Only lovers left alive (2013) ****

This little gem about two vampires struggling with their immortality is probably one of the best films to ever run at Cannes (usually a sure sign that I won’t like them). Tom Hiddleston as depressed musician and Tilda Swinton as his slightly more life-affirming wife were delightful (though a bit mismatched as a couple), and Mia Wasikowska’s little sister was just so incredibly annoying in an impressive way. The script was captivating and gently ironic, but also thought-provoking. I especially liked that Adam and Eve where still treating each other with genuine love and so much respect, even after all this time, while also giving each other space. A perfect, mature model relationship without unnecessary drama.

Because the entire film was shot at night, the atmosphere stayed gloomy throughout, which was helped along by the great locations they selected. Sets and costumes looked fabulous, sort of dated and post-modern at the same time. The actors were given very long takes to work with, which lead to some great material that mercifully wasn’t sacrificed to the efficient editing.

The only thing missing was a clear story arc, which led to a slight slump in tension in the middle, once the obvious mystery was revealed and no goals manifested. Still 4/5

 

Only lovers left alive on Imdb

Unga Astrid (Becoming Astrid) (2018) ***

This biopic about the teen years of famous Swedish author Astrid Lindgren was beautifully done and very moving. The translation of the title from "Young Astrid" to "Becoming Astrid" is a bit misleading, though, suggesting a sort of origin story for the great writer, when it's really just about her youth. The story followed the troubled fate of Astrid as a teen mom with a baby out of wedlock in 1920ies Sweden – an experience that does not readily translate to her later career as an author of children’s books. In fact, I felt that the characters could have had any names. The story still would have worked. What I found interesting all the same was how progressive Sweden seems to have been even back then.

Astrid was beautifully portrait by Alba August, though her age never quite seemed to match the character. The rest of the cast was good as well, but the project suffered from weak and uneven directing as the ensemble didn’t really seem to fit together harmoniously. Particularly with Astrid’s mom I had the feeling that the actress was approaching her role from an angle that didn’t really tie in with the rest of the picture, and the scenes with the toddler actors were just not well-directed at all. The erratic editing didn’t help there, either.

The cinematography was beautifully, though, with a consistent colour palette and nicely framed shots. Composer Nicklas Schmidt provided a gorgeous score on top of everything.

Despite its flaws, the project came together as a touching and somewhat memorable film. 3/5

 

Unga Astrid on Imdb

Sleeping Beauty (1959) **

Another Disney classic off my list. The visuals were somewhat pleasing, but the story was a bit thin on the ground. I took issue with calling a child a “possession”, even a precious one, and Prince Philipp is awfully handsy when he meets Aurora for the first time, grabbing her again and again without her consent while she draws away (nevermind that they inexplicably fall in love later). I also thought the excessive drinking was a bit uncalled-for in a children’s film.

On the plus side: the singing was beautiful.

2/5

 

Sleeping Beauty on Imdb

Mr. Turner (2014) ***

 

This biopic about English painter Turner was not quite as boring as I expected, but didn’t really captivate me. The performances were great, but Timothy Spall's Turner didn't exactly elicit my sympathies. Also, there didn’t seem to be a tension arc of any description. The camera was simply following Turner through his adult life. The visuals, of course, were quite beautiful; carefully composed and lit in soft tones. The colour filter tried to imitate the yellowish hue that often appears to saturate Turner’s paintings. Yet this could not entertain me for the entire runtime of this unnecessarily lengthy film. The only notable titbit I have is that the German spoken by the Queen and King was excellent! They must have had extensive coaching for these two lines. 3/5

 

Mr. Turner on Imdb

Beautiful boy (2018)***

 

This drama about a young man slipping deeper and deeper into drug addiction despite the best efforts of his caring family to help him was well-made, but failed to touch me. This was despite Nic reminding me SO MUCH of my brother (not a drug addict at any point to the best of my knowledge, but the surly and aggressive teenager resistant to any help seemed very familiar. Like a window to the past.)

