Reviews

"Fujino" is the class favourite when it comes to her four-scene manga that she draws for the weekly school newsletter. Then one afternoon her teacher asks her if she wouldn't mind letting "Kyomoto" have a go. She's never at school - indeed she's routinely called the truant, but he thinks that this might be a way of getting her more involved. How good can she be, thinks "Fujino"? Well it turns out that she's actually pretty good - but she still never shows up. At graduation time, "Fujino" is tasked with delivering the certificate to her unknown rival and that's the start of something that neither girl could readily have anticipated. It's quite an emotionally powerful animation, this one, taking a look at ambition and isolation amongst young people craving for acceptance, purpose and friendship as they start to emerge from childhood and face a much less sympathetic world. The girls have...

This has got to be the perfect antidote to the Hollywood treatment of a war film. It's bleak, grim and repulsive - and all in a great, intentional, cinematographic fashion. The thread centres around the young "Flyora" (a superb effort from Aleksey Kravchenko) who is taken from his Belorussian family farm at gunpoint (along with anything it's possible to eat) by the invading Nazi troops. What now ensues follows this young man as he escapes his captors, finds an old rifle and determines to join up with the communists who are fighting almost insurmountable odds to thwart their encroaching, heavily armed, foe. What really resonates here is the simplicity of the production. There are no specials effects, no CGI to create many when there are few - it tells the simplest of stories in a manner that is truly brutal at times, then truly evocative at others. Man's inhumanity to man and all that -...

"Baxter" (Jack Lemmon) has hit on an unique way to work his way up the greasy pole. He sublets his apartment, by the evening, to his bosses at work so they can entertain their lady friends - all in the hope that promotion from his $90-a-week job will result. This policy frequently ends up with him standing around in the cold whilst they polish off all his liquor. Promises, and more promises - will he every get that better job? His only bright spot in the day is the mysterious but jolly lift operator "Fran" (Shirley MacLaine) but it turns out that she is involved with another big-noise executive. It's this man "Sheldrake" (Fred MacMurray) who could really make a difference for "Baxter" but at what cost? He's undoubtedly a bit of a rake as he plays rather callously with the affections of the loved-up "Fran". Finally, she feels so very despondent and she takes drastic action that luckily...

It's a good movie, but Best Picture at the Oscars? Frankly… I really enjoyed this film, largely thanks to the lightness of its story, and the funny way in which the film plays with the situation in which the protagonist finds himself intertwined. The film was, in fact, the big winner of the Oscars in its year, with ten nominations and five statuettes (Best Editing, Best Art Direction in Black and White, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director and, the icing on the cake, Best movie). However, if we observe that that year were also nominated for much more memorable films such as “Spartacus” or “Psycho”, it is questionable whether this film really deserved to be considered the best film of the year. The script is based on the difficulties experienced by a simple office worker of a large insurance company from the moment he begins to lend his own apartment to several superiors in the firm,...

Essential viewing once a year for soul maintenance

A tiypical Billy Wilder comedy. Fun and with great script and performance from Jack Lemmon. A must to see.

(CASTELLANO) Una madre, un hijo imposible y una pantalla que se abre cuando la vida respira Me ha parecido una película muy potente, intensa y tristísima. No es cómoda, no es serena y desde luego no es pequeña emocionalmente: grita, canta, explota, se abraza, se rompe y vuelve a empezar. Pero precisamente por eso funciona. Dolan cuenta una relación madre-hijo que está llena de amor, rabia, miedo, dependencia y una imposibilidad terrible: quererse muchísimo no siempre basta para salvarse. Steve no es simplemente "un chico problemático". Es un adolescente explosivo, imprevisible, peligroso a veces, pero también vulnerable y necesitado de afecto. Puede pasar del encanto a la violencia en segundos, y eso hace que cada escena con él tenga una tensión constante. Lo miras con ternura y con miedo al mismo tiempo. Ahí la película acierta: no lo convierte en monstruo ni en víctima pura. Diane,...

This should have been two movies. ~ Please forgive any spelling errors. English is not my native language. I feel it would have been better if Justice League Dark: Apokolips War had been structured as two movies, similar to The Death of Superman and Reign of the Supermen. Movie 1: We see the Justice League preparing for the attack on Apokolips. Meanwhile, the Teen Titans prepare to defend Earth if the Justice League fails. An emotional farewell to characters we've come to know over several movies, and then the epic battle on Apokolips... and the tragic end. The death of the Justice League. The Titans try to defend Earth, but it's impossible. And the movie ends with Darkseid's victory. Movie 2: Earth is lost. We see the consequences of Darkseid's victory on Earth, humanity, and the surviving heroes. Survivors, rebels, heroes, and villains unite to defeat Darkseid after years, before...

The DC Animated Universe movies have had their ups and downs, though even the lesser ones were entertaining enough, but thoroughly enjoyed this (supposed) conclusion, it's certainly the bloodiest and plenty of major deaths. The animation is mostly good as was the voice acting (funny, didn't care for Jason O'Mara's Batman early on, but over these years, come to really like it) and nice hearing Matt Ryan's return as Constantine. 4.25/5 THIS is what the live action side should have led to if they had the patience...

Most of these men don't believe the same way you do, but they believe so much in how much you believe. Hacksaw Ridge is directed by Mel Gibson and written by Robert Schenkkan and Andrew Knight. It is based on the 2004 documentary The Conscientious Objector. It stars Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Vince Vaughn, Luke Bracey, Teresa Palmer, Ryan Corr, Hugo Weaving and Rachel Griffiths. Music is by Rupert Gregson-Williams and cinematography by Simon Duggan. Film is a depiction of the real life heroics of Desmond Doss, an American pacifist combat medic in WWII during The Battle of Okinawa. How great to have Gibson back directing, more so when he's tackling the brutalities of war and the critical human interest stories within. The story of Desmond Doss is inspirational stuff and Gibson and his team have done his story proud. First half of the picture details Doss' upbringing, getting...

