Top 10 Best Films of 2019

By Emilio Frenk.

This 2019 that has just concluded we saw great returns of Directors to the Big Screen after a long period of absence. As usual, each time the year starts,  it started slowly but we saw projects that will undoubtedly remain in the memory of the followers of cinema. Here are the best movies of 2019:

10. Richard Jewell

Four time Academy Award Winning Director  Clint Eastwood brought his 38th film to his filmography and again did not disappoint. I was amazed by the performance of Paul Walter Hausser who played Richard Jewell convincingly. We will see this name more and more in Hollywood and without a doubt was one of  the revelations of 2019.

This could be one of Clint Eastwood's films with the best performances since "Gran Torino" and "Invictus".

Yes, things like the “American Way of Life” topic are being shown here, but it is the story of a man who, in the face of adversity, knew how to recover and is recognized as a hero.

9. The Farewell

Chinese filmmaker Lulu Wang brought “The Farewell” starring “Akwafina” in the lead role.  Wang showed us a part of the Chinese culture that we had never seen before and at the same time was very smart in knowing how to handle it with great humor despite the central theme of the film. As in the case of Hausser with " Richard Jewell", Awkwafina played his Billi character with great authenticity and we always felt empathy for her. There is no doubt that this film that already has a Nomination for Best Foreign Film at the Golden Globes and most likely we will see it with a nomination in the same category in the 92nd Academy  Awards that will take place on February 9. It is a touching film from beginning to end and I left the theater with a lot of knowledge.

8. Pain and Glory

Spanish Filmmaker and Academy Award Winner  Pedro Almodóvar brought his most personal film of his career with “Pain and Glory”  and it really was a delight to see it.

For many years I mentioned that "Talk to Her" as the best movie of her career but "Pain and Glory" is without a doubt on the same level.

In addition to the theme of the story, what impressed me most was the performance of Antonio Banderas, which I consider is the best of his career and we could potentially see him competing in the category of Best Actor in the 92nd Academy Awards.

The script, the cinematography, the direction and the music played a significant role here  and Almodóvar managed to keep us engaged with his characters and at the same time we  felt empathy towards them.

could say that th  end of "Pain and Glory" is one of the best I've seen in recent years since "Whiplash" since there was a part of us that wanted more of the film and ended in a way that we as an audience we are free to interpret it however we want.  

7. The Lighthouse

Filmmaker Robert Eggers,  who in 2015 brought "The Witch" again directed a psychological horror film located in New England in the 1800's. Here we see powerhouse performances by both Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson who portray men who have a struggle of power.

Unlike "The Witch" Eggers showed a more surreal tone and caused us as members of the audience to leave the theater with a lot of questions, which is very difficult to achieve. This young filmmaker along with Ari Aster, David Robert Michell and David F. Sandberg will be one of the great promises of psychological horror movies and I look forward for his next  project.

6. Parasite

With "Pain and Glory" are the great foreign films of this year and one of the two will be able to take the statuette to the Best Foreign Film. Korean Director Bong Joon Ho knew how to illustrate how far we as human beings are able to reach our goals and at the same time illustrate the dark and cynical side of each one of us. Despite being a dramatic genre film, it could also be seen that he handles a lot of dark humor here and it really left me very satisfied with this movie. I didn't know what to expect from her when I went to see it  but all I can say is that it was a delight watching it.

5. Ford V. Ferrari

Filmmaker James Mangold brought his  most ambitious film of his career and directed two great actors in Christian Bale and Matt Damon who gave amazing performances.

In addition to the performances, Mangold focused on illustrating two men who had everything agains them and  I insist that "Ford V Ferrari" is James Mangold's most ambitious film since "Logan" due to the fact of theme and the visuals that played a key.

For motorists fans in case they have not seen it, I recommend that they do so as they will be amazed by this film and in addition these two men in addition of being visionaries are the example to follow that with  dedication and especially perseverance you can go to distance.

4. The Irishman

Academy Award Winner Martin Scorsese returned after directing “Silence” back in 2016 and again this film was a delight to watch.

There is no doubt that he is one of the great filmmakers of all time and this film represents a reunion with Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci who both were last directed in  “Casino ” back in 1995.

This film also represents the first time that Academy Award Winning Actor Al Pacino collaborated with Scorsese.

Scorsese again shows us the world of the mob but he focuses on the origins of the Unions in the United States and how they operate till this day.  

I have heard comments that the biggest issue of this movie is the duration of Three Hours and Thirty Minutes but being honest it feels like a Two Hour movie. There is no doubt that "The Irishman" will have nominations in the 92nd Academy Awards and it is very likely that we will see Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Al Pacino being nominated.

3. Marriage Story

Noah Baumbach brings what it  his most personal film of his career and the longest. “Marriage Story”  is the portrait of a couple who, although they are going through a difficult time for divorce, still have love for each other  and it is the best example that in life, no matter the circumstances, it is best to close a chapter of your life the best way possible, avoiding conflicts that can lead to grudges and resentments.  

What made “Marriage Story” unique is the script written by Baumbach himself and the performances of both Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver who have had a spectacular year and their careers continue to florish.

2. Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood

Quentin Tarantino brought  his 9th  film and I affirm that he is one of the most prolific filmmakers in Hollywood.  Like in most of his films, Tarantino brought his elements that makes him a one of a kind filmmaker which are dark humor and violence.

However, the latter was  used it in a more sophisticated way due to the theme of the film that focuses on the golden age of Hollywood in the 60's and also mentions  briefly the Manson Family who were the most feared gang in that time.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt had an  exceptional chemistry and with Tarantino´s direction this film didn´t disappoint at all.

Honorable Mentions: “Bombshell”, “Dark Waters”, “Jo Jo Rabbit”, “Toy Story 4”, “The Peanut Butter Falcon”, “ A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”, “Rocketman”, “Knives Out” and “The Art of Self Defense”.

1.     Joker

Until July of 2019 , "Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood" was in  this position but October came and "Joker" really caused a big impact.

Todd Phillips directed the most ambitious film of his career and surprised everyone with this movie. Despite having made films like “The Hangover” trilogy and “War Dogs”,  Phillips made a film that portrays a man who constantly suffers from rejection and how far a human being can go when he goes to the edge. When Phillips was designated  to direct the project I had certain doubts because he is a filmmaker that is well known for directing comedies but again I was very pleased.  In addition Joaquin Phoenix again gave a remarkable performance and there is no doubt that he is one of the great actors of this industry today.

If there is a film that I did not mentioned here please feel free to comment. More reviews and updates to come.

Top 10 Worst Films of 2019

By Emilio Frenk.

Top 10 Worst Films of 2019:

Just as this 2019 brought outstanding and memorable movies, it also had its disappointments and flops . Here are the worst films of 2019:

10. Anna

French Filmmaker Luc Besson, had his second flop after  "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets." The script written by Besson himself lacked originality and imagination. The sequences of fights were of laughter and the subject of the film was very confusing from beginning to end.

There is no doubt that Besson is a filmmaker who has made memorable films such as "Léon" "Big Blue ", "Nikita" among others but here he failed and I hope that in his next project he can learn from the mistakes he made with “Anna”.

9. The Beach Bum

On this list I mention Academy Award Winner Matthew McConaughey as he had two films that tanked in 2019. One of them is "The Beach Bum" which from the beginning to the end was a dissapointment.

I was about to walk out of the movie theater because of how annoying McConaughey´s character was in the film. I was hoping if at some point could be better but it was not the case and it reached the point that it was boring. For a comedy movie, I  didn't laugh at all and this was the case of the film when you have a mediocre script it the result is going to be shown regardless who you have in your cast.

8. The Hustle

This film is the best example that no matter how good your talent is, it´s not going to save a project if the story is weak. The chemistry between Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson it wasn´t there and yes, there were moments that there was some humor but not because it was funny, it was embarrassing

Another example that I mentioned in this space is the fact that when a script is written by more than two people the chances for failure are going to be bigger and this was the case.

The direction of Chris Addison was also weak, he did not know how to take advantage of the talent he had at his disposal and it was a great disappointment.

7. The Intruder

For a thriller, "The Intruder" fell into the absurd, to the extent that it became laughable. To be honest I knew what I was getting into when I saw “The Intruder” and I still gave it the benefit of the doubt.

