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Reviews
Gake no ue no Ponyo (2008)
Magically real
Ponyo is another animation masterpiece. The artwork is incredible, story is sweet and imperfection is blended seamlessly into the film's storytelling. My only criticism is that some of the conflicts created in the film are not sufficiently addressed. Perfect movie to watch with slightly older kids (around 7-9) as it seems a bit slow for someone similar in age to the protagonists.
Chef (2014)
Find motivation when faced with adversity
Chef is a great film! It's dynamic, heartfelt and clever. It avoids the dullness and lack of realism that usually overwhelm feel-good movies. It has rich character development and endearing wit. The resilience and infectious enthusiasm of the main protagonist is inspiring.
I highly recommend
WALL·E (2008)
Such a beautiful film!
The biggest complaint I can make is that humans are rendered in a slightly creepy way! This movie is perfect sweet, and informative.
The Princess Bride (1987)
Piece of Film History
The iconic dialogue and fun, lively plot represent ideal artistic filmmaking. It is a rare example of filmographical expression valued more than box office numbers, even if they did end up being successful, it felt deserved! Highly recommended.
The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez (2020)
Heartbreaking and Real
A horrible, mindless case truly a shocking tale. I was uncomfortable with a few aspects of this documentary series. Most notably it failed to accurately expose the issues within the social welfare system, treating that like a secondary point rather than the encompassing problem.
Shinibsagwan Goohaeryung (2019)
Sweet Story though Forgetable
To be fair I have yet to complete this series. However, I find of the characterization a little simplistic and under-developed. I was easily lost in one arc and would find little connection to subplots. The show overall felt disorganized. Relatively light-hearted by historical drama standards.
Unbelievable (2019)
Mixed Bag
Unbelievable has some incredibly raw and emotional garring moments. Kaitlyn Dever was an excellent casting choice, and her acting was painfully realistic. However, this series loses a lot of points with me because of the inconsistent acting. Toni Collette is a talented actor but Meritt Wever's Detective Duvall was painful.
Victoria & Abdul (2017)
Gentle Understanding
A truly rewarding film! Victoria & Abdul captivates in its idealism and dignity. Their friendship unifies an otherwise highly controversial subject and adds humanism to both sides. Abdul Kamir remembered for his intelligence, kindness and the positive mark he left on human history.
Klaus (2019)
New holiday classic!
An emotional, gentle movie that gives us all an important reminder to do good without expecting reward.
Into the Wild (2007)
Wow!
Into the wild is a beautiful, jarring film that captured Chris's life is respect and authenticity. It's a thought-provoking movie with one of the best soundtracks to date!
Stardust (2007)
A soothing fairytale
Stardust is a creative and entertaining story with some cheesy dialogue. Nevertheless, it's a fun and family-friendly adventure that trills in a comforting way while staying engaging. Great film to watch when you need an emotional cleanser.
It Could Happen to You (1994)
Educational
I think this film is a great movie to watch with youngsters. The characterization is black and white obvious which is make bad vs. good behaviours identifiable to children. The film deals with more mature content such as divorce, greed and materialism in a way that's accessible for young people.
Sarangeui bulsachak (2019)
Great Chemistry, Questionable Political Agenda
The first half is unique and enthralling, an engaging and relatively realistic take on life in North Korea. However, I felt that the second half was an unrealistic portrayal of South Korea. What started off a Romeo + Juliet love story in an authentic Korean setting dissolved into an idealized political argument. The story is cute and the characters are lovable (which should be all that matters). But a small part of me feels that the show, which had such promise, fell into old traps and stooped closer to the manipulating behaviour of the North.
Ni no kuni (2019)
Potential
The story is interesting and evolved enough that with some more work and development could've been great. As it is, not worth the hour and a half...
El fotógrafo de Mauthausen (2018)
Story so good it's makes up for some disappointments.
Beautifully made movie, the story of an under appreciated resistance force within Nazi Europe was inspiring. However the dialogue (even when understood in Spanish) offers little intensity and scenes are dragged out or over-elaborated. Definitely worth a watch for the little piece of history it offers.
Midnight in Paris (2011)
Thoughtful, Romantic & Beauitful
The history can propel us forward and save us from unhappiness. Midnight in Paris is a beautifully artistic and romantic film that explores self-discovery and realization in a creative way.
To Catch a Thief (1955)
Not to the caliber you would've expected
Cary Grant & Grace Kelly are both phenomenal actors, but it wasn't enough to make make this movie work. Despite it's fun permise, it lacked engagement and I found myself tuning out and waiting for the big reveal with more than just anticipation.
Castlevania (2017)
Awesome, but a little unforgettable
Castlevania is a fantastic series. The artwork, voice-acting and story are all great. I think where the series falls a little short is in its congruity. It is unfortunate but it's lack of consistency makes it somewhat forgettable. Regardless this is an excellent series, graphic violence are used but in a logical way that adds to the story!
High Fidelity (2000)
Refreshingly Realistic
High Fidelity is a refreshing take on the romance genre. An authentically flawed protagonist living out a highly entertaining and disgruntled life.
The Way Back (2020)
Interesting Concept, Disappointing Support
Ben Affleck's realistic performance was visceral and impressive. However, the character design for the teens was under-developed and simplistic. The characters those young actors were forced to play lack discernible qualities and appeared one-dimensional. I was disappointed with the inauthentic story telling that no amount of talent could overcome.
What a Girl Wants (2003)
Bynes did not try to act
Watching old Amanda Bynes films is hard. You realize that where you once found her likable suddenly she appears cheap and inauthentic. Her lazy acting style was so painful I just couldn't make it through this movie.
Wanted (2008)
Dated
I can see it being intense ten years ago. But it was one of those films that did not age well. I am of course referring specifically to the graphics but some of the dialogue is already outdated. Not worth your time if you are living out of the late 2000s.
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019)
Very good acting, very limiting and misused film
The acting was amazing and the set-design and costumes were very accurate and authentic. That is literally the only thing this film had going for it. "Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile" was a profound disappointment if you wanted to learn more about the life and crimes of Ted Bundy. Ted Bundy's story reads like an insanely interesting crime drama. However this movie failed to cinematically include any of these harrowing scenes. They glossed over some of the more interesting Bundy antics in the courtroom scenes and excluded the scenes of murder, escape and alluding police. Reading about his life, you can imagine a well done Bundy film that captures this man's personal demons, intellect and wickedness... this is not that movie. I would also like to point out that movies like this idolize serial killers and extreme acts of violence, which is at best highly inappropriate.
Dumbo (2019)
Sweet, if a bit too simple
Not great but not terrible, people need to calm down! It is amazing that so many people are giving this movie 1-3 star reviews. It's interesting how polarizing people are... I thought Dumbo the elephant was adorable and the concept had some potential. Can't say I was blown away, I thought the story was simple, obvious and lacked complexity and emotional range. I thought the characters each displayed one-faceted personalities (excluding DeVito). I mean the young girl establishes herself vocally rather than through action as a scientist. Then in the most elitist fashion possible, declares herself unwilling to participate in show business because she likes science. Science and circus acts are not mutually exclusive... Let's be clear circuses have a long and sorrowful history of animal abuse, mistreatment and neglect. This movie could have been like a good war movie: showing complex characters fighting against the establishment for the sake of a unique baby elephant separated from it's mother. I know Disney is capable of producing mature films that are still magical and appropriate for younger audiences just look at the Jungle Book live-action or Coco to see how good this movie could have been! The CGI Dumbo was excellent!