In the aftermath of a massive earthquake in California, a rescue-chopper pilot makes a dangerous journey with his ex-wife across the state in order to rescue his daughter.
Director: Brad Peyton
Writers: Carlton Cuse (screenplay), Andre Fabrizio (story)
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, Alexandra Daddario
Storyline:
In the aftermath of a massive earthquake in California, a rescue-chopper
pilot makes a dangerous journey with his ex-wife across the state in
order to rescue his daughter.
Movie Reviews:
I had been waiting to
see this with much anticipation and what a complete let down. I can
honestly say I have not seen such an awful film for a long time. After
watching San Andres Fault by mistake I was so hopeful that nothing could
be quite as bad as that. I was wrong. I know it's a big blockbuster and
made to leave the viewer in awe, but I just laughed at it. My partner
and I sat and said what was going to happen next and it did. The plot
was dire from the start and I was kind of hoping the film would end
before it had even got half way through it. Why do they always have
Brits in American films who sound like they are so posh? Totally not
called for. The acting was OK and I like Dwayne Johnson, but this was
beneath him. The most ridiculous film in years.
Fred and Mick, two old friends, are on vacation in an elegant hotel at the foot of the Alps. Fred, a composer and conductor, is now retired. Mick, a film director, is still working. They ... See full summary
Director: Paolo Sorrentino
Writer: Paolo Sorrentino
Stars: Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel, Rachel Weisz
Storyline
Fred and Mick, two old friends, are on vacation in an elegant hotel at
the foot of the Alps. Fred, a composer and conductor, is now retired.
Mick, a film director, is still working. They look with curiosity and
tenderness on their children's confused lives, Mick's enthusiastic young
writers, and the other hotel guests. While Mick scrambles to finish the
screenplay for what he imagines will be his last important film, Fred
has no intention of resuming his musical career. But someone wants at
all costs to hear him conduct again.
Movie Reviews:
Paolo Sorrentino's
latest movie, the director's return to Cannes after the worldwide
success gained with the Best Foreign Movie Oscar (yet the Croisette
didn't particularly liked the film which later on won at the Academy
Award), could and should be appreciated by the Neapolitan
director-screenwriter's admirers, for his usual subtlety of camera work
and the and memorable lines, as well as by his detractors, for the
unexpectedly solid and consistent story development, something that in
the past The Great Beauty's director has seldom achieved. And indeed
there is much more beauty in Youth than in Sorrentino's former hit,
exactly for the savvy mix of images and narration, for the excellent
compactness of the cinematic language and writing, regrettably missing
in the calligraphic series of beautiful images that made up The Great
Beauty. In an exclusive and secluded thermal hotel on the Swiss Alps
gather, like elephants at a savanna watering hole at dusk, guests of
every age and origin, each looking for something different but all
joined by the lack of this "something". With the calm and lightness of a
glider, the movie flies over Fred, a retired great musician and
conductor searching his human dimension in addition to his musical one,
and Mick, a famous director searching a last movie which could amazingly
seal a career that, however glittering, started to show the
unmistakable signs of a slow decline. The movie takes the viewer, with
crafty and touching empathy, to the final results of these searches,
harmonic for Fred, dystonic for Mick. Captivating in the title choice,
identifying youth with the inner search and growth rather than the body
biological age, Youth is structured in dwindling layers, strongly
integrated and unified: a protagonist (a self-controlled and convincing
Michael Caine as Fred), a co-protagonist (the dependable Hervey Keitel
as Mick), two secondary characters (an emotionally involved Rachel Wiesz
as Fred's daughter and a cautious and endearing Paul Dano as the
Californian star), circled by a chorus of characters painted with few
yet definite strokes, reminding of the Commedia dell'Arte: the football
legend beyond Sunset Boulevard, the masseuse of few words, the Alpine
guide, Miss Universe, the Queen representative, the 100% made in
Hollywood movie star (an ironic and charismatic yet ineffective Jane
Fonda), the mixed group of your screenwriters, the silent couple….. The
risky strategy of mixing faked reality (the Queen, the real pop start,
the football star) to real narration proved to pay off: most probably
Youth shall not gather the prizes and success of The Great Beauty but
surely represents a clear leap forward towards Paolo Sorrentino's full
maturity as a director and a screenwriter.
Four young outsiders teleport to an alternate and dangerous universe which alters their physical form in shocking ways. The four must learn to harness their new abilities and work together to save Earth from a former friend turned enemy.
Director: Josh Trank
Writers: Jeremy Slater (screenplay), Simon Kinberg (screenplay)
Stars: Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan
Storyline:
FANTASTIC FOUR, a contemporary re-imagining of Marvel's original and
longest-running superhero team, centers on four young outsiders who
teleport to an alternate and dangerous universe, which alters their
physical form in shocking ways. Their lives irrevocably upended, the
team must learn to harness their daunting new abilities and work
together to save Earth from a former friend turned enemy.
Movie Review:
I went into this movie
with hope and optimism and not put off by the negative light shone
towards it. An hour and 40 minutes later, I left feeling empty and
unsatisfied. Comic book films are supposed to make you feel inspired,
but not this one.
So what is wrong with it? One word –
chemistry. In any superhero team/ensemble there should be great
character interactions and a feeling that these guys can effectively
make a team, never mind a ''fantastic'' team. The best team movies all
have characters playing off each other as in the Avengers and X-Men.
However, there is zero chemistry between any of the F4. We see an
attempt at some early romance between Reed and Sue which doesn't go
anywhere. Johnny Storm is billed as a genius but troubled kid however we
never see why he has a high IQ, he is just shifted in to make up the
numbers. We never see him form any sustainable bond with any of the
others. Ben Grimm also appears as an outsider, brought in with little
sense to the project to fill the final slot. The chemistry between the
original F4 (2005) was MUCH better whereas here they feel like 4
individuals.
The climatic battle takes place in the
most boring environment that you can imagine. It is over within 10
minutes, with not much ingenuity to overcome a half decent attempt at Dr
Doom, who at first seems very intimidating. This film will be quickly
forgotten and the question isn't whether a sequel will be made or
whether it will cross over with X-Men, but is the original Fantastic 4
film a better watch than this depressing, dull comic book movie. Final
score 5.5/10
