alex-b-katzmann
Joined Jan 2012
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Ratings596
alex-b-katzmann's rating
Reviews3
alex-b-katzmann's rating
Focus is a stylish movie that for the most part remains an enjoyable over-the-top experience. It's weak point for me was the mess created by the plot's inconsistencies. When the movie was over I was left trying to sort out what didn't make sense vs what the director tried to cover up by adding more twists and punches, much like someone trying to hide a lie by telling a bigger one.
What saved it from being a waste of 1h40 was Margot Robbie's charisma, Will Smith just played his own self but was enough for both actors to show convincing chemistry.
For a movie centred around con-artists and their schemes, I was disappointed at the fact that they didn't show the darker and more realistic side of these criminal underworld organizations. In fact nothing portrayed in the movie about con games truly is believable. But the movie does a decent job of portraying it all in a fun and stylish way.
The movie's intent seems to have been to play with the viewer's intellect and to force audiences to ''focus'' on the brilliancy of the movie's plot. Needless to say that I wasn't convinced or ''conned'' by it.
However the movie isn't a fluke, it just doesn't hit the high note it wanted to play. Thank you for trying.
2.5/5
What saved it from being a waste of 1h40 was Margot Robbie's charisma, Will Smith just played his own self but was enough for both actors to show convincing chemistry.
For a movie centred around con-artists and their schemes, I was disappointed at the fact that they didn't show the darker and more realistic side of these criminal underworld organizations. In fact nothing portrayed in the movie about con games truly is believable. But the movie does a decent job of portraying it all in a fun and stylish way.
The movie's intent seems to have been to play with the viewer's intellect and to force audiences to ''focus'' on the brilliancy of the movie's plot. Needless to say that I wasn't convinced or ''conned'' by it.
However the movie isn't a fluke, it just doesn't hit the high note it wanted to play. Thank you for trying.
2.5/5
The devil is in the details.
Mad Max is one of the first movie franchises to have shown audiences gritty and original post-apocalyptic scenarios that have now become cult classics. Since the first installment in the franchise 'Mad Max' in 1979 made with a small budget of 400 000$, many movies and games have been inspired by George Miller's vision such as Escape From New York (1981), the Fallout game franchise.
The new movie had to face a lot of scepticism before its release. Many pointed out that it would do what most action/sci-fi reboots do, that is to come up with a mess of blend CGI playstation action, have poor character development and a stereotypical storyline. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) does not tackle all these issues entirely, but at least proves that it is still possible to witness original and meaningful big-budget movies for R-rated audiences.
How does it do it? By caring about the details. George Miller grants us the thrill to have practical effects instead of CGI in almost all the action scenes, he is not afraid to leave the audience ''out-of-ease'' by not having the characters explain or showing what is currently going, rather by giving us the chance to try and piece it together. The movie is stylish, but that is not the main focus. The action scenes are gigantic, but everyone is expendable as the protagonists are not invincible stereotyped superheros. There is also no doubt that Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron were great casting choices, as their cold-minded characters have very few flaws of performance.
There would be only reason why this film would not be remembered as great, if it was all about the explosions, action and sex. There is indeed a message underneath the madness and it can interpreted as a fear of what's to come. Post-apocalyptic movies warn about the dangerous survival nature of man and about how tyrants would yield all the power and use what's left of man for their benefit. This movie depicts this as the villain and his source of power over the masses: water. Fury Road does give us enough to think about, enough so it doesn't feel like a waste of thrills.
The only hick, there is too much in one movie to be only 2 hours long.
4.5/5
Mad Max is one of the first movie franchises to have shown audiences gritty and original post-apocalyptic scenarios that have now become cult classics. Since the first installment in the franchise 'Mad Max' in 1979 made with a small budget of 400 000$, many movies and games have been inspired by George Miller's vision such as Escape From New York (1981), the Fallout game franchise.
The new movie had to face a lot of scepticism before its release. Many pointed out that it would do what most action/sci-fi reboots do, that is to come up with a mess of blend CGI playstation action, have poor character development and a stereotypical storyline. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) does not tackle all these issues entirely, but at least proves that it is still possible to witness original and meaningful big-budget movies for R-rated audiences.
How does it do it? By caring about the details. George Miller grants us the thrill to have practical effects instead of CGI in almost all the action scenes, he is not afraid to leave the audience ''out-of-ease'' by not having the characters explain or showing what is currently going, rather by giving us the chance to try and piece it together. The movie is stylish, but that is not the main focus. The action scenes are gigantic, but everyone is expendable as the protagonists are not invincible stereotyped superheros. There is also no doubt that Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron were great casting choices, as their cold-minded characters have very few flaws of performance.
There would be only reason why this film would not be remembered as great, if it was all about the explosions, action and sex. There is indeed a message underneath the madness and it can interpreted as a fear of what's to come. Post-apocalyptic movies warn about the dangerous survival nature of man and about how tyrants would yield all the power and use what's left of man for their benefit. This movie depicts this as the villain and his source of power over the masses: water. Fury Road does give us enough to think about, enough so it doesn't feel like a waste of thrills.
The only hick, there is too much in one movie to be only 2 hours long.
4.5/5
The movie stars Gerald Butler and his life transformation from a pitiless biker to a church builder avenger.
A lot of criticism of this movie comes from people crying out against white superiority or religious propaganda, in my opinion this movie does neither and anyone that have read books and documentaries about Africa knows that the situation over there does require occidental involvement in any form to help those countries until they can manage their own states by themselves, of course dependency on foreign aid is another issue but let's no get into that.
My problem with the movie that is said to be based on a 'true' story comes from the script itself. I did not believe Gerard Butler's transformation from a ruthless bandit that forces his wife to go back to stripping instead of working in a mall, not saying that this is impossible in real life, but that the way they presented it was lacking realism.
The rest of the movie sends a good message about people implicating in Africa's civil wars, and especially Sudan although the situation has since changed with South Sudan's new sovereign state. A good way to this at home is perhaps to visit and give support to African based groups advocating for a united Africa with real bureaucracies, laws, corruption-free police.
For a movie that talks about Africa The Machine Gun Preacher is less than stellar compared to many others, not because of it's message but because of it's content and I didn't think it portrayed white superiority in any kind and I don't think supporting white Christian churches for their actions in Africa is a bad message anyone saying the contrary should ask themselves what are they doing that those churches aren't.
A lot of criticism of this movie comes from people crying out against white superiority or religious propaganda, in my opinion this movie does neither and anyone that have read books and documentaries about Africa knows that the situation over there does require occidental involvement in any form to help those countries until they can manage their own states by themselves, of course dependency on foreign aid is another issue but let's no get into that.
My problem with the movie that is said to be based on a 'true' story comes from the script itself. I did not believe Gerard Butler's transformation from a ruthless bandit that forces his wife to go back to stripping instead of working in a mall, not saying that this is impossible in real life, but that the way they presented it was lacking realism.
The rest of the movie sends a good message about people implicating in Africa's civil wars, and especially Sudan although the situation has since changed with South Sudan's new sovereign state. A good way to this at home is perhaps to visit and give support to African based groups advocating for a united Africa with real bureaucracies, laws, corruption-free police.
For a movie that talks about Africa The Machine Gun Preacher is less than stellar compared to many others, not because of it's message but because of it's content and I didn't think it portrayed white superiority in any kind and I don't think supporting white Christian churches for their actions in Africa is a bad message anyone saying the contrary should ask themselves what are they doing that those churches aren't.
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