Still, it is refreshing to see Steve Carell make a name for himself in serious productions these days, and Thimothée Chalamet is always a joy (though I didn’t feel like the script was using his full potential here. It was also great to see Maura Tierney - Abby from E.R. – again in a major supporting role. The child actors were particularly well-cast, delivering serious and organic performances.

The film was accompanied by a noteworthy soundtrack with hits from the 90ies/early 2000s by artists like Massive Attacke and Sigur Ros, but in expected Amazon/Netflix fashion, the musical background seemed a bit disjointed, making everything look like a lazy montage.

Production-wise, this was solid, but it would have needed to be edited down. The pacing was even, but positively glacial. I got bored after 40 minutes and couldn’t believe I was nowhere near the end.

3/5 for effort.

Les Misérables (2012) ***

This remake of a classic musical was a high-quality production, but it still bored me. The plot dragged through endless musical numbers that didn’t seem to move the story forward, all the way from the beginning to its (mostly) unsatisfying ending. I cannot fault the cast for that, though. Not only did they have emotional roles to play – they had to do it while singing! Hugh Jackman did an absolutely marvellous job, confident and competent in his impressive performance. I also enjoyed Anne Hatherway's and Eddie Redmayne’s contributions very much. Russell Crowe, on the other hand, was struggling both with his singing and his shallow character (to be fair, he didn’t have much to work with. His were the most redundant musical songs). While I did enjoy seeing Sacha Baron Cohen, I thought his and Helena Bonham-Carter’s characters were utterly unnecessary and incredibly annoying screentime-eaters. On top of that, the songs all sounded the same!

At least the whole thing was a visual masterpiece, with long takes and great lighting and composition. The emotional impact remained minimal, though, and I would probably not re-watch this. I just don’t like musicals very much, I guess. 3/5 for effort.

 

Les Misérables on Imdb

The Aristocats (1970) ****

 

I remember liking this Disney classic as a child, and now I know why. It’s an engaging, entertaining, visually pleasing story about small adventures and found family. The characters are likeable and life-like. I thought it was quite progressive for the time in terms of female autonomy. (As for class, who’s the single mom here? I’m not saying she’s a slut, but… clearly she has experience with alley cats. She is not a hypocrite about it, though, so that’s fine.) I was also surprised by the number of adult jokes („Swingers“. Really?) In terms of the animations, this had a lot more to offer than most other old Disney films. To top it off, we don't have to put up with all that much singing in this one. All in all, a good watch. Feeling generous, so 4/5

The Aristocats on Imdb

Melancholia (2011) ***

 

This arthouse drama about a woman with severe depression bearing witness to Earth’s destruction is astonishingly engaging after an extremely slow start, despite the annoying characters. I am really not a huge fan of Kirsten Dunst or Charlotte Gainsborough and both of their characters were very irritating (on top of the bewildering fact that, for supposedly being sister here, they have wildly different accents). In fact, almost all characters were caricatures. The only two that I liked were Alexander Skarsgård’s and – surprisingly – Kiefer Sutherland’s. everyone else had some form of psychological condition.

Script-wise, this could work well as a play, I think. The material deals with serious issues, such as the dark places severe depression can take you – it may feel like the inevitable end of the world; and obvious metaphor in this piece -, suicide, and the inevitability of death. I am sure that a second viewing would yield a rich spread of allegories and symbolism that I couldn’t grasp on the first viewing.

The cinematography was stunning, with beautifully composed shots and great lighting. However, it also featured a disturbingly unstable, probably hand-held, camera, which is very grating. The score seemed a bit melodramatic.

Anyway, after some starting difficulties, this turned into a somewhat interesting drama, even though it didn’t really seem to have all that much of a direction to aim for. 3/5

 

Melancholia on Imdb

Dunkirk (2017) *****

This visually stunning, gripping WW2 drama did live up to the hype. I can’t think of a single thing to criticise. The performances were stunning all around. I’m not a huge fan of Tom Hardy, but he did some beautiful and truly touching work with his pilot character. I particularly loved the moment where we watch him decide to stay and fight. That was some Oscar-worthy non-verbal acting, and his end stings all the more. In terms of characters, I particularly enjoyed Kenneth Brannagh as the brave, paternal commander, Mark Rylance as steadfast and calm captain of a civilian boat, and his son portrayed by Tom Glynn-Carney. Also, Jack Lowden as fighter plane pilot number 2 was great, and Harry Styles gave a truly impressive debut, holding his own against much more experienced actors. I could go on. There was not a single bad or even average performance in this film. Everyone did a magnificent job, down to the last soldier. Excellent casting and director Christopher Nolan clearly got the maximum out of his artists.

