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vicrknudsen
My name is Victor Knudsen... Born in Southern Denmark... Raised with love and passion for films... Award-winning Actor... LOVE EVERY SINGLE GENRE
FAV. DIRECTOR'S
Quentin Tarantino, Steven Spielberg, Paul Thomas Anderson, Stanley Kubrick, Peter Jackson, Guillermo del Toro, Damien Chazelle, Robert Zemeckis, Francis Ford Coppola, Alejandro González Iñarritu
FAV. ACTORS
Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Harrison Ford, Marlon Brando, Mattew McConaughey, Ryan Gosling, Morgan Freeman, Hugh Jackman, Paul Newman, Michael Keaton
FAV. ACTRESSES
Meryl Streep, Audrey Hepburn, Amy Adams, Julianne Moore, Katharine Hepburn, Julia Roberts, Emma Stone, Cate Blanchett, Jennifer Lawrence, Natalie Portman
My rating system:
10. Outstanding
9. Near-masterpiece
8. Very good
7. Good
6. Over average
5. Average
4. Under Average
3. Pretty lame
2. Very poor
1. Terrible
-"Get busy living, or get busy dying" - The Shawshank Redemption (1994) Andy Dufresne
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Finch (2021)
Surprisingly great
I have been going through some bad stress lately, and now that my girlfriend has attended a boarding school, and I being alone in our apartment I thought some time at my mother's house where I didn't have to think about cooking food, cleaning the house, etc, and just relax. And so I did, and I subscribed to AppleTV plus and "Finch," yeah "Finch" was a neat surprise.
Every now and then we get a post-apocalyptic movie or at least something like that where a person or a group has to survive through some pretty hard conditions. "Finch" is a mixture of family-movie, "The Martian," and "Fury Road" without all the big fire explosions and crazy people. It's a wholesome road trip movie, a father-son story about trust, companionship, hope, and humanity. Even though it's a family movie it doesn't hold back from facing the harsh realities of life. Miguel Sapochnik, who's mostly known as the director of various "Game of Thrones" episodes, brings a charming and life-affirming story to life with a grander scope than necessarily asked for. He is a very visionary director with a sense of finding the links between the species such as here we have and an AI, a dog, and a man all working together as a group to successfully reach their end goal.
Tom Hanks is on the top of his game with his characterization of Finch. It's practically a one-man show although Caleb Landry Jones brings great support with his performance as Jeff the robot. His voice work and full commitment to how these machine walks and talks are beyond incredible, and the visual design to keep the illusion is fantastically composed. Anyhow, Hanks really delivers in this film. From start to finish he brings such a delightful and dimensional character to life. It's far better to work than what he's done in his previous film "Greyhound" where I had a hard time calling him a character.
"Finch" is an incredibly well-made film. The visuals are stunning, it has a great score that supports the tones of the movie greatly. It's very much one of the best family movies I've seen in years, as to the themes and the way it shows them. Things are not too childish here, and although comedy is sprinkled in, it really is a serious movie from start to finish that has a story to tell.
Dune (2021)
CINEMA IS BACK!!!!
It has been one year and eight months (approx.) since the world went into lockdown and cinemas closed, and studios postponed hundred of releases. During this pandemic, there have been ups and downs concerning the reopening of cinema, and with a little luck, some movies had a limited run in some theaters last year, moreover, some films going directly to streaming services. Now, the situation in Denmark has been very different compared to other nations, but luckily our theaters opened for good in May 2021, the films began coming back. Though I really liked movies such as "The Green Knight" which I saw in the cinema, there hasn't been one film in a long time when I have thought: this is a masterpiece; this is cinema. Until now.
"Dune" is a masterpiece. It is first-class movie making and one of the best cinematic experiences I have ever had. Not only did Villeneuve manage to adapt a story into a film that is supposedly impossible to make, but he also did it with excellence. "Dune" is an epic in every way. Its grand production design and world-building take ones' breath away from the first glimpse of the desolated planet. The visual effects are jarring and completely emerge into the real set pieces to make a realistic depiction of a future world. Costumes and make-up are creatively put together and adapts an impossible atmosphere to the story. "Dune" is just a stunning-looking film.