I saw the exact same copy of John Schlesinger´s “Pacific Heights” released in 1990, which was not a good film either but compared to this was better. The only good thing was Dennis Quaid, who is well known of playing charismatic characters but here he was convincing and scary. 

"The Intruder" is one of the most ridiculous thrillers I've seen in a long time and that why I put it here.

6. Men in Black: International

Without a Doubt this was one of the highest grossing films in the Summer of 2019 but at the narrative level it was a real fiasco. I know it could be considered a fourth installment  of the franchise that started in 1997 but I feel it was more of a reboot and despite the talent of actors like Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson the chemistry did not work and it  forgettable.

The only change was in the cast but compared to the previous films starring Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith, this one was light years away. The script lacked originality and the direction of F. Gary Gray, who is a director who throughout his career has had consistency in his projects but here it was not the case.

I feel that he focused more on making the film visually good and completely forgot about the  narrative . I hope this is a learning lesson for  Gary Gray and his next project is a better one.

5. Ugly Dolls

In this list as every year a film of the animation genre is included and here was no different. "Ugly Dolls" is the example of a film with tremendous potential that was not taken in the right direction.

Although the genre is more focused on children, it is very important that the adult part is not neglected, since it is essential. I feel that this movie was very for children and the truth is that none of the characters were likeable.

It was predictable from beginning to end and in most of the film were just musical acts. Yes, I understand the fact that these elements must be included in animated films, but again it is very important to pay attention to all the details that have been there.

The most incredible thing was that I saw  children telling their parents that they wanted to leave and were bored. Along with "The Emoji Movie," "Ugly Dolls" is the worst thing I've seen in  animation in this past decade.

4. Rambo: Last Blood

If there is an actor who has played iconic characters throughout his career that is Sylvester Stallone, who again brings to the big screen the war veteran “John Rambo” in this fifth and what seems to be the last film  of the franchise that started in 1982. The films of "Rambo" have always seemed very entertaining, especially “First Blood”, which I consider the best of the whole series; “Rambo: First Blood Part II”  is pure entertainment, “Rambo III”  is total mediocrity, "Rambo" of 2008 had its moments but I do not know and “Rambo: Last Blood” was the worst.

In this last part, I felt that the film was not going anywhere and I dare to say that the best part was the climax of the film.

The dialogue I heard became one of the most absurd and at times I felt that I was watching the same movie over and over again. Still I consider that Sylvester Stallone played one of his most emblematic characters along with Rocky Balboa but here the damage was more than done and is in this position.

3.Dark Phoenix

What an unfortunate debut for  Simon Kinberg  with a Marvel Comics movie. This was the worst movie I have seen in the “X-Men” franchinse since "X-Men Origins: Wolverine."

For fans of this franchise I understand that they wanted to see something different and in this case focused on the character of Jean Gray played by Sophie Turner who was the best thing along with Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy who again gave life to the characters of Magneto and Professor Charles Xavier.  

t´s a movie that lasted more than two hours when it could have been trimmed to One Hour and Fifty Minutes. The story was boring and for a film of this genre the most important thing is the rhythm, along with the narrative.

Kinberg's direction was also erratic in most of the cast, except for the cases I mentioned previously and he didn't know how to take advantage of what he had at his disposal. I hope that Simon Kinberg learnes from this and I wish that he succeeds in his next project.

2.     Serenity

I remember seeing the trailer for  “Serenity”  around June 2018 and the original release date was going to be in October of that year; then they moved it to January and normally when they postpone the release of a movie it means trouble.

I had high expectations because it was directed by British filmmaker Steven Knight, who made "Locke" in 2014 and is one of the great writers of this industry. It could be so far that "Serenity" is the film with the best cast it has had but its narrative here lacked clarity and was confusing from beginning to end.

The chemistry between Two Academy Award Winners such as Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway was not convincing and the flaws of the film were notorious.

Even with disappointments, I hope that Steven Knight's next project will be successful and that he will not repeat the mistakes he had here.

Dishonorable Mentions: “The Sun is Also A Star”, “Godzilla: King of Monsters”, “Stuber” and “The Goldfinch”

1.     The Kitchen

"The Kitchen" occupies this position as the worst film of 2019. Another unfortunate debut presented itself and this time was for Andrea Berloff.

Berloff who was nominated for the script of "Straight Outta Compton" made her debut with this film and it really was due because it is an issue that we have already seen although the only thing that changed was that instead of seeing men like those who are In control we see women.

Berloff had a cast with talented actresses such as Melissa McCarthy, Elizabeth Moss and Tiffany Haddish (in her first dramatic role) and failed to take advantage of what she had at her disposal.

I feel that she worried about making this film unique and neglected several elements of a narrative question and the result was reflected. Despite having a duration of one hour and forty-two minutes, "The Kitchen" slowed down and had scenes that were unnecessarily long

I've always been a follower of movies that have to do with the mafia and here they really fell into too many clichés. I felt I was watching a soap opera instead of a movie here.

I think it is a project that had great potential but unfortunately it was not so and I hope that Berloff learns from her mistakes and makes a better project.

If there is a film that I did not mentioned here please feel free to comment. More reviews and updates to come.

The Lighthouse

By Emilio Frenk.

Director: Robert Eggers

Cast: Willem Dafoe, Robert Pattinson and Valeriaa Karaman

 Rating: Excellent

Robert Eggers, Director of “The Witch”, brings “The Lighthouse”, his second feature film  and once again he delivered.

The movie takes place in New England around the 1800´s and tells the story of Ephraim Winslow (Robert Pattinson) a young Lighthouse Keeper who is sent to a remote island to work with the Main Lighthouse Keeper  Thomas Wake (Willem Dafoe).

Eventually the two of them will begin to have a certain bond that will eventually lead them to the brink of schizophrenia, madness and at the same time there will be a struggle of power between the two characters that eventually could lead them to either destruction or survival.

What made “The Lighthouse” an original film was the concept itself.  We have seen before how the themes of power struggle and madness are dealt but not at this dimension and Robert Eggers did a wonderful job creating this characters.

The script written by Eggers and his brother Max also goes deep in the excesses and consequences of the decisions we make as human beings and themes like paranoia and madness.  

What made this movie very interesting is the fact that it is in Black and White; This makes it more original due to the fact that it captures the gloomy and sordid  atmosphere of being on a remote island constantly dealing with storms.

Again Willem Dafoe delivers an incredible performance, so as Robert Pattinson who I think has the best performance of his career so far. This young actor in recent years has shown that with good material can deliver and he proved it here.

There is no doubt that Robert Eggers is a born talent and I must say that he is going to  one of the great filmmakers of the psychological horror genre.

"The Witch" is a great movie but here with "The Lighthouse” took his craft to another level and we see a promising career here in Eggers. 

The only thing I can say about this movie is that it is not for everyone; I consider this movie for people who really love cinema  and it´s  a completely artistic film. You can see a lot of influence of Luis Buñuel's cinema due to the surrealism that this film presents and how Eggers handled topics such as claustrophobia and hallucination.

The Cinematography  and the Editing were essential for “The Lighthouse” to work and each element has a reason for being which also makes it special.

If you are going to see it, I recommend that you have a lot of patience and be very prepared since it has a slow pace and this can be an issue for some viewers.

The End of "The Lighthouse" is undoubtedly one that will the audience will be asking themselves a lot of questions since it´s open for many interpretations.

“The Lighthouse” had great ovations at the Cannes and Toronto Festivals this year and I can understand why. The performances of Dafoe and Pattinson were  a delight and I hope we can see more movies like this.

I think Willem Dafoe could be a big surprise next year´s  awards season and we might see Pattinson in a potential Supporting Actor Category.  

With that being said, I highly recommend "The Lighthouse" which is without a doubt  one of the best films of this 2019.

Jojo Rabbit

By Emilio Frenk.

Director: Taika Waititi

Cast: Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Taika Waititi, Rebel Wilson, Stephen Merchant, Alfie Allen, Archie Yates, Sam Rockwell and Scarlett Johansson

Rating: Excellent.

Taika Waititi, director of “Thor: Ragnarok”, brings “Jojo Rabbit”, a comedy with a sordid theme that brings unique and original results.

During the  Nazi Germany in World War II, the movie tells the story of Johannes "Jojo" Betzler (Roman Griffin Davis), a young boy  who has the desire of being a soldier and constantly talks to Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi).

