2017 Invitation to Join AMPAS

Yesterday the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) announced is extending 774 invitations to join the organization and because there are some people I was very positively impressed they were invited, as well as was utterly impressed Kristen Stewart is not a member as of this moment (!!!), I'm doing this post with comments and to list some of the people invited a couple of Academy Branches.

On the interesting side of AMPAS list there are 30 individuals that have been invited by multiple branches, but they have to select only one branch upon accepting membership.  Besides having to pay their financial dues, new members will be welcomed into the Academy at invitation-only receptions in the fall - meaning Oscar Season.

But the irreverent perhaps is more juicy as almost all industry magazines today have articles that highlight the "many" TV actors invited to join the Academy.  To be honest, that's what called my attention and made me read the list of actors paying more attention than the usual.  Then the other much abuzz is diversity as the institution tries not to fix the industry but is trying to fix itself by asking younger individuals, more female, increase race diversity, etc. and from my perspective, open to the world of cinema it leads no matter what anyone says and well, the 774 new members will come from 57 countries (if all accept).  By-the-way it is a record as is the first time the organization has extended that many invitations (until 2015 were in the 300 range, 2016 doubled to 600 range).

Then you have the inevitable, those that claim that with these invitations the Academy is lowering its standards.  Seems some believe that to be invited the individual has to do remarkable work as otherwise is not worthy of becoming a member.  Will not comment much, but that's the kind of conversation that should not exist in any organization much less in a cinema-related institution where there is a huge stretch between bad-good and who is the good-credentials one to say which work belongs to which side of the scale.  Sigh.

As finished reading the list do notice that there are lots of women invited, with some branches inviting more women than men (which is notorious but unavoidable as most of its members are male) and yes, there are a lot of American TV actors but all have made movies, many made blockbuster movies, some indies and others studio movies; but no doubt that all have acted in movies and probably are SAG members (lol!).

Seems the youngest individual invited this year is 19-years-old Elle Fanning and the oldest is none other than 95-years-old Betty White (she has been in about 7 films).  Among the individuals honored with an invitation there are three married couples: Anna Faris and Chirs Pratt, Carina Lau and Tony Leung, plus Adele Romanski and James Laxton; a Father and Daughter-In-Law: Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan; and two sisters, Debbie Allen and Phylicia Rashad.  Also noticeable are the many Bollywood actors invited, but what it's quite "funny" is the movies they're attached as seems someone was not allowed to list the many (some in the hundreds)  Bollywood movies they are in (lol!).

In case you do not recall, all 2017 Oscar nominees that were not Academy members receive an invitation; so you have to discount from large list, around 96 individuals that got 112 nominations from which 24 individuals went to win 25 Oscars.

There is a crucial fact many seem to be forgetting and is VERY IMPORTANT.  Individuals have to accept the invitation otherwise they will  not be Academy members.  Perhaps the most notorious case this year is Viggo Mortensen who was invited before but declined; still, seems this time he will accept as has been told by some industry reports.

Here are some of the individuals that received an invitation.

Actors (105)
A (3)
Riz Ahmed
Debbie Allen
Elena Anaya
B (6)
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan
Monica Bellucci
Gilm Birmingham
Nazanin Boniadi
Daniel Brühl
C (5)
Maggie Cheung
John Cho
Priyanka Chopra
Matt Craven
Terry Crews
D (3)
Warwick Davis
Coman Domingo
Adam Driver
E (3)
Joel Edgerton
Chris Evans
Luke Evans
F (7)
Fan Bingbing
Elle Fanning
Golshifteh Farahani
Anna Faris
Tom Felton
Rebecca Ferguson
Lou Ferrigno
G (10)
Gal Gadot
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Jeff Garlin
Spencer Garrett
Domhnall Gleeson
Sharon Gless
Donald Glover
Judy Greer
Rupert Grint
Noel Gugliemi
H (11)
John Hamm
Arnie Hammer
Naomi Harris
Leila Hatami
Anne Heche
Lucas Hedges
Chris Hemsworth
Ciaran Hinds
Aldis Hodge
Bryce Dallas Howard
Bonnie Hunt
J (3)
Jian Wen
Dwayne Johnson
Leslie Jones
K (6)
Keegan-Michael Key
Aamir Khan
Irrfan Khan
Salman Khan
Rinko Kikuchi
Zoë Kravitz
L (3)
Sanaa Lathan
Carina Lau
Tony Leung
M (7)
Rami Malek
Leslie Mann
Kate Mckinnon
Sienna Miller
Janelle Monáe
Michelle Monaghan
Vigo Mortensen
N (2)
Ruth Negga
Franco Nero
O (1)
Elizabeth Olsen
P (5)
Deepika Padukone
Sarah Paulson
Robert Picardo
Amy Poehler
Chris Pratt
Q (1)
Zachary Quinto
R (4)
Edgar Ramirez
Phylicia Rashad
Margot Robbie
Maya Rudolph
S (12)
Hiroyuki Sanada
Henry G. Sanders
Rodrigo Santoro
Rade Šerbedžija
Nestor Serrano
Amanda Seyfried
Molly Shannon
Ana Deavere Smith
Hailee Steinfeld
Kristen Stewart
Omar Sy
Wanda Sykes
T (4)
Channing Tatum
Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Lauren Tom
Jeanne Tripplehorn
V (1)
Paz Vega
W (7)
Dee Wallace
Ming-Na Wen
Betty White
Rebel Wilson
Mary Elizabeth Winstead
B.D. Wong
Shailene Woodley
Y (1)
Donnie Yen

There is no doubt that the most interesting list belongs to the directors branch as has some outstanding filmmakers that absolutely deserve the honor of belonging to the so-called American Academy but undoubtedly is becoming more and more open to the incredibly good World Cinema. Still, wonder if some of the below directors will accept or decline the invitation as can't imagine them being active in such mundane Oscar duties (lol!).