Villeneuve's masterful direction is one thing. Another this that is as good, and maybe probably is my favorite part of the film is Hans Zimmer's score. Though Zimmer's career, he has made iconic scores to numerous huge and influential films. Music that can stay in your mind for days, and you can listen to and feel you're in the world. What Zimmer did with his score for "Dune" is simply out of this world. It's instrumental with choir and big ass drums and horns that will blow you up from your seat. The atmosphere he creates is unbelievable and never gets boring or in the way of the story. Zimmer uses tricks to mix sounds into the score, so it feels supernatural to see the big actions scenes and not think "Hmm that's a good score," because you don't notice it because it's so deep down part of this film. He will and surely deserves to win an Oscar for his work here. It's just been released on Spotify and other streaming services so if you can't wait, go listen to it.
Villeneuve has before taken up almost impossible projects and made them work. His vision for "Dune" is so compact and tolerable that I couldn't see anyone else's creativity affect "Dune." Every aspect he put in play with the characters and the way he wants to move the camera is incredible. His direction is first-class movie making and quite possibly his best work next to "Arrival." It feels grand and epic in the same tone as "The Lord of the Rings" feels humongous in its character gallery and universe.
The story is rich in characters, and all the actors do an equally great job embodying each person. Timotée Chalamet, as the lead, Paul, does an amazing job portraying this ambiguous hero. Though his character for some part of the film is mostly held back because of his father (Oscar Isaac), Paul learns much about leadership and why the planet of Arrakis feels familiar to him. Isaac is a scene-stealer every time he's on screen. He's such a likable character that easily could have been a clichétic menacing-king with his only desire to rule and gain power. His performance is beyond what I expected; he's terrific.
Rebecca Ferguson also gets better and better in every single film she does. I loved her in "Doctor Sleep," and in "Dune" she shows a more quiet and subtle yet powerful performance. The rest of the cast is bloody amazing. Everybody could be a stand-out alone, and reminds me a lot of the character depth there is in each of the fellowship members in "The Lord of the Rings."
Was I excited for "Dune?" Absolutely! I can't wait to buy it on Blu-ray and dive into the story again. My girlfriend, who loves epic sci-fi/adventures told me that it has probably become one of her favorite films. Though it doesn't fall into my top 50, I can't do anything but give it a top score. What "Dune" manages to do cannot be seen through. And I have missed it. I have missed it so damn much to feel engaged and to be fed with a story with so much flesh on. To relive the old days of cinema and to look forward to a new and exciting adventure. I'll be seeing "Dune" again sometime next week. Hopefully, a second movie will come because this IS only part one. Don't expect to be fully satisfied. This is only the beginning.
Kaidan (1964)
Kobayashi proves his visual storytelling is superb, but not all stories in "Kaufman" grabbed me by storm.
In 1904, Lafcadio Hearn (also known as Yakumo Koizumi) published, shortly before his death, a collection of Japanese folklore and ghost stories that he translated from old transcripts and legends that locals told him. His work became an influential success, whereas he gave foreigners an insight into Japanese folklore and kept life in the myths. In 1964, Toho Studios signed a deal with legendary director Masaki Kobayashi to adapt some of the "Kaidan" ("Kwaidan") stories into a feature film. It resulted in the release of "Kwaidan," which in Japan became a massive success. International critics pointed out the detailed work of Kobayashi was, yet again, striking. The film is an anthology and is splitting into four segments, where each tells a different ghost story.
I could go into depth with all four segments, but I think I would leave it to just an overall expression of the film and maybe dive into some aspects, from each, which I liked/disliked.
First of all, I would again address that Masaki Kobayashi is a director of his league. My love for his epic war trilogy "The Human Condition" has only grown since I immersed myself into them six months ago or so. He blew me away with his thrilling and fastidious work in those films & I have been longing to feel that same excitement for some time now. I thought "Kwaidan" would have the same kind of epicness. It's a three-hour horror film that slowly emerges itself in the scars and leaves a chilling tone throughout. Although it didn't quite reach the same emotional or significant tone as "The Human Condition" did, Kobayashi proves with "Kwaidan" his superbly artistic and influential eye for cinema.
The first story is called "The Black Hair." It pretty much sets the tone for the other three segments, even though there are many distinctions in style and plot throughout. Of the four stories, I liked the first two the most. "The Black Hair" unfolds like a fairytale, where the narration is using to describe the settings and the characters. I liked the ideas throwing into the play, and even though I didn't find it necessarily scary, I liked the twist ending a lot. The production design and costumes were very creative & the editing, especially in this segment, was adroitly accomplished.
