Movie Review: The Nice Guys

Movie Review: The Nice Guys, 2016, dir: Shane Black.

Russell Crowe plays Healy, a hitman (not that type of hitman, more like, hitting someone in the face when you're stalking someone and get paid for it) who accidentally met Ryan Gosling playing March, a detective, after March being asked to find a girl named Amelia, while Healy just got paid by Amelia to hit March. I know, it's a bit complicated. Wait till you get to see the movie, it's worse, but it's good. Hahaha.

Anyways, the movie has a rather complex plot, which in the end entertain you thoroughly. Plot wise, I love it. If I say more, I will spoil you with the story, so now let's talk about other aspects of the movie.

The movie is classified by Wiki as a neo noir comedy thriller, made by Shane Black. My sister once introduced me with this vlogger, Nerdwriter, who explains that Shane Black, who made the fabolous Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, is a director who manages to make violence in a movie important to the plot, or making the violence right. In some movies, the violence is usually served purely as violence and it gets to you at some point or you became so numb and don't appreciate it anymore. Here in this movie, there are many scenes with violence which not only push the plot forward, but were also very horrific and dramatic, you can only ended up laughing. REALLY.

 from here

Russel Crowe, Gosling and the girl who played as Gosling's daughter are brilliant. It's not everyday for you to see Gosling (I mean... DRIVE??!) played as a big ass pitiful man who cries with a high pitch. Gosh that was so funny to watch! And Russel Crowe! I wouldn't have expected him to play this type of character, but he was really cool and I respect him throughout this movie. Not cool as much as he is in Gladiator or the new Superman, I mean, it's a totally different genre, but as a seasoned hitman who play no games, but softened by this young girl, but not too much that it gets cheesy. Thank God.

One of my favorite scenes, and this is truly a spoiler, so if you don't want to spoil your enjoyment of the movie, please don't read this, is when Ryan Gosling's character pretended to act stupid and delirious when it's actually a scheme to distract his enemy. I think he did it like 3 times here, and we believed it every single time, because he was a rather foolish/clumsy character in the movie (with glimpses of his smartness as a real detective. Really, this movie impressed me!), but he used people's assumption on him to make a fool out of his enemy and use it for his best advantage.

I love the color (yeah, retro). And the craziness (tanks filled with mermaids?!). And glimpses of Detroit on its golden days (this is due to Only Lovers Left Alive). And all the absurdities which falls into place in the end.

By the way, I read that this movie flops in box office although praised by critics, which is quite a shame considering this is a very well written one, very funny, and through and through enjoyable. My sister and I laughed like crazy the whole time, and I'm gonna make my husband watch it as well!

Movie Review: Green Room

Movie Review: Green Room, 2015, dir: Jeremy Saulnier

So from some of the movies I've been watching during the last couple of weeks, this would have been one of the most memorable. This'll be a spoiler free review, so feel free to read with ease.

The story tells about a struggling punk band, travelling to play some gigs (wiki said around Pacific Northwest). One time, especially after having no money left, they decided to take a gig in a place which as they arrived apparently is a Neo-NAZI skinhead bar somewhere in the midst of a forest. They played their gig, ALMOST with an incident. But managed to (almost) get out alive before trouble befalls on them. Do you want to know what's next? I think you should watch it yourself. Oh dammit, I'll write the rest of the spoiler review at the end of this!!

Movie poster by: Harijs Grundmanis aka Harry Movie Art

Some notes on the movie:
1. it is a VERY intense movie. I was on the edge of my seat ever since the problem arises. You can totally see the split second when this band members can either avoid or deal with the problem. Geez.
2. the movie CREEPS ME OUT because of the amount of white supremacists/Neo-NAZIs skinheads and the righteousness they emanate. They really truly believe on their ideology and like soldiers ready to snap back at people who doesn't fall into their belief. It's really scary. Fundamentalists at any shape is scary.
3. the movie has a very dark tone because the bar was dark (hah! I remember I must have went to one of these kinds back in Berlin), and the story goes deeper into the night, and so all fear are being contained and you just stuck there watching.
4. I think all the casts were brilliant! I mean, we have Anton Yelchin (RIP), the great Patrick Stewart being absolutely a character which made me scared, Imogen Poots and her effortless charm, and there's also Joe Cole whose face reminded me that I've seen him somewhere, then I checked, and YUP! he was the little brother in Peaky Blinders!
5. if you want to watch a through and through good thriller of a movie which keeps you on your seat, choose this. The Rotten Tomatoes rating is way up there, and I agree. Unless, seeing white supremacists doing their activities scared you off, then don't.

