AJ_13

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

THE GOOD: Absolutely insane, brimming with ideas and originality. It maintains Aster's stamp despite being different (and worse) than Midsommar and Hereditary. THE BAD: Being so long it's almost inevitable that it doesn't deflate at some point. Sometimes you get lost in its abstraction.

THE GOOD: An intimate drama supported by good performances and nice photography. THE BAD: It did not make an impact on me. Harmed by its own simplicity.

THE GOOD: Score, animation, references... all of these will bring you to your childhood memories. A must see in the cinema. THE BAD: It is pretty simple and it feels way too rushed, could have used a bit more of runtime.

THE GOOD: An interesting story confidently directed by Ben Affleck, narrated in a simple but effective way. One of those films that will make everyone leave the theatre with a smile on their face. Fine performances. THE BAD: It doesn't bring anything groundbreaking (and doesn't intend to so it's not necessarily a bad thing).

THE GOOD: The craziness and dark humour of White Noise does somehow work during its first half. Sharp dialogues and interesting camera work. The dope end credits almost made me rise my rating in 1 point. THE BAD: Once the first 2 acts end, what once felt as unpredictable becomes stupid and jokes aren't funny anymore. It touches so many genres and tones that I didn't know what was I watching or what the film wanted to transmit. It is as ambitious as messy.

THE GOOD: Romance and tragedy meet in this sharply-written noir, supported by insane editing and powerful imagery. Park Chan-Wook is a visionary. THE BAD: I found it hard to follow at times. It is so dense that overwhelms.

THE GOOD: Overally well-crafted, some good dark humour and charismatic presence by Fiennes and Taylor-Joy THE BAD: Did not work for me as a satire. The message is redundant since the beginning and I don't understand many of the things that happen in The Menu. Shallow characters and also didn't care for the dynamics between the protagonists.

THE GOOD: Sarah Polley's determined and poethic directing, amazing performances by Buckley, Wishaw, Mara and Foy and some great dialogue. I cannot comprehend how this missed a nomination for Best Score. If this doesn't win Adapted Screenplay, I will riot. THE BAD: I'm not totally into the desaturation of the color pallette.

THE GOOD: Some hilarious scenes and Steve Carell's character are the only things I save from Dinner for Schmucks. THE BAD: If you are not into this humour (which is my case), you won't find this movie funny, you will find it dumb, long and awkard.

THE GOOD: Flawless on mainly every single aspect. I really enjoyed the main trio of protagonists. I love the premise and the characters so much. THE BAD: It is a simple as it gets, which ain't necessarily a bad thing, but maybe left me wanting something else.

THE GOOD: Great performance by Cate Blanchett in this meticulous and good crafted character study. TÁR reaches its highest notes when Todd Field toys with thriller genre. Great ending sequence. THE BAD: The first 40 minutes were simply boring to me. Also did not like some choices made with certain characters during the last act of the film.

THE GOOD: Incredibly touching drama about depression, guided by some Mescal's and Corio's amazing performances and Charlotte Wells' unique directorial vision. One of those films that improve the more you think about them. THE BAD: I had to make a great effort to go through the first hour. Its rythm and editing made it hard for me to engage with the film, at least if it is your first watch.

THE GOOD: I need to start by mentioning Justin Hurwitz's score. I dare to say is one of the best scores ever composed. Apart from this, I also love many other things in Babylon: directing, editing, sets, ending, performances... THE BAD: I did not connect with the characters as much as I would like. Also the runtime could be shorter.

THE GOOD: You can already see that Jake Gyllenhaal was meant to later become one of the best actors alive. Really liked Kelly's directing and script. THE BAD: Even though I liked the ending, I did feel that the film rushes too much during its last 30 minutes.

THE GOOD: I found Barbarian to be really creative in its narration and visuals. Gorgeous looking, creepy and unpredictable. Keeps you in tension for the most part of the running-time. Fine performance by Georgina Campbell. THE BAD: At the end of the day, the plot ends up leading to something that, is not that big of a deal. There is some lack of development of certain characters that would have been useful.

THE GOOD: With a witty script and a great cast, Love Actually is a respectable romantic comedy. Good performances and soundtrack. Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson and Bill Nighy take the cake. THE BAD: Way too cheesy and on the nose. I find subtle romances much more appealing. Some of the subplots are simply bad.

