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Post by Lex Salander on Jul 23, 2017 0:37:34 GMT
My review of A Cure for Wellness
A Cure for Wellness was very polarising upon its release, some hated it, others loved it. It definitely had a lot of potential, I liked the actors involved with Dane Dehaan and Jason Isaacs, I really like Gore Verbanski as a director and the trailer and premise of the movie was very intriguing. So I was definitely interested in how the film would be despite the mixed reaction. Having finally seen it, I personally think that it’s one of the best films of the year.
A Cure for Wellness is a long movie, it’s nearly 2 hours and 30 minutes long but it kept my interest from the beginning to the end. Yes, the pacing is quite slow at times, perhaps unnecessarily at times, but I was nonetheless engaged despite this. This movie is not completely different from anything we’ve seen before, watching it you can recognise some similarities to other movies (such as Shutter Island). What is different is the way the film tells its story, the structure is a little different, all the details of the movie are important to understanding everything, some of these aspects are ambigious and you actually have to really think about to full grasp what’s going on. I know this because that’s what happened with me, there were parts of the movie that I only understood hours after watching the movie, when certain things clicked for me I could more fully grasp what was going on. However generally the movie is straightforward, with maybe the exception with the ending (specifically the last shot of the movie) which is a little ambiguous. However, with many of the details being ambiguous and with all the twists and turns throughout the film, I can see A Cure For Wellness getting better upon repeat viewings. In terms of flaws, there aren’t many to be honest. There was a possible continuity error and the first act is non-linear for no reason really, it didn’t bother me or hinder the film but it did feel unnecessary. However that’s it to be honest.
The acting all around is great. Dane Dehaan is really good in the lead role. There is an aspect to the film where its questioning whether Dehaan’s character is just imagining and hallucinating a lot of what’s happening and Dane pulls it off well. Mia Goth is quite good as a unique patient at the wellness centre, her performance really worked for the movie. This is the first performance I’ve seen from her and I can tell that she’s very talented, she definitely deserves some more work. The best performance of the film however is from Jason Isaacs, who is in the role of the director of the wellness centre, a very sinister character, definitely leaves an impression on you.
The direction by Gore Verbenski is perfect. The cinematography was excellent, everything from the framing, to the camera movement, the lighting and colour was perfect. It’s a beautiful looking movie overall. This movie is full of disturbing imagery, things that make you genuinely uneasy and uncomfortable, and I don’t usually feel like this during movies so that says a lot. The production design is excellent, the location chosen for the majority of the film is a castle and it gives the film a very unique enbironment. This movie also does well at making you feel uneasy, you can tell that something is off, but a lot of the time you can’t pin it down what it is. The sound design was very effective and it all worked to feel very real and unnerving, the creaking sounds of Dane Dehaan’s crutches as he moves from place to place (he is on crutches for the majority of the film) was an example of this. The music by Benjamin Wallfisch ranges from being haunting and eerie to loud and intense, definitely very effective and memorable. I’m confident in saying that A Cure for Wellness is really one of the best directed movies of 2017 so far.
A Cure of Wellness gets everything right, the acting is great, the story is very intriguing and its different structure and storytelling method makes this a unique and fascinating movie. However, it is Gore Verbenski’s direction that ties everything together and makes everything work so well and makes this movie even better than it already is. As shown by the reactions, it seems that A Cure for Wellness is not for everyone. It is a weird movie, along with the dark tone and grim and grotesque imagery, it is a very different movie in terms of its structure, this structure could potentially turn some people off. If you are curious enough however I recommend checking it. I personally think that it’s safe to say that A Cure for Wellness is going to be one of those films which receives a mixed response upon its release but gains a cult following and is later appreciated as an excellent film.
Review at my blog at youngcinemabuffs.wordpress.com/2017/07/23/a-cure-for-wellness-2017-review/
Ranking of 2017 movies:
1. A Cure for Wellness 2. Logan 3. War for the Planet of the Apes
4. Wonder Woman
5. Alien Covenant
6. Get Out
7. John Wick: Chapter 2 8. Split 9. Spider-Man Homecoming 10. Okja
11. The Discovery
12. Una
13. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
14. Fate of the Furious
15. Kong: Skull Island
16. Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2
17. The Mummy
18. Life
19. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
20. Beauty and the Beast
21. The Lego Batman Movie
Next review: War for the Planet of the Apes
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Post by LaraQ on Jul 23, 2017 1:25:46 GMT
I went to see Dunkirk last night and oh my God what a stunning film.It`s beautifully shot and almost unbearably tense.This is Nolan`s masterpiece.You must watch it on IMAX if you can.It`s also the first absolute lock for best picture/director this year. :clap1:  :woohoo2: How was Harry?  He was surprisingly good, the guy can really act and it wasn`t just a piece of stunt casting like I feared. |
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Post by Lex Salander on Jul 25, 2017 5:52:11 GMT
Thoughts on Okja (I probably won't end up doing a full on review for it)
I saw Okja weeks ago and I liked it but didn't love it. I definitely was interested throughout, the acting was great by pretty much everyone (with the exception of Jake Gyllenhaal, I have no idea what to think of his performance). The director did a good job with this movie overall (Snowpiercer was better though). That's all I can really say about this movie because it didn't leave that much of an impression on me. I can't pinpoint things particularly wrong with this movie and the direction and acting was great. A lot of the story I liked too. But I didn't love the movie as much as everyone else did.
