EvilPhoEniX

Fuck you Anatomy of a Fall!! This duel of two European films that have collected awards and received similar enthusiastic ovations is won by Poor Things on all fronts. It can hardly compare to that ungrateful, extremely long and uninteresting, disgustingly cheap and literal copycat The Staircase for jaded bookworms and art nerds of the deepest grain. Poor Things is exceptional in that it satisfies both regular viewers and critics, which happens rarely. Yorgos Lanthimos creates unconventional and interesting films (I liked The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer), so I went to the cinema prepared, but this guy has matured as a director to the point where he has possibly made the best film of the year right from the start. I have never seen or remember such flawless filmmaking that would excel and dominate in every aspect. Poor Things is formally amazing. A beautiful Steampunk world in the Victorian era with beautifully painted sets (there are some scenes that you will probably want to hang as a painting at home), it has an original idea and a lot of interesting concepts (those animal hybrids are perfect). It also has a very strong cast. Willem Dafoe as the scientist is very smart and impressive, Mark Ruffalo has possibly the best role in his career, and Emma Stone, well, she is absolutely awesome, a sort of a cross between Harley Quinn, an absolutely incredible acting performance, if not the best female performance I have ever seen, she plays Bella brilliantly, I would be surprised if she didn't end up on drugs or in a mental institution after this. As a bonus, there is plenty of dark and cynical humor, where the whole cinema laughed. The humor always managed to liven up the film properly, and Bella's vulgarity and rudeness in society were simply the best. The film won me over almost from the beginning (although at first, I was afraid they were going to show us a black and white version), but once Bella starts traveling the world, it's one big party, with an excellent screenplay, great actors, fantastic cinematography, amazing visuals, humor, dialogues, and it's also appropriately perverse and twisted, as they fuck like crazy here! (The episode in the Parisian brothel with all those creeps and perverts is an absolute gem). I applaud standing up, I cry with enthusiasm, I take off my hat. A masterpiece. Flawless and magnificent! Proper Frankenstein's daughter! :) 10/10.

James Nunn and Scott Adkins return in the sequel to the tactical shooter, and by B-movie standards, it's a successful action ride. The film picks up right after the second part, where Adkins is tasked with escorting a suspected terrorist to Washington, but an organized attack occurs at the airport. Once it starts, it has a very tense and intense atmosphere, with a plethora of enemies and the entire assault being portrayed aggressively and uncompromisingly. The single-shot camera works well (clearly, a higher-budget would have benefitted the film, but not every filmmaker gets the money for such films, so let's be grateful for this). It's more about shooting, there aren't many fights, and when there are, Adkins isn't a martial arts master, he gets his ass kicked nicely, and it seemed to me that he only used his skills halfway, but at least it feels authentic, having just an agent and not a martial arts star. Michael Jai White shows up only at the very end, which is a bit of a shame, but the duel was likable. There was even one surprising twist, and the story itself, by B-movie standards, is quite interesting, so I had a decent time once again. It reminded me of my favorite PS1 game, “Syphon Filter 2”. 7/10.

A brilliant little-known film that caught my eye and immediately became a favourite! A gangster movie from a different angle. The story is about an smart computer nerd who is about 160 cm tall and weighs 45 kilos, but it could definitely be said that he is a genius and knows how to make money. He is fascinated by a local club and decides to build his own, the largest in all of Belgium, an absolute mastermind who comes up with a perfect project, and his right-hand man is the king of Belgian porn, who ensures a decent clientele. I was very envious of the whole film, but at the same time, I was happy for the main character because he lived my dream, so I really enjoyed it all tremendously. That wild night life of the 90s is almost palpable. Cocaine from Colombia, ecstasy from the Netherlands, prostitutes from Poland and Moldova, and Albanian thugs as bouncers. An amazing soundtrack, an amazing atmosphere, while watching you feel like you are experiencing the party with them, and as if that wasn't enough, the main character starts dating Miss Belgium. The least likely gangster achieved almost the impossible. For me, simply a fascinating story based on real events, where in the end, things start to go to shit in a classic way (the ego grows out of control, drug addiction, tax officials on their tail and pissed off Albanians!). Of course, there was also a twist. The film is visually breathtaking, perfectly acted, it's very daring and properly wild (Special Sunday, where politicians, judges, and wealthy people go to fuck in masks, unbelievable!). In just 30 minutes, I knew that I would love this film, and that's exactly what happened. I recommend it, but only if you are close to the subject matter, otherwise, it might pass you by. 100%

The film takes place in one street, where Simon Yam plays a kind uncle whom everyone loves. Once the ruthless gang Green Dragon Gang barges in and destroys his shop, they discover six bodies, seven passports, and a lot of weapons. Everyone is shocked, wondering who this kind and gentle uncle really is. And on top of it all, there is another secret organization led by another Chinese star, Andy On. This organization has high-tech weapons, which I found very refreshing and interesting. The last 40 minutes are almost a nonstop action inferno, the film has excellent visuals, and there are both shootouts and fights. Two years ago the director knocked me out the action-packed film Blind War, also starring Andy On, so the action is on a similar level and, in my opinion, it is definitely one of the better Hong Kong films in recent times. 75%

