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

28 Years Later Review

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With many years in the making Danny Boyle still knows how to create even more to be wowed by. That is right! 28 Years Lateris a masterpiece. A lot of thrills, chills, and unimaginable realizations of what is on the outside of a detrimental territory throughout the franchise. Boyle is one that always has an eye for creating an environment at risk, assessing the measures, and selecting characterizations that fuel his many suspensefulmoments. His mind hits on a one-of-a-kind thriller with 28 Years Later. The apocalypse has transitioned, and the outside has more surprises, but survival is where the writing hits full throttle.

This film is the third in the 28 Days Later franchise. This time survivors find themselves on an island. The risk is in going to the mainland. That is where mutated creatures are still rising and society has adapted to quarantine hardcore. The inhabitants have created barriers around the perimeters of the island. There has also been an adaptation to living with little to nothing of creature comforts. All around though, the biggest task is getting into the mainland. The plague though, has been the focus of the entire franchise, and Boyle keeps realism afloat to maintain the filmpersistent in provoking curiosity. IS there a cure? What is the new trend of adapting? What is beyond the walls that may be able to help those who are in need?

Three decades later the new characters of focus are Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), Isla (Jodie Comer), and Spike (Alfie Williams). Jamie and Isla are the parents of Spike. Isla is home in bed with an illness and Jamie keeps her in quarantine because she displays concerning signs of erratic behavior. For Spike though, he feels there is hope, and he takes a chance to try to get his mom help. This means he needs to get to the mainland, but with the island swarming with extremely dangerous and mutated creatures, the wrath of the wild and the pandemic meet a new maker.

What is so thrilling and enticing is the fact that Boyle knows how to make his audience think. 28 Years Later loops in a lot of moving parts that correlate to the conflict and premise itself. Overall, the pacing is rapid and wild. The film is written by Alex Garland, and after his project Warfare, I can tell his themes of continuity play into the pandemic mode to come back with a vengeance in 28 Years Later. Rapid and vivid with sensation, there are secrets to be found and new terrors that are unbelievable. Boyle and Garland are film makers intent on providing shock and awe with visually stunning brilliance.

Throughout the forests and in encountering the creatures is a world where Spike must be willing to risk death in order to find the help and resources that may or may not exist on the other side. There is that foundation for safety, because it contains brief moments of training before entering the dangerous lands. I do not want to spoil anything, because clearly there is much to be said.  So much of the film was a surprise delivered in the unexpected amazement which was in front of me. Through the eyes of Danny Boyle revelation in uncharted territory is a concept he has cultivated to successfully blow his audiences minds…even many years down the line. Four out of four stars for 28 Years Later.

 

 

Film reviews

Elio Review

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This is a space adventure that works to find meaning. Elio has a variety of hurdles which made me feel like I was continuously trying to establish connection. Adrian Molina, Madeline Sharafian, and Domee Shi are all directors of Elio. Their new approach to animation made for some Toy Story moments especially given the space focus. Overall, it is full of steady, family-friendly grandeur even though the pacing has components that are lacking in fulfillment.

The film is about a young boy named Elio (voiced by Yonas Kibreab), who is fascinated with space. He keeps thinking that he must go to space. However, he finds himself in a mode of disconnect. His aunt Olga Solis (voiced by Zoe Saldana) is trying her best to make life easier and joyful for him. Although he is prone to outbursts, Elio is creative at utilizing smart tactics to find his way into space. Unfortunately, reality throws many obstacles in his path which make it challenging to make his dreams come true.

On the positive side, there are space resources available to Elio, because his aunt works in NASA-type operations. Elio is just too young to take full advantage. The foundation of the story is about trying to fulfill a dream which keeps the love of family front and center in the film. Slowly, some fun things begin to evolve. For example, Elio sits on the beach and writes the wordsin the sand, “ALIENS ABDUCT ME!”  Negative thoughts aboutthe planet paint a clear portrait in Elio but deep down it is part of the adventure in this film.

The dream eventually comes true in Elio. Yet, he finds himself in a galaxy which is much more stressful than he expected. Still, at the same time he is captivated. Elio finds himself with new missions and an alien friend named Glordon (voiced by Remy Edgerly). The galaxies create a surreal landscape that keeps audiences feeling the fun in Elio.

There is an enemy in the story named Lord Grigon (voiced by Brad Garrett). This character is a major component in the Toy Story feel mentioned above. In Toy Story 2, the world of the franchise goes to new depths when Zurg the enemy of Buzz Lightyear comes in. In many ways, this addition felt more meaningful to the continuity of the story. There is well intendedmeaning in Elio, but the reality of what is happening between earth and the galaxies struggle to find common ground.

Overall, I felt the movie had many missed opportunities to feel different or mesmerizing. In some scenes it succeeds, but some of the background seems jaded. Often the animations looked rushed, and the writing seemed predictable. All around the galaxies, the film struggles to find its way to a massive homecoming which would have marked a significant achievement. This is one of those films where my star rating is a challenge. While I really wanted to be enthralled by this movie, it just didn’t deliver as expected. Two out of four stars for Elio.

 

Film reviews

F1: The Movie Review

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There is a blasting that makes the heart pulse. The start of F1: The Movie sounds like the engines revving up for a race to begin. Only it is not one race, it is multiple races. There is competition that spirals with resilience in F1: The Movie which makes it exhilarating. Director Joseph Kosinski has not lost his touch for sound quality. Given that I’ve experienced these events in real life, F1: The Movie had me sold not only due to the plot, but also due to the way it incorporates politics and collaboration. Teamwork thrives in a spellbinding fashion in F1: The Movie.

The film’s focus is on Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), a driver who has won many kinds of races. However, he stopped racing in Formula One at one point in his life. His friend, mentor, and colleague recruits him to race in Formula One again. That man is Ruben (Javier Bardem). For Sonny, the race is about politics and feeding his ego. But for his new team, Formula One is a race in new territory that is more uncharted than he expects.

The story is all about Sonny learning the new course that has been put in front of him. F1: The Movie brings in the different components of training. Sonny has a teammate named Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris) who is a young rookie building a name for himself and trying to develop his own audience. The competitiveness of the races is heated and grows rapidly. The dynamics between Sonny and Joshua are complex as racers who strive for success and do not want to share their growth or their wins with each other. 

The races are where the true colors and competitive side of the racers shine in F1: The Movie. The different outcomes of the many races create an interesting trail which keeps the audience curious as each race carries a new result. The loud volume of the film also adds to the impact. The political dynamics make their way to the track repeatedly in F1: The Movie. The uncharted territory tests the skills of the drivers and leads to some unexpected results. The film’s continuity shows the characters’egos. The brewing rivalry helps the audience feel the engines as they get faster and louder as does the anger which adds fuel to this sport.

Throughout the races and the various outcomes, the dynamics of the story remain faithful. Pitt, Bardem, and Pearce alternatively encourage each other and resent each other. The director effectively portrays the many mixed feelings which are displayed prominently in F1: The Movie. The thrill of winning and the harshness of sharing a championship creates the ivory towel feeling in F1: The Movie. The frustration shown in the characterization of Pitt’s performance paints an important picture. The fact that it takes much repetition to learn the steps when driving a new vehicle along with the attention of the press, expectations of the fans, and the excitement of the races…all heat up and accelerate to full speed in this film. Three-and-a-half out of four stars.