reaganreviews
Joined May 2023
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Reviews23
reaganreviews's rating
This was one of the most cringe-inducing, anxiety causing, nail-biting theater experiences I have ever had and that's a good thing. The film is incredibly provocative and disturbing, not glamorizing the unsavory relationship between the 29-year-old Misha and high schooler Jake.
I caught this at the Mill Valley Film Festival and I am so glad I did as this film completely took me by surprise. The actors, especially Mitzi Akaha as Misha and Laird Akeo as Jack were very natural and had great chemistry.
The script was very good and felt like something people would actually say. This realism made the film even more disturbing.
The cinematography was effective with some handheld camera movements that immersed viewers into the story. Furthermore, there was a distinct use of color that created a clear shift in the plot, taking the central romance to dark places.
While this is usually a fault, the film is predictable and in this case, it works. I could see most of where the film was going but I never thought that the filmmakers would actually go to those lengths and well, they definitely did. You would not see this level of commitment in a big studio backed film.
The setup and foreshadowing in this film is great and everything is paid off by the end.
While the film is mostly immersive, I do have a few gripes with the suspension of disbelief. I didn't always buy that none of the high schoolers or their parents were suspicious of Misha's age.
Overall, Chaperone is a heart pounding experience that effectively shares its disturbing narrative, striking a balance between humanizing its questionable protagonist while also not letting her off the hook for her actions.
I caught this at the Mill Valley Film Festival and I am so glad I did as this film completely took me by surprise. The actors, especially Mitzi Akaha as Misha and Laird Akeo as Jack were very natural and had great chemistry.
The script was very good and felt like something people would actually say. This realism made the film even more disturbing.
The cinematography was effective with some handheld camera movements that immersed viewers into the story. Furthermore, there was a distinct use of color that created a clear shift in the plot, taking the central romance to dark places.
While this is usually a fault, the film is predictable and in this case, it works. I could see most of where the film was going but I never thought that the filmmakers would actually go to those lengths and well, they definitely did. You would not see this level of commitment in a big studio backed film.
The setup and foreshadowing in this film is great and everything is paid off by the end.
While the film is mostly immersive, I do have a few gripes with the suspension of disbelief. I didn't always buy that none of the high schoolers or their parents were suspicious of Misha's age.
Overall, Chaperone is a heart pounding experience that effectively shares its disturbing narrative, striking a balance between humanizing its questionable protagonist while also not letting her off the hook for her actions.
Megalopolis is a bold swing but completely misses the mark. Starring a talented yet wasted cast of Adam Driver, Nathalie Emmanuel, Shia LaBeouf, Aubrey Plaza, Laurence Fishburne, and more.
Though this review is very negative, I did think that Shia LaBeouf's performance was entertaining. He was definitely the only actor besides Laurence Fishburne that truly lived into his role. He has a very natural blend of odd charisma, comedy, and mischief that stays true to the character.
Outside of that, there's some nice imagery in here with stunning neon-lit shots in the rain, crumbling statues, and large shadows being cast on skyscrapers.
Unfortunately, everything else feels aimless and confused. The performances in this film come off as awkward and wooden, further hindered by odd dialogue that is needlessly superfluous in an attempt to sound intelligent. It seems like none of the actors understood the film or their characters.
On a story level, there's so much going on here that the film becomes packed to the brim with ludicrous subplots that go nowhere. Many sequences don't flow into the next and there seems to be a lot of footage missing while other scenes go on for far too long. I felt like I was in the theater for twice the runtime. I won't spoilt it but there is an odd ten-minute drug induced scene that is absolute insanity that I couldn't help but laugh.
Megalopolis is ultimately a story between cynicism and idealism. The film favors an idealistic outlook on the future of a crumbling society likened to America yet for being so preachy, there aren't any innovative solutions presented. Maybe that's the point and instead Coppola is inviting the audience to ponder resolutions to the world's problems.
I unfortunately cannot recommend Megalopolis to anyone as it is an incomprehensible mess that feels like it was directed by a bunch of different people.
Though this review is very negative, I did think that Shia LaBeouf's performance was entertaining. He was definitely the only actor besides Laurence Fishburne that truly lived into his role. He has a very natural blend of odd charisma, comedy, and mischief that stays true to the character.
