Movies Graded

Director: Craig Brewer Stars: Eddie Murphy, Keegan-Michael Key, Kodi Smit-McPhee Runtime:  117 minutes Synopsis:   Eddie Murphy portrays real-life legend Rudy Ray Moore, a comedy and rap pioneer who proved naysayers wrong when his hilarious, obscene, kung-fu fighting alter ego, Dolemite, became a 1970s Blaxploitation phenomenon. Performances: 4/5 Screenplay: 3/5 Costumes/Makeup: 5/5 Editing: 3/5 Cinematography: 3/5 Score/Soundtrack:  4/5 Verdict: Even though I don't really consider myself an expert of the Blaxploitation phenomenon, I've always found that genre to be a fascinating one. "Dolemite Is My Name" is a very interesting look at one of its founders, Rudy Ray Moore, played by the returning and still talented Eddie Murphy in what is only his third feature film in 7 years. The movie, directed by Craig Brewer, is certainly flawed, but also unique in its own way. Yes, its first act went on for a little too long, the dialogue wasn't always...

Director: Stanley Kubrick Stars: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd Runtime:  146 minutes Synopsis:   A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where a sinister presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from both past and future. Performances: 5/5 Screenplay: 4/5 Costumes/Makeup: 4/5 Editing: 5/5 Cinematography: 5/5 Score/Soundtrack:  5/5 Verdict: There's nothing I can say about "The Shining" that hasn't been already said a million times. It's a horror classic directed by one of the greatest directors of all time, and it's loved by so many people (excluding famously the author of the book it's based on, Stephen King) that a sequel is set to be released very soon, nearly 40 years after the original hit theaters. In it, Jack Nicholson is phenomenal as Jack Torrance, the gatekeeper of an isolated hotel that slowly sends him in a path of insanity. Shelley Duvall an...

Director: Babak Anvari Stars: Narges Rashidi, Avin Manshadi, Bobby Naderi Runtime:  84 minutes Synopsis:   As a mother and daughter struggle to cope with the terrors of the post-revolution, war-torn Tehran of the 1980s, a mysterious evil begins to haunt their home. Performances: 3/5 Screenplay: 3/5 Special Effects: 2/5 Costumes/Makeup: 3/5 Editing: 3/5 Cinematography: 3/5 Score/Soundtrack:  2/5 Verdict: We've seen countless horror films related to the Christian faith. Maybe even too many. "Under the Shadow", on the other hand, is one of the very few movies (I currently can't think of any other one) that uses elements from Islamic culture to tell a scary story. The events take place in a war-torn Tehran during the 1980s, as a progressive mother and her child find themselves dealing with the repercussions of the conflict with Iraq. It's definitely no coincidence that the protagonist also found herself fighting an evil spirit, called Jinn...

Director: Ruben Fleischer Stars: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Einsenberg, Emma Stone Runtime:  99 minutes Synopsis:   Columbus, Tallahassee, Wichita, and Little Rock move to the American heartland as they face off against evolved zombies, fellow survivors, and the growing pains of the snarky makeshift family. Performances: 4/5 Screenplay: 2/5 Special Effects: 3/5 Costumes/Makeup: 4/5 Editing: 3/5 Cinematography: 3/5 Score/Soundtrack:  2/5 Entertainment Factor: 3/5 Verdict: Well, this is going to be simple. If you enjoyed the first "Zombieland" like me, odds are that you're going to enjoy its sequel as well. My concerns going in to watch "Double Tap" were twofold. One, I was nervous that the overabundance of characters would get in the way of the chemistry shared between the four leads. And two, I was scared that the movie would suffer from what is commonly known as sequel syndrome, meaning that it would use the same formula as its predece...

Director: Ruben Fleischer Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson, Abigail Breslin Runtime:  88 minutes Synopsis:   A shy student trying to reach his family in Ohio, a gun-toting tough guy trying to find the last Twinkie, and a pair of sisters trying to get to an amusement park join forces to travel across a zombie-filled America. Performances: 4/5 Screenplay: 3/5 Costumes/Makeup: 4/5 Editing: 3/5 Cinematography: 3/5 Score/Soundtrack:  4/5 Entertainment Factor: 4/5 Verdict:  (+) Movie's got its own style. Sets it apart from other zombie comedies. (+) All four characters are well acted and likable. The chemistry between the group of survivors gives the film so much more personality. (+) It's incredibly funny. And it holds up beautifully. (+) The Bill Murray cameo. Genius. (+) The world building and makeup aren't too bad. (+) The soundtrack is bonkers. Works perfectly with the the tone. (+) The zombies run, which makes the...

