Cinema and Popcorn

FRANKENSTEIN Guillermo Del Toro failed to amaze me with Frankenstein , but he still delivered a full cinematic meal: the crafts are amazing; Jacob Elordi is mesmerizing; and the director makes sure the Creature is no monster but a victim of a wicked mind. Still, some scenes felt sloppy and the movie took some time to catch my full attention, but I found peculiar how The Creature's point of view takes central stage and how it reflects Victor's own relationship with his father. A nice and noble film. Oscar Isaac and Mia Goth are nice but they can't match Elordi brilliance in this one - an extremely empathetic performance able to convey so much through his eyes and through the way he moves. Visually striking film from costume design to production design to Laustsen's cinematography! Not at the same level as Pan's Labyrinth or The Shape of Water , but it's a fine and noble film from Del Toro. RATING: 7/10 ELEANOR THE GREAT A tale about grieving and a study about lo...

SINNERS Ambitious, beautifully shot (and scored) and it features an impressive ensemble cast at the top of its game -  Sinners is one of the most interesting films of the year so far. It's full of commentary about Black identity, the white appropriation of Black cultural elements (it's my take on Jack O'Connell's character wanting to "have" Samuel's music) and how Black people had to live and work together in a world that doesn't see them as equals. Sinners ' first two acts are superb, but Coogler lowers the bar a little for me during a more action-packed third act. Wunmi Mosaku delivers the best performance in the entire film (a soulful turn full of layers of grief), with Delroy Lindo, Miles Caton and Hailee Steinfeld also delivering high caliber turns. Michael B. Jordan gets the job done as a commanding leading man while Jack O'Connell makes for a chilling villain. The music and sound work are award caliber and the messy energy of the film j...

Genre: Drama; Thriller. Director: Paul Thomas Anderson Writer: Paul Thomas Anderson Starring:   Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor and Chase Infiniti One Battle After Anohter might well be one of the most interesting films of the year: it explores extremely profound subjects in disguise of an action film. Immigration, racial issues, the craving for revolution and change, unconditional love, empathy, community values and courage... Paul Thomas Anderson delivers it all in what might well be his most entertaining cinematic ride and he executes beautifully - his latest film feels like a full package. The movie starts like a heist film: a group of revolutionaries take a militarized immigration enforcement center and it ignites the first act where characters meet and interact in ways that will influence the second one (which takes place 16 years after) in ways I can't describe (SPOILERS). It takes its time and we get to be amazed by Teyana Ta...

Genre: Drama; Comedy; Thriller; Crime Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho Writer: Kleber Mendonça Filho Starring: Wagner Moura, Alice Carvalho, Gabriel Leone, Maria Fernanda Cândido, Isabél Zuaa, Udo Kier and Tânia Maria I was fortunate for having Kleber Mendonça Filho presenting the film himself in my session, because he recalled some aspects of the movie he wanted the audience to be aware of: this movie represents an act of resistance and an ode to the importance of the press and cultural spaces (like a theatre) as powerful weapons against authoritarian regimes. So, The Secret Agent is actually some kind of parable about acts of resistance in the form of a political thriller - it's a slow burning film that is smartly balanced with truly funny comedic scenes and some moments of pure human joy that show the movie's true heart beneath its disguise - it's more of a satire to a corrupt system than a manhunt film. It's some kind of cinematic marvel in its own right. The story ...

BEST PICTURE BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE Leonardo DiCaprio  is a true movie star and the enthusiastic reception of Paul Thomas Anderson is earning him a ton of rave reviews while the movie seems to be a pretty solid contender in virtually every category at the Oscars.  Timothée Chalamet seems to have landed the a charismatic movie star role in MARTY SUPREME while  Danial Day-Lewis  is acting (and Oscar royalty) and he looks marvelous in ANEMONE trailer.  Jeremy Allen White is fresh from THE BEAR TV series glory and his performance as Bruce Springsteen has already earned him raves (and the AMPAS can't resist a musician's biopic). Last spot goes to Wagner Moura who carries THE SECRET AGENT/O AGENTE SECRETO like the movie star he proves to be - it's a great performance in a great film that will (almost for sure) represent Brazil for Best International Film and with a huge potential to pop in Best Original Screenplay, Director and maybe Picture if Neon decides t...

Genre: Drama; Horror; Thriller Director: Zach Cregger Writer: Zach Cregger Starring: Julia Garner , Josh Brolin , Alden Ehrenreich , Austin Abrams , Cary Christopher , Benedict Wong and Amy Madigan A movie that reaches cinematic heights during its two first acts to then "loose" itself maybe too much for its conclusion with a tonal shift that didn't work for me, but Weapons works mostly because of an amazing ensemble cast and a sense of mystery and intrigue that are instiled early on just as the movie begins. A superior film than Cregger's previous effort Barbarian , but it just needed a maestro finale for me after what was a great cinematic symphony for me. The movie saves no time presenting the central conflict: the disappearance of 17 children, all from the same teacher's class, and there's a whole community not only looking for them but also looking for someone to blame for it. Still, it is a nonlinear narrative, which might be tricky when not execu...

Genre: Drama; Sci-fi; Adventure; Horror Director: Garreth Edwards Writer: David Koepp Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, Mahershala Ali, Manuel García-Rulfo, Rupert Friend, Luna Blaise, David Iacono and Audrina Miranda Jurassic World: Rebirth doesn't invent the wheel nor add a new idea to the billion dollar franchise, but it does feel a "back to basics" and that's... quite positive, actually. It's a true popcorn movie: a simple narrative, some thrilling scenes, a charismatic cast and great visual effects - and that's exactly the description of the ideal Summer blockbuster movie. Is it a masterpiece? No. Is it some landmark movie in the franchise? Time will tell. Is it good? Yes! The new Jurassic World installment starts by presenting a new idea that will affect future movies (if writers don't find a way to ignore it): dinosaurs can't survive the Earth's atmosphere outside the equatorial zones and they are dying everywhere else. That ...