saolivaresm Reviews

Atlas (2024)

My friend Smith

[4/10 · 28 May 2024]

Directed by Brad Peyton and starring Jennifer Lopez, Simu Liu, Sterling K. Brown and Mark Strong.

Synopsis

An intelligence analyst is stranded on a distant planet and must learn to use military-grade robotic armor to survive.

Netflix's new bet is a science fiction film that does not become the great events that, from time to time, cinema gives us, it is a film with entertaining moments, but that usually falls into a rather boring film.

Starting because Jennifer López has very little charisma, which affects her character Atlas, precisely the queen of the show, but it is difficult to click between her and the viewer. In that sense, it means that we do not end up fully entering into the proposal of this AI friendship with humans and the overcoming of the traumas that the story entails in its central plot.

One cannot deny that the film is ambitious in terms of story and all its production and visual effects, however, it falls under its own weight of wanting to give us more than its own story allows because we find a story that halfway through its run it runs out of big twists and becomes totally predictable, subtracting a large part of all the emotions that its final climax can have, which is not entirely bad, but it does not end up elevating a film that lacks more intensity. And satisfaction.

It has a director who, if he knows about this type of films and one can receive the energy and desire that he puts into his direction to give us a visual spectacle and emotions, for the moment he achieves it, which also makes it possible for us to visually have a film. Striking and very entertaining to watch.

The result of Atlas is to be left with a film that fits in the Netflix catalog and is a film that will not clearly enter the tops of the best films of the year, but if you want to see a film for a family weekend without adults Expectations is a film that fulfills its mission of entertaining on a low scale and without greater pretensions than making its leading star look like an action heroine.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)

CAESAR'S LEGACY IS IN GOOD HANDS.

[8/10 · 13 May 2024]

Directed by Wes Ball and starring Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Kevin Durand and William H. Macy.

Synopsis

Set several generations in the future after the reign of Caesar, in which apes are the dominant species living in harmony and humans have been reduced to living in the shadows. As a tyrannical new ape leader builds his empire, a young ape embarks on a harrowing journey that will lead him to question everything he knows about the past and make decisions that will define the future for apes and humans alike.

Already with a tremendous previous trilogy behind him and a saga that refuses to die, director Wes Ball, known for the Maze Runner saga, receives the testimony and unleashes the new ape saga on the big screen and frankly the result is absolutely hopeful with a Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes that comes out on top as a great film that meets most of the expectations placed on it.

The same director told us a while ago that the film needed time before coming to light, why they wanted to give us content over immediacy, and he was right and quite right because the script by Josh Friedman, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver and Patrick Aison manages to have blood to give us a rich, intelligent and moving adventure that allows us to have an attractive story that seduces you with its delicate maturity, which allows us to face not only an effective legacy of his previous adventure, but a film above most of these types of films seek immediacy over heart.

It is a commercial result, without a doubt, but it is also a film full of intentions and great characters that are not there to be there, they are well-written and well-crafted characters both from the script and from their interpretation, starting with Owen Teague as the new great face of the franchise that gives heart, humanity and sensitivity to her Noa with whom you connect immediately as a viewer, for her part, Freya Allan marks her presence and positions herself as the great human of the franchise with a performance that makes her powerful and highly attractive as the next female action star. And so on could mention her entire cast, who are effective and amazing in their respective situations throughout this journey towards a new future.

Again, its visual work is of top quality and a CGI that makes you forget precisely that we are under animation and at certain moments you really move to a world where only apes live. We can add the inspired direction by Wes Ball, who knows how to correctly construct the tension, action, adrenaline and science fiction under the camera lens, which makes a 145-minute film on its own a pastime that It goes by really quickly, it is a film that goes without turning back, but with perfect management to rest as a spectator and continue under the whirlwind that turns out to be its final climax, which is truly spectacular.

I am left with a satisfactory film that largely gives us a film so exciting and visually articulated in a way that offers us pure entertainment in its action scenes and at the same time reflectively coherent in its plot so that you never abandon its seriousness and its intentions of conquer you beyond a visual show, but as a film that has much more content than you can expect as a viewer. Of course, it is a film that has its flaws, but it does not obscure the fact that it is a pastime that will leave you pleased when you see its final credits.

The Garfield Movie (2024)

It's really for the little ones

[4/10 · 5 May 2024]

Directed by Mark Dindal and starring voices by Chris Pratt and Samuel L. Jackson.

Synopsis

World-famous Garfield, the Monday-hating, lasagna-loving house cat, is about to have an adventure in the wild outside world! After an unexpected reunion with his long-lost father - the scruffy stray cat Vic - Garfield and his canine friend Odie are forced to abandon their perfect, pampered lives by joining Vic in a hilarious and very risky heist.

A new adventure of the pasta-loving cat is what hits theaters this week. The new Garfield animated film is a film that is designed only for the youngest members of the family, with childish humor and a truly harmless adventure for everyone.

It is a correct animated film that does not know how to take advantage of the qualities of a character who has much more grace than what is given to him in this film. If we take into account that the adult audience will also see this film, it is precisely that audience that is left well separated from the final result. A film that is difficult to connect with and halfway through you start to get bored, even though it is a fairly short film and fast in events, but it is very designed for the little ones, it is difficult for the older ones to get hooked on the story.

Garfield works because he is a fun character, but he still doesn't manage to have his best adventure on screen unlike Odie, who incredibly has more brilliant moments in the film without saying a single word. A film designed to fulfill and generate quick and easy money, but as a new proposal that comes to give us something more refreshing from our beloved cat, this is definitely not the best option.

In any case, it has fun moments and such a positive and friendly story that at least you leave with a feeling of affection and positivity towards the world. A film for the little ones in the house and a time of entertainment once again enjoying a character that continues to accompany generations for decades.

Love Lies Bleeding (2024)

BLESSED AND DAMNED LOVE.

[8/10 · 3 May 2024]

Directed by Rose Glass and starring Kristen Stewart, Katy O'Brian and Ed Harris.

Synopsis

Jackie is determined to make it as a bodybuilder and heads to Las Vegas to participate in a competition. Along the way, she passes through a small New Mexico town where she meets Lou, the lonely manager of the local gym. Lou's father is an arms dealer and runs a crime syndicate. Jackie and Lou fall in love. But their relationship sparks violence and they both find themselves immersed in the machinations of Lou's family.

The director Rose Glass had already impressed me with her wonderful Saint Maud, that is why I was looking forward to her second feature film and I am once again amazed by what the director gives us again in a radical twist to her debut film, but without losing none of the virtues that the director exudes.

He writes the script with Weronika Tofilska and they both know how to build an extravagant film with film noir blood that is enjoyed from beginning to end even if at times you feel that everything goes over the limit, but the director is clever enough to always keep you in mind that we are facing a film that does nothing to be really coherent, but you are buying everything in the same way and that is its greatest satisfaction, being a film that always knows what it wants to offer.

