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In the Heights (2021)
Reaching New "Heights" For Modern Musicals
Yeah!! I loved it! There is a moment about half way through the film I had to take several breathes and wipe several tears from my mask. Some smash hit musical numbers, full of raw and infectious energy that just wants you to get up and dance. I can't wait to see it again, for its quick humour, fun sequences and intriguing surprises. It's full culture, personal experience, family, romance & nonstop dance after, dance after dance.
I love those cinema experiences that can leave you with so much joy, and itching to see it again!
What Now? (2021)
What Now in deed, for the cast & crew?
What Now? Is a tight, raw and intimate drama between two highly complex individuals. It's brilliantly performed by Ned Costello & Ella McCallum, who are clearly so dedicated presenting such deep emotional range, with humour, sadness & hopefulness. DoP Nick Milligan shines here too, everything so Crystal & gorgeous to look at!
The true highlight, Marcos Spalding! Whose very well paced screenplay and committed direction helped the film reach that ever so awesome starring moment between these two characters at the end! Nothing felt particularly off & I was so invested into their lives.
Legit cannot wait to see what's next!
Shingeki no Kyojin: Hero (2019)
Hajime Isayama take the biggest of all bows
Never has something been so entertaining as well as emotionally satisfying alongside some of the biggest pay offs I've ever seen on screen that makes logical sense, was built up and teased with the upmost of skill and precision.
I don't like to compare, but it really does feel like an anime GoT to me. D&D take notes, I had a brief thought the other day about their payoffs for the final season of GoT and thought to myself in Avatar: The Last Airbender, if Aang who has been prophesied and hinted at being the savour of all to defeat the fire lord, didn't, instead Toph or Sokka killed the fire lord because of the skills they built up along their journey, all for the sake of surprising an audience but losing your build up because of it.
Isayama has expertly crafted this world, each character decision and arc incredibly moulded and thus we get this, an episode almost so overwhelming with surprising and exhilarating moments that have been teased since the very first episode.
I cannot wait to see what is in-store for the rest of his career and of course Attack on Titan.
Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
An Emotional Surprise
Crazy Rich Asians is probably the first film I had seen in a theatre without having watched any promotional material for it. I have to say I'm going to have to do that more often.
Going in, knowing nothing but the critical and audience buzz about the product I was sceptical. I'm not a big Rom-Com fan and I unfortunately knew the director Jon M. Chu's previously directed work had not been the most breath taking achievement in film making.
So why in the hell did I love this film. There were incredible predictable moments. Paint by the number plot threads and characters. So why was I still shocked, surprised and emotionally invested until the very heart wrenching last scene.
For me, I think, its that of the Sinagapore culture. As an Elnglish White Male, I'm not very knowledgeable on the facts and family drama of Singapore or any Asian family culture.
It did what every film should do, submerge you into a world of the unknown. Despite being in this real world, it brought me into it in an exciting, expensive and explosive fashion.
Great performances and openly embracing the predicable tropes allowed me to enjoy and emotionally invest myself into the world of Crazy Rich Asians.
Venom (2018)
Not Terrible. But Not Great. (Not Catwoman)
The film is incredibly generic and predictable, a saving grace is the dynamic between Eddie Brock and Venom. Every other character in this film was bland and had nothing to offer for me, and incredible waste in the talents of Riz Ahmed and Michelle Williams. Tom Hardy will always have an incredible screen presence and people will definitely enjoy this. It's by no means Catwoman level of bad, or does it deserve a 28% (or whatever it is) on Rotten Tomatoes. However it doesn't deserve to be put on any kind of pedestal for an achievement in film making either.
Summary: Go see the movie, there is fun to be had here, just don't expect MCU level of balanced action/comedy and world building.
Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)
Expectations Subverted.
Mission Impossible, is a franchise I had only just truly discovered last year. I was aware of the award winning theme and that Tom Cruise was the front runner for the series, but had never sat down or gone to a theatre to see one. I started for some reason watching Ghost Protocol (MI4), and from no prior knowledge I had incredible enjoyment with the set pieces, thrilling action sequences and fantastic character and actor chemistry. Then moved on to Rogue Nation (MI5) with the change of director from Brad Bird to Christopher Mquarrie and my god... what a film. He managed to go above and beyond by delivering an intense, darker and satisfying enstallment to the franchise which in my opinion went above the quality of GP. So in my head, I thought there was no way that they could top this. How? I mean there is already so many generic action films out there. How do you shock and entertain audiences, while still maintaining the "campyness", that the franchise has kept running? While I never thought that Mquarrie, would embrace the predictable and excecute with artistic type film making.
Fallout, thrilling delivers on action, characters, villains, music, and another satisfying entry to the Mission Impossible franchise. Cavill delivers a thrilling performance.
Tom Cruise alone is a force to be reckoned with. It probably helps that we as an audience have prior knowledge of his insane tradition of doing his own stunts. Mquarrie takes advantage of this by shooting in a style that presents his skills and drive to entertain an audience and puts it next to a breath taking score and fantastically choreographed sequences that have set the bar for all action films to ever be released in the coming future.
Venom (2018)
Not Terrible. But Not Great. (Not Catwoman)
The film is incredibly generic and predictable, a saving grace is the dynamic between Eddie Brock and Venom. Every other character in this film was bland and had nothing to offer for me, and incredible waste in the talents of Riz Ahmed and Michelle Williams. Tom Hardy will always have an incredible screen presence and people will definitely enjoy this. It's by no means Catwoman level of bad, or does it deserve a 28% (or whatever it is) on Rotten Tomatoes. However it doesn't deserve to be put on any kind of pedestal for an achievement in film making either.
Summary: Go see the movie, there is fun to be had here, just don't expect MCU level of balanced action/comedy and world building.