Avid_filmwatcher Reviews

Honeydripper (2007)

Blues is not only about music

[9/10 · 20 November 2021]

A small town in the State of Alabama, the year: 1950. A black man, performed by the outstanding Danny Glover, owns a bar which is going through some serious financial difficulties and struggling to stay open. As a result, he needs an incentive which helps him pay his debts and save his business.

Historically set in a time where segregation and discrimination was the norm, its director John Sayles succeeds in showing effectively the frustation and anger of the African American community in an extremely tough world.

As far as the perfomances are concerned, they are solid and convincing. Danny Glover as the owner of a Blues joint, desperate to find a way to keep it open, his supportive best friend well portrayed by Charles S. Dutton, Gary Clarke Jr., the talented guitarist who seeks better fortune or the evil Sheriff in town played by Stacey Keach definitely contribute to the success of this film with their great work.

Last but not least, the absolutely compelling soundtrack of the film definitely deserves to be pointed out: Blues songs. The cast and crew who made this fantastic piece of work possible teach us that there is no lie in The Blues, that it is genuine, authentic and one can almost feel and touch the pain and suffering of men and women who used to wonderfully channel their hardships and ordeals through it.

All in all, Honeydripper is an insightful and entertaining film which combines excellent songs with a realistic story quite a few people could easily relate to. Recommended.

Maixabel (2021)

A well intentioned approach to a painful story

[8/10 · 16 October 2021]

This film revolves around an extremely sorrowful period of the Spanish history set in the first decade of the 2000´s. It was a time fraught with huge suffering and pain caused by the indiscriminate murders of innocent people by a ruthless terrorist Basque group called ETA.

Iciar Bollain is the female director of this interesting piece of work, who tells the story of Maixabel, a courageous female victim of this mob. Maixabel makes the difficult and controversial decision to arrange a meeting with one of the responsibles for his husband's death at her request so as to tell him how she truly feels.

Iciar succeeds in conveying an honest effort to show respect towards the victims, but she also wants to show how even a horrible monster who has been brainwashed and raised in an extremely toxic environment, is capable of feeling regret and redemption.

One of the things that I liked about the film the most, apart from the solid perfomances of the cast, was the fact that most of the time it is addressed from a perspective which is strictly human and personal. The political or ideological connotations that it might have had, are deliberately overlooked or , in the best of the cases, relegated to a secondary role. In other words, in my opinion it is merely about the internal evolution of two people and their crucial meeting: The exemplary wife whose husband was cowardly killed and his tormented murderer.

All in all, this is a good story told in a generally tactful way which is worth watching despite the fact that there were a few lines of dialogue which made me feel a bit uncomfortable. Recommended.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

Amazing cast and old school story

[10/10 · 27 July 2021]

Set at the beginning of the eighteenth century, this film represented a turning point in the genre about pirates and adventures.

A great and imaginative plot with hilarious dialogues, extremely solid performances , a sometimes oppresive atmosphere and an excellent historical setting definitely turned The Curse of The Black Pearl into one of the sensations of the decade of the 2000's.

As for the cast, Geoffrey Rush in the role of the main villain and Johnny Depp performing the rogue pirate with a peculiar sense of humour and mannierisms are both absolutely fantastic. However, we must not forget the extremely convincing performances the rest of the actors, including the secondary ones, give and without whom the resounding success achieved at cinemas all over the world would not have been possible .

Finally, one last thing which deserves to be mentioned: The absolutely epic soundtrack which the film has. I think its outstanding music is the perfect complement for all the exciting scenes and battles that take place, which makes this fantastic piece of work absolutely unforgettable.

All in all, I think this film bIazed its own trail and created a saga many of us are fans of. I would absolutely recommend it to people who love excitement and are in need of high quality entertainment.

Five Minutes of Heaven (2009)

Overcoming the excruciating past

[9/10 · 19 July 2021]

Two men, one a former member of the UVF (Ulster Voluntary Force) portrayed very convincingly by Liam Neeson, who is haunted and tortured by an appalling crime he committed as a teenager. The other one, perfomed by the compelling James Nesbitt (criminally underrated actor), who plays the role of the unfairly treated young brother of a Catholic man. He witnessed how his relative was murdered in cold blood by Liam Neeson's character and was furiously blamed by his mother for, according to her, not having done anything to try to stop him.

From my point of view, the best part of the film without question is the amazing performances the two main actors are able to provide the spectators with. On one hand, James Nesbitt manages to successfully convey the feelings of absolute distress, revenge and anger which consume him. Liam Neeson, on the other hand, plays a role whose emotions are slightly more restrained but equally overwhelming and intense. In short , you can feel the huge pain and anguish they are both enduring.

