I went into this movie, expecting a regular romcom of a couple not getting along too much. So imagine my surprise, when I suddenly realized that Bea's actual name was Beatrice Messina, not even fully realizing the Messina part at that moment. Much ado about nothing is my favorite Shakespeare play, so suddenly making the connection Ben and Beatrice, gave me the road map for the remaining movie. I had a lot of fun watching it, and some of the actors like Bryan Brown clearly had fun making it. They are all aware of the cheese, and lean fully into it, making it a good time at the movies. There is nothing new or groundbreaking about this movie, but neither is there anything new about love and romance.
Reviews
15 Reviews
Oppenheimer
(I) (2023)
Minority opinion
12 August 2023
I'm clearly in a minority here so take my opinion with a grain of salt. Nolan provides here a visually stunning movie with excellent acting performances. Robert Downey jr vanished so well in his role, that it took me 2 hours to recognize him, apof all the performances given, his was the most stellar and i fully expect a nomination for best supporting actor for his portrayal of Strauss. Cillian Murphy was very good but not special.
The jumping around in time was something to get used to, but nothing new for a Nolan movie, I liked the twists towards the end, and of course the historical component was fascinating. But in all honesty the movie inspires me much more to read the Oppenheimer biography "american prometheus" than watching this movie again. 180 minutes was to long for the material presented.
The jumping around in time was something to get used to, but nothing new for a Nolan movie, I liked the twists towards the end, and of course the historical component was fascinating. But in all honesty the movie inspires me much more to read the Oppenheimer biography "american prometheus" than watching this movie again. 180 minutes was to long for the material presented.
Forsaken
(I) (2015)
Solid western movie
12 February 2023
This is a pretty solid western movie, with an admittedly tried and proven plot. The Sutherlands nail it in there respective performances. Wincott is excellent, if underused. The one thing i have a bit a problem with is Demi Moore's casting; she plays perfectly fine, and avoids overacting. But she is simply to old for the role. John Henry Clayton had left home 10 years, earlier and she waited two years before starting her Family with Tom Watson. Mrs Moore is now 60; and that is requiring a lot of suspension of disbelief.
Overall I enjoyed the movie, and really loved the final showdown between Clayton and Gentleman Dan.
Overall I enjoyed the movie, and really loved the final showdown between Clayton and Gentleman Dan.
Glass Onion
(2022)
A loT better than I had expected
24 November 2022
I saw this movie tonight at the movie theatre, and would recommend people do so and not watch this on Netflix. This is a movie that wants the breathing space of the big screen.
Having seen the very "unstructured" trailer for this I was very concerned about this being a half hearted rehash of knives out, using quite possibly "the last of Sheila" as an template. Man was I wrong, Rian Johnson finally delivered the high class murder mystery he had teased at knives out. The actors in this one might not be as prolific, as in the first entry, but the story and movie by itself is a lot better. I enjoyed Knives out a lot, but this is the hands down better film.
Daniel Craig is having fun with the character, Edward Norton's portrayal of Miles is excellent, so are most of the other performances.
Having seen the very "unstructured" trailer for this I was very concerned about this being a half hearted rehash of knives out, using quite possibly "the last of Sheila" as an template. Man was I wrong, Rian Johnson finally delivered the high class murder mystery he had teased at knives out. The actors in this one might not be as prolific, as in the first entry, but the story and movie by itself is a lot better. I enjoyed Knives out a lot, but this is the hands down better film.
Daniel Craig is having fun with the character, Edward Norton's portrayal of Miles is excellent, so are most of the other performances.
Tár
(2022)
This could have been better
3 November 2022
Warning: Spoilers
There is no doubt, that everybody involved with filming this movie did their best. Acting and cinematography are excellent, the music goes without saying is fantastic. What the Film entirely misses is a plot, we follow the live of the highly egoistic and manipulative Lydia Tar. Very early the pattern of her using others becomes evident, equally her "abuse" of power and medication.
Some might say her protecting her daughter from a school bully was the maternal thing to do, in my eyes it shows a deeply disturbed person.
