PURE ITALIAN

Italian sure know how to sell their modus vivendi through their cinematography. Food, vine, infidelity, laughs and some seriousness at the very end is something we already saw in their movies, but is also something that they packed really nice in a 90 minute comedy-drama mashup revolving around a dinner between a group of intimate friends during the moon eclipse.

„Perfect strangers” starts around a really genuine concept that all the messages and calls would be made public during that dinner, so the avalanche of potentially hazardous truths begin to emerge, threatening to engulf relationships, marriages and friendships. However, since the Italians are what they are, the outcome will be done in a less serious way, entertaining the viewer.

„Perfect strangers” is a well balanced mix of serious and entertaining subjects.

PERFECT STRANGERS – 7/10


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SILENT BRITISH AFTERSHOCK

European movie is different to the one in the States. It is more simpler, more direct and more artistic. It tackles its subjects relentlessly and often uses some heavy symbollism.

„I, Daniel blake” won't need the symbollism, though. It tells such a powerful and true story that no second and hidden meanings is necessary. Great Britain is economically dying and the single mothers and older people are the first victims. Goodness is almost extinct, bureaucracy is taking over and the system always wins. Main characters will be run down and no unselfishness will help them. Ken Loach will routinely guide us through that grim world, giving us no hope and happy ending on that road to perdition. Because, there just isn't one.

„I, Daniel Blake” is simply the best European movie of 2016 and one of the most realistic indie flicks ever.

I, DANIEL BLAKE – 9/10

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„OSCARS” SO BLACK

Politically correct stories are one of the greatest cancers eating out modern day US cinema. With liberal and left-wing lobby on Hollywood's helm, cinematographers are really tempted to choose only certain stories in order to harvest the rewards.

„Moonlight” is one of those stories, revolving around the young gay African-American, living in a ghetto and being raised by a junkie mother. Sexual and racial inequity with some addiction issues and you have a huge „oscar” winner looming. It doesn't matter that the story basically doesn't exist, nor that all the nominated roles are well below the average. You are a socially active flick and therefore represent the „wet dream” of liberal mainstream media and critics.

Not everything is empty here, though. There will be some grim atmosphere, some good cinematography and solid acting by young Sanders, but that's it.

„Moonlight” will reap this year's „oscars” and it will do UNDESERVEDLY.

MOONLIGHT – 4/10

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EMOTIONAL DESTROYER

Behind every great movie in the history is the script, the story. And what story can be more moving than the one based on real life characters and a huge problem that devours the single largest population on Earth, one that lives in India.

Child abandonment is one of the most tragic subjects the movie can tackle, so only the best ones will be recognized as the immortal ones. Australian „Lion” is one of those immortal flicks that will carve its way into your brain and soul so deeply that you will end up weeping while you're watching little Saroo's journey to hell and back.

With impeccable scenario, it was time for the masters of trade to step in and routinely deliver the final product. If you can say that always reliable Nicole Kidman is the „Jack of all trades”, Dev Patel will definitely steal the show in his first serious role on the big screen as a grown up. But, that's not all, since the real stars of this emotional earthquake of a movie will be two rookies, director Garth Davis and young Sunny Pawar. Add some great music and cinematography along the way and you will get something trully outstanding for today's standards.

„Lion” is, without any doubt, THE BEST movie of 2016 and should harvest the „oscars” in every major cathegory it was nominated.

LION – 10/10

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LIKEABLE

Indie production can always toss you into two major directions. One, more frequent, will lead you down the path of some heavy drama, and the other one will just make you laugh.

„Hunt for the Wilderpeople” is in the second group. It will relax you by telling a likeable story about an orphan boy who decides to quit his never ending process of changing foster homes and escape into the deep wilderness of inner New Zealand with his „uncle” (Sam Neill). Along that way a plethora of different characters will be met, some laughs will be shared and the popular culture will be heavily utilized in the dialogues.

However, that will be pretty much everything from this „kiwi” indie contender.

„Hunt for the Wilderpeople” will entertain you in a decent way.

HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE – 6/10

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MEL'S STILL GOT IT

Mel Gibson deviated from his star-spangled path on the turn of the centuries, but now shows some strong signs of recovery, lead by one of the most intriguing and fascinating war stories ever.

