While I'm a fan of the two leads here, this film wasn't the right fit. Maybe at his age, Derbez should consider working opposite someone more age appropriate. They do have female stars over 40, would have worked just fine. And, no, I'm not a woman, just an observant human being who thought that this pairing was like Donald Duck getting paired up with Jessica Rabbit: might work in a cartoon but definitely not in fiction feature world, and definitely not when the guy is a valet who speaks like a mouse for some reason. Poor writing, no one to really care for, a lot of self-indulgence and faked sentiments. Nice cinematography though, but that sustains music videos, not theatrical films.
Reviews
13 Reviews
Shadows
(III) (2022)
Eric Etebari is the only good thing here
15 May 2022
While the directing is one note, the dialogue is on the nose, the scenes drag like it's some tele-novella and most of the performances are over the top, this mess of a film is almost saved by Eric Etebari's grounded and heartfelt performance.
Sporting a James Dean red jacket while playing a Californian character named Dean (very imaginative of the director...), he provides the film's only real emotional presence.
The idea behind the film's premise is interesting but between the low budget DP work and the basic directing, I'd just fast forward to check out Eric's work if you end up watching this.
Sporting a James Dean red jacket while playing a Californian character named Dean (very imaginative of the director...), he provides the film's only real emotional presence.
The idea behind the film's premise is interesting but between the low budget DP work and the basic directing, I'd just fast forward to check out Eric's work if you end up watching this.
The Old Guard
(2020)
Drowning
13 July 2020
Great concept, fantastic locations, terrible directing, cheesy as hell. The rich locations overshadow the one note characters. There are no people to root for, no characters to get behind. It's as if the movie asks what the point of living. While we are all stuck in Covid-land, might not be the best message. The dialogue is almost always on the nose. 0 subtext, like a bad tv show. And the score is B-movie TV level from the 90's. Theron though is a pleasure to watch even in this, though I was done watching 40 minutes in. Might make for a good tv show.
Citizen K
(2019)
Gibney forgot to do his research
16 June 2020
Khodorovksy is one of the worst thugs modern Russia has ever produced, and became a billionaire off of his thuggery. He didn't want to pay his share to Putin, like all oligarchs do, and went to jail for it. Simple and all there is to be said. His ten years in jail is karma well served. Gibney better do some more diffing next time he decides to do a doc. Shameful.
Indiana Jones and the witch
16 February 2020
Loved this short! Saw it at the Hollywood Reel Film Fest, where it rightfully won Best Action Short.
Well cast, with great editing and fun music, this short is feature quality material. It puts an intriguing spin on the Indiana Jones type of films, highly recommend it!
Curious see what this team will develop next.
Well cast, with great editing and fun music, this short is feature quality material. It puts an intriguing spin on the Indiana Jones type of films, highly recommend it!
Curious see what this team will develop next.
Indiana Jones meets the Dragon Witch
16 February 2020
Thoroughly enjoyed seeing this movie at the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival, where it rightfully won the Best Action Short Film award.
The quality of filmmaking is superb, and the mysterious element of this adventure story is present all throughout. Like the best shorts usually do, they go by too quickly and leave you wanting for a continuation of the story you just experienced, which was definitely the case here.
Bonus side: besides the recognizable talent on screen, the music and the editing are on feature level, and very much helped this gem stand out further from the other shorts of the night.
Can't wait to see what is next for this team of filmmakers.
The quality of filmmaking is superb, and the mysterious element of this adventure story is present all throughout. Like the best shorts usually do, they go by too quickly and leave you wanting for a continuation of the story you just experienced, which was definitely the case here.
Bonus side: besides the recognizable talent on screen, the music and the editing are on feature level, and very much helped this gem stand out further from the other shorts of the night.
Can't wait to see what is next for this team of filmmakers.
Marriage Story
(2019)
More like 'Sob Story'
6 December 2019
There's only one thing that's worthwhile about this movie: Johansson's acting. It's so good, it makes Driver look like a debutant.
The movie has no real dramatic stakes, and lingers in nothingness. If the goal of the movie is to show that divorce is a slow painful procedure, much like trying to finish this film (couldn't, barely made it half way), then it succeeded.
The movie has no real dramatic stakes, and lingers in nothingness. If the goal of the movie is to show that divorce is a slow painful procedure, much like trying to finish this film (couldn't, barely made it half way), then it succeeded.
