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Sicario Day of the Soldado is the kind of sequel that drops you in deep and never really lets you breathe but what is it about sequels that they most of the time cant get things right, this sequel is not trying to outclass Villeneuve’s original and you can feel that from the first minutes but it does lock in on raw tension and a very grounded sense of danger that will have you tense all the time, the movie opens with hard shocks, ugly detonations and that immediate feeling that the world just got way worse, I kept thinking this one wants to be more of a gory and savage than the first one like they trying to set the bar higher, the conversations are cold and straight, the operations are blunt, there is this idea that someone higher up just snaps a finger and dudes like Matt Graver move mountains with very few questions asked, I honestly liked that stripped tone here, it fits a story that keeps telling you there are no rules today and everyone understands exactly what that means, even when I felt the plot turning messy or the script dragging that it actually does a bit heavy during the second part of the movie. There are many technical aspects of the movie that were really cool like that overhead eye tracking convoys, that whispered orders in the dark, that plane that just appears on demand, I get the vibe this is exactly the point, look how fast they can change a map, look how cheaply a life can be traded when the job is labeled necessary, this is not pretty but it is focused, it gets darker as the movie progress and there is a moral fog in every conversation specially on the second part of the movie that has less action before the closing scenes.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5052474/
• Platform: AppleTV+

Rottentomatoes Rating

After the success of the first movie we get all this familiar faces in a new configuration, Josh Brolin’s Graver is still that casual destroyer, a man in crocs barking about no rules, very direct, zero fluff and yet this time he is forced to stare at his own reflection when the plan gets ugly, Benicio del Toro’s Alejandro barely speaks, as usall although this time we see a more sentimental and moral oriented side of the character, he remains one of those rare characters who can be terrifying without raising his voice, different from the first movie this time we get Alejandro gettting beat up very very badle to the point that he almost died and Benicio sells the pain but over all sells that survival mode he locks into, he has to chew glass through half that stretch and still keep moving , it is nasty and it is tense as hell and it might be the closest this sequel gets to that Children of Men level of breathe in the moment realism, not quite there but it still hits hard, on the other side you have the young cartel world kid because thats all most of them are, the kid who thinks he is ready because he can look someone in the eyes and not blink, one day you are flexing by a truck, the next day you are asked to do something that ruins a piece of your soul, I know its a bit cliche have the new guy on the cartel kll someone as their final test to be accepted but what else there is? and its this moment that lands in a place that sets up something bigger or darker, or both.

The big swing in Soldado is building a fake war to spark a real one, on the first movie was a similar situation but there was Alejandro personal motives too, it is that cold idea of kidnap a daughter, make it look like the rivals did it while watch the world burn but as a result or say "karma" there is the mid sequence rescue, the whole convoy choreography, the panic and then the abrupt cut to carnage, I loved how the camera keeps distance until the second the movie decides to drop you into that chaos, from the two movies its probably the best scene compared to the one on the border, the movie keeps returning to that drone view too like a god eye, always there. I do not think it is subtle but it is effective, when Graver realizes the rules have changed mid mission and that the kid is not the only target anymore, he is still efficient as hell but there is something like doubt, I found that interesting, the movie never softens him into a hero, it just lets him feel something and then keep working and that is more truthful for this world. Isabella the daughter at the center, is sharper than people around her expect, you can see the exact moment she starts piecing it together in the staging area, soldiers not cops, this is not a rescue, just a different kind of cage, her scenes during the ambush connect the horror with a real human reaction, the shock in her ears when the gunfire hits the truck, the silence right after, that was really good, there are little touches like that that kept me inside the movie even when the broader plotting felt like it wanted to sprint past some logic, for me the experience was the goal, and in that lane it delivers.

I know a lot of people are going to say the story feels over complicated and at times it does, the early terrorism thread seems to point one way and then it turns into something else, by design the movie is suppose to confuses intention and method as the first one did but this time same as the action and corrupt police they try to set things higher but in ther certain point the story also how creates too much friction with Alejandro’s path still made for a nasty moral turn, there is also a late helicopter decision that plays like a clear break in Graver’s mind, I wish the aftermath of that had one more scene or something else because it really felt like they were either running out of time or ideas so decide to throw the hole helicopter scene as a shocking effect, the cut forward leaves you hanging, yes the final stint of the movie tries to set up a next chapter but it felt a little too abrupt, I still liked the nerve of the ending though, the conversation in that shop, the quiet anger that worked for me and it fits the modern western angle that keeps showing up, dusty roads, hard men, a town that decides to look away, Sheridan’s writing always bends that way and it shows in how these characters solve problems, they do not give speeches they just pick make things happen and bring down chaos.

I am not going to pretend this sequel is perfect in fact the middle of the movie kills the mood and deviates from the formula of the original movie that had multiple small action scenes one after another to keep you hooked all the time, there are beats I wanted more from, a few threads could have landed cleaner and I do think the first movie sits in a league of its own but I still had a good time with Day of the Soldado for what it is, as usual most sequels cant overcome the original and then its always the same as we cant keep toping things off, so its ok for sequels to basically fail as most of the time the target is to either continue the story for a third one or just set the bar higher but Day of The Soldado failed at the second one. The movie keeps that pressure on from the start but certainly a more emotional movie and it shows when there are choices that force these characters to live with what they done and honestly that ending sticks as we see the mighty Alejandro all fucked up but isnt him a bad as to still survive all what he have to go through, the second movie really put him to the test and show more than his Sicario skills and then again leaves the door open for revenge and everyone he just spent time with is standing too close to the edge, I guess thats the cost of doing business with the enemy, Day of The Solcdado main idea probably was to show what that no rules day actually costs.

