The English Teacher movie review

Cast: Julianne Moore, Greg Kinnear, Michael Angarano, Lily Collins, Nathan Lane
Director: Craig Zisk
Running time: 1 hour and 33 minutes
  The English Teacher is the story of an English teacher, her old student and his play. Linda (Julianne Moore) is a high school English teacher that lives a pretty ordinary life until she runs into her old student Jason (Michael Angarano) and gets a look at his play. Now she is determined to get "The Chrysalis" produced along with the help of Jason and Carl (Nathan Lane),the drama teacher. But things don't go as expected. What will happen to the play? And what will happen to Linda Sinclair?
   I like Julianne Moore and she was one of the reasons (the other one was Gregg Kinnear) that i started watching this movie. And unfortunately i can't say I'm glad.
  But first thing's first. There were some positive things about "The English Teacher" that are worth mentioning. A big part of the movie was Kinnear's , Dr. Sherwood's, relationship with his son Angarano, or Jason as was the character's name. Their relationship is obviously damaged but what was very interesting and what i really appreciated was that it wasn't all blamed on the father or all on the son as we see in many films these days.They both made mistakes and they were both to blame and that was depicted nicely in the movie. It was an element that made "The English Teacher" more realistic and relatable, in my opinion.
  I, also, really enjoyed Nathan Lane's character, Carl. Carl is the drama teacher that tells stories about how he met famous theater directors and producers and how they all saw a rare talent in him. I saw Carl as a very common and everyday kind of person in the way he tried to cover up his own insecurities and fears by trying to impress others with made up over-the-top stories. I feel that Carl as a character is someone very flawed and very human that exists in all of us. More in some and less in others. One incident in the movie that stands out about Lane's role is when he confessed to lying about how he met some famous theater guy (i can't remember who) but still by the opening night he was back to his old tricks.
  Now regarding the weaknesses of the movie and the main characters. My main problem was that non of the characters are developed, have any real backstories or have personalities to be honest.
  Linda is portrayed as a simple, passionate woman who is stuck in a boring life but that's all we get. In order to understand her and understand her decisions (like why she slept with a former student) we need to know a little more about her life previous to the "incident", meaning the random one night stand, or more about her family and the people that contributed to who she is at this point or her interests, we know she likes literature but the movie doesn't even get deeper into that, or anything really. She is just blank and dull and the audience has no connection to her whatsoever. In fact the way this character is depicted in the film seems pretty unlikely. Why now?? Why this student?? Hasn't she met anyone talented before??What is so special about Jason??
  Which brings me to my second point. Jason. Jason is obviously disturbed in some way so that he makes up such elaborate lies about his relationships with his father,his mother and anything else he lied about. What was his childhood really like and what really happened with him and his father?? and where is his mom?? Why he lied about her being dead?? and so many more questions i could ask but i won't because i don't to bore you. 
  The same goes for all the characters in "The English Teacher". No one has any substance, character development or backstory. But it doesn't just stop there. The infamous play is a very mysterious thing in the movie considering it's such a main thing.But that doesn't get developed either. What i've gathered from watching the movie is that there is a daughter, her mother is dead, she has an Irish stepmother, she has a father and at some point she is transformed  into some kind of insect (?). The whole thing of "The English Teacher" is that there is a play that is so wonderful, so sad and so perfect that it needs to be produced but we don't know anything about it (except the bug thing). We are supposed to have such strong feelings regarding the play, like the movie characters, that we become filled with excitement, anxiety and worry about what will happen. But we're not. We don't care at all about what will happen with the play. Or at least i didn't.
  And that's not the only problem about the play. How can it be so perfect and how can Linda and Carl love it so much but still change its ending?? How can they fight so hard to keep it intact but end up changing the most important thing about it and it still staying great?? I'm sorry but i don't buy it and it pisses me off a little bit because it's so unrealistic. You don't get a masterpiece from changing the ending of a play in order to make it safe to be a high school production. It doesn't work like that.
  And finally, i found the whole love story between Moore and Kinnear unnecessary. It feels forced not  because of the acting but because of its nature. And what i mean is that it is only incorporated to the story to keep the audience interested. Not every story has to have a love story and a happy ending. Most great stories don't. 
   In conclusion,"The English Teacher" has a nice concept and some funny bits and situations but it would be a million times better if it was an indie drama about a teacher, her old student and his play.
Score: 28%

m.