The second story is called "The Woman in the Snow," which might be my favorite. It was a fascinating tale, it had great production value, and the acting was neat. I found this one to be rather spooky, but only because of the family's conditions and the ending. It did have the same fairytale vibe as the first segment, but it performed as a claustrophobic symphony.
The third story, "Hoichi the Earless," was the one that left me with the most mixed feelings. The overall story was great, and its opening sequences were endearing and lured me into what would happen afterward. However, after that, the story took a slow turn. All the segments so far have had a very eerie and sow pace to them. It's in the style of Kobayashi to show the audience every detail in the frame. He does that by carefully zoom into people's faces, props, or other framing elements that play a part in the story. But for the third segment, it began feeling a bit tiresome & and the story was drawing a bit too far. Nevertheless, the cinematography, editing, effects, and production value were striking, and I have no complaints about that.
The fourth and final part, "In a Cup of Tea," had some playful ideas to combine reality with folklore, but unfortunately, didn't hold on to the same level of engagement the first two parts had.
After all, "Kwaidan" is a good movie. Don't into this movie expecting to be an action-packed horror movie with jumpscares. It is a slow burn that definitely has interesting directing and breathtaking cinematography. "Onibaba" from the same year is more spooky, but this one has the tones of a true Japanese horror film.
Stockholm (2018)
Fun heist flick.
"Stockholm" is a very small-scale picture that tries to refind the spirit of "Dog Day Afternoon" but doesn't succeeds. However, it manages to create an original and tasteful film with delightful performances from Ethan Hawke and Noomi Rapace. It's incredibly witty and enjoyable, and it will keep you hooked to the screen for its short runtime of 90 mins.
I don't have a lot of complaints about "Stockholm" as it is what it is. It's a very well-made flick with a good pace and some firing editing that kept the story going. Even though most of it takes place in the same location, just like "Dog Day Afternoon," and it deals with a very similar story, it has some unique textures to it. One is that the film is a dark comedy, and it has tons of comedic moments that now and then feel misplaced but mostly work. Ethan Hawke gives a refreshing and energetic performance as the bank robber, who doesn't know what he's doing. The same goes for Noomi Rapace, who should be getting more recognition for her talent. She's an incredible actress, and I look forward to seeing her future projects.
The story itself is intriguing, and it has a lot of turns. It's always entertaining to see how the bank robbers are dealing with one situation after another. And honestly, the director did a very delicate job keeping the story floating. Robert Budreau, who also serves as the screen-writer, manages very well to set up intriguing characters and always creates ways for the narrative to develop into a fun and comedic heist film.
Great work! Maybe I'll watch it again.
Hamilton (2020)
I'm never satisfied
I'm a little divided when it comes to if this should be considered a feature film. It is filmed throughout three nights and it is edited so that it looks like one single performance. On the other hand, it is just a stage show filmed and put together with closeups to gain a little more out of the performances and add something extra. No matter what you'd like to call it, you cannot disagree that the show is one heck of a ride.
"Hamilton" is a musical about Alexander Hamilton, one of the United States founding fathers, but also one who's legacy was once forgotten. Lin-Manuel Miranda turned the true story into a stage musical, where he is playing the title character. I heard about the show when I was studying drama at a school back in 2016, which was there I truly fell in love with the music. I didn't know so much about the story nor any of the characters, but I found myself listening happily to the songs and tried to figure out how it looked with people. Yesterday, my friend and I decided to see the "film" and I was blown away. I finally had images to the endearing songs. I was sucked into it, and before I knew it was over. Three hours had past and I was emotionally touched and excited about it.
First of all, the performances are just truly amazing. Miranda is far from the strongest, however, he still embodies the character with a lot of souls. Though he mostly shines through in the second act, whereas in the first he felt a little stiff. Leslie Odom Jr. plays the other lead, Aaron Burr, and he's fairly better and gives such a heartbreaking performance. Jonathan Groff is probably the best it can get. His performance as King George is somewhat outstanding. Those moments he's on stage he just owns the whole god-damn show. His mimic and body movements are perfect and match his character greatly. Also, everybody's singing is right on key. No one in the entire show does a bad job at singing.
