I-love-Popcorn Reviews

Civil War (2024)

A Contemporary Story

[7/10 · 23 May 2024]

Just watched this movie which is about a few photographers documenting America during the Civil War.

It has Kristin Dunst in it and Wagner Moura the actor from Salvador who played Pablo Escobar in Narcos. By the way, he had studied journalism. Both performers are raw and amazing.

The story is tense, the cinematography proper and the score and sound design very suitable. The war scenes are so realistic K Dunst suffered from PTSD after the filming of the movie this is because many of the soldiers during the conflicts were played by actual former military veterans to give the movie a sense of realism.

The director is the one who did Ex Machina and 28 days/weeks later. In this movie, he shows you the cruelty and absurdity of war and the division among humans.

I really liked it, definitely *worth your time!!*

By the way, this is the first A24 action movie, which became financially the most successful A24 movie, also commercially it's the first A24 movie to open at #1 at the box office! Also, it is the most expensive A24 production with a budget of $50m.

Baby Reindeer (2024)

The Story Behind the Joker

[7/10 · 4 May 2024]

Based on true events, the new mini-series on Netflix depicts the story of a female stalker and her victim where the lines between victim and offender become quite blurry.

Since the victim is a part-time comedian the series also shines a light on the Sad Clown Paradox phenomenon, where people use comedy to cope with their trauma to mask their inner rage, and to gain social acceptance.

It is sort of a bio docu-drama behind the fictional Joker character played by Joaquin Phoenix in the 2019 movie which won 2 Oscars. Admittingly not an easy subject to watch, on the contrary, it is at times very disturbing.

But, if you are into the genre, it is a quick binge of 7 short 30-minute episodes. It is well-written, acted, and well-produced for a TV series!

It has an 8/10 star rating on IMDb! Watch it at your discretion in case you liked the Joker movie and you are intrigued by their story. Indeed the show will leave quite an after taste regarding unhealthy relationships, the delicate nature of human psyche, and the toxic aspects of human nature.

Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver (2024)

Part 2???

[3/10 · 21 April 2024]

With 166mio the most expensive Star Wars knock-off movie of Netflix in 2023 is back, this time with even more bad acting, slow-motion scenes, and amateur CGI.

Not even Zack Snyder fans care to like this franchise since it is more of the same unoriginal, chaotic, and cartoonish space opera nonsense.

Having to watch this is a tiresome and painful cinematic experience. Even the die-hard sci-fi fans call it "an uninspired trainwreck" - just like part I, the plot of which I already forgot.

The film's success on Netflix (almost a billion viewership minutes) suggests that the streaming audiences ignore the horrible reviews (20% Rotten Tomatoes) because they are stuck to whatever the streaming service is offering them. And Netflix in return hopes to gain new subscribers to break even and offset this kind of huge investment!

It is absolutely safe to not waste any time on this, skip it and instead watch or re-watch *Dune Part II* which is on the contrary a true cinematic masterpiece!

Asphalt City (2023)

Very Intense and Raw

[8/10 · 21 April 2024]

The movie is based on a 2008 novel called Black Flies by Shannon Burke. The story is based on the author's experiences as a NYC Fire Department paramedic in mid-'90s Harlem - *during the crack epidemics!*

The narrative: During 2 hours we follow the response to dramatic and chaotic 911 medical emergency calls of two paramedics in NYC who risk their lives trying to do their best to save the lives of the victims and struggle to keep their mental sanity.

The legendary Sean Penn is an edgy and desensitized veteran medic who has seen it all. He is paired to work with a rookie partner played by the talented Tye Sheridan (from Texas), who has been recently transferred and who is studying for the MCAT exam to study medicine. Their captain is played by Mike Tyson.

The heavy premise aside, the movie has brilliant acting and fantastic cinematography: Intense sound design and anxiety-inducing camera experience through hand-held focused close-up shots and lens flares at night.

The movie is a reflection on lived experiences and ethics of the EMS profession - it also sheds light on mental health and the day-to-day reality of hardships of human life.

It is dark, raw, and intense but very authentic and deep: I loved it!

