Change Your Image
ma-cortes
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Lists
An error has ocurred. Please try againReviews
+Cuñados (2024)
Crazy comedy with funny, hilarious and disconcerting scenes without falling into the histrionic or excessive.
Sequel to ¨Cuñados¨, one of the most resounding successes of recent Galician cinema, a film that presented a pleasant desire to make people laugh, and without intending to, became one of the mainstays and best performances in the "comedy à galega", laying the foundations for it. The film begins with the appearance of a corpse right in the middle of the international bridge in 'Tui. This fact comes from what happened a few days ago, when Carnival is about to be celebrated and the Ribeiro family is preparing to enjoy the favorite festivals of every good Ourense'people. In this sequel titled ¨+Cuñados¨ two years have passed since the arrest of Alicia Zamora and her Portuguese partner and the brothers-in-law (Xosé A. Touriñán as Sabonis, Miguel de Lira as Eduardo) have set up a stall selling Galician octopus in Ourense, to balance the money from the loot that literally fell from the sky. And meanwhile Modesto (Federico Pérez Rey), who in the previous film was kidnapped by the brothers-in-law, has become another brother-in-law of the family. However, the appearance in Ourense of Andreia Nunes (Mela Casal), the partner of the detained Portuguese woman, in search of revenge will once again put the brothers-in-law in trouble.
The Galician trio formed by: Xosé A. Touriñán as Sabonis, Miguel de Lira as Eduardo and Federico Pérez Rey as Modesto, get into trouble again in this direct continuation of the nutty ¨Cuñados¨, the unexpected box office hit of 2021. In this new adventure of the brothers-in-law, bad luck, absolute illegality, entanglements, mistakes and coincidences are the hallmarks of this 'costumbrista' comedy that carries the essence of Galician humor as its particular brand. It is a reasonably well-seasoned comedy, in which the three main characters hold up the comic building with wit, grace, funny phrases, some ridiculous incidents and a fresh, healthy humour that never falls into vulgarity, which is why there are hardly any swear words, bad words or sexual references, which is appreciated. While in the previous film intertwined funny comedy with a social critique of the deep Spanish crisis, passing through an authentic critique of economic abuses, corruption and speculation; in this second outing there are hardly any acidic speculations, but simply one crazy situation after another, adding a bit of suspense about an alleged murder and various chases. This film is made to entertain, and this feature film, especially to have a good time and some pleasant entertainment. And the result is a passable story, with enough fun in which the only thing that stands out are the celebrations of the Orense carnival in which our likeable protagonists appear having a great time. The film is full of fast-paced, heavily accented dialogue, silly incidents, funny plot twists, ironic, grotesque situations, and above all, humor. Brothers-in-Law 2 could have been even funnier if it hadn't cut short its mischief. It is somewhat white in its humor and that need not be a problem, but it leaves us with the impression that it could have been used for something more touching or hilarious. As a virtue, it is neither stale nor heavy, something it could easily have fallen into with three brothers-in-law on hand. It finds itself in a strange middle ground between the completely absurd and the elegantly cool. This film moves in fits and starts, most of which would be desirable and some moments of enjoyment and others quite ridiculous. Alongside the three main protagonists: Xosé A. Touriñán, Miguel de Lira and Federico Pérez Rey, there are other partially known Galician faces, such as: Eva Fernández, Iolanda Muíños and María Vázquez, all of them giving adequate performances adapted to the comedy genre in which it all takes place.
The film was professionally directed by Luis Avilés who replaces the previous director Toño López, but it is nothing special. Luis Avilés had previously made some films without much success such as Idénticas (2019), Os días afogados (2015) and Retornos (2010), as well as some short films. Rating: 5/10. It is an acceptable Galician comedy, but only recommended for viewers from that region and those who liked the previous original entry.
Madame Web (2024)
So-so and uneven Marvel entry with Dakota Johnson as a paramedic who starts to demonstrate signs of clairvoyance.
This suspense-driven thriller stars Dakota Johnson as Cassandra Webb, a paramedic in Manhattan who develops the power to see the future and realizes she can use that insight to change it. In 1973 in the Amazon jungles of Peru, a research team led by Ezekiel Sims (Tahar Rahim) and his pregnant colleague Constance Webb (Kerry Bishe) discovers an unidentified species of spider with rare healing properties. Thirty years later, a girl who was born in the Amazon has become Cassandra (Dakota Johnson), Cassie Webb, a woman from Manhattan who has not had an easy life, she works as a paramedic in New York City alongside her co-workers Ben Parker (Adam Scott) and O'Neil (Mike Epps). Her life will get even more complicated when she acquires her prescient powers. Webb will attempt to save three young women (Sweeney, Merced, O'Connor) from a nasy enemy, who wants to murder them before they become superheroines in the future and kill him. Forced to confront revelations about her past, she forges a relationship with three young women bound for powerful destinies if they can all survive a deadly present. Her web connects them all !.
In a switch from the typical genre, Madame Web tells the standalone origin story of one of Marvel publishing's most enigmatic heroines. A fast-paced science fiction thriller that tells the origins of the mutant from the Spider-Man universe capable of seeing the future, a character created in 1980 by the scriptwriter Denney O'Neil and the cartoonist John Romita Jr for the comic book series, being loosely based on "The Book of Ezekiel" storyline from "The Amazing Spider-Man". Dakota Johnson -daughter of Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith- gives a mediocre performance as Madame Web, the young paramedic who realizes that she can use this power to see the future to change. Dakota is building a prosperous career with successful films, such as: ¨Fifty Shades of Grey, Bad Times at the El Royale or Personal Assistant¨, here is the absolute starring unevenly leading the film with her little effortful performance as Madame Web. Accompanying her is a large but not very popular cast made up of three very young actresses, the teenagers: Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced, Celeste O'Connor and other more veteran ones, such as: Tahar Rahim of The Prophet, Mike Epps, Emma Roberts, Adam Scott , Kerry Bish, Zosia Mamet, Jill Hennessy and José María Yazpik.
The film did not have the expected success and failed at the US box office, awaiting commercial development in other countries or its exhibition on digital streaming platforms. The motion picture was mediocrely directed by S. J. Clarkson, containing several flaws and failures . S. J. Clarson cited the films of Kar-Wai Wong, particularly In the Mood for Love (2000) and 2046 (2004), as influences on this film's style. Madame Web is her debut film, she is a good writer, producer and director but only in the field of television, directing many TV series episodes, such as: Defenders, Collateral, Orange is the new black, Banshee, The Bridge, Whitechaple, Causualty, Doctors, Mistresses, Turn: Espías de Washington, Dig, Hostage, Life on Mars, among others. Rating: 4.5/10. Average, It is only recommended for hardcore Dakota Johnson fans.
Written on the Wind (1956)
Frenzied melodrama on a grand scale follows a Texas oil family's self destruction.
This is an engaging and exaggerated depiction of and comment on American ambition and pretension, as well as the breakdown of an upper-class family, adapted from Robert Wilder's novel. Stars an insecure, alcoholic playboy Kyle (Robert Stack), wealthy family's black sheep, and his self-destructive, sexy sister Marylee (Dorothy Malone), they are the children of Texas oil baron Jasper Hadley (Robert Keith). Spoiled by their familiar wealth and crippled by their personal demons, neither is able to sustain a faithfully personal relationship. Both siblings are full of greed and unbridled lust. Marylee has long been in love with Kyle's childhood friend Mitch Wayne (Rock Hudson), who is now a geologist for the Hadley Oil Company, but he sees her as a sister. This woman in his arms was now the wife of the man he called his best friend!. Mitch...the woman in his arms was now the wife of the man he called his best friend!. Lucy...faithful to her husband's name, even if she couldn't be to his love!. Kyle...who hid his secret behind a bottle and a hundred million dollars!. Marylee...even a woman will find it hard to understand why she did the things she did!. The story of a decent love...that fought to live against the vice and immorality of an oil baron's wastrel family...and of the ugly secret that thrust their privates lives into public view!. The story of a family's ugly secret and the stark moment that thrust their private lives into public view!
Expensive melodrama-as-high-art dissection of both the American Dream and American movies. A sour and stinging film containing offbeat elements at the time: sexual promiscuity, incest, nymphomania, alcoholism, blackmail, killing and dark secrets. Resulting to be a scathing indictment of the state of the family in Fifties America complemented it in a vibrant and luxurious Technicolor photography and giving the mixture a good stir. The film evokes correctly the period in which it was made and yet still both modern and fresh. A twisted melodrama with enough double-dealing and scandal to fill an entire series of Dallas or Dynasty. This one seems like one of the quintaessential movies of the Fifties: a high-powered Texas oil-family drama, detailing the mis-matches the spoiled and variously bent children of the family and the relatively normal outsiders. Douglas Sirk performs it as a conspicously fierce critique of a particular sector of American society, the disintegration upper-class, but one in which the sympathy goes to the lost children rather than the straights. The acting is terrific, the melodrama is compulsive, as well as the excellent cinematography by Russell Metty, evocative musical score by Frank Skinner, brilliant lighting, and the colorful production design from Robert Clatworthy and Alexander Golitzen share a bold disregard for realism. Interpretations are very good, Rock Hudson as the upright adopted brother, Dorothy Malone as the sexy and nymphomaniac sister, Lauren Bacall as the attractive wife and Robert Stack as as the alcoholic playboy who's as nasty as a cornered rattlesnake. Adding other notorious secondaries also providing decent interpretations, such as: Robert Keith, Grant Williams, Robert J. Wilke, Edward Platt, Harry Shannon, John Larch and William Schallert.
The motion picture was competently directed by Douglas Sirk, although not perhaps Sirk's best film, this was the one that caught the critics' eye. Sirk was a fundamental filmmaker who gave prestigious movies, usually collaborating with similar technicians as cameramen Russell Metty or Irving Glassberg , Production Designer Alexander Golitzen, composer Frank Skinner, Producer Ross Hunter and writer George Zuckerman. Sirk directed a lot of classic melodramas, such as : ¨Never say goobye¨ , ¨Interlude¨ , ¨Summerstorm¨ , ¨The first legion , ¨The lady pays off¨ , ¨Tarnished Angels¨ , ¨A time to love a time to die¨ , ¨Magnificent obsession¨ , ¨All that heaven allows¨ , ¨Written in the Wind¨. But he also directed other genres as WWII : ¨Mystery submarine¨ , ¨Hitler's madmen¨ ; Thrillers and Film Noir: ¨Shockproof¨,¨Thunder on the hill¨ , ¨A scandal in Paris¨ , ¨Lured¨ ; Historical : ¨Attila¨ with Jack Palance ; Adventures : ¨Thunderbolt and Lightfoot¨ with Hudson and Barbara Rush ; and even a Western: ¨Taza¨. Rating: Written on the Wind (1956) 6.5/10 , better than average . Worthwhile watching.
Al límite (1997)
A twisted thriller with a strong battle of wills, tension, suspense and violent murders.
