kevinaguirre-47730 Reviews

The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927)

Hitchcock's first movie... a precursor of film-noir

[10/10 · 1 March 2022]

This film is considered the first Hitchcock's movie, but obviously it is not actually, but anyways. This movie shows what this great English filmmaker would do during the rest of his successful career. "The Lodger" has everything one can ask about a film-noir movie: a great storyline, credible characters, a hero and a villain, plus the necessary dose of suspense. In this movie Hitchcock tricks his audience, with showing things one would suppose that in the end result were the opposite. That's a very important feature about the Hitchcockian cinema, and the film-noir cinema overall.

The actors do a great job, specially Ivor Novello, who for nothing it is one of the most recorded British performers in history. This character, more proper of a Edgar Allan Poe's tale, is quiet, mysterious, although has a unique personality that rivals with his antagonist: his landlady's daughter's fiancé.

The topics touched in this film are diverse, and proper of a gothic novel as well: mystery, suspense, love, passion, and vengeance, blood. This movie has everything, and clearly shows the psychology of each character, all of them are unique, pointing more effect on Ivor Novello's character, the lodger, because of his uniqueness and mystery.

The techniques Hitchcock used for this movie were very innovative, the angles he took to show the audience the point of view of some characters, specially Daisy's one, pointing out that her point of view, her feelings, were important for the development of the story.

In conclusion, this movie is just perfect, a masterpiece of the silent era, a precursor of what in the next decade would become film noir. This movie marks the beginning of the interesting Hitchcockian filmography.

T-Men (1947)

Counterfeiting vs the government

[7/10 · 27 February 2022]

An interesting film noir that explores the way the Department of Treasure tries to catch a criminal band that is behind counterfeit money. The film has the typical features of a crime movie, with detectives trying to catch criminals. The scenes are very well done, and the story is credible and interesting. It also shows some respect for the American government, praising the work of federal agents trying to disarticulate criminal bands.

The only flaws I see in the movie is that some scenes seem forced, so the cover agents involved in the gang can be saved, and the feminine figure who is part of the gang. It is like they tried their best to put some feminine touch in the story, so it can be likeable by the audience. Even though they may have accomplished that, it is not too realistic. Also how Detroit and Los Angeles get connected in the stories seems a little forced, like they could have just sticked to Detroit, but somehow they wanted Los Angeles to be part of their story.

The performances, however, are great, and the direction is awesome. Anthony Mann showed here that he can do interesting and entertaining movies, very well done movies. It is not a film noir masterpiece, but it is good anyways.

Odd Man Out (1947)

Romance involved in a crime political drama

[8/10 · 27 September 2021]

The movie is basically about an Irish rebel who failed to do what he planned to do. It is actually a very good movie, showing how loyal one of the characters is to the protagonist of the movie. Here Carol Reed romanticizes a man and a political movement in a way that catches the audience's attention. Now, since this is a piece of historical drama, let's see if it accurately depicts what happened in Ireland back in these times. I think it does... mostly. They needed to assault a bank and survive as an illegal political organization, apparently. The movement is composed of men, Irish men who seem brave and focused on what they believed in. A nationalist movement. But then, if the movie had been only about how a group of men fail in taking money without drawing the police's attention, that maybe would have been more accurate maybe, but less entertaining. And Reed knows that: he needed the feminine element. Probably women were actually not very much involved in such revolutionary nationalist organizations in the past, but the director's intention is to romanticize this nationalist movement, and for that he needs romance, love. And that worked. It is entertaining, sad, emotional, both the lovers suffering a tragical ending, like in the novels, right? So that was a big success for Reed, and I liked the story. But what if the movie was about all that, but without the romance element? Would it have been better? It depends. Maybe if Reed had found a way to convey all what he tried to portray without the necessity of female characters, that would have been a masterpiece, because it would have been very hard to achieve that. However, as you must have noticed in the movie, Reed chose the easier way, and that is bringing romance to the story. It worked, because all was perfect, and also it showed us how Ireland, specifically Northern Ireland, was back in the 1920s-1930s, which I think the story was set up. The other characters are interesting too, each of them having their own individual personality (one is an eccentric artist, the other one is a cautious bar owner, that other man is a greedy but fool old man, etc.), but also sharing many things in common as poor Irish people. Even the kids have something to say about how things were in these Irish slums. So a good movie, a tragic one somehow, but not enough to become a masterpiece.

