Movies Graded

Director: Tomas Alfredson Stars: Michael Fassbender Runtime:  119 minutes Performances: 6/10 Screenplay: 1/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 6/10 Editing: 3/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  4/10 Verdict:  "The Snowman" is a fascinating movie. Fascinating because I have rarely seen a project that bad with so many talents involved in it. Michael Fassbender, Rebecca Ferguson, Charlotte Gainsbourg, J.K. Simmons, Val Kilmer, and Toby Jones all star in this Martin Scorsese-produced film that was also edited by Thelma Schoonmaker (Raging Bull, The Wolf of Wall Street, Hugo) and shot by Dion Beebe (Memoirs of a Geisha). I honestly cannot tell you what the movie is about since the director himself publicly said a few weeks ago that the plot made no sense whatsoever. He also claimed that about 15% of the scenes were not even shot due to scheduling problems, and that really shows in the end product. This not only affected the narrative w...

Director:  George Clooney Stars: Matt Damon, Julianne Moore, Oscar Isaac Runtime: 105 minutes Performances: 5/10 Screenplay: 3/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 8/10 Editing: 7/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  4 /10 Verdict:  A lot of moviegoers despised "Suburbicon". Some even labeled it one of the worst movies of 2017. Part of me agrees with that statement, and another part doesn't. While the film definitely had its issues, it also had some enjoyable moments. First of all, George Clooney does a good job behind the camera, making this project, just like any project he helmed in the past, aesthetically interesting and fast-paced. Some of the performances, especially from the main actors, worked well for me, while others didn't quite live up to their reputation. The problems I had with the movie came mostly from the script. It didn't know what it wanted to be. The film was sort of split into two stories, one of them being thi...

Director: John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein Stars:  Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams, Kyle Chandler Runtime:  100 minutes Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 7/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 7/10 Editing: 7/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  5/10 Verdict:   “Game Night” is John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein’s second project behind the camera, the first being 2015’s painfully bad “Vacation”. Knowing that, you can understand my skepticism going in, and my surprise going out. I honestly laughed way more than I was expecting to, and was invested in the story from beginning to end. This comedy is centered around a group of friends who are unwillingly launched into the adventure of their lives when a murder mystery night goes horribly wrong. One of the big elements that made the movie work so well for me were the performances. Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams, Kyle Chandler, Kylie Bunbury, Lamorne Morris, and especially Jesse Plem...

Director: Sean Anders Stars: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Mel Gibson Runtime: 100 minutes Performances: 6/10 Screenplay: 2/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 6/10 Editing: 4/10 Cinematography: 5/10 Score/Soundtrack:  4/10 Verdict:  A slightly better copy of " A Bad Moms Christmas ", which is not really saying much. Final Grade:  3/10

Director:  Ildiko Enyedi Stars: Geza Morcsanyi, Alexandra Borbely, Zoltan Schneider Runtime:  116 minutes Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 7/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 6/10 Editing: 7/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  6/10  Verdict:  "On Body and Soul" is an Oscar-nominated Hungarian film that follows the romance between a disabled slaughterhouse worker and one of his colleagues, who happens to be an autistic woman. The romance was initiated when they discover that they were meeting in their dreams, giving the movie a supernatural vibe I didn't feel was needed for the picture to work. The relationship between the two characters amazingly portrayed by Geza Morcsanyi and especially Alexandra Borbely was so natural and organic that this out-of-this-world element felt like a weight on it, negatively affecting their connection and the ending of the movie, which in my opinion would've been much better had this element not in...

Director: Martin McDonagh Stars:  Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell Runtime:  115 minutes Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 7/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 7/10 Editing: 8/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  8/10 Verdict:  "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" was one of my most anticipated movies of 2017. This dark comedy stars Frances McDormand as a mother who lost her daughter in a horrific way and is demanding justice using three billboards located on an almost deserted road, sparking tensions in the fictional town of Ebbing, Missouri. With this entry, Martin McDonagh's proved without a doubt that he knows how to make consistently good dark comedies, and it wouldn't be exaggerated to compare his work to the Coen Brothers'. The way he manages to balance laughs and shocks really showcases his writing abilities. Outstanding performances by Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, and especially Sam Rock...

Director: Joachim Trier Stars: Eili Harboe, Kaya Wilkins, Henrik Rafaelsen Runtime: 116 minutes Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 4/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 6/10 Editing: 6/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack:  8/10 Verdict:  When the credits started rolling at the end of the movie, I thought to myself: "This might be one of the best films I've seen in a while". And then I started thinking about it. "Thelma" is a Norwegian production that tells the story of, well, Thelma, a college student who has been living her entire life in a strict religious household, and that suddenly began experiencing weird seizures when she started developing feelings towards one of her female friends. Eili Harboe plays the title character, and she's absolutely brilliant in it. She's truly believable as this girl held captive by her own feelings and emotions. Ola Flottum's score was also superb, perfectly capturing the creepy atmos...