The script itself is quite refreshing as well. Though it took me some time to get on board, so to speak, with the split timeline narrative, the way the entire story was told worked brilliantly. Despite the numerous characters, they took time to develop each one of them and make them stand out on their own merits without bloating the script. In the end, I cared for all of them in a way, which made the individual story lines all the more touching. It is impossible to say who was the hero or protagonist of this film because – presumably intentionally – all characters somehow ended up as heroes, big or small, of more or less equal importance. I loved the resulting feeling of camaraderie, unity in the face of a common threat – and I do mean “threat” and not “enemy”. It was such a relief to not hear the word “Nazi” even once throughout the film. Rather, the threat remained a faceless, mostly unseen menace. This film was not about the fight, about hate and aggression. It was about human reactions under pressure and how we ultimately help each other more than hurt, even in dire circumstances. Without coming across as kitschy or romanticised, the story highlighted the goodness and heroism innate in humankind, despite the atrocities of war. And, somehow, they managed to make do with barely any visual violence, bodies or guts and blood, despite the setting. It's a mark of true quality that the film did not need to utilize injuries and gore to shock and sensationalise. I really appreciated that.

The visual execution of this is flawless, with top-shelf cinematography. Enormous set piece and hundreds of extras truly give the film an epic feel. The effects and CGI blend so seamlessly into the picture that I couldn’t tell even for a second where reality ended and graphics began. It was that faultless, and only by virtue of logic do I know there even was CGI. Particularly the fighter plane scenes stood out as masterfully done; they were so convincing. For the most part, with all the water and sand, it looks like miserable shooting conditions for all involved, but it paid off, leading to a gritty, realistic depiction where you can practically feel the cold and wet seeping through the screen on top of the fear and despair.

Interestingly, despite all this, the overall atmosphere is completely dependent on the score. The music single-handedly creates the tension as Hans Zimmer provides one of his most fitting soundtracks yet, deviating from his bombastic style in favour of atmospheric soundscapes. In harmony with the perfect editing, everything condenses into an incredibly tight, polished product. I appreciate that they did not blow up the runtime unnecessarily with some of the expensive mass scenes they doubtlessly did, but stayed on the efficient side of cinema.

A masterfully produced piece of cinema. 5/5

 

Dunkirk on Imdb

Milk (2008) ****

This biopic about one of the first openly gay politicians in America does live up to its reputation. The cast was very well-chosen and clearly, everybody felt deeply for this project. All actors obviously put their heart and soul into the production. Sean Penn delivers a fearless and unbridled performance as Harvey Milk. He truly inhabits his character of a loving man driven, almost against his will, to stand up and fight for what’s right. James Franco gives an equally impressive turn as his partner during the first half of the film. Emile Hirsch, Alison Pill, Joseph Cross and many others provide their brilliant contributions in various supporting roles.

The script struggles a bit to establish the narrative, but turns into a gripping drama in the second half. While the outcome is known to the audience from the get-go, it still hits hard. I’m happy to know that we now live in a more tolerant world thanks to Harvey Milk and people like him.

The project was very well-made, too, with flawless period wardrobe and sets, fantastic make-up and an undeniable 70ies sepia colour palette. Expertly edited and scored, it was surprisingly intimate and touching to look into the private lives of the characters, as well as witness their public struggles.

