Nick Cage is a great actor. Some of his movies he does an ok job, some of his movies are just terrible but this one, this one was great. I did not really know what I was going to watch but by the end it just had me going WOW. This movie was great. The way that Nick Cage protrayed a no one that just wanted attention and got what he asked for ten times. The themes, the acting everything si great about this movie. First I want to talk about the plot and the theme. The way this movie takes the idea of fame and makes a nobody and somebody with dreams is kind of crazy. Like I could never think of that. The way it starts out with just being famous for being in dreams and how he gains attention is great. It then delves into the psoitives and negatives of attention. The main character himself just rides it out and uses the fame for himself. But then he loves the attention. But with the attention came negatives. The movie portrays these negatives in both actuality by having the dude break into the main characters house and the down right crazy amount of fame. But it also shows it using the dreams as nightmares. This shows the parallels of this movie and actual fame. People like Britanny Spears who gain stupid amounts of fame quickly experience the same sort of parabola of positive fame which then clmaxes and falls quickly. The movie however takes this to the extreme. It shows everyones physical hatred towards Cage for doing nothing but for appearing in his nightmares. This idea of the highs and lows of fame are shown perfectly in this movie and I cant really get over it. Nick Cage also did a great job. He played a nervous professor who experiences the 1st world problems that we all do: rocky relationship, trouble making friends, and nervous person. However, by being in dreams makes it tens times better. He gains more confidence while still being his weird self. In the midst of it he is caught up with the fame. He sort of cheats on his wife and uses this opportunity to build up his reputation as a professor. When he is caught up with it all he falls. This fall is what nick cage does so well in portraying he is upset and angry but also portrays the emotion that it takes to fall from such great heights. He also does a great job in showing up in every dream. He makes the dream seem like a dream and makes it both scary happy and emotional. He does a great job in making this movie a relaty. Like when he is just sitting on a the coach at his lowest point not being able to dream, it made his character ark complete. Overall, I loved this movie. I am not sure if it is recency bias but I think this film was underapreactied and should have been nominated for something or just talked about. 8.2/10
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I was on the plane this past week and saw teenage mutant ninja turtles. I did not know what to expect but when I turned it on holy crap was this movie good. This movie had me laughing throughout but also had me guessing because it was not the basic Shredder v. Turtles plot that usually happens. The reason why I think I liked this movie is because it did not try to recreate the classic turtles, but rather made them something new. The way the turtles learned karate and the way splinter is portrayed is all new and in my opinion, works. But my biggest compliment about this movie is the casting of the turtles. These kids were great. I know some of them are from shows like Amazing World of Gumball or the movie Bad Boys so I know who they are but the fact that they hired teenagers to play teenagers and gave them teenager dialogue just made me so happy. Like when they spent 2 minutes talking about bacon egg and cheese, it made my Gen Z heart cry a little bit. The chemistry that these guys had was crazy and it came across to the audience. I would also like to give a quick shout out to show also the other mutants casting was out of this world and how even though they were big names the movie itself was not stressing that. Instead, the spotlight was on the teenagers themselves. Even though this movie was made to be funny and for teenagers it still brought action and a great plot. I mean when the turtles are raiding all of the gangsters, it gives me chills. The music, the fighting montage, and the bonus of the great animation, it was legitimately cool. Even though the focus of the movie was comedy scenes like this did a great job of bringing the ninja aspect to the movie. The movie’s overall plot and themes like acceptance due to differences and heroes coming in all sizes drove the point home. Like I know these are common themes but this movie did it in such a classier way than other films. Overall I would say this movie was great and kind of got overshadowed by other movies like Spider-verse and Puss in Boots. I would say this movie is probably on par with all of those other movies and probably should be talked about more. Overall, I think it is probably the best TMNT movie out there, and yes better than the original. 8.0/10This past week blackberry became available to Hulu. I knew I needed to watch it because this movie got so much attention and hype and sounded right up my alley. So I then started watching it and this film did not disappoint. This story is about the underdog but instead of how the underdog wins, it is about how the underdog loses. It is a weird narrative and plot because it is one in the modern film world we never see. How both a rejected salesman and an underestimated nerd rose and fell in such a short amount of time. The way this story was shot and the way the actors interpreted was in my opinion a perfectly chaotic telling of this story. I want to first start by talking about the direction and the way this story is told. It is told like a biopic with the way the cinematography as well as the overall setup of the story. Adam McCay probably pioneered this way of filming with movies like Vice. However, this takes it up to a whole other. By having chaos being the theme the direction