List includes amazing filmmakers like Vietnam's Tran Anh Hung (remember awesome The Scent of Green Papaya?), Chile's Pablo Trapero and Alejandro Jodorowsky, Mexico's Amat Escalante, Philippines' Brillante Mendoza and Lav Diaz, Greece's Athina Rachel Tsangari, Australia's Cate Shortland and Garth Davis, South Korea's Kim Ki-duk, Portugal's Pedro Costa, France's Emmanuelle Bercot, Germany's Fatih Akin, Austria's Jessica Hausner, Hong Kong's Ann Hui and Johnnie To, Japan's Takashi Miike, Israel's Eran Riklis, Mexico's Arturo Ripstein, Denmark's Martin Zandvliet, Netherlands' Paula van der Oest and more.

Directors (64)
A-E (20)
Fatih Akin
Adolfo Aristarain
David Ayer
Nabil Ayouch
Siddiq Barmak
Aida Begić
Emmanuelle Bercot
Martin Butler
Patricia Cardoso
Peter Ho-Sun Chan
Derek Cianfrance
Pedro Costa
Garth Davis
Bentley Dean
Lav Diaz
Carlos Diegues
Nelson Pereira dos Santos
Nana Dzhordzhadze
Ildikó Enyedi
Amat Escalane
F-L (13)
Safi Faye
Tom Ford
Goutam Ghose
Jessica Hausner
Joanna Hogg
Hannes Holm
Ann Hui
Christine Jeffs
Barry Jenkins
Alejandro Jodorowsky
Kim Ki-duk
Zacharias Kunuk
Mohammed Lakhdar-Hania
M-P (13)
David Mackenzie
Sharon Maguire
Theodore Melfi
Kleber Mendonça Filho
Brillante Mendoza
Marta Meszaros
Takashi Miike
Orlando Montiel
Jocelyn Moorhouse
Kira Muratova
Hector Olivera
Idrissa Ouedraogo
Jordan Peele
R-Z (18)
Mohammad Rasoulof
Eran Riklis
Arturo Ripstein
Guy Ritchie
Antony Russo
Joseph Russo
Mrinal Sen
Cate Shortland
Peter Sollett
Juan Carlos Tabío
Rawson Marshall Thurber
Johnnie To
Tran Ang Hung
Pablo Trapero
Athina Rachel Tsangari
Paula van der Oest
Susanna White
Martin Zandvliet

Worth mentioning are two well-known musicians, lyricist, singers: Justin Timberlake and Lin-Manuel Miranda; but no doubt the most interesting in the Music branch is Justin Hurwitz with his work in La La Land and Whiplash. Last, best news come from the Writers branch as Céline Sciamma has been invited to join them; it's good news but honestly would have even better if she was invited to join the Director's branch.

To read the complete list that includes some of the films each individual is related to go official site here, file is a pdf.

Camp X-Ray (2014)

Genre

Drama

Director

Peter Sattler 

Country

USA

Cast

Kristen Stewart, Peyman Moaadi, Julia Duffy, John Carroll Lynch, Lane Garrison, Joseph Julian Soria, Tara Holt, Ser'Darius Blain, Cory Michael Smith, Mark Naji, Anoop Simon, Robert Tarpinian, Yousuf Azami, Marco Khan, Kyle Bornheimer, Nawal Bengholam, LaDell Preston, Daniel Leavitt

Storyline

Army private first class Amy Cole (Kristen Stewart) is placed as a guard at Guantanamo Bay detention camp. Her convictions become less certain after she strikes up a tenuous friendship with one of the detainees (Peyman Moaadi).

Opinion

Surprisingly good, intense, and solid, Camp X-Ray is one of those films that doesn't even leave you after the end credits.

The film should serve as an eye-opening to those who believe in the legitimacy of the Americans wars against the eponymous enemy. Also, it is an ode, a praise to humanness. It shows that living all together in peace, as John Lennon hoped, may be just a utopia, but from an individual perspective, it is possible to make a difference, to knock down those walls that separate different, yet similar people.

In his directorial debut, with a million dollar budget, Peter Sattler achieves a fantastic result, result to which Michael Bay has failed to get even close with multiple stratospheric budgets.

The storytelling is slow, and repetitive, and it would be natural to wonder why some scenes haven't been cut in the editing room. But as you go on with the film, you realise that's how it was supposed to be, because that's the only way to fully immerge the audience in the claustrophobic prison's cells blocks.

The acting surprised me the most. Kristen Stewart has finally found the kind of thing that suits her. Being done with that teen garbage, she finally shows that she can act, playing the lead very well, and delivering the message. However, the real star is Peyman Moaadi. He delivers a brilliant performance and reaches the heart. 