Everything will change for Jojo when he meets Elsa Korr (Thomasin McKenzie) a young Jew who is being hidden in his  house by Jojo´s  mother Rosie (Scarlett Johansson).

Evenutally Elsa and Jojo will form a unique friendship and will also help each other to survive the harassment of the Nazi Army.

What makes "Jojo Rabbit" an authentic movie is how Taika Waititi used satire to The Holocaust, which is considered on of the most tragic in the history of mankind.

In the films such as "Schindler's List", "The Pianist", "Sophie´s Choice" among many others we have always seen we saw  how sordid and tragic this real event was. Here on the other hand you see a funny and somehow innocent side from a child´s point of view.

Waititi wrote the  script based on the book "Caging Skies" by Christine Leunens with a theme that some people would never think would be in the mood for what really took place in that time.  

From the first moment it starts as audience members we felt  identified with the characters and I think that is essential for a movie to have positive dividends.

The performances of Roman Griffin Davis and Thomasin McKenzie are exceptional and I think this two can have a promising carreer.

Sam Rockwell, Waititi himself with his portrayal of Hitler is very funny and really portray their characeters with a lot of realism and humor.  

Scarlett Johansson gives a great performance too and I think we could see very good things for her this year since she has another movie coming up at the end of the year called "Marriage Story" that could give her a possible Oscar nomination.

To be honest I didn't know what to expect from "Jojo Rabbit" and I really came out with great satisfaction when I saw it.

The film is a clear messag about being optimistic and cheerful regardless of the circumstances in which we are subject and most importantly: Always take things with humor, since it´s  what gives us life as human beings.

Overall “Jojo Rabbit” is a delightful film and I highly recommend it due to the direction of Waititi, Script and Performances.

Spider-Man: Far From Home

By Emilio Frenk.

Director: Jon Watts.

Cast: Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, Zendaya, Cobie Smulders, Jon Favreau, J.B. Smoove, Jacob Batalon, Martin Star, Tony Revolori, Marisa Tomei y Jake Gyllenhaal.

Rating: Very Good.

Jon Watts, Director of "Spider-Man: Homecoming" brings the second part of this reboot with "Spider-Man: Far from Home" and the truth that I really enjoyed this dry.

The movie takes place after the events of "Avengers: Endgame" and the story focuses on Peter Parker / Man-Spider (Tom Holland) who is in high school and misses Tony Stark / Iron Man.

At Parker´s High  School, a trip to Venice, Italy for the summer is being organized by his teacher and Parker ends going. Once on European soil, Parker will witness a threat that can end humanity.

Now Parker as Spider-Man, will have to fight against this threat and save the planet before it's too late.

One factor that made this second part was the originality of the concept and that it is the first film of the "Spider-Man" franchise that does not take place in New York, except part of the First Act and the rest  was in Europe.

This time the action sequences were better directed by Jon Watts and he learned from his mistakes from “Spider-Man: Homecoming”.

You can understand that it was his big film  and when you are directing a film from the Marvel Universe one is susceptible of making mistakes. However, it was not all bad and it had  good elements.

The story here was more fleshed and we could see a Peter Park with more conflicts and doubts about himself,  something that had not been observed, especially in the part that now the world sees him as a possible replacement for Tony Stark.

Like the previous film, this part has very predictable moments; but in this type of films I think it is very valid to be. Tom Holland again did a great job and I could say that it is one of the best interpretation of Spider-Man to this date.

The handling of humor in this movie was quite good since there were moments of great comedy and for a film of this caliber it is very important to have those elements.

Jake Gyllenhaal as always is a guarantee and seeing him here as a Mysterio  is phenomenal. Of the villains of this franchise I can say that it is the one that has convinced me most and I think that for any film, especially in this genre, the villain must be as good as the superhero.

What I recommend when you go to see this movie is to stay until the final credits, because like it has happened  in all Marvel Comics movies there are surprises and here was no the exception.

With that being said I highly recommend "Spider-Man: Far from Home" for the consistency of the story, the performances of Tom Holland, Jake Gyllenhaal and how well crafted that film is.

Midsommar

By Emilio Frenk.

Director: Ari Aster

Cast: Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, William Jackson Harper, Vilhelm Blomgren, Will Poulter, Ellora Torchia, Archie Madekwe, Isabelle Grill, Hampus Hallberg, Liv Mijönes, Anna Aström y Rebecka Johnston.

Rating: Very Good.

Ari Aster (“Hereditary” ) brings his second film "Midsommar", whose results were very good and interesting.

The film tells the story of Dani Ardor (Florence Pugh) a college student who is dealing with a family tragedy. Still in pain of losing loved ones, Dani learns at a party that her distant boyfriend Christian (Jack Reynor) has been planning a trip to Sweden with his friends to go to a spiritual retreat. Dani decides to confront him and in this situation Christian decides to invite Dani to Sweden on the pretext that the trip would suit him and be able to work on his thesis.

Once they arrive in the Nordic country everything starts to happen normally but Dani will soon discover that there is a dark secret that involves the participants of the event, resulting in a pagan cult.

Now Dani will have to decide whether to stay in the retreat or leave it before it brings more devastating results that could lead her to madness.

What made "Midsommar" an original movie was the plot that touched on the theme of grief in a way that had never been seen on the big screen.

He did the same with his previous movie "Hereditary" and what Aster also executed in a remarkable way was to show the internal conflict of the main characters and also the coldness of them.

Despite being a psychological horror movie, the film is very well done and it really impressed me as Aster and Pawel Pogorzelski played with this factor. Each frame had a meaning and both did something that is very difficult to achieve and illustrate, especially in a movie of this genre.

Normally the films of this genre can be very dark and Aster managed to break those barriers which made it unique. Influences of films like the remake of "The Wicker Man" of 2006 were noticed, since the subject is very similar.

The script was very well written and with unique characters. There is no doubt that Ari Aster did a lot of research about what spiritual retreats are like and he put his touch on it that was playing with the psychological factor.

The third act of the film is one of the strangest I've seen in a film of this genre in recent years and I left the movie theater with many questions about it.

The performance of Florence Pugh was very convincing as Dani and gave life to a character that has a void to fill and everything she has to deal with. Pugh is undoubtedly one of the great young actresses of this industry and hopefully we will see more of her.

However this is a movie that has a slow pace and that can make people impatient once they go to watch it. I think the film could have had a shorter duration since it is 2 Hours and 40 Minutes; I feel  that with two hours it could have been more than enough but I understand what Aster wanted to transmit and manage to play with the minds of the audience.

What made a film like "Hereditary" superior to "Midsommar" was the rhythm and how Aster played with the conflicts of the characters to the extent of taking them to extreme

There is no doubt that Ari Aster is going to be consecrated as one of the great filmmakers of the horror genre and he has done an outstanding job so far.

I think that "Midsommar: The Terror Does not Wait for the Night" is going to be a film that people are going to be talking about for many years because it is a movie due to theme of the film itself and it will eventually lead to some controversy.

I am going to give you two suggestions before you go to see "Midsommar:"

1. See "Hereditary"

2. Go with a completely open mind  and be patient due to the pacing of the movie.

Again Ari Aster did a great job and I´m looking forward to see he´s next project.

That being said I give a great recommendation to "Midsommar" for the originality of the concept, for the visual elements, performances and for Ari Aster`s directing and writing.

Dumbo

By Emilio Frenk.

Director: Tim Burton

Cast: Colin Farrell, Nico Parker, Finley Robbins, Danny DeVito, Eva Green, Roshan Seth, Joseph Gatt, DeObia Oparei, Sharon Rooney, Michael Buffer, Michael Keaton and Alan Arkin.

Rating: Good

Tim Burton brings “Dumbo”, an adaptation of the 1941 Animated Film and it´s entertaining.  

The movie takes place around 1919 and centers in Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell) a war veteran who just recently lost his arm during World War I. 

Farrier returns with to the Circus runned by Max Medici (Danny DeVito) and asks for his old job back as a performer. Medici decides to help Holt by taking care of the elephants that are in the circus in particular Jumbo, a large female elephant.  

One day Holt´s children Millly (Nico Parker) and Joe (Finley Hobbins) discover a baby elephant with long ears who Jumbo just gave birth.

