Stronger (2017) ****

 

Source: Imdb

This drama about one of the victims of the Boston marathon bombing was a lot better than I expected. I thought it would be some shallow sob story, but it turned out to actually be an exquisitely acted, raw look at the aftermath of a life-changing traumatic event. While I would have preferred for them to cast a real disabled person for the lead, I do appreciate Jake Gylenhaal’s outstanding acting, making the pain and turmoil of his character almost palpable. Titiana Maslany shone as his on/off girlfriend, portraying her as a strong woman with a true moral compass. I liked that her character was no push-over, no flat love interest side-show. She almost developed her own parallel story, a sub-plot of sorts, demonstrating how a practically inclined, compassionate family member might deal with the fall-out. Miranda Richardson was perfectly annoying as overbearing mom who just couldn’t resist making everything about her. Though she did grate on my nerves, she played her part very well.

The plot may appear mundane and unimaginative on the surface, but the excellent script turned the film into an engaging and touching journey. The struggles of all characters were presented in a thought-provoking way and I think that the script did a very good job at illuminating the fact that a person’s existence is never black and white, but a very complex amalgamation of feelings and motivations, shaped by their individual circumstances.

On top of that, the film was also very well-made. It felt balanced and well-paced. The editing frequently left long takes for the actors to work with – and they all took those opportunities with both hands to flesh out their characters with gorgeous reactions and life-like dialogue. The score was beautiful as well, but luckily not overbearingly emotional. Lastly, the CGI for removing Gylenhaal’s legs was flawless. I think they might have had a body double in some scenes, but mostly, credit really needs to be given to him for acting the part in such a convincing way.

To sum it up, a film that appears conventional on the surface, but is surprisingly well executed. 4/5

 

Stronger on Imdb

Meet Joe Black (1998) ***

 

Source: Imdb

I finally got around to watching this 90ies classic mystery romance with a young Brad Pitt and an Anthony Hopkins who appears not to have aged a day in the intervening decades. The premises of the film was interesting, but I felt the execution was poor. The script was meandering and contained so many unnecessary scenes, leading to a bloated runtime of 3 hours! This story could have easily been fitted into under 2. Also, it was not quite clear how Susan knew who Joe was and what he was there for… some bad writing, even though the actress portrayed it flawlessly, leaving no doubt as to what was going on in her character’s head despite the lack of explanation.

Kudos also to the two leading men: Brad Pitt’s performance was flawless – combining child-like innocence with frightening coldness to bring this supernatural being to life. He truly inhabited his character. Anthony Hopkins did a brilliant job at portraying a genuinely good guy with unshakeable integrity. It was very easy to like him. All the supporting roles were well-cast too.

There is not much to say about the technical execution other than that the editing could have been a lot more efficient. The score by Thomas Newman was breathtaking, but didn’t really fit the film at all.

Overall, an ok film but enduring the extreme runtime does not seem like a fair trade-off. 3/5

 

Meet Joe Black on Imdb

 

The happy prince (2018) ***

Source: Imdb

This drama about the last years of author Oscar Wilde wandered a bit aimlessly and did not really develop much tension. What could have been made into a captivating love triangle turned out to be a rather lacklustre tableau of opaque relationships, lukewarm and lacking in creative bravery.

The actors did good jobs with the material they were given, though, and particularly the costumes and sets were beautiful to look at. Still, I find it frustrating to watch the rich “suffer” thought “hardships” like not being able to afford a palace, a fine dinner or whores and having to rely on friends to settle their bills. That does not really endear any characters to me.

The stand-out moments of this film were certainly of a cinematographical nature, with some gorgeously composed shots of scenery and a few instances of flawlessly lit scenes.

3/5

The happy prince on Imdb

Meggie’s Plan (2015) **

 

Source: Imdb

This unusual, but annoying romantic comedy type of film was toeing the line to arthouse. I thought this would way better as a theatre play. Probably the reason why I didn’t enjoy the story about Meggie, a mid-30ies independent woman who wants kids but is unable to find a stable relationship, is because it hit to close too home. Still, the plot was a bit absurd and I didn’t really enjoy myself. Rather, it got boring quite quickly with these weird characters that are very hard to like. Greta Gerwig sounded like she was about to burp every time she spouted dialogue. Ethan Hawke and Julianne Moore just seemed a bit lost, stumbling through their strange roles.

