nimrodyeivin Reviews

The Green Veil (2024– )

Could be a lot better

[6/10 · 17 May 2024]

Every good plot today is ruined by irrelevant men-hatred.

Instead of showing their real sins - their sins against non-white people, the Americans of this series cover it up with fake feminism.

That's how a series that have a great cinematography and should express a really important criticism is drown in the exact boring messages like everything we see on screens in the recent years. Moreover it returns to the exact shallow hatred and fear of the male sex that we really got tierd of.

While they could have done something truly innovative, something with meaning, they remained on the same level as any other television piece just to mask the real crimes of their nation and they also have the audesity to call it the green veil... What they forget is that the great series of our times were really subversive, different and deep and the men who were their heroes were complex and with many sides, even when they were anti-heroes.

In other words, an unfulfilled promise that starts well and loses it to the battered clichés that are everywhere today. Such a shame.

Side Effects (I) (2013)

Revenge is a dish best served cold

[8/10 · 29 April 2024]

Only Soderbergh can break all the rules like that!

Finally the beautiful girl actually gets what she really deserves and is punished with the full severity of the law.

Other films beautify and forcefully find some hypocritical way to pretend that the 'gentle and soft' girl turns out to be okay and it doesn't matter how ugly her act was; But not Soderbergh - he invents a perfect anti-hero who isn't afraid to get his hands dirty and bring the guilty to justice.

And all this through a stylish, sophisticated film with beautiful side twists and a sharp critique of the dangerous pharmaceutical industry. The name of the movie suits it perfectly.

And the actors aren't only beautiful looking but also talented and give a wonderful human touch to the great realism that makes Soderbergh's films such a pure indie works.

When the film ends, you feel as if it was over before you even realized it - on the surface it was light and casual, but in practice it is the genius of the director knowing how to disguise the complexity in simplicity with a cunning and witty way, by making great use of the cinematic means that allow to bridge time and space.

And the music is also great!

The Constant Gardener (2005)

Sentimental pretentiousness

[6/10 · 16 April 2024]

It's too difficult to empathize with a guy who continued to sympathise with his wife after she cheated on him and his values.

And then many of these cheated sisi's in movies, he still blames himself for her disgusting behavior.

It's a bit like how we always see how after their death, people are suddenly considered saints, as if they represented only good - pure, instead of complex figures as human really are.

The film is called The Constant Gardener and it is the truth, this guy is much too constant with people who don't deserve it.

In terms of cinematography, the film is great - professionally made, but in terms of plot, it is quite predictable.

I know people like the woman at the center of the story, who do everything to promote their righteous ideals even when it comes at the expense of their relatives.

If at least she was less two-faced... take for example the gangster characters we all know today from cinema, who at least do not hide the fact that they will do anything, even at the expense of their loved ones, just to promote an idea.

The hero is presented as if he isn't fighting for anything and then after the death of his wife seems to 'wake up' and for the first time, so to speak, fight for his wife whom he did not support her and her values allegedly.

But this is a bland political criticism that we are force-fed; because also in her life our hero did everything for the well-being of his wife who was too busy with other things outside, instead of being focused on him and their home.

In my opinion in the case of this we just see how much one has to choose one's battles carefully and if you are fighting for something at least choose something that worth fighting for.

Red Sparrow (2018)

Deceiving the audience more than the heroes

[4/10 · 13 February 2024]

If there was supposed to be a criticism of the hypocrisy and deceit of the espionage world, then it is far from effective.

The whole film is wrapped in a realistic pretension when in reality the chain of events and the content are not realistic at all.

In this world of espionage one woman with high school boy tricks would be eaten alive.

She didn't give anyone good enough motives to fall for her hook and somehow she still managed to play them all, even the people playing this game way before her.

If the film was not pretentious and at least accepted the mantle of a one man army like James Bond or a super-assassin like Lucy then there would be a plausible reason for the heroine to beat the system; But the director's attempt to present it as something deeper and more sophisticated simply cancels out any sense in the content of the film.