All of them put them the name of Dumbo and the kids find out that he uses his large ears as wings to fly. One day at a circus show, Mrs. Jumbo begins to attack circus crew members as they are harassing his baby son and she is separated by his child.

Now Dumbo will show his enormous talent which not only will represent a huge opportunity for Medici to go back on the trackof success, but for the young elephant to reunite with his mom again.

This version of “Dumbo” has all the visual elements that a Tim Burton movie does represent. It show darkness but at the same time it was a very colorful film, which is one of Burton´s trademarks.

When I heard that Burton was going to direct this version of “Dumbo” I was kind of hype since I have always being a follower of his work. Visually and in terms of the acting the film does deliver but I felt that the problem here was in terms of story.

Ehren Kruger who wrote the screenplay missed a lot of opportunities in terms of surprises and I feel here that the film was kind of predictable. I understand that the target was more for children but I was expecting in the case of the Dumbo for him to have a hard time on reaching his ultimate goal  and I feel that everybody here didn´t have a huge trial on their way and the obstacles were handled very easily.

The ending I felt it was too cheasy and I believe that a montage would have been more visually instead of the fourth element that was used here.

Still I do think the movie does deliver the goods and Burton did a really good job in directing this film. It´s a blessing to see films by Tim Burton and if you are a fan of his work I believe that you won´t be disappointed.

“Dumbo” is a movie that served it´s purpose, which was to entertain and I did enjoy it. Still I believe that if the ending of the film would have been fixed the film could have been better and specially in terms of screenplay would have been less predictable.

That being said “Dumbo” is fun entertainment and I do recommend it despite the narrative flaws the movie has.

Hotel Mumbai

By Emilio Frenk.

Director: Anthony Maras

Cast: Dev Patel, Armie Hammer, Nazanin Boniadi, Anupam Kher, Tilda Cobham-Hervey,  Alex Pinder, Amandeep Singh, Suhail Nayyar, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Angus McLaren, Yash Trivedi, Vipin Sharma, Manoj Mehra, Carmen Duncan and Jason Isaacs.

Rating: Excellent.

Filmmaker Anthony Maras makes his directorial debut with “Hotel Mumbai” and I was very impressed with this movie.

Based on true events the story centers on Arjun (Dev Patel), an Employee of the luxurious Taj Hotel in Mumbai India. One night a group of Muslim Terrorists attack the hotel guests and employees.

Now Arjun, the guests and employees will risk their lives and figure out how to survive this terrifying event that is considered one of the greatest genocides that shocked the world in 2008.

The elements that work on “Hotel Mumbai” was that from the beginning the theme was stated and we knew exactly how the movie was going to turn.

The choices that Maras made in terms of shots and the characters that were created in this film were marvelous and I like how he played with the internal conflicts of all the characters, specially Dev Patel´s who gives a convincing performance.

I´m impressed with the amount of research that Maras did and John Collee whom he joined forces on the screenplay. Both of them wrote a real, moving and intense film that is so far one of the greatest surprises of 2019. I loved how Maras played with tension in every single scene and how he raised the stakes in his story.

Another factor that made the movie was really good was the score composed by Volker Bertelmann who´s music was intense at all moments, specially when the attacks of the Hotel take place.

The editing for this film was crucial since for films like this the pacing is critical due to the subject matter.

I´m very happy that a filmmaker like Maras had the guts to tell a story like this one and this are the type of films that we need to see. It´s a beautifully crafted film from beginning to end.

Not only Dev Patel gives a great performance, but Armie Hammer is great, Jason Isaacs and Anupam Kher, who was on point with his performance and his character represents a key role for this movie.

I didn´t know what to expect of “Hotel Mumbai” and I was not aware of the events of this film and I was very pleased with the result.  

One piece of advice is that I recommend that you are prepared at all times before you watch this film since the amount of violence is very big, so as the intensity of the film.

“Hotel Mumbai” is so far one of the biggest surprises of this year. I highly recommend it due to Anthony Maras´s directing, score, editing and performances by the cast.

The Beach Bum

By Emilio Frenk.

Director: Harmony Korine

Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Isla Fisher, Snoop Dogg, Zac Efron, Martin Lawrence, Joshua Ritter, Stefania LaVie Owen and Jonah Hill.

Rating: Poor

Harmony Korine, Director of 2012´s “Springbreakers” brings “The Beach Bum”, a film that is a huge disappointment.

The story takes place in the Florida Keys and centers around Moondog (Matthew McConaughey) a poet and hippie that lives his life on making his own rules.

One day everything will change for Moondog when his excesses take a toll and he is arrested. He is forced by a judge to go in to rehab and clean himself or go and serve some time in prison. Now Moondog will either continue in his path of not following the rules or try to clean and redeem himself

“The Beach Bum” had all the potential to be a funny and comedic film but unfortunately that was not the case. This was thanks to the screenplay written by Harmony Korine, who created a character that is really vague.  I´m aware that the main character is a burnout and a bum but at the course of the film I didn´t see any motivations for him and was redundant.

In any film regardless of the genre your characters need to have a change and I didn´t see it here and I feel that in 95 minutes nothing happened.

Matthew McConaughey´s performance was good and I do think that he did what he could in order to get a decent performance.

There were characters that they I never understood why they were in the movie; the case here it would be the Jonah Hill, who plays McConaughey´s literary agent in the film. Jonah Hill is one of the most talented young actors in this industry and here was completely wasted.

I feel the movie by moments wanted to be “The Big Lebowski” but it wasn´t even close.  There were moments that I wanted to walk out of the theater when I watched this film but in a naïve way I gave the benefit of the doubt that the movie was going to be better at some point but I was wrong.

Harmony Korine´s direction was all over the place and so is his writing that I felt was very amateur. I think that he needed to invest more in the story and it´s characters for this film to make it work. If he would have done the work properly I believe that his film could have had an interesting result.

Overall “The Beach Bu” is one of the worst films of 2019 and I cannot recommend it due to the screenplay that was sloppy and I hope that Harmony Korine learns from this and can make a good film.

Us

By Emilio Frenk.

Director: Jordan Peele

Cast: Lupita Nyong`o, Winston Duke, Shadadi Wright, Evan Alex, Elizabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Anna Diop, Cali Sheldon and Noelle Sheldon.

Rating: Excellent.

Academy Award Winner Jordan Peele  brings “Us”, his second feature film and once again he delivered like he did previously with “Get Out”.

The story centers on Adelaide Wilson (Lupita Nyong`o), a woman with a disturbed past who is married to  Gabe (Winston Duke) with  two children Zora (Shadadi Wright) and Jason (Evan Alex).

One day Gabe makes a suggestion to the family to go to the beach for vacation. At the beginning Adelaide has  doubts but ends up accepting.

Everything goes well until one night The Family has an encounter with a group of Doppelgängers, who look exactly like them.

Adelaide´s past goes back to hunt her, the family and now everyone must find a way to survive of this frightening chaos before it´s too late.

The things that really work in “Us” was the originality of the concept and the idea itself.  Jordan Peele again crafted a marvelous screenplay and directed a movie that I´m sure that people will remember it.

I´m very glad that filmmakers like Peele, James Wang, David Robert Mitchell and many others are trying to revive the horror genre that it was beginning to feel to repetitive and it lost all the psychological elements.

Jordan Peele with “Us” brought all the psychological elements together like he did previously in “Get Out”. I was very excited with  “Us” when I saw the first trailers back in January and my expectations where fulfilled.

The way how Peele shifted times from  the 80´s to the present day it´s done in a clever and original way. I´m mentioned many times that I´m not a big believer in flashbacks but here is the perfect example on how to use them.

The Score composed by Michael Abels, who also worked with Peele in “Get Out” was again frightening and played a key role in the film. The cinematography by Mike Gioulakis, who worked with M. Night Shyamalan´s “Glass” had a lot of detail and it was very interesting the contrasts that he played with in this film.

“Us” is a film that has a lot of symbolisms and I like the fact the Peele challenged us as members of the audience to interpret it however we feel like it.

Lupita Nyong`o is incredible , so as Winston Duke, Elizabeth Moss and the rest of the cast of this film that delivered chilling performances.

The ending of the film is remarkable and has one of the biggest twists I´ve seen in a very long time.

