Change Your Image
onethoestel
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Blonde (2022)
Insulting to Marilyn Monroe.
A fictionalized biopic of the inner life of Marilyn Monroe.
The Hollywood sex icon, Marilyn Monroe, has seen numerous biopics ever since her tragic death in the early 1960s. So when it was announced there would be another "biopic" on her life I was very unsure about it, but director Andrew Dominik promised the Blonde would be different. Safe to say that it was different, but in a dark, twisted, cruel way that makes me want to vomit.
The best word I can use to describe Blonde is "trauma porn". Throughout the entirety of this film, we see Monroe being beaten, raped, mutilated and sexualized in graphic detail. Dominik makes Monroe's trauma a reality, instead of showcasing her as the misunderstood, but an incredibly intelligent and kind woman that she was. Her story is presented as a thin series of traumatic events held together by a single strand of hair, filled with long pauses and drug-tripping cinematography. Thus causing Blonde to not feel like a movie, but one pretentiously long traumatic porn pic.
Not even the acting could save this film. If Ana de Armas was not playing Marilyn Monroe, her performance is pretty good. However, in this film context, her performance fails. She struggles to cover up her accent and at many points, it comes out entirely. Armas is trying so hard to look like and mimic Monroe, her body language feels unnatural and forced. Sadly, I feel like she was casted because she somewhat resembles Monroe and not for her acting talent. Everyone else in this movie is fine, but nothing more.
Overall, it felt wrong watching Blonde. When a fictionalized biopic is being done on someone as beloved as Marilyn Monroe, it should be done with respect. Not glorified as trauma porn. The films only saving grace is its beautiful cinematography.
I am giving Blonde, an F.
Don't Worry Darling (2022)
Was good till the final act.
A 1950s housewife living with her husband in a utopian experimental community begins to worry that his glamourous company could be hiding disturbing secrets.
With all of the anticipation and drama surrounding Olivia Wilde's new film, Don't Worry Darling, I was expecting a train crash. What surprised me was that it wasn't, or up until the final act. For the first two-thirds of this movie, I was heavily invested in the characters, their relationships, and the world that was Victory. Even though the story is one that has been done countless times, the characters and their relationships were really fascinating to watch, and were for the most part, perfectly handed. She was able to hold and build the tension and the mystery of Victory, skillfully. However, all of this crumbles into the film's final act. Its big twist does not work for this movie. Instead of portraying an intelligent conclusion, it instead falls into the modern theme of "Men bad, Women good". As a woman, I am tired of seeing this theme in almost every story nowadays. It's a very simple, yet offensive feminist message that is damaging to everyone. The fact that this film's message at its end is this, it almost ruins the film.
The acting in this film ranges from phenomenal to just fine. Florence Pugh is the biggest standout in this film and she gives it everything in this film. She portrays a wide range of emotions and subtle language of someone "losing" their minds. She carried the majority of this film with her performance. Chris Pine was another stand-out in the film and makes a compelling villain. My only complaint is that he needed to be in the film more. Olivia Wilde and Gemma Chan also do good jobs with the roles they are given. However, Harry Styles really did struggle in this film, especially compared to everyone else. He does not really have that much range showcased in this film, and proves again he was cast for his name, not for his acting abilities.
Aesthetically this film does hit the 50s style. From the costume and production design, with a bit of oversaturation of 50s music, you were transported to the 1950s. The soundtrack is really good and adds the right amount of foreboding tension throughout the film. The cinematography for the most part of pretty good. They brought the bright colors of the 50s to life, and it helped with that immersion. With all of that stated, Don't Worry Darling had the potential to be a great movie, but sadly it crumbled in its final act with a lazy twist.
I am giving Don't Worry Darling, a C+.
Pearl (2022)
A slow decent into madness.
The backstory of how Pearl became the person she was.
Pearl was not the movie I was expecting. I was expecting another slasher like X, but with a Wizard of Oz spin to it. However, Pearl was a character study of a woman falling into her serial killer's ways and the abuse that led her down that path, with the Wizard of Oz twist. West finds the perfect balance between the humanized existential crisis and abuse Pearl faces, and her killer ways. This balance is perfectly portrayed by Mia Goth, who gives an Oscar-worthy performance, especially in her one-take confession, which lasted several minutes. She is able to hold a scene and masterfully portrays all of the complexities of insanity and the creepy ways of Pearl. The visuals and the score of the film also add to her descent into madness by adding surreal, otherworldly qualities to Pearl's fantasies. Overall, a very well-done character study, and I look forward to the sequel, MAXXINE.
I am giving Pearl, a B+.
Sin City (2005)
A comic book literally brought to life.
An exploration of the dark and miserable Basin City and three of its residents, all of whom are caught up in violent corruption.