Quotes

Ali Amir: You're asking me why do I want to die, but you don't see that I'm not even living. You gus control everything. You tell us what to eat, when to sleep. Even when we don't want to eat, you tell me we must. It is your life... it is not ours.

Dances with Wolves (1990)

Genre

Adventure | Drama | Western

Director

Kevin Costner

Country

USA

Cast

Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene, Rodney A. Grant, Floyd Red Crow Westerman, Tantoo Cardinal, Jimmy Herman, Nathan Lee Chasing His Horse, Michael Spears, Jason R. Lone Hill, Charles Rocket Robert Pastorelli, Larry Joshua, Tony Pierce, Kirk Baltz, Tom Everett, Maury Chaykin, Wes Studi, Wayne Grace, Michael Horton

Storyline

Lt. John Dunbar (Kevin Costner), exiled to a remote western Civil War outpost, befriends wolves and Native Americans, making him an intolerable aberration in the military.

Opinion

Some people said there's no reason for the film's three-hour length. I agree on that, because the film's length was supposed to be almost four hours, but then the studio made Costner cut some parts.

Dance with Wolves is a marvelous, adventurous, romantic, peaceful, and violent western, full of love and hate, misunderstanding and guidance.

Never before has a story about Native Americans been told with such emotion, and although such contacts hardly ever took place, because of the racist dominant culture, this 'what if' story is simply spectacular. The magnificent storytelling drew me in, and made me one with it's leading character, as the Native Americans were with nature. 

Kevin Costner's directorial debut is flawless. I'm amazed at how smooth the film is, whether is an action, romance, or quiet scene.

The cinematography is breathtaking. The scenery is absolutely stunning. The musical score also is spectacular.

The acting is great. Kevin Costner plays the role of John Dunbar to perfection, delivering his best performance ever. The supporting cast is excellent: Graham Greene delivers an outstanding performance as Kicking Bird, Mary McDonnell delivers an emotionally deep performance as Stands With A Fist, and Rodney A. Grant is wonderful as Wind In His Hair.

Not too many films leave you feeling enriched, but this one does. And if you haven't already seen it, I highly recommend you the Director's Cut version, it might be longer, but it's flawless, and you'll never want this 'journey' to be over.

Quotes

John Dunbar: Many times I'd felt alone, but until this afternoon I'd never felt completely lonely. 

John Dunbar: My name is Dances with Wolves. I have nothing to say to you. You are not worth talking to.

Wind In His Hair: Dance with Wolves! I am Wind In His Hair. Do you see that I am your friend? Can you see that you will always be my friend?

(500) Days of Summer (2009)

Genre

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Director

Marc Webb

Country

USA

Cast

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel, Geoffrey Arend, Chloë Grace Moretz, Matthew Gray Gubler, Clark Gregg, Patricia Belcher, Rachel Boston, Minka Kelly, Maile Flanagan, Yvette Nicole Brown, Olivia Bagg, Richard McGonagle

Storyline

Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is an aspiring architect who currently earns his living as a greeting card writer. Summer (Zooey Deschanel) is his boss's beautiful new secretary. As they start knowing each other, Tom discovers that they have plenty in common and he falls for her. There is only one problem: she doesn't believe in true love.

Opinion

If you already have read some of my reviews, you'll probably know I usually dislike romantic comedies for recycling the same idea over and over again, and despite a different storyline and a different title, at the end they are the same thing. And even though some films are made on some nice ideas - take "Knocked Up" or "He's Just Not That Into You" - the result is never as good as hoped. 

I didn't expect much from the film - mostly because of the title - and I thought it was going to be just another clichéd romantic comedy, but god if I was wrong. (500) Days of Summer is charming, sweet, smooth, original, and unpredictable, it is a different take on falling in love, it manages to engage you with a love story you already know can't end in a good way, and, for once, the relationship it's shown from the man's point of view. Hope you don't get mad if I define it a modern version of Woody Allen's "Annie Hall".

The narrator warns us upfront, saying this is not a love story. But I guess it's because we are so preconditioned by Hollywood that throughout the whole film I thought, "That's not true. This is a love story". Only at the end I realized the narrator was pretty accurate.

Director Marc Webb put the story into a blender and the result is a great non-linear story, that manages to make you feel happy, and warmed up for a moment, and sad and feel empathy for the guy in just a few minutes. We also get a funny musical number in the park, and some great music.

Now the acting: this film got two great performances. On one hand we have Joseph Gordon-Levitt, marvellous as Tom, and capable to project humanity in an unbelievable way. On the other hand we have Zooey Deschanel. She delivers one of her best performances to date. She'll make you love her, and then she'll break your heart, but you'll just want to love her more. The chemistry between Gordon-Levitt and Deschanel is wonderful.

Quotes

Tom: I love how she makes me feel, like anything's possible, or like life is worth it.