It has a talented Kristen Stewart who takes over the screen with all her poise and elegance of interpretation with which the actress is capable of taking you to all possible limits within the same character that allows herself to show all the most efficient facets of a of the best actresses of this generation. Although for my taste the real surprise is the impressive Katy O'Brian, who gives a round performance and a demonstration of presence to be considered as an actress to keep an eye on in future projects, here she overflows to the mothers giving us a truly captivating character and attractive that hypnotizes you with every presence on screen. And well, one cannot leave out of the equation an Ed Harris who continues to reap the benefits of his talent and even more so when we see him in an extravagant character made for him to shine.

We are in the presence of a special film, it is an intense, queer and unconventional love story between two unstable people who explore the nature of the destruction of a frenetic, passionate, burning and cursed love. Her director is aware of what the audience can taste about her, she makes them immerse and twist in a psychological thriller that has everything except being subtly affectionate with the viewer.

Both visually and aurally, like the characters, it is easy to get so trapped in the world of the film, to that we must add the fun and hot direction by Rose Glass that transports you to the eighties not only in film design. Production but also visually through her delicate point of knowing how to position the camera, without a doubt a director who promises to continue making people talk in her future projects.

A film that is on the verge of overflowing, but that always manages to get back on the right path and give us a show that may not be for everyone, but for those looking to discover new things and a director who promises talent everywhere, you need to give it a try. Opportunity and let yourself be conquered by one of the most extravagant films of 2024 and which is going to be one of the great films that cinema has given us this year. By the way, it comes under the A24 seal, in case you still have any questions.

The Fall Guy (2024)

The star of the moment and his declaration of love to the specialists.

[8/10 · 1 May 2024]

Directed by David Leitch and starring Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Winston Duke and Hannah Waddingham.

Synopsis

He's a stuntman, and like everyone in the stunt community, he explodes, gets shot, crashes, crashes through windows, and falls from the greatest heights, all for our entertainment. And now, fresh off an accident that nearly ended his career, this working-class hero has to track down a missing movie star, solve a conspiracy, and try to win back the love of his life while still doing his thing. Daily work. What could go well?

When entertainment falls into good hands, we may be completely surprised, as is what happens with this wonderful film that turns out to be The Fall Guy. The good hands are those of a director who knows what he wants and what he does like David Leitch and having two stars of the moment such as Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt as kings of the show, from there everything that comes already means a additional plus.

Drew Pearce's simple, but fun script takes flight once all the action begins and we realize that we are having a wonderful time in front of the screen where we are receiving an action romantic comedy that at its heart offers a love letter to one of the most beautiful professions in cinema, such as action stuntmen. That mixture works in all its aspects and is what one can value the most about the result achieved by Leitch and company, since they never lose the intention of giving us a blockbuster of those that we all look for, but without leaving aside their own blood that they have harvested. In the life.

It is pure entertainment, made with love, passion and mastery, which in turn is presented by artists who care about their work and want the viewer to be happy. They manage to give us an authentic visual and comedy show in equal parts where they know how to take advantage of the charisma of their protagonists and the incredible chemistry they transmit. But if we have one to highlight specifically, it is Ryan Gosling, who makes his comic side more and more necessary in our lives with which you enjoy every interaction and every dialogue he delivers with all that angel and which he has taken to its maximum. Splendor.

Leitch's experience and appreciation for stunts adds an endearing layer to our enjoyment of all the action on screen, the cleverness with which he takes us behind the scenes of the film within the film is what makes you value all of it. That ode to his beginnings in the industry and his own tribute to his specialists. The director's most authentic and honest look at a profession that made him shine, but that also helps him again with spectacular scenes and really fun sequences, where the director makes some changes to his previous works, but allows himself to be more mature to give the balance between spectacle and mechanics. He teaches the audience to appreciate the number of people it takes to pull off a car accident or a human torch stunt.

And by the way, the director also uses his ability to give us a romantic comedy with all the possible clichés, but they are handled correctly, which makes us be in the presence of one of the great romantic comedies of the year and that is what it is. An absolute surprise.

It is a film that will surely be one of the highest grossing films of the year and also, with its own merits, one of the great films that 2024 left us with. It is a real pleasure to enjoy it, love it and appreciate it, it is a film that fulfills everything it promises and also with giving you the best 126 minutes in front of the screen.

I am left with very pleasant sensations where I find an exciting spectacle of gigantic proportions and although it is not Leitch's best film, it is probably his warmest, most sincere and endearing film where the director dedicates himself to the industry and the viewer of a once and for all.

Boy Kills World (2023)

BROTHERS FOREVER.

[6/10 · 1 May 2024]

Directed by Moritz Mohr and starring Bill Skarsgård, Jessica Rothe, Andrew Koji and Famke Janssen.

Synopsis

Boy is a young deaf who must confront the matriarch of the deranged Van del Koy family who has the entire population under her yoke. After living a tragic childhood, an enigmatic shaman has turned him into an instrument of revenge ready to do justice. Trying to find his place in the world, Boy will join a peculiar team that decides to resist an irrational system implemented by the corrupt dynasty.

The debut of German director Moritz Mohr is quite interesting with its bloody film about revenge that ends up being a correct and fun action pastime with shades of comedy. It is a journey through the action that we like so much and it is its best presentation weapon throughout its footage where the film works wonderfully with the director's ability to offer us first-class action sequences and a lot of blood and practical effects that make it have that gore magic that is so popular.

Its script oscillates between the exciting and the confusing that despite its narrative problems that one can appreciate, this does not prevent the visual and fun spectacle from managing to give us a quite entertaining film that conquers you from less to more as we get to know the complete plot. And its good applied turns, that irregularity that one can observe ends up being something that manages to have its little charm.

There are too many wild scenes that you feel tense all the time thinking about what comes next. That script commitment is practically what ends up conquering you as a viewer and it is worth recognizing that despite the fact that its twist comes late, the construction to its spectacular final climax manages to compensate for several of its flaws mentioned in the narrative, sacrificing certain things for a good closing seems to me to keep the entire result of a quite successful and entertaining film that has hints of surprises that in the end end up conquering you as a viewer.

The creation of an effective world by its director is what one can highlight most about its director, who leaves you with the feeling of having much more desire to see what is next for this pair of brothers. He has that seed to build a franchise.

Bill Skarsgård positions himself as an interesting action leader who demonstrates his talent for completely taking over the story and a complex character to play. He is complemented by an efficient cast that also dedicates itself to the proposal where it is appreciated that everyone is having a good time playing their characters.