The inevitable crash, is what likely the author thought as being the plot of this movie, but the narrative lacks coherence and us easily an hour too long.
Some might say her protecting her daughter from a school bully was the maternal thing to do, in my eyes it shows a deeply disturbed person.
The inevitable crash, is what likely the author thought as being the plot of this movie, but the narrative lacks coherence and us easily an hour too long.
Amsterdam
(2022)
It's 5.5 rounded up
19 October 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I'm still trying to process what I have just seen. Amsterdam is neither the bod movie nor the masterpiece some other reviews claim it to be. I was act Ready to walk out of the theater about half way through. It's just that at that point the plot seemed to gel with me. And there isn't a whole lot of plot, perhaps because a lot of events allegedly happened. I don't know, I honestly prefer a made up bet well structured story.
Let's start with the good things: The cast is excellent, the perhaps weakest performance might be Ed Begley jr as General Meekly. Bale's performance is strong as always, despite the quite crazy character he plays. It is a delight to see deNiro acting seriously again and not trying to be comedic. Anya Taylor Joy is creepy, and this is how I'd wish Rami Malik had played his character in no time to die.
I seriously liked that they addressed the elephant in the room that the relationship between a black man and a white woman was acceptable in Amsterdam, but would be illegal in New York in the 1930's
The bad: Primarily the plot, or the lack of cohesion. The fact that the filmmakers were hinting at Nazi Germany as the approaching evil, but felt the setting of 1933 was an inappropriate time for that, so making do with mussolini and italy.
I wouldn't buy the DVD or recommend the movie to friends as a must see movie, but I won't discourage then either. It's worth perhaps rewatching it one day.
Let's start with the good things: The cast is excellent, the perhaps weakest performance might be Ed Begley jr as General Meekly. Bale's performance is strong as always, despite the quite crazy character he plays. It is a delight to see deNiro acting seriously again and not trying to be comedic. Anya Taylor Joy is creepy, and this is how I'd wish Rami Malik had played his character in no time to die.
I seriously liked that they addressed the elephant in the room that the relationship between a black man and a white woman was acceptable in Amsterdam, but would be illegal in New York in the 1930's
The bad: Primarily the plot, or the lack of cohesion. The fact that the filmmakers were hinting at Nazi Germany as the approaching evil, but felt the setting of 1933 was an inappropriate time for that, so making do with mussolini and italy.
I wouldn't buy the DVD or recommend the movie to friends as a must see movie, but I won't discourage then either. It's worth perhaps rewatching it one day.
The Greatest Beer Run Ever
(2022)
Ignore the title.
27 September 2022
I saw this movie tonight, without having any idea what I was going to see as a part of a mystery movie screening. The movie even has a cold opening, no title no a tors nothing, so I was sitting through the whole thing until I found out what it's called. I had never heard that this movie existed, what it was about or seen a glimpse of a trailer. This is not a movie that can be marketed, and is likely going to bomb at the box office.
Which is a real pity, as this is one if the more effective anti war movies I have seen, and I'm familiar with most of the usual suspects in that genre. It's not going for the big heroic moments, it's showing what a bloody stupid idea war is, having the Vietnam war as a stand-in for all wars. That doesn't mean there are even more stupid ideas, like Chickie's beer run, and believe me when I say Zac Efron is entirely vanishing in that character. I expect him and Russel Crowe to see nominations next award season for their work here, but while Crowe is chewing every scene he is in, Efron gives a much more subtle performance. Showing more with his expressions than words, how he changes as the movie progresses.
In a time of big franchises, CGI extravaganzas and super heroes, it sounds odd to say this was a breath of fresh air. There is humor in the movie, but it doesn't subvert the message, I just hope more people are going to see this movie, and talk about this movie, making filmmakers aware that good storytelling is still in demand.
