Reviews

If I'm honest with myself, the only things I liked about this movie were the visuals and the direction of Sam Raimi, but that's it. The story is propelled only by its visuals, the actual narrative itself has barely any meat to it. This movie would've been better if they dialed back the fan-service in favor of actual motivations, meaningful dialogue that's not just exposition, fleshing out characters etc.

This movie is made for the sake of fan-service and overwhelming visual wow-factor, interlaced with hints of a better movie existing in some alternate reality.

I don't recommend watching it.

Robert Eggers proves once again his directorial abilities are methodical, deliberate and intricate, with an accurate sense for presenting visuals in ways that are deeply absorbing, brutal and unfeigned. 'The Northman' is a masterclass in poetic, aggressive ruggedness and a Viking epic for the ages. Alexander Skarsgård exudes an incredible brutishness, both in feral fight scenes and more pensive, often mystic interludes. Anya Taylor-Joy is perfect, as per usual. Claes Bang presents a layered antagonist via his superb, sometimes subtle acting, and Nicole Kidman establishes why she is one of the major acting talents of our times. In fact, it is quite difficult to find faults in this movie, both in acting, story and cinematography. One could perhaps find the pacing to be uneven at times, though I would contest such an assessment by pointing to the grand scale of the movie and its need for more quiet periods. It feels quite long, but - in and of itself - this is not necessarily problematic. The dialogue is heavy and demanding, the movie itself is an experience - visually, artistically, and cinematically. An absolute must-see.

'Fracture' has a nice premise going for it: very intelligent murderer has a battle of the wits against a young cocky lawyer. Given the cast and the director Gregory Hoblit's experience in creating subtle noir-esque cinema (e.g. 'Fallen'), one'd expect this movie to be a direct hit. However, the script doesn't allow for a real connection between the characters to resonate through the screen. The relationship between Gosling's and Pike's characters is purely instrumental, it serves but to fabricate some semblance of inter-relational stakes, yet in fact, none are believably delivered to the viewer. To be honest, if it weren't for Hopkins, this movie would be entirely forgettable, but it is Hopkins, so you'll remember. Hoblit seems at times so desperate to create tension, that some key moments fall quite flat, but other parts of the movie are very well crafted and quite enjoyable. Don't go out of your way to see it, but do give it a watch if you get the chance.

With 'Ayka', director Sergei Dvortsevoy has proven to be a contemporary master of the classic impetus of Russian art: depicting the depths of human suffering, despair, and the lengths at which one might go to simply remain alive. Leading actress Samal Yeslyamova goes beyond mere acting and gloriously succeeds in telling her story through minimal dialogue and maximal emotional performance. The story does stumble a bit throughout the first act, but it is sufficiently augmented by a gripping third act and an emotionally draining ending.