A film that is worth giving a chance because it manages to gradually win you over with its action and comedy, somewhat crude, but effective when it comes to serving as relief from so much intensity and blood that its director offers us. For lovers of action and fighting movies, it is a proposal that you should take note of.

Abigail (2024)

Menu for vampires.

[7/10 · 1 May 2024]

Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett and starring Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Alisha Weir and Kathryn Newton.

Synopsis

A gang of criminals has been tasked with kidnapping Abigail, a twelve-year-old dancer daughter of a powerful underworld figure. Her mission also requires monitoring her at night in order to collect a $50 million ransom. In an isolated mansion, the captors begin to disappear, one by one, and discover, to their growing horror, that the little girl they are locked up with is not normal and is showing her true nature.

The director duo behind the new Scream have done it again and give us one of the most gratifying surprises of 2024 with their wonderful vampire horror comedy that is absolutely amazing entertainment. The directors return to the environment that made them known with the magnificent Ready or Not and elevate it to give us a new version of the vampire story in the skin of a hilarious vampire who loves ballet.

Already thinking about that, we have a large part of the fun guaranteed, if we add to that that the directors give themselves completely to give us a film with all the love possible, it is quite logical that we have a film that works in its entire concept as a great pastime. To see, enjoy and laugh in an authentic and natural way.

It is a classic vampire film with a modern touch, which is the great success we find. All of this proposal serves to provide us with an intelligent and pleasant journey, with biting dialogues, well-rounded characters, fun action and bloody deaths, especially bloody deaths that give that necessary gore touch to this hunt that turns out to be Abigail. Its directors have shown that it is a genre that they handle very well and that they allow themselves all possible licenses to put entertainment above all other things, which means that we always have a connection with everything that is happening on the screen that It ends up functioning as the great hook to never deviate from what they are proposing to us.

They have their flaws, especially in certain ways in which Abigail's background is handled or decisions to conclude their final climax that are not entirely convincing, but they are also compensated by the good vibes provided by its cast and how charismatic their characters are. Characters and who know how to occupy very well that humor that surrounds each situation around the story.

Highlight the production and art work that the film offers and all those liters of blood that invade the stage, which is really appreciated for a vampire film.

In short, it is a bit predictable, but also a very entertaining mix, perfect for enjoying one of the most interesting and rewarding horror offerings that we will have this year. You may be less or more fond of it, but it is a good show and a fun and good movie to watch and enjoy from beginning to end.

Civil War (2024)

A PHOTO IS ALSO A STORY.

[7/10 · 1 May 2024]

Directed by Alex Garland and starring Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny and Stephen Henderson.

Synopsis

In the near future, where America is mired in a bloody civil war, a team of war journalists and photographers will embark on a road trip to Washington, DC. Their mission: arrive before rebel forces storm the White House and wrest control from the President of the United States.

Alex Garland once again gives us a film that will leave us reflecting and that in turn becomes a great pastime despite the fact that it is not a completely round film, but they have a lot to offer and a lot to leave us satisfied as viewers.

Its director offers us a challenging, exciting and moving proposal about the great function that journalism hides behind all the events in the history of humanity, and with that Garland supplies himself to give us his own version of a war film under the gaze of a road trip movie that at its core is really effective and captivating. An interesting and controversial journey about a future civil war that efficiently highlights the anti-war nature of Garland's script.

That paradox that one can find in Civil War is what allows the film to work in its intensity and in the strength of its characters who fill the screen with great performances, especially from Kirsten Dunst who carries the journey on her shoulders with an impressive talent and a character who never loses a drop of visual power. She is not the only one, the rest of her cast is equally successful and efficient, with Cailee Spaeny once again positioning herself as one of the pleasant revelations in the industry.

That feeling that my weapon is a camera is the most efficient proof of the look that its director intends to present around chaos like the one he presents on the screen.

A provocative nightmare directed masterfully by Alex Garland, who leaves aside his previous work to give us something much more at the height of its director than captivating in images, he is one of the most interesting directors today. It is his deliberate and heartbreaking sense of neutrality that makes you immerse yourself in a journey where the external view of his characters on the war that is being experienced is a much more cruel and violent message than one might think. His director is intelligent when it comes to raising the face of the press in moments of chaos and everything that reporting should represent, but often without having to take part in any of the extremes that arise.

Now it is also valid to state that the film does not end up being completely round, especially in how it defines its outcome in the final climax, which generates a strange feeling that I am missing something more for a closure much higher than what they give us. . I don't want to say with this that the film is a failure, but its last part really feels somewhat disconnected from the entire journey it sets out for us to reach its final stretch. In any case, we are in the presence of one of the great films that he delivers to us in 2024 and that once again positions its director on the right path of what one expects him to deliver to us, a cinematographic experience with an author's seal.

I am left with a powerful, disturbing, provocative and controversial film that gives me a cautionary tale and although it appears to be a war film, its core is about survival and reflection. A24 once again reaps the rewards of daring to produce films beyond the simplicity of a blockbuster.

It is a risky film, but it stands up well against everything that one may doubt about it.

Baby Reindeer (2024)

I STARTED A JOKE

[8/10 · 28 April 2024]

Created by Richard Gadd and directed by Weronika Tofilska and Josephine Bornebusch and performed by Richard Gadd, Jessica Gunning, Nava Mau and Tom Goodman-Hill.

Synopsis

When a struggling comedian makes a kind gesture toward a vulnerable woman, it sparks an unhealthy obsession that threatens to destroy both their lives.

Netflix once again gives us a new gem in its catalog and this time it comes from Great Britain with the brutal series created by actor Richard Gadd about harassment, victimization and emotional confusion. A proposal that knows how to mix black humor with the most heartbreaking drama possible, that although it is aimed at hitting the simplest note, the intelligence with which its creators give the exact points makes the series strike a chord beyond the simplistic resource of moving. The viewer with the usual topics.

It is a series that starts at maximum speed to capture your attention with a lot of black humor and shades of satirical British comedy, a key point with which it generates your intrigue in everything that is happening until it decides to explode in the true face after everything that happens. Behind the world of its protagonist. It is in this way that the series reaches a deep and intense second half with which you begin to be filled with pain and terror with the true undertones that the comedy itself hides.

Outstandingly led by Richard Gadd in a leading role applied with all the love possible to a character that takes us through a carousel of emotions and to a certain point of understanding, but that also reflects the most sinister side of emotional, physical and loving trauma. The need to feel valued and the true face of a jester is what the actor's performance makes the most of, and he is fantastic from start to finish. Where we also find a very solid companion like Jessica Gunning in the role of a stalker with whom you get to have fun, but also feel fear and even sadness thanks to all the nuances that Gunning's interpretation provides.