Sin City is not a comic book adaptation, but a comic book literally being brought to life. Directing duo, Robert Rodriquez and Frank Miller masterfully bring Miller's iconic comic book to the big screen. From the hyper-stylized cinematography to the witty writing that feels like it is straight from the 1940s, it's a neo-noir like no other. From the beginning, we are immediately swept away into the cesspool that is Basin City. With three unique stories, that highlight a different part of the city's characters and problems. Each of these stories, is, for the most part, perfectly balanced and complements one another. All of them are fantastically told through a different narrator, and given slightly different tones/themes for each one. The substance of the film perfectly matches its hyper-stylization and is truly a comic book film like no other.
With the witty writing that feels like it is straight out of detective stories from the 40s and 50s came some great acting from this film's stacked cast. Now I will say that some of the actors really did struggle with some of the dialogue, but thankfully they weren't on the screen for that long. Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen, and Bruce Willis are our three narrators and all of them do a fantastic job. Each of them gives immense depth to their complex characters. Rosario Dawson, Benicio Del Toro, and Nick Stahl each bring fantastic side characters to this film. However, the biggest standout came from Elijah Wood as the silent, cannibalistic, serial killer. For having very few minutes of screen time, he leaves his mark on this film as being one of the creepiest and most terrifying villains I've seen in a long time.
The film's iconic black and white cinematography, with very few slashes of colors, is absolutely gorgeous. The visual queues when color does appear is a perfect use of visual storytelling. It gives this film such a unique aesthetic that perfectly aligns with the comics and the setting. The VFX in the film has sadly not aged that well. Some of of the shots still hold up pretty well, while others have aged poorly. Overall, Sin City is a breath of fresh air when it not only comes to comic book adaptations but also films in general.
I am giving Sin City, an A.
Barbarian (2022)
Solid horror, that falls apart in its final act.
A woman staying at an Airbnb discovers that the house she has rented is not what it seems.
Barbarian was quite a surprise for me. After watching the trailers I was expecting another cheap jump scare horror, but it wasn't that. It was a well-crafted horror, that used its atmosphere, unsettling imagery, and fantastic performances to create horror and tension throughout the film, rather than jump scares. The performances from Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgard, and Justin Long were all fantastic. Campbell makes a great scream queen and was easily the stand out of this film. With that stated, the film does crumble apart, when the final act hits. It's filled with numerous bad horror tropes and becomes incredibly repetitive. Furthermore, there is also quite a big plot hole in this movie, but I won't really discuss it here because this is a non-spoiler review. Overall, a good horror movie, but does fall apart in its final act.
I am giving Barbarian, a B.
Midsommar (2019)
If you say "good for her", you have fallen under their spell.
A couple travels to Sweden to visit a rural town's fabled mid-summer festival. What begins as an idyllic retreat quickly devolves into an increasingly violent and bizarre competition at the hands of a pagan cult.
The beauty that lies within Ari Aster's Midsommar is a horror all too familiar. A beautiful paradise that turns into a head-spinning nightmare. At its heart, Aster perfectly articulates the terror of bad relationships the cult manipulation. Throw in some unsettling and bone-shattering imagery, this slow-burn horror flick easily stands above so many in the genre. Aster takes his time building up tension, after the film's shocking opener. He really builds up his characters before delving into the film's horror. He allows the audience to be swept in by the beautiful and idyllic Swedish village and its people, before turning it into night terror of drugs and manipulation. Aster perfectly captures cult manipulation so well that if by the end of the film you say "good for her", you have fallen under the spell of the cult.
As with any Aster film, he really pushes his ensemble cast to their limits. Florence Pugh makes her break-out performance in this role. She masterfully portrays numerous mental illnesses, emotional breakdowns, and vulnerabilities of someone who is completely broken. I am still surprised to this date that this was not the role that landed her an Oscar nomination in 2020. Jack Reynor also gives a great performance as an emotionally detached boyfriend. Vilhelm Blomgren, Gunnel Fred, and everyone else of the Swedish towns folk masterfully portray cult manipulation, ranging from Love Bombing to Isolation.
An aspect of the film that sets it apart from many other horror films is its bright and beautiful cinematography. The bright pastel colors of the flowers and paintings, and the beautiful hues of green and blue, shine wondrously. The beautiful visuals add to the film's subtle nature of brainwashing you. The Swedish folk scores add to the film's beauty and horror. The costumes and production are beautiful and artfully crafted. The filmmakers really put in their homework for bringing this cult to life. Overall, Midsommar is a horror film that truly stands above so many. It questions and ponders what you think of cults and what they can do to you.
I am giving Midsommar, an A.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022)
Tolkien only in name (Episodes 1 and 2)
This is a review for Episodes 1 and 2.
