darioilg Reviews

Malignant (I) (2021)

Extremely cliche, with a catch

[4/10 · 26 September 2021]

James Wan's formula returns once again to haunt us: extremely cliche formulas of cheap horror, down to the tiniest details of cliche dialogue, coupled with a sort-of-interesting base concept. The mystery behind the killer is somewhat inventive and interesting, and Wan's typical strength, lighting and camera movement, work pretty well.

A very basic, sub-average horror movie, with a couple of interesting ideas here and there.

The Wicker Man (1973)

An interesting story about religion, less engaging as a mystery

[8/10 · 6 August 2021]

"The Wicker Man" is a fun mystery/thriller/horror story, but for the most part it drags on as the policeman protagonist tries to make sense of all the lies and deception of the islanders. There is one big twist towards the end which helps the first frustrating part where all questions are simply deflected.

What makes this story really stand out among horror movies is its complex approach to religious belief. As a convinced atheist, I see it as the struggle between two equally deluded world-views, and it is particularly interesting to see how the policeman calls the islanders crazy for believing some supernatural creatures will save their crops when he calls for eternal life right before burning alive. It's a poetic image that not many directors would have the guts to film.

Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker (2019)

RISE OF SKYWALKER - PROS AND CONS

[3/10 · 24 May 2020]

PROS:

• Good handling of Rey's mysterious origins;
• It was a very hard feat putting this film together, for the many extra-diegetic problems it had;
• Driver as Kylo and McDiarmid as Palpatine;
• The ending on Tatooine;
• Some funny moments;
• Good chemistry between the main characters.

CONS:

• Many events happen for no reason/remain unexplained, especially when characters appear and disappear;
• Mostly predictable and unoriginal story;
• Introduces useless new characters instead of developing existing ones, especially poor Rose;
• The music is unusually used in a bad and repetitive way.

Venom (2018)

VENOM - PROS AND CONS

[4/10 · 19 May 2020]

PROS:

• The symbiotes' and Venom's design is very cool and adherent to the original
• Venom and Eddy are gross, and Hardy commits to it;
• The theme for Venom sounds right;
• The idea that Venom is a loser on his planet like Eddy.

CONS:

• Script so bad not even Hardy is able to deliver it convincingly;
• Poor attempts at humor, especially with the interior dialogue;
• Venom says he knows everything inside Eddy's head, then two scenes later he doesn't know who Eddy's ex is;
• Generic, uninventive action scenes;
• Maybe the flattest villain ever seen;
• Hardy's acting is pretty bad even considering the script.

Venom (2018)

VENOM - PROS AND CONS

[4/10 · 19 May 2020]

PROS:

• The symbiotes' and Venom's design is very cool and adherent to the original;
• Venom and Eddy are gross, and Hardy commits to it;
• The theme for Venom sounds right;
• The idea that Venom is a loser on his planet like Eddy.

CONS:

• Script so bad not even Hardy is able to deliver it convincingly;
• Poor attempts at humor, especially with the interior dialogue;
• Venom says he knows everything inside Eddy's head, then two scenes later he doesn't know who Eddy's ex is;
• Generic, uninventive action scenes;
• Maybe the flattest villain ever seen;
• Hardy's acting is pretty bad even considering the script.

Extraction (2020)

EXTRACTION - PROS AND CONS

[6/10 · 11 May 2020]

PROS:

• Incredible and realistic action scenes (unsurprisingly, since the director is mainly a stuntman);
• Hemsworth gives it his all;
• Cool establishing shots;
• The CRAZY one-shot chase;
• Good initial set-up for the story;
• Not afraid to show violence in a violent environment.

CONS:

• Very weak and predictable story;
• Guilty of white-savior narrative in a mainly Bollywood cast movie;
• Lame and generic soundtrack;
• Tin-foil, one-dimensional characters.

Deadpool 2 (2018)

DEADPOOL 2 - PROS AND CONS

[8/10 · 8 May 2020]

PROS:

• Ryan Reynolds's delivery of Deadpool lines is never not funny;
• Cable and Domino are good additions to the cast;
• The 4th-wall breaking is out of control, usually with hilarious results;
• Russell (a clear nod to Logan's X-23) is funny as well;
• The entire post-credit, time-travel story;
• Stunt sequences are gold, especially the long shot in the sauna;
• The X-Force auditions.