I left the theater with a lot of thoughts with “Us” but at the same time I was very pleased by the film that Jordan Peele made. I can´t wait for another project of his and I can see him as one of the most consolidated filmmakers of Hollywood very soon.

“Us” is one of the best films of 2019. It´s frightening, chilling and for both horror and thriller lovers this is a film you cannot miss.

Gloria Bell

By Emilio Frenk.

Director: Sebastián Lelio

Cast: Julianne Moore, John Turturro, Michael Cera, Brad Garrett, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Caren Pistorius, Rita Wilson, Chris Mulkey and Sean Astin.

Rating: Very Good.

Chilean filmmaker Sebastián Lelio brings “Gloria Bell”, his second English spoken film and again Lelio is at the top of his game.

Set in Los Angeles, California the movie centers on Gloria Bell (Julianne Moore), a divorced and free spirited woman who enjoys to go to Dance Clubs.

Her life will change when she meets Arnold (John Turturro) a divorced man and both of them feel an immediate attraction for each other. Not only Gloria´s life will change forever, but this will represent an opportunity for her to feel more free and to cherish every single moment of life like it is the last.

“Gloria Bell” is an interesting concept and I love that Sebastián Lelio explored that life of a single woman who enjoys going to night clubs in Los Angeles.

Lelio crafted a very good script with interesting characters that were filled with a lot of internal conflict, specially Gloria Bell.

Julianne Moore´s performance is amazing as usual and she gives life to a character that shows a side that is very lonely but at the same time enjoys we can see that she enjoys life. John Turturro is also really good in this movie and the chemistry between both characters works very good.

I like that Lelio is a filmmaker that does care on getting out the best of all his actors and the result is that they give convincing performances.

One of the issues that I had was the cinematography, I felt that for moments the imagery was over exposed. Maybe this was Lelio´s intention but still I feel that visually could have been a better film.

Another flaw of the film was the Third Act of the film. I felt it was too long and there were some moments that were completely unnecessary. I loved one of the twists that happens during the film but I felt that the length of the movie could have been trimmed and the result would have been a better movie.

If it wouldn´t been for this factors I would give the movie a better rating but overall I think it´s a movie that does work and I really enjoyed it.

Lelio directed another great movie and I hope that from every project he takes, he can learn from it  and be a better filmmaker he already is.  

With that being said “Gloria Bell” is an enjoyable film and I highly recommend it for Lelio´s directing and the performance of the cast, specially Julianne Moore which is such a delight to see in  every film she is in.

The Mustang

By Emilio Frenk.

Director: Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre

Cast: Matthias Schoenaerts, Jason Mitchell, Gideon Adlon, Connie Britton, Josh Stewart, Thomas Smitthle, Noel Gugliemi and Bruce Dern.

Rating: Very Good.

French filmmaker Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre makes her directorial debut with “The Mustang” a film that brings a very interesting subject and delivers impressive results.

Based on true events, the story centers in Roman Colman (Matthias Schoenaerts) a violent convict which life is going to change forever when he ends up participating in the Wild Mustang therapy program.

This will also represent an opportunity for Roman to both know and redeem himself as a human being and will also learn to  cherish the moments that he lost before he was imprisoned.

With “The Mustang” Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre showed us a character with a lot of emotional and internal conflict like Roman Colman. You might think that he is kind of repressed with in a way he is but at the course of the film you understand why he is who he really is.

Clermont-Tonnere also showed us a world involving horses that we have never seen before and before I watch this film I had no idea of what the Wild Mustangs are and I love how Clermont-Tonnerre showed her here.

The screenplay also written by Clermont-Tonnerre, who she wrote it with Mona Fastvold and Brock Norman Brock is very original and I love seeing this kind of movies that involved an original concept and theme, in this case horses.

Matthias Schoenaerts as Roman Colman is really good in this film and he plays the character with so much realism and I´m happy to see him as the lead in the movie, since he has been known to portray supporting roles. Here he delivered and plays a character that on the course of the film you feel for him.

I was very impressed with Clermont-Tonnere´s filmmaking. Not only she directed her cast in a superb way, but the way how the film was shot is very interesting and I love the fact that showed us that world of the mustang horses,  how they are breed and at the end of the day the program of rehabilitation.

The film by moments can be predictable but that didn´t matter to me and it´s so far one of the biggest surprises of this year.

If Clermont-Tonnere continues this path I believe that she will have an interesting career. This movie was premiered in this year´s Sundance Film Festival, where it received a huge ovation and I can understand why since it´s a very original concept and the execution was even better.

That being said I highly recommend “The Mustang” for the story, Clermont-Tonner´s directing and the performances, specially Matthias Schoenaerts.

Best Films of 2018

By Emilio Frenk.

2018 has recently concluded and it was a year that it started slow on film but in the second semester it started to take some form with interesting films and surprising directorial debuts.  Without further a due here are the Top 10 Films of the year that just ended:

 10. The Incredibles 2

Every year we see an animated feature film that captivates us and “The Incredibles 2” wasn´t the exception. Brad Bird, who wrote and directed the first “Incredibles” film back in 2004 crafted a brilliant film with entertaining characters and an interesting villain. The only thing that could have make this film better was if it wasn´t that long. Still the movie delivered the goods and it was entertaining from beginning to end.

9. Hereditary.

By Far this is the best horror/thriller film of 2018 and what a debut from filmmaker Ari Aster. This film kept me on the edge of my seat and the performance by Toni Collette, who might score an Academy Award Nomination for Best Actress was fantastic. This movie has a lot of similarities with Stanley Kubrick´s “The Shining” due to fact  that deals with the supernatural, isolation and insanity. This was a huge surprise and I´m happy for a young director like Aster, who wants to revive a genre that is trying to get back on track. I´m looking forward to see Ari Aster´s next project and for horror film fans this is a must see.  

8. Bohemian Rhapsody.

Without a doubt this is one of the best biographical films of the year and I´m sure that Queen fans who not only waited a long time for a film about their band but I´m sure they were not disappointed. Although Bryan Singer kept the directing credit for the film, Dexter Fletcher did a fantastic job on telling a story from Freddie Mercury´s point of view. Not only the facts of the film were accurate but Rami Malek delivered the best performance of his young career and it won´t be a surprise if we see him score an Academy Award Nomination this year for portraying one of the greatest masterminds of Rock and Roll to this day.

7. First Reformed

Paul Schrader´s film deals with a man who has a lack of faith is a must see for film lovers and for followers of Independent Film. Both Ethan Hawke and Amanda Seyfried deliver fantastic performances and the chemistry between them was essential. Schrader once again goes deep into the inner conflict of the main character and also showed us the most vulnerable side of human beings. This can be a surprise film for this upcoming Awards season and I will be very pleased if it gets some recognition.

6. The Favourite

Greek Filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos brings “The Favourite” his most ambitious film to this date. This film has a similar narrative structure to his previous films “The Lobster” and “The Killing of Sacred Deer” since this one is also very theatrical. Lanthimos once again goes deep in the character´s madness and shows us how far someone can go in order to achieve their goals.

“The Favourite” not only it´s dark but has a lot of humor and of course fantastic performances by Olivia Colman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz who are big contenders to score Academy Award Nominations in this Awards Seasons.

5. You Were Never Really Here

When this film was released in April it started to be my number one and writer/director Lynne Ramsay crafted a film that not only is intense, but it keeps you on the edge of your seat. Joaquin Phoenix´s performance as Joe is one of the best of this year and he shows how intense he can go. For this performance Phoenix won the Palm D´Or in the 2017 Cannes Film Festival and he recently scored an Film Independent Spirit Award Nomination for Best Actor. Like in “We Need to Talk About Kevin” Ramsay explored the most vulnerable side of each and one of his characters. This film is compared to Martin Scorsese´s “Taxi Driver” due to the themes that are similar and for Film Lovers this is another film that you have to have on your watchlist.

 4. Roma

Academy Award Winner Alfonso Cuarón made by far his most personal film with “Roma”. This is a throw back to  the late 1960´s and Cuarón illustrated this like it has never been seen in film. With a breakthrough performance by Yalitza Aparicio, “Roma” is a film that is sure going to land an Academy Award Nomination for Best Foreign Film and it won´t be a surprise that we see Cuarón land a Nomination for Best Director. Cuarón proves to be one of the best, if not the best filmmaker that Mexico has ever delivered and again directed a masterpiece.

