Movies Graded

Director: Janus Metz Stars: Sverrir Gudnason, Shia LaBeouf, Stellan Skarsg å rd Runtime:  107 minutes Performances: 8/10 Screenplay:  6/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 8/10 Editing: 7/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  6/10  Verdict:  Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have been dominating the tennis courts for years now, but during the late 1970s and early 1980s, it was two other giants of the sport that were destroying everything and everyone who stood in their way: Bj ö rn Borg and John McEnroe. "Bjorn McEnroe" is the story of the historic Wimbledon final that opposed the two players back in 1980, and serves also as a character study of the ice cold Swede and the fiery American. One thing I really liked about this movie was the general atmosphere. I really felt like I was watching something that was taking place in 1980, and this is mostly thanks to great costume and set designs. Sverrir Gudnason and Stellan Skarsg å rd b...

Director: Jon Lucas, Scott Moore Stars: Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn Runtime: 104 minutes Performances: 2/10 Screenplay: 1/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 5/10 Editing: 4/10 Cinematography: 3/10 Score/Soundtrack:  2/10  Verdict:  I honestly don't know what I was expecting from the sequel to last year's "Bad Moms". Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, and Kathryn Hahn returned as the three underappreciated mothers, only this time, they are joined by their own moms played by Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines, and Susan Sarandon. I wasn't a big fan of this movie's predecessor, as I found the characters to be unlikable and the jokes to be unfunny. "A Bad Moms Christmas" checks all the boxes of a typical Hollywood sequel. It is basically a remake of the first movie, only with twice as many moms. The jokes were lazy, unfunny and repetitive, the characters, old and new, unlikable, and the plot non-existent. "A Bad Moms Chr...

Director: J.D. Dillard Stars: Jacob Latimore, Seychelle Gabriel, Storm Reid Runtime:  99 minutes Performances: 5/10 Screenplay:  2/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 6/10 Editing: 5/10 Cinematography: 6/10 Score/Soundtrack:  5/10 Verdict:  I remember watching Josh Trank's "Chronicle" a couple of years ago and being pleasantly surprised by it. The first five minutes of "Sleight" led me to believe that the experience was going to be similar. Jacob Latimore plays Bo, a street magician with incredibly fast sleight of hand and a special ability that no other magician has. But the only trick he managed to pull was to lose my interest within the first 10 minutes, as the plot takes a completely different road and becomes about a drug deal that goes wrong. "Sleight" started strong and could've been a fun movie with a nice premise, but unfortunately turns into yet another drug-deal-gone-wrong film, with cheesy dialogue and a bor...

Director: Andrey Zvyaginstev Stars: Maryana Spivak, Vladimir Vdovichenkov, Aleskey Rozin Runtime: 127 minutes Performances: 9/10 Screenplay: 9/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 7/10 Editing: 9/10 Cinematography: 10/10 Score/Soundtrack:  8/10  Verdict: Matvey Novikov shines as Alyosha, a child victim of his parents' divorce, who goes missing mysteriously in this Russian Oscar-nominated film. "Loveless" floored me. This is a movie that requires patience and attention, and that ultimately rewards you for it. All the performances, and especially Maryana Spivak's, are excellent and layered. But this movie would not have worked without the genius of director Andrey Zvyaginstev. He made one of the most beautiful movies of the year, using the cold Russian climate as a way to showcase the main themes of the film, which are divorce and hate. The score, or lack of it at times, is perfectly used to heighten the tension in a movie that depends on it ...

Director: Jeff Baena Stars: Alison Brie, Dave Franco, Kate Micucci Runtime:  90 minutes Performances: 6/10 Screenplay: 3/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 5/10 Editing: 6/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  6/10 Verdict:  "The Little Hours" takes place in a convent, during the Middle Ages, in which the behavior of the local nuns gets the gardener to quit and be replaced by Massetto, a young servant escaping from his master. The movie stars a bunch of comedic talents, including Alison Brie, Dave Franco, Kate Micucci, Aubrey Plaza, Nick Offerman and John C. Reily. Talents that unfortunately all played versions of themselves in religious clothes, which got boring after the first 15 minutes. And this is why I found the film quite disappointing. It felt like a 15-minute sketch stretched into a 90-minute comedy, which resulted in the movie becoming repetitive really fast. In addition, a lot of jokes didn't land for me, and I felt sometimes ...