CONS:

• Sometimes the humor is a bit forced and unnecessary;
• The final act is too long;
• Some shaky CGI.

The Platform (2019)

Great first half, bad ending

[8/10 · 7 April 2020]

I was really excited to watch this movie because of the intriguing premise. Stories with inexplicable and mysterious settings like Lost or Attack on Titan, fascinate me a lot, as long as they are provided with an intelligible explanation sooner or later. Attack on Titan is probably the best example of this kind of story done right: it seems to make no sense, but then, little by little, things are explained and everything fits in. Now, enter El Hoyo. We have a seemingly endless hole where people of higher levels can eat before those on lower levels. Once a month, prisoners are moved (apparently at random) from one level to another and they can bring with them a single object. This premise is, honestly, one of the most interesting things I've ever heard, and it also has a very intuitive metaphorical and sociological flavor to it, that is in fact explored to some extent in the movie. Without getting too deep in the details of the story, though there are many interesting ones, I want to stress how well the first half of the film is developed. Our protagonist is a normal guy, with a pretty standard moral compass (first he pities the others and expects them to help each other, then he embraces his animal nature and starts to act for survival, then again questions this and so on...), which makes for a very engaging strategy-based story: high level means we can eat as much as we want, low level means we need to find a way to endure for a month (or more!).

Now, I see how the story naturally goes to the idea of mutual help. Actually, it is historically clear that a society that cares for others just works better, whatever your moral feelings may be, and I also liked a lot the fact that our protagonist decides to force others to cooperate to an extent.

But then, after Imoguiri's death, everything starts to collapse, culminating is an ending that simply makes no sense, just for the sake of leaving the viewer with a mysterious aura. The kid at level 333 (obviously, the number of God) is supposed to be the message sent by the Messiah. But what does this mean exactly? That this was supposed to be the "solution" to the mystery? But then again, this is a prison, a place where people go for specific reasons, not a riddle to solve. Also, why is Goreng supposed to let her go upwards alone? Why can't he go with her? And what was Miharu trying to do? Find the kid to crack the code? And where did she go every time she descended? How come she never went to the top level? Also, it would've been very easy for someone at level 332 to notice that the bottom was nearby, and so on...

Bottom line, this story has a great idea at its root, but it would've been better explored with a different medium, like a long comic book, book or tv show. That way, the strategic element could've been stretched to its natural limits without wasting the story's symbolic potential either, instead of rushing an ending that says very, very little.

I really hope a good writer, maybe Desola himself, does just that.

Godzilla (2014)

Great Godzilla action, but little soul

[6/10 · 11 July 2019]

This is the quintessential American blockbuster, for better and for worse. It sports amazing visuals and CG, but it really lacks on character development and psychology. While I sort of enjoyed the unexpectedly logical choices by the military (who, shockingly, aren't evil and don't confuse friends for foes), I was bummed by the titular monster's little screen time, which relegates him to an awesome secondary character. Overall, not stellar but a decent reboot for the franchise.

Never Let Me Go (2010)

A rushed story that "completes" at the end

[7/10 · 1 May 2019]

Having just finished Ishiguro's book, I was curious to see how they could transpose that weird story into a movie. This film is quite a faithful adaptation, but it has something that makes it better than the book and something worse.

What's good is that having actual people act out the situations written in Ishiguro's not-so-heartfelt style makes for a more emotional experience, and one where I was actually caught by the fear of death that the novel only barely touches upon. In other words, I liked the second half of the movie, where the adult versions of Kathie, Ruth and Tommy live the tragedy of their lives.

The problem comes with the first part. In this case, the book did a wonderful job at giving small details out little by little, slowly getting the reader to realize the horrendous truth behind Hailsham, telling the story of the cassette Kathy listens to (and the dramatic moment with Madame), her having sex with countless guys to forget about Tommy, and so on. The movie is really disappointing on this point: Haisham and the Cottages are a synopsis of themselves, not letting the viewer really get to know anyone from then and ultimately making the epic reunion with Madame and Miss Emily completely pointless, since there are no dots to connect.

Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018)

Down the rabbit hole

[7/10 · 13 January 2019]

Bandersnatch is yet another bold choice from Netflix AND, maybe more importantly, one that gives a strong blow to pirating. I have played a few interactive videogames, but I'd never seen an interactive movie before. After all, though, it's not that much different: you have few and sparse choices, many times you are forced to make decisions you wouldn't make, so the overall experience comes down to a frustrating LACK of choices. Now, Bandersnatch isn't immune to this problem at all: sometimes, I just wanted for Stefan to carry out his life in a normal way, but I was always forced to make something brutal or excessive happen. Of course I wanted to try out those experiences as well, but why prevent me from having a normal one? There actually is a decent answer to this question: because creating multiple choices/realities within a movie is extremely difficult. It is also true, though, that the Black Mirror team postponed the 5th season for this precise reason: they could've given this much more time, but they didn't.

I would still like to point out that Brooker (a very, very intelligent writer) did manage to justify cleverly this actual lack of options. What Stefan says about his own game (i.e. he needed to eliminate most choices to make it viable for publication) applies to the movie itself. That is an amazing touch that really hit me when I realized it, even though it still kind of feels like a (smart) justification.

In conclusion, Bandersnatch is a groundbreaking experiment, well acted and directed, with many, many different (and equally shocking!) endings, but it's still carrying the burden of still not being able to offer an actual decision-making system to the viewer. For that, we'll probably need to wait a few more years.

Aquaman (2018)

Classic intro to a new superhero that shoots every single bullet available

[4/10 · 12 January 2019]

I've been a superhero comics fan my whole life, so I was extremely excited at the idea of Aquaman having a legitimate movie of his own, less so that it would be in the low-quality context of the DCEU.

First off, Momoa was a great casting choice for the man himself: he has the energy and looks to actually make a lesser superhero very charismatic nonetheless. The problem comes with almost everything else: the other members of the cast have nothing interesting to give their characters, not even the "queen" herself Nicole Kidman, and the plot is... just a mess. It's a fun mess, but a mess still. What I mean is that Aquaman has an interesting mythos, but also a limited one: the authors managed to stuff the plot with Orm, Manta, the War between Land and Sea, the trial of the Trident AND the Trench, a newer and awesome addition to the canon of recent years. Now, this has consequences: the story makes no sense, of course, but this has to be taken into account when watching a superhero flick (a DC superhero flick, rather); the story is so absurd it's fun and funny: I found myself laughing at some of the most bombastic and/or cliche scenes, but this is not necessarily a bad thing; last, but not least: this makes it incredibly hard for a sequel to happen. I know DC is already considering throwing away the whole project, and I'm honestly happy with that, but the team could've focused on fewer plot points, delivering a sharper, shorter film, instead of burning every cartridge with a long and messy one.

Bird Box (2018)

Average Post-Apocalyptic Flick

[6/10 · 10 January 2019]

The 2010s have been flooded with post-apocalyptic movies and TV shows, the most popular and iconic arguably being "The Walking Dead". What Bird Box tries to do is nothing new -at all-, from the formulaic characters to the good-hearted, moralistic drama. The acting is quite solid, though, with a great cast being part of the project and Trevante Rhodes being the highlight: I absolutely loved him in a much, much better written film ("Moonlight"), but he makes do with the script here as well.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)

At least the first one was fun

[3/10 · 3 December 2018]

Fantastic Beasts 2 is a mess: I have rarely seen such a confusing and confused plot. There seems to be no character without a weird/missing/secret half-brother, secret pacts, double allegiances. What in the first chapter was merely a side quest, here becomes the center of attention, sadly, and makes everything crumble. The only favorable elements of the movie are a few good performances, especially Depp's big baddie, even though his character looks pretty much like a lesser version of Voldemort. Easily the worst entry in the whole Harry Potter saga.