A relevant and high-quality film. 4/5

 

Milk on Imdb

Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) ***

This arthouse drama about an unsuccessful folk singer was surprisingly engaging and felt very close to home. Oscar Isaac’s performance was flawless, both with the acting and the music. He does a great job of portraying a young man who is fighting for his dream, but facing a constant uphill battle while gradually running out of steam to keep going. Slowly, disillusionment and depression are creeping in, and Isaac conveys the whole struggle with piercing accuracy. Most of the supporting cast were very well-chosen, too. It was fun to see Justin Timberlake here, clearly a man of many talents, and Adam Driver was unrecognisable but delivered the best performance I’ve seen out of him yet. The only truly disappointing performance came from Carey Mulligan. Her acting seemed wooden and uninspired, pulling the whole ensemble down in the first half hour of the film.

The script seemed both comically random and slice-of-life realistic at the same time. It felt like watching a normal person struggle, a protagonist on the same level as all of us, with no superpowers, amazing talent or special means. That made me feel all the closer to him. In fact, when Llewyn is finally sitting in front of a potential manager, ready to play something, I could feel his nervousness in myself, and the hope that finally, success would strike.

The production was very well-made. I enjoyed the long shots, the beautifully composed frames with atmospheric lighting and the bleak colour palette. The editing provided an even pace, too. The music – a major part of the film - was good as well.

All in all, a sort of the anti-“Once”. 3/5

 

Inside Llewyn Davis on Imdb

The Queen’s Gambit (2020) *****

I stumbled upon this mini series in my Netflix suggestions and it looked interesting, with an underdog heroine, a brainy subject and a very original concept that left me guessing where this was supposed to be going. I was hooked within minutes. The visuals are gorgeous, with a muted colour palette and clean lines from the 1960ies. The acting is absolutely superb, and Anya Taylor-Joy is mesmerising to watch as she portrays a child genius with a troubled past and a bit of a substance abuse problem. I was thrilled to see Harry Melling and Thomas Brodie-Sangster alongside her, too – both actors that I’ve been meaning to see more of.

The plot is very satisfying because, despite some minor hiccups, it is essentially catastrophe-free. Main character Beth may be a bit of an oddball, possibly with some kind of mental condition, but despite her stony façade, she is a lovely girl with no psychopathic dark side, like you might expect. The drama surrounding and interfering with her life is quite mundane and non-epic. She faces real-life challenges, but they are surmountable, and it’s nice to know that things will probably be ok. I am grateful to the writers for not forcing any catastrophic or shocking twists, because – despite the tension of the chess games – this makes for a relaxing viewing experience where you don’t have to expect terrible things to happen around every corner, for once.

The chess itself was unexpectedly exciting, both through the brilliant editing, excellent acting – the faces of the players did all the story telling – and the rousing, gorgeous score by Carlos Rafael Rivera. I’m sure it will get a lot of people interested in the game.

5/5

 

The Lobster (2015) ****

This dark arthouse drama about a society where love is mandatory was surprising and absolutely riveting. In its peculiar tone and mysterious concept, it reminds me very much of Under The Skin, especially since it also appears to have been shot in Scotland. Intriguing from the start, the strange script, despite the outlandish ideas it contains, is surprisingly comprehensive and easy to follow.

The unsettling and ominous atmosphere of the film is created not only be the slightly out-of-tune score, bleak colour palette and cruel concepts, but mostly by the deliberately wooden and dead-eyes delivery of oddly flat dialogue. The actors were obviously asked not to display emotion – or maybe display the opposite of the expected emotion – and I imagine delivering all their lines with little to no inflection must have been very challenging. Yet there were only a few slip-ups. It mostly sounded like someone was haltingly reading a book that they felt no emotional engagement for.

After a while, what was a creepy dystopia almost turned into a full-blown horror film, complete with animal cruelty, murder and maiming. One of the main questions of the film was probably how people can be required to be in love if they are fundamentally so utterly emotionless and uncaring about each other.

The actors did a great job at bringing this paradoxical script to the screen with all around great acting. Collin Farrell impressed with a consistent character performance, portraying a man that seems not quite as dead inside as the rest of the population. Still, his struggles and traumas stay hidden under a studied layer of indifference. Rachel Weisz is great as ever as his love interest, but I particularly enjoyed Olivia Coleman’s disturbingly passive-aggressive portrayal of the “hotel manager”, and Léa Sydoux as the practical but heartless leader of the Loners.