Director: Alfred Hitchcock Stars: Rod Taylor, Tippi Hedren, Jessica Tandy Runtime:  119 minutes Performances: 7/10 Screenplay: 7/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 6/10 Editing: 8/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack:  N.A. Verdict:  "The Birds", based on a novelette by Daphne Du Maurier, is the story of Melanie, played by Tippi Hedren, who while visiting a small town in the hopes of meeting Mitch, portrayed by Rod Taylor, finds herself in the middle of bizarre events as birds start attacking the residents of that same town. The movie was directed by the master of suspense himself, Sir Alfred Hitchcock. This 1963 flick might not be as brilliant as some of his earlier work (Psycho, Vertigo, North by Northwest...), mostly because of some performances and special effects that feel sometimes dated (but were nonetheless nominated for an Oscar that year), and an ending that a lot of people, me included, will find frustrating. However, "The Bir...

Director: Guillermo del Toro Stars: Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer, Michael Shannon Runtime:  123 minutes Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 7/10 Special Effects: N.A.   Costumes/Makeup: 10/10 Editing: 8/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack:  9/10 Verdict: Sally Hawkins is perfectly cast as Elisa, a mute janitor who works at a secret government laboratory which receives a humanlike amphibian creature, played by the always unrecognizable and equally brilliant Doug Jones. Michael Shannon, Octavia Spencer, Richard Jenkins, and Michael Stuhlbarg (who has been on a roll this year) are also in the film, and all of them deliver. "The Shape of Water" moved me like very few other movies did. And this is not only due to a very touching story written by Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor, but also thanks to Alexandre Desplat's mesmerizing score, which is my favorite of the year without a doubt. Behind the camera, del Toro made sure that the movie's qua...

Director: Christopher Landon Stars: Jessica Rothe, Israel Broussard, Ruby Modine Runtime:  96 minutes Performances: 2/10 Screenplay: 2/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 5/10 Editing: 4/10 Cinematography: 5/10 Score/Soundtrack:  2/10 Verdict: Tree, a college student doomed to relive the day of her murder over and over again, must find her killer to put an end to that endless loop. The movie checks all the boxes of a modern disposable horror flick: bad acting, lazy writing, unlikable characters, cheesy punchlines, poor editing... The only thing I enjoyed about it is the fact that it was self-aware at times, and didn't take itself too seriously. It's a good movie to watch with drunk friends, but not one that will be remembered in a week's time. Final Grade:  3/10

Director: Aaron Sorkin Stars: Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner Runtime:  140 minutes Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 9/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 7/10 Editing: 9/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  5/10 Verdict:  "Molly's Game" is the incredible true story of Molly Bloom, who's famous for running some of America's most exclusive underground poker games. Aaron Sorkin, based on Molly's book, wrote the screenplay for the movie, and like every screenplay he ever wrote in the past (Moneyball, A Few Good Men, The Social Network...), it's extremely well structured and filled with exceptional lines of dialogue. Jessica Chastain is as usual, incredible, and the other supporting actors also do a great job. The movie marks also the directorial debut of the famous screenwriter, which I'm happy to say is more than decent and will definitely have me buying a ticket for his next project. One notable aspect of the...

Director: Steven Spielberg Stars: Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Sarah Paulson Runtime:  116 minutes Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 7/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 6/10 Editing: 6/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  6/10 Verdict:  Steven Spielberg's latest project tackles the true story of a war between the US government and the press (does that ring a bell?) back in the early 1970s, and the dilemma it sparkled in the offices of the famous Washington Post. First of all, let's get the obvious out of the way: Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, as well as the rest of a cast that includes Bob Odenkirk, Jesse Plemons, or Sarah Paulson are all excellent, with a special mention to Hanks who is Oscar-worthy in this film. Another thing that made the movie thrilling is the way it builds up in intensity as it goes on, and this is due to a very well structured screenplay by Liz Hannah and Josh Singer (who also wrote the similarly themed and Oscar-winning movi...

Director: Angela Robinson Stars: Luke Evans, Rebecca Hall, Bella Heathcote Runtime: 108 minutes Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 7/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 7/10 Editing: 7/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack:  6/10 Verdict:  Talk about perfect timing. "Professor Marston and the Wonder Women" tells the story of famous psychologist William Moulton Marston (Luke Evans) and his relationship with the women who inspired him to create the character of Wonder Woman: his wife, Elizabeth (Rebecca Hall), and his mistress, Olive (Bella Heathcote). Writer/director Angela Robinson managed to hit two birds with one stone with this movie. She not only introduced the world to the eccentric lifestyle of the creator of one of today's most important feminism figures, but also highlighted the history, complexity, and significance of the world's most famous superheroine. The way she was able to juggle between the two narratives was impressive, and...

