Crimson Peak (2015)

So, saw this interesting piece last night. Beautiful sets, beautiful actors, breathtaking movie.


Plot: Young aspiring author Edith Cushing meet an exciting charming young gentleman Thomas Sharpe. He initially come to America to find an investor, pursuing Edith's father to be specific, to fund his clay mining machine.  He, and his sister Lucille, lives in an old family house back in England, that is build on a huge hill, that is nothing but red clay. As family gone broke, they seek for a funding, so they can keep the house. Edith eventually marries Thomas, and goes to England, to start a new life on a Crimson Peak. 

Actors: TOM HIDDLESTON. Oh, boy do I love him. He's so charming, oh my. And I read, that the part was initially offered to Benedict Cumberbatch. Weh, And Mia Wasikowska is just in her field. Also, thank God, the part didn't go to Emma Stone. That would be weird. Jessica Chastain is just gorgeous. I was surprised to see Jim Beaver, he played Bobby in Supernatural. 



What I liked: I loooved the sets. So beautiful. The house, the Crimson Peak is just hauntingly beautiful. I loved little repetitive details - the use of colour red, the butterflies. One of my favourite scenes in the whole movie - the dancing with the candle scene. Guillermo del Toro delivers his signature monsters - beautifully done ghosts. And I feel I must warn you - this is not a ghost story, this is rather story with ghosts in it. 
Some parts really made me laugh, to be honest. And I thought this intended to be a horror story. But it is one beautifully done movie. Aesthetically pleasing (and we get so see Hidles' ass. Which is not a bad thing). 


What I didn't like: I hated that the main story was so... natural. So explainable and so human. I wanted something out of this word. Even motives were very human. Money, it's  all about money. Sad. Also, I wanted more ghosts :( 

IMDB ratted this 7.1. I can see why that kind of rating, cuz after walking out of the cinema, I felt a bit cheated and mislead by trailers and all. Didn't really get what I expected. But on the otherhand, it was beautiful and trilling movie. 7.5. 
2015

Spy (2015)

Sorry for absence, been busy with.. everything really. Anyway, kind of stopped watching movies for a while (it's a tv series season). Watched a while ago, but feel like I should at least give it a mention.


Plot: A desk-bound spy Susan, whose job is to sit next to computer, watch other agents on a missions and help them. One day, her partner in the field Brandley gets killed, so she volunteers to go undercover on a field mission. Something she never really done before.

Cast: Some very knows faces in this one, I mean Melissa McCarthy, Jude Law and Jason Statham, to name few. Supporting cast was very strong as well - Rose Byrn and Miranda Hart were great. What I was surprised to see, was Verka Serduchka as herself (east europeans know him/her quite well). 


Directing: Paul Feig. A man behind "Bridesmaids" and "Heat". Both with Mellisa. All these movies had similar vibe. All really smart and funny, so I wasn't really surprised. 

What I liked: It was a really witty comedy, but packed with spy-movies cliches. Some jokes were better than others. I liked the cast. Oh I looooved Jason Statham. His character was a breath of fresh air. Brilliant. Oh and they briefly played Mika's "Boum boum boum". I love hearing my boy in movies. 


What I didn't like: I'm not really a fan of Melissa, she kind of annoys me. Also, there were a scene, where viewers are exposed to a series of photos of fully erect penis, and that kind of set the tone for the rest of the movie. I know it was a sort of parody for Bond movie, but nothing can top "Kingsman: the secret service". That movie was the BOMB. This one was a sometimes-on-point second cousin of it. 


IMDB is very generous for this movie - 7,2. It's just a bit above 6 for me. I just praise Statham's crazy performace, as it was the best thing about this movie.

Going to see "Crimson Peak" in cinemas today, hopefully I'm gonna love it! 
2015

Parer Towns (2015)

I was never really excited about this one, but I kin d of enjoyed "The Fault In Our Stars", so I thought I might spend my evening with another creation by John Green.


Plot: Quentin and Margo were childhood friends, that sort of grew apart, but on night, Margo burst into the Quentin's room at night, asking him to go on an adventure with her. It was fun night at all, but the next morning Margo goes missing... Quentin stars seeing these little clues, from Margo, about her whereabouts. 

Actors: If you've seen "Fault in our stars". also witten but John Green, you might find some fimiliar faces. Like the main protagonist Nat Wolff. Also, I was really excited to see Ansel Elgort, just for a brief moment. The way they introduced him, was like an Easter Egg for hardcore fans. Hehe, kudos me for catching the reference. Also, unpopular opinion - Cara Delevingne is like the plainest looking girl ever. Like.. seriously... 



