colette

POSITIVES…
- Without a doubt, watch this movie for the fantastic performance by Keira Knightley as Colette.
- Dominic West also deserves recognition for his role here as Willy.
- One of the best things about this film is the unconventional relationship between Colette and Willy. It helps that Knightley and West have excellent chemistry together on screen.
- There are some scenes and set pieces that were very enjoyable to watch.
- As a based on a true story biopic that spans several years, it’s paced pretty well, and knows what should or shouldn’t be omitted from the movie.

NEGATIVES…
- Some might have wanted to see the stories that are omitted from this movie.
- Most of the supporting characters don’t really get to shine or get properly developed, as this is predominantly a Knightley / West vehicle.
- Certain plot points seemed rushed through.

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first man

There are two things that “First Man” made me realize. One, I apparently didn’t know enough about what it took to even get NASA to a position where they could send people to the Moon. Two, I apparently really didn’t know much about Neil Armstrong. Alright, there’s a third thing. Three, this wasn’t the movie I was expecting going into it, and that’s not a bad thing.

To my surprise, this movie is actually less about the moon landing, and so much more about the life of Neil Armstrong. I suppose I should have figured that out with the title of the movie, but if there was any doubt, this is definitely a biopic of the man. Ryan Gosling gets to play the role of Armstrong here and he is simply phenomenal in it. There’s a lot of nuance involved with how to portray this specific man who mostly keeps his emotions in check, and Gosling nailed it.

As it goes with biopics, I usually complain about how they aren’t always good with a story that spans several years, and put all that into a cohesive narrative with proper pacing. Thankfully this movie managed to pull it off. The plot progression from the beginning years all the way to that historical day of the moon landing, all felt natural and engaging. There’s still a sense that time passes, but without sacrificing the integrity of the development of this specific premise that balances between Neil Armstrong and the NASA space program. With that said, I did have my issues on how the last few acts played out, but thankfully they didn’t break the movie for me.

With the Direction of Damien Chazelle, this film felt very intimate and personal with the story. There are mostly close up shots of the characters, which only emphasized that this is about the people involved in this story, and less about the technical aspects of how we send people into the Moon. There are still some jargon and historically technical plot details surrounding the space program of course; and they are fascinating, but those do take a back seat to the main emotional core and weight of Neil Armstrong’s story.

It’s easy to think about the Moon landing in the broad historical way, but usually we may ignore the human aspects of how we reached that goal. “First Man” hopes to change all that by using the story of Neil Armstrong; who and what he represents, to ground us into fully appreciating the blood, sweat, and tears, behind that achievement. I really enjoyed this more human drama telling of this journey to the moon, and it’s a fresh take that I’m glad I got to experience.

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all about nina

POSITIVES…
- Mary Elizabeth Winstead once again proves to be one of the best actresses of her generation.
- If this movie was more high profile, Winstead should be in consideration for getting nominated for best actress of the year.
- Winstead does an amazing job in the role of Nina Geld, who has some incredible character development here, that’s essentially the main anchor and a big reason to see this film.
- Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s killer impression of Kristen Stewart alone makes it worth seeing this.
- Common also does solid work here as Rafe, and the chemistry he has with Nina is captivating, and one of the choice plots to follow in this story.
- This is a good entry in the “Dark Comedy” genre, as it excellently melds some heavy topics mixed in with some provocative humor.

NEGATIVES…
- Due to the dark subject matters, it feels awkward to laugh at some of the humor here.
- There’s a bit of tired stereotyping about Los Angeles life and it’s residents.
- Vomit. I could have lived without the surprising amount of vomit I had to see in this movie.

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bad times at the el royale

When describing “Bad Times At The El Royale,” there will be people who will say that it’s “different,” “fresh,” “interesting,” or “captivating.” I would not disagree with those sentiments, but there is also one word that I would use for the movie that isn’t really a description, and more of what I had to have when watching it. “Patience.” Then if I want to be extra mean, another word I would use is “bored.” Oh, but let’s not stop there. I’ll toss in an actual descriptive word for the film. “Indulgent.”

I will say this about Writer-Director Drew Goddard, he has a good visual eye on how his movies should look, and clearly he has a lot of creative imagination with his writing. That’s something I’m not going to take away from him, because he’s in prime form with this film, as it is visually arresting, and the story is something you really want to see through until the end. Just from the very first scene, you can tell that the movie is going to be filled with a lot of great set pieces, and there are indeed. From the quirky premise of the El Royale, you can also tell that there are going to be twists and turns worth sticking around for, and sure enough they are.