Poor Things (2023)

Absurdly Lovely, Surreal & Deep

[8/10 · 29 February 2024]

The 2023 film adaptation of the 1992 novel by Alasdair Gray is already nominated for 11 Oscars.

The novel was highly acclaimed and was referred to as "a magnificently brisk, funny, dirty, brainy book" by the London Review of Books. The Victorian narrative of the novel is concerned with social inequalities, relationships, the role of women, memory, and identity.

The movie, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, received an eight-minute standing ovation at its premiere during the Venice Film Festival.

The film adaptation is a courageous rated R movie which is often politically incorrect but visually astonishing. The camerawork is amazing, the costumes are beautiful and the makeup unique. It took up to 6 hours a day to put it on and take off every day.

The performances of Oscar winner Emma Stone, Willem Fadoe and Mark Ruffalo are all marvelous.

It's a must-see! It scores already a solid eight out of ten stars on IMDb.

Trivia: Bella's character design was partially inspired by Egon Schiele's 1911 painting Nude Girl Standing With Long Black Hair & Blue-Black Drape.

One Life (2023)

Moving but not a Schindler's List

[6/10 · 20 February 2024]

Based on a true story: Nicky Winston played by Sir Anthony Hopkins (when he is old) is an agnostic immigrant from Germany who as a young stockbroker in London helped to move refugee-seeking children during WW2.

Together with a handful of people, he ends up saving more young souls than the entire juvenile survivors of the holocaust.

From a historical perspective, this moving drama is a must-see since it showcases the immense impact of an individual's actions.

As a World War drama, it's not up to par with a Schindler's List, despite the Academy Award winner Anthony Hopkins's stellar performance.

Land of Bad (2024)

It's Decent but Unoriginal!

[6/10 · 18 February 2024]

Indeed not original but if you are into special operations rescue mission movies this flick will moderately entertain you.

A Delta Force team is out to extract a CIA agent. The mission goes bad and with the help of a drone operator (Russel Crowe), they fight their way into the jungle against a little army of Islamist terrorists (in the Philippines) who luckily can't shoot straight.

If you like the genre and storyline rather watch Rescue Dawn (2006) with Christian Bale who lost 25kg to play this role. It is based on the true story of a US Navy aviator who got shot and captured over Laos, Vietnam.

Argylle (2024)

Ridiculously Stupid and Unwatchable!

[3/10 · 5 February 2024]

Apple has been in the movie business since 2019 and it has already won the prestigious Best Picture Oscar in 2021 for CODA.

Past year in 2023 they produced the big-budget movies "Napoleon" and "Killers of the Flower Moon". Both of them are very long, high profile, and produced by great directors, but commercially not a success.

This Apple + production is directed by Matthew Vaughn known for "Layer Cake", "The Debt", "Eddie the Eagle" and "Tetris" but also unfortunately for "Kick Ass" and "Kingsmen" movies.

The spy action comedy "Argylle" (2024) is a mixture between the silly Kingsmen franchise movies and "The Bullet Train". The director had aspired to make an 80s-style Die Hard movie.

All these movies share a very high budget, in this case, $200 Mio, to pay the popular GenZ cast (Dua Lipa, John Cena, Samuel L. Jackson) and recognizable faces like Henry Cavill, Sam Rockwell and Bryan Cranston among them they share 2 Oscar-winners and 3 Oscar-nominees.

The remaining budget is spent on advertisements similar to "Barbie"! The plot is generic and bland, it is almost as if Chat GPT had written it based on some crowd-pleasing random keywords, who knows? The humor is super cheesy, the acting is bad except for Sam Rockwell and absolutely no money is spent on proper CGI.

The movie was initially planned as a series and thank God it is already considered as a major flop.

_Do the world a favor & *skip this one!*_

Watch instead the true crime spy classic "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" (2002) with the stellar cast of Sam Rockwell, Julia Roberts, Georg Clooney, and Drew Barrymore.

1917 (2019)

An Epic & Period Accurate WWI Movie!

[8/10 · 4 February 2024]

Based on a true story two British soldiers are tasked as runners to deliver new intel to their fellow soldiers deep into enemy lines which could save 1600 lives.

