rafaews

Suncoast (2024)

Sweet, subtle and solid

Right now this movie is scoring 6.7 and I'm not sure why isn't higher.

I was so impressed with Laura Linney from the get go and her scenes with Nico Parker were often overwhelming given how good they were.

Nico, keeps the ball rolling. And it's a heavy ball so props to her.

Woody Harrelson does.. what he does and he does more than fine.

I think it was a sweet, subtle, solid rendition of a weird coming of age story. Esteeming from a very dysfunctional situation for any teenager but that really shines through the observation of the mother figure and the absurdity of having to deal with life in those terms.

Silent Night (2023)

This is why cinema is dying

Not much difference here from some independent YouTuber that decided to call all his friends and have some fun with fake and CGI blood.

The fact that the movie has little to no dialogs doesn't add to the story and it's just plain unrealistic and moves you away from the experience..

A few added scenes that defy laws of physics and just look janky..

Really, it might seem at first that this is somehow a groundbreaking flick coming from great names like John Woo and Joel Kinneman and, why not, Kid Cudi, but really it's just a arguably racist collection of just fine shootings and hand fights.

This is why cinema is dying: Good names, low story-telling quality.

57 Seconds (2023)

"Your eyes are bigger than your stomach"

Wow. I'm mind-blown.

Do you know when you are watching a science fiction movie or any movie really and you have those moments of amazement thinking "Wow! I feel like I'm getting smarter after every scene!", "This is so well written!" "This is so ingenious!"? Well, unfortunately, the complete opposite just happened...

It's remarkable how the decision makers involved in this project were able to set up this big scope involving as characters apparently two of the worlds most influential beings, the tech genius entrepreneur! And the pharmaceutical giant!, with the MIT graduate 'chosen one'!, and the movie be so ridden by basically idiotic/childish decisions and set ups. Everything just feels relentlessly cheap. How contradictory.

How to suspend your disbelief when the movie is set within such a wealthy and high-stakes scenario but you have everything surrounding your production (except Morgan Freeman) being not up to par? It just makes no sense.

Next time just tune/humble the whole thing down so that you don't have to simplify every plot point because you don't have the budget or the technical team/energy to make it.

The List (2023)

The editing butchered this movie so bad

I'm quite mad given how actually good the bulk of the story is compared to the editing, the rhythm of the dialogs.

And if you can go pass that, you might actually laugh over some really good lines like I did.

But sometimes it just sounds like you're following a conversation made of voice messages on a cellphone. One abrupt and disconnected vocalization after the other.

The movie was shot in "19 days" and for the scope of what's presented, all the moving parts, they did a great job, so shout out to that.

But again, I can't stress enough how unflattering in post-production the editing was.

I bet this can be saved. Gosh, I hope someone does it.

Unwelcome (2022)

I don't get why the score is so low atm 4.9

I don't get why the score is so low at the moment (4.9 stars) honestly hahaha, it's a bit different, yes, but I enjoyed a lot!

I even think this movie is cult material for the future.

The whole production was on point. Just a bit slow at times but I really have nothing to complain besides that. Acting, visual and special effects, makeup all on point.

Yes, it's kind of a mix of genres but it's fun, funny and scary. Why can't it be all❔ hahhaa.

I'm done now. You don't need to read anymore because I have nothing else to say. Just meeting the character requirements for the review, really. Bye.

Sharper (2023)

Flat and unengaging

Well acted, shot and produced, has some nice twists, and the central idea isn't bad.. But it could've been better to me. They started it like a classic romcom and they shouldn't. Why would you make it similar to the dying, almost certain box-office bomb these days? Just to make it different? Just to have that twist? Make it interesting and engaging throughout the whole movie. Read the room. 60 minutes in and you don't know who to root for because none of the characters has any background, they are not caricatures but they have barely any motivation. And it doesn't end much better. Flat and unengaging.

Maybe I Do (2023)

Let the movies for the filmmakers

I'm tired of these playwriters messing around with film-making acting as it it was the easiest thing in the world. Florian Zeller did good with the help of his colleague Christopher Hampton, writing the screenplay, and the whole cast, of course, in The Father (2020) but let's be honest this job is not for everyone.

This movie feels like cheap TV, even with the stellar cast. The colors have no mood. The shot angles, mostly have no purpose. They insist in keep them constrained to the constrained theater like sets and set-ups. Even the audio sounds senseless.

You can't just thing "oh, I can do this" and don't rely on competent and more experience creatives.

Have a little more respect for the medium, please. Movies are not just a filmed play and they shouldn't be.

The Good Nurse (2022)

Annoyingly unengaging

Just because the subject is heavy or grim or depressing doesn't mean that the movie has to convey ONLY that, right? The movie starts and lingers for a long while uninteresting, unappealing, not engaging...

And what's with the fake film grain noise? It just looks weird and cheap and unprofessional. And since when hospitals are so dark? I'll answer that: they aren't. Maybe that's why the wrongdoings, they can't see a thing in there.

The story isn't dispensable but the way it's presented it makes you not care. It feels distressingly impersonal. From the cinematography, general rhythm, to the editing.

I could just read about it on an article, it would take 2 minutes.

The acting is fine but I feel like everything else is working against the movie.

So disappointed.

-Rant end-

Fall (2022)

Props to the cinematographer, set designer and others.

