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Film reviews

Furiosa Review

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A film directed by George Miller, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga keeps its momentum throughout. The film is power ball of adrenaline that climbs the ladder to an apex of excitement and entertainment. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga grasped my attention deeply. The heightening tones of suspense unravel in sequencesand although I enjoyed Mad Max: Fury Road more, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga still killed it.

The film focuses on the original story of Furiosa (played by Anya Taylor-Joy). Furiosa fell into the evil hands within the film’s apocalyptic world–the warlord Dr. Dementus (played by Chris Hemsworth). Furiosa is navigating the uncharted territory of the wastelands. The citadel is in the hands of Immortan Joe (played by Lachy Hulme). Politics and corruption in the wastelands are heavily apocalyptic. Furiosa is on her own and must fight for the new lands. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga keeps its continuity on par with Miller’s style of direction. Miller uses less dialogue as many of his films have an emphasis on stylized action sequences. 

The film feels two-sided and then four-sided with Miller’s direction of cutting the film is into acts. This approach makes Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga feel more like a theatrical stage experience of a vast land putting itself back together with some boundaries in mind.  There were no boundaries in Mad Max: Fury Road, only continued on the path of action and road rage. Those two elements are in the depths of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, but it keeps combining a storyline.

The depictions of road rage are heart-pulsing, as my IMAX experience made me feel shaky. I felt the action sequences were stuck in my chest, conveying just how invigorating the film is in that format. The film has apocalyptic writing and a creative dynamic with a mix of good and bad. It blew me out of the water.

The story brings its audience to different environments of periland the vibe is rigorously antagonistic. It is a wild adventure where the world of danger and the impending apocalypse only adds to the adrenaline rush. It makes its audience think much more. With Furiosa as the center of attention, much of the film’s upbringing is her environment. Miller’s direction keeps up that flow of the moving parts of importance. That is why the acts of many moments serve a stellar purpose in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.

With only thirty lines of dialogue, it contains the equivalent of a half-an-hour worth of words. The action is the focus. Miller’s belief in speed influences more than the road rages the battles, The mayhem never stops and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga throws its punches to the core. It does in a way that the moments stick with its audience. 

With the dynamic of antagonistic characters, the concept is conquered land. Evil having establishments is written and it creates an emphasis on the long road of survival for Furiosa. The tracks of finding roots to what was lost are obstacles filled with surprises. The technological aspects in the mind of Miller are hardcore. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is a new Mad Max adventure with more foundations. The mayhem continues in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. Three-and-a-half out of four stars.

Film reviews

The Strangers: Chapter 1 Review

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Why would there be the title The Strangers: Chapter 1? There were The Strangers, directed by Bryan Bertino, and The Strangers: Prey at Night, directed by Johannes Roberts. Bertino’s making of The Strangers remains the best one to this day. The Strangers: Prey at Night already takes the idea from the original and is mediocre. The Strangers: Chapter 1 is even more of a mess. It is a complete repeat of Bertino’s direction with some shifts. The “shifts” are drastic. The franchise finds its roots in silliness.

Bertino made use of his limited budget with his direction of The Strangers with his limited budget. He was also the original creator and writer. He had a mind to shock his audience. The Strangers: Chapter 1 is scares beyond the limits of predictability.

The film takes place around Oregon. A couple is going on a getaway. They are Maya (played by Madelaine Petsch) and Ryan (played by Froy Gutierrez). Their vehicle breaks down. They find themselves staying in a rented cabin in a remote forest. There are shady characters around the cabin. A night of romance becomes a night of a nightmare. It all starts with someone coming to the cabin and asking for someone who is not home. After that, three masked killers are on to Maya and Ryan. One is wearing a scarecrow mask, another is wearing a doll face mask, and the third is wearing a pin-up mask. 

As I have said before, it is a repeating feature. Poorly captured. I kept thinking back to moments from Bertino’s version. I would ask myself what direction is this trying to satisfy. In reality, it does not “satisfy” anything. It only fails to keep finding its roots in a drastic horror film. 

In its entirety, there is no clear line to finding the good in The Strangers: Chapter 1. Its writing and directions pick itself to fall in despair. The vibe of creating a horrific sophistication is one where “vibe” flaws. It does with a lack of structure in building the moving parts. In the moments when Ryan and Maya try to find their means of survival, there is no feeling of captivation. There are thoughts for its audience on how it is ripping off the original project of Bertino.

Is there a cabin in a forest? Yes. Does it start with someone knocking on the door? Yes. Do Ryan and Maya do all they can to fight back? Yes. Would it be better to revisit The Strangers from 2008? Absolutely. If the audience plans to watch this version, they should refresh their memory from the realism of the one from 2008. That one still had shaky moments that are hard to dismiss. 

The Strangers: Chapter 1 may be entertaining if people get a kick of horror. If fans have The Strangers from 2008 and then The Strangers: Prey at Night in 2018, The Strangers: Chapter 1 may be an easy pass. It is very hit-or-miss. There are no new gems to create something more terrorizing than the previous two in The Strangers: Chapter 1. There are moments to pick up on. That is all because of its goal to try and seem more appealing and start from the beginning. It does not accomplish anything of a revelation. One-and-a-half out of four stars.

Film reviews

Back to Black Review

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The film adaptation of Amy Winehouse’s story is unsettling.While the film about her life seemed compelling, it spiraled downhill just like her life and left me with mixed feelings. Back to Black is written by Sam Taylor-Johnson and I had faith in her ability to direct this adaptation. Given her direction of Nowhere Boy in 2009, I felt Taylor-Johnson had the track record to make this type of movie a success. Back to Black is interesting, yet somewhat inconsistent. It is a deep and thorough look into the complicated life of Winehouse. The pacing is what causes it to not exactly hit the mark.

Marisa Abela plays Amy. She has the voice, the attitude, and the personality that sends electricity through the screen. Eddie Marsen plays Mitch, Amy’s father, who always looks out for his daughter. Jack O’Connell plays Blake, Amy’s husband, and the love of Amy’s life. Amy has people in her life who provide much support. Her life, however, is condemned because it is fueled by pressure, attention, and alcohol and drug abuse. Amy’s mentality fluctuates with the many hurdles of her instability.

The beginning of Back to Black features the happy moments of Amy’s life. This approach takes away the realistic point of view that the film could have had and jumps quickly to fame. The background of the Winehouse family is explored with in-depth writing, but Amy’s drug use is the hidden secret in Back to Black.

The pacing is what caused my mind to wander during the film.There was so much of the film focused on Amy’s musical fameand accomplishments, and then the spiral down to personal tragedies. The story picks itself up when her relapse into drug abuse begins to hover over her head. When that happens, Back to Black feels like an overwhelming array of overly done dramatics which does not work in the film’s favor.

The style of filmmaking does not do the story justice and is not as captivating as it could be. Amy says, “Music is my rehab.” Those words prove she was in denial about her addictions. Why make her addictions the primary focus?  The story could have had more layers by also focusing on art and empathy. Amy was such a deep character and reflecting that in the film’s writing could have led to an improved result.

My level of respect for the film was boosted by how managed to capture the reality of who Amy was. While she was growing popular, she was throwing it away. The movie painted a clear picture of her journey with addiction. People love Amy for her music but find it harder to accept the conflicts she fought within herself. While her story has some happiness, the downward spiral of sadness is pervasive.

Back to Black does reveal the extreme difficulty people face when fighting to overcome addictions. It also shows how fame becoming someone’s new normal can have negative consequences. The themes of addiction and fame are authentic in Back to Black, but I still give the film just two out of four stars.