panosatthemovies

[panosatthemovies]

Emilia Pérez is a total surprise. A film about the joy of life, found in song, in a musical about transitioning from a brutal man to a loving woman. About a woman starting as a mafia lawyer to become an activist for the disappearing victims of drug violence. But most of all, a film about finding one's true self, no matter the cost. Beautifully shot, with some rather effective night shots in Mexico, and nicely scored and choreographed, this is not your regular musical but an ode to love and life. Expertly directed with some lively performances, it's a film both moving and tense. Enlightening and hopeful. Not the movie mass audiences expected to see, but the one that could steal the show as this year's awards season begins.

A-

Trailer: https://youtu.be/Qlbr7gJgBus

[panosatthemovies]

Gladiator II has all that the poster promises. Swords and sandals, a perfectly reconstructed Colosseum and Rome in 3D, fights to the death in the arena, enhanced this time with water battles and animated sharks as well as space monkeys! It also has a buff Paul Mescal that the girls can swoon for. What it doesn't have is any heart. It doesn't have a story revolving around a real hero the audience can root for. Nor a music that can lift your heart and make you care about the proceedings. It has all that the poster of the first one promised going in, but none of the surprises it provided audiences coming out, which made it one of the most beloved films of the last generation and gave it, among others, the Best Picture and Best Actor Oscars. It's no wonder that the most moving bits in this sequel are the flashbacks to the first Gladiator or the Hans Zimmer theme playing at key moments to remind you about the sense of honor that the first film managed to have everyone care about. Here, we just get a lecture on democracy that, especially in today's time, sounds shallow and irrelevant. Even if the filmmakers' intentions were pure, and even if they felt they had a good story about a secret "prince," they should have left the legacy of Gladiator alone, up in the Elysian fields forever.

C+

Trailer: https://youtu.be/Ts0N8swyWFI

[panosatthemovies]

Parthenope, the latest film by Paolo Sorrentino, is another symbolic-dreamy tale of memories about lost youth and life in Italy, as already exhibited in "La Grande Bellezza" and "The Hand of God." The new film stars Celeste Dalla Porta, a magnificently beautiful young actress who becomes a symbol of both beauty and Naples itself since Parthenope is the name ancient Greeks gave to the harbor city. But there lies the problem of the film. While, on the surface, it is a tale of a young woman full of beauty who only manages to notice the human condition when her youth passes, the film also wants to use her existence as a metaphor for how Naples has been kind to all its inhabitants, tolerating their ugliness and peculiarities. That second part doesn't really work and feels pretentious. And while the setting is, as always, very beautiful, and the images combined with the music create an atmospheric quality you can't find in most pictures, managing to capture life itself, the plot --or absence of it-- makes the audience disengage and only stare at the beautiful protagonist and the lovely scenery. It's a beautiful painting, for sure, but one you feel you can't understand its meaning. Unless you manage to decipher it, and then all the emotion floods in.

B+

Trailer: https://youtu.be/uT5PGHBugic

[panosatthemovies]

Society of the Snow is an excellent retelling of the real-life story of the Argentinean airplane accident of 1972 and the ordeal of the survivors who managed to stay alive for 6 weeks in the Andes and rescue themselves by walking all the way to Chile. I'd first seen the story on the big screen in 1993's Alive, starring Ethan Hawke, which I remember moved me and imprinted the events in my memory. So, I was somewhat surprised when I first realized this same story was being told again in cinema. I didn't see the reason, much like I didn't see the reason Hollywood had remade the Spiderman origin story three times! But, finally seeing the film, I understood the reason and thanked the producers, writers, and director for making the effort to tell the story in such an authentic manner, using unknown Spanish-speaking actors, and going to extremes to capture both the crash and the survival story, as well as the heart and soul of the people that were in the mountain, whether they made it alive or not. Cause this film goes beyond just documenting the story. It's an existential film that poses some important questions about what it means to be alive, what is the reason for our existence, and what its effect is on those around us. Why are humans a societal species that survive "on" each other? Those questions and more are brought to life with a great script and some moving performances driven by J.A. Bayona, a director with both a vision and heart. Excellent cinematography, top production design, make-up, special effects, and everything you'd expect from Hollywood to find better done in a European film. Add to that an especially moving and haunting Michael Giacchino score and you have one of the best films on Netflix this year. Except that, I'd loved to have seen this on the big screen!

