Gerard Butler and Mike Colter. © 2023 Lionsgate, MadRiver Pictures, Olive Hill Media, Di Bonaventura Pictures, and G-BASE Film Productions. Directed by Jean-François Richet.
The Crash Was Only The Beginning
When I saw this trailer, I thought this was a straight-to-DVD movie but oh no it wasn't. The title was questionable and I was worried that this film was going to be very mid. But after I got out of the theater, I was wrong. Totally wrong. This film subverted my expectations and it was quite enjoyable. I thought Gerald Butler was a dying action hero but he's still maintaining that title. Join me on this airplane and explore the island of whatever and hopefully try not to get killed. Story: Pilot Brodie Torrance saves passengers from a lightning strike by making a risky landing on a war-torn island -- only to find that surviving the landing was just the beginning. When dangerous rebels take most of the passengers' hostage, the only person Torrance can count on for help is Louis Gaspare, an accused murderer who was being transported by the FBI. As an action movie, this really worked with its sequences and tone. I really enjoyed the action sequences and while it's the typical shaky cam high-speed editing, especially on the final action scene, it's quite different. There's one handheld fight scene that was one take and the suspense there was very good. I loved how that scene took its time to get a realistic fight and it was well choreographed. Overall, the action sequences were quite entertaining but what made this film subvert my expectations was the plot itself. The plot is simple but half of the film is setting up the main issue and trying to figure out what to do next. But the rest is mostly character development rather than just bombastic action sequences which is interesting. The "plane crash" sequence is quite long but there's a suspense which makes it more interesting and takes its time with its characters. Plus in the second half of the film, we get to learn a little bit more about both main characters with their problems in life. It's a much slower-paced action movie which is good because it gives time to be with these characters and care about them when they are attempting to leave the island. Most cheap action films fail that and I really appreciate that this film took some risks. Some of the side characters are decent but I really enjoyed Tony Goldwyn's performance during the HQ scenes. Gerald Butler was pretty good as always and he makes the film more enjoyable and fun. I would say there are moments that got me well in the final act of the film. While it's not a high-concept action movie, it lives up to the title of being a good old 90s throwback action movie while changing some things midway to keep it unique. But this film is far from a perfect movie, to begin with.
The plot is predictable midway through but there are moments that really changed my expectations for the better and worse. I thought we will get to know some of the side characters but we got the annoying ones instead which sucks. The cinematography is decent but the weird frame rate or shutter speed really boggled my mind right on the first shot. I knew what type of film I would get into. The daughter relationship is a total cliché and only added tension which is a typical convention. The villain was obviously so weak but I liked how the villain's performance really want to hate them. The CGI is very mid with the VFX background. While it's a almost mid-budget action film, I really liked how it changed some of its typical cliché plots into something more interesting with the main leads.
This wasn't a bad action film for January which is good. I like when predictable action films change a little bit of the typical plot into something unique. While it does have its issues with its plot and characters, the action and the two leads kept it entertaining. I really had a good time with this movie and it did live up to its weird-ass title. Funny that Butler fought with producers to keep that title. Now Playing Only in Theaters. Vizeit Score: "C+" (Share this review with your film friends and on social media! Thank you for your continue support.) Copyright © 2023. Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr.
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Christian Bale. © 2022/2023 Netflix, Cross Creek Pictures, Streamline Global Group, and Le Grisbi Productions. Directed by Scott Cooper.
Every Night Tells A Tale
A creepy old tale with a murder mystery on the side, that sounds interesting. This film captures the aesthetic of the 1800s with Scott Cooper's signature style of atmosphere. It's an interesting tale of murder, religion, and the past. All of this combines together into an interesting tale that audiences will either enjoy or won't. This was quite a tale so join me into the 1800s and explore the murder of this fry guy and drink some beer afterward. Also, try not to get attacked in the middle of the night. Story: Veteran detective Augustus Landor investigates a series of grisly murders with the help of a young cadet who will eventually go on to become the world-famous author Edgar Allan Poe. This was quite a detective story and I really enjoyed it. It's a slow film that takes its time with the mystery and getting connected with the main characters. But what kept the pacing consistent was the drama and the suspense during the murder scenes. That's where shit starts to get more serious and interesting. The plot itself is pretty good and there are interesting plot twists that really got me good. I thought the film was over at one point but I'm glad that they mentioned some character moments back to close the story. I hate when films forget some of the backstories or small important details that connect to the main plot. The characters in this film are pretty good as well. I thought Edgar Allan Poe was very strong in his character development, especially carried by his performance. Harry Melling does a great job with his character and trying to do good while searching for the darkest secrets. His confrontational scene with Augustus Landor was the best one emotionally. But the scenes with Lea Marquis were pretty sweet but it gets dark very quickly without spoilers. I thought Christian Bale was very great as well in the film as always. His portrayal of Augustus Landor was very good and his backstory was quite interesting. But his performance really carried the character very well. The supporting cast was good as well including Toby Jones. The directing was very solid and I liked the atmosphere of the film. The atmosphere really bought my attention to this film and Cooper's direction really captures it very well. The production is very great and I like the production design of the film including its costumes. It's a technically great movie in film terms but it can use a little bit more work on its story.