With all that said, let’s go back to that word I said previously, “Indulgent.” This is a movie that seems to have a lot of ambitious ideas, that I think it ended up becoming a detriment to the overall experience. So much set up. So much backstory. So much plot turns. So much pay offs. There’s just so much here to digest. Ironically, another word that can also describe the movie is “slow,” because it does take it’s time before it gets to the point where you’ll really want to feel invested with what’s going on (about an hour in). That’s all despite the fact that I still feel like there is so much content crammed into this 142 minutes movie. As cliche as it is for me to say, but maybe Drew Goddard should have just made this a TV mini-series.

If this movie manages to cross the finish line a winner, it’s because it had the help of a fantastic ensemble cast. Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Jon Hamm, Dakota Johnson, Lewis Pullman, Cailee Spaeny, and yes Chris Hemsworth who seemed to really be having a blast in his role. I’ll give credit once again to Goddard’s writing, because he manages to flesh out these characters in interesting ways, and yes I did find myself invested in their outcomes. Some people might also say that the “El Royale” is a character on it’s own, but if that’s the case then I want a little bit more development than what was given to us. The El Royale’s lounge / main hall however? Now that’s a character!

Being that I’m a fan of Drew Goddard’s work, I am a little disappointed that I didn’t completely love “Bad Times At The El Royale” as much as I hoped I would. It does have a lot to offer in terms of entertainment value, and I did like the twists and turns in the story. Seriously though, Goddard should consider just redoing this movie into a mini-series. Just saying…

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venom

Although a lot of people will see “Venom” as a comic-book or maybe even a super-hero film, the truth is that it’s actually a lot closer to a monster flick. Yes there are some heroics involved still, and some will argue that the character is more like an anti-hero, but it doesn’t change the fact that the story feels more like what you would find in a monster movie. Admittedly it’s more like a generic monster movie, and if it wasn’t then go ahead and call it a generic comic-book super-hero movie.

While fans of the comic-book character will find things to like about this adaptation of Venom, I’m sure they will find things to nitpick about as well, especially when you compare the two different mediums. That isn’t the focus of this non-spoiler review however, so if I was strictly going to judge this movie by itself, then I would say that it’s simply passable if not a competent piece of entertainment. It doesn’t go far and beyond from what you would typically find with these kinds of films, but at least I didn’t think that it was horrible. As a movie goer, you will either find the familiarity comforting to watch, or too derivative to put up with. I’m somewhere in the middle.

If you put aside the familiar plot tropes, predictable cliches, stupid moments, blatant pandering, and unremarkable supporting casts; I swear it felt like Michelle Williams was phoning it in, then all you’ve got left is Tom Hardy and Venom. I had my concerns from watching the promotional trailers, but I ended up actually thinking that Tom Hardy made this movie much better than it deserved to be. He kinda swung for the fences with his performance as Eddie Brock, and the chemistry he has with the Venom character is truly the best thing about this film. Considering that Tom Hardy also does the voice for Venom, the fact that he is literally talking to himself is just an enjoyable thing to see.

Needless to say, “Venom” is not this great film that everybody should watch, because it really isn’t. Even so, there is definitely some entertainment value to this movie, especially with the Eddie Brock and Venom characters. Considering the monster flick aspects of the premise, I would have loved to have seen more blood and guts portrayed on screen, but for now I’m just glad that this isn’t the train-wreck it was predicted to be.

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lizzie

POSITIVES…
- Chloe Sevigny is an underappreciated actress, but she gets to really shine here.
- Jamey Sheridan gets to play the Dad we’re suppose to hate, and he plays him well.
- Needless to say, the most fascinating and arguably the best sequence of the movie is the event of the murders.
- This is an interesting interpretation on what might had happened on that fateful night, filled with some provocative modern perspective.

NEGATIVES…
- This controversial modern take might not sit well with some people.
- While Kristen Stewart had some good scenes, she was incredibly dull for the most part.
- In fact, with a strong cast such as this, most of the supporting players are mostly wasted.
- The pacing and editing could use some work, as there isn’t a real feel to the passage of time. At least I didn’t think so.
- Worst thing about the movie is that it can be frustrating or boring to watch at times.

