felt like the entire movie was original and different right up until the end when it turned into something I felt like I had seen before. Regardless, this is a very well done and captivating movie that I urge you to go see.

First Reformed (2017)

Interesting

[8/10 · 1 June 2018]

First Reformed is a very thought provoking and interesting film. Ethan Hawke stars as Reverend Toller, a heavy drinker who serves at the local church, "First Reformed." The church is 250 years old, and is known as the "souvenier shop," because of its lack of attendees and many tourists. Ethan Hawke does a wonderful job playing a distraught reverend, plagued by the death of his son who joined the army as per his request. The film also starts Amanda Seyfried as the widow of Michael, a radical environmentalist. Her name is Mary, (no coincidence there), and Seyfried delivers a mixed performance, with some of her scenes standing out and others feeling awkward and out of place. The film is shot in the old-fashioned 1.67-1 aspect ratio, giving the viewer a box-like feeling of enclosure. The cinematography is imppecable, with the framing and shot composition adding to the already incredibly dark tone. The film shines in its techincal aspects, but lacks in other areas. There is no subtlely to be found here as the message of the film is very clear. Climate change is bad. While I don't necessarily disagree with the message at play here, the way it is brought up in the film is often overbearing and always out of place. This is clearly seen in a dream like sequence between Mary and the Reverend, that distracts the viewer because of how out of place and bizzare the sequence is. Ethan Hawke and others often bring up facts about climate change and its negative effect on the environment. Scenes are interrupted with quotes like "97% of scientists believe there is climate change." The message just feels very forced and out of place and I wish Schrader would have included the message in such a way that the characters spoke about it more from the heart, rather than reading notecards that contain facts. Overall, I would recommend this film for the wonderful cinemtography and filmmaking on display; but be cautious of the message, which often times gets in the way of what could've been a masterpiece. I still reccomend this film and encourage you to see it.

Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

Eh

[4/10 · 1 June 2018]

The movie was really just fine. I was somewhat entertained throughout and I would never say I was bored, but the film just felt very average and unimportant throughout its entire running time. The movie did nothing new or interesting, and there was truly nothing special about it. I enjoyed the music because it is Star Wars, and I enjoyed a few of the action scenes, but it simply wasn't enough. The dialogue was chuck-full of cliches and the actor who played Solo dispalyed no charisma or charm and was generally not fun to watch. I have no interest in seeing this film again, it wasn't awful and it wasn't great, it was just an average movie. I only reccomend watching it if you consider yourself to be a diehard Star Wars fan.

Deadpool 2 (2018)

Severely DIssapointed

[3/10 · 19 May 2018]

I genuinely did not enjoy this movie. Coming from someone who thought the first Deadpool was very good, I thought this one was far worse. I recall laughing only 3-4 times, as the comedy was poorly written and unfunny. Simply having Ryan Reynolds break the fourth wall to acknowledge the fact that the writing is "lazy", does not make it ok for the writing to be lazy. I also feel the action was far worse in this film compared to the first one, with there being far too many cuts for an audience member to follow what's happening. Overall I feel every aspect of this movie was done worse than the first one. I frankly wouldn't reccomend it, as I was bored, unamused, and am already forgetting what happened throughout the film. Unless you're a hardcore Marvel fan, I see no point in spending your money to go and see this movie.

Isle of Dogs (2018)

Wes Anderson Does it Again

[8/10 · 16 April 2018]

Isle of Dogs is another masterfully created film from Wes Anderson. It comes with all the quirks and distinctive style we've come to expect from him, and it works on an amazing level. The most amazing thing about this film are the visuals. Everything is meticulously crafted and done in such a way that you can't look away from the screen. The movements of all the characters along with the settings look spectacular, and the stop-motion style animation only makes it more pleasing to watch. All the visuals cleatly had an immense amount of work poured into them, and it definitely paid off. The dialogue is just as witty and entertaining as any other Wes Anderson movie, and most of the characters are perfectly-cast. Although the story is simplisitc, it doesn't really negatively affect the movie because everything else is done in such a fantastic manner. The cinemotography is just as aesthetically pleasing as any other Wes Anderson movie, with plenty of symmetrical shots. The score by Alexandre Desplat is also incredible, as it fits the tone and feeling of the movie very well. On occasion, some Japansese characters speak Japanese without subtitles, although simply a personal preferance, that would be my only criticism of the film. Overall, this film is incredibly enjoyable and well-made, and it is a must-watch for everyone. If you love filmmaking as an artform, this is the movie for you. Go and watch it.

Rampage (2018)

So Absolutely Awful

[1/10 · 14 April 2018]

Everything about this movie is absolutely terrible. The plot is boring, the acting is atrocius, the writing, directing, cinemotagoraphy, and soundtrack are all dull, and worst of all, it's not even fun. I usually enjoy The Rock as his films can sometimes be fun to watch. This is not one of those films. This movie is just incredibly stupid and unentertaining. It's not funny, the action is bad, and I simply did not enjoy myself in the theater. Do not go and see Rampage, it's not worth your money.

