Scent Of A Woman is one of them films that really blows you away if you're not expecting it. Like The Place Beyond The Pines, I got so much more than I was expecting. Al Pacino has never had a better role since Godfather 1 & 2. He just BLOWS YOU AWAY, he is on top form. It's funny this is Chris O'Donnells best performance to date and yet it was one of his first! The running time is 150mins which scared me but I was gripped the whole time. I had to stop half an hour in due to the time but I just wanted to carry on so much. The story is amazing and even carries a moral message. It follows a young college student who goes to earn money by looking after a knowledgable blind war veteran while dealing with a big problem at school. It's captivating from start to finish. As I said early, and I cannot stress this enough, Al Pacino has hardly ever been better, he is breathtaking in every scene he is in. The whole mentor, student relationship is interesting throughout & Chris wasn't even a hinderance. There are so many amazing scenes in this movie. It is a classic for sure. It is the only film Al Pacino has ever won an oscar for, and you definitely see why. He is one of the greatest American actors who has ever lived. Overall, Al Pacino brings out an AMAZING performance, the supporting cast are excellent, the story and it's progression are amazing, a great score and a definite classic.
Reviews
189 Reviews
Invisible City
(2021–2023)
Fantasy-mystery introduces teens to Brazilian folklore.
29 May 2021
Overall I really enjoyed the story and how it managed to keep the perfect balance between fantasy, mystery and grief. I'd certainly recommend it. However, in some scenes the acting could've been better. All the gazing especially annoyed me. I also feel like they should've given all the characters a small character arc, because now some of them ended up being quite forgettable.
The Mandalorian
(2019– )
Yes, the force is strong with this one.
29 May 2021
This is incredible if it is really STAR WARS, not like the sequels that are generic and cheap material, this series respects the original material and the prequels, a key point to have an argument that continues the events after episode VI, the return of the jedi without any contradiction after another like the sequels did. Jon Favreau and David filoni should be more in charge of new projects and films in the Star wars universe, with this material they have shown that this really has a very promising future and is on the right track, it really feels like it really is and like It should have been from the beginning, god bless favreau and filoni, who are people who really love this great universe and respect the original of George Lucas.
Sons of Anarchy
(2008–2014)
Jesus Christ, Jackie Boy !
29 May 2021
Best tv show since Breaking Bad. All the cast were spot on in their roles and the emotions this show takes you through never lets up. Jax Teller is a man who is so conflicted, so dangerous but also so loyal and loving. You can't but help falling in love with him or to hope that things work out for him. But he encounters obstacles at every corner. The ensemble cast works perfectly together and although it is a violent show it's brutally realistic. Absolutely amazing to the point of being perfect.
Knives Out
(2019)
A terrific, authentic, modern-day Agatha Christie-style whodunnit...with an all-star cast.
29 May 2021
Call me a sucker for a good murder mystery, but this one checked all of the boxes. It was funny, interesting, well-acted, and a fun story. The way this film mirrors a classic murder mystery but still feels fresh and unique is something to behold. You would be hard-pressed to find anyone who didn't enjoy this movie on some level. Both casual moviegoers and obsessive film snobs can agree on this one.
Dorohedoro
(2020)
The show is extremely weird, and extremely funny.
29 May 2021
Hayashida's characters comfortably jump from page to screen with little change, which just goes to show how timeless Hayashida's designs were with stylish techwear and streetwear fits being the defining looks of this dystopian fantasy world.
Agree or disagree, this is a work so bold and provocative and distinctive that it demands to be seen.
10 July 2020
I think I am lost as to what the critics didn't like about this. It was stunningly shot, completely visceral. Smell, like taste, is something that is difficult to translate into film and the only way to do get as real as possible and let the audience create it for themselves. The extravagant colors and shots were more than enough to start you thinking about all of the scents in the world. Ben Whishaw was entrancing to watch as he became a serial killer and of course Dustin Hoffman and Alan Rickman deliver performances their names promise. The story is edged with a bit of strange. But I think that's what made it slightly fantastical. I haven't read the book, but I am very interested in it now.
Gone Girl
(2014)
Gone Girl is a very shocking psychological thriller, where even marriage is a devilish game of psychopaths.
10 July 2020
David Fincher once again brings us another dose of his directing strength with Gone Girl. Beautiful cinematography, smart, well acted and near the end that made me drop my jaw. I have but one complaint, I feel that Neil Patrick Harris was miscasted in this film. I have nothing against him, he's a really talented actor but I felt he didn't fit the role of his character, that's it. If you haven't seen Gone Girl check it out, it will really get you thinking.
Rocketman
(I) (2019)
A bright and colorful telling of a rock icon's life that shows off the ups and downs in splendorific fashion.