It is quite a surprise, a powerful and devastating series that becomes addictive thanks to the length of its chapters and its disorder that invites reflection and, like a dream that is difficult to let go of when you are halfway through its journey and the whole thing explodes. The darkness that hides that smile that seeks to deliver. It is a complex, thoughtful and deep story that will leave you more worried than pleased when you summarize what you saw at the same moment the final credits roll.

The greatness that the series hides is that it is not perfect, but it does not need to be, much less question whether it is a new Woke proposal, as has been mentioned in some places. It is a series beyond those banalities, it is a series that hides great terror in a complex, distressing and sad story in different measures. It is a series that is not afraid to make you its main jester and also the first viewer of a comedy show with the saddest side of acceptance by others.

Without a doubt one of the most gratifying surprises of 2024 in terms of series and possibly one of the best we will have this year, which is more than deserved.

Immaculate (2024)

It is a creepy and absorbing thriller

[6/10 · 21 April 2024]

Directed by Michael Mohan and starring Sydney Sweeney, Álvaro Morte and Benedetta Porcaroli.

Synopsis

Cecilia, a woman of devout faith, is warmly welcomed to the perfect Italian countryside, where she is offered a new position at an illustrious convent. But Cecilia realizes that her new home hides dark and horrifying secrets.

What a surprise Immaculate ends up being when its final credits arrive and we realize that we spent time in front of a film that is quite dark and daring in its proposal and that despite having a couple of decisions that take away its strength, it is a film that more than meets its expectations. Give us a religious horror thriller with a great protagonist.

Having Sydney Sweeney as the main protagonist of the show is a great success if we take into consideration that the star of the moment brings out all her acting power to give us a solid, credible and satisfactory performance with a final climax in which the actress pays in spades. His popularity and talent. The actress alone is already a solid reason to see the film, but without her the film is also quite interesting thanks to a script that for the most part is quite round, but with the presence of Sweeney everything is elevated to a higher level. Climax and that is the merit of the script and protagonist who connect perfectly.

The great virtue that I find within Immaculate is the first half of this film, where it deals with oppression and exploitation disguised as love. And then he unleashes all the gore and blood in some pretty creepy body horror. Finding an irreverent twist and enough narrative ambiguity to give viewers topics to discuss is the most pleasant satisfaction of a genuine surprise in its final result.

The bet of a director who dares to delve into the most explicit and dark side to make his proposal stand out in a genre where nuns, convents and the devil are quite exploited. Accompanied by pleasant photography and a captivating soundtrack, it allows us to receive a film that both visually and sonically provides more intensity to everything that is happening on the screen.

It is true that we find a film that starts from less to more, but once you give it the opportunity its result does not disappoint you. It must also be stipulated that the film is not completely complete and has questionable decisions that take away its power from being much more complete than what it ends up being, but ultimately we can be satisfied that the time you gave it was not wasted.

In a year in which nuns and horror are quite in demand, Immaculate is positioned as one of those to take into account during 2024.

Dune: Part Two (2024)

The even more impossible movie

[8/10 · 21 April 2024]

Directed by Denis Villeneuve and starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Austin Butler and Josh Brolin.

Synopsis

After the events of the first part that occurred on the planet Arrakis, the young Paul Atreides joins the Fremen tribe and begins a spiritual and martial journey to become a messiah, while trying to avoid the horrible, but inevitable future that he has witnessed: a Holy War in his name, which spans the entire known universe .

When Dune was released in 2021, the impossible seemed to have been achieved with the tremendous adaptation that the Canadian director achieved, but only he could surpass himself and improve his first film to give us an even bigger and even more epic spectacle in his amazing sequel. This author's blockbuster is once again present, giving us a truly satisfactory film that is positioned right among the best of 2024, without any doubt about that.

Denis Villeneuve knows how to make everything more intense in this second installment and know how to give us a tour of intense moments, somewhat complex and highly dialogued, but that captivate you as everything happens thanks to the fact that the director knows how to captivate you with the music, the photography, the desert and its characters that develop a personality with which you are part of the entire ascent until the masterful final climax with which the director breaks all the schemes and demonstrates the greatness that his masterpiece represents. It may have a few defects, because the truth is it does, but they are insignificant compared to the final result of a complex work to be adapted, but which Denis Villeneuve makes seem so simple once projected on the screen and that is clearly the greatest success. Great from a director who touches the olympus of how to make a blockbuster without losing the author's own blood.

It is a blockbuster that makes worth every peso that was spent intelligently and in a well-thought-out manner. The resources available are used in such a way that it is a contribution to what they are telling us and not an example of spending just to impress as usually happens. In several of these blockbusters and in that the intelligence of a director who no one can question when it comes to doubting that he knows about cinema and how to tell stories that captivate you.

The evolution of its script is also another step forward in the construction of its world to give us a film that finds in a solid narrative and completes the great triumph of a sequel much more brutal than its predecessor. The spectacular nature of its photography, the strength of its music and an unbeatable cast achieve the perfect mix to give us the need to continue having much more of this entire universe that Denis Villeneuve achieves.

It is directly one of the films that will mark history within big budgets and how to take advantage of them without losing what you really want to tell and in that sense one can take off one's hat to all those involved after the making of the entire Dune world, possibly one of the most complex adaptations to bring to the cinema, but they simply did it twice as well as we could have all imagined.

A film that is possibly established as one of the 3 best films that 2024 will give us.

Late Night with the Devil (2023)

ONE OF THOSE GENRE SURPRISES THAT ARE SO POPULAR

[7/10 · 21 April 2024]

Directed by Cameron Cairnes and Colin Cairnes who also wrote the script and starring David Dastmalchian, Laura Gordon and Ingrid Torelli.

Synopsis

A live television broadcast in 1977 goes horribly wrong and unleashes evil in the country's living rooms.

From the moment I was able to see its trailer, it seemed to me that it would be one of the most interesting films to follow in 2024, and I certainly have not been wrong with the final result that Late Night with the Devil offers us. The film that the Cairnes give us is really a real treat for that different terror that is adorned with a very dark and pleasantly busy comedy, giving us a film that keeps you immersed at all times in what is happening in said Late as if we were really viewers watching everything live.

For everything to work, much of that good work falls into the hands of the impeccable performances, especially by David Dastmalchian who supports the entire script in his intense representation of a character who professes two faces in a fascinating way. The clear example of when the lights turn on and when they go off, they bring out the true reality of one as a person applies perfectly to the main character of Jack Delroy. The actor's presentation in his first leading role positions him as an actor to take into account in future projects that may be delivered to him, demonstrating that he can perfectly carry a script with various nuances on his shoulders, which leads to an interesting versatility.

For its part, a script full of satire always knows how to captivate your attention as a viewer without ever letting go of the intensity of a script that has a lot to say about a television culture of a specific decade in the United States. So many things happen that It's easy to get lost, but the ingenuity, the meticulous recreation of the time in which everything takes place, allow the script to always flow until giving us an amazing ending that makes everything worthwhile from start to finish.

