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Lamborghini: The Man Behind the Legend (2022)
Great expectations, but a letdown
I had great expectations for this film as I love the Lamborghini cars and was hoping to have good rich biographical flick. Sadly it was a letdown as the movie wasn't fleshed out. It had an interesting beginning and seemed to be something worth watching. I hate to be critical of someone's efforts and work as I'm sure most creatives work hard on producing something good. There are major gaps in the story. I mean here Lamborghini starts a tractor company and suddenly he's a multi-millionaire with seven Ferraris. What happened in between?
Just having a Countach and Miura in a flick about Lamborghini is just doing it for me. Yeah, the acting is okay and cinematography is good. My complaint is mostly about the storyline which was lacking real substance.
The Bachelors (2017)
Excellent film capturing grief
This is a very good film, one of the best I've seen in years. It really captured grief about losing a dear loved one. Not only is the husband grieving after losing his wife of 33 years, and it's very hard to let go of the memories, but also the son is grieving missing his mom a lot.
Well written script and superb acting. In our home no eye stayed dry. We truly enjoyed this movie as it captured the emotion of the loss of a loved one so vividly. Great California Hwy 1 scenery and an early 70's Mustang convertible were a nice touch too.
Ali and Nino (2016)
Excellent romantic film
In "Ali and Nino" we get a rare glimpse into an era at the onset of the formation of the Soviet Union. The movie is shot on location in Azerbaijan and has wonderful cinematography. Also the interaction between two religions, Islam and Christianity, is carefully portrayed and interesting to observe for that time period and location.
Acting is well done with believable characters. I was also glad that the film is in English. The TV-MA rating is probably because due to some violent war scenes and one engaging romantic scene, but overall should be PG-13 / TV-14. We really enjoyed watching it and although there's lots of sadness in this film, this movie is different mostly due to the setting/location and the era and it makes it an interesting flick with excellent cinematic execution.
Midnight in Paris (2011)
I really loved this film
It's a romantic setting, Paris (France), a romantic story and very interesting. Every night at midnight, Gil (Owen Wilson), is waiting on a small street corner for an old car to come by. The car takes him to 1920's Paris. The first night he's meeting F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway, ... a lot of fun. Then Picasso, Dali and several other of Gil's artistic heroes show up on different nights. This movie is well worth seeing and I really enjoyed it, a relaxed flick perhaps for a rainy Saturday or Sunday afternoon.
Ben-Hur (2016)
Excellent movie - very well made!
The new "BEN-HUR" motion picture is truly an exceptionally well-made movie. We enjoyed it very much. For me personally it was one of the best movie releases in years. Earlier in the year I was somewhat disappointed with "Risen" but the redemption definitely came now with "Ben-Hur". I found this new version much better than the original version with Charlton Heston from 57 years ago.
The acting had some great performances and it was engaging. Next to the nail-biting action scenes and the history of the era (28-33 A.D.) we're also touched by the spiritual connotation of that particular time period. This film has such themes as personal sacrifice, humility, redemption and forgiveness masterfully interwoven. I'll watch it again in the theater next week which I rarely ever do to watch a movie twice in the cinema, but this film was very impressive and most certainly I'll reserve my Blu-ray disc.
No Escape (2015)
Very intense
Very well done movie with a great cast. Owen Wilson is very believable. Although there are some minor breathers in between, it's an ongoing chase, very intense. The scenario of a putsch in a small Asian country comes across as realistic, and lessons can be learned. In the movie the country remains unnamed, although we know that it has a prime minister and that it borders Vietnam. Therefore it could be referenced to Cambodia or Laos. Fact is that often with unstable governments and extreme poverty in various countries from the continents of Asia and Africa to South America and to the Middle East region, such scenarios have happened many times in the past and are definitely a potential possibility today. It's good to be prepared, ... just in case, and this flick can educate us a bit or at least give us an idea if something like this were to happen to us some day.
A few minor plot points don't make too much sense, but it really doesn't matter as it is more about the attempted escape from the predicament the American family (husband and wife and two children) find themselves in. The coincidence that the location is set near the border of Vietnam makes certain things a bit more convenient, because if the revolution would have taken place in the interior of the country, an attempted escape may have encountered even more obstacles.
Walt Before Mickey (2015)
It's an inspiring movie ... the days before the Disney glory
Don't despise the day of small beginnings, the Bible says in Zechariah 4:10a. And that's what this movie shows, ... it shows the struggles Walt Disney had to face and the immense obstacles he had to overcome. It's about the vision, his passion, the drive and his tenacity to keep going to make his dream come true. Many great businesses and success stories have a similar beginning.