matches the same way. Every moment seems to make me quiver and feel like a project is due the next day and I have not even started on it. The way this movie just makes you feel intense is perfect. This intensity and nervousness were best personified by both Glenn Howerton and Jay Baarchaeul. Glenn Howerton brought his anger and intensity from Always Sunny with a more dramatic twist. His constant yelling and the way he portrayed the character I think is one of the best performances I have seen this past year. Jay Barchauel brought the nervousness. His performance was also great and showed the mind of what I would consider a genius and showed the transition and transformation of this character due to money. The overall plot and themes of greed and how efficiency and quantity do not mean quality are very much shown in the movie. My favorite part about this movie is how it shows the evolution of each character along with the company. 7.9/10This movie was wild. I mean it is just crazy. You go into this movie thinking one thing but then it multiplied, divided, and derived into something else that you can not fathom what this movie would be about. This movie was great don't get me wrong but this movie was more confusing than a Christopher Nolan movie. So let's start at the beginning. The movie opens up with a look into the future where one of the main characters meets with a lawyer about some legal trouble. This scene leads you to believe that this movie is going to be an action fantasy movie where the main character played by Kurt Russel navigates a magical Chinatown where he is charged with causing a big ball of green little which destroyed a hoar house. Then you start watching the movie. Instead of focusing on the heroism of Kurt Russel, instead, you focus on his sidekick whose girlfriend is captured by a Chinatown gang which no one messes with. Then instead of what you think is going to be like a buddy comedy turns into a full-out action movie with Kurt Russel being the comedic relief. I mean there are some fight scenes where everyone is fighting using lighting bolts and karate while Kurt Russel is passed out because he shot at a rock. Also, the reason why everyone is fighting is not ever explained. This movie has so many plot holes that it makes the audience just confused. But the entire way the movie is shot and the script makes up for it. Things like the Bigfoot rip-off or what I can only assume Scorpio and Raiden are based on just look so cool and draw the audience in ten times more. I mean the plot is so confusing the movie won't even tell Kurt Russell what is happening. I know I just ranted about the plot but I kind of need to. Now even though all of this probably makes no sense to you unless you have watched the movie it just goes to show how confusing yet great this movie is. It is as if a 6-year-old cousin was given the task to direct a karate movie and this piece of art came out. I mean it is not perfect but it gets the job done when it comes to entertainment. This movie is not meant to be a perfect film but rather the perfect distraction from a hard day. Now I enjoyed this movie, I think though that the reason I enjoyed this movie is not the way John Carpenter wanted me to. I think he thought this movie would be more of a fantasy thriller but turned out to be more of a comedy. I mean there were times when I laughed out loud at something that I thought was supposed to be serious. I think the reason why is because John Carpenter specializes in scary and thriller. When Carpenter made this film I think he wanted a similar vibe but in an action flick. However, the way John Carpenter makes his horror films is through the ambiance of the film like the lighting music, and acting not the script. So when you replace all of that ambiance with a feel-good action film, the movie becomes a lot less scary and a lot more fun. I mean watch Halloween with different music and with happier lighting and you got one hell of a comedy. This makes the film really bad but still really good. One could say this movie is so bad it is good, and I think that somewhat accurately represents this film. I mean my dad has watched this movie 20 times and yet has no clue what is going on. This film is a must-watch not cause it is good but because it is a good time. 7.6/10This week I wanted a movie where I did not need to think. The last couple of weeks have been filled with complex films with underlying messages. So this week I watched the live-action Beauty and the Beast. Now, I had never seen this and since Neil and Jacob have been talking about it because of the musical, I just wanted to listen to the soundtrack. So I turned on not expecting anything spectacular. I mean I knew the animation would be better and I just expected a replication of the movie we all know and love. And I was right. The casting for this movie is somewhat perfect. Emma Watson was able to capture the beauty and brilliance of Belle. I think the only problem with casting was that of Ewen Mcgregor playing Lumiere. The animated portrayal and the overall vibe of the character were just off. I mean I think it was alright but the way the character was animated and how the scenes were so elaborate and cool in the animated film was not found in the live action. I think Lumerie as a character makes the film and in the live-action version, he just was not there. I also think that the CGI of the film was ok. I mean it did not capture the film's wonder and amazement that it did when I was little. I mean it was somewhat gross at some points. The maids being bird sweepers was just kind of weird. However, it was ok. I mean I don't want to go into the plot that much because the point of the film was to replicate the wonder of the original with cool effects. However, I did like the points about Belle's mother and how they went more in-depth with Belle's character dynamic to make her more likable. I very much enjoyed it. But overall it will never be the original. More a movie whose purpose