Rickardmovie Reviews

CB4 (1993)

Hip Hop nostalgia!

[7/10 · 25 February 2022]

I grew up with hip hop. And I don't mean that as some sort of white guy who got introduced to the culture through Eminem. I was 10 years old when I got into graffiti and thereby the whole hip-hop culture. This was mid 90s. Tupac and Biggie still had another year on this Earth. I, however, was more about the traditional ideas of hip hop as a movement against drugs, violence and racism. I was into Grandmaster Flash, Kurtis Blow, Run DMC, Sugar Hill Gang, Beastie Boys, Afrika Bambaataa and stuff like that. So, having spent the late 90s watching all the "gangster movies" like Boyz & The Hood, A Menace To Society, Dead Presidents, Colors, Blood In Blood Out, etc. Etc. I hade an honest and profound love for the genre and I had the necessary references for this movie. So, let's cut to the chase.

If you are into those movies and do have a love for hip hop then this movie is a blast and an absolute must, in the same way as the Wayans brothers classic "Don't be a menace to society while..." But if you have no love for NWA and know nothing about the culture then most likely you won't know the necessary references to really enjoy this.

I laughed my mass off the first time I saw it. I have not rewatched it since perhaps early 2000. But my rating is based on the experience I had back then. Hell, I liked CB4 so much that I even started a new graffiti crew called WL4 just because I found it so cool to have a letter in an acronym. Where their's is Cell Block 4, ours was "Writing on Line 4" as we were graffiti writers and the line that we ruled was number 4.

Enjoy!

Tenet (2020)

See it again!

[10/10 · 23 February 2022]

I saw it when it was released and been meaning to rewatch it for a long time (I first rated it a strong 7). Tonight I did. This is an absolute masterpiece. What they achieve in this movie is to cinema what the Burj Khalifa is to architecture. Actors in perfect chemistry. Practical effects that bring tangible realism to every scene, a score that becomes an additional actor, superb cinematography and set design, costume and locations are stunning. From the Amalfi coast to the opera house in Norway, all contribute splendor to the screen. The plot sure demands the best of your attention. This time, with the pause and rewind at my own discretion I made ample use of it to cross check chronology etc. And I so far haven't found anything I am not willing to suspend disbelief over. As it deals with physics in a similar way as Interstellar, with time being but a postulate and possibly malleable by the superior space time, then it goes without saying that we cannot truly predict and utterly trust physics in regards to it. Much like a black hole seem to defy physics. If you accept the theories of Interstellar and the tesseract being built by people in the future, then a smiliar scenario is true for tenet. This movie is, however, not to be seen as a tour de force of physics but more as philosophic doctrine. What happens if we can revert entropy? Is our conscience bound by the realm of physics or can it exist in its own bounds? If you watch this movie and not trying to hard to defy the physics but just immerse yourself in the philosophy of it then you might just invest less than three hours of your time and be remunerated with philosophical questions which transcend your temporal experience, just maybe. If you doubt it, spend an hour or so in researching entropy, space-time, singularity and some real ancient Taoism. Give it a shot.

The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)

Good production, disappointing plot

[6/10 · 28 June 2021]

Acting is good. Cinematography pretty good, although it overuses the "disturbing" wide angle from way above eyeline. I do understand the camerawork, music and the stripped off dialogue as a means to induce a sort of uneasy mood. The set designs and locations are good and the opening scenes are very promising but then half way through I start to lose interest as the plot stagnates and my questions are more than the answers. It is not the questions of plot but the questions of the story. At the end I'm rather empty with no real lasting impression. Some refer to it as disturbing, sure the concept is disturbing and it of course relies upon the oddity of the characters to make it work. Normal people would resort to shrinks, cops or even shamans but these guys won't even consider it.

Prisoners (2013)

Cinema art

[8/10 · 28 June 2021]

This is a great example of when cinematography and direction merge into seamless storytelling. Denis Villeneuve and Roger Deakins come together like Lennon and McCartney. The cinematography is outstanding and really enhances the story. Thanks to the great camera work and location this movie had me from the first scene to the last. The plot, perhaps not unique or starkly original, shares traits with both Seven and Zodiac and so if you're a fan of those ser Andy other David Fincher-type movies then this won't disappoint you.

A Sun (2019)

Phenomenal!

[8/10 · 28 June 2021]

I have had this title in my list for some time but due its length I've been postponing to watch it. I'm a rather busy person and for me to spend more than 2.5h on a movie is always a battle between time and quality. This movie was worth every minute. The cinematography is superb. The story is incredibly engaging and it does surprise even the savviest movie buff. The cast is brilliant and so is the plot. It definitely has that Asian quirk to it as well.

Love and Monsters (2020)

Beautiful but bland

[6/10 · 28 June 2021]

Visually interesting and rather charming. Refreshing to see a different take on the apocalypse genre. Overall a nice creation and pleasant ride.