Blue Is the Warmest Colour (2013)

Extraordinary, honest movie

[10/10 · 29 November 2018]

I feel kind of speechless when I happen to watch such genuine works of art. The raw emotions, sharp gazes, eloquent silences are presented to us through a camera that is used with incredible mastery and through a tour de force by Exarchopoulos and Deydoux that deserves every award they were given and many more. Sometimes I would have liked more insight in plot points that are just passed in silence, but, though frustrating, they are made even more relevant when approached this way. Absolutely beautiful.

Black Panther (2018)

The best MCU movie to date

[7/10 · 26 April 2018]

I would never have expected for "Black Panther", out of all superheroes, to be so engaging and thought-provoking as this film was. Ryan Coogler is known for being a smart director, but here he completely breaks the usual scheme of simple, one-dimensional characters siding for good against evil and creates some of the most unique heroes ever made for the cinema screen. Killmonger, a barely known villain, is elevated to a complex personality, filled with rage and vengeance, and it's not unreasonable to actually understand his points. After all, he does nothing legally wrong, but he's overthrown for a supposed greater good. Now, this is what a great protagonist-antagonist interaction is about. Every actor gives their best, especially the lead, Boseman: the accent invented for Wakandans is so unique, and he manages to play beautifully with words through it.

On the cons notes, there still are a couple, which doesn't let "Black Panther" enter the masterpiece zone: 1) The gags are forced, a problem many MCU movies share. Producers should understand that laughter is not a necessity all the time, and there can be a Marvel movie where the public just doesn't laugh. The result in a movie like this one is a huge cringe-effect when jokes are evidently juxtaposed for such goal. There are a couple decent ones, but they are exceptions. 2) The other problem virtually all Marvel movies share, the inevitable bombastic, over-predictable final fight. In particular, I found the CIA operative an uninspired addition to the cast in this section, as well as the sudden atonement of W'Kabi.

Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay (2018 Video)

Fun SS Movie

[7/10 · 19 April 2018]

Unlike the major motion picture from 2016, this animated entry doesn't have an enormous budget but it has a lot of heart. The animations are clumsy at times, desynced from the voice acting, and the acting itself isn't amazing, but the story is a lot of fun, ingenious and it returns the devil-may-care attitude that makes the Suicide Squad such an ineteresting team.

Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)

A thoughtful and gorgeous addition to the Star Wars epic

[6/10 · 15 December 2017]

Finally, after two long years, the third trilogy continues in "The Last Jedi" by Rian Johnson. From a writer/director of this calibre I could only expect the most mature Star Wars ever, and I was not disappointed on this end: in this film we finally see some doubt in the sharp distinction between good and evil, a more interesting dinamic between the baddies and the good guys. Rey doubts master Luke, Luke himself hides some shadows in his past that he would like to bury forever, Finn and the newly introduced Rose team up with a guy whose lesson is "Good and Evil are the same: it's just business". One could see this as a common carefree character, but in reality he channels an interesting point made throughout the film: good and evil may not be as different as they seem. Maybe. Because eventually the good guys (kind of) win, and Kylo stays true to his baddie persona, if with some very interesting twists coming along. To this regard, Rian Johnson seems to be playing with fan fictions here, proving all of them wrong even if the solution he finds is not quite as satisfying sometimes. Is it really a good idea to make Rey's parents some nobodies? What about all the threads scattered around in Episode VII that we got crazy to understand? Can it really be the best choice to let it all die this way? Sure, Kylo said that, Rey believes that, but nothing forbids for Ep. IX to change everything on this end. Luke's death is pretty good, although maybe not that necessary. Same goes for Snoke's fate: he was never anything more than a nobody himself? An all-powerful being without any connection to the past of the Sith order? Seems very cheap if you ask me.

If this SW really did something better than all his predecessors, it is to show us what the "Wars" in the title mean: there are so many combat scenes, but they are unusually complex, with great military strategy behind every move and with incredible visual effect on the spectators.

I really loved how some things require some time to be understood: for example, Yoda laughing at Luke's willingness to destroy the tree containing the Books of the Jedi and telling him that Rey already has what she needs to become a Jedi is a great piece of writing, because everything gets a simple, clear explanation later on: she had already taken the books away, with her.