What was your thoughts on Okja? |
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Post by Lex Salander on Jul 25, 2017 8:47:24 GMT
My review of War for the Planet of the Apes
War for the Planet of the Apes was one of my most anticipated films of 2017. Director Matt Reeves did an excellent job with Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, the sequel to the surprising Rise of the Planet of the Apes. So naturally, I was excited for what was to come. I am happy to say that War for the Planet of the Apes was even better than I thought it would be. Matt Reeves again delivers on making a compelling film in this series and has truly crafted something special.
This movie probably shouldn’t have been called War for the Planet of the Apes, despite the trailer and the title its not really a war movie, its not an action movie either. There is only a couple of major action sequences, the rest of the film is a drama and I have to give Reeves credit for being willing enough to go much deeper with the story, instead of making the film bigger and more actiony just because its the conclusion of the trilogy. This film is also even darker than Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, its very bleak with only a few bright spots. The stakes are more personal and it focusses heavily on Caesar, it’s the most character driven story out of all the Apes movies. Rise and Dawn partially focussed on the humans along with the apes and because they weren’t as interesting as the apes, their segments felt weaker in comparison. War doesn’t have this problem, it’s almost always focussed on the apes (particularly Caesar) and you care about every moment. This film is slower paced and it is long, at 2 hours and 20 minutes. But it really does work in the film’s favour and helps to tell the story. The story of War for the Planet of the Apes may not be what you’d expect it to be (without spoiling anything) but I can’t imagine it being any better. Absolutely everything in this movie is perfect, Reeves again has made me emotionally attached to a movie about apes, not an easy task.
Andy Serkis is absolutely phenomenal as Caesar, honestly this is the best I’ve seen him in a movie. It’s been great seeing him evolve as a character from Rise, to Dawn and now War. This movie is Caesar’s story. Most of the main characters are apes and all of them are great, a standout (like in the previous movies) being Karin Konoval’s character Maurice. There is a new character, with Bad Ape played by Steve Zahn, who I guess you could call the comic relief of the film. This movie is very bleak, with only some instances of humour, and Bad Ape takes up the majority of the humour. This character could’ve gone so wrong, becoming annoying or distracting but that’s not the case. He’s an genuinely entertaining and likable character and Zahn did a great job. There are only a couple of noteworthy human characters. One of them is Amiah Miller as a mute girl, she did a really great job in her role, especially when she interacted with the apes. The other is Woody Harrelson as The Colonel. He works well as a threatening antagonist but at the same time is given some depth and has some motivations for what he does.
Rise and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes had great special effects and War for the Planet of the Apes has effects that are even better. The special effects are incredible, at no point does the CGI feel fake. I’m especially talking about the motion capture work for the apes, most of the characters are apes and all of them are look incredibly convincing. War for the Planet of the Apes has some of the best motion capture in a film ever. There isn’t a massive amount of action (really just two major sequences) but whenever it happens it is done excellently. Michael Giaachino has a bit of a reputation of making passable but forgettable scores, however his score here is actually pretty good, and really adds to the movie. Matt Reeves’s direction of this movie is overall perfect, there’s nothing I have an issue with really.
War for the Planet of the Apes is not just one of the best films of the year, it is also one of the best blockbusters in recent years. The fantastic direction by Matt Reeves, the excellent performances (particularly from Andy Serkis), and the deep and complex story truly make this an incredible movie. I will say for those going in, keep in mind is that it’s a full on drama, don’t go in expecting an action film. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes has a mix of drama and action, War for the Planet of the Apes is a drama. Matt Reeves did a great job with this film, I don’t know how it could be any better. I don’t know whether there will be any more sequels but if this the final instalment to the franchise, then it’s a fantastic conclusion to one of the best film trilogies ever.