Behind Javier Barea (Juanjo Puigcorbé), an expert forensic psychiatrist, lies a dangerous serial killer. When he is about to kill a woman, a murderer calls a radio show and confesses to being the author of several crimes committed in Madrid. He also claims that he will kill another woman that night and offers the radio host (Beatrice Dalle) a game: find out in one hour where his victim is by providing a series of clues. If she doesn't do it, she will be next on the list. This call causes Maria Ramos (Lydia Bosch), to mobilize a group of specialists to find the culprit. Maria Ramos results to be the judge in charge of the case, is listening to the radio and immediately assembles an investigating team that includes Javier himself. In turn, the judge must face the young and ambitious radio host who, in order to become the audience leader, is willing to ignore any kind of ethics. How long until she becomes the next victim?
This Spanish-French thriller is set in Madrid containing thrills, intrigue, plot twists and grisly killings. A failed attempt to make a modern thriller following the canons of "Seven" and others in a similar style, the film received poor reviews at the time of its release, but seen today and taking into account the large number of lousy movies that have emerged within the psychokiller subgenre, this one turns out to be mediocre but not as bad as it was expected or the bad reputation it has.
Producer Eduardo Campoy directs his fourth film from a script by director/writer Agustín Díaz Yanes, to show the procedures of Spanish justice as he criticizes 'yellow journalism' and raises the question of the limits of the right to information and the secrets of the sources received from the journalist by an anonymous person. The issue matter results to be the judge in charge of the case begins to suspect the forensic is the killer, but she is simultaneously attracted to him. The peculiar triangle composed of the murderer and two women and is made up of: The Spanish Juanjo Puigcorbé, Lydia Bosch and the French Beatrice Dalle as the late-night radio talk-show host. To these must be added the commissioner in charge of the investigation, played by the strong giant Bud Spencer, and Mabel Lozano, the producer's wife, playing a prostitute. Along with other more secondary ones, such as: José Manuel Lorenzo, Rafael Romero Marchent, Manuel Gil, Rosanna Walls, and Rosanna Yanni
There's a luxurious cinematography by Armand Marco, although a perfect remastering is necessary . As well as a not very suitable soundtrack by Mario de Benito, including various songs as background music, such as: ¨Radar Love¨ written by George Kooymans and Barry Hay performed by Golden Earring; ¨Just Like a Woman¨ written by Bob Dylan; ¨No More Mr. Nice Guy¨ written by Alice Cooper and Michael Bruce; ¨Hold the Line¨ written by David Paich; ¨Mama Kin¨ written by Steven Tyler; ¨Eternal Shadow of Love¨ written by Mario de Benito, Richi Morris and José Luis Abel. The motion picture was professional but averagely directed by Eduardo Campoy. This is his fourth film , he previously directed Too Much Heart (1992), Alone Together (1990) with Victoria Abrill and Copia cero (1982) by Fernando Fernán Gómez. Campoy is a notorious producer who has financed a lot of films , such as: Hasta que la boda nos separe (international title: The Wedding Unplanner, Solo una vez (Just One Time), Mamá o papá (You Keep the Kids), El Test, Litus, Todos lo hacen, Héroes del barrio, Supernormal, Con quién viajas, among others. Rating: 5.5/10. Acceptable and passable.
Quelli della calibro 38 (1976)
A nice "Poliziottesco" with thrills, crossfire, chases and lots of violence.
Quelli della calibro 38 (1976) turns out to be interesting and plenty of vivid action , suspense and thriller . Marcel Bozzuffi's nice performance as two-fisted Inspector Vanni, the brave and taciturn inspector who utilizing his long pistol kills baddies , acting as a judge , jury and executioner . It packs intrigue , violence, action-filled and being a really effective film. A nail-biting thriller in which Inspector Vanni (Marcel Bozzuffi) attempts to bring Turin's most powerful crime lord and psychotic murderer to justice. That's why the police commissioner forms a well-trained secret motorized brigade in order to fight a dangerous terrorist who is depositing bombs throughout the city of Turin. Vanni attepts to track down Marsigliese/Black Angel (Ivan Rassimov), his henchman Guido Pugliese (Antonio Marsina) and other hoodlums in an effort to catch them at whatever cost, as he'll stop at nothing to get it . Vanni pursues the revenge-obsessed series killer and encounters he has more problems with him than he expected and eventually taking the law into his own hands . Rule-breaking Vanni strides grimly throughout Turin in pursuit the murderous, including thrilling pursuits, motorcycles and car chases . Whatever your reservations about Vanni's expeditious methods we know he'll always vanquish, shooting in cold blood with his pistol: 'calibro 38'. Inspector Vanni makes Dirty Harry look like Mr. Clean! .He lives by the law - Vanni's Law .Vigilante enforcers - lurking in the dark... waiting to kill!
Effective installment in Poliziesco genre is still gripping and moving. 'Poliziesco' or Poliziottesco' was an Italian popular genre from Seventies , whose main representatives were: Maurizio Merli, Franco Nero, Fabio Testi or Tomas Milian, that include notorious films as Street Law (1973), High Crime (1974), Milano odia: la polizia non può sparare (1974), Free Hand For a Tough Cop (1976) , Brothers Till We Die (1978) , From Corleone to Brooklyn (1979), Poliziotto solitudine e rabbia (1979), Speed cross (1980), Speed driver (1980), they were the most successful and brutal of these kinds of thrillers. Quelli della calibro 38 (1976) stars Marcel Bozzuffi who plays adequately the two-fisted, rule-bending Inspector Vanni, while seeks vengeance, chases mobsters and a maniacal, trigger-happy assassin called Black Angel. Bozuffi already played a classic thriller: 'William Friedkin's French Connection', performing a nasty mobster. As iconoclast , tough cop Vanni/Bozuffi) tries to detain the vicious killer and other cronies who are kidnapping, exploding bombs in markets, bus station and other public places, he takes on criminals determined to bring them to justice, even if he has to break some rules. Co-starring as a ruthless villain is Ivan Rassimov. Italian of Croatian origin Ivan had a fruitful career until his early death, although he was often cast as villains, from Nazi soldiers and gunmen to tough guys suspected of murder. Rassimov also occasionally played the good guys and saw it as a novelty in his bad guy roles. From playing a police detective, a cowboy, an archaeologist and even a psychiatrist in Mario Bava's last theatrical film Shock or Beyond the Gate (1977). Ivan starred in Giallos: Perversa Señora Ward, Vicios Forbiddenes and some Spaghetti Westerns like Django If You Want to Live... Shoot, Cowards Don't Pray, Non Spettare Django, Spara and Cjamango. He was most often seen as a male hero of Italian cannibal films acting alongside Me Me Lai in three of them, the most notable being Man from Deep River, Jungle Holocaust and Eaten Alive. Fine main and support cast giving acceptable , tough some exaggerated interpretations . Good secondary cast -usual in B Italian genres- gives cool performance, such as: Carole André (of Kabir Bedi's Sandokan series), Riccardo Salvino, Antonio Marsina , Franco Garofalo and brief apperance from Grace Jones singing a a disco-song.
Quelli della calibro 38 (original title) or Colt 38 Special Squad(English) or Section de choc (France) (1976) is a formula thriller with plenty of action , crisply edition , tension, intrigue , suspenseful and lots of violence in exploitation style. There are images of strong violence, bone-chilling shootouts and impressive car and motorcycle chases, with spectacular races of vehicles bouncing through the air and a 'Sinca' car at full speed going through the fields and along a transport train. Special mention for the stinging , stabbing musical score by Stelvio Cipriani. As well as atmospheric and adequate cinematography by Gábor Pogány , shot completely in Turín, Italy and Monaco . The motion picture was competently written and directed by Massimo Dallamano or ¨Max Dillman¨ in his last one, after a long career both cameraman and director. Compellingly mafde by Massimo Dallamano , he turned to cameraman to director of Spaghetti Westerns and polizieschi , which rejuvenated his confidence and his popularity . He previously photographed ¨Fistful of dollars¨and ¨For a fistful dollars more. Dallamano managed to make a fluid , witty and agreeable Giallo titled La morte non ha sesso (A Black Veil for Lisa) . He also proved his experience in thriller and other Giallo movies , such as : "What Have You Done to Solange?" , "The Cursed Medallion" ,¨Portrait of Dorian Gray ¨ , "Mafia Junction" , "What Have They Done to Your Daughters?" or "The Coed Murders" , among others . "Colt 38 Special Squad" Rating 6/10. Well worth watching . The flick will appeal to Poliziesco enthusiasts.
Legends of the Fall (1994)
The visually stunning and melodramatic story, developing a perceptible drama filmed with great sensitivity.
This exciting, sweeping and meandering family saga is set in Montana (though shot in Alberta, Canada). Stars patriarch William Ludlow (Anthony Hopkins), he is a retired Army colonel and ranch owner. William, progressively further over the top as the movie goes on, is the horse rancher in the Montana wilds. Ludlow is raising three sons: starring wild middle son Tristan (Brad Pitt) , reserved Alfred (Aidan Quinn who gives the best acting by some way) and idealist Samuel (Henry Thomas). In 1913, Samuel goes back from Boston with a fiancée, the lovely and refined Susannah (Julia Ormond). Only problem is Alfred and Tristan take a look and also desire her, a passion that will carrry them through some 20 years of heartbreak. After the Fall from Innocence the Legend begins !. The men of the Ludlow family !. A woman's grace brought them together, then her passion tore them apart !. He was a rock they broke themselves against however much he tried to protect them !. Nothing perfect lasts forever , except in our memories !.
The breathtaking story of an American Family, including romance, thrills, wonderful outdoors, and some striking moments. A pleasant film that should be seen calmly and let yourself be captivated by the photography, the natural sounds and the poetry that emanates from the words. Following the lives of three siblings through the experiences of life and growing up, and how their love for a beautiful girl keep them separated, despite varying life circumstances. A romantic epic in which a charming woman, the catalyst for tragedy, is loved by all three brothers and drawn to Tristan/Brad Pitt, the most basic. Julia Ormond, a British actress whose expressive face is not here matched by conviction of voice sits uneasily at the heart of this manly tale with its bursts of violence action, then all three brothers enlist in WWI and pretensions to grandeur which come across as ponderous. This is a brilliant and touching story, although sometimes results to be slow-moving and tiring, but is developed with real intelligence and extreme sensibility. Movie loses the spare toughness of the Jim Harrison novella but excels in its visual feast and not just because the camera seems to drool every time Brad Pitt shows up on screen. The landscape is a quasi-mystical past-time which serves as the movie's central metaphor: while they cast their lines and wait, the boys learn the importance of harmony, brotherhood, family affection, grace and patience. In the picture is treated ethic and moral themes narrated with great sense of fairness and ductility.
It displays an excellent and attractive musical score by James Horner, including a catching leitmotif. The joy of Horner's sweeping soundtrack lifts many of sagging scenes. Besides, exceptional and awesome cinematography by cameraman John Toll, being stunningly shown on the marvellous outdoors in the mountains, rivers and forests from Ghost River, Alberta, Canada
(ranch, World War 1 trenches), Calgary, Alberta, Morley, Alberta, Gastown, Vancouver, British Columbia, Alberta, Canada, Maple Leaf Square, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and Ocho Rios, St. Ann, Jamaica.