 3. Blackkklansman

Filmmaker Spike Lee is back on track after failures like “Old Boy” and “Chi-Raq”. Based on the memoirs by Ron Stallworth, Lee crafted a brilliant film with excellent performances by John David Washington and Adam Driver who were convincing in this film.

Like most of Spike Lee´s films, this movie was controversial due to it´s political meaning but it was released in the best moment in America. “Blackkklansman” is a film that mocks the actual administration and the ending of the film is one of those that people are going to be talking for many years.

2. A Star is Born.

This is one of the biggest surprises of this year and Bradley Cooper´s directorial debut couldn´t have started better. Originally this film was going to be directed by Clint Eastwood and Cooper ended up taking the reigns of the project. I admire Cooper´s bravery on directing such an ambitious project but he delivered and hopefully his career as a director can blossom even more. The chemistry between Cooper and Lady Gaga was amazing and both of them delivered memorable performances and the score of this film is also a masterpiece. Another performance and I hope that he lands a nomination is Sam Elliott who as always was phenomenal and plays a key part in this film. This film really had a huge impact on me since I didn´t know what to expect from it but it was fantastic and it´s one of the reasons why it is on this list.

Honorable Mentions:

 “A Quiet Place,” “The Sisters Brothers”, “Don´t Worry, He Won´t Get Far on Foot”, “Boy Erased”, “Beautiful Boy”, “Vice”, “Eighth Grade”, “Annihilation”, “Ralph Breaks the Internet” and “The Mule”.

1.     Green Book

By far my favorite film from 2018. This movie not only was funny and a feel good film but it´s touching and has a powerful message. Peter Farrelly, who directed films like “Dumb and Dumber”, “Kingpin” and “There´s Something About Mary” crafted a film that is about true friendship. Not only his timing for comedy was brilliant but the use of drama played a big role. Both Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali delivered convincing performances and the chemistry between them is what really defined this film. I was very pleased to see this movie that brought tears to my eyes and I highly recommend it.

If you have any suggestions of films that did not enter this list please feel free to comment. Stay tunned for more reviews to come.

Worst Films of 2018

By Emilio Frenk.

 2018 was a year that indeed brought very good films but also delivered some of them that weren´t not so good and were very disappointing. Here are the Worst films of 2018:

 10. The Nun

From “The Conjuring” universe comes “The Nun” and this was a  huge disappointment for horror film lovers. This film was a complete mess, the pace was too slow and Corin Hardy´s filmmaking did not deliver at all. The characters were completely empty and the film was excessively predictable. Like most of horror films yes, you have some jumps at some seats but that was it. Most of the film is laughable and for fans of “The Conjuring” franchise I´m sure that they were disappointed with this installment.

 9. Breaking In.

James McTeigue´s thriller “Breaking In” was one of the most over the top, ridicoulous and stupid films of 2018. The premise of the film lack of complete originality, the main villain in this film didn´t transmit anything whatsoever. Gabrielle Union`s was unconvincing and I didn´t buy her character a single thing.

From the beginning to the end of the movie we knew exactly what was going to happen and how it was going to end for the characters. For this kind of genre you need to have compelling characters and I feel that “Breaking In” didn´t have anything. I think the film could have had a lot of potential but unfortunately it was not the case here.

 8. Overboard

As usual every year we see remakes of films and here we did it with “Overboard”, based on the film of 1987 directed by the late Garry Marshall and stars Eugenio Derbez and Anna Faris.  Marshall´s film was a sweet, touching and funny  but this version of “Overboard” lacked of humor. Yes, there were some scenes that were funny but I just didn´t see the chemistry between Derbez and Faris at all in this picture. The only difference in this version is that the female is the dominate one and basically that´s it. Predictable and lack of originality were the synonyms of this remake.

 7. Peppermint

Pierre Morel´s action film starring Jennifer Garner had one of the most stupid titles on an action film. This movie could have had potential to be a good action movie but it was not the case. It was filled by too many mistakes and errors in terms of narrative that makes “From Paris with Love”, also directed by Morel  a good movie compared to this one. Some of the action sequences were fine but that´s it. Jennifer Garner´s performance was the only good thing about “Peppermint” but the film had elements that were all over the place and it was a complete mess.

 6. A Wrinkle in Time

The expectations for this film were huge and unfortunately Ava DuVernay failed on delivering a good movie. She is without a doubt one of the most versatile women filmmakers and she has made memorable films like “Selma” and “13th”. This movie had the potential to be a good one due to the cast but again the actors won´t save your film, no matter how hard you try unless you have a solid story.

I admire DuVernay´s courage on taking over an ambitious project but again it did not work for her. I hope this is a huge learning lesson for her and I´m convinced that she will learn from the mistakes of this project and deliver a better film.

 5. Mile 22

I had high expectations on this film since Peter Berg´s last movies (“Patriots Day”, “Deepwater Horizon” and “Lone Survivor”) were great. Berg is back with Mark Wahlberg in this film but this time the film was atrocious. The action sequences were not very well created and in terms of narrative the movie was all over the place. Nothing happened and it had one of the worst and laughable endings I have seen in an action film for a long time. “Mile 22” indeed was really bad and I hope this is a learning lesson for both  Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg.

4. Kin

For starters I am very surprised that this movie even had a theatrical release. This movie should have been straight to video on demand. It didn´t transmit anything, the visual effects were sloppy and it was a complete waste. And having Michael B. Jordan at the end of your movie was a complete laugh; this is what happens when you have a movie that doesn´t transmit anything and at the end of the film we finally knew the origins of the main character.  I´m surprised that James Franco was in this film and I didn´t know he was in it until I saw the credits in the movie. This is by far one of the most laughable science fiction films of 2018 and it was everything but memorable.

3.A.X.L.

I´m sure you´re wondering what does this mean? Well, the answer is Attack, Exploration, Logistics. This three words were in a robotic dog in this film directed by Oliver Daly. This film was bad from beginning to end. The main character, which happens to be a motocross racer played by Alex Neustaedter is empty and so is the dog A.X.L. which happens to be a specific prototype. I knew what I was getting into when I saw this film but still I gave it the benefit of doubt. The film was laughable and even kids where bored to death in this film. People walked out and I don´t blame them. This film only lasted a week in the movie theaters and the answer is very obvious. The story lacked of depth and the film itself was empty. This is one of the major disasters of 2018.

2.    Fifty Shades Freed

The only thing I can say about this franchise is: !Thank God it´s Over! No more Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele. Despite of it´s commercial success, this film was ultimately a disaster and an insult towards movies at general . Of the three films I can say that this is the one I have enjoyed the most because of it´s comedic elements. The dialogue was so over the top and ridicoulous that practically you are watching a comedy. Like the other two this was so predictable and there was no way to avoid a catastrophy with this installment. Everything started from the first film of 2015, which was one of the year´s worst film and concluded with this one. This movie has to be in this list not only as one of the worst films of 2018 but one of the worst franchises in film history.

Dishonorable Mentions:

The Nutcraker and The Four Realms, The Predator, Death Wish, The 15:17 to Paris, Winchester, Proud Mary, The Strangers: Prey at Night, I Feel Pretty, Venom and Pacific Rim: Uprising.

1.     The Happytime Murders

This is by far the worst movie of 2018. Director Brian Henson, son of the legendary Jim Henson directed a film that not only wasn´t funny but it was vulgar at all proportions. I was expecting to see a better film since Brian Henson has been doing things in Television that were good that involved the Muppet Universe but here he failed and badly. I did not laugh a single moment in this movie and the pacing played a huge role in this. Todd Berger wrote a movie thinking that it was going to be funny but it wasn´t and it could have been a film with a lot of potential but both the directing and writing were really bad. This by far is one of Melissa McCarthy´s worst films but in a positive note she had a really good movie with Can You Ever Forgive Me?, where she delivered a powerhouse performance and might lead her to a potential Academy Award Nomination.

If you have any suggestions, comments or movies that were as bad that I just mentioned please feel free to share and see you soon in this space with more upcoming reviews.

American Animals

By Emilio Frenk. 

Director: Bart Layton

Cast: Barry Keoghan, Evan Peters, Blake Jenner, Jared Abrahamson, Ann Down, Gary Basaraba, Wayne Duvall, Whitney Goin, Jane McNeill and Udo Kier.