Phillipa Soo is incredible. I will not spoil anything, but if you haven't heard nor seen this thing already you should. It's the obvious one of the greatest theatrical performances by anyone I've ever seen (and I am a theatre kid, I've done acting for more than a decade). It is so heartbroken, words can't describe the talent she has.
I think it's really hard to talk about "Hamilton" as a film because it isn't. The stage production is great, it has very excellent choreography and performances as I mentioned. The whole show flows with a nice pace and creative and cool transitions. I wish I someday can see a production of "Hamilton" with this amount of talent.
Dunkirk (2017)
"Dunkirk" takes filmmaking to another level
I wasn't the greatest fan of "Dunkirk" the first time I saw it. I think my expectations were too high, and I think for what I got out of the trailer wasn't exactly what I got out of the film. I have waited a few years to do a rewatch of this, not because I think it was too boring to go back to, but because I wanted to forget the film and start on a fresh one. This is a thing I tend to do now and then especially with films I didn't enjoy as much the first time around. I'm glad I did go back to "Dunkirk" as it is one heck of a ride. There's so much going on in this film, it's incredible that Christopher Nolan could keep track in his mind for its vibrant screenplay and timelines.
Christopher Nolan is no stranger to playing with time in his film. In almost any of his movies, time plays a huge part in the story. I'm not the biggest fan of some of Nolan's films (Inception, The Prestige, The Dark Knight Rises), however, I feel like I appreciate his style and clever sense of directing enough to call him one of the finest directors working today. He always delivers some new and creative to the screen. His original stories are often greatly constructed and edited completely stunningly.
"Dunkirk" however, is a film where Nolan steps down from the sci-fi-genre and does a more realistic representation of a war movie. It portrays the events of the evacuation of Dunkerque on May 26th - June 4th, 1940, where four-hundred-thousand British soldiers were trapped on the Northcoast of France, while the British authorities didn't know how to get them all home. Christopher Nolan's astonishing film takes the audience on a rushing tense ride among the troops and the civilians during this evacuation. From the first shot to the last, the film is in a constant state of strain of concern. There are many reasons to think why this is Nolan's best film; one being that it is so real. Everything feels real from the huge production design, where thousands of extras were used to create some iconic Kubrick-styles shots of the beaches, to the battle scenes in the air. Nolan's masterful directing carries this film lively through the events. He never allows the audience to relax by constantly moving from one horrible situation to another. It's a very effective thing, which I think is the one true director who can handles. Even though the dialogue isn't used as much in this film, he manages to tell a comprehensive story through expressions. I think Nolan did the perfect thing by showing how war is. I know a lot of people have pointed out that "he did it so well by not having a campfire scene", but it's true. By not showing any real depths to his characters and only show the actual human instincts he gets a lot more out of the situations the soldiers are in. Nolan's directing is adroit and quite possible the best he's ever done.
You don't see a Nolan film and not look at the incredible amount of work there has been done to achieve the practical effects. "Dunkirk" is no exception. Real combat airplanes were used in the film. The closer to reality the better, so Nolan did whatever he could to only use practical effects. Everything is put together piece by piece with such excellence. The sound design is some of the best I've ever experienced and works amazingly in the film to create a chilling and bewildered setting. Hoyte Van Hoytema did an incredible job with the camera for this film and definitely deserved the Oscar nod he got.
"Dunkirk" is structured with three different timelines were two of them connect but all are set in the same situation. One follows the land soldiers waiting for the boats to come and rescue them, one is set onboard a civil boat, and one is set in the air were three spitfires cross the channel to fight the hostile aircraft. This is a very smart move by Christopher Nolan by telling the story like this and make it feel more comprehensive. It creates an incredible, eerie feeling having to see the evacuation from three different perspectives and follow each character to the full extend. This effect couldn't be done without having a skilled editor like Lee Smith. His editing is incredibly done and adds so much to the story. There are very few scenes where it gets confusing and the setting shifts between tense from the soldiers to tense onboard of a boat. I'm glad Smith won the Oscar for his clever and extraordinary editing.
Hans Zimmer has also done incredible work with his score. It underlines perfectly the passing of time and builds up the drama from very few notes. His collaborations with Nolan has always resulted in iconic scores, and this one is another great one from his side. Possibly one of the finest.
