redroominparis

Frank Marshall's Alive echoes through in the re-telling of the most harrowing story of survival in human history. Society however, has put an exclamation point on this story.

The camera tells most of the story, as cinematically it is far more superior than its predecessor. It does borrow heavily from the original, but I found a great deal of comfort in that.

The re-imagining of the treacherous landscape stole the show for me, as the photography captured the sheer terror and vertical tension these young men had to endure to reach civilization.

There were also several shots that captured the essence of the characters, which were expertly staged against old photos.

I was also impressed by the delicate nature by which the director approached the narrative of how they were able to feed themselves under such dire circumstances. It was handled with care and compassion. The conflict they felt and the sheer desperation echoed through as well.

From a lighting standpoint, I found this film to be flawless. Great care was taken to make sure each interaction had catchlights and edge lights when needed, and some de-saturation in post made for some border line black and white shots as the life was being sucked out of them in that wreckage.

And finally, the exploration of post rescue insights really put an exclamation point on this film. The emotional wreckage as well as the physical toll is displayed briefly, but I do believe it brings a bit more closure, and emphasizes the 'what was this all for?' question that had probably plagued these survivors in perpetuity.

I don't believe I'll re-watch, and that may be the one critique I have. It was a very intense, emotional experience. Job well done.

Albeit slow paced, The Killer delivers excellent elements that exceed the normal content Netflix has to offer. Fassbender turns an outstanding performance as a Hitman at a crossroads, as he allows his personal feelings effect his actions when a job goes awry.

Fincher still knows how to deliver the tension, as a scene in which The Killer faces off against The Brute has all the trappings of his previous films, and perhaps the best fight scene I can remember in all of filmdom.

It gets a bit long in the tooth in the final act, but it purposely does this to hit home the dramatic transformation the main character goes through. While this leaves some reviewers scratching their heads, this film has layers. It is definitely not a run-of-the-mill-hitman-for-hire story.

The sound is one of the best elements as well, and Trent Renzor once again proves he is a master of his craft.

The bottom line, having seen this film over a dozen times and watching it again, experiencing it for the first time. This film is so utterly moving. It has near perfect cinematography and even better lighting. Every shot has so much depth and they took such care in the composition.

The score is absolutely flawless. It informs the characters emotions and causes an inner reflection in the viewer that rivals several John Barry scores.

Claire Forlani is absolutely perfect in this role. Her eyes grab you and allow you to see such vulnerability that few performances have matched. Some of the best scenes involve supporting roles. Marcia Gay Harden is a pro and some of the most touching moments she grabs a hold of. It all comes from a very real place, and is exciting to watch.

I've read some pretty brutal reviews. I just don't think they come from a place where the person wants to sit down and watch a 3 hour love story with fantasy elements. Moreover, the reviews are so tome deaf, and reek of jealousy. You have to let yourself into these characters lives to fully appreciate it.

If Euphoria is your taste this is definitely not for you,

This is a story about a man who loved his wife, adores his daughters and has had a very successful existence. It's about being able to hold on, and have the courage and gratitude to let go.

Give it a few minutes, and Mascots truly is Guest separating himself from the likes of Documentary Now. He is truly a pioneer of the Dramatic aspects of this type of comedy, as the poingnant moments were the strongest for me. Driven by strong characters from the entire cast, Guest is able to build upon his empire of fly-on-the-wall comedies, while relying on said actors to deliver when it matters the most. When the stakes are high, and redemption is around the corner. It's cliche, but if you open your heart to his work, it will touch you in a place that's been buried for decades. Let these folks into your life, stop making fun of them and realize that the greatest tragedy of humanity is the loss in innocence.

Viggo, perhaps one of the most underrated actors of the past few decades gives a heartbreaking performance. He also steps behind the camera, flexing his directing chops to guide this film. At times hard to watch, Falling manages to use flashback with a uniqueness not quite seen. He pulls the onion back just enough to keep your attention, using colors, landscapes and sound design to make the viewer reflect inwards. It misses the mark in the casting department for me, as Lance Henirckson at times is so offensive you lose all compassion for a man that has truly lost his ability to connect his mind with his words. That being said, there is comfort in the likes of Moretnesen and Linney as they suffer through his gut wrenching diatribes, their sadness shines through. Slow paced and purposeful, Falling is a must see for anyone who has a family member battling dementia, or an insufferable parent.

