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

Dangerous Animals Review

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This is a thriller that takes place on a boat and is all about killing for pleasure. A presentation that comes along with killing for sport. The context around this has its captivating moments, and then the ones that are for shock and awe. Dangerous Animals is in the genre of shocker films that I found to have presence in and around of the suspense itself. What came to my mind was Jaws meets Psycho in that it is a big boat with a killer onboard who throws his victims to the sharks. 

Directed by Sean Byrne, Dangerous Animals introduces the audience to a boat captain named Bruce (Jai Courtney). At the top of the film, he takes a couple on a shark-dive expedition. Later, he blinds them and kidnaps one of them, only to havethem realize that he plans to kill them by hovering them over sharks. Bruce finds enjoyment in seeing and videotaping feedinghis victims to sharks.

The next victim is the main character, Zephyr (Hassie Harrison). She wakes up to go on a surfing expedition, but then Bruce captures her. Once she is on the boat, she finds herself below with another victim named Heather (Ella Newton). Heather was brought onboard the boat before Zephyr and the writing is on the wall for a death scenario for both the victims. Dangerous Animals has that momentum to make the audience feel the sense of predictability, but the many suspenseful moments to escape create the opposite effect. From my point-of-view I asked how can they escape when they are out at sea with treacherous sharks and in front of a killer that is very dangerous?

Going forward the film builds momentum with a man named Moses (Josh Heuston), as he is suspicious about Zephyr’s disappearance and begins searching for her.  Zephyr continuously fights for safety against Bruce, yet he keeps overcoming her chances to escape. Dangerous Animals is a boxing match of moving parts that puts adrenaline to the test. Bruce is anxious to find a good chance to throw Zephyr to the sharks for his enjoyment. The tactics of brutality do not see eye-to-eye, but the dog match to survive knows how to thrive here.

The shock and value are within the shallows. The victimshovering over the water creates the deepest point of terror inknowing that any sudden movement is a leap of death. When that happens, the concept that came to my mind was how stillness means safety. Especially when there is that thought of dying brutally at the mouths of sharks.

Dangerous Animals knows how to scare. It also knows how to maintain its dignity. The continuity feels interactive. The many failed escapes and failed moments of shark attacks are what makes for new doors of terror to evolve. The only question is, how can one depart the boat? Silly in moments and definitely scary in many, it can border on being repetitive. At the same time, it still maintains a sense of creepiness in the ocean. Two-and-a-half out of four stars.

 

 

Film reviews

From the world of John Wick: Ballerina Review

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I love all the John Wick films and I truly adored From the World of John Wick: Ballerina. I enjoyed it from the structure in thebeginning to the pattern of revenge which evolved throughout the film. Directed by Len Wiseman, the aspect that fuels thisfilm is the background correlating to the John Wick franchise. As it moves forward it contains the same momentum that results in non-stop mayhem until a price is paid. It is a rollercoaster that is unstoppable and a force of power that is not to be messed with. From the World of John Wick: Ballerina weaves a mode of continuity that makes audiences come to worship Ana de Armas.

Ana de Armas plays Eve in the film. She saw her father get killed right in front of her at a young age. Her childhood wasrough, but she always has a plan for revenge. She is introduced to Winston (Ian McShane). For those familiar with the John Wick films, Winston is an inspiration for some unsettling and throttling events. Eve begins her training to find the man who killed her father. The dangerous target is The Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne). Over the course of the film, Eve gets her training and finds herself on the run while hunting down The Chancellor. The correlation to John Wick is the presence of his character, played by Keanu Reeves. Wick is not a massive presence, but the correlating lines of vengeance expand rapidly. 

It is a two-hour ride where Armas is brutally and insanely good. The riveting components of revenge leads to in-depth motions that are loud and fearless. Gasp as grenades go spiraling, watch fighting on roller skates, and do not mess with Armas. From the World of John Wick: Ballerina paints a portrait of one “ballerina” that is not be reckoned with. The many intriguing aspects of this franchise’s universe are bound to have more to offer. Three-and-a-half out of four stars for From the World of John Wick: Ballerina.

Film reviews

The Phoenician Scheme Review

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As someone who has been fascinated by the artistic mind of Wes Anderson, I found The Phoenician Scheme to be a mix of politics combined with jealousy and egos. I adore Anderson’s craft because his setups and the background of his characters are always created for the audience to feel in tune. He also brings inbig names to his projects, and this film has many.

Before diving into the many cinematic adventures of The Phoenician Scheme. I am going to introduce the main characters. There is Zsa-Zsa Korda (Benicio Del Toro), Liesl (Mia Threapleton), Bjorn (Michael Cera), Prince Farouk (Riz Ahmed), Leland (Tom Hanks), Reagan (Bryan Cranston), Marseille Bob (Mathieu Amalric), Sergio (Richard Ayoade), Marty (Jeffrey Wright), Cousin Hilda (Scarlett Johansson), Uncle Nubar (Benedict Cumberbatch), Excalibur (Rupert Friend), and Mother Superior (Hope Davis). All of them are of major importance to The Phoenician Scheme. Some play roles in the classic XYZ pattern of deceit which is something Anderson has mastered in the most colorful and auteur way.

The arthouse vibe may be alive in this film, but the pacing is off. The film is set to focus on Zsa-Zsa Korda, who has done many bad deeds which have put his life in peril with many trying to assassinate him. The 1950s setting and the era of newspapers and old-school characterizations fuels the wealthy class of criminality in The Phoenician Scheme. Bjorn is the tutor and Liesl his daughter. Soon they find themselves at the end of Zsa-Zsa and his plans to run away or set up backups if people come after him. The writing and dynamics are plausible, but Wes tries too hard to add unexpected components for dramatic takes. For example, one moment there will be danger, and then in the next there will be someone imagining their life after they die. It is not done with a serious tone, but Wes utilizes his brain so much that the result is not as fulfilling as his fans might expect.

As usual, the film continues to focus on the quirkiness and cleverness of its characters, including the politicians and acquaintances of Zsa-Zsa namely Marty, Prince Farouk, Reagan, and Leland.  In most cases, Zsa-Zsa has somehow betrayed them in the past. In fact, Zsa-Zsa’s hiding is the central conflict of the film. The story moves forward with him trying to navigate these conflicts with the help of Bjorn and Liesl. Their presence is somewhat eerie, and the storyline ends up doing a bit of a tango. It is not so easy to put together the various pieces or clearly understand the background. 

This is not my favorite film, but it still carries Anderson’s signature craftsmanship as a director in many scenes. Much of the story is seen through the eyes of Toro and Cera who are key to the film’s humor in matters that would normally be perceived as serious. In the end, this film is the result of Wes being in his own world. While joyful in some parts, the surface overall keeps degrading. Two-and-a-half out of four stars for The Phoenician Scheme.