Courtesy

Cinedigm Entertainment

Tribeca Film

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire movie review

Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland, Jeffrey Wright
Director: Francis Lawrence
Running time: 2 hour and 26 minutes
  The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is the second installment of The Hunger Games movies. Katniss and Peeta are back after winning the 74th annual Hunger Games and about to leave for their victory tour. During the tour both, Katniss and Peeta, realize that a revolution is starting and Katniss is in the center of it all. But there are more in store for them. After they come back from the tour it is announced that in this year's annual Hunger Games the tributes will be selected from the existing pool of victors. So, once again, they are off to try and win in this deadly game.And this year President Snow has made sure there can only be one winner. 
  I LOVE this movie. I really loved the first one but it doesn't even compare to this one. First of all we get to learn more about the characters,especially Peeta and Gale,from whom we saw almost nothing in the first film.
  Here we see a stronger,more determined but still funny, charming and kind Peeta. There was more personality to him while in the first one i felt he was just a clueless victim. He understands now that everything about the love affair between him and Katniss were for the cameras and he accepts it but he still tries to establish at least a friendship with her. He is now a protagonist of the movie along with Katniss while in the first hunger games that wasn't the case. 
  We, also, get to know a little bit about Gale and get to see his relationship with Katniss. We see that he cares for her and that she cares for him too but we experience him beyond that. We learn more about his thoughts on the Capitol and the revolution, which he mentioned in the first movie but only briefly, and see him taking action against the authorities in order to save others.
  Katniss is tough, caring and a survivor. We got to know quite a bit of her in the first movie but here she shows how much she cares about people and we understand why everyone sees a leader in her since she is caring but has, also, the strength to fight for those who can't. 
  One thing i really enjoyed was how clear it is that Katniss has feelings for Peeta. In the first Hunger Games movie you get the impression that she starts to feel something for him but it is obvious that for the most part she is lying in order to survive. In the second Hunger Games movie there is a bond that forms between them during their time together that is very strong due to fact that they experienced a lot with each other while trying to survive their first time in the games but, also, because they know that they will have to go through that again and this time only one of them will survive.
  Moreover, i really liked watching Woody Harrelson as Haymitch. We got a lot more of him this time around and i really enjoyed it. I am very happy that we will see even more from him in the third movie in a different way because of the information we got from the second movie. The same goes for Effie (Elizabeth Banks) i had fun watching her and she showed us a more sensitive side to her and i can't wait to see how she will be incorporated in the third Hunger Games movie.
  And finally, one of the biggest things that bothered me (i really hate it) was the fact that have the movie was shot in a very-shaky-camera way. But thankfully that was not the case for the second movie. The camera work was pretty steady for the most part and that allowed the audience to really focus on what was happening rather than getting distracted every five minutes.
  There were a couple of things that i didn't like about The Hunger Games. The first one was that even though Peeta was portrayed as a kind but strong person in general during the games he was shown as a very weak competitor. I feel that he would be a stronger contender based on the first movie. In the original Hunger Games we saw that he was very good at lifting heavy weights and camouflaging himself in order to blend into the background but in Catching Fire he doesn't take advantage of his strengths at all.
  Furthermore, SPOILER ALERT!! the big reveal at the end was that Finnick and Johanna and some other tributes where part of a group hoping to start a revolution and they were trying to save Katniss so that she would be the leader. And that would be a great surprise and ending if it wasn't for some unnecessary comments made by Johanna, mostly, that made it obvious what was the plan. I saw the twist coming and it took all the fun out of the ending. I wish it was more unexpected.
  In conclusion, i love The Hunger Games trilogy and this is my favourite so far. Worth more than just one watch. And to give a hint on how much a liked it i will say it was 2 and a half hours and i didn't want it to end.
Score: 95%
And remember, the odds are never in our favor.

m.

Courtesy

Lionsgate

The Counselor movie review

Cast: Michael Fassbender, Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Cameron Diaz, Brad Pitt
Director: Ridley Scott
Running time: 1 hour and 57 minutes
  The Counselor is a movie about a lawyer who decides to get in business with the wrong side of the law. He decides to get into the drug scene (although I'm still not sure what he would be doing exactly). But things don't go the way they were supposed to and now the Counselor is left trying to figure out how to get himself out of the, very serious, trouble he is in.
  What i will say about this movie is that it is "interesting". And what i mean by that is that because it is so extremely over the top it generated a certain fascination in me to see what's next. Every scene is more ridiculous than the previous and that kept me at the edge of my seat. I was never bored and the movie is almost two hours (so that should say something).I, also, have to say that i found the movie pretty hilarious and i don't know if i should put this on the pros or the cons column because it's not supposed to be funny. The dialogue between almost anyone in the movie is so random and tries to be so serious at the same time that it becomes comedic. It was so weird that i couldn't help but think "what the hell are they saying??". One of my favourite examples of this kind of conversation was when The Counselor was talking on the phone with Jefe, a high-ranking cartel member, and he would answer every question The Counselor asked with a very "deep"-sounding nonsense. It  was so great.Furthermore, I actually did really like one of the characters. Westray (Brad Pitt) was an interesting addition to the film even though his appearances were limited.
  The Counselor is very flawed in my opinion. First of all it's a big mess, to be honest. It has a very basic structure. The audience can definitely follow the events but the story is limited and interrupted by crazy and random scenes that are only there to shock the viewer (like the car thing or the snuff film thing). It is all over the place. The movie tries to tell a story but it ends up just showing you scenes in a chaotic way. It really bothered me and took me out of the whole thing. You don't see substance, you don't get to know anyone (not even The Counselor or his motives) and you don't care about anyone's fate in the end. It didn't feel like a real movie to me but rather a big pile of  aimless moments. Moreover,even though non of the characters is worthwhile Penelope Cruz's character is even worse. She has no purpose until the end. She is just a plot device .
  In conclusion, funny but intentionally, messy and with  a great cast that can't save the movie from being what it is. If you are really bored watch it for the ridiculousness of it. 
Score: 32%

m.

