Ocean's 8 exclusive Review !

After almost a year of struggling waiting, but finally Ocean's 8 is here ! Ocean 8 scored an incredible 41.5 million dollars in 2 days, during the weekend between the Premiere (on June 8th) and Saturday June 10th.
Well, the cast needs no presentation: Sandra Bullock as Debbie Ocean, madame president Cate Blanchett as the club owner Lou, Rihanna as the hacker Nine Ball, Helena Bonam as the disaster designer Rose, Sarah Paulson as the "housewife" Tammy, Awkafina as the magician Costance, Mindy Kalling as the jwellery artisan Amita and, last but not least, the beautiful Anne Hathaway as the starlet Daphne Kluger.
Ocean 8 was produced by Steven Sodebergh and Susan Ekings, screenplay by Gary Ross and Olivia Milch and was directed by Gary Ross, who also directed the 2012 Huger Games and the 2016 Free State of Jones.
Since many teasers and publicity has been released, I will not talk about the plot ( above you will find the original trailer) because I need to comment it straight ahead ! But no wonders, I will try to avoid spoilers.

1) Debbie Ocean is amazing. She has the Ocean's blood and a huge sense of style. How she does it naturally? Wanna have those incomparable nonchalance stealing skills. I liked Sandra Bullock, always funny and punctual while acting: she's the mind of the operation and she's always one step ahead of anyone. I have found Debbie behavior ... nobile and snob in a way, which is not annoying.
2) Lou needs a separate chapter: Cate Blanchett at her finest, impeccable and extremely sexy. Lou, the club owner, has Blanchett's lower voice and ... appeal. She's the rocker, the "bi" character... Her partnership with Debbie crushes the screen ! And, as I read in a Variety article, hope there will be a sequel (or prequel) to explore Lou and Debbie's history.
3) Anne Hathaway as the starlet was extremely adorable ! Hathaway as great acting skills, mixed with a feminine natural grace ... love her dresses and, obviously the neck. Loved the scene when Anne meets the team.
4) Eight ball or Nine ball? Hahaha xD Rihanna was the hacker. Her acting was... ehm, a bit weird? Anyway, her character was OK. Personally, I would have added a more interesting personality on the hacker.
5) My only complaint... Sarah Paulson. Why an "Emmy awarded" (quoting Cate and Sarah's funny interview) grabbed only a sider role (Tammy). Don't know.

Fav scens:

Trailer:

                           

Rating: 4/5.

Classical Ocean mood, the movie was entertaining and charming. Gonna watch it again on streaming (x10 times?) and then, of course, on the big screen.

Micol Sartori

The Black Panther phenomenon

"Black Panther" is the newest (and most successful) Marvel's Studio 2018 production: huge acclaim at the box office, with an amazing record, 1.344 billion Dollars worldwide (stated back in May 22). Directed by Ryan Coogler, the movie counts an all black cast stars  Chadwick Boseman (also seen in 2016 "Captain America:Civil War") as king T'Challa, Micheal B.Jordan (2015 "Creed") , Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira (remember the Walking Dead?) , Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letita Wright, Winston Duke and Forest Whitaker (2016 "Arrival") between the others. 

The story is set in the African kingdom of Wakanda, an apparent poor and rural nation that shelters one of the most up-graded technologies in the world, thanks to a special material: the vibranium. The vibranium is the engine of the story: it brings former king of Wakanda to the Usa in order to punish some Wakandian rebels involved in the vibranium trading and than, after the king's death, the problem comes back again. Do the Wakandian need to keep secret their special material or do they share it in order to help black oppressed people around the world? This inner battle is portrayed on screen by the black panther and new king T'Challa and his counterpart Zuri, his most powerful contender to the throne.

"Black Panther" is the first Marvel story of a black super hero, and the world needed that desperately. After the 2016 black scandal and the 2017 Oscar winner "Moonlight", after the #MeToo movement and the Netflix /Amazon willing to portray borders realities, "Black Panther" proposes itself as the reference for all black people who need to be "told" on screen. Africa does not mean only poverty and unknown, impenetrable forest or rural areas, but also great advantage in technology and ... pride. 

Pride as the amazing skills of the cast, who act, fight and share feelings in a ... super-powerful way? Intense, entertaining, funny, surprising... Black Panther is all this. 

Has anyone thought  the super-heroes world is a white - exclusive ? Nobody has, and from now on, neither the cinema industry.  

Micol Sartori

A beautiful day

A beautiful day (or You Were Never Really Here,2017) written and directed by Lynne Ramsay with Joaquin Phoenix.
Now out everywhere, the movie was presented in last years' Cannes and recognized with 2 awards, best screenplay and the Palm D'Or for Joaquin's interpretation.

