Category: The Twenty-First Century
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The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part [2019] ★★★
I may be swimming against the current here, but I enjoyed “The LEGO Movie 2” more than its predecessor. The first one caught me off guard with its hectic action sequences. Here, I knew exactly what to expect, and I had a blast with it. It’s been five years since the events of the first…
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Serenity [2019] ★
Behold. This preposterous thriller starring Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway is the year’s worst movie so far. I say that with disappointment because it had potential. And I admit: it had me going for a few minutes, up until a ridiculous turn of events that made no sense whatsoever. Let me start from the beginning:…
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Dragon Ball Super: Broly [2019] ★★★
Something that I probably never mentioned on this blog is how much of a Dragon Ball Z fan I am. I still remember receiving Volume 13 on Christmas back in 1997 (why not start with Volume 1, mom?), and how immersive it all was. Naturally I ended up reading all the books over the years,…
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A Dog’s Way Home [2019] ★★½
Dog movies tend to be hit and miss, with the most recent miss being “A Dog’s Purpose” a couple of years ago. “A Dog’s Way Home” doesn’t reinvent the wheel in any way: it’s old-fashioned for sure, but there’s something irresistible about it. The story captures your heart from the word go, as do all…
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Boy Erased [2018] ★★★
At a time when most movies playing at your local multiplex offer nothing but escapism, it’s good to encounter one that has something to say about modern society, and a solid cast to bring it to life. In adapting Garrard Conley’s 2016 memoir, writer-director Joel Edgerton takes a thought-provoking look at gay conversion facilities, and its…
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The Favourite [2018] ★★★½
He’s done it again. Filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos follows up “Dogtooth”, “The Lobster” and “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” with a period piece that has his name written all over it. It’s a deliciously wicked film, beautifully shot and perfectly acted by Rachel Weisz, Emma Stone and Olivia Coleman (no wonder they’re all nominated for…
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On The Basis Of Sex [2018] ★★½
“On the basis of sex” dramatizes an important chapter in history when young lawyer Ruth Ginsburg fought hard for equal rights between men and women in 1970. It’s an interesting slice of history, and you couldn’t ask for a better actress to fill in Ginsburg’s shoes. Felicity Jones has already made an impression in such…
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Vice [2018] ★★★½
I have a confession to make: I was not looking forward to this movie. As much as I love Christian Bale, I never thought I would be interested in a movie about Dick Cheney, the American politician who served as a Vice President of the United States from 2001 to 2009. But as soon as…
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The Upside [2019] ★★½
On paper, this Hollywood version of the french hit “Intouchables” has no reason to exist. But I tried to keep an open mind as I was watching it last night. As a result, I found myself enjoying it. It’s nowhere near as funny or moving as the original, but with that aside, it’s an enjoyable…
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Glass [2019] ★★★
It’s flawed, it doesn’t flow as smoothly as “Split”, and it might confuse the hell out of newcomers. Know that? I still had a blast watching “Glass”, the sequel to 2000’s “Unbreakable”, starring Samuel L. Jackson and Bruce Willis, and 2017’s “Split”, in which James McAvoy played a psychiatric patient who suffers from dissociative identity…
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How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World [2019] ★★★
I am not a big fan of the number 3, but when it comes to animated movies, I am willing to make an exception. Here’s a trilogy that remained consistent over the years, delivering one spectacular installment after the other. And “The Hidden World”, the first sequel in five years is no exception: it’s a…
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Roma [2018] ★★★
“Roma” doesn’t look or feel like any other movie I’ve seen in 2018, and not just because it was shot in black and white. It has a distinct atmosphere, and that’s obvious from the very first shot. Director Alfonso Cuarón transports us back to his childhood neighborhood in Mexico City. The year is 1970 and we’re…
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The Mule [2018] ★★½
If I had to give you one reason to see “The Mule”, Clint Eastwood would be it. It’s a joy and a privilege to see him in top form at 88, playing a Korean war veteran who somehow ends up transporting drugs for a Mexican cartel. He is also a man who is trying to…
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Bird Box [2018] ★★
Let’s start the year with something that’s been bugging me for a few days. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a good hype when it comes to movies, as long as it’s justified. In the case of “Bird Box”, Netflix’s latest apocalyptic thriller starring Sandra Bullock, the hype isn’t justified at all. As I start…
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Bumblebee [2018] ★★½
Forgive me readers for I have sinned: I enjoyed a “Transformers” movie for the first time since 2007’s entertaining film starring Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox (feels like a long time ago now). We had 4 sequels since then, and they all sucked. So, what’s so different now? I’d say “Bumblebee” wisely turns back the…
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Mary Poppins Returns [2018] ★★★
Let’s take care of the elephant in the room right away: “Mary Poppins Returns” was never going to replace the beloved 1964 classic starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. The original means so much to so many people to let any modern movie diminish it. That being said, I breathed a sigh of relief…
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Christmas Movies To See This Year (And Every Year)
T’is the season. You’re probably getting ready to see “Home Alone” for the 100th time, but there are several Christmas films that are also worth seeing. Some of them bring back so many memories, while others are simply enjoyable films that everyone can enjoy during the holiday season. What are some of your favorites? …
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Second Act [2018] ★★
Jennifer Lopez plays a 40 something woman who wants to prove that street smarts is just as good as book smarts. So she creates a fake CV and lands a dream job as a consultant for a big company. That’s the premise of “Second Act”, a movie that pretty much gives zero fucks about logic…
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Colette [2018] ★★★
Whether it’s in “Pride and Prejudice”, “Atonement” or “The Duchess”, Keira Knightley is always portraying interesting and colorful characters in period pieces. Now with “Colette”, this might be her most important role yet. Director Wash Westmoreland (who did a fine job in “Still Alice”) manages to capture the “grandiose” dreams of Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, the woman who…
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Aquaman [2018] ★★★
It oozes old-fashioned entertainment. That’s “Aquaman” in a nutshell, DC’s latest superhero to finally get his own standalone film. But who would have thought that after the super serious “Batman V Superman” and “Justice League”, “Aquaman” would be their funniest entry in the series? What’s more, Jason Momoa is fully up to the task. This…
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