At the Movies with Kane and BN

[Kane52630]

Filmmaker Mode is coming to Samsung and Philips TVs to cure motion smoothing

It’s important to note that Filmmaker Mode is only coming to new TVs; it’s not something you can expect to turn on after a software update to the TV you already own. And based on what LG, Panasonic, and Vizio said at CES, it seems that Filmmaker Mode is only coming to some 2020 TVs from the companies that have pledged support. So if you want to use the mode, wait until TVs that have it are officially on sale.

 

[Kane52630]

The Grudge (2020)

It was such an interesting combination of things that ultimately did not work. It almost felt like a throwback to when horror movies used to be all about the gore in the 2000s. It's a loose sequel to the first remake (or the original Ju-On depending how you look at it) and in a way, they made it more Americanized. I did like how it was told in nonlinear fashion just like the original and more than anything, I thought Nicolas Pesce did a great job getting a solid cast. That being said, as much as I dug the gore and the little bit of character drama they got with Andrea Riseborough and John Cho, the movie falls into cliche territory pretty quick. When it got down to it, it's nothing but obvious jump scares and predictable plotting. Overall, it's a film that had some potential but it falls short.
5/10

 

[Kane52630]

Abominable

It's a fun and harmless animated film even though it's got a formulaic "a boy and his dog" plot. They do enough to just get by and make it look like there's some ambition going on. The animation was surprisingly well done especially once the yeti comes into play. And as for the voice cast, it was decent. Overall, it's pretty much average.
6.5/10

 

[Black Narcissus]

Byzantium

I regret not seeing this in the theater. What a great vampire flick. It would make a great double feature with 'Interview with The Vampire'. Gemma Arteton is so damn great in this role. She is dark, mysterious, dangerous, but overall she does what she does for her daughter played by Saoirse Ronan. They are vampires on the run from a secret brotherhood of men who don't allow women into their inner dark circle, so they have to kill to survive. Hitchhike, sell their bodies etc. Beautifully shot. I must admit to not expecting to liking it this much, which is why I didn't watch it a lot sooner, but I'm glad I finally did. Ronan is great here as well, I consider this role one of her strongest ones as well. I certainly liked her here way more than Brooklyn or Lady Bird. This is still the Gemma Arteton show tho, she is the mvp. A damn shame she is considered to be ''difficult'' to work with by some. If you enjoyed vamp flicks like 'Let The Right One In', Interview With The Vampire...this is a must watch.

8/10

 

[Kane52630]

Jexi

A "turn off your brain" comedy for 2019. This felt like it was a lost SNL skit that was making fun of the movie Her and Amazon's Alexa that found its way to Hollywood. As a concept, this gets stretched as a romcom and it does all the typical cliche things you expect to happen. It's a lot of ad libbing that doesn't work and it goes through the motions of a typical comedy that has no script. I will say the only thing this has going for is Rose Byrne's comic delivery as Jexi. Other than that, it's a dud of a film.
4/10

 

[Kane52630]

Just Mercy

Kinda shocked this was left out during award season especially in the acting category. Jamie Foxx, Michael B. Jordan, Rob Morgan, Tim Blake Nelson and Brie Larson were phenomenal in this. While plot wise it may seem formulaic, Destin Daniel Cretton does a great job on focusing on performances from rather than the plot and giving them breathing room to really develop their characters and show what is like living on death row. Probably the most poignant moment in the film deals with Rob Morgan's character and it steals the show. Overall, it's a phenomenal little film and it's nice rebound for Destin Daniel Cretton after the Glass Castle.
9/10

 

[Kane52630]

1917

A technical masterpiece that puts you in the driver seat of World War I. It's almost like a mash up of The Revenant and Dunkrik. Sam Mendes and Roger Deakins manages to use the one take gimmick and fully utilize it to get you face first of what looks like a suicide mission. Saying it's like you're playing a video game is probably the most apt description of the movie, but it's not a knock against it. They do a phenomenal job on making you feel on edge even though there's zero action going on...which makes the action scenes even more impactful. Dean-Charles Chapman and George MacKay were incredible especially when things look grim and it's got a ton of cameos of other actors who were great as well. There's also a lot of incredible moments that keep you on the edge of your seat. Not to give it away, but my favorite moment has to be the moment where one of the characters wakes up early in the morning... it's pure Deakins at his best. Overall, it's easily one of the best films of the year.
10/10

