romanrock-48568 Reviews

Code 8 (2019)

Code 8: Cyberpunk and Superheroes

[7/10 · 27 May 2024]

Because of the low rating, I did not have high expectations for the movie, but I was pleasantly surprised.

The movie tells about the future, where people endowed with certain superpowers have turned from helpers into victims (you can get drugs from their spinal cord). The protagonist is looking for money to help his cancer-stricken mother and gets into the underworld. He is willing to take any risks and it is very coolly shown.

The protagonist oversteps his principles in many ways, we see the process of him becoming a man. The ending is quite good and completes the story.

Let's go over the cons:

This movie is quite boring in places. The world shown in it looks like cyberpunk. Also, there are some logical holes in it, which sometimes interfere with the perception.

In summary, I will say that the movie seems to be good, but in the head not to say that it is put off. It does not carry any unique idea, the theme is rather standard and mediocre, just in a new shell. It's worth a look, maybe even rewatch someday.

7/10.

Retribution (I) (2023)

Retribution: Average Crap

[3/10 · 16 March 2024]

Having seen enough movies with Liam Neeson, I can confidently call this one one of the weakest, if not the weakest. This actor is often in movies with a similar plot, but sometimes they are pretty good. But this one just awful.

The banal, but still not bad idea and quite good performance of the actors pale against the background of absurdity and fantastic actions of the main character, which do not carry any logic. The finale puts a point in the mediocrity of this picture.

The movie is also packed with clichés - it is all over the place. However, it is still an action movie of some sort. Stupid, pointless, but a little bit exciting and in some places unexpected.

3/10.

Lady Macbeth (2016)

Lady Macbeth: Cruelty in a fragile Body

[8/10 · 16 March 2024]

I didn't think that not very popular Russian classics could be so coolly adapted.

The movie is based on Leskov's story "Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District", but remade in the manner of Great Britain. The main plus is that the director moved away from the original and centered the attention on the main character.

Florence Pugh completely fills the movie with herself. There is no music in it, almost no dialogues, but it takes so much with its atmosphere of absolute evil and cold-bloodedness that it becomes uncomfortable.

From the minuses I can single out a couple of annoying characters and the lack of liveliness of the movie (although it doesn't need it much). A terrific story of a timid girl's transformation into a monster.

8/10.

The Lobster (2015)

The Lobster: Grotesque for Singles

[7/10 · 11 March 2024]

Difficult for many to understand, but a touching and unusual movie. It tells about a world where lonely people cannot exist. The action takes place in a special hotel, where a man must find a couple in 45 days, or else he will be turned into an animal.

The original narration and unconventional scenes for a big movie create an atmosphere of some surrealism, it is skillfully woven into the plot. This is a story of true love, a story about life, relationships and understanding, which is abstractly elevated to an absolute. A movie about how love can only be achieved through reciprocity and there is no room for coercion, cruelty, etc.

I liked it. A good movie for the evening.

7/10.

Mulholland Drive (2001)

Mulholland Drive: Synonym of Vibe

[7/10 · 11 March 2024]

Since I enjoyed "The Elephant Man" by David Lynch, I was expecting at least an interesting movie, which is what I got. Despite its confusing nature, I found almost everything pretty clear. Some details, of course, were never unraveled, but the overall plot is quite clear.

Beneath the mask of a story about two women in Hollywood is a critique of popular culture. I came up with at least two interpretations:

• Mocking the venality of movies, fake stars, phony concerts, etc.

• Adoration of the idol, mania of falling in love with him and the impossibility of fans without the artist and the artist without fans.

Erotic, aesthetic, but at the same time frightening - it's all about "Mulholland Drive".

I'll give it only a 7, as there was a lot of things I didn't understand. Especially the first half hour. And so I recommend you to sit down and dig, the film has some magical, mesmerizing atmosphere. Now, alas, they do not produce such movies.

7/10.