What I liked: I loved how all the guys, boys and girls, in the movie, actually looked like 18year-olds. Like, not adults yet, just normal regular age. That was really refreshing. Also music was great (they played my lovely Vampire Weekend's "Taxi Cab", oh and HAIM's "Falling". Lovely). 
Also, the road trip was bad ass. Me, I just received my driving license, I am afraid to ride around my own hometown, I would never have gone to a road trip like that. 
I liked Quentin's buddies, great comic relief in otherwise kind of boring movie. 
I did not read the book, as I was doing with "Fault in our Stars", I trusted the direction, because "Fault in our Stars" movie was really close to the book, so I guess I din't miss much, tho I read the book's ending was a bit different.
I liked that this wasn't a traditional rom-com, not even that romantic at all. It was more of a coming of age tale.


What I didn't like: Nat Wolff was a bit awkward... He's cute and all, but I think his awkwardness was kind of annoying. His character was kind of plain and unrealistic to me. Other characters had a great progression over the movie, even Margo gets some closure, but Quentin kind of stayed the same. N character development at all. I din't like Cara's performance, as I said, the plainest looking girl ever. 

Other than that, I did enjoyed the last outcome of this movie. Pretty enjoyed it at parts as well. So, I'd give it a 7. IMDB, tho, 6,7. Looking forward which next John Green's book will get an adaptation.
2015

Inside Out (2015)

I was so hyped about this movie ever since I first heard about it! Such a interesting unique idea from pixar. Another great hit!


Plot: It's a story about little girl named Riley and her emotions. There is Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Fear and Anger. They all live in Riley's head and are responsible for her emotions. They make memories, form Riley's personality and just generally wants her to be happy. Joy is dominant emotion. But when Riley and her family moves from Minnesota to San Francisco, Sadness sort of stars to kick in, and Joy is not very happy about it.

Cast: So many unique and wonderful people worked on this piece! Like Amy Poehler for Joy or Mindy Kaling for Disgust - that is just perfect! I really enjoyed Phyllis Smith (she is from The Office, in case you're wondering), she was perfect! Bunch of great names as well as Bill Hader, Kyle MacLachlan etc!


 What I liked: Where do I start??? How SMART was that movie? Wow, the authors considered every little detail about human emotions, brain, thoughts... everything! How does memory works, how are they formed? What emotion do they reflect? Imagination, dreams, and, the sad part, how human brain deletes lots of memories, lots of moments, imaginary friends... Some really, really smart and educated people worked on this and it makes me soooo happy.
Also it was cool, that every emotion was reflecting something, like, Joy was supposed to look like star, Sadness like tear drop, Anger like a brick, Disgust like broccoli and Fear as nerve (see the poster above).
I loved how they produced brain. There they had subconsciousness dungeons; dreams productions, with scripts and actors and everything Hollywood-ish; Thought trains; personality islands; little brain workers that dispose old memories; even imaginary boyfriends... ahh so perfect!



What I didn't like: I hated that Joy was so dominant! She was everywhere! Every memory has to be happy according to her! She didn't like if it was anything else. Give other emotions a chance! They are important as well. The message of this movie was suppose to be, that it is ok to be sad sometimes, not to be happy all the time. IT IS OK! We need all kind of memories, all kind of things in our lives!
Also, I may or may not cries during this. Yeah...


IMDB ratting - 8.5, but it was so good, I might raise to 9.5. Yup, that good. 
And this is really cool thing, that shows how emotions overlaps. 
20015

12 Monkeys (1995)

I had this movie in my so called collection forever. But I never seemed to find time to actually sit down and watch. I mean, I love science fiction and all, just didn't seem appealing.


Plot: Some unknown virus has killed entire population, with only 1% survivors that now lives underground. World is dominated by animals again. A convict played by Bruce Willis is sent back to 1996, to gather information about the virus, so the scientist in the future can study it. Sadly, he is sent back to 1990, where he is put into mental institution. 

Actors: Great assembly is called. Bruce Willis was a bit flat for my taste (except for one scene where he hears music on the radio, then he was genuinely happy and it reflected), but, for example, Brad Pitt was right on top. He is an amazing actor, and he just proves it with every role he takes.  



Thoughts: First of all, how amazing is that logo? SO COOL. I've been staring at it forever and still can't comprehend how much I like it! Also something stuck with me after I finished watching the movie -- the constant perception of hoax. Everything was hoax - the report about little boy stuck in a well turned out to be hoax, the army of 12 monkeys eventually turned out to be hoax as well. So it made me think, if the whole future wasn't a hoax as well? 

What I liked: I'm just a sucker for time-travel stuff. Don't ask me about Doctor Who, I mean that show is my life. If time travel would be possible now, I'd be the first in line.
I loved Brad Pitt's performance. Holly shit that dude can act! Fun fact, he received and Oscar nomination for this movie, well deserved!
Also loved that at one point in the movie, characters went to the cinema and there where Hitchcock movie marathon, scenes from Vertigo and such. Vertigo is such a classy fucked up movie, I rejoiced! 
Oh, and I love this fact from back stage -- the director, Terry Gillian, gave a list to Bruce Willis titled "Things Bruce Willis does when he is acting" and the list ended with a note "please don't do any of the above in my movie". 



