tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40420756792288743342024-03-12T19:17:48.403-07:00My Movie ReviewsEsteban Gonzalezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04116081499033406316noreply@blogger.comBlogger999125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4042075679228874334.post-68343941475501689262016-02-20T10:18:00.001-08:002016-02-20T10:18:39.937-08:00The Finest Hours (5/10): Fine for a January release
"In the coast guard they say you go out, they don't say you gotta come back."
Director Craig Gillespie and Disney team up once again following their 2014 film, Million Dollar Arm. This time the true story is based on the 1952 Coast Guard rescue attempt at Cape Cod. The film counts with a stellar cast starting from the always charismatic Chris Pine, and including some strong supporting Esteban Gonzalezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04116081499033406316noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4042075679228874334.post-21655561432288221352016-02-19T21:23:00.000-08:002016-02-19T21:23:42.543-08:00The Revenant (8/10): A visual spectacle
"As long as you can still grab a breath, you fight. You breathe... keep breathing."
It's only been a year since Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu delivered the award winning Birdman and somehow he managed to deliver another visual masterpiece in record time. To follow up such a groundbreaking film like Birdman, with an epic adventure film like The Revenant is mesmerizing. But Gonzalez doesn't Esteban Gonzalezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04116081499033406316noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4042075679228874334.post-56215441597965304202016-02-05T12:10:00.000-08:002016-02-05T12:10:27.347-08:00Room (9/10): Harrowing film powered by two wonderful performances
"When I was small, I only knew small things. But now I'm five, I know everything!"
It doesn't feel right to call Lenny Abrahamson's latest film a small one because it is such a rewarding and emotional experience. Yes, it is a low key and small scaled film, but it has such a profound impact on the audience that it is far from being small. The first half of the film takes place in a very Esteban Gonzalezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04116081499033406316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4042075679228874334.post-85802473136054240732016-02-05T10:58:00.000-08:002016-02-05T10:58:05.402-08:0099 Homes (8/10): A modern day companion to WallStreet
"Don't get emotional about real estate."
99 Homes is a powerful drama that resonates with the current economic state of the United States in the same way that Wall Street did in the 80's. Michael Shannon's Rick Carver as a realtor who makes his living by evicting families from their homes and cheating on the bank system, is in a way the modern Gordon Gekko (a character that turned Michael Esteban Gonzalezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04116081499033406316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4042075679228874334.post-23377642490433898322016-02-02T18:54:00.000-08:002016-02-02T18:54:18.602-08:00Carol (7/10): Haynes delivers a subtle and stylistic period piece
¨I don't know what I want. How could I know what I want if I say yes to everything?¨
Todd Haynes´s critically acclaimed film adaptation of Patricia Highsmith´s novel (The Price of Salt) is without a doubt very stylish. It is a love story between two women who fall for each other at first sight, although it avoids all the common cliches in the romantic genre. Mostly because the script says Esteban Gonzalezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04116081499033406316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4042075679228874334.post-14325070208302260432016-01-30T11:11:00.001-08:002016-01-30T11:11:44.304-08:00The Danish Girl (6/10): Strong performances, but familiar biopic.
"I love you, because you are the only person who made sense of me. And made me, possible."
Tom Hooper's latest film is a fictionalized portrayal of real life Danish artists Einar and Gerda Wegener. It is a period piece that reimagines the love story between these two artists. Einar who later becomes Lili is recognized as one of the pioneers in transgender, but the film takes many liberties Esteban Gonzalezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04116081499033406316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4042075679228874334.post-74440640616052162402016-01-29T16:58:00.000-08:002016-01-29T16:58:01.342-08:00Spotlight (9/10): A Love Letter to Investigative Journalism
"It could have been you, it could have been me, it could have been any of us. We gotta nail these scumbags! We gotta show people that nobody can get away with this; Not a priest, or a cardinal or a freaking pope!"
Good investigative journalism is a dying medium in today's world where most media outlets are in a rush to get the exclusive and tell the story first. The same could be said for Esteban Gonzalezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04116081499033406316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4042075679228874334.post-77893575451274104112016-01-23T09:41:00.000-08:002016-01-23T09:41:10.881-08:00The Big Short (9/10): Economics for Dummies
"Everyone, deep in their hearts, is waiting for the end of the world to come."
The Big Short is such a refreshing and surprising film because it manages to perfectly balance a difficult subject matter and make it entertaining. It is perhaps one of the most important films made this year reminding us of the worldwide economic breakdown that began in 2007 and left millions of people without Esteban Gonzalezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04116081499033406316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4042075679228874334.post-23445828632566158482016-01-08T11:34:00.000-08:002016-01-08T11:34:14.370-08:00Pan (4/10): All visuals, but no heart
“If you don't believe, Peter, then neither will they.”
