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Film reviews

Captain America: Brave New World Review

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The cinematic universe of superheroes may be restored. I kept my expectations neutral leading up to Captain America: Brave New World. The moving parts of the franchise and lots of questions about the storylines and what might happen with the characters kept swirling in my head prior to the screening I attended.  I am pleased to report, it is astonishing! It marks a new beginning after many events from the recent films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This one brings in key elements that audiences will be surprised by.

Sam Wilson (played by Anthony Mackie) is the new one to fill the shoes as Captain America. This film creates the storyline which sets up a new direction. Sam is training Joaquin Torres (played by Danny Ramirez) to be like him. The doors to new beginnings continue to evolve. The President is Thaddeus Ross (played by Harrison Ford), but it’s not clear if he on the good or bad side. His daughter is Betty Ross (played by Liv Tyler). There is a new conspiracy in the arena of international safety in Captain America: Brave New World. For its hero, the support is from Isaiah Bradley (played by Carl Lumbly). The film’s setup of characters who have seen new worlds and are now trying to fix the next big threat weaves in various directions in a multitude of ways.

The film does a stellar job of creating the foundation for its audience to think back to the year 2008. That was the year of The Incredible Hulk, and the last time Tyler was part of the franchise. Hulk is one of the superheroes that does not have a variety of his own separate titles (like most other Marvel heroes). However, the approach of writing in a way that causes the audience to think back keeps the pacing steady and provides hope for a later universe. The opening of doors in Captain America: Brave New World offers an intriguing combination which keeps the audience captivated.

The villains in this film truly deserve some emphasis and attention, because the film spirals with them. They are tied together. The big ones are Sidewinder (played by Giancarlo Esposito) and Samuel Sterns (played by Tim Blake Nelson). They know that Sam and Thaddeus are on the brink of teaming up for a variety of reasons. The film is able to keep a steady pace of blindsiding. The ultimate question in Captain America: Brave New World is which side seems to have more trust? The movie is extravagant in its direction and has a solid foundational approach. The battle between good and the bad in Captain America: Brave New World takes the film to a whole different level. It utilizes the tactic of keeping its characters in their ownlanes which helps establish a pattern of curiosity. The question of what may happen or go wrong when lines are faded adds plenty of excitement for what is in store. Three out of four stars.

Film reviews

Parthenope Review

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“Great actors, like great directors, do the same job. They are great observers of reality.”

-Paolo Sorrentino

Those quotes hold true to the craft of Sorrentino. He is a director that loops in beauty and presence in forms that feel connected to the purest quality. With a blend of dynamics, characterizations, and purpose, artistic craft shines in Parthenope. This film that takes place in Naples, Italy–a country that Sorrentino admires.  The humanistic value here feels vivid in its form of following its main character. With an array of ups and downs, Parthenope leaves marks of the challenges of moments portrayed and lightin the revelations revealed. All of it is through the eyes of the film’s main character…Parthenope (played by Celeste Dalla Porta).

The vibrations of scenery create the flow of Parthenope. As the film’s center, they are gorgeous in capturing the essence of Porta’s most ambitious roles. The plot is diverse, and the setting of Naples sets off a vibrant track. Parthenope is a woman of divine beauty—she has a lovely personality and dazzles the screen of her dynamic life. Continuity strolls through her journey with much to think about. She navigates her life throughher studies in Anthropology. This ties into her connection with her professor Devoto Marrotta (played by Silvio Orlando). She also navigates her companionship with Sandrino (played by Dario Aita) and Raimondo (played by Daniele Rienzo). She also has ambition to take the steps to become an aesthete because of writer John Cheever (played by Gary Oldman). On top of that, she has hopes to become an actress through her connection to Greta Cool (played by Luisa Ranieri). The many loopholes and avenues of Parthenope’s life are a journey of discovery—one that is bold and spellbinding in the thoroughness of Sorrentino’s artistic craft.

From the viewers perspective, it is like the performance of Porta is that of a creature finding open doors to beauty. “Beauty” isblended with light and creates a constructive pattern in Parthenope. The setting of Naples is one where the artistic life of one finding their track is diverse in the pattern of one finding themself. This is a journey that will take the breath away from its audience, especially through the moments where Parthenope questions her beauty and who she loves. They leave the audience to wonder who will benefit her in her journey to find a career or move toward a life that is fulfilling.

From Sorrentino, the presentation of one feeling alive and in the moment weaves the wonders of happiness and contempt into a complex tapestry. The question is where is it rewarding? Is it with her many moments of relationships? Is it with her studies? Is it with the fascinations of thinking of becoming an actress? The diverse range of places and choices are intentionally vast tocreate a correlation of unforgettable meaning.

Love finds new tones of language and empathy in Parthenope. A masterpiece of craftsmanship and looking at life in a warming,heartfelt perspective. The shifting of plateaus leads to unforgettable wonders. It does not dwell on finding a negative pattern, but the choices in Parthenope are bound to make an audacious impression. Four out of four stars for Parthenope.

Film reviews

Love Hurts Review

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When there is a film with Ke Huy Quan, expect it to bring grandeur with mesmerizing characterizations full of personality. His acting makes audiences think back to his role as a child in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. He still brings fascination that shines wonderfully on the screen many decades later. His role this time around is as a successful career man trying to deal with many life and death issues. The past, however, is what comes to haunt him. Love Hurts is one-of-a-kind and quirky with excellence. 

Quan plays Marvin Gable, a realtor who has had a life with many deadly trails. He is in the mindset of assuming life is good, but it’s about to get a whole lot worse. As he is navigating his days with his colleagues, fragments of his past come back to him. There are various strange signals, and chances of danger. An anonymous message comes into his life, and from there, Love Hurts spirals. There is a whole lot of negative impactwhich comes on gradually and then accelerates. The instigator of the past scenarios which comes back around for vengeance is Rose Carlisle (played by Ariana DeBose). Another individual that comes into the picture is The Raven (played by Mustafa Shakir). Both characters are part of Marvin’s life before his career achievements. The antagonist is Alvin ‘Knuckles’ Gable (played by Daniel Wu), and he is also Marvin’s brother. A trail of deceit and vengeance grows rapidly and turns into a rollercoaster ride full of genius moments.

Love Hurts is wonderful because of the way fantasy decreases and then increases vividly. It goes from Marvin seeing red flags and then progresses to when Rose comes into the picture. Once Rose comes around, the duo dynamically evolves into scenes which are part of a wild death match of an adventure. The action correlates with having a humorous tone while also being visually enticing. Quan and DeBose are a duo of extravaganza. Love Hurts will dazzle its audiences to the max. It is a new direction that does not have to be taken seriously. Before seeing the movie, I was not expecting much. But it turned out to be more than what I was hoping for. The continued trails of trial and error, and the harsh previous events create a tornado of twists and turns. 

In terms of expectations, I will try to put my comparisons into cinematic terms. Think of John Wick meeting Office Space. Both find a pattern to tie together. John Wick for the action sequences and Office Space for the characters’ personalities. When the scenarios involving conflicts and enemies occur, the movie is filled with a climax like Everything Everywhere All at Once. Quan was in Everything Everywhere All at Once and he won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance while the film even won Best Picture. Love Hurts has a lighter, more subtle plot than Everything Everywhere All at Once yet still well worth seeing. Three out of four stars.