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An error has ocurred. Please try againBEST COMEDY/DRAMA & COMEDY/DRAMA/ROMANCE MOVIES (DRAMEDY/OFFBEAT COMEDY/ADVENTURE COMEDY-DRAMA/COMING OF AGE) https://www.imdb.com/list/ls024996126/?ref_=uspf_t_20
BEST DRAMA/ROMANCE, ART AND DRAMA/FANTASY/ROMANCE MOVIES https://www.imdb.com/list/ls084015526/?ref_=uspf_t_14
BEST COMEDY & DRAMA /FANTASY MOVIES (EXISTENTIAL DRAMEDY, SURREAL,WEIRD BUT TOUCHING MOVIES INCLUDED) https://www.imdb.com/list/ls090605464/
BEST SPORTS/DRAMA MOVIES https://www.imdb.com/list/ls048876768/
SIMILAR LIST:
BEST COMEDY & DRAMA ROMANCE MOVIES ("COMING OF AGE" MOVIES INCLUDED) https://www.imdb.com/list/ls521659789/
GREATEST COMEDY-DRAMA MOVIES (DRAMEDY/COMING OF AGE/OFFBEAT COMEDY/ADVENTURE COMEDY-DRAMA) https://www.imdb.com/list/ls024996126/
BEST DRAMA MOVIES https://www.imdb.com/list/ls029790131/
BEST ACTION-ADVENTURE-DRAMA MOVIES https://www.imdb.com/list/ls029923328/
NEW LIST
BEST DRAMA/ROMANCE AND DRAMA/MYSTERY/THRILLER ROMANCE MOVIES https://www.imdb.com/list/ls084015526/
other lists
BEST OF MYSTERY(PSYCHOLOGICAL DRAMA)-THRILLER MOVIES https://www.imdb.com/list/ls029419887/
HORROR MOVIES https://www.imdb.com/list/ls029367910/
BEST SCI FI MOVIES https://www.imdb.com/list/ls024615088/
BEST OF COMEDY-CRIME MOVIES ( "CON" MOVIES AND DARK COMEDY MOVIES INCLUDED). https://www.imdb.com/list/ls024914840/
NEW LIST
COMEDY/DRAMA/FANTASY MOVIES (EXISTENTIAL DRAMEDY, SURREAL & WEIRD MOVIES INCLUDED) https://www.imdb.com/list/ls090605464/
NEW LIST
BEST ART HORROR & MYSTERY MOVIES (INDIE, EERIE & SURREAL TERROR MOVIES INCLUDED) https://www.imdb.com/list/ls082155463/
new list DARK COMEDY MOVIES (DRAMA/COMEDY/THRILLER, BLACK COMEDY, DARK SATIRE, COMEDY MYSTERY) https://www.imdb.com/list/ls088572274/
BEST (PSYCHOLOGICAL) DRAMA-THRILLER MOVIES https://www.imdb.com/list/ls088764190/
No horror movies here. Movies that are too "sophisticated"/artistic/strange to be included in simple thriller lists. And too intense/anxiety inducing to be included in drama movies lists. A lot of deranged and mentaly unstable leading characters.
BEST ART/ELEVATED HORROR MOVIES (PSYCHOLOGICAL DRAMA HORROR MOVIES, INDIE, EERIE & FANTASY/HORROR MOVIES INCLUDED) https://www.imdb.com/list/ls082155463/
BEST MYSTERY MOVIES (DRAMA/FANTASY/MYSTERY MOVIES INCLUDED) https://www.imdb.com/list/ls029419887/
Love has many faces, it can be beautiful, ugly, dangerous, poetic etc. Every kind of love is represented here. Not film noirs here neither crime/romance movies. There are some movies in which crimes are happening but crime is not the primary element of these movies. Some erotic drama/thrillers as well, as long as romance -and not thriller- is the primary element. Not comedy/drama/romance movies here.