Courtesy

20th Century FOX

Some Girl(s) movie review

Cast: Adam Brody, Jennifer Morrison, Mia Maestro, Emily Watson, Zoe Kazan, Kristen Bell
Director: Daisy von Scherler Mayer
Running time: 1 hour and 30 minutes
  The movie starts off with Adam Brody,who is never named through the film and is credited as man, in a hotel room waiting for Sam (Jrnnifer Morrison) his ex-girlfriend. And after that he waits in a hotel room for Tyler (Mia Maestro). And then Lindsay (Emily Watson). And Reggie (Zoe Kazan). And Bobbi (Kristen Bell). Adam Brody is on a "tour" to find and talk to his ex-girlfriends before he gets married. And he does. And many things happen.
  Fun little fact: the movie is based on a play by Neil LaBute that ran in both London and New York City. And the screenplay for the movie was, also, written by Neil LaBute.
SAM (Seattle). Sam is the high school sweetheart. The girl from school that Brody's character broke up with before leaving for college.He didn't want to stay in his hometown and have a mediocre life. And he knew that was what Sam would end up having. 
Sam's story is greatly relatable for many people and that is what i loved about it. It is something out of real life and that makes it all the more genuine and realistic. I, also, feel that it was the best one to start off with. It was the most simple one of all of them and a great way to ease us into the whole movie.
Sam's reaction was spot on. Not too dramatic but not apathetic either. It was the perfect way for an everyday, girl-next-door woman to react. It was the perfect way for someone like Sam to react.
TYLER (Chicago). Tyler is the adventurous girl. She is the girl with whom Brody experimented and got more in touch with his wild side. However, as Adam Brody discovers throughout their talk in the hotel room, she isn't really one of the girls he "wronged". He just thought she was because of the pain he felt while he was with her. But that pain was, in reality, for the girl he broke up with to be with Tyler. That pain was for a girl that comes up later in the list.
What i really enjoyed about this story is that it is a very suitable continuance from the previous story. After having relationships with sweet yet somewhat ordinary girls, Brody was attracted to the adventurous and unfamiliar wild-girl. It seems natural that Brody chose to get involved with Tyler at the point in his life where he was experiencing his life in a new light, after leaving home.
And like Sam, i thought that Tyler's reaction was perfect. It was obvious that even though Brody's character had made an impression, he wasn't someone she would stay very long with. But she was still hurt, even though you could tell she was tough, when he told her that she wasn't that important to him after all. That she was a "second" choice.
LINDSAY (Boston). Lindsay is the older woman who is, also, married. She got together with Brody's character when he started working at the school she was a teacher at and they started having an affair. They were eventually caught and she stayed and faced the consequences while Brody ran away and left her alone.
Lindsay blames Brody not only for leaving her when the times got tough but, also, for the affair they were in.
On the other side, Brody's character regrets abandoning her but doesn't feel that the affair was something to be guilty about.
My opinion about Lindsay's story and her reaction, which i won't spoil but it was a little bit extreme, is that Lindsay was not forced into the affair by anyone and she was the only one involved with someone else at the time. So she only has to blame herself. However it was understandable that  she blamed Brody too, especially after the way he treated her. 
So i feel that Lindsay's story was the one that was the most educational. She did something she regretted afterwards and she managed seeing Brody again in a human way but she, also, taught him a lesson and tried to make him understand that his actions affect others.
REGGIE (Seattle...again). Reggie is Brody's best friend's sister. She is the young girl that had a crush on him. But, at the same time, she is the girl with whom things went too far. The girl that was the most affected by Brody's behavior without him even realising it.
Reggie is, also, the girl that, in my opinion, got the most out of Brody's visit. In all the visits you could tell that Brody's reasons for the "tour" down memory lane were selfish. It was obvious that by the end of these conversations the person that was most benefited was Brody. However, in Reggie's case she was the one that walked out another person. A free person that was no longer carrying baggage from her past.
Reggie's story was the point where you understood how serious the movie really is. That it isn't just another movie about love but a movie about human behavior and human interactions.
BOBBI (Los Angeles). We have arrived. We are at the last stop of the exes train. We are at Bobbi's story. Remember the girl that Brody left in order to be with Tyler?? Well that girl is Bobbi.
Bobbi's story is the most crucial in the whole movie, hence it's the last one. SPOILER ALERT!! For me the most important thing in Bobbi's storyline (more important than the mike itself) is that Bobbi saw Brody's true nature from the start. She called him out on his bullshit before she even discovered the truth.She was a badass.
As far as the microphone goes, i really didn't see it coming (and maybe i should have). I knew his reasons for all of this were self centered but i didn't realise how much. And, frankly i loved it. I didn't see it coming but i did believe it in a second.
Which brings me to another major point. Brody's character was an asshole. BUT you didn't realise it right away. The script is so good that as the movie progresses the more you start to understand what kind of person Brody really is. You can't tell right from the begging but as you move forward in the story pieces start to click and his character starts to reveal himself. It's pretty great to watch.
Now back to Bobbi, as expected Brody comes to the conclusion (genuine or not) that she is the one for him. But she still leaves him realising that he is still the same person and that he will never change.
And that is what makes the ending so great (both; the one with Bobbi and the very end of the movie). You see that even with all the things that happened throughout his journey he learned nothing and he didn't grow at all from the experience. You understand that not everyone can change and it's fascinating to watch.
  In conclusion, a great movie in my opinion. A real dive into the human soul and a testament to human behavior and its consequences. A must-watch.
Score: 92%

m.

