mg-soikkeli
Joined Jun 2013
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Reviews13
mg-soikkeli's rating
"Ad Astra" is the worst science fiction movie that I've ever seen in cinema. There are lot of cheap genre productions going straight to dvd, but with Brad Pitt as star-bonus "Ad Astra" was frozen until it was time to exploit the fame of new Tarantino-movie and the marketing of Pitt-stardom. Maybe the actor himself thought he might have a proper artistic role as an astronaut with plenty of inner soliloquy, but it's definitely not one of Pitt's memorable roles. And the performance of Tommy Lee Jones (as a crazy scientist) is something to share the sense of shame.
After "Lost City of Z" this film is really an astronomical misfire from director (and writer) James Grey. Without proper plot and serious character building "Ad Astra" is a vain and deeply failed venture to use outer space and astronauts as last signs of metaphysics. The car chase -action on the Moon and the spectacular intro feel like late attachments to prove something commercially stable for marketing (and for trailer). With extremely childish voice over and silly family drama "Ad Astra" is even worse than Claire Denis's "High Life" (2018).
After "Lost City of Z" this film is really an astronomical misfire from director (and writer) James Grey. Without proper plot and serious character building "Ad Astra" is a vain and deeply failed venture to use outer space and astronauts as last signs of metaphysics. The car chase -action on the Moon and the spectacular intro feel like late attachments to prove something commercially stable for marketing (and for trailer). With extremely childish voice over and silly family drama "Ad Astra" is even worse than Claire Denis's "High Life" (2018).
"Everybody knows" is more like a tourist advertisement than a film. It's hard to understand motives of Asghar Farhadi to make such a film without any personal touch. His three previous films, available internationally, are great examples of cinematographic thinking. The local Iranian subjects have been adapted to film narratives and the half-public life of families been showed through clever choises of places and camera angles.
But not in "Everybody Knows". There nothing I can recognize as the style of same auteur. Some themes are familiar from previous film, like the question of trustworthy spouses. The plot, a crime mystery, offers nothing to wait for.
The famous actors of this film are just famous; they don't have any motivation to act "great" in such a lazy and under-scripted film. There must be hundreds of Spanish actors who could do the same kind of tv-melodrama in front of camera.
Waste of time.
But not in "Everybody Knows". There nothing I can recognize as the style of same auteur. Some themes are familiar from previous film, like the question of trustworthy spouses. The plot, a crime mystery, offers nothing to wait for.
The famous actors of this film are just famous; they don't have any motivation to act "great" in such a lazy and under-scripted film. There must be hundreds of Spanish actors who could do the same kind of tv-melodrama in front of camera.
Waste of time.
Easy to watch, hard to digest. "Styx" is a good and soft-voiced political film, but maybe too long for its simple message about individual responsibility.
Or maybe there's just too much message and too little drama in this film. It has a great analogy of Europe as naval crisis between an immigrant boat, a private boat and coastal guard. The grand political scenario of immigrant politics is dramatized in scale of two boats. If you get a mayday message on sea then it is the kind of situation where you must help anyone in need. But the lonely sailor (Susanne Wolff) of the private boat must decide how long will she use her own small boat and believe in her own devotion (she's a doctor) to help +300 immigrants in a sinking boat miles away from African west coast.
The basis for this contemporary drama is much better than the dramatic outcome. The story is cut short, just the way it might have gone, to be as blunt as the migration politics in Europe. There's not much left for atmosphere or character building. The setup for central scene is much more interesting than the proper scene with conflicts between different types of floating powers (literally).
If you like to get more metaphors or thoughts to consider about European politics at Mediterranean, you may want to see Fire at Sea (2016) by Gianfranco Rosi.
Or maybe there's just too much message and too little drama in this film. It has a great analogy of Europe as naval crisis between an immigrant boat, a private boat and coastal guard. The grand political scenario of immigrant politics is dramatized in scale of two boats. If you get a mayday message on sea then it is the kind of situation where you must help anyone in need. But the lonely sailor (Susanne Wolff) of the private boat must decide how long will she use her own small boat and believe in her own devotion (she's a doctor) to help +300 immigrants in a sinking boat miles away from African west coast.
The basis for this contemporary drama is much better than the dramatic outcome. The story is cut short, just the way it might have gone, to be as blunt as the migration politics in Europe. There's not much left for atmosphere or character building. The setup for central scene is much more interesting than the proper scene with conflicts between different types of floating powers (literally).
If you like to get more metaphors or thoughts to consider about European politics at Mediterranean, you may want to see Fire at Sea (2016) by Gianfranco Rosi.