OTHER LISTS
BEST CRIME/DRAMA MOVIES ("GANGSTERS",CRIMINALS,UNDERCOVER/INFORMANT POLICE, CORRUPTED OFFICERS, FILM NOIR, PRISON AND HEIST MOVIES) https://www.imdb.com/list/ls024484326/?ref_=uspf_t_4
BEST COMEDY/DRAMA & COMEDY/DRAMA/ROMANCE MOVIES (DRAMEDY/OFFBEAT COMEDY/ADVENTURE COMEDY-DRAMA/COMING OF AGE) https://www.imdb.com/list/ls024996126/?ref_=uspf_t_7
BEST COMEDY-ROMANCE MOVIES https://www.imdb.com/list/ls029919022/?ref_=uspf_t_29
SIMILAR LISTS:
BEST COMEDY-ROMANCE MOVIES https://www.imdb.com/list/ls029919022/
BEST DRAMA MOVIES https://www.imdb.com/list/ls029790131/
BEST COMEDY MOVIES (PURE FUN) https://www.imdb.com/list/ls024978412/
NEW LIST BEST SPORTS/DRAMA MOVIES https://www.imdb.com/list/ls048876768/
NEW LIST
COMEDY/DRAMA/FANTASY MOVIES (EXISTENTIAL DRAMEDY, SURREAL & WEIRD MOVIES INCLUDED) https://www.imdb.com/list/ls090605464/
Reviews
Oci ciornie (1987)
7.5/10. Recommended.
A very good, almost great, comedy/drama/romance movie. To be more specific, it's a mostly lighthearted drama/romance movie. Don't expect hilarious scenes, this is not a funny movie, even though Mastroianni's performance will put a smile on your face, a lot.
It's mostly lighthearted but in the last 10 minutes, i warn you, you'll be crying like a baby.
Starting was kinda dull. During the first 20 minutes i was wondering if i took a wrong choice by watching this movie. Just boring people doing boring stuff. However, that changes fast. Movie is finding its pace and rhythm ,and gradually, it's becoming more and more interesting and enjoyable. It's a 2 hours movie and i wish it was longer.
Mastroianni is excellent, overall it's well acted and well directed.
This ending though.. I bet it will make you think a lot about your life too.
L'appartement (1996)
7.3/10. Recommended.
"Hitchcockian" on the surface but at its core, a typical 90's drama/romance movie, way more lighthearted and less dramatic than it seems, or than it thinks it is. To be clear, i liked it a lot. It's just i thought this was gonna be darker and more intense. No, it's not a movie that can keep you on the edge of your seat, especially if you are older than 25-30 years old. Had i watched it back then, i would have surely liked it more. I watched it recently and i believe that, overall, it's kinda shallow and naive.
That doesn't mean i didn't like it. On the contrary, it is very entertaining. The first part was kinda intense and i was very curious to see where it goes. When the major twist was revealed, movie lost its steam in a way. But still, it was a fun ride until the end.
Yes, the characters were not that likeable but they were interesting, and the actors were charismatic. It's not very easy to follow but it's not difficult either, for sure it's not a movie which you can watch without giving much attention (But then, why watch a movie when it's not even worth your attention?)
About the ending : Regardless if one liked it or not, it was defitely unexpected. Even now, i can't even tell if i liked it or not. I don't even know if it was clever or dumb. And i prefer this kind of endings than predictable or typical ones. Because this ending got me thinking. Probably it would be better if it was less ambiguous, maybe it's a bit unpredictable for the sake of unpredictability.
In any case, i gave a high rating on this movie because there is a high entertainment value here. Just don't expect some high quality, arthouse drama or a "Hitchcockian" drama/mystery. It isn't.
Hell Hole (2024)
6.2/10. Watchable.
I am a fan of Adams family. I have watched both "The Deeper You Dig" and "Hellbender". Good movies, especially Hellbender, by those talented artists who obviously love a lot the horror genre, and they try to leave their mark on it. I respect their effort, with the means they have at their disposal. These are not groundbreaking movies though, neither great ones. Their movies are not scary neither much intense. For example, HELLBENDER is something like a "Coming of age/indie/art horror". It's easy to make a garbage movie like every other horror movie nowadays, with masked killers or demons killing everyone, but this is just a copy of a copy of a copy. Adams' movies have identity and their movies are kinda unique.
