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kat-76005
Reviews
Italian Studies (2021)
I wanted to like it, but... what?
Saw that this had a pretty low rating but after watching the trailer, figured maybe it was unfairly judged and I'd give it a go.
I honestly don't think I have the artistic perspective or cerebral capacity to fully understand what the plot was, and the worst part is that I really can't be bothered to care to after watching it. It started off promising but never went anywhere satisfying. There are a few "ah-ha!" moments that didn't work because of the format of the film. It's very scattered. It probably makes complete sense to the writer but the viewer needs something to gnaw on, too. I can appreciate films taking liberties and trying something new but it just does not work here. It's not cohesive enough for the average viewer and I doubt there's enough for arthouse-lovers either. Some might classify it as style-over-substance or even pretentious but I feel like there is something here, it's just not fully realized.
The performances, particularly the ones given by the "teenagers" were actually very good and felt genuine, the camerawork was okay (except for the time they literally lost the actors walking, but maybe that was intentional), sound design and score was good, but it was ultimately a jumbled mess.
The biggest issue for me was: it was boring. It's shorter than most movies but still felt like a slog because I was left guessing until the credits rolled with only brief interludes of interesting characters that never meant much to me even though they're supposed to. If you are going to undertake something more freeform and have the capacity to make an otherwise fine movie from a technical standpoint, and hired a competent actress, why not invest in your main character? You know, the one that the entire movie revolves around and has to carry the audience's attention 'til the end? The way that the story is set up supposedly disallows this and it's a detriment to its ability to create any investment from the viewer.
My prediction was it was going to turn out to be a young author stricken by early-onset dementia or had some form of trauma-related amnesia triggered by something "mundane" on the streets of New York. There were even things that cemented my theories. I thought, surely, sticking with it would pay off in some way. But no, by the end, you're just left with a few decent puzzle pieces of filmmaking while some of the most important ones are lost, leaving you with an incomplete picture.
Most viewers will find themselves asking for their time back, unfortunately. However, if you are someone who can simply enjoy any ride, maybe you'll get something out of this that the rest us couldn't.
Free Guy (2021)
Looking for a fun romp? This might be just what you're looking for in these trying times.
Title is sarcastic of course, but I have noticed from online discussion that a lot of peoples' experience was partially influenced because of the stressful state of the world right now and the amount of slowburn/serious films we've seen this year. I went into this mostly blind; I knew the IMDb synopsis but that's it. I wasn't expecting too much but didn't like it near as much as most for a few reasons. To be clear: this isn't a terrible movie imo. It has its charms and my "mental removal" from it were probably what held me back from enjoying it to the full extent as one could. There are some minor spoilers ahead but most is general.
So, I'm not particularly knowledgeable about programming or video games (though I enjoy them), but there were several moments that made no sense and as such, would carry over into the next scene, one after another, in that I'd try to make sense of the prior scene when I could've been present for the scene playing out. I figured I was too dumb to get certain things and assumed they'd done their research, but it seems actual programmers and IT professionals had the same gripes I did. Regardless, it made it difficult to fully immerse myself in the "exciting" world they set up. I imagine they were counting on the general audience not thinking too hard about this aspect.
Some of the dialogue was also... bad. Only in a couple scenes, and I think some of that can be attributed to poor direction or acting from some characters. At other times, it pandered or came off too on-the-nose. It also came off a bit tone-deaf as there's a theme of anti-capitalism and "real heart" being put into things, when the film itself is obviously piloted by huge corporations that have drawn criticism for their soul-less approach in recent years and it doesn't really go much deeper than that -- I don't think this type of movie needed to and I understand movies need funding, but it could've been executed better.
There's also one character that changes motivations out of nowhere. Like, they spent the whole movie on one side, only to flip a switch. We don't see any growth and it makes you wonder why they're only now standing up when they seemed pretty unbothered throughout. I guess so the plot can continue?
The plot itself is pretty predictable and trope-y. Some viewers will be reminded of other films and there are a lot of references and cameos. I wish there was a bit more of the fun stuff with Guy before diving straight in and dedicating most of the runtime to the central conflict with the real-world characters. Basically, the pacing could be improved a little imo BUT I know many will like the quick approach.
There's an unintentionally hilarious scene where characters are staring/smiling at at each other and the camera keeps switching for a long time, and I thought they were setting up a joke as the rest of the film would leave you to believe, but I guess it was supposed to be a sweet Hollywoodâ„¢ moment.
As predicted, it has a shallow commentary on existentialism that I think was handled well enough for the type of movie it is.
On a positive note, I liked the friendship between two characters a lot - it made for some funny moments and was very wholesome. Most movies focus on romance, which this does have, but the friendship is the one that I actually cared about. The acting was mostly quite good. You can also tell they tried to instil some sense of heart.. whether that succeeded will be subjective to the viewer.
VERDICT: 5.8/10
It's a fine movie. If you can turn your brain off for a while and just go along for the ride, it'll likely be a very fun time. For those well-versed in gaming, film buffs, and overly-analytical types, it might be hard to not notice its flaws. Ryan Reynolds carries the movie to the best of his abilities given the material, so if you're a fan, you'll probably enjoy it. It teeters the "fellow kids" line sometimes but not nearly as bad as other similar movies. It's also guaranteed to be dated in a few years for several reasons.
It got a few laughs from me but for this kind of film, enjoyment will depend on the individual and your brand of humour. Certain things might seem dumb or go over the heads of those who aren't part of the target demographic. I'd liken the experience to Jurassic World or the Jumanji reboot that seemingly divided audiences. Not every movie needs to be a masterpiece but it should still do its gimmick well. It falls short there at times but is otherwise perfectly watchable for a one-time deal to just feel good for a while.