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Reviews
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
WARNING: The greatness of this movie does not lie in its story.
Let me get straight to the point on why you should dismiss critics and appreciate the greatness Blade Runner 2049. I won't even bother talking about the philosophical story or praising the amazing cinematography which should make you enjoy this movie on its own.
Sci-fi movies made until now generally fit into these two categories:
1. A close future that looks very much like today, but with expected improvements on the tech (ie, black mirror)
2. A distant future that could seem believable from the 50's, 60's or 70's, but does not look like what we are heading to now
What Blade Runner 2049 gets really right is creating a distant future that looks credible from today's point of view. While watching the movie and it's characters relationship with tech I keep getting the feeling of "oh, we could really end up like that". And feel bad about it.
It makes us question if the tech-led way we are living in the 21st is really the best way for humanity. Awesome, go watch it.
First Reformed (2017)
In Search of Meaning (as a Church Pastor)
Reverend Toller is a man with a heavy past.
After losing his son on the Iraq war and being left by his wife - because he was the one responsible their child joining the military -, he seeks a new beginning as the pastor of the First Reformed church.
Mary, which is a frequent church goer, asks him to council her husband, Michael, an activist who is going through depression largely because he perceives the planet as a lost cause - from his POV, we already destroyed the environment so much that there is no going back and the world will collapse.
The first half of the movie is pretty inspiring, where we see both the inner struggle of Reverend Toller to find meaning and his true desire to help the couple. A great conversation scene where Michael and Toller discuss the hardships of human life really stands out. The second half is way darker and is a consequence of the ending of the first half. So, I can't comment it without spoilers.
I preferred the first half and in my heart felt that the movie could be much more if the second half followed a different direction.
First Reformed is a slow and thoughtful movie. This idea is present in both the writing and the art direction, with it's cold and nearly absent of color tones and frozen cameras.
Recommended for patient people interested in religion and/or philosophy.
6/10.
Ex Machina (2014)
An AI more human than the humans
Nathan, a genious programmer and CEO of the BlueBook tech company, creates a contest to select a person to visit him and learn about technology for a week. The winner is Caleb, a software developer from his company, who is very thrilled by the opportunity.
After arriving at his isolated house by helicopter, Caleb discovers that what is actually going on is that Nathan is developing an advanced AI, called Ava, and he wants him to test it.
The best aspect of the movie is it's art. For instance, the isolated lab/house design with it's glasses, concrete walls and rocks is superbly done, creating both a feeling of sophistication and claustrophobia. The AI's design is really creative, making a mix of human/machine characteristics that work really well.
On the other hand, characters are somewhat one-dimensional - with the exception of the AI Ava, which is amusing - and we can clearly see who is the bad guy and the good guy very early on.
The movie develops at a nice pace and the tense moments work, with a surprising ending. Overall good experience.
Yangguang puzhao (2019)
A story about honor, love, respect and forgiveness.
'A Sun' focus on the dramatic events that take place in the life of the two sons of a middle class taiwanese family.
The elder son is a troubled adolescent that gets involved into crime and sent to a correctional facility - what is perceived as an unforgivable sin by his father - while the younger one is a popular student that is the pride of the house but can't seem to find happiness in this world.
As the story unfolds, we get to see the characters trying to improve themselves and fight their past mistakes in a road full of forgiveness and recognition towards each other. Being a western person, the strict family values - which are very different from what we have right now on the west - trigger a deep feeling of respect, even when not agreeing or understanding them at all.
Beautiful imagery and great acting give the finishing touch to this great movie.
9/10.