10 July 2020
The movie is just amazing, with Elton's music weaving his story. Taron killed it as Elton John, not by just acting as Elton but singing his songs in his own voice. Many people says that the movie is inaccurate with releases of songs, but they don't understand that the movie is not a biopic and is a musical so the music and songs have to drive the story. Must watch for every Elton John's fan or even those who aren't, because you are going to be after watching the movie.
Forrest Gump
(1994)
Despite its flaws, this is simply unmissable.
3 June 2020
Forrest Gump is beautiful, has a lot of heart and is very well acted. This might be Tom Hanks's best performance, he is so convincing with his role and everyone else does a good job as well. Forrest Gump is very sentimental but all in the right ways and is one of my favourite movies of all time!
Hereditary
(2018)
The film successfully invokes true terror that lingers long after the projector flickers dark.
6 May 2020
This messed up film was on my top 9 of 2018. It is a journey and it is only full of dread. There are moments that are too much and it's tough to watch. I get the divided audience review, much like The Witch. It is not straight forward horror and that is hard to gain an audience. Collette should have taken out best actress, her performance is amazing. Byrne is rock solid in support and it's great to see him in a role that deserves his presence. The film spirals to the finale and if you cannot board the train, it won't sit well for you. This is a film that audiences will find in the coming years and I feel the word of mouth will be kind. The critics loved it, but the audience was divided, which is a good thing. It will be reassessed by the audience, not the critics who have tricked the audience into thinking this is a straight forward horror film. The film has all the qualities of a horror classic to endure the test of time and I suspect this will be something of a long term cult classic. Great filmmaking and one film that will sit with you after the conclusion.
Tarantino's 9th feature is his most pared back, thoughtful and perhaps personal work to date.
15 April 2020
Revolving around and driven entirely by its characters, 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' has no discernible narrative to follow and certainly breaks the mould. It's exactly those qualities that will put some off, especially those expecting something more familiar and less tame. That being said, I personally think Tarantino has, once again, delivered a gem of a film with masterful writing and directing (the characters, the production design, the visuals, the soundtrack - I love it all), as well as magnetic work from an insanely talented cast who fill the screen with charisma. What it really is, is a look at a particular time in Hollywood history as seen through the iconic director's eyes - a strange and unusual love letter to it, so to say - and that won't be for everyone. For me, it was captivating from its beginning to its very Tarantino-esque ending that was the icing on the cake.
Midsommar
(2019)
Midsommar is a waking nightmare and I mean that in the best possible way.
15 April 2020
Midsommar is an extremely well made film. The camerawork is amazing. There are so many beautiful long takes with the camera methodically moving in and out. The setting is stunning. It's filled with sunlight, healthy grass, and beautiful flowers. The camera makes sure to let you know that there something more sinister brewing. The film is filled with foreshadowing and subtle hints. The entire plot is shown through paintings and things that people say, which might seem unimportant. Phenomenal movie with so much depth to it. It's one of the few movies that I can watch over and over again without losing interest. Ari Aster's films are on another level. Midsommar isn't for everyone, but if you're a fan of more intense slow burn movies I 100% recommend seeing it. Even if you're not into this genre take a chance on Midsommar. It's worth it.
The Witch is visually resplendent, aurally meticulous, and singularly crafted to evoke dread from opening to close.
15 April 2020
Big fan of this movie. Fantastic acting by Anya Taylor-Joy (Thomasin), Ralph Ineson (the father, William), the adorably diabolical twins, and of course, Black Phillip. Much like other recent A24 horror films like Hereditary and Midsommar, it is more of a slow-burn movie and also shares a bit of a 'left-turn' ending that I wasn't crazy about. Still, as a whole it was great and is one of my favorite horror films.
The Place Beyond the Pines
(2012)
A riveting tale of parenting and legacy that spans many years, The Place Beyond The Pines is like three movies in one.
4 April 2020
Ambitious filmmaking is welcome, but usually ambition leads somewhere, which is the main problem with co-writer and director Derek Cianfrance's unwieldy 140-minute multi-generational crime drama, The Place Beyond the Pines. First we watch Luke (Ryan Gosling) as a traveling motorcyclist enter a life of crime to support his infant son. Next the focus shifts to Avery (Bradley Cooper) as a cop with a conscience running into corruption on the force. Last, we jump ahead into the future and watch the dramatic irony unfold as the children of Avery and Luke interact, waiting for them to learn their paternal connection. I believe Cianfrance (Blue Valentine) and his team was attempting to tell a meditative, searching drama about children paying for the sins of their fathers, the lingering fallout of bad decisions and moral compromises. Except that's not this film. By the end of the movie, while some secrets have been laid bare, there really aren't any significant consequences. The film does an excellent job of maintaining a sense of dread, but it doesn't come to anything larger or thought provoking. The entire structure of this film is geared toward a tragic accumulation, but it just doesn't materialize. That's a shame because it's got great acting through and through, though I have grown weary of Gosling's taciturn antihero routine that seems like a rut now. Avery's portion of the plot was the most interesting and anxiety-inducing, but I found the movie interesting at every turn. The characters are given pockets of nuance and ambiguity as they traverse similar paths of desperation and conciliation. The Place Beyond the Pines is a perfectly good movie, albeit disjointed, that cannot amount to the larger thematic impact it yearns for.
