Category: Movie Review

HAPPILY N’EVER AFTER (2006)

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Directed By: Paul Bolger, Yvette Kaplan, Greg Tierman & Dino Athanassiou
Written By: Robert Moreland & Doug Langdale
Based on a story Idea By: Andre Sikojev
Cinematography: David Dulac
Editor: Ringo Waldenberger 

Cast: (Voices) Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, George Carlin, John Dimaggio, Andy Dick, Jill Talley, Tom Kenny, Sigourney Weaver, Wallace Shawn, Patrick Warburton, Jon Polito, Rob Paulsen 


As the story begins, an alliance of evil fairy tale-doers, led by Frieda, looks to take over Fairy Tale Land and take control of. But when Ella A.K.A. Cinderella realizes her own evil stepmother is out to ruin her storybook existence, she takes a dramatic turn and blossoms into the leader of the resistance effort.

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MICMACS (2010)

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Directed By: Jean-Pierre Jenut
Written By: Jean-Pierre Jenut & Guillaume Laurant
Cinematography By: Tetsuo Nagata
Editor: Herve Schneid

Cast: Danny Boon, Julie Ferrier, Dominique Pinon

Avid movie-watcher and video store clerk Bazil has had his life all but ruined by weapons of war. His father was killed by a landmine in Morocco and one fateful night a stray bullet from a nearby shootout embeds itself in his skull, leaving him on the verge of instantaneous death. Losing his job and his home, Bazil wanders the streets until he meets Slammer, a pardoned convict who introduces him to a band of eccentric junkyard dealers including Calculator, a math expert and statistician, Buster, a record-holder in human cannonball feats, Tiny Pete, an artistic craftsman of automatons, and Elastic Girl, a sassy contortionist. When chance reveals to Bazil the two weapons manufacturers responsible for building the instruments of his destruction, he constructs a complex scheme for revenge that his newfound family is all too happy to help set in motion.

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DON JON (2013)

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donjon

Written & Directed By: Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Cinematography By: Thomas Kloss
Editor: Lauren Zuckerman 


Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Rob Brown, Julianne Moore, Tony Danza, Gleanne Headly, Brie Larson, Paul Ben-Victor, Italia Ricci, Sarah Dumont

Jon Martello objectifies everything in his life: his apartment, his car, his family, his church, and, of course, women. His buddies even call him Don Jon because of his ability to pull “10s” every weekend without fail. Yet even the finest flings don’t compare to the transcendent bliss he achieves alone in front of the computer watching pornography. Dissatisfied, he embarks on a journey to find a more gratifying sex life, but ends up learning larger lessons of life and love through relationships with two very different women

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MAP TO THE STARS (2014)

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Directed By: David Cronenberg
Written By: Bruce Wagner
Cinematography By: Peter Suschitzsky
Editor: Ronald Sanders
Music By: Howard Shore 


Cast: John Cusack, Julianne Moore, Mia Wasikowska, Olivia Williams, Sarah Gadon, Carrie Fisher, Robert Pattinson, Evan Bird

The Weiss family is the archetypical Hollywood dynasty: father Stafford is an analyst and coach, who has made a fortune with his self-help manuals; mother Cristina mostly looks after the career of their son Benjie, 13, a child star. One of Stafford’s clients, Havana, is an actress who dreams of shooting a remake of the movie that made her mother, Clarice, a star in the 60s. Clarice is dead now and visions of her come to haunt Havana at night… Adding to the toxic mix, Benjie has just come off a rehab program he joined when he was 9 and his sister, Agatha, has recently been released from a sanatorium where she was treated for criminal pyromania and befriended a limo driver Jerome who is also an aspiring actor.

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BAD BOYS FOR LIFE (2020)

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Directed by Adil & Bilal (Adil El Arbi & Bilal Fallah)
Written By Joe Carnahan, Peter Craig & Chris Bremner
Story By Peter Craig & Joe Carnahan
Based on original Characters Created by: George Gallo
Cinematography: Robrect Hayvaert
Editor: Dan Lebental & Peter McNutley 


Cast: Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Joe Pantoliano, Kate Del Castillo, Jacob Scipio, Paola Nunez, Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, Charles Melton, Nicky Jam, Theresa Randle 


Marcus and Mike have to confront new issues (career changes and midlife crises), as they join the newly created elite team AMMO of the Miami police department to take down the ruthless Armando Armas, the vicious leader of a Miami drug cartel. Now let me start off by saying I have seen all of these films in the theater. In fact I survived a mini mall riot when the first film was soo out at our local theater in Brooklyn. Over the years the films have come at different stages of my life and have meant a lot. As they are a kind of male bonding. Experience and shows the power of Friendship and your own chosen family.