„Hacksaw ridge” will consist out of two clear parts. First one, deals with liberal and civic society aspects of the training of Desmond Doss (surprisingly solid Andrew Garfield), first pacifist US soldier in World War Two. Second one tells the true story about his exploits on top of Hacksaw ridge, one of the bloodiest battles that US Marines led with Japanese in the entire war. And it’s in that second part that all of Gibson’s gift for directing, cinematography and editing will kick in with all of its strength, creating some of the most vivid war action sequences in modern day Hollywood. Pathetic will step in as well, peaking towards the end, but the Australian just knows how to direct a patriotic and inspiring movie story.

„Hacksaw ridge” is hyper-pathetic, but memorably directed war flick.

HACKSAW RIDGE – 7/10

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PRETENTIOUS AND HORRIBLY ACTED

Movies dealing with some of the most difficult subjects in life like the loss of children are, at their core, pretentious to their bone. Hence, their representation must be nothing short of a masterpiece. Otherwise, they will be just a series of utterly boring and empty attempts to reach the viewer via quasi-indie production style long cuts and hand-in camera.

„Manchester by the sea” is one of those ambitious heavy dramas written for one man. Although solid and sound in its foundation, every heavy turn of the script will be just blatantly rejected and ignored by Casey Affleck, making him, without any doubt, the worst actor in modern day Hollywood.

Everything else, including the outcome and the remainder of the cast will follow Casey's lead into the abyss.

„Manchester by the sea” is by far, the most overrated movie of the year, lead by the worst actor of modern day Hollywood.

MANCHESTER BY THE SEA – 3/10

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PhD IN ACTING

There are movies written for certain actors and it is always a pleasure to see those two come together in sweet harmony, as did Denzel Washington and the theatrical play about family, life and racial segregation in the America in 1950s, „Fences”.

Have no doubt, „Fences” is a monodrama and all the remaining cast will serve only to complement Mr. Washington. He will, on the other hand pour his entire talent into this one, changing the emotions with ease, going through several life periods and dilemmas that follow it. There won't be any rest for him all the way to the end of this realistic drama and he will relentlessly devour all of his screen time, rushing on the wave of social activity towards his third and most deserved „oscar” for best male lead. Every other decision will represent one of the greatest inequities of modern mainstream US cinema.

„Fences” is a great theatrical play transferred into a good movie lead by a fantastic actor.

FENCES – 8/10

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SEMI-SUCCESSFUL

American indie cinematography often deals with left-wing liberal subjects and so does „Captain Fantastic”, an unusual story about the single father that raise, educate and prepare for life his six children in the wilderness of western USA.

Although the movie revolves around Viggo Mortensen, he fails to deliver some remarkable acting, so the kids step in and steal the show. Script will tend to get more serious in the second part of the movie, trying really hard to raise some important questions about childcare, education and life itself. However, just like Viggo, the script will be only semi-successful in that task, leaving the viewer hanging out to dry at the (hippie-style) ending.

„Captain Fantastic” tries to be a bigger movie than it is, despite not being a bad movie at all.

 

 

CAPTAIN FANTASTIC – 5/10

 

 

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DANISH BLOWAWAY

 

Danish contender for the „Oscar” for Best foreign language movie brings us a brutal and relentless story about the German POW that are forced to clean the beaches of Denmark after the World War Two. Most of those prisoners were very young, so the tragedy of this dangerous job thickens as the story unfolds.

As for the cast, there are two opposites, pictured in the boys   commander, Sergeant Rasmussen (Rolland Moller) and his fellow Danish officers. Cast is reflected by the two opposite attitudes towards the kids, so some heavy drama is guaranteed. The pace and the outbursts of explosives and characters will pick up, leading the drenched out viewer towards the end and much needed redemption.

„Land of mine” is not your typical war drama. „Land of mine” is a true European style real life drama.

 

 

LAND OF MINE – 8/10

 

 

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DIFFERENT

Comic superhero movies are a worn out genre and exceptions from the mindless process of recycling old ideas are rare and important. Besides the dark humored „Deadpool”, very few titles earned the attention of the mainstream viewers.