The motion picture was well directed by Edward Zwick. This great filmmaker moves deftly between the roles of writer, director and producer. He was nominated for a Golden Globe for his direction of the 1989 critically acclaimed Civil War drama, Glory. He received his second Golden Globe nomination as a director for Legends of the Fall. Zwick received an Academy Award as one of the producers of Shakespeare in Love, as well as a second nomination for Traffic. And he also wrote, directed and produced the successful feature film The Last Samurai with Tom Cruise again , who along with Leonardo DiCaprio and Denzel Washington are his ordinary actors. Zwick continues to work with his partner, Marshall Herskovitz, at their company Bedford Falls where they created ¨Thirtysomething¨, ¨My So-Called Life¨ , ¨Once and Again¨ and also made ¨Jack Reacher: Never Go Back¨(2016). Legends of the Fall(1994) Rating : 6.5/10 . A notable, though no extraordinary movie. The pic will appeal to Brad Pitt fans.
Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story (2005)
Good and touching movie about a family and an injured horse, including an excellent cast.
¨Dreamer¨ is based on facts, that was a funny-looking, ill-tempered throughbred racing legend horse to millions, an unlikely champion ridden by an unlikely jockey. Dealing with a down-and-out horse trainer named Ben Crane (Kurt Russell) whose stud farm nearing bankruptcy, he works as a consultant for rich horse owners, getting in conflict with the likes of powerful Palmer (David Morse), whose arrogance far outweighs care for the animals. Ben is given an equally broken-down horse, but once great racehorse, as severance pay. It will take the unwavering faith and determination of his daughter (Dakota Fanning) to bring these two damaged souls together in a quest to win the Breeder's Cup Classic.
This is a beautiful, family-friendly drama, and is therefore for all audiences, being well directed by John Gatins, and having the added bonus of being based on a true story. This is a story of rich and pauper people , it's a fable of hits and flops. Being loosely inspired by the story of the mare Mariah's Storm, she was a promising filly, who was being pointed towards the Breeder's Cup Juvenile Fillies in 1993, but then broke her cannon bone. She recovered, and later won some graded races. The basic ingredients make up a familiar recipe: horses, a child star, parental disapproval, sudden injury and climatic big race. The question , of course, is whether Dreamer (Soñador in Spanish language) will ever run again to win the prize money that's save the day, but , in a movie targeted at younger spectators, the child prodigy Dakota Fanning is given a pivotal role in restoring the mount's broken spirits. Her part seem to have been written for a slightly older actress. In fact, the character of Cale Crane was originally written for a boy, the same one was changed specifically so that Dakota Fanning could perform it. In the motion picture there are human emotions , drama , tearjerker and several horse races . Film runtime is appropriate : 106 minutes and though the picture is slow-moving , isn't boring , neither tiring, but entertaining enough . The final duel among contender horses at the noisy competition is overwhelming and exciting. The actors are first class, giving adequate interpretations, displaying a main and support-studded cast including the following: Kurt Russell, Kris Kristofferson, David Morse, Freddy Rodríguez, Luis Guzmán, Oded Fehr, Ken Howard, Holmes Osborne and special mention for the somewhat veteran Elizabeth Shue (nominated for an Oscar for best actress for "Leaving Las Vegas"). The story follows in the wake of the 2003 successful film: ¨Seabiscuit¨ (by Gary Ross, stars Toby McGuire as the jockey, the trainer Chris Cooper , the owner Jeff Bridges, his wife Elizabeth Banks and a journalist William H. Macy)
In Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story(2005) excels the sensitive and breathtaking musical soundtrack by composer John Debney, as well as the colorful and brilliant cinematography by cameraman Fred Murphy. This 'good feel' picture was competently directed John Gatins. He is a supporting actor, producer and eventually director of this Dreamer, his debut and only film. Rating: 7/10. Better than average. Well worth seeing. The film will appeal to Dakota Fanning and Kurt Russell fans.
Something Wild (1986)
This crazy comedy became a cult success at the time about the theme of a yuppie dragged in dangerous terrain by a kinky woman.
Mild-mannered business Charlie (Jeff Daniels) is the main role. Charlie lives the ordinary life as a high exec and after a lunch he attempts to get out of paying a check at a restaurant. Lulu (Melanie Griffith) who likes to live on the edge calls Charlie bluff and picks up him on a wild ride. She starts events moving by handcuffing hapless Charlie to her motel bed and ending up at a high school reunion in Pennsylvania. He is taken for the ride of his up-till-then staid life, eventually leading to explosive violence. Lulu's ex husband (Ray Liotta) out of prison, and puts up at the reunion to reclaim his wife and decides to teach Lulu and Charlie a lesson. The ex-husband is a violent ex-convict and Charlie learns what it's like to live dangerously. Something Different Something Daring Something Dangerous !.
A sharp-edged, nightmare comedy with numerous changes of pace, dealing with a free-spirited woman "kidnaps" a yuppie for a weekend of adventure. Its issue matter of a clean-cut exec hero
being dragged kicking and screaming into perilous and dark terrain by a fiery girl and the lure of charming sex, and the fear
of the unknown, was a popular one at the time, surficing again 'Blue Velvet' and 'After Hours'. But the fun quickly takes a dangerous turn when her ex-convict husband shows up, as the tete a tete between these two adversaries is well performed and makes for a delightful story that is a good diversion. Too-happy ending wrecks it, but it's great until then. Main support cast is pretty good. Jeff Daniels is nice as a young with quiet suburban life, though his wife has recently run off with his two children. Melanie Griffith is fine as an impossibly free-living vamp with a Louise Brooks hairdo. And special mention for Ray Liotta , who boosted his own career in his first major film as the menacing, psychotic hubby. There's a good support cast with various familiar faces, such as Margaret Colin, Tracey Walter, Anna Thomson, Charles Napier, Jack Gilpin and look for cameos from directors John Sayles and John Waters.
The motion picture was well directed by Jonathan Demme, though I'm considering it's overrated. Filmmaker Demme (Silence of the lambs , The Manchurian Candidate, Philadelphia , Married to the Mob) never allows his audience to relax for a minute as he constantly shifts style and throws a lot of twists and turns. The greater fun in early Demme movies can be found in the incidental roles and details -the peculiar characters appearing here and there, the soundtrack music ending when Lulu switches off the radio in her car, a dog in a crash helmet riding motorcycle pilion, and owners of Mom and Dad's restaurant answering phone. Furthermore, Jonatham Demme frequently uses his ordinary trademarks: Frequently uses Tak Fujimoto as his director of photography, characters looking directly into the camera, uses New Order songs in the score of his movies, heavy use of steadicam interspersed with shots of handheld shots, extreme close-ups on faces and frequently casts Buzz Kilman in a cameo role. Something Wild(1986) became the cult hit of the year and desevedly so.
Night Swim (2024)
A very ordinary and disappointing terror film with all the typical horrific ingredients.
A dark, malevolent force lurks at the bottom of a family pool in this terrifying supernatural thriller, Bryce McGuire's debut, produced by Blumhouse. In 1992, a young girl, Rebecca Summers, goes out to her family pool one night to retrieve a toy boat belonging to her terminally ill brother, Tommy. While she tries to get the boat, something strange appears under the pool water. In the present day, the Waller family: Ray (Wyatt Russell) , Eve (Kelly Condon), and children Izzy and Elliot are seeking a new, permanent residence after Ray has been forced to retire from his baseball career due to illness. Forced into early retirement by a degenerative illness, former major league baseball player Ray Waller moves into a bizarre home with his wife and their two children. The new home comes complete with a backyard swimming pool, but a deep secret surfaces and unleashes a malevolent force that will drag the family into the inescapable depths of terror. Do you dare to swim? . Everything you fear is under the surface !.
Exciting terror movie packing suspense, horror, thrills, chills, tension and grisly killings. Being consistently paced, adequately played and with a lot of gore, blood, twists and turns . Bizarre terror movie that's heavy on creepy scenes with acceptable FX though mainly in the pool , including brilliant photography and suspenseful musical score. A sinister and unsettling flick that goes on growing more and more and developing little by little until the final conclusion. Starring Wyatt Russell (Thunderbolts, The Woman in the Window) and Oscar nominee Kerry Condon (The Banshees of Inisherin, Bad samaritan), 'Night Swim' begins with a shocking scene of what happens to a little girl and years later a prematurely retired baseball star who moves into a house where that same pool is. As an pordinary plot about a family moves into a new home, unaware that a dark secret from the house's past will unleash a malevolent force in the backyard pool. In a space as limited and static as that of a pool, the danger, suspense and terror of the entire film are concentrated, in which the somewhat dark lighting and photography stand out.
Financed by Emmy award winning producer, Jason Blum, he is the founder and CEO of Blumhouse Productions, a multi-media production company that has pioneered a new model of studio filmmaking- producing high-quality micro-budget films. Blumhouse has a first-look deal with Universal Pictures and has produced the highly-profitable Paranormal Activity, The Purge, Insidious, and Sinister franchises which have grossed more than $1.2 billion worldwide on combined budgets under $40 million. Blumhouse's model began with the original Paranormal Activity, which grossed a big worldwide boxoffice making it the most profitable film in Hollywood history. Blumhouse's award-winning projects include The Normal Heart and Whiplash. In television, Blum won an Emmy for producing HBO's The Normal Heart. Blumhouse's shows include Ascension , Eye Candy and South of Hell. Blumhouse has also produced a variety of live-events including The Blumhouse of Horrors, haunted house experience in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, The Purge: Fear the Night, a live-event inspired by the backstory to the feature film and The Purge: Breakout, an immersive escape game experience. His credits also include: The Reader, for which Kate Winslet won an Academy Award; Hysterical Blindness, starring Uma Thurman, which aired on HBO and garnered Thurman a Golden Globe Award; and Hamlet starring Ethan Hawke, Bill Murray, Sam Shepard and Kyle MacLachlan. Jaon Blum's formula for making movies as inexpensively as possible does not mean looking for low-budget movies to see if he likes them, but looking for movies he likes, and then see if they can be done on a low budget. According Jason Blum himself his rules for making a cheap movie include: 1) Limit the amount of speaking parts, because actors with lines get an additional fee; 2) Limit the amount of locations (preferably only one); 3) Pay actors the legally minimum, and offer them a percentage of perspective profits; 4) Never break the budget, don't ask for more money. The motion picture picture was mediocrely directed by Bryce McGuire in his film debut. It's nothing special, with many habitual terrifying situations that we had already seen before and better filmed. Rating: 4.5/10. Average.
Nicholas Nickleby (2002)
Charles Dickens' adaptation directed with great care and feel for the period and with a distinguished British cast.