It is a film with a proposal different from everything that usually comes to us, something that one appreciates as a spectator and even more so if the result is quite satisfactory, giving us a film that entertains you, concentrates and gives you cinema of what one is looking for as a spectator. . Possibly, it does not have the terror that makes you jump out of your seat, but it has a terror that is intelligent and highly captivating that leads you to pay attention to every detail that it can offer you to confirm all those sensations that you acquire over time. As you understand everything, we are seeing.

It surely falls squarely in the top of the best horror films of the year and also among the great surprises of 2024, with the absolute merit of giving us something that allows us to believe again in a genre that when it proposes new things is one of the most satisfying. For the viewer.

Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver (2024)

The Epic in Slow Motion by Snyder.

[5/10 · 20 April 2024]

Directed by Zack Snyder and starring Sofia Boutella, Ed Skrein, Djimon Hounsou, Michiel Huisman, Bae Doona and Ray Fisher.

Synopsis

The rebels prepare to fight Motherworld as unbreakable bonds are forged, new heroes emerge, and legends are created.

One cannot deny that Zack Snyder is one of the directors who puts the most enthusiasm into what he does and it is always appreciated that he proposes new things in the industry, even though it is often not the result everyone expects.

The ambition that he achieves in his own battle of the galaxies called Rebel Moon has two sides to take as a counterpart. You may like her or you may hate her, but she will not leave you indifferent to what the director proposes to us once again. In my case, I am left with the feeling that I had a pleasant moment in front of the screen despite the shortcomings that the film offers, but Zack Snyder's cunning or habit of occupying the camera manages to make a story that does not advance in In no sense do its slow motions turn it into something much more amazing than what the final result ends up being.

It certainly doesn't surpass its first installment and feels like more of the same as what we saw in its first part. With that, we are left with the feeling of waiting for something new to be proposed to us by the director and well, in my opinion he achieves it with one of his best characters in the story such as James, but unfortunately we really see little of him, but when he is on screen is the moment when the film achieves its greatest peak in fun. The rest is a film that continues to give us flat characters and a protagonist who is difficult to get attached to, even though we have an excellent performance by Sofia Boutella, giving herself completely to her role.

The great deficit that Rebel Moon has in its central core is that it is difficult to really empathize with its characters and with a story that remains stuck in the same thing and halfway through the film one even comes to feel that they are stuck in the same circle. Despite everything mentioned, the film manages to attract your attention and you do not abandon it along the way, managing to have a much more striking climax and where Snyder's camera skills are allowed to show off much more even though his excess of slow motion is the true seal of everything that Rebel Moon hides.

Zack Snyder knows how to visually construct the ideas of his final battle well and makes his budget work correctly, something that one can always highlight from the director who knows how to invest very well with what he has at his disposal. Correct CGI and understandable handling of the action sequences allow the film to visually catch your attention and leave aside a script that lost its surprise a while ago.

Netflix bet big with a blockbuster that is in the middle line of a proposal that you can see once in your life and continue with it without having changed anything of what was planned. It is a film that has moments and that serve to prevent it from being a complete disaster and we are left with an acceptable and correct film to position itself as a blockbuster for Netflix and for the Snyderverse.

Don't expect to find the best film of the year or the best of the director, but a weekend pastime without high expectations.

The Greatest Hits (2024)

CAN'T PLAY THE PERFECT MELODY

[5/10 · 13 April 2024]

Directed by Ned Benson and starring Lucy Boynton, David Corenswet and Justin H. Min.

Synopsis

Young Harriet discovers that art imitates life when she discovers that certain songs can literally transport her back in time. But as she relives the past through the romantic memories of her old boyfriend, her time travel collides with a new romantic adventure in her present. And so, on her journey through the hypnotic connection between music and memory, Harriet wonders if, even if she could change the past, she should.

The new romantic drama that Fox Searchlight brings us has interesting things that make you stay hooked on its story and at the same time it also has other moments where everything that makes the film not completely complete does not end up meshing. A love story about destiny and being connected that is mixed with science fiction overtones that allow the film to have various angles to engage you as a viewer, although that mix does not end up being completely well achieved.

It's not that it is a bad film, on the contrary, it is quite pleasant and can be seen without major difficulties, but its defects are felt in the shallowness of its characters, which prevents us from connecting in a unique way with its protagonists. . The interpretations of Lucy Boynton, David Corenswet and Justin H. Min are correct and do their best to give life to their characters who unfortunately lack a bit of deeper personality, it is a trio of characters that superficially fulfills, but does not satisfy to give more consistency to the story, even if there is chemistry between everyone.

A direction in line with what his script proposes, which has no greater ambitions than to give us a romantic drama to satisfy the most fans of the genre and perhaps also give a small tribute to those songs that always end up marking our lives.

A story that takes us through true love, loss, overcoming and renewal, a story that builds a journey to melancholy about the price of nostalgia. Also saying that we find an abuse of sentimentalism and little reflection, but it is also its most powerful weapon because it will make two audiences automatically connect with what those who enjoy music and those who will feel identified with those painful breakups are seeing. Loving.

Fallout (2024– )

Sits on the throne of great video game adaptations.

[8/10 · 12 April 2024]

Created by Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner and its cast includes Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, Walton Goggins, Kyle MacLachlan and Moises Arias.

Synopsis

Based on one of the most important video game sagas of all time, it is the story of the haves and the have-nots in a world where there is practically nothing left to have. 200 years after the apocalypse, the peaceful inhabitants of the luxury lodges are forced to return to the irradiated hell left behind by their ancestors and are shocked to discover that an incredibly complex, joyfully strange and very violent universe awaits them.

If The Last Us gave us some hope that video game adaptations would finally manage to be faithful to their origin, today Amazon Studios is present with its spectacular adaptation of the popular game Fallout. The studio takes all the laurels under the eaves of its two creators, Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner, who faithfully and satisfactorily adapt this entire post-apocalyptic world that represents the complexity in which the entire story takes place after Fallout.

A careful and well-thought-out work so as not to lose any of the blood that made the video game so popular, but also without forgetting that it is a television adaptation and that it must also capture a neutral audience. That work is done correctly where both fans of the game and viewers who connect with the story for the first time can enjoy a forceful, concise and well-written series, which makes you glued to the screen chapter after chapter without never lose the emotion of what we are seeing and the sensations that everything is increasing in satisfaction.

The affection with which its creators take the series is essential for us to have a result that lives up to the satisfaction it generates. The dose with which they offer us humor, drama, war, survival and many more details in which the series surprises is a perfect cocktail to have a result that at times comes to surprise with its own ability to end up conquering known and unknown alike.

