All posts by Tarek Fayoumi…The Paterson of his Craft!

I am someone who strives to become a professional critic. I watch and review many movies. I view the eyes of movies as something as an art form. I have followed many critics over the years, but once I was thirteen I knew writing film reviews was going to be my passion. I learned from watching multiple episodes of Ebert And Roeper in my teen years, and then in middle school I began writing film reviews for a newspaper club. I am also an avid fan of the arts of Chicago including Theatre, Comedy, and music. Films, however, are my primary focus.
Film reviews

Passenger Review

Leave a comment

This film about an RV trip that finds itself in shambles has class. It has karma, symbolism, and eye-opening lines. At moments it is quirky, but chilling in the scares. Passenger soars. The momentum is gradual and audacious. The forest settings are surreal. The plot is promising. Best of all, it is not so predictable. There are hidden gems that spiral ferociously in Passengerwhile. demonic moments of evil linger.

The movie is directed by André Øvredal and written by Zachary Donohue and T.W. Burgess. These writers have backgrounds that began with short films. This one is Burgess’s first main feature. Their creative minds are determined to haunt viewers in Passenger. The RV plays a starring role in Passenger during a romantic getaway where nightmares abound, and the story takes compelling turns.

The film is about a couple, Tyler and Maddie (Jacob Scipio and Lou Llobell) who are on the road to an engagement. Tyler lives for his RV and Maddie goes along with it. Before their adventures the film introduces audiences to a scenario involvinga car accident. That spirit then follows Tyler and Maddie. The karma from those events continues to follow Tyler and Maddie. It is likely to make this RV excursion their last one.

There are moments of imagery in the film where Maddie feels like they’re being followed. Someone is painted to appear menacing, and he is. However, it takes time for Tyler to get caught up with this lingering component in their travels. The film transitions to focus on their relationship. I appreciated that part of the story because I feel relationships do not always have a strong focus in a film like this. Fortunately, their relationship is explored in various parts of Passenger.

There is a line that gets crossed frequently in the film. I felt the adventures they faced on the road trip stirred both horrid and good questions during the ride. There is no happy way out. There are lots of twists and turns, but the way they stick together makes it enjoyable yet not amazing. Three out of four stars for Passenger.

Film reviews

Masters of the Universe Review

Leave a comment

This is a superhero adaptation with a surrounding of nostalgia and a presence of gold written all over it, as a sword becomes the symbol of the hero. I loved the superhero He-Man growing up, so I felt I was in for a ride that would be bumpy and adventurous. I had a feeling that I would not be able to take some of the characters seriously, primarily because the cheesiness of Masters of the Universe keeps the cheese shredding with moments of brilliance that can simply fade into blurs. This is one where the silliness gets topped off and it can be a little too much.

Masters of the Universe is not horrid, but its plot is seemingly lackluster. The film’s premise surrounds a kingdom called Eternia with the villain Skeletor dwelling in this land. He is played by Jared Leto. The man who must save the army of darkness is Adam, played by Nicholas Galitzine. However, in the beginning he feels no one will believe his path is to be a hero. That is until he grabs the sword and becomes He-Man. He must fight to save Eternia, before Skeletor takes over. Not only Skeletor rules, as he has an assistant named Evil-Lyn, played by Alison Brie. The life of Adam becoming a hero is not something he expected. He rises fast though when his childhood friend Teela, played by Camila Mendes, comes in to assist.

The kingdom in shambles and a man questioning his fate make the execution of Masters of the Universe to have more moments to laugh at than to take seriously. I could not take Jared Leto or Alison Brie very seriously at all, because the persona of evil within their characters flies below the radar. Leto is already sketchy with characteristics of strange acting methods, and Brie is just too sweet and innocent to present as evil.  The fighting, however, is what stands out the most, as it rises above all the plots.

The question that comes around in the film is, “Have you seen this sword?” The moment this question is asked is where the wheels fall off and things begin to feel disastrous. It creates so much CGI and too much predictability between good guys and bad guys. Disappointingly, the technology speak louder than the storyline of the film. The sword does not spin with cinematic wonders as much as I had expected.

Quirky and almost predictable, this is an average superhero adaptation with more to come. I do give this credit for forming somewhat of a franchise foundation, but I feel that I will just go back to cartoon series of He-Man for any sort of true fulfillment.The animation classic had more meaning than this presentation, as the cheesiness of the actors in this adaptation did not make the film feel like it was flowing well. Fun with all the action and extremely witty, but so predictable. Two out of four stars for Masters of the Universe.

 

 

 

Film reviews

Weekend at the End of the World Review

Leave a comment

This is one of the most creative and hysterical fantasy comedies for adults that I have seen in a long while. Lots of heartbreak to get over, and plenty of portals to revelations leading to uncharted territory. Loads of fun! Weekend at the End of the World is a buddy movie that takes viewers to the edge of a new reality. Lots of laughs, annoyances, and mysteries all add up toan adventure that is not to be missed. Directed by Gille Klabinand co-written with Clay Elliott (one of the leads), nothing goes completely right or wrong in Weekend at the End of the World.

The film begins with two friends, Karl (Clay Elliott) and Miles (Cameron Fife). Karl is trying to get over a break-up, and Miles decides to take him to his cabin in the mountains. Miles comes up with the idea of selling his cabin. The audience’s response is, “IN YOUR DREAMS!” because the cabin is a mess. In addition, haunted elements emerge which begin with an eerie neighbor named Hank (Thomas Lennon).

The buddy vibe of the movie continues with loads of laughs andquirky scenes. Things evolve into a more serious/silly situation when a portal appears. Karl and Miles are placed within a portal in the home, and they realize the end of the world may be near. Miles also has a family member that comes out of the portal named Meemaw (Troian Bellisario), his grandma. Since they’re dealing with a make-believe portal, she comes out looking like she is in her 20s or 30s, which is a big turn-on for Karl. Still, the guys have their mission of going into the portal and their reality seems doomed. It is all a bit like an adult version of Dora the Explorer.

The film is witty and at moments over-the-top because it tries too hard. Overall, the outline, script, and the moving parts are genius. Absent-minded characters are written well for this film, and that alone makes the dynamic classy and captivating. There isn’t any major spectacle, yet there is an enjoyable presence of wonders throughout the film. For example, the hose that links them to the portal has purple colors and floats around. Closing the portal is complicated because it requires that Karl and Miles pay close attention. They are not the smartest cookies but are wonderful for creating laughs with their gags. In the end, the context of the story and the dangerous adventures throughout Weekend at the End of the World work.

There is a moment when the phrase “METAPHORICAL DARKNESS!” is mentioned. This indicates that the various elements of reality must come together to put a halt to thethreats. Although the threats in this film are not very serious, theapproaches to handle them are spot-on. Fortunately, they are enough to deliver new ideas and carry the weight of the comedy.There is a grandeur of bizarre concepts unraveling in a fanciful light in this film. While it is not amazing, it is artistic with dramatic tones. Three out of four stars.