On the battlefront, his intention was to save the lives. The film was awesome, mainly because of the good message it carried out. That's not it, the film was well made with the wonderful cast and their great performances. The special effects were top notch, as well as the location where the majority of the second half takes place. This is a US-Australian co-production. Mel Gibson returned to the director's chair with a bang after exactly a decade. It got six Oscars nominees, so let's wait and see how many awards it grabs. It was the World War II theme, based on a real person and events. It tells the story of an American youngster named Desmond Doss, who joins the army to contribute to his nation. But for his religious point of view, he struggles during the training. After managing to make through, the remaining film focused to reveal his bravery on the battlefield against the Japanese...

I first saw Hacksaw Ridge, back in November when it first came out.. Went to an afternoon screening and it was packed. From the very first scene to the last , I was in awe. This is the best movie I have seen in a long time. The last 30 minutes of the film, I had tears rolling down my cheeks. After it ended, it got a 5 minute standing ovation. Braveheart is my all time favourite movie and have seen it over 200 times., but this might just be my new favourite movie. I have seen it 6 times now, and cried every time. It is such an emotional film. The story of the HERO Desmond Doss is truly inspiring.Thank you Mel Gibson and Desmond Doss Jr. for letting us know more about this remarkable man. Hugo Weaving was robbed of an Oscar nomination. Andrew Garfield blew my away with his performance and it is Vince Vaughn's best performance as well. It is the best film of 2016.

Out of all the films nominated for best picture, there is one that isn’t getting much attention at all. In Hacksaw Ridge, the narrative surrounding the film doesn’t have much to do the film at all because it’s identity seems to be centered on Mel Gibson’s comeback. Read More: https://reviews.boxofficebuz.com/review/hacksaw-ridge

Django Unchained entertained me, for sure, with its taut storyline and its lack of predictability, but it doesn’t rise to the level of my few favorite Tarantino efforts. The trademark violence is present, sometimes to the point of it being cartoonish to me. It would have been easy to present many of the characters as stereotypical, but the script avoided that. The DiCaprio slave owner is vicious and cruel, but there are flashes of flexibility concerning the status quo with his slaves. And his elderly house slave seems to act more like a slave owner than he does. A chemistry develops between the two lead characters as they work as bounty hunters, and that is satisfying to see. There are the usual sometimes subtle nods to other films, and I felt the influence of Spaghetti Westerns here and there. As I said, I enjoyed the film, even though I won’t be watching it multiple times as I do...

When Django is unchained (pronounced JANG-oh, not Duh-JANG-oh) Released in 2012 and directed & written by Quentin Tarantino, "Django Unchained" stars Christoph Waltz as an ex-dentist who befriends an ex-slave, Django (Jamie Foxx) in West Texas a couple of years before the Civil War; they team-up as bounty hunters once they realize how good they jell. The second half focuses on their attempt to infiltrate a Mississippi plantation owned by pompous Southerner "Monsieur" Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio) in order to rescue Django's wife (Kerry Washington). Samuel L. Jackson plays Candie's overly loyal house slave. This is an excellent American Western with Spaghetti Western elements featuring Tarantino's typical artistic flourishes. It takes place in the West AND in the South, which is reminiscent of the underrated "Nevada Smith" (1966), one of my favorite Westerns. Waltz is magnetic as the...

ENTERTAINING from start to finish !! Given I am a big fan of Quentin's works i knew this movie would be a treat to watch.But what i didn't know was violence can be so COOL... The movie is a treat to watch(including the blood and gore) from starting to end.The acting is superb.And the cinematography is just too good! The whole cast played their parts to perfection...Especially Samuel L. Jackson and Jamie Foxx..Leo and Christopher Waltz were superb too..And as Christopher said in the movie - "It was hard to RESIST".A must watch for everyone who likes QUALITY cinema..Even the ones who cant stand BOOMs and BANGs, you wouldn't regret spending about 3 hours watching this well written, well directed and well acted GREAT movie !!

A highly entertaining yet disturbing film with superb cast and performances for an audience who would likely never consider watching a film fundamentally about slavery, where Tarantino is masterfully and emphatically navigating and exposing the complex layers of the violent and dehumanizing system of slavery.

Good suspense and mystery, although a bit too reliant on hallucinations, and the ending could have been better.

A US federal Marshal is sent on to investigate a missing patient on an isolated asylum called The Shutter Island. What he’s about to uncover will question him and his true identity. Quite exclusive and one of those storyline where you can’t lose your concentration for even a minute. Paradox plot, loved it through and through. This is pretty unusual but loved the soundtracks in the background helping in the foundation of suspense. Definitely another Scorsese masterpiece. A must watch. Follow us on Instagram: @flixxflyy

Don't you get it? You're a rat in a maze. US Marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) travels to an island asylum facility for the criminally insane with his newly assigned partner Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo). Their reason for being at Ashecliff Hospital is to investigate the mysterious disappearance of murderess Rachel Solando. But Teddy has another issue to deal with at Ashecliff, namely a meeting with Andrew Laeddis (Elias Koteas), the man he believes responsible for the death of his wife (Michelle Williams). Nothing is what it seems at the facility though, and the further Teddy & Chuck investigate, the murkier the truths of Ashecliff become. Directed by Martin Scorsese, Shutter Island is adapted from the best selling novel of the same name written by Dennis Lehane ("Mystic River/Gone Baby Gone"). It finds the talented director getting closer to horror than at any point in his...