Though I didn't like this film the first time around than I did the second time, I have concluded saying the film is a masterpiece of cinema. This is a stunning experience which is nothing horrific, but also technical inspiring. This is a highly enjoyable film that should be seen as one of the finest war-films of all time.
Alien (1979)
Horror at its finest
I define "Alien" as one of the finest, best, and unique films ever crafted. Not only does it hold up even after 40 years, but it is also a film I like to go back to and rewatch the incredible work of Ridley Scott. Where "Alien" strikes best is at its simplicity, yet the great and undoubtedly amazing narrative storyline is well-constructed and brimming with superb characters.
"Alien" takes place onboard a transport spaceship, where eight passengers are present. They receive a distant call from an unknown planet and are obligated to explore the source of the transmission. Only to find themselves trapped among hundreds of egg-like objects. One of the crew members gets attacked by a strange creature, and it's now up for the rest of the crew to get to safety as well as dealing with their morality and jobs. Is it right to bring the whole crew in danger to save a man's life? This is the beginning of a blood-gushing, chilling space-adventure that changed sci-fi and got a legendary status among film fans. I have probably seen "Alien" around five times now. Even though it is not one of the most-watched films of mine, I still feel like this is one of my favorites. It has all the things I require a film to have: strong characters, great script, incredible production design, and a haunting score. There are so many points I could pinout for this picture, so let me begin with some of the most important.
For quite some time I have looked at the direction of Ridley Scott. He has a very distinct yet clear way of telling his stories. He began his career back in the 60s where he made a few episodes for various television-series. His first feature film "The Duellists" came out in 1977, and scored Ridley a place among newcomers to look out for. A few years later he made "Alien" which was his first Hollywood production and which ended up scoring the then 42-year-old man a top spot as Hollywood hottest directors. His style for "Alien" can for some aspects recognized in his 1982 sci-fi film "Blade Runner" were the symbolic presence plays a huge part in the film. It does too in "Alien" and he is not afraid to use slow and steady camera movements, while the music takes over and the audience gets sucked into the outer space. Already from the first shot of the film (which is where all the title cards are seen), he uses this slow and still camera that pans around in space to give a feeling of emptiness and isolation. When it comes to the interior scenes in the claustrophobic hallways of the spaceship, he knows exactly how to build up tension and make horror out of small things.
Some might refer to "Alien" as "Jaws" in space, which is highly noticeable given that the Xenomorph rarely is seen in its full, and with the use of special effects and incredible lighting, the scenes work great. The sets are great-looking with all the small and narrow corners inside of the spaceship. On the planet, the sets that were built are breathtaking and look so believable that you're convinced that you're among these astronauts.
In the cast, we see some of the finest actors and actresses. From Harry Dean Stanton as Brett to Ian Holm as Ash, the work of talent is so huge in this film. Sigourney Weaver is cast perfectly as the lead of the film. She is the one we follow throughout the events, and she is the one we put our trust in right from the beginning. She plays her role as Ripley to perfection by giving her a lot of strength and will to stand up for herself and her beliefs. If Disney wants to create a great female lead for their next Marvel film, they should probably look for someone like her. John Hurt, Tom Skerritt, Yaphet Kotto, and Veronica Cartwright are all doing an amazing job in the film too.
I have for some reason only seen the 2003 Directors cut of "Alien" because I have been told it was the right version to see. I feel like it's the right one, even though I haven't seen the original. I adore this film, and I couldn't praise it enough. Many people believe "Aliens" is better than this one, but for now, I would disagree with those people. Nothing beats the original suspense film, as it is great entertainment and immortal horror.
Tsumetai nettaigyo (2010)
An unexpected movie from japan
Taking a little step back from reviewing the "Toy Story"-movies, I got to see this bizarre Japanese film. Directed by Sion Sono, "Cold Fish" is one of the craziest, most unexpected movies I have ever seen. I had no idea about what this film was before I sat down in front of my TV and played it.
"Cold Fish" or as the original title says "Tsumetai nettaigyo" is a story of a dysfunctional family which consists of a man, Nobuyuki Syamoto, his daughter, Mitsuko Syamoto and his new wife, Taeko Syamoto. He is the owner of a tropical fish store in one of the suburbs of Tokyo. After receiving a call from a store, he learns that his daughter has been caught stealing. However, a generous middle-aged man, Yukio Murata, helps solving the problem and offers the daughter a job in the tropical fish store he owns. But things are not as clear as they seem to be, and Nobuyuki soon discovers dark secrets about Yukio and his obsession with fish from the Amazonas.
