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Damsel (2024)
Please!... Stop Making Movies Like This.
I recently subjected myself to the cinematic catastrophe known as Damsel (2024), and let me tell you, it was an experience akin to watching paint dry on a medieval castle wall. If you're considering watching this film, I implore you to reconsider. In fact, I beg you: please stop making movies like this.
The premise seemed promising-a damsel in distress, a dragon, and a royal wedding. But alas, the execution was more disastrous than a jousting match between blindfolded knights. Let's break it down:
Weak Script: The dialogue felt like it was penned by a sleep-deprived squirrel with a typewriter. Characters spouted clichés and platitudes as if they were reading from a medieval fortune cookie. I half-expected someone to say, "May your quest be as fruitless as a banana tree in Antarctica."
Boring Performances: Millie Bobby Brown, bless her heart, tried her best. But her portrayal of Elodie-the damsel who transforms into a makeshift MacGyver-was about as captivating as watching grass grow. Nick Robinson as Prince Henry was equally uninspiring. I've seen more chemistry between a rock and a moss-covered log.
CGI Disaster: The dragon, supposedly menacing, looked like it escaped from a PlayStation 1 game.
Repetitive Action Sequences: Elodie's escape attempts from the cavern were like Groundhog Day with a medieval twist. She'd dodge the dragon, sharpen her corset busk (yes, you read that right), and repeat. It was like watching a medieval version of "Wipeout," minus the water and the humor.
Missed Opportunities: The film had potential to subvert fairy tale tropes. Instead, it clung to them like a barnacle on a shipwreck. The dress transformation scene hinted at something deeper, but alas, it remained as shallow as a puddle after a light drizzle.
Damsel left me yearning for the sweet release of a dragon's fiery breath. If you're ever tempted to create a movie like this, I implore you: please, for the love of cinema, reconsider.
Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire (2023)
It's all about finding your identity, your purpose, and your family.
The movie is set in a distant galaxy, where the Motherworld is a tyrannical empire that oppresses and exploits other planets. The movie follows Kora, a former soldier of the Motherworld, who lives in a peaceful farming village on the moon Veldt. When the village is attacked by the Motherworld's forces, led by the cruel Admiral Noble, Kora decides to fight back and protect her home. She began a quest to recruit warriors from different planets, who have their own reasons to oppose the Motherworld.
And also this has a great cast of actors, who bring their characters to life with passion and emotion. Sofia Boutella is excellent as Kora, the heroine of the story. She is strong, brave, and determined, but also vulnerable and compassionate. The other actors are also great, such as Djimon Hounsou, who plays Zed, a wise and loyal mentor to Kora, Charlie Hunnam, who plays Kai, a witty and adventurous mercenary, and Anthony Hopkins, who plays Balisarius, the evil and cunning leader of the Motherworld.
It's all about finding your identity, your purpose, and your family. It is about fighting for what you believe in, and for the people you love. It is about courage, sacrifice, and hope.
I recommend it to anyone who loves sci-fi and action movies, or just good movies in general.
Balle perdue 2 (2022)
High-octane drama drives down the formula freeway
Alban Lenoir, the franchise's star, makes a triumphant return in Lost Bullet 2, and the plot picks up where the previous movie left off. For those who missed it, Lenoir played Lino in the first movie, a small-time criminal with a talent for turning ordinary automobiles into hacked supercars. After a heist goes wrong and he faces jail time, Lino decides to join the police task squad. He is falsely accused of murder when his mentor and brother are killed by dishonest police officers in the suspenseful thriller. The ex-con needs to find a missing car that possesses the only item that can prove his innocence: a bullet.
Similar to the first movie, the sequel's principal actor Lenoir and director Pierret work together as screenwriters. The two definitely cared about delivering more of what succeeded the first time around and keeping the action-packed tale moving at a frenetic pace. A brief flashback to what happened in Lost Bullet is given at the beginning of the new movie to set the scene for the sequel. Briefly, after the passing of his mentor Charas in Lost Bullet 2, Lino is desperate to find the guilty party. He reappears from the first movie together with Julia, the cop who has a soft spot for him (Stefi Celma), and this time she has a major role in the action. She is appointed to serve as the unit's commander once a new drug unit is established. The plot mentions the illegal drug traffic that takes place across the border between France and Spain, opening the door for a thrilling police chase scene involving both French and Spanish officers.
Lenoir as Lino is increasingly emerging as not just a mechanic, he is also a super driver with abundant fighting skills. Which in turn lets the protagonist be a superhero of sorts, with his customised car as a weapon of 'special powers'. In a way, more than a groundbreaking narrative, the franchise screenwriters are clearly more focussed on the stunts and gimmicks that prop the drama that unfolds.
Scriptwise, a revenge drama featuring fast cars and criminals could remind of, say, the Fast And Furious series of Hollywood. If the Lost Bullet films have managed to craft a distinct space removed from the successful Vin Diesel franchise it is because Lenoir and Pierret render the drama a gritty realistic edge, visually as well as in terms of the violence that goes on. Without hampering pace or getting in the way of the action-adventure, the script of Lost Bullet 2, like its predecessor, tries accommodating an undercurrent hint of socio-political realities in terms of ethnicity and class while visualising its characters and backdrop. Corruption within the system is cleverly highlighted, too, while setting up twists in the screenplay. You spot a dystopic restlessness as Lino and his modified car get down to the business of chase 'n stunts - it's all very Mad Max in complexion but quite uncomplicated and inherently too French in imagination to be a copy of the cult Hollywood series.