Dogtooth (2009)

Dogtooth: Disgust and Admiration in one Bottle

[7/10 · 11 March 2024]

The movie tells the story of a family in which the father literally trains his wife and children, keeping them away from the outside world and preventing them from going outside the house and garden. A child is considered ready for adulthood when one of his molars falls out. And it doesn't matter by what methods.

Punishments for misdemeanors of already 20-year-old children are quite cruel (what only beating with a CD-player on the head is worth). Everything is shown very naturalistically. In order to leave you a share of emotions from watching, I will say a little. For example, the father prepares his son for sexual activity with the help of, well, sisters.

It's a pretty good picture that raises issues of hyper-parenting, domestic violence, and generally a lot more. I liked it, I recommend it. The main thing is to prepare your nerves.

7/10.

Fracture (2007)

Fracture: Hopkins is a God

[8/10 · 11 March 2024]

Chose the movie to watch by the method of poke and did not miss. The story is about a husband who found out about his wife's infidelity, shot her at home, and her lover who came to a call as a police officer.

Anthony Hopkins is best at playing antagonists-intellectuals, and here he is incredibly good. Adds, of course, Gosling, who brings humor and a certain carelessness.

At first glance it may seem that the confrontation of the main characters is unequal, but with time the characters reveal themselves, and we realize that not everything is so simple.

A dense movie with a kickass ending. If the Hannibal trilogy isn't enough for you, I suggest you familiarize yourself with it.

7.5/10.

The Master and Margarita (2023)

The Master and Margarita: The first Masterpiece of the new Russian Cinematography

[10/10 · 11 March 2024]

It is worth mentioning at once that I had not read the original book and took the movie as an independent work.

The plot is twisted and multi-layered. Initially, the Master himself, sitting in an asylum, tells his cellmate a story about how he wrote his novel. This story echoes the author's real life and his work, the events and characters of which gradually become real to the narrator.

I have no complaints on any of the points, everything is perfectly balanced and really works. I watched it without tearing myself away, I saw a clear criticism of the Soviet Union, through which one can draw parallels with the present time.

The cast is delightful too, Woland and the Master are my favorites. I am very pleasantly surprised and I hope that in time the cinematography of the Russian Federation will start to make most movies on a level with this one.

10/10.

Hannibal (2001)

Hannibal: Best of three

[9/10 · 11 March 2024]

In advance, without having seen only "Manhunter" and "Hannibal Rising", I can say that this is the best picture of all the films and TV series about Hannibal Lecter.

No one has not played and will not play this villain better than Anthony Hopkins. In this movie, although he is in the background, but still shines. Looking back at "The Silence of the Lambs" I will say that I liked "Hannibal" the most.

Nothing will show the madness of the monster embodied by Hopkins more accurately and zealously than the scene before the credits. A masterpiece, crime movie, which everyone must see exactly in the trilogy.

I take off a point only for a slightly confused plot and, as for me, insufficient disclosure of the antagonist. But on the other hand, if you're interested in looking at all sorts of atrocities and the most complete familiarization with the character, I advise you to turn to the series of the same name in 2013.

Otherwise, it's a great movie.

9/10.

True Grit (2010)

True Grit: Hey Cowboy, hold your Horse

[6/10 · 11 March 2024]

A Wild West movie recommended by everyone I could think of, and yet I was exhausted by it.

I saw it a long time ago, so I can't remember a lot of details. I'll describe it briefly: hey cowboy, hold yor horse, don't cross this land for two hours.

Seemed like a good movie, bringing up issues of growing up, adults and children. I guess it was the way I watched it that spoiled it for me. And it was really hard.

It is undynamic, a movie to sit, think about eternal things, while in the background there are cowboy shootings. The movie is neither great nor bad. It's ordinary, and it even loses a little from that.

I'm not a fan of westerns, and this movie will only really appeal to those who are attracted to such things. Hence the low score. Maybe I just don't really dig the Coen brothers' work.