The story itself was quite interesting but some of its plot elements didn't reach me out very well. The religion part was interesting but it was quite an overthrow at the last second. The first 20 minutes were strong but the middle act was very slow and it didn't know where to go until the second kill was shown on screen. I felt like the story could've been something special but I felt like some of the execution didn't quite reach that level. Plus I thought some of the side characters weren't that interesting, unfortunately. While it's not a disappointing film, it could've picked up some of the pacings and it could've been shorter to make this mystery tighter with its suspense. I felt like the overlay was there but it could've been tighter with its screenplay to make the mystery more entertaining. But the final scene with the two main characters was the strongest part of the film to finish up loose ends. It was quite a mystery for sure.
Overall, this was an interesting film with solid directing, great two-lead performances, and a very haunting atmosphere of a film. It can use a little bit more with its plot and some of its side characters, but the performances really carried the film. Plus the production really makes the film more pleasing including the cinematography. It's a very solid film and I'm looking forward to Scott Cooper's next film. Now Streaming Only on Netflix. Vizeit Score: "B" (Share this review with your film friends and on social media! Thank you for your continue support.) Copyright © 2023. Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr.
Keri Russell and Jeremy T. Thomas. © 2021 Searchlight Pictures, TSG Entertainment, Phantom Four Films, and Double Dare You Productions. Directed by Scott Cooper.
Watched it on HBO Max (Written on Letterboxd)
Quick Review: This was quite an Interesting film. It’s a slow film that takes its time to explore the town and the weird elements of the film. I enjoyed the performances from Keri Russell and Jesse Plemons. The kid performance was decent at best but what really caught my attention was the monster itself. It’s very creepy and the VFX is absolutely amazing. On a closely mid-budget, it’s very well done and I loved the practical effects used on some of the kills and the monsters. The cinematography is amazing as well. I really loved the still environment and the coloring of the film. What really lacked in this film was the connection with the themes and supposedly real-life issues in the film. We get that a lot within the first half of the film and it was just mentioned once in the end. I didn’t feel any connection to it and the kid’s character was underwhelming. The story itself is interesting but the execution was very slow. The film’s pacing isn’t slow but something about the story itself doesn’t catch up until the monster starts to kill people. The main adult character’s backstory was just a sprinkle which helped the performance but it didn’t seem too advanced the character itself. It’s mostly with characters since it’s taking heavy subjects into a horror film but I wished they could’ve used that in connection with the monster. That could’ve worked so well and strengthened the theme. The lore itself is quite Interesting but it wasn’t mentioned again which I was disappointed. Technically in film terms, the film is very great but the story could’ve been tighter with its screenplay. The directing is very solid but there are some choices that I don’t like which dragged the film. But overall, it’s a solid monster film that could’ve been scarier but the ending was something else. It’s cool to see my boy Jesse Plemons in this film. He’s a great underrated actor. Now Streaming on HBO Max and VOD. Vizeit Score: "C+" (Share this review with your film friends and on social media! Thank you for your continue support.) Copyright © 2023. Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr.
Andrew Callaghan. © 2022 HBO, A24, Strong Baby Productions, Abso Lutely Productions, and Channel 5. Directed by Andrew Callaghan.
The Most Stupidest Day of The Decade Unfolds.