A Quiet Place (2018)

Very Impressed

[7/10 · 8 April 2018]

A Quiet Place is a great horror film. This is one of the most genuinely scary horror movies that has come out in a very long time. It seems to be third time's the charm for John Krasinski in the director's chair, as he truly hit this one out of the park. Not only are the horror scenes some of the best I have seen in recent memory, but you actually care and feel for the characters. John Krasinski and Emily Blunt are both fantastic, and demonstarte a great on-screen chemistry, consdiering they are married in real life. The kids were pretty good as well, as long as they weren't talking, (I'll get to that in a minute). The film build tension incredibly well, and, I must reiterate, the horror in this movie is actually scary. A Quiet Place is not full of dumb and cheap jump scares, it provides real horror. The scares in this movie are earned through scenes full of tension and uneasiness that lead to the scare, they are not lazily thrown in throughout the film. The cinematogorphy is also very well done, with most of the shots in the film being interesting and captivating. But, as is usually the case, there are a few scenes in this movie that aren't very good. There is a scene where John Krasinski is talking to his son near a waterfall, and the entire conversation is a little cringy, because the kid is not a good actor when he has to talk. There are a couple other shots and scenes that annoyed me as well. I found the very last shot of the film to be a little cliché and unneccesary, (but I won't spoil it for you). Overall, A Quiet Place is a genuinely scary film, filled with very good perfomances, great direction, a great story, and great cinemotography, make sure you check this one out.

Geostorm (2017)

It's Terrible

[1/10 · 7 April 2018]

Look, everyone knew it was going to be terrible, and it was terrible. What's the surprise? I saw it on a plane because I had nothing else to do and I would say there were probably 2 or 3 special effects that looked cool, and everything else was awful. Just don't watch it, it's really bad.

Adaptation. (2002)

It's Wonderful

[10/10 · 7 April 2018]

Charlie Kaufman is one of the best screenwriters of all time. In this film, he manages to write a movie about writing a movie, along with writing a movie about a book. He writes so elegantly about the process of screenwriting, and shows the many struggles and frustrations it presents. Every single performance is incredbile. Meryl Streep is fantastic, as is Chris Cooper, and Nicholas Cage gives one of the best perfoamnces I have seen in a very long time. He portrays both Donald and Charlie Kaufman (forgot to mention that Charlie Kaufman wrote himself as the main character of the film because it is about Charlie Kaufman trying to write a film and running into writer's block), and gives an incredbily nuanced and subtle performance, ensuring you can tell the identical twin brothers (Donald Kaufman being ficitious), apart. The film's ending goes against all of Charlie Kaufman's beliefs about what good screenwriting is, and that's the point. The end of the film includes a car chase, sex, guns, and pointless action, all the clichés Charlie Kaufman despises, yet he did this on purpose, more as a satirical statement on Hollywood than a serious ending. The ending also shows that maybe Charlie Kaufman's desire to be an intellectual and thought-provoking writer can only work for two thirds of a film when adapting a book like The Orchid Thief, but can't necessarily create a third act, because there isn't really a story to tell. Adaptaion is one of the most original, hilarous, and thought-provoking films I have ever seen. It's a must watch.

The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)

Almost a Masterpiece

[10/10 · 25 March 2018]

The Killing of a Sacred Deer is one of my favorite films of 2017. Yorgos Lanthimos has done it again writing one of the most compelling scripts of the year. The story is incredibly intriguing, and builds tension incredibly well throughout the film. The film is disturbing, not in terms of violence, but in the way it messes with your head. The acting is great from Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell. As is the case with all his movies, Yorgos Lanthimos brings his unique direction style in a way that it almost seems the characters are living in their own world. The cinematogrophy is also fantastic, adding to the tension and uneasiness of the film. My only criticism is that I wish I knew more about the teenager's motivationt to cause such harm, and how he did it. Overall a fantastic film and you should definitely watch it.

Kidnap (I) (2017)

Wow

[1/10 · 25 March 2018]

This film is so unbelievably bad you won't know what to think after watching it. Halle Berry gives one of the worst and least-convincing performances I have ever seen. Everything happens so quickly and there is absolutely no time for you to develop any emotions or understand the characters. The direction is awful, the writing is some of the worst I've ever seen, all of the acting is terrible, the cinemotography is on par with that of the "Saw" films, and watching this film may chronically injure your brain. Do not watch this film. It is complete, utter, trash. Worst film of 2017, even worse than Baywatch.

This Is England (2006)

Great Film

[8/10 · 22 March 2018]

This Is England is a masterly crafted drama. The film manages to balance comedy and a sence of tragedy incredibly well throughout the entire film. The acting is simply brilliant. For a first-time actor, I was blown away by the performance of Thomas Turgoose, who played Sean. Stephen Graham, the actor who played Combo, provided the most effective and dramatic scenes in the film, and was absolutely fantastic. The writing seems incredibly real, and you feel as if you are almost watching a documentary because of how natural the dialogue feels. The cinematography is great, it is well-directed, and the story is captivating. My only criticism would be that the music, on occasion, does some of the thinking for you, and there were just one or two scenes I found to be a little cheesy. Definitely watch this film. You will be blown away by the realness of it, and it surely won't be a waste of your time.