Nicholas Nickleby (2002) by Douglas McGrath boasts a good cast , such as Charlie Hunnam , Christopher Plummer , Jim Broadbent , Juliet Stevenson , Alan Cumming , Timothy Spall , Edward Fox. Light-hearted and sensitive British production based on a popular novel by Charles Dickens. Nineteenth century England. An impoverished family formed by a widow and his two children, a compassionate Nicholas Nickleby (Charlie Hunnam) and his sister Kate (Romola Garai) are dependent on their wealthy but villianous uncle (Christopher Plummer) . When Nicholas Nickleby's father dies and leaves his family destitute, then 19 year-old Nicholas is forced to grow up quickly and he takes over as head of the family. His uncle, the greedy moneylender, Ralph Nickleby (Christopher Plummer), finds Nicholas a job teaching in a repulsive school in Yorkshire. But the malicious uncle proves to be difficult and cold towards his relatives. Nicholas is jobless and ultimately gets an employment as an apprentice at an school for boys run by nasty Mr Squeers (Jim Broadbent) and wife, Mrs. Squeers (Juliet Stevenson), where they are really mistreated .Nicholas flees the school taking with him one of the persecuted boys, Smike (Jamie Bell), and they join a troop of actors. Nicholas then has to protect Smike, while trying to stop his Uncle Ralph taking advantage of his sister Kate, and later his sweetheart, Madeline Bray (Anne Hathaway), whose father is in debts.
A decent and nice production based on Charles Dickens classic , the film condenses the exciting plot for mass consumption. Dealing with the hard life during the unjust world of early Victorian England. Well played and competently directed with the then unknown Charlie Hunnam as Nichola Nickleby, who soon escapes from an disagreeable school and along with his new friend student Smike run away to a series of exciting adventures and misfortunes, finally joining a theater company. Well played with Charlie Hunnam able but not terrific in an overall correct rendition, he provides an acceptable acting as the young who struggles to save his family and friends from the exploitation of his cold-hearted , grasping uncle .The ensemble cast works hard to bring to life this famous novel , giving appropriate performances in an overall light-hearted and lively flick .Hunnam is well accompanied by a fine cast formed mostly of the best Brit actors at the time, such as : Jamie Bell, Tom Courtenay, Anne Hathaway, Edward Fox, Nicholas Rowe, Juliet Stevenson, Nathan Lane, Barry Humphries, Alan Cumming, Jim Broadbent, Lucy Davis, Kevin Mckidd, Juliet Stevenson, Timothy Spall, William Ash, David Bradley, Roger Ashton-Griffiths among others . And special mention for vetran Christopher Plummer as the cold-hearted, grasping uncle. Despite the star-studded cast, the movie doesn't exactly grab the attention throughout, though there are verious sequence spring vividly to life. The picture was well directed by Douglas McGrath who reliably takes on this period piece with this sprawling classic, delivering an adequate retelling .
There are other enjoyable renditions, both Cinema as Television based on this notorious novel Charles Dickens' Nicholas Nickleby , these are the following: ¨The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby¨ (1947) by Alberto Cavalcanti with Derek Bond, Cedric Hardwicke , Stanley Holloway , Sally Anne Howes , Mary Merral, Cathleen Nesbitt. ¨Nicholas Nickleby¨ (1977) by Christopher Barry with Níger Havers , Freddie Jones , Pauline Moran . ¨The life and adventures of Nicholas Nickleby¨ (1982) by Jim Goddard with Roger Rees , Alun Armstrong , Lucy Gutteridge , Ian McNiece . ¨The Life and adventures of Nicholas Nickleby¨ (2002) by Stepher Whittaker with James D'Arcy, Charles Dance , Pam Ferris , Tom Hollander , Donald Sumpter , Dominic West. Rating: 6.5/10. An agreeable movie , though it is hard to tell the entire and long story in such a small amount of time.
Caída libre (2024)
An exciting and tense drama in which Belén Rueda gives a terrific acting.
It's about how the perfect life of a strict and tough rhythmic gymnastics teacher of competition begins to escape out of her hands. Caída Libre", is an Universal Pictures film starring Belén Rueda and produced by J. A Bayona, it burst into sixth place with a box office take of 124,748 euros. Marisol (Belén Rueda) is a domineering, suffocating, manipulative and very demanding woman. She always has everything under control. In her work as coach of the Olympic rhythmic gymnastics team, she is methodical and extremely demanding, where perfection and being the first is the only thing that counts. Marisol tyrannically and cruelly trains the young rhythmic gymnast Angelica (Mariia Netavrovana). Her whole life is continuously regulated and in her personal life she is obsessed with every detail, even the relationship with her husband (Ilay Kurelovic). But when things start to go wrong, her self-destruction explodes. Marisol knows she is failing and that is something she cannot allow. How far can someone like that go?
A fluid and very luxurious visual style movie, and a story of personal rediscovery of a woman who must break down to rebuild herself and find out who she is. JA Bayona produces this uncomfortable and tense dramatic thriller influenced by films such as ¨Tar¨, ¨Whiplash¨ or ¨Black Swan¨ in which Belén Rueda as the absolute protagonist develops tour-of-force acting. She gives a good performance as a perfectionist, tyrant, narcissistic woman who hides, under this facade, a great insecurity. The actress continues to prove herself to be one of the best performers in our country with each film -although quite aged, she is almost sixty years old- , capable of an impressive versatility in which she knows how to give life to each character with elegance and a lot of talent. Without her, surely, Caída libre (Freen falling, international title) would not be the film that it is and it would not work, because to believe the story we need to believe Marisol, and to believe Marisol we need Belén Rueda, for everything that the character contains, for her many edges. Because she is a character who is unsympathetic because of how she treats others, but who hides an insecurity that leads her to a pathos with which we all empathize. Belén is an actress expert on mystery and terror films , such as : Julia's eyes , The orphanage , No dormirás , Durante la tormenta , El cuaderno de Sara, el Pacto, Orbita 9 , and The body . Resulting to be an adequate and decent movie , but inferior than other Belén Rueda's mysterious films .The cast is completed by Mariia Netavrovana as the Ukrainian gymnast who is subjected to continuous abuse, Irene Escolar as an even more sensitive and intelligent coach, Ilay Kurelovic as the bored hubby, Brays Efe as a nurse, and Manuela Vellés as the hubby's lover who causes our protagonist to have a deep nervous breakdown when she finds out about her husband's adultery.
In her second feature film, filmmaker Laura Jou explores the limits of a peculiar character as extreme, abusive and with as many edges as Marisol, a woman full of dark internal struggles who after building her world to measure now collapses resulting in fateful consequences. It features careful and colorful photography from cameraman Marc Gómez del Moral , as well as thrilling and sensitive musical score by composer Clara Peya. A sufficiently enjoyable film as a whole, even if the script is not well-rounded and has a disappointing ending. The director Laura Jou is an actress and acting coach. Laura is protégé of J. A. Bayona and she had previously directed a single film: Life Without Sara Amat , as well as shorts and episodes of TV series: Cucut and Fácil. Rating Free falling: 6/10. The film will appeal to Belén Rueda fans.
War Hunt (1962)
Robert Redford first big role as an idealistic American soldier discovers the horrors of combat.
This powerful anti-war knockout titled War Hunt (1962) boasted the acting debuts of future stars Robert Redford and Tom Skerritt and the beginning of an exceptional body of work together as actor Redford and director Sidney Pollack, both men having made their feature film. Set the frontline Korean War, 1953. A young idealist called Roy Loomis (Robert Redford) enlists to fight as a soldier against the Korean and Chinese military. Infantryman Raymond Endore (John Saxon) slips out into no man's land each night on throat-cutting expeditions. Commander-in-chief turns in blind to the presence a psychopath in the company, as Endore heads off every night on unofficially sanctioned reconnaissance missions, as well as his equivocal relationship with an eight-year-old orphan because of the vital intelligence he brings back. There Loomis comes into contact with WWII veterans, an environment that will soon make him lose his heroic concept of the conflict. Within a regiment, he will experience the unusual relationship between a Korean boy and one of the soldiers, a psychopath who lives his own war. It happened on a raging battlefield, but he could have been a murderer stalking a city's streets!. There's A Fine Line Between Soldier ... And Killer !. The Hell of War !. In this man's torment...you couldn't tell where the hero ended...and the killer began !.
A war film with tension, intrigue, enemy attacks, and character studio. The premise of this independent production -psychopaths often make effective soldiers- is too simple-minded to bear much discussion. However, being adequately cast. Resourcefully filmed - most of the movie was shot at night to mask the budget limitations- and plenty of memorable bits and pieces: uncertainly as to how to mark the armistice dance in the moonlight, which John Saxon performs over his victims. Decent performances from Robert Redford as a rookie and scared soldier, though he is not cowardly but rather overwhelmed by everything that he experiences; and the strange John Saxon as a psychotic who goes on one-man patrols slitting enemy throats under cover of night, he seems to be fighting his own war beyond what he is required to do as an army private. Feature film debuts of Robert Redford, Tom Skerritt and Sydney Pollack. Thirty years on, Redford would direct Skerritt in A River Runs Through It (1992). And special mention for Sidney Pollack as Sgt. Owen Van Horn. Pollack began his acting career on stage, then made his name as television director in the early 1960s. He made his big screen acting debut in War Hunt (1962), where he met fellow actor Robert Redford, and the two co-stars established a life-long friendship. Pollack called on his good friend Redford to play opposite Natalie Wood in This Property Is Condemned (1966). Pollack and Redford worked together on six more films over the years. His biggest success came with Out of Africa (1985), starring Robert Redford and Meryl Streep, the movie earned eleven Academy Award nominations in all and seven wins, including Pollack's two Oscars: one for Best Direction and one for Best Picture. Among the 100 best American love movies ranked by American Film Institute in June, 2002, Pollack is the only director credited with two films near the top of list, both stars Robert Redford; his The Way We Were (1973) is ranked #6 and Out of Africa (1985) is ranked #13. Addding other notorious secondaries that would develop prestigious careers, such as Gavin MacLeod, Charles Aidman, Anthony Ray, Tom Skerritt, and brief apperance by Francis Ford Coppola as Army Truck Driver.
The motion picture was professionally directed by Denis Sanders, while his brother Terry Sanders produced; being filmed in only 15 days for a budget of $250,000. And winner of the "Silver Sail" Award at the Locarno Film Festival. Denis Sanders was a fine craftsman who directed a handful of fictional and nice features. In 1954 he won an Academy Award for Best Short Subject for his masters' thesis student project A Time Out of War (1954). He and his brother Terry Sanders collaborated on the script for the 1958 film adaptation of Norman Mailer's novel "The Naked and the Dead" (The Naked and the Dead , 1958). In 1969 Sanders won a second Oscar for the documentary Czechoslovakia 1918-1968 (1969). George Hamilton made his first credited appearance in Crime & Punishment, USA (1959). Sanders' other directorial credits include One man's way 1963, the unjustly neglected drama Shock Treatment (1964), the nifty rock concert documentaries Elvis: That's the Way It Is (1970) and Soul to Soul (1971), and the gloriously sexy and outrageous drive-in exploitation cult favorite Invasion of the Bee Girls (1973). In addition to his film work, he also directed episodes of such TV series as Naked City (1958), The Defenders (1961). The Great Adventure (1963), Route 66 (1960) and Mannix (1967). War Hunt(1962) rating: 6/10. Essential and indispensable watching for Robert Redford fans.
Pierrot le fou (1965)
A brilliant, occasionally confusing classic from iconoclast Jean-Luc Godard.