My review of War for the Planet of the Apes at my blog at youngcinemabuffs.wordpress.com/?p=3246&preview=true
Ranking of 2017 movies:
1. A Cure for Wellness
2. Logan
3. War for the Planet of the Apes 4. Dunkirk
5. Wonder Woman 6. Baby Driver
7. Get Out
8. Alien Covenant
9. John Wick: Chapter 2
10. Split
11. Spider-Man Homecoming
12. Okja
13. The Discovery
14. Una
15. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
16. Fate of the Furious
17. Kong: Skull Island
18. Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2
19. The Mummy
20. Life
21. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
22. Beauty and the Beast
23. The Lego Batman Movie
Next review: Dunkirk
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Post by Lex Salander on Jul 28, 2017 9:01:49 GMT
My review of Dunkirk
Dunkirk is directed by Christopher Nolan, that was enough to get me on board for this movie. I’ve loved nearly every film from him, he always brings his A game to the table to deliver great movies. The concept of him take on a war movie was intriguing, and on top of that he had a great cast with actors like Tom Hardy and Cillian Murphy involved. So I was definitely excited to see Dunkirk and unsurprisingly, Nolan did not disappoint. Dunkirk is a very different war movie from most, very intense and captivating and is also one of the best examples of excellent visual storytelling. One of the best films of the year for sure.
This movie is unique compared to other war movies, it is really something special. Dunkirk feels incredibly realistic, more so than most ‘realistic war movies’. Whereas most war movies focus on both the characters and the war, Dunkirk solely focusses on the war. The movie doesn’t ever have a moment when someone gives their life story like most war movies (because in war, that wouldn’t happen). One of the best parts of the movie was the visual storytelling. Nolan uses exposition sparingly, only when necessary. The rest is just pure visual storytelling at its best. If there is one criticism I might have is that there isn’t really a whole lot of character depth or development, it really wasn’t that big of a problem for me. However, I do think it could’ve been possible to give the characters a little more depth then they ended up displaying in the movie. It’s just a minor flaw though. Dunkirk has three perspectives, one on land with Fionn Whitehead over a week, one on boat with Mark Rylance over a day, and one in the air with Tom Hardy over an hour. The transitions are a little jarring sometimes like, when its night-time in the land segment and then it suddenly cuts to daytime in the plane section. This movie is short for a Nolan movie at 1 hour 46 minutes and I think it was a good running time, its not too short and it doesn’t overstay its welcome.
This movie has a large and talented cast with Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance, Kenneth Branagh and others and they were great in their roles. As I said earlier, this movie doesn’t have a lot of character development or exposition, the actors just needed to act well in their roles and they really did that. An example is Tom Hardy, most of the time his face is covered by a mask and he’s just acting with his eyes and he is one of the stand out performances in the film. And yes, even Harry Styles is pretty good in his role.
Christopher Nolan directed this movie, and as usual he brings his A-game, it is what makes this movie work so incredibly well. The cinematography by Hoyte van Hotyema is top notch, you completely feel like you’re with these people during these events. This film feels very realistic, the war sequences never feels overblown or over the top, there’s no self indulgent bloody violence for the sake of violence. Hans Zimmer’s score raises the tension, definitely plays a big part in making the film work. Honestly all things considered, this one of Christopher Nolan’s best directed films yet.
Dunkirk is yet another excellent film from Christopher Nolan. Along with the acting and story, the direction and visual storytelling is absolutely fantastic. It’s also an important movie, and watching these events of Dunkirk occur is really compelling. I can’t say how this movie would rank against Nolan’s other movies, but it is probably one of his best, which is saying a lot. Dunkirk is truly one of the best films of the year.
My review of Dunkirk youngcinemabuffs.wordpress.com/2017/07/28/dunkirk-2017-review/
Ranking of 2017 movies:
1. A Cure for Wellness
2. Logan
3. War for the Planet of the Apes
4. Dunkirk
5. Wonder Woman
6. Baby Driver
7. Get Out
8. Alien Covenant
9. John Wick: Chapter 2
10. Split
11. The Discovery
12. Spider-Man Homecoming
13. Una
14. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword 15. Okja
16. Kong: Skull Island 17. Fate of the Furious
18. Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2
19. The Mummy
20. Life
21. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
22. Beauty and the Beast
23. The Lego Batman Movie
Next review: Baby Driver
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Post by renoh on Jul 29, 2017 22:07:34 GMT
Thoughts on Okja (I probably won't end up doing a full on review for it)
I saw Okja weeks ago and I liked it but didn't love it. I definitely was interested throughout, the acting was great by pretty much everyone (with the exception of Jake Gyllenhaal, I have no idea what to think of his performance). The director did a good job with this movie overall (Snowpiercer was better though). That's all I can really say about this movie because it didn't leave that much of an impression on me. I can't pinpoint things particularly wrong with this movie and the direction and acting was great. A lot of the story I liked too. But I didn't love the movie as much as everyone else did.
