Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson. © 2022 Searchlight Pictures, Film4 Productions, Blueprint Pictures, and TSG Entertainment. Directed by Martin McDonagh.
Watched it on HBO through HBO Max
Losing A Friend Can Make You Drunk Or Rethink Your Life. (Last Film Review of 2022!) Drinking with your old friends is pretty fun but it can be shit if one of them hates you for no reason, but the reason is right there in front of your face. This film is about friendship, loss, and a ride toward an unknown somewhat bright future. Drinking may not cause this film to be slow but it's a film that takes time to get connected with these Irish characters whether you may like them or not. Just a simple old tale of friendship. This is how I feel about this film, slow yet connective. Moving on is the best but is it justified? With this film, it's up to you how you feel. Let's grab a pint at the old Irish bar and drink until one of us starts saying that Morbius is peak cinema. Story: Two lifelong friends find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends their relationship, with alarming consequences for both of them. One of them doesn't want their friendship to be over so he makes a lot of decisions to get his old friend back. But the consequences start to arise and it may kill or re-heal their friendship. A tale of two old friends. This is a slow simple film with its story but the character development, screenwriting, direction, and performances really peeled off the film into its tragic beauty. It's a dark comedy with some beautiful dialogue about life and friendship. It takes its time to get to know these characters and the struggles in their life. But the direction really helps including the strong performances from Colin Farrell and Brandan Gleeson. They are fantastic in the film and Farrell gives one of the best performances this year and in his career. This is his year and he really killed it in this film. The underrated performance in this film is Kerry Condon. She did a wonderful job with her character and I feel like she brought energy whenever she's on screen. I also really loved Barry Keoghan's performance. His character was well written but it's the most tragic one and his spotlight scene really connected with me. The depth of having someone love you but questioning if they actually do is pretty relatable. It's more with loving relationships but it can connect with any relationship as well. The cast is amazing and they really delivered their performances and made me believe in their characters. The screenplay is the strongest element in the film besides the pint which looks pretty good. The dark tragic comedy really works here and the uses of the f-bomb are pretty hilarious. There are a lot of interesting dark moments that feel hilarious without any spoilers but it was intentional. The character duo development between these two main characters is very well done.
Even in their first contact in the film, it felt like we have been on their journey before which says a lot. The first 30 minutes were really fantastic and it gets right into the land of Inisherin. The production design is amazing and I love the simple yet beautiful cinematography in the film. It's a much relaxing film that it will make you happy or depressed. It can be both if you watch this film with a nice cold beer. The score of this film is pretty great and the editing takes its time to feel like you are part of this weird friendship journey. The story itself is simple yet great. I love how it takes its time to explore friendship but dying friendship. These types of friendships are so relatable and it can break a person in an instant or slowly. Distancing is one of the core elements of the film and it works by showing the consequences. But at its core, friendships won't ever die because there is one thing that will keep them alive. Caring about one other. It's a depth film with its characters and I love that it explores the damages of relationships and how these kinds of relationships can ruin the person itself. There's so much more that it's worth for a rewatch to look at small details. Still, it's an amazing film that will rethink your relationship, but this film can be a little bit too slow at points.
It's a slow film that takes its time to explore these characters. The first 30 minutes are fantastic but in the second act, it takes a step back with its pacing and it can be a drag at some points. While we are connecting with these characters, it's more character-focused and not plot which will disappoint some audiences. The biggest criticism for me is that it takes its time which is good but it can drag. But the final 20 minutes really picked up the pace and the ending is pretty good yet tragic. It's all a tragedy they say. Slow tragedy but with beautiful themes that you will be loving these characters till the end. This is an amazing slow film with fantastic performances, a well-written story with great directing, and beautiful yet simple cinematography. It takes time to get to know the situation but with these characters, it feels like you are part of the friend group. Exploring the depths of friendship and loss can be tragic yet it leaves you open-minded about what kind of relationships you are in. It's all about friendship and relationships and after this film, I have to reconsider my past friendships. Especially my past relationships, but that's for another day. Definitely, a nice calm watch-to-end cinema in 2022. What a great year for cinema. Cheers with a pint to the new year. Now Streaming on HBO Max, HBO, and VOD. Vizeit Score: "A-" (Share this review with your film friends and on social media! Thank you for your continue support.) Copyright © 2022. Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr.
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Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele. © 2022 Netflix, Monkeypaw Productions, and Gotham Group. Directed by Henry Selick.