A-

Trailer: https://youtu.be/pDak4qLyF4Q

[panosatthemovies]

Perfect Days is a perfect little film by Wim Wenders that reminds you what cinema can also be when it doesn't try to dazzle you with plot twists and special effects. It's a film that speaks to your heart because it's about what it feels like to be human and wake every day to new possibilities, trying to go about your day but soon forgetting to look around at the wonders of this world. It's a film about finding beauty, even in cleaning the toilets, when you cherish the fact you're alive and can listen to music while driving around the city or looking at the trees in the park. Every day, in and out, living in an analog world, enjoying the physical aspects of nature and, yes, people, even if living alone. Because, as Wenders seems to be saying, at some level, we're all alone, but there's joy out there for all of us to wonder at. Great cast, great photography, and a script that deliberately seems to be about nothing happening, while the story is about every day repeating. And, of course, lots of great music tapes, as in most Wenders films. A film about the stubborn analog world reminding us what we have forgotten.

A

Trailer: https://youtu.be/QzZBbX5A1FA

[panosatthemovies]

Blink Twice is Zoë Kravitz's directorial debut, and she leaves quite an impression with how atmospheric her little thriller is. Disguised as a horror movie, this is another metaphor for the #metoo movement and a women's revenge against the patriarchy type of myth. All the elements reflect the times we're in, including billionaires that have been canceled for abusive behavior, celebrity drug parties, survivor and cooking TV shows, all mixed with popular horror movie cliches and performed by beautiful-looking actors. But although I understand the intention and energy behind it all, and even though the film's revelation is both shocking and inevitable, the story itself defies logic and, especially at the end, makes no sense at all. However, the direction, photography, and editing are exceptional, the music is cool, and the actors look like they're all having a great time. I had a good time, too, right until that funny ending. Blink twice, and I'm sure the next one from Zoë will be magic!

B

Trailer: https://youtu.be/aMcmfonGWY4

[panosatthemovies]

The Substance, by Coralie Fargeat, could have been an impressive short film. It has a single idea that is so powerful and its message so true and relevant that it could drive the world insane. As it is, though, at 140 minutes long, it just doesn't hold up until the end. Don't get me wrong, the film is very cinematic, with both a fresh point of view featuring extreme close-ups and great cinematography. The casting includes probably some of the best choices in Hollywood recently, with Demi Moore portraying an exaggerated version of herself, having the "guts" to expose herself totally and reveal the personality beneath the facade of the eternally "hot" woman. Margaret Qualley is a revelation for general audiences, although the advertising industry had already marveled at her in the Cannes Lions Grand Prix-winning Kenso ad, and many had discovered her acting chops in the Netflix mini-series The Maid. But here, she mirrors and contradicts Moore in a bombastic way, owning the screen and the viewer. And Dennis Quaid is a joy being mischievous in the role of... "Harvey." The film features monumental special effects and makeup that will get your stomach inside out and win all the technical Oscars that exist this year. But the film, like its heroine, sucks the life out of the many films that it references and pays homage to. From Kubrick's The Shinning and A Clockwork Orange to Cronenberg's monsters and De Palma's style of filming, all the way to needlessly stealing Carrie's finale. But while these films had a life of their own and were full-fledged stories that became classics that lasted the test of time, this one is an artificial copy that came out of them, destined to live only a short life in people's minds and cinema history. But yes, as the poster says, it's f***ing insane!

B+

Trailer: https://youtu.be/LNlrGhBpYjc

[panosatthemovies]

Elvis is a fun, entertaining, insightful but also flawed telling of the legendary career of Elvis Presley. For starters, Austin Butler looks nothing like Elvis, and although handsome, he can't capture the sheer manly magnetism that made all those women lose it by seeing him perform on stage. So the casting doesn't work, really. Tom Hanks, on the other hand, is a caricature. Again, we're talking about a lovable actor who is hard to accept as evil or naive. And then, there's the usual Baz Luhrmann tactics of flying from topic to topic in the speed of light, dazzling with technique and music montages but losing in storytelling and in making us care about the proceedings. But, and that's a big BUT, the film becomes phenomenal in the second part, especially after Elvis becomes a resident in Las Vegas. The music numbers in that section are monumental, and we finally get it. We get what was "cool" about those exaggerated appearances. We get the drama of an artist trapped in a golden cage, always needing to experience the love of his audience, and naive enough to become an exhibit in the hands of a circus ringmaster. And, yes, Austin Butler becomes Elvis in that last part of the movie, although again, he looks nothing like the bloated with drags poor Elvis. No wonder that the most moving scene in the whole film is Elvis himself singing in the end. Even at his worst moment, he was the king.