Each chapter generates a successful journey through the action, social reflections and constant plot twists that in the hands of its inspired directors we obtain refined and notable entertainment from Amazon. The series is very intelligent when it comes to measuring each substance to be delivered so as not to exceed the formulas that end up turning the series into something meaningless. It is a series well measured in every detail and in each new option to be delivered, which means that it always remains even and never falters in pace, entertainment and emotion.

A perfectly chosen cast where no one clashes and each one gives their stamp to their already popular characters. Having Walton Goggins with his Western attitude is the greatest possible pleasure, but also having a charming Ella Purnell as the great protagonist is also a delight, reflecting that her casting was totally a success in each of her performers.

A series that clearly becomes one of the best so far in 2024 and without a doubt earns its place in the royalty of great video game adaptations to the small screen. Both the most fanatical and those looking for novelty will be totally pleased with a powerful proposal that makes use of their entire budget and their creative minds behind it. It is a series that you should see even if you do not know the game or are not a fan, because the series works from beginning to end with a forcefulness that does not give you room to doubt it at any moment and that is being faced with a great job that deserves to be appreciated by everyone.

The Fallout universe is welcome to adaptation royalty.

Scoop (2024)

Interpretationally powerful, but decisively light.

[6/10 · 11 April 2024]

Directed by Philip Martin (The Crown) and starring Gillian Anderson, Keeley Hawes, Billie Piper, Rufus Sewell and Romola Garai.

Synopsis:

How the BBC obtained the explosive interview with Prince Andrew about his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Netflix's new bet promised to be an interesting film about Prince Andrew's infamous interview and his relationship with the pedophile Epstein. However, we find a film that manages to be entertaining because it has a fairly powerful story behind it, but that does not mean that we end up with a great film in its entirety.

The reason is that we find a script by Peter Moffat that does not propose anything new and is rather dedicated to replicating the same interview without much novelty, leaving behind many strong ideas and subplots that this same script offers. Which is why one as a viewer is quite upset, because when we are completely devoted to the story we fall into a comfort zone where the film never comes out, and it is simply its interpretive power that maintains that deep connection with the viewer.

Having Gillian Anderson and Rufus Sewell in a cast, it is very unlikely that they will disappoint us in their performances, and both manage to perfectly capture that tension between interviewee and interviewer that makes it the greatest moment of the film. In addition, we have a rest of the cast that also gives themselves completely to their characters, and that is why one is left with the feeling that we needed to develop their characters and what they have behind their backs much better.

Making it clear then that interpretive the film is very well executed, we focus on the directorial proposal where the director who knows the history of the royal family well manages to capture very well the image of Andrew and what he most likely did, if not I also manage to reflect that feeling that he would get his way. The director's hand is noticeable in that staging, but it is also strange that he has not dared to cross the line a little more of being sharper and more forceful in bringing out the riches of a story that had a lot, a lot of room for it. Be explored.

So we are left with a film that could have been much better than what it ends up being, since although it has several flaws to its credit, it is a film that captivates you and entertains you throughout its journey. It is a far cry from works like Spotlight or The Post, but it is by no means a disaster or a bad film.

It deserves to be seen without a doubt.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023)

The new style of animation finally complements the adolescent blood of the Turtles

[8/10 · 3 September 2023]

In the mid-eighties, the creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird created the comic series of these teenage mutant ninja turtles and little by little they were conquering the hearts of generations until today, when we once again have a new version of them on the big screen.

Those indicated to bring us the new animated version is a couple that continues to surprise lately with their interesting visions of their most recent works. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg join Dani Hernandez, Benji Samit to adapt this nice script that has its great strength in being able to capture that adolescent essence of the characters that was previously sorely needed for these four brothers named after painters.

That script is taken to a brilliant and hopeful new wave of animation by Jeff Rowe who had already surprised us in the masterful The Mitchells vs. The Machines, which is accompanied by Kyler Spears. The duo of directors gives us a forceful and sensational animation, where this mixture of 2D full of contrasts together with this hand-drawn style that each time leaves better sensations with its forceful results for a genre that is always rewarding when it dares to new things. .

At times the film works brilliantly in terms of details and choice on the part of its directors, in how to give us action and chase sequences with an animation that dazzles with how well achieved it ends up being, to that we add that we find ourselves in everything it's footage with a pretty fun and entertaining movie that makes a perfect mix to enjoy this new TMNT adventure. This result allows young and old to experience and enjoy an adventure that leaves pleasant sensations at the time the final credits begin, a result that will satisfy both generations and that is a great job on the part of its creative team.

However, we find a script that is surrounded by clichés and clichés that we are very used to in the cinema, but that in no way detracts from a film that for the most part has a specific path through which to conquer you and that one follows him without hesitation even if he has to solve many resolutions to his conflicts in a simplistic way.

A satisfactory and gratifying result of a proposal that comes to refresh again a genre that is grateful for taking the risk of crossing new proposals with the viewers. A film that becomes a pleasant surprise that finally manages to find the necessary and expected point for a group of Turtles who just want to go to school, it is adolescent charisma that makes the characters so unique, it is the most remarkable thing about the work that Those responsible achieve it and that deserves a point of satisfaction for having managed to give a new impetus to some characters who really deserved it.

Humor and action feel good to our TMNT, that path is the one that this new franchise needs to follow, to which I join with satisfaction, waiting for how they can surprise us in the near future.

Oppenheimer (I) (2023)

Nolan has created his own atomic bomb and that means it will be remembered as an extraordinary epic.

[8/10 · 22 August 2023]

If there could be a director in Hollywood today capable of creating an epic as great as what Oppenheimer means, that is without a doubt Christopher Nolan. A director as extraordinary as he is determined in what he does, it is not surprising that he has achieved such greatness with one of the best films of 2023 and surely the best film of his filmography.

A biopic that is intelligently built by a sharp, thoughtful, captivating and highly tense script as we enter the heart of a film that is rightly considered the best political game written in recent times. Nolan hides behind a forceful thriller a film that plays deceit as a virtuoso politician who tries to position his name above all around him. Behind the creation of the atomic bomb is a bold story that knows how to set the pace and the times before two great characters who play to position his name as the great hero of the show.

For this, the director has the best Cillian Murphy of his career, who delivers what for me is the demonstration of an actor who has touched the Olympus and who is definitively established as the extraordinary actor that he is. Julius Robert Oppenheimer's performance is forceful, sincere, authentic and indelible, positioning the actor as the great candidate to receive all possible recognition in awards season. Not only does he deserve it, Robert Downey Jr. Leaves as a precedent that he is a tremendous actor and that he can do everything in the cinema and you will not be able to question it; as well as a cast that no matter how small his presence is, no one is out of place like a Florence Pugh who, frankly, is amazing and that we only enjoyed a small part of this epic.