Disclaimer: this movie is really not for the weakhearted because there'll be a lot of blood, awful sadistic scenes (not Tarantino style, though), etc.

AND NOW THE SPOILER PART a little bit down below to avoid people who don't wanna read the spoiler...




So! Continuing our story in the beginning, so after the band gave their gig (with an opening song which insults the Neo NAZIs), they were about to leave when one of the band member accidentally peaks inside the room where one of them left their cellphone to witness a dead body lying on the floor while some people looking terrified/shocked/neutral. The guy, Pat, while walking away tried to call the police but the band was then rushed back into the room together with the murderer, a bodyguard, and the friend of the dead girl (Amber, the friend, I mean). They were locked inside, meanwhile the manager of the bar called the leader/cleaner of the Neo NAZI group, Darcy Banker. He then tried to 'clean this mess' in which clean means kill all the witnesses. OH LOORD. In addition, apparently the place was also a cocaine chemical lab, so more reasons to kill this poor kids who are just hungry because they're trying to sell their music! GAAH.

In the middle, there's a lot of fighting scenes, heart breaking because these kids are like skinny underfed young musicians having to deal with this NAZIs who are just so freakish not only in their ideology, but also in their muscle build and sadistic behaviour.

So yeah, you better watch the rest yourself, but I guarantee you it's very intense and a satisfying watch at the very end! RIP Anton Yelchin, you did great here.

Movie Review: Suicide Squad

Movie Review: Suicide Squad, 2016, dir: David Ayer.


OH MY GOD. I can't believe that Independence Day: Resurgence got 34% rating when Suicide Squad got only 27% in Rotten Tomatoes! Oh well, here goes my review and how I'll argue, that for sure Suicide Squad is a better movie than Independence Day!

DC movies have had it tough this year with bad reviews again and again. Although, really, BvS, the director's cut IS ENJOYABLE, I'd say (I made my sister watched it, and she also agree that it's very long but comprehensive which makes it more understandable than SS's plot. She was shocked when I told her about the scenes cut out from the theater released BvS).

After reading some of the reviews, I really almost didn't want to watch Suicide Squad, fearing that it's THAT BAD. Especially, I'd rather not to be disappointed maybe by not watching it or watching it much much later. But, some friends also said, that although I might not like it that much, I should really really give it a try, especially when this is quite my genre. At least it won't be as bad as the recently re-made Fantastic Four. So, I watched it with my sister last weekend.

This will be a full spoiler review!

First of all, we'll get to the bad parts first:

1. Despite all the hype, the Joker isn't really that much shown in the movie. He's basically used to move the plot forward. I guess they're really using all these weird news/publicity stunt just to get people to go to the cinema, so if you're going for that reason, to see Joker, I think you'll be disappointed.

What I found interesting during the trailers, is that you can pretty much guess how many type of scenes will be in the movies, and you're right. There's the introduction of the characters, problem, and the Suicide Squad, although kinda hating it, was forced to deal with the problem in the city (Gotham). That's pretty much all of it.

I couldn't really make it out from the trailers, but I had the impression that there'll be two types of problem, first is this thing we don't know from the trailer, and second, Joker giving out problems as well. Does Joker cause the first trouble? I wasn't sure. But in the end, Joker had very short scenes which was used to explain Harley Quinn's character. I really felt cheated with the promotion, but they do it all the time to male character and the female characters usually only played as a plot device, so, I guess in the end it's just fine? Or maybe just use him as flashbacks only, why the necessity of putting Joker in the plot during the big fight?

