Movies Graded

Director: Charles Martin Smith Stars: Bryce Dallas Howard, Ashley Judd, Jonah Hauer-King Runtime: 96 minutes Synopsis:  Bella, a dog taken away from her owner, goes on a journey to go back home.  Performances: 3/10 Screenplay: 2/10 Special Effects: 2/10 Costumes/Makeup: 5/10 Editing: 3/10 Cinematography: 5/10 Score/Soundtrack:  2/10 Verdict: Based on a novel written by W. Bruce Cameron (who also happened to write the book "A Dog's Purpose" was based on), Charles Martin Smith's latest attempt at a movie disappointed me from two different perspectives. As a movie enthusiast, I couldn't find one redeemable quality to a film so generic, stretched, badly written, and horribly acted that it feels and looks as if it was completed in a week's time. The at times comical soundtrack even made me seriously question the film's desired tone, which at moments felt like it belonged in the so-bad-its-good category. But let's face it, most ...

Director: Gustav Moller Stars: Jakob Cedergren, Jessica Dinnage, Omar Shargawi Runtime: 85 minutes Synopsis:  A police officer's evening is shaken by a kidnapped woman's phone call. Performances: 7/10 Screenplay: 6/10 Costumes/Makeup: 6/10 Editing: 7/10 Cinematography: 5/10 Verdict: Taking place entirely in a single room, it's safe to say that "The Guilty", a Danish thriller that follows a police officer whose evening takes a dark turn when he finds himself on the other end of a distress call made by a kidnapped woman, relies almost fully on a tension-filled atmosphere to work. And while a lot of decisions made by director Gustav Moller, which include for instance an interesting use of lighting or a fitting lack of score, did contribute to the enhancement of said tension, I still found myself not completely invested in the events taking place. Between predictable twists, at times unconvincing acting, and an absence of claustrophobic ele...

Director: Jenner Furst, Julia Willoughby Nason Runtime: 96 minutes Synopsis: A documentary that focuses on the disaster that was the Fyre Festival as well as the man behind it all. Verdict: A great companion piece to Netflix' documentary around the same subject , "Fyre Fraud" serves more as a study of Billy McFarland's character rather than the festival itself. And while it's definitely interesting and shocking, mostly since it featured interviews with Billy himself, it didn't grab me as much as the one I watched first on Netflix. McFarland's negligence and passion, as well as his entrepreneur and con artist skills, underlined by interviews with many of his victims and exposure of lies he's been telling for years, were definitely the highlight of "Fyre Fraud", which sadly doesn't do a great job at presenting the obstacles faced during the preparation of what was sold to become a music festival as big as Coachella or Woodsto...

Director: Josie Rourke Stars: Saoirse Ronan, Margot Robbie, Jack Lowden Runtime: 124 minutes Synopsis:  The true story of the rivalry between Mary Stuart and her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I. Performances: 7/10 Screenplay: 4/10 Costumes/Makeup: 9/10 Editing: 6/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack:  7/10 Verdict: Two queens, one historical rivalry. "Mary Queen of Scots", a dramatic retelling of the conflict between Mary Stuart and her cousin Queen Elizabeth I, offered an interesting look at first-time director Josie Rourke's style, despite suffering from a script that didn't entirely grab me or even interest me. Throughout the two hours runtime of the film, I was constantly awed by the breathtaking Scottish scenery as well as its cinematography, which benefited from a vivid color palette enhanced by terrific makeup and costume design, earning the movie a well-deserved Oscar nomination in both fields. The score, composed by the excellent Max R...

Director: Steven Knight Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Diane Lane Runtime: 106 minutes Synopsis:  A fisherman's past comes back to haunt him, making him question a lot of things along the way. Performances: 4/10 Screenplay: 2/10 Costumes/Makeup: 6/10 Editing: 4/10 Cinematography: 3/10 Score/Soundtrack:  2/10 Verdict: After his successful directorial debut with "Locke" back in 2013, as well as his well-known writing skills which earned him an Oscar nomination in 2002 for "Dirty Pretty Things", I was eager to check out Steven Knight's newest project where he assumes both roles once again. And boy was I let down. "Serenity" reminded me a lot of "Collateral Beauty", a movie released in 2016 that takes an interesting concept and butchers it with its bad execution and conflicting tone. Knight's film, which stars some of Hollywood's biggest names such as Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Diane Lan...