Pierrot (Jean-Paul Belmondo, giving a sympathetic and natural performance) flees his boring and tiring upper-class society and travels from Paris to the Mediterranean Sea with Marianne (Anna Karina), a woman chased by hit-men (Hans Meyer) from Algeria. They lead an unorthodox life, always on the run. She was never never more cautious about her love, he was never more drily self-aware !. Eternity ? . No , it's just the sun and sea !.
This stunning film dealing with a girl fleeing a gangster joins a guy leaving his wife, was a turning-point in Godard's career, the flick in which he attemped to do everything and almost succeeded. A hallmark in 1960s improvisational filmmaking, with rugged Belmondo and always photogenic Karina effortlessly excelling in leads. It's the tragic tale of a last romantic couple escaping Paris for the South of France. A peculiar story of a bourgeois hubby eloping with the babysitter, as well as a musical under the high-summer pine-trees or a gangster film with Karina as the moll, and Belmondo as the sucker. The movie agonises for two hours over a relationship that is equal parts despair and nonsense. A classic film that went on the French¨Nouvelle vague¨(New Wave) style with Jean-Paul Belmondo, Godard's fetish actor. Like most of Godard's films, the performances and dialog in were substantially improvised. There's brief action, comedy and drama with nice scenes scenes of the French coast.
There's gorgeous cinematograpy from Raoul Coutard when the camera sweeps out over a majestic Mediterranean sea, being shot on various French locations in Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris, Tremblay-en-France, Seine-Saint-Denis,Noves, Bouches-du-Rhône, L'Aygade, Hyères, Var, Gonfaron, Toulon, Varr, Île de Porquerolles, Hyères, Var, La-Seyne-sur-Mer, Var, Issy-les-Moulineaux, Hauts-de-Seine, and Studios de Saint-Maurice, Saint-Maurice,France. The motion picture was originally directed by Jean Luc Godard; however, the fast-paced, absurd situations and erratic scenes leaves you a little disconcerting . Jean-Luc Godard's fist feature was À bout de souffle or Breathless (1960) that catapulted him to the vanguard of French directors. This low-budgeted film established Jean-Luc Godard Brechtian's experimental style. À bout de souffle(1960) was filmed in real locations in Paris by cameraman Raoul Coutard , Godard usual and Jean Paul Belmondo film debut. Despite news to the contrary, Jean-Luc Godard did not shoot the film without a storyline; however, he did not have a finished script at the beginning, instead writing scenes in the morning and filming them that day. Godard created various masterpieces of the Nouvelle vague, such as ¨A Bout De Suffle¨ , ¨Pierrot Le Fou¨ , ¨La Chinoise ¨ , Le mépris¨, and ¨Lemmy Caution or Alphaville¨ that won the Golden Bear award of the 15th Berlin International Film Festival in 1965. Pierot Le Fou (1965) rating: 6/10, it is recommended for New Wave enthusiasts and Jean-Paul Belmondo fans.
Nina (2024)
A slow-burning and dramatic film about an unrelenting revenge arising from past events.
Nina (Aina Picarolo) was 16 years old when she left her small town without explaining herself to anyone, pursuing her dream of becoming an actress. There's an interaction of the young girl with the mature man, it is based on the admiration she has for him, but which becomes distorted as the connection between them increase. 30 years later, Nina (Patricia López Arnaiz) returns to the village for the first time with only one objective: to die killing. She has one goal in mind: to get revenge on the person who once ruined her life. A goal that puts Pedro (Darío Grandinetti) in the girl's sights, he's a famous writer to whom the town now pays homage by naming him town crier. However, the reunion with her place of origin and the interaction with her old friend Blas (Iñigo Aranburu), who personifies the only happy memories she has left, will make her reconsider her vengeance.
An introspective dramatic thriller, in which the viewer will be able to experience first-hand this journey towards female empowerment that the protagonist goes through. Based on the play of the same name by José Ramón Fernández and inspired at the same time by Chekhov's Seagull. In her second feature film, Andrea Jurriaeta (Ana de Dia) portrays a lonely woman thirsty for revenge, played by Pilar López Arnaiz ("2000 especies de abejas"), that makes palpable the moral complexity of this journey towards her becoming a 'femme fatale', she returns to her hometown, from which she fled some time ago, to settle accounts with the man who destroyed her life. Along with the real starring Pilar López giving fine acting, apperars her contender well interpreted by Dario Grandinetti (Hierro, Relatos salvajes).
The story creates a cross between genres between the revenge thriller, French neo-noir cinema and the neo-western, drawing on various influences. The desire for vendetta, the recognition of guilt, female empowerment, the abuse of superiority of an older man and a teenager, as well as the complicit silence of a town are the keys to this film in which the director plays with double editing, mixing a past based on flashbacks and the present in which our protagonist seeks an eager revenge. The staging packs tension enough, exacerbated by a pulsing edition, as it comes to generate intrigue, and in which the hunter becomes prey.
Deploying a peculiar visual and aesthetic composition. A composition that is structured around close-ups that invite the viewer to take part in this story that is presented in a suspenseful way, enhancing the mystery about the identity and past of this woman who takes over the screen from the first sequences. Sequences whose pale and gloomy photography was competently handled by cameraman Juli Carné Martorell , being shot on location in the coast of Vizcaya, País Vasco, Spain. Adding a thrilling and tense soundtrack by Zeltia Montes (El buen Patrón) that at times takes on a dramatic level that the images are not able to follow.
For all this, Nina is the best production to date by Andrea Jaurrieta as a director, building a film capable of speaking without saying a word, intelligently applying the most aesthetically striking elements of other film genres. Andrea Jaurrieta (Spain, 1986) is a Goya-nominated writer and director. Her debut feature film, 'Ana de día' (Ana by Day) stars Ingrid García Jonsson , which she also produced, participated in over 30 international festivals such as Málaga or Bafici, winning 12 awards, which culminated with her nomination for Best New Director at the 33rd Goya Awards (Spanish Film Academy Awards) as well as at the CEC Medals (Spanish Cinema Writers Association). In addition to having been Director's trainee in Pedro Almodóvar's 'Julieta', her short films have screened at international festivals and her video installations have been exhibited in artistic institutions globally. Rating: 5.5/10.
Irena's Vow (2023)
A WW2 biopic about a young Polish woman who helps Jews at great risk to her life.
Following the success of The Book Thief and Yellowjackets, Sophie Nélisse stars in this powerful and sensitive story based on real events. She plays a young Polish woman, Irena Gut Opdyke (Sophie Nélisse), who during the Second World War, hid a group of Jews in the house of her boss: a high-ranking Nazi commander (Dougray Scott) . Through the eyes of a strong-willed woman comes the remarkable story of Irena Gut, and the triumphs of the human spirit over devastating tragedy, as she risked her life to save a generation of Jews from the atrocities of the Holocaust. Who would look for a group of Jews in a Nazi's house?
Irena's Vow(2023) is a biographic film about Irene Gut Opdyke (1918 - 2003) who was a Polish nurse who gained international recognition for aiding Polish Jews persecuted by Nazi Germany during World War II. She was honored as a Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem for risking her life to save twelve Jews.she enrolled at the nursing school before the Nazi-Soviet invasion of 1939. While hiding during the invasion, Russian soldiers discovered her and she was beaten and raped. Originally forced to work in a munitions factory during the German occupation, Gut was hired by Wehrmacht Major Eduard Rügemer to work in a kitchen of a hotel that frequently served Nazi officials when he learned she was fluent in German. The film, which premiered at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival, delves into Irene's anguish and fear, her relationship with the commander, as well as the young woman's own will to carry out this heroic act and save the unfortunate people who were relentlessly persecuted. A story of survival and resilience that also spoke of friendship and how, despite the harshness and isolation of life , a good girl helps unfortunate and pursued people at whatever cost. Stories of war survival, particularly the Holocaust, are almost always harrowing and moving, as they require significant effort to faithfully convey the sufferings of Jews who are continually harassed, either in concentration camps or in the dangerous escapes they often made. Those who managed to survive did not remain unscathed, suffering many psychological traumas, often suffering many family losses or personal torture. However, some managed to live to tell their story, which they share with the world to recognize those who disappeared, as well as those who helped them stay alive. Allies and sympathizers also took great risks, resulting in a variety of reasons why they might have refused to be willing to help a Jew hiding from the Nazis.
There is decent photography by cameraman Paul Sarossy, and taking place in war-torn Eastern Europe, the film was shot on location in Konstancin-Jeziorna, Mazowieckie, Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Lublin, Lubelskie, and Modlin, Mazowieckie, Poland. There are no major special effects or war scenes, as it is a story that takes place far from the front, although the Jews do eventually find themselves hunted by greedy Polish bounty hunters who have been promised lavish rewards by the Nazis. But ultimately this is still a story of survival that runs from the beginning of the film to the end. It is also an English-language film, a Canadian/Polish coproduction in origin, despite taking place in occupied Poland, which should make it more accessible to a wider audience.
The motion picture was well directed by Louise Archambault. It will be released in April 2024 and it premiered at TIFF and won an Audience Award at VIFF and WIFF. In 2019, Louise released the feature films, Il pleuvait des oiseaux (And the Birds Rained Down), which won awards such as Best Feature at the Göteborg Film Festival and the comedy Merci pour tout (Thanks for everything). These films ranked 2nd and 3rd position in Canada's box office. Her recent feature Le temps d'un été (One Summer) was released in July 2023 and ranked top 1 Canadian film at the box office, the best Canadian BO since 2019. Rating: 6.5/10.
Valiente (1964)
A run-of-the-mill picture about bullfighting in Spain of the sixties and dealing with a highest-paid and famous matador.
A routine picture concerning the rise of a known Torero, Jaime Ostos, inside and outside of the bullfighters ring. The renowned bullfighter Jaime Ostos (Jaime himself) suffers a goring during one of his monumental bullfights at Tarazona. While he is convalescing in the hospital, struggling between life and death, a friend (Conchita Nuñez) of his remembers how it was the day of his alternative. A later meeting between the matador and his old lady will allow them to remember other key moments of his career together with his manager (Miguel Palenzuela). Jaime enjoys a not very happy marriage with his wife Nieves (Mercedes Alonso) who is always worried about his dangerous job, as well as his father (Felix Dafauce), both of them do not want him to continue bullfighting. There will be many flashbacks in the film, these memories will make Ostos question the possibility of returning to the ring since his loved ones constantly beg him not to do so. But his passion and vocation weigh more than all that and as soon as he recovers he returns to show his art in all the Spanish plazas.
This is a biopic about a known bullfighter , and how his wished dreams come true, including the ordinary romances . This is a semi-documentary and remarkable film about the mythical bullfighting figure, including several 'cogidas' or 'goring' . Of humble origin, Ostos managed to become one of the most famous representatives of international bullfighting and is considered to be one of the icons of the 1960s. Jaime Ostos was not only popular for his profession, but also in the gossip press. The matador plays himself, and due to his limited acting experience he does so regularly. His two love interest are shared between his legal wife, the always beautiful Mercedes alonso, and his old girlfriend, Conchita Nuñez. Remaining support cast is frankly good with full of prestigious secondaries with long careers , such as: Miguel Palenzuela as Apoderado, Erasmo Pascual as sereno, Manuel Arbó as Mayor of Tarazona and Félix Dafauce as his father.
