Change Your Image
Obelisk94
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Soshite chichi ni naru (2013)
A brilliant, warm story presented in spectacular fashion
Like Father, Like Son tells us the story of a young couple and how their lives get altered when they find out that their son, has been swapped at birth. Hirokazu Koreeda directs and writes of this affectionate tale and does so in an excellent way. The film was released in the stacked year of 2013, and quite frankly, I think it's among the best of the year.
Ryota Nanomiya is a successful architect who, while loves his family, spends too much time at work. One day, his wife, Midori, gets a call from the hospital where Keita, their son, was born. Soon they find out that a six-year old mistake caused their child to be swapped at birth with another. This leads Ryota and Midori to start getting more acquainted with the other family involved in this situation. All the while wondering whether they should keep, or re-swap the children.
The script for Like Father, Like Son was absolutely tremendous. The story itself is brilliant and captivating; you can't help but feel absorbed in the lives of everyone involved. This wouldn't be possible without great characters and that's exactly what we got. Ryota is a wonderful character made even better by the phenomenal performance by Masaharu Fukuyama. He isn't the caricature that you might expect him to be. In fact, I felt he was a rather realistic depiction of a loving father who happens to be a bit of a workaholic. On the other hand, Yudai Saiki, the other father affected by the swap, was so different to Ryota, but just as good of a character. The contrast between the two fathers was one of the most fascinating aspects of the film. It bettered both characters, and gave the film an extra layer.
As I mentioned earlier, Masaharu Fukuyama was incredible as Ryota. The subtleties and nuances in his facial expressions were particularly impressive. Rirî Furankî played Yudai, the more easygoing father. I already touched upon how different their characters are, but the quality of their performances are almost identical. They both raised the film to the next level. The mothers were played by Machiko Ono and Yôko Maki. Their portrayals may not be as critical as those of the two male stars, but they were excellent nonetheless. And lastly, the two kids were played by Shôgen Hwang and Keita Ninomiya. I was a bit surprised by their acting talents as I thought they were just as good as the adult actors. We all know that young actors may not always be the best in terms of acting abilities, but these two talented kids proved that they have some acting chops. They were cute, vulnerable, and even scared when needed to be, and they never missed a beat. Brilliant acting across the board.
On top of doing an outstanding job in the writing department, Hirokazu Koreeda also directed the film in a magnificent fashion. Despite the unfortunate incident the families are dealing with, there's a certain feeling of warmth throughout the film, that works greatly with the family within it. This is achieved, in part thanks to the phenomenal music by Shin Yasui.
Koreeda didn't rush with the story and gave us time to connect with the families, which is pivotal for a film like this. The visuals were also quite remarkable, with Mikiya Takimoto working as cinematographer; The scenes by the lake were beautifully shot and had a very serene vibe to it. Koreeda also opted for more movements from the camera in scenes where, a lot of times in other films, the camera would be static. Little details like that is what distinguishes the directing of the film from others, and gives it that unique aura that is so appealing.
Like Father, Like Son raises a very compelling question on the identity of one's child. Is your child yours because you raised, loved, and nurtured them for years, or because they're your flesh and blood?! At first glance I, and I imagine a few people, will say the former is the correct answer. But by putting myself in Ryota's place, I'd be just as confused and unsure as he was. The film also raises a good point on the different types of parents and parenting techniques. Both Ryota and Yudai love their families dearly. However one decides to work to improve the quality of his family's life in exchange for his time with them, and one lives a relatively lower life, but spends all his time with the ones he loves.
Like Father, Like Son is a film that will connect with the viewer on an emotional level. The story will grip you, while the technical aspects impress you. It's an outstanding film that should be seen by film lovers, especially those who have families and children of their own. An easy recommendation from me.
The Dirties (2013)
A great independent film
The Dirties is an independent film that was released in 2013. It's the debut feature for Matt Johnson, who directed, co-wrote, and stared in the film. It's one of the better indie films that I've seen and is certainly worth your time.