Ludwig Göransson has simply created the perfect chords to accompany Nolan's mind with a soundtrack that does not disappoint at all and in which you allow yourself to feel the emotions with which he bathes each possible scene. The same can be said of Hoyte van Hoytema with his dreamlike photography and the size of the challenge he must deal with from color to black and white.

What Nolan has achieved is to recall the ancient epics of yesteryear that can be summed up in a film made by adults for adults, but made with all the breadth and majesty of those films made for children and adolescents. A film so thought out and dedicated with which the director demonstrates all his experience to what he is really passionate about, which is cinema.

Oppenheimer is an imperfect film that has its moments where you might like it less and some decisions that don't finish completely. That alone means that we are in the presence of an extraordinary film that is positioned to date as that auteur film supposed to be a great blockbuster, but that never releases the personal blood of its own author.

Elemental (2023)

Pixar may also be allowed to make a romantic drama

[7/10 · 16 August 2023]

Elemental is the most concrete sample of a film that has suffered from the unfair criticism placed on it, the concrete thing is that the result is totally different from the expectations that you can have with it versus what it ends up delivering as a final product.

True, Elementary is not a perfect movie, it has several flaws, however, it is a charming, romantic, sappy movie, while Pixar can afford to give us a romantic drama with comedy overtones about the elements that you can enjoy as a child and not as a social media intellectual who expects Pixar to deliver a message about my intellectual abilities.

The magic is once again delivered by the studio with its animation, it is incredible what they achieve with the textures and the creation of a truly amazing world, in addition to taking care of a detailed use of how to graph each element, this is how we can also say that Pixar forgets a both giving us a better use of the remaining elements such as the wind and the earth, who could have been better used, as well as those magnificent secondary ones that the studio knows how to deliver.

It cannot be denied that Elemental makes its way with a simple story where it manages to provide moments that are enjoyed excitingly and in others we are filled with feelings that they could have gone much stronger in certain decisions, but we found a clear and simple message with which to win over an audience that simply expects to have a good time and be enchanted by an animated story that makes the little ones vibrate, something fundamental when it comes to entertaining an audience that has made what Pixar is today.

It is a film with which you will know how it ends and where all the directions of a story go that does not pretend to be more than what it ends up giving us, it is a story with which Pixar allows itself to be light, to be simple and to be simplistic, but well, perhaps it is time to also think that it is a cinema that has been with us for a long time in our lives, or we do not remember when we saw certain films that we all adore, but that we knew how they would end anyway.

Heart of Stone (I) (2023)

In a year with good action movies, it is one step lower on the list

[6/10 · 14 August 2023]

One of Netflix's big bets for this year with a huge budget and that ends up meeting expectations for a movie that premieres on a streaming platform. With a good director behind the scenes and a cast that hides big names and a protagonist who fits the leading role well, something that one enjoys.

The great point against us is finding a film that complies, but it does not deliver anything much more spectacular than what they have offered us, great films that have seen their premiere in 2023, despite having great action sequences, they do not end to make everything much more unique than one expects in a delivery like the one we are discussing today; That does not mean that it is a boring or bad movie, it is perfect entertainment that captivates you and makes you have a good time in front of the screen, directed correctly by a director who always has a good grade in what he delivers and Gal Gadot who is always a pleasure to see in action heroine mode.

A cast that also perfectly accompanies Gadot where Jaime Dornan works impeccably as the villain of the show and the Indian star Alia Bhatt demonstrating great chemistry in moments together with Gadot and alone, a perfect charisma, as well as the rest of a cast where there are big names that make small appearances that are appreciated.

It has a quite ingenious script, especially as a plot weapon to detonate all the action and to that add good moments of action and a couple of action sequences that are masterful in result and others where the green screen is present, but it is indisputable that its budget end is well occupied.

Clearly, it is a sign of a future franchise for the streaming company, although to be honest, it seems to me that it could have a run in theaters, due to the fact that it is a total blockbuster movie for the weekend on the big screen.

A good spy thriller that leaves pleasant sensations, but not complete in a year when action movies have left great titles to remember. One appreciates the impetus with which it works, the security with which it organizes things to work at all times, and is among one of the most outstanding films that Netflix has delivered this year.

Red, White & Royal Blue (2023)

All the clichés of a romantic comedy

[5/10 · 13 August 2023]

The intelligence that Amazon gives us is knowing how to use its marketing well to offer us a film with the highest possible expectations, a weapon that knows how to use the studio very well. The result is a somewhat sappy romantic comedy, very much in the style of those classics from the 90s, the difference is that we have queer protagonists as the hosts.

It is a kind of Romeo and Juliet with a quite correct result where the film does not pretend to be more than giving freedom to several interesting messages about a world that is becoming more and more present in the industry, but that does not stop falling into the same clichés that all these types of romantic comedies have, the blessed clichés of a genre that tries to reach the largest possible audience, which makes it lose a lot of strength trying to get along with everyone.

The chemistry of its two protagonists is very remarkable, two young protagonists who are making a space for themselves in the industry such as Nicholas Galitzine, whom we have already seen venture into the genre in the popular Purple Hearts on Netflix, and Taylor Zakhar Perez, whom we met in The Kissing Booth 2. Both leads are the best thing the movie has and the ones who sustain the story to make it work and stay connected to this romantic story. A couple of secondary roles like Uma Thurman that are appreciated even if they don't contribute much more than a few small dialogues that make you laugh and a couple of characters that are amusing and that help to get the film out of its weakest moments with funny moments and dialogues.

The film does not pretend to be more than what it delivers and the adaptation of the popular novel at times maintains the energy of the book, but it seems to me that it is not fully consolidated. Cinema is still cinema, no matter what personal genre you want to occupy, and here it is demonstrated that a queer story maintains the same clichés and clichés of a common romantic story that cinema has accustomed us to. Is it effective? Yes, anyway, does it leave new sensations? Not at all.

The film does take risks when it shows us the relationship of its two protagonists with details of their relationship and their sexual encounters, a point that is valued within how conservative it turns out to be when considering the problems of having a queer relationship within a powerful world that emphasizes what politics is like and how correct it should be.

A bet from Amazon Studios that fulfills its mission of bringing a movie to enjoy on its platform and making it popular for a couple of weeks.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023)

Since Bumblebee I've taken a good course

[7/10 · 16 July 2023]

A whopping 16 years have passed since the first installment of Transformers came to us under the direction of Michael Bay. With 5 films in tow throughout all this time, the saga seems to find the right course to get out of the diversion that seemed to have with its third installment and that they cunningly manage to direct with the wonderful Bumblebee of 2018.