6/10.

Poor Things (2023)

Poor Things: A new surreal Masterpiece

[9/10 · 11 March 2024]

Lanthimos still knows how to make compelling pictures. They are all different, deep and multifaceted. In this case we see a sensible fem-movie (unlike trash "Barbie"), which shows the formation of a woman through a child in an adult body.

One of the most important aspects of the movie is the filmmaking. God, it's awesome. It's the best I've seen of camerawork on principle. The sets are also top notch. It feels like the real, violent world through the eyes of a matter-of-fact infant.

Emma Stone is wonderful here. So vivid and funny to play an adult girl a child who learns herself and the world - it was necessary to try. The rest of the actors, too, I express the greatest respect.

I took off half a point only for the overuse of sex. There's too much of it, you could have stopped at half of what was shown. Also, I don't really understand the twist towards the finale, but the ending itself is very satisfying.

I suggest watching this movie for those who are not straight thinking and open-minded.

9.5/10.

Dykhanie (2023)

Breathing: mediocre about coronavirus

[5/10 · 9 August 2023]

Breath is an average movie about medicine and a coronavirus. You won't find anything new in it. It will not surprise you in any way.

Let's go through all the points for an adequate assessment of the movie:

1) The plot - it is banal to the point of impossibility. There is no clear division into a plot, a climax and a denouement. The climax is simply absent. Yes, the story moves quite logically, in a measured way, but absolutely nothing hooks you. The slogan "It touched everyone" is not justified and does not suit the film, only the moment of the beginning of the pandemic is shown. I noticed only one emotional scene in the whole timeline, but it is rather the merit of the actors, not the screenwriter. There are also 2 branches of the plot in the movie, one of which makes almost no sense, and only slightly complements the main one. The only thing that is good is the logical ending and the smoothness of the narrative. That's why I give it 2 points.

2) The actors are probably one of the few good things about this movie. They are lively, the lines are well written, they are believable. They do not look cardboard in the frame and behave according to the role. Especially I would like to note Irina Gorbacheva and Galina Sazonova, they coped with their roles 100%. Especially Sazonova revived this movie, even if only for a little bit. I can't say anything about the protagonist, he's just an ordinary, bland character. Heroes are not revealed, the same Dmitry Pavlenko got a great role, but it was not developed in any way. This is certainly a drawback. For the occasionally successful cast only +1 point.

3) Visuals - the movie doesn't have any amazing camerawork, it's quite ordinary. The color palette is well chosen. The hospital ones are moderately dim, moderately bright. Overall, the movie is not dark. Action scenes are filmed quite well, the color correction in them is also not stressful, another 1 point in the piggy bank.

4) The finale - it is absolutely obvious in one line of narration and has no connection with the other line. There is no intrigue in it, everything could be guessed after the second third of the movie. Everything is faded and not particularly interesting. That's why only one point.

There is nothing to say about the music, personally I found the title song out of place. Otherwise it is also ordinary.

In conclusion, I can say that I would not recommend this picture to the common man. Yes, it may appeal to people who like doctor movies and so on. For the rest of us, there's just no point in watching it.

5 out of 10.

The Batman (2022)

Batman: A worthy reboot

[7/10 · 9 August 2023]

The new Batman is strikingly different from the previous ones. He has become more restrained, serious and judicious. Excellent cast, interesting plot and, at the same time, overly stretched timing makes it one of the most ambiguous and multifaceted films of 2022.

Let's go through all the points to adequately evaluate the movie:

1. Plot, story, originality, dialogues

In this criterion, the movie overtakes almost all the films in the Bat franchise. The detective style structure of the movie goes in the movie's favor. This good detective is skillfully intertwined with the love line of the two main characters.

Also worth noting is the choice of the Enigma to play the main villain of the movie. It is unusual, fresh and interesting. However, it has its disadvantage: Penguin was not given enough time, leaving him in the background.

