Log: week 12 / 2018
Moot comedy that is nothing more than a string of expected events. There are enough funny people involved, but they simply don't get the opportunity to do what they do best. By the time the comedy inevitably turns into drama, it's pretty much a lost cause.
Feels like a 90s thriller, made in 2001. It tries to be twisty, witty and sharp, but it comes off as lame, predictable and lifeless. The film bets everything on Michael Douglas, but Gary Fleder is no Fincher and the result is ultimately forgettable.
Aliens, who doesn't love them. Sadly just about every single doc talking about them is terrible. This one promised a more indepth look into the people who claim to have spotted them, but in the end it was just another platform for some stupid theories and blurry sightings.
Interesting concept, let down by some questionable CG, slow pacing, a lackluster score, subpar creature design and a general lack of tension. Garland is a good writer, but a rather poor director. The finale is so garish that it has to be seen to be believed.
Basic romantic comedy that could've worked, if not for its horrible plot and characters. A dumb pact between friends to remain single ends up sabotaging their potential romances. If you can't guess how it ends from that, this film may still work for you. It didn't for me.
Kumakiri is back on track. Mukoku is a powerful drama mixed with strong genre elements (in the form of Kendo). The acting is superb, the film looks lush and the score is a real asset. Not as subtle as you may expect from a Japanese drama, but not worse for it.
Not bad, but tries to be smarter than it actually is. The first half hour is tense and on point, but then it starts to dawn what is really happening. Only the film keeps on pretending it's still a mystery, which screws with the pacing of the entire second half. A missed opportunity.
Chinese classic that offers little more than a long-winded narrative. Stylistically there's absolutely nothing happening, the actors are loud and obnoxious and the plot is hardly worth a second glance. It's mind-boggling how they managed to get 120 minutes of material out of it.
A Dangerous Method meets Eyes Wide Shut and Pit & the Pendulum. There's a lot of potential here, but the result feels a little cheap. The film tries to come off as serious and deep, but it can't escape its shallow foundation, nor some dubious performances.
A rather pool sequel. It's a carbon copy of the first one, only with a frat girls instead of frat boys. Some dull drug jokes, half-witty PC comments and typical Rogen-moments later, it's already over. The highlight of the film is Zac Efron, which is quite telling.