The affect, however, is middling. Pierret's direction is mainly focused on maintaining a fast pace while setting up the irreverent action narrative. Lost Bullet 2 is meant to serve as the continuation of an ongoing storyline but the film could work as a standalone adventure, too (to wholly savour the sequel, though, ideally check out the first film before getting down to watching the sequel so as to not miss the context of the drama and the returning characters). Pierret's approach is persistently about trying to set up a milieu for spectacular VFX-loaded thrills, especially car chases, in a bid to regale the loyal fan base the first film garnered. The outcome should keep franchise fans happy.
For a film that narrates a story based on one course of action - Lino's retribution and bringing the villains to justice - Pierret uses the runtime of around 99 minutes to set up taut pace. Faithfully adhering to generic demands and never venturing out to set up something pathbreaking, the narrative manages to sustain viewer interest primarily by creating drama in individual scenes. The frequent long-drawn violence and car chases render an effect as if the film is being narrated in real time, although the approach tends to get monotonous after a while.
Despite focus on a heavy thrill quotient that often borders on gore, director Pierret creates space for the odd emotional moments. Such scenes come as relief amidst the high dose of action but mostly add nothing to progress of the plot. The storyline gives the Lino-Julia relationship a formulaic twist. Since Lino is recklessly unapologetic while realising his revenge mission and Julia is a staunch lawkeeper, the screenplay accommodates drama that involves her chasing him in order to thwart his transgressions. Overall, the screenplay positions Stefi Celma's Julia as the 'good guy' to Lino's bad boy protagonist in the tale that follows a two-hero formulaic division where one lead actor idealistically stays within the limit of law while the other will go to any extent to realise what he wants.
Pierret's direction is ably assisted by cutting-edge tech specs including cinematography (Morgan S. Dalibert) and editing (Sophie Fourdrinoy). Romain Trouillet's background score aids the narrative sufficiently, too, blending generic notes with sounds of the street during the high-speed chases. Technically, Lost Bullet 2 is not as expensive as Hollywood fare of the genre but is stylishly sleek enough. Only, with a final scene that suggests Lino and company will surely hit the road a third time around, we hope for a few smarter twists in the tale along the way.
Krai... Nai Hong (2010)
Don't expect to be shocked or horrified, Wonjinda is clearly not interested in all that.
The film strays a little from the traditional Asian horror fare, keeping the ghosts and apparitions to a minimum, instead focusing more on drama and aesthetics. The result is a beautifully shot horror film that deserves a wider audience, though people expecting a simple horror fix might be a little disappointed.
People have some rigid preconceptions about Asian horror films, but the Thai horror scene is actually quite diverse. Of course there are the films riding along on the not-so-recent-anymore wave of Asian suspense films (think Shutter and Alone), but if you're more into gore and shock the Art of the Devil series will kindly serve your needs.
To get the most out of this film, some prior knowledge of the Hikikomori condition (young people locking themselves up in their own room for years on end, often threatening with suicide when people try to enter) comes in handy. I always figured this was a Japan only thing (we do get some footage from a Japanese documentary), but apparently other nations are struggling with these same issues as well. It's a rather surprising motive to use for a horror film, but Wonjinda proves it fits the genre extremely well, especially when you keep the camera outside the actual locked-down room for most of the film.
Who Are You sees a single mother struggling with her only son. She doesn't seem to be too concerned about his condition, until she runs into a documentary filmmaker who goes on the investigate the Hikikomori condition and proposes to make a documentary out of her son's case (don't worry, this is not a found-footage film). The mother gives her consent, but the boy isn't too happy with the plan. Things go from bad to worse and the real issues are slowly revealed, twisting themselves to a somewhat predictable yet effective finale.
Definitely the most striking aspect of Who Are You is the stellar use of color. Even though there are many night scenes, the shots remain colorful and vibrant throughout. Thai cinematography is known to be focused on strong and emotive colors, but Wonjinda takes it to a whole new level. The camera work itself is excellent too and even the few special effects found in the film are top notch quality.
The soundtrack too is strong, but it's definitely the overall sound design that impresses the most. The score provides plenty of atmosphere by itself, yet the addition of some subtle sound effects here and there give the film that extra edge to creep you out. It's interesting to see a rather simple scene become haunting just by adding the right effects to a soundtrack. I know music in films is a pet peeve of mine, this film clearly illustrates why I think it is such an important factor in the overall experience.
Apart from the intro, the acting is solid and straight-faced. The characters here aren't too demanding for the actors, but as there is a definite dramatic stretch in the plot at least some kind of decent performance was required. Not to worry though, the cast did what was needed and fair well in both the dramatic and the horror scenes.
Who Are You is not a perfect film though. It's not that I mind drama in a horror film, but halfway through the film practically grinds to a halt, forgetting about the horror and even the beautiful cinematography is axed in favor of some dramatic scenes. By itself this segment isn't all that bad, but it just doesn't compare to the rest of the film. Nearing the end Wonjinda picks up where he left before and does deliver a popping finale, which really helped to save the film for me.
As for the actual amount of horror, most of it happens off-screen. Don't expect to be shocked or horrified, Wonjinda is clearly not interested in all that. If you let the soundtrack do its work though, there are some very creepy scenes in here. But even those are mostly carried by the reigning atmosphere, so if by then you have decided this is not a very good film those scenes will probably lose all their effect, leaving you with very little.
Fans of Meat Grinder or likewise will probably love this film. It's lush, bursting with strong colors and lovely cinematography. Add a killer soundtrack and you have a worthwhile horror film that carries you through on style alone. There's even an interesting background motive and some drama added to the mix, which elevate the film further above generic horror fare. But people hoping for some standard horror fare might think twice before watching this.