The Laundromat
(I) (2019)
When Hollywood loses IQ
20 October 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Streep obviously the assistant from the first shot, over the top all throughout. Schoenarts the worst British accent in the history of the cinema, Oldman forced to be German gone wild... A poorly structured, written and directed film, a filmmaker's dream to seem smarter than he is.
Ad Astra
(2019)
$100 million art house with no story
26 September 2019
Whoever funded this will surely lose their shirt on it. In all honesty, if my mother, who was visiting from out of town, wasn't my plus 1, I would have asked for a refund 20 minutes in. However, I was stuck for the full painful 2 hours of this.
Self-indulgent, lacking storyline and stiffly directed, Brad Pitt looks like he's wandering through an expensive music video. The only good thing about the movie, which helps pass the time: the cinematography.
James Gray's films all deal with daddy issues, from Little Odessa to this one. While in Little Odessa, that works, and It was also his first indie over 25 years ago, maybe it's time to change the tune, Mr. Gray.
Self-indulgent, lacking storyline and stiffly directed, Brad Pitt looks like he's wandering through an expensive music video. The only good thing about the movie, which helps pass the time: the cinematography.
James Gray's films all deal with daddy issues, from Little Odessa to this one. While in Little Odessa, that works, and It was also his first indie over 25 years ago, maybe it's time to change the tune, Mr. Gray.
A TV movie documentary starring Brad Pitt & Leo Di Caprio
3 August 2019
Loved the Hollywood setting and the feeling of being transported to the era of the Hollywood of yesteryear. Brad Pitt clearly outshines everyone in this film. No clue what Robbie was doing in this movie, that role could have been played by anyone as it Tate's storyline truly had no weight in the film. It's an uber expensive mishmash, a lot of the language and jokes are old man jokes and it felt simply like it was trying too hard to be hip. I almost fell asleep at a moment, which has only happened once before in my life. As a massive Tarantino fan, it's sad to see the master lose his grip. Maybe he should stop listening to all the Yes-men around him and get himself a few No-men of a younger generation to put him back in touch with the world around him.
Within
(II) (2012)
Great effort despite its flaws
27 December 2013
While I do agree that there are several elements in this short that could have been better executed and that the dialogue was a bit too much on the nose for me as well, I definitely think it's a good thing that I was left with questions I wanted to ask the filmmakers about the film after seeing it at Hollyshorts. In this day and age where everything is laid out for you, I enjoy films that leave me thinking about life. Isn't that what shorts and indies are about?
Lame to attack Alex Lane's or Angela Gots' age. For the record, both are 31. Easy to find that info: google anyone?
Yes, Alex Lane bit off more than he could chew. This was a complex piece and he probably should have let someone else with more experience direct it. But, unlike the other critics here, I spoke to him after the Hollyshorts screening, and he told me that the short was closely based on a personal story and that it meant too much too him at that time to let someone else direct it, although in hindsight he also believes that he should have stuck to just acting and producing the piece as he hadn't directed anything before it and that, besides the film, he felt that he came way too short on his performance. The man is honest about his shortcomings. Rare for Hollywood filmmakers. We all have to start somewhere. I don't know about you, but a short distributed on VOD, DVD, TV and IPads is a pretty legit start to me.
All in all, I enjoyed the story. It's got a positive message and shows us how we can sometimes be stuck in negative repeating cycles of our parents and their ancestors, and what the consequences of that can be. The tunnel sequence is pure brilliance, and the final scene of the film very Lynchian. Curious to see what he'll do next.
Lame to attack Alex Lane's or Angela Gots' age. For the record, both are 31. Easy to find that info: google anyone?
Yes, Alex Lane bit off more than he could chew. This was a complex piece and he probably should have let someone else with more experience direct it. But, unlike the other critics here, I spoke to him after the Hollyshorts screening, and he told me that the short was closely based on a personal story and that it meant too much too him at that time to let someone else direct it, although in hindsight he also believes that he should have stuck to just acting and producing the piece as he hadn't directed anything before it and that, besides the film, he felt that he came way too short on his performance. The man is honest about his shortcomings. Rare for Hollywood filmmakers. We all have to start somewhere. I don't know about you, but a short distributed on VOD, DVD, TV and IPads is a pretty legit start to me.
All in all, I enjoyed the story. It's got a positive message and shows us how we can sometimes be stuck in negative repeating cycles of our parents and their ancestors, and what the consequences of that can be. The tunnel sequence is pure brilliance, and the final scene of the film very Lynchian. Curious to see what he'll do next.
Tell Your Friends