Welcome back, my dearest readers! If you are still here and supporting me, I sincerely thank you! Now, we are at the beginning of August, can you believe 7 months have passed and half of that time we spent in the quarantine (I'm in Vietnam)? Let's look back on what I have watched in July 2021, shall we?
Gone baby gone (2007) (4/5)
Took place in his hometown, Boston, Ben Affleck's directorial debut is a distinctive masterpiece compared to Scorsese's The Departed and Clint Eastwood's Mystic River. Ben's muse has always been Boston and it was portraited quite roughly through his lens in Gone Baby Gone which sets a perfect tone for the movie and separated it from The Departed's vibe. The movie is about two Boston area detectives investigating a kidnapping of a 4-year-old girl. And the movie explores the morality of the police force instead of focusing on the action part, to show the audience what it takes to be the protectors of people.
Collateral (2004) (4/5)
The film is about "a cab driver finds himself the hostage of an engaging contract killer as he makes his rounds from hit to hit during one night in Los Angeles." IMDb (2004). Like Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise is a household name for playing a protagonist, therefore, it's unfamiliar seeing him as a bad guy. However, he did a great job there! Meanwhile, his co-star, Jamie Foxx decided to drop his comic persona to play successfully a scared and normal taxi driver named Max. Cruise and Foxx swiftly worked together to create an unusual yet exciting dynamic and chemistry between their characters. A great movie!
The pianist (2002) (4.5/5)
Besides thrillers, I also have a soft and weird spot for War movies. After many times of delays, I finally sat down and watch The Pianist. The movie revolves around a Polish Jewish musician who struggles to survive the destruction of the Warsaw ghetto of World War II. Adrian Brody's acting was on point, as always. It's a War movie so there isn't anything new in the plot but a beautiful setting to create an emotionally wrecked and tortured journey of a local pianist in the mid of a holocaust. A must-watch masterpiece.
Miss Sloane (2016) (5/5)
Another masterpiece by Jessica Chastain reminds me of her wonderful performance in Molly's Game. The movie is about Elizabeth Sloane, the most sought-after and formidable lobbyist in D.C. The movie's fast pace, witty and wicked dialogues, unpredictable movements, and amazing actings come from the whole cast are all the reasons you should give this movie a try.
Good time (2017) (4/5)
Another masterpiece from A24, the studio never disappoints, does it? According to IMDb (2017), the movie follows Connie Nikas who embarks on a twisted odyssey through New York City's underworld to get his brother Nick out of jail, after a botched bank robbery. The film's title is meant to be sarcastic, but Good Time is an amazing ride for the viewer. You never can expect what might happen next in the film, the neon colors make us uncomfortable, the movement of the camera makes us sick but then, it's the ride we never thought we receive when signing on. Pattison's madness in the film is beautifully portraited and no one can see an awkward Edward Cullen anymore, Rob, great job ;)
The tomorrow war (2021) (3/5)
A friend of mine highly praised this film and told me the monsters weren't like anything he had seen before and he had to pause the film sometimes to breathe due to the extreme tension. Well, he may have not watched a better one but I did. The Tomorrow War is about "a family man who is drafted to fight in a future war where the fate of humanity relies on his ability to confront the past" IMDb (2021). The idea is potential but somehow I think the execution is just not there yet. It's like a mixture of "Terminator", "Alien" and "Independence Day" but not a good one. So I will let you be the judge of it, shall we?
Yes day (2021) (4/5)
A family comedy on the list, yesssss! It's about "a mom and dad who usually say no decide to say yes to their kids' wildest requests with a few ground rules on a whirlwind day of fun and adventure." - IMDb (2021) It's a lovely family film for anyone who is looking for a suitable movie to watch with family, this is it!
Black widow (2021) (4/5)
Finally, after two freaking long years, we met our Queen. As you already know, Black Widow continues Natasha Romanoff's story after the event in Captain America: Civil War. We got the chance to see her other family when she was a child. The movie doesn't tackle big issues or bring new subjects to the already chaotic mess we have seen in MCU but introduces new characters and opens new possibilities to the universe. The chemistry between Scarlett and Florence deserves an award of its own. The action in the film is flawless but some antagonists were underdeveloped due to the same reason I mentioned above. Finally, I love how they desexualize Natasha in this film, she is just a badass assassin instead of a sexy one. Love it!