Courtesy

Leeden Media

About Time movie review

Cast: Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy
Director: Richard Curtis
Running time: 2 hours and 3 minutes
  About Time is a movie about a young man who learns from his father that he has the power to go back in time and change any situation. We watch him use his power for his benefit and for others and we go along as his life changes with the help of his extraordinaire abilities.
  The whole movie is charming and lovely and that is mostly because of the very likable leading man. Domhnall Gleeson has an awkwardness that is very appealing. He is not the model-actor that is a usual choice in many movies but he is not the complete opposite either. He is just the cute guy next door. One of the things i really enjoyed about the film was that it wasn't focused on how Gleeson was going to get the girl, McAdams, using his powers and that would be the end of it. It wasn't a love story but rather a life story. There was more to it. It had more aspects. From his parents, sister, best friend.... to his wife and kids. It covers all the layers of his life from the point that he learns about his powers and on. Moreover, i found unusual and very interesting his relationship with his sister, Wilson. It was sweet and their love was pure and unique. The movie , also, has a solid lesson to be learned which is always a good thing. Lastly, i though it was great how the movie portrayed Gleeson's character through the years. You could see the subtle change in his maturity and thought process as he was getting older. And as he was growing up so did the way he used his powers. 
  There was one thing i didn't really understand. SPOILER ALERT!!!! Why couldn't Tim go back to see his father after having a third child? If he did everything the same way theoretically it would be possible to go back and then return to the same present, especially since he had done it once before; so that he would have the daughter he had before instead of a son. And i know what i am saying is confusing for anyone who hasn't seen the movie yet but i was very curious.
  The thing that i found a little bit unrealistic was the character of the sister, Lydia Wilson. She was  depicted as a girl who lived in her own world but that was only for some of the time; other times she would act in a more usual way. So i thought the movie had to either go all out and make her really weird, in the alternative-indie movie kind of way, or make her really damaged which would mean another backstory for her because here she seemed to have a pretty great childhood which wouldn't explain the damaged part. And finally what i found to be another negative about this movie was that it was too perfect. Perfect next-to-the-sea mansion and down town apartment, perfect family, perfect girl... It was a bit too much perfection.
  In conclusion, i really liked this movie, even though it wasn't perfect. Very enjoyable and i recommend it without a doubt.
Score: 82%

m.

Courtesy

Universal Pictures

Fact Thursday

  Hey guys! Today's fact comes a little early,but who wants to wait until Friday. So here it is:
The glamorous and extravagant mansion in the movie The Great Gatsby was actually, as told by the movie's director Baz Luhrmann, his old high school in Australia as well as some computer graphics.
Hope you enjoyed today's fact and come back for more movie facts, reviews and more.
Have a great day.
m.

Courtesy

Warner Bros. Pictures

Margot at the Wedding movie review

Cast: Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jack Black, John Turturro, Zane Pais
Director: Noah Baumbach
Running time: 1 hour and 33 minutes
  "Margot at the wedding" is literally about Margot who went at a wedding. No, I'm kidding, it's much more than that. The movie picks up with Margot (Nicole Kidman) and her son on the train going to visit Margot's sister that is getting married. During the movie we explore Margot's relationship with her sister, her son, her husband and how Margot reacts and thinks in general.
  I have to say i really liked it. It was a little wacky and weird but, also, felt realistic and genuine. The main theme of the movie was the relationship between the sisters (Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Jason Leigh). They talked about one another behind the other's back but they felt like real sisters (there is a specific scene where they talked about the past and laughed about it when you could see how comfortable they felt with each other). And even though the one criticized the life choices of the other you could see the love they had despite their estrangement. Moreover, another element of the movie i really liked was how troubled Margot was and how that was portrayed in really settle ways during the movie. There were not any big, yell-y and dramatic scenes but you could see from the way she would talk to her son or her sister or how she would react to situations that Margot wasn't just a regular person but that she had issues. Finally, there were, surprisingly, some funny scenes and what i liked the most about them was that the movie was not a comedy but the scenes were funny in a way they would be in real life. Not in a big way but in an everyday kind of way.
  One thing that would really annoy me in any other movie but felt right for this one is that there are many things happening but non of them is explained further. For example there are the neighbors that want to cut down the tree or Becky, who is the third sister, or their mother or almost anything really. However i felt that the movie didn't have to explore any of those things. I viewed it as more of a film that showed us Margot at a given moment and how she handled a certain situation rather than a film that showed us Margot and her life in general. In the same spirit i thought the ending was perfect. Even though i was taken aback with surprise at first, the more i thought about it the more i realised that as i said before the movie was about Margot at the wedding (pretty spot on title) and it didn't have to end with a big finale. It, instead, ended in a realistic way that showed that, ultimately, nothing changed and everything stayed the same.
   As a bad thing i really can't find anything to say. The movie felt realistic and it had a artfulness to it so if you are not into more artsy movies maybe you won't like it but i am and i enjoyed every minute of it.
  In conclusion, a realistic movie that says a story in its own way. Definitely worth a watch in my opinion.
Score: 83%

m.
  

Courtesy

Paramount Vantage

Stuck in Love movie review

Cast: Greg Kinnear, Jennifer Connelly, Lily Collins, Nat Wolff, Liana Liberato, Kristen Bell
Director: Josh Boone
Running time: 1 hour and 37 minutes
Stuck in Love features the lives of a father, his son and his daughter and how they each experience love.
  The movie has a lightness and youthfulness that i really enjoyed. It's all about love, has a pretty great cast (i love Greg Kinnear and Jennifer Conneli and i am really getting into Lily Collins) and feels like a fairytale to be honest. Also, a small thing that i would like to point out is how much i like movies that end in quotes. I don't know why but every time a movie starts and/or ends with a really great famous quote i get excited and that was the case with this movie. Moreover, i thought the relationship between the father and his kids was the relationship that i would like to have with my kids, someday.Kinnear's character treated his children with respect and viewed them as his equals and not like little kids. He talked to them as he would talk to grown ups.On that note, i really enjoyed the relationship between the siblings. They obviously care about each other but not like in other movies where they either don't love each other at all or they are inseparable,have only nice things to say about each other and never fight. Finally, i found the realism of the story about the younger son and his girlfriend really refreshing. We see in the movie the period of time when they are in love but we, also, see how Liana Liberato's character had many problems that couldn't be solved by Nat Wolff's character but how he still had the illusion and desire that she would come back to him and how she didn't.
  However, i had much trouble with this movie. My main problem was that any of the stories, and i am not only talking about the love stories, was not properly analysed and shown in depth. Not the relationship between Lerman's and Collins' characters,not Wolff's and Liberato's, not her drug and alcohol problems, not Connelly's and the-guy-that-i-don't-even-know-his-name relationship,not Kristen Bell's and Greg Kinnear's relationship, barely Kinnear's and Connelly's relationship and break up and not Lerman's mother's death. We never saw under the surface about any of the stories, so ultimately i couldn't really care about the characters and their fates. The relationships were unrealistic, how Collins got together with Lerman after she avoided him so much for example, and too many to cover in one movie, frankly.
  In conclusion, i enjoyed it as a light,with not much substance love story. Not nearly a masterpiece but not in the top 10 worst films of the year.
Score: 54%

m.

