Category: rnwtb

Posted on

Ghost in the Shell

Rating: 4

I knew I was quite excited about this most recent adaptation of «Ghost in the Shell». But until today, I didn’t really know why that was.

When I first watched the anime from 1995 I did it because I was still blown away by «Akira» and just wanted more of this kind of movies. By that time, «Ghost in the Shell» already had gotten the label of a cult classic. But I remember that after seeing it, I was a little bit disappointed (but it’s still one of the very few VHS tapes I didn’t get rid of). I never completely understood the plot and I’ve been wanting to rewatch it again, but never took the time to actually do it, maybe because I just wasn’t too impressed by its visuals – compared to «Akira», that was.

Well, the current adaptation surely doesn’t have that problem: Thanks to its presentation I’d go as far as to state that «Ghost in the Shell» is not only a good remake, but even superior to the original. I even like what they did to the plot that was streamlined (as far as I can tell, because this time around, I understood what was going on).

Even before the anime’s original soundtrack finally echoed over the end credits, the last iconic shots of the Major (Scarlett «will you marry me» Johansson) had almost moved me to tears because visually, this adaptation of «Ghost in the Shell» works great by going back to the «original» imagery and reviving it with current CGI work and beautiful production design, making it shiny, while keeping it very stylish, cool – even cold – staying very close to the original’s look and feel.

Though characters and plot are solid, they’re not too original or spectacular. But I think that has always been the problem with «Ghost in the Shell». The very intriguing premise never really leads anywhere, because it doesn’t leave much left to explore, being too fundamental for its own good. But nonetheless the deep questions about humanity, technology and consciousness are powerful enough to hold the visual spectacle together as a whole.

Sometimes, combined with Scarlett Johansson, who really wears her role like a suit – a very tight suit – that’s enough for me (and I really dig her cyborg-walk).

Posted on

Gantz:O

Rating: 2.5

Man, full CGI movies have come a long way since «Final Fantasy – The Spirits Within»! Just discovered this gem on Netflix. It’s probably not really that good a movie per se but its stunning CGI-work and over-the-top action  are just too damned impressive not to be blown away by it.

Give me more…!

Posted on

Logan

Rating: 3.5

Logan’s fun: A movie as solid as adamantium yet tender and bloody like a delicious steak.

Posted on

Morgan

Rating: 1.5

I’d really love to see Kate Mara starring in a good movie… mostly because I really like to see her in just about anything,… getting lost in that gorgeous pair of brown eyes…

But «Morgan»  sadly, surely isn’t that movie.

It’s just a really beautiful looking (cinematography, locations and production design are admirable) disappointment which might have worked well as an episode of «Black Mirror», but as a feature length film it’s way too predictable and much too thin – the script, of course,… not Kate. She’s perfect!

Also, Paul Giamatti is in this, stealing every scene he’s in… all one of ’em.

Posted on

The Neon Demon

Rating: 3.5

On a day in last december, I was  watching and reviewing «High Rise» because the iTunes trailer of «The Neon Demon» was just too dull to have chosen it as the movie of the evening. As it turned out, that choice was a biiig mistake. Today I will try to correct that error:

As you may or probably may not know, I’m an avid admirer of Nicolas Winding Refn’s masterpiece that is «Drive» (even when I still neither know how to write nor pronounce his name correctly.)

If anything Refn’s movies are highly volatile: Lucky for me I got to see «Drive» and «Bronson» (another movie I love) before their predecessor «Valhalla Rising» gave me a good nap after boring me to tears while watching it on Netflix.

So let’s see what «The Neon Demon» has to offer:

It surely has the pacing of its siblings, the music style (again by Cliff Martinez who did it in «Drive») and a similar look and feel as «Drive». So we surely have two big pluses right here. So…?

Yes, definitively, yeah, I surely loved the movie. That much I can say. The cinematography (by Natasha Braier) and over all tone are awesome. And it sure makes an intriguing and gripping experience – on multiple levels. And it must be a think piece, ’cause I sure as hell didn’t get it in its entireness.

The movie starts out well behaved as a very pretty looking, interesting performed study about superficiality, the obsession with good looks, popularity, self esteem and surely some other big words relevant in social studies I don’t feel like looking up right now.

The fascinating thing about «The Neon Demon» is that not unlike in «Drive», its protagonist seems to be the most passive, least interesting thing about it. She mostly doesn’t act, she reacts, if anything, to her surroundings or nature given conditions. And this time, the protagonist’s role as a mirror to reflect the behaviour of the rest of the ensemble, and in the end, the audience, is even clearer and more effective.

And I was more than fine with all that.

Then the whole thing goes sideways (not in quality but in a making-sense-way). Let’s say the willingness to suspend one’s disbelief is just the start.

But interestingly enough, I was fine with that too. By the time the film really got strange, I was on board thanks to the slow pacing and almost ethereal storytelling, cinematography, soundtrack and performances. I felt like in a dream – a fever dream, very much so – but in a good way – whathever that means.

