Movies Graded

Director: David F. Sandberg Stars: Zachary Levi, Jack Dylan Grazer, Asher Angel Runtime: 132 minutes Synopsis:   We all have a superhero inside us, it just takes a bit of magic to bring it out. In Billy Batson's case, by shouting out one word - SHAZAM! - this streetwise fourteen-year-old foster kid can turn into the adult superhero Shazam. Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 5/10 Special Effects: 6/10 Costumes/Makeup: 7/10 Editing: 6/10 Cinematography: 6/10 Score/Soundtrack:  7/10 Entertainment Factor: 6/10 Verdict: The newest entry in the DCEU (or whatever it is at this point) certainly cements the fact that the universe is leaving behind its dark and gritty tone in favor of a more light-hearted one. Centered around 14-year-old Billy Batson's turn into the superhero Shazam, the best way to describe the movie would be by comparing it to Tom Hanks' "Big" (which is referenced in the film) in which he plays a child trapped in an adult's ...

Director: Harmony Korine Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Snoop Dogg, Isla Fisher Runtime: 95 minutes Synopsis:   A rebellious stoner named Moondog lives life by his own rules. Performances: 9/10 Screenplay: 7/10 Costumes/Makeup: 8/10 Editing: 8/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  7/10 Entertainment Factor: 8/10 Verdict: From polarizing director Harmony Korine, "The Beach Bum" is a character-driven comedy about a stoner called Moondog, played by an incredible Matthew McConaughey, and his way of living life by his own rules. Filled with drugs, sex, and alcohol, "The Beach Bum" is definitely not a crowd pleaser. In fact, I can completely see the majority of people absolutely hating this movie that almost entirely relies on the audience sympathizing with Mattew McConaughey's despicable but hilarious character to work. A character I would describe as being the rated R version of Andy Samberg's Conner4Real from the very enjoyable c...

Director: Tim Burton Stars: Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito Runtime: 112 minutes Synopsis:   A young elephant, whose oversized ears enable him to fly, helps save a struggling circus, but when the circus plans a new venture, Dumbo and his friends discover dark secrets beneath its shiny veneer. Performances: 5/10 Screenplay: 4/10 Special Effects: 6/10 Costumes/Makeup: 8/10 Editing: 5/10 Cinematography: 6/10 Score/Soundtrack:  6/10 Entertainment Factor: 4/10 Verdict: Out of all the planned Disney live action remakes coming out this year, "Dumbo" was the one I was most excited about because it was the only one that had room for improvement by adding original content and storytelling. And while it is vastly different from its animated counterpart, I can't say that the added elements elevated the material in any way. Tim Burton's re-imagining wasn't all bad obviously. The set and costume designs captured well the 1919 circus se...

Director: Ingmar Bergman Stars: Bibi Andersson, Liv Ullmann, Margaretha Krook Runtime: 83 minutes Synopsis:   A nurse is put in charge of a mute actress and finds that their personae are melding together. Performances: 10/10 Screenplay: 10/10 Editing: 9/10 Cinematography: 9/10 Score/Soundtrack:  7/10 Verdict: Reviewing this Bergman classic in only a few lines is an impossible task. The seemingly short 85 minute runtime is only an illusion of the incredibly heavy content it holds that will take you days if not more, as well as more than just the one viewing, to entirely process. About the relationship between Elisabet, an actress who suddenly stopped talking, and her nurse Alma, the film tackles a number of themes that include duality, motherhood, or one's identity. All of these themes are perfectly captured by both Bergman's incredibly layered screenplay and the two leads' performances, who obviously understood the director's vision and were ...

Director: Mattew Heineman Stars: Rosamund Pike, Jamie Dornan, Stanley Tucci Runtime: 110 minutes Synopsis:   One of the most celebrated war correspondents of our time, Marie Colvin is an utterly fearless and rebellious spirit, driven to the frontline of conflicts across the globe to give voice to the voiceless. Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 6/10 Costumes/Makeup: 8/10 Editing: 5/10 Cinematography: 5/10 Score/Soundtrack:  6/10 Verdict: Marie Colvin. Not nearly enough people, including me before watching "A Private War", are familiar with that name to which I now associate honesty, courage, and just plain badassery. The journalist's story of covering war stories mainly in the Middle East is elevated by a terrific performance by Rosamund Pike in her best role since David Fincher's "Gone Girl". Pike captured the journalist's inner demons in a sincere, profound way that definitely was the highlight of a movie that otherwise didn...

Director: Anthony Maras Stars: Dev Patel, Armie Hammer, Nazanin Boniadi Runtime: 123 minutes Synopsis:   The true story of the Taj Hotel terrorist attack in Mumbai. Hotel staff risk their lives to keep everyone safe as people make unthinkable sacrifices to protect themselves and their families. Performances: 9/10 Screenplay: 8/10 Costumes/Makeup: 8/10 Editing: 8/10 Cinematography: 6/10 Score/Soundtrack:  6/10 Verdict: Based on the horrific assault on the Taj Hotel by a group of terrorists that resulted in the death of dozens of people back in 2008, "Hotel Mumbai" is an essential watch that both condemns these cowardly attacks and celebrates the bravery of the heroes who fought back. Consider yourself warned. Maras' directorial debut is not an easy watch, especially when keeping in mind that everything you're witnessing on the big screen actually happened in real life. The film is tense, terrific, and terrifying at the same time and truly ...

Director: Jordan Peele Stars: Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss Runtime: 116 minutes Synopsis:   A family's serenity turns to chaos when a group of doppelgängers begins to terrorize them. Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 4/10 Costumes/Makeup: 7/10 Editing: 7/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack:  6/10 Enjoyment Factor: 5/10 Verdict: It took Jordan Peele one movie to establish himself as a horror master. I mean, "Get Out" is on track to deservedly become a horror classic not only because it's a great horror movie altogether, but also because it included a certain depth to it with the social commentary it provided. A depth that was sadly not present in "Us". Don't get me wrong, the film is still a very well crafted one that did a great job setting up the creepy atmosphere with its effective cinematography and eerie main theme. The dual performances (since all actors play two vastly different versions of them...