Reviews

After watching this film, all I could think was that a woman with talent greater than a man’s is truly unfortunate…

This is an early film from the director, and you can really see a clear difference in how he approached filmmaking compared to his later works. In his more recent films, the characters often have these quiet, introspective moments. But when he was starting out, he didn't take the risk of having characters stay silent, so in this film, they talk non-stop, to the point where it’s almost overwhelming. Still, this film earned him the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival, so it’s definitely a good one.

Cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond’s love for this film is easy to understand—it’s a work defined by its visual storytelling. The one misstep might be the nighttime scene, which appears to have been shot during the day with filters, compromising realism and atmosphere.

Satirical and absurd, the film dares to provoke while prompting real reflection. It delivers a harsh lesson on how easily dangerous ideas can find new life. History may be written by the victors, but the film refuses to let us forget the allure of charismatic tyranny.

Director Elia Suleiman plays himself, wandering from Palestine to Paris to New York, observing the world through the eyes of a quiet outsider. The film’s loose, episodic structure trades plot for whimsy, yet each surreal vignette is laced with sharp, humorous insight.

This plays less like a horror film and more like a grim, meditative drama. It’s a brutally realistic story about faith, anchored by a quietly powerful ending. Without relying on exposition, the characters’ dialogue crystallizes the director’s message with elegance and clarity.

Everything from the wild costumes to the creative plot twists shows that this is a passion project. The film is packed with slapstick humor and thrilling fight scenes, many of which are unforgettable.

The film dives into the still-controversial terrain of abortion with painful clarity, confronting both legal and ethical questions. The inclusion of a self-absorbed, misogynistic son who neither reflects on his actions nor shows compassion for his mother lays bare the crushing weight of patriarchy on women’s lives.

Art becomes a way of engaging with nature, and for Lizzie, creation continues even as she wrestles with the frustrations of daily life. As she prepares for her solo exhibition, we witness her shaping clay sculptures with an intense, contemplative focus. The film gives ample attention to both the process and the finished works, offering a visually rich meditation on the process of crafting.

Easily on par with "Singin' in the Rain," this musical dazzles audiences with such finely crafted sequences that one almost wishes to be on set just to witness how the magic was made. The camera movements are breathtaking, the set designs wildly imaginative, and the climactic sequence merges musical and noir elements with surprising finesse. It feels like a jubilant farewell to the shadow of war and a declaration of Hollywood’s leap into a vibrant new era. The musical numbers and story flow seamlessly together, with the narrative unfolding through music.

Without a solid plot, no film can truly win over its audience—and this installment in the franchise proves the point. It feels like the screenwriters barely made an effort. The acting is lackluster, and while a few effects are decent, most come off as cheap and unrefined.

W. Somerset Maugham’s The Razor’s Edge has always been a profound novel for me, so I couldn’t miss the film adaptation. Despite its age, it retains much of the book’s spirit, with memorable lines and scenes that echo the source material, and a cast that impresses both in beauty and depth.

A standout slasher from the 1980s, this grim tale follows a boy traumatized by his parents’ murder at the hands of a thief in a Santa suit. His downward spiral eventually leads him to become a killer himself. It turns the iconography of Santa Claus completely on its head, creating a disturbingly dark atmosphere throughout.

The film leans far more into comedy than horror, and its sluggish pacing makes it difficult to generate any real suspense. Even by 1989 standards, its central conceits—psychic murders, body possession, haunted TV sets—feel more dated than daring.

With a bloated budget of $85 million and a box office return that barely passed $130 million, "Last Action Hero" stumbled for many reasons. Rushed production left its structure uneven and pacing off. More critically, by admitting its hero is fictional, the film distances the audience from his peril, undercutting emotional stakes even in its most dramatic moments.

Olivia Hussey has already grown out of her adolescent sparkles that were prominent in ROMEO & JULIET, and she now has the aura of a more independent woman with commendable gusto. However, the script doesn’t provide her much to do apart from passively answering the creepy calls and acting distressed. In contrast, the late Margot Kidder, whom we lost in 2018, left a strong impression with her performance.

The plot of "Unstoppable" could be summed up in one sentence: a runaway train loaded with hazardous chemicals is brought to a halt by two railroad workers. Yet Tony Scott transforms this simple premise into something far more thrilling than many effects-heavy blockbusters, thanks to his tight command of pacing, dynamic visuals, and razor-sharp editing.

The film continues to lean into its signature atmosphere and explosive set pieces. While the reliance on jump scares may seem repetitive, it remains a defining trait of both the games and the films. Interestingly, this installment veers back toward the horror roots of the franchise, echoing the tone of the original.

"Glengarry Glen Ross" dissects the harsh survival-of-the-fittest dynamics of modern capitalism through the lens of desperate salesmen. Behind the cutthroat competition and manipulative pitches lies a grim truth—success doesn’t shield anyone from despair. Even the top performers teeter on the edge, revealing a world as unforgiving for the winners as it is for the losers.

Though it lacks the jarring impact of its predecessor, "The Ring Two" compensates with tighter logic and an increased focus on supernatural detail. Blending elements of "The Exorcist" and "The Sixth Sense," it still manages to hold interest despite falling short in the scare department.