That doesn't mean they're very good. And "Hell hole" is my least favorite movie of them. Of course it's not scary as expected but at the same time, it's not much intense neither interesting. Keep in mind though, this is more comedy than horror. At least, i saw it that way. And when i understood what this is about, i had a lot of fun, there were even some hilarious scenes during the last 20 minutes.
So, it's important to lower your expectations and undestand what this is about. If you expect something as i described it, you will find this movie entertaining as well.
In any case, this is definitely not a MUST WATCH movie and i expect something better in the future. HELL HOLE is not a failure imo but neither a step forward by those film makers.
Nothing But the Best (1964)
6.4/10. Borderline recommendable.
It's not very good, i could live without watching it, too much plot armor and the pace is uneven : At times, it seems it's gonna be great but it's never becoming that interesting neither intense.
Yet, it was a fun ride. Bates is charismatic and delightful to watch, same as Elliott and Martin. There are even some unpredictable moments, i'll spare the details in order to avoid spoilers. Overall it's enjoyable and dark comedy fans will enjoy it mostly. But for sure, it's not as clever as it thinks it is and you are gonna need a lot of suspension of disbelief in order to buy what is happening here.
Ending is exactly as the previous moments. Not as clever as they thought, and if you think it thoroughly, it doesn't even make sense. But as i said, actors are so charismatic that they make it work.
New Normal (2022)
6/10. Watchable.
It's watchable but nothing else, i can't even say it's good for recommendation. Zero creativity and originality (except the last segment). It's like they watched a lot of anthology horror/comedy horror movies, maybe THE BLACK MIRROR too or something like that, and they made a copy of them.
So, it's uninspired and predictable as hell. But that doesn't mean it's bad. It's entertaining, nice pace, i wasn't bored at all. I didn't hate acting and i had some fun, even though it was deeply flawed. I can say safely that it's getting kinda better as it's unfolding. I mean, after those terribly predictable first segments, the following are somewhat better. And the last segment was the best, by far. I liked that it tried to wrap it up. It didn't succeed at this but overall, it was enjoyable and the lead actress was very good.
Overall, by no means this is a MUST WATCH. But diehard fans of this genre will probably be less rigorous than me.
The Fugitive Kind (1960)
8/10. A flawed masterpiece.
There is an oxymoron in this phrase, and a masterpiece can never be flawed, after all, this is the definition of a masterpiece : Something flawless. But still, i can't find a better description. At times, TFK is a masterpiece, equal to every other cinematic masterpiece i have watched (A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, CASABLANCA etc). There are moments i had goosebumbs, some Brando scenes or watching this excellent performance by Anna Magnani. And there were some other scenes, in which it felt a bit forced, i can't find the words to describe it but it was like the actors themselves didn't believe in their own characters. Fortunately, these specific scenes are not many.
THE FUGITIVE KIND is of course a bit melodramatic but literally every masterpiece of old cinema is a bit melodramatic. I could even say that acting performances here are not that theatrical, i mean, they don't feel "dated", instead they are a great mix of theatrical and "natural" performances. (In any case, i love those "theatrical performances" like Swanson in Sunset Blvrd, etc)
Overall, this is an amazing piece of Art, i felt it like a journey to another world, both magical and devastating. This movie is both poetic and realistic. I gave it a 8/10 rating but it shocked me more than other movies i have rated higher. And definitely, i won't forget it. It was like cleansing your soul with magical tears, if it makes sense.
And the ending was both tragic and beautiful.
Cactus Flower (1969)
6.8/10. Recommended.
It starts somewhat flat and dull, but as it unfolds, it finds it's rhythm and pace. It's getting more and more enjoyable and i can safely say it was a fun ride. I think that fans of comedy/romance movies are gonna enjoy it as well.
Indeed, as many reviewers already mentioned, Goldie Hawn stole the scene. But the duo Matthau-Bergmann was also delightful.
There are some funny moments, there are also others in which it seemed a bit forced. Overall, this is not a great movie and i could live without watching it, but it's so classy and enjoyable that made me glad i watched it.
Don't expect a great movie, it's a nice comedy/romance though, which is gonna leave you with a smile on your face.
The Visit (1964)
7/10. Recommended.
