simon-wang Reviews

Evangelion: 3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon a Time (2021)

Goodbye Anime

[10/10 · 18 April 2022]

I'm a huge evangelion fan, and I consider the original anime along with 'End of Evangelion' the greatest piece of art ever made. And here we are: the Finale of the entire Evangelion franchise.

After the mindblowing second movie, and the confusing, ultimately dissapointing third movie, comes the last part of the Evangelion reboot films.

Is it a masterpiece? Yes. Does it outshine nearly any other anime movie in recent years (besides 'Kimi no na wa' and 'Princess Kaguya')? Yes. Is it one of the franchise's best? Well, partly yes. The answer depends what the series meant to you personally.

Without spoiling, the movie is divided into three parts:

1. A long character/world introducing part with very slow pacing, lingering in an almost dreamlike state. This part really sets the tone of 'Thrice upon a time', and demonstrates what the third movie should have looked like, if Anno directed/supervised it.

No one but Anno, could realize his own complex vision. Different from anything else we've seen, but yet clearly breathing the spirit of Evangelion, like an alternate universe Evangelion.

2. An action filled second part, where the anime goes all-out in both mindboggling action, and religious references.

3. The final part, referencing both 'End of Evangelion' and the original series ending, yet building a completely new answer, to the old question: Why do we live?

Obviously this part was directed by Anno himself, as he wanted to answer some of the lingering questions, the viewer/he himself had left for the series. E.g how does Gendo Ikari's heart look like? The answer made me realize for the first time, that Gendo as much as Shinji represents Hideaki Anno's inner world (They even look similar).

The final scenes of the movie easily stand among the best of the franchise in both emotional impact as well as philosophic meaning. It's as if the transition into the real world wants to say: No matter how much you love a fictional story/character, the best thing it can give you, is the courage to face life.

Goodbye anime, hello world.

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)

How poor is love that counts ...

[10/10 · 20 July 2017]

Watching 'Valerian and the City of Thousand Planets' I was reminded what makes Science Fiction so enjoyable. It's not the space fights, the cool alien life forms, the futuristic metropolis. It's that all these things remind us how infinite this space is, how tiny our existence, and how precious.

You probably have no idea what I am talking about. Just go watch this fantastic movie and you will understand. To make it short: This movie was perfect. It is a breathtaking, overwhelming vision of the celebrated comics, brought to life with heartblood by Luc Besson.

The less you know about the story the better. The film naming hero Valerian is connected through his dreams to a distant planet. It involves war between races, military intrigue, love & death, but more then any other SciFi movie, this one is about the journey not the destination. The countless side stories, and side characters are what makes this a breathing version of an unforgettable universe. This is the best Sci Fiction film I've seen since 'The Matrix'.

Ghost in the Shell (2017)

Perfection

[10/10 · 30 March 2017]

I'm not sure what I expected, I read bad reviews, I read good reviews. I'm a great admirer of the original anime, I thought 'Ghost in the Shell 2' was great as well, maybe a bit too sophisticated, but still great. And now here's the live-action remake.

In an era of lukewarm remakes and reboots, here's a movie from someone who not just understood the original anime, not just made by a fan or admirer: It breathes 'Ghost in the Shell'. Actually, to call it a remake is insulting. What can I say, it was perfect (and if you don't already know, movie ratings represent the average opinion of a bunch of kids).

The plot is somehow a mix of the two anime films, centering around anti-crime investigation team Section 9, lead by the fearless Major. They are entangled by a mysterious omnipotent hacker, who holds a grudge against the industry of Cybernetics. But then the Major begins to remember her past.

The story doesn't quite have the cold perfection of the original anime, instead it manages to add an emotional dimension, that wasn't there before. It's like the animation was brought to life (I know it sounds tasteless).

I thought no matter what, the ending couldn't be as epic as the anime. But I wasn't quite right, well, see for yourself. Scarlett Johannson was damn cool, and so was the movie.

After the Storm (2016)

My love is deeper than the sea

[10/10 · 18 March 2017]

Most films these days do not have something to 'say' anymore. They don't have a deeper meaning. And if they do, it's mostly superficial or so complex you don't really understand. 'After the Storm' by Hirokuzu Kore-eda has something to say, it's like a condensed moment of life. You will be dumbstruck by it's beauty.

The story deals with Ryota, struggling with financial problems, and trying to keep contact with his son after divorcement. He works as a private detective, spying on affairs and looking for lost cats while his real passion lies in writing literature.