 

[Kane52630]

Underwater

I really dug it. William Eubank pretty much made a Alien homage that's easily better than most movies that try to replicate the formula. They do a solid job setting up characters even though they might sound cliche on paper. Kristen Stewart gets the Ellen Ripley role and she does a better job than I expected. Much like Eubank's The Signal, the direction and cinematography is what really works here. The creatures are more inspired than most and there's a surprise at the end will make HP Lovecraft fans happy. Overall, it's a shame this is getting lukewarm reviews, it's exactly the kind of junk food cinema I enjoy.
8.5/10

 

[Kane52630]

Harriet

This feels like a made for tv movie from the 90s. They essentially turned the story of Harriet Tubman into a schlocky western (with Mutant powers?) that's got all the cliches and then some. Cynthia Erivo was somewhat decent despite what she was given. Dialogue is very wooden and two dimensional and lot of the character stuff is very surface level. Overall, for a biopic of someone who's incredibly important, it's incredibly basic. It feels like Hidden Figures all over again.
6/10

 

[Kane52630]

Lucy in the Sky

An interesting experiment that ultimately did not work as Noah Hawley intended. I feel like this project started out as a biopic of Lisa Nowak in the same vein as I, Tonya but it wanted to go so far into the Legion side of things that it loses focus of what it wanted to accomplish. Despite all of that, I thought the performances were pretty solid even Natalie Portman and her forced southern accent. Much like Legion, they play with aspect ratios and I thought it kinda worked. It tries to be more about the human psyche and trauma than it does trying to tell a straight story. Overall, I appreciate the effort even though kinda didn't work.
6.5/10

 

[Black Narcissus]

1917

A masterful directional and technical achievement. It almost felt like POV at times. I also got "The Revenant'' vibes mixed with the animated war film 'Waltz With Bashir'. There is a beautiful sequence shot at night that reminded me so much of 'Waltz with Bashir' that I immediately looked up some of Mendes inspirations for this and he mentions that movie, so I was on the money! I read a few complaints of the characters being paper thin or whatnot, but they give you just enough background through their chatter, even from the somber way they look, great acting by both leads. I was also not expecting that other big names that show up, a pleasant surprise. If this was released sooner in my area, it would've been on my top ten for sure, straight to the top. Mendes will most likely win best director and he bloody deserves it!

9/10

 

[Black Narcissus]

Irma Vep

I should've loved this, but this had potential more than anything. I'm so angry that it was just meh, that I want to buy a ticket to paris and find Olivier Assayas and put him on a goddamn headlock. How the hell are you going to have the great Maggie Cheung and waste her like this. She was married to him for about 3-4 years, so I get why she was in this, her husband's lame ego and passion project, which did nothing for her. This felt like a 2.5 flick at time.

Keeping it short, story is about a washed up director remaking a silent movie classic. Eh, it only got somewhat interesting in the last scene, but it was too late.

5/10

 

[Kane52630]

Hala
A pretty decent low budget coming of age drama that deals with the struggles of being a teenage girl who's also Muslim living in Jersey. Automatically I thought Minhal Baig, who directed it, pretty much made the blueprint of the upcoming Ms Marvel show minus the superpowers. Geraldine Viswanathan delivered what could be her best performance so far, she's easily the best thing about the movie. My only issue with it is it kinda loses steam once the big reveal happens. They also could have really delved into the south asian culture, but they choose to be very limited. Outside of that, it's still a solid little film that could have been even better.
8/10

 

[Kane52630]

Frozen II

Pretty to look at, but boring to watch. It's got the right amount of sequelitis where it highlights all the popular aspects of the last movie even more and decreases the screen time of everything else. The music is probably the least memorable thing about it which was shocking. Not much to write home about except for the plot that's strangely similar to Annihilation. Overall, it's a movie I've already forgotten about.
5/10

 

[Kane52630]

Playing with Fire

Aside from the blatant cross promotion with My Little Pony and the low budgetness, this was a kinda decent family movie that's got some laughs. It's exactly the kind of movie that Nickelodeon used to make in the early to mid 2000s. Weirdly enough, the cast didn't phone in it, everyone from Cena and Keegan Michael Key was really into it and deliver some of the better laughs. That being said, It's a movie that is pretty predictable and it doesn't wanna break the family formula. Overall, it's a mediocre family fare.
6/10

 

[Kane52630]