The premise is outrgeous. If this movie was made nowadays, noone would have taken it seriously unless it was something like a dark comedy. However, i don't watch old movies for their verisimilitude nor their realism (Many of them are not that realistic). I watch them for their charismatic actors. Because they are classy, beautiful, not cheap, because the creators respect their audience and many more reasons.
So, there are great acting performances here, there is Bergman and that by itself, is enough. Fortunately, these are not the only positives. Plot is totally unrealistic as i said but it's interesting too. Not for a second this became boring. It's intense and i was curious to see how it was gonna unfold, even if guessed the ending. It's highly likely that many of those who will watch it nowadatys, will guess exactly how it's gonna end. But still, it was a fun ride.
It's not a great movie and movie's remarks about human behavior are not that profound neither surprising. Yet, i enjoyed it.
L'Atalante (1934)
7.1/10. Recommended.
I read some reviews and if i am not mistaken, this is considered by a lot as one of the greatest movies in the history of Cinema. I am not a movie expert. Historical significance and value are among my criteria when i rate a movie but my most important criterion is if the movie was appealing to me. It's the script, directing, acting performances, the feelings i had as i was watching it, etc.
So, i can safely say that this is not a cinematic masterpiece. I have watched many Pre-WWII Films better than this. Still, it's a good movie and every cinephile will enjoy it, at least. Some will love it. I got carried away and took a dive into the past. There is something magical in this movie, there are breath taking moments and i empathised with the characters. I liked the fact that they are down to earth characters, really flawed people, not glorified at all. Even if this movie had no historical value, i would still have recommended it. However, i can't say i was moved neither that this is a film i will always remember. Overall, I didn't find it captivating nor mesmerizing or anything. It's easily my least favorite Michel Simon movie, even though Simon gave another excellent performance here.
In any case, this is an artistic achievement given its time era and the means Jean Vigo had at his disposal.
The Inheritance (2024)
4.6/10. Watchable but not recommended.
I said it's watchable, but this stands only of you want to have a little mindless fun. Even in that case, its not 100% sure you'll enjoy this, because this so called horror movie is not scary at all. I didn't hate it and i watched the whole movie because the first half was a bit passable, and the second half was ridiculous but there were many (unintentionally?) funny scenes.
So, only if you are in a similar mood and you lower A LOT your expectations, there's a chance you will enjoy it. In any case, i cannot recommend it. Even for a 2024 movie, this is bad. And 2024 is the worst cinematic year of all time, after 2021.
PS I don't blame the actors for this mess, but this was really bad, acting wise. Bob Gunton is a very good actor but the other actors (except Briana Middleton) didn't do a good job.
The Virgin Suicides (1999)
3/10. One of the worst movies i have watched.
All those years, TVS is considered a very good movie but i was never interested to watch it. It turns out i was right, at least according to my own personal taste. I haven't read the book it was based upon. Maybe the book is better, maybe not. It doesn't matter. What it matters, is that this movie was unwatchable.
Slow, mostly uneventful, boring and soulless. It's like this movie has no soul. And that's mostly because the characters looked that way. It seems funny to me that some people think this would be interestingly enigmatic and cryptic, with all the mystery about what's hiding inside those girls souls, but Sophia Coppola is not Peter Weir, and THE VIRGIN SUICIDES is definitely not "Picnic at Hanging Rock". You can't create a mystery about something when this something is too dull. Noone is gonna care how to solve it.
I admit that this movie was successful so it turned out to be that many people find that appealing. But i can't understand why. Why should anyone care about those paper characters, basically caricatures? What is this movie?
It's not comedy because there is not even a single funny scene. It's not a coming of age movie because there is not the slightest character development, noone grows, noone changes. It's not a drama because there is not any dramatic moment, any moment that i was caught in the edge of my seat.
Even the parents were not evil neither menacing. Ok, Turner's character did something bad, something that a parent should never consider as punishment. Still, it was not enough to cause what it caused. It didn't even affect much the girls, except for Dunst's character.
This is a movie about nothing. It's not even nihilistic neither provocative or daring. It's shallow, pointless, ridiculous. Probably director's surname is the reason it was that hyped. And when something is overhyped, many will buy it without thinking it too much.
3 stars for the actors. Dunst is still great, especially fot her age, and Woods is fun to watch, trying his best to salvage it.