As for dialogs, they are just good here. They are not spoiled by pathos, they are quite appropriate.

2. acting

This is where the movie starts to have a bit of a problem: the cast doesn't deliver. In some scenes it seems as if the actors were specifically asked to overact. Facial expressions and movements are inappropriate in certain places.

Let's consider this on the example of the two main actors.

Robert Pattinson in his characteristic manner, in many scenes stands with a stone face. I agree, you can't expect emotionality from his character, but he shouldn't be emotionless either.

His antipode is the antagonist of the picture - the Enigma, played by Paul Dano. In this case, we see an overdone acting. Yes, the character requires some "abnormality", but this "abnormality" should not grow into something like the Joker. This villain requires from the actor "mystery", not showing off and "mimic disaster".

There are no complaints about the rest of the actors, they fit very well into the entourage of the picture.

3. Shooting (editing, framing, color grading, music)

In this aspect, the movie earns a score without any questions. Hollywood cameramen know their stuff - the movie turns out to be very beautiful, gloomy and juicy at the same time.

The editing is measured and does not strain the eye. Some shots are so strongly embedded in the memory that sometimes you don't realize if they are real shootings and not shots from the game.

The color gore emphasizes the morbidity of the picture of Gotham, which is rotten from the inside out. The oppressive orange-yellow hues are reminiscent of long-ago progressive rust. The music is well chosen, and there are no questions about it either.

4. Realistic, logical

There are already some questions here. It is clear that such a long movie implies possible holes in the plot or its discontinuity, this picture was no exception.

There are two complaints, and the first of them is that the action is too slow, but at the same time it is very quick to get to the finale and its resolution. Throughout the entire timeline, you get used to the measured and unhurried nature of the movie. The finale, which bursts in, kicking down the door of sanity with both feet, is confusing. We are not shown the process of preparing for it, but are put in front of the fact. However, it's worth noting that DC's superhero-films often suffers from this affliction and there's nothing to be surprised about.

The second aspect is Batman's actions in this very finale. It won't be possible to tell it in full without spoilers, but I'll still try in general outline. The protagonist takes a number of senseless actions, from which nothing changes, but he gets some injuries.

There is no need to talk about realism here, because this is a fictional universe and heroes in it, as a rule, are unkillable.

5. Is it good in its genre?

Yes, quite a decent reboot, which seemed much more thoughtful and intense than its 1992 predecessor. Definitely one of the best Batman movies ever made.

6. Interesting to watch and gripping

I will allow myself to mention once again the timing of the movie. Not every 3-hour movie can be watched with the same interest. It would have been ideal if this movie had been at least half an hour shorter, but even with the available duration, it was not boring to watch it. The movie keeps you in suspense from the beginning to the very end, gradually slowing down, and then as if exploding at the end.

7. Unpredictability and suspense

Yes, this movie is unpredictable with its ending, it was quite unexpected, as I mentioned above. However, over the course of the movie itself, all the unclear moments are chewed up and presented as they were intended. The story doesn't always work as a detective story - sometimes the truth is too much on the surface.

8. Emotions or reflections during (after) viewing

In this criterion I can't mention anything, as I didn't feel any emotions, except for astonishment in some moments. The movie doesn't make you think about anything. It follows the canon of the universe and does not raise any internal human problems, but rather only exposes the problems and rottenness of the world that surrounds the characters.

9. Did the movie turn your worldview upside down or strike you as unusual? Did it make you rethink something?

No, definitely not, it is not a psychological movie. It is, first of all, an action movie with elements of detective, which is not endowed with super-deep meaning. Therefore, this item bypasses.

10. Is it worth watching and revisiting?

Yes, it is. It is a must-see for fans of the franchise. The movie turned out to be a landmark, defining the way of development of the universe and the branch with Gotham.

For the rest of you, I recommend you to familiarize yourself with this film to understand the current level of cinematography in the superhero universes. If you are not interested, don't waste your time.