Annoyingly unrealistic. From the whole climbing thing (approach, technical skills, physicality, equipment) to the freaking electric hack.. My head starts aching if I think about it too much.

The main actresses are doing their best but it's just not there yet.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan had very few lines if you're wondering. Used as bait.

Story twists are hit or miss.

All that aside it's a fairly entertaining movie with some nice jump scares. The use of CGI was clever and there are some really nice shots in this. Even though my brain was confused, my heart was racing. I have to recognize that. 6 for the entertainment.

Samaritan (2022)

Superhero movies don't have to be this dumb

Dialogs are quite often awful. Sometimes they don't even make sense. Characters are super flat, specially the kid portrayed by Javon 'Wanna' Walton (Euphoria). By the way, if you watch Euphoria you know his character on the HBO's show is a 12 out of 10, but in this movie 2/10. Tries way too hard. He's 13yo but sounds and acts way younger, super naive and whinny. And most of his traits are unjustified in the movie. The arc of the character portrayed by Stallone is interesting and for the most part of the movie I was praying for it to end like it did because it was the only thing that could "save" it. 3/10 for the effort and for a few good lines.

Reo hoad... muean kod ter (2022)

Amazing Film.

It gave me some Amélie (2001) vibes with a little of Spike Jonze's Her (2013) in the end.

Outstanding: Comedy, Directing, Acting, Soundtrack, Script... I could go on and on...

It's a movie about growing up, relationships, love, family, work, dreams and everything in between.

It gave me laughs and tears.

There's absolute nothing I'd change or I feel like it needs more work.

One of the best movies I've seen this year.

Cheers.

Uncharted (2022)

It was a 5 but the ending was nice.

Maybe I'm too old* for this or maybe I've watched too many LockPickingLawyer videos to get excited by two rudimentary golden keys. That was really flat.

The twists were nice but the rest wasn't gullible.

And the movie starts with the least exciting scenes. So much CGI there. Well, at least it was a flash-forward and when they went back to that point those scenes were intertwined with scenes with actual elements, real things, you know?

Anyways. Teenage movie. 6 out of 10.

* age 32.

9 Bullets (2022)

They spent 90% of the budget on cast.

10% on drone shots.

No money for cinematography, vfx, soundtrack. The director thought he could do it. Well, he couldn't.

The actors thought no one was gonna see this and they just didn't care.

Lazy, lame and labored.

I couldn't go past 15 minutes.

Ambulance (2022)

The second worst movie I've watched till the end this year.

Ok, I didn't know it was a Michael Bay movie, I just saw Jake and Yahya and went for it. Maybe it was my fault. I should've known better.

I haven't seen so much MB BS since Six Underground: nonsense explosions, camera shots, drones' stunts, plot...

And.. I had to pull back away from the screen in order to not get dizzy. So many purposeless cuts and shakes. My brain couldn't handle.

BTW the worst was Moonfall.

Moonshot (2022)

A lot of fun

I was totally expecting another OK romcom but this flick surprised me.

I busted out laughing quite a few times.

The AI robots are the funniest.

Maybe it's just me but I loved it.

Just try it.

De uskyldige (2021)

What a good surprise.

Original enough, fine acting, well shot, well cut.

I have absolute no complains.

If you're looking for a slow burn unconventional horror movie in 2021, this is it.

The Cleaner (2021)

This movie is legit.

This movie is legit, I'm surprised.

Well cast, shot, acted.

Art Department? This lead guy King Orba, not the best name, looks great on camera. He kills it. Such an interesting character.

Maybe the music could use some love, I think.

Well done.

Mio fratello mia sorella (2021)

Everything is fine except the ending.

The entire movie felt real and based on real characters but the ending threw me off almost completely.

I don't wanna give any spoilers but there's this element that appears out of nowhere, creates a plot twist and gives you somewhat of a happy ending.

I was like "what just happened???".

I guess that's what they call Deus ex machina. From wiki: a plot device whereby a seemingly unsolvable problem in a story is suddenly and abruptly resolved by an unexpected and unlikely occurrence.

The Voyeurs (2021)

The ending though...

I liked the overall tone, aesthetics, cast, acting, concept... But the ending was too much. The unreal twists have kind of broken the spell for me. I'd love to see this movie with a simpler more realistic third act.

Flora & Ulysses (2021)

Solid 8

Funny, inspiring, well written, cast and shot. And the kids were great! Matilda killed it. I just wish the third act would ambiguously turn more towards reality. I think it would resonate more. But maybe it's just the cynic in me talking.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020)

As a play, great. As a movie, hmmmmm.

Seconds into the movie I "new" it was a play adaptation, and for me, that's no good. That continued throughout: change set, lots of dialogs, repeat. "Show, don't tell" cinemawise nonexistent. Maybe I'm watching too much Bollywood movies to dislike the (un)singing? Who knows? And there was this very strange cut at the end... Which made sense after I read the last page of the original play. That last scene didn't exist. I wouldn't be surprised if I someone told me that that last bit was shot and added later on the production... Also, I don't know if it was the lack of "cinematic language", or because the original script leaves a lot for your imagination but, Levee's rage build up felt much better on paper... 5/10.

Unhinged (2020)

How I hate movies driven by stupid decisions...

• Crowe does a fine job.

• The kid is intense, I've seen him before.

• But the dialogs don't help.

• The pace feels like is from a short story that was stretched to a feature.