Director: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig Stars: Matt Passmore, Tobin Bell, Callum Keith Rennie Runtime:  92 minutes Performances: 3/10 Screenplay: 2/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 5/10 Editing: 4/10 Cinematography: 6/10 Score/Soundtrack:  5/10 Verdict: As I am writing this, "Jigsaw" stands at a rotten 34% on the Tomatometer, but an audience score of 92%. And these numbers should tell you everything you need to know about this movie. Is it good? No, despite it looking prettier than the previous installments in the franchise. Is it entertaining? Let's just say that it follows the "Saw" formula that we all know and love: bad acting, disposable characters trying to survive John Kramer's games (yes, he's in the movie even though he's been dead for 6 films now), a timeline that makes absolutely no sense, and a hilarious twist in the final act. I'd certainly recommend "Jigsaw" to fans of the franchise, but if ...

Director: Simon Curtis Stars: Domhnall Gleeson, Margot Robbie, Kelly Macdonald Runtime:  107 minutes Performances: 7/10 Screenplay: 4/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 8/10 Editing: 4/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:   5/10 Verdict:  Domhnall Gleeson has been on a roll for the past two years with movies like Ex Machina, Brooklyn or The Revenant. His latest addition to his already rich filmography is nowhere near the quality of his previous gems, and this is mostly due to a script that overdramatized some events (without spoiling anything, there's a scene near the end that made me say "Oh, come on" out loud), and some poor editing work. I felt at times that some really vital scenes were missing and that some jumps in time were out of place, which left me with the feeling of having watched three-quarters of C.R. Milne's story, which inspired the Winnie the Pooh books. Even great performances by Gleeson, Robbie, and especially Macd...

Director: Joe Wright Stars: Gary Oldman, Lily James, Kristin Scott Thomas Runtime:  125 minutes Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 4/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 10/10 Editing: 5/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack:  5/10 Verdict:  "Darkest Hour" tells the story of Winston Churchill's first month as British Prime Minister, in May of the year 1940. The names attached to the project, as well as the topic tackled, heightened my expectations going in. Expectations that, unfortunately, were never met due to a very disappointing script, that was filled with exposition scenes in the first act, and cheese towards the end. Screenwriter Anthony McCarten also makes the weird decision of including a lot of secondary characters (Elizabeth Layton, Neville Chamberlain, Viscount Halifax...) and gives them unnecessary arcs, which, as a result, made the movie drag a lot. The movie was, of course, not all bad. It was visually compelling, with c...

Director: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie Stars: Robert Pattinson, Benny Safdie, Jennifer Jason Leigh Runtime:  101 minutes Performances: 7/10 Screenplay: 8/10 Special Effects: N.A Costumes/Makeup: 7/10 Editing: 8/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  8/10 Verdict:  "Good Time" is one of the most overlooked movies of 2017. The fact that this film only made $2 million worldwide baffles me. Directed brilliantly by the Safdie brothers, it tells the story of bank robber Connie Nikas (Robert Pattinson), who spends a night looking for his mentally handicapped brother and accomplice Nick (Benny Safdie), after a heist goes horribly wrong. Both Safdie and Pattinson are excellent, with the latter giving, in my opinion, his best performance of his career. But the real stars of the project are the two directors, who with the use of brilliant editing techniques and a riveting score, were able to craft one of the most fast-paced and thrilling rides o...

Director: Mike White Stars: Ben Stiller, Austin Abrams, Jenna Fischer Runtime:  102 minutes Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 7/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 7/10 Editing: 6/10 Cinematography: 6/10 Score/Soundtrack:  5/10 Verdict:  Brad Sloan, played by Ben Stiller, is a middle-aged father going through a midlife crisis while visiting colleges with his son Troy, portrayed by Austin Abrams. One thing I really liked about "Brad's Status" was how sincere and relatable the title character was. In order to achieve that, writer/director Mike White decided to rely a lot on narration, which could've come across as lazy writing but ended up serving as great character development, showing us how Brad was overthinking every little situation. This decision, combined with Ben Stiller's stellar performance, is what made the movie work for me. As for issues with the film, I can't really say that they bothered me much, but I did feel that some ...