Director: Cristian Mungiu Stars: Anamaria Marinca, Laura Vasiliu, Vlad Ivanov Runtime:  113 minutes Synopsis:   A woman assists her friend in arranging an illegal abortion in 1980s Romania. Performances: 5/5 Screenplay: 5/5 Editing: 4/5 Cinematography: 5/5 Verdict: The topic of abortion is one that hasn't been tackled much on screen. The delicate nature of it will result in immediate backlash no matter what side the filmmakers take, as proven with "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days", a Romanian film which sparked a lot of controversy in its country of origin. But I have to applaud director  Cristian Mungiu for his courage in taking on a project that focuses on an theme that needs to be talked about, which eventually went on to win the Palme d'Or (but was famously and unfortunately snubbed at the Oscars). Based on events that happened to an acquaintance of the  Mungiu , the film follows a young woman who goes out of her way to set up an illegal abortio...

Director: Julia Ducournau Stars:  Garance Marillier ,  Ella Rumpf ,  Rabah Nait Oufella   Runtime:  99 minutes Synopsis:   An innocent teenager, studying to be a vet, develops a craving for human flesh. Performances: 5/5 Screenplay: 4/5 Costumes/Makeup: 5/5 Editing: 4/5 Cinematography: 5/5 Score/Soundtrack:  4/5 Verdict:  Unsettling, uncomfortable, disturbing but also fascinating and enthralling. This is how I’d describe “Raw”, a French-Belgian horror movie directed by Julia Ducournau. Set in a college campus, the film follows Justine, a vegetarian entering her first year of studying to become a veterinarian. But her love of animals quickly takes a dark turn as she was taking part in a hazing ritual reserved for newly enrolled students, and her transformation becomes the centre of what turns out to be a very challenging and metaphorically-heavy movie. Now obviously, there is more than one way to interpret Justine’s tra...

Director: Vince Gilligan Stars: Aaron Paul, Charles Baker, Matt Jones Runtime:  122 minutes Synopsis:   After escaping Jack and his gang, Jesse Pinkman goes on the run from the police and tries to escape his own inner turmoil. Performances: 4/5 Screenplay: 3/5 Costumes/Makeup: 4/5 Editing: 3/5 Cinematography: 5/5 Score/Soundtrack:  4/5 Verdict:  “Breaking Bad” is a rare instance of a show that had a universally beloved ending. One of its strengths and reasons as to why it’s considered by many to be one of the best series ever made is the fact that it knew when to end its run. And for that reason, I was a little sceptical when the decision to make a movie that takes place after the events of the finale was announced. However, Vince Gilligan’s involvement kept my optimism alive as he has proved time and time again how caring he is of that particular story. Unfortunately enough, my concerns were met, and I found myself on one hand impresse...

Director: Ang Lee Stars: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Will Smith, Clive Owen Runtime:  117 minutes Synopsis:   An over-the-hill hitman faces off against a younger clone of himself. Performances: 3/5 Screenplay: 2/5 Special Effects: 2/5 Editing: 2/5 Cinematography: 3/5 Score/Soundtrack:  3/5 Entertainment Factor: 1/5 Verdict: What's worse than a movie with one Will Smith? Yup, a movie with two Will Smiths. Now I'm not implying that he's not a talented actor, because he proved much more than once that he definitely is, but his choice in projects has certainly been going downhill for quite some time now. "Gemini Man" is further proof that Smith urgently needs a change in agent. The film, directed by Ang Lee, sees the Taiwanese filmmaker leave behind the successes of "Life of Pi" or "Brokeback Mountain" to go back to his dark, "Hulk" days. The action flick sees Smith facing off against a clone of his younger self ...