I'd like to see more directors going all the way with their idea, instead of being politically correct for the audience or the studios - it's not like that helped this movie become a blockbuster or anything...

Mr Inbetween (2018–2021)

So sad they didn't continue

[9/10 · 8 February 2024]

Mr. Inbetween is one of the best series you will see.

It's a bit like the excellent series "Barry", only Australian and even more of quality and touching.

This series, devoid of any pretension, combines in a wonderful way, the absurd reality of a "heavy" criminal, one of those who carry out only what the toughest carry out and on the other hand his very human story - about his dealings with life, with divorce, with being a father and a son and a friend and a brother; and even a man in general, all that in a world that grasps men & menliness very different than it was looked at just a few years ago... and the series does a great job of presenting a character that's a lot more complex, more real, a gray one - not superficial black and white, all while adding refreshing wittiness.

Beyond all that and the wonderful television work which takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions, from tense moments, for sad ones, and thought-provoking moments... Beyond that, there's the acting of the main hero that's simply perfect!

With his sly Jackal smile that in one situation is threatening and suspicious and in another brings you closer to him and makes you wonna be his friend - he conveys the emotion of the character in a wonderful way, in small nuances, without all the fuss.

In short, it doesn't really matter what genre you like, because this series has it all! In abundance and in very high quality.

Highly recommended!

Shoot 'Em Up (2007)

An opera of action!

[8/10 · 2 February 2024]

Not for the weak-hearted, Shoot'em up is the art of making goid action.

Who knew there's so much creative ways to kill your enemies and moreover with a carrot?!

This movie is a self-awared exaggeration, pure fun in the fastest paste anyone can handle.

With a baby & a carrot, the charming Clive Owen really hit the spot (and he's neverending opponents) and he's doing it with style.

If you can take all the dead guys easy enough it's a sight for sore eyes, an opera of bloodshed & a very witty peice.

And if Owen isn't enough, you can at least enjoy yourself with the brilliant acting of Paul Giamatti as a very intimidating villain.

What a man needs more?

Sukiyaki Western Django (2007)

Well ok, you don't get Miike...

[9/10 · 2 February 2024]

But what are you doing watching he's movies if you can't even appreciate GREAT cinematic language?

Takashi Miike is cinema for the advanced, if you don't have a lot of acquaintance with Japanese culture that is very dominant in he's films, you should at least fill in the blanks with a great knowledge & understanding of cinema itself.

And even this isn't enough cuase you really should have watched a lot of movies so you can get all his references.

Sukiyaki Western Django is a real masterpiece full of inspiration, imagination a healthy amount of craziness.

Sometimes it look like a Nicolas Winding Refn surrealism, sometimes like a computer-game & sometimes like a Japanese mythological legend.

And all than all it's a great anti-ganere of the western movies.

After-all Samurai's against Cowboy? Man, it's really an awesome dream...

The Batman (2022)

They tried to take the golden shot & missed, big time!

[6/10 · 2 February 2024]

Long before the production casted Pattinson for Batman, I told my friend they should take a guy who played a vampire for being Batman; because let's be real, there's a lot of resemblance between the awsome dark character of Batman - handsome player by day, dark knight by night & the idea of the fascinating creatures known as vampires.

Not surprisingly the production thought like I did, eventough I thought more about someone like the main vampires from True-blood than this kid from Twilight.

People forgets that because of the Batman-suit there's not a lot of actual acting as Batman, it's only a guy in full-cover suit without even a human face; so the most important thing in the acting of the character is when he doesn't wears the suit... Nevermind at least they were in the right direction.

But than, they tried to take a great cast (I mean com'on John Turturro, Colin Farrell & Andy Serkis? WOW!) And than they did the best mystake there is: trying copy Nolan or the great series Gotham by directing the movie more like something that going-on in the real world than a Sci-Fi comic... Seriously, other people made it the best anyone can, you can't compete with that.

