Movies Graded

Director:  Christopher Nolan Stars: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki Runtime:   150   minutes Synopsis:  Armed with only one word, Tenet, and fighting for the survival of the entire world, a Protagonist journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real time. Verdict: In a year that saw nearly every blockbuster be delayed due to the ongoing pandemic, Christopher Nolan decided not to give up his spot on the release calendar. "Tenet", his latest effort, opened as scheduled in theaters worldwide (or wherever it was allowed to drop) but, unfortunately for Nolan, ended up flopping as people were not too keen to risk their health in order to watch it. Now when it comes to the British director's work, I'm definitely the type of person who can find enjoyment in them while conceding that they're at times heavily flawed. Despite not loving "The Prestige", "Batman Begins...

Director: Akira Kurosawa Stars:  Toshirô Mif une ,  Takashi Shimura ,  Keiko Tsu shima Runtime:  207 minutes Synopsis:  A poor village under attack by bandits recruits seven unemployed samurai to help them defend themselves. Performances: 9/10 Screenplay: 9/10 Editing: 7/10 Cinematography: 10/10 Score/Soundtrack:  10/10 Verdict: Considered by many to be the greatest action movie of all time, Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai" is a classic of unmatched proportions. Set in Feudal Japan, it tells the story of a poor village's hiring of seven samurai to protect them from menacing bandits. It's an eternal tale of bravery, teamwork, sacrifice, kindness, and resilience that has rightfully made its way into the history books of Cinema. Watching it made me feel like I was reading a book. A book so good and so immersive that its words turned into images. It takes its time, doesn't leave any stone unturned and, most importantly, cares about every single character taking...

Director: Clea DuVall Stars: Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Davis, Mary Steenburgen Runtime:   102  minutes Synopsis:  A holiday romantic comedy that captures the range of emotions tied to wanting your family's acceptance, being true to yourself, and trying not to ruin Christmas. Verdict: Holiday season is upon us and with it the inevitable influx of Christmas-themed movies. Hulu's "Happiest Season" served as the opening act of the festival to come, and both its cast and premise piqued my interest when I looked it up on IMDb. Even though it seemed like something that wouldn't match my taste, the favorable reviews it received and the mood I was in as a long week came to a close convinced me to give it a try anyway. Within the first 5 minutes of the romantic-comedy, I knew that I was wrong not to trust my gut. While the film is certainly harmless at its core, it also does a remarkably lazy job at establishing the (either annoying or unlikeable) characters and their stru...

Director: Lars von Trier Stars: Nicole Kidman, Paul Bettany, Lauren Bacall Runtime:   178  minutes Synopsis:  A woman on the run from the mob is reluctantly accepted in a small Colorado community in exchange for labor, but when a search visits the town she finds out that their support has a price. Verdict: Lars von Trier is known for his pessimistic views on the human condition, a topic that can be widely viewed in his filmmaking style and the themes he tackles in most of his films. His work is deemed to be provocative, depressing, and divisive, alienating a lot of moviegoers in the process. But I can't help but find a lot of truth, even if exaggerated, in his work, and can't really think of another filmmaker who is able to present similar ideas in such a blunt manner. What will strike you most in "Dogville" is its presentation. The events take place entirely on a simplistic stage-like set supposed to represent the small town in which Grace, played by Nicole Kidman, f...

Director: Ron Howard Stars: Amy Adams, Glenn Close, Gabriel Basso Runtime:   116  minutes Synopsis:  A Yale law student drawn back to his hometown grapples with family history, Appalachian values, and the American dream. Verdict:  Let's face it, when it comes to his directorial efforts, Ron Howard has a pretty hit-and-miss record. Sure, he's made a bunch of great films such as "Apollo 13" or "A Beautiful Mind", but he's also responsible for more than a few flops, such as "Inferno" or "The Dilemma". Despite a trailer that sparked early awards talk, early reviews for "Hillbilly Elegy" quickly buried any chance of future medals for the Netflix original. I was hesitant to even give it a shot following the abysmal 27% score it gathered on Rotten Tomatoes but, to my surprise, the first thing that popped into my head as the movie was ending was "hey, that wasn't so bad". Now I'm not calling J.D.'s inspirationa...

Director: David Fincher Stars: Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow Runtime:   127  minutes Synopsis:  Two detectives, a rookie and a veteran, hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his motives. Verdict: Hailed as one of David Fincher's finest works, "Se7en" is a vastly captivating crime thriller that works thanks to the gritty atmosphere it builds, gory scenery it presents, and riveting antagonist whose methodical murders made him a force to be reckoned with. His fascination with the seven deadly sins drives the movie, giving it a more psychological feel than other similar neo-noir thrillers that came out over the years. They say that a hero is only as good as his villain, and Fincher was wise enough to understand that the saying also applies to films. "Se7en" peaks in its final act, but will most certainly keep the audience on the edge of their seats for its entire runtime. However, calling it a perfect film would be an exaggeration as it...