Red Sparrow (2018)

Absolutely Awful

[2/10 · 18 March 2018]

I am confused as to how this abomination of a film was approved by a major studio. The only possible explanation I can think of as to why this happened, is because some Hollywood executive saw Jennifer Lawrence's name and said, "Well this should make money." Let's start with the one thing that isn't terrible, Jennifer Lawrence. Now she surely isn't good in the movie, but she isn't awful, and that's about the only good thing I can say about this film. Red Sparrow is atociusly written, horrifically directed, poorly acted, and poorly shot. This filmn fails on nearly every level, the score is awful as well. Much of the dialogue is forced and cheesy, and doesn't fit the film's attempted tone. This film also had a few attepmpts at humor, and failed at every single one of them. Red Sparrow is also neelessly brutal and violent. Violence, if used correctly, can greatly improve the effecvtiveness and punch of a film. Red Sparrow is violent for no reasn, and borders on torture porn. Do not watch this film. Everything about it is bad, and it is increibly boring.

Thoroughbreds (2017)

Very good cliche-defying teen film

[8/10 · 11 March 2018]

This film is incredbily entertaining and intriguing from beginning to end. Our two lead actresses both give fantastic performances, as wealthy teenage girls from suburban Connecticut. The story unfolds in a very interesting way and the ending left me satisifed. The cameraweork is stunning, and the direction is great, especially for a directorial debut. It manages to be both comedic and dark and balances the tone quite well. There is one plot line including Anton Yelich that I would have liked to see wrapped up a little better, but it definietely does not take away from the overall enjoyment of the film. This film is intriguing and brings a much-needed spin to a genre that often produces subpar films. You should definitely go watch Thoroughbreds, you will not be dissapointed.

Game Night (I) (2018)

Avoid at all costs

[3/10 · 7 March 2018]

This movie is unfunny, unoriginal, unintriguing, and boring. The idea is certainly a good one, and I could have seen it being carried out well, but unfortunately the idea was given to a man who had never directed a movie before, and it shows. The direction is simply boring, only consisting of shot-reverse shot and adding nothing special to keep your interest. The script is absolutely terrible. I laughed two times throughout this entire film, and the second time I laughed was because of my embarassment at the film's attemt for humor. The acting is fine, but the actors are simply given nothing to do. This film fails both at being an action movie and a comedy and I urge you to avoid it, unless you want to spend 2 hours of your life boring yourself.

Goodfellas (1990)

Fantastic

[10/10 · 7 March 2018]

Goodfellas is one of the best crime movies of all time as I would rank it up there with The Godfather, even though the two are hars to compare. Scorsese's directing style is really what makes the film, with multiple long takes and the use of Scorsese's masterful framing, we feel what it is like to be a gangster. The perfromances are impeccable, with Deniro, Pesci, and Liotta giving some of the best perfroamces of the 90's. The story is incredibly well told and the fact that it is based off of a true story only makes it more interesting. I enjoy the narration done by Henry Hill and his wife Karen, as it gives us an inside look of what is going on in the characters' heads. The film shows the harshness of the mafia yet still manages to be funny in one of the best crime films ever made.

The Square (2017)

Very Interesting Film

[8/10 · 3 March 2018]

The Square may have some problems overall, but it is a great film. Ruben Ostuland seems to be establishing himself as a truly great director, first making Force Majeure followed by this. The acting is great, the film is incredibly well shot, and many pieces of intereseting social commentary are laced in throughout the film. The film manages to give off a very interesting tone, a mix of dark comedy, psychological horror, and drama. The film may run a little long with its 2 and a half hour run time, and some scenes and ideas feel unnecessary and are only brought up once in the film never to be explored again, yet this is still a great film and is one I would definitely reccomend, especially to those who were fans of Force Majeure.

Black Panther (2018)

Don't Listen to the Hype

[4/10 · 20 February 2018]

Black Panther is really just another predictable and average Marvel movie. Most Marvel movies I find enjoyable to a certain extent, and would usually rate a 6 or 7/10, but this movie falls short. The characters are weak, the writing and story are quite bland, the acting is whatever, and Black Panther himself is meh. The entire movie is really just a whole bunch of average and boring series of events that follow the cookie cutter format of any other superhero movie. What makes this movie slightly worse than your average superhero movie, is that the humor is terrible and it takes itself far too seriously. We are even treated to a "What are those?!" joke near the middle of the film. Overall, Black Panther is a slighlty below average film that you really don't have to watch.

P.S. There is no meaningful political commentary in this film. Don't listen to the people that say there is.

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Great Film

[10/10 · 20 February 2018]

The Shawshank Redemption is a fantastic film that is a must see for anybody. It has one of the most intriguing and intersting stories of any film ever, and is well-directed, acted, and written. Everything about this film is fantastic.