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Posted Using INLEO

Right now its one of those times of the year that Im short on movies so Im just picking from my bucket list, a very long bucket list because when things get on fire between movies and TV series there is just not enough time so have to put things aside, comes in a movie that I have put aside for some time, not only because I didnt have time but because its the kind of movie I wouldnt watch every day but its a good drama from 2018 that at some point I had to watch, Trial by Fire dropped back in 2018 and honestly took me forever to finally watch it, mainly because I wasn't sure what to expect from another prison movie but damn this one really hit different than most of them. The whole thing tells the story of Cameron Todd Willingham who got executed in Texas for supposedly burning down his house and killing his three little daughters, except the evidence was complete garbage and he was probably innocent the whole time. Jack O'Connell plays Todd and this dude really knows how to carry a heavy movie on his shoulders, I mean this is the third prison movie I've seen him in after Starred Up and Unbroken and he just has this way of making you feel every single emotion his character is going through. What really gets me about this movie is how it doesn't try to be flashy or over dramatic, it just sits with you and makes you uncomfortable in the best possible way, like you're watching something that actually matters instead of just another Hollywood cash grab. The movie starts with this house fire scene that sets everything up perfectly, you see Todd running out of the burning house screaming about his babies being inside and right away you know this is gonna be one of those movies that stays with you for days afterward.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3263946/
• Platform: AppleTV+

Rottentomatoes Rating

Laura Dern shows up as Elizabeth Gilbert, this playwright who starts writing letters to Todd after he's been on death row for years, and their relationship becomes the heart of the whole movie even though they barely know each other. The movie does great in many aspects specially how it shows that sometimes the people who care about you most are complete strangers who just see something in your story that resonates with them, not the family members or friends who are supposed to be there for you but end up abandoning you when things get tough. The way Todd's wife Stacy just completely gives up on him after the trial really pisses me off, I mean I get that losing your kids would mess anyone up but the guy is sitting on death row claiming he is innocent and you just walk away? That's some cold shit right there but it also makes Elizabeth's involvement even more meaningful because she's willing to fight for someone she doesn't even know personally. Their conversations through letters and visits show how two broken people can find hope in each other, Todd dealing with the reality that he might die for something he didn't do and Elizabeth trying to process her own grief and find some kind of purpose in life. The movie does this really well where it doesn't make their relationship romantic or weird, it's just two humans connecting over shared pain and the desire to find truth in a world that doesn't seem to care about justice anymore.

The cinematography has this muted color palette that makes everything feel heavy and serious but not depressing to the point where you want to turn it off, the hole prision and about to get executed auro is heavy AF. Edward Zwick directed it and you can tell he understands that this story doesn't need fancy camera work or dramatic music to be powerful, it just needs honest performances and a script that respects the real people this happened to. The prison scenes feel authentic without being over the top, you see Todd struggling with the daily reality of death row but the movie never makes it feel like its too depressing about to take your live and it also doesnt try to shock you with unnecessary violence, people have this misconception about prison, after all at some point in time everybody inside a prison is a human too, they are not 24/7 savages. Jack O'Connell brings this quiet intensity to Todd that makes you believe he was really living this nightmare that came out of no where into his life, there are moments where he was just sitting in his cell and you can see the weight of everything crushing him but he never gives up hope completely, thats some really cold moments and its the waiting and uncertainty that eats you up from the inside. The supporting cast does great work too, especially the guards who could have easily been written as more traditiona side villains making his life imposble but instead feel like real people doing a difficult job in an impossible situation. There is a lot of legal stuff on the movie to make it belivable, not going to say everything in here sticks with the law but it really impressed me is how the movie handles the legal aspects without getting bogged down in courtroom drama, it shows you enough to understand how the system failed Toddand never loses focus on the human story.

The fire investigation stuff is where the movie for the most part got me piss off because you start to understand how completely fucked up the whole case was from the beginning. They bring in these so called experts who basically make up evidence to support what they already decided happened, drawing conclusions about arson patterns that modern fire science has completely debunked since then, I had to look this up just to make sure so just to clarify I'm no fire fighter myself but you get my point. Watching these people destroy a man's life based on junk science while acting like they are serving justice made me want to throw something at the screen, especially knowing this actually happened to a real person who got executed because of their incompetence. The movie doesn't beat you over the head with the political message but it makes it pretty clear that the death penalty system is broken beyond repair when innocent people can get killed because prosecutors care more about getting convictions than finding the truth. Todd's final scenes are brutal to watch, not because they are gory or dramatic but because you are watching someone die for something he didn't do while the people responsible just go on with their lives like nothing happened. The fact that Texas still refuses to admit they made a mistake even after all the evidence came out shows how fucking stubborn and corrupt the whole system really is, they would rather let an innocent man stay dead than admit they screwed up.

Trial by Fire works because it treats its the entire story with the respect it deserves while still being entertaining enough to keep you engaged for two hours, yeah not a short movie and it drags a big so got to stay strong but its worth the wait which is harder to pull off than it sounds. This isn't one of those movies that makes you feel good about the world or gives you easy answers about right and wrong, it just shows you what happened and lets you figure out how to feel about it. Jack O'Connell continues to prove he is one of the best actors working today especially when it comes to playing characters who are trapped by systems bigger than themselves but refuse to give up their dignity. The movie made me think how sometimes a single moment can turn around your life in matter of minutes it actuall scare me, we often dont think about this things, a very common case is when driving a car people either talking over the phone, watching the phone or too drunk to drive and we dont understand how that moment right there can change everything, no the specific case because we talking about an innocent guy but its just a single quick split of a minute that changes everything. Then there are those innocent people in prison who got railroaded by prosecutors and junk science while the rest of us go about our daily lives not thinking about them. Elizabeth Gilbert represents all of us in a way, someone who could have just minded their own business but decided to get involved because sometimes that is what being human requires. If you can handle watching something that will probably make you angry and sad but also give you some hope that there are still good people fighting for justice, then you need to check this movie out, all I can advice you is to be prepared to lose some sleep thinking about it afterward because this is the kind of story that sticks with you whether you want it to or not, a solid 7/10 for me.

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #trial, #fire, #prison, #death, #row, #innocent, #texas, #execution, #justice, #wrongful, #conviction, #arson, #evidence, #lawyer, #appeal, #system, #broken, #family, #children, #tragedy, #investigation, #corrupt, #science, #expert, #witness

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If Sicario the movie was a person it would have a lot damn of confidence, it never shouts, it never tries too hard, it just moves with a steady hand that knows exactly what it wants to do and how to do it and that alone keeps you dialed, hooked the hole time. The opening already tells you you are not getting some flashy action ride, you get bodies in walls, dread in the air and immediately a sense that every choice after this is going to be complicated. What really works for me is how the movie builds pressure without cheap tricks with the sound mix keeps your shoulders tight even in the quiet moments and on top of that the camera feels like a character, always in the right spot, never screaming look at me, just doing the work, it makes the border run and the traffic jam standoff feel like time is slowing down before it snaps. I like how the desert is used, not pretty, not dramatic, just heavy and when the convoy cuts through it, you are right there in the heat. That tunnel sequence near the end really hits, the switch to night vision and thermal feels earned, not a gimmick as it usally is, specially with all the killing we get while on night vision mode plus the blood on the dirt, you feel the claustrophobia and the uncertainty and the way they hold on shots long enough for your brain to fill the gaps is kinda brilliant, you get the idea without them spoon feeding you whats next, it is just solid, tight, clean movie making that does not waste your time.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3397884/
• Platform: PRIME VIDEO

