EvilPhoEniX

Not my cup of coffee, but more digestible than I'd expected, though I would have preferred Logan 2. It has a pretty interesting story about unlocking lost memories and it’s a shame that it had to go down the romantic-crime line. I would have been more interested in the memories of assassins and hitmen, but it's directed by a woman, so there’s. Hugh Jackman is solid and Rebecca Ferguson is irresistibly seductive, though I found her character quite underused. It's got quite nice and intimate visuals, surprisingly there are two action scenes (one shootout and one fight), but the finale didn't grab me, it lacks a distinct style. Reminiscence doesn't really stand out, it's about half throttle, but the ladies might be satisfied, the emotions work really well here and the dialogue had something going for it at times, too. Story 3/5, Action 2/5, Humour 0/5, Violence 0/5, Fun 3/5 Music 3/5, Visuals 4/5, Atmosphere 3/5, Suspense 2/5, Emotions 3/5. 6/10.

The director of Blood Diamond and The Last Samurai serves up a little-known courtroom-prison drama that definitely has power. The talented Edward Zwick takes a strong true story, puts in unknown actors to add authenticity, and it works. The main character is sentenced to death in Texas for burning his own children, and the viewer doesn't know until the last moment whether he is guilty or innocent. I enjoyed the trial (although there is less of that than I would have liked) and the prison setting is brilliant – the hazing by the guards is appropriate given the seriousness of the crime. The second half focuses on the woman trying to prove his innocence with a gripping collection of evidence (the crime line works) and a delightful unexpected finale where tissues are definitely a must. A solid little known film that deserves more attention. Story 4/5, Action 0/5, Humour 0/5, Violence 1/5, Fun 4/5 Music 3/5, Visuals 3/5, Atmosphere 4/5, Suspense 2/5, Emotion 4/5. 8/10.

A standard 90's action drama that neither offends nor delights. Jason Momoa takes revenge on the pharmaceutical company who are partly responsible for his wife's death and is aided by his smart 18 year old daughter. I like that it's a bit different than the usual Russian mafia beatdown, but at the same time the film doesn't shine in any one aspect. The action is rather average, it’s not R-rated much and we don’t get to see any interesting moves either. The chemistry between Momoa and his daughter saves it a bit and is believable. It could have been half an hour shorter, the finale could have been more action-packed, the plot could have had some twist. and the action could have been more uncompromising. But Sweet Girl wanted to be and is just an action B-movie without any higher ambitions. It is a bit disappointing, but I guess it’s good enough to kill a Friday afternoon. Story 3/5, Action 3/5, Humour 0/5, Violence 2/5, Fun 3/5 Music 2/5, Visuals 3/5, Atmosphere 3/5, Suspense 2/5, Emotion 2/5. 6/10.

When Neill Blomkamp announced that he had secretly made a horror film during Coronavirus, we were all excited, but to no avail. This looks like he filmed 10 years ago, discovered the lost key to the vault during Coronavirus, and sent the film out into the world with an excuse. Demonic really looks and feels like it was made by a first-time filmmaker, for little money, who has a pretty interesting concept in the demonic possession genre, but chose the least appealing theme there is in horror. If that's what his Alien was supposed to look like, then God bless. It's unnecessarily long, talky, low on action (hardly any gore or scares), and the simulation feels more like a background version of “The Sims”, which was a very bad joke. I'd better not write anything else about the villain, otherwise I'd get angry. This really isn't Neill. Demonic borefest. Story 2/5, Action 2/5, Humour 0/5, Violence 1/5, Fun 2/5 Music 2/5, Visuals 2/5, Atmosphere 3/5, Suspense 1/5, Emotion 1/5. 4/10.

A Norwegian oddity that reminded me of the Canadian film Caveat. I don’t like this kind of horror at all, it’s completely out of my league. Very minimalist Indie filmmaking set entirely in one apartment with three characters, where the main character suffers from nightmares and has trouble distinguishing reality from dreams. When it comes to the nightmares, the recent Come True impressed me more, this one is a weaker concoction. I found the characters unlikeable, the gore and the scares nonexistent, there’s not much of a story, the visuals are poor, and for a film that's only 70 minutes long it's boring as hell. Occasionally there was a hint of atmosphere and the grandmother was quite unpleasant at times, but not enough for even average, thumbs down for me, though it will probably find its fans. Story 2/5, Action 0/5, Humour 0/5, Violence 0/5, Fun 1/5 Music 3/5, Visuals 2/5, Atmosphere 3/5, Suspense 1/5, Emotion 1/5. 4/10.

