Thursday, May 31, 2012

May Movies Digest

Another month has passed...

The Ides of March



Acting: 4.5/5
Story: 3.5/5
Perception: 3.5/5
Rating: 4/5


The subject ain't nice for one bit, but the movie is well written and very well played. And after a slightly slow start, the parallel plots are revealed one by one and by the end Gosling's impeccable trademark cold blood comes to the surface.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel


Acting: 5/5
Story: 4/5
Perception: 4/5
Rating: 4/5


Funny, sensitive, genuine and full of life.



Dark Shadows


Acting: 4/5
Story: 1.5/5
Perception: 3/5
Rating: 2.5/5


A mediocre story with some scattered laughs having all it's side plots killed at birth. Luckily the last 20 minutes come with a more lively action and a couple of twists but neither this nor Depp or other solid performances could have saved the situation.

Father of Invention


Acting: 2.5/5
Story: 1/5
Perception: 1.5/5
Rating: 1.5/5


Dull, predictable and lacking inspiration.



Rise of the Planet of the Apes


Acting: 3.5/5
Story: 4/5
Perception: 4/5
Rating: 4/5


After a start that seemed a bit too rushed for my taste, the film picks up the right pace, led by very good shooting and genuine CGI; Caesar stealing the show from his 'fellow actors'.

The Switch


Acting: 3.5/5
Story: 2.5/5
Perception: 3/5
Rating: 3/5


a light rom-com with its' fun and its slow parts, but nothing out of the ordinary. Nevertheless,  special mentions for the kid.



The Muppets


Wits: 3.5/5
Story: 3/5
Perception: 3/5
Rating: 3/5

Surely a very good movie for the nostalgic fans, but I'm not one of them. Most of the jokes and references, and a couple of characters are funny, and that's about it. I guessed some of the intended irony but didn't quite feel it. Also the human song didn't do it at all for me.


A very Harold & Kumar Christmas


Acting: 3/5
Story: 0.5/5
Perception: 1.5/5
Rating: 1.5/5

First time to see a movie from this series, and it is definitely not my type. I know it is supposed to be self-mockery but still it didn't make me really laugh. Besides it is predictable and too mushy even for a holiday themed movie.



Men in Black 3


Acting: 4/5
Story: 3.5/5
Perception: 4/5
Rating: 4/5

Regardless of some "plot inspirations" from the first installment, this one proved to be very entertaining. It has the action, the craziness, the fun, the answers and even the emotions. Let's hope that they'll stop here and end the series on a high note.





Tuesday, May 1, 2012

April Movie Digest


A selection of very different styles: from artsy dram-ody to raw muscle.


Beginners



Acting: 5/5
Story: 2/5
Perception: 3.5/5
Rating: 3.5/5


A sentimental movie crammed with soft moments. There are some subtle humorous fragments, but what got to me more were the 'lessons' to be taken out from the story; it is such a pity that the plot is so loose.


Cowboys & Aliens



Acting: 4/5
Story: 2.5/5
Perception: 3/5
Rating: 3/5


There is some wasted acting abilities and character potential in this movie. They had it all: the cast, the premises, the means...but somehow they didn't manage to create something more than just a quite predictable story with some choppy twists.

Our Idiot Brother



Acting: 3.5/5
Story: 3/5
Perception: 3/5
Rating: 3/5


a light positivist story revolving around a hyperbolic representation of naivety which involves one very out of the ordinary family. There are some funny moments, but less than I expected, and in the end it felt for me that it was more about the message than the humor.

Sur la Piste du Marsupilami



Acting: 4/5
Story: 4/5
Perception: 4.5/5
Rating: 4/5

Genuine Comedy, where logic has no place to be. Just bursts of pure laughter...

Margin Call


Acting: 4.5/5
Story: 3.5/5
Perception: 3/5
Rating: 3.5/5


The movie sketches an idea on how the 2008 crisis took off but the jargon is at times completely gibberish and the vulgarization too plain, so the actual fact felt unclear for me. Which was not the case for the very good performance delivered by the high-end cast.

La Source des Femmes



Acting: 5/5
Story: 4/5
Perception: 4/5
Rating: 4/5


a highly emotional and involving life-story, showing a perfect balance between the ups and downs of our daily existences. The universality of the message and the outstanding performances erase all cultural and language gaps.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol



Acting: 3.5/5
Story: 4/5
Perception: 3.5/5
Rating: 3.5/5


a good popcorn flick with enough twists to make you think it would never come to an end (which got a bit annoying in the last 15 minutes). The stunts and the effects are awesome, even though physics would veto some of them, not to mention the gadgets which are quite cool (which is a general spy movie feature) What I appreciated in particular is that there was no parallel cheesy romance story.

The Expendables


Acting: 2.5/5
Story: 3/5
Perception: 3.5/5
Rating: 3/5

a movie pumping with testosterone...the brain would not have anything to do for the entire length of it. In my opinion, props to the hand-to-hand combat scenes, and to Statham as the only source of charismatic wits.

The Avengers



Acting: 4/5
Story: 4.5/5
Perception: 5/5
Rating: 4.5/5


Pure awesomeness on a plate! It is the new icon for SFX-based superhero movies (Nolan's Batman falls under a different category). There is everything: a well structured plot, with various twists and a logical evolution, cool fights, a huge final showdown, no cheesiness and wits. One of my fears was that Stark is going to steal the show, and even though he may be the main source of entertainment,  the    others don't fall that much behind. A big screen must-see, 3D optional!