Director: Joel Edgerton Stars: Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Joel Edgerton Runtime: 115 minutes Synopsis:  Based on the true story of Gerrard Conley, a young gay man forced to attend conversion therapy. Performances: 7/10 Screenplay: 6/10 Costumes/Makeup: 6/10 Editing: 6/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  7/10 Verdict: Similarly themed to "The Miseducation of Cameron Post", Joel Edgerton's second outing as a director failed to grab me as much as its counterpart... for the most part. "Boy Erased", which stars Lucas Hedges in the lead, as well as Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, and Joel Edgerton in supporting roles, opens strongly by showing the audience the horrors that go on in gay conversion camps. It tackles magnificently themes such as acceptance and identity, and highlights them through mostly great performances. The film is also a well-shot one, and benefits from an appropriately flavorless color palette. It fails, howev...

Director: Adam McKay Stars: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Steve Carell Runtime: 132 minutes Synopsis:  A look at the life of previous US Vice President, Dick Cheney. Performances: 9/10 Screenplay: 7/10 Costumes/Makeup: 10/10 Editing: 8/10 Cinematography: 6/10 Score/Soundtrack:  8/10 Verdict: Nominated for no less than 8 Oscars, "Vice", directed by Adam McKay, is one of the most uniquely put together biopics I've seen in a long time. And while I can see why some people wouldn't get entirely on board with the way it presents the story, I found myself entertained for its entire runtime.  Instead of opting for a dull, boring, and safe narrative, McKay, helped by a terrific performance by an unrecognizable Christian Bale as well as an equally impressive supporting cast, took risks that ultimately paid off. He was able, through crazy editing and comedic inputs only he can pull off, to give life to a movie that otherwise would've probably been gener...

Director: Chris Smith Runtime: 97 minutes Synopsis: A behind the scene look at the failure that was the Fyre Festival. Verdict: The greatest party that never happened and one of the biggest scams in recent memory. The Fyre Festival that took place in 2017 was both of those things and more. Prior to watching that documentary (available on Netflix), I was barely familiar with the events that took place there and the impact it had on thousands of people. I had heard of the festival and its failure, but never knew the details behind that scandal. And let me tell you, they're baffling. "Fyre" not only offers a behind the scenes look at the obstacles faced during the preparation of what was marketed as being the most luxurious party ever thrown and the incredibly disgraceful way they were handled, but also serves as a character study of the man behind everything. A man hated by millions and a scam artist if there ever was one: Billy McFarland. Between genius and pu...

Director: Luca Guadagnino Stars: Dakota Johnson, Tilda Swinton, Doris Hick Runtime: 152 minutes Synopsis:  A retelling of Dario Argento's 1977 horror classic . Performances: 9/10 Screenplay: 8/10 Costumes/Makeup: 9/10 Editing: 7/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack:  9/10 Verdict: Luca Guadagnino's take on "Suspiria" is more of a reimagining than a remake. And while I believe that it's going to be as divisive as Darren Aronofsky's "Mother!" and certainly wouldn't recommend it to everyone, I personally loved it. Held together by excellent performances and choreography by Dakota Johnson, Mia Goth, and especially Tilda Swinton (who plays no less than three different characters), "Suspiria", through Guadagnino's unique vision, serves as both a beautiful homage to the original and a creepy, at times disturbing, (literally) darker stand-alone horror-thriller. Elevated by Radiohead's Thom Yorke's sc...

Director: M. Night Shyamalan Stars: James McAvoy, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis Runtime: 129 minutes Synopsis:  The final chapter in M. Night Shyamalan's Eastrail 177 trilogy. Performances: 7/10 Screenplay: 4/10 Costumes/Makeup: 7/10 Editing: 5/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  7/10 Verdict: Described as N. Night's passion project, "Glass", the third and final entry in the unofficially titled Eastrail 177 trilogy, feels more like a huge missed opportunity. Let me start by getting the obvious out of the way. Does McAvoy deliver an electrifying performance equal to the one he gave in "Split"? Absolutely. He's by far the best part of a movie that also benefited from interesting camera movement and a well composed score. Everything else, however, was extremely sloppy. The rest of the cast, which includes names such as Bruce Willis, Sarah Paulson, or Anya Taylor-Joy was mediocre, But what truly made the film such a frustra...