Non coupable (1947)
7.5/10. Recommended.
Another movie which i expected it was gonna be good, but it turned out to be even better.
First of all, i don't necessarily agree with some viewers that it's a black comedy. At times, it plays out like that but overall, it is a psychological drama thriller, a tragedy -not in an Ancient Greek sense but more like Edgar Allan Poe maybe. If i had to find something in common with Ancient Greek tragedies, it's the way the protagonist thinks he/she avoided "the spider" (their fate) but with every step they take, they are entangled even more in the web.
Michel Simon is expectedly magnificent, Jany Holt the same. The whole movie feels "fresh", timeless and not dated at all. It's both entertaining and deep. Exciting and intense.
And the ending was great. Even if you can guess where it goes, it's still awe-inspiring.
Libel (1959)
7.4/10. Recommended.
I expected this was gonna be good but it was even better. Actors did a great job, Bogarde was excellent, overall it's a classy and well directed movie. But none of those things was surprising. What surprised me, was the plot and the way the whole movie unfolded. Usually, in old movies, i can see how the whole situation will play out. Not here. There are twists and turns which were exciting, especially for a 1959 movie. And the ending was surprisingly emotional.
I won't say anything else in order for spoilers to be avoided.
This is a very good courtroom (mainly) drama thriller movie, intense all the way till the end.
Jägarna (1996)
4.7/10. Not recommended.
I read that this is one of the biggest Swedish box office hits back then, so i decided to watch it. To my surprise, this is one of the worst movies i have watched the last few years.
I gave it 5 stars because it started well, it was probably a realistic depiction of Swedish countryside, or at least, of a part. Characters were well portrayed, acting was good and the story, ok, it was not the most interesting ever but it kept my attention and i was curious to saw where it goes.
Unfortunately, this was getting progressively worse. The last 30-40 minutes are unintenionally hilarious. The unlikeable hillbillies became something like the worst criminals ever, commiting things which were totally out of character. They start raping and killing from out of nowhere. Overall, it became unbelieavably ridiculous. And the ending, lol, it's like the writers had a stroke. The bad brother decided to burn himself alive. Ok.
There is literally a scene in which 5 guys are shooting and killing a poor man, but the police won't arrest them and there won't be any charges because..they didn't know whose bullet killed the victim !!! There is no Penal Law in the whole planet which in a case like that, there won't even be a Trial.
Then again, it was the 90's. A lot of things were happening in movies that they didn't even made sense. As long as the movie was entertaining, it was ok.
Samaria (2004)
5.8/10. Watchable but not recommended.
Kim Ki-Duk is one of my favorite directors. 3 IRON and Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring are included into my top 50 movies list, among the thousands i have watched. And i like a lot many other movies of his.
SAMARIA is probably my least favorite Kim Ki Duk movie. It was so unexpected;y mediocre that make me want to revisit other movies of his, because many years have passed since i watched his movies, and now i think there is a chance i overestimated him as a director. Yes, SAMARIA is that mediocre.
The premise seems dumb and unrealistic. But i bought it because his movies overall are not that realistic. Still, i couldn't connect with this. A terrible thing happened without any reason and then, another thing happened, even more outrageous. But still i could roll with it, until the movie changed its perspective, and then, the protagonist was different. It was even more ridiculous.
And i couldn't understand what Kim Ki Duk was trying to say. Or i did understood it, but it was so shocking and dumb that i prefer to pretend it's vague.
In any case, it's well acted, it's interesting and it's so unpredictable that make want to see where it goes.
Sadly, it goes nowhere.
Eteros ego (2019)
7.9/10. Recommended.
FIRST SEASON : 7.9/10
SECOND SEASON : 8.2/10
THIRD SEASON : 7,6/10.
1) First of all, i want to congratulate Tsafoulias, Filiotou and Iosifelis. Not only for their writing skills but even more, for their courage. It takes a lot of guts nowadays for Greek writers to end their tv series like this, meaning the post credit scene in the last episode of the series (3rd season, 8th episode). Only courageous people would show this corruption, even in "fiction".