Gunpowder milkshakes (2021) (3.5/5)
I have waited for this film for so long, therefore, when it hit Netflix, I immediately watched it. According to IMDb (2021), the movie is about "three generations of women fight back against those who could take everything from them." The movie is funnier than serious. Karen Gillan's droll, gangly energy is a fantastic match for a scene in which the young hitwoman is thrown into an impossible situation and then watched as she improbably, hilariously escapes. And bear in mind to leave all the logic and reality before crossing the threshold into the world of Gunpowder Milkshakes since there is none. It's, however, lovely to exceptional all-female cast rule the screen.
The deep blue sea (2011) (4.5/5)
The title of the film has nothing to do with the actual ocean but the feeling when you fall way too deeply in love with someone. IMDb (2011) states that the movie is about "the wife of a British Judge is caught in a self-destructive love affair with a Royal Air Force pilot." I could feel the female protagonist's emotional journey in the film that she caught herself loving a man much more than she loves herself. It's sad to watch since it's too realistic and brutal! Rachel and Tom had done a fantastic job in depicting two people in love in a very chaotic relationship. Tom's ability to change smoothly from calm to rage is exceptional (not because I'm a Hiddlestoner but he truly is a great actor).
The last letter from your lover (2021) (3/5)
It's about "a pair of interwoven stories set in the past and present follow an ambitious journalist determined to solve the mystery of a forbidden love affair at the center of a trove of secret love letters from 1965." - IMDb 2021. The movie is quite a pleasant watch and may be able to charm many romance enthusiasts whom I like to define me as one but I'm not really a fan of the movie. The story is beautiful but it was clumsily told. The shift between the two timelines is too fast and unsubtle. The substory of the storyteller is unnecessary to fit in the film which makes the center one blurry and tangled. Still recommend though!
Hitman's wife's bodyguard (2021) (0.5/5)
Yep, the score says it all, doesn't it? Yeah just skip this part, shall we?
Wrath of man (2020) (3.5/5)
After The Gentlemen, I was looking forward to another masterpiece by the English magician, Guy Ritchie but I must say, Wrath of Man doesn't live up to the hype I convince myself. According to IMDb (2020), "The plot follows H, a cold and mysterious character working at a cash truck company responsible for moving hundreds of millions of dollars around Los Angeles each week." Wrath of Man doesn't have the English humor The Gentlemen has but it is taut and exhilarating without wasting a single moment. The epic act 3 of the film has more dead people than fish in a Japanese market (lame comparison). I finally saw Statham walked out of his usual roles in action movies with a bit of depth to the character. A must-watch action movie!
Monday (2020) (3.5/5)
I came to this film because of Sebastian Stan and his bare ass. And yes, you'll be treated with plenty of that during the film. Monday is kinda slow but it sets the tone for the message of the movie. It takes more than 45 minutes to nearly reach the first catalyst of the film and all we see was two passionate lovers in their honeymoon phase of the relationship. The film unfolds a series of weekends a few months apart to mark the milestones in Chloe and Mickey's relationship before the cruciating Monday arrives which resembled the rock in their relationship. It's an anti-rom-com kind of movie so it's more realistic than other regular rom-com you are already familiar with so consider.
The beguiled (2017) (3.5/5)
The Beguiled revolves around an unexpected arrival of a wounded Union soldier at a girl's school in Virginia during the American Civil War leads to jealousy and betrayal. As soon as I saw the director is Sofia Coppola, I jumped to it immediately. As the movie goes on, we can understand how the title of the film applied to each character differently. The movie isn't about the American Civil War or anything in that time frame, only human desires and emotions that anyone can relate to. FYI, the movie is pretty dark too so open your eyes :))
High-rise (2015) (4/5)
Lots of people said this film was bad and hard to understand. And I say this, not because I'm a Hiddlestoner but I do understand what the film is about, it is just better than you have thought. High-rise revolves around the life of residents in a tower building that gradually ran out of control and it symbolized the hierarchies of society, simple as that. Once you have that in mind, watch the film again, it will unfold itself for you. However, since the movie focuses on a higher message than each individual participating in ie, many stories were left underdeveloped such as Charlotte's or Helen's, and so on. The use of colors in the film is also very symbolistic as well as every setup in the frames. Along with Bong Joon-ho's Snowpiercer or the latest The Platform on Netflix, High-rise is a must-watch about the battle among hierarchies.
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