Finally, the main message which the film carries: I have seen how many reviewers are, the way I see it, reaching the wrong conclusion.

This film is NOT about reconciliation and truth, but about the struggle of two extremely tormented men to overcome a heavy emotional burden they have been carrying for too long.

So, what the director of the film is trying to tell us in a subtle way is that it is probably too early to make peace with your former enemy because the wounds received are still too fresh. However, it is not too late to go on with your life, no matter how much suffering you have dealt with if you find the right way to confront your past.

All in all, this is a brutally realistic and very effective film which revolves around a story which I think many Norther Irish people would not have too many problems to identify themselves with. Suitable for people who love a touch of quality.

Cry Freedom (1987)

One film / Two different parts

[7/10 · 16 July 2021]

This film revolves around the relationship built up between Donald Woods, a white South African journalist portrayed by Kevin Kline and Steve Biko, a Black South African civil rights leader played by Denzel Washington, who is fighting against the ruthless government of Apartheid in that country in the late seventies.

The first part of the film (an hour and a half more or less) is undeniably the best one from my point of view. The fantastic interaction between the main actors,their compelling dialogues and great perfomances definitely contribute to it.

Unfortunately however, after a tragedy happens, the film loses intensity and pace by focusing too much on the figure of Donald Woods and the hardships he goes through rather than on what the main topic of the film should be: The struggle against Apartheid of a black man.

All in all, I am of the opinion that this is a good and necessary film with a crucial message we all should be aware of. Nevertheless, I also believe that, as one of the most important historical leaders in the struggle against institutionalised bigotry in South Africa, Steve Biko's character deserved to carry a bit more weight in the film. That way, Cry Freedom would have been better and more convincing in my opinion.

The Commitments (1991)

Honest and fresh

[10/10 · 14 May 2021]

The director of this surprisingly spontaneous film is Alan Parker, an Irish film maker who has won himself a well-deserved reputation in the world of cinema with a brand new way of producing movies based on naturalism and openness.

The plot of this flick revolves around a group of blue-collar workers, all of them with a burning passion for old school music. They are led by Peter Rabbit, a man whose main ambition is to form his own soul band. After overcoming quite a few setbacks, Rabbit finally manages to find a place where they all can start rehearsing.

With a setting in the Republic of Ireland of the early nineties and in an environment fraught with social and financial problems, Alan parker succeeds in creating delightful scenes of realism and spontaneity which makes you feel you are sharing the lives of these amenable characters.

One more thing that deserves to be pointed out is the musical evolution of the members of the band in contrast with the development of their internal relationships. Curiously, the better they perform on stage, the worse they get on with each other.

In short, what I'd say about this excellent movie is that it should be seen at least twice, so as to be able to appreciate all the small nuances of which it is composed. Besides, if you are particularly enthusiastic about the kind of music played on it, you'll enjoy it twice as much and you won't help running to the nearest shop mall to purchase its fantastic soundtrack. Heartily recommended.

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

The best films are the ones with simple and powerful messages

[10/10 · 14 May 2021]

Based on one of the Stephen King's famous novels, this dramatic and superb film revolves around the fight for survival and freedom of Andy Dufresne, a bank manager performed by Tim Robbins who is wrongfully accused and prosecuted for his wife and her lover's murder. As a result, he is sentenced to life imprisonment in Shawshank, New England, a place ruled with an iron hand by a greedy warden and a ruthless chief of security.

Once there, Andy befriends another inmate, a kind-hearted man called Red, portrayed by the spectacular and always effective Morgan Freeman with whom he has a fantastic chemistry.

This movie is considered to be one of the masterpieces of the history of cinema due to its brilliant performances and wonderful message: Don't give up, no matter what.

All in all, I am of the opinion that in spite of its length -2 hours and a half-, this is an almost flawless piece of work which definitely deserves to be seen more than once. Just sit back, be moved by it and enjoy every single minute.

Uncle Tom (2020)

Very well made and thought-provoking

[9/10 · 29 October 2020]

I finished watching "Uncle Tom" for the second time yesterday and I must say I have the intention of revisiting it from time to time.

Firstly, I respect and admire the courage and intelligence of the men and women portrayed in this documentary to have a mind of their own and speak up against the totalitarian line of thought that unfortunately is taking over the mass media.

Secondly, a serious and deep insight on an important part of recent US history provided by the author deserves to be pointed out. You can't help noticing the level of professionalism and effort put when statitical and historical facts which are impossible to debunk are given.

All in all, if this excellent piece of work gets the public recognition I expect, it could spark off a revolution which could gradually lead to a new state of things.