So the first two episodes of Amazon billion dollar gamble, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power have finally been released and it is a bit of a disaster. So before I get into the bad let me talk about the positives, because that is going to be really quick. This series is visually quite beautiful. The cinematography is really well done and you are able to see where the majority of the budget went to. Furthermore, Bear McCreary's score is also pretty good and has somewhat of the feel that Shore's had. Lastly, surprisingly good performances came from Robert Aramayo as the young Elrond and Owain Arthur as Prince Durin. Sadly, that is the only thing that is positive so far.
The first two episodes of Rings of Power are a massive mess. The show is incredibly focused on introducing numerous plot points and where our characters will be, the story and the plot is non-existent. We are now 25% of the way through this series and I have no idea what it is going to be about. I know what it should be about, but Tolkiens Legendarium is nowhere to be found. That can also be stated by how thin nearly all of the characters are, with the exception of Elrond and Prince Durin. The majority of the canon characters don't invoke their canon counterparts, and the non-canon characters feel like cheap rip-offs of canon characters. The writing is also a mixed bag. Some of it does invoke Tolkien's language, while the rest is either cringy or a bad copy of the legendary writing in Peter Jacksons' trilogies. What is more frustrating is that this series so far has no identity. I wanted this series to have its own unique aesthetic, and to have a different feel from previous adaptations. Instead, it's trying incredibly hard to emulate the work that Jackson and company did all those years ago, but it feels like a cheap copy only there to ride the wave of previous successors. Overall, this is not a good start to this series and it looks to be only Tolkien in name.
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
A good film that feels incomplete
A Manhattan doctor embarks on a bizarre, night-long odyssey after his wife's admission of unfulfilled longing.
Eyes Wide Shut is Stanley Kubrick's incomplete swan song. Its story, as with all Kubrick films, is filled with mystery and ambiguity, while also madness. However, to no fault of the film, it does feel incomplete. It feels like there is an entire storyline or a major scene that is missing in the film, most likely cut and burned forever, given that it is rumored that this film is based on cults in Hollywood and the elite. With this stated, I was captivated by the story of jealousy, cults, and infidelity. Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, and Sydney Pollack were all fantastic in this film and perfectly presented the depth of their characters and their relationships. The film is filmed in the classic Kubrick style, and the simplistic score adds a very sinister tone. Overall, a good film, but it is sadly incomplete.
I am giving Eyes Wide Shut, a B.
Shame (2011)
a new take on an unspoken addiction
A sex addict's carefully cultivated private life falls apart after his sister arrives for an indefinite stay.
Shame is a captivating depiction an addict who appears to be perfectly normal when looked at and spoken to, but is suffering from a severe addiction, in this case, sex. Steve McQueen perfectly showcases the effects that addiction has on one's self, their relationships, and society. These complexities are perfectly brought out in the film's writing and performance by Michael Fassbender. I am greatly surprised that he did not receive an Oscar nomination for his performance, but at least Fassbender took home the Volpi Cup at Venice Film Festival. The film is beautifully shot and the film score adds a sense of uneasiness to the film. My only real complaint is Carey Mulligan's character. Her performance is fantastic, however, to me, it feels like her character does not suit this film. If her character was more likable and kind, then her brother turning her away would be more heartbreaking. But because she is unlikable, the emotional climax does not hit as well. Overall, great movie that deserves more recognition.
I am giving Shame, a B+.
Yellowjackets (2021)
a well done survival drama
A wildly talented high school girls' soccer team becomes the (un)lucky survivors of a plane crash deep in the Canadian wilderness.
From beginning to end I was completely enthralled by Showtimes survival drama, Yellowjackets. For the 90s flashbacks, it's clear that the series draws heavy inspiration from William Golding's classic, "Lord of the Flies", but with a modern feminine twist to it. While the present is a masterful character study on survivors' guilt and the midlife crisis. Both of these stories perfectly balance and complement one another. The writing is witty and each character is given an insane amount of depth and characterization. Yellowjackets also hold no punches back when it comes to the series gore. The series opens up with one of the girls being hunted and bled like a pig to be prepared for a cannibalistic feast. Talk about a messed-up opening.
With the series' enthralling storying, you must also have some fantastic acting involved as well, in this case, some Emmy-nominated acting. Melanie Lynskey proves yet again that she is one of the most underrated actresses in Hollywood with her captivating performance. She masterfully portrays women having a mid-life crisis, but with some horrifying undertones. She definitely earned her Emmy nomination. Her younger counterpart, played by Sophie Nelisse also does a fantastic job. Nelisse's acting never tries to impersonate Lynskey, but you can clearly tell they are the same person. Ella Purnell and Juliette Lewis are also two big standouts in the series. My favorite performance easily has to be from Christina Ricci. She earned her Emmy nomination by playing someone who is harmless at first but is a sociopath under her unsettling smile. Overall, this series does a fantastic job with its acting.
