Woman Walks Ahead (2017) ***

Source: Imdb

This historic drama about a female painter defending the rights of native Americans in the 19th century was beautifully done, though full of cliches. The plot was a bit flat, but the star-studded cast did their best to imbue it with depth and emotion. Jessica Chastain and Sam Rockwell played their parts with the usual commitment, and Michael Greyeyes delivered a captivating and charismatic performance as Sitting Bull. The directing on this was especially good, I felt, and the cinematography was just gorgeous. They had excellent lighting and a great eye for shot composition. The editing was very satisfying as well, creating an even pace with lots of atmospheric material. At times like these, I think this is an important movie. It is necessary to remember that unforgivable atrocities were committed by every nation on the planet at some point and no one has the right to point any fingers. Rather, it is our duty to learn from the past and help those under similar threat today.

3/5 for awe-inspiring visuals and an important message of democracy and human rights.

Woman Walks Ahead on Imdb

Boy erased (2018) **

Source: Imdb

This sort-of biopic about a gay teenager in conversion therapy had a lot of wasted potential. What could have been a gripping drama just dragged endlessly and failed to establish the main character beyond the broadest of strokes to the point where he seemed just too passive and generic to engage with. Even though the entire cast was great – they had names like Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe – , they could not save the script. The entire project was just a bit toothless and lukewarm. The story dawdled endlessly on the events in therapy, but failed to develop any kind of momentum and only a vague sense of tension. After about two thirds of this, the makers themselves seemed to get bored with where their story was going (nowhere) and decided to bring it to a swift end that was just completely non-sequitur.

Bottom line: due to terrible writing and indecisiveness about where they wanted to go with this, I only see myself able to give 2/5. The topic is relevant, but the execution was just a complete failure.

Boy Erased on Imdb

NiNoKuni (2019) *

Source: Imdb

I’m not sure how this animé ended up on my Netflix list (probably because Joe Hisaishi did the score), but having watched it, I’m sure I did not select it intentionally. First of all, this fantasy flick about a bunch of students and parallel universes couldn’t decide whether it was a kids’ film or not. The story was much too silly, predictable and boring to entertain adults, but there were some on-screen elements that seemed geared towards a grown-up audience. Everything about this film seemed like the makers didn’t care. The animations were average at best, the story was terrible and very badly told; even Joe Hisaishi did not even seem to be trying to provide a good score (It was mostly recycled bits from pervious works). I got so bored I skipped through the second half of it. Waste of time. 1/5

NiNoKuni on Imdb

The Two Popes (2019) ****

Source: Imdb

I’m not sure why I clicked this on Netflix, but I’m glad I did. It’s an engaging look at the struggles of a former and a current leader of the Catholic church, and worth more than a glance both because of the absolutely fantastic acting and the way this challenging subject matter was presented, regardless of whether you are on bored with Catholicism as such or not.

Jonathan Pryce is delightful as Argentinian bishop Jorge. Cheeky, with a mischievous sparkle in his eye and kindness in every line of his face, but also a deep sadness (for which we learn the reasons in time) keeping him grounded and in touch with the problems of his flock, his bishop is instantly likeable. The complexity and depth of his character are only revealed incrementally over the course of the film. In contrast to him stands Antony Hopkins, who gives a fabulous portrait of what appears to be a cynical and power-hungry man stuck in the past, but his masterful acting slowly reveals the true motives behind the mask. In this way, the audience gets to know these two men in a sort of antidromic unveiling, just as they are growing to know each other and eventually start to form something of an unlikely, but very moving friendship that eventually allows them to meet in the middle. It is a joy to watch these two screen veterans at work, playing off each other, listening to each other, communicating with awesome skill.

Aside from the tried-and-true trope of the classic reluctant hero, this is an unconventional film and very brainy in a way. Done in multiple languages and using Latin quite a bit, it challenges the audience to not just lean back and observe the beautiful cinematography, but also really pay attention to what is being said. Amusingly, this is also a showcase of how quotes taken out of context can be used to communicate almost anything, with both popes using the same source material to make different points.

In technical terms, this was very solid. The directing was great, as was the script, and the editing served to underline the performances as well as setting a pace that meant – even at a runtime of over 2 hours – this never got boring.

4/5 for a (more or less) catastrophe-free film about friendship and personal conviction, rising to challenges and cultivating ones’ principles, and for some truly terrific acting.

The Two Popes on Imdb

Score: A Film Music Documentary (2016) ***

Source: Imdb

As a fan of film scores, I was really looking forward to watching this documentary following the evolution of orchestral score music. Last night, I put my good headphones on and sat down for a 90-minute trip through film history. The documentary featured interviews – both current and archive footage – of a wide range of composers, among them favourites like Hans Zimmer, Alexandre Desplat and Steve Jablonski... and many, many more, divulging their secrets. It was interesting to put faces to most of the names, and seeing the passion and dedication of these great composers at work was inspiring. The film also illustrated how music production has changed over the course of the previous century, and how yet many elements have stayed the same: Orchestras and instruments are still needed - even though electronic production is getting more and more advanced - and some good old-fashioned creativity when discovering new sounds remains a basic requirement.

All in all, the documentary provided an interesting glimpse into the world of modern music production, through the lens of score music. It might not engage a wider audience, but I found it quite riveting. 3/5

Score on Imdb

Messiah (2020 - ) *****

Source: Imdb

I found this series about a young man appearing out of nowhere with seemingly divine power newly arrived on Netflix in January and binged it to its conclusion within 24 hours - a new record for me. Now I'm praying (haha) for a second season.

The series is an exquisitely crafted, clever mystery thriller. It reminds me very much of "The Leftovers"... the feel and quality of it; only, it is maybe even better (definitely less graphic violence). It's a powerful story about the might of suggestion and the brain seeing and hearing what it wants to, and it paints a poignant picture of what might happen if a Messiah-like figure appeared now, today, in the present world. A spell-binding thought experiment!

The foreshadowing and hinting is very cleverly done. This drama draws you in with the dichotomy of belief: you want to believe this guy is the Messiah, but you cannot shake the very persistent evidence that he is a fraud. Later, it even seems like he might have gotten too caught up in his own deception, that he is just along for the ride, as are his hapless followers - and the audience.

They impress with absolutely perfect casting of Mehdi Dehbi as al-Masih. His silences truly speak. He says just as much through his eyes as he does with his dialogue, maybe even more, and he is probably the main reason why this drama is so compelling. Whenever you think you have his deception figured out, that he showed his hand and betrayed himself, that they finally found that last clue to prove that there is nothing supernatural about him after all - the second you are sure! -, he offers a look, a tiny gesture... and suddenly you are completely drawn in again, entirely on his side. He is just so incredibly good at showing the conflict Jesus himself must have felt, the surety (or delusion?) of knowing he is chosen. The faith in God’s plan. The dawning knowledge that it is going to come at a cost, but that he is committed and finally, that there is no way out now, even if he is scared and may not agree with what God (?) has chosen as humanity’s fate. Incredibly performance.

It's also a great case study of how the media can influence the beliefs of people, how coverage makes a small thing into a huge phenomenon. At the same time, it’s a keen illustration of the need for faith in the modern world, how people hunger for answers and how willing they are to abandon their path to follow a leader that satisfies that hunger. Or does he?

This sea-saw of a show will not fail to draw you in. Intriguing, thought-provoking, nail-biting and relevant, it delivers on all levels. Go watch! 5/5

Messiah on Imdb