Matt and Owen are two friends who are in High school together. They are constantly bullied by a group who go by the name of "The Dirties". Matt and Owen are also huge film fans and are in the school's film club. So they decide to shoot a film about their revenge against The Dirties. That's all that I'm going to say about the plot. It's definitely one of those films that you should go into it without knowing too much. Even the IMDb and Letterboxd synopses, I thought, said too much. But anyways, the story is brilliant. I love films that talk about bullies and show how highschoolers, or whatever, deal with the harassment of the bullies. I don't know if Matt and Owen did really experience bullying in their life, but the way it was portrayed felt so realistic and so well done that I'd bet they did. The characters were great, and they felt lifelike. Thus, we as a viewer, care about them and are interested to see what's going to happen in their lives. The film's writers, Matt Johnson and Mathew Miller, did a splendid job indeed.
Matt Johnson and Owen Williams play Matt and Owen in the film. I thought both of them were tremendous. Matt Johnson will probably take all the plaudits but Owen Williams's performance was just as good. The main supporting actress was Krista Madison who played the role of Chrissy, Owen's crush. She was good as well. The acting isn't the main draw of the film though, it's the story and the directing.
The Dirties is a found footage film. I still like found footage films, which I know many people aren't. But The Dirties is well done and doesn't have any moments where you're screaming at the screen "DROP THE CAMERA ALREADY YOU IDIOT!". There is a cameraman, probably more, who tags along with Matt and Owen. I personally have a couple of interpretations about the cameramen, but I'll save those for the sake of not spoiling anything. The movie is also littered with references from numerous other films, so if you're a film buff, you might get a kick out of some of them.
The soundtrack to The Dirties is also pretty good. There are a couple of songs that play over some scenes that fit perfectly. I read that most of the film's budget went into securing the licenses for the music, but I'd say it was worth it.
All in all, The Dirties is a very well done film that shines a new light on bullying. It's evident that Matt Johnson is a very talented young filmmaker who I personally can't wait to see what his future holds for him. A definite recommendation from me.
Jagten (2012)
One of the year's best, The Hunt is one movie you don't want to miss
Having never seen a Danish movie before, I didn't know what to expect going into this. Turns out, Thomas Vinterberg's The Hunt is one of 2013's best movies, and you'll be missing out if you don't see it.
Taking place in small town in Denmark, The Hunt tells a story of Lucas. A man working at a nursery who loves the kids and the kids love him. When one of the kids tell the staff that Lucas "showed her his willie", Lucas' life takes a turn for the worse as he is now a victim of witch-hunt from the town folk. In the midst of all that, he's trying to maintain his relationship with his son, who he's seeing less of ever since his divorce.
All the actors deliver great performances throughout the movie. Lucas is played brilliantly by Mads Mikkelsen of Casino Royale and Valhalla Rising fame. Also starring are Alexandra Rapaport, Thomas Bo Larsen, and Annika Wedderkopp as Klara, the young girl who accuses Lucas.
The movie's plot is a good one. It talks about one of the things I hate the most about people and the way they behave, and that's mob mentality. It's one of the most dangerous things human beings are capable of; and it shows here in The Hunt. Lucas' whole life got ruined because of a lie a kid said. No one has any evidence, they just choose to believe Klara because kids don't lie.
You can understand though why some of the people in the town behaved in the way they did. Pedophilia is a disgusting, horrible thing. The people in this town are very close to each other. It's a really close-knit community; one that you'd expect would stand up for each other. So it's no surprise Lucas gets shunned by them. This is not the right thing to do but it does happen. And that realism adds to the affect that the movie has on you. It's scary to think that this something that could easily happen to any of us.
Thomas Vinterberg did a good job in directing. There are some beautiful shots in the movie that show you what a pretty place it is. There's also some shots that are so intense that you almost fall off your seat. One of my favorite scenes is when the young girl is telling the staff "what happened" and you can almost see her thinking "should I tell the truth or should I go on with this story!" Another one takes place in a grocery market. Both those scenes are so rage inducing, and I mean that in a good way. Vinterberg is a very talented director and I'll be sure to check out more of his work.