What I didn't like: How cheap the whole movie and production felt. And it fact, the whole production lacked funding, some actors didn't get paid at all (it is said that was due a chance to work with Terry Gillian, the director). For a massive movie like that, I would wanted to have at least decent looking.. everything. 

IMDB ratting - 8.1. Kinda cool, brilliant story, even more brilliant performances (by some). Also I love the fact, that there is a new tv show build around this movie. Not sure, if I'm gonna watch it, I just appreciate the fact. 
12 monkeys

Old School (2003)

Been a while, hello. Back with some old school stuff, quite literally. I'm surprised that I haven't actually seen this one before, cuz I've heard a lot about it, and it's like one of those classical and definitely must see collage movies.


Plot: Three long time friends, jus living their lives... One is married, with children, one is getting freshly married and one catches his girlfriend in an orgy. Yeah. So their buy a cheep house, that happens to be on a university campus and kind of stars a ... fraternity.

Actors: What a great bunch! Luke Wilson was always the best looking of all three Wilson brothers, to be honest, tho, whenever he said "wow", all I could see was Owen, ha! And Will Ferrell! He does brilliant body-comedy. Within first 20 minutes we see him bare-ass streaking, so. 



References: Call me crazy, but this movie was a bit of a Fight Club rip-off. FB is my ALL TIME FAVOURITE MOVIE. I'tend to watch it at least couple of times every year, I lost the count how many times I've seen it, so naturally, I draw some similarities. Like that all fraternity thing. There is one leader (Luke Wilsonç character), everyone calls him "Sir", he gives out little assignments for his followers, they get some basement fighting going on, and the leader even gets free food at diners. 

What I liked: Oh man, towards the climax of the movie, I caught myself thinking "Oh man, I really enjoy this, what a great movie". Great performances, silly, funny movie. No cheesy rom-com stuff, tho the main lead had a love interest, but they kept it classy, so I liked that. I also won't call this coming of a age movie, since they were grown ass men. It had so many cult-classic moment - the streaking scene, the funeral, angry prep speech in the lockers. Ahh, classic! 


IMDB only ratted this 7.2 and I have to say boo, this deserves more, 8 at least. Such a great movie!
2003

Working Girl (1988)

I just love old movies, ok? Not that I hate new ones, but there is just something about the old ones, that is just so... dare I say fresh? New and not spoiled. Or at least not re-used in cinema these days.


Thoughts: So first I heard of this movie, actually, from "Bob's Burgers" (if you don't know what that is, first of all - how dare you, seconds - it is like one of the best animated series of our generation). So, the Belcher kids' were doing musical in their school, they couldn't decide - "Working Girl" or "Die Hard". They kind of mashed both, but it was hilarious -- 


Plot: This girl, Tess McGill, goes from job to job, working for biggest idiots, until she lands a job for Katherine Parker. Now she never had a lady boss, so it's a bit of a cat-fight behind smiles. Tess pitched an innocent businesses idea for Katherine, she just laughs it off and everything goes back to normal. Until Katherine broke her foot in the skiing accident and asks Tess to take care of some stuff. While attending Katherine's place, she finds out that  Katherine tried to pass Tess' idea as hers. Tess is mad and decides to work on her own, by.. pretending to have Katherine's job. 



Actors: Now this has a very high class cast. Melanie Griffith (I didn't even recognize her, until she cut her hair in the movie. And she does look a lot like Molly Ringwald then), she was soooo flat and boring. Gosh, emotionless doll. Seemed like she was reading her lines, like doing an SNL sketch.  Then it had always lovely Sigourney Weaver. Now she is top class, flawless. The main love interested was performed by Harrison Ford (not very believable if you ask me). A shout-out to lovely Alec Baldwin and Joan Cusack (was surprised not to see John Cusack  as they seem to share movies all the time). Oh and, David Duchovny, did you honestly thought no one gonna notice you standing there in the background? Yeah, guess again.. ;D 


What I liked: It was woman-power time! Girls can do business! Girls can be smart! Girls can have ideas! Yay for that that. You go girls. The whole uplifting atmosphere of this movie was like a breath of fresh air. Loooved the soundtrack, the main song ""Let the river run" won an Oscar, so. And Joan Cusack. She was just adorable. Honestly, one of the best supporting actress out there. 

What I didn't like: Have you seen the fashion in 80s??? Mullets? Baggy clothes? Make-up? Yeah. That. And Harrison Ford as a love interest? Oh my... well, maybe he was something(=hot) after the Star Wars, but that was back in 70s (I just checked IMDB, and yes, this is the only romantic lead mr Ford done, ever. So I was right about that one.) Seriously. Alec Baldwin was so much better looking back then. 


IMDB rating - 6,7. Yeah, I agree, 6 is decent rating for a rom-com that this is. Though, it stood the test of time and now is considered somewhat a cult-classic as well. 
1988
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