yuschaa Reviews

Your Name. (2016)

What seems to be a silly premise evolved into something even more trifling. But with its unbearable charm, it worked astonishingly well.

[9/10 · 25 September 2016]

Your Name (Kimi No Na Wa) tells the story of two teenagers with vastly different backgrounds. One is a boy who lived in Tokyo and has the word "city" described all around him. One is a girl who lived in rural town far from technology and anything interesting. One morning, somehow, they found out that they have swapped bodies. Together, they must help each other find solution in daily life problems, and solve the mystery of the reason why this whole conundrum started.

This may sound like your typical body-swap romantic comedy situation, but you may find yourself on the wrong side of the spectrum as this movie takes you into an incredible journey. With a storytelling so divine, complex, yet understandable, this movie captures the essence of what romantic comedy movies have lost nowadays, a heart and a charm to lure you in.

Japanese animation movies tend to have a bit of a stereotype, but the movie successfully shown very little of that. Transitioning from one scene to the other effortlessly, Radwimps deserves an incredible applause for their talents in the movie, as every song and every score fits perfectly to the scene currently shown.

Although the movie does end in a predictable way, the voyage to that predictable end is more than enough to keep you satisfied. There are some usage of stock characters and several clichés throughout, something that maybe will drive some of the audiences away or cloud their judgment. But beside all that, the story is still original and well executed.

What seems to be a silly premise evolved into something even more trifling. But with its unbearable charm, it worked astonishingly well.

Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)

Despite hitting all the right notes, Bridget Jones' Diary still falls into a romantic comedy cliché.

[8/10 · 21 September 2016]

32-year old spinster and lunatic Bridget Jones is alone and aloof, living in London with no love to call her own. She made a resolution to start writing in a diary, promising herself to get better physically and simultaneously dealt with other life problems. Things start to change this year when she met two men that somehow gravitated towards her but despised each other's company.

Romantic comedies usually suffer from the case of a predictable plot and generic characters. This movie doesn't escape those stereotypes either. Packed with a clever script and solid execution, this movie tiptoes the romantic parts and the comedic ones. Some moments were definitely a bit too sweet to be true and too wacky of a comedy, yet somehow it has all the right twists and turns of a movie that will keep you glued. Sure, it has a big unnecessary subplot just to fill the empty duration, but with a supporting cast this strong, I wouldn't mind having to take a break from all the love triangle that was going on.

Renee Zellweger and Colin Firth may not have that strong of a chemistry, but throw Hugh Grant into the mix and somehow all three of them play each other off really well. Zellweger particularly went lengths for this movie, and I must applaud her for her impeccable comedic timing and sweet charm that lured me into liking her careless, clueless character.

It was a sweet romantic comedy for a date night, but don't expect anything original or mind-blowing about it. It's still just a fun romantic comedy, amazingly engineered and well-acted.

The Jungle Book (2016)

Incredibly breathtaking animations and lead by strong voice cast, The Jungle Book is definitely not just for children.

[9/10 · 20 September 2016]

A boy (or a man-cub, as the movie prefers to call him) is somehow lost and lived in the forest as long as he could remember. He learned how to survive, adapt, eat, make friends, and also, enemies. This movie will tell a life-changing journey of this boy named Mowgli.

I don't know how to classify this movie as animated or live-action, because everything seems so real and gorgeous. Every inch of the forest is mapped out with incredible detail. Every leaf, every fur, every spark of fire, everything managed to come to life in the hands of the animators and director Jon Favreau.

The movie also boasts a strong voice actors, starring from Ben Kingsley, Bill Murray and Idris Elba to Scarlett Johansson and Lupita Nyong'o. Neel Sethi also gave an amazing performance as Mowgli. Given he has to work with motion capture, green screens and fake pieces of jungle all the time, he manages to deliver a satisfying performance.

The storytelling and pacing of this movie is a bit slow, with the final duration of the movie clocking at 2 hours. Each character introduced plays an important part in the movie, and none of the subplots seem to be wasted. There are some shocking moments that will throw some audiences out of the loop for a while, and there are some majestic moments that will definitely tug your heartstrings.

It was a satisfying experience for children and adults, and a truthful retelling of the original story.

Tallulah (2016)

A drama about a baby kidnapping may sound weird at first, but once you get past that, it's a wonderfully-told story.

[9/10 · 20 September 2016]

Tallulah tells the story of a young adventurous girl, stranded with nowhere to go and no one to call to in New York City. She stumbles into a troubled mother alone with her daughter. Knowing that the baby is not in safe environment, she took the baby. Things start to tangle up even further when she became involved with her ex- boyfriend's mom's issues.

