Category Archives: Film reviews

Film reviews

Caught Stealing

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This film is directed by Darren Aronofsky, whose directing always has an eye for capturing moments that are mentally challenging. At the same time, he is able to master the craft of conjuring awareness and fear. As the many events unravel in Caught Stealing, his approach to humanistic dynamics becomes immersive in a compelling light. Caught Stealing is a work-of-art incorporating twists and turns that left me breathless. When one incident goes wrong, a past unravels, bringing in a bigger portrait with mesmerizing and unforgettable terrors with exhilarating components. Aronofsky is not afraid to bring out what his mind can envision as a director.

 The film focuses on a former ex-baseball player named Hank Thompson (Austin Butler). He works as a bartender in Brooklyn in the 1990s and has lot of weird and bipolar tendencies in his life. Along with that he has a tragic past that he cannot put behind him, as he once had everything he dreamed for and it was all stripped away from him. Everything changes when a normal day becomes one where he finds himself in a criminal underworld. Thanks to his neighbor Russ (Matt Smith), Hank must utilize his mind to navigate the bad crowd he has fallen in with. This  all starts with Hank agreeing to watch Russ’s pet cat.A strange cop named Roman (Regina King) questions Hank and two Jewish gangsters named Lipa (Liev Schreiber) and Shmully(Vincent D’Onofrio) who are also involved in the mix. A big crime boss named Colorado (Bad Bunny) also enters into this batch of bad people not much different from Hank.

Throughout the film, there is a tone of arrogance and misbelief through the eyes of Hank. This is because much of the writing presents itself make his character feel like he is in a karma mode. The volume of awry keeps turning the dial up to the extreme repeatedly in Caught Stealing making this film very enticing. What is even more compelling is how fatalities come and go in strange ways. Aronofsky creates deeper and deeper troubles that are spellbinding in Caught Stealing. He crafts a world that seems mafia-like and at the same time flies just below the radar.

Caught Stealing made me think a lot about the characterizations of Hank. Primarily, because he  leaves the impression that he is in territory that is not so new to him. With a past of some danger (it is written and seen in the film), there is a clear eye to why everything happens for a reason in Caught Stealing. As much as it should not be Hank’s responsibility, it is a landscape of rough roads that he lands himself in and must navigate. Due to Russ, Hank’s world is turned upside down with all kinds of peril. The world of treacherous environments thrives on a high level from the mind of Aronofsky in Caught Stealing. This is a one-of-a-kind sensation that blew me out of the water. Can Hank find out what is right and figure out who to trust? The 90’s world of threats and uncertainty takes the directing of Aronofsky to a new level. Three-and-a-half out of four stars.

 

Film reviews

The Roses Review

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This is a film in which the subject of change finds common ground. Storylines that focus on relationships tend to have an appeal that leads to a deeper narrative. The narrative in The Roses results in an expanded portrait. Directed by Jay Roach, this film has a form of transformative humor that is special. The Roses presents a negative dynamic that gradually gets worse, but at the same time it thrives with humoristic value within the depths of its dark comedy. With Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman playing a husband and wife, and Andy Samberg and Kate McKinnon playing spouses as witnesses—the challenges are explored through a clever style of writing. The dramatic downfall results in the epitome of wonderful creativity in The Roses.

The film features Theo and Ivy Rose (Cumberbatch and Colman), and a couple that are facing several hurdles. They present a positive attitude about life, but then jealousy rears its ugly head. Theo was once a successful entrepreneur, but then later encounters some flaws. This causes Ivy to be the bigger breadwinner in the family. As Theo spends more time at home, he gets their kids to be more actively sporty and involved with life. Their friends Barry and Amy (Samberg and McKinnon) sense a form of injustice. At the same time, the success Theo and Ivy are experiencing is presented in a way that leads to unexpected, envious results.

To elaborate, I found this film to be classy. The subject matter made me think about what families disagree about and what parents might feel they are doing in terms of their parenting skills. The format of the writing seems to be in “keep the peace” mode, but gradually there is a mental ring of fire that boils the pot silently and ferociously. Lots of the intensity comes from Ivy, and because her kids are thriving based on what their dad has taught them. The competitive issues faced by the Rose family lead to a variety of interesting scenarios in The Roses.

To transition my train of thought a bit, the bright side of life also sparks glimmers of hope and optimism in The Roses. The challenges caused by failures end up opening new approaches to life which have better outcomes. There are moments of conflict, quirks, and giggles, but many scenes are presented with exaggerated and drastic measures. My point, however, is that the story presents how hard it can be to accept how things in life sometimes turn out. The pursuit of success not always being what it is cracked up to be is uncovered in The Roses.

Overall, the movie is a lovely portrait of a couple discovering more about what their guts are telling them. The family values portrayed through the performances of Cumberbatch and Colman are priceless and should not be missed. These actors are true gems which results in a film that is just shy of outstanding. The writing is classical. The Roses is filled with hidden envy, but reminds audiences to love and accept family. Three-and-a-half out of four stars.

Film reviews

Relay Review

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This is one of those unique thrillers of a hidden masterpiece. Directed by David Mackenzie, espionage and payback have quiet writing to remain intriguing and captivating. Relay has traits what tasks entail to have justice be served. I was sold on this captivating spy-thriller. Much of that was because of how it kept me in tune with what was going on. Much of the film contained continuity and a foundation around moving blocks for leverage. It is a film with a time length of just over an hour-and-a-half of stellar and attention-grabbing moments. When one operation falls into the wrong hands, it only takes one to work and do the steps to make it right.

The plot of the film focuses on Ash (Riz Ahmed). He is someone that does communications whistleblowing operations. He uses a two-way form of communication. He utilizes technology for the hard-of-hearing to help send over his messages for tasks he chooses to assist with. He is one of solitude and knows the moving parts to what is lethal of espionage. A girl named Sarah (Lily James) finds herself in deficits. Her previous job has let her go and she has obtained documents to try and get out her message that she may have done wrong. At the same time though, others are out to get her for revenge. A team led by a man named Dawson (Sam Worthington). The telecommunication system and messages of correspondence between Ash and Sarah is the key to serving justice and finding the path to redeem what was once lost.

Time is of the essence in Relay. Truly in each form of instruction the thrilling moments are precise. “Precise” with purpose. Every minute of every step counts vividly in Relay. When there is a moment to go wrong all the operations go wrong. What makes the film enticing is how every time there are talks (between Sarah and Ash), she must keep following the orders of Ash via his telecommunications system. The bizarre setup makes it stressful for her. More because audiences can tell it takes up a lot on her mind.

The film’s solo and in-depth approach was one I appreciated. It kept me thinking about stressors among technology and who to trust. “Who to trust” as in if the accuracies are truly where they stand or if it can fall in the wrong hands. A stellar foundation of obstacles that are working to find resolution and justice. Deep-down though both the operations go among the norms of the law. From the heartfelt perspective of Ash, he does not have it in him to give up. In his head it is his civic duty to help Sara.

Relay takes its approach with grains of salts and has moments to twist the thoughts for its audiences. Overall, it succeeds moderately well. The uniqueness of the suspense in the film’s writing is what made my head wonder poetically. Relay is a form of creative success. A stylized thriller of purpose. Three-and-a-half out of four stars for Relay.