Joe is a US veterain who currently lives with his mother and works as a mercenary. Joe is hired by an important senator to rescue his daughter Nina from a juvenile brothel. This adventure will take Joe to face his inners horrors, such as his childhood's memories and some episodes of the war. Meanwhile,  the man succeeded in save Nina, but the road to the girl's freedom is sprinkled with blood.

A beautiful day is an author's movie, with an original direction and an impeccable performance by J. Phoenix. A story that deals with childhood abuses and horrors that are, in majority, unspoken. Intense, thrilling...  worth watching.

Movie rating: 4/5

Micol Sartori

Oscars final review

Yesterday night was The Night we were expecting since ... oh well, last year?
After the amazing success of Moonlight and, most of all the infamous loser La La Land, the 89th Academy Awards were hard to forget.
The 90th edition was tough since its beginning: the ME TOO movement and some scandals concerning female abuses (remember James Franco's exclusion?) and Guillermo De Toro being accused of plagiarism by Paul Zindel's son, who claimed Toro had copied his father's 1969 masterpiece "Let Me Hear You Whisper".  And, to be frank, the doubt was reasonable !

Let's start with a few words on the red carpet.  Nothing to do with the 2015 Red Carpet, with capital R and C, when Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron, Rooney Mara and Margot Robbie stayed... or the 2016 success of Viola Davis and Emma Stone... yesterday night, in my opinion was way above all this memories. Anyway, Nicole, looking fabulous in her Armani, and the sober "old but not cold" Meryl Streep in total red, were my favorite.

I'm happy with all the results besides best movie. How come that Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri didn't win Best Picture?  Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell won their category! And, let's say it, the story of Three Billboards was original, yet conveyed a contemporary message: the denunce of a dysfunctional justice system and, once again, violence against women. That's all? No, because Frances portrayed the strength of a lone - wolf women, who finds the strength to pursue her aim fighting the system form the inside. And The Shape of Water? A strange love story between a women and a monster, even if, in reality, the real monster was not the fishy creature but the carnal scientist. Interesting... but moving? In my opinion, Toro's work was well balanced in rhytm, music and surprising effects - even the monster itself was quite "sweet"-but, even though the story was enjoyable, it didn't leave nothing to me.

Your thoughts? Comment below so we can finally share opinions.

The 90th Academy Awards winners

The Shape of Water crew accepts "Best Movie" 

Frances McCdormand accepts "Best Actress" 

Gary Oldman accepts "Best Actor"

Sam Rockwell accepts "Best supporting actor"

Allison Janey accepts "Best supporting actress"

Roman J. Israel, Esq.

Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017) written and directed by Dan Gilroy, starring Denzel Washington and Colin Farrell. The plot centers around the life of an idealistic defense lawyer (Washington) who finds himself in a tumultuous series of events that lead to a personal crisis and the necessity for extreme action.

Denzel is running for Best Actor in the 90th Academy Awards.

• Roman J. Israel is a misunderstood genious, a charismatic and old fascioned personality in a world ruled by materialism and money. Roman’s moment of self realizement is interesting: after a life of privations a little bit of mundanity and plasures ? Oh yes. Good housing taste, man.
• Colin Farell is the prototype of the perfect lawer. Handsome
• The story isn’t that interesting, I didn’t get what civil laws Roman wanted to change with his contribution. But, anyway, Washington was worth watching.

Movie rating: 2/5.

The Florida Project

The Florida Project (2017) directed by Sean Baker , among its stars Willem Dafoe- nominated in the category of Best supporting actor at the 90th Oscars.

In the Florida Project the cam follows the steps of a group of kind who lived near DisneyLand, and, in particular of the 6 yo Moonee, the daughter of the screwed up young hooker Halley. The two of them used to spend their summer holidays in the Magic Castle motel in Kissimmee, where Moonee every year reunited with her young partners in crime Scooty and her bae Janey. The cam shows them while fooling around mocking tourists and other inhabitants, trying to picture the normal life of this unfortunates people who survive thanks to offers and favors that Bobby (Dafoe), the manager, saves for them.

• Near by a magical place, real people struggle. I liked the contrast between the imagined Florida represented by the idealistical DisneyLand, which is shown only in the final scene as a contrast to the fact that normal people live in a shade that (obviously) tourists ignore. Is Florida so magical as we imagine? The answer is no, and we see it in the Magic Castle motel, where young girls are already mother of 6 yo babies and have to do full time jobs or to sell their body in order to survive.
• Food. What effort worths a hot meal? Well, Halley feeds Moone with Waffles and Take Aways, but, as long as Halley has the opportunity she knocks at her mother’s door to pass a pleasant night, sleep under a decent roof and eat some heart-made dish. On the other hand food is a coagulant factor for Halley and Mooney, that spend their ¾ of time together eating, as food could fulfilled their lack of affection, or, on the other hand, food is seen a mean of power, as we see in the scene where Halley argues with Scooty’s mother.
• Almost abandoned kids that fool around all day, become piromanes without even realize the consequence of their actions because nobody told them.
• Bobby aka Willem Defoe who as the interesting role of both being the owner of the Magical Castle and the one who seems to be the great father, trying to fix troubles for Halley and other mates.
• The emotional final scene, gives back to Moonee and Janey their stolen childhood.

