CineasteNorth's reviews

A cinematic achievement. Gorgeously shot in rich colors so saturated you feel like you can touch them. The performances are all standout -- atrue ensemble. But the honors here go to Ryan Coogler who achieved the telling of a vampire tale in a new vein, one that shocks and awes in ways you don't expect. Sexy, dangerous, heartbreaking and ultimately transcendent. The script crackles with memorable dialouge. The music is hypnotizing, and elevates the story beyond a mere vampire tale. It's not a musical but there is a lot of music for a vampire movie. It's a spectacular score that carries the film forward. The time travelling musical montage in the centre of the film alone, deserves special note. (you'll know when it happens) A someone who is not usually drawn to this genre of films, I was quickly caught up in all of it. I've watched it four times this year, and could easily sit down for a fifth helping. It's that good. I hope this film delivers to Ryan Coogler and the cast all the honors it deserves.

Absolutely riveting. The slow quiet pace takes a minute to get accustomed to. I think it enhances the main point of the film. The heart of the love story is when the two main characters, who have fallen rapidly and deeply in love with each other, embark on a trip to document folk music in small towns and villages in Maine. This part of the film is its beating heart -- the unbridled joy between two people who are madly in love and who share a passion. Music.

Their separation from each other for various reasons, is the heartbreak that follows the passion. Secrets are slowly revealed. Those secrets come in waves; at first years and then decades later, unravelling a tale of the burning embers of a true love that cannot be extinguished. The performances are excellent and the cinematography is award worthy, traveling from the bleak landscape of Kentucky, to the splendours of Rome and London between the world wars.

Some people never recover from the passionate intensity of their first true love; some people are devoured by the longing for it, afterwards. An absolutely stunning film.

I've never seen any of Oscar Hermanus' films, but this one made me want to seek out all of them.

Consistent observational humour delivered at breakneck speed. If you like your comedy BPM at 120 or higher, this high octane comedian will have you in stitches.

Three amazing actors going in circles and then....nothing. The wrap up was hugely disappointing. How did this movie even get made? I will never get the time back wasted watching this film. Unforgivable.

Classic Terence Malik. A sweepingly beautiful landscape houses this story of an Austrian man who sacrifices everything to uphold his principles -- refusing to swear allegiance to Hitler during WWII. It's a long quiet unfolding of what it's like to be made a pariah in your community and country.

Davidson and Apatow deliver a hilarious and poignant film about family and the 'journey to self-discovery' theme that shouldn't work on paper, but it does. The chemistry between the cast is movie magic. Marisa Tomei and Bel Powley absolutely shine in their respective roles. Steve Buscemi kills it in his small but critical part, which hits all the right notes. It has restored my faith in Apatow to direct a comedy with a beating heart. Bravo.

An incredible journey into trauma, shared experience, and the devastation of burying an unfathomable horror that can destroy lives. Hard to watch, however it's a courageous reveal, and ultimately catharsis, for the two subjects of the film.

Huh? Very confusing story development. In the end I just didn't believe any of it, or care. It crossed over the line so many times I lost count. Convoluted and odd. Reese Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick nailed this idea in the film Election, years ago. Why try (and fail) to recycle that? Ryan Murphy's original vision, whatever it was, got lost somewhere in the execution. The only true bright spots were: 1. Ben Platt sings!!! sublime and not enough of it; 2. Judith Light + Bette Midler having a grand time in the final episode - worth slogging it out to the end for. If this show had focused on a character whose main dilemma was succeeding as a performer, ( you have Ben Platt for chrissakes!!!), it might have found its footing. A politician? News flash - nobody cares. Throwing a lot of money at an excellent (and expensive) cast, and then not giving them credible characters and dialogue? What a huge waste of money.

Sometimes I let TV shamelessly pull on all my heart strings. I know what I am watching is a distortion, but I don't care. I know none of these actors are giving the performance of their careers, but I don't care. There's a lot of other content on TV right now to satisfy my need for tier one well written and compelling drama. This show satisfies a different craving in my viewing habits. I don't know anything about EMT first responders work, and I don't expect this (or any show) to be a crash course or remotely accurate. The stories push buttons of humanity and compassion; sympathy and empathy in heavy doses. And I like it all Sometimes I need a bit of this stuff in my TV diet to counter the tsunami of content exploring the darker sides of better written and more interesting characters. I'm fully aware I'm escaping into characters whose one dimensional goodness isn't what a lot of people expect. I'm good with that.

Disappointing. The story ending seemed like a compromise. I wasn't impressed by the flashback to what their life could have been like. It wasn't mimicking the ending of legendary musicals like Singing In The Rain, or films like A Star Is Born, about a couple whose stars are in opposing trajectories. So what was it trying to achieve? A muddled and unsatisfying finish was all I was left with. They both get what they want in their careers, but not each other? Hmmm... The music is weak overall (mumbly), and the dancing isn't remarkable apart from the opening number. It's beautiful to look at, and the production values keep the whole thing running to a point, but you can only admire the beauty that David Wasco, Austin Gorg and Sandy Reynolds-Wasco created (Production Design, Art Direction and Set Decoration) for so long. I expected more from Damien Chazelle. Maybe if he had stuck to directing and given the story over to someone else, it might have made me like it more.

A feat of film making by Sorrentino. Jep Gambardelli is a great character, from whose mouth comes some of the most scathing and insightful dialogue written in years. It could easily have been played by the greats of the new wave: Mastroianni or Belmondo or Giannini in their heyday. I kept thinking it was a brilliant homage to the legacy of Fellini, but less bizarre and more though provoking. Visually lush, musically captivating, and the story leaves you thinking about it for days after. Truly a carnival cast brings it off in great style, that's nothing other than Roman at heart. I was singing out loud the catchy dance anthem by Bob Sinclar song remix with the famous Italian pop singer Raffaella Carra for days afterwards. Nuns, midgets, giraffes, flamingos, and some of the best bacchanalian parties ever filmed. It makes you want to swim in the Trevi fountain and walk soaked up the Spanish Steps at four a.m. after a night of dancing. In the same breath it's a meditation on life, friendship, ageing, loneliness and love.

Everyone in this hilarious comedy series pulls their weight. Tamsin Grieg is especially brilliant as the wacky mom trying to keep it all together, when her brood gathers for shabat dinner. If you thought she was funny in Episodes, she's just as good here. Each character is just balls out funny, and the cast's chemistry together is spot on. Simple situations that go awry every Friday night when the two boys come home for their weekly family gathering, are inspired and original. The writing is sharp, precise and just plain crazy. The quirks are consistent and so are the laughs. I love that the two 20-something boys fall back on school-boy prank behaviour when they're under mom and dad's roof. Family dynamics are universal, so everyone will find something to relate to. Enjoy.

I love watching Steve and Becky. It's hilarious comedy of the first order. When you can take the small things and create character driven comedy that resonates, then you've got likable characters doing some crazy things and it's funny. Things which we all may be guilty of having done, at some time or another. In the hands of unlikeable characters, it's just cruel and nasty humour. But Steve and Becky deliver that fine balance of making you laugh out loud without the guilt. The Laura and Paul and Dan characters may be broadly drawn, but we can give them license to bring characters to life, which face it, we all know a few of. I've known Paul's and Dan's and Laura's, and a few Shelly's. They're out there. We all know them. The chaos they cause in Steve and Becky's world, is brilliant fun. So what they say is a little more outrageous (or is it?) than your average, but that's the titillation that makes this show so watchable, isn't it? More episodes please!