As I said, I had no idea what this film was gonna be like. At first, I was very invested in this family and their lives. I thought it was gonna be a drama movie about them, and how they were trying to solve their problems in life. To my surprise, it was nothing near that. Instead, I got a gory, torrential and at times horrific movie, that takes the audience on a psychological journey.
The characters in the movie were very well played by the actors and the scenes were well staged. The director knows how to build up tension and establish shots so that the eye is constantly being exposed to either beautiful camera angels with very nice lighting or gory, blood splatter scenes that sometimes can become too much for even the toughest audience members. And directly horrifying to the sensitive ones.
Even though the violence is very gory, some of it is very overly performed, and has a comedic touch to it.
The actors performed their roles very well. Our lead, Nobuyuki Syamoto, is played by Mitsuru Fukikoshi who did a very good job at giving the character life and an intriguing backstory. He was the one you could relate to and have empathy for. He was the one I think gave the best performance. However, he is supported by a very strong and psychological performance by the actress who plays his wife and also does a very fine job. Denden, who plays Yukio does an amazing work as the mentally unstable fish store owner. The way his character is, has been built up from scratch. He is loud, playful, and sometimes terrifying and evil. His sudden change in mood can turn a nice, innocent scene into a nightmare.
The relationship between the daughter and her stepmother was interesting, but we never really got to see any changes in it. That is a shame, because I would really like to see more about their relationship. They both did a very good job.
Sion Sono was inspired by true events that happened in Tokyo back in the 1990's. However, this movie does not portray what actually happened, because it's only loosely based upon the crimes. I had never seen a film by Sono before, but I'm sure this will not be the last of his films I will see. He creates a very unique atmosphere in this film, and I am curious to see what else he has got.
Although, I liked this movie a lot, it is not a hundred percent a movie I would call a masterpiece. It has some minor flaws and issues with the pacing at some points. The second act felt a little slow sometimes, and some scenes were just too weird for me. I had a few "WTF-moments". Visually it's a very well-shot movie. I would defiantly recommend it, but only if you can handle some pretty hardcore scenes.
"Cold Fish" - 8/10
Chichi ariki (1942)
Review of "There Was A Father"
Directed by Yasujirô Ozu
Written by Yasujirô Ozu Takao Yanai & Tadao Ikeda
Starring: Chishû Ryû, Shûji Sano, Takeshi Sakamoto, Haruhiko Tsuda & Mitsuko Mito
Japanese culture has always been in my interest, and watching old Japanese movies has been a thing I have done for some time now. I started of course with some of Akita Kurosawa's classic samurai-films from the 50's and 60's., in which I mostly enjoyed. Some time ago I stumbled onto director Yasujirô Ozu.
I only knew him for his 1954 film, "Tokyo Story".
I did some research and found a copy of "There Was a Father" (Original Title "Chchi Ariki"), and watched it a Sunday evening.
I could not make up my mind if i thought this movie was some total garbage, or if it was a pure masterpiece / it's either. But one thing is for sure, it stayed on my mind for hours. I came to the conclusion, that I actually really enjoyed it.
The film centers around a father, played by Chishû Ryû, and his son, played by Haruhiko Tsuda (and Shûji Sano), and focues on their relationship in a 25-year timetable.
There are a few issues with the pace of the film. I'm sure many viewers will consider it boring, because most of the film is just them having a conversation about life and other subjects of matter which all end up being boring. But if you really give it the time to tell the story, it is actually kind of exiting and intriguing to watch and listen to. The film just seems more natural because of the every-day life conversations which they're having. Of course the movie dates back to the middle of WWII, in which Japan was a big part of, but this innocent picture, hides it away for a while, and just pays attention on some of the things that goes on in the familys.
On a techinal level, the film is very beautiful shot. Cinematographer, Yûharu Atsuta and director, Yasujirô Ozu takes some wise decisions by having the camera just observe what's happening in the film. It fits the tone very well, and give the viewer time to think about the things the characters disguss in the film. Though, the sound in the film wasn't quiet as good as they are now-days, mostly because this is a more than 70-year old movie. However, it didn't ruin the film. It was easy to ignore.