Ninotchka (1939)

Political comedy with an excellent acting

[9/10 · 20 September 2021]

Sometimes comedy is just about domestic stuff, and that can be good too (for example, the TV show The Office). But when something more sophisticated is added to the comedy, that's really more appreciated. Ninotchka has both, and more. A political message that doesn't make it politicized or blindly partial, but it takes in account the good and the bad about both sides of the political spectrum at those times. I'm referring to capitalism and communism. For the people who are more left-leaning, this movie may look biased, but we can't deny that communism and leftism is what it is, and the satire this movie makes is very good and funny. Funny also how the female character, Ninotchka, evolves throughout the film. Greta Garbo is definitely an excellent actress, and the chemical she has with the male character is amazing too. So it's not a vulgar comedy, but a comedy that makes us think about the reality of the Soviet Union during these times. So why not a 10/10? Well, the movie is amazing, like very good, but it's not a masterpiece. It's really not. It's not a movie that would make smart people like me think for several days after finishing it. It's funny, entertaining, with a good message about the political and societal reality in the 1930s, but that's it. It would've have been a 8/10, but the excellent acting of Greta Garbo, that make us contemplate her beauty with awe every time she appears on screen, is definitely a plus. Interesting, also, how she represses her natural female instincts for the sake of the "communist ideal". A fact about how this ideology tries to change peoples' natural behavior with insane egalitarianism in everything, bordering on fanatic obsession. Maybe something some parties nowadays should check up?

A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate (1923)

Good melodrama, but a bit like a soap opera

[8/10 · 19 September 2021]

It's interesting how Chaplin tried to make a melodrama, since we all know him as a comedy man. The story is very classical: a man and a woman are in love, but they take different ways due to a tragedy. Later they reencounter, but it's not the same, because the circumstances and the environment is different. Let's be honest: Is that not the typical story of any soap opera? It is, right? I believed so too. That doesn't mean that that makes it bad. The move is actually good, and it's well developed, and the filmmaker tries to convey an important point, which is that people are not the same after some time, even if they loved each other so much in the past. Also it shows us how the artistic world was back in the 1920s, which I suppose the story is set. There's a bit of exaggeration in the way some characters behave, including the male protagonist, which doesn't make the movie look very realistic, but still it's accurate in my opinion. The ending is also not too credible, more like a soap opera, but maybe that was his purpose. The female protagonist did look more realistic, however, like it portrays how a young woman is between her new comfort or the love she felt for her old lover. In the end, good movie. I enjoyed it overall.

The Kid (1921)

Very well done classic story

[10/10 · 16 September 2021]

This is one of the first movies of Charlie Chaplin. It's awesome how Chaplin combines drama and humor to develop a heart-breaking story and teach a lesson to the audience. Also the story is realistic, and has a very traditional structure, with an introduction, which is how the kid gets abandoned by his mother; then the body, which is about how a little man takes care of this kind; and the ending that I won't say in order to not spoil the readers who haven't watched this movie. Very good movie, funny, dramatic, and the soundtrack is perfectly fit with every scene of this silent film. The story kind of reminds me of Charles Dickens' novels. Also it shows us how the old America among the working class looked like. Very different than today's, definitely.

Game of Thrones: The Night Lands (2012) Season 2, Episode 2

Some inaccuracies

[6/10 · 27 June 2021]

Some events are starting to not make much sense. First, this pirate, whose physical characteristics are not too accurate if we take in account the book. Also Stannis and his people, they don't look to convincing. If the producers deviated a little from the story, they have to make sure that their modified story still makes sense.