The Hunt is one of the scariest movies I've seen. With great acting, great story, great atmosphere, and a great ending; The Hunt is truly a great film, one that's definitely worth your time.
Koto no ha no niwa (2013)
Some of the best animations you'll ever see
Makoto Shinkai writes and directs The Garden of Words, an animated movie that follows a young man who dreams of becoming a shoemaker, and one rainy day he meets a strange woman in a garden and the two get along really well.
Takao, a 15 year old student, has a busy life. He goes to school, has a part-time job, and does all the housework since his mom is away with her boyfriend most of the times. He does all this because he wants to fulfill his dream of making shoes for a living so he could "leave this place". Takao has this thing where he skips school only on rainy days to go to a beautiful garden, and draw some of his designs. At the start of the rainy season, he meets up with an older woman who is spending her time by drinking beer and eating chocolates. After meeting each other again the next few days, they form a friendship and they start to open up to each other.
The first thing you'll notice is that the movie looks stunning. Gorgeous animations and gorgeous scenery combine to form a truly gorgeous piece of animation. The Garden of Words also has a very calm and soothing soundtrack, which adds to the experience and the beauty of the film.
The movie has a running time of 46 minutes. Which is a lot shorter than your usual feature film, but not short enough to be called a short movie. The movie at some parts felt like it's going too fast. I personally would've liked to spend a bit more time with the characters and for the movie to take its time while telling the story; which is rather fascinating.
There's no denying that Shinkai has talent. The Garden of the Words may be the most beautiful anime I've ever seen. The movie is worth seeing for that alone. It also has a brief running time, so you won't be investing too much of your time seeing it. So if you're into anime or just a fan of animation in general, give this one a watch.
Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
An absolute classic
A story of a teenager who struggles with his parents, peers, and himself, Rebel without a Cause was released in 1955 and directed by Nicholas Ray, and is arguably James Dean's best known film.
Jim Stark is a seventeen years old boy who in the beginning of the movie, is brought to a police station for being drunk in public. The Starks had recently moved in to LA and are keen for their son to make some friends and stay out of trouble, which seems to follow him wherever he may be. The next morning, however, Jim and this bully named Buzz, argue with each other and eventually decide to settle it in a game of "Chickie Run". Things don't go according to plan and now Jim has to deal with the consequences and try to finally do the right thing.
James Dean stars as Jim Stark. And even though Dean was seven years older than the character he's playing, he gives a solid performance for the time. Seeing Dean in his iconic attire and with his hair slicked back, you can't help but tell yourself "Man, this guy is cool". He doesn't look anything like a seventeen year old but his screen presence makes you forget that. You just want to see this guy do his thing. Also starring are Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo, who both got nominated for Academy Awards for best supporting Actress and Actor respectively. Also, a young Dennis Hopper makes his acting debut.
I think it's both fair and unfair to say the movie got so much recognition because of Dean's death. Fair because it's true that when an actor dies, the movie they last worked on gets more attention (Like The Dark Knight after Heath Ledger or The Crow after Brandon Lee). Unfair because this really is a good movie. A lot of people who watch it nowadays will say that it's dated. But if you consider that it came out nearly sixty years ago, it was like nothing they've ever seen before.
Rebel without a Cause is a classic. Anyone who likes movies has at least heard of it. Most of the movies that deal with teenagers and their troubles owe a lot to it, and for that it deserves a place in cinema history.
Rush (2013)
Ron Howard is back and arguably better than ever
Based on the rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda, Rush is a magnificent movie that will grip the audience even if they have no interest in racing.
Nicki Lauda, played by Daniel Bruhl, gave up the chance to manage his family's business back in Austria in order to become a racer. In a Formula Three race in 1970, he meets the flamboyant Brit James Hunt, who is played by Chris Hemsworth. The two develop a rivalry and eventually cross paths in the Formula One. The movie takes place during the 1976 Formula One season, where Lauda and Hunt try to not only win the World Championship, but prove who the better racer is. Along the way, we see that both men are polar opposites of each other. Lauda is a more calculating, vigilant racer who only races because it's the thing he does best. Racing is almost like solving an equation for him. For Hunt however, racing is his passion. He wants to "stare death in the face, and to cheat it".
