Russ_Thompson Reviews

Uncut Gems (2019)

Appreciate it people!

[9/10 · 6 February 2020]

I am so disappointed people not appreciating this piece as it deserves.

Few movies nowdays (even thrillers) can make the magic to put you on the edge for the whole leght of it.

This does it.

The music is athmospheric, while the plot and acting is the rawest, it is rarely seen these days.

Slick, focused, raw, and devastating.

Acting is superb. I am mad at the academy.

This piece of ART shuld deserve more acknowledgement and respect.

Adam Sandler gave the performance of his life! (hopefully yet)

I was doubtful before watching this, but after... I am convinced (not for the first time: Punchdrunk love, Meyerowitz stoy) that Sandler does belong to the big league (occasionally).

Sorry to see it is not rated as at least a straight 9.

Pity.

The Polka King (2017)

Wolf of Wall Street Polka Edition

[7/10 · 20 January 2018]

Surprisingly funny and warm-hearted tale about a guy who basically steals 5 million dollars from pensioners and fakes a whole life for himself with it.

Food Booze and Tattoos (2015– )

South Africa through a hipster's glass, but worthy!

[10/10 · 9 November 2017]

As a person interested in SA, this show is like a fresh breath, and also fills a scarcity in its theme. I am tired of travel shows about Europe and the US. Mainly hipster and organic, but besides the slight hitches it is a masterful show! It is about REAL south africans, with real STORIES, altogether THE real SA I am interested in. From Johannesburg to Cape Town you can get a glimpse of the real thing what is going on there. I enjoyed every second of it,and I feel more prepared for my trip to SA. Thank you Brett Rogers, I'll be seeing you at Johannesburg or wherever!

Highland: Thailand's Marijuana Awakening (2017)

Past, present and future of weed in Thailand

[7/10 · 2 August 2017]

Nice quick guide to better understand the Thai attitude towards marijuana.

Not too detailed, but enough for most 'high timers' to see how an ordinary plant which also has cultural basis became a menace thanks to the US as they exported their drug war to the other side of the world.

And how eventually Thailand started to realize the potential economical and health benefits of decriminalization and use of the plant.

You Get Me (2017)

Welcome to 'How to make a lifeless, boring movie from the first frames 101'

[3/10 · 3 July 2017]

Fhoof, it was a painfully long hour and twenty-something minutes... From the first few cuts is is obvious that this is something cheep and amateurish, but the basic script and the plain (or rather boring) staging and directing is more painful, than I would imagine.

The story is cliché, acting evokes mickey mouse club, cinematography and directing is faulty at best.

I am no director, but I had countless ideas during the flick, what I would have done differently. If you have a shitty script, at least you could fill the gaps with charisma, imagination and create a gripping atmosphere and let go of the owlishness. Could have gone more conscious about being a below-average "drama", 'cause labeling this a thriller is deceptive. Could have been more campy at least, could have played with film references from so many great productions like 2001 a space odyssey, basic instinct, cruel intentions, single white female, brick etc...

There is no atmosphere, no rhythm, dialogues skip the beat throughout the movie. There is nothing visually or artistically engaging or entertaining, this whole thing lingers in limbo.

The music... dunno it just bothered me, it wanted to sell everything the compositions, setting, staging, editing should've done.

The creators of this skipped their homework on film-making BIG TIME.

If you are about to direct your first feature, watch this and learn WHAT NOT TO DO!

Otherwise avoid this flick, offers nothing and delivers even less...

Girlfriend's Day (2017)

A quirky, subtle fun-bite

[7/10 · 23 February 2017]

Not for everyone admittedly, but rejecting it simply for the reason it is something off-beat and irregular is just a mistake.

This 70 minutes long satiric comedy sketch gives one an askew glimpse into the greeting-card and holiday industry.

Simple yet complex. Movie lovers will find little echoes of some films and TV-shows mixed in this bit. Most palpable influences I dare say were Enemy(Villeneuve), Punch-drunk Love, Dr. Strangelove, and for some oddly surprising reason some parts of Mulholland Dr.

I found it to be filled with heart, brains and subtlety.

Nothing serious, just a well written, very well acted and directed elongated sketch. Some will be bored to tears, some others (like me) will be enjoying this one with an idiotic smile on their faces. Watch and see for your self.

Tales by Light (2015– )

Most beautiful documentary ever made!

[10/10 · 22 November 2016]

The concept itself sounds first pretty self indulging, but right after the first five minutes the sheer perfectness of the cinematography itself takes hold of you and you only beg for more!