THE GOOD: A visual masterpiece. A technical perfection that will only be reached by the rest of the films in the saga. Fast-paced action and an incredible third act. THE BAD: Its mind-blowing visuals almost made me forget the simplicity and mediocrity of the script and dialogues. Some weak characters. But, who cares?

THE GOOD: Not at all what I expected to see. I'm a **** for this kind of sci-fi films. Great protagonists and great performances by Ethan Hawke and Jude Law. Also loved the editing, pacing and score. THE BAD: I would have liked to know a bit more about Uma Thurman so that the romance between her and Hawke would have worked better for me.

THE GOOD: Outstanding acting, interesting script and characters. Baz Luhrmann's style is unique. THE BAD: I don't understand some of the choices made by Luhrmann, and his style can be really convulsive at times.

THE GOOD: As fun as it's predecessor. Charismatic ensemble, great plot-twist and a satisfying 3rd act. Janelle Monáe gives the best performance yet seen in the Knives Out saga. THE BAD: The script resorts to many absurd or tricky maneuvers that don't work well. The first hour doesn't stand to the rest of the film as it doesn't feel as a Knives Out movie. At times, a bit of overacting. Overall, more complex but more flawed than the first of the franchise.

THE GOOD: Visual spectacle, even though I had to watch it on an IPad. Better VFX than the inmense majority of films of this last 5 years. Loved some of the characters. Simply a great action/adventure movie. THE BAD: Most characters are too plain or simple, and so is the story.

THE GOOD: One of the best recent satires. Great performances and sequences that go straight to the best of the year. Makes up for its lack of subtlety with ridiculous and hilarious humor. THE BAD: Somewhat repetitive at times, despite not being boring at any time, it could be 15 minutes shorter.

THE GOOD: The Village has a mystique that grabs you, thanks to how it builds a unique atmosphere through Shyamalan's direction and James Newton Howard's soundtrack. Probably one of the best acted movies in the director's filmography. THE BAD: It stumbles in its own simplicity, and when is time to spill the beans, you're disappointed.

THE GOOD: James McAvoy's range in Split is amazing. I won't forget some of his face expressions. Shyamalan does a good job building suspense and placing the camera on the right spots. Also nice pacing and score. THE BAD: Some characters are worse developed than others and the screenplay sometimes falls short.

THE GOOD: Funny gags and good shots every now and then. THE BAD: I know it's just a comedy but the script is mediocre and unreal. Also predictable and no interesting characters at all.

THE GOOD: Narrates a truly powerful historical event, accompanied by great performances, humour and emotion. THE BAD: Although appreciating good humour I had some tonal issues every now and then. In terms of visuals and storytelling, Argentina 1985 bring nothing new to the genre.

THE GOOD: A technical achievement. I specially LOVED the score and sound design, both award worthy. Felix Kammerer is great. THE BAD: It doesn't offer anything new to what we have already seen in the war genre. Maybe a bit overlong.

THE GOOD: Jordan Peele's hability to create powerful images is unmatched. Cinematography, score and Lupita Nyongo are the stand-outs. THE BAD: The script and dialogues are clumsy and the final reveal/payoff is less impactful than what it should be.

THE GOOD: The fact that this was made in 1979 is both admiring and unbelievable. Production design, VFX, cinematography and editing are way ahead its time. THE BAD: That been said, I was disappointed. Much less scarier than I thought it would be and I didn't really care for the crew members' fate aside from Ripley's. I wish I were a bit more character/dialogue driven.

THE GOOD: What a performance by Ana de Armas! Definitely the best of 2022 (as today). I loved Dominik's maximalist style. So extreme, violent and hard to watch. Totally get why some could hate it. THE BAD: A bit overlong and repetitive, 160 minutes of watching someone crying could exhaust the viewer. Some dialogues felt theatral or unnatural.

THE GOOD: Don't Worry Darling knocks it out of the park in nearly all technical aspects, in particular Olivia Wilde's directing and the gorgeus cinematography. Florence Pugh gives the best performance of her career. THE BAD: I'm not a person that needs to understand everything going on in a film (especilly if it's a psychological thriller), but there way too many unexplainable events in DWD. Also, the final twist is pointless for the plot and loses sight of the message that the film originally was going for.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

THE GOOD: I found the conversations between the three travelers in the temple really profound and interesting. The other subplot is sustained by a great Toshiro Mifune. Ahead of its time on a technical level. THE BAD: I didn't really care about what happened in the woods. I hope it had more moral complexity. Simply disappointed, good but I thought it would be better.

