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The Silence won’t squeeze out your last drop of fear and it’s not very stimulating or even original horror, either, but it does manage to generate a captivating atmosphere and to draw a realistic portrait of societal collapse. The ending arrives too suddenly, perhaps, but the short runtime justifies it and the viewer not only won’t get bored, but also will find a way to relate to the characters and their situation.

Notwithstanding the expectations, The Professor and the Madman is a pretty ambitious and formally effective movie that fully relies on its actors and tries to bring life to an academic topic with psychological insight and a romantic line. That doesn’t always work out, the pace in the second half grinds and the story lacks the much needed catharsis, as well as enough interesting moments with which we could enrich our vocabulary and use later to lecture our surroundings. That said, anyone who craved to see Mel Gibson again with a Scottish accent and a full beard has a unique chance.

Very strong 4*. It’s very nice to see the way this (at the time) trilogy developed. The first one is a thoroughbred “one vs everybody” 1980s action flick with old-school practices, boosted by a new breed of reluctant hero and an original closed space. The second one also relies exclusively on McClane and combines “survival” action with the genre experimentation of the 90s and high production values in an amusing way. The third one is an even more easygoing buddy movie, where Willis is still that “dolt” from the 80s and Jackson represents the wisecracking black character, famous from The Last Boy Scout and even Pulp Fiction. And it all works together very well, the story delivers action entertainment non-stop (what’s most interesting is the total absence of exposure and the introduction of new characters), the only weakness is that by the end is not as bold as at the beginning (the escape from an exploding boat couldn’t be more tired and the ending lacks ideas and creativity). But the pace is great, gradually dividing the action among several groups of characters, this time with a quick change of key locations. In terms of humour, this is hands down the best episode, but, as a representative of the traditions of pure action, it lags a little behind the first two. 85%

A film where everything fits together too well for it not to be great and unique. The script is packed with original ideas, strong characters and tragicomic moments where you don’t know whether to laugh or cry (and all they need is to add a cute dog to the story). The director knows very well how to mix the fates of the characters with the maximum catharsis and how to time that load of brilliant one-liners and dialogues. And then you have the best actor of all time in front of the camera in his most entertaining role, you will fall in love with him despite his shortcomings (but I don’t want to play down Greg Kinnear and Helen Hunt, who are also superb). A tasteful and entertaining comedy that teach us things can always get better – and that it can be achieved.

A traditionally well executed and patient start that makes you remember of the narrative character of the first season.

If you like the Arthurian legends and want to share them with your children, The Kid Who Would Be King may be the film for you. To everyone else, a warning, although the film is not bad or lacking ideas, those two hours are way too much and there aren’t enough attractions to fully plug those plot holes. But lets be honest, it couldn’t have turned out in any other way.

A 1990s example of a faithful genre flick that adds new ammo to a worn out template with allusions to new technologies, the obsolescence of McClane’s methods, and the direct clash of the old school (represented by McClane inside the story, as well as the 1980s action drive on the surface) with these newcomers (a hacker’s threat and the self-aware wink and homage to predecessors). The narrative is perfectly structured into several small blocks and it manages to retain the coherent impression of the first one, the action scenes are all entertaining (save for a couple of surprising exceptions), the development of the villains makes sense and Willis drops wisecracks as if his life depended on it. The golden 90s at their best, but with a slightly worn-out package. Harlin was good. 90%

A very convincing depiction of utter moral and physical decay. In the second half, the narration becomes a bit mechanic and it seems that one of the characters doesn’t really know what they want, but a superb Bette Midler carries everything on her shoulders and you will feel sorry for her, together with the great music and the unbridled feeling of sex, drugs and rock’n’roll, which could be as sinister as it was intoxicating – something the film manages to flawlessly portray.

I couldn't get into Conrad’s book, I felt it resisted me, but I loved the movie. A wide-format feature film with an epic set, a magnificent cast and a psychology that, though not as strong as Lawrence of Arabia, is carefully developed across the narrative until the inevitable conclusion. Some of the sequences are formally contradictory, and the supporting characters fail to break out of the familiar pigeon holes, but this path to redemption is simply irresistible thanks to its adventurous dimension and the performance of Peter O'Toole. Everyone should have a pinch of Lord Jim. 75%

One of the most original comedies of the 80s. It’s a pity that there are moments when it’s devalued by the star power of Eddie Murphy, who unnecessarily dilutes the pace and the taste with his screaming cameo roles. Otherwise, it’s a very good piece of entertainment that fully exploits the core premise “rich dreamer looking for love in a poor environment”. I don’t think I’ve ever envied anyone’s life so much as Murphy’s here, having my sex organ washed in the morning by a sexy topless servant is now in my bucket list. 75%