Rating: Excellent.

Bart Layton, director of 2012´s documentary “The Imposter” brings “American Animals”, his first fiction film and it was a hell of a ride.

Based on true events the film centers on Spencer Reinhard (Barry Keoghan) an aspiring young artist that has recently been accepted into Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky.

He has a close friendship with Warren Lipka (Evan Peters) a teenager that constantly gets him in trouble.

Everything will change for Spencer in a tour of the University´s library where he goes to the special collection and see´s some Audobon Prints and rare books, one of the them “The Origin of the Species” by Charles Darwin.

Spencer shares this with Warren and both of them are decided to rob both the Prints and books. They will recruit Eric Borsuk (Jared Abrahamson),  who currently studies accounting and Chas Allen (Blake Jenner).

The four of them will pull a heist that is considered one of the most audacious in  American History.

The element that made “American Animals” work is that it´s not your average heist movie. It´s a movie that combines both elements of documentary, with drama and comedy, which makes it special.

Bart Layton, who comes from Documentary background used the real robbers from the heist and he combined this with the cast who perform the robbery. I can´t recall if this technique has been used before but here was very effective.

Layton also wrote the screenplay with a lot of detail and the amount of research was notable.  The characters he created here were very unique, despite of being amateurs on how they act before and after the heist. I like how Layton triggered the struggle of the four characters and that all of them are desperately seeking some attention to be special but of course it was not in the right way.

The film does remind me  of “Reservoir Dogs” by Quentin Tarantino and is the biggest influence in this movie. I observed other movies like “Ocean´s Eleven” as an influence, by moments “Confidence” and Guy Ritchie`s “Snatch” since the pacing of those films and this one are very similar. Another reference of course is Sofia Coppola´s “The Bling Ring” since young adults do something very selfish that would mark the rest of the lives.

The film has a lot of dark humor and it does work since for a  film like this you need to have some of it, otherwise it would have become too serious.

Not only Bart Layton focused very good in terms of camera,  but he directed an outstanding cast who gave memorable performances.

Ole Bratt Birkeland´s work as a cinematographer was very good. In every single one of the characters used a different tone and lighting. Every framing has a meaning and you can tell that it relates with the personality of each and single one of the characters here.

Barry Keoghan´s performance here was really good and this young actor has a bright future. He was terrifying in last year`s “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” and here again he did a remarkable job, so as Evan Peters, Blake Jenner and Jared Abrahamson.

The chemistry between the four characters does work despite that most of the first act is more Spencer and Warren. The way how they plan the robbery was very well shot, edited and those were the brands of this film here.

When I first saw “American Animals” I didn´t know what to expect to be completely honest and this was one of the reasons why I enjoyed the film.

I am very happy that films like this are being showed and hopefully we can see more of this  often.

“American Animals” is one of the best year´s films, I highly recommend it for Bart Layton´s directing, performances and visuals of this film.

Won`t You Be My Neighbor?

By Emilio Frenk. 

Director: Morgan Neville

Cast: Joanne Rogers, McColm Cephas Jr, François Scarborough Clemmons, Kailyn Davis, Yo-Yo Ma, Joe Negri, David Newell and Fred Rogers.

Rating: Excellent.

Academy Award Winning Director for “20 Feet from Stardom” Morgan Neville, brings “Won´t You Be my Neighbor?”, another fantastic documentary that was a throwback to my childhood.

The film explores the life and legacy  of Fred Rogers, who created and starred in the children´s television show “Mister Rogers´ Neighborhood”, one of the most iconic tv shows in American culture.

In “Won´t You By My Neighbor?” Morgan Neville went deep and explored some of the facets of Fred Rogers that some of us didn´t know that really happened. Here it took us to a journey of a man who had a big heart and huge love not only for children but for life itself.

On the other hand there was a dark side on Fred Rogers here that was reveled, but still I liked the fact that it centered in a man that has become an iconic figure.

Like in “20 Feet from Stardom”, Neville went deep here in Fred Rogers and interviewed people  like Fred Roger´s wife Joanne, and his two sons, that is the first time that they speak about their father.

I grew up of with “Mister Rogers`Neighborhood” and like I mentioned previously it brought me good memories.

This film is a definitely learning experience and also I believe that Fred Rogers not only is an iconic figure, but also an Institution for  Educational Television as we know it today.

Morgan Neville directed another great, sweet and touching documentary. I feel that it is a film that people will be moved, specially for the ones who either watched the show or people who knew about it as well, regardless of watching it or not.

I would not be surprised if “Won´t You Be My Neighbor?” creates noise in this year´s awards season and I hope that it does.

“Won´t You Be My Neighbor?” is not only one of the best documentaries I have seen in recent years, but it´s definitely one of the year´s best movies.

I highly recommend it and I can guarantee you that you are going to be touched and inspired by the life of Fred Rogers.

Upgrade

By Emilio Frenk. 

Director: Leigh Whannell

Cast: Logan Marshall-Green, Betty Gabriel, Harrison Gilbertson, Benedict Hardie, Melanie Vallejo, Christopher Kirby, Clayton Jacobson, Saching Joab, Michael. M Foster, Richard Cawthorne and Simon Maiden.

Rating: Very Good.

Leigh Whannel, creator of the first “Saw” film brings “Upgrade”,  a science fiction/action/thriller that delivers.

The movie takes place in the near future and centers in Grey Trace (Logan Marshall-Green) a mechanic who is happily married to Asha (Melanie Vallejo), who works for a prestigious tech company.

Everything will change for them when both Grey and Asha suffer an accident and are attacked by thugs who kill Asha and leave Grey paralyzed.

One day Grey is approached by Eron Keen (Harrison Gilberston) a tech innovator who recently created a gadget named Stem. Keen offers Grey to implant Stem in to his neck, allowing him to walk again.

Grey reluctantly agrees and his life will radically change. The trouble starts when  Stem begins to talk into Grey´s head, has total control on him, which will lead him to seek revenge against the men who were responsible for Asha´s death and will not rest until he achieves his goal.

“Upgrade” is a film that has a very original concept and I like the fact that takes place in the future. I feel the film is criticism towards how we depend on technology  and all the technological advances that have been in our society recently.

I do see a lot of influence on early movies from John Carpenter and some of Wes Craven´s work  due to the psychological elements that are involved in here. I can imagine that Leigh Whannel used some films of the previous filmmakers as a source of inspiration here.

The action sequences they are really good, but I feel that sometimes they look kind of cartoonish. I understand why is this since we are seeing a man who is being controlled  by a gadget and it´s reasonable to see these reactions from the main character.

Logan Marshall-Green did a really good job in portraying the character and he was very convincing.

The look of the film is very dark and I believe that breaks with all the conventionalisms of the typical science fiction film, which some of them can be very colorful.

Here what really works is that we see a character in a constant struggle since he is a  quadriplegic.

Leigh Whannel did a good job with his directing. I liked the tone of the film that he used here and the timing of the film was very good.

There were things that took me completely by surprise, one of them a  big twist that happens in the third act of the film that does works and Whannel was very smart on using that element.

On the not so good parts of the film were that the rest of the characters were not as fleshed as Grey and I didn´t see any motivations. This is focused on the assassins, who you hate and one cop that I felt that they needed more development.  

The only thing that I knew from “Upgrade” was all the noise that the film created in this year´s South By Southwest festival, which most people were praising about it and I can see why. I went to see this movie with my mind completely in blank and I definitely enjoyed it.

For Science Fiction and Thriller lovers this is a movie you cannot miss and I highly recommend it for it`s originality and the levels of tension this movie possesses.  

Adrift

By Emilio Frenk. 

Director: Baltasar Kormákur

Cast: Shailene Woodley, Sam Claflin, Grace Palmer, Jeffrey Thomas and Elizabeth Hawthorne.

Rating: Very Good.

Icelandic Filmmaker Baltasar Kormákur, whose most notable work are films like “2 Guns” and “Everest” brings “Adrift”, a love story that does payoff.

Based on a true story the movie centers in Tami Oldham (Shailene Woodley) a free spirited girl from San Diego, California, who recently arrives to Tahiti.

She will meet Richard Sharp (Sam Claflin) a British adventurer who has a huge passion for sailing. Both Tami and Richard will form a potential bond  that eventually  leads to a relationship.

