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The Black Phone (2021)
Lovely kids in very creepy context
Now here's a great random piece of art... Creepy in a way that is good and enjoyable. The two kids who carry the movie are amazing. Ethan Hawke plays a role unlike anything seen from him before, and he is mesmerizing and not easily forgettable at all.
With a different cast and with some different artistic choices, this movie could have been quite bad. But it is very good instead, an essential viewing from this year I would say.
We Own This City (2022)
Thanks again, David Simon and others
I regret having read reviews beforehand comparing it to The Wire. No use in comparing a 6 chapters vs. 60 chapters story, plus this one is based on true events and tries to remain faithful to the facts, which adds boundaries to it.
This is a great (sad) story and it has the same qualities that made The Wire that great. That unique way of editing and telling the story is there, and the acting is magnificent. The constant jumps in time mean that you need to pay attention for not getting lost, but it's perfectly doable and rewarding.
Even though I have no connection to Baltimore or U. S. in real life, I have learnt a lot about people and modern institutions thanks to works like this and others these guys create. Thank you!
Gisaengchung (2019)
Spectacular movie
This movie is just smart, entertaining, and artistically fulfilling. If it had only succeeded in one of those three aspects, this would be a very good movie, but instead it just excels at all three.
The script is more than satisfying and highly entertaining. And the way the movie presents its own world and draws you in completely... it is just beautiful.
It is difficult to judge the acting when you don't speak the language, but all interactions look very convincing and in line with the implausibility of this so ridiculous world, yet so similar to ours.
I just wanted to write this review to recommend anyone who's reading to watch this movie. I really enjoyed it and, I will gladly watch it again some time in the future.
Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes (2019)
Very well-done documentary that I truly regret watching
After 4 hours of seeing and listening to this man, you have the chance to get inside his mind and it is really not pleasing. Not that he gets into too much details about the things he's done or anything, but still you get to know him a little bit, taking the concept of human evil to a whole new level.
I have to admit sometimes I am somewhat curious about serial killers, which is what made me want to see this in the first place, but I really regret I did... I see no artistic or informational purpose for doing this , it just makes you feel sick.
The documentary is very well-edited, in a very addictive style that makes you keep watching. You can tell immediately that this horrific man would be extremely happy to see this well-marketed big shot documentary about his life.
After watching the whole thing, you still don't really know specifically what was wrong inside his head... you can feel it a little bit, but not really know it. I don't want to know anyway, there's no need. I wouldn't recommend watching this to anyone I know.
The Deuce: What Big Ideas (2018)
Unexpectedly perfect
After a huge, slow, and very enjoyable introduction of 11 episodes, in this one things start moving forward really fast, a lot of things happen. You can feel the tension grow and it's beautiful.
From the funny opening scene until the dramatic final scene, everything in between is perfect. The acting in some cases is unbelievable. I felt like watching an entire movie after this.
I am now more certain about the fact that this show will be fantastic. Looks like it's going to be a great ride...
La casa de papel (2017)
Why is Spain copying Hollywood so much lately?
Lately I've been noticing that most of the Spanish cinema that gets out there is very well-filmed, high-budget stuff, but full of obvious cliches and stereotypes. I'm both disappointed and surprised by this.
Except from some particular filmmakers like Almodovar or Alex de la Iglesia, I'm not sure how good Spanish cinema used to be before this new hollywoodesque era. It probably wasn't very good anyway. But it still surprises me: why are they recycling formulas that have already been taken to perfection in Hollywood decades ago and are now clearly in decline? Why not try something a bit more brave or original? Do these hollywoodesque manufactures still sell good and that is why they're doing it?
Anyway, about this series. It's well-filmed and well-acted. The plot all the time looks like it can get interesting, but it's really just a combination of lots of different Hollywood bank heist movies we've seen before. There are only one or two details here which seem to be original or not borrowed from somewhere else. And these details are not completely bad I must say.
