Aditya

AdityaA fantastic film. While it is essentially a tale of a family surviving years into the Rage Virus apocalypse from the first film, I was especially struck by the surprising amount of emotional heft this film had (came close to tearing up actually) on top of making the child the main protagonist. Easily the direction by Danny Boyle (especially with use of quick cuts and cameras) along with the acting (and even writing) are the MVPs here, with Alfie Williams proving a fantastic breakout performance as the young protagonist and Jodie Comer being the film’s emotional heart as his mother. Strong supporting performances by Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes as well, not to mention a bonkers cameo towards the end by Jack O’Connell that perfectly sets up the next films (Jack is having quite a year in the zombie/vampire movie genres this year between this and SINNERS). Highly recommended.

3 likes

AdityaWhat a soulful and magical film! Based on a Stephen King short story told in 3 acts (albeit in reverse) that essentially follows a fictional character’s life (Chuck Krantz), not only was the story impressively told in a manner that felt like seeing a short story brought to life as you read it, I was especially struck by how much it was filled with heart and was able to capture (and translate it to screen) the feeling of pure innocent joy and what makes life worth living regardless of how short or long it may be. Never has a movie made me feel so many emotions quite like this (legit fought tears at the end). Incredible screenplay, performances (Mark Hamill and Tom Hiddleston especially stand out), and most especially casting choices. There is a beautiful dance sequence with Tom Hiddleston worth checking out for too! I sincerely hope this contends for Oscars especially for Adapted Screenplay, Casting (a new category coming in the upcoming Oscars) and Picture at the very least. Easily one of the best films of the year, and one we need more of. I can totally see why this film won the Toronto Film Festival’s Audience Award last year (2024). Heavily recommended.

3 likes

AdityaA very good (and surprising hilarious) entry from Wes Anderson, with a surprisingly timely look at oligarchy and legacy told in his typical fashion. I was astounded by how I was engaged throughout, looking at a fictional oligarch character’s journey to pass his fortunes to his heir (a daughter who is training to be a nun). Phenomenal lead performance by Benicio Del Toro as the oligarch, who delivers both the dramatic and comedic moments with equal levels of effectiveness. He is supported by a stellar cast including Michael Cera (who plays his role and fits in with the Wes Anderson universe so effectively), Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston and many more. Easily the standout among the supporting cast was Mia Therapleton (Kate Winslet’s real-life daughter) as the nun and heir, whose dry and deadpan delivery was so effective and perfect. This is such a great role to break out with, and I’m interested in seeing how her career progresses from here. Phenomenal production values and cinematography as usual as well. Worth a watch for sure.

3 likes

AdityaThis is an extremely good film, and a fascinating one in more ways than one. Despite having a standard romance story (along with a strong tale of friendship), what makes this stand out are a combination of strong performances (Clara Bow in particular stands out, as well as both of the male leads (Charles Rogers and Richard Arlen) and also Julia Swayne Gordon (who really manages to leave an impression with essentially just 1 scene)); impressive visual effects (notable for that time period) and remarkably well executed flying sequences; and most importantly watching a key piece of film history, especially considering this was made during the transition period from silent films to sound. Despite being entirely silent, I was amazingly riveted throughout, being completely invested in the characters and the moments. This also has the honor of being the first ever film to win the Oscar for Best Picture, and it was easy to see why it won. For a film released 98 years ago as of this writing (it released in 1927), it is amazing how well it has aged. Very highly recommended watch for sure. SIDE NOTE: This also has a brief yet memorable appearance by Gary Cooper (this film apparently played a role in launching him to stardom). It was so cool to see him so young (I have previously only seen HIGH NOON from his films, for which he won an extremely well deserved Best Actor Oscar in 1952).

6 likes

AdityaThis is a solidly entertaining film that continues the MCU storyline that effectively integrates ETERNALS to the broader universe while also including political intrigue that keeps you at least decently engaged. Easily the MVP for me was the performance by Harrison Ford as Thaddeus Ross (taking over the role from William Hurt who played him in the MCU until BLACK WIDOW and died of cancer in 2022 after that film’s release (apparently William Hurt’s cancer was already terminal during BLACK WIDOW’s filming and it proved to be the last film he made before his death)). Decent production design and VFX work as well. Definitely worth watching purely for entertainment value.

4 likes

AdityaWhat an incredible film! Satisfying and surprisingly emotional, this beautifully tied all prior films and brought everything together in a neat bow (this is even despite a slightly rough start). Phenomenal editing and directing, along with performances (especially Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Hayley Atwell, Rolf Saxon (reprising his role from the first film), Shea Whigham, and more), sound design, and score. I was surprised at how it even called back to the first film too. If this is the last film in the series, this is one hell of a way to end it. This is a film very highly recommended to be watched in theatres.

9 likes

AdityaAn incredibly entertaining film. Despite the extremely simple yet bonkers premise, what really makes this film soar is the total commitment by the cast and crew throughout. Great camerawork, stunts, and editing, mixed in with some really hilarious moments that makes the film never once feel boring. None of the film would work to the degree it does without the charming lead performance by Jack Quaid, who has really inherited both his parents' charisma (especially his mother Meg Ryan) and sells both the dramatic and comedic moments remarkably well; cannot wait to see more of him in the lead in films (love his work in THE BOYS). Strong supporting cast too (including Jack Nicholson's youngest son Ray Nicholson). This is definitely a film worth a watch if one is interested in a movie for its pure entertainment value, not to mention an action film that is carried by the lead performance.

7 likes

AdityaThis is a fantastic film. A perfect companion piece to Steven Spielberg's MUNICH, this looks at the massacre of Israeli athletes during the 1972 Munich Olympics, but told from the perspective of ABC sports crew stationed in a nearby building who witness the crisis unfolding before them and the broadcasting decisions made by the crew along the way that have massive far-reaching implications. A haunting commentary on the importance of media integrity especially in terms of getting the story right and how sensationalism can play a massive role in shaping public perceptions of said event. Phenomenal direction (by Tim Fehlbaum), screenplay and performances across the board (Peter Sarsgaard, Leonie Benesch and most especially John Magaro MVP), not to mention the cinematography and editing that gives the film a genuine lived-in quality as if you're literally watching actual film footage from the 1970s with some assistance of mixing in actual 1972 Olympics footage (was literally blown away by the seamless nature of the look especially). I am so glad this got an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay although it deserved way more such as Best Editing, Best Cinematography, and Best Picture at the very least (it got a surprise Golden Globe nomination in the Best Film category and it was it's only nomination there). Timely and a powerful cautionary tale, this is a film that more people need to watch IMO and is very highly recommended.

7 likes

AdityaThis is a very enjoyable continuation of the series. Self-aware and hilarious yet even touching at times, this effectively introduces a new character (Shadow) with a sad backstory while also expanding Dr. Robotnik’s story. As usual, Jim Carrey is the MVP (fantastic in a dual role this time around as grandfather-grandson) with Keanu Reeves providing remarkably effective voiceover work as Shadow (kind of crazy to think that this is technically Keanu’s and Jim’s first formal collaboration). Worth a watch for sure especially if you enjoy the first 2 movies.

3 likes

AdityaUnapologetically fun and entertaining. Not pretending to be more than what it is (pure escapist fun), and I respect it for that. Good VFX work as well, and fun performance by Jim Carrey.

2 likes