MESMERISING

Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu is a true genius of movie making, especially when it comes to photography and editing. This was acknowledged from the Academy as well with all major „oscars” going to his masterpiece 2014. drama-comedy „Birdman”.

Where Mexican director stopped with „Birdman”, he continued with „The Revenant”. Located in a vast exterior on northern US and Canada, this survival drama brought us even more ingenious camera from double „Oscar” laureate Emmanuel Lubezky and some really breathtaking action sequences and wide shots.

The script is in the background, consisting of standard segments: revenge, good and bad inside people, savagery. The thing that separates „The Revenant” from the classic western genre is that Inarritu finally succeeded in a century-long cinemamaker's dream, to totally whipe out the border between the viewer and the movie itself. And he did it without much CGI and expensive sets. He did it with his camera, his cuts, wide angle lenses and through fascinating roles achieved by Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy (almost a certain „Oscar”). The music is also minimal, as well as the dialogue itself, completing director's trademark full control of the entire flick that begins from the production, continues through the writing of the script and culminates with the leading place behind the camera.

„The Revenant” may easily be the most perfectly shot movie ever and definitely one of the best US flicks of 2015.

THE REVENANT - 9/10


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SATISFYINGLY SCARY

Horror flicks are in a huge crisis in a past couple of decades, especially when it comes to Hollywood production.

„Vacancy” is a classic horror script from the beginning to the very end. Plot rotating around the spooky motel inhabited with some really twisted characters isn't something that we haven't already seen, but the tension is on a decent level, as well as the main actors (Kate Beckinsale, Frank Whaley). Unfortunately, the ending will also be in a „safe” mode, which is a real shame.

„Vacancy” is one of the rare solid US horror movies for the genre lovers in the past decade.

VACANCY - 5/10


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TOO MUCH

„Avengers” represented one of the rare franchises with a potential to attract the wider public in a highly saturated market for rebooted comics. To be more precise, it represented such a potential until its latest part.

„Age of Ultron” will pretty much sound and look like „Transformers” sequels when it comes to ridiculous script, overacted roles and CGI congested action sequences. You won't care what happens next, nor what will come of your favourite character. It just won't matter to you if you have any taste in cinema left.

„Age of Ultron” is one truly unnecessary and excessive part of a pretty decent franchise.

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON - 2/10


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PLAIN BORING

Trailers are one of the most ruthless tools of film industry. Those several moments excerpted from the movie can attract the potential viewer, but can also significantly reduce box-office success.

„Black mass” will attract you with its trailer, showing you one of the most mesmerizing roles of Johnny Depp in past ten years, but will sadly offer you nothing more than that. Inconclusive and chaotic story about Boston's notorious brothers that ruled the city in '70s and '80s will take through more than two hours of boring subplots leading nowhere interrupted by occasional brutal murder. And that's it. Literally.

Even if you're a Johnny Depp fan, „Black mass” is one just of those plain boring movies.

BLACK MASS - 3/10


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NOTHING NEW

Mountaineering movies haven’t come a long way since genre’s first box-office smasher, „Cliffhanger”. If we exclude several European tryouts („Nordwand”), everything else coming from Hollywood was mediocre. „Everest” doesn’t represent an exception from that rule.

Story based on true events takes us on a final civil excursion on the highest peak in the world which several climbers won’t finish among the living. Besides the highly speculative script, the main roles fail significantly (Josh Brolin, Keira Knightley), while the better part of the casting remain unused (Jake Gyllenhaal, Sam Worthington). On the bright side, there are some merciless scenes and realistic portrays of climber’s final moments.

„Everest” offers nothing new to the subgenre and therefore should not be the subject of such a hype that followed it.

EVEREST - 4/10

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NOT FUNNY

Trailers present a powerful weapon when it comes to presenting a movie, so you should be very careful with your expectations after them.

Story about the police psychiatrist that gets involved in the case of his patient promises a lot more laughs that Argentinian flick „On probation” delivers. Even the subplots with mafia and corrupted cops fail, leaving the viewer disappointed at the end.

„On probation” is one of those Argentinian comedies whose trailers tend to be more funny that the movies themselves really are.

ON PROBATION - 3/10


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UNCOMPREHENSIVE GUILLERMO

Guillermo del Toro's is one of those horror directors that tend not to make scary movies, just like M. Night Shyamalan. His stories revolve around children, particularly orphans, almost always located in a spooky environments.

„Devil's backbone” takes place in a haunted orphanage during the Spanish civil war, with some kids exploring the dark history of the facility. Everything is pretty much classic Guillermo, with some occasional heart-chilling scenes and nothing more than that.

„Devil's backbone” is one low rate scary movie for children and children only.

DEVIL'S BACKBONE - 4/10


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CHEAP AND CORNY PAID WAR PROPAGANDA

Civil war in the Balkans during the '90s represents one of the least adequately depicted ones when it comes to Western cinematographies, so the „Twice born” is no exception.

Tacky story, pathetic twists as well as poorly played main cast (Penelope Cruz, Emile Hirsch) could be considered just as a flop if it weren't for the really well thought out premeditation to blame it all on the one party in the conflict.

Aside from clearly laid out political and financial inputs, „Twice born” is just one really, really bad movie in every major aspect.

TWICE BORN - 1/10


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OVERRATED

Spanish language spoken comedies tend to go on two separate paths: dark or unconvincing humor.

„Nine queens” brings us the story about two small time scoundrels teaming up together on a 1000 times seen task to take the big cash. Ricardo Darin is solid as always, while the rest of the cast fall behind, as well as the twists and the humor itself.

„Nine queens” is a crime comedy that will not make you laugh much.

NINE QUEENS - 3/10


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CONSISTENT AND PAINFUL ALL THE WAY

Dramatic fate of the Jews in Second world war torn Europe was a frequent subject in modern cinema with some real directing and writing giants involved in its depicting. The sub-genre was drenched during the years and little or no viable flicks were made in this century.

„Phoenix” is a low B/C German drama about a woman (Nina Hoss) that managed to survive the war disfigured and now searches for her husband who sold her out to the Nazis. The betrayal continues to the very end, as well as women's tragedy. Overall rhythm is pretty slow, but the emotions run high all the way, as the entire precisely written script.

„Phoenix” is a great European drama with a big „D” that will twist your heart inside out.

PHOENIX - 8/10

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