There are so many things can go wrong about the premise alone, but as far as storytelling go, Sian Heder is excellent. The movie takes its sweet time to explain the things that are happening, and the moments shown in the movie is surely enough to keep you gravitated. Every character has their own motives and back stories for their actions. Ellen Page, Allison Janney and Tammy Blanchard gave an outstanding performance, with each actress managed to add a different layer to their own character that is amazingly three- dimensional and somehow empathetic.

Another thing that I love about the movie (and some audience may dislike) is how the movie maintains the constant mood throughout its duration. The tonal consistency and the movie scoring kept me grounded, ready and waiting for what the movie may throw at me next. Several elements, such as some unnecessary subplots and an anti-hero for a main character, may shy away some audiences.

Tallulah is definitely one of the most wonderfully-told drama about a baby kidnapping.

Train to Busan (2016)

Exhilarating from departure to arrival, Train to Busan is a breakthrough in balancing emotion and fright.

[9/10 · 16 September 2016]

A daughter and her estranged father board a train to Busan to see her mother. What seems to be a peaceful ride soon turn into a nightmare as a zombie outbreak manages to make their way inside the train. One by one, passengers fell victim to the pandemic. Can they make it to Busan?

Korean movies always knows best to tug at their audience's heartstrings. Whether it's family drama, life problems, or just full blown tearjerkers. Korean movies is also home to some of the most terrifying, spine-chilling, and effective jumpscare usage in horror movies of all time. This movie captures both aspects successfully. The scoring in this movie is just right, and the visuals provided with each shot is definitely jaw-dropping.

The movie does lack in several aspects, such as inexplicable plot points, questionable decisions by the characters, and some lagging in storytelling by the latter half of the movie. Good thing is, the negative aspects are only apparent on subsequent watches, and the movie still provides good entertainment sprinkled with logical backstories and likable/unpleasant characters for you to root to survive or die.

All in all, Train to Busan is an exhilarating experience, and a fresh take on zombie movie tropes.

You've Got Mail (1998)

Charming, witty, and irresistible, You've Got Mail suffers from an unique premise with a generic resolution.

[8/10 · 14 September 2016]

Set in New York, two 30 year-olds exchange letters via the internet, or the virtual plane. Little did they know that their real lives already clashed so close, and what seems to be hatred and banter in real life blossoms into romance and sweetness in the virtual world. Can they make it through the irony?

First of all, I loved both Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. They always brought out their own charm and their chemistry is undeniably palpable. They handled all their materials given perfectly, and not one single beat was missing in their performances. However, this film brought so little of it and yet painted Hanks' character as a little bit creepy man who isn't truthful.

The plot was a little creative, but it came to a generic conclusion nonetheless. It's a classic "I hate you, I love you" story with a modern twist. I do liked the other aspects of the movie, such as the song selections, the general setting, the tonal consistency, and the supporting cast.

It's a strong romantic comedy, but it is still a romantic comedy: it always ends with them being together.

The Shallows (2016)

Loaded with stunning visuals and overdone tropes, The Shallows delivered.

[8/10 · 14 September 2016]

A medical student deals with the grief of her mother's recent death by going surfing all alone, leaving all the family problems behind her. Things start to take a different turn when a terror from the deep sea hunts her down. Her perseverance and her will to survive will be greatly tested in this 80 minute film.

Blake Lively successfully delivered a breathtaking performance, given so many materials she has to work on. The movie also has beautiful shots spread throughout the movie, with each shots managed to create the small world that revolved around the main character.

The music may irritate some people though, as they constantly used the same sound effects whenever the camera submerged into water. It sounds realistic a few times, but it is just too much. The film also suffer from the case of a predictable plot and basic tropes.

However, the tension and the terror provided in this yet another man vs. shark movie is very much real. Definitely one of those movies you want to watch with your friends to hype it up even more.

Café Society (2016)

Generic plot paired with pleasing visuals, Cafe Society falls right in the middle.

[6/10 · 13 September 2016]

Set in the 1930s, Cafe Society is another insight at the lives of white people in America. A man living in New York (somehow) has to move to Los Angeles to pursue job opportunities from his uncle. There, he met a stunning young woman who captivated him. Emotions starts to ensue when he learns that the woman will change the course of his life forever.