The Last Jedi follows the trend started with Episode VII and continued with Rogue One last year: it's not as groundbreaking as the originals, but it carefully works both with the source material and with new ideas, crafting a very good new entry. The best part are its insightful ideas about shading the line between good and evil; the worst are some writing choices (like Snoke's and Phasma's deaths, two interesting and completely underdeveloped characters).

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Hiddleston/Hemsworth fun-pack

[9/10 · 8 November 2017]

What "Thor: Ragnarok" explicitly states is a doomsday catastrophe going on; what it really does is reinvigorate a dying cinematic hero with the power of comedy. Who would've known that the Thor universe could have so much comedic effect in the right hands, and that it would be the right direction for such a traditionally serious character. So that is the good aspect of this new Thor, which also happens to be the best of the three; the bad is that, unfortunately, even the creative Taika Waititi can't upset the tired Marvel formula of filling too many scenes with mindless action. It's not like action scenes are bad per se, as they are perfectly rendered in other recent MCU films like "Homecoming" or "Civil War": they just don't fit in this story as they would elsewhere because they ruin the flow of the story. The story itself is nothing special: just a series of bad guys to give Thor someone to punch or characters from other Marvel brands to team up with. Some of said team-ups are really cool and/or unexpected, and yes, my man Stan Lee has a funny cameo in this one as well.

As most people know, the main side-kick of Thor's in this one is the Incredible Hulk. Although they may not be the most sympathetic of characters in the Marvel Universe, it's undeniable that Waititi does a good job of making them fun, at least until they are bound to save Asgard in the customary final big fight. The main villain is a new entry in the MCU: Thor's sister Hela, the goddess of Death, played by a slick Cate Blanchett with a less slick headgear. Her character starts strong, but as the film goes on her personality gets flattened and it's ultimately relieving to see her go to Hel.

It is very clear that Disney knows how well received her Star Wars characters have been and it's trying to reformulate them in this Norse context. One can clearly see Han Solo's disinterest, confidence and ultimately reformation in the amazing Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie, or Jabba the Hut's careless cruelty in Jeff Goldblum's Grandmaster; both actors did incredible jobs on this one, by the way.

If it seems that this whole mess may be any fun, yes it is indeed, and its icing on the cake is the fantastic Korg, voiced by Waititi himself, and, even with his limited screen time, one of the best additions to the show. But again, it's the action pieces that really show how handcuffed the author is here, not being able to completely liberate his comedic genius by force of contractual restraints. I would've liked a completely different Marvel movie, but I know it's kind of a non-possibility. Nevertheless, he's able to save the movie with his outstanding witty dialogues, from which the first beneficiary is Chris Hemsworth, proving himself a better comic than he is a dramatic actor. His timing and delivery are simply perfect and it shows from the get go, when our hero is chained from the wall of Surtur's cave. Those chains he frees himself from are the token of him getting rid of his upright persona and finally able to behave the way he does best: having fun. And it only gets better as the next scene is one of the most hilarious in the whole movie: Thor realizing that Odin is actually his brother Loki while watching a Shakespeare-like play of his heroic death in battle. Loki himself, as expected, plays a core part in the film, and he has as effective comedic pieces as everyone else.

"Thor Ragnarok" really works under many aspects: for a change we get a memorable soundtrack, also graced by "Immigrant Song", that really works in the context it's put in.

It's a shame that the MCU format demands mindless, useless action at all costs, because outside that downgrade, this could've been the comedy of the year.