The film gives a real description about ¨Bullfighting¨ art , as the bull is released into the ring, where he is tested for ferocity by the matador and Banderilleros with the magenta and gold Capote ("Cape"). This is the first stage, the Tercio de Varas ("the lancing third"). The matador confronts the bull with the Capote, performing a series of passes and observing the behavior and quirks of the bull . Next, a picador enters the arena on horseback armed with a Vara (lance). In the next stage, the Tercio De Banderillas ("the third of Banderillas"), each of the three Banderilleros attempts to plant two Banderillas, sharp barbed sticks, into the bull's shoulders . In the final stage, the "the third of death" , the matador re-enters the ring alone with a small red cape, or Muleta, and a sword .
It contais an evocative and atmospheric soundtrack by Juan Quintero, including ordinary music full of bullfighting sounds and adding the dances of the bailaora Maria Rosa. Adequate cinematography in black and white by notorious cameraman Manuel Merino. The motion picture was professionally directed by Luis Marquina, but nothing special. Luis Marquina was a film craftsman who was born in Barcelona (1904) and died in Madrid (1980). In his beginnings he was sound engineer , but was Luis Buñuel who gave him the chance to shoot his first movie: Don Quintin el amargao (1934), based on Carlos Arniches play. Marquina was a writer, producer and director, and had a prolific career, writing and directing all kind of genres with penchant for musical and comedy; he made various coproductions as well. Being known for The Gossiper (1938), La viudita naviera (1962)Siege of Terror (1970), Backfire !. Crucero de verano, Su hermano y él, Malvaloca, Torrbellino , El capitán veneno, Noche fantástica, Ventolera , Navidades en Junio, Fabulous fraud, Adiós Mimí Pompón, Maribel y la extraña familia, la batalla del domingo, Siege of Terror. Rating: 4.5/10 . Mediocre but passable.
The Skeleton Key (2005)
A gripping horror film with tense scenes , mystery, and plot twists.
Caroline (Kate Hudson) is a 25-year-old hospice nurse who cares for the ailing and the elderly, a job she chose to atone for ignoring her own dying father when she was a rock'n'roll manager. After her latest charge dies, Caroline takes a job in Louisiana , the Devereaux house is situated in Terrebonne Parish, which is coastal and swampy. As she is caring for stroke victim Ben (Sir John Hurt), who is bedfast and can't speak. Caroline becomes suspicious of the house, and Ben's cold wife Violet (Gena Rowlands, John Cassavetes's wife) dripfeeds hints about spirits that must be contained and away an attic room stuffed with mirrors and Hoodoo paraphernalia. Later on, a lawyer named Luke (Peter Saarsgard) fields the phone call from Caroline, and he sets up an interview with the family. It can open any door !. You will believe !. Fearing is believing !. What have we here -mind games, mumbo jumbo or creepy fact ?.
Set in in a Louisiana plantation house adding tension to the creepy atmosphere, this low key horror thriller draws on the local traditions of Hoodoo, a variation of the most known Voodoo. Nice performances from a great cast, such as: Kate Hudson gives a splendid acting as a hospice worker, she is an ordinary comedian actress and here revealing her serious side; John Hurt is the paralysed owner of the crumbling mansion; recently deceased Gena Rowlands as the prickly, suspect wife; Peter Sarsgaard as the rational state lawyer and Joy Bryant as Hudson's best friend. Strong interpretations fuse with atmospheric John Beard 's production design, also monochromatic and dark images from cameraman Dan Mindel, as well as Edward Shearmur's Southern-flavoured musical score. Nothing is forced least of all a sly conclusion that bubbles up from beneath the movie's shimmering surface.
The movie was professionally directed by Ian Softley. The motion picture failed to hit the box office, but was later reevaluated as a well-made horror film. Softley is a good craftsman, he was a member of the college's dramatic society, the Bats, and directed a number of highly-praised theatrical productions. He worked for Granada TV and the BBC before becoming a director of music videos and, eventually, movies. Ian often uses erratic black and white footage at key moments or flashbacks in his movies (Skeleton Key and Inkheart). His other films include Backbeat (1994), Hackers (1995), The Wings of the Dove (1997) in which he directed one Oscar nominated performance: Helena Bonham Carter , K-PAX (2001), and The Skeleton Key (2005). Rating: 6.5/10. Decent horror film that will appeal to Kate Hudson fans.
The Sundowners (1960)
An impeccable and renowned starring quartet is enriched by a whole series of agreeable character studies.
Moving epic drama about a family of Irish sheepherders in Austalia. Set in the early 1930s, it begins with an Irish family is travelling across Australia, working various jobs to survive in the rugged country, they must continually uproot themselves and migrate. But the wife dreams of finally abandoning this wandering life and buying a farm to settle down and lead a quiet, sedentary life. The impoverished Carmody family living a nomadic life out of their wagon, but the mom and son want to settle, while the dad is against it. They are: Paddy (Robert Mitchum) as a sheep shearer, Ida (Deborah Kerr) as the farmhand cook, Sean (Michael Anderson Jr) as a tar boy, and their new older British companion Rupert Venneker (Sir Peter Ustinov providing some humorous moments) as a wool roller. Along the way, they meet a faintly blowzy widow (Glynis Johns) who sights firmly set on Ustinov's rascally Rupert. They stuggle to save enough money to buy their own farm and wind up training a horse they hope will be a money-winner in racing. Across Six Thousand Miles of Excitement...Across a Whole World of Adventure Comes the Rousing, Story of Real People Called "The Sundowners"!. The Sundowners are here! A roaring chip on their shoulder---A rousing challenge on their lips! There's a new word for excitement...There's a new name for adventure...Here come The Sundowner! They're real people, fun people, fervent people. They have a tremendous urge to keep breathing. Their rousing story comes roaring across six thousand miles of excitement. You are part of its blazing excitement...its elemental drama...its rousing laughter, all of which made 'The Sundowners' the year's record-shattering tops in entertainment !
Tender and family story adapted from the novel by Jon Cleary, dealing with the travels of good sheep farmer through the Australian landscapes who desperately wants to settle. This joyous adventure classic captures a whole panorama of outdoor life and a commonplace tapestry of enjoyable characters. It's a movie that really makes one for the roles it presents. Well-acted by all; four protagonistas -Ustinov, Kerr, Anderson Jr, Ustinov- are very good, being accompanied by a plethora of sympathetic roles, such as: Dina Merrill, Mervyn Johns, Chips Rafferty, Wylie Watson, John Meillon, Ronald Fraser, Dick Bentley, and special mention for Glynis Johns as the feisty widow providing some hilarious situations.
Australia as seen through the eyes of Fred Zinnemann who gave us classic movies as 'High Noon' , 'From here to eternity', 'The Nun Story', and actually filmed in Australian locations. It contains superb location with exquisite cinematography by Jack Hildyard , adding dimension to the story, including remarkable Outback footage and shot in London studios as well. As well as a sensitive and moving musical score by the classic composer Dimitri Tiomkin. The motion picture was competently directed by Fred Zinnemann, though being slow-going and overlong. This distinguished Austrian-born filmmaker Fred Zinnemann became involved in European filmaking for a short time before going to America to study film. His first big-budget film was The Seventh Cross (1944), starring Spencer Tracy. The two men admired each other, but did not get on very well. A dozen or so years later, Zinnemann was set to direct Tracy in The Old Man and the Sea (1958) but then left the project, and John Sturges replaced him as director. Fred directed good flicks , such as : High Noon, The Seventh Cross , Act of violence , The Men, From here to Eternity, Oklahoma ! , The Search , The Nun's story , The Sundowners , A Man for all seasons , The Day of Jackal , Julia , among others . The last movie to come from the Austrian director was: Five days a summer with Sean Connery. Sundowners rating : 7/10 . Well worth watching . The picture will appeal to Robert Mitchum-Deborah Kerr fans . Essential and indispensable seeing for Fred Zinnemann completists .
Civil War (2024)
A gripping and tense film about war correspondents heading to Washington in a dystopian United States.
In the near future of the mid 21st century, the United States has fallen into a Second Civil War, with Texas and California seceding and forming the Western Forces militia, and Florida creating its own alliance. The nation's authoritarian, three-term President (Nick Offerman of Origin) makes a speech over the WF taking a severe hit from the Loyalist states, calling it a major victory. Photojournalist Lee Smith (Kirsten Dunst of Melancholia) watches the speech from her hotel room in New York City, while she sees a bombing occurring downtown. The following day, Lee joins her colleague Joel (Wagner Moura of Elite Squad) as they go downtown in the middle of a protest. A younger journalist, Jessie Cullen (Cailee Spaeny of Alien: Romulus), gets struck in the face in the middle of the chaos. Later they join their mentor Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson) at a hotel party for other journalists. They are planning to drive through the country's war zones to make it to Washington DC for an interview with the President, even though he considers the press to be enemies. Along the way they are bedded in with the invading forces until an unpredictable results with fateful consequences. Welcome to the frontline !. All empires fall !.
The first blockbuster from the A24 studio is a war dystopia set in a US in the midst of a civil war. The film faithfully shows a close-knit world in which the troops of the western forces of Texas and California and those of the alliance of Florida are advancing irremediably towards Washington, and the President has not granted an interview for 14 months and the newspapers have realized that in less than a week he will be dead. Engaging and raw film being compellingly shot, adding some political moments and its allegedly wave flag of impartiality cannot obscure the tension dripping from every frame of such reconstructed immediacy. Good starring, such as: Kristen Dunst (Power of the Dog) , Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla) and Wagner Moura (Pablo Escobar in Narcs series) giving decent acting. They play roving war correspondents found in the process of a Civil war moving to Washington where things go wrong. The movie belongs to sub-genre that abounded in the 80s about reporters all around the world covering dangerous political conflicts (¨The Year of Living Dangerously¨(1982) by Peter Weir ; ¨Salvador¨ by Oliver Stone, ¨Underfire¨ (1983) by Roger Spottiswoode and ¨Deadline¨ by Nathaliel Gutman) combining with the Science-fiction apocalyptic genre.
The motion picture was notably directed Alex Garland. Getting a big hit at the boxoffice: Grossed $26 million domestically in its opening weekend, more than any other A24 film, surpassing Hereditary (2018), which made $14 million. Garland is a prestigious writer and director who has written, produced or directed notorious films. Being Alex Garland's directorial debut: Ex-Machina (2014). Directing or writing other notorious films:¨28 Days Later...¨, "28 weeks later¨, ¨The Beach¨,¨Sunshine¨, Big Game¨, ¨Devs¨, ¨Annihilation (2018), Men (2022). Besides writing the script, he was the one who effectively directed Dredd (2012) and not credited. Rating Civil War(2024) : 7/10. Notable, better than average, well worth seeing.
Pos eso (2014)
Entertaining stop-motion animation about a possessed child and the fallen priest who is called to exorcise him.
