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Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
A nonsense pastiche
As a fan of the first trilogy I always had mixed feelings about these prequels; we always wanted to know what happened in the first three episodes and when they presented this to us, the joy of a completion of the story appeased (for some) the disappointment of an overly complex plot full of holes and absurdities.
Seeing it today, 25 years later, it is even worse; the mystique of the previous episodes is completely neglected in favor of the technical and visual aspects. I imagine that the pressure from the studio to make something that not only attracts fans of the saga but also (wide) new audiences has to do with the result, a pastiche of political intrigue that is too complicated for children and adults (I still don't understand it and couldn't care less ), a children's movie (the unbearable Jar Jar Binks), a science fiction film (ships and lasers) and finally, the Jedi mystique for the fans.
I just found out about Jake Lloyd's illness, something very sad; and also that his performance was harshly criticized at the time (how stupid can you be to criticize a child?), something totally wrong and unfair; except for Natalie Portman, the others are very good in their roles.
I will never understand the aesthetic decisions of the first two parts (the third has more to do with the SW universe), the Renaissance costumes, the excess of colors, the European architecture, the sets at the amusement park level... Finally, something designed to attract the largest possible audience that ended up being quite the opposite. Even so, the studies do not learn and they continue to put their hands where they do not belong.
Tiger & Dragon (2005)
Forget you're western and enjoy it.
I found it after searching here in IMDB what other things have done the actors in another great mini series (We married as a job - Netflix) and if they're available in any platform; luckily, there was this one.
I love japanese movies and some anime, but wasn't used to the tv series/mini series format.
I never read any manga in my life, just a sort of comics (we call them "historietas") when I was a child; but know of their existence and their styles, with that in mind, it's much more easy to understand the acting and directing in this series; they're like mangas in action. Every shot could be a panel in a comic, the "over-acting", the exagerated expresions...it's all there.
Now the mini serie itself: Our "hero" is a yakuza guy (Tomoya Nagase) that while doing his job finds rakugo (a storytelling art of comedic episodes almost 400 years old, told by a rakugoka who plays all the characters in the story). Through the episodes we learn more about his own story and the ones of each other character he crosses paths with. The whole serie is an excuse to portray in modern times a different rakugo story per episode, wich by the way is being told during it and pictured also as an Edo period play. It sounds complicated but once you get acostumed to it and its great editing you'll surely enjoy it.
The overall performance, I understand, could be a little too much to some U. S. viewers (not all western audiences are U. S.); but it surprised me how some gestures and reactions are very "latin". At times it could easily pass as an italian dramatic comedy; the big table, the whole family, the shouting, the drama, the crying mother, the laughter, found it very relatable being of italian/spaniard ancestry.
A last applause to the rakugo master and head of family, Toshiyuki Nishida, a tremendous actor and Arata Furuta who played an alcoholic in one episode (how can a character make you laugh and cry at the same time?) and an intriguing gay man struggling with loneliness and ageing in We married as a job, superb actor.
Rest of the cast is good, almost every one has its own moment to shine.
So, whenever you get angry at any platform because there's nothing interesting, pick any japanese movie or series, won't be disappointed.
Sapphire & Steel (1979)
A remarkable memory
I remembered this for years as one of those memories you aren´t totally certain about it really happened or was just your imagination, just as if it was an episode of the show.
But, then internet appeared and some "mysteries" were solved. For me, they were: The Star Wars Christmas Special (for years I thought I'd dreamed it), the Grace Jones' "Love is the drug video" and this serie.
I have to admidt that I found it again through IMDb, when Absolutely Fabulous appeared I looked here and found that JL was in S&S and then I confirmed it was real. Mr McCallum was widely known here because of The man from U. N. K. L. E. (El Agente de C. I. P. O. L.), so I had no problem remembering him.