2) This is the biggest quality of Eteros Ego : The script. Anyone who loves Literature and crime drama movies/series, is gonna like it, at least. The majority is gonna love it. This show has less plot holes than other great tv series of this genre. Every question is getting answered. Even when you think that something doesn't add up, as this unfolds, you will realise that everything makes sense. They did an amazing job.
3) It's not flawless and it doesn't deserve this 8.9/10 rating. Greeks were so enthusiastic about this because this is literally the greatest Greek artistic creation of the 21th Century but that doesn't mean it's flawless. It means more that 95% of Greek movies and tv shows are garbage. Hence, the enthusiasm. It's flawed but still, this is one of the best crime tv shows i have watched the last 10-15 years. And i have watched many of them.
4) ACTING : Some actors were not that good here. I won't name them but their acting felt weird and awkward. On the contrary, some others were excellent. And i didn't expect from Greek actors to be so talented. Lagoutis, Didaskalou, Avgoustidis, Kapetanakos, Nousias and Karvouni were unbelieavably amazing, so charismatic and magnetic. Dadakaridis was a bit uneven, i mean, at times his acting felt strange but mostly he was amazing as well. His words "Tonia mou.." carved in my mind. I got emotional many times because of him, his acting was unique, just a few times, it felt off.
Spiros Papadopoulos, Vicky Papadopoulou, Toumasatou, Papaspiliopoulos and Marcoulakis did a very good job too.
Overall, it was well acted. But it could have been better.
5) Tsafoulias was excellent as an actor here. He is also the cowriter and the director! He is the one who should be more praised, Eteros Ego is his "child". I'll be honest though, this is not a great directorial work. It's still a good job and keep in mind, the budget was extremely limited. In any case, ETEROS EGO is not a tv show you should watch due to its cinematography etc, Tsafoulias is not David Fincher. You should watch it for everything was above mentioned.
I could never expect such quality from Greek writers, directors and actors. I hope Tsafoulias does it again, but i am not sure he's gonna have the means for that. Financing etc. As i said before, he is TOO BRAVE for a Greek artist nowadays...
6) Second season is the best. Every season is good though, even if the third is a bit convoluted. In any case, the ending was great. I cried a few times during the last 10 minutes. Congratulations again.
Mary and Max. (2009)
6.7/10. Recommended.
First of all, i think it's overrated. This is not a 8.1/10 movie. On the contrary, this 72/100 Metascore is closer to its worth. This could have been much better with a few changes on the script. And i mean something that happened around 20 minutes before the ending. It was unnecessary. Up until then, you could even say that this is a realistic and convincing movie. Not realistic like a non animation movie, but for an animation movie, i totally bought it. Characters felt real, their struggles felt real, even this friendship felt something like magical realism.
And then, something happened and made me feel underwhelmed. Just tension for the sake of tension, drama for the sake of drama. Ok, i get it, at this point something should have happened in order to things get "escalated". They could have thought something else though. This movie was already sad. Why make it unbearably sad? And i don't even mean the ending. The ending was strong, i liked it. But the whole charade before the ending was unnecessary in my opinion.
Still, this is a good movie. Weird, original, a lot of creativity, nice soundtrack. Touching and clever. An artistic creation. I praise the creators' effort. And above all,
Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Sugar (2024)
7.4/10. Recommended.
FIRST SEASON
During the first 6 episodes, i liked it a lot at first but then, something started to feel off. All those film noir references, Farrell's strange acting and behavior, were interesting at first but gradually, i was confused and i was feeling a bit detached. Farrell is charismatic and a great actor, he wouldn't let this show go off the rails, so i decided to keep on watching it, even though i didn't love it anymore.
And then, a major twist happened. A twist that explained it all. Unfortunately, i can't say anything about it because even a small detail could be a spoiler. Overall, the less you learn about this tv show, the better.
I will say only this : I love spaghetti. I also love honey. There are many tasty (or tasteful, if we're talking about other things than food) things that cannot be combined. I mean, you cannot put honey in your spaghetti, it would be stupid.
SUGAR combines two ENTIRELY different things. It's like putting honey in a plate of spaghetti. At first, i was a bit shocked. Are we serious? But, eventually, i can say that i liked it even more than the first 6 episodes. Because, at least, everything is being explained in a satisfying way. I don't claim that it works, there will be many people who won't like it, maybe they will find it ridiculous.