Director: Felix van Groeningen Stars: Steve Carell, Timothée Chalamet, Maura Tierney Runtime: 120 minutes Synopsis:  The true story of a father struggling to reconnect with his addicted son. Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 6/10 Costumes/Makeup: 7/10 Editing: 5/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  6/10 Verdict: Carried by two phenomenal performances by Steve Carell and everybody's favorite rising star Timothée Chalamet. "Beautiful Boy" is both touching and frustrating at the same time. Focused on the relationship between a father devastated by his son's drug addiction, van Groeningen's movie succeeds in making that bond an emotional and well developed one. You can see the pain and guilt in Steve Carell's character, as well as the denial and rebellion in Chalamet's whose Golden Globe nomination is entirely justified. The film's needlessly confusing non linear narrative. at times cheesy dialogue, and repetitive nature, ...

Director: Etan Cohen Stars: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Ralph Fiennes Runtime: 90 minutes Synopsis:  A spoof on the famous detective and his companion, as they are once again faced with a case that involves the evil Moriarty. Performances: 5/10 Screenplay: 4/10 Costumes/Makeup: 4/10 Editing: 5/10 Cinematography: 4/10 Score/Soundtrack:  3/10 Verdict: Directed by Etan Cohen (not to be confused with Ethan Coen!), "Holmes & Watson" is a perfectly fine disposable flick that could be enjoyed if watched with a certain mindset. It's not a good movie by all means and most of the jokes feel forced, lazy, and quite frankly just plain dumb, but I did find myself shamelessly giggling more than once at a couple of awesome cameos and surprisingly well-delivered lines. The case itself is obviously nowhere near the complexity of the head-scratching ones we've been gifted in any previous more serious iterations of the British detective, but is also no...

Director: Daniel Goldhaber Stars: Madeline Brewer, Patch Darragh, Melora Walters Runtime: 94 minutes Synopsis:   Lola, an ambitious camgirl, wakes up baffled as she realizes that a doppelganger has taken over her account. Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 7/10 Costumes/Makeup: 7/10 Editing: 8/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  6/10 Verdict: A riveting techno-horror, "Cam" successfully manages to leave anyone who watches it on the edge of their seat for its entire runtime. Led by a terrific Madeline Brewer, Daniel Goldhaber's directorial debut, and despite its sometimes questionable script, superbly captures the elements that make a psychological thriller such an exciting one. It's creepy, upsetting, unnerving all at the same time, and beautifully parallels a beloved story known by everyone that I won't spoil here, but that will become immediately apparent to you as soon as the main character's real name is revealed. The on...

Director: George Tillman Jr. Stars: Amandla Stenberg, Regina Hall, Russell Hornsby Runtime: 133 minutes Synopsis:  After witnessing a horrific event, Starr tries to deal with it in the best way possible. Performances: 6/10 Screenplay: 5/10 Costumes/Makeup: 7/10 Editing: 6/10 Cinematography: 6/10 Score/Soundtrack:  7/10 Verdict: Centered around heavy themes such as racism, police brutality, or gang violence, "The Hate U Give" had all the ingredients to make me or anyone who watches it feel uneasy, disturbed, and most of all affected by the events depicted. And yet, it didn't. Realistic and believable characters are usually what constitute the core of films like this one since they're the ones we, as an audience, relate to and care about, resulting in a much heavier impact than your average drama. And while " Blindspotting ", a very similarly themed movie released a little earlier that year, nailed this particular aspect by introducing...

Director: Clint Eastwood Stars: Clint Eastwood, Bradley Cooper, Taissa Farmiga Runtime: 116 minutes Synopsis:  Inspired by the true story of a 90-year-old who worked as a mule for a drug cartel. Performances: 5/10 Screenplay: 6/10 Costumes/Makeup: 7/10 Editing: 6/10 Cinematography: 6/10 Score/Soundtrack:  7/10 Verdict: Words cannot describe the impact Clint Eastwood is leaving in the movie industry. Known for playing the man with no name in Sergio Leone's iconic westerns in the 1960s, he found even more success behind the camera in the 1990s and 2000s, directing films such as "Unforgiven", "Million Dollar Baby", or "Gran Torino". And even though his last few projects didn't live up to his past work, I'm always interested to see what the 88-year-old legend has in store. In "The Mule", and for the first time in 6 years, he acts as both star and director of the film. And while I wouldn't exactly consider the ...