Courtesy

Millennium Entertainment

Fact Friday

  Today's fact will be about a great movie with a great cast and a director.The Social Network is about the creation of facebook and its resulting lawsuits.It's based on the book The Accidental Billionaires from Ben Mezrich and is written by Aaron Sorkin.The cast includes Jesse Eisenberg as facebook's founder Mark Zuckerberg, Andrew Garfield as Eduardo Saverin and Justin Timberlake as Seaun Parker.The movie's director is David Fincher, who has also directed Fight Club (one of my top ten movies), Zodiac, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Panic Room and many others.
  One of the lawsuits in the movie is between Zuckerberg, Eisenberg's character, and the Winklevoss twins.And though they are twins in the movie there was only one actor portraying them.Yes the Winklevoss twins you saw in the movie (and if you didn't you certainly must) were acted out by one actor, Armie Hammer.
  So there you go.That was the fact of the day.I hope you enjoyed it and come back next Friday for more.

m.

Courtesy

Columbia Pictures

Sorry guys!!!

  Sorry guys that there was not a Casual Monday this week but i didn't have time to post anything.But there will be a Fact Friday waiting for you this Friday and a new Casual Monday next week and i plan on watching some new movies so there will be new reviews soon.
Thanks for your patience,

m.

Fact Friday

  Today's fact of the day is about a well-loved movie by a lot, including myself. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a movie based on a novel with the same name.It stars Emma Watson, Logan Lerman and Ezra Miller as three teenage outcasts who come together, become best friends and "blossom" with the help of each other.
  The most powerful scenes, in my opinion, from the movie are the scenes driving through the tunnel.During these moments where the cast drives the back of the truck  through the Fort Pitt  Tunnel they were actually wearing safety wires.So even though it looks awesome it is pretty dangerous and should not be done in real life.
  I, just, have to add that i think this movie has one of the best endings i have ever seen in film.It sums up the movie perfectly and it elevates to a whole other level.It is emotional, powerful and the best possible way to end the film.

m.

Courtesy

Summit Entertainment

Lionsgate

Casual Monday

  Hi guys, today in Casual Monday i would like to talk to you about a YouTube channel and four awesome movie critics who keep us entertained with their reviews every week.Every week i can't wait for Friday to come so i can watch the four movie reviews that are uploaded to the What the flick?! show channel.The panel of critics consists of Christy Lemire, Alonso Duralde, Matt Atchity and Ben Mankiewicz.
  Christy Lemire is a former film critic for Associated Press and in 2004 she became AP's first full time critic.She was, also, a co-host for television's "Ebert presents: At the movies" in 2011.Now, she is one of the regular critics on What the Flick?! and has her own website christylemire.com .
  Alonso Duralde was the artistic director st the USA film festival for five years.He is also the former arts and entertainment editor at The Advocate.He has been a film critic for MSNBC.com and The Rotten Tomatoes show.He is now a movie critic for The Wrap and appears on What the Flick?! .He is a member of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.In  2005 he published his first book, 101 Must-See Movies For Gay Men.His second book, Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas, was released in 2010.
  Other than co-hosting on the What the Flick?!  Matt Atchity is also the editor in Chief of the  rottentomatoes.com . Rotten Tomatoes is a website dedicated  to reviews, information and news of films.
  Finally, Ben Mankiewicz started his career as a news reporter and anchor for several programs and magazines.He, then, moved on to sports,gossip and movie shows.He is currently working on What the Flick?!  and has made cameos in movies like The Bling Ring and White House Down.
So here is one of the most popular reviews of the show:

Courtesy

TYT

m.

Fact Friday

  Today's movie fact is about another favourite of mine.The remake of a 2001 German film called Das Experiment.The 2010 movie The Experiment is about a psychological study in which the participants are divided into groups either acting as prison guards or as inmates.The movie is very emotional and very powerful and is starring Adrien Brody, Forest Whitaker, Maggie Grace and Cam Gigandet.
  Both, the original and the remake, are based on a real life experiment which was conducted at Stanford University in 1971.Twenty-four male students were selected to take on randomly assigned roles of guards and prisoners in a mock prison situated in the basement of the Stanford psychology building.
  The experiment, however, took a dark turn when the guards started psychologically torturing prisoners.Many of the prisoners passively accepted psychological abuse and ,at the request of the guards, harassed other prisoners who attempted to prevent it.Two of the prisoners quit the experiment early and the entire experiment was abruptly stopped after only six days.
  Certain portions of the experiment were filmed and excerpts of the footage are publicly available.

m.

