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The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)
Absolutely artistic and brilliant
The Killing of a Sacred Deer is a psychological horror film directed, produced and written by Greek director and filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos, the same filmmaker who directed The Lobster. This film is absolutely brilliant and it deserves to be add in the list of the best films of 2017, alongside with Dunkirk, Blade Runner 2049, It Comes at Night, Okja, etc. During the cinema screening, I realised that lot of people walked out of the movie theater and I asked myself: ''Why? The movie isn't bad. Give this film a time and chance to explain itself.''. Other people were commenting that it was great, but it was confusing and also disturbing, because of many brutal and violent scenes containing blood, wounds, organs and general fear of hospitals. I understand that this film isn't for everybody and that is really complicated at first, but if you watch the second time, you'll start to understand the whole point of the film. Here are some of the reasons why this film is amazing.
It has interesting plot and story. It has everything what the psychological horror genre needs to have: a constant growing tension, interesting story that actually makes sense, a great terrifying, horrific, brutal and violent scenes that are related to the storytelling (that scene at the end in a living room, with ribbon covering eyes and a hunting rifle), the philosophy and moral behind the film, etc. The film has symbolism, metaphor and reference with the Greek mythology and some of the Greek tragedies.
Acting, character development and dialogue between the characters were incredible. Nicole Kidman, Colin Farrell and rest of the cast did a fantastic job, but the actor who stole the most of the scenes and who was outstanding, was Barry Keoghan's role and character. Like in The Lobster, characters are related to absurdism. All of them are unemotional, artificial, cold-blooded, monotone and strange, but with a dose of realism. Normally, in those situations, characters would panic, constantly cry and scream, but they don't, which is why, at the end of the film, you'll get this terrifying and shocking feeling.
Editing, pacing and lightning are perfect. The whole film has insane cinematography, beautiful, static, slow-moving and dynamic one-point perspective camera shots and angles, similar to Kubrick's directing film style and effect. Speaking of Kubrick, it also contains beautiful, tense and magnificent musical background and score, with classical music, famous symphonies and violin sounds and music.
But the film has some mistakes. Sometimes it goes really slow and sometimes the music and violin sounds can be so loud, which can be annoying.
Despite of those few mistakes, this film is one of the reasons and proofs why we love and enjoy the art of cinema and filmmaking. Yorgos Lanthimos needs to be add to the list alongside with other legendary directors and filmmakers. Absolutely artistic, well done, brilliant, original and creative.
9/10
The Snowman (2017)
Disappointment...A huge Disappointment
After I watched the trailer, I thought to myself: ''Wow! This looks amazing!'' But after I watched the film...I became disappointed. When I was watching this in a movie theater, I was constantly hearing voices and whisperings around me and I realised that people, in a movie theater, were constantly chatting and talking, because people, after the first part of the movie, weren't interested anymore in watching it. That's kind of a proof how bad, tedious, awful and boring this film is. Actually, the story is far more interesting than the movie itself. The film had all the equipment and material they needed: the interesting story based on a famous book, the talented cast and crew, fine screenwriters and an amazing director, Tomas Alfredson. He is the director of a film called ''Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'', and that film was great and I enjoyed it a lot. So my question is: ''What happened?''
When the film started, the opening shot was the aerial shot of an beautiful landscape, in this case snowy mountains, after that, an establishing shot, again, of some snowy landscape and than again the establishing shot, but this time of some house settled in the middle of the snowy land, so I said to myself: ''Well, alright...This looks promising...''. But after that, everything became a mess.
Here are the reasons why the film is bad:
1) Acting, character development and dialogue. Acting was bad. There was no character development. Many characters were goofy and unrealistic. I feel sorry for the actors and actresses, because those are really talented people: Michael Fassbender, Charlotte Gainsbourg, J.K. Simmons, etc. At the beginning of the film, when boy started to scream and yelling to his father to not leave and mother screaming his name, it was really hilarious. The way how they portrayed their characters wasn't serious at all. In many moments in the film, Rebecca Ferguson and Charlotte Gainsbourg had given really awkward and goofy facial expressions. Val Kilmer's character was useless in the film. J.K. Simmons's fake British accent was half decent and half dull. The behaviour of all the characters was strange and awkward. The same goes with the dialogue between the characters, it doesn't make any sense and no one talks like that in real life. The characters are all stingy and selfish for no reason. I think that even the actors and actresses didn't have any idea what they were doing in the film. Maybe, but just maybe, Michael Fassbender was OK. Somehow, he managed to find his way to portray his character as realistic as possible after all this mess that had been created during the film. And maybe Jonas Karlsson, who portrayed the serial killer, was also OK.
