Tag Archives: Movie Reviews

Drama, No Spoiler Reviews

TRUST (2021): The Things I Liked…

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Truth (2021), Victoria Justice, Vertical Entertainment US
Truth (2021), Victoria Justice, Vertical Entertainment US

Trust, the new drama starring Matthew Daddario, Victoria Justice, Lucien Laviscount and Katherine McNamara has some notable high and low points.

The standout highlight in a story about a New York gallery owner and her husband, as they each face exceptional temptations is the beautifully lit shots of Paris, and particularly, New York City. So colourful and vibrant are said images, that for a moment, I suspected the makers of Trust had brokered a deal with the New York City Tourism Board. 

Additionally, Justice’s attire and the gorgeously lit Royal Bangladesh Indian Restaurant, the very one featured prominently in the film’s trailer are two other high points. I can only selfishly hope that the latter managed to survive the pandemic so I can visit in the near future.

The acting in Trust isn’t terrible. But, I did find the dialogue cringe-worthy in parts. A truth that made me realise that Trust is not at all as sophisticated as the movie it initially reminded me of, namely, Last Night (2010). 

Other low points include the less convincing moments in Laviscount’s Dublin accent and the editing. Especially the decision to reveal an important piece of the puzzle at the very start; a puzzling choice that seemed unnecessary, at best. 

Overall, director Brian DeCubellis’s film is one you watch if you’re curious about the highlights. And or, you’re a fan of the cast. Otherwise, I recommend Last Night (2010) instead; for an arguably smarter and more sophisticated execution of a similar story.

Happy Film Loving,

G

No Spoiler Reviews, Thriller

THE LITTLE THINGS (2021): The Things I Liked…

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The Little Things (2021), Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, Warner Bros. Pictures
The Little Things (2021), Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, Warner Bros. Pictures

As many can imagine, a thriller starring Denzel Washington, Rami Malek and Jared Leto is the kind that’s highly unlikely to disappoint, especially on the performance front.

All three Academy award-winning actors were great in their roles. I particularly enjoyed the tension-filled dynamic between Washington and Malek’s characters. I also happened to like the way Malek walks in this movie, but that’s neither here nor there.

Performances and walks aside, The Little Things is very unlikely to be what you expect. Writer/director John Lee Hancock’s serial killer movie is engaging and suspenseful; especially at the start. Yet, even though I appreciated the story that Hancock chose to tell, the way the film’s unexpected difference is executed resulted in a storytelling experience that left me feeling disappointed and unsatisfied.

To be clear, I’m not dissatisfied because I didn’t get the ending I wanted. I’m left wanting because the story structure did a less than satisfactory job of managing my expectations.

Besides the already mentioned high points of this movie, one of the biggest positives of The Little Things, for me, is the musical score; the sound of which you’ll recognise, particularly if you enjoyed and or replayed the impressive trailer as much as I did. 

The Little Things is a movie you watch if you’re curious about the performances. And to find out how it’s different from what you typically expect from a serial killer movie, should you be so curious.

Happy Film Loving

G

Comedy, No Spoiler Reviews

COMING 2 AMERICA (2021): The Things I Liked…

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Coming 2 America (2021), kIkI Layne, Amazon Prime Video
Coming 2 America (2021), kIkI Layne, Amazon Prime Video

I had a good time watching Coming 2 America, the sequel to Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall and James Earl Jones’s 1988 comedy classic Coming to America.

Director Craig Brewer’s film isn’t quite perfect but the parts that it gets right gave me so much joy, that I’m barely mad about the ones that didn’t fully work. 

There’s a fair number of memorable funny moments, many of which you won’t see coming. And several of them feature Wesley Snipes and Leslie Jones. Another key highlight is, of course, Eddie Murphy as Prince Akeem. I was so happy to be fully present in the moments the camera was on Murphy (one of my favourite standup comics); whether it be Akeem in the present day, or young Akeem via the clever usage of old footage captured for the first movie. In this way, for me, watching Coming 2 America felt like catching up with an old friend you hadn’t seen for a very long time. One with whom you shared some of the best times of your life.