Narrator: Most days of the year are unremarkable. They begin and they end with no lasting memory made in between. Most days have no impact on the course of a life.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)

Genre

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Director

Tim Story

Country

USA | Germany | UK

Cast

Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis, Doug Jones, Laurence Fishburne, Julian McMahon, Kerry Washington, Beau Garrett, Vanessa Minnillo, Andre Braugher, Stan Lee, Brian Posehn, Debbie Timuss, Moneca Delain, Kevin McNulty, Crystal Lowe

Storyline

As the Silver Surfer (Doug Jones, voiced by Laurence Fishburne) races around the globe wreaking havoc, Reed (Ioan Gruffudd), Sue (Jessica Alba), Johnny (Chris Evans) and Ben (Michael Chiklis) must unravel the mystery of the Silver Surfer and confront the surprising return of their mortal enemy, Dr. Doom (Julian McMahon), before all hope is lost.

Opinion

I did have really low expectations for this one, and it didn't disappoint me. While a little improvement on its predecessor, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer still is mediocre, dull, and a shame to the fantastic comic books.

As if letting Mark Frost write the script for the first film was a good idea, they called him back, and along with director Tim Story and screenwriter Don Payne, he did a bad job.
Although I like films to be faithful to the comic books, I tolerate some little differences or omissions. Unfortunately, in here, it is a huge problem. There is no backstory of Galactus - he is not even a character - and his servant, the Silver Surfer, has the power to destroy him. How ridiculous is that? Also, the Silver Surfer goes around resurrecting people. There is no explanation to the power swapping, the Torch can just swap powers with the others by touching them, and how the Torch manages to absorb everyone's powers, leaving them powerless, is a mystery.
And the villain for god's sake! Couldn't they come up with some other bad guy? Why did they have to bring Julian McMahon's awful Dr. Doom back?

Nothing exciting happens aside from the chase scene involving the Human Torch and the Silver Surfer. The visual effects suck. Mr. Fantastic looks fake most of the time.

The acting is bad as the rest. Ioan Gruffudd looks like some guy from a soap opera, and his accent still is bad. Jessica Alba is painful to watch. She is nothing more than a pretty face. And the chemistry between the two of them is inexistent. Chris Evans steals the show as Johnny Storm having the fortune to play the only character that evolves during the film. Michael Chiklis did a better job the first time. Julian McMahon is ok. Doug Jones and Laurence Fishburne do a good job as Silver Surfer's body and voice.

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014)

Genre

Horror

Director

Ana Lily Amirpour

Country

USA

Cast

Sheila Vand, Arash Marandi, Marshall Manesh, Dominic Rains, Mozhan Marnò, Rome Shadanloo

Storyline

In the Iranian ghost-town Bad City, a place that reeks of death and loneliness, the townspeople are unaware they are being stalked by a lonesome vampire (Sheila Vand).

Opinion

The critics loving it, and VICE Films distributing it gave me the input to watch this film. After watching it, and taking some hours to think about it, I still can't come up with something to write that is good enough and appropriate for the film. 

I can say that A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is the first Iranian film blending Spaghetti Westerns, graphic novels, and vampire flicks; it is unique, weird, yet beautiful, and brilliant. But, like with music, or art, or food, I can't give you an explanation for like it.

Iranian director and writer Ana Lily Amirpour is clearly influenced by Jim Jarmusch's aesthetic, but also by David Lynch's nonsensical narrative.

The plot not revealing too much is a good thing because many plot twists works better if you don't expect them. Of course, you can enjoy a second view as well. The film has some scary moments, and it keeps you guessing throughout the whole time. Subplots and secondary characters do not deviate from the original story, but they do are essential to it.

The characters are involving and interesting. You can't help but like the young man; you can't stand the pathetic, drug-addicted, old man; you hate the drug dealer; the girl is weird, but you like her: she is not some crazy vigilante, but she protects good people.

The stunning black and white photography by Lyle Vincent is definitely the first thing you notice, and the unusual, yet beautiful soundtrack fits perfectly into the story, as it was a Tarantino film.

Sheila Vand is great as The Girl, and I'm sure the director choose her for her hypnotic eyes. The others give decent performances.

This Is Where I Leave You (2014)

Genre

Comedy | Drama

Director

Shawn Levy

Country

USA

Cast

Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Adam Driver, Rose Byrne, Corey Stoll, Kathryn Hahn, Connie Britton, Timothy Olyphant, Abigail Spencer, Jane Fonda, Aaron Lazar, Ben Schwartz, Cade Lappin, Debra Monk, Will Swenson

Storyline

When their father passes away, four grown siblings are forced to return to their childhood home and live under the same roof together for a week, along with their over-sharing mother and an assortment of spouses, exes and might-have-beens.

Opinion

I am really surprised by the amount of bad reviews this title got. Lot of people said you must be Jewish and/or in your 30's or 40's to enjoy this film. Now I can't see why I, an atheist in my 20's, I enjoyed it.

Having said that, based on Jonathan Tropper's novel, This Is Where I Leave You is a brilliant, sweet, and meaningful dramedy, and even though it doesn't manage to gracefully alternate the laughter and tears, it still has its moments, and it made me both smile and move.

Adapted by Jonathan Tropper himself, the screenplay is clever, and tight. Maybe the intelligent dialogue between grown-ups and the lack of car chases and explosions is the reason why people didn't like it.
Of course, you can't build 10 characters in 103 minutes the way you can in more than three-hundred pages, still the characters are developed. Also, there are many storylines so you really have to pay attention to pretty much everything to not miss something important.