Director: Akira Kurosawa Stars:  Toshirô Mifune, Yutaka Sada, Tatsuya Nakadai Runtime:   143  minutes Synopsis:  An executive of a shoe company becomes a victim of extortion when his chauffeur's son is kidnapped and held for ransom. Verdict: Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Gondo, the executive of a shoe company at odds with his partners and played by the legendary  Toshirô Mifune , is faced with an unimaginable conundrum: pay the ridiculously large ransom demanded by a kidnapper to save his driver's son and become penniless in the process, or call the plan a bluff and hope that no harm comes to the mistakingly taken child who bears no direct relation to him. This may come off as an unpopular opinion, but "High and Low" may be the best Kurosawa film I have seen so far. It feels inspired by Hitchcock's work at times, and the inspiration to Park Chan-Wook's films at others. But make no mistake, Kurosawa's identity is very much present in a movie th...

Director: Aneesh Chaganty Stars: Sarah Paulson, Kiera Allen, Onalee Ames Runtime:   90  minutes Synopsis:   A homeschooled teenager begins to suspect her mother is keeping a dark secret from her. Verdict:  Two years ago, director Aneesh Chaganty's directorial debut "Searching" made headlines for its innovative approach to filmmaking. Entirely presented through the protagonist's computer screen, the thriller's uniqueness was reason enough to justify its acclaim and propel Chaganty's name to the top of many people's "directors to keep an eye on" lists, mine included. His follow-up project came two years later and stars Kiera Allen as Chloe, a teenager whose premature birth left her with many diseases including paralysis and whose relationship with her mother, played by Sarah Paulson, is tested when she discovers that she has been giving her mysterious pills. While "Searching" stood out thanks to its unprecedented storytelling methods, ...

Director: Cooper Raiff Stars: Cooper Raiff, Dylan Gelula, Amy Landecker Runtime:  100  minutes Synopsis:  A homesick college freshman goes to a party at Shithouse and ends up spending the night with his sophomore RA who's had a shitty day and wants someone to hang out with. Verdict:  Thank you, Cooper Raiff. Thank you for giving us the feel-good movie of the year. I can't recall the last time I watched a movie that was so sweet and modest without pretending to be something more than that. And I can't remember the last time I watched a more impressive directorial, writing, acting, and editing debut. "Shithouse" has a pretty simple premise. It's a love story between Alex, a socially awkward and homesick sophomore having a difficult time adjusting to college, and Maggie, a more outgoing student with whom he bonds at a party on campus. They're both imperfect in their own ways, and it's in those imperfections that they complement one another. Even though th...

Director: Steve McQueen Stars: Shaun Parkes, Letitia Wright, Malachi Kirby Runtime:   124  minutes Synopsis:  Mangrove tells this true story of The Mangrove Nine, who clashed with London police in 1970. The trial that followed was the first judicial acknowledgment of behavior motivated by racial hatred within the Metropolitan Police. Verdict:  Barely a month after Aaron Sorkin's adaptation of the trial of the Chicago Seven hit Netflix worldwide, another dramatization of very similar events served as the first chapter of Steve McQueen's collection of five films released under the title of "Small Axe". "Mangrove", which is the name of the episode if you want to call it that, is the true story of the Mangrove Nine, a group of activists arrested after a demonstration denouncing police brutality against people of color in London turned violent. It's yet another eye-opening and powerful statement about the systemic racism that has been poisoning the justice sy...

Director: Akira Kurosawa Stars: Takashi Shimura, Nobuo Kaneko, Shin'ichi Himori Runtime:   143  minutes Synopsis:  A bureaucrat tries to find meaning in his life after he discovers he has terminal cancer. Verdict: "You've got a mild ulcer". Upon hearing this diagnosis from his doctor, Watanabe's world is shattered. He knows that it's code for stomach cancer, and he knows that this means that he has less than a year left to live. He looks back on his life's achievements, only to realize the sad reality of it all: He went through it like a ghost. His wife passed away a long time ago, leaving him with a son with whom he shares a bitter relationship. But his biggest regret is his decision to stick to his bureaucratic career for 30 years. It's a mundane. repetitive job that drowns him in paperwork rather than accomplishments, and he only comes to that realization when the harsh reality of his mortality is thrown at him. In other words, he's been survivi...

Director: Kitty Green Stars: Julia Garner, Matthew Macfadyen Runtime:   87  minutes Synopsis:  A searing look at a day in the life of an assistant to a powerful executive. As Jane follows her daily routine, she grows increasingly aware of the insidious abuse that threatens every aspect of her position. Verdict: Jane wakes up. Another long day awaits her. Her job as the assistant of a well-known producer is rendered miserable due to its routine-like duties and psychological abuse inflicted on her by her boss, but she's confident that it's all a necessary step to achieve her dream of becoming a producer herself. Carried by a phenomenal performance by Julia Garner (who you might recognize from Netflix's "Ozark"), Kitty Green's directorial debut doesn't rely on overdramatic detours to provide the audience with a look at the behind the scenes of the business side of Hollywood, but rather lets that dreary and formal world speak for itself. Dominated by men in su...