Director: Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman Stars: Douglas Booth, Jerome Flynn, Robert Gulaczyk Runtime:  94 minutes Performances: 6/10 Screenplay: 5/10 Animation: 9/10 Editing: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack:  6/10 Verdict:  The world's first fully painted animated movie was, as expected, visually quite interesting. But unfortunately, everything else, including the story, was also very... boring. I'd recommend "Loving Vincent" to people who are looking for uniquely done animated films, and maybe to painting fanatics as well. If you don't fall in any of these two categories, feel free to skip it. Final Grade: 6/10

Director: James Franco Stars: James Franco, Dave Franco, Seth Rogen Runtime: 104 minutes Performances: 9/10 Screenplay: 7/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 8/10 Editing: 5/10 Cinematography: 5/10 Score/Soundtrack:  5/10 Verdict:  As a big fan of "The Room" myself, I have been waiting for this movie all year long, and I am relieved to say that it did not disappoint. The film was extremely funny, but also had a lot of heart, and made us feel for the mysterious Tommy Wiseau, director/producer/writer/actor of the cult classic and portrayed flawlessly by James Franco. My only problems with "The Disaster Artist" are the very obvious inaccurate scenes, which unfortunately are very poorly written, and as a result, took me out of the movie; as well as Franco's directing, which is average at best.  Final Grade: 7/10

Director: David Ayer Stars: Will Smith, Joel Edgerton, Noomi Rapace Runtime:  117 minutes Performances: 3/10 Screenplay: 3/10 Special Effects: 5/10 Costumes/Makeup:  5/10 Editing: 2/10 Cinematography: 2/10 Score/Soundtrack:  6/10 Verdict:  Ever wondered what a "Lord of the Rings" film would look like if it was written and directed by Michael Bay? Then "Bright" is the movie for you! Final Grade: 3/10

Director: Eliza Hittman Stars: Harris Dickinson, Madeline Weinstein, Kate Hodge Runtime:  98 minutes Performances: 7/10 Screenplay: 9/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 5/10 Editing: 8/10 Casting: 6/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack:  7/10 Verdict:  Meticulously crafted and carefully written, Hittman's "Beach Rats" takes risks that eventually pay off. A must for lovers of character-centered movies. Final Grade: 8/10

Director:  Jake Kasdan Stars:  Dwayne Johnson, Karen Gillan, Kevin Hart, Jack  Black Runtime:  119 minutes Performances:  8/10 Screenplay:  6/10 Special Effects:  7/10 Costumes/Makeup:  6/10 Editing:  5/10 Casting:  9/10 Cinematography:  5/10 Score/Soundtrack:  6/10 Verdict:  Elevated by the comedic skills of Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan and especially Jack Black,  "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" is a blast from start to finish . Even though the film suffers from quite a bit of cheese, exposition and convenience, as well as a disappointing villain played by Bobby Cannavale, I can genuinely say that it is one of the biggest surprises of 2017. Final Grade:  7/10

Director: Dave McCary Stars: Kyle Mooney, Mark Hamill, Jane Adams Runtime: 97 minutes Performances: 7/10 Screenplay: 7/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 8/10 Editing: 6/10 Casting: 8/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  5/10 Verdict:  Dave McCary's directorial debut is weakened by a uneven second half, but leaves me excited for future projects of his.  Final Grade: 7/10

Director: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris Stars: Emma Stone, Steve Carell, Andrea Riseborough Runtime: 121 minutes Performances: 7/10 Screenplay: 5/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 8/10 Editing: 6/10 Casting: 9/10 Cinematography: 6/10 Score/Soundtrack:  5/10 Verdict:  Greatly acted and well designed, the true story of the tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs deals with a lot of themes still relevant today. However, the movie is also sloppily written, did feel a tad too long and was cheesy at times.   Final Grade: 6/10

Director:  Marc Caro, Jean-Pierre Jeunet Stars:  Marie-Laure Dougnac, Dominique Pinon, Pascal Benezech Runtime: 99 minutes Performances:  6/10 Screenplay:  7/10 Special Effects:  N.A. Costumes/Makeup:  8/10 Editing:  7/10 Casting:  6/10 Cinematography:  7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  8/10 Verdict:  Jean-Pierre Jeunet's first feature film is not his best, but it serves as a great introduction to the French director's unique style of moviemaking and storytelling. Final Grade: 6/10