The cinematography in this movie is beautiful despite the horrors of the war. It is executed flawlessly and phenomenally:

The two-hour movie is filmed in one continuous shot so that you as the viewer project yourself as the 3rd person into the field sometimes pushed by the camera, other times pulled by it. It took six months of rehearsals for the actors before they could start filming the movie. The one-shot effect was invented by Alfred Hitchcock in the movie Rope (1948) as a filming technic to heighten the suspense. 70 years later this POV is used in almost every shooter game.

This makes the movie nerve-racking and very Intense. One feels the constant danger without any major gun fights throughout the film.

Sir Sam Mendes won the Best Director Oscars in 2000 for American Beauty. He is also known for the 007 movies Skyfall (2013) and Jarhead (2005).

He directed and dedicated this movie in memory of his late grandfather who was indeed a messenger in the army during the World War.

For this movie, he received 3 Oscars (Cinematography, sound & visual effects) in addition to seven further nominations. Over 1600 meters of trenches were dug for this movie. It is awe-inspiring how realistic the battlefields look like. The cinematographer Sir Roger Deakins won 40 awards in total for this movie!

I just watched it for the 3rd time. It scores a jaw-dropping 8.2 on IMDb:

It's a must-see!

Love Is Blind: Sweden (2024– )

Fast-Track Marriage in 6 Weeks

[7/10 · 28 January 2024]

This dating experiment is quite dramatic knowing that it may end up in a legally binding marriage! It is at times an emotional rollercoaster, especially when they dump each other or can't decide who they love more.

Nice casting of the candidates. A good mix of everyday looks and personalities with different types of approaches to dating: some trust their intuition and others take a more rational approach.

Unlike other shows the majority of the candidates are genuinely there to find a partner. It is hard to believe that they are there because they can't find suitable options in real life. Obviously, there is pressure to propose because no one wants to end up alone on TV.

My memorable moments:

• The awkward scarf gift
• The tragic last-minute panties gift
• The belly dancing date
• The couple hair dying session suggestion
• The drama about the chinos
• Color coordinating the wardrobe
• The dog compatibility drama
• And the alleged Barcelona story

The Couples:

• Chrisse-Ly & Rasmus was a surprisingly quick match, despite the initial skepticism of his friends. Rasmus proposing to Crisee-Ly with the wrong name is funny!

• Catya didn't feel it with Christopher's bandana from the beginning. It seemed she couldn't handle his softness. She destroyed the poor guy with her dominant behavior bringing out the worst of him. In hindsight, she had already a boyfriend of the same shallow caliber. Poooor Christoper what a public humiliation, as if has not been punished enough. Felt bad for the poor guy.

• Emilia & Lucas who felt it "challenging" with her from the beginning. One week before the wedding and still no I-love-you. Everybody felt her pain. Lucas having already a girlfriend ... what an #%* to wait for the wedding to break her heart!

• Patient and religious Amanda with the "slightly awkward" Sergio who was full of surprises. Poor guy when she had a crisis in his bedroom with the "cat ladder". Super happy to see the good ending despite all the challenges!

• Meira initially couldn't feel Oscar's chino style and upbringing blaming it on the cultural differences. Funny when she figured out she couldn't stand his constant talking. Her final yes was nerve-racking, it gave everyone a heart attack. Wishing them all the best!

Ferrari (2023)

From Gucci to Ferrari

[6/10 · 27 January 2024]

Based on the 2019 book The Man and the Machine, set in 1957 this biographical drama highlights the life of the former race car driver Ferrari turned into a shrewd businessman.

The 41-year-old former Marine Corps Adam Driver plays Enzo Ferrari and the amazing Penelope Cruz his strong wife and business partner.

There are exciting racing scenes between the arch-enemies Ferrari and Maserati. Driving those racing cars is so dangerous that for insurance reasons Adam Diver was not allowed to race them for the initial scenes.

Expect beautiful red racing cars, tragic car crashes during the Miller Miglia race, jaw-dropping Italian landscapes, authentic sixties hair, makeup and costumes, and amazing cinematography.

The movie premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival in August 2023. It is directed by Michael Mann who did Heat (1995) and The Insider (1999).