But it worked for me. And i applaud every daring creative choice, i mean, we can't complain that everything has already been told in movies/shows and then get upset when a film maker tries something different.
I hope there is gonna be a second season. There is a lot of creativity and originality here. Characters are likeable, the bad guys are really bad, the story is interesting, not for a second i felt bored. Well directed and well acted. In any case, i don't expect much from 20's tv shows and movies. If i am being entertained, it's enough.
Lulu on the Bridge (1998)
6.9/10. Recommended.
This is the second movie i watch which is based upon a Paul Auster's book. The first one was "The Music of Chance". TMOC was slightly better, however i liked a lot LULU too. People are complaining about an overused twist, but this is a 1998 movie, so it isn't at all. And if you pay attention, that's not the twist you think it is. This is something different. Something more complex than it looks, judging from what happened during the last minute.
In any case, this movie doesn't rely upon any twist. This is not a horro/thriller movie depending on shock value to be interesting. This is a drama/romance + existential drama, or something like that. Showing the characters' struggles in life, their quest for love and meaning. Of course there is also something like a supernatural mystery element, but this element is put here to serve some existential questions, not metaphysical. Questions like, "Am i worthy of love? Do i deserve a second chance when i ruined everything in my life? Can people change?"
The most important question is if you could die for the one you love. To be precise, this was not a question, this was a statement made by a character without being asked. The second part of the movie shows if this character stood by his statement, in practice. Regardless of what actually happened in the end.
I am not saying it's a great movie. It isn't. Too many questions, not enough answers, not the best chemistry between Keitel and Sorvino, too vague etc. Yet, i liked it. It was more of a poem than a movie. And it made me think all of those things i wrote here. So, i defintely recommend it as long as you know what this is about.
The Dead (1987)
4.7/10. Not recommended.
Best part is the ending. The final 10 minutes in which Anjelica Huston and Donal McCann are talking, and this dialogue is like another movie, because it's the first time that somethung interesting and vivid is happening. Rest of the movie is not just boring, boring is not a proper word. It's nothing. It's like the whole movie wants to put you to sleep. I don't know of that's exactly the purpose, i mean, maybe its title (THE DEAD) is for a reason. The whole movie is like death. Zero dramatic/intense moments, nothing memorable neither powerful. Meaningless talking. There is a touching scene though, when the characters are praising an old lady and this lady is getting emotional. I liked that scene and maybe there are a few others which almost woke me up. But overall, this is like anaesthesia. Maybe if i grow older and wiser, then i understand what this is about and love it.
5 stars out of respect for the great John Houston.
Katakuri-ke no kôfuku (2001)
6.7/10. Recommended.
Just the second Miike's movie i watch (First one was AUDITION). I am not a fan, even though AUDITION is a very good movie. Not thrilled by movies with too much violence, gore and insanity.
In any case, The Happiness of the Katakuris is a good movie. I enjoyed every second. High entetrtainment value, as long as you know what to expect. This is a dark comedy with a surrealistic element, you could call it a dark comedy & drama/fantasy. It's better to watch it without knowing anything about the plot, there are a lot of surprising scenes. The most insane thing about this movie is that, at times, it's becoming even sweet and emotional. I liked even the songs, and i don't like much musicals overall.
I cannot rate it higher because, objectively, this is too naive and (intentionally though) dumb. It's like a chocolate cake : Feels good when you eat but at the end of the day, it's just empty calories. However, i had a lot of fun, so i recommend it to anyone who likes crazy movies like this.
Hardcore (1979)
7/10. Recommended.
Kinda dated but still tough to watch, especially during some specific scenes. This is a movie which i respect more than i enjoyed it, i mean, this is not a fun ride, if you want to watch something entertaining and enjoyable, HARDCORE is not a good choice. Furthermore, editing should have been better and overall, it should have been at least 10 minutes shorter.
Having said that, this is a good movie. A powerful crime drama movie, with emphasis on the drama element. This has nothing to do with an action movie. But there are many intense moments, there are scenes not easily forgotten and above all, there is George C. Scott's performance. He is excellent. Boyle is great as well.