2000s Woody Allen films are definitely a hit or a miss, and this movie falls just right in the middle. The plot was very much generic, and there are severe lack of likable characters. Most of the characters did some questionable things and done nothing to prove themselves that they are redeemable by the end of the movie. Several talents were tragically wasted too, like Blake Lively and Steve Carrell.

There are aspects in the movie stood out better than the rest, such as tonal consistency, the 1930s aesthetic, and the jazz-dominated scoring. The narration by the director himself may add nothing of importance to the narrative, but it helps reinforcing the classic style the movie intends to create.

You may love this movie to death or hate it. For me it just sits right there: forgettable plot, but mesmerizing visuals.

Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (2016)

Undeniable chemistry from the lead cast, but everything else is just mind numbing.

[3/10 · 13 September 2016]

Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates is inspired by a true story of Mike and Dave Stangle, in which they post an ad looking for dates for a wedding. Hilarity ensues when their dates turned out to be not who they appear to be.

From the poster and the premise alone, you should know that this movie is going to be your typical comedy movie you watch while you were doing something else, say getting high, background noise, or even better: 10 minutes before you get down with your date. Most of the comedy works with zero context. I can see why this movie wasn't funny for some audiences, but one thing the movie knows and does it well: it knows who their target audiences are and they've done a pretty good job pandering to them.

The movie has mediocre points at editing and scoring. The cast chemistry is definitely undeniable, but their potentials are so much wasted. All the lead actors have amazing comedic timing and can deliver lines suited to their talents, but the script and the scenes just doesn't show it. It's a shame since I watched this movie because I liked all the lead actors in it.

However, the good points of the movie stopped right there. If you're looking for a quality comedy, you might want to look somewhere else. Filled with boring overdone clichés, unlikable characters, and predictable character development, the movie just paints its own doom as the hours went by.

It was a fun mindless comedy, but everything else is just mind numbing.

Begin Again (II) (2013)

The general theme and tone of the movie is excellent, yet it's still predictable.

[7/10 · 6 September 2016]

A man is currently trying to regain everything he messed up: his glory in the music industry, his crumbling family, and his passion. Things start to look up when he drunkenly stumbles into a woman singing her heart out in a bar. There, he knows he can regain everything back in his life, including helping out the woman's problems.

Musical dramas tend to oversaturate stuff and bore the audience with the long musical numbers. However, Begin Again is a carefully composed musical drama, with infectious earworms and emotional moments spread throughout the movie accordingly. Most of the musical number is meaningful and contributes something to the character development. Keira Knightly deserves points for at least try to sing, her voice may sound robotic at times but soothing nonetheless.

Every movie has its flaws, and this movie has some. There are several plots that were unnecessary, weird pacing, and predictable finale.

Overall, it was executed well and definitely one of the strong contenders in the musical drama genre. Perfect for a movie date.

Adventureland (2009)

It has all the usual formula for an indie coming-of-age drama, and it works.

[8/10 · 5 September 2016]

When a trip to Europe is suddenly canceled because of monetary reasons, a fresh college graduate with little to no job experience has to work in an amusement park (aka Adventureland) to save up for money. What seems to be a measly job will change his life forever.

Adventureland has your usual coming-of-age drama formula: an unusual premise, an unique aesthetic, and a soundtrack filled with indie sweethearts mixed with oldies-but-goodies. Some movies may fail on the execution, but not with this one.

The movie takes a realistic approach with somber tones, taking on life problems that may hit too close to home, and handling on issues that are authentic without glamorizing them. The performances brought out by the main characters are top-notch. The soundtrack may sound pretentious, but just the right amount of pretentiousness, as the songs really brought out the heavy atmosphere the movie intends to show.

Some subplots may deemed unnecessary, and the plot may dragged on a little bit, but it was an enjoyable experience. I was a bit confused as why it was tagged under a Comedy genre, as the jokes are spread thinly across the movie.

A perfect movie for teenagers and adults alike.

Don't Breathe (2016)

Simple, effective, and suspenseful, its noticeable flaws are hardly worth a damn to fuss about.

[9/10 · 5 September 2016]

Don't Breathe has a very simple premise: three burglars attempt to escape with their stolen money from a supposedly helpless victim living in a house, only to find themselves trapped and accidentally managed to uncover something dark hidden inside the house.

With so many horror movies on the rise this year alone, Don't Breathe managed to score a sweet spot in one of the best. The movie successfully creates a tension that ran thick throughout the whole movie. It doesn't rely on cheap jumpscares and convoluted backstories, it relies on effective delivery of horror.