One thing I loved about Rush was that it didn't have a good guy for us to cheer, and a bad guy for us to boo. Both of these men have flaws but in the end, they're human and it really felt like it in the movie. You'll find yourself cheering for Hunt at times and for Lauda at other times.
Before the movie was released I saw pictures of the cast and their real life counterparts. I thought that the casting was perfect. They looked almost identical. But I didn't know that the acting would be so good. This movie wouldn't have been nearly as good if the acting was sub-par. We needed to believe that we were seeing James Hunt and Niki Lauda, and that's what we got. If the movie wasn't released in such a stacked year, I think both of them would've got an Oscar nomination.
But you need more than good actors and a good premise to make a good movie, you also need a good director who is capable of bringing everything together, and this movie has just that. On his day, Ron Howard is one of the best directors working right now, and he shows why with Rush. The movie looks beautiful. The racing scenes where masterfully captured and along with the great work of Hans Zimmer, you felt like you were right in the middle of the action.
All in all, Rush is an outstanding movie. Anyone who appreciates wonderful cinematography and acting, or even just wants to see a good sports movie, should check this one out.
Dallas Buyers Club (2013)
Wonderful story, Wonderful acting. Wonderful movie.
In Dallas Buyers Club, Mathew McConaughey plays Ron Woodroof, a Texan who in 1985 tested positive for HIV. Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée, Dallas Buyers Club is undoubtedly one of the year's best films.
Ron Woodroof is an electrician, as well as a rodeo cowboy. One day he wakes up in a hospital bed and the doctors tell him that he is diagnosed with AIDS, and has 30 days left. He finds out about a drug called AZT which is still in the testing phase, but thought to prolong the life of AIDS patients. He ends up taking some AZT in unmonitored doses. But when his condition worsens, he goes to a Doctor in New Mexico who gives him some unapproved medicine that's actually better. Woodroof then takes it upon himself to smuggle the medicine into Dallas.
Seeing how Woodroof lived his life, Whether it's doing drugs or having sex in the place where they keep the bulls (I've later found out it's called a bucking chute), you can see why he got AIDS. Back then people thought of AIDS as the "Gay Disease" so it's no wonder all his friends assume Woodroof is a homosexual thus turning their backs on him. Friends like these, huh? Later on, Woodroof meets Rayon, a trans-woman who is also HIV positive, and of course Woodroof is disgusted by her at first. But after some time spent with each other, they end up opening the Dallas Buyers Club where you don't buy the drugs, you buy a membership and get the drugs for free.
First off, you can't talk about the movie without marveling at how good the acting is. Mathew McConaughey, who for the longest time was just another pretty boy whose filmography consisted of the same generic romantic comedies, really stepped up his game in 2013 with the release of Mud and Dallas Buyers Club. I honestly never knew he was such a good actor and he rapidly became one of the actors that I look forward to the most. The movie also marks the return of Jared Leto to the big screen after a five year absence. Leto plays the role of Rayon, a transgender who is also diagnosed with AIDS. Now Leto has been in good movies before and has delivered some fine performances, but I think it's safe to say that this is definitely his best yet. Jennifer Garner is also in the movie playing the role of Dr. Eve Saks.
Both McConaughey and Leto lost a lot of weight for their roles. We've seen this before from Actors and Actresses like Christian Bale in The Machinist, Michael Fassbender in Hunger, and Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby. Jared Leto also went through a body transformation for a role before when he gained 67 pounds for the movie Chapter 27. Where he played Mark David Chapman, John Lennon's killer.
All the good acting wouldn't have meant anything if the director doesn't know what he's doing. Thankfully Jean-Marc Vallée does know what he's doing, and he's done a very good job. The movie has this raw, gritty and dirty vibe to it that really works to its advantage.
Dallas Buyer Club is a powerful movie that sticks with you. Ron Woodroof was a man who got handed the short stick in life and decided to try and fight it, or die trying with his boots on. Great movie that everyone should see.