Movies Graded

Director: Chung Mong-Hong Stars: Wu Chien-Ho, Chen Yi-wen, Samantha Shu-Chin Ko Runtime:   156  minutes Synopsis:  A family of four fractures under the weight of unmet expectations, unexpected tragedy, and uncompromising pride. Verdict:  I'm sure most of you have experienced at some point in your lives a feeling of extreme satisfaction upon completing the binging of a really good limited series. This is exactly how I felt when the credits of "A Sun" started rolling. This Taiwanese crime epic/family drama had me going through all sorts of emotions in its impressive runtime of two and a half hours, which flew by instantly. It follows a myriad of characters, all related in some way or another, as they go through moments of tragedy that they each handle in their own way. Despite some gaining more screentime than others, I never felt detached from any of them, and found myself deeply caring about the journey of growth they go through. All of this was made possible thanks ...

Director: Patty Jenkins Stars: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig Runtime:   151  minutes Synopsis:   Rewind to the 1980s as Wonder Woman's next big-screen adventure finds her facing two all-new foes: Max Lord and The Cheetah. Verdict:  Unlike its predecessor, "Wonder Woman 1984" garnered mixed reactions upon its release. With it being one of the rare blockbusters that stuck to their 2020 release, Gal Gadot's return as the Amazonian warrior was awaited by many but didn't meet the expectations set by both audiences and critics alike. For that reason, I went in expecting the typical, messy superhero movie that has been consuming theaters for a decade now... only to get a pleasant surprise out of a film that despite being two and a half hours long, never felt like a drag to get through. While still suffering from tired tropes regularly found in the genre, one wasted villain, and an underwhelming finale, I found this sequel's biggest strength to be its personalit...

Director: Thomas Vinterberg Stars: Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Magnus Millang Runtime:   117  minutes Synopsis:  Four friends, all high school teachers, test a theory that they will improve their lives by maintaining a constant level of alcohol in their blood. Verdict:  With "The Hunt" being one of my favorite movies of the past decade, I was eager to see what Thomas Vinterberg and Mads Mikkelsen had in store for their second collaboration. The fact that it already is considered an awards frontrunner by many only made me more excited to check it out, but I'm sad to report that it didn't meet my expectations. Quite the opposite. Now to be perfectly honest, there's nothing truly wrong with the movie itself. About a group of high school teachers who decide to make their lives more interesting by keeping a constant level of alcohol in their blood, it had a lot to say about the drinking culture of today, highlighting both its advantages and inconveniences. The en...

Director: Pete Docter, Kemp Powers Stars: Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Graham Norton Runtime:   100  minutes Synopsis:  A musician who has lost his passion for music is transported out of his body and must find his way back with the help of an infant soul learning about herself. Verdict:  Have you ever taken a bite out of a pizza slice and found the crust to be fresh and crusty but the toppings to be lacking in flavor? Because that's what watching "Soul" felt like. Borrowing some elements from 2015's "Inside Out", the film touches on heavy material by exploring themes such as the meaning of life. In it, we're introduced to Jamie Foxx's Joe Gardner, a jazz pianist struggling to reignite his love for music. An unfortunate incident detaches his spirit from his physical body and sends it to the Great Before, where he teams up with an unborn soul in the hopes of finding his way back to his earthly being in time for a career-defining gig. It's an ambitious co...

Director: Henry Selick Stars: Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara Runtime:   76  minutes Synopsis:  Jack Skellington, king of Halloween Town, discovers Christmas Town, but his attempts to bring Christmas to his home causes confusion. Verdict:  Whenever December is around the corner, I promise myself to go on a binge of Christmas movies to get into the holiday spirit... only to end up watching one or two. This year was no exception, and considering the current status of the world, I found it most appropriate to put on the movie whose title best encapsulates it: "The Nightmare Before Christmas". Now, this is not my first time watching what I thought for a very long time to be a film directed by Tim Burton, though I believe that I've only seen it once a while ago. I was eager to check if it held up to this day, and I'm glad to report that it absolutely does. "The Nightmare Before Christmas" contains some of the best stop motion animation and char...

Director: Andrei Tarkovsky Stars: Aleksandr Kaydanocskiy, Anatoliy Solonitsyn, Nikolay Grinko Runtime:   162  minutes Synopsis:  A guide leads two men through an area known as the Zone to find a room that grants wishes. Verdict:  After two semi-disappointing experiences with Tarkovsky's work, I was ready to give up trying to get into the Soviet director's filmography. I was ready to admit to myself that his films simply weren't my cup of tea and have my cinephile card revoked in the process. But I couldn't make such a decision without giving his most admired work a shot. So despite it being nearly 3 hours long, I popped in the movie that famously and unfortunately claimed his and a number of its crewmembers their lives with the hopes that it would change my mind about him. "Stalker" is perhaps one of the most aesthetically pleasing films I have ever seen, that I can assure you. Tarkovsky's craftmanship played a vital role in turning the setting into a char...

Director: George C. Wolfe Stars: Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman, Colman Domingo Runtime:   94  minutes Synopsis:  Chicago, 1927. A recording session. Tensions rise between Ma Rainey, her ambitious horn player and the white management determined to control the uncontrollable "Mother of the Blues". Based on Pulitzer Prize winner August Wilson's play. Verdict:  When the world learned of Chadwick Boseman's untimely passing this late August, a feeling of shock and sadness united people of all demographics to mourn the loss of a true star. His acting career was still young, but his charisma, talent, and kindness allowed him to conquer many hearts in the few years during which he made a name for himself in Hollywood. The path he took eventually led him to become the role model he was destined to be when he snatched the role of T'Challa in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has kept him busy for the past 4 years. Based on August Wilson's play (who also wrote "Fe...