Change Your Image
marcelopietrovich
Reviews
Phenomenon (1996)
Phenomenon: A Heartfelt Exploration of Humanity and Superhuman Abilities
"Phenomenon" is a poignant and moving drama that showcases John Travolta's immense talent. His portrayal of George Malley, a man who gains superhuman abilities, is captivating and heartfelt. The film explores themes of humanity, love, and the power of the mind in a way that is both thought-provoking and touching.
Director Jon Turteltaub expertly balances the supernatural elements of the story with the grounded, human drama, creating a film that is both thrilling and emotionally resonant. The supporting cast, including Kyra Sedgwick and Forest Whitaker, also deliver strong performances that complement Travolta's work.
Overall, "Phenomenon" is a powerful and unforgettable film that showcases the best of both science fiction and drama. It's a must-watch for fans of Travolta and anyone who enjoys thought-provoking, character-driven stories that explore the depths of the human experience.
Bloodsport 2 (1996)
Bloodsport 2: A Lackluster Sequel to a Classic Film
"Bloodsport 2, with Daniel Bernhardt, falls short in comparison to its predecessor. While the acting is decent, the characters are lacking in charisma and originality. Additionally, the camera angles and soundtrack do not deliver the same intensity as the first film. The overuse of scenes copied from the original highlights the inferiority of this sequel. What made the first installment great was the balance of the main plot, the kumite, and two subplots involving Frank Dux and the journalist investigating the kumite. Unfortunately, the second movie focuses solely on the kumite and adds a cheesy secondary plot involving a sword. Overall, Bloodsport 2 lacks the charm and depth that made the original a classic."
Kóblic (2016)
Koblic: A Slow-Burning Thriller with Superb Acting"?
Koblic is a movie that falls somewhere between excellence and mediocrity. The plot is rather formulaic, featuring a stranger who is a former officer of the Argentine navy and arrives in a small town where everyone knows everyone. Flashes of his troubled past reveal that the hero's main flaw was to stop obeying the law in order to do what he deemed right. A typical relationship is established with the villain, a dodgy and cunning police officer. A forbidden romantic liaison adds to the recipe. However, despite these familiar plot points, the acting is superb across the board, with Darín (Koblic) and Martinez (the police officer) delivering standout performances. The movie is a slow-burning thriller and drama that elegantly avoids showing some more explicit content without leaving us in the dark.
Tanpopo (1985)
Decent movie
The main plot revolves around a ramen-restaurant owner trying to improve her recipe and her business. There are connected subplots like her son being bullied at school, and two of her patrons having a fracas early on. One of them, Gorou(Yamazaki), a trucker, helps her throughout her journey. Obviously, all these stories share something in common, namely a happy ending. There are also some non-related suplots, which are related to the main story only by their physical proximity to an event of the main theme. They are all loosely based on food as the main story is.
The main point of this movie is how Itami(the director) treats his topic. He shows in an ironic but somewhat serious way how food and its consumption is perceived in the Japanese society. He takes aim at the emphasis put on etiquette and the proper way of doing things, like eating noodles, but doesn't spare the "fetishization" of eating, a recurrent theme of many subplots.
The best part of Tanpopo is the acting. Watanabe (whose role is not big, despite being billed on top), Yamazaki and Yakusho, just to name a few, have had very solid careers including some international blockbusters. Here, too, they don't fail to deliver. The main downside is that the story is rather dull, and the cuts to other secondary plots feel like a distraction at times.