THE GOOD: Great cast and great chemistry between them, especially Jyn and Andor. The script is better than the ones from Episodes VII-VIII-IX combined. At the 90 minute mark I thought that this was a decent SW film but... what a third act!, peak Star Wars. Directly to my Top 2. And Lord Vader? AMAZING staging, Gareth Edwards showed him to us as what he is: the greatest villain ever. THE BAD: Maybe a bit of a slow beginning. Not every character is engaging.

THE GOOD: It's unlike anything I have seen before. The soundtrack and acting are actually nice, I especially enjoyed Brendan Gleeson. Also I always appreciate some sharp humour. THE BAD: A bit messy for me. It wasn't easy to connect with the characters and besides the writing I didn't find anything else appealing, technical-wise.

THE GOOD: Eva Green's hypnotic presence on camera elevates The Dreamers. I found the story truly interesting, with complex characters and themes. Some great shot compositions and dialogues. THE BAD: Despite showing glimpses of brilliance, the film as a whole resulted messy for me. Also the acting and dialogue are a bit clumsy at times. The ending, though poetic, didn't feel totally right for me.

THE GOOD: A complete masterpiece. One of the best screenplays/adaptations in the history of cinema. Darín and Villamil are unbelievable. Marvellous colour-pallette, impressive editing and, of course, some great argentinian humour. THE BAD: Absolutely nothing.

THE GOOD: Editing, prod. design, score, camera angles, performances and great twists. Unlike anything you've seen. The foreshadowing is awesome. THE BAD: Sometimes rushes too much and the script doesn't mantain it's level (which actually is pretty damn high).

THE GOOD: Marcello Mastroianni delivers a titanic performance. Through unreal visuals, editing and score, Fellini blends dreams and reality creating numerous unforgettable scenes. THE BAD: Definitely not for everyone. The constant sense of overwhelness may distance the viewer from the story.

THE GOOD: Amazing suspense-building by Carpenter. I particularlly loved the goriness and the tense atmosphere. Kurt Russell's MacReady freacking rules. THE BAD: I can't think of anything negative. Maybe more presence of Morricone's score.

THE GOOD: James Newton Howard's score is sick. It's so bad it's entertaining. THE BAD: Everything else. Worse dialogue I've ever seen (90% exposition), awful editing, bad performances and weird camera movements.

THE GOOD: Raiders of the Lost Ark resulted to be lighter than expected, turning out to be a hilarious adventure. Perfectly performed by charismatic Harrison Ford and Karen Allen. Cinematography and BSO are among the best ever made.. THE BAD: Somehow one-dimensional characters and usual plot holes in films of this genre (dumb enemies or deus ex machina appearances).

NOPE keeps you intrigued since its very first scene. Suspense building during its first half is simply top-notch directing/writing. My main issuse with the movie are the ending and not truly knowing what is it talking about (a rewatch would help). Everyone should cherish Jordan Peele's creativity. This one will age well.

Rock solid film by Ron Howard. Being based in such powerful true events, Thirteen Lives is exactly what you think it would be. Unlike many movies of this genre, rejects excessive dramatism and embraces realism. At first I was pissed that we didn't get to see more of the kids' point of view, but it results to be effective and coherent with what Howard was trying to make us feel. It felt a bit overlong and in spite of giving good performances, Farrell and Mortensen could have deeper characters.

A chaotic first act, entertaining second one and tense finale. I struggled to get aboard Uncut Gems' tone and rythm during its first half, but went slowly growing on me. I would say that despite it's 130 minute runtime it felt a bit overlong, probably caused by its relentless and overwhelming pace.

It really worked out for me until it's last third, when the pace starts to drag and you lose interest as Duane and Jacy hardly appear on screen. Some great performances and writing. Cybill Shepherd is a goddess.

Pure nostalgia. I gotta admit that I found some of the characters pretty annoying, but I also discovered some of my all-time faves as Will Wheaton's Gordie and River Phoenix's Chris.

Now that autobiographical "i-love-cinema" biopics are in fashion, you won't find a single one that tops Cinema Paradiso. Acting, score, ending... a genuine love letter to cinema.

An overwhelming hodgepodge of action and visual effects of which I only highlight the charisma of the main 3 protagonists. The script is so bad, full of holes and underused characters (Ana de Armas). Chris Evans is clearly the stand out.