Rottentomatoes Rating

Let me get something out of the way before moving forward, I respect Emily Blunt and she is doing the best with what she is given but her character is basically a spectator with a badge, the movie pretends she is the moral center but most of the time she is running behind the story, not pushing it forward and for me that kills some of the momentum around her scenes. She gets dragged into a mission she barely understands, she keeps asking what are we doing here and by the time answers land she is either shut down or sidelined, it becomes a pattern that makes her feel stuck and yes that is intentional, but intentional does not mean interesting, it just means she is stuck. her partner played by Daniel Kaluuya suffers even more, he shows up for a couple of beats, he argues a bit, he helps set a contrast, then he fades when the movie needs to get back to the real engine of this story, it is not on them as performers, it is just the characters being shaped to react rather than act and I do not think the movie needed that to make its point, in fact the runtime could have used their minutes to deepen the operation or push Alejandro even harder into focus. the bar scene with Bernthal is one of the few moments where Kate’s perspective feels necessary because you feel how every choice has a consequence and how the mission has a long reach even when you think you are off the clock, but outside that, she mostly gets used as a witness so the audience does not get lost, and that is fine once or twice, not for two hours.

Now the two reasons this thing bites down and never lets go, Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro, OMG did this two send it out of the park, one is the smiling wolf in flip flops, laid back on purpose, never sweating even when everyone else is tense, he treats war like logistics, not emotion and that calm is scarier than any bark. Every time Brolin is in front of the camera you know he is three moves ahead and lying by omission, not because he enjoys it but because he thinks this is the only way anything gets done and the movie makes that feel believable without turning him into a cartoon. Then there is Del Toro, the heartbeat you are trying to read but can never catch, the smart choice they made is how little he says, the silence does the heavy lifting, the posture, the stare, the stillness before a room goes dark, cmon he is as badass as it gets, Medellin. When he finally moves on his personal mission the movie goes from tense to ice cold, not flashy, not loud, just clean, deliberate and merciless, and you finally understand what all that calm was hiding its like the finally unleash the beast to claim revenge, it is not twist for shock and it is payoff for everything they set up about order and chaos and who actually benefits when you cut off the head of a snake. That dinner sequence late in the movie is one of those scenes I will remember for a long time, the way it locks into a rhythm, the quiet, the last look, it is all brutal without yelling, it lands because the movie earned the right to be that quiet, its funny how Fausto Alarcon goes from the big boss "balls to the wall I dont give a sht" to this puppy like when Alejandro kills his wife and KIDS in front of him.

There is a thing this movie does that I really enjoy and its that never pretends the rules are going to save anyone, you get told point blank that nothing will make sense to your ears and the more you insist on procedure the less you will actually touch the people at the top, the result is a mission that is equal parts legal and not, useful and poisonous, and that is where the movie shows that awesome grey area that let army units go almost rogue against Narcos. The border sequence is the perfect example, it is slow, methodical, and then it breaks in seconds, you do not get a big shootout for show, you get target identification, tiny body movements, windows cracking, civilians in line who are just trying to get home and that is the weight here, operations are not done on empty stages they happen around real people and that messy overlap is always present. Also the aerial shots work as more than pretty pictures, they give you the chessboard, not to look cool but so you see how many pieces are moving at the same time and how small a single agent will always be against that system, it makes the later tunnel breach feel earned because you have been oriented, you know where the danger is coming from even when the lights go weird and your ears are doing most of the work

It would be easy to call the movie cynical, I think it is more honest than that it shows how people justify ugly things to get uglier things to stop and it does not tell you they are heroes for it, it just says this is what it looks like, decide how you feel about it, I respect that approach even when it makes me uncomfortable. Towards the ending the movie doubles down on that idea, especially with the signature scene where Alejandro lays out a document and asks Kate for a signature under a threat, it is not about good guys or bad guys anymore, it is about power and what happens when you fall under it, the line that follows about wolves is not subtle but it is memorable because the entire movie prepared you to accept it, it hits hard because by then you already saw what happens when sheep ask nicely, how the goverment took advantage of Alejandro skills and vendetta, or who took advantage of who because Alejandro got exactly what he wanted and remains free too. In my opinion the Kate thread does not land, her fights are either shut down by chain of command or put into speeches that go nowhere so her story end feels more like a device than an emotional punch, some will say that is the point, to show how institutions break you if you fight the wrong way, I just wish she was more than a constant warning that everything been done is against the law because seems thats all she cares about and not reading things for what they are and not realizing they are in a war that will never win and their only chance is to keep fighting back.

This is a movie I never get tired of watching, I think Sicario is a very good movie that could have been a great one if it committed harder to the point of view that actually drives the story but this is me asking more for something that is not only genuine but does make you feel the right way about a Narcos / War movie, every time either Brolin or Del Toro are in from of the camera its just pure calculated action, but when Kate comes up then the energy dips, not a lot but enough to notice and those dips add up by the end. I would have loved to trade some of those circles for deeper dives into the operation’s map, more time in planning rooms, more time watching Alejandro before and after, maybe even more time with the rival players across the line so the final act has even more bite, IF they only had more context about Fausto in terms of actual scenes and not only what others say about him during the movie. What I got from this movie is sharp, confident and tense as hell, you feel the dirt, the bureaucracy, the violence and the slow bleed of morality when big machines get moving and when a movie can make you feel all that without yelling in your face, that is a win in my book, movies are suppose to make you feel things and have you forget about the world in those two hours. I will rewatch it for the craft, for the border scene, JUAREZ THE BEAST!!!, for the quiet house at the end and at the same time I will keep being annoyed by how Kate kept naging the entire time instead of just going with the river and learn, the rest is too good to ignore and on the action and tension side, it is one of the cleanest and most confident action movies from the last 10 years, because it is 10 years old now in 2025.

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #sicario, #thriller, #cartel, #action, #villeneuve, #deltoro, #brolin, #blunt, #mexico, #border, #drugs, #violence, #fbi, #cinematography, #tension, #deakins, #underground, #moral, #revenge, #realistic, #brutal, #desert, #tunnel, #soundtrack, #compromise

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Por varios años, "Pixar" era sinónimo no solamente de calidad, sino de éxito en taquilla, lamentablemente ese éxito ha disminuido en los últimos tres años en dónde solamente "Inside Out 2" obtuvo una grandiosa recaudación de taquilla, pero nuevamente ese gran estudio de animación vuelve a notar como ha caído en aceptación del público al ver como el único film a estrenar en este año, "Elio", fue uno de los peores estrenos en las salas cine a nivel mundial; lamentablemente algo que era de esperar por la poca y errónea promoción a un film que une los géneros del coming-of-age, así como la ciencia ficción y aventura al relatar la historia de un niño de 11 años quien es abducido por extraterrestres y es nombrado como Embajador de La Tierra. 