Looking at today's "Disney" mega corporation, it's interesting to look at the very small beginnings as it's motivating to keep on pursuing your dreams and to never give up as you differentiate yourself from over 99% of the masses who will never take that step of faith or who will give up along the way. "Walt Before Mickey" is an inspiring movie even though some scenes seem depressing due to the rather hopeless situations Walt found himself in.
The acting was well done and it seemed you were right there in the 20's etc. observing young Walt Disney pursuing his dream. Well worth watching and a "Must" for every businessman/-woman or wannabe entrepreneur to be motivated and inspired to get their business off the ground and to keep on pursuing that dream as the rewards will be obtained.
Maleficent (2014)
Nice fairy tale ... Maleficent not so evil after all
This is actually an excellent flick for kids teaching some core values of forgiveness, acceptance, repentance and redemption, while on the other hand it shows selfishness and greed in some (especially "King" Stefan) and the devastating consequences and destruction of such behavior.
I think the younger Maleficent shouldn't have had horns and should not have been called "Maleficent" (Evil) at that point, because she was quite innocent. Even later, after the heartache and the "hardening" circumstances, Maleficent wasn't really that evil and displayed forgiveness, sorrow and wanting to do good. Sure, a bit of revenge, but not malicious revenge but rather from a broken heart.
It's actually a kind of love story and then it also shows the reality of life that we all need and want to be loved, have friends, and want to forgive to be accepted and that it's painful to be betrayed and rejected and stabbed in the back by the people we love. It shows that some people have selfish ambitions and that in the world we're easily deceived by the spirit of the world.
Angelina Jolie did a wonderful job as always and true she's in virtually every frame of this picture as the title indicates. This story deviates quite a bit from the original story, but it doesn't matter as it's more about Maleficent than the Sleeping Beauty, and this Maleficent is also different than the original story as Maleficent is even kind and has empathy which in the original story you won't find.
Cinematography was also very good with the CGI effects. Casting was a bit lacking, especially for the role of Stefan, but overall it doesn't take too much away from the quality of this film. It's well worth seeing and I enjoyed it.
Miami Vice (2006)
Extremely well-done movie, ... great ambiance
The attention to detail that Michael Mann and the crew put into this flick is just phenomenal. Everything from the airplanes, cars, boats, wardrobe, locations, interior design, etc. used provide an exceptional visual experience and ambiance. Starting with the boat ride in the Mojo from Miami to Havana, the Cuba scenes from the arrival with the salsa dance to Manzanita's "Arranca" to the cinematography in the morning hours on the balcony are very smooth and engaging.
BTW, the dancing is found throughout this motion picture, with disco scenes in the beginning to a sensual dance between actors Gong Li and Colin Farrell in a disco in South America. BTW, the soundtrack is also unique and an excellent selection with special tracks by King Pritt, Moby, Emilio Estefan's "Pennies in my Pocket" aside from the mentioned rare Cuban salsa track "Arranca" by Manzanita.
Also, the cast was superb with wonderful chemistry. Performances by Colin Farrell and Gong Li are outstanding. John Ortiz delivered a great performance with the "Jose Yero" character ... really a joy to watch.
I've seen this film by now maybe 30 times or so and I always look forward to it when I find time to relax as it's always an engaging flick, and as mentioned the ambiance and attention to detail regarding location, cinematography, etc. make it virtually a masterpiece.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)
Excellent movie! ... We want more movies like that!
A great storyline with so many aspects that touch each one of us: underdog gets his chance to shine, to go for the girl and be encouraged by his love for her along the way. A clean flick with beautiful cinematography and a journey to some not-so-often-seen locations like Greenland and Iceland. Also the cast was really good, every character was very well cast. Some really good funny lines/scenes, ... also the daydreaming (zoned out) segments. And a happy ending is the frosting on the cake. This film shows that you can make a PG-rated film that is interesting, touching, funny and exciting to watch. It felt very good spending the money for the ticket to see this flick. Great job Ben, ... keep it up, we want more movies like that.
The Counselor (2013)
Positive Surpirse: A well-made movie with a touch of "Traffic"
In brief: I liked the movie. It was worth watching and it was well made, meaning a very good cast, good chemistry all around, good ambiance, stylish with attention to detail. Fassbender was a positive surprise ... really good. The first scene was pretty much unnecessary and could have been cut as the movie was about 10 minutes too long anyway. The pace increased into a strong finish after it had a few dull moments before that finish.