Now, about the Greyjoys. This is another inaccuracy. I know... feminism. I understand that. But it's also important to stick to the book, because if not, things start to not make much sense. Please, politics aside. This is art, and the book is very good, so no need to change the story a bit in order to appeal to the academia mainstream ideology.

Game of Thrones: The North Remembers (2012) Season 2, Episode 1

Nothing much to say

[9/10 · 26 June 2021]

The story continues, and sometimes it turns not too interesting or exciting, but other times there are things to think about, like the big responsibility for Rob Stark to command an entire army, and he looks weak, not too strong to choose decisions. Even his decisions appear to be rushy, like he is not too sure about what he's doing.

Meanwhile, in King's Landing, king Joffrey is the antipode of Rob Stark. Despite being younger than him, he behaves like a little tyrant, and even his mother is kind of afraid of his actions. Good acting of the actor.

Finally, there's an analogy between a woman who has made up a religion to convert Stannis and his people, and Christianity. Good metaphor of how people are able to abandon the religion of their ancestors in exchange of the mystic and the sensual.

Game of Thrones: Fire and Blood (2011) Season 1, Episode 10

Fantasy starts

[8/10 · 23 June 2021]

After Ned is beheaded, things start to be boring in King's Landing, with the king behaving as a little tyrant. This is a good way to show how Joffrey is, and the consequences his actions may cause in the future.

The plot keeps being interesting and entertaining, although not too much like the previous chapter, because this time there's more elaboration on the personality of the characters, helping the audience to understand better the actions of the characters. Good acting of the dwarf and Jaime Lannister. Sansa doesn't act too well, and when she sees his father's head in a spike, she acts like a zombie. It lacks a bit more of emotion from her part. Even Joffrey acts better than her.

The final scene, of the Khaleesi surviving after burning herself, looked a bit ridiculous, with the baby dragons around her. That was a bit disappointed to me. But who knows! Maybe there will be more development on that fantastic surreal feature.

Looking forward to watch the second season!

Game of Thrones: A Golden Crown (2011) Season 1, Episode 6

Story goes on

[8/10 · 16 June 2021]

Entertaining episode, although not excellent. Funny how the King called Tyron Lannister "imp little s***". The King has changed his humor and goes to a hunting trip. Ned does things that surprise the Royal Council. Finally, Tyron is freed by the matriarch Lady Arryn. Interesting depiction of that kingdom.

America's National Parks: Olympic (2015) Season 1, Episode 1

Beautiful landscapes, but nothing new

[7/10 · 16 June 2021]

I can give credit to this documentary for showing the beautiful landscapes of the Western Washington State. It also talks about the different animals that live in there, from the magnificent killer whales to the playful river otters. Besides that, which includes some hunting scenes, there's nothing new and spectacular.

One point about this episode is when it mentions the American indians, and how respectful they supposedly were with nature, mentioning a part of their legend, about how the gods gave water to the forest. That sounded kind of ridiculous, like is there not anything more interesting to tell about their myths. Also it says something about European explorers, when actually they were European settlers. These folks staid there. They weren't just explorers.

Anyways, good show if you enjoy looking at beautiful landscapes, and all in HD.

Game of Thrones: The Wolf and the Lion (2011) Season 1, Episode 5

Unexpected things happen

[7/10 · 15 June 2021]

It is an interesting episode, although some events are a little implausible. The influence of 21st century values on the Game of Thrones universe is starting to be noticed. One can see the decadence of the Capital of the Seven Kingdoms, with all the lords conspiring against each other, while the fool king is indeed a fool, and is easily manipulated by the royal council. Then Ned Stark does a very bad decision at going against his king and friend, as he had honor. Honor is used as a virtue for being an obstinate compassionate fool. That's not the real meaning of honor, but it looks like the episode shows honor like that.

On the other hand, a matriarchal kingdom is shown when Lady Stark, after apprehending the Lannister dwarf, heads towards a kingdom in the middle of the mountain, where her sister rules there. But what kind of place it is! Full matriarchy, with a spoiled little prince whining about non sense, and being breastfed by her mother when he is already about 10 years old! Good thing: A good example of how a kingdom can degenerate at such level.