7.5/10

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

A rich, contemplative, but ultimately lesser sequel to "Blade Runner"

[9/10 · 7 November 2017]

I am a fan of the original "Blade Runner": its groundbreaking work on visual sci-fi is an incredible achievement, even though it's a tad overestimated on its conceptual aspects. On the contrary, "2049" lacks a true stylistic coherence but it's much richer in ideas and its interesting (although slow to the excess) pace in the first half is then replaced with too much standard blockbuster action in the second. "2049" can hardly be considered a true sequel to the original, as it brings out a world of its own: a very different -if extremely beautiful- cinematography, that ultimately hides, behind the constant layers of smog and fog, an inferior attention to stylistic details. The amazing world where Deckard moves is only hinted at with a couple of great shots, but there's lack of the subtle pop culture elements that make the original a work of genius. The same could be said for the music score: while Vangelis's electronic compositions were spot on to channel the mood of futuristic Los Angeles, Zimmer's is a more generic series of sounds without melody that increase the sense of unease very well, but without the same personality. Gosling, coming from the success of "La La Land" is a great lead and the cast as a whole is filled with superstars and unexpected returns, more or less welcome; Villeneuve has always worked in the realm of the cryptic and profound, and with "2049" he does it again, simply not matching the original's uniquely personal style.

8/10

It Follows (2014)

She has no idea...

[7/10 · 7 November 2017]

Is it too early to say there is a renaissance of horror movies going on? One thing is for sure: in the last few years we've experienced more than a few smart, well-made spookies coming from the US. And it's such a big relief to see that, apparently, the sh*t-show of endless jump-scares seems to be kind of over. So, alongside the fairly good "The Conjuring" and the fairly great "The Babadook", we can now add to the list of good American contemporary horror "It Follows": as the previous two, in fact, it shows what a good script, creative directing and pretty solid performances can do to the genre. Starting from the script, it has a beautiful simplicity to it: there's a non specified entity that follows the cursed and if "it" gets to them, it kills them; only way to get out of it is to pass the curse on to someone else through sexual intercourse. Alongside this thin but solid premise, Mitchell showcases simple, credible dialog and well-rounded characters. The chosen stage for the story is the declined city of Detroit: another spectral aspect that perfectly fits with the ghostly presence of the title. Sure, the group of teens that form the core characters of the movie are nothing short of the classic stereotyped nerds, jocks and so on, but they are enriched with a sort of ambiguity and uncertainty in their actions that's almost never seen in this genre. It's also noticeable how Mitchell leaves some important moments in the narrative out of the viewer's reach, with underlying meanings. It is not easy to work as an artist and not as an exploiter of mindless teenagers looking for a thrill in the horror industry, but Mitchell and his team worked out an unflinching film, that doesn't care to be too innovative, and yet modernizes classic '80s style creeps. It (see what I did there?) may not appeal to more gore or shock oriented moviegoers, but it's their loss. And it is because "It Follows" is the smartest horror in years.

8/10

Snatch (2000)

Guy Ritchie at his worst

[6/10 · 18 October 2017]

Mind you, I didn't hate this movie completely. There actually are some fun parts and a great performance by Brad Pitt. All the rest is a tiresome gangster comedy with little fantasy, mediocre dialogs and average to bad performances. While I usually defend Ritchie's bombastic style-over-substance philosophy, this time around he really bombed.

Dunkirk (2017)

A disappointing example of bad pacing

[6/10 · 31 August 2017]

I would never had thought that Christopher Nolan, the man that created some of my most beloved films as a young cinema goer, would film such an unusually bad paced film and I'm starting to think that all the fuzz about it comes from the natural instinct of patriotism it evokes rather than actual technical prowess. Sure, the film is beautifully shot, but it's a shallow beauty. There are so many films that show the horror of war and coming to face one's own mortality to the point of giving anything to "go back home": "Saving Private Ryan" and "Full Metal Jacket" come to mind. Both films are wisely divided into tense and relaxing scenes, so that the tension is shared by the public when it comes on screen. In "Dunkirk", the whole movie is a tension scene, which completely cancels any reason to feel tension after the first few dangerous situations our heroes find themselves in. And let's talk about these "heroes". It rarely happened to me to find a movie so crowded with useless talent: none of the characters mean anything to the overall story, they are sketches of the valiant, the mean, the wise, etc. and we have no time whatsoever to indulge in more intimate moments with them. This was definitely a conscious decision by Nolan, so that he could convey the feeling of telling the story of all 400.000 men and not only Harry Styles's, but if I don't feel anything for the few we actually get to know, then all 400.000 are misrepresented. Not to mention the only relevant death (which I won't spoil): it clearly just happens for some emotive involvement between such arid scenes, but it looks so artificial, so useless and stupid that it really makes you chuckle. One of the worst aspects of the film is the music, by Hans Zimmer. I would say by previous Hans Zimmer tunes, considering how any part of this score could have come from "The Dark Knight" or "Inception" and no-one would've noticed. Apart from its repetitiveness from other films, it's repetitive in itself: just like the endless action and danger, Zimmer's music is always tense, always on a high-alert tone, resulting in pure nothingness. Last, the week/day/hour narrative device. Nolan clearly needed something original to tell such an ultimately dull story so he and his team conceived this utterly useless idea. Throughout the film there is not a single time I thought "Wow, now I see why he organized the story this way!" and that is because it serves no purpose other than to give the feeling of an edgy, nolanesque feature. For reference, consider "Memento", Nolan's debut; there the complex narrative pattern makes complete sense and is functional -nay, essential- to the end result of the story. In "Dunkirk" this temporal distortion is completely useless: the film could've followed a more regular pattern without suffering anything on the narrative side.