Ridley Scott delivers here, and although it's a bit of a departure for him, Duel is an intriguing, albeit slow bleed of a movie. Told from three perspectives, this film delves into the psyches of its main characters with striking depth. With a near grey-scale design, it's as bleak as it is slow paced, but to watch Damon and Driver work is truly fascinating. There is a particularly painful and shocking violation of the main protagonist, and the self-titled conclusion delivers. The truth behind the tale lingers for much longer afterwards, and the more I mulled over the content, the more I liked it. Ditch the quick-fix steaming for a night and give this one a shot.

Unreal how in this day and age action sequences pale in comparison to decades ago. Resurrection manages to somehow do this. Reloaded was far more superior, almost a thrill ride, whilst Resurrection tries to use a very poor script to drive the bus. It drops the ball in every category, and fails to deliver anything but a scant few moments that aren't completely uninteresting. Very unremarkable and forgettable, as I mulled over not even finishing it. Just goes to show you what work culture driven by a female director can do to an amazing trilogy. Shameful. And shame on John Wick for thinking he could play Neo.

Seemingly slow and prodding, this tale weaves it's way with such stealthiness, the penultimate conclusion hits hard. Exceptional performances from a trio of pros, and McPhee, provide the fuel. An especially nuanced interpretation by Plemons and Cumberbatch are exceptional, Benedict smoulders in his role, and Plemons exceeds, regardless of his sparce line load. The ending was very clever, and this film is worth a rewatch. The cinematography truly captures the environment, set design ad costuming are also fine here. A characters movie for sure.

I have no idea where this episode was birthed, but it was dreadful. Moreover, Ted stringing together popular culture, present and past repeatedly is becoming cheap and tiresome. I used to really enjoy the human aspect and life lessons this show communicated. Now, it's a step below a Hallmark movie.

It's obvious to me that beyond his tragic health issue, there were many things that happened along the way that would help to explain his fractured career and relationships, as well as his seemingly bizarre behavior. Unfortunately he chooses to omit, and thus creates more questions than answers.

That being said, it's truly remarkable how much footage this gentlemen has to document his life, and it's rewarding to see some of my favorite actors as young men, scrapping their way through New York and Hollywood.

After watching, my main takeaway is that Val Kilmer is first and foremost and actor. I truly believe the Hollywood elite made sure his career would stall, but I also believe he had a hand in that demise.

Love Sophia's body of work. This one, however, lacks writing and acting. Marlon is clearly out of his league, and Rashida gives her best effort here, but simply can't deliver. Bill Murray seemingly spent more time doing ADR. The scenes aren't paced right, the most charming being Murray's interaction with a police officer that brought tears to my eyes. That's the thing about Coppola, she gets you in the oddest of places, I just didn't find much here.

The complete picture reveals a story that is wrapped in several layers of hurt. We peel those layers back to reveal the true struggle of our mothers. The story may be told differently, but the feelings are very real. Please watch.

Don't know where the 70M went, but it wasn't to talent. I have zero issues with DB, he's appropriate in small supporting roles. I just think Snyder is above this. This slog is full of holes, pointless rambling and poor attempts to establish relationships with very badly written dialogue. Leave this one, or at least, fast forward to the last 30 minutes, as a brutal scene with a Tiger and some action sequences are worth a gander.

Very intense, uncertainty around every corner. Excellent sound design make this a gem. The performances get a bit one note during act 2, but the tragedy and exhaustion are rife and effective in the final act.

Shades of Blair Witch here. Sound was expertly used to craft this dark comedy. It keeps your attention and offers several jump scares. You know they're coming, but around what corner? The title hits the nail on the head, just add a y.

Best way to watch Kong is to stream, then proceed to fast forward through every bit of written dialogue. When you come to a scene that appears to involve inconsistent CGI battles between Kong and other beasts, stop and watch. Should be a solid 15 minute short film.

Entertaining, but at the same time emotionally empty, Bird Box thrills throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed the film, but didn't connect with the characters. This was pretty shocking to me as it was very well fleshed out, and I couldn't find any flaws in the performances. I think the plot in general, as ridiculous as it was, caused this detachment. The sound design, score and cinematography all get kudos here as well, as I felt the shots were executed with tremendous care and thought. Definitely worth an evening film.