Director: Michael Haneke Stars:  Christian Friedel ,  Ernst Jacobi ,  Leonie Benesch Runtime:  144 minutes Synopsis:  Strange events happen in a small village in the north of Germany during the years before World War I, which seem to be ritual punishment. Who is responsible? Performances: 9/10 Screenplay: 7/10 Editing: 6/10 Cinematography: 10/10 Verdict: Michael Haneke is a masterful director and "The White Ribbon" may be his most impressive feature to date on a technical level. The Oscar-nominated cinematography is nothing short of absolutely gorgeous and will fool anyone into thinking that the film is a classic dating from the 1950s rather than one released a decade ago. The world created within it is impressive and captures the essence of a small German village during the 1910s splendidly. Even the acting is near-perfect, with each performance standing out on its own without ever taking the spotlight from the rest of the cast. However, it's the scale of the p...

Director: Miranda July Stars: Evan Rachel Wood, Gina Rodriguez, Debra Winger Runtime:   104  minutes Synopsis:  A woman's life is turned upside down when her criminal parents invite an outsider to join them on a major heist they're planning. Verdict:  When a couple of con artists invites a young woman to join them in their most daring heist yet, things start to get out of control for their daughter, who had been helping them in their crimes since her birth. No, I'm not talking about Koreeda Hirokazu's acclaimed drama "Shoplifters", but rather about the recently released festival darling "Kajillionaire", directed by Miranda July. What I loved most about the feature is its ability to remain a light watch while remaining faithful to the heaviness of the protagonists' hardships. She's a complicated figure whose parents not only taught her how to lie to make a living, but also went on to steal her childhood, and with it her emotions and tenderness...

Director: Akira Kurosawa Stars:  Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Terao, Jinpachi Nezu Runtime:   162   minutes Synopsis:  In Medieval Japan, an elderly warlord retires, handing over his empire to his three sons. However, he vastly underestimates how the new-found power will corrupt them and cause them to turn on each other...and him. Verdict: Akira Kurosawa is a director whose extensive filmography is one I've been meaning to get more into. The Japanese filmmaker's legacy in the world of Cinema is immeasurable, and "Ran" may be one of his most famous projects due to its scale and critical acclaim, which earned him his first and only Oscar nomination at the age of 76. The Shakespearean epic, which is loosely based on the English author's "King Lear", is also a departure from my experience with his earlier work which was later adopted by Hollywood, serving as a blueprint for many classics in the Western genre. And while I admired films like "Yojimbo" or ...

Director: Don Hertzfeldt Runtime:   62  minutes Synopsis:  Bill struggles to put together his shattered psyche, in this new feature film version of Don Hertzfeldt's animated short film trilogy. Verdict: The very thought of watching Don Hertzfeldt's unified collection of three shorts has terrified me for years. Even though I knew that I was going to love it, and even though its short runtime of only an hour encouraged me more than once to contemplate putting it on, I had the feeling that it was the type of film that was going to stick with me for much more than only 60 minutes, without necessarily putting me in a good mood. I knew that, by the end of it, I was going to be struck with an existential crisis like very few movies manage to achieve, and I was never sure that I was in the right mood to be able to handle it. That changed today. I finally gathered the courage to view "It's Such a Beautiful Day", a two-dimensional animated film mostly know for its simplisti...

Director: Luca Guadagnino Stars: Jack Dylan Grazer, Jordan Kristine Seam ó n, Chloë Sevigny Synopsis:  Two American teenagers come of age while living on an American military base in Italy. Verdict:  Right here, right now. This opening sentence is much more than the title of every episode in Luca Guadagnino's latest project. Combined with the title, it's a perfect reminder of what its various themes are. Set in an American military base in Italy, it follows Fraser, played by an unrecognizable Jack Dylan Grazer of "It" fame, as he navigates through his confusing teenage years alongside his two mothers (Chloë Sevigny & Alice Braga) and his friend and next-door neighbor Caitlyn (Jordan Kristine Seamón). As alluded by its two defining phrases, the show works as a fascinating tale of self-discovery marked by a focus on sexuality, gender roles, friendship, parenthood, and even religion. Every single character has a purpose in the overarching narrative which, to my pleas...

Director: Remi Weekes Stars: Sope Dirisu, Wunmi Mosaku, Malaika Wakoli-Abigaba Runtime:   93  minutes Synopsis:  A refugee couple makes a harrowing escape from war-torn South Sudan, but then they struggle to adjust to their new life in an English town that has an evil lurking beneath the surface. Verdict: Most horror movies nowadays are made with the purpose of either pure entertainment or the study of characters suffering from heavy emotional distress. Those that act as socio-political commentaries are rare, and those that properly succeed at delivering their messages are even less common. Remi Weekes' Netflix original "His House" is an exception to that unwritten rule. About a couple of refugees' difficulties to get used to the English suburbs where their residence seems to be haunted, it's much more than just an impressively executed debut for the young director. If you look past its supernatural and allegorical surface, you'll find in it a heartbreaking ta...