The production had a slightly amateurish feel to it. Particularly the dialogue recording was bad in some places. Even Fernando Velazques' score was not on par with his other works.

Overall, not a very enjoyable or memorable experience. 2/5

Maggie's Plan on Imdb

Batman VS Superman – Dawn of Justice (2016) **

Source: Imdb

I feel 60% sure that I have seen this before, even though it appears the film is so forgettable that I can’t remember. What I immediately liked was how Martha’s pupil dilated at the moment of her death. That is something that I always look for and never find when a character dies in a movie. Wide, unresponsive pupils are a pretty good indicator of (brain) death. But unfortunately, it all went downhill from there and quickly lost any plus-points generated in the opening. There is very little plot here and a lot of fighting and chase scenes. I was bored to death in no time. The script is confusing with Batman’s weird, vision-like, but ultimately pointless dreams getting in the way of the actual plot.

Characters are mostly superficial. I am really more a fan of Superman than Batman, but neither of them comes to life in this film, even though I like Ben Affleck’s take on Batman and I adore Henry Cavill. Kudos though for making the two female characters, Lois and Wonder Woman, my clear favourites here. They were comparatively well-written and played. Jesse Eisenberg was equal parts disturbing and over-the-top as deranged and predictable cookie-cutter villain Lex Luthor.

Visually, this delivers everything an action- or comic-movie fan would probably like to see, but I was not too impressed. All in all, it feels like with some decent editing, this could have been fitted in under 90 minutes. 2/5 for boring me.

 

Batman VS Superman on Imdb

Moonlight (2016) ***

 

Source: Imdb

This drama about a gay black teenager with an addict for a mom and only one friend was quite mesmerising despite the lack of a clear plot. In fact, after about 20 minutes I felt like the characters had really been sufficiently established and that it was time for a story to emerge. Yet, the camera stays a passive observer in the life of Chiron and no clear plot ever emerges, which led to a distinct lack of a tension arc. Despite this, the film somehow still managed to keep me interested. The structure was that of a play in 3 acts, and indeed, I think this would work well on a stage. The snapshots of a disadvantaged American life were atmospheric and expressive, creating a unique emotional landscape. Throughout it all, terrific actors led the way. All three incarnations of Chiron were excellent choices, though Trevante Rhodes stands out with his incredibly performance, understated yet bursting with unspoken things.

The film was also well-directed and edited. The sets were chosen with care and the team working on the technical end of things was clearly very competent. Lighting, make-up, props,… it was all good. The score was beautiful, too. An interesting piece of work and a realistic glimpse into a culture many of us have no idea about. 3/5

 

Moonlight on Imdb

Vox Lux (2018) **

Source: Imdb

Watching this fictional biopic about a pop singer, produced by Jude Law, Natalie Portman and Sia, of all people, constantly had me thinking “What a weird project”. Starting out with unexpected graphic violence, the story follows young Celeste on her way to stardom. In places, the film feels very much like a satire, being about a girl who can’t sing and appears to have no feeling for rhythm just getting lucky to get a host of supporters who want to cash in on her sentimental value.  But Celeste learns to play the game, and particularly in the second part of the film, where Natalie Portman gives a delightful performance as slightly deranged, power-drunk superstar, she appears very much entangled in her own web. Jude Law impresses as caring, but slightly off-beat manager. However, the creative choice to have Raffey Cassidy portray both young Celeste and her teenage daughter had me endlessly confused. As the film does do some time-jumping, I got so bamboozled for a while that I literally lost the plot. The overall message of the film seemed a bit vague, but I do appreciate the look at modern music industry from the inside.

As a project, this film was well-made. The script had an experimental, arthouse-y tone to I that appeared intentional, like someone wanted to make a slightly different kind of movie. This led to some interesting shots and scenes. They had a few really long takes in there, which I always enjoy. Overall – and this may seem odd for a music film – the runtime spent too many minutes on musical performances, though. The final show did not seem like a culmination. Rather, it was quite boring to watch and I was waiting for there to be a point, some event sparked by the on-stage gyrating that would continue the story… but the film just ended there, after having to endure a medley of Sia B-sides and some bad dancing in atrocious costumes.