The series is hauntingly beautiful. They masterfully create an unsettling atmosphere with their camera work. Furthermore, the series uses atmospheric female whispers for the score further adds to the series' unsettling nature. With half of this series taking place in the mid-90s, it has a great soundtrack filled with female rockers of the 90s. My only real problem with this series is that some of the VFX look really rough at points. Secondly, some of the survival decisions and situations they make are unrealistic. For example, one character gets mauled by a wolf in the flashback and she comes out relatively unscathed. Obviously, she is deformed but there is no infection or anything like that present. Given how it also takes her over 24 hours to get some form of medical attention, I am surprised that no infection had begun. Other than that, I greatly enjoyed this series, and it's definitely the most underrated of this year's Emmy nominations. I highly recommend it to all. (First two episodes are free on YouTube).
I am giving Yellowjackets (Season 1), an A-.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022)
Tolkien only in name (Episodes 1 and 2)
This is a review for Episodes 1 and 2.
So the first two episodes of Amazon billion dollar gamble, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power have finally been released and it is a bit of a disaster. So before I get into the bad let me talk about the positives, because that is going to be really quick. This series is visually quite beautiful. The cinematography is really well done and you are able to see where the majority of the budget went to. Furthermore, Bear McCreary's score is also pretty good and has somewhat of the feel that Shore's had. Lastly, surprisingly good performances came from Robert Aramayo as the young Elrond and Owain Arthur as Prince Durin. Sadly, that is the only thing that is positive so far.
The first two episodes of Rings of Power are a massive mess. The show is incredibly focused on introducing numerous plot points and where our characters will be, the story and the plot is non-existent. We are now 25% of the way through this series and I have no idea what it is going to be about. I know what it should be about, but Tolkiens Legendarium is nowhere to be found. That can also be stated by how thin nearly all of the characters are, with the exception of Elrond and Prince Durin. The majority of the canon characters don't invoke their canon counterparts, and the non-canon characters feel like cheap rip-offs of canon characters. The writing is also a mixed bag. Some of it does invoke Tolkien's language, while the rest is either cringy or a bad copy of the legendary writing in Peter Jacksons' trilogies. What is more frustrating is that this series so far has no identity. I wanted this series to have its own unique aesthetic, and to have a different feel from previous adaptations. Instead, it's trying incredibly hard to emulate the work that Jackson and company did all those years ago, but it feels like a cheap copy only there to ride the wave of previous successors. Overall, this is not a good start to this series and it looks to be only Tolkien in name.
No Man of God (2021)
An interesting new look at one of Americas most famous serial killers
Based upon real recordings, tells the story of interviews between an FBI profiler and Ted Bundy in his final years.
Ted Bundy is one of the most notorious serial killers in history. There have been numerous books and films about him. It almost feels like there is an oversaturation of Ted Bundy in the past couple of years. Many past adaptations of his life seem to cover the same key points, his killings, and his trial. No Man of God decides to take a different approach to Bundy. This film decides to take Bundy in a more intimate and chilling environment as he is waiting for his execution. No Man of God is the most chilling adaptation of the notorious serial killer.
On the surface of No Man of God, its two men sitting in a room talking to each other. However, this film is more than that. No Man of God is an intricate battle of wits. If you are someone who loves Netflix's Mindhunter, you are going to love this movie. The dialog is complex and fascinating. I was left on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to be said next. Furthermore, the way this film portrayed the complicated relationship between Agent Hagmaier and Bundy was fascinating to watch. You see the mental turmoil that Hagmaier is going through by having numerous conversations with Bundy feels grounded. At the end of the film, you ponder who influenced who. Amber Sealey has brought to life the most grounded and fascinating look into Ted Bundy.
With the majority of this film being in a single setting, the acting really shines through and carries this film. Elijah Wood and Luke Kirby give powerhouse performances. This is some of the best work I've seen from both actors. The pair had excellent chemistry with one another. Wood masterfully shows the eager FBI analyst who wants to learn from Bundy while also being torn apart by interacting with him. The emotional turmoil of interacting with Bundy and trying to keep faith in your religion Wood pulls off perfectly. Kirby is chilling as Ted Bundy. He pulls off the perfect balance between charming, intelligent, and creepy perfectly. Kirby's gives the best adaptation of Bundy that I've seen in film.
For this being an independent film, this film looks gorgeous. Every shot you feel the eeriness of Ted Bundy around you. Furthermore, this film has a lot of really unique shots that are masterfully edited together. My only complaint with this film is that there is one scene at the end that feels out of place with the rest of the film. If you watch the film, you will know the scene that I am talking about. Other than that I heavily enjoyed this film.
All in all, No Man of God is a complete package. This film has excellent directing, writing, and acting that will leave you questioning your humanity. Furthermore, you may not learn anything new about Bundy, but the film provides a fascinating psychological look into the notorious serial killer.
I am giving No Man of God, an A-.