The film was well-made and clearly shot on location in Scotland (it looked like the Isle of Skye to me, but might have been another island). The visual composition stayed minimal and stuck to a grey-green-blue colour palette that made everything look sad, even the gorgeous nature locations. The directing and editing were flawless. Lighting appears to have been mostly natural and the overcast sky aided the washed-out, almost corps-like look of the characters as they struggled through their painful, often hopeless existence trying to conform to rigid social norms.

All in all, a thought-provoking, disturbing parable about societal expectations and how they interfere with the life of the individual. This may warrant a second viewing to catch all of the metaphors and the deeper meaning of certain story elements. Yet I’m not sure I want to sit through this unsettling, distinctly uncomfortable experience again. 4/5

Manchester by the Sea (2016)**

Severely overrated, this drama about a guy losing his brother and having to take care of his nephew turned out pretty disappointing. I expected emotional punch, but the film just did not touch me. This was down to several factors: the glacial pace made for a really boring watch. The characters were life-like, but unlikeable and seemed utterly unaffected by the death of their brother and father respectively. I guess the poor script was to blame for most of this, trying to come up with too much unnecessarily dramatic backstory. Everyone was just being super-tough and manly about their grief, which is not a contemporary depiction in my view. Men should be allowed more emotion in the media nowadays.

The acting was serviceable but not mind-blowing. The choppy editing and unimaginative, lazy soundtrack of sad arias did the rest to make this film not really appealing or engaging. In fact, I was bored before the first half was over. 2/5

 

Manchester by the Sea on Imdb

Mr. Nobody (2009) ***

 

This mystery sifi drama parable about a man’s convoluted journey along the many different possible paths of his life was nothing like I expected. Jared Leto and his younger counterparts, Toby Regbo and Thomas Byrne, were excellent choices for the roles, but I can’t get over how much Leto as Nemo looks like a grown-up Harry Potter. It’s absolutely mind-blowing. I also really enjoyed Juno Temple’s performance. The story, however, was a convoluted amalgamation of parallel timelines, visions and fantasies that was a bit hard to follow, somewhere between “Inception”, “The Fountain” and “Benjamin Button”. It looked a lot like a Darren Aronofsky film and I did not understand the ending at all. But the message is clear: we all constantly make choices in life that shape our paths. Would we be able to choose if we knew the outcome of each choice? Does it really matter how we choose, because how do we know time is constant and irreversible? Though the film is quite long, and feels that way too as we stumble from scene to scene in search of a red thread, it may warrant repeat viewing.

Technically, this seemed like a challenging project. There were many different scenarios that required separate concepts to help the viewer orientate themselves. A lot of locations were utilised (anything from New York to Mars). The directing and editing was great, though. Some excellent shot transitions were used, turning your head even more. All in all, an interesting film somewhere between mystery thriller, sifi, psycho-drama and philosophical parable. 3/5

 

Mr. Nobody on Imdb

Dallas Buyers Club (2013) ***

This drama about HIV patients being left to fend mostly for themselves in 1980ies America was well-acted and expertly produced. Though it lacks the emotional depth of “Philadelphia”, it is still quite captivating at times. Matthew McConaughey is giving his all to the role, portraying a character who has surprising drive and compassion, and throught his illness and the struggle with money-grabbing drug companies that own the FDA appears to become a better person and find purpose in his life. Jared Leto absolutely dazzles as trans man Rayon, giving a heartfelt, fearless and absolutely credible performance. Jennifer Garner is a bit colourless as a young idealistic doctor, though. I didn’t quite grasp the purpose of her character. Still, this was a well-cast drama down to the last supporting role. The script, however, struggled to build a tension arc. It felt like watching snapshots of Ron’s life, scenes that appeared almost unconnected emotionally. The film dealt very much with the present moment on screen, which I guess is fair when telling the story of doomed lives that could end at any moment. All they have is the present.

As this was set mostly in the 80ies, I guess you could almost call it a period piece. To that end, the wardrobe and sets were flawless. The colour palette reflected the era as well. Hair and make-up did a marvellous job at transforming – presumably – healthy actors into individuals near death. Excellent work!