Overall, this was absolutely not what I expected. I’m tempted to put it in the arthouse category. For not holding my attention and generally failing to establish a firm plot, I’m giving it 2/5. 

 

Vox Lux on Imdb

Why him (2016) *

 

Source: Imdb

Wow, that doesn’t happen very often: I was unable to finish this absolutely horrendous, disgusting, cringy meet-the-parents „comedy“.  After about 20 minutes of hoping it would somehow change in tone and develop a story, I just skipped through the rest of it, found that it’s all the same rubbish, and decided to drop it. No idea what made great actors like James Franco and Bryan Cranston waste their time on this mess of a movie. 1/5 Do not watch.

 Why him on Imdb

The King (2019) ****

 

Source: Imdb

This historical drama about one of Britain’s many king Henry’s was expertly crafted. I cannot say anything about the historical accuracy of the plot, but the story felt organic and credible, though it did have the air of a play distilled from actual events. The casting was superb. Timothée Chalamet gave his usual gravitas and hands-on attitude to his role as young King Henry V, bringing him to life with no trace of Elio remaining. Joel Edgerton as his only true friend used his screen time in an understated and genuine performance. Robert Pattinson was absolutely delightful as slightly deranged and cruel prince of France, and Lily-Rose Depp impressed in her brief performance as his devious sister. I could continue this list as everyone did such a great job – except the guy they picked to play the king of France. He had a toe-curlingly horrible fake French accent, fruitlessly struggling to suppress his RP…

This felt like a big production of epic proportions, and even clocking in at well over two hours, there wasn’t a dull moment. The editing was efficient and smooth, working in tandem with the great directing. I was particularly impressed by the single-take melee scene where the camera follows Hal. Costumes and make-up were lovely, fitting well with the overall colour palette. The sets appeared a bit anachronistic, though, using mostly Tudor buildings that appeared to be from a later period (i.e. Henry VIII). (I recognise one of the castles from a trip to Scotland as I lost my lens cover in those gardens as seen on screen.) The only major visual problem was the green-screen work during the Chanel crossing. That just looked like they ran out of money during this otherwise magnificent, high-standard production. Lastly, Nicholas Britell delivered a very fitting score.

This film had the feel of a well-planned, well-organised and well-funded project. Seamless and polished, it impresses on every level. 4/5 

 

The King on Imdb

All is true (2018) ***

 

Source: Imdb

The bold title of this drama about Shakespeare’s later life appears a bit misplaced as this film fails to make it credible. Drifting a bit rudderless for a good while before finally picking up some kind of a story thread, the film couldn’t decide whether to make this about suppressed gay love, women’s rights or good, old-fashioned family drama. The characters were two-dimensional and though all actors did their best – in Ian McKellen’s brief but very enjoyable guest performance, you could literally see and hear the love for Shakespeare shining from his eyes - the scrip was just not very good. Structured a bit like a play, I would think it belongs on a stage. Indeed they used some very, very long takes that showcased the competent cast, but made it feel like watching theatre (to be fair, though, those scenes were so well-acted that they did not require editing on the basis of creating tension.)

Visually, the production looked pretty, but not entirely realistic. A strange colour palette was used with odd gradients. The costumes were beautiful, but strangely formal. What annoyed me was that their effort to use mostly natural lighting – everything was lit with a lovely play of light and shadows – led to an utterly unrealistic overuse of candles and open flame.

The score was probably the most beautiful thing about the production. Patrick Doyle outdid himself.

Overall, 3/5.

