The Double: Amazing dissection of society

In his second feature film, Richard Ayoade builds on the ground he laid in Submarine, and the result is a deep and dark dramatic thriller with a flair of his trademark caustic humor.

The loss of one's identity...

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Ayoade has proved time and again that he is the man when it comes to extremely intelligent and witty comedy. And though he generally carries a somewhat abrasive tone, both of his feature films to date, take that characteristic to the next level, especially in The Double, where it becomes most evident. [...]

In Bruges: Distinctly poetic and greatly entertaining

Once one is exposed to the work of Martin McDonagh, one finally realizes what good cinema really is all about. In this, which is one of the greatest movies of all time (as is the norm when it comes to McDonagh), you are instantly immersed into the story and connected with its characters.

Diverging views indeed!

Upfront, you are introduced to both, the context of Bruges, in a stunning display of the Belgian town's night, as well as the contrasting but complementing personalities of hit-men Ray and Ken, and their diverging views towards the city. Furthermore, McDonagh's subtle humor and intense atmosphere are apparent already in the first line spoken, and are a good introduction to the film's tone throughout. A tone that is then greatly supported by the photographic depiction of Bruges, and the well fitting sound track. [...]

The General: Pure visual ingenuity

This is the type of film, to show the wonders one can do with simple physical/circumstantial comedy. But beyond just inducing laughs, it is able to depict the intensity of the American civil war.

Renders one speechless

The General, by the silent era icon Buster Keaton, presents the most unusual issues, and then solves them in the most ingenious form imaginable. And in the end he sells it with his absolute composure at all times.

Furthermore, being the huge production it was, The General has no shortage of spectacular imagery, and some of the greatest practical effects in movie history. [...]

Legend: Underwhelming story but good characters

Legend is a slow paced movie, that never really reaches it's climax. But while not getting your heart pounding for its lack of tension, its merits go towards the psychological insight into Tom Hardy's Kray twins.

On the left, Tom Hardy, and on the right, Tom Hardy

I would like to start out, stating that this review is limited to the context of movies, and does not evaluate or even take into consideration the film's historical accuracy.

Undoubtedly, this film's greatest achievement is Hardy's portrayal of both Reginald and Ronald Kray. His depiction of the twins alone, is enough to show his acting range, as you easily forget that those two people you see on screen, are actually the same. [...]

Everything is Illuminated: Perfect balance of drama and comedy

The first (and to date, only) film written/directed by Liev Schreiber, tells the hugely profound yet funny story of a quirky New Yorker, travelling through Ukraine in search of his past, accompanied by an unusual guide "committee" comprised of an odd grandfather/grandson duo and their dog. A story that incidentally is told with astonishing mastery.

One of a kind. Let's hope that will change

This adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer's Everything is Illuminated is the kind of film that makes you glad movies exist, such is the joy of watching it. Beyond being a skilfully directed picture, it counts on beautiful cinematography, a great soundtrack, and editing that is tightly integrated with the sound design, giving a nice dynamic to the film. [...]

She's Funny That Way: Delightful comedy

A film that comes to remind everyone, that comedies are also made of good stories, in this time where many comedy movies are more like stand-up acts, heavily dependent on isolated jokes to be funny.

She's Funny That Way

She's Funny That Way, takes the audience for a ride through the detours of life, and its unexpected encounters. Having a Woody Allen like style, it is by no means a realistic representation of how things happen, but instead, is a light and enjoyable fantasy, with a perhaps nicely old fashioned approach to storytelling. [...]

The Talented Mr. Ripley: The escape from reality

A nicely progressing plot, but not without its fast turning points. The Talented Mr. Ripley has a steady pace almost throughout, but still has defining moments that go down very quickly.

Who is Tom Ripley?

With its unsettling but captivating main character, this movie has a contradictorily light quality to it, while still being thrilling, dark, and at times, even slightly disturbing. The Talented Mr. Ripley is well polished, and unlike most other films of the genre, is more about the general gist of the story than the individual facts and incidents. But don't get me wrong, that is not to be seen as a bad thing, as it is really the point of the film, and is brilliantly executed, with its exceptional script, solid direction, and great cast. [...]

Ex Machina: Massivelly overrated

Last time I wrote about a directorial debut, it was a great one (The Gift), sadly with Ex Machina it is a different story. Alex Garland gets pretty much everything wrong, with his weak plot, poor dialog, and despite the cast, even poor acting. Essentially the only thing he has going for him, is the VFX department, which lately seems to often be the deciding factor for a film's popularity.

One's face after watching Ex Machina

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Ex Machina addresses a very current issue, the great dilema of AI, but fails miserably at doing so. Already from the beginning, you get a taste of the absurdly forced dialog that will propagate through the entire movie, to an extent that is indescribable. I know it is a movie about artificial intelligence, but it would be nice if the actual human intelligence in the film wasn't so artificial itself. [...]