Hancock's cheap ripoffs of Fincher are hard to swallow here, as The Little Things does little to separate its blatant similarities to a little known film, (to most current film buffs) Seven. There are many problems, most evident, an aging and uninspiring Denzel. As he is perhaps one of my favorite actors of all time, his performance relies on his nuances. This is a common approach for him. That being said, they usually have something to do with the character he has developed. Here, they come off flat and disingenuous. Jared Leto is possibly the worst actor in the film. There is no emotional depth, just a a reliance on his turn as the Joker. You could have put anyone in this role. It was completely empty. Malek continues to put forth a tremendous effort, and his approach had more than his co-stars, and made the movie watchable. Everything else in the film required a suspension of disbelief that violates the watchers intelligence, and that of its cast. Then ending is a complete rip off, with a twist that feels like bland, runny scrambled eggs. I implore you. Watch Seven, then watch this film. You will understand, and at the least, revisit or discover a truly affective film.

Denzel is a rare talent. Reynolds shockingly holds his own as a green CIA agent tasked with escorting him throughout South Africa trying to connect the dots of a puzzle that has many twists and turns. The cinematography and editing leave something to be desired, and it clocks in a bit too long. The dialogue, is at times too revealing and cliche. It gets a nod because Reynolds truly dug deep. He is emotionally invested in his character and utilizes the brutality of his injuries to create a memorable role, against type.

The most shocking thing to me was Payne's speech upon Woods return to Augusta. Those words were despicable and wreaked of racism, slavery and entitlement. I would imagine if Nicklaus, Payne and Palmer were examined, they would've reeked with the same foul stench of infidelity Woods did. I absolutely believe this was a public whipping. It was completely disgusting. The other side of it, which was shocking to me, was that Jemele Hill and Stephen A. Smith cast stones at Tiger Woods at his lowest point. Earl was right, Tiger did end up transcending golf. At the end of the day, he was a father, addict and golfer. He never admits to being an addict, which is somewhat concerning, but, quite frankly, it's none of our business what his personal life entails. Tiger has mental hardware most of us only dream of, but his pompous attitude and confidence mix together in a bowl that equals winner. He should've stood up and employed the public with the ideals of a close ally and friend....'I'm not a role model'. Oh...and shame on the paparazzi. There truly is a special place in the Inferno for them. Cattle calling and publicly admonishing a woman in front of her children? Unreal.

It's like you're driving along the countryside, reminiscing about the long green fairways of Augusta and the cool breeze off the rocky shores of Pebble Beach. The epic calls from the galley at the British open. Then suddenly you come across a passenger train that has derailed and you can't take your eyes off the bloody, dismembered occupants. You know that staring into the dark and brokenness of the wreckage is sinful, exposing the victims at their lowest point, but you cannot look away. That's 'Tiger'. It gets 4 stars for the home video footage of him dancing and being a kid, and the sweet interactions with Earl. Other than that, it's a mess of former acquaintances embellishing their relationships and revealing the dark side of a man who, quite frankly, had the weight of humanity on his shoulders, and was ill equipped to handle it. Based on my review, I will watch the second part, and you probably will as well. That being said, you are essentially reading a smarter version of the 'Enquirer'. Bring on the Perkins waitress!!!!

While it kept my attention and went by very quickly, The Hunt misses the mark, leaving a third act that tries to pay more homage to a solid yet miscast Hillary Swank. I felt a tad robbed in that regard, as my focus turned from the performances of the players to a silly Swank stroke fest. I was so miffed in learning of her inclusion, I nearly turned it off as I knew how the movie would end. The irony is through the first two acts I was completely engaged, even shocked at times. That being said, the lead character gives an excellent take on an old fable, that's worth the price of admission.

Perfection is a rare feat. It's nearly impossible to create so many rich characters with such depth. To be able to cast them to perfection makes the impossible even more challenging. Anyone who speaks ill of this show spends too much time allowing the singularity of their mobile devices to control their thoughts. It's a simple, human story that touches on adult themes we can all relate to. We mourn loss, rejection. We dread the inevitability of aging and the fragility of our youth as it is often taken from us much earlier than we would've liked. Please watch and reflect. It is a very rich and fulfilling story.

Affleck turns in one of his greatest performances. The pain in is eyes, undeniable and heartfelt. Yes, it follows the cliche hollywood formula, but there is a bit of a different tone here. Something is unsaid, unresolved, and it leaves you wondering if there is such a thing as redemption.

Matthieus shownarts can cry...doesn't mean he can act.