The movie really got me by surprise and entertained me, despite the lack of action and plausible character arc.

I think this movie will be getting more attention as it gets older. I know I will watch it again just to figure out what I might have missed and what the hell was going on. Let’s just say this film reminded me why I fell in love with movies in the first place.

And… SPOILERS AHEAD

Then, it got me: Of course! Vampires! and suddenly knew why Keanu Reeves is in this and why it reminded me of «From Dusk till Dawn».

But then again: with all the mirror shots and scenes in very bright sunlight, the movie goes a long way to make a point that the models carrying the story can’t be classical vampires. So I in the end, I still don’t know at all what to make of it, but still I surely enjoyed the movie a lot.

So I guess this review didn’t make much sense in any way, shape or form. But you know what? Neither did «The Neon Demon» at first sight, an I still liked the hell out of it. So there’s that.

Posted on

High Rise

Rating: 1

My very good friend and co-watcher (let’s call him «Valser-Boy») and I agreed even before the iTunes trailer ended: «High Rise» would be the chosen film of the evening. I think we both hoped it would be something in the likes of «Fight Club»*: Stylish, somewhat eery, visual stunning, hyperrealistic, violent and… good, maybe even outstanding.

Which it pretty much was,… until it wasn’t and became an awful, shallow but convuluted, and most important, boring comment on class war, with one hour runtime still to suffer through.

It felt as if its makers tried too hard to begin with, even succeeded, but then lost interest and just let it slide once they realized how thin their material was. (I guess – I haven’t read the book beforehand and I sure won’t do it now.)

If you should choose to watch «High Rise», do yourself a favour and quit in the middle, before you know what the whole thing really might be about. Because once you do, you’ll probably won’t care anymore and you’ll be just counting the minutes until this torture ends.

I guess «Valser-Boy» and I should’ve gone with the first movie we watched the (very uninspired) trailer of: «The Neon Demon».
I’ll keep you informed. Don’t call me, we’ll call you…

*) So you haven’t seen «Fight Club»? Oh, it’s nothing special, just one of the best f*cking movies ever made. 

Posted on

Doctor Strange

Rating: 4

I’m not even mad…

…not even mad that «Doctor Strange’s» script is a bit shallow and the characters are not as rich as I’d hoped them to be.
I’m not even disappointed that this time, Marvel can’t quite pull it off: At least not as masterfully as they’ve done before in «Thor» and «Guardians of the Galaxy», when they obliterated any doubt that without any question, a norse god or a talking, dancing tree weren’t just a good idea, but just belonged on that screen, in that movie, in that story, at that time.

So yes, compared to other movies in the MCU, «Doctor Strange» might be on the weaker side, but it sure looks pretty. And sometimes, (given a solid, but not great structure) that’s enough. Yeah, I know, form follows function, blablabla… but just look at it, it’s so shiny!

This is the moment where I have to admit that my brain’s probably still numbed by the film’s orgasmic kaleidoscopic visual bombardment:
While I may have gotten used to Marvel’s almost perfect, nearly unperceivable visual effects (e.g. «Civil War’s» airport battle), in «Doctor Strange» you really SEE the visuals at work, doing the heavy lifting – in a good way, even artful. There were hints of this kind of imagery in «Ant-Man» but never before where they used to create such an abstract, rich and layered world as in «Doctor Strange». 
We were promised a psychedelic trip – the Doctor’s universe sure delivers. The magic realm just looks fantastic, and for once, even the 3D almost seems justified.

Although the movie is by far neither as funny nor as clever as «Civil War» and kinda feels like the introvert cousin of «Iron Man», it’s still a most entertaining, highly recommendable and enjoyable ride.

And not to forget: The Cumberbatch is strong in this one! He’s all the Doctor Strange I could wish for… and more: As I remember reading the comics back in the day, Strange was quite the earnest, even stiff dandy. But Cumberbatch does his magic and nails it: He makes the character his own while staying true to the source material. Grounded, but surreal. Tragic (a bit), but funny (very).

Seeing the glass half full, maybe I’m even grateful that this time, Marvel did themselves a favour by lowering their own high bar a tiny little bit, bringing the audience’s expectations back to a reasonable level for the coming last bits of Marvel’s phase three, especially the unfathomable «Infinity War».

And yes, there are TWO post-credit scenes.

Posted on

The Nice Guys

Rating: 3

How can a movie feel so classic (almost basic) as this one, and at the same time, get to be so ingenious, clever and funny?
I don’t know, but with «The Nice Guys» Shane Black surely gets the job done. After «Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang» and «Iron Man 3» he proofs that his witty but concise no-bullshit writing (and directing) still works and is more than welcome in a cinematic «climate» defined by prequels, sequels and paint-by-numbers productions.

Russel Crowe’s and Ryan Gosling’s superb portrayal of their hilarious bromance completes this blissful watching experience and makes «The Nice Guys» feel like an instant must-see classic.