Coming 2 America (2021), Eddie Murphy, Amazon Prime Video
Coming 2 America (2021), Eddie Murphy, Amazon Prime Video

As for what I wish had been different about Coming 2 America, in no particular order, some of the de-ageing of Murphy wasn’t the best. The part of the story I consider the weakest has to be the love story. That element felt forced and rushed. 

I know very well that Coming 2 America is supposed to be focused on Prince Akeem’s son. Yet, a part of me wanted the camera to focus more on Akim. I’m going to blame that on how very appreciative I am of Murphy’s general comic excellence.

Watch Coming 2 America if you haven’t already. The first movie is undoubtedly better, but there’s much fun to be had with this sequel. And chances are, you won’t want to miss the highlights mentioned above and more. Especially the performance at the party near the end. That moment had me so happy, that as soon as it was over, I had to rewind and relive it all over again. It’s been a while since I’ve partied, so maybe that’s part of the reason.

Happy Film Loving

G

Action, Animation, Comedy, No Spoiler Reviews

TOM AND JERRY (2021): The Thing I Liked…

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Tom & Jerry (2021), Warner Bros. Pictures
Tom & Jerry (2021), Warner Bros. Pictures

The pre-teen version of me desperately wanted the recent Tom and Jerry movie, starring Chloë Grace Moretz, Michael Peña and Colin Jost, to be good. I was looking forward to being transported back to some of the happiest TV viewing moments of my childhood. Instead, what happened with director Tim Story’s film was that I quickly became bored.

My biggest issue with Tom and Jerry is that I didn’t find the writing engaging enough to keep me watching beyond the thirty-minute mark. My disappointment was further compounded by the lack of newness where Tom and Jerry’s antics are concerned. There’s also the fact that my sense of humour has undoubtedly evolved. Still, I don’t regret aborting my viewing session before the end.

As for the animation style, I may have appreciated it more had the background not been real-world New York City. This combination of the updated animation style with the real-world backdrop proved to be too much difference all at once for me. An overload that’s made worse because the story execution is lacking.

The best thing about my brief experience with Tom and Jerry is Jerry’s cuteness. I’ll remember that for a while, as I try not to think too hard about how different the film could have been, had the humans not featured so very prominently. Especially when, for me at least, they were never the main attraction.

This is one you try to watch, only if you absolutely must.

Happy Film Loving,

G

Action, No Spoiler Reviews, Thriller

UNDERWATER (2020): The Thing I Liked…

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Underwater (2020), Kristen Stewart, 20th Century Fox
Underwater (2020), Kristen Stewart, 20th Century Fox

It’s the promise of thrilling action sequences that take place at the bottom of the ocean that drew me to Underwater; an action/thriller about a group of researchers trying to survive after an earthquake devastates their subterranean laboratory.

The good news is that I got the well-executed and thrilling scrambling to safety scenes I’d hoped for. The bad news is that besides the initial scrambling and the face-to-face encounter with the monster towards the end, there isn’t much else about director William Eubank’s film that I found particularly impressive.

Starring Kristen Stewart, T.J. Miller and Vincent Cassel; the elements that proved most disappointing include the design of the underwater monster, which, for me, seemed relatively basic and not particularly new. Furthermore, overall, the special effects could have been better. And unfortunately, some of the acting is questionable.

I know that Underwater is a thriller and not a traditional horror movie. Yet, I expected the monster to be scarier than it is. Or, at the very least, for the encounters with the monster to be more terrifying than they are. It certainly didn’t help that we barely see anything, each time the camera is pointed at the monster.

Much of the dialogue felt quite flat, which in part led to the moments that should have been more affecting, i.e. the death of key characters proved rather underwhelming.

Watch Underwater, but only if you absolutely must.

Happy Film Loving,

G