Outside of that, there's some nice imagery in here with stunning neon-lit shots in the rain, crumbling statues, and large shadows being cast on skyscrapers.
Unfortunately, everything else feels aimless and confused. The performances in this film come off as awkward and wooden, further hindered by odd dialogue that is needlessly superfluous in an attempt to sound intelligent. It seems like none of the actors understood the film or their characters.
On a story level, there's so much going on here that the film becomes packed to the brim with ludicrous subplots that go nowhere. Many sequences don't flow into the next and there seems to be a lot of footage missing while other scenes go on for far too long. I felt like I was in the theater for twice the runtime. I won't spoilt it but there is an odd ten-minute drug induced scene that is absolute insanity that I couldn't help but laugh.
Megalopolis is ultimately a story between cynicism and idealism. The film favors an idealistic outlook on the future of a crumbling society likened to America yet for being so preachy, there aren't any innovative solutions presented. Maybe that's the point and instead Coppola is inviting the audience to ponder resolutions to the world's problems.
I unfortunately cannot recommend Megalopolis to anyone as it is an incomprehensible mess that feels like it was directed by a bunch of different people.
Deadpool and Wolverine is an electrifying theater experience. It's hilarious and it's got some great action to keep audiences distracted from an otherwise nonsensical story.
As expected, Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds make a great duo. Wolverine's grouchy persona is a great foil to Deadpool's constant jokes and fourth wall breaks. They are also an excellent pair during action scenes, delivering all of the bloody violence that comic book fans expect. The camera work during the action sequences was very creative with some long trucking shots, slo-mo, and dynamic movements.
The comedic side of this film was hilarious. There are a lot of jokes for everyone: dirty jokes, deep-cut comic book references, and meta fourth wall breaks. The claws were definitely left unsheathed with that R-rating as these jokes target pretty much everything from the characters to movie studios and filmmaking.
On the drama side, Hugh Jackman pretty much carries the entire emotional weight of the film on his shoulders. He's a fantastic actor and is able to ground a lot of the comic book ridiculousness in human emotions.
The story on the other hand is pretty much non-existent. Moving at a brisk pace, the film goes from a to b and then it ends. Scenes don't naturally flow into the next. Also, much of the exposition and backstory isn't shown or even alluded to. The film just spoon-feeds the audience with exposition dumping dialogue, something that is addressed by fourth wall breaking jokes. But, this self awareness doesn't fix the problem it just informs audiences that the filmmakers know of issues that they won't fix either due to budgeting or just laziness.
The cinematography is quite bland due to flat lighting. The CGI integrated during these shots isn't necessarily low quality but it is very apparent. There are also a few action scenes with some pretty rubbery character models.
Overall, though it lacks in the story department, Deadpool and Wolverine is a fun action comedy that will please keen-eyed fans and general audiences looking for a good time.
As expected, Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds make a great duo. Wolverine's grouchy persona is a great foil to Deadpool's constant jokes and fourth wall breaks. They are also an excellent pair during action scenes, delivering all of the bloody violence that comic book fans expect. The camera work during the action sequences was very creative with some long trucking shots, slo-mo, and dynamic movements.
The comedic side of this film was hilarious. There are a lot of jokes for everyone: dirty jokes, deep-cut comic book references, and meta fourth wall breaks. The claws were definitely left unsheathed with that R-rating as these jokes target pretty much everything from the characters to movie studios and filmmaking.
On the drama side, Hugh Jackman pretty much carries the entire emotional weight of the film on his shoulders. He's a fantastic actor and is able to ground a lot of the comic book ridiculousness in human emotions.
The story on the other hand is pretty much non-existent. Moving at a brisk pace, the film goes from a to b and then it ends. Scenes don't naturally flow into the next. Also, much of the exposition and backstory isn't shown or even alluded to. The film just spoon-feeds the audience with exposition dumping dialogue, something that is addressed by fourth wall breaking jokes. But, this self awareness doesn't fix the problem it just informs audiences that the filmmakers know of issues that they won't fix either due to budgeting or just laziness.
The cinematography is quite bland due to flat lighting. The CGI integrated during these shots isn't necessarily low quality but it is very apparent. There are also a few action scenes with some pretty rubbery character models.
Overall, though it lacks in the story department, Deadpool and Wolverine is a fun action comedy that will please keen-eyed fans and general audiences looking for a good time.