Courtesy

Stage 6 films

Columbia Pictures

Now you see me movie review

Cast: Isla Fisher, Mark Ruffalo, Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Morgan Freeman, Melanie Laurent
Director: Louis Leterrier
Running time: 1 hour and 56 minutes
  The movie starts out with introducing us to four magicians,played by Eisenberge, Fisher, Harrelson and Franco. Those magicians are brought together by an anonymous source,who helps them gain fame and success. One year later we meet again with our magicians only this time they are performing in Las Vegas and they are called "The Four Horsemen".Their magic show has become infamous and it now consists of ... robbing a bank while on stage performing. This robbery gets the Horsemen into trouble when FBI agent, Mark Ruffalo, and Interpol agent, Melanie Laurent, try to prove the heist and arrest them.There to help them get proof is a former magician who is now revealing the secrets behind other magicians' tricks portrayed by Morgan Freeman.
  Magic tricks are pretty cool.And this movie has a lot of them.The fact that there is "magic"  in the film makes it instantly more  interesting.So people are intrigued from the begging.I,also, liked that, even though the horsemen claimed that the bank robbery was done with magic, we actually learn how it was done fairly quickly.There was a logical explanation,that was actually pretty smart,and if it wasn't revealed early on it would have driven me crazy.
  On the other hand,i found many faults with this movie,which i didn't expect.First of all who were the lead roles?Was it the horsemen?Was it the FBI guy?Was it both of them?I'm not sure and it doesn't really matter to me,which brings me to my second point: I didn't really like anyone in this movie.The horsemen were arrogant jerks,the agent was losing all the time and the ex-magician was average for me.I couldn't route for anyone since i didn't like anyone and that pissed me off because i ended up not caring about the movie.I was really disappointed.Moreover, i though that we didn't see a lot of the horsemen.We learn nothing about them and we don't get much personality out of them except that they are kind of full of themselves.That contributed to the "i didn't like anyone" argument even more.Furthermore,the police or FBI or whatever it was is depicted as totally incompetent.They are 100 steps behind at all times with no clue.It gets annoying at some point.And i didn't expect that the horsemen would be caught but the FBI didn't even come close (and the revelation at the end doesn't excuse this for me).Also,i felt that the magic tricks were getting a little bit too "magic-y" as we were getting near the end.They were too perfect and too unbelievable for me.But i think that wasn't an issue for many people so it could be just me.I don't know.Maybe i am too much of a sceptic.Finally, i feel that the "eye" was underexplained,if that's even a word.I would have liked for it to be explained further and more deeply so we could've understood it better.
  In conclusion, i was really disappointed with this movie.I expected much more but it's definitely not in my "worst movies" list.Watch it of you like extravagant magic performances.
Score:49%

m.
  

Courtesy

Summit Entertainment

Casual Monday

  One more of the changes i decided to do to my blog posts is create Casual Monday.Casual Monday is the day i will post anything new or anything that i though was interesting a movies.Today i wanted to show you and talk a little about a trailer i watched today.The trailer was for the movie Divergent that will be opening on the 21st of March in 2014.
  Kate Winslet, Shailene Woodley and Maggie Q are some of the leads in the movie.Woodley plays a Divergent (hens the title) in a futuristic Chicago. Divergent is a does not fit in any of the factions that people are divided at that time. Winsnlet portrays some sort of leader in the community and Q is,from what i gathered from the trailer, someone that will help Woodley's character break free.
  The movie is based on a novel of the same name written by Veronica Roth.The book is the first installation in a trilogy. And even though this genre of movies is not my favourite,the cast made me really look forward to the film.Woodley , previously in The Descendants and The Spectacular Now (which i have not seen yet), show great promise and is one of my favourite young actresses at the moment.Maggie Q, who i know from the TV show Nikita, is one of my favourites anyway.And you can't go wrong with Kate Winslet.
  So, i can't wait to watch Divergent and review it for you guys. Hope you like the new schedule and look for more changes soon.
  Here is the trailer: 

Courtesy

Summit Entertainment

Lionsgate

m.

Fact Friday

  Hi, guys.I decided to start a new schedule for my blog posts and i am excited to share my first change with you. So from now on every Friday there will be a new movie fact waiting for you.

  My first ,ever, movie fact is about one of my favourite movies (expect a review soon) "fight club".

  So here you go:

  On the DVD of the movie after the copyright warning there is another warning.This warning is from Tyler Durden (character played by Brad Pitt and one of the protagonists of the movie).The warning reads 

"If you are reading this then this warning is for you.Every word you read of this useless fine print is another second off your life. Don't you have other things to do? Is your life so empty that you honestly can't think of a better way to spend these moments? Or are you so impressed with authority that you give respect and credence to all who claim it? Do you read everything you're supposed to read? Do you think everything you're supposed to think? Buy what you're told you should want? Get out of your apartment. Meet a member of the opposite sex. Stop the excessive shopping and masturbation. Quit your job. Prove you're alive. If you don't claim your humanity you will become a statistic. You've been warned ........ Tyler"

m.