I don't know how Joker's relationship with Harley in the comics is, or his real depiction other than glimpses of the flamboyan/crazy-laughing-penguin played by Jack Nicholson and of course Heath Ledger's Joker. But I guess he's more fitting to Jack Nicholson's character? After all the hype, I'd agree with my cousin on this one. In this movie, Joker was like a big mob leader/gangster who cares A LOT about his looks and his money (and I suspect, rather emo), that I can't really feel like he's a villain I would feel awe at. After 8 years, Heath Ledger's Joker resonates deeply, and despite me  trying to appreciate this one, it still makes me feel that the character is so cheap compare to Ledger's Joker.

So I agree with my sister when she said his character can just be taken out of the movie, and we won't have any problems with it.

2. This movie tells you the details of the main problem of the movie 1/4 along the way. I don't know about you, but I feel that it's way way waay to soon. I was hoping for a deeper more complex revelations towards the ending, but nothing much was there.

Funny thing is, since we all know what happened 1/4th of the movie, having all the other characters not knowing what is happening until 3/4 of the movie feels kind of silly. The suspense is lost.

3. There are some patchiness in the story telling. I also didn't get why when the Squad went into this building, why did they end up helping Amanda Waller? Is this her rescue mission? I thought they were trying to get the villain? And that she killed her team so they don't spoil anything? Does it mean Amanda simply didn't want the government to know that SHE caused all the mayhem? AND THE TOP SECRET SCENE LMFAO

4. If Joker is gonna be used at all in this movie, I wish that there'll be more of his mind manipulating ways on Harley Quinn, because I still need more to understand how Harley can give away her career and life to follow a man who abuses her physically and mentally.

5. The villain, aka the Enchantress, during the final scenes was so-so. I don't know if I'm saying this because I wasn't much impressed, and a tat disappointed for lack of other possibilities on how the story and the villain can unfold, but it isn't the type of a good villain which makes this type of movie interesting enough. But that's only my opinion. Plus, it wasn't really clear what type of machine is she trying to build to end human life? They're just collecting metals and make some swirlings in the sky but I don't feel the threatening presence of this machinery?

6. Owh the last scene where they slow-mo Harley throwing the knife to Deadshot, and Killer Croc throwing the bomb, that was really a way to be extra dramatic for nothing.

7. Poor underdeveloped Katana's character. She seems like a typical Americanized Asian character, funny name with irrelevant importance in the movie, almost only use to serve exoticness in the movie, because hey, i'm Japanese who speaks Japanese randomly when I know no one understands me, and I cry over my husband's soul under random moments of pressure during a big fight? Ugh, she deserved so much better. Or just don't force to have her here if her character is so unimportant.

8. El Diablo's character has such bad lines, hasn't he? I kind of imagine Will Smith's super awesome character with heartfelt lines would be laughing trying to act back to El Daiblo's cheesy lines. I can't believe myself. What a waste.

9. I don't know about Slipknot, but since he's from the comic book, I would have thought that he'd at least have some fighting scenes. I also feel bad because he was the only (?) character played by a native american, yet he played such short of a role. Again, it's such a waste!

AAND now to the good parts of the movie:

1. AMANDA WALLER played by QUEEN VIOLA DAVIS. Gosh, she can fill the screen with so much presence, I LOVE IT. I know I love her already from her previous movies and tv series, and SHE'S AN AMAZING ACTRESS. But she filled Amanda Waller's shoes so well, and so cruel and mean and cold hearted, you can't help to like her. They gave her some silly scenes though (like my sister pointed out, after being held by the Enchantress, she still came out un-hurt and her cellphone was still okay when she threatened the Squad not to run away), but she still pulled it off till the very end.

2. The introduction scene was enjoyable! I love knowing all the characters one by one like that, a bit cheesy, but still. I don't know what kind of researcher go alone into a cave by herself to spot a 6000 year old spirit just to get possessed, but it was sort of a badass intro.