For several years, Pixar was synonymous not only with quality, but also with box office success. Unfortunately, that success has declined in the last three years, with only Inside Out 2 achieving significant box office success. However, this major animation studio is once again noticing a decline in public acceptance, as the only film released this year, Elio, was one of the worst releases in cinemas worldwide. unfortunately, something that was to be expected given the poor and misguided promotion of a film that combines the genres of coming-of-age, science fiction, and adventure, telling the story of an 11-year-old boy who is abducted by aliens and named Ambassador of Earth.

En el momento que se dio la noticia de la producción de este film, captó mi atención por el potencial de su historia la cual me generó expectativas al seguramente tener una gran carga emocional un buen mensaje así como ocurre en muchas de las películas de Pixar, pero ciertas decisiones en cambios en la dirección y la nula promoción del film hicieron que mis expectativas bajarán, aunque de igual manera era de las películas que más quería ver en este año. "Elio" es un film que como dije anteriormente usa muchos géneros para relatar la historia de un niño que a causa de un duro evento traumático, se aísla del mundo teniendo como único motivo contactar con alguna señal de vida fuera de este mundo, esa base de la historia en dónde la soledad que padece el protagonista lo impulsa a querer tener una aventura espacial es algo que me fascinó porque a pesar de ser un film con un ritmo muy rápido, ese aspecto de tristeza y la soledad es muy presente en el primer acto del film que posiblemente haga ver a "Elio" como un personaje egoísta, pero al ser una persona en la etapa final de su niñez, creo que se hizo una correcta representación con respecto a la transición que vive Elio hacia la adolescencia después de experimentar la soledad a tan temprana edad.

Los dos actos siguientes del film, es donde se fortalece el aspecto de la ciencia-ficción y la aventura; mi opinión sobre la animación usada en las escenografías y en los personajes varían, por ejemplo el diseño de las escenografías (que son pocas), son más que adecuadas para la historia, pero el diseño de muchos de los personajes alienígenas me pareció para nada original, lo cual es mi única crítica negativa hacia el film, pero creo que entre tantos cambios en producción posiblemente decidieron usar diseños vistos en otras producciones teniendo en cuenta el poco tiempo en escena; justamente lo referente a la animación, diseño y demás del film creo que al no ser considerados de gran escala, pudo ser lo que causó el nulo apoyo a su promoción y lamento que haya sucedido porque "Elio" tienen una historia maravillosa sobre la necesidad de generar conexión, entendimiento y apoyo familiar.

When the news of this film's production broke, it caught my attention because of the potential of its story, which raised my expectations as it was sure to be emotionally charged and convey a good message, as is the case with many Pixar films. However, certain decisions regarding changes in direction and the lack of promotion for the film caused my expectations to drop, even though it was still one of the films I most wanted to see this year. " Elio" is a film that, as I said before, uses many genres to tell the story of a boy who, due to a traumatic event, isolates himself from the world with the sole motive of contacting some sign of life outside this world. That basis of the story, where the loneliness suffered by the protagonist drives him to want to have a space adventure, is something that fascinated me because, despite being a very fast-paced film, that aspect of sadness and loneliness is very present in the first act of the film, which may make Elio seem like a selfish character. However, as he is a person in the final stage of childhood, I think it was a correct representation of Elio's transition to adolescence after experiencing loneliness at such an early age.

The next two acts of the film are where the science fiction and adventure aspects are strengthened. My opinion on the animation used in the sets and characters varies. For example, the set design (which is sparse) is more than adequate for the story, but I found the design of many of the alien characters to be completely unoriginal, which is my only negative criticism of the film. However, I think that with so many changes in production, they may have decided to use designs seen in other productions, given the limited screen time. Precisely because the animation, design, and other aspects of the film were not considered large-scale, this may have been what caused the lack of support for its promotion, and I regret that this happened because "Elio" has a wonderful story about the need to generate connection, understanding, and family support.

Existe un aspecto o características del film que me pareció excelente y es la influencia de muchas producciones en dónde existe el contacto de seres de otros mundos con los humanos; por ejemplo se me hizo imposible no ver referencias a películas de Steven Spielberg como son "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" y "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial", ambas películas muy acordes a lo que es "Elio", ya que ambas tratan temas sobre la respuesta a la pregunta de su estamos solos en el universo, pero también hace referencia a la amistad y la necesidad de conectar con otros y por supuesto a la aventura que más que nada se observa en "E.T."; eso fue sin ninguna duda lo que más me gustó de esta película, así como también el uso de la música que también genera un ambiente correcto en ciertos momentos del film.

There is one aspect or characteristic of the film that I found excellent, and that is the influence of many productions in which beings from other worlds come into contact with humans. For example, it was impossible for me not to see references to films by Steven Spielberg such as Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E. T. the Extra-Terrestrial," both films very much in line with what "Elio" is, as both deal with themes about the answer to the question of whether we are alone in the universe, but also refer to friendship and the need to connect with others and, of course, to adventure, which is most evident in "E.T."; that was undoubtedly what I liked most about this film, as well as the use of music, which also creates the right atmosphere at certain moments in the film.

"Elio" no es un film perfecto, en realidad está lejos de serlo por muchas cosas que son notorias y que puede hacer disminuir la calidad, pero de igual manera es un film con una historia que me pareció excelente y por supuesto superó mis expectativas; es un film bastante rápido que por momentos pareciera estar dividido en dos partes y eso es a causa de los pocos momentos de pausa en el segundo acto que al final no afecta el relato del protagonista, pero si puede afectar a otros personajes al no profundizar en el desarrollo y eso los convierte en algo genérico y repito, son características evidentes, pero en mi opinión no afecta del todo al film, ya que tiene un buen cierre que es bastante divertido, entretenido y perfecto para cerrar la historia de Elio con respecto a la soledad y aislamiento que padece; ojalá que en su próximo estreno por Disney Plus puede tener la aceptación que no consiguió en las salas de cine.

"Elio" is not a perfect film; in fact, it is far from it due to many noticeable aspects that may diminish its quality. However, it is a film with a story that I found excellent and, of course, exceeded my expectations. It is a fairly fast-paced film that at times seems to be divided into two parts, due to the few moments of pause in the second act, which ultimately does not affect the protagonist's story. but it can affect other characters by not delving deeper into their development, which makes them somewhat generic. I repeat, these are obvious characteristics, but in my opinion, they do not affect the film as a whole, since it has a good ending that is quite funny, entertaining, and perfect for closing Elio's story regarding the loneliness and isolation he suffers. Hopefully, in its upcoming release on Disney Plus, it will achieve the acceptance it did not get in theaters.