The best couple of lines in the flick, "Truth doesn't have (know) a temperature" and "Grief transcends value" ... yeah, a bit of philosophical stuff in there. Bottom line message like in most bare-knuckle crime flicks, just don't do the crime, don't get involved if you don't want to put your life on the line. It's no longer "don't do the crime if you can't do the time" but rather just don't dabble into crime no matter what if your life and the life of your loved ones are dear to you.
It did remind me a bit of "Traffic" although "Traffic" was much more graphic and more violent, etc., ... and having said that "The Counsel(l)or" is NOT a hardcore R-rated movie, even though you don't want your kids to watch it. It's pretty smooth for a Saturday afternoon to relax, ... it's not a very engaging movie, but interesting to watch if you appreciate the acting skills of Bardem, Pitt, Fassbender and Diaz. Overall nice scenery: Ciudad Juarez, London, U.S. desert ... Again, a cool flick, not really shocking and it doesn't glamorize crime, because little by little almost everyone is killed off.
Jobs (2013)
Inspiring Biopic, well done, ... a little bit too short
This time I didn't listen to the "not so good" reviews and I was pleasantly surprised. I thought Kutcher did an excellent job as Steve Jobs, ... not sure about the walk though if Jobs was really walking like that all the time. Anyway, I think it was a great cast, good scenery, and it captured the spirit of Apple well. It reminded me a bit of "The Social Network" and in any case it was an inspiring flick, ... but I wished it would had continued to show the big Apple comeback, one of the hottest stocks in the new millennium, the cash cow Apple became under Jobs and with the massive stash of cash of nearly $100 billion in the bank which Apple products and services produced, especially over the past several years. Well worth watching and I enjoyed it.
The Great Gatsby (2013)
Disappointing
Now I haven't gone to the movies in about two years, and I used to go on a weekly basis. But now there's so much junk that comes out that most of it isn't worth my time. I had great expectations for The Great Gatsby and just watched the original with Robert Redford to warm up to this new version. And with DiCaprio in it I thought it would be great, especially after his top-notch Howard Hughes performance in "The Aviator."
Bang, there we go, the flick was a total letdown. True, the trailer is excellent and exciting, but that was about it. And yes, the movie explains how Gatsby made his fortune (and not in such a clean way) and that's quite unique and appropriate for the roaring 20's as it was since the Gordon Gekko era over 25 years ago, and apparently still is with some folks on Wall Street. But there were too many "old sport" in there and after a while it's annoying to hear the same line over and over again like a broken record, ... we get it after about 20 or 30 times that Gatsby likes that expression.
Oh well, maybe something else will come along that's worth watching, but it seems that Hollywood is producing one letdown after another.
The Lone Ranger (2013)
Disappointing and boring
Well, based on the trailer and with Johnny Depp in it I had somewhat great expectations. After the letdown of "The Great Gatsby" several weeks ago, I was hoping that "The Lone Ranger" would be a pleasant surprise. Sadly, it was yet another letdown, and in fact after about an hour and ten minutes I walked out of the theater, ... I didn't want to waste more time for this. So it was a disappointment and basically this flick was boring. Also the beginning was a bit uncoordinated and somewhat just scenes put together with either over thinking it or without putting too much thought into it, ... meaning the editing wasn't very good.
And about the laughs? Hmmmmmm, ... other than a smile here or there, nothing really witty or really funny, ... let's say most of the stuff was contrived.
Seems like that for years now Hollywood isn't able to produce anything worth watching. While I used to go to the movies every week, I'm now down to maybe one or two flicks a year, ... nothing is really worth my time anymore as much as I want to enjoy a movie at least once in a while.
The Tourist (2010)
Fun movie with good photography and mood/ambiance
Sure, this film doesn't scream Oscar nor does it claim to be a brilliant masterpiece. No, this film is a fun relaxing movie and although predictable to some extent, Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp do an excellent job playing their characters. The one liners are also enjoyable and the whole film is stylish, in a great setting and smooth. Nobody should brainstorm about the plot or this or that little details, that's not the issue in this film. It's just an enjoyable movie experience and I found it even short, ... I wished it would have gone on. After the many flops in the theater in recent months, it was refreshing to finally see something different, to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery of Venice. Jolie comes across as the movie star that she is, ... no wonder Depp apparently had a crush on her. And Depp is funny as usual, it seems as if almost a little Jack Sparrow comes across in this flick. It's well worth seeing this film and I can't wait to get the DVD.
The Social Network (2010)
Great movie for people interested in the subject matter
This is really a very good film if you're interested in the subject matter and/or if you like a great performance as Eisenberg is just excellent in his role. Also, surprisingly Justin Timberlake is doing a really good job in his character. Overall the movie is interesting due to its subject matter, Facebook and the key founder Mark Zuckerberg, as in real life Facebook was just founded in 2003 and made Zuckerberg the youngest billionaire in history within just a few years.