Which is a real pity, as this is one if the more effective anti war movies I have seen, and I'm familiar with most of the usual suspects in that genre. It's not going for the big heroic moments, it's showing what a bloody stupid idea war is, having the Vietnam war as a stand-in for all wars. That doesn't mean there are even more stupid ideas, like Chickie's beer run, and believe me when I say Zac Efron is entirely vanishing in that character. I expect him and Russel Crowe to see nominations next award season for their work here, but while Crowe is chewing every scene he is in, Efron gives a much more subtle performance. Showing more with his expressions than words, how he changes as the movie progresses.
In a time of big franchises, CGI extravaganzas and super heroes, it sounds odd to say this was a breath of fresh air. There is humor in the movie, but it doesn't subvert the message, I just hope more people are going to see this movie, and talk about this movie, making filmmakers aware that good storytelling is still in demand.
Private Property
(2022)
One of the worst movies,
18 May 2022
I have seen my fair share of stinkers over the years, but this remake of private property is among the worst offenders.
Why do i think so?
For starters this is a remake, so it lacks originality, there is barely a plot recognizable, twists were so obvious, that they lacked any kind of surprise. There are some stunningly looking shots in the movie, but as any Zack Snyder film will show you, gorgeous looking shots do not rescue a movie without a plot. The main characters lack any form of chemistry.
I had the feeling, the director decided to make a film noir, but a very colorful one.
The list if producers and executive producers on this film is longer than the list of actors. Among them the leading man of this movie.
It might be worthwhile digging* up the original movie and give it a shot, but watching this one was a waste of money and time.
Why do i think so?
For starters this is a remake, so it lacks originality, there is barely a plot recognizable, twists were so obvious, that they lacked any kind of surprise. There are some stunningly looking shots in the movie, but as any Zack Snyder film will show you, gorgeous looking shots do not rescue a movie without a plot. The main characters lack any form of chemistry.
I had the feeling, the director decided to make a film noir, but a very colorful one.
The list if producers and executive producers on this film is longer than the list of actors. Among them the leading man of this movie.
It might be worthwhile digging* up the original movie and give it a shot, but watching this one was a waste of money and time.
All the Old Knives
(2022)
Unexpected gem
13 April 2022
I had almost missed out on this unexpected gem, and based in the low attendance in the movie theatre others do as well. This is a serious, but exciting thriller in the world of espionage. But there us no wild gun play, no high octane chase sequences no megalomaniac scheme to be foiled. No the movie, tells a very coherent story, using flashbacks and conversations to very great success. This movie forces the actors, to be actually convincing in their craft, and they are.
As it is almost impossible, to go into details of the plot without spoiling it, I recommend watch the trailer, then buy a ticket an see it.
As it is almost impossible, to go into details of the plot without spoiling it, I recommend watch the trailer, then buy a ticket an see it.
The Batman
(2022)
Better if it wasn't a Batman movie
2 April 2022
Warning: Spoilers
As the title already indicates, I have sone mixed opinions on this movie. I largely enjoyed it and think the cast was fantastically chosen, that does include Colin Farrels penguin. A character that in my opinion is going to be a recurring villain.
Before talking about what I enjoyed let me vent my biggest dislike, there was to much Batman seen in the movie. I love the character, but i find it always cringeworthy when Batman moves through bright daylight (the dark knight rises) or walks into a murder investigation with a room full of cops. The vigilante aspect if the character, should make that a low likelihood. Focusing on actually trying to solve crimes and using his head was a huge plus fir this movie, and if this would have been a thriller with slightly deranged detective, I would have enjoyed this more. But Batman knocking at the iceberg lounge and asking to be let in, felt wrong to me. Similarly the artistic choice to make his boots very loud, it helps striking fear, but goes a bit against the idea of being a shadow.
Now for the good. Pattinson nails his Batman, but needs to work a bit more on Bruce Wayne. But his face and that cowl, is the best looking Batman i have seen on the screen so far, if they could have made the eyes white slits it would have been comic perfect.
Zoe Kravitz as Selena Kyle is very good, and there is real tension between the cat and the bat.
Not sure yet about Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, he pulls of fatherly friend, but not the butler.
Jeffrey Wright as usual is reliable, to be marvelous in almost any role, no difference when it comes to James Gordon.