The entire film is built around a central story part where they take shelter from a taifun, it involves scenes of such profound beauty, you will be moved to tears. The beauty lies in the things that are not spoken out, yet linger in the air like rain: the missed opportunities to be happy, love gone by and yet - still there.

To say the film deals with abandoned dreams in the face of reality is wrong, it's the contrary. The film says: If you keep waiting for beauty in life, you will not realize that it has already arrived. Just not the way you thought it would.

Sully (2016)

Believe in yourself

[10/10 · 1 December 2016]

... even if no one else does.

Retells the events of 2009, where Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger landed an airplane with 155 people on the Hudson river. The story focuses on the happenings after the incident, and the investigations whether the pilot did the right or the wrong decision, to potentially endanger the lives of 155 people.

This is a very well made movie. Storywise this quite masterpiece by Clint Eastwood seems very similar to Robert Zemecki's 'Flight'. But in truth, they are as far apart as possible. The story built-up with the flashbacks mixing with the investigations are superb. Tom Hanks is Oscar-worthy (as always), the flight scenes are unspectactular and realistic, what moves the viewer are the emotions underneath.

But all this is unimportant, this is not another well-crafted action drama but a masterpiece with underlying message as powerful as it is subtle. And I think it was this subtlety that made Eastwood direct this film, not the superficial heroism.

If you ever find yourself in a situation, where everyone criticizes you for what felt like is the best thing you can do, and all of a sudden what was right seems to be wrong, and you start doubting yourself. The movie's message is: Don't.

Mountains May Depart (2015)

Mountains may depart, and so do people ...

[10/10 · 14 April 2016]

Reading the reviews, you might suspect this to be a sophisticated, political film. You couldn't be more wrong: there's nothing sophisticated about it, it's about a heart that breaks over time.

The story follows a woman, and two men from different social status (a mine worker and a director), who both love her. Eventually she has to decide for one of them, but as time goes by, she wonders whether she made the right choice or not. Told over a time span of 25 years, the film shows like few others how time changes our society, affects the private lives of individuals. Especially the last part set in 2025 is masterfully done, it could have turned out sophisticated, instead it hits right into the heart.

The film says that things like social status and language do change our daily lives, and those changes can never be undone again.

The usage of the movie format is genius (even more then in Xavier Dolan's 'Mommy'), it tells us, that even though the future broadens our perspective, it also makes us lose focus of what is truly essential to live a happy life.

Our Little Sister (2015)

The Pursuit of Happiness

[10/10 · 22 March 2016]

All the Hollywood directors producing one comic-book sequel after the other (and all other directors as well) should see this film, they should turn away in shame, and quit directing. Movie is largely seen as a medium to entertain, yet it could be so much more.

Watching this movie, in every scene, it is incomprehensible for a western viewer how it is filmed: There are only daily life scenes, nothing dramatic, yet it is such a heart-warming experience, a simple joy of watching people living their lives.

The story follows 3 very different grown-up sisters who live independently in a big house. The father has left them when they were little, and now they learn that they yet have another little sister. Soon their little dormitory has an additional guest. The main characters are the youngest sister who tries to adapt to her new life, and the oldest sister who is determined to live her life lead by strength and kindness.

Critics have compared Kore-eda with Ozu, because of his calm observation of life. Still, Ozu's films contain great sadness, while Kore-eda's movies ('Like Father,Like Son', 'Kiseki') are full of hope and joy for living. They show simple people trying to find happiness in life. It has a Zen-like quality: one doesn't need big dramatic events to show love and kindness, if you are looking close enough you will find it in the most ordinary things in daily life.

This is one of the best movies I've ever seen.

Suffragette (2015)

Very passionate, very sad and very true

[10/10 · 8 February 2016]

What impressed me the most was the blending in of the real footage plus the list showing the years when equal women right was introduced in countries all over the world at the end of the film. It was both shocking and sad.

That this is a problem now as much as it was 100 years ago (maybe not quite that much), shows the IMDb rating, it just confirms my suspect that every comic book movie will get into the all-time-top-50 list, while amazing movies with difficult subjects (like this one) will likely be ignored. Also note the percentage of male raters in the IMDb statistics.

To put it blunt, if this movie would be renamed Star Wars it would easily end up with a rating above 9. That would be a more accurate rating.

The Go Master (2006)

An entire life

[10/10 · 22 January 2016]

The movie tells the life story of one of the greatest Go players of all time: Wu Qingyuan, more famous under the name Go Seigen. If chess is like a swimming competition in the swimming hall. Go is like a race in the ocean sea.

