Film reviews

Monolith Review

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I love news stories and am fascinated by the way true stories aretold. Monolith spoke to me because it is both enticing and mind-boggling. Directed by Matt Vesely, this film is unique due to the way in which the characters feel empathy with the story they are researching. The writing is strong and stays on point as it dives into cinematic aspects of realism and human emotions. Monolithis a sci-fi thriller that keeps its audience thinking through thethrills of finding answers and making connections. Monolith speaks the universal language of finding the right pieces to solve a puzzle. The movie showcases how invigorating the work of a journalist can be.

Monolith focuses on The Interviewer played by Lily Sullivan. She is an investigative reporter with a podcast that is titled Beyond Believable which covers crime stories and mysteries. The Interviewer is just getting over some turmoil based on disputes at a previous outlet. She is finding new direction and a new audience when she comes across a story that will change her world forever.

The story involves bricks which are artifacts that have meaningful symbols. The bricks have fallen into the hands of a few individuals who have had past experiences which create an attention-grabbing story for The Interviewer. Sullivan’s role as a reporter is quite keen as she deeply investigates the brick artifacts. Living in her solitary home in the mountains, the revelations about the bricks become her story.

The film’s writing demonstrates that her reporting is no joke. The Interviewer speaks to Floramae (played by Ling Cooper Tang), Klaus (played by Terence Crawford), and Laura (played by Kate Box). They describe how the bricks made them feel powerful and that there have been weird psychological outcomes when the bricks were around them. The process of putting together the pieces is where Monolith shifts gears from serious to surprising. The revelations in the story cause it to blow up and increase the following of the podcast as the number of listeners and comments skyrocket. “I want to expose the truth,” accurately describes Monolith as an investigative thriller where a theory is deeply explored to find meaning.

Monolith is audacious in the way the story goes back to afoundation that is at times overwhelming, descriptive, and theoretical. The power of the artifacts brings darkness to the life of The Interviewer. She is the soul focus because the film is justshows her while everyone she talks to is on the phone. As the truths are unveiled, the safety and anxiety of The Interviewer becomes questionable. Is her research making her the next target? Is someone who has had the artifact targeting her? Does someone wish for negative consequences to impact her?Monolith is a true thriller where there is no turning back.

The film is a reporting story that I found spellbinding. The clues and theories in Monolith lead to a harrowing twist. There is an unexpected revelation in the film that makes the audience shake. My curiosity was piqued with all the interesting evidence revealed—the artifacts, the stories, and the puzzle astonished me. One artifact leads to multiple meanings in Monolith. What is the outcome? Is there a risk or other hidden factors? Is there more to the story? Find out in Monolith. Three-and-a-half out of four stars.

Film reviews

Bob Marley: One Love Review

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The songs of Bob Marley are monumental and loaded with appreciation for life. Marley’s mission was to shine with empathy and build better relationships in a harsh political era. His music and his life brightened the world with positivity, happiness and peace. The new film about him, Bob Marley: One Love, almost hits the mark, although the storyline is rushed at times and its writing sometimes heads in a misconstrued direction. The film sets out to lay the foundations of Bob Marley’s life, and the writing finds some wonderful moments but, again, the direction of the film can be hard to follow. The music shines throughout, however, and is easily the best part of the film.

The man who plays Bob Marley is Kingsley Ben-Adir, and Bob’s widow, Rita Marley, is played by LaShana Lynch. The film is a biopic of Bob Marley’s journey as a person, a musician, and as one who fought through adversity. It starts off in his hometown in Jamaica, and it then goes to his music and the connections he made in the music industry. The film also jumps back to moments showing how courageous and empathetic he could be. Marley’s music and his voice always helped people think about the positives in their lives.

The plot of Bob Marley: One Love is captivating and it will go deep into the hearts of its audience. There is a divine feeling of empathy that flows graciously and poetically through the life of Marley. The writing of the film jumps back and forth—to times of hardship, inspirational moments, and the many joyful times of the music of Bob Marley. When it comes to the relationships he has with his assistants, Chris Blackwell (played by James Norton) and Don Taylor (played by Anthony Walsh), Bob Marley: One Love encourages its audience to shift its emotions and to think of the words, “Every little thing is gonna be alright,” from one of Marley’s most well known songs, “Three Little Birds”.

The story as a whole and the music in particular are very captivating in Bob Marley: One Love. Marley fought through a lot of adversity, and the film often cycles back to the conflicts he had with his assistants, the crew members of his tour, etc. The success of his album Exodus also played a prominent role in the film. But throughout the film the musical tunes kept the positive feelings and empathy going.

I would describe the viewing experience of Bob Marley: One Love as somewhat standard. There wasn’t a strong biopic writing form in the film, and some moments felt rushed to me. But I still felt that my heart was touched by the fascinating aspects of Bob Marley’s legendary musical career, and the film keeps to its point of showing Marley as the positive force for the world that he was. And again, the film is worth it just to revisit the magical musical moments, and to help remind us to be truly grateful for life. Three out of four stars for Bob Marley: One Love.

Film reviews

Robot Dreams Review

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This is an animation film that is different than most would expect. It is a revelation of brilliance and wonders that soars truthfully and faithfully. Robot Dreams creates a sensation that thrives in all its empathetic and connecting directions as thoroughly as it can. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May of 2023, and it has been nominated for Best Animated Feature in the upcoming Academy Awards. Director and writer Pablo Berger explores the creation of drama and heartfelt laughter through his narrative eyes with Robot Dreams. The film has no spoken dialogue, as the story follows the life of a dog and his robot.

Robot Dreams uses animation that is blended to a point of surrealism at its finest. Its setting is Manhattan, New York in the 1980s. The film focuses on a character who is labeled as Dog. Dog lives a solo-life in New York. He is lonely in his apartmentand has his introverted routine of watching TV and eating junk food. He occasionally strolls the streets of New York. His loneliness gets to him until a box shipment shows up to his house, and he builds a robot. That character is labeled as Robot. Robot comes alive, and Dog and Robot form a great friendship.They watch TV together, go on excursions, and jam to music. Life is truly one where Dog feels a deep sense of connection with his friend Robot.

The brilliance of Robot Dreams just comes from the inner emotions it stirs. With no written dialogue, the facial expressions of Dog and Robot tell the story. There are no humans in the story, yet the animals in it act as if they were humans. The animals are taxi drivers, security guards, and other normal people. It is a Manhattan, New York Zoo world of surreal imagination. There are many moments that will leave the audience curious about this unique friendship. Dog and Robot do face an instance of disconnect when Robot is stuck on a beach and Dog cannot save him. Therefore, Dog leaves Robot on the beach and assumes he can help get him fixed the next day. Sadly, the fence to the beach is closed, and Dog cannot get over to help him.

The separation moment of Dog and Robot is where the film starts to find its sad moments. This is where the animation hits the audience hard. Going forward though, this is a time whenboth Dog and Robot try to find their happiness solo, as they try to grasp life at their finest moments. There is hardship and sadness all through the film’s eerie approaches, yet it still delivers bits of joyfulness and connection. Robot Dreamsprovides a non-stop empathetic experience in a world of unique animation. It is a “unique animation” because its story is told exclusively through the animation and literary directions via technical aspects—the feelings in Robot Dreams are brought forth through the portrayal of the seasons in the animated version of Manhattan, New York in the 1980s.

Robot Dreams deserves to win in the Best Animated Feature because Berger knows how to dive into his mode of directing. His writing and his storytelling are of inspiring value. Robot Dreams made me laugh, cry, and feel a form of appreciation that was irresistible. Four stars for Robot Dreams.

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