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a star is born

The current sentiment is that every generation needs to have a version of “A Star Is Born,” and this one in particular is the fourth version of the story. It does give credence to that sentiment, but at the same time it also starts revealing how outdated this story might already be. It’s essentially the typical romanticized story of a nobody getting discovered for their naturally gifted talent and then becomes a celebrity. It’s a tale as old as time right? Why should you watch another version of that familiar premise? Two names. Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga.

Without a doubt there will be many who will watch this just for Lady Gaga, and then there will be those curious to see what Bradley Cooper’s first theatrical directorial debut looks like. What those people will get is a Lady Gaga who continually proves that she can be a great actress, and that Bradley Cooper can make a very personal feeling film, as well as shows us his range as a seasoned actor. The chemistry they have on screen is palpable, and a huge strength of the story telling. Both of them steal scenes left and right, and neither one of them seemed to have out shined each other. Such amazingly strong performances from both of them. Bravo!

Less I forget to mention, both of them can sing! We know Lady Gaga has a fantastic voice and gets to showcase it here with some great songs. Fantastic! Bradley Cooper also has a good singing voice, and gets to show off too with some great songs. Awesome! Choice songs that really won me over here are “Maybe It’s Time,” “Shallow,” “Always Remember Us This Way,” “I’ll Never Love Again,” and “Is That Alright?” Expect one or two of those songs to be played at many forthcoming weddings. Here’s the thing though, I don’t think I completely liked all the songs in the movie, which is disappointing, and kinda ruins my affection for the whole thing. The great songs it does have still makes it worth it though.

The plot progression of the characters played by Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga is the thematic core of this story, and I can say that I applaud the movie for tackling some heavy subject matters, but at the same time I have to also criticize the film for glossing over some as well. It shares the same problems that many biopics have, in that it makes parts of the story feel too compressed, or it takes some shortcuts just to get to the next big plot point. All the same though, when the movie is good; like a lot of the first half, it’s really really good. I suppose my suggestion is to just put up with some of the weaker aspects?

So yeah, I don’t think “A Star Is Born” is necessarily this perfectly made film, but I really did enjoy it quite a lot. It had certain messages and themes it wanted to relay to me, and I would say that it absolutely succeeded at that. If anything else, definitely see it for Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. They were simply phenomenal.

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operation finale

POSITIVES…
- This is another showcase at what great actors Ben Kingsley and Oscar Isaac are.
- I liked that this story plays off like a heist film, giving the movie some good excitement and tension.
- This true story definitely deserved to be made into a movie.

NEGATIVES…
- I kinda wish they didn’t leave out certain plot details, but maybe I’m being picky.
- This has a huge ensemble cast, and unfortunately not everybody gets to shine.
- People might argue that the film is generally bland and doesn’t stand out enough.

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bleach

POSITIVES…
- It’s weird that the best compliment this is getting is that “it’s actually a good live-action movie that’s based on an anime.”
- Sota Fukushi and Hana Sugisaki are really good in their roles of Ichigo and Rukia respectively.
- The chemistry between Sota and Hana makes it worth investing on where the story takes their characters.
- Manages to cram a lot of plot threads without overwhelming the narrative.
- Action sequences are pretty cool, and there are some nice sword fight choreography here and there.
- I also really liked the premise of the story, and makes me want to actually read the manga or watch the anime versions of this. I guess the movie really did succeed if it encourages me to do so.

NEGATIVES…
- As cool a premise as it is, it’s still manga/anime based, and falls for the same recycled plot tropes that can honestly feel boring to see play out at times.
- Suspension of disbelief is a huge necessity here, although they make some effort to explain some things.
- Some people might feel like the story is moving way too quick for their taste, while some might argue that it feels like a compressed version of a whole TV season (because it is).
- At worst, this movie is just serviceable as an action/fantasy tale, since it doesn’t really push too much boundaries in terms of it’s story.

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Watch it now on NETFLIX

hell fest

POSITIVES…
- Amy Forsyth in the lead role of Natalie is really good in this.
- The killer may not be the most original, but he’s creepily effective in the movie.
- I like the premise of setting the story in one night, and one place.
- There were some effectively good scary set pieces.
- This movie will make you wish a Hell Fest themed park actually exists.
- Nicely pays tribute to the classic slasher horror genre from the ‘80s.

NEGATIVES…
- Because it’s purposefully like the classic slasher horror movies from before, this film may unavoidably feel too derivative for many.
- Although the movie tries to avoid it as much as it could, characters still end up making some stupid decisions at times.
- Some plot cliches here. Some predictable tropes there. Some unbelievable moments here and there.
- Could have been more gorier.

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