Cover image edited in canva; the image was taken from the following source

I'm still publishing some of the movies I saw on last Saturday, some of them with my wife and when I first saw the trailers for Red One I was expecting another one of those generic Christmas movies with The Rock doing his usual thing, you know the drill, same expressions same attitude but let me tell you that what I saw was unexpected, this isn't the typical holiday movie where everything is predictable, mixing action with Christmas magic is not usual and even though are totally different concepts the way that was created doesn't feel forced or stupid like most holiday movies, yeah this one took me a while to watch but its because I knew most likely how low was the bar in this case. The movie start with a family celebrating Christmas and focus on an specific kid, Jack, he has the ability to find everything and that night wasn't the exception because he found some gifts but wasn't the Christmas gift so he decided to wait all night for Santa because he really doesn't believe in him, after that start the movie take us to the present when we met the main character of this story Callum Drift, he is a bodyguard but not a normal one because he has the security of Santa Claus. The Rock plays Callum Drift, this season he is going to experience the most difficult task on his career and will joined forces with Jack plays by Chris Evans but is going to be nothing but easy. I really believed that this will be just a stupid movie, with the same things for christmas, you know the snow, the fat Santa, the reindeer but holy shit this movie actually surprised me.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14948432/
• Platform: Amazon Prime Video

Rottentomatoes Rating

After watching Red One I can tell I was impressed and the reason is because this isn't a typical holiday movie where everything is predictable and cheesy, this thing actually has some serious bite to it and manages to mix action with Christmas magic, even though are two different topics, the movie knows how to present it and match in a way that doesn't feel forced or stupid like most holiday movies tend to do these days. The whole premise sounds ridiculous when you think about it, Santa gets kidnapped and The Rock has to team up with Chris Evans to save Christmas, in some way the director knows how to balance the silly stuff with genuine heart and that's not easy to pull off. Something way different in this movie is how Santa Claus is presented is not the typical fat old man instead is a buff dude played by JK Simmons who runs his operation like a well oiled machine was brilliant and unexpected, also the North Pole is not only this magical place where elves work in Santa's workshop, it is a magical world with technology, magical creatures and more and at the moment that is known that Santa was kidnapped it is treated as a military mission. Here is where Callum Drift, the head of security and Santa bodyguard must save Santa and Christmas but he is in a moment where is getting tired of the job because adults are losing their Christmas spirit, with all this information we got The Rock trying to do his job but a Chris Evans that dont car about Christmas but is forced to save it.

The action sequences in this movie are absolutely insane and way more creative than I expected, the persecution scene when Callum is trying desperately to rescue Santa is insane, is not the typical car chase because here there's snow so you see futuristic sleds, another memorable scene is the moment when Callum and Jack arrived in Krampus Castle but more than a castle it looks like a tavern, when they visit him it's not just a quick scene to get information, it turns into this whole adventure where Jack and Callum have to survive Krampus's hospitality which includes drinking contests and slapping matches, the practical effects during these scenes are top notch and you can tell they put real money into making everything look believable instead of just relying on cheap CGI like most movies do nowadays. The mythology they build around Christmas and these holiday figures is actually pretty fascinating, it seems that the understanding and importance that is given to all these creatures is because they are real and deserve all the care and respect but keeping that world hidden from the regular people, it's similar to Men in Black but with Christmas characters instead of aliens and honestly it works better than it should. Lucy Liu shows up as this government agent who knows about this secret world and she brings this no nonsense attitude that helps ground some of the more ridiculous elements, in this point the movie give us that twist that instead the North Pole been hidden for everyone they work side by side with a government for their protection and Lucy Liu as the special agent must coordinate with Callum vital information to recover Santa.

The company behind the creation of this movie is Amazon and it seems that they really wanted to deliver a unique Christmas movie with a huge budget, starting in the way that the North Pole looks like, making memory to many movies about Christmas and the way how is revealed the North Pole here in Read One the North Pole is a massive high tech operation with flying reindeer and advanced security systems but it still feels magical and Christmas like rather than just cold and corporate, indeed it looks nothing as other movies with a classic North Pole where you can only see happiness, not on this movie. The costume design is very solid too, everyone looks like they belong to this world no matter the character that where playing, it was well done, nothing feels out of place or like it was rushed in post production. The Rock and Chris Evans create a great environment, each one with their particular role deliver what was needed to understand their positions, The Rock didn't need to use his well known signature the eyebrow raising thing, in this movie his humor comes from how seriously he takes his job as Santa bodyguard and Chris Evans gives the funny part with his character as a selfish hacker, even thought that Callum gets frustrated for the attitude of Jack at end it seems that both understand that needs to fight alongside to save Christmas and the way they do it make you believe that these tow have become real partners. Everything was planed in a very good way.

The movie isn't perfect though, there are definitely some pacing issues in the middle where things slow down a bit too much and some of the exposition about how this secret Christmas world works gets a little unknown but these are minor complaints in what's overall a really entertaining experience. The production of Red One give us a hint of the budget used in the movie but if you have seen it you can see where the money went, good actions scenes really comparable with superhero movies. It does feel a bit too long at over two hours but I never felt bored on the contrary I feel that the time used in the movie was necessary to first for Santa's kidnap, then the rescue plan, later known the kidnapper and the real motivations behind her actions and the resolution, there was some good character building, the way Callum and Jack open their hearts, understand their feelings and grow to accept what can't be changed and what can give us a better life. Read One match action, Christmas and emotions making a great combination for a cool movie, with good practical effects and CGI but I should mention that even thought the theme is Christmas the true is that this is not a movie for kids, there's some violence and adult humor, so is better for families with teenagers or only adults that want to enjoy something fun. I give Red One a solid 7/10 but not more than that, I might be a bit bias here, Im tired of The Rock doing movies honestly, and dont get me wrong but its just one of those movies that is a good one time watch but nothing crazy or revolutionary, in fact I would recommend it to anyone who wants to see something different from Christmas season.

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #santa, #christmas, #redone, #johnson, #evans, #action, #holiday, #kidnapped, #naughty, #callum, #jack, #gryla, #mora, #snowmen, #krampus, #rescue, #magic, #simmons, #presents, #northpole, #elf, #villain, #mythology, #goodness, #adventure

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My Oxford Year is a romantic film with some comedy elements, and I must say it’s a very nice one to watch. The movie has beautiful photography, a good plot, and actors who, even though not so famous (or at least I did not know them), delivered performances that lived up to the expectations of an easy to watch, pleasant film.