I think the film laid a great foundation for further movies to come, but it isn't going to replace Batman begins as the finest Batman movie for me.
Before talking about what I enjoyed let me vent my biggest dislike, there was to much Batman seen in the movie. I love the character, but i find it always cringeworthy when Batman moves through bright daylight (the dark knight rises) or walks into a murder investigation with a room full of cops. The vigilante aspect if the character, should make that a low likelihood. Focusing on actually trying to solve crimes and using his head was a huge plus fir this movie, and if this would have been a thriller with slightly deranged detective, I would have enjoyed this more. But Batman knocking at the iceberg lounge and asking to be let in, felt wrong to me. Similarly the artistic choice to make his boots very loud, it helps striking fear, but goes a bit against the idea of being a shadow.
Now for the good. Pattinson nails his Batman, but needs to work a bit more on Bruce Wayne. But his face and that cowl, is the best looking Batman i have seen on the screen so far, if they could have made the eyes white slits it would have been comic perfect.
Zoe Kravitz as Selena Kyle is very good, and there is real tension between the cat and the bat.
Not sure yet about Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, he pulls of fatherly friend, but not the butler.
Jeffrey Wright as usual is reliable, to be marvelous in almost any role, no difference when it comes to James Gordon.
I think the film laid a great foundation for further movies to come, but it isn't going to replace Batman begins as the finest Batman movie for me.
Death on the Nile
(2022)
A step up from the last one
15 March 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I must say for the most part i was pleasantly surprised by this movie. Somebody seemed to have taken Branagh aside and discussed the obvious shortcomings of murder on the orient express.
1) the horrible moustache is gone, and replaced by something that is extravagant, but doesn't constantly draw the eye, but I'm still not convinced it needed its own origin story.
2) Branagh takes himself back a little and allows the remaining cast to actually act and fill their respective roles with life. The squandering of talent in the last movie was a travesty.
There are aspects if the movie I didn't like, pretty much anything just invented for this movie, felt grating to me, but perhaps I think having created one of the most enduring detectives of history, Agatha Christie knew what she was doing so no need of inventing a new backstory making Poirot a farmer.
A lot of the characters were amalgamated with others, Bouc was written into the story for no compelling reason, taking a character from the novel but not previous movie incarnation. The addition of representation felt a bit token to me, but I didn't mind as it wasn't affecting the story to much.
Kenneth Branagh is still not a great Poirot, but he is getting better.
1) the horrible moustache is gone, and replaced by something that is extravagant, but doesn't constantly draw the eye, but I'm still not convinced it needed its own origin story.
2) Branagh takes himself back a little and allows the remaining cast to actually act and fill their respective roles with life. The squandering of talent in the last movie was a travesty.
There are aspects if the movie I didn't like, pretty much anything just invented for this movie, felt grating to me, but perhaps I think having created one of the most enduring detectives of history, Agatha Christie knew what she was doing so no need of inventing a new backstory making Poirot a farmer.
A lot of the characters were amalgamated with others, Bouc was written into the story for no compelling reason, taking a character from the novel but not previous movie incarnation. The addition of representation felt a bit token to me, but I didn't mind as it wasn't affecting the story to much.
Kenneth Branagh is still not a great Poirot, but he is getting better.
Cyrano
(2021)
Cyrano de Bergerac or just Cyrano?
8 March 2022
I went to see this movie with something of mixed expectations. I remember seeing versions of Cyrano de Bergerac in the past, but the trailer threatened sining and dancing. Now having watched it, I'm still not convinced about the singing and dancing, what I do know for sure is that this was a moving film, with excellent acting, especially Peter Dinklage. It was shot with a wonderful cinematography, and I must admit that I'm surprised it didn't get a nod from the academy, for it's excellent use of light and shadow.
While the acting is overall excellent, the singing is not so much. Nonetheless I spent some enjoyable hours in the movie theatre, and I'm glad for having seen this, learning upon the end that it is a film adaptation of the musical version.