What was your thoughts on Okja? Agree, I found his performance weird, like he was channelling an animated cartoon… Inspector Gadget + Jim Carrey… for anything else I loved it ;) . |
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Post by Lex Salander on Jul 31, 2017 7:55:06 GMT
My review for Baby Driver
Baby Driver was a movie that I’ve been keeping an eye on for a while. I’ve loved every movie from director Edgar Wright, and with the cast with actors such as Kevin Spacey, Jon Hamm and Jamie Foxx involved, it had a lot of potential. Baby Driver blew me away. Entertaining from start to finish, directed and written perfectly, Baby Driver is one of the best films of 2017. Edgar Wright has made yet another fantastic film.
Now the movie doesn’t have the most original story, they’ve been plenty of crime, heist and car chase movies. However, Baby Driver is a love letter to those movies (and to music as well), and this movie has a lot of fun with it. Edgar Wright’s writing is top notch as always, from the dialogue, to the foreshadowing, humour and the plot overall, everything is written to perfection. Like Wright’s other movies, there are bits that most people won’t necessarily notice on a first viewing, so I can see people loving this movie even more on repeat viewings. I was entertained from start to finish. It is quite a fun movie overall but its also serious enough that you care about what’s going on. If there’s any flaw I can find with the movie its that the romance just sort of comes out of nowhere and starts abruptly. That’s it really, and even then the romance does work overall because of the leads’ chemistry (more on that in a bit). Honestly aside from that aspect, there wasn’t really a low point of the movie.
This movie has a very talented cast, the one actor in the cast that I was unsure about was Ansel Elgort, he’s a decent actor but I hadn’t seen him great in anything … until now. He really impressed me in Baby Driver, he’s likable and he fully embraces his role. Baby Driver really is his movie and he shines in it. I did mention that the romance is rather sudden and its unbelievable how quickly it starts, but what makes it work is the chemistry between Ansel Elgort and Lily James, they work perfectly together, without them the romance (which is one of the main points of the movie) wouldn’t work at all. This movie has a lot of talented supporting actors with Kevin Spacey, Jon Hamm, Eiza Gonzalez, Jamie Foxx and Jon Bernthal and others and they are great. The stand outs to me were Kevin Spacey and Jon Hamm, they really left an impression on me the most.
Edgar Wright’s direction is perfect once again, you can definitely feel his attention to detail and is so incredible to watch. The car chase scenes feel real and not fake at all, the stunts are so great. I’m not sure if any CGI was used, but if it they did I certainly didn’t notice it. The most stand out parts of the movie is how it uses music in the film. This movie has a large and fun soundtrack but what’s even better is how it uses it in the film itself, for example a lot of the time, the film times the sound effects of the scenes with the music perfectly and it is glorious to watch. The first scene of Baby Driver gives you a good idea about how music is used.
Baby Driver is a really entertaining movie with great acting from its talented cast, as well as Edgar Wright’s smart and funny writing and direction. I’m not sure where this ranks among Wright’s other movies but I can say that it’s at the very least fantastic on its own. Baby Driver is one of the best films of the year, and I would absolutely recommend checking it out.
My review for Baby Driver at youngcinemabuffs.wordpress.com/2017/07/31/baby-driver-2017-review/
Ranking of 2017 movies:
1. A Cure for Wellness
2. Logan
3. Dunkirk 4. War for the Planet of the Apes
5. Baby Driver
6. Wonder Woman 7. Get Out
8. Alien Covenant
9. John Wick: Chapter 2
10. Split 11. Atomic Blonde
12. The Discovery
13. Spider-Man Homecoming
14. Una
15. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
16. Okja
17. Kong: Skull Island
18. Fate of the Furious
19. Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2
20. The Mummy
21. Life
22. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
23. Beauty and the Beast
24. The Lego Batman Movie
Next review: Atomic Blonde
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Post by Lex Salander on Aug 2, 2017 7:03:02 GMT
My review of Atomic Blonde
While one half of the directors of John Wick continued with the sequel, the other half (David Leitch) worked on an adaptation of a graphic novel titled The Coldest City which resulted in Atomic Blonde. With the talent of the director, as well as the talent of actors involved such as Charlize Theron and James McAvoy, how could I not be excited? And it lived up to expectations. The actors were great in their roles (particularly Theron and McAvoy), the story was interesting enough and David Leitch’s direction were all great.