A light-hearted French comedy packed with well-known stars. It has a delightfully good idea and crackling humour. After a divorce, the main character meets an old friend who is out of money and moves in with him at a Villa, where he starts a Divorcee Club and the wild ride can begin. It's more amusing than seizure-inducing, but there are a few minor twists and turns, a fine central plot, and likeable actors who make it all move along nicely, and there is plenty of fun. Story 3/5, Action 0/5, Humour 4/5, Violence 0/5, Fun 4/5 Music 3/5, Visuals 3/5, Atmosphere 3/5, Suspense 2/5, Emotion 3/5. 7/10.

Studio A24 serves up a medieval historical fantasy based on Arthurian legends that is definitely not for everyone, but I was captivated by its visuals and acting. I usually hate artsy and slow films, but A24 does them with style and, surprisingly, I wasn't bored for a moment, though of course I'd rather have an epic fantasy carnage than a slow road movie about heroism, cowardice and a knight's quest. The film definitely impresses with the cinematography, scenery and visuals, it's all so beautiful that at times you want to pause it and take a screenshot of what you're seeing. Dev Patel is excellent, and I enjoyed a lot the supporting characters that pop up throughout his journey: Sean Harris, Barry Keoghan, Alicia Vikander, and Joel Edgerton; they all act damn well, and the accent was a joy to listen to. I was a bit disappointed with the finale. I was hoping for a more action packed passage at least there, but A24 goes its own way. I have a soft spot for the early Middle Ages and thanks to the actors and the visuals I was able to enjoy it, but I'd guess a lot of my friends will be cursing. Story 4/5, Action 1/5, Humor 0/5, Violence 1/5, Fun 3/5 Music 4/5, Visuals 5/5, Atmosphere 4/5, Suspense 2/5, Emotion 3/5. 7/10.

Politically Incorrect Stories, or Wild Tales: Volume 2! The Spanish sensation continues with this damn good movie. The film has four stories. The first one is very short and is also the weakest, so I'll just focus on the other three, all about unhappy and miserable people, and it's incredibly polished, fun, with black humour and, most importantly, brilliantly written and acted. The second story is about a man who experiences a literal nightmare, I've never seen so many coincidences, incidents and bad luck in one day – very well thought out, funny and entertaining. The third story is the best for me. It’s about Ayoub, an African man name who, with no passport and no money, chases his dream and gets into the clutches of a crazy woman, a truly evil person. Again, the story builds up with unbelievable coincidences and twists, it goes really ad absurdum! I was clutching my head with how this could be even possible. The great and unexpected final twist is also brillaint. The last story is about a company that invents excuses and helps people in trouble. That includes the main character, a small businessman and gambler who has got into financial trouble and has to come up with a plan in front of his sisters. Again brilliantly and unexpectedly put together. I had a great time, the Spaniards are at their best here and fans of their work should not miss this one. Story 4/5, Action 1/5, Humour 4/5, Violence 0/5, Fun 4/5 Music 3/5, Visuals 4/5, Atmosphere 4/5, Suspense 3/5, Emotions 2/5. 8/10.

In terms of plot, it's a cliché of probably all fight movies from Rocky to Bloodsport, but I can turn a blind eye to it. Fortunately, it has a short running time of 80 minutes, a likeable main character and very decently filmed fights, not so many of them to make me cheer to the ceiling, but it's fun to watch (the final fight against the arrogant bad guy is very good). Story 2/5, Action 4/5, Humor 0/5, Violence 1/5, Fun 4/5 Music 3/5, Visuals 3/5, Atmosphere 3/5, Suspense 3/5, Emotion 2/5. 6/10.

A decent Russian war film about Devyataev, a Soviet pilot captured by the Germans and held in a concentration camp from which he plans his escape by plane. It's nicely shot and sufficiently suspenseful for most of the running time. The opening dogfight with the planes is decently dynamic and I enjoyed the concentration camp setting, which although in other movies was dirtier and more intimate, didn't lead to boredom. Everything culminates in a half hour escape where I gasped in places and really cheered for the main characters, as they screwed yo everything they could. It's not a big hit or a revolution in the genre, but a likeable war one-off with pilots, planes and a concentration camp, which is not exactly common. Story 3/5, Action 3/5, Humour 0/5, Violence 1/5, Fun 4/5 Music 3/5, Visuals 4/5, Atmosphere 4/5, Suspense 4/5, Emotion 3/5. 7/10.