What I really liked about it is how it can take you back to your college or student years. There are funny moments, heartwarming ones, and plenty of beautiful sceneries from the UK. Personally, since I’ve never been to the UK, I really enjoyed seeing the architecture, the streets, and the unique atmosphere that Oxford brings to the screen.

It’s definitely a movie that I would recommend mostly for couples or for girls’ movie nights. It doesn’t have action-packed scenes, so don’t expect fights or thrills. Instead, it focuses on the story, the emotions, and the relationships, so it’s better to check the plot beforehand to make sure it matches your taste.

As per imdb:

When Anna, an ambitious young American woman, sets out for Oxford University to fulfill a childhood dream, she has her life completely on track until she meets a charming and clever local who profoundly alters both of their lives.

I enjoyed watching it. The romance is at the heart of the film, and while you should be aware of the emotional side of the story, it adds depth and meaning to the whole experience.

For imdb, the rating is 5.9/10 and I may put almost 6.2 (not any more) - but for me that was enough for an entertaining evening.

I also enjoyed watching the landscapes, architecture and listening to British accent :)

Overall, My Oxford Year is a lovely, warm, and visually beautiful film. If you’re in the mood for something romantic with touches of humor and you’d like to get a cinematic glimpse of Oxford, then this movie is definitely worth your time.

p.s. Please note that dictation & AI for corrections was used to craft this (due to my broken arm and inability to type long form posts)

p.s2. SPOILER

There may be some elements that may make you feel a certain sadness, so if you are not in the mood for a sentimental movie, better leave it for another time :)

If you do watch it let me know what you think!

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• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1156398/
• Platform: Amazon Prime Video

Rottentomatoes Rating

Source

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Woody Harrelson, as usual steals the show completely with his character "Tallahassee" is a wild and crazy bad ass with a love for Twinkies that drives some funny moments, although its the chemistry he shares with Jesse Eisenberg's "Columbus" is like an oddball buddy road trip but also Jesse Eisenberg's character was annoying at times. His acting sometimes stick with you and the humor he tries to bring didn't always land for me so its a 50/50. I never really laughed at his jokes most of the time, it felt off compared to the rest of the cast performance wise. Emma Stone, on the other hand shines bright as hell as she is freaking gorgeous, energetic and brings a fresh vibe to the group. Her and Abigail Breslin's characters add the right balance of sass and depth to what could have been just another dumb zombie comedy. The way these four characters interact feels original and almost natural most of the time, even when the script gets a bit weak. Columbus with his rules for survival is a nice touch that gives structure to the chaos, like his cardio rule or the double tap rule that actually make sense in a zombie apocalypse scenario, he mention it, that rules kept him alive.

There were some scenes that to be honest let like dumb stuff that made me roll my eyes big time throughout the movie. There were some seriously stupid moves by the characters and I get it, post apocalyptic fiction needs suspension of disbelief but some stuff in this movie went way beyond that. Like the scene where the group finds a crashed Hostess snack truck and everyone is all hyped for Twinkies only to find, individually wrapped Snowballs dropping out everywhere? Come on, only noobs think snack trucks ship snacks one by one like that! Then there is the whole excessive Twinkie obsession that sometimes felt like an over the top product placement add that got annoying. In this movie the Twinkies are like the holy grail of this new world and if I remember right, they barely find any throughout the entire movie, the more I give though to this Zombie apocalypse I find hard that society would fall so drastically that nothing will function and the entire world would stop, unless they are like World War Z or 28 Years Latter infected, that agressive and fast, if not humans would find a way and Twinkies would exist but be very expesive pobably. Plus in certain point of the story it was slow, making circle in a same idea and instead of find a way to give more heart to the story just plays save, movies like this or in fact comedy is hard for me to talk about for some reason. The whole ending while it was visually cool, felt kinda predictable and drawn out in places because you could see the zombie swarm coming from miles away, yet these characters act surprised when it happens. The electricity still working after months of apocalypse but if they could have given more context to the rest of the world like who's running these power plants exactly? then again is a silly comedy so shouldnt put too much though on he enviroment. Probably no one will think about the Twinkies obsession or that the electricity still working, is coherent to think that the story is about 4 person surviving the apocalypses so why isn't someone in charge of electricity?, is just a crazy thought I guess, but well all that is part of the universe of Zombieland.

Then there is famous Bill Murray cameo, what a mixed bag that turned out to be since it was hilarious and totally unexpected to see him playing a Zombie that actually talks and interacts with everyone, but the joke of him sneaking up twice on people strapped with guns and loaded weapons? probably the dumbest choice ever in my opinion. Like, what were you thinking, Bill? You almost get shot the first time, then you do it again to different people? that is just asking for trouble and if you didn't notice he is not a real zombie is only makeup on the movie itself, he is just playing with the people, who believe that enter in his mansion is the best refugee, he still alive until this group arrived to his house and get shut and die, yes die, his cameo I think give a fresh moment to the story obviously because is unexpected so is better when in the must stupid way he dies. At the same time it made me think a little bit on how many provisions he has in his home that he didn't needs to search for something else, is good be rich during the Apocalypse.

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #zombieland, #zombies, #comedy, #horror, #apocalypse, #woody, #harrelson, #emma, #stone, #jesse, #eisenberg, #bill, #murray, #twinkies, #survival, #rules, #cardio, #action, #gore, #amusement, #park, #buddy, #road, #trip, #entertainment

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Bone Tomahawk just might be one of those movies that you least expect it to be this good for an average movie, its kinda weird but on this Western movie drama counts a lot because lets face it, there was not much to back then or where to go, this thing starts off as what seems like your typical western with Kurt Russell doing his usual sheriff thing but then turns into something completely different halfway. What caught me totally off guard was how much this movie made me laugh during the first hour, I mean Richard Jenkins as Chicory is absolutely hilarious as this bumbling deputy who just wont shut up about the most random stuff he could think about, he keeps asking questions like whether you can read a book in the bathtub while they are on this serious rescue mission to save those kidnapped, its the kind of humor that feels so natural you almost forget you are watching a "horror" western hybrid until things get really brutal later on, honestly there wasnt that much horror in the traditional way, very mixed movie tbh. Kurt Russell brings that classic energy to his role as Sheriff Hunt, he has got this weathered cowboy thing down perfect and you can tell he really loves playing these types of characters even though he could probably do it in his sleep by now. Patrick Wilson plays Arthur who is basically a guy with a busted leg trying to rescue his wife from cannibals, which sounds ridiculous when you put it that way but Wilson makes it work through pure determination and desperation. John Brooder plays Matthew Fox a man with pure hate to the native that decided to be on this mission just for the pleasure, hate and opportunity to kill indias, but the reasons are more deepest. The whole cast really seems to be having a blast, you can sense they know they are in something special even if its gonna be a tough sell to mainstream audiences because of how weird it gets.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2494362/
• Platform: AppleTV+

