Movies Graded

Director: Makoto Shinkai Stars:  Kenji Mizuhashi ,  Yoshimi Kondou ,  Satomi Hanamura Runtime:  63 minutes Synopsis:  Told in three interconnected segments, we follow a young man named Takaki through his life as cruel winters, cold technology, and finally, adult obligations and responsibility converge to test the delicate petals of love. Animation: 9/10 Screenplay: 7/10 Editing: 6/10 Score/Soundtrack:  8/10 Verdict:  "5 Centimeters Per Second" is the third Makoto Shinkai film I watch after "Your Name", which I loved, and "Weathering With You", which I was a little more mixed about. One thing these two films had in common was the addition of a fantastical element that drove the romance between the young protagonists. His 2007 feature does feel like a dream, even a nightmare at times thanks to its gorgeous animation and hypnotic score, but omits that supernatural touch. It's a grounded romance between two friends who had to deal with heartbreak at a very...

Director: Owen Harris Stars: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mackenzie Davis, Denise Burse Runtime:  61 minutes Synopsis:  When Yorkie and Kelly visit San Junipero, a fun-loving beach town full of surf, sun, and sex, their lives are changed. Performances: 9/10 Screenplay: 8/10 Editing: 7/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  9/10 Verdict: Most Black Mirror episodes are fantastic. Conceptually, it's one of the most exciting shows currently streaming and I recommend checking all of them out. Every segment can be compared to a shorter-than-usual feature film as each one of them contains different characters, stories, and ideas behind them. And to this day, my favorite out of all 22 episodes released remains "San Junipero", released in 2016 as part of the third season. The reason I love this episode so much is because it's one of the few that focuses more on the characters rather than the idea. It's a romance before anything else, a love story between two women who meet in a ba...

Director: Alfred Hitchcock Stars: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey Runtime: 112 minutes Synopsis:  A wheelchair-bound photographer spies on his neighbors from his apartment window and becomes convinced one of them has committed murder. Performances:  9/10 Screenplay:  9/10 Editing:  9/10 Cinematography:  9/10 Score/Soundtrack:  8/10 Enjoyment Factor:  9/10 Verdict:  What's extraordinary about Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window" is the fact that it serves as two movies in one. I've seen it twice by now, and each time got a very different experience out of it. When I first watched it, about a decade ago when I was still introducing myself to the master of suspense, I was mesmerized by the mystery surrounding the film's claustrophobic setting. Entirely set in a small apartment, I had a lot of fun following James Stewart, Grace Kelly, and Thelma Ritter as they attempt to incriminate a neighbor who they suspect committed a heinous murder. As per ...

Director: Josh Boone Stars: Maisie Williams, Blu Hunt, Anya Taylor-Joy Runtime: 94 minutes Synopsis:   Five young mutants, just discovering their abilities while held in a secret facility against their will, fight to escape their past sins and save themselves. Performances:  3/10 Screenplay:  1/10 Editing:  3/10 Cinematography:  5/10 Score/Soundtrack:  4/10 Enjoyment Factor:  2/10 Verdict:  Three full years separate us from the exciting first look we got of “The New Mutants” and its release. Three full years of anticipation, behind the scenes problems, reshoots, and postponements gave the final entry in Fox’s X-Men universe (or Ex-Men) a cursed reputation. Now acquired by Disney, you can’t help but feel that it was dumped in theatres to close the chapter of an experiment that many were on board with. “The New Mutants” wasn’t only going to put an end to a universe beloved by many, but also stand on its own two feet by being the very first film in t...

Director: Harry Bradbeer Stars: Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, Sam Claflin Runtime: 123 minutes Synopsis:  When Enola Holmes-Sherlock's teen sister-discovers her mother missing, she sets off to find her, becoming a super-sleuth in her own right as she outwits her famous brother and unravels a dangerous conspiracy around a mysterious young Lord. Performances:  8/10 Screenplay:  5/10 Editing:  5/10 Cinematography:  6/10 Score/Soundtrack:  6/10 Enjoyment Factor:  7/10 Verdict:  For years now, Millie Bobby Brown has been labeled as her generation's Emma Watson. The young actress's charisma and wit are unmatched, making the role of Enola Holmes tailor-made for her as it very much reminded me of Watson's iconic role as Hermione in the Harry Potter franchise. Prior to it, she hadn't truly showcased the extent of her abilities on the big screen, only briefly appearing in the underwhelming Godzilla sequel released last year (an eternity ago!).   Th...

Director: Céline Sciamma Stars: Zoé Héran, Malonn Lévana, Jeanne Disson Runtime: 82 minutes Synopsis:  A family moves into a new neighborhood, and a 10-year-old named Laure deliberately presents as a boy named Mikhael to the neighborhood children. Performances:  7/10 Screenplay:  7/10 Editing:  8/10 Cinematography:  7/10 Enjoyment Factor:  7/10 Verdict: It's no secret that I belong in the minority who wasn't crazy about "Portrait of a Lady on Fire". I watched it twice and cannot deny its craftsmanship (craftswomanship), but it just didn't resonate with me on an emotional level. Regardless, I was still eager to check out Céline Sciamma's other work but never felt the rush to do so. That changed today when I was looking for something not too long to watch. With a runtime of only 82 minutes, I decided to put on "Tomboy",  about a young girl who decides to adopt a male identity upon moving to a new neighborhood,  which is probably the director's seco...

Director: Kar-Wai Wong Stars:  Tony Chiu-Wai Leung, Maggie Cheung, Ping Lam Siu Runtime:  98 minutes Synopsis:  Two neighbors, a woman and a man, form a strong bond after both suspect extramarital activities of their spouses. However, they agree to keep their bond platonic so as not to commit similar wrongs. Performances: 9/10 Screenplay: 7/10 Editing: 5/10 Cinematography: 10/10 Score/Soundtrack:  7/10 Verdict: "In the Mood for Love" has quite the fitting title. Kar-Wai Wong's instant classic is deemed to be one of the best movies of the current century primarily because of its englobing mood surrounding an unconventional love story between two new-found neighbors. Set in Hong Kong during the 1960s, the film's biggest assets, in my opinion, are its cinematography and lead performances by Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung. The relationship they shared, initiated by the fact that their spouses were cheating on them with one another, felt so incredibly sincere and ...