All in all, both a frustrating look at how big pharma is hiding behind legislation they wrote for their own gain, preventing people from getting help out of spite, and the beauty of human compassion and determination when faced with dire odds. 3/5

 

Dallas Buyers Club on Imdb

Marriage Story (2019) **

This drama about a dissolving marriage was hyped a lot but bored me to death, so much so that I didn’t even finish watching it, which is a rare occurrence. Though Scarlett Johansson gave a good performance, I don’t really see what everyone sees in Adam Driver. I didn't like the characters. The script was long-winded and frustrating. I was hoping for a neutral perspective, but it was hopelessly unbalanced in Johansson’s character’s favour. I’ll still give it 2/5 for not being the worst movie I’ve ever seen and for having a delightfully warm-hearted performance by Alan Alda in it.

Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011) ****

Source: fanart.tv

I thought this romantic comedy would be annoying and painful to watch. I was wrong. Even though I am not a huge fan of Steve Carell, he pulled together a project here that stands out from the crowd. His performance is genuine and heartfelt, and even though he toes the edge of his brand of humour at times, he keeps himself in check and stays on the serious side of acting. The ensemble cast surrounding him is excellent, too. Ryan Gosling seems so much himself – like he is not acting at all - as a serial womanizer that it’s mind-boggling it is all a performance, albeit a very natural one. Emma Stone is delightful as strong-willed law student. I’m becoming more of a fan every time I see her. The same goes for Julianne Moore. By now, I really appreciate her, and though her role as a cheating house wife didn’t give her much to work with, her chemistry with Carell was genuine and she fit in with her colleagues perfectly. Funnily enough, she also had great chemistry with Kevin Bacon, who gave a memorable, surprisingly likeable turn as the fling from work. Great casting all around! (I should also mention Josh Groban, who delivered a surprisingly solid performance.)

The script was surprising as well. What looked like a run-off-the-mill romantic comedy as a concept on paper worked beautifully on screen. The twists were mostly unpredictable, and even where I saw them coming, they were not cringy. The same goes for the humour: I had a few genuine, good laughs here, both at the dialogue and the situational comedy, and I don’t remember when the last time was that I saw a film that was able to do that. Yet, the script was full of authentic emotions, too, and they were not played for laughs. This serious undertone helped the film make a memorable impression.

The technical side of things was handled impeccably. Not much more I can say about that. 4/5

The Madness of King George III (1994) ***

I have no idea how this historical drama about a king almost losing his throne to insanity ended up on my watch list, but it is an enjoyable period piece. Nigel Hawthorne was absolutely magnificent as King George, likeable and endearingly charming, yet with the right amount of unpredictability to befit a mad monarch. At his side, Helen Mirren gave a touching performance as his wife (though the French accent needs work). I particularly enjoyed seeing a young Rupert Graves as the king’s aid. He delivered a stellar performance as a steadfastly loyal, kind man who seemed to genuinely care about George’s wellbeing. Everybody else was very well cast, too, but these three stood out in particular (which is not surprising, as they are the main characters).

The script was enjoyable, toeing the line between tragedy and comedy. With at times slightly tongue-in-cheek dialogue and almost grotesque side characters, paired with family drama and the stark loneliness of a once-powerful man in desperate need of real friends, the tone was a balancing act.

The overall production quality was great, too. Opulent period wardrobe and authentic shooting locations provided the right frame work for the story and imbued it with the necessary degree of seriousness. The depiction of period medicine and a new governmental system being implemented even made this somewhat educational. I’m glad I watched this. Easy 3/5

 

The Madness of King George III on Imdb

The Lighthouse (2019) ***

Source: posterspy.com

I’m not sure if this dense and tense film was more of a psycho thriller or a mystery thriller. It was definitely arthouse cinema, though. What’s with Rob Pattinson ending up in weird slimy-sex films, anyway? He and Willem Dafoe were great. It clearly wasn’t just their characters egging each other on: They played really well off each other, pushing each other to the maximum in this intimate two-person play. It’s particularly gratifying to see Pattinson rise above his teenage fame a little more with every role he takes. He is a serious actor and certainly on the same level as Dafoe here, who is of course a true veteran of the craft. Seeing the madness grow in the unequal relationship between them is both terrifying and mesmerising.