All is true on Imdb

Breathe (2017) ***

Source: Imdb

This drama about a paralyzed polio victim fighting his way back to life with the help of his dedicated wife and friends is a moving film. Andrew Garfield delivers a good performance in the main role, proving that he really does need only his face and eyes to act. Claire Foy absolutely shines in her role as supportive and strong-willed wife. (Also: shout-out to my friend Ross Sambridge who has a minor speaking role in this!) The script tackled some heavy issues: the place of disabled people in society, and the topic of assisted suicide. However, I’m a bit disappointed to note that despite the good material, the film moved at an absolutely glacial pace and failed to develop much tension at all. Though the visuals were pleasing and suitable to entertain me for a bit – really good sets and costumes there! – I was a little bored by the half hour mark. 3/5

 Breathe on Imdb

Spiderman – Far from Home (2019) ****

 

Source: Imdb

This second Spiderman-movie with Tom Holland in the title role was a lot better than I expected. Though the script contained a few well-known tropes, it was nonetheless quite entertaining, with a balanced sense of humour and subtle references. I liked that they touched on Peter’s grief over Tony’s death, but I would have liked to see more of that. At least we got that brief moment on Happy’s plane when Peter is the embodiment of Tony reborn, which was very touching.

A huge factor in endearing this film to me was also the selection of locations, as they went to my two favourite places in the world: Austria, my home country, and London, my chosen home town. I’m intimately familiar with all of the locations from the UK capital that they used, which feels awesome. Still, there are some details to be criticised: they went over Tower Bridge the wrong way and also ignored that the bridge is too far from the Tower entrance to just run back and forth. On top of that, it was funny when Happy tried to lead them into the vault, but lead them up into the keep instead XD There are lots of suites of armour and weapons there, true, but no jewels. But hey! They used the new plastic bank notes for the credits!

In terms of acting, this was very enjoyable, too. Tom Holland is a fantastic Spiderman. His acting is delivered with a remarkable sense of what is age-appropriate for his character, and an astonishing sensitivity for nuances. Jake Gylenhaal took a bit to warm up, but turned into a lovable character very quickly: a new father figure / friend for Peter. His character also proved why I liked Cyrano de Bergerac so much…  The other kids were good casting choices, too, but I did not agree with the teachers, especially JB Smoove. Their comedy was just way too forces, especially in juxtaposition with expert performances from their co-stars, particularly Tom.

Visually, this film was colourful and fast. The CGI (mostly) did not disappoint, outside of a few shots that appeared a bit below-budget. They definitely spent a bit of time on making this film 3D-ready, too, indulging in shots of Spiderman swinging and fighting, but it was not too obvious outside of the added runtime weighing down the story. Anyway, well-curated sets and costumes, good make-up etc… just what you would expect from a huge production like this. The score blended in seamlessly, too.

4/5 

 

Spiderman - Far from home on Imdb

Spiderman – Into the Spiderverse (2018) ****

Source: Imdb

 

After hearing from several sides that this was, without a doubt, the best Spiderman movie, I gave this a go, and I have to say I am impressed with this multiverse-take on Spiderman. The story, while feeling not exactly brand-new, was told in an entertaining and engaging way. I loved the references and there were some really funny moments in here, as well as some good drama. Above all, what makes this film stand out is how much heart is in the story. The characters are likeable and quirky, and it’s really easy to empathise with main character Miles’ struggles.

The innovative, creative visuals made this very interesting to watch, too. The quality of the animation was excellent. What also impressed me, was the soundtrack. I’m not a huge fan of rap music, but they just chose the perfect pieces to go with the pictures, groovy and energetic. It added significantly to an already above-average viewing experience.

Excellent work. 4/5

 Spiderman – Into the Spiderverse on Imdb

Spiderman: Homecoming (2017) ***

 

Source: Imdb

This nth iteration of Spiderman did not really manage to rouse my interest when it came out, but I gave it a go anyway. I have to say, it was better than I expected. Tom Holland really is excellent casting – quirky, natural and with a knack for small gestures. He gives his character an unexpected layer of detail. Michael Keaton just had me endlessly confused because I kept thinking of "Birdman". Robert Downey Jr. didn't seem to care much for this movie, which was a bit sad since Ironman's relationship with Peter is the most interesting aspect of this piece. 