B+

Trailer: https://youtu.be/wBDLRvjHVOY

[panosatthemovies]

The Apprentice is a gripping drama that tells the real story of how young Donald Trump followed his version of "Emperor Palpatine," lawyer Roy Cohn, to join the dark side and become the "Darth Vader" of American politics that he is today. It's funny how the movie feels at the same time, like watching The Godfather but also Star Wars. It's because they're both archetype stories of how power corrupts and how the corrupted abuse power to gain more by shredding any sense of justice. For them, law and ethics do not exist. Only greed and extinction of your opponent. The movie manages to deal with such fundamental issues of human nature while it's also a fun retelling of a story set in the 70s and 80s, with some amazing performances by both Sebastian Stan as Trump, but most importantly by a monumental Jeremy Strong, who manages to portray devil himself, in the most entertaining and captivating way. Excellent production & set design, costumes, hair, and make-up bring to life the story many have seen before but the whole world needs to discover, especially in light of the upcoming presidential election. And even if the story loses some steam in the second part, it's still one of the most important films you'll have to see this year.

A-

Trailer: https://youtu.be/bvPRxy9kmSg

[panosatthemovies]

Wolfs, by John Watts, the director of the latest Spiderman franchise, stars George Clooney and Brat Pitt as two old lone wolves doing clean-up jobs for the mob. It's a crossover between The American that Clooney played a decade ago and the comedic sketch he exchanged with Pitt so successfully in Ocean's Eleven. That, and a bit of Scorcese's After Hours, in which a young, innocent man is caught up in the crossfire of thugs in New York during the passage of just one night. So, what do we end up with, mixing all those elements? A fun time at the movies or in front of our TV, streaming a film that is well shot, excellently cast, well written, and fast-paced in its action scenes to get your blood pumping and your mouth laughing out loud. Is there substance to the tale? None at all. Especially at the end, when the heroes are trying to extract a message from all these, and nothing sensical comes out. Thankfully, they get cornered and have to fight their way out, à la Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (there goes another inspiration for the film), and live to fight in the already planned sequel. Sweet!

B

Trailer: https://youtu.be/wLJUPjiRbAM

[panosatthemovies]

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F is another attempt by modern movie studios and streaming platforms, like Netflix, to milk out every last bit of nostalgia movie fans have left of the 80s. But instead of, say, a new Top Gun, here we get a tale of diminishing returns by staging another tale of the rogue black man doing crazy shit in an uptight neighborhood that manages to hide the crime behind the flashy facade of wealth. Yes, you've seen it before, but now it's like a time capsule, with the same characters wearing the same clothes, acting like nothing has changed, although everything has, including their bottoxed faces, let alone police procedure after countless cases of police brutality against black people. Everything is game for a quick laugh, though, and I guess for another buck, and although you'll have a good time for a while, traveling back in time, you'll soon realize you don't belong there simply because times have changed.

C+

Trailer: https://youtu.be/KoxhkE_U3Ww

[panosatthemovies]

A Man Called Otto is a film unworthy of Tom Hanks, directed by one of the least successful James Bond directors lately, Marc Foster, based on a foreign movie that I'm sure was more heartfelt and genuine in its small scale than this fabricated drama, that feels unnatural and closed inside its little made-up world, like if you're looking into a snowy crystal ball. The characters seem caricatures of other, more genuine stories, and everything is trying for a feel-good finale that will bring out the best of everyone in this little town - street. The problem is, you can tell by a mile how everything will turn out, and you're left going through the motions until you reach the end. In the meantime, the film has superficially ticked boxes on everything from immigration to transgender acceptance, mental health, Parkinson's disease, and big corporations taking over. You wish it were all real, but they feel as artificial as the snow covering the winter scenes.