Watched it on Netflix
Quick Review: Stop-motion animation films are amazing and this film was amazing with its animated storytelling. I really enjoyed Wendell & Wild due to its funny duo characters and its dark themes. It's a simple straightforward story but there are a lot of interesting plot elements that make this story work. The small demons trying to escape for freedom in exchange for life. Pretty basic but its execution works with the character development of these two main creatures. Kat played by Lyric Ross was good and her character development was somewhat interesting. In one scene, a lot changed for many characters and it felt rushed in some way. But I still connected to the loss of parents, especially in the ending. The villains are lackluster unfortunately and I felt like the film was a bit slow repeatedly which is rare in my case. But at the same time, the pacing was fast after the madness begins. The animation is always fantastic from Henry Selick and the attention to detail in these figures and production design is immaculate. I was confused by the "PG-13" rating and even though there were some dark moments, it didn't feel as dark as I hope for. I wish they could've gone darker with its animation but kept the original tone of the film. The narrative could've been tighter with its main character Kate but I still liked her in the story. The comedy is pretty good, mostly from Key and Peele. Overall, it's a great film and I hope we get more animation films like this in the future. 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 © 2022. Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr.
Margot Robbie. © 2022. Paramount Pictures, Marc Platt Productions, C2 Motion Picture Group, Wild Chickens Productions, and Organism Pictures. Directed by Damien Chazelle.
Relive the Golden Age of Hollywood As a Drug Ride.
If The Wolf of Wall Street and La La Land had a baby, this is their son that will carry contemporary cinema. This is a wild fuckfest of a ride from start to finish. It's what every filmmaker and cinephile wants. But mostly for cinephiles since The Fabelmans is for filmmakers. But as a filmmaker, I was floored by the atmosphere and scope of this film. I wish they could've released it in IMAX because there are so many scenes that are big and wild. This is a film that audiences will definitely be divided but I can tell you this. This is the film that you should end 2022 with. Get loud and make movies! That's what this film is trying to message across but it's deeper than that. I thought Whiplash was a terrifying masterful film, but this is Damien Chazelle's craziest film yet. Join me into the 1920s and let's party and make films till we get killed, criticized, and lose the magic of Hollywood. Story: An original epic set in 1920s Los Angeles, A tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, it traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood. Let's start with the elephant in the room. Only if you have seen the film, you would understand it. The edgy and absurd content in the film. It was needed to get the message across the room while not pushing it right in front of our faces. Well, maybe a little bit too hard during one sequence. This film is insane with its directed sequences. The opening scene alone already teases the madness it will happen during the movie. When the madness begins, it will be nonstop, even during the slower scenes. It's a mindfuck for every cinephile and filmmaker. It will make you laugh, look away, disgusted, and by the end, you want to experience it again like it's the first time. It's a rollercoaster ride that will stop at a specific moment but you are enjoying the chaos of the filmmaking and parties that potentially happen in real-life Hollywood. I don't know if that's true but that's how Hollywood people are. Going back to the first party, it's a wild fucking ride with everything going on at the same time. This sequence alone will be the many sequences that will make you go crazy as fuck. It's beautifully memorizing with the camera work and performances that everyone gives out. I love how it captures the celebration of cinema while showing how filmmakers are during the 1920s. They love to party and while it may not be accurate, it sure feels like we were part of this glorious rich party. The other party sequences are wild as well but nothing is compared to the filmmaking parts of the film. The actual "filmmaking" scenes in the film are perfect and that is the kind of set I want to be a part of in the future after I graduate from film school. Before we get to the actual filmmaking behind this film, let me, deep dive, into the "filmmaking" scenes in Babylon and the craziness behind it. It spans within three scenes and multiple sequences that showcase the madness of filmmaking in the 1920s and 1930s. The first chapter in this film is in-fucking-sane. It showcases the madness of making a silent film with all productions simultaneously. The Kinoscope studio area is a fucking mess and the way it was directed shows how these filmmakers are competing for glory and fame in Hollywood. Not only that, with the performances from these "directors", show how crazy they are to make their film a masterpiece and fighting for natural lighting. I feel the director who flighted for natural lighting in his war epic film. I love how Diego Calva's character Manuel has to drive for a new camera before the sun is gone. It's a hilarious sequence and the casual madness while the executives and the