Director Shawn Levy, mostly known for mediocre films like "Night at the Museum" and "The Internship", managed to craft something wonderful from Topper's screenplay.

The starry cast does mediocre job. While some do a great job, others completely fail. Jason Bateman and Jane Fonda deliver terrific performances - I'm thankful she has been casted instead of Goldie Hawn. Tina Fey, better known as a comedian, surprised me with a great performance. While he shines in his previous films, Corey Soll looks a bit lost in this one. Adam Driver gives an awful, one-dimensional performance. Rose Byrne tries her best, and has some chemistry with Bateman, but unfortunately her character is nothing more than a love interest.

Quotes

Judd Altman: It's hard to see people from your past when your present is so cataclysmically screwed up.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

Genre

Action | Adventure

Director

Steven Spielberg

Country

USA

Cast

Harrison Ford, Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Jim Broadbent, Igor Jijikine, Joel Stoffer, Neil Flynn, Alan Dale, Andrew Divoff, Pasha D. Lychnikoff, Dimitri Diatchenko, Ernie Reyes Jr.

Storyline

After being forced to leave Marshall College under dubious circumstances, Indy (Harrison Ford) joins forces with rebellious, young Mutt (Shia LaBeouf), who believes he knows the whereabouts of one of the most spectacular archeological finds in history, the Crystal Skull of Akator, a legendary object of fascination, superstition and fear. 

Opinion

19 years after "The Last Crusade", Steven Spielberg and George Lucas come back with a new film of the franchise, starring an old Indy, still more pleasant than a 007 Agent sipping Martinis for the whole time.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a solid adventure film, entertaining, and with some fun, that still delivers the thrills, and does not damage the reputation of the Saga.

Written by George Lucas and Jeff Nathanson, the story is pretty good, but there's a problem with the characters. First of all, Oxley, Indy's friend. He looks like he's on acid, but then he heals, unfortunately it happens only at the end of the film. 

Now the villains. Cate Blanchett's Irina Spalko is not that intimidating, and the Russians are out of place. I'd rather have the Nazis back.

The action is good, and the jungle chase is ok. Only there are way too many, and implausible stunts - not a Bruce Lee's film, right? -, there's an overuse of CGI, and a pointless nuclear explosion scene.

The acting is ok. Harrison Ford still is the same, and old charismatic Indiana Jones. Shia LaBeouf is quite good to be honest, and not much annoying. Karen Allen is back as Marion, but she smiles and laughs for most of the time. John Hurt does what he can with his annoying character. Cate Blanchett is definitely wasted to play the "villain".

Quotes

Mutt Williams: You know, for an old man you ain't bad in a fight.

Indiana Jones: Thanks.

Mutt Williams: What are you, like, 80?

Playing It Cool (2014)

Genre

Comedy | Romance

Director

Justin Reardon

Country

USA

Cast

Chris Evans, Michelle Monaghan, Topher Grace, Aubrey Plaza, Ioan Gruffudd, Anthony Mackie, Ashley Tisdale, Matthew Morrison, Patrick Warburton, Giovanni Ribisi, Martin Starr, Luke Wilson, Philip Baker Hall, Scott Evans

Storyline

The narrator (Chris Evans) is a writer and wants to write action but his publisher Bryan (Anthony Mackie) wants him to write a rom com first. The problem is, the narrator doesn't believe in love. But when he meets Her (Michelle Monaghan), he falls for her, only to find out that she is already engaged to Stuffy (Ioan Gruffudd).

Opinion

I'm not much into romantic comedies - I can see if it's a good one though -, but I'm definitely into Chris Evans so I gave this thing a try. What a mistake!

You know that wow factor everybody looks for in a film? This one has it, but unfortunately it is a disappointment wow. Playing It Cool is the king of clichés, not that funny or romantic, and it is so bad that left me speechless, and as I'm writing this review I'm still not sure about what to write, or where to begin.

I'll go with the huge problem, the writing. I wonder if screenwriters Chris Shafer and Paul Vicknair were high as a kite when they wrote this crap. 

First of all the names. Every single character is given a name except the two leads, and Her boyfriend. 

The narrator is a douchebag that lies and uses women because his mommy left him when he was a child. Please tell me how realistic this is. Nowadays half of the kids grow up with just one parents, and I do know some of them, and they are not like this at all.

Her is engaged and happy with Stuffy - seriously? -, then she meets the narrator, who lies and lies to her, insult her as well, and at the end, surprise surprise, they end up together. And that's never going to happen, and I know that because I'm a woman.

Then, there are way too many fantasy sequences, annoying and pointless to be honest, and from the very first scenes you can tell where the film is going: abyss.

Shafer and Vicknair tried hard to write something clever, but the results are disappointing, and I can't even imagine how bad can be dating one of them. 

Unfortunately, the really strong cast, and the great chemistry between Chris Evans and Michelle Monaghan are not enough to save the film.

Quotes

Narrator: I'm gonna tell you this one from my point of view so you can put yourself in there.

So the story goes:The guy falls in love with a girl the second he meets her, but it takes them a lifetime to get it together.

When they do they end up on a boat, and they realise the only way they can stay together is to never go ashore.

So they raise the yellow colour flag so no port would take them and they drift out to sea 'till the end.