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DOGMAN (2019)

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Directed By: Matteo Garrone
Written By: Ugo Chiti, Matteo Garrone, Massimo Gaudiso, Giulio Troli, Fabio D’innocenzo, Damiano D’innocenzo & Marco Perfetti
Story By: Ugo Chiti, Matteo Garrone & Massimo Gaudiso
Cinematography: Nicolaj Bruel
Editor: Marco Spoletini 


Cast: Marcello Fonte, Edoardo Pesce, Adamo Dionisi, Nunzia Schiano Marcello 


a small and gentle dog groomer, finds himself involved in a dangerous relationship of subjugation with Simone, a former violent boxer who terrorizes the entire neighborhood. In an effort to reaffirm his dignity, Marcello will submit to an unexpected act of vengeance. This is really a tale of good versus evil you would think but there are so many grey areas It’s hard to truly describe it that way. As the film comes off as a fable more than anything else.

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LORO (2018)

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Story & Directed By: Paolo Sorrentino
Written By: Paolo Sorrentino & Umberto Contarello
Cinematography: Luca Bigazzi
Editor: Cristiano Travaglioli 


Cast: Tom Servillo, Elena Sofia Ricci, Riccardo Scamarico, Kasia Smutniak, Euridice Axen, Alice Pagani, Fabrizio Bentivoglio 


During a tumultuous period in the career of Silvio Berlusconi, as his marriage to second wife Veronica Lario fractures, LORO speculates on what may or may not have taken place behind closed doors, depicting a wide variety of characters from multiple levels of society and their attempts to either ingratiate or distance themselves from him.

 

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CHOCOLATE (2008)

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Directed By: Prachya Pinkaew
Written By: Napalee & Chookiat Sakveerakul
Cinematography: Decha Srimantra
Editor: Rashane Limtrakul & Pop Surasakuwa

Cast: Jeeja Yanin, Hiroshi Abe, Ammara Siriphong 


When Zin, former girlfriend of a Thai mob boss, falls for Masashi, a Japanese gangster in Thailand, the boss banishes them: Masashi to Japan, and Zin, with her small daughter Zen, to live next to a martial arts school. Zen is autistic, with uncanny swift reflexes. She watches the students next door and Muay Thai movies, absorbing every technique. She’s now a teen, and her mother needs chemotherapy. Zin has taken in a chubby kid, Moom, who watches over Zen. Moom finds a ledger listing business men who owe Zin money; he goes to them one at a time to collect in order to pay for Zin’s treatment. Zen, with her martial skills, becomes his enforcer. A showdown with the boss is inevitable.

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SHALL WE KISS? (2007)

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Written & Directed By: Emmanuel Mouret
Cinematography: Laurent Desmet
Editor: Martial Salomon

Cast: Emmanuel Mouret, Virgine Ledoyen, Julie Gayet, Michael Cohen, Frederique Bel, Stefano Accorsi

When Gabriel and Emilie meet by chance, he offers her a ride, and they spend the evening talking, laughing and getting along famously. At the end of the night, Emilie declines Gabriel’s offer of “a kiss without consequences”. Emilie admonishes him that the kiss could have unexpected consequences, and tells him a story, unfolding in flashbacks, about the impossibility of indulging your desires without affecting someone else’s life.

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RED TAILS (2012)

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Directed By: Anthony Hemingway
Written By: John Ridley & Aaron McGruder
Story By: John Ridley
Cinematography By: John B. Aronson
Editor: Ben Burtt & Michael O’Halloran

Cast: Nate Parker, David Oyelowo, Michael B. Jordan, Marcus T. Paulk, Elijah Kelly, Bryan Cranston, Terrence Howard, Cuba Gooding Jr. Gerald McRaney, Tristan Wilds, Lee Tergesen, Andre Royo, Method Man, Ne-Yo, Daniela Rush

A crew of African American pilots in the Tuskegee training program, having faced segregation while kept mostly on the ground during World War II, are called into duty under the guidance of Col. A.J. Bullard.

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