The script was suitably entertaining without being too generic, though it all felt a bit too long. The visuals were vibrant and of high quality, with CGI of the standard expected for this kind of blockbuster. That said, even though I felt mostly entertained, this film was just not very memorable. 3/5

Spiderman: Homecoming on Imdb

7500 (2019) ***

Source: Imdb

I understand that this shockingly realistic drama about an airplane kidnapping – a 7500 incident – is a rehash of the premises, but it’s a good one. As a mostly German production, it’s not surprising (but very gratifying) to find that they cast exclusively native speakers from Germany and Austria for German-speaking roles. This made the German parts of the dialogue, which made up about half, very easy to understand, unlike when non-natives try to cough up some broken German. However, presumably to give the film more international pull, they put Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the pilot’s seat. A good choice. His acting in this tour de force – almost a one-man-show – did not disappoint, but I have to say that all his German colleagues were first-class material as well. Particularly the young terrorist portrayed by Omid Memar, was very well-chosen. Their performances are even more impressive considering that the director relied quite a lot on their improvisation talent and shot scenes in single takes of up to 60 (sixty!) minutes to provide the opportunity for his cast to completely immerse themselves.

The script could have used a bit more tightening. It was great with the foreshadowing in the lead-in and building of ominous tension. However, then it sort of wavered a bit and left some slack in the reigns. It also had a niggling flaw that annoyed me (as a non-pilot layperson): why didn’t the pilot just tell the passengers to put on seat-belts and then drop the plane by a few hundred metres? That would knock out anyone not strapped in with a good whack on the cabin roof. He did try a few manoeuvres to shake the invaders off their feet, so maybe that was just more realistic?

Anyway, the ending was both oddly predictable and strangely sudden. I suppose they wanted to keep this in the style of intimate theatre with only the cramped cockpit as a stage and a very limited cast. It does make you wonder, though, about the fall-out from this, the consequences for everyone and how captain Tobias deals with his considerable trauma.

Visually, this was very well done. It really did look like they shot in the cramped conditions of an airborne plane cockpit. They had some good make-up and very consistent directing, realistic lighting and… I don’t even remember a score. Huh. This appears to have drawn me in more than I thought. Still, despite the shock value and great performances, only 3/5

7500 on Imdb

Dragonball Super - Broly (2018) ***

Source: Imdb

This newest feature-length DBS flick was surprisingly good. Having just finished the current run of Dragonball Super, it was just the right time to view this. I doubt I would have been able to make much sense of the finer points of the plot otherwise, as it is a continuation of the series.

The plot was not really a huge surprise, with yet another powerful opponent to fight for Goku, but it's the first time he teams up with Vegeta in such a balanced trade-off. It was satisfying to see Vegeta shine in battle almost more then Goku does. Overall, the script was still well done, particularly taking into account that they spent more than half of the film on building characters and back story. I especially enjoyed that they spent some time on having slightly more detailed interactions between characters, especially Goku and Vegeta, whose relationship is in many respects the pivotal friendship of the Dragon Ball story. Their character development was stalled a bit in this film, but it was still heart-warming to see them grow ever closer. Also, there were a few glimpses at the Briefs’ family life, and last but not least, some more development on Friezer, who seems to have recovered from his ordeal at the Tournament of Power and is slowly returning to his old ways despite the impression left on him by Goku and his crew. Another interesting element was the look at Saiyan life, and particularly Goku’s parents. Particularly his father, Bardok, I always pictured as uncaring and cruel, but he is the exact opposite. Perhaps this is done to offset Broly’s father and the relationship he has with his own son. Broly as a character is not particularly interesting. He is a bit like Tarzan. Lastly, they also introduced new side characters, which were not particularly deep, but had a lot of screen time and some important roles to play.

Ok, enough ranting about the story. Now on to the technical aspects. Visually, this film was astonishingly well-made, particularly following on the heels of the simplicity of the DBS series. The animations were clearly of a much higher quality with a lot of it appearing hand-drawn, which made it all quite enjoyable to watch. The movements and detail, the variety of battle moves and angles was much more diverse than in the series (also, somehow, they made Vegeta and Goku look at least 15 years younger, which was odd). There was only one sequence in the second half where they dug to deeply into their CGI and created an incongruous, almost photo-realistic explosion sequence completely at odds with the rest of the film.

All in all, for a fan like me, a very enjoyable experience. I really wish I had seen this in the cinema. They clearly did aim for something big, at least visually. 3/5. Would watch again.

Broly on Imdb