was to bring more special effects it was kind of lackluster. Overall mid movie, an amazing soundtrack but this movie did not make it. 5.2/10Wow, this was trippy. I am not just saying that for the plot but just the visuals, the world-building, and the acting. I mean how does someone come up with this stuff but then figure out how to make it a movie? I first want to start and talk about the plot. This plot which people say is confusing was not really. I mean it was complex but I understood it the entire time. I loved especially how Nolan was able to combine his love of sci-fi with complex human values. One idea of sacrificing the whole of civilization to isolation and solitude, I loved. Especially how each of these values corrupts humans. However, the only thing that was a positive factor was love. Every decision that dealt with love was the one that was the most successful and helped society the best. For example, when Anne Hathaway’s character goes to the base of her loved one, it is the one where the world is. When Mathew's naughty character sacrifices his life out of love, his daughter can find a solution to transport humanity. I found the message to be love is the way to navigate space and time. By following love, you can find your true destination. This film also could not have survived without the actors. Everyone in this film was great. I mean I think that Mathew McHaughhey carried but I think one low-key under rated actor was Matt Damon. Damon was the epitome of loneliness and solitude. He was able to show what this would look like and how a human would respond to losing all hope. I also think the actress who played young Murph did such a good job of showing what it is like to be left. I mean her sadness and how she was able to start the character development of Murph I thought was wonderful. I lastly want to talk about how beautiful this film was. I mean from the waves to the ice, to space itself. The whole movie was just breathtaking to look at. I mean even the robots were a refreshing take on something that is usually so simple. The whole look of the film allowed people to connect to the trippiness of the film. I mean the bookcases themselves were just crazy. I mean he was able to capture the idea of infinity through bookcases. I am also sure if you are not aware but Interstellar also was sort of the first major rendering of a black hole. I mean that just goes to show how good, realistic, and beautiful this movie is. Overall, I thought this movie was really good. It does not have any negatives but it is just too much for me at some points. Like I know saying something is too complex is a good thing but it is kind of just a bit overwhelming. I mean it opened my eyes but at the same time made me wont to close them because of how complex it got. Still a great movie but Oppenheimer is better. 8.4/10 I wanted to watch something this week that was a little less thinking. I mean the past few weeks, I have watched movies like Reservoir Dogs, Oppenheimer, and The Boy and the Heron which are all very complex. Searching for a movie that was all action comedy and just an overall feel-good film that was simple, I found The Martian. The Martian itself is a great movie. I mean it has everything that anyone could ask for: adventure, comedy, and sci-fi. I specifically loved Matt Damon. This is one of his best performances. I think this character specifically matched Matt Damon as a person which allowed him just to have fun with the role. I mean he brought the whole character to life. I think his positive attitude and always making a serious situation funny allowed him to survive. This could not have been played by any other actor. I mean Matt Damon brings the boring parts of the movie together. I mean when they explain things from science to botany, he can make it fun. I mean I visibly laughed when the hydrogen burner exploded and his explanation of the event. I also think that it was genius to cast funnier actors in this film. By doing so it makes the film still suspenseful but still enjoyable to watch. Actors like Donald Glover and Michael Pena just make the film that much more interesting. However, Matt Damon still carried his ability to show the willpower it took to survive on Mars and the depression that took place while still being able to be light-hearted. The direction was also great. I have not seen much of Ridley Scott but this movie was great in making sure you believed that you were stranded on Mars. I mean the movie looked beautiful in a subtle way. Unlike Christopher Nolan who likes his movies' beauty to stand out, Ridley Scott is very similar. The way Ridley Scoot also used cameras to show the almost sci-fi nature worked for me. It showed the solitude of Mars and made you feel more like you were there. Overall I loved the movie. I loved how even through isolation and when it seems like you are going to die, you can still get through it. The boy scouting of the film also really connected with me. I mean I was a boy scout and some of the solutions to the problems were outright ridiculous but still something that would work. The idea that through innovation and hope you can conquer anything is something that I kind of needed to hear. So this movie right now is high for me but still nonetheless is probably one of the best movies I have ever seen. 9.0/10 Going into Boy in the Heron, I had a lot of high expectations. I had never seen a Studio Ghibli Film before because I had always thought they were some sort of anime-type film. Of course, I know now that the notion was wrong. But watching the trailer and seeing the cast for the movie on top of the Oscar buzz made me think this movie was going to be the best animated movie I had seen in a long time. However, all of my expectations were let down. This movie was good. Rather, this movie was supposed to be one of the best things I had ever seen but instead was kind of a mid-animated movie which makes me hate it even more. In reality, I think this is a mid-movie but