And it makes you realize there are people in your life so important that they dwarf everything else.

It's up to you to figure out who they are.If you have to give up everything else and spend the rest of your days on a boat, who are the must haves, the ones you can't live without?

Figure out your own list and then do everything you can to let them know how much they mean to you.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)

Genre

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Director

Marc Webb

Country

USA

Cast

Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, Colm Feore, Felicity Jones, Paul Giamatti, Sally Field, Campbell Scott, Embeth Davidtz, Marton Csokas, Chris Cooper, B.K. Novak, Denis Leary, Michael Massee, Aidy Bryant, Stan Lee

Storyline

As Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) finally managed to balance life as both Spider-Man and Peter, a new villain treats the city: socially awkward Oscorp worker Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx), who is obsessed with Spider-Man, ends up becoming the hero's new foe.

Opinion

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

If J.K. Simmons was still playing J. Jonah Jameson he'd say, "Damnit! This thing is dragging on and on!".

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is just not that amazing, and focuses more on the emotional element, developing the relationship with Gwen - it almost feels like watching Twilight -, and leaving thrills and action behind.

However, the main problem of the film is the same that occurred with Spider-Man 3: the writing. There are way too many awful things going on, and two and a half hours - which feels like eternity - are just not enough to stand the whole thing.
Let's start with Electro. He is not the same guy from the comic books. This Max Dillon is naive, shy, has low self-esteem, is ignored by everybody, and people barely remember his name, in other words, he is a loser. And he works for Oscorp. Turning into Electro after falling into a tub of electric eels, he heads to Time Square, where he sees his face all over the screens, and he suddenly become a badass because the whole city is watching him. He doesn't really have any motivation to do what he does. Not to mention his costume, that looks like it has been stolen from the Fantastic Four's trash.
Harry Osborn and Rhino are two wasted, cheesy characters. Also, the 3-minute grainy video in which Peter's dad basically tells us "Oscorp is evil" is pointless, because at that point you are already aware of that, and if you don't, well, you probably think Spider-Man is the villain.

While flying sequences are great, the fights are not epic, totally forgettable, and some of them even boring - the one with the Russian for instance -, and the fight between Spider-Man and Electro is just bad. It's not all of course. Why did Electro and Harry Osborn/Goblin attack Spider-Man separately? Why didn't the police show up near the power plant? Why didn't Gwen bleed when she hit the floor? Why did Harry kill Gwen? Wasn't Norman supposed to? And more important, is Harry normal or still "infected"?

At least the acting is still good. Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone are good as Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Gwen Stacy, and their chemistry is amazing. Though his character development is bad, Dane DeHaan delivers a good performance as Harry Osborn, and same does Jamie Foxx as Electro.

Quotes

Gwen Stacy: It's easy to feel hopeful on a beautiful day like today, but there will be dark days ahead of us too. There will be days where you feel all alone, and that's when hope is needed most. No matter how buried it gets, or how lost you feel, you must promise me that you will hold on to hope. Keep it alive. We have to be greater than what we suffer. My wish for you is to become hope; people need that. And even if we fail, what better way is there to live? As we look around here today, at all of the people who helped make us who we are, I know it feels like we're saying goodbye, but we will carry a piece of each other into everything that we do next, to remind us of who we are, and of who we're meant to be.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

Genre

Action | Adventure

Director

Steven Spielberg

Country

USA

Cast

Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Alison Doody, Denholm Elliott, John Rhys-Davies, Julian Glover, Michael Byrne, Kevork Malikyan, River Phoenix, Alex Hyde-White, Robert Eddison, Vernon Dobtcheff, Alexei Sayle, Michael Sheard

Storyline

When Dr. Henry Jones Sr. (Sean Connery) goes missing while pursuing the Holy Grail, an art collector (Julian Glover) approaches Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) with a proposition to continue his father's search. Once accepted, Jones must find his father and stop the Nazis.

Opinion

Definitely the best Indiana Jones film yet, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is more comedic, emotional, and spiritual than its predecessors, still plenty of superb action and thrills.

The great story, written by George Lucas and Menno Meyjes, begins with an introduction to a younger Indy, that finally gives the audience something about his background, such as the roots of his taste for adventure, the determination to put artifacts into museums, his fear of snakes, and, less important, how he got the chin scar. Back in 1938, the story is related to God in a beautiful way, without disrespecting religion - thing that happened in The Temple of Doom. 

The introduction of Indy's eccentric father, played by Sean Connery - couldn't really get any better than that -, is one of the highlights of the film. Most of the fun is delivered by him, and along with Ford, he also provides a great father-son dynamic.

Having most of the action of the film, Harrison Ford is amazing and charismatic as Indy. New entry Sean Connery does a wonderful job in portraying Indy's father, making a perfect duo with Ford. John Rhys-Davies is back as Sallah, and he is wonderful as ever, so is Denholm Elliott, returned as Marcus Brody. Alison Doody does a good job with her interesting character. Julian Glover is probably the best of Indy's villains so far. 

Quotes

Fedora: You lost today, kid. But that doesn't mean you have to like it.

