Review: 1917 is a visually impressive WW1 drama

What I appreciate about director Sam Mendes’ war drama 1917 is that it has all the urgency, suspense and sense of brutality you’d expect from a World War 1 film without glorifying war itself. The focus of 1917 is not on a particular battle or military campaign but on the harrowing mission of two British soldiers, Lance Corporal Blake and Schofield, to deliver a message through enemy territory to save a battalion of 1600 men, including Blake’s older brother, from being massacred. I didn’t mind at all that the story is straightforward, light on dialogue and has only two lead characters. Where 1917 shines is in its immersive direction, hauntingly beautiful cinematography and earned emotional moments. 

Mini Movie Review: Parasite is a fresh comedic thriller with a dark edge

An early funny moment in Parasite which encapsulates Ki-taek and his family is when the pest control exterminator comes to their poor neighborhood, he leaves the windows open in their half-basement apartment for the “free fumigation”. Not knowing much about the story beforehand, I mistakenly thought that Parasite would be a horror film like Director Boon Joon Ho’s previous hit The Host. Instead, Parasite is harder to categorize. I would say it’s a comedy thriller with a dark edge to it. The black comedy is used to put the spotlight on social issues in a way which viewers can easily see the faults of the system and people. Ki-taek’s family are opportunistic and cunning but not unsympathetic as they worm their way into the Park family’s lavish home.

Mini Movie Review: Adam Sandler shines in Uncut Gems (2019)

The first thing that stands out about Uncut Gems is Adam Sandler’s genuinely solid performance in a non-typical role. Sandler plays as Howard Ratner, a New York jeweler who weaves a tangled web of high stakes risk and frantic desperation when scrambling to pay off a gambling debt. Sandler brings a sense of amusement and authenticity to heightened moments in Uncut Gems. The tightly written script is very good at capturing how Ratner’s business, family and personal life collide and unravel before his eyes. Despite his poor decision making, the well-rounded character driven story and performance makes you want to see Ranter succeed.

Review: It Chapter Two is a satisfying fun-house horror movie

In a way, my hazy memory of 2017’s supernatural horror film It helped me to appreciate the themes in Chapter 2. Character names started to pop up in my head before they were spoken. And a brief flashback brought back to mind some of the past events along with the emotions tied to them. As referenced in It Chapter 2, our memory works to hold onto things that are meaningful to us like significant childhood moments. In other instances, traumatic memories are suppressed until a picture, object, sound or even a smell, triggers it bringing back all the old feelings that were once buried. Repressing memories is a mechanism to help people cope and avoid confronting a stressful or painful incidence. It Chapter 2 takes us back to Derry, Maine where the “Losers’ Club” have to confront what they thought they’ve left behind.

Is Joker the Origin Story we need?

Joker might just prove me wrong and that’s a good thing. I was skeptical of a Joker movie at first for a few reasons. But after the final trailer and some early positive reviews, I’m actually very curious about it and hope to watch it when it comes out.  

Set for release in October, Joker stars Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, a clown for hire who’s taking care of his mother (Frances Conroy). Joker is a film about the transformation of a downtrodden nobody into the violence prone titular character. It’s less a comic book villain story and more of a psychological thriller centered on a disturbed, misunderstood individual.

Review: Spider-Man: Far From Home is far from spectacular

Spider-Man: Far From Home is a summer blockbuster that makes sense as a sequel and epilogue to Avengers: Endgame. Far From Home’s affable, good-nature isn’t exactly the Spider-man story that I find most compelling. It will take a 3rd or 4th installment in the franchise to build up and earn darker moments with emotional resonance. However, Far From Home’s light tone is perfectly in line with a teen-aged Peter Parker and what was previously established in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Putting aside what I personally want from a Spider-Man movie, Far From Home delivers a decent teen-comedy with ample comic-book action. Playing it relatively safe, director Jon Watts avoids the mistakes in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and moves the franchise a step in the right direction.

Avengers: Endgame Review – A Powerful but Imperfect Finale

Avengers: Endgame is one of the most anticipated movies in recent memory. From the start, Marvel Studios made fans aware that the movies were building towards an epic story as part of their ambitious, shared cinematic universe. Respecting the source material, Marvel Studios adapted a roster of comic book superheroes for a modern audience. As fans became more invested which each new franchise, including superheroes that were not widely popular, Marvel’s momentum continued to grow. With Endgame, not only has the anticipation greatly risen so has the expectation for an emotionally satisfying and meaningful conclusion to the Infinity Stones story line.

Redemption & Uncancelling Johnny Depp

A couple of Johnny Depp video clips recently popped up in my recommended section on Youtube. I’m not sure why they are recommended to me but these videos show another side to the actor known for “weird” roles. The videos aren’t shocking or salacious. In the video, Johnny Depp is at a children’s hospital fully dressed up as Pirates of The Caribbean’s Jack Sparrow and greeting sick kids.

Back in May 2016, ex-wife Amber Heard made domestic abuse claims against Depp. At the time, according to Los Angeles Police Dept., officers responded to the call and found no evidence of any crime. Still, the unproven accusations remained a cloud of controversy over Depp.

Upgrade Movie Review – A cybernetic thriller with grim humor

Upgrade (2018) is a cyberpunk thriller that paints a murky outlook on technologically enhanced humans in the near-future. Self-driving vehicles, VR technology and artificial intelligence are already a reality today. Just imagine how much further we will have developed and integrated these technologies in the years to come. The believable aspects to the futuristic setting in Upgrade adds to the disconcerting anxiousness to what could be in store for the next stage in humanity.

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part Review – Has the Lego novelty worn off?

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part recaptures the feel-good energy of the first film, although it’s not as refreshingly humorous. Part of the reason is it’s really hard to recreate that lightning in a bottle again even if the same successful elements are mostly present.