Atomic Blonde’s plot isn’t anything special but it works for the movie. There is enough twists to keep you invested in what’s going on from start to finish. Whether all the twists will hold up on a second viewing remains to be seen. The plot kept me pretty interested throughout and I was consistently entertained. One last thing I want to address, I know a lot of people will go into Atomic Blonde expecting Jane Wick but don’t, Theron’s Lorraine Broughton is not like John Wick, and the world that this film is isn’t the criminal underworld from the John Wick universe. The only thing similar in both the John Wick films and Atomic Blonde is the excellent direction. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just different. No, Atomic Blonde doesn’t have the fascinating world that John Wick has, but it doesn’t need to. For what the movie that it was aiming to be, Atomic Blonde succeeded very well.
Charlize Theron absolutely owns her role as Lorraine Broughton, she’s fantastic in her action sequences and actingwise she is fantastic as well, she really does have a screen presence. She steals every scene she’s in. However another showstealer is James McAvoy, who is also great in his role as a very wild, shady and morally ambiguous character. There were times when both McAvoy and Theron were on screen and I couldn’t tell who stole the show more. McAvoy was definitely one of the highlights of the film. Other actors like Sofia Boutella, Toby Jones, John Goodman and Eddie Marsan were really good in their roles.
David Leitch’s direction naturally is great. This movie like John Wick is very stylised and was one of the highlights of the film. Unsurprising the action is great with the cinematography capturing all the action clearly, the stunts and choreography looked genuine especially from Charlize Theron and they were very entertaining overall. Probably the most standout action sequence is inside a apartment and at a stairwell later in the movie, it is brutal and unrelenting. It is also a long 7 minute unbroken take (or at least appears to be). That was the best action sequence in the film, so incredibly done. I guess maybe the only negative I can say that its not consistent as to whether the action scenes are stylistic or realistic and brutal and they feel distinctly different from each other but that’s a minor issue. The soundtrack is also really great, along with Tyler Bates’s score, there is a bunch of classic songs that play very well in the film.
Atomic Blonde is a really good action movie, the actors was good, Theron and McAvoy stole the show and it had some truly great action sequences. For those wondering, no, I wouldn’t quite consider it at the level of quality of the John Wick movies but honestly it doesn’t need to be. I actually wouldn’t mind a sequel to Atomic Blonde if it actually happens, I would love to see more of Lorrain Broughton in action. To repeat a point I said before, don’t go in expecting Female John Wick, maybe expect the similar action but that’s it, Atomic Blonde is its own thing, and I’m glad it is.
My review of Atomic Blonde at my blog at youngcinemabuffs.wordpress.com/2017/08/02/atomic-blonde-2017-review/
Ranking of 2017 movies:
1. A Cure for Wellness
2. Logan
3. Dunkirk
4. War for the Planet of the Apes
5. Baby Driver
6. Wonder Woman
7. Get Out
8. Alien Covenant
9. John Wick: Chapter 2
10. Split
11. Atomic Blonde
12. The Discovery
13. Spider-Man Homecoming
14. Una
15. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
16. Okja
17. Kong: Skull Island
18. Fate of the Furious
19. Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2
20. The Mummy
21. Life
22. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
23. Beauty and the Beast
24. The Lego Batman Movie
Next review: I don't know, possibly The Big Sick?
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Post by LaraQ on Aug 2, 2017 11:56:14 GMT
My review of Atomic Blonde
While one half of the directors of John Wick continued with the sequel, the other half (David Leitch) worked on an adaptation of a graphic novel titled The Coldest City which resulted in Atomic Blonde. With the talent of the director, as well as the talent of actors involved such as Charlize Theron and James McAvoy, how could I not be excited? And it lived up to expectations. The actors were great in their roles (particularly Theron and McAvoy), the story was interesting enough and David Leitch’s direction were all great.
Atomic Blonde’s plot isn’t anything special but it works for the movie. There is enough twists to keep you invested in what’s going on from start to finish. Whether all the twists will hold up on a second viewing remains to be seen. The plot kept me pretty interested throughout and I was consistently entertained. One last thing I want to address, I know a lot of people will go into Atomic Blonde expecting Jane Wick but don’t, Theron’s Lorraine Broughton is not like John Wick, and the world that this film is isn’t the criminal underworld from the John Wick universe. The only thing similar in both the John Wick films and Atomic Blonde is the excellent direction. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just different. No, Atomic Blonde doesn’t have the fascinating world that John Wick has, but it doesn’t need to. For what the movie that it was aiming to be, Atomic Blonde succeeded very well.
Charlize Theron absolutely owns her role as Lorraine Broughton, she’s fantastic in her action sequences and actingwise she is fantastic as well, she really does have a screen presence. She steals every scene she’s in. However another showstealer is James McAvoy, who is also great in his role as a very wild, shady and morally ambiguous character. There were times when both McAvoy and Theron were on screen and I couldn’t tell who stole the show more. McAvoy was definitely one of the highlights of the film. Other actors like Sofia Boutella, Toby Jones, John Goodman and Eddie Marsan were really good in their roles.