But the characters... they are completely stereotyped and it is where this series fails the most. You have the extremely intelligent non-violent group leader who wears glasses and listens to classical music, the computer's guy, the humble welder, and two Russian tough bullies. You even have the very sexy young woman whose specific skill or role within the gang is not clear, besides looking super hot on screen. These are all characters we've seen before a million times. How can people still emphasize with these kinds of characters? However, I thought the acting was pretty good, which saves the characters from total embarrassment.
Fargo: Buridan's Ass (2014)
Among the best episodes of any TV Series ever
I really liked Season 1 of Fargo, but I felt I needed to go back and review this particular episode, because it simply consists of some of the best 60 minutes I've spent in front of a screen.
Everything about this episode is magnificent. There are three different story-lines going on, and each one of them is intelligent, moving and poetic.
Martin Freeman's character surprises us all by showing how amazingly smart he gets once he's really up against the wall. Meanwhile, the Greek deals with his demons and his gods in a very emotional story.
Finally, what really makes this episode the masterpiece it is: Billy Bob Thornton's genius evil plan. It doesn't get much better than this when you're in front of a screen watching something. I'd also like to highlight Glenn Howerton's participation. I'm a big fan of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, so I admit I was very happy to see him in something different, and I may not be 100% objective on this. But I think his performance was so incredible that it wouldn't have been possible to achieve such greatness without him. It's a difficult and unconventional performance that was required, but he pulled it out like a truly great artist, which I think he is.
In conclusion, Fargo's first season is very good, and I would recommend everyone to see it. But it is this particular episode that really stands out as something memorable and unforgettable.
The End of the F***ing World (2017)
Amazing little thing
With a total duration of around 160 minutes, Season 1 is more like a movie rather than a TV series. An incredible movie, actually.
I didn't think I was going to like this so much, because I thought it would be an exaggerated outcasts plot. And it is, but it's so well-done that it turned into something truly beautiful and great.
The acting is excellent. I think the two main characters will stay with me for a long time. Most secondary characters are a bit polarized, and also exaggerated, but it works nevertheless with the tone of the whole thing.
The plot-line flows easily and at the perfect pace. It almost never gets boring, and once you're in the ride you just relax and follow it. The police angle was also very smart and well done, in my opinion.
Finally, the soundtrack is simply amazing. It got to me at a personal level. I'm so glad to see that there's still many people out there who kind of sees music in the same way I do.
The ending is very unconventional. I can't say I loved it, but it is really brave, and I admire that.
I highly recommend watching this. It's weird when it needs to be weird, smart when it needs to be smart, and emotional when it needs to be emotional. It all works perfectly.
Dark (2017)
A soap opera with Back to the Future's plot inside a Stranger Things cover
... and it's German, which gives a surreal touch, at least for me who have never watched a series in German before, just a few movies.
It's impossible not to like "Dark" at least a very little, since it's a mix of things everyone loves, but it really fails in so many levels.
Cinematography is excellent. The music is kind of repetitive and uses lots of synth sounds: it works for some particular moments, but is unnecessary most of the times. The acting is irregular: there are truly a lot of characters and actors, so some of them I think were fine, but mostly it's not very good I must say.
And the most important thing: the plot. It has some nice twists (not great) in the first few episodes, but at some point it starts to fail in epic proportions. If you have not watched many time-travel movies or haven't watched some who deal with wormholes (for example, Donnie Darko), maybe you find it interesting. But if you've seen all that, then this will give you absolutely nothing: it all goes around a clichéd idea that is not profound by any means and doesn't make a lot of sense.
The back to the futurish thing is fun to watch: even some plot lines take place in the 50's and in the 80's, which really takes you all the way to Marty Mcfly and the Doc, but the way it's done is not intelligent enough to make any sense.
And the soap opera plot lines, such as romance and deceptions between the characters are completely unnecessary and anti-climax.
I've finished the whole series, so I guess it works at some level. Maybe taking bits of sci-fi movies and concepts we all love and then mix it into a German series was a genius idea, since it is kind of addictive and seems to be doing well. But I feel really guilty about having invested almost 10 hours of my week into this, because my mind tells me that it was absolutely not worth it.