Log: week 31 / 2021

Performances are decent, but Winther fails to build up the tension and sticks to proven clichés that need better execution to be effective. There's also way too much pointless drama and the finale simply isn't all that exciting. What remains is a passable thriller that has some decent moments, but isn't all that convincing when it really matters.

Cage looks a little lost in a production like this, the plot is incredibly kitsch, Johnson is a horrible director and the CG looks cheap as hell. Not that I'm a fan of the current MCU films, but at least they look somewhat professional. Ghost Rider is laughably bad, which is the only thing that makes it ever so slightly bearable. Not good.

Fukasaku tries to put a little too much in a single film, but at least he is ambitious. The actors are somewhat flaky and the runtime's a bit excessive, the atmosphere is solid though and the finale is actually pretty impressive. It's a shame Fukasaku failed to make Virus feel just that little tighter, otherwise it would've been a pretty cool post-apocalyptic flick.

Performances are good, and the drama is solid. Coogler gives his version of the facts and Oscar's character does feel a little too idyllic, but there have been so many similar cases that you can take the plot as an abstraction rather than a realistic account of Oscar's last day. Not quite as impactful as I'd hoped, but certainly not a bad film.

Performances are solid and there are a few standout moments (namely the ones on the beach). The styling is a bit too pedestrian though and while the relationship between the two girls is delicate, it all felt a bit too familiar. Ogawa shows promise, but The Goldfish fails to stand out from its (many) peers.

It's pretty amusing to see Vargas evolve from well-meaning major to villainous crook. There's a dash of dark comedy that keeps things entertaining, performances are solid and Estrada makes excellent use of the barren setting. Things maybe get a little too serious near the end and the film's a tad long, but I had some solid fun with this one.

Performances are decent as long as the film remains light-hearted, but the actors fail the moment they're asked to show a darker, more serious side. The film lacks tension, the pacing is off, and the soundtrack is overbearing. It's just not a very balanced, capable film that completely fizzles out. Maybe it would've been better if it had been 30 minutes shorter.

Performances are decent but nothing special, the cinematography is clean but a little dim and the score doesn't add much substantial. The drama is passable, and the film never becomes overly generic, it's just that I've seen the same thing so many times before that it just doesn't really work anymore.

The atmosphere is thick and brooding, but also a little cold and detached. Stylistically, Solaris has lost a bit of its shine, the soundtrack in particular felt a bit too bombastic. Performances are good, the mystery is intriguing and the pacing is apt, it's just that little extra polish that lacks to make this a true personal favorite.

The performances are laughable. Wayne's contorted face is a hoot, Maureen O'Hara acts as if she was cast for a silent film. The plot is utterly simple, neither the drama, romance nor the comedy ever hit home and the runtime is ridiculous. The Quiet Man is a hopelessly outdated film, best to forget this one as quickly as possible.

Anime tends to do these kinds of stories well, this film is no exception. It feels a little too comfortable at times and the romance is a tad too naive, but the warm, summery vibes and the relatively unique art style give the film some much-needed flavor of its own. This isn't going to be the next big anime masterpiece, instead, it's charming filler with broad appeal.

The fractured shots are a bit cheesy, but the camerawork and framing are nice. The cinematography isn't spectacular, but at least above par. The soundtrack is mostly absent, most of the doc relies on ambient sounds, a bit of a missed opportunity if you ask me. It's simply not something I particularly appreciate, but it's clearly how the West loves to see China.

The first hour could've been just that little darker and edgier, other than that I have no real complaints. Performances are solid, the styling is polished and there's an unpredictability that keeps things interesting. The ending is on point too. A very charming, memorable and fun film, that stops just short of excellence.

Beckinsale spends a bit too much time trying to look pretty instead of badass, the styling is nice but not vibrant enough, the action is a bit tame. It looks like Wexler copied quite a bit from better films, without truly understanding what made these films tick. Jolt isn't bad, it's just a bit underwhelming for a film about a raging woman who has to administer electric shocks to keep herself in check.

Performances are rather weak, and the special effects are very bare-bones. But Tezuka's creative cinematography and a little well-placed comedy help to cover up some of the film's weaker points. It's short, there's more than enough variety and there's plenty of weirdness to keep things from becoming boring. It's certainly not his best film, but Tezuka fans won't be disappointed.

The first half of the film works best, as Calahan goes full for comedy. The circle meeting was no doubt the highlight of the entire film for me. The second half is more geared at horror, but Calahan fails to add much to the countless slasher flicks that came before. It's all a little too safe and "been there, done that", not exactly what you want from a horror comedy.

Performances are dim, the film looks like it was made for TV, the score sounds like it was salvaged from a public domain database. It's as cinematic as an episode of Wheel of Fortune, but the characters are somewhat charming and the coming of age elements do come together rather well. Not the worst thing ever, but hardly worth recommending.

The Iron Bodyguard is a film with a slightly stronger focus on the narrative. There are still the usual Shaw Bros fights, but they are fewer and shorter. The story isn't all that exciting though and performances don't really stand out either. It's decent enough when you're pining for some Shaw Bros action, but only when you've seen all of their more prominent films.

Just like 12 Angry Men, this film felt extremely forced, overly tailored to the message it needed to convey. Performances are static, the plot is far too obvious, and the dialogues are pretty cringe-worthy. The only positive here is that the film is short, though it still felt twice as long to me. Not my kind of cinema.

Zain's performance is splendid, the cinematography is gripping and surprisingly stylish, the soundtrack is solid too. The drama's a little predictable and I wouldn't have minded a slightly shorter runtime, but Labaki stays clear from excessive sentimentality, which wasn't an easy thing to do considering the themes of this film. A solid film.

There is some prime fighting talent present (Jet Li and Donnie Yen), but Caro is obviously clueless on how to use them well. The cinematography lacks the grandeur of its Chinese competitors, the soundtrack doesn't sit well, and the English dialogue isn't doing the actors any favors. It's certainly better than Disney's animated film, but there's no real reason to watch this when there are better versions out there already.