It was originally set to release on streaming but after the acquisition by NEON for $17mio and an additional $7mio for distribution rights for the US they went for the theatric release.

For more car racing docudrama don't miss Ford vs. Ferrari (2019) with Mat Damon, Christian Bale, and Jon Bernthal. It scores an 8.1 on IMDb.

Wonka (2023)

Charming and Delightful!

[7/10 · 21 January 2024]

This movie is based on Ronald Dahl's best-selling children's novel of the same name and serves as a prequel to the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005).

It is hard to compare it to Tim Burton's movie starring Johny Depp since this film is partly a musical. It is different - but artistically, it is equally unique!

From set design to costumes and special effects, the movie is a visual feast.

Visually the movie reminded me of the imaginative world of Amélie (2001).

It is packed with comedic stars from Mr Bean to Hugh Grant who plays the other star of the movie Oompa-Loompa.

But it is Timothée Chalamet playing the optimistic and joyful young Willy Wonka who carries the show with his broad range of acting, singing, and well-choreographed dancing!

So overall it is a delightful and charming movie to watch!

For more of Timothée don't miss on Dune (2021), The King (2019), and Call Me by Your Name (2017).

The Stranger (II) (2022)

True Crime Made into Art!

[8/10 · 17 January 2024]

Well done to Netflix for producing such an unconventional drama with arthouse aesthetics! This true crime thriller is based on the book The Sting (operation) by Kate Kyriacou.

I went into this movie because of the awesome actors, not knowing anything about its plot. Needless to say, this psychological thriller blew my mind and exceeded all my expectations:

It is dark, moody, intense, artistic, captivating, and full of twists and turns and not knowing its true crime origin it is very creepy and haunting.

Despite the beautiful cinematography, masterful sound design, and score, this movie has near zero mainstream appeal: It is quiet and dialogue-driven, it burns slowly, it creates anxiety with no visible action and it is shot mainly in the dark, which reflects the violence and horror of its subject matter.

It is for sure a must-watch! But watch it with subtitles, because of the Australian accent and the unique, quiet, and at times mumbled vocals of Sean Harris.

It will knock you out of your socks ...

The Boys in the Boat (2023)

A Feelgood Movie!

[6/10 · 16 January 2024]

This is a heartfelt sports drama based on true events:

Pre-WW2 during the Great Depression a group of working-class students from the poorly funded public University of Washington joined the junior rowing crew mainly to make some money and get some subsidized housing.

The movie highlights their incredible path to win the Gold medal at Berlin '36 Olympics which took place during Hitler's Nazi Germany. Fun Fact: The African American Jesse Owens became the most successful athlete with four gold medals to compete in Berlin'36.

This docu-drama has a talented cast, great cinematography, and aesthetic photography with warm color palettes and is well-directed by George Clooney, with plenty of attention to detail.

The book on which the movie is closely based became a New York Times bestseller and won many non-fiction awards.

If you like sports docu drama don't miss Cinderella Man (2005) with Russel Crowe and Zellweger. It scores above 8 on IMDb and was nominated for 3 Oscars.

He Went That Way (2023)

True Crime without Suspense!

[6/10 · 14 January 2024]

The movie is based on the 1987 book Luke Karamazov which is the real-life story of Larry Lee Ranes a serial killer from MI.

The plot is about the serial killer played by the less-known actor Jacob Elordi and his only survivor an animal trainer played by Zachary Quinto. Both actors do a good job portraying their bond on their road trip to Chicago.

The plot might not make much sense throughout the movie and for a crime story there is not much suspense and action going on, but given its true origin and good cinematography the movie is worth the watch.

It is similar to watching a semi-entertainty crime documentary.

Lift (I) (2024)

Safe to Skip!

[4/10 · 13 January 2024]

If you mix the cheesy humor of MIB with the unbelievable stunts of Fast & Furious and add the plot of the Italian job you get the script of Lift.

Kevin Hart is a great comedian! But in this movie, he plays a mastermind thief, which already is a conundrum. He plans to steal half a billion worth of gold from a moving plane.

The movie is a part of a four-movie deal Kevin Hart had signed in 2021 with Netflix. And despite its $100mio budget and its famous cast, it turns out to be a B movie.