In the end, Ned receives what he was supposed to receive. His men are killed by an intriguing character I won't mention now if I don't want my review to contain spoilers.

Game of Thrones: Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things (2011) Season 1, Episode 4

Acceptable explanation of some context, and surprising final scene

[8/10 · 12 June 2021]

The personal curiosity of Ned Stark towards the death of Jon Arryn leads to finding out certain suspect that Jon's death wasn't natural. So that part was good, because it looks like Ned will find out something interesting later in the season. Let's see what happens in the next chapters.

Now, about his daughter Arya, it doesn't look natural that she, being an infant girl, wants to be a knight, and her father lets her believe in that fantasy. Probably Ned is thinking in something else, and just doesn't want to contradict her, but it's unnatural that in the Middle Ages, an infant girl would behave like that. This is why this episode is not a 10.

On the other hand, Jon Snow is very unhappy at the Night Wall, so he does odd things to go against his superior, who is a gray-haired nobleman, apparently.

Across the sea, Daenerys and her brother fight and he ends up humiliated. Funny scene. It makes sense what Daenerys, the Khaleesi, says: He doesn't deserve the throne of the Seven Kingdoms. He is just a whining spoiled effeminate man. And she starts to realize that. He wouldn't be a good leader at all. This is the perfect representation of the decadence of the almost extinct House of Targaryen.

Finally, the final scene, which actually looked a bit dumb (another negative point added to the final rate): Lady Stark, Ned's wife, does something many would have not predicted, and it does not make much sense that the people at that tavern obeys her. Like, why? Although she is the ruler of the North's wife, she has no authority to command something dangerous: arrest a member of the Lannister House, the house of the same queen of the Seven Kingdoms. It just didn't look natural. Plus all this scene added a bit of sensationalism, which is not always necessary.

Game of Thrones: Lord Snow (2011) Season 1, Episode 3

A better overview of the characters

[9/10 · 11 June 2021]

During this third episode, one can see that the relationship between the different families, and between members of the same family, is complex. The Lannisters appear to be a very powerful family, and not too ally of the king's house, which is Baratheon. Also Nedd Stark seems to be regretful about his choice, and duty, to follow his king to King's Landing. He starts to understand how things are there.

Far in the North Wall, Jon Snow feels scammed because the Nights Watch is not the elite group he thought it was, but a group of mercenaries and criminals.

Finally, back to King's Landing, king Robert shows his disgust for the Lannisters. Overall, interesting plot. Any watcher would like to see how events will end up. Winter is coming, and a new war is coming. This is just the.preamble.

American Pickers: Big Bear (2010) Season 1, Episode 1

Kind of unnatural

[6/10 · 10 June 2021]

This is the first episode of the very famous History TV shows American Pickers. The guys pretend to be funny but they are not, at least not to me. Also they buy crap and things that have no value. Sellers look dumb. These guys, Mike and Frank, look like they don't fit in in Iowa, the heart of the American Midwest.

I can only give credit to the show for showing the weirdness of some Midwesterners to collect old worthless stuff that have no value in the current market. Who would like to get a corroded metal that says belonged to some old store that nowadays nobody cares? Honestly, I think almost nobody.

One other thing: Does anybody really understand the role of Danielle, the tattooed woman, in the show other than showing off her disgusting tattoos?

Game of Thrones: The Kingsroad (2011) Season 1, Episode 2

Family or honor

[9/10 · 10 June 2021]

There's an interesting topic that is referred on this chapter. I am talking about honor. The Lord of the North, Ned Stark, is between defending his honor at obeying his king, Robert of Baratheon, or doing what he wants, that would be stay in Winterfell with his wife Cat taking care of his wounded son. Cat, being a woman, seems to not understand what honor means, but Ned perfectly does. He has to be with his king and he leaves Winterfell to serve his king as a prime minister.