Homefront (2013)

Genre

Action | Crime | Drama

Director

Gary Fleder

Country

USA

Cast

Jason Statham, James Franco, Winona Ryder, Kate Bosworth, Chuck Zito, Frank Grillo, Rachelle Lefevre, Clancy Brown, Christa Campbell, Stuart Green, Omar Benson Miller, Izabela Vidovic, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Marcus Hester, Austin Craig

Storyline

Former DEA agent Phil Broker (Jason Statham) moves to a small town for the sake of his 10-year-old daughter Maddy (Izabela Vidovic). The is only one problem: he picked the wrong town.

Opinion

Based on Chuck Logan's novel, and with a quite good cast - I'm not talking about Statham of course -, the film was promising. Then I read Sylvester Stallone wrote the screenplay, and the house of cards fell apart.

As mentioned before Jason Statham is in it, and his films are pretty much the same thing. This time, he is a quiet guy in need to use his exceptional fighting skills against the bad guys, and he also happens to be the fastest in the west, as usual. 

Having said that, Homefront is an action film Statham's style - his fans are gonna love it -, with no climax, still the action and violence keep you entertained, and it gets a little bit thrilling at the end. Kind of.

Agreeing on the fact that Statham is good at fighting, he is not good at acting. His performance is substanceless, just a smile here, and a smile there. Izabela Vidovic very well plays Statham's daughter. James Franco does a great job as the main bad guy - finally a role that suits him. Winona Ryder does good with his small screen time. Kate Bosworth is pretty good too. I would have like to see more Frank Grillo in here. 

Quotes

Phil Broker: Whatever you're thinking, rethink it.

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

Genre

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Director

Marc Webb

Country

USA

Cast

Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Martin Sheen, Sally Field, Irrfan Khan, Chris Zylka, Campbell Scott, Embeth Davidtz, Leif Gantvoort, Hannah Marks, Kelsey Chow, C. Thomas Howell, Stan Lee, Michael Massee, Michael Papajohn, Max Charles, Jake Keiffer

Storyline

Like most teenagers, Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents' disappearance, leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), his father's former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors' alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.

Opinion

The Sam Raimi's trilogy, though the awful ending chapter, will always stand out among the superhero films, and definitely did not need to be rebooted. Still Marc Webb succeeded in making a quite amazing interpretation of Spider-Man's origins - and a more loyal film towards the comic books.

The Amazing Spider-Man is surprisingly engaging, plenty of action, thrill, and genuine emotions, with a more effective drama than ever.

Marc Webb faithfully manages to bring to the screen Peter Parker's humanity, creating a more credible superhero, that must defeat a villain, and on the other hand take care of his worried aunt.
In this new film, Parker isn't accidentally bitten by the spider but he is kinda looking forward to, and there's a new way his powers work. He now needs a device to shoot a web perfectly, and still causing lot of damage, he looks more credible. Some parts - like when Peter is working on his costume - are way too rushed though. The villain is good, but Connors becoming evil because he became Lizard is a little forced.

Andrew Garfield is indeed the best choice to play Peter Parker, giving him that humour - and better look - Maguire's didn't have. Emma Stone is amazing as Gwen Stacy, way better than Dunst, and her character as well is better than MJ, being more than just a love interest. The chemistry between Garfield and Stone is amazing.

Quotes

Ben Parker: Peter? I know things have been difficult lately and I'm sorry about that. I think I know what you're feeling. Ever since you were a little boy, you've been living with so many unresolved things. Well, take it from an old man. Those things send us down a road... they make us who we are. And if anyone's destined for greatness, it's you, son. You owe the world your gifts. You just have to figure out how to use them and know that wherever they take you, we'll always be here. So, come on home, Peter. You're my hero... and I love you!

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

Genre

Action | Adventure

Director

Steven Spielberg

Country

USA

Cast

Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw, Jonathan Ke Quan, Amrish Puri, Roshan Seth, Philip Stone, Roy Chiao, David Yip, Raj Singh, D. R. Nanayakkara, Pat Roach

Storyline

After arriving in India, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is asked by a desperate village to find a mystical stone. He agrees, and stumbles upon a secret cult plotting a terrible plan in the catacombs of an ancient palace.

Opinion

As a prequel, it should have some coherence with the Raiders of the Lost Ark, but I'm not quite sure that happened. I understand the absence of Willie, as is common practise to change the hero's woman in each film, but what happened to Short Round? Wasn't he Indiana's sidekick in this one? Is he dead in 1936?

Having said that, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is a great, entertaining, too dark for some, adventure film, filled with thrilling scenes, nonstop action, and some fun.

Written by George Lucas, the story is good, but it also provides a negative portrayal of India and Hinduism. At least, this time, Indy has a point in the film as he manages to fulfill his mission. The character of Willie, though a little annoying, was hilarious, and you have to love Short Round.

Harrison Ford is amazing and charismatic as Jones, and gives a better performance than earlier since the character requires more humanity. Kate Capshaw struggles to get close to Allen's Marion. Jonathan Ke Quan is good as Short Round and adds something to the story. The villain, though not very interesting, is well-played by Amrish Puri.

Quotes

Short Round: I keep telling you, you listen to me more, you live longer!