David Leitch’s direction naturally is great. This movie like John Wick is very stylised and was one of the highlights of the film. Unsurprising the action is great with the cinematography capturing all the action clearly, the stunts and choreography looked genuine especially from Charlize Theron and they were very entertaining overall. Probably the most standout action sequence is inside a apartment and at a stairwell later in the movie, it is brutal and unrelenting. It is also a long 7 minute unbroken take (or at least appears to be). That was the best action sequence in the film, so incredibly done. I guess maybe the only negative I can say that its not consistent as to whether the action scenes are stylistic or realistic and brutal and they feel distinctly different from each other but that’s a minor issue. The soundtrack is also really great, along with Tyler Bates’s score, there is a bunch of classic songs that play very well in the film.
Atomic Blonde is a really good action movie, the actors was good, Theron and McAvoy stole the show and it had some truly great action sequences. For those wondering, no, I wouldn’t quite consider it at the level of quality of the John Wick movies but honestly it doesn’t need to be. I actually wouldn’t mind a sequel to Atomic Blonde if it actually happens, I would love to see more of Lorrain Broughton in action. To repeat a point I said before, don’t go in expecting Female John Wick, maybe expect the similar action but that’s it, Atomic Blonde is its own thing, and I’m glad it is.
My review of Atomic Blonde at my blog at youngcinemabuffs.wordpress.com/2017/08/02/atomic-blonde-2017-review/
Ranking of 2017 movies:
1. A Cure for Wellness
2. Logan
3. Dunkirk
4. War for the Planet of the Apes
5. Baby Driver
6. Wonder Woman
7. Get Out
8. Alien Covenant
9. John Wick: Chapter 2
10. Split
11. Atomic Blonde
12. The Discovery
13. Spider-Man Homecoming
14. Una
15. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
16. Okja
17. Kong: Skull Island
18. Fate of the Furious
19. Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2
20. The Mummy
21. Life
22. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
23. Beauty and the Beast
24. The Lego Batman Movie
Next review: I don't know, possibly The Big Sick?
Good review,it actually makes me want to see it.I am side eyeing A Cure For Wellness being your number one film of 2017 though.I hated it.  |
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Post by Lex Salander on Aug 3, 2017 0:16:38 GMT
My review of Atomic Blonde
While one half of the directors of John Wick continued with the sequel, the other half (David Leitch) worked on an adaptation of a graphic novel titled The Coldest City which resulted in Atomic Blonde. With the talent of the director, as well as the talent of actors involved such as Charlize Theron and James McAvoy, how could I not be excited? And it lived up to expectations. The actors were great in their roles (particularly Theron and McAvoy), the story was interesting enough and David Leitch’s direction were all great.
Atomic Blonde’s plot isn’t anything special but it works for the movie. There is enough twists to keep you invested in what’s going on from start to finish. Whether all the twists will hold up on a second viewing remains to be seen. The plot kept me pretty interested throughout and I was consistently entertained. One last thing I want to address, I know a lot of people will go into Atomic Blonde expecting Jane Wick but don’t, Theron’s Lorraine Broughton is not like John Wick, and the world that this film is isn’t the criminal underworld from the John Wick universe. The only thing similar in both the John Wick films and Atomic Blonde is the excellent direction. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just different. No, Atomic Blonde doesn’t have the fascinating world that John Wick has, but it doesn’t need to. For what the movie that it was aiming to be, Atomic Blonde succeeded very well.
Charlize Theron absolutely owns her role as Lorraine Broughton, she’s fantastic in her action sequences and actingwise she is fantastic as well, she really does have a screen presence. She steals every scene she’s in. However another showstealer is James McAvoy, who is also great in his role as a very wild, shady and morally ambiguous character. There were times when both McAvoy and Theron were on screen and I couldn’t tell who stole the show more. McAvoy was definitely one of the highlights of the film. Other actors like Sofia Boutella, Toby Jones, John Goodman and Eddie Marsan were really good in their roles.
David Leitch’s direction naturally is great. This movie like John Wick is very stylised and was one of the highlights of the film. Unsurprising the action is great with the cinematography capturing all the action clearly, the stunts and choreography looked genuine especially from Charlize Theron and they were very entertaining overall. Probably the most standout action sequence is inside a apartment and at a stairwell later in the movie, it is brutal and unrelenting. It is also a long 7 minute unbroken take (or at least appears to be). That was the best action sequence in the film, so incredibly done. I guess maybe the only negative I can say that its not consistent as to whether the action scenes are stylistic or realistic and brutal and they feel distinctly different from each other but that’s a minor issue. The soundtrack is also really great, along with Tyler Bates’s score, there is a bunch of classic songs that play very well in the film.