The director Gary Gray has done some proper movies like The Negotiator (1998), the Law Abiding Citizen (2009), and Straight Outta Compton (2015), but those movies are unfortunately a while back.

Role Play (2024)

Safe to Skip!

[4/10 · 12 January 2024]

It is nice to see the likable 39-year-old Kaley Cuoco (from The Big Bang Theory) in a movie. In the Roleplay she plays a mom turned into a professional assassin. Her husband in the movie is played by David Oyelowo from Silo.

The first half of the 100-minute movie is more of a classic rom-com and is entertaining. Especially the scene with the Bill Nighy.

The rest of the movie becomes somehow unnecessarily serious. It tries to become an action movie and for an action drama, the script is unfortunately too weak.

So overall it is safe to skip ...

For more entertainment value with a similar plot better watch:

Date Night (2010) with Steve Carell & Tina Fey

Knight & Day (2010) with Tom Cruiz & Cameron Diaz.

The Bear (2022– )

Very Entertaining!

[7/10 · 12 January 2024]

The Bear got 4 Emmys this year and won in total of 40 other awards.

In the series, this award-winning fine-dining chef comes to Chicago to take over his deceased brother's financially troubled sandwich shop which is on the brink of collapse.

The story is based on the early career of legendary 61-year-old British Michelin star chef Marco Pierre White. In 1995, aged 33, White became the first British chef to be awarded three Michelin stars. He has been dubbed the first celebrity chef and the enfant terrible of the UK restaurant scene.

The heartfelt show consists of 19 short (30min) episodes: The amazing casting, acting, writing, and character development are all great and worth the feel-good binging!

Trivia: The food and hospitality industry has the highest rates of substance use disorders and third-highest rates of heavy alcohol use in all employment sectors.

If you like chef movies don't miss Burnt (2017), Boiling Point (2021), and Chef (2014), they are all great movies!

Reacher (2022– )

Very Entertaining and Bad Ass!

[8/10 · 1 January 2024]

Based on two of the 24 best-selling novels, Jack Reacher's story has been already the subject of two movies by Tom Cruise.

According to the British author Lee Child, his readers were never satisfied with Tom Cruise's physique (170 and 79kg) which never measured up to the character who in the book is 196cm and 113kg, hence the casting of a relatively unknown actor Alan Ritchson (188cm and 106kg) who gained 15kg to play the role.

A Blues-loving, intelligent man of few words, Reacher is a former West Point educated Major who served 13 years in the Military Police Corps running a special investigation team. He is now retired after being honorably discharged. But as the story has it the trouble seems to always find him.

This action-packed thriller seems to be a faithful adaptation and similar to its source material it doesn't disappoint: It is well-written, the cast is great and they have great chemistry. The fight scenes are tense, brutal, and very realistic. Fun fact: They were shot without the use of any stuntmen.

It is a fun watch streaming on Amazon Prime, seasons two will end in January, so it qualifies for a quality binge!

Ray Donovan (2013–2020)

A Dark & Brutal Drama!

[8/10 · 28 December 2023]

Ray Donovan is a middle-aged man who is not afraid to get his hands dirty! He works for a high-end law firm fixing problems of Hollywood's elite.

His complicated character, values, and morality blur the line between right and everything wrong.

He is one of the three traumatized and struggling brothers who have been abused as kids by a priest. The series is about their dysfunctional family, their past, and their future survival.

The cast is amazing: The 84-year-old Oscar-winning John Voight (father of Angelina Jolie) plays the creepy and unpredictable patriarch of the criminal family. He and Liev Schreiber carry the show with their sensational performances.

The story is rough, dark, and very brutal hence, highly entertaining to watch!

Shot between 2013-2020, the show has 82 EPS on Showtime (CBS) and a movie (2022) to conclude the story.

Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire (2023)

Cartoonishly Bad!

[4/10 · 25 December 2023]

This one is safe to skip!

Zach Snyder's UHD Netflix flick for the holiday season is cartoonishly bad!

A déjà vu good-versus-bad story with a female worrier taking revenge against an evil empire to protect her hard-working village ...

The world's design and story are highly improvised and inspired by movies such as Battle Beyond the Stars, Star Wars, and John Carter.