This movie is easily overlooked. First it is in Chinese only. Secondly it is about the ancient board game Go. However it isn't really about Go. The images are beautiful, the film is slow paced. But it's not a slow-paced art-house movie (like 'the Assassin'), it is about dedicating ones life to a certain task, and to this task only. The film shows phases in Wu Qingyuan's life where he is struggling with his inner fears, where he abandoned Go, but ultimately is drawn back. He's afraid of giving it his all, and receiving nothing in return. He is drawn back because it has become his life. This movie could be about any kind of sport, or any kind of story about a men who faces great adversity with greater passion.

Someone once said, the more specific something is, the more universal it becomes. It couldn't be more true.

The Revenant (I) (2015)

This movie is 2/3 a masterpiece ...

[9/10 · 6 January 2016]

... and 1/3 very good.

If it had ended about 30 minutes earlier I would rate it happily 100/100. Don't get me wrong: I was absorbed into its thrilling ending like anybody else, but it doesn't hide the fact that a heartbreaking story about surviving through the memory of love, changes into a thrilling revenge showdown, which is brilliantly done, but nothing you wouldn't see in any Tarantino movie.

So if you are just looking for a decent movie: Never mind. Otherwise enjoy the last 30 minutes of entertainment, but just don't forget about the first 2 hours. It teaches you, what keeps our souls moving, when there's nothing left to move our bodies.

The Assassin (2015)

The best movie of the year ...

[10/10 · 14 December 2015]

... was the vote result by a international critic circle.

While I do not agree with that (my personal favorite is 'Inside Out'), I have to admit that this film has greatness in it. It is a bold unique exercise in style. In a way this film is like Siddartha sitting under the tree. You will see beautiful scenery, forces of nature struggling with each other, but most of the time it's just plain boring, until at last: you gain enlightenment. No joking, the ending has really such a great impact. It is about keeping one's integrity: even if life is a river that only flows into one direction, you can still chose to row into the other.

The scenery is beautiful, but if you live near the country, like I do, you will be wondering why the heck you keep staring at a bunch of sheep, or whether the cameraman just fell asleep. My advice: either watch it in the cinema, or with headphones.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015)

You better appreciate it ...

[10/10 · 23 September 2015]

Yes! This is the most depressing movie since 'Schindler's List', and yes, I haven't cried that much since I've watched the Grave- Speech-Scene from 'The Fault in Our Stars' the second time.

So obviously, no, if you're looking for a light-hearted feel-good movie, or even a movie that makes you leave with a crying and a laughing eye, this is not it, you will be leaving with both eyes crying. So what's the point? There's a scene where the teacher tells how he realized stories from his dad, after he died. He didn't quite spell out the meaning of the story, but it would be something like this: You better appreciate people why they are still around, because even if you think you know a person, know what they think, how they feel ... Trust me, you don't.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

weird, sick and ABSOLUTELY AMAZING ...

[10/10 · 25 May 2015]

Firstoff I never watched the original films. So seeing the bizarre, insane world of Mad Max for the very first time, I couldn't help thinking "what the heck?", I thought the movie walks on a thin line between sick and brilliant, but now I know that it's both: every shot of the movie is needed and pitch perfect.

You must admire it, not only the vision of George Miller, but the relentlessness to put this gigantomatic vision into reality. I bet not one single soul except Miller, expected such a movie could ever exist, until they actually saw it.

The music often reminds of an orchestra, and that's pretty much what it is: an orchestra of blood, bones, dirt, absolutely breathtaking action, unique cinematography and epic heroism.

The ending literally brought tears into my eyes, not only because it was such an uplifting, heartfelt conclusion, but also because it was so pitch perfect, like the entire movie was pitch perfect, and like probably no other movie will be in a long time ...

Winter Sleep (2014)

Waking Life

[9/10 · 5 December 2014]

The greatness of this film lies in the things, it didn't said. Sometimes though I wish they were spelled out.

It is about the ability of mankind to withdraw from life, in order to survive the cold winter. There is a central scene between brother and sister, in which they dispute on the surface, but in fact they reveal layer for layer the excuses, they made for living their lives.

However, and thats the main critic point, the movie moved me intellectually but not emotionally. The difference between a good movie and a great movie is: the good movie shows the problem, it requires intelligence, the great movie shows a way out, it requires courage. This one is "only" a good movie.

The final scene remains a mystery to me: Is it meant as a happy or bad ending? Does it mean he begins, what he didn't dare to begin earlier, or does it mean he remains in his winter sleep. The closing pictures suggest the latter. It would make a great movie out of "Winter sleep".