Atomic Blonde is a really good action movie, the actors was good, Theron and McAvoy stole the show and it had some truly great action sequences. For those wondering, no, I wouldn’t quite consider it at the level of quality of the John Wick movies but honestly it doesn’t need to be. I actually wouldn’t mind a sequel to Atomic Blonde if it actually happens, I would love to see more of Lorrain Broughton in action. To repeat a point I said before, don’t go in expecting Female John Wick, maybe expect the similar action but that’s it, Atomic Blonde is its own thing, and I’m glad it is.
My review of Atomic Blonde at my blog at youngcinemabuffs.wordpress.com/2017/08/02/atomic-blonde-2017-review/
Ranking of 2017 movies:
1. A Cure for Wellness
2. Logan
3. Dunkirk
4. War for the Planet of the Apes
5. Baby Driver
6. Wonder Woman
7. Get Out
8. Alien Covenant
9. John Wick: Chapter 2
10. Split
11. Atomic Blonde
12. The Discovery
13. Spider-Man Homecoming
14. Una
15. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
16. Okja
17. Kong: Skull Island
18. Fate of the Furious
19. Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2
20. The Mummy
21. Life
22. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
23. Beauty and the Beast
24. The Lego Batman Movie
Next review: I don't know, possibly The Big Sick?
Good review,it actually makes me want to see it.I am side eyeing A Cure For Wellness being your number one film of 2017 though.I hated it.
A Cure for Wellness is a very divisive movie, its polarised most audiences but some people (including myself) loved it. Honestly my top 4 of the year could be put in any order.
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Post by mortimer605 on Aug 3, 2017 7:04:52 GMT
Anyone here seen The Emoji Movie perhaps ? Is really THAT bad :o or critics are unjustly harsh ?
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Post by RedSparrow on Aug 3, 2017 8:31:29 GMT
Anyone here seen The Emoji Movie perhaps ? Is really THAT bad :o or critics are unjustly harsh ?
Well the film's about a bunch of smileys from your phone, so it does not sound surprising that everyone's hating it. Also, the trailer looked awful. Sony clearly ran out of ideas. |
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Post by Lex Salander on Aug 3, 2017 9:00:33 GMT
Anyone here seen The Emoji Movie perhaps ? Is really THAT bad :o or critics are unjustly harsh ?
I'm probably going to see it sometime (haven't seen it yet) and as much as I despise the existence of it, I think that critics are probably exaggerating how bad the movie is. It's probably garbage and generic with not many redeeming qualities, but I think that they might actually hate the concept of the movie more than the movie itself. It can't be worse than Norm of the North. |
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Post by Lex Salander on Aug 14, 2017 10:21:18 GMT
My review of The Big Sick
The Big Sick was a movie I heard about only recently, I heard that it was a romantic comedy that a lot of people really loved. I really didn’t know what to expect, the trailer was funny and looked like it had potential, so I was cautiously optimistic before seeing it. The Big Sick surprised me on many levels, it surprised me how funny it was, it surprised me how emotional it was, and it also surprised me how great it was overall, this is probably one of the best romantic comedies I’ve seen (then again it’s not saying a lot).
I won’t lie, I really am not a fan of romantic comedies, save for a few like 500 Days of Summer. In order for a romantic comedy to really get me to like them, they have to really be well written and something different from all the countless generic romantic comedies that are dumped out every year, and it really does. The Big Sick is a very unconventional romantic comedy. This movie is written so incredibly well, the movie is absolutely hilarious with every joke hitting hard, the dialogue fantastically written. At the same time though you actually care about what’s going on with these characters. It felt so real and genuine and not fake at all. To summarise, this movie isn’t pretentious, it doesn’t succumb to any typical lines or moments that are in typical romantic comedies movies. Like don’t expect a montage of someone being sad with a cheesy sad song, when the film is emotional, it feels earned. The Big Sick also has some social commentary about many things including interracial relationships and religion, especially with Kumail’s family, and how Kumail has to abide by his family’s rules, as otherwise he might be removed from the family and never spoken to again. The drama and comedy are balanced out very well. If there are any potential flaws with the movie, the 3rd act does go on for a little too long. As for how accurate it is (as it’s based on a true story) I can’t comment, but given the people who wrote this movie, I’ll just say that it’s highly likely that its true.
The acting overall was really good for the movie. Kumail Nanjiani was hilarious and likable in his role (as himself), but also handles the dramatic scene very well, you really care about him. Equally as great is Zoe Kazan as Emily, Kumail’s girlfriend. The chemistry between the two is perfect, they are so likable and fun to watch. The supporting actors are also great, particularly the parents of Emily, played by Holly Hunter and Ray Romano. They were also so entertaining and also have some great moments.