Director: Bjorn Runge Stars: Glenn Close, Jonathan Pryce, Max Irons Runtime: 100 minutes Synopsis:  After winning the Nobel prize for Literature, a man sees his relationship with his wife deteriorate as things start to unfold. Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 5/10 Costumes/Makeup: 7/10 Editing: 5/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  9/10 Verdict: After pulling one of the biggest upsets   at this year's Golden Globes, I had to check out the movie that won Glenn Close her first major acting award. beating out the seemingly untouchable Lady Gaga. And I was a bit disappointed. While there is no denying that Close, along with costar Jonathan Pryce, pulled two exceptional performances, I would've never guessed, in a million years, that it would be the one that broke the curse the iconic actress has been struck, denying her of any win at either the Golden Globes or the Oscars (for a performance in feature film) despite numerous nominations...

Director: David Lowery Stars: Robert Redford, Sissy Spacek, Casey Affleck Runtime: 93 minutes Synopsis:  Based on the (mostly) true story of Forrest Tucker, a bank robber famous for his prison escapes. Performances: 9/10 Screenplay: 9/10 Costumes/Makeup: 8/10 Editing: 8/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack:  8/10 Verdict: Following the very divisive "A Ghost Story", director David Lowery comes back with a much more accessible movie in "The Old Man & the Gun", which sees him reunite with Casey Affleck as well as helming industry legends such as Sissy Spacek, Danny Glover, or Robert Redford, in what he says is his last ever outing as an actor. Centered around the story of Forrest Tucker, I was extremely pleased with the treatment received by the legendary criminal, played by a phenomenal Robert Redford whose charm and charisma make it extremely hard not to root for a person responsible for countless bank robberies in the early 198...

Director: Paul Dano Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Carey Mulligan, Bill Camp Runtime: 105 minutes Synopsis:  Follows teenager Joe Brinson as his family is slowly falling apart. Performances: 8/10 Why? I don't recall Jake Gyllenhaal and Carey Mulligan giving a bad performance in the past few years. And this movie is no exception. While Gyllenhaal's role is more of a supporting nature, he still manages to shine in a few emotionally heavy scenes. However, "Wildlife" is truly Carey Mulligan's movie. She carries (forgive the pun) it from start to finish by giving what is, in my opinion, one of the best performances of the year. Her ability to showcase the emotions her character is feeling prove why she's one of the best (and most underrated) actresses working today. Ed Oxenbould, who played the couple's son, was probably the film's weak link, acting wise, even though he gave a much more interesting performance than in M. Night Shyamalan's ...

Director: Jacques Audiard Stars: John C. Reilly, Joaquin Phoenix, Jake Gyllenhaal Runtime:   121 minutes Synopsis:  Eli Sisters and his brother Charlie, a famous duo known as the Sisters Brothers, go on a quest to find a gold prospector in 1850s Oregon. Performances: 8/10 Why? Led by an all-star cast that includes the likes of Joaquin Phoenix, Jake Gyllenhaal, John C. Reilly, and Riz Ahmed, Jacques Audiard's latest film was bound to have strong acting skills in it. And while the performances may not be the actors' most memorable ones to date, they still succeeded in making it their own. If I were John C. Reilly's agent, I'd tell him to stay away from slapstick comedies and focus more on playing more serious roles because that's where he shines most.  Screenplay: 5/10 Why? "The Sisters Brothers" is not an easy watch. Not because it has violent and gruesome imagery (it actually could've benefited from a little more violence), but b...

Director: Sara Colangelo Stars: Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gael Garcia Bernal, Ato Blankson-Wood Runtime: 96 minutes Synopsis:  An aspiring poet who works as a kindergarten teacher believes that one of her students has a talent she fears will go to waste. Performances: 8/10 Why? The Gyllenhaal siblings have always been talented. There is no denying that. And while Jake is deservedly getting the attention he earned, the same sadly cannot be said about his equally gifted sister, Maggie. In "The Kindergarten Teacher", she gives the best performance of her entire career, which is saying a lot given her rich filmography. Her portrayal of Lisa, a character so complex I'm still not sure if she's the hero or the villain of her own movie, is both fascinating and disturbing at the same time. I wish I could say the same about the supporting cast who was nowhere near as good as Maggie, and whose acting, unfortunately, did take me out of the movie at times.   Screenpla...