I can't believe I'm writing another political film/television review but this one is a different breed. This is raw and real news from a smart-ass person. If you love Channel 5 or are familiar with Andrew Callagahn's videos, this is his documentary debut and it's a wild one. It's off the roof with realism, stupidity, reality, and truth. I am surprised that HBO allowed this and I'm glad they did to show that they have the balls to put this up on streaming. This is what news journalism should be now and in the future and this documentary goes beyond the line. Join me across America during the 2020/2021 election year into the events of January 6. Put your seatbelt on, it's going to be a bumpy ride of a review. Story: The documentary follows Andrew Callaghan as he travels across the United States in the months preceding the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. He interviews both sides of the political spectrum and hears truthful or stupid thoughts on both sides while drinking Modelo. This is a pretty short documentary but it has a lot to unpack from the election to the January 6 event. It's pretty chaotic from the material to the editing. The filmmaking in the documentary is amazing. I loved how they had not one but two different camera angles and shots to make the documentary more ambitious and real. All are up-close as much as possible and shot with different cameras to make it authentic. It's not all about the fancy Natgeo cameras, it's about using the cameras in a creative way. With the help of the editing, it's well done by showing as much chaos as possible and really showcasing the weird moments. The zoom-in moments were hilarious and how comedy was used through editing was pretty smart and strong. I love how it cuts to the crazy moment and goes into a much more serious segment and show how America is reacting to these events. The editing is the highlight throughout the filmmaking here and I thought it was very strong. The segments themselves are pretty interesting and entertaining. We get to see the weird side of the republican party, mostly blamed on Alex Jones. He is the antagonist of the documentary and honestly one of the people who started this whole chaos. Besides the infamous bench press scene with Jones drinking tequila, that scene would not show up on any other network besides Channel 5. That's literally fucking insane. I really enjoyed the protest scenes because the way they edited them was funny and made it dramatic as possible. What's pretty interesting in one of the segments was that they humanize everyone including the people that social media hates. I won't say which one but it's nice to see them open up to their truth and mistakes. I love when journalists let every be themselves and humanize their views and see their true selves. It's raw that this kind of documentary goes into these parts including the family. We get to explore a republican family and see how young these kids are getting brainwashed with untruthful facts. But also seeing the positive light in their family. Showing the light and darkness of these events.
This film is not just for Gen-Z people but for everyone. It has your adult moments and the goofy moments and it's balanced so well with its tone. If you are expecting this documentary to be fun, then this documentary completely succeeds but also is serious with its journalism. Having people just talk and letting them be wild in their space is honestly powerful. It feels like you're watching a Zoo documentary and looking at the different types of people going at it. No boundaries and I love when they let the filmmaker show raw moments or dumb moments that are integral to the story it's trying to communicate. With all the segments and rallies, what I learned, in the end, was that January 6 was a disastrous day in the 2020s and it caused a negative impact on America. But also I learned that the events leading to the 6th were pretty divisive yet people trying to just move on with their lives. We see people who are just there for the chaos or want to express their opinion or sitting on the sidelines eating popcorn. Everyone shown in the documentary had a purpose and their actions led to this historical day. The documentary showed rawness and unfiltered bullshit which makes this documentary so amazing. Plus, the comedy really makes it more entertaining and less informative. It's more of showing the rawness of these events than information which makes it stronger on its own.
The only thing that held back this documentary was its short runtime. While it was fast-paced, it did run out its steam by the end. I wanted more but that was the only thing. The gangster guys, in the beginning, were random but it made sense because it was hilarious. This is its own thing and I respect what Andrew Callaghan has done. He really is changing the journalism game. This is by far one of the strongest documentaries I have seen in a while. It had rawness, chaos, and moments that will make you cringe, laugh, or feel bad. It's basically Vice News on steroids with actually great dumb journalism. I really loved this documentary and I cannot wait for more Channel 5 content. This is my news station from now on. Sorry, Philip DeFranco. Now Streaming only on HBO and HBO Max. Vizeit Score: "A" (Share this review with your film friends and on social media! Thank you for your continue support.) Copyright © 2023. Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr.
David Earl. © 2022 Focus Features, BFI, Film 4 Productions, and Mr Box Productions. Directed by Jim Archer.
Watched it on Peacock (Written on Letterboxd)
Quick Review: This was wholesome. It’s a small indie British film about a lonely man who creates a robot to have a friend around his life. It’s a small film but there’s a lot of heart in the film. It’s beautifully shot and the mockumentary style is pretty good. I liked how it switches from documentary to narrative. I really enjoyed the chemistry between Brian and Charles. It’s funny and sweet. The ending is emotional and happy. The coloring in this film is very great and it pops off when it’s blue. I liked the building of awkward relationships in this film including the love relationships. It got creative with its shots, directing, and pace of the film. While it’s definitely slow and takes time to get to know these people, it helps build relationships over time. It can be a little bit draggy and not going in any direction. I thought the bully was typical and I’m glad they got bullied back in the end. I would say that it was kind of empty between the second and third acts but the final act was the strongest part. The first 20 minutes were definitely the best part but after that, it was slow which bothered me. It’s not that slow but it can take a while to get to the good stuff of the film. In the end, this is just a buddy film with a robot and I liked it. It may not be for everyone but I thought it was pretty good overall. Could’ve used more cabbage. Now Streaming on Peacock and VOD. Vizeit Score: "B-" (Share this review with your film friends and on social media! Thank you for your continue support.) Copyright © 2023. Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr. |
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