I consider this the worst film Nolan has ever made, and I feel very disappointed knowing his potential.

Halloween (1978)

I blame this film for stupid horror films

[6/10 · 27 February 2017]

Wow, great start: the long shot and the plot twist.

But then it's this scene repeating for an hour and a half: - an apparently normal situation - Meyers suddenly appears (tense music) - characters feel something wrong - Meyers has disappeared! - characters say "oh, silly me" - dead

Not to mention how incredibly stupid the protagonist is, how predictable are the killer's comebacks, how awful is the acting and so on. The bright sides are cinematography and directing, but all the rest is bullshit, even for a self-produced film. How dare people say this is the best slasher when "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", a truly clever and terrifying modern horror, exists and existed 4 years before this, beats me. That is the father of the slasher genre and this one is the beginning of its end.

La La Land (2016)

Blending classic and modern musical is possible

[8/10 · 17 February 2017]

"La La Land" is nominated for a record-tying 14 categories (obviously including Best Picture) at the 2017 Oscars and it would definitely deserve the win if so. Damien Chazelle is an incredibly talented young director, with both his feature films nominated and both being the greatest achievements in musical films of the 2010s.

"La La Land" is both a love statement to the classic Hollywood musicals and a bold new direction for the genre, that never looked more done for if not for Chazelle. Sebastian and Mia both have dreams of glory and both of them are talented artists: she's a wannabe actress and he's a wannabe jazz player. For two thirds of the movie we're fooled into thinking that nothing will divert from the canon except (more or less) the setting. But little by little an attentive observer notices how intelligent the plot structure really is: the ending feels extremely sour on one hand, and yet happy on the other, which is perfectly represented with those last, beautiful smiles. Some may not like it, but a story like this manages to cover both the dreamlike state of musical characters and the new, more grounded conscience of modern filmmakers, that never touched the musical romance before.

"LLL" has a lot in common with "Whiplash" under a directorial point of view, and yet it manages to stand on its own quite well. They share a love for grand-angular shots and bold camera movements, but LLL stands out with its incredible long takes coordinated with the musical pieces. On that account, LLL stands out once more. Its all-original musics feel modern and classic at the same time and they are sided with fantastic dance choreographies (although sometimes the leads don't seem to dance perfectly, they're still actors, not professional dancers). Chazelle plays to the limit with chromatic effects throughout the movie: the colors on the scene are generally extremely bright and his use of the lens generates strange optic effects of dots of light on the side of some frames.

Stone and Gosling's performances are a true tour de force: they act brilliantly, sing lovingly and dance like they worked in Broadway all year long. As I said, the dance sections are not without imperfections, but to think what these two went through to accomplish this is simply amazing. Stone's performance is particularly noteworthy as she acts like she can't act very well, but not even that badly during her auditions, which is something any actor would want to do that well. Gosling unexpectedly shines more in the musical pieces, solidifying himself as a multifaceted talent.

"La La Land" is definitely one of the Movies of the Year 2016 as it renews a dying genre with vigor, talent and new spirit.