Movies Graded

Director: David Leitch Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Idris Elba Runtime: 135 minutes Synopsis:   Lawman Luke Hobbs and outcast Deckard Shaw form an unlikely alliance when a cyber-genetically enhanced villain threatens the future of humanity. Performances: 3/5 Screenplay: 3/5 Special Effects: 2/5 Editing: 2/5 Cinematography: 3/5 Score/Soundtrack:  2/5 Entertainment Factor: 3/5 Verdict: The trailer promised an over-the-top action flick fueled by a love-hate relationship between the two leads, resulting in a very dumb but also very fun entry in the Fast & Furious franchise. And while there definitely were a few scenes that checked these boxes, it wasn't nearly as entertaining as I was expecting it to be. Directed by David Leitch, "Hobbs & Shaw" follows charismatic leads Dwayne Johnson's Luke Hobbs and Jason Statham's  Deckard  Shaw in their quest to protect Hattie from the nefarious Brixton, respectfully played by a bad...

Director: Vincent D'Onofrio Stars: Jake Schur, Leila George, Chris Pratt Runtime: 100 minutes Synopsis:   The story of a young boy who witnesses Billy the Kid's encounter with Sheriff Pat Garrett. Performances: 3/5 Screenplay: 3/5 Costumes/Makeup: 4/5 Editing: 2/5 Cinematography: 3/5 Score/Soundtrack:  3/5 Verdict: I wouldn't call "The Kid" a bad movie, but rather an underwhelming one. The second directorial effort of Vincent D'Onofrio follows young Rio's encounter with famous outlaw Billy the Kid as he was being hunted down by Sheriff Pat Garrett. The decision of making Rio's story the focus of the movie was an odd one that I couldn't get behind for many reasons. The first being the fact that Billy's confrontation with the law was by far the most interesting aspect of the film and could've perfectly been fleshed out more. The second was the fact that Dane DeHaan and Ethan Hawke, who respectably play Billy and Pa...

Director: Alex Ross Perry Stars: Elisabeth Moss, Cara Delevingne, Dan Stevens Runtime: 134 minutes Synopsis:   A self-destructive punk rocker struggles with sobriety while trying to recapture the creative inspiration that led her band to success. Performances: 5/5 Screenplay: 5/5 Costumes/Makeup: 5/5 Editing: 4/5 Cinematography: 5/5 Score/Soundtrack:  5/5 Verdict: Boy oh boy I wasn't expecting THAT. "Her Smell", directed by Alex Ross Perry, was an absolute treat from beginning to end, and quite possibly one of the most overlooked movies of the entire year. It baffles me that the film didn't find the success it deserves during last year's award season despite premiering at TIFF to globally positive reviews, and it baffles me even more that it only made a little more than $200,000 at the box office. The film serves mostly as a character study of punk rock vocalist Becky Something, played by an unrecognizable, easily Oscar-worthy Elisabet...

Director: Justin Kelly Stars: Kristen Stewart, Laura Dern, Jim Sturgess Runtime: 108 minutes Synopsis:   A young woman named Savannah Knoop spends six years pretending to be the celebrated author JT LeRoy, the made-up literary persona of her sister-in-law. Performances: 4/5 Screenplay: 3/5 Costumes/Makeup: 3/5 Editing: 3/5 Cinematography: 4/5 Score/Soundtrack:  2/5 Verdict: Based on a quite fascinating true story, "JT LeRoy" tells the story of Savannah Knoop, who spent 6 years playing the body of Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy, a famous author and pen name of her sister-in-law Laura, played by Laura Dern, who provided the voice of the character behind the scenes. To be perfectly honest, I found the story told to be more captivating and interesting than the movie itself. It's not a bad film by any means. In fact, it's pretty well shot and well acted overall, but it sadly lacked so much personality that it ends up being something I probably won...

Director: Peter Watkins Runtime: 48 minutes Synopsis:   A docudrama depicting a hypothetical nuclear attack on Britain. Verdict: The only fictional docudrama to ever win the Best Documentary Oscar is one I consider a must watch. In it, British director Peter Watkins attempts and succeeds in making a short but very dense film about a hypothetical nuclear attack on Britain in the midst of a Cold War and only a couple of year following the Cuban Missile Crisis that ignited a fear of the bomb everywhere in the world. Watkins' "documentary" is filled with fake interviews, fake footage, and fake reactions of the hypothetical Russian attack, making the film an extremely realistic, chilling watch that does an amazing job at showing the repercussions of such an attack on a micro and macro scale. The film is also an incredibly edited one, with the documentary format pretty much nailed and the building of tension handled as perfectly as possible. It's only ...

Director: Mark Steven Johnson Stars: Rachael Taylor, Travis Fimmel, Jake Weary Runtime: 91 minutes Synopsis:   In 1972, a gang of close-knit thieves from Youngstown, Ohio attempt to steal $30 million in illegal contributions and blackmail money from President Richard Nixon's secret fund. Performances: 2/5 Screenplay: 1/5 Costumes/Makeup: 3/5 Editing: 2/5 Cinematography: 3/5 Score/Soundtrack:  2/5 Verdict: Somewhere, hidden within the depths of this movie, is an interesting story. Alas, the tale of the biggest heist to ever be conducted in the US never reached the surfaced. Far from it. Set in 1972, "Finding Steve McQueen" (which has absolutely nothing to do with the famous actor) follows a group of thieves in their attempt to steal $30 million from President Richard Nixon's secret fund in Ohio. Seems interesting, right? Well, think again, because unfortunately the project was handed to Mark Steven Johnson, the man responsible for the atroc...

Director: Cristina Gallego, Ciro Guerra Stars: Carmina Martinez, José Acosta, Natalia Reyes Runtime: 125 minutes Synopsis:   During the marijuana bonanza, a violent decade that saw the origins of drug trafficking in Colombia, Rapayet and his indigenous family get involved in a war to control the business that ends up destroying their lives and their culture. Performances: 5/5 Screenplay: 5/5 Costumes/Makeup: 5/5 Editing: 4/5 Cinematography: 5/5 Score/Soundtrack:  4/5 Verdict: I called Ciro Guerra's directorial debut "Embrace of the Serpent" an instant classic a few weeks ago. In it, the Colombian filmmaker showcased signs of a naturally talented, extremely bold director with an eye for detail. His second project, "Birds of Passage" definitely cements him as one of the very best directors working today and one I'll most certainly be keeping a very close eye on. Co-directed with his (now ex) wife Cristina Gallega, the film recounts ...