In this sixth installment and direct sequel to Bumblebee, we once again feel that we are on the right track to enjoy the saga, the truth is that they once again deliver us a fun movie to enjoy our popcorn and stay glued to the screen watching the forceful direction by Steven Caple Jr. Its director offers us a quite entertaining film from beginning to end where its 127 minutes fly by since the film begins quite high and later continues adding pauses that allow you to rest and then resume without this film slowing down. Make you eternal: visually we are left with a film that really stands out especially in its final sequence where it shows that action can be done under CGI without getting dizzy trying to understand it. The design of the characters of the Autobots as well as the Maximals are precious that are mixed with their interesting proposal in personalities such as how sensational Mirage turns out to be, where we can also include the moments that are lent to Bumblebee. The participation of the Maximals also falls like a glove to the saga and allows us to enjoy great moments with them, especially when they undergo their transformation.

For their part, the villains of the show intimidate and generate that desired antagonist for a film that seeks spectacularity above all else.

A saga that seems to really find the new way to give us pure entertainment, still has things to polish, but leaves the feeling that entertainment is guaranteed and that is already a good point in favor.

It seems that the saga took a quite unexpected turn, but that leaves pleasant sensations where they want to take everything, as revealed in its final scene.

A blockbuster of those necessary to forget about problems and just entertain ourselves, different viewers and critics may like it more or less, but no one can deny that there is entertainment in what we see and a good use of the budget in its favor. It has things to improve without a doubt, but it also has many things that work that make it a show that always makes you want to continue watching.

The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster (2023)

Social metaphor in a classic horror tale

[7/10 · 25 June 2023]

It is not simply a horror film, it is rather a daring on the part of its director Bomani J. Story to offer us a harsh and cruel metaphor on the racial and social issues that a certain part of society faces in a world bathed in horror.

With this argument, the film takes us to its own version of a classic horror tale and it does so in its own style and with its own arguments, giving us a forceful film that is established as one of the best we have of the year in terms of the horror genre. That this 2023 has given us.

The humanity of its characters and the fear of death make up a script that is not limited to being politically correct, it is a film with guts and cruelty in the same adventure. It is a cruel film that clearly and sinisterly addresses the constant nightmare that surrounds its characters: Laya DeLeon Hayes's powerful performance helps a lot, as she shoulders the dramatic weight of the film and makes it full of emotions and nuances that They captivate you and become attached to their character.

By having character, the film brings out the power of its director who knows how to give you good moments during its precise 91 minutes. Its director gives us a moving and bloodstained cry for control, which ends up giving us a wonderful, tragic and terrifying film, which gives us a breath of fresh air in a genre in which these types of daring are always appreciated.

A bet that is rightly inscribed among the highlights of what is going on in this 2023, it is not perfect, it is true it has a couple of things that prevent it from being totally round, but in any case we have the feeling of being in front of one of the great titles that we have of the year, both for their daring when it comes to setting out their premise and knowing how to manage a perfect connection with the viewer in a world where the film always plays on the finest thread of limits.

Knock at the Cabin (2023)

a simple sacrifice

[6/10 · 22 March 2023]

M. Night Shyamalan is one of my favorite directors in life and that is why I always have high expectations when he releases a new film. Some are tremendous successes, others more questionable, but he continues to be a director who always fills his cinema.

On this occasion he adapts the novel Paul Tremblay one of the most interesting writers at the moment. There was no better director to adapt a novel that is already quite cinematographic, which is why it was only a matter of time before we could see it on the big screen.

The result is a quite interesting film that allows itself to have the seal of its director and those small changes of direction that the director also knows how to handle. We are facing a film that moves fast and hooks you immediately with an intelligent staging by M. Night Shyamalan who maximizes his seal as a director, giving a deep dynamic with the viewer to play with that cinematographic language in which he always invites you to present your own vision of the facts while you see what the same movie is offering you on the screen.

In this sense, the director knows how to thoroughly disbelieve or your power to believe in what is really happening in the story we are witnessing, it must also be said that we find ourselves with a more contained version of what the director has accustomed us to. .

It must be emphasized that the film works well thanks to the good work of its cast where everyone maintains a good line of interpretation and invites you to enter into the anguish, disbelief and terror that what we are seeing supposes. Dave Bautista is the true revelation of Shyamalan's apocalypse and is perhaps the great hook that the film has, where the actor demonstrates an acting capacity superior to what he is used to and that leaves a pleasant sensation in the mouth.

In short, this is a brutally stressful and effective thriller that does not need any final twist to leave the audience without having to think about what the hell we saw. A distressing film that could have been a bit rounder, perhaps, but it leaves the feeling that we are watching an M. Night Shyamalan film and with that we already have a point well earned.

Now believing or not believing in what they propose to us is your decision.

Magic Mike's Last Dance (2023)

Pretty Man

[5/10 · 19 March 2023]

A third installment that surprised everyone from the 2012 success of Magic Mike, the independent film starring Channing Tatum and which was based on the life of the same actor.

The film was a success both at the box office and critically, and of course we had a sequel in 2015 with lower acceptance by critics and viewers. As we all know in the cinema nothing is certain, in 2023 this third installment of the franchise arrives and it promises to be the last and in turn Mike's last dance.

The truth is that we are facing a rather strange franchise that allows its own licenses for each of the three films and this time we are facing a romantic comedy that any movie lover will remember, a film starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere.

Keeping the similarities with Pretty Woman, in this third installment we surround ourselves with a story that works and that becomes a pleasant hobby for those who seek to follow Mike's adventures. It is a franchise that right from its second installment, its focus is to deliver a more commercial film than the one from 2012 and that is what one receives when you agree to see this third installment. As I mentioned before, there are 3 films that run on different tracks, which allows us to have our own decision to see or not see what they are proposing to us.

Channing Tatum once again enjoys his most beloved character and here he shines again in what he knows how to do best, which is dancing. Frankly, the dance numbers the actor delivers are really the high points the movie has. A perfect complement is the participation of Salma Hayek, who gives herself completely to enjoying her role and perfectly follows the erotic plan of having Tatum as a co-star.

It is a film that unleashes all that eroticism for the adult audience and I value that to the film that dares to take that step without limiting itself. Later we can debate if everything that surrounds that is well done or well written, but it fulfills its main purpose if we talk about the world of Strippers and sensuality.

Steven Soderbergh once again shows that he is a director who cannot be pigeonholed and who is allowed to do whatever he wants. We can find traces of the director and complement it with a sensational photograph by the same director.

It's a decent hobby that has moments where he manages to keep you connected thanks to dance numbers and songs, but when you try to find the reasoning behind everything we see it's a job that will get you nowhere. It is a film well below the first, a little better than the second and a last installment that will not be recognized as the perfect ending, but that leaves a pleasant feeling in that you did not waste your time watching it at all.

It is a film designed for the public and not to satisfy professional critics who have been disconnected with the public for a long time.