FIRST ONE WAS BETTER

Tarantino tends to make long movie stories, so „Kill Bill” wasn't much of an exception. With the overall time of over four hours, the quality and tempo of the story winds down in the second part of the saga, lacking the great standoffs from the first one.

As for the directing, all the major elements are there also, with with a lesser level of hommage, the creativity of sequences will be slightly lower, not diminishing Quentin's raw talent behind the camera. The epic ending will be somewhat of a anticlimactic when compared to the overall rhythm of the script as well.

„Kill Bill vol.2” is a good movie, but slightly weaker than the first part.

KILL BILL VOL.2 – 6/10

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MASTERCLASS IN DIRECTING

Quentin Tarantino is one of the five greatest American movie directors alive. Period. His raw talent was never too easy too hide and it simply bursts with the accumulated self confidence in his greatest hommage to kung-fu and Hong Kong movie creators, the „Kill Bill” saga.

The thing about Quentin that is so seductive is the fact he makes quality movie directing easily understandable to the average viewer. His use of camera lens, mix of short and long cuts, lighting and flashy colors will overwhelm even those who despise the fight genre he adores so much.

The story will be just one step away from parody, casting the trademark twisted dark humor and gore, as well as some great fighting scenes. The one in the japanese restaurant will just represent the masterclass in action directing.

Everything else, the great „B” list casting, acting and quality suundtrack will go along the path well lit by the man behind the camera.

„Kill Bill vol.1” is the best directed movie Tarantino made and one of the best directed movies on the turn of the centuries.

KILL BILL VOL.1 – 8/10

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GOOD LOOKING, BUT PRETENTIOUS

Although Tom Ford represents a fresh face behind the Hollywood cameras, his ambition is nonetheless very vast. Hence, his second feature film, psychological thriller „Nocturnal animals'', aims very high when it comes to hidden agenda, symbolism and metaphorical parallels between the manuscript of a young writer (Jake Gyllenhaal) and the real life he shared with his ex-partner, a young and aspiring artist (Amy Adams).

Visual impact of the lighting and backdrops show a clear and refined taste that Tom Ford, being a man from fashion industry, possesses. The atmosphere is beautifully sterile and claustrophobic at the same time, and for that, the director deserves his credit. Acting is pretty solid, led by Michael Shannon's impressive miniature.

However, everything falls in front of the pretentious, yet empty script, that does not evolve from the starting premises and ends abruptly and without any clarifications.

„Nocturnal animals” is a typical new-age Hollywood quality flick, being a feast for an eye and a disappointment for the brain.

NOCTURNAL ANIMALS – 4/10

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OVERRATED UNTIL THE VERY END

Arab world was and is truly brutal, especially during the duration of numerous civil wars.

„Theeb” will give us the story about the Bedouins guiding the pilgrims and foreigners through the harsh Saudi desert and all their misfortunes during one of those expeditions. Overall rhythm is really slow, followed by some stunning photography and occasional tense scenes of armed conflicts between the Arabs themselves.

Critical acclaim „Theeb” triggered will become visible only in the final minutes of a pretty flat-lined script, giving us the much awaited justice and redemption of the little Theeb (young Jacir Eid Al-Hwietat).

„Theeb” is a hardcore indie art war drama with some solid acting and great photography.

THEEB - 6/10

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REMEBER TO WATCH „REMEMBER”!

Films about the fate of Jews wore out during the course of time, not bringing anything new to the genre in past 25 years. As for the serious flicks on this subject, those dealing with the question of revenge against the Nazis were even more rarer, so it is quite expected for a average viewer to miss out a hidden gem, „Remember”.

The thing that attracts the most when it comes to the crew and script of Atom Egoyan's latest movie is the overall sense of unpretentiousness. Slow rhythm, additionally slowed down by phenomenal Christopher Plummer and his character's repetitive dementia will soon form a very original story about finding the notorious Auschwitz block fuhrer, Otto Valisch. This unusual adventure will make a full circle around four potential Nazis who settled down in USA, culminating with one of those memorable twists at the very end that make „Remember” the most original Jew/Nazi flick in decades.

„Remember” is a great small movie, with some serious acting and a memorable script and you should definitely watch it.

REMEMBER - 8/10

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BEAUTIFUL, BUT ONLY HALF FULL

Korean film directors are PhDs in violent masterpieces and „Bittersweet life” is no exception.

The story is in the back plan of the entire of the flick, concentrating on a pretty thin mix already seen elements of revenge and betrayal inside the mafia circles. Major asset of Kim Jee-Woon's movie is the blazing production, camera and light of action sequences at its core. The director is very well aware of that, so he exploits them to the very extreme, leaving the viewer feeling awed, but pretty much empty at the end.

„A bittersweet life” is the feast for the eye, but sadly not for the ear and brain as well.

A BITTERSWEET LIFE - 5/10

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SLOW TO THE VERY END

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Modern Samurai flicks tend to go on steroids in the past couple of years, so ”13 assassins” is no exception.

Story is very clearly laid out, with the vicious young shogun terrorizing other samurais and their families, as well as the common folk in its centre. His behavior triggers 13 outcasts and honorable samurais to join their forces together on the road of revenge that will lead to the dead of merciless shogun.

Characters are typical, but only basically detailed, while the overall tempo is really slow. However, every single of the separated events at the end lead to a spectacularly overacted battle in one of the villages between 13 assassins and hundreds of shogun’s personal guards.

”13 assassins” is a pretty much empty slow tempo samurai flick with an spectacular ending.

13 ASSASSINS - 4/10

VANITY OF EMPTINESS

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Being artistic doesn’t always mean you have made the decent flick. Sometimes, the artistic can be so arrogant that it suffocates decent story. This is just the case with Austrian ”Revanche”, an incredibly dull and slow movie coming from nowhere and leading nowhere.

Nothing is right here. The naïve and empty script, empty long cuts and pretentious acting tend to irritate rather than to suck the viewer inside the revenge story in rural Austria.

”Revanche” is one overprized and vanity-filled flick.

REVANCHE – 2/10

KEANU’S MACHETTE

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Keanu Reeves isn’t one of them big ones. Unlike many of similar actors, he never tormented himself with the ”golden boy”. And that’s totally ok. Mr. Reeves knows his place and he knows it well. That doesn’t mean that ex-Neo can resist the sweet temptation of mainstream trash that has plagued the big screen in past couple of years. 

To cut it short, ”John Wick” is Keanu’s ”Machette”. 

The storyline concept is a first, with death of a pet (!) as a catalyst for carnage of his retired hired killer against Russian mob. When you add some novelties like hitman-only hotel with special tokens and code of conduct, script is pretty decent for a trash movie. 

Action itself is pretty freshened up with headshot validation of every kill, as well as some far-eastern style close combat one-on-ones. Standard CGI blood spills are all over the place. 

Reeves tries hard to keep it cool, and succeeds in it during the major course of the movie. Supporting cast is solid enough, with Michael Nyqvist and Willem Dafoe leading the way. 

All said and done, ”John Wick” is the best Keanu's flick in years and a quality representative of its genre, but nothing more than that. If you love trash action movies and have a lazy Sunday afternoon clear of all house duties, this is a good fun for you. If not, feel free to miss it.

JOHN WICK - 5/10