It seems that every decade there is a new attempt at bringing Peter Pan back to life wether it be a reimagining of the classic tale or a prequel. This time it was Joe Wright’s turn to give us an origin story of Peter Pan and how he arrived at Neverland. The concept seemed pretty interesting considering Pan is such a fascinating characterEsteban Gonzalezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04116081499033406316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4042075679228874334.post-36398161892810705682015-12-22T15:35:00.000-08:002015-12-22T15:35:53.005-08:00The Martian (8/10): Let's talk science!
“I don't want to come off as arrogant here, but I'm the greatest botanist on this planet.”
Ridley Scott’s latest film, The Martian, is an intelligently crafted science fiction drama that takes on the form of a problem-solving movie in a very nerdy way. It is not an easy movie to sell considering it is very talkative and there is a lot of science involved, but Drew Goddard’s adaptation of Esteban Gonzalezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04116081499033406316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4042075679228874334.post-55800647437817848122015-12-21T17:39:00.001-08:002015-12-21T17:39:55.070-08:00Miss You Already (7/10): Girl Power!
“You kind of look like a superhero.”
Catherine Hardwicke may not be a director who has consistently delivered strong work, but I tend to enjoy her more personal and female centered films. Many probably know her for her direction in the first Twilight film, which I actually enjoyed quite a bit despite the critical hate. Red Riding Hood I can agree with everyone was a huge failure, but her Esteban Gonzalezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04116081499033406316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4042075679228874334.post-14435830538693614982015-12-19T11:05:00.000-08:002015-12-19T11:05:43.268-08:00Star Wars: The Force Awakens (9/10): And so does the franchise!
“There's been an awakening. Have you felt it? The Dark side, and the Light.”
There is a new film that has been released this weekend that not many people may have heard of, so I want to recommend it because it’s worth checking out. Apparently The Force Awakens is the seventh film in the little recognized Star Wars franchise and I’m surprised not many people have been talking about this Esteban Gonzalezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04116081499033406316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4042075679228874334.post-27636485348992512992015-12-10T18:52:00.000-08:002015-12-10T18:52:34.706-08:00American Ultra (6/10): Jason Bourne on drugs.
“I think I'm that tree. And I think you're the car and I think I'm stopping you.”
American Ultra is what you get when you combine any classic stoner comedy with The Bourne Identity. It is a hybrid of both genres which results in a fast paced action comedy. It is almost cartoonish at times despite trying to remain serious. There are scenes in this movie that reminded me of Pineapple Express Esteban Gonzalezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04116081499033406316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4042075679228874334.post-52875123481821698752015-12-07T13:03:00.000-08:002015-12-07T13:03:33.253-08:00Can't Hardly Wait (4/10): A predictable teenage comedy
“Don't look back. You should never look back.”
There is a scene during the movie where someone spray painted “This Party Sucked” on the door, and I guess that the same thing can be said about this predictable and formulaic teen comedy that tries way too hard to capture the spirit of former John Hughes’ comedies from the 80’s. Perhaps it is my fault that I just got around watching this Esteban Gonzalezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04116081499033406316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4042075679228874334.post-21438052906806020982015-11-20T10:59:00.002-08:002015-11-20T10:59:55.919-08:00The Gift (8/10): A solid psychological thriller
¨It's all in the eyes, you see. You see what happens when you poison other people's mind with ideas?¨
The Gift sort of appeared from nowhere and has surprised critics and audiences alike for its suspenseful narrative and strong performances. This is Joel Edgerton's directorial debut and what makes it even more impressive is that he wrote the script and co-starred in the film as well, so itEsteban Gonzalezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04116081499033406316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4042075679228874334.post-74491910498445431312015-11-18T13:23:00.000-08:002015-11-18T13:23:10.423-08:00Hot Pursuit (3/10): Not so hot after all
“He is known as the Bank of Bogota, the Tender Tender, the Lender Lender, the Money Launderer, El Chapo, the Pork Chop.”
There are films where the producers and everyone involved in the making of the movie seem to demand that its audience shut down their brain in order to simply enjoy the movie and have fun with it, and then there are movies like Hot Pursuit where it’s simply imposible to Esteban Gonzalezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04116081499033406316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4042075679228874334.post-82613855873233193162015-11-18T10:11:00.002-08:002015-11-18T10:11:33.056-08:00Stonehearst Asylum (4/10): A poor attempt at creating a suspenseful gothic film
“We're all mad Dr. Newgate. Some are simply not mad enough to admit it.”