Rottentomatoes Rating

The movie takes its sweet time getting to the horror part of it, I can say its probably an hour just watching these four guys ride horses and camp out while going back and forth about everything from marriage to reading habits, some people might find this pacing slow but I thought it was brilliant because you actually start caring about these characters before the movie throws them into hell, it is called "character development" and when bad things happen to them later it actually matters instead of just being random violence for shock value. Matthew Fox shows up as this gunslinger who claims he has killed over a hundred Indians, I think the character could have been just another angry racist but Fox plays him with enough nuance that you understand his motivations even if you dont agree with them. The hole dialogue feels very authentic to the time period without being overly flowery or fake sounding, these guys talk like real people would have talked back then instead of reciting speeches about honor and duty, at least based on my impression and memory of how people were during that time, its all from what I have seen on TV nothing that I have study tbh. There is this great scene where they encounter two Mexican guys at night and Fox just shoots them both because he doesnt trust anyone approaching their camp in the darkness, it shows how paranoid and violent these guys have become living on the frontier. The movie does a good job of showing how isolation and constant danger can turn normal people into killers, even the sheriff who tries to be honorable ends up doing some pretty questionable things but all those things are not judge and it is because was the way of living back then, always with a gun on the hip and yours eyes everywhere, just wild.

The difference with this movie from other westerns is that it make you think that it could be a supernatural event that is happening but the truth is so much worst because after one person is kidnapped is revealed that has nothing to do with ghost or witches, they are humans, who have basically downgrade themselve mentally into something primitive and savage through isolation and inbreeding. Its basically the result of they spliting off from regular Native American tribes long ago and became something else entirely, they dont even have a language anymore just these weird growling sounds they make through surgically implanted devices in their throats. With all that set, I felt happy for the twist the movie gave since its unique and also give the hint that the rescue mission is going to be bloody because the kidnappers, yes are cannibal but can die. When we finally see their cave society its absolutely nightmarish, they keep women as breeding stock after cutting off their limbs and taking out their eyes so they cant escape, pure evil, BIG WTF moment there. The violence in this movie is not fun or exciting like in most action movies, its brutal and realistic in a way that makes you uncomfortable instead of entertained. There is one particular death scene that had me covering my eyes even though I usually dont have problems with gory movies, the sound during that sequence is just perfect in the worst possible way. The movie doesnt stop on the violence for shock value but it also doesnt shy away from showing you exactly how horrible these creatures are, they eat people like we would eat chicken and think nothing of it, without remorse and consciousness, this savages only have pleasure in killing, nothing else.

The ending was exactly what you would expect from this kind of revenge story but it never feels predictable because of how well developed all the characters are, you genuinely worry about who is going to survive until the very last scene. Arthur somehow manages to be the hero despite being basically crippled throughout most of the movie but I guess has to be his determination to save his wife what drives him to do things that should be impossible for someone in his condition. The final fight in the cave is intense as hell, watching these civilized men try to fight against primitive savages in their own environment creates this great David versus Goliath dynamic. Kurt Russell gets to be a badass one more time before his character meets his fate, the guy goes out fighting like you would expect from any Kurt Russell character. What impressed me most about the ending is how the movie don't treat them like heroes, just give importance to each one of them because never give up in complete the task of rescue Arthur wife, some of them suffer in horrible ways but fight agains the enemy until the end, never regrets in one stays and wich one return home, their objective was completed and more than that because the savages where killed giving peace to one that stays. You can really suffer when they start dying but at the same time feel relief knowing that they fight againts the unknown and in certain way they win.

These is the kind of movie that is a totally surprise and as everything you love it or hate it. Four men in a rescue mission knowing that they are going to fight against the most violent native tribe that exist and the worst of all, cannibals. The person that must be rescue is the wife of one of them, that is the cripple of the team, the one that is delaying them but the one with the courage of doing everything to get his wife back. This movie really impressed me in a good way because reminds me the way how movie used to be done, no CGI, a lot of practical effects, a good story, a great dialogue and actors that play the role like if they were born for it. The true is that Im not a huge fan of western movies, decide to give a chance to this one obviously knowing that wasnt the tippically western movie and doesnt dissapoint on the contrary, it gave me action, comedy, horror and passion, THIS is a good movie but if you dont like western or gore this is not for you.

Know looking back at this movie as I said before it is not for everyone but if you enjoy slow burn westerns with horror elements thrown in you will probably love it, reason why I only gave it a 7 out of 10, I feel that the movie just suits me too well and I know not everyone is going to enjoy it as I did, in fact some of the horror scenes were not so pleasent to watch to be honest. The pacing might test your patience during the middle section where they are just riding across the desert talking to each other but stick with it because the payoff is worth the wait. Its got real characters with believable motivations instead of just action figures going through lines between fight scenes. The budget was tiny but you would never know it from watching, everything from the costumes to the locations feels authentic and lived in rather than cheap or fake looking.

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #western, #horror, #russell, #cannibals, #cowboys, #savage, #brutal, #cave, #rescue, #violence, #troglodytes, #sheriff, #desert, #survival, #gore, #primitive, #frontier, #dialogue, #characters, #slowburn, #revenge, #isolation, #authentic, #kidnapped, #nightmare

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Ari Aster just came up what might be the most uncomfortble movie expirience I have had in years with Eddington and honestly Im still trying to figure out if thats a good thing or not because it was not bad bad although its like I feel force to like it, this movie takes us back to May 2020 when everything went to absolute hell with COVID and throws us into this tiny New Mexico town where a sheriff and mayor are about to destroy each other over mask mandates. Joaquin Phoenix plays Joe Cross, this sheriff who has asthma and refuses to wear masks while Pedro Pascal is Ted Garcia, the mayor trying to keep things together while also dealing with his own personal demons, Emma Stone shows up as Louise, Joes mentally unstable wife who makes creepy dolls and has serious trauma from her past that slowly gets revealed through the movie. The whole setup feels like watching your own 2020 experience but cranked up to eleven with all the paranoia, conspiracy theories and political division that made that year so miserable for everyone involved, Aster doesnt hold back from showing how social media turned everyone into either extreme liberals or right wing conspiracy theorists with no middle ground left anywhere. The movie does feel so accurate at capturing that specific anxiety of going to the grocery store during lockdown, having people yell at you for not wearing a mask properly or wearing one when you think its stupid, the whole thing brings back memories that make me angry just to revisit considering Im one of the very few on Earth that NEVER got any vaccine and it was my choice but was not easy, I was the one been yell at. The movie starts slow with Phoenix doing his usual intense but controlled performance as this guy who thinks he knows whats best for everyone while clearly having no idea what hes doing, his relationship with Emma Stone is bizarre and uncomfortable as she deals with her own mental health issues and gets involved with Austin Butlers character who runs some kind of cult or self help group for trauma victims.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31176520/

