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Film reviews

Touch Review

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How long does love last? How many miles can be between people in love? How many memories does love inspire? Touch is a moving portrait with invigorating elements. Written and directed by Baltasar Kormakur, the film is based upon the novel by Olaf Olaffson. Touch is a journey of one young lover where reconnection creates a journey of compassion. Touch is mesmerizing and beautiful. The scenery in a place of escape filled with many memories boils over with positive feelings. Touch is culturally rich in the way it explores love and disconnect—finding moments of bonding that were once lost.

It is love at first sight that is enduring in a cinematic sense. The direction is authentic as is the film’s diverse writing. The direction begins with two young individuals, Kristofer and Miko. Palmi Kormakur plays Young Kristofer, Koki plays Young Miko, Egill Olaffson plays older Kristofer, and Yoko Narahashi plays older Miko. Most of the film is focused on Young Kristofer and Young Miko, and then Kristofer once he is a grown-up. Young Kristofer takes a job in an Asian restaurant at a young age, and he finds love while working in that restaurant. Miko becomes the love of his life. They become star-crossed lovers sharing true compassion towards one another.

It is fifty years later, and Kristofer spends his life in Iceland. The scenes take place just as Covid is heightening. Thoughts of Miko consume his mind. The focus of Kristofer crossing paths with Miko again delivers significant meaning in Touch. It is a vivid portrait that moves its audience. Touch is a title that may seem generic. Once the film is experienced, however, the title highlights the euphoric aspect of the word’s meaning. The film demonstrates how love and resilience have unique patterns, yet love can come most unexpectedly.

When Kristofer finds connectivity and learning in a new environment while he is young, many wondrous doors open for him due to his love for Miko. During an era in his life when things are shifting, Kristofer quits school to work in a restaurant. While he possesses a clever mind, he prioritizes his relationship with Miko. Their love is like a light turning on indicating good vibes moving forward.

Touch is simply wonderful. The film takes viewers on anexciting ride where love that was once lost is found again. Kristofer’s journey does not stop until he finds Miko again. Touch is one of the most breathtaking films of the year. Although it is subtle, the story successfully portrays continuity between the past and the present. Three-and-a-half out of four stars for Touch.

Film reviews

Fly Me to The Moon Review

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A film that gears on NASA tends to have components that are multi-step. There is the subject of space, science, and politics. It is all about how those aspects move around its theme. Fly Me to The Moon is one-of-a-kind to that extent. Directed by Greg Berlanti, Fly Me to The Moon is subtle with certainty. Its beginning brings historic value to the era of NASA. Its characters are just too rich for the film itself.

From my saying, “Its characters are too rich,” the intelligence side does not mend smoothly. Fly Me to The Moon is created more for the commotion of its high-profile celebrities in a NASA storyline. The layout is stimulating. The project itself is perplexing. Blasting from amazement has a generous number of blockades.

The film begins with Cole Davis (played by Channing Tatum). Cole is a director for NASA. The opening brings in a great deal of NASA feeling undervalued. The place has deficits in supplies and staff. The assistant to Cole is Henry Smalls (played by Ray Romano). Cole is by the book and believes his own political beliefs. Henry tries to go with the flow and deal with the turmoil (since it is unbearable).

For clarification, the performance of Tatum is the one to take earnestly. He delivers that presentation of authority to have a purpose. The performance of Romano is inadequate. If audiences expect to see Romano in a role of accomplishments, his is below the surface level. Expect success from Tatum and Romano being a benchwarmer in Fly Me to the Moon.

The marketing direction in the film’s context is the bigger picture of Fly Me to The Moon. The audience will not be flying into space. They will be diving into the advertising aspect of Fly Me to The Moon. This approach is when the exaggerated traits of characterizations evolve. Kelly Jones (played by Scarlett Johansson) swings into the life of Cole. She has that vibe where she rocks the planet. She does it all day, every day.