If your purpose is entertainment, then there's some degree to it, but it's definitely a movie to be enjoyed for those interested in the founding of Facebook and the subject matter of social networks, ... and if the interest in the subject matter is lacking, this flick is not for you.
One of the best lines in the film was when the Zuckerberg character was asked when it (Facebook) will be finished and he replied in so many words it will not be finished just like fashion, it never runs out, ... and then the comment (also in so many words), yep they sell a lot of pants. Again, acting and script are excellent, ... but some things regarding ambiance are a little bit lacking, ... it's almost like a documentary just that the acting of Eisenberg makes it a real movie and he definitely carries the film.
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010)
Boring, boring, boring ... drama, drama, drama ...
If money never sleeps, and it doesn't, then I was seriously in danger to falling asleep in this flick. Let me tell you I'm among the #1 fans of the first Wall Street movie 23 years ago, ... and I made millions just from the "lessons" learned in the first one. But this sequel, although it has a few scenes that are funny and interesting and there are a few lines here and there that give you a chuckle, the film is a flop. I don't know what Oliver Stone thought about making this film the way it's made, ... it had so much potential and then it's such a disappointment and even unrealistic. For instance who in the world in our day and age has brokers on the phone screaming to get money from retail investors? ... in the age of E-mail, texting and online chat, internet, etc.?
Acting: Well, LaBeouf is okay, but just doesn't come across like a Wall Street trader, analyst or whatever, but at least he's likable ... and here he goes promising a company a hundred million bucks, and he's even promoted to be (only for a short time) under today's hot Wall Street shark (Josh Brolin). Brolin is actually doing a fine job, ... reminds me a lot of Pierce Brosnan all the way around, ... just waiting for the Aston Martin Bond mobile. Of course the one everybody wants to see is Michael Douglas and he's back, ... often with the same lingo and lines like 23 years ago. There's a surprise ending concerning Gekko, and it's cool. And Michael Douglas enjoyed himself in the role once again and he gives the movie the necessary fabric, ... at least to some extent. Gekko's daughter (Mulligan) character is a wacko crybaby (that's why she's probably called Winnie) and the character never takes off and the drama is there like in a soap opera ... at times it seems like it's a Broadway play adapted for the sliver screen.
Anyway, the style is missing, like there are no yachts, no cool cars and not really any cool digs, etc. like in the first Wall Street movie. There's so much potential to flesh out this movie and to give it substance. And the rehashing of the financial "crisis" is also so fake and wannabe that it's laughable at times. And then the philosophy behind it in the lines ... gosh, give me a break. The world will always exist of booms and busts and people just have to learn to live with it.
The soundtrack is also not very good, ... it's not as coordinated like in the first Wall Street movie. Let's put it this way, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps doesn't have an edge and Oliver Stone is trying so hard to constantly remind us that there was an original a quarter century ago. And Stone does it with bringing back in cameo appearances Charlie Sheen as Bud Fox and the cranky elderly Realtor in NYC, and some of the other characters from back then with a shot here and there, ... just for a few seconds. It seems like this new film has been slapped together of footage here and there just to release a sequel, ... there's not much craftsmanship in this one.
As you can see, I'm disappointed as the expectations were so high. Will it stop me on my way to becoming a billionaire? No, but it sure won't inspire me much to get it done. But then, perhaps I should have sent Oliver Stone a check for helping me make my first million in the stock market due to the release of the first Wall Street flick.
After all, and bottom line, Gordon Gekko is supposed to be the bad guy, but in reality he never did anything wrong and he's the most likable character of both Wall Street flicks.
Switchback (1997)
Underrated flick which indeed is an excellent thriller
Switchback is really a zig-zag journey with lots of action. Altogether in the beginning there are three persons who could be the potential killer(s) plus one undefined imaginative possible killer. The atmosphere and locales (scenery, etc.) are very well selected and the acting by the main characters is pretty good for a film like this. There are a lot of surprises and the ending really ties everything nicely together as this movie has a solid beginning, a well-rounded middle and a breathtaking finale. It's really a well-made movie and perhaps one of the best thrillers in this genre ever made. The editors also did a fabulous job as did the cinematographer, ... really cool shots and excellent cut. Most viewers will want to see this movie a couple of times or even several times as there's so much detail that most minds won't perceive all the great little details at the first viewing and these details really flesh out the texture of the film. Switchback is well worth watching and it has a good soundtrack too. Too bad it has been overlooked and it's a much underrated movie.