Rottentomatoes Rating

Phoenix absolutely carries this movie on his shoulders even when the script goes completely off the rails in the third act, his portrayal of Joe Cross feels like every middle aged guy who thought COVID was the perfect excuse to finally lose his mind and take control of his life through violence and manipulation. The way he handles the mask controversy at the beginning feels so real it made me cringe remembering all those videos of people fighting in stores over face coverings, Pedro Pascal does his best with Ted Garcia but the character feels underdeveloped compared to everything else going on around him. Emma Stones performance as Louise is disturbing but I not sure if to say its on a good way, she plays this fragile woman whos been dealing with childhood trauma and mental illness while trying to maintain some kind of normal relationship with her husband, her scenes with Austin Butler are creepy and effective even though Butler barely gets any screen time. The supporting cast includes Deirdre OConnell as Louises conspiracy theorist mother who spends all day watching YouTube videos about government coverups, Michael Ward as a black deputy caught between his job and the Black Lives Matter protests happening around town, and various teenagers who start their own BLM chapter without really understanding what theyre fighting for. Aster does an incredible job showing how everyone during 2020 became obsessed with being right about everything while at the same time having no idea what they were talking about, the teenagers especially feel like real kids who got caught up in social justice movements more for social media clout than actual conviction. The political stuff never feels preachy because Aster makes everyone look equally stupid and hypocritical, from the conspiracy theorist mother to the sheriff who thinks hes the only sane person left in town.

The first half of Eddington works really well as this slow burn character study about people losing their minds during lockdown but then the movie takes this wild turn into action thriller territory that completely changes the tone and pacing. Its when Joe Cross decides to run for mayor against Ted Garcia and things escalate way beyond normal political rivalry into straight up murder and violence, the homeless guy who appears throughout the movie becomes a victim of Joes breaking point and then Ted Garcia and his son get killed too, its here where the movie either completely falls apart or becomes something totally different depending on how much you are willing to go along with Asters vision, personally I found the shift jarring and unnecessary even though the action sequences are so intense that kept me entertained. Close to the ending we get introduce to this mysterious terrorist who shows up in a private plane and starts killing everyone, here they completely lost me and made me feel we were on another movie without any notice, a movie about government conspiracies rather than the small town story we started with, its an actual WTF moment during the movie and why close to the end?. Phoenix does his best to sell the transformation from frustrated sheriff to unhinged killer but the script falls flat including him because there is just too much contrast with what had happen so far during the movie by the time I watch him run through the streets with a machine gun I was ok with the movie until that point, right there the movie falls straight to a 7 for me and if it wasnt for Pedro who I think was totally underdeveloped I think the internet is right at calling it a flat 6 across multiple score sites. The political commentary that worked so well in the first half gets lost in all the gunfire and explosions, what started as a smart satire about COVID times with the paranoia turns into this generic action movie about ANTIFA terrorists and government cover ups. Director Aster seems more interested creating such high schock jaw dropping moment to the audience with violence and nudity than following what was build up during the movie and a coherent story line, to me that is frustrating because those themes were relevant.

I watch this movie over the weekend with my wife and we were both shocked at how they fucked up what could have been a very refreshing movie even if it was about hard times for everyone so I keep thinking about how this could have been a really great movie if they had trusted the initial concept instead of trying to turn it into some kind of action thriller hybrid. The stuff about social media radicalization and COVID paranoia hits hard because its still so fresh and printed in our minds, watching Phoenix slowly lose his grip on reality while everyone around him does the same thing felt belivable and relevant but its like at half of they movie they realize they were going too slow, like they were cooking and suddenly realize it has no spice so they throw in the entire spice bottle, yes I know slow burn character development isnt enough to carry a movie and even the conspiracy plot was relevant but the mysterious terrorists and government data centers that feels completely disconnected from everything else is was goes off rails. Emma Stones character disappears halfway through the movie right when her story was getting interesting, Pedro Pascal gets killed off just as we start understanding his motivations and the teenagers who seemed important early became irrelevant side characters. The movie is also way too long at almost two and a half hours, Im sure there could have been some scenes that could have been cut without losing anything important to the story. The technical aspects are all solid with great cinematography that really gets the desolate New Mexico landscape and good sound design that makes every gunshot feel shocking and real, but the technicals cant make up for a script that doesnt know what it wants to be.

I know I have been ranting on the latest movies reviews I had made but its just disappointment in many ways, probably because Im dearing at watching certain movies that are not my first choice or I just had to watch like "Supperman 2025". I cant deny that Eddington brought me back many memories, I cant say those were some of my worst times in life because it wasnt but its probably the world wide event with the most impact, it was a PANDEMIC World Wide, it captures something real about how 2020 felt for a lot of people even if it takes that feeling to ridiculous extremes and it had to because those were weird and extreme times, people fought over toilet paper. Some of the first scenes when Phoenix was trying to deal with mask requirements while dealing with his asthma felt really frustrating reminds me wearing glasses with mask too, the teenagers arguing about racism and privilege while clearly not understanding either completely and Emma Stones deteriorating mental health during lockdown was really sad and makes me think about those who really had a hard time at staying in one place under lockdown for so long because in some countries they were not that soft, you literally could get arrested if go out. Aster made an important movie that actually engages with the trauma and division that COVID brought to society world wide, most movies either ignore that period completely or treat it as background noise rather than exploting the experience that connects people in so many ways. Phoenix gives another very committed performance even when the script doesnt deserve it, he finds real humanity in this flawed character even as the script pushes him toward cartoonish villainy by the end. If youre willing to watch this long ass movie sometimes you are going to feel frustrated at it, it just doesnt tackles recent PANDEMIC events with more ambition, Eddington might be worth checking out, just dont expect it to provide easy answers or a movie that is easy to watch. I give it a 7 out of 10 for effort even though the execution left me wanting more.

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #eddington, #aster, #phoenix, #pascal, #stone, #covid, #sheriff, #mayor, #pandemic, #conspiracy, #masks, #violence, #politics, #thriller, #satire, #trauma, #lockdown, #paranoia, #radicalization, #terrorism, #government, #corruption, #media, #division, #america

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