The problem is, with a movie this simple, the flaws are apparent. There are no character development whatsoever, the tension might overstayed its welcome, and all of the actors delivered a subpar performance.

Overall, this movie provided good entertainment and continues to break the boundaries of the usual horror movie tropes.

XOXO (2016)

Appealing visuals and alright performances, it's neither a slow jam or a banger.

[4/10 · 28 August 2016]

XOXO tells stories about six different people that revolved around an electronic dance music festival. A young DJ, a manager, a hopeless romantic girl, an apathetic man, and a struggling couple. Their paths will collide and somehow, the music festival will brought out their worst and their best.

Plot-wise, this movie is really generic. None of the twists and resolutions are shocking nor original. The same can be say for the characters, as they were taken out of boring overdone tropes that previous movies has. The actors did an okay job, with Brett DelBuono rises among the rest. Sarah Hyland could be much better, given her Modern Family roots.

The visuals in this movie however, are appealing and engaging. Although there are no jaw dropping shots, this movie managed to capture the festival's spirit (which basically just a lot of people taking drugs and jump around til they're tired) just right.

If you like EDM and are looking for visual references, go ahead and watch. Otherwise, save your time. You're really not missing anything.

Lights Out (II) (2016)

Even though it mostly relies on jumpscares, the creepiness still stands.

[6/10 · 26 August 2016]

A recently fatherless son couldn't sleep because he is afraid of the creature that talks to his mom every night when the lights are out. He calls in for his stepsister to help regain their mother's sanity. Terror and emotions starts to unfold as the truth about the family's dark past begins to uncover itself.

Lights Out is adapted from a very simple gimmick short film: about a creature that appears every time you turn off the lights. The creators realized that the premise would run out of ideas very quickly, so they decided to shoehorn every jumpscare they can. Luckily, it worked well.

However, there are so many negative aspects to pick off. The common horror trope characters, the weak script, the actors' measly performances, and weird pacing makes the movie seems a bit stiff.

If you're looking for jumpscares and general creepiness, this might be a good movie for you. If you don't, it will still be worth your time.

The Secret Life of Pets (2016)

Unoriginal story, beautiful graphics, and tired tropes: a perfect children's movie.

[5/10 · 24 August 2016]

There was a toy that belonged to a human. They have a very special relationship, as they spent every waking minute together, except when the owner's not home. Things start to change when the human brought home a new toy. The older toy starts to feel replaced and jealous as the human spends more time with the new toy. The toys got into a quarrel and got themselves separated with the rest of the toys. Now, the toys must bond and form a plan in order to return home. Meanwhile, the other toys frantically searches the city for their friends. Will they be able to find them? Will the toys make it in time?

What I just described to you is the plot of Toy Story.

And this movie has more or less the same plot. Just replace the word "toy" with "pet".

I read somewhere that there was this thing called "praise sandwich", where you first praise someone's work, criticize them to death, and then end the critic with another layer of praise. I'm gonna do the same thing, except I'm gonna call them "critic sandwich".

The graphics in this movie were absolutely beautiful and radiant. There were some unexpected scenes, and some language that shouldn't be heard by children. Jenny Slate deserves another praise for the voice acting she's done, as she's excelled in Zootopia.

However, with the tired tropes and generic soundtrack, this movie just fell flat. It was good entertainment, nothing great, nothing mind-blowing, nothing awesome, just there to kill the time.

The Nice Guys (2016)

Astonishingly funny, sweet, and well-executed.

[9/10 · 22 August 2016]

An enforcer who always gets his job done pairs up with a lousy alcoholic detective to locate a government official's daughter. What seems to be a simple job turns out very convoluted as they accidentally discover something sinister is at large.

With such a basic and tired premise, The Nice Guys managed to hit all the highs and the lows of a buddy cop movie. Both Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling handled all their given materials perfectly. Angourie Rice also did an excellent job portraying Ryan Gosling's character daughter who snoops around her dad's job. She didn't overtake the two main characters, but she also got a chance to shine.

There are multiple laugh out loud moments and some decent action portrayed (and some nudity), and the movie managed to also score a nice emotional touch to the characters. There may have been some played out tropes and old movie tricks, but with clever dialogues and top-notch delivery, you wouldn't mind getting past through all of it and have some genuine, tear-inducing laughs.

Definitely one of an excellent buddy cop movie to watch.

About Time (I) (2013)

Interesting premise, but overall messy.