The choice to produce this film in black and white as well as 3:4 ration definitely benefited the project, aiding the dreary, oppressive tone of the lonely, windswept lighthouse and the narrow radius of action the characters are confined to. The constant, ominous roaring of the fog horn in the background pressurised the atmosphere even more. Additionally, the minimal score was just as creepy. And the seagulls! I don’t particularly like them in real life and they are perfect as dark omens, harbingers of destruction and madness. Wardrobe and sets looked 100% authentic, too.

All in all, this film is tricky to rate. The production and performances are of exceptional quality and it is certainly a memorable one warranting a second viewing, yet it is quite heavy and does inexplicably lose tension in the second half. 3/5

The Lighthouse on Imdb

Mulan (2020) **

Source: Imdb

I was looking forward to this re-make of a beloved Disney classic, but I was sorely disappointed with this hollow, soulless rehash that failed to engage me. The movie doesn’t start out very promising, with an utterly ridiculous sequence of a young Mulan chasing a chicken. Dominated by bad CGI, a comic-book look and inane dialogue, the scene unfortunately sets the tone for the entire film. Overall, the whole project seemed quite tone-deaf culturally and from a feminist perspective. Any attempt at humour felt forced and fell utterly flat.

The casting was questionable as most actors just weren’t very good. Also, Mulan’s parents are positively ancient. They could be her grandparents. Though lead Yifei Liu must be complimented for performing her own stunts, she lacked any depth or subtlety in her performance. As with “The Last Airbender”, casting an actor who is a proficient martial artist isn’t everything. To be fair, though, the terrible script didn’t help at all, setting out cringy, cryptic, boring and sometimes plain gibberish dialogue and introducing unnecessary elements such as the witch, a completely superfluous plot addition that took up quite a lot of screen time while adding absolutely no value. She didn’t make any sense as a character. Talking of elements that didn’t add up, Mulan’s decision to completely unnecessarily and intentionally blow her cover, or the sudden inexplicable loyalty of the general were other twists that stood out like sore thumbs. Maybe it is the editors’ fault, but the flow of the story is just impaired by illogical turns like that. One detail that annoyed me personally was that the script left out the iconic hair-cutting scene – another gaffe I find hard to overlook as the reasoning behind this decision does not appear to serve the project. In general, I found it hard to get behind Mulan as a heroin because her character was just so ill-defined. This rendition provoked none of the engagement and held nothing of the tension of the original. To be honest, I can see why, on top of everything, they chose to forgo the romance, but in this instance, I would have welcomed it just to provide some plot goal I could truly subscribe to, cliché as it might have been.

On another note, they were clearly aiming for visual opulence, but ended up with ridiculousness. The colour palette was much too bright and cartoonish. There was terribly obvious CGI and wire work everywhere. It all seemed jarring instead of beautiful. To top it off, Harry Gregson-Williams delivered his weakest work yet with this score.

All in all, 2/5 because this didn’t outright bore me, but really, it’s not a very good film. I much prefer the classic.

Mulan on Imdb

Koe no katachi (A silent voice) (2016) ***

 

Source: Imdb

This touching and unusual anime about a deaf girl and her school bully was very different from what I expected. The subtitles were in very bad English which made it difficult to follow the finer plot points and character details, but the broader strokes of the story were enough to see the unconventional themes of this project. Dealing with heavy topics such as physical disability, mobbing, depression and suicide, presented in the foreign context of Japanese society, the film was quite ambitious in taking on so much at once. The script didn’t help, providing flashbacks and disconnected vision-like scenes and dream sequences that confused me even more. Still: even though I couldn’t truly understand the characters, the story moved me. The visual execution was good as well. Though not a Miyazaki-level masterpiece, there were some nice pictures in here.  I would like to see this again in the dubbed version. 3/5

Koe no katachi on Imdb