Director: Joon-ho Bong Stars: Kang-ho Song, Hee-Bong Byun, Hae-il Park Runtime:  120 minutes Synopsis:   A monster emerges from Seoul's Han River and begins attacking people. One victim's loving family does what it can to rescue her from its clutches. Performances: 4/5 Screenplay: 3/5 Special Effects: 2/5 Costumes/Makeup: 4/5 Editing: 4/5 Cinematography: 5/5 Score/Soundtrack:  4/5 Verdict: Joon-ho Bong is a master filmmaker. That's just a fact. With films such as "Memories of Murder", "Mother" or "Snowpiercer", he has cemented his name among the most prolific directors of our times. "The Host" was his third directorial feature and first attempt at a monster movie (debatably followed by "Okja"). And yes, I suppose that the film is technically a horror flick as it does contain a mutant monsters who goes on a murderous rampage. But it's also not that at all. The monster is merely a reason for Bo...

Director: Isabel Coixet Stars: Natalia de Molina, Greta Fernandez, Sara Casasnovas Runtime:  118 minutes Synopsis:   In 1901, Elisa Sanchez Loriga took on the identity of Mario Sánchez to marry her lover of fifteen years, Marcela Gracia Ibeas. Performances: 3/5 Screenplay: 2/5 Costumes/Makeup: 4/5 Editing: 2/5 Cinematography: 4/5 Score/Soundtrack:  3/5 Verdict: A black and white period piece about the first same-sex marriage in Spain, "Elisa Y Marcela" had all the ingredients to become one of this year's very best films, and maybe even a serious Oscar contender. Alas, a mediocre script came to spoil the party and give us instead an incredibly dull, by the books narrative that was filled with avoidable, unsubtle clichés. That is not to say that the film doesn't have any redeeming qualities to it. In fact, I found the composition of some of the shots to be breathtaking and the acting to be quite effective overall. The set and costume designs ...

Director: Paco Plaza Stars: Sandra Escacena, Bruna Gonzalez, Claudia Placer Runtime:  105 minutes Synopsis:   Madrid, 1991. A teen girl finds herself besieged by an evil supernatural force after she played Ouija with two classmates. Performances: 3/5 Screenplay: 2/5 Costumes/Makeup: 4/5 Editing: 3/5 Cinematography: 3/5 Score/Soundtrack:  2/5 Entertainment Factor: 3/5 Verdict: Ouija boards, evil spirits, nuns and teenage girls. We've seen this cocktail time and time again and every single time it's mediocre at best. "Veronica" came out a couple of years ago on Netflix and I decided to skip it because even then I was tired of cliché paranormal so-called horror movies. And while overall it still does contain a lot of stereotypical moments, I'm ultimately sort of glad I gave it a shot, because something about made it stand out from the typical jump-scare infested Hollywood borefests. I remember the film being marketed at the time as being ...

Director: Vincenzo Natali Stars: Laysla De Oliveira, Avery Whitted, Patrick Wilson Runtime: 101 minutes Synopsis:   After hearing a young boy's cry for help, a sister and brother venture into a vast field of tall grass in Kansas but soon discover there may be no way out...and that something evil lurks within. Performances: 2/5 Screenplay: 2/5 Costumes/Makeup: 3/5 Editing: 3/5 Cinematography: 3/5 Score/Soundtrack:  2/5 Verdict: "Triangle" meets the final task of the Triwizard tournament. That's how I'd describe the plot of "In the Tall Grass", the latest Netflix adaptation of a Stephen King novella. The film, directed by Vincenzo Natali ("Cube"), follows a group of people who get trapped in a rather unusual field of tall grass. Sounds fascinating, right? Right? Well obviously not, and the final product didn't really convince me otherwise, but I'll admit that it did still offer more than the usual disposable h...

Director: Todd Phillips Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz Runtime:  121 minutes Synopsis:   A gritty character study of Arthur Fleck, a man disregarded by society. Performances: 5/5 Screenplay: 4/5 Costumes/Makeup: 5/5 Editing: 4/5 Cinematography: 4/5 Score/Soundtrack:  5/5 Verdict: I've always found the character of Joker to be one of the most fascinating comic book villains of all time. The idea of releasing a movie centered around his origin story was one that was met with a fair amount of controversy and backlash, and having seen it, I am now certain that it will generate a lot of talk in the coming weeks. To me, however, the film might be one of, if not the, best movie centered around a comic book character to ever hit theaters. "Joker" serves as both a commentary on society and a character study of Arthur Fleck, a man who suffers from mental illness and who's marginalized by everyone around him, leading him to go dow...