A dog will never abandon its master, but the master abandons the dog! An enjoyable Korean gangster film, led by excellent actors and a nice story, that only lacks more significant action sequences, but otherwise I am satisfied. The story follows a talented boxer who kills his opponent during a match and serves eight years in prison. Upon his release, he returns to his friend, who has chosen the life of a gangster and is now his right hand. This does not sit well with other subordinates and conflicts arise. Park Sung-woong plays an excellent antagonist in the series Bloodhounds, and here, he plays the main hero (personally, I don't like his face, so it's hard for me to root for him, but he acts excellently). Oh Dae-hwan is also good in the role of a gangster, as well as Joo Suk-tae, who plays a perpetually drugged corrupt policeman. The film is quite intimate and focuses on only a few characters. It’s clear it is a debut film, the director did not have high ambitions, but the effort is there. The best action comes at the very end, with a few short and intense fights, but as the main character is a boxer, I expected more. The finale is quite surprising and there is also a twist, so for me it is a good film that won't disappoint fans of Korean gangster films, but it is not top grade quality. 65%

F. Gary Gray used to be one of my favorite directors, I still consider Law Abiding Citizen to be one of the best thrillers ever, and Straight Outta Compton was also decent, but Men in Black: International missed the mark and unfortunately, this one didn't sit well with me either. Gary needs to make more intimate and gritty films, not these generic mainstream stuff with no distinct style. Anyone could have directed this and it would have turned out the same. I was slightly intrigued by the cast, since I also like Kevin Hart and Ursula Corbero, and Billy Magnussen usually provides comedic relief in movies, but the humor is completely lacking here, but I wasn't expecting much of it anyway. I was hoping for at least some good gags, but Hart is playing a serious role for maybe the first time, so there's nothing. The actual heist plan isn't terrible and it's watchable, it just feels very disposable, something I won't remember tomorrow. This is the obligatory Netflix popcorn flick that you have to watch once in a while. 4.5/10.

An enjoyable crime drama/thriller from Harlan Coben and this year's Netflix cannonade is incredible so far. We have the gorgeous Michelle Keegan playing an ex-soldier (I loved that she doesn't fuck with anyone) whose sister and husband have recently been murdered, plus her husband. However, after she sees her dead husband on a hidden camera, a decent carousel of events unfolds, supported by some nice twists and turns, and this whole crime has a much bigger scope, which I applaud. The characters are likeable, even the detective duo is cool, it has a decent pace thanks to well dosed information, I liked the music and surprisingly I enjoyed it more than I hoped before watching it. The final two episodes ratchet up the tension to the max and I have to say that I definitely didn't count on the killer being revealed and the final showdown, which is also very satisfying (albeit slightly shocking). It's not a masterpiece to remember like The Innocent, but it's very decent entertainment that won't offend fans of convoluted stories where you don't know the outcome until the last moment. 75%

It wasn't bad, but I expected more. Herman Yau can occasionally surprise, and the final action blast scratches a 4-star rating, but it doesn't quite achieve it. The story follows a group of detectives investigating a gang that robs trains. Chinese star Andy Lau is good, visually it's fine, there's not much action, more like chases (don't expect any fights), but the final shootout in the warehouse had a decent epic scale, it really surprised me, but the rest didn't excite me as much. It's not boring, but nothing that I would remember. 6/10.

It’s supposed to be the Japanese version of Evil Dead - ultimate gore anthology! Yeah, right. I haven't felt so embarrassed watching something in a long time. The film, if you can even call it that, is only just under an hour long, but it's still unbearable crap. The Japanese are somewhere else and they can't balance the boundaries of taste and humor, and most of the time it's just more embarrassing than anything else. The initial nod to Evil Dead, with chainsaw in hand, at least was passable, but the rest is awful. Instead of demons slaughtering, they coffee, jump rope, and laugh like kids. Well, that's what we all want to see. Really bad. 1/10.

Netflix has started off the year in a big way and ruthlessly crushing the competition. This is a pleasant surprise that I don't think anyone expected miracles from. The Brothers Sun is a combination of gangster and family drama, which I think is quite refreshing, and I didn't believe it could work, but it does solidly – though I would be more satisfied it it was purely a gangster drama. The best character is Charles, an uncompromising assassin and one of the two brothers who returns to LA to protect their mother and his nerdy brother from a new gang trying to take out all the Triads. The series has a very captivating and entertaining pace, something is always happening, and there are even humorous moments. You can relate to the characters, even the nerdy brother didn't get on my nerves too much (although some of his decisions were on the edge), and I really enjoyed the whole plot with the Triads. When it came to action, the creators really excelled. All the action scenes are shot in one take without cuts, and the choreography is very well done. Charles is a real cool guy and elevates the action scenes. It's not very brutal, because it's also a family drama, but I enjoyed it immensely. Especially in the 7th episode, the action finale took my breath away. There were also some twists and turns, the music is good, and visually, it's on point. Everything is in order. It may not be a masterpiece, but it's top-notch TV entertainment that shouldn't offend anyone. Everyone will find something here. 8/10.