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Reviews
Sanctum (2011)
A film especially for a specific audience and at the theatre
An underrated film.
Ratings and reviews on this film which I find credible are ones written by people who dive themselves and perhaps know something about cave diving too, people who have seen the film in a proper theatre in 3D and understand this is an action and thriller film, fictive but still based on actual crisis scenarios in cave diving. As such it is one of a kind and very well done as such.
In the darkness and sound systems of the theatre my company was very immersed into the whole experience of the film. My son and I were also emotionally moved, especially by the ending scenes because we as diving hobbyists know we might have to face situations with similarity. Situations may become complicated because of diving technicalities and sometimes hard choices have to be made as so many incidents have shown, last case being the finnish cave divers deaths in Norway's Plurdalen 2014.
While some review writers complain about characters and character development I think it is irrelevant in this case. "One does not go diving to be engaged in discussions of people's relations and emotional life, even though strong emotions have to be taken into account and can arise while diving. The place for that talk is afterwards, either at the bar or at the funeral gathering", as I've heard someone comment.
If you are interested in seeing the film then keep in mind that the movie is not meant to be seen on a TV-screen or in a regular space with lighting and sound not being suitable, so it's just regrettable if one hasn't the chance to see it on the big screen.
Dope (2015)
Unconventional,surprises and entertainment at it's best
Maybe I'm dumber than a dope dealer but THIS FLICK IS DOPE! Cheesy pun obviously intended. I could not find anything that would have needed to be improved because the movie is whole and complete with a variety or colors of style and clichés are avoided well, keeping in mind that most things/angles usually have been done at least once before in cinema. So, it might to someone at the surface look like a movie intended and produced specifically for teens but the intelligently written and surprising plot will hold the grip even on a more demanding viewer. There's a lot of humor, wit, action and suspense, character development, characters played by well casted actors who are convincing or likable/relateable.
The storytelling, how it is executed, has a real life taste to it in spite of the extra ordinary story and has an uplifting message baked into it, which makes me want to go see it again if someone asks me. I believe the film will stand the test of time, but we'll see won't we? I could even imagine a live theatre adaption of this film - it's that delicious of a plot + the dialogue etc. Enjoy!
Mr Blue Sky: The Story of Jeff Lynne & ELO (2012)
Great, but I would have liked to get just a little beneath the skin
The part of the title "The story of Jeff Lynne" does not describe the film very precisely.
I have always seen Jeff as probably a very nice and very reserved person and that impression only grew stronger by this movie which in essence does not really tell much anything about Jeff as a person. It's about "Jeff, the songwriter-producer and some comments about working with him". That is the reason I felt it honest to take off some stars from the rating. Music-wise it's what everyone knows: Doen't get sweeter than what Jeff's done in his musical area , 10/10. But the storytelling in this movie is the usual documentary patting on the back kind of thing while it oddly enough leaves out a huge portion of ELO and the members of ELO and Jeff's family-/personal-/emotional life is left out of the equation.
It is definitely worth a watch and will be very enjoyable for people who either know his music or in general like old school melodic music.
Cike Nie Yin Niang (2015)
Artsyfartsy and try-hard, really.
I myself, along with my wife make both conventional and experimental arts, music, dance, painting and theatrical drama and I really appreciate alternative and slow pace, low noise, visually stimulating movies. So I'm the kind of person who would objectively know when the line is crossed when something that seems to be artful really becomes something pretentious or "try-hard" and a waste of time. I do hate to write a bad review, but I feel obligated so common people won't feel they've wasted money and time in vain.
The cinematography of Ping Bin gets 10/10, that's a no-brainer. The lighting, the wardrobe department, the set builders get 10/10.
But a movie is supposed to be successful combination of a few central elements. If I imagine myself as a headmaster of a cinema academy, deciding who would pass the grade and who wouldn't and this whole movie would be the whole crew's diploma work I actually would be forced to flunk the following of the crew:
-the general scriptwriter (simple, no multiple levels, no symbolism or poetic/philosophic storytelling). -the scrip's dialogue writer (very little dialogue. Little information in dialogue -> uninteresting and two dimensional characters. Still: within the minimalistic dialogue, unnecessary speech).
-the editor (pauses, pauses and pauses again, for no real purpose whatsoever). -the other editor(how can someone let this pass? It didn't build suspense. Didn't add to anything, just wasted time. The movie would well suffice with 50 minutes time).
-most of the actors (not cinematic acting but ether silly grandeur theater mime-ish acting or hardly any acting with never ending, unnecessary pauses in dialogue, if anything is said). -the men's makeup artist (isn't it already getting silly old with the Spockish or bushy eyebrows inspired from old Chinese illustrations?). -the fight choreographer (would be nice to see something semi-realistic for a change and not again this supernatural fighting once again where the women might as well be able to throw the men 30 yards, fence a crowd of samurais with a needle, lift a rhino with their left hand while jumping onto the top of the roof)
and finally -the Director and producer for failing to deliver a whole package which would be at least somewhat thought-provoking or in some other way interesting.
Most people who give this film a high rating, I would suspect do so because of the visuals and are fully satisfied with that plus a simple story.
Well, if you want visuals AND mind stimulus I assure you, you are much better off going to your local photography gallery where there might be a real topic/topics and with underlying thought and message and you will at the same time be able to exchange ideas and thoughts that arise in you and other guests. Besides, there weren't many outside shots anyway, most were shot inside which will add to the audiences experience of being confined to boredom for a 105 minutes. From this film arises - basically nothing. Even a couple of laughs from a primitive comedy gives more value for the money.
Horns (2013)
A deformed and rare pearl!
10/10 , if one can just shift into gear of "not everything has to be perfect" because it doesn't and actually NEVER CAN in a movie. This is not a book - so throw away that comparison. Which film has ever been as good as the book? Keep that question in mind. It will get many to want to get even more out of the story's framework by reading/buying the book (* novel by Joe Hill) though, which can be nothing but a good thing.
I'll keep this short.
I was totally taken by this film, which doesn't often happen. I would shortly describe this: It's a story about love and a thriller with some fantasy-horror-seasoning and loads of intelligent dark humor baked together into a very rare, tasty dish.
It got me intrigued in suspense, what'll happen next. Many surprises. It got me laughing aloud so many times. It got me to ponder my own dark sides of thought. It got me to feel many things on a wide scale, reflecting my life, myself as a person, life in general and the wonderful thing (which is rarer in these days, especially in horror-labeled films) was that it was very uplifting.
Even thoug everything is well made, I think in this case it's not even that much about how exactly everything is put together as HOW ABLE THE VIEWER is to use the story and find messages and roots for further thoughts while at the same time be just absorbed and entertained in a way that is seldomly - or maybe never before seen in this way combined. I think this film is a deformed and rare pearl in a category with hardly any rivals or none.
An absolutely wonderful story and a must-see for introspective people with wide taste !