[5/10 · 21 August 2016]

Tim is your usual twenty somethings: bad with women, awkward, and miserable in life. When Tim reaches the age of 21, his dad told him that the men in his family can travel back in time, in any desired time during his life on Earth. With this new ability, will his life start to get any better?

Now that's an interesting premise right there. Unfortunately, it all went downhill so fast than you can imagine. There are so many plot holes and rules that are left unexplained, so many wacky expositions that just didn't work, and bloated clichés one after another.

The movie is somewhat salvaged, however, by the main lead's performance (Domhnall Gleeson). Rachel McAdams did an okay job by being the main lead's romance interest, and so does Bill Nighy. The tone is consistent and the soundtrack is somewhat tolerable, but that's all there is to it.

It is a good movie for a couple night, but I advice you to watch for several minutes and just go have sex or sleep immediately.

Welcome to Me (2014)

A definite insight to mental health disorders, but definitely not for everyone.

[7/10 · 21 August 2016]

Welcome to Me stars Kristen Wiig as Alice, a woman who suffers from Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). When she won a lottery that grants her a sizable amount of money, she produces, acts, and stars in a TV series entitled: Welcome to Me.

First and foremost, this is the most endearing thing Kristen Wiig has done, outside her usual comedy movies. The way she portrays Alice is so heartbreaking and detailed, sometimes funny, but also feels authentic. The supporting cast did a good job too, especially Linda Cardellini.

However, this movie is definitely not for everyone. As the title and the premise suggests, this movie is going to be all about Alice and her world. Alice's actions are questionable and maybe some audience can't digest that properly.

If you're interested in movies about psychology issues, then this is definitely a movie for you. Otherwise if you want to feel good, you might want to pick up something else, as the constant melancholy and confusion this movie brought will disillusion you, forcing you into saying "What the hell was that?" when the credits roll.

The Fundamentals of Caring (2016)

Lacking in creativity and brimming with clichés, however, the cast shines.

[7/10 · 21 August 2016]

The Fundamentals of Caring tells a story of a man who has recently lost everything, decides to take a job as a caregiver to start anew. His client is a disabled, witty, and bitter boy. When the man proposes to the boy to take on a road trip, emotions arise.

The movie is your usual feel good road trip movie. It has a bright tone,a sad premise with a happy conclusion, and a right amount of drama and comedy. Complete with clichés and a soundtrack filled with indie bands, this movie is all set to be deposited in the slice of life genre, utterly forgotten.

What sets it apart is the cast. Paul Rudd and Craig Roberts shines brilliantly and gave amazing performances. Actress turned singer (and somehow acts again) Selena Gomez also gave a good job playing the sharp mouthed bad girl that Craig Roberts' character idolizes.

It has some confusing storytelling at the beginning, but when it's funny, it works. It has jarring weaknesses, but it was still worth a watch.

Master of None (2015–2021)

Although it leans towards the romance by the latter half, it's still a perfect mix of romance and comedy.

[9/10 · 21 August 2016]

Master of None may look like your typical romance/comedy TV series. Set in New York, this series tells you a story of a struggling actor tries to make things work in the city that never sleeps. However, the assumption may just stop right there, as this series has a lot to offer for you.

The series managed to tackle different issues that is circulating and happening as we speak, and the series did it excellently. With impeccable wit and charming performance by Aziz Ansari, this series is a guaranteed laugh-out-loud every time you watch an episode.

Although it leans a little bit towards the romance side by the latter half of the series, the show doesn't forget that it is a comedy series. Some of the episodes may be slow paced, and you can sense the twist coming, but it is definitely one of the best new comedy of this year.

Jessica Jones (2015–2019)

Season 1 review: strong cast, dark tones, and overall thrilling.

[9/10 · 21 August 2016]

Jessica Jones is maybe one of the least expected Marvel character to have her own series, but now we have it, and it works. Brilliantly. Set in New York, Jessica Jones is an ex-superhero who decided to start a new life by being a detective while simultaneously fights crime and bring justice with her own hands, even though she is still scarred by the past that made her retire.

Krysten Ritter did an amazing job portraying Jessica Jones. Each supporting cast of this series also brought something new and strong to the table. One cast that I (and everybody) likes to mention is David Tennant. You can really feel the menace and the madness of Kilgrave throughout the series.

I also liked the increasing dark and heavy atmosphere the series has. Although several of the plot points may seem irrelevant at first, they somehow made their way back to the main narrative and works perfectly.

Overall, it is an excellent drama/action series to watch, even if you're not a comic book fan.