I am truly surprised at how much I loved The Big Sick. It is fantastically written, hilarious, emotional, real, unpretentious and its just so great overall. If you don’t like romantic comedies, I still recommend seeing it, as someone who doesn’t like romantic comedies either, I thoroughly loved this movie, it is a lot different than you’d think this movie would be. The Big Sick is one of the best films of 2017 and is definitely worth checking out.
My review of The Big Sick at my blog at youngcinemabuffs.wordpress.com/2017/08/14/the-big-sick-2017-review/
Ranking of 2017 movies:
1. A Cure for Wellness
2. Logan
3. Dunkirk
4. War for the Planet of the Apes
5. Baby Driver
6. Get Out
7. Alien Covenant
8. Wonder Woman 9. John Wick: Chapter 2
10. The Big Sick 11. Split
12. Atomic Blonde
13. The Discovery
14. Spider-Man Homecoming
15. Una
16. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
17. Kong: Skull Island 18. Okja
19. Fate of the Furious
20. Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 21. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
22. The Mummy
23. Life
24. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
25. Beauty and the Beast
26. The Lego Batman Movie
Next review: Valerian
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Post by LaraQ on Aug 14, 2017 13:22:03 GMT
My review of The Big Sick
The Big Sick was a movie I heard about only recently, I heard that it was a romantic comedy that a lot of people really loved. I really didn’t know what to expect, the trailer was funny and looked like it had potential, so I was cautiously optimistic before seeing it. The Big Sick surprised me on many levels, it surprised me how funny it was, it surprised me how emotional it was, and it also surprised me how great it was overall, this is probably one of the best romantic comedies I’ve seen (then again it’s not saying a lot).
I won’t lie, I really am not a fan of romantic comedies, save for a few like 500 Days of Summer. In order for a romantic comedy to really get me to like them, they have to really be well written and something different from all the countless generic romantic comedies that are dumped out every year, and it really does. The Big Sick is a very unconventional romantic comedy. This movie is written so incredibly well, the movie is absolutely hilarious with every joke hitting hard, the dialogue fantastically written. At the same time though you actually care about what’s going on with these characters. It felt so real and genuine and not fake at all. To summarise, this movie isn’t pretentious, it doesn’t succumb to any typical lines or moments that are in typical romantic comedies movies. Like don’t expect a montage of someone being sad with a cheesy sad song, when the film is emotional, it feels earned. The Big Sick also has some social commentary about many things including interracial relationships and religion, especially with Kumail’s family, and how Kumail has to abide by his family’s rules, as otherwise he might be removed from the family and never spoken to again. The drama and comedy are balanced out very well. If there are any potential flaws with the movie, the 3rd act does go on for a little too long. As for how accurate it is (as it’s based on a true story) I can’t comment, but given the people who wrote this movie, I’ll just say that it’s highly likely that its true.
The acting overall was really good for the movie. Kumail Nanjiani was hilarious and likable in his role (as himself), but also handles the dramatic scene very well, you really care about him. Equally as great is Zoe Kazan as Emily, Kumail’s girlfriend. The chemistry between the two is perfect, they are so likable and fun to watch. The supporting actors are also great, particularly the parents of Emily, played by Holly Hunter and Ray Romano. They were also so entertaining and also have some great moments.
I am truly surprised at how much I loved The Big Sick. It is fantastically written, hilarious, emotional, real, unpretentious and its just so great overall. If you don’t like romantic comedies, I still recommend seeing it, as someone who doesn’t like romantic comedies either, I thoroughly loved this movie, it is a lot different than you’d think this movie would be. The Big Sick is one of the best films of 2017 and is definitely worth checking out.
My review of The Big Sick at my blog at youngcinemabuffs.wordpress.com/2017/08/14/the-big-sick-2017-review/
Ranking of 2017 movies:
1. A Cure for Wellness
2. Logan
3. Dunkirk
4. War for the Planet of the Apes
5. Baby Driver
6. Get Out
7. Alien Covenant
8. Wonder Woman 9. John Wick: Chapter 2
10. The Big Sick 11. Split
12. Atomic Blonde
13. The Discovery
14. Spider-Man Homecoming
15. Una
16. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
17. Kong: Skull Island 18. Okja
19. Fate of the Furious
20. Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 21. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
22. The Mummy
23. Life
24. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
25. Beauty and the Beast
26. The Lego Batman Movie
Next review: Valerian
I went to see this last week and as someone who really doesn`t like romantic comedies all that much I was surprised by how much I loved it.It was Genuinely funny and heartfelt without being cheesy or cloying.  |
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