Movie rating: 4/5.

TB to 2016 and 2017 Red Carpet

The Oscars is not only about movies, screenplays and directors. Let's make a little #TB at the 2016 and 2017 Red Carpets. Here we go ladies !

The Commuter

The Commuter (2018) is an action thriller directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and written by Byron Willinger, starring Liam Neeson. The plot follows a man who is unwittingly recruited into a murder conspiracy after meeting a mysterious woman while on his daily train commute.

I'm not going to tell you any further details about the story because I have found many spoilers on the net already. 

Did you enjoy this movie?

I enjoyed the special effects but the plot was quite ridiculous. Who can a woman manipulate lives of people she does not even know? And for what purpuse?

Liam Neeson as a detective was entertaining.

Move rating: 1.5/5 stars 

Phantom Tread

Happy Valentine’s day to all our readers! Ciak Movies comes out with a special review: today, guess what, we are talking about L-O-V-E. Platonic love, carnal love, true love, who cares? Love is love, people. And one thing is for sure: we all love Cinema. So movie lovers, take a seat, and perpared yourself to read a special review. Never heard about Phantom Thread?

Phantom Tread (2017) written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, starring Daniel Day-Lewis (Reynolds), Lesley Manville (his sister Cyril) and Vicky Krieps (Alma).

Set in 50s London, the movie presents an a-typical life , the one of the legendarian (and odd) couturier Reynolds Woodcock who passes his time drawing mezmerizing dresses for some royal highness around the globe, and the rude, illeterate, stranger young waitress Alma. The more Reynold lives according to schemes and schedules, the more Alma is rebel, unpolite and noughty. The two fell in love, a strange but strong love that lead the two to marriage, even if Reynolds, after a short period of time, get tired of his girlfriends and seems incapable to love anything (if we exclude his sister Cyril), besides his dresses. On the other hand, Alma is exaggerately gelous and reveals her mental instability to both the spectator and her beloved couturier. Isn’t love blind? Or crazy? Or inexplicable?

The movie gained a great number of nominatons: 2 at the Golden Globes and 6 at the 90th Academy Awards-Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor for Day-Lewis (his final role before retirement), and Supporting Actress for Manville.

• Daniel Day Lewis is worth watching, delivering one of the most sincere representation of the season, even though the strange behavour of the man is quite annoying. All the world and the camera seems to be round him . In fact, even Alma and Cyril who are two strong female characters belonging to different social levels and age, but are united by Reynolds presence. Phantom tread is a one man show.
• In some moments of the movie you will feel ill, just like the main character. The tone is quite pale and nothing occurs, besides the couturier being poisoned a few times. LOL. 
• Alma being the perfect muse. At first she is shy, then, suddenly turned out to be a role model. 
• Lesley Manville and her few facial expressions. Cyril you are a rock of impassivity. 

Movie rating: 3/5.

The Disaster Artist

The Disaster Artist (2017)is a biographical comedy-drama film produced and directed by James Franco. The Disaster Artist is inspired by both the realization and the movie The Room (2003), written, starred and directed by Tommy Wiseau and considered one of the worst movies in cinema’s history.

Although the movie was not nominated at the 90th Academy Awards, James Franco won the award for Best Actor – Musical or Comedy at the latest Golden Globes, whereas the film was also nominated for Best Motion Picture in the Musical or Comedy category.

The Disaster Movie, starring James and Dave Franco, follows the adventures of Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero, two aspiring-actors who move from San Francisco to La in order to stars with capital S. The two of them started to modeling around and to make they personals photo-books, while they applied as candidates for some upcoming movies. Tommy is the one who is more likely to be rejected, because of his strange personality and his foreign accent, whereas Greg, the handsome, could have had some fame, if it wasn’t for Tommy’s friendship.

One day Tommy decided to write a (disastrous) script and to pay for the production, buying all the equipments and selecting the technicians, in order to ciak his own movie.

The movie is funny and worth watching with the contested Franco who delivers an outstanding performance, remarking his 360° acting skills. James Franco who was recently accused of being a rapist, had failed a great opportunity to be nominated: he would have been one of the strongest contenders for the statuette. Bravo to the youngest Dave Franco too.

Tommy Wiseau personality: I wasn’t aware of the existence of this man, but The Disaster Movie made me wonder how the original The Room is, so I guess I will watch it. Do you?

Movie rating: 4/5 stars.

One of the best comedies of the year.