Aubrey Plaza. © 2022. Roadside Attractions, Vertical Entertainment, Low Spark Films, Fear Knot Productions, and Evil Hag Productions. Directed by John Patton Ford. Watched it at AMC Theaters
It's more than just a credit card fraud scheme. Committing credit card fraud is pretty bad but you can get away with it if your Aubrey Plaza. This film explores the underground of a credit card scheme and it goes into many depths of layers within the scheme but with the main character. It's an interesting plot and the film itself is very great. It's very slick with its presentation and it's going to be a hidden gem very soon after the film releases on digital. Glad I saw this film in theaters and it's nothing short of a great film. Join me in the underground world of credit card fraud and maybe not get raided by the FBI by making this review. Plot: Saddled with student debt and unable to find work, a college graduate becomes involved in a credit card scam, acting as a dummy shopper and buying increasingly risky products with stolen credit cards. But she learns the ways of doing it and get's into dangerous situations that may end up in jail. The story really got me interested to watch this film at Sundance but I didn't get the chance to watch it early since individual tickets are more expensive than last year. But I got to see it in a theater which I'm very glad about rather than at home and it was worth it. I really liked how they explored the credit card scheme through the eyes of a desperate college-debt woman and took advantage of the scheme. But the story gets crazier in the climax but the ending comes in full circle with the plot. I won't say much but it's a great ending that pays off well on how those schemes are still going strong. While the story seems big, the film itself is small but there are a lot of moving parts that keep the story feel fresh and big. The film turns big in the final 20 minutes of the film and for an independent film, that's amazing how they achieve this story. The characters in this film are pretty great including the main lead Aubrey Plaza as Emily. Her performance is very great in this film and her character is well written. She acts like the big jerk but she just wants to live a perfect life away from debts and loans. Her character was very good and it's a perfect role for Plaza because it fits with her smirky performance and it's a character that is up to no good. She gets into dangerous situations but she finds a way to get out of them or finish it to continue on her fraud journey. Since she has a criminal record, it's hard for her to find a job but she wants to find a way to get that sweet cash and she does but she encounters new enemies that may become too difficult for this job. The side characters are pretty good as well including Theo Rossi as Youcef. His relationship with Emily was pretty good and his performance was very good. I really liked how he tries to be with Emily but he fails at first but they get with each other in the end. But the ending is kind of sad yet for Emily, it's a satisfying conclusion. Overall, the story and characters were great and the execution of the story is pretty good. The production of this film is very great for an independent film. A lot of unique locations for the film, especially for the ending scene. The cinematography is very slick with blue being the main color and it works for this type of story and character. There are some great and beautiful shots in the film and the editing is well done. The score is also pretty good and overall, the production is very great. I really enjoyed what they put on the film's presentation and it's one of the strongest Sundance films of this year. But it comes with some flaws. The runtime is tight and while that's a good thing, the film felt like nearly two hours with its slow pacing. I love slow films but I felt like some parts of the film were slow. Some of the side characters were used well but I felt like that's fine for this story. The villain was underwhelming and I wished we get to explore more of the underground world of credit card fraud. Another flaw that I felt like it hold some of Emily's character traits was the explanation of Emily's criminal record of a breakout fight. There's no scene but only mentions of it. They repeated it like two or three times and I felt like it was very important to that character. But they only mentioned it during interview scenes and never really looked at it like it's part of her trait unless you count the night truck scene. That was a major flaw in the character but still, I wish they explored that more into her character. Maybe one flashback will do justice. Even though I said a lot of flaws, that was really the only true flaw. The others were nit-picky. Overall, this film was pretty surprising and passed my expectations. The plot was very interesting and the execution of it was great. The main characters were very strong and the performances were great. Amazing cinematography and great production. This is one of the strongest independent films I've seen this year and this will quickly become a hidden gem once people start to rate it more on Letterboxd. If you are into independent films, this is a film you don't want to miss out on. Now Playing Only in Select 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.
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Michael Greyeyes. © 2021. Vertical Entertainment, Logical Pictures, and Sundance Institute. Directed by Lyle Mitchell Corbine, Jr. Watched it on Digital
Finally, I got to watch this after a year it premiered at Sundance. It’s pretty interesting and the story was tense. The performances are great. Michael Greyeyes did a great job and brought out intense emotions and fucked up moments. Jesse Eisenberg is just there and it makes me laugh. I don’t know why but it’s hilarious. The cinematography is pretty good for an independent film and the directing was good as well. The intro was weak but it starts to get good in the middle. The film is short which is a problem. There could’ve been more with the story and the death scene with the kid was funny and surprising. The way the scene was executed was funny unintentionally. Bu the ending felt a little bit rushed. But the performances kept the film alive and the directing as well. It’s a well-made independent film and I was not disappointed. Can’t wait to see more of his work. Now Streaming on Kanopy. Vizeit Score: “B” Identity & Film Class Film Copyright © 2022. Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr. Karen Gillan and Aaron Paul. © 2022. XYZ Films. Directed by Riley Stearns. Review: "Dual" is a film that I didn't expect going in. Some will love it or be disappointed, but it's a film that explores the missing pieces of life and fixing yourself from madness. Karen Gillan proves that as the main lead in the film and it did not disappoint.