3. I don't know much about Harley Quinn, but I love how Margot Robbie depicts her to be really strong and full of joy at one point, and tried her best to hide her vulnerability. And how she always speaks truthfully and straight to the point, like when El Diablo talked about his background story. I'm just sad that this terrific character is being manipulated by Joker. I almost thought that this is actually what she really wants (not being Joker's lover, but being a villain which kinda let her spirit breaks free?).

4.  Will Smith's character's is the one that pulls the gravity towards the movie. I guess they wrote his character best, and he is so good with acting that you empathize towards his character easily. I almost feel like the movie can just use him and Harley plus Viola Davis's to make the movie works perfectly. Maybe add the Rick Flag's character (his acting was also rather nice). His concern over his family is so Will Smith-ish, but you still like it a lot. His developing friendship with Harley felt genuine and heart warming at times. Maybe rather than trying out making other solo heroes movies, they can pick Deadshot and make one for him? We know for SURE Will Smith can pull it off! (like many times he did)

5. There's not much humor in this movie, but many scenes are so silly that my sister and I kept laughing at it. Wait, am I being sarcastic?

6. It's still unfair to put this movie below Independence Day: Resurgence's rating. That movie had NO relevant characters, even sillier plot lines, unneccessary as if heroic end of the day speech, basically you don't feel any emotion towards any of the characters. It's such a waste of money. Suicide Squad has better offerings. It's not the best of superhero or to be more exact supervillain movie, but in addition of serving us with pretty nice cinematograpy (I actually kind of like this retro feel), it has plenty of characters which keeps you seated and enjoy it simply as an easy entertainment (Independence Day Resurgence was SO STUPID you get annoyed; here, you still feel entertained). Now that we got through with this painful first phase (introducing characters and their background story), I hope, if they ever make another Suicide Squad movie, they can delve directly with better story telling and  focus (something which also feels lagging in BvS) to make it a much better movie. I mean look at Pacific Rim. Or Mad Max. Or Captain America: Civil War. Or Captain America: the Winter Soldier. They are good because they have a clear focus on what big problem they want to solve in the movie. Having too much plans for a movie can really sometimes annoy the hell out of us.

Reasons

Reasons why I'm crusading to finish my meta-analysis:
1. it's been too long
2. I want to do my next projects: learn Danish, learn Japanese, and learn coding!
3. books are waiting
4. maybe, my next meta-analysis? :p
5. I need to write to my friends but feel too much guilt to do it because I'm still stuck with this analysis.

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, 2016, J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, Jack Thorne

As posted in Goodreads

I think that anyone who knows Harry Potter that well would understand that this is, after all, a spoiler. So read with caution :) I really didn't plan to read the book since: 1. it might ruin my already canon story of the seven books of HP 2. it's from a play, so it might not be as enjoyable as reading a through and through novel (but hey, what about Shakespeare, then?)                                    But I saw the review that the book is devastating to one's emotion, so I had to give it a try. And so this is what I have to say about it: 1. although it took me a bit of time to dwell into it properly, I immediately came home to the never forgotten familiarity of the wizardry world in Harry Potter's universe. And it feels good. 2. it isn't, after all, a 'new story' but partly feels like a fan-fic of what ifs, but I'm not saying this as a negativity, because I think we do need to know more to feel more appreciative about the people in HP's universe, especially the ones we never properly said goodbye to. 3. it settles one of the most argued about romantic relationship in this particular universe. 4. it's true that we need a proper, good villain to make a good hero, and the book brought us back to the origin of origin. I mean, basically, there's nothing much you can tweak but coming back to that point. That's why I think we should put it at this, and move on!!! 5. Harry Potter is one of the kindest person ever lived in science fiction, and I'm just so sad that even after ~20 years, he had to feel worse and worse about the whole thing. I mean, can we PLEASE give him a break?? 6. this book certainly gave the right chuckle and almost brought me to tears. 7. Now I really want to be friends with Scorpius Malfoy. 8. I will love this universe, always.