I love morally ambiguous films. They offer a lot of food for thought about what we would do if we were in the main character's situation, and they open the door for debate about the questions they present. This is essentially Juror #2. It's Clint Eastwood's modernity 12 angry menalthough it does offer a plot twist that complicates the central case beyond discussing one man's guilt. The film, which may or may not be Eastwood's last, makes us jurors as we begin to question the information we are given and who is providing it. It's an imperfect film that intrigues…
Author: Mae Abdulbaki
Warning: This post contains major spoilers for Juror #2 Juror #2 ends on a cliffhanger that leaves questions unanswered. The film, directed by Clint Eastwood from a script by Jonathan A. Abrams, sees Nicholas Hoult's character Justin Kemp called to the jury, only to realize he was at the bar the night Jason Michael Sythe allegedly killed his girlfriend. girlfriend Kendall. Justin's memory begins to show the audience that he may not have hit a deer as previously believed, but rather Kendall herself. Justin is wracked with guilt throughout Eastwood's film, and he struggles to ensure he is not implicated…
It's a struggle to see actors I know are good starring in a film that clearly isn't. This is the case of Robert Zemeckis Here. It's an hour and 45 minutes of Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Paul Bettany and others acting in a way that can't be taken seriously and almost seems fake. The aging is jarring and noticeable, especially when we have to hear 68-year-old Hanks' voice coming out of what should be an 18-year-old's mouth, and the film is poorly lit. It's such a soulless film that I questioned the point of it. Director Robert Zemeckis Release date…
The Cat is a difficult film. From the opening scene, which sees the boxer (Orlando Bloom) in a brutal boxing match, the film is already layered with intensity. He loses the fight after a devastating cut to his eye and director Sean Ellis fast-forwards to ten years later. With that one scene setting the stage, it was only a matter of time before Boxer's trauma would come around, gripping The Cat So hard without easing up. The overreliance on Boxer's trauma - aided by multiple flashbacks to his childhood and relationship with his mother (Clare Dunne) - was taxing. The…
It's been a minute since a sports drama made me cry, though Unstoppable (2024) is powerful storytelling that elicits an emotional response. Directed by William Goldenberg from a screenplay by Eric Champnella, John Hindman and Alex Harris, Unstoppable is based on the true story of Anthony Robles (Jarrell Jerome), who, with only one leg, won the national wrestling championship in 2011. The sports drama is deeply moving, not only because of Robles' phenomenal achievements, but his mother Judy's (Jennifer Lopez), as well. It's the kind of movie that's simultaneously a feel-good tear-jerker that's deeply personal in the themes it tackles.…
In the near future, if a couple wants to have children, they can only do so after they give the green light after a successful seven-day assessment. In the world created by writers John Donnelly and Mrs. and Mr. Thomas (Nell Garfath Fox and Dave Thomas), there is control of almost everything. The future society is also where people take pills to stay youthful and alive for much longer than typically possible. the assessment, Directed by Fleur Fortuné, is conceptually sound and looks incredible, but although it is psychologically involved and provoking, it does not go beyond the surface of…
Writer-director Steve McQueen has become adept at making movies about lost characters trying to find their way back to their families. He has it with 12 years a slave And he does so with his latest feature, Flash. The historical drama was played in 1940, during Nazi Germany's blitz against Britain. At times harrowing and traumatic, McQueen never shows the moment the bombings happen. Still, there are close-ups of the weapons the Germans drop on London's civilian population that predict exactly what is to come next. Flash is a capital made movie that, with a few exceptions, rings hollow. Release…
Based on the novel by Claire Keegan, Little things like these is a quietly profound and meaningful film that shows us the story as it unfolds rather than tells it. Through well-placed flashbacks and a good-hearted protagonist in Cillian Murphy's Bill Furlong, director Tim Mielants' film is not only a faithful movie adaptation - thanks to Enda Walsh's lovely script - but a poignant story about the threat of Powerful institutions. People say or do something to help out of fear. Mielants film does a lot with little dialogue, setting the stage for something rich and thought-provoking. Director Tim Millants…
Warning: This post contains spoilers for Anora AnoraThe end is sad. Written and directed by Sean Baker, who previously received acclaim for The Florida Project And Rocket Man, Anoras reviews are exceptionally positive. The film debuted at the Cannes Film Festival and was in consideration for awards. Anora Ends with Mikey Madison's title character getting on a private plane with the rest of AnoraS cast - Vanya, his parents, Igor, Toros and Garnik - to Las Vegas to get analyzed her marriage. Anora resists being forced to do something she doesn't want to do, but she is threatened by Vanya's…
One of the most enjoyable things about watching a film like We live in time observes how life is lived. Director John Crowley and writer Nick Payne paint a heartfelt, often humorous and touching picture of a couple whose love for each other simply exists. Juggling work and childcare, illness and developing relationships, the romantic drama is a gripping, heart-wrenching experience. It is gentle and warm, like listening to the sound of waves on the beach. It lulls us into the comfort of seemingly endless love, but its narrative, spanning decades and non-chronological, reminds us that life can always be…