Though, I would have found the film a bit not my type of film, I really enjoyed watching it. It felt real. It felt like i was there, back in the twentieth century just making observations of the lives of a father and his son. I look very much forward to see more of Yasujirô Ozu work. I am very impressed by this man, even though it's the first film of his I've seen.
I give "There was a Father" 3.5 / 5 stars
The Green Mile (1999)
Review of "The Green Mile"
Directed by Frank Darabont
Written by Frank Darabont
Starring: Tom Hanks, Michael Clarke Duncan, David Morse, Doug Hutchison, Bonnie Hunt, Jeffrey DeMunn, Bart Pepper, Michael Jeter, James Cromwell and Sam Rockwell
When I talk about films, with my friends, I often talk about my favourite films or my least favourtie films. Both in which are very debatable and it a totally personal opinion. There are good films and there are bad films. And then we have the films that stand out to me. "The Green Mile" is one of them.
The 1990's was a decade in the film history, where the quality was reaching another level. More advandced technology were avalable, and a lot of new-comers had their entry in the 90's.
1994. Probaly the best year in in films ever, and a year where two talented directors had their time to shine. The one we all know as Quentin Tarantino, with his crtitically acclaimed "Pulp Fiction". And Frank Darabont, who made Stephen King's short story "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" into a glorious feature-film debut for "The Shawshank Redemption". A film that now-days stands high on almost every movie-critics' top 10 list.
Darabont made his name famous and a few years later he worked on a film, also adapted from a Stephen King novel, "The Green Mile".
This 3-hour epic is quiet possible the best of the best of cinema, that has ever been crafted.
Every single element of the genius-written story and touching performances reach its peak in such perfection, it is hard for me to belive why anyone wouldn't like this film.
"The Green Mile" tells the story about a prison guard and his team, working on the death row in a prison. Their lives are affected, when a black man, John Coffey, who is accused for raping and the murder of two children, comes to the death row and waits for his conviction.
This phenomenal movie stands out from all other films that has ever been made, by simply just letting the story to be told. Even though it's a 3-hour long film it never feels long or at least not too long. Every element just hit the perfect note, in every single scene. And most of this are due to the highly-talented director and screenwriter, Frank Darabont. His second film, and yet again he shows that he is one of the finest directors on the planet. His way to tell a story has been done so well, I cannot put any words onn how genius and perfect it is.
The film was nominated for four Academy Awards at the 72nd Academy Awards ceremony including one for best suppoting actor to Michael Clarke Duncan, who play the inmate John Coffey. His acting skills of this film are beoynd any actors' standard. He is a teriffic actor and has been casted for the perfect role in "The Green Mile". The rest of the cast are also very good, with Tom Hanks in the lead, nothing can go wrong.
Techincal, "The Green Mile", are a gorgeous looking film. It's musical score is written by Thomas Newman, who again shows off his skills in conducting a beautiful score and build up tension at the right moment. Also the movie is shot very beautifully.
In my opinion, "The Green Mile" is a better film than "The Shawshank Redemption". Though, they're both very strong films, with each of their own qualities, I just prefer "The Green Mile". It has all what it takes to be a masterpice of cinema. On a technical level, and on an emotional level. Don't miss out any chance of seeing "The Green Mile".
It ranks on my personal Top 50 movies.
I give "The Green Mile" 5 / 5 stars
The Earth Dies Screaming (1964)
Fun 1960's movie
So, I think I have this thing with watching old low-budget sci-fi films. I could spend a whole day watching some of these flicks from the 50's and 60's.
"The Earth dies Screaming" is a UK produced science-fiction film released in 1964. As most of this kind of films it follows a very easygoing storyline; After an alien attack some survivors gather up in a small village in England.
Even though it is a very weak-kneed story is was not as bad as you think. In the Late 50's and 60's production companies, Hammer and Amicus produced a large number of films like this one. "The Earth Dies Screaming is not a Hammer or an Amicus film, but it still captures the same tone and mood as them. This is not a coincidence because of the director, Terence Fisher, has worked on tons of Hammer's films. "Horror of Dracula" (1958) and "The Curse of Frankestein" (1957) is possible his most famous of all of the numerous films he has directed.
Though it was cheesy, it fits in the perfectly right mood of a classic hammer film. With a running time of 62 minuts it is a fun horror/sci-fi film to watch.