So as much as I love batman, serial-killers & vampires, here they missed big time!

And I hate when you have all that potential & in the end your hands are just short.

Withe the ace of all DC comic - Batman, you really should be a lot more creative.

Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003)

How can you rate this masterpiece so low?!

[10/10 · 2 February 2024]

Here Rodriguez with he's utter genius is in his best!

All the movie is designed to look like a surreal "day of the dead" carnival, taking the visual-launguege for its heights & ofcorse it's serve the story amazingly.

I can get why people that didn't saw the other movies from El Mariachi/Desperado universe don't understand it very well, but how can you take those perfect actors with there perfect acting for granted?

More than that, this peice exudes Rodriguez personality and if you can't get that inspiring cinematics you really don't get cinema at all.

No-one can doing b-movies as mainstream as Rodriguez doing them, and this one is one of his very best & refined artwork.

If you'll shed the pretentiousness and come for the art of pure fun, I bet you'll find Once Upon a Time in Mexico most pleasing.

Six-String Samurai (1998)

Yet another case of underestimated artwork

[8/10 · 2 February 2024]

I definitely was surprised to see how much just people didn't get this crazy witty masterpiece.

I gotta tell you that Six-string Samurai is not Mad-max alright but it still takes the post-apocaliptic idea to a surprising and sharp place.

The hero played beautifully by Jeffrey Falcon is a sarcastic & very cool geek that survive a surreal journey/quest with he's nonshelant awsome attitude.

There's a lot of creativity & imagination, great acting & most of all a lot of coolness.

Not forgetting that the music is great like you should anticipate from a movie about a modern samurai who adors The King - Elvis Presley.

Most remarkable is the idea that a samurai wonna do music & 'fighting' in music-duals, beacouse it's actually really goes-well with the essence of Bushido.

Haters will hate, but don't take them in face-value, if you want to have tone of fun and grooviness watch this movie.

Expend4bles (2023)

Lil-bit better than the formers but...

[6/10 · 2 February 2024]

Along time ago I said that I wish for someone to take all the great martial-artists on-screen & make a movie where they're fighting eachother or against some kick-ass villains.

The guys I thought about were obviously Jet Li, Donnie Yen, Mark Dacascos, Jason Statham, Tony jaa, Iko Uwais & Wesley Snipes.

Well, here comes Stallone and starting by doing something similar, but the problem is that he don't know sh$t about Martial-Arts so all the action is more shooting & bombing instad of actually great fights... what a shame!

So, in this movie there were a little more martial-arts than all the other in this series, but yet it was very minor and most of the times practiced by the wrong people.

Now days the real master Jet Li is too ill for showing us how it's done, but I still hope we'll get to see those most talented guys really fighting in the next movie or something; cuase besides action theres nothing to it, so let us at least indulge in beautiful artsy fighting scenes and not this dull shootings.

Mind Over Murder (2022)

Great TV!

[8/10 · 29 July 2022]

Apart from this unnecessary theater they keep pushing there. It's an excellent series.

Hard to watch & see how much just law-enfocment is lousy almost anytime.

Barry (2018–2023)

Just call it romantic-comedy from now-on

[9/10 · 16 June 2022]

It was great in the start but than they had to ruin the awsome protagonist (Barry) with the same sh@#$t that everyone else does - he's taking the fall for that dumb Sally? Really?!

That's just lazy screenwriting.

Sweat (2020)

Shame

[5/10 · 13 November 2021]

They opened a lot of great plot-lines, But didn't cought any of them & took it deeper.

It's great to finish with an open-end but don't be so lazy; you should choose your direction and stretch it yo the place that your virewers get something from the movie.

You Should Have Left (2020)

Well done, but the massage is served very poorly

[4/10 · 17 June 2021]

There's no justification for unfaithfulness as there's no justification for any other crime.

Treachery doesn't should be compesanted in any way.