I can assure it aired here in Argentina after May/1980 wich is the date color T. V. transmissions officially started because I "vividly" remember it's washed out palette. Also I remember the thethre like look, it seemed more like a theatre play than a tv show, something that I can compare with today hi-res ; for me hi-res has "killed" the way movies should look like.
The most memorable for its ghostly ans supernatural qualities was the people trapped in photographs episode. Scary but haunting at the same time. Thanks to YT I can watch some episodes again.
Pennyworth (2019)
A penny for production.
Why? Why? Why? Why they keep trying to get water out of stones? Started to watch this because of my brother, he's the one that still thinks that Marvel/Disney/Dc/whatev... will, at some point, make something at least watchable again; for me, it's all lost.
It lasted four episodes for us. First one was ok; good production, an odd retro/futurist/retro look on "60's" London, nice color palette, good soundtrack... Episode two was confusing, boring, third was even more confusing, too many "characters" and the fourth, just stupid, all the bad aspects named before plus unnecesary violence and fault language.
For starters, for studio/owners, ENOUGH WITH SPINOFFS, stop thinking that the audience needs to know the previous life of the one who designed Darth Vader's mask, Wonder Woman's father or Pepper Potts hairdresser's "origins"
If this serie was about a completelly new character I'm sure it would went in a more interesting direction.
Paloma Faith is unwatchable/listenable, how that woman gets any job is a mistery.
For the rest, sorry to see good actors in the hands of unscrupulous studios and terrible directors and writers.
Buying and Selling: Julie and Blake (2012)
Best remodeling duo.
Really educative show for those in search of a new home, I live in Argentina and we're not familiar with dry construction, so, that aspect of the show though instructive is not very useful here. Jonathan and Drew are our favourite in this kind of shows, their brotherly jokes make them more real and relatable, plus, their remodeling skills are flawless. Having said that, this couple, Julie and Blake, real or scripted, we're absolutely annoying; they lived in an absurdelly neglected house and I'd said "goodbye, manage yourselves" after the second house Drew showed them.
This is to fulfill the totally ridiculous clause of six hundred words,. House prices are very confusing, I know some episodes are old, and the network mixed all their shows, but the price range is very confusing. But that is real in most countries.
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
Unexpectedly touching film.
I watched the trailer months ago and thought it was interesting but that was it; ok, a sci-fi comedy with a twist, something different from Marvel/DC/Disney..., will watch it, then, sadly, I missed it on the theatre. Luckily, they put it on stream.
Never would had I thought this one was one of those films I'd treasure for the rest of my life.
At first (very quickly) it may be too strange and fast, but once you set your mind to its pace, it's a joyride.
Every performer is on point but Stephanie Hsu and Michelle Yeoh as main characters and Jamie Lee Curtis' supporting role are amazing. Very deep, touching, tender, funny deliveries.
Reading that the FXs were made by a small group of friends (9) including the Daniels (Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, writers and directors) is astonishing and they learned through tutorials, impressive.
I imagine the script as a mixture of the Wachowskis, Terry Gilliam (edit: there's a photo of him and Yeoh together in his IMDB page, maybe in another universe, hahaha) and Charlie Kaufman; a total chaos that leads to something deep and beautiful.
It deserves to be re watched several times to get all the small details. Being a Wong Kar-wai fan I recognised the homage straight away, it made me cry.
This is the way, at least I, expect one of today movies industry's favorite topic to be treated, won't tell wich not to spoil anything, you'll find it. Seriously, with respect, with a sense, not just because it sells better or to catch up with some agenda.
I think in this case editor and cinematographer not should but MUST be credited right next to the writers/directors, incredible work.
Touch of Pink (2004)
Cliche after cliche...