One day both Richard and Tami are asked by a couple to sail their yacht from Tahiti to San Diego. Everything goes fine during the trip until they hit a hurricane, where Richard is fatally injured.

Tami who wakes up from the events of the natural disaster, finds an unconscious Richard at sea and she rescues him.

Now Tami will  figure out how to survive this ordeal with Richard before they run out of food and water.

“Adrift” is a film that is engaging from beginning to end and this is due to the characters that are very rich in this film.

Both Tami and Richard despite of being similar  are different in some aspects, but this I think is a factor that works and I believe that if they would have been a 100% equal the film wouldn´t have worked.

Another factor that really helped is the fact that is a true story and is told by Tami´s point of view.

I liked how the film starts from the accident already happening and then it takes you  to the journey of how this two people met to the conclusion of the film.

There are things that I think they could have been trimmed down and some of them were the length of some scenes. I felt that they were too long unnecessary and  I think Kormákur at that side could  have done a much better job.

The screenplay written by Aaron and Jordan Kandell and David Branson Smith is very detailed oriented and adapted the book “Red Sky in Mourning: A True Story of Love, Loss, and Survival at Sea” (also written by Tami Oldham Ashcraft) in a very convincing way.

I have mentioned previously that it can be a risk having three or more screenwriters on a project due that there can be a tendency that all parties can have different ideas and sometimes at the end of the day it can lead to disaster. Here was not the case and you can tell everyone put hard work on it.

Baltasar Kormákur´s directing was very sharp. He knew not only how to direct the sequences of the hurricane in a realistic way, but he focused in his cast as well.

Another factor that help on Kormákur´s directing was having three time Academy Award Winning Cinematographer Robert Richardson behind the camera. His work is again impressive, the way he played with this lighting was key  and every framing has a meaning here. 

I imagine that this film was very difficult to shoot, due that most of it  takes place at sea and in those conditions is very challenging due to the trials that you face on set,  bad weather the most frequent one.

Shailene Woodley give a fantastic and reaisticl performance. On the other hand Sam Claflin´s could have been better, and there were moments that he didn´t express to much. Here it could be one of the things that Kormákur could have focused better and the movie could have been better.

Another element that makes “Adrift” special was the fact that yes, it is a disaster movie but at the same time is  a love story. The most common mistake in films like this one is the fact that it only focuses on the natural disaster and there isn´t enough character development.

“Adrift” is a movie that took me out of surprise. I highly recommend it and if you like this genre a suggestion would be to bring and pack of tissues with you,  since you will be needing them.

Solo: A Star Wars Story

By Emilio Frenk. 

Director: Ron Howard

Cast: Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Thandie Newton, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Joonas Suotamo, Jon Favreau, Linda Hunt, Clint Howard, Warwick Davis, Erin Kellyman and Paul Bettany.

Rating: Very Good. 

Academy Award Winning Director Ron Howard brings “Solo: A Star Wars Story” and despite of the flaws the film has, which I will get to those briefly I was very satisfied with the film.

The story centers in young Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) a young smuggler and thief from the planet of Corelia that has the aspiration of becoming a pilot.

In his journey to reach his goal he will meet Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson) who will become his mentor and will form a special friendship with Chewbacca The Wookie (Joonas Suotamo).

In one of his missions Solo is asked with Tobias and Chewbacca to steal a shipment of hyperfuel coaxium for Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany) the leader of the Crimson Dawn criminal syndicate.

Besides being joined by Tobias Beckett and Chewbacca, Han Solo will be joined by his partner and girlfriend from Corelia Qi´ra (Emilia Clarke) and they will ask for the help of Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover) a smuggler and gambler who happens to fly The Millenium Falcon and eventually will form a close friendship with Han Solo.

“Solo: A Star Wars Movie” for people who are familiar with the films and it´s character you are going to find things that you were expecting and like I mentioned before this film has a lot of flaws, one of them being too predictable.

Both Lawrence Kasdan (writer of “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of The Jedi”) with his son Jonathan wrote a screenplay that I thought was too obvious and I was surprised since Lawrence Kasdan is a fantastic writer and I from that point I was expecting this film to be very good.

The relationship between Han Solo and Qi´ra was one of the best moments in this film and I was expecting both Lawrence and Jonathan to get more deep here and by moments Solo was being annoying instead of charming and cynical, which we saw in this characters for many years.

Yes, we do see a cynical side and I like the fact of how we know the origins of how he build his friendship with Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian which does work in this film and it´s very funny how the situation in both meetings with this characters take place.

Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo was very good and he brought his wit and charm to portray this iconic character; so as Donald Glover, who did an outstanding job and he could be one of my favorite characters in this for his portrayal.

Donald Glover is one of the best young talents that are in this industry and there is no doubt in my mind that he is going to be one of the most predominant performers in Hollywood.

Ron Howard´s directing was very different of the type of films he normally directs which involve colorful characters. Here was not the case and he told the story of a character who does a dark background and did a very good job, specially in directing performances which is one Howard´s trademarks in his films.

The cinematography by Bradford Young was impressive and in terms of production value the film was very good and is filled with amazing action sequences and visual effects, which I was expecting since all the Star Wars films have this and has become a trademark.

Despite of the flaws in story I was very satisfied with the film. Coming from someone who grew up with Star Wars, honestly I was not expecting anything from it but at the end of the day the film does entertain.

That being said I recommend this film. There are going to be a lot of opinions, specially from Star Wars fans who might love or hate but still I do think is a film that surves it´s purpose, which is to entertain.

First Reformed

By Emilio Frenk. 

Director: Paul Schrader

Cast: Ethan Hawke, Amanda Seyfried, Cedric Kyles, Victoria Hill, Philip Ettinger and Michael Gaston.

Rating: Excellent.

Two Time Academy Award Nominee Paul Schrader  brings “First Reformed”, his 21st film as a director and again he did an outstanding job.

The movie tells the story of the Reverend Toller (Ethan Hawke) a former military chaplain that is filled with guilt due to his son´s death and preaches at the First Reformed Church in Upstate New York.

Everything will change for Toller when he meets Mary (Amanda Seyfried) a regular member of his congregation who is very worried about her husband Michael (Philip Ettinger) a radical environmentalist who suffers constantly of attacks and depression.

Toller will try to do everything in his hands to help Mary and her husband. He will try to uncover a secret  truth that surrounds his congregation and other political institutions, making Toller to question his faith.

Paul Schrader once again wrote a very original screenplay in “First Reformed” and I like the fact that he choose trending topics like Global Warming and of course the catholic church.

He created a very complete character in Reverend Toller and we see his constant struggles and internal conflict, which is one of Schrader´s trademarks in his work.

Schrader as always went deep in his characters, specially in Toller and showed us a character who is in a real need and when he meets the character of Mary is like a new chapter for him.

I believe that Schrader is one of the best filmmakers in using the voice over, which is also his trademark. One clear example of this is in “Taxi Driver” where we constantly see the character of Travis Bickle, played by Robert De Niro using the voice over.

His directing was outstanding and I like how not only got excellent performances of his cast but also the choice of shots in this film. One approach that was very interesting is that he didn´t use too much coverage and opted on using wide shots, specially with the use of dolly tracks which can be a risk if you don´t know how to use the technique properly. Yes, he used his close ups in the scenes that were most critical, but that´s it. 

Ethan Hawke gives one of his most outstanding performances of his career. This is a different version from him and he plays Toller with so much realism. This is so far one of the performances that has impacted me the most this year and hopefully we can see him in contention in next year´s awards ceremony.

Amanda Seyfried was very good as well. She played a very different character that has some similarities with Hawke´s and the chemistry they had together in the film works at all levels.

Even Cedric The Entertainer, which here is credited as Cedric Kyles gives a good performance as a serious character, when he normally plays comedic roles but here he did a very good job.

There were two things of this film  that really draw my attention:

1)    The use of music in this film is minimal but works in the scenes that was used.

2)    The ending of this film took me by surprise. I was expecting something else since most of the film takes you through that journey but leaves you thinking what is going to happen with this characters.

“First Reformed” is a film that people are going to talk about it for a while and it´s a good example of how to make a low budget film with a fantastic screenplay.

It´s one of the best year´s film and I highly recommend it for Schrader´s both directing/writing and performances specially Ethan Hawke.