A rewarding slow burn as long as you know what you're about to watch. IMDB synopsis is absolutely telling.
Ending made me emotional.
Incoming (2024)
5/10. Watchable but not recommended.
Any comparison with SUPERBAD or AMERICAN PIE or other legendary coming of age comedies is ridiculous. INCOMING is another example showing that this genre is dead. I wanted to like it and there are some positives here. Leading characters had great chemistry, they were likeable and overall, acting was good. Furthermore, there were some funny scenes, i laughed a lot during this disgusting car scene.
Yet, a movie of this genre should be raw, crude and vulgar. Coming of age comedies of the past took no prisoners, no PC, everything was under attack, so to speak. Now, it seems that there are lines which should not be crossed. It's like every teen character of every recent movie/tv show of this genre, is the same character. A soulless caricature created by Holywood guidelines. This is not teen comedy. This is something else.
I won't ever watch an American movie of this genre again unless i am sure this movie doesn't obey to guidelines. Bring back characters like Stifler, or else, there is no point.
Rebel Ridge (2024)
6.6/10. Borderline recommendable.
A bit overrated. Weird and uneven.
1) My least favorite Saulnier movie. I prefer even "Hold the Dark" than this. And "Hold the Dark" was already deeply flawed.
2) Is this an action movie without action scenes? I am exaggerating a bit but mostly, it is true. I expected an action flick and i wanted things to get more violent. This movie is like a deconstruction of RAMBO. It tricks you it's gonna be something like that and then it turns into something else.
3) Still, Saulnier is a talented director. It's not an action movie, yet it's interesting all the way to the end. Running time : 132 minutes and i could watch easily another 30 minutes at least. REBEL RIDGE is a crime drama, with emphasis on the drama element. There are many layers here, many subjects are being addressed. And it doesn't drag for a second. Great pace. And this is the fatal mistake of this movie : It should have been even longer. Because, truth is, this movie has no ending. I am not saying this is a bad ending, it's even worse than a bad ending. Simply, there is not. Rushed and abrupt, like they ran out of money or they didn't have a clue how it should have finished.
4) This could be a much better movie. Aaron Pierre was like a revelation. Amazing acting performance, a talented and charismatic actor. Not only him, Don Johnson and AnnaSophia Robb were great as well.
5) And these are the reasons RR was uneven. So many positives and so many negatives. Even the script is odd, i mean, this is a nice story which unfolds well but irrational things keep happening here and then. Things that don't make sense. It's like an overall beautiful building in which the constructors forgot to add some bricks, and then the building collapses.
Even the few action scenes are simultaneously good and weird.
They didn't even capitalize on the background of Aaron Pierre's character. They create a very interesting background, and then, it's like they forgot it.
Overall, it's a good movie and that's a shame, because there was the potential here for a much better one.
Eteros ego (2016)
7.6/10. Recommended.
A very good Greek crime thriller movie? It seems oxymoron. I am Greek but i don't remember many Greek movies which i truly like except Theodoros Angelopoulos movies, Rembetiko (1983) and some others. Especially in this genre, Greece has zero watchable movies.
Yet, eteros ego (The Other Me) is one of the best crime thriller movies of the last decade. Basically, it's the best movie of this genre since Nolan's PRISONERS (Alongside ANATOMY OF A FALL, even though there are not many similarities with it).
This is an exciting movie with almost brilliant plot. I have watched many crime thriller movies which have many positives but almost always, some dumb and irrational things are happening that ruin the movie. Not here. From the beginning to the end, this is a strong, well structured and cohesive movie with no plot holes nor odd behaviors. Everything makes sense. Furthermore, this made me emotional. I truly empathised with those characters. These are characters with flesh and bones, not caricatures. And the ending was amazing.
Don't expect a big budget production though, neither action, gore or car chases scenes. This is not mindless fun neither a fun ride. There are no impressive serial killers nor violence and killings. This is a "cerebral" movie for those who appreciate fine Literature, because it seems indeed more of a book than a movie, so to speak.
Acting seems a bit odd at times, look, Greek actors are not the best actors of the world. If it doesn't bother you, you will like this movie as well. Personally, i rolled with it. By no means this is bad acting but some people will find it odd at least.