If Mistry would act as he did in The Guru or in any of the other movies he's been in, his gay character would had been more believable. This movie is not only a cliche after a another but also a mistake after another. Why cast an actress as a mother who looks and probably is (couldn't find a reliable biography of her) younger than her "son". The spirit thing has been done hundred of times before and much better than here, altough the idea works it's MacLachlan impersonation that, to me, fails; at first I thought it was Colin Firth but then I thought it was MacLachlan impersonating Colin Firth with a stiff neck, never would I thought it was Cary Grant, I don't see it, I don't hear it, I don't feel it, Grant even combed his hair to the other side. The idea of the gay couple having to deal with their parents social/cultural differencies, again, been done before and better. The only part that works is the english partner, my two stars are for him.
El secreto de sus ojos (2009)
What secret?
12 years later I finally watched this movie, I'm argentinian and very suspicious about our cinema, I'm not going to mess with the "murky" state funding, but it's quality. Too arty, too pretentious, too criptic, too sui generis, too cinema school; this one although not suffering for much of that (maybe a little cinemtography pretention) has other issues that made me take six stars out.
Even as an argentinian and a porteño (citizen of Buenos Aires) I had to go back several times to understand what the characters said, bad sound is a trademark in argentine movies, I'm sorry, but it is (one star less).
Darín, Villarreal and Drago diction is another trouble, even though Darín´s here is better than in other films, sometimes it's really tiresome to try to understand what he's saying (2 stars less).
The yellowish shade through the whole movie, this may be a cinema school thing, it seems that they think common people need to see a film turned to some color (yellow, blue, sepia) to understad it's a movie (three stars less).
The lack of chemistry between Darín and Villarreal and the shallowness of their story was, though very present, very unrelatable (four stars less).
Drago´s acting was simply poor or misdirected, I couldn't feel his commitment to the role (five stars less).
And last, the entire plot is full of weaknesses; the twists in the main story are predictable to say the least (six stars less).
It´s not unwatchable, but certainly it's not a 10 stars film.
Hibana (2016)
Unexpected beautiful drama.
Japanese sense of humor might not be everybody's cup of tea but it's easy to understand, in this case the Manzai (a sort of stand-up comedy) even if something is lost in translation. Once you break that barrier (and for some people, the subtitles barrier too) you're into one of the most fascinating mini-series made in Japan.
We follow the steps of Tokunaga (played by Kento Hayashi) and his acting partner in the quest to fullfill their dream of being successfull as a Manzai act.
Sometimes inadvertently funny, sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes rare for western idiosyncrasies, but always a pleasure to watch and feel.
Suwingu gâruzu (2004)
What's not to like about this movie?
Unpretentious; that's something I ask from movies and luckily it is. It has a message as all Yaguchi movies, but it's wrapped in a beautiful comedy that lets it breath through.
The cast is priceless, the girls are so natural that sometimes it looks like a video more than a film; the music is great and the script is genuinely funny.
Of course it helps if one has a taste for japanese culture, their sense of humor might sometimes seem too childish, but as I said, it hides the real meaning of the film. Beautiful summer movie.
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)
Don't trust the academy anymore.
Nor "specialized" critics. I have to trust myself; never liked any of Iñárritu's movies, but as I'm not a fool I gave it a chance, that was almost missed at the ten first munutes, even so, I continued watching hoping it would get better, but it didn't.
Pretentious in every possible way, over-acted, pointless, non-sensical, another waste of time.
Earthquake Bird (2019)
Good story, bad directing, missing acting (Vikander).
This story in the hands of a good director would've been a classic, unfotunately it fell in the wrong hands.
I'm at a point where I suspect the good quality of Netflix movies, very respectable names in very boring (at least) movies; I'm already tired of wasting time and my patience is in its lowest level. I started watching this and 08:00 minutes later I was reading reviews here at IMDB to see what others had to say about this one because something happened in the movie that, to me, is one of the main reasons to stop watching it; nevertheless, some reviews were good, so I continued watching it. Big mistake.
The worst part of this review goes to Alicia Vikander, enough with her, she has the emotion of a potato, doesn´t transmit anything; the rest of the cast is ok, being Naoki Kobayashi (Teiji) the best one.