Cole and Kelly find themselves having to work together. Cole’s mission is to get astronauts to launch into space. The conflict is politics…a gray area. The promotional aspect is what lies in hope. With Kelly handling the marketing, they both start working out strategic plans to deliver the media that can spark attention to the mission of space for NASA. That all faces risks also. The individual Moe Berkus (played by Woody Harrelson) is on the inside of what is true and false. It is the time when lies lead to more publicity. Hence why the characters are overly characterized. Their personalities all have forms of egos with over-done make-up. The realistic and inspiring aspect is lacking in Fly Me to The Moon.

The dynamic of the performances with Tatum, Johannson, and Harrelson is the compelling aspect of Fly Me to The Moon. There is that motive of intelligence questioned. They all play the cards accurately. It is just hard to take them seriously. Too much make-up and overhype. They may play the parts right, but the writing of their roles is out of focus.

With the advertising and profits side of Fly Me to the Moon, the film gives a lot of detail to Omega watches. The products worn by astronauts drive faith in the production. That is because it is looking for its accomplishment. What matters more? Products selling? Are astronauts making it to space? Are astronauts coming back from space? The two-sided factor of advertisements and a space mission remain in their lane.

Fly Me to the Moon is a joyful flick for a two-hour escape of laughs and minor seriousness. The era may have sits, giggles, and historical factors. Fly Me to the Moon is just average. I feel that there are more NASA factors of moving foundations in The Right Stuff (1983), Apollo 13 (1995), and Hidden Figures (2016). Fly Me to the Moon has leads of connection with a more apt meaning, but these three prior films make me soar with inspiration and imagination to many more heights. I rate Fly Me to The Moon at two-and-a-half out of four stars.

Film reviews

LongLegs Review

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LongLegs will terrify its audience. LongLegs will make moments of horror flash simultaneously in the heads of its audience. Nicolas Cage is LongLegs. He plays a sadistic killer with a mental health disorder of many. His performance is stellar, surreal, and breathtaking. LongLegs is a cult of scary moving parts that made me ache in fear. I was mesmerized by what was making me scared with LongLegs.

As one who loves investigative movies and TV shows, LongLegs takes the direction of killings and clues to a level with context. With a secluded setting where roads have no destination to go for miles, there are murders to happen. Writer and director Oz Perkins uses imagery (in many moments) to heighten the scare factor of LongLegs. There are moments when it feels like a strobe light attack. The audience feeling an impact is the definition of monumental with LongLegs.

The time frame around this horror flick is the 1990s. Filming was around Canada, British Columbia, and the United States. Its main character (the one put up to face the evidence of LongLegs) is Agent Lee Harker (played by Maika Monroe). Lee absorbs her head into all the crime scenes assigned to her. Lee is persistent and mentally compelled to solve the murders that have been happening in unexplained patterns. Her assistant is Agent Carter (played by Blair Underwood). Carter is a tenure agent who is just working to get paid. Lee takes on the case much more than Carter.

Lee’s discoveries are the first portion of the sparkling world of a cult in LongLegs. With killings happening at different times, they leave the symbol with the name LongLegs listed. There is also the added layer of killings that have occurred with items from inside the victim’s homes. Many questions are for LongLegs. Why is he killing families in a pattern that is like a triangle? Why is he killing people with items that do not belong to him? What motivates him? Who is next on the list? Time is of the essence as events happen unpredictably. The events will chill its audience to the bone.

It is not only the tactic of Cage’s terror that makes LongLegs spellbinding. There is also the mental health of Monroe’s performance as the detective in the case. In her role as Lee, Lee has a mixed dynamic with her mother for various reasons. Her childhood troubles fuel her rage and persistence in solving the puzzle. Her mother is Ruth Harker (played by Alicia Witt). Ruth has moments that are uncomfortable in many sequences of LongLegs. It is along the lines of questioning based on her characteristics. Could her characteristics correlate to the troubles of the puzzle with the disturbances of LongLegs? There is a treat at every door, in every character, and in every aspect of this phenomenon from Perkins.

I was in fear with LongLegs. There is a moment when Lee is asked by her mother, “Do you still say your prayers?” With that question, I knew there was more than what I was getting into with LongLegs. I felt I was seeing ghosts. LongLegs is a knockout in its sequences to horrify. It is a trail of clues, events, and characteristics that keeps on its invigoration. It is one of the best horror flicks of 2024. My rating is four out of four stars for LongLegs.