Another thing Ned goes through to proves his so-called honor is when defending his youngest daughter Arya, after she caused the king's son to be beaten by her pet-beast, a direwolf. I won't say what the end of this is in order to not say spoilers for the readers, but it's a big issue for Ned. Now he's between his own family or the loyalty to his king.

Finally, in the other side of the sea, a professional prostitute, who is Daenerys' servant as well, teaches her how to be a perfect slut for the dothraki chief. Daenery's brother, the aspirant king of the Seven Kingdoms, seems to not have his plans done as he expected. An example of how a man, who sold her pure innocent sister as a whore, has no moral, and funnily nobody respects him.

Game of Thrones: Winter Is Coming (2011) Season 1, Episode 1

Very interesting beginning of series

[10/10 · 9 June 2021]

First episode of the very famous tv series Game of Thrones. Anyone who would watch this episode would like to continue immediately the series. It is so well told, with a promising plot and very interesting and unique characters, all set in a what apparently is the Middle Ages, although a fictitious world.

It starts with the honorable duty that the Lord of the North must do: execute deserters. Then the Hand of the King dies, so the king looks for another hand, and he chooses his old friend and comrade Ned Stark, the same Lord of the North. All goes smoothly, despite the reluctance of Ned to accept this new position. Anyways, he has to do it for his king. A little overview of the Targeryans, with the former heir of the throne selling his sister to the dothrakis, a people of savages that he thinks would help him to take the throne of the Seven Kingdoms. Finally, the youngest of the Stark sees something tabooed and is pushed down by the queen's brother to the ground from the heights of the castle.

Air Crash Investigation: Cracks in the System (2010) Season 9, Episode 8

Interesting episode about a commercial seaplane

[8/10 · 9 June 2021]

Chalk's Airways was one of the oldest commercial seaplane airlines to be still on operation by 2005, year of the accident. It starts with a woman being the captain of the plane. However, it wasn't her fault that the plane crashed, but the bad maintenance was the main cause. Chalk's was an airline with severe financial issues, and was already being declared in bankrupt in 1999. An attempt for revival was done by a Miami businessman, but too late. Now we all know that seaplanes need a very strict maintenance, because corrosion is more frequent in this kind of planes due to the contact with water when taking off and landing. But management didn't do that, despite pilots having raised their concerns about the different failures their planes were going through during the last years. Management didn't take their opinions in account, and apparently they reduced personnel due to financial issues, and that made the problem even worse. In the end, this tragic accident happened because no personnel realized that the wing stringer had broken and the crack of the wing was because of this.

The Conjuring (2013)

One of the best horror movies of the last decade

[9/10 · 11 June 2020]

James Wan is a genius of horror movies; definitely. If I thought Insidious was his best movies, this one is even better, because it doesn't need creepy demonic entities on screen to scare the audience. This one only needs the plot and the suspense, plus the exaggerated gestures of the characters. The story also follows two families, and that's something innovative on a horror movie, I guess. It's just so scary that I doubt anyone can sleep peacefully that night.

Cape Fear (1991)

Acceptable movie, but not Scorsese's great ones

[7/10 · 11 June 2020]

This movie was a good one, but only that. Like any classic movie, it has a convincing plot and the personal drama problems are present. The main character, however, is a monster, and it doesn't look too realistic, but I understand that was the director's purpose. I hoped the relationship between Lewis and DeNiro could have gone deeper, like showing how troubled she was because of her parents' arguments, but I guess it was better to leave it like that. She, in the beginning, thought that DeNiro was a good guy, but then suddenly she changes her mind, so it didn't make much sense the impression of her becoming a DeNiro's character's ally. Anyway, the movie was good and entertaining, but definitely not a masterpiece.