The Departed
(2006)
The Departed remains a rousing film.
4 April 2020
Another uppercut by the film don himself, Martin Scorsese. In my opinion, there is no faults with this film. I enjoyed every minute of 'The Departed' and I recommend this along with many of Mr. Scorsese's films as a must-watch. A crown jewel in cinema, a film that will stay with me forever. An awe-inspiring piece of moving image art that questions peoples' morality and trust.
Sabrina
(1954)
Abundant charm and humour.
1 March 2020
While Sabrina could be a bit boring at times, overall it is a great romance film about a love triangle involving two rich brothers in love with the daughter of their family's chauffeur. Unlike many romance films which botch their love triangle stories, Sabrina handles its premise with ease. It's a great film that holds up quite nicely after all these years. Check it out if you like romance films.
Pokémon: Detective Pikachu
(2019)
Detective Pikachu has some fun moments and good elements, but mostly it's a messy movie that is never really engaging or as fun as it should be.
19 February 2020
While I respect that they stayed true to all the characters design, it seems like they used the animation to compensate the fact that everything else in this movie falls flat. They tried to cash in the popularity of Ryan Renolds, but all of his jokes land flat and make the character of Pikachu more obnoxious than anything. This is a movie that you'll watch once and not have any reason to rewatch it.
I Lost My Body
(2019)
A mature piece of animation that resonates in unusual ways.
13 February 2020
It's not very often that foreign films are able to break out worldwide, as they have certain restrictions, but it's always nice when platforms like Netflix make it easier to do so. I Lost My Body is one of Netflix's latest releases and not only is it a fantastic French animated film, but simply one of my favourite films of 2019. A unique premise can go a long way when it sticks the landing on everything it promises and I believe this movie does exactly that. At a breezy 81 minutes, this film is not one to miss, if you're a fan of a good story, regardless of the medium or style. Following a severed hand, as it ventures out to find its body, the audience is treated with many flashbacks to when the body was whole. From losing his job to falling in love, this movie takes you on a grand journey. The fact that the movie follows a severed hand as the focal point may turn some viewers away, but I assure you that there is much more under the surface. The constant flashbacks create a lot of backstory for the core character and I found myself really caring about this hand by the end. Sometimes the best stories are told in unordinary ways, but they shouldn't be ignored for that. From the score to the dialogue (or lack thereof) in each and every scene, this movie felt like a calm journey, with a bit of tenseness throughout. I was even on the edge of my seat and tearing up at times. This premise his me really hard and I wasn't expecting it to, which is probably why I feel the need to praise it. I think the biggest compliment I can give this film is its screenplay though, which is written by Jérémy Clapin and Guillaume Laurant. Laurant is best known for his work on Amelie. In the end, I Lost My Body is a unique premise that exceeds all of its promises by the end. With incredibly engaging flashbacks throughout the entire duration and dialogue that brought tears to my eyes, this is a wonderful movie all around. For those who can take in weird elements in exchange for a fantastic story, I can't recommend this movie enough. Not everyone will be able to latch onto a movie like this, but for myself, it's one of the best stories I've seen all year. I Lost My Body is a fantastic film.
Parasite
(2019)
It isn't an easy ride, and as with life in the non-metaphorical world, the destination is uncertain. You'll see strange and wonderful things along the way.