Set in a mental institution during the end of the 19th century it’s hard not to compare this gothic thriller to Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island. Whereas Scorsese managed to create a film with an eerie atmosphere full of intrigues and thrills, Stonehearst Asylum fails to do so. It seems to have the perfect setting and Esteban Gonzalezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04116081499033406316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4042075679228874334.post-72371959963049846962015-11-13T20:56:00.000-08:002015-11-13T20:56:02.420-08:00Spectre (6/10): Doesn't live up to the standards set by Skyfall
“You are a kite dancing in a hurricane, Mr Bond.”
Sam Mendes did a fantastic job sitting in the director’s chair for Bond’s previous movie, Skyfall, so expectations were really high for what he could deliver in his follow up: Spectre. If there is something that Daniel Craig has brought to the franchise is that he has turned Bond into a serious character from the start. Casino Royale is stillEsteban Gonzalezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04116081499033406316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4042075679228874334.post-5196597875772840662015-11-11T12:59:00.000-08:002015-11-11T12:59:00.485-08:00The Visit (6/10): Shyamalan trying to regain the audience's trust.
“Would you mind getting inside the oven to clean it?”
I’ve always been a fan of M. Night Shyamalan’s work despite his recent strikes, so The Visit was one of my most anticipated films for this year. I had stayed away from the trailers because I wanted to experience it as fresh as possible. Shyamalan has directed some of my favorite movies (The Sixth Sense, Signs, Unbreakable) and I even Esteban Gonzalezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04116081499033406316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4042075679228874334.post-46534116112527034882015-11-10T14:55:00.000-08:002015-11-10T14:55:23.128-08:00Infinitely Polar Bear (5/10): A light hearted portrayal of a father dealing with bipolar disorder
“My father was diagnosed manic-depressive in 1967.”
Maya Forbes’s debut film received a lot of praise when it was released at TIFF last year, especially for Mark Ruffalo’s lead portrayal of a father undergoing a bipolar disorder. The film is set in the early 70’s and it centers on this unconventional family that is separated when Cameron has his first breakdown and is sent to a halfway houseEsteban Gonzalezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04116081499033406316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4042075679228874334.post-58371495621080401762015-11-06T12:15:00.000-08:002015-11-06T12:15:54.274-08:00Sicario (9/10): VIlleneuve delivers a brilliant atmospheric thriller
“You will not survive here. You are not a wolf, and this is a land of wolves now.”
It’s been over a month now since I’ve seen this film and it has stuck with me in a way few films have this year. Denis Villeneuve is a talented director who knows how to build the right atmosphere for his movies. Sicario is all about tone and atmosphere. We’ve seen the premise of this film done to death, but Esteban Gonzalezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04116081499033406316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4042075679228874334.post-27911640043737880842015-10-30T11:15:00.001-07:002015-10-30T11:15:58.405-07:00Dope (7/10): A different coming of age comedy
“I'm from a poor, crime-filled neighborhood, raised by a single mother, don't know my dad, blah, blah. It's cliche.”
Writer and director Rick Famuyiwa delivers an energetic coming of age film that goes out of its way to avoid cliches. That is why despite having a familiar premise, the characters feel unique and are fun to hang around with. This film premiered at Sundance and it was Esteban Gonzalezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04116081499033406316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4042075679228874334.post-60958580067743501932015-10-29T11:55:00.001-07:002015-10-29T11:55:26.103-07:00City of Angels (5/10): It misses the mark and lacks an emotional impact.
“I would rather have had one breath of her hair, one kiss of her mouth, one touch of her hand, than eternity without it. One.”
Brad Silberling’s City of Angels isn’t a film that seems to have aged well and perhaps it suffers a bit from the Nicholas Sparks syndrome we’ve been exposed to over recent years. I’m not bashing on Sparks because I was a fan of The Notebook, but his stories seem toEsteban Gonzalezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04116081499033406316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4042075679228874334.post-36518461762341012782015-10-28T13:01:00.000-07:002015-10-28T13:01:40.269-07:00We Are What We Are (4/10): Not easy to digest
“We need to stick together now.”
There is no doubt in my mind that Jim Mickle is a very talented director. His film, Cold in July, was one of the pleasant surprises from last year, so I decided to give his earlier film, We Are What We Are, a watch. It was well received by critics and I understand why because it is well shot and Mickle knows how to build the right atmosphere, but this horror Esteban Gonzalezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04116081499033406316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4042075679228874334.post-11838867824144871432015-10-27T11:46:00.000-07:002015-10-27T11:46:20.266-07:00Bridge of Spies (7/10): Hanks and Spielberg reunited
“This man, my father's friend, he was beaten. Every time they hit him, he stood back up again. They hit him harder, still he got back to his feet. I think because of this they let him live.”
Over the past few years Steven Spielberg has shied away from the big blockbuster productions and settled for historical dramas such as Lincoln, War Horse, and Munich. Now we can add Bridge of Spies to Esteban Gonzalezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04116081499033406316noreply@blogger.com0