producer/lead actor tries to give a phone call is brilliant and hilarious. It shows how the executives are moving on to the next project while the project they funded and pre-produced is in flames and it's all over the place. The other sequences are set within sound stages but it shows how difficult making sound films are since you need a precise sound to capture with the image at the same time. One sequence showcases the madness of getting the right sound and not fucking it up but they fuck it up like 7 times to get the right scene. It's pretty fucking hilarious but there is one moment during those sequences that handle the social commentary very well in this moment and throughout the film. I don't hear enough talk about the social commentary in the film and it's a very important aspect that director Damien Chazelle handled well. As a first-generation Mexican-American filmmaker, Diego Calva's character really hit out of the ballpark and his performance is outstanding. Diego Calva is definitely the breakout actor of this year and his passion for filmmaking hits home so well. He was treated like some stranger in the beginning but with Brad Pitt's character Jack Conrad, he helped him in becoming the best and be a part of the film industry. Manuel's Spanish jokes are hilarious, especially during a breakdown scene that doesn't show translation and it was so hilarious. The ending, without any spoilers, really shows that anyone can make a difference. It's a tragic yet heartwarming ending for Manuel and I felt the emotions that Manuel had. He's just a Mexican trying to find a fit in the United States and as a Mexican-American, I felt this way. It's heartbreaking yet heartwarming at the same time. We want to be a part of something bigger and make an impact on this industry. That is my goal as a filmmaker and I want to take part in critic circles and work as an assistant director or PA in a short or feature film. It's literally my dream and I feel like Manuel throughout the whole film. There is one other character named Sydney Palmer played by Jovan Adepo and his performance was very great. While he isn't much in the film, we get to have moments that connect to his character on how he transforms from just a party trumpet person to acting in his own film. But also we get to see some depictions of racism in the film, especially in one moment in the film while he films his own film. It's pretty sensitive material and it shows how Hollywood can be racist and with Adepo's performance, it makes the moment raw and real. With little cuts, it shows the struggle of being a black actor on stage in the 30s, and in the end, we rethink with the character together and think "was it worth it" in relation to ethnicity and race. It's an interesting question and it asks life questions that affect each character's fate in the end and well, it's not a happy ending for sure if you guess by the atmosphere of this film. No spoilers obviously but it's pretty fucked up. What's more fucked up is that we haven't got to the performances and production of this film. They are all fantastic within each department and I can smell an Oscar from miles away.
The cast is mixed with established and newcomers; all of them did stupendously. I really loved Brad Pitt's performance in this film. He's the crazy one who just wants all the fame but doesn't understand the consequences in Hollywood. His character Jack is powerful and he's the type of friend that you want to hang out making movies and be your business partner. I really loved his performance but the stand out in the film is Margot Robbie. This is honestly her best performance in her career so far. I haven't seen I, Tonya and Bombshell yet so I can't really say this is her definitive performance but I feel like it is. She really gave her all out in this film and it's pretty intense. The one scene in which she acted for the first time was pretty powerful and shows how acting is done. But her character is so well written from her young party life to this legacy star in Hollywood. It's the same thing for Diego Calva's character Manny. Calva gives a fantastic performance with his character and as I said in his mini analysis of his character, he brought out the struggles of being a Mexican-American to the Hollywood landscape and being a part of something bigger. I hope we get to see more of Diego Calva in bigger roles because he's a fantastic actor. I love seeing Mexican actors being big in Hollywood. Jovan Adepo as Sydney Palmer is also very great and all of the other supporting actors did very great in the film. Everyone got their moment with their rise, peak, and downfall. It was nice to see Tobey Maguire in a big Hollywood film that isn't Marvel again. He was really creepy and funny in this film. It's mostly a cameo scene but he is still very funny. Man, even the actor who played the AD which is P. J. Byrne did a surprising performance as the AD of a sound film. He really became the scariest AD and I'm totally buying it. The cast overall is fantastic and everyone had their moment to shine, especially Diego Calva. What I really loved about the writing of these characters is everyone with their rise, peak, and downfall into the sound era. I don't care what critics say about not having enough character development or contemporary shit. This writing works for this type of film with chaos and energy. It's legit creative and astonishing in how it works. It feels Tarantino-ish and I love it! Last but not least, is the production itself.
The production of this film is outstanding and beautiful. I cannot begin without saying about the cinematography of this film. It's beautiful and colorful with every color popping out with blue and orange being the main focus of this film. There are a lot of long takes that make the scene more crazier or dramatic. The lighting in this film is absolutely amazing and I love the handheld sequences in the film. The iconic pan style from Chazelle is present and it's still amazing. He loves to get up close with all the performances and get a lot of wide shots in the film. It's beautiful and it shows the scope and scale of this masterful film. The production design film is fantastic. I love the designs of the houses and the party props. The cars look sexy and the sound stages are well sound stages but from the 1930s. They really amped up the production of this film. The costumes are very great in this film and colorful. The editing is very amped up and I love how it sets its moments with its insanity. A lot of long shots and I like long shots that have a purpose to them. A lot of interesting editing picks with the ending of the film and it goes full on Wolf of Wall Street during the party and filmmaking scenes. Sound Design and Mix are amazing. The score is very memorable and its theme score is going to be iconic in the upcoming years. It's a score that I will hear at parties very soon. Man, I just want to hear that score just to be pumped up. It's too fucking good man. I hope it wins Best Score. The directing in this film...it's outstanding at every level. The storytelling that Chazelle delivers is amazing and the camera direction is fucking insane. He brings every intensity level from every department into a crazy shit fest. The scope is present every second and Chazelle delivers with his jazz music and style. His directing with actors is flawless and he's one of the filmmakers that I look up to and am inspired by. I hope he brings another film that has energy but is filled with drama and emotional tension. This film may not be for everyone which is expected. There is a lot of graphic content that will make audiences look away. Some scenes will confuse audiences and lose the characters in their journey in some parts. It's a densely written film by its screenplay but it's easier to follow once you got used to the chaos in the film. Plus, if you don't like long movies, this can be long. Not draggy, but long. But still, this is a film that will entertain you and if it does, well, you are in for a treat. What a wild ride with this film review and the film itself. It's a beautiful mess of a film that has heart, blood, and tears into this project. It's a love letter to Hollywood while exposing Hollywood for being dumb as fuck and spending money like it's v-bucks. It's a wild ride from start to finish. The directing is outstanding and it's already one of the best films of all time. I'm not kidding. It is one of the best films of all time. Something about it in the upcoming years, people will praise this film and I'm one of the OGs who praised it in the beginning. Please go watch this film. It's original and bombastic. You will have a fun time at the movie theaters with your friends. It's a wild fun ride of a film. Now Playing Only in Theaters. Vizeit Score: "A+" (Share this review with your film friends and on social media! Thank you for your continue support.) Copyright © 2022. Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr.
Neil Patrick Harris and Sophia Reid-Gantzert. © 2021 Warner Bros, New Line Cinema, and Star Thrower Entertainment. Directed by Michael Dowse.
Watched it on HBO Max
Quick Review: Since Christmas is near, it’s time to binge-watch Christmas films and this wasn’t that bad. I liked the child lead performance and the dad's performance as well. It’s nice to see Greg Heffley’s dad in the film. The story was decent at best but nothing special. There were a lot of cringe jokes which was expected. The ending was pretty sad yet heartful. In the end, it’s a Christmas movie. You got your cliches, conventions, and other stuff. I like how Nintendo is the thing and it’s pretty clever and new. I would never see David Cross in a Christmas film but here we are. The downside of this film is that it didn’t feel like Christmas until the last 30 minutes which says something. More about achieving the console and then adding Christmas in the background at the last second. It’s still enjoyable but there’s a lot missing here and I felt like it could’ve been grander. It's a nostalgia-bait movie that older audiences will be pleased about. Younger audiences won't feel the connection unless you added a Nintendo switch to make it more impactful to both generations. But I’m biased toward this movie since it takes place in Chicago, especially in the suburbs. Still, a decent Christmas movie in the end and I hope we get more Christmas films that aren't cliché for once. Now Streaming Only on HBO Max. Vizeit Score: "C+" (Share this review with your film friends and on social media! Thank you for your continue support.) Copyright © 2022. Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr.
Antonio Banderas. © 2022 Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation. Directed by Joel Crawford.
The Fairy Tale Legend Returns
You thought the legend retired? Nah, he came back with more adventures but in Spider-Man form so he can give J. Jonah Jameson some pictures of Spider-Man's crime-fighting. This was an amazing surprise from DreamWorks and they are releasing bangers this year. If Antonio Banderas came back to this role, you know something is about to heat up in this film. It's an animated wild fest of a film and there are a lot of things to appreciate from the animation to the storytelling. The gold core of DreamWorks is shown here and with animation adapting into a new form, this is the stepping stone of the new generation of animation. Even the muffin man will be surprised by this movie. Let's go back to the world of Shrek and join Puss in Boots on his glorious adventure with some leche to go. Story: Set after Shrek Forever After (2010), the film continues Puss in Boots's (Banderas) journey as he sets to find the mystical Last Wish and restore the eight of his nine lives that he lost while escaping new enemies (Pugh, Mulaney, and Moura) who plan to hunt him down, with the help of his friends (Hayek and Guillén). But there's one enemy named the Wolf or Death who is hunting him down to kill him, one last time. Bound to one life, this film brings the adventure into a colorful fest of life, death, and heart. It's a beautifully animated film that packs heart but also brings out the violence to a hardcore mode for a kid's film. The animation is absolutely beautiful and creative. It's a mix of 2D and 3D animation with some hand-drawing animation that makes it stand out. There is a lot of creative animation decision that makes every scene stand out. The opening scene is just outstanding and it shows what Puss in Boots was up to. I was just in awe of the animation during the action and fighting sequences. It's eye-popping and it's everywhere which is great. The cinematography is also great because of many classic callbacks to old western and iconic films. It embraces the fairy tale look and storytelling through visuals. It's so heavily inspired by Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse but it does it in its own way and respects the animation while creating new grounds with fairy tale storytelling. DreamWorks go full and beyond with its animation and it shows that you don't need a realistic animated film to impress audiences. This film uses animation in a cartoonish way but still keeps it as cinematic as possible and creative. When you watch it in full motion, it's blended so well and it's way better to see it in a movie theater rather than at home. This is what I miss from animated films and DreamWorks is making them more fun and creative while keeping them cinematic and raw. Plus I really loved the direction and making each scene feel purposeful. It's a wonderful film that animation students will love. The storytelling is also very strong in the film. I'm glad that it's taking place after the events of the last Shrek film and exploring how's Puss in Boots is doing. I really loved Antonio Banderas's performance and he makes the character more likable and hilarious. The Spanish jokes are hilarious, and there's a lot of strong language in this film, which is surprising for a kid's film. Good thing it wasn't produced by Disney so DreamWorks can get away with a lot of stuff. The supporting characters were also great as well. What I really love about the plot is that we get to look at the three different groups of characters with their strengths and weakness. Goldilocks and the three bears' story arc is so well developed. We get heartful and menacing moments from this group and get a satisfying conclusion. Same thing with the "main" villain which is Jack Horner. But more on the bear family. The other two main supporting characters, Kitty Softpaws and Perrito are also great. Perrito's arc is pretty good while Kitty's character grows in this sequel. However, there is one character that is legit already one of the best-animated villains of all time. I'm not kidding and it's the big bad Wolf/Death, voiced by Wagner Moura. His performance is so brutal and cold. His opening scene is golden and the final confrontation with Puss in Boots is the best scene in the entire film. The animation of his character is flawless and scary. His character motivations are strong and whenever he pops on screen, it gets serious and it feels like there are stakes whenever he's present. I like how he's just in the shadows waiting for the right moment and his screen time is perfect while not ruining some of the characters' moments and arcs. I want more of this villain in future Shrek films. This film really delivered two of the most important aspects of a movie. Storytelling and cinematography (animation) and the director and the animation team delivered it. But I still have some nitpicks as well. Even though the film had the right runtime for an animated feature film, I feel like I wanted more action in this film. That's my personal opinion. There are your typical kids' jokes that were cringe but not distracting from the mature dark humor during the second half of the film. I wanted a little bit of backstory with Wolf on how he managed to follow Puss in Boots throughout his life. As an animated film, I can't find something to shit on which is surprising. Not gonna lie, Perrito was annoying at first but he kind of grew me later on. But that's all the critiques of this film. This is the best entry in the Shrek franchise since Shrek 2 and it delivers emotional beats by connecting with the protagonist and supporting characters. It's fresh air for animation cinema and I love how creative it is. The villain is cold yet amazing and Puss in Boots is literally my childhood. I grew up with this franchise and I'm happy to say that this film should be watched in theaters. Two DreamWorks bangers in one year and I hope they keep it up next year. I cannot wait for more adventures from Puss in Boots and his friends. Now Playing in Theaters in 2D and RealD 3D. Vizeit Score: "A" (Share this review with your film friends and on social media! Thank you for your continue support.) Copyright © 2022. Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr. |
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