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tonyfor
Reviews
Enter the Void (2009)
Minor roles shine in this bizarre post-modern fantasy
Living in Tokyo, I can relate to some of the apparently unreal scenes (just a normal Saturday night out for some). The cinematography was sketchy and the story (insofar as one could follow it) left things to the imagination - literally - but the film was made, for me, by some of the minor characters, who were wholly convincing in a sea of psychedelia. Stuart Miller, for one, as the victim's father, was outstanding (agents must be lining up) . . . . By contrast, some of the bigger names (such as Paz de la Huerta) have done better.
All in all, a film of extraordinary imagery and contrasting drudgery in an Apocalyptic assimilation of late-night Tokyo.
The Commuter (2018)
Can I give a film zero stars? If so, I would. This is the most ridiculous nonsense since Flight Plan (and that's saying something).
Doesn't anyone like a credible plot line these days? Total rubbish from beginning to whenever I gave up watching it (I was partly hoping against hope that it would improve and partly enjoying seeing how much more idiotic the script could get). Do not watch this garbage unless you have a fascination to see how low film-making can get.
Gravity (2013)
Ridiculous nonsense
If you enjoy films with zero credibility and the sort of film in which there is crisis after crisis for the heroes to deal with, where you are supposed to feel happiness for them after resolving one problem only for yet another unbelievable disaster to arise, then go and watch Gravity.
But if you have any self-respect, do yourself a favour and give it a miss.
If you think it's got great graphics, then go and watch some REAL YouTube videos, for example: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=uR4xB83h76k
Pelé: Birth of a Legend (2016)
Horrible anachronistic rubbish
I watched this film (or at least as much as I could take) on a plane journey today, and was appalled how what was clearly an amazing story of (literally) rags to riches was given a total Hollywood make-over, for example, the bullying, much older rich kids making fun of the poor kids and (almost) getting their comeuppance as soon as the poor kids took off their football boots (OK, Pele did start playing barefoot, but why overdramatise it? Oh, let's not forget the inevitable fat boy and the compulsory short-sighted kid. And it was full of anachronism - I mean, Brazilian kids in the 1940's getting together for pre-game American- sports-type huddles? Pele's story was fantastic enough without the overdramatic hype.
A Common Man (2013)
Quite the worst film I have ever seen
How on earth did Sir Ben Kingsley get involved with making this film? It is absolutely, mind-bogglingly, horribly dreadful in every way possible - in terms of script, acting, visuals, music etc etc. I bought it (thankfully very cheaply) because Ben Kingsley was involved. He owes me 10 RMB. I should be fair and admit that I didn't actually watch until the end, but can't imagine that it improved - although it could not have got any worse. Reading the other reviews here, it seems that it didn't improve. I guess Ben Kingsley may have been doing a favour to someone in the Sri Lankan film industry, but this clearly proves that a star name alone can't make a good film. How on earth the IMDb score is 4.7 (it may be less now), I can't possibly imagine.
Now You See Me (2013)
Appallingly dreadful film
If you're going to make a film about magic that at least pretends to have some relationship to reality (e.g. involving the police and Interpol), then why not try to make it very slightly credible? This was mind- numbingly awful, totally unbelievable on every level and an insult to the intelligence of everyone watching it. Total drivel. How established stars like Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine (who usually appear in good films) were persuaded to take part in this rubbish is beyond me (although Ben Kingsley was recently in a worse one, so they are not the only offenders). I don't mind suspending disbelief when watching a science fiction or comic book based film, but not when watching one which tries to pretend to even a bit of reality. Complete garbage and a total waste of time.
Flightplan (2005)
If there was a 0, I'd give it
Contains some spoilers . . . .
One of the most ridiculous plots I have ever come across in a film. As others have noted, there are so many holes in the story, and so many elements which had to fall into place in order for the plot to succeed (especially not a single person on the ground staff or among the passengers or aircrew noticing the daughter), that it is frankly laughable. Honestly, given 30 minutes with a pen and paper I could come up with a more plausible story (or clean up some of the blatantly ridiculous aspects of this one). I haven't read every comment, so I don't know if others have mentioned these plot holes (in addition to the many many I have read), but: (a) how does Jodie Foster know what damage the explosion is going to do to the plane - it could have destroyed the whole thing, including her and her daughter; (b) how come no-one apparently noticed that the co-conspirator air hostess remained on board the plane at the end - surely there would have been a head count? (c) how was the bad guy going to get his hands on the US$50 mill and get on the getaway plane?? Why oh why does such a talented actress as Jodie Foster resort to taking roles in such ridiculous films as this? I thought she was careful about the sort of script she accepted? If so, I'd hate to see the ones she turns down! For this movie to get a 6/10 just shows, sadly, either how low people's standards are or, even more sadly, how open IMDb is to manipulation.
Total and utter pathetic garbage.