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

The Rip Review

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When there is a film featuring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, the thought of troublesome bros comes to mind. The two have experienced monumental achievements, beginning with their fame from the success of Good Will Hunting back in 1997. The two have a unique chemistry for creating something invigorating for the screen. The Rip, however, is average. Yet, their performance and chemistry are still stellar. Directed by Joe Carnahan, this is The Rip, a film where the choices and morals of police authorities are tested. but taking the cut is all that matters in the heat of the moment.

The main characters in this movie are Lieutenant Dane Dumars (Damon) and Detective Sergeant J.D. Byrne (Affleck). Both are cops in Miami who face some deficits, coming off a mission of a deceased captain. Going forward, there is a new score as they find an operation to carry out a cartel stash. The setting is Miami, Florida, and there is plenty of corruption. Their team includes Detective Numa Baptiste (Teyana Taylor), Detective Mike Ro (Steven Yeun), and Detective Lolo Salazar (Catalina Sandino Moreno). This gang of cops can be dirty or play by the rules. Taylor’s performance is reminiscent of her attitude in One Battle After Another and brings some gangster grandeur to this thriller in spite of its mixed writing.

The film faces hurdles along the way, Once the detectives find the cash, trying to get a hold of it requires them to go behind everyone’s backs. Questions about their choices surface. Damon and Affleck deliver performances that illustrate where the risks and their lies exist. The officer in the story with bigger forces is DEA Agent Mateo ‘Matty’ Nix (Kyle Chandler). With this DEA agent behind the scenes, the news of the money scrambles back and forth. With some of the detectives coming off a loss on a previously failed mission, this operation is more dangerous with closed forces behind closed doors. The Rip is effective at portraying trust and loyalty being put to the test. Unfortunately, the execution of creating real suspense is where the delivery getsconfused because there are too many moments when characters get into their own heads.

The Rip has the right characters with macho attitudes to take on critical tasks, some of which rely upon dishonesty. The film’s writing is enhanced by stellar chemistry among the performances of Damon, Affleck, Yeun, Taylor, and Chandler. The downside is in the somewhat flawed execution which keeps the film from being mesmerizing. The Rip comes down to dirty cops and corrupt authorities. The story has the right cast of characters, but the delivery and the punchlines do not align with the outcome. On the positive side, the Miami setting has got some edgy scenery to help boost the elements of suspense. I’llrate The Rip at two out of four stars because I appreciate the attitudes in the performances of Damon, Affleck, and Taylor. The rest of the film suffers from a lack of development in the writing.

Film reviews

A Private Life Review

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This is a psychological thriller that is very different for Jodie Foster. At the same time, however, she still displays an audacious attitude in this film. Directed by Rebecca Zlotowski, this is A Private Life, an intense drama that explores the lines between a medical professional and confidentiality. When themistaken words and different theories go off the rails, the story goes down a trail looking for missing pieces. Foster’s characteris the one trying to solve the puzzle. A Private Life has intriguing elements woven into the film but relies on clever egos to make it work. 

Foster plays Lilian Steiner, a psychiatrist who speaks French in her practice in France. A patient of hers has died, and her name is Paula Cohen-Solal (Virginie Efira). Lilian’s mind races with many different thoughts about the potential cause of Paula’s death. Because she might have been murdered, Lilian tries to investigate along with her former spouse Gabriel Haddad (Daniel Auteuil). She also gets technological assistance from her estranged son, Julien Haddad-Park (Vincent Lacoste). Lilian believes that the ones to blame for Paula’s death are her husband, Simon Cohen-Solal and her daughter, Valerie Cohen-Solal. Overall, it is not easy to figure out the various moving parts.

The film is innovative in how it showcases Lilian’s investigativework. She has her own cassette tapes to record her sessions. When she begins to investigate Paula’s death, she gets strange phone calls and finds herself in a scenario where her office is ransacked. Suspense is frequently present in A Private Life. However, can Lilian solve this crime without having her license revoked?

There is no easy way to evaluate how good the film is, but I found it to be neutral. It maintains a melancholy vibe as a quiet thriller. With the song, Psycho Killer by Talking Heads, playing, the silent investigation is woven into the. Not a mesmerizing or spellbinding movie, but still carefully put together. Fortunately, Foster’s fearless attitude stands out.

A Private Life is clever but lacks in some key moments. While there was positive intent, the film failed to hold up well due to the array of confusing tangents in the case of a deceased woman.A Private Life endeavored to find a route, but never quite gets there. Two-and-a-half out of four stars.

Film reviews

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple Review

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This film is one of the most bonkers in the franchise and is filledwith thrilling fun. It is crazy in the way it explores how the plague has evolved and how it causes people to act out. At the same time, the science behind the cure fuels the film. Written by Alex Garland and directed by Nia DaCosta, this is 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple which is the fourth film of the franchise. This time, however, even though the cure is around the corner the danger is more ravenous. The most spellbindingcharacter in the film is played by Ralph Fiennes in his role as Dr. Kelson.

The criminal in the plagued world is Sir Jimmy Crystal, played by Jack O’Connell. He inducts the young boy Spike (Alfie Williams) into his gang. They are focused on being harmful and stealing anything they can to survive on. Throughout the many wooded areas of the United Kingdom, the plague is still viral. Dr. Kelson does not lose hope and creates a mutated friend who he refers to as Samson (Chi Lewis-Perry). Dr. Kelson has been hiding in make-up for years and finding medicines to combat the virus that has been a continuous and lingering disease throughout the franchise.

For Spike, the violence of Sir Jimmy Crystal is too much to take. Yet, with how faith and humanity are suffering, he finds himself with limited choices. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple exemplifies how keeping those close during difficult times is what really matters, but it is a major challenge when they engage in ravenous attacks just to get by. Dr. Kelson is likely connected to the fate of Spike and those who wish to live because he knows where the resources are. Given how limited they are, their discovery and distribution matters for the future in this rapidly evolving environment.

I found this film to be like a surreal circus. There is a scene in which Fiennes’ performance has him in make-up and going throughout the temple he created to look like a demeaning sacrifice. Everything that goes around comes around in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. It all comes down to choices and moral judgments. At the same time, the lives lost are ones that are gone forever. Yet, building a new world where there is a cure is still lying just below the surface.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple thrives due to the way it wasdirected. Even though Danny Boyle did not direct it, he is in talks to continue with the franchise. The film is set in a perilous landscape in a world that is going off track. There are moments of treachery and moments where life is lacking. Overall, the theme of the movie speaks. The virus has not given up, but neither have those who have lived through it and just keep fighting. Fiennes is the star of the show in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. Three-and-a-half out of four stars.