Trini (Anabel Alonso's voice) is the most famous flamingo dancer in the world and she has an envious life. Everyone loves her dancing, but when a seemingly innocuous domestic accident takes her husband's life, a deep depression falls over Trini forcing her to quit the stage. Damien's behaviour, her 8-year-old son, becomes uncontrollably forcing Trini to call upon doctor after doctor to provide relief. When no answers can be found, there is left only one possible explanation: Damián (voice of Santiago Segura, as well as Bishop and Satán) has been possessed by a dark spirit. Thus, her son Damián begins to show signs of dementia, possessed by a mischievous devil who makes him commit the funniest and cruelest misdeeds. Trini begins a desperate quest to repair her shattered family. On the verge of a nervous breakdown, Trini contacts people to solve the weird possession. This search eventually leads to a defrocked priest called Father Lenin (Josema Yuste's voice), whose own severe spiritual crisis may not bode well for what lays ahead. With no where to turn and all other hopes to save her shattered family exhausted, Trini must place her faith in a man whose faith is... questionable!
In the film there are sympathetic but very bizarre roles: a famous female flamenco dancer and a male matador, and especially the Basque priest repudiated by the church and who is going through a crisis of faith. Muppet-gore and animation-gore has been done before, but this is first time being made a claymation-splatter. This is the feature film debut of Samuel Ortí, better known as Sam. Directed with the stop motion technique, made of plasticine; it turns out to be an acidic social satire that is very critical of Spanish folklore and the clichés of sensationalism that touches on celebrities in the press and the gossip shows, as well as horoscope gurus and other fake mediums. With references ranging from the very TV presenters José María Iñigo, Carmen Sevilla to Karmele, Jesús Mariñas or even Belén Esteban.
A crazy, outspoken, cartoonish and zany comedy that leaves no issue unturned. The story is about a demonic son who's subjected to an exorcism brings to mind a few classic movies, then you don't know the half of it. This movie's structure is basically a sequence of spoofs and references to dozens of movies. Also paying homage to several legendary films such as: The Exorcist, Rosemary's Baby, The Omen, Stepfather, Gremlins, Hellraiser, Alien, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Frankenstein, and Indiana Jones, which are some of its references.
This movie feels like Alex de la Iglesia horror with a black sense of humor and a mean-streak, combined with the comedy of Aardman studios. And this should come as no surprise as it features Santiago Segura. There is very entertaining trashy and mean streak throughout, featuring things like clay bodies being ripped apart, sliced and crushed in very gory ways, eyeballs are not just plucked but impaled with other body parts, dogs are not just impaled but also have their poop crushed out of them, there is a parade of nasty prostitutes, humiliation of a priest, naked grandmas, etc. The superb claymation is lovingly detailed. How you feel about this movie will depend on what you think of its random structure of silly spoofs, but it's definitely highly entertaining and well done.
The motion picture was professionally directed by a Spanish craftsman Samuel Ortí (Sam), who worked for Aardman, only it seems that he vented all of his frustration with Aardman light-fluffy-cuteness here. Since Sam surprised us with his first animated short film Encarna (2003), there hasn't been a year in which we haven't expected a new short from him on the short film festival circuit, always with that gypsy, parodic and mischievous touch with a lot of malice. Thus Hermético (2004), Semántica (2005) until his leap into film production with El ataque de los Kriters asesinos (2007), The werepig (2008) and his latest short piece Vicenta (2010) which would receive his first and well-deserved nomination at the Goya Awards. Master of classic clay stop-motion, Sam has been immersed in this first feature film that is being released with great success after various years without directing, Pos eso (2015). Rating: 6/10.
The Name of the Rose (2019)
Good series in 8 episodes in which a monk and his novice helper attempt to solve a series of killings in a fourteenth-century abbey.
Italian/German co-production with interesting and suspenseful screenplay by Andrea Porporati, Nigel Williams, John Turturro, director Giacomo Battiato himself and based on novel "Il Nome Della Rosa" by Umberto Eco. The novel has sold over 50 million copies worldwide, becoming one of the best-selling books ever published. It is a historical murder mystery set in an Italian monastery in the year 1327, and an intellectual mystery combining semiotics in fiction, biblical analysis, medieval studies, literary theory and Roger Bacon's scientific method. Set in 1327 , when after a strange death in a Medieval Abbey, the Benedictine monks are convinced that the four riders of apocalypse are coming ; many of the monks fear that there can be only an evil, supernatural explanation. Our two protagonists (John Turturro, Damian Hardung) arrive at a Benedictine abbey in Northern Italy to attend a theological disputation. The abbey is being used as neutral ground in a dispute between Pope John XXII and the Franciscans over the question of apostolic poverty. The monks of the abbey have recently been shaken by the suspicious death of one of their brothers, Adelmo of Otranto, and the abbot asks William (a former inquisitor) to investigate the incident. During his inquiries, William has a debate with one of the oldest monks in the abbey, Jorge of Burgos, about the permissibility of laughter, which Jorge regards as a threat to God's established order. The abbey is in fear over the recent death of one of their young monks, a brilliant illustrator who was found killed by an impact at the base of a cliff outside. With the Abbey to play host to a council on the Franciscan's Order's belief that the Church should rid itself of wealth, William of Baskerville (John Turturro), the enlightened friar and his young apprentice Adso da Melk (Damian Hardung) investigate a series of mysterious deaths at the mysterious abbey risking the wrath of a powerful Inquisitor. The Abbot (Michael Emerson) asks William to help solve the mystery as he is known to be a man of great intellect and a former investigator for the inquisition. As William is asked to assist in determining the cause of the untimely death. Meanwhile , several murders happen and along the way the young monk Adso finds a mysterious girl (Greta Scarano). At the request of Pope John XXII (Tchéky Karyo) - whose intention is to eliminate the Franciscan order together with his ideal of poverty and the heretical religious sect of the ¨Dulcinos¨- the General Inquisitor (Rupert Everett) arrives at the Abbey and things go wrong. A Medieval Murder Mystery !. Who, in the name of God, is getting away with murder?. A story of unholy murder !. They believed in God, but traded with the Devil !.
This is an acceptable television rendition of Umberto Eco's bestseller and the series took time of preparation. The TV series contains thrills, suspense , mystery , sexual scenes , intriguing issues, Impressively spectacular production design and results to be quite entertaining. Television adaptation of Umberto Eco's novel 'The Name of the Rose' who previously was successful in 1986 by Jean-Jacques Annaud with Sean Conney and F. Murray Abraham. The series deals with a valuable lost book and the relentless search to find it; through the motif of this lost and possibly suppressed book which might have aestheticized the farcical, the unheroic and the skeptical, it also makes an ironically slanted plea for tolerance and against dogmatic or self-sufficient metaphysical truths - an angle which reaches the surface in the final epidodes. The mystery revolves around the abbey library, situated in a fortified tower-the aedificium that has 4 towers. This structure has three floors-the ground floor contains the kitchen and refectory, the first floor a scriptorium, and the top floor is occupied by the library. This has a total of fifty-six rooms. Each room has a scroll containing a verse from the Book of Revelation. The two lower floors are open to all, while only the librarian may enter the last. A catalogue of books is kept in the scriptorium, where manuscripts are read and copied. A monk who wishes to read a book would send a request to the librarian, who, if he thought the request justified, would bring it to the scriptorium. Finally, the library is in the form of a labyrinth, whose secret only the librarian and the assistant librarian know. It displays very fine acting by John Turturro as an intellectually nonconformist and respected Franciscan monk investigating a series of mysterious deaths in an isolated abbey. Turturro as a monkish Sherlock Holmes trying to solve a series of murders , he is fun to watch. Good support cast plenty of familiar faces (mostly Italian and German actors), such as Damian Hardung, Greta Scarano, Fabrizio Bentivoglio, Richard Sammel, James Cosmo, Elya Baskin and special mention for Rupert Everett as the feared Inquisitor and Michael Emerson as the suspect Abbot.
Nowadays, the only place where manuscripts and books are made with the same techniques and materials depicted in the movie is the abbey of Praglia on Padua (Veneto, Italy); it takes six months to a year to create a single page. Dialogues in medieval Occitan language have been translated and supervised by a team of experts from the University of Salerno.
It contains colorful and luxurious cinematography by John Conroy, filmed on various locations in three different Italian regions: Lazio, Abruzzo and Umbria. As well as suspenseful and spiritual musical score by composer Volker Bertelmann. The series was finely directed by Giacomo Battiato, a specialist on accurate biopic , as he directed autobiography stories about Giovane Casanova , Benvenuto Cellini and Stradivari. The Name of the Rose(2019) rating: 6.5/10. Better than average.
Residencia para espías (1966)
Typical spy film coproduced by Spain-Germany, dealing with an American secret agent called Leyton who is assigned a dangerous mission .
Very mediocre Spanish/West German spy spoof with ordinary ingredients: thrills , noisy action , fights, plot twists and various international locations. During ¨Cold war¨, CIA agent Leyton (Eddie Constantine) is sent to Europe to track down a ring of spies from the East Wall. His investigation takes him from the United States to Istanbul, where he gets involved with sexy spies. He receives and is informed of the mission by his friend Colonel Spokane (Otto Stern), to discover and destroy an enemy group operating in the vicinities of a residence. Along the way, Leyton being helped by barman Willy (Cris Huerta) who provides him weapons against a megalomaniac mastermind. Ms. Commander Pendleton (Tota Alba) is the commander-in-chief of a women's training camp for spies, recently established in Turkey. Leyton will manage, with the help, and sometimes extra zeal, of a number of the young women to discover the enemies. Furthermore, Leyton finds there his jealous fiancée Marion (Anita Hoffer) who's also working undercover. But things go wrong when Janet Spokane (Diana Lorys), the wife of the man in charge of all the operation attempts to seduce him. After many chases and intrigue, he arranges to get away with "the secret plans". Our valiant , easy-going but mature playboy/agent, takes on a powerful criminal organization commanded by an undercover nasty.
Colorful but mediocre rendition about European spy subgenre , an usual genre during the Sixties, not taking any situation seriously . This very campy picture contains thrills, action, chases, tongue-in-cheek , absurd situations , but being middlingly developed. The main entertainment of the film is look for various familiar Spanish secondaries who appear here and there, such as: Tota Alba, Mary Paz Pondal, Marcelo Arroita-Jáuregui, Dina Loy , Cris Huerta , Patty Shepard, Antonio Jiménez Escribano (most of them Franco's regulars). And , of course, brief cameo by Howard Vernon and director Jesús Franco himself.
The film is atmospherically photographed by notorious Spanish cameraman Antonio Macasoli. Mostly shot on location in Alicante, Comunidad Valenciana: exteriors, namely at Jardines de Abril; Elevador de Santa Justa, Lisbon, Portugal: Attack on Baldek before his meeting with Leyton ; Istanbul, Turkey: close-ups of the Blue Mosque; Bosphorus, Turkey: Day and night scenes along the docks, and a spectacular sun set over the sea; and interiors: Estudios CEA, Ciudad Lineal, Madrid. Adding an evocative but anticlimatic musical score by composer and orchestra conductor Odón Alonso.
