Posts

HISTORICAL or True-Life. “The Young Karl Marx.” / “Kon-Tiki.” / “Meek’s Cutoff.” / “Séraphine.”

Image
“The Young Karl Marx” (2017, Plex) historical drama film about Karl Marx . While in his 20s, Karl struggles to establish himself as a writer of political and sociological importance.         Haitian filmmaker and political activist Raoul Peck (with co-writer Pascal Bonitzer ) constructed a talkative navigation of the younger life of buddies Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels and fell flat as a flatbread without butter or jam. The actors August Diehl as Karl and Stefan Konarske as Friedrich did a fine job mouthing what resulted as “The Communist Manifesto” and “Capital” for almost two hours but that'd be all.          Despite the presence of the usually remarkable Vicky Krieps as Jenny von Westphalen , Mr Marx's partner, I craved for dramatic tension or at least some texture and color in this discourse that stretched for almost two hours. Lacking in depth despite the obvious complexity of the premise. 🎥💻?...
Post a Comment
Read more

JASON STATHAM: “A Working Man.” / “Homefront.” / “The Mechanic.” / “Killer Elite.” / “Chaos.”

Image
“A Working Man” (2025, Amazon Prime) action thriller film , directed by David Ayer , and co-written with Sylvester Stallone . Levon Cade left behind a decorated military career in the black ops to live a simple life of working construction. Then shit happens. So you know what happens next when shit happens. The macho action hero will fix the shit!    Yes, Sly co-wrote the script with the dude who earned his Hollywood gravitas writing action bangers and then directing some: David Ayer . He wrote the screenplays for 2001's “ Training Day ” and “ The Fast and the Furious ,” and directed 2012's “ End of Watch ” and 2014's “F ury .” I enjoyed all those movies. But there's nothing much to experience in “A Working Man” that I didn't see before.        As we know it, action hunks like Jason Statham don’t talk much. In fact, they talk softly but firm (standard: Clint Eastwood in spaghetti westerns). Like a whispery shout. The acting is one-dimens...
Post a Comment
Read more

DRAMA. “After the Hunt.” / “Ana.” / “Four Good Days.” / “Make Up” / “Flower.”

Image
“After the Hunt” (2025, Amazon Prime) psychological thriller , follows a college professor caught in a sexual abuse accusation involving one of her students and a colleague. Directed by Luca Guadagnino from a script by Nora Garrett. Mr Guadagnino has a fine portfolio but I saw only one of his movies, 2022's “Bones and All,” starring Timothee Chalamet, which I liked.        So “After…” is only the second Luca film that I saw.         First, let's get it out of the way: Julia Roberts' performance as Alma Imhoff, a Yale Univ professor deserves, at least a Golden Globe and Oscar nomination.         Sure, although the subject matter is tired cinematic material, it is still provocative. But that's all that I could get from this talky exercise: Provocation, intellectual spit, intrigue, and self-aggrandizing moralism (sic). Yet nothing amounts to something. It's all very vague, mu...
Post a Comment
Read more

WAR MOVIES: “Warfare.” / “The Last Front.” / “Sobibor.” / “13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi.”

Image
“Warfare” (2025, HBO Max) war film based on writer/co-director Ray Mendoza's experiences during the Iraq War as a U.S. Navy SEAL . The film depicts an encounter on 19 November 2006 after the Battle of Ramadi .         The script is drawn from the testimonies of the platoon members and is presented in real time . Directed by an author who knows details of wreckage, squalor and twisted entrails, Alex Garland delivers sheer war horror and intimate agony. (Check out Mr Garland's “Civil War,” as well.)        The sudden impact of this movie is a crushed bone sticking out of a soldier's leg. The gnawing terror of combat that is blown all over your face and this just one, singular scene, and that's all. The distant ruthlessness of war, the cold defiance. 🎥💻📽 “The Last Front” (2024, Amazon Prime) Belgian epic period action drama.   Set during World War I , it follows a widower farmer who becomes a war hero, L...
Post a Comment
Read more