The Prestige (2006)

Genre

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Director

Christopher Nolan

Country

USA | UK

Cast

Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Piper Perabo, Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson, David Bowie, Andy Serkis, Ricky Jay, Roger Rees, W. Morgan Sheppard, Daniel Davis

Storyline

In 1878, two young stage magicians, Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale), clash in a darkened salon during the course of a fraudulent seance. From this moment on, their lives become webs of deceit and exposure, secrets and revelations, as they feud to outwit and destroy one another. Their rivalry takes them both to the peak of their careers, but with terrible consequences.

Opinion

Besides this, I've only seen other two Nolan's films - Memento and Inception -, and the thing that amazed me the most is their ability to hypnotize the audience.

Although at first I wasn't much into it, The Prestige turned out to be a complex, engaging, thrilling mind-blowing film, as well as an excellent portrait of obsession and competition of magicians. 

Though adapted from Christopher Priest's novel 'The Prestige', the story is a perfect fit for Nolan's direction, as the increasing engagement and twists keeps you wondering like Memento did. Also, he succeeded in having a dream cast.

The narrative structure of the film is very interesting. Nonlinear, the film starts from the end, and builds the story through flashbacks and flashforwards, showing the same episodes from the point of view of both the main characters.

Also, part of the story has a historical confirmation. In fact, besides the invention of a machine capable of teleporting or duplicate matter, the several references to the studies of Nikola Tesla and his rivalry with Thomas Edison are accurate.

The cinematography by Wally Pfister and the scenography by Nathan Crowley and Julie Ochipinti are outstanding, giving the film a magical and mysterious setting.

Hugh Jackman as Robert Angier, Christian Bale as Alfred Borden, and Michael Caine as stage engineer John Cutter all give charismatic, emotional, stunning performances. Rebecca Hall, who plays Borden's wife, provides a great performance. Scarlett Johansson, once again in the mistress's shoes, performs badly. Mention worthy is David Bowie's performance as Nikola Tesla, which despite the small screen time, proves to be a better actor than most of Hollywood's people.

Quotes

Cutter: Every great magic trick consists of three parts or acts. The first part is called "The Pledge". The magician shows you something ordinary: a deck of cards, a bird or a man. He shows you this object. Perhaps he asks you to inspect it to see if it is indeed real, unaltered, normal. But of course... it probably isn't. The second act is called "The Turn". The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary. Now you're looking for the secret... but you won't find it, because of course you're not really looking. You don't really want to know. You want to be fooled. But you wouldn't clap yet. Because making something disappear isn't enough; you have to bring it back. That's why every magic trick has a third act, the hardest part, the part we call "The Prestige".

Cutter: Now you're looking for the secret. But you won't find it because of course, you're not really looking. You don't really want to work it out. You want to be fooled.

Lars and the Real Girl (2007)

Genre

Comedy | Drama

Director

Craig Gillespie

Country

USA | Canada

Cast

Ryan Gosling, Emily Mortimer, Paul Schneider, R.D. Reid, Kelli Garner, Nancy Beatty, Doug Lennox, Joe Bostick, Liz Gordon, Nicky Guadagni, Patricia Clarkson, Karen Robinson, Maxwell McCabe-Lokos, Billy Parrott, Sally Cahill, Angela Vint, Liisa Repo-Martell, Boyd Banks, Darren Hynes, Víctor Gómez, Tommy Chang, Arnold Pinnock, Joshua Peace, Aurora Browne, Alec McClure, Tannis Burnett, Lauren Ash, Lindsay, Connell

Storyline

After years of what is almost solitude, Lars Lindstrom (Ryan Gosling) invites Bianca to his brother Gus (Paul Schneider) and his wife Karen (Emily Mortimer). The only problem is that she is not real, she is a sex doll Lars ordered off the Internet.

Opinion

There is no way to explain the plot of this film and not make it sound stupid, and meaningless, but don't let the storyline fool you, because the film is anything but silly.

Lars and the Real Girl is a sweet, sensible, touching, and original film, that goes to the heart, by evoking compassion and tenderness at the same time. Dealing with issues such as loneliness and alienation, the film has a powerful message about the ability of a community to help and heal a troubled soul, even if it means treating a doll as a human being. 

There are some hilarious moments - I found it impossible not to laugh during the dinner -, and some unbelievably emotional moments that brought me to tears.

The main character is spectacular and it is impossible not to love him. Lars is a shy, insecure, sweet, guy with a sensibility like few others, that pours out his fears and insecurities on Bianca, the doll. On the way of his healing, Lars is not only accompanied by the community, but by the audience as well. And that handshake with the sweet girl, on which the camera focuses, is not just a handshake, but the transition from child to adult.

I am not a fan of Ryan Gosling, but he is unarguably an outstanding actor, and as such he gives a spectacular performance as Lars, and he proves to get along both comedic and dramatic acting. The supporting cast provides a strong support, with a marvellous Patricia Clarkson as a psychiatrist, and a wonderful Emily Mortimer as Lars's sister-in-law.

Quotes

Reverend Bock: Lars asked us not to wear black today. He did so to remind us that this is no ordinary funeral. We are here to celebrate Bianca's extraordinary life. From her wheelchair, Bianca reached out and touched us all, in ways we could never have imagined. She was a teacher. She was a lesson in courage. And Bianca loved us all. Especially Lars. Especially him.

Lars Lindstrom: Those are nice, huh? And they're not real, so they'll last forever.