This spy sub-genre borrows heavily from the popular Euro-spy genre from the Sixties with usual trappings : pursuits, shootings, struggles , international conspiracy , and explosive women .The picture was made by the time in which Franco directed nice movies, such as : The sadistic Baron Klaus , Rififi En La Ciudad , Miss Muerte or Diabolic Doctor Z , Necronomicon and Gritos en la Noche , developing a consolidated professionalism , as his career got more and more impoverished in the following years, but his endless creativity enabled him to tackle films in all genres, from "B" horror , erotic films to ¨Z¨movies. The main and support cast -with everyone having fun- are passable , but they are really wasted. It has some flaws and gaps , as it does tend to get a bit old , including repetitive nature of some scenes , and excessive sillines, but it has big fun , so it cares.
The motion picture was averagely directed by Jesús Franco , and it definitively worth checking out if you are a hardcore fan of Euro spy genre. In the Sixties Jesús Franco made various Euro-spy movies , some of them starred by beautiful women , as he directed ¨Two Undercover Angels¨, ¨Besame Monstruo¨ , ¨The Seven Secrets of Sumuru¨, ¨Lucky the intrepid¨, and ¨Golden Horn¨. Jesás Franco was a Stajanovist filmmaker who realized 203 movies . He often used his trademarks , as he pulls off a botcher narration , lots of zooms and lousy pace . As the picture belongs to Franco's first period in which he made passable flicks . Jesus uses to sign under pseudonym , among the aliases he used, apart from the names Jess Franco or Franco Manera, were Jess Frank, Robert Zimmerman, Frank Hollman, Clifford Brown, David Khune , Toni Falt, James P. Johnson, Charlie Christian, David Tough , among others . Franco used to utilize usual marks such as zooms , nudism , foreground on objects , filmmaking in ¨do-it-yourself effort¨ style or DIY and managing to work extraordinarily quickly , realizing some fun diversions, and a lot of absolute crap .
Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017)
A strong and violent film about former boxer that loses his job and becomes drug smuggler resulting in fateful consequences.
Bradley Thomas's (Vince Vaughn) life is falling apart: his marriage
to Lauren Thomas (Jennifer Carpenter) is hanging by a thread and he has been fired from his job as a car mechanic. His only option to get his life back on track is to work as a drug dealer for an old friend (Marc Blucas). At first, this decision improves his life in several ways, however his dangerous way of life will soon have harsh consequences. Series of events land him in prison and he is given ultimatum to right his wrong decisions all aspects of what he decide have their consequences only he can choose what he thinks is right or wrong and try to avenge his wrong choices. You never know what might be lurking in the next dark corner !.
A year after the release of his successful first film: ¨Bone Tomahawk¨, S. Craig Zahler writes and directs this powerful, violent and frenetic prison drama that combines melancholy, marital love and the protagonist's sense of responsibility with shocking scenes of fights, blood and broken bones. The picture turns out to be an exhilarating experience with many memorable, as well as disturbing, loathing sequences , including a really shocking finale .
American actor Vince Vaugh plays Bradley Thomas, a decent and patriotic man who is forced to immerse himself in the world of crime and drug trafficking to support his pregnant wife -well played by Jennifer Carpenter-. In the film, one of his drug smuggling jobs goes wrong, and a shootout ensues between his accomplices and the police that ends with Bradley in prison. Along with them, Don Johnson as the Chief prison warden, Marc Blucas, Udo Kier, Clark Johnson, Dion Mucciacito, Willie C. Carpenter, among others, complete the cast of this feature film.
The motion picture was compellingly written and directed by S. Craig Zahler. Craig is a western expert , in fact he is the author of the western novel A Congregation of Jackals, which was nominated for both major western writing awards, The Spur and The Peacemaker. And his dark western script The Brigands of Rattleborge won the #1 top position on the Black List for best unproduced screenplay. Zahler is a prestigious writer, such as The Incident, Puppet Master : The Littlest Reich , Dragged Across Concrete , Brawl in Cell Block 99 and Bone Tomahawk. His films usually begin grounded in the real-world and slowly transform into surrealistic tales with hyper-stylized depictions of violence. Often works with Don Johnson, Udo Kier, Jennifer Carpenter, Fred Melamed, and Vince Vaughn ; per Johnson, the group refer to themselves as "The Zahler Players". And he has directed some nice films such as Dragged Across Concrete (2018) , Tomahawk (2015) and Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017). Rating : 6.5/10 . Worthwhile watching for Vince Vaughn fans. The unusual subject and offbeat very violent and gory scenes making this a recipe not for all tastes.
La playa de los ahogados (2015)
An excellent Carmelo Gómez has to investigate when appears a drowned fisherman washes up, on the shores of Galicia.
On the beach of Panxión, in Galicia, the corpse of the inshore fisherman Justo Castelao has appeared. Inspector Leo Caldas (Carmelo Gómez) along with his assistant (Antonio Garrido) will be in charge of investigating the death of the sailor. A shipwreck !. No one speaks !. A mystery to solve !.
Director Gerardo Herrero presents this film in a very stylish and straight-forward way. This is a good suspense movie with adequate scenarios and dealing with an offbeat, surprising murder that leads to twisted consequences. It is an acceptable and decent film about two cops looking for a mysterious murderer, though copying here and there the typical American thrillers and even the CSI investigation .The movie is exhilarating in its visual approach , including thrills , chills , intrigue , plot twists , and spectacular visual spectacle. Director Gerardo Herrero adapts to the big screen the novel ¨A praia dos afogados¨ (La playa de los ahogados), the second novel by the Galician writer Domingo Villar. The novel, like Villar's first book (Ojos de agua) is starred by Inspector Leo Caldas, a withdrawn and solitary Galician policeman. The film is shot in a remarkably simple and direct fashion, which keeps the script and roles clear, but sacrifices at times a lot of opportunities for a more innovative treatment. The person in charge of giving life to Caldos is the already veteran actor Carmelo Gómez as the local detective sets out to resolve the case. Leo Caldas is a calm and methodical police detective, with a clear level of serenity and patience that enables his investigation to take priority over any significant back story or character flaws. He is accompanied by Antonio Garrido in the role of sub-inspector Rafael Estévez, the tough assistant of the inspector who does not stop at anything and uses more coercive and even violent means. Rafael is an Aragonese who does not understand Galicia or the Galicians. He is the physical, aggressive off-sider to Caldas' thoughtful protagonist, growing angry while Caldas remains calm and applying force where Caldas would prefer to hold back. Garrido plays the part acceptably, but he does seem too much of a stereotype. Starring alongside them in this police thriller are Luis Zahera who seems terrific, playing one of the key suspects in a multi-layered fashion that provides a good amount of extra nuance; as well as Celso Bugallo, Pedro Alonso, Fernando Morán, Marta Larralde, Tamar Novas, María Vázquez, and Celia Freijeiro, most of whom are Galician actors.
The Galician landscape and coastal towns present opportunities for an attractively framed and colorful film, including gorgeous exteriors, atmospherically photographed from Nigrán, Pontevedra, Galicia. Adding an evocative as well as intriguing musical score by expert composer Lucio Godoy. Gerardo Herrero was President of the Spanish Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (1994-1994) . Great producer of big hits, being especially known for ¨The Secret of your ears¨ (2009), ¨Sin Retorno¨ (2010) , ¨Balada Triste de Trompeta¨ (2010), ¨Crimenes De Oxford¨ (2008) and¨ El Hijo De La Novia¨ (2001). He also directed some good films, such as: ¨Silencio En Nieve¨ , ¨Corredor Nocturno¨ , ¨Principio Arquímedes¨, ¨Crimen Galindez¨ , ¨Frontera Sur¨, ¨Territorio Comanche¨, ¨Desvio a Paraíso¨ , ¨Al Acecho¨ , ¨Heroína¨, ¨Bajo terapia¨ and many others. La playa de los ahogados(2015) Rating: 6.5/10.
The Cobweb (1955)
An overlong and sombre story of rising tension between patients and administration at an American psyciatric clinic,
The story of a private psychiatric clinic in which there are various motley roles, they are accentuated by the personal and family crises of these individuals. At the exclusive psychiatric clinic, the doctors and staff are about as crazy as the patients , but shady goings on are uncovered at the psychiatric ward run by a bunch of neurotic administrators. Dr. Stewart McIver (Richard Widmark) , the head man of an upmarket psychiatric clinic, thinks that it would be good therapy for his patients to design and make new drapes for the library. Mrs. Karen McIver (Gloria Grahame) , who is neglected by her hardworking hubby wants to make her mark on the clinic, so she orders new drapes. Miss Inch (Lillian Gish) , the business manager, who has been with the clinic longer than anyone, sees this as an intrusion into her territory, and she too orders drapes. The sins and secrets of the strange mansion on the hill!
The Cobweb(1955) is an interesting film about the daily dramas and interactions between the doctors, nurses, administrators, benefactors and patients at a psychiatric clinic. In the film there is intense drama, tension, and confrontation with crude surface Freudanism. One of the unknown and best of Minnelli's 50s dramas, set in a strange mansion on the hill. The film results to be acceptable , but the strong cast (Widmark, Bacall, Boyer), director (Minnelli) , producer (John Houseman) do not add much to this dull outing. Minnelli gets awesome interpretations from Richard Widmark as the clinic head, Gloria Grahame as the unusually sexual wife and mother; and Bacall as the unusually maternal other woman. It is this inversion which disrupts the paternal law and order of the clinic and home, a worried Widmark appears to be losing his place in both, and only when the two women are back in conventional place can sanity be restored. All this puts everyone in a dither, as they fight over drapes and clinic politics. The A-cast list is a treasure-house of experienced Hollywood actors, from veteran Lillian Gish , unusually cast as an old battleaxe, to smooth charm of Charles Boyer as a doubtful psychiatrist, to the mature loveliness of Fay Wray -of King Kong fame- as his wife. Along with other fine performers, such as: John Kerr, Susan Strasberg, Oscar Levant, Paul Stewart, Adele Jergens, Bert Freed, Olive Carey , among others.
This strange film movie to come from ex-director of musicals, and being professionally shot. Vincente was an expert on musicals , being hired by MGM for many years . After working on numerous Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland vehicles , usually directed by Busby Berkeley , Arthur Freed gave him his first directorial assignment on ¨Cabin in the sky¨ (1943), a risky screen project with an all-black cast . This was followed by the ambitious period piece , the classic ¨Meet me in St. Louis¨ (1944) whose star Judy Garland he married in 1945 . Many of his films included in every one of his movies features a dream sequence such as ¨Four horsemen of Apocalypse¨ . Employing first-class MGM technicians , including Erich Von Stroheim , Minnelli continued directing musicals as ¨The band wagon¨ (1953) , ¨Kismet¨, ¨The pirate¨ , ¨ An American in Paris¨ , ¨Brigadoon¨ as well as melodramas as ¨Some came running¨ (1958) , ¨Madame Bovary¨, ¨The sandpiper¨ , The home from the hill¨ and urban comedies like ¨Designing woman¨ (1957), occasionally even working on two films simultaneously . In his last average film titled ¨Nina¨ worked with his daughter Liza Minnelli . Rating ¨The Cobweb(1955)¨: 6/10. It's a good story though sometimes falls plain, tiring and a little bit boring, though well worth watching .