my anger for the amount of hype this movie gets kinda supersedes my opinion. Overall, this movie was beautiful with a great voice cast and a complex plot. However, what was lacking for me was that the movie itself was kind of too complicated and also did not make sense in terms of basic logic. I first want to talk about how beautiful this movie was. The way each still of this movie could be used to create a piece of artwork is astounding to me. The way movement is drawn in this movie is unlike anything I have ever seen before. What I mean by that is how water, fire, and air are drawn to show the movement of the characters through these elements. Now, usually what an animator or artist does is have the character move along with the elements moving against it, however, in this film, it was drawn differently. Now I did not pick this up until I watched the trailers after watching the movie. For example, when Mahito was running through the fire or surrounded by water, the elements themselves were the only things that were animated in movement. This causes a cool effect and illusion of having the character move while also emphasizing the character's struggles. Overall, the animation was top-tier and unique. It was the thing that made this movie stand out to me. Now we could spend hours going into each animation detail and how he uses different art elements along with new techniques, however, most of these don't have to do with the opinion of the film. So if you want to talk to me about it just comment or ask me. Now I want to talk about the plot. Going into this movie I knew it was going to be confusing. After my friends told me that this movie wouldn't make any sense until the end, I knew this movie would be good because I think a good movie needs a confusing plot with a beautiful conclusion where the director can weave all of the ideas together. However, this movie in my opinion was not able to do that. I am not sure if it was because the plot was too confusing or if it was the sudden ending where all of the magic just vanished forever, but the conclusion did not work. I liked the metaphors and ideas that were taking place in the movie about Studio Ghibli coming to an end as well as the character being a reflection of Miyazaki. Specifically, the idea of the world and magic being a dream that reflected the end of Studio Ghibli is just a chef's kiss. However, I think these messages get lost because there is just too much symbolism and comparison that causes the audience to not find the intended meaning or no meaning at all. In the attempt to do all of this comparison, the movie lost its connection with an audience and became a cohesive film but rather a piece of art. I like comparing this movie to a piece of art, especially because when you look at a piece of art, you look at it for five seconds to 2 minutes and think “Man, that's beautiful” and move on. Now the painter probably intended there to be certain emotions and comparisons to be made but most of the time you don't understand them because art is meant to be subjective. This Miyazaki film is just that, something that is so confusing that the audience just doesn't understand the message but instead looks at it and thinks that it is cool. The boy in the heron I think was a great idea on paper. I mean if you watch the trailer this film just looks like not the best animated but the best movie of the year. However, it just does not match all of the Oscar buzz. The one thing that got me excited for this movie was the cast. I mean Robert Pattison’s accent was so random and so perfect, it made the character. Voices from Florence Pugh and Dave Bautista also made the movie so much better. However, the plot and conclusion were just not there for me. This movie in my opinion was mid and should not beat out Across the Spider Verse. This movie had such great potential but I think it just left me disappointed. 6.3/10 I have wanted to watch this movie for a while. So sunday morning, I grabbed a cinnamon crunch bagel and rented the movie. I sat down and thought I hope this was a good movie and it did not disappoint. This movie was 3 hours long but was still captivating every single second. This movie really could have been two movies but together it made such a better movie. The way this movie was edited and put together with a combination of different film techniques made it ten times more enjoyable. The amount of just skill put into the movie was mind boggling. I mean I loved how many close ups of cillian murphy's face there were. I know so many talk about this movie and everyone says it is one of the best things to come out of film. But in a certain way they are kind of right. This is one of the few biography movies that actually is interesting and captivating. The acting in this movie is also so top tier. I mean Cillian Murphy deserves every award that comes to him because he did a great job. His supporting cast was french kiss. I mean Emily Blunt should also win every award to. Josh hartnett just proves that scientist are hot. I think however the best performance of the hour is Robert Downey Junior. This role showed that he has range and can play other things besides Tony Stark. He showed the evil of the arms race and nuclear weapons using the traditional. There are also 100 other actors that are top tier that are just in the movie. I mean Rami Malek who is one of the best of our generation is literally in it for like 3 seconds. This film was able to take a somewhat complex topic and turn it into a beatiful story. The who story was suspenseful and wonderful wrapped into a physic nerds dream. Like some of the stuff they were talking about in the movie I learned this past week. Oppenheimer is only known for inventing the atom bomb but he was kind of revolutionary in his theory. Anyways I thought this was a beautiful movie. Nothing really wrong with it. 9.8/10 |
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February 2024
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