EvilPhoEniX

This much praised Brazilian festival film from Cannes didn't blow me away like the others, but it is definitely an unusual and interesting experience. The story focuses on a gated Brazilian community somewhere near the desert that is rejected by the system. Not only does the town get wiped off the maps, but they also run out of food, water, electricity and American tourists come to hunt. The film flows at a slower pace, but once it moves from social drama to an almost western-thriller with Tarantino-like gore, it's a solid spectacle that doesn't shy away from violence. Admirable for Brazil, but there were a few elements that distracted me (the acting and visuals aren't the film's strongest points, even though that may have been the intention). 6/10.

I regret that Ad Astra is one of the few films I missed in the cinema this year, because the trailer was deceiving. It is definitely not a boring sci-fi drama, but a pretty action-packed and intense space thriller, the kind we haven’t seen in a long time. Brad Pitt is excellent in his role and I was very impressed by the colonization on Mars and the Moon, where there are even pirates already (Mad Max in space) – I wouldn't be angry at all if the whole plot was set only there – but the search for the father was also quite entertaining and, moreover, I don't remember a cinematic portrayal of Neptune. The action scenes are awesome, the opening explosion on the Tower of Babel is thrilling as fuck, or the chase with the lunar vehicles, or the fight with the infected monkeys. In places the film is unexpectedly gritty and I liked that a lot. Despite my big fears, it was a lot of fun and a nice space experience. 8/10.

5th best movie may be an exaggeration, but the best movie about racing it is without a doubt. James Mangold emerges as a guarantee of great quality, serving up a nerve-wracking tale of the most challenging Le Mans race, with both Christian Bale and Matt Damon excelling. At first I struggled to fully immerse myself in the film, but once the car testing began and the actual half hour race itself, packed with complications and suspense, it was a blast. I probably don't need to see it again, but I enjoyed it. 8/10

The most expensive and biggest Bollywood film of the year featuring two of the biggest bodybuilders and dancers and it's unexpectedly pretty cool. In the action, the film comes closest to Fast and Furious, but the story is of course far more convoluted, often jumping around in time, and the film manages to shock with unexpected twists. I enjoyed the story a lot, it has a very fast pace, intense music, varied action (motorbikes, sports cars, plane, ground fighting), and I even enjoyed the two dance numbers (the first one has amazing choreography and I do similar footwork too). I believe that not everyone will like it (many people may be put off by the intense looks of the two main protagonists or the more exaggerated action), but you get used to it, you just have to accept the rules and also the different world. A testosterone-charged and passionate actioner with guts. 8/10

Japan pleasantly surprised me. The story focuses on twelve random young students who meet in an abandoned hospital to perform a protest against birth – suicide. The problem arises when someone else is lying dead in the room and no one knows who they are, and it's quite possible that the killer is among them. I liked the gradual unraveling of the mystery, everyone has an interesting reason for wanting to commit suicide, everyone is hiding something unpleasant, and no one counted on the fact that there is a boy among them whose biggest hobby is thinking. A stifling atmosphere, a constant load of surprising twists, well-chosen actors, an unexpected ending. I had fun. 7.5/10.

The trailer looked capable, but the end result is a forgettable B-movie that has a decent idea, but the execution is so uninteresting as to be woeful. The more action-packed ending is okay, but otherwise it's rather a waste of time, unless you enjoy cheap films like this. 4/10:

At least once a year, there is a film that no one expects much from, but in the end it is a pleasant surprise and Freaks delivers a lot of value for money. A beautifully crafted mystery film that is strange, unsettling, and secretive from the start, but also suspenseful and entertaining. The film raises some interesting questions and gradually answers them with unexpected and imaginative twists as it progresses. The performance by the young Lexy Kolker is perhaps the best by a child actor since Jacob Tremblay in Room, and the finale is unexpectedly quite action-packed and bloody. If the film had, say, a $20 million higher bigger budget, we'd all be sitting in the cinema right now applauding, but maybe we'll see that in a possible sequel! The less you know, the better for you. Best mystery flick of the year. 8.5/10.

As much as I love gangster movies, I'm not too happy with Irishman. Martin Scorsese returns to the genre that made him famous and assembles together a cast of mafia legends, but he fails to draw me into the plot at all. I enjoyed the first hour, where Robert De Niro gets into the gangster underworld as an assassin, but once Al Pacino showed up, the film stopped being all that interesting. I was disappointed that there were no shootouts and even the few murders looked pretty unnatural. I wasn't too interested in the plot, the dialogue had nothing to engage me, it's not suspenseful or tense either, so I really don't know where to look for plus points. I'd rather watch Scarface again, but at least I didn't suffer like I did with the new Tarantino film. 6/10.

The Poles are cinematically better than the Czechs and Clergy is proof of that. An interesting insight into the rotten Polish Catholic Church, where alcohol, threats and child abuse are the order of the day. Although I was worried that the film wouldn't pull me in because of the topic, those fears were unwarranted. The film is very easy to watch, it manages to surprise and shock and it oozes a chilling atmosphere from every corner. Solid. 8/10:

A decent film that is solidly shot, well acted, atmospheric and I believe historically accurate, but failed to pull me in as I had hoped. A young student dies during an interrogation by the police that included torture, and everyone tries to cover it up, but the truth comes out and the students in the streets start rioting and demanding justice. It's not exactly a genre I would seek out, but the Koreans can make even a not-so-appealing theme attractive to me. 6.5/10.