Major Film Studios Renew Deal with Kodak to Keep Celluloid Film Alive

 

[Kane52630]

Bad Boys for Life

Mostly enjoyed it for what it's trying to do. While it doesn't reach the heights of the last two films in terms of Michael Bay action, it amps up a better story with better villains than the last two and gives a Fast and Furious style treatment in world building. They also keep what works and that is the comradery between Will Smith and Martin Lawrence and you do see an evolution of these characters. Overall, It's mostly a solid sequel and I am curious to see where they go from here.
3/5

 

[Kane52630]

A Fall From Grace

Utter enjoyable trash. I don't think I've ever seen something so poorly made and cheap from someone who's got big money to produce. It's Tyler Perry at his lowest creatively which isn't saying much to begin with. There's a lot of mistakes just from a filming point of view. The story is down right laughable. The unintentional humor is what keeps this from being totally unwatchable. Overall, this film makes his other movies look like masterpieces which you didn't know was possible.
0.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

The Turning

This had all the right ingredients except it's missing the biggest one, a competent story (and an ending). I will say it starts off pretty simple enough, they do some decent set up with the characters and it plays out like any other haunted house film. I actually thought the cast was great particularly Mackenzie Davis and Brooklynn Prince and I thought the look of the film was really well done. That being said, the story falls apart quickly and a lot of the jump scares are so lazy and unaffected. What really breaks this movie is what they did with the last act and the lack of an ending. Overall, it's one of the more average horror flicks with a bizarre ending.
2/5

 

[Black Narcissus]

Pain and Glory

Semi autobiographical flick about Almodovar's upbringing. Very inspired by Fellini's masterpiece 8 1/2. Antonio Banderas is good here, but the younger kid actor playing Almodovar was the mvp for me here. The camera work is fantastic. Almodovar decides to let the viewer in, if only briefly, but still very nostalgic. This is a great start for newbies to jump into his work.

8/10

 

[Kane52630]

Even though Antonio Banderas was pretty good, I kinda wish the whole movie was that flashback.

 

[Black Narcissus]

I remember in Roger Ebert’s review of Edward Scissorhands, he mentioned that this Burton guy has a great eye and imagination, but has yet to get a handle on actual storytelling, and sometimes I feel like Burton never really evolved past that phase. Like, the only movie he made where I feel like he put the story and characters before himself was Ed Wood. Which might be why it’s my favorite film of his. Maybe Big Fish, too. But BR is one of his worst offenders in terms of that, imo. It’s just devoid of any sense of pacing or emotion or characters to connect with, imo.

Ed Wood is one of the best flicks of the 90s. Definitely Burton's best film. I don't think he will ever get close to that type of quality again. Also, rumor is that he got Eva Green, which doesn't make sense visually, but makes sense on paper. Heh.

 

[Kane52630]

The Gentlemen

A solid return to form for Guy Ritchie. If there's such a thing as a British screwball crime drama that also happens to be slightly meta, it would be this. It gives every actor their moment to shine from Matthew McConaughey to Henry Golding and chew all the scenery. Despite all of that, Hugh Grant manages to stand out and deliver one of the more playful performances. I will say there are some questionable moments and stereotypes that kinda hinder the film, but with the nature of the film, it's easy to overlook it. Overall, it's a fun film.
3/5

 

[Kane52630]

Last Christmas

A charming Christmas themed romcom that's got a bit more going on than your usual Hallmark channel movies. Much like Me Before You, Emilia Clarke was solid and her chemistry with Henry Golding worked. I really liked what they did with Emma Thompson and Michelle Yeoh. I also didn't mind all the George Michael themed scenes, they were fine. To me, a lot of the movie felt pretty genuine and as cheesy as it might looked on paper, I thought the ending worked as well. Overall, I enjoyed it.
7/10

 

[Kane52630]

I Lost My Body

An incredible feat of self reflection through art and animation. It's essentially about a severed hand finding his way back to his body and the journey to get there. It's a high concept film that becomes incredibly grounded once it lays down the backstory behind the person, Naofel. The film doesn't shy away from more adult themes and real life struggles and they do it in such an imaginative way. The animation is stunning and surprisingly the sound design was really well done. They give a lot of life and emotion to just a single hand and it's incredible to see how simple gestures can tell a story. Overall, It's pretty much a masterpiece and it takes the belt of best animated film of 2019.
10/10