While the acting is overall excellent, the singing is not so much. Nonetheless I spent some enjoyable hours in the movie theatre, and I'm glad for having seen this, learning upon the end that it is a film adaptation of the musical version.
Last Night in Soho
(2021)
Trailers can be deceiving
28 February 2022
I should start by saying, I don't like horror movies, so when I saw the trailers for this movie, I felt intrigued but also felt this was primarily a horror movie. In the end I decided against seeing it in theaters.
Later i was assured , that the horror elements were not as dominant as I believed them to be. This is also the last movie if Diana Rigg, whom I loved in all phases of her career, so I decided to buy the dvd.
Long story short, this is a marvelously crafted and shot movie, working with a fairly original premise. The acting is done to the highest standard, and this is a suitable final chapter for Diana Rigg. Terrence Stamp and Matt Smith manage to be creepy and charming at the same time. And the female leads,embody their respective characters wonderfully.
I'm only subtracting one star for the ghosts, because as I said I don't care for horror movies.
Later i was assured , that the horror elements were not as dominant as I believed them to be. This is also the last movie if Diana Rigg, whom I loved in all phases of her career, so I decided to buy the dvd.
Long story short, this is a marvelously crafted and shot movie, working with a fairly original premise. The acting is done to the highest standard, and this is a suitable final chapter for Diana Rigg. Terrence Stamp and Matt Smith manage to be creepy and charming at the same time. And the female leads,embody their respective characters wonderfully.
I'm only subtracting one star for the ghosts, because as I said I don't care for horror movies.
Dune
(2021)
This rating is entirely provisional
29 October 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Let me get the most important part out if the way first, this is not a stand alone, movie neither was it ever meant to be one, and i went in knowing about that. Still not having an end for the story left me somewhat dissatisfied. But i also won't put a final rating on this movie until i have seen the second part.
The casting was excellent, I had no problem believing any of the cast actors in their roles, especially T. Chalomet looks much more reasonable in age for Paul than both previous attempts. Similarly Rebecca Ferguson feels better realized as lady Jessica. Skarsgard is sufficiently menacing as Baron, despite being capable of flight.
We get a tiny bit more character work out if Duncan Idaho and Guerny Halleck, regrettably mentats are largely ignored.
The visuals are beautiful and stunning, the sound balance uneven, with too loud music.
There are things I did miss, the political dimension of the story is severly underplayed, the Padisha Emperor is entirely missing from this movie, so is his entire family, and Feyd Rautha. Also having the importance of spice and Arrakis more stressed would have been important, but perhaps I'm just sore that there is no beautiful introduction by Irulan.
Overall I believe once the second part is out, this will make a beautiful adaptation, but right now it's incomplete and shows it.
The casting was excellent, I had no problem believing any of the cast actors in their roles, especially T. Chalomet looks much more reasonable in age for Paul than both previous attempts. Similarly Rebecca Ferguson feels better realized as lady Jessica. Skarsgard is sufficiently menacing as Baron, despite being capable of flight.
We get a tiny bit more character work out if Duncan Idaho and Guerny Halleck, regrettably mentats are largely ignored.
The visuals are beautiful and stunning, the sound balance uneven, with too loud music.
There are things I did miss, the political dimension of the story is severly underplayed, the Padisha Emperor is entirely missing from this movie, so is his entire family, and Feyd Rautha. Also having the importance of spice and Arrakis more stressed would have been important, but perhaps I'm just sore that there is no beautiful introduction by Irulan.
Overall I believe once the second part is out, this will make a beautiful adaptation, but right now it's incomplete and shows it.
Knives Out
(2019)
Not what I expected but very enjoyable.
2 December 2019
Based on the trailers I had expected a murder mystery in the old English style, the cast was promising so I looked forward to see this. I was surprised when I found out that most of the story is played for laughs and this appeared to be closer to a satire than a mystery.
I still enjoyed my time at the movie theater and would rate this 7-8 rounded up for Daniel Craig.
I would have enjoyed this even better without the Infantile puking joke.
I would have enjoyed this even better without the Infantile puking joke.
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