Courtesy

20th Century FOX

Savages movie review

Cast: Taylor Kitsch, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Salma Hayek, Benicio Del Toro, Blake Lively, John Travolta
Director: Oliver Stone
Running time: 2 hours and 9 minutes
  We meet two guys,Kitsch and Johnson. They are in the a marijuana business.Johnson is the romantic, nature-loving grad from Berkeley and Kitsch is the tough, ex-navy SEAL,ex-mercenary guy.We, also, meet their girlfriend (yes they share a girlfriend) rich girl, played by Lively.Their home-grown weed is so good that the Baja cartel wants to do business with them.And when they refuse the cartel finds another way to persuade them, they kidnap their girlfriend.So in order to save Lively, they must go above and beyond.
  The movie is mostly interesting throughout.The cast is well picked,the plot is entertaining and the acting is pretty good.So it is a good movie for the most of it.It could,very well be a total disaster but i have to admit, up until the end i was into it.The storyline was intriguing, so i was never bored,the cast is talented,which i appreciated and it was generally kind of good.Benicio Del Toro was excellent as an abusive,cruel drug dealer from the Baja cartel.I loved his performance and i totally bought it.But,his character was, also, very realistic.He behaved , exactly, like someone like him would behave both in his personal life and in his business at the cartel.
  On the other hand, the movie had some inconsistencies,in my opinion. During the movie we are presented with many details about each character and their past.Like how Lively's parents were never there for her or how Travolta's wife has cancer...And even though these details are supposed to make us understand the character and his or her behavior better, we end up only knowing the character superficially.The film doesn't help us get further into their lives so we don't really get to understand Lively's relationship with her parents or Travolta's with his wife, for example.One other thing i noticed is that during the movie everyone kept saying the word savages,which since it was the title of the movie became kind of obvious after a while.If it was mentioned one time it would have been a bit clever but the ended up taking it too far.Moreover,the voice over by Lively's character was a little annoying and too much.She kept saying things that didn't need to be said, and even if they did, there were other ways to let us know.Furthermore, the relationship between the three protagonists didn't feel real to me.And because it was such a big part of the movie i think it should have been shown and explained more in depth.Finally,the fact that the film had two "alternative" endings made me like the movie a million times less than i would have otherwise.I didn't understand why it happened.Why did Lively said that's how she imagined it.At one point i  thought maybe that was what people said it happened after years had past but it couldn't be since it was on the news.I didn't understand it at all and i actually liked the first ending better.If anyone got what happened comment below because i would really like to know.
  In conclusion,the movie was pretty interesting and i recommend it but i must warn you there is not much depth to it.It is just a fun way to pass the time.
Score: 65%


m.

Courtesy

Universal Pictures

Movie poll

As it was voted by you, guys, in the near future i will be watching and reviewing:

• Only God forgives (2013)
• What Maisie knew (2013)
• Upside Down (2013)

Thank you guys for voting on what i should watch and a new poll will be up shortly.So be sure to vote.Have a great day.

m.

Courtesy

                                                                                                                  Millennium Entertainment                
                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                              

The wolverine movie review

Cast: Hugh Jackman, Rila Fukushima, Tao Okamoto, Svetlana Khodchenkova, Famke Janssen
Director: James Mangold
Running time: 2 hours and 16 minutes
  The movie is the return of the wolverine,a mutant with metal claws or something ,who goes to say goodbye to an old friend who is now dying and ends up protecting the dying man's grand-daughter from the people who are trying to kill her.But everything is not as it seems.
  The wolverine had a lot of action and the action was actually good.I ,usually, don't like action movies and i wasn't thrilled about this one,I'm still not thrilled about it but i have to admit that i was never bored.I've seen many action films that made me want sleep right then and there,most recently Olympus has fallen and the numbers station, but here i was kind of into it.The action scenes were well done and a bit exciting.I , also, liked Rila Fukushima's character and i would have liked to have seen more of her in the movie.She brought a youthfulness and an excitement to the whole thing.
  Now, on to my problems with "The Wolverine".Firstly, the movie had a lot of cheesy moments.I couldn't help but roll my eyes and it was my biggest problem.These type of moments in the film were a lot and excruciating.Moreover, the brief romance that took place between Jackman and Okamoto's characters was out of the blue, didn't felt genuine and seemed forced.They didn't have much chemistry and the fact that they ended up together was a real turn off about the movie.Finally, the flash backs with Jackman and Famke Janssen tried to make wolverine experience the catharsis that he needed to move on from the death of Janssen and his guilt but they felt out of place for me.There was not much insight about the journey that Jackman's character had to take emotionally in order to get free from blammimg himself about the death of his loved one. 
  In conclusion, you will definitely like this movie if you are a wolverine fan and you may ,also, like it if you're not.
Score: 49%

m.

Courtesy

20th Century FOX

The heat movie review

Cast: Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy, Dan Bakkedahl, Taran Killam 
Director: Paul Feig
Running time: 1 hour and 57 minutes
  The heat is a movie about a cop, Melissa McCarthy, and a FBI agent, Sandra Bullock, who get teamed up and try to take down a drug overlord.Their partnership doesn't starts off in the best way but the two have to work together in order to catch the bad guy.
  The movie is pretty funny.The characters work well together and the actors have great chemistry with each other. Bullock and McCarthy seem like they would be friends in real life and that is translated in the big screen.I liked them together and i would love to see them in other movies together even in completely different roles.But it's not just the actors that made me really like this movie.I feel that the script is well written and has some solid jokes in it.It's funny and i laughed throughout.Moreover,i liked that Bullock is portrayed as a nerdy,not-likable-by-the-other-characters FBI agent and McCarthy as a tough,irregular cop.They seem perfect for their parts and they are very realistic.
  On the other hand, i found the whole story about two cops that don't get along at the begging but then decide to work together and in the end they end up arresting whoever they have to arrest a little unoriginal.It's been done plenty of times and even though this is a pretty good version of it, it is still the same story with the same ending.I would have liked to see something out of the ordinary,a twist in the plot or something.But this is the only negative thing i can say.
  In conclusion, the heat is a very funny movie in my opinion, worth a trip to the cinema.I believe that you will enjoy it and i definitely recommend it.
Score:77%

m.