2) Editing and pacing. The main reason why this film was so bad, it's mostly because of the editing and pacing. Everything went so fast, from selecting and changing shots, cutting scenes, etc. There were so many useless and boring shots that served no purpose to the storytelling. Each scene in the film contains the amount of pointless shots and fast pacing, that you, as the viewer, have no idea what is going on. For example, is he now in this specific position of the yard or room, or is he somewhere else, etc. Everything leads to confusion.
3) Original score, music and sound effects. The music itself was fine, but it didn't quite match with some specific moments and situations in the film. It felt like when every time something intense and interesting is going on, the music doesn't follow the rhythm and atmosphere of this intensity. Sound effects were also useless, especially when they show something scary and terrifying, they add these useless sound effects, which I don't like at all.
Honorable mentions: there was one scene when they found the slashed body of woman in some snowy mountains, there were some seagulls and it looked like CGI, but really awful.
But still, there were some good things about the film. Visually is beautiful, cinematography is good, there are some well done shots and scenes in the film, for example at the end, when Fassbender's character, detective Harry Hole, confronts with the serial killer on the frozen snowy lake. But if they had made the story that it should had been, maybe I would love that scene even more.
Anyway, if you really have the desire and reason to see this film, than fine, but I'm telling you that you'll be disappointed. There are plenty of great films and upcoming films that are worth of your time and attention. Maybe next time, the director will create a better film than this one.
3/10
Manolo: The Boy Who Made Shoes for Lizards (2017)
A well done fashion documentary
If you're into fashion and really interested into this style of practice, than you certainly must watch and will enjoy this documentary. It's the fashion biography documentary about the Spanish fashion designer Manolo Blahnik. It talks about his life, his career and his work.
To be honest, I'm not quite interested in fashion, but I got to say that this documentary is amazing. Besides fashion, it's about Manolo himself. He's really one cheerful and interesting human being, unique, absolute genius, funny, charming and kind. He has charisma and a really great personality. There're lots of celebrities and magazine editors, who have worked with Manolo, commenting about his work and great personality. Also the beautiful animation, design and music sets this colorful, dynamic and rhythmic tone and atmosphere throughout the documentary. The only problem that had bothered me, in some moments and occasions, the pacing and editing were a bit off and went too fast. But other than that, it's brilliant.
8/10
Wind River (2017)
Certainly One of the Best Films of the Year
I simply don't know what words can I use to describe how amazing this film is. It's everything what I wanted it to be: A neo-western crime thriller that contains mysterious and dramatic story, amazingly well directing and writing, powerful acting performances, intense original score and beautiful cinematography. Furthermore, it also has some interesting allegories and symbolism (for instance with snow, blizzard, landscapes, etc.) that I recognised throughout the film.
Here are the elements that I really liked in this film:
1) The story is so interesting, mysterious, intense, dark and heartbreaking. Also at the beginning of the film it says that it is based on true events, which after you see it, you'll get more shocking and terrifying feeling. The story follows the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hunter and tracker, Cory Lambert, who discovers the frozen corpse of a young Native American woman. Later on, we get introduced by newcomer FBI agent Jane Banner who tries to determine if this was the act of homicide. To solve the case, she asks the tracker if he could help her and he accepts, because of his personal reasons.
2) The actors and the whole cast did a incredible job to portray the characters as realistic as possible, especially Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen. Jeremy Renner portrays a good, kind, charitable and sometimes cold blooded tracker who is willing to help and solve the case, to seek justice, because the similar situation had happened to his daughter long time ago. Elizabeth Olsen plays a newcomer FBI agent, who wants to find the truth and also to bring the justice. She's also emotional, brave and in one scene, where she's trying to calm down and order police officers to put their guns away, she's really tough and powerful.
3) If you enjoyed 'Sicario' and 'Hell or High Water', especially in the terms of writing, then you will certainly love this one, because the dialogue and the screenplay are just fantastic.
4) The cinematography is beautiful. There are so many beautiful aerial and establishing shots of snowy and winterish landscapes.
5) The tone and atmosphere is mysterious, terrifying and intense. The extraordinary original score and music sets this intense atmosphere and follows throughout the film.
6) Last but not least, there are many allegories, meanings and symbolism used in the film. It starts with a narration of a young woman who is dreaming about a beautiful and bright land with a pond, trees and green grass and then it cuts to a young barefoot woman who runs through snowy, cold and winterish field and then falls down. This is important, because later on the film, we see blizzard, which we can relate to the opening narration, that blizzard symbolises dream. They want to escape from this place, this cruel reality, because everything they have left are winter, snow and silence. Snowy woods represents silence. Traces on the snow represents unheard voices of people who were gone. It shows us that people need help and that someone will come as the hero to save them. Through that allegory and symbolism we can understand how much the Native Americans, as the indigenous people, had suffered due to the occupation of their land, using their resources and destroying the nature. Speaking of nature, it also shows us the climate change awareness, that's why so many beautiful aerial and establishing shots of snowy landscapes are recognizable in the film. Also we see dirty muddy road, trucks and in the far distance, many gray rocky spots on mountains where there is no snow, which all of that combine can approve that awareness. The main character, the tracker Cory Lambert represents hope, someone who will save the people and will bring the justice.
But there are some moments in the film that I didn't quite enjoy. There are some scenes with some unnecessary and useless shots. Sometimes, especially during the dialogue, editing falls off the track and at times changes its tempo. Also, there's only one scene, where Cory Lambert is having conversation with FBI agent Jane Banner about his daughter, and watching that scene I had feeling that camera was too shaky. I understand that in many movies, when cameraman is holding a camera it can't be strongly static, but in this scene it was extravagantly too much. But still, those are just few little mistakes and flaws that could be easily forgiven.
To sum up, I encourage you to go and see this film. You'll enjoy it. I have a feeling that this film is going to be nominated for the Academy Awards, in the categories of Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, etc. and probably even win in some of those categories.
9/10
Tulip Fever (2017)
A Wonderful and Entertaining Film Worth Watching
I'm truly happy and satisfied that I went to see this film in a movie theater, while ignoring the negative reviews and critics. I assume that some of those critics, who had already given the reviews, probably haven't even seen the film, but only the movie trailer and somehow jumped to the conclusion that the film is bad, but I'm telling you otherwise...it isn't.
Tulip Fever is a romantic and historical drama based on a novel of the same title by an English writer Deborah Moggach, which I haven't read yet, but after seeing the film, I'll definitely go to library and read the novel. The story is set in Dutch Golden Age, precisely in Amsterdam in the 17th century, during the Tulip mania and it follows a young adult woman named Sophia, who from after growing up and spending her childhood in an orphanage, went to marry a wealthy, much older, businessman Cornelis Sandvoort, who hires a young and handsome painter and artist Jan van Loos, to paint a portrait of the couple and while painting it, the painter becomes obsessed by Sophia's beauty and falls in love with her.
The film contains beautiful and stunning visual shots, wonderful colors, for instance, blue dress, white and yellow tulips, etc., the symbolism of the tulips and the whole 'fever' depicted in the film, great dialogue, affairs and relations between certain characters, the exciting, romantic and tense original score and music, so on and so forth. Acting and character development were fantastic, especially from gorgeous Alicia Vikander and amazing Christoph Waltz. Also what is remarkably fascinating is the set decoration, costume design and all the other cinematic elements that had established and created the entire historical atmosphere of the daily life in 17th century Amsterdam. The marvelous storytelling of this film has some similarities with the Shakespearean style of storytelling, which I really love.
The only flaw and mistake with the film is that everything went so fast. The main problem was the certain amount of time and length of the film. The story is beautiful and you'll understand what is going on, but if the film was 2 hours and 40 minutes long, then there would be plenty of time for much better character development (for all the characters, not just Sophia and Cornelis) and also plenty of time to create more tense and interesting plot.
Anyway, I encourage you to go and see the film for yourself. But while watching it and focusing on dialogue and narration, try also to puzzle and connect the pieces, carefully observe the shots, places, facial expression of the characters, tulips, etc. and try to explain yourself the meaning of all of that, it will give you better understanding of the story. Go and see it, you won't be disappointed.
8/10