fantastic films for my friends
This was such a fun movie. It is indeed “based on a true story”, and an important one, but it never feels preachy or heavy in any way. The main three actresses are all excellent (there should be a special oscar for Octavia Spencer‘s loving-but-disapproving side glance), and Kevin Costner does his best trademarked 50s-man-in-crisp-white-shirt role since JFK. It would make a great double bill with The Right Stuff…
If you are looking for something different, this is one of the best Anime films to come out in years. Its hand-drawn animation is stunningly beautiful, the main characters don’t feel like caricatures and the story is both funny and moving. This movie really felt like a breath of fresh air, and I can’t recommend it enough. Try and track it down, it is well worth it!
I haven’t talked about any western recently. Although technically, this is a contemporary movie, not a western. Nah… Bank robberies? Brother outlaws? A grizzled old sheriff in pursuit? Shootouts? Who are we kidding… This is a western. And a very good one at that.
I confess that I have been unfaithful to Pedro Almodovar recently. I really had no interest to watch his latest movie, and I still haven’t seen the previous one either. If sometimes Almodovar is a bit too “out there” for you, this is one of his less brash and more nuanced movies. A beautiful and touching slice of life, wonderfully told, with two superb central performances, this was one of the best movies of the year, without a doubt.
We watched this last night, and I can’t get it off my head. From the director of Whiplash (who by the way, is 31 years old…) comes an all-singing, all-dancing hommage to the musicals of yesteryear. It is nostalgic, yet modern and fresh, romantic, but realistic, joyful and bittersweet at the same time. It is a masterpiece, and a tour de force from Emma Stone. This movie is going to win a ton of awards, and it will be all deserved.
Yes, I know… Another David Fincher movie… What can I say? He is good. Even if you enjoyed the book and already know the story, Rosamund Pike gives an amazing chilly performance that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
First things first: Yes, I agree, this is not as good as Oldboy (but then again, how many things are?). However, this movie is still head and shoulders above most of Hollywood’s production. Disturbing, provocative, full of twists and turns, just sit back and enjoy the ride.
This made me laugh. A lot more than many so-called comedies. It obviously has something to say about today’s society, but never in a preachy way. The kids almost steal the show, but I really hope that Viggo Mortensen will (at least) get nominated for the Oscars!
The best movie of 2016. Don’t let yourself be discouraged even if you are not a fan of Science Fiction in general. This is about so much more than aliens. It’s not like anything you have seen before. It is touching, both tense and slow paced, a rare example of a big spectacle movie that will make you think long after the end credits roll. After Sicario and this, Denis Villeneuve is most definitely a director to watch for.
This was powerful… Disturbing (there is a gruelling 20 minutes scene near the beginning that I found quite hard to watch), but powerful. And superbly stylish, although I expect no less from Tom Ford. Will Amy Adams be her own competition when it comes to Oscars season? In any case, a masterclass in acting performance by all involved. Definitely one of my top 10 favorite movies of 2016.
This is not really a movie about Artificial Intelligence. It is more of a movie about what is Humanity. Intense, smart, scary, without a doubt one of the best movies of the year. Alicia Vikander is really becoming one of the finest actresses of her generation. Also features one of the creepiest dance scenes I have ever seen…
Quite your typical feelgood Hollywood blockbuster this one… Okay, I am kidding, this is a bit of heavy topic. So, maybe, don’t save it for a Friday night after a long week at work, but please seek it out, it is really worth your time!
I realize that I haven’t posted here in quite a while, but it took a very special something to shake me up and bring me back here to share my love for a movie that has stuck with me, and that I still think about every day since I saw it three weeks ago… Filmed over twelve years with the same actors, this would be an amazing achievement in itself, but forget about the gimmick, this is not what makes Richard Linklater’s film special. It is all the small moments, the casual conversations, the stolen glances, the music, that all add up to a masterpiece. I didn’t want it to end. Try to catch it in cinemas, I doubt anything better will come out this year.
Another entry in my Oscars collection, this is a fantastic movie about Denmark’s “revolution” which really proves how much of a superb actor Mads Mikkelsen really is. After watching this, I am really looking forward to seeing The Hunt when the DVD is out in the UK this week.
Once again this year we went on an Oscars movie-watching binge, and this one may have flown under the radar but it is well worth seeking out. A fun comedy about the Chilean referendum against Pinochet’s regime (maybe I am not selling this very well), it might look like it was filmed with an 80s Betamax camera (because it was, so that the archive footage fits perfectly with the rest) but it punches well above its weight.
What a great little surprise that was! I had absolutely no expectations and I hadn’t read much about it, but I really loved this small indie film. The cast is perfect and delivers the right balance of laughs and genuine heartfelt moments. Highly recommended.
It will come as no surprise to anyone who knows me and my love for both old westerns and Tarantino movies, that I really thoroughly enjoyed this one. A lot of silliness and over-the-top spaghetti action (blood, lots of blood!), plus another phenomenal performance from Christoph Waltz, this is pure fun to watch.
Ben Affleck is really turning into a fine director, and a versatile one at that. This time he tries his luck at a tense political thriller, but still manages to be funny as well… I am not sure it truly was the Best Motion Picture of the Year in a year with Zero Dark Thirty, Amour, and Django Unchained, but still a fantastic movie.
An amazing coming-of-age story, and a superb performance from the young cast. This is funny, touching, warm, and packs a powerful punch near the end. I won’t spoil it any more for you, just go and watch it.
I can’t believe I completely missed this one when it came out, and then never heard about it until a friend pointed it out today. And then I watched it. And I liked it. A lot. A huge lot. With a stellar cast, a wacky premise, but not as silly as it sounds, and a big heart, it just might very well be the best thing I have watched this year so far. Oh, and one more thing, if you want to be surprised, don’t even watch the trailer below, just dive right in, enjoy, and tell me what you think about it afterwards.
Since we are in the middle of Oscar season, I finally caught up with the latest from Lars Von Trier. You can think what you want about the man and his Cannes antics, he does make great movies, and this may be one of his finest. Hats off to both Kirsten Durst and Charlotte Gainsbourg for some fantastic acting as well.
I was skeptical. Especially after having endured Wall Street 2. How wrong was I. Finally, a movie about the financial crisis (and trading floors) that is not a caricature, is actually pretty close to the truth, and still a good movie to watch! With a phenomenal cast, a great script (with only a couple of clunky let-me-explain-to-you-what-is-going-on dialog moments), this was a very pleasant surprise indeed.
Speech is overrated. And sometimes, even talking too much about a movie is both unnecessary and counter-productive. Just go and see this little gem. It deserves every award coming its way. And then some.
I watched it again with Christine the other day, and it is still one of the most delightful Shakespeare adaptations out there. Easy, breezy, fun, with a great cast (beautiful chemistry between Emma Thompson and Kenneth Branagh, of course, but let’s not forget Denzel Washington, Keanu Reeves, Michael Keaton and the very young Kate Beckinsale and Robert Sean Leonard), this is a great summer movie.
With a grand total of 5 films since 1973, you could say that Terrence Malick is not a prolific director. However, he definitely has a cult following and a unique style. Not to be mistaken for a war movie, this is much more than that. An ode to a Paradise lost, the folly of Man vs the beauty of Nature, love it or hate it (but how could you?), it will not leave you indifferent. Oh, and did I mention the insane cast?