Interstellar (2014)

The Closest Thing To Perfect

[10/10 · 7 November 2014]

Firstoff: forget about all the reviews. Go out watch the movie, you won't ever see anything like this again.

Now the long version: As expected the visuals are amazing, the buildup of the story is maybe a bit too quick at the beginning, the emotional impact would have been much greater, if the family story has been given more depth, I also would have appreciated it, if they took more time for technical details, for a more realistic feeling.

Christopher Nolan has always been at his best with Mind Games (like in Memento), but not necessarily in showing great emotions. Some called the movie sentimental, I think its quite contrary, if the darkness of the universe lies between you and your loved ones, it's expected that you will shed a tear or two. I actually would have appreciated it, if some (very good) emotional scenes were given the proper time, they kind of feel rushed through, for the story's sake.

I admit, wouldn't there be the last 15 minutes or so, this is a very good movie, but not a masterpiece. But there are the last 15 minutes, they just about change everything of our understanding, and the emotional impact it has, is enormous. I won't say anything more.

And yes, I just simply ignored the last 5 minutes of the movie.

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014)

Live free, die hard

[10/10 · 19 September 2014]

"Sin City: A Dame to Kill for" is everything the moviegoer with taste, dreamed for, and far more. I appreciated the perfect visuals of the first movie, however it was too ... dark. I don't like to watch movies, just to be told, that the world is a dark place, where you will be born, and eventually die.

This time, though equally dark, and stylish, I really felt, the movie had something to say, that could move me. The movie's message is more: "The world is dark a place, where you will be born, and die, and if you struggle, keep struggling, maybe you will leave the world less dark, than it was before.

So obviously, like part 1, (it feels like a part 2), it is not a feel-good-movie, some critics wrote about the first part, it is like a kick in the balls. The same is true for "A Dame to Kill for", maybe even more. However it is drop-dead-cool, and you will get something back in reward. It is no fun, no entertainment, no celebration of special-effects, it is like a hit in the face, it tells you that good people won't always have a happy ending, but that shouldn't keep you from being it.

Under the Skin (I) (2013)

It's dark inside of me ...

[10/10 · 18 August 2014]

'Under the Skin' begins where most movie ends. At the surface.

It's as if Jonathan Glazer wanted to see, what is under the surface of things. Darkness and Evil is like a black hole, a dark tunnel, most movies just look at the tunnel from the outside. But Glazer goes right through it. At first there doesn't seem to be anything: It only gets darker. The viewer will get frustrated at some point, but then it starts to make sense ...

Firstoff I did not read the book, which I will, and secondly, yes, you should only see it if you're a absolute filmfreak, a David-lynch-admirer, or you're just plain dumb. No seriously, its a great film, it might be even called perfect in its kind, though there are no other films like it. It is about ... darkness itself.

Its not a feel-good-movie, actually it's something like the feel-bad-movie of the decade. It is a very dark movie, sometimes disgustingly, over-the-top dark, but at the end it makes surprisingly sense, it makes so much sense, it will frighten you, if you didn't already left before, that is.

The visuals are stunning, Johannsen as Isserly is beyond cool, the movie makes absolute no compromises in its approach to show darkness inside human beings. It has a quite deep meaning, accusing the love of mankind the (or man) to be shallow. Because under the skin ... there is only ... right: darkness.

Love Me If You Dare (2003)

Until Love Do Us Part ...

[10/10 · 8 April 2014]

This movie is painfully romantic ... very painful ... and very romantic.

Firstly, I can really understand the famous critic Roger Ebert, when he describes the story as frustrating, and the characters as impossible to relate to. This is not how love should be: obsessive and self-destructive.

However movies, do not have to reflect perfect life, or perfect love, but show us the extremes, how it turns out, if one would follow a path to the end without compromise, or play a game, and don't stop playing it. Also I believe the movie does contain more truth, then one would admit: Aren't things like the past, or pride, standing in the way of truly loving a person?

Without spoiling, I can say the movie consists of three parts.

The First part, is thoroughly innocent, and adorable, it tells one of the sweetest cinematic love stories, i have seen.

Second part, the story gets more twisted, there is also more comedy, still one would not guess what awaits in the third part.

Let me say this, without actually mentioning what happens in the end: I think there are 2 ways of loving, 1. to live happily with your loved one, and 2. to express how much you love, your loved one, no matter what. Which one is more important? Maybe sometimes the second ...