Public Enemies (2009)

Definitely not the best gangster movie

[5/10 · 8 June 2020]

I was kind of disappointed of this movie because I expected more of it. There were many flaws and some historical inaccuracies about this movie, and in the end it seems like the message of the movie is to make this Johnny Deep character gangster a hero, who never was because he was a criminal gangster. Anyway, the plot was good and the visual effects too, with the costume as well, but the real issue here is not the message of the movie, since every filmmaker has the right to make the movie as he wants, but the lack of something there, like the characters don't show much emotion when they have to. Johnny Depp definitely shouldn't have a gangster character paper because it was just not good. He didn't seem like a gangster. And his wife, Marion Cotillard, definitely she doesn't look Indian, come on! And the policeman beating up the gangster's lover... did that really happen? There seems to be some inaccuracies there. I hope I'm wrong but for me it looked like that. In the end, just an okay movie.

The Great Escape (1963)

Okay movie, funny sometimes, and heroic other times

[8/10 · 8 June 2020]

I was about to put 9 but I thought 8 was very fair. This movie has everything that makes it a good movie, like a complete plot that makes sense, soldiers who want to escape because that's their duty, and even it has some funny scenes, some of them dumb, I would say... That's why only 8 and not 9 or 10. The final wasn't predictable and it seems based in real life, which is something good audience appreciates a lot when it's about historical movies. Why not a 10? Well, there were times, like the first hour, that the movie seemed to be a bit boring, dull, and I was starting to watch the clock: no action, just cliche scenes that are half funny, half heroic. Then the movie starts to be interesting and great. In the end, probably one of the best war films made in Hollywood.

Inception (2010)

Probably one of the greatest films of the decade

[10/10 · 8 June 2020]

That movie was just awesome. How this original idea of the architecture of the dreams can awe the audience is simply great. I've read many haters criticize the lack of plot of the movie, but that's not true, because here the genius Christopher Nolan narrates the story of Dom Cobb and how his singular job caused a tragedy he seemed to not forgive himself. That's in one part, because the other side of the story is about a whole theory of the dreams, which is crazy, something most people couldn't imagine before. Great science fiction movie with some drama there. And the visual effects... Oh boy, that was just great. Looked like real, and the soundtrack of the other genius Hans Zimmer is incomparable. A must-watch, definitely.

1922 (2017)

Finally a movie with a convincing moral message, without letting be well made

[8/10 · 19 May 2020]

Murder is something that most of us cannot conceive because murder is so terrible that for a murderer it will be impossible to have a peaceful life for the rest of his life. This movie is not about any random murder, but a terrible terrible one. Every murder is a bad action, but this movie's plot takes it further: a normal man who happened to make the wrong choice, the worst of his life, and the consequences are obvious, and not only to him. Many critics would say that many of the scenes are kind of predictable, and that might be true -that's why it's an 8 and not a 10-, but how the plot develops and the scenes in the 1920s are all perfect that makes the spectator to not care how "predictable" the ending will be, which indeed is not at all, at least for me. Also another good feature is zero nude or sex scenes; zero, which is rare in most films lately. Great adaptation of Stephen King's novel.

The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)

It could have been better

[7/10 · 12 May 2020]

I see many people hate this movie, but the reason is that this movie is not for everyone. It was made on purpose that way, because here the author wants to make an allegory of the idea of sacrifice and redemption, in the style of Ancient Greek tragedies, and also I see some metaphor with what is happening in western societies, this guilt feeling that many got but try to suppress for their own good. In this case, the bearded guy tried to but he can't, so the wife ends up having that feeling as well and they know that they are guilt for one of their group's sin, in this case, the bearded man. Many topics are touched here, like sacrifice, guilt and redemption. That's how it is, no matter they try to avoid them. Poor family. They have to pay for what one of the members of it did.

Even though the idea was great, there was something this movie lacked, a touch of more realism, and one or two scenes that didn't make much sense, like the one between the protagonist and the supposed victim's son's mother. Some disturbing sexual scenes and conversations, which didn't make sense and ended up becoming weird and uncomfortable. The idea was great, but a few details made the movie to not be perfect. If not, this movie could have become the best of the decade. Unfortunately now it's just one that had the potential but maybe the author's inexperience ruined it a little. That's why only 7.