Courtesy

20th Century FOX

The descendants movie review

Cast: George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Judy Greer, Beau Bridges
Director: Alexander Payne
Running time: 1 hour and 55 minutes
  The Descendants is a movie about how a father and his two daughters come to terms with the death of the mother and wife, and how they will react when they find out some secrets about her that they didn't know before.
  The movie takes place in Hawaii and some islands near it.It was great to see a movie somewhere other than the typical destinations for movies.It felt very original and we get to see places we wouldn't have otherwise.The beaches are magical.Something i, also, liked was the portrayal of Clooney's relationship with his older daughter, played by Woodley.I liked how he treated her like a grown up rather than a kid.She was the first one he told that her mother was going to die and he went with her to find out more about his wife's affair.Finally,what made this movie different, for me, from any other movie about extramarital affairs is the fact that even though Clooney's wife loved her boyfriend, portrayed by Matthew Lillard, he didn't feel the same way.He was just using her and in the end he didn't even go to visit her in the hospital.
  On the other hand, there were some things that didn't sit well with me about the movie.First of all,as much as i liked how Clooney's character treated his older daughter i didn't think he was a good father in general. One of the things that led me to that conclusion was that he would let Woodley's character talk bad to his younger daughter but if she said anything back he would tell her to stop.And i would understand it if he was a bad father because he wasn't that involved when his wife was alive but that is just logic.Anyone would know that it is not good to let one of your kids insult the other. Moreover, you come to not like the mother's character after everything you learn about her so as a result you don't sympathise with the grief of the characters.They mention some good things about her throughout the movie but they don't go deeper than that.Lastly, i am sorry to say that i didn't feel a real connection with the characters.I liked them to a level and i did want them to find the woman's boyfriend but i didn't care about them as much as i wanted to.I wanted to get sucked into the story but i ended up having a superficial interest.
  In conclusion the movie was fun and i recommend it but i would like to have gotten more out of it.
Score:67%

m.

Courtesy

FOX Searchlight Pictures

What should i watch??

  Hey,guy.Does anyone have any suggestions about what i should watch???Is there anything you would like to see a review on?Comment below with any ideas and i'll be sure to check them out.Have a great day.

m.

Disconnected movie review

Cast: Jason Bateman, Hope Davis, Michael Nyqvist, Alexander Skarsgard, Max Thieriot
Director: Henry Alex Rubin 
Running time: 1 hour and 55 minutes
  The movie follows three different storylines ,with each one having as a plot point the dangers of the internet. The first story is about a young guy that is involved in a sex trafficking via webcams organisation and that is approached by a reporter who wants to interview him about it.The second story is about a teenager who gets catfished through social media and is humiliated by two boys in his class.And the last story is about a couple whose personal information are stolen and used by someone else.
  The movie is very powerful and full of emotions.The characters are genuine and react like real life people.As the minutes go by the viewer learns more and more about each story and gets more and more involved emotionally with every character and what they go through.Every person in the movie has a serious problem and they all try to solve it like humans,which isn't always perfectly.By the end i was all in.I really enjoyed how in all three stories the lead roles realised that there were more problems with their families and their lives than the cyber problems that they came across recently.It wasn't only that the couple had their identities stolen but how they couldn't communicate after the death of their child or it wasn't how the teenage boy was humiliate but how the whole family wasn't functioning as it should or how the young boy had been involved with sex trafficking but what he was going to do about it now.The film was a depiction of everyday life situations and i loved it.
  Even though i enjoyed the movie very much i did have trouble with some things.First of all, the storyline involving the couple was a little weak in the begging because while in other story the problems the character faced with the web were life-altering serious,here it was about money.That made me care a little less about them.However,i have to say that that changed as we got further in the story but i wish it had started out strong from the begging.Also, in the story with the teenagers two of the kids did something really bad which resulted in something worse and although one of the kids did get hit, by mistake i believe, for it neither of them had the consequences they deserved.Moreover, in the same storyline the kid was hit had many problems with his father which by the end of the film were solved too quickly in my opinion.Finally, i didn't like the way the movie was shot.At some points it took my mind from focusing to the stories.And there was one scene that was played out in slow motion and even though it was a very powerful and emotional scene the slow motion made it cheesy and annoying.
  In conclusion, i strongly recommend this movie.It is very touching and talks about real life problems that could affect anyone.One of the best movies of the summer.
Score:85%

m.

Courtesy

LD Entertainment

This is the end movie review

Cast: James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Danny Mcbride, Jay Baruchel, Craig Robinson
Director: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg
Running time: 1 hour and 59 minutes
 This is the end is a movie with actors playing themselves(or a version of themselves),having fun at a party thrown by James Franco when the Apocalypse happens and hell is let loose.What are the six friends going to do in order to stay alive?
  The six guys that have the lead roles in the movie (Franco, Hill, Rogen, Baruchel, Mcbride, Robinson) are extremely likable.Even though i didn't like the film very much, the six protagonists were definitely a big plus.I think they are so good because they are everyday guys and they play off of each other very well.They have great chemistry.Moreover,there were some funny parts to the film and i laughed at times.So i did enjoy it a little bit.And i also really liked Baruchel's character because he was the one that i could relate to the most since he didn't live the "LA lifestyle",as he described it, and didn't really know all the famous actors in Franco's party.Finally,i thought that his friendship with Rogen was a great part of the movie and very interesting to watch.
  On the other hand,i did find some flaws to This is the end.Firstly, the movie was,essentially,a series of dick jokes.Although i don't mind dick jokes that much, i was really disappointed at how many there were during the movie.If there had been more funny bits to the film i wouldn't care about it but i felt that there was an extremely small amount of laughs,especially since the lead actors can be very funny.Furthermore, there were some references that i didn't get and i believe that if i knew what they were i would have had more fun with it.Maybe i haven't seen enough movies yet.Finally i didn't understand Emma Watson's character.It is not cameo because she is shown more than the other cameos but she doesn't have a role that brings anything to the movie.I think her character was a little bit useless and that she is in the movie mostly because she is Emma Watson.
  In conclusion, i had great expectations about this movie and they were not really met.If you like these guys go to watch them and maybe you will like it more than me.
Score: 55%

m.

Courtesy

Columbia Pictures