3 February 2020
It is always exciting to see what the Frenchies decided was film of the year as it never fails to be a better pic than whatever the Hollywood menagerie showers with a critical accolades come Springtime. Little did I expect Cannes Film Festival to award the prestigious Palme D'or this year to a director who has been one of my least favorite filmmakers...until now. Bong Joon-ho's English film debut, 2013's SNOWPIERCER, struck me as overrated and dumb while 2017's OKJA was cartoonish and ham-fisted. It didn't help that he'd relegated two of my favorite actors, Tilda Swinton and Jake Gyllenhaal, to cringe-inducing career-low sideshow performers. Besides that, I just couldn't vibe with his grotesque and bumbling concoction of family-friendly cuteness, ultra violence, and quirky humor. It reeked of trying too hard and failed to land with me at every turn. With that said, let me be the first and most surprised person to say with no reservations PARASITE is easily one of the best movies I've seen this year. However, there's the other genetically engineered super pig in the room: PARASITE has an awful lot in common with last year's Palme D'or winner SHOPLIFTERS. Putting aside that the former is a Korean production and the latter was Japanese, both films follow the lives of a poor family as they struggle on the fringes of society, running cons and scams to get by in a callous world. They are held together by their honest love for one another, and their example is set juxtaposed to the neglectfulness of a consumerist society that allows so many to fall through the cracks in the first place. But the main way that Joon-ho one-up's his award-winning predecessor is with an incisive sense of humor suffused in each character, a humor that is immediately, physically translatable despite the language barrier. It works here so well precisely because it's reigned in and understated throughout the film, making the more manic parts hit harder - such as when Park So-Dam apathetically lights a cigarette on a lidded toilet spewing flooded sewage out the sides. The class conscious themes that have pervaded Joon-ho's science fiction offerings up to this point are given a much greater sense of immediacy and relatability as we watch this struggling family elbow their way into the good graces of a rich, privileged, and naive family. Beside the obvious "haves vs. have-nots" one would expect from this scenario, there's clearly an exploration of the structures that relegate people into servitude and poverty for generations, not just by the wealthy elite but by the pervasive mechanisms of misfortune that are maintained by the working class as we claw at each other's throats for short-term gain. Believe the hype, PARASITE is well deserving of the praise it has received thus far. It's tense, hilarious, and poignant, and I'm forced to genuinely re-evaluate this director's output knowing that he knocked it out of the park this time.
Brightburn
(2019)
This is an interesting idea that I wish they had done more with.
3 February 2020
Given that the premise of the movie is pretty much entirely "What if Superman was a dick?" (something that has already been explored pretty thoroughly by DC themselves) I did not expect so much of the focus of the film to be taken up by the family dynamix inherent in the difficulties of parenting. A pretty mismarketed movie I think. Presented in trailers initially to be a sort of a twist on the superhero genre, and as we got closer to the release of the film, to be a Scary Supes movie, who Brightburn should really be targetting is gorehounds, because it's their avenue in which it most excels.
Uncut Gems
(2019)
Adam Sandler doing the absolute best work of his career. Really, truly when given the challenge, he more than rises to it.
2 February 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Uncut Gems is like having a panic attack. It's frantic, unpredictable, exhausting, anxious, paranoid, visceral, and I still don't know if I can say I actually enjoyed the actual movie. I can admire it and its effectiveness at putting the viewer in the world of Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler), a middle-aged jeweler that owes money to every shady human in New York City, though I don't know if I want to step back into this mucky world of crime, losers, and lowlifes. It's 2012, and Howard has procured a rare gemstone from Ethiopia and considers this his big score, which is important considering he keeps taking on more debts to pay off the last debts to angry, violent men. Basketball star Kevin Garnett, playing himself surprisingly well, visits the shop and is obsessed with the gem and the mythic power he feels it offers him. Howard agrees to allow the NBA star to borrow the gem, and from there Uncut Gems is a nonstop descent into chaos, with creditors, auction houses, family members, mistresses, and every goon in the tri-state area colliding with Howard as he spins desperate deals, escapes, and anything he can to attain that big score. The Safdie brothers, a writing/directing pair, made a big splash with 2017's gloriously thrilling Good Time, a movie that was as brilliantly streamlined and direct as this new one is deliberately sloppy. It feels like one plot event crashing into another, with characters speaking over one another, a throbbing score constantly in your ear, and with claustrophobic camerawork and grimy lighting. You feel like you're experiencing the constant rush of anxiety of Howard, and it's very potent, but the movie can also feel repetitive. There's so much happening all the time that it can feel less like things are escalating worse than things are just still happening. There are stellar sequences, in particular the later act with an auction and pulling off an escape leading to a very complicated high-risk-high-reward bet, but the movie's sloppiness and overlapping nature also makes it feel smothering. Sandler is superb as an adrenaline junkie seeking his next fix, a self-destructive gambler who knows he can never be satisfied. With Sandler's able assist, Howard has an offbeat charm that makes you listen when you should be punching him in the nose. Without Sandler and his live-wire performance, you probably wouldn't care what happens to this mess of a man. Julia Fox plays Howard's mistress and she's a real discovery. This is her film debut and it certainly won't be her last. She's more than a pretty face and finds a screwball sweetness to her relationship with her boss, enough so that you think she may actually love Howard for real, in her own way. Uncut Gems is also shockingly unsentimental about its characters and what befalls them. You may laugh, you may gasp, but you'll be surprised one way or another. The Safdie brothers continue to solidify themselves as some of the most exciting filmmakers working in the thriller genre. I'll still prefer Good Time and a scuzzy Robert Pattinson to a scuzzy, bruised, beaten, and always-smiling Sandler, but Uncut Gems is two hours of collective adrenaline spikes.
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