The movie was originally rejected by Lucas Films and didn't secure proper studio financing, hence the streaming production and commitment for a sequel. So this is Part 1 of a non-relevant saga.

The $166 mio budget was masterfully wasted on some insulting CGI and a childish and unoriginal script: The Matrix-inspired slow-motion action scenes won't save the bad storytelling, simplistic dialogues, poor acting, and lack of depth for the characters.

It scored 23% on Rotten Tomatoes and on IMDb it qualifies for a solid 4/10 rating, considering the waste of money.

Remember District 9? That was produced with a $30 mio budget grossing $210 mio worldwide.

This movie will do the opposite!

Blue Eye Samurai (2023)

Anime at its best!

[7/10 · 15 December 2023]

This original and captivating anime commissioned by Netflix is a masterpiece!

It is an artful mixture between Kill Bill, Mulan, and 47 Ronin: Set in 1633 when Japan closed its borders to the outside world this dark anime tells the story of a strong female outcast who is seeking revenge against the men who humiliated her life!

This cinematic anime is phenomenally choreographed with bloody and stylized live-action sequences. The producers planned this 8-ep drama series like a live-action movie!

The voice cast's poetic dialogs on philosophical topics are layered masterfully along the plot. They are stylishly portrayed with depth by the talented French / Canadian animation team of the Blue Spirit Studios.

It is a must see!

Leave the World Behind (2023)

Safe to Skip!

[5/10 · 10 December 2023]

Based on a New York Times bestseller this Netflix adaptation has an award-winning producer who did Mr. Robot and a brilliant cast:

Julia Roberts and Mahershala Ali are both Oscar winners and Ethan Hawke has been nominated four times for the Oscars.

It seems the Obamas were engaged as consultants for this movie since the novel was on Obama's popular reading list recommendation.

I'm sure as a short novel the psychological thriller is captivating and suspenseful but the movie adaptation is kinda long (2:20min) and slow and falls often flat. Partly also because of its artsy choice of music, camera, and editing.

The plot of the apocalyptic thriller is simple: Some network hack has caused a blackout which has led the world to go haywire. The story then examines how different individuals deal with a world that is out of their control.

I guess the inspiration for the source material came after COVID. So it is somehow a déjà vu. Not to mention the open ending ...

The Holdovers (2023)

It's a Must See!

[8/10 · 3 December 2023]

It's a different type of Christmas movie: It's authentic, relatable, and heartwarming with guaranteed zero holiday cheesiness attached!

Set nostalgically in 1970 in New England, a strict & bitter history teacher played by the talented Paul Giamatti is stuck on campus with a handful of so-called "Holdovers" ie some privileged private school brats who have nowhere to go over the two-week break.

Inspired by the screenwriter's autobiographical events this movie is a bittersweet, light-hearted dramedy with a great cast!

It deals with many relatable topics among others parenting, family, friendship, and loyalty. It's slow but entertaining, sometimes funny and happy, and other times serious or sad. All together it is very original.

Its occasional deepness will hit you unexpectedly!

Napoleon (2023)

By Far Not a Gladiator!

[6/10 · 25 November 2023]

Riddley Scott's latest historical drama released on Apple is not being well received, and that is not only by the French audience.

It stars Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby (who stands out and often steals the show) as Josephine Bonaparte. The movie has stunning costumes and set designs and is technically impressive.

It spans over three decades of Napoleon's reign starting from the French Revolution and ending with his exile. Despite the epic battle scenes the run time of 2:40min is just too long.

Rather than historical accuracy the movie is more a half-comic character study of the flawed character of the French commander, overcompensating his shortcomings and maybe more about his relationship with Josephine.

By the way, Napoleon who concurred half of Europe, was often described as being short in stature. In fact, in those times his 1.69m height was an average height.

The movie is currently rated slightly below 7 on IMDb but it is worth the watch because of the main actors and its cinematography.

More notable works of the 86yro Ridley Scott include Blade Runner, Gucci, The Last Duel, Child 44, Out of Furnace, Prometheus, The Grey, Robin Hood, Into the Storm, Body of Lies, American Gangster, Hannibal, and The Gladiator.