Tag Archives: Spoiler-Free Movie Reviews

I AM MOTHER (2019): The Thing I Liked…

July 1, 2019 Giadreams (themoviemylife.com) 2 Comments

I Am Mother (2019), Hilary Swank, Netflix

In Netflix sci-fi movie I Am Mother, a robot ‘mother’ created to repopulate Earth following human extinction must deal with an inexplicable stranger. A stranger who arrives with news that threatens her unique bond with her teenage daughter.

The intriguing premise and Oscar-winning actor Hilary Swank’s involvement are the reasons I watched I Am Mother. Also starring Rose Byrne and Clara Rugaard, overall, director Grant Sputore’s film is an OK sci-fi mystery.

It’s interesting enough, even though it could have moved faster. The most engaging part for me is towards the end when the characters’ full truths are finally revealed. By this point, it became clear to me why Swank had agreed to play her specific role. Her character’s precise predicament and emotional journey are truly interesting, especially the way the story deals with the experience of being human.

I say watch I Am Mother if you’re curious. The movie is indeed a Netflix sci-fi film, but it’s also better than other recent Netflix films of the same genre. Namely, IO (2019) and Extinction (2018). I definitely wouldn’t recommend watching those two, unless you really, really absolutely have to.

Happy Film Loving,

Action, Comedy, Drama, No Spoiler Reviews

MURDER MYSTERY (2019): The Things I Liked…

June 27, 2019 Giadreams (themoviemylife.com) Leave a comment

Murder Mystery (2019), Jennifer Aniston, Adam Sandler, Netflix

There’s no denying that Murder Mystery, the latest movie from Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler gave me some laughs. The Kyle Newacheck-directed comedy about an American couple who find themselves framed for murder while on a European vacation definitely brought the Sandler/Aniston on-screen magic.

To elaborate, even though the murder investigation scenes barely proved engaging, I really liked the moments when it was just Aniston and Sandler’s characters talking to each other. Their comedy dynamic as a married couple is great. In fact, I’m almost certain that if Murder Mystery had just been Aniston and Sandler’s characters finally taking a vacation in Europe, bickering among themselves, enjoying and learning about the billionaire lifestyle, but definitely minus the murder mystery elements, I’d probably have liked this movie much more.

There was certainly room for the murder mystery to be better executed. Because that portion of the story just proved too cliché for me to appreciate. Nevertheless, I have no regrets because of the moments I did enjoy. Moments that also include the joke on the plane about the alternative earplug suggestion and the scenes with Aniston and/or Sandler that featured Luke Evans’s very charming Charles Cavendish character.

Last but not least, one more key highlight is when I saw British comic David Walliams show up on screen. A truly joy-inducing moment for me personally because his character transported me back to the times when I watched his great work in the BBC’s hit comedy series Little Britain.

I say watch Murder Mystery if you’re curious about the highlights mentioned above. Maybe you’ll love it all, even though I couldn’t.

Happy Film Loving,

Action, Adventure, Fantasy, No Spoiler Reviews

DOCTOR STRANGE (2016): Good Movie…

May 7, 2019 Giadreams (themoviemylife.com) Leave a comment

Doctor Strange (2016), Benedict Cumberbatch, Marvel Studios

‘Fun’ and ‘good’ are the words for Doctor Strange; Marvel’s story of a brilliant neurosurgeon who’s drawn into the mystic arts while seeking physical and spiritual healing.

Starring the well-voiced Benedict Cumberbatch, director Scott Derrickson’s film is definitely a superhero movie. And as someone who was in the midst of superhero movie fatigue at the time of release, I’m happy to say that the film’s different class of weaponry/enemy really worked to make the experience that little bit different and certainly more interesting.

I don’t know how great a thing this is, but the impressive visual effects in Doctor Strange kind of kept my beloved Inception (2010) at front-of-mind, at least half the time. In fact, I couldn’t help but wonder about how much more amazing I’d find Marvel’s move if I hadn’t seen much of the style of effects first in Christopher Nolan’s Inception.

Arresting visuals aside, the execution of the growth of Strange’s character from beginning to end, particularly how satisfying it was to watch him grow because he needed to, is my favourite thing about Derrickson’s movie.

I absolutely took some time aside to fantasise about personally having Strange’s abilities, without the suffering that came before, of course.

Watch it if you haven’y already. It’s worthy.

Happy Film Loving,