„Doctor Strange” was one of the lesser known „Marvel’s” superheroes and his activation on the big screen came after an entire plethora of comic characters. Concept behind the once successful surgeon that was forced to look for the solution of his hand injury behind the mirror of the possible is in its core pretty naïve, but also some spectacular and innovative graphic presentations, finally enabled by the advance of CGI technology.

As for the cast, Cumberbatch and Mads Mikkelsen were the right choice, while the script slowly evolves to the crescendo at the end. The window for the entire franchise is left open, so expect some more adventures from the astral projections front.

„Doctor Strange” is not your average comic superhero, with some refreshing and innovative production designs and sets.

DOCTOR STRANGE – 6/10

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POWERFUL MESSAGE

Japanese culture is deeply rooted into the nature and the bonds between the people and flora and fauna of the land of the rising sun is very strong.

„Princess Mononoke” brings us one of those ecological stories about the extinction of ancient animal Gods in the wake of industrial revolution in Japan. All of the possible characters will be present, from super heroes to samurai and all of them will be overshadowed by the Deer God and his strength. Script will be overplayed and periodically drowned into random and bizarre events, but that fact will not diminish the powerful message to the generation that will inherit the Earth after ours.

„Princess Mononoke” deals with an everlasting subject in a traditional Japanese way.

PRINCESS MONONOKE – 6/10

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TOO BIZARRE EVEN FOR JAPAN

Japanese folk traditional culture is somewhat unknown to the Westerners, so every trip inside it can cause a bit of a shock.

„Spirited away” is one of those hyper bizarre tales about and enchanted city that is being ruled by ghosts and where people are being used as livestock or labour force. Plethora of characters and randomness of the script will cause you to loose track of the plot very early inside the flick and not to pick it up even after this cartoon comes to an end.

„Spirited away” is too much, even for a die hard fan of Japanese animated movies.

SPIRITED AWAY – 2/10


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SHATTERING

Japanese animated flicks are nothing like the ones in the West, especially when it comes to the subject of their scripts. Devastating story about an orphan boy and his little sister and their struggle to survive US napalm-bombings and the starvation that follow it is one of the most heartbreaking in the history of cinema.

Graphic style is of the highest level, just as always when it comes to „Ghibli” studios, but the animated medium falls into backplan of the merciless story. Symbollism will be one of the most powerful ever, making your eyes wet throughout the entire course of this dramatic cartoon. And like in all great Asian movies, the end will be brutal, bearing a powerful message that these things can never happen again, while simoultaneously raising an epitaph to the entire generation of children that were burned in the furnace of war like the fireflies.

„Grave of the fireflies” is the most serious animated flick ever and one the best ones as well.

GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES – 8/10


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MAINSTREAM BIOPIC

Hayao Miyazaki is the visually most dominant Japanese anime author, and his reputation soldiers on in a biopic about one of the most famous airplane constructors between two world wars.

However, the storyline fails to follow impeckable graphic style with a too oflat lined story, which gives little or no surprises. Dreamworld in which the main character habitates and draws the inspiration for his constructions is just occasionally shadowed by the illness of his spouse and looming war predictions throughout the entire course of the movie.

„The wind rises” is just too „ordinary” for a Japanese animated flick.

THE WIND RISES – 4/10

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WEAK STORY, STRONG ACTING

Michael Fassbender will never be Jack Nicholson nor Daniel Day-Lewis. Michael Fassbender will also never be like Matt Damon or Ben Affleck. Michael Fassbender will be somewhere in between those two acting extremes, carefully balancing with his choice of roles that vary from mindless blockbusters to total indie. Total indie like the British story about an Irish family of lowlifes that harass the peaceful neighborhood with their heists and car chases.

The backbone of the script will be the twisted relationship between the authoritarian father (Brendan Gleeson) and his eldest son (Fassbender), but that spine will twist under the mediocre development until it finally snaps at he end of the movie. On the other hand, acting will be solid throughout the entire course of the flick, rewarding the viewer for the emptiness of the plot.

„Trespass against us” is a movie for the fans of Mr. Fassbender and not many more.

TRESPASS AGAINST US – 4/10

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