Bottom line

Summarizing all the above written we can safely say - yes, this movie is good. Despite all the flaws, Matt Reeves did a great job with his work on the project, with the universe of which he had not dealt with before. Again, this is a worthy reboot of a legendary story whose subsequent films will be watched with genuine interest.

It's a good movie. Not the best, but good. Retribution has arrived.

7 out of 10.

Lindemann: Live in Moscow (2021 Video)

Live in Moscow: the best Lindemann concerto ever?

[10/10 · 9 August 2023]

So, a little bit about the movie. The sound quality, video quality, staging, everything is at the highest level. The editing does not flicker like in Rammstein: Paris. There are some clumsy attempts in effects like camera smashing during the performance of Ich weiß es nicht, but in general everything was normal. The video from the back screen was shown without any censorship, Till scolded the cameras and microphone stands, made phrases in Russian, threw cakes and fish, shook hands with fans and sang "Kalinka".

The filter on the video is not annoying, everything goes smoothly, not jagged. Finally we could see the back-video in excellent quality (if we can, we'll try to get full videos from Zoran).

Special thanks to the entire production team who over-delivered.

From me, the movie is a solid 10 out of 10, with Cowboy and Platz Eins being my favorites. I advise absolutely everyone to watch it, but I remind you, it's not for family viewing.

DON'T BE SHY!

Se7en (1995)

Se7en: detective with the best ending

[10/10 · 9 August 2023]

Se7en is an absolutely incredible movie in its genre, one of the best movies directed by David Fincher. The movie is about detectives who investigate crimes based on the 7 deadly sins.

Let's go through all the points to adequately rate the movie:

1) Plot - I give 1 point to the movie for its idea. The theme is quite off-the-beaten-path, especially in 1995. At that time, I'm sure, "Se7en" made a real sensation.

The second point goes to the movie for the smooth development of the plot: from incident to incident the heroes get more and more buried in the investigation, and each next crime is tougher than the previous one. Dialogues are also worth mentioning: they are perfectly written, meaningful, and there is no sense of any naïveté.

The third point is definitely for the logical ending. Nothing is broken - neither chronology, nor the original idea. The scenes ending the movie fit perfectly into the general plot and logically conclude it.

2) Actors' performance - the actors have a psychological correspondence with the characters. The main actors played their roles admirably: Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt showed the highest skill. They are really unconditionally believed throughout the entire timeline. Kevin Spacey also coped with the role 100% - moderately calm and cold-blooded, moderately cunning, moderately painful. Also +1 point.

One more, already the fifth point should be awarded to the movie for the stunning appearance of the characters. Each character corresponds to his clothes, behavior, atmosphere in the scene. As an example we can cite one character from the very beginning, this image is so memorable that it even found an echo in the music industry: German band Rammstein re-shot this scene for their Haifisch music video (2009).

3) The music - not much can be said about this one. It is concise, keeps the tension at the right moments, and otherwise skillfully accompanies the awesome video. A well-deserved sixth score for the movie.

4) Visuals - a lot has been said in the paragraph about the actors, and now we should mention their surroundings. All the sets, makeup, lighting, color correction - everything fits perfectly with what's going on. The movie is moderately dark, and this is to its advantage. The seventh point in the piggy bank.

The camerawork is marvelous. The angles, framing, shooting of dynamic scenes are flawless. The editing does not strain, the frame does not shake, there is a clear understanding of what is happening. There are also a lot of incredibly atmospheric scenes in the movie. +1 again.

5) The finale - oh, it's an absolute masterpiece. It is unpredictable, until the very beginning of the denouement the viewer has no idea what the antagonist's plan is. It shows a very emotionally powerful scene where the mind confronts the animal's anger and feelings. For the unobvious denouement I give the movie 2 points at once.

10 out of 10

Well deserved. Undoubtedly.