The crisp, blade-sharp pictures, the always spot-on framing, perfect compisitions make this a visual orgasm.

And after the first episode I can not ever think of any documentary can ever again get away for not using drones for aerial footage. Drone birds-eye view is not just a gimmick, it is skillfully executed and adds great value to the spectacle.

I do NOT say it is the best of documentaries, but it IS the most visually spectacular yet.

Also, some of the photographers are bit pretentious and full of themselves but anyone is free to mute and put on some cinemix or any music of their liking, kick back and swim in the nicest piece of motion picture of this year.

Frontier(s) (2007)

Be advised: bloody, violent BUT boring and dumb.

[5/10 · 10 November 2015]

I gave this title 5 stars only, because it was bloody and violent (witch are expected from a horror movie by my standards) but to be frank it was rather a 2-3.

What made me watch were the highly panegyric reviews it got. Sadly, after the firs hour or so made me realize I was badly thrown off.

The script is a mess, almost as the writer was just putting it together without proof-reading it. The start and the middle act is poorly connecting with the rest of the material, and the time jump right before the final scenes is just baffling. But my main problem was the totally unrelated first 20 minutes, all that could have been solved in 5 minutes or less. And also the many time-robbing and often tedious scenes just made it too long and lumpish. At least 1/3 of the film should have never made it out of the editing room.

I don't mind the stupid mistakes on anyone's side, as this is the way it works in many horror flicks. But this film does not deserve the attention and appreciation people grant it. This is not even as cruel as I hoped so, most of the killings, and deaths were seen at least a thousand times and there is not any surprise or new edge, it feels rather like some mixture of Hostel, The Devil's Rejects, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Død snø.

Comparing this film to The Martyrs, À l'intérieur, Eden Lake, Salo or any deeply cutting flick is just a simple insult. Sadly this film lacks the element of 'wit' the other examples have.

This may be one of the better French horrors but it is simply not a remarkable one. And I guess I won't be remembering it in about a week...

Foxcatcher (2014)

Strarts strong but becomes a mess...

[7/10 · 6 January 2015]

This film is an impressionist painting half covered with a Jackson Pollock!

I was really looking forward to see this one for two reasons: Tatum and Carell. Given the director was Bennett Miller, who already proved to be good and skillful at sport-drama with Moneyball, I thought there could be no problem.

I was wrong.

The first half of the film is impeccable, both directing and acting are good to watch. Tatum is a stunner, he amazed me. Ruffalo is perfect as usual, and this mentor/wise-older brother image fits him wonderfully. The scenes are powerful and are created with such a telling style, it is a directorial triumph. This is due to the ability to tastefully depict the a story of three man, with very few words but strong images.

This was the impressionist part now let's see the Pollock side of the picture.

Both the writer and the director loses it, for no reason, they were on a great track, but I guess they (chiefly the writer) had no idea how to get elegantly to the endpoint of the story.

At the middle of the film, it becomes a mess! It gives you nothing, but DEMANDS you to keep on looking at it in awe, even though it is simply not entertaining or any good anymore. Motives become secondary, characters only do things because they have to, so everything goes as the writer and the non-fictional story parts demand it, nothing is at stake because we know that David Schultz gets shot in the end... The complexity and cogency ceases to exist.

Carell is a bit of a disappointment for me, he pulls it off but does not succeed. But I don't blame him. He has no room to act, the director doesn't have any idea how to bring the DuPont out of the actor. He is poorly instructed. Almost no resemblance to the real man, except the broken speaking pattern. Why add 30kgs on Carell, when the guy was sickly skinny? Why make him having the same emotionless face all along, when DuPont rather acted as a schizophrenic, than a robot!? It was supposed to be Carell's big moment, but Tatum triumphed... Thank you Bennett...

I gave it 7 only for the first 60 minutes and Ruffalo & Tatum! Deserves worse! Hope, Carell gets another chance for a big drama role sometime soon!

Dreamcatcher (2003)

Rather read King, than watch!

[1/10 · 10 April 2008]

I simply can't recall any good, or at least watch-worthy King adaptation. Of course, there is at least Kubrick's Shining. But this one is no exception either. When reading the book, one gets the feeling of massive entertainment(as from King we expect), while watching this so called 'film' I just felt suffering. Not only because more than the two third of the story was missing and acting is non existing, but, it may sound funny to say about a two hour long movie, somehow it's too fast. It's nearly gibberish. Characters not coming to life, no feeling of thoughtfulness. Can't understand the motives and the thoughts behind the actions, events. I, seriously felt, people are doing these things, just because it was written in the book. Sadly, if you haven't read the book, you will be just gasping.