The film is set in the modern future and it's about a woman named Sara who is suffering of a rare disease. Unfortunately, she's about to die in a couple of months. During that time, she has the option to release a clone of herself so that clone can replace the real Sara and people will see the clone version as the real Sara. But things took a turnaround and the only way to survive is to a battle of the dual between the original and the clone. The concept alone is very good and watching it on film was executed well. Karen Gillan was pretty solid in the film. Her humor was very dry, sexual and creepy at some parts. Her personality was pretty dry but it's a good thing. The clone version was the best part of the film. Her performance as the clone was very great. She didn't get a lot of screen time but her character was more positive and she's helping the original Sara about more about herself. Overall, her performance was pretty great. The side characters were pretty good as well, especially Aaron Paul. He serves as the dojo master and while he didn't do much in the film, his introduction was pretty great. I want to see more Aaron Paul in movies. The cinematography was solid. Nothing special but there were some unique shots in the film. The editing is the most surprising part of the film. There are several scenes where there's no edit for a few minutes, especially the final Dual scene. I liked how the world knows that clones exist and there not freaked out which is pretty funny to me. The production design was solid and i liked the futuristic props and marketing videos they showed in the film. It felt near future but it's not. It's not like "After Yang" but it's more like "Guns Akimbo" but more serious and dramatic. The audio design was pretty solid as well. It's a well made low budget sci-fi film that has impressive VFX, solid pacing and storyline. The ending is still questionable yet good. I don't know how but the ending shall be a mystery. Some scenes can drag on unfortunately. There aren't that much action sequences if you thought going in. Don't set your expectations that high. Sara can be little iffy. While I liked her dry personality, it felt like there's any barley emotion with the character or it feels too dry. Some characters were heavily underdeveloped or not used enough like Aaron Paul's character. The concept is very good and executed well in the film, but after they get to the conflict and getting ready for the Dual, there's no where else to go. It's like the story just stopped and just says "hmmm, let's do this or that". Basically, no clear direction. The audience can get lost or even bored if they don't have any connections with the characters or even the world around them. That's the main issue with the film. Also, the ending felt too rushed with no clues or any explanation what so ever. Even thought it's not a perfect film, it's still a enjoyable film that tackles the clone elements and many sci-fi elements. It's a funny film as well and if your interested in high-concept films, this one is a good option. Glad I saw the original cut first before they change anything for the main release. Coming soon to theaters and VOD in 2022. The film has been purchased by RLJE Films. Vizeit Score: "B" Copyright © 2022. Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr. Colin Farrell. © 2021/2022. A24. Directed by Kogonada. Review: Sometimes, life can change you in unexpected ways, even through a human robot. It could be guilt, forgiveness, or joy. Many emotions play in this film and it's done beautifully well. "After Yang" is a beautifully well made film that deals with technology and how us humans get attached to technology. It's a emotional film and it's Kogonada best film to date after his directorial debut, "Columbus" (2017).
The story centers around a father played by Colin Farrell who is trying to save a human robot with the help of her wife and daughter. The film mainly focuses around the father, daughter and the robot because they are connected well to the human robot. Along the way, the father learns new things about the human robot, humanity and self-guilt along the way. Colin Farrell is fantastic in the film. There's not enough dialogue in the film but the way he's acting in the film was amazing. All of his emotions are shown through small words and actions towards the robot. He rethinks himself of life again through the final act and see that a human robot can feel emotional like the real human beings. The little girl played by Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja did a great job as well. She didn't do much in the film but she was good in the film. Justin H. Min as Yang the human robot did a great job on capturing the human robot emotions and how these robots acted. The supporting cast did a good job in the story. The production design is fantastic in the film and captures the near future of America. The Visual effects felt very real and it could get some nominations for next year's award. The writing is very well done and captures emotions and lessons so the viewer can understand what's going on through these characters. The cinematography is still fantastic and beautiful. Similar to Columbus, every shot feels like a art painting and captures meaning. It feels like Ex-Machina but the film isn't as dark you thought. It's more like "Minority Report" but without any action sequences. It's more heavy dialogue and heavy visuals. The tea scene was my favorite part alongside the credit dancing sequence. I thought this film wasn't going to be that futuristic, it's still a futuristic film with shots showing a huge city and advanced glasses technology. It's a weird yet deep film about humanity and technology. It's a slow burn film but the pacing was well balanced and kept the drama going throughout the film. The ending is pretty sad yet rewarding for the father. Overall, this film brought many questions and answers to humanity and how society is so deep with technology. Also, I'm happy they brought back Haley Lu Richardson in the film. She was great in "Columbus". The film can drag in some scenes. The mother played by Jodie Turner-Smith didn't do as much in the film unfortunately but she was still great in the film. I thought we could've seen more of the city and the future but they hid it kind of poorly, especially one shot with the fish tank. Felt little cheap to me. Or it could be the Sundance servers. But that's all the nitpicks because this film was fantastic. Absolutely you should check it out. It's already the best film of 2022 and A24 has another banger in their hands. It's a beautiful film from start to finish. Thank you Sundance for providing this film. Coming soon to Theaters in March 2022. Vizeit Score: "A" Copyright © 2022. Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr. |
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