C

Trailer: https://youtu.be/eFYUX9l-m5I

[panosatthemovies]

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is the 4th sequel in the excellent revival of the franchise, which began with Rise of the Planet of the Apes in 2011 and concluded the "Caesar trilogy" with War of the Planet of the Apes in 2017. This, then, begins a new chapter in the franchise, with a story in the same "world" following many years after Caesar has died, but still remains a legend. The film tells the archetype story of Noa, the son of a king of an ape clan that has a special relationship with eagles. The clan will soon be attacked by other hostile apes in search of a "talking" human that has come into contact with Noa, causing him trouble in the first place. Noa's father will die, and the son will have to rise to the occasion and lead his "people" to freedom. Or is it more trouble against the humans that remain in this world? I'm not spoiling the plot; I'm just laying out the premise that holds great promise for the continuation of what seems to be another trilogy in the making. And although this story doesn't have the originality of the first trilogy, it's still a very engaging plot and a very imaginative telling of a tale, combining post-apocalyptic elements with both Western and prison-break genres, launching a new iconic hero in the face of Noa. I loved every minute of this film, beginning with an imaginative attempt to steal some eagle eggs in the highest possible location and ending on a cliffhanger that seemed unexpected but inevitable. I bet you'll love it too.

B+

Trailer: https://youtu.be/XtFI7SNtVpY

[panosatthemovies]

Eat Pray Love is a film I avoided for years due to the bad reviews I'd read about it. Yet, I wanted to see it for Julia Roberts, the poster, and the promise of the premise -- a woman traveling around the world alone, trying to find herself. The book should be a good read, I'm sure. But the film, although it looked cool and starred the amazing Julia Roberts, didn't manage to keep any sense of meaning because it tried to fly through all those incidents at such a fast pace that nothing stuck. It all seemed rushed, and the emotion wasn't earned. It was just there, played by the actors without being justified since we didn't get to "travel" with them through the journey. We just saw some highlights. So, I'm glad I finally saw it while traveling myself, but I'm sorry it didn't achieve the meaning it aimed for.

C+

Trailer: https://youtu.be/mjay5vgIwt4

[panosatthemovies]

The Fall Guy, for a movie that seems occupied with the screenplay format in its title design and with filmmaking in general, has one of the least well-written scripts I've seen in a while, and it's not a particularly great movie either. Ryan Gosling is fun, yes, and his relationship with Emily Blunt's character picks up rhythm towards the end, but things start so awkwardly that you start wondering what this movie wants to be. Is it a comedy? Is it a parody of Rom-Coms? Is it an action movie disguised as a rom-com? It tries to be too many things and becomes complicated and silly at the same time, lowering the stakes at every turn by not taking itself seriously, making us not really care about what goes on on-screen. And also, for a movie occupied with movies, you'd expect the movie within the movie to be a proper movie and not the silliest thing ever conceived. Apart from that, we do get some inspired action set pieces and some nicely choreographed stunts. But films are way more than stunts. No wonder then, this tanked at the box office.

C+

Trailer: https://youtu.be/j7jPnwVGdZ8

[panosatthemovies]

Good luck to you, Leo Grande is a fine film. It could easily have been a play, and in fact, it would make more sense if it was since this is a heavily dialogue-driven drama based primarily on the performances of two great actors talking to each other about their lives and experiences without ever leaving the walls of their hotel room. On the minus side, since this looks like other plays before, no matter how provocative the subject matter is, you know where things are going from the beginning. And the final confrontation, before the resolution, seems sudden and unearned. On the plus side, this is an insightful study about human sexuality, and not just women's liberation but, in general, how important it is to not oppress one's sexuality. Add to this intimate human story the always-remarkable Emma Thompson and a surprisingly restrained performance by Daryl McCormack, and you're guaranteed to get your money's worth from booking some time with those two.

B

Trailer: https://youtu.be/TJcbZoJFLTU

[panosatthemovies]

Godzilla Minus One is such a welcome return to pure entertainment that a monster / disaster movie could once give audiences, before special effects took over and Hollywood forgot to tell fun character-based stories that involved such threats only as a means to bring out the triumph of the human determination. Thankfully, a special effects guru from Japan, Takashi Yamazaki, treats this legend as his country's heritage to the world and honors the myth and style of the original films with respect while creating the most heroic version of Godzilla our generation has seen. He also teaches Hollywood a lesson in high-production values achieved with a minimal budget, necessary in the tough market that cinema has become in the age of streaming. I wish I could also see the black & white special edition of the film